Tesla Inc CEO Elon Musk participates in a press conference at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla., on May 27, 2020. (Saul Martinez/Getty Images) Australias Piedmont to Supply Lithium to Tesla, Shares Surge An Australian mining company has signed a five-year deal to supply lithium to electric carmaker Tesla Motors. Shares in the ASX-listed Piedmont Lithium surged 83 percent following the announcement (pdf) on Sept. 28. The five-year agreement states that Piedmont will supply a third of its 160,000-ton annual output of spodumene concentrate from its site in Kings Mountain, North Carolina. Both companies have an option to extend the deal for another five years. We are excited to be working with Tesla, which represents the start of the first U.S. domestic lithium supply chain and a disruption to the current value chain, Keith Phillips, president and CEO of Piedmont said. The company has sights on becoming a major, and one of the few, lithium hydroxide producers outside of China. Currently, China produces about 80 percent of the worlds lithium hydroxide. It is also the only country that can process raw spodumene currently as well. Critical mineral mining companies have been keen to capitalise on interest from governments looking to develop supply chains outside of Beijings reach. Beijing is currently estimated to have control over 63 percent of global rare earth production. Concerns have been mounting in recent years that the Chinese regime will leverage its control of rare earths and cut-off supply in the event of a geopolitical dispute. Piedmont is meanwhile hoping to take advantage of the growing electric vehicle market in the United States and Europe. The deal comes on the heels of Teslas Battery Day presentation last week when CEO Elon Musk spoke of the companys aim to develop cheaper electric batteries. The deal is conditional upon both companies agreeing to start deliveries between July 2022 and July 2023. Two Oakville men are among those charged in connection with a massive fentanyl seizure, which was recently carried out by Halton police. The year-long investigation dubbed Project Mover began in Halton in late 2019, spanned the Greater Toronto Area and resulted in the largest seizure of fentanyl in Halton police history, with a value of more than $4 million. Police are calling it a historic drug seizure. Between June and September officers executed search warrants at six residences, including one in Oakville. During the course of the investigation police seized: 10.25 kilograms of fentanyl 1 kilogram of cocaine 6 kilograms of a suspected controlled substance (identification of the substance is pending analysis) 1.25 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine $307,065 in Canadian currency a semi-automatic 12-gauge shotgun .40-calibre handgun with an extended clip a stolen 2019 Dodge Durango a 2016 Acura RDX A 46-year-old Oakville man and a 28-year-old Oakville man have been charged with two counts of possession for the purpose of trafficking and two counts of possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000. Seven other individuals from British Columbia, Markham, Toronto, Brampton, Hamilton, Alberta and Mississauga are also facing charges in connection with this police operation. Halton police said they would like to thank the Public Prosecution Service of Canada, the Criminal Intelligence Service of Ontario and the RCMP for their assistance during the investigation. Anyone with information about criminal activity in Halton can provide anonymous tips through Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477). DL David Lea is a general assignment reporter for InsideHalton.com and its sister papers. Reach him via email: dlea@metroland.com Read more about: Luis Suarez was shoved out of the door at Barcelona by new boss Ronald Koeman but the Uruguayan looks to have made peace with it, insisting that 'sometimes it's important to have a change'. Suarez left Barcelona's training ground in tears last week before agreeing a deal to join their La Liga rivals Atletico Madrid. But after producing a brace as a substitute on his debut against Granada in a 6-1 win, Suarez is clearly keen to look forward, rather than back. Luis Suarez is ready to mark the next chapter of his career after a debut brace for Atletico The Uruguayan was pushed out the door by Barcelona but looks to thrive at one of their rivals 'For a player, sometimes it's important to have a change,' Suarez said. 'I'm coming to a club that has given me a spectacular welcome. You feel it in the atmosphere, you get a good impression from the start and that is seen on the pitch. 'I'm very happy with my debut and even happier at getting the three points in our league opener. He was bearing a big smile having scored twice coming off the bench in the rout of Granada 'Every time you make your debut and help the team with goals, you're going to be happy, but we'll see in the future because it's a long season.' For his new boss Diego Simeone, it was not the goals he produced off the bench that made Suarez stand out after he was introduced with 20 minutes to go in the second half. 'His two goals didn't stand out for me, but his assists, his runs and his movement did,' Simeone said. 'The changes gave us a bit extra with the strength of Marcos [Llorente], the quality of Vitolo, the clarity of Thomas [Partey] and Suarez knows what he has to do: play for the team.' Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Contest season coming up We are coming into the busy contest season, something that will not please everybody but many will also be happy to test their stations in the heat of battle or to work some DX. On Wednesday the 30th, the UKEICC 80m CW Contest will be held for one hour starting at 2100 local time. Logs must be submitted within one hour and results will be published within another hour. The Oceania DX Phone Contest runs from 0600utc on Saturday next October 3rd to 0600utc Sunday the 4th. The Russian Worldwide Digital contest takes place over 24 hours starting at 1200utc on Saturday the 3rd. The modes are RTTY45 and BPSK63. The IARU Region 1 UHF and Microwaves Contest starts at 1400utc on Saturday 3rd and runs for 24 hours. On Sunday the 4th, the UK DX Contest starts at 0500utc and runs until 2300utc on both CW and SSB. Boys Basketball: Watertown wins over Rapid City Stevens Reese Stark and Drew Norberg combined for 41 points to propel Watertown to a 61-51 high school boys basketball win over Rapid City Stevens. 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 As the Covid-19 case graph continues to go up, the Kerala government has called an all-party meet on Tuesday to discuss ways to contain the pandemic. In last one week, the state has reported more than 41,000 cases and the test positivity rate has also gone up to 12.59 but mortality rate is 0.4 per cent, said chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan. The national test positivity rate is around 8 per cent. The government has also decided to implement virus control measures stringently. Fine for those who failed to wear a mask will be doubled and in marriage parties, the number of invitees cannot exceed 50. At cremations, only 20 people will be allowed. The CM said strict action will be taken against shops and business establishments if they flout norms. Situation is really serious and it is time to step up our containment efforts. There is no room for any laxity and all will have to rise up to the occasion, the CM said. He said some of the cured patients were showing many post-Covid complications and special clinics will be opened for them. In view of rising cases, Congress-led United Democratic Front has stopped its ongoing stir against higher education minister KT Jaleel, who was questioned by the National Investigation Agency and Enforcement Directorate in connection with the gold smuggling case. Earlier state health minister KK Shailaja had blamed opposition parties for the recent surge in cases. The state had witnessed violent protests. On Monday, the state reported 4538 cases; 1,21, 268 people have recovered and there were 57,979 active cases. With 20 deaths, the toll has gone up to 698. Among new cases, 67 are health workers and Kozhikode district has overtaken Thiruvananthapuram with most Covid cases. Cherie Blair has said it will be 'tough' for Boris Johnson and Carrie Symonds to bring up their five-month-old son Wilfred in Downing Street because being Prime Minister is a '24-hour job' and there's 'no privacy'. The barrister, 66, who had her youngest son Leo, now aged 20, three years into her husband Tony's first term in office as Prime Minister in 2000, was speaking on Times Radio to presenter Matt Chorley on Monday. She and Tony lived with Leo and their three other children Euan, now 36, Nicholas, 35, and Kathryn, 32, in the 'rather large' four-bed flat above No. 11 during their time in Downing Street because the No. 10 flat was too small for the family. The Camerons followed suit and remained at No.11. Mr Johnson and Carrie are now living at the grace-and-favour apartment with Wilfred, who was born during lockdown. Cherie Blair has said it will be 'tough' for Boris Johnson and Carrie Symonds to bring up their son Wilfred in Downing Street because being Prime Minister is a '24-hour job' and there's 'no privacy'. Pictured, Mr Johnson and Miss Symonds with Wilfred in the study at No.10 Cherie and Tony lived with youngest son Leo (pictured in 2005) and their three other children Euan, Nicholas, and Kathryn, in the 'rather large' four-bed flat above No. 11 during their time in Downing Street because the No. 10 flat was too small for the family. Speaking on the programme, Mrs Blair said: 'It is a not a small place to live because we moved. The original No. 10 Downing Street flat was a small place to live and it wasn't big enough for Tony and I and our three children and of course we had a nanny to help us because I was a working mother. 'But the flat in No.11 11 is actually a rather large house, so I don't think it is a question of space. 'However, I would say that it is tough bringing up children in Downing Street because being the Prime Minister is a 24-hour job anyway, and at the moment these two huge issues, which is the virus and Brexit, it is an all-consuming job so that is... but you take on the job as Prime Minister knowing that.' Mrs Blair added the family had little time to themselves. Cherie Blair spoke about her experience raising a family in Downing Street 'We used to have people coming in and out of the Downing Street accommodation at all times of the day,' she continued. 'Privacy is not a thing you can rely on. 'It does change the dynamic of a group because I can remember the Downing Street switchboard would ring up and say, "the PM is going to come up at 7pm, can you make sure you have the baby ready and his dinner ready" because of course there's no food made for you in Downing Street. That is expected to be done by the family. 'And you do that and everything would be ready and then he wouldn't come and it would be 8pm and the baby would be fractious and would have gone to bed and he would come in and the dinner would be ruined and you would want to say, "where have you been?" 'And then he'd say, "I'm really sorry, I've just been talking to the president of America". That is probably more important. It is a great excuse.' She then added, 'It has taken a long time to get Tony to realise that he can't carry on using that excuse!' In June, Mr Blair revealed he has not done housework, laundry, or cooked a family meal since 1997. He claimed it was 'impossible' to return to ordinary life after leaving office. But Cherie told Chorley that Mr Blair has 'expressed an interest' in cooking. 'I'm afraid housework and cooking has never been high on his agenda unfortunately, although he did express an interest in cooking and has made several omelettes now,' she said. 'He has opened the cookbook and loves looking at the pictures but actually getting the pans down and doing the cooking, we are still baby steps towards that.' Mr Johnson is only the fourth Prime Minister to welcome a baby into Downing Street. SASKATOON, SK, Sept. 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ - International Road Dynamics Inc. ("IRD" or the "Company"), a Quarterhill Inc. ("Quarterhill") company (TSX: QTRH) (OTCQX: QTRHF), announced today that its partnership with SEA Electronics LLC (SEA) has been awarded a US $3.3 million commercial vehicle enforcement systems contract in Ukraine. Under the terms of the contract, IRD will provide high-speed virtual Weigh-In-Motion (WIM) systems for six sites in Ukraine. These systems will provide commercial vehicle enforcement, traffic monitoring, and reporting capability through a web-based application. This contract expands on IRD's existing partnership with SEA, a Ukraine-based supplier and manufacturer of electrical equipment, including traffic control systems. IRD and SEA recently deployed a WIM pilot project for the Ukrainian road agency, Ukravtodor, at six sites where IRD was chosen to supply the roadside equipment and WIM processing software to collect real-time traffic data and support the enforcement of overweight and over-dimension commercial vehicles, as well as vehicles that are potentially in violation of local operating regulations. The pilot project WIM sites revealed that over 40% of commercial vehicles were overloaded. Building on the success of the pilot project, SEA will be installing six additional virtual WIM sites for the State Enterprise Financing of Infrastructure Projects (FinInPro). These new sites will utilize IRD's WIM systems and Virtual Weigh Station (VWS) software for vehicle monitoring and enforcement on 16 traffic lanes. IRD's VWS software provides real-time and historical data that includes vehicle weight, vehicle overview images, license plate numbers and vehicle dimensions. This data is then monitored for safety and regulation enforcement. Additionally, the system will be equipped with a wrong-way detection feature, an added safety feature aimed at deterring vehicles from travelling the wrong way (opposite traffic flow). Mr. Rish Malhotra, IRD's President and Chief Executive Officer commented, "We are pleased to build on the success of the pilot program and to expand both our partnership with SEA Electronics and our presence in Ukraine. FinInPro's selection of SEA, and IRD's monitoring and enforcement technology, is a forward-looking decision that will assist Ukraine in meeting road safety and infrastructure preservation goals, thereby benefiting vehicle operators, passengers and the broader public." About IRD IRD is a dynamic technology company engaged in developing key components and advanced systems for the next generation of transportation networks. Together with subsidiaries PAT Traffic and ICOMS Detections, IRD supplies Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) to private corporations, transportation agencies and highway authorities around the world. For more than 40 years, IRD's systems have been making highways safer, greener and more efficient. Known globally as a trusted partner providing sales, service and support on major ITS projects, IRD is helping to shape smarter cities by empowering engineering and urban planning professionals with access to reliable and actionable traffic data. For more information: www.irdinc.com About Quarterhill Quarterhill is a growth-oriented company in the Intellectual Property and Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) industries. Our goal is to pursue an investment strategy that capitalizes on attractive market trends in both ITS and its adjacent markets. Quarterhill is listed on the TSX under the symbol QTRH and on the OTCQX Best Market under the symbol QTRHF. For more information: www.quarterhill.com Forward-Looking Information This news release contains forward-looking statements regarding IRD, Quarterhill and their businesses. Forward-looking statements are based on estimates and assumptions made by IRD and/or Quarterhill in light of their experience and perception of historical trends, current conditions, expected future developments and the expected effects of new business strategies, as well as other factors that IRD and/or Quarterhill believe are appropriate in the circumstances. The forward-looking events and circumstances discussed herein may not occur and could differ materially as a result of known and unknown risk factors and uncertainties affecting IRD and/or Quarterhill, including: potential risks and uncertainties relating to the ultimate geographic spread of the novel coronavirus ("COVID-19"); the severity of the disease; the duration of the COVID-19 outbreak; actions that may be taken by governmental authorities to contain the COVID-19 outbreak or to treat its impact; the potential negative impacts of COVID-19 on the global economy and financial markets and any resulting impact on IRD and/or Quarterhill and/or their businesses. Other factors include, without limitation, the risks described in Quarterhill's February 27, 2020 annual information form for the year ended December 31, 2019 (the "AIF"). Copies of the AIF may be obtained at www.sedar.com. IRD and Quarterhill recommend that readers review and consider all of these risk factors and notes that readers should not place undue reliance on any of IRD's forward-looking statements. IRD has no intention, and undertakes no obligation, to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. SOURCE International Road Dynamics Related Links www.quarterhill.com Hunterdon Art Museum will host a virtual opening reception for its new exhibit, From the Ground Up: Peters Valley School of Craft, on Saturday, Oct. 3, from 7 to 8 p.m. The display will be open for public viewing at the museum from Oct. 4 through to Jan. 10. From the Ground Up, will be the first-ever exhibit examining Peters Valleys 50-year history and key moments that have defined the institution from its earliest formation as an experimental craft colony, to the building of its Japanese wood-fired kiln in 1980, to the prominence of women blacksmiths at Peters Valley in the early 2000s. The show, curated by Elizabeth Essner, will combine historical ephemera with more than 75 fiber, jewelry, ceramics, wood, photography and metal works by artists involved at Peters Valley, as well as on-site artist residencies to allow further engagement with artists working in craft-based materials. Weve been working with the Hunterdon Art Museum and Essner for the past two years to ensure this milestone exhibition includes pieces that communicate the rich history and development of contemporary craft in America, said Peters Valley Executive Director Kristin Muller. The interactive artist residencies will also exemplify to visitors the experiential aspects of Peters Valleys immersive studio workshops. Im thrilled to be able to shed light on so many stories of artistic transformation that have happened at Peters Valley," said Essner. "The school has engaged hundreds of artists and thousands of students over its 50-year history, yet its story has never been told. Artists whose work will exhibited are Vivian Beer, Bruce Dehnert, Fawn Navasie, Luci Jockel, Kirk Mangus, Emil Milan, Shiro Otani, Malcolm Mobutu Smith, Stephen Shore, Toshiko Takaezu, Louise Todd Cope, MJ Tyson and Andrew Willner. Artist residencies will include weaver Cynthia Alberto and her Brooklyn-based weaving studio Weaving Hand, jeweler Lauren Eckert and woodworker Janine Wang. Set in the wooded landscape of the Delaware Water Gap National Park in Layton, Peters Valley was first proposed in 1970 as a planned colony of artists and craftspeople, with resident blacksmiths, ceramists, fiber artists, metalsmiths, woodworkers and photographers populating the sites 18th and 19th-century buildings. Over time, as Peters Valleys educational mission moved from the margins to the center, it grew into the craft school it is today, which brings together local, national and international artists with students for immersive materials-based workshops. For information, visit petersvalley.org. The Hunterdon Museum is located at 7 Lower Center St., Clinton. Hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursdays through Sundays by appointment, with the first hour on Thursdays reserved for seniors and immunocompromised visitors. Admission is $7, $5 for seniors, students and military and free for ages 12 and younger. Send community news to news@hcdemocrat.com. Maybe the debates will help, but for now, Karen and Marlin Boltz remain genuinely stymied. The couple voted for Donald Trump four years ago, but they can't stand how he's divided the country and emboldened white supremacists. They like Joe Biden, but recoil at the idea of higher taxes and bigger spending. The Boltzes, who live in a rural area half an hour outside Pittsburgh, find themselves squarely between their children. Their son who lives next door is more conservative than they are and supports Trump. Their daughter in Seattle and their son in Chicago, whom they hope to see soon happily married to his male partner, are adamant that Trump be removed. "It's an interesting place to sit as parents," said Marlin, 63 and recently retired after a long career at a machine manufacturing company. "We consider ourselves as moderate. Conservative on fiscal issues and liberal on gay marriage. There are no candidates that fit. If I had a spreadsheet, I'd be trying to fill it out to say: Who do I think can pull the country back together? I have never been this undecided this close to an election." When the first of three debates between Trump and Biden begins Tuesday evening, as many as 1 in 10 voters - enough to swing the election either way - will still be searching for the thing that finally seals their choice. National polls in recent days have reported that anywhere from 3 percent to 11 percent of voters are unsure or might yet switch sides. These undecideds have heard the jokes and insults aimed at people who can't see the differences between Trump and Biden, but that does nothing to ease their doubts. In interviews, these battleground-state voters spoke of feeling a civic duty to remain open to the candidates' pitches on Tuesday night, and a desire to see how they perform under pressure. Many still like the idea of Trump as disrupter, the non-politician giving the Washington system a hefty dose of shock treatment, yet they are appalled by his languid approach to the coronavirus pandemic or disgusted by his antipathy toward immigrants and refugees. Many have always liked Biden, but they worry about whether he's lost a step or about whether he would stand up to the left wing of his own party. "I'll decide based on the debates," said George Cottingham, a 25-year-old music production student in Racine, Wis. "I want to see a sense of purpose. I always can tell if someone's competent by seeing how they present themselves." Cottingham will be casting his first vote in a presidential election, but he liked Trump in 2016 and is leaning toward him again this time. He said he sees the coronavirus as a greater threat than Trump seems to, but he says the president's skepticism about wearing masks is a reasonable ploy: "Honestly, everyone should be wearing a mask, but Trump says things against it to keep people from freaking out, and I get it that he's trying to keep everything together." Some undecideds turn out to be people who've long felt alienated from the two big political parties, who voted for Libertarian Gary Johnson or Green Party candidate Jill Stein in 2016 and now think their vote may have greater impact if they can make their peace with Biden or Trump. Roan Kirschbaum, 28, who studies sound design in Oshkosh, Wis., and is looking for work, has voted only for Green Party candidates in the past, but he's open to either Trump or Biden this time and hopes they'll use the debate to address how social media platforms are warping the country's political discussion by feeding people evermore extreme views. "It's a vicious attack on human well-being and I don't hear either candidate talking about it," he said. Kirschbaum said that although Trump "is better than Biden at listening to the American people, the problem is then he just doesn't care about doing what's right. Like on the virus, he wanted to keep people from panicking, but he won't admit that it's good to wear masks. Would it be any different under Democratic leadership? Biden is more pro-science, but I don't know." Some undecided voters aren't really voters at all. They belong to the faction that in most presidential elections is just as big as the Democrats or Republicans - non-voters. Pete Jordan's indecision is rooted in exhaustion. An independent who leans Democratic, he voted for Hillary Clinton in 2016 and said he wanted her "to win real bad. It didn't happen. I was punched in the throat." But Jordan's distaste for Trump has diminished over time. He can't stomach Fox News's cheerleading for the president, but he also thinks CNN and MSNBC became "a joke" by railing against Trump no matter what. "Everybody knows the guy's an a------, but do I have to hear it 24/7/365?" asked Jordan, who lives in Becker County, Minn., near the North Dakota border and not far from where Trump held a rally last week. Still, he said, "Donald Trump got elected and my 401(k) went up about 35%, so how can I hate the man for that? But his narcissistic brain won't allow him to shut his piehole. He has to be the center of attention. Shut up and govern." Jordan's view of the Democrats has soured over time: He thought Democratic senators grilled Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh too harshly over allegations of past sexual assault. And closer to home in Minnesota, the violence that followed Black Lives Matter protests after George Floyd's killing by Minneapolis police deepened his disillusionment. Jordan, 57, plans to watch the debates hoping Biden will give him a reason to vote for him. But if the election were held tomorrow, he said, he would likely stay home. "I'm so up in the air right now," he said. "I just don't have the patience for all this s--- anymore." After discounting leaners, third-party voters and non-voters, there remain a solid group of people who are simply stuck between Trump and Biden. Many, like Karen and Marlin Boltz, are social liberals and fiscal conservatives who find no echo of their beliefs in Washington politics. The Boltzes, lifelong Republicans, want the debates to reveal what they say news coverage of the campaign has not: Who will address the cost of health care? Who will support protests for racial justice but stand firm against violence? Who can actually bring people together? Four years ago, the couple watched the debates and liked Trump's outsider stance but worried that he made outrageous slurs against immigrants. "They have made it impossible for anyone to come here," Karen said. "Why would you do that?" "I thought Trump was saying all this stuff about the wall but once he gets advisers, they will pull him back," Marlin said. "But that didn't happen. And I didn't see the tweets coming. I don't like it. It's not very presidential-like." The Boltzes pray before dinner, attend church every Sunday and believe America should be proud to be a destination for people who live under repressive regimes around the world. "This 'America First' thing doesn't sit well with me," Marlin said. "The GOP promotes a view of the world of scarcity. As if there is not enough to go around. And I don't see that. There's plenty to go around." Karen avoids watching cable news because it seems like wall-to-wall Trump denunciation or adulation, depending on the channel. She listens to NPR every morning because the reporting seems more factual. But she'll watch the debates to try to see for herself whether Trump "might be crazier and more wild in the next four years" or if Biden can avoid a huge expansion of the public sector. "We don't want the government to be our mum," Karen said. A thousand miles west, in rural Minnesota, where Erin Tollefsrud teaches refugee children and is a single mother of her own son, that same wish for a president who is openhearted yet tightfisted hangs over her anticipation of the debate. Tollefsrud, 35, thought early this year that she'd finally found a candidate who reflects her concerns about climate change, education and racial justice. She liked Andrew Yang in the Democratic primary race, but now she's torn. She's suspicious of Democrats like Biden who she sees as unfamiliar with and unsympathetic to rural residents and gun owners. But she's appalled by Trump's Twitter persona and coarse rhetoric at rallies. And she's worried that "there's no fiscal conservative in this race." Still, she likes the attention Trump pays to rural America and she thinks of him as someone who doesn't flip-flop, who tells it like it is. "Neither candidate represents me," she said. "Both are old, white, male and rich." Tollefsrud is a classic swing voter, casting ballots for George W. Bush and Barack Obama before going with a third-party candidate in 2016. On Tuesday, she wants to hear whether Biden can hold his own against Trump's insults. "His age is concerning," she said. "If you look at pictures of presidents after their term, they look older, stressed, harried." Biden's age and acuity - he would be the oldest president in U.S. history, three years older than Trump - and Trump's lack of an agenda or principles has Paul Jass stuck in a too familiar place: undecided, with the debates standing as his primary hope for finding clarity. Jass, a chemist who lives near Milwaukee, defines himself as a social liberal, especially on climate and natural resources issues, and fiscal conservative who used to be comfortable in the Republican Party. But not in recent years: In 2016, he voted for Gary Johnson, the ex-governor of New Mexico who served as a Republican but made his White House run as a Libertarian. Before that, he voted for Republican John McCain in 2008 and Democrat Obama in 2012. In the debate, Jass wants to hear a science-based plan for restraining spread of the virus and a coherent approach to restarting the economy. He's not holding his breath. Jass has been perplexed by Trump's refusal to take the advice of scientists. "He tried to put too much of a false front on to make the virus situation not look so bad," he said. "He thinks he knows it all. As a person, I really don't like him. And he's not a Republican at all." But Trump has done some things Jass likes, including closing tax loopholes, evening the playing field for U.S. manufacturers, and brokering peace between Israel and some of its Arab neighbors. Biden's campaign has left Jass flat so far. "His message is scattered for me other than 'I don't like Trump,' " he said. "I want to hear a clear philosophy of government. But I really think Biden's going to win and win handily." While many undecideds eagerly await the debates as a way to clarify their choice, others hold little hope that the TV spectacles will help - or that their vote will do any good. Scott Williams has never voted before but is already somewhat apathetic about his first presidential election. "I can't blink without something telling me I need to go register to vote," said Williams, 21, a junior at Concordia University in St. Paul, Minn. "They're really, really hellbent on getting youth to vote right now." Williams plans to watch the debate with his girlfriend. He's curious about how Trump and Biden will interact with one another. And after losing his restaurant job at the start of the pandemic and then finding part-time work at another eatery, he's especially interested in hearing how the candidates would curb the coronavirus "so we don't have to worry or practice social distancing." But he's underwhelmed by both candidates. He sees Trump as simply unqualified to serve. And Biden is "another old guy." Unless one of them inspires him, Williams might just sit this one out. ANN ARBOR, MI - The University of Michigan has suspended its undergraduate study abroad programs for the winter 2021 term, due to ongoing concerns about COVID-19, including continued travel restrictions and the planning time needed for students. Almost every country is under a UM travel restriction right now and its difficult to do an accurate risk assessment of COVID-19 conditions, predict entry and exit bans and confirm the availability of quarantine housing and other safety measures at all study sites across the globe, UM Associate Vice Provost and Director of Global Engagement Amy Conger said. Were trying to make careful decisions that are in everybodys best interest, Conger said in a news release. Because theres still uncertainty, we just dont want to put the students at risk. We also have to remember, it can take nine months to a year to plan a program. And most of our students usually have to make financial commitments at least three or four months before travel. There is no clear timeline for when students are expected to be able to travel again, due to COVID-19 conditions in countries throughout the world, Conger said. Significant planning goes into students' study abroad choices, Conger said, with students often planning at least a year ahead to prepare applications, map out their courses, make financial arrangements and select housing. The university noted its schools and colleges also need time to design the learning experiences, reserve sites, hire instructors and secure accommodations, with contracts signed and students making deposits several months in advance of departure. UM typically offers study abroad programs in more than 80 different countries per year. The university is continuously reviewing each country and will gradually be lifting restrictions as the State Department, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other sources indicate it is safer to travel, Conger said. Its going to be more a process of slowly opening up, Conger said. And if the travel restriction is not lifted, then by default, we cant run a study abroad program because we dont want to place students at additional risk during their travel experience. Last week, UM President Mark Schlissel predicted UM and other colleges wont return to normal until the 2021-22 academic year, but that depends on implementing a vaccination program. READ MORE: Students not expected to return to in-person classes until fall 2021, college presidents say Increase in University of Michigan coronavirus cases largely due to outside testing, dashboard shows Is the University of Michigan cracking under pandemic pressure? Last week, I got up, and looked up at a smoked early morning the sun muted to a consonant orange ball in an even gray sky. Some 3,000 miles away, the West Coast was blazing and in ruins. More than 4.6 million acres have burned there in the recent fires as if all of Connecticut and Rhode Island combined had been torched. There was enough smoke from the fires for the winds to blow it across the continent and give the New England sky those glowing Japanese print colors. It was beautiful and very odd, and off-putting. Im shocked, said Patrick Comins, president of the Connecticut Audubon Society, who posted photos of the sunset on Facebook. It was a sunny day, with blue skies, said Bill Jacquemin, senior meteorologist with the Connecticut Weather Center in Danbury who photographed it as well. But because of the smoke, it wasnt. As the fires burn, hundreds of thousands of migrating songbirds have died while crossing New Mexico. Comins said researchers will study the birds to learn their cause of death. But it may be that the wildfires forced them to migrate too early and take a different flight pattern that exhausted them. They may have died of smoke inhalation or pesticide poisoning. All of this is a way of reinforcing this basic ecological tenet: Everything is connected. Whats happening there shows up here, and here, there. The pollution we put into the atmosphere contributes to the global warming thats now creating drought and wildfires. Welcome to climate change made manifest. Its a global problem, said Mitch Wagener, professor of biology at Western Connecticut State University in Danbury. We may want to think of it as a local problem, but were all complicit in it. Its also a reminder of the problem Connecticut faces given its place in the U.S. were downwind of everything, including coal-fired power plants in the Midwest. Smoke gets blown our way. Connecticut is the exit of the tailpipe, said the states Attorney General William Tong. The state has been fighting for years to get those Midwestern states to reckon with the pollution we have to live with. Tong and Connecticut have now moved to a new front, suing ExxonMobil. The state claims that the giant multinational oil producer had research beginning in the 1950s that showed that burning fossil fuels was causing climate change. Instead of acting on that research, the suit says, the company hid it and denied what its own research showed. The suit asks for financial remediation for past, present and future harm climate change has caused the state. It also asks that ExxonMobil fully disclose its research and create a climate change education fund. People are beginning to become aware that interconnectedness of climate change, Tong said. But I dont think theyre making the connections fast enough, he said. Thats part of the problem. Here is one good thing about the smoke thats now filling our skies. Jacquemin of the Connecticut Weather Center said changes in weather patterns may move the smoke away from the state, at least temporarily. Its also not altering our air quality. Paul Farrell, director of air planning for the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, said the soot from the smoke is floating about 20,000 feet above us. Thats really too far away to affect us, Farrell said. And if this is any consolation, its happened before. Farrell said that massive fires in Ontario in 2002 and the Fort McMurray fire in Alberta Canada in 2016 both filled our skies with ashy residue. But sometimes, big events have consequences. In 1910, there was the The Big Blowup, the Big Burn, the Great Fire a conflagration in Idaho and Montana that burned more than 3 million aces in two days and killed 78 firefighters. It sent smoke across New England, with its ash eventually falling on the Greenland glaciers. The drama of the event caught the attention of Congress, which doubled funding for the nascent U.S. Forest Service. And in 1934 and 1935 dust from the Great Plains dust storms the Dust Bowl darkened the skies over Washington, D.C. Presented with irrefutable evidence of that calamity, the Congress found money to fund the U.S. Soil Conservation Service. Could these new gray, smoky skies have an impact on public opinion as well? Tong said if it does, its coming late. Its well past midnight, he said. Contact Robert Miller at earthmattersrgm@gmail.com Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday paid tributes to revolutionary freedom fighter Bhagat Singh on his birth anniversary, saying his valour will inspire people for ages. Singh was born on this day in Punjab in 1907. His defiance of the British rule from a very young age, his revolutionary acts to target the empire and his hanging when he was only 23 have made him one of the more notable heroes of the Indian Independence movement. Tributes to the immortal martyr Bhagat Singh on his birth anniversary. His saga of bravery and valour will inspire the countrymen for ages, the prime minister tweeted. He also attached a clip of his Mann Ki Baat broadcast made on Sunday in which he had paid rich tributes to Singh. Houston Astros shortstop Carlos Correa has offered his support to the family of a six-year-old boy who died after being infected by a rare brain eating amoeba. Josiah McIntyre, from Clute, Texas, died on September 8 after telling his mother just five days earlier that he had a headache. Officials believe the amoeba, Naegleria fowleri, either entered his body at a splash pad in the city, or from a hose in the family home. Josiah's mother Maria Castillo said she has been comforted by the support from her son's favorite player. 'He used to say that his name was Josiah Christopher McIntyre Carlos Correa.' Castillo told KHOU11. 'He was probably the happiest little boy you would've ever met.' Josiah McIntyre, aged six, died on September 8 after playing in water near his home McIntyre is believed to have come into contact with water at a splash pad or from a hose Houston Astros shortstop Carlos Correa (playing against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field on Sunday) has offered his support to the family of a six-year-old boy who died after being infected by a rare brain eating amoeba Eight locations earlier this month were told not to use the water, all have since been given the all-clear. Residents in Lake Jackson are now able to use their water but advised to boil it first McIntyre had just begun first grade at a school in Clute when he fell ill. 'He started vomiting and having fever,' Castillo said. WHAT IS A BRAIN-EATING AMOEBA? Naegleria fowleri is commonly referred to as the 'brain-eating amoeba' as it can cause a rare and devastating infection of the brain called primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM). But the infection is very rare, and according to the CDC, there have been about 35 cases reported in the U.S. in the last decade. The single-celled organism is commonly found in warm freshwater, such as lakes, rivers, and hot springs, as well as in soil. It usually infects people when contaminated water enters the body through the nose. Once the amoeba enters the nose, it travels to the brain where it causes PAM, which is usually fatal. Infection typically occurs when people go swimming or diving in warm freshwater places, like lakes and rivers. In very rare instances, Naegleria infections may also occur when contaminated water from other sources (such as inadequately chlorinated swimming pool water or heated and contaminated tap water) enters the nose. You cannot get infected from swallowing water contaminated with Naegleria. Advertisement She believed Josiah might have the flu and treated his symptoms with medicine and rest. But the following day she took the boy to the ER in Brazoria Country where doctors tested him for the flu, strep throat and Covid-19 all came back negative. The day after, Josiah began jumbling his sentences so Castillo drove more than an hour to the Texas Medical Center where doctors found the boy had swelling on the brain. They started treating Josiah for meningitis while he underwent more tests before they discovered he was infected by the amoeba. Castillo said she tried as best she could to say goodbye to her first-born child. 'I feel like there was so much more I wanted to say. You can't tell somebody you love them enough,' Castillo told KHOU11. Carlos Correa learned of Josiah's tragic death and sent a video message to Castillo and her family. 'I was very sad, because I never got to meet him, never got to give him a hug, never got to say hi,' Correa said. 'I know he's watching over all of us right now. And I want you guys to know that I'm here for anything that you guys need. And hopefully, I can meet you guys soon. I'll keep you guys in my prayers.' The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says people cannot get infected by swallowing contaminated water, and it cannot be passed from person to person. The amoeba is usually fatal if it enters via the nose, with 90 to 95 per cent of people who are infected dying. Those infected with Naegleria fowleri have symptoms including fever, nausea and vomiting, as well as a stiff neck and headaches. Most die within a week. Infections are rare in the United States, with 34 deaths recorded between 2009-18. Naegleria fowleri is found around the world. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says the majority of infections in the US have been caused by contaminated freshwater in southern states. An infection was previously confirmed in the US state of Florida earlier this year. At the time, health officials there urged locals to avoid nasal contact with water from taps and other sources. 5-Year-Old Girl Stabbed to Death, Nearly 50 Others Shot Across Chicago: Officials Police said that nearly 50 people were shot, including seven fatally, over the weekend in Chicago. Officials also said a 5-year-old girl was also stabbed to death. Officials told local media that at least 48 people were shot between the evening of Friday, Sept. 25, and the early morning of Monday, Sept. 28. Four people were shot and killed on Saturday, including two in Austin on the West Side and two deaths on the South Side, police told the Chicago Sun-Times. Another two people were killed on Sunday, and another victim died on Friday night in the Burnside area of South Side. All of the fatal victims were males, and the youngest was 17 years old, authorities told the paper. The oldest was 66 years old, they added. Meanwhile, a 5-year-old girl was fatally stabbed on Saturday morning in East Garfield Park, said Chicago police officials. A 20-year-old was pulled from the Chicago River with stab wounds in a separate incident on Sunday, said police. Officials said that also, a 17-year-old boy, identified as Avion Aldridge, was fatally shot Saturday in Austin on the West Side several blocks near where another young male was found dead on the same day, WBBM reported. The teen was approached by two suspects at around 11 a.m. local time before they fired shots at him. Chicago Police investigate at the 25th District station on the Northwest Side, after several officers were shot outside the station, Chicago, on July 30, 2020. (Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Chicago Sun-Times via AP) In one two-hour period on Sunday, nine people were shot and two died, according to Chicago police. At around 5 p.m., someone dropped off a 20-year-old man with a gunshot wound to the head at St. Bernards Hospital, authorities told the Chicago Tribune, adding that the person who dropped him off at the facility left. The man was pronounced dead at the hospital. Officials said that this year, shootings and homicides in Chicago have spiked compared to recent years, according to data (pdf) released by police. The totals are up about 50 percent over 2019. Earlier this month, Mayor Lori Lightfoot, a Democrat, noted that juvenile shootings and deaths are also up. So far, about 272 juveniles have been shot in 2020, and 45 of those have died. That includes the shooting death of 8-year-old Dajore Wilson, who was killed on Labor Day when suspects in a vehicle opened fire on her familys SUV. We cannot normalize this behavior, she said on Sept. 18. We cannot shelter the people who are recklessly destroying the fabric of our community and, particularly, bringing harm to our children. PG&E Corp. was cutting power to about 195,000 people across Northern California in an attempt to keep its power lines from sparking wildfires amid another round of extreme heat, dry weather and high winds. Blazes still erupted, triggering evacuations and burning thousands of acres. As temperatures soared past 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32 degrees Celsius) on Sunday, PG&E -- the utility giant that went bankrupt last year after its equipment ignited catastrophic blazes, began a shut-off that will leave parts of 16 counties out of power until the end of Monday. The National Weather Service has been warning that the risk of wildfires across the region would increase late Saturday evening and remain through Monday. "The combination of wind, low humidity, and hot conditions will result in extreme fire weather conditions," the weather service said. Temperatures in parts of Southern California were forecast to reach as high as 105 degrees through Thursday. It's the latest hardship for a state that's been battered this year by increasingly extreme weather brought on by climate change and ensuing blackouts. Last month, a record-breaking heat wave triggered California's first rotating power outages since the 2001 energy crisis -- and was followed just three weeks later by another one. More than 8,000 wildfires have burned a record 3.7 million acres in the state this year, choking cities with smoke, killing at least 26 people and destroying more than 7,000 structures. In Napa County, the Glass Fire broke out early Sunday and was raging uncontrollably, scorching at least 2,500 acres. The Zogg Fire in Shasta County had burned 7,000 acres. Both prompted evacuations. Butte County also issued an immediate evacuation order for some communities on Sunday due to the ongoing North Complex Fire. Utilities across the U.S. West are increasingly cutting power ahead of wind storms to reduce the chances of their live wires igniting blazes. In Southern California, investigators are looking at a power line owned by Edison International's Southern California Edison as part of their probe into a fire that's burning in the mountains near Los Angeles. Sempra Energy's San Diego Gas & Electric said Sunday it may also have to turn off power to 700 customers in the mountainous areas of San Diego county due to the expected arrival of Santa Ana winds. PG&E's latest round will impact about 65,000 homes and businesses, or about 195,000 people based on the size of the average California household. The first cuts began early Sunday. A second round was planned for later in the night, PG&E said in a briefing. All customers should have their power back on by the end of day on Monday, the company said. The outages are considerably smaller in scope than previous ones. Earlier this month, PG&E cut power to about 172,000 homes and businesses -- or about 516,000 people -- as high winds raked California. PG&E emerged from bankruptcy in July after settling wildfire claims for $25.5 billion. California's peak wildfire season traditionally runs from September through November. but it has grown longer and less predictable in recent years, with blazes coming as late as December. Instead of the Taoiseach visiting the United States for St Patrick's Day, it has been suggested the US President should be invited to Ireland in 2022. Photo: PA IRELAND would be "pushing against an open door" if a re-elected Donald Trump was to be invited to Ireland for St Patrick's Day. The remarks were made by Mr Trump's Northern Ireland envoy Mick Mulvaney in response to a suggestion by Fine Gael TD Joe Carey that the next US President be invited to Ireland as part of a bid to boost tourism in 2022. Mr Mulvaney is in Ireland for meetings with politicians on both sides of the border where Brexit and protecting the Good Friday Agreement are top of the agenda. Mr Carey made his suggestion about inviting the next US President for St Patrick's Day in the year Ireland commemorates 100 years of independence in the Dail earlier this month. With an election later this year either incumbent Mr Trump or challenger and former Vice President Joe Biden will be in the Oval Office in 2022. Read More Traditionally the Taoiseach has travelled to Washington DC for St Patrick's celebrations there - an annual mission seen as an important opportunity to lobby US politicians on Irish issues. If Mr Carey's idea comes to fruition it would be the first time a US President travelled here for the festivities. Mr Mulvaney, Mr Trump's former White House Chief of Staff described Mr Carey's proposal as "a fabulous idea". He said: "if I'm in a position to have any sway over whatever administration is in power in 2022 I will absolutely raise that. "That's a tremendous idea. We've never done that have we?," he added. Asked if Mr Trump would be interested in such a visit he said: "Getting the president to come here is pushing against an open door." He pointed to Mr Trump's visit to his hotel at Doonbeg, Co Clare last year as well as vice-President Mike Pence's family connections to Ireland. In the Dail Clare TD Mr Carey referred to the Wild Atlantic Way and The Gathering tourism initiatives after the last recession and suggested a similar marketing campaign to encourage visitors to Ireland could be built around the centenary of Ireland's independence in 2022. He said: " We could start by inviting the President of the United States to celebrate St Patrick's Day in Ireland - landing into Shannon Airport of course." India's recently legislated farm laws, meant to liberalise agricultural trade and allow businesses to directly procure agri-produce from farmers and stock and sell it within India and abroad without any government regulation, may pose new challenges for the country at the international level. The new agression towards agri-business is a shift from the past where India had defended its agriculture policies - subsidies, government procurement, and release of stocks to contain agri-produce prices in the retail market - as something driven by the need to protect its small and marginal farmers and provide food security to the vulnerable population of India. The liberalisation in agriculture and freeing up markets and exports as a means to double farmers' income will thus increase the pressure on India to open up its market to agri-produce imports from other countries too. If that happens, Indian agriculture market can be flooded with imported agricultural produce, thereby adding to the worries of Indian farmers. The three Bills which are being opposed by several sections of farming community at the moment are The Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020 (which allows farmers and traders to sell and purchase farmers' produce through alternate channels outside regulated APMC markets, without paying fees or levies to the state government); The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020 (which draws up a national framework for contract farming agreements with agri-business firms, processors, wholesalers, exporters or large retailers for farm services and sale of future farming produce at a mutually agreed remunerative price); and The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill, 2020 (which takes out most food items, including cereals, pulses, potato, onion, edible oilseeds and oil from list of essential commodities and hence from government control over its stock, price, sale etc). Biswajit Dhar, a trade expert who teaches at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), Delhi, says that in future negotiations for bilateral free trade agreements (FTAs) and at the World Trade Organisation (WTO) level, negotiating partners and member countries are not going to accept India's export-oriented stance. "You will not be allowed to export without opening up your domestic market to imports. It will have an impact on the livelihood of 60 per cent of India's workforce who are either directly or indirectly dependent on agriculture," Dhar says. In fact, India has been opposing liberalisation in global agricultural trade and thereby give up its right to impose high import tariff on agricultural goods, for long. "India's stance on agricultural trade was clearly articulated by the then Commerce Minister Pranab Mukherjee in 1994 at the launch of WTO itself. The country refused to liberalise agriculture trade as it was firmly committed to protect the interests of Indian farmers," Dhar points out. The new laws have diluted this stance, he believes. ALSO READ: Farm bills get President's nod; Opposition says 'dark day for democracy' ALSO READ: Opposition parties' conduct in Parliament 'dark blot on Indian democracy': Amit Shah on farm bills Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Rizki Fachriansyah (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Mon, September 28, 2020 15:06 481 e22cd4161040e111d73a5626c47af8ae 1 National Jokowi,COVID-19-Indonesian-patients,COVID-19-mitigation,COVID-19,pandemic,COVID-19-treatment,health-ministry,national-COVID-19-committee Free President Joko Jokowi Widodo has said that every hospital will be required to treat COVID-19 patients in accordance with the Health Ministrys official standard operating procedures to ensure an optimal recovery rate. I received a report last night from the deputy head [of the national COVID-19 recovery committee] and Health Minister [Terawan Agus Putranto] mandating that the treatment meet the ministrys standards, Jokowi said in a virtual meeting with members of the national COVID-19 and economic recovery committee on Monday. He said that uniform treatment of COVID-19 patients would be mandatory in intensive care units, isolation wards and quarantine facilities. The President said the move would help turn the tables in the countrys favor as it fought mounting COVID-19 cases. [This standardization] is of the utmost importance, so we expect that the number of fatalities will continue to decline and that the number of recoveries will continue to improve, Jokowi said, as quoted in a statement issued by the Presidential Secretariat. Read also: Six months on, health experts covet greater voice in pandemic response Indonesia's COVID-19 mortality rate had declined to 3.77 percent as of last month, Jokowi said. However, he noted that it still hovered above the global fatality rate of 3.01 percent. Jokowi also emphasized the importance of community-based interventions in the ongoing mitigation efforts, urging regional heads throughout the country to impose small-scale restrictions in the event of an outbreak to quickly curb the spread of the virus. Multiple mini-lockdowns will prove to be more effective, he said. He called on regional leaders to begin planning mass vaccination schemes as early as possible to ensure smooth sailing once a proven vaccine was available for widespread use. Indonesia has seen a continuously rising number of cases since March. The nation logged record daily highs, all above 4,400 new cases, for three consecutive days last week. As of Sunday, Indonesia had recorded 275,213 total COVID-19 cases, with 10,386 fatalities. DGAP-Ad-hoc: Williams Grand Prix Holdings PLC / Key word(s): Delisting/AGM/EGM Williams Grand Prix Holdings PLC: Shareholder circular and Notice of General Meeting - proposed return of value, recommended members' voluntary liquidation and delisting 28-Sep-2020 / 19:30 CET/CEST Disclosure of an inside information acc. to Article 17 MAR of the Regulation (EU) No 596/2014, transmitted by DGAP - a service of EQS Group AG. The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. THE INFORMATION CONTAINED WITHIN THIS ANNOUNCEMENT IS DEEMED BY THE COMPANY TO CONSTITUTE INSIDE INFORMATION AS STIPULATED UNDER THE MARKET ABUSE REGULATION (EU) NO. 596/2014. With the publication of this announcement via a Regulatory Information Service, this inside information is now considered to be in the public domain. 28 September 2020 Williams Grand Prix Holdings PLC ("Williams", "WGPH", or the "Company") Shareholder Circular and Notice of General Meeting - proposed return of value, recommended members' voluntary liquidation and delisting The Board of Williams (ISIN DE000A1H6VM4) resolved today, following the announcement of the sale of Williams Grand Prix Engineering Limited, the Company's operating subsidiary, to BCE Limited, a fund managed by Dorilton Capital Management LLC on 21 August 2020 (the "Transaction"), to propose a return of value to shareholders (the "Return of Value") to be implemented by way of the members' voluntary liquidation (the "Members Voluntary Liquidation"). In order to comply with applicable companies legislation, the Return of Value and the Members' Voluntary Liquidation require approval by the shareholders at a general meeting of the Company (the "General Meeting") and a circular (the "Circular") will be posted to shareholders shortly convening a general meeting to be held at 2.00 p.m. on 27 October 2020. Shareholders will be asked to consider and, if thought fit, pass the resolutions required to implement the Return of Value and the Members' Voluntary Liquidation at the General Meeting. Following the Transaction and in light of the proposed Return of Value and Members' Voluntary Liquidation, the board consider that it is no longer appropriate for the Company to continue to be listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange. Accordingly, the directors resolved today to notify Deutsche Borse as operator of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange of the Company's intention to cancel the Company's admission of the Ordinary Shares to trading on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange (Frankfurter Wertpapierborse), such cancellation to take place as soon as possible following adoption of the proposed resolutions to implement the Return of Value and the Members' Voluntary Liquidation at the General Meeting, but at the latest by 30 December 2020 (the "Cancellation"). If the Resolutions are passed to place the Company in Members' Voluntary Liquidation, Sean Croston and Richard White (each being a qualified insolvency practitioner) of Grant Thornton UK LLP will be appointed as joint liquidators to the Company (the "Liquidators") on terms which have been agreed by the Board. Upon the appointment of the Liquidators, all powers of the Board will cease (except so far as the Shareholders or the Liquidators sanction their continuance) and the Liquidators will be responsible for the affairs of the Company until it is wound up. Following their appointment, the Liquidators will assess the Company's financial position and, when they are in a position to do so, intend to make an initial cash distribution of approximately 95% of the Company's projected surplus assets to Shareholders (in proportion to their holdings), subject to an assessment of the Company's liabilities and tax position and reservation of funds to discharge the liabilities of the Company. It is expected that the Liquidators will distribute the initial Return of Value to shareholders in the week commencing 23 November 2020. On winding-up the Company, the assets of the Company available for distribution are to be distributed pro rata amongst the holders of the Ordinary Shares according to the amounts paid up or credited as paid up on such Ordinary Shares. In conclusion, the Board believes that it is in the best interests of the Company and shareholders to approve the Proposals. General Meeting A notice convening the General Meeting to be held at the Williams Conference Centre at Station Road, Grove, Oxfordshire OX12 0DQ at 2.00 p.m. on 27 October 2020 will be posted to shareholders today. The Company has received irrevocable undertakings from each of Sir Frank Williams and Brad Hollinger to vote in favour of the Resolutions at the General Meeting in respect of, in aggregate, 6,547,963 Ordinary Shares representing 65.48 per cent. of the existing issued ordinary share capital of the Company. Timetable Posting and publication of the Circular and Notice of General Meeting and notification of the Cancellation provided to Deutsche Borse 28 September 2020 Latest time and date for receipt of Forms of Proxy from Shareholders for the General Meeting 2.00 p.m. on 23 October 2020 Record date for those Shareholders on the Register entitled to attend and/or vote at the General Meeting 2.00 p.m. on 23 October 2020 Close of Register and record date for participation in the Members' Voluntary Liquidation 6.30 p.m. on 26 October 2020 General Meeting 2.00 p.m. on 27 October 2020 Announcement of the results of the General Meeting 27 October 2020 Appointment of the Liquidators 27 October 2020 Expected date of the Cancellation On or about 28 October 2020, but no later than 30 December 2020 Initial Return of Value to Shareholders expected to be paid week commencing 23 November 2020* The above future dates are indicative only and may be subject to change by the Company, in which event details of the new times and dates will be notified via a Regulatory Information Service. Certain of the events in the above timetable are conditional upon, amongst other things, the approval of the Resolutions at the General Meeting. Different deadlines and procedures may apply in certain cases. For example, if you hold your Ordinary Shares through a nominee, that person may set an earlier date for the satisfaction of any actions than the dates noted above. References to times in this document are to London time unless otherwise stated. * Actual date to be determined by the Liquidators. No mechanism to enable the Company's shares to be traded following cancellation will be made available to shareholders and the Company's shares will not be transferable once the Company enters liquidation without the consent of the Liquidators. For further information please contact the following: Williams Grand Prix Holdings plc Tel: +44 1235 777 842 Tim Hunt - End of ad-hoc announcement - Forward looking statements This announcement contains forward-looking statements that are subject to assumptions, risks and uncertainties relating to the Return of Value and/or the Members' Voluntary Liquidation. Forward-looking statements can be identified typically by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "believes", "expects", "may", "will", "could", "should", "intends", "estimates", "plans", "assumes", "predicts" or "anticipates", as well as the negatives of such words and other words of similar meaning in connection with discussions of future operating or financial performance or of strategy that involve risks and uncertainties. The forward-looking statements in this announcement are made based upon the Company's expectations and beliefs concerning future events affecting the Company and therefore involve a number of known and unknown risks and uncertainties. The forward-looking statements are not guarantees and actual results could differ materially from those expressed or implied in these forward-looking statements; therefore, undue reliance should not be placed on such forward-looking statements. You are cautioned not to place any undue reliance on the forward-looking statements contained in this announcement which speak only as at the date of this announcement. The Company does not undertake any obligation publicly to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise except as required by any applicable laws and regulations. Legal Entity Identifier: 213800AFJXFAVYBTE915 END Contact: Mark Biddle General Counsel Mark.Biddle@WilliamsF1.com 28-Sep-2020 CET/CEST The DGAP Distribution Services include Regulatory Announcements, Financial/Corporate News and Press Releases. Archive at www.dgap.de Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-28 18:53:51|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close YANGON, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar authorities recently confiscated 77 tons of illegal timbers in Bago region in a week, according to a release from the Forest Department under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation on Monday. The confiscations which were made from Sept. 21 to 27 within the area of Bago Yoma mountain range included teak, hardwood and other types of timbers, the release said. Illegal logging often occurs in the area although the authorities have outlawed all logging operation within the area of Bago Yoma mountain range for a 10-year period starting from fiscal year (FY) 2016-2017. According to the department's latest figures, a total of over 12,370 tons of illegal timbers were seized across the country in first four months of present FY 2019-2020. During the period, 1,332 offenders were charged in connection with the cases, along with the seizure of 1,049 vehicles and machinery. Meanwhile, the forest department has been making efforts to crack down on illegal logging and trading of forest products as well as to implement tree plantation projects in substitution. Enditem Leaders at London-based Aon plc, a global professional services firm specializing in financial risk-mitigation products and number 485 on the Forbes Global 2000, believe that data gravity, and its impact on macro factors such as enterprise data stewardship and regulatory developments, is a megatrend that will present significant challenges for global businesses. "Understanding data gravity and its impact on our IT infrastructure is a difference-maker for our operations and will only become more important as data continues to serve as the currency of the digital economy," said Munu Gandhi, Aon's VP of Core Infrastructure Services. "As enterprises become more data-intensive, there's a compounding effect on business points of presence, regulatory oversight and increased complexity for compliance and data privacy that IT leaders are now being forced to solve." Principal Research Analyst Eric Hanselman at 451 Research, part of S&P Global Market Intelligence, points to the looming impact of data gravity and the necessary context the "Data Gravity Index" provides. "Data gravity is the idea that data is an anchor that is often hard to move, especially as data volumes grow. If that growth takes place in public or private clouds that are not easily accessible by the enterprise using them, the full value of that data can't be realized, and the enterprise will be trapped into spending exorbitant sums to free it."1 Customer Experience, Profitability at Stake "Data is growing at an accelerating rate due to the growth of IoT, AI and social mobile analytics," said Tony Bishop, data center industry pioneer and SVP, Platform, Growth and Marketing at Digital Realty (NYSE: DLR), which backed the study. "There's a good story to tell here. But there's another side to the story, too, with growth resulting in the compounding force of data gravity. Unchecked, data gravity can lead to limited innovation, poor customer and employee experiences, increased costs, information silos, compliance issues, security concerns and slow decision-making for the enterprise. The 'Data Gravity Index' provides quantitative insight to help customers understand the dynamics of data gravity and turn it into a data-centric opportunity for their business." Digital Realty Chief Technology Officer Chris Sharp added, "Most enterprises and service providers are just at the beginning stages of understanding data gravity's potential impact on their innovation, customer experience, and profitability, but they need to be designing for it now. The study is designed to give CIOs, chief architects, and infrastructure leaders insight into the phenomena causing architecture constraints as well as a blueprint for addressing them." The term data gravity was coined in a 2010 blog post by Dave McCrory, who led the research behind the Data Gravity Index. The groundbreaking analysis sheds light on implications for the acceleration of enterprise digital transformation spurred by data gravity. Key findings show: Data Gravity growth is expected to double annually through 2024 as data stewardship drives global enterprises to expand their digital infrastructure capacity to aggregate, store and manage the majority of the world's data. as data stewardship drives global enterprises to expand their digital infrastructure capacity to aggregate, store and manage the majority of the world's data. Enterprises are approaching quantum computing levels of data creation, processing and storage. The Forbes Global 2000 enterprises across the 21 metros analyzed are projected to create data at a rate of 1.1 million gigabytes per second by 2024, will be required to add 8.96 exaFLOPS to process new digital workflows, and are expected to increase data storage needs by 15,635 exabytes annually. Data location will become exponentially more important to global enterprises as they endeavor to meet compliance requirements by maintaining local copies of critical data. The Global 2000 enterprises across the 21 metros analyzed are projected to create data at a rate of 1.1 million gigabytes per second by 2024, will be required to add 8.96 exaFLOPS to process new digital workflows, and are expected to increase data storage needs by 15,635 exabytes annually. Data location will become exponentially more important to global enterprises as they endeavor to meet compliance requirements by maintaining local copies of critical data. Data Gravity Intensity is accelerating across all regions. Data Gravity, as measured in gigabytes per second, is expected to more than double annually across the EMEA, APAC and North America regions through 2024. The top six metros expected to generate the fastest growth from 2020-2024 include (in descending order) Singapore, Hong Kong, Dallas, Sydney, Seattle, and Tokyo Singapore is a critical business and data hub for global enterprises in the APAC region, given its pro-business policies and diverse connectivity options. is a critical business and data hub for global enterprises in the APAC region, given its pro-business policies and diverse connectivity options. Hong Kong is an international financial and trade hub and connectivity gateway for global enterprises between APAC and the rest of the world. is an international financial and trade hub and connectivity gateway for global enterprises between APAC and the rest of the world. Dallas is a preeminent business hub for global or regional headquarters and provides a connectivity gateway for global enterprises. is a preeminent business hub for global or regional headquarters and provides a connectivity gateway for global enterprises. Sydney serves as a global business hub with a significant global enterprise presence, in addition to serving as a rich connectivity gateway. serves as a global business hub with a significant global enterprise presence, in addition to serving as a rich connectivity gateway. Seattle is home to leading global cloud providers as well as a connectivity conduit between North America and the Asia Pacific region. is home to leading global cloud providers as well as a connectivity conduit between and the region. Tokyo is one of the largest economies in the world, a business and financial hub for global enterprises and drives a significant volume of data creation. Data-Centric Infrastructure Required The effects of data gravity will force strategic IT infrastructure to aggregate and maintain data, whether in public or private clouds, from the core to the edge and across every point of business presence to control centers of data exchange. "The Data Gravity Index posits that to defy data gravity, organizations must design their infrastructure and networks in a more data-centric fashion, inverting traffic flow and bringing users, networks and clouds to privately hosted enterprise data," said Digital Realty Chief Executive Officer A. William Stein. "The location of enterprise data should be a strategic decisionand a connected community approach is needed to decide where to put it and how to connect it at global points of business presence. We're excited to provide our customers, and the industry at-large, greater insight into this important challenge to help them make strategic decisions that will unleash their digital transformation potential." To learn more about the "Data Gravity Index" and its findings, please visit DigitalRealty.com/Data-Gravity-Index. Industry Perspective on the Data Gravity Index "Yellowbrick Data makes the world's only modern data warehouse for hybrid cloud, and offers unmatched performance, price/performance, and enterprise features for the most demanding and complex business needs. Our customers face the stresses of increasing data volumes and a growing user base, both of which are creating operational complexity. The Data Gravity Index highlights this complexity and provides measures we can use to overcome the challenges that enterprises face." Allen Holmes, VP, Strategic Business Development & Alliances, Yellowbrick Data "With the Data Gravity Index (DGx), Digital Realty has taken thousands of data points about where data is being stored and processed and boiled them down into one easy-to-understand number. The DGx makes it clearer than ever how important low latency is to emerging markets (e.g., China, India, Brazil) and will serve as an important guide to Zenlayer as we locate new deployments around the world." Joe Zhu, founder and CEO, Zenlayer About the Data Gravity Index The Data Gravity Index methodology is based on the analysis of thousands of attributes of Global 2000 enterprise companies' presences in each metro, along with variables for each metro, including GDP, population, number of employees, technographics, IT spend, average bandwidth and latency, as well as flows of data. Digital Realty conducted research between August 2019 and August 2020 and drew upon more than a dozen third-party data sources, ranging from the World Economic Forum and United Nations to global consulting and market research firms. About Digital Realty Digital Realty supports the world's leading enterprises and service providers by delivering the full spectrum of data center, colocation and interconnection solutions. PlatformDIGITAL, the company's global data center platform, provides customers a trusted foundation and proven Pervasive Datacenter Architecture PDx solution methodology for scaling digital business and efficiently managing data gravity challenges. Digital Realty's global data center footprint gives customers access to the connected communities that matter to them with 280 facilities in 47 metros across 22 countries on six continents. To learn more about Digital Realty, please visit digitalrealty.com or follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter. Media & Industry Analyst Relations Marc Musgrove Digital Realty +1 (415) 508-2812 [email protected] Investor Relations John Stewart / Jim Huseby Digital Realty +1 (415) 738-6500 [email protected] Safe Harbor Statement This press release contains forward-looking statements which are based on current expectations, forecasts and assumptions that involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual outcomes and results to differ materially, including statements related to the Data Gravity Index, Intensity Factor, our expectations around data gravity, data growth and expected global trends. For a list and description of risks and uncertainties, see the reports and other filings by the company with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. 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. 1 451 Research, part of S&P Global Market Intelligence, With PlatformDIGITAL, data drives Digital Realty to new heights, November 2019 SOURCE Digital Realty Related Links https://www.digitalrealty.com/ Chinese Petitioner Confined to Her Home by Authorities for Dissent A woman and her husband have been blocked from leaving their home for 64 days, after she attempted to travel to Beijing and raise grievances with authorities. Ordinary Chinese citizens can petition the National Public Complaints and Proposals Administration in Beijing, an agency that hears public complaints. Such activity is a tradition that dates back to ancient China, when citizens would travel to the capital and plead with officials of the imperial court as a last resort toward seeking justice. But Chinese authorities often arrest or harass petitioners, fearing that their public gatherings and protests will disturb the countrys social stability. Locked Inside Wang Caixia, a resident in Wuxi city located in coastal Chinas Jiangsu Province, recently told the Chinese-language Epoch Times that she and her husband have been unable to leave their home for 64 days, because of four or five local thugs who have camped outside. Wang suspects that they were hired by the local government; when she asked local police for help, they turned a blind eye. I called 110 [Chinas police hotline] two days ago. Police officers came and said this was not illegal detention, Wang said. She said that her calls to the local police inspector bureau couldnt get through. She said, the city and provincial government also didnt send anyone to check on her, even after she told officials that she had taken videos and pictures to prove she was being confined against her will. Wang said the thugs wouldnt let her or her husband, Pan Guoliang, outside to buy food or visit a doctor; Pan is the sole income earner of the family. Dissent Wang claims her two stores, located in Liangxi district in Wuxi, were illegally demolished in June 2006, and two months ago, she sought to go to Beijing to petition her case to Chinas central authorities. She also alleges that her left knee was left permanently damaged after a local hospital in Wuxi gave her fake, substandard drugs for treatment. According to Wang, a court in Jiangsu Province ruled against her lawsuit, after it heard evidence presented by the hospital that she says was based on forged medical records. Wang never made it to Beijing. While traveling in the nearby city of Tianjin, Wang was intercepted by train police officers and Wuxi officials stationed in the Beijing office. Wang was forcibly returned to her home, where she said street officials and the local police station hired thugs to control her. I heard from local security bureau officials that there was a rather large number of people from Wuxi going to the national complaints office in Beijing last year, including many from my district of Liangxi. Thats why the local government wants to control me, Wang said. She believes local authorities are trying to keep her from traveling to Beijing so that she cant expose local government corruption. Wang also suffers from chronic illnesses that include high blood pressure, heart disease, and pelvic inflammatory disease. Forty-five days into her house arrest, she ran out of medicine. She called the local police and told them that she needed to go outside to buy medicine, but a police officer told her he couldnt make a decision without conferring with his supervisor. Eventually, one of the thugs decided to help her buy new drugs every week, according to Wang. Prior to her latest troubles with Chinese authorities, Wang was arrested by local police on March 4 and charged with picking quarrels and provoking trouble, according to the Chinese human rights news website Civil Rights and Livelihood Watch (CRLW). The charge was related to Wang joining other petitioners in signing an open letter to Wuxis Party secretary Huang Qin. Wang posted the letter on Chinese social media. She was held for 23 hours before being released, according to CRLW. China has called on importers to shun frozen food from countries suffering from severe coronavirus outbreaks after several cases of imported seafood products testing positive for the virus. 'Customs and local governments have repeatedly detected the coronavirus in imported cold chain food, proving it risks contamination,' the Beijing Municipal Commerce Bureau said on Monday in a statement issued to import companies. The bureau urged them to closely monitor the overseas pandemic situation and 'proactively avoid importing cold chain food from areas heavily hit by the coronavirus' and make alternative plans for imports. China has called on importers to shun frozen food from countries suffering from severe coronavirus outbreaks after several cases of imported seafood products testing positive for the virus. The file photo shows a woman looking at frozen food products in Beijing China had reported no local infections of the coronavirus for more than a month but recently detected it on the packaging of imported aquatic products in Jilin province and Qingdao city. The picture taken on June 16 shows frozen seafood products at a supermarket in Beijing China had reported no local infections of the coronavirus for more than a month but recently detected it on the packaging of imported aquatic products in Jilin province and Qingdao city. Last week, Qingdao, a major port city in east China, scrambled to quarantine over 300 residents after two handlers working for a seafood importer tested positive for the coronavirus, sparking fears of a looming new COVID-19 outbreak in the country. China has stepped up checks on frozen food imports, despite the World Health Organization had said it saw no evidence of COVID-19 being spread by food or packaging. It has previously banned imports of products including frozen meat, Ecuadorian shrimps and Brazilian chicken wings following positive tests. In this file photo, a worker of Nanming district's Center for Disease Control and Prevention collects a swab from frozen fish at Wandong market in Guiyang, Guizhou province on July 1 Fears have arisen that contaminated food shipments could cause new outbreaks in the country as officials have warned the public about the infection risks from imported meat and seafood. The file photo shows people shopping at a wet market in Hong Kong on September 26 Fears have also arisen that contaminated food shipments could cause new outbreaks in the country as officials have warned the public about the infection risks from imported meat and seafood. As of September 7, China had suspended imports from dozens of food companies across at least 19 countries and regions where workers have been infected with the contagion, according to state media. The first cluster of COVID-19 cases was linked to the Huanan seafood market in the city of Wuhan. As of September 7, China had suspended imports from dozens of food companies across at least 19 countries and regions where workers have been infected with the contagion, according to state media. A man is pictured shopping at a wet market in Hangzhou on Sunday Initial studies suggested the virus originated in animal products on sale at the sprawling food market. Heavy traces of the virus were found in the meat and seafood sections of a market in the capital Beijing that was the site of an outbreak in June. Li Fengqin, who heads a microbiology lab at the China National Center for Food Safety Risk Assessment told reporters in June the possibility of contaminated frozen food causing new infections could not be ruled out. Donald Trump repeatedly discussed with advisers the idea of naming his daughter Ivanka as his running mate in 2016 before settling for Mike Pence, according to a former Trump campaign aide who became a star witness in Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation. Rick Gates, who in the summer of 2016 was Trump's deputy campaign chairman, describes in a new book how Trump -- wary of the "Never Trump" sentiment in the Republican party and still stinging from his competitors' attacks during the GOP primary -- deliberated for about a month on a vice presidential candidate he could trust completely. "During a VP discussion that included Jared and the other kids all assembled in one room, Trump said, 'I think it should be Ivanka. What about Ivanka as my VP?' There was silence," Gates writes in "Wicked Game: An Insider's Story on How Trump Won, Mueller Failed and America Lost," referring to Ivanka Trump's husband, Jared Kushner. "All heads turned toward her, and she just looked surprised. We all knew Trump well enough to keep our mouths shut and not laugh," Gates writes, according to a copy of the book obtained by Bloomberg News. "He went on: 'She's bright, she's smart, she's beautiful, and the people would love her!"' Gates writes that he thought at the time, "He's not joking." Spokespeople for the White House and for Ivanka Trump, who with her husband became senior advisers to the president after he took office, declined to comment. The book is set to be released by Post Hill Press on Oct. 13, three weeks before Trump stands for re-election. Pence, the former Indiana governor, has become one of Trump's most loyal lieutenants, often criticized by Democrats for public praise of the president that veers toward the obsequious. He'll debate California Senator Kamala Harris, former Vice President Joe Biden's running mate, on prime-time television on Oct. 7. Gates was indicted in October 2017 by prosecutors investigating Russian interference in the election and ties between Trump's campaign and Moscow. He became a cooperating witness and was sentenced in December 2019 to three years' probation and 45 days of intermittent confinement for tax and lobbying crimes committed with Trump's former campaign chairman, Paul Manafort. The former aide's testimony helped send Manafort to prison and also to convict Trump ally Roger Stone. The president commuted Stone's sentence in July, shortly before he was set to report to prison. Gates, who served out his time in home confinement because of the coronavirus pandemic, writes that he chafed for two years under a judge-mandated gag order, and expresses outrage over the Mueller probe. But the bulk of the book is about his recollections of working on Trump's insurgent campaign, the president's inauguration, and the pro-Trump group America First Policies. Gates says Trump, who distrusted politicians and valued loyalty above all other traits, repeatedly placed his relatives in key campaign positions. He blindsided Steve Bannon by making him share control over the campaign budget with Trump family members, including son Eric Trump. Bannon was hired as the campaign's chief executive officer in August 2016. Rice, Corker As he contemplated running mates in 2016, Gates writes, Trump was open to the possibility of adding former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice or then-Senator Bob Corker of Tennessee to the ticket. Both took themselves out of consideration, Gates writes. Another potential VP choice, Iowa Senator Joni Ernst, "drew harsh comparisons to Sarah Palin" because of her inexperience, Gates writes. And Trump derided another possibility, Alabama Senator Jeff Sessions, as "Mr. Magoo," Gates says. Sessions went on to be Trump's first attorney general. Manafort then "subtly pushed once more for someone who could bring balance to the ticket, like Pence," Gates writes. "But Trump said, 'Look, I don't like any of these people,'" Gates writes. "Once again, he said, 'I think it should be Ivanka.'" Trump continued to bring up the idea over the next few weeks, which signaled to his advisers "just how serious he was about putting his politically inexperienced daughter just a heartbeat from the presidency," Gates writes. Manafort twice tested voters' opinions of Ivanka Trump by placing her name next to a dozen potential vice presidential candidates in internal campaign polls, Gates writes. "She didn't poll tremendously high, but higher than we expected, and that only added to the seriousness of her consideration." In early July 2016, according to Gates, "Trump still seemed cool to Pence," and "the Ivanka idea started to catch some momentum. People on the team argued that Ivanka brought a balance to her father. 'She's more moderate.' 'She could help with independents!'" But Ivanka Trump pulled herself out of the running, Gates writes. "She went to her father and said, 'No, Dad. It's not a good idea.' And he capitulated." Exhausted Short List The book says Ivanka Trump and Kushner were fond of former House Speaker Newt Gingrich as a running mate. "But Trump had already told us, privately, that he thought 'there was something wrong and off' with Newt," Gates writes. "He would constantly hit Trump with a barrage of policy ideas, and Trump did not have the appetite or patience to deal with him." Trump agreed with advisers that the fallout from Chris Christie's "Bridgegate" scandal "and Christie's own media-hungry presidential ambitions" ruled him out for the job, Gates writes. And so there was almost no one left on the vice presidential short list when Trump flew to Indiana on July 12, the book says. Trump and Pence had a "cordial" meeting, but Trump wasn't sold, Gates writes. Trump had early called Pence "a loser" because he'd endorsed Texas Senator Ted Cruz in the Republican primaries and was struggling in his own gubernatorial re-election contest, Gates writes. Then Gates got a phone call from campaign aide John McEntee, who said there was a mechanical issue with Trump's plane. Stranded overnight in Indiana, Trump had breakfast with Pence, and was impressed with the governor's assertive side when he verbally ripped into Hillary Clinton, Gates writes. Trump tweeted on July 15 that Pence was his choice. Mr. Khashoggi came up with the idea for DAWN after he fled Saudi Arabia for fear of arrest in the summer of 2017 and settled near Washington. He wrote columns for The Washington Post that criticized Prince Mohammeds reform plans and the arrests of clerics, academics and rights activists, turning him into a hated figure in Riyadh. DAWN was registered in the United States in early 2018 but failed to take off before Mr. Khashoggi was killed. After his death, associates of Mr. Khashoggi raised money and developed plans to launch the organization, said Ms. Whitson, who was formerly the director for the Middle East and North Africa for Human Rights Watch. She described the organization as a mix between a think tank and a human rights watchdog that would focus, initially at least, on authoritarian states with close ties to the United States Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia. One goal is to counter the idea that the United States is a benevolent actor in the Middle East. Forget about doing good, she said. Stop doing bad, stop arming, stop aiding these abusive governments, because that taints Americans. The organization will focus on naming and shaming midlevel officials who are involved in human rights violations but who usually escape scrutiny, she said. These governments always say it is not the king, the crown prince or the interior minister, it is the people around them who are responsible for abuses, said Fadoua Massat, DAWNs Arabic media director. We want to get the names of the people who are behind these violations. The prelude to World War II: The Spanish Civil War and today's America By Sam Jacobs America is definitely not Europe, but we can find a number of parallels between European history and contemporary America. For example, weve previously written about the Italian Years of Lead as a possible template for urban unrest and low-level inter-tribal warfare in the United States. Another example of how things might play out in the United States is the Spanish Civil War. The Spanish Civil War is known to historians, amateur and professional alike, as the dress rehearsal for the Second World War. It is so termed because it pitted one side which was equipped, armed and funded by Europes fascist regimes (Germany and Italy) against a government largely funded and propped up by the Soviet Union. However, it is worth noting that General Francisco Francos nationalist forces were not themselves fascist (though there were fascists within their ranks) and that Spain remained neutral during the Second World War, later becoming a close ally of the United States in the fight against Communism internationally. While there are few perfect analogs to be found anywhere in world history, there are parallels between the contemporary domestic political situation in the United States and the period immediately before and during the Spanish Civil War. And while the situation in the United States might play out in a much similar way to the Spanish Civil War, it is worth noting that our previous Civil War was the bloodiest in human history. There is little doubt that a Second American Civil War would not be significantly more destructive. Prologue: The Situation in Spain Prior to the Civil War As we talk about the leadup to the Spanish Civil War, the situation will begin very much unlike modern-day America, however, it will become more like the contemporary domestic situation as time goes on. The main difference, of course, is that Spain was a monarchy for almost all of its existence until 1931. A republic was briefly declared during the years 1873 and 1874, but it didnt have much staying power and ultimately was not a transformative government in Spain. Following the First World War, the corrupt central government of Spain became increasingly unpopular and a military dictatorship, that of Miguel Primo de Rivera y Orbaneja, 2nd Marquess of Estella, 22nd Count of Sobremonte, arose. This fell in 1930, along with the abdication of the deeply unpopular King Alfonso XIII. This led to the creation of the Second Spanish Republic and a new constitution in 1931. It was a radically leftist constitution in a largely conservative and Catholic country. Womens suffrage, civil marriage, compulsory universal education, the nationalization of Catholic Church properties, the prohibition of Catholic religious orders from teaching in schools (and the Jesuit order entirely), as well as a provision allowing for the nationalization of any property that was for the public good were all components of the new Spanish constitution. In many ways it resembled the constitution of Weimar Germany, in that it was an attempt by the left to radically remake a country through constitutional means. The first election saw leftist elements firmly in the saddle, but the second, in 1933, was a major victory for forces of the right. However, because the conservative party had won a plurality in the parliament, and not a majority, the left-wing president of Spain invited the centrist party to form a government. Meanwhile the socialist government alleged electoral fraud, which caused them to become further radicalized. On the ground, a radical working-class movement became hostile toward the ostensibly left-wing government after the movement was suppressed violently by the military. Monarchist forces, with the explicit backing of Benito Mussolini and the implicit backing of King Alfonso XIII, as well as ideologically fascist forces led by Jose Antonio Primo de Rivera, began military drills, preparing for war. The streets of Spain became battlegrounds, with 330 assassinations, 213 failed assassination attempts and 160 religious buildings destroyed, with arson being the primary means of their destruction. The Spanish Socialist Workers Party, formerly a fairly standard European social democratic party, began to cleave between forces who favored moderation and those who sought a more explicitly Bolshevik party. The Coup dEtat of July 1936 Much as the War Between the States began with the attack on Fort Sumter, so did the Spanish Civil War begin with the Coup dEtat of July 1936. This was effectively an uprising by all forces of the Spanish right, which included two different factions of monarchists, nationalists, fascists (known in Spain as Falangists) and conservatives. The igniting event was the election of 1936. This saw a very, very slim (less than 1 percent of the vote) victory of the Spanish left (socialists, Communists and anarchists) over the Spanish right. The right wing in Spain stopped planning to take over the Spanish Republic and instead decided that they were going to overthrow it. The central republican government of Spain was very weak and had been making attempts to purge suspect right-wing generals from its ranks. To that end, General Francisco Franco, who ended up becoming dictator of Spain until 1976, was removed from his office as chief of staff and put out to pasture in the Canary Islands. When the uprising began, the nationalist rebels had the unanimous support of the Army of Africa, a 30,000-strong force that boasted some of the hardest core soldiers Spain had to offer. Many of these troops were Muslims from Morocco, who had been told that the republic planned to outlaw worship of Allah. Indeed, Spanish Morocco was the base of operations for the rebels, with Generals Franco and Goded taking control of the Canary and the Balearic Islands, respectively. Any opposition in the Spanish colonial empire was quickly crushed with leading trade unionists and leftists simply executed by the rebel forces. The two trade union federations in Spain offered to help crush the uprising, but were told that there was nothing to worry about as the uprising was confined to Morocco and other overseas possessions. The coup was less than a rousing success for the nationalist rebels, who invaded from their overseas bases. They failed to capture any major cities, which remained significant bases of support for the republican government. The republican government remained in possession of the lions share of Spanish territory. However, the republican government was at a disadvantage for two reasons: First, the nationalists had split the territory of peninsular Spain in half, dividing the country between republicans in the north and south while they controlled the middle. Second, the republican government responded to the crisis by effectively mobilizing the far left in Spain as shock troops to terrorize the population into submission. Communists in particular were unleashed to execute and torture anyone even suspected of being a nationalist sympathizer. It didnt help that the clergy bore the brunt of this, with nuns gang raped before being summarily executed. The republicans went so far as to exhume the bodies of dead religious figures and desecrate their corpses. The Spanish Red Terror The Spanish Civil War continues to have a sort of romantic quality among the left, many of whom see the Civil War-era republican government as an example of real socialism in action or, at the very least, something close to it. However, the Spanish republican left were less bloody than their more famous Communist counterparts in Russia, China and the Eastern Bloc only due to a lack of scale and a limited time frame on which they operated. The Red Terror in Spain predates the nationalist rebellion and was, indeed, one of the primary motivations for the uprising. It is generally agreed that the Spanish Red Terror began during an Asturian miners' strike in 1934. Priests and the religious were targeted in what was not simply a strike, but a rebellion against the government. Supporters of the rebellion targeted clergy and religious figures, resulting in the destruction of 58 churches and convents during a period of a little more than two weeks. Ironically, the rebellion was put down by Goded and Franco at the behest of the republican government. Once the rebellion began, the Catholic Church its clergy, its religious orders and its lay faithful were largely seen as fair game by supporters of the republic. The comparison between the Church in Spain 1936 and white Americans in 2020 isnt much of a stretch. Much of the violence directed against the Church was predicated on the basis that they deserved this as payback for historical crimes. All told, 3,400 priests, monks and nuns were murdered during the first two months of the Spanish Civil War. Indeed, most of the deaths during the early months of the Civil War were not because of deaths on the battlefield, but rather because of targeted executions against enemies of the Spanish Republic. In addition to the atrocity against nuns, there were a number of horrific incidents mostly involving clergy. The parish priest of Navalmoral was forced to undergo a parody of the Passion of Christ, ending with a vigorous debate about whether or not to actually crucify the priest at the end. They mercifully decided to just shoot the man. The priest of Ciempozuelos was thrown to fighting bulls and had his ear cut off at the end of the spectacle. In Ciudad Real, a priest was castrated and had his penis and testicles put in his mouth. People were forced at gunpoint to swallow their own rosaries. Others were thrown down mine shafts or forced to dig their own graves prior to summary execution. A Madrid nun was executed for the crime of refusing a marriage proposal from a militiaman who had participated in the sacking of her convent. All told, the republicans destroyed over 20,000 churches and other religious sites during the war. Unsurprisingly, Spanish Catholics overwhelmingly supported the nationalist effort during the Civil War. Even among conservative allies of the republic (for example, conservative Catalan nationalists), support for the republican cause was lukewarm at best, thanks to the Spanish Red Terror. The Red Terrors victims are not limited to Catholics or nationalists. As the war progressed and the Communists came to have greater power in the republic (for example, when they were given the Interior Ministry and when the militias were put under centralized control), they also turned their fire on anarchists, socialists and Trotskyists. This move against the non-Communist elements of the Spanish left is detailed in later chapters of George Orwells memoir, An Homage to Catalonia. A Spanish White Terror? Some attempts have been made to create an equivalence between the Red Terror in Spain and the Francoist repression at the end of the war. There certainly were atrocities committed by the Francoist forces during the course of the war. Indeed, it would be a bit strange if there werent, as such atrocities are a hallmark of modern warfare. Specifically, the Francoist forces engaged in war rape and frequently confiscated babies from republican women prior to their execution. These babies were then placed with Francoist families. However, there are also some important differences between the terror engaged in by the Francoist forces and their republican adversaries. The Francoist repression wasnt indiscriminately targeted at the friends, family and acquaintances of anyone who fought on the republican side. It was directed squarely at people who had committed atrocities in the name of the republican regime. The large numbers run up by the Francoist forces arent a function of the bloodthirsty nature of the victorious nationalist forces on the contrary, they were quite conciliatory and looking to get the country moving again after a highly destructive war. Rather, its because the atrocities committed by the republican forces during the Civil War were so widespread. Those executed generally received trials unlike those summarily executed by the republicans. Forced labor was employed for projects such as draining swamps, digging canals and building national railway systems. But again, it is worth noting that the people who were being conscripted for labor were considered criminals by the new regime. Indeed, any participation in the Popular Front government of the republic was criminalized by the Law of Political Responsibility, enacted two months after the end of the war. Whats more, this forced labor is not comparable to gulag labor where the intent was to work the victims to death. As with any fight against Communist forces, it is worth asking a simple question: What would Spain have looked like if the Communists had won? We have ample examples of what Communist regimes look like in Eastern Europe, in Asia and in Latin America. There is little reason to believe that a Communist regime in Spain would not have been as bloodthirsty and ruthless as other Communist regimes. Indeed, the experience of the Civil War shows that a Spanish Communist regime would have been quite destructive and, it is fair to say, vindictive in its victory. The Course of the War Without getting too bogged down into the details of the war, the Civil War is largely the story of the nationalist forces winning victory after victory until the end of the war. This is largely because the republican military wasnt centralized. Instead, most of the military decisions were delegated to individual autonomous militias who elected their own officers and operated on a democratic basis. Nationalist forces were unified under Franco very quickly, with everyone from conservatives to monarchists to fascists all forced to play nice in service of the nationalist cause. Such centralization did not come for the republicans until the very end of the war, and by then it was too little, too late and also largely a power play by Moscows forces in the Communist Party. The only major republican victory during the war was the Battle of Guadalajara. This was not a successful republican offensive, however it was a successful repulsion of a nationalist attack. Whats more, the republicans didnt even defeat a Spanish military force. They were fighting instead primarily volunteers from fascist Italy. The main impact of this loss was that the nationalists stopped trying to end the war with one big battle and instead focused on chipping away at vulnerable parts of republican Spain. In 1939, Catalonia, the strongest base of republican support, fell to the nationalists and it was mostly all over but for the shouting. While there were major cities still under the control of the republicans (such as the capital, Madrid), everything from here on out was largely a mop-up operation for the nationalists. The republican government was in total disarray and attempted to negotiate a peace settlement with Franco, but the Generalissimo would only accept an unconditional surrender from the republicans. Franco declared victory in a radio address on April 1, 1939. Over 500,000 republicans fled to France, where they were largely held in squalid internment camps. Some stragglers continued to fight guerilla warfare against the Francoist government even into the 1950s, but there was no significant impact. In 1944, some republican veterans who had been fighting with the French Resistance attempted to invade Catalonia from France, but the attack was repelled within 10 days. The Relevance of the Spanish Civil War Today So what does a European civil war that ended 70 years ago have to do with anything going on in America today? A lot, actually. First, there is the intense political polarization of the United States. A significant portion of the country champions changing the United States into a radical liberal nation with greater centralized control and a firm Constitutional commitment to leftist social justice causes. Another significant portion of the country is opposed to any further changes to the United States Constitution and is openly hostile toward leftist egalitarian principles. Whats more, we are already beginning to see street battles not dissimilar to those that happened in Spain in the lead up to the Civil War. It is also worth noting that the anarcho-communist ideology, which held great sway among the partisans of the Second Spanish Republic, likewise informs the insurrectionary elements of the American left that began rioting and burning down American cities in the summer of 2020. As we prepare for the 2020 Presidential election, it is clear that whoever loses will not only be unhappy with the results, but will probably consider them to be illegitimate. On the left, there is the Russiagate hoax, the leftist conspiracy theory that alleges that the Russian intelligence services stole the election for President Donald Trump in 2016. On the right, there is the very reasonable fear that there will be a variety of electoral chicanery, including mass mail-in balloting, voting by dead people, voting by pets, voting by dead pets and outright fabrication of ballots from largely Democratic-controlled urban areas in swing states. Indeed, a Bloomberg article seems to be preparing the American public for a stolen election, stating that while it might appear that Donald Trump will win reelection in a landslide the night of the election, that further months and weeks will reveal that he did not, in fact, win as the aforementioned mail-in ballots come in. An article from the Washington Post states that any outcome but a Biden landslide will result in massive violence and civil unrest. While Jeff Bezos vanity blog certainly has their reasons for promoting this notion, its not entirely without merit. If the president is reelected, no matter how big the margin, there will likely be another wave of urban unrest that will dwarf the events of the summer of 2020. If Biden wins by a slim margin, there will be accusations of fraud and likely more confrontations in the streets, albeit more two-sided. It seems that the only result that would be accepted as legitimate, particularly by the press and the American left, is one where Biden wins dramatically. It is worth briefly considering the other side of the equation. The American Conservative ran a column in July 2020 discussing the very real phenomenon of the American rights increasing impatience not with democracy, but with liberalism. This is a phenomenon known as illiberal democracy, where the forms of democracy persist, but are used for anti-liberal means. Put in simple terms: How many on the American right even the mainstream American right would be terribly bothered by the president taking extreme action against an insurrectionary left? No one has a crystal ball to see the future. However, it is not a wild assertion to suggest that the real violence in America is coming after the election. Sam Jacobs is a writer for Ammo.com where this originally appeared. Shares is the leading weekly publication for retail investors. It is packed with investment ideas, news and educational material to help build and run portfolios and get more from your money. Shares puts on free Investor Events throughout the year across the country. They provide an opportunity for investors to learn more about companies on the stock market and hear from a range of investment experts including fund managers and Shares journalists. T he Government is reportedly planning to enforce a ban on socialising and household mixing across London and much of northern England to help curb the spread of coronavirus. Under the new emergency lockdown, all bars, restaurants and pubs would be told to shut for two weeks initially, while households would be banned indefinitely from meeting indoors, the Times reports. As part of the social lockdown, ministers reportedly said schools, offices, and shops would stay open. The option is said to have been presented to the Cabinet's Covid-19 strategy committee last week, before new restrictions, including a 10pm curfew on all hospitality venues, came into force. A Government source told the newspaper: "The nation and the party wasnt ready for us to go any further last week. There wasnt a wide enough understanding of how substantial the second wave could be. "Tougher measures on social interaction will have to come though. Theyre inevitable in some parts if you look at the numbers." London has seen sharp rises in at least a dozen boroughs, the latest figures from Public Health England showed. Loading.... It comes as new local lockdowns, further restrictions and tough new fines for failing to self-isolate come into force across parts of the UK on Monday. People across England will be legally required to self-isolate from this week if they test positive for coronavirus or are contacted by the test and trace service. Coronavirus: Pubs and Restaurants 10pm Curfew 1 /38 Coronavirus: Pubs and Restaurants 10pm Curfew Old Compton in Soho on 11pm on 24 September 2020 Soho on 11pm on 24 September 2020 Jeremy Selwyn Sohoon the first night of the 10pm curfew at 9:15pm on 24 September 2020 Jeremy Selwyn Sohoon the first night of the 10pm curfew at 11pm on 24 September 2020 Jeremy Selwyn Soho, London after 10pm on 25 September 202OLate-night drinkers after 10pm in Soho, London on 22 September 2020 PA Soho, London after 10pm on 25 September 2020 PA Late-night drinkers after 10pm in Soho, London on 22 September 2020 PA Soho, London after 10pm on 25 September 202O PA Late-night drinkers after 10pm in Soho, London on 22 September 2020 PA Late-night drinkers after 10pm in Soho, London on 22 September 2020 PA Late-night drinkers after 10pm in Soho, London on 22 September 2020 PA Soho, London after 10pm on 25 September 2020 PA Late-night drinkers after 10pm in Soho, London on 22 September 2020 PA Soho, London after 10pm on 25 September 2020 PA Late-night drinkers after 10pm in Soho, London on 22 September 2020 PA Soho, London after 10pm on 25 September 2020 PA Late-night drinkers after 10pm in Soho, London on 22 September 2020 PA Soho, London after 10pm on 25 September 2020 PA Late-night drinkers after 10pm in Soho, London on 22 September 2020 PA Soho, London after 10pm on 25 September 2020 PA Soho at 9:15pm on the first night of the 10pm curfew on 4 September 2020 Jeremy Selwyn Old Compton in Soho on the first night of the 24 September 2020 Jeremy Selwyn Old Compton in Soho on the first night of the 24 September 2020 Jeremy Selwyn Old Compton in Soho on the first night of the 10pm curfew on 24 September 2020 Jeremy Selwyn Old Compton in Soho on the first night of the 10pm curfew on 24 September 2020 Jeremy Selwyn Soho at 9:15pm on 24 September 2020 Jeremy Selwyn Soho at 9:15pm on the first night of the 10pm curfew on 4 September 2020 Jeremy Selwyn Soho on the first night of the 10pm curfew at 9:15pm on 24 September 2020 Jeremy Selwyn Soho on the first night of the 10pm curfew at 9:15pm on 24 September 2020 Jeremy Selwyn If they do not they risk being hit with new fines starting at 1,000 and increasing up to 10,000 for repeat offenders or serious breaches, the Department of Health and Social Care said. People who test positive for Covid-19 will also be fined if they knowingly provide false information about close contacts to the test and trace service. Under new rules in England wedding ceremonies will also be restricted to 15 people. Meanwhile three more council areas in South Wales will go into local lockdown from 6pm on Monday, the Welsh Government has announced. Neath Port Talbot, Torfaen and the Vale of Glamorgan will be covered by the restrictions, which mean people will not be able to enter or leave the areas without a reasonable excuse. London's empty network continues during Coronavirus 1 /32 London's empty network continues during Coronavirus Daniel Hambury Jeremy Selwyn Daniel Hambury Daniel Hambury Daniel Hambury Jeremy Selwyn Daniel Hambury Daniel Hambury Daniel Hambury Jeremy Selwyn Jeremy Selwyn Jeremy Selwyn PA PA PA PA PA PA PA PA Jeremy Selwyn Jeremy Selwyn Jeremy Selwyn Jeremy Selwyn It comes after bans on households mixing came into force in Wigan, Stockport, Blackpool and Leeds on Saturday, while stricter rules are already in force across large swathes of north-west England, West Yorkshire, the North East and the Midlands, as well as parts of west Scotland. The Government said that, as of 9am on Sunday, there had been a further 5,693 lab-confirmed cases of coronavirus in the UK. A further 17 people had died within 28 days of testing positive for Covid-19 as of Sunday. Health Secretary Matt Hancock said the Government will not hesitate to introduce further measures if case numbers continue to rise. "Anyone can catch coronavirus and anyone can spread it," he said. Coronavirus in numbers: Global deaths approach one million "We all have a crucial part to play in keeping the number of new infections down and protecting our loved ones. "As cases rise it is imperative we take action, and we are introducing a legal duty to self-isolate when told to do so, with fines for breaches and a new 500 support payment for those on lower incomes who cant work from home while they are self-isolating. These simple steps can make a huge difference to reduce the spread of the virus, but we will not hesitate to put in place further measures if cases continue to rise." But ministers are also under growing pressure to review the "hard" 10pm curfew on pubs, bars and restaurants amid criticism that the new rules are leading to revellers filling streets en masse. Crowds of people were pictured on Saturday night gathering in city centres and piling onto public transport, while long queues formed at off licences after venues kicked customers out at 10pm. But Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden insisted on Sunday that there was "definitely science" behind the curfew, despite a scientist advising the Government saying he had "never heard" the measure discussed at Sage meetings. Loading.... Mr Dowden also said that university students should be able to return home to their families at Christmas if the country "pulls together" and observes the new coronavirus rules. The Government is under pressure to guarantee young people are not confined to their halls of residence over the festive period because of Covid-19 outbreaks on campuses. Thousands of students are currently self-isolating in their rooms following a surge in cases at institutions including Glasgow, Manchester Metropolitan and Edinburgh Napier. Loading.... Students in Scotland have been told they can return home from university accommodation on a long-term basis, as long as they follow rules on self-isolating. Iraq's top cleric Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani is facing criticism for his comments during a meeting with the UN Secretary-General's representative for Iraqi affairs. The editor-in-chief of the Tehran daily Kayhan, Hossein Shariatmadari, blasted Sistani's remarks for allegedly being beneath his position and honorable status. In a meeting on September 22, with the UN Secretary General's Special Representative for Iraq, Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, in Iraqi city of Najaf, Sistani expressed his support for early parliamentary elections, a key demand of protesters who staged months of demonstrations last year against corruption and poor economic conditions. "The parliamentary elections scheduled for next year are of great importance," Sistani said, suggesting that the UN should monitor the procedure. Sistani added that Iraqis should be encouraged to actively participate in the polls, warning that failing to hold the elections as scheduled or in a free and fair way would "threaten the unity and future of Iraq's people." In his editorial, Shariatmadar claimed that in the meeting, Hennis-Plasschaert called for the Iraqi parliamentary elections to be held under the auspices of UN representatives. Apparently worried about setting the stage for the future general elections in Iran under the UN's supervision, Shariatmadari claimed that he was aware of some "secrets" that some "great personalities" like Sistani knew nothing about. Earlier, on September 13, Ayatollah Sistani's office published the text of his speech at the meeting, quoting the Shi'ite cleric saying that the elections should be seriously monitored and coordinated by the relevant UN body. "Inviting the United Nations to monitor a country's elections is tantamount to declaring a country's bankruptcy. It is a pessimistic view towards the nation and an optimistic approach towards foreigners," Shariatmadari wrote. Shariatmadari suggested that a "misunderstanding" may have occurred in the minutes of Sistani's meeting with Hennis-Plasschaert, and that the transcript that should be "corrected." Under orders from Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, Shariatmadari became the managing editor of Kayhan, and has been described as being "a close confidant" of Khamenei with links to Iran's intelligence services. Shariatmadari is also known for his antisemitic and anti-American views, having referred to Jews and Americans as "microbes." Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-28 19:33:02|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- China has adopted multiple measures to help college graduates from the central province of Hubei -- once hardest hit by the COVID-19 outbreak -- find jobs and ensure overall employment stability, the Ministry of Education (MOE) said Monday. Efforts are being made to help fresh graduates from Hubei universities as well as graduates hailing from the province, Wang Hui, an official with the MOE told a press conference. This year, a total of 449,000 students graduated from colleges in Hubei, and 371,000 fresh graduates nationwide are with Hubei origin, Wang said. These students will get preference in recruitment policies and will be offered quotas in recruitments for some community-level service programs as well as in the military, government and public institutions, and state-owned companies, Wang said. In addition, 124 universities across China have paired with the ones in Hubei to share job information and offer employment counseling. The arrangement has already helped 13,000 graduates find jobs, the official said, adding that the ministry also organized online job fairs for graduates of Hubei universities. According to Wang, universities have been asked to put special emphasis on assisting Hubei students in job hunting and offer them tailored guidance. Enditem Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images En espanol | The pandemic may have kept you a bit more stationary than you would have preferred these past six months. But because COVID-19 and this years strain of flu are in the air right now, you may be more eager than ever to track your fitness activity and get a better handle on whats happening inside your body. Insights into your health may come straight from your wrist. Apples latest Series 6 smartwatch that starts at $399, coupled with the watchOS 7 software upgrade that some older models can take advantage of, can help you measure your cardio fitness and blood-oxygen consumption while also detecting irregular heartbeats, excessive exposure to loud noises and how much sleep youre getting. The watches even can remind you to wash your hands periodically with a 20-second countdown timer that may automatically kick in to ensure youre washing long enough. And recent Apple Watches can summon emergency medical assistance should you fall and become immobilized. The ongoing pandemic magnifies the need for affordable housing. For families and individuals who were already in need of adequate housing before the onset of the novel coronavirus, families who have lost their homes due to the economic turbulence caused by the pandemic, and the local Habitat organizations who are navigating challenges to continue protecting the wellbeing of all communities, Nissan's recent support helps reduce uncertainty in a tangible way. This year Nissan is donating five vehicles, bringing their total to 59 Nissan Frontier trucks and NV Cargo vans, to local Habitat organizations and giving a grant to the global nonprofit, equating to $800,000 in contributions this year. "Now more than ever, staying home is encouraged as one of the safest precautions to public health, but we still see too many families who don't have this option," said Julie Laird Davis, vice president of corporate and cause marketing partnerships. "We're so thankful to have Nissan as a partner in addressing this head-on. From providing transportation of resources, to the countless employee volunteer hours over the last 15 years, Nissan continues to actively show up for our communities and provides the core of what makes constructing a new Habitat home possible." Nissan's partnership with Habitat began in 2005 and has since extended to many different facets of the organization's service, including numerous impactful campaigns. Nissan has sponsored the Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter Work Project for 12 years, participated in the Home is the Key campaign in 2018 and 2019, and assisted with disaster recovery efforts by donating trucks to Habitat's Mobile Response Unit fleet. "The COVID-19 pandemic has hit the economically vulnerable among us particularly hard," says Parul Bajaj, Nissan's senior manager of Philanthropy. "Nissan is proud of our long-standing partnership with Habitat that works diligently to lift up communities and make home ownership a reality for so many." Throughout Nissan and Habitat's partnership, more than 11,000 Nissan employees have participated in team builds alongside future homeowners and Habitat volunteers, and the company has donated more than 150 Nissan vehicles to local Habitat organizations. The aggregate of Nissan's contributions amount to more than $18 million in donations. The ongoing partnership has allowed 146 families to work with Nissan and Habitat to build a stronger future for themselves and their communities. About Habitat for Humanity Driven by the vision that everyone needs a decent place to live, Habitat for Humanity began in 1976 as a grassroots effort on a community farm in southern Georgia. The Christian housing organization has since grown to become a leading global nonprofit working in local communities across all 50 states in the U.S. and in more than 70 countries. Families and individuals in need of a hand up partner with Habitat for Humanity to build or improve a place they can call home. Habitat homeowners help build their own homes alongside volunteers and pay an affordable mortgage. Through financial support, volunteering or adding a voice to support affordable housing, everyone can help families achieve the strength, stability and self-reliance they need to build better lives for themselves. Through shelter, we empower. To learn more, visit habitat.org. About Nissan North America For more information about our products, services and commitment to sustainable mobility, visit nissanusa.com. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn and see all our latest videos on YouTube. SOURCE Habitat for Humanity International Related Links www.habitat.org Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday told his Danish counterpart Mette Frederiksen that cooperation between like-minded countries in vaccine-development will help deal with COVID-19 pandemic. In his opening remarks during the India - Denmark virtual bilateral summit, the Prime Minister also greeted Mette Frederiksen on her wedding and hoped that she will be able to visit the country at the earliest after situation created by COVID-19 improves. "I congratulate you on your wedding recently and convey my good wishes. I hope that soon after the COVID-19 situation improves, we will get a chance to welcome you and your family in India. I am sure your daughter would be eager to visit India again," he said. The Danish Prime Minister conveyed her thanks to the Prime Minister during her speech for his greetings. "Thank you so much for the greetings to my family. My daughter will love to visit India once again and the same goes for my family," she said. The Prime Minister said the events of the past few months have made it clear that how important it is for like-minded countries, who share rules-based, transparent, humanitarian and democratic value-system, to work together. "Collaboration between like-minded countries in vaccine development will also help deal with the pandemic," he said. The Prime Minister said that India's pharma capabilities have been helpful for the world during the crisis created by COVID-19 and similar effort is being made in the direction of vaccine. He also mentioned the reforms done by the government concerning labour laws and agriculture. "The effort of Atmanirbhar India is also that India's capabilities increase in key areas and they are useful to the world. We are laying emphasis on all-round reforms under the initiative. The regulatory and taxation reforms will help companies working in India. The process of reforms is on in other areas. Recently important reforms were done in labour and agriculture," he said. Recalling the "very productive" telephonic them a few months back, he said they had discussed ways to expand the India-Denmark relations in several areas. "It is a matter of happiness that we are giving new direction and speed to these intentions through the virtual summit," he said. The Prime Minister said COVID-19 has shown that it is risky to have global supply chains dependent on a single source. He said India is working with Japan and Australia for supply-chain diversification and resilience and other like-minded countries can also join in this effort. COVID-19 originated in the Chinese city of Wuhan and many companies are planning to shift their manufacturing bases from China. This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Never miss a story! Stay connected and informed with Mint. Download our App Now!! Topics As per reports, a US federal judge on Sunday suspended President Donald Trump's ban on TikTok downloads. Trump had announced that Oracle and Walmart will need to have "total control" over the Chinese video-sharing app TikTok in order for the United States to approve a deal between the company and its two US partners. Washington [US], September 28 (ANI): US federal judge on Sunday (local time) suspended President Donald Trumps ban on TikTok downloads. According to a report by The Wall Street Journal, a federal judge halted the Trump administrations ban of downloads of the video-sharing app TikTok, hours before it was supposed to go into effect late Sunday night (local time). Earlier, the US Commerce Department had said it is postponing the planned block of new TikTok downloads until September 27. Trump had announced that Oracle and Walmart will need to have total control over the Chinese video-sharing app TikTok in order for the United States to approve a deal between the company and its two US partners. On August 6, Trump signed an executive order banning any US transactions with ByteDance, set to take effect in 45 days. Later on August 14, he issued another executive order, requiring ByteDance to divest its interests in TikToks operations in the US within 90 days. Also read: Order in house must for division: Deputy Chairman issues clarification over rule-breaking in Rajya Sabha Also read: Sharad Pawar meets Maharashtra CM a day after Raut-Fadnavis meeting US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has claimed TikTok and other applications like WeChat are feeding data directly to Chinas national security apparatus. Earlier, a US federal judge had ordered the Trump administration to postpone its ban on downloads of TikTok or defend itself in a court hearing this weekend brought by the Chinese-owner of the video-sharing application, the Wall Street Journal reported. If Judge Nichols of the US District Court of Columbia decides on Sunday to halt the Trump administrations actions against TikTok, it would be the second setback of its kind for the White House in a week, the report said on Thursday. Another US federal judge last week temporarily blocked President Donald Trumps executive order curbing Americans use of WeChat, a popular Chinese-owned messaging and e-commerce app. Also read: Amid protests, President Kovind gives assent to 3 farm bills passed by Parliament A trio of New Jersey lawmakers announced a new bill Monday aimed at protecting federal judges and safeguarding their personal information after a gunman ambushed the North Brunswick home of U.S. District Judge Esther Salas last summer, killing her 20-year-old son and critically injuring her husband. Shortly after the attack, in which Salas was not injured, U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez, who recommended President Barack Obama appoint Salas to a federal judgeship in 2010, said he made a personal commitment to the judge that he would introduce legislation to better protect federal judges and their families after her son, Daniel Anderl, was killed in the July attack. On Monday, Menendez, alongside U.S. Sen. Cory Booker and U.S. Rep. Mikie Sherrill, D-11th Dist., introduced the Daniel Anderl Judicial Security and Privacy Act of 2020 The bill would shield the personal information of federal judges and their immediate family who share their residence, including home addresses, Social Security numbers, contact information, tax records, marital and birth records and other personal details of federal judges. The bill would prohibit commercial data collectors from selling, trading, licensing, purchasing or providing judges' personal information to others. This legislation will not bring Daniel back, but we must ensure, Judge Salas said, that his death need not be in vain, U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez said Monday outside the Newark federal courthouse fighting back tears. We have to protect the independence of our courts, the safety of our judges and prevent this sort of tragedy from ever happening again. It is a common sense bill. It will save lives. Menendez said there are virtually no limits of how federal judges information can be shared currently. He said wishes he had thought of and introduced similar legislation before tragedy struck. Sometimes we dont think of the evil that can come and it is not until we experience that evil that then we seek a remedy, Menendez said. In her first public statement since the attack at her home, Salas pleaded in August for increased security for federal judges and better efforts to safeguard their personal information. She said Roy Den Hollander, the man who killed her son and critically injured her husband, had a complete dossier on me and my family and knew where they lived and where they went to church. Den Hollander was known as an anti-feminist attorney who authorities said was planning to target other judicial officials. Menendez said Den Hollander disagreed with Salas' rulings, but he also couldnt accept the judgement of a wise Latina woman. A madman, who I believe was targeting me because of my position as a federal judge, came to my house, Salas said in her video statement. My family has experienced a pain that no one should ever have to endure. And I am here asking everyone to help me ensure that no one ever has to experience this kind of pain. We may not be able to stop something like this from happening again, but we can make it hard for those who target us to track us down. Booker, who sits on the Senate Judiciary Committee, said federal judges should never have to live in fear that their family could be targeted by someone who is able to easily access their personal information. We will keep our federal judges safe, Booker said. The bill also proposes a federal grant program and additional funding to state and local governments to help cover costs to prevent the release of judges' personally identifiable information from any agency that operates a database or registry that contains this information. If a judges' personal information is publicly available through a government agency, the bill allows judges to request the removal of their information within 72 hours. The bill also authorizes funding to enable the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts and U.S. Marshals Service to monitor and assess online threats and investigate complaints against federal judges. Congresswoman Sherill said this aspect of the bill is crucial because there has been a dramatic increase of threats against members of the judiciary, U.S. attorneys and other court officers, according to the U.S. Marshals Service. It is a demanding and often very intense job, said Sherill, who appeared before Salas while she worked at the U.S. Attorneys Office. They should be confident in not only their own safety and security, but the safety and security of their family. A similar bill (A1649) has been approved by the New Jerseys full Assembly and now awaits a vote in the Senate. The bill, which was introduced in light of the attack at Salas' home, prohibits people, government agencies and businesses from posting the home addresses and unpublished phone numbers of active and retired judges and state, county and municipal prosecutors. Violation of the proposed law would be a crime of the third- or fourth-degree, punishable by fines, imprisonment or both. It is unclear when the Senate could take up the bill. Daniel Anderl was a rising junior at Catholic University when he was killed. Salas' husband, Mark Anderl, was critically injured in the shooting and required multiple surgeries. Menendez said Anderl is still healing, but he said he saw the couple this weekend at a funeral and Anderl was walking on his own. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Joe Atmonavage may be reached at jatmonavage@njadvancemedia.com. Democrat Joe Biden would end the "artificial trade war" that U.S. President Donald Trump has waged against Europe, while working to address persistent imbalances in agricultural trade between the two blocs, a senior adviser said on Tuesday. Tony Blinken told an online event hosted by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce that Biden and Trump had starkly different views regarding Europe, and the former vice president favored a much more cooperative approach on issues such as China, climate and trade. "The EU is the largest market in the world. We need to improve our economic relations," Blinken said. "And we need to bring to an end an artificial trade war that the Trump administration has started ... that has been poisoning economic relations, costing jobs, increasing costs for consumers." Since taking office, Trump has repeatedly frustrated European leaders through policy decisions such as withdrawing from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, quitting the Paris climate treaty, and imposing a series of tariffs on EU goods. If elected, Biden would seek to rebuild strong ties with the European Union, while still working to address problems with allies in the region, including in agricultural trade, Blinken, who served as deputy national security adviser to former President Barack Obama, told the event. There is an objective problem, I think, with the EU in terms of a persistent, growing imbalance in agricultural goods trade because of rules that prevent us from selling goods where we are very competitive. But there were many areas of common interest and shared goals, including the need to counter China's commercial practices, Blinken said. "This really goes to the heart of Vice President Biden's thinking: reaffirming our core alliances," Blinken said. "It means engaging the European Union instead of urging countries to leave it, and treating it like it's an enemy," he said. Biden also differed with Trump on the approach to Russia, Blinken said, noting that the former vice president believed in countering aggressive actions by Russia, including through coordinated sanctions, if necessary. If elected, Biden planned to convene a meeting of democracies early in his term to discuss common domestic concerns such as societal inequities and trust in governance, as well as repairing trade and economic relations. The goal would be to "develop a common strategic vision and a road map for countering challenges, whether it's coming from Russia, or China in different ways, or Iran," he said. By Azernews By Akbar Mammadov Turkey has expressed its full-fledged support to Azerbaijan over Armenians latest attack along the line of contact with Azerbaijani troops. On September 27, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan described Armenia the biggest threat to peace and serenity in the region in a Twitter post. The president also commented on the Armenian attack on Azerbaijan while addressing a symposium on International Maritime Law, Eastern Mediterranean on September 28, saying that the peace in the region will be restored if Armenia halts attacks against Azerbaijan and leaves the occupied Nagorno-Karabakh, Turkish media has reported. Erdogan stressed that Azerbaijan was forced to take matters into its own hands and respond to flagrant Armenian attacks, adding that Azerbaijan has been facing attacks in the past three decades and the international community stood by as Armenia kept attacking. I condemn Armenia once again for attacking Azerbaijani lands. It is about time to end the crisis that had started with the occupation of Nagorno-Karabakh. Peace will be restored in the region if Armenia halts attacks against Azerbaijan and leaves the occupied Nagorno-Karabakh, Erdogan said. Noting that recent developments have given all countries in the region an opportunity to utilize realistic and fair solution methods, Erdogan pointed out that Turkey hopes they make the best use of this opportunity. The Turkish president also criticizing the Minsk co-chairs-the U.S, Russia and France, stressed that the Minsk trio has failed to resolve the conflict for 30 years now. He added that the Minsk co-chairs initiative has been ineffective and they have almost done everything possible not to solve the problem. Erdogan reminded that even though the international community recognizes Nagorno-Karabakh as territories of Azerbaijan, more than 1 million people have been displaced from their native lands as a result of the occupation by Armenia, none asks to account all these. He also stressed that the international community, which fails to take the necessary and sufficient stand against Armenias provocative aggression, has once again shown its double standard. The Minsk Group as well, which has been displaying a negligent attitude for nearly 30 years, is unfortunately far from adopting a solution-oriented approach. While we urge the Armenian people to protect their future against their government, which drags them into a tragedy, and against those who use it as a puppet, we call on the entire world to stand by Azerbaijan in its struggle against occupation and oppression. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Chavushoglu also voiced support to Azerbaijan during the phone conversation with Minister Ceyhun Bayramov on September 27. During the conversation, Mevlut Chavushoglu, strongly condemning the new act of aggression by Armenia and emphasized that Turkey is always next to Azerbaijan in its struggle leaning on international law and justice. Jeyhun Bayramov expressed his gratitude for always existing support of brotherly Turkey. Bayramov said that the new act of aggression by the armed forces of Armenia against Azerbaijan was a gross violation of fundamental norms and principles of international law, UN Security Council resolutions calling for the full and unconditional withdrawal of the armed forces of Armenia from the occupied territories of Azerbaijan, international humanitarian law, including the 1949 Geneva Conventions and their additional Protocols. The necessity of the withdrawal of occupying forces of Armenia from all occupied territories of Azerbaijan in order to ensure peace and security in the region was stressed. Turkish Defence Minister Hulusi Akar also condemned the occupation policy of Armenia and urged Armenia to immediately withdraw from Azerbaijans occupied territories. "Armenia must immediately halt its attacks, send back the mercenaries and terrorists it brought from abroad and withdraw from the Azerbaijan lands they have been occupying," Akar said. The Turkish defence minister also criticized bystanders who just remembered about dialogue now, asking where they were when Armenia occupied 20 per cent of the Azerbaijani territories, or when Armenians indiscriminately massacred women, children and the elderly in Khojaly and displaced millions of people from their homes. Stating that Turkey and Azerbaijan are one nation, two states, he emphasized that Turkey will stand beside its Azerbaijani siblings against Armenian attacks. Akar also pointed out that Armenia continues its occupation policy despite the United Nations resolutions and international law. He highlighted that Armenia has also recently increased its provocations and further escalated tensions in the region. GOP, Trump campaign sue Elections Board over voting rules RALEIGH Illegally moving the goalposts. Intentionally violating North Carolinians civil rights. Theyre the upshot of federal lawsuits filed separately on Saturday, Sept. 26, by Republican leaders in the N.C. General Assembly and the Republican National Committee/Donald Trump campaign against the N.C. State Board of Elections. A memo from the State Board of Elections changed absentee ballot rules after tens of thousands of North Carolinians have voted, weakening protections against fraud, the lawsuits say. The changes violate the U.S. Constitution, which gives state legislatures rather than appointed officials the power to change election rules potentially diluting the rights of more than 200,000 voters whove cast mail-in absentee ballots. Moreover, the General Assemblys lawsuit Moore v. Circosta charged the Democratic elections board members and Elections Director Karen Brinson Bell of violating Section 1983 of the U.S. Code saying the Democrats actions violated the civil rights of two voters whose absentee ballots were cast before the rules changed. At publication time, the election board had not addressed the lawsuits. Spokesman Pat Gannon told WRAL News the board was reviewing the litigation. The legal wrangling wrapped up a turbulent week during which the elections board offered a settlement in a state lawsuit filed by Democratic groups; two of the five-member elections board resigned, claiming they were misled during the secret settlement negotiations; and the board released the minutes of the closed-session settlement meeting, which shows the board said the members who left knew exactly what they were doing. Republicans say Democrats Stein, Gov. Roy Cooper, and the state elections board colluded with Democratic election lawyer Marc Elias to bypass the legislature and change election law. The leaders were defendants-intervenors in the state lawsuit, North Carolina Alliance of Retired Americans v. North Carolina State Board of Elections. But the alliance and the board filed a joint motion Tuesday, Sept. 22, asking a judge to approve a settlement. The lawsuit, led by Elias, challenged a series of changes lawmakers made to the absentee ballot process in June. The General Assembly was shut out of the negotiations. If allowed to stand, the settlement will lead to more uncertainty and chaos after the election, said Jon Guze, the director of legal studies for the John Locke Foundation. The proposed settlement would allow voters to fix certain mistakes on absentee ballots, including a missing witness signature, with a cure certification attesting to their identity. The settlement allows an absentee ballot to be counted if postmarked on or before election day and received within nine days after the election. The changes weaken protections against fraud and raises new opportunities for challenging the results, Guze said. The state election board voted unanimously in closed session Sept. 15 to let Bell negotiate the settlement, which she concluded the next week. The day after the settlement agreement was announced, the boards two sole Republican members resigned. Republican Ken Raymond said Stein misled the board about the settlement agreement. In it, the attorney general did not advise us of the fact that a lot of the concessions made in the settlement have already been denied in a prior case by a federal judge and another case by a state court three-judge panel. David Black, the other Republican, said when he voted to approve the settlement he didnt think it would affect the witness requirement, but it did. In a rare move, the three remaining board members, all Democrats, voted in a Sept. 25 emergency meeting to waive attorney-client privilege releasing documents related to the settlement. The minutes and memos show all five board members had enough information to vote on the proposed settlement, the elections board said in a news release. But Republican leaders still maintain that Raymond and Black were misled. This is a direct attack on the rule of law, U.S. Rep. Dan Bishop, R-9th District, said during news conference Friday with Senate leader Phil Berger and House Speaker Tim Moore. Berger and Moore are among the plaintiffs in Moore v. Circosta. Bishop left the state Senate to run for Congress after the 2018 election was overturned due to absentee ballot fraud. The congressman said the settlement Republican board members approved differs from the settlement the board sent to the court. In the meeting minutes, the board agreed, in a move to prevent ballot harvesting, to bar voters from dropping off absentee ballots in boxes that werent supervised by county elections boards The board also said a county board official or employee would have to verify each ballot returned. From the minutes: No unmanned ballot drop boxes allowed. Maintain log clerk asks for name of person returning ballot, and verbal acknowledgement of relationship to voter that they are voter or near relative. Then the clerk writes down CIV number on the log. Then if person returning is not near relative or voter, clerk will take down name, address, relationship to voter, and then we will accept receipt of the ballot and keep that info available for any investigation. But Bishop said language sent to the court is different. From the settlement proposal: Defendants shall institute a process for establishing a separate absentee ballot drop-off station at each one-stop early voting location and at county board offices. Such drop-off stations may be located outdoors subject to the conditions set forth in Numbered Memo 2020-23 (emphasis added). In addition, when a person returns a ballot in person, the county board intake staffer shall ask the person for their name and whether they are the voter or the voters near relative or legal guardian. The staffer will indicate this information on a log along with the CIV number of the ballot and the date that it was received. If the person returning the ballot in person indicates that they are not 16 the voter or the voters near relative or legal guardian, the county board intake staffer will also require the person to provide their address and phone number. In other words, people could drop off absentee ballots that werent witnessed or logged and they would count. This is a sue-and-settle scheme concocted by Stein, Cooper, the Democratic-led state election board, and Elias to change the rules of the election while its under way, Moore said. The closed-session vote raises other worries, said Brooks Fuller, head of the N.C. Open Government Coalition at Elon University. Speaking to television stations WBTV and WECT, Fuller said a judge could void the vote if it were challenged in court. Public boards can debate legal issues in closed session, but theyre supposed to vote in public. At least eight other state lawsuits relating to the voting process and Covid-19 are pending. Hearings and rulings in these cases should take place before election day, Swain Wood, general counsel to the state Department of Justice, told Election Board members at the Sept. 15 closed session. With court rulings, one or more judges could change what the State Board will do in upcoming elections. There is a high potential for conflicting rulings and changing rules, Wood said. Meantime, voters can request absentee ballots until Oct. 27. As of Sunday, more than a million had been cast. The mercury plunged to a record September low at the weekend, with Katesbridge in Co Down reaching a chilly -4C on Saturday night - the lowest temperature recorded anywhere across the island of Ireland The mercury plunged to a record September low at the weekend, with Katesbridge in Co Down reaching a chilly -4C on Saturday night - the lowest temperature recorded anywhere across the island of Ireland. But it's not time to break out the de-icer and the electric blanket just yet, weather forecasters say. While today will start with dull and damp conditions in most areas of Northern Ireland, the sun is expected to come out later in the afternoon, with temperatures hitting a pleasant 17 degrees in some areas. Moderate to fresh southerly winds will turn to the west as the rain clears, and will ease off later this afternoon. The thermometer will not drop below 7C overnight, the UK Met Office said. Tomorrow looks like being mainly dry with sunny spells. But beginning on Wednesday and continuing through into next weekend, things will take a decidedly more autumnal turn. Wednesday will be dominated by overcast skies with outbreaks of rain, while Thursday sees heavy showers interspersed by some sunny intervals. However, analysts believe that the new Prime Minister will have efforts to make its own mark, perhaps Japan in the Suga era will be different. Softer with South Korea, unknown to China Suga was the chief cabinet secretary throughout Abes record-long term. Most of his political experience is in the domestic field, rather than in international affairs, although he has accompanied Abe on trips abroad and stood by his side during conversations with world leaders. Suga has also served as the top government spokesman since 2012. It was in that role, earlier this year, that he publicly condemned South Korea for making what he said were unreasonable demands for compensation relating to the period when Japan occupied the Korean peninsula prior to World War II. Shigeto Nagai, who heads the Japan team at Oxford Economics, regards Suga as less hawkish and more pragmatic than his rivals. Nagai says: We are still not sure how Mr. Suga will perform as a prime minister and as the chief diplomat of this country but he might take a more practical approach and he may be more prepared to make compromises than other people in his party. Nagai believes that the public mood in Japan is currently more negative toward South Korea than it is on China. He says there may be an economic reason for this: Japans reliance on China is much larger than on South Korea. The challenge for any Japanese prime minister is always to balance the relationship between China and the United States. I think under Mr. Sugas leadership, Japan will continue to be an important ally of America and at the same time try to be nice to China. Meanwhile, Suga has confirmed that he will continue the foreign and security policies of his predecessor. Specifically, the new Prime Minister sees the Japan-US alliance as the foundation of Japan's foreign policy. In addition, he said he would continue to implement the "Free and Open Indo-Pacific Strategy". In particular, Mr. Suga advocates building stable relations with China and neighboring countries. However, analysts believe that he is likely to continue promoting the program to support domestic enterprises to move their production facilities from China to Japan or to Southeast Asia, in order to reduce over reliance in this neighboring country. In an interview with the Nikkei Asia Review at the end of April, Suga emphasized that the Covid-19 translation has taught Japan an important lesson about the dangers of over-reliance on China. Advantages of ASEAN and Vietnam The sudden announced resignation of Prime Minister Abe Shinzo for health reasons has left many unanswered questions regarding his legacy. In Southeast Asia, a region that lies at the center of the Indo-Pacific, Abes efforts to expand and deepen Japans presence will be sorely missed. In particular, his departure raises questions about the future direction of Japans relations with Vietnam, which has benefited significantly from Japans renewed diplomatic activism and currently enjoys a robust partnership with the worlds third-largest economy. To a large extent, the strong bilateral partnership has been born out of a shared concern about Chinas waxing power and influence. Above all, the robust partnership between Japan and Vietnam is underpinned by economic calculations. As a super-aged society, with more than 20 percent of its population over the age of 65, as well as a shrinking population, Japan faces an uncertain economic future. A shrinking population means a smaller domestic market and declining labor force, which will have critical implications for economic growth over the long term. The task for the new Japanese Prime Minister is to widen this robust cooperation to include other ASEAN members, including Vietnam. In contrast, Vietnams population is relatively young, which promises not only an abundant supply of labor, but also a promising new market for Japanese products and technology. As a developing country fixed on becoming an industrialized nation, Vietnam can benefit from investment and technology flows from Japan, especially in the realm of vital infrastructure. Therefore, strong cooperation between Japan and Vietnam is likely to continue due to complementary characteristics in both countries economies. Both Japan and Vietnam can capitalize on their robust cooperation to promote greater intra-ASEAN integration. Quality infrastructure projects connecting ASEAN members, supported by Japanese funding and technology, will not only underpin and secure Japans continued economic engagement in the region in the years to come; they will also boost the prospect for increased intra-ASEAN trade. Japan has already established a prominent footprint in Vietnam, in terms of economic cooperation and infrastructure development. The task for the new Japanese Prime Minister is to widen this robust cooperation to include other ASEAN members. Vietnam, too, stands to benefit greatly from a more integrated ASEAN. Regarding the South China Sea disputes, Vietnam has encountered significant challenges in developing a unified ASEAN stance, partly due to Chinas economic leverage over other ASEAN members. Vietnams economy also relies heavily on China for materials and equipment that are needed in its manufacturing sector, which has helped contribute to its staggering USD 31 billion trade deficit with China. Facing a pandemic-induced recession, a diversification of economic ties to ASEAN and other external partners will only serve Vietnams strategic interests over the long term. Van Cuong Donald Trump and Joe Biden meet for the first presidential debate on Tuesday with not just themselves, but Brand America itself on the ballot. Tuesdays much anticipated contest, the first of three between the two presidential nominees, will be widely watched around the world not just in the United States. This is because of the huge foreign policy issues in play in the election duel, with implications for every continent from Asia-Pacific to the Americas. Another reason for high interest in Tuesdays big event is that Trump is narrowing Bidens long-standing lead in some national polls in what could yet be a cliffhanger election night in November. With so much at stake, it is even possible that Tuesday could shatter the 84 million U.S. viewer record audience for a debate recorded in September 2016, when Hillary Clinton and Trump faced off in the first showdown between them of that election season. To be sure, the president is popular in a small number of countries, including Israel. However, the overwhelming majority of global publics favour Biden winning, so an against-the-odds Trump re-election would send shockwaves around the world. To be fair to the president, he has scored some foreign policy successes, including the recent U.S.-brokered accords between the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain with Israel. However, his overall international record is underwhelming, with initiatives such as his peace gambit with North Korea flatlining. Yet, it is not even Trumps record of foreign failure that has hit Brand America (the reputation of the United States) hardest, but his wild leadership style and maverick instincts. Indeed, Shashi Tharoor, former UN under-secretary general, has asserted that the presidents election could mean the end of U.S. soft power by entrenching tendencies the world never used to associate with the United States: xenophobia, misogyny, pessimism and selfishness. Attitudes toward Trump have consistently been much more negative than those toward his predecessor, Barack Obama, in the overwhelming majority of countries. Indeed, in many states, ratings for Trump are similar or worse to those received by George W. Bush near the end of his presidency. Take the example of a Pew Global poll released this month of perceptions of Trump in 13 Western countries. Trumps most negative assessment was in Belgium, where only 9 per cent said they have confidence in the U.S. president to do the right thing in world affairs. Trumps highest rating was in Japan, but even there just one-quarter of people expressed confidence in him. If Trump does win again, there could well be a further spike in anti-U.S. sentiment. The overall impact could be significantly more marked than even during Bushs presidency, when anti-Americanism last reached a nadir. When Bush left office in early 2009, anti-U.S. sentiment was at about its highest levels since at least the Vietnam War. In the years after, Obama was able to partially reverse those public opinion patterns. There was a substantial increase in foreigners regarding the United States as the most admired country in the world again. However, despite these successes, Obamas progress was uneven, and he failed to fully capitalize upon what former French President Nicolas Sarkozy characterised as the countrys return to the hearts of the people of the world. For instance, many internationally were disappointed by his failure to close Guantanamo Bay. Perhaps the biggest failure of Obamas global public diplomacy was toward what he has called the Islamic world. Despite the early promise of his first term in which he sought to reset U.S. relations with Muslim-majority countries, there remained pockets of very high anti-Americanism in several key states, including Pakistan and Egypt. And since early 2017 Trump has only intensified this. It is in this context that many other countries are viewing Trumps potential re-election, given that overseas he is already one of the least popular U.S. presidents in living memory. Global opinion could yet be significantly more hostile to him than even Bush in his own second term, highlighting the downside risks for Brand America, plus the potential upside opportunity for the nations reputation if Biden pulls through. Andrew Hammond is an associate at LSE IDEAS at the London School of Economics. Read more about: The court heard harrowing victim impact statements from families of victims of the tragedy during the sentencing hearing. Kim Dorsett, the mother of Luke and Kate, told the court of her shock when two police officers arrived at her hotel room on the Gold Coast to tell her the news "no mother should hear". Kim Dorsett with her granddaughter Ebony Turner, who is Kate Goodchild's daughter, outside Southport Magistrates Court. Credit:Lucy Stone Ms Dorsett attended Southport Magistrates Court with her teenage granddaughter Ebony, who had been on the ride with her mother Kate, uncle Luke and Mr Araghi. "Ebony had survived the accident and was hysterical, trying to tell of the events that had taken place that afternoon," Ms Dorsett told the court. " 'I couldn't find Mummy'. These words have become a recurring nightmare. Words that will be with me until I, too, take my last breath." Loading Ms Dorsett spoke of her loneliness in her terrible grief, the severe mental health consequences on herself and her family, and ongoing trauma. She described the loss of three children, "two I gave life to, and one who chose us". "A broken heart has no words," she concluded her statement. Prosecutor Aaron Guilfoyle read out other victim impact statements from Ms Low's brother Michael Cook, her mother-in-law Dianne Bond, and aunt Helen Cook. Mr Cook told the court he was "an empty shell of my former self" and his sister's death had derailed his life. Ms Bond told of the deep loss felt by Ms Low's death and the devastating effects across her family, saying she was the "rock, lover, best friend, confidant" to her husband Mathew. Ms Cook described Ms Low as a "vibrant, intelligent, and very special" person. "That Cindy died violently is unacceptable to us. Knowing her death could have been avoided is unacceptable and infuriating," she said. "Cindy was such a gentle, happy person. We know nothing will bring her back and all we have are precious, precious memories." A lengthy inquest held over six weeks in 2018 heard a litany of failures and safety issues at the theme park. Coroner James McDougall handed down a 300-page report earlier this year. Mr McDougall said there had been a "systemic failure" by the park in relation to "all aspects" of safety and there was no evidence the park ever conducted a proper risk assessment of the ride. He referred Dreamworld to the Office of Industrial Relations, which later laid the three charges against Dreamworld, each with a maximum potential fine of $1.5 million. John Osborne from Ardent Leisure (left) and Bruce Hodgkinson, QC, wearing a mask, leave Southport Magistrates Court. Credit:Lucy Stone Ardent Leisure issued an unreserved apology to all the family and friends of the four victims. The apology was read out by its lawyer Bruce Hodgkinson, QC, in court on Monday morning. Ms Low's husband Mathew, and Kate and Luke's father Shayne joined the hearing by videolink from interstate and overseas. Mr Guilfoyle told the court what happened on the day of October 25, 2016, saying the incident occurred when one of two water pumps for the Thunder River Rapids Ride failed. The raft in which the victims were travelling collided with another empty raft on the ride's conveyor belt, inverting both rafts and almost immediately killing all four. Ms Low's son Kieran, 10 at the time, and Ms Goodchild's daughter Ebony, then 12, escaped without injury. Mr Guilfoyle told the court an emergency stop button that would have stopped the conveyor within two seconds was not used; instead, a slow-stop button that took eight seconds was used to stop the ride. He told the court there was confusion among Dreamworld ride operators, who had differing tiers of responsibility, about which stop button should or could be used under ride guidelines. Mr Guilfoyle detailed a host of safety measures Dreamworld could have implemented at "minimal" cost, such as reworking the ride's stop buttons and operation panel to reduce confusion and ensuring ride operators had more and thorough training. He noted many audit reports conducted for Dreamworld in the years before the incident had made recommendations to reduce the complexity of the ride's operation and ensure an emergency stop button was clearly labelled and operational. The magistrate said Ardent Leisure's efforts to improve safety standards on the ride before the incident "were grossly below the standards that was rightly expected of it". "A variety of control measures were available which would have eliminated the relevant risk. It was a company which had available to it resources to implement those control measures," she said. She said the company knew of the risks of rafts overturning, after previous incidents in 2001 and 2013, and did not address them. However, she noted Ardent Leisure accepted the statement of facts, did not dispute its role in the tragedy, and had pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity. She also noted Dreamworld had significantly increased its safety at the park since the "dreadful and unspeakable incident". A conviction was recorded and Ardent Leisure has a month to pay the fine. Washington County added to quarantine list for troublesome bug The Maryland Department of Agriculture has added several areas, including Washington County, to its quarantine list regarding the spotted lanternfly. Birmingham Road in Stratford-upon-Avon. Photo: Mark Williamson. An extra 3million is set to be ploughed into kick-starting improvements on Birmingham Road, more than doubling the original budget for the scheme to almost 6million. It has been more than three years since Warwickshire County Council first announced it would provide 2.7million in funding to improve the Birmingham Road with a swathe of improvements designed to reduce congestion. The road has long been a point of angst for Stratford residents and improvements to the stretch were identified as the number one priority of residents during the towns transport summits. However there has been little obvious progress since that funding announcement in 2017 and timescales for the work to begin have come and gone. Design work has been ongoing, but it appears that a major spanner in the works has been the predicted costs of utility works, which have unexpectedly rocketed from 650,000 to 3million. A recent Warwickshire County Cabinet meeting, members agreed to pump an extra 3million into the project, money which as well as covering the utility costs will lead to additional enhancements to the proposed scheme. The proposal will now go before full council for formal approval. The extra cash will bring the budget for the Birmingham Road improvements to close to 6million and the council has set a new date of 2021 for construction to begin. A report outlining the advantages of approving the extra funds says the cash would provide an opportunity to kick-start and accelerate the project. The report recognises that Stratford has been one of the hardest economically hit areas by the coronavirus pandemic and that the current problems on Birmingham Road are damaging to local productivity and the towns visitor economy. Liberal Democrat councillor Dominic Skinner, who represents Stratford North at the county council, said: This is really good news, Ive been pushing for progress to be made on the Birmingham Road Scheme. This project is now in the detailed design phase and I have been in discussions to break down the scheme into different parcels of work which I hope may see improvements delivered sooner and possibly at a lower cost. Cllr Izzi Seccombe, said: Without this extra money the Birmingham Road improvements just wouldnt be able to happen. The original funds outlined for the scheme were based on the costings we received at the time, however in-depth discussions with the utilities company subsequent to this showed that they didnt know where all the utilities were and as a result the costs have gone up. We are now at the stage where the funding is in place and we can move forward with contracts and hopefully get spades in the ground. I hope work will begin in 2021, Im very conscious of how important this project is to Stratford and how long it has taken to come forward, I will be pushing this project like mad. Cllr Seccombe added that the pandemic had also complicated the delivery of projects across the county this year, but the authority was working hard to catch up. The Birmingham Road cash is not the only windfall coming Stratfords way as members also agreed to fund replacement automatic bollards in the town. Stratfords 25-year-old bollards, which are located on Henley Street and Meer Street have proved problematic over the years, suffering from a series of breakdowns. Now bollards in Stratford, Nuneaton and Bedworth will be replaced, costing around 430,000 in total, though the new reliable systems should result in significant maintenance savings. Cllr Tony Jefferson, leader of Stratford District Council, said: The extra funding for both of these projects is very good news for Stratford, the Birmingham Road has needed work for a long time and now all the funding seems to be in place hopefully we can see some progress. Nearly one year after Tropical Storm Imelda greatly impacted Elm Grove and northern Kingwood, the acquisition of a nearby development believed to have exacerbated flooding, is one step closer to completion. The Harris County Commissioner's Court unanimously voted to authorize the Harris County Real Property Division to sign an earnest money contract with Figure Four Partners, who currently owns Woodridge Village, which is located behind the Elm Grove Village subdivision. The total contract will be about $14 million, according to a press release from Mayor Pro Tem and District E Councilmember Dave Martin on Sept. 17. The move gives the county the flexibility to acquire two tracts of land covering 267.35 acres in Montgomery County, including the Woodridge Village stormwater basin. LOCAL: Humble ISD sets property taxes to lowest rate since 2007 However, this announcement does not indicate a completed deal, according to Matt Zeve, the Harris County Flood Control Districts deputy executive director. The HCFCD and the city of Houston will still need to work on and complete an interlocal agreement to outline the details and responsibilities in the purchase of the property, which they have up to 120 days to do, Zeve said in an email. Carol Haddock, the city of Houston Public Works Director, submitted a letter of intent to HCFCD executive director Russ Poppe, which represents a commitment by both the city and county to execute the needed interlocal agreement, according to the press release. A finalized interlocal agreement will also need approval from the Houston City Council. CORONAVIRUS: Raise Your Hand Texas leading charge for COVID-19 relief for public schools The Figure Four property can be used for a sub-regional stormwater detention facility to help protect residents from future rainfall, according to the press release, which is the goal of acquiring the land. The city of Houston has also identified 73 acres of the total site, which can serve as a location for a regional watershed treatment plant to facilitate the regionalization of the three waterwater treatment plants in the Kingwood area, according to the press release. During Hurricane Harvey, two of the three waterwater treatment plants were impacted by flooding. The city of Houston would contribute cash for that portion of the site. However, rather than cash match for detention, mutually agreeable city-owned land be identified and drainage of flooding easements on those properties be offered for flood risk reduction projects. Once the land is acquired, the city of Houston and district will work together in order to find additional funds to build more storage on the site to increase benefits to those downstream according to the press release. Prime Property: Get Houston real estate news sent directly to your inbox The city of Houston recently submitted an abridged application for a $30 million grant or loan to the Texas Water Development Board for the flood damage reduction project on Taylors Gully. The application will be completed later this year according to the press release. savannah.mehrtens@chron.com Dear Roger, Ive seen questions about the Third Temple and current peace treaties happening with Israel all over social media. President Trump helped orchestrate the treaties, too. Does that mean he could be the Antichrist? I know the book of Revelation mentions events like these in the end times. What does all this mean? Sincerely, Asha Dear Asha, I was shocked by the recent peace treaties signed between Israel, the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain. I never imagined that Israel would be aligning itself with Mideast Gulf nations, did you? Peace in the Middle East has always seemed impossible. But thats politics! We do need to recognize that these treaties certainly have implications for the second coming as described in the book of Revelation. Photo Credit: SparrowStock This Treaty Could Foreshadow End Times The present-day United Arab Emirates is located on the biblical land of Deban. In the Hebrew Bible, the name Dedan is assigned to a son of Raamah (Genesis 10:7). His descendants are mentioned in Isaiah 21:13; Ezekiel 25:13; and Ezekiel 27:15. This people group probably settled among the sons of Cush, on the northwest coast of the present Persian Gulf. Interestingly, archeologists have identified some characteristics that show the ties between Dedan and ancient Egypt. This land has a part to play in both the battle of Armageddon in Revelation 16 and with the armies of Gog and Magog in Ezekiel 38 and 39. The current treaties call for normalizing the relationships between Israel, UAE, Bahrain, Turkey and the United States. In a very real sense, these five nations have ganged up against Iran, who is still under United Nations sanctions because of their nuclear program. However, Anwar Gargash, UAE minister of state for foreign affairs, declared, This treaty is in no way meant to create some sort of grouping against Iran. I want to say, Whos kidding whom? Its obvious thats exactly what this treaty accomplishes. Will Iran Be Involved in Armageddon? Behind the scenes, I believe that Iran will be involved in second coming and the battle of Armageddon. First, its obvious that Iran has nuclear weapons, or soon will, the results of which are described with the other plagues in Revelation 6-19. Consider Revelation 8:7, which says, there came fire mixed with blood, and it was hurled down on the earth. A third of the earth was burned up, a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up. Second, Iran is most likely part of the armies of 200 million led by the kings from the East (see Revelation 18), which line up against the Antichrist at the Battle of Armageddon. One other significant part of the treaty also deals with annexing the West Bank and securing land for a Palestinian state. The resolution of the West Bank issue is critical to Israels future, not just religious and for holy reasons, but as a military stronghold in case of another Israeli war with Arab nations and other Gulf states. Will other Gulf nations take sides? Most likely. After all, the United States is the only nation in the world which gives any sort of tacit support to Israel. What makes us think that other nations will jump in to help Israel? Photo Credit: GettyImages/rep0rter Greek Numerology Shows President Trump Is Not the Antichrist Asha, you asked the question, Could Trump be the Antichrist? People ask me that question about the presidential candidates every four years! The answer is absolutely no. Trump is not the Antichrist. Revelation tells us that during the final years of tribulation on earth, a man named the Antichrist will unite numerous nations to fight against Israel and ultimately against Jesus at the battle of Armageddon. We are told to recognize him by the number of his name; This calls for wisdom. If anyone has insight, let him calculate the number of the beast, for it is mans number. His number is 666 (Revelation 13:18). Today, we utilize Arabic numbers. The Romans used Roman numerals. The Greeks assigned a number to each letter of the Greek alphabet. You can see that none of Trumps numbers come anywhere close to 666: Trump: 300+100+400+40+80 equals 920 Donald: 4+70+50+1+30+4 equals 159 Donald Trump: 920+159 equals 1079 Note Joe Bidens name: 9+70+5+2 10+4+5+50 equals 155 The number six is often identified in Scripture as the number of man. Mans number is consistently one short of perfection; thus, the Antichrist is 666. Jesus number is 777. He is consistently one better than perfection. Is This Third Temple a Sign of End Times? Finally, Asha, you asked about the Third Jewish Temple and its implications for End Times events. The Third Temple will be rebuilt sometime before the second coming. We know this because the abomination of desolation is set up in the temple when the Antichrist and his minions invade the temple altar and begin to make sacrifices to themselves and proclaim great blasphemy against Jesus (see the end-times prophecy in Daniel 9:27). The First Temple was built by Solomon in 957 BCE and destroyed by King Nebuchadnezzar in 586 BCE. Then, the Second Temple was built under the guidance of Ezra in 516 BCE. It lasted until the Romans destroyed the Second Temple in 70 A.D. When Jesus told his disciples that the Temple would be destroyed and not one stone left upon another (Matthew 24:38), He was referring to the Second Temple. Since 70 A.D. there hasnt been a Temple in Israel. But a Third Temple is coming. Although it remains unbuilt, the notion of and desire for a Third Temple is sacred in Judaismparticularly Orthodox Judaismbecause it is anticipated as a place of worship. The prophets in the Hebrew Bible called for its construction to be fulfilled prior to, or in tandem with, the Messianic Age. The rebuilding of the Third Temple also plays a major role in the biblical understanding of the second coming of Christ. In 2 Thessalonians, the apostle Paul taught that the abomination of desolation would be placed in the holy Temple in Jerusalem. The temple must exist for the image of the Antichrist to be worshipped there: Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God. 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4 Daniel also teaches, Forces from him will arise, desecrate the sanctuary fortress, and do away with the regular sacrifice. And they will set up the abomination of desolation (Daniel 12:11). Its fair to ask whether or not there is enough space on the Temple Mount to build another Temple without infringing upon the Dome of the Rock and the Al-Aqsa Mosque. Both are Muslim holy places. Ive stood on the Temple Mount, and theres plenty of land on the northern side of the plateau for another Temple. In fact, there already are groups in Israel clamoring for the immediate construction of the Third Temple in Jerusalem. Photo Credit: GettyImages/Boonyachoat Is the Peace Treaty Part of Prophetic Birth Pains? The day that the peace treaty was signed, I was inundated with questions about whether or not this was the beginning of the birth pains that Jesus mentioned, which would precede the great tribulation: As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. Tell us, they said, when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age? Jesus answered: Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, I am the Messiah, and will deceive many. You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains. Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come. Matthew 24:3-14 With all the hurricanes, typhoons, wars, volcanoes, earthquakes, forest fires, floods, melting ice packs, destruction of the permafrost, global warming, (California recently recorded possibly the hottest temperature ever measured on earth), and now these peace treaties, I'm wondering if these really are what Jesus called "the beginning of birth pains which lead up to the great tribulation. Let me encourage you to watch carefully and pray fervently for Jesus to come soon! Well, Asha, I hope that this addresses your questions in a simple and understandable way. If you have more questions, please let me know. Love, Roger Recommended for You: How Will the Nations Be Judged at the Second Coming? Is the Battle of Armageddon around the Corner? Representatives for Israel, the UAE, Sign Peace Agreement at the White House President Trump Announces Historic Peace Deal between United Arab Emirates and Israel Gog and Magog: Who Are They and What Do They Have to Do with the Last Days? Is the Book of Revelation a Scary Threat or a Hope-Filled Promise? What Are the Seven Plagues of Revelation? Photo Credit: GettyImages/Oleksii Liskonih Dr. Roger Barrier retired as senior teaching pastor from Casas Church in Tucson, Arizona. In addition to being an author and sought-after conference speaker, Roger has mentored or taught thousands of pastors, missionaries, and Christian leaders worldwide. Casas Church, where Roger served throughout his 35-year career, is a megachurch known for a well-integrated, multi-generational ministry. The value of including new generations is deeply ingrained throughout Casas to help the church move strongly right through the twenty-first century and beyond. Dr. Barrier holds degrees from Baylor University, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, and Golden Gate Seminary in Greek, religion, theology, and pastoral care. His popular book, Listening to the Voice of God, published by Bethany House, is in its second printing and is available in Thai and Portuguese. His latest work is, Got Guts? Get Godly! Pray the Prayer God Guarantees to Answer, from Xulon Press. Roger can be found blogging at Preach It, Teach It, the pastoral teaching site founded with his wife, Dr. Julie Barrier. Editor's Note : This Ask Roger article features insights from Roger's daughter, Brie Barrier Wetherbee, a sought-after Bible teacher and conference speaker, author, analyst, and Christian theologian. Pastor Roger Barrier's "Ask Roger" column regularly appears at Preach It, Teach It. Every week at Crosswalk, Dr. Barrier puts nearly 40 years of experience in the pastorate to work answering questions of doctrine or practice for laypeople or giving advice on church leadership issues. Email him your questions at roger@preachitteachit.org. Before the latest transaction, Ping An held a 7.95% share in the bank. Photo: Getty Ping An Insurance Group Co (2318.HK) has increased its stake in Britains HSBC Holdings Plc (HSBA.L), making the Chinese insurer the companys biggest shareholder with a 8% share. A unit of the insurer, Ping An Asset Management Co, bought 10.8 million shares at an average price of HK$28.29 (2.90, $3.70) per share. It comes as British and US lawmakers criticised, HSBC and Standard Chartered (STAN.L) for supporting Chinas national security law for Hong Kong, following Beijings handling of the pro-democracy movement in the territory. The national security law criminalises criticism of the Chinese Communist party. At the time, chief executive Noel Quinn, said: We will face any political challenges that arise with a focus on the long-term needs of our customers and the best interests of our investors. Both banks, which are dual listed in London (^FTSE) and Hong Kong (0388.HK) make most of their sales in Asia, while HSBC is Europes largest bank by assets, the bank generates around half of its revenue in Asia. READ MORE: HSBC profits plunge 65% as it accelerates 35,000 job cuts Before the latest transaction, Ping An held a 7.95% share in the bank, according to a Hong Kong stock exchange filing on Friday. In 2018, after gradually buying more shares in HSBC, Ping An overtook Black Rock Inc (BLK), which currently owns the second biggest stake with a 7.14% share. In August, the Asia-focused bank announced the COVID-19 pandemic and worsening tensions between the US and China dealt a double blow to HSBC during the first half of its financial year, with pre-tax profits plunging 65% to $4.3bn. HSBC said that while its financial performance will continue to be affected by the coronavirus crisis, geopolitical uncertainty could also weigh heavily on its clients. Quinn cited tensions between China and both the US and UK, as well as the UKs post-Brexit trading relationship with the European Union as factors. This is the second Georgia police officer to be fired in September from the Clayton Countys Sheriffs Office A Georgia police officer is being fired after going on a racist rant against an inmate on suicide watch. Read More: Key witness in Breonna Taylor case changed his story about police actions: report Gregory Hubert Brown was placed on administrative leave without pay after he called a suicidal inmate at the Clayton County Jail a crazy N-word, Sheriff Victor Hill said in a statement over the weekend. The incident occurred in front of other inmates and a correctional officer. Hill said that Brown would be fired within the next 72 hours in compliance with civic service guidelines. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported on Monday that this is the third time in a decade that Brown is being removed from his duties. In 2010, Standards and Training Council records showed that Brown was let go from the Coweta County Jail after two years. The Clayton County Sheriffs Office hired him in 2011 but he was fired from his position as a jail officer. The details of his previous terminations were not immediately available. Browns firing is the second one to take place at Clayton County Sheriffs Office in the past month. As theGrio reported, a deputy lost his job in early September for excessive use of force, against a Black man. Roderick Walker and his girlfriend dropped off a rental car and asked for a quick ride down the street, according to attorney Shean Williams. The driver of the car was then allegedly pulled over for a broken taillight and Walker, 26, was asked for his identification and it was demanded that he get out the car. The situation escalated and a viral video shows Walker pinned to the ground and repeatedly punched in the head. He suffered a swollen eye. Roderick Walker (Credit: The Cochran Firm) Walker was arrested for multiple counts of obstruction and battery, charges that his attorney said were bogus. Mr. Walker would not be in jail if it were not for this unlawful arrest that violated his legal and constitutional rights, Williams said during a news conference. Story continues Walkers counsel also rebuffed the claims made by the Clayton County Sheriffs Office that there was cause to question him and keep him in custody based on a preexisting warrant for cruelty to children and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Read More: Nicole Ari Parker to tackle police reform on Chicago P.D. The reason he is in jail is because of the stop in Clayton County that led to him being brutally assaulted by the officer, Walkers attorney, Torris Butterfield, told ABC News. Although there may have been a warrant outstanding for him, he wasnt arrested for any kind of warrant. Have you subscribed to theGrios podcast Dear Culture? Download our newest episodes now! The post Georgia officer loses job after calling suicidal inmate a crazy N-word appeared first on TheGrio. I love architecture, and thus historic preservation. The designs that span different eras in U.S. history are one of the main qualities differentiating our cities from each other.So I understand why cities would want to maintain their distinctive architectural characters. Doing so enhances a city's identity think Brooklyn's brownstones or Boston's three-deckers and in smaller towns and cities it can be the main economic driver. Had Savannah, Ga., not preserved its historic core, for example, it likely would be just another stagnant Southern city. Across rural America, towns are often made or broken on their ability to re-adapt their old main street buildings.But historic preservation, if mandated to excess, can hinder good urbanism. I'll explain some of preservation's negative impacts and how they can be reduced through sensible reforms.One of the problems with historic preservation stems, ironically, from one of its benefits: It improves the quality of a neighborhood by increasing its home values. A Realtor.com study of 2,885 historic homes found that they were 5.6 percent more expensive than similar-sized homes in the same ZIP code. And even if homes aren't historic, they enjoy a 1.4 percent faster increase in property values just from being inside a historic district. But in escalating home prices, preservation works against the more important goal of housing affordability. This may not be a huge problem in smaller cities like Savannah, but it is in bigger cities that have diverse economic functions.Take Manhattan, for example. According to 2014 data from New York University's Furman Center, it has placed 27 percent of its land plots inside historic districts (compared to under 1 percent in the Bronx, Queens and Staten Island). It's more difficult to make repairs to buildings when they're in these districts, much less demolish them for new structures. That caused these districts to produce far less housing through the 1980s and '90s than non-historic ones did, according to a 2010 study by economist Ed Glaeser. And some districts even lost housing in those decades due to unit consolidation.Historic preservation also holds back economic development. While a tasteful, well-preserved neighborhood increases home values for individual owners, it may suppressvalues by limiting parcels from their optimum use. That reduces a city's potential tax base and stifles creative new projects that might've gone where an out-of-date building now sits.Manhattan's beautiful First Church of Christ Scientist, for example, has been empty since 2004 because the Landmarks Preservation Commission would not allow its conversion . This forced the church to sell the building, and the purchaser lobbied for 16 years to make it a children's museum. Although the LPC finally approved those plans in June, the prolonged underuse has caused the church to fall into disrepair. Were it active this whole time for a commercial, residential or civic use, it would almost certainly have been better maintained.But perhaps the main argument against historic districts is aesthetic. Rather than letting neighborhoods develop a nice blend of old and new buildings, it keeps them stuck in time. This may be desirable to those who view cities as museums, but it amounts to a lame bit of romanticism for those who think cities should be dynamic, evolving places. "As if it weren't enough that large historic districts are associated with a reduction in housing supply, higher prices, and increasingly elite residents," Glaeser wrote, "there's also an aesthetic reason to be skeptical about them: they protect an abundance of uninteresting buildings that are less attractive and exciting than new structures that could replace them."Glaeser's quote speaks to what should be a rule of thumb for preservation policy: Apply it to specific buildings, not whole districts. There are policies that let cities do this in market-driven ways, incentivizing rather than mandating developers to preserve buildings.Cities, for instance, can grant property tax relief to owners who restore historic properties, as California municipalities do under the state's Mills Act . Cities can authorize transfers of development rights, as Seattle does , allowing owners to build elsewhere (or sell the rights to build elsewhere to developers) in exchange for maintaining their historic properties. And federal and state historic-tax-credit programs help developers fund repairs and conversions. Cities should make liberal use of these policies, especially if they have an interesting architectural history and lots of developers who specialize in preservation work.The flipside, though, is to let buildings that surround these historic ones, and that aren't distinctive, be redeveloped for modern uses. That not only advances the goals of housing affordability, economic development and aesthetic diversity but also helps the historic properties themselves by increasing commercial foot traffic.Atlanta is one city that did this well: It used the Krog Street Market and the Ponce City Market , two old brick warehouses that were converted into mixed-use shopping centers, to anchor new surrounding mid-rise development. This, along with the city's popular 22-mile BeltLine rail-trail , has helped foster a contiguous urban area along the city's eastside.By contrast, the idea of putting historic status around whole districts, regardless of the merits of individual buildings, is straight out of the top-down-planning playbook. It leads to neighborhoods that are exclusive, static and not even that interesting.GoverningGoverning GREENWICH Chicken Soup for the Soul Pet Food, a Cos Cob-based super premium pet food company, has donated nearly 3 tons of its pet food to help feed animals in need in communities near Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland. The donation is part of the companys Fill A Bowl ... Feed A Soul (FABFAS) program, a national campaign that seeks to donate 1 million meals for shelter pets annually. The 5,884 pounds of premium dog and cat food will provide about 24,000 meals to animals in need. It was sent to the commissary at Andrews Air Force Base and distributed to local shelters and food banks in that community. Chicken Soup for the Souls FABFAS program was created to help feed pets in need nationwide, said Ed Uebele, senior vice president for sales and marketing for Chicken Soup for the Soul Pet Food. We believe that every pet should enjoy the benefits of premium nutrition. Capital Area Food Bank, Show Your Soft Side, Animal Welfare League of Alexandria, Animal Allied Rescue Foundation and Saving Grace of Maryland received the donations. What a wonderful program to have for pet parents in our community, said Flecia Gardner, acting commissary director. Joint Base Andrews commissary not only participated in the pet food donation but was able to also collect human food donations for our partners at the Capital Area Food Bank. Joanna Fortin, director of community programs at Animal Welfare League of Alexandria, said she was grateful for the donation, which came at a time when many pet owners in our community are struggling to afford their own basic needs as well as those of their pets. The generosity of donations like these to help keep pets in their homes with the families who love them, she said. Jeanne Blandford, senior director of marketing for Chicken Soup for the Soul Pet Food, said that during the COVID-19 crisis, we not only want to help those pets waiting to be adopted, but also assist those families that may be struggling to make ends meet. Families need to stay together to support and comfort one another. ... And since pets are family members and are such a huge support system, we all need to do our part, she said. A family should never have to surrender their pet because they cannot afford their food. Chicken Soup for the Soul has been providing super-premium dog and cat food for over 15 years. A portion of the proceeds from all sales goes to the Fill-a-Bowl ... Feed-a-Soul program. For more information, visit www.chickensouppets.com. For schools, an accurate population count is tied to billions of dollars of federal aid. Thats why educational administrators may be interested in a decision to keep the 2020 Census going for another month. That will give schools and community groups one last window to encourage families to fill out the form. A federal judge on Friday ordered Trump administration officials to scrap plans to cut this years official count short, after internal U.S. Census Bureau communications warned that a truncated schedule combined with the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic could lead to a census that is of unacceptable quality. The Census Bureau first shifted its collection schedule in response to the virus by delaying the start of the nonresponse followup periodwhen workers visit homes that havent responded online or by mail. Officials later said they would end all data collection by Sept. 30, abbreviating the revised counting schedule by four weeks in an effort to meet statutory deadlines for assembling the population count by Dec. 31. A preliminary injuction by Judge Lucy H. Koh of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California means officials will have to keep counting until the original Oct. 31 deadline. And that may be a big deal for schools because children, immigrants, and low-income families are considered hard-to-count populations. Districts rely on data about those demographic groups to qualify for billions of dollars in federal funding for programs like the National School Lunch Program, Title I, and Head Start. An undercount in any locality matters greatly, Koh wrote. Even a small undercount of a subset of the hard to count population would result in the loss of federal funding. The case was brought by the National Urban League and a group of local jurisdictions, including county and city governents and the Navajo Nation. Koh noted that an inaccurate census could have other harms: The data is used to determine political representation through redistricting, and local governments use it to determine where to direct resources. Koh also barred the bureau from delivering data to the White House by a revised Dec. 31 deadline, months earlier than a previously discussed deadline of April. Her order cites an internal email from U.S. Census Bureau Associate Director for Field Operations Tim Olson, who said it was ludicrous to think we can complete 100% of the nations data collection earlier than 10/31. Any thinking person who believes the bureau could deliver final data to the White House by the end of the year has either a mental deficiency or a political motivation, he wrote. Photo: Getty Follow us on Twitter @PoliticsK12 . And follow the Politics K-12 reporters @EvieBlad @Daarel and @AndrewUjifusa . EXPORT, Pa., Sept. 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Effective September 14th 2020, Leybold USA Inc. has new leadership, welcoming Henrique Triboni as the new General Manager of the Leybold North America Customer Center. Henrique joined Atlas Copco (the parent company of Leybold) in 2005 and previously held the role of Vice President, Marketing at Quincy Compressors LLC in Bay Minette, Alabama. Prior to that position, Henrique was the Business Line Manager for the Oil Free Air and Industrial Air divisions in Compressor Technique in Brazil. Henrique's extensive experience managing multiple product lines and brands, as well as his in-depth knowledge of sales channels in the markets Leybold serves, make him well suited for this position. "Leybold has proven time and time again, throughout its innovative history, that we are the leader in the advancement of vacuum pump technology. 2020 marks the 170th anniversary for Leybold, and I am excited to be joining the organization in this milestone year. While COVID-19 has posed an ongoing challenge for us, as it has for many of our customers and partners, we are well positioned with an outstanding team and the best vacuum products available on the market today," says Triboni Leybold has continued to support customers through these challenging times by offering new and exciting ways to connect and learn about new vacuum technology or freshen up their vacuum- related skills. One way in which the organization has done this is through offering several different educational webinar series. These events can be found at Leybold.com and will continue to be offered for the foreseeable future. Customers can also schedule virtual consultations, maintenance and service support through their newest online booking tool. "My vision stepping into this role is to continue to serve our customers here in North America in the best way possible. This means continuing to offer best-in-class customer support, applications expertise, system design, and a focus on helping our customers reduce downtime, increase process efficiencies and profitability. Leybold USA has been fortunate in our outstanding partnerships with some of the country's leading institutions, and I plan to work with our team to further develop these relationships. In addition, I see an outstanding opportunity to challenge the industry standard in vacuum pump technology in core markets such as food and other key industrial segments. I believe Leybold will continue to drive the adoption of new technologies and deliver unprecedented performance to some of North America's most critical industries," shares Triboni. Triboni joins the leadership team in the USA which also includes Business Controller, Renee Nauyokas; Head of Human Resources, Valerie Mooney; Head of Marketing, Corrie Freudenstein; Business Line Manager Scientific Vacuum, Brad Creamer; Business Line Manager Industrial Vacuum, Steven Shrawder; and Business Line Manager Vacuum Technique Service, Greg Greinke. Since joining the Atlas Copco family, Henrique Triboni has delivered double digit growth to several of the brands within the group. His leadership will help to continue to push Leybold USA Inc. to new heights. "I have a passion for continuous improvement that, combined with a natural pragmatic approach, helps me find better ways to manage the business," concludes Triboni. Contact: Corrie Freudenstein (401) 332-9857 [email protected] SOURCE Leybold Related Links https://www.leybold.com/us/en/ Questo comunicato e stato pubblicato piu di 1 anno fa. Le informazioni su questa pagina potrebbero non essere attendibili. A recent market study published by Future Market Insights on the Foley Catheters market includes global industry analysis for 2015-2019 & opportunity assessment for 2020-2030, and delivers a comprehensive assessment of the most important market dynamics and Covid-19 crisis impact analysis. After conducting a thorough research on the historical as well as current growth parameters of the market, the growth prospects of the market are obtained with maximum precision. Foley Catheters Market: Segmentation The Foley Catheters market is segmented in detail to cover every aspect of the market and present a complete market intelligence approach to the reader. Product Type 2-Way 3-Way 4-Way Material Latex Foley Catheter Hydrogel Coated Silicone Coated PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene) Coated Silicone Foley Catheter Hydrogel Coated Pure Silicone Coated Silver Coated Indication Urinary Incontinence Urethral Stricture Chronic Obstruction Neurogenic Bladder Enlarged Prostate Gland/BPH Prostate Cancer Others Region North America Latin America Europe South Asia East Asia Oceania MEA End User Hospitals Long Term Care Facilities Others For more insights into the Market, request a sample of this report@ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-7769 Report Chapters Chapter 01 Executive Summary The report initiates with the executive summary of the foley catheters market, which includes a summary of key findings and statistics of the market. It also includes supply-side and demand-side trends pertaining to the foley catheters market. Chapter 02 Market Overview Readers can find the definition and a detailed segmentation of the foley catheters market in this chapter, which will help them understand the basic information about the foley catheters market. Along with this, comprehensive information pertaining to foley catheters and their features are provided in this section. This section also highlights the inclusions and exclusions, which helps the reader understand the scope of the foley catheters market report. Chapter 03 Key Market Trends Foley catheters market report provides the key market trends that are expected to significantly impact market growth during the forecast period. Detailed industry trends are provided in this section. Chapter 04 Key Success Factor This section includes the key success factors and strategies being adopted by key market participants. Chapter 05 Global Foley catheters Demand (in Volume) Analysis 2015-2019 and Forecast, 2020-2030 This section explains the global market volume analysis and forecast for the foley catheters market during the forecast period. This chapter includes a detailed analysis of the historical foley catheters market, along with an opportunity analysis of the future. Readers can also find the absolute unit opportunity for the current year (2020), and an incremental unit opportunity for the forecast period (20202030). Chapter 06 Global Foley catheters Market - Pricing Analysis This section explains the global market pricing analysis for the foley catheters market for the base year 2019. This chapter includes a detailed pricing analysis across of the seven regions of foley catheters market. Readers can also find the price difference across all regions for the base year (2019). Chapter 07 Global Foley catheters Market Value Analysis 2015-2019 & Opportunity Assessment 2020-2030 This section explains the global market value analysis and forecast for the foley catheters market during the forecast period. This chapter includes a detailed analysis of the historical foley catheters market, along with an opportunity analysis of the future. Readers can also find the absolute $ opportunity for the current year (2020), and an incremental $ opportunity for the forecast period (20202030). Chapter 08 Market Background This chapter includes drivers and restraints of the foley catheters market. This section also includes macroeconomic factors and various opportunities of the foley catheters market. Chapter 09 COVID19 Crisis Analysis This chapter gives information about COVID-19 crisis impact analysis which comprises of current COVID-19 statistics and probable future impact, impact on GDP of individual key countries, segment wise impact, quarter-wise forecast and projected recovery quarter. Chapter 10 Global Foley catheters Market Analysis 2015-2019 & Opportunity Assessment 2020-2030, by Product Type Based on product type, foley catheters market is segmented into 2-Way, 3-Way, and 4-Way foley catheters. In this chapter, readers can find information about Y-o-Y growth and market attractiveness analysis based on product type. Chapter 11 Global Foley catheters Market Analysis 2015-2019 & Opportunity Assessment 2020-2030, by Material Based on material, foley catheters market is segmented into latex foley catheters, and silicone foley catheters. In this chapter, readers can understand the Y-o-Y growth and market attractiveness analysis based on material. Chapter 12 Global Foley catheters Market Analysis 2015-2019 & Opportunity Assessment 2020-2030, by Indication Based on indication, foley catheters market is segmented into urinary incontinence, urethral stricture, chronic obstruction, neurologic bladder, enlarged prostate gland/BPH, prostate cancer, and others. In this chapter, readers can understand the Y-o-Y growth and market attractiveness analysis based on indication. Chapter 13 Global Foley catheters Market Analysis 2015-2019 & Opportunity Assessment 2020-2030, by End User Based on end user, foley catheters market is segmented into hospitals, long term care facilities and others. In this chapter, readers can understand the Y-o-Y growth and market attractiveness analysis based on end user. Chapter 14 Global Foley catheters Market Analysis 2015-2019 & Opportunity Assessment 2020-2030, by Region This chapter explains how the foley catheters market will grow across various geographic regions such as North America, Latin America, Europe, South Asia, East Asia, Oceania, and Middle East & Africa (MEA). Chapter 15 North America Foley catheters Market Analysis 2015-2019 & Opportunity Assessment 2020-2030 This chapter includes a detailed analysis of growth of the North America foley catheters market, along with a country-wise assessment that includes the U.S. and Canada. Readers can also find the regional trends, and market growth based on the product type, material, indication, end user and countries in North America. Chapter 16 Latin America Foley catheters Market Analysis 2015-2019 & Opportunity Assessment 2020-2030 This chapter provides the growth scenario of the foley catheters market in Latin American countries such as Brazil, Mexico, Argentina and the Rest of Latin America. Along with this, assessment of the market across target segments has been provided. Chapter 17 Europe Foley catheters Market Analysis 2015-2019 & Opportunity Assessment 2020-2030 Important growth prospects of the foley catheters market based on its end user in several countries such as the U.K., France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Russia and the Rest of Europe are included in this chapter. Chapter 18 South Asia Foley catheters Market Analysis 2015-2019 & Opportunity Assessment 2020-2030 Important growth prospects of the foley catheters market based on its end user in several countries such as India, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia and the rest of South Asia are included in this chapter. Chapter 19 East Asia Foley catheters Market Analysis 2015-2019 & Opportunity Assessment 2020-2030 In this chapter, China, Japan and South Korea are the prominent countries in East Asia that are the prime subjects of assessment to obtain the growth prospects of the foley catheters market. Readers can find detailed information about the growth parameters of the foley catheters market during the forecast period of 2020-2030. Chapter 20 Oceania Foley catheters Market Analysis 2015-2019 & Opportunity Assessment 2020-2030 This section highlights the growth prospects of the foley catheters market for Australia and New Zealand, during the forecast period of 2020-2030. Chapter 21 Middle East & Africa (MEA) Foley catheters Market Analysis 2015-2019 & Opportunity Assessment 2020-2030 This chapter provides information about how the foley catheters market will grow in major countries in the MEA region such as GCC Countries, South Africa, and the Rest of MEA, during the forecast period of 2020-2030. Chapter 22 Key and Emerging Countries Foley catheters Market Analysis 2015-2019 and Forecast 2020-2030 This chapter highlights the growth prospects of the foley catheters market for 20+ key and emerging countries including country level market sizing and segmentation analysis for countries such as U.S., U.K., China, Brazil and others during the forecast period of 2020-2030. Chapter 23 Market Structure Analysis This chapter highlights the tier structure analysis, market concentration analysis and company share analysis along with sales footprint analysis of key player operating in foley catheters market. For Information On The Research Approach Used In The Report, Request Methodology@ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/askus/rep-gb-7769 Chapter 24 Competition Analysis In this chapter, readers can find a comprehensive list of all the prominent stakeholders in the foley catheters market, along with a detailed information about each company, which includes company overview, revenue shares, strategic overview, and recent company developments. Some of the market players featured are Teleflex Incorporated (U.S.), Cardinal Health (U.S.), C.R Bard (U.S.), B. Braun Melsungen AG (Europe), Coloplast A/S (Europe), Medtronic plc (Europe), Flume (Europe), ConvaTec Group (Europe), VOTG Medical (Europe), Strimed Group (India), Ribbel International Limited (India), Angiplast Private Limited (India), Mais India Medical Devices Private Limited (India), JK Medirise (India), Hitec solutions (China), and others. Chapter 25 Assumptions and Acronyms This chapter includes a list of acronyms and assumptions that provides a base to the information and statistics included in the foley catheters market report. Chapter 26 Research Methodology This chapter help readers understand the research methodology followed to obtain various conclusions as well as important qualitative and quantitative information about the foley catheters market. Sorry! This content is not available in your region KYODO NEWS - Sep 28, 2020 - 16:28 | All, World, Japan Japan's space agency said Monday it aims to engage from around the mid-2030s in lunar exploration using hydrogen generated by water extracted from the Moon's ice deposits as fuel. Using the water-derived fuel is expected to cut costs compared with transporting fuel from Earth. While liquid water does not exist on the Moon's surface, past research suggests there may be ice at a crater near the lunar south pole, which has never been exposed to sunlight. Japan plans to work with the United States in building the lunar orbit space station Gateway in the 2020s and construct by around 2035 a fuel factory at the lunar south pole. The fuel will be used in a reusable spacecraft able to carry four astronauts to and from the Gateway and a transport vehicle that can travel up to 1,000 kilometers on the Moon, according to the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency. Water-derived fuel is created by first splitting water into its components of oxygen and hydrogen using a solar cell. Energy is created by recombining them. The transport vehicle, which will allow astronauts to explore the lunar surface, is planned to carry two to four people. Since the Moon has weak gravity, it will move by hopping across the surface instead of with wheels. According to JAXA's estimates, 37 tons of water is necessary for a trip to and from the Gateway, while 21 tons is needed for each surface exploration trip. The agency believes it would be cheaper to use fuel created with the Moon's water than bringing water from Earth if five to seven manned exploration trips are made. Other countries, including India and the United States, are intent on analyzing the water resources on the Moon. China, which has already landed an unmanned spacecraft on the lunar surface, plans to send a probe later this year to the Moon to collect soil samples. Related coverage: Japan, U.S. vow to work closely on lunar exploration project Japan, U.S. sign document on cooperation for lunar exploration A gay woman who was unlawfully deported from the UK to Uganda where she had been gang-raped has won in a court case against the Home Office, in a ruling that could pave the way for thousands of similar challenges. The 27-year-old was brought back to the UK last year under High Court orders after it was ruled that the decision to reject her asylum claim was unlawful as it did not give her sufficient time to obtain evidence to support her case. The Home Office attempted to challenge the court decision for her to return to Britain, but the Court of Appeal dismissed the departments appeal on Monday, as well as ruling that the woman was unlawfully detained in the UK for a period of four months. The woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons and is referred to by the courts only as PN, initially arrived in the UK in 2011 and claimed asylum on the basis that she was a lesbian and would be at risk of persecution in Uganda. She was refused and removed in December 2013 on the grounds that the Home Office did not believe she was gay. Speaking from Uganda in July 2019, she told The Independent that she was gang-raped and had lived in perpetual fear since being sent back to the country, where she said she felt unable to report to the police out of fear that they would discover her identity, as she has previously been persecuted against due to her sexuality. She is one of thousands of asylum seekers whose immigration cases were decided under the Home Offices detained fast-track system, which was introduced in 2005 and came to an end in 2015 after the High Court ruled that it was structurally unfair. Her case was the first successful appeal allowing a claimant to return to the UK. In a Court of Appeal ruling on Monday, Lord Justice Dingemans found that PN had been unfairly disadvantaged by the fast-track rules as she was prevented from obtaining critical evidence relating to her sexuality claim from Uganda within the time frames. The judge also found that the woman had been unlawfully detained from the point at which her asylum appeal concluded until she was ultimately removed from the UK a period of four months. Lawyers and campaigners said the latest ruling marked a nail in the coffin for the fast-track system and could pave the way for thousands of similar challenges from people who were removed under it. The fast-track system, which aimed to make asylum decisions within two weeks and required that people were kept in detention during the process, had a 99 per cent rejection rate. Many on the fast track were from countries experiencing conflict or violence, such as Afghanistan and Sri Lanka. The court ruled in 2015 that the system did not allow enough time for lawyers to take instructions, prepare statements, translate documents and obtain evidence. Speaking to The Independent in July 2019, the Ugandan national talked about the trauma of getting pregnant and having a child, who is now four months old, as a result of the sexual assault she suffered after being deported to her home country. She now has a baby son. I was sleeping one night, the people came, they banged on the door, they stole everything and they raped me. I was on my own in the room, she said. I couldnt tell the police as I dont want them to know who I am I moved away from that place. I wanted the doctor to terminate the baby, as I didnt know if I would be able to manage it, but the doctor said that if I tried to do that I might lose my life. The only people I have in my life are my baby and the people who are helping me in the UK. Speaking after the Court of Appeal judgement on Monday, PN told The Independent: Im so happy. I got to a point where I didnt believe I could get justice against the Home Office. They have treated me like garbage all the things I went through in detention, all the things I went through when I was sent back and had to live in hiding for six years. The Home Office needs to start doing things in a legal way. I had already been through so much when I came here before, and they just put me through more torture. Now I can actually breath." Sulaiha Ali of Duncan Lewis Solicitors, who represented PN, told The Independent: We welcome the Court of Appeals judgment which yet again confirms the unfairness that the detained fast-track process had on asylum seekers in the UK. Thousands of individuals were subjected to unfair decisions and removal because of this process, and we hope that like PN, others are able to have their asylum appeals considered afresh so that they are considered fairly and in accordance with the law. Karen Doyle, national organiser of campaign group Movement for Justice, which has been supporting the woman, said: "This decision is the culmination of almost seven years of struggle for PN, for our fight to bring her back after her unlawful removal under fast-track. Home Office to carry out review of hostile environment following Windrush says Priti Patel "It has been a long and difficult struggle. The Home Office has done their best to obstruct, delay and prevent her return and defend their decision to remove her. But PN never gave up, MFJ never gave up and this decision is a testament to what can be achieved when you stand together and fight. This is another nail in the coffin for the unlawful detained fast-track procedures which subjected so many asylum seekers to unjust decisions and removals over years. We hope this decision gives inspiration and hope to others in PNs situation that it is possible to overturn these unjust fast-track decisions." Pierre Makhlouf, assistant director at Bail for Immigration Detainees, compared the the fast-track system to the Windrush scandal, saying: The suffering of people such as PN was as a result of a lack of thought about the consequences and unfairness of the decisions being made, simply because of a hostile attitude towards foreigners. A Home Office spokesperson said: We are disappointed with the outcome of this case which relates to a removal almost seven years ago. As the Court of Appeal has acknowledged, this removal only happened following a number of legal challenges by the individual, all of which failed at the time. We will consider the judgment carefully, including whether or not to further appeal. Over the weekend we had continued rioting and destruction in Louisville, Seattle, Portland, Boston, New York City, Washington, D.C., Raleigh, Kansas City and Baltimore. A female driver zoomed into a crowd of protesters in Orange County, Calif., critically injuring two, in what police believe seriously -- is attempted murder. A male in a pickup truck clobbered some others in Buffalo, N.Y. There were quieter protests in Worcester, Massachusetts; Greenville, South Carolina; Poughkeepsie, New York; Akron, Ohio; and Daytona Beach, Florida. In Bristol, Pennsylvania, several dozen people held a candlelight vigil on the banks of the Delaware River and 300 marched in Nashville. (In Chattanooga about 40 gathered to protest the Breonna Taylor findings, but soon it began raining and most hurriedly abandoned the cause.) Meanwhile, Amy Barrett was announced as President Trumps appointee to the Supreme Court and she was immediately rebuked for adopting two black children from Haiti. Democrat activist Ibram Kendi, for example, believes both Haiti adoptions were a planned effort by Barrett and her husband to shield themselves from accusations of racism. Have you ever evidenced a mind as sick? And then there are the people of Crosby, North Dakota, the northernmost town in the northernmost county (Divide Co.) in one of the northernmost states in The Lower 48. Crosby is six miles south of the Canadian border and 25 miles this side of Montana. That is northernmost, indeed. There is no way the 1,000 people who live in Crosby can get their arms around the idea that burning down buildings or looting rampages make any sense. Further the other 1,000 who comprise the rest of the entire population of Divide County can fathom the blatant calls of racism when it appears to those across the globe that the rioters, obviously criminals in their intent, are also the most despicable racists as well. No, the good people in Crosby are instead devoted to one another. Just over two weeks ago, a popular farmer by the name of Lane Unhjem was prepared to start the harvest of his approximately 1,000 acres of durum wheat and canola. So, youll know, North Dakota is the nations leading producer of red spring wheat, durum, barley, sunflowers, field peas, beans, lentils, and canola. North Dakota is actually semi-arid, the cold, wind-swept winters combining with wet and warm springs and summers to make its plains idea for Americas grain belt. But on Sept. 9, a Wednesday morning, as the 60-year-old Unhjem guided his massive combine to begin his harvest, he smelled smoke. Within mere seconds the cab on his combine was filled with thick smoke and his massive machine was totally ablaze. The billowing smoke signaled several neighbors, and the volunteer fire department, but the machine was clearly a total loss. And thats when Unhjem, extremely popular in the farming community, slumped to the ground with a severe heart attack. Friends rushed him to a local health facility where he flat-lined three times before being airlifted to a hospital at Minot. He remains hospitalized. Without his combine, Lanes harvest would go fallow but his neighbor, a family friend and fellow farmer Jenna Binde at age 28, had a different idea. We are small here, its a very tight knit community, and word travels fast. Everybody has their own harvest to do, but I made a couple of phone calls and started to get offers of equipment and the expertise to do it. Three days after Unhjem lost his combine and was still in intensive care in Minot, a heavy morning fog settled over his farm. Yet through that fog, a distant rumble of rolling heavy machinery got stronger and stronger. When the sun burned off, there were 11 fully fueled combines, six mammoth grain transports and at least 16 semi-trucks gathered around the Unhjem barns. Normally it would take over two weeks for Lane to get his crops in his grain elevators (silos) but this crowd of good neighbors, or angels if you so prefer, got it done in less than seven hours. Most came back the next day, after changing the heads on their combines from grain to soybeans and gathered Unhjems 350 acres of soybeans in no time at all. "Everybody knows the Unhjems, and they're good people and good in the community, and it's just kind of the farming way of life, too. You help your neighbor out when they need it, and don't expect anything in return," the modest Binde told reporters. As his neighbors stored the soy beans to dry, another bunch moved Lanes cows to better pasture land, and all the while the farmers wives and children, the local churches and unknown individuals from all across the Dakotas provided mounds of hot food, hundreds of water bottles that would be delivered to the workers, and an immense love for all men that regretfully only small towns can still deliver. There were guys there who had their own harvest to do, and they just quit and came to help, said Brian Sparks, a neighbor who was there with his machinery that day. In this part of the country, any time anybody needs a helping hand, everybody will stop what theyre doing at the drop of a hat and come help, he smiled. Thats just the way it is here. People from 30 miles away showed up with trucks. Newsman John Anderson marveled at 1,000 acres being harvested in less than seven hours. "The Unhjems have a beautiful crop that will be safe in the bins today, and more importantly, they have the comfort of knowing that they have a community of friends that are helping, praying, and doing whatever they can to help them get through this tough time," wrote Anderson in a post that went viral Saturday. So, why cant we take the bigness of America and sprinkle it with what kindness is infused on a tiny town in northernmost North Dakota? It cost nothing, and there are no flags or buildings burned, nor broken glass. * * * In the Bibles book of Matthew, in chapter 22, we read about a question that Jesus is asked and answered: Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law? Jesus replied: Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments. royexum@aol.com As the ongoing farmers' protests against the controversial Farmers' Bills turn violent, a tractor was burnt at Delhi's India Gate on Monday morning. The tractor was set on fire by a group of 15-20 Punjab Youth Congress workers while agitating against the farm legislations. This incident took place at 07:42 am and two fire tenders were sent to the spot. #WATCH: Punjab Youth Congress workers stage a protest against the farm laws near India Gate in Delhi. A tractor was also set ablaze. pic.twitter.com/iA5z6WLGXR ANI (@ANI) September 28, 2020 New Delhi DCP was quoted by news agency ANI as saying, "Around 15-20 persons gathered here (India Gate) and tried to set a tractor on fire. The fire has been doused off and a tractor was also removed. Those involved are being identified. Probe underway." President Ram Nath Kovind gave his approval to the three contentious farm bills amid nationwide protests by farmers. The three bills that have now become acts include- The Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020, The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020 and The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill 2020. President's assent came a day after the BJP's old time ally Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) severed its ties with the NDA over farm bills and termed the presidential approval as "dark day of the country". Punjab CM and Congress strongman, Captain Amarinder Singh termed the presidential nod to farm laws as "unfortunate and distressing" and added his government is exploring all options like probable amendments to the state laws for protecting farmers' interests. Meanwhile, a statewide bandh is being organised across Karnataka to protest against recent amendments to the APMC and land reforms act made by the Yediyurappa government. The full day bandh call is supported by several pro-Kannada and other factions apart from the Congress and JD(S), who opposed these amendments in the Vidhana Soudha. Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain As the United States surpassed 200,000 coronavirus deaths recently, many are asking one simple question: When will it end? Politicians and public health experts have touted herd immunity as one way to stop COVID-19 without a vaccine. The scientific concept explains that a virus will die out after a high percentage of a population is infected and survives the disease, developing immunity. Vaccines speed this process much more safely, but experts think we will be well into 2021 before most Americans can get immunized. Most epidemiologists believe that if 50% to 70% of the population becomes immune to the coronavirus either through vaccination or illness, the pandemic would end. That's because when most people are immune to a particular disease, the vulnerable are less likely to encounter a carrier of that illness. But could herd immunity be a realistic way to stop the spread of the virus before vaccines are available? We spoke with Henry Fraimow, an infectious-disease specialist at Cooper University Health Care in Camden, and Michael LeVasseur, a professor in epidemiology at Drexel Dornsife School of Public Health, to find out. Fraimow: Herd immunity is the concept that lots of people in a population cannot get infected with a particular infectious agent because they have either had that infection before and have antibodies or immunity that prevents them from being infected, or they've been vaccinated against that infection. For infections to occur in a community, you have to have people who are susceptible to getting sick. When a proportion of people who can't get sick anymore gets high, it's harder for transmission to occur. Fraimow: How we achieve it varies depending on what the infection is. For some infections, where virtually everyone gets infected, it's harder and harder for a virus to spread. For example, we know certain viruses carried by mosquitoes, like Zika, swept through countries and infected high numbers of population. Those people then became immune, and it became harder and harder for mosquitoes to find people to infect. The other way to achieve herd immunity is by vaccinating everybody. If you vaccinate a high percentage of the population, then there aren't enough people who are susceptible for the infection to spread. In some cases, herd immunity is achieved by a combination of both those things. LeVasseur: The fewer people you come into contact with, the less likely it is that you will be infected. And if there's a fewer number of people who are susceptible to the disease, the less likely it is that you'll run into someone who can infect you, even if you are not vaccinated. LeVasseur: In theory it can. It depends on the pathogen. With COVID-19, there are so many things we still don't know. One thing we've seen is that when people are infected, their antibody response only lasts for three to four months. That's on track with what we've seen with other coronaviruses. The second issue is that we have confirmed reports of people being reinfected with COVID-19. The idea of exposing 70% of the population at the same time to get herd immunity is such a failing of public health. The number of people who are going to die is staggering. It's like throwing the baby out with the bathwater, setting it on fire and running it over with a truck. Fraimow: A lot of these numbers come from what we call the reproductive number of a virus, which represents how many people an infected person spreads the virus to when nobody is immune. For COVID-19, that number varies from 2 1/2 to three. Those numbers are affected by how people are social distancing and other things. In order to achieve herd immunity, we have to have enough people immune so that if the average person walks into lots of people, so many of them are immune that the infected person is going to transmit the virus to less than one other person. That's how the number of people infected continues to decrease. LeVasseur: It's like when you've got a building that's on fire, and it's going to take a lot of water to put it out. So instead you say, 'Let's let it burn and burn down the next building and the next building.' You don't want to do that with an infectious disease. It's not ethical. It's not cost-saving. There's nothing about the approach that makes any sense. Fraimow: There are several reasons why that's not a great strategy. Even though the risk of serious disease in younger individuals is lower than in older individuals or the immunocompromised, there are still people in that group who get severely ill and die. We're not great at separating out people who aren't at risk from people who are at risk. For example, if a lot of disease is spreading among college students, most of whom who will be fine with the virus, we have to consider that they all have families and contacts. Some of those people will get infected, and they may then infect other people who are at risk. Another problem is that we don't fully understand what the duration of immunity is. All those things create some concerns about how this concept of herd immunity works. If we're going to rely on natural infection to bring about herd immunity, even in places where there's been high rates of infection, the percentage of population that has been infected and is immune is still well below the numbers that are needed to achieve herd immunity. In the process of exposing lots of people to infection, we still are going to do what we've already done, which is overwhelm health care systems with sick people. Explore further Follow the latest news on the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak 2020 The Philadelphia Inquirer Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Chennai, Sep 28 : The voting out of seven Directors, including a promoter does not mean there is a major split within the promoter group of Lakshmi Vilas Bank (LVB), said K.R.Pradeep one of the promoters. Pradeep also said he would not approach the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to annul the AGM decisions and request it to call a meeting of the shareholder to elect Directors as provided in the Banking Regulation Act. He was one of the seven Directors of the bank who was voted out by shareholders in the annual general meeting held on September 25, 2020. "There is no major split within the promoter group. The voting out of seven Directors will not have any impact on the bank operations as well as the proposed amalgamation deal with Clix Group as the bank has said in a media statement," Pradeep told IANS. However, the voting pattern, as per the regulatory filing, shows some interesting aspects. In case of the appointment of seven directors, 19 per cent of the votes polled belonging to the promoter/promoter group were against but the remaining 81 per cent in favour. As per regulatory filing, there are 25 shareholders under the category promoter and promoter group. The public institutions (99 per cent votes cast) and public non-institutional shareholders (62 per cent votes cast) voted against the resolutions for appointment of directors and statutory and branch auditors. In the case of appointment of Independent Directors (Shakti Sinha, Satish Kumar Kalra and Meeta Makhan), raising of additional capital, borrowing limits and for amendment of Memorandum of Association for increasing the authorised capital, the votes cast in favour were almost 100 per cent. "The period of three years, when I was not on the board, the bank suffered the maximum damage. Now, the bank's liquidity position is good and there is no need for depositors to worry about their monies with the bank," Pradeep said. "The most important aspect is that the depositor's money is safe. My association with the LVB is for the past 12/13 years. But the bank is 93-years old. Never in its history the bank has defaulted on its deposits," Pradeep added. The LVB on Sunday said its liquidity position as on 27th September 2020 was comfortable, with Liquidity Coverage Ratio (LCR) is about 262 per cent against minimum 100 per cent required by RBI. "Hence, Bank does not have any Asset-Liability mismatch and is successfully fulfilling its commitments to deposit-holders, bond-holders, account-holders and creditors," LVB added. With the shareholders voting out seven Directors including himself a question mark hangs on the fate of the proposed amalgamation deal with Clix Group. The amalgamation has to be ultimately approved by the shareholders. Reacting to that Pradeep said: "The Clix deal is progressing well. We will cooperate for its finalisation. I don't see a challenge for the Clix proposal. The members of the present board had given their nod for Clix proposal earlier. The RBI (Reserve Bank of India) may take extra effort to see the deal concluded expeditiously. The shareholders may not vote against the Clix deal as they did in the appointment of Directors." In its statement LVD said: "The Bank will continue the process of considering and evaluating the proposed amalgamation of M/s. Clix Capital Services Private Limited ("Clix Capital"), M/s. Clix Finance India Private Limited ("Clix Finance"), and M/s. Clix Housing Finance Private Limited ("Clix Housing"), (collectively, the "Clix Group") with the Bank, and as was previously informed on 15th September 2020, the mutual due diligence is substantially complete." For the year ended 31.3.2020 LVB had posted a net loss of about Rs.836 crore. The bank has been incurring losses for the past 10 quarters and the RBI has initiated Prompt and Corrective Action in September 2019 and a steady downward trend in its deposit base. When asked why the shareholders should reelect the same set of Directors given the bank's performance, an unfazed Pradeep said: "95 per cent of the bank's loss is due to provisions." "The bank is in talks with four large asset reconstruction companies. The bank can sell its NPA of about Rs 5,000 crore for about Rs 2,000 crore," Pradeep said. According to Pradeep, LVB has about 560 branches and the overheads alone were about Rs.800 crore per annum. The market capitalisation is just Rs 600 crore. The valuation is ridiculous unlike the new private sector banks. "As per our analysis, if there is a capital infusion about Rs 1,200 crore, then the operating profit in three years will be about Rs 100 crore," Pradeep added. Pradeep rued that LVB always got a bad press by being called as a weak bank even when it has been honouring its commitments to its depositors for the past 93 years. "There has been no bailout for the bank like that of many other new generation banks," Pradeep remarked. A man has been taken into custody in Bargarh, Odisha for allegedly making and intending to selling fake COVID-19 vaccines, said police as per a PTI report. Prahallad Bisi is 32 and a class 7 dropout. A case has been registered after Drug Control Administration officials along with the cops raided his homer Rushuda under the Bheden Police station area. Twelve bottles of fake injections, labels and syringes were seized. iStock (Representational) Sashmita Dehury, Drug Inspector of Bargarh , said she got a tip that Bisi was claiming to have made a COVID-19 vaccine and had planned to sell it in the market. "We have seized injection vials with a label reading 'COVID-19 vaccine' from the possession of the accused," she said. "If required we will send those glass vials for testing after taking permission from the court," she added. iStock (Representational) "When we asked him how he made the vaccine and what the ingredients were, he told us that it was top-secret and he would not reveal it," said S Mallick, Drug Inspector of Sambalpur. "We also found in his house some fake injections for the treatment of infertility. Labels reading Ovu Stop was there on those fake injections," he added. Bisi claimed his "COVID-19 vaccine" was "100 per cent successful". The recent news regarding the inquiries into possible overtime fraud and mismanagement in the Albuquerque Police Department raises many concerns about a lack of accountability within the administration. The overtime paid out to APDs former public information officer, Simon Drobik, is largely at the core of the inquiries. Drobik by happenstance decided to retire in the middle of a related internal affairs investigation. It is beneficial that the state auditors (and state attorney generals offices are) looking into these issues, as the city has a poor track record in this area. About two years ago, the citys Civilian Police Oversight Agency recommended Drobik be terminated after substantiation that Drobik was paid both for time in which he claimed to be working as a spokesperson and for time which was attributable to other duties meaning hours were being improperly double counted, whether intentionally or with reckless disregard. Even if (just-retired) APD Chief (Michael) Geier did not agree with the oversight agencys recommendation, why wasnt Drobik demoted or reassigned? For example, he should have been removed from public information officer work, with directives to his supervisor to monitor any claimed overtime. It does not appear that Drobik held any special skills as a PIO that could not be fulfilled by another, so it is somewhat mystifying why he escaped without any apparent discipline two years ago. One wonders what that did for the morale of the typical rank-and-file officer. That this pattern has repeated itself in less than two years is unacceptable. And while the police union should reasonably advocate for its members, the union should not stand for such behavior. The city administration should not be so cavalier with public funds (or) allow wrongdoers to simply retire and walk away without repercussions. I live outside the city, and my employment prevents me from handling private lawsuits, so I have no interest in the matter. I was a reserve APD officer years ago, although I have not met Drobik. But the apparent abuse and possible fraud occurring should concern any reasonable person who expects integrity, competence and diligence in public leadership and accountability for public funds. Accordingly, I write to express a larger point. The city has an obligation to its relevant taxpayers to make good-faith efforts to recover funds when it is reasonably clear there has been fraud or similar conduct. Specifically, regardless of whether any criminal case is brought against Drobik, the city should seriously consider filing a civil lawsuit against him to recover any improperly obtained funds. Employees have a duty of loyalty to their employer, under commonly accepted legal principles, and that duty can be viewed as the reciprocal flipside to the duties that employers owe to employees. Public-sector employees should arguably be held to a higher standard of trust. A lack of proper internal controls at APD does not excuse fraudulent behavior. An employer availing itself of civil remedies against former employees who have committed fraud or engaged in other unlawful conduct is not utilizing a novel legal remedy, even if public officials rarely have the backbone to pursue such remedies. For example, in a different context, the New Mexico Tort Claims Act allows a public body to seek defense costs and the amount of a settlement or judgment attributable to a lawsuit filed by a tort victim, from a former employee who acted fraudulently or with intentional malice in committing the tort. Similarly, there is a good-faith basis for the city to seek recovery of fraudulently obtained overtime. Any supervisors should be held accountable for possible culpability. Even if they are retired, retirement does not insulate one from accountability for wrongs committed against ones former employer. The city administration should direct the city attorney to file a civil case if the inquiry shows there is a reasonable basis. Independently, if the city attorney cares about public integrity and his client not being fleeced, he should recommend that such a course be considered. Finally, the city should not await the outcome of any particular criminal case, nor a criminal case to be filed. Criminal cases are not primarily aimed at the recovery of restitution. A civil case, with a lesser standard of proof, is warranted for rogue-type employees if fraud, dishonesty or abuse is reasonably capable of proof. Such a case would not only deter others, it would also implement the citys fiduciary-type duty for public funds. Global oil demand has another decade to grow until peaking in 2030, Mubadala Investment Company, one of the largest state wealth funds of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), believes. The coronavirus-inflicted disruption in global oil demand this year will continue into next year, Musabbeh Al Kaabi, chief executive of Petroleum and Resources at the UAEs Mubadala Investment Company, said in an interview as part of the ADIPEC Energy Dialogue series on Monday. However, the investment firm of OPECs third-largest producer currently sees another decade in which oil demand will continue to grow, after recovering from the pandemic. Predicting the oil market is very challenging. COVID-19 has created major disruption to demand and we expect to see the continuation of that disruption in 2021. But if you project the horizon to 2030, we will go back to an acceptable level of growth, potentially peaking in 2030, Al Kaabi said. Global oil demand has recovered from the lows in the second quarter to levels last seen in the 1990s, but it will continue to rise in the next 12 months, according to the manager. While Big Oil faces major challenges with calls to contribute to the fight against climate change and pressure from investors over Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) investing, national oil companies such as those in the Middle East will have room to invest in the upstream sector, according to Al Kaabi. Mubadalas view of global oil demand radically differs from BPs new assumptions in its BP Energy Outlook 2020, which says that global oil demand may have already peaked last year as oil consumption may never recover to the pre-pandemic levels. U.S. oil and gas firm ConocoPhillips, however, believes that global oil demand will not only return to the pre-crisis levels of 100 million barrels per day, but it will also grow from there. By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: PARISZioxx Condoms has announced that it will now be selling its products on the French market. Zioxx Condoms are being marketed as "the latest innovation in sexual health products, providing added pleasure and comfort with advanced manufacturing technologies" that "reinvent the condom." Zioxx Condoms are made with premium, natural rubber latex, which enhances stability, and Hyaluronic acid, a natural biological found in the skin which aids in hydration. Zioxx Condoms feature innovative, environmentally friendly packaging, and an original, fun design. Zioxx Condoms are now available in packs of 50 and 12, but other package quantities are available by special order. Our customers love the variety of innovative Zioxx Condoms products already on the market, reported Alice Langlois, Zioxx's chief of operation for the French market. But we never stop listening to our customers and asking how we can use the latest manufacturing technologies to enhance sexual pleasure even more. During the first marketing campaign, French customers were able to benefit from our products for free, which they really appreciated. We are the direct producers; with 300 000 items produced by day, we offer an exceptional price and quality ratio. One more reason for all resellers over the world to work with us. Don't forget, Zioxx isn't just condoms. We also have products like the Zioxx Lube gel and a diversity of sexual toys." For more information, visit Zioxx.com. To request a sample or for additional information, contact Alice Langlois, Chief of Operation for French Market, ZioxxCondoms FR. India's death toll from the Covid-19 is set to cross the 1,00,000 mark later this week if the daily mortality trend through September persists despite a 50% fall in the case fatality rate over the past three months. As the death count was more than 1,000 in each of the last 28 days in September, it is likely that the national toll would cross 1,00,000 by Thursday or Friday if a similar trend continues given that the toll currently is 96,000 plus. But going by the Union Health Ministry that updated its figures only once in a day in the morning, the toll is 95,542 out of which 1,039 were killed in the last 24 hours. As many as 84% of the new deaths are reported from 10 states and union territories, with Maharashtra leading the chart with 380 deaths, followed by Tamil Nadu and Karnataka with 80 and 79 deaths respectively. Nearly 36% of these deaths are from Maharashtra that remained the epicentre of the Covid-19 epidemic in the last few months. Even though India's case fatality ratio has come down from 3.2% on June 20 to 1.57% on Monday a fall of nearly 50% - the numbers are still sobering on the absolute terms as the respiratory infection spreads far and wide in the country. India is the second-worst hit nation in terms of Covid-19 cases after the US, while it is in the third spot in terms of fatalities globally after the US and Brazil. The Union Health Ministry officials, however, insist that India has one of the world's lowest case fatality ratio. Indias continuously rising recovery rate and progressively falling case fatality rate have proven the success of the Covid-19 containment strategy followed by all States and UTs," Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said on Monday at an ICMR event. Public health experts, however, questioned the utility of the existing testing and containment strategy as the epidemic spreads. Early on when numbers were very few, (indiscriminate) testing helped in isolation and quarantine of infected persons. But later on, when infection is widespread, such testing has no effect on the epidemic curve, T Jacod John, eminent virologist and a retired professor of Christian Medical College, Vellore told DH. Aaron Kivisto, associate professor of clinical psychology at the University of Indianapolis Our results show that the relative risk of suicide for adolescents conferred by firearms is approximately twice that observed among adults." - Aaron Kivisto, associate professor of clinical psychology at the University of Indianapolis University of Indianapolis study finds increased risk of adolescent suicide associated with household firearm ownership Study confirms safe storage provisions are associated with decreased adolescent firearm suicide INDIANAPOLISNew research from the University of Indianapolis shows that state-level gun ownership is strongly linked to rates of suicide among high school-aged adolescents, and gun ownership is linked more strongly to adolescent suicide than adult suicide. The research also determined that child access prevention laws, particularly those that require that gun locks to be included with all handgun sales, were associated with decreased rates of firearm suicide. The study, Adolescent Suicide, Household Firearm Ownership, and the Effects of Child Access Prevention Laws, was published in the Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry. Aaron Kivisto, associate professor of clinical psychology, was the lead author of the study. Co-authors include Katherine Kivisto, associate professor of clinical child psychology, Erica Gurnell 22 (PsyD), Peter Phalen 18 (PsyD) and Bradley Ray. The study examined 37,652 suicides among high school-aged adolescents between the ages of 14 and 18 years old between 1991 and 2017, and found that slightly more than half of these involved firearms. Researchers found that for each 10-percent-point increase in state gun ownership, rates of high school-age adolescent firearm suicide increased by 39 percent compared to 18 percent among adults. This association between firearm ownership and suicide was approximately two times stronger among adolescents relative to adults, a significant difference. The research also determined that child access prevention laws requiring safe-storage practices, and particularly laws requiring that gun locks be included with all handgun sales, were associated with decreased rates of firearm suicide. While these laws were associated with decreased firearm suicide across the lifespan, they were associated with significantly larger reductions in suicide among high school-aged adolescents compared to adults. This suggests that laws promoting safe-storage practices are uniquely suited to preventing youth suicide. Our results show that the relative risk of suicide for adolescents conferred by firearms is approximately twice that observed among adults. Although these findings highlight the risks of household firearm ownership for youth living in the home, we find promise in the observation that child access prevention laws mandating handgun locks and safe storage appear to reduce this risk considerably. These data suggest that the expansion of requirements that firearm locks be provided with all handgun sales, not only those through federally licensed firearm dealers, might reduce the impact of youth firearm suicide, Aaron Kivisto said. The results expand on Kivistos previous findings related to Indianas red flag law, which found that risk-based firearm seizure laws provided one promising legislative strategy for reducing firearm suicide. In examining laws that would theoretically target suicide risk particularly among children and adolescents, these findings suggest that separate, targeted legislative solutions might be necessary for decreasing suicide risk among children, youth and adults, Kivisto said. About the University of Indianapolis The University of Indianapolis, founded in 1902, is a private university located just a few minutes from downtown Indianapolis. The University is ranked among the top National Universities by U.S. News and World Report, with a diverse enrollment of nearly 5,600 undergraduate, graduate and continuing education students. The University offers a wide variety of study areas, including 100+ undergraduate degrees, more than 40 masters degree programs and five doctoral programs. More occupational therapists, physical therapists and clinical psychologists graduate from the University each year than any other state institution. With strong programs in engineering, business, and education, the University of Indianapolis impacts its community by living its motto, Education for Service. Learn more: uindy.edu. BAKU, Azerbaijan, Sept.28 By Leman Zeynalova Trend: Armenias attack on Azerbaijan is a provocation ignoring law, Rosen Plevneliev, former President of Bulgaria, Board of Trustees Member of the Nizami Ganjavi International Center, told Trend. "I express my deep concern about the resumption of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. I condemn the Armenians attack on Azerbaijan which is a provocation ignoring law. I urge all involved parties to immediately return to the peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict in accordance with international law and UN Security Council resolutions based on the principles of sovereignty, territorial integrity and inviolability of state borders, he said. Armenian armed forces launched a large-scale military attack on positions of Azerbaijani army on the frontline, using large-caliber weapons, mortars and artillery on Sept. 27. Azerbaijan responded with a counter-offensive along the entire front. As a result of the retaliation, Azerbaijani troops managed to liberate the territories previously occupied by Armenia: Garakhanbeyli, Garvend, Kend Horadiz, Yukhari Abdulrahmanli villages (Fuzuli district), Boyuk Marjanli, and Nuzgar villages (Jabrayil district). Moreover, the positions of the Armenian armed forces were destroyed in the direction of Azerbaijan's Agdere district and Murovdag, important heights were taken under control. Back in July 2020, Armenian Armed Forces violated the ceasefire in the direction of Azerbaijan's Tovuz district. As result of Azerbaijan's retaliation, the opposing forces were silenced. The fighting continued the following days as well. Azerbaijan lost a number of military personnel members, who died fighting off the attacks of the Armenian armed forces. The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on the withdrawal of its armed forces from Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @Lyaman_Zeyn " " China banned export of monk fruit in 2004, so you'll rarely see the fresh fruit. But the sweetener extract is extremely popular. Eskymaks/Shutterstock From the outside, monk fruit looks like a small brown melon no bigger than an apple. But inside, one of the world's best natural sweeteners awaits. This fruit, indigenous to southern China and northern Thailand, produces a natural sweetener with zero calories, zero sodium and zero fat that's up to 500 times sweeter than sugar. Monk fruit has also long been used to treat illness across China. Then in 1995, it made its way to the big leagues when Procter and Gamble patented a technique to produce sweetener from the crop. But the road from local sweetener and medicine to international phenomenon hasn't been easy for monk fruit, known as luo han guo in Mandarin Chinese. China, the main monk-fruit exporter, banned the removal of the fruit's seeds and genetic material in 2004, according to market-intelligence firm Beroe. This restriction gives the country a competitive edge, and also means those outside China may never try fresh monk fruit but monk fruit extract is a different story. And extract is also its most popular form. Monk fruit extract is commercially available everywhere from big box stores like Walmart to major online retailers like Amazon, and it's included in hundreds of products, including Chobani yogurt and Starbucks Double Shot Coffee. So how did monk fruit, a member of the gourd family, become a star among sweeteners? Its story starts in the mountains of southern China. Advertisement A Brief History of Monk Fruit Buddhist monks in southern China's Guilin area were the first to discover luo han guo in the 13th century. This landscape, with its dense, steep mountains, ideal sunlight, and 60 to 80 percent humidity, is optimal growing grounds for monk fruit. The monks believed these gourds would guarantee long life, and the Chinese still rely on the monk fruit's health benefits to this day. "Monk fruit is used at home for medicinal purposes," Ruixi Hu, founder of Lost Plate Food Tours, says via email. Hu grew up in Chengdu, China, and runs food tours across the country and beyond. "It is good for coughs, dry mouths, ulcers and constipation. In China, all of those symptoms are 'hot' in Chinese medicine, so monk-fruit tea 'cools' you down." While it may be used as a sweetener, monk fruit isn't simply a sugar swap. "It has a very unique taste," Hu says. "It's a little bit sweet. It has a very earthy taste." This subtly sweet taste pairs with health promises like zero calories, zero carbohydrates, zero sugar, low-glycemic properties, and the ability to reduce oxidative stress (an imbalance in the body of free radicals and antioxidants, according to Medical News Today.) The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) also has monk fruit on the "generally regarded as safe" list, which means there appear to be no harmful side effects although more research is needed to understand the full health impacts, according to Healthline. Health perks are among the many factors that make monk fruit so appealing, and that's why companies now incorporate monk fruit left and right, be it natural product sweeteners or commercially available extracts such as granules, powders and liquids. " " Starbucks began offering Whole Earth Sweetener Companys sweetener packets with Stevia and monk fruit at 9,000 of its locations in late 2016. Starbucks Advertisement How to Use Monk Fruit Given China's 2004 regulations, most people outside of the country won't see monk fruit in anything but extract form. But Hu says people in China don't eat the fresh fruit either. "We never eat it, we only drink it," Hu says. "I've heard that some places in the south stew with it, but that's not very common." Even in China, monk fruit is typically sold dried; it shares shelf space with raisins. But Hu says tea is one of few ways to use the fresh fruit; this is the same remedy they use for ailments like coughs. "You crack it open with your hands and put it into hot water and drink it," she says. "You can put the entire broken-up fruit into the hot water." Monk fruit can also work as a sugar substitute for everything from salad dressings to sweet chocolate brownies. It's heat stable, although its unusual taste means you should plan to experiment before perfecting a monk-fruit-sweetened recipe. NOW THAT'S INTERESTING To create monk-fruit extract, manufacturers crush the fruit to separate the juice from pulp, then process the juice into substances called mogrosides. One study in animals indicated these mogrosides may help control blood sugar levels, and another indicated they may prevent complications with diabetes, according to Medical News Today. Bianca Ojukwu, Former Nigeria Ambassador to the Kingdom Of Spain and Nigerias Permanent Representative to the United Nations World Tourism Organization has expressed her excitement at attending an African jazz fiesta on World Tourism Day. In a Facebook post which she captioned come dancing, she wrote; All set to leave for the Nubian folk music fiesta at the African Jazz Theatre. The boiler room is going to be piping hot !!! Its a beautiful day, one of those days you are reassured that Happiness is not just a destination but a state of mindAnd its your choice to make. Follow Us on Facebook @LadunLiadi; Instagram @LadunLiadi; Twitter @LadunLiadi; Youtube @LadunLiadiTV for updates Email Whatsapp Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment The Christmas House will premiere on the Hallmark Channel on Sunday, November 22. It features a storyline in which a gay couple tries to adopt their first child. A spokesman said of the channel, Our movies are rooted in warmth and positivity, meaningful connections, family gatherings, and seasonal traditionsa winning formula we hope will bring our millions of viewers much-needed levity and holiday cheer at the end of a tough year. The Hallmark Channel, like other media outlets, is in business to make a profit. Its executives clearly believe that a movie featuring a gay couple will be popular and thus profitable. In other words, their announcement says more about us than it says about them. The strongest, bravest person I have known Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg lay in state Friday in the US Capitols Statuary Hall. She was the first woman to do so, and the first Jew as well. As a female and a Jew, she faced enormous obstacles growing up. A sign of the times: her mother graduated from high school when she was only fifteen; instead of furthering her education, she was forced to get a job as a garment worker to pay for her brothers education at Cornell University. Ruths mother was diagnosed with cancer when Ruth was thirteen and died four years later. Ruth had been selected to speak at her high school graduation but stayed home with her father to grieve her mothers death. In Senate testimony at her Supreme Court confirmation hearings, Ginsburg called her mother the bravest, strongest person I have known. She added: I pray that I may be all that she would have been, had she lived in an age when women could aspire and achieve, and daughters are cherished as much as sons. Attacks on Amy Coney Barrett have begun In a radio interview this week over my new book on civility, I was asked this honest question: Why should Christians try to engage a culture that so clearly rejects us and our values? A case in point is the furor already circling President Trumps possible nomination tomorrow of Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court. One accusation is that she was a member of a religious group that inspired the dystopian novel The Handmaids Tale. (This claim has been debunked repeatedly but persists online.) Other attacks are forming around her Catholic beliefs regarding moral issues, as occurred during her confirmation hearings for the US Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit in 2017. Whether you are a Democrat, Republican, or independent, and whether you are a Catholic or a Protestant, you should be concerned about antagonism toward a candidates personal faith. Such attacks clearly violate the Constitutions guarantee that no religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States (Article VI, Clause 3). And they illustrate the fact that Christian faith commitments are increasingly countercultural. Assuming Judge Barrett is the nominee, it will be important to watch the degree to which her personal faith becomes a focus of attack in the coming weeks. If it does, we should compare the way her faith is treated with the medias approach to Joe Bidens Catholic faith. How to survive tragedy and trauma Given the animosity of these days, the interviewers question is relevant: Why try to engage with such an antagonistic culture? Id like to offer two biblical answers. One: We are called by God to take his word to the world, regardless of how the world responds. You know the Great Commission to make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:19). Jesus did not limit our commission to nations that welcome our witness. Rather, our mission is as relevant in China as it is in Canada. We are as called to North Korea as we are to South Korea. God measures success not by outcomes but by obedience. Two: Responding to adversity with hope is best for the world, but also for us. You and I are Gods salt of the earth and light of the world (Matthew 5:1316). However, what our Lord does through us he also does in us. Being proactively gracious positions us to experience grace even as we share grace. In Jonathan Sacks magisterial Morality: Restoring the Common Good in Divided Times, he describes conversations with a number of Holocaust survivors. He notes: They were among the strongest, most life-affirming people I have ever met. For years I wondered how they were able to survive at all, having seen what they saw and known what they knew. They had lived through the deepest darkness ever to have descended on a civilization. Eventually I realized how they had done it. Almost without exception, when the war was over, they focused with single-minded intensity on the future. Strangers in a strange land, they built homes and careers, married and had children, and brought new life into the world. Consequently, here is his advice: To survive tragedy and trauma, first build the future. Only then, remember the past. From gathering for a prayer march and a prayer event in Washington, DC, to making a highly anticipated movie about the resurrection of Jesus, to responding to wildfires with resources and intercession, Christians are taking hope to a desperate world. How will you join them today? Originally posted at denisonforum.org The father of Ka'Mauri Harrison, the Harvey fourth-grader suspended last week after a teacher saw him move a BB gun out of the way during a virtual lesson, said the national response to the case has been "overwhelming," with offers of support from regular people and even the National Rifle Association. In the days since news of Harrison's six-day suspension broke, the 9-year-old and his family have been swamped with messages via email and social media, some pledging legal or financial help. "It's been overwhelming," Nyron Harrison said. Messages have been flooding in through Facebook and email, he said. "We've been getting a lot of invites to gun ranges and different gun clubs." Messages have come in from "West Virginia, Colorado, a lot of places," he said. The furor surrounding Ka'Mauri and his family began Wednesday night, when word of his suspension got out. Even though a school hearing officer declined to follow the recommendation of school administrators and expel him, interest in the case grew both locally and then nationally. Dillard University President Walter Kimbrough wrote a letter urging Jefferson Parish Schools Superintendent James Gray to rescind the suspension and apologize to the family. Friday, Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry announced he planned to investigate whether Ka'Mauri's constitutional rights had been violated. Landry's announcement on Twitter drew an approving nod from the NRA. "This is hysterical and irrational behavior by the school," the NRA's tweet read, adding that the organization supported, "this young student, and his family." By Friday, the family's attorney, Chelsea Cusimano, had fielded requests from most national news networks, including ABC, CBS and CNN, as well as newspapers including the Washington Post and USA Today. But other messages poured in, including tales of similar incidents in other states. A family in Louisville emailed to say that a gun was seen during their son's virtual lesson and he was not suspended. A man from New Jersey wanted to speak with the Harrisons because his son had been suspending for holding a Nerf gun while doing online class. Cusimano said one person requested her legal aid in a similar matter. Top stories in New Orleans in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up "It's something that's not comprehensible," she said of the response. The Harrison family has five children, and their lives have changed "immensely," she said. The family has started a GoFundme to help raise money to get Ka'Mauri and their other four children out of the Jefferson Parish Public School System which, they allege, has treated them unfairly. Ka'Mauri understands a little bit of what is going on, his father said. "I try to keep it on the positive note and give him the feeling that he's done nothing wrong," he said. "A lot of people want to help him." Ka'Mauri was originally recommended for expulsion after the Sept. 11 incident, in which he moved a BB gun out of the way of his younger brother, who was playing in the brothers' shared bedroom while Ka'Mauri was taking an online test. To the teacher, it appeared that Ka'Mauri handled a "full size rifle" and she was unable to get his attention, according to school reports on the matter. Moments later, Ka'Mauri was disconnected from the online classroom. His parents were later informed that he had been suspended and could be expelled. On Sept. 21, a hearing officer declined to expel Ka'Mauri but did give him a six-day suspension. His family and Cusimano have called the punishment a violation of their privacy and due process rights. A school system spokesperson said Sunday that the system had no comment and there had been no change made to Ka'Mauri's discipline. WYOMING, MI An intimate wedding ceremony was held outside a Grand Rapids-area dialysis center over the weekend so the brides father, who is in hospice care, could give her away. Connie Gee and Matt Tsuchiya, of Portland, Ore., traveled to Michigan to tie the knot after a two-month engagement, The Associated Press reports. Wearing masks and protective gowns, they said their vows on Saturday, Sept. 26, outside Fresenius clinic in Wyoming after Gees father, Ernest Gee, finished a dialysis treatment and before he returned to hospice. Visits with Ernest Gee have been restricted due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Tsuchiya asked permission to marry his daughter through a nursing home window. Ernest Gee asked who would give his daughter away, AP reports. I knew we had to figure out how to have him be able to give me away, Connie Gee said. She described Saturdays ceremony as very emotional, AP reports. We were able to make this happen, and I wouldnt have it any other way, Tsuchiya said. READ MORE: How Michigan couples are getting married - or not - during the coronavirus pandemic CDC recommends downsized Thanksgiving celebrations amid COVID-19 pandemic Monday, Sept. 28, coronavirus data by Michigan county: 18 counties now red or orange, including Kent, Kalamazoo Monday, Sept. 28: Latest developments on coronavirus in Michigan New Delhi/Islamabad, Sep 28 : Widespread anger is simmering among civilians in Pakistan against the top military leadership ever since former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif took on the Bajwa-Khan partnership. In a significant multi-party virtual conference held in Islamabad last Sunday, PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif speaking from London, hit out at the Pakistan Army, accusing it of installing Imran Khan's incompetent government, wrecking Pakistan's economy and foreign relations, censoring media and indulging in massive corruption. He said it is very important that Pakistan's armed forces stay away from the governmental system according to the country's Constitution and the founder Mohammad Ali Jinnah's vision, and not interfere with the people's choice. "We have made this country a joke in our own eyes and internationally as well," Sharif said. The former prime minister, who was deposed in 2017 and jailed in a corruption case in Pakistan, has been in the UK for medical treatment since November last year. The conference was attended by Pakistan's main opposition parties including Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (Fazl) headed by Maulana Fazlur Rehman. A religious hardliner, Rehman held the opposition parties responsible for allowing the Khan government to survive and urged them to "take concrete decisions". Sharif agreed with Maulana Fazlur Rehman, describing the Army as being a "state above the state", a "parallel government", an "illness", and "the root-cause of our problems". His speech immediately stirred a nation-wide debate on the Army, which remains as powerful in the supposedly democratic Pakistan, as it was when it ruled the country. "The common man in Pakistan is today aware that Prime Minister Imran Khan is nothing but a civilian representative of the Pakistan Army, which actually runs the country. It is called hybrid martial law over here," Shahid, an Islamabad resident, told IANS on phone. Nawaz Sharif's supporters in Punjab province point out that he has been the most significant prime minister who democratised the country. During his second term as Prime Minister (1997-99), he attempted to undo the semi-presidential system in favour of a more parliamentary system through constitutional amendments. However, weeks later, parliament was suspended by a military coup and the semi-presidential system in the country imposed again under a legal order. In 2006, setting aside their differences, Nawaz Sharif and Benazir Bhutto signed a 'Charter of Democracy', bringing the two main political parties of Pakistan - Pakistan People's Party (PPP) and the Pakistan Muslim League - Nawaz (PML-N) - together on a common agenda. But, the campaign for democracy was scuttled with Benazir Bhutto's assassination, for which the military ruler at the time, Pervez Musharraf has been held responsible. No Prime Minister has completed his or her term in Pakistan. It is almost a norm for Pakistan that ousted Prime Ministers or ministers will be charged or tried or penalised or sent into exile. In his third term as the Prime Minister (2013-17), Sharif and the military remained at loggerheads with the latter outraged over his peace overtures to India. The Army was so furious that they ran a campaign to paint him as an Indian agent, working against the interests of Pakistan. Sources said that the current Army chief Major General Qamar Javed Bajwa and the ISI chief Lieutenant General Faiz Hameed, were so troubled by Sharif's latest comeback into Pakistan's politics while in exile, that they leaked it to media that the key opposition party leaders had secretly met Bajwa and Faiz, before the all parties' conference. The objective was to imply that except for Nawaz Sharif, all the opposition parties in Pakistan are allies of the military. Even as the Army denied its role in democratic politics of the country, but people in Pakistan can't help notice that "the Bajwa-Khan government" is failing, many Pakistani columnists have noted. Critics of the government believe that Imran Khan was chosen by the Army to head the government to avoid international pressure against the military rule and avoid domestic pressure over military's failures on social, economic and foreign policy including cross-border terror. "Pakistan is almost bankrupt, our diaspora has refused to help in a big way and by allying with China, we have lost our strategic partnership with the US. And by allying with Turkey and Iran, our relations with Saudi Arabia has been ruined too," Aziz, an activist in Islamabad said. Pakistan's defence expert Ayesha Siddiqa recently wrote that Bajwa-Hameed duo "seem to have pushed the Army in the direction of an increasingly uncomfortable relationship with the society." The Pakistan military, she wrote, "is gradually moving in a direction from where its oppression has become more visible. From gagging of the media and manipulation of the judiciary to disappearance of people - increasing fear in the name of fighting a 5th generation warfare is likely to increase the military's vulnerability." Nairobi Kaspersky security solutions have reported on 28 million malware attacks in 2020 and 102 million detections of potentially unwanted programs that they had accounted for by the beginning of August. These numbers show that it's not only the malware that attacks users but also the "grey zone" programs that grow in popularity and disturb their experiences, while users might not even know it is there. Potentially unwanted applications (PUAs) are programs that are usually not considered to be malicious by themselves. However, they are generally influencing user experience in a negative way. For instance, adware fills user device with ads; aggressive monetising software propagates unrequested paid offers; downloaders may download even more various applications on the device, sometimes malicious ones. While calculating interim results of threat landscape activity in African countries, the researchers noticed that PUAs attack users almost four times more often than traditional malware. They also eventually reach more users: for instance, while in South Africa, the malware would attack 415,000 users in 7-months of 2020, the figure for PUA would be 736,000. "The reason why 'grey zone' software is growing in popularity is that it is harder to notice at first and that if the program is detected, its creators won't be considered to be cybercriminals. The problem with them is that users are not always aware they consented to the installation of such programs on their device and that in some cases, such programs are exploited or used as a disguise for malware downloads. This is why many security solutions, including ours, flags such programs to make sure users are aware of its presence, influence on their device and activity," says Denis Parinov, a security researcher at Kaspersky. By taking a closer look at PUA, it becomes apparent that they are not only more widespread but also more potent than traditional malware. Evaluating results over the same 7-month period in Nigeria, there were 3,8 million malware attacks and 16,8 million PUA detections - which is four times as much. Kenyan and South African threat landscapes have been more intense. In South Africa, there were almost 10 million malware attacks and a staggering 43 million PUA detections. Kenyan users faced even more malware attacks - around 14 million, and 41 million PUA appearances. EDWARDSVILLE Every year since 2015, citizens have aimed to raise awareness of pediatric cancer by participating in Paint The Town Gold. The campaign first started when former Edwardsville High School student Todd Schultz wanted District 7 to help spread awareness after he was diagnosed with leukemia. Now, the campaign is a unique way to bring students and a city together. We are in a friendly competition with Lincoln [Middle School] with who can raise the most, Liberty Middle School counselor and FIT/GO supervisor Kaitlyn Talley said. The losing schools principal has to wear the other schools spirit wear for a whole week. Right now, Liberty has a goal of raising $2,000 and is only a couple hundred dollars away from that mark as of Friday. Talley said events like donut sales, social nights at City Scoops Creamery and others help edge Liberty closer and closer. The competition is all month long and ends Sept. 30. According to principal Allen Duncan, this is the first solid year Liberty has participated in the campaign. We have done little things here and there and would raise a few hundred each year but we never really dove into it, he said. I wanted this to be a big year and raise a lot, but with everything going on we cant do a lot of the things we wanted to. Duncan said he is mindful of Lincolns inspiration in the competition. Todd went to Lincoln so they always go big, he said. I dont know, we might not win but itll be fun either way and for a good reason. Lincoln hasnt publically set a goal, but is hoping for the best. The goal is to raise as much as we possibly can for this incredible cause, Lincoln Middle School counselor and FIT/GO supervisor Mark Tschudy said. We dont want to put any limit but we hope to do well. To raise funds, Tschudy said students have hosted trivia night, the cross country team held a walk-a-thon and more. Atlassian co-founder Scott Farquhar is backing Australian startup Airwallex in a $US40 million ($56 million) fundraising which values the financial technology company at $US1.8 billion. Mr Farquhar and his wife Kim Jackson have invested in Airwallex through their private investment vehicle Skip Capital and venture capital fund Square Peg, an existing investor, is also contributing to the round. Airwallex president and co-founder Lucy Liu. Credit:Wayne Taylor The investment comes as demand continues to rise for the real-time payments platform, with continued growth in digitised payments and cross-border payments through the coronavirus pandemic. Speaking from Shanghai, where she said life was "pretty much back to normal", co-founder Lucy Liu said Airwallex had continued to see a lot of interest from investors after it closed its series D fundraise of $US160 million earlier this year and so decided to extend the fundraising by another $US40 million to continue Airwallex's global expansion. Iffath Fathima By Express News Service BENGALURU: The option of home isolation is causing concern among doctors. Many patients who opt for it are ending up infecting family members, leading to a higher caseload. The government started home isolation to reduce the burden on hospitals, and with many asymptomatic patients occupying beds, critical patients were deprived of proper care. Covid Care Centres (CCCs) were opened by BBMP for asymptomatic patients, but some were shut after patients were given the home isolation option, with regular monitoring by doctors and nurses. Some private hospitals too started home isolation packages. According to the BBMP bed portal website, 19,298 patients are in home isolation. However, these patients are unable to follow Covid norms, leaving other members of the family infected. Dr Jagadish Hiremath, CEO, Ace Suhas Hospital, says they are coming across cases where a patient is advised home isolation, and the infection spreads to the rest of the family. In a family of four, the other three get infected. Home isolation is supposed to ease the burden on hospitals, but is only adding more cases. When elderly people living in the house get infected, their condition could become severe, said Dr Hiremath. Giving an example, he said a home isolated Covid patient came to hospital with an abscess in his thigh. When this patient walked in, the ambulance crew informed us that he was Covid-positive, but he denied it. This patient would have spread the infection to many others. There is no proper system to monitor these patients, he added. Dr Suri Raju V, Managing Director, Regal Hospital, said, Triage must be done of the patients house, and every member should use separate rooms and washrooms as there is evidence that the coronavirus can be transmitted through faecal particles too. Weve had patients in home isolation where a family of three was living in a one-bedroom house, increasing chances of all members getting infected. They also avoided going to a CCC as they had heard unpleasant things. The government should address the violation of home isolation, as patients are freely roaming around. We need to use technology to trace such violators and book them for endangering lives of other people. However, a patient under home isolation alleged that BBMP is negligent. Suresh (name changed), aged 30, a resident of Indiranagar, was not contacted by BBMP when he tested positive, triage was not done, nor was house inspection carried out. I live with my family in a two-bedroom house with only one toilet. BBMP didnt not contact me or advise me on measures I need to take. I knew about CCCs but consulted a private doctor. Munish Moudgil, in-charge of the State War Room, agreed that many home isolated patients are spreading the infection." Those in home isolation are taking it easy, and not taking social distancing measures. Nor do they want to come to CCCs. BBMP public health in-charge Randeep D said BBMP has been carrying out house inspections. Only if patients have separate rooms and toilets, are they are allowed to stay home. We are continuously monitoring this. DOCTORS ADVICE Patients in home isolation should CLEVELAND, Ohio -- In 24 sister cities across the world, Cleveland has worked to find common ground, bridge networks and learn from others. The city will take another step toward creating meaningful global connections Tuesday through Friday as Global Cleveland hosts its 2nd annual Sister Cities Conference. The virtual platform Hopin will be used to bring in representatives from 32 cities aiming to forge ties with each other. The virtual conference is free, with students, community members, business leaders and civic leaders welcome. Anyone can register here. Created in 1956 by President Dwight Eisenhower, Sister Cities International has strived to create connections with cities around the world, whether it be economically, educationally or institutionally. After the horrors of the Holocaust and World War II Eisenhower wanted to bring cities together so they could learn about each other. Cleveland has 24 sister cities: Alexandria, Egypt; Fier, Albania; Ljubljana, Slovenia; Bahir-Dar, Ethiopia; Gdansk, Poland; Miskolc, Hungary; Bangalore, India; Heidenheim, Germany; Rouen, France; Brasov, Romania; Holon, Israel; Segundo Montes, El Salvador; Bratislava, Slovakia; Ibadan, Nigeria; Taipei City, Taiwan; Cleveland, United Kingdom; Klaipeda, Lithuania; Vicenza, Italy; Conakry, Guinea; Lima, Peru; Volgograd, Russia; West Mayo, Ireland; Beit Shean, Israel; Valley of the Springs, Israel. The Sister Cities program has 1,800 cities in 138 countries. Though Global Clevelands conference is virtual this year, the organization wants cities to discuss their successes and struggles. Theres stuff where were going to be able to share a lot of good information, and then theres places where were going to learn a lot from them, said Joe Cimperman, president of Global Cleveland. So the idea is how do we kind of short-circuit the distance and use this year via virtual reality to kind of have a conference where next year, if its in person, we can really expand the connection between all of our different cities across the globe. The conferences first day will welcome attendees with speakers, including Cleveland Public Library Director Felton Thomas and City Council President Kevin Kelley. The next three days will have different themes. On Sept. 30, the focus will be on municipal and civic leadership. A highlight will be a mayoral panel, where mayors from Slovenia, Israel, Nigeria, Italy, Lithuania and France will talk with one another and share successes. Another important panel that day will be focused on COVID-19. Doctors from Italy, Taiwan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo will be on the panel, along with Dr. Steve Gordon of Cleveland Clinic. Brian Kimball, the interim director of the City of Cleveland Department of Public Health, will moderate. Last year delegates from Bahir-Dar, Ethiopia, received some practical medical knowledge. Bahir-Dar was one of seven cities that came in person, and the city was having some issues with its medical transport system, said Global Cleveland program manager Elizabeth Cusma. The Bahir-Dar delegates learned from Cleveland EMS and took the new knowledge back home. Thats the tangible benefits of a sister city that maybe you cant monetize specifically, but that really makes a difference, Cusma said. Education will be the theme Oct. 1, and institutions will discuss global studies and partner programs on a university panel. Cusma said an eventual goal is to have an international library card so if someone has a CPL library card, it can be used in different sister libraries. The final day will focus on business and economic development, with At the Heart of the City." Downtown Cleveland Alliance President Joe Marinucci and Janja Romih Kulenovic, the head of sales promotion department in Ljubljana, Slovenia, will discuss why a citys downtown is important for its overall stability and well-being. Global Cleveland is continuing its mission to create networks in a year where face-to-face interaction is limited; the organization just finished its 2nd annual Welcoming Week Cusma said the long-term goal is to make the Sister Cities Conference the most international week in Cleveland. It is a no cost event because we really do want students and CEOs to come, Cusma said. Thats the only way for great ideas to be born is putting a lot of different people in one place together with a common purpose. And sister cities' purpose really is that tri-pillar of education, civic and municipal issues and business, and we need all three for our best ideas to come to fruition. Ukraine International Airlines (UIA) cancels flights to Yerevan due to the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan. "Taking into account the aggravation of the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan, the Risk Management Center of Ukraine International Airlines has made a decision to temporarily cancel flights to Yerevan," the Fly UIA said on Facebook on Sunday evening. It is reported that the decision was made after risk analysis by UIA specialists during an evening briefing. The need to implement the suppression is due, inter alia, to the introduction of martial law and mobilization in Armenia. "We in the company assessed all possible risks and decided that it is impossible to carry out a flight to Yerevan with explanations of our further actions on the part of the aviation authorities of Ukraine and the official position of Baku and Yerevan to ensure the safety of the aviation space in the skies over Azerbaijan and Armenia," said head of the airline Yevhen Dykhne. At the same time, UIA will provide the necessary communication to passengers of the flight, which was scheduled to take place at 17:00 on September 28, and will provide them with all the necessary support that this situation provides. In addition, UIA flights to Baku should be operated from October 4, 2020. The decision on flights will be made taking into account the updated information. "The safety of passengers and crews is a constant priority of UIA," the airline company said. "The future is dark," sighs Joachim Lobo, a teacher who longs "to pick up the chalk" and be reunited with his pupils, if ever peace is restored to northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo. "I lost my job because of all this nonsense," Lobo says of communal violence in the gold-rich Ituri province, where he taught French and philosophy, speaking with a restraint and modesty characteristic of Congolese people in the face of suffering. "You see how we can be revolted." At 60, the father of nine children has become one of tens of thousands of civilians displaced in Ituri since the violence resumed in December 2017 in the Djugu and Mahagi areas. In 2019, he fled Sombuso, his natal village in the ravaged Djugu territory. Lobo lives today in a displaced persons camp at Loda, 20 kilometres (12 miles) from his home and located close to a base of the foreign troops serving in the UN mission in the Congo (MONUSCO). The daily conditions are dire, he says. "No latrines, no food, no drinking water, no medical care." A passer-by looks inside an overturned truck in the middle of National Road 27 in Ituri. By ALEXIS HUGUET (AFP) Lobo belongs to the Hema community, traditionally known as stockbreeders and traders, and he left Sombuso to escape the brutality of one wing of the Congo Development Cooperative (Codeco) created by Lendu people. Experts explain that the Codeco appears to bring together several sects of militia fighters who claim to defend the property rights of the Lendu farming communities in the Djugu territory. 'A responsible government' Lendu militias, known for animist beliefs and rituals, are held responsible for the massacre of several hundred Hema civilians. This is not the first time that "Papa Joachim" fled violence in Ituri, to become a living memory of the wounds of two decades and more. Internally displaced children play in the courtyard of the Minor Seminary, destroyed during the Ituri War (1999-2003), in Fataki. By ALEXIS HUGUET (AFP) In 1999, he abandoned his home after the outbreak of the Second Congo War (1998-2003), which saw the armies of more than half a dozen African countries enter the vast DRC. Violence cost tens of thousands of lives in Ituri. At the time, the Lendu and the Hema were killing each other in militia attacks, which were stopped in 2003 by Operation Artemis, a military intervention by a European Union Force (EUFOR) backed by the United Nations. When violence resumed in 2017, there were marked differences from the wartime clashes. The Hema have not reconstituted their militias and Lendu public figures condemn the raids committed in their name by Codeco forces. Neighbouring Uganda appears to be playing no role across the border in Ituri, after being convicted by the International Court of Justice in 2005 of unlawful armed aggression and violation of territorial sovereignty during "Africa's Great War". The court ordered Uganda to pay reparations to DR Congo, but today commerce in gold from Bunia in Ituri and Butembo in North Kivu province to Uganda's Entebbe international airport is doing well, according to the NGO Impact, which seeks to help artisanal miners. "The future is dark," Papa Joachim says. "We thought we would have a responsible government, yet we don't know when we can return to our land." Invested in January 2019, President Felix Tshisekedi denounced "attempted genocide" and a "plot" during a rare visit to Bunia in July that year, at the height of an outbreak of violence. He announced a "large-scale" military operation dubbed "Ituri Tempest" against the attackers, which led to the killing of a Codeco chief. 'A rebel like you' A year later, Tshisekedi despatched a delegation of former militia chiefs from the time of the Second Congo War to negotiate the surrender of pro-Lendu fighters. Militiamen, including children, of the armed group Codeco. By ALEXIS HUGUET (AFP) The team was led by Floribert Ndjabu, a man who served 15 years in preventive detention on suspicion of the murder of nine UN peacekeeping troops in 2005. "I told them: 'I was a rebel like you you have nothing to teach me,'" Ndjabu said to AFP. The outcome of talks has been a noticeable decline in the number of deadly raids, according to the testimony of witnesses. Key roads that had been blockaded, such as the RN27 linking DR Congo and Uganda, are once again open to traffic but the vehicles are escorted by the military, AFP saw. Part of the population remains sceptical about any peace process. "We need military pressure, with means sufficient to allow the army to secure the population and enforce peace, while justice should take care of the criminals," said Agathe Gipatho, a 60-year-old peasant woman, during an exchange with members of the Alur community in Nioka. "People are tending to return to their villages," said Dieudonne Kpadyu Mnyoro. "But their key concern is safety, an end to the violence." A trader and chief of a Hema village, Mnyoro and more than 1,200 families took refuge last March in the ruined buildings at Fataki, a Roman Catholic parish destroyed in the Second Congo War. In Ituri, religious edifices are like men and women. They all bear the scars of conflict. Police are appealing for witnesses following a stabbing in Dungannon. The incident happened in the Market Square area of the town on Saturday night. Police received a report at around 8.40pm that a man had been stabbed. He received treatment for non life-threatening injuries. A 27-year-old man was subsequently arrested on suspicion of causing grievous bodily harm and later released on bail pending further enquiries. Police are appealing for anyone who may have witnessed the stabbing, or who has any information that could assist in the investigation, to contact them on 101, quoting reference number 1920 of 26/09/20. Information can also be provided anonymously to Crimestoppers on0800 555 111. Arizona News Phoenix, Arizona - Attorney General Mark Brnovich Thursday announced that C.R. Bard, Inc. and its parent company Becton, Dickinson and Company have agreed to pay $1.15 million to Arizona in penalties. The settlement with the Arizona Attorney Generals Office is part of a $60 million settlement with 48 states and the District of Columbia to resolve allegations that C.R. Bard deceptively marketed its transvaginal surgical mesh devices. The lawsuit filed by the Arizona Attorney Generals Office alleges that C.R. Bard engaged in unfair and deceptive practices promoting its transvaginal surgical mesh devices by misrepresenting or failing to adequately disclose serious and life-altering risks arising from the devices, such as chronic pain, scarring and shrinking of bodily tissue, painful sexual relations, and recurring infections, among other complications. Pursuant to the Consent Judgment, which is pending court approval, C.R. Bard and its parent company, Becton, Dickinson and Company, have agreed to pay $60 million to the 48 participating states and the District of Columbia. Although C.R. Bard stopped selling transvaginal mesh, the settlement provides injunctive relief, requiring both C.R. Bard and Becton, Dickinson and Company to adhere to certain injunctive terms if they reenter the transvaginal mesh market. Should that happen, the companies must, among other things: Provide patients with understandable descriptions of complications in marketing materials. Include a list of certain complications in all marketing materials that address complications. Disclose complications related to the use of mesh in any training provided that includes risk information. Disclose sponsorship in clinical studies, clinical data, or preclinical data for publication. Refrain from citing to any clinical study, clinical data, or preclinical data regarding mesh, for which the company has not complied with the disclosure requirements. Require consultants to agree to disclose in any public presentation or submission for publication Bards sponsorship of the contracted-for activity. Train independent contractors, agents, and employees who sell, market, or promote mesh, regarding their obligations to report all patient complaints and adverse events to the company. Joining Arizona in this multistate settlement are Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, 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, and Wisconsin. Assistant Attorney General Kaitlin Hollywood handled this case for Arizona. BAKU, Azerbaijan, Sept. 28 Trend: Former Bosnian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Zlatko Lagumdzija, made a statement on the latest escalation of tensions in the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, Trend reports with reference to the Lagumdzijas official Twitter account. Ignoring 4 Security Council resolutions on Nagorno-Karabakh for 3 decades is threatening regional and global peace. It is about restoring UN credibility as well as stopping the war and showing solidarity with people of Azerbaijan, Lagumdzija said. The Armenian armed forces committed a large-scale provocation, subjecting the positions of the Azerbaijani army to intensive shelling from large-caliber weapons, mortars, and artillery installations of various calibers in the front-line zone on Sept. 27 at 06:00 (GMT+4). The command of the Azerbaijani Army decided to launch a counter-offensive operation of Azerbaijani troops along the entire front to suppress the combat activity of the Armenian armed forces and ensure the safety of the civilian population. Azerbaijani Defense Minister, Colonel-General Zakir Hasanov said Sept. 27, 2020, that Garakhanbeyli, Garvend, Kend Horadiz, Yukhari Abdulrahmanli villages of Fizuli district, Boyuk Marjanli, and Nuzgar villages of Jabrayil district were liberated. Moreover, the positions of the Armenian armed forces were destroyed in the direction of the Agdere district and Murovdag, important heights were taken under control. The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on the withdrawal of its armed forces from Nagorno Karabakh and the surrounding districts. (ST. JOSEPH, Mo.) Sunday, union workers on strike at Silgan Containers brought their message to the plant manager of the business. Strikers gathered at a park directly across the street from the plant manager's residence. Workers have been on strike at the plant since July 18, fighting for better wages and pay. "We're continuing to try to get a contract that's fair," Greg Chastain, Business Manager Sheetmetal Workers Local 2 said. "We just don't feel that the company has negotiated fairly," Karan Planap, the democratic nominee for Missouri State Representative District 9 also showed up at the strike expressing her support for the workers. "We would just want the company to come to the table and negotiate a fair wage," Planap said. More than 150 Bougainville residents are petitioning the Australian government to investigate Rio Tinto over claims its failure to clean up millions of tonnes of waste from its former copper mine on the island has caused severe environmental damage and human rights violations. The complaint, sent to the Anglo-Australian miner and the federal Treasury department this week, says the pollution left behind from Bougainville's Panguna mine that Rio Tinto ran for decades has poisoned local water sources and put the community's lives and livelihoods at risk. Theonila Roka Matbob in front of an area destroyed by mine waste flooding. Theonila Roka Matbob, a traditional landowner who has recently been elected to the Bougainville parliament, said residents were "living with the impacts of Panguna every day". She said Rio Tinto had left them no choice but to take the matter to the international stage. "Our rivers are poisoned with copper, our homes get filled with dust from the tailings mounds, our kids get sick from the pollution," she said. "Every time it rains, more waste washes into the rivers, causing flooding for villages further downstream. Some communities now have to spend two hours a day walking just to get clean drinking water because their nearby creeks are clogged up with mine waste." "Mind, Body & More in the Mexican Caribbean," a new social media program produced by the Quintana Roo Tourism Board and Andrea Leigh Rogers, founder of Xtend Barre, will launch on October 6. The resorts we have partnered with for the Mind, Body & More in the Mexican Caribbean program exemplify the wonderful examples of the types of top-notch wellness offerings available at hotels and resorts throughout the region, said Dario Flota, CEO of the Quintana Roo Tourism Board. The Quintana Roo Tourism Board is inviting travelers seeking a rejuvenating getaway to experience a taste of what the - Mexican Caribbean region has to offer with the new Mind, Body & More in the Mexican Caribbean social media program. Participants will have the opportunity to virtually travel across the Mexican Caribbean region from north to south to experience wellness activities offered in the destinations of Cancun, the Riviera Maya, Tulum, and Bacalar, with the help of Andrea Leigh Rogers (Instagram: @AndreaXtendBarre) founder of XTEND BARRE. Starting Tuesday, October 6, Rogers will host weekly Instagram Live sessions with in-destination experts on topics ranging from mindful meditation to creating a healthy Mexican Caribbean-style vegan ceviche at home. All Instagram Live sessions will take place at 10:30 a.m. EST / 7:30 a.m. PST each Tuesday and will be available on Instagram Highlights after the live broadcast through October 31. Participants in the live sessions will have a chance to win locally crafted designer items including stylish beach cover-ups, woven beach bags, and macrame accented sun hats. Also up for grabs will be one 3-night stay for two at Nizuc Resort in Cancun, complete with daily breakfast, a 50-minute massage for two, a signature hydrotherapy treatment, and a $1,000 gift card to use toward airfare and other travel expenses. Complete details about the trip giveaway will be posted to @AndreaXtendBarre when the contest launches on Tuesday, October 27. Sunseekers who want to add even more Mexican Caribbean inspiration to their everyday lives can turn up the volume with a destination-inspired Spotify playlist. "I'm excited to be partnering with the Mexican Caribbean to bring awareness and insight on the variety of wellness elements that the region has to offer, said Rogers. I look forward to everyone joining my weekly Instagram Live sessions throughout October as I highlight the inviting experiences in a few amazing areas of the region including Cancun, the Riviera Maya, Tulum, and Bacalar. The program schedule is as follows: Tuesday, October 6: Hydrotherapy and Mayan Shaman session with Nizuc Resort, Cancun Tuesday, October 13: How to re-create Rosewood Mayakobas wellness suites at home, Riviera Maya Tuesday, October 20: Vinyasa Yoga Flow and Meditation with Amansala Yoga & Wellness Resort, Tulum Tuesday, October 27: How to make healthy Mexican Caribbean style ceviche with Hotel Rancho Encantado, Bacalar Now more than ever, travelers are seeking an escape from the day-to-day where they can truly recharge and focus on wellness and self-care. They want to enjoy nature and the outdoors in an experience that provides the utmost in hospitality and a commitment to their health and safety, said Dario Flota, CEO of the Quintana Roo Tourism Board. The resorts we have partnered with for the Mind, Body & More in the Mexican Caribbean program exemplify the wonderful examples of the types of top-notch wellness offerings available at hotels and resorts throughout the region. We are excited to engage with wellness-minded consumers virtually through this partnership with Andrea Leigh Rogers and hope to see these same people visit the Mexican Caribbean soon. About the Mexican Caribbean The Mexican Caribbean is like no other place in the world due to its tourist destinations and attractions: turquoise sea, white sand beaches, tropical jungle, archaeological sites, cenotes, underwater caverns, islands, lagoons, and Mayan culture and history. The Mexican Caribbean boasts a world-class tourism infrastructure, a variety of lodging options, local and international gastronomic options, and great air connectivity. For more information, visit http://www.mexicancaribbean.travel. About Andrea Leigh Rogers Andrea Leigh Rogers is a Pilates instructor, former professional dancer, and mother of two based in New York City and widely known for founding the international barre brand, XTEND BARRE. Andrea has an extensive career as a professional dancer and choreographer where she shared the stage with numerous celebrities and recording artists and traveled the country with several professional dance companies, including her role as a principal dancer for Walt Disney World Co. Andrea aligned her passion for dance and Pilates in 2006 when she cultivated XTEND BARRE. The XTEND BARRE workout is the fitness phenomenon thats helped countless people lose weight, sculpt lean muscle, and build strength without bulking up. In addition to her international barre brand Andrea specializes in private personal training for select celebrity clientele, and recently she has teamed up with OpenFit an online streaming app and launched virtual XTEND BARRE classes which allows clientele to stream workouts from anywhere, while enjoy challenging XTEND BARRE classes both live and also on demand at their convenience throughout the day. Andrea and XTEND BARRE have been featured in Womens Health, SELF, Cosmopolitan, Health, and Pop Sugar. For more information, check out @Xtend_Barre and @AndreaXtendBarre on Instagram. Skip to main navigation Marine Life DEC has received and responded to an increased number of reports of Atlantic menhaden (Brevoortia tyrannus) dead or swimming irregularly throughout New York's marine waters, including the Hudson River and around Long Island. Report these observations to DEC's Marine Life Incident Report online survey. The marine waters of New York offer valuable habitat to a wide-range of sea creatures, from large whales to microscopic plankton. Visit the links below to learn more about the diverse collection of species that are found year-round or seasonally through out New York's ocean and estuarine environments. Report Marine Fish Kills Mortality events, or fish kills, are not unusual for some marine fish species, and particularly for fish that swim in large schools. There are various naturally occurring causes that are typically responsible for these events which may include low dissolved oxygen, changing environmental conditions, and pathogens. Report observations of a fish kill to DEC's Marine Life Incident Report online survey. For questions or more information about fish kills, contact fishkillmarine@dec.ny.gov or call 631-444-0714 for marine waters or 845-256-3199 on the Hudson River. DEC recommends treating fish kill events the same as you would with any dead, wild animal and avoid collecting or handling these fish. If you need to come in contact with dead fish to clean them up, make sure to wear appropriate protective equipment, including gloves. Saltwater Fish of New York Several saltwater fish species support both New York's renowned recreational fishing industry and economically significant commercial fisheries. Some of the largest and famed fish species found in the ocean are the diverse collection of sharks. Sharks are completely cartilaginous fish, which means they have no true-bones, compared to more familiar fish that have complete skeletons. Learn more about the most commonly occurring fish species below: Striped bass Striped bass Striped bass can be found along the Atlantic coast from Canada to Florida and can live up to 30 years. They are anadromous which means they migrate from saltwater into fresh water to spawn. They migrate north in the spring, and back south in the fall where they overwinter offshore. Striped bass can live up to 30 years and can be found on our artificial reefs searching for a meal. Read more about Striped bass in the Hudson River. Summer flounder (Fluke) are found from Nova Scotia to Florida and can live up to 14 years. They are bottom dwelling fish that camouflage themselves in the bottom and ambush unsuspecting prey. Fluke migrate inshore in the spring and offshore in the winter. They begin their lives with eyes on both sides of their body which migrate to the left side in about a month. They can live up to 14 years and can be found on the bottom in and around artificial reefs. Black sea bass Black sea bass Black sea bass can be found on the eastern seaboard from Maine to Florida and can live up to 20 years. In the northeast, they migrate inshore in the summer and offshore in the winter. As ocean temperatures have warmed, black sea bass populations have expanded northward. Black sea bass begin their lives as females and become males as they age. This transition usually occurs between 2-5 years old. Black sea bass can live up to 20 years. These fish are structure associated and are commonly found at rock bottoms near pilings, wrecks, and jetties. highly sought after on artificial reefs. Winter flounder are found from Labrador to Georgia and can live over 15 years. They are bottom dwelling fish that eat copepods, amphipods, and polychaetes. Winter flounder migrate inshore to spawn in the winter and offshore in the spring. Like fluke, they begin their lives with eyes on both sides of their head and the left eye migrates to the right side of the body in a little over a month. Bluefish Bluefish Bluefish can be found in temperate waters through much of the world. They are fast growers and can live up to 12 years. Bluefish migrate into New York waters in the spring and summer. They are voracious predators and are known for their sharp teeth which they use to make quick work of their prey. They can live up to 12 years, and migrate into New York waters in the spring and summer. Bluefish stop at artificial reefs to feed and are sought after for their fight and willingness to attack lures thrown their way. Blackfish (Tautog) are found along the Atlantic coast from Nova Scotia to Georgia. They are slow growing and can live up to 40 years. They migrate inshore during the spring and offshore as the water temperature drops through the fall. They have strong jaws and teeth which they use to chew up crabs, mussels, clams, and barnacles. Blackfish utilize structure as habitat and are commonly found around natural and artificial structures. Blackfish are one of the prized and commonly sought after species on our artificial reefs. Scup (Porgy) Scup (Porgy) Scup (Porgy) are primarily found between Massachusetts and North Carolina. They are a schooling fish that can live up to 20 years. They migrate inshore during the spring and their abundance in an area is often influenced by water temperature. are found on artificial reefs feeding on benthic invertebrates. They are a popular sportfish that provide a good fight for their size. Atlantic cod are a cold-water species that can be found from Greenland to Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. They spawn in the winter and early spring and can live over 20 years. Cod are one of the most highly productive species, but are also sensitive to increasing ocean temperatures which has been linked to declining cod populations. Cod are seasonal visitors of artificial reefs and utilize reef structure for shelter and foraging. American eel are the only freshwater eel found in North America. In the United States they are present from Maine to Florida. Eels spend most of their life in freshwater and migrate to the ocean to spawn and die. They have a multitude of life stages including: leptocephali, glass eel, yellow eel, and silver eel. Weakfish Weakfish Weakfish are schooling fish found from Nova Scotia to Florida. They can live up to 17 years, but their natural and fishing mortality has been increasing in recent years. The name weakfish comes from their fragile mouth, which easily rips when hooked by fishermen. Weakfish are part of the drum family and often make a drumming or croaking sound using special muscles and their swim bladder. Oyster toadfish are found in Maine to Florida and can live up to 12 years. They reside in inshore waters on rocky bottoms near reefs, jetties, and wrecks. Oyster toadfish are hardy fish that need little food to live and are well adapted to live in polluted water and among litter. When spawning they make a foghorn sound to attract mates. Monkfish can be found from St. Lawrence to North Carolina and live up to 30 years. They prefer deeper waters and migrate seasonally to feed and spawn. Monkfish feed by using their modified spine on the top of their head as a fishing pole to lure prey towards its mouth. Once the prey is close enough, the monkfish takes a gulp of water which sucks the prey into its mouth where it is swallowed whole. Atlantic menhaden (Bunker) Atlantic menhaden (Bunker) Atlantic menhaden (Bunker) can be found swimming in large schools along the Atlantic coast of the United States. Menhaden occupy estuaries and coastal waters from northern Florida to Nova Scotia and their population size is estimated to be multiple billions. In recent years, Northeast states have reported larger numbers of menhaden in local waters. Coastwide, hundreds of millions of fish are harvested by bait fisheries or reduction fisheries for the production of fish oil, fertilizer, and fishmeal. They are also an important prey species for many types of wildlife, including, striped bass, bluefish, sharks, sea birds, and marine mammals. They can live for up to 10-12 years, and the older and larger menhaden tend to migrate farther north than younger and smaller fish. Large schools of menhaden can be found near reefs, attracting a variety of predators to the area. Alewife Alewife Alewife can be found from Labrador to South Carolina and they live up to 9 years. Alewife spend most of their life in the ocean, only returning to freshwater to spawn. They are an important prey item for many types of wildlife, including, fish, sea birds, and marine mammals. Some populations live entirely in freshwater or are landlocked in lakes where they have been introduced. Alewife populations have been in decline due to habitat degradation caused by dams and culverts. DEC has received and responded to an increased number of reports of Atlantic menhaden (Brevoortia tyrannus) dead or swimming irregularly throughout New York's marine waters, including the Hudson River and around Long Island. More about Marine Life: We are constantly in touch with all of our fellow parliamentarians and government officials and express our positions on the situation on the spot. This is what deputy of the My Step faction of the National Assembly of Armenia Ruben Rubinyan told reporters in parliament today. Touching upon the fact that international organizations responses were not clear-cut and addressable, Rubinyan said the following: I agree that the responses werent the responses that Armenia was expecting, but I must also say that this was an expected outcome. I believe that, over the past 30 years, it has become clear to everyone that we Armenians need to rely on ourselves first, but this doesnt mean that we shouldnt cooperate with our international partners, and thats what were doing. Asked which phase the consideration of the proposals for recognition of Artsakhs independence are, the deputy said the options for recognition and a partnership agreement are being considered, adding that there are various factors and that the primary objective of Armenias diplomats is to present the situation to the international community and all of Armenias partners, that is, Azerbaijans attack on Artsakh with Turkeys military and political support and all the consequences arising from that. Yesterday the Armed Forces of Azerbaijan launched a large-scale offensive against Artsakh, targeting civilians as well. The Armed Forces of Artsakh shot down 5 helicopters, 27 unmanned aerial vehicles, 33 tanks and an infantry fighting vehicle and 1 engineering armored vehicle of the adversary. Azerbaijan suffered nearly 200 human casualties and has more than 200 wounded servicemen. According to preliminary data, the Armenian side has 59 casualties and nearly 200 wounded persons. Both Armenia and Artsakh declared martial law on September 27. Replying to the bail application of actor Rhea Chakraborty before the Bombay high court (HC), the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has maintained that it has the jurisdiction to investigate the case against her and several others, including her brother Showik. Arguing Rheas bail plea, her counsel, Satish Maneshinde, had submitted that the drug-related case against the 28-year-old actor should also have been entrusted to the CBI, in terms of the Supreme Court order of August 19, 2020. Maneshinde claimed that on August 19 the apex court allowed CBI to investigate the case registered at Patna on the basis of complaint lodged by the father of deceased actor, Sushant Singh Rajput. In the same order, Supreme Court has also directed that all cases relating to the death of Rajput should be transferred for investigation to CBI, and since the drug trail being probed by the NCB was also linked to Rajputs death, the case should also have been transferred to CBI. The reply filed by NCB zonal director Sameer Wankhede stated that there is no such order passed by the apex court. The agency has maintained that the Supreme Court has directed the CBI to take over investigation, if any new case was registered on the death of Sushant Singh Rajput and the surrounding circumstances of his unnatural death and the direction was not with respect to the present case registered under provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985. Relying on the purported recovery of contraband material from one of the alleged suppliers, Anuj Keshwani, NCB has claimed that the case involves commercial quantity of drugs and not the small quantities, as claimed by Rhea, Showik and some other accused arrested by the agency after WhatsApp chats revealed sale and purchase of contraband material, primarily for consumption of Rajput. NCB has reiterated its stand that that Rhea was an active member of the drug syndicate connected with high society personalities and drug suppliers. In this regard the reply to her bail plea states that the Applicant (Rhea) has in her statement (recorded by NCB) revealed about her involvement in procurement of drugs and financing of illicit drug dealings. The present applicant is prominent member of supply chain of drugs and majorly she is handling finance also, states that affidavit. The present applicant used to manage, finance for drug procurement along with Sushant Singh Rajput, NCB has said while opposing Rheas bail plea. NCB to scrutinise, review electronic evidence gathered from actors The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), investigating the drug angle into Sushant Singh Rajputs death, is now reviewing and scrutinising the electronic evidence it has gathered from all the 20 accused arrested in the case till now. NCB has also taken mobile phones of actors Deepika Padukone, Sara Ali Khan, Shraddha Kapoor, Deepikas manager Karishma Prakash, Sushant Singh Rajputs former business manager Shruti Modi and talent manager Jaya Saha. We will follow the procedure of law. Their mobile phones will be returned to them through the court after we gather data, said deputy director general of NCB Mutha Ashok Jain. No fresh summons has been issued to anyone in the case for inquiry, added Jain. NCB, on Monday released, a statement with respect to the allegation of humiliation and torment made by advocate Satish Maneshinde who represents accused Kshitij Ravi Prasad who arrested NCB unit on September 26. NCB official in their release said, It is very unambiguously stated that the allegation is mischievous and completely untrue. NCB Mumbai unit arrested Prasad in the alleged drug case (16/20) related to the Sudhar Singh Rajputs death, after some incriminating evidence were recovered from him, and found his involvement in offence under NDPS act and placed him under arrest following due process of law. Prasads lawyer and his mother were informed, and he was even also allowed to meet his father and his wife in Mumbai zonal unit office. Prasad was not cooperating with the investigation, this fact was brought to the notice of court and NCB demanded his custody on September 27 when he was produced in the court through video conferencing after medical check up, stated NCBs release Prasad was remanded in the NCB custody till October 3 after listening the argument from both sides. The court has observed that no physical ill treatment has been given to Prasad. The NCB reiterates that the allegations are baseless and devoid of any truth, added NCBs press release. Unlock 5.0: Here is what you could expect India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, Sep 28: The fourth stage of the nation wide lockdown will come to an end on September 30. The Union Government had as part of Unlock 4.0 had given various relaxations such as resumption of metro services and also allowed partial re-opening of schools for classes 9-12. The fifth stage of Unlock will begin on October 1 and there are reports that more relaxations will be granted. More economic activity is likely to one allowed after October 1. Home quarantine norms for Unlock 4.0 The opening of cinema halls would be something to watch out for. The Ministry of Home Affairs had only given permission for open air theatres to resume operations. In August the Information and Broadcasting Ministry had given the MHA a sitting arrangement formula and as per the plan, alternate seats in the first row and the next were to be kept vacant in order to maintain social distancing. The tourism sector is also likely to see more relaxations. Recently, the government had allowed the Taj Mahal to open. It is expected that more tourist destinations are likely to open up as part of Unlock 5.0. However in the case of primary schools, no relaxations are expected to be given. The schools at the primary level are expected to remain closed for a few more weeks. As part of the relaxations given earlier, the government permitted opening of schools for students from class 9 to 12. The government had however made it clear that students could visit schools to consult with teachers. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, September 28, 2020, 12:31 [IST] Trump is taking a page out of Recep Erdogans, president of Turkey, electoral playbook. If Trump scores a second term as president the media analysis will read exactly like the 2018 report from Haaretz. by John Stanton Bob Hauk: There was an accident. About an hour ago, a small jet went down inside New York City. The President was on board. Snake Plissken: President of what? Bob Hauk: Thats not funny, Plissken. You go in, find the President, bring him out in 24 hours, and youre a free man. Snake Plissken: 24 hours, huh? Bob Hauk: Im making you an offer. Snake Plissken: Bull&%$#! Bob Hauk: Straight just like I said. Snake Plissken: Ill think about it. Bob Hauk: No time. Give me an answer. Snake Plissken: Get a new president! Bob Hauk: Were still at war, Plissken. We need him alive. Snake Plissken: I dont give a f*&^ about your war. . .or your president. Bob Hauk: Is that your answer? ~ Escape from New York, 1981 In the dark, comedy-drama science fiction cult classic Escape from New York, New York City (the Manhattan borough but referred to here as New York City) has become a penitentiary secured by 50 foot high concrete walls and the bridges are all mined. Aircraft that patrol its perimeter fire on and kill any prisoners who scale the wall and make it near the top. If President Donald Trump wins a second term, he probably will attempt to build a wall on the northern border and continue his southern border barrier project. He will issue subsequent orders for patrolling drones to shoot and kill anyone trying to get in or out. Hell have a mandate to do it after a 2020 election victory and will have an obsequious military to carry out the building of and security for such a wall. Large American urban centers will teem with paramilitary enforcers of Trumps elected dictatorship. Anyway, the Supermax New York City prison in Escape from New York was needed because the United States had turned into one massive crime scene from border to border. There was a 400 percent increase in crime. New York City, with massive buildings in place, surrounded by water, was an ideal place for a prison to house the worst criminals in the United States. One cant but help watch the cast of characters who play the movies characters without some admiration. They include Kurt Russell (SD Snake Plissken), Lee Van Cleef (Hauk, Commissioner US Police Force), Donald Pleasence (President), Ernest Borgnine (Cabbie, jazz fanatic), Isaac Hayes (the Duke), Adrienne Barbeau (Maggie), and Harry Dean Stanton (Brain). John Carpenter co-wrote and directed Escape from New York. In an interview he said that he wrote the screenplay in the mid-1970s during the time of Watergate when Nixon was run out of office because he was involved in a burglary. The whole feeling in the nation was of real cynicism about our presidentIts kind of America in a way, put into the future. Itsour fears. After a long and deadly trek, Snake succeeds in getting the president out of New York City. The rescue was made more urgent by a cassette tape of a speech on nuclear fusion that the president was carrying. The tapes contents would lead to the end of the war that the US was waging against China and the Soviet Union (Russia). The president, as played by Donald Pleasence, is a close approximation of Donald Trump; or, arguably, any president. When the presidents Air Force One is falling from the sky, his words to the doomed crew are, God save me and watch over you. Pleasences president is smarmy and psychopathic. After Snake has gotten the president to safety he asks for a few minutes of the presidents time. Here is the dialogue that follows: President: I want to thank you back there for saving my life. If there's anything you want... anything at all... Snake Plissken: Just a moment of your time. President: Of courseYes? Snake Plissken: We did get you out. But a lot of people died in the process. I just wondered how you felt about it. President: Well, I...I wanna thank them. This nation appreciates their sacrifice. The president leaves Snake and moves to a microphone to play the contents of the tape. He fetches the tape from his briefcase not knowing that Snake replaced the presidents tape with Cabbies jazz tape. The president loads what he thinks is a recording dealing with nuclear fusion into a tape-deck and what gets aired is Cabbies Bandstand Boogie. Snake walks away while pulling the tape out of the presidents cassette and ripping it up. Why Snake for President of the United States? Snake is a decorated combat veteran, a plus for any presidential candidate. He gets the job done: the buck stops with him. Americans like a clean beginning and end, not an endless War on Terror. Hed have acted on the COVID 19 Pandemic aggressively. Plissken speaks his mind, pulls no punches. He is a big believer in the First Amendment to the US Constitution. Snake is a firearms/weapons specialist. He supports the Second Amendment. He has a wry sense of humor. He knows the world needs to lighten up. He knows Jazz is good medicine for an uptight world. Snake is an Independent. He has not been vetted by the Democratic or Republican Party. He owes nothing to them. Snake works with the downtrodden, the imprisoned. He is a diversity candidate. He had enough of the American federal government and war. He knew the process that manufactures US presidents is absolutely corrupt. Snake was imprisoned for robbing a bank. Hed be no fan of the police, Wall Street or big banking concerns. A Donald Erdogan Trump Second Term Trump is taking a page out of Recep Erdogans, president of Turkey, electoral playbook. If Trump scores a second term as president the media analysis will read exactly like this 2018 report from Haaretz. In elections that were neither free nor fair, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan stage-managed a mandate for ultimate powerBut the victory is at expense of national cohesion. The country is more divided than ever - while looking ahead towards an economic disaster The June 2018 elections will go down as the day that Turkeys opposition could have defeated President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and halted the countrys decent towards an elected dictatorship, but failedTheres also of course the fact that the elections were neither free nor fair. Erdogan and the AKP used state resources to ensure victory. The media is almost totally pro-Erdogan after years of co-option and censorship. On election day, there were reported cases of fraud, including ballot stuffing, an incident where a car filled with ballots was pulled over heading to a polling station near the southern city of Urfa. Ahead of the elections, legislation was passed to allow ballots without official seals to be counted A Joe Empath Biden Victory As a reminder of Joe Bidens empathy we turn to a piece written in The Guardian in 2019. As times have changed, Biden has expressed retrospective misgivings about some of those earlier actions and stances. For example, he very recently attempted to offer an apology of sorts, more like an unpology, to Anita Hill, which she quite understandably rejected. And he remains a pure, dyed-in-the-wool neoliberal, as much as ever a tool of Wall Street and corporations. We deserve better than a candidate who wants us to look past his record and focus only on the image he wants to project and, when that tack fails, can offer progressives only a my bad. [Bidens] most conspicuous affront to women was his role as chair of the Senate judiciary committee in condoning committee members vile and viciously sexist attacks on Anita Hill when she came forward to testify against the supreme court nominee Clarence Thomas. He then abruptly adjourned the hearing while two other female former employees of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission under Thomas were waiting to give testimony corroborating Hills allegations; Biden thus assured confirmation of one of the worst, most dangerously conservative supreme court appointees of the 20th century. In addition to Bidens disturbing record on domestic policy, he has been a consistent warmonger. He has supported every military intervention hes been able to, including, most disastrously voting for the 2002 resolution authorizing war against Iraq and ushering the country into the endless war against terror we remain immersed in. Its a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World. John Stanton can be reached at jstantonarchangel@gmail.com The Congress' youth wing activists on Monday morning set a tractor ablaze near India Gate, a few hundred metres from the Rashtrapati Bhavan and Parliament, to protest the contentious farm laws, attracting the Bharatiya Janata Party's diatribe as it accused the party of trying to "mislead" the farmers. The BJP said the opposition Congress has "shamed" the country with the "drama" aimed at "gaining publicity". Six of the activists, from the Punjab unit of the Youth Congress, were arrested, police said. Around 20 people carried a tractor on a truck to Rajpath, Man Singh Crossing, unloaded it from the truck and set it on fire, they said. According to police sources, the Punjab Youth Congress activists entered the Lutyens' Delhi along with a Punjab Police car. Fire officials said they were informed about the incident at 7.42 am and two fire tenders were rushed to the spot. The blaze was doused and the tractor was removed soon, police added. The incident comes amid protests by farmers and opposition parties across the country over the contentious farm legislations that were passed in Parliament last week. Youth Congress media in-charge Rahul Rao said activists of its Punjab unit demonstrated at India Gate on the birth anniversary of freedom fighter Bhagat Singh. "Our country thrives on the blood and sweat of our farmers. From fighting the British to feeding the entire nation, our farmers are the nation's backbone," the Youth Congress tweeted. "On Bhagat Singh's birth anniversary Youth Congress set ablaze a tractor in protest against the government's anti-farmer bills," it added. Deputy Commissioner of Police (New Delhi) Eish Singhal said police have seized two vehicles in this matter. "A case under section 3 of the Epidemic Act, section 51(B) of the Disaster Management Act, section 4 of the Damage to Public Property Act and IPC sections has been registered at Tilak Marg Police Station and six people have been arrested," the DCP said. Condemning the incident, several senior BJP leaders, including Union ministers, hit out at the Congress. Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar accused the opposition of "misleading" the farmers over the farm reforms Acts. "The Congress shamed the country today. Bringing tractor in a truck and then burning it at India Gate is a drama enacted by the Congress and we condemn it. The (Congress) party has been trying to do politics in the name of farmers, and it has been unmasked. It has enacted a drama for publicity," Javadekar told reporters. BJP general secretary Bhupender Yadav dubbed the Congress as "anti-farmers", saying the farmers venerate their farm equipment and will not set tractors on fire. "This burning of tractors by the Congress and other opposition parties in the name of farmers is shameful," he said, adding they should not use India's food producers for politics. Union minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat took a swipe at the opposition party, saying it is protesting against farmers' freedom in the name of Bhagat Singh by burning a tractor. "Its conspiracy has been unmasked," he said. Delhi BJP MP Manoj Tiwari said the Congress is "expert in burning things", adding, they torched a tractor which is a source of prosperity for farmers. In a statement, Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha president Tejasvi Surya said, "Our farmers worship the tools they use for farming. No real farmer ever burns his tractor. If at all the Youth Congress wanted to show their support for farmers, they could have donated the tractor to a poor farmer instead of burning it. But how can they? Destroying is all they know." In reply, the Youth Congress quoted Bhagat Singh. "If the deaf is to hear, the sound has to be very loud: Bhagat Singh," read their tweet. "In honour of the memory of Shaheed Bhagat Singh, IYC Punjab protested against the BJP government's apathetic treatment of farmers by lighting a tractor at India Gate. Wake the sleeping government. Inquilab Zindabad," it said in another tweet. The Congress and several other opposition parties have been protesting three farm sector laws enacted by the Narendra Modi government, alleging these are "anti-farmer measures" and will "destroy" the agriculture sector. The government has, however, asserted that the new laws will free farmers from the clutches of middleman and allow them to sell their produce anywhere they want at a remunerative price. The sanctions will be imposed against two people and four companies. The EU ambassadors have agreed on expansion of the sanctions list against Russia over the construction of the Kerch bridge, says Brussels-based RFE/RL journalist Rikard Jozwiak. "Eu ambassadors have green lighted sanctions against 2 people and 4 companies responsible for the construction of the Kerch bridge. Will be formalised later this week," he tweeted on September 28, 2020. Eu ambassadors have green lighted sanctions against 2 people and 4 companies responsible for the construction of the Kerch bridge. Will be formalised later this week. #Ukraine#Russia#Crimea Rikard Jozwiak (@RikardJozwiak) September 28, 2020 Background Name: Will Haskell Party: Democrat Race: 26th state Senate district As a 22-year-old candidate, Will Haskell defeated longtime incumbent Toni Boucher in 2018 to become the youngest member of the General Assembly, representing the 26th state Senate district. Despite his age, the Georgetown University graduate was not a political newcomer, having worked on numerous campaigns including those of U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy and U.S. Representative Jim Himes, both Democrats. While in office, Haskell has worked to improve transportation and to encourage students to remain in Connecticut after college. In 2019 he co-sponsored three bills to curb gun deaths, including a ban on ghost guns and new regulations for the safe storage of firearms. Most recently, he voted to expand access to absentee ballots during the COVID-19 pandemic and cap out-of-pocket costs for insulin. He also voted for the police accountability act. Before Haskell was elected, the 26th district was in Republican hands from 1973 until he took office in January 2019. He is being challenged by Kim Healy, a Republican from Wilton. The 26th district encompasses Redding, Ridgefield, Wilton and portions of Bethel, New Canaan, Weston, and Westport. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-28 20:04:12|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close HONG KONG, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- The COVID-19 pandemic continues to spread in some Asia-Pacific countries as cases in India surpassed 6 million on Monday and the Philippines' cases surge to 307,288. India's COVID-19 tally surpassed 6 million on Monday, reaching 6,074,702, as the death toll reached 95,542, said the latest data released by the health ministry. As many as 82,170 new cases and 1,039 deaths were registered in the past 24 hours across the country. Still there are 962,640 active cases in the country, while 5,016,520 people have been successfully cured and discharged from hospitals. The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the Philippines surged to 307,288 after the country's Department of Health (DOH) reported 3,073 new daily cases. The DOH said the number of recoveries also rose to 252,665 after 163 more patients recovered. Meanwhile, 37 more patients died from the viral disease, bringing the death toll to 5,381. The Philippines' capital Metro Manila topped the regions in the country with the highest number of 1,158 daily confirmed cases. Five more U.S. soldiers in South Korea have tested positive for COVID-19 amid the lingering worry about the virus spread, the U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) said. The total number of infections among the USFK-affiliated personnel rose to 198, according to the Yonhap news agency. Worries remain in the country over the spread of the COVID-19. In the latest tally, South Korea reported 50 more confirmed COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, raising the total tally to 23,661. Australia recorded its fewest new coronavirus cases in about three months when three new deaths were reported. As of Monday afternoon, there had been 27,044 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Australia, and the number of new cases in last 24 hours is five. All five new cases were reported in Victoria, the hardest-hit state by the COVID-19 pandemic in the country, which is the lowest number of new cases since June 12 when four cases were reported in the state. There were another three COVID-19 deaths in Victoria between Sunday and Monday, taking the national death toll to 875. Thailand has extended emergency rule against the COVID-19 pandemic for a sixth time until the end of October. The government-run Center for the COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA), chaired by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, decided on Monday to extend the emergency decree for another month so that it will be further enforced nationwide against the pandemic until October 31, according to officials attached to Government House. Thailand's emergency rule has been consecutively extended one month at a time with October marking its sixth month. Laos has conducted over 50,000 tests for the COVID-19 pandemic since January, with 23 of them being positive, according to the Lao Ministry of Health report. Deputy Director General of the Department of Communicable Diseases Control under Lao Ministry of Health, Sisavath Soutthaniraxay, told a press conference held in the Lao capital Vientiane on Monday that Laos has been carrying out tests on a daily basis to detect coronavirus infections since January, completing 51,084 in total so far. Among the people tested, 23 have been confirmed to be infected with the virus and 22 of the patients have been discharged from hospitals. Enditem Calls for intensified solidarity with the Palestinian people to defeat the shameful normalisation deals with Israel Iraqi Communist Party Statement A ceremony was held in Washington DC [on 16th September] for the signing of the normalisation agreements between the UAE and Bahrain on one hand and Israel on the other hand, under the auspices of Trump and Netanyahu, in another humiliating step in the humiliating process of normalisation with the Israeli occupation. This step came after the normalisation agreement last month between the UAE and Israel, with American blessing, and despite widespread popular rejection. It is no secret that the timing of the announcement of the normalisation of relations between some Arab countries and Israel, which had been taking place behind the scenes, came about under pressure from the US president for electoral purposes and to enhance the position of Netanyahu, who is being legally pursued for corruption in Israel, and to appease the Zionist lobby in the US. These agreements confirm the involvement of these Arab regimes in implementing the infamous so-called Deal of the Century as part of US imperialist strategy to enhance its hegemony over the Middle East region through the establishment of a new regional alliance led by Israel. The Arab Leagues position, expressed in the statement of Arab foreign ministers on 9th September 2020, totally disregarding any reference to Emirati-Israeli normalisation, was effectively a green light and a political cover for other countries to scramble for normalisation with Israel. The misleading media of the countries involved in these humiliating agreements portray them as just peace agreements that bring security, stability and prosperity to the signatory states and to the whole region. But they conceal the fundamental meaning of these agreements which Netanyahu, who is enraptured by the political gain he has achieved, claims are based on peace for peace, not land for peace, which is the principle adopted by most factions of the Palestinian national liberation movement, as well as by the Arab Initiative and UN resolutions. According to these humiliating agreements, the right of Israel to the lands it has usurped since its establishment is recognised. In addition, the right of return for the displaced and those who were dispossessed of their lands by the Zionists is relinquished. These agreements also endorse the acts of aggression committed by Israel against Lebanon, Syria and other Arab countries, the oppression and violations against the Palestinian people and their basic rights, and the annexation of territories. All UN resolutions have affirmed the recognition of these just rights of the Palestinian people and obligated Israel to withdraw from the territories it occupied in 1967. Any agreement that is not based on assuring the basic and inalienable rights of the Palestinian people on their land, putting an end to the Israeli occupation and recognising the right of the Palestinian people to establish their independent national state on the land of Palestine with Jerusalem as its capital, can only be described as a surrender agreement that blatantly denies the just cause of the Palestinian people and their struggle, that is full of sacrifices, to end the abhorrent occupation. It will not bring security and stability to the region. Confronting these accelerated normalisation steps to legitimise the Zionist occupation under the auspices of the Trump administration, which also threaten security and peace in the Middle East region, requires all patriotic and liberation forces in the Arab countries to mobilise the energies of their peoples to intensify solidarity with the Palestinian people and the unified position announced by their national organisations and factions, and support their popular initiatives. It also requires developing effective forms of coordination with them, to block the path of the shameful normalisation scheme and expose its goals. In addition, defeating this scheme requires active participation with all the free people in the world in order to raise the voice of solidarity, to demand the implementation of UN resolutions on Palestine, and call for an end to the Zionist occupation and enabling the Palestinians as a people to exercise their right to self-determination, return to their homeland and establish an independent Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital. Political Bureau Iraqi Communist Party LJUBLJANA (dpa-AFX) - Slovakia's producer prices continued to decline in August, figures from the Statistical Office of the Slovak Republic showed on Monday. The producer price index fell 1.0 percent year-on-year in August, same as in July. The domestic market prices rose 0.1 percent annually in August, after a 0.4 percent increase in the previous month. Prices for mining and quarrying rose 0.7 percent yearly in August, while those of manufacturing fell 3.1 percent. Prices for electricity, gas, steam and air-condition supply grew 5.5 percent and those of water supply gained 1.6 percent. On a monthly basis, producer prices rose 0.3 percent in August, following a 0.2 percent increase in the preceding month. 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. Egypt has praised the prisoner swap agreement signed between the Yemeni government and the Houthi rebel group during talk held in Geneva, a statement by the foreign ministry said on Monday. Yemen's warring parties have agreed to exchange some 1,000 prisoners, including 19 Saudi soldiers, at United Nations-sponsored talks as part of trust-building steps aimed at reviving a stalled peace process, sources told Reuters on Sunday. Egypt urged the immediate implementation of the agreement, and by extension the release of all prisoners and detainees in line with the 2018 Stockholm agreement. Yemen has been mired in conflict since the Iran-aligned Houthi group ousted the government of President Abd Rabbu Mansour Hadi from the capital Sanaa in late 2014. A Saudi-led military coalition in 2015 intervened in a bid to restore the government. The United Nations says Yemen is home to the world's biggest humanitarian crisis. Search Keywords: Short link: New court hearings are scheduled for October 8. Kyiv's Shevchenkivsky district court has ruled that former Donbas war volunteer and musician Andrii Antonenko, a suspect in the murder case of journalist Pavel Sheremet, should remain in custody. The jury did not satisfy a motion filed by Antonenko's lawyers for a change in his measure of restraint from arrest to release on personal recognizance, an UNIAN correspondent reported on September 28. Read alsoSheremet case: Ankle monitor removed from suspect Kuzmenko "The motion should be dismissed. The ruling may be appealed in Kyiv's Court of Appeals," the presiding judge, Oksana Holub, said. She also announced that the next hearings on the case would begin at 13:30 Kyiv time on October 8. The court is to determine the procedure for examining evidence and hear the parties' motions. Sheremet murder case: Details Federal Department of Foreign Affairs Bern, 28.09.2020 - Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis, head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs an Italian speaker from the canton of Ticino met today with government representatives of the Italian-speaking part of Switzerland. Mr Cassis and members of the Council of State of the canton of Ticino and representatives of the government of Graubunden discussed, among other matters, the current coronavirus situation, cross-border relations, relations with the EU, and the promotion of multilingualism and the language and culture of Switzerland's Italian-speaking population. Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis maintains a regular political dialogue with the cantonal governments of Ticino and Graubunden. Their last meeting was held on 30 March 2020 at the height of the COVID-19 crisis. Today's meeting in Bellinzona was an opportunity to address other issues of mutual interest that concern the Italian-speaking part of Switzerland, in particular the promotion of multilingualism and the language and culture of Switzerland's Italian-speaking community. Federal Councillor Cassis underlined the efforts made by the FDFA to uphold the interests of minorities and to ensure fair linguistic representation in the Federal Administration and federal government-associated business. Mr Cassis emphasised the need to never lower our guard in supporting multilingualism in Switzerland, which is not only essential for Switzerland's national cohesion but is also a valuable asset that sets Switzerland apart internationally and enhances the credibility of its good offices in multiple crises. Federal Councillor Cassis and the cantonal representatives also took stock of the health and economic impact of the coronavirus, particularly as winter is fast approaching. "The COVID-19 crisis has once again shown us the value of federalism and national cohesion, as well as cooperation with neighbouring countries," noted Cassis. He also briefed the cantonal government representatives on the status of Swiss relations with the EU, including in light of the result of Sunday's federal popular initiative 'For moderate immigration' (Limitation Initiative), which was rejected by Swiss voters as a whole but accepted by a majority of the electorate in Ticino. They also discussed relations with Italy, and in particular the progress made in recent months towards the conclusion of an agreement on the taxation of cross-border commuters. Other topics discussed included the use of hydroelectric power, the next Swiss Ambassadors' Conference, which will be held in Pontresina, and the Swiss School in Milan, which receives support from the cantons of Ticino and Graubunden. Address for enquiries FDFA Communication Federal Palace West Wing CH-3003 Bern, Switzerland Tel. Communication service: +41 58 462 31 53 Tel. Press service: +41 58 460 55 55 E-mail: kommunikation@eda.admin.ch Twitter: @SwissMFA Publisher Federal Department of Foreign Affairs https://www.eda.admin.ch/eda/en/home.html If the words Get a Flu Shot are on your to-do list this year, youre apparently not alone. According to a recent survey of 7,000 consumers across Ontario and Atlantic Canada conducted by Pharmasave, 86 per cent of respondents are planning to get the vaccination this time around. Theres a big difference between planning something and getting it done, though. And, this year, depending on who you believe, getting a flu shot is either going to be easier than ever or so darned inconvenient that we may experience a twindemic of simultaneous influenza and COVID-19 waves. Most people agree on one thing however, namely, that its more important than ever to get vaccinated against influenza. There are multiple reasons for this, starting with the fact that, even from a purely self-interested point of view, the flu is miserable at best and potentially life-threatening at worst. We also get the flu shot to protect vulnerable populations, however, and this year we need to re-commit to protecting others, including our health care workers, who could be overwhelmed with both a bad flu season and COVID-19. Some doctors are hoping we can avoid a bad flu season with an aggressive vaccination strategy. Since were clearly already in the throes of a second wave, public school classes are at full capacity and leaked documents have revealed that the provincial government is trying to avoid another shutdown, it seems this concern is warranted. Last week, the Pediatrician Alliance of Ontario launched a petition urging the Ontario government to prevent an emergent public health crisis looming before us. And this week, the provincial government announced that it would buy 5.1 million flu shots, which is 700,000 more than what was used (not necessarily bought) last year. How will they get those shots into people? Theyre going to tell us the rest of the plan later. Its going to be great, though. My mind immediately jumped to giant clinics, manned by professional public health workers, nurses and doctors, set up in, say, the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, York Universitys Vari Hall and/or any number of vacant buildings across Ontario. It appears there are no such plans since, when I asked about that, this was the answer from the Ontario Ministry of Health. The injectable quadrivalent influenza vaccine will be available to everyone six months of age and older who live, work or go to school in Ontario. This vaccine will be available for free to the public through primary care providers, public health units, pharmacies (for those five years of age and older), and in places like long-term care homes, workplaces, hospitals and community health centres. Hopefully not the same 60 pharmacies that are now going to double as COVID testing centresa new plan to outsource testing, since there are impossibly long lines outside of the COVID-19 Assessment Centres across the province. Also, none of this addresses the concerns of the pediatricians, who flagged accessibilitynot the number of doses. Especially for children five and under, who cant get a vaccine from a pharmacist. I asked Toronto Public Health if it had plans to go big with its clinics and, unfortunately, its plan is the oppositeclinics will be smaller, to allow for social distancing. Were assuming they mean fewer people, not physically smaller. People might have to wait outside or in their cars and if youre one of the 28 per cent of households (mine included) who dont have a car, bundle up. Maybe, the same way that Americans have to make a plan to vote, its time to make a plan to get a flu shot. We dont have clear details as to when theyll hit the stores, but it could be as early as the second week of October. Im calling the pharmacy right after Thanksgiving, since, as Jaspreet Chager, senior manager of Pharmacy Innovation at Pharmasave East, explained to me, its not going to be business as usual this year. Were safeguarding patients and staff alike by moving more to an appointment-based type of model that allows the pharmacist to screen patients for COVID prior to their coming into the pharmacy, says Chager. So I think it will be quite important for patients to know, for this year, that things may look a little different but its all being done with the intent to keep everybody safe. And, given the precautions, it might move a little more slowly. Of course, if everyone was as attentive to social distancing as the pharmacists are, we wouldnt have to worry as much about flu or COVID-19, since theyre both transmitted in pretty similar ways. Droplets are the most common culprit with flu, since they can be spread up to six feet apart, according to the United States Centers for Disease Control and Protection. In other words, another way to combat influenza this winter would be to aggressively fight COVID-19. We could accomplish this by listening to epidemiologists or mimicking countries that have achieved successful COVID-19 control with smaller class sizes, meaningful shutdowns, further restrictions on non-essential businesses, mandatory mask rules with real teeth and plenty of proper protective equipment for essential workers. Australia, which enacted very serious lockdown measures, including mandatory masks (even in outdoor areas) in cities such as Melbourne, essentially didnt have a flu season this year. According to Worldometer , Australia not only beat the flu, it also has only 34 COVID-19 deaths per million people. Canada has 245 per million. Admittedly, were still better here than the United States, which has 626 deaths per million and counting. (People quibble with specific numbers on Worldometer statistics, so we should take this with a grain of salt, but the general trend is crystal clear.) Unlike America, where the coronavirus is a train wreck, here its merely chugging along, especially in Ontario, where the classrooms are packed, testing centres are lined up and the number of COVID cases is steadily rising. But at least Ontario is open for business. None of this means you should skip the flu shot. Move it up on your list. Make a plan. Every new COVID-19 case is an indication that were not doing a very good job at controlling viruses of any sort at all. With such a laissez-faire attitude guiding decisions in Ontario, we have to look after ourselvesand each othermore than ever. Read more about: Uma Bharti in Ayodhya for Ram temple's bhumi pujan, after saying no Uma Bharati's Bureaucracy is there to pick up our chappals remarks sparks controversy Covid positive Uma Bharti hospitalised, says wants to appear for Babri case verdict India oi-Deepika S New Delhi, Sep 28: Former union minister Uma Bharti, who has tested positive for the coronavirus has been admitted to AIIMS, Rishikesh for her treatment. The senior BJP leader said that if authorities allow her, then she would like to appear in the special CBI court of Lucknow on Wednesday when it is likely to pronounce the verdict in the 1992 Babri Masjid demolition case. "I have just been admitted to AIIMS, Rishikesh. There are three reasons: Dr Harshvardhan is worried for me; I got a high fever at (Sunday) night; and if I get a positive nod from the AIIMS after tests, then I would like to appear in the CBI court of Lucknow the day after tomorrow," she tweeted in Hindi. On Sunday, Bharti said that she tested positive for the COVID-19 on Sunday after returning from the Himalayas. Meanwhile, a special court will pronounce its verdict in the Babri Masjid demolition case on September 30. Special judge, S K Yadav has directed all accused persons to remain present in the court when the verdict is being read out. In August, the Supreme Court extended by a month the deadline for completion of trial in the 1992 Babri Masjid demolition case involving 32 accused, including BJP veterans L K Advani, M M Joshi and Uma Bharti, and said that judgement should be delivered by September 30. Amrinder Singh joins farmers' protest, says 'Pakistan's ISI may take advantage' | Oneindia News Kesavananda Bharti and others vs State of Kerala: When democracy was saved in 1973 The mosque in Ayodhya was demolished on December 6, 1992, by 'kar sevaks' who claimed that an ancient Ram temple stood at the same site. Former deputy prime minister L K Advani and BJP veteran MM Joshi, who were among those leading the Ram temple movement at that time, had deposed before the court through video conferencing. The court has also recorded statements of BJP stalwarts like Kalyan Singh and Uma Bharti, both of whom appeared in person. MEXICO CITY - Gunmen killed 11 people, including four women, early Sunday in a bar in the central Mexico state of Guanajuato. State prosecutors said the bullet-ridden bodies were found at a bar near the town of Jaral del Progreso. The area is near the border with Michoacan state, which has been a point of incursion for the Jalisco cartel, which wants to move into Guanajuato. Local media reported the four dead women may have been employed as dancers at the bar, located on the side of a highway. There was no immediate information on a possible motive in the attack, but it bore the signs of a drug gang killing. Guanajuato has been the most violent state in Mexico in recent years, but authorities had hoped the detention of a leader of a local gang on Aug. 2 would help stem the violence. The detained leader of the Santa Rosa de Lima gang, Jose Antonio Yepez Ortiz, was better known by his nickname El Marro, which means The Sledgehammer. He had long fought a bloody turf battle with the Jalisco cartel, and authorities blamed him for much of the violence in the industrial and farming state. While murders across the state dropped slightly to 339 in August from 403 in July, they may be rebounding in September as gang members fight to fill the vacuum left by Yepez Ortizs detention. Read more about: Donald Trump announced Amy Coney Barrett as his nomination for the Supreme Court on Saturday. (Getty Images) A Republican fundraising group has stirred controversy after copying a nickname affectionately given to the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and using it on a t-shirt design to support President Donald Trumps nomination for the nation's highest court, Judge Amy Coney Barrett. WinRed, a grassroots fundraising group committed to electing Republicans, encouraged donors to show their support for the presidents nominee by purchasing the t-shirt, which featured an image of Judge Barrett and a crown on top of her head. The shirt reads: Notorious A.C.B. In support of Amy Coney Barrett, we have made a shirt that you can purchase! The shirts are LIMITED, so get yours while you still can! #ACB4SUPREMECOURT https://t.co/Bd84AKUpgk Team Marco (@TeamMarco) September 26, 2020 The new nickname for Mr Trumps nominee was immediately seen as a take on the moniker The Notorious R.B.G., which was reportedly given to Justice Ginsburg by a law student. The late justice embraced the nickname a reference to the legendary rapper Christopher Wallace, who went by the stage name The Notorious B.I.G. throughout her career. GOP-led campaign committees like the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) promoted the t-shirt across social media, prompting immediate backlash from supporters of the late justice as well as lawmakers on Capitol Hill alike. The shirt was also promoted by an official Twitter account for the re-election campaign of Republican Senator Marco Rubio. The account wrote on Saturday along with an image of the shirt: In support of Amy Coney Barrett, we have made a shirt that you can purchase! The shirts are LIMITED, so get yours while you still can! The point of this, of course, is just to be awful. To stick a finger in the eye of Ginsburg's grieving family and anyone mourning her loss. But also, it's a reminder to do something - anything - tomorrow that will make sure the people who did this aren't in charge come January. https://t.co/AoyAW31cT0 Chris Murphy (@ChrisMurphyCT) September 27, 2020 Someday will have to explain to my grandkids that the country did nothing about COVID or climate change, trashed our global reputation and elected mean-spirited incompetents just to own the libs. https://t.co/FNbWUsr36K Ben Rhodes (@brhodes) September 27, 2020 This makes me sick to my stomach. https://t.co/88O20sD8Rf Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) September 27, 2020 Senator Chris Murphy released statement saying the point of the shirt was just to be awful and to stick a finger in the eye of Ginsburgs grieving family and anyone mourning her loss. Story continues He added: Its a reminder to do something anything tomorrow that will make sure the people who did this arent in charge come January. California Governor Gavin Newsom simply wrote in a tweet: This makes me sick to my stomach. Meanwhile, CJ Wallace, son of the New York City rapper, told the Today Show his father likely would have enjoyed sharing the moniker with Justice Ginsburg, who was appointed to the Supreme Court just four years before his father was killed in a 1997 drive-by shooting. "Brooklyn, New York, represents no fear, confidence, and speaking your truth, and my dad and Justice Ginsburg lived those words," he said. "I think he would be honored to share the 'Notorious' title with her, and it's up to us to honor their legacies by continuing to fight for equality and justice for all by voting and getting into good trouble." In a pair of injunctions, U.S. District Judge Emmet G. Sullivan of Washington, D.C., sided with the states of New York, Hawaii and New Jersey and the cities of New York and San Francisco. The judge also sided with 15 voters and voter registration groups in a separate suit. The voter suit argued that resulting mail delays would deny thousands of people the constitutional right to vote. The cities and states alleged that Postmaster General Louis DeJoy disrupted operations without first submitting changes to the Postal Regulatory Commission, and told Congress he had no intention of returning removed collection boxes or high-speed sorting equipment. Narendra Modi told the UN that India didn't think 'about its own vested interests' Instead it 'always thought about the interests of the whole humankind' It comes after months of tense border standoffs between India and China Dispute over 2,170-mile border separating Chinese and Indian-held territories Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi appeared to take a subtle swipe at China in his speech to the UN after months of tense between the two nuclear-armed nations. In what has been widely interpreted as a back-handed swipe at the communist superpower, India's Prime Minister said his nation 'always thought about the interests of the whole humankind and not about its own vested interests'. ADVERTISEMENT It comes after months of tense border standoffs between the two countries over a disputed 2,170-mile border separating Chinese and Indian-held territories from Ladakh in the west to India's eastern state of Arunachal Pradesh. Mr Modi also used his speech to take a swipe at the intergovernmental organization for not allowing it a permanent say ahead of India taking on it's two-year seat as a non-permanent member in January. He said: 'For how long will India be kept out of the decision-making structures of the United Nations?' Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi (pictured) appeared to take a subtle swipe at China in his speech to the UN after months of tense between the two nuclear-armed nations In what has been widely interpreted as a back-handed swipe at the communist superpower (Chinese President Xi Jinping, pictured), India's Prime Minister said his nation 'always thought about the interests of the whole humankind and not about its own vested interests' With 1.3 billion people, he said, India is the world's largest democracy, has 18 per cent of the world's population and is strongly committed 'to maintain the relevance of this great institution.' While China claims the border separating the two territories in its entirety, both nations agreed to 'quickly disengage' their troops earlier this month. Mr Modi said: 'Any gesture of friendship by India towards one country is not directed against any third country. 'When India strengthens its development partnership, it is not with any mala fide intent of making the partner country dependent or hapless.' He said India has 'always thought about the interests of the whole humankind and not about its own vested interests'. The dispute over Ladakh, a region abutting Kashmir, stemmed from a 1962 border war which ended in an uneasy truce. The two countries have agreed not to attack each other with firearms, but troops guarding the border have brawled at times. A new standoff began in May and escalated in June into a clash in which soldiers used clubs, stones and their fists. ADVERTISEMENT Twenty Indian soldiers were killed and dozens of others were injured. China is believed to have also suffered casualties but has not provided any details. The rivals have since amassed tens of thousands of soldiers, backed by artilleries, tanks and fighter jets, in Ladakh. In recent weeks, India and China have accused each other of sending soldiers into each other's territory in an area near glacial Pangong Lake and have firing warning shots for the first time in 45 years, raising the specter of a full-scale military conflict between the two nuclear-armed nations with the world's largest populations. At least 20 Indian soldiers, including a colonel, were killed in June during a mass brawl at the border, which reportedly involved clubs. Officially no shots have been fired in the area since 1975 when four Indian troops were killed in an ambush Neither Modi nor Chinese President Xi Jinping directly mentioned it in their speeches to the assembly this week. In the speech, he also pledged to help the world produce and deliver potential coronavirus vaccines while making no mention of the heavy toll the pandemic has taken on his own country, where the enormous population has suffered among the highest numbers of cases and deaths in the world. Modi's remarks to the UN General Assembly - pre-recorded because the gathering is virtual this year - also said nothing about growing tensions with neighboring Pakistan, whose prime minister, Imran Khan, devoted much of his speech Friday to assailing India, leading to a sharp exchange between the two countries' diplomats in the Assembly hall. Click here to resize this module Instead, Modi cast India as a country that treats 'the whole world as one family,' emphasized the country's push for a bigger role at the UN, and touted domestic initiatives in areas from technology to sewage sanitation. ADVERTISEMENT And he promised that the country's robust pharmaceutical industry would be an international asset in the pandemic. 'India's vaccine production and delivery capacity will be used to help all humanity in fighting this crisis,' Modi said, adding that his country would also help others boost their capacity to provide cold storage for the potential inoculations. An Indian army convoy moves on the Srinagar- Ladakh highway at Gagangeer, northeast of Srinagar, Indian-controlled Kashmir, this month. Tensions have been mounting between the nuclear armed nations since a melee between troops ended with 20 Indian soldiers killed India, the world's second-most populous country, has reported over 93,000 deaths from Covid-19, fewer only than the US and Brazil, according to figures collected by Johns Hopkins University. India also is behind only the U.S. in number of cases, with 5.9 million reported so far. However, India's daily number of new cases has been declining, with recoveries exceeding reported new cases this week. Modi said the UN hadn't done enough in the virus fight - 'where is its effective response?' Saying the world body has fallen short on other issues over its 75 years, he used the anniversary to press for change. Members of the Tibetan Youth Congress participate in a July street protest calling for the boycott of Chinese goods in Dharmsala, India, amid mounting tensions between the nations. India's economy relies heavily on Chinese goods, which have faced a backlash He made no reference to India's increasingly heated relations with neighbors Pakistan. India and Pakistan split control over Kashmir, a Muslim-majority Himalayan area claimed by both. The nuclear-armed neighbors have fought two wars over the territory. India accuses Pakistan of arming and training insurgents fighting for Kashmir's independence from India. Pakistan denies the charge and says it offers only diplomatic and moral support to the rebels. The tension hit a new turning point in August 2019, when Modi's Hindu nationalist-led government stripped the Indian-controlled part of Kashmir and the neighboring Jammu district of their semi-autonomy, removed inherited protections on land and jobs and cracked down on security and communications. Armed with spears: Chinese troops near the disputed Himalayan border with India this month where gunfire is banned but soldiers fought in deadly hand-to-hand combat in June An internet and social media blackout lasted until March. Residents of the Indian-controlled area say security forces have arrested thousands of young men, raided people's homes, inflicted beatings and electric shocks, and threatened to take away and marry their female relatives. Thousands of protesters have been wounded by shotgun pellets over the past year. UN-appointed independent human rights experts have called the situation 'alarming.' Khan, in his pre-recorded speech shown Friday, urged the international community to investigate and 'prosecute the Indian civil and military personnel involved in state terrorism and serious crimes against humanity,' and he called India a state sponsor of anti-Muslim hatred and prejudice. ADVERTISEMENT India on Friday said Khan was spreading 'lies, misinformation, warmongering and malice' as the two countries traded barbed remarks in the Assembly hall, where rules allow nations to respond to one another's speeches. Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett is in the grip of dogmas. So goes a criticism made by, ironically, the most dogmatic of people. In fact, the gripe reflects a certain dogma-born prejudice. Oh, I dont speak of the anti-Catholic, anti-religious, anti-pro-life and anti-conservative varieties, though theyre also present. Nor do I refer to how a Muslim nominee would never be subjected to such scorn. Rather, the prejudice here is seldom recognized and something even good people may exhibit. The dogma lives loudly in you, Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) told Barrett in 2017 during the latters nomination hearing for the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals. My answer to the senator would have begun with a simple but sage statement: In truth, there are only two kinds of people; those who accept dogma and know it, and those who accept dogma and dont know it. This was written by potentate of profundity G.K. Chesterton in 1923, and he was, of course, correct (and still is). One of Feinsteins apparent dogmas, for instance, is a common one: that only religious people have dogmas. The Merriam-Webster dictionary lists dogmas very first definition as a: something held as an established opinion, and, boy, the Lefts minions arent short on established opinions. They take as self-evident, for example, that racism, sexism, homophobia and transphobia are wrong. Moreover, the Lefts latest dogmatic model labeled wokeness with typical Idiocracy-level sophistication upholds many additional dogmas: white privilege, Critical Race Theory dictates, the idea that police unfairly target blacks, the claim that abortion is civil right, etc. The Left also dogmatically punishes heretics with a societal enforcement mechanism called cancel culture. Some may respond that, unlike religious dogmas, the aforementioned have not been officialized. But this is a false argument. First, many leftists dogmas are part of the Democrat Partys and other liberal organizations platforms/guiding principles. More significantly, however, a beliefs correctness or incorrectness isnt altered by its organizational adoption. Its nature is what it is, and, in fact, beliefs are always embraced informally (at least by some) before theyre ever declared official organization positions. Why, Catholic beliefs, some of which so trouble the left-wing dogmatists, were themselves held as true by many faithful Catholics long before being declared dogma (e.g., the Trinity, not established as official Church doctrine until the Council of Nicea in 325). Furthermore, it is personal, passionately held dogma thats far more relevant to an individuals job performance than dogma officially declared by an organization with which he may have some association. Consider Catholic Justice Sonya Sotomayor. Since her judicial opinions certainly arent constrained by constitutional dictates, ask yourself what appears to most inform them. Catholic teachingor what we currently call leftism? Because something does. The point is that everyone has a world view a philosophical foundation that shapes his positions on everything else. For example, if you believe man is divinely created and infused with a soul upon conception, youll almost assuredly be pro-life. But if youre an atheist, declared or de facto, and consider man just a soulless organic robot comprising some pounds of chemicals and water, you may subscribe to the baby-as-unviable-tissue-mass thesis. Both these positions reflect dogmas. But the dogmas are only recognized as such with respect to the pro-life position because they happen to be dogmas the culture-shaping pseudo-elites, ever blind to their own dogmas, dont like. Either way, though, youll vote to overturn Roe v. Wade if youre true to the Constitution because it does not guarantee a right to abortion. This is where it gets interesting, however. Its clear that so-called religious justices such as Clarence Thomas and the late Antonin Scalia who certainly believe theres a higher law than the Constitution and are supposedly enslaved by dogma, are nonetheless far more likely to adhere to our founding document than their more secular colleagues. This isnt merely because, as Ive explained, the Constitution is by its nature a conservative document. Its not even just that religious justices apparently take oaths more seriously, especially those concluding with So help me God. Its also, first, that since they recognize ours as an ordered universe of moral absolutes, theyre oriented toward absolutes and are more likely to accept legal absolutes as just that like them or not. Second, having the humility born of worshipping God and accepting that theyre not Him, theyre less apt to deify themselves and play God. This constitutional adherence, by the way, is precisely what leftists dont want despite their claims to the contrary. They instead want likeminded justices who view the Constitution as, to quote Thomas Jefferson, a mere thing of waxwhich they may twist and shape in to any form they please. Speaking of which, it is these liberal/secular judges who upon nomination to a higher court should be grilled mercilessly. They should be asked: With what dogma do you justify, wholly contrary to the framers intent, treating the Constitution as a living document? The most fundamental answer is one they wouldnt offer even if they were introspective enough to grasp it. To wit: They reject Truth (absolute by definition) and thus are relativists and, ultimately, such people too often make everything relative to themselves (My will be done!). Hence the judicial thing-of-wax rationalization called pragmatism. Speaking of illusions, theres another common prejudice here, one related to that concerning dogmas. Its the idea, implicit in Feinsteins Barrett criticism, that authentic religiosity should be a disqualifying factor. Its also reflected in our separation of church and state (which is not in the Constitution) dogma, which places religion on the back of the bus. But consider: If the ideas in question really are handed down by God, the Creator of the Universe and Author of All, dont we have an obligation to infuse our public square and schools with them? To this the secularists will say, Well, thats your belief in sky fairies. But these ideas are just man-made. Yet if so, why discriminate against them? Why say that ideas we happen to call secular may be in the public square but those we happen to call religious may not be? If theyre all man-made, wherein lies the relevant difference? The truth hiding in plain sight is that in the most important sense, the religious/secular distinction is a false distinction. Note here that the current predominant usage of secular dates back only to the mid-19th century. In fact, once upon a time in the West the religious vs. secular dichotomy would have made no sense to people at all. Our remote ancestors viewed the relevant distinction as being, most simply put, the true vs. the untrue. Now, you may take issue with, lets say, medieval mans conception of Truth, but the logic is airtight. Consider: If Marxism is essentially false, whats most significant: that we call it secular or that its untrue? If God is real, whats most significant: that belief in Him is labeled religious or that it is true? Oh, and for those assuming theres some greater correlation between so-called secularism and whats true, the birth of Nazism, fascism, Marxism and other sordid and sundry isms says otherwise. There is only the true and the untrue anything obscuring this reality is dark unreality. And the truth about Amy Coney Barrett is, quite possibly, not that the Democrats are afraid shell impose Catholicism. Theyre perhaps afraid that because she honors God, shell also honor her oath and impose constitutionalism. Contact Selwyn Duke, follow him on Gab or Parler (preferably) or Twitter, or log on to SelwynDuke.com. Image credit: Rachel Malehorn, via Wikimedia Commons // CC BY-SA 3.0 Industry body COAI on Monday said it looks forward to working with new chairman P D Vaghela, as it sought continued support of the telecom regulator and the government for a stable regulatory environment for growth of the digital services sector. The comments of the apex industry association came after senior bureaucrat Vaghela was on Monday appointed as chairman of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI). Vaghela, a 1986-batch IAS officer of the Gujarat cadre, is currently Secretary, Department of Pharmaceuticals. In a late evening statement, Cellular Operators' Association of India (COAI), Director General, SP Kochhar said, "We heartily welcome Dr P D Vaghela as the new TRAI, Chairman and look forward to working with him for taking forward the telecom industry's critical role in nation-building." The industry is keenly looking for the leadership and support of the regulator and government for creating a more stable regulatory environment, essential for further growth of the digital services sector, he said. This is essential to enable the realisation and timely achievement of government targets specified in the National Digital Communications Policy 2018, Kochhar said. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Union Bridge plant wins PCA's Overall Environmental Excellence Award 28 September 2020 Lehigh Hanson is proud to announce its cement plant in Union Bridge, Maryland, has won the Overall Environmental Excellence Award as part of the 2020 Energy and Environment Awards from the Portland Cement Association (PCA). The awards recognise outstanding environmental and community relations efforts that go above and beyond what is required. Submissions from plants across the US were evaluated and recognised for environmental efforts completed in 2019. Three years ago, Lehigh Cement undertook the Haines Branch Stream mitigation project, which spanned 2.2 miles, and the company has been monitoring the area since project completion. In 2019, after three years of monitoring and allowing ample time for the proper flourishing of flora and fauna, the results and benefits of the project became visible. As a result of the improved water quality, benthic macroinvertebrates and fish populations in the restored section of the Haines Branch Stream have increased in quantity and diversity. In addition, the improvements are attracting numerous wildlife to the region, including white-tailed deer, raccoon, fox, eastern cottontail rabbit, mink, coyote, opossum, great blue heron, wood duck, mallard, barred owl, northern flicker, blue jay, snipe and nesting songbirds. Published under We're all familiar with the biblical story of Christ protecting an allegedly adulterous woman from being stoned. Jesus shows compassion for the woman, disperses the angry crowd, and tells her to leave and stop sinning. It's a story of mercy and redemption. That doesn't suit the Chinese Communist Party. In their retelling, having dispersed the crowd, Jesus single-handedly stones the woman to death, while spouting party propaganda. This may seem hard to believe, but it's true. The rewritten passage comes from a book entitled Professional Ethics and the Law, which the Chinese government uses in its vocational training schools. In the actual New Testament, at John 8:1-11, the scribes and Pharisees bring before him a woman they accused of adultery. They remind him that traditional Jewish law requires that she be stoned. Jesus at first ignores their questions, but then responds, "He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her." The people around Jesus looked into their consciences, and each realized that he could not cast that first stone. Eventually, they all drifted away, leaving Jesus alone with the woman. He asked her where her accusers were, and she said that they had left without condemning her. To this, Jesus answered, "Neither do I condemn thee; go, and sin no more." The Chinese government's version reads as if comes from Monty Python's Life of Brian: The textbook instead subverts the ending to read: "When everyone left, Jesus stoned the woman to death himself, saying, 'I am also a sinner. But if the law could only be enforced by men without blemish, the law would be dead.'" The question section under the passage asks the reader, "Through this short story, how do you view the law?" This is the text that first revealed what the Chinese did: This is in many ways a small story, but sometimes small things are useful to illuminate a larger issue. It is a reminder that, in a socialist state, for those living there, there is nothing but the state. Morality comes from the state and is defined by the needs of the state. The Judeo-Christian tradition, which still holds sway in the Western world, especially in America, is different. Morality comes from an invisible, omnipotent, eternal God. Morality doesn't matter merely because you might be arrested, and it doesn't flex endlessly depending on the needs of the state or the preferences of the despots that head a totalitarian state. Instead, Judeo-Christian morality is timeless and applies to all people in all places. It is a constant, unifying force that is infinitely greater than just another rule. If enough people believe in these permanent, divine values, the resulting country will be stable and safe. Or you could have China, a country that commits genocide against disfavored populations, uses slave labor long after slavery ceased to be the norm in the civilized world (Judeo-Christian values finally drove it out), relies heavily on commercial espionage, and has no hesitation about unloosing a deadly disease on the world. Biden, of course, wants us to be closer to China, the country that gave his son's businesses $1.5 billion. Here's the Life of Brian stoning scene, a foolish comedy that China seems to have taken seriously: Image: Christ and the woman taken in adultery by Jan Rombouts. Public domain. TYSONS, Va., Sept. 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The PenFed Foundation, a national 501(c)3 founded by PenFed Credit Union, today announced it received a generous $100,000 donation from MidCountry Bank to empower military members, veterans and caregivers with financial stability and opportunity. The funds will be used to provide members of the military community with emergency financial assistance, help veterans achieve the dream of home ownership and support investments in veteran entrepreneurs. "We are very thankful for the generosity of MidCountry Bank as we continue to support the military community during these challenging times," said PenFed Foundation President and retired U.S. Army Gen. John "Mick" Nicholson, Jr. "This donation helps us continue our work of ensuring service members are able to serve our nation free of financial worry and that veterans live with a strong financial future." Steve Meads, MidCountry Bank President and CEO added, "MidCountry is grateful for the opportunity to support such an important cause, made even more crucial during the Pandemic. As a community bank, we look for meaningful ways to give back. This new partnership serving veterans in a variety of ways aligns well with our core values." A portion of MidCountry Bank's donation will be used to provide veterans with emergency financial assistance, including funding for the Foundation's COVID-19 Emergency Financial Relief Program. In March 2020, PenFed Foundation became the first national Veterans Service Organization (VSO) to launch a COVID-19 relief program providing emergency financial assistance for veterans and service members. To date, over 1,000 military families have received COVID-19 emergency financial relief since March 17. Funds will also be used to support members of the military community in MidCountry Bank's backyard of Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa and Wisconsin achieve their dreams of home ownership. The Foundation's Dream Makers Grant provides active duty, Reserve, National Guard or veteran first-time homebuyers with matching grants for down payment and closing cost assistance. MidCountry Bank is also supporting veteran entrepreneurs through the Veteran Entrepreneurship Investment Program (VEIP). About PenFed Foundation Founded in 2001, the PenFed Foundation is a national nonprofit organization committed to empowering military service members, veterans and their communities with the skills and resources to realize financial stability and opportunity. It provides service members, veterans, their families and support networks with the skills and resources they need to improve their lives through programs on financial education, homeownership, veteran entrepreneurship and short-term assistance. Affiliated with PenFed Credit Union, the Foundation has the resources to effectively reach military communities across the nation, build strong partnerships, and engage a dedicated corps of volunteers in its mission. The credit union funds the Foundation's personnel and most operational costs, demonstrating its strong commitment to the programs the Foundation provides. Equal Housing Opportunity. To learn more, visit www.penfedfoundation.org . About MidCountry Bank MidCountry Bank is a full-service bank headquartered in Bloomington, MN. With 13 branch locations in Minnesota, MidCountry actively engages in its communities to provide high quality, diversified financial services and solutions for consumer and business clients. A comprehensive scope of banking, cash management, equipment leasing, insurance and investment products, tools and services make MidCountry Bank a solid financial ally. Visit www.MidCountry.bank to learn more. SOURCE PenFed Foundation Related Links http://www.penfedfoundation.org Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-28 18:21:01|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- China's success in controlling COVID-19 means the economy is in a steady revival mode. The following facts and figures indicate how the country is forging ahead in resuming work and production: -- Profits of China's major industrial firms maintained steady recovery in August as the production and operations of enterprises further improved, data showed Sunday. Profits of China's major industrial firms totaled 612.81 billion yuan (about 89.79 billion U.S. dollars) last month, increasing 19.1 percent year on year, data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) showed. The growth narrowed 0.5 percentage points from July. The recovery momentum of industrial profits was further consolidated last month as supply and demand gradually improved, said senior NBS statistician Zhu Hong. -- Vice Premier Hu Chunhua underscored Sunday the need to promote the development of new industries and business patterns in foreign trade. Hu, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks during his inspection of China's eastern economic powerhouse Shanghai. He stressed fostering new industries and business patterns to boost the steady development of foreign trade and contribute to the formation of a new development pattern with the domestic market as the mainstay, while allowing domestic and foreign markets to boost one another. -- Shanghai registered a "pleasant recovery" in its tourism sector during this year's Shanghai Tourism Festival, local authorities said Sunday. During the festival, from Sept. 12 to 27, Shanghai's tourist attractions registered 3.5 million visits, an increase of 28 percent month on month, the Shanghai Municipal Administration of Culture and Tourism said at a press conference. The average occupancy rate of the city's hotels stood at 64 percent during the period, up by 8 percentage points compared with the same period in August, which was already a heated travel season, the administration said. Enditem By Trend The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) is extremely concerned about the exacerbation of the situation around the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Trend reports referring to SCO. We express our hope for the earliest refusal of the opposing sides from the use of force and the beginning of the negotiation process based on the principle of peaceful settlement of disputes in the interests of ensuring security and stability in the region, the organization said. We confirm our readiness to the further development of multilateral and multi-faceted cooperation with Azerbaijan and Armenia as partners in the SCO dialogue on strengthening the atmosphere of mutual trust, friendship and good-neighborliness in the Eurasian space, the SCO noted. Armenian armed forces launched a large-scale military attack on positions of Azerbaijani army on the front line, using large-caliber weapons, mortars and artillery on Sept. 27. Azerbaijan responded with a counter-offensive along the entire front. As a result of retaliation, Azerbajiani troops managed to liberate the territories previously occupied by Armenia: Garakhanbeyli, Garvend, Kend Horadiz, Yukhari, Ashagi Abdulrahmanli villages (Fuzuli district), Boyuk Marjanli, and Nuzgar villages (Jabrayil district). Moreover, the positions of the Armenian armed forces were destroyed in the direction of Azerbaijan's Agdere district and Murovdag, important heights were taken under control. Back in July 2020, Armenian Armed Forces violated the ceasefire in the direction of Azerbaijan's Tovuz district. As a result of Azerbaijan's retaliation, the opposing forces were silenced. The fighting continued the following days as well. Azerbaijan lost a number of military personnel members, who died fighting off the attacks of the Armenian armed forces. The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on the withdrawal of its armed forces from Nagorno Karabakh and the surrounding districts. -- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz New Delhi: Worst clashes have broken out between Christian Majority Armenia and Muslim majority Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh, a dispute dating back 2 decades - a remnant of Soviet legacy. The international community recognises Nagorno-Karabakh as an integral part of Azerbaijan. Ethnic Armenians form the majority of population in this region. Global community have called for ceasefire and have urged Moscow which backs Armenia and Turkey that back Azerbaijan to deescalate the situation in order to avoid a major crisis. The clashes between the two former Soviet republics, which fought a war in the 1990s, were the latest flare-up of a long-running conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh, a breakaway region that is inside Azerbaijan but is run by ethnic Armenians. As always, South Asia has its own views about. India has good ties with both Armenia and Azerbaijan. The North-South international transport corridor goes from Mumbai to Chabahar via Azerbaijan to Moscow, something crucial for India's connectivity plans. Also Read: Armenian, Azerbaijan forces exchange fire again, Karabakh says 15 more soldiers killed Infact, in 2018, the then Indian External affairs minister Sushma Swaraj had visited Fire Temple in Baku in Azerbaijan. The temple was once used by Hindu and Zoroastrian communities, probably by visiting merchants from India as a place of worship. But when it comes to Armenia, it backs India on some key several fronts. Last year in response to a WION question in New York on the sidelines of the united nations general assembly that Turkey has been raking Kashmir, Armenian PM Nikol Pashinyan said,"In the Kashmir issue we fully defend the Indian position and it is our firm position." That time, Indian PM Narendra Modi had even met the Armenian PM. In a tweet, PM Modi said, "Held extensive deliberations with PM @NikolPashinyan. We talked about expanding India-Armenia cooperation in aspects relating to technology, pharmaceuticals and agro-based industries." During the meet, PM Pashinyan referred to the popularity of Indian movies, music and Yoga in Armenia. Earlier this year when Armenian PM was detected with COVID, PM Modi tweeted for a speedy recovery. He said,"In this difficult time of COVID-19 pandemic, wishing Armenian PM @NikolPashinyan and his family a speedy recovery. India stands with Armenia in the fight against COVID-19." Moving on to Pakistan, and it is the only country in the world that does not recognize Armenia. Islamabad's close ties with Azerbaijan and Turkey have a substantial role in this decision. On expected lines, Pakistan was the first and only South Asian country to comment on the clashes so far, and in line with Turkish reaction backing Azerbaijan. Pakistani foreign ministry said, "Pakistan is deeply concerned on the deteriorating security situation in Nagorno-Karabakh region. The intensive shelling by Armenian forces over the weekend on civilian populations of Azerbaijani villages of Terter, Aghdam, Fizuli and Jabrayil region is reprehensible and most unfortunate." Adding," Pakistan stands with the brotherly nation of Azerbaijan and supports its right of self-defence. We support Azerbaijans position on Nagorno-Karabakh, which is in line with the several unanimously adopted UN Security Council resolutions." And like Ankara, Islamabad doesn't recognize the Armenian Genocide during World War 1. During the world war one, Ottomans or present-day Turkey killed 1.5 million ethnic Armenians. Turkey continues to deny the genocide till this date but a number of countries including the US, Russia recognize it. The TikTok download ban, which was set to go info effect Sunday night, was blocked by a federal U.S. judge. Lawyers for TikTok argued during an emergency hearing Sunday morning that the administrations ban preventing the app from being downloaded using the app-store would infringe on First Amendment rights and do irreparable harm to the business, CBS News reported. Judge Carl Nichols of United States District Court for the District of Columbia granted an injunction against that order but did not block the larger ban set to go into effect on Nov. 12, which would ban the use of TikTok in the U.S., CNBC reported. Were pleased that the court agreed with our legal arguments and issued an injunction preventing the implementation of the TikTok app ban. We will continue defending our rights for the benefit of our community and employees,' the company said in a statement. At the same time, we will also maintain our ongoing dialogue with the government to turn our proposal, which the President gave his preliminary approval to last weekend, into an agreement." Talks of a TikTok deal continue to be discussed. President Donald Trump has given tentative approval to a deal proposed earlier this month. The proposal states that Oracle and Walmart would own 20% of a new U.S. entity, TikTok Global, CBS reported. Previously, Trump has said he wants Oracle to have total control of the company. But ByteDance said the deal would leave it still owning 80% of the U.S. entity, the news station reported. Oracle, however, said Americans will be the majority and ByteDance will have no ownership in TikTok Global. For now, Massachusetts TikTok creators are still planning on continuing the way theyve always been. When I first heard the news I was a little shocked and confused to be honest, Kyle Gove, 17, said. Ill still be able to make some videos and do whatever I need to do in the last days. The 17-year-old Revere resident has more than 30,000 followers on TikTok and helped found the.mass.house with fellow 18-year-old TikToker Mario Pizzi from Weymouth. Now Gove and 14 of his peers from the.mass.house are also focusing their attention on other social media platforms, such as Instagram, just in case the ban goes into effect in November. We recently started focusing attention on our Instagram as well, @themasshouse, Gove said. We are recruiting some people to help run the account. But there will definitely be a loss felt by the.mass.house group if TikTok is fully banned. Its given people an outlet to speak their mind, a place to make money, and a platform to meet others, he said. This app has given many people opportunities that wouldnt have been possible if it werent for the app. Related Content: Questo comunicato e stato pubblicato piu di 1 anno fa. Le informazioni su questa pagina potrebbero non essere attendibili. Soap noodles are used in a wide variety of applications, such as household use, special purpose soaps, industries, and others, as they offers constant composition, good detergency, and eco-friendly nature to the product. The global soap noodles market is spanned across five regions of the world namely Asia Pacific, Europe, North America, Latin America, and the Middle East & Africa. Among these, Asia Pacific holds the major share of the global market and is projected to continue leading owing to the increasing consumption of soap noodles in toilet soaps, laundry soaps, lather soaps, and others. It is estimated that the household use segment is set to observe the highest CAGR in the market due to growing use of soap noodles to improve the properties and structural features of the product. Moreover, increasing demand for soap noodles in herbal and aromatherapy soaps is likely to witness a rapid growth during the forecast period. These factors have led to China, India, and Japan to be the major players of this region. Access Report Details @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/soap-noodles-market-1095 The North American market is expected to grow at a healthy CAGR due to extensive consumption of soap noodles in end-use applications. The U.S., Canada, and Mexico have achieved a significant place in the market due to the growing investments in the end-use industries. The growing demand for sanitary products made from soap noodles is estimated to drive the market during the forecast period. A notable development is achieved in Europe due to the growing demand for soap noodles in household use, special purpose soaps, industrial use and others. The rapid urbanization coupled with technology have propelled the market to witness a higher growth. Thus, countries such as Germany, the U.K, and Italy are the major contributors to this market. A considerable development is predicted in the Latin American region such as in Brazil, Uruguay, and Argentina due to the growing consumption of soap noodles in various applications. Moreover, a rapid development is estimated in the Middle East & African region such as Qatar, the U.A.E, and others due to growing health awareness campaign in the region, which has led to a growing use of soap noodles in toilet soaps, herbal soaps, and others. The global soap noodles market share, by region Segmentation The global soap noodles market is segmented into source and applications. On the basis of the source, the market is sub-divided into vegetable oil, and tallow segments. On the basis of the applications, the market is further segregated into household use, special purpose soaps, industrial use, and others Competitive Analysis Some of the well-known players operating in the global soap noodles market are Olivia Impex Pvt Ltd (India), Kerawalla Group (India), Excel Rasayan (India), Royal Chemicals (India), IOI Oleochemicals (Malaysia), Deeno Group ( US), Wilmar International Ltd. (Singapore), VVF ltd (India), 3F GROUP (India), and Musim Mas Holdings (India) among others. Get a FREE Sample Now @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/1095 Know More @ https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2019/07/31/1894462/0/en/Soap-Noodles-Market-To-Be-Driven-By-Surging-Household-Use-By -2023-Says-MRFR.html NOTE: Our team of researchers are studying Covid19 and its impact on various industry verticals and wherever required we will be considering covid19 footprints for a better analysis of markets and industries. Cordially get in touch for more details. COVID-19 Study in Detail: Impact of COVID-19 on Iso-Propyl Alcohol Market Impact of COVID-19 on Steel Extruded Products Market Coronavirus Outbreak and Plastic Films Market Steel giant ArcelorMittal is selling most of its assets in the United States in a $1.4 billion deal -- but its holding on to its massive AM/NS Calvert mill north of Mobile. ArcelorMittal and U.S.-based Cleveland-Cliffs announced the deal Monday morning. Cleveland-Cliffs is acquiring 19 facilities from ArcelorMittal. Most are in the Northeast or Midwest, but they include a galvanizing operation in Mississippi, a finishing plant in North Carolina and a coal mine and a tin plate operation in West Virginia. ArcelorMittal said it would continue to operate a streamlined roster of North American assets. This transaction repositions ArcelorMittals platform in North America which will continue to service its clients through its strategic assets in Canada, Mexico and AM/NS Calvert in the US, said the ArcelorMittal announcement. These assets represent a strong footprint in North America with Dofasco and ArcelorMittal Mexico amongst the lowest cost producers in the region. AM/NS Calvert, which is already amongst the worlds most advanced steel finishing facilities, will be augmented by the recently announced intention to construct an EAF [electric arc furnace] to optimise its slab sourcing. The AM/NS Calvert mill on the northern edge of Mobile County was originally built by ThyssenKrupp and later purchased by a joint venture of ArcelorMittal and Nippon Steel-Sumitomo Metals. Despite the slow start that prompted ThyssenKrupp to sell it off, the mill had gradually revved up to employ around 1,600 people by 2019. Most of its raw steel slabs are imported through the Port of Mobile, where the Pinto Island steel terminal was running at near capacity prior to the slowdown caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. In August, ArcelorMittal announced plans for a major expansion that would add an electric arc furnace to the mill. The company said it was investing $500 million in the upgrade. Mobile County tax abatements and incentives for the project top $29 million; in the month and half since the deal was announced, top officials at the Alabama Department of Commerce have declined to reveal the scope of incentives offered by the state, saying the deal has not yet been finalized. ArcelorMittals announcement said it expects to receive about half a billion dollars in cash up front, plus nearly a billion in stock in Cleveland-Cliffs. ArcelorMittal will participate in the upside potential of the larger combined company, which is more diversified, fully-integrated and has significant synergy potential, the company release said. In a separate announcement and presentation to investors, Cleveland-Cliffs said that the deal would make it the largest flat-rolled steel producer in North America, with combined shipments of approximately 17 million net tons in 2019. The company will also be the largest iron ore pellet producer in North America, with 28 million long tons of annual capacity. The companys assets include a downstream steel production facility in Sylacauga. Israel is Not Only the Tribe of Judah Although most people tend to think that the Jews are the nation of Israel, the truth is that the Jews (ie. from the tribe of Judah) are only one of twelve Israeli tribes. The other eleven tribes are: Revbn (commonly referred to as Reuben), Shmavn (ie. Shimon), Lvi (Levi), Zbvlvn (Zebulun), Yshshchr (Yisschar), Dn (Dan), Gd (Gad), Eshr (Asher), Nptli (Naphtali), Yvsp (Yosef), and Bnymyn (Binyamin). If we count the members of these "lost" tribes, then the total number of Israeli's worldwide is at least 200 million people. Israeli Tribes in Africa The Igbo in Nigeria They are the third largest ethnic group in Nigeria, at around 30 million people. Many of them are avid supporters of Zionism, and some of them have already started treating the Torah's commandments as something that must be kept, instead of only being talked about. The Israelis of Igbo are currently known to include members from the tribes of Dan, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher. Approximately 15% of all Africans abducted to European and American slavery were Igbo, which makes them one of the ethnic groups to suffer the most from the Trans-Atlantic slave trade. The slavery didn't stop in Egypt, but continued at the hands of Western Amaleki countries, who kidnapped, tortured, and enslaved Israelis from Africa. One of the most troubling aspects of this story is that Amaleki slave holders so thoroughly oppressed the Igbo Israelis that many of them were not able to pass down the tradition of their Israeli heritage to their descendants, which is why most African-Americans have no idea whether they are Igbo Israelis or not. Some of them have even joined the American army in order to find a way out of poverty, without knowing that by serving in Afghanistan, they are helping Amalek kill and oppress their fellow Israeli brothers. We can add this to the long list of horrible byproducts of slavery, in addition to the job discrimination, police harassment, discriminatory court proceedings, and media character assassination carried out against African-Americans on a daily basis. The way to recover from American servitude is not that much different than the path of recovery from Egyptian servitude: it requires learning and keeping the Torah, and leaving the land in which you were enslaved, so that you will not be there when they invent a new excuse for subjugating their minorities. Although there have been quite a few academic studies proving the Igbo's Israeli identity, the state of Israel currently refuses to formally recognize their Israeli identity because the state's leaders fear that a formal recognition of the Igbo's Israeliness would cause millions of Igbo's from Nigeria to move to Israel, in which case Israel would stop being a Western state and start being a more Israeli/Yashar-Eli state. Doing so could also lead to an end to the state of Israel's unholy alliance with the West, which is why the state's secular leaders prefer to betray their brothers. The irony of this situation is that the grandparents of many Israeli Jews suffered from the same time of discrimination when British warships stopped them from coming to Israel. Yet they still choose to do the same thing to their brothers with the darker skin. I have listed a few sources about the Igbo's Israeli identity in the article, "Better to Be a Nigger from Nigeria A Letter". The Lemba in Zimbabwe, Malawi, and South Africa They are a congregation of around seventy thousand people, who have kept certain commandments from the Torah, such as: kosher food, male circumcision, socially ostracizing those who choose to marry outside of the congregation (in order to prevent the congregation from assimilating into other cultures), sanctifying one day of the week for resting, and more. They also have a tradition which says that they arrived to Africa by way of Yemen, after leaving Israel. Most of them are currently Muslims or Christians, but genetic testing has shown that many of them carry the specific Y-chromosome associated with the Cohen family, who are supposed to be the spiritual leaders of Israel. This is in addition to other genetic findings. The Rusape in Zimbabwe There are certain resemblances between them and the Lebma, but with fewer proofs about their Israeli identity. I will not outline these proofs here because I am trying to cover many different topics in this book, which is why I cannot expand on the full body of evidence for each lost tribe or even talk about all of the lost tribes. With that said, there is a great need for more research on this topic, and whoever decides to do so is doing a good thing. Madagascar Today, most of them are Christians, but they have a tradition which says that they are from the sons of Israel. One of their princes, Ndriana Rabarioelina, has publicly talked about his family's Israeli identity. Three years ago, 120 of them formally converted to Orthodox Judaism, and there are many others who would like to do so. This is in addition to a small congregation within Madagascar who engage in animal sacrifices in a way that is similar to what is written in the Torah. There are about 25 million people in Madagascar, but I have not seen any information specifying how many of them are from the Israeli tribes. Cameroon Eliyahu Avichail's book claims that there a few hundred thousand Israelis there who have kept some of the Torah's commandments, such as eating kosher food. His book claims that most of them converted to Christianity, but not all of them did so by choice. The Huassa tribe traces its lineage to the Israeli tribe of Yissachar. The Bankon and Ba-Sa tribes also trace their heritage back to Israel, and the Ba-Sa's tribe's name even means "in transit" in Hebrew, which could be a reference to the fact that they wanted to view their stay in Africa as a temporary transit point, until returning to Israel. Somalia Eliyahu Avichail's book does not talk about the Somalis, but Isaiah's prophecy hints that those living on the Somali coast are form the tribe of Zebulun. Many of them are also fishermen, just like the tribe of Zebulun during the First Temple period. Side Note on Somali pirates: Somali piracy began when foreign ships began taking advantage of the Somali navy's weakness to dump industrial waste on the Somali coast. In order to stop the ships from killing off their livelihood, armed fishermen began threatening the ships. Eventually, the completely understandable desire to guard their livelihood and the environment deteriorated into the very undesirable actions of Somali piracy. Israeli Tribes in the Near East The Pashtuns in Afghanistan Here I am going to start bringing evidence to the fact that the Pashtuns in Afghanistan and Pakistan are from the lost tribes of Israel, who fell into exile when Asyria conquered the Kingdom of Israel a few thousand years ago. These Pashtuns are also the ones currently waging a war against American troops who invaded Afghanistan almost twenty years ago. They number around 50 million people. Even though they are Muslim, many of them have a tradition that they are from the tribes of Israel, although I do not know how many of them will be willing to talk about this tradition publicly as long as the State of Israel continues to treat the United States as its best friend. In this section of the book I quote extensively from Eliyahu Avichail's book, "The Tribes of Israel the Lost and The Dispersed", because of his extensive field work in gathering evidence about the identities of Israel's lost tribes. Before delving into Avichail's proofs, I would like to first mention a short movie that also speaks about the Pashtuns' Israeli identity, and even contains interviews with Taliban organizers and village elders who acknowledge their Israeli identity: "Quest for the Lost Tribes Part 1", directed by Simcha Jacobovici. In minute 6:40 of the movie, Dr. Sayid Wahab, a local Pashtun judge, talks about how some of the Pashtuns in rural villages have a tradition of granting shelter to someone accused of murder, which is similar to the Torah commandment to provide cities of shelter to those accused of murder, until it can be determined if it was an accidental death or intentional homicide (Numbers 35, 11). In minute 10:55, Abdullah Musakhel (ie. congregation of Musa/Moses) talks about how his grandfather would tell him that he is Israeli. The interview with Musakhel is especially interesting because he called himself a "Taliban organizer". The Taliban is normally regarded as a fanatical Muslim group, yet, Abdullah Musakhel, an organizer within that group, still found it necessary to speak on camera with an Israeli director (Simcha Jacobovici) about their shared Israeli heritage. With that said, the interview was conducted a few decades ago, before America invaded Afghanistan. I am not so sure if Musakhel or his children would be willing to talk about their Israeli heritage now, considering that the "State" of Israel still remains one of America's best friends in the Middle East. In minute 11:40, Muhumad Ashrat, a village elder, says that his grandparents told him that the Jews are Pashtuns, just like the Pashtuns are Pashtuns (because both groups are part of the nation of Israel). In addition to this movie and Avichail's book, there is also a Facebook group for Pashtuns and Jews who want to talk about their shared Israeli identity: "The People of Israel's Jirga Pashtuns and Jews" https://www.facebook.com/groups/1673613199574399 A Partial List of Proofs That the Pashtuns are Israeli Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-28 20:22:10|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close TOKYO, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- Japan on Monday confirmed 279 new COVID-19 infections, bringing the nation's cumulative total to 82,577 excluding cases related to a cruise ship quarantined in Yokohama near Tokyo earlier in the year. Of the 279 new cases, 78 of them were reported in Tokyo, the metropolitan government said, with the daily figure falling below the 100-mark for the first time since last Wednesday. Tokyo, the hardest hit by the novel coronavirus among all of Japan's 47 prefectures, has seen its total tally rise to 25,335 infections, the metropolitan government's preliminary figures showed Monday. Towards the end of last week, experts voiced concerns that while the country had seen new infections mark a downward trajectory of late, virus resurgence was still possible. Virologists and infectious disease experts advising the health ministry said that the reproduction number in Japan (R0 or R-number), also known as the R value, which measures the average number of people that one infected person will pass on virus to, had risen to one. They maintained that infections had shown a resurgence since the beginning of this month in a number of prefectures including Miyagi, Gunma, and another of Tokyo's neighboring prefectures, Chiba. The experts also said that in Kyoto and Osaka, rising cases were indicative of a resurgence of the virus. As for Tokyo, the experts said the declining trend of new cases had "bottomed out." They noted that while the number of patients requiring hospitalization and designated as "severely ill" has been declining since late last month, the pace of decline has been markedly slow. "We need to keep an eye on when the impact of the movement of people during the holidays will come out," Takaji Wakita, director general of the National Institute of Infectious Diseases who heads the advisory group for the health ministry, was quoted as saying. Other virologists here have voiced concerns about the impending cold and influenza season Japan is heading into and the possibility that transmission of the COVID-19 pandemic would increase significantly during this period. Elsewhere in Japan, Osaka Prefecture, second hardest-hit by the pneumonia-causing virus, reported 36 new confirmed cases to bring the total to 10,483, while Tokyo's neighboring prefecture of Kanagawa confirmed 17 new daily cases, raising its tally to 6,755. The nationwide death toll from the virus currently stands at 1,574. Enditem This is a challenge for the movement in favor of a National Popular Vote Interstate Compact (NPVIC), which has been gathering strength and has won legislative approval in 15 states and D.C. with a combined 196 electoral votes. The NPVIC, based on the states constitutional authority to make mutually beneficial agreements, gives the member states electoral votes to the national popular vote winner no matter how their own residents voted. It would take effect when states with a combined 270 electoral votes have joined. Portland rioters repeatedly tossed rocks, fireworks, and other objects at officers on Saturday as unrest continued to fester in the city, police said. Hundreds of demonstrators blocked traffic near a law enforcement precinct and hurled firecrackers, stones, and soda cans at officers attempting to break up the disturbance, according to a Multnomah County Sheriffs Office press release. Officers were also struck with metal ball bearings from slingshots, the release detailed. The exact number of arrests made was not disclosed by MCSO, but one arrestee by the name of Michael Colten allegedly eluded law enforcement for two blocks while in zip-tie cuffs, according to the release. Officers attempted to disengage and leave the area multiple times in an effort to de-escalate, but each time as they retreated, individuals in the crowd threw projectiles at officers and re-entered the street, the department wrote. Officers made additional arrests. Cops reportedly recovered a drone in a traffic stop, as officers warned rioters to discontinue their gathering, MCSO wrote. Law enforcement also seized a baton and a can of bear spray after arresting a demonstrator, according to the release. After largely peaceful protests throughout the day Saturday, several hundred protesters gathered in Downtown Portland around 8:30 p.m. in Lownsdale and Chapman Square Parks. Press release: https://t.co/RqeN0yIzD0 Multnomah Co Sheriff (@MultCoSO) September 27, 2020 Portland was also the site of a rally by the Proud Boys, a right-wing group, and a state of emergency was declared ahead of their Saturday visit, according to The New York Times. by Jake Dima From The Daily Caller News Foundation Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. For licensing opportunities of our original content, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org. People have been warned there is "absolutely no room for complacency" as 430 new cases of Covid-19 were confirmed yesterday. Acting chief medical officer Dr Ronan Glynn delivered the warning as he urged people in Dublin and Donegal - the two counties in local lockdowns - to work from home if possible. "As we start into this new week, I am asking every household across the country to sit together and make a plan to reduce the number of people you meet this week," he said. "We have absolutely no room for complacency. If every person, family, workplace and organisation does not play their part, the situation will continue to deteriorate." Of the new cases, 212 were in Dublin, 54 in Cork, 23 in Donegal, 23 in Galway and 16 in Louth. Health Minister Stephen Donnelly said four counties - Cork, Galway, Louth and Wicklow - were being looked at "very carefully". He said the HSE was negotiating with each private hospital to ensure there was "surge capacity". HSE chief Paul Reid said there were 110 cases of Covid-19 in hospitals, with 18 people in ICU. He said that while this was "lower than our worst peak, the impact on hospitals is as significant as we're not trying to keep all of our other services too". On Sunday evening, President Ram Nath Kovind gave assent to three farm bills amid protests by farmers across India. The three farm bills that have now become an act includes The Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020, The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020 and The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill 2020. Here's what the farm bills entail: Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020: It aims to permit the sale of agricultural produce outside mandis regulated by the Agricultural Produce Marketing Committees (APMC) constituted by different state legislations. It aims to permit the sale of agricultural produce outside mandis regulated by the Agricultural Produce Marketing Committees (APMC) constituted by different state legislations. Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020 provides for contract farming. provides for contract farming. Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill 2020: This aims to deregulate the production, supply, distribution of food items like cereals, pulses, potatoes and onion. WHAT OPPOSITION SAID The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), which was an ally of BJP-NDA termed the presidential assent "dark day of the country". SAD president S. Sukhbir Singh Badal today described the Presidential assent granted to 3 Agri Bills & to the J&K Bill excluding Punjabi as its official language, as sad, disappointing & extremely unfortunate. @officeofssbadal 1/2 pic.twitter.com/QZ1xbdLhwY Shiromani Akali Dal (@Akali_Dal_) September 27, 2020 Harsimrat Kaur Badal who recently resigned from the government over the aforementioned bills tweeted, "Indeed a DARK DAY for democracy as President Kovind too refused to heed the request of 18 political parties pleading him not to sign the undemocratically passed anti-farmer bills". Indeed a DARK DAY for democracy as the @rashtrapatibhvn too refused to heed the request of 18 political parties pleading him not to sign the undemocratically passed anti-farmer bills. Bills got assent & the Annadata of the nation esp Punjab & Haryana has been let down yet again. pic.twitter.com/LCmSsrJwDK Harsimrat Kaur Badal (@HarsimratBadal_) September 27, 2020 Sukhbir Singh Badal had earlier requested President Ram Nath Kovind not to give his assent to the farm bills, saying that the farmers will otherwise not "forgive them". Terming the President's assent to the farm bills as "unfortunate and distressing", Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Sunday said his government is exploring all options, including possible amendments to the state laws, to protect farmers' interests. All farmer organisations and other stakeholders will be taken into confidence before taking any decision on the way forward, the chief minister said, adding that his government was committed to the procurement of every single grain of farmers without compromising on the pricing. Implementation of these dangerous new laws in their current form would destroy Punjab's agriculture the lifeline of its economy, said Amarinder, adding that the very livelihood of farmers was at stake due to the legislations. Punjab, which will be the worst affected by these laws, will take this fight forward with all its might, said Amarinder, vowing not to give up till the farmers get back their due rights. WHAT HAPPENED SO FAR On September 17, the Lok Sabha, through voice vote passed the controversial legislation. Thereafter, on September 20, the Rajya Sabha also cleared the two contentious bills. Eight opposition members, including TMC leader Derek O'Brien and Sanjay Singh of AAP, were suspended from Rajya Sabha for the rest of the Monsoon Session of Parliament for "unruly behaviour" during the passage of two farm bills in the upper house. The third bill was passed in the Upper House on September 22. Subsequently, farmers' organisations along with several opposition parties started countrywide protests to request the president not to give his assent to the bills. Farmers squatted on the Amritsar-Delhi railway track for 'rail-roko' agitation against the contentious farm bills. Farmers, under the banner of the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee, have been staging a sit-in on the rail track in Punjab since last Wednesday. Haryana unit of the Congress on Saturday announced an over month-long protest programme against the legislations. farmers' agitation was also seen in Palgharh, Thane, Delhi, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, other parts of the country. In fact, on Saturday, Shiromani Akali Dal snapped ties with the BJP over the bills. WHAT THE GOVERNMENT SAYS According to the government, the farm bills will make farmers self-reliant. It will help the small farmers who don't have the means to bargain for their produce to get a better price. The bill on the Agri market seeks to allow farmers to sell their produce outside APMC 'mandis' to whoever they want. The legislation on contract farming will allow farmers to enter into a contract with agri-business firms or large retailers on pre-agreed prices of their produce. The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill, 2020, seeks to remove commodities like cereals, pulses, oilseeds, edible oils, onion and potatoes from the list of essential commodities. WHY FARMERS ARE PROTESTING According to farmers, mandis play a crucial role in ensuring timely payments to them. Removing these markets, or allowing corporates direct access, without offering an alternative, such as regulated direct-purchase centres, does not make sense. Farmers are worried MSP (a price guaranteed by the government) will be removed. According to farmers' organisations, small and marginal farmers might get vulnerable to disadvantageous contracts unless the sale prices continue to be regulated. Although the Centre has assured the MSPs will not be removed, farmers are concerned allowing prices to be settled outside regulated mandis will make it difficult for the government to monitor each transaction individually. In addition to farmers' concerns, state governments - particularly those in Punjab and Haryana - fear that if private buyers start purchasing directly from farmers, they will lose out on taxes that are charged at mandis. The potential scrapping of mandis would also endanger the jobs of millions who work there. Also read: Farmers playing major role in building 'Aatma Nirbhar Bharat': PM Modi at Mann Ki Baat Also read: Shiromani Akali Dal quits BJP-led NDA over farm bills The board behind the prestigious Cesar film awards, known as the French Oscars, announced on Monday it would nominate a male-female duo to head up the academy in a bid to repair its tarnished image after the former leadership resigned en masse earlier this year in the wake of a scandal over its shortlisting director Roman Polanski for several top prizes. A US court convicted Polanski for the rape of a minor in 1978 and he has since been accused of several other sexual assaults. The boards interim president, Margaret Menegoz, said in a statement that the board had nominated TV and film veteran Veronique Cayla and internationally acclaimed writer and director Eric Toledano to the academys presidency; their appointments will be confirmed during a general meeting on Tuesday. Menegoz described the duo as respected and very different personalities within French cinema. The announcement was hailed by the French movie industry, with filmmaker Marc Missionner saying the institution would now have the support of the whole profession to renovate the image of the academy. The Cesar Academy came under severe criticism earlier this year after it was revealed that Polanski who is still wanted in the US for the statutory rape of a 13-year-old girl in 1977 topped the list of nominations for his film Jaccuse (in English known as, An Officer and a Spy). The publicity campaign for Polanski's movie was halted last year after another woman, photographer Valentine Monnier, claimed that she had also been raped by the director in 1975 when she was 18. But that did not stop Jaccuse from becoming a box-office hit in France. The inclusion of Polanski's film on the Cesar shortlist was condemned by France's minister for equality as well as women's groups and film critics, but the academy fervently stood by its decision, saying it could not be expected to take "moral positions" when awarding films. Just two weeks before the February 28 ceremony, the entire Cesar leadership resigned due to the controversy. Story continues Yet Polanski, who boycotted the ceremony for fear of a public lynching, took home two awards at the 2020 Cesars, winning best-adapted screenplay and best director with the latter prompting Adele Haenel, who was nominated for best actress for "Portrait of a Lady on Fire", to storm out, crying "Shame!" and Bravo, paedophilia. Haenel has become a hero of the #MeToo movement in France after accusing the director of her first film, Christophe Ruggia, of sexually harassing her when she was only 12. Polanski's film also picked up the honour for best costume design. >> 'Shame' and 'Disgust': Polanskis Cesar award reignites #MeToo in France Promised changes Following the scandal, Frances National Centre for Cinema was put in charge of reforming the Cesar Academy, including appointing 182 new administrators. Their names were made in public in September and, surprisingly, Polanski also made that list, thanks to his 2003 Oscar for The Pianist. On Friday, however, Polanski decided to withdraw from the position, meaning he will neither participate in the vote for future Cesar prize laureates nor in Tuesdays vote confirming the academys new dual presidency. Cayla, 70, has held several prestigious positions within the French TV and film industry, including at both the National Centre for Cinema and at respected Franco-German broadcaster Arte. Toledano, 49, is an experienced moviemaker whose works include the international hit The Intouchables. (FRANCE 24 with AFP) 28.09.2020 LISTEN Last week, the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA), comprising all public sector nurses, midwives, physician assistants (PAs), and anesthetists embarked on a nationwide strike. The leadership of the association called off the three-day-old strike on, September 23, 2020, due to a court injunction secured by the National Labour Commission restraining them from embarking on the industrial action. The association amongst other things are demanding for; Book and research allowances for their tutors in the colleges of health and nursing. On-call duty facilitation allowance Placing Rotation Nurses and Midwives on appropriate grades (12L and 12H) on the Single Spine Salary Structure (SSSS) Resolution of issues relating to conversion difference due to migration of nurses and other striking health professionals onto the SSSS 8% Non-basic salary allowance Uniform allowance Rural allowance Uniform allowance Rent allowance Restoration of vehicle importation tax waiver for nurses and others. When COVID broke, these nurses and other health personnel stood to fight this virus head-on. When most of us were home, they were out to fight the virus. Many of them had to abandon their homes and family for fear of infecting them. Some for months could not see their family. Many got infected in the line of duty. On June 6, 2020, the Ghana Medical Association said four medical officers have died of COVID-19 with more than 150 other health persons including nurses infected and battling for their lives. Many died after this release. Going forward, government should use this window of court injunction to bring back the association to the negotiation table. Realistically, government cannot meet the entire demands highlighted above but government should meet them halfway. Nurses save lives, let us save theirs by having a look at their condition of service. Government has shown some goodwill in the past; increment in salaries for frontline health workers, tax exemption for health workers etc. This I think gives government some sleeve of trust in the eyes of the association and with reasonable and realistic assurances, the health workers will return to work. Nurses and their colleagues should also reconsider and rethink their demands. Our economy and that of nations globally has taken a huge blow by COVID-19. Also, the poor patients who are your primary customers are suffering and all of us can become victims if entrenched positions are taken. Uginlen Nabuja, the 88-year-old woman from Parambo in the Pru East District in the Bono East Region fell casualty to this sticky wicket. I will conclude by charging all nurses to uphold the tenets of humanity and service. Nurses should always recite and remember the mission of the association leading their charge; to develop the nurse professionally to cope with contemporary challenges of the profession towards the promotion of the health of our clientele and their socio-economic status. It is not right for a nurse to ignore the calls and cries of a freshly operated patient who wanted to use the washroom. Its not professional for a nurse to tell a patient crying in excruciating stomach pain wait for me to finish my tea. It is not fair for midwives to hurl insults at an expectant mother. We appreciate your service to us but as some of us fight for your interest now, fight and care for our interest when we come to the hospital. Our health should be your concern. Writer; Eugene Osei-Tutu ([email protected]) Accusations of terrorism and settler colonial violence are being hurled by politicians over an ongoing land conflict in Caledonia, including a suggestion from a Haldimand councillor that Hamilton MP Matthew Green be arrested for visiting the contested property. The heated rhetoric is centred on a dispute over whether construction of 218 detached homes and townhomes on McKenzie Road in Caledonia should proceed. A group opposing the development staged an occupation of the site in July, arguing the McKenzie Meadows project violates Haudenosaunee sovereignty, and is part of ongoing land claim issues along the Grand River. The latest dispute has led to 23 arrests with charges laid for violating court injunctions prohibiting anyone entering the site or blocking roadways. Most recently, a woman from Six Nations was charged with offences including arson related to a demonstration. A Haldimand Police Services board meeting Sept. 23 discussed how to enforce the court orders, and a report was tabled in which protesters were called terrorists. Board vice chair Brian Haggith defended the language in an email to the Spectator, saying that actions by occupiers Aug. 5 who were removed from the site by police meet the definition of terrorism as outlined in the Canadian Criminal Code. He added: This report was not a racial commentary or editorialization made by the board. Terrorist activity in the Criminal Code is defined as acts committed for a political, religious or ideological purpose, objective or cause ... with the intention of intimidating the public. Haggith said that while occupiers have returned in contravention of a legal court order, the board acknowledges it is peaceful at this time and is thankful to all parties who managed to achieve this. Skyler Williams, who was one of those removed from the site, said the boards language is inflammatory and will increase the death threats he says he receives. Whenever our people stand up for our rights and lands, this sort of thing becomes typical, sadly. Green, who recently visited occupiers on the site, told the Spec that the word terrorism dehumanizes Indigenous people and gives a justification for violence against them. Board chair Bernie Corbett, meanwhile, reiterated a call he made that Green be arrested for having entered the disputed area. If others are charged for trespassing on the property (Green) should be as well, Corbett wrote the Spec in an email. He has no special relief from a judges order. He wilfully ignored it and proceeded to badmouth the county, OPP, and federal government. Green in turn ridiculed Corbett for having a cavalier attitude and suggested municipal politicians should stay out of a nation to nation land dispute. Green accused Haldimands police services board of putting property rights of a disputed land claim over the health and wellness of Indigenous people, which is a prime example of settler colonial violence. He added that he would like to meet with developers and call on federal officials to renew negotiations over the land. The Six Nations elected council received 42 acres of land and $352,000 in exchange for its support of the land development. Williams believes that deal did not amount to a sale of the land, but rather an agreement for consultation and accommodation about its future use. BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. and BRISBANE, Australia, Sept. 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Today Maddy Cross Parkin, Director of Musical Grants, announced that Laura Cozzolino is a Recipient of the Scheer Foundation Scholarship for the year 2020/2021. "Laura Cozzolino from Salerno, Italy is a new recipient and we are proud to support her career. It is a privilege to support the education of the fine scholars selected for this year's Scheer Foundation Scholarships," said Maddy Cross Parkin director of Music Grants. Scheer Foundation Laura is a brilliant pianist who already has demonstrated her exceptional quality. She graduated with the highest mention II level soloist-concert Academic Diploma from the Conservatory of Music "G. Martucci" in Salerno, she then followed with the improvement piano course held by Maestro F. Nicolosi in Naples, She is currently attending the Chamber Music course at the Santa Cecilia Academy in Rome as well as the II level Chamber Music Academic Diploma at the Conservatory of Salerno. In May 2019 she was among the winners of the "Rotary International Competition Velazquez Soloist Awards" in Madrid - with a commission chaired by D. Bashkirov - and of the "Grand Prize Virtuoso International Music Competition in Vienna". She has won more than 50 International prizes. In addition to her solo activity, she has an intense chamber music activity recently playing with cellist Raffaella Cardaropoli (student at Barenboim-Said Akademie in Berlin) and the flutist Franco Ascolese (student at Conservatory of Italian Switzerland in Lugano). She graduated Cum Laude from her master's degree in Musicology at the University "La Sapienza" in Rome and since then started teaching including a piano masterclass at the famous "Scriabin Moscow Regional Basic Music College" (MOSCOW, RUSSIA). "Laura, like our two previous recipients was selected after an International search organized by the Foundation and I retained Laura because of her skills, her technical ability and her sense and knowledge of music," added Maddy Cross Parkin. "We intend to follow her and support her career in the years to come. I know that she will be very successful." About the Scheer Foundation The Frederic & Jocelyne Scheer Foundation ("Scheer Foundation") is a US Private Foundation (501-c 3) dedicated to fight malnutrition and children mortality in Africa in promoting local agricultural and industrial project to build up local and regional employment. The Foundation recently expanded its reach to Arts & Music. Learn more at: www.scheerfoundation.org and see some of our recipients works at : https://scheerfoundation.info/music-video Maddy Cross Parkin Tel +61 437 802 805 [email protected] SOURCE Scheer Foundation Related Links http://www.scheerfoundation.org A Trump biographer who has seen the president's tax returns believes his debt is worse than the $421m reported in The New York Times, saying it makes him a mark to blackmail by someone like Russian president Vladimir Putin. TrumpNation author Tim O'Brien, who Donald Trump sued for libel in 2006, wrote in a Bloomberg opinion column that his legal team obtained the president's tax returns and his "overall indebtedness is greater than the Times tally". If Trump is unable to meet his debt payments, hes either going to have to sell assets or get bailed out by a friend with funds, Mr OBrien wrote. Trump has never liked to sell anything, even when its haemorrhaging money. So if hes tempted to save himself by getting a handout, that makes him a mark. The New York Times tally of Mr Trump's liability is $421m, with most of it coming due within four years, according to two decades of the president's tax information obtained by the publication. Mr O'Brien believes the total is closer to the $1.1bn estimated on Sunday night by Forbes senior editor Dan Alexander, who based his figure on a running tally he's been covering since 2016 for an upcoming book, White House Inc. "Now that's more like it," Mr O'Brien wrote. "Trump has been bloviating about being worth $10 billion ever since he entered the 2016 presidential race, a figure that simply isnt true." Mr O'Brien said he won the libel case against Mr Trump in 2011, and while he couldn't disclose the specifics of what he saw in the tax returns, he believes the president is worth a fraction what he says, and the larger his indebtedness becomes, the more strain it puts on his assets. The Covid-19 pandemic would have taken a particular toll on Mr Trump's real estate, travel and leisure assets, which Mr OBrien said wouldn't be notable if he was just a "reality TV oddity". Given he's in the White House, however, that makes Mr Trump a "profound national security threat". "Hes president, and the trade-offs someone like him would be willing to make to save his face and his wallet taint every public policy decision he makes including issues around national security," Mr O'Brien wrote. "If Vladimir Putin, for example, can backchannel a loan or a handout to the president, how hard is Trump going to be on Russia? Not that we should worry about Trumps relationship with Putin. Thats just a hypothetical question." A 28-year-old New Jersey man was charged with attempted murder after stabbing a woman in the neck Sunday morning at the Avenel Flea Market, authorities said. The incident unfolded when Ross Durham, who lives in an apartment that overlooks the flea market on Rahway Avenue, began screaming at the 45-year-old Newark woman and her son from his window, Woodbridge police said Monday. An argument ensued and Durham left his apartment, followed the pair into the flea market and stabbed the woman with a knife at about 7:15 a.m, police said. He then returned to his apartment where police arrested him a short time later. The woman was brought to University Hospital in Newark where she was treated and released, Woodbridge chief law enforcement officer Scott Kuzma said in an email. Durham and the woman are not believed to have known each other prior to the attack, Kuzma added. Durham, who was also charged with aggravated assault, hindering apprehension and two weapons offenses is being held at the Middlesex County jail. Please subscribe now and support the local journalism YOU rely on and trust. Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JeffSGoldman. Find NJ.com on Facebook. HAMPTON, Va., Sept. 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- NASA recently released an assessment of the economic impacts of NASA and the Moon to Mars (M2M) program for the nation as a whole, and each of the fifty states. The study shows Virginia is one of the most impacted states. NASA's Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, directly contributes to this impact through jobs and partnerships with Virginia industry. NASA's overall economic benefit for Virginia is $5.5 billion, with nearly $300 million coming directly from the M2M program. This includes more than 27,000 jobs total and 1221 jobs related to M2M. Nationwide, NASA is responsible for 312,623 jobs and $64.3 billion added to the national economy. NASA's Artemis program will return humans to the Moon and pave the way to Mars. To get there, NASA has engaged partners and suppliers across the nation and Virginia to research, develop, and build the launch vehicle, spacecraft, and technologies needed for a sustained presence on the lunar surface. M2M and Artemis reaffirm American leadership in space and encourages American industry and international partnerships for the betterment of all humanity. The study was conducted by the Nathalie P. Voorhees Center for Neighborhood and Community Improvement at the University of Illinois at Chicago. A summary of the economic impact study is available, as well as the full study. Questions can be directed to April Phillips at [email protected] or 757-309-2916 https://www.nasa.gov SOURCE NASA Related Links http://www.nasa.gov In Rockland County, the positive test rate had steadily been ticking up since late August, according to county statistics. More granular data shows two towns with large Orthodox populations Spring Valley and Monsey have the bulk of active cases, mirroring outbreaks in those communities in the spring. A state tally was even more alarming, showing that nearly 13 percent of tests countywide that were reported back on Sunday were positive. Ed Day, the Rockland County executive, said in a statement that they are working closely with municipal, community and religious leaders to reinforce social distancing and mask rules in hard-hit areas, as well as urging police, fire and building code officials to step up inspections. In neighboring Orange County, officials on Friday reported their largest daily count of new cases since early May, a majority of which were clustered in the town of Palm Tree, N.Y., an Orthodox Jewish enclave. In the second of two news conferences Mr. Cuomo held on Monday, the governor said the spike in the new cases was largely confined to 20 ZIP codes, where the rate of positive tests went as high as 30 percent, in contrast with the rest of the state, where the rate remained around 1 percent. Mr. Cuomo stressed that mask compliance is important, and urged local governments to enforce mask rules and prohibitions on large gatherings, even if residents were feeling compliance fatigue. The virus isnt tired, he said. Its no time to get tired. All told, the state on Monday reported 834 new cases, out of nearly 53,000 tests, the governor said, adding that health officials planned to analyze the daily results by ZIP code to see if we can target it and contact hospitals in those areas. An American has spoken of his fears that he could be jailed for two years in Thailand for leaving a one star review of a hotel. Teacher Wesley Barnes, 37, originally from Pine Bluff, Arkansas, but who now lives in Thailand, spent two days behind bars after his arrest on September 18. In June he spent two nights at the Sea View Resort on Koh Chang Island in June. Most of the hotel's reviews are positive but Barnes left several reviews on social media criticising the hotel and its staff. His unflattering online reviews about his holiday led the owner to file a complaint that Barnes had posted unfair reviews. One of his reviews accused the hotel of 'modern day slavery' and that some of the staff had an attitude. Wesley Barnes posted several reviews criticising the Sea View Resort The American, who lives in Thailand, stayed at the hotel in June. He could now be jailed for two years and fined $6,300 Authorities said that Barnes' words had caused 'damage to the reputation of the hotel' because he had posted on several sites. They added that he had quarreled with hotel staff over not paying a corkage fee for alcohol. Barnes was arrested at his place of work by immigration police and returned to Koh Chang on Friday, September 18. He was jailed the following day but then freed two days later on bail. Speaking exclusively to MailOnline of his time in prison Barnes said: 'It was scary. I went to a local prison in Trat. 'There were people in there doing 25 years. I met a Swedish guy in there that had stabbed a guy 16 times on Koh Chang Island. So needless to say, it was a scary place. 'I had to pay 100,000 baht ($3,200) to get released. I went into the prison on Saturday morning and was able to get out on Monday around 7pm.' Barnes has indicated that he wants the situation resolved as soon as possible. He is back in court on October 6. He said: 'Yes, I fear going to prison. I am willing to resolve this case with the hotel. 'I have been in contact with the US Embassy. They have been very nice and helpful. 'I would like to stay in Thailand. Overall Thailand is a beautiful place and most people are extremely nice.' Thailand's defamation laws are extremely tough and they have long drawn scrutiny from human rights groups and press freedom bodies. The maximum sentence, which Barnes could face, is a two year jail sentence and a 200,000 baht ($6,300) fine. Barnes has said that he and a friend were drinking gin on the beach outside of the hotel's restaurant. He added that to avoid drinking and driving they decided to eat in the restaurant. They were told that as they had the gin they would have to pay a corkage fee of 500 baht ($15.80). Staff at the hotel claim that they were insulted when they asked for the corkage fee. Barnes said: 'We never insulted anyone. 'We took the gin with us into the restaurant, we only had one drink in the restaurant. 'We complained a little to the waitress. No-one made rude or insulting comments. Eventually my friend said he would pay the 500 baht. 'The manager came over with a lot of attitude and lectured us on why everyone needs to pay to bring an outside bottle. 'We were eventually not charged.' Wesley Barnes' review of the restaurant incident at the Thailand hotel The lawsuit facing Wesley Barnes and one of his critical reviews Barnes claims he later saw the same manager shouting and being overly aggressive to a Thai staff member, which led him to write his review and make his modern slavery complaint. He also said that one of his reviews, which the hotel deemed defamatory, had never been uploaded by TripAdvisor as it broke the website's rules. The Sea View Resort said legal action was only taken because Barnes had penned multiple reviews on different sites over the past few weeks. The hotel said: 'We chose to file a complaint to serve as a deterrent, as we understood he may continue to write negative reviews week after week for the foreseeable future.' It has issued a five page lawsuit, shared with Barnes, after the hotel staff claimed they were unable to contact him. The hotel claims there are three main reasons for the lawsuit. It said: 'He left fabricated stories on his reviews on TripAdvisor and Google that included xenophobic connotations, accusations of slavery and even comments that could mislead readers to associate our property with the Coronavirus. 'He had been posting reviews roughly 1-2 weeks apart with obvious defamatory intentions. 'Despite out multiple efforts to contact him to resolve this in an amicable way for well over a month, he chose to ignore use completely. He only replied to emails, messages on reviews sites, etc. once he had been notified of our complaint by authorities.' Earlier this year, a Thai journalist was sentenced to two years in prison for posting a tweet referencing a dispute over working conditions at a chicken farm owned by the Thammakaset company. This guy was like, What do I do? And Im like, Yeah, youre going to have to call a tow truck, said Mariola, who was able to remove his own damaged front drivers side flat and install a small spare. And then we noticed in the next mile or two, there was another 10, maybe 15 even, cars on the side of the road with their hazards on. Megan Phelps-Roper, 34, left the notorious Westboro Baptist Church in 2012 Theroux first encountered group in 2007 film The Most Hated Family In America Former church member told of the pain she felt being ostracised from her family Viewers were left in tears over the emotional programme, which aired last night A former Westboro Baptist Church member left Louis Theroux viewers 'in tears' last night after admitting being cut off from her family has become 'more painful' since she became a mother. Megan Phelps-Roper, now 34, from Kansas, left the notorious church in 2012, after 27 years of controversial preaching, which included picketing the funerals of American soldiers and publicly celebrating when strangers were diagnosed with cancer. ADVERTISEMENT Appearing in BBC2's Louis Theroux: Life on the Edge last night, Megan spoke of the 'pain' she feels being ostracised from her family and how, after becoming a mother herself, it has become even more difficult to think of her own mum, Shirley Phelps-Roper. Viewers were left in floods of tears over the emotional programme, with some saying: 'Meghan saved herself by leaving her family environment. You only get one mother and it is extremely sad that she cannot reconcile with hers. I get it.' Former member of the Westboro Baptist Church, Megan Phelps-Roper, now 34, appeared on BBC2's Louis Theroux: Life on the Edge last night and said becoming a mother had made her own estrangement from her family more painful Another wrote: 'Tonight's episode was heartbreaking on so many levels. Louis handles all these really difficult subjects so carefully.' One added: 'I always thought the presence of Louis Theroux and his questions had a huge impact on the younger members of Westboro, more than they could say. Click here to resize this module 'Maybe even contributed to their leaving.' One said: 'Thorough enjoyed #LifeOnTheEdge. I found myself getting rather emotional about each of the revisited stories, but not in an uncomfortable way. Emotion you can give way to without any shame.' The documentary maker first met Megan along with her siblings when he visited the church in 2007 to make his programme The Most Hated Family In America During the programme, Louis said that when Megan left the church in 2013, she got in touch with him. He explained they had stayed in contact over email and have since become friends. Speaking with the presenter over Zoom, Megan opened up about her struggles since leaving the church and her estrangement from her family, saying: 'It changes over time, the way the pain feels. 'It changes because Im changing. Im older, I am a mum I have these memories of my mum coming up all the time now. Many of those watching at home were left in tears over the emotional segment on the programme 'Sometimes itll make me happy and sometimes itll make me cry. ADVERTISEMENT She said: 'Shes my mum, it never goes away its not the past its now and that is incredibly painful no matter how long its been.' Westboro Baptist Church has made international news many times for its strong views against homosexuality. It was founded by the late Fred Phelps who, according to the church, had 13 children, 54 grandchildren. Louis said he has remained in touch with Megan since they first met in 2007, and revealed since she left the church they have become friends Megan, who left the controversial organisation in 2013, said she remains 'in pain' over her estrangement from her family and mother Made up mostly by the Kansas-based Phelps family, the religious group blames most tragedies - from the death of American soldiers to the recent massacre of 20 children and six adults at Sandy Hook Elementary School - on what they call a 'pro-gay' agenda in America. Theroux first encountered the group - known for its inflammatory homophobic hate speech - for his 2007 documentary The Most Hated Family In America, and again for a follow-up in 2011 in America's Most Hated Family In Crisis. The original documentary saw members holding placards with the words God Hates Fags, Fags Doom Nations and Thank God for Dead Soldiers', at the funerals of U.S. personnel killed in Iraq and Afghanistan, and publicly celebrating when a stranger contracts cancer. In 2013, Megan announced that she and her sister Grace, now 26, had left the controversial Westboro Baptist Church. Megan spoke of the 'pain' she feels being ostracised from her family and how after becoming a mother herself, how difficult it can be to think of her own mum, Shirley Phelps-Roper (pictured right) Writing on medium.com at the time, she said: 'Up until now, our names have been synonymous with God Hates Fags. 'We know that weve done and said things that hurt people. Inflicting pain on others wasnt the goal, but it was one of the outcomes. We wish it werent so, and regret that hurt. ADVERTISEMENT We know that we dearly love our family. They now consider us betrayers, and we are cut off from their lives, but we know they are well-intentioned. We will never not love them. Her Ted talk I Grew Up in the Westboro Church Heres Why I Left, in which she details the shift in her perspective that caused her to leave the church, has been viewed over nine million times online. Theroux first encountered the group - known for its inflammatory homophobic hate speech - for his 2007 documentary The Most Hated Family In America Megan was just five when she joined her family in daily pickets: 'I'd stand on a street corner in the heavy Kansas humidity, said Megan in the Ted Talk. 'I was surrounded by a few dozen relatives with my tiny fists clutching a sign I couldn't read yet, gays are worthy of death. This was the beginning.' Megan ran the churchs social media presence, posting on Twitter up to 150 times a day from her phone. After joining Twitter, Megan found users were genuinely curious about her beliefs, and she began meeting people she argued with on Twitter while picketing around the US. ADVERTISEMENT She said: 'The line between friend and foe was becoming blurred, we started to see each other as human beings'. The Houston Chronicle on Sunday published a six-month investigation into the spread of the novel coronavirus in Houston. Here are five of the story's main takeaways: 1. The coronavirus was in the Houston region long before the first person tested positive Local public health officials learned of the region's first case of COVID-19 on March 4. But epidemiologists identified nearly three dozen people in Harris County who later tested positive and said their symptoms started before that date some as early as Feb. 10. Three of them died. On Feb. 20, 17 Houston-area residents returned home from an Egyptian river cruise, unaware they may have been exposed to COVID-19. For nine days, they went about their regular lives, visiting family and friends, shopping at Costco and going to church. On Feb. 29, they learned a Taiwanese-American woman aboard the ship had tested positive, setting off a scramble to identify people they may have had contact with. EXPOSED: Read the first part of our six-month investigation into COVID in Houston here 2. The federal governments missteps left local officials without the tools to track the pathogen The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shunned the World Health Organizations COVID-19 tests, then bungled its own attempt to produce them. Without enough to go around, the agency adopted stringent testing criteria. As early as January, Houston-area doctors told local public health officials they were sending home patients who had traveled from China and were reporting worrying, COVID-19-like symptoms. Testing at the time was limited to people who had symptoms and had traveled to Wuhan Province or who had exposure to a confirmed or suspected COVID-19 patient. In February, the CDC expanded the guidelines from Wuhan to mainland China. But that still allowed many people, including those who had traveled to Egypt on the cruise ship but were unaware they were exposed, to slip through the cracks. 3. Contact tracers were overwhelmed from the start, and didnt have a plan to track cases at the rodeo or other large gatherings In Harris County, contact tracers were already overwhelmed by the time the rodeo began. Public health departments across the Houston area had regular phone calls to keep one another informed of their cases, but there was no specific plan for tracking rodeo cases across the region. By early April, Harris County contact tracers couldnt keep up: They stopped tracking every case, instead focusing on high-risk groups such as those in nursing homes and health care workers. In May, the county hired 300 additional contact tracers, but they, too, were soon overwhelmed by a spike in cases. 4. Local officials always knew the virus could cut the rodeo short Public health officials informed rodeo leaders in late January when the United States few confirmed cases were far from Texas that there was a risk the new virus could force the regions largest gathering to shut down. The rodeo organizations point person on the virus also informed its senior leadership on the eve of opening day that she believed the virus would cut the show short. After two weeks of events, including competitions, carnivals and concerts, officials shut down the rodeo on March 11. Attendance had topped 851,000. 5. Officials did not act quickly enough to prevent the virus from spreading at the rodeo Public officials were waiting for proof of community spread to shut down the rodeo but stringent testing guidelines and an imperfect understanding of the new virus obscured that community spread was happening long before the regions first confirmed case. Epidemiologists later found that at least five several people who attended the pre-rodeo barbecue cook-off event contracted the virus; public health officials suspect the event contributed to the virus spread. (Natural News) Dr. Anthony Fauci, the head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), recently said that in-person voting for the November presidential elections can be done safely provided that necessary health protocols are followed. I think if carefully done, according to the guidelines, theres no reason that I cant see why that not be the case, he said during an event. Fauci described an example in an attempt to illustrate that physical distancing is a key factor. [When] you look at many cities that are doing it correctly, they have Xs every six or more feet. And it says Dont leave this spot until the person in front of you left their spot. He remarked that people can wear a mask, observe physical distancing and avoid crowded situations and there was no reason for them not to do so. However, he warned that anyone at risk of being exposed to the coronavirus should not risk going out. If youre a person who is compromised physically or otherwise, you dont want to take that chance, Fauci said. Polling precincts should follow health protocols to ensure safe in-person voting Dr. Faucis statements follow allegations of possible mail-in vote fraud, which some states have implemented due to safety concerns. President Donald Trump himself has repeatedly expressed opposition to widespread voting by mail. The president assured that people have to be safe and we will make sure that theyre safe when voting in person during a White House press briefing. We want people to vote so when they vote, it means one vote; it doesnt mean ballots all over the place, he continued. The use of large Xs spaced a few meters apart to show where voters should stand, similar to how grocery stores and other institutions would show customers the proper distance, was among the measures Fauci outlined for polling areas to ensure coronavirus-free voting. Pandemic an opportunity for Democrats to rig upcoming elections It appears that the Democratic Party is pulling out all the stops to ensure that the events of 2016, in which Hillary Clinton lost to President Donald Trump, will never happen again. Their insistence with mail-in voting over coronavirus concerns contrasts with its promotion of Black Lives Matter protests that disregard social distancing measures. As Fauci mentioned, there is absolutely no reason why it would be unsafe to vote in person on Nov. 3 if proper health protocols are followed. However, Democrats still insist on mail-in voting despite its flaws, as it allows them to pull off a few parlor tricks. Besides, mail-in voting is susceptible to irregularities from the get-go. A report by Law Enforcement Today in August said that more than 500,000 mail-in ballots in Virginia had inaccurate information. Due to the inaccuracies, the ballots were sent to wrong addresses, dead peopleand even pets! The state of Nevada also encountered the same problem, as more than 200,000 mail-in ballots in Clark County were sent to outdated addresses. The ballots with outdated addresses comprised 17 percent of all ballots mailed to registered voters. Back in June, Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick warned about the Democrats plan to rig subsequent polls and undermine election integrity through mail-in voting until the end of time. Speaking to Breitbart News Daily host Alex Marlow, Lt. Gov. Patrick rejected the argument that mail-in voting was safer, adding that people had already been outside to visit restaurants and protest. This, for him, was a test sufficient enough to determine that people can definitely vote. Lt. Gov. Patricks question summed up the extent of what Democrats will do to seize power: If theyre willing to burn the country down, tear a statue down, you dont think theyre going to go steal some ballots out of a mailbox? Learn more about how the Democratic Party commits voter fraud using mail-in voting and more at VoteFraud.news. Sources include: TheEpochTimes.com LawEnforcementToday.com FreeBeacon.com Breitbart.com The real purpose behind the calling by the Queensland Labor government of a special Board of Inquiry into the methane gas explosion at Anglo Americans underground coal Grosvenor Mine in central Queensland on May 6 this year has become increasingly clear in the weeks since proceedings began early last month. The explosion that ripped through the mine seriously injured five mine workers. Four sustained horrific burns to their upper torsos and airways. The fifth miner, who also suffered significant injuries and trauma, was released from hospital in late May. When Queensland Mines and Energy Minister Dr. Anthony Lynham announced on May 21 that the government would call the Board of Inquiry to be headed by retired judge Terry Martin, he promised it would conduct public hearings, call witnesses and make broad inquiries in relation to the Grosvenor Mine tragedy, as well as 40 other incidents relating to the principal hazard of methane gas. Lynham also pledged the inquiry would determine the nature and cause of each and bring down its finding by November 30 this year. He claimed the inquiry would draw up recommendations for improving safety and health practices across the mining sector to mitigate against the risk of these incidents happening again. Subsequent developments, however, reveal that these pledges were a cynical fraud. Like other government-initiated inquiries into industrial disasters, the Grosvenor Mine inquiry is shown to be a damage control exercise called to hose down widespread public outrage that erupted in the wake of the Grosvenor explosion. This disaster followed multiple fatalities and life threatening accidents in Queensland mines and quarries. The governments real aim in calling the board of inquiry was to gain time to organise a cover-up and prevent any genuine investigation of the underlying causes of all such disasters that ultimately lie in the subordination of safety by corporations to the drive to bolster profits and shareholder values. The cover up agenda was embedded in the very structure of the inquiry. The first tranche of the inquiry hearings began in August. However, this did not collect or consider any evidence relating directly to the May 6 Grosvenor mine explosion. This tranche was restricted to examining more general issues associated with the mining sector such as industry and site safety, health representatives, and how the management structure and employment arrangements may impact on mine safety. It also touched on incidents of methane exceedances (when gas concentrations rise to dangerous levels) at four other Queensland mines, Grasstree, Moranbah North and Oaky North. A second tranche, scheduled to commence on September 15, was supposed to examine the causes that led to the catastrophic incident at the Grosvenor mine. However, in an extraordinary statement on September 11, inquiry chairman Terry Martin seized on a series of technicalities and delays by government departments to justify postponing further any public hearings into both the May explosion and 27 other methane gas related incidents that had occurred at the Grosvenor Mine itself. Martin acknowledged that when the board of inquiry was announced on May 21, it had been stated that all evidence relating to the causes of the Grosvenor explosion would be called in public hearings commencing September 15. Martin, however, went on to claim: That is no longer possible. Offering a highly convoluted justification for his decision, Martin claimed that the Queensland mine regulator had not concluded its investigation into the Grosvenor Mine explosion, therefore the Work Health and Safety Prosecutor was unable to confirm if there was potential for laying any charges. He then claimed that because of this, numbers of witnesses had informed the board of inquiry that they would refuse to answer questions because doing so may tend to incriminate them. Stating unequivocally that the witnesses refusal to answer such questions is justified, Martin concluded that the board cannot, at this stage, meaningfully inquire into the 27 methane exceedances (at the Grosvenor Mine) or the serious accident at Grosvenor Mine. While assuring that the board would continue to receive and consider evidence from expert reports and public submissions, Martin then ruled that any further public hearings will be listed for no earlier than mid-March 2021. It is also no accident that the state Labor governments move to suspend public hearings comes just prior to the pending state election in October. With growing popular discontent over mounting job losses and public sector wage cuts amid the COVID-19 pandemic, and in an election where the loss of just two seats would cost the government its majority, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk was anxious to take the spotlight off the governments scandalous record on mine safety. In this, Palaszczuk is being fully backed by the mining unions. When Lynham announced the board of inquiry in the wake of the Grosvenor Mine explosion, the Construction Forestry Maritime Mining and Energy Union (CFMMEU) rushed to herald it as an opportunity for a thorough, wide-ranging and independent examination of the shocking events. The CFMMEU has not moved an inch from this position even as it became increasingly clear that no such examination was to take place and that a cover up was underway. On September 11, the same day that Martin announced the suspension of further public hearings, the CFMMEU issued a fawning statement declaring the unions disappointment over Lynhams announced of his retirement from politics at the upcoming election. The statement praised the outgoing minister for his supposed contribution to safety in the mining industry, fraudulently declaring: Lynhams leadership has made a real difference and we thank him for making sure mineworkers voices have been heardincluding through the wide-ranging Queensland Coal Mining Board of Inquiry which he established. In reality, even before organising the Grosvenor Mine cover-up operation, Lynham and the Queensland Labor government had consistently defended the mining companies, even in the face of a rising death toll including eight fatalities in the 18 months to December last year. Labors close collaboration with the mining giants is in part driven by the fact that the government counts on coal mining royalties to meet budgetary requirements. These were estimated to be $4.3 billion last yeara substantial amount, but a drop in the ocean compared to the multi-billion dollars that go annually into the coffers of the mining companies. Labor, along with previous state governments, has also overseen the escalating casualisation of the mining sector workforce and the large miners increasing use of contract hire companies that experts have identified as a major contributor to mining deaths and injuries. Over the years, assisted by the mining unions that worked to suppress workers opposition to job cuts, the once better trained permanent workforce has been increasingly replaced by less experienced contract hire workers. Moreover, the precarious position of casual workers, whose employment can be readily terminated by contract hire companies, has produced a situation where such workers are highly reluctant to report safety concerns out of fear of losing their jobs. Whichever big business party comes to power in the October Queensland state elections, Labor or Liberal National, the undermining of safety in the mining sector and across industry generally will continue unabated. The carnage will not end until workers take matters into their own hands and build new rank-and-file organisations of struggle independent of the unions that will vigorously enforce safety and basic conditions. This will form part of the fight to totally reorganise society along socialist lines, so that production is placed under workers control to meet social need, not private profit. A US judge allowed TikTok to remain available to Americans, giving the popular app a reprieve from a download ban ordered by the Trump administration on national security grounds TikTok won a last-minute reprieve late Sunday as a US federal judge halted enforcement of a politically charged ban ordered by the Trump administration on downloads of the popular video app, hours before it was set to take effect. District Judge Carl Nichols issued a temporary injunction at the request of TikTok, which the White House has called a national security threat stemming from its Chinese parent firm's links to the Beijing government. The opinion was sealed, so no reason for the decision was released in a brief order by the court in Washington. The judge may unseal portions of the order after consulting with lawyers from both sides. The Trump administration order had sought to ban new downloads of the app from midnight (0400 GMT Monday) but would allow use of TikTok until November 12, when all usage would be blocked. The judge denied TikTok's request to suspend the November 12 ban. The decision represents a temporary win for TikTok, which has 100 million US users. But the court has yet to consider the merits of the legal arguments on whether the social platform should remain available to Americans. TikTok has argued that even a temporary ban would be devastating and cause the company irreparable harm by stunting its growth and hurting its commercial reputation. "We're pleased that the court agreed with our legal arguments and issued an injunction," TikTok said in a statement. "We will continue defending our rights for the benefit of our community and employees." For the injunction, Nichols heard arguments on the free-speech and national security implications of the Trump ban on the Chinese-owned app in a rare Sunday telephone hearing. TikTok lawyer John Hall said a ban would be "punitive" and close off a public forum used by tens of millions of Americans. In a written brief filed ahead of the hearing, TikTok lawyers said the ban was "arbitrary and capricious" and "would undermine data security" by blocking updates and fixes to the app. The company also said the ban was unnecessary because negotiations were already underway to restructure the ownership of TikTok to address national security issues raised by the administration. Government lawyers argued the president has a right to take national security actions, and said the ban was needed because of TikTok's links to the Chinese government through its parent firm ByteDance. A government brief called ByteDance "a mouthpiece" for the Chinese Communist Party and said it was "committed to promoting the CCP's agenda and messaging." The US administration argued that TikTok poses a national security risk because of links of its parent firm ByteDance to the Beijing government After the judge's order, the Commerce Department said in a statement it would comply with the injunction but "intends to vigorously defend the (executive order)... from legal challenges." University of Richmond law school professor Carl Tobias called Sunday's order "a pragmatic splitting of the baby for the short term, to give a little time for them to resolve the disputes and come to a resolution." Tobias said an appeal is possible but that the legal teams may choose to "try to work out a resolution to the broader legal clash" with the judge. Implications for internet An amicus brief filed by Netchoice, a trade group which includes Google, Facebook and Twitter, said a ban could have important implications for the global internet. "The government's actions are unprecedented in scope," the group said in its filing. A ban would "also create a dangerous precedent" for the open internet, the brief said. "The prohibition on any use of TikTok code by US developers for any purpose is effectively a ban on the building blocks of digital free expression." The trade group said a TikTok ban may be cited by China or other countries "as justification for banning or restricting the activities of US internet businesses, including US-based social media platforms." Earlier this month, Trump cited national security concerns and issued orders to ban both TikTok and the popular Chinese app WeChat, which has been put on hold in a separate court case in California. But the TikTok order stops short of a full ban until November 12, giving parent firm ByteDance time to conclude a deal to transfer ownership of the app. A tentative deal unveiled last weekend would make Silicon Valley giant Oracle the technology partner for TikTok and a stakeholder in a new entity to be known as TikTok Global. TikTok said Sunday it would "maintain our ongoing dialogue with the government" on the plan which got a preliminary approval last weekend from President Donald Trump. It was unclear if the deal would be approved by Beijing, where some consider the US move an unjustified appropriation of Chinese technology. 2020 AFP Russias InDriver has become the latest entrant in Vietnams growing but fiercely competitive ride-hailing market, joining several foreign and domestic firms in the fray. Starting this month, the company is offering car and motorbike ride-hailing services in the central province of Thua Thien Hue, the southern city of Can Tho and the northern city of Hai Phong. It now has 260 car and 300 motorbike driver partners. The company currently does not charge any fee from drivers, allowing them to receive in full the amount that customers pay. The biggest difference between InDriver and other ride-hailing apps is its real-time deal feature, which allows customers to offer an initial fare for the ride and send it to nearby drivers, who have the option to either accept the fares or propose a higher one. While other companies automatically select drivers, InDriver allows customers to manually choose one based on their proximity, reviews and price offers. A company spokesperson said this feature goes against popular algorithms which automatically increase fares during peak and high-demand hours. InDriver has over 50 million users worldwide. Its main competitors in Vietnam are currently Singapores Grab, domestic player Be and Indonesias Gojek. U.S.s ABI Research estimates Grab dominates the Vietnamese market with a 73 percent share, followed by Be with 16 percent and Gojek with 10.3 percent. In July, domestic player GV Taxi became a new player in the ride-hailing market, aiming to have 8,000 partner drivers in six months. Vietnams ride-hailing market was the fourth largest in Southeast Asia last year behind Indonesia, Singapore and Thailand, according to a report by Google. A FORMER Mayor of Limerick has vowed to continue his 20-year campaign to secure an extension of the footpath in Kilcornan. Cllr Kevin Sheahan made his comments as members of the Adare-Rathkeale Municipal District welcomed the completion of traffic calming works in the village. The Community Council are overjoyed, he said pointing out that it has written to councillors and engineers to express their gratitude and satisfaction with the project. The traffic calming measures have been installed from near the entrance to Curragh Chase forest park along a section of the N69 which passes the community centre and national school. However, Cllr Sheahan has expressed his disappointment that the works did not incorporate an extension of the existing footpath to the church and graveyard on the Pallaskenry side of the village. It has not happened so our campaign to have the footpath extended to the graveyard and church will have to continue, he stated. As the N69 is a national route, the recent traffic calming measures were carried out by Transport Infrastructure Ireland and not by the local authority. Cllr Sheahan says hes not willing to wait until the N69 is downgraded after the Adare Bypass and Limerick-Foynes roads are completed. Thats the bones of a decade but its too long to wait for the time when we will have the power ourselves to build or extend the footpath. Its too long to wait so my campaign, which started 20 odd years ago continues, he said. Heres a policing story with a happy ending: Deputies in Deltona, Fla., recently stopped a black jogger who fit the description of a burglary suspect. The jogger, Joseph Griffin, is a former military police officer and currently a registered nurse. Griffin knew to be calm and cooperative. The deputy asked Griffin to bear with him. He said he had to detain him but added, Buddy, youre not in trouble or anything. Griffin responded saying that with everything going on, its just a little bit scary. And the deputy politely replied, See it through our eyes. The Volusia County sheriff later offered Griffin a job. Recall the famous incident in New Yorks Central Park, where a disturbed white woman called police claiming that a black man was threatening her. The threat was an African-American bird-watcher whose only offense was telling the woman that her dog had to be on a leash. The police immediately recognized that the bird-watcher, Christian Cooper, was the innocent party. The woman was charged with filing a false police report. This is not to ignore genuine cases of police brutality. Its to recognize that the police are mere humans who often have to size up dangerous situations in seconds and that the public should understand the pressures. In these emotionally fraught times, America needs a balanced view of the demands on police and on a stressed public. It is apparently not what Donald Trump thinks his campaign needs. As the president readily admits, he gets off on jabbing anger buttons. So hes been blustering about the cities having become hellholes because of you-know-who. There has been a spike in urban crime, with some places Kansas City, Mo., for example hit harder than others. But even in Kansas City, the crime wave that peaked in August has since subsided. Then theres New York City, where the reality never matched Trumps dark fearmongering. Though New Yorkers worry about a recent rise in violent crime, the numbers dont warrant claims that the bad old days are back. Through Sept. 13, murders in New York totaled 321, up 40% from the same period of 2019. In the real bad old days of 1990, there were 2,245 murders. This years sharp increase comes off a base of historically low crime. Most visitors to New York see none of it. The 19th Precinct, home of the citys fanciest stores and adjacent to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, has had one murder this year. It had zero murders in 2019 and zero murders in 2018. The precinct borders Central Park, nowadays a pastoral tableau of babies in carriages, elders with canes and sunbathers on the Great Lawn. The neighborhoods seeing increases in violent crime are the poor ones. A few anti-police voices have gotten outsized attention, but leaders of these largely black communities almost all say that what they want is more police, well-trained police. Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams is an African-American who spent 22 years on the police force. Back in the heated days following George Floyds murder, Adams said, These young people have a righteous pursuit for justice in our police agencies, but we also have a fundamental obligation to make sure our city is safe. Adams worked to help protest organizers identify troublemakers. What caused New Yorks uptick in crime? Suspects include gang violence, economic hardship, the virus, lockdown stress, hot weather, closed courts and police responding less vigorously to reported crime. Interestingly, total crime complaints are down from a year ago, led by a sharp drop in grand larceny. Trump will no doubt continue to peddle anxiety about cities on fire. American cities have no choice but to walk around his daily dramatics and live their reality. Froma Harrop is a syndicated columnist. Email her at fharrop@gmail.com or follow her on Twitter @FromaHarrop. Froma Harrop is a syndicated columnist. Email her at fharrop@gmail.com or follow her on Twitter @FromaHarrop. FP Trending A Chinese startup is planning to launch its first space mining robot in November. Origin Space, the Beijing-based private space resources company, is all set to boost NEO-1, a small satellite to a 500-kilometre altitude sun-synchronous orbit, reported US science magazine IEEE Spectrum. The 30-kilogram satellite will be launched by a Chinese Long March series rocket as a secondary payload. The robot is not going to actually explore and excavate resources but it will be used for testing technologies. "The goal is to verify and demonstrate multiple functions such as spacecraft orbital manoeuvre, simulated small celestial body capture, intelligent spacecraft identification and control," Yu Tianhong, co-founder of Origin Space told IEEE Spectrum. Following this, the firm has the Yuanwang-1 (or Look up-1) mission slated to launch in 2021. This satellite will carry an optical telescope designed to observe and monitor Near Earth Asteroids. This will be the primary step in locating future targets of alien excavation. Origin Space also has a lunar mission in store. They will be sending Neo 2 to the moons surface by late 2021 or early 2022. According to the portal, the spacecraft will be first launched into low-Earth orbit. From here, it will raise its orbit with onboard propulsion to reach a lunar orbit. Here the craft is going to make some observations after which it will be making a hard landing on the lunar surface. As the startup will become the first private firm to develop a space mining robot, the whole world will be eagerly waiting for the results. This comes at a time when many experts around the world have advocated against space mining. According to a report in The Guardian, several scientists proposed that space miners leave more than 85 per cent of the solar system off-limits. This is to save the space from human exploitation. But the world is far from listening. Apart from China, American president Donald Trump also recently signed an executive order that encourages the mining of resources on the moon and asteroids. Americans should have the right to engage in commercial exploration, recovery, and use of resources in outer space, consistent with applicable law, the order said. Thousands of helicopter professionals from 160+ countries "worldwide" visit JustHelicopters.com every day, making it the Helicopter Industry's #1 Online Resource! Whether a Helicopter Pilot, Helicopter Student, Helicopter Mechanic, Employer, Helicopter Flight School, Helicopter Business, or an enthusiast, JustHelicopters.com has something for you. Mr. Hitov was part of a tight-knit team that designed the CIW's groundbreaking Fair Food Program (FFP), dramatically reconstructing labor conditions on countless farm fields and prompting the Harvard Business Review to call the FFP "one of the top 15 social impact success stories of the past century", along with the eradication of polio, Sesame Street, and children's car seats. During the course of Mr. Hitov's tenure, the CIW went from a community organization born in the dirt-poor, crossroads town of Immokalee in rural Florida to an internationally-recognized leader in the field of business and human rights. His efforts touched the lives of workers from tomato fields in the South to dairy farms in Vermont, from construction sites in Minnesota to poultry plants in Arkansas, and from fashion runways in New York and Paris to garment factories in Bangladesh and Lesotho. A lawyer, Mr. Hitov fought for nothing less than to eliminate the need for legal remedy. He sought to keep the milk unspilt: to prevent human rights violations from ever happening in the first place, rather than cleaning them up after the fact. On FFP farms, and in WSR workplaces, he did just that. As NYC Human Rights Commissioner Cathy Albisa put it, "Steve's genius was the insight that our formal legal system was designed mostly to protect the powerful, not to bring meaningful social change to working people. So he and the CIW dreamed up and built a new system. A new democratic system that brought real enforceable rights to workers across the country." Alejandra Carrera, a worker on a Fair Food Program farm, described the change to CNN, "You're not going to be harassed. You're not going to be insulted. You're not going to be forced to work. There's more respect now." Grower Jon Esformes, CEO of Sunripe Certified Brands, one of the country's oldest and largest tomato producers and FFP partner, stated simply, "Steve Hitov didn't just change the lives of those around him. Steve Hitov changed the world." Mr. Hitov cared little for public acclaim. He made an exception when he accepted the Presidential Medal for Excellence in Combatting Modern-Day Slavery at the Obama White House, on behalf of the CIW. He was also proud of being the inaugural recipient of the Gwynne Skinner Human Rights Award. But as a rule he worked his magic in the background. A key author of an unprecedented agreement between Walmart and the CIW, Mr. Hitov nonetheless did not even attend the public signing ceremony because, in his words, "I wasn't needed. My job was done." Cheryl Queen, former Vice-President for Communications of Compass Group, the international food service giant and FFP partner, said, "I always imagined Steve as one of those heroes of the Old Testament, clothed in a flowing tunic and sandals, fighting pharaohs, lions and Goliaths. Steve was a warrior on the outside, and his cause was just and admirable. But beneath that warrior facade was the sweetest man, an unforgettable character, who could absolutely melt your heart." Mr. Hitov was a man of deep convictions, principal among them the proposition that all people are indeed created equal, with equal dignity, equal value, and equal rights before the law. He lived his life determined to bend the world toward his faith in that principle. He applied it in everyday relations with his colleagues, too. Mr. Hitov's ability to contribute his extraordinary training and intellect, not as an attorney with a client, but as one among a team of equals, was as rare as it was valuable to the CIW's success. Mr. Hitov's life's work of defending and expanding human rights, always with an eagle-eyed focus on upending the structural causes of poverty, spanned nearly 50 years, and played out in a wide range of arenas, from the U.S. Supreme Court to the farm fields of Florida to the United Nations in Geneva. He dedicated his legal career to ensuring that the poor at the bottom rungs of society could speak with the same powerful voice and wield the same effective legal representation as the rich at the top. He strongly believed for that to happen, lawyers for poor people needed to be twice as good and work twice as hard, which he was and he did. He never let his cancer get in the way, but somehow worked through great pain with the same incisive analysis and humor as always. Mr. Hitov is featured in the book I Am Not A Tractor: How Farmworkers Took On The Fast Food Giants And Won , his work in the movie Food Chains, and he authored many articles, including "Ending Slavery in the Supply Chain" in the Wake Forest Law Review. He was graduated from the University of Massachusetts in 1970 and from New York University Law School in 1975. He is survived by his loving wife Matilde "Tillie" Lacayo, sisters Eleanor and Naomi, and his brother, David. Perhaps Greg Asbed, CIW co-founder, said it best: "The world has lost a giant, one who happily forsook Goliath for a life well-spent in David's army." Contact: Marley Monacello, 1-239-357-0393, [email protected] SOURCE Coalition of Immokalee Workers Related Links http://www.ciw-online.org For restaurant and bar owners, opening their own place is usually a dream come true. But before the COVID-19 pandemic, many underestimated the power of an often overlooked partner in their success their landlord. Many restaurants lucky enough to survive this long, while adapting their business model to fit new ways of doing business like takeout and outdoor dining, now have to navigate restructuring leases or asking for temporary rent deferment or abatement in order to survive. Were extremely busy renegotiating leases, said Louis Cornejo, president of commercial real estate company Urban Group. The problem is it would be easy to say, OK this will work for four, five or six months,' but no one knows whats going to happen. It has us all trying to reinvent how we do business. He said for the most part, its been nice to see agents, landlords and restaurateurs working together to try and find a solution. Landlords are making concessions, some opting temporarily for percentage rent for the time being, which is when a restaurant pays their rent based on a percentage of their sales. This reduces the risk for the tenant since it means if the business isnt able to operate, it wont have to pay rent. Not every landlord goes for that, Cornejo said, some preferring to defer a few months of rent or charge a reduced price for a certain time period. Oftentimes, it comes down to how long the landlord has owned the building and whether the landlord is beholden to investors or a loan. The last six months have been about adapting, Cornejo said. Landlords have to make decisions that could impact them for the next couple of years. San Francisco is a small city. A reduction of rent could be the difference between keeping and losing their building. Stuart Rosenberg, a landlord with two restaurant tenants within the San Francisco buildings he owns, said for one of his restaurant tenants, hes reduced the rent 50% indefinitely. For the other, a Nob Hill restaurant that was scheduled to open in late March or early April, hes not asking for any rent at all since its never been able to open. I didnt think it was fair to fault him, Rosenberg said. I cant lose money, but Im fine breaking even right now. If you can pay, pay, but Im not going to put someone out on the street during COVID because their business is closed. Rosenberg explains that hes owned those buildings for more than 30 years and the only reason he can help these restaurants (and many other businesses he owns in the retail sector that are struggling) is because his property taxes are very low. He said if Prop. 15 passes during the election which would require commercial property to be taxed based on current market value instead of purchase price and his taxes skyrocket, the concessions hes able to make may change. Mark Conroe, a managing partner with Presidio Development, also had a restaurant slated to open in one of his buildings during the past six months, and that tenant decided to pull out of the deal entirely when the pandemic hit. Now, Conroe said hes willing to do a lot more to find someone to fill the space than he would have pre-pandemic. Its a shame, we really want to get it leased, Conroe said. Right now, its not doing anybody any favors. The community gets dead space, we dont get rent, the city doesnt get taxes. Its horrible for everybody. Were actively engaging with all interested tenants. For his existing restaurant tenants, he said hes doing everything he can to help. In effect, were their partners. Weve invested in them in the form of tenant improvement, Conroe said. If theyre a good tenant, you want them to survive. Theyre like a great employee, you gotta do what it takes to keep them. There would be downtime and switchover costs if they left. Its stupid to let your good tenant fail. He said he gave those existing restaurants free rent from March 15 through July. One tenant received a PPP loan and gave what they could when they had that money. He said right now, hes amenable to percentage rent when they renegotiate, because he said it makes sense that if you have no sales, you have no rent. New leases also look very different. Cheryl Maloney, a broker with Vanguard Properties, said there are some new leases being signed, either by current restaurants looking for comparable space for less rent or by restaurateurs who wanted to open something pre-pandemic and now theyre jumping to take advantage of decreased pricing and favorable leases. Ive never worked harder in my life, Maloney said. Its been crazy. I thought for sure commercial leases would be impossible, but Ive done three just this week. Sure, I have a couple leases Ive had a hard time moving, but I would say they would have a hard time moving in normal times. Language that includes what would happen in case of a pandemic is now included in a standard lease, as well as conditions related to that (say, if an employee gets sick and the business must shut down for days or weeks to clean). People are asking for more termination rights than ever. Theyre also looking to do shorter terms, which wed never heard before, said Pam Mendelsohn, a broker with Maven Properties. Once you spend your time putting energy and time into a name and brand, you usually want to be there a long time, but now thats not always the case. For tenants who are looking for new space right now, some priorities have changed. Business owners want operable windows and space for some tables outside. Theyre favoring small spaces over large ones. Theyre also looking more closely into who their future landlord will be. Tenants are going to be really cautious about who they get in bed with, Mendelsohn said. And a landlord is going to need to feel really good because things are so uncertain. Most of all, they want to be in a neighborhood, as opposed to a business district like SoMa or the Financial District. Downtown is not a hit right now. Polk Street area, the Marina, those are hot, Maloney said. Proposition Chicken Ari Feingold, owner of Proposition Chicken, said he had planned to expand to a new space when his current lease is up, and due to the pandemic and the changes it brought, hell be looking at a neighborhood space as opposed to a downtown location. We see the neighborhood being the lifeline of the restaurants now and not necessarily the downtown, Feingold said. We feel like we fit more appropriately now in a neighborhood. Maloney said rents overall are down an average of 10-30% depending on the location, something she said needed to happen eventually. Rents, especially in certain business corridors, were simply too high for a restaurant model to be sustainable. Landlords need to get over what theyve been charging for the last 10 years, Maloney said. People dont realize how small the margins are in restaurants. Maloney said Hayes Valley, in particular, has seen rents drop substantially after years of inflated pricing. David White, owner of Flour + Water Pizzeria, said hes an optimist and in some ways this reset had to come sometime. He said many restaurants that looked like they were thriving before were really just surviving on razor thin margins. The market was incredibly hot, unsustainably. We dont want to go back there. Next summer, it should not be what it was last summer in terms of price per square foot. White said. Landlords that are trying to write pre-COVID leases now arent going to get tenants. His landlord forgave the rent on the Flour + Water Pizzeria location for April and May, and hes currently paying 50% indefinitely. [Our landlord] gets that were in a partnership. We both survive or neither of us survive. White said. The moment we can pay him more rent, well pay him more rent. Its the reality of whats happening. While he said the decrease in rent has been important for their survival, he recognizes that a pizza restaurant, especially one like his that already had a takeout window, is particularly well positioned to survive this tough time. White cautions that while rent may be declining, he doesnt think weve hit bottom yet, and he expects more vacancies coming, especially as the weather cools and PPP money runs out. Commercial real estate always lags. It admits the world is the way it is six months later than everyone else, he said. The worst part of right now, everyone agreed, is still the immense amount of uncertainty ahead. Were walking through this dark forest hand in hand, Conroe said. I want to make sure both of us make it. Its a horrible time to be a restaurant. You have to have empathy for that. Tessa McLean is a digital editor with SFGATE. Email her at tessa.mclean@sfgate.com or follow her on Twitter @mcleantessa. As the gavel fell Monday evening, the Louisiana Legislature began a month-long session specially-called by Republican lawmakers to review bills on a long list issues, the foremost of which are Gov. John Bel Edwards' coronavirus restrictions. With little fanfare, members of the Louisiana House and state Senate shuffled through a few dozen bills and resolutions, assigning the measures to committees for further hearings, then recessed for the day within 50 minutes. The push to give lawmakers a say in coronavirus rules started taking shape. Republican lawmakers are circulating petitions to end the emergency health declaration that underlies a sheaf of directives to lessen the spread of the deadly COVID-19, but also have led to widespread shutdowns of business activities and unprecedented unemployment. GOP legislators including Senate President Page Cortez and House Speaker Clay Schexnayder want to give the Legislature a seat at the table in emergency powers. "The Legislature is a co-equal branch of government ... and we should have a seat at the table," Cortez said. +5 Inside Louisiana's special session: Political tug-of-war over coronavirus orders at heart of agenda Rescuing Louisiana's unemployment fund and recovering from Hurricane Laura are the marquee issues for the monthlong legislative session hastil Bills filed by the two legislative leaders would create a committee of lawmakers to be informed about emergency declarations if they last more than 30 days. It would also allow the Legislature to nullify a public health emergency through a petition of both houses. Currently, one house can end the emergency through a petition on its own. Asked what specific components of Edwards' coronavirus restrictions he objects to, Cortez said merely that lawmakers want a "seat at the table." Republicans have railed against a host of the rules, including restrictions on bars and restaurants and visits to nursing homes. Schexnayder laid out four priorities: Hurricane Laura relief, coronavirus relief to businesses, addressing the governor's emergency powers and shoring up the fund that pays unemployment claims. The latter is the top priority of the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry, the top business lobby, and the governor has said he wants to find a way to replenish the fund to avoid an automatic tax on businesses and a cut to benefits. The state House also swore in Rep. Joseph Orgeron, a Larose Republican who was elected to fill the seat left vacant by Rep. Reggie Bagala. Bagala died in the spring from COVID-19 complications. Some lawmakers in both chambers, but not all, wore face coverings, much like in the spring and summer legislative sessions. Some of the lawmakers in the House also removed plexiglass partitions separating desks, which were installed in an effort to prevent the viral spread of the coronavirus. State Sen. Ronnie Johns, R-Lake Charles, made note of the states twin challenges COVID-19 and recovery from Hurricane Laura in his opening prayer in the Senate. Father, our people are hurting like no other time in our states history, said Johns. The session, called by Republican lawmakers, instead of the governor, comes nearly seven months after Louisiana confirmed its first case of coronavirus, on the first day of the regular Legislative session back on March 9. Fed up with being sidelined coronavirus decisions, Republicans want to take on Edwards' emergency powers to close down bars, limit capacity in restaurants and make other sweeping regulations by executive order. Speaker Pro Tem Tanner Magee, a Houma Republican, said GOP lawmakers in various camps have a common goal of having a role in the governor's restrictions. Thats a long time to let one person in a democracy make decisions," Magee said. "If (Edwards) had done a better job of communicating with the Legislature I dont think wed even be here." The scoop on state politics in your inbox Get the Louisiana politics insider details once a week from us. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up The governor has denounced the effort to change or limit his ability to issue emergency declarations. He said the state Constitution bestows the authority to him, and that "you cannot respond to a public health emergency by committee." The controversy over Edwards' executive orders isn't new. In the regular Legislative session, this spring, Republican legislators threatened legislation that would take away the governor's ability to enforce restrictions. Shortly thereafter, Edwards loosened the coronavirus rules, though he said the decision was only made because the data allowed him to do so. Now, some lawmakers say they want a more robust change in state law to give the Legislature a role in the process. "At some point the Legislature should be involved in these strong decisions that are really consequential," said Rep. Mark Wright, R-Covington. So many of us in the House and the Senate got a lot of constituents calling us dumbfounded that we really couldnt do anything about it. Mark Ballard: A power struggle is at the root of Louisiana's latest special session starting Monday Gov. John Bel Edwards was correct when he said the special session, which only is supposed to focus on one or two items, will be more like a r Wright, who filed a bill to require the Legislature to approve an emergency declaration after 30 days, described the legislation as an effort to give lawmakers the ability to negotiate with the governor. If lawmakers are upset about a rule to require bars to close at a certain time, for instance, they could tell the governor they will reject his emergency declaration unless it is changed. Several other bills aim to accomplish something similar. Then there's the nuclear option: A petition signed by a majority of either the House or Senate that would effectively revoke all coronavirus rules, allowing bars, restaurants, amusement parks and all other businesses open to 100% capacity, with no social distancing or mask requirements. Conservative state representatives, led by state Rep. Alan Seabaugh, R-Shreveport, have circulated a petition for months. But additional petitions have emerged recently. In July, state Rep. Tony Bacala, R-Prairieville, came out against a petition to nullify the public health emergency for two months, after contracting the virus himself. Now, he is backing a new petition to end the declaration for 14 days. In the governor's press room on the fourth floor of the State Capitol on Monday, Bacala and more than a dozen other lawmakers met with Dr. Alex Billioux, who joined remotely to field pointed questions about the state's coronavirus statistics. Bacala said members wanted to know about how the state is counting deaths, and whether the mask mandate was the true cause of a downturn in infections, among other things. Bacala said he has come around to the petition idea in part because "it's been six months" of restrictions. The petition is seen by many Republicans as a way to hold leverage as the session goes forward. The GOP doesn't have the votes on their own to override an Edwards veto in the House, so the petition could hang over the governor's head as he decides whether to sign or veto a bill. "If legislation fails, including by veto, we have an avenue to do something," Bacala said. Staff writer Will Sentell contributed to this story. The mother of the three children, who called police that day, filed a complaint against Blake that had led to felony charges being filed in July accusing him of sexually assaulting a woman in May. Blake, who was wanted on a warrant for those charges when police arrived at the scene Aug. 23, pleaded not guilty to the charges earlier this month via video from from his hospital bed. A trial date was set for Nov. 9. Ras Al Khaimahs industrial exports recorded a growth of 32% between 2017 and 2019, reaching a value of AED3,803 in 2019, Ras Al Khaimah Chamber of Commerce and Industry revealed in a study recently issued by the Department of Studies and Commercial Cooperation. The industrial exports increased from 41% in 2017 to 58% in 2019, which underscores the key role of the manufacturing sector in the economy of the emirate of Ras Al Khaimah, said Mohamed Hassan Al Sabab, Acting Director General of RAK Chamber of Commerce and Industry. It creates the safety valve that protects the economy against any repercussions, with the sectors capacity to maintain its sustainability, generate income and continue to offer job opportunities. The steadiness of these productive industrial sectors is that they are closely associated to the basic essential consumer needs, despite the decline which may occur under the economic crisis, such as the current one, he added. Al Sabab further said: the export industries and the industrial exports in Ras Al Khaimah have a great role in maintaining the economic stability, with the diversity of the production sectors continue to lead Ras Al Khaimah economy scene as a key player and an effective engine that strengthen the emirates competitiveness, as these industries represent a key pillar for the sustainable economic growth, while the industrial policies continue to play a great role in supporting the foreign investment in the industrial sector, which in turn enhanced the sector role in maintaining the economic stability. Eman Al Hayyas, Assistant Director General of the Commercial Services and Business Development Sector in Ras Al Khaimah Chamber of Commerce and Industry stated that the local exports memberships represented 56% of the total industrial exports of RAK. Of these, the industrial zone represented 41%. The qualified industrial zones which include Al Jazeerah Al Hamra, Al Ghail and Khor Kuwair contributed 87.7% of the total exports. These exports strengthened the trade relations with the emirates international partners, led by GCC countries which contributed with 51% of the emirates total industrial exports. Al Hayyas added the countries that import the emirates products reached 137 countries from various regions across the world, supported by foreign and local investments which recorded the value of billion and 741 million dirhams at the time of companies registration, and provided job opportunities to over 34 thousand individuals. The number of industrial companies exporting reached 370, running business in five main production categories including (metal products, transport equipment, normal metals, video and audio recording systems, products of stone, gypsum or cement) which contributed 75% of the total industrial exports. On the other hand, the industrial exports represented 81% of the total of 19,886 certificates of origin, which represented the number of deals concluded by the companies. Additionally, Saudi Arabia topped the countries which received exports from Ras Al Khaimah worth AED994 million representing 26% of the total industrial exports of the emirate, followed by Kuwait at AED384 million, with 10% exports; India at AED343 million, represented 9%; followed by the USA with 5%, amounted to AED176 million; Oman represented 4% with AED140 million, Iraq with AED134 million represented 3.5%. Bangladesh, Egypt, Russia, Bahrain, Pakistan, Singapore, Ethiopia, Sudan and Algeria and the rest of 137 countries across the world accounted for the rest. --TradeArabia News Service Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-29 05:46:49|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close LONDON, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- An opinion poll released in London on Monday found that 58 percent of people in Britain don't believe Prime Minister Boris Johnson can get a good deal with the European Union (EU). The majority of people also think the British government has failed to prepare for a no-deal outcome, according to the poll by Ipsos MORI. The poll results came as Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove started talks in Brussels with European Commission Vice President Maros Sefcovic to discuss the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement. Negotiating teams from both sides, led by Britain's chief negotiator David Frost and the EU's Michel Barnier, will start on Tuesday the ninth round of formal negotiations on the future partnership. The talks will continue until Friday. Both sides are hoping for a breakthrough on a number of disputed issues, mainly over fishing rights in the waters off the British Isles as well as government support for industry. A mid-October deadline has been set for the two sides to reach an agreement that can be put before the EU's 27 member states. If no deal is struck by then, Britain will trade with the EU on WTO terms. In the Ipsos MORI poll, just 26 percent of respondents think the British government has prepared well for the possibility that talks will fail to reach any deal by Dec. 31, while almost two thirds think ministers have done a bad job. Gideon Skinner, head of political research at Ipsos MORI, said: "Britons are still pretty pessimistic about the prospects of getting a good deal from the Brexit negotiations, and the preparations for a no-deal if we don't." Enditem 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. A woman charged with mailing ricing to Donald Trump was arrested at the Canada-US border with a semiautomatic handgun, nearly 300 rounds of ammunition, pepper spray, a knife and a stun gun, prosecutors say. Pascale Ferrier of a Montreal suburb, was arrested a week ago as she tried to enter America between Fort Erie, Ontario, and Buffalo. Her lawyer entered a not-guilty plea on her behalf Monday. The 53-year-old was ordered to be held without bail by a judge in Buffalo who cited 'a very strong case' against her based on an indictment in Washington, D.C. U.S. Magistrate Judge H. Kenneth Schroeder Jr. cited a long history of assassinations and attempted assassinations of U.S. presidents since the killing of President Abraham Lincoln in finding that Ferrier was an ongoing threat to the president and others. He also read from a letter that prosecutors allege Ferrier wrote to Trump and included in the ricin-laden container, in which she allegedly threatened to find a more dangerous poison or to use her gun to stop him from his presidential campaign. 'It would appear to me the government has a very strong case, especially assuming the legal validity of the alleged admissions at the time of her arrest,' Schroeder said of the woman, who has French and Canadian citizenship. He ordered her transfer to Washington to face the one-count indictment. Pascale Ferrier, 53, a French-born resident of Quebec, has been identified as the woman suspected of mailing ricin letters to President Trump at the White House An envelope containing ricin was mailed and addressed to President Trump Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Lynch said Ferrier was trying to enter the United States last week when an officer approached and asked if she was OK. 'No, I'm wanted by the FBI for the ricin envelope,' he quoted her as responding. He said authorities handcuffed her and searched her vehicle, in which they found a semiautomatic handgun loaded with seven rounds of ammunition, nearly 300 rounds of other ammunition, pepper spray, a knife and a stun gun. 'She was loaded for bear, Judge,' the prosecutor said. He said that ricin had been located at her apartment outside Montreal and that she was likely to face additional charges in Washington, Texas and Buffalo. The envelope containing the toxic substance and the threatening letter was addressed to the White House but was intercepted at a mail sorting facility September 18. No one was harmed. Besides the letter's threats was a command to Trump to 'give up and remove our application for this election,' authorities said. According to court documents, Ferrier penned a note to Trump, telling him to 'give up and remove your application for this election.' 'So I made a 'special gift' for you to make a decision. This gift is in this letter,' she wrote, according to the affidavit. 'If it doesn't work, I'll find better recipe for another poison, or I might use my gun when I'll be able to come.' The package, postmarked from Canada, included the letter in which she referred to Trump as 'The Ugly Tyrant Clown', according to an FBI affidavit filed in the case. Less than two weeks before Ferrier's arrest, a Twitter user by the name Pascale Ferrier, from Laval, Quebec, tweeted this threatening message Two minutes later, the same Twitter user sent out this message mocking Trump This letter containing white powdery substance was sent from Canada to Hidalgo County Sheriff Effie Guerra During the investigation, the FBI discovered that six additional similar letters appeared to have been received in Texas in September and also had stamps indicating that they'd been mailed from Canada, according to court papers. Those letters 'contained similar language' to the letter that was sent to Trump and were sent to people affiliated with facilities where Ferrier had been jailed in 2019. Investigators also matched Ferriers fingerprints from four of the letters, the complaint said. In Facebook and Twitter posts in September, Ferrier, 53, also wrote "#killTrump" and used similar wording as she did in the letter, calling him an "Ugly Clown Tyrant," according to the document. Ferrier was booked into the Hidalgo County jail in March of 2019 on two charges of unlawfully carrying a weapon and one charge of tampering with government records, according to online jail records. Pascale is listed as living in Quebec, and was released in May of last year. The records state the charges against her were ordered dismissed. Ferrier, a native of France living in Canada, had spent 20 days in a Texas jail last year after being charged with using a fake driver's license Pascale Ferrier, a Canadian woman accused of mailing a package containing the poison ricin to the White House, was taken into custody Sunday, September 20 by U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the Peace Bridge border crossing near Buffalo, pictured Her lawyer, Fonda Dawn Kubiak, argued that she should be granted bail. 'As Ms. Ferrier sits here today, she is presumed innocent,' Kubiak said. She called her client 'highly educated' with the equivalent of a masters degree in engineering in France and who was employed by an aircraft engineering company. Kubiak said Ferrier could reside with her son in Quebec or possibly with family members in Texas. RCMP officers prepare to enter an apartment complex in connection with the mailing of ricin to President Trump Monday, September 21 Canadian police descend on suburban Montreal apartment complex after an armed woman was arrested at the border and taken into US custody on suspicion of sending Trump a letter laced with ricin An RCMP officer walks outside of an apartment complex during a raid in connection with the mailing of ricin to President Trump Ferrier immigrated to Canada from France and became a Canadian citizen in 2015, according to her Facebook profile. Justin Taylor, a cousin in Texas, confirmed she was originally from France. He said she has extended family in Texas and was looking at possibly moving there after driving to Texas in her RV. Her called her arrest very surprising. "A very nice lady, very warm and kind," Taylor said. Ricin is found naturally in castor beans but it takes a deliberate act to convert it into a biological weapon. Ricin can cause death within 36 to 72 hours from exposure to an amount as small as a pinhead. No known antidote exists. A new two-part drama based on James Comey's memoir has been derided by critics as 'a weak melodrama' which is 'self-satisfied', and 'does little to distinguish itself from the dreary slush pile of other docudramas based on true events or books'. The Comey Rule, which aired on Showtime on Sunday night, is based on the former FBI director's 2018 memoir, A Higher Loyalty. Irish actor Brendan Gleeson stars as the president and Jeff Daniels as Comey, and the show follows Comey through the ethical challenges he faced as FBI director under Trump's presidency, amid the investigations into Russia's interference in the 2016 presidential election. Scroll down for video The miniseries, featuring Jeff Daniels as James Comey, is based on the former FBI director's 2018 memoir, A Higher Loyalty In The Comey Rule, Trump is painted as a 'mob boss' during the investigation into Russia's interference on the 2016 election James Comey's 2018 memoir has been turned into a two-part series, which began on Sunday The first night of the two-night, four-hour event explored the earliest days in the Russia investigation and the FBI investigating Hillary Clinton's emails, and how they impacted election night when Trump shocked the world. Critics were unflinching in their attacks on the show. The New York Times' James Poniewozik said it was 'not good drama; its clunky, self-serious and melodramatic.' IndieWire's Ben Travers described it as 'weak melodrama and a jarring monster movie,' while Slate derided it as a hagiography. Comey, who was fired as the FBI director by President Trump in May 2017, claimed Trump had asked for his 'loyalty' during the probe. He is portrayed by Jeff Daniels (right) Actor Brendan Gleeson (right) plays Donald Trump in the political drama thriller Hank Stuever, the Washington Post's TV critic, describes the series as 'a project nobody asked for, dropped into a highly contentious election season, as if the very lessons it hopes to impart somehow do not apply to its own sense of self-importance.' He argues that the timing was wrong for HBO to broadcast the series. 'The storys unsettled nature is proof enough that all of this still needs time to ferment before anyone tries to make it into captivating material for TV and film,' he writes. 'Other than being able to say it got there first, The Comey Rule could certainly have waited until after the election, or until some other era down the road.' Rolling Stone's Maria Fontoura agreed, with a critique entitled: The Comey Rule Will Give You 2016 Election PTSD. Scott Tobias, critic for Vulture, wrote: 'In its worst moments, The Comey Rule does little to distinguish itself from the dreary slush pile of other docudramas based on true events or books.' On social media, Twitter users were unimpressed. 'The casting in The Comey Rule is so bad,' said one Twitter user, while another mocked Daniels' performance as 'a sort of aw-shucks American everyman'. Another said that Gleeson's portrayal of Trump was 'as if he's doing a very bad impersonation of Stephen Colbert doing his terrible impersonation of Trump.' Social media users were unimpressed with The Comey Rule Daniels' performance was mocked by another Twitter user Another person took aim at Brendan Gleeson's portrayal of the president The limited series follows Comey through the challenges he faced throughout his role as FBI director under Trump's presidency, amid the investigations into Russia's interference in the 2016 presidential election Holly Hunter plays fired acting attorney general Sally Yates (left) According to the network, Comey's memoir serves as just one source for the series, along with 'more than a year of additional interviews with a number of key principals'. The Comey Rule was described as, 'an immersive, behind-the-headlines account of the historically turbulent events surrounding the 2016 presidential election and its aftermath, which divided a nation.' The network description also clarified that this event series is 'not the biopic of one man,' but is the story of 'two powerful figures whose strikingly different personalities, ethics and loyalties put them on a collision course.' The description by HBO even calls Russia's interference in the 2016 election a 'deep and unprecedented penetration into American politics'. Holly Hunter plays Acting Attorney General Sally Yates, William Sadler stars as Michael Flynn, and Peter Coyote as Robert Mueller. Merrimack College in North Andover made the temporary move to remote learning starting Monday after a coronavirus outbreak on campus infected dozens of students, officials said. The cluster of COVID-19 cases was announced Tuesday at the schools Monican Hall residence, which houses 300 students. The dormitory was placed under quarantine after five students tested positive for the viral respiratory infection. NBC Boston reported later in the week that the initial outbreak led to more than 50 students testing positive for the virus. Another 12 positive cases were identified over the weekend among nearly 4,500 commuters, residential students and employees who were tested during the week, the college said in a statement. Among the recently reported cases, three were commuters. One was an employee at the college, and eight were residential students, according to the statement. None of the additional positive cases appear, at this time, to be connected to the Monican cluster, and we continue to aggressively test and watch the Monican impact, the statement said. Everyone who has tested positive this week is now in isolation and their direct contacts are now in quarantine. Since Wednesday and particularly over weekend, many students have gone home, and a number of faculty members have decided to shift their classes temporarily to remote formats out of an abundance of caution, the college said. Given these factors and due to the uptick in coronavirus cases that were unconnected to Monican Hall, the college has moved to remote learning for the next five days, from Monday to Friday. We must acknowledge that we need to reestablish our collective sense of safety while maintaining our vigilance, the schools statement said. The college claimed its quick and decisive action shutting down Monican Hall was successful in minimizing the spread of the virus from the dormitory to campus. However, the significance of the school moving to remote learning and the impact the decision will have on campus should not be minimized," the college said. As a community, we have been doing a lot to keep ourselves safe through testing and social distancing protocols, and for six weeks things have been going well, the college wrote in its statement. But even in our success, we must always be mindful of continuing our efforts. In retrospect, our success may have allowed us to also collectively let our guard down. Regardless of how we have gotten to this point, we must seize this moment to make changes and double down on our efforts. The school expects in-person classes to resume on Monday, Oct. 5. The campus will remain open and operational, with resident halls remaining fully open, except for Monican Hall. Residential students can and should stay on campus, the college said. Testing is expected to ramp up, and food service will be fully operational. Those who are currently on campus must get tested Monday by 5 p.m., regardless of their regularly scheduled testing times, according to the college. Once tested, residential students will be free to move about the campus, use campus facilities and perform their campus jobs. School officials urged residential students currently on the campus not to leave. All students who are not in isolation or quarantine, and who as of 3 p.m. Sunday were off campus, may return to campus any time during the week, according to the school. What the Monican cluster has taught us is that COVID-19 is very complex and the impact can be swift and large, the college said. Although we planned extensively for a temporary move to remote learning, and a potential outbreak of a campus cluster, the mental health of students, faculty and staff, and its impact is very difficult to plan for. Regardless of how you are feeling, regardless of the emotions and your feelings of COVID-19, please know you are not alone. Related Content: South African non-profit organisation Code for Change has launched a free-to-use coding and front-end web development training platform for South African high school learners. The platform is available on both desktop and mobile devices and makes it easy for learners to access the organisations CodeJIKA programme. CodeJIKA was launched in 2017 and has reached over 250 schools, 26,500 learners, and 1,520 teachers. It teaches foundational coding, web development, and computer science skills and is designed primarily for under-resourced, offline, and mobile-oriented schools and communities. Code for Change said it works closely with the Department of Basic Education to drive computer science uptake in South Africa and to shape future curricula to encompass computer science skills. Coding crucial for the future Dell Technologies South Africa is one of the projects flagship sponsors and believes that initiatives such as these are crucial for South African youths. Coding is no longer a luxury but a necessary skill for youth to have it encourages innovation and is a skill that can be used across the technology spectrum, said Head of Transformation for Dell Technologies South Africa Natasha Reuben. We believe that by introducing coding skills to kids from a young age, it enables them to start building critical skills, such as being able to problem solve, to persevere and to become solutions-minded. CodeJIKA co-founder Jonathan Novotny believes that the COVID-19 pandemic has made digital skills even more important. Given the new reality of work ushered in by the global COVID-19 pandemic, it has never been more critical for South African youth to become skilled in a discipline that will become increasingly more important in the future of work, Novotny said. Coding is the language of the future, and by teaching these skills to our youth now, they will gain valuable digital skills before entering the job market. The Department of Communications and Digital Technologies (DCDT) recently outlined its Digital and Future Skills Strategy. Key to this strategy, said the DCDT, is driving digital literacy and fluency in South African schools by evolving the curriculum to address the important digital skills of the future. Subjects and topics for which students should be prepared include: 3D printing Algorithms design and use Artificial Intelligence Applications Big data analytics Cybersecurity Digital Content Design Drone applications Gamification Mechatronics and robotics Software engineering Curriculum review should give attention to language and mathematics curricula, since these provide foundation knowledge for digital learning, added the DCDT. Now read: The most popular programming languages in the world As a member of Congress, Pompeo had been a strong critic of the Obama administration and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton over the deadly attack on U.S. diplomatic facilities in Benghazi, Libya. He is loathe to see a repeat of such an attack on his watch, according to current and former U.S. officials. In addition, Trump has been clear about his desire to reduce the U.S. presence in the Mideast, although he has focused primarily on the military. His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa sent a cable of condolences to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky over the victims of the transport military plane which crashed near the northeastern city of Kharkiv leaving dozens dead. HM the King extended heartfelt condolences to President Zelensky and to the victims families and the friendly Ukrainian people in the aftermath of the tragic incident, wishing the deceased mercy and forgiveness. His Royal Highness Prime Minister Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa and His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and First Deputy Prime Minister, also sent similar cable of condolences to the Ukraine leader and his people. OTTAWA - The Liberal government is asking Parliament to fast-track its latest COVID-19 economic recovery package, prompting a torrent of opposition outrage that government forced this issue by proroguing Parliament this summer. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 28/9/2020 (481 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Conservative Leader Erin O'Toole and Bloc Quebecois Leader Yves-Francois Blanchet are expected to return to the House of Commons after isolating due to COVID-19 as Parliament resumes Monday for its first full week. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld OTTAWA - The Liberal government is asking Parliament to fast-track its latest COVID-19 economic recovery package, prompting a torrent of opposition outrage that government forced this issue by proroguing Parliament this summer. Government House leader Pablo Rodriguez proposed Monday to limit debate on the legislation, which sets up three new benefits to help workers weather the COVID-19 pandemic, on top of a new, more generous and flexible employment insurance regime. The minority Liberal government secured NDP support for the legislation last week by hiking the amount of those benefits by $100 to $500 per week ensuring no one will get less than they were receiving under the Canada Emergency Response Benefit, which came to an end on the weekend. They also agreed to an NDP demand to expand the eligibility criteria for the new sick leave benefit beyond simply those workers who contract COVID-19. Under the newly rewritten legislation, which is now known as Bill C-4, workers who have underlying conditions or are undergoing treatments or have contracted other illnesses that make them more susceptible to COVID-19 are also eligible. So are those who isolate themselves on the advice of their employer, medical practitioner or public health authority for COVID-19-related reasons. NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh said that means workers who catch the flu or a common cold will now be entitled to collect the sick leave benefit. "If someone gets sick they need to quickly be able to take time off so they dont risk infecting their colleagues," he said Monday. "What were proposing is something that is going to make the response better, make sure more workers are able to stay home if theyre sick." In addition to the sick leave benefit, the bill also creates a new Canada Recovery Benefit for self-employed and gig workers who won't qualify for the more robust EI regime, as well as a caregiver benefit for workers who have to stay home to care for a dependant for reasons having to do with COVID-19. Because CERB expired over the weekend, the new bill will need to pass quickly in order for Canadians to begin applying for the new benefits. Applications for the recovery benefit are to open Oct. 11 and, for the other two benefits, on Oct. 4. Rodriguez said Canadians are watching to see if political parties will work together to pass the aid package quickly. "Canadians need our help now and this is exactly what the motion is attempting to accomplish," he said Monday as he introduced a motion to fast-track the bill. "Quick action." The motion proposes to limit debate on the bill to just 4.5 hours bypassing the normal lengthy legislative process, including committee hearings and allow it to be put to a quick vote, likely on Tuesday. Conservative House leader Gerard Deltell called that a "joke." "What we have today is a government who wants 4.5 hours of debate for $50 billion in taxpayer dollars," said Deltell. The Liberals prorogued Parliament in August, which prevented any debate or committee work until it resumed last week. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the government needed to prorogue in order to bring in a throne speech and get Parliament's approval for the COVID-19 recovery plan. But he also did it amid multiple investigations by House of Commons committees about the Liberals' decision to award a contract to WE Charity to administer a massive student grant program, when many Liberals, including Trudeau, had clear ties to the organization. Deltell wants to amend the motion to add a committee hearing where the ministers of finance, employment and children all take questions from MPs for 95 minutes each. NDP House leader Peter Julian said his party will back the motion but only begrudgingly because people need the help. He said the Liberals' actions mean millions of Canadians are suffering and anxious about getting support. "Why did they take millions of Canadians right to the precipice before acting?" Julian asked. The debate came as the House resumed Monday morning for the first full week of operations for the pandemic Parliament, and as COVID-19 cases continue to surge in the country's two biggest provinces. Debate on the government's throne speech will also continue this week, with speeches expected by both Bloc Quebecois Leader Yves-Francois Blanchet and Conservative Leader Erin O'Toole, both of whom have been quarantined after testing positive for COVID-19. Blanchet was out of his quarantine on Monday, speaking publicly about the Bloc's proposals for an economic recovery plan, while O'Toole is expected to be out of his quarantine later in the week. His response to the speech from the throne will be his first statement in the Commons since becoming party leader just over a month ago. Jen Zoratti | Next A weekly look towards a post-pandemic future delivered to your inbox every Wednesday. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. O'Toole's remarks in the Commons will draw on his experiences waiting to be tested for and ultimately diagnosed with COVID-19. But he'll also use the opportunity to set a tone for how he'll seek to lead the official Opposition in the coming months and win the country in the eventual next election. "We're going to oppose, and we're going to challenge and hold the government to account," O'Toole said in an interview last week with The Canadian Press. "But we're also going to offer some contrasting vision." The eventual vote on the throne speech will be test of confidence in Trudeau's minority government, which it will survive with the support of the NDP. O'Toole's Tories came out fast against the throne speech last week, arguing it didn't go far enough to offer support to Canadians impacted by the pandemic. The Bloc Quebecois said absent a federal government plan to transfer billions more for health care to the provinces, they aren't sure they can support it either. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 28, 2020. Note to readers: This is a corrected story. A previous version referred to the proposed COVID-19 aid legislation as Bill C-2. The bill, which has been rewritten, is now known as C-4. Devon Energy plans to acquire WPX Energy for $2.56 billion, creating one of the nation's largest shale producers with a dominant position in the Delaware Basin of West Texas. The two Oklahoma-based shale producers on Monday said the merger of equals is expected to save $575 million in costs and make the combined company more competitive in a low oil-price environment. The all-stock merger, pending approval from regulators and by Devon and WPX shareholders, is expected to close in the first quarter of 2021. The combined company, valued at around $12 billion, will be named Devon Energy and be headquartered in Oklahoma City. This merger is a transformational event for Devon and WPX as we unite our complementary assets, operating capabilities and proven management teams to maximize our business in todays environment, while positioning our combined company to create value for years to come, Devon CEO Dave Hager said. The combined company will be one of the largest unconventional energy producers in the U.S. and with our enhanced scale and strong financial position, we can now accomplish these objectives for shareholders more quickly and efficiently, WPX CEO Rick Muncrief said. Weak oil demand and low prices caused by the pandemic is pushing energy companies to join forces to weather the downturn. Chevron in July announced plans to acquire Houston-based Noble Energy in a $13 billion deal, scheduled for a shareholder vote next month. This new wave of consolidations is expected to create larger companies but employ fewer workers. CONSOLIDATION: Chevron's $13 billion Noble takeover sets off a potentially dangerous wave Devons acquisition of WPX will create one of the largest shale players in the U.S. with a production of 277,000 barrels per day. The combined company will have 400,000 acres in the Delaware Basin that spans West Texas and New Mexico. About 35 percent of the leases are on federal land, which could be affected by a potential drilling ban if former Vice President Joe Biden were to win November's election. The combined company also has assets in the Anadarko Basin of West Texas and Oklahoma, the Williston Basin of North Dakota and Montana, Eagle Ford Shale of South Texas and Powder River Basin of Montana and Wyoming. Devon reported a loss of $668 million and revenue of $394 million during the second quarter. WPX reported a loss of $408 million and revenue of $33 million during the second quarter. Under the terms of the agreement, WPX shareholders will receive 0.52 shares of Devon common stock for each share of WPX common stock owned. If the deal closes, Devon shareholders would own about 57 percent of the combined company and WPX shareholders 43 percent. Both boards of directors have unanimously approved the transaction. EnCap Investments, which owns about 27 percent of the outstanding shares of WPX plans to vote in favor of the transaction. Following the merger, Devon Energy would have a 12-member board of directors, consisting of seven directors from Devon and five from WPX. Hager, the current Devon CEO, will be named chairman, and Muncrief, the current WPX CEO, will be named president and CEO. Bloomberg contributed. LONDON (Reuters) - The British government has warned a number of cultural institutions that their public funding could be called into question should they remove statues or other objects that have become the focus of protests or complaints. The issue of how Britain should deal with the legacies of its past, especially its role in slavery and colonialism, has been the subject of passionate debate since the statue of a slave trader was toppled by protesters in Bristol in June. Since then, officials have removed the statue of another slave trader in London, a concert hall in Bristol has renamed itself, and venerable institutions like Oxford University have grappled publicly with what to do about contested heritage. In a letter sent to the British Museum, the National Gallery, the Tate Gallery and other prominent cultural institutions, culture minister Oliver Dowden said the government was against the removal of statues and similar objects. "Some represent figures who have said or done things which we may find deeply offensive and would not defend today," Dowden said in the letter, which was sent on Sept. 22 but published on Monday. "But though we may now disagree with those who created them or who they represent, they play an important role in teaching us about our past, with all its faults." Some of the institutions in question received funding from slave traders in the distant past, or hold in their collections items taken from distant lands during the colonial period, without consent from the people who owned or created them. But Dowden said that as publicly funded bodies, they should not be taking actions motivated by activism or politics. "It is imperative that you continue to act impartially, in line with your publicly funded status, and not in a way that brings this into question," he said, adding that this was especially important at a time when government spending was under pressure. Opposition Labour lawmaker David Lammy was among those who criticised Dowden's stance. "History is littered with autocrats instructing museum curators on what to exhibit," Lammy wrote on Twitter, accusing the government of stoking a "fake culture war" instead of supporting the cultural sector, which has been ravaged by the coronavirus pandemic. (Reporting by Estelle Shirbon; editing by Jonathan Oatis) Gardai have issued an appeal for information into the unexplained death of John Hannigan (48 years) on January 3 after he was found in the hallway of his apartment in south Dublin. Mr Hannigan was found in the hallway of his apartment complex on Grosvenor Road, Rathmines at around 6pm that evening and was rushed to St. James' Hospital, where he passed away on February 20. A post-mortem was completed, with the results not being released for operational reasons according to a garda spokesperson. Investigating Gardai have found that on January 3 at 1.30pm, Mr Hannigan travelled to Balally in Sandyford where he met a relative briefly. Unfortunately, Gardai have failed to identify witnesses who may be in a position to provide an account of Mr. Hannigans movements between the time when he left this area until he was discovered in his apartment complex on 20th February, said the spokesperson Gardai are continuing to investigate all circumstances of his death as they have not been able to determine if it was due to natural or accidental circumstances. Gardai are appealing for anyone with information, who has not already come forward, to come forward. Gardai are particularly interested in speaking to anyone who may have information on John's movements from New Year period to January 3, said the spokesperson. Anyone with information is asked to contact Rathmines Garda Station on 01 666 6700 or the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111. Droughts are, after floods and storms, the costliest natural hazard. The expected increa,se in the frequency and intensity of drought events due to climate change reinforces the necessity to improve the quality and reliability of information about the economic impacts of droughts and the need for more accurate cost analyses to embed these estimates into the assessment of the costs of climate change. A new study realized with the contribution of the CMCC Foundation, recently published on Land Use Policy, proposes a novel method to assess the overall economic effects of agricultural droughts using a coupled agronomic-economic approach that accounts for the direct and indirect impacts of this hazard in the economy. "Our results reveal", commented researcher David Garcia-Leon, lead author of the study, "over the period analyzed, droughts of different severity hit Italy and drought-induced economic losses ranged in Italy between 0.55 and 1.75 billion euros". David Garcia-Leon, who was Marie Sk?odowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellow at CMCC@Ca'Foscari Division and he's now at the European Commission, Joint Research Centre, focused his research on assessing the overall macro-economic effects (% GDP) of agricultural drought impacts in Italy using a coupled CGE-econometric approach. The other authors of the study are the CMCC researchers Gabriele Standardi and Andrea Staccione, respectively working at CMCC Divisions ECIP - Economic analysis and Climate Impacts and Policy and RAAS - Risk Assessment and Adaptation Strategies. In this study, the authors focused on agricultural droughts, which represent the impact on crop yields. "We used a satellite-based indicator of agricultural drought, the vegetation indicator fAPAR - fraction of Absorbed Photosynthetically Active Radiation -", Dr. Garcia-Leon explains, "to detect and monitor the impacts on vegetation growth and productivity of environmental stress factors, especially plant water stress due to drought". "This data", CMCC researcher Andrea Staccione adds, "have been then correlated with the geo-referenced data of land use and agricultural production at the farm-level provided by the Italian Council for Agricultural Research and Economics (Consiglio per la Ricerca in agricoltura e l'analisi dell'Economia Agraria - CREA) in order to assess the direct impacts of agricultural droughts on crop productivity." The study distinguished between three types of drought severity levels (mild, moderate and extreme), and three representative years of each state were selected to describe each scenario: solar years 2003, 2006 and 2011 were studied as extreme, moderate and mild dry years, respectively. After the estimation of the direct impacts of droughts on crop yields using statistical models calibrated for each crop, the authors estimated the indirect impacts at the sectoral, regional and country-wide level. "Local-level, crop-dependent productivity shocks were fed into a regionalised Computable General Equilibrium model specifically calibrated for the Italian economy", CMCC researcher Gabriele Standardi explains. "Our estimates indicate that the total damages caused by agricultural droughts in the Italian economy can range from 0.01?0.10% of Italian GDP, that is, from approximately EUR 0.55 to EUR 1.75 billion. These damages concentrate but extend beyond the agricultural sector, with substantial identified impacts on food industry manufacturing and wholesale and trade services". This estimated overall effect on GDP is coherent with other outcomes obtained in different studies and, in particular, the agricultural production loss identified under severe drought conditions (EUR 2 billion) is consistent with the figure reported by the Italian Association of farmers in 2017, considered an extreme dry year. The spatial distribution of the identified losses showed large regional heterogeneity, according to the geographical configuration of droughts in a specific year, and on the specific crops cultivated in the different areas analysed. Moreover, the simulations suggested the presence of a recomposition of land use and production, that is a land-use substitution effect from less to more drought-resistant crops following a drought (e.g. olive). "In the end, Andrea Staccione concludes, "it's important to highlight that our approach is fully systematic and scalable and thus could be applied to more specific areas or could be expanded to implement large pan-European drought cost assessments. Our study therefore might improve policy approaches to managing drought risks, while pointing out the best pre-impact (mitigation) and post-impact (response) interventions to be included in drought plans". The proposed methodology shows its full potential as a support to decision-making processes on land use and drought management. For example, regional risk maps could help to identify areas with the highest exposure and vulnerability. The analyses of the drought risk on specific regions could also contribute to defining insurance tools that reflect the costs produced by drought events and, consequently, appropriate compensation tools. ### Read the full paper: Journal Land Use Policy DOI 10.1016/j.landusepol.2020.104923 David Garcia-Leon, Gabriele Standardi, Andrea Staccione, An integrated approach for the estimation of agricultural drought costs , Land Use Policy, Volume 100, 2021, 104923, ISSN 0264-8377, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landusepol.2020.104923 It has been more than a year and a half since police shot and killed Osaze Osagie. The parents of the 29-year-old State College man called the police because they were concerned for his well-being. He was making threats towards himself and others, police said at the time. Officers went to his home on March 20, 2019, but they were confronted by Osagie with a knife, they said. They shot and killed him when he ignored their commands to drop the knife and ran at the officers, according to police. Dmytro Firtash's Group DF has denied the use of a stabilization loan issued by the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) to Nadra Bank to pay for the acquisition of a 49% stake in Zaporizhia Titanium Magnesium Combine LLC (ZTMC). According to the comments of the lawyer of Tolexis Trading Limited, Roman Chyshynsky, spread on September 25 by Group DF, "information that the stabilization loan issued by the National Bank to Nadra Bank in 2014 was allegedly spent on securing the ZTMC transaction in the interests of the private shareholder ZTMC LLC is unreliable." The NBU stabilization loans began to be issued to Nadra Bank as part of refinancing, starting from March 31, 2014. The deal to acquire 49% in ZTMC LLC was carried out in 2013. As of March 2014, the bulk of the funds had already been contributed by a private investor. Lawyers of Tolexis Trading Limited regard the appearance and dissemination of this information as an attempt to press on the court through the media on the eve of the hearing of two decisive court cases related to ZTMC. So, on September 30, 2020, a claim of the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO) on the termination of the agreement on the creation of ZTMC LLC will be heard at the Business Court of Zaporizhia Region. On September 28, October 1 and October 10, 2020, court hearings on criminal proceedings against Vlodymyr Syvak, ex-director of ZTMC LLC, will be held at the Appeals Chamber of the High Anti-Corruption Court (HACC). Exactly three years ago, prominent seer Mahant Mohandas, the pontiff of Shri Panchayati Akhara Bada Udasin went missing while on his way to Mumbai from Haridwar on a personal visit. He was last seen at Meerut railway station and his mysterious disappearance led to major resentment among the saint community. Saints and Akhara Parishad even went on to stage a sit-in protest to pressurise the police and state government for speedy tracing of the seer. Mahant Mohandas also held the post of the spokesperson of the Akhara Parishad. Now, even after three years, the police have not been able to trace or get a clue about Mohandas whereabouts. An aggrieved Akhrda Parishad has once again raised this case demanding the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to probe the matter. Also read: Online portal about Covid-19 vaccine launched, clinical trial data on it We have been fully cooperative with the police but its quite disheartening that three years have passed and there is no clue or evidence about what happened to Mohandas. We hope the state police again mobilise their resources and trace out the prominent seer, said Akhara Parishad general secretary Mahant Hari Giri Maharaj. Akhil Bharatiya Akhara Parishad is also being accused by some seers of not raising Mohandas case as effectively as it should have been. An Akhara insider, on condition of anonymity, said, such mysterious disappearance of a prominent saint should be among the foremost concerns of Akhara Parishad executive working committee but now it seems their focus is on getting best of facilities for Mahakumbh 2021. While the police said that a mass search and tracing operation has been initiated for Mohandas but after Meerut, where he was last seen, no clue or spotting of seer was noticed. State police have been seriously working in this case to trace Mohandas. After Meerut, no further spotting of the seer has been reported as per the investigation. It is also possible that the seer had gone somewhere on his own, said Ashok Kumar, director general (law and order), Uttarakhand police. SPRINGFIELD About three months after she was fired over a Black Lives Matter social media post, former Springfield Police Detective Florissa Fuentes has sued the city in Hampden Superior Court. The lawsuit, filed Monday, argues the Hispanic mother of three was treated unfairly by the police department in comparison with her male, non-minority counterparts. Fuentes is demanding her job back, plus back pay and compensation for emotional distress. City Solicitor Edward Pikula said he has assigned Attorney Kathleen Sheehan to handle the lawsuit on the citys behalf. Fuentes was a relatively new officer and still fell within the standard one-year probationary period when she liked and shared a picture of her niece at a rally in Georgia in May. The image showed her niece protesting in Atlanta with flames in the background and holding a sign that read: Shoot the F--- Back. During previous interviews, Fuentes said Police Commissioner Cheryl C. Clapprood called for a meeting after Fuentes posted the photo on her personal Instagram account. Fuentes saw swift backlash from colleagues over the post and had already taken it down, she said. During this meeting, Commissioner Clapprood stated that she did not want to have to fire Officer Fuentes and that Officer Fuentes had to figure out a way to fix the situation. For her part, Ms. Fuentes stated she did not intend to insult of offend any Police Officer, explained that the post had already been taken down and that she was sorry if anyone had taken offense, said the lawsuit filed by Timothy Ryan, a former Springfield City Councilor. The meeting ended without any sanction, punishment, or termination, and thereafter Ms. Fuentes continued to work her regular shift, the lawsuit reads. Fuentes attempted to make amends by posting an apology on the Police Unions website, but it instead drew a barrage of abuse. On June 19, Fuentes posed with dozens of her fellow officers at the Springfield Riverfront Park for a group photo. Ms. Fuentes appeared as required and during this photo event had to silently endure insults from a white officer, the lawsuit reads. Hours later, Fuentes received a phone call from Police Union President Joseph Gentile advising her to resign or be fired. She refused to quit and was terminated that day for violating the citys social media policy. Ryan argues Fuentes did not run afoul of the policy, which prohibits discrediting or disrespecting the department, leaking information about crimes and avoiding sexual, violent, racial, ethnically derogatory material, comments, pictures, artwork, video, or other reference." Ms. Fuentes did not in any way reference the Springfield Police Department in her like of her nieces post, the lawsuit reads. Then again, neither did former Springfield Police Officer Conrad Lariviere when he took to Facebook to mock a protester deliberately struck and killed by a driver during a rally in Charlottesville, Virginia in 2018. Hahahaha love this, maybe people shouldnt block road ways, Lariviere wrote in a Facebook comment on a news article about the incident. He was fired a move upheld by an independent arbitrator when Lariviere, a white officer, challenged his termination last year. In the lawsuit, Ryan also argues that Clapprood lacked the authority to fire Fuentes because Mayor Domenic J. Sarno has been ignoring a city ordinance requiring a Board of Police Commissioners be re-established to handle police promotions and discipline. Such a board has not existed in Springfield since 2005, and Sarno has resisted efforts by the City Council to restore it. The council recently signaled it may file a lawsuit over the dispute. Ryan contends Fuentes firing was against the law. The termination is invalid as only the Board of Police Commissioners has authority to terminate, per city ordinance, he said. But, Pikula responded there are more sides to that argument. If we cant fire her, how can we hire her? he said. Fuentes was sworn in as a Springfield police officer on July 18, 2019. By coincidence, her lawsuit was filed on the same day Sarno announced his longest-serving mayoral aide, Darryl Moss, also is under investigation for allegedly violating the citys social media policy with posts about police-involved shootings. A 22-year-old man, Ayuba Sarafa, has reportedly committed suicide at the Amuloko area of Ibadan in the Ona Ara Local Government Area of Oyo State. Ayuba, a commercial motorcyclist, was said to have hung himself in an uncompleted building beside his uncles house on Friday. It was gathered that the young man was the only son of his late father. His mother, Nike, who later came to the scene of the incident, wept uncontrollably, as she alleged that Ayuba was manipulated to commit suicide by evil forces. Ayubas uncle, Mr Kazeem Tijani, said he became jittery that having left home since Thursday morning, he had not set his eyes on the Okada rider by bedtime. We called his phone and monitored the place where the phone was ringing. It was traced to the uncompleted building, where he was found hanging. The mobile telephone was in his pocket, Kazeem said. Two black plastic bags were seen on the floor with his pair of sandals. An eyewitness, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said items found in the bags were a white garment, two bottles of perfume, a new white singlet, chin-chin, biscuits and other personal effects as well as a white handkerchief used as a face mask. Kazeem said, Ayuba got the motorcycle on hired purchase basis and was paying regularly. He was not known to be indebted to anyone and he was not starving. He was not married. He had been living with me for the past two to three years. He was working with me before he got the motorcycle. We searched his room, but we could not find any suicide note. I have called our family members at Apomu. The Chairman, Association of Commercial Bike Riders in Amuloko area, Mr Oluwatosin James, described Ayuba as a cool-headed and easygoing person. James stated, The news of Ayubas death came to us as a rude shock. We heard of the news at the park. He was very reticent and would not fight anybody. Once he operated his okada in the morning, he would go and park, and go to his uncles shop to assist him. He got the motorcycle on instalments for N390,000 and had almost completed payment as the balance remains just N77,000. There was no known issue of threat to him; so, we are confused over this sad incident. As of the time of filing this report, it was learnt that traditional worshippers were making arrangements to perform rituals before Ayubas corpse could be brought down from where he hung. Follow Us on Facebook @LadunLiadi; Instagram @LadunLiadi; Twitter @LadunLiadi; Youtube @LadunLiadiTV for updates On September 21, 2020, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois entered a default final judgment against Marcus Beam for defrauding advisory clients and stealing investment funds. According to the SEC's complaint, filed on September 30, 2019, Beam solicited and obtained money from individuals in connection with a purported investment advisory business, promising to invest the money in pre-IPO shares and other securities. According to the complaint, Beam misappropriated the vast majority of investor funds for personal and business expenses and provided investors fabricated account statements. The complaint further alleges that, when victims sought to redeem their investments, Beam failed to return the funds. The final judgment permanently enjoins Beam from violating the antifraud provisions of Section 17(a) of the Securities Act of 1933, Section 10(b) and Rule 10b-5 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and Sections 206(1), 206(2), and 206(4) and Rule 206(4)-8 of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940. In addition, the Court ordered Beam to pay disgorgement and prejudgment interest of $219,921 and a civil penalty of $207,000. The SEC's litigation was led by Patrick R. Costello and supervised by Jan M. Folena. David Neuman, supervised by David A. Becker, of the SEC's Asset Management Unit assisted in the litigation. The SEC appreciates the assistance of the Securities Department-Enforcement Division of the Illinois Secretary of State's Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U. S. Postal Inspector Service, and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Illinois. The SEC's Retail Strategy Task Force and Office of Investor Education and Advocacy (OIEA) encourage investors to check the background of anyone selling or offering them an investment using the free and simple search tool on Investor.gov. 5 Charged in Ongoing Portland Rioting Five more people have been charged for allegedly committing crimes during the ongoing rioting in Portland. Unrest has continued nearly every night, save for a two-week portion when wildfires were looming earlier this month, in Oregons largest city since May 28. Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Schmidt announced that his office was filing charges against four for alleged crimes, including Sophia Paige Kalsta-Watkins, 21, who was charged with first-degree arson. The woman was allegedly observed on Sept. 24 setting a fire to wooden boards that were put up to protect the Portland Police Association in north Portland. The police union building has been repeatedly targeted by rioters in recent months. Police officers arrested Kalsta-Watkins and found a lighter and a spray paint can in her belongings, according to court documents. County prosecutors charged three other Portland residents for allegedly committing crimes during rioting on Sept. 23. Sophia Paige Kalsta-Watkins, left, and Calvin Jackson have been charged after allegedly committing crimes during rioting in Portland, Ore. (Multnomah County Sheriffs Office) Joseph Sipe, 23, was charged with one count of riot and one count of unlawful possession of a destructive device. Calvin Jackson, 19, was charged with one count of felony riot and one count of criminal mischief in the second degree. Cyan Bass, 21, was charged with one count of riot, two counts of arson in the first degree, one count of attempted assault in the first degree, one count of unlawful possession of a destructive device, one count of attempted assault of a public safety officer and one count of unlawful use of a weapon. Authorities say Sipe was seen lighting a Molotov cocktail and throwing it. They say Sipe admitted to lighting and throwing the device behind a line of uniformed police officers. Bass was allegedly seen squirting a substance on the main doors of the police bureaus Central Precinct before lighting the doors on fire. Officers also reported seeing Bass holding an object with a wick, lighting the object on fire, and throwing the flaming object toward uniformed police officers. Jackson was observed hurling rocks at the precincts windows and admitted to throwing rocks at the building, according to court documents. During the probe, law enforcement learned that someone else brought the rocks in a backpack and dropped them on the ground, which is when Sipe and others started picking them up and throwing them. It wasnt clear whether the defendants had lawyers. Schmidt said in a recent statement that he was alarmed and angry after witnessing violence in downtown Portland last week, adding, There is no justification for a person to ever throw an incendiary device, to set fire to buildings or to engage in other violent and destructive behavior. Cyan Bass, left, and Joseph Sipe have been charged after allegedly committing crimes during rioting in Portland, Ore. (Multnomah County Sheriffs Office) The newly elected district attorney announced last month that prosecutors in his office wouldnt pursue charges against some people arrested during protests, but vowed that people engaged in violent behavior would still be prosecuted. County prosecutors have charged about two dozen people for alleged crimes committed during protests or riots. Only one has been convicted or pleaded guilty. Federal prosecutors have charged others. U.S. Attorney for Oregon Billy Williams said more than 80 are facing federal charges related to protest violence in a statement over the weekend. [delete] The latest charge came on Friday as a grand jury returned one count of charging at police officers while holding a shield against Charles Randolph Comfort, according to court documents. Comfort, 24, a resident of Vermont, allegedly was part of a riot that unfolded overnight June 25 in downtown Portland. Comfort pleaded guilty and was released pending a jury trial. The attorney listed for the defendant didnt respond to a request for comment. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Adrian Wail Akhlas (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Tue, September 29, 2020 09:31 480 e22cd4161040e111d73a5626c47c2145 1 Business bank-indonesia,BI,burden-sharing-scheme,perry-warjiyo,government-debt,SBN,COVID-19 Free Bank Indonesia (BI) has bought Rp 234.65 trillion (US$15.77 billion) worth of government bonds under the burden sharing scheme to fund the widening fiscal deficit, pledging continued support for the sluggish economy. Of the total figure, the central bank has bought Rp 51.17 trillion worth of sovereign debt papers (SBNs) through auctions, as well as another Rp 183.48 trillion through private placement as of Sept. 15, BI Governor Perry Warjiyo said during a meeting with House of Representatives Commission XI overseeing financial affairs on Monday. On that basis, BI currently owns Rp 640.6 trillion worth of SBNs. This is our commitment to support the economy through financing measures and bearing the debt burden so that the government can focus on spending the state budget, Perry told the lawmakers, stressing that the central bank would continue buying government bonds through the scheme. The government and the central bank have agreed on a $40 billion debt monetization scheme, dubbed burden sharing, which will see BI buying at least $28 billion in government bonds while shouldering the debt costs. The coronavirus-induced economic downturn has sapped tax revenue, spurred government spending and necessitated record amounts of government borrowing as the countrys budget deficit may widen to 6.34 percent of gross domestic product (GDP), more than twice the initial deficit cap of 3 percent. The government, however, has only spent around 36 percent of the Rp 695.2 trillion stimulus it allocated to help the economy due to red-tape, among other issues. The pandemic pushed the economy into a contraction of 5.32 percent in the second quarter. Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati said the government had revised down its GDP outlook to an annual contraction of between 0.6 and 1.7 percent as the uncertainty surrounding the pandemic had taken a significant toll on consumption and business investment. Consumption, which accounts for more than half of the nations GDP, is now expected to remain weak and to contract between 1 and 2.1 percent, while investment is expected to shrink between 4.4 and 5.6 percent as demand and economic activity remain cool. The economy has shown substantial improvement in the third quarter compared to the second quarter as reflected by the purchasing managers index (PMI) and retail sales data, Perry went on to say. However, he also said the recovery remained slow amid the uncertainty surrounding the pandemic. Although the coronavirus pandemic has limited economic activity, we have seen signs of improvement in peoples mobility and economic activity, he said. The fiscal and monetary stimulus will help avoid significant deterioration in economic activity going forward. BI has trimmed the policy rate four times this year by 1 percentage point in total, cut the reserve requirement ratio, eased lending rules and undertaken quantitative easing to support the economy. The central bank has disbursed Rp 662 trillion in quantitative easing measures. The burden sharing scheme between the fiscal and monetary authorities would lower the governments debt burden going forward, the Finance Ministrys financing strategy and portfolio director Riko Amir said, adding that the debt-to-GDP ratio would be slightly lower than 40 percent of GDP, "which will be lower compared to other emerging countries. This will mean the government has sufficient fiscal space to allocate spending in priority sectors post-pandemic, he told The Jakarta Post recently. The government will continue to increase state revenue and create efficiency in expenditure to control the debt growth. However, credit rating agency Moodys Investor Service said Indonesias accumulated debt and falling tax revenue would weaken its debt affordability and might deteriorate its credit quality. Debt affordability is a means of measurement used by Moodys, calculated by the ratio of annual interest payments required to maintain a governments debt to its annual tax revenues. Although the deterioration in debt affordability will be modest in general for emerging markets, Indonesia will have interest payments to account for more than 20 percent of government revenue, the agency stated. We are not expecting a reversion to pre-coronavirus deficit levels in Indonesia until at least 2025, Moodys senior analyst Anushka Shah said on Sept. 16. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-28 19:22:46|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close A customer buys medicines from a pharmacy in Kabul, capital of Afghanistan, Sept. 29, 2020. Afghanistan imports medicines worth up to 500 million U.S. dollars annually, an online local news agency reported Monday. (Photo by Sayed Mominzadah/Xinhua) KABUL, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- Afghanistan imports medicines worth up to 500 million U.S. dollars annually, an online local news agency reported Monday. "Afghanistan imports 400 million to 500 million U.S. dollar worth medicines each year, which is a major blow to the local economy," the media outlet Wadsam said in a report at its website. The report quoted Health Minister Ahmad Jawad Osmani as saying when addressing a meeting to mark the World Pharmacist Day observed on Sunday that the Afghan "government was making efforts to produce medicines inside the country to overcome medicine shortage." According to the report, the government will also provide training courses to help improve the proficiency of Afghan pharmacists. "We will include the international day of pharmacists in the Ministry's calendar to honor our pharmacists for their services and hard work every year," the health minister was quoted as saying. Like other facilities, medicine-producing factories have been badly damaged in the protracted conflict and continued violence in the war-battered Afghanistan, the report added. Enditem The future of Daniel Andrews' right-hand man hangs in the balance after an inquiry into Victoria's hotel quarantine program was urged to find he failed to tell the premier crucial information which may have prevented the state's second wave. Legal counsel for the inquiry submitted their recommendations on Monday - urging it to find Mr Andrews was not kept sufficiently informed of issues with the program, which the inquiry found became a COVID-19 'seeding ground' and caused 768 deaths. In one of a series of recommendations, counsel assisting Ben Ihle said Department of Premier and Cabinet secretary Chris Eccles should have told Mr Andrews the federal government had offered Australian Defence Force support in an April 8 email exchange. The recommendations came after Mr Andrews told the inquiry on Friday he was not made aware that the Commonwealth was willing to provide ADF support. He claimed that although he acknowledged Prime Minister Scott Morrison's offer to provide ADF support in a press conference on March 27, he did not understand that to mean personnel would be available for his state's hotel quarantine program. Lawyer Rachel Ellyard remarked it was 'astonishing' that the 26 day-long inquiry had been unable to determine who decided private security should be used. Recently arrived overseas travellers arrive at the Crown Promenade Hotel in Melbourne on March 29. Lawyers have said the decision to use private security to contain COVID-19 was not made by one person or department 'The question is "who decided private security officers needed to be engaged and they would be playing the role they played",' she said. 'That question is astonishingly still unable to be answered it would seem.' Instead, she said the decision was a 'creeping assumption that became a reality'. The inquiry heard the fateful decision to use guards was likely made at a meeting at the state control centre on the afternoon of March 27. 'While no one person made a decision, by the end of that state control centre meeting, it was understood by all present that that was what was going to happen,' Ms Ellyard said. In that meeting, Victoria Police Assistant Commissioner Mick Grainger said it was the force's 'preference' private security be used. 'The expression of a preference can readily be understood to have given the clear impression that police weren't going to do it and there needed to be an alternative,' Ms Ellyard said. 'Their preference became the outcome.' She said once the decision had been made, no one in the meeting gave 'any specific consideration' to the suitability of private security for the job. The legal advice said in total three departmental secretaries did not adequately brief ministers about changes in the program. Department of Premier and Cabinet secretary Chris Eccles pictured facing the inquiry in Melbourne. His future hangs in the balance after an inquiry criticised a lack of communication between departmental secretaries and Premier Daniel Andrews during the state's hotel quarantine program As well as Mr Eccles, uncertainty also now hangs over Department of Jobs secretary Simon Phemister and Department of Health and Human Services secretary Kym Peake. Victoria's second wave of coronavirus can be traced back to outbreaks among security guards and staff at the Rydges on Swanston and Stamford Plaza hotels in mid-May and June. Ms Ellyard said the Department of Health and Human Services was in charge of the program but its focus was largely on 'logistics and compliance at the expense of public health'. Mr Ihle said the program failed to meet its primary objective, which was to keep the community safe from the virus. Suggested findings for Victorian quarantine hotels inquiry Lawyers Tony Neal QC, Rachel Ellyard and Ben Ihle submitted their suggested findings to Victoria's hotel quarantine inquiry on Monday. They are as follows: GOVERNMENT HAD NO PLAN * Public servants were given just 36 hours to set up the program. * There was no suggestion those who set up the program worked other than with 'the best of intentions and to the best of their ability'. * 'Bad faith or corruption is not what the evidence shows.' Calls are growing for Daniel Andrews (pictured) to resign after an inquiry heard the state's hotel quarantine disaster caused 768 deaths DHHS WAS IN CONTROL * The Department of Jobs, Precincts and Regions played a substantial role but the Department of Health and Human Services was the control agency responsible for the program. BRETT SUTTON SHOULD'VE BEEN IN CHARGE * It was wrong to appoint people without public health expertise as the state controllers of the pandemic in February as it 'influenced the way in which DHHS subsequently understood and acted on its responsibilities'. * 'Had the chief health officer or another person with public health expertise been appointed state controller ... they would have had direct oversight of the hotel quarantine program and been able to directly influence the model of that program.' NO ONE PERSON MADE THE DECISION TO USE SECURITY GUARDS * 'It can be best understood ... as a creeping assumption or default consensus reached in the state control centre after the preference of Victoria Police was known.' POLICE HAD PREFERENCE FOR GUARDS * 'It was not Victoria Police's decision, but Victoria Police's clear position that security would be preferable was a substantial contributing factor to the consensus.' PREMIER SHOULD HAVE BEEN TOLD ABOUT ADF OFFER * Department of Premier and Cabinet secretary Chris Eccles should have told Premier Daniel Andrews his federal counterpart had offered Australian Defence Force support in an April 8 email exchange. * But the initial decision not to have ADF boots on the ground was 'reasonable and open - and no criticism should be directed to those who made those operational decisions'. CONTRACTS WERE INAPPROPRIATE * 'There was insufficient supervision of those contracts to ensure compliance with the contractual terms, including as to subcontracting.' * 'The contracts with hotels and security companies should not have placed responsibility for PPE and infection control education on those contractors.' HOTEL QUARANTINE RESPONSIBLE FOR SECOND WAVE * Ninety per cent of second wave COVID-19 cases are attributable to the Rydges on Swanston outbreak in mid-May. Just under 10 per cent were attributable to the outbreak at the Stamford Hotel in mid-June. * 'The hotel quarantine program in Victoria failed to achieve its primary objective. The program that was intended to contain the disease was instead a seeding ground for the spread of COVID-19 into the broader community.' * 'The failure by the hotel quarantine program to contain this virus is, as at today's date, responsible for the deaths of 768 people and the infection of some 18,418 others.' PEOPLE IN QUARANTINE NOT LOOKED AFTER * 'The program did not always operate so as to meet the needs of those who were detained, in particular, those who had specific needs or vulnerabilities.' * 'Very early on, better consideration ought to have been given to the likely psychosocial impact of detention and expert advice should have been sought.' * 'Exemptions could and likely should have been granted in more situations.' LACK OF TRANSPARENCY * 'There were significant issues which should have been brought to the respective ministers' attention. The departmental secretaries were obliged to ensure that they discharged those obligations.' * 'They likely contributed to a loss in opportunities to identify and address issues which may have prompted better, fuller and more timely action.' The submissions may form the recommendations of the inquiry's chair, retired judge Jennifer Coate. She is due to deliver her final report to Victorian Governor Linda Dessau by November 6. Advertisement Lawyer Rachel Ellyard pictured during Monday's hearing. She said there was 'astonishingly' no answer to the question of who decided to hire private security guards 'The program that was intended to contain the disease, was instead a seeding ground for the spread of COVID-19 into the community,' Mr Ihle said. 'The failure by the hotel quarantine program to contain this virus is, as at today's date, responsible for the deaths of 768 people and the infection of 18,418 others. 'One only needs to pause and to reflect on those figures to appreciate the full scope of devastation and despair occasioned as a result of the outbreaks.' Calls meanwhile are growing for Daniel Andrews to resign. Pictured: A traveller returned from overseas is checked into an inner-city hotel in Melbourne on March 30. Lawyers for the inquiry said the program failed to meet its primary objective Victorian Opposition leader Michael O'Brien said the quarantine operation was 'the worst failure of public administration in Victorian history'. He added: 'If accountability for the deaths and damage is to mean anything, all those responsible must go - starting with Andrews.' On Monday afternoon the final day of Victoria's hotel quarantine inquiry heard the program's failure was responsible for the deaths of all 768 residents who have died in the state's second wave. The final day of Victoria's hotel quarantine inquiry heard the program's failure was responsible for the deaths of all 768 residents who died in the state's second wave. Pictured: Security guards at a quarantine hotel Mr Ihle said protective gear was not used properly, staff were poorly trained and there was a lack of social distancing at the quarantine hotels. He said the system was set up quickly and the government failed to monitor it. 'What was established was necessarily untested and prudence dictated that the program should have been accompanied by intensive ongoing monitoring and auditing,' he said. 'The Victorian government failed to adequately ensure that this was done.' Former Health Minister Jenny Mikakos resigned on Saturday after Mr Andrews said she was 'accountable' for the quarantine program. On Sunday Mr Andrews said he would not resign, telling reporters: 'I don't run from problems and challenges'. Opposition leader Michael O'Brien Melbourne's second wave of coronavirus was sparked in late May when the disease escaped from a quarantine hotel and rapidly spread around the city. 'The scientific evidence now strongly suggests, and we submit that the board can comfortably find, that 90 per cent of positive cases in Victoria since [26 May] are attributable to that initial outbreak at the Rydges in late May,' Mr Ihle said. The Victorian government has been criticised for using private security guards to man the hotels instead of the police and ADF troops like in New South Wales and Queensland. Contracts written up by the Department of Jobs, Precincts and Regions left infection control and training in personal protective equipment use to the security companies. Hotels, meanwhile, were responsible for cleaning, unless a returned traveller tested positive to Covid-19. 'Responsibility for managing the risk of infection and providing for the safety of those involved in the program should have remained with the state. No contract should have purported to outsource those matters,' Ms Ellyard said. Counsel assisting Tony Neal QC said there was no suggestion those who set up the program worked other than with 'the best of intentions and to the best of their ability'. 'Bad faith or corruption is not what the evidence shows,' he said. 'Yet it is true that the hastily assembled program failed at two locations within approximately two and a half months and with disastrous consequences. 'A multitude of decisions, actions and inaction, many of which compounded the effect of the other, ultimately expressed itself in the outbreaks which subverted the very reason for the existence of a hotel quarantine program. Contributed /Getty Images NEW HAVEN Police are investigating after an 18-year-old man was wounded in a shooting Monday in the citys East Rock neighborhood. Police and fire personnel were called to the area of Lawrence, Mechanic and Nash streets around 6:15 a.m. after multiple 911 calls reported a shooting, Capt. Anthony Duff said. BEIRUT - Lebanese president Michel Aoun said Monday that the French initiative to get past a two-month-long institutional stalemate to form a new government was still valid. Aoun was quoted by state-run news agency NNA, which in turn was quoting a statement issued by the Lebanese president's office. On Monday morning, Aoun met with French ambassador to Lebanon Bruno Foucher at the end of his term in Beirut. Yesterday, French president Emmanuel Macron spoke out against the entire Lebanese political class, which he said was unable to comply with the terms of the French initiative proposed on September 1 in Beirut. 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Ireland Uruguay, Eastern Republic of Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of Viet Nam, Socialist Republic of Wallis and Futuna Islands Western Sahara Yemen Zambia, Republic of Zimbabwe An Egyptian man whose partner is 45 years his senior has lashed out at being branded a 'toy boy', insisting, 'I am a man, not a game'. Mohamed Ahmed Ibriham, 35, swept British gran Iris Jones, 80, from Somerset, off her feet when they met on Facebook last year and she flew to Egypt to be with him - but the pair have still been unable to tie the knot. The couple made hosts Holly Willoughby and Philip Schofield blush earlier this year after admitting that their first night of passion, which included an 'entire tube of KY jelly' left Iris 'saddle sore'. Appearing on the show once again today from Cairo, Mohamed burst into an angry rant, defending their relationship, and telling anyone who doubts his love for Iris to 'go to hell'. Mohamed Ahmed Ibriham, 35, swept British gran Iris Jones, 80, from Somerset, off her feet when they met on Facebook last year and she flew to Egypt to be with him Appearing on the show once again today from Cairo, Mohamed burst into an angry rant, defending their relationship, and telling anyone who doubts his love for Iris to 'go to hell' When quizzed on why he is so keen to marry Iris, Mohamed decided to ignore the question, and introduce himself to viewers, clarifying that he is indeed in love with Iris. 'Hello everyone in the studio', he said, 'My name is Mohamed, I am an Egyptian man, I have engineering of courses, I meet Iris online. 'We chatted, we chatted, she wants to come to Egypt to see the pyramids, I meet her, I found Iris understood me and comforted me.' Becoming more irate, Mohamed went on: 'The love does not know any difference between age, or countries this is our life, Iris chose me and I chose Iris'. When quizzed on why he is so keen to marry Iris, Mohamed decided to ignore the question, and introduce himself to viewers, clarifying that he is indeed in love with Iris Becoming more irate, Mohamed went on: 'The love does not know any difference between age, or countries this is our life, Iris chose me and I chose Iris 'I want to say for all the people who attack our love, it's none of your business, focus your lives, go to hell. That is all. 'I am angry about saying on the media, people say I am a toy boy. I am a man, I am a man, okay? I am a man, not a toy boy. I am not [a] game, please do not say that again.' A proud Iris then interjected, saying: 'Normally Mohamed is very shy when he's speaking, he's not shy in bed.' Host Holly then quizzed Iris on how Mohamed felt after her last interview, and whether he may have felt she overshared slightly. Viewers were puzzled at the rant, with some joking that it seemed like Mohamed was 'reeling off his CV', when asked why he wanted to marry Iris Iris answered: He said "Why was I so graphic?" Because I speak the truth. 'I have a tube of KY jelly with me this time, I haven't used it I might go back to the shop and get my money back.' Viewers were puzzled at the rant, with some joking that it seemed like Mohamed was 'reeling off his CV', when asked why he wanted to marry Iris. The couple's relationship hit the spotlight earlier this year when Iris went on ITV's This Morning to discuss the huge age gap and ended up revealing details of their sex life. The couple's relationship hit the spotlight earlier this year when Iris went on ITV's This Morning to discuss the huge age gap and ended up revealing details of their sex life Holly Willoughby and Philip Schofield weren't prepared for how forthcoming she would be and immediately collapsed in giggles as the OAP exclaimed: 'The first night was pretty rough. 'Nobody had been near me for 35 years... I thought I was a virgin again!' As Phil, 57, held his head in his hands, Iris continued: 'Can I tell you what we used? A whole tube of KY jelly'. Collapsing in laughter, a flustered Holly, 38, couldn't control herself as Iris continued: 'The thing is I couldn't walk the next day... I felt like I was riding a horse! Saddle sore wasn't in it. Anyway, we got over it.' The couple made hosts Holly Willoughby and Philip Schofield blush earlier this year after admitting that their first night of passion, which included an 'entire tube of KY jelly' left Iris 'saddle sore' Speaking to MailOnline from his home in Giza, south of Cairo, earlier this year Mohamed stressed that while people may be skeptical about their relationship, his love for Iris was real. It might seem a bit strange having a wife who is 20 years older than your mother but thats love,' he said. 'It makes you blind. 'When you are a man and you fall in love with a woman, it doesnt matter how old she is or what she looks like. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Julie Jammot (Agence France-Presse) Washington, United States Mon, September 28, 2020 08:15 481 e22cd4161040e111d73a5626c47961de 2 World US,TikTok-ban-us-trump,Donald-Trump,US-China Free "I never thought I would have a voice, but this app has given me one and people have been listening," said Rebecca Fisher-Tringale, explaining her love for social network TikTok, adding, "I never thought it would be possible." The aspiring political scientist said she has no doubt TikTok will survive -- despite the Sword of Damocles that President Donald Trump has been dangling above the social network. Under her screen name @theprogressivepolicy, Fisher-Tringale comments on current events several times a day in short videos lambasting Trump for his handling of the coronavirus pandemic or his immigration policies. In early August, the president signed an executive order to force China's ByteDance group to sell or spin off the platform to an American company in the name of an alleged threat to "national security" by TikTok. Trump has claimed, without giving evidence, that Beijing can use the hugely popular app to spy on Americans. But Fisher-Tringale shrugs this off; she is not overly worried about TikTok's survival, despite its importance in her life. "I joined the app kind of as a joke in 2019 to watch videos and be entertained," she said. "Then I started to make videos about my dog, then I made one about Trump, and it blew up," she told AFP from her house-share in Boone, North Carolina. With more than 80,000 followers, the 21-year-old college student said she hopes to bring "different perspectives" to young people of all backgrounds, many of them not yet of voting age. "So many people have texted me saying we wouldn't be involved in politics if it wasn't for you," she added. A viral rebellion In one of her most viral episodes, Fisher-Tringale posted an ironic quiz for those who push back against anti-racist "Black Lives Matter" protesters by insisting that "All Lives Matter." "Who was brought to America in chains at the bottom of ships?" she asked, before offering these options: "A. Black Lives; B. All Lives." In June, she joined thousands of other TikTok users in registering online to attend a Trump rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma -- while planning all along not to go. The rows of empty seats seen in the televised event represented a humiliating setback for the Republican candidate's campaign, but a source of pride for young TikTok'ers. "I think it made him angry," Fisher-Tringale said of Trump; she believes that partly explains his antipathy to the platform. TikTok, which went global in 2018, is completely separate from its Chinese version, Douyin, which serves only the Chinese market. It now has some 100 million monthly users in the United States, half of them using the app every day, according to company data. It has built its rapid success on its format -- parodies, messages and dance or comedy performances of 15 to 60 seconds, set against popular music -- along with an algorithm that determines which content is most likely to interest each user. "There's that virality component that TikTok has been able to take over, better than Facebook and Instagram," said Saadia Mirza, who owns a marketing agency in Houston, Texas. "What Trump doesn't like is this virality component, and that he can't control the narrative on TikTok -- it's something he doesn't understand, so he's afraid of it." A question of priorities Mirza turned to TikTok early in the coronavirus pandemic -- out of boredom, she says. She quickly recognized its potential and began posting political videos, urging fellow users to vote or explaining public policies while playing popular songs. Her motivation? "The wonderful thing is seeing young people or even my age group sharing ideas," said the thirty-something Mirza. "I'm learning from other people." After a series of diplomatic twists, and despite negotiations involving several companies, the network -- which now has some 700 million monthly users worldwide -- could disappear from the US if Washington and Beijing, along with concerned companies, fail to reach agreement. Many of TikTok's creators and influencers say they will migrate to rival platforms -- like Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts and Triller -- if need be. But, said nanny and part-time stand-up comedian Brittany Tilander, "I don't think anything's gonna happen with TikTok. I don't think it's going anywhere." The 29-year-old from Kansas City has taken her humor to TikTok since the pandemic prevented her from appearing on stage. She, Fisher-Tringale and Mirza say they think the president's position on TikTok will not stand; that other US institutions will protect the platform where they feel most free to express their opinions. Trump, said Tilander, is attacking the app as "a really nice distraction" from what she says is his poor job handling other issues. "With the pandemic going on, the wildfires, unemployment as high as it is, the civil rights movement -- in an election year [TikTok] should be really low on his priorities," she said. Assam's only woman chief minister, Syeda Anwara Taimur, died on Monday in Australia at the age of 84. According to reports, she was suffering from health complications and was staying with her son in Australia for the last few years. Taimur was also the only female Muslim chief minister of Assam and first female Muslim CM of any state. A four-term MLA, she had an illustrious political career spanning over four decades. Taimur was a Congress leader in Assam and a member of the All India Congress Committee. Live TV Her death has been mourned by Vice President Venkaiah Naidu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, Assam Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma among other leaders across political parties. Naidu said, "Saddened to learn about the demise of former Assam Chief Minister & ex- Rajya Sabha member, Smt. Syeda Anwara Taimur. Her contribution for the development of Assam and upliftment of the downtrodden will be always remembered. My heartfelt condolences to bereaved family members." The PMO tweeted, "Condolences to the family and well-wishers of former Assam CM, Syeda Anwara Taimur Ji. Her contributions towards Assams development will be remembered. May her soul rest in peace: PM Narendra Modi." Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, in a tweet, said, "Saddened by the sudden demise of former Chief Minister of Assam, Syeda Anwara Taimur. Praying for the departed soul, I offer my heartfelt condolences to her family members and well-wishers." Assam Health Minister tweeted, "A big loss for us all as former CM Syeda Anwara Taimur breathed her last. An able administrator and affable people's person, Syeda Mam was the only woman CM of Assam. A 4-term MLA, she had an illustrious political career spanning over 4 decades. My prayers & condolences." Mahila Congress President and party spokesperson Sushmita Dev, in a tweet, said, "Deeply saddened to know about the sudden demise of Assam`s first woman Chief Minister Smt Syeda Anwara Taimur ji. Syeda ji had a long public career serving the people of Assam for four terms as MLA. Prayers for the departed soul. My deepest condolences to friends and family." Taimur briefly served as the Chief Minister of Assam from December 6, 1980, to June 30, 1981. She was elected to the Assam Assembly in 1972, 1978, 1983, and 1991 as nominee of the Congress. Taimur was the Public Works Department (PWD) minister of Assam from 1983 to 1985. In 1988, she was nominated to the Rajya Sabha. In 2011, the veteran leader left the Congress and joined the All India United Democratic Front. She figured in the headlines after her name was found missing from the NRC (National Register of Citizens) list in 2018. She was a teacher of economics in Debicharan Barua Girls College in Jorhat before joining politics. She may play Wonder Woman in the DC Comics movies. But in real life, it's her husband who's clearly a superhero to Gal Gadot. The Israeli actress, 35, took to Instagram on Monday to post a sweet tribute to real estate developer Yaron Varsano on the occasion of their 12th wedding anniversary. 'Yours forever': Wonder Woman star Gal Gadot, 35, paid tribute to her husband Yaren Varsano on Monday as she celebrated their 12th wedding anniversary with a sweet Instagram post The couple wed in 2008 and have two children together, aged nine and three. Sharing a cute photo of herself with her husband, Gadot wrote in the caption: 'Happy anniversary @jaronvarsano .. youre my one. My only. My everything.. ' She went on: '12 years of marriage feels like a walk in the park with you. To many more to come. Im yours forever.' Happy together: The actress and the real estate developer wed in 2008 and have two children together, aged nine and three. They're pictured at the Oscars in February Filming again: Earlier this month, Gadot returned to work on the Netflix action comedy Red Notice, posting a photo showing her getting tested for COVID-19 before going back on set Meanwhile, Gadot has returned to work shooting the Netflix film Red Notice with Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson and Ryan Reynolds. She shared a snap to social media earlier this month which shows her getting tested for COVID-19 as part of the production's pandemic protocols. 'Getting ready to head back to the Red Notice set but prep looks a little different now..,' she wrote, adding the hashtag '#staysafe.' In the action comedy, the former beauty queen stars as 'the world's greatest art thief'. Johnson is an agent for Interpol while Reynolds is described as 'the world's greatest conman.' Production was halted in March as the result of the coronavirus outbreak. The pandemic also continues to delay the release of Gadot's highly anticipated sequel Wonder Woman 1984. The movie has now been scheduled for a December release, a full year after its originally scheduled premiere. The actress reprises her role as Wonder Woman/Diana Prince opposite Chris Pine as Steve Trevor. Pedro Pascal and Kristen Wiig round out the cast as the film's villains, Maxwell Lord and Cheetah. Postponed: The pandemic continues to delay the release of Gadot's highly anticipated sequel Wonder Woman 1984. The movie has now been scheduled for a December release (Editors note: Since this story was first posted, several readers raised the issue of whether leaving ones goose decoys out overnight or over a couple of days is legal. The DECs response, which was added to the story, is below.) State Police are investigating the larceny of about 300 Canada goose decoys used for hunting from the Grasse River in St. Lawrence County. The floating decoys, which were set up on the river and estimated to cost a total of between $6,000 and $7,000, were taken between 5:30 p.m. Sept. 21 and 6 a.m. Sept. 22. The incident occurred in the Town of Canton, south of Morley. Investigator Christopher Nye said the decoys had been put by an outfitter for his clients and had been out there a couple of days. There were two types of decoys, Tanglefree and Avian-X, he said. Nye said the area where the decoys were set up is about 15 minutes from the nearest boat launch and most likely the thieves used a boat to go back and forth during the night to steal them. Anyone with information is asked to contact Investigator Nye or Trooper Justin Dowdle at (518) 873-2776. DEC does not have any laws against leaving decoys out on private land (or public waterways), but hunters do so at their own risk. Leaving decoys out does not guarantee them a spot. Other hunters are free to hunt in areas with decoys left by other people, but the theft of personal property is not legal, DEC said. The states early Canada goose hunting season, which targets in most cases the states resident birds as opposed to those migrating through, opened throughout most of New York on Sept. 1 and runs through Sept. 25. The September season includes liberal bag limits (eight to 15 birds per day, depending on zone), extended shooting hours, and other special regulations to maximize hunter success, according to the state Department of Environmental Conservation. MORE: Upstate NY man gets jail time, $5,500 in fines for shooting a moose cow Migrating monarchs: CNY woman photographs roost of more than 400 of the butterflies Upstate NY surgeon/outdoors enthusiast leaves $2.2 million to CNY Land Trust in his will 1. Yes. Too many kids are staying home. They need a virtual learning option to keep up. 2. Yes. Teachers are out sick and subs cant handle the load. Online learning is needed. 3. No. Its too late in the school year to make a wholesale switch in teaching platforms. 4.No. Many parents arent in a position to stay home while their kids learn virtually. 5. Unsure. It may seem like a good idea from a health standpoint, but it has shortcomings. Vote View Results NEW YORK, Sept. 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The Global Telepsychiatry Market size is expected to reach $15.2 billion by 2026, rising at a market growth of 19.4% CAGR during the forecast period. Telepsychiatry is a part of telemedicine, which includes psychiatric evaluations, therapy, patient education, and medication management. Telepsychiatry offers direct interactions between patients and the psychiatrist. It is used for different types of therapies such as individual therapy, family therapy, or group therapy. Telepsychiatry also offers facilities such as session recording in form of images or audio-video file, for later reviewing the file. This technology can be used to treat patients in even remote places. Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05975432/?utm_source=PRN The main factor which is driving the growth of the telepsychiatry market globally is growing awareness about mental health and increasing demand for treatments of mental health among end users. Telepsychiatry provides patients treatment in their homes that helps to make them comfortable while receiving the treatment. It also eliminates the requirement of the patient to travel to hospitals or clinics for receiving the treatment. These are also some of the factors fueling the growth of the target market. In order to prevent the spread of COVID-19, almost every country has taken essential measures like complete lockdown, social distancing, large scale quarantine, etc. it has made mandatory to stay at home by most of the states for non-essential workers that have a very bad impact on the physical and mental health of the people suffering from any such disorders. Being at the same place and the same environment has a negative effect on mental health. People suffering from mental disorders can tend to opt for a harmful lifestyle more easily. So they should be continuously monitored in order to minimize the feeling of loneliness and this can be facilitated by monitoring the patients remotely. Furthermore, telepsychiatry helps in detecting early warning signs and follow-up appointments and treatments can also be easily tracked this is fueling the demand of the Telepsychiatry Market. The shortage of the number of clinical teams in the fields to mental health treatments leading to high demand for the services of telepsychiatry and further propel the growth of the market. Additionally, it is cost-effective, affordable, and fulfill the satisfaction of the patients regarding the treatment they receive will result in the growth of the market. Based on Product, the market is segmented into In-home Solutions, Crisis Solution, Routine Solution, Forensic Solution and Other Products. Based on Application, the market is segmented into Community Mental Health Centers, Homecare, Skilled Nursing Facilities, Specialty Care Settings and Others. Based on Age Group, the market is segmented into Adult, Pediatric & Adolescent, and Geriatric. Based on Regions, the market is segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Latin America, Middle East & Africa. The market research report covers the analysis of key stake holders of the market. Key companies profiled in the report include E-Psychiatry LLC, Advanced TeleMed Services, Inc., American Telepsychiatrists, Iris Healthcare, Inc., Encounter Telehealth, LLC, FasPsych, LLC (Pharos Capital Group, LLC), MDLive, Inc., InnovaTel Telepsychiatry, LLC, MYnd Analytics, Inc. (Arcadian Telepsychiatry), and SOC Telemed, Inc. Strategies deployed in Telepsychiatry Market Aug-2020: InnovaTel Telepsychiatry entered into partnership with INTEGRIS Health. The partnership was focused on providing support for Health Care Employees. Jul-2020: InnovaTel announced its collaboration with Northwestern Mental Health Center. Through this collaboration, NWMHC is helping individuals and families access healthcare with the help of InnovaTel Telepsychiatry. Jul-2020: MDLive collaborated with MobileHelp, a leader in mobile Personal Emergency Response Systems (mPERS) and healthcare technology solutions. Together, the companies announced a new telehealth service from MDLive to deliver in-home care. The new product offering came at a time when older adults are sheltering in place and may not want to utilize traditional brick-and-mortar healthcare facilities for fear of exposure to COVID-19. Jan-2020: MDLive, Inc. launched the telemedicine industry's most comprehensive virtual primary care platform. The platform enabled U.S. health plans, health systems, retailers, and employers to provide consumers with convenient, secure, and cost-effective options for accessing preventive, chronic, and other primary care services. Jan-2020: MDLive came into partnership with the Health insurance giant, Cigna. Following the partnership, Cigna expanded online access to primary care physicians through MDLive for the insurer's employer-sponsored plan clients. May-2019: MYnd Analytics' subsidiary Arcadian Telepsychiatry, signed an agreement with Memorial Hospital. Under this agreement, the former company aimed to provide telebehavioral health services through its provider network to the latter company. Feb-2019: SOC Telemed teamed up with Prime Healthcare, a private healthcare company. Under this collaboration, Prime Healthcare has been using SOC Telemed's platform Telemed IQ to support its clinical care and workflow standardization efforts. This collaboration enabled Prime Healthcare to achieve system-level control and visibility over its telemedicine initiatives; standardizing workflows, care, and reporting capabilities using Telemed IQ's fully customizable offerings. Dec-2018: MDLive teamed up with FirstCare, a provider of health insurance plans. The collaboration was aimed to provide the members with access to board-certified doctors, licensed therapists, and more, all through the new telemedicine program, FirstCare Virtual Care powered by MDLive. Members can access a provider, 24/7/365, through the use of their smartphone, tablet, or desktop computer. Sep-2018: MYnd Analytics' subsidiary Arcadian Telepsychiatry Services LLC, signed partnership agreement with Sanford Health. The partnership was focused on providing telebehavioral health and telepsychiatry services through Arcadian's provider network for Sanford Health's network of outpatient primary care practices. Aug-2018: SOC Telemed (SOC) acquired JSA Health, the leading behavioral health telemedicine company. The acquisition helped the company in becoming the nation's largest acute telePsychiatry provider. Mar-2017: InnovaTel signed partnership agreement with The National Council for Behavioral Health. The partnership was aimed to expand the effective use of telepsychiatry. By integrating telehealth technology with a staff of leading mental health professionals, the company can increase access to care and ultimately improve patient outcomes. Scope of the Study Market Segmentation: By Product In-home Solutions Crisis Solution Routine Solution Forensic Solution Other Products By Application Community Mental Health Centers Homecare Skilled Nursing Facilities Specialty Care Settings Others By Age Group Adult Pediatric & Adolescent Geriatric By Geography North America o US o Canada o Mexico o Rest of North America Europe o Germany o UK o France o Russia o Spain o Italy o Rest of Europe Asia Pacific o China o Japan o India o South Korea o Singapore o Malaysia o Rest of Asia Pacific LAMEA o Brazil o Argentina o UAE o Saudi Arabia o South Africa o Nigeria o Rest of LAMEA Companies Profiled E-Psychiatry LLC Advanced TeleMed Services, Inc. American Telepsychiatrists Iris Healthcare, Inc. Encounter Telehealth, LLC FasPsych, LLC (Pharos Capital Group, LLC) MDLive, Inc. InnovaTel Telepsychiatry, LLC MYnd Analytics, Inc. (Arcadian Telepsychiatry) SOC Telemed, Inc. Unique Offerings Exhaustive coverage Highest number of market tables and figures Subscription based model available Guaranteed best price Assured post sales research support with 10% customization free Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05975432/?utm_source=PRN About Reportlinker ReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place. __________________________ Contact Clare: [email protected] US: (339)-368-6001 Intl: +1 339-368-6001 SOURCE Reportlinker Related Links www.reportlinker.com On the Frontline Against China, the US Coast Guard Is Taking on Missions the US Navy Can't Do Competition with China has drawn more Pentagon resources to the Pacific, but the most visible U.S. military presence there... Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-28 16:33:38|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BANGKOK, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- Thailand's Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha on Monday dismissed the possibility of the opposition Pheu Thai Party joining his coalition government anytime soon. Prayut told reporters at Government House that the time for the Pheu Thai Party to join his government as a coalition partner "is not coming up" as yet. He declined to elaborate, however. Prayut apparently made his comments in response to Saturday's resignation of Pheu Thai Party leader Sompong Amornvivat, which has automatically resulted in the dissolution of the entire executive board of the party. An extraordinary party caucus is expected very shortly to pick a new party leader, who will concurrently become Opposition Leader at parliament. Enditem The Canadian astronomy community has named the controversial Thirty Meter Telescope its top facilities priority for the decade ahead while also recommending the creation of a policy focused on Indigenous consent in a section of its new long range planning document. The telescope, proposed for construction on Hawaii's tallest mountain, Mauna Kea, has sparked opposition and widespread protest from Kanaka Maoli, the Indigenous People of Hawaii. Canadian astronomers' commitment to the telescope has forced the community to contend with the tension between its scientific ambitions and how it navigates questions about Kanaka Maoli consent. They successfully lobbied the federal government to commit $254.5 million in funding toward the project in 2015. If built, TMT would be among the largest telescopes in the world. A fact-pack on the TMT website says the telescope will "help answer fundamental questions about the universe" will likely lead to discoveries that can't be anticipated today. Astrophysicist Sara Ellison, president of the Canadian Astronomical Society (CASCA), said "it's not our decision to make" when asked what role Canadian astronomers have to play in answering questions about Kanaka Maoli consent and TMT's future on Mauna Kea. CASCA is a professional body that represents astronomers in Canada and publishes a long range plan every 10 years. "It is for the Native Hawaiians and the State of Hawaii to decide whether we're welcome. And if we're not, we won't go," said Ellison. Ellison said extreme efforts and good will went into the consultation process on TMT and said it had support from the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, a political body that represents Kanaka Maoli. The office voted to withdraw that support in 2015. 'A territorial, jurisdiction issue' Uahikea Maile, a Kanaka Maoli scholar and professor of Indigenous politics at the University of Toronto, said framing TMT as an internal Hawaiian matter is a way for Canadian astronomers to "distance themselves from the kinds of ethical quandaries of dealing with humans and human populations." Story continues "When, in fact, in order to study the stars and the universe and other universes they have to contend with people on our own planet." Uahikea Maile Maile has been advocating for Canadian divestment from the project and working to educate people about Kanaka Maoli perspectives about astronomy and Mauna Kea. Peaking at 4,200 metres above sea level, the dormant volcano is sacred to Kanaka Maoli. Its elevation and atmospheric conditions also present an ideal location for stargazing. Thirteen observatories have been built on the mountain since the 1960s. Maile said the TMT conflict is often framed as a clash between culture and science, but that it's really "a territorial, jurisdiction issue" one that has arisen because of colonialism in Hawaii and the limited decision-making authority his people have on the mountain. Telescope conflict described as a 'lightning rod' Sara Ellison describes TMT as a "lightning rod" on Mauna Kea that's about more than any single project and that the conflict has made it a difficult time to be an astronomer. "Some of us have been real targets of animosity within our own university communities and further afield as well, that we are somehow to blame for police violence against Native Hawaiians," she said. She doesn't agree with the comparisons that have been drawn between the telescope and pipeline conflicts. "With pipelines, businesses have something they really want to extract and have something to gain," she said. When it comes to astronomy, she sees her field as "a gain for all of mankind." "We're all asking questions about our origins and I think there's actually quite a deep connection there with Native beliefs in terms of ways of learning about our past," she said. TMT International Observatory Maile said it's offensive to hear astronomers make a "bizarre connection" between their pursuit of knowledge and Kanaka Maoli culture. "It is very clear to me that Canadian astronomers, after all my meetings, care more about finding alien life and discovering planets that are habitable for humans outside of our solar system than Indigenous rights and Indigenous Peoples on ours," he said. Consent in Hawaii described as a 'complex issue' TMT's external relations vice-president Gordon Squires said in an emailed statement to CBC News that "consent in Hawaii is a complex issue, as there is no single, recognized decision-making authority for the native Hawaiian population." He wrote that TMT has gone through all the necessary processes and has met Hawaii's legal requirements to allow for construction and that "there is significant support for the TMT Project, including among native Hawaiians." Maile said there's a plurality of perspectives among Kanaka Maoli when it comes to TMT but that there's evidence to show that Kanaka Maoli don't consent to its construction. "Evidence of no consent from my people would be for decades having opposition to ongoing industrialization of Mauna Kea and other mountains in Hawaii," he said. "Kanaka Maoli say enough is enough and have shown up in force to say no," he said. 'We benefit from stolen land' In many ways, Mi'kmaw astronomer and University of Toronto professor Hilding Neilson straddles both sides of the conversation about TMT and Mauna Kea. He submitted white papers to CASCA to inform the long range plan, including one about astronomy on Mauna Kea that included recommendations about how Canadian astronomers can better support Indigenous rights. "Most of the people in Canadian astronomy have very little insight or idea of what it means to be Indigenous or Indigenous issues in Canada or Hawaii," he said, though he said he finds it promising that many in his field are embracing the conversation about the ethics around facilities and Indigenous Peoples. Pauline Bramby, astronomer and co-chair of the panel that wrote the long range plan, said she hopes the section calling for the creation of a policy on Indigenous consent will prompt bigger conversations among astronomers, "where we reflect on the kinds of privileges we have as astronomers and how those privileges are informed by the history of colonialism." "I think we've had a feeling in our field that because we don't build bombs and blow up people and everybody loves space that astronomy isn't a controversial field it's kind of a blame-free field. And I think many of us are starting to realize that that's not quite the case." Caleb Jones/The Associated Press She said TMT is a big part of why recommendations about Indigenous consent were written into the latest report but that a set of guiding principles would also be helpful for astronomers considering sites for ground-based facilities in other parts of the world. While the long range plan recommendations about Indigenous consent send the "right message," Neilson worries that "it's not clear who is responsible for implementing that spirit and that message. So it could also end up being all for naught." When asked if there's something he could compel his astronomy colleagues to understand, he responded: "We benefit from stolen land." "Every image, spectrum, beautiful telescope picture we got taken from Hawaii is based on stolen land. We might have permission to be on there by the State of Hawaii and various lease agreements, but at this point no Native Hawaiian community has ever given us that consent, as far as I know." Construction of the Thirty Meter Telescope remains on hold. Mauna Kea remains the preferred site for construction, though a site in the Canary Islands has also been identified as a potential backup. Cost estimates to build the telescope are currently in the ballpark of $2.4 billion. The National Science Foundation is currently reviewing a funding proposal for the project. - MP Rigathi Gachagua said a number of MPs had been intimidated for their failure to support Raila Odinga but they did not change their stand - The lawmaker said Mout Kenya has never accepted the ODM leader since time immemorial and nothing about that had changed - He also urged the Western region to stop supporting Raila's political ambitions PAY ATTENTION: Click 'See First' under 'Follow' Tab to see Tuko.co.ke news on your FB Feed Mathira MP Rigathi Gachagua has maintained Mount Kenya region will not accept a Raila Odinga presidency even as the 2022 succession politics gain momentum in the country. Gachagua said the vote-rich Central region has never accepted the former prime minister and his late father Jaramogi Oginga Odinga since time immemorial and nothing about that had changed. READ ALSO: Majority Leader Amos Kimunya accuses CJ Maraga of creating chaos before leaving Rigathi Gachagua said Central Kenya has never accepted Raila since time immemorial. Photo: Rigathi Gachagua. Source: Facebook READ ALSO: Luck smiles on woman who was trolled for simple house decorations after well-wishers offer to help her Speaking on Sunday, September 27, the Tanga Tanga lawmaker said many of them had been intimidated and even arrested due to their rejection of Raila but none of that succeeded in altering their stand. "We have decided even if it is at gunpoint, we will not accept. Some of us have been intimidated, our bank accounts frozen so that we support Raila but we have refused," he claimed. Gachagua said this in Bumula, Western Kenya where he also urged residents not to support the ODM leader in his political ambitions. READ ALSO: Pastor urges Uhuru to allow separate national prayer days for Christians, Muslims Gachagua said Mount Kenya region will not accept Raila's presidency. Photo: Raila Odinga. Source: Facebook This came at a time Mt Kenya region was sharply divided especially after the Jubilee Party was split into the Tanga Tanga and Kieleweke factions. A little over a month ago, Jubilee vice chairperson David Murathe who is known to be President Uhuru Kenyatta's confidant said time was ripe for Kenyans to reward the former premier with the top seat after years of struggle for democracy and good governance. READ ALSO: KNH workers go on strike, demand implementation of 2012 salary "I think it is time Kenyans rewarded the years of struggle of Raila Amollo Odinga. They owe it to him. Its like Mandela, and 2022 will be a Mandela moment. "And we would also like to tell him (Raila) to be a transitional president who will then nurture the young generation to take over in 2027, he said during an interview with KTN. Help us change more lives, join TUKO.co.kes Patreon programme Keep abusing me, you will get tired eventually - Kenya's youngest Reverend Victor Githu | Tuko TV. Source: TUKO.co.ke T he Royal Albert Hall today said it had avoided making mass redundancies through a flexible lay-off scheme designed to avoid making job cuts. The world famous venue is attempting to survive the fallout from the Covid outbreak which has put live shows off the agenda. The west London concert hall which has not staged a show since March - began a consultation with staff today. Under the scheme, the bulk of the Halls 515-strong workforce will be laid off on 55% of their normal pay and then can be called upon if the venue is able to reopen and stage shows. The venue has furloughed staff under the Job Retention Scheme, which finishes at the end of next month. A spokeswoman said: Our ability to continue to pay our staff when the Job Retention Scheme ceases is limited as we are still not able to open fully. Today we told staff of our plans to implement a flexible lay-off scheme that will avoid the need to make mass redundancies. The majority of our staff will be laid off at 55% of their normal pay. Given our financial situation, this is a solution that looks after our staff and avoids losing our important workforce. The majority of our staff will be needed when we are permitted to open at full capacity, but in the short term we will not have enough work for them to meet the threshold of the new Job Support Scheme. She added: Sadly, even with the lay-off scheme, a limited number of roles have been put at risk of redundancy. The spokeswoman declined to confirm how many roles were at risk. The Halls chief executive Craig Hassall warned in July that the venue could be forced to close without urgent financial support. The Hall, run by a charitable trust, has since asked for donations to save it as it with a potential government loan not guaranteed. Venues are currently allowed to be open with a 10pm curfew however social distancing rules mean that shows are not financially viable for many. Live Not by Lies: Rod Dreher tells Christians to prepare for soft totalitarianism in the US Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Cancel culture. Transgender ideology. Antifa protests. Internet surveillance. Is an anti-religious totalitarian regime like the former Soviet Union coming soon to the United States? According to Rod Dreher, the best-selling author of The Benedict Option and senior editor at The American Conservative, the answer is yes and churches must be prepared for it. Dreher documents the evidence for what he labels soft totalitarianism and how U.S. Christians should respond in his soon-to-be released book Live Not by Lies: A Manual for Christian Dissidents. Dreher looks at cancel culture, the advance of socially liberal ideas on mainstream society, and the intrusion of information technology into private lives as evidence of this possible future. Back in the Soviet era, totalitarianism demanded love for the Party, and compliance with the Party's demands was enforced by the state, he wrote in the books introduction. Today's totalitarianism demands allegiance to a set of progressive beliefs, many of which are incapable with logicand certainly with Christianity. The title is derived from a quote from famed Russian anti-Communist intellectual Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, who uttered the phrase not long before being exiled from the Soviet Union. Dreher explained to The Christian Post that the inspiration came after he spoke to a friends mother, who had lived in Soviet-era Czechoslovakia. The woman, who had been imprisoned for her dissident political views, claimed that the social and political changes in the U.S. mirrored those of the rise of Communism in Eastern Europe. That struck me as really alarming. I didn't know if I believed it, but once I started talking to other people here in the U.S. and in Europe who had lived under Communism and they said, 'Yeah, this is a real thing,' it suddenly became real for me, explained Dreher. Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, one of the things he's most known for is saying that people in the West, they make a big mistake if they think it can't happen here, because it can. The Christian Post talked with Dreher on Thursday about his upcoming book. Below are excerpts from that interview. CP: How would you say this book compares and contrasts to your best-selling earlier work, The Benedict Option? Dreher: It is, really, a continuation of The Benedict Option. The Benedict Option I talk about very generally the de-Christianization in the West and how Christians should respond to it in our daily lives. What Live Not by Lies does is it focuses much more intensely on one aspect of that, which is the arising of systematic oppression and marginalization and oppression of traditional Christian believers." This is much more focused Its more specific. It identifies much more particularly the problem and gives much more concrete ways of dealing with it, but its all part of the same crisis. There are people who don't think at all that we're moving towards a sort of totalitarianism because they think that the sort of things that Christians believe are just wrong and weird. But I didn't write the book for them, I wrote it for Christians." CP: In chapter four, you focused a lot of attention on "surveillance capitalism" and how modern information technology, including social media, are being used to control people's behaviors. Do you believe that recent efforts to curb this influence, both in Congress and elsewhere, are helping to combat this trend? Dreher: Its hard to say now. Im really happy to see the congressional hearings and they ought to be bipartisan because we are all threatened by surveillance capitalism, left and right. But my fear is that the public is going to see this as being completely politicized from the right. That's no reason for conservatives like Senator Josh Hawley not to do them and I am grateful that theyre doing it. But we need to really be careful about this and make sure that people on the left who value free speech and who value privacy are equally concerned and are equally involved in the fight to preserve that privacy. In Europe, this is a very bipartisan concern they have there. European privacy laws are much stronger, especially on electronic privacy, and I think that we Americans really need to learn from them. CP: On the issue of bipartisanship, in chapter nine, "Standing in Solidarity," you wrote about how Christians can benefit from having secular liberal allies. You cited examples of this in the former Soviet Union. In the United States today, what groups or individuals considered secular liberal would you say are sympathetic to conservative Christians resisting soft totalitarianism? Dreher: Its hard to pinpoint particular groups, but Ill give you an example that I was just listening to. Ive become a listener to the Joe Rogan podcast and Ive been really impressed by him because hes not a conservative, I dont think hes any kind of religious believer. He seems to be a left libertarian, if I had to pin him down. But hes also got a lot of common sense. He has been very strong about the way the transgender movement, for example, is exploiting teenage girls and their anxieties. I was just listening to his newest podcast, in which he talks about how difficult it is to have a common sense conversation with anybody these days because everybody is so ramped up and so ideological. Somebody like Joe Rogan, [also] comedian Bridget Phetasy. I wouldnt listen to these people normally, but listening to them both, they sound like theyre leftish, but theyre normal people and they dont like this cancel culture any more than I do. People like that are the kind of people I could find common cause with. CP: As you know, this is election season. If President Donald Trump wins reelection in November, do you believe that this will help stem the rise of soft totalitarianism? Dreher: I think it may slow it somewhat. I think its possible it could even accelerate it because the left will be even that much more angry, but thats not a reason not to vote for Trump, mind you. But the thing I try to encourage my readers to keep in mind is whether you vote for Trump or against Trump, these processes that are in place now, these trends that are going on throughout the culture, they would be very hard for any president to stop. Our problem is not primarily political, it's cultural and it's spiritual. We can get the right guy in the White House, the right people on the federal bench, and thats important, but no president is going to be able to compel universities and corporations and institutions to stop with the identity politics. This is the sort of long-term fight that Christians have got to be prepared for and we also have to keep in mind that for a lot of millennials and Generation Z Americans, they dont have faith, its a very secular generation and they overwhelmingly accept the identity politics side of all these issues. We have to radically change the way we think about church, and I think its absolutely true that you dont need to be a prophet to see whats coming and also to know that one election, two elections, are not going to solve it. This is one of the reasons that we Christians are in so much trouble today is for the past 30, 40 years we have placed way too much emphasis on politics as the answer to our problems and not culture. Well, weve lost the culture and were losing our children. If we dont start taking radical steps right now, to build resilience and build networks of resilience, the soft totalitarians are going to roll right over us. Democracy NC v. NC State Board of Elections was unsuccessful in changing the witness requirement and also the state's voter registration deadline. However, the lawsuit did succeed in one big way: State election officials now have to let people try to fix errors on mail-in ballots that might otherwise lead to the votes not being counted. The challengers in the lawsuit estimated that 100,000 voters might have had their ballots thrown out with no warning this fall, except for this ruling giving them a second chance. Two other lawsuits are trying to change the rules to make it easier for people to correct their mistakes when they do make them, instead of having to start from scratch with a brand new ballot. State officials have agreed to settle one of those lawsuits, NC Alliance for Retired Americans v. North Carolina, and make the mail-in voting changes in exchange for the challengers dropping other claims. However, GOP lawmakers said they will try to stop that settlement and keep the current rules in place. They and national Republicans, including President Donald Trump's campaign, sued to block the changes. Another lawsuit on making it easier to fix mistakes on mail-in ballots, filed by the North Carolina Democratic Party and two national Democratic groups, is still pending. Photo: The Canadian Press The governments of Sweden, Finland and Estonia said Monday they will jointly assess what that they called new significant information in connection with one of Europes deadliest peacetime maritime disasters, the sinking of a ferry in the Baltic Sea in 1994 that killed 852 people. A television documentary aired to coincide with the 26th anniversary of the sinking of the M/S Estonia includes video images from the wreck site showing a hole in the hull measuring 4 metres on the starboard side. However, the three countries said that they rely on final conclusions of a 1997 report that concluded that the ferry sank after the bow door locks failed in a storm. It flatly rejected the theory of a hole, which has long been the focus of speculation about a possible explosion on board. It cannot be ruled out that the damage was important for the sinking process, Joergen Amdahl, professor of marine technology in Trondheim, said in the five-episode documentary to be aired Monday. Margus Kurm, the former head of the Estonian governments investigative group, said in a television interview that the ship most likely sank after a collision with a submarine. Considering that the hole is below the water line and considering no one has ever mentioned that another ship could have sunk Estonia and none of the survivors have said they saw a ship close to Estonia, the most likely cause is (the ferry) collided with a submarine, Kurm told Estonian television. He ruled out that a fishing boat could have created the hole, telling the daily Postimees that the Estonia "collided with something big enough to pierce the hull. Ann Linde, Pekka Haavisto and Urmas Reinsalu the foreign ministers of Sweden, Finland and Estonia said in a joint statement that they have agreed that verification of the new information presented in the documentary will be made in accordance and full respect of a 1995 agreement to protect the wreck as a final place of rest for victims of the disaster. Some 758 bodies remain entombed on the car ferry, which rests on the seabed 80 metres (265 feet) below the surface. The wreck is considered a graveyard, which gives the area protection under the law, and the agreement criminalized activities that would disturb it. However, Finnish and Swedish coast guards cannot stop any diving endeavour because the wreck lies in international waters. Last year, the production team behind the documentary sent an underwater robot to film the wreck. Jessica Linnman, head of communications for Discovery Sweden, said "the film crew found that it was journalistically justified to dive to the wreck using a robot. The case is of great public interest and this was the only way for the production to determine if the official statement available today is credible, or if there are circumstances that have not been revealed to the public, she said. BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 24 By Jeila Aliyeva - Trend: Turkmenistan and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) have considered the possibility of implementing several joint projects, Trend reports with reference to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan. The discussions were held during a videoconference between Deputy Foreign Minister of Turkmenistan Vepa Hadjiev and USAID representative in Turkmenistan Nino Nadiradze. During the meeting, the parties considered issues of expanding cooperation between Turkmenistan and USAID. Thus, the participants of the meeting discussed the updated roadmap for Turkmenistan for the fiscal year 2021. Also, proposals were made to consolidate joint efforts to ensure peace, stability, and sustainable development in Central Asia and Afghanistan within the framework of the "C5+1" format of cooperation between the US and Central Asian countries. As earlier Stephen Guice, Public Affairs Officer of the US Embassy in Ashgabat told Trend, The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Local Works program will transform Turkmenistans livestock sector by applying locally-driven market-oriented, affordable solutions that will increase incomes for farmers, service providers, and entrepreneurs. Guice pointed out that the program will also foster links between the Government of Turkmenistan and the private sector. This past year, for example, USAID co-founded a successful pilot shipment of Turkmen melons to Austria with a local Turkmen firm, which demonstrated the viability of this new trade route and the demand for premium Turkmen produce abroad, noted earlier Guice. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @JeilaAliyeva She vowed to focus on her health and make 'positive changes' in 2020. And on Sunday, Rebel Wilson made sure to keep up her exercise routine while on a relaxing holiday with her new boyfriend, Jacob Busch, in Monaco. The actress, 40, showed off her slimmed-down figure in a red Gucci dress as she completed a hilarious arm workout using a 4.5L bottle of vodka while on a yacht. Working out! Slimmed-down Rebel Wilson showed off her 18kg weight loss in a red dress as she completed a hilarious arm workout using a bottle of vodka on a yacht in Monaco on Sunday In the video shared to Instagram, Rebel told her followers: 'Hey guys I'd like to show you my new workout routine. Basically we are just going to work the biceps.' She started lifting the bottle towards her chest and back down, before carrying the heavy glass bottle over her head. 'Just slightly bend your knees. You just really want to feel that burn,' Rebel told her followers. The Pitch Perfect star then held the bottle over her shoulder and joked: 'And then you run up and down the stairs... and then that's basically your arm workout for the day.' Smashing goals: She started lifting the huge bottle towards her chest and back down, before carrying the heavy glass bottle over her head Rebel looked stunning in the red Gucci mini dress, complete with white borders and embellished gleaming gold buttons. She styled her long hair half up half down and wore a neutral palette of makeup for the trip. The Hollywood star has been on a health and fitness journey this year, losing at least 18kg (40lbs or 2.8 stone). Hilarious! The actress then held the bottle over her shoulder and joked: 'And then you run up and down the stairs... and then that's basically your arm workout for the day' Rebel's post comes after she shared a short clip while cuddling up to her 29-year-old businessman beau Jacob on the yacht. The actress snuggled close to her handsome man, curling up with a blanket around her shoulders. The beauty made her red carpet debut with Jacob at a gala in Monaco last week. What a transformation! Rebel has been on a health and fitness journey this year, losing at least 18kg (40lbs or 2.8 stone). Pictured left on Sunday, right in December 2014 So sweet: Rebel's post comes after she shared a short clip while cuddling up to her 29-year-old businessman beau Jacob on the yacht Jacob's family founded the Anheuser-Busch brewery, which produces America's most popular beer, Budweiser. In 2016, Forbes listed the Busch family as the 16th richest in America, with a fortune of US$13.4billion. Jacob and Rebel's 11-year age gap shouldn't be a problem for the 29-year-old, who previously dated Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Adrienne Maloof, 59. China's imports from Iran have dropped to the lowest record in the past decade, with Chinese customs data showing the number falling below $322 million in August. In total, Iran's exports to China in the first eight months of the Iranian calendar year (beginning March 20, 2020) amounted to $3.85 billion, which is a 62% decrease compared with the same period last year. Meanwhile, in the first eight months of 2020, China's exports to Iran fell only by 6.7 percent to $5.95 billion. The current year, 2020, is the first year Iran's trade balance with China has been detrimental to Iran. Although China's customs has not yet released its August oil import report, Beijing's direct oil imports from Iran in the first seven months of 2020 averaged 77,000 barrels per day, almost ten times less than before 2018 when the United States re-imposed economic sanctions on Iran. At the same time, China's total foreign trade in the first eight months of 2020 was $2.85 trillion, meaning that Iran's share of China's foreign deals total less than half a percent. The United States is China's largest trading partner, with $344 billion in bilateral trade during the period, down 3.5 percent from the same period last year. China's total foreign transactions also fell by 3.6 percent. However, China's exports increased 9.5 percent in August compared with August 2019, indicating that Beijing is swiftly recovering the drop in its exports caused by the coronavirus' global quarantine and restrictions earlier this year. One more case of African swine fever (ASF) has been confirmed in a wild boar in the eastern German state of Brandenburg over the weekend, Germanys agriculture ministry said. The new discovery brings total confirmed cases to 35 since the first one on Sept. 10. All were in wild animals with no farm pigs affected, the ministry said on its website. All have been found in the Brandenburg area. Germanys Friedrich-Loeffler scientific institute had confirmed the latest animal had ASF, the ministry said. China and a series of other pork buyers banned imports of German pork this month after the first case was confirmed, causing Chinese pork prices to surge. The disease is not dangerous to humans but it is fatal to pigs. A massive outbreak in China, the worlds biggest pork producer, has led to hundreds of millions of pigs being culled. The German government is considering aid to farmers after pork prices fell, agriculture minister Julia Kloeckner said on Friday. The government is aiming for the creation of 1,000 startups led by entrepreneurs from Scheduled Castes (SCs) over three years. The Centre will help young Dalit entrepreneurs with startup ideas in the best technological facilities, according to a report by The Times of India. The programme, to be called "Ambedkar Social Innovation Incubation Mission" (ASIIM), will help Dalit techies "incubate" their ideas, the report said. Moneycontrol could not independently verify the report. The Centre will set aside a budget of Rs 308.8 crore for the programme, which will be effective from 2020-24, The Times of India reported. The ASIIM will create a "business incubator hub" to provide assistance with innovation and finance for three years, the report said. The funds will be directed through the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment's "Venture Capital Fund for SCs", which is run by the IFCI Venture Capital Fund, the report added. Ideas will be selected from SC and physically challenged youth studying in technological institutes or working in the private sector, sources told the publication. Under the scheme, chartered accountants, digital marketing, legal advisers will offer advice on the commercial launch. Kojic Acid has emerged as an effective solution to skin problems such as sun damage, scars, and age spots, but the question that is begging to be asked is that it is safe for the skin. Apparently, according to the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel, kojic acid is safe to use in cosmetics in concentrations of one percent. Its main use is for the topical treatment of several different cosmetic conditions. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, though, has cautioned that in buying products that have the acid, make sure to buy from reputable companies. Kojic acid is a natural metabolite produced by fungi. It can also be created when brewing sake, the popular Japanese alcoholic beverage, from fermented rice. The reason why kojic acid is marketed as an answer to people who have struggled with sun damage, scars, and age spots because it can inhibit tyrosinase activity in the synthesis of melanin. Melanin is the pigment that affects hair, skin, and eye color. And when melanin is inhibited, it results in a lightening effect. Much of the concern surrounding kojic acid is if it can cause cancer. Some of the studies have linked it to tumor growth in high concentrations. However, with the slow absorption of kojic acid into the skin, it is unlikely to reach high levels enough to cause cancer in humans. In fact, studies show that kojic acid functions as an antioxidant in cosmetic products. It is still even safe enough to be used for humans at two percent concentration in leave-on cosmetics. However, it is not advisable to use kojic acid to lighten a person's natural complexion because its main function is to lighten discoloration that was not originally on the person's skin, such as age spots, sun spots, and even marks left by skin breakouts. Side effects and risks But just like everything else that's good, there will always be side effects, especially for those who have highly sensitive skin. The most common of these side effects is contact dermatitis, which manifests as redness, irritation, itchiness, rashes, swollen skin, pain, and discomfort. Should this happen, it can either be that a person has super sensitive skin or the product being used is infused with a higher concentration of kojic acid. It is also best to immediately discontinue using the product and consult with a dermatologist. It is even best for persons with sensitive skin to first consult with the dermatologist before using any product infused with kojic acid. Regular and long-term use of products with kojic acid may result in the skin becoming susceptible to sunburns, which means the sunscreen will be a must or protective clothing. Products with kojic acid should also never be used on damaged or broken skin. Kojic acid could be found in a number of different types of cosmetic products such as powders, serums, creams, cleansers, soaps, and even face masks. Just make sure to follow the instructions in using these products. Check these out: Kojic Acid: Treats Sun Damage, Age Spots, Lightens Skin Latin American Countries' COVID-19 Victims Mourned by Families Left Behind CDC Halloween Guidelines Discourage Trick-or-Treat, Costume Parties, Haunted Houses Mumbai: The Maharashtra Congress on Monday said it will be quite painful if the JD(U) gives poll ticket to former Bihar DGP Gupteshwar Pandey who had insulted Mumbai Police", at a time when Devendra Fadnavis is BJPs election in-charge in the eastern state. A lot of questions will be asked by people of Maharashtra if former state chief minister Devendra Fadnavis does not oppose Pandey getting candidature, Maharashtra Congress spokesperson Sachin Sawant said on Twitter. Senior Maharashtra BJP leader Fadnavis is his partys poll in-charge in Bihar, where elections will be held in three phases on October 28, November 3 and November 7. The Nitish Kumar-led JD(U) is an ally of the BJP in that state. Former Bihar Director General of Police (DGP) Pandey, who strongly defended Nitish Kumar on the issue of institution of a CBI probe into the death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput, joined the states ruling JD(U) on Sunday amid indications that he would contest the state Assembly polls. It will be quite painful if BJPs ally JD(U) gives ticket to @ips_gupteshwar, who had insulted Mumbai Police and defamed Maharashtra, at a time when Devendra Fadnavisji is BJPs Bihar in-charge," Sawant tweeted. People of Mahrashtra will ask several questions if Fadnavisji does not oppose it staunchly," he added. Pandey was in the headlines while the governments of Maharashtra and Bihar were engaged in a tug of war over the investigation into Rajputs death. He had publicly denounced the Mumbai municipal authorities for quarantining Bihar IPS officer Vinay Tiwari, who went to Mumbai for heading the probe into the case after an FIR was lodged by Rajputs father, accusing actress Rhea Chakraborty and some others of abetting the actors suicide. He had also demanded a CBI probe into the death of Rajput (34), who was found hanging in his apartment in Mumbais Bandra area on June14 this year. Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor MIAMI President Trumps former campaign manager, Brad Parscale, was hospitalized after the police were called to his home in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., by his wife, who said he had guns and was threatening to hurt himself, officials said on Sunday evening. The episode took place outside a home that, records show, Mr. Parscale bought in 2019. When officers arrived on scene, they made contact with the reportee (wife of armed subject) who advised her husband was armed, had access to multiple firearms inside the residence and was threatening to harm himself, the Fort Lauderdale Police Department said in a statement. Officers determined the only occupant inside the home was the adult male. Officers made contact with the male, developed a rapport, and safely negotiated for him to exit the home. A police report said that the officers who responded to the house had recovered 10 firearms from Mr. Parscale, including handguns, shotguns and rifles. In the report, Officer Timothy J. Skaggs wrote that when he arrived as the scene he observed several bruises on both arms of Mr. Parscales wife, Candice Parscale, which she advised occurred a few days ago, during a physical altercation with Bradley, which she did not report. The police said Mr. Parscale was taken to Broward Health Medical Center for an evaluation. Mr. Parscale was replaced as campaign manager in July, after complaints from Mr. Trump about how the campaigns money had been spent and as the president sank in the polls, largely because of his own performance handling the coronavirus pandemic. The giant, light-up sign visible from The Columbus Dispatchs newsroom proclaims it to be Ohios Greatest Home Newspaper. A more honest description might be Ohios Whitest Home Newspaper. In its almost 150 years of existence, the paper has consistently failed to reflect, and therefore serve, Columbuss residents of color. In 1989, an Ohio University study of local press coverage of minorities condemned The Dispatchs lack of progress over a twenty-year period. There is little indication from these results that the Dispatch did any better in 1987 than in 1965, the author concluded. Minorities seem to have made little progress since 1965 in terms of having their voices and concerns heard, their problems discussed, their triumphs and sorrows reported and their opinions considered. At least, those things arent happening at the Columbus Dispatch. The same argument can still be made in 2020. In May, The Dispatch came under fire for an editorial that warned municipal efforts to promote city contracts for minority- and women-owned businesses during the pandemic should ensure that anyone whose work is funded by taxpayers is first and foremost capable of doing the job. After the editorials publication, a group of more than thirty people signed a letter to the editor authored by Michael B. Coleman, the first Black mayor of Columbus and its longest-serving leader, accusing the Dispatch of promoting stereotypes that Black and female business owners warrant extra scrutiny. I thought it was a serious slap in the face of every African American, Coleman told me. His letter also directly pointed to what he sees as the root problem: an organization that is without sufficient diversity among its reporters, editors and opinion writers. The sentiment in Columbuss Black community had long been that their hometown newspaper was not for them. The editor of the Dispatch, Alan Miller, quickly scrubbed the editorial from the papers website and ran a front-page apology admitting it was offensive and painfully insensitive, and that he was embarrassed that we didnt see the harm in that language before it was printed. But the oversight was not out of character for the Dispatch. The sentiment in Columbuss Black community had long been that their hometown newspaper was not for them. I dont read the Dispatch and I never have. I dont see myself in it, says Mark Lomax II, a composer and recording artist who co-signed the letter. Lomax has been featured in the paper, but told me hes never subscribed. Its never been a newspaper for the whole city. In Columbus, 44 percent of residents are nonwhite, while the staff of the Dispatch is 95 percent white, according to the papers own tally in August. The census shows about 5 percent of the Dispatchs full-time newsroom employees are Black, Hispanic, Asian, or two or more races. Sign up for CJR 's daily email The citys nonwhite residents havent needed to see a staff photo to know that the Dispatchs newsroom doesnt look like them. I spoke to more than twenty-five current and former Columbus residents of color, including Coleman, city council members, community organizers, artists, journalists, doctors, and business leaders to understand how that reality shapes their relationship with the paper. Many told me theyd long lost faith many years ago in the Dispatchs ability to fairly cover issues of race and viewed its coverage as being framed by a white staff for a white audience. The day after Miller publicly apologized on A1 for the editorial, George Floyd was killed in Minneapolis, launching the country into a nationwide reckoning with systemic racismincluding its deep roots in newsrooms large and small. Miller has since promised to do more and do better. Were not as diverse as we should be, he told me. Our staff should better reflect Columbus. In June, the Dispatchs previously all-white editorial board brought on two Black members. In late August, the paper hired a full-time general assignment reporter who is Black. This month, employees completed diversity and inclusion training, and Miller says he plans to keep diversifying candidate pools for staff openings. Its parent company, Gannett, has pledged newsroom gender, racial, and ethnic parity by 2025. Theres a lot of skepticism about who and what to believe. I want people to know that were a trusted source of news and information for them, amid all the noise and worse, he said. In the end, what we have is our credibility. But it will take years to prove the resolve of Millers commitment, says Mary Howard, a co-signer of the letter. Its not going to be, We hired this many people and did this many stories and we can wash our hands of it. It will take time to build trust, she says. When its been so long, people wont hold their breath for change. People become numb to Black death in part because of cold coverage, says Mia Santiago, an organizer with Community Freedom Coalition. Columbus has a Rorschach quality of reflecting whatever youre looking for. The city is the 14th largest in the US, bigger than San Francisco, Boston, Seattle, Nashville, and Washington D.C. Its also one of its fastest growing, home to transplants from small Ohio towns and new immigrants from around the world. The criticism Columbus often facesa lack of any distinct cultural identityalso serves as its greatest asset: Since its an even mix of everywhere else, its a pretty good microcosm for just about anywhere. It can be as fast as you want it to be and it can be as slow as you want it to be, says LaShaun Carter, a lifelong resident. Its the smallest big city in America. The Dispatch, like the city it covers, also serves as a representative case study of the myriad problems plaguing local news. In 2015, after a century of local family ownership, the paper was sold to GateHouse Media, and is now a part of Gannetts network. Within a few years of the sale, the Dispatchs workforce dropped from 1,100 to 800 employees, down to little more than one hundred today. Along the way, staff morale has taken hits from steady layoffs, a failed unionization attempt, a relocation from its historic offices, and the voluntary exodus of staff members, myself included, for opportunities elsewhere. Ohio, like the nation at large, has a deep and ongoing legacy of racism, and so the Dispatch has frequent opportunities to report on issues of race and inequality. The founder of The Daily Stormer, a neo-Nazi website, hails from Ohio, as does the driver who killed Heather Heyer, and the individuals described by The New York Times as the Nazi next door and the most ignorant man in America. Ohio has one of the countrys highest Black infant and maternal mortality rates, and the poverty rate for Black Ohioans is more than double that of their white counterparts. Columbus police disproportionally use force against the citys Black residents. ICYMI: The Story Has Gotten Away from Us Residents of color told me that theyd long lost faith in the Dispatchs ability and commitment to meaningfully cover these subjects. They dont pick up the paper unless events like high-profile police killings and BLM protests force their attention. At those crucial moments, theyre often disappointed by what they see. In 2016, several residents told me, the Dispatchs coverage of the deaths of twenty-three-year-old Henry Green and thirteen-year-old Tyre King was dehumanizing for the citys Black community. I just remember the stories being told in this sympathetic way toward the officers, Carter said, and used language that signaled that Green and King were dangerous or deserved harm. Initial stories about Greens case, for example, referenced his involvement in a misdemeanor vandalism incident years earlier and the presence of THC and alcohol in his blood at the time of death. A Dispatch piece about a candlelight vigil for King, who was a five-foot-tall, less than 100-pound eighth grader when he was shot by a Columbus police officer, described him in criminal terms as a 13-year-old robbery suspect. One of the first descriptions of his deathKing, who had no criminal history, was pronounced dead at Nationwide Childrens Hospital at 8:22 p.m.makes my stomach turn every time I read it. Meanwhile, the Dispatch expressed sympathy for law enforcement, with headlines like Officer who fatally shot teen: I was in fear for my life and Officers rally in support of colleague accused of stomping on a suspect. One editorial explained, They face community hostility when they are perceived as failing to vigorously attack crime. And they face hostility when they do. A light-hearted story about police-community relations quotedbut did not identifythe officer who shot Green fifteen times on the night of his death extolling the benefits of neighborhood get-togethers in correcting a distorted picture of bad relations. When protests against police brutality interrupted a city council meeting a few months later, the Dispatch detailed the evacuation of city staff as protesters screamed and read from a list of demands. In both the Green and King cases, Franklin County grand juries decided not to bring criminal charges against the officers involved, who were later cleared by the police division of any wrongdoing. I think the news coverage of his death is a big reason why his killer was not held accountable, says TauVaughn Toney, a local youth minister, of Tyre King. People become numb to Black death in part because of cold coverage, says Mia Santiago, an organizer with Community Freedom Coalition. The group formed partly out of a dissatisfaction with local news coverage of the December 2018 death of sixteen-year-old Julius Tate Jr., who was shot five times by Columbus police during an undercover SWAT sting. Under a controversial Ohio rule allowing murder charges for anyone who caused the death of another in the course of committing, or intending to commit, a felony, Tate Jr.s girlfriend, Masonique Saunders, also sixteen, was eventually charged with his murder and sentenced to three years in a juvenile prison. It felt like the coverage was swift and one-size-fits-all, Santiago says of local news outlets. People of color can sense when whoevers covering our story doesnt look like us. News outlets shape so much of our reality and what we know as a society, its incredibly important for them to be representative. The Dispatch, critics say, demonstrates that even an all-white staff with best intentions will miss opportunities to humanize the depth and breadth of people of color across any number of beats. On the business beat, that looks like a write-up of an apartment complex going up in a rapidly-gentrifying neighborhood that details the Pelotonia boutique, coffeeshop, coworking space, and brewery it will house without mentioning any community pushback to the project. On the health beat, its neglected chances to debunk the science of excited delirium, a controversial diagnosis supplied by authorities, and disputed by family members, in the 2017 death of 36-year-old Jaron Thomas while in police custody. On the neighborhood beat, its a feature on up and coming areas that fails to delve into the details of residents being pushed by surging home prices. On the justice beat, its the sprinkling of Riah Miltons name into Pride Month coverage instead of investigating her murder in southwestern Ohio that very same month. In my own coverage of science and the environment while I was at the Dispatch, twenty-one years old and fresh out of J-school, I failed to bring to light issues of environmental justice and the disproportionate impact climate change will have on the citys and states communities of color. The opposite is true, too. Carter told me he wishes there would be more coverage devoted to positive news about Columbuss nonwhite communities: the citys boom in Black entrepreneurship, a resurgence of its art scene and its growing Somali, Ghanian, Nigerian, Eritrean, Syrian, Nepali, and Latinx communities. Those voices are rarely in the paper, Carter said. Its a blind spot, and a missed opportunity for us to get a more well-rounded understanding of how the people of Columbus live day-to-day. Critiques that coverage isnt always broad enough or deep enough are fair, Mark Ferenchik, a twenty-two-year veteran Dispatch reporter who focuses on urban issues including income inequality and housing issues, told me. At the same time, he emphasized the paper is produced by an ever-thinning staff trying to serve an ever-growing city. One of the biggest hurdles is Columbus is getting bigger and we have less than a hundred people now trying to cover it, Ferenchik said. Weve taken a lot of punches. And it hurts. Under those circumstances, the desire to deeply examine issues of race, policing, and justice might not be enough. Our paper wanted to be a paper of record when it came to crime news, Beth Burger, a Dispatch environment reporter who used to cover crime, told me. Im hoping that changes. Even with limited resources, I think we should shift away from covering individual crimes but instead focus on policing policies and their effects. Community members I spoke to were divided as to whether the Dispatch rose to the challenge of covering George Floyds death and the consequent national movement for Black Lives. The paper ran local coverage on the protests and police violence on its front page five days after Floyds death, though it published wire stories and online coverage earlier. In the month that followed, every Dispatch front page featured at least one story, and the paper published more than 130 original stories overall, with pieces on protesters young and old, kneeling Ohio State athletes and medical workers, downed Christopher Columbus statues, rural BLM protests, local police reform, and Juneteenth celebrations. Over that time, the Dispatch has also published dozens of guest columns and editorials advocating peaceful protests, meaningful systemic change, and racial equalityincluding a June letter from the editor in which Miller unequivocally told his readers, Black lives matter is a statement of human rights. Its like a different newspaper, Coleman told me. I have to give them credit. I went from pounding on the table to patting them on the back. Other readers are less satisfied. The paper has featured photos of protesters arm-in-arm with police and ran cringeworthy headlines like Protests have cost city $3.3M and Heritage, not hate (about Confederate flags). Last month, it ran a column unironically debating the offensiveness of the term Karen. It doesnt reflect the values of the city; it reflects the values of the city trying to get past the protests, says Scott Woods, a columnist for Columbus Alive. Even from within the newspapers ranks there was discontent. One intern, who is Black, described in a Dispatch podcast feeling satisfied with the breaking news coverage during the first days of protestsand less so with the surrounding context: I just felt like we werent capturing the people, specifically Black voices why they were angry, why they were out there. Several people I spoke to, including Howard and Toney, called the recent coverage superficial. Instead, they wanted to see more hard-hitting reporting on the inequities and systemic racism that fueled weeks, now months, of protests in Columbus and around the state. Its not just about statue pulling and its not just about police pepper spray reform, said Dorian Wingard, who has served as reader advisor to the Dispatch, both officially and unofficially, for years. For Wingard, the BLM coverage seemed aimed at quelling unrest instead of exposing underbellies. This shit is ugly, said Tammy Fournier-Alsaada, a founding member and executive director of the Peoples Justice Project. They serve it up nice and sweet. Fournier-Alsaada, who has appeared in dozens of Dispatch stories over the years, says if the papers staff were more diverse, she could spend less of her time trying to unpack the reality of Black Americans to reporters. I have to explain my lived experience to a naive white person before they can even start reporting. Im constantly doing their homework for them. During recent protests, Fournier-Alsaada, who is 59, has been hit by rubber bullets and tear gas. She appreciates seeing Dispatch reporters covering those altercations on the frontlines but knowsfrom experiencethat they dont fully understand the events unfolding before them. Its amazing to see reporters stand in that fire, in that war downtown, and not be affected by it, Fournier-Alsaada said. Thats why I have zero patience for news right now. Dont do a story if you dont have a stake in it. I spoke with former interns of colora half dozen, all eager to share what it was like to work in a white as heck newsroom This summer, Stepha Poulin couldnt stop thinking about her time as a metro intern at the Dispatch. Poulin, who is mixed race, shared with me her deep discomfort with being both a junior employee and one of few reporters of color. When she talked to colleagues about police brutality or mass incarceration, Poulin told me, she encountered victim-blaming attitudes and the language of criminality. Over time, she said she became paranoid that she wasnt getting as much feedback on her stories as white interns were, and that her pitches were received differently by editors. There was this building feeling that I couldnt relate to them, and they couldnt understand me on a personal level, she said. Poulin left the internship early. I got out. I couldnt stand it. I understood why theres not a lot of reporters of color. Why would they want to be there? Harry E. Walker, a Dispatch photographer from 1988 to 1992, told me he was also acutely aware of his position as one of few Black staffers at the paper. Even before arriving, he said, I was a bit apprehensive applying. I knew I would have to hold myself to slightly higher standards. Walker always wore his besta photographers vest stuffed with gear, and a tieand drove the company car, emblazoned on its side with the newspapers logo, to and from assignments (though, he told me, that didnt prevent him from being stopped by police on several occasions). He often suggested article ideas and profile subjects from the citys Black community, and often weighed in to flag potentially offensive or insensitive headlines and story art. I was able to change the outlook of the paper, personally, Walker told me. I didnt expect things to change overnight, but I did see a noticeable change. People started to think, How will this be perceived in tomorrows paper? His years at the Dispatch and other local outlets taught Walker firsthand how much non-white journalists are burdened with beating back the blatant but not intentional racism permeating newsrooms. You need those different perspectives on which photos to use, which stories to cover, what terminology to use. You can only get that from someone who has that experience first-hand, Walker told me. If you have no one in that newsroom with those contacts or feelings or intuitions, it doesnt change. Those mistakes continue to happen. Back when I was at the Dispatch, at staff meetings, I sometimes pressed Miller, the editor, to tell us how the paper was going to diversify its newsroom. He often replied that larger, more prestigious newspapers regularly scooped up reporters of color before we could hire them. When I asked him the same question in June about why newsroom openings in recent years (including my old job) hadnt been leveraged to diversify the staff, he told me much the same. Financial realities have slowed the Dispatchs ability to hire full-time reporters, Miller said, and so recruiting diverse intern classes has become all the more important. What weve seen over and over again is their experience at the Dispatch makes them valuable and sought-after employees at larger papers, Miller said. Our challenge once theyre here is to hold on to them. But when I spoke with former interns of colora half dozen, all eager to share what it was like to work in a white as heck newsroom, as one put it to memany described the experience as deeply discouraging. What shouldve been an opportunity to grow in confidence became an exercise in staving off demoralization. It was exhausting, former intern Kayla Beard told me. There were times I did feel like, Am I here so they can have someone to write about Black people? Not having a diverse newsroom opens up the door for people to have those doubts. Eli Hiller, who interned at the Dispatch in 2015, said he was made uncomfortable from day one, when a photo editor told him she was surprised by what he looked like. Youre more like a Juan, he recalls her saying. I was taken aback, Hiller said. That was my first experience in the field of professional journalism, my first big opportunity. The first thing I heard was, Oh, youre brown. Hiller never brought it up with any staffers, but said the incident changed his expectations for the rest of the summer. He had hoped his background would help him pitch and land assignments documenting neighborhoods and communities the Dispatch would otherwise not cover. I wanted to challenge the narrative of whiteness that Columbus, and even its name, represents, he said. I thought, Im probably not going to be doing the stories I want to do. That was a concern from the get-go. Embracing diversity means more than pursuing the way it looks, Dean said, or integrating journalists of color into a preexisting newsroom structure. The next year, in 2016, the Dispatch recruited its first Reader Advisory Board, inviting community consultants to critique the paper. I initially did not want to do it, said inaugural board member Dorian Wingard. I didnt want to be a window dressing. Over the course of the year, Wingard said he voiced his grievances about the newspapers all-white editorial board, its mostly white newsroom, and negative portrayals of Columbus Black and brown communities. It fell on deaf ears. It was a waste of time, said Wingard, who remains skeptical of any promise of cultural overhaul at the Dispatch. To this day, were getting the same old bullshit. In June, the Dispatch took a first, small step toward its May promise of meaningful cultural change by adding two new members, both Black, to its editorial board. I want to make sure all voices are heard, especially the ones that have been left out of the discussion, said Terrance Dean, one of the new members and a writer and Black studies assistant professor at Denison University. But embracing diversity means more than pursuing the way it looks, Dean said, or integrating journalists of color into a preexisting newsroom structure. The Dispatch has to actually transform and embrace new perspectives. If the culture of the institution is not ready to change, then thats not progress, Dean told me. Thats where the work begins and finishes, and thats the most challenging part. Earl Hopkins, hired as a general assignment reporter in August, agrees. Born and raised in Columbus, Hopkins grew up driving by the Dispatchs giant downtown sign and aspired to someday join its ranks. Now, in the first years of his journalism career, he told me hes up for the challenge of helping transform the newsroom into one that looks like his hometown and one that regularly relays the experience of being Black in Columbus. My intention is to encompass the heart of the city, Hopkins said. These people are in our communities, why wouldnt they be in our newsrooms? Its easier to say it than to do it. If newspapersin Columbus, yes, but also across the countryfail to meet that challenge, their future becomes harder to imagine. Their currency is trust. How can they survive without it? When somethings out-of-touch and no longer needed, it goes away. I want the paper to stay relevant and I want it to stay alive, said Columbus councilmember Shayla Favor. Its up to the Dispatch to really have that conversation with itself. Its livelihood depends on it. This article has been updated. RECENTLY: How The 63106 Project funds independent journalism in St. Louis Has America ever needed a media watchdog more than now? Help us by joining CJR today Marion Renault is a science journalist and former newspaper reporter whose work has appeared in the New York Times, The Atlantic, Popular Science, and numerous other publications. Philadelphia Fire Department Capt. Lisa Forrest will be the first Black woman promoted to battalion chief in the department's history Tuesday. Forrest is pictured here, on one of her last days as a captain at Ladder 24 in West Philadelphia. Read more At 4-foot-10 and 99 pounds when she entered the Philadelphia Fire Academy in 2003, Lisa Forrest faced scrutiny from some male cadets and instructors who doubted her ability. But they didnt know I came from a strong family and a strong line of women, she said. Determined to succeed, Forrest came in early every day and stayed late every night to figure out the best technique to lift the heavy equipment required of her in order to become a firefighter. Men rely on strength, but women, we rely on technique, she said. With a week to go in the academy, Forrest was meeting all requirements when she was tapped on the shoulder during training and asked to go to a room full of male instructors. There, as she stood in parade rest position with her hands behind her back something she learned during her time in the military she was told an instructor wrote to the fire commissioner to say he didnt think the department would be safe having a firefighter her size. Forrest stood in silence until she was asked if she had anything to say. I had more than enough to say, and thats when Lisa came out," Forrest said. I told them, I come in here every day and I do everything. Maybe I dont get it on the first try, but I get it and I work hard.' The final decision lay with the commissioner, the men told Forrest. She never heard another word about it. A week later, Forrest graduated from the academy, and in 2013, she became the first Black woman to be promoted to captain in the departments history. On Tuesday, Forrest will make history again when she becomes the first Black woman to be promoted to fire battalion chief in Philadelphia. Of the departments 70 or so fire battalion chiefs, only three, including Forrest, are women. Crystal Yates, a Black woman, is assistant deputy commissioner for EMS, but Forrest will be the highest-ranking Black woman on the firefighting side. The worst thing they could have done was let me out of the academy, because thats the only place they could have stopped me, she said. I am determined to keep going because I realize this is bigger than me. Forrest, 39, grew up in Mount Airy and attended Penn State to study nursing, but left after a year to join the Army. Six months into her service, Forrest was sidelined by an injury and honorably discharged. She came back to Philadelphia and took the fire department test a month after 9/11. It was remarkable how the firefighters were of service to people during 9/11, she said. I wanted to be of service, too, and the fire department gave me that opportunity. But it would be two more years before Forrest got called up to the academy. During that time, she worked with her uncle at a church print shop and lived with her parents. One day while she was out, Willie Williams a fire captain and member of Club Valiants, the citys association of Black firefighters knocked at her door. He told her mother the fire department had been trying to reach Forrest because she was to report to enroll in the academy that coming Monday. Its unclear to Forrest, who lived in the same house her entire life, why the department hadnt been able to reach her. . She later found out that Club Valiants had requested and received permission from the city to knock on the door of every Black recruit who had not responded to notifications from the department. Im so glad they knocked on my door, and thats why Im so involved in the organization right now, said Forrest, whos the first woman to be president of the club in its 58-year history. If there was no Club Valiants, there would be no Lisa Forrest in the fire department. Forrests academy class Class 178 made history by graduating more women than any other previous class, she said. Out of about 94 recruits, 10 were women, including Forrest; Joyce Craig, the first female Philadelphia firefighter to die in the line of duty; Donna Garrett, the first woman to be assigned to Rescue 1; and Linda Long, who became the departments first woman fire battalion chief in 2017. Long said the women of Class 178 "helped each other get through the tough days. We learned and taught each other how to use our strengths as women to do some physical tasks," she said. Years later, when Long and Forrest taught together at the academy, they would come in early to give pointers theyd learned to the newest group of female recruits, Long said. [Forrest] is one of the hardest-working women I know and quit is not in her vocabulary, Long said. I am very happy to see her get promoted after all her hard work. A battalion chief enforces rules and regulations within the battalion; responds to fires and hazardous incidents and assumes command of all department resources on-scene; and may supervise up to 12 department apparatus and 50 firefighters and medics at a time. I am always proud of our Philadelphia Fire Department members who earn promotions, and make no mistake, Battalion Chief Forrest has earned this promotion through her hard work and dedication, both on- and off-duty," fire Commissioner Adam Thiel said in a statement. "It is truly an honor to be part of this historic moment and I know that Lisas positive example will continue inspiring women to join the PFD and advance into every available rank. Forrests first assignment was to Engine 51 in Olney. Shed planned to stay only five years because she wanted to go back to school for nursing, but she fell in love with the job. Instead of leaving at the five-year mark, Forrest was promoted to lieutenant. In 2013, she became the first Black woman promoted to captain in the departments history. The following year, Forrests friend and academy classmate, Craig, died when she became trapped in a burning West Oak Lane house. She was 37. Forrest, who sits on the departments leadership council, has been a strong advocate for changes like updated equipment in the wake of Craigs death. I owe it to her family to make sure something like that doesnt happen again, she said. Joyces death cannot be in vain. Throughout her career, Forrest has been stationed in North Philly, Mantua, Mount Airy, and West Philly. She has also worked in recruitment and taught at the departments Fire/EMS Academy at Randolph Technical High School. At home, Forrest is the proud mom of Ariel, 12, and son Tyson, 1. She and her partner, Ty, live in Northeast Philly and have a blended family that also includes his two adult children, one of whom wants to become a firefighter. Forrest doesnt know where her first assignment as battalion chief will be yet, but she looks forward to finding out Tuesday. She also looks forward to the day when the next Black woman is promoted to battalion chief. My real joy will come when the second one comes, that shows that it did not stop and start with me, Forrest said. I dont want to be the only one. Im trying to get a whole bunch of people on this train. Cmon, lets go. This train is moving! Republicans and Democrats in both chambers agreed to send another stimulus payments to millions of Americans. Republicans and Democrats have strong bipartisan support to send a new stimulus payment that includes direct stimulus checks. Both parties have agreed that this relief aid and other benefits must be set before the election or before they go home to campaign. The newly proposed coronavirus relief bill is worth between $2.2 and $2.4 trillion, and it is expected to be voted within this week. This new stimulus package supported by the Republicans and Democrats, includes stimulus checks, Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans, unemployment benefits, and more. The only problem that hampers this legislative from being passed is that not all the two parties' members supported it. Even if it passed Congress, there are still speculations that Senate members will not agree on the newly proposed amount as it is much higher than their previously proposed "skinny" bill. However, President Donald Trump already said that he wants a much higher amount. Thus, he may convince the Republicans to accept a higher stimulus package. Trump believes that if the said amount will be granted, the money goes back, after all, to the country. Another concern raised was even if both Republicans and Democrats have reached a deal, how quickly is the money will hit the bank. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said that Trump wanted to send the money within one week, most especially the stimulus checks. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) also said that they could immediately send the money once the bill becomes a law. The agency noted that they already have a system in place. The IRS added that direct payment is still the quickest way to receive the money. On Sunday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she believes another stimulus package is possible. Pelosi has already said that they would not leave Washington until a stimulus deal is reached. She issued the statement after she received pressures from her colleagues in the Democrats. A published report from CNBC said the chamber would likely vote for a new stimulus package as early as this week. Lawmakers could vote on the legislation that would include unemployment benefits, direct payments, small business loans, and airline aid. This week is crucial for the Republicans and Democrats as the deadline to come up with a vote is just days away. They have to vote for the stimulus package on Oct. 1 so that Trump can sign it on Oct.2. After this, the IRS will start sending money. If ever both chambers could not reach an agreement, candidates are not likely to win their states. That is the scenario that candidates who are in a reelection bid are trying to avoid. It will negatively impact them, most especially for the Democratic candidates whose top official, Pelosi, rejected a series of stimulus package proposals in the past. Meanwhile, the White House continues to push for a new stimulus package, and it is prepared in case Congress fails to reach a deal. In fact, White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow said there are still billions of money left under the CARES Act that they plan to release soon. Check these out! Victorians must now wear fitted face masks instead of bandannas, scarves, plastic face shields as masks have been deemed more effective at stopping droplet spread. Premier Daniel Andrews made the announcement Sunday ahead of Monday's Step Two lifting of coronavirus restrictions across Victoria. It means that bandannas and scarves are no longer enough - Melburnians must also wear a face mask with them or instead of them. Pictured left: A face shield can be worn with a mask for extra splatter protection. Right: A face shield without a mask is banned in Victoria as of Monday as it lets in too many aerosol particles As far as transparent plastic face shields go, Victorians must also wear a face mask underneath. 'Face shields don't meet the test of covering your nose and your mouth,' Mr Andrews said on Sunday. 'You can wear a face shield if you want to in terms of your eyes, but it would need to be accompanied by a mask and we would recommend a two-ply mask. A shield is akin to not wearing a face covering.' Victorians will risk a fine of $200 if they do not wear a face mask while out. WHY THE RULE CHANGE? Face shields were never meant to be used without also wearing a face mask. Professor Raina MacIntyre, head of the Biosecurity Research Program at the Kirby Institute at the UNSW said they are not appropriate protection in the community. 'In Switzerland, where hotel staff could choose a mask or a shield, only those wearing a shield got infected,' she told Daily Mail Australia on Monday. 'The virus is spread by respiratory aerosols, which are breathed directly in, unfiltered, when wearing a shield.' A man walks past an outdoor photography exhibition of healthcare workers in Melbourne last Tuesday. Face masks are now mandatory in Victoria - a plastic face shield is not enough Switzerland's hotel coronavirus outbreak prompted the country's health department to declare face shields ineffective in July. Deakin University epidemiologist Catherine Bennett said masks sit more closely to the face and stop the majority of particles leaving or entering someone's mouth or nose. This decreases the risk that the droplets and particles of other people will reach the mucosal lining in your nose and mouth as you breathe. It also reduces the amount of your own droplets in the air where they might infect others. 'If there is too much gaping at the sides, the particles or the droplets can make their way around the edge of the covering,' she told the Herald Sun. 'As soon as you having gaping holes, it is not effective. It's that marginal gain you get in terms of reduced risk of transmission.' WHY DON'T FACE SHIELDS WORK? Face shields are only for direct splatter protection, for example if someone coughs directly in your face, Professor MacIntyre said. 'They will not block aerosols, which can be breathed in, unfiltered, through the gaps around the edges,' she told Daily Mail Australia. 'Shields are designed to be used as an adjunct to masks, not as an alternative.' Bandannas such as this one worn by a man at Edithvale Woolworths, Melbourne, in August, are now banned unless you are also wearing a face mask underneath Professor MacIntyre said surgical or cloth face masks are not designed to filter aerosols. Instead they are designed as a physical barrier. 'However, three layers or more in a cloth or surgical mask can be a good filter, as long as the mask fits closely around the face without any gaps,' she said. 'This then forces air through the face piece, which acts as a filter.' Professor MacIntyre and other scientists conducted a study which was published in the medical journal Thorax, showing how much difference extra mask layers can make. The team found a single-layered cloth mask reduced droplet spread somewhat but was not as good as a double-layered cloth mask. A three-ply surgical mask was better than both, the research showed. 'We did not test more than two layers, but generally, more layers are better,' the researchers wrote in The Conversation in July. 'For example, a 12-layered cloth mask is about as protective as a surgical mask, and reduces infection risk by 67 per cent.' IS ANYTHING 100 PER CENT EFFECTIVE? Coronavirus infects a person when viral particles come into contact with the mucosal membranes (the wet parts) in the nose, eyes and mouth. Droplets with the viral particles are sprayed out of the mouth and nose when an infected person talks, laughs, sings, shouts, breathes, coughs and sneezes. The heavier droplets fall to surfaces where they can be picked up on your hands and fingers - and when you touch your eyes, nose or mouth, the virus on your hands infects the mucosal membranes. The smaller, lighter aerosolised particles hang in the air where you can breathe them in, causing infection. According to a WHO-commissioned study on the effect of physical distancing, masks and eye protection against covid-19, no barrier is 100 per cent effective. Professor MacIntyre said the study, published in The Lancet, found even respirators only reduce the risk of infection by 95 per cent. Face masks reduced the risk of infection by 67 per cent and physical distancing of one metre reduces the risk by 82 per cent, according to the study. 'The bottom line is no intervention gives you 100 per cent protection, you have to use them in combination to reduce the risk,' Professor MacIntyre told Dr Norman Swan on the ABC's health report in June. 'Until the time that we can vaccinate people, you really have to use these interventions in combination.' Webster Area uses hot-shooting performance to roll past Roncalli Webster Area used a strong offensive performance, shooting better than 50% from the field to down Aberdeen Roncalli 68-39 on Friday night in Aberdeen. The Chief of Staff, Akosua Frema Osei-Opare, has been honoured with Excellence in Governance award, at the just ended Ghana Women of The Year Honours. The 'Ghana Women of the Year Honours' is an award scheme instituted by Glitz Africa to celebrate women who use their expertise, position and influence to inspire others to make a difference in driving other women forward. The Honourees were selected by an astute board of achievers who used clear and objective criteria in ensuring that the final list comprises the most deserving women in various fields. Presenting the award, former first lady and flagbearer of the National Democratic Party (NDP), Nana Koadu Agyeman Rawlings, showered praises on the Chief of Staff for her exceptional quality in handling her role without hitch. The Chief of Staff, on her part, expressed appreciation to Glitz Africa for the honour. According to her, I value this, and I am grateful for the recognition. The 5th annual Ghana Women of the Year Honours saw women from governance, judiciary, corporate, media among others being honoured. Other honourees include: Elsie Addo Awadzi, Second Deputy Governor of the Bank of Ghana, who was honoured with the Corporate Personality of the year; Dr Afua Asabea Asare, Chief Executive of Ghana Export Promotion Authority (GEPA), honoured with Excellence in Public Service; Prof Rita Akosua Dickson, Vice-Chancellor of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology honoured with Excellence in Education, Beatrice Agyemang Abbey,Group CEO of Media General, Excellence in Media; Rev Dr Gifty Akushika Lamptey, CEO, Sidalco Group of Companies, Excellence in Business and Ethel Delali Cofie, CEO, EDEL Technology Consult, Excellence in Technology. The rest are Nana Ama McBrown actress/media personality, Excellence in Creative Arts; Berla Addardey Mundi, Media Personality, Young Star; Judge Prof Akua Kuenyehia, former Judge, International Criminal Court, Lifetime Achievement; and the Ghana Health Service with an Honourary Recognition for their handling of the deadly coronavirus pandemic. Eulogy To President Akufo-Addo The Chief of Staff in her acceptance speech, eulogised President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo for his conviction in women and promotion of women empowerment in the country. According to Mrs Osei-Opare, for the President to appoint her to the high office of Chief of Staff becoming the first female to occupy that position speaks volume of the president's desire to see women prosper and be given the needed voice they deserve in the country. She stated that I want to thank former President Kufuor for appointing me as a Deputy Minister in his government. But more importantly, I want to thank President Akufo-Addo for the trust he has in me. Making political appointments come with great risk. And for the President to take that risk and say that for the first time, he was going to give the position of a Chief of Staff to a woman speaks of the confidence he has in women. The 5th Annual Glitz Africa's 'Ghana Women of the Year Honours' Awards' night was held at the Movenpick Ambassador Hotel. The Chief of Staff seized the opportunity to urge women to welcome every opportunity that is given to them and to excel with that opportunity adding that it is when women value 'smaller' opportunities and excel at it that is when they will be considered for bigger opportunities. She noted that all the positions she held during her days in academia, as Deputy Minister and Member of Parliament are those that have helped her to be able to manage her role as a Chief of Staff of the Republic. Mrs Osei Opare also expressed her appreciation to the NPP footsoldiers of Ayawaso West Wuogon, where she served as a two-term Member of Parliament, for rallying behind her during those days and supporting her vision. She went further to thank all persons who have played different roles in making her who she is now. ---Daily Guide At the Graduate Institute, Geneva, at the opening session of the Institutes Geneva Trade Week, Joost Pauwelyn, Professor at the Institute, put the following questions concerning the future of the WTO and the World Trading System. Here are my answers. 1. Based on your work, the continent you are from or work in, and the many stakeholders you engage with, have you noticed any shifts or change in discourse as to why we trade and what goals the trading system ought to pursue? We are living in a strange moment in time when we are experiencing an alternative reality. I am speaking to you virtually, an alternative to our being in the same room. This praiseworthy event is designed to launch in effect an alternative to the WTOs usual annual Public Forum. Our host has become an eminent juridical person selected to serve in an interim alternative WTO dispute settlement arrangement supported by countries accounting for a very substantial share of world trade. In the United States, the term alternative facts has been coined. In the alternative universe (as compared with believers in the multilateral trading system), globalization is deemed by all too many to be the dominant cause of harm to national economies. Next year my hope is that we shall return to actual reality. I know that at least there will be a WTO Public Forum next year at around this time. We will have a new WTO Director-General. The WTO Members and Secretariat will be re-energized. It is my hope that all of our lives can get back to a better normal in 2021. What is real now is that during recent years there has been a marked rise in populism on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean and elsewhere, of nationalism and defensiveness when it comes to international trade. This is still fortunately a minority view, but it is sizeable. In the United States, there is a slim majority in favor of free trade agreements.(1) Anxiety about trade is, however, not uniform across age groups. Technology has continued to cause far more disruption than trade, but by and large the young have adjusted, in the United States and elsewhere. Polling data for the U.S. shows a strong pro-trade sentiment among the young.(2) Globalization is targeted because technological change, which is far more disruptive, will not be attacked by most people. They like their smartphones, and most do not associate these small marvels with the decimation if not outright extinction of numerous industries brought about by its capabilities. As is often said, because it is true, the benefits of trade are diffuse and are widely enjoyed but go largely unremarked, like having fruit out of season, thanks to trade. Consumers do not lobby their governments for fresh corn on the cob in mid-winter. The disruptions caused by trade are often concentrated. Those who are harmed are understandably vocal, and they do affect political outcomes. All of us who support the multilateral trading system have failed to communicate adequately that what the WTO is primarily about is providing fairness alongside freer trade. If you are a worker in a manufacturing plant who is making a good, competitive product, a farmer producing a competitive agricultural commodity, or someone creating a competitive service or an innovative application for a smartphone, you will have a fair chance to sell in the worlds markets, not discriminated against, not barred by a standard or a high tariff. If, despite a Members obligations, your product is discriminated against and the rules are enforceable, there is a good chance at getting a fair outcome. What about the future? Going forward, the trading system has to deliver better results for women and for micro, small and medium enterprises. It has to be responsive to current felt needs, for the global digital economy, for the environment. The trading system must address competition policy where it has a serious effect on trade flows. Market forces, not government fiat, have to determine competitive outcomes. The trading system should make sure that global agriculture can cross borders more readily to be responsive to crop failures or outbreaks of animal diseases. The system has to be better in supporting concrete development needs, raising the income levels of all peoples. The system has to make trade measures transparent in real time. It has to cut the costs of moving goods across borders, costs which are often a multiple of the burden of tariffs. And when an industry is harmed by trade, when the result is workers becoming unemployed, there has to be the policy space to provide targeted, proportionate, transparent and temporary relief. 2. Do you think that with today's wide diversity and strategic competition between countries, economic systems, and political polarization within countries, a new consensus on trade and trade policy is possible? If so, what could be the common denominator, or guiding principles of such a new consensus? I greatly favor improving the existing trading system but not starting from scratch to create something new. The central question is whether the Members, who all swear allegiance to multilateralism have enough in common to maintain and then improve the current system. I believe that each of them does, without exception. There are two irreducible elements of necessary common ground: each Member must believe that trade can be good for its people, fostering its objectives, and it must provide that market forces will determine competitive outcomes. These are the two underlying conditions for membership in the world trading system, its irreplaceable common denominator, the guiding principle of the existing system. Those two conditions are gating conditions, without which the foundation of the WTO would be severely eroded. To my knowledge only one Member is pledged explicitly to deliver the second condition that market forces determine competitive outcomes (this was with respect to state-owned enterprises). Six days ago, at the G20 Trade Ministers Virtual Meeting under Saudi Arabias leadership, the chair, in his summing up of its Riyadh Initiative, moved this analysis forward: All members agreed to list the following as part of the principles of the WTO: Rule of law Transparency Non-discrimination Inclusiveness Fair competition Market openness Resistance to protectionism Reciprocal and mutually advantageous arrangements, . .[which] provide for differential and more favorable treatment for developing economies, including special attention to . . . least developed countries. This is a pretty impressive list for the G20. Its members have not agreed to anything as concrete before, not since WTO Reform has been on the agenda. Some obvious omissions exist, such as agreement that there must be binding dispute settlement, the need for market-oriented policies, sustainable development, and rule by lockstep consensus. These were not agreed, but this is still not a bad list. In thinking a few months ago about the Riyadh Initiatives intention to come up with this list, I identified 16 values inherent in the WTO. These are: Reciprocity broadly defined reciprocity is required for negotiations to succeed; broadly defined reciprocity is required for negotiations to succeed; International cooperation (2) cooperation is a shared responsibility of membership to enable the organization to function; (2) cooperation is a shared responsibility of membership to enable the organization to function; The rule of law the enforceability of obligations is a key distinguishing feature of the WTO as compared with most other international endeavors; the enforceability of obligations is a key distinguishing feature of the WTO as compared with most other international endeavors; Well-being at its core, the organization is about the economic advancement of the inhabitants of its Members. Well-being is defined to include creating jobs and, as we are finding out, it also includes health; at its core, the organization is about the economic advancement of the inhabitants of its Members. Well-being is defined to include creating jobs and, as we are finding out, it also includes health; Equality Equality among Members provides the opportunity for each Member to participate in the work of the organization to the extent of its capabilities; Equality among Members provides the opportunity for each Member to participate in the work of the organization to the extent of its capabilities; Sovereignty Sovereignty is preserved no decision taken within the WTO has an automatic effect on the laws or actions of any Member; Sovereignty is preserved no decision taken within the WTO has an automatic effect on the laws or actions of any Member; Development Fostering development to allow all Members to benefit equally from the rights and undertake equally the obligations of the WTO; Fostering development to allow all Members to benefit equally from the rights and undertake equally the obligations of the WTO; Market forces commercial considerations are to determine competitive outcomes; commercial considerations are to determine competitive outcomes; Convergence the WTO is not simply about coexistence; differences among Members affecting trade which deviate from the principles governing the WTO, its core values, are to be progressively overcome; the WTO is not simply about coexistence; differences among Members affecting trade which deviate from the principles governing the WTO, its core values, are to be progressively overcome; Sustainability there is increasingly an attitude of care among Members for stewardship of the planet and its inhabitants; there is increasingly an attitude of care among Members for stewardship of the planet and its inhabitants; Morality in its absence, it would be hard to otherwise fully explain the provision addressing pharmaceutical availability in health emergencies. in its absence, it would be hard to otherwise fully explain the provision addressing pharmaceutical availability in health emergencies. Universality Membership is open to all who are willing to negotiate entry; and Membership is open to all who are willing to negotiate entry; and Stability and peace(3) the original mission of the multilateral trading system was to enhance economic growth to achieve stability and support peace; today the WTO fosters integration of conflicted-countries into the world economy. After assembling that list, I subsequently identified three additional underlying values a strong preference for openness for global trade devoid of distortions, obtaining a balance in the system to provide benefits to all, and finally the presence of sufficient trust without which nothing would be possible.(3) It is in realizing these values that improving the current system must be undertaken. There is no new consensus at the moment, if this means a consensus for radical change. Exactly where would one find a new overarching consensus? Not currently among the largest three WTO members. And without their participation, what subset of mid-sized trading countries would or could form an alternative to the current multilateral trading system? Paraphrasing Winston Churchill, the WTO, the multilateral trading system, is the worst form of trading arrangement but for all the others. To test the proposition that a radical new consensus is not currently possible, one can employ a few hypothetical alternative premises for a fundamentally different universal trading arrangement: Sharply limit government ownership, as this can distort trade in several respects. This will not occur in the current world. Few Members, if any, could join that arrangement. Aim for co-existence rather than convergence, the underlying assumption of the current system. Exactly what would have been gained in doing so? Trade peace at too great a cost. Jettison non-discrimination officially, make tariff commitments more malleable, celebrate every sub-multilateral preferential trading arrangement. Why would that make a better world? Incremental change is occurring. The trend, started in Buenos Aires in December 2017 at the 11th WTO Ministerial Conference, is to move forward through coalitions of the willing, these initiatives are now towards the end of their trial stage and ready for broader deployment. These are Areas of Consensus (AoC), which are likely to eventuate into open plurilateral agreements: A consensus on an e-commerce agreement. A consensus on investment facilitation, addressing the needs of micro, medium and small enterprises (MSMEs), and putting into place new obligations with respect to domestic regulation of services. Beyond this, what is foreseeable? A consensus on a future expansion of the Information Technology Agreement. A consensus on updating and expanding the coverage of the duty-free pharmaceutical agreement. A consensus on a new Environmental Goods and Services Agreement. A consensus on womens empowerment. None of these will be signed by all 164 current WTO Members. But each will be open to all WTO Members when they are ready. It is not necessary in the abstract to consider whether all of the benefits of these agreements will be available unconditionally to all non-signatories. The glue that holds any of these separate arrangements together is going to be the specific national interests of the parties in that area. This is the glue of all international agreements. It is possible to envision the Members who are parties to any of the AoCs designating these as WTO agreements(4), perhaps depending on the willingness of other Members to go along, or relying on issues to be sorted out by dispute settlement (recognizing that the absence of an appellate body may impair its ability to deliver binding outcomes). This would be a complete departure from the two and a half decades of precedent in the WTO. The system is going to have to deal with this form of diversity as long as the agreements add to and do not subtract from what has been achieved on a fully multilateral basis. There are some areas that require a multilateral approach. This applies to disciplines on industrial and agricultural subsidies. There can be allowances made for least developed countries, for example, as there generally would be in most agreements, but there has to be coverage of all those where their government support can affect the contours of international trade. 3. Can you give one or two concrete examples of what would need to change in the international trading system or trade agreements for them to be better aligned to the new goals, guiding principles or new consensus that you see emerging? Examples of what will need to change to make the WTO fit for purpose, the primary purposes being the negotiation of agreements to update and improve the international trading system, to settle disputes, and to administer the multilateral trading system: (1) Agreement on when and where unanimity is appropriate and where it is not, in other words, an understanding on where the WTO consensus rule as currently interpreted is applicable, an understanding that consensus is not unanimity, that exploration of new areas of possible agreement is never forbidden but is encouraged this is necessary to reach agreements more readily and for the organization to function; (2) Agreement on a single form of dispute settlement, binding but accountable to Members enforceability of WTO agreements is the hallmark of the organization, it is a core element of the WTO; and (3) Agreement on how the governance of the institution of the WTO, the Director General, the Secretariat and among Members, is to function this is necessary if the organization is to fulfil its objectives. Will there be a strong, pro-active, Secretariat assisting Members in their executive functions, e.g. assuring transparency through monitoring, initiating proposals, reviewing compliance, etc.? A key question is how to proceed on WTO reform. The table is not fully set, the work has not been organized to have a Big Bang to create a new universe for trade. The first task is to create a useful forum at the WTO to discuss specific structural changes in the organization and its rules. What is needed is not to start afresh but to improve what we have. There is no reason to favor burning down what exists in the hope that something better will emerge phoenix-like from the ashes. What is needed is a conservative form of revolution, much the way the United States was created. Disruptions create opportunities, much as but for the counterproductive efforts of King George III, the founding of the U.S. might have been deferred for as much as a century. The imposition of barriers to the exercise of fundamental rights to address common issues causes new paths to be taken. There must be forward motion. This can be incremental, or it can be more comprehensive, more systemic. Some might think that the geopolitical psychology is not right to attempt major reform. But a start can be made. To maintain and increase its relevance, change in the WTO, its evolution, is essential. It is also irresistible. This is where a new consensus will form. The next step must not be deferred. Rates of Covid-19 are rising fastest among white, wealthy millennials in England, a statistical report revealed today. Coronavirus infections are soaring twice as quickly in the most well-off districts of the country, compared to the poorest zones of towns and cities which faced the worst of the first wave. And the Office for National Statistics data shows rates are also spiralling across the country for white under-35s, especially in affluent districts. But Covid-19 cases are not going up among young people of different ethnicities. The report based on tens of thousands of random swab tests carried out since the end of July also showed travellers and holidaymakers returning from abroad are more likely to have tested positive for the coronavirus. It implies they caught Covid-19 on holiday but experts did not address whether this was a coincidence because those people took more risks in day-to-day life. Socialising was directly linked to spreading the virus, with people who had met up with more friends during the six-week period of the study more likely to test positive, even if they claimed to have maintained social distancing. One expert said: 'The take home message is that total numbers of social contacts still need to be limited to control the virus.' And the Office for National Statistics data shows rates are also spiralling across the country for white under-35s. But cases are not going up among young people of different ethnicities The report, which splits the population into quintiles (fifths) based on how deprived or wealthy they are, found that people in the least deprived areas were seeing rates of infection rise sharper than any other groups The ONS report, released yesterday, considered people who tested positive for Covid-19 between July 23 and September 10, and looked at information about who was taking the tests. During that time, 61,617 people across the UK officially tested positive, according to the Department of Health. The ONS report looked only at England and at a total of 208,730 tests taken by 97,717 people during that time, of which only 159 (136 people) were positive. Those tests were taken as part of a Covid-19 surveillance scheme, separate from the official testing programme. It regularly swabs a representative sample of the English population, regardless of whether they have symptoms. 'Our positivity rates are presented for a reference region, and within each region positivity rates are increasing fastest in the least deprived quintiles in recent weeks,' the report said. The 'quintiles' are five groups the population is divided into based on deprivation, which is usually an indicator of how wealthy their home area is. It added: 'We see similar effects whether we adjust for the fact that positivity rates are increasing at different rates in different regions or not. 'More deprived areas may have also seen small increases, but due to the wide credible intervals we cannot be certain.' The data showed that, by September 10, 0.11 per cent of people in the most deprived areas (one in 910 people) were testing positive for coronavirus. Meanwhile in the least deprived area, the infection rate was almost double at 0.21 per cent one in every 480. And in the middle groups the rate of infection rose as people's deprivation fell with 0.19 per cent in second richest group and 0.13 per cent in the third and fourth. Deprivation, the ONS said, is judged on the average income in an area and also job availability, quality of education, crime rates, housing and the natural environment. The most deprived areas tend to be in inner city boroughs or industrial towns, often in the Midlands or North of England. Poorer areas faced the worst of the outbreak for months, with inner city boroughs in London and Birmingham badly affected in the first wave and places such as Leicester, Bolton and Sunderland hit by local lockdowns. Those less well-off populations, which tended to include large proportions of ethnic minority people, were found to be catching the virus earlier in the year because they were more likely to work in public-facing jobs and to take public transport. Overall, people of Asian ethnicity are most likely to have had coronavirus at some point in the past rates of antibody-positive blood tests are 2.7 times higher than in white people. Another key finding of the ONS's report was the stark difference between the speed at which coronavirus infections are rising in under-35s compared to over-35s. More than 0.4 per cent of under-35s in the richest areas were testing positive each day by September 10, the data showed one in every 250 people. The positivity rate the proportion of people tested who test positive fell for less well-off groups but was still significantly higher than it was for people in the older age group. The highest rate of infection for over-35s was less than half lower than 0.2 per cent in the wealthiest group. And it appears to be white people who were testing positive most often. White under-35s returned a daily positive rate of 0.41 per cent in the most recent date September 10 compared to 0.13 per cent among people in other ethnic groups. The opposite was true for older generations, who had a sickness rate of 0.11 per cent among white people and 0.18 per cent in non-white people. The report said: 'There has been a marked increase in positivity rates amongst white individuals aged under 35 years, compared with white individuals aged 35 years and over. 'However, rates in white individuals aged 35 years and over have also increased slightly in the most recent weeks compared with a low point in August. 'Due to small numbers, the credible intervals are wide in ethnic minority groups; therefore, we cannot say how positivity rates have varied over time for these groups. 'However, there is no evidence that recent overall increases in positivity are predominantly due to increases in those from other ethnic groups.' The report also directly linked socialising to the risk of testing positive for Covid-19. Covid-19 test positivity rates have increased for people under 35 who had socially-distanced contact with at least six people aged between 18 and 69 over the previous week, it said. The analysis asked people how many people outside their own household they had socially-distanced contact with during the previous seven days. The ONS noted that interpretations of socially-distanced contact may vary between participants. Its findings suggest that 'reporting having had socially-distanced direct contact with a larger number of people appears to be an increasingly important factor in increasing positivity rates in the younger age groups'. On September 14, the rule of six was introduced, limiting the number of people who can gather to a maximum of six individuals. Dr Daniel Lawson, a lecturer in statistical science at the University of Bristol, said: 'These results robustly show rising infection rates are focussed on a subset of the population, younger, wealthier, white people. 'Whilst current infections are highest in this demographic, historical infection rates from antibody tests show that black and Asian people have also been widely infected earlier in the pandemic. 'The current increase associates with number of social contacts and international travel. This all fits a picture that, on average, younger, wealthier, white people had more social contacts over the summer. 'This survey period included the relaxation of restrictions in pubs and restaurants, where the population was encouraged to spend whilst meeting in public venues. 'The take home message is that total numbers of social contacts still need to be limited to control the virus.' The court hearing in the MH17 trial has started at the Schiphol Judicial Complex in the Netherlands at 10:00 local time, an Ukrinform correspondent in The Hague reports. Relatives of the victims, their lawyers, and lawyers of one of the four suspects, Oleg Pulatov, are present in the courtroom. Pulatovs interests are represented by lawyers Sabine Ten Doesschate and Boudewijn van Eijck from the Sjocrona Van Stigt law firm. None of the suspects attends the hearings of MH17 trial. All court proceedings of the MH17 trial are live streamed. The hearings are to take place from Monday, September 28, to Friday, October 2. Court hearings may be suspended or canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic. In March this year, the District Court of The Hague began the consideration of the case of the downing of flight MH17 in the sky over Donbas. On June 19, 2019, the international Joint Investigation Team named four suspects believed to be involved in the transportation and combat use of the Buk missile system, from which MH17 flight had been downed. Three of them are Russians: Igor Girkin (Strelkov), former colonel in Russia's FSB intelligence service and former so-called defense minister of the so-called "Donetsk People's Republic"; Sergey Dubinskiy, general (at the time of downing colonel) of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces and head of the so-called "Main Intelligence Directorate of the Donetsk Peoples Republic"; Oleg Pulatov, lieutenant colonel of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces. The fourth suspect is Leonid Kharchenko, a Ukrainian civilian, who fought on the side of the so-called "Donetsk People's Republic." Malaysia Airlines flight MH17, en route from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur, was shot down over conflict-hit Donbas in July 2014. There were 283 passengers and 15 crew members on board. All of them died. The JIT reported that the plane had been shot down from a Buk missile system that belongs to the 53rd Anti-Aircraft Missile Brigade of the Russian Armed Forces stationed in Kursk. ol Chennai, Sep 28 : Chennai Air Customs on Monday said it had seized 165 MDMA/narcotic tablets valued at Rs 5 lakh after intercepting two postal parcels from the Netherlands at the Foreign Post Office, said Commissioner of Customs, Chennai International Airport. In a statement issued here, the Customs said the first parcel of 105 MDMA tablets with "PP" marking commonly known as "Philipp Plein" were recovered. The parcel was addressed to an individual in Chennai city, on search the address was found to be incomplete. Further 60 MDMA tablets were recovered from the second parcel. These tablets known as "Blue Punisher" embossed with skull marks contain around 300 mg of MDMA which is a very high dose. The parcel arrived from Zwolle, a city in northeastern Netherlands and was addressed to a person in Tirupur. On search, it was found that the address was of a textile company with a fake consignee name. Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar on Monday claimed that the TMC government has turned West Bengal into a "police state" and said he would be forced to "look at" Article 154 of the Constitution, as his office has been ignored for long by the ruling dispensation. Article 154 of the Constitution mandates that the executive power of the state shall be vested in the governor and shall be exercised by him either directly or through officers subordinates to him. Criticising DGP Virendra for "being irresponsible and callous" in his response to a letter, Dhankhar said police personnel are working as "cadres" of the ruling TMC in the state. "If the Constitution is not protected, I have to act. The office of the governor has been ignored for long. I will be forced to look at Article 154 of the Constitution," he said at a press meet in Kolkata. The governor also said that "electronic surveillance by the TMC government" has forced him to communicate over WhatsApp voice calls. "West Bengal has been turned into a police statePolice state and democracy cannot go hand in hand. Law and order has collapsed in the state. Maoist insurgency is raising its head. Terror modules are also operating from this state," the governor added. Dhankhar, who has been at loggerheads with the TMC government ever since he assumed office in July 2019, had written to DGP Virendra earlier this month, expressing concern over the law and order in the state. Following the DGP's two-line reply, he had asked the state police chief to meet him by September 26. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, in a letter to the governor on September 26, urged him to "act within the mandates of the Constitution", expressing anguish over his letter to the DGP. Snapping back at Dhankhar over his Article 154" remark, TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee said that he has never seen an incompetent, inefficient, untolerable person holding such a constitutional post". I am shocked to see the madness of @jdhankhar1, I have also never seen an incompetent, inefficient, untolerable person holding the constitutional post like @jdhankhar1. He is the number one constitutional violator of the country," Banerjee tweeted. He has proved himself how a Governor can become a sweeper of @BJP4India. He is giving shelter for anti-socials belonging to @BJP4India at Governor house. Why every day @jdhankhar1 is holding press conferences and making tweets against the @WestBengalGovt. If he has the courage let him impose 356 against the @WestBengalGovt by tomorrow itself. Otherwise I will tell him the greatest coward of the world and number one puppet of the @BJP4India. This tweet is the answer for todays press conference," the TMC MP said in another tweet. Meanwhile, senior TMC leader and West Bengal minister Subrata Mukherjee said instead of demeaning the post he holds, he should take over as the BJP state president". Instead of demeaning the post of the governor, he should take over as state BJP president. If BJP or opposition parties say such a thing, it is acceptable. But such comments coming from a governor is unfortunate. He is tarnishing the post of the governor for his vested political interests. We condemn this," Mukherjee said. (with PTI inputs) Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 28) Authorities have arrested a supposed aide of Abu Sayyaf Group sub-leader Mundi Sawadjaan in Zamboanga City on Sunday, according to the Philippine National Police. Hashim Saripada, also known as Ibnu Kashir Saripada, was arrested by virtue of a warrant from a Basilan court over multiple counts of murder and frustrated murder charges, PNP chief Gen. Camilo Cascolan said in a media brefing. A hand grenade and materials for making home-made bombs were also recovered during the arrest. The police said concerned citizens reported sightings of the suspect in Zamboanga City which led to his arrest. "Saripada is the assistant cohort of Mundi Sawadjaan. This will be a very, very big blow on him because nawalan siya ng isang pinagkakatiwalaan. And this one is his assistant. Karamihan sa kanyang activities ngayon hindi na matutuloy because of that and he knows na mino-monitor na siya ng lahat ng intelligence at anti-terrorism units," Cascolan said in the Camp Crame briefing. [Translation: Saripada is the assistant cohort of Mundi Sawadjaan. This will be a very, very big blow on him because he has lost a supporter. And this one is his assistant. Most of his activities wont push through now because of that, and he knows hes being monitored by all intelligence and anti-terrorism units.] Sawadjaan is said to be the mastermind of the twin suicide bombings in Jolo, Sulu last August. The Abu Sayyaf Group has pledged allegiance to the international terror group Islamic State (IS) or Dawlah Islamiya (DI). Terrorism activities PNP Intelligence Group chief BGen. Edgar Monsalve cited Saripada's major participation in the 2018 suicide bombing at a military detachment in Lamitan City, Basilan. Monsalve said the arrested suspect facilitated the travel of Moroccan suicide bomber Abu Kathir al-Maghribi from Sulu to Basilan. After the incident, Saripada supposedly hid in Sulu. Authorities reported that he also participated in the suicide bombing involving an Indonesian couple at the Jolo Cathedral in Sulu on January 2019. Saripada is now under the custody of the police in Zamboanga City where he is undergoing tactical interrogation. "Ine-extract po natin ang information. Kasi alam naman po natin na ang taong ito ay highly dedicated kaya medyo hard po ito. Pero hindi po tayo nawawalan ng pag-asa at tuloy tuloy natin siyang dinidiplomasya para mag-cooperate at makapagbigay ng impormasyon tungkol sa plano nila," said Monsalve. [Translation: Were still extracting information. Because we know that this person is highly-dedicated, it would be hard. But we wont lose hope and well continue to seek his cooperation and to give information on their plans.] The military said Saripada's involvement in terrorist activities started as early as 2002. He served as a financial and personnel facilitator, including foreign terrorist fighters, in Zamboanga Peninsula, Basilan, and Sulu," the Armed Forces Western Mindanao Command said in a press statement. Last week, the PNP arrested a supposed Dawlah Islamiya recruiter identified as Ibrahim Abdullah Madrinan in Fairview, Quezon City. Madrinan is also said to be connected to Sawadjaan. Name: Len Suzio Party: Republican Race: 13th Senate District Len Suzio, 72, founder and president of GeoDataVision and an expert on banking regulations, said he believes electric rates are far too high, and opposes anti-police legislation. This lifelong Connecticut resident is married to Kate Suzio, and the couple has five children. Suzio, who was a senator in the 13th Senate District from 2011-12 and 2017-18, served on Meriden Board of Education, led a successful fight to cap the gas tax, stop tolls, prevent the mileage tax, and proposed the successful relocation of Middlesex Community College to Platt High School in Meriden. Connecticut is now on the brink of financial catastrophe, facing massive deficits. I have the education and experience to know how to balance the budget without massive tax increases and without installing tolls, Suzio said. I also believe the anti-police bill was an overreach and must be reversed. For information, visit Suzio2020.com and Suzio 2002 on Facebook. The revelation that Donald Trump has paid paltry sums in income tax over the past 20 years has thrown unflattering attention on the presidents past statements in particular those directed at his immediate predecessor, Barack Obama. After the New York Times published its story showing that Mr Trump twice paid just $750 a year in income tax (and in several other years nothing at all), there resurfaced a message in which he scolded Mr Obama for his supposedly thin tax filings. @BarackObama who wants to raise all our taxes, he wrote in 2012, only pays 20.5% on $790k salary. Do as I say not as I do. Mr Obamas income tax rate was somewhat low for those in his salary bracket because he and his wife donated thousands of dollars to charity. Various other tweets of Mr Trumps have drawn new attention since the New York Times story. High up the list is a 2012 message in which he linked to a Daily Mail story reporting that HALF of Americans don't pay income tax despite crippling govt debt. Also making the rounds is a 2015 post showing the president supposedly signing that years return, which he then refused to make public along with all his others based on the false premise that he could not release returns while under audit by the IRS. Mr Trump tweeted myriad grievances about Barack Obama during his time in office, some related to policy especially high tax rates but many focused on the baseless and racist theory that the president was hiding his supposed Kenyan citizenship. And during the 2012 election campaign, he began to pile in on the president for obliging Mitt Romney to release 20 years of his own tax returns, repeatedly demanding that Mr Romney pledge to make them public only in exchange for Mr Obamas college applications and records. At one point, Mr Trump offered to donate $5m to charity if the then-president released his university papers, though he did not specify what he imagined Mr Obama might be hiding in them. Joe Bidens campaign is already making hay from the New York Timess tax returns investigation, running a stark ad comparing Mr Trumps trivial bills to those paid by low-income Americans while also selling stickers reading I paid more income taxes than Donald Trump. PARIS (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 29th September, 2020) France, Latvia and Lithuania have signed a joint declaration aimed at counteracting cyber attacks and disinformation, President Emmanuel Macron said amid his Monday visit to Vilnius. "We have adopted the joint declaration of Lithuania, Latvia and France ... on safeguarding democracies, which aims to strengthen European mechanisms against cyber attacks and any forms of information manipulation," Macron said at a press conference with his Lithuanian counterpart, Gitanas Nauseda. The French president added that he would arrive in Latvia on Tuesday. The Elysee Palace has confirmed to Sputnik that Macron would meet on Tuesday with ex-Belarusian presidential candidate and prominent opposition figure Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, who is currently residing in Lithuania, to which she fled after the August 9 election and subsequent civil unrest. The pandemic has put some of the Liberal government's key deadlines of its reconciliation agenda in jeopardy, including a promise to end all long-term boil-water advisories on First Nations by next March. Last week's throne speech indicated a shift in language around the commitment to eliminate the long-term advisories. It made no reference to the 2021 deadline which was clearly cited in the previous throne speech in 2019. A senior government source told CBC News the Liberals are not as comfortable with the March 2021 target date they set, as they were before COVID-19 hit. The virus has added an extra layer of complications for the government to fulfil the promise first made during the 2015 election. Ottawa was already dealing with short construction seasons in communities that rely on ice road transport for heavy equipment and resupply. Now, some communities are not letting outside contractors in to protect themselves from COVID-19, which may push construction deadlines back even further. There are 63 long-term drinking water advisories in effect on reserves. Miller said there were 61 last Thursday; since then, two short-term drinking water advisories became long-term over the weekend. Ninety-one advisories have been lifted since November 2015. Despite the challenges, Indigenous Services Minister Marc Miller told CBC News he is still hopeful the government can meet its spring 2021 target, and will be spending more funds this fall to make it happen. "That deadline is very much one that we are working aggressively to meet," Miller said. "This isn't a question of funds, this is a question of planning." Keeping people safe from second wave But the opposition is skeptical. "All of a sudden, they've taken out time frames it's a real problem," said Cathy McLeod, the Conservative critic for Crown-Indigenous relations. "I can understand the disappointment of communities, of Indigenous communities across this country." Story continues Supplied/Yellowhead Institute Rob Houle, an Indigenous advocate from Wapsewsipi (Swan River) First Nation in Alberta and research fellow at the Toronto-based Yellowhead Institute, said the latest speech from the throne is a repetition of old Liberal promises, indicating goals are largely aspirational. "For the government to continue to pushback these timelines shows that either the investments are inadequate or the approach is faulty," Houle said. "It should not take that long to solve some of these things and improve people's lives on reserve and in communities when they [government] can do much, much more for regular Canadians at the drop of a hat when something like COVID-19 hits." Priority No. 1 for Miller remains keeping people safe in the face of a second wave of the pandemic. The minister said he is extremely concerned with the number of COVID-19 cases in Indigenous communities. The department recorded 116 active COVID-19 cases, as of Thursday, for a total of 639 since the pandemic began. Eleven people have died from the coronavirus on-reserve so far. However, Miller insisted the pandemic is not preventing him from moving to close some of the socio-economic disparities that COVID-19 laid bare. Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press For example, Indigenous Services Canada is seeing the need for mental health services rise. The government announced $82.5 million last month for Indigenous mental health support during COVID-19 and it is expected to announce more money in the months ahead. The government is working toward new Indigenous health legislation, and a mental health and wellness strategy. A senior government source said the Liberals are still on track to close the infrastructure gap in Indigenous communities by 2030, which will bring broadband internet access and new housing. MMIWG action plan, UNDRIP legislation to come Last week's throne speech also mentioned the government will accelerate work on an action plan in response to the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls after the pandemic scuttled plans to have a document ready by last June. Crown-Indigenous Minister Carolyn Bennett said the plan is being put together from pieces developed by governments and Indigenous groups. Bennett said the government earmarked $6 million per year for the next five years for the action plan to make sure it can be refreshed. "All of those pieces are coming together," Bennett said. "It will be a living document that will continue to reflect the views of families and survivors as to whether it's working or not and then each of the provinces and territories that are doing the same thing." The Liberals are also planning to introduce new legislation on the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) this fall. The Liberals originally said the legislation would pass by the end of the year. Sara Frizzell/CBC Mumilaaq Qaqqaq, NDP MP for Nunavut, calls the Liberal promises "lipwork" and said the government still has yet to meet basic human needs in the territories, such as adequate housing. Qaqqaq said the pandemic shouldn't be used as an excuse to postpone promises. "I think it's one of the tactics they know how to use best," Qaqqaq said. "They are great at making excuses. They are great at finding loopholes. They are great at making it possible to see those excuses as acceptable." WATCH | Indigenous communties waiting for clean water forced to wait longer because of COVID-19: Seating restrictions for restaurants issued in response to the coronavirus pandemic will be loosened starting Monday. Gov. Charlie Baker announced last week that restaurants in the commonwealth would be permitted to expand seating to up to 10 people per table beginning Monday. Guidelines previously limited restaurants' seating to no more than six people per table. Restaurants will now be able to use bar seating as well, though bars and nightclubs will stay closed. The governor also noted that patrons at restaurants' bars must sit in bar areas and not stand around bars. The new rules apply to both indoor and outdoor seating. Tables must remain socially distanced at least 6 feet apart. We want to help restaurants use their space more effectively, Baker said. The evidence from other states with respect to this issue is clear, restaurants can use bar seating for regular food service with appropriate distance in place. Bakers announcement Wednesday was met with applause at Mill City BBQ and Brew in Lowell, where he was holding a press conference. The COVID-19 public health crisis has proven particularly detrimental for the food service industry, with numerous restaurants and bars, including multiple beloved pubs in Boston, shutting down. The governors loosening of seating restrictions for restaurants marks a significant easing of strict social distancing rules, which have altered business operations across Massachusetts and the United States as a whole. However, the governor on Wednesday pointed out that COVID is still with us and that until a vaccine is developed or there is another medical breakthrough, officials have to work with the food service industry to ensure restaurants and other businesses remain safe. The cities of Worcester and Boston have both decided to keep seating the stricter restaurant restrictions in place and have seating remain at six people per table. As of Sunday, at least 128,426 residents in the commonwealth have tested positive for the coronavirus, according to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. The statewide death toll stands at 9,191, but when including probable cases, that number climbs to 9,404. Related Content: DUBLIN, Sept. 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Therapeutic Drug Monitoring Market by Product (Equipment (Immunoassay Analyzers), Consumables), Technology (Immunoassays, Chromatography-MS), Class of Drugs (Antibiotic Drugs, Bronchodilator Drugs), End User - Global Forecast to 2025" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The global therapeutic drug monitoring market is projected to reach USD 2.0 billion by 2025 from USD 1.4 billion in 2020, at a CAGR of 6.9% from 2020 to 2025. The growth of the market is largely driven by factors such as the rising number of organ transplant procedures, the use of TDM across various therapeutic fields, the increasing preference for precision medicine, a growing focus on R&D related to TDM, and technological advancements in immunoassay instruments. Increased adoption in the treatment of autoimmune diseases is expected to provide a wide range of growth opportunities for players in the market. Consumables segment accounted for a significant share of the therapeutic drug monitoring market, by product, in 2019 By product, the therapeutic drug monitoring market is segmented as consumables and equipment. Of all these products, consumables accounted for the largest share of the therapeutic drug monitoring market in 2019. The segment is also anticipated to grow at the fastest rate due to the repeat purchases of kits and reagents and the increasing number of immunoassay tests being performed across the globe. Immunoassays segment accounted for a significant share of the therapeutic drug monitoring market, by technology, in 2019 By technology, the therapeutic drug monitoring market is segmented into immunoassays and chromatography-MS. Of all these products, immunoassays accounted for the largest share of the therapeutic drug monitoring market in 2019. The segment is also anticipated to grow at the fastest rate due to the increasing incidence of chronic and infectious diseases and technological innovation. Antiepileptic drugs segment accounted for the largest share of the therapeutic drug monitoring market, by class of drugs in 2019 On the basis of class of drugs, the therapeutic drug monitoring market is segmented into antiepileptic drugs, antibiotic drugs, immunosuppressant drugs, antiarrhythmic drugs, bronchodilator drugs, psychoactive agents, and other drugs. The antiepileptic drug accounted for the largest share in 2019, due to the high complexity and heterogeneity of epilepsy, lack of biological markers or specific clinical signs aside from the frequency of seizures to assess treatment efficacy or toxicity, and the highly complex pharmacokinetics of these drugs. Hospital laboratories segment accounted for the largest share of the therapeutic drug monitoring market, by end user in 2019 On the basis of end user, the therapeutic drug monitoring market is segmented into hospital laboratories, commercial & private laboratories, and other end users. Of all these end-user segments, hospital laboratories accounted for the largest share of the therapeutic drug monitoring market in 2019. The large share of this segment can be attributed to factors such as the availability of advanced healthcare facilities in hospitals and the rising incidences of chronic diseases. North America will continue to dominate the therapeutic drug monitoring market during the forecast period In 2019, North America was estimated to be the largest regional market for therapeutic drug monitoring, followed by Europe. Increasing per capita healthcare expenditure and the presence of technologically advanced healthcare infrastructure in the region, coupled with initiatives taken by different government associations, are anticipated to boost the market growth in the region. Key Topics Covered: 1 Introduction 2 Research Methodology 3 Executive Summary 4 Premium Insights 4.1 Therapeutic Drug Monitoring Market Overview 4.2 Asia-Pacific: Therapeutic Drug Monitoring Market, by Class of Drug 4.3 Geographic Snapshot of the Therapeutic Drug Monitoring Market 5 Market Overview 5.1 Introduction 5.2 Market Dynamics 5.2.1 Drivers 5.2.1.1 Importance of TDM in Organ Transplant Procedures 5.2.1.2 Use of TDM Across Various Therapeutic Fields 5.2.1.3 Increasing Preference for Precision Medicine 5.2.1.4 Growing Focus on R&D Activities Related to Tdm 5.2.1.5 Technological Advancements 5.2.2 Restraints 5.2.2.1 Requirement of High Capital Investments 5.2.2.2 Reluctance of Small Hospitals to Offer TDM Services 5.2.3 Opportunities 5.2.3.1 Increasing Adoption in the Treatment of Autoimmune Diseases 5.2.4 Challenges 5.2.4.1 Availability of Alternatives to Conventional Tdm 5.2.4.2 Operational Barriers Faced in Conducting TDM Tests 5.3 Value Chain Analysis 5.4 Supply Chain Analysis 5.5 Ecosystem Analysis 5.6 Impact of Covid-19 on the TDM Market 6 Therapeutic Drug Monitoring Market, by Product 6.1 Introduction 6.2 Consumables 6.3 Equipment 6.3.1 Immunoassay Analyzers 6.3.1.1 High Efficiency of Immunoassay Analyzers Has Ensured End-User Demand 6.3.2 Chromatography & Ms Detectors 6.3.2.1 Technological Advancements Have Propelled the Growth of the Segment 6.3.3 Clinical Chemistry Analyzers 6.3.3.1 Automation to Raise Preference for Clinical Chemistry Analyzers 6.4 Impact of Covid-19 on the TDM Market, by Product 7 Therapeutic Drug Monitoring Market, by Technology 7.1 Introduction 7.2 Immunoassays 7.2.1 Chemiluminescence Immunoassays 7.2.1.1 Rapid Detection Time and Good Specificity Support the Growth of the Segment 7.2.2 Fluorescence Immunoassays 7.2.2.1 High Operability and Better Sensitivity of Fias to Drive Market Growth 7.2.3 Colorimetric Immunoassays 7.2.3.1 Demand for Colorimetric Immunoassays to Decline Due to the Rising Preference for Advanced Equipment 7.2.4 Radioimmunoassays 7.2.4.1 High Sensitivity in Drug Detection Applications Supports the Market for Radioimmunoassays 7.2.5 Other Immunoassays 7.3 Chromatography-Ms 7.3.1 Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry 7.3.1.1 High Accuracy Supports Demand for Lc-Ms 7.3.2 Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry 7.3.2.1 Drawbacks of Gc-Ms Challenge Market Growth 8 Therapeutic Drug Monitoring Market, by Class of Drug 8.1 Introduction 8.2 Antiepileptic Drugs 8.2.1 High Complexity and Heterogeneity of Epilepsy to Drive the Growth of the Segment 8.3 Antiarrhythmic Drugs 8.3.1 Increasing Incidence of Heart Disorders to Support Segment Growth 8.4 Immunosuppressant Drugs 8.4.1 Immunosuppressant Demand Has Risen Due to An Increase in Organ Transplantation Procedures 8.5 Antibiotic Drugs 8.5.1 Technological Advancements to Propel the Demand for Antibiotic Drug Monitoring 8.6 Bronchodilator Drugs 8.6.1 Increasing Prevalence of Respiratory Diseases Will Ensure Demand for Bronchodilator Drug Monitoring 8.7 Psychoactive Drugs 8.7.1 Rising Cases of Mental Illness to Drive Market Growth 8.8 Other Drugs 8.9 Impact of Covid-19 on the TDM Market, by Class of Drug 9 Therapeutic Drug Monitoring Market, by End-user 9.1 Introduction 9.2 Hospital Laboratories 9.2.1 Hospital Labs Hold the Largest Share of the End-User Market 9.3 Commercial & Private Laboratories 9.3.1 Extensive Test Menus of Commercial & Private Labs Support Demand for Their Services 9.4 Other End-users 9.5 Impact of Covid-19 on the TDM Market, by End-user 10 Therapeutic Drug Monitoring Market, by Region 10.1 Introduction 10.2 North America 10.3 Europe 10.4 Asia-Pacific 10.5 Rest of the World 10.6 Impact of Covid-19 on the TDM Market, by Region 11 Competitive Landscape 11.1 Overview 11.2 Market Share Analysis, 2019 11.3 Competitive Scenario 11.3.1 Product Approvals 11.3.2 Product Launches 11.3.3 Agreements 11.3.4 Expansions 11.3.5 Acquisitions 11.4 Competitive Leadership Mapping (2019) 11.4.1 Stars 11.4.2 Emerging Leaders 11.4.3 Pervasive Companies 11.4.4 Participants 12 Company Profiles 12.1 Abbott Laboratories 12.2 Thermo Fisher Scientific 12.3 F. Hoffmann-La Roche 12.4 Siemens Healthineers 12.5 Danaher Corporation 12.6 Bio-Rad Laboratories 12.7 Biomerieux 12.8 Theradiag 12.9 Grifols 12.10 Bhlmann Laboratories 12.11 Sekisui Medical 12.12 Randox Laboratories 12.13 Diasystem Scandinavia 12.14 Cambridge Life Sciences 12.15 Ark Diagnostics 12.16 Chromsystems Instruments & Chemicals 12.17 Exagen 12.18 R-Biopharm 12.19 Apdia Group 12.20 Biotez Berlin Buch 12.21 Eagle Biosciences 12.22 Jasem Laboratory Systems and Solutions 12.23 Aalto Scientific 12.24 Immundiagnostik 12.25 Utak 13 Adjacent Markets 14 Appendix For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/p05lul Research and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research. 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 SOURCE Research and Markets Related Links http://www.researchandmarkets.com Union Ministry of Corporate Affairs has decided to extend relaxations granted to companies and limited liability partnerships (LLPs) in filing statutory documents till December 31 this year. The duration of scheme for relaxation of filing forms regarding creation or modification of charges under the Companies Act has also been extended till the same time. The central government has also allowed companies to hold their extraordinary general meetings (EGMs) through video conference or other audio visual means till the same date. These decisions came on the back of continued disruption faced by the companies on account of COVID-19 pandemic. The Ministry of Corporate Affairs had introduced a new scheme known as the Companies Fresh Start Scheme, 2020, valid from 01.04.2020 to 30.09.2020 to enable companies to make good their previous defaults. This Scheme has now been extended till 31.12.2020. pic.twitter.com/8MOZa4iEWk NSitharamanOffice (@nsitharamanoffc) September 28, 2020 The Scheme for relaxation of time for filing forms related to creation or modification of charges under the Companies Act, 2013 and the time for conducting EGMs through Video Conference or Other Audio Visual Means also stand extended till 31.12.2020. pic.twitter.com/ZHSkfyGxSL NSitharamanOffice (@nsitharamanoffc) September 28, 2020 Corporate Affairs Ministry has extended the timeline for Companies Fresh Start Scheme, 2020, which was originally valid from April 1, 2020 to September 30, 2020. The scheme, rolled out in March this year, granted immunity to companies from legal action and penalties over delay in filing statutory documents like annual returns and financial statements. Defaulters were allowed to file the required documents by paying only the normal fees. Companies Fresh Start Scheme also allowed inactive companies to get themselves declared as 'dormant company' under provisions of the Companies Act. A similar facility for LLPs, the LLP Settlement Scheme, 2020, has also been extended till December 31. Originally valid from April 1 June 13, the scheme was extended till September 30 to allow LLPs to make good on their defaults. Corporate Affairs Ministry also announced 'Scheme for relaxation of time for filing forms related to creation or modification of charges under the Companies Act, 2013' for creation or modification of charges on funds raised via debt route has been extended till December 31 this year. Companies that raised funds via loans or debentures have to create a charge on their assets or undertakings within or outside India to acquire these instruments. The scheme, introduced on June 17, pardoned delay in regulatory filings of charges on property, assets, or any undertaking created on March 1, 2020. Considering the restrictions in view of coronavirus pandemic, Centre has also allowed companies to hold their EGMs via video conferencing or other audio visual means (OAVMs) till December 31. ALSO READ: DPIIT shares list of 24 key sectors with ministries to work on plan to boost manufacturing ALSO READ: Centre extends insolvency proceedings suspension for another three months HAMDEN Jorge Cabrera, the Democrat candidate for the 17th state Senate seat, has tested negative for the coronavirus. Cabrera had gotten a test for the virus Saturday after coming down with symptoms that resembled COVID-19 on Friday night. He received the results Sunday. This morning I was informed that my wife and I tested negative for Covid-19! he said in a release Sunday. I am currently resting and will return to campaigning once I fully recover. I appreciate all the support Ive received over the last two days. Its important that we all remain vigilant throughout this pandemic and our team will continue the best safety practices put forth by the CDC as we have throughout the campaign. I look forward to being back out on the trail talking about the issues that matter most to the residents of CT. Cabrera is challenging state Sen. George Logan, R-Ansonia, for the second time; the district includes Ansonia, Beacon Falls, Bethany, Derby, Hamden, Naugatuck and Woodbridge. Cabrera had said he felt symptoms of COVID-19, which included fatigue, fever, chills, and vomiting on Friday night. He went to the Yale New Haven Hospital Emergency Department to be seen but said doctors did not give him a COVID test, despite suspecting he had the disease. He went into quarantine and told staff members to get tested and quarantine themselves. Asked why Cabrera did not receive a coronavirus test when he went to the Emergency Department Friday, a Yale New Haven spokesman said in an email, While we cannot discuss specifics of care, we do not offer COVID testing in the Emergency Department unless the patient is being admitted. Patients are directed to either call our Call Center to be scheduled or schedule a test on their own. The New Haven Register has asked for further comment from Cabrera. edward.stannard@hearstmediact.com; 203-680-9382 Credit: CC0 Public Domain People with a history of positive social interactions with Chinese people were less likely to support discriminatory anti-Chinese policies as COVID-19 reached the UKaccording to new research from the University of East Anglia. Researchers studied how UK residents felt towards the Chinese community as COVID-19 reached our shores, and how these feelings might relate to British support for anti-Chinese policies. They found that people who had positive experiences of contact with the Chinese community, such as having Chinese friends or colleagues, were least likely to support discriminatory policies. But those who had the less experience of positive contact, or more negative contact experiences were more likely to be fearful towards the Chinese community. Dr. Charles Seger from UEA's School of Psychology said: "When we started this research project, there were 50,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in China. The virus had begun to spread worldwide with 1,200 cases across 26 countries including nine in the UK. "The British Foreign and Commonwealth Office had advised against all but essential travel to mainland China but most British lives at that point were uninterrupted. Nevertheless, opinion polls suggested that one in three Brits already saw the virus as a personal threat and the British press were reporting a rise in hate crimes towards Chinese people. "We know that interactions between people from different ethnic, cultural and social backgrounds is key to reducing prejudice and discrimination, and that positive interactions are effective in reducing prejudice towards a broad range of stigmatized outgroups. "We wanted to find out whether past experiences of social contact with Chinese people might predict how fearful or angry British people felt towards Chinese people and how these feelings might relate to British support for anti-Chinese policies, like forcing all Chinese restaurants to close." The research team carried out a survey of 340 non-Asian UK residents aged between 18 and 75 in February 2020. The participants were asked questions about their attitudes towards Chinese people as well as a range of other social groups such as Americans, Polish and Spanishin order to measure prejudice. They were also asked about what emotions they felt towards Chinese peoplesuch as anger or fearas well as how often they had had positive and negative interactions with Chinese people. Finally, the participants were asked about whether they supported nine policy measures the UK government could take to stop the spread of coronavirus. Five of these measures targeted restricting the activities of Chinese people in the UK such as enforcing a quarantine of all Chinese nationals in the UK and closing all Chinese restaurants. Lead researcher Lisa Alston, also from UEA's School of Psychology, said: "We found that past positive social interactions played a protective role, predicting less support for discriminatory policies. This effect of contact was explained by lower fear towards Chinese people. "On the other hand, people with less experience of positive interactions with Chinese people, or previous bad social experiences, were more supportive of anti-Chinese policies. "These findings highlight the important role, even in a pandemic, that social contact and our emotions play in our attitudes towards people from different cultures," she added. Michigan has made significant progress in reducing the disparate rates of coronavirus cases and deaths among its Black residents, who make up about 15% of the population. Over the last two weeks, Black Michiganders accounted for 8.2% of new COVID-19 cases and 9.9% of the states deaths. During the early days of the pandemic, they represented 29% of cases and 40.7% of deaths associated with the novel virus. Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist called the reduction a reason to be proud" but said the state must continue to tackle generations of racial disparities and inequality to ensure that all Michiganders can lead happy and health lives. The truth is, that old management axiom applies -- what gets measured gets managed and the fact that we prioritized tracking these disparities from day one, is why weve been able to now show this progress, Gilchrist said during a Monday morning interview on CNN. We need it to hold, and so people are going to need to continue to remain vigilant, but when we do so we will continue to strengthen our overall response and have our most vulnerable communities be a little less vulnerable. As of Monday, Sept. 28, Michigan health officials have reported 122,735 confirmed cases and 6,731 deaths attributed to coronavirus. Of those cumulative totals, 25,992 cases (21%) and 2,547 deaths (38%) have been Black residents. Thats 1,695 Black deaths per million residents by race in Michigan, compared to 456 white deaths, 245 Asian/Pacific Islander deaths, and 216 American Indian/Alaska Native deaths per million residents. Michigan Department of Health and Human Services data depicting how the coronavirus pandemic has affected residents differently by race and ethnicity. (Courtesy graphic | MDHHS) In April, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer created the Michigan Coronavirus Task Force on Racial Disparities to study the impact of COVID-19 on minority communities. Led by Gilchrist, the group recommended and facilitated actions including: Distributing large quantities of masks to the public; Launching a strategic communications and social media effort targeting communities of color; Increasing access to coronavirus testing in communities of color through drive-thru, walk-up and mobile testing sites. Swift actions have been taken to address the health inequities that existed prior to the pandemic and were exacerbated by the virus," said Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, the states chief medical executive, in a prepared statement. I applaud the racial disparities task force and the multiple partners on the ground who helped decrease this disparity. "However, we cannot let our guard down. We must continue to take precautions including wearing masks, maintaining social distancing of at least six feet from others, washing our hands often and staying home if we are feeling ill. Related: Back-to-school conundrum amplified in Michigans hardest-hit communities Hispanic and Latino residents have shown progress as well, though not as drastic. Over the last two weeks, those groups have averaged about 68 new cases per day per million people, compared to the cumulative average of 94 cases per day throughout the pandemic. Non-Hispanic and non-Latino residents matched their cumulative average -- 45 new cases per day per million people -- over the last two weeks. Coronavirus deaths have declined for Black residents in recent months, dropping from more than four deaths per day per million people on June 1 to less than one new death per million people per day in late September. Throughout that time, the state as a whole has seen a reduction in deaths from 39 per day to 10 per day. However, Hispanic and Latino residents have seen an ebb and flow in deaths over the last four months. When asked about the data, Gilchrist said the task force has been tracking it closely and it remains a priority. One of the things that were tracking is making sure that for all the places where Latino population is present in the state of Michigan, particularly in our more rural communities where we have farmers and other migrant workers, make sure we have testing and isolation infrastructure there, he said. In a continued effort to tackle racial disparities during the pandemic, the state has created the Rapid Response Grant program, which has awarded 31 grants worth a total of nearly $20 million in CARES funding to local organizations. The grants must be used to address food and housing insecurity, provide technology and tablets, increase access to testing and flu vaccines, improve contact tracing, provide basic needs, and fund operations. Michigans lieutenant governor has called on other states to follow suit in studying and working to reduce disparities. Hes also called on President Donald Trump and the federal government to consistently release demographic data on race and ethnicity. They have refused to do so, but if they did, it would help our overall national response, Gilchrist said in the CNN interview. We really think that every state in the entire country should be focusing on this because when you solve for racial disparities, when you flatten this curve, you actually improve the overall response to keep everyone safer and thats why we made it a priority here in Michigan. COVID-19 PREVENTION TIPS: In addition to washing hands regularly and not touching your face, officials recommend practicing social distancing, assuming anyone may be carrying the virus. Health officials say you should be staying at least 6 feet away from others and working from home, if possible. Use disinfecting wipes or disinfecting spray cleaners on frequently-touched surfaces in your home (door handles, faucets, countertops) and carry hand sanitizer with you when you go into places like stores. Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has also issued executive orders requiring people to wear face coverings over their mouth and nosewhile in public indoor and crowded outdoor spaces. See an explanation of what that means here. Additional information is available at Michigan.gov/Coronavirus and CDC.gov/Coronavirus. Read more on MLive: Monday, Sept. 28, coronavirus data by Michigan county: 18 counties now red or orange, including Kent, Kalamazoo Increase in University of Michigan coronavirus cases largely due to outside testing, dashboard shows CDC recommends downsized Thanksgiving celebrations amid COVID-19 pandemic See number of absentee ballots requests so far in your Michigan city or township compared to 2016 Second term governors will be barred from vying for constituency or Senate seats should a new bill by Senator Dr Micheal Mbito be passed. In the Bill that was read in the Senate for the first time last week, the Trans Nzoia Senator wants governors barred from contesting for elective office for five years. The President retires after serving his two terms, why are Governors allowed to vie for other positions after serving for two terms? The constitution is silent on that and we must correct it, stated Mbito. The Senator argues that most second term governors are now eyeing development projects in constituencies they will be vying in 2022, and therefore having an unfair advantage over other aspirants. Who would compete with a Governor that has billions at his disposal and is only developing one constituency that he will vie? Mbito posed. As such, the Trans Nzoia Senator states governors whose tenure has expired should vie for Presidency or any other position at the national level. Mbito notes that by the time the governors would be exiting offices after serving a second term, their actions would certainly be under investigations whose outcomes would have a bearing on whether a former holder of the office of county governor would be suitable to hold any other elective office. The consequence of the bill would be two-fold: In the first instance, oversight bodies would have adequate time to inquire into any matters arising from the tenure of a former governor and in the second instance, voters would have a reference point in making an informed choice as to the suitability of a former governor to hold another elective office, reads the proposal in part. This comes as some governors who are now in their last term push for regional governments to remain relevant with some openly stating they will be vying for MP and Senatorial seats. Governors Wycliffe Oparanya (Kakamega), Alfred Mutua (Machakos), Mwangi wa Iria (Muranga), Ali Roba (Mandera), Cornel Rasanga (Siaya), Amason Kingi (Kilifi), Hassan Joho (Mombasa) have since thrown their weight behind the establishment of the third-tier government. Should the Senate pass Dr Mbitos Bill, it will be taken to the National Assembly for debate before forwaded to the President for assent. KALAMAZOO, MI After residents gave input on bump outs proposed to calm traffic in one location in Kalamazoo, the city is now switching to speed humps instead. The change comes after the city installed bump outs in one location and held a demonstration of how they work, leading to complaints and criticism from citizens. After city officials opted to change course, crews began installing the new speed humps, the city of Kalamazoo said on Sept. 24. The city intends to install the humps along four streets this fall. Two streets have already been selected Mabel Street and Elizabeth Street, from Cobb to Westnedge and two more remain to be chosen, engineer Anthony Ladd said. Speed humps were installed on Mabel Street Thursday, Sept. 24, and will also be installed on Elizabeth Street this week, as the road is being repaved, the city of Kalamazoo said. In response to resident input, speed humps are being installed on Mabel Street today to help calm traffic in the... Posted by The City of Kalamazoo, Michigan on Thursday, September 24, 2020 Speed humps are designed to calm traffic. There will be a 15 mph advisory speed limit attached to the speed hump warning sign. One sign showing 25 mph was an an error, Ladd said, and it will be updated to state 15 mph. Each speed hump will cost about $3,500 to install once the material, equipment, labor, signs and pavement markings are taken into account, Ladd said. Needs were assessed by performing speed and volume traffic studies on this group of streets. Then, if a street was found to need traffic calming, residents who live on these streets were asked whether or not they would be in favor of the proposed traffic calming measure, Ladd said. The city has concluded the speed and volume traffic studies, Ladd said. Officials will soon be reviewing resident input before deciding the final two streets on which to place speed humps, he said. The goal, Ladd said, is to choose the streets that will most improve safety for residents and the traveling public. Speed humps are similar to speed bumps. The main difference, Ladd said, is the dimensions and where and why they are used. Speed humps are longer and more gentle transition allowing for a slower but appropriate speed for traveling on a street, Ladd said. Speed bumps are most typically seen in store parking lots and parks where there might be higher pedestrian crossings. They are meant to bring vehicles to a much lower speed due to their abrupt design. In August, the city installed traffic bump outs or chicanes -- physical barriers in the road -- meant to slow vehicles as they travel past. Two bump outs were installed in one location, one on either side of the William Street, along with a digital sign that displayed the speed of vehicles as they passed. The new traffic chicanes on William Street by LaCrone Park in Kalamazoo, Michigan on Thursday, July 30, 2020. The chicanes are an alternative to speed bumps, but are much cheaper in price. There will be 24 set up around Kalamazoo's Northside Neighborhood for a six-month pilot program.Joel Bissell | MLive.com The city has since changed its plans and will not install more bump outs. Instead, the city will use the speed humps to help calm traffic. A vehicle sped through a traffic bump out at 48 miles per hour during the initial demonstration meant to show how the new devices were supposed to calm traffic. That was one of the reasons the city decided to change its plans, Kalamazoo Public Services Director James Baker said previously. The city received complaints about the bump outs, and decided to switch the plan to speed humps instead, the city said previously. Read more: Kalamazoo installs bump outs in streets to slow neighborhood traffic Kalamazoo pivots to speed bumps after plan for street bump outs draws criticism Ukraine, convict's relatives hope court of appeal will restore justice Vitaliy Markiv, a Ukrainian serviceman, has been behind bars in Italy for three years now: a National Guard member was sentenced to 24 years in prison. In Italy, he is accused of his involvement in the deaths of Italian photojournalist Andrea Rocchelli and his Russian interpreter Andrei Mironov in Donbas in May 2014. Markiv's defense lawyers think such a verdict is unfair and point to the absurdity of the accusations. Lawyers for the National Guard serviceman and the state of Ukraine turned to the Court of Appeal of Milan, attaching to the case another evidence of Markiv's innocence. The evidence also includes a part of the documentary "The Wrong Place," directed by a military correspondent from Italy, Cristiano Tinazzi. THREE YEARS BEHIND BARS AND NEWSPAPER HEADLINES The Markiv case began in 2017 when he and his wife flew to Italy to visit his mother, whom he had not seen for three years. "Vitaly lived here in Italy for almost 10 years. Then the Maidan started. He followed the events, and then he decided that he had to be there. He told me that he was going to visit his grandmother for the Christmas holidays, but leaving his bag, he immediately went to Kyiv at night. When hostilities erupted, he joined the National Guard to defend his country. We talked on the phone, and then he had a vacation, and he asked permission from the management to visit his parents," said Vitaliy's mother, Oksana Maksymchuk, who lives in Italy. Oksana Maksymchuk / Photo: Facebook However, the long-awaited meeting turned into a real horror for the family. On June 30, 2017, at Bologna airport, Italian police detained Markiv, accusing him of his involvement in the murder of Italian photojournalist Andrea Rocchelli and his interpreter Andrei Mironov, who died near Sloviansk. "Vitaliy was just the right person for them because in 2014 he defended Mount Karachun with his comrades, and because of that, they were just waiting for him at the airport. On the contrary, he helped Italian journalists when he was on the Maidan. [] Nobody, including Vitaliy, even thought that there could be some accusations against him. It was a shock for him. We all thought it was a mistake and everything would be solved in a few days, but everything continues to this day," Maksymchuk said. According to her, the very next day after the arrest, Italian media outlets wrote articles with horrible headlines, like this one in RomagnaNOI - "Killer of Reporter Rocchelli Arrested." "On the second day after the arrest, they wrote: "Killer Who Was Returning to His Mother", "Murderer of Journalist Rocchelli Captured." He was turned into a murderer without any trial and investigation!" Markiv's mother said. When the Ukrainian community in Italy learned about the death of Italian photojournalist Andrea Rocchelli in Donbas, several representatives went to the funeral to express their condolences and support the family of the deceased. Markiv attends a court session in Pavia, 2019 / Photo: Natalka Kudryk (RFE/RL) "We wanted to support his family. We thought that we should honor the person who covered the events in Donbas, and no one had any idea that everything could turn against us like that," Maksymchuk said. Vitaliy Markiv has Italian citizenship. The trial took place in the town of Pavia, where Rocchelli was born and where his family lives. "I hope the appellate court had time to study the case and draw truthful conclusions. After the verdict was announced in Pavia, Vitaliy's lawyer, a well-known lawyer in Italy, said that it was necessary to bring such a verdict out of Italy, because nothing is functioning here. A person was sentenced to 24 years in prison without evidence," Maksymchuk said. For three years now, she has seen her son only in prison for three years. She says there are strict rules. Only close relatives are allowed to visit Vitaliy. Because of coronavirus, she could not see him for several months. In August, the meeting was granted. Photo provided by the Ukrainian community in Italy "They said that one relative could have a one-hour meeting, with all safety measures observed: masks, gloves, plastic barriers. [] Vitaliy made his choice. I supported him from the first day. And now he continues his war here in prison. He went to defend his country and continues to defend it here. He is accused of what neither he nor the Ukrainian army has ever done," Markiv's mother said. Vitaliy is also actively supported by the Ukrainian community in Italy whose representatives come from all over the country to attend court hearings. TRIAL IN PAVIA, SUPPORT FROM UKRAINIAN COMMUNITY Oles Horodetsky is an activist of the Ukrainian community in Italy, who went to Ukraine to Mount Karachun and conducted his own investigation. In his publications, he explains why Markiv cannot even theoretically be involved in the death of the photojournalist. According to him, Vitaliy knew Italian, and when he went to the frontline, he contacted the Italian media, which asked him for help, and he repeatedly warned them about the danger. Oles Horodetsky, Pavia "Community support began on the second day after Vitaliy's detention. It immediately became clear that this was wrong detention, that he was absolutely not guilty of what he was accused of. The accusations contradict common sense, the laws of physics," Horodetsky told Ukrinform. According to him, the Ukrainian community was very outraged by how the Italian media covered the detention and the trial itself. "Vitaliy was immediately called a murderer. When the trial started, many people from different cities expressed a desire to come to court, because Vitaliy was alone. [] It was important for him to see in the courtroom at least people who trust and support you. We decided that we would come to these meetings in embroidered shirts to show that he was not alone," Horodetsky said. In his opinion, the trial had many flaws and violations, and Markiv himself became a victim because he simply found himself in the wrong place and at the wrong time. Oles Horodetsky "Despite the lack of at least one piece of evidence of his direct involvement in the journalist's death, the court found him guilty and convicted him according to the following formula: he could have seen [Rocchelli], he could have killed [Rocchelli] while on Mount Karachun, there is a possibility that he could have been involved. The National Federation of the Italian Press has become a civil plaintiff to Ukraine. It has never been the case that the journalistic community became a party to the trial. After all, if journalists become a party to the trial, how can we talk about its objective coverage? Of course, Russian propaganda took advantage of this, in particular pro-Russian circles, and there are many of them in Italy. They started to inflate this topic. Russian propaganda during the trial also contributed to the fact that obvious fakes were added to the case file. "Garbage" websites spread lies. So-called Russian journalists or activists contacted the Rocchelli family, trying to convince them of Ukraine's guilt," Horodetsky said. The Italian media not only spread disinformation but also insulted in their articles the Ukrainians who supported Markiv in court, calling them "skinheads." "They wrote that we were allegedly militants with Azov battalion flags, skinheads. In a word, it was an absolute lie. And when we asked the editorial office to refute such information as we had videos and photos, at first they promised they would refute the information, but then they simply did not write on this topic anymore," the Ukrainian said. In fact, in the Pavia court ruling, the fighting in Donbas is called a "civil war" whereas Russian militants are called "Ukrainian rebels." Markiv talks to lawyer Donatella Rapetti, Pavia, 2019 / Photo: Natalka Kudryk (RFE/RL) Vitaliy is accused that having only a Kalashnikov assault rifle, at first he allegedly fired at journalists and could shoot them at a distance of about two kilometers or more, and then he allegedly adjusted mortar fire at journalists. "When you read in this motivational part what they attribute to him, you get the impression that Ukrainian soldiers are Batmans, superheroes who can shoot from a Kalashnikov at a distance of 2,000 meters. This is the verdict by which the Pavia court, in fact, convicted the Italian legal system," Horodetsky said. According to him, the court could not provide a correct translation during the speech of Ukrainian witnesses. When representatives of the Ukrainian community tried to help and made clarifications, they received reproofs. They were later banned from appearing in court with Ukrainian symbols. Vitaliy himself was taken out of the courtroom through another doorway to prevent his contact with Ukrainian supporters. According to the Ukrainian community, the court was not interested in establishing the truth. For example, some jurors could simply fall asleep during the trial. The proposal by Markiv's lawyer, Raffaele Della Valle, to visit the scene of the tragedy to hold the investigation was ignored. Markiv's lawyer Raffaele Della Valle, Pavia, 2019 / Photo: Natalka Kudryk (RFE/RL) JOURNALISTS' INVESTIGATION Instead, a group of journalists, along with human rights activists and experts, decided to investigate the death of photojournalist Andrea Rocchelli. They produced a film called "The Wrong Place." The film was directed by Italian military correspondent Cristiano Tinazzi. He reported, in particular, from Syria, Libya, Iraq, Afghanistan, Egypt, and Ukraine. The Italian also said that in 2014 he gave bulletproof vests to young colleagues who went to Donbas, and some of them in 2019 witnessed in court against Vitaliy Markiv. Photo provided by Cristiano Tinazzi "At that time, there was already doubt about the tragic deaths of Andrea Rocchelli and Andrei Mironov in Sloviansk on May 24, 2014. We knew that the front line between the Zevs Plant, which was occupied by pro-Russian separatist militants, and Mount Karachun, where the Ukrainian National Guard was stationed, was considered a high-risk zone due to the fighting," Tinazzi told Ukrinform. According to him, after the tragedy, the question repeatedly arose whether it was an accident or not. After the detention of Markiv and the trial in Pavia, he and several colleagues began to analyze the trial, evidence and facts, but many questions remained unanswered. "There was a sentence, a heavy sentence, very unusual for the Italian justice system, I was constantly arguing with colleagues. Doubts led me to the desire to create a team of journalists to better understand this confusing event, to which Italian investigators and the media reacted very superficially," the journalist said. So he gathered a team that started its own investigation. Italians Ruben Lagattolla, Danilo Elia and Ukrainian Olha Tokariuk worked on the film together with Cristiano Tinazzi. Photo provided by Cristiano Tinazzi Experts, analysts, ex-servicemen, cartographers, and many other specialists were also involved. Work on the documentary began in July 2019. In search of the truth, they visited Kyiv, Sloviansk, Moscow, Paris, Milan, and Rome. The study of documents, images, and maps is still underway. "We traveled hundreds of kilometers to interview dozens of people, including journalists, experts, lawyers, and witnesses. In addition, all technical work was carried out to develop a computer map, which accurately reproduced the area and scientifically assessed the visibility from Mount Karachun and the Zevs factory," the Italian said. He also noted that the reconstruction of events by Italian investigators is not true. "The distances indicated in the materials were incorrect, no visibility, firing tests were conducted, no satellite maps or simple digital designs were used. They drew a line on a piece of paper, not considering whether there were obstacles to view, whether it was possible to see the target at a distance of more than 1,800 meters, or whether it was possible to recognize and identify it. And what optics could be used then. They didn't say anything about it, they didn't do it. We did it ourselves as journalists with the help of our experts. In addition, we found two witnesses who present a different version of this story than the one built by the only witness heard in an Italian court, Frenchman William Roguelon. And many other respondents gave us the opportunity to piece together a huge picture," the Italian journalist said. He also stressed that the purpose of the film is not to "be Markiv's lawyers", but to establish the truth and the desire to understand what really happened to their colleagues. "Who were Andrea and Andrei? What did they do in those days in Sloviansk? Whom did they meet? How did they act on that day? We wanted to find out if the investigation had in fact created a convenient truth so as to hide the evidence," the film's director said. Photo: Facebook Tinazzi stressed that the film tells about the war, sets out the facts and calls for an investigation to be conducted from scratch, because what is needed is justice, rather than "scapegoats." "We live in a state based on the rule of law, which is one of the core values of the European Union. A miscarriage of justice may be committed, it can happen, but we have three levels of judgment to guarantee the accused the right to defense and to establish the truth. And I hope that will happen," Tinazzi said. According to him, many journalists and photographers refused to help, cooperate, some did it secretly because they were afraid of the consequences for their future activities, others tried to stop them, devaluing this work they apparently forgot what it means to be a journalist. A 35-minute fragment of the film was shown in the Italian parliament. After the first presentation, it gradually made his colleagues think about what was made public. Photo provided by Cristiano Tinazzi "Gradually, over weeks or months, things started to change. Several newspapers, even the most important ones, realized the value of our investigation. Several journalists began to ask questions. And we were able to get to the most famous Italian media and websites," Tinazzi said. Filming is over. The authors hope to publish their work in a few months. Andriy Pylypenko UKRAINE'S POSITION AND 20 NEW WITNESSES For their part, Markiv's defense lawyers asked the court to include in the case the materials used in the film, to hear the experts and witnesses who took part in its creation. "We think it is very important to show Italians that, contrary to publications in some Italian media, there is another story that is based on facts and evidence and demonstrates that soldier Vitaliy Markov is not involved in the deaths of journalists," said Andriy Pylypenko, a lawyer with the Sergii Koziakov & Partners Law Firm that, together with the Italian law firm Legance Avvocati Associati, defends the interests of the state of Ukraine in the Markiv case. According to Pylypenko, the documentary "The Wrong Place" can help Italians better understand what happened in Donbas in 2014, the circumstances of the death of the photojournalist, which was not done during the trial in Pavia. He stressed that the Ukrainian serviceman has nothing to do with the deaths of Andrea Rocchelli and Andrei Mironov, there is not even evidence of his involvement in opening fire at all. "In this case, the presumption of innocence must apply. The prosecution's position is based on unsubstantiated allegations with a lot of imagination, but the criminal proceedings against a person must be comprehensive, ensuring a fair trial and the right to defense," he said. An investigation conducted by the Ukrainian Interior Ministry found that Markiv could not have been involved in the murder of Rocchelli and Mironov because he was 1.7 kilometers away from the scene and had only small arms with him. According to the act of autopsy of the photojournalist, he died from fragments of unidentified ammunition. In addition, from the position of Markiv, the place of death of Rocchelli and Mironov was not visible at all. "The Interior Ministry instructed Kyiv Scientific Research Institute of Forensic Expertise to prepare two comprehensive examinations. The first expert opinion is based on the results of a military examination. It contains an analysis of the behavior of Ukrainian forces stationed on Mount Karachun, witness statements, investigative experiments conducted at the site of the tragedy, a video of militants firing at Mount Karachun from mortars, their ammunition and many other important details that were skipped by the trial court. The second examination is based on a video taken by Roguelon (a French photographer, a key witness in the case of Vitaly Markov) at the time of the May 24, 2014 attack. The analyzed video and statements by victims show that at least small arms fire came from the Zevs factory located approximately 40 meters from a ditch where journalists were trying to hide. Moreover, the video records the words of Andrei Mironov, who says that a mortar was working next to them at the same time as small arms," the Ukrainian lawyer said. William Roguelon repeatedly changed his testimony. His testimony in the Pavia court differed from what he had previously said to the Italian investigation. For example, at first, he said that he could not say who fired from where and then, in the courtroom, he stated that Ukrainians fired. Niccolo Bertolini Clerici To investigate the chronology of events and determine the circumstances of the deaths of Rocchelli and Mironov, Ukrainian investigators interrogated 70 people, 20 of whom were direct witnesses to the deaths of journalists, while Italian law enforcement officers did not question witnesses. "In fact, the defense team now has about 20 potential witnesses who need to be called if the court allows the evidence stage to be resumed. They all have invaluable information for the Markiv case," said Niccolo Bertolini Clerici, a partner at the Legance Avvocati Associati law firm that represents Ukraine in the Court of Appeal of Milan. The new witnesses still live in the conflict zone and were previously reluctant to testify out of fear for their lives. Also, many soldiers who could have witnessed, including soldiers from General Kulchytsky's battalion, were killed, and it took time to find and interrogate those who had returned from the front. "Now, even when the situation in Sloviansk is more or less controlled by Ukrainian law enforcement agencies, there is still a risk of being punished for testifying in favor of Ukraine, because there are many agents working there who are covered up by Russia. It is very difficult to persuade people who lived in Donbas in 2014-2019 to come to court and say their word that will then be known to the whole world. Despite this, with the growing trust and confidence in the protection of the Ukrainian army in Donbas, people are more willing to cooperate with the investigation and provide valuable information that could end the trial against Vitaliy," said Andriy Karnaukhov, a partner of the Sergii Koziakov & Partners law firm. Andriy Karnaukhov The Ministry of Justice of Ukraine stressed that in an extremely short period of time Ukraine has managed to go through all the procedures to ensure its representation in a court of a foreign jurisdiction. A team of lawyers from Ukraine and Italy was called in for proper defense and collection of evidence. Anna Tyshchenko "Close cooperation and effective inter-departmental coordination between the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and the National Guard of Ukraine allow the state to assist Vitaliy Markiv's lawyers in gathering evidence and strengthening defense. The state of Ukraine, as a civilian party in criminal proceedings, is doing everything possible to provide the court with all the necessary materials, witnesses and evidence, to help the court establish the truth and release the Ukrainian soldier, " acting Director of the International Disputes Department of the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine Anna Tyshchenko said. According to Italian lawyer Niccolo Bertolini Clerici, the Court of Appeal of Milan was expected to begin hearing Markiv's case in the spring of 2020, but the hearing was postponed due to coronavirus. At the same time, this allowed Ukraine to conduct investigations, prepare expert opinions and question witnesses. The new arguments were submitted to the court on September 11, 2020. "We expect to persuade the Court of Appeal of Milan to resume the stage of gathering evidence and to consider all the submitted materials for a comprehensive and impartial trial. The first hearings are scheduled for September 29 and October 1, 2020," Clerici said. "I will see him during the consideration of the appeal. I hope that he will be acquitted and freed. He always said he was not guilty of this death. We believe in honest judges who must figure out where the truth is. The truth is on our side," Vitaliy's mother Oksana Maksymchuk said. The building of the Milan court that will hear Markiv's appeal / Photo: Massimiliano Melley To draw attention to the lawsuit, Ukrainians around the world are holding rallies in support of Markiv, unfurling huge banners on the buildings of their cities, hoping for a fair Italian trial. Iryna Drabok, The Hague Photo credit: Natalka Kudryk (RFE/RL), Cristiano Tinazzi, Massimiliano Melley, Ukrainian community in Italy In addition to casting votes for the presidency and a slew of federal, state and local offices, Michigan voters will be deciding the fate of two statewide proposals sent to the ballot by the state legislature. Both Proposal 1 and Proposal 2 would change Michigans Constitution one would change how Michigans Natural Resources Trust Fund works to allow for more flexibility on funding state and local park projects, and the other would define electronic data as private property, meaning state and local law enforcement would need a warrant before searching a persons emails or phone records. Lawmakers already voted these measures out of both chambers, but any changes to the Michigan Constitution must also be approved by voters. Read on to learn more about both measures and what their passage would mean for the state. Proposal 1 The ballot language: "A proposed constitutional amendment to allow money from oil and gas mining on state-owned lands to continue to be collected in state funds for land protection and creation and maintenance of parks, nature areas, and public recreation facilities; and to describe how money in those state funds can be spent. This proposed constitutional amendment would: Allow the State Parks Endowment Fund to continue receiving money from sales of oil and gas from state-owned lands to improve, maintain and purchase land for State parks, and for Fund administration, until its balance reaches $800,000,000. Require subsequent oil and gas revenue from state-owned lands to go into the Natural Resources Trust Fund. Require at least 20% of Endowment Fund annual spending go toward State park improvement. Require at least 25% of Trust Fund annual spending go toward parks and public recreation areas and at least 25% toward land conservation. Should this proposal be adopted?" What it means: Essentially, this measure would change the Natural Resources Trust Fund to allow more flexibility on what the funds are used for. Created in 1976, the Natural Resources Trust Fund emerged as a compromise between conservation groups and business interests as lawmakers debated what to do with revenue from oil and gas pulled from state-owned land. The trust fund board considers requests from all over the state and issues grants from the pool of money, which is restricted to land acquisition and park development projects. Currently, the money is subject to a strict formula - at least 25 percent of the funding distributed each year has to go toward park land and acquisition, and less than 25 percent for developing outdoor recreation. The proposed change would allow for more discretion so long as at least 25 percent apiece is spent on land acquisition and park development, with the trust funds board splitting the other 50 percent as they see fit. In addition to changing the trust funds formula, the plan if passed would put a mechanism in place to eventually lift the $500 million cap on the fund that was reached in 2011. After the Michigan State Parks Endowment Fund reaches an $800 million cap collected from oil and gas revenue, the proposed changes would divert any future revenue back into the trust fund. Becca Maher, campaign manager for a coalition backing the proposals passage, recently told MLive the measure doesnt change the mission of the trust fund it would just allow for more flexibility on what projects ultimately get funded. This will create the flexibility needed to fund trails and parks while continuing to prioritize land conservation and protection, Maher said. More information on the campaign can be found here. Related: Voters will decide whether DNR trust fund money can be put towards more park development Related: Campaign launches for Michigan ballot question to up spending on parks Proposal 2 The language: "A proposed constitutional amendment to require a search warrant in order to access a persons electronic data or electronic communications. This proposed constitutional amendment would: Prohibit unreasonable searches or seizures of a persons electronic data and electronic communications. Require a search warrant to access a persons electronic data or electronic communications, under the same conditions currently required for the government to obtain a search warrant to search a persons house or seize a persons things. Should this proposal be adopted?" What it means: This ballot proposal is coming before voters after years of effort by Sen. Jim Runestad, R-White Lake, to define electronic data and communications as private property. If passed, the measure would amend the Michigan Constitution to include electronic data such as texts and emails under property protected from unreasonable search and seizure, and would require Michigan law enforcement to obtain a warrant before accessing a persons data. Runestad said hes concerned that without specific protections written into the Constitution, police departments could be using advanced cell tower simulators like Hailstorm or Stingray to collect personal electronic data from individuals without a warrant. Currently, only two departments in Michigan - the Michigan State Police and the Oakland County Sheriffs Department - have access to that equipment, although both departments require warrants for their use. But Runestad said hes heard of departments in other states have using such equipment without warrants frequently. Hes hoping the proposal he spearheaded will broadly protect state residents from warrantless search and seizure of their electronic records, regardless of the technology used. The way it was written is so broad that if theyre going to look at any of your electronic data and communications - if its a GPS system, if its your cell phone, if its your computer, your laptop, zip drive, whatever it is - they are not allowed to look at that unless they get a warrant, he said. And if theres new technology, that same things going to adhere. Read more election coverage from MLive: Gary Peters and John James offer stark differences in Michigans U.S. Senate race Trump terms mail-in ballots a scam, but his Michigan campaign is promoting absentee voting 3 takeaways from U.S. Rep. Fred Upton and state Rep. Jon Hoadley debate Jill Biden to visit Traverse City Tuesday on Northern Michigan campaign swing U.S. Rep. Jack Bergman looks to keep northern Michigan red amid challenge from Democrat Dana Ferguson John Albers (pictured), 17, was shot dead in January 2018 while backing out of his family's garage with a minivan in Overland Park, Kansas The FBI has opened a civil rights investigation that led to the death of a Kansas teenager who was shot dead as he reversed out of the garage of his family's home. John Albers, 17, of Overland Park, was shot 13 times in January 2018. Officer Clayton Jenison, 31, had been dispatched to the Albers' suburban home to conduct a wellness check after a friend called authorities because they believed the teenage boy was suicidal. The FBI is to now 'collect all available facts and evidence and will ensure that the investigation is conducted in a fair, thorough and impartial manner.' The FBI has not stated did the reason for the review however the agency's Kansas City, Missouri, field office is working with the U.S. attorney's office in Kansas and the Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division according to NBC News. John was attempting to back the family's minivan out of the driveway in the Kansas City suburb when Jenison fired several rounds into the vehicle after ordering John to stop. But footage shows Jenison was never in the minivan's path and it's unclear if John even noticed Albers in his attempt to leave. After the shooting, Jenison was not publicly named by authorities because of the state's restrictive public records laws until Albers' family filed a wrongful death lawsuit. Body camera footage from the Overland Police Department shows the moment John reverses the vehicle out of the driveway and Jenison opens fire Jension was not charged in John's death and prosecutors ruled the killing was 'justifiable' All investigated reports were withheld from the public. Sheila Albers, the victim's mother, alleged that officials refused to provide any records on the incident. Jenison was placed on administrative leave after an investigation, but later offered to resign from his post. He faced no charges and the killing was ruled as justifiable. The officer then resigned from the police force before administrative action could be taken. John's mother, Sheila Albers, said she welcomes the FBI and U.S. attorney's office investigation, and hopes it will 'shed light on what Overland Park and our DA have been able to keep hidden.' The opening of an investigation 'highlights the failure of Overland Park and District Attorney Steve Howe to be transparent in their investigations and be accountable to their constituents,' she added. Authorities were dispatched to John Albers' home after friend believed he was suicidal Sheila Albers, pictured with John Albers as a little boy, welcomes the FBI and U.S. attorney's office investigation hoping it will 'shed light on what has been kept hidden' Albers has long questioned the police narrative that Jenison had no choice but to draw his weapon because he was in immediate danger. She says she is hoping for more transparency from the federal investigation after officials 'disseminated a false narrative, cleared the officer of wrongdoing in record time and structured a severance payout to the officer that killed John.' 'Officials will 'fully cooperate ... just as we cooperated with the investigations conducted by the Johnson County District Attorney's office and the Kansas Commission on Peace Officers' Standards,' said Sean Reilly, a spokesman for the city of Overland Park. On the night John Albers was killed, his family had gone out to dinner and police were conducting a wellness check at his home. The Albers' family claimed that prosecutors and officials would not disclose reports of the case during investigations in a move seen as nontransparent but are hoping that openness will prevail in the new investigation A prosecutor argued that Jenison was 'standing directly behind' the minivan, but a judge later ruled that was false In footage from January 20, 2018, officers arrive to the Albers' home after John reportedly made comments to friends online that he was considering suicide. Two officers drive to the home within minutes, but neither approach the front door or try to make contact with John. Soon, the garage door opens and and John begins to pull out onto the driveway. Jenison is seen standing on the right-hand side of the garage. A prosecutor argued that Jenison was 'standing directly behind' the minivan, but a judge later ruled that was false. On the night John Albers was killed, his family had gone out to dinner and police were conducting a wellness check at his home Jenison yells 'stop' at the minivan three times, but the vehicle suddenly reverses and does a 180-degree turn into the street. Jenison appears close to the vehicle, but is untouched and moves away. As the minivan reverses towards the garage, Jenison unloads several rounds into the vehicle striking John. The vehicle stops accelerating and rolls forward in neutral out of the driveway. John died from gunshot wounds. A toxicology report indicated that Albers had not been under the influence of drugs or alcohol. The family ended up settling with Overland Park in 2019 for $2.3 million, although the city did not admit liability and said it settled to avoid the cost and length of the litigation. Meanwhile, Officer Jenison received $70,000 as part of a severance package when he agreed to resign. The National Suicide Prevention line is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week at 1-800-273-TALK. So how do we feel about the Eagles' game yesterday? Down late in the fourth quarter to the Bengals, the Birds did mount a comeback before a scoreless overtime period ended the game in a tie. Is this as low as they can go? asks beat writer Les Bowen. In other news, tomorrow marks five weeks until Election Day. My colleagues have been reporting on everything you need to know about registering to vote, casting a ballot, and more. Find it all at Inquirer.com/election. Josh Rosenblat (@joshrosenblat, morningnewsletter@inquirer.com) Pennsylvanias COVID-19 Mobile Response Unit made its first stops in Philadelphia this weekend. Along with offering free testing, the unit also offers information and bilingual support through a partnership with the state Health Department, the Independence Blue Cross Foundation, and Latino Connection. After making stops elsewhere in the state, the unit stopped at the Columbia North YMCA on North Broad Street and Concilio, a Latino community organization on Hunting Park Avenue. The units motto is sharing knowledge to erase fear, and the CEO and founder of Latino Connection said the effort recognizes that making it easier "for people to receive free PPE items and information in both English and Spanish ... is essential for closing the divide on health disparity in Pennsylvania. During Trumps presidency, a suburban revolt from the Republican Party" and other political realignments have been building for years, my colleague Andrew Seidman reports. And theyve been solidified in elections following 2016. Democrats' progress has varied depending on the region, and one test is the largely white, affluent, and well-educated towns outside Pittsburgh, where Republicans have held seats for decades. WeChat, the social media app owned by a Chinese tech giant, combines aspects of Facebook, Venmo, Google Drive, Twitter, Zoom, and text messages in a single app. And for many local Chinese Americans and immigrants from China, it can serve as a type of lifeline, my colleague Jason Laughlin reports. The app helps connect people with family overseas and helps with networking, organizing, and communication. The Trump administration says its concerned that the data gathered on WeChat could end up in the hands of the Chinese government. A ban would prevent the app and incremental upgrades from being downloaded. What you need to know today Through your eyes | #OurPhilly Keep sharing those fall colors. Great shot, @strangerphilly. Tag your Instagram posts or tweets with #OurPhilly and well pick our favorite each day to feature in this newsletter and give you a shout-out! Thats interesting Opinions But if this pandemic has taught us anything, its how important the little things, which are actually the big things, are when all seems lost. That includes family, and to many people, including myself, that family means their beloved animals. writes columnist Helen Ubinas about a Philly animal disaster relief program that works but is shutting down. Former Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ridge, a Republican, writes about why hes voting for Joe Biden. Columnist Maria Panaritis writes about an underfunded school district struggling with a teacher shortage that eliminated its pandemic cyber academy, putting even more stress on families. What were reading Your Daily Dose of | Wine cork art At 92, Walter Deuschle isnt one to turn down a challenge. While undergoing monthly chemotherapy treatments for leukemia, Deuschle has spent time in his Huntingdon Valley home art studio building a 7-foot-tall Eiffel Tower made out of wine corks. The Delhi High Court will pronounce on Tuesday its order on the CBI and ED pleas seeking early hearing on their appeals challenging the acquittal of former telecom minister A Raja and others in the 2G spectrum allocation scam case. Justice Brijesh Sethi had reserved the order on the pleas on September 22. The probe agencies have sough an early hearing of their 'leave to appeal' which are listed for October 12. Leave to appeal is a formal permission granted by a court to a party to challenge a decision in a higher court. They said substantial judicial time of the high court was consumed in hearing arguments in the case and it should be concluded before retirement of the judge on November 30. Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Sanjay Jain, representing the CBI and the ED, earlier said that judicial time has already been invested in this matter and it should not go as a bad investment. He said if the arguments are not completed in the matter before retirement if the judge, they will have to start afresh. The CBI has also sought advancing the hearing of the appeal challenging the acquittal of Essar Group promoters Ravi Ruia and Anshuman Ruia, Loop Telecom promoters I P Khaitan and Kiran Khaitan and four others in a separate case arising out of the 2G scam probe. The acquitted individuals and firms have opposed the pleas saying the agencies have not shown the urgency so far and during the COVID-19 pandemic, the courts are following a particular sequence in conducting proceedings giving priority to cases where accused/ convicts are in jail and that pattern should not be disturbed. They have submitted that in view of the pandemic, which is becoming more severe by the day and the physical functioning of the high court is restricted, it is not possible for the parties to fully prepare and instruct their counsels and hearings in the restricted environment would cause severe prejudice to them. The CBI and the ED sought early virtual hearing of their appeals saying that the country's largest trial, which was conducted at the public exchequer's cost, be brought to its logical conclusion. A special court had on December 21, 2017 acquitted Raja, DMK MP Kanimozhi and others in CBI and ED cases related to the scam. It had acquitted 17 others, including DMK supremo M Karunanidhi's wife Dayalu Ammal; Vinod Goenka, Asif Balwa; film producer Karim Morani; P Amirtham and Sharad Kumar, Director of Kalaignar TV in the ED case. On the same day, the trial court had also acquitted former telecom secretary Siddharth Behura, Raja's erstwhile private secretary R K Chandolia, Unitech Ltd MD Sanjay Chandra and three top executives of Reliance Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group (RADAG) Gautam Doshi, Surendra Pipara and Hari Nair, in the CBI's 2G case. Swan Telecom promoters Balwa and Vinod Goenka and directors of Kusegaon Fruits and Vegetables Pvt Ltd Asif Balwa and Rajiv Agarwal were also acquitted in the CBI case. On March 19 2018, the ED had approached the high court challenging the special court's order acquitting all the accused. A day later, the CBI too had challenged in the high court the acquittal of the accused in the case. Every name on the BrandBucket marketplace is exclusively listed with BrandBucket. That means that all of our sellers are very responsive, making for quick domain transfers. A dedicated BrandBucket agent will manage your domain transfer from beginning to end, ensuring a secure and easy transaction. They will manage the receipt of the domain into one of BrandBuckets secure registrar accounts and then complete the transfer to you. 1. Verification and registrar choice After we receive the payment and verify it, we will reach out via email to confirm which registrar you want the domain transferred to. We also provide a link to our tracking system, where you can communicate with us, check on the status of your transfer, view your invoice, and download your logo files. In most cases, if a domain is moved between accounts at a single registrar, the transfer is quick and usually completes within 48 hours. If a domain changes registrars (in other words, you would like to move it away from where it is currently registered), the transfer is slower. The total transfer time can then be anywhere from 48 hours to 7 days. BrandBucket has vetted and supports the following registrars: GoDaddy Namesilo Uniregistry NameCheap Google Domains Network Solutions Name.com Dynadot Amazon Route 53 123 Reg Gandi 2. We request the name from the seller. Once we know where you would like the domain transferred, BrandBucket will request the domain from the seller. All of our sellers are very responsive, making for a quick process. 3. Transfer the name into your account As soon as we receive the name from the seller, we start the transfer into your account and guide you through the whole process. 4. Verify with the buyer that the transfer is complete Once we confirm that you have received the name, we consider the escrow process to be complete. Only then do we release payment to the domain seller. Digital-only banks, or neobanks, have the potential to meet the financing needs of small businesses and help digitize and formalize their operations, according to a Vidhi Centre for Legal Policy report. Access to formal credit has been a key challenge for Indias micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), which employ about 111 million people. Digital banks can support underserved market segments as access to credit from traditional banks have been limited due to the informal nature of businesses, low turnover, and inability to provide collateral. One common customer segment that seems to have gained popularity with such digital-only banking models (both in India and globally) is the MSME segment. Through their technology focused operations, these banks are able to offer a range of services to meet the varied banking and business needs of such establishments," the report said. Indias neobanking sector is at a nascent stage and at present there are 17 neo-banking platforms, including Niyo, RazorpayX, Instantpay, Jupiter, and Nupay, the Vidhi report said. Digital-only banking functions as a partnership between a licensed bank and fintech companies, as Indian laws do not allow digital banks. The non-banks provide the tech platform through which banking and value-added services, including opening and operating savings or current accounts with licensed banks, applying for loans, generating invoices, accounting, and ensuring compliance with goods and services tax norms, are accessed. Such platforms typically target millennials, startups and MSMEs. However, in countries such as South Korea, China, and the UK, digital-only banks are licensed to provide all banking services. Licensed digital banks that allow end-to-end banking operations to take place have emerged in certain jurisdictions. The digital-only banking model may play an important role in providing critical banking services and contributing to the growth of a robust and competitive banking sector," the report noted. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Never miss a story! Stay connected and informed with Mint. Download our App Now!! Topics BROOK PARK, Ohio -- A recent Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District study outlines various problematic residential flooding areas in Brook Park. NEORSD Watershed Team Leader Meiring Borcherds presented study findings during a livestreamed Sept. 22 community informational meeting. Brook Park City Council, Mayor Mike Gammella and other city officials also attended. Field and flow monitoring took place from 2018 to 2020, Borcherds said. A model was created of streams flowing through the local sewer system. That information continues to be evaluated to identify specific problem areas, whether caused by basement backups or sanitary sewer overflows. A final detailed Brook Park community report, with feasible solutions, wont be ready until spring 2021. Brook Park has been using its (NEORSD community cost-share program) money very wisely and very well in the last four years by cleaning out catch basins and helping to supplement its local stormwater management program in the city, Borcherds said, noting communities get 25 percent of total cost-share fees collected from their property owners. We will make sure we do our best to create capacity in the regional system for the local system to go into, he added. But I believe all the issues you see here are very much related to local system issues. Regional streams are those that drain 300 acres or more. Any stream that drains less acreage is considered a local system, which could be a pipe in the road or a small creek through a residents backyard. Property owners generally maintain the local systems, Borcherds emphasized. NEORSD District Project Manager Michael Blair said four large problem areas cover much of the northern half of Brook Park, primarily residential areas. A county project to fix Sheldon Road flooding, which involves raising the road to alleviate problems with tail water from the railroad crossing downstream, is in its preliminary design phase, Blair said. In a Sept. 23 interview with cleveland.com, Mayor Gammella said he has been working with the NEORSD for at least a year. He would like to see a detention or retention basin constructed at Wedo Park. We dont have a flooding problem in Brook Park. We have a flooding issue, Gammella said. "Its not citywide, and its only in certain areas. Weve had these issues for many, many years, he continued. Were working with the sewer district because Im not going to spend a dime of the taxpayers' money until Im absolutely certain its going to remedy the situation. Another meeting with the NEORSD will be scheduled in the coming months. Read more stories from the News Sun. RIYADH: The G20 leaders summit will be held virtually? ?on Nov. 21-22, Saudi Arabia said on Monday, as the COVID-19 pandemic thwarted Riyadhs hopes of hosting the gathering in the kingdom to boost its international standing. Saudi Arabia, the worlds top oil exporter and a leading U.S. ally, took over the G20 presidency at a time of heavy global criticism of its human rights record after the 2018 murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi and of the Yemen war. Riyadh has sought to turn attention to reforms launched by de facto ruler Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to open up the kingdom and diversify its economy. King Salman, who had surgery in July, will chair the November summit, a G20 Saudi secretariat statement said. Saudi leaders had hailed the kingdoms G20 presidency as proof of its leading role in the global economy, but the majority of the meetings have been held virtually due the novel coronavirus. The summit will focus on protecting lives and restoring growth, by addressing vulnerabilities uncovered during the pandemic and by laying down foundations for a better future," the statement said. The Group of 20 major economies have this year contributed over $21 billion to support measures such as the production and distribution of vaccines to fight the coronavirus outbreak. They have injected $11 trillion to stem the economic impact of the pandemic and launched a debt suspension initiative for the worlds poorest countries aimed at deferring some $14 billion in debt payments due this year. Ahead of hosting the G20 summit, Saudi Arabia jailed eight people for between seven and 20 years for Khashoggis killing in the kingdoms Istanbul consulate. Saudi officials denied Prince Mohammed played a role, but in 2019 he indicated some personal accountability, saying it happened under my watch". Riyadh has also been trying to exit the costly conflict in Yemen, where a Saudi-led coalition has been battling the Iran-aligned Houthi group for over five years in what is widely seen in the region as a proxy war between Saudi Arabia and Iran. Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor Such as the first example of the Lamborghini Aventador SVJ 63 Roadster series , of which exactly 63 examples were created (with an additional 63 in coupe guise). Why is the menacing satin matte black on gold details example such a handful it's not just because of the Italians usual styling of delivering as many edges and corners as possible.It is also because the glossy and satin areas need to be treated differently, with two types of paint protection film and not to mention that exposed carbon fiber elements also stand for their own challenge.We have seen quite a few examples of the level of craftsmanship exhibited by the British folks from Topaz Detailing, and we can bet that when money is no hindrance, they are always ready to answer any challenge . As such, we did not cringe at all when host Nabil Naamo explained (twice) that such a project is always considered a bit of a nightmare.While he certainly understated the challenge, during the actual detailing and paint protection film wrap process theres nothing to show it was that hard. Actually, by our account it was highly entertaining to see the black beast sitting idle as it gets caressed with all the softest tools in the business to ensure the bespoke PPF (the company tailors them to every project) will become virtually invisible at the end.With the most exclusive open Aventador in the world in the lot, the experts from Topaz certainly wasted no expense into making sure the Italian V12-powered machine gets out unscratched from routine encounters with those pesky stones and all the other stuff us car aficionados hate with passion.Because the 770-hp supercar is capable of reaching 60 mph (96 kph) in less than three seconds and will not tire until it reaches more than 350 kph (218 mph) it is always adamant about making sure everything is well protected. As such, not only the body is protected by PPF, but even the headlights and taillights. Also, there are some interior details that get the same treatment such as the door cards or the door entry passage. By Express News Service MUMBAI: The Reserve Bank of India on Monday postponed its three-day monetary policy meeting that was scheduled to begin from Tuesday. While RBI did not cite any reason, experts said the meeting could not have taken place anyway, due to lack of quorum. The six-member Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) currently has only three members, while four must be present to hold monetary policy meeting. The terms of three external members Chetan Ghate, Pami Dua and Ravindra Dholakia ended last month but the government is yet to announce replacements for them. Meeting for #RBI Monetary policy Committee On Sept 29th cancelled, next date to be announced soon. @NewIndianXpress @TNIEBiz pic.twitter.com/f3UOhuhNvo Anuradha Shukla (@anu1122) September 28, 2020 Half of the panel, led by the RBI governor, comprises external independent members with a four-year term. External members are not eligible for re-appointment. Earlier, the government had declined the central banks request to extend the tenure of the members till March 2020. Instead, a panel led by Department of Economic Affairs secretary Tarun Bajaj was set up to select new members. According to experts, the procedural delay could cripple crucial decision-making. The economy is facing a serious challenge and RBI has been leading from the front with quick responses through rate cuts etc. This delay could have been avoided, said V K Vijayakumar, Chief Investment Strategist at Geojit Financial Services. Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a meeting at the White House - Mark Wilson Israels prime minister has admitted flaws in his response to the coronavirus crisis, as the rate of daily infections reached a new record of 8,300 and a leading scientist warned two more lockdowns may be required. Benjamin Netanyahu said he regretted the swift decision to reopen schools and event halls earlier this year, but then accused the media of spreading complacency about the virus. Did we make mistakes in the past? Of course, Mr Netanyahu said in a televised statement. The opening of event halls was too fast [and] maybe the opening of the whole school system. He also attacked members of the Knesset, the Israeli parliament, for blocking some of the restrictions he had tried to impose on Israel before resorting to a three-week lockdown. A record 8,315 coronavirus cases were registered on Friday as the country entered its second week of lockdown, coinciding with the Jewish holy day of Yom Kippur. The death toll rose to 1,446 over the weekend and 200 patients have been placed on ventilators. In total, Israel has seen 231,000 cases of coronavirus since the pandemic began, of which the majority have recovered. It came as a British-Israeli epidemiologist warned that the outbreak was becoming so severe that more lockdowns could be needed in future. A man runs on a car-free highway, during the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur, in Tel Aviv - AP Its a question of whether people will realise its serious and play by the rules. Because if not, there could be a third and a fourth lockdown, Michael Edelstein, a former Public Health England consultant who now holds a professorship at Bar Ilan University in Galilee, told the Times of Israel. This could go on in cycles until a vaccine becomes available, he added. Theres no doubt Israel has one of the highest rates of new infection in the world and its a real concern. Israels second lockdown, which is due to end in two weeks but may be extended, has led to the closure of schools, offices and most shops, excluding supermarkets and pharmacies. Story continues As during the first lockdown, Israelis are not allowed to venture from home beyond a one kilometre radius except for buying essential supplies. Yom Kippur prayer gatherings have been restricted, with Israelis told they cannot gather in groups larger than 20, and they can only meet near their homes. However, despite the lockdown, thousands attended a protest against Benjamin Netanyahus leadership outside his official residence on Saturday night. One in four items bought by hoarders goes to waste as shoppers are warned stockpiling is a 'false economy' a study has revealed. The study, carried out by Topcashback, found that Britons spent nearly 10 billion a year on stockpiling items that are lost, forgotten or thrown away, causing unnecessary food waste and greenhouse gas emissions. With one in four bulk buys going to waste, the report reveals that shoppers are continuing to subscribe to what the cashback shopping site describes as 'a false economy'. The study shows that 80 per cent of shoppers identified 'saving money' as the number one reason to bulk buy. Conversely, almost a quarter also said they regretted stocking up at one point or another with nearly half citing being worse off financially as the reason. It comes as panic buying across the UK has resumed amid fears of a second wave of coronavirus and another lockdown with shoppers reporting queuing for 20 minutes to enter shops before similar further delays at checkouts. And online customers found it near-impossible to get delivery slots from Asda, Morrisons, Ocado, Sainsbury's and Tesco - some didn't have free slots for up to two weeks. A view of empty spaces on shelves where toilet rolls would normally sit at a Sainbury's supermarket in Ashford, Kent An empty space where toilet rolls would normally sit at the Tesco in Slough, Berkshire Restrictions on items which vanished most quickly during the country's first lockdown, such as flour and eggs, have been put in place. However, shops have insisted that bare shelves once filled with toilet paper and pasta will be quickly restocked. The research showed that a quarter of purchases are wasted, predominantly because the product is not used before its use-by date. The study estimates that the average shopper spends 200 a year on bulk buys that they do not use and ends up being thrown away - this works out at about 9.6 billion annually across the country. The most popular items that were bought in bulk were tinned items, toilet roll, pasta, rice, frozen food and soap. Adam Bullock, from Topcashback.co.uk, said: 'Shoppers believe they are helping the environment by bulk buying. 'However, by continually throwing away a percentage of their purchases, they are making a negative impact, and are harming their wallet at the same time. 'Being savvy with savings doesn't necessarily require stocking up in bulk.' **Been affected by panic buying? Get in touch at katie.feehan@mailonline.co.uk** Pictures from a Tesco in west London show shoppers have emptied shelves this weekend despite study showing one in four items bought in bulk goes to waste as warning to stockpilers However, shops have insisted that bare shelves would be quickly restocked. Pictured: A sign limiting three items per customer is displayed in a supermarket in Manchester The toilet roll running out at Tesco in Ely, Cambridgeshire, on Thursday afternoon as the store ration it to one pack per customer after customers have started panic buying items again An empty space where tins of beans would normally sit at the Tesco in Slough, Berkshire Supermarket bosses have been forced to implement restrictions on essentials as shoppers continue to try and stockpile amid fears of a second lockdown. The executive director of Waitrose, James Bailey, told The Sunday Times that there was 'enough food to go round'. He added: 'But if one person fills their house will all the packs of pasta they can get their hands on, it inevitably means somebody else will go without. They could be the most vulnerable or key workers.' It comes after Tesco became the latest supermarket to impose rationing on food and household goods. In a bid to avoid the bulk buying which left shop shelves across the UK almost bare in March, the supermarket giant will limit items such as flour, dried pasta, toilet roll and anti-bacterial wipes to three per customer. Morrisons on Thursday announced rationing would be introduced on certain items in its stores up and down the country. Charities for the elderly are also asking customers to be 'mindful' about the impact of panic buying on the more vulnerable in society. Caroline Abrahams, Charity Director at Age UK, said: 'Earlier this year we heard repeatedly from older people and families deeply distressed about the difficulties they had getting hold of groceries and essential supplies. 'Support with shopping has remained in high demand from local Age UKs for those who have found it hard to navigate socially distanced shops, are not online or are understandably anxious about going out. 'No doubt many older people will be apprehensive that history may repeat itself. 'We would urge everyone to be mindful of others when they hit the shops, particularly those who will really struggle if they can't get what they need in their local supermarket.' It has been reported supermarkets are boosting security and have doubled number of delivery slots amid fears Covid-19 panic buying could return. Pictured: Tesco in south east London The executive director of Waitrose has slammed panic buyers saying their actions 'inevitably means someone else will go without'. Pictured: Empty shelves at a Sainsbury's in Wandsworth And restrictions on items which vanished most quickly during the country's first lockdown, such as flour and eggs, have been put in place. Pictured: Asda in Barnes Hill, Birmingham The restrictions come as supermarket chiefs look to avoid a over repeat of the stockpiling panic seen in stores at the start of the pandemic in March. Pictures from supermarkets across the UK have already shown empty or rapidly emptying toilet roll shelves, just days after the government announced tighter restrictions in a bid to stave off a second coronavirus wave. A Tesco spokesperson said: 'We have good availability, with plenty of stock to go round, and we would encourage our customers to shop as normal. 'To ensure that everyone can keep buying what they need, we have introduced bulk-buy limits on a small number of products. 'To help our customers shop safely, we will also have colleagues at the entrances of our larger stores to remind customers about the safety measures we have in place, including the legal requirement to wear a face covering.' Asda said they had not witnessed any panic buying in their stores and so no purchasing limits were in place . However, a shopper has pleaded for people not to be 'selfish' by stockpiling household items after shelves in an Asda store in County Durham were left completely empty. Keith Jackson said shelves of toilet roll in Asda in Stanley had been entirely emptied on Saturday. When the Covid-19 lockdown was first introduced earlier this year, Britain's shelves were stripped bare with pasta and toilet paper hard to find. And it seems with tighter restrictions put in place in the North East, people are reporting a second wave of panic buying. After seeing the bare shelves in his local supermarket, Keith pleaded for people not to stockpile saying it 'deprives the vulnerable' of everyday products adding to their stress. Keith said: 'It was just the toilet roll for now, although it wouldn't surprise me if the pasta and hand wash are next to be stockpiled if we have a repeat of six months ago. 'I can't stand stockpiling, I think it's selfish and unnecessary. There's enough product in storage to go around. 'Stockpiling just puts undue strain on supply chains and deprives the vulnerable of everyday products, adding to their stress and anxiety. A sign limiting three items per customer is displayed in a supermarket in Manchester 'This feels very much like it did the end of March when I had to go to petrol stations to buy toilet roll. 'Sadly it feels some people have not learned anything in the last six months, their only concern is for themselves which is a shame. 'It starts with a minority of people and then others start to panic and join in, for fear of not being able to get hold of the products they need. 'Then it takes a month or two for the supermarkets to get their stock levels back to normal.' **Been affected by panic buying? Get in touch at katie.feehan@mailonline.co.uk ** Mindset expert and clinical hypnotist Claire Aristides has shared what common dreams really mean and how they could relate to your emotions and everyday life. Some dreams often involve falling, losing your teeth, being naked in public and dying - all of which can have a deeper meaning. 'Dreaming is a way to connect to the subconscious mind; dreams are natural, healthy and can be metaphorical to what an individual is feeling or experiencing,' Claire, from Sydney, told FEMAIL. 'I would encourage people to not feel frightened of dreams or think that they're negative, but instead see them as a gateway or outlet to your unconscious mind.' She said metaphors are a 'very good way' to understand or decode what is happening in our dreams, mind and lives. Claire has also released a free Mindology app to calm and empower the mindset through visualisation and self-hypnosis. Mindset expert and clinical hypnotist Claire Aristides (pictured) has shared what common dreams really mean and how they could relate to your emotions and everyday life Falling One common dream thousands of people experience is falling, which Claire says might occur as a result of feeling lost or unsafe. 'Dreams don't always mean the same thing for every person, but falling can be a metaphor for feeling out of control, falling out of touch with someone or falling into the unknown and feeling unsafe,' she said. 'This could also signify leaving something behind or separating from something that you might be drifting away or holding you back.' 'Dreaming is a way to connect to the subconscious mind; dreams are natural, healthy and can be metaphorical to what an individual is feeling or experiencing,' Claire told FEMAIL Losing your teeth Similarly to falling, dreaming about losing teeth could signify feeling lost or losing control. Claire said it's important to draw on what's taking place in everyday life in order to understand a dream. 'Losing your teeth can relate to stress, anxiety and feeling like you're not in control of a situation,' she said. Claire said it's important to draw on what's taking place in everyday life in order to understand a dream Being naked in public Dreaming of being naked in a public place is common and can link to feeling exposed or caught out. 'This often relates to the fear of others pointing out your insecurities, failures and flaws - which is something no-one wants,' Claire said. 'This type of dream can also be tied into an individual's self-esteem levels, guilt or being caught out.' WHAT MIGHT YOUR DREAMS MEAN? Falling - feeling out of control, separating from something, feeling unsafe Dying - change is occurring, end of a chapter or phase in life, something new is starting, stress Losing your teeth - stress, anxiety, feeling like you're not in control Chopping off your hair - change, making a big career decisions, stress, something is changing in your life Being naked in public - self-esteem issues, fear of flaws and insecurities being exposed to others Ending a relationship - stress in a relationship, mindset exploring response to a possible situation Drowning - feeling overwhelmed, not coping, stress Being chased - feeling frightened, fearing something or someone, escaping Claire said it's important to draw on what's taking place in everyday life in order to understand a dream Advertisement Dying Dying in a dream can signify change is about to happen, or and ending is taking place. 'Death represents an ending - whether it be the ending of a chapter in their life, separating from a relationship or ending a phase,' Claire said. And with death, or the end of a chapter, ideally beings a new journey for the person to embark on. Claire said while dying in a dream may be frightening, it can indicate a positive aspect and change to someone's life too. Dying in a dream can signify change is about to happen, or and ending is taking place Ending a relationship When we dream, the muscles in our body are relaxed but the mind and brain is still very active. And because dreaming strongly links to how an individual is feeling, this gives the mind an opportunity to play out certain situations. Claire said if a person dreams of ending their relationship with their partner, this may be because of stress, issues, other factors, or sometimes nothing at all. 'Dreaming gives the individual a chance to react to a situation in their minds, or think about something differently,' she said. 'The power of the imagination takes what a person has experienced over the last few days and uses it when dreaming, but alters or creates situations.' Claire said if a person dreams of ending their relationship with their partner, this may be because of stress, issues or other factors, or nothing at all Being chased When people dream of being chased, this can reflect the fear of change, being frightened or escaping something. 'Children, teenagers and adults can dream of being chased for multiple reasons, and fear itself can evolve into a character that can start to chase you in a dream,' Claire said. 'This can link to fearing something at school, work or change in general.' While cutting your own hair or shaving your head in a dream isn't as common as others, this might be metaphoric to stress of a particular situation Cutting your hair While cutting your own hair or shaving your head in a dream isn't as common as others, this might be metaphoric to stress from a particular situation or change. 'The hair is a metaphor for something - which will vary from person to person,' Claire said. 'It could be a metaphor for making a career decision, personal change in your life or letting go of something.' A Miles College student remains in intensive care after she was wounded during a weekend drive-by shooting in Birmingham. Jaylen Miles, a 20-year-old sophomore studying accounting and business finance, was shot twice Saturday evening while visiting a friend in the Fairview neighborhood on the citys westside. Birmingham police said the shooting happened about 6:30 p.m. in the 2600 block of 29th Street Ensley. Jaylen is the oldest of Nina Miles' five daughters. Nina said they had gone out to eat together Saturday and then Jaylen had gone to visit one friend while on the way to visit another. She was standing on the front porch of her friends home, and only had been there a short time, when a vehicle pulled up and opened fire. One bullet went through one side of her jaw and out the other side, fracturing both sides. Another bullet struck her in the torso, breaking several ribs and puncturing her lung. She is set to undergo surgery on her face Tuesday morning. Nina said she and her daughter hadnt been apart 15 minutes when she received the call that Jaylen had been shot. "I didnt know what to expect. No parent wants to bury their child,'' she said Monday. "I just kept saying, "Lord, please keep her.''' Nina rushed to the hospital and has been with her daughter ever since. "She doesnt bother anybody,'' she said. Shes respectful and she always makes sure everybody else has what they need. Jaylen, she said, is still scared. "Anytime you talk to her about it, she just starts crying,'' Nina said. She keeps saying, Im sorry, Im sorry,' and I keep telling her she did nothing wrong. She was just standing on the porch. Police have not made any arrests in the shooting. "It has to stop,'' Nina said. Who gives anybody the right to take a life or shoot someone? Though still in serious condition, Nina said her daughters prognosis is good but there will be long recovery ahead and the family is asking for prayers. Jaylen on Monday posted this on Facebook: Just want to thank the man above for giving me a second chanceminor setback for a major comeback. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 28) Holding company Udenna Corporation has expressed its interest to secure Shell Philippines 45 percent stake in the Malampaya project to ensure continued safe and reliable operations. In a statement on Monday, the Uy-led firm, which has 45 percent interest in the natural gas project, said it is willing to work with the other consortium member , PNOC Exploration Corporation (PNOC EC), which owns the remaining 10 percent of the project. We, together with PNOC EC, are the most suitable party to assume Shells interest, Udenna Group spokesperson Atty. Raymond Zorrilla said. He added that the transfer of Shells interest should be resolved immediately to ensure continued employment of the plants workers, as well as continued service of the plant to customers who depend on its operations. It is the remaining Consortium members responsibility to ensure that they [employees] remain secure in the knowledge that their service to the country shall continue, Zorrilla said. "The Malampaya facilities are run by Filipino men and women to produce energy safely and reliably to keep the lights on for every Filipino. Zorrilla also mentioned that the remaining members are free of any conflicts of interest associated with ownership of downstream gas and electricity businesses. He added that there are complicated issues that a new member should look into that may take time and only the existing members could evaluate these on time. The company also assured that Shells exit will have no impact in the plants operations. In case Shell chooses to sell its stake to a third party, Zorrilla said the company will exercise its rights as stated in the agreement and as a member of the consortium, like its pre-emptive and consent rights. Last week, Shell said it is looking for a buyer of its stake in the Malampaya facility, which is located offshore of Palawan and is known to have rich oil deposits, in order to preserve its financial footing. Shell started commercial oil exploration and extraction operations in Malampaya in 2001, with a second rig platform opened in 2015. On September 25, San Miguel Corporation said it is interested in acquiring Shells stake from the project. SMC President and COO Ramon Ang also heads Petron Corporation, which runs the biggest oil refinery in the country. The recent fall has taken gold prices to below 49,500 per 10 gram as compared to record highs of 56,200, hit on August 7. Silver also has suffered a big fall. The while metal has fallen below 58,000 per kg as compared to last month's high of about 80,000. A rebound in US dollar has been attributed the the current leg of fall in precious metals. The recent price drop has triggered a slight uptick in retail demand in India, Reuters reported, citing a dealer. After the price drop, some analysts say that investors can look to buy gold in tranches for better entry levels. Many are waiting for a dip in gold and silver prices from the last few days after the recent run-up. Gold has corrected from highs of 57,000 to current price of 49500, while silver has corrected from 78,000 to 58,000," said Navneet Damani, VP Commodities Research, Motilal Oswal Financial Services. "Both the metals still look very attractive given the macro backdrop and other fundamentals supporting them. Gold is a stable one, while silver is the volatile one - so choose what you want to invest into," he said. "One can look to buy gold on dips towards Rs.47500-48000 with upside targets towards Rs.65000-67000 over the next 18 months. Similarly for silver - look to add between 55000-58000 with a potential target towards 80000-88000 over the next 18 months," he added. In global markets, spot gold prices today traded at around $1,860 an ounce after a sharp correction last week. Hareesh V, Geojit Financial Services' head of commodity research, said that rising US-China tensions and hopes of fresh economic stimulus measures may continue to offer lower level support to gold. "A rally in the US dollar and optimism over Covid vaccine is weighing on the safe haven demand of gold and thus the price of the commodity. However, at the same time, uncertainty prevails in the metal ahead of the first presidential election debate in the US this week," he added. "Weak sentiments continue to take prices (London spot gold) lower towards the support of $1840 and likely is to trigger a rebound. An unexpected drop below $1820 would extend further selling pressure later," he said. HDFC Securities in a note said that gold October prices have near term resistance at Rs. 51000 per 10 grams and support at Rs. 48600 per 10 gram. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. 28/09/2020 - The international community continues to make progress towards strengthening developing countries' ability to effectively tax multinational enterprises, despite the adverse impact of the COVID-19 crisis on domestic resource mobilisation efforts. Tax Inspectors Without Borders (TIWB), a joint OECD/UNDP initiative launched in July 2015 to strengthen developing countries' auditing capacity and multinationals' compliance worldwide, has gained increased relevance in the COVID-19 era as a practical tool to help developing countries collect all the taxes due from multinational enterprises. To-date, TIWB assistance has delivered more than USD 537 million in additional revenue for developing countries up to June 2020, according to its latest annual report. The report was presented today by OECD Secretary-General, Angel Gurria, and United Nations Development Programme Administrator, Achim Steiner, during a ministerial panel discussion in the margins of the 75th session of the United Nations General Assembly. The meeting was co-hosted by the Permanent Mission of Finland to the United Nations, the OECD and UNDP. With programmes across Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, the TIWB initiative has 80 completed and ongoing programmes in 45 countries and jurisdictions worldwide. An additional 19 programmes have been requested and are in the pipeline. The report notes strong support from a broad range of partners, including regional and international organisations, as well as key donors of official development assistance (ODA). Sixteen countries have deployed their serving tax officials to provide hands-on, learning-by-doing assistance to auditors in developing countries. Among the partner administrations are those engaged in South-South co-operation including India, Kenya, Mexico, Morocco, Nigeria and South Africa. The success of the current TIWB model has also triggered the expansion of the initiative on tax crime investigations and the use of information exchanged automatically between governments, both of which will help fight Illicit Financial Flows. New programmes will also cover tax treaty negotiations, the extractives and environmental tax issues. "Despite the constraints that the COVID-19 crisis has imposed, the TIWB initiative remains fully 'open for business' thanks to measures instituted to support experts in continuing to deliver assistance remotely," said OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurria. "Not only are we open, but we are extending the TIWB focus to provide support in other areas of taxation to fight against corruption and promote integrity." "Tax Inspectors Without Borders is playing a key role in helping developing countries to recover from the pandemic - their new service aims at increasing domestic revenues while supporting the transition to greener, more sustainable economies," said Mr Steiner, UNDP Administrator. In his address to the meeting, H.E. Ville Skinnari, Finland's Minister for Development Co-operation and Foreign Trade, said "I congratulate UNDP, OECD and the wider UN-system to promote tax justice and domestic resource mobilisation. We have done our homework in Finland, too: In June this year we launched Government of Finland's new Taxation for Development Action Programme." To lead TIWB into this new phase of expansion, the Former Vice Minister of Finance of Georgia, Ms. Rusudan Kemularia, has been appointed Head of the TIWB Secretariat. Prior to joining the OECD, Ms. Kemularia also worked as a Rector of the Finance Academy, Head of the Legal and Financial Policy Departments, Secretary to the Parliament, and Co-Chair of the Tax Dispute Resolution Counsel from 2008-2019 in Georgia. Watch the TIWB ministerial panel discussion on 'Supporting Financing for Development in the Era of COVID-19 and Beyond Through the Tax Inspectors Without Borders Initiative' Access the TIWB Annual Report 2020 For further information, please contact the TIWB Secretariat or Lawrence Speer in the OECD Media Office (+33 1 45 24 79 70), or Sangita Khadka at UNDP (+1 212 906 5043). A concert and exchange event was held in Beijing on Saturday to mark the 75th birth anniversary of the Jamaican reggae icon, Bob Marley. The Marley family, Island Records, UME, and Primary Wave Music Publishing have been working together to honor the legacy of Marley, commemorating his 75th birthday and his importance in the history of global music with a year-long celebration. The One Love celebrations encompass all things: music, fashion, art, photography, technology, sport and film, providing fans unprecedented access to archives from the legendary artist's estate in new, thoughtful and innovative ways. The celebration came to China on Saturday, with Long Shen Dao, a Chinese reggae band, performing a tribute concert. In addition, rock musicians, such as Xie Tianxiao, Jiang Liang, Guo Jian, and Zang Hongfei, attended the event to share their music perspectives and stories about Marley and reggae music. Marley has been influencing China's rock music since the 1980s, when rockers Cui Jian, Zhang Chu and Dou Wei all wrote reggae-style songs. "He's a legend," Guo Jian said, "People like him will inspire you. No matter where you live, what skin color you have or what race you are, you can influence the world if you have talent. People can still hear your voice." Zang Hongfei agreed, "Bob Marley was the first global icon and superstar from a developing country. He has been inspiring musicians in China and in the less developed countries." Born as Robert Nesta Marley on Feb. 6, 1945, the Jamaican musician increased the visibility of reggae music worldwide, making him a global figure in popular culture. His music continues to inspire generation upon generation, as his legacy lives on through his message of love and unity, a sentiment needed more than ever in 2020. "Daddy's message has always been one of love and unity. For decades passed and for generations to come, his music serves to lift and inspire all over the world. We are so excited to come together at the One Love Hotel during Grammy week to celebrate and remind ourselves of the power of music and everything he stood for," his daughter Cedella Marley said in a statement. To add to the festivities, an animated video for "Redemption Song" was released to commemorate its 40th year anniversary. The video was created by French artists Octave Marsal and Theo De Gueltzl, aiming to pay homage to Marley's contribution to the empowerment of black civilization, as well as his manifestation of hope and recovery for all mankind. Zhang Youdai, a famous music DJ based in Beijing, called it "the song that makes me cry every time I hear it." "It is a redemption song we all need. We are always restrained by something in the world, but we need to be free," he added. Marley's greatest hits album "Legend" was released in 1984 and became the best-selling reggae album of all time. He also ranks as one of the best-selling music artists of all time, with estimated sales of more than 75 million records worldwide. In 1994, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. "Bob Marley is unique in that he not only made his mark with his significant musical accomplishments but also communicated to his fans worldwide, bringing together people of all ages, cultures and races with his message. He exerted a tremendous influence on the style and substance of music and culture," said Bruce Resnikoff, president and CEO of UME, Universal Music Group's global catalog company. A Universal Music China spokesman told China.org.cn that besides the anniversary event, a vinyl LP of Marley's greatest hits album "Legend: The Best of Bob Marley and the Wailers" will be released soon in China. Mulanje Government has begun engaging investors in the energy sector to discuss means of generating affordable and reliable electricity in the country. Minister of Energy, Newton Kambala said the country was failing to develop as foreign companies fail to invest in the country because of power shortage and corruption among other things. He was speaking on Thursday, when he toured Ruo-Ndiza and Muloza Power Stations in Mulanje which are managed by Mulanje Hydro Limited and Cedar Energy Limited respectively. "This is why we are at Ruo-Ndiza power station to see how best we can improve on this so that the number of Malawians with access to affordable and reliable electricity rises from 10 percent to 30 percent," Kambala said, adding that this would attract investors and bring lot of transformation development wise. He expressed worry that out of the 10 investors that have shown interest in the energy sector in recent years, only three are eager to progress. "The rest have not done anything since their contacts were awarded and let me warn that if nothing is done in the coming two months we will have to invoke their licenses because Malawians cannot keep waiting for long," the Minister said while commending Mulanje Hydro Limited for generating power while pointing out areas that needs improvement. "We noted that we don't have enough water flow which is affecting your power generation capacity as lm told the design of the power station is 8.2 megawatts but currently you are doing less than one megawatt which is a huge setback," he said, while suggesting the need for the plant to have a water reservoir. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Malawi Energy By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. "As an engineer, I would like to see Malawians access affordable source of energy. In other countries they pay as low as five cents per Kilowatt/hour where in the country, we pay up to 13 cents that's why as the Energy Minister l will make sure the country is moving towards that," he added. Kambala said there was need to diversify in terms of energy sources as one way of reducing costs of energy in the country. He appealed to consumers to consider using Liquidized Petroleum Gas (LPG) for cooking instead of always using electricity and if the use of LPGs is increased, we would reduce demand of firewood and charcoal. The Minister said the competition would bring low prices. Managing Director for Mulanje Hydro Limited, Ian M'Kersie said despite generating low power in the dry season, the power plant supplies enough electricity to tea processing companies in the district since it became operational nine months ago. "This time of the year, we have low power and when the rain is back, we have full power. This is a very good match for the tea business because that is when they also need high voltage," he said. M'Kersie disclosed that the Mulanje Hydro Limited was planning for another project which would be completed by the end of 2021 saying they are just waiting for approvals. Hyprevention has raised new financing to support the V-STRUT Vertebral Implant product. The financing will be used to execute the commercialization plans for the US spinal fracture market. The V-STRUT Vertebral Implant is indicated for use in the treatment of vertebral fractures. In May 2019, a US patent was granted for V-STRUT and in March 2020, the device received FDA-510(k) clearance. "We are delighted that our existing investors have shown confidence in our product development efforts and commercialization plans for the US market by increasing their investment in the company," says Cecile Vienney, CEO. The Hyprevention team has entered into a commercial relationship with DAWA Medical and has received several orders for the product from enthusiastic customers. DAWA Medical, a regional distributor of medical products, will promote sales in Florida, Illinois, Texas and Oklahoma. In addition to DAWA the company is in discussion with other commercial partners to bring the innovative V-STRUT product to the US spinal injury market. About V-STRUT V-STRUT Vertebral Implant is an implantable medical device made of INVIBIO PEEK Optima polymer indicated for use in the treatment of vertebral fractures in the thoracic and lumbar spine. It is intended to be used in combination with Teknimed F20 bone cement. V-STRUT is patented and cleared in the USA. The device was developed with the support of Key Opinion Leaders in the spine surgery. A deep literature review allowed to identify unmet clinical needs such as subsequent and adjacent fractures after treatment in osteoporotic and cancer patients. The device was developed to address this clinical need thanks to its soft material, close to normal bone, and an unique pedicle anchorage. About Hyprevention Hyprevention was founded in 2010 in France by 3 orthopedic and spine surgeons and an experimented Executive Team. The company aims to develop innovative products addressing bone fragility as the consequence of osteoporosis and bone metastasis, thanks to the unique technique STRUTPLASTY intended to reinforce the bone with polymer implant combined with bone cement. https://hyprevention.com/ About DAWA Medical DAWA Medical is a master distributor for the USA and Canada. DAWA acts as US Agent, Initial Importer, warehousing and shipping. The company has a large network of distributors. https://dawamedical.com/ View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200928005423/en/ Contacts: Cecile VIENNEY, CEO, +33 6 23 89 24 56, c.vienney@hyprevention.com Australia values assimilation On 17th September, the Acting Minister for Immigration, Alan Tudge, announced the changes to the citizenship test to focus on Australian values rather than core facts and figures. According to Tudge, Australian values are the glue that binds us all together. These changes to emphasise values rather than just facts are to apparently strengthen Australias national identity. As of 15th November 2020, the Australian citizenship test will include twenty random questions from a pool of 200 with five questions on our so-called values. Tudge claims that citizens will find these questions quite straightforward, but that potential citizens of different nationalities will have to study Australias parliamentary democracy, freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of association and equality of men and women. To pass the test and gain citizenship, you will not only need a passing grade of seventy-five per cent, but all five questions on Australian values will need to be answered correctly as well. Currently, over 159,000 migrants are waiting to take the test with a waiting period over twenty-seven months. Australian values According to Tudge, our values are so important because they have helped shape our country and they are the reason why so many people want to become Australian citizens. But do the values that the government advocate for really reflect the reality of Australia? One of the values included in the test is the equality of men and women. But the reality in Australia is that this just isnt true. One example of this is the gender pay gap where women in Australia are earning on average $253 less than men per week, according to the Workplace Gender Equality Agency. This wage gap is seemingly a hangover from the original basic wage for women that was fixed at seventy-five per cent of a mans wage. Migrant women are also funnelled into exploited labour where they experience sexual harassment. Examples of this were recently exposed in an ABC article, such as one farm in Victoria working women in bikinis despite being in a refrigerator. The reality is that migrants, international students, or people on temporary visas are not coming to Australia to learn about gender equality, but are experiencing gender inequality and violence. After the death of international student Aiia Maasarwe in 2019, Daniel Andrews made a statement that violence against women can only stop when the sexist attitudes in our society are changed. So, what is Australia? A beacon of gender equality or a society filled with sexism? One of the other values championed in the new test is freedom of speech, including the right to non-violent, peaceful disagreements. Is this the reality in Australia? Even if we brush past the very dubious claim that free speech can exist for the working class while it is controlled by the bourgeoisie through law and the media, it doesnt seem to be true. This is especially so for immigrants and people new to Australia. The most recent evidence of this is the rise in racist attacks against Asian people in Australia being punched, spat on, and suffering slurs after COVID-19 and the rise of tensions between China and the West. In fact, one of the Australian nationalists favourite slogans is if you dont love it, leave, that encouraging non-white Australians to leave the country if they disagree with the nationalists. As for the claims that Australia is a secular society, this one is also dubious. For example, our current Prime Minister was sworn in by appealing to God while holding a bible! Not only that, but our head of state, the Queen, was appointed by the grace of God and as a Defender of Faith! If you do manage to pass the test, you will be asked to make the Australian citizenship pledge. It must be ironic to answer a test about secularism in Australia and then be given two options for this pledge: one that mentions God, and the other that does not. If Australia really was secular, why not just delete the mention of God completely and have a single pledge that does not appeal to any religion? From this time forward, under God,I pledge my loyalty to Australia and its people,whose democratic beliefs I share,whose rights and liberties I respect, andwhose laws I will uphold and obey. English test An important function of the citizenship test that may go unnoticed by native English speakers, is that it is also an English test. Some words used in the practice test are words not used in everyday speech, so could be difficult to understand. By conducting the test in English, it forces assimilation before new citizens are even created. The test has a question about how new migrants need to learn English as Australias national language, although it is not the official language. While it is true that the Australian economy is run using English, there is a variety of languages actually spoken. These languages range from traditional Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages, new creole languages, and languages used by migrants that form national minorities in Australia. According to the 2016 census, approximately thirty per cent of people in Australia speak a language other than English at home. This means, despite assimilationist efforts directed both at migrants and at Indigenous people, a significant proportion of the population use English as a second language. Yet despite this reality of Australias language use, bilingual education is not used to bridge the gap between different nationalities. For example, in Victoria there are only ten bilingual primary schools out of over 1,500 public and private primary schools. There are no bilingual schools at the secondary level. In this regard, the citizenship test has similarities with the original dictation test of the White Australia policy. White Australia Policy One of the motivations of federation in 1901 was to block immigration from non-European countries and to protect the white colony. The colonies particularly wanted to protect themselves from Chinese immigrants who at 1861 made up 3.3 per cent of the population. In contrast, Chinese immigrants in Australia today only make up 2.7 per cent according to the 2019 census. While the Chinese population in NSW and Victoria was at 60,000 during the gold rush, in 1947 there were only 12,000 Chinese people in Australia. The colonies were able to keep Australia white using official and unofficial means. Unofficial means was using racism such as seeing interracial marriage as a sin and racially motivated riots to, such as the Lambing Flat Riots. Official means was through racially discriminating policies. While initially the separate colonies had racist legislation such as NSWs The Chinese Restriction and Regulation Act 1888, federation allowed for the whole of Australia to block non-European immigration by implementing the dictation test. As a cornerstone of the White Australia Policy, the dictation test required a citizenship applicant to write fifty words in any European language. The catch was that the immigration officer could choose what European language the applicant had to write in. Chinese immigrants could suddenly find that they had to be able to write in French to migrate to Australia! The dictation test was removed in 1958, and the White Australia Policy is considered to have ended in after the Racial Discrimination Act 1975. But is this the case? Refugee advocacy organisation, Rise Refugee, link the current immigration policies against refugees and asylum seekers as a continuation of Australias racist history. They say that our devotion to politics of deterrence to block mostly Muslim refugees from seeking safety in Australia is built on the foundations of the White Australia policy and the theft of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander land and maritime resources and is used as political leverage by both major parties. Like the refugee detention centres we have today, our current style of citizenship test was also introduced under the backdrop of the War on Terror and islamophobia in the Australian Citizenship Amendment (Citizenship Testing) Act 2007. Our current policies champion Australian multiculturalism, but only in so far as it remains within Australias core values. These values are completely drenched in the liberal politics of championing equality and freedom only in vague phrases, while in practice become like an ironic facade that disguises Australias white supremacy. Luminescence due to rock impact. Credit: Yuji Enomoto, Faculty of Textile Science and Engineering, Shinshu University Were you aware that earthquakes are sometimes associated with luminescence, called earthquake lightning? This phenomenon had been documented throughout history, such as between 1965 and 1967, the Matsushiro earthquake swarm caused the surrounding mountain to flicker with light multiple times. In 1993 when an earthquake caused a tsunami off the coast in Southwest Hokkaido which caused 5 boats resting at shore to instantly ignite and burn. Various models have been proposed to explain earthquake lightnings, and it seems as though various factors contribute to such light emissions. Professor Emeritus Yuji Enomoto of Shinshu University, first author of the study "Laboratory investigation of earthquake lightning due to landslide," does not think these incidents can be explained in a unified way using a single model. Therefore, the study focused on luminescence phenomenon caused by landslides. The team picked out various types of rock that form mountains representative of land across Japan; granite, pyroclastic rocks, rhyolite, limestone and serpentinite. What he found was that different rocks have different reasons for luminescence and some rocks such as serpentinite does not emit light at all. Granite is known to exhibit remarkable photoemission due to the piezo-induced effect of the quartz within. There have been witness accounts of earthquake lightning in areas without granite. The researchers looked at descriptions of earthquake lightning in the Japan Historical Earthquake Archives. At least 5 of the 55 accounts of earthquake lightnings were due to landslides since 869 A.D. You can probably imagine how light can be emitted when rocks collide violently. However, the luminescence of rocks is instantaneous and faint. For this reason, ultra-sensitive, high-speed, high resolution cameras and spectroscopes were required for the study. Fortunately, excellent cameras with an ISO sensitivity of 25,600 was available in the market at relatively low prices. For ultra-sensitive spectrum analysis, a device suitable for the purpose was commercially available but too expensive. Fortunately, the research team was able to borrow one from Konica Minolta, and the difficulty of continuing research was solved. Biotite granite (Set conditions) Credit: Tsuneaki Yamabe, Faculty of Textile Science and Engineering Technical Staff. Laboratory investigation of earthquake lightning due to landslide, Earth, Planets and Space (2020) There are many cases in which electromagnetic anomalies associated with earthquakes have been documented while the cause remains a mystery. Even though it is a rare phenomenon, Professor Emeritus Enomoto feels an obligation as a Geo-tribologist to elucidate such phenomena. He hopes understanding such phenomena will lead to the advancement of earthquake prediction and promote active disaster prevention. Biotite granite (Charpy emission) Credit: Tsuneaki Yamabe, Faculty of Textile Science and Engineering Technical Staff. Laboratory investigation of earthquake lightning due to landslide, Earth, Planets and Space (2020) During the 2011 magnitude 9.0 Tohoku-Oki Earthquake, the number of electrons in the ionosphere suddenly increased above the epicenter of the earthquake about 10 minutes after the earthquake struck. Enomoto has studied this incident and proposed the lithosphere-hydrosphere-atmosphere-ionosphere coupling model in terms of current generation of charged mists. He is currently working to elucidate why in 1995, during the Hyogo-ken Nanbu Earthquake, the sky in the West which ordinarily remains dark became brighter than usual, and the color changed from bluish purple, white, then red. This is a difficult task. Enomoto hopes to put together a research-outreach book that explains these incidents so that they can be understood by a wider audience. Explore further Google Android phones to assist with earthquake alerts and searches More information: Yuji Enomoto et al, Laboratory investigation of earthquake lightning due to landslide, Earth, Planets and Space (2020). Yuji Enomoto et al, Laboratory investigation of earthquake lightning due to landslide,(2020). DOI: 10.1186/s40623-020-01237-8 Provided by Shinshu University With flames lighting up the surrounding hills, a stream of elderly residents from the Oakmont retirement community shuffled out of the Santa Rosa facility early Monday, many clutching walkers or canes, or pushed in wheelchairs. Buses lined up to take them out of the neighborhood as the fires raging in the Wine Country prompted a mandatory evacuation. Oakmonts 4,500 residents were forced to flee along with people in surrounding areas along Highway 12. At 10:30 Sunday night, Oakmont resident Lille Hamerschlag, 88, got the evacuation order from her neighbor, Doreen Deleon, who got a Nixle alert. It came much more suddenly than the last evacuation of Oakmont during the Tubbs Fire in October 2017. But on the plus side, Hamerschlag had her evacuation drill down. Deleon came by in a car and they made a clean escape, headed for San Rafael. Within 15 minutes of mandatory evacuation they were out, said her daughter Kari Hamerschlag on Monday. We were very scared last night, but we are the lucky ones. The less lucky ones were the people evacuated from Oakmont Gardens, the assisted care facility. They had to wait for buses and made a much slower departure, not leaving until midnight, Hamershlag said. One woman in a purple robe had a black shirt on a hanger clinging to her walker as she ambled toward a bus. Another woman in a wheelchair was in flowered pajamas with a white teddy bear in her lap as the smell of smoke wafted through the early morning hours. Some people had suitcases go bags prepared as they boarded the buses. But many emerged empty-handed, their faces covered with masks as Santa Rosa police officers helped them board the buses. Towering flames shot up over a hill as the buses headed toward winding Highway 12 into Santa Rosa where they would stop at the Veterans Auditorium. As one bus sped toward the auditorium, spot fires had already jumped more than a mile from the ridge and ignited both sides of Highway 12. The bus continued without stopping, as winds shot embers across the roadway. The Santa Rosa CityBus driver, who declined to give her name, said she had been called to help in the emergency. It was just scary, she said, describing how it felt like branches were slamming against the sides of the bus. My boss drove during the 2017 fires and gave me the courage. And of course God helped, the driver said. I was just so happy to help. For Oakmont residents Doris and Armin Tietze, this was the third and most harrowing evacuation they had been forced to take in the face of approaching flames. It was scary, and I didnt expect it to be so close, said Doris, 91. The evacuation reminded the German couple of living through World War II. Now Playing: City buses helped evacuate the Oakmont Village senior living community in Santa Rosa. The community was threatened by the Shady Fire, which has since merged with the Glass Fire, and grown to 11,000 acres. Video: Sarah Ravani Fire Tracker Follow wildfires across the state Latest updates on wildfires burning across Northern and Southern California But Ive never seen fires like that, she said. Its too close for comfort. The pair brought small bags and mostly medicine and planned to, once again, stay with their son, Chris, at his Corte Madera home. Were happy to help out, Chris Tietze said, as he walked his parents to his car parked in the crowded Veterans Auditorium parking lot. But its pretty scary this happens so often. Hamerschlag lives in her own home on Oakmont grounds, and during the Tubbs Fire the mandatory evacuation lasted two weeks. We are hoping this time will not be that long, said her daughter, aware that it might also be worse than a lengthy evacuation. My moms house may not survive, she said, with her mother in the car, bravely listening in, en route to a possibly lengthy stay at Hamershlags home in Oakland. Matthias Gafni, Sarah Ravani, Bob Egelko and Sam Whiting are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: matthias.gafni@sfchronicle.com, sravani@sfchronicle.com, begelko@sfchronicle.com and swhiting@sfchronicle.com New Delhi: In what could make travelling by trains more expensive, the Modi cabinet is expected to give its go ahead for the User Development Fees (UDF). Sources told Zee Media that the cabinet in its meeting next month may give its approval for the User Development Fees that will be levied further from the passengers. This may make rail travel costlier by Rs 10 and upto Rs 35 for passengers taking sleeper class and AC tickets. The User Development Fee will be different for different category/class of trains. Sources told Zee Media that the User Development Fees will be levied on 5 different categories, of which the AC train passengers will pay the highest fee while the sleeper class passengers will pay the lowest UDF. Live TV After the User Development Fees kicks in, the following categories will pay these hiked fares AC 1: Rs 35 - Rs 40 AC 2: Rs 30 AC 3: Rs 25 - Rs 30 Sleeper class: Rs 10 The User Development Fees will be applicable to passengers taking the private stations. It may be noted that the Rail Land Development Authority (RLDA) has invited bids from private players to redevelop an area of five lakh square metres at the New Delhi station and another 2.6 lakh square metres surrounding it for commercial purposes. The RLDA is currently working on 62 stations in a phased manner, while its subsidiary, the IRSDC, has taken up another 61 stations. In the first phase, the RLDA has prioritised prominent stations like New Delhi, Tirupati, Dehradun, Nellore, and Puducherry for redevelopment. The railway stations across India will be redeveloped on a PPP Model as a part of Smart City Projects launched by the government. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-28 21:59:36|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close The logo of TikTok is seen on a smartphone screen in Arlington, Virginia, the United States, Aug. 30, 2020. (Xinhua/Liu Jie) "It is hard for most Americans like me to imagine that our government would ban major communication apps like TikTok in the U.S.": an international business professor "As we know that TikTok follows the rules in the countries it operates and the practices it adopts are the same as the U.S. social media companies like Facebook, Twitter, etc.": a principal economist BEIJING, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- Washington's ban on TikTok and a related series of lawsuits are pushing the United States down the road of isolation, experts have said. Rather than global integration and free competition, such a ban discriminates against companies from certain countries, said Carl F. Fey, professor of international business at Finland's Aalto University. "I think it is questionable if this ban meets World Trade Organization's principles of openness and transparency," he said. "I am for an interconnected world with few barriers," he said, adding that U.S. President Donald Trump's administration has departed from this, and that he does not believe it represents the values that the United States has traditionally stood for. Photo taken on Aug. 10, 2020 shows the White House in Washington, D.C., the United States. (Xinhua/Liu Jie) "It is hard for most Americans like me to imagine that our government would ban major communication apps like TikTok in the U.S.," said Fey. "Today many Americans use TikTok to share videos and especially during COVID-19 times. This helps people connect (with) each other and keep them happy when they can't meet in person," he said. "It is also important to remember that nobody is forcing anyone to use TikTok or WeChat. If someone does not want to use these apps because they are concerned about the safety of their information, they don't need to use them," he added. Mao Xuxin, a principal economist at London-based think tank the National Institute of Economic and Social Research, said the U.S. move is more an issue of protectionism. "As we know that TikTok follows the rules in the countries it operates and the practices it adopts are the same as the U.S. social media companies like Facebook, Twitter, etc.," he said. Alexander Gusev, director of Russia's Institute of Strategic Planning and Forecasting, said behind such a ban is U.S. intention to sideline competitive foreign tech companies from the U.S. market. The United States will try all it can to secure its monopoly in the information market, and it does not care about relevant international principles and rules, Gusev said. A U.S. national flag flies at the Washington Monument in Washington D.C., the United States, on Sept. 11, 2020. (Xinhua/Liu Jie) Dan Roules, managing partner of the Shanghai Office of Squire Patton Boggs, said the U.S. ban would discourage foreign companies from investing and operating in the United States. "I believe the actions of the Trump administration in the TikTok case and some other matters may raise concerns among foreign tech companies about the openness of the U.S. markets and the traditional presumption that decisions would be made in an even-handed manner under the rule of law," he said. Judge Carl Nichols of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia on Sunday decided to halt the Trump administration's ban on the popular video-sharing app TikTok, allowing it now to operate without interruption at least until a full court hearing. On Aug. 6, Trump issued an executive order banning U.S. transactions with TikTok and its Chinese parent company ByteDance after 45 days, citing national security concerns. On Aug. 14, Trump signed another executive order that forces ByteDance to sell or spin off its U.S. TikTok business within 90 days. TikTok had filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration, challenging the legality and constitutionality of the Aug. 6 executive order, and arguing that there is no credible evidence to back up Trump's national security claims. The database of Amber Windows contained 234.6 million records, including the personal information of over 500,000 UK individuals. Article: https://welpmagazine.com/window-company-breaches-500000-peoples-personal-information/ This data breach occurred when Amber Windows/Amber Commercial (Amber U.P.V.C. Fabrications Limited), an FCA regulated company, left a database open to anyone with a browser and an internet connection. TurgenSec Statement (https://community.turgensec.com/500k-people-amber-windows-uk-data-breach/) It does not appear like Amber Windows has made any efforts to inform the impacted individuals, report this to the ICO or take actions to Bill on Ukraine's Bureau of Economic Security tabled for second reading 21:59, 28.09.20 3179 The draft law passed its first reading in early September. For the states best Taylor ham/pork roll sandwich, head to the tiny cafe in Maplewood that looks like a secondhand store, furnished with classic rock LPs and vintage bicycles. True Salvage Cafe emerged as the winner of our exhaustive statewide search with a Taylor ham/pork roll, egg and cheese sandwich that was daring and different using scrambled instead of fried eggs, for starters. (I know Im going to catch considerable grief from TH/PREC fanatics on that.) Boland is currently vice chair of education and director of the psychiatry residency program at Brigham and Women's Hospital. He is also an associate professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and is board certified in psychiatry with expertise in medical education, psychosomatic medicine and geriatric psychiatry. He is an alumnus of Georgetown University where he earned his undergraduate and medical degrees. Prior to joining Brigham and Women's Hospital five years ago, Boland had an 18-year tenure at the Alpert School of Medicine at Brown University, Providence, RI. He developed special interest in depression resulting from medical illness and, with Brown and the Centers for Disease Control, he examined the influence of depression on the course of HIV in women. Currently, he's an associate editor of Journal of Technology in Behavioral Science. "Dr. Boland brings exceptional leadership experience and skills to The Menninger Clinic and to Baylor College of Medicine. His focus on innovation and the application of technology in our field of medicine is important to patients of the Texas Medical Center," says Wayne Goodman, M.D., Chair and the D.C. and Irene Ellwood Chair in Psychiatry, Baylor College of Medicine Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science. As one of Baylor's teaching hospitals for psychiatrists and psychologists, The Menninger Clinic values Boland's mentoring of early-career psychiatrists and other mental health clinicians. In addition, His work in geriatric psychiatry and consultation-liaison psychiatry required the ability to treat complex patients, which Menninger has specialized in treating for 95 years. "Dr. Boland is an innovator in the way patient care is delivered to meet the needs of communities today," said Armando E. Colombo, president and CEO of The Menninger Clinic. "We share a common belief about the opportunity of psychiatry to improve the productivity and health of individuals, families and communities." A nationally ranked hospital, The Menninger Clinic serves Houston and Texas and is also a trusted assessment and treatment provider for people across the country. Contact: Nancy Trowbridge C: 713-806-5061 [email protected] SOURCE The Menninger Clinic Press Release September 28, 2020 Nancy on Boracay opening: Safety should be top priority Senator Nancy Binay today said safety and health protocols should be the top priority as Boracay is set to open its doors to local tourists on October 1. "While we recognize that this is a step towards getting the tourism sector and our economy back on track, we would like to remind the Department of Tourism and would-be travellers that health and safety should always be our first priority," Binay said. Binay cited how the opening of tourism triggered a second wave of infections in Croatia and Vietnam. "Tingnan din natin yung experience ng Croatia at Vietnam. Perhaps we can learn many lessons from them on why the decision to open the borders to visitors could trigger a resurgence of COVID19 cases," Binay said. "Both the DOT and the local government of Boracay should tighten health protocols to ensure the safety of all stakeholders," she added Binay said she is puzzled as to why the DOT is allowing tourists of all ages to enter the island which is inconsistent from the IATF suggestion that minors and senior citizens should stay at home while in GCQ or MGCQ. "I think marami ang magtatanong why the age restrictions are relaxed pagdating sa Boracay. Pinapayagan ang mga bata na pumasyal at bumyahe, pero bawal sila pumasok sa klase. Sinasabi na dapat physical distancing, pero sa bus at train pinapayagan na natin na magkakalapit. How do we make our messaging clear to the public when government health and safety policies are disconnected and disjointed amongst government agencies?" Binay said. Binay also urged the DOT to have clear-cut guidelines to avoid confusing tourists. She said the agency should learn from the recent conflicting pronouncements from the IATF and the Tagaytay LGU on the issuance of a travel pass. "As we have seen, the LGUs have their own guidelines that are sometimes different from the IATF. This makes it very confusing for those who want to travel," Binay said. DOT had earlier announced that Boracay Island will accept visitors from all over the country starting October. The agency said it will implement a "Test Before Travel" rule, which requires all visitors to have a negative result of reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) 48 to 72 hours prior to traveling to Boracay Island. Travelers aged below 21 and above 60 years old are also allowed to visit Boracay as long as they have no comorbidity or worse health conditions. "Traveling is still a major virus carrier, at dapat handa din ang LGU to handle the influx of tourists, i-rationalize at i-restrict ang carrying capacity, at dapat ready sila to strictly enforce health protocol compliance in all levels," Binay pointed out. She added that essential businesses should be certified by the DOT, DOH or IATF if these establishments have fully complied with in retrofitting their operations to the new normal standards. A Hackettstown man was sentenced to four months in prison earlier this month for lying about the strength of steel used to make machine gun stands his company sold to the U.S. military. The weak steel in the machine gun bipod assemblies and faulty head and collar joints caused the two-legged stands to fail when soldiers tried to use them, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorneys Office in Newark. Mark Colello pleaded guilty in December to two counts of making false statements, according to the online court docket. U.S. District Judge William J. Martini sentenced him on Sept. 10, 2020. Colello was ordered to pay a $2,000 fine and served two years of supervised release, online records say. Colellos company, Applied Resources Corporation of Wharton, Morris County, made the bipod assemblies for the U.S. Army, according to charging documents. The company won the U.S. Department of Defense contract in April 2015 to make the assemblies for M249 light machine guns. Colello falsified test results for the hardness of steel used to make the gun assemblies and for the magnetic particle inspection of the head and collar joints for the bipods, according to the news release. Colello was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Margaret Ann Mahoney. Her office spokesman, Matthew Reilly, had no comment. Colello was defended by attorney Kevin F. Carlucci, who didnt respond to an email seeking comment. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to Lehighvalleylive.com. Rudy Miller may be reached at rmiller@lehighvalleylive.com. If theres anything about this story that needs attention, please email him. Follow him on Twitter @RudyMillerLV. Find Easton area news on Facebook. Vikas Singh On CBI's Investigation According to a report in ANI, on Thursday in a press conference, the senior advocate said, "The family feels that the investigation is going in such a way that the truth is not coming out. The NCB (Narcotics Control Bureau) case has become like the Mumbai Police investigation, all stars are now being called. The people called in and not are a part of a syndicate and not distributors. It is just a Mumbai Police type of investigation. Sushant's case has taken a back seat." Rhea's Lawyer Satish Maneshinde On CBI Investigation Meanwhile, Rhea Chakraborty's Lawyer Satish Maneshinde has also demanded that a new medical board should be set up by the CBI to keep the investigation into Sushant Singh Rajput's death case impartial. "To keep the investigations impartial and free from inference, the CBI must constitute a new medical board. The agencies are being pressurised to reach a pre-determined result for obvious reasons in view of upcoming Bihar elections. We have seen the VRS of DG (Gupteshwar) Pandey unfolding a few days back. There should not be a repetition of such steps," said Maneshinde in response to Vikas Singh's tweet last week. Rhea Was Arrested By NCB On September 8 Vikas Singh in the tweet had claimed that a doctor who is a part of the AIIMS team, had told the photos sent to him indicated that the actor's death was by strangulation and not suicide. Sushant Singh Rajput was found dead in his Mumbai apartment on June 14. The death case is currently being probed by three investigative agencies namely the CBI, Enforcement Directorate (ED) and NCB. Srinagar, Sep 28 : A soldier was injured in Pakistani firing with small firearms and long-range mortars in another LoC ceasefire violation in Macchil Sector in north Kashmir's Kupwara district, the Army said on Monday. "Pakistan was involved in an unprovoked ceasefire violation along the LoC in Macchil Sector this morning. A befitting response is being given. One soldier was injured and evacuated. His condition is stable," defence spokesperson Rajesh Kalia said. There has been a spurt in ceasefire violations along the LoC in Kupwara district in Kashmir Valley and to the south of Pir Panchal in Rajouri and Poonch districts in Jammu, with Pakistan targeting civilian areas and defence positions. The Army says it is giving a befitting response to all acts of aggression by Pakistan along the LoC. CAIRO The Higher Committee of Al-Wafd Party (one of the oldest Egyptian parties) decided Sept. 19 to hold early elections for the partys leadership within a month. The decision comes a few days after disputes emerged with party leader Bahaa Abu Shoka over his decision to participate in the National Unified List for Egypt which is running for the Egyptian parliamentary elections (due Oct. 21 and 25) despite the opposition of some of his party members over the quota of seats allocated to Al-Wafd in the list. The party was allocated 19 seats out of a total of 284 in the National Unified List for Egypt i.e., half of the 568 total number of seats in parliament. The Unified List includes 12 political parties that support Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. The dispute escalated with Abu Shoka when several members of Al-Wafd Higher Committee (30 out of 42) announced Sept. 17 their withdrawal from the electoral list and the cancellation of the individual coalition contesting the remaining 284 seats reserved for individual candidates. Abu Shoka released a statement on Sept. 17 shortly after Al-Wafds Higher Committee held a meeting on that day. He said, The meeting was held in violation of the bylaws of the party. Therefore, it is null and void, as are its decisions. He announced that the party will remain on the National Unified List for Egypt. Abu Shoka added in his statement, There is a systematic inclination to push the party into chaos for personal ends. The party will be the only loser. He did not give more details. Tarek Sabak, deputy leader of Al-Wafd and member of the partys Higher Committee, told Al-Monitor over the phone that several members of the Higher Committee took the decision to withdraw from the electoral list due to the low level of representation of Al-Wafd in the list. Sabak noted that, during the negotiations between the parties, 19 seats were allocated to Al-Wafd, including six men and 13 women, in a list of 284 seats. Several of those whose names were proposed to be part of Al-Wafds quorum were not members of the party to begin with, and we do not accept this at all, he said. He concluded, The Higher Committee decided to withdraw from the list and the electoral process. Sabak does not think that the decision of Abu Shoka to call for early elections for the party leadership will end the current crisis. He said, The crisis is ongoing, and Abu Shokas call for early elections is a personal decision because he does not want to stay in his position. In any case, we have decided not to participate in the parliamentary elections. Mohammad Abdou, Al-Wafd Partys deputy chairman, told Sada al-Balad channel Sept. 20 that Abu Shoka is responsible for the partys boycott of the upcoming parliamentary elections. Transparency and justice have not been guaranteed for us to participate in these elections. We wanted to be part of the coalition, but we left the matter in the hands of Abu Shoka, who has left us in a pickle. He added, The Nations Future Party (which is spearheading negotiations to form the National Unified List of Egypt) wants to monopolize most parliamentary seats, which is something we refuse. Member of Al-Wafds Higher Committee Tarek Tohamy, who supports Abu Shoka, told Al-Monitor, The partys Higher Committee did not unanimously approve of the decision to withdraw from the electoral list. Those who want to remain on the list had no intention of causing a rift or escalating the dispute with the other members of the committee. Tohamy noted that the decision of early elections for the party leadership aims at keeping the party united and avoiding a clash among its members or a full collapse. Abu Shoka was blamed for the crisis because the party did not get a good percentage of seats allocated for it on the electoral list. Tohamy does not think the crisis will affect the political future of Al-Wafd Party. He said, This is just one of many crises that Al-Wafd has faced over a span of 102 years since its establishment. It wont be worse than the Feb. 4, 1942, crisis or the bloody clash within the party in April 2006. On the contrary, this crisis has only a moderate impact on the partys structure. He added, The party will continue with the parliamentary elections against all odds. Tarek Fahmy, a professor of political science at the University of Cairo, told Al-Monitor, The clash outweighs the consensus within Al-Wafd in this crisis. He said, I think the gist of the crisis is to target the leader of the party and withdraw confidence. I believe he steered the party without knowing what was going on, and he took decisions single-handedly. He also negotiated with the National List of Egypt without relying on any institutional work within the party. His nomination of his daughter on the list constituted the last straw. Naturally, the partys sit-in on Sept. 15 was related to this nomination, which smelled of personal reasons and constituted a challenge for the Higher Committee. Fahmy argued, The early elections will not solve the problem, but they might appease the situation temporarily. The future narrative isnt promising, and if the clash continues within the Higher Committee, the party might implode and disintegrate. Sabak disagreed, I do not think so. Al-Wafd is a long-standing party that is governed institutionally. I dont believe anything will destabilize it, despite the current crisis. Chinese soldiers involved in peacekeeping operations performs a patrol mission in Juba, the capital of South Sudan, September 11, 2019. /Xinhua Editor's note: Lan Shunzheng is a research fellow at Charhar Institute and a member of the Chinese Institute of Command and Control. The article reflects the author's opinions, and not necessarily the views of CGTN. This year marks the 75th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War, the 75th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations and the 30th anniversary of the Chinese military's participation in UN peacekeeping operations. On September 18, the State Council Information Office released a white paper titled "China's Military Has Participated in UN Peacekeeping Operations for 30 years," which gives a detailed description and a summary of China's peacekeeping operations over the years. Peacekeeping operations, short for United Nations peacekeeping operations, are operations carried out by the United Nations to help maintain or restore peace and security in conflict areas, involving military personnel but without coercive force. Peacekeeping force is a special cross-border force established in accordance with relevant United Nations resolutions. It was first established in 1956 during the Suez Canal crisis. It is also known as the "blue helmet" force. The force is voluntarily provided by United Nations Member States to prevent the escalation of local conflicts or their recurrence and to help civilians who have been victims of war to create conditions for an eventual political settlement. In 1990, China sent five military observers to the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO). Since then, China has formally joined UN peacekeeping operations. Today, China is the largest contributor of troops and the second largest contributor of peacekeeping funds among the permanent members of the UN Security Council. There is no doubt that China's participation in UN peacekeeping operations is of great significance to maintaining international security, realizing national interests and promoting military construction. First of all, with the increasing strength of its comprehensive national strength, China is gradually approaching the center of the world stage, which requires China to gradually assume greater international responsibilities and participate in more international affairs. Peacekeeping operations are an effective tool for the UN to maintain international peace and security. China's State Council Information Office released a white paper on the participation of the country's armed forces in the United Nations peacekeeping operations on September 18, 2020. As a permanent member of the UN Security Council, China sends troops and police in a timely manner, makes contributions in full and on time, and fulfills its due obligations in accordance with the UN's requests and requirements, which reflects the responsibilities of a major country. Moreover, China has demonstrated its responsibility as a major country by setting up the China-UN Peace and Development Fund, joining the UN peacekeeping standby mechanism and training peacekeepers from other countries. Second, China's active participation in peacekeeping affairs has further enhanced mutual understanding and trust with other countries and enhanced China's influence in international and regional security affairs. In September 2015, President Xi Jinping put forward the concept of "a community with a shared future for mankind" at the 70th anniversary of the UN. This concept fits well with the UN peacekeeping mission concept of "living for peace." Peacekeeping operations provide an excellent platform for promoting and building a "community with a shared future for mankind." Therefore, as the key work of the United Nations in maintaining international peace and security, China's participation in peacekeeping operations is conducive to transforming China's contribution and strength in peacekeeping operations into a voice and influence in international and regional security affairs. In addition, it is an important part of China's multilateral and military diplomacy. For a long time, some hostile forces have been trying to smear, vilify and distort the image of the Chinese military and its soldiers, resulting in the rampant spread of the "China's military threat theory" and causing varying degrees of misunderstanding about the Chinese military by some foreign people and friendly countries. By participating in peacekeeping operations and taking the initiative to spread the good image of the Chinese military and its soldiers, it proves with practical actions that "the Chinese military is a solid force for safeguarding world peace and stability." At the same time, in the era of globalization, Chinese enterprises and capital are also going abroad to the world, so how to protect China's overseas interests from infringement has become a problem that must be addressed. Under such circumstances, the "going out" of the Chinese military is also an inevitable choice to cope with the "great changes" in the new era and safeguard the country's overseas interests. Participating in UN peacekeeping operations, on the one hand, can help our military "go out" and engage in world affairs. On the other hand, by participating in peacekeeping operations and completing different types of peacekeeping missions, China's peacekeeping capabilities, as well as international exchanges and coordination and cooperation, can be comprehensively enhanced, and a new type of constructive and practical military relations with foreign forces can be formed. It is clear that China will continue to make its own contribution to peacekeeping in the future. As stated in the White Paper, the Chinese military will continue to support UN peacekeeping operations, fulfill its commitment to safeguarding peace, and bring more confidence to conflict zones and greater hope to local people. China is ready to work with all peace-loving countries to firmly uphold and practice multilateralism, uphold the international system with the United Nations at its core, and uphold the basic norms governing international relations with the purposes and principles of the UN Charter as the cornerstone. SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- xCures, a clinical study platform provider, announces the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted their IND for an intermediate Expanded Access Program (EAP) for the ERK inhibitor ulixertinib (BVD-523). Ulixertinib is being developed by BioMed Valley Discoveries (BVD), a clinical stage biotechnology company, as a treatment for patients with MAPK pathway aberrant cancer, including but not limited to KRAS, NRAS, HRAS, BRAF, MEK, and ERK, mutations. The EAP is open across the United States to adolescent and adult cancer patients who cannot access an open clinical trial for the investigation of ulixertinib (BVD-523). "xCures prospective real-world evidence generation capability transforms managed access programs such as the ulixertinib expanded access program by making them an efficient way for physicians and patients to gain access to promising therapies when clinical trials are not an option," says Mika Newton, CEO of xCures, Inc. "xCures' programs uniquely capture high-value evidence related to the safety and efficacy from this expanded set of patients." This intermediate-sized expanded access program (NCT04566393) is currently open and available for physicians interested in treating their patients. Physicians can reach out to [email protected] for more information. Patients can register and find more information at enroll.xcures.com/uli-eap or receive additional information via xCures patient advocacy partner Cancer Commons (www.cancercommons.org). About ulixertinib (BVD-523): Ulixertinib is a first-in-class and best-in-class small-molecule inhibitor of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) family kinases (ERK1 and ERK2) that is being developed as a novel anti-cancer drug. ERK kinases are downstream components of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling cascade (RAS-RAF-MEK-ERK). Ulixertinib has demonstrated promising early efficacy for patients with tumors harboring alterations in the MAPK pathway, including atypical (non-V600) BRAF alterations, for which there are currently no approved targeted agents. About Expanded Access: Expanded access, which is often called "compassionate use," is the use of an unapproved drug for treatment of patients with serious or life-threatening illnesses outside of a clinical trial. Expanded access is subject to oversight from the US FDA in accordance with the regulations outlined in 21 CFR 312.305. About the Program: This Expanded Access program provides ulixertinib for compassionate use in advanced cancer patients with a MAPK pathway-altered solid tumor(s) who have exhausted available therapies. The protocol aims to collect sufficient information about the patient's treatment to provide a complete and accurate case report to health authorities using real-world data collection to assess response to treatment, safety, tolerability, and quality-of-life. About xCures: xCures Inc. provides clinical study platforms that use AI/ML algorithms to support tumor boards with the allocation of cancer patients to optimal treatment programs and clinical trials. The xCures platform prospectively generates Real World Evidence for investigational and approved therapies. Patient EMR data is continuously collected, stored, and structured into a regulatory-grade format ready for use in submissions to the FDA. For more information, visit www.xcures.com and or contact [email protected]. About BioMed Valley Discoveries (BVD): BioMed Valley Discoveries is a clinical stage biotechnology company focused on addressing unmet medical needs in a variety of therapeutic and diagnostic areas. In addition to the ERK inhibitor, BVD's portfolio includes an oncolytic bacteria that has completed enrollment for a Phase I study, a selective phosphoinositide 3-kinase gamma inhibitor in late preclinical testing, and two early-stage antibodies targeting the tumor microenvironment. Operating since 2007, BioMed Valley Discoveries was established by Jim Stowers Jr., founder of the asset management firm American Century Investments, and his wife Virginia, to advance new medical innovations to improve the lives of patients with difficult-to-treat diseases. BVD is owned by a supporting organization of the Stowers Institute for Medical Research, a non-profit, basic biomedical research organization. Since 2000, the endowment of the Stowers Institute has received over $1.5 billion in dividend payments from American Century. The Institute has invested a portion of its endowment in BVD, whose profits accrue to the benefit of the Institute. For more information, visit https://www.biomed-valley.com. SOURCE xCures Related Links https://www.xcures.com/ The Delhi High Court on Monday wanted to know from the Delhi government if there are sufficient Intensive Care Unit (ICU) beds for non-Covid patients and if hospitals are being compensated for keeping these beds vacant for coronavirus patients. The court also sought the response of the Association of Healthcare Providers on a Delhi government plea, challenging a single-judge benchs September 22 ruling that stayed an order reserving 80% of ICU beds in city hospitals for Covid-19 patients. A bench of Chief Justice DN Patel and Justice Prateek Jalan said the only question now is whether the government is blinding to the needs of other patients. You are a government and the executive has the liberty of experimenting. But the only thing is whether we are blinding ourselves to the other patients, Justice Jalan said during the hearing. The Delhi government did not comment on the matter. Also Read: Delhi HC stays AAP govt decision to reserve 80% ICU beds in private hospitals for Covid-19 The bench did not grant interim relief to the government even as its additional standing counsel, Sanjoy Ghose, said Covid-19 cases were increasing exponentially, warranting the reservation. On September 22, the court had stayed the governments September 12 order reserving 80% of all ICU beds in private hospitals and nursing homes for Covid-19 patients, saying it appeared to be arbitrary, unreasonable and in violation of the fundamental rights of an individual. It said the state cannot discriminate between Covid-19 and non-Covid-19 patients. In the order, the Delhi government directed nursing homes and private hospitals to reserve the beds with immediate effect. On Monday, additional solicitor general Sanjay Jain, who appeared for the Delhi government, told the court that Covid-19 cases were again rising in the city. He said Covid-19 patients require care related to lungs, kidney, etc, as the virus attacks these organs. The court said the government has to first satisfy the court that there are sufficient numbers of ICU beds available for non-Covid patients. Also show us how you are compensating private hospitals for keeping their ICU beds vacant for Covid patients, the bench said. Advocate Ghose told the court that there are 3,222 ICU beds and only 1,186 of them are being reserved for Covid-19 patients. Jain said several patients were coming to Delhi from other parts of the country for treatment as well. ASG Jain told the court it had not given any money to hospitals because none of them have sought compensation. Also Read: 30% patients in Delhi hospitals in ICUs, says govt data Following some arguments, the court posted the matter for further hearing on October 9. The government, in its plea, said the stay order did not take into account the submissions regarding the surge in the number of Covid-19 patients and its efforts to tackle the changing situation. It said states such as Maharashtra have issued similar orders and notifications to tackle the issue of rising cases. Even in the approach adopted by such other States, health care providers have been directed to make all attempts to increase their bed capacity to accommodate maximum number of patients. 80% of total operational bed capacity (excluding beds of PICU, NICU, day care, maintenance haemodialysis) will be regulated by rates prescribed, the government said in its plea. The association moved the court against the September 12 order, saying it puts non-Covid-19 patients at risk of contracting the virus. It alleged that the order was issued without prior discussion with private hospitals and understanding the current demand-supply gap in critical care beds. WOODS HOLE, Mass. -- The dialogue between neurons is of critical importance for all nervous system activities, from breathing to sensing, thinking to running. Yet neuronal communication is so fast, and at such a small scale, that it is exceedingly difficult to explain precisely how it occurs. A preliminary observation in the Neurobiology course at the Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL), enabled by a custom imaging system, has led to a clear understanding of how neurons communicate with each other by modulating the "tone" of their signal, which previously had eluded the field. The report, led by Grant F. Kusick and Shigeki Watanabe of Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, is published this week in Nature Neuroscience. In 2016 Watanabe, then on the Neurobiology course faculty, introduced students to the debate over how many synaptic vesicles can fuse in response to one action potential (see this 2-minute video for a quick brush-up on neurotransmission). To probe this controversy, they used a "zap-and-freeze" imaging technology conceived by co-authors M. Wayne Davis, Watanabe and Erik Jorgensen, and built by Leica for testing in the Neurobiology course. They zapped a neuron with electricity to induce an action potential, then quickly froze the neuron and took an image. They saw multiple vesicles fusing at once at many synapses, the first novel finding of this Nature Neuroscience report. But there was more. Back at Johns Hopkins, Kusick and Watanabe decided to walk through the neurotransmission process with zap-and-freeze, taking images every 3 milliseconds after the action potential. That's when they found an answer to an even larger question - how do neurons change the tone of their neurotransmission signal? At any given time, only a few synaptic vesicles are in "docked" position, meaning loaded and ready to release neurotransmitter. Immediately after an action potential, the number of docked vesicles decreases by 40 percent, so after 2 to 3 action potentials, the docked vesicles would be depleted. (That is, their signal or "voice" would become weaker and weaker, as more action potentials are induced.) But they found that, within 14 milliseconds following an action potential, new vesicles are swiftly recruited to the docked pool that can fuse and release neurotransmitter, and this recruitment is transient such that neurotransmission can be strong or weak on a millisecond time scale. This is the first close-up look at neural communication that adds up from a temporal perspective. "What this means is that we have identified a mechanism that neurons use to communicate through intonations," Watanabe says. "Each docked vesicle is like a word that neurons can use for communication at any given moment. It has been known for decades that neurons can speak more than a few words at a time, and they can also change the tone of these words. The question was how. We've shown that neurons continuously bring in more words, but by simply changing the number of vesicles, they can raise or lower the voice. If you are asking a question, you will raise the intonation at the end of a sentence - neurons do so by changing the number of docked vesicles ready to go." The "zap and freeze" electron microscopy technology is the 21st-century version of the "freeze slammer" developed by John Heuser, Tom Reese et al., and used at MBL nearly 50 years ago to demonstrate how neurons communicate with each other. ### The MBL Neurobiology course faculty and students co-authoring this paper include Jorgensen and Davis (University of Utah), Kristina Lippmann (University of Leipzg), Kandidia P. Adula (University of California, Los Angeles), and Edward J. Hujber and Thien Vu (University of Utah). Watanabe, who was a 2014 Grass Fellow at the MBL, returns nearly annually to teach in the Neurobiology course and as a Whitman Center scientist. The Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL) is dedicated to scientific discovery - exploring fundamental biology, understanding marine biodiversity and the environment, and informing the human condition through research and education. Founded in Woods Hole, Massachusetts in 1888, the MBL is a private, nonprofit institution and an affiliate of the University of Chicago. OBU will host the annual Women of Vision giving circle event and luncheon Thursday, Oct. 8. RSVP to Attend OBUs Women of Vision Annual Luncheon Oct. 8 September 28, 2020 OBU will host the annual Women of Vision giving circle event and luncheon Thursday, Oct. 8., at 11 a.m. All women are invited to attend, both current members and those interested in learning more. RSVPs are requested by Oct. 2. The luncheon will take place at the Rockwood Center on OBUs Green Campus (formerly St. Gregorys University). The featured speaker will be OBU First Lady Jill Thomas. Founded in 2015, Women of Vision is a giving circle at Oklahoma Baptist University that offers a unique opportunity to join other women who desire to create a valuable financial source to support, promote, sustain and enhance the universitys mission. The annual luncheon serves as a time for Women of Vision to join together to decide, by vote, which project to fund with their collective gift for that year. Thomas is greatly looking forward to the chance to speak at the event. I am so excited, and I feel like God has given me a very unique word to share, she said. Right now, more than ever, the message of OBU is essential. We are so excited for what God has in store, and we are asking you to come and partner with us. Women of Vision exists to encourage women to be philanthropic leaders and to maximize the impact of their giving. Through the giving circle, individual contributions are united and magnified through a collective voice supporting the university. Gifts collected from each member are pooled, and together, the circle members decide how the money should be directed on Bison Hill. Membership is open to alumnae, students, employees and friends who understand the potential women have in making a significant impact on OBU, her students, programs, faculty and staff. Since their founding in 2015, the Women of Vision have funded a wide array of impressive projects to improve OBU. The projects include the installation of approximately 25 exterior lighting fixtures on campus; an addition of keyless card access to buildings across campus; a renovation and relocation of the Campus Ministry Center; the installation of blue campus safety phones; the establishment of a Women of Vision endowment to award student scholarships each year; and the renovation of the Office of Admissions and front entrance to Thurmond Hall. Members of Women of Vision play an integral role in directing financial resources to and making a significant impact on the entire Bison Hill campus. Together, they have the opportunity to connect and network with other women; enjoy access to valuable educational resources and opportunities that empower women professionally, personally, academically, and spiritually; and celebrate both the joy of giving together and the difference it makes. RSVP to attend the event. MEMPHIS, Tenn. Black representation has been almost zero at the top of Memphis largest public companies since 2015. FedEx, International Paper, AutoZone, ServiceMaster and First Horizon combined for only one top executive who is Black from 2015 to 2019, a Commercial Appeal analysis found. That happened in 2018, when ServiceMaster listed Chief Marketing and Strategy Officer Marvin Davis as one of its five most highly compensated officers. The analysis is based on each companys Named Executive Officers (NEOs) listed in their respective annual proxy statements. NEOs generally include a companys CEO, CFO and the three most highly compensated executive officers outside those two positions. Any officers listed as retired or departed in these statements were not included in The Commercial Appeals analysis. Is Santa Claus coming to town?: Mall Santas may lose gigs in first holiday season since the COVID-19 pandemic Prime Day: Amazon confirms annual sale will be Oct. 13-14 This is sort of an illustration of what were seeing on a larger scale, Enrica Ruggs, director of the Center for Workplace Diversity and Inclusion at the University of Memphis, said of the findings. None of the NEOs listed in the companies 2020 filings are Black, either. This doesnt include AutoZone, which hasnt filed this year's proxy statement yet. Last month, AutoZone announced Jamere Jackson, who is Black, will join the company as chief financial officer-elect. These companies say they are committed to diversity and inclusion, with some citing their own data showing a more diverse company beyond these top executive officers. Earlier this year, diversity officials at FedEx, International Paper and First Horizon spoke to The Commercial Appeal about their companies' approaches to inclusion. At FedEx, 37% of U.S. management employees are minorities, and the company is assessing where there are opportunities for us to do even more, it said in a statement. Story continues Recent actions have included holding listening forums where senior leadership heard directly from FedEx team members on issues of race and equality, providing managers with resources to talk with their teams about diversity and inclusion, and taking a fresh look at our business practices to find more ways to maximize our diversity efforts through sourcing suppliers, hiring, training and philanthropy, the company said. But Davis, now owner of Memphis Fred L. Davis Insurance Agency, said the lack of Black executives at the top of Memphis major companies is shocking. I cant attribute it to anything other than a lack of concerted effort to address it, he said. There are many qualified candidates nationwide who Im sure would be willing to move to Memphis. Sparse Black representation among executives is not a problem exclusive to Memphis. USA TODAY reported in August that less than 2% of top executives at the S&P 100s 50 largest companies are Black. Marvin Davis is the owner of Fred L. Davis Insurance Agency. Photographed Thursday, Sept. 3, 2020, at his office in Memphis. Yet many of these companies arent headquartered in cities with a Black population as large as Memphis. The majority of Memphis population is Black, at 64.2%, according to 2019 Census population estimates. There are other cities that struggle to get Black executives, because those executives dont want to live in those communities because of a lack of diversity, Davis said. But when you have a diverse community such as Memphis, a companys leadership team and employees ought to be reflective of that. Diversity touted, but less and less diverse up top FedEx, AutoZone, International Paper, First Horizon and ServiceMaster are the five largest Memphis-based public companies by employee count. They all emphasize diversity as a priority. A First Horizon spokeswoman said more than 20% of its executives are ethnically diverse. In a statement, CEO Bryan Jordan said the company is committed to diversity, equity and inclusion at all levels of the company. Our ability to attract, retain and promote a diverse and talented workforce is a priority for the leadership of this company and our Board, he said. Our ability to excel, as a company and as an employer of choice, is rooted in this commitment, and we believe that a diverse, talented workforce enables us to best serve the communities we serve. At AutoZone, 57% of its workforce and 44% of management is ethnically diverse, according to its 2019 Corporate Social Responsibility report. Including Jackson, the CFO-elect, AutoZones Executive Committee has three Black members out of 14 total, a company spokesman said. Ruggs, who is also an assistant professor of management, said organizations continue to structure themselves in ways that dont allow minorities and women to advance to highly rewarded or valued positions, such as a named executive officer. Many remain comfortable with the status quo, impeding progress, she said. We might see lots of diversity in 2020 at entry-level positions and feel were doing a good job, she said. As we move up in the ranks, it becomes less and less diverse. ServiceMaster named Aster Angagaw, who is Black, president of ServiceMaster Brands in May 2019, a position that previously been among Named Executive Officers. However, ServiceMaster plans to sell off ServiceMaster Brands and rename itself Terminix. ServiceMaster did not respond to a request for comment on The Commercial Appeals findings. The companys diversity statement on its website says it is committed to fostering a culture where all employees are treated with respect and given an opportunity to contribute to our success. We encourage our employees to use their diversity of thought, experience, background and perspectives to instill trust and drive empowerment with each other, our franchisees and suppliers, and more importantly, our valued customers, the statement says. Marvin Davis is the owner of Fred L. Davis Insurance Agency. Photographed Thursday, Sept. 3, 2020, at his office in Memphis. Davis left the company after Nik Varty replaced Rob Gillette as CEO. The leadership change led to a corporate strategy and culture different from the one he signed on for under Gillette, Davis said. Both a business and moral case Davis, who has also held high-ranking positions at LifeLock, Comcast and Verizon Wireless, said companies with inclusive cultures believe diversity will make their businesses better. Diversity shouldnt live exclusively in human resources and public relations departments or be discussed only at town halls outside normal day-to-day operations, he said. If people find that is taking away from their jobs instead of being part of their jobs, it will never succeed, he said. Diversity and inclusion must be included in strategic company goals, with built-in measures and indicators to measure progress over time, Ruggs said. Companies coming up short should consider if their recruitment, selection or development of talent needs a change. International Papers Vision 2030 commitment includes having 25% of U.S. salaried positions made up of minorities. We have robust diversity and gender representation goals, which are critical to ensuring we achieve our vision of being among the most successful, sustainable and responsible companies in the world, the company said in a statement. Our Vision 2030 goals ensure diversity and inclusion continues to be a key part of our sustainability strategy over the next decade. A culture of sameness limits the type of innovative thinking that propels growth, Davis said. A 2018 McKinsey study found a statistically significant correlation between more diverse leadership and better financial results. Companies in the top quartile for ethnic and cultural executive diversity were 33% more likely to have industry-leading profitability, the study says. Companies in the bottom quartile were less likely to have above-average profitability. Beyond the business case for diversity, its also good moral sense, Ruggs said. Numerous companies released statements this year underlining their commitment to racial justice and diversity after the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis and the nationwide protests it sparked. But Ruggs said true movement will happen once companies approach diversity proactively instead of reactively. (Systemic racism) is not going to be cured overnight, she said. Its something that has been built up over 400 years in this country. Its going to take time to get to a place of equity and equality. Max Garland covers FedEx, logistics and health care for The Commercial Appeal. Reach him at max.garland@commercialappeal.com or 901-529-2651 and on Twitter @MaxGarlandTypes. This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Memphis workplace diversity: Almost zero Black execs at top companies Northern Ireland has been chosen as one of the regions to take part in a major UK trial of a potential vaccine to help in the fight against Covid-19. Health officials are seeking 350 volunteers from Northern Ireland to participate in the trial, which is expected to start by the end of the week. Health Minister Robin Swann urged the public to participate. The importance of finding a vaccine to help in the battle against this virus cannot be overstated, he added. Despite the magnificent efforts of our health service and the amazing response of society as a whole we remain on a knife edge as we seek to protect ourselves and our loved ones. As we continue to put in place all possible measures theres never been a more important time for health research studies into the development of a Covid-19 vaccine. Currently there are over 30 vaccine trials taking place around the world in an effort to discover as soon as possible which will be safe and effective. It is vital that Northern Ireland joins this important worldwide effort. A Northern Ireland Covid-19 Vaccine Research Delivery Group, led by the HSC research and development division of the Public Health Agency, has been set up to deliver Covid-19 vaccine trials in Northern Ireland. The trial is being run by Novavax. The trial will take place in sites across the UK and it is anticipated that the first participants will be recruited in Northern Ireland at the start of October. Dr Janice Bailie, assistant director of the research and development division, said: Covid-19 vaccine trials are essential to identify which vaccines are both safe and effective, so that wide scale vaccination can start as soon as possible. There are different types of vaccines, and we dont know which one will work best to protect people from catching Covid-19. It might be that different vaccines are needed for different groups of people, and its only through vaccine trials we will find this out. Up to 350 participants in Northern Ireland will be recruited from the UK Vaccine Registry, which was launched in July. Potential participants who have signed up to the Vaccine Registry to be approached to take part in a vaccine trial, will be invited to undergo an assessment to determine whether they are eligible for the trial. The study aims to recruit adults from all parts of society, especially those who are more likely to benefit from a vaccine including those over the age of 65, those from black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds (BAME), and those who have face to face contact with the public at work including healthcare workers, delivery personnel, transport workers, and those in retail. It is estimated that about 56.4 million elementary, middle school and high school students will attend school in the United States this fall, according to the U.S. Department of Educations National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). The students will attend in person, through virtual classes or a combination of both. Of that number, almost 51 million will attend public schools and 5.7 million are private school enrollees. On Sept. 15, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated its information on COVID-19 indicators and thresholds of risk for infection in U.S. schools. This follows the CDC recommendations on parental considerations regarding school health safety issued in July. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has also issued recommended guidelines for schools. Risk factors at schools While CDC acknowledges that COVID-19 can be spread and contracted among children, hospitalization rates are 20 times lower than those for adults. The severity of the coronavirus among hospitalized children, however, is illustrated in the fact that of those admitted to a hospital, one third required intensive care unit treatment. CDC categorized certain levels of school openings according to risk. Obviously, the lowest risk occurs when students take classes 100% virtually with no interaction with others possible. Above that, hybrid programs that incorporate both virtual and classroom attendance offer some risk, as do small in-person class sizes where distancing is practiced along with other COVID-19 preventative measures. These measures include mask-wearing, no sharing of objects and no mixing of groups of students with others during the school day. Medium risk occurs with larger classes, more interaction between students within the classroom and more frequent activities that bring students together outside of class. Higher levels of risk arise when mask-wearing, social distancing and personal hygiene practices are not required or followed. In the lower risk areas, regular cleaning and disinfecting are consistently performed. Recommendations for school administrators While the CDC and AAP have issued health safety guidelines, both agencies stress that the precautions will mitigate infection but are not guaranteed to prevent it altogether. With the cooperation of school administrators, parents and students themselves, preventative measures may reduce the probability of the virus spreading during classroom and other situations. Schools and school systems should operate with a degree of flexibility, according to AAP. The pediatric group recommends that policies and results should constantly be monitored and revised, if needed. The diversity of the school community should be considered, and policies and other COVID-19 information should be distributed in languages beyond English, if certain students and their families could better understand them. Recommendations for parents CDC has created checklists for parents covering virtual and in-class education. PDF versions can be downloaded at www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/schools-childcare. The virtual suggestions include creating a daily schedule and workspace for the student to attend class online and complete homework. Assignments should be monitored by parents and be completed by students on time. Opportunities for students to interact with peers should be created, either in person or online. For students attending in-person classes, each morning their health should be evaluated by temperature checks and observation of any possible symptoms, including coughing, headache or vomiting. These are possible signs of COVID-19 and the student should not be allowed to attend school. School officials should be notified if symptoms appear. All recommended childhood vaccines should be taken by students. Proper rest and hygiene practices also should be maintained. Parents should stay aware of COVID-19 news from schools, either through direct inquiry or by following reliable sources. To that extent, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services is now publishing infection information for specific schools on its web site each Monday. Ask Dr. Haqqani If you have questions about your cardiovascular health, including heart, blood pressure, stroke lifestyle and other issues, we want to answer them. Please submit your questions to Dr. Haqqani by e-mail at questions@vascularhealthclinics.org. Dr. Omar P. Haqqani is the chief of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery at Vascular Health Clinics in Midland: www.vascularhealthclinics.org You have permission to edit this article. Edit Close AR can play a significant role in the healthcare sector as it looks to reduce risks The current situation of COVID-19 pandemic has identified new-age technologies playing an important role in reducing human interactions and maintaining social distancing. COVID-19 has pushed many sectors to explore technologies such as Augmented Reality (AR) to maintain business continuity. The AR market is bound to be pushed due to the usage of smartphones, applications across various sectors, and connected devices. According to the information published on Alliedmarketresearch.com, the global Augmented Reality market size was $11.35 billion in 2017, and forecasted to reach $571.42 billion by 2025, growing at a CAGR of 63.3% from 2018 to 2025. What is Augmented Reality? Augmented Reality is a technology, which uses the existing users environment and overlays the digital/virtual content or information over it to offer immersive digital experience in a real-time environment. AR does not allow its users to lose touch with reality and offers information live and in quick time. AR offers an indirect view of a physical, more real-world environment which is further augmented with graphics, GPS data, sound, and videos. How can AR enhance the future of healthcare? Use of AR in locating hospitals and medical support during emergencies: AR can save lives by actually offering real-life feed through videos and sounds in case of medical emergencies. Imagine someone around you just collapsed and you need to offer immediate medical attention to the patient while they are on the move. Solution-providing applications have been developed to locate hospitals offering specialized treatments, doctors, or ambulances which offer immediate support during such emergencies through GPS data sources. Finding information like this can barely take a minute to project the exact location of such a facility and immediately help those who are in need. Use of AR during COVID-19 crisis in India: In India, amidst the COVID-19 scare, various applications have been launched that have helped the government and healthcare officials to trace and monitor active cases of COVID-19. These applications have been beneficial to track recoveries in specific areas and get a list of quarantined citizens in and around the vicinity, helping citizens to get medical supplies and essentials well on time. A few examples of applications that were launched in recent time are: Aarogya Setu App: Aarogya Setu App was developed by the National Informatics Center (NIC) for Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) and is available in 11 languages. The application uses GPS and Bluetooth in smartphones to alert users whenever they come in proximity of COVID-19 patients. MahaKavach App: This application was developed by the Maharashtra State Innovation Society and the National Health Authority, which tracks COVID-19 patients who have been quarantined in various facilities across Maharashtra. Using a geofencing app, this application tracks users' locations and determines if they have come in close contact with anyone infected by COVID-19. This application is used to take disciplinary actions against COVID-19 patients who defy quarantine instructions and are suspected of going beyond the radius. Reducing physical interaction through AR in healthcare: The advent of COVID-19 has put healthcare facilities to strictly focus on maintaining social distancing. Hence, hospitals and various clinics have adopted ways through which they can communicate in real-time with their patients. One such example is doctors communicating face-to-face to offer medical advice and treatment to quarantined patients. Traditionally, the access to healthcare was limited where practitioners would consult patients face-to-face; leading to long queues and waiting for patients. The concept of telemedicine is removing these limitations by normalizing the concept of medical consultations over distance, via smart devices and the internet. (This is just an idea, please let us know if there is an application or a solution that has been developed) Use of AR in pathlabs: Another example of AR is sensory scanners which can be used by pathlabs to detect veins in order to collect blood samples. Sensory Scanners play an important role in maintaining accuracy while collecting blood samples especially in the case of toddlers and elderly people. These scanners can be deployed by pathlabs to locate veins and collect blood samples reducing sample collection time and maintain accuracy. In the recent time of the globally spread COVID-19 pandemic, Sensory Scanners can prove to be fruitful too. Use of AR during surgeries: Real-time data and precision are very important when it comes to complex surgeries. AR healthcare apps can be useful for surgeons while conducting minimal invasive surgeries by locating a tumor or a relatively abnormal disorder in an organ and save patients lives seamlessly. AR apps can be used to create 3D views of an organ or dysfunction such as tumors in human bodies. This 3D reconstruction of complex issues within a human body empowers surgeons with X-ray views of the organ which needs to be operated on without any radiation exposure in real-time. AR in training healthcare professionals and patients: While most of the Indian population resides in Tier II and Tier III cities where healthcare capacities are skewed, it becomes invariably important to have well-trained healthcare staff that can offer smooth services and lesser time of recovery to their patients. Pieces of training and workshops can be offered through AR. Real-time consultations can also be easily accessed by healthcare professionals who have to admit patients with medical emergencies on their way to a hospital allowing them to save the lives of many. AR has also revolutionized medical education for medical students who are now able to see the human body in a 3D view instead of the usual black and white pictures that were used traditionally. Thus, AR can play a significant role in the healthcare sector as it looks to reduce risks. The overall aspect of AR can be used to modernize the training and learning methods that were very traditionally followed in the sector. Healthcare providers today are banking on the capabilities of AR to offer potential benefits to their customers and businesses through solutions that are beneficial to both. The future of AR in the healthcare sector shall bring in significant advances to healthcare professionalism, patient education, and outcomes along with effective communication. Ajay Torgal, Managing Director, ATCS Bengaluru He recently confirmed his relationship with Byron Bay waitress Vanessa Valladares. And Zac Efron is reportedly now torn between his blossoming new romance in Australia and his acting career in Hollywood. Since falling head over heels for 25-year-old Vanessa, the actor has friends worried he will never return to the United States, reports Woman's Day. Decisions, decisions: Zac Efron (left) is reportedly torn between staying in Australia with his new girlfriend, Vanessa Valladares (right), and his career in Hollywood 'Zac's completely lost it over this girl and says he's never felt so free and alive - she cuts through all his Hollywood bulls**t,' a source claimed. And while Zac, 32, is living in Byron Bay for the time being, he's expected to return to America to film the Disney+ remake of Three Men and a Baby in the coming months. 'He's really torn between his cosy scene with Vanessa and his crazy career,' the insider added. Torn: Since falling head over heels for 25-year-old Vanessa, the actor has friends worried he will never return to the United States, reports Woman's Day Because of travel restrictions between Australia and America, the only way for the star-crossed lovers to travel back and forth together would be to get married - and they are apparently considering this as an option. 'I really think Zac's at the point where he'd marry Vanessa tomorrow if she said yes,' another insider told New Idea magazine. It comes after Zac and Vanessa were spotted holding hands and flaunting their romance during a ski holiday in Thredbo earlier this month. Could she be The One? 'Zac's completely lost it over this girl and says he's never felt so free and alive - she cuts through all his Hollywood bulls**t,' claimed a source The High School Musical star reportedly met Vanessa in July when she was working as a waitress at the Byron Bay General Store cafe. She is rumoured to have since quit her job and is now believed to be staying with Zac at his rented home in Belongil Beach. Last month, Daily Mail Australia revealed that Zac had cancelled a scheduled flight back to Los Angeles. Will they wed? Because of travel restrictions between Australia and America, the only way for the couple to travel back and forth together would be to get married - and they are apparently considering this as an option. Pictured: Vanessa Valladares 'He was only planning to fly home if he had to,' a source said at the time. 'He didn't really want to go back to America.' Zac had purchased the plane ticket several months ago in case his application for a visa extension was denied by the Department of Home Affairs. But it seems his request to have his tourist visa extended from three months to 12 months was granted. Daily Mail Australia understands Zac received a last-minute refund for his ticket. South Carolina teacher Demetria Bannister died earlier of this month from COVID-19 and now the virus has claimed the life of her mother, Shirley The coronavirus already took the life of a young South Carolina teacher and now her mother has also died from COVID-19. Shirley Bannister died of complications related to the coronavirus on Sunday, according to her brother, Dennis Bell. She was 57 with a history of asthma and diabetes. She actually went to the hospital twice, the second time they decided to keep her, Bell told CNN. She had so much to give, so this is like an unexpected gut punch for the whole family. Read More: Pelosi: New COVID-19 relief package coming soon Shirley Bannister (Credit: Midlands Technical College) Bannister was the chair of the nursing department at Midlands Technical College in Columbia, South Carolina. Ronald Rhames, the colleges president, offered his condolences upon learning of her passing. My heart is broken. Shirley was like an angel on Earth. Her life mission was caring for others, Rhames said in a statement. Her brother told CNN that she got really sick about two, three days after her daughter died earlier this month. As theGrio reported, Demetria Demi Bannister died on Sept. 7 after battling COVID-19. The fifth-grade teacher was just 28 and had begun her third year of teaching at Columbias Windsor Elementary School. Demetria Demi Bannister (Credit: Richland County School District Two) She was last at the school on Aug. 28, and the school learned she tested positive for the virus on Sept. 4. According to the school district statement, when classes officially began, she was teaching virtually from home. Bell says his sister was overwhelmed by the loss of her daughter. He likened their relationship to that of the best of friends and paid tribute to their bond. Theyd go to dinner together, theyd go to the movies, go to concerts and things like that, and they planned events together, said Bell. Read More: 2 HBCU presidents join COVID-19 vaccine trial, want students to follow Story continues Demetria, in a sense, was just like her mother, Bell said. The mother and daughter are survived by Shirleys 87-year-old mother and her husband, Dennis. Demetria was the couples only child. Have you subscribed to theGrios podcast Dear Culture? Download our newest episodes now! The post Mother of SC teacher who died from COVID-19 also passes away from virus appeared first on TheGrio. Below please find summaries of new articles that will be published in the next issue of Annals of Internal Medicine. The summaries are not intended to substitute for the full articles as a source of information. This information is under strict embargo and by taking it into possession, media representatives are committing to the terms of the embargo not only on their own behalf, but also on behalf of the organization they represent. 1. Over 2 decades, the FDA consistently approved new opioids based on studies lacking critical safety and efficacy data Abstract: https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/M20-0274 URL goes live when the embargo lifts Over the past 2 decades, data submitted to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for new opioid approvals has lacked critical safety and efficacy information. During this timeframe, the FDA approved opioids on the basis of pivotal trials of short or intermediate duration, often in narrowly defined pain populations, excluding patients who did not tolerate the drug. Findings from a cross-sectional analysis are published in Annals of Internal Medicine. Per capita use of opioids in the U.S. remains at epidemic levels and far exceeds that of other countries. Overdose rates are at an all-time high, mainly due to heroin and fentanyl use, but most users of those illicit drugs report that their first opioid was a prescription drug. Given the role that prescription opioids have played in driving the epidemic, the regulatory activities of the FDA have been scrutinized. Little is known about the evidence required by the FDA for new approvals of opioid analgesics. Researchers from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health studied 48 new drug applications (NDAs) for opioid analgesics submitted to the FDA between 1997 and 2018 to characterize the quality of safety and efficacy data included in the submissions. The researchers focused on drugs approved for chronic pain because of the heightened safety concerns with those drugs. The data showed that since 1996, the FDA has approved 48 NDAs for prescription opioids for pain. The NDAs were based on pivotal trials, none longer than 12 weeks, often in narrowly defined pain populations. Few approvals included or referenced pooled safety analyses that incorporated systematic assessments of opioid-associated risks, such as tolerance, drug diversion, and nonmedical use. Persons who did not respond to or otherwise tolerate a product were often excluded from the trials. According to the researchers, their findings suggest several opportunities for the FDA to use its regulatory discretion to increase the safety and efficacy data generated in support of new opioid approvals. Media contacts: For an embargoed PDF, please contact Lauren Evans at laevans@acponline.org. To reach the corresponding author, G. Caleb Alexander, MD, MS, please contact Barbara Benham at bbenham1@jhu.edu. 2. Firearm injuries increase individual health care usage and costs by up to 20 times Abstract: https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/M20-0323 URL goes live when the embargo lifts In the 6 months after a firearm injury, patient-level health care visits and costs increased by 3 to 20 times compared with the 6 months prior. These findings, published in Annals of Internal Medicine, demonstrate the substantial financial and personal burden of firearm injury on the U.S. health care system. In 2018, approximately 40,000 persons died from a firearm injury, representing a 20 percent increase in the death rate since 2009. The number and effect of injuries are less well-determined. Although the health care-related cost of firearm injury is estimated to be high, prior data were largely cross-sectional, did not include data on preinjury and postinjury health care visits and related costs, and used hospital charges rather than actual monetary payments. Researchers from Brown University studied insurance claims data from 5 Blue Cross Blue Shield plan states to compare actual monetary payments and health care utilizations within the 6 months before and after a firearm injury. They found that in the 6 months after a firearm injury, patient-level health care visits and costs were over $8 million for those who were shot, and seen in the emergency department; and over $41 million for those who were shot, and required admission to the hospital. Overall, healthcare costs for those who were shot increased by 3 to 20 times in the 6 months after an injury compared with the 6 months before it. The analysis did not measure intangible costs, such as lost wages, fear, and death. The researchers also noted that although mental health claims increased by 100 to 300 percent after an injury (depending on whether a patient was discharged or admitted), these claims increased proportionally less than those for general health care. This may reflect the fact that mental health care is often received and paid for out of network, but more likely shows a lack of diagnosis and/or access to mental health care. According to the researchers, these findings show that firearm injuries have a substantial impact on the U.S. health care system and should inform the prioritization of firearm injury prevention strategies. Media contacts: For an embargoed PDF, please contact Lauren Evans at laevans@acponline.org. To reach the corresponding author, Megan L. Ranney, MD, MPH, please contact Maggie Spear at maggie_spear@brown.edu. 3. Acute care hospitals owned by private equity firms more likely to be in low-income, rural areas Abstract: https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/M20-1361 URL goes live when the embargo lifts Private equity-owned acute care hospitals are more likely to be located in lower-income, more rural areas compared with non-private equity-owned hospitals, among other important differences. A study comparing the characteristics of the two types of hospitals is published in Annals of Internal Medicine. Researchers from Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital studied merger and acquisition reports by Irving Levin Associates and public information to identify 130 hospitals under private equity control in 2018 and compared them with similarly sized and located hospitals not owned by private equity firms. Comparisons were based on location, financial characteristics, and patient experience. The researchers found that private equity hospitals were on average were located in lower-income, more rural areas and had fewer patients discharged and employees per bed. They also had slightly lower patient experience scores. Several economic outcomes were similar and quality of care was not fully measured. According to the researchers, some of these differences may be due to unobserved factors, such as private equity-owned hospitals being located in less metropolitan areas with different populations and socioeconomic conditions than more metropolitan areas. They suggest more research to uncover these reasons. Media contacts: For an embargoed PDF, please contact Lauren Evans at laevans@acponline.org. To reach the corresponding author, Zirui Song, MD, PhD, please contact him at Song@hcp.med.harvard.edu. ### Also in this issue: Ideas About Resourcing Health Care in the United States: Can Economic Evaluation Achieve Meaningful Use? William V. Padula, PhD, and Mark J. Sculpher, PhD Medicine and Public Issues Abstract: https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/M20-1234 Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba and High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell discussed preparations for the 22nd EU-Ukraine summit to be held in Brussels on October 6. As Ukrinform reports with reference to the press service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, this was discussed during a telephone conversation between Kuleba and Borrell. As Minister Kuleba stressed, Ukraine remains committed to the implementation of the Association Agreement and seeks further regulatory convergence and gradual economic integration into the EU internal market. In turn, Borrell assured of a friendly personal attitude to Ukraine, expressed readiness to continue to maintain a dynamic political dialogue and strong partnerships to further deepen political association and economic integration between Ukraine and the EU. In addition, the High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy expressed his condolences to the Minister, all relatives and friends of those killed in the tragic crash of the An-26 military aircraft in Kharkiv region. As reported, the previous EU-Ukraine summit took place in July last year. As a result, agreements were signed on financial support for civil society, decentralization, anti-corruption measures and reforms. ol A farm owner in West Yorkshire received a 10,000 fine after he hosted a wedding party which was attended by up to 300 guests where a 'fight broke out'. Police were called between 5-6pm to Scarecrow Farm in New Farnley, Leeds, on September 26 after receiving reports of a wedding celebration at a marquee. It had been reported that between 100 and 300 guests were in attendance at the celebration. The owner of Scarecrow Farm on Whitehall Road (pictured) in New Farnley, West Yorkshire received a 10,000 fine after he hosted a wedding party which was attended by up to 300 guests where a 'fight broke out' After arriving at the site, officers confirmed that a large number of people were in attendance and that loud music was playing from a marquee in the woods. Vehicles were still seen entering the grounds despite the police presence, so police vehicles were positioned to block entrances. Large groups of guests attempted to leave the site around 9.30pm while officers tried to identify the party's organisers. Police continued to watch the site overnight and seized two industrial-sized generators. Did you attend the party or know someone that did? We'd love to hear from you. Get in touch and email Tips@dailymail.co.uk Advertisement Leeds District Commander, Chief Superintendent Damien Miller said: 'This large-scale event was an absolutely blatant breach of the Coronavirus restrictions that are in place to keep our communities safe from this ongoing threat to public health. 'It is even more appalling that it came only the day after widespread media coverage highlighting the increased restrictions in Leeds that have been put in place to address recent rises in the district's Coronavirus rates. 'Everyone should know by now what is expected of them, and no-one can be in any doubt that large gatherings such as this are completely unacceptable. 'We are maintaining our approach of engaging, explaining and encouraging compliance in the first instance, but, as this latest incident demonstrates, we will not hesitate to make full use of the legislation to take firm action against those who put everyone at risk by flouting the regulations.' A 49-year-old man was identified as being one of the landowners and was reported for summons for holding a gathering of more than 30 people in breach of Coronavirus legislation, which carries a 10,000 fine. This comes after the government announced a local lockdown in Leeds and surrounding areas in West Yorkshire on September 25. Infection rates have soared to more than 100 cases per 100,000 people in the area. Did you attend the party or know someone that did? Email Tips@dailymail.co.uk 'Portfolio' of marine reserves enhances fish populations Scientists say a 'portfolio' of protected areas within marine parks such as the Great Barrier Reef can help secure sustainable fish populations. Dr Hugo Harrison from the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies at James Cook University (Coral CoE at JCU) led a study on the effects of marine reserves, or no-take zones, on fish populations. "The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park has established networks of no-take zones," Dr Harrison said. "A 'portfolio' of these protected areas can help connect reefs and ultimately provide more reliable quantities of fish across an ecosystem." Dr Harrison says no-take zones--areas closed to fishing--on their own act as valuable sources of fish for neighbouring reefs. These areas support more fish, which then produce even greater numbers of baby fish. But, just how many babies survive and where they end up varies greatly from year to year. These fluctuations can be volatile and uncertain. "Our findings are comparable to investing your resources wisely," said Professor Michael Bode, a co-author on the study from the Queensland University of Technology. "If you put all your money into one type of stock and then the value of that entire industry crashes, then all of your investment will crash too." "By investing in a variety of stocks you can buffer or dampen market volatility and still maintain a valuable portfolio. Our study proves that marine protected areas are like financial stocks: if you invest in multiple smaller reserves instead of putting all your effort into one large reserve, you ensure a stable supply of fish to both recreational and commercial fishers." The authors tracked more than 1,500 baby fish using DNA 'fingerprinting' techniques. The baby fish were traced back to their parents inside a network of four reserves. The researchers found that each reserve was an important but variable source of baby fish. However, together, the network of reserves generated a reliable source of offspring to replenish exploited fish stocks in surrounding reefs. The study coincides with two significant international reports illustrating the stark decline of the natural world: the Living Planet Report 2020 and the Global Biodiversity Outlook 5. "Governments all around the world failed to meet any of the UN Sustainable Development Goals on Biodiversity Conservation," Dr Harrison said. "To stem the loss of natural habitats, they had committed in 2010 to expand the world's nature reserves across ten percent of coastal and marine areas by 2020." "Though protected ocean areas have tripled in these past ten years, the targets remain well below the recommendation of at least 30 percent protection recommended by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)." The IUCN also recently released guidelines on protecting connectivity and 'corridors' within ecosystems, which are essential for healthy natural habitats--for conservation and for climate change adaptation. Prof Bode says maintaining corridors between protected areas is easy to picture in a terrestrial realm--for example, in a forest setting where animals can move freely between areas. "But it's a lot harder in the marine realm, where connectivity pathways between habitats are difficult to predict," Prof Bode said. "We can't maintain 'corridors' in coral reef seascapes, so we need other mechanisms to ensure connectivity through these 'portfolios', as we do on the Great Barrier Reef." Dr Harrison said there is an urgent need for further discussions on the value of marine reserve networks--both locally and internationally. "Our research is a timely reminder of the value of marine networks in protecting not only biodiversity but industries including tourism and the millions of people globally whose livelihoods depend on healthy ecosystems." ### PAPER Harrison H, Bode M, Williamson D, Berumen M, Jones G. (2020). 'A connectivity portfolio effect stabilizes marine reserve performance'. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1920580117 CONTACT Dr Hugo Harrison (Townsville, Australia) P: +61 (0) 499 523 939 E: hugo.harrison@jcu.edu.au Prof Michael Bode (Brisbane, Australia) P: +61 (0) 414 108 439 E: michael.bode@qut.edu.au FOR FURTHER INFORMATION Melissa Lyne/ Coral CoE at JCU P: +61 (0) 415 514 328 E: melissa.lyne@jcu.edu.au This story has been published on: 2020-09-28. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Kerala Congress MP moves SC against contentious farm law India oi-Deepika S New Delhi, Sep 28: A Congress MP from Kerala moved the Supreme Court on Monday challenging the constitutional validity of various provisions of the contentious new farm Act. TN Prathapan, who represents Thrissur Lok Sabha constituency in Kerala, has alleged that the Farmers' (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020 is violative of Article 14 (right to equality), 15 (prohibition of discrimination) and 21 (right to life and liberty) of the Constitution. He said the law, which was accorded presidential assent on Sunday, is "liable to be struck down as unconstitutional, illegal and void". As per the government, the new law intends to provide a national framework for the farming agreements to protect and empower farmers as they engage with agri-business and food processing firms, wholesalers, exporters and large retailers for farm services and sale of produce at a remunerative price framework in a fair and transparent manner. Karnataka bandh over farm bills evokes good response; Congress, JDS workers detained Prathapan, in the plea filed through lawyer James P Thomas, said: "Indian Agriculture is characterised by fragmentation due to small holdings and has certain inherent weaknesses beyond control such as dependence on weather, uncertainties in production and an unpredictable market. This makes agriculture risky and inefficient in respect of both input and output management." It said the challenges faced by farmers such as dependence on weather, cannot be addressed by monetisation of the produce to increase their income, instead strengthening the Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) system by infusing more capital and effective management of Minimum Support Price. "The number of farmers that the Centre assumed for calculating the cost of PM-Kisan scheme is from the Agriculture Census of 2015-16, which had put the number of operational agriculture landholdings in the country at 14.5 crore. "The matter is of substantial public interest and is emergent as there is need for striking down laws which violate the rights of the 14.5 crore citizens who are engaged in farming before serious financial damage is caused to them and the families of such persons," it said. Amrinder Singh joins farmers' protest, says 'Pakistan's ISI may take advantage' | Oneindia News The petition challenged constitutionality of various Sections of the farm law -- 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 13, 14, 18 and 19. Some parts of the country have been witnessing farmer protests on the issue. A former custodian at a New Providence elementary school is headed to federal prison after admitting he drove to upstate New York with plans to have sex with someone he thought was a 13-year-old girl. Recep Sandikci also sent sexually explicit images over a cell phone application in the days before he drove to the Albany, New York area, the U.S. Attorneys Office for New Yorks Northern District said in a statement Sunday. The New Jersey man and a 13-year-old girl began communicating via Google Hangouts before the teens mother found the messages and turned them over to police, court papers state. An investigator then assumed the girls identity and agreed to a meeting with Sandikci. Sandikci was arrested by FBI agents at a park in Menands, New York on Aug. 6, 2019 after driving from New Jersey, according to court documents. Sandikci worked at Salt Brook Elementary School in New Providence at the time of his arrest, according to TapInto.net and faces up to 30 years in prison when he is sentenced Jan. 5, 2021. Please subscribe now and support the local journalism YOU rely on and trust. Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JeffSGoldman. Find NJ.com on Facebook. ALTON A federal grand jury for the Southern District of Illinois has indicted Tia M. Taylor, 27, of Alton, with one count of theft of mail by a postal service employee. The indictment alleges that, in July 2020, Taylor stole four packages addressed to Godfrey residents from the Godfrey post office where she worked as a clerk. Roku unveiled a number of new products today, including the Streambar. This is a tiny little sound bar, which Roku says is a compact sound bar, and it costs just $129. That makes it a really great competitor for something like the Sonos Beam which is priced at $399. The Streambar comes roughly a year after it announced its first sound bar. It comes in about 14 inches long, and is also shorter, so it can better fit in front of TVs in your living room, or bedroom. Where there may not be much space. Advertisement Roku Streambar uses HDMI ARC Much like the other newer sound bars, the Streambar also uses HDMI ARC for connecting to your TV. The advantage to using HDMI ARC is that your TV can control the sound bar. So you wont need another remote to control the Streambar. It does also have support for optical audio, if you happen to have an older TV. There is also Bluetooth and Spotify Connect available for streaming music, while the TV is turned off. The Streambar also works with the other wireless speakers and subwoofer that Roku unveiled last year. So you can have a cool surround sound setup. Advertisement Streambar also has a few software audio features on tap. You can make speech easier to hear, and also level out the volume across the content you watch. This means that the commercials wont be extra loud, while the actual show you are watching is quiet. Finally, there is a night mode that will allow you to hear the TV without waking up other people in the house. It is, of course, controlled by the Roku Voice Remote that is included. It also has support for 4K content and HDR. It uses the HDR10 and HLG standards for HDR. For audio, there is support for PCM and Dolby Audio. Streambar also supports Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. Advertisement When can I buy it? The Streambar is available today for pre-order and will start shipping in mid-October. Itll be available in the US, Canada, Mexico and the UK. As mentioned, the Roku Streambar is going to cost you $129. Making it one of the cheaper sound bars on the market today, and it is also going to be one of the better sounding ones in this price range. Advertisement If you are looking for a decent sound bar that is going to sound good but also offer up Roku compatibility, this is a really good option. Roku Streambar - Amazon Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 28) The COVID-19 critical care capacity in Metro Manila has seen substantial improvement in the past few weeks, but the figures still do not warrant easing of lockdown measures, according to an official. Speaking to CNN Philippines, Vince Dizon, testing czar and COVID-19 task force deputy chief implementer, said the healthcare capacity in the National Capital Region has yet to meet the criteria that will allow it to relax to the modified general community quarantine or MGCQ. The numbers have been improving. But I think our capacity utilization our available capacity is still not at the level which will bring us down to MGCQ, Dizon said in an interview with The Source. Were not at that level of MGCQ yet for NCR" he explained. "There has been a substantial decrease in utilization of our hospital beds and our critical care beds, I think were down to the 50 percent mark. The past couple of weeks, we were at 80 percent. But were not at MGCQ level yet. Latest government data show that 58.4 percent of intensive care unit beds in Metro Manila are currently occupied. According to the Health Department, 55.8 percent of ward beds and 50.8 percent of isolation beds are also currently being utilized. "Kailangan talaga na ang hospital ay may ready capacity pag nagbukas tayo sa new normal," treatment czar and Health Undersecretary Leopoldo Vega said during the Laging Handa briefing. [Translation: Hospitals must have a ready capacity when we gear up for the new normal.] He added that Metro Manila will have to likely maintain its GCQ status due to its current critical care utilization rate. Vega earlier said that aside from strengthened critical care capacity, the Inter-Agency Task Force will also be looking at the case doubling rate of the virus before making its quarantine recommendations. Metro Manila mayors have also expressed support for another GCQ extension, as they vowed to take on the challenge of finding the perfect balance between protecting citizens health and reopening the economy. Dizon, for his part, reiterated that the final decision still lies with President Rodrigo Duterte, who is set to announce the lockdown status of the region this week. COVID-19 infections in the Philippines surpassed the 300,000 mark over the weekend, according to DOHs latest tally. Iranian Foreign Ministry announced that Tehran's policy is an immediate ceasefire declaration between Azerbaijan and Armenia and it certainly cannot tolerate the continuation of conflicts at its borders, Mehr News Agency reported. In his remarks in a press conference on Monday morning, the Ministry's spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh said following the start of the tensions over Nagorno-Karabakh on Sunday, Iranian FM Mohammad Javad Zarif spoke in detail with the foreign ministers of both Armenia and Azerbaijan under the framework of active diplomacy, and announced Iran's readiness to use all its capacities to put an end to this conflict. We said that the sooner the talks start, the better, and that declaring a ceasefire is the only solution," Khatibzadeh said. Iran believes that the issue has no military solution, he added. Germany elects new CDU leader UN expresses concern over disappearance of 2 activists in Afghanistan Carnival in Rio de Janeiro postponed due to omicron strain More than 9,300 Afghans claiming protection were taken to Germany Scientists suggest that under surface of one of Saturn moons lies ocean Russian Foreign Ministry: US and NATO launched toxi campaign against Moscow Sergey Nersesyan dismissed from post of Yerevan Deputy Mayor British Foreign Secretary to visit Moscow in February for talks with Lavrov 48-year-old man dies of frostbite in Yerevan 1,822 criminal cases launched in Kazakhstan after January riots Tatoyan: Expired drugs found in mental health centers in Armenia 6.3 magnitude earthquake strikes off coast of Alaska Putin and Pashinyan discuss by phone prospects for further cooperation within CSTO First batch of military aid to Ukraine from US arrived in Kyiv 6.0 magnitude earthquake strikes off Philippine coast Armenia confirms 940 new coronavirus cases, no deaths Armenian rescuers pull out 50 stuck cars and provide necessary aid to 80 citizens Papua New Guinea parliament repeals death penalty law TikTok starts testing paid subscriptions Israeli fighter jets, refueling planes hold massive drills aimed at Tehran France announces gradual lifting of coronavirus restrictions Fountains in Athens' central square illuminated with Armenian tricolor Austria approves Europe's first mandatory COVID-19 vaccination mandate World War II aircraft crashed in India found after 77 years Armenian Parliament Deputy Speaker meets EU delegation Deputy Speaker of Armenian parliament meets Russian Ambassador to Armenia Germany won't pay compensation if Nord Stream 2 doesn't comply with German, EU laws NEWS.am digest: EU special rep. is in Armenia, Roma's Mkhitaryan turns 33 today Child injured in Artsakh car accident taken to Yerevan by Russian peacekeepers' helicopter Taiwanese woman faces death penalty for setting island's deadliest fire Turkey passes law to exempt converted lira deposits from corporate tax Blinken says he discussed Iran nuclear deal with Lavrov Erdogan says Turkey has peaceful relations with Russia like never before New German government wants to attract 400,000 skilled workers from abroad every year Israeli Attorney General orders to investigate police allegations of spyware Blinken: Any Russian invasion of Ukraine will be met with swift response Candidate: Ombudsmans institution is one of few established institutions in Armenia Lavrov summarizes the results of talks with Blinken UN agrees on definition of Holocaust denial Lavrov and Blinken talks kick off in Geneva Australian FM says issue of sending direct military aid to Ukraine is not considered Armenia PM receives EU delegation, need for full operation of Karabakh peace process is stressed Armenia National Assembly debating on new ombudspersons candidacy Katherine Tai: The world can't go back to the 2019 trading system Dollar gains value in Armenia Armenia legislature told hold secret ballot to elect TV and radio commission new members NATO intends to hold largest military exercises beyond Arctic Circle in early March 7 new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh 'Zangezur corridor' will unite Turkic world, says Azerbaijan presidential office official Armenia FM highlights need for full resumption of Karabakh peace talks Armenia ex-defense minister: In our time it was shame to immediately turn to CSTO in case of Azerbaijan provocations UN General Assembly head calls for peace during Beijing Olympics Armenia Tourism Committee has new chairperson Russian MFA: Priority today is to start Azerbaijan-Armenia border delimitation, demarcation process Parliament passes, in first reading, bill restricting gambling advertising in Armenia UK considering sending hundreds of additional troops to Ukraine's neighbors Warships of Russia, Iran and China work out counteraction to maritime piracy Armenia first deputy minister of justice dismissed Israeli defense minister tests positive for COVID-19 Karabakh conflict resumption likelihood is moderate, its impact on US interests is low, report says Antonio Guterres thinks Russia will not invade Ukraine Azerbaijan ambassador to Russia hastens to sweeten the sediment of statement by US embassy in Baku IS fighters attack army barracks in mountainous area north of Baghdad, killing 11 soldiers Thomas de Waal: Will Armenia and Turkey be able to normalize relations after 3rd attempt? Armenia Security Council secretary, visiting EU delegation discuss situation on border with Azerbaijan Foreign ministers of Israel and Turkey have talk for 1st time in 13 years Fly Arna shareholders appoint companys Board of Directors 628 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia CSTO chief: Necessary to work on Armenia-Azerbaijan border delimitation, demarcation FBI search congressman's home in connection with Azerbaijan probe Newspaper: Armenia PM again goes way of black and white Newspaper: Scenario devised after war to be implemented in Artsakh EU Special Representative for South Caucasus arrives in Armenia Quake hits Armenia: 28 km northwest of Jermuk Crete island lighthouse illuminated with colors of Armenian tricolor Aurora Humanitarian Initiative to allocate $500,000 to projects in Artsakh Sajid Javid: Britain must learn to live with COVID-19, it could be with us forever Erdogan suggests Putin and Zelensky meet face to face EU Special Representative for the South Caucasus meets Aliyev US imposes sanctions on Ukrainians related to 'Russian harmful foreign activities' Sabah: Ankara refuses to hold next Armenian-Turkish meeting in a third country US general discusses regional security and bilateral cooperation in Armenia Secret graves of alleged protesters discovered in Almaty Armenian side members to Armenian-American Intergovernmental Commission confirmed WHO advises countries to lift or ease international travel restrictions US sanctions against Vladimir Putin, Ruben Vardanian and members of the Russian government Armenian Foreign Ministry discusses Mirzoyan's participation in Turkey forum Thailand to resume non-quarantine travel scheme from February 1 Instagram introduces paid subscription feature NEWS.am daily digest: 20.01.22 Europe considers new strategy to combat COVID-19 Norwegian prosecutors refuse release Anders Breivik, 2011 mass murderer Erdogan urges Turks to sell foreign currency for liras Azerbaijan not yet returned about 300 sheep of Armenia villager Media: Israeli President thinks about visiting Turkey Dollar quite stable in Armenia Trade turnover between Ukraine and Armenia increases by 24% Armenia legislature speaker meets with of International Republican Institute president, and director for Eurasia Kremlin does not exclude new call between Putin and Biden EU Special Representative for South Caucasus to soon visit Armenia, Azerbaijan The Tata group has reached out to several investors, including sovereign wealth funds, to raise funds to buy out the Mistry familys stake in Tata Sons Ltd, two people directly aware of the ongoing negotiations said. N Chandrasekaran, chairman of Tata Sons, is leading the talks with potential investors, the success of which will determine whether the bitter feud between the Tata group and its biggest minority shareholder, the Mistry family, ends, the people said, requesting anonymity. Chandrasekaran has spoken to several potential investors, including a large European sovereign wealth fund, said one of the two people cited above. The discussions are focused on the likely valuation and a possible exit map for the investors. But given the large size of the transaction, Tata group may offer to purchase the Mistry familys 18.4% stake in a staggered manner, instead of acquiring the entire shareholding at one go, the second person cited above said, adding that the Shapoorji Pallonji (SP) group is likely to broadly decide on the terms of the potential separation, including the final valuation and timelines before October 28, when the Supreme Court hears the matter next. Both Tata and Mistry family want a quick resolution of the court matters. Mistry firms are keen on a quick exit and want a complete separation, the person said. The Mistry familys stake, held through two investment firms, is estimated to be Rs 1.5 lakh crore, according to the valuations submitted to the Supreme Court. On September 22, the Shapoorji Pallonji group said in a statement that it wants to end its seven-decades-long relationship with the Tata group. The statement came after Tata Sons counsel Harish Salve told the Supreme Court that Tata group is willing to buy Mistry familys shares at market value. The apex court was hearing an application of Tata Sons, which sought to block Mistry firms from pledging Tata shares. The top court ordered a status quo on creating pledges on shares of Tata Sons. The cash-strapped Shapoorji Pallonji group was looking to pledge the shares to raise funds. The two groups have been embroiled in a protracted legal battle since Cyrus Mistry, son of Shapoorji Pallonji group patriarch Pallonji Mistry, was sacked as chairman of Tata Sons in October 2016. While the Shapoorji Pallonji group wants a quick separation, Tata group is facing a challenge because of the size and timing of the transaction, said the second person. Senior officials of Tata Sons are currently overseas to figure out the funding of such a large transaction. They are reaching out to some European sovereign wealth funds. The Mistry firms are, however, yet to formally approach the Tata group with an offer to sell, said this person. Typically, in these situations, mediators are appointed for a smooth resolution, according to Rukshad Davar, partner, Majmudar and Partners. Separately, Shapoorji Pallonji group has sought to restructure Rs 10,900 crore of its debt under Covid-related loan restructuring from its lenders. While there are no concerns on the groups solvency, the Shapoorji Pallonji group is facing a maturity mismatch because several short-term borrowings come up for maturity, said a Shapoorji Pallonji group official. President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo says the 2020 presidential candidate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), John Dramani Mahama has proven over time, to be inconsistent, as he flip-flops on issues of national development. Speaking at Bibiani, at the end of his three-day tour of the Western North Region, on Saturday, the President stated that it is important for the credibility of the countrys public discourse that persons in the countrys public space are seen to be consistent in their views and advocacy. According to him, when the Bill governing the establishment of the National Health Insurance Scheme were being passed in 2003, I was in Parliament. I witnessed the NDC MPs, which included Mahama, kicking against it by staging a walk out of the House. The President continued, When President Kufuor successfully implemented it, Mahama and Mills said they would implement a one-time payment of the National Health Insurance, but for eight years, eight solid years, that promise never became a reality. Today, Mahama says he is bringing free primary healthcare if voted for. Can we trust him? Did he fulfil his promises for which reason we should believe that he would fulfil this? No, we cannot trust him. Touching on the cancellation of the allowances for teacher and nursing trainees, he noted that students and, indeed, all well-meaning Ghanaians, asked the former President to restore the allowances, all to no avail. We begged him to restore them, but he was adamant to the extent that he said if that would mean he losing the 2016 elections, so be it. I restored the teacher and nursing training allowances, and now he has changed his tongue again. He says he will now continue to pay teacher and nursing training allowances! Can we trust him? No way!, President Akufo-Addo retorted. Again, on the Zongo Development Fund, which, in the view of the President, is bringing development to the people in Zongo communities, he recounted how former President Mahama said the use of the Zongo Development Fund for the provision of ICT facilities and astroturf pitches represented a misappropriation of funds, only for the former President to turn around and promise the construction of mortuaries and legalising okada for residents in Zongo communities. Again, on the Free Senior High School policy, the President recalled how John Mahama stated that the pledge by the NPP to provide Free SHS was a mere political gimmick and just lies, as the implementation of the policy can only happen in 20 years. Two years ago, he said if you had GH2 billion, you shouldnt be spending it all on Free SHS. Today, he says that if he is given the mantle of leadership, he will continue with the implementation of Free SHS. Can we trust him on this? No!, President Akufo-Addo continued. To John Mahama, he asked You have fought the Free Senior High School all this while, what has happened? What changed your mind about the Free SHS? The Ghanaian people deserve to know, why have you changed your mind about the Free Senior High School policy. He is inconsistent and a flip-flop, a trait not seen in Akufo-Addo. The President, thus, asked residents of Western North to continue to have trust and confidence in him, adding that I will always be truthful to you, and work for the unity, progress, prosperity and development of our nation. With the NPP having only three seats out of the nine seats in the Western North Region, he was hopeful that the 2020 elections will see a change in fortunes for the NPP. I pray that massive changes occur this time around for all of you to be part of the elephant family. You will never regret being a part of the NPP. I urge you to vote Four More for Nana, he said. He appealed to residents of the Bibiani to vote massively for the NPPs parliamentary candidate, Alfred Obeng. Source: peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Pre-teen and teenage children are about twice as likely as younger kids to catch coronavirus and spread it at school, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data reveals. Since the COVID-19 pandemic really kicked off in the US in March, 277,285 children have caught the virus. Older and Latinx children were each about twice as likely to be diagnosed with coronavirus than were younger kids or those of other races, respectively, according to the new CDC data. Children have typically not gotten as sick as adults when they do get coronavirus. When the beginning of the fall school semester was approaching, parents, educators and public health officials worried that they could become silent spreaders. But only about five percent of the children recruited to the CDC's study exhibited no symptoms. It follows Brown University's release of early data that showed less than one percent of students and teachers have been infected with coronavirus since classes began - both online and in-person - this fall. Teenagers between 12 and 17 (light blue) have been consistently about twice as likely to catch coronavirus as younger kids (dark blue), CDC data show Recent Brown University data showed, somewhat reassuringly, that less than one percent of children and staff have caught coronavirus since returning to school (file) The CDC estimates that some 56 million children between ages five and 17 headed back to school. At least some schools in every US state had kids come back to classrooms for some of, if not the entire week. President Trump has continued to urge schools to reopen, while reiterating his insistence that a vaccine against COVID-19 vaccine will be available by October. The CDC eventually changed its tone, in August, and said it, like the president, considered the risks of further interrupting children's development and education, greater than the risks they would contract or spread coronavirus. Between May and September, about 37.4 adolescents between ages 12 and 17 per every 100,000 children in the age group caught coronavirus. By comparison, just 19 per every 100,000 five- to 11-year-olds tested positive for COVID-19 each week. Rates of positive tests increased week-over-week from late May until mid-July, then decreased and levelled out through August and early September. They may now be creeping upward again. Aside from older-age - at which point children are apt to be more social and independent, and have weaker innate immunity that may provide younger kids with some protection - underlying conditions were a major predictor kids would catch and become severely ill from COVID-19. Of those who were hospitalized for the infection, 16 percent had at least one underlying condition. Cases of COVID-19 in children of all ages rose from March to mid-July, declined and plateaued through early September, but may be rising again, the CDC found The link was only stronger as kids got sicker. Twenty-seven percent of children admitted to ICUs had at least one underlying condition and 28 percent of kids who succumbed to the virus had one or more pre-existing health issue. About a quarter of young children (ages five to 11) were white, as were 36 percent of adolescents. More than 40 percent of all children who caught coronavirus were Hispanic and 17 percent were black. The life-threatening complication multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) has also disproportionately struck minority kids. 'As education resumes and some schools begin in-person learning for the 202021 academic year, it is critical to have a baseline for monitoring trends in COVID-19 infection among school-aged children,' the CDC authors wrote. 'Since March, a period during which most U.S. schools conducted classes virtually or were closed for the summer, the incidence among adolescents was approximately double that in younger children. 'Although mortality and hospitalization in school-aged children was low, Hispanic ethnicity, Black race, and underlying conditions were more commonly reported among children who were hospitalized or admitted to an ICU, providing additional evidence that some children might be at increased risk for severe illness associated with COVID-19.' They added that in-person learning seemed to be fairly safe most areas, but said school might have to move back online if transmission rates in a school's broader community start to go back up. ALBANY Some Albany city school district teachers and staff who on Friday told students they would not be returning to work Tuesday because their jobs had been cut were then offered roles as substitutes at a lesser per diem rate, according to union leaders. "We are currently reviewing the many instances that have been reported to us of members who were laid off only to be asked to then long-term sub for their 'cut' positions," Albany Public School Teachers Association (APSTA) tweeted Monday morning. More than 200 teachers, administrators and staff have lost their jobs due to a massive budget shortfall created by anticipated cuts to state aid. Several teachers reached out to the Times Union with similar complaints about being offered lower-paying jobs. Albany Superintendent Kaweeda Adams said that the district is looking to hire eight substitutes and that teachers who lost their jobs were offered the positions based on the union's reverse seniority agreement. "We are not hiring teachers at a lesser rate or filling teaching positions with substitutes," Adams said. "They were positions that would need to be filled with substitutes anyway because (the teachers) were on maternity leave and family medical leave... Our goal is to rebuild and reinstate as much of our instructional program as we can." Earlier: Hundreds of public school staff cuts weaken Capital Region economy Albany City Schools to cut jobs of over 200 teachers, administrators All school meals are still free for now Laura Franz, APSTA's president, said the union is trying to verify the claims and look into whether they violate collective bargaining terms. She said she believed most have been asked to return as long-term substitutes for positions that weren't theirs, which would be in line with the collective bargaining agreement. Nominate your favorite people and places now Its the 25th anniversary of our Best of the Capital Region readers survey. Nominate your favorite people, places and businesses between Jan. 21 and Feb. 4. "We are working with our members to try and address this in a more compassionate way," Franz said. "My hope was and still is to explore different solutions with district leadership by which we can find a more humane separation for these members of our district." Albany Pine Hills Councilman Owusu Anane criticized the way the district has handled the layoffs. "It's outrageous that the Albany school district is making an already bad situation even worse for many of our educators," Anane said. Several out-of-work educators also told the Times Union that their final paycheck on Friday was significantly smaller than they had anticipated. District officials told them it was due to health insurance deductions that were not taken in July and August. One teacher who expected to be paid $1,800 said he only got $25. Another was paid $125. A third teacher got 68 cents. Support staff who lost their jobs, represented by Albany Public Schools United Employees, said they also found unexpected deductions on their final paychecks associated with time off and benefits. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 28) The local chief executives in the National Capital Region have recommended to extend the general community quarantine (GCQ) status in Metro Manila for the whole month of October, San Juan City Mayor Francis Zamora disclosed on Monday. The 17 mayors met with several members of the Inter-Agency Task Force on Sunday to present their recommendation for the announcement of the next round of quarantine status. Zamora relayed that it was the "consensus" to again place the capital region under GCQ. He said it is no longer a question of choosing between health or economy during the COVID-19 pandemic, but to find the perfect balance on how to help businesses recover from what he called the "economic crunch" while protecting the public from the highly-contagious virus that has infected over 300,000 Filipinos. "It is now the health and the economy," he told CNN Philippines. "So, it is now preparing to open up additional operating capacities of businesses. Even if we retain the GCQ status, it is possible to still slowly increase the operational capacity, meaning the number of people that can work, the number of customers that establishments can allow to enter. So, these are now being prepared." Jojo Garcia, general manager of the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA), said Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez, who was present during the meeting, proposed to allow select establishments to increase their operating capacity, which will give workers more opportunities to earn. The Cabinet secretary said this is a good "alternative" as compared to easing the quarantine classification to the most relaxed modified GCQ. He said some sectors, such as legal and accounting firms and other services in the film industry, should be allowed to adjust from 50 percent operating capacity to a full-blown operation. "Kahit GCQ pa rin tayo but at least we open some more the economy," Lopez said during a budget hearing in the Senate on Monday. "That is also a good alternative (to MGCQ)... That can be made from 50% to 100% operating capacity to allow more workers na makabalik sa kanilang mga trabaho. That would be a big help," [Translation: Even if we stay under GCQ, at least we can open the economy more, that is a good alternative. That can be made from 50% to 100% operating capacity to allow more workers to return to work.] Metro Manila has been under GCQ since June 1, excluding the two-week return to a stricter modified enhanced community quarantine in the first half of August. Under GCQ, public transportation is allowed to operate at a reduced capacity and most industries are permitted to open. Zamora said the GCQ should be extended to sustain the decreasing number of new COVID-19 cases in the region. This is the same position of the researchers from the University of the Philippines, which noted that Metro Manila showed a decline of over 50 percent in its daily cases compared to five weeks ago. They were quick to stress that the country may lose its gains with a "premature" easing to modified GCQ. "We would be careful not to move to MGCQ yet because we are not yet fully healed," UP OCTA Fellow Prof. Guido David told CNN Philippines on Sept. 26. The recommendation of the Metro Manila mayors will go through the IATF. It will make the proposal to President Rodrigo Duterte, who is set to announce his final decision on the fate of the region this week. The Department of Health (DOH) has confirmed 304,226 COVID-19 cases in the country, which includes 252,510 recoveries and 5,344 deaths. Health spokesperson Maria Rosario Vergeire said the (DOH) has noted a downward trend in the daily recorded cases in the country. London, Paris, Rotterdam - 28 September 2020 - Atos, a global leader in digital transformation, today announces a contract with innocent drinks to deliver an industry-leading, end-to-end technology solution for the smoothie and juice company's first carbon neutral factory in the Port of Rotterdam called 'the blender'. Atos will help innocent create a digital factory by providing the carbon-neutral facility with a suite of state-of-the-art solutions, including active LAN and WIFI networking through advanced technology and compute and storage, supported with a professional services package and maintenance support. innocent will benefit from improved operational efficiency and increased security through a cloud-based solution, which enables WIFI network management both on site at the blender in Rotterdam as well remotely from innocent's London headquarters, Fruit Towers. Scalable compute and storage technologies will deliver in-depth data gathering and analytics on power usage, helping innocent to monitor and adjust the factory's energy consumption and drive resource efficiency to support its decarbonization objectives. The partnership with Atos will support the transition of the innocent production process model from relying on multiple fruit producers to blend and bottle, to consolidating its operations. By integrating its manufacturing network in this way, innocent aims to reduce the number of road miles travelled by approximately 25% and cut its carbon footprint by 10%. Andy Joynson, chief blender, innocent said: "The digital solutions provided by Atos are going to play a key role in creating a future-proof digital factory, where we can craft our drinks from fruit to bottle in a sustainable way." Eric Grall, Global Head of Manufacturing Industry at Atos, said: "An innovative and modern company like innocent requires a suite of best-in-breed technologies, and that's what we shall be providing for its carbon-neutral factory, the blender. We are delivering an end-to-end, integrated solution and by enabling innocent to centralise its manufacturing processes via an ecosystem of technologies, we are supporting the goal of innocent to be a force for good, for people and the planet." Atos has placed decarbonization at the heart of its business strategy, leveraging on its own decarbonization track record and its expertise in green digital technologies. ### About Atos Atos is a global leader in digital transformation with 110,000 employees in 73 countries and annual revenue of 12 billion. European number one in Cloud, Cybersecurity and High-Performance Computing, the Group provides end-to-end Orchestrated Hybrid Cloud, Big Data, Business Applications and Digital Workplace solutions. The Group is the Worldwide Information Technology Partner for the Olympic & Paralympic Games and operates under the brands Atos, Atos|Syntel, and Unify. Atos is a SE (Societas Europaea), listed on the CAC40 Paris stock index. The purpose of Atos is to help design the future of the information space. Its expertise and services support the development of knowledge, education and research in a multicultural approach and contribute to the development of scientific and technological excellence. Across the world, the Group enables its customers and employees, and members of societies at large to live, work and develop sustainably, in a safe and secure information space. Press contacts: Global: Laura Fau | laura.fau@atos.net | +33 6 73 64 04 18 | @laurajanefau UK: Helena Shadbolt helena.shadbolt@mhpc.com +44+44 (0)20 3128 8897 Attachment US-HEALTH-VIRUS-ABORTION-WOMEN-INTERNET In this photo illustration, a person looks at an Abortion Pill (RU-486) for unintended pregnancy from Mifepristone displayed on a smartphone on May 8, 2020, in Arlington, Virginia. Credit - Olivier DoulieryAFP/Getty Images When the FDA approved mifepristone in late September 2000, advocates believed it was going to change abortion care in this country. Mifepristone causes an abortion when used with another long-approved drug, misoprostol. (In the United States, this regimen is used through ten or eleven weeks of pregnancy.) Medication abortion, as this new modality was called, raised the possibility of a dramatic expansion of abortion provision by bringing in new categories of providers. As a sociologist studying abortion, I was interested in documenting the dissemination of this new method. Shortly after the FDA approval, I tried to locate new providers who were going to start delivering medication abortion care, but initially I found very few. At this 20th anniversary, however, mifepristone is indeed finally leading to major changesdue to COVID-19. In the twelve long years between when the medication was first approved in France (1988) and in the United States, the anti-abortion movement had vociferously campaigned against mifepristone, spreading misinformation, and threatening boycotts against the medications then global manufacturer, Hoechst A.G., a German firm. (In response to the controversy, Hoechst eventually stopped production of the pill and gave up its patent rights.) At the same time, violence by abortion extremists was increasing. The first murder of a physician who performed abortion took place in 1993, followed a few years later by several more murders of people in the abortion-providing community. Weary both of this violence, and of the problems caused by a chronic shortage of abortion providers, the pro-choice movement fastened their hopes on medication abortion care as a solution to both these issues. This method carried the promise of increasing the number of providers because it did not require the specialized medical training of other forms of abortion care. If many primary care doctors, for example, incorporated medication abortion care into their practices, abortion care could move away from specialized clinics, and protestors would not know why someone was entering a particular facility. Story continues In retrospect, these hopes were inflated and naive. Medically speaking, medication abortion care is quite straightforward. Socially, however, this method, as with abortion care generally, is quite complicated. Would-be new providers were taken aback to learn that incorporating medication abortion care into their primary practices meant that they would be subject to the restrictions governing abortion in their states, such as parental consent, waiting periods and other rules. Similarly, those who did start this provision soon realized that it was logistically impossible to alert patients of this new service but simultaneously keep it secret from protestors. This impossibility of confidentiality became clear when I interviewed a family medicine doctor in the rural Midwest who began providing medication abortion care to her patients. She was startled when a patient came into her office, and said, Doctor, do you know that they are calling you a daughter of Satan on Christian radio? This doctor was not the only one I encountered whose decision to initiate medication abortion care became controversial, and led to unwanted attention from protestors, and in some cases, pushback from medical colleagues in their community. An additional hurdle for new providers: the FDA took the unusual step of placing mifepristone in a program that came to be known as Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategies (REMS). This program was established to regulate drugs known to be very dangerous, such as thalidomide, which causes severe birth defects. But ample evidence existed from trials in the United States and Europe of mifepristones safety. One can speculate that this step was taken in response to the medications controversy, not the science. The REMS classification imposed cumbersome restrictions. Mifepristone could not be dispensed in a pharmacy, but it had to be obtained at a clinic or doctors office. Doctors who offered mifepristone had to register with the distributorno doubt causing apprehension among potential adopters about having ones name on a list of known abortion providers. Gradually, however, the use of medication abortion has expanded. According to the most recent data, about 40% of all abortions in the United States are by this method. Some 17 states permit Advanced Practice Clinicians (nurse practitioners, midwives and physician assistants) to provide medication abortion, and this has particularly benefitted rural women. Simultaneously, however, from 2000 on, red state legislators have sought in numerous ways to restrict this method. Seventeen states, for example, prohibit the use of telehealth for medication abortion, though this has been very successful where allowed. But, as no one could have predicted, medication abortion care has really come into its own during the COVID-19 crisis. This method involves considerably less close provider-patient interaction than other abortion methods. I have found in recent interviews with providers that increasingly patients are opting for this regimen. Clinic staff are developing new protocols to minimize face-to-face interaction as much as possible, for example by doing preliminary counseling using telehealth, and by sending patients home with a pregnancy test, thereby eliminating the need for a follow-up visit to ascertain a successful abortion. But the REMS requirement still meant that patients had to travel to clinics to obtain the two pills of the regimen, thus risking exposure to COVID-19. Leading medical organizations, including the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), have long argued that the REMS were unnecessary. Abortion providers were therefore encouraged by the recent ruling, in a suit brought by ACOG, that temporarily overturned the REMS due to the pandemic. (The Trump administration has appealed to the Supreme Court to reinstate this restriction but the Court has not yet responded.) Currently, where state laws do not explicitly prohibit this, the relevant medications can be mailed to patients. Advocates hope that a paper trail of the safety of this measure will allow this policy to be continued even after COVID-19 is under control. When I started to document medication abortion care, I didnt think this methods promise would take this long to be realized. I wish it didnt have to take a pandemic for the FDA to start loosening restrictions, but Im thankful that progress is happening now. Chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Monday announced that Punjab will challenge the Centres anti-farm laws in the Supreme Court. Taking part in a protest against the legislation at Khatkar Kalan, the native village of Shaheed Bhagat Singh on the freedom fighters birth anniversary, the chief minister said, Our lawyers are coming from Delhi tomorrow (on Tuesday). We will discuss how to proceed in the matter and then challenge the legislation in the Supreme Court. Capt Amarinder Singh said that he will request Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to join the farmers protest. Rahul Gandhi has been tweeting daily and issuing statements that the BJP has betrayed the farmers, he said. The BJP has snatched the constitutional powers of one state after the other. How do we run the state? BJP leaders think they will remain in power but I want to remind them that the Akalis also thought so. People threw them out. It is a decision of the people to keep political parties in power or not, he said. Targeting the Shiromani Akali Dal, the Congress leader said, The Akalis are trying all tactics but theyre not working because once you let people down, they dont forget. CONGRESS WILL TAKE UP FARMERS FIGHT All India Congress Committee general secretary in-charge of Punjab Harish Rawat said that the Congress will fight for the rights of the farmers against the new agricultural Acts. Rawat, who is a former Uttarakhand chief minister, paid tributes to the freedom fighter at the Shaheed Bhagat Singh memorial on his 113th birth anniversary. He was accompanied by Punjab Congress president Sunil Jakhar, Patiala MP and chief minister Capt Amarinder Singhs wife Preneet Kaur besides cabinet ministers and party legislators. Amritsar East Congress MLA and former cabinet minister Navjot Singh Sidhu was conspicuous by his absence. Religious sect Twelve Tribes under police investigation after dig for remainsHANNAH SPARKSAbout regionalSeptember 26, 2020A lengthy NSW Police investigation into religious sect Twelve Tribes is expected to continue for several more months.Strike Force Nanegai was established in September 2019 following allegations of unreported stillborn children. It is illegal not to report the births of stillborn children under the Birth, Deaths and Marriages Registration Act 1995.Police are now investigating additional allegations against Twelve Tribes and have been gathering information since raiding two of the sects properties in March, said Blue Mountains Police Area crime manager Detective Inspector Scott McAlpine.Officers from the Blue Mountains Police Area Command first executed a crime scene warrant at the sects headquarters at Peppercorn Creek Farm, on Remembrance Driveway in Picton on 3 March, 2020.Days later, police entered the sects remote property, Mount View Farm, surrounded by thick bush on Bigga Road in Bigga, two hours north of Canberra.They worked through the day and under lights by night to dig for the remains of the alleged unreported stillborn children.No remains were found at Peppercorn Creek Farm, while details of findings at Bigga have not been revealed by NSW Police.Despite no arrests, the investigation is ongoing and should conclude at the end of 2020 or in early 2021, said Detective Inspector McAlpine.The Bigga property was deserted by Twelve Tribes members during the March raid, however dozens of adults and children have slowly returned and are living there full-time in two sheds.Twelve Tribes is a registered religious organisation started by former high school teacher and carnival man Gene Spriggs in Tennessee, USA, in 1972.The sect formed in Australia in the early 1990s and has hundreds of members who run the Common Ground Bakery and Cafe at Picton, and Yellow Deli at Katoomba in the Blue Mountains.Members also live in a house in Coledale, north of Wollongong.Twelve Tribes is a self-governing community that aims to get back to the humbled life of Christ, following a strict daily routine of songs of praise, folk dance, teachings, cooking and cleaning. Children are homeschooled in academics and old-fashioned practical skills. Electronic items such as phones, television and laptop computers are banned.In 2013, The Sydney Morning Herald interviewed former Twelve Tribes members Mark Ilich and his wife, Rosemary, who revealed that contraception was forbidden and mainstream medical care was shunned in the sect, a reason linked to its higher than normal rate of stillbirths.Twelve Tribes is also known for its harsh discipline of children, some as young as six months old. Vera Uss was a prominent member of the Burlington arts scene who worked in many styles, but is probably best known for her abstracts that often featured totem poles and crucifixes. In a 1996 review on her one-woman show at the Burlington Art Centre, then Spectator art critic Jeff Mahoney called her abstracts rare, radical and visually stunning. He made note of how she was given a solo show in the main gallery, which was almost unprecedented for a local artist. Uss who lived in Burlington until she and her husband Walter moved to Mount Hope in 2008 was also known for her landscapes, still lifes and portrait work. She was a sculptor, made collages, restored old paintings, taught painting at Mohawk College and spent two decades as an instructor for the Burlington recreation department. Her abstracts were featured in one-woman shows in galleries in Kitchener, Simcoe, Fergus and Toronto in the 1990s. She also had solo shows on her other art work through the 1970s and 1980s. Her paintings often took top prize in juried exhibitions. Uss, who studied at the Dundas Valley School of Art and McMaster University, died at the Willowgrove Long Term Care Residence in Ancaster on August 19. She was 83. The switch in 1989 from pleasant, comforting images to abstracts hit Uss in the pocketbook. She said during the early 1990s she only sold one painting, but said she would not have it any other way. The totem poles represented Canada and the crucifixes referred to her Roman Catholic upbringing (she became a born-again Christian in 1994). I dislike talking about money, its so painful, Uss told The Spectator in 1995. I couldnt go back full time to painting little landscapes and flowers. I just couldnt. Her son Greg Uss credited celebrated-Dundas Valley instructor Gordon Perrier with inspiring his mother. He helped her bust out, said Uss, the food and beverage manager at Langdon Hall in Cambridge. He was known for pushing people to their limits. When he pushed her to reach beyond, she just exploded. The paintings in her 1996 show had names like Fleeting Moment, Baptism, Thermidor and Eleventh Hour. The abstracts did sell later, and hang in many private collections. World, memory and symbol are falling all over themselves in Vera Usss painting, Mahoney wrote in his review. Uss tumbled them together in acrobatic compositions that look like pictures taken through a spin dryer. Sleeves of colour get knotted together, twisted towels of shape are tossed up like pizza dough and everything is in mid-somersault. Very few artists have the talent or maturity or poise to juggle chainsaws, bowling pins and beach balls ... she does have the talent and the vision. Her son said his mother was a remarkable woman. She could capture things and make them beautiful, he said. That to me was impressive. I would come home from school and look at her work ... mom had a wow factor. To make a difference, she would go the whole nine yards. Uss was born Oct. 26, 1936, in Hasselt, Belgium. She was the daughter of Paul and Gabrielle Tourtchaninoff. Her father was an officer in the cavalry of Czar Nicholas II and fled Russia in 1917 during the revolution. He worked as a miner and a parking lot attendant. Her mother was French and was a dressmaker. Uss had an aptitude for art and studied at two prestigious Antwerp art schools when she was a teenager. Still, her son said her father was dismayed. He thought art school was not the thing to do but she proved herself, said Greg. After she came to Canada in 1957 with her husband Walter, a carpenter and later a member of the Burlington Potters Guild, she kept up her painting but worked as a seamstress at The Golden Lantern in Burlington. Her son said her breakout came in 1966 when she won first prize at an exhibit in Burlington staged by the Central Ontario Art Association. This was a year after she won a scholarship to the University of Guelph from the COAA for a special course in life drawing. Her son said she joined the Burlington Fine Arts group, which was founded in 1967, and served as its president from 1972-73. She was also a member of the Burlington Guild of Sculptors. She was one of the key players who worked with other artist guilds starting in 1970 to convince Burlington council it should establish a gallery/workplace for the artistic community. The Burlington Art Centre on Lakeshore Road opened in 1978. Greg Uss said his mothers painting career began to fade about a decade ago when she was diagnosed with aphasia, which impairs a persons speech and ability to read and write. She had a full-fledged studio at her home on Ghent Avenue in Burlington that she once spoke lovingly about to The Burlington Post, but he noted when his parents moved to Mount Hope the new home did not have one. Uss is survived by her husband of 63 years, Walter, her children Nina and Greg, two grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. She was predeceased by her brother Daniel. Reach The Spectator newsroom at 905-526-3420 or news@thespec.com Read more about: 1 of 1 Civil services exams can`t be postponed over Covid, Supreme Court The civil services exam scheduled on October 4 cannot be postponed over the coronavirus crisis, the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) told the Supreme Court today. The top court was hearing a request seeking the postponement of civil services exam. The court today asked the UPSC - the central recruiting agency for appointments to and exams for various civil services of the government - to file its affidavit by tomorrow and will hear the case again on October 23. The exam, which was earlier scheduled on May 31, was rescheduled to October 4 due to the pandemic. 20 civil services aspirants had approached the Supreme Court, seeking for the crucial exam to be deferred by two to three months due to the flood situation in several parts of the country as well as COVID-19. The aspirants said that the civil services exam, being a recruitment examination, is completely different from an academic examination and in the event of its postponement, there would not be any question of delay or loss of any academic session. The petitioners said holding the exams at a such a time "is nothing else but putting lives of lakhs of young students (including petitioners herein) at utmost risk and danger of disease and death". Image courtesy FAI Green shoots, optimism, opportunities there seems to be something for everyone to strive for in the aftermath of Covid-19. Dave Calderwood reports. Just look at statements made recently by key members of the business aviation community. The Argus Group said: May 2020 recorded an 84% increase in activity from April in North America, which means we have already made up one-third of our losses from Covid-19 and June is looking just as strong. We live in a global, connected, world and business aviation will be vital to our recovery. As we face down this new, unforeseen, challenge our industry will rise to the occasion and it will play a key role. London, UK broker, Colibri Aircraft, added: There are as many as 680 fewer person-to-person touch points flying privately when compared to commercial flights, potentially reducing the chances of catching Covid-19. Price disparity between first class flight tickets and flying privately is set to fall as commercial airlines will be under pressure to increase the cost of flying per passenger as they reduce their load factors to help with social distancing. With their duty of care to staff, more corporates will be inclined to offer their senior executives, who fly first class, the option of flying privately. Mohammed Al Husary, CEO of UAS, chipped in: Though the world economy is now poorer than it has been for decades and headed toward a deep depression, there will still be business opportunities, executives will still need to travel and will opt more for business jets and the connectivity and freedom chartering aircraft brings. Adel Mardini, founder and CEO of Jetex, which has its HQ in Dubai and bases around the world, was even more optimistic. I see a big opportunity for us, he said. The issue is not with commercial airlines, it is the fact that people have concerns about big terminals packed with lots of people and where they are mixing with thousands of others. We believe that people will come to us, not because they want to fly a private jet, but because they want to use a private terminal. Backing this up, Mardini cites business increasing as soon as travel restrictions were eased. Flights from Rome, Italy, for instance, were booked immediately it became possible in June. Then there are the plethora of online platforms for booking flights, which have seen many more people, especially younger business travellers, take advantage of lower cost flights. Mardini also expects shake-ups among operators and fixed-base operations (FBOs), and is preparing to take advantage of any opportunities that fit in with Jetexs plan. I expect a few businesses will be reshaped after this crisis, he said. We are hungry to acquire individual FBOs and we can see them wanting to be secure under a big umbrella. DC Aviation introduced a programme of rapid Covid-19 pre-flight virus testing for all crew and flight support personnel. The measure was introduced to ensure that passengers have the knowledge that they can travel safely with DC Aviation. However, with travel restrictions and requirements changing on a weekly basis, DC Aviation has taken the strategy a step further by adding rapid testing for all flights, in any country, at any time. This means that no matter where the aircraft and crew are, and how many stops are made, the passengers are secure in the knowledge that they are flying with zero risk of exposure to the virus. Michael Kuhn, CEO of DC Aviation, said: "When we launched the rapid testing programme we were very pleased at the response from passengers, however as passenger numbers have increased, the demand for flights to and from a greater variety of countries has also risen. This has meant that we have had to deal with a larger and more varied number of restrictions and regulations. Therefore, we have introduced the rapid testing programme for any flight, from any departure point. The health and safety of our passengers and crew is of paramount importance and in order to maintain our standards we further refined the testing programme to ensure it is available for every flight .Yet again DC Aviation is proud to deliver the highest safety standards for our passengers and crews". FAI is the worlds largest fixed-wing air ambulance jet operator by revenue, logging far above 10,000 hours per year. It has been operating at maximum capacity, averaging around six missions per day with its 10-strong fleet of five Learjet 60s, four Bombardier Challenger 604s, and one Global Express air ambulance aircraft. Additionally, FAI is supplementing its fleet with its executive charter fleet of business jets. The business is there and growing. Operators need to seize the moment. Addis Ababa Ethiopia's defence forces and federal police officials have warned against incitement amid the hardline position by some politicians that Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's mandate will end on October 10. The warning on Friday came days after authorities in the Tigra, which conducted regional elections in defiance to the central government, announced that it will not accept an order from Addis Ababa to redo the polls. The Ethiopian government had postponed the elections initially scheduled for August to next year due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Alongside the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) which rules the Tigray region, some opposition groups have been protesting over the mandate of Ahmed's government come October. "We will be compelled to take action against any entity seeking to impose its will in a way that violates the Constitution, " General Berhanu Jula, the Deputy Chief of Staff and Head of Operation Affairs, told local media on Friday. The official said those who say there will be no government after October 10 should refrain from any attempt to derail the Constitution, or face the consequences. "Defence forces will take strong military actions against any group which attempts to violate the Constitution." The official further stressed that the country's defense forces will collectively safeguard the Constitution irrespective of any force against it. Police ready Regarding celebrations of the Meskel Demera and Erecha festivals which will take place in Addis Ababa in the next few days, Federal Police Commissioner General Endeshaw Tassew said police have prepared to ensure peace. He issued a statement saying the security forces will take action against those pushing for their own interests while insisting that the government's term will end in October. Police are working closely with the community to maintain peace and security and will not tolerate any violence," he said, and called on the community to report incidents and cooperate with police in the bid to ensure peace. According to the police commissioner, inspections are being carried out at the main entrances to the capital to ensure peaceful celebrations. "We have learned that there are forces planning to disrupt the festivals," he said. Letter: Response to Bilal Ansari and DIRE To the Editor: Good Morning, Bilal, I am now on a kinder, gentler computer that I hope will not whisk my responses into the black hole of cyberspace. I hope others will join in this conversation because I have been pretty much out of public life for a long time. In fact, I am an avowed hermit. My memory may need some help. First, let me say that the DIRE committee seems to me very unique. I can remember no town committee that had even a similar mission. DIRE is asking us to look in the mirror, to search our minds, our hearts, even our souls, then "purify" (your word and Mr. King's). Your mission has spiritual overtones, if not religious overtones. Many people feel that a town committee especially an appointed town committee-is NOT an appropriate venue for such discussion. Indeed, there are many people who believe articles like the Pledge articles do not belong on a town warrant, especially as the last two articles at a very arduous town meeting. But that is discussion for another day. Again, I do not remember any TOWN GOVERNMENT committee even similar to DIRE. Readers, correct me, please. Even if I am incorrect, we all are traveling in very new territory. We must be circumspect. You asked if I had ever served on a board that I felt was inclusive. The one that first comes to mind is the Planning Board. (I served when the board was appointed not elected, so you know that was in the Dark Ages.) We were five people: one a Williams College professor with a strong background in environmental science; one a real estate and insurance business person from a long-established Williamstown farm family; one a local motel owner who had a graduate degree in engineering and was also from a long-established farm family; one was a foreign language teacher whose family owned a local nursery (plants not kids). At that time, I had taught at Mount Greylock for seven years and was a stay-at-home mother with two rambunctious little kids. Our five backgrounds were different and complemented each other. We had some pretty heated differences at times, but I think we had some decent outcomes. Let me describe the hands-down most difficult committee on which I ever served town or otherwise. I was on the Williamstown Elementary Committee for five years. I remember it as being composed of five people of very similar backgrounds. All were middle age. All had had children in Williamstown schools. All had advanced degrees. All had at least some teaching experience in public schools. What a cornucopia of expertise, yes? No! Way too much sameness! To serve responsibly, we had to keep track not only of our own thoughts but also we had to imagine the needs and concerns of many others. We were not always successful. At least we were aware of that shortcoming and tried to make up for it. When we created a superintendent search committee, we had a wonderful assortment of souls. The group dynamics were delightful, and in my opinion, we achieved a good outcome. BUT ... my principle point is that if we were to take a well-constructed survey of our flaws that the vast majority of people see in the Williamstown community, racism would NOT be on top of the list. Prejudice because of economic and educational inequities, yes. In elementary and secondary schools, bullying, yes. Again, I hope others chime in. Many people feel that DIRE is unjustly making a major issue out of an issue that is not a major issue for the vast majority of people in this town. And, yes, we must be mindful and empathetic of "underrepresented minorities." It feels as though you and many "grass roots groups" are pointing a finger of shame that is not warranted. And let me be very clear, if I have my head in the sand, educate me. But gently. Bilal, I truly want to understand you. I truly want our community to be the best we can be. If I have not made clear my responses to any of your questions, please let us continue this conversation. Donna (and her kinder gentler computer). Donna Wied Williamstown, Mass. New Delhi, Sep 28 : A Delhi court on Monday reserved its order after hearing the arguments on the bail application filed by freelance journalist Rajeev Sharma in the Chinese espionage case. On September 14, the Delhi Police's Special Cell had arrested the 61-year-old journalist for allegedly working for Chinese intelligence. During search of a house, a laptop, some confidential documents related to Indian defence and incriminating papers were seized. Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Pawan Singh Rajawat heard the contentions put forth by the Delhi Police and Sharma's counsel for one and a half hours and reserved the matter for order, said senior advocate Adish C. Aggarwala, representing the accused. In the bail application moved by advocate Amish Aggarwala and Adish Aggarwala, Sharma claimed innocence, asserting that he did not commit any crime and has been framed in a false case. "The applicant has not committed any offence," his plea added. In the written submission before the court on Monday, Sharma's counsel said that he has been illegally detained, and the police have deliberately made vague accusations about his confessional statements. "It is undisputed by the prosecution that the applicant has clear antecedents, and there is no possibility of him fleeing justice, influencing witnesses or tampering with evidence," the written submission further stated. Pursuant to Sharma's arrest, Chinese woman Qing Shi and her Nepalese partner Sher Singh alias Raj Bohra were also arrested as they were found supplying Sharma with huge amounts of money, routed through hawala channels, for conveying sensitive information to Chinese intelligence. According to the police, an input was received from an intelligence agency that Sharma had links with a foreign intelligence officer and has been receiving funds from his handler, through illegal means and Western Union money transfer, for conveying sensitive information about national security and foreign relations. A case under Section 3 (possession of any sketch, plan, model, article, note, document or information, which relates to munitions of war), 4 (Communications with foreign agents) and 5 (Wrongful communication of information) of the Official Secrets Act was registered on September 13 and Sharma arrested the next day. On interrogation, Rajeev Sharma allegedly disclosed his involvement in the procurement of secret and sensitive information and conveying the same to his Chinese handlers Michael and George, based in Kunming, China, through different digital channels. He further is said to have disclosed that he was about to send these recovered secret documents to his handlers. Area animal shelters showered with funds in memory of Betty White The online fundraiser challenged fans of actress Betty White to donate to a local animal rescue or shelter in honor of her Jan. 17 birthday. Actor Vijay Deverakonda on Monday revealed that he is all set to join hands with filmmaker Sukumar for a yet-untitled pan-Indian project. He said he couldnt wait to be on set with the filmmaker, who is best known for films such as Rangasthalam and Arya. Sukumar - Vijay Deverakonda. The actor in me is super excited. The audience in me is celebrating! We guarantee you memorable cinema. I cant wait to be on set with Sukku sir. Happy birthday Kedar, youve been a good friend and you work extremely hard (sic), Vijay tweeted. Sukumar - Vijay Deverakonda The actor in me is super excited The audience in me is celebrating! We guarantee you memorable Cinema.. I can't wait to be on set with Sukku sirrr Happy birthday Kedar, you've been a good friend and you work extremely hard :) pic.twitter.com/9CHIIvcpBw Vijay Deverakonda (@TheDeverakonda) September 28, 2020 The project has been announced on the occasion of its producer Kedar Selgamsettys birthday. The announcement poster reveals that the project will go on the floors in 2022. In the interim, Vijay will complete shooting for Puri Jagannadhs Fighter. In Puri Jagannadhs film, Vijay plays a fighter with a stutter. He underwent mixed martial arts classes in Thailand in preparation for his character. Karan Johar has come on board to release the film in Hindi. The film will be shot simultaneously in Telugu and Hindi, and will be dubbed into other regional languages as well. Besides Telugu, I am planning to dub my lines in Hindi as well, Vijay had said. Also read: Happy birthday Ranbir Kapoor: When Alia Bhatt revealed her shy moment during their first meeting Vijay is expected to sport six-pack abs for this project, which is eyeing a Christmas 2020 release. Karan Johar and Apoorva Mehta will distribute the film in Hindi. Vijay also has another untitled Telugu project with filmmaker Indraganti Mohan Krishna in the pipeline. The film, which will take off after the release of Fighter, will be produced by Dil Raju. Sukumar, on the other hand, will complete work on his upcoming Telugu project Pushpa, which stars Allu Arjun and Rashmika Mandanna in the lead roles. Follow @htshowbiz on Twitter ott:10:ht-entertainment_listing-desktop SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON AWKA 28. September, 2020: Mr. Oseloka H. Obaze is a diplomat, writer, public policy and governance expert and politician. He is the MD/CEO of Selonnes Consult, a policy, governance and management consulting firm. He was the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate in the Anambra State governorship election in 2017. A former United Nations official, he served as Secretary to the Anambra State Government under Governor Peter Obi and Governor Willie Obiano from 2012 to 2015. In this interview, Obaze responds to questions on politics, his personality and pressing national and continental challenges. Nigeria will be sixty in a few days. Are you thrilled? How well have we done as a nation? In the past several years, Nigeria has suffered a severe reverse in governance in every ramification. There is seeming movement, but hardly any discernible progress in term of substantive change. Rather the country has regressed in various aspects of governance. Two things have happened, and both are defeatist: the incumbent leadership is under the illusion that it is bringing about change, but that is hardly the case. And the national elite and attentive public have suddenly gone quiet, which is acquiescence, even if by default. Both trends are dangerous for the nation. But far more dangerous, is the ramped up insecurity and polarization in the country. The increasing demand to restructure or risk Balkanization is a tale tale sign that all is not well. Such tendencies should give us pause. Nigeria's economy is obviously in comatose. It could be said that this has an immediate & remote cause. What indices are responsible for this and how can our economy be rejigged? Leadership indiscipline at all levels is our bane. But we must also begin to look closely at the negative impact fostered by bad followers. It is the bad followers that elect bad leaders; and support and sustain them in office. Fiscal, and economic discipline will be imperative. Federal, State and Local government cannot spend more than they generate. We can start by making zero-based budget and budgetary transparency mandatory.Then we can focus on public procurement policies and the implementation methodologies. The emolument of public officials, especially the legislative branch is hugely embarrassing. Recently a serving minister made a public personal donation of N11 million to a relief cause. The question that arises is this: how much a ministers monthly salary? I would suggest that we have a Common Regimentation Emolument Structure Table (CREST) where a Senator is ranked with General of the Army, a Supreme Court Judge, a Minister, the Inspector General of Police and Heads of Statutory Agencies. They should all earn the same salary and the same prescribed perk and perquisites. We are wasting a lot of resources on recurrent expenditure and far less on infrastructure and capital development. We must scrap the two-tier foreign exchange regime and allow the market forces to drive the economy. Economic and political reforms are imperative and one word for that is restructuring. Power and resource control need to devolve more to the regions and states. We already have NDDC and NEDC, we must complete the mosaic by setting up SWDC and SEDC, thus replicating the functional regional arrangements of the First Republic, which served us well in terms of development. For now the Central Government is too powerful. In a democracy, that is a contradiction of subsisting tenets. Considering the position of the South East in Nigerian politics, do you see the possibility of an Igbo man becoming the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in 2023? Should we rather clamour for Restructuring? Unquestionably yes. An Igbo person can become Nigerias President. We need a President of Igbo extraction not an Igbo President as some aver. The latter is too frightening for some Nigerians. Yet the Igbo nation must rally to a consensus and speak with one voice. There are sufficiently compelling reasons to believe that the Presidency will devolve to the south in 2023. But there will be high contestations for the slot between the three zones in the South. There will also be spoilers who will opt for the vice-presidency slot, thus confusing matters. The position of the south-east needs to be strategically and tactically managed. We cannot take anything or any support fo granted. That said, the south as a collective, has to be strategic in handling this matter. Once you encounter an intra-south jostling and bickering, the default option will kick in, which is to maintain the status quo. That will be utterly unacceptable. Contextually, Nigeria must restructure or risk disintegrating. As I see it, restructuring will be incremental rather than a one-off formed event. We already see that manifesting in the security sector reform and governance. In the question before the last one, you talked about restructuring and in the last question, you also talked about restructuring as a response. It appears restructuring mean different things to different people. In the two contexts above, what kind of restructuring did you mean? Simply, we need to fine tune our governance and power and resource sharing modalities. Call it whatever name you want. Nigeria as presently constituted and governed is largely dysfunctional. That need to change. Restructuring means different things to different ethnicities and vested interests. It scares the hell out of some Nigerians. I dont believe restructuring means the Balkanization of Nigeria, even as that remains a remote possibility. We can either come together and agree on change modalities, or risk that happening by default, which may lead to catastrophic implosion of the country. All said, we are long overdue for a change in our governance and power sharing modalities. The debt profile of most African countries is on the rise. Where does this leave Africa as a continent? Africa must continue to look inwards. Intra-African trade capacity is huge and sufficiently broad to serve Africa. There is an inevitable nexus between Africas external trade deficit and its growing indebtedness to Western nations and more troubling, to China. With the African Trade Agreement in place, African nations need to collaborate more closely to avoid being entrapped in a collective debt peonage. As things stand, Africas debt overhang is already huge and troubling. The optics are not salutary, so we need to change the narrative quickly. With your experience, what do you think Africa needs to do better to get things right? Africa has shining exemplars in some emerging leaders and nations. Rwandan and Ethiopian leaders and countries are validators. Where you elect good leaders, good governance and sustainability will follow. External interests will not develop Africa for us. Our aspirations, policies and governance methodologies must be unapologetically Afrocentric. Quite unfortunately, we cannot say that of our country Nigeria any longer. Once Africas bellwether, Nigeria has lost that credential, and sadly so. Were you elated about the reopening of Enugu airport. South East leaders seemed upbeat about it. Incidentally, the reopening of the airport coincided with the killings of some igbo youths suspected to be IPOB sympathizers. South-East governors did not collectively react to the killings. Was that right? I am happy for south easterners who suffered immeasurably due to the closing of the airport. Beyond that I see nothing to celebrate. If the reopened airport does not really become international with at least three foreign airlines landing there, then we are not serious. In the ream of policy there has been obvious double standards; when Abuja airport was close Kaduna airport was upgraded to handle the additional traffic. When Enugu airport was closed neither the Asaba airport or Owerri airport was upgraded. Go figure that one out. It is also regrettable that the recent killing of Igbo youths in Enugu only garnered nuanced reaction from the south-East leaders. It is most disconcerting that for the sake of political correctness, our leaders demur when they ought to speak up. Constitutionally, every Nigerian, regardless of tribe, religion, or gender is afforded freedom of assembly, faith and speech. Political belief and ideology are also subsumed within the freedom of thought. Hence, when the security operatives kill innocent, unarmed and defenseless Nigerians as was the case with the killing of Igbo youths recently in the so-called IPOB-Police incident in Enugu, we must speak up. Not to condemn such unbridled used of deadly force in the strongest terms, is to allow impunity to become deeply entrenched. We must continue to speak truth to power. Some claim that Anambra State is now in utter bad shape. You were an insider as former three-time Secretary to Anambra State government. When you were in government things ran smoothly, what changed? As the SSG I had a synoptic job description, which was fostering policy coherence and coordination and problem solving. My job and position required of me as a public servant and technocrat to be a professional to the core; and a PRO - persistent, resilient and optimistic. I will not blow my own horn of my accomplishments, but the policy options, undertakings and accomplishments during my tenure are amply documented in my 2015 book, Here To Serve. Of my greatest accomplishments: I helped Governor Peter Obi to finish strong and Governor Willie Obiano to start strong and hit the ground running. In all modesty, when I left, the Obiano government literarily went off the good governance trajectory. How was it that the Obiano government literally went off the good governance trajectory"? Can you expatiate? I do not wish to court controversy. Obiano arrived to vie for Governor unprepared and without a blueprint or manifesto. It was my campaign blueprint and manifesto that Gov. Peter Obi took and gave to him and it was adapted and reformulated into what eventually became the Obiano Blueprint. Naturally, there were additional input, but the core premise was based on my notion of governance. The young man assigned to rewrite that template was a member of my campaign and strategic team. At the outset, I had ample leeway to advise on policy formulation and implementation, with a hard focus on cohesiveness, coordination and due process. When I left, these three variables derailed, governance became freewheeling and transactional. The difference was that as former schoolmates, age mate and friend, I could look the Governor straight in the face and honestly tell him what was working and what was not. He did not always like it, be he knew I was honest and selfless about governance. Good governance is not about political sloganeering, which works well during campaigns, but is a suspect attribute of justifying governance performance that ought to be self-evident. You ran for Governor of Anambra State twice in 2013, 2017 and rumors have it you may yet run in 2021. Some say that as former diplomat you are too gentle and not cut for the wheeling and dealing rough-and-tumble Anambra politics. Indeed, though you are an acclaimed technocrat, why did you enter the fray of partisan politics after a successful career as a Diplomat? If you desire to serve you must do so from within and from a position where you can add value. I was a child of two public servants. So I have always believed in public service. I had done so, supporting my principals at the federal, international and state levels. Running for office was aimed at serving by being at the helm to articulate and drive public policies rather than merely implementing policies articulated by others. Above all, I wanted to add value by bringing on board, international best practices related to good governance. Looking to 2021 and beyond, from your experience you fared better in 2017 even though you lost. In 2013, you were literarily knocked out of the race. In hindsight, what were the lessons learned? In 2013, I was knocked out of the race deliberately, and on technical grounds. I did not have a voters card. Only INEC could issue me one, and they shifted the issuance date. I certainly could not have presented a fake card or lied that I possessed one. I had a window of opportunity to rectify the situation, but those in APGA who were against my emergence pulled the plug before the fact. In 2017, I followed due process, ran, won the PDP nomination, but some powers that be, indeed some major PDP stakeholders within and outside Anambra, mostly for selfish personal or sectional interests opted to align with the ruling APGA party. They could not countenance a supposed outsider wining the PDP primaries, even though it was free and fair and nationally televised. I lost an election PDP was all set to win; losing had nothing to do with the power of incumbency, but more with subterfuge, in INEC, within PDP and by the ruling party. The Federal Might was squarely deployed against us at the last minute to garner a win for APGA and assign APC the second place. I might have lost the election, but Anambra as history has shown, was the biggest loser. Can you speak more candidly and with specificity on what you refer to "subterfuge", more so since you did not legally contest the electoral outcome. My take is that its the people and not the Courts that elect leaders. Unfortunately, by default we have subscribed to judicial supremacy in electoral matters thus making the judiciary at all levels the Electoral College. Going to court is expensive, distractive and always with an indeterminate outcome, not based on facts or reality. So why waste my time and resources, and for that matter, Anambra State resources? It did not make any sense. My position has since been validated by court rulings on the 2019 presidential elections, and recent court rulings on the Imo and Kogi State Governorship elections. Now that we have your undivided attention can you end the speculation as to whether you will run for the Governorship of Anambra State in 2021? In life, you never ever say never! Doing so may prove precipitate and unrealistic. My options remain on the table and indeed remain open. Im very sympathetic to the clamour of zoning aimed at allowing the South senatorial zone to produce the next governor. But the South must also admit that in the past, they have never offered other zones the sanctity and unfettered space they now seek. It seems all too convenient. More importantly, what Anambra needs now is a capable leader, not a person elected on partisan, sectional, religious or gender sentiments. If the truth be told, Anambra is in very bad shape than most people know, and it will only worsen unless we elect a good administrator, who is fiscally disciplined and understand the inner workings of bureaucratic governance. I feel sorry for anyone who might succeed Obiano, myself included, which is not to say Im already running. You party PDP seems to be immersed in very deep and factionalizing controversy over the issue of zoning. Some power brokers and even the some Traditional Rulers have been drawn into the controversy. Speak to us about zoning since some believe your candidacy in 2017 was predicated on zoning, and that it should now be the turn of the South. Zoning has its utility in prescribed circumstances. It ought not become a preferential policy and in that sense defeatist. Let me repeat what I have said consistently in the context of zoning in Anambra. The South Senatorial zone is not bereft of competent politicians who can be governors. What PDP needs is to put its best foot forwards in order to wrestle power away from the ruling party. As such, to win, PDP must present its best candidate and a united front, the zone from which the candidate emerges notwithstanding. The risk we face, is the possible polarization and fracturing of the party as is happening now, over presumptive zoning arrangements. If I recall correctly, since 1999 PDP aspirants from the three Senatorial zone have always competed for the ticket. It happened in 2013 and 2017 so I dont think it will be any different in 2021. Yet the inherent danger will manifest, if the South senatorial decides to scuttle the chances of a person who emerges as the PPD candidate, but is not from the Southern senatorial zone. Were that to happen, the PDP will remain in the doghouse and in political opposition for another four years and perhaps, longer than that. The corollary is that APC and YPP will continue to wax stronger as opposition elements in the State. Personally, what I seek is good governance in Anambra. There are capable people in PDP who can govern Anambra well, of which I can humbly count myself as one. We are certain you are aware of what transpired when Arthur Eze took some Traditional Rulers to Abuja to pay President Buhari a visit and the controversy that ensued. Does such happenstance and posturing augur well for Anambra ahead of the 2021 elections? Was Governor Willie Obianos reaction germane to peace and stability? As a matter of personal policy and principles, I decided after the 2017 governorship election not to comment on the activities of the Anambra State government, for good or bad, despite being in the opposition. I will stand on that premise. However, insofar as it relates to 2021 governorship electioneering, I must say that all politics is local. Routinely, the rich, mighty and powerful in Anambra State play a very divisive and dangerous type of helicopter politics. They pull plugs and punches in Abuja, often to their own advantage but inimical to Anambra States collective interests. I dont see Dangote, Adenuga, Adekeye, Otedola, Elumelu and others doing that in their respective states. If theses power brokers wished to run the state as their individual fiefdoms, the least they can do is subject themselves to electoral suffrage. Mike Bloomberg, a U.S. billionaire ran and served as Mayor of New York City and eventually ran for the presidency. We need to imbibe international best practices. When the text books are written, 2020 will go down in the annals of American history as exceptional for a number of reasons. This presidential election year has seen the first global pandemic in a hundred years, unemployment rates dip toward Great Depression-era levels, police violence spurred by systemic racism that has incited civic unrest reminiscent of the 1968 race riots and private citizens arming themselves to the teeth in order to take their security into their own hands amidst fears of defunding the police. It has endured wildfires burning up and down the entire west coast of the US that have killed dozens of people and displaced thousands more, and an ongoing tropical storm season. It has borne questions of possible electoral interference including threats of shuttering the federal postal service, intelligence reports of foreign interference and claims from the sitting US President that if he does not win re-election, it is most certainly due to voter fraud. In a year like this, it is utterly unthinkable that a first-term president would have a snowballs chance in hell at winning re-election. And yet, poll after poll shows President Donald Trump is either tied with or is only narrowly trailing his challenger, former Vice President Joe Biden. The most recent Pew Research poll has Biden ahead with 53% to Trumps 45%. Top pollsters FiveThirtyEight, however, found that in conducting over 40,000 electoral simulations, their model gave Biden a 77% chance of winning to Trumps 23%. But winning what? In 2016, Hillary Clinton was ahead of Trump in the national polls by a similarly substantial margin. Most polls predicted her win was imminent by at least 80%. And perhaps the polls were correct Clinton did beat Trump by almost three million votes. But the popular vote does not determine the electoral outcome in the US. In the electoral college system the US uses to elect its president, each state is given a number of votes based on how many representatives it sends to Congress the House and the Senate. The number of House Representatives is determined by the states population whereas the number of Senate seats allotted each state is the same two creating a rural skew. To win the presidency, a successful candidate needs to secure 270 of the possible 538 electoral college votes not the popular vote. Indeed, polling experts say that Biden could win the popular vote by 4.5 million votes and still only have a 75% chance of winning the electoral college. Despite the odds, obstacles and oddities, Trumps support base remains fervent. The President has famously said he could walk down New York Citys 5th Avenue and shoot someone and would not lose a single supporter. What was once hyperbole appears to be inching closer to the truth. Trumps supporters forgive every transgression, deny every accusation, reinterpret every misspoken utterance and blame the fake news for every mischaracterization. This ardent and unwavering support that may carry Trump to a second term is based on a mixture of what his supporters consider his accomplishments and his characteristics: his appointment of conservative judges, his hard line on immigration, his attempt to dismantle the Affordable Care Act, his lack of adherence to norms of political correctness, his pro-life stance, his unwillingness to take down or rename memorials honoring former confederate war heroes, his defence of civilian militia and known white supremacists, to name just a few. But the most oft-cited reason, according to numerous polls, for the stark support Trump enjoys is the economy. This seems counterintuitive as the US and much of the world stares down a pandemic-induced recession restaurants have shuttered, airlines are struggling to stay aloft, parents are juggling work, school and childcare. Regardless, this perception, and whether Biden can shake it or not in the next 40 days, are crucial to the outcome in swing states in the midwestern Rust Belt and the southwestern Sun Belt where the election may be decided. Many of these states have struggled this summer with rising coronavirus infection and death rates as well as rising unemployment and financial insecurity. And still, many Americans, notably many more Republicans, feel that they are better off today than they were four years ago, a measuring standard introduced by Ronald Reagan during the 1980 campaign against incumbent Jimmy Carter. The economy is indeed a crucial litmus test for a presidents re-election prospects. While unemployment rates are still higher than any other time during the post-World War II era, they have fallen since the onset of the pandemic, the stock market is up and there are signs that the GDP is growing rapidly. The unemployment rate according to the latest figures from the US Bureau of Labor stood at 8.4% for the month of August, although economists argue that the true rate may be understated and is higher than 11% when taking various factors into account. The latest Financial Times-Peterson Foundation survey, conducted between September 9 and 14, found that 35% of likely voters believe they are better off financially than they were before Trump took office, while 31% say they are worse off. Breaking down the figures, it becomes clear that perception is strongly dictated by party affiliation. The poll shows 51% of Democrats believe they are worse off since Trump became president compared to 7% of Republicans. A recent Gallop poll indicated a 51-percentage-point gap in Republicans and Democrats ratings of the current economy as excellent or good, and a staggering 66-point partisan gap in the percentages of those who find the economy is improving. The extreme polarization means that party identity plays a more defining roll in voters economic evaluations than quantitative measures. This polarization has led voters to see two completely different realties. President Trump, through reality television and personal marketing, has built an enduring brand with conservative voters, in particular, who point to his successful business ventures and deal-making skills as proof that he is the right person to guide the US economy through the pandemic. Trumps supporters accept the gradual erosion of Americas democracy in exchange for what they believe he can do for the economy. Trumps opponents, however, see a president who bends the institutions of government at his will to his own personal benefit; who rewards loyalty and obedience over competence as seen in the Justice Department, the intelligence community and in the Center for Disease Control; who prioritizes the economy over 200,000 American lives and counting. He recently even went as far as to refuse to commit to a peaceful transfer of power. Just a few days ago, America lost Ruth Bader Ginsburg, an icon and trailblazing Supreme Court Justice, whose dying wish was to not be replaced before a new president was in office. Trump and Senate Majority leader Mitch McConnell, in defiance of Ginsburgs wish, vowed that Trumps nominee will get a vote on the Senate floor before November 3. With the Supreme Court tilting even further to the right, the likelihood that a contested election will be decided in Trumps favor becomes even more plausible. America is at a crossroads: Trump supporters may have their say and their way on the economy, but they are sacrificing their democracy in the process. T hree of the biggest names in cocktailing two of whom left their jobs as a result of Covid-19 are reuniting for a one-off day of drinks which hopes to raise both funds and awareness of the hospitality industry's pandemic-induced plight. The Savoy's former director of bars Declan McGurk will lead The Last Dance on October 15 at rooftop bar 12th Knot, which sits a dozen storeys up at Sea Containers on the Southbank. Joining him for for the day will the the most recent head bartender of the hotel's famous American bar, Maxim Schulte, and his predecessor Erik Lorincz, who now runs the acclaimed Kwant. In 2017, the American bar under Lorincz and McGurk was named the best in the world and all three working together offers something of a "Savoy dream team" to the bar's fans. It will be the first time the three have mixed drinks together for the public, and demand is already high; the first wave of tickets has already sold out, though a second phase will go on sale at 9am this Friday, October 2. The event, organised by the Global Bartending Talent Agency, is part of London Cocktail Week this year actually a month and can be bought here. Bookings will last two hours, with sessions running at midday, 2.30pm, 5pm and 7.30pm. Backed by William Grant & Sons UK and The London Essence Company, expect plenty of whisky-based mixes on the menu. A 50 (25 for trade) ticket price includes all drinks, and 10 of every ticket sold will go to the Drinks Trust, which offers support and care to those working, or who have worked, across the drinks industry. Bars have been particularly hard hit by Covid-19, and the new 10pm curfew is likely to only amplify this the majority of London's bars are facing at least a two-hour loss of trading, while some dedicated-late night businesses will lose up to six hours of service. This weekend, late-night spots in Soho and Shoreditch reported that takings were down by as much as 60 per cent. It's hoped London Cocktail Week can help rally the industry at a time when it's needed most. Among those bars participating in this year's event, which offers 6 cocktails at some of the city's best bars, are the Artesian at the Langham, Tayer & Elementary, the London Shuffle Club, Mayor of Scaredy Cat Town, Swift Shoreditch, Burlock and Lyaness. For more information about The Last Dance with Declan & Co, head to this page. For more about London Cocktail Week, head to this page. The Vietnamese community presents gift to Motol hospital in Prague, Czech Republic (Photo: baotintuc.vn) Accordingly, Mr. Martin Netolicky, Governor of the Czech Republics Pardubice region, presented a Medal and Certificate of Credit from the local government to the Overseas Vietnamese Association in Pardubice region, and certificates of merit to 37 Vietnamese individuals, acknowledging their positive and timely contributions to support the local government and people in COVID-19 pandemic prevention in the locality. The Vietnamese community in Pardubice region was among the first to launch a movement of sewing and distributing free face masks to offices, medical centres, nursing homes and residents. At the same time, the Vietnamese community also mobilized financial donations to buy air purifiers, testing equipment worth 100.000CZK to donate to Pardubice Hospital, along with more than 120,000CZK in cash, protective equipment and other items for other places. Mr. Pham Tien Dung, Chairman of the Overseas Vietnamese Association in Pardubice, stated that the Vietnamese community also considered the Czech Republic as their second homeland, so they recognize that it is necessary to be responsible to the local society. At the same time, he, on behalf of the community, thanked the government for always being interested in and creating good conditions for the Vietnamese people, as well as acknowledging their affection and contribution towards the locality. Meanwhile, Governor Martin Netolicky said that, with 8 years in his term, this is one of 20 noble titles of the government awarded to individuals and groups with outstanding achievements in contributing to the locality. Mr. Netolicky thanked the Vietnamese community in Pardubice region and the members of the Vietnamese Women's Club for their active participation in the COVID-19 pandemic prevention movement, right from the very first days./. Sales of $5.9 million for the third quarter through September 28, 2020 CHICO, CA / ACCESSWIRE / September 28, 2020 / AmeraMex International, Inc. (OTCQB:AMMX), a provider of heavy equipment for logistics companies, infrastructure construction and forestry conservation, announced that it has received an equipment order totaling $535,000. The order is for a Taylor Machine XLC-975 loaded container handler shipping to a customer in Southern California. The Taylor XLC-975 loaded container handler is designed to handle loaded containers stacked up to 5-High. This truck features a Heavy Duty Taylor designed top-pick 4-point spreader, 236-inch wheelbase, 388 HP Tier 4 final diesel engine, and end-user diagnostics that allow the customer to customize operating parameters and troubleshoot most codes without the need for a service call. Common applications include, but not limited to, port operations, stevedoring and container handling. Shareholders are invited to visit the new AmeraMex International Facebook Page and like' AmeraMex. About AmeraMex International AmeraMex International sells, leases, and rents new and refurbished heavy equipment to companies within multiple industries including construction, forestry conservation, logistics, mining, and lumber. AmeraMex, with a US and international customer base, has over 30 years of experience in heavy equipment sales and service. Follow AmeraMex on Twitter @ammx_intl and visit the AmeraMex website, www.AMMX.net or www.hamreequipment.com for additional corporate information, online heavy equipment inventory/ pricing and videos. Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements. All statements other than statements of historical facts included in this press release are forward-looking statements. In some cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by words such as "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "plan," "potential," "continue" or similar expressions. Such forward-looking statements include risks and uncertainties, and there are important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Investors are encouraged to review the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Investors should not place any undue reliance on forward-looking statements since they involve known and unknown, uncertainties and other factors which are, in some cases, beyond the Company's control which could, and likely will, materially affect actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements. Any forward-looking statement reflects the Company's current views with respect to future events and is subject to these and other risks, uncertainties and assumptions relating to operations, results of operations, growth strategy and liquidity. The Company assumes no obligation to publicly update or revise these forward-looking statements for any reason, or to update the reasons actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements, even if new information becomes available in the future. Story continues Investor and Media Relations McCloud Communications, LLC Marty Tullio, Managing Member Office: 949.632.1900 or Marty@McCloudCommunications.com SOURCE: AmeraMex International, Inc. View source version on accesswire.com: https://www.accesswire.com/607944/AmeraMex-International-Inks-535000-Equipment-Order By Express News Service NEW DELHI: Even as Indias growth is expected to contract by a double-digit figure this fiscal, top industrialist Gautam Adani has debunked the narrow fixation on GDP numbers. According to Adani, whose company recently bought majority stake in Mumbai International Airport, India will be the second-largest economy by 2050 and has an edge over global peers in terms of business opportunities.He also feels Prime Minister Narendra Modis ambitious Aatma Nirbhar Bharat programme will be a game-changer for India. For the sake of the fans of the GDP metric, lets look at some statistics. The global GDP in 1990 was $38 trillion. Today, 30 years later, this number is $90 trillion. Projecting for another 30 years, in 2050 the global GDP is expected to be about $170 trillion with India becoming the second-largest economy in the world, said Adani while speaking at the JP Morgan India Summit. ALSO READ| Process to take over Trivandrum International Airport by Adani Group begins Indias GDP number has seen year-on-year contraction since the last four years. The economy shrunk by a record 23.9 per cent in the April-June quarter because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the steepest fall posted by any major economies. Adani said that short-term setbacks due to a global crisis cannot be used to write off the country as its fundamentals remain intact. Adani added that India will needs $1.5-2 trillion of capital over the next decade but despite key structural reforms such as the National Investment and Infrastructure Fund and Credit Enhancement Fund, capital structure challenges, and lack of empowered and independent regulators remain bottlenecks to nation-building and investment opportunities. In my view... an alignment with the governments business agenda is what creates the greatest value, he said. (Nairobi, Kenya, September 28, 2020)--Scientists announced today the discovery of a new set of detailed genetic markers and information in African cattle that are associated with valuable traits, such as heat and drought tolerance, the capacity to control inflammation and tick infestations, and resistance to devastating livestock diseases like trypanosomiasis. The findings, published in the October issue of Nature Genetics, emerged from a collaborative effort to sequence the genomes of 172 indigenous cattle by scientists at the Addis Ababa- and Nairobi-based International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), Seoul National University (Republic of Korea), Rural Development Agency (RDA, Republic of Korea), University of Khartoum (Sudan), The Centre of Tropical Livestock Genetics and Health (CTLGH, Scotland), Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (Sweden), and the University of Nottingham (United Kingdom). They wanted to learn how -- after spending thousands of years confined to a shifting patchwork of sub-regions in Africa -- cattle rapidly evolved during the last millennia with traits that allowed them to thrive across the continent. "We believe these insights can be used to breed a new generation of African cattle that have some of the qualities of European and American livestock -- which produce more milk and meat per animal--but with the rich mosaic of traits that make African cattle more resilient and sustainable," said Olivier Hanotte, Principal Scientist at ILRI, Professor of Genetics at the University of Nottingham and Program Leader at CTLGH, who led the work at ILRI. Hanotte and his colleagues engaged in a sort of "genomic time travel" that, for the first time, allowed scientists to retrace the genetic journey that has made African cattle so adaptable. They discovered what co-author Steve Kemp, Head of ILRI's LiveGene program and Deputy Director of CTLGH described as an "evolutionary jolt" that occurred 750 to 1050 years ago: the arrival of Asian cattle breeds in East Africa carrying genetic traits that would make cattle production possible in diverse and demanding African environments. The genome sequencing work yielded evidence that Indigenous pastoralist herders began breeding the Asian cattle, known as Zebu, with local breeds of cattle known as Taurine. In particular, the Zebu offered traits that would allow cattle to survive in hot, dry climates typical in the Horn of Africa. But by crossing the two, the new animals that emerged also retained the capacity of the Taurines to endure humid climates where vector-borne diseases like trypanosomiasis are common. "Livestock -- especially cattle -- can be controversial, but without them, millions of people in Africa would have been forced to hunt wildlife for protein," said author Ally Okeyo Mwai, a principal scientist at ILRI who leads its African Dairy Genetic Gains program. "That would have been devastating for the African environment and its incredible diversity of wildlife." It is now important to use the full range of natural genetic endowments that have made African cattle so resilient to sustainably meet Africa's surging demand for milk and meat, while minimizing negative impacts of increased livestock production. For many households in Africa, and especially the poorest, livestock in general and cattle in particular continue to be a family's most valuable asset. They provide a critical source of protein and micronutrients alongside income to pay for things like school fees. They also provide manure for crops, and some African cattle breeds can survive in conditions that can't support food crops, offering farmers a potential adaptation strategy for coping with climate change. "We're fortunate that pastoralists are such skilled breeders," Hanotte said. "They left a valuable roadmap for efforts underway at ILRI and elsewhere to balance livestock productivity in Africa with resilience and sustainability." "You can see from studying the genomes of Indigenous cattle that breeding for environmental adaptation has been the key to successful livestock production in Africa," said Kemp. "And that has to be the factored in our future efforts to develop more productive, more sustainable animals. If the goal is pure productivity, you're doomed to fail." "It's important to understand that livestock breeding has long played a vital role in sustaining the health and wealth of African communities," said ILRI Director General Jimmy Smith. "The focus on breeding for resilience that guided past efforts provides a touchstone for future work to chart a sustainable path for livestock production in sub-Saharan Africa." ### About the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) The International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) is a non-profit institution helping people in low- and middle-income countries to improve their lives, livelihoods and lands through the animals that remain the backbone of small-scale agriculture and enterprise across the developing world. ILRI is a CGIAR research centre co-hosted by Kenya and Ethiopia and with 14 other offices across Africa and Asia. Acknowledgments This work was supported by a grant from the Next-Generation BioGreen 21 Program and Post-Genome Project (Project Nos. PJ01323701 and PJ01040601), Rural Development Administration, Republic of Korea. Sampling of cattle populations was supported by the CGIAR Livestock and Fish CRP (Uganda and Ethiopia), the University of Khartoum (Sudan) and the National Biotechnology Development Agency (NABDA) (Nigeria). The following institutions and their personnel provided help for the sampling of the African cattle: the ILRI Kapiti Ranch; the Ministry of Animal Resources, Fisheries and Range (Sudan); the Ol Pejeta Conservancy (Kenya); the Institute of Biodiversity (Ethiopia); and the Directors of Veterinary Services and the cattle keepers from Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda and Sudan. The ILRI livestock genomics program is supported by the CGIAR Research Program on Livestock (CRP Livestock), which is supported by contributors to the CGIAR Trust Fund (http://www.cgiar.org/about-us/our-funders/). This research was funded in part by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and with UK aid from the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (Grant Agreement OPP1127286) under the auspices of the Centre for Tropical Livestock Genetics and Health (CTLGH), established jointly by the University of Edinburgh, SRUC (Scotland's Rural College) and the International Livestock Research Institute. Pubs in England must adhere to a 10pm curfew. (Getty) Parliament has been forced into an embarrassing U-turn over serving alcohol in its bars after 10pm. On Monday, The Times reported that bars in the Palace of Westminster would be exempt from the coronavirus curfew, applied on pubs, bars and restaurants across England. But after widespread anger, Parliament has decided to ban the sale of alcohol on its premises after 10pm in line with the rest of the country. A Parliament spokesman said: Alcohol will not be sold after 10pm anywhere on the parliamentary estate. Karl Turner, Labour MP for Hull East, reacted to the news by tweeting: Should bloody well think so. Labour MP Angela Rayner tweeted: Good, if we ask others to follow the regulations then we must also follow them, its basic stuff really. Watch: What are the new Covid-19 measures for pubs in England? The Times had reported that Parliament bars were exempt from the curfew on the basis that they could be categorised as a workplace canteen. The report sparked widespread anger on social media, with many people saying it was one rule for us, one rule for them. On Monday, junior health minister Helen Whately told BBC Radio 4s Today programme: We in Parliament shouldnt be sitting around late at night drinking weve got a job to do when were there. Boris Johnson in a pub while campaigning during the EU referendum. (PA) Read more: Labour MP says she's yet to see a Tory MP wearing a mask in Parliament Boris Johnson announced last week that pubs, bars and restaurants in England must close their doors at 10pm in an effort to halt the rising spread of coronavirus. He even claimed that coronavirus spreads more at night after alcohol has been consumed. However, the regulations state that workplace canteens may remain open where there is no practical alternative for staff at that workplace to obtain food. The Times reported that staff and customers at bars in the Palace of Westminster would not be required to follow rules on face masks introduced last week by the prime minister. Visitors would not have to give their name and contact details when entering a Parliament bar, it also reported. Story continues Before the U-turn was announced, a number of MPs across party lines had criticised the exemption for Parliament bars. Read more: Third wave of coronavirus 'entirely possible', government adviser warns Sarah Owen, the MP for Luton North, said: I know the government have got used to setting one rule for some and another for everyone else but this is another level. Absolutely ridiculous. Ronnie Cowan, SNP MP for Inverclyde, said: One rule for the public and another for Westminster. SNP MP for Glasgow North East, Anne McLaughlin tweeted: I was in the House of Commons all last week. I managed to do my job, attend meetings, vote, deal with constituency work and speak in parly on four occasions all without the aid of alcohol. I just assumed the bars were shut. This is ridiculous. Robert Largan, Tory MP for High Peak, said: This is a ludicrous decision. Watch: What are the new job support schemes and grants for the self-employed? But Conservative MP Jackie Doyle-Price tweeted: The dining rooms are open for as long as Parliament is sitting. If we arent sitting beyond 10pm we will be subject to same curfew as everyone else. Nothing to see here. Sacha Lord, the night-time economy adviser for Greater Manchester, tweeted: Parliaments own bar has been made exempt from the 10pm curfew and doesnt have to take down anyones details. Id like to say Im surprised but Im really not. Actor and comedian Adil Ray referenced the controversial trip to the north of England taken by Johnsons senior adviser Dominic Cummings during lockdown in April. Read more: Pubs, restaurants and cafes contributed to a fifth of COVID-19 infections He tweeted: Barnard Castle all over again. One rule for us, one rule for them. Why would anyone respect the rules? On BBC1s Breakfast programme, junior health minister Whately defended the 10pm curfew for pubs and restaurants. As people drink more they tend to socially distance less, she said. So one approach to keeping people socially distancing is to limit the amount of time that people are in places where they are drinking and then this breaking down of compliance with the rules. We have also seen in some of the places where there have been higher rates over the summer that sometimes bars have been the places where there has been an outbreak, so this is a reason why one of the actions we have taken is to have people stopping being out drinking at an earlier time. Coronavirus: what happened today Click here to sign up to the latest news and information with our daily Catch-up newsletter This years CahabaQue BBQ Cook-Off has been postponed until 2021 because of the coronavirus pandemic, organizers announced today. The event, previously set for Oct. 4 at Cahaba Brewing Co. in Birmingham, is a fundraiser for the Breast Cancer Research Foundation of Alabama. A new date of April 17 is on the agenda, but organizers said that could change, depending on what happens with the pandemic. The health and safety of our participants, guests, volunteers, and staff is a top priority and although this is a tough decision, it has become clear that it is the right decision for these unprecedented times, organizers said in a press release. A tentative date of Saturday, April 17, 2021, has been set for the 2021 CahabaQue, however as the situation unfolds, more information will be provided. CahabaQue, sponsored by the brewing company at 4500 Fifth Ave. South, raises money for breast cancer research in the state. Barbecue teams compete for bragging rights, trophies and cash prizes. Barbecue samples are offered to spectators, who can also drink craft beer and hear live music. Eighteen teams participated in the event in April 2019, according to Birmingham magazine, and a team from Capstone Development Partners took first place. Last years CahabaQue raised $27,000 for the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, the magazine said. Cahaba Brewing Co. is supporting the Breast Cancer Research Foundation in another way, organizers said via the press release. Proceeds from can sales of a seasonal brew, DDs Cherry Hibiscus Sour, will benefit the foundation through the end of October. The beer is available at Piggly Wiggly stores, the release says. More than 200 nurses in the US have died from Covid-19 during the pandemic, a new report says. The countrys largest nursing union says that a total of 1,718 health care workers in total have died from the virus, including 213 registered nurses. Of the nurses who died, 58.2 per cent were nurses of colour, including 67 Filipino American nurses and 38 Black nurses, claims National Nurses United. The Bureau of Labor Statistics says that of the 3 million nursing positions in the US, just 24.1 per cent are filled by people of colour, according to Business Insider. The NNU says that of the 1,515 cases of health care workers where details were available, 29.6 per cent were employed at hospitals and 70.4 per cent worked in nursing homes, medical practices, Emergency Services, and other settings. And they say that registered nurses make up 31.9 per cent of the hospital health care workers who have died. Union bosses say their statistics were based on research from state and local health records, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid services, the Centers for Disease Control, obituaries, social media and GoFundMe accounts. The rights of registered nurses and other health care workers in the US are being violated, said the union in their report. Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, employers have a general duty to provide safe workplaces." When the coronavirus hit the US earlier this year, health professionals angrily complained that they needed better protective gear in hospitals, medical offices and care homes. As the virus spread many nurses complained about an ongoing lack of masks, gloves and PPE, with some even having to use plastic bags instead of medical-grade gowns. The US has now seen more than 200,00 deaths from coronavirus, with more than 7 million Americans testing positive for the infection. For us, its been a matter of life and death, said NNU executive director Bonnie Castillo. If we had not been out there and collectively advocating and fighting, tooth and nail, for every single N95 mask and every single protection, we would have lost many more. We have seen this system function under a pandemic and it has been an utter failure. For the latest version of our fire coverage click here. The Wine Country awoke in flames Monday as windblown wildfires closed in on the Napa Valley from the east and west and swept into Santa Rosa, forcing thousands of North Bay residents to flee their homes in an ominous flashback to the catastrophic infernos three years ago. The Shady and Glass fires, which erupted Sunday morning and spread quickly through extremely dry grasslands, were simultaneously threatening parts of Sonoma and Napa counties. The winds also whipped up the massive North Complex Fire, threatening the Butte County town of Paradise and several other northern Sierra Nevada foothill communities devastated by the deadly Camp Fire in 2018. Multiple homes burned overnight in the large Skyhawk neighborhood in eastern Santa Rosa as emergency workers in adjacent neighborhoods went door to door evacuating residents. The fast-moving flames jumped Highway 12 in Oakmont, forcing emergency workers to evacuate a large senior community by bus as flames shot up over nearby hills. Most of Calistoga, the small Napa Valley city known for its hot springs, mud baths and wine, was evacuated. By daybreak Monday, 11,300 people were under evacuation orders in Santa Rosa and several neighborhoods on the eastern edge of the city. The evacuations extended to Mark West and into Rincon Valley, nearly to the Fountaingrove neighborhood that was ravaged by fire three years ago. The orders stretched south of Annadel State Park, down nearly to Glen Ellen, and included areas around Sugarloaf Ridge State Park. The main evacuation center in Santa Rosa was closed out of an abundance of caution as flames pressed in on the city, according to Sonoma County officials. The 4,500-resident Oakmont senior community was evacuated, along with surrounding areas along Highway 12, the main road linking the city to the Sonoma Valley. Residents in the Kenwood area were ordered to evacuate just after midnight. The areas most threatened overnight were all close to or directly affected by the October 2017 Wine Country wildfires that burned entire neighborhoods in and around Santa Rosa. One of those fires, the Tubbs Fire, was the second-most destructive wildfire in California history. Brian Borgfeldt, 65, was chased from his Kenwood home three years ago during the Tubbs fire, which he said burned 21 homes in the area, but somehow spared his house. This time, Borgfeldt, his wife and two teenage daughters got the evacuation order around midnight, but had to wait until about 3 a.m. for a trailer to transport their two horses. By that time, it was coming very close, Borgfeldt said Monday morning as he checked his family into an evacuation center at the Petaluma Veterans Memorial Building. And already it looks like buildings burned, our neighbors and stuff. In Butte County, the month-old North Complex fire picked up amid dry, powerful winds, prompting an evacuation warning for the entire town of Paradise and the community of Magalia, along with an evacuation order for Concow. All three places were devastated by the November 2018 Camp Fire, the states deadliest and most destructive wildfire. It really is horrifying to see this happening...again, tweeted climate scientist Daniel Swain. Winds tonight are not expected to be as extreme as during Oct. 2017 North Bay (Tubbs) firestorm, but this does not look good. Residents of the senior community of Oakmont Village were evacuated on Santa Rosa city buses at 12:30 a.m., many of them using walkers or canes, or being pushed in wheelchairs. One woman in a purple robe had a black shirt on a hanger clinging to her walker. Another woman wore flowered pajamas in her wheelchair, a white teddy bear in her lap. Towering flames shot up over a hill just across the driveway as the buses approached the winding Calistoga Road into Santa Rosa. After a harrowing drive to safety, during which flames licked both sides of the roadway and embers spat onto the bus windshield, Oakmont residents Doris and Armin Tietze said this had been the most stressful of the three evacuations theyve been through in recent years. It was scary and I didnt expect it to be so close, said Doris Tietze, 91. Patrick Ryan stayed with his home off Highway 12 near Oakmont while his wife and children evacuated. He attempted to spray down his fence with a hose as the flames approached, but soon realized it was futile. Paul Kuroda/Special to The Chronicle I wanted to see how close its going to get to my house this time, and you know what? Im just about ready to leave, Ryan said. It is what it is. This is how we live in California now. Its the charcoal state, not the sunshine state anymore. Wind gusts reached 60 miles per hour on Mount St. Helena on Sunday evening, blowing toward the southwest. By 11:30 p.m., a long line of cars with evacuating residents was seen on Montgomery Road in Santa Rosa, driving away from Annadel State Park. Sirens wailed as a red glow lit up the surrounding hills. Flames were visible from Highway 101 along the eastern edge of the city. I grabbed my neighbor. I wouldnt take no for an answer, said Lorraine Fuentez, who evacuated from a senior mobile home park on Calistoga Road around 11:30 p.m. Sunday, forcing her elderly friend to come with her. Fuentez said she and her neighbor got multiple alerts to leave, and quickly grabbed their go-bags, which have been put to more use than she ever expected. She evacuated during the 2017 Tubbs Fire, which she said burned down her daughters house. Weve come to the point that if it burns down, oh well, Fuentez said of her own home. It feels overwhelming. It feels like, is this ever going to end? The fires arrived as a dry heat wave brought high temperatures to the Bay Area through Monday. A red flag warning, signaling high fire danger, was in effect for the region until 9 p.m. Monday. A Spare the Air Alert was extended through Monday. Predicted critical fire weather conditions have come to fruition today, Swain said on Twitter. He cited new fires, including the Glass Fire and the fast-spreading Zogg Fire in Shasta County, and also said that existing fires, including the August Complex and North Complex, have exploded once again. The Creek Fire in Fresno and Madera counties also grew 10,000 acres over Saturday night. The scenario unfolding around Santa Rosa has unsettling similarities to the deadly firestorm that ravaged the area almost exactly three years ago, both in terms of weather patterns and the specific communities under threat. Scott Strazzante / The Chronicle Most of the major October 2017 fires that burned around Sonoma and Napa counties were started by Pacific Gas and Electric Co. power lines. The Tubbs Fire was an exception: State investigators said it was started by a property owners privately maintained electric system. Causes of this latest round of Wine Country wildfires are under investigation. Hoping to prevent more fires amid dangerous weather, PG&E had intentionally turned off electricity to a very limited area in Napa County and a handful of customers in Sonoma County. Another 14,241 homes and businesses in Santa Rosa lost power likely because of fire activity, and at least 3,000 customers in Napa County lost power because of the Glass Fire, according to the company. With flames threatening the northeast quadrant of the city, government officials chose to close an evacuation point they had set up at the Santa Rosa Veterans Memorial Building on Maple Avenue. Evacuees are instead being asked to go to the Petaluma Fairgrounds or the Sonoma Raceway. Because of the coronavirus pandemic, the county did not set up the kind of large indoor shelters it used during past disasters, when dozens of people crowded onto cots and stayed overnight. Instead, people are being steered toward spaces where they can maintain social distance. Some evacuees will get hotel room vouchers, and others may be placed into dormitory rooms at Sonoma State University in Rohnert Park. The conflagrations began early Sunday morning with the Glass Fire, which started in Deer Park and had grown to 11,000 acres by Monday morning. Around 7:30 p.m. Sunday, two other blazes the Shady and Boysen fires were reported west of St. Helena. The Glass Fire threatened thousands of structures along the east side of the Silverado Trail and prompted numerous evacuations throughout Sunday, including of the local hospital and the high-end Meadowood Napa Valley resort. Photos on social media by Getty Images showed the Chateau Boswell Winery, about three miles north of St. Helena, engulfed in flames. The Black Rock Inn in St. Helena also burned. By 2 a.m. Monday the hillsides east and west of St. Helena were consumed by fire. Flames leaped dozens of feet into the air, and pine trees exploded as crews tried to keep the fire from crossing the Silverado Trail. Less than a mile from the front line, a handful of neighbors along Lodi Lane sat in lawn chairs in their driveways around 2:30 a.m. They waited, with cars packed, as they sipped beer and fretted over when to evacuate. Lidia Gonzalez, a lifelong resident of St. Helena, said she and her family had loaded camping gear and family photos so they could leave at a moments notice. She said she struggled to fathom the extent of damage. My whole life is here, she said. I dont think its quite hit. Were just going into autopilot. Earlier in the night, swift wind gusts blew embers that ignited a nearby field. Neighbors used shovels and bags of water to extinguish the blaze. Throughout the night, as the fire raged closer, hundreds of cars filled the roads leaving Napa Valley. Some drivers pulled over on the side of the road, to sleep or watch the flames. Kenneth Kentan, the night manager of a nearby Safeway, stopped to get a look at the fire after he finished his shift. He had spent the night rushing to salvage meat and dairy items after the store lost power. It fits right in with this year, said Kentan, watching the fire approach from two directions. Its devastating. Large areas surrounding St. Helena were under evacuation orders, on the east side up to Deer Park and Angwin, and on the west all the way to the Sonoma County line and the outskirts of Santa Rosa. The orders stretched south to Whitehall Lane and north to Bothe-Napa Valley State Park. The Glass Fire started before 4 a.m., on the east side of the vineyard-lined Silverado Trail between St. Helena and Calistoga, about 8 miles west of the Hennessey Fire, which became the LNU Lightning Complex Fire that reached Vacaville. It was pushed by shifting winds, with gusts up to 70 mph Sunday morning on Mount St. Helena. St. Helena residents were asked to conserve water, as the fire was near a reservoir and treatment plant. Tracy Sherman walked out her front door in St. Helena around 5 a.m. and smelled smoke. I thought, This cant be happening again, she said, but by the time she arrived to work at Sunshine Foods, she saw that it had. Three hours before opening, the parking lot was filling up with evacuees from Deer Park, three miles away. Sherman and colleagues brought them complimentary coffee and breakfast. Yesterday the skies were beautiful, and today people woke up to being evacuated again, she said. There was sadness and shock. But we came together as a community. This time of year, the air in Napa County can be saturated with the smell of wine as wineries prepare for harvest and host tourists. But, lately, its been smoke or nothing, said Amy Bourdeau as she watched a column of fire sprout over the top of a hill along Silverado Trail. Bourdeau woke up Sunday to fire alerts and Facebook messages from friends concerned about the fire burning near her home in Calistoga. She said she still hadnt unpacked the go-bag she used when evacuating from the LNU Lightning Complex. Fires have forced her from her home every year since 2017, Bourdeau said. Its a bit traumatizing, she said. I feel like Im constantly fight-or-flight. Chronicle staff writers Dustin Gardiner, Tatiana Sanchez, Michael Williams, Rusty Simmons, Sam Whiting, Kate Galbraith and Kellie Hwang contributed to this report. Sarah Ravani, Matthias Gafni, J.D. Morris and Erin Allday are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: sravani@sfchronicle.com, matthias.gafni@sfchronicle.com, jd.morris@sfchronicle.com, eallday@sfchronicle.com. Twitter: @SarRavani, @mgafni, @thejdmorris, @erinallday Gov. Phil Murphys Monday coronavirus briefing at the Trenton War Memorials George Washington Ballroom will start later than usual at 3:30 p.m. It will be streamed live on the governors YouTube.com channel. Murphy will be joined as always by state health commissioner Judy Persichilli and State Police Superintendent Colonel Pat Callahan. Another frequent attendee state epidemiologist Dr. Christina Tan will also be on hand. Although state officials announced an additional 712 COVID-19 cases on Sunday, 162 of the cases are from August or earlier. Officials announced three more deaths as the states rate of transmission dropped to 1.11. Any number above 1 indicated the virus is spreading. The were 322 patients in the states 71 hospitals with the coronavirus or a suspected case as of 10 p.m. Sunday, a net increase of seven from the previous 24-hour period but down more than 95% from the peak of the pandemic in mid-April when more than 8,000 were hospitalized. There are 67 patients receiving intensive care with 29 on ventilators. The state of about nine million people has reported 16,106 deaths related to the virus 14,315 lab-confirmed and 1,791 considered probable. Thats the second-most in the U.S. after New York. New Jersey has the nations highest COVID-19 death rate per 100,000 residents. Murphys other public appearance on Monday is at noon when he signs a bill into law that excludes armed services combat pay from counting toward a military members gross income and being taxed. That ceremony can be watched live on the governors Facebook page. Please subscribe now and support the local journalism YOU rely on and trust. Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JeffSGoldman. Find NJ.com on Facebook. With fewer than five weeks to go to Queenslands state election, yet another "unprecedented" looms on the horizon: The first modern state campaign without a prime minister and federal opposition leader on the hustings. What is certain is that Annastacia Palaszczuk, not Deb Frecklington, will gain from an absence of federal leaders. Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese face off in Question Time. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen With the Palaszczuk government lifting its COVID border ban on travellers from the ACT to Queensland last week, it remains possible that Scott Morrison or Anthony Albanese could venture north to campaign ahead of the October 31 election. But to meet the Palaszczuk governments travel rules, they would have to spend at least 14 continuous days in Canberra. (Natural News) The bombshell report produced by two Senate committees and released last week that the mainstream media continues to ignore continues to produce explosive details that should alarm anyone even thinking about voting for Joe Biden. Earlier reports noted that the document produced by the Republican-led Senate Homeland and Governmental Affairs Committee and the Senate Finance Committee found that Hunter Biden, the VPs son, appeared to be involved in several shady dealings with foreign entities and firms, and that ranking officials within the Obama administration were well aware of them, while some even attempted to raise red flags but were rebuffed. For instance, the report says that the Obama regime knew that the appointment of Hunter Biden to the board of Burisma, an inherently corrupt energy company, created a huge conflict of interest for Joe Biden who, as vice president, had been taken by President Obama to formulate U.S. policies aimed at rooting out corruption. However, as Breitbart News adds: It presents email evidence that former Secretary of State John Kerry, whose stepson Chris Heinz was one of Hunter Bidens business partners, was also aware of the conflicts of interest. Hunter Biden, his family, and [business partner Devon] Archer received millions of dollars from foreign nationals with questionable backgrounds, the report says. It also says that Hunter Biden went on a $100,000 global spending spree with James Biden and Sara Biden after taking money from a Chinese investor. Also, the report states that Hunter Biden may have even paid women linked to an Eastern European prostitution or human trafficking ring. The records acquired by the Committees show consistent, significant and extensive financial connections among and between Hunter Biden, James Biden, Sara Biden, Devon Archer, and Chinese nationals connected to the Communist regime and [Peoples Liberation Army] as well as other foreign nationals with questionable backgrounds, says the well-researched and sourced report, which was more than a year in the making. The probe, which was directed by Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, and Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) of the Senate Committee on Finance, began in August 2019, before the impeachment hoax against President Trump on ginned-up allegations of a quid pro quo sought with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. In reality, the probe began because of the Henniges transaction, where a firm linked to the Chinese government bought an American company that manufactures anti-vibration technologies with military applications. One of those firms involved in the exchange was Bohai Harvest RST (BHR), a Chinese-funded investment firm in which Hunter Biden owns shares. The report details examples of extensive and complex financial transactions involving the Bidens, while claiming that Hunter Biden was not the only Biden who cashed in on Joe Bidens vice presidency. The records acquired by the Committees show that Hunter Biden and his family were involved in a vast financial network that connected them to foreign nationals and foreign governments across the globe, the report says. Hunter Biden and Archer, in particular, formed significant and consistent financial relationships with the corrupt oligarch Mykola Zlochevsky during their time working for Burisma and their firms made millions of dollars from that association while Joe Biden was vice president and the public face of the Obama administrations Ukraine policy, it added. The report further claims that Rosemont Seneca Thornton, an investment house that Hunter Biden co-founded, got $3.5 million from Elena Baturina via wire transfer, who allegedly received illegal construction contracts from her husband, the former mayor of Moscow. Further, Archers apparent receipt of money for a car from Kenges Rakishev of Kazakhstan while Vice President Biden was in Kyiv is especially concerning in light of the timing. And finally, Biden and Archers work with Chinese nationals connected to the Communist regime illustrate the deep financial connections that accelerated while his father was vice president and continued after he left office, the report says. Again this is important all of this took place with the apparent knowledge of some inside the Obama administration, including the former vice president himself who was alerted to the red flags but instructed the State Department official bringing them to his attention to ignore it. This is precisely the kind of swamp behavior we elected President Trump to expose and end. This alone is reason enough to give him four more years and to deny Biden any years as president. Sources include: JustTheNews.com Breitbart.com NaturalNews.com BAKU, Azerbaijan, Sept. 28 By Klavdiya Romakayeva - Trend: The Supervisory Board of the Russian Gazprombank decided to open a representative office in Uzbekistan, Trend reports with reference to Gazprombank. According to the bank's official statement, there was a quorum on opening a representative office of Gazprombank JSC in Uzbekistan on the agenda, and the decision on the item was supported unanimously. Gazprombank is one of the largest multi-faceted financial institutions in Russia, providing a wide range of banking, financial, investment products, and services to corporate and private customers, financial institutions, institutional and private investors. The bank is one of the three largest banks in Russia by all major indicators and ranks third in the list of banks in Central and Eastern Europe in terms of equity. The bank provides services to key sectors of the Russian economy gas, oil, nuclear, chemical and petrochemical, ferrous and nonferrous metallurgy, electric power industry, engineering and metalworking, transport, construction, communications, agriculture, trade, and other industries. As of August 1, the bank ranked third in the banking system of Russia with assets of 7,497 trillion rubles ($97.9 million). Earlier it was reported that Russia and Uzbekistan are discussing projects worth $7.2 billion, among which there is also Gazprombank. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @romakayeva New Jersey residents in the military will no longer have to pay state income taxes on combat pay under a new measure Gov. Phil Murphy signed into law Monday. The law also exempts servicemen or women from paying state income taxes on their wages if theyre being hospitalized for an injury from a combat zone. The governor signed the bipartisan legislation into law during a virtual event. Im thrilled at long last that were going to correct this forever and always, Murphy said from his Trenton office prior to signing the bill into law. State officials couldnt say how much the measure would cost New Jersey in annual incoming. The impact on revenues would vary annually and fluctuate according to future U.S. military deployments, according to the measures fiscal statement. Murphy, meanwhile, said he wasnt concerned about the state losing revenue given the cause. I dont care how much money this costs us, he said. This is not right. Combat zone pay is an additional payment beyond a military members regular salary. Soldiers are already allowed to exclude it from federal income taxes. According to the legislation, a combat zone is defined as any area the president designates as such in an executive order. The bill passed both chambers of the state Legislature last week with overwhelming support from lawmakers. The state Senate approved it by a 39-0 vote and the Assembly did so by a 78-0 vote. The new law takes effect immediately and can be applied to taxable years beginning in January. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Matt Arco may be reached at marco@njadvancemedia.com. New Jersey on Monday reported one more coronavirus death and 561 more positive tests as the rate of transmission ticked up slightly and Gov. Phil Murphy warned of a spike in Ocean County. Monday marks the first time in 11 days the states number of new cases failed to top 600. There were more than 700 cases announced both on Saturday and Sunday. Meanwhile, the states rate of transmission increased slightly to 1.12 from 1.11 the previous day indicating the outbreak here is growing. We continue to see the statewide number driven in large part by significant new cases coming out of Ocean County, Murphy said during his regular COVID-19 briefing in Trenton. Nearly half of the new cases 242 are from Ocean County. We are maintaining our lines of communication with county and community leaders as we work together to mitigate these outbreaks, Murphy said. New Jersey, an early coronavirus epicenter, has reported 204,107 COVID-19 cases out of more than 3.51 million tests administered in the nearly seven months since the outbreak here started in early March. Thats the eighth-most cases among the United States. The state of 9 million people has reported 16,107 deaths related to the virus 14,316 lab-confirmed and 1,791 considered probable. Thats the second-most in the U.S. after New York. New Jersey has the nations highest COVID-19 death rate per 100,000 residents. The state is in better shape than the U.S. as a whole, recording 3.6 new cases per 10,000 residents this past week, compared to a national rate of 9.1 new cases per 10,000. But 13 of New Jerseys 21 counties saw new infections rise over the past week. Officials have said recent increases are partly because of the states large testing capacity, some community spread of the virus, and rising cases among younger residents. Murphy said officials believe some amount of the increases in Lakewood are in relationship to worship from the Jewish holidays. Lakewood is home to a large Orthodox Jewish community. TRANSMISSION RATE New Jerseys latest rate of transmission is 1.12 after it dropped slightly Sunday to 1.11. It was 1.12 on Saturday after 1.15 was reported Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday the highest the rate has been since Aug. 7. The rate has been above 1 since Sept. 4 and increased incrementally since last week. Any number above 1 means each newly infected person, on average, is spreading the virus to at least one other person. Any number below 1 means the virus is decreasing. HOSPITALIZATIONS There were 421 patients with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 cases across New Jerseys 71 hospitals Saturday night. Thats five more than the night before. Of those, 236 are COVID-19 positive and 185 are people awaiting testing. There were 91 people in intensive or critical care, including 39 people on ventilators. AGE BREAKDOWN Broken down by age, those 30 to 49 years old make up the largest percentage of New Jersey residents that have caught the virus (31%), followed by those 50-64 (26.4%), 18-29 (16.4%), 65-79 (13.2%), 80 and older (9.1%), 5-17 (3.1%), and 0-4 (0.7%). On average, the virus has been more deadly for older residents, especially those with pre-existing conditions. Nearly half the states COVID-19 deaths have been of residents 80 and older (47.8%), followed by those 65-79 (31.5%), 50-64 (15.8%), 30-49 (4.3%), 18-25 (0.4%), 5-17 (0%), and 0-4 (0.02%). At least 7,149 of the states COVID-19 deaths have been of residents and staff members at nursing homes and other long-term care facilities. CORONAVIRUS RESOURCES: Live map tracker | Newsletter | Homepage New Jersey is asking travelers from 35 U.S. states and territories considered COVID-19 hotspots to quarantine for 14 days after arriving here including residents returning home. New Jersey, of course, doesnt restrict travel between the states 21 counties based on COVID numbers. But if it did, two counties would fit the criteria as of Tuesday and would fall in the same category as states on the travel advisory: Gloucester and Ocean. Both have a positive test rate higher than 10 per 100,000 residents, which is one of the things that triggers whether or not a state is added to the travel advisory, according to NJ Advance Media data. The state has allowed some businesses listed in Stage 3 of its recovery plan to reopen with restrictions including gyms, movie theaters, and indoor dining. Murphy said last week the state has not seen specific examples of outbreaks linked to gyms and indoor dining reopening. But he said the state will need to see a sustained lack of outbreaks from those venues until officials can lift capacity limits. He said Friday he doesnt have a specific date for when that may happen. The pandemic and its aftermath have taken a major toll on the states economy. More than 1.6 million residents have filed for unemployment, businesses have lost untold revenue, and numerous businesses have closed permanently. GLOBAL NUMBERS As of early Monday, there have been more than 33.15 million positive COVID-19 tests across the world, according to a running tally by Johns Hopkins University. More than 998,600 people have died, while more than 22.96 million people have recovered. The United States has the most positive tests in the world, at more than 7.11 million, and the most deaths, at more than 204,700. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com Matt Arco may be reached at marco@njadvancemedia.com. Bucharest: After handing Ion Aliman victory in the election for their local mayor, residents of a small village in southern Romania went to his grave to light candles for him. Aliman was re-elected in a landslide for an unprecedented third term as mayor of the village of Deveselu despite having died from COVID-19 complications 10 days prior to the country's municipal elections. Hundreds of villagers went to polling stations and voted for Ion Aliman despite his death. Credit:Lucy Stone His death came too late to remove his name from Sunday's ballot, but the news of his passing spread fast through the village, home to just over 3000 people. The popular incumbent would have celebrated his 57th birthday on election day. To honour the man they admired, hundreds of Deveselu villagers went to the polling stations on Sunday and voted for Aliman anyway. Hardy Melburnians are dusting off their goggles and donning their bathers as outdoor public pools reopen for the first time in months. The easing of restrictions on outdoor pools, as well as outdoor exercise for up to two people with a trainer, came into effect on Monday along with the lifting of the citywide curfew under step two of the Andrews government's road map for emerging from lockdown. Gavin Moore savoured his first swim in months at Fitzroy Pool on Monday. Credit:Chris Hopkins Fitzroy Swimming Pool in Melbourne's inner north was one of the first outdoor swimming centres in the city to open to patrons on Monday morning, allowing a maximum of 20 swimmers at any one time to take to the water for pre-booked hourly sessions. Lanes are already booked out until Thursday. Collingwood resident and regular Fitzroy swimmer Gavin Moore, 60, said it was fabulous to be back in the sun and swimming laps. Meeting between political advisors to Normandy-format chiefs of state has yet to be scheduled - Russian Foreign Ministry Political advisors to the Normandy-format chiefs of state will meet when proper conditions are created; their meeting has yet to be scheduled, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Rudenko said. "When all necessary conditions are created," Rudenko told the press in response to the relevant question. There is still no specific date of their meeting, he said. Hong Kong: 2 sites to provide 630 flats (To watch the full media session with sign language interpretation, click here.) The Government will sell two residential sites by tender in the October-December quarter that will provide about 630 flats. Briefing the media today on the Governments land sale programme for the third quarter of the 2020-21 financial year, Secretary for Development Michael Wong said one of the residential sites is at the Peak and the other is in Kai Tak. The Mansfield Road site at the Peak will be divided in two parcels for disposal. The first one, to be tendered in the third quarter, can provide about 240 flats. The site in Kai Tak is located on the old runway and can provide about 390 units. In addition to Package 5 of the Mass Transit Railways Wong Chuk Hang Station project and other private projects, the total supply in the third quarter will be about 2,780 units. For commercial sites, the Government will sell by tender Site 3 at the New Central Harbourfront, which was originally planned for tender in the second quarter. Mr Wong said its sale will adopt the rather uncommon two-envelope approach that features a design tender and a price tender. Site 3 is a very valuable and very strategic piece of land. Not only will it provide us with substantial Grade A office area which is good for long-term economic development, it will also act as a connecting landscape corridor linking our new harbourfront with various parts of Central. So its value goes way beyond just the amount of money. So the question of discount did not arise for the Government. For us, its always been a market-led approach. He said the tender documents are complicated and the Government will need more time to complete the necessary work as a result. The Government will also put up for sale one industrial site in Fanling in the third quarter, capable of providing about 20,100 sq m of gross floor area. Mr Wong added that the Government would continue to increase land supply through a multi-pronged approach to meet the community's needs for housing, economic and social development. This story has been published on: 2020-09-28. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. By Baek Byung-yeul Actress Han Ji-min promotes KGC's Donginbi essence product. / Courtesy of KGC Korea Ginseng Corporation's (KGC) red ginseng cosmetics brand Donginbi has opened a brand store in Amazon, the world's largest online shopping mall, the state-run corporation said Monday. "Donginbi opened an independent brand store in Amazon to meet American consumers who are interested in K-beauty and Oriental medicine-based cosmetics products," KGC said. "With more than 300 million users in over 180 countries, Amazon has especially established its dominant market position in the United States." Donginbi is a brand of premium red ginseng cosmetics based on the technology of its 121-year-old red ginseng brand, Cheong Kwan Jang. At its brand store, Donginbi sells about 20 kinds of skincare products that contain red ginseng extract such as the 1899 Single Essence and the 1899 Signature Oil. KGC said Donginbi's skincare lineups are made of three core raw materials red ginseng oil, red ginseng sap and red ginseng condensate. The corporation said Donginbi is securing an increasing number of customers with its distinguished effects and quality. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the cosmetics market has been witnessing increasing demand from online markets. KGC said it is also expanding its online channels as demand for Korean beauty products is rising. "By establishing a brand store in Amazon, we are now securing a powerful online channel in the U.S market. We will expand cosmetics product lineups so that consumers there can meet more Donginbi products," the corporation said. Seen is Donginbi's brand store in e-commerce platform Amazon. / Courtesy of KGC If this is true, the word "bitter" does not begin to describe my disappointment. This is the worst news I've seen in a long time. Maria Bartiromo, who has set the standard for reporting on the Russia hoax and associated matters, has excellent sources, so I must regard her reporting yesterday morning that a report from the Durham investigation before the election is unlikely. There is some wiggle room in the word "unlikely," and the sources involved are anonymous, so we are not completely without hope that voters will learn of the depth of corruption deployed against candidate and later president Trump by Deep-State hoaxsters and Democrats. YouTube screen grab. The following video is under two minutes: Shipwreckedcrew of RedState, a lawyer, speculates as to what might lie behind an apparent change in timing: [T]his report follows many hints and suggestions over the past few months that US Attorney Durham would act in the late summer/early fall time frame including statements made to that effect by Attorney General William Barr himself. He's been fully briefed by Durham about the nature and progress of the investigation, and what has been found so far. And consistent with what AG Barr said publicly just days before it happened, former FBI Attorney Kevin Clinesmith was charged and pled guilty in connection with his actions on the Carter Page investigation. If Bartiromo's report this morning is accurate, then something has changed. What might that be? I think I have a pretty solid guess. AG Barr sent US Attorney Jeffrey Jensen on a "recon" mission to look more closely at the handling of the Special Counsel's prosecution of former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn. I do not believe that either AG Barr or US Attorney Jensen were prepared for what Jensen would eventually uncover regarding the "political" calculations that were behind the Flynn investigation in the first instance, and the Flynn prosecution after the SCO took over. What Jensen found has kicked into high gear an investigation that I think is nearly as important to AG Barr as is the Durham investigation into the origins of the Russia Hoax investigation launched against Pres. Trump and his campaign. I think "Priority 1A" for AG Barr is a hard look at the conduct of the Special Counsel's Office. The interview of Special Agent William Barnett, the original case agent on the Flynn and Manafort investigations begun in August 2016, took place only 10 days ago. That interview was done by US Attorney Jensen, not Durham. But that interview covered events from the beginning of the Crossfire Hurricane investigation to a point beyond the entry of a guilty plea by General Flynn Barnett discusses interviews done with General Flynn after he pled guilty. The subjects of the released Memorandum of Agent Barnett's interview are mostly matters involving General Flynn, including opinions Agent Barnett formed about the attitudes and conduct of the SCO prosecutors who Mueller chose to staff the investigation. The extent and depth of the corruption being uncovered seems to be the reason why voters will be denied full knowledge before they vote, so the reasoning seems to go. I hope Durham does not think he needs to complete every investigation before issuing indictments in cases ready for prosecution. I've always been skeptical that a "report" would be forthcoming; indictments are what federal prosecutors do. Perhaps there will still be indictments...with more to come on other crimes as those investigations proceed. But I admit that this is a slender reed on which to hang my hopes for justice for the coup-plotters. Camper fire claims the life of two people in Marshall County By PTI GARIABAND: An adult male elephant got electrocuted after it came in contact with a live wire in Chhattisgarh's Gariaband district on Monday, an official said. With this incident, three jumbos have died of electrocution in the last six days in the state. The latest fatality occurred in the wee hours of Monday at a paddy field in Paragaon village under Dhawalpur forest range when a herd of 22 to 25 elephants was passing through the area, Divisional Forest Officer, Gariaband division, Mayank Agrawal said. After being alerted about it, forest personnel rushed to the spot and the autopsy was done, he said. "In the past, no movement of elephants was reported in the area. This big herd of pachyderms ventured into the area from the adjoining Odisha border via Udanti Sitanadi Tiger Reserve," Agrawal said. Preliminary investigation revealed that the tusker came in contact with an 11 KV power transmission line, which was hanging at a low height above the field, and got electrocuted, he said. Locals claimed they had earlier reported to power department officials that high tension lines were lying at a low height in the area but no action was taken, he said. "Prima facie, it seems that negligence on part of the electricity department led to the death of the elephant. We will be filing a case in this connection and further action will be taken accordingly," the official said. He further said the electricity department should ensure that 11 KV and 33 KV transmission lines should be laid at the prescribed height and not below it. Earlier, on Friday night, an elephant died of electrocution after coming in contact with a live wire laid by poachers to trap wild boar in Mahasamund district. Another jumbo died after it came in contact with an electric wire laid illegally at a farm by a cultivator in Raigarh district on September 23. In the last four months, 11 elephants have died in separate districts of the state due to various causes, including electrocution. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 28) The country's capital region and COVID-19 outbreak epicenter will undergo another period of general community quarantine starting Oct. 1 to 31, while Lanao del Sur will tighten its restrictions, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said on Monday. Metro Manila has been under GCQ since June 1, excluding the two-week return to a stricter modified enhanced community quarantine in the first half of August. Under GCQ, public transportation is allowed to operate at a reduced capacity and most industries are permitted to open. Since briefly tightening restrictions again in August to help relieve the strain on the healthcare system, Metro Manila has seen a downward trend in new infections, authorities and health experts have noted. In a recent report, experts from the University of the Philippines said the capital region has shown a decline of over 50 percent in its daily cases compared to five weeks ago. However, they were quick to stress that the government should still exercise caution when easing restrictions as the country could record up to over a hundred thousand more infections in the next month. Metro Manila mayors also support extending the GCQ for another month, citing the need to sustain the improvements in the COVID-19 situation. Even if we retain the GCQ status, it is possible to still slowly increase the operational capacity, meaning the number of people that can work, the number of customers that establishments can allow to enter. So, these are now being prepared," San Juan City Mayor Francis Zamora told CNN Philippines. To date, Metro Manila has reported 162,277 infected residents, which represent 52 percent of the national case count. Around 12,000 of the region's case tally were detected over the past two weeks, according to the Health department's COVID-19 tracker. Besides the capital region, the following areas will be placed under GCQ in October: Batangas, Tacloban City, Bacolod City, Iligan City, and Iloilo City. Meanwhile, President Rodrigo Duterte also approved the recommendation of the the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases to place Lanao del Sur, including Marawi City, under a more stringent MECQ. Under this quarantine status, public transportation is suspended and fewer industries are allowed to operate. The rest of the country will be under a more relaxed modified GCQ until Oct. 31. According to the Department of Health, the IATF considered two new metrics when it decided on the new quarantine classifications. These include the "two-week growth rate" and the "daily attack rate," which both track how fast coronavirus infections spread in a certain area. Health spokesperson and Usec. Ma. Rosario Vergeire said the old methods of tracking the case doubling time and mortality doubling time are no longer as sensitive in deciding the right quarantine level to monitor and contain infections in a specific area. As of Sept. 28, the DOH has confirmed 307,288 COVID-19 cases in the country, which include 252,665 recoveries and 5,381 deaths. Large-scale military clashes erupted yesterday in the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region between Armenia and Azerbaijan in the Caucasus. Artillery, drone and tank fire killed many soldiers and civilians on both sides, with each one accusing the other of starting the conflict. Armenia said that there were 16 killed and over 100 injured, while Azerbaijan acknowledged taking significant losses without giving figures. Yerevan and Baku posted videos of strikes against each others forces and pictures of a blackout in Nagorno-Karabakh. The Azeri defense ministry claimed it seized seven border villages in the region, while Armenia claimed to have destroyed four helicopters and hit 10 tanks and 15 drones. This is the most intense Armenian-Azeri fighting since the 1988-94 conflict between the two former Soviet republics that began before the 1991 Stalinist dissolution of the Soviet Union. This war is, in the final analysis, a disastrous product of the restoration of capitalism of the Soviet Union and the reactionary character of the nation-state system. It is now directly caught up with global geopolitical rivalries stoked by the imperialist wars in Iraq, Syria and Libya. VIdeo purporting to show an attack on an Armenian position. (Screen capture from video provided by the Azerbaijan Defense Ministry) An Armenian-Azeri war could rapidly spiral out of control and escalate into a broader conflict involving Russia, Turkey and the other NATO powers in Europe and North America. In July, Armenian-Azeri clashes erupted at Tayush in northeastern Armenia and the Toyuz district in Azerbaijan, killing 12 Azeri and four Armenian soldiers. Since then, military tensions have escalated. Turkey, a NATO member state and key ally of Azerbaijan, conducted joint military exercises of air and ground forces with Azerbaijan in Baku, Nakhchivan, Ganja, Kurdamir and Yevlakh immediately after the July clashes. Russia, backing Armenia, announced a surprise combat readiness check involving 150,000 troops, over 26,000 weapon systems, 414 aircraft and 106 warships. NATO wars in Libya and Syria have undermined the ability or willingness of states that brokered earlier Armenian-Azeri ceasefiresthe United States, France, and Russiato do so again. Their relations with Turkey have collapsed: Russia is waging a proxy war against Turkish-backed forces in Libya, France is backing Greece against Turkey in eastern Mediterranean oil disputes, and America is backing Kurdish-nationalist guerrillas opposed by Turkey in Syria. Armenia declared its support for Greece in the eastern Mediterranean, and Azerbaijan announced it was backing Turkey. Olesya Vartanyan, an International Crisis Group analyst, wrote on Twitter: There were numerous signals, all saw them and did nothing for weeks. There was a need for proactive international mediation. Many found reasons to OK this attack. If they stay silent now, expect a real war. Instead of brokering peace, however, the major powers are in fact preparing for war with each other. Across the Black Sea, US and British troops together with German, Polish and Lithuanian advisers conducted joint exercises with Ukraine last week. The Ukrainian Defense Ministry stated: For the first time, the military units of the armed forces of NATO member states will be involved in the strategic command and staff exercises. Russias Kavkaz-2020 (Caucasus-2020) war games involving 80,000 troops have also begun in the North Caucasus and the Black and Caspian seas. Up to 1,000 troops from China, Armenia, Belarus, Iran, Myanmar and Pakistan participated, as well as 250 tanks, 450 armored personnel carriers, and 200 artillery or multiple rocket launcher systems. Statements by Armenian and Azeri officials make clear that all-out regional and even global war is a real and imminent danger in the South Caucasus. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stated: A full-scale military confrontation in the South Caucasus, which we stand on the brink of now, can have the most unpredictable consequences. It can spill outside the region and acquire a much larger scale, threatening international security and stability. He called on the international community to pull every available lever to deter Turkey from any possible involvement. A few hours earlier, however, he had announced martial law and full war mobilization in Armenia: Based on a decision by the government, martial law and a full mobilization have been declared in the Republic of Armenia. These decisions take effect immediately after official publication. I urge all personnel attached to the military to report at their territorial military commissions. Azerbaijans equally belligerent government responded by declaring a state of siege in several cities and regions. According to Turkeys state-owned Anadolu Agency, the Azeri parliament passed a measure partially and temporarily restricting the constitutional and property rights and freedoms of Azerbaijani citizens and foreigners in the country as long as the war situation continues. The ruling elites in both countries are pursuing an aggressive militaristic policy amid the explosive social tensions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Armenia has reported nearly 50,000 cases and 951 deaths in its population of less than three million, the highest death rate in Asia, but Pashinyan said on Thursday that Armenia must live with the coronavirus. Azerbaijan, with a population of 10 million, has registered over 40,000 cases and 586 deaths. Both countries have drastically raised military spending at the expense of the working class. In 2019, military spending rose to nearly $1.8 billion in Azerbaijan, an all-time high, and nearly $650 million in Armenianearly five percent of its GDP, one of the highest rates in the world. After bloodshed escalated yesterday, officials internationally began to call for the fighting to stop. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres called on Armenia and Azerbaijan to immediately stop fighting, deescalate tensions and return to meaningful negotiations without delay. NATO stated that it is deeply concerned by reports of large scale military hostilities along the line of contact in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone, calling on both sides to immediately cease hostilities. European Union Foreign Policy chief Josep Borrell called for an immediate cessation of hostilities, while the French government declared it is extremely concerned by the confrontation. The Russian and Iranian foreign ministries each called for self-restraint, with Moscow calling on all parties to immediately cease fire and begin negotiations in order to stabilize the situation. Turkish officials denounced Armenia as the aggressor, declaring their full support for Azerbaijan. While President Recep Tayyip Erdogan labeled Armenia, one of the regions poorest countries with a population of only three million, as the biggest threat to regional peace, Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar called his Azeri counterpart to say: Turkey will always stand by Azeri Turks by all means in their struggle to protect their territorial integrity. A 2010 Turkish-Azeri military pact requires both to respond militarily if either party is attacked by a third country. Pro-government Turkish media outlets are working to provide a pretext for Turkish military intervention, making unsubstantiated claims that the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) and Peoples Protection Units (YPG) militias have gone to Nagorno-Karabakh to train Armenian militias. Both Kurdish groups are labeled as terrorist by Ankara. Turkeys bourgeois opposition is again lining up behind the governments aggressive policy. The Republican Peoples Party (CHP) denounced an Armenian attack, while the CHPs far-right ally, the Good Party, declared that Armenia's attacks on Azerbaijan are unacceptable, and that it is standing with Azerbaijan in its legitimate cause. While Turkey aggressively backs Azerbaijan, Russia has traditionally supported Armenia and has a large military base in the country at Gyumri. Were full-scale war to ensue between Armenia and Azerbaijan, an intervention by either Russia or Turkey to avert defeat of their ally could lead to all-out war between Moscow and Ankara. This would inevitably pose the question of whether the entire NATO alliance would side with Turkey against Russia. The growing war danger across the Caucasus, as well as in Syria and the eastern Mediterranean, underlines the urgent necessity of building an international movement against war and herd immunity policies in the COVID-19 pandemic, unifying the working class on a socialist program. It could also provide a new opening for his Democratic rival, Joe Biden, on the eve of the first presidential debate. Mr Trump has worked for decades to build an image of himself as a hugely successful businessman, even choosing mogul as his Secret Service code name. But The New York Times on Sunday revealed that he paid just 750 dollars in federal income taxes in 2016, the year he won the presidency, and in 2017, his first year in office. He paid no income taxes whatsoever in 10 of the previous 15 years, largely because he reported losing more money than he made, according to the Times, which obtained years worth of tax return data that the president had long fought to keep private. The development comes at a particularly precarious moment for Mr Trump, whose Republican campaign is struggling to overcome criticism of the presidents handling of the pandemic. Advertisement It hands Mr Biden an easy attack line heading into Tuesdays debate. And with early voting already happening in some states and election day just over a month away, Mr Trump may be running out of time to turn his campaign around. Mr Trump has repeatedly faced, and survived, devastating turns that would have sunk any other politician. That includes, most notably, the Access Hollywood tape released in October 2016, in which Mr Trump was recorded bragging about kissing and groping women without their permission. The videos release came just two days before Mr Trump was set to face then-candidate Hillary Clinton in their second debate and was considered a death knell to his campaign at the time. At this point in the race, with voting already under way in many states and so few voters still undecided, it is unclear whether any new discoveries about Mr Trump would make any difference. His support over the years has remained remarkably consistent, polls over the course of his presidency have found. Yet the tax allegations go to the very heart of Mr Trumps appeal, especially among the blue-collar voters in states like Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Michigan who propelled him to the presidency in 2016. Advertisement Mr Trump was supported by about two-thirds of white voters without college degrees, according to an analysis by the Pew Research Centre, versus only about two in 10 non-white noncollege graduates. Indeed, in a Gallup poll from February 2016, Republicans who wanted to see Mr Trump win their partys nomination cited his experience as a businessman as the second-most important reason they backed him, surpassed only by his status as a non-politician and an outsider. Even today, when asked to explain their support for Mr Trump, voters often point to his success in business as evidence of his acumen. And they often repeat his talking point that he gave up a great deal to serve as president, citing his sacrifice as evidence that he ran for the job not out of self-interest, but because he cares about improving the lives of people like them. Thats why he hid his tax returns. Because the whole time, he wasnt paying taxes. But you were Roughly half of Americans pay no federal income taxes, but the average income tax paid in 2017 was nearly 12,200, dollars (9,500) according to the Internal Revenue Service. Democrats wasted no time in seizing on the news, with the Biden campaigns online store already selling stickers saying I paid more income taxes than Donald Trump on Sunday night. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer tweeted an emoji calling on followers to raise their hands if you paid more in federal income tax than President Trump. Thats why he hid his tax returns. Because the whole time, he wasnt paying taxes. But you were, added senator Chris Murphy. Teenagers with mothers who were diabetic while pregnant could be three times as likely to develop heart disease, scientists have found. Their warning came after analysing data on more than 290,000 children born to almost 190,000 mothers from 1979-2005. The research concluded there was a 50 to 200 per cent higher risk of developing heart disease before the age of 35 for those whose mothers were diabetic while expecting. Teenagers with mothers who were diabetic while pregnant could be three times as likely to develop heart disease, scientists have found [File photo] Heart conditions and risk factors were also diagnosed two years earlier in these children. Some of the most frequent health problems among children exposed to the condition in the womb included high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes. The study found 2.8 per cent of the babies were exposed to gestational diabetes which is when a woman is not diabetic previously but develops high blood sugar levels in pregnancy. The problem usually disappears after the birth of her child. Another 1.1 per cent of the children in the study in the Canadian province of Manitoba had mothers with pre-existing type 2 diabetes. Co-author Dr Jonathan McGavock, of the University of Manitoba, said the study supports our hypothesis that cardiovascular disease morbidity in adolescence and early adulthood is related to exposure of maternal diabetes in utero. Using data for nearly all children born in Manitoba over 30 years, we found children born to mothers with diabetes in pregnancy were 30-80 per cent more likely to develop a heart condition. Some of the most frequent health problems among children exposed to the condition in the womb included high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes [File photo] They were also up to 3.4 times more likely to develop a heart disease risk factor, for example high blood pressure or diabetes. The results published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal also found the number of children exposed to diabetes in the womb had increased over the past few decades. There are nearly 4 million diabetes sufferers in the UK, with one diagnosed every two minutes. The condition can lead to kidney failure, strokes and heart attacks. Bir Lahlou, 24 Sept 2020 (SPS) - President of the Republic, Secretary-General of the Frente POLISARIO, Mr. Brahim Gali, has sent a congratulatory message to President of the Republic of Guinea-Bissau, H.E. Umaro Mokhtar Sissoco Embalo, on the occasion of the 47th anniversary of the independence of his country. On his own behalf and on behalf of the Sahrawi people, the President of the Republic expressed his sincere congratulations on the 47th anniversary of the independence of the Republic of Guinea-Bissau, wishing his counterpart Umaro Mokhtar Sissoco Embalo the happiness and success in his duties and prosperity and progress to the people of Guinea-Bissau. Gali has also added that in this challenging time marked by difficulties in all the aspects of live posed by the Covid-19 pandemic where all the humanity face the same enemy, I would like to express our strong support and solidarity with the brotherly people of Guinea-Bissau, insisting in solidarity and unity between all the African Nations as primal mean to face this threat. The Republic of Guinea-Bissau and the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic share the same principles and values as two member States of the African Union but also as to Nations that aspire for a just, stable and prosperous Africa; we look forward to revive and strength our historical relations and extend bridges of cooperation and coordination in the same spirit of the construction of the Africa we want. Gali concluded his letter SPS 125/090 The chairperson of the Electoral Commission has promised a free and fair 2020 election According to her, her Christian morals would not allow her to rig the elections in any party's favor Ghana is set to go to the polls to elect a president and parliamentary candidates for the next tenure Our manifesto: This is what YEN.com.gh believes The Chairperson of Ghana's Electoral Commission (EC), Jean Mensa has indicated her willingness and readiness to ensure a free, fair and peaceful 2020 general elections. Madam Mensa, in a reported sighted by YEN.com.gh on Pulse.com.gh, said she would ensure that the elections are not rigged in any party's favour. According to her, she will oversee a very credible and transparent election. Jean Mensa. Source: Daily Graphic Source: Original She is reported to have said that she has a duty to God to ensure that peace reigns before, during and after the December 7 elections. Jean Mensa added that her position and that of her staff at the EC are playing a vital role which would impact the election and the country should something go wrong. She indicated that she was a firm believer in the principles that Christ stands for, Justice, Peace, and Truth, therefore she was committed to ensuring that those principles are reflected in everything the electioneering process. Jean Mensa said she would ensure that it is the will of the people that she would oversee and not have a hand in influencing the results. Her comments follow some missing names in the voters' register in the ongoing exhibition exercise. The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has stated that the ongoing voters' exhibition exercise has been saddled with many issues. Flagbearer of the NDC, John Mahama, said the NDC "will do everything in our power to ensure it continues to be the anchor of this country's much-vaunted peace and stability." Meanwhile, Dr Ernest Addison, Bank of Ghana's governor, has indicated that the financial outfit would resort to the use of helicopters to transport cash to banks around the country due to recent rampant hits on bullion vans. While speaking at the Monetary Policy Committee presser in Accra on Monday September 28, 2020, Dr Addison said the move was one of the considerations being looked at following attacks on money vans. Dr Addison said: This is about the third or so occasion that we have had that type of incidence [attacks on bullion vans]. All of them are using these Nissan pickup trucks that have been converted into bullion vans." Have national and human interest issues to discuss? Know someone who is extremely talented and needs recognition? Your stories and photos are always welcome. Get interactive via our Facebook page. Source: YEN.com.gh Turkish prosecutors have prepared a second indictment against six Saudi officials in connection with the 2018 murder of Saudi journalist, Jamal Khashoggi, broadcaster NTV and other media said on Monday. The reports did not say whether the six suspects are among those already being tried in absentia in an Istanbul court for Mr Khashoggis killing. State-owned Anadolu news agency said that two of the suspects are facing charges carrying aggravated life jail sentences, while the charges against the other four carry sentences of up to five years in jail. The Istanbul prosecutors office declined to provide immediate comment on the media reports. A Saudi court on September 8 jailed eight people for between seven and 20 years for the murder, four months after Khashoggis family forgave his killers and enabled earlier death sentences to be set aside. Mr Khashoggi, a critic of Saudi crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, was last seen at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on October 2, 2018, where he had gone to obtain documents for his impending wedding. His body was reportedly dismembered and removed from the building and his remains have not been found till date. BAKU, Azerbaijan, Sept. 28 Trend: Armenia must immediately withdraw its armed forces from the Azerbaijani lands, Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said, Trend reports on Sept. 28. Moreover, Armenia must send back the militants and terrorists recruited from different foreign countries, Akar said. We demand this. Earlier, the Azerbaijani Ministry of Defense reported that among the killed personnel of the Armenian armed forces, bodies of mercenaries of Armenian origin from Syria and other Middle Eastern countries were found. Armenian armed forces launched a large-scale military attack on positions of the Azerbaijani Army on the frontline, using large-caliber weapons, mortars, and artillery on Sept. 27. Azerbaijan responded with a counter-offensive along the entire front. As a result of the retaliation, Azerbaijani troops managed to liberate the territories previously occupied by Armenia: Garakhanbeyli, Garvend, Kend Horadiz, Yukhari Abdulrahmanli villages (Fuzuli district), Boyuk Marjanli, and Nuzgar villages (Jabrayil district). Moreover, the positions of the Armenian armed forces were destroyed in the direction of Azerbaijan's Agdere district and Murovdag, important heights were taken under control. Back in July 2020, the Armenian Armed Forces violated the ceasefire in the direction of Azerbaijan's Tovuz district. As a result of Azerbaijan's retaliation, the opposing forces were silenced. The fighting continued the following days as well. Azerbaijan lost a number of military personnel members, who died fighting off the attacks of the Armenian armed forces. The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on the withdrawal of its armed forces from Nagorno Karabakh and the surrounding districts. Around 15-20 people set a tractor on fire at India Gate here on Monday morning, police said. The incident comes amid protests by and opposition parties across the country over the contentious farm legislations that were passed by the Parliament last week. According to fire officials, they received information regarding the incident at 7.42 am and two fire tenders were rushed to the spot. "About 15-20 people had gathered around 7.15-7.30 am and tried to set a tractor on fire. The fire has been doused off and tractor was removed. "Legal action is being taken in the matter. Identity of the persons involved is being ascertained," Deputy Commissioner of Police (New Delhi) Eish Singhal said. Irish Water and Offaly County Council have reminded customers supplied by Dunkerrin Public Water Scheme that the Boil Water Notice issued on Tuesday, September 22, remains in place until further notice to protect public health. Following consultation with the Health Service Executive (HSE), Irish Water and Offaly County Council issued a Boil Water Notice as a precaution to protect approximately 1,200 customers following a mechanical failure at the water treatment plant that resulted in the disinfection process being compromised. Customers in Dunkerrin, Lisryan and surrounding areas are advised to boil water before use until further notice. Moneygall Village is on a separate supply and is not impacted by this notice. Please view the attached map for more information on the areas affected. As part of the process to lift the Boil Water Notice, Irish Water and Offaly County Council are progressing with flushing of the network and sampling and monitoring of water supplies. The results of a number of water samples are required to confirm adequate disinfection of the public water supply. "Irish Waters priority is the provision of safe, clean drinking water and safeguarding that water supply for the future is a vital focus. We would like to reassure customers that our drinking water compliance and operational experts are working with our colleagues in Offaly County Council and in consultation with the HSE to lift the Boil Water Notice as quickly and as safely as possible. Vulnerable customers registered on this supply have been notified." John Gavin, Irish Water engineer, said: Irish Water understands the inconvenience caused as a result of this Boil Water Notice and apologises to all customers affected. Public health is our number one priority and it is important that people adhere to the boil water notice. We will continue to work closely with Offaly County Council and the HSE to monitor the supply and lift the notice as quickly as it is safe to do so and safeguard the supply for the future. Irish Water would like to remind customers to follow the HSE COVID-19 advice and ensure frequent handwashing. Boil Water Notice advice Water must be boiled for: - Drinking - Drinks made with water - Preparation of salads and similar foods, which are not cooked prior to eating - Brushing of teeth - Making of ice - discard ice cubes in fridges and freezers and filtered water in fridges. Make ice from cooled boiled water. What actions should be taken: - Use water prepared for drinking when preparing foods that will not be cooked (e.g. washing salads) - Water can be used for personal hygiene, bathing and flushing of toilets but not for brushing teeth or gargling - Boil water by bringing to a vigorous, rolling boil (e.g. with an automatic kettle) and allow to cool. Cover and store in a refrigerator or cold place. Water from the hot tap is not safe to drink. Domestic water filters will not render water safe to drink - Caution should be taken when bathing children to ensure that they do not swallow the bathing water - Prepare infant feeds with water that has been brought to the boil once and cooled. Do not use water that has been re-boiled several times. If bottled water is used for the preparation of infant feeds it should be boiled once and cooled. If you are using bottled water for preparing baby food, be aware that some natural mineral water may have high sodium content. The legal limit for sodium in drinking water is 200mg per litre. Check the label on the bottled water to make sure the sodium or `Na' is not greater than 200mg per litre. If it is, then it is advisable to use a different type of bottled water. If no other water is available, then use this water for as short a time as possible. It is important to keep babies hydrated. Great care should be taken with boiled water to avoid burns and scalds as accidents can easily happen, especially with children. - Professor Kwabena Frimpong Boateng plays two important roles in the country - The experienced Ghanaian is the current Minister for Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation and a heart surgeon - He runs shifts as a cabinet minister on weekdays and as a hospital staff on weekends Our manifesto: This is what YEN.com.gh believes in Professor Kwabena Frimpong Boateng has shown that even though he has matchless love for his country as a minister, he equally cannot forget his first love as a heart surgeon. The astute Ghanaian is currently the Minister for Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation under the Akufo-Addo-led government. As a result of his position, he sees to the affairs of the nation normally from Monday to Friday which are considered as 'official working days'. Professor Kwabena Frimpong Boateng. Source: Daily Graphic Source: UGC READ ALSO: Video of goat chewing a "4 More 4 Nana" campaign poster erupts laughter online One would consider the honorable minister to take a good rest after his weekday work is over but anyone saying this, clearly does not know Professor Kwabena Frimpong Boateng. Apart from his political life and work, Professor Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng is an active physician and cardiothoracic surgeon. As a result, he goes to work on weekends but not in the capacity as a minister but in the full role as a heart surgeon. During such weekends, the experienced surgeon goes to the theatre to save lives by performing hours of surgeries while standing on his feet. READ ALSO: Meet Dr Ayisha Baffoe-Ashun: KNUSTs first-ever female holder of PhD in Architecture He is able to perform both roles seamlessly and has had his achievements as a statesman and heart surgeon highlighted by many national and international media houses and outlets. Professor Kwabena Frimpong Boateng established the National Cardiothoracic Center and the Ghana Red Cross Society. He is also the President of the Ghana Heart Foundation and was the Chief Executive Officer of the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra. Meanwhile, the founder of the New Africa Foundation, Freedom Jacob Caesar, has donated a 2-Bedroom fully furnished home to 95-year-old Ghanaian WWII veteran, Private Joseph Hammond. In a video sighted by YEN.com.gh on Zionfelix's Instagram page, Freedom Jacob Caesar was seen presenting the house to Private Joseph Hammond. READ ALSO: It wasn't me - Young man reported to have said he wants to 'chop' DJ Switch speaks in video After receiving the house, Private Joseph Hammond indicated that Freedom's kind gesture was the biggest surprise he has received in his 95 years on earth. Have national and human interest issues to discuss? Know someone who is extremely talented and needs recognition? Your stories and photos are always welcome. Get interactive via our Facebook page. Source: YEN.com.gh PM Kisan Samman Nidhi 10th Installment: Date, Amount, How To Check Status Online and Other Details Viral: This Animated video released in 2020 looks exactly the sequence of PM security breach Farm Bills Protest: Tractor set on fire at India Gate India oi-Deepika S New Delhi, Sep 28: A tractor has been set on fire near Delhi's India Gate on Monday, amid protests by farmers and opposition parties across the country over the contentious farm legislations that were passed by the Parliament last week. Farm Bills protest: Tractor set on fire at India Gate | Oneindia News According to fire officials, they received information regarding the incident at 7.42 am and two fire tenders were rushed to the spot. "About 15-20 people had gathered around 7.15-7.30 am and tried to set a tractor on fire. The fire has been doused off and tractor was removed. "Legal action is being taken in the matter. Identity of the persons involved is being ascertained," Deputy Commissioner of Police (New Delhi) Eish Singhal said. Amid widespread protest, Punjab CM Amarinder to hold sit-in against farm laws Parliament had recently passed the Farmer's Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020, the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020 and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill, 2020, amid massive uproar from opposition parties. On Sunday, President Ram Nath Kovind gave his approval to three contentious farm bills, even as protests by opposition and farmer groups continued. Unlike its public school counterparts that went remote in the spring, the Devereux School in Rutland kept students on campus for its year-long, residential education program during the pandemic and has managed to do so without spreading coronavirus. While a handful of staff members have tested positive through the pandemic, leaders at Devereux say virus cases never spread between staff members and no students have tested positive. Kerry Ann Goldsmith, Devereuxs executive director, said the success the school has seen in mitigating coronavirus spread was through a combination of approaches, including proactive decision making, solid protocols around sanitization and personal protective gear, and the dedication of staff members. Devereux has programs across the country. In Rutland, Devereux provides residential group home and therapeutic day school services for children as young as 6 and through age 22. The school serves two main diagnostic profiles: students with mental and behavioral health diagnoses and individuals on the autism spectrum. With about 150 students who attend school on the Rutland campus, 80 or so continued schooling with no interruptions during the pandemic, said Ashley Warhol, Devereuxs clinical director. One key in keeping the campus safe was in cutting down the number of people coming in and out, said Goldsmith, noting that the campus sees hundreds of staff members each day because the residential school is a 24/7 operation. Part of our obstacle really was trying to minimize risk coming into our campus as well as ensuring our campus itself was safe for staff and students, Goldsmith said. With about 500 employees, around 220 quickly made the switch to work remotely. The school quickly paused in-person visits for family members of students. Telehealth services helped students continue to connect with clinicians and families, Goldsmith said. Maintenance staff was supplied with proper personal protective equipment, or PPE, to ensure buildings were clean. For staff members who continued to work on campus, there were concerns about underlying health conditions or the potential of exposing their family to the virus. Goldsmith said Anna Maria College in Paxton allowed Devereux to use an unoccupied dorm building so more than 20 staffers could go from the dorm to work and back without having to live in fear of spreading the virus to their family. Anna Maria also provided meals for a few months. That was really helpful in regards to keeping our ratio, which is required by the state, to ensure that we had the ability to continue to move forward with our day-to-day operations without much interruption, Goldsmith said. The last time a staff member tested positive was about three weeks ago, said Nadyia Abbas, Devereuxs assistant executive director. The teacher had traveled and then started to feel sick. That teacher actually went into quarantine right away, even before the results came back, because she was not feeling great, Abbas said. We tested all of the students in her classroom and encouraged all of the staff who were in contact with her to go get tested and everybody came back negative. Devereux can test for coronavirus on campus. In total, about a dozen members have tested positive through the pandemic. We were able to quickly do a tracer, quickly put these things in place and fortunately have not had episodes where this spread onto other individuals or our students on our campus, Abbas said. Much of it had to do with the fact that weve had very strict sanitizing practices, mask-wearing, social distancing where possible. Staffers answer screening questions before coming into work and then have a temperature check when they arrive, Goldsmith said. Temperature checks happen for students daily and twice a day for students who are nonverbal or medically fragile. For students or staff members who cant wear face masks, face shields have been required. Teachers and staff did a great job with educating students about social distancing, how to properly wear a mask, how to keep themselves safe and provided education in a way that was fair and reassuring, said Jonathan Jacobson, Devereuxs medical director and psychiatrist. Devereux created a precautionary quarantine" area so that if a student had a fever or other coronavirus symptoms, there was a designated area for the student until a COVID-19 test result came back. Those precautionary practices were among the most impactful, said Abbas. After someone was in precautionary quarantine, the building would be sanitized before anyone could return. There was also a safety captain" designated for each building. Those employees have focused on safety measures like sanitization of high use areas like phones and copiers, and have received financial bonuses, Goldsmith said. The school designated a second phase of staff who could be called in if coronavirus spread widely to the employees working on campus. Goldsmith said they never had to call in that second phase. Devereux also enhanced its sick time bank for employees, Goldsmith said, to help employees stay home if they werent feeling well. Working with the national office, Devereux tracks three coronavirus indicators to determine how to progress on campus: the number of new cases in Worcester County, the number of coronavirus hospitalizations and coronavirus-related deaths. Those indicators have helped Devereux create a phased reopening, which is moving slower than the Massachusetts four-phase reopening plan, Goldsmith said. As cases have remained lower in Massachusetts this summer, Devereux about two months ago brought back in-person visitation for students. Everyone is required to wear PPE during the visits, which are outside. At first, a plexiglass divider would be placed between the students and their visitors. When Devereux moved to its second phase, barriers were no longer needed for visits. Students can now also participate in some community activities, like going for a hike. In the spring, there was a lot of uncertainty around the virus and worries that staff and students may become sick. Through continued success and more education, Devereux staff have felt confident in the school protocols. The fact that we were able to keep our school open during the entire time of the pandemic, continue with our on-site activities, continue to have our students engage and be supported by the same staff theyre used to each and every day was a huge thing, Abbas said. Related Content: TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / September 28, 2020 / California Gold Mining Inc. (CSE:CGM) ("California Gold" or the "Company") announced today that Kevin Cinq-Mars has resigned from his position as Director of the Company, effective immediately. Mr. Cinq-Mars had been CGM's Director for many years, and the Company thanks him for his invaluable contribution towards achieving corporate objectives and adding shareholder value. About California Gold Mining Inc. California Gold Mining Inc. is focused on continued development of a high-quality gold resource on its 100%-owned Fremont property in Mariposa County, California. The Fremont property consists of an entirely private and patented land package totaling 3,351 acres of historically producing gold mines, with a state highway, PG&E electric substation and abundant water present on the property itself. The Fremont property lies within California's prolific Mother Lode Gold Belt that has produced over 50 million ounces of gold. The Company purchased the Fremont property in March 2013. The Company also has an outdoor, high-CBD industrial hemp biomass cultivation operation on its Grove Road Farm property in Kendall County, Illinois. The Company's technical report in respect of the Fremont Property prepared pursuant to National Instrument 43-101 is available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and on the Company's website at www.caligold.ca. 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 release. For further information contact: Vishal Gupta, President & CEO Tel.: 647-977-9267 x333 | Website: www.caligold.ca SOURCE: California Gold Mining Inc. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/608134/California-Gold-Announces-Director-Resignation Cookie Preferences Cookie List Cookie List A cookie is a small piece of data (text file) that a website when visited by a user asks your browser to store on your device in order to remember information about you, such as your language preference or login information. Those cookies are set by us and called first-party cookies. We also use third-party cookies which are cookies from a domain different than the domain of the website you are visiting for our advertising and marketing efforts. More specifically, we use cookies and other tracking technologies for the following purposes: Strictly Necessary Cookies We do not allow you to opt-out of our certain cookies, as they are necessary to ensure the proper functioning of our website (such as prompting our cookie banner and remembering your privacy choices) and/or to monitor site performance. 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Targeting Cookies We also use cookies to personalize your experience on our websites, including by determining the most relevant content and advertisements to show you, and to monitor site traffic and performance, so that we may improve our websites and your experience. You may opt out of our use of such cookies (and the associated sale of your Personal Information) by using this toggle switch. You will still see some advertising, regardless of your selection. Because we do not track you across different devices, browsers and GEMG properties, your selection will take effect only on this browser, this device and this website. Inc.com columnist Alison Green answers questions about workplace and management issues--everything from how to deal with a micromanaging boss to how to talk to someone on your team about body odor. Here's a roundup of answers to five questions from readers. 1. How to fire a difficult, long-time employee. I work in a small office in a declining industry. Our salespeople have seen reduced commissions because they are based on sales, and the owners have taken pay cuts to avoid layoffs and cutting employee's salaries. One of our designers has been in the job since the company's inception (20-plus years) and has become increasingly difficult to deal with. Among other problems, they seem to feel we owe them something for sticking around so long, and are now demanding that we pay them a high hourly freelance rate in addition to their salary: A salary that is the highest in the company aside from the owners. They're rude and grumpy to other staff, and also seem to think that they are irreplaceable. But frankly we could hire someone with updated skills, who is easier to work with, for less money. We are an at-will state, so we don't need a reason to fire this person. But I'm not sure how to handle letting a long-term employee go. What do you say to someone who has become so unreasonable in their demands that you just want to part ways? Green responds: Would you be willing to keep the person on if they changed their behavior? If so, have a clear, direct conversation in which you lay out what you are and aren't willing to do, and what your expectations are for their behavior. And ask them to decide if they want the job knowing that's the reality of it. For example: "I want to be transparent with you about what you can expect from us, so that you can make the right decisions for yourself. We aren't going to increase your salary because of XYZ. We really appreciate the years you've put in here, but we also understand if the job no longer lines up with what you're looking for. If you stay though, we need you to (insert specific behavior changes you need here, like not continuing to push on salary after being told no, not being grumpy and negative, etc.). Would you like to take a few days and think about whether this still makes sense for you, knowing that we can't be flexible on the things we've asked for?" And then if they come back and say yes, you are up-front that if they don't change their behaviors, you will need to part ways--so that they're not blindsided if that ends up happening. But if the relationship is already past the point where it can be repaired, then you should have a heart-to-heart where you explain what the issues are and say, "At this point, I don't think we can reconcile what we each want, so I'd like to talk about a transition plan." And that plan would ideally include generous severance, in light of their 20 years there and the fact that you didn't warn them this was coming. But do that as a last resort; it's generally better to at least try the first route. 2. Boss posted Hawaii vacation photos right after layoffs. Our company recently had layoffs. I was laid off, along with about 20 percent of our department. We are all friends on Facebook and less than a week after he laid us off, my ex-boss went on vacation to Hawaii and was posting all these dreamy photos of his vacation. This seems to me to be in incredibly poor taste, given that he knows that several of us are now unemployed and have families we are struggling to support. Do you agree or am I being petty? Green responds: Nope, it's in poor taste. It's fine that he's taking a vacation and it's fine that he wants to share photos with people he knows socially. But he should have been more thoughtful about the way the photos would be perceived by you and your laid-off coworkers. The optics of posting dream vacation photos after laying people off are just bad. He may have simply forgotten that he's Facebook friends with you. But if you're going to Facebook-friend people you manage (and I'd argue that you shouldn't), you're obligated to remember to think about things like that. 3. My new hire sprang major time off on me after I'd already hired her. I recently hired an employee. The day after she accepted my offer and everything was settled, she sent an email to me explaining she had two trips planned for the near future. The first one is a Wednesday-to-Monday trip where she intended to work remotely and only take off a half day on Monday for travel. This trip is one-and-a-half weeks after she starts work. Her next trip is two weeks later and it is a two-week trip to Europe with her husband. She did acknowledge that the timing was poor, but did not mention anything about why she didn't say anything during the lengthy interview process. She offered to postpone her start date until after all of her travel is complete, which is quite a long time for me to wait. What are your thoughts on how to address this with her? I'd like to make sure I communicate that it is not OK to spring this on me when she had ample opportunity to tell me sooner. I feel like this is an opportunity to set the standard for the employee-manager relationship at the onset of her employment. Green responds: Yeah, that's not good. She should have brought it up as part of the offer negotiations. And if for some reason she forgot to, she should have apologized, not be matter-of-fact about it. I would say this: "Normally, I wouldn't approve this much time off so soon after someone started. It's going to be pretty disruptive to our training schedule. I'm willing to try to make it work, but I wish we'd known about these dates while we were still working out the offer." And if you don't want her working remotely so soon after starting, address that too: "I can let you take unpaid time off for the first trip, but it won't make sense to work remotely since you'll still be so new." And you should talk about what your expectations are for time off going forward. Has she otherwise seemed professional and displayed good judgment? If anything else has happened that has given you pause, I'd be bracing for further issues. In which case, you'd want to be really hands-on during her first few months so that if there are additional issues, you're able to spot them and address them quickly. 4. My interviewers all burst out laughing after I left the room. Last week, I interviewed for a position that would provide me some great experience. I thought I did well in answering all the questions, and was honest about the areas in which I had some, but not a great deal of experience. As I left the interview room and closed the door, I overheard one of the interview panel members say something I could not make out, and then heard everyone else in the room laugh. I think they thought that once the door was closed, the room was soundproof. I have no idea if the remark and laughter were directed at me, but I am wondering if this is a red flag. I am considering pulling my application as this may be an indication that these people found me ridiculous. Even if I was hired, I now feel uncomfortable with the notion of being around these people. Am I being overly sensitive? Should I let this go and see what happens? Green responds: Yes, you should let it go. Absent some specific reason to believe that they were laughing at you, it's far more likely that they were laughing at something that had nothing to do with you. Someone could have commented on a funny text they just received, or pointed out that they'd accidentally worn mismatched shoes that day, or all sorts of other things. A roomful of people isn't likely to burst out laughing at a candidate who just left, unless the candidate did something truly outlandish (not just not interviewing well). Really, the most likely scenario is that the laugh wasn't about you at all! 5. My coworker constantly fact-checks everyone else. I have a coworker who has a habit of fact-checking other team members. She is not a manager. If a team member mentions information in a meeting, casually discusses a topic in the hallway, or sends an email to the team, this coworker will fact-check the information and reply-all and/or discuss her findings with the group. The fact-checking can range anywhere from verifying incoming rainstorms to confirming/denying the accuracy of information in an article that a team member shares with the group. If she finds out information is correct, she will share that she checked/confirmed. Typically incorrect information is pointed out a few times a week. Incorrect can mean that a rainstorm will arrive at a different hour, or that she disagrees with the premise of an article, etc. The behavior raises eyebrows and makes others uncomfortable. Any suggestions for how to approach the issue, or if it's best to ignore? Green responds: She's fact-checking trivial information from a casual hallway discussion, and emailing her findings to your whole group? Oh dear. If you were her manager, I'd tell you to ask her to cut it out. But as a coworker, I'd just let it go and know that everyone else finds this really weird too. I've got to think that this kind of know-it-all-ism is a real impediment in her relationships with people. But if it's really annoying you, you could say, "Hey, I'm sure you don't mean it this way, but doing all this fact-checking of other people is coming across kind of oddly. Like you don't trust people and want to correct them, even on inconsequential details." Or in the moment when she does it, you could just say, "I don't think we needed that fact-checked" (especially when she's confirming info is correct). Or, "I'm finding the follow-up on such minor stuff kind of distracting. Could we save it for things where the substance matters more?" The Minister for Employment and Labour Relations, Hon. Ignatius Baffour Awuah has been appointed as a member of the International Advisory Board on the Climate Action for jobs Strategy, an initiative of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and the United Nations (UN). Hon Baffour Awuah will join the high-level members of the Advisory Board which include Ministers of environment, labour and planning, leaders of employers and workers organisations and senior officials of the United Nations and development finance institutions who have been engaged to transform commitments made at the UN Climate Action Summit of 2019 into concrete action. In an appointment letter, the Director-General of the International Labour Organization, Mr Guy Ryder said the ILO looks forward to working with Hon Baffour Awuah "to achieve far-reaching action on climate change, advance social justice and promote decent jobs". Commitment Announcing the minister's appointment, the Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations, in press statement said the invitation of Hon. Awuah to serve on the International Advisory Board on the Climate Action for jobs Strategy, was in recognition of efforts made by the government and the commitment of the Minister towards the development of a national green jobs strategy. Additionally, the ministry said it was also in recognition of Ghana's implementation of the National Determined Contributions on Climate Change. Terms of reference The terms of reference outlining the role, composition, term of office and meeting protocol of the International Advisory Board indicates that members would advise on the overall approach of the Climate Action for Jobs initiative, particularly in relation to its strategic direction. They are also to counsel on key international developments at the interface of the world of work and climate change and provide overall guidance on operational matters brought to the attention of the board. Hon. Ignatius Baffour Awuah, the Minister for Employment and labour relations and the MP for the Sunyani West Constituency and one other Senegalese are the only two Africans on this thirteen (13) member board. The International Advisory Board is composed of a maximum of two representatives from governments from Africa, America, Asia and Europe; a representative of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC); a representative each from the International Organisation of Employers (IOE), United Nations Executive Office of the Secretary-General and the International Labour Office (ILO). Others are a representative of two international or regional financial institutions, while the ILO serves as the secretariat of the Advisory Board. Membership of the Advisory Board is for a period of three years and when a member resigns during the term of office, nominations for a replacement for the remainder of the three-year term will be sought from the relevant category of members. Background The Paris Agreement on climate change adopted in 2015 notes the imperatives of ensuring that workers and firms affected by the transformation to carbon-neutral economies are adequately supported, while opportunities for the creation of decent and green jobs are fully captured. To turn this human-centred agenda into concrete action, the United Nations Secretary- General Antonio Guterres, the Director-General of the International Labour Organization Guy Ryder, and leaders of governments, employers and workers organizations launched a Climate Action for Jobs Initiative at the United Nations conference on climate change held in Madrid, in December 2019. The Initiative is intended to provide a roadmap to support and give effect to the commitments made by countries at the Climate Action Summit of September 2019. The International Labour Organization is spearheading the implementation of the Initiative. Highlight The International Labour Organisation (ILO) had appointed the Minister for Employment and Labour Relations, Mr Ignatius Baffour Awuah to serve a three year term on the International Advisory Board on the Climate Action for jobs Strategy. Source: Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video New Jersey already regulates and taxes alcohol, gambling and nicotine delivery systems, all of which present behavioral and health risks. Legalized marijuana should not be treated any differently. It should be up to parents, educators, health care professionals and the industry itself to inform young people of the risks. Amy Kennedy is the Democrat challenger for U.S. Congress. Why? Really because the only credential that qualifies her for the Congress is name recognition. Fortunately for Kennedy, quite a few who would recognize her last name are deceased, like the 58,500 very young men whose names are inscribed on the Vietnam Memorial Wall in D.C. In addition, the over 300,000 seriously injured who are alive from John F. Kennedys failed war in Vietnam would recognize the name. Add to the list: Marilyn Monroe, mobster Sam Giancannas mistress Judith Exner, Mimi Alford, Pamela Turnure and a multitude of others who JFK seduced. Its no wonder JFK had a bad back and was addicted to pain killers. Sad to say, but JFKs tussling with mistresses occurred while very young and diverse draftees were dying in Nam. The Congresss youth wing on Monday said a group of its members set a tractor on fire at Rajpath, which connects the India Gate to the Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi, in protest against the new farm laws as the party planned to intensify protests against the legislation. Our country thrives on the blood and sweat of our farmers. From fighting the British to feeding the entire nation, our farmers are the nations backbone. On [freedom fighter] #BhagatSinghs birth anniversary Youth Congress set ablaze a tractor in protest against the govts anti-farmer bills, the Youth Congress said in a tweet. Our country thrives on the blood and sweat of our farmers. From fighting the British to feeding the entire nation, our farmers are the nation's backbone. On #BhagatSingh's birth anniversary Youth Congress set ablaze a tractor in protest against the govt's anti farmer bills. pic.twitter.com/1uOIp79Dzr Youth Congress (@IYC) September 28, 2020 President Ram Nath Kovind signed three contentious farm bills into law on Sunday even as over a dozen Opposition parties urged him not to sign them, saying they were passed unconstitutionally in complete disregard of parliamentary norms The tractor was set afire hours before Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh of the Congress began a sit-in at Bhagat Singhs ancestral village of Khatkar Kalan against the laws. Farmers have been blocking the Amritsar-Delhi railway track as part of protests against the laws even as the government has insisted that they will make them self-reliant. They say the new laws could lead to an end of the minimum support prices for their produce. The burning tractor. (Sourced) The Congress has likened the laws to cancer and slow poison that will kill farmers and agriculture. It has urged all parties to come together and oppose the laws, which the party said will make farmers slaves of big businessmen. The Delhi police said five people have been detained for setting the tractor afire and that the fire was doused and no one was injured in the incident. Today [Monday] at around 7:15 am, some [15-20] persons carrying a tractor in Tata 407 vehicle came at Rajpath, Man Singh Crossing. They offloaded the tractor and tried to set it ablaze. They claimed to be members of Youth Congress, Punjab. Appropriate legal action has been taken, a Delhi police spokesman said. Five persons have been detained till now and one vehicle impounded. Affiliation of these persons is being verified. Also Read: PM Modi reaches out to farmers amid anger Passersby told police the men raised slogans of Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan and clicked pictures with the burning tractor. Some also went live on social media from the spot. They were also carrying effigies. Deputy police commissioner Eish Singhal said: Our men reached the spot and doused the fire before the tractor was completely burnt. The vehicle has been removed and legal action is being taken. Officials said the adequate police force has been deployed in the area to avoid a repeat of such an incident. The Delhi Police have stepped up security around the citys borders amid the ongoing farmers protest in Punjab and Haryana against the farm reforms. On Friday, the police prevented protesting farmers from entering Delhi through the Mayur Vihar border. Two beluga whales from a Shanghai aquarium have taken their first swim in open waters as part of their acclimatisation to an Icelandic sea sanctuary, conservationists said Monday. Little White and Little Grey, two 13-year-old females, left the Changfeng Ocean World in June 2019 and were flown to Icelands Klettsvik Bay in the Westman Islands in specially tailored containers. More than a year later, in August, they were moved from their land-based facility to care pools in the sea at Klettsvik Bay, the first time they had been in the sea since they were taken from a Russian research centre in 2011. On Monday, the conservation charity Sea Life Trust said the belugas had been released for the first time to fully explore the natural surroundings" of the wider sea sanctuary at Klettsvik Bay. We're delighted to share the video youve been waiting for - Little White & Little Grey exploring Klettsvik Bay for the first time! With expert care they will continue to swim into the bay and then return to the sea sanctuary care pools; called the Little Steps programme! pic.twitter.com/SLqvbq5hS9 Beluga Whale Sanctuary (@BelugaSanctuary) September 28, 2020 The sanctuary is a 32,000-square-metre (344,445-square-foot) sea pen that will become their home. After having been cared for by humans for so many years, it is unlikely the belugas would survive in the wild. We are introducing them gradually to the bay in little steps, but seeing them swim together and deep dive amongst the flora and fauna of the wider bay for the first time was amazing to witness and gave us a real sense that Little Grey and Little White are enjoying being back in the sea," Andy Bool, head of the Sea Life Trust, said in a statement. The belugas will continue to explore the wider sanctuary while returning to the care pools as their health and well-being are monitored on a daily basis over a short period of time", the charity said. The whales each weigh 900 kilogrammes (2,000 pounds) and measure four metres (13 feet). Originally from Russian Arctic waters, it is thought they were two or three years old when captured. Belugas typically live for 40 to 60 years. Klettsvik is also where Keiko, the killer whale from the 1993 film Free Willy", was flown in 1998. The orca was fully released in 2002 but did not manage to adapt to life in the wild and died 18 months later in a Norwegian fjord. Loading Kieran Foran says his love for Des Hasler and the chance to reunite with good mate Daly Cherry-Evans were the two reasons that excited him about returning home to Manly. The Sea Eagles on Monday confirmed Foran would return to the northern beaches in 2021 with an option in the club's favour for 2022. Coming home ... Kieran Foran is officially returning to Manly. Credit:Getty Images Foran was lured to the Bulldogs on a multimillion-dollar deal by Hasler in 2018, only for the coach and club to part ways. When Foran was told he was not in the Dogs' plans for next year, he quickly struck up a conversation with his former coach. They won the premiership in 2011 and reached the grand final in 2013. The UN Chief has called on the Algeria-backed separatist group of Polisario to cease and avoid blocking traffic flow at the southern Moroccan Guerguerat crossing point on the borders with Mauritania. The United Nations is aware of the appeals launched by the Polisario and its thugs for staging new demonstrations in Guerguerat buffer zone to obstruct civil and commercial traffic, said on Saturday Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesman for the UN Secretary-General. Regular civil and commercial traffic must not be obstructed and no measures must be taken which could constitute an alteration of the status quo of the buffer zone of Guerguerat, stressed the UN official. He also urged all parties to the Sahara conflict to show the utmost restraint and to de-escalate any tension in Guerguerat, noting that MINURSO is monitoring the situation in the region. In January, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres had stressed the importance to allow regular civilian and commercial traffic to proceed unhindered and to refrain from any action that may constitute a change to the status quo of the Buffer Strip. He also reaffirmed the UN commitment to support the parties to the Sahara conflict to reach a just, lasting and mutually acceptable political solution to this issue in accordance with Security Council resolutions. The UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres had also demanded, on January 11, in a statement made public by his spokesperson, the maintenance of regular civil and commercial traffic in Guergarat and called for refraining from any action likely to alter the status quo in this buffer zone, when the Polisario threatened to obstruct the passage of the Africa Eco Race rally between Morocco and Mauritania. Congress workers launched protests against the new farm laws in several states on Monday, with hundreds of party cadres being held for demonstrations against the three contentious bills that got Presidential assent on Sunday. Party's state unit chiefs of Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat were also detained along with the workers during the protests. IMAGE: Police use water cannons to disperse Congress workers who were holding a protest over the new farm laws, in Agartala, on Monday. Photograph: PTI Photo Delhi Delhi Congress leaders and workers, including its president Anil Kumar, were detained by police on Monday during a protest against farm bills at Rajghat. Kumar said a protest march from Rajghat to Raj Niwas was also scheduled but police detained party leaders and workers before it could begin. "We wanted to submit a memorandum to the Lt governor against the farm bills passed by Parliament but we were detained by the police. "The Congress will not rest till the Modi government withdraws its anti-farmer bills," he said. According to a senior police officer, several Congress workers were detained. The detained protesters were taken to a stadium in Hari Nagar, Delhi Congress leader Parvez Alam said. IMAGE: Punjab Youth Congress activists after they set on fire a tractor in protest against new farm laws, while observing Shaheed Bhagat Singhs birth anniversary, near India Gate in New Delhi, on Monday. Photograph: PTI Photo Gujarat Nearly 100 Gujarat Congress workers, including state party president Amit Chavda, were detained in Gandhinagar on Monday after they staged a protest against the new farm laws, police said. In the morning, Chavda, Leader of Opposition Paresh Dhanani, Congress MLAs Baldevji Thakor, C J Chavda and other party workers gathered at the Ambedkar statue near the Assembly complex and raised slogans against the Bharatiya Janata Party-led governments at the Centre and in Gujarat. They claimed the farm bills recently passed by Parliament were 'anti-farmer and will destroy APMCs'. Later, the police detained the state Congress chief, Dhanani, MLAs Thakor and C J Chavda, and other party workers. Around 100 protesters were detained as soon as they started walking towards the Raj Bhavan, Deputy Superintendent of Police M K Rana said. IMAGE: Police detain Delhi Congress workers, who were staging Kisan-Mazdoor Nyay March from Rajghat to Raj Niwas to protest against the new farm laws, in New Delhi, on Monday. Photograph: Kamal Kishore/PTI Photo "Since the Congress workers had not taken any permission for the rally, we detained them. We will take a decision about their release afterwards," Superintendent of Police Mayur Chavda said. Earlier, talking to reporters before his detention, Amit Chavda said, "Not just Congress workers, farmers too are demonstrating across the country against these farm bills, which will destroy APMCs and give wide powers to corporates in deciding the prices." "The government will now wash it hands from giving MSP (minimum support price) under provisions of these bills," he alleged. Dhanani alleged that the central government wants to hand over the agriculture sector to some selected companies. "Where would the small farmers would go to sell their produce in the absence of APMCs? The BJP government is anti-farmer and these bills will turn farmers into farm labourers," he said. IMAGE: Jharkhand Congress workers stage a dharna in front of Mahatma Gandhi statue in Ranchi, on Monday. Photograph: PTI Photo Uttar Pradesh UP Congress Committee president Ajay Kumar Lallu and other party workers were held while staging protest against the new farm laws in Lucknow on Monday, a party leader said. Led by the UPCC president, Congress workers from all over the state converged at the Parivartan Chowk in Lucknow and staged a protest against the 'anti-farm' laws, party's media convenor Lalan Kumar said. While trying to move towards the Raj Bhawan, party workers and its chief were held, Kumar said. IMAGE: Farmers and activists of Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) carry traditional ploughing instruments during a protest in Guwahati, on Monday. Photograph: PTI Photo There are reports from some districts that party workers, who were on their way to Lucknow to take part in the programme, were detained and not allowed to proceed, Lalan claimed. The workers raised slogans against the new laws and said party would force the government to take them back, Lalan said. President Ram Nath Kovind on Sunday gave assent to three contentious farm bills passed in Parliament last week that have triggered farmers' protest in some states. These three farm bills are: The Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020, The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020 and The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill 2020. Adnoc Logistics and Services (Adnoc L&S), the shipping and maritime logistics unit of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, has signed a new 25-year agreement to provide critical marine services across all petroleum ports in Abu Dhabi on behalf of the Petroleum Ports Authority (PPA). This includes the onshore Jebel Dhanna Ruwais Petroleum Port and the offshore Das Island, Zirku Island and Mubarraz Petroleum Ports in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. This new agreement brings the long-standing relationship between Adnoc L&S and PPA to a new level of collaboration, reinforcing Adnoc L&S long-term role as a strategic partner across all petroleum ports in Abu Dhabi. Adnoc L&S will provide a range of specialist port services to PPA including pilotage, towage, line handling and other marine services. The company was appointed following technical reviews and benchmarking against major regional and international ports, with the objective of aligning with international best practices and delivering optimum petroleum-port operations. Adnoc L&S has extensive experience in managing port operations. In 2019 alone, its marine services team completed 8,659 dives, 741 towages, 2,022 line-handling jobs for incoming vessels, 5,630 pilotages and 2,806 vessel berths, in addition to managing the largest oil spill response inventory in the UAE. Captain Abdulkareem Al Masabi, CEO, Adnoc L&S, said: "This new agreement with PPA is a natural evolution of our close collaboration over many years and will allow us to utilize our resources strategically, and drive innovation that will boost performance, enhance efficiency and deliver a seamless end-to-end service at all Abu Dhabi Petroleum Ports." Adnoc L&S is the largest, fully integrated logistics and shipping company in the UAE and provides highly specialized services that cover the entire oil and gas supply chain. Petroleum port operations are an essential part of its logistics portfolio, which is unique in the region. The company has unmatched experience and the longest track record in the petroleum port sector in the UAE. Captain Jasim Al Khamiri, Senior Vice President, PPA, said: This long term service agreement is the first of its kind in the UAE, and fits perfectly with our focus on sustainable and reliable operations. We placed our trust in the capabilities of Adnoc L&S, as the range and quality of their services, the depth of their experience and the quality of their people remains unique in the UAE. This will enable us to maintain and enhance our rigorous marine standards as we continue to ensure safe and efficient export of Adnoc products to the world. As the maritime logistics arm of Adnoc Group, Adnoc L&S supports the entire oil and gas supply chain in the UAE through three major business segments; shipping, integrated logistics and marine services. It provides safe, reliable and cost efficient maritime and logistics solutions to Adnoc Group companies and to more than 100 global customers. Its shipping business owns and operates the UAEs largest vessel fleet, which is expected to grow further in the coming years as Adnoc increases its upstream and downstream production capacity, and enters into Trading. Adnoc L&S transports crude oil, refined products, dry bulk, and LNG on its own vessels or through chartering. In 2019, Adnoc L&S vessels travelled 10.3 million nautical miles (equivalent to 474 trips around the world), shipping more than 20 million metric tons of cargo for the Adnoc Group. TradeArabia News Service Here it is, the Top 88 (nee 100)! Putting this list together was one of the wildest games of leapfrog I have ever played in my life: The minute I thought I was done updating each entry to reflect its pandemic-era manifestation, several restaurants would close or change their hours or build up new outdoor seating structures overnight. The list morphed and adapted as chaotically as the world around it, and getting a stable grip on it was as easy as riding a mechanical bull. We could have just not done it, but it felt necessary to take the opportunity to stop and shower love onto the people and places that have worked so hard to make extraordinary food in this extremely wack time. You probably have a lot of questions about it. So, like last year, Ill take this time to answer four questions that have kept me up at night in the lead-up to the Top 88s publication. Do you have any other questions about the Top 100? I hope youre finding it useful! First of all, why 88? Is it because 88 is an auspicious number in Chinese culture, and were just trying to shake off all the bad 2020 vibes? Not really, but lets hope that the good luck part of the theory holds up. In truth, The Top 100 was settled in January, long before we published the list and just shortly before COVID-19 upended the world as we knew it then. As the pandemic exacerbated existing inequities and financial stressors in the world at large, many restaurant owners have been forced to make difficult choices. To balance the functions of the Top 100 as a diners resource as well as an accolade, we separated the closed restaurants from the main list, rather than striking them entirely. Thats because those places still deserve recognition and some are even still operating, like Kin Khao, which has closed its original location for now and recently opened in a new space with the same team in the Dogpatch neighborhood. Why are you talking about takeout in the Top 88? In the before times, I would never dream of getting takeout for a work dinner, based on the idea that doing so would be unfair to the restaurant. A cook cant control for whether a hapless diner might accidentally kick the to-go bag or spill a container on the drive back home, and certain foods, like fried chicken and salads, suffer immensely when stuffed into cardboard. But right now, with dining rooms closed, thats mostly how people are eating if theyre getting restaurant food. Reflecting that reality was an integral part of making the Top 88 relevant to right now. And the places that are still striving to create something beautiful and nourishing, despite all of these factors, are even more exceptional than usual. Why didnt you highlight indoor dining options, which are opening up in some Bay Area counties? I dont know how long thats going to last, to be honest. While indoor dining, even at a 25% capacity, has been embraced by some restaurants and may expand to San Francisco soon, initial informal surveys indicate that diners at large arent quite willing to go there just yet, out of concern for their own health or the health of their loved ones. By contrast, that majority of restaurants that Ive interacted with in the past six months have basically figured out their takeout system to a T. I felt that the most useful iteration of the Top 100 should focus on how the majority of people have been getting food: through takeout, delivery and, to a lesser extent, outdoor dining. Whats next for the Top 100? Youre going back to 100 next year, right? Unlike previous years, the 2020 list is going to be a living document. While I limited the list to places that would be reliably open for takeout and delivery by the time it published, I fervently hope that Ill be able to add places back as they reopen. In cases where they opened new locations, Im going to strive to check out these new manifestations and see how they stack up to the originals. As for next year, weve got something really interesting in store for our readers! I dont want to spoil it, but it should suffice to say that this years Top 100 is going to be the last annual restaurant list of its kind at The Chronicle, at least for now. Spicy! On the podcast Stephen Lam / Special to The Chronicle This week, Justin Phillips and I speak with one of the most highly requested guests weve had on Extra Spicy: Matt Horn, the proprietor and pitmaster behind Horn BBQ, which is about to open its first brick-and-mortar space in Oakland. Horn tells us about balancing the strangeness of opening a restaurant during the pandemic with his fervent desire to represent for all the Black pitmasters out there. And Justin and I go deep on how Horns tender smoked brisket and extraordinary attention to detail earned him a spot on the Top 88. Food Guide Top 25 Restaurants Where to eat in the Bay Area. Find spots near you, create a dining wishlist, and more. What Im eating For my birthday, I gathered with my quarantine pod over a massive meal of Top 88 restaurant Daehos kalbijjim, with extra short ribs, root vegetables, rice cakes and kimchi. In this dish, beef short ribs are braised in a mixture of rice wine, aromatics, soy sauce and sugar, taking on an indulgent, sticky-sweet flavor accented by piquant Korean hot pepper powder. Its like spicy pot roast, my friend commented. The bits of fluffy potato are my favorite aspect of the dish, since they soak up so much of the savory flavor. I dont eat beef much, but when I do, its gotta be kalbi. Recommended reading Fast food has a new face in the Bay Area, and its vegan. Justin Phillips has the rundown of a few new spots that have taken the animal products out of burgers, barbecue, hot dogs and nachos. He observes that vegan food isnt so synonymous with health food, though folks have many other reasons to opt for the grain burger. I love the ontological question of what American food actually is because, I think, I love questions with no real answers. With that in mind, I appreciate Samin Nosrats crack at it, through the zoomed-in view of Amethyst Ganaways okra soup and its Gullah Geechee origins. To address the niche mini-crisis of takeout container overflow, a Bay Area startup is working with local restaurants to provide reuseable metal containers for deliveries. Janelle Bitker has the run-down on the business, which really reminds me of Indian tiffin boxes. Bite Curious is a weekly newsletter from The Chronicles restaurant critic, Soleil Ho, delivered to inboxes on Monday mornings. Follow along on Twitter: @Hooleil Comedian Sunil Grover has a witty explanation for his impeccable comic skills after his recent Instagram post left netizens cracking up. The Patakha actor, who has his own comedy show on Star Plus, posted a video on Sunday which explained Punjabi short forms. In the video, a person is translating English words to Punjabi with the help of numbers. The numbers when spoken in Punjabi also serve as the Punjabi translation for the given English words. This new way of translation left many people amused, including actress Chitrangda Singh who commented, Howww u get this funny. To this, Grover replied with a witty twist, @chitrangda jo beautiful nahin hote unhein yeh sab karna padta hai. (those who are not beautiful have to do all these things.) His reply has received 303 likes as netizens rejoiced his humorous response. Some agreed that it is a bitter truth while others said it was an epic reply. Some users also commented how Grover is actually handsome. Chitrangda was not the only celebrity who enjoyed Grovers post, Punjabi actor Sonam Bajwa, Esha Gupta and Muzamil Ibrahim also left comments on his post. Apart from social media, Grover is entertaining his fans on Gangs of Filmistan which airs on Star Bharat. These days, Grover has taken up the role of Topi Bahu inspired from renowned Gopi Bahu from the Star Plus soap opera Saath Nibhaana Saathiya. Grover takes the naivety of Gopi Bahu to next level with his comedic acts on the show. In one of the recent episodes, Topi bahu goes on to photocopy a roti after her husband says that he wants to eat 10 chapatis. With Grovers unique style of imitating Gopi bahu, the act leaves the audience in splits and Topis husband in shock. Grover has also left his mark in Bollywood movies like Bharat and Patakha. Bharat, which starred Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif, had come out in 2019. Patakha, directed by Vishal Bhardwaj, released in 2018. The movie also starred Sanya Malhotra and Radhika Madan in lead roles. October 2020 brought a lighter-than-usual crop of patches. For the first time in recent memory, there were none at all for Internet Explorer or the (Chromium-based) Edge browser. The cumulative updates went in with few reports of problems, although there were many complaints about printers not working after the update. Strange things happened, though, outside the usual monthly patching schedule. The day after Patch Tuesday, Microsoft announced a(nother) fix for a security hole in the HEVC codec CVE-2020-17022 distributed, once again, only through the Microsoft Store. HPs Secure Click Enterprise started falling over immediately after installing this months Windows cumulative updates. HP released a Win10 update-friendly version a couple of days later. It continues to astound me that a mainstream product from a major manufacturer isnt tested before the cumulative updates roll out. There was a security hole plug specifically for Visual Studio programmers, CVE-2020-17023. Then theres the security patch for Microsoft Dynamics 365 Commerce, CVE-2020-16943, that was announced but never appeared. Its still missing in action. Something in there about counting chickens before theyre hatched. As usual, we had dire warnings galore from the usual patch-right-now sources (Microsoft warns beeeelions of customers to patch immediately!). As usual, we havent seen any immediately exploited security holes, with the possible exception of SharePoint Server 2016 and 2019. The usual grab-bag of bugs Every month for the past year or two, weve seen a big accumulation of bugs arrive on the heels of Patch Tuesday. This months no exception. You can see a motley collection of blocked update error messages, error codes, blue screens, crashes, and peripheral problems in Mayank Parmars article in Windows Latest, Lawrence Abrams piece for BleepingComputer, Venkats rundown in Techdows, Gunter Borns post in Borns Tech and Windows World, and countless parrot sites around the web. I dont see any particular pattern to any of it, which has become increasingly common. New patches just seem to bring along a trove of unrelated bugs, any one of which can be hugely frustrating but none of which seem to be particularly widespread. The one exception: Ive seen many reports of printers that stop working after the latest cumulative update gets installed. In every case Ive seen, pulling the plug on the printer and plugging it back in solves the problem an easy task for individuals, not so much for admins. 'Windows cant verify the publisher of this driver software' Some people are reporting an unexpected error when installing certain drivers. Microsoft describes the situation in the Resolved issues portion of the Windows Release Information Status page: When installing a third-party driver, you might receive the error, Windows cant verify the publisher of this driver software." You may also see the error No signature was present in the subject when attempting to view the signature properties using Windows Explorer. This issue occurs when one or more of the following is present in a driver package: An improperly formatted catalog file is identified during validation by Windows. Starting with this release, Windows will require the validity of DER encoded PKCS#7 content in catalog files. Catalogs files must be signed per section 11.6 of describing DER-encoding for SET OF members in X.690. A driver catalog file extension is not one of the supported extensions. Thats a feature, not a bug. Microsoft suggests that you contact the driver manufacturer and ask for an update. If your hardware vendor isnt real interested in keeping up with Windows 10, well, jokes on you. Gunter Born puts it succinctly: Windows is a huge hardware exterminator, rendering still working devices as electronic waste, because drivers can no longer be installed. 'Optional' .NET previews arent optional any more Weve seen this problem for several months, and it still hasnt been fixed. Windows Update doesnt handle the .NET Preview monthly rollups the way you (or at least, I) would expect. Cumulative Update previews have to be manually approved by clicking a Download and install link. .NET Previews dont even offer the option. Theres a convoluted set of rules about Windows automatically installing .NET Previews. @abbodi86 has unrolled the behavior this way: The new .NET Previews are nothing different from all previous non-security .NET cumulative updates. They just have the term Preview in label. If youre a seeker (click Check for updates in Windows Update), the .NET Preview update will be installed regardless of your other settings. If you arent a seeker, when a normal update scan takes place, one of two things will happen. (1) If the previous .NET Security update is not yet installed, the .NET Preview update will be flagged as potentially superseded, and Windows Update will not offer it. (2) If the latest .NET Security update is already installed, the .NET Preview update will be installed. If that isnt confusing enough for you, @abbodi86 has full details here. I have no idea why Microsoft thinks that its preview (i.e., not-yet-ready-for-prime-time) patches should be installed on machines without any warning or opt-out capability. But there you have it. Microsoft pulls back on potentially unwanted PWA apps When is a PUP installer not a PUP installer? When its a Windows beta, of course. Somebody at Microsoft decided it would be a good idea to jury-rig some beta test versions of Windows 10 so they automatically installed the new PWA (progressive web app) versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and OneNote. Several beta testers took umbrage at an operating system that cavalierly installed potentially unwanted programs. A couple days later, Microsoft changed course, claiming that the pushy behavior was a bug. Right. Sean Hollister at The Verge has details. Office 2010 and Exchange Server 2010 hit end of life As of Oct. 13, both Office 2010 and Exchange 2010 fell off the support cycle. You wont get any more patches. A pity, really, because Office 2010 (in spite of its interface peculiarities) was a real workhorse. Patch Lady Susan Bradley has details. Version 20H2 (or is it 2009?) rolling out Microsoft is starting to make Win10 version 20H2 available for the masses although you have to click Download and install to get it. At least, thats the theory. Considering version 2004 had almost no new worthwhile features, and 20H2 has fewer still (theme-related shading on Start tiles? Alt+Tab switching Edge tabs? Puh-lease), the push to 20H2 is now under way. Think of it as yet another cumulative update, except it doesnt plug any new security holes. If you ever needed a concrete example of why twice-a-year upgrades for Win10 make absolutely no sense at all, now you have it. Patching problems? Hit us on AskWoody.com. The results of a wine competition are often predictable. Round up the usual suspects and you will likely see many of the same wines and wineries bagging gold medals year after year, competition after competition. There was a bit of that at the 13th annual Sommelier Challenge, staged Sept. 12 to 13 in San Diego. The wine of the year award went to none other than the 2015 Tom Eddy Greeg Vineyard cabernet sauvignon ($195) from the Napa Valley. No surprise there. Tom Eddy is a brilliant winemaker who sources the finest grapes, and he knows what to do with them. He wins often, and he usually wins big. The judges, all certified professional sommeliers, taste blind, so there is no chance they were influenced by the Tom Eddy name. In a blind tasting, its all about the wine. On the other hand, sometimes a wine or winery will jump up and surprise. There was a bit of that, too, at the Somm Challenge. The winery of the year, selected by director Rich Cook and yours truly, was Akash Winery of Temecula, California. This is an obscure winery from a relatively obscure region. There are a number of reasons for the lack of brand recognition, not least of which is the fact that the Patel family, who owns the winery, didnt even break ground until 2010. So its new on the scene. On top of that, despite a half-century of splendid wine production, the Temecula Valley, situated in Riverside County in the southern part of the state, is relatively unknown to many wine enthusiasts. Thats because the majority of Temecula wineries, despite dazzling tasting rooms and often-posh guest-room accommodations and on-site restaurants, are relatively small. Temecula is able to generate significant tourist traffic because of its proximity to San Diego, Los Angeles, and Orange County, all about an hours drive from the vineyards of Temecula. Consequently, Temecula wineries tend to eschew traditional distribution systems and sell most of their production out of their tasting rooms. That helps with the bottom line because they dont have to share a cut of the proceeds with a distributor, but it also serves to limit exposure and awareness of the regions often exceptional quality. You wont find many Temecula wines in traditional wine shops or on restaurant wine lists. Akash broke through that artificial barrier, however, with a stunning performance that included four platinum awards, one gold, and four silver from 10 wines entered. It was a truly inspiring showing from such a young winery. The big winners included its 2017 Threes Company red blend ($62), 2019 Parlez-Vous rose ($35), 2017 Dreamville malbec ($38), and 2018 Dreamville syrah ($38). Its 2018 Dreamville cabernet sauvignon ($38) earned a gold. Akash 2017 Threes Company Red. (Courtesy of Akash Winery) Akash 2019 Parlez-Vous Rose. (Courtesy of Akash Winery) Akash 2017 Dreamville Malbec. (Courtesy of Akash Winery) Akash 2018 Dreamville Syrah. (Courtesy of Akash Winery) But dont expect Akash to rest on its laurels. The winery has plans for a hotel, restaurant, and spa on its 20-acre parcel. After all, someone has to supply the tourists with food and drink and a pillow for the night. Complete results of the 2020 Sommelier Challenge can be found at SommelierChallenge.com. Tasting Notes Wines are rated on a 100-point scale. Wines are chosen for review because they represent outstanding quality or value, and the scores are simply a measure of this reviewers enthusiasm for the recommended wine. Wild Horse 2016 Merlot, Central Coast ($16.99): Supple and plush on the palate, this vintage merlot from Wild Horse shows juicy red and black fruits and a touch of wood spice that is attractive without overpowering the fruit. Best Value. Rating: 93. Wild Horse 2016 Merlot, Central Coast. (Courtesy of Wild Horse Winery) Finca La Capilla 2016 Crianza, Ribera del Duero, Spain ($32.99): Spanish reds continue to lead the wine world when it comes to value. This crianza from Ribera del Duero is a powerful example, literally, with exceptional depth and complexity, remarkable length on the palate, and impressive length on the finish. Its 100 percent tinta del pais in the land of tempranillo! Rating: 95. Finca La Capilla 2016 Crianza, Ribera del Duero, Spain. (Courtesy of Finca La Capilla) Thomas T Thomas 2018 Pinot Noir, Estate Grown, Anderson Valley ($65): Anderson Valley is pushing its neighbors to the south to be recognized as the best terroir in California for pinot noir. This region in western Mendocino County routinely produces exceptional pinot that offers structure and ageability, and this vintage from Thomas T Thomas is a splendid example. It shows beautiful notes of raspberry and cherry, firm acid structure, and a spicy finish. Rating: 95. Frei Brothers 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon, Sonoma Reserve, Alexander Valley ($27): The Alexander Valley in northern Sonoma County is one of the sweet spots for cabernet sauvignon in California. This vintage of Sonoma Reserve from Frei is classic Alexander Valley, showing supple tannins, complex black- and red-fruit aromas, and exceptional depth and length, with a spicy finish. Rating: 94. Sonoma-Cutrer 2018 Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley ($35): Sonoma-Cutrer is generally thought of as a chardonnay house because of its stunning array of elegant and balanced chardonnays that are always among the best produced in California. It is quickly carving a similar niche for its pinot noirs. This beauty from the Russian River Valley is precise, elegant, and alluring, showing bright cherry notes and just the right touch of spice. Rating: 94. Sonoma-Cutrer 2018 Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley. (Courtesy of Sonoma-Cutrer) Iron Side 2019 Pinot Noir, California ($22): This is a pinot noir that runs against the grain, delivering a meaty, gamey goodness that will pair nicely with roasted and grilled meats and winter stews. Rating: 93. Follow Robert on Twitter at @wineguru. To find out more about Robert Whitley and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at Creators.com. Email Robert at whitleyonwine@yahoo.com. Copyright 2020 Creators.com Cassandra Wood celebrated her one-year anniversary with her boyfriend Tyson Davis last year. And the pair are still going strong, enjoying a hot tub date on Sunday, as they enjoyed a weekend at Jamala Wildlife Lodge in Canberra. The 24-year-old looked absolutely delighted as she posed in a revealing black swimsuit which had a deep v-neck, which showcased her ample bust. Loved up! Cassandra Wood and her boyfriend Tyson Davis enjoyed a hot tub date on Sunday, as they enjoyed a weekend at Jamala Wildlife Lodge in Canberra. Behind them - safely divided by a glass wall - was a tiger. Both pictured The blonde beauty held a glass of Champagne as she shot the tattooed hunk a smitten look. Behind them - safely divided by a glass wall - was a tiger, which relaxed in the hay while the pair had a splash. Cassandra captioned the sweet photograph: 'This place and this guy'. Splish splash: In Instagram Stories shared the same day, Cass shared a video of the pair enjoying a spot of fishing Cassandra captioned the sweet photographs: 'This place and this guy' In Instagram Stories shared the same day, Cass shared a video of the pair enjoying a spot of fishing. The former reality star was left heartbroken by Richie Strahan on Bachelor in Paradise, however she quickly moved on. Months after filming the show, she jetted to Bali with her new boyfriend Tyson - and it seems the couple are having the time of their lives. Loved up: Cassandra celebrated her one-year anniversary with her boyfriend Tyson last year Second chance: The pair first met in 2017 but things didn't work out. They reconnected late last year after she returned from filming Paradise in Fiji During their holiday, Tyson took to Instagram to share a heartfelt tribute to his girlfriend. 'Feeling super lucky this girl has come back into my life at the perfect time and that I'm now able to call her my girlfriend. Couldn't be happier,' he wrote. The pair first met in 2017 but things didn't work out. They reconnected late last year after she returned from filming Paradise in Fiji. Tyson is a muscle-bound rugby player, playing center for the Warringah rugby club on Sydney's Northern Beaches. Photograph: Charles Krupa/AP Donald Trump wanted to name his daughter, Ivanka Trump, as his running mate in 2016, according to a new book by former campaign deputy Rick Gates, reported by Bloomberg News. Related: New York Times publishes Donald Trump's tax returns in election bombshell I think it should be Ivanka, Trump is quoted as saying in Wicked Game: An Insiders Story on How Trump Won, Mueller Failed and America Lost, which will be published on 13 October. What about Ivanka as my VP? The news lands as Ivanka Trump, who with her husband Jared Kushner remains a senior White House adviser, is named in the New York Times bombshell report on her fathers taxes, appearing to have received consulting fees that helped reduce the family tax bill. Ivanka has not served in elected office but is widely thought to have political ambitions of her own, possibly in the 2024 presidential race. Shes bright, shes smart, shes beautiful, and the people would love her! Donald Trump Gates says Trump was serious about making his then 34-year-old daughter his potential vice-president, returning to the theme and even carrying out public polling. All heads turned toward her, and she just looked surprised, he reportedly writes of when Trump raised the idea to a group of aides. We all knew Trump well enough to keep our mouths shut and not laugh. He went on: Shes bright, shes smart, shes beautiful, and the people would love her! Ivanka Trump reportedly told her father it wasnt a good idea. Gates says Mike Pence, then governor of Indiana, was picked after delivering a vicious and extended monologue about Hillary Clinton, Trumps opponent. Gates, who told the Washington Post he was not sure Trump would have gone through with picking his daughter, was indicted by special counsel Robert Mueller in his investigation of connections between Russia and the Trump campaign. He co-operated and was sentenced in December 2019 to three years probation and intermittent confinement for tax and lobbying offenses committed with Paul Manafort, Trumps former campaign chair who was sent to prison. Story continues The White House did not immediately comment on Bloombergs report. Gates also reportedly writes that former secretary of state Condoleezza Rice, Tennessee senator Bob Corker, Alabama senator Jeff Sessions (eventually Trumps first attorney general), Iowa senator Joni Ernst and former defense secretary Robert Gates were suggested to Trump as possible running mates. Ivanka and Kushner, Gates says, liked the idea of former House speaker and candidate for the Republican presidential nomination Newt Gingrich. The Post reported that Gates has remained loyal, writing: Unlike a number of other memoirs by former Trump staffers, Gatess book serves not as a tell-all, but rather a defense of the president and how he and others helped elect him. One such tell-all, Stephanie Winston-Wolkoffs Melania & Me: The Rise and Fall of My Friendship With the First Lady, claims Gates worked with Ivanka Trump to undermine Melania Trump, the presidents third wife. For example, Wolkoff details suspicions that Gates was behind a scandal over plagiarism from Michelle Obama in Melania Trumps convention speech in Cleveland in 2016. Wolkoff writes: If Ivanka controlled Rick, and Rick had allegedly written Melanias convention speech, did that mean Ivanka was behind that major faux pas/sabotage? Wolkoff also writes of a scandal over fundraising for the inauguration, on which Gates worked. Melania Trump, she writes, called aides to her stepdaughter snakes. As a midsize sedan, the 2020 Toyota Camry has several features and options to provide a fuel-efficient vehicle for daily commutes and long road trips. This can be said of the 2020 Toyota Camry and 2020 Toyota Camry Hybrid models, which offer lengthy drives on a single tank of fuel. Currently, those interested in purchasing or leasing a fuel-efficient model can find over 60 new 2020 Toyota Camry models in the Toyota of Puyallup inventory. The 2020 Toyota Camry has several engine options and drivetrains that optimize fuel economy. Standard models receive up to an estimated 28 miles per gallon on city roads and 39 miles per gallon on highways. A second 3.6-liter engine is available, which retains a combined estimated 26 miles per gallon. Unlike some other sedans in its class, the 2020 Toyota Camry also has available all-wheel drive. With the feature equipped, models can receive up to 25 miles per gallon in the city and 34 miles per gallon on highways. Meanwhile, those looking for an even more environmentally friendly model are welcomed to view the 2020 Toyota Camry Hybrid model at Toyota of Puyallup. The dealership has over 20 different models to choose from. As a whole, the vehicle receives up to an estimated combined 52 miles per gallon with its 2.5-liter hybrid powertrain. Models also come equipped with a four-mode drive switch that allows drivers to select different driving modes to optimize performance. With their new 2020 Toyota Camry inventory, Toyota of Puyallup is also holding several offers that could help customers with their vehicle shopping needs. The dealership currently has a 0% APR financing offer for 60 months. Meanwhile, customers may be able to receive more money on a trade-in than expected due to the shortage of used vehicles in the area. Those interested can schedule a complimentary appraisal of their current vehicle through the dealership to learn more. For more details on the available offerings and details on 2020 Toyota Camry models, those interested are welcomed to contact Toyota of Puyallup. They are located at 1400 River Road in Puyallup, WA, and can also be contacted by phone at 253-286-6000 or online at their website at https://www.toyotaofpuyallup.com/. Razumkov calls on the sides to sit down at the negotiating table. Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Dmytro Razumkov says Ukraine is concerned about the ongoing hostilities in Nagorno-Karabakh region. "Today, there are difficult times for the Armenian and Azerbaijani peoples. We, as a state, are concerned about what is happening, about the fighting. On my behalf and on behalf of the Verkhovna Rada, I would like to urge everyone to do their best to prevent people's deaths. And to sit down at the negotiating table to save the lives of the civilian population, citizens of the two states," he said during the Conciliation Council, an UNIAN correspondent reports. Read alsoFighting between Armenia, Azerbaijan continues in Nagorno-Karabakh regionRazumkov expressed hope the events in Nagorno-Karabakh would develop according to this scenario in the future. War in Nagorno-Karabakh: Past developments The justice has died. The death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a US Supreme Court Justice, was announced all around the world. Flowers were laid on the steps of the Supreme Court and the lights in Manhattan went blue the day after her death. Her image was projected onto the front of the New York State Supreme Court building, above the words Rest in Power. The justices death brought public mourning, something rarely accorded women in power, and not just because few of us reach its top echelons. In Justice Ginsburgs case, the tributes have come primarily because of her role in the struggle for gender equality in the United States, which also had repercussions in the Global South. Hers was a vote, and a dissenting body, that stood firmly against patriarchal power. In her inimitable way, she resisted the arrival of her death: My most fervent wish is that I will not be replaced until a new president is installed. Justice Ginsburg was often asked when the US Supreme Court would have enough women on it, and her reported reply was: : When there are nine. To those surprised by this answer, she explained that thered been nine men, and nobodys ever raised a question about that. This is how racist patriarchy works, naturalizing the landscapes of power and even subduing our indignation as it constrains our ability to imagine other ways of living in our shared world and of exercising power in a democracy. In Brazil, only three women have served as justices on the Federal Supreme Court, two of whom are still on the bench, none of them Black or Indigenous. The first in Brazils history, Justice Ellen Gracie, endured a nightmare when the Senate vetted her and tested her legal knowledge. The following comments are from 2006, a date too recent to justify their content. My vote further takes into consideration her beauty and charm. So it is with great pleasure that I cast my vote. As a gynecologist, I learned to deal with women up close, to have a deep understanding of female sensitivity. You didnt come to be vetted; you came to be honored. Women are a rarity on the courts. According to data from the Center for Justice and International Law (CEJIL), we represent only 17% of members of international courts. The Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IDH) added its first female judge in 2016. In Latin America, only 30% of higher or supreme court positions are held by women. In many of these countries such as Brazil, Chile and Colombia it was only in the last 20 years that courts appointed their first women. Echoing the storyline of Justice Ginsburg in the United States, Latin American women had to move into the top rungs of the justice system before the courts placed gender discrimination on the docket. This was what happened in Chile, where Justice Andrea Munoz led a protocol and a campaign against sexual harassment in the judicial branch. Recently, Justice Gloria Ortiz, the first woman to sit as president of the Constitutional Court of Colombia, denounced cases of harassment and discrimination against women in the court. A number of studies in the United States have shown that female judges are the concurring voices in cases of sexual harassment, gender discrimination, police abuse, and LGBTQI equality Given the worldwide scarcity of women as judicial authorities, Justice Ginsburg will be missed even more. Her voice was not just that of the metrics of gender representativity; she was also grounded in a consciousness of gender and of the perverse effects of gender inequality on democratic equality. She described herself as the dissenting vote. This type of situation is not limited to the US courts. A survey by the Getulio Vargas Foundation in Brazil looked at more than a thousand cases over 10 years and found that judges on the Federal Supreme Court cast 20% more dissenting votes when the rapporteur was a female justice. An even more telling finding from the study illustrates how the dynamics of gender inequality impact justices decisions: when voting took place in a plenary session, that is, with all the justices together, the rate of dissent when the rapporteur was a woman was even higher: 37%. In other words, when theres a public performance, masculinity behaves even more ferociously toward women. Justice Ginsburg once said that as women achieve power, the barriers will fall. We have seen how gender sensibility was brought to bear when countries led by women or by governments committed to feminism tackled the barriers erected by the Covid-19 pandemic. A number of studies in the United States have shown that female judges are the concurring voices in cases of sexual harassment, gender discrimination, police abuse, and LGBTQI equality. Political transformation demands that women with a feminist consciousness be present in politics and spaces of democratic power both representative and non-representative spaces, like the judicial branch. Given the configuration of republican models in Latin America, especially among countries who experienced years of military dictatorship, only more recently have the courts become a space for disputing the rights of women and underrepresented groups, and in a fundamentally important way. Recent changes in laws on abortion, violence against women and gender rights have involved the courts. It is precisely at this political moment of court enchantment with feminism in Latin America that Ruth Bader Ginsburg leaves a lasting legacy. Debora Diniz is a Brazilian anthropologist and researcher at Brown University. Giselle Carino is an Argentinian political scientist and IPPF/WHR director. Mau : , Sep 28 (IANS) Jailed mafia don and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) MLA Mukhtar Ansari will now be brought to Mau from Punjab's Mohali jail on October 21 for interrogation in a case of fraud and Arms Act lodged against him in January. Mau Superintendent of Police (SP) Ghule Sushil Chandrabhan, said, "Warrant B has been procured by the district police from the Chief Judicial Magistrate court in a case of sections 419 (cheating by impersonation), 420 (cheating and dishonesty), 467, 468 (forgery), 471 (using as genuine a forged document), 120B (criminal conspiracy) of IPC and 30 Arms Act, registered on January 5 with Dakshintola police station." He said that the CJM Court accepted the plea of the police to bring Mukhtar Ansari here from the Mohali jail on Warrant B on October 21. The Yogi Adityanath government has been cracking the whip on the economic empire and armory of the jailed don. In Varanasi, SP City Vikas Chandra Tripathi said that the process of confiscating the property of Mukhtar's close aide Meraj Ansari was started on Friday by making a public announcement near his residence in the Ashok Vihar area. Meraj Ansari is absconding after a case under section 419, 420, 467, 468 and 471 of the IPC was lodged against him for committing fraud to procure arms licences. He has been absconding since the case was lodged, added Tripathi. Meanwhile, large-scale action has been taken against Mukhtar's family members and henchmen in different districts of the state, including Lucknow. Illegally acquired property by the don has been demolished and arms licenses procured by his men have been cancelled. As per the records of Mau police, in 2001 four persons -- Israel, Anwar, Salim and Mohd Shah Alam -- had managed to get arms licences on the recommendation of Mukhtar's letter by mentioning fake addresses on their application forms. Alam was eliminated in an encounter with police in Ghazipur after a few years while others are absconding. Apart from them, former station officer Dakshintola police station J.K. Singh and a revenue official were also accused in this case by the police. These facts had come to light during the Ghosi Assembly bypoll process in October 2019, when arms licence verification was initiated across Mau district. During the investigation, it came to light that apart from Israel, Anwar and Salim, Mohd Shah Alam had also applied for an arms license in 2001. To ensure that they all get licenses for double-barrel guns, Mukhtar wrote letters to the then District Magistrate on his letter pad in the capacity of Mau MLA in December 2001 requesting to issue arms licenses in their names. The Mau Police have also registered a case against the owner of the Prakash Construction Company, Kiran Rai, at the Kotwali police station for utilizing fake documents to grab major contracts in order to provide financial benefits to the Mukhtar gang, said SP Mau. Mukhtar Ansari was shifted to the Ropar jail in Punjab in January 2019 and then to Mohali jail. The New Patriotic Party (NPP) MP for Assin Central, Mr Kennedy Agyapong on Monday, September 28 failed to show up in court to answer contempt charges due to what his lawyers said was complication from a post-COVID-19 condition. His lead counsel, Mr Kwame Gyan explained that his client got the complication after last Fridays court hearing. He therefore presented a medical excuse form and requested the court to adjourn the case for 14 days to allow his client to recuperate. Order The presiding judge, Justice Amos Wuntah Wuni agreed to adjourn the case but ordered the medical doctor who wrote the medical excuse duty to appear before the court on Thursday. It is hereby ordered that the medical officer Dr. Ken Addo of Holy Trinity Medical Centre/Spa and Health Farm appears before this court on Thursday Oct 1, 2020 to speak to the medical excuse duty, the judge ordered. Justice Wuni said he was ordering the medical officer to appear before the court because the way medical excuse duties were being written, somebody must speak to it. Contempt case Mr. Agyapong is in court over an alleged contemptuous comments in which he described the judge as stupid. Mr. Agyapongs alleged comments were made in connection with a land matter in which Susan Bandoh and Christopher Akuetteh Kotei had sued him (Kennedy Agyapong), Ibrahim Jaja, Nana Yaw Duodu aka Sledge and the Inspector General of Police. While the case was still at the Land Division of the High Court (Land Court 12), the MP allegedly scandalised the court on a programme aired on NET2 TV and Oman FM on September 2, this year. A court order signed on September 9, by Justice Wuni said, "I hereby summon the said Kennedy Ohene Agyapong per a warrant issued under my hand and seal to appear before the High Court (Land Court 12) on Monday, September 14, 2020, at 10:00 a.m. to show cause why he should not be severely punished for contempt if the matters are proven against him to the satisfaction of the court." 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 Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-28 16:42:30|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close ISTANBUL, Sept. 28 (Xinhua)-- Turkish police on Monday saved 68 Syrian children who have been smuggled from Syria and forced to beg on streets in Istanbul. Police units launched simultaneous operations in nine addresses across the city to rescue the children from the hand of a Syrian criminal organization, according to the Demiroren news agency. A total of 24 suspected members of the organization have been detained, and 68 children were rescued during the raids, Demiroren noted. The teams also seized over 32,000 U.S. dollars worth of cash in the addresses, it added. Turkey is hosting more than 3.7 million Syrian refugees in its territory, with most of them living in the country's biggest cities. Enditem Greenpeace has vowed to continue dropping boulders into the North Sea as to stop trawling of the Dogger Bank marine reserve despite Government objection. According to the environmental organisation, the Government has failed to provide adequate protection for the sandbank, home to crabs, starfish, flatfish and sand eels. These marine creatures are food for seabirds such as puffins as well as for dolphins, porpoises and such fish as cod. Bottom trawling is a fishing practice in which heavy, weighted nets are dragged across the seabed to catch fish but such is damaging the bank, activists said. Any bottom trawlers trying to fish over the regularly-spaced boulders will get their gear snagged and ruined on the dropped rocks. Greenpeace has been warned to stop building its barrier which does not have a significant impact on the seabed by the Marine Management Organisation. They have already shielded some 50 square miles of the sea against trawling using boulders signed by celebs including Stephen Fry and Hugh FearnleyWhittingstall. Greenpeace has vowed to continue dropping boulders into the North Sea as to stop trawling of the Dogger Bank marine reserve despite Government objection. Pictured, a boulder is released into the North Sea from the Greenpeace vessel MV Esperanza Greenpeace campaigner Chris Thorne warned that Prime Minister Boris Johnson's promise to protect 30 per cent of the UK's land and waters was 'meaningless' without the actual concrete plans to deliver on such a target. 'If our Government is not willing to commit to proper protection for the Dogger Bank and the rest of the UKs Marine Protected Areas, we are forced to continue doing all that we can to prevent bottom trawling from destroying this vital marine habitat.' 'We cant let bottom trawlers which often operate illegally with their positioning systems off continue to rip up the protected seabed while our Government does nothing,' Mr Thorne continued. We will not sit idly by while our oceans are destroyed. Dogger Bank's seabed is designated as a Special Area of Conservation meaning there are restrictions on fishing in the area. Environmentalists have accused the Government of failing to properly protect the area by not fully restricting damaging fishing activity including bottom trawling. An Environment Department spokesperson said that fishing and protection of the seas would be at the heart of the Government's future fishing strategy. Greenpeace said that it has found 11 large fishing vessels operating in the Dogger Bank marine protected area with their automatic identification system switched off. The environmental charity has thus taken matters into its own hands, using its vessel Esperanza to deploy inert granite boulders to create an underwater barrier. Bottom trawling is a fishing practice in which heavy, weighted nets are dragged across the seabed to catch fish but such is damaging the bank, activists said. Any bottom trawlers trying to fish over the regularly-spaced boulders will get their gear snagged on the rocks Greenpeace has been warned to stop building its barrier which does not have a significant impact on the seabed by the Marine Management Organisation. They have already shielded some 50 square miles of the sea against trawling, as depicted using boulders signed by celebs including Stephen Fry and Hugh FearnleyWhittingstall The move closes 50 square miles of Dogger Bank from bottom trawling and Greenpeace says that it will continue to place boulders on the seabed until the UK Government properly protects the marine reserve. Chris Thorne, a Greenpeace UK oceans campaigner, was on board the Esperanza during the boulder dropping activity, he said the Government had 'utterly failed to protect the Dogger Bank' from destructive industrial fishing. 'How can you continue to allow bottom trawlers to plough the seabed in a protected area designed specifically to protect the seabed?' he asked. 'Allowing bottom trawling in a protected area established to protect the seabed is equivalent to allowing bulldozers to plough through a protected forest,' he added. 'Our Government won't act, and we can't sit idly by while they allow supposedly protected parts of our oceans to be destroyed.' According to the environmental organisation, the Government has failed to provide adequate protection for the sandbank, home to crabs, starfish, flatfish and sand eels. These marine creatures are food for seabirds such as puffins as well as for dolphins, porpoises and such fish as cod. Pictured, a boulder is manoeuvred onto a slide on the Greenpeace ship, Esperanza Greenpeace said that it has found 11 large fishing vessels operating in the Dogger Bank marine protected area with their automatic identification system switched off. The environmental charity has thus taken matters into its own hands, using its vessel Esperanza to deploy inert granite boulders, pictured, to create an underwater barrier Greenpeace said it had commissioned an independent scientific agency, BioLaGu, to conduct an environmental impact assessment that concluded placing the boulders, as pictured, would not have a significant impact on the protected feature of the Dogger Bank Greenpeace said it had commissioned an independent scientific agency, BioLaGu, to conduct an environmental impact assessment that concluded placing the boulders would not have a significant impact on the protected feature of the Dogger Bank. Activists say they have also informed the relevant marine authorities to ensure navigational safety for mariners in the area. The Environment Department spokesperson said they had already set up a 'blue belt' of protected waters nearly twice the size of England. 'The Fisheries Bill proposes new powers to better manage and control our marine protected areas and English waters,' they said. 'The Common Fisheries Policy currently restricts our ability to implement tougher protections, but leaving the EU and taking back control of our waters as an independent coastal state means we can introduce stronger measures.' Kenyan women's voices have been "drowned out" in the reporting of coronavirus, a recent study shows. And every voice has been swallowed up by up to four men, according to the study funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. It was carried out in Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, India, the US and the UK. Four in five national decision makers in Kenya are men, the report that was made public on Thursday says. It analysed 11,913 publications and 1.9 million stories between March 1 and April 15. The study looked at three indicators: Women as sources of news expertise; news stories leading with women protagonists; and coverage of gender equality issues in Covid-19 stories". Media are more likely to seek out politicians, who make up nearly a quarter of the people quoted (23 per cent) and overlook female experts. In Kenya, women only account for 15 per cent of the lead voices in the media. "This is not new. Covid-19 has shown how women are overlooked in academia, research, leadership and other fields," African Population Health Research Centre director Catherine Kyobutungi told the Saturday Nation. Dr Kyobutungi said when any individual is asked who a leader is, the picture in their mind is of a man or a white woman but rarely an African woman. Reproductive health A study published in the Harvard Business Review by Prof David Smith, a sociologist, and colleagues analysed the description of women and men. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Women Kenya Coronavirus By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. Part of the report "The Different Words We Use to Describe Male and Female Leaders" reads: "The most commonly used positive term to describe men was 'analytical', while for women it was 'compassionate'. The commonly used negative term to describe men was 'arrogant'. For women, it was 'inept'." Prof Smith said "analytical" is task-oriented, speaking to an individual's ability to reason, interpret, strategise and lending support to the objectives or mission of the business while "compassion" is relationship-oriented, contributing to a positive work environment and culture, but perhaps of less value to accomplishing the work at hand. The concerns come at a time academia and the scientific community have come under fire for "manels" - panels that are made purely of men. The Kenya Obstetrical and Gynaecological Society, an association whose members are mainly women, is being trolled online for having a panel of seven with only one woman who is not African. "We cannot purport to support women reproductive health and fail to have their critical voice heard in representation," Dr Stella Bosire said of the photo. Dr Kyobutungi said part of the problem is how women have been socialised to always doubt themselves. The union representing Atlantic City firefighters has filed a complaint against the city contending its procedures for stopping the spread of COVID-19 arent adequate and resulted in 65 members being exposed to the virus. Six firefighters tested positive for coronavirus recently and the city arranged rapid tests for those directly exposed to the infected individuals, according to the filing in Atlantic County Superior Court. Those who test negative are directed to return to work. Unsurprisingly, this ineffective approach has resulted in further spread of COVID-19 In doing so, the City has jeopardized the health and safety of all firefighters, their families, and the general public, the complaint reads. The complaint, first reported by The Press of Atlantic City, says some firefighters who tested negative are now showing symptoms, the filing says. Atlantic City and the fire department did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The union is asking a judge to order the city to place exposed firefighters on paid leave and direct them to self-quarantine for 14 days, provide the union with a list of the citys procedures, disinfect each station between shifts and postpone the training of new hires scheduled to start the week of Sept. 28. Local 198 alleges the citys procedures are in conflict with guidance issued by the New Jersey Department of Health and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which says those exposed to an infected person should quarantine for 14 days due to the possibility of a false-negative result. The state Department of Community Affairs, which runs the city under the state takeover and is named in the complaint, declined to comment specifically about the complaint. In outlining the citys procedure, DCA spokeswoman Lisa Ryan said any firefighter exposed to another who tests positive for COVID-19 is quarantined from service until he or she can be given a rapid COVID-19 test for results in less than an hour. She said exposed firefighters who receive negative results and are asymptomatic return to work, and said the procedure follows CDC guidelines surrounding critical infrastructure workers and coronavirus. Those exposed are being monitored for symptoms. For firefighters who receive positive results, they are ordered to quarantine for 14 days and placed under a doctors care. They are also provided information about how to safely quarantine and monitor their health. All firefighters who have been contacted about possible exposure to COVID-19 have been cooperative and have followed the procedures as directed in order to control the spread of the virus, Ryan said. Its important to note that the Atlantic City Fire Department quickly adopted COVID-19 safety protocol once the pandemic began. They include taking temperature readings of on-duty firefighters twice a day, social distancing and wearing masks in fire stations, eating in shifts, keeping sleeping bunks at least six feet apart, wearing full PPE on fire calls, doing daily cleaning regimens of equipment and fire stations, and conducting a heavy cleaning at least once a week, she continued. The six firefighters who tested positive last week work in Stations 1, 2 and 3, and each station has between eight and 13 firefighters during a 24-hour shift who eat and sleep in close proximity to each other, the complaint says. One of the six developed symptoms while at work and was sent home to take a rapid test and another was going to be an instructor for next weeks new hire training and has been in close contact with other individuals who will be instructing or attending the training, the suit says. The citys approach to handling the COVID-19 outbreak among firefighters is causing irreparable harm by jeopardizing the health and safety of firefighters, their families, and the general public. As COVID-19 is highly contagious, COVID-19 will continue to spread throughout the ACFD. The spread of COVID-19 among Firefighters also places their family members and housemates at risk, the suit reads. The suit claims a violation of the due process and equal protection clauses of the state constitution, violation of the Municipal Recovery and Stabilization Act and breach of contract with the union. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Avalon Zoppo may be reached at azoppo2@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @AvalonZoppo. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-28 00:04:23|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close People visit a site in Namibia's capital Windhoek on Sept. 27, 2020, the World Tourism Day. (Photo by Ndalimpinga Iita/Xinhua) By Ndalimpinga Iita WINDHOEK, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) -- Tourism enterprises and operators in Namibia on Sunday organized excursions to mark the World Tourism Day. At a popular heritage site in the Namibian capital Windhoek, Taimi Shivute, a local tour guide narrated historical events to locals and tourists during a free Windhoek city walk tour. Shivute, attached to tour operator Chameleon Safaris Namibia, was ecstatic. It is the first tour and activity the enterprise organized in six months since COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown. As part of the tour, locals and visitors were taken to heritage sites such as museums, famous places and historical buildings among others. "That way, people learn and experience the capital city through a different lens. Undertaking the tour re-ignited my passion for tourism," said Shivute, who is also a tourism student at a local college. The focus of the city tour aimed to demonstrate to the local and broader international community that Namibia's tourism is active, according to Jessica Pretorius, office manager at Chameleon Safaris Namibia. "Although operations have been slow since the country opened up borders for international travel, we are hopeful for business to pick-up gradually and showcase Namibia to both local and international visitors," Pretorius said. During the tour, the guides also applied strict measure and COVID-19 precautions such as wearing masks, sanitization and hosting small groups per tour. "As such, we had two tours, one in the morning and late afternoon," Pretorius said. Meanwhile, Helena, who participated in the tour, said that she was reminded of the rich history of the country and reinforced cultural heritage. "Coming from the hospitality fraternity, I also observed how exciting tourism is, and its potential to propel many individuals into prosperity," she said. The observance of the 2020 World Tourism Day comes at a time when Namibia is looking to revive the reeling sector and broader economic recovery. Namibian President Hage Geingob said on Sunday that tourism is a crucial component of the service industry and economic driver, serving as an engine of job creation. Enditem The U.S. Embassy is seen from across the Tigris River in Baghdad in this January photo. Read more BAGHDAD The Trump administration has warned Iraq that it will close its embassy in Baghdad if the government does not take swift and decisive action to end persistent rocket and other attacks by Iranian-backed militias and rogue armed elements on American and allied interests in the country, U.S., Iraqi and other officials said Monday. As news of the warning sent shockwaves across Baghdad, Iraqs military said a Katyusha rocket hit near Baghdad airport, killing five Iraqi civilians and severely wounding two others. A U.S. official said the administrations warning was given to both Iraqs president and prime minister but that it was not an imminent ultimatum. The official was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity. The warning signals the administrations increasing frustration and anger with ongoing rocket fire from Iranian-supported groups on or near the vast U.S. Embassy compound in Baghdad as it steps up pressure on Iran with the re-imposition of crippling sanctions. However, closing the embassy and withdrawing U.S. personnel from Baghdad would signal a significant retreat from a country in which successive administrations have invested massive amounts of money and lives. The threat to evacuate the embassy, which has stoked concerns in Baghdad of a diplomatic crisis, was first delivered to President Barham Saleh on Tuesday in a phone call with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Iraqi officials said. Pompeo then repeated the warning to Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi on Saturday, the officials said. Pompeo told Saleh that if the U.S. presence continues to be targeted, measures would be taken to close the embassy and a strong and violent response would follow against the groups responsible for the attacks, according to three Iraqi officials with knowledge of the call. Pompeo went further with al-Kadhimi on Saturday, telling the prime minister that the U.S. will initiate plans to withdraw from the embassy, according to the Iraqi officials who spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations. An official announcement has not been made by the Americans. But the Trump administration has not been shy about expressing its anger and concern about continuing rocket attacks by Iranian-backed groups on or near the embassy compound. In a tangible sign of a strain in U.S.-Iraq relations, the State Department shortened an Iran sanctions waiver deadline by 60 days last week. The previous waiver, crucial for Iraq to import badly needed Iranian gas to meet power demands, gave the government 120 days. Without the waiver, Iraq would suffer crippling sanctions barring it access to U.S. dollars. Despite comments from U.S. officials that a deadline on closing the embassy is not in place, Iraqi officials appeared to be under the impression they have until the waiver expires in two months' time to take action. America will observe what measures the government of Iraq takes within two months, one senior Iraqi official said. During this time, al-Kadhimis administration must halt the targeting of foreign missions, military installations and logistics convoys destined for the U.S.-led coalition or else, aggressive action would follow, the official said. Iraqs leadership is feeling the heat. Al-Kadhimi, Saleh and Parliament Speaker Mohamed al-Halbousi held a meeting late Sunday in which all three leaders said they supported measures to bring arms under the authority of the state and to prevent the targeting of diplomatic missions. So far, Iraqi authorities have redistributed some security forces inside the Green Zone. The Iraqi officials also said two factors might determine whether Iraqs leadership can walk back from an impending diplomatic crisis: Security fallout from protests planned in the coming weeks to mark one year since mass anti-government demonstrations began, and domestic politics inside the U.S. ahead of the November federal election. We expect large crowds, said one official of the protests. And we expect it will impact American thinking. Two Western diplomats said they had been informed that the U.S. has started the process of closing its sprawling facility inside the heavily fortified Green Zone, but could not provide details. The U.S. Embassy declined to comment. Closing the facility, which is by physical size the largest U.S. diplomatic mission in the world, is expected to be a complex and time-consuming process. The embassy was already functioning at minimum levels since March due to the coronavirus and ongoing security threats. Diplomats were told the U.S. had already started the process of closing but would re-evaluate while progressing, one Western official said, suggesting the decision was reversible if security inside the Green Zone improved. In 2018, Pompeo ordered the closure of the U.S. consulate in the southern Iraqi city of Basra due to attacks by Iranian-backed militias. As a member of Congress, Pompeo had been a strong critic of the Obama administration and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton over the deadly attack on U.S. diplomatic facilities in Benghazi, Libya. He is loathe to see a repeat of such an attack on his watch, according to current and former U.S. officials. In addition, Trump has been clear about his desire to reduce the U.S. presence in the Mideast, although he has focused primarily on the military. However, closing the embassy after the massive U.S. investment of lives and money in Iraq since 2003 would likely draw significant criticism from Trump allies in Congress, including lawmakers who supported the invasion and ouster of Saddam Hussein. Ahead of Novembers election, it is not clear if Trump would be willing to invite that criticism. The State Department declined to comment on the calls between Pompeo and Iraqs leadership, but said the U.S. will not tolerate threats. We have made the point before that the actions of lawless Iran-backed militias remains the single biggest deterrent to stability in Iraq, the department said. It is unacceptable for Iran-backed groups to launch rockets at our embassy, attack American and other diplomats, and threaten law and order in Iraq. Meanwhile, attacks targeting convoys continue. On Monday, five Iraqi civilians were killed and two severely wounded after a Katyusha rocket hit near Baghdad airport, Iraqs military said. The rocket may have been targeting the international airport but struck a residential home close by instead, Iraqi security officials said, requesting anonymity in line with regulations. Also on Monday, a roadside bomb targeted a convoy carrying materials destined for U.S. forces southwest of Baghdad, two Iraqi security officials said. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations. _____ Lee reported from Washington. Associated Press writer Qassim Abdul-Zahra contributed from Boston. A tourist in Thailand faces up to two years imprisonment after posting negative reviews of a hotel on Tripadvisor and other sites. Wesley Barnes, an American who works in Thailand, allegedly wrote a number of damning reviews of Sea View Resort on the island of Koh Chang. The hotel has responded with legal action, accusing Barnes of causing damage to the reputation of the hotel. The Sea View Resort owner filed a complaint that the defendant had posted unfair reviews on his hotel on the Tripadvisor website, Colonel Thanapon Taemsara of Koh Chang police told AFP. In one review, Barnes wrote that staff were unfriendly and acted like they don't want anyone here. In another, since taken down by Tripadvisor for violating its guidelines, he accused the resort of modern day slavery. Defamation laws in Thailand are extremely strict, with sentences of up to two years jail-time and fines of up to 200,000 baht (4,925) for those who are convicted of defamation by publication. We chose to file a complaint to serve as a deterrent, as we understood he may continue to write negative reviews week after week for the foreseeable future, said the resort in a statement, adding that Barnes comments included xenophobic connotations, accusations of slavery and even comments that could mislead readers to associate our property with the Coronavirus. They also claimed to have contacted Barnes prior to taking legal action: Despite out multiple efforts to contact him to resolve this in an amicable way for well over a month, he chose to ignore use completely. He only replied to emails, messages on reviews sites, etc. once he had been notified of our complaint by authorities. Barnes was arrested and briefly detained in Koh Chang, but has now been released on bail. Lee Jong-myeong A former deputy intelligence chief got a prison sentence on Monday for illegally spending taxpayers' money in pursuing political projects to benefit the conservative administration of former President Lee Myung-bak. I continue to believe that voting through the compromised USPS should only be a last resort for those who must be quarantined or who are medically avoiding even masked contacts because of the coronavirus. The best way to vote is to receive a mail-in ballot and physically deposit it in a drop box, which ensures your vote will arrive and leaves a paper trail (although youll still need to navigate the security envelope). Or, if youre like most people who occasionally visit the supermarket, voting in person will be just as safe as that, and youll be doing more for democracy than buying those low-calorie popsicles that your wife sends you out for. Let that figure sink in for a moment, then remember how much a Corvette used to develop during that era from the Chevy small-block V8. The rear-engined model listed on Fast Classics is a 930/60 with the Targa option, a right-hand-drive example of only 22 units of the G50 Turbo Targa for the UK market.The second and current owner acquired the car in October 1994, and ever since, many stamps have been affixed to the original service books. The sale further includes a newspaper advert of the car, an official letter from Porsche of Great Britain, as well as service history that includes a full engine rebuild.1996 is when the six-cylinder boxer was taken apart at around 40,000 miles, and July 2020 is when the most recent mechanical refreshed was performed. New gaskets, a new timing chain, and many more are listed in the invoice.Also complemented by a certificate of authenticity from the German automaker, the RHD 930 wears Continental Conti Sport rubber on all four corners. Fuchs wheels in tonal black, Guards Red paintwork, a Whale-Tail rear spoiler, no blemishes on the targa top, and Linen leather seats with red piping are worthy of mentioning, along with the factory Blaupunkt Toronto stereo and airbag steering wheel.No expense has been spared in the car's maintenance according to the selling vendor, which may explain the asking price of 114,995 pounds sterling. Thats $147,750 at current exchange rates, ten grand more than the 992 Targa 4S. Pretty expensive indeed, but the condition and rarity do bring the point home.When it was new, the European version of the 930 with the five-speed manual could shoot to 60 mph in 4.9 seconds. On full song, Porsche quotes 162 mph (260 kph). BERLIN - Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny is recovering from the suspected assassination attempt last month faster than expected, one of his aides said Sunday. Navalny, who collapsed on a plane from Siberia to Moscow on Aug. 20 and spent nearly three weeks in a coma, was discharged last week from the Berlin hospital where he was being treated. His doctors said that based on Navalnys progress a complete recovery is possible. He is doing much better, I would say unexpectedly better, Leonid Volkov, Navalnys chief of staff, told German broadcaster RTL. I think the recovery is really faster than expected, and of course this is good news that makes us very happy. Navalny, a longtime foe of Russian President Vladimir Putin, is still receiving outpatient treatment and remains under close protection, Volkov said. I personally dont think that another attack can happen in Berlin, but we can see that the personal security has a different opinion, he said. He is guarded quite heavily. Germany authorities have said Navalny was poisoned with a powerful nerve agent and called on Russia to investigate the attack that occurred on its territory. The presence of the Soviet-era nerve agent Novichok in Navalnys samples was corroborated by labs in France and Sweden. But Russia has resisted international pressure to launch a criminal investigation, saying its own tests found no trace of poisonous substances in the opposition leaders system. The poisoning had so many negative consequences for the Kremlin, said Volkov, adding that in his opinion the attempted assassination couldnt have occurred without Putins approval. Navalny has said that he intends to return to Russia to resume his work. He understands the risks quite well, and we are supposed to think somehow how he can continue living in Russia, Volkov told RTL. It will not be so easy and many things will change, for sure, to reduce the probability of a second attack. Read more about: The UN Security Council is expected to hold emergency talks Tuesday behind closed doors on the ethnic Armenian region of Nagorny Karabakh, where fierce fighting has raged since the weekend, diplomats told AFP on Monday. Germany and France requested the meeting, but other European council members -- Belgium, Britain and Estonia -- support the move, the sources said. The outbreak of deadly violence in the separatist region, supported by Yerevan, comes in the middle of the annual UN General Assembly and raises fears of a war between ex-Soviet republics Azerbaijan and Armenia in the Caucasus. That could embroil regional players such as Russia, which has a military alliance with Armenia, and Turkey, which backs Azerbaijan. Increasingly deadly fighting raged Monday between Azerbaijani and Armenian forces in the region, sparking bellicose rhetoric from Turkey despite international pleas for a halt in fighting between the longtime enemies. Armenia and Azerbaijan have been locked in a territorial dispute over Nagorny Karabakh for decades, with deadly fighting flaring up earlier this year and in 2016. At least 67 people have been killed in the most recent fighting. Search Keywords: Short link: The United States has long been the worlds most generous provider of health and humanitarian assistance to people around the world. This assistance is provided with the support of the American taxpayer with the reasonable expectation that it will serve a useful purpose and reach those in need. Unfortunately, the World Health Organization, or WHO, has failed badly by those measures, not only in its response to COVID-19, but to other health crises in recent decades, said State Department Spokesperson Morgan Ortagus in a statement. In addition, WHO, has declined to adopt urgently needed reforms, starting with demonstrating its independence from the Chinese Communist Party. As a result, the United States announced its official withdrawal from the WHO effective on July 6, 2021. The United States commitment to health assistance abroad remains strong. In the lead-up to the withdrawal the Administration is examining ways to leverage the expertise of key U.S. government Departments and Agencies and the U.S. private sector to deliver essential support rapidly to other countries to prevent, detect, and respond to infectious-disease outbreaks at their source and humanitarian emergencies. Since 2001, the U.S. government has contributed more than $142 billion to help prevent, detect, and treat HIV/AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis, Ebola, and other dangerous diseases and conditions. We give an average of $10 billion per year for global health, and this year, it will be double that as we surge to fight COVID-19 worldwide, said USAID Assistant Administrator for Global Health Dr. Alma Golden. The United States is determined to ensure that its withdrawal from WHO does not affect the level of its overall health assistance to the most vulnerable. The United States leads the world in health and humanitarian aid through an all-of-America effort, added Dr. Golden, and we are committed to ensuring that our generosity directly reaches people around the world. For the New World Order, a world government is just the beginning. Once in place they can engage their plan to exterminate 80% of the world's population, while enabling the "elites" to live forever with the aid of advanced technology. For the first time, crusading filmmaker ALEX JONES reveals their secret plan for humanity's extermination: Operation ENDGAME. Jones chronicles the history of the global elite's bloody rise to power and reveals how they have funded dictators and financed the bloodiest warscreating order out of chaos to pave the way for the first true world empire. Watch as Jones and his team track the elusive Bilderberg Group to Ottawa and Istanbul to document their secret summits, allowing you to witness global kingpins setting the world's agenda and instigating World War III. to Ottawa and Istanbul to document their secret summits, allowing you to witness global kingpins setting the world's agenda and instigating World War III. Learn about the formation of the North America transportation control grid, which will end U.S. sovereignty forever. Discover how the practitioners of the pseudo-science eugenics have taken control of governments worldwide as a means to carry out depopulation. View the progress of the coming collapse of the United States and the formation of the North American Union. Never before has a documentary assembled all the pieces of the globalists' dark agenda. Endgame's compelling look at past atrocities committed by those attempting to steer the future delivers information that the controlling media has meticulously censored for over 60 years. It fully reveals the elite's program to dominate the earth and carry out the wicked plan in all of human history. Endgame is not conspiracy theory, it is documented fact in the elite's own words. A senior Tory MP today claimed Boris Johnson is 'under the spell' of his advisers as he compared the Prime Minister to King Theoden from The Lord of the Rings. Former Brexit minister Steve Baker said Mr Johnson needs to be 'woken up' from his 'slumber' as he suggested the PM's aides like Dominic Cummings are in control of the Government's coronavirus response. The comments came amid a growing Tory rebellion over ministers imposing Covid-19 rules without first putting them to a vote in the House of Commons. Senior Tory MP Steve Baker today compared Boris Johnson to a character from J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings who is put under a spell and controlled by his advisers Mr Baker likened Mr Johnson to King Theoden and said 'at the moment somebody needs to wake' the Prime Minister 'from his slumber' Conservative backbenchers have accused the Government of 'ruling by decree' during the crisis. This week they will try to secure votes in Parliament on any future measures before they are rolled out. Mr Baker is one of the leaders of the Tory revolt and he warned yesterday that 'liberty dies' when governments are allowed to 'exercise draconian powers without parliamentary scrutiny in advance'. Today he went further as he compared the PM to King Theoden - a character from J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings who is put under a spell and controlled by his advisers. Mr Baker told Times Radio: 'People have got a great deal of faith in Boris Johnson. 'But, I'll push the boat out, many of us will have seen Lord of the Rings and there is a scene in Lord of the Rings where Theoden, the king, is under the spell of his advisers. 'And he has to be woken up from that spell and when he wakes from that spell joy comes to pass in the kingdom. 'And I am afraid at the moment somebody needs to wake Theoden from his slumber. 'When Theoden awakes, and I mean Boris, everything will come right.' Downing Street dismissed Mr Baker's claims. Asked if Mr Johnson is 'under the spell' of his advisers, the Prime Minister's Official Spokesman said: 'As he has said in the past, he is responsible for all the decisions that he takes as Prime Minister.' Mr Baker suggested that Mr Johnson is 'under the spell' of his advisers like Dominic Cummings Mr Johnson is under mounting pressure to give Parliament greater power to debate and vote on coronavirus restrictions with more than 50 Tory MPs signalling they could revolt on the matter. Conservative rebels seized upon an assessment by academics at University College London (UCL) which concluded that 'Parliament has been consistently sidelined during the pandemic'. MPs will vote on Wednesday on whether to renew the Coronavirus Act, and dozens of Conservatives have signed up to an amendment tabled by Sir Graham Brady, chairman of the influential Tory backbench 1922 Committee, calling for ministers to consult Parliament before introducing new curbs on people's freedoms. The size of the rebellion could see the Government facing defeat if the amendment is selected for a vote and opposition parties join forces with Sir Graham. IT company is in advance stage of sharing technology with ITI Limited and said the state-run electronics manufacturing entity will be ready to make and equipment in a few months, a senior official of the Mahindra group firm said. The country's potential to produce talent and software at large scale, coupled with geo-political scenario with China, presents a wonderful opportunity for India to indigenise technologies, network services CEO Manish Vyas told PTI. In June, the company signed an agreement with ITI Limited for development of and technologies. "We are in the stages of exchanging design, starting to plan and also doing a couple of test runs and trials based on the technology that they are looking to manufacture. Pretty advanced stages, it's not something that will take years but months for them to start doing it and of course, it depends on how quickly they start winning business in this area," Vyas said. He said the partnership to exchange technology with ITI is in line with the government's strong desire to get back the state-run company in manufacturing high-end technology products. "We are going to be helping them with the reference design with the transfer of technology that will enable them to put together the process and the plans to start manufacturing the radio units which are very specific to both and going forward, to an architecture which is an open source, open radio access network-based architecture," he said. Under government rule, ITI gets some quota to provide equipment that can be installed in the network of public sector telecom BSNL and MTNL. ITI has also won a Rs 7,796 crore contract to build communication networks for the Defence sector. Vyas said ITI getting back into high-end manufacturing will be a wonderful opportunity for them and other manufacturers of India. "This (India) market will require hundreds of thousands of radio units in the next few years globally. Millions I would say, and it will require a facility that people can trust, a country that people can trust, in terms of security from a data standpoint, I think it's a wonderful job. Our partnership is built around enabling them to be able to get back to manufacturing and to seize this moment and opportunity," he said. is already working with Japan's Rakuten Mobile on development of 5G technology. Vyas said that the company will not directly get into telecom equipment manufacturing but support worldwide in developing their network gears. "Tech Mahindra today works for every single major telecom firm outside China. Every single major service provider anywhere in the world, in every country that we care for, in the sense we operate in, in Africa and Latin America, in Europe and Australia, New Zealand, Southeast Asia, Japan, America, Canada," he said. Vyas said that all the top three or four service providers in each of the countries where Tech Mahindra operates are its customers. "It gives us an opportunity to participate with 150 operators globally. The world of opportunity exists for us across the board," he said. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Over half of male patients studied were found to have lower than their normal testosterone levels For the first time, data from a study with patients hospitalized due to COVID-19 suggest that the disease might deteriorate men's testosterone levels. Publishing their results in the peer-reviewed journal The Aging Male, experts from the University of Mersin and the Mersin City Education And Research Hospital in Turkey found as men's testosterone level at baseline decreases, the probability for them to be in the intensive care unit (ICU) significantly increases. Lead author Selahittin Cayan, Professor of Urology, states that while it has already been reported that low testosterone levels could be a cause for poor prognosis following a positive SARS-CoV-2 test, this is the first study to show that COVID-19 itself depletes testosterone. It is hoped that the development could help to explain why so many studies have found that male prognosis is worse than those females with COVID-19, and therefore to discover possible improvement in clinical outcomes using testosterone-based treatments. "Testosterone is associated with the immune system of respiratory organs, and low levels of testosterone might increase the risk of respiratory infections. Low testosterone is also associated with infection-related hospitalisation and all-cause mortality in male in ICU patients, so testosterone treatment may also have benefits beyond improving outcomes for COVID-19," Professor Cayan explains. "In our study, the mean total testosterone decreased, as the severity of the COVID-19 increased. The mean total testosterone level was significantly lower in the ICU group than in the asymptomatic group. In addition, the mean total testosterone level was significantly lower in the ICU group than in the Intermediate Care Unit group. The mean serum follicle stimulating hormone level was significantly higher in the ICU group than in the asymptomatic group. "We found, Hypogonadism - a condition in which the body doesn't produce enough testosterone -in 113 (51.1%) of the male patients. "The patients who died, had significantly lower mean total testosterone than the patients who were alive. "However, even 65.2% of the 46 male patients who were asymptomatic had a loss of loss of libido." The research team looked at a total of 438 patients. This included 232 males, each with laboratory confirmed SARS-CoV-2. All data were prospectively collected. A detailed clinical history, complete physical examination, laboratory and radiological imaging studies were performed in every patient. All data of the patients were checked and reviewed by the two physicians. The cohort study was divided into three groups: asymptomatic patients (n: 46), symptomatic patients who were hospitalized in the internal medicine unit (IMU) (n: 129), and patients who were hospitalized in the intensive care unit (ICU) (n: 46). In the patients who had pre-COVID-19 serum gonadal hormones test (n: 24), serum total testosterone level significantly decreased from pre-COVID-19 level of 458??198?ng/dl to 315??120?ng/dl at the time of COVID-19 in the patients (p?=?0.003). Death was observed in 11 of the male adult patients (4.97%) and 7 of the female patients (3.55%), revealing no significance between the two genders (p?>?0.05). Commenting on the results of the study, Professor Cayan added: "It could be recommended that at the time of COVID-19 diagnosis, testosterone levels are also tested. In men with low levels of sex hormones who test positive for COVID-19, testosterone treatment could improve their prognosis. More research is needed on this." The limitations of this study include it not including a control group of patients with conditions other than COVID-19, this was due to the restrictions placed on the hospital that they were monitoring the patients in. The authors state future studies should look at the concentration levels of ACE2 (Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2) - an enzyme attached to the cell membranes of cells located in the intestines -, in relationship with the total testosterone levels. ### By Lee Kang-seop The number of foreigners living in Korea, such as marriage immigrants, foreign workers and students, stands at about 2.5 million and they account for 5 percent of Korea's total population. Even though the government and civic groups have provided various supports to those foreigners who are unfamiliar with the Korean language and way of doing things, it is not easy for them to adapt to the different culture, laws and systems. Tesla Inc.s plan to build a $25,000 (U.S.) car within the next three years doesnt seem to have fazed Chinas most-promising electric vehicle startups, with executives at the Beijing Auto Show saying Elon Musk can bring it on. Its a good thing for us, WM Motor Co. founder and chief executive officer Freeman Shen said. We are very happy Tesla came to China because Tesla is just like Apple in the early days, they educate the whole market. Just as Apple Inc.s share in the mobile-phone market has been eroded by local players like Xiaomi Corp., Oppo and Huawei Technologies Co., so too will Teslas, however over a longer time horizon, Shen said. Teslas slice of the mainstream electric vehicle market will significantly decrease in five to 10 years, he said. Where WM Motor will be by 2030 isnt certain either. The company earlier this month raised $1.5 billion in a Series D round led by Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp. (Group), the parent of Chinas biggest automaker SAIC Motor Corp. People familiar with the matter have said WM plans a stock-market listing in its hometown of Shanghai as soon as this year, something Shen indicated on Saturday sounded ambitious, but declined to comment on further. Xpeng Inc. Vice Chairman Brian Gu meanwhile described Tesla as a partner, with both EV manufacturers trying to make sure more consumers are attracted by smart, environmentally friendly cars. EVs are less than five per cent of the market so together we are accelerating that change and conversion, he said in an interview with Bloomberg TV. Faster growth Gu also said Teslas plan to expand its output in Shanghai to an annual capacity of one million vehicles in the coming years wasnt of concern. If CEO Musk achieves one million units, that means the market has grown so much faster and bigger than what we anticipated, Gu said, adding that Xpengs mid-range EVs come in around the $25,000 mark already. Xpeng, which reported a net loss of $113 million on revenue of $142 million for the six months ended June 30, raised $1.5 billion in an initial share sale in the U.S. in August. The firm is among a handful of Chinese car startups to tap the market, surfing a wave of investor demand for EV stocks. Li Auto Inc., another Chinese EV company, increased the size of its U.S. IPO in July to raise $1.3 billion. Flying cars and face masks at only major auto show of 2020 Teslas presence at the Beijing Auto Show was primarily centred around displaying its China-made Model 3. The Palo Alto, California-based company plans to ship cars made at its Shanghai factory to Europe and other countries in Asia, including Singapore, Australia and New Zealand, as soon as the end of this year or early 2021, people familiar with the matter said earlier this month. Battery challenge NIO Inc. chief executive officer William Li, when asked about Teslas plans for a $25,000 car, noted that battery costs have been steadily declining. Batteries currently represent about one-quarter of an EVs cost because of the expensive metals used. We reached a gross margin of 10 per cent in the second quarter and it will increase each quarter, he said in an interview with Bloomberg TV on Saturday. The overall battery cost decrease will help promote EVs. Our price tag is more than $60,000 and even in China we have a lot of work to do for this niche market. Shanghai-based NIO, which has received a municipal government cash injection and credit facilities from local banks this year, reported a positive gross margin for the first time in the second quarter. Li also talked about customer service being more important than volume. Auto products arent only about producing cars but more importantly, serving your customers well, he said. For each family, buying a car isnt a small expense like buying clothes, and its closely related to ones safety. Quality and service will be the biggest challenge for all automakers in rapid expansion. NIO is also working closely with U.S. companies, despite the strained relations between China and the U.S., he said. NIO works with firms including Qualcomm Inc. and Intel Corp. Strengthening the partnership between these companies is essential to promoting electric vehicles and we will keep working on this, Li said. Read more about: Under international law, Nagorno-Karabakh is recognised as part of Azerbaijan. But the ethnic Armenians who make up the vast majority of the population reject Azeri rule. They have been running their own affairs, with support from Armenia, since Azerbaijan's troops were pushed out in a war in the 1990s. Long-standing ethnic tensions in the region between Christian Armenians and their mainly Muslim neighbours flared in Nagorno-Karabakh in the late 1980s. As the Soviet Union began to break up, it became apparent that Nagorno-Karabakh would come under the direct rule of the Azeri government. The ethnic Armenians did not accept that. Sectarian conflict erupted, escalating into war in 1991 between Azerbaijan's troops and Nagorno-Karabakh's ethnic Armenian forces backed by Armenia. Thousands of people were killed and hundreds of thousands were displaced. By 1994, when an internationally brokered ceasefire was agreed, ethnic Armenians controlled almost all of Nagorno-Karabakh, plus some surrounding Azeri districts that gave them a buffer zone and land bridge connecting their region to Armenia. International efforts over the years to find a lasting peace settlement, involving France, the United States and Russia as mediators, have failed to clinch a deal. Advertisement Its feared a conflict could drag in the big regional powers, Russia and Turkey. Moscow has a defence alliance with Armenia, while Ankara backs its ethnic Turkic kin in Azerbaijan. London: French President Emmanuel Macron fears a "collective betrayal" threatens to stoke a new civil war in Lebanon, as Australia's top representative in the fragile country urges its leaders to put self-interest aside to avoid a humanitarian catastrophe. A visibly angry Macron convened a special press conference to lash the Lebanese political establishment for failing to embrace urgent reforms in the wake of last month's deadly explosion in the capital Beirut. "I'm ashamed of your leaders," he said. "The failure is theirs, the responsibility is theirs." Prime Minister-designate Mustapha Adib stepped down on the weekend after his attempts to form a new government with cabinet posts not tied to political or religious blocs failed. Macron had invested significant political capital in the plan but vowed he would stand by the people of the former French protectorate. A northeastern Indiana sheriff has agreed to pay $55,000 to cover the countys settlement of a lawsuit over allegations that he shoved a 15-year-old boy during a festival. Allen County Sheriff David Gladieux said this past week he apologized for the altercation, calling it an unnecessary and preventable incident. The County Council voted earlier to pay settlement in a federal lawsuit filed by the boys family. Council member Ken Fries said he believed Gladieux should also pay the countys other legal costs for the lawsuit, which The Journal Gazette reported have totaled nearly $41,000 so far. Brad and Erin Bullermans son was a volunteer during Fort Waynes Three Rivers Festival in July 2019. The couples suit alleges that Gladieux smelled of alcohol and pushed their son to the ground, injuring him when he fell onto a metal stake, after the teen asked to see Gladieuxs VIP pass to a restroom area. Gladieux, a Republican, first was elected sheriff in 2014. He agreed to a pretrial diversion agreement under which the misdemeanor charge will be dropped next month if he completes alcohol and anger management courses and pays a $334 fine. Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Lawsuits Indiana HUDSON VALLEY, NY New York state health officials are investigating the recent rise in people testing positive for the coronavirus in Orange and Rockland counties, as well as in Brooklyn, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said in a Monday morning news conference. On Thursday, the two Hudson Valley counties accounted for 12 percent of New York's new positive test results. (SEE: Coronavirus Cases In Orange, Rockland Outpace Region) In New York City, health officials also sounded an alarm on growing cases last week and warned that a new round of coronavirus lockdowns could be coming to neighborhoods should the upticks not improve. (SEE: 'Alarming' Coronavirus Growth Tracked In 8 NYC Neighborhoods) State officials are beginning targeted probes into the spikes in Orange and Rockland counties. "Like this Brooklyn cluster we have to get to the bottom of that," Cuomo said. For example, in Rockland County the positivity rate reached 6.7 percent among the people tested Saturday, according to the state dashboard: Cuomo deflected several questions seeking details about the rise in case rates. "The data is key and we'll act on the data," he said. Brooklyn, Orange and Rockland counties are known for their large Hasidic communities. In Rockland, 69 percent of current active cases (positive test results within the past two weeks) are in the ZIP codes for Monsey and Spring Valley, where there are large numbers of Hasidic residents. The total of active cases in Rockland rose to 534 on Friday from 460 on Thursday. Friday's active cases were almost double the number (272) as of Sept. 16. Orange County does not publish coronavirus case information by ZIP code. "We are going to target ZIP codes today and then contact the hospitals in those ZIP codes that have shown increased case numbers," Cuomo said. "We'll have ZIP codes within Brooklyn, within Rockland, within Orange. before we say anything, I want to talk to local health officials to make sure what they're finding is consistent with what we're finding." Story continues The governor said state officials said they would close a region's schools if positive test results rose to 5 percent. Orange and Rockland are in the Mid-Hudson region, where the daily positivity rate is 1.6 percent, up from 1.2 percent a month ago. Cuomo said the report on cases can be deceptive because it is a function of how many tests are done. "Then you get into President Trump's game do less testing so you'll have fewer cases," he said. "Don't report cases, report infection rate." Cuomo reiterated his demand that local governments enforce compliance with the state's mandated pandemic protocols, including wearing masks, social distancing and limiting the size of gatherings. It's specially essential now because of so-called compliance fatigue, he said. "The virus isn't tired," he said, arguing that local leaders worried about making people in their communities angry will make even more people unhappy if the state has to close businesses again or tighten up rules on gatherings. "Welcome to the world in 2020." Meanwhile, he said New Yorkers should remember the state's overall positivity rate was 1 percent. "That benchmark makes us the lowest infection rate in the nation and one of the lowest on the globe," he said. This article originally appeared on the New City Patch The Securities and Exchange Commission today announced charges against Florida resident Todd Zinkwich for engaging in a fraudulent scheme to manipulate the market for numerous microcap stocks, which enabled his clients to sell millions of dollars' worth of stock to retail investors at inflated prices. According to the SEC's complaint, from at least June 2017 to March 2018, individuals and groups who held large quantities of microcap stocks paid Zinkwich hundreds of thousands of dollars to facilitate a scheme to drive up demand for the stocks of certain issuers. As alleged in the complaint, Zinkwich arranged for his associate Eric Landis, whom the Commission previously charged for his role in this fraud, to generate an appearance of increased demand for the stocks. The complaint alleges that Landis accomplished this by placing thousands of "wash" trades - where one person uses the same or multiple accounts to be on both sides of a trade -using numerous accounts that Zinkwich and Landis controlled. According to the complaint, this manipulative trading scheme generated the false appearance of an upsurge of trading in the companies' stock and allowed Zinkwich's clients to sell millions of shares of stock into the public market at inflated prices. The SEC's complaint, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts, charges Zinkwich with violating the antifraud provisions of Sections 17(a)(1) and (3) of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Rules 10b-5(a) and (c) thereunder and with aiding and abetting Landis's violations of the anti-manipulation provisions of Section 9(a) of the Exchange Act. Without admitting or denying the SEC's allegations, Zinkwich consented to entry of a judgment that enjoins him from violating the charged provisions and a penny stock bar, with monetary relief to be determined by the court at a later date. The settlement is subject to court approval. The SEC's case is being handled by Trevor Donelan, Jonathan Allen, Eric Forni, Kathleen Shields, J. Lauchlan Wash, Rebecca Israel, David Scheffler, and Amy Gwiazda of the SEC's Boston Regional Office, with assistance from Alex Lefferts in the SEC's Office of Market Intelligence, and in coordination with the Enforcement Division's Microcap Fraud Task Force. The SEC appreciates the assistance in this matter of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Massachusetts, and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA). It was not exactly clear what Brudzinski was referring to. Poland is a predominantly Catholic nation where Christians do not face persecution and where abortion is illegal in most cases and euthanasia is outlawed. In one case, however, an IKEA employee in Poland was fired for citing Biblical passages to suggest gays should be killed. The current government has spoken in the employees defense and a state prosecutor is suing the IKEA manager who fired him. Google Doodle, a temporary logo on the Google homepage, on Monday featured cai luong, a style of modern folk opera in southern Vietnam, in observance of Vietnam Stage Day (September 28), an annual celebration of the rich history of theater in the country. Cai luong combines opera with spoken drama to create a vibrant expression of Vietnamese culture and identity. Accompanied by an orchestra containing traditional Vietnamese instruments like the six-string zither, cai luong brings to life a wide range of stories, from ancient legends of monarchs and warriors to explorations of modern Vietnamese social themes. While the subject material may vary, one common element is the signature melancholic song structure called vong co, which translates to 'nostalgia for the past.' In addition to the Doodle feature, Google cooperated with the Ho Chi Minh City Television (HTV) to promote the iconic cai luong play 'Tieng Trong Me Linh' (The Drum Sound of Me Linh) on its video-sharing platform YouTube. A screenshot of the iconic cai luong play 'Tieng Trong Me Linh' The historical play tells the true story of the Trung sisters who helped lead the fight for Vietnamese independence from the Chinese Han Dynasty in the 1st century. A classic of the art form, 'Tieng Trong Me Linh' has been staged by many of Vietnams top cai luong performers since it first debuted in 1977. In order for the celebrations meaning to be widely spread to the public, Google also invited veteran cai luong artists and their young successors to create and share content cheering for the national traditional art on their personal YouTube channels. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Edison, NJ -- (SBWIRE) -- 09/28/2020 -- A new business intelligence report released by HTF MI with title "COVID-19 Outbreak-Global Crowd Funding Industry Market Report-Development Trends, Threats, Opportunities and Competitive Landscape in 2020" is designed covering micro level of analysis by manufacturers and key business segments. The COVID-19 Outbreak-Global Crowd Funding Market survey analysis offers energetic visions to conclude and study market size, market hopes, and competitive surroundings. The research is derived through primary and secondary statistics sources and it comprises both qualitative and quantitative detailing. Some of the key players profiled in the study are Fundable, Lending Club, Kickstarter, Crowdrise, Kiva, Funding Circle, GoFundMe, Charitable, Give, Ulule, AngelList, Patreon, MightyCause (formerly Razoo), Crowdfunder, GoGetFunding, Indiegogo, InKind (formerly Equity Eats), Seed&Spark, PledgeMusic & Crowdcube. What's keeping Fundable, Lending Club, Kickstarter, Crowdrise, Kiva, Funding Circle, GoFundMe, Charitable, Give, Ulule, AngelList, Patreon, MightyCause (formerly Razoo), Crowdfunder, GoGetFunding, Indiegogo, InKind (formerly Equity Eats), Seed&Spark, PledgeMusic & Crowdcube Ahead in the Market? Benchmark yourself with the strategic moves and findings recently released by HTF MI Get Free Sample Report + All Related Graphs & Charts @ : https://www.htfmarketreport.com/sample-report/2849571-covid-19-outbreak-global-crowd-funding-industry-market Market Overview of COVID-19 Outbreak-Global Crowd Funding If you are involved in the COVID-19 Outbreak-Global Crowd Funding industry or aim to be, then this study will provide you inclusive point of view. It's vital you keep your market knowledge up to date segmented by Applications [Cultural Industries, Technology, Product, Healthcare & Others], Product Types [, Reward-based Crowdfunding, Equity Crowdfunding, Donation & Others] and major players. If you have a different set of players/manufacturers according to geography or needs regional or country segmented reports we can provide customization according to your requirement. This study mainly helps understand which market segments or Region or Country they should focus in coming years to channelize their efforts and investments to maximize growth and profitability. The report presents the market competitive landscape and a consistent in depth analysis of the major vendor/key players in the market along with impact of economic slowdown due to COVID. Furthermore, the years considered for the study are as follows: Historical year 2014-2019 Base year 2019 Forecast period** 2020 to 2026 [** unless otherwise stated] **Moreover, it will also include the opportunities available in micro markets for stakeholders to invest, detailed analysis of competitive landscape and product services of key players. Enquire for customization in Report @: https://www.htfmarketreport.com/enquiry-before-buy/2849571-covid-19-outbreak-global-crowd-funding-industry-market The titled segments and sub-section of the market are illuminated below: The Study Explore the Product Types of COVID-19 Outbreak- Crowd Funding Market: , Reward-based Crowdfunding, Equity Crowdfunding, Donation & Others Key Applications/end-users of COVID-19 Outbreak-Global Crowd FundingMarket: Cultural Industries, Technology, Product, Healthcare & Others Top Players in the Market are: Fundable, Lending Club, Kickstarter, Crowdrise, Kiva, Funding Circle, GoFundMe, Charitable, Give, Ulule, AngelList, Patreon, MightyCause (formerly Razoo), Crowdfunder, GoGetFunding, Indiegogo, InKind (formerly Equity Eats), Seed&Spark, PledgeMusic & Crowdcube Region Included are: North America (Covered in Chapter 7 and 14), United States, Canada, Mexico, Europe (Covered in Chapter 8 and 14), Germany, UK, France, Italy, Spain, Russia, Others, Asia-Pacific (Covered in Chapter 9 and 14), China, Japan, South Korea, Australia, India, Southeast Asia, Others, Middle East and Africa (Covered in Chapter 10 and 14), Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria, South Africa, Others, South America (Covered in Chapter 11 and 14), Brazil, Argentina, Columbia, Chile & Others Important Features that are under offering & key highlights of the report: Detailed overview of COVID-19 Outbreak- Crowd Funding market Changing market dynamics of the industry In-depth market segmentation by Type, Application etc Historical, current and projected market size in terms of volume and value Recent industry trends and developments Competitive landscape of COVID-19 Outbreak- Crowd Funding market Strategies of key players and product offerings Potential and niche segments/regions exhibiting promising growth A neutral perspective towards COVID-19 Outbreak- Crowd Funding market performance Market players information to sustain and enhance their footprint Read Detailed Index of full Research Study at @ https://www.htfmarketreport.com/reports/2849571-covid-19-outbreak-global-crowd-funding-industry-market Major Highlights of TOC: Chapter One: COVID-19 Outbreak-Global Crowd Funding Market Industry Overview 1.1 COVID-19 Outbreak- Crowd Funding Industry 1.1.1 Overview 1.1.2 Products of Major Companies 1.2 COVID-19 Outbreak- Crowd Funding Market Segment 1.2.1 Industry Chain 1.2.2 Consumer Distribution 1.3 Price & Cost Overview Chapter Two: COVID-19 Outbreak-Global Crowd Funding Market Demand 2.1 Segment Overview 2.1.1 APPLICATION 1 2.1.2 APPLICATION 2 2.1.3 Other 2.2 COVID-19 Outbreak-Global Crowd Funding Market Size by Demand 2.3 COVID-19 Outbreak-Global Crowd Funding Market Forecast by Demand Chapter Three: COVID-19 Outbreak-Global Crowd Funding Market by Type 3.1 By Type 3.1.1 TYPE 1 3.1.2 TYPE 2 3.2 COVID-19 Outbreak- Crowd Funding Market Size by Type 3.3 COVID-19 Outbreak- Crowd Funding Market Forecast by Type Chapter Four: Major Region of COVID-19 Outbreak- Crowd Funding Market 4.1 COVID-19 Outbreak-Global Crowd Funding Sales 4.2 COVID-19 Outbreak-Global Crowd Funding Revenue & market share Chapter Five: Major Companies List Chapter Six: Conclusion Complete Purchase of Latest Version COVID-19 Outbreak-Global Crowd Funding Market Study with COVID-19 Impact Analysis @ https://www.htfmarketreport.com/buy-now?format=1&report=2849571 Key questions answered - What impact does COVID-19 have made on COVID-19 Outbreak-Global Crowd Funding Market Growth & Sizing? - Who are the Leading key players and what are their Key Business plans in the COVID-19 Outbreak-Global Crowd Funding market? - What are the key concerns of the five forces analysis of the COVID-19 Outbreak-Global Crowd Funding market? - What are different prospects and threats faced by the dealers in the COVID-19 Outbreak-Global Crowd Funding market? - What are the strengths and weaknesses of the key vendors? Thanks for reading this article; you can also get individual chapter wise section or region wise report version like North America, Europe or Asia. About HTF Market Report HTF Market Report is a wholly owned brand of HTF market Intelligence Consulting Private Limited. HTF Market Report global research and market intelligence consulting organization is uniquely positioned to not only identify growth opportunities but to also empower and inspire you to create visionary growth strategies for futures, enabled by our extraordinary depth and breadth of thought leadership, research, tools, events and experience that assist you for making goals into a reality. Our understanding of the interplay between industry convergence, Mega Trends, technologies and market trends provides our clients with new business models and expansion opportunities. We are focused on identifying the "Accurate Forecast" in every industry we cover so our clients can reap the benefits of being early market entrants and can accomplish their "Goals & Objectives". A third federal judge on Sunday ordered the U.S. Postal Service to halt changes that have delayed mail delivery nationwide, handing the latest judicial rebuke to unilateral service cuts that critics allege would suppress mail-in voting in November's elections. U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan of Washington, D.C., sided with the states of New York, Hawaii and New Jersey and the cities of New York and San Francisco. They alleged that Postmaster General Louis DeJoy disrupted operations without first submitting changes to the Postal Regulatory Commission and told Congress that he had no intention of returning removed collection boxes or high-speed sorting equipment. The opinion was the latest by a court to conclude that Postal Service changes were likely to risk the timely delivery of election mail and hinder state responses to the novel coronavirus pandemic. "It is clearly in the public interest to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, to ensure safe alternatives to in-person voting, and to require that the USPS comply with the law," Sullivan wrote in a 39-page opinion. Ten days earlier, a judge in Washington state entered a nationwide injunction against changes that he called "a politically motivated attack on the efficiency of the Postal Service" and that were likely to irreparably harm the ability 14 suing states to administer the election. Stanley Bastian, chief judge of the Eastern District of Washington, blocked DeJoy's limits on delivery trips, decommissioning any mailboxes and sorting machines, or reducing processing facilities and retail hours. On Sept. 21, Manhattan federal judge Victor Marrero entered a similar injunction, ordering the service to prioritize election mail and preapprove overtime requests for the two weeks surrounding Election Day. "The right to vote is too vital a value in our democracy to be left in a state of suspense in the minds of voters weeks before a presidential election," he wrote in a suit brought by in several individuals and candidates. In a House hearing last month, DeJoy rejected accusations that he was impeding the election. He testified that many policy changes were underway before he took office June 15 and were needed to increase efficiency. Nevertheless, talks Friday were nearing a settlement between the Postal Service and 19 states and D.C. over handling of mailed ballots and the suspension of the postmaster general's cost-cutting backlogs. The Postal Service has retreated from the biggest changes. In court filings before Sunday's opinion, the Justice Department said the agency had directed managers not to reduce overtime, cut retail hours, further close processing facilities, or remove collection boxes and sorting equipment. The service also has said it will continue to apply first-class mail delivery standards to election mail regardless of the paid class and to dedicate additional process, transportation, and delivery and collection trips for two weeks surrounding Election Day to accelerate the delivery of ballots. Sullivan is overseeing related lawsuits brought in federal court in Washington by the NAACP, national and Colorado-based voter registration groups, and individual voters. He is also presiding over a case brought by the Postal Service's police union to undo an Aug. 25 decision limiting their jurisdiction to crimes on postal property. Sullivan found that the service has removed 711 high-speed sorting machines around the country this year, a nearly 15% reduction in capacity, or about 30 million pieces of paper mail per hour. Postal Service records indicate that on-time delivery of first-class mail began to decline in June, falling from roughly 90 to 94% to 82% in early August. By August, the agency had removed at least 52 machines in New York state, 27 machines in New Jersey, seven in San Francisco and four in Hawaii, the plaintiffs alleged. In Hawaii, sorting capacity fell by a third, from 300,000 pieces of mail an hour to 200,000, while three towns in western New York - Bowmansville, Depew and Lancaster - that usually receive about 80,000 pieces of mail a day got none on July 11, they claimed. Similar disruptions occurred in New York and New Jersey in July and August, the suit argued. In filing the suit Aug. 25, New York State's Democratic Attorney General Letitia James told reporters, "These changes are a thinly veiled attempt to advance the president's own political agenda." By Trend Iran calls on Armenia and Azerbaijan to exercise self-restraint following the latest military escalation in Nagorno-Karabakh region, Trend reports with reference to the Iranian MFA. Iran calls on the two sides to exercise self-restraint, and demands an immediate end to the clashes and the launch of dialogue between the two states. The spokesman also expressed Irans readiness to employ all of its capacities to help establish a ceasefire. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the IRI has called on the Republic of Azerbaijan and Armenia to exercise self-restraint following the latest military escalation in Nagorno-Karabakh region, the report said. On September 27, at about 06:00, the armed forces of Armenia, committing large-scale provocations, have subjected to intensive shelling from large-caliber weapons, mortars, and artillery mounts of various calibers of the positions of the Azerbaijan Army along the entire length of the front and Azerbaijani human settlements located in the frontline zone. The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on the withdrawal of its armed forces from Nagorno Karabakh and the surrounding districts. Californias Governor Gavin Newsom last week announced that the sale of new cars with internal combustion engines would be banned from 2035 in the state administrations latest effort to reduce its carbon footprint. The move was praised by environmentalists and carmakers alike - the latter already having committed billions to build an EV presence. But there is one problem the Golden State might want to fix by 2035 if the ban is to work: its power supply. Last month, California was threatened by the first rolling blackouts in about two decades as a heatwave led to a spike in electricity consumption. This, in turn, revealed that the states demand exceeded its supply - including imported electricity - and ignited a debate about whether it had grown its renewable energy generation capacity too aggressively for its own good. The debate is important if California plans on letting millions of EVs on its roads in less than two decades. These EVs will add to the demand for electricity, and there is no guarantee whatsoever they would need this electricity in off-peak hours. In the meantime, California will continue expanding its renewable capacity but likely not gas capacity. According to some, this could be a problem because gas provides an essential baseload when solar and wind cant supply power to the grid. Others, however, have brushed off these concerns. The president of the California Independent System Operator, the state grids manager, recently told the Los Angeles Times in an interview that the problem was more complex than some made it out to be. A shortage of imports and mostly the fact that Californias grid operates too close to the margin were at the heart of the outages. We knew coming into the day on Friday that we were going to be tight, but thats not unusual, Stephen Berberich told the LA Times. Were often tight. And imports generally take care of the gap. In this case, because it was hot in the West, we werent able to get the imports we would normally get. Renewables are not at the heart of the issues we had on Friday night. Yet renewables do bear improvement in the form of batteries, which, according to Berberich, could help with the load problem. However, they wont solve it on their own. Solar, he noted, is not available 24/7. In fact, Solar has virtually no value in the net peak hours, in the evening. This intermittency has plagued solar - and, perhaps to a lesser extent, wind - for years. Batteries are getting bigger and better, but they have a long way to go before they can completely replace power plants with a constant supply of fuel. In other words, the California grid is quite vulnerable to outages, especially during the summer season. This summer, when authorities asked Californians to conserve energy to prevent blackouts, they did. But can the authorities prescribe EV charging times to alleviate the load on the grid? This will hardly work with millions of people. Related: Worlds No.1 Oil Trader Sees Crude Inventories Shrinking This Year Electricity demand in California could jump by 25 percent if all passenger vehicles on its roads are electric, the Wall Street Journals Russell Gold wrote last week, citing calculations done by experts. This is a major demand increase even if it is hypothetical: California will not be banning existing ICE cars from the road, only new sales. Sales of used ICE cars will also be allowed after 2035. But the goal is clear enough: make EVs the dominant mode of transportation. And this will cost the grid. There has been an idea to use EVs to actually supply power to the grid when needed, but it has been fraught with problems that, for now, make it impractical. Thats all right because the millions of EVs that the idea envisages as grid supporters have yet to hit the road. For now, the only other idea about how to cope with the situation is adapting the grid to the higher demand: upgrading the transmission and distribution equipment to handle the stronger demand from households, since most EVs are charged at home. One utility, the WSJs Gold reported, has also suggested incentivizing people to charge their cars during off-peak hours to avoid overloading the grid. For now, the best time to do this seems to be the middle of the day. Trying to make millions of people charge their EVs during the middle of the day could be challenging despite any incentives utilities might think of. And in case it does work, the additional EVs would just turn into another peak demand period, potentially threatening more outages in its own right since most drivers would want to fast-charge their EVs if they would be charging them at noon instead of at night, at home. Reconciling Californias grid vulnerability with its EV ambitions will require a lot of workwork that needs to get underway now. Currently, EVs comprise just a tenth of Californias car demand. This may change by 2035, and with the proper incentives, it probably will. So, the grid needs to be prepared for the surge in EVs that would need charging because the heatwaves during the summer are unlikely to go away. By Irina Slav for Oilpirce.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: MIAMI, Sept. 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- When DiscountMugs.com, one of the top promotional product providers in the United States, heard that Miami-Dade County Public Schools (MDCPS) was looking for face mask donations, the Medley-based company stepped up quickly to help. DiscountMugs.com, which carries thousands of promotional products online, donated 10,000 disposable masks for MDCPS students and 5,000 KN-95 masks for teachers. The distribution of these masks has already started and will continue throughout the month. "We want to ensure that students and teachers have access to face masks to comply with CDC guidelines. Ever since the pandemic began, we created a community outreach program to assist first responders and small businesses. We have donated face masks, hand sanitizers, face shields, and also custom promotional products to help businesses promote themselves during these unprecedented times. We want to do our part in helping our South Florida community," stated DiscountMugs.com CEO Sai Koppaka. "Miami-Dade County Public Schools is grateful for the generous donation made by DiscountMugs.com to help ensure the safety and wellness of students and employees. The 15,000 masks will be distributed to schools to support our efforts to Reopen SMART and Restart SAFE," stated Jaime Torrens, Chief of Staff, Miami-Dade County Public Schools. DiscountMugs.com Based in Medley, FL, DiscountMugs.com is a major online provider of promotional products in the United States. The company's proprietary online design lab allows customers to easily design their own custom promotional products from mugs, to t-shirts, hats and many more categories, and have them delivered in as little as one week. DiscountMugs.com's vertically integrated supply chain is unique in the industry, allowing it to side-step intermediaries and pass along savings to customers. Media Contact: Eloise E. Rodriguez, Bristol PR & Communications 786.326.2221 / [email protected] EDITOR'S NOTE: Interviews are available with a representative of DiscountMugs.com. SOURCE DiscountMugs.com Saturday Night Live is known for many things, especially the commercial spoofs that for decades have lampooned merchandise and marketing trends. One of the most iconic featured Chevy Chase as a pitchman hawking a product that was both a dessert topping and a floor wax. That kind of absurd duality is funny. That kind of duality in a political group is dangerous and calls into question the advocacy in which they engage. Everyone thinks AARP, the group formerly known as the American Association of Retired Persons, represents the interests of millions of seniors, making it one of the most powerful lobbying groups in Washington. People dont realize its also an insurance company and rakes in hundreds of millions selling Medigap coverage to its members. Which interest is dominant: the commercial or the political? Given the groups influence on important issues like healthcare, its a fair question. A recently released Juniper Research Group report suggests commercial concerns now may override in importance the lifestyle and economic issues on which AARP made its name. Citing several sources, the report says that although AARP members contacting the groups headquarters opposed the Affordable Care Act by a margin of 14 to 1, it went ahead and backed the bill anyway. Could that be because its insurance company partner UnitedHealth was more interested in getting a law on the books requiring every American to purchase health insurance than what its members wanted? The report, available at www.CommitmentToSeniors.org and compiled for the group American Commitment, says the money coming from the purchase of supplemental health insurance coverage is now AARPs main revenue source. However, rather than helping seniors select a plan tailored to their needs or financial resources, the group sells UnitedHealth insurance exclusively in return for a 4.95% cut on every plan sold. This relationship brought more than $600 million into AARPs coffers in 2017. Some might see that as evidence the group has evolved into a marketing vehicle for the nations largest health insurer. Several ongoing lawsuits contest that the money flowing to the group from its deal with UnitedHealth constitutes an illegal kickback because the potential customers are told the policies are cheaper than whats available in the marketplace when identical coverage can be obtained without paying AARPs commission. Many of the same politicians who criticized the health insurance industry and other corporate interests as being selfish during the debate over Obamacare nonetheless hang on every word issuing from AARP headquarters. Obviously, theyve failed to ask themselves if the group is speaking for its members or its funders. American needs healthcare reform. Obamacare distorted the system in all kinds of ways. It made it difficult to keep the doctors we like and to utilize the insurance we bought because deductibles have risen so much. If were going to have an honest discussion about how to get out of the mess were in, the key players need to show their cards or have them shown for them. The elite media and so-called good government groups keep a close eye out for conflicts of interest, both real and potential, in the advocacy community on the right. They argue against the influence of so-called dark money on all kinds of issues, not just healthcare. The watchdog groups who like to tie groups that question the existence and impact of climate change to oil companies and supporters of the Second Amendment to gun manufacturers seem to have missed the link between United Health and AARP. Maybe they just dont want to see it. Peter Roff is a senior fellow at Frontiers of Freedom and a former U.S. News and World Report contributing editor who appears regularly as a commentator on the One America News network. Email him at RoffColumns@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter @Peter Roff Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 1 Sad 1 Angry 1 Infrastructure Ministry to attract UAH 3.8 bln of investments by transferring seven railway stations to concession The Ministry of Infrastructure of Ukraine plans to attract investments totaling UAH 3.8 billion by transferring seven railway stations to concession. "Ukrzaliznytsia with the support of the International Finance Corporation prepared seven railway stations for concession. Now, the final technical steps are being taken to launch the concession process," Minister of Infrastructure Vladyslav Krykliy said during the conference "Investments Matter" in Kyiv. According to him, the ministry plans to attract UAH 3.8 billion of investments, provide UAH 60.18 million in concession payments and UAH 17.4 million in taxes to the state budget. It is planned to transfer to the concession the following stations: Kharkiv, Kyiv, Mykolaiv, Chop, Dnipro, Khmelnytsky and Vinnytsia. In addition, in terms of development of the railway direction, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the European Investment Bank (EIB) will allocate $ 420 million for the project of electrification of the Dolynska-Mykolaiv-Kolosivka railway line. The project is tentatively planned to be completed by 2023. "Our goal is to develop the number of electrified directions, since it is more economical, environmentally friendly, safer. And this is about how we can improve the turnover of the car fleet, namely, exported and imported cargo. And this is all about the economy," Krykliy explained. The platform for de-occupation of Crimea will include measures at various levels, the highest of which will be the Crimean Summit. "The purpose of the Crimean platform is to raise the issue of Crimea at the highest international, political level. This platform will cover several levels. The highest level is the [meetings] of leaders of the states. We prepare the Crimean Summit for this level. Now it is difficult to say whether it will be possible to hold it physically due to the COVID-19 pandemic," First Deputy Foreign Minister of Ukraine Emine Dzheppar told Crimea.Realities portal. As noted, Ukraine suggests holding the platforms meeting on February 26 - the Day of Crimean Resistance to Russian Occupation. "The next level [of the platform] is the [meetings of] foreign ministers and defence ministers. Various activities within NATO, the EU, the UN, the OSCE, the Council of Europe will refer to this level. It will be an ecosystem of activities during the year and these should be systemic things," the First Deputy Foreign Minister said. "An important aspect that I want to highlight is that we plan to present militarization [of Crimea] as one of the key consequences of the occupation of the peninsula," Dzheppar said. ol Data shows that the current system of decentralised marketing and centralised procurement helps Punjab and Haryana farmers the most, while its efficacy in other states has been poor. Experts and farm leaders say success of the laws rests heavily on implementation. The Indian farmer needs Marks and Spencer more than Marx and Engels, the late farmer leader from Maharashtra, Sharad Joshi, used to say, in support of liberalising agricultural marketing in India. Nearly forty years after his clarion call for removing shackles from the hands of farmers, the Union government has passed three laws that create a legal framework for deregulating the farm market to some extent. Data shows that the current system of decentralised marketing and centralised procurement helps Punjab and Haryana farmers the most, while its efficacy in other states has been poor. Secondly, marketed surplus ratio in India has improved in the last two decades, but again, the two Green Revolution states emerge as the best gainers. Thirdly, this has not helped in terms of better remuneration: prices realised in agriculture produce market committees (APMCs or mandis) have largely remained below the minimum support prices (MSP) across states, across time, and in the last marketing season. But while data points to the same direction as the new laws do, experts and farmer leaders across states have voiced concerns over the fact that not all stakeholders were taken aboard. "States and farmers will need to live and work within the framework of the new laws. "The future has now become more challenging and uncertain," Ajay Vir Jakhar, chairman of Bharat Krishak Samaj, said. Consider the case of paddy procurement by centralised agencies. In the recent past (three years that ended in 2018-19 marketing season), more than 85 per cent of Punjab and Haryanas paddy produce was procured by the government at MSP. However, the same proportion for other rice producing states was far less: 18 per cent for Uttar Pradesh and 11 per cent for West Bengal. Though this pertains to paddy only, it suggests that most states are losing out on procurement. Further, the procurement situation in all other crops is worse than paddy and wheat. The Shanta Kumar committee under the first Modi government had recommended shifting grain procurement from northern India to eastern parts of the country to boost farm growth elsewhere. But even if we leave procurement aside for a moment, and just look at the marketing of food produce, data shows that Indian farmers have increasingly marketed more produce than before, over time. The marketed surplus ratio - amount sold in the market (local traders, private buyers or mandis) as a share of produce - has risen considerably for most crops (chart 2), according to data maintained by the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP). However, the distribution of this improvement across states and classes of farmers has been uneven. A 2012 paper by Vijay Paul Sharma and Harsh Wardhan at Indian Institute of Management - Ahmedabad found that while the marketed surplus ratio for paddy is excellent for the two agitating states, it is as low as 40 per cent for West Bengal. It is to be noted that these figures are comparative, and would not match the CACP data. Small and marginal farmers - the majority - contributed weakly to the overall marketed surplus, the paper by the IIM-A duo found. Their share in marketed produce was 17 per cent for paddy, and 10 per cent for wheat. It also noted that about 40 per cent of marketed produce is to private traders unregulated by the APMC, and closer to the village, or sometimes, inside the village by local traders. Marketing of food produce thus lacks a strong supply chain, and logistics infrastructure that would ensure that the produce gains value as it reaches the market, said Pawanexh Kohli, former advisor to the government on cold chain development. These reforms are long awaited and futuristic, but will be rendered futile unless supplemented by developments in agri logistics and market connectivity on ground, he told Business Standard. Now, mandis have always been a bone of contention between the reformist and status quo-ist strands of market reforms. But the degree to which mandi prices have lagged MSP is telling. Farmers have earned considerably less than the MSP for most years, for major crops. In fact, for four crops across 12 states, market prices have remained lower than MSP for 77 per cent of trading sessions, shows CACP data. Saying this may change soon due to the new legal framework, farmer leader Sadabhau Khot said that the laws will save the farmers from dancing to the tunes of market prices. Farmer Producer Organisations, companies that will enter the marketing will ensure that market comes closer to the farmer, and that the required technology transfer from new marketers to farmers takes place, the former minister in the erstwhile Devendra Fadnavis government in Maharashtra, told Business Standard. Bhagwan Singh Meena, national general secretary of Kisan Swaraj Sangathan, a farmer group active in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan said that a pre-determined remunerative floor rate should be available when farm produce is sold under the new laws. We also want that some regulation be placed on traders or else they might cheat farmers, Meena said. He said that farmers in Sheopur, Gwalior and Ujjain had started protesting against the Bills and the protests would intensify in the coming days. Photograph: PTI Photo Lance Corporal Daniel Kwofie is a policeman who survived COVID-19. He is now an avid ambassador educating people and speaking out against the stigmatisation of persons who have the virus or have recovered from it. Kwofie found out about his COVID-19 status on May 19, 2020, after he returned home from night duty. He is quick to share his experience as a COVID-19 positive person. He suspects he could have contracted the disease while at work. "I work as a Domestic Crime Investigator and I might have contracted it from one of the hundreds of persons l come into contact with in my line of work. I may also have contracted it during my daily commute to work as l use public vehicles, he said. Kwofie is among the 42,267 people who have recovered from the virus out of the 45,288 affected. Another 285 people infected with the virus have died. Kwofie decided to speak out about his experience to educate people who may think that COVID-19 is a hoax. He has been urging people he meets on a daily basis to observe the guidelines that have been in force since the virus was reported in Ghana. His message is simple: wash hands frequently, keep physical distance and wear masks in public places. And he is not alone. The Ghana Police stepped in to join frontline workers in the fight against coronavirus after Ghana announced its first two cases on March 12, 2020. Unlike other countries such as Kenya and South Africa where the police brutally enforced movement restrictions and curfews sometimes tragically, the police in Ghana, during and post the lockdown, continued to contribute to the fight through what they describe as humanitarian operations. These operations include public education on how to stay safe from COVID-19 at bus terminals and markets and distribution of free water with their water bowsers in informal communities among others. The Ghana Police Service has also dedicated resources to assist in containing the virus, including setting up major incident rooms for holding suspected cases and setting up specific new task forces such as operation COVID-19 safety. Even though the police had been complaining of inadequate personnel, they are required to continue carrying out their traditional role of fighting violent threats while they extend their range of duties into helping Ghana win the biological threat. Police to civilian ratio is presently 1 police officer to 848 civilians, falling short of the United Nations (UN) benchmark of one police officer to 500 people. Restrictions To curb the spread of COVID-19, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo declared a partial lockdown, which restricted movement of persons in Accra, Tema, Kasoa and Kumasi metropolis for three weeks from March 22, 2020. In line with the restrictions, all residents in the affected areas were to stay indoors while only essential services providers in the food, pharmaceuticals and banking sectors were exempted. Typically, some people deliberately flouted the directives. This saw the deployment of thousands of police officers of different ranks to areas within the locked-down areas to enforce the restriction. The men and women in black, as the police are often referred to, worked in shifts of an average of 12 hours day and night. They undertook operations such as blocking major roads and routes leading to lockdown areas, stopping and questioning occupants of vehicles and persons on foot, and assisting persons assigned on contact tracing, testing and treatment. They also evacuated and protected persons in mandatory and self-quarantine. During the three-week lockdown, about 1,326 persons were arrested for various infractions such as breaching the physical distancing protocols, attempting to travel out of the lockdown areas and illegal entry into the country. The enforcement of the partial lockdown witnessed scores of confrontations between the police and the public with reports of excesses. There were concerns of the police using brute force during some of the incidents captured on video by eyewitnesses. For instance, there was a heartbreaking video of an elderly woman crying and claiming she had been whipped by a policeman, in Accra Central, where she had gone to buy food items. Some police officers also suffered attacks from the public. For instance, Corporal Bernice Osei Owusu had a substance sprayed in her eyes by a (passenger of a vehicle, while a female driver ran over the foot of Inspector Sullemana Jallo Abdullah at a checkpoint. Those who allegedly assaulted the police personnel were arrested and are currently facing the law. Persons arrested are screened to ascertain their COVID-19 status and are kept in separate cells while suspects of petty crimes are released on bail to decongest the holding cells. Suspects are also required to give their travel history, undergo temperature checks and undergo screening of other COVID-19 related health symptoms before they are admitted to the cells. Exposure Policing during the pandemic came at a great cost. Even though the Ghana Police Service is not ready to disclose the total number of police personnel infected with COVID-19, sources close to the police have indicated that a number of police personnel were either battling the disease, succumbed to it or recovered from it. While the police carry out their expected roles in the fight against COVID-19, how protected are they? Apart from wearing masks and sometimes hand gloves, these police personnel are not seen in any protective equipment. Depending on the type of operation they carry riot controlling weapons, AK 47 rifles which can only put fear in humans but certainly not in the deadly virus. Because of COVID-19, the Police Administration in collaboration with a private sanitation company, undertook nationwide disinfection exercises of all police stations, barracks and police schools every three months. All police stations have installed hand washing facilities and alcohol-based hand sanitizers for use by personnel and visitors. Yet, the police, especially those in the operations unit are exposed to the risk of contracting the virus as they discharge their duties on a daily basis. Routinely, they arrest suspects without wearing any hand gloves exposing them to contracting the virus if any of the culprits is positive of the virus. The operational vehicles they use were also left out of the disinfection programme by the Police Administration. Measures The Director of Public Affairs of the Ghana Police Service, Superintendent of Police, Mrs Sheila Kese Abeyie-Buckman said 35,000 police personnel led by the Inspector General of Police (IGP) were actively involved in the fight against the pandemic, particularly during the three weeks lockdown. To ensure safety, she said all police officers were supplied with at least two reusable face masks and other PPE such as gloves while they were educated to follow all necessary safety protocols. "As front line officers, they were out there so that the majority of the citizenry could stay at home, we were relatively exposed to the disease; the possible exposure also led to possible risk of infecting our families," she said. Some of the challenges faced by the police, she said included difficulty with finding transport to work and back home and inadequate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) at the initial stages. Additionally, she pointed out that managing detainees confirmed or suspected to be positive was also a huddle. Other challenges, Mrs Abeyie-Buckman outlined included police personnel contracting COVID-19 in the course of their work while some officers faced stigmatisation because their colleagues tested positive "and the citizenry labelled all police officers as being positive. For instance, in Koforidua in the Eastern Region, commercial vehicles refused to commute with police officers in uniform or people in mufti identified as police officers." In his assessment of the performance of the police in terms of enforcing the law in the face of COVID-19, the Director, Faculty of Academic Affairs & Research of the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre, Prof Emmanuel Kwesi Aning said the police service has copped considerably better than expected taking into consideration the uncertainties the pandemic brings. This report was supported by the Africa Women Journalism Project (AWJP) in partnership with the International Center for Journalists (ICFJ). Source: graphic.com.gh Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video A National Investigation Agency (NIA) court in Kochi on Monday sentenced a former Islamic State terrorist who had returned from Iraq to life imprisonment and slapped a fine of 2,10,000. Subahani Haja Moideen (34) was found guilty under Section 125 of the Indian Penal Code for waging war against a friendly country and Section 120 B (criminal conspiracy) and Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) by the court on Friday. This is the first time a person has been convicted under Section 125 of the IPC, legal experts said. The court also lauded the investigating team for carrying out a thorough probe. The NIA had arrested Moideen in October 2016 from Tirunelveli in Tamil Nadu where he was living discreetly after his return to the country. During investigation the NIA found Moideen, a resident of Thodupuzha in Idukki district, had left for Saudi Arabia in 2015 and later reached Turkey. He was taken to the Syrian border by his handlers and was later shifted to Raqqa (Syria) where he underwent intense arms training before being deployed in Mosul (Iraq) under a team led by a French-speaking leader. During a battle, Moideen saw a fellow IS fighter burn alive and fled the scene but was captured by other IS militants. He told investigators that he was let off only after assuring the IS leadership that he would carry out terror activities in India. The prosecution said when he was arrested he was planning attacks against some judges and senior political leaders. It also found that he had made several trips to Sivakasi, a Tamil Nadu town famous for its crackers, to collect explosives. While in custody he was also questioned by French intelligence agencies in connection with the Paris attacks. He told interrogators that in Iraq he worked with Abdel Hamid Abaaoud, a Belgian-Moroccan terrorist, who was the mastermind behind the November 2015 Paris attacks. During the probe, the NIA found that after leaving IS-ruled areas he came to Turkey and gave a false affidavit in the Indian Embassy saying that his travel papers were stolen during a religious trip. But Moideen was not originally on the NIAs radar. The agency came to know about him while it was investigating an IS recruit from Maharashtra - Areeb Majeed, who is now under judicial custody. The NIA found that Moideen had recruited 15 people for IS through social media for carrying out terror activities in the country. Temple University Health System's new CEO Mike Young poses for a portrait in front of Temple University Hospital in Philadelphia on Sept. 22, 2020. Read more Running the cash-strapped Temple University Health System is like playing poker with two cards while the other players have five. Thats how Mike Young, who arrived in August 2018 as chief operating officer of Temple University Hospital and became the systems chief executive in February, described the job. Its the most challenging task Ive ever had, said Young, 64, who had previously run safety-net hospitals in Atlanta and Buffalo, N.Y., years before coming to Temple as part of a health system turnaround the Temple University board launched in June 2018. The efforts by Young and his management team to make Temple more efficient are paying off. The Temple health system last week reported operating income of $72 million for the last fiscal year, up from $31.5 million the year before. That was the best result in many years at a system that disproportionately serves low-income people with poor-paying government insurance. Revenues were $2.3 billion. The strong profit would not have happened without $92 million in COVID-19 grants and a surge in income from Health Partners Plans Inc., the Medicaid insurer that Temple co-owns with Thomas Jefferson University and Einstein Healthcare Network. At the height of the pandemic, patients were avoiding doctors offices, so the insurer, like others, made more money. But other health systems in the region received substantial aid, too, and still had large losses. The much larger Jefferson, for example, received $320 million in COVID-19 aid, but that didnt prevent an operating loss of nearly $300 million. Similarly, Tower Health lost a whopping $378 million on operations for the year ended June 30, despite $98 million in CARES Act grants. As part of its restructuring, Temple had agreed to sell the Fox Chase Cancer Center, which it bought for $84 million in 2012, to Jefferson. Jefferson backed out of the deal in May, calling it a casualty of COVID-19. Jefferson still has an agreement to acquire Temples Health Partners shares. To make it clear that Temples operations had improved even without COVID aid, Young is quick to point out that Temple had logged $10.7 million in operating profit in the fiscal year through February before the pandemic threw the health-care industry into turmoil in March compared with a $15.2 million operating loss in the same period the year before. A key state official who helps oversee millions of subsidies that Temple gets for serving a particularly vulnerable population has noticed changes at Temple. They stopped what they were doing because they always did it and said, lets take a look at everything, said Jen Swails, Gov. Tom Wolfs budget secretary, who has years of experience overseeing Medicaid money, Temple University Hospitals biggest source of revenue. Temple decided it was time to take a look at themselves and see where they could make some adjustments. Temple did that first with the help of a chief restructuring officer, Stuart McLean, from the turnaround advisory firm Alvarez & Marsal. Now its up to Young, a York County native who also served as CEO of Pinnacle Health in Harrisburg and Lancaster General, now owned by the University of Pennsylvania, in Lancaster, where Young still has his permanent residence. Young, who isnt afraid to compare health care to a factory-like process, doesnt throw around many buzzwords when he describes the changes hes brought to Temple. Its getting the patients in and out and not getting them infected, and getting companies to pay us for these clinical trials, and getting someone to pick up additional responsibilities, he said. Its been pretty exciting. Young said he focuses on the quality of clinical care because improving that leads to better financial performance. Besides that, hes trying to institute what he called systemness by doing more to integrate Jeanes, Episcopal, Fox Chase, and Temple University Hospital. For example, Temple until recently had separate laboratories for tests at the main hospital, at Jeanes, and at Episcopal. Now it has one main lab at the flagship hospital, where a robotic line can do a test at a cost of eight cents apiece that cost three or four times that at Episcopal and Jeanes, Young said. Small labs for quick-turnaround tests remain at those satellite locations, but the change saves $1.5 million a year, he said. By combining certain Temple and Fox Chase purchasing contracts, theyve saved $4 million since the sale of Fox Chase fell through, Young said. That doesnt count an estimated $15 million to $20 million on the joint purchase of five linear accelerators used in cancer treatment. Previously, Temple and Fox Chase would have bought them separately, at much higher prices, he said. Temple University Hospital needed someone to run its plastic surgery residency, Young said. Fox Chase has a spectacular plastic surgeon, and hes agreed to step up and be the program director as well. That saves me 500 grand, Young said. One of Temples reasons for agreeing to sell Fox Chase was that Temple couldnt afford to invest in Fox Chases aging facilities. Among other things, Fox Chase was eyeing a new patient tower. That wont happen, but Young said his plan calls for spending $100 million at Fox Chase over four years to expand the intensive care unit and create private rooms. Temple would have to invest up to $700 million to bring the age of its physical plant up to the national average of 11.5 years. Right now, Temple stands at 17.7 years, the systems new chief financial officer, Nick Barcellona, said. It wont be easy to get there. More than 80% of Temples inpatients have Medicaid or Medicare insurance. At better-off hospital systems, private health plans pay 2.5 times what Medicare pays, according to a recent Rand study, and make up for losses in government-sponsored plans. Because of where it is, Temple has too few patients with more lucrative private insurance. Were never going to be a cash-flow machine and building big shiny new buildings like others, Young said. Thats just the reality. So it is always tougher. But Young seems to like it. Temples services are so critical to North Philadelphia. It gives you a different feel at the end of the day. The family of a black man who was fatally shot by a Maryland police officer while handcuffed in a patrol car earlier this year has reached a 'historic' $20million legal settlement in his death. William Howard Green, 43, of Washington D.C. was fatally shot on January 27 by Prince George County Police Cpl. Michael Owen Jr, a 10-year veteran on the force who was involved in previous shooting incidents. On Sunday, the Office of the County Executive in Prince Georges County announced that a settlement has been reached. County Executive Angela Alsobrooks was joined by Greens family attorney Billy Murphy and members of his family to announce the settlement on Monday 'Be clear there is no price that you can put on the life of a father, a son, a brother, an uncle. There is no appropriate price tag to accompany a loss like that one. But we believe the actions taken that night and ultimately taken against his family warrant that settlement,' Alsobrooks said. The $20million agreement is believed to be one of the nations largest one-time settlements involving a police killing. The family of black man William Howard Green, 43, (left) who was fatally shot six times by Maryland police officer Cpl. Michael Owen Jr (right) while handcuffed in a patrol car in January has been awarded a $20million legal settlement, officials announced Sunday On Monday County Executive Angela Alsobrooks was joined by Greens family and family lawyer to announce the settlement 'In Prince Georges County I can tell you that it is our belief that when we are at fault we take full responsibility...Let me be clear when we need to take responsibility, we wont hide from it,' Alsobrooks added. The agreement was reached between the administration of Prince Georges County Executive Angela D. Alsobrooks and Baltimore-based attorney William H. 'Billy' Murphy, who called the settlement 'historic'. 'This is a historic settlementIn my 50 years I have never seen a case this brutal, this senselessly brutal, this depraved and this unjustifiable conduct,' Murphy said. In 2015, Murphy secured a $6.4 million settlement with the city of Baltimore following the death of 25-year-old Freddie Gray, who died in police custody, according to the Washington Post. The county will pay for the settlement through their budget, funded by taxpayer dollars. 'Be clear there is no price that you can put on the life of a father, a son, a brother, an uncle. There is no appropriate price tag to accompany a loss like that one. But we believe the actions taken that night and ultimately taken against his family warrant that settlement,' Prince Georges County Executive Alsobrooks said Green's daughter Shelly shared an emotional statement, remembering her father as the 'glue' that kept their family together Green's daughter Shelly shared an emotional statement, remembering her father as the 'glue' that kept their family together. 'Losing my father has been the worst thing that ever happened to me. Words cannot express the emptiness, pain, and sorrow we feel. My dad was taken from me the same day as my mothers birthday....From the first breath I ever took, my dad was by my side. He was always there. Now I'm left alone to figure out my life,' she said. According to the police report from the incident, Owen and another officer responded to a traffic accident where Green was accused of striking multiple vehicles. Owen and another officer found Green parked nearby and reported that Green was possibly under the influence of drugs. Owen handcuffed Green and placed him in his patrol car. Witnesses reported a struggle inside the police cruiser, however investigators didn't find evidence of a fight, and Green was later shot in the front passenger seat. In a news release officials said 'Green was shot seven times by the officers duty weapon' as they awaited the arrival of a drug recognition expert. Six of those bullets hit Green. Fox5 reported Green was in police custody for at least 20 minutes before he was shot to death. Green, a father of two who worked as a Megabus luggage loader, was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital. According to the police report Owen and another officer responded to a traffic accident where Green was accused of striking multiple vehicles. He was handcuffed, placed in a patrol vehicle, and within 20 minutes in police custody shot to death William Green pictured above The shooting was not caught on body camera because Owen had not been assigned one, the chief said. Owen was arrested the day after the shooting. He was charged with second-degree murder, voluntary and involuntary manslaughter, first-degree assault and use of a firearm in the commission of a crime of violence, as per the Baltimore Sun. Both Owen and Green are black. The police department initially refused to share Green's race. A police accountability task force is taking extra time to review this case and will put forth their recommendation on December 4. Prosecutor Renee Joy said in January that Green posed absolutely no threat. Cpl Michael Owen, Jr., had been a 10-year-veteran with the force prior to the shooting. Pictured right in January mugshot 'There is no reason why a handcuffed person should ever be shot multiple times by a police officer, let alone shot multiple times inside a patrol car,' the ACLU of Maryland said in a statement at the time. Owen was denied bond in January by a judge who said he found evidence that the officer posed a danger to the community. Defense attorney Jonathan Scruggs said in January that Owen is an ordained minister and doesnt pose a danger. Owen has been involved in at least two other shootings during his time on the force. In 2011, he fatally shot a man who pointed a gun at him after Owen left an event at police headquarters, the department said. Owen was placed on administrative leave after that incident, but there is no indication whether additional action was taken. In 2009, Owen was off-duty when someone tried to rob him outside his home, The Washington Post reported. Police officials said the would-be robber fired, but Owen was not hit and returned fire. The assailant fled, according to police. The states attorneys office confirmed to The Associated Press that jury selection in the case was scheduled to begin in March 2021. Organisers of the Miss Universe-Ghana pageant have unveiled Chelsea Tayui as the Miss Universe-Ghana 2020 queen at a virtual show last Saturday, September 26. The 25-year-old was appointed, instead of being selected and crowned at a regular open mass scouting session, as has been the procedure over the years, in the wake of the Coronavirus pandemic. According to the National Director of Miss Universe-Ghana, Mrs Menaye Donkor Muntari, a unanimous decision between MALZ Promotions, organisers of the pageant in Ghana and Miss Universe International, a decision was taken to privately appoint a representative this year. Mrs. Muntari said it has been three years since MALZ Promotions took over the Miss Universe-Ghana Franchise and on Saturday, Ghana celebrated the third crowning under her directorship. She said last year, the Miss Universe-Ghana Organization decided to suspend production for a year to allow it time to restructure and make significant adjustments necessary to enhance the pageant. The National Director described the newly crowned queen as a young lady who is not only beautiful but one with a heart of gold, pointing out that, in the next year, she will be our ambassador to the world, promoting Ghana. The queen, together with the Miss Universe-Ghana Organisation, has raised funds to purchase a van to support an Autism Foundation in the country. She will also receive a brand new car for her personal use and other attractive prizes. After receiving the mantle as Miss Universe-Ghana 2020, Chelsea Tayui expressed appreciation for the honour and opportunity to serve mankind, and pledged her commitment to the task of helping to bring relief to the disadvantaged in society. I am a highly driven individual with a commitment to excellence. I am informed by my faith in God and my commitment to family, and I am prepared to keep on serving, she said. Chelsea holds a Bachelors Degree in Communications from DePaul University in Chicago, USA. As a well-travelled individual with visits to over 12 countries, she said she recognises the importance of respecting everyones culture and learning from it. 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 German Chancellor Angela Merkel paid a personal visit to Putin's arch-rival and critic Alexei Navalny in a Berlin hospital where he was being treated for a failed Novichok poisoning. Merkel visited Navalny during his 32-day stay in the Charite hospital in Berlin, but her official spokesperson Steffen Seibert declined to say how long the meeting lasted nor what was discussed. Politician Navalny also confirmed the 'private visit' in a Tweet saying she had 'a conversation with the family'. He wrote: 'There was a meeting, but one shouldn't call it secret. Rather, (it was) a private visit and a conversation with the family. I'm very grateful to chancellor Merkel for visiting me in the hospital.' Merkel has previously dubbed the poisoning an attempted murder and she and other world leaders have demanded that Russia fully investigate the case. German Chancellor Angela Merkel (left) paid a personal visit to Putin's arch-rival and critic Alexei Navalny (right after he was discharged) in a Berlin hospital where he was being treated for a failed Novichok poisoning Merkel has previously dubbed the poisoning an attempted murder and she and other world leaders have demanded that Russia (Russia's President Vladimir Putin, pictured) fully investigate the case German magazine Der Spiegel reported Sunday evening, without citing sources, that Merkel had made a secret visit to Navalny when he was at the Charite hospital in Berlin. It didn't specify when the visit happened, but Navalny was discharged from the hospital last week. Navalny spent 32 days in the hospital, 24 of them in intensive care, before doctors deemed his condition had improved sufficiently for him to be discharged. He will remain in Germany for the time being to continue his rehabilitation, his team said. Navalny - a politician and corruption investigator who is Russian President Vladimir Putin's fiercest critic - was flown to Germany two days after falling ill on August 20 on a domestic flight in Russia. He spent those two days in a coma in a hospital in the Siberian city of Omsk, where Russian doctors said they found no trace of any poisoning. German chemical weapons experts determined that he was poisoned with the Soviet-era nerve agent Novichok - findings corroborated by labs in France and Sweden. The nerve agent used in the attack was the same class of poison that Britain said was used on former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter in Salisbury, England, in 2018. Navalny's allies accused the Kremlin of involvement in the poisoning, charges that Russian officials have denied. The news comes just over a month after Navalny fell ill after boarding a flight at Tomsk airport in Russia (pictured left) and had to be rushed off the plane in a coma (right) Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny and his wife Yulia Navalnaya pose for a picture Russia has bristled at Merkel's demands for an investigation, saying that Germany needs to share medical data in the case or compare notes with Russian doctors. Germany has noted that Russian doctors have their own samples from Navalny since he was in their care for 48 hours. Germany has also enlisted the Hague-based Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons for technical assistance. The agency has collected independent samples from Navalny for testing but results have not yet been announced. The Russian delegation to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons sent a note to Germany last week, demanding 'comprehensive information on the so-called Navalny case,' including 'test results, biological materials and other clinical samples' to be provided within 10 days. Germany confirmed receiving the note, but reiterated that 'Russia already has everything necessary to be able to conduct investigations itself.' Navalny is recovering from the suspected assassination attempt faster than expected, his close ally and top strategist Leonid Volkov said Sunday. 'He is doing much better, I would say unexpectedly better,' Leonid Volkov, Navalny's chief of staff, told German broadcaster RTL. 'I think the recovery is really faster than expected, and of course this is good news that makes us very happy.' K-pop boy band BTS has finally announced the title and release date of their upcoming album. A tweet from their management company's verified Twitter account shared the news. The post came as a surprise for the ARMY, as the band announced their second album of 2020. Titled as 'BE', the album comes after the group's record-smashing release English single 'Dynamite'. According to reports, band members RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V, and Jungkook have worked on the album as a means to spread the message of 'healing', through their very personal tracks. The official statement read, "You will discover throughout the album the thoughts, emotions and deepest reflections of BTS while experiencing an even richer musical spectrum." The ARMY has been excited about the band's new album release as the hashtag #BTSISCOMING has been trending on Twitter since the news broke out. While some fans have shared their excitement, others can't wait for the music to drop and have already pre-ordered the album. A tweet read, "7M PREORDERS COMING RIGHT UP #BTS_BE #BTSISCOMING." Celebrating the self-produced album, another user shared a theory of what the album could mean. The tweet read, "Is #BTS_BE a reference to Shakespeare's "To BE or not to BE"? Even though we all gonna die and only our skulls will be left (the skull from Persona) it is still worth living cause behind every "skull" there IS an individuality. So the answer is BE" Take a look at some more tweets by the ARMY, .@BTS_twt's new album BE out on Friday, 20 November at 12:00AM (KST) Pre Order: Monday, September 28, 11 AM (KST)#BTSisComing #BTS_BE pic.twitter.com/ItXumTr6ZZ BTS UPDATES INFO (@BTSupdatesinfo) September 27, 2020 BTS's constant dedication and passion for music & art is the reason why @BTS_twt is special.#BTSisComing #BEisComing #BTS_BE Wandering Shadow (@shadow_twts) September 27, 2020 y'all heard jimin's wish, we are going to make ALL THE SONGS in the new album chart on the bb hot100 #BTS_BE #BTSISCOMING pic.twitter.com/9lkWCnRA27 luce (@akariIight) September 27, 2020 I honestly teared up when I saw this vid(first pic).They were rookies that time and seeing them reach their dreams now makes me proud. I'm so excited for their next albumTheir journey wasn't easy but seeing a lot of people look up to them makes my heart flatters #BTSisComing pic.twitter.com/f0Qc14UC5U CelovesOT (@CelovesOt7) September 27, 2020 The group also confirmed the news on the V-Live app while interacting with fans. 'BE' (Deluxe Edition) will be available for preorder starting September 28 at 11 am KST. BTS Drops English Song Dynamite; Video Breaks YouTube Premiere Record ALSO READ: Watch BTS' Carpool Karaoke With James Corden; Twitter Goes Crazy For Jin And Jimin Members of the 90 Day Fiance cast have done some wild things in the past but very rarely are they actually fired from the show. Larissa Dos Santos Lima recently confirmed that TLC has released her from her contract. But what could Dos Santos Lima have done to make TLC release her when she has become a staple in the franchise? Larissa Dos Santos Lima | Bryan Steffy/WireImage Larissas time on 90 Day Fiance Dos Santos Lima first appeared on season 6 of the show with her then-fiance Colt Johnson. The two met over social media before meeting in person in Mexico. After hanging out for five days, Johnson proposed. The trouble started almost immediately after Dos Santos Lima moved to America from Brazil. The pair eventually got married, but just seven months later, Johnson filed for divorce. The divorce was finalized in 2019. Colt Johnson and Larissa dos Lima Santos Lima have come to settlement terms in their divorce, Johnsons attorney Shawanna L. Johnson told People. Through their respective attorneys, they have agreed to settle the case amicably with both parties bearing their own fees and costs. Colt is very pleased that the matter is resolved and that both parties can move on with their lives, the statement continued. Given the short duration of the marriage and with there being no property matters or custody considerations, the matter should have, and has, settled early in the proceedings. The attorneys are preparing the Stipulated Decree to submit to the Court, which will be signed and entered, and will then be a matter of public record. RELATED: 90 Day Fiance Star Jess Caroline Claims She Lost Her Job Because of Colt Johnson During her time with Johnson, Dos Santos Lima got into a number of physical altercations with him and was even charged with misdemeanor domestic battery. Why was Larissa fired? Several 90 Day Fiance cast members have looked for other ways to make money once their seasons ended. A lot of them have turned to adult site OnlyFans. But apparently, Dos Santos Lima took things a step too far for TLC when she appeared in a lingerie webcam show on CamSoda. Dear Friends and Followers, I want to make a statement for you, Im no longer a cast member of the show 90 Day Fiance,' she wrote in an Instagram post over the weekend. Because of my show with CamSoda, I was released from my contract with TLC by phone the day before ICE arrested me. I will continue producing content for my official channels on Instagram, OnlyFans, and Youtube. Thanks for your understanding, love, and attention. Will Larissa be deported? Dos Santos Lima has had several run-ins with the law, including her multiple issues with domestic violence while dating and married to Johnson. Most recently, she was arrested by ICE on Sep. 19 when she was trying to move from Las Vegas to Colorado Springs, Colorado. She was only detained for one day. RELATED: 90 Day Fiance: Big Ed Brown Releases Pictures to Prove Rose Vega Is in a Relationship With a Woman According to TMZ, removal proceedings have now begun for the reality star. She is now awaiting a hearing that will determine if she will be deported or if she can remain in the U.S. So, it looks like Dos Santos Limas future in the U.S. and with TLC is uncertain. Tibetan residents of the New York City area called on Sunday for Tibets freedom, demonstrating outside the citys Chinese consulate to mark the 33rd anniversary of a protest in Tibets regional capital Lhasa, the first since 1959, that saw monks, nuns, and laypeople pour into the streets to call for independence. Organized by the Regional Tibetan Youth Congress of New York and New Jersey, the weekend protest saw slogans raised for the release of political prisoners held by China in Tibet, for greater access to Tibetan areas for foreign media, and for the long life of exiled Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama. Regarded by Chinese leaders as a separatist, the Dalai Lama fled Tibet into exile in India in the midst of a failed 1959 Tibetan national uprising against rule by China, which marched into the formerly independent Himalayan country in 1950. Tashi Lamsang, president of the Regional Tibetan Youth Congress of New York and New Jersey, said the Tibetan Youth Congress has appealed to the United Nations and to governments around the world for the last 60 years to support the Tibetan cause, launching protest marches and hunger strikes. But nothing concrete has resulted from all these actions and appeals, he said. Now, with China coming under renewed international scrutiny, Beijing is being criticized and pressured by many countries, Lamsang said, adding, Tibetans must make this opportunity count and come together to stand against the Chinese Communist Party [CPP]. Tibetan protests also formed in Paris on Sunday, with Uyghurs, Taiwanese, Vietnamese, Mongolians, and residents of Hong Kong also gathering near the iconic Eiffel Tower to denounce what they called the CPPs record of human rights violations against their own communities. French Senator Andre Gattolin, who was present at the protests, said he had recently called on French President Emmanuel Macron to express his concerns over Chinas rights abuses in Tibet and the Xinjiang region, where over a million Uyghurs and other Muslim ethnic minorities have been held since 2017 in a vast network of political internment camps. As a member of the International Parliamentary Alliance on China, Gattolin said he is working together with other lawmakers around the world to help create change. Witnesses share accounts Speaking in interviews with RFA, participants in and witnesses to the Sept. 27, 1987 protest in Lhasa described their experience of the event, which was followed on Oct. 1 by even larger protests that saw Tibetan residents set fire to a Chinese police station and throw stones at police. I was surprised when I first heard that protests had broken out in the Lhasa streets, as I had never heard of protests happening before, and we all knew what the consequences of such protests could be, Ngawang Triral, a monk at Ganden monastery outside the city, said. Triral joined a group of Ganden monks to take part in the protest and helped sew Tibetan national flags to be carried in the streets, he said, adding that when protests broke out again next year on March 5, the anniversary of a massive uprising in Lhasa in 1959, he saw protesters and other city residents fall when Chinese troops fired on the crowds in the streets. Ganden Tsering, another Ganden monk, said he was part of a team scouting Lhasa for Chinese security arrangements in advance of another planned protest on Oct. 4. Security had been tightened, though, and the situation was tense, and we couldnt make it to Lhasa on that day, he said. Later involved in the March 5 protest next year, Tsering said he was arrested and jailed for four years in Lhasas notorious Drapchi Prison. Robbie Barnetta founding member of the London, UK-based Tibet Information Network and later director of the Modern Tibetan Studies Program at New Yorks Columbia Universitywas also present in Lhasa for the 1987 protest on Oct. 1, he said. I watched as a small Tibetan boy ran from the crowd and picked up a rifle that a policeman had dropped because of the stones that were being thrown, and the boy lifted up the rifle and smashed it on the ground, Barnett said. Behind me, an elderly lady was weeping, trying to speak, and slowly I realized that she was asking me to tell the world what I was seeing. A Tibetan who spoke some English told me that her tears were for happiness, not sorrow, because at last, for that hour or so, Tibetans had recovered a patch of land that was theirs again, he said. Reported by Tashi Wangchuk for RFAs Tibetan Service. Translated by Tenzin Dickyi. Written in English by Richard Finney. Mick Mulvaney said the agreement could be at risk because of the UK Governments controversial Internal Market Bill, but that it was something the United States was very interested in seeing not happen. He made the comments on a visit to Dublin on Monday where he met with the Taoiseach Micheal Martin and Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney. His visit comes as the British government rebuffed a fresh demand from the EU to withdraw the Internal Market Bill, which could see the UK unilaterally tear up elements of the Brexit divorce deal. Mr Mulvaney said the US was watching the EU/UK negotiations closely. I think its fair to say we are aware and cautious and watching the situation, he said. Concern would imply that were worried and I dont think were at that point yet but we certainly understand the interplay between the EU/UK trade deal and the Internal Market Bill and the Good Friday agreement. Advertisement Thats mostly while Im here. I have not been able to be here previously because of Covid. He told RTE News that the Good Friday Agreement could be at risk. He said: I dont think it necessarily follows that just because the UK introduced the Internal Markets Bill that automatically means the Good Friday Agreement is at risk. But I think anyone who looks at the situation understands there could be a series of events that could put the Good Friday Agreement at risk. Again something were very interested in seeing not happen in the United States. Were here to protect, defend that Good Friday Agreement that was so hard fought and won. Mr Mulvaney met Mr Coveney on Monday morning. Following the meeting, Mr Coveney said the two men discussed the return of powersharing in Northern Ireland, the work that has resumed on a North-South basis and the challenges arising in the context of Covid-19 and of Brexit. I emphasised our real concern at the current approach of the UK Government and the vital importance of the full implementation of the Withdrawal Agreement and the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland, for the protection of the Good Friday Agreement and the achievements of the peace process, Mr Coveney said. Those achievements were made possible by the sustained engagement of successive US administrations and special envoys, and friends of Ireland across the United States. I appreciate the deep personal commitment that Mick has shown in continuing these vital conversations and contacts which underpin this engagement. Mr Mulvaney also met with the leader of the opposition and president of Sinn Fein Mary Lou McDonald during his visit to Dublin. On Sunday, he met Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis in Belfast. Speaking afterwards, he said he believed the UK and the European Union could still reach a trade deal that would be acceptable to all sides. The former acting chief of staff to US President Donald Trump took up the position of special envoy in March. An Irish American with strong links to Co Mayo, this is his first trip to Ireland in his new role. The diplomatic role had remained vacant since former US senator Gary Hart left the position in 2017 when Donald Trump took power. Later in the week, Mr Mulvaney will meet representatives from Northern Irelands devolved government and he will also travel to London to meet with MPs. Britains government moved to defuse a row with lawmakers over the governments handling of the coronavirus crisis on Monday, promising to engage with them more on restrictions some have complained impinge on societys freedoms. Some Conservative lawmakers have criticised the government after ministers announced a ban gatherings of more than six people and introduced a range of other fines, saying ministers were ruling by decree and undermining the role of parliament. Prime Minister Boris Johnson, criticised for his handling of the Covid-19 crisis, is keen to prevent a rebellion on Wednesday when parliament will vote on the renewal of the Coronavirus Act, which hands the government powers to impose restrictions. Ministers were at pains to say they would ensure parliament was more involved in agreeing any further national measures. Were looking at further ways to ensure the House (of Commons) can be properly involved in the process, in advance if possible. I hope to provide the House with further details soon, health minister Matt Hancock told parliament. He said he would also meet Graham Brady, a senior Conservative, who has led efforts to try to win parliament more power over the governments restrictions. But he warned lawmakers over tying the governments hands, saying the nature of the pandemic meant that ministers sometimes had to act quickly. Sometimes in this pandemic ... we have had to move fast, and we may need to again. The challenge we have in this house is how to ensure proper scrutiny while also being able to move fast in response to the virus, he said. Johnson won last years election by a large margin, handing him an 80-seat majority in parliament, but the depth of the anger among Conservative lawmakers on this issues has threatened to undermine his authority. Skip to main navigation #AdventureAtHome #AdventureAtHome Adventure NY is going virtual! As part of #AdventureAtHome, we'll be bringing you updated content for inspiration on how to enjoy the outdoors close to home. Check back each month for new content. Be sure to sign up for Find Your Adventure (the Camping, Wildlife Viewing, and Hiking) email newsletter as well. Need ideas of things to do outside? In celebration of DEC's 50th anniversary, we've compiled a list of 50 outdoor activities for all ages and levels. Check out the Fall 2020 edition of Conservationist for Kids to find new ways to get outside. #AdventureAtHome Fall & Winter March: Trees & Outdoor Recreation Photo taken prior to COVID-19 restrictions and guidelines. Photo taken prior to COVID-19 restrictions and guidelines. Did you know that DEC's nursery (Colonel William F. Fox Memorial Saratoga Tree Nursery) in Saratoga Springs, Saratoga County, hosts an annual seedling sale each year through May? Seedlings can help to play an important role in improving and enjoying outdoor spaces. In case you missed it, check out our Facebook Live at the DEC tree nursery. Create wildlife habitat for backyard birding (leaves DEC website). If you have a backyard, you can start your birders life list by observing for as little as 15 minutes a day. Check out our website to get started birding. Planting DEC's Wildlife Packet can help to attract birds and other wildlife to your yard to enhance wildlife viewing opportunities. The packet includes: gray dogwood - berries support more than 100 bird species, pollinators, and small mammals silky dogwood - thick patches create good cover and nesting sites for all kinds of wildlife winged sumac - serves as a winter food source for bird species that overwinter, as well as both small and large mammals. Order your Wildlife Packet today. Don't have a backyard for planting or birding? Find a community garden (leaves DEC website) near you. Community gardens offer shared spaces for planting and enjoyment. Discover trees at a local public land. Check out our YouTube Playlist to learn more about the benefits trees provide to outdoor recreation. The Nursery helps to grow seedlings for reforestation across the state to enhance outdoor recreation opportunities. These seedlings help forested areas with high deer populations regrow. There are several projects that the Nursery produces seedlings for including Trees for Tribs and the School Seedling Program. Since it began in 1985, the school seedling program has provided 895,850 seedlings to schools and youth organizations. Take to the snow this year with snowshoeing! Snowshoeing can be a great, low-impact way to exercise this winter that only requires a few basic techniques. To get started, you need snowshoes - that are specified for your weight, the terrain or land that you will be headed out on, and the conditions - warm, waterproof boots, layers of clothing that can handle the temperatures, and adjustable poles (optional, but can be helpful). Many education centers and outdoor retailers have snowshoes available for rental, check for COVID-19 restrictions. Snowshoeing is intuitive when getting started, but you will need to adjust to a wider stride as you walk on flat land. Fine-tune the length of your trip as you become more comfortable. In case you missed it, check out DEC's Facebook LIVE to learn more tips and tricks. Don't forget to review the Hiker Responsibility Code and prepare the 10 hiking essentials for every trip. In case you missed it, watch a Facebook LIVE with DEC Forest Rangers discussing Winter HikeSmartNY tips. Always be sure to follow trail etiquette when sharing the trail with other winter outdoor enthusiasts. Avoid ski tracks and give skiers the right of way. New York has thousands of miles of trails to explore this winter; all trails on DEC lands are open to cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. If there is not enough snow, find a great winter hike near you. Winter is a special time to get outside and an opportunity to see things that may otherwise not be seen, including dens and nests. Animal tracks are plentiful and it is a great time to observe birds and other wildlife. Check out our YouTube playlist for more winter recreation ideas. Looking for a new way to enjoy the outdoors this winter? Cross-country skiing is a great way to explore wintery landscapes, and many trails can be easier to traverse with smooth, deep snow. Cross-country skiing is also known as "Nordic skiing" and may be abbreviated "XC." There are two styles of cross-country skiing: classic skiing - the original version, and involves a straight-line stride - and skate skiing, where movements may look like a speed skater on ice. Check out our Facebook LIVE (leaves DEC website) on how to get started cross-country skiing. All trails on DEC lands are open to cross-country skiing and snowshoeing in the winter. Check out this list of great places to explore. If there is not enough snow to enjoy cross-country skiing or snowshoeing, you can still take in the sights and sounds of the season by checking out a winter hike. Plan ahead and prepare for a safe and enjoyable adventure by checking out these outdoor winter hiking safety tips. In case you missed it, watch a Facebook LIVE with DEC Forest Rangers discussing Winter HikeSmartNY tips. Check out our YouTube playlist for more winter recreation ideas. 'Tis the season for seal watching! Seals are found in New York from late fall until through late spring. Seals "haul out" - or leave the water to rest on sandy beaches or rocks - to regulate their body temperature, socialize, or give birth. Hauling out in groups also helps seals avoid predators. Up to five species can be seen locally, but harbor, gray, and harp seals are the most common types of seals that you may 'sea'. Photo credits: Harold Hellman Share the shore (leaves DEC website) with seals and other marine wildlife! Always keep a safe distance of 150 feet, or three school bus lengths, of distance between you and the seals. Seals are sensitive and can be easily disturbed while resting on land. Help protect them and yourselves by giving space when wildlife watching. Watch our YouTube playlist for videos on seals and seal watching in NY. Stay tuned for our Facebook LIVE next week to learn more about CRESLI (Coastal Research & Education Society of Long Island, Inc.) and their work to research local seal populations. Did you know that you do not need to travel to a tropical climate to see sea turtles? Several species can be found as water temperatures begin to rise in late spring and early summer. During these months, the waters of New York become more suitable for sea turtles, and you can find four species of sea turtles: green, Kemp's Ridley, leatherback and loggerhead sea turtles. They remain local to New York from approximately May through November and are particularly fond of the warmer waters in coastal bays and the Long Island Sound. By the end of November, they begin their migration south to warmer nesting waters. Sea turtles that you see on shore in New York are cold-stunned and need immediate attention. Do not touch the turtles, and call the stranding hotline at (631) 369-9829. Learn more about the New York Marine Rescue Center (NYMRC) and Atlantic Marine Conservation Society (links leave DEC website). Learn more about NYMRC by checking out our Facebook LIVE. Viewing marine animals in their natural habitat can be a surreal experience, but it's always best to view them from a safe and respectful distance for their safety and yours. Learn more about wildlife watching close to home. Did you know that the Hudson River Estuary is a great place to learn about plants, animals, and habitats around the Hudson River and the surrounding Hudson Valley area? The Hudson River Estuary Program helps people enjoy, protect, and revitalize the Hudson River and its valley. The watershed is home to nearly 5 million people, with millions traveling over it each day. Take a virtual tour and learn more about the Hudson River. In case you missed it, check out our Facebook LIVE to learn more about the aquatic macroinvertebrates that inhabit the Hudson River. Watch our YouTube Playlist for videos on fish seining, the Hudson River turtles, and the American Eel. The Hudson River Estuary has been hosting weekly Facebook Live seining events. You can see the change in the species over the past several months. Head to DEC's Facebook to watch. For more opportunities to learn about the Hudson River estuary and other piers of New York, check out A Day in the Life of the Hudson and Harbor (leaves DEC website). September: Fall Foliage Fun! #AdventureAtHome this autumn by experiencing the color changes throughout September and October. Autumn leaves change color (leaves DEC website) due to the days growing shorter and colder. Plants slow down, and eventually stop producing the food necessary to produce chlorophyll, the pigment responsible for that leafy green color. As the levels of chlorophyll is depleted, other pigments such as carotenoids cause those classic fall colors. Watch for the differences in colors in maples, oaks, or dogwoods near you. In case you missed it, check out our Facebook LIVE to learn more about how and why leaves change color. Every Wednesday in the fall check out the latest report (leaves DEC website) for color change in NY. Areas like the Adirondacks and Catskills will experience peak colors during the last weeks of September through the beginning of October, while other regions may not see the best colors until late October. There are plenty of ways (leaves DEC website) to enjoy the cooler temps and nature's fireworks show, while still following DEC and State Park's guidelines for safe outdoor recreation. Take a drive on one of NY's Scenic Byways (leaves DEC website), or get outdoors for an autumn hike. Check out the Catskills Lark in the Park (leaves DEC website) or self-guided hikes and video tours of the region. For more ways to enjoy fall, check out our YouTube Playlist. #AdventureAtHome Summer Series From lakefronts to woodlands, your own backyard or even in the living room, there is nothing like spending the night sleeping under the stars. Camping is an affordable and rewarding experience that connects families with nature and one another while experiencing the great outdoors. In case you missed it, check out our Facebook Live to learn more on how to get started and hear some tips from an expert camper. DEC operates 52 campgrounds located in the Adirondack and Catskill Parks so there is something for everyone. DEC campgrounds provide a wide variety of experiences, including island camping, tent and trailer camping, boat launching facilities, hiking trails, and beaches. Check out the digital camping guide or take a virtual tour to find the perfect location for you! Create a checklist of what you will need. Then make a reservation; walk-in camping is not permitted at this time. Be sure to check the DEC website for the latest updates related to COVID-19 and DEC campgrounds. Check out our YouTube playlist for beginner tips and tricks. While your camping be sure to protect the environment and minimize your impact. Learn more about how to be a more environmentally friendly camper. Always use local firewood to protect our trees. Find your next adventure using DECinfo Locator - an interactive map featuring campgrounds, primitive campsites, lean-tos, hiking trails, parking areas, and other information to help plan a visit. Unable to find a location or get out this summer? Turn the camping trip indoors. Turn off all the lights and use flashlights. Make your favorite camping meals at home. Set up a blanket for a picnic. Pull out the sleeping bags and set up "camp." Check out the stars and constellations or use your flashlights to make finger shadows on your walls or tent inside. You can even enjoy the sounds and sight of a crackling virtual campfire (Leaves DEC website). New York State has more than 7,500 lakes, ponds and reservoirs and more than 70,000 miles of rivers and streams that provide opportunities for paddling including kayaking, canoeing, rafting, or stand-up paddleboarding. Many lakes, ponds and rivers in the Adirondacks and Catskills provide places without motorized boating. Whether it's a leisurely flat water paddle on a pond or lake or an exciting whitewater paddle on a raging river, there is a range of paddling opportunities in New York State to meet the desires of all paddlers. Many DEC Campgrounds are situated on bodies of water and provide access for paddlers. Find your next adventure using DECinfo Locator - an interactive map featuring boat launches, hand launches, fishing spots, parking areas, and other information to help you enjoy the state's lakes and waterways. In case you missed it, check out our Facebook Live where provided tips and tricks on how to get started paddling. Watch our YouTube playlist for how-tos and inspiration. Always wear a personal flotation device (PFD, aka life jacket) while on or along the water, especially when water temperatures are cold or when currents are swift. State law also requires all people on a pleasure vessel less than 21-feet-long to wear a PFD between November 1 and May 1. If you are looking for flatwater paddling, check out St. Regis Canoe Area, Essex Chain Lakes or Tivoli Bays. Many local organizations host guided paddle trips. Check out this one hosted by Adirondack Mountain Club - Genesee Valley Chapter (leaves DEC website) at the Montezuma Wildlife Center on the Seneca River. Watch a video (leaves DEC website) on the NYS Canalway Water Trail and learn more (leaves DEC website), or take the Erie Canalway Challenge (leaves DEC website). Canal Corporation also offers several ways to explore the New York State Canals (leaves DEC website). For those with the Hudson River in their backyard, check out the Hudson River Estuary Program that helps people enjoy, protect, and revitalize the Hudson River and its valley. Learn more about important access to the Hudson River. The Hudson River Estuary Program also offers several educational programs virtually, as well as at Norrie Point Environmental Education Center. #AdventureAtHome Week 6 is all about archery! Archery is a fun, recreational sport for all ages and abilities that has many health benefits (leaves DEC website). It can help build strength and confidence in a calm and focused way while being safe. There are many different types of archery including indoor, field, 3D, as well as bowhunting and bowfishing. For archery, you will need a bow, arrows, a quiver or place to put your arrows, a target, and a backstop. With a bow and arrow, it is important to make sure that the arrows spine strength matches the weight of the bow. In case you missed it, check out our Facebook live to learn more about archery in your backyard. For those who do not have a bow and arrow, there are resources (PDF) that you can utilize to help practice archery skills. In archery, safety comes first. There are a few guidelines to always follow: Inspect your equipment prior to use Only point a bow and arrow in a safe direction towards your target Be sure to know what's in front, immediately behind, and beyond the target Only shoot a bow when you have a safe shooting area and a safe backstop Before you start, it is important to check with your local town or city ordinances to make sure shooting a bow is legal. Also, it is illegal to discharge a bow within 150 feet of a school, playground, or house. If you are not sure if your backyard is a good location, there are other places you can consider, including a local archery shop or a club with a range, as well as some state lands and town parks. If you aren't sure, contact your local DEC office. For youth that are looking for more, or may be unable to shoot in their backyards, check to see if your school has an Archery in the School's program. Check out some photos of previous tournaments. Watch our YouTube playlist for how-tos and inspiration. Come Hike with Us for week five of #AdventureAtHome. Nature walks and hiking can be an excellent way to enjoy the sights and sounds of nature while reducing stress and getting healthy. Anyone of any age or ability can head out for a walk or hike. DEC maintains hiking trails on many areas of Forest Preserve lands in the Adirondack and Catskill Parks as well as on State Forests, Wildlife Management Areas and Unique Areas. Find a place near you by visiting our website, checking out DEC's Infolocator. Take a nature walk in your neighborhood. Urban spaces and communities can offer a lot of opportunities to enjoy nature. That's why DEC's urban and community forestry program works hard to promote trees and greenspaces in cities. Take a walk around your neighborhood and find a tree that interests you. Take a moment to soak in what you are seeing. It's amazing what you can learn from observing a tree near you. Studies show that trees improve air and water quality, reduce flooding, reduce cooling and heating energy needs, increase property values and improve the quality of life for people and wildlife around them. Get your day pack ready with the 10 Essentials for a safe and enjoyable experience. Download the handout to take with you. Plan a route that is based off how much time you have, your fitness level and experience, and the weather. Here are some great hikes for the winter, autumn, spring, or summer. Many trails are also accessible to people with disabilities. In case you missed it, check out our Facebook Live to learn about some of the things you may see on a hike, learn about the Catskill Visitor Center, and more! Check out some of the other fire towers in NYS. Welcome to Week 4 of #AdventureAtHome. This week we will be providing information and resources on how to have safe and fun outdoor adventures. New York is home to thousands of miles of trails and offers walking and hiking experiences for all ages and abilities. Whether you are going for an hour, or all day, it is important to plan ahead and prepare by checking out the Seven Principles of Leave No Trace (leaves DEC website). Check out Hike Smart NY for more details on the Hiker Responsibility Code and the 10 essentials you should bring on every hike. By following the Hiker Responsibility Code, carrying the 10 Essentials on all hikes, and following #RecreateLocal guidelines, you can help to ensure that every trip is an enjoyable one. DEC manages nearly 5 million acres of land, with close to 2,000 miles of trails that provide plenty of opportunity for various types of recreation. The Adirondack and Catskill Forest Preserves provide users with countless outdoor recreation opportunities. New York also has hundreds of state forests and wildlife management areas that can provide less crowded and more out of the way adventures across the state. Before embarking on your next outdoor adventure, it is important to plan ahead and prepare by checking out the Seven Principles of Leave No Trace (leaves DEC website). If the parking lot is full when you reach it, find an alternate location. Watch our YouTube playlist for how-tos and inspiration. In case you missed it, check out our Facebook Live that provided tips on how to pack for your next hike or outdoor adventure. Nature is all around us. From the changes in weather throughout the day, to the sounds of birds and other critters out your window and close to home, there are so many ways to enjoy the sights and sounds of our natural environment. Ordinary wonders of the natural world can be enjoyed everywhere across New York. To get started, check out some of these nature activities to learn more when you head outside. You can keep a record of things you see, hear, smell, and feel by nature journaling. If you are looking for a mobile or digital way to record your findings, check out Merlin Bird ID (leaves DEC website) for identifying birds in your area, iNaturalist (leaves DEC website) to contribute your encounters and become a citizen scientist, and BugGuide (leaves DEC website) for insect identification. Play Discover Nature Bingo (PDF) this week to inspire you to take a closer look at what's around. Share what you find with us by tagging us on social media and using #AdventureAtHome. Download Discover Nature Bingo in Spanish (PDF) or in Mandarin (PDF). Want to become a nature detective? State Parks will take you on a virtual adventure to explore. Watch our Discover Nature playlist for how-tos and inspiration. In case you missed it, check out our Facebook Live on all things frogs. For more videos at Saratoga Spa State Park, check out their YouTube channel. Learn more about frogs and toads (PDF) or visit FrogWatchUSA (leaves DEC website). Birding is a simple and fun activity to take part in from anywhere in New York State. Birds are everywhere from the city to rural areas, and it is easy to get started. Birding is fun for all ages and does not require special expensive equipment. Get started today! Watch our I Bird NY YouTube playlist for how-tos and inspiration. Take the 2020 I Bird NY Challenge. In case you missed it, head over to DEC's Facebook page to watch a recording of our Spanish Facebook Live event with an expert birder giving tips on how to find common New York birds. Check out our Facebook Live Birding 101 in English, too! Fishing is a fun activity for all ages and all members of the family that can be done even in urban areas. To dip your toes into this great outdoor activity, start here. Not ready to hit the water just yet? Check out these fun indoor fishing activities, including how to turn your bathtub into a fishing pond (leaves DEC website). Watch our I Fish NY YouTube playlist for how-tos and inspiration. Para videos en Espanol (sale del sitio web DEC). In case you missed it, head over to DEC's Facebook to watch a recording of our live event with expert I Fish NY staff providing tips and tricks on how to get started fishing from anywhere in NY. Meghan, Duchess of Sussex recently began a whole new chapter of her life and is becoming more involved in causes that matter to her. In the past several months, Meghan has popped up in a few unexpected places via video message, and fans are excited to see what she will speak out about next. While many of her stalwart supporters love seeing Meghan come into her own, she also has some enemies in particular, President Donald Trump recently talked about Meghan, and his comments regarding his feelings toward her have the internet buzzing. Meghan Markles political activism Meghan Markle | Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images As a child, and eventually, as a young woman working in Hollywood, Meghan was drawn to political activism. She even received early acclaim for protesting against a companys marketing of dish soap, claiming that the television commercial promoting it was sexist. As she grew older, Meghan continued her quest to create a better world for women and marginalized groups, speaking out on regular occasions. When she met Prince Harry in 2016, the two bonded over their love of activism, and as a couple, they campaigned hard for socio-political causes, including environmental activism and better education for women and children. Still, Meghan and Prince Harry were held back by the demands of the royal family, and since the royals have a longstanding tradition of remaining apolitical, the outspoken couple were not able to go all out on their activism efforts. The royal family traditionally stays out of politics RELATED: Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Sent a Subtle Message That They Dont Regret Royal Exit and California Move For the royal family, maintaining certain traditions is very important. The royals, while they are enabled to live a life of privilege due to the power of their position in Britain, keep that status by following certain unwritten rules. One of those rules is that they remain apolitical as much as possible. In order to stay in the publics good graces, the British royal family tries to remain firmly in the middle of the aisle when it comes to politics, and they definitely avoid endorsing various political candidates based on their own individual views. Meghan and Prince Harry seemed to want to follow those rules at least initially. Still, it didnt take long before Meghans strong political opinions and feminist viewpoint became evident. She received backlash for guest-editing the September 2019 edition of British Vogue, especially when readers discovered that the issue primarily focused on those who were firmly on the left side of the political aisle. What did Donald Trump recently say about Meghan Markle? The President @realDonaldTrump has been asked about Harry and Meghan during a press conference Im not a fan of hers and I would say thisI wish a lot of luck to Harry because hes going to need it. pic.twitter.com/S9evvXqEUY Lizzie Robinson (@LizzieITV) September 23, 2020 When Prince Harry and Meghan announced earlier this year that they would be stepping down from their role as senior royals, fans correctly assumed that it wouldnt take long before they began becoming more politically active. Meghans first big statement was following the death of George Floyd, with an impassioned speech to her former high school. Additionally, in recent weeks, she has been talking openly about womens rights, the electoral process, and the importance of voting. Most recently, Meghan and her husband, Prince Harry, appeared in a video where they encouraged people everywhere to vote, stating that people should reject hate speech, misinformation and online negativity. Many viewers took their words as an indirect endorsement for the Democratic candidate, Joe Biden. When President Donald Trump was asked about the video message featuring Meghan, he had this to say: Im not a fan of hers, and I would say this, and she probably has heard that. I wish a lot of luck to Harry because hes going to need it. Clearly, Meghan is getting herself in some hot water with those in high places. Whether she continues speaking out remains to be seen, but based on her track record, she will likely continue shaking things up where she can, especially since she no longer has to worry about what the royal family thinks. Adm. Brett Giroir, assistant secretary of Health and Human Services, demonstrates the rapid-result COVID-19 test the federal government will send to states during President Donald Trump's announcement of the testing plan in the Rose Garden of the White House, Monday, Sept. 28, 2020, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) Read more New Jersey will get 2.6 million rapid-result coronavirus tests when the federal government begins sending millions of the antigen tests to states in the coming weeks, a development Gov. Phil Murphy on Monday said could be a game-changer in expanding testing as the state tries to find ways to reopen schools and keep businesses afloat. Combined with regular diagnostic testing, the antigen tests will nearly double the states daily testing capacity for 12 weeks. The rapid tests will be distributed among vulnerable and underserved communities, frontline and health-care workers, and elementary and secondary schools as well as some higher education institutions. Some will also be directed toward helping businesses stay open, Murphy said. The deployment of the rapid tests, which provide results in 15 minutes, was announced Monday by President Donald Trump at the White House. He said 150 million tests would be distributed in total to the states. Pennsylvania has not yet announced how many antigen tests it might receive. Antigen tests can be used for rapid detection of the virus, though the FDA cautions they arent as reliable as lab-based molecular diagnostic tests, which detect viral genetic material. They can be useful in screening people for COVID-19, particularly in group settings. Trumps announcement comes as he faces criticism about how he has handled the COVID-19 pandemic and as he vies for reelection in November. The United States has run into problems with its diagnostic testing capacity since the pandemic began, and the federal government has not implemented a national testing strategy, as many experts have advocated, instead largely leaving the task to the states. The U.S. surpassed seven million confirmed cases of the virus over the weekend, and neared 205,000 related deaths by Monday evening, according to Johns Hopkins University. With an average of 40,000 new cases per day, the country is not in a good place heading into the fall and winter months, Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said Monday. In an interview with Good Morning America, Fauci said that as more people begin congregating indoors, you really want the level of community spread to be as low as you possibly [can] get it. Theres certainly parts of the country that are doing well, Fauci said. There are states that are starting to show [an] uptick in cases and even some increases in hospitalizations in some states. And, I hope not but, we very well might start seeing increases in deaths. His advice to double down on coronavirus mitigation measures for the fall and winter fell in line with a recommendation from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Dont start planning a big Thanksgiving dinner party. To stay safe, Americans should eat dinner with the people they live with, deliver food to friends without contact, and consider shopping online for Black Friday. Having a small outdoor dinner with people in your community and visiting pumpkin patches or orchards with masks and social distancing are considered medium risk, the CDC said. The agency has also recommended that families do not trick-or-treat or attend in-person candy exchanges for Halloween. HELP US REPORT: Are you a health care worker, medical provider, government worker, patient, frontline worker or other expert? We want to hear from you. Pennsylvania began September with case numbers going down, but saw new cases rise again through the month. By Monday, the commonwealth was averaging 859 new cases a day. The state reported 918 newly confirmed cases for Sunday and 676 on Monday, along with seven deaths over the two days. New Jersey reported 561 new cases and one death on Monday. The state rate of transmission is 1.12, meaning each new infection is leading to at least one more case, officials said. Health officials pointed to continued rising infections in Ocean County, and said 242 of the 561 new reported cases were from that area. Persichilli said the state was increasing testing throughout the county and deploying new contact tracers there. Our goal with this increased testing and contact tracing capacity is to contain the transmission of the virus in that county, she said. The antigen tests provided by the federal government will arrive starting in the next 14 days, Murphy said, and will total about 170,000 a week. The FDA-authorized BinaxNOW test, made by Abbott Laboratories, uses a sample from a nasal swab, officials said. Asked where the first tests would go other than schools, Murphy said he and health officials have spoken about the categories of people who will receive the rapid tests but have made no final decisions. Trump has pushed for reopening schools, but Murphy did not indicate that the antigen tests would be used to reopen any schools that are currently doing virtual learning. It will be a combination of vulnerable, underserved communities, essential workers, front line, health care, itll be keeping things that are open open, and ensuring that they stay open. We talked to the White House, thatll be pre-K through 12, thatll be some higher ed, and it will also be in some form of keeping the economy opening. Murphy said school nurses would be able to be certified to administer the rapid tests and the state may use them to test kids who show symptoms of the virus in school. At the start of the school year, 434 New Jersey school districts were using a hybrid teaching model, while 68 offered full-time in-person instruction, and 242 were remote-only. Officials said earlier this month that they had not traced any cases to in-school transmission in the first days of the academic year. But as of last week, at least 17 school districts had made public announcements of cases among 34 students and employees in 22 schools, according to NJ Advance Media. Brown University, which has started a dashboard to track coronavirus cases related to K-12 schools nationwide, reported last week that the country so far has seen relatively low levels of infection among students and teachers in schools that have reopened. This article has been updated to reflect the number of New Jersey school districts using remote, hybrid, or in-person learning models. Staff writer Anthony R. Wood contributed to this article. Donned with the UN, Central African Republic (CAR) and Peruvian flags, the over 15-meter-long metal bridge was opened to traffic on August 22, 2020, by the local community chief, with community members looking on bringing an end to a host of transport challenges posed by the rickety bridge that was previously used. For years, locals and travelers passing through the Gono locality were dogged by the degradation of the main access road and bridge leading to the area. "There was a makeshift wooden bridge that was particularly precarious during the rainy season it was the cause of many accidents, with people and vehicles sometimes falling into the water while trying to cross the bridge, at times resulting in fatalities," recounted local one resident, Mr. Vella. Long detours were a painful reality for many with children being forced to walk for an hour and a half to get to school, often starting their journey from home in the wee hours of the morning. Merchants transporting goods to and from the market suffered a similar fate. For their part, churchgoers were discouraged from visiting houses of worship as their clothes were muddied on the journey there. The local community had previously tried to repair the old, dilapidated bridge to no avail, as more advanced engineering skills were required. At their request, an 80-member construction team from the MINUSCA Peruvian contingent took on the task of building the new metal bridge. Construction began at the end of May 2020 and included ground clearing of vegetation and bushes, improvement of abutments and footings, stonemasonry to extend the bridge supports, and reinforcement of the concrete foundations supporting the bridge. Despite delays related to the coronavirus pandemic, work resumed in July under the supervision of MINUSCA Unit 8 Deputy Chief Engineer Lieutenant-Colonel Muhammed Farooq Hayat. He explained that his team had sought a more permanent solution by also improving drainage and nearby connecting roads. "The bridge serves as a national road axis, taking people and goods from Bangui and Berberati to the all-important market on the Cameroonian border. More than half of CAR's population could potentially benefit from the construction of the bridge," noted Gbanne Esaie at the Bocaranga Sub-Prefecture. Beyond facilitating movement, day-to-day life has been boosted by better access to provisions exorbitant salt and soap prices that had become all too common for the local population due to shortages caused by difficulties in transporting merchandise have become a thing of the past. "Pedestrians and motorists alike will be able to use the bridge all year round. The benefit for the common man gives me the greatest satisfaction children can now reach school in half an hour. Traders, the majority of whom are women, and farmers carrying big loads of produce to the market now cover the distance in less time," Lieutenant Colonel Hayat expressed. "Our community has battled major transport problems for a long time due to lack of a proper bridge. The local population has breathed a sigh of relief thanks to the new bridge," said Gbanne Esaie. The metal bridge funded by MINUSCA to the tune of 8 million CFA will also strengthen the capacity of the United Nations to quickly intervene and assist the population when needed. Moreover, road access is crucial to maintaining security. Wamounzou Edwige, a teenage girl from the area, told Peruvian peacekeepers that "the people in my village are grateful for the bridge." Gono Village Chief Fidele Nzerekpi added that "the bridge has made our lives easier." Editor's note: Based on a story published by the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA). (END) NDP/MVB D owning Street has insisted it expects students to be allowed to return home for Christmas. The Prime Ministers official spokesman said university students were subject to the same coronavirus rules as the wider population in the areas where they live. It comes after Labour called on the Government to promise that students would be able to join their families for the festive period. The No 10 spokesman said: The rules for students are the same as those for the rest of the public. "Universities can obviously issue advice to their students and I believe thats what has been happening in recent days. Asked what Boris Johnson thought about students potentially being asked to stay on campus over Christmas, the spokesman said: We would expect all students to be able to go home at Christmas. Members of the public are seen at Glasgow University / Getty Images It comes after care minister Helen Whately told Sky News earlier she absolutely hopes that students will be able to see their families over the festive period. However, she implied there was a chance they may have to stay at university if the spread of coronavirus is not brought under control. Asked about London, the PM's spokesman said this afternoon there was no update since the capital was added to the list of areas of concern on Friday. Coronavirus hits the UK - In pictures 1 /81 Coronavirus hits the UK - In pictures A deserted Westminster Bridge PA A man wearing a face mask or covering due to the COVID-19 pandemic, walks past customers sat outside a restaurant AFP via Getty Images Boris Johnson addresses the nation on the Coronavirus lockdown Andrew Parsons Runners pass cardboard cutouts of Britain's Queen Elizabeth II and Prince William during the London Marathon in London AP An empty escalator at Charing Coss London Underground tube station Jeremy Selwyn Electronic bilboards displays a message warning people to stay home in Sheffield PA A sign is displayed in the window of a student accommodation building following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Mancheste Reuters People take part in a 'We Do Not Consent' rally at Trafalgar Square, organised by Stop New Normal, to protest against coronavirus restrictions, in Londo AP People sing and dance in Leicester Square on the eve on the 10PM curfew Reuters Hearts painted by a team of artists from Upfest are seen in the grass at Queen Square, following the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Bristol Reuters Graffiti reads 'good luck and stay safe', as the number of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases grow around the world, under a bridge in London Reuters A sign is pictured in Soho, amid the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in London Reuters Prime Minister Boris Johnson gestures, during a coronavirus briefing in Downing Street, London AP A person runs past posters with a message of hope, as the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues in Manchester REUTERS Riot police face protesters who took part in a 'We Do Not Consent' rally at Trafalgar Square, organised by Stop New Normal, to protest against coronavirus restrictions in London AP An image of The Queen eith quotes from her broadcast to the UK and the Commonwealth in relation to the Coronavirus epidemic are displayed on lights in London's Piccadilly Circus PA Military vehicles cross Westminster Bridge after members of the 101 Logistic Brigade delivered a consignment of medical masks to St Thomas' hospital Getty Images Durdle Door in Dorset Reuters Captain Tom Moore via Reuters Mia, aged 8, and Jack, aged 5, take part in "PE with Joe" a daily live workout with Joe Wicks on Youtube to help kids stay fit who have to stay indoors due to the Coronavirus outbreak PA An NHS worker reacts at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital during the Clap for our Carers campaign in support of the NHS Reuters Goats which have taken over the deserted streets of Llandudno @AndrewStuart via PA Tobias Weller PA Novikov restaurant in London with its shutters pulled down while the restaurant is closed London Landscapes: Hyde Park and the Serpentine, central London. Matt Writtle A newspaper vendor in Manchester city centre giving away free toilet rolls with every paper bought as shops run low on supplies due to fears over the spread of the coronavirus PA Theo Clay looks out of his window next to his hand-drawn picture of a rainbow in Liverpool, as the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continue Reuters A young man cuts another man's hair on top of a closed hairdresser in Oxford Reuters General view of the new NHS Nightingale Hospital, built to fight against the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in London via Reuters Jason Baird is seen dressed as Spiderman during his daily exercise to cheer up local children in Stockport, as the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues Reuters A woman wearing a face mask walks past Buckingham Palace Getty Images A man holds mobile phone displaying a text message alert sent by the government warning that new rules are in force across the UK and people must stay at home PA Medical staff on the Covid-19 ward at the Neath Port Talbot Hospital, in Wales, as the health services continue their response to the coronavirus outbreak. PA Prime Minister Boris Johnson taking part in a virtual Cabinet meeting with his top team of ministers PA A shopper walks past empty shelves in a Lidl store on in Wallington. After spates of "panic buying" cleared supermarket shelves of items like toilet paper and cleaning products, stores across the UK have introduced limits on purchases during the COVID-19 pandemic. Some have also created special time slots for the elderly and other shoppers vulnerable to the new coronavirus. Getty Images People on a busy tube train in London at rush hour PA Mia, aged 8 and her brother Jack, aged 5 from Essex, continue their school work at home, after being sent home due to the coronavirus PA Children are painting 'Chase the rainbows' artwork and springing up in windows across the country Reuters Social distancing in Primrose Hill Jeremy Selwyn A general view of a locked gate at Anfield, Liverpool as The Premier League has been suspended PA Homeless people in London AFP via Getty Images A piece of art by the artist, known as the Rebel Bear has appeared on a wall on Bank Street in Glasgow. The new addition to Glasgow's street art is capturing the global Coronavirus crisis. The piece features a woman and a man pulling back to give each other a kiss PA The Queen leaves Buckingham Palace, London, for Windsor Castle to socially distance herself amid the coronavirus pandemic PA A general view on Grey street, Newcastle as coronavirus cases grow around the world Reuters Matt Raw, a British national who returned from the coronavirus-hit city of Wuhan in China, leaves quaratine at Arrowe Park Hospital on Merseyside PA Britain's Chief Medical Officer Professor Chris Whitty (L) and Chief Scientific Adviser Patrick Vallance look on as British Prime Minister Boris Johnson gestures as he speaks during a coronavirus disease (COVID-19) news conference inside 10 Downing Street Reuters The ticket-validation terminals at the tram stop on Edinburgh's Princes Street are cleaned following the coronavirus outbreak. PA Locked school gates at Rockcliffe First School in Whitley Bay, Tyne and Wear PA A sign at a Sainsbury's supermarket informs customers that limits have been set on a small number of products as the number of coronavirus (COVID-19) cases grow around the world Reuters Jawad Javed delivers coronavirus protection kits that he and his wife have put together to the vulnerable people of their community of Stenhousemuir, between Glasgow and Edinburgh AFP via Getty Images A sign advertising a book titled "How Will We Survive On Earth?" Getty Images A man who appears to be homeless sleeping wearing a mask today in Victoria Jeremy Selwyn A pedestrian walks past graffiti that reads "Diseases are in the City" in Edinburgh AFP via Getty Images Staff from The Lyric Theatre, London inform patrons, as it shuts its doors PA A quiet looking George IV Bridge in Edinburgh PA A quieter than usual British Museum Getty Images A racegoer attends Cheltenham in a fashionable face mask SplashNews.com A commuter wears a face mask at London Bridge Station Jeremy Selwyn A empty restaurant in the Bull Ring Shopping Centre Getty Images A deserted Trafalgar Square in London PA Passengers determined to avoid the coronavirus before leaving the UK arrive at Gatwick Airport Getty Images New national measures were not being anticipated this week, but any sudden change in the number of coronavirus cases could change this. No 10 has rejected calls to immediately review the 10pm curfew for pubs and restaurants in England. Asked if the restriction would be reconsidered, the Prime Ministers official spokesman said: No. I would obviously say we keep all of our social distancing measures under review but no theres nothing in that regard. The spokesman said there are existing rules around how off-licences serve the public during the pandemic when asked about concerns of them being busy after the curfew time. And he suggested changing the time to allow more flexibility for a staggering of exit times from pubs was not being considered. He said: Im not aware of anything specific in that regard. The decision to reduce time to 10pm was based on the fact it had been in operation in the local lockdown areas and had been considered to strike the right balance. The spokesman said there was a particular media focus around Liverpool with regards to crowded streets when pubs called time at the deadline on Saturday. He pointed towards a statement from Merseyside Police Superintendent Chris Gibson who said images of a spontaneous gathering around a local street performer did not reflect the overall behaviour of people in Liverpool this weekend. Downing Street said it is unable to judge whether the rule of six was working to suppress the coronavirus spread, two weeks after if was introduced. The Prime Ministers official spokesman said: What you continue to see in the statistics that have been published in recent days is that infection rates are rising across the country and in all age groups. We have introduced a package of measures over the course of recent weeks and the intention of those is to bring the virus under control. Asked if the rule introduced on September 14 was not working, he said: I dont think were in a position to be able to say that. I think it takes a minimum of two weeks to be able to start to see the impact of measures which we have introduced. After a disappointing loss in 2018 amid stock market turbulence, Chinas sovereign wealth fund saw a strong return on its overseas investments last year as global stocks rallied. On Friday, China Investment Corp. (CIC) reported an annual net return on its overseas investments of 17.4% in 2019, a significant turnaround from a 2.4% net loss for the previous year, and the second highest rate of growth since it was founded in 2007. The highest figure was 17.6% in 2017. Read more China Sovereign Wealth Fund Recorded 2.35% Loss in 2018 Boosted by last years strong performance, CICs 10-year cumulative annualized net return was 6.6% as of Dec. 31, up from a 6.07% yield a year earlier and exceeding its target by 92 basis points, according to its 2019 annual report. The fund last year slightly increased the proportion of stocks in its overseas portfolio to 38.9%, up 0.6 percentage points from the year before, with over half of its public equity holdings in the U.S. With over $1 trillion in total assets, CIC is the worlds second-largest sovereign wealth fund by assets, behind Norways Government Pension Fund Global, according to data provider Sovereign Wealth Fund Institute. Norways sovereign wealth fund saw a 19.9% return in 2019, or 1,692 billion kroner ($176 billion), mainly driven by positive equity investments. This was the highest return in kroner in the funds history. Founded in 2007, CIC has registered capital of $200 billion, raised from special treasury bonds issued by the Ministry of Finance. The wholly state-owned fund invests in assets on a long-term basis around the globe to diversify Chinas foreign exchange holdings. While the Covid-19 pandemic has brought headwinds for globalization and sent shockwaves across global financial markets, CIC achieved better-than-benchmark performance in the first half of 2020 by adopting an emergency management mode for dealing with extreme market scenarios, Peng Chun, CIC chairman and CEO, said in the report. Meanwhile, Norways sovereign wealth fund reported a $21 billion loss in the first half of the year, citing major fluctuations in the equity market. Denise Jia contributed to this report. Contact editor Joshua Dummer (joshuadummer@caixin.com) Download our app to receive breaking news alerts and read the news on the go. An empty beach is seen as Israeli government tightens anti-coronavirus lockdown in Tel Aviv, Israel, on Sept. 26, 2020. The total number of coronavirus cases in Israel has reached 227,100, with 9,201 new cases, the state's Ministry of Health said on Saturday. (Photo by Muammar Awad/Xinhua) JERUSALEM, Sept. 26 (Xinhua) -- The total number of coronavirus cases in Israel has reached 227,100, with 9,201 new cases, the state's Ministry of Health said on Saturday. The number of death cases rose to 1,441, with 29 new fatalities, while the number of patients in serious condition rose from 708 to 728, out of 1,436 patients currently hospitalized. The number of recoveries increased to 157,537, with 3,963 new recoveries, while active cases currently stand at 68,122. On Friday, tightening of the ongoing three-week anti-coronavirus lockdown took effect in Israel. Under the new lockdown, all markets and businesses were shut down except for factories and services defined as "essentials." Residents are required to stay within a 1,000-m radius of their homes, except for special cases such as receiving medical care or an emergency. The tightened lockdown will last until at least Oct. 10. 6 1 [ Editor: ZY ] SEARCH A minimum of 3 characters are required to be typed in the search bar in order to perform a search. Bengaluru, Sep 29 : The day-long shutdown by the farmers and others on Monday evoked mixed response in Karnataka amid tight security, even as the ruling BJP and opposition Congress sparred over the bills to amend the APMC Act and the Land Reforms Act. "The shutdown was mixed but peaceful, barring a few stray incidents. The shutdown evoked good response in the old Mysuru (southern) region, partial in Malnad but tepid in coastal and northern regions across the state," a home ministry official told IANS here. In the Bengaluru, hundreds of farmers, pro-Kannada activists, labourers, workers and trade union members staged a massive demonstration at Town Hall in the city centre and a held a protest rally to Freedom Park, shouting slogans against the state and Central governments for its 'anti-farmer' bills. "About 300 protesters were detained at the Mysuru Bank circle in the city centre when they tried to block vehicular traffic and force shops and eateries to shut," a police officer told IANS. Farmers' leaders Kodihalli Chandrashekar and Kurburu Shanth Kumar and Kannada Rakshana Vedike President Narayan Gowda addressed the gathering at Town Hall and Freedom Park, urging the state government to withdraw the bills passed in the state legislature on Saturday, as they were against the farmers and the rural people. Heavy police deployment thwarted some protesters from taking out a bike rally from Town Hall to Freedom Park to prevent disruption to vehicular traffic in the central business district on the first working day of the week. Though normal life was not disrupted in this tech hub, as pubic transport services like buses and metro rail operated normally and government and private offices reopened after the holiday on Sunday, there were not many customers in shops and eateries across the city. Hundreds of farmers and protesters blocked vehicular traffic on Bengaluru-Mysuru state highway at Ramanagara, Chennapatna and Mandya but were whisked away to clear the stranded vehicles later. While farmers were allowed to stage protest rallies and demonstrations in cities and towns across the state peacefully, the police prevented them from disrupting normal life, close shops or disturb movement of buses. Though intra and inter-state bus services were not suspended, their frequency was curtailed, as commuters were less than on a normal working day, even as the protesters raised slogans, burnt effigies and held banners against the 'anti-farmer' bills. The shutdown call got mixed to poor response in Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, Uttara Kannada, Belagavi, Vijayapura, Bagalkote, Kalaburagi and Bidar in the state's coastal and northern regions. In Kalaburagi, bus services were withdrawn, as farmer associations and pro-Kannada outfits staged a protest at the central bus stand. "Though there were commuters at the bus stand, the services were withdrawn as a precautionary measure," a state transport official said. In Bidar, farmers alleged that the BJP government in the state and the NDA government in the Centre were neglecting them and helping corporates to exploit them by buying their produce at lower prices. The state-wide bandh call got poor response in Malnad region, including Shivamogga, which is Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyiurappa's home district, and Bhadarvati. Unfazed by the protests and shutdown, Yediyurappa told reporters here that he would tour the state and explain to the farmers the benefits of the amended APMC Act and the Land Reforms Act. "The Congress is conspiring with the protesters and using the gullible farmers to oppose the bills. I invited them (farmer leaders) for talks, but the talks failed due to the machination of the Congress. I am not sitting here to enjoy power but to help the farmers. These bills will change their lives forever," the Chief Minister said. Upset with the farmers terming him as "son of corporates and not son of the soil", Yediyurappa said he was not the one to stick to power by cheating farmers. Reiterating that the bills would help eliminate middle-men from agri-business, the Chief Minister told the farmers wait for at least eight months to a year to reap the benefits of the bills. Congress leader and former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, however, dared the Chief Minister to prove how the new laws enacted by the Parliament and the state Assembly were beneficial to farmers. "Let Yediyurappa dissolve the assembly and face elections on the amended laws. The people will defeat him and the BJP," Siddaramaiah said in a statement here. -- Except for the title, this story has not been edited by Prokerala team and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed Uri: The Surgical Strike, a military-action film, released in the year 2019. The film featured the debut of writer and director Aditya Dhar and was helmed by Ronnie Screwvala. The film received critical acclaim by the audiences for its plot, direction and cinematography. The plot of the movie revolved around the 2016 Uri attack. The ensemble cast included Vicky Kaushal, Mohit Raina, Paresh Rawal and Yami Gautam in key roles. A lot of people have been wondering about the locations of the film and where certain scenes were shot. Heres a list of the shooting locations of the Uri movie. Also Read: Where Was 'Sicario' Filmed? Details About The Shooting Locations Of This Action Thriller Uri movie's shooting location According to Filmapia, 50+ days of the shooting of Uri took place in Serbia. Serbia was chosen as the location since the territory was similar to that of Kashmir. It was also reported that the Serbian Film Commission and the local production agencies were film-friendly with all the resources required to film a war movie such as easy access to forest terrains, military bases, army weapons and so on. Also Read: Shooting Location Of Bear Grylls & Akshay Kumar Episode: Where Is This National Park? According to the report, the scene of the Indian Army being attacked in Manipur was shot at Mount Avala in Belgrade, Serbia. Another scene where the Indian Army was attacking the North-East Terrorists was also shot at the same location. The scene where team Alpha goes on a military launch-pad was shot at the Baranica Caves in Serbia. The report also stated that the Shrinagar Base Camp was located at Batajnica Air Base in Serbia in the film. Uri movies shooting also took place in certain parts of Mumbai. According to the report, the scene where Major Vihaan runs out of his house in search of his mother was shot at Residential Complex 7 bungalow in Mumbai. The colonies are located in Chembur, Mumbai. Also Read: Akanksha Puri Calls Her Father 'thorough Soldier' After He Recovers From Stroke; Watch More about the film Uri: The Surgical Strike received myriads of awards. It was reportedly the highest-grossing Indian film. The film received Best Director, Best Actor, Best Audiography and Best Music Director Awards during the National Film Awards in 2019. Image Credits: Still from Uri: The Surgical Strike trailer Also Read: Where Was 'Enola Holmes' Filmed? Details About The Shooting Locations Of Netflix Movie Get the latest entertainment news from India & around the world. Now follow your favourite television celebs and telly updates. Republic World is your one-stop destination for trending Bollywood news. Tune in today to stay updated with all the latest news and headlines from the world of entertainment. Prasanta Mazumdar By Express News Service GUWAHATI: With just a few months left for Assam to go to elections, the ruling BJPs image has taken a beating following the leakage of question paper of a test for recruitment of police sub-inspectors. One of the accused is a BJP leader, Diban Deka. He was handed over to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of Assam Police by a retired IPS officer, Pradeep Kumar. However, the CID let him off due to lack of evidence against him then. He is now evading arrest. Kumar was the chairman of the State Level Police Recruitment Board (SLPRB) that conducted the test on September 20. He resigned from the post on Sunday owning moral responsibility. A popular slogan of the BJP in Assam is zero-tolerance against corruption. The party had wrested power from the Congress promising to stamp out corruption. The Sarbananda Sonowal government earned kudos over the past four and half years after dozens of high-ranking officials were arrested for involvement in corruption. It is an irony that the BJP now finds itself mired in a controversy over corruption. Allegations galore Deka was not arrested by the CID as he would have exposed several BJP leaders who were allegedly involved in the leakage of the question paper. The fear that the government might manipulate the CID probe made opposition Congress to demand the case be investigated by a sitting judge of the Gauhati High Court. We are not happy over the manner in which the CID is probing the case. We demand that it be handed over to a sitting judge of the Gauhati High Court, Congress spokesman Dilip Sharma said. CM Sonowals statements about zero-tolerance against corruption are nothing but a farce. Who helped the main villain Diban Deka to escape from the CID? Was he let off because the BJP feared he might reveal the names of the partys big leaders who were involved in the scam? the Congress asked. A cornered BJP sought to put up a brave face by claiming that the leakage of test paper was not a scam but a goof-up. Party spokesman Rupam Goswami said the elusive Deka was not holding any post or position in the party. However, according to his Facebook profile, Deka is a national executive member of the BJPs Kisan Morcha. The government will spare none found guilty, Goswami asserted. He said some elements were trying to tarnish the images of Sonowal and the BJP. Over the past few days, the police arrested a few individuals in connection with the case. One PK Dutta, who is a former Deputy Inspector General of Police and an accused in the case, has also gone into hiding. The test to fill up 597 posts was cancelled even while the candidates were writing their answers in exam halls. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin (Agence France-Presse) Brisbane, Australia Mon, September 28, 2020 16:07 481 e22cd4161040e111d73a5626c47b2de2 2 News Australia,theme-park,death,Dreamworld,Gold-Coast Free The owner of Australia's biggest theme park was fined Aus$3.6 million ($2.5 million) Monday for safety failures leading to the deaths of four people on a popular water ride in 2016. Two women and two men died when their rafts collided on the Thunder River Rapids ride at Dreamworld on the Gold Coast, leading prosecutors to file three charges against owner Ardent Leisure in June. A Queensland court found the company had breached the state's workplace health and safety laws but stopped short of the maximum Aus$4.5 million penalty. Ardent Leisure said it accepted full responsibility and apologized "unreservedly" in a statement to the Australian Securities Exchange. Read also: Australia theme park facing charges over killer ride Its board and executives expressed their "deepest sympathies" to the victims' families for the "enormous loss to each of them from the terrible tragedy which occurred at Dreamworld... and the ongoing suffering from that loss". The company, which faced heavy criticism for trying to re-open before the funerals had taken place, said a new leadership had driven a "complete overhaul" of safety procedures at the theme park. Ardent Leisure said it had compensated the "majority" of families, first responders and others impacted by the tragedy and was working to complete the outstanding claims. Construction of a memorial to the victims in Dreamworld was put on hold due to the pandemic but work is expected to restart within months, the firm added. Khartoum, Sudan (PANA)- Refugees living in Sudan are weary of security, food and health care, according to a report released on Monday in Khartoum by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Sydney universities will lose millions of dollars in funding for students from disadvantaged backgrounds under proposed federal government changes. The Higher Education Participation and Partnerships Program (HEPPP) was introduced by the Rudd government 10 years ago to boost university participation by allocating funding to institutions with the highest number of underprivileged students. Wendy San studied at UTS and now works at Deloitte after taking part in an outreach program for school students living in disadvantaged areas. Credit:Peter Rae The federal government now plans to give almost half of these funds to universities in regional and remote areas. Regional universities in NSW and the University of Tasmania in Hobart, which is classified as regional, have welcomed the changes. The reforms also include doubling fees for humanities courses and reducing fees for science-related courses. The Senate will vote on the bill next week and its success depends on the votes of Tasmanian Senator Jacqui Lambie and South Australia's Stirling Griff. Voters say the Supreme Court vacancy has added to the already high stakes of the presidential election. In the battlegrounds of Georgia and North Carolina, most say it makes the election feel even more important it's one more factor in an election in which most voters from both parties think their culture and way of life are at stake. President Trump's voters here think the Democrats want society to change too fast, and Joe Biden's voters think Republicans want to go back to the past. The court fight may not be changing votes, since most were already locked in, but many describe it as adding even more motivation to the race. Both sides are about equally likely to say they'll vote (and some already have). In two contests that will turn almost entirely on turnout, that's essential. And as important as the Supreme Court is, voters tell us it is just one of the major topics on their minds. Issues of race continue to split voters in these fast-growing, changing Southern states, and views on the protests are a major factor, too. The Black voters who make up sizable shares of the electorate here voice agreement with the Black Lives Matter movement, as do White Democrats, but the president's supporters say too much attention is being paid to discrimination against Black people today. And it all adds up to a razor-thin horse race: Georgia remains a toss-up, with Mr. Trump up just a point; it favored Biden by a point this summer. North Carolina sees Biden up two; he had a four-point edge this summer. In each state the president has consolidated support, maintains leads with non-college White voters and men, and is seen as better on the economy. Biden's support remains steady, bolstered by performing well with women and Black voters, and by improving on Democrats' 2016 performance among White women with college degrees. It's a pattern across all the states we've been polling of late as we head into the first debate: Biden has not added to the big leads he had all summer, and things show a general, if slight, tightening toward the president's way overall. Story continues Mr. Trump is up comfortably in neighboring South Carolina, but that state offers some real Senate drama of its own. The Supreme Court Amid protests from Democratic leaders citing 2016 precedent, Republican voters think Mr. Trump should pick the next justice, and when asked why, they choose as the top reason, "a sitting president's nominee should always get a vote." Republicans also overwhelmingly say the Senate should hold a vote on Mr. Trump's nominee before the election. And about half of voters in these states say they are now more motivated to vote because of the high court vacancy, but both sides had been intending to vote already, and some already have. Biden and Mr. Trump are running neck-and-neck in these states among voters who say the court is a major factor in their decision. Still, as Senate Democrats face decisions on how to approach things from here, most voters say the Democrats should consider the nominee on the merits. (The poll was taken before Judge Amy Coney Barrett was named and did not name any specific nominee.) But Democrats' own voters want them to do everything they can to stop it. When it comes to some of the issues being discussed amid the Supreme Court debate, in North Carolina, a majority 55% of likely voters say abortion should be legal in all or most cases, while only 16% say it should be illegal in all cases. A majority approve of the Affordable Care Act, and 75% say health insurance companies should be required to cover preexisting conditions at the same rates as everyone else. And don't forget the economy. It still outranks the court as a major factor in vote, largely because it's one thing both parties both agree on as important. (By contrast, Republicans are comparably less concerned about the coronavirus.) Mr. Trump enjoys an advantage on the economy here, as he does in other battleground states. The Senate Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina all have Republican senators up for reelection this year, and Senate control may hinge on these races. Perhaps the biggest surprise of the group is in South Carolina, a reliably Republican state where Democratic challenger Jaime Harrison has pulled almost even with incumbent Republican Lindsey Graham. We find Graham just a point up, with more South Carolina voters saying he agrees with Mr. Trump too much, rather than the right amount. How Graham handles the confirmation hearings appears to be a wash for him, with nearly half saying it won't affect their Senate vote if he votes for the nominee. The rest divided on partisan lines. North Carolina presents the Democrats with a pickup opportunity, with challenger Cal Cunningham still leading Senator Thom Tillis by a wide margin in a race that hasn't changed since the summer. The president, in a tight race of his own here, again looks to be a factor. More North Carolinians think Tillis agrees with Mr. Trump too much, rather than the right amount. A Tillis vote for Mr. Trump's nominee would please most Republicans and looks like a slight net-negative among independents in North Carolina. Of the three states we polled this week, Senate Republicans' best prospects of holding a seat are currently in Georgia, where incumbent David Perdue leads challenger Jon Ossoff by five points. Race and the protests In these states, where Black voters make up large shares of the electorate, race and partisanship mark sharp divisions in how voters view the protests about police treatment of African Americans. Most Black voters here as they do nationwide strongly agree with the ideas of the Black Lives Matter movement and think too little attention is being paid to issues of racial discrimination against Black people. Among White voters in these states, partisanship defines differences. Most White Democrats agree with Black voters on these issues, but most White Republicans think that too much attention is being paid to the issue of racial discrimination against Black people, and feel that Joe Biden, as a candidate, pays too much attention to the needs and concerns of Black people, and too little to those of White people. By contrast, about half of White Republicans think more attention needs to be paid to issues of discrimination against White people. Black voters think Donald Trump is paying too much attention to the needs and problems of White people and too little to those of Black people. (In contrast, they see Joe Biden as paying the right amount of attention to both groups.) We see a similar racial divide over how the candidates are handling the recent protests about the treatment of African Americans by police. Most Black voters, as well as most White Democratic voters, approve of Biden's handling of the protests and strongly disapprove of the way Mr. Trump is handling them. Most White Republicans strongly approve of Mr. Trump and strongly disapprove of Biden. Most likely voters in Georgia and North Carolina say the protests will be a major factor in their vote, though it trails the economy in importance. White voters and Black voters factor in the protests in about equal measure, though an electoral connection exists only among White voters. White voters say the protests are a major factor and overwhelmingly back Mr. Trump's reelection. White voters for whom the protests are less of a factor are more evenly split between Mr. Trump and Biden. (Black voters overwhelmingly support Biden, regardless of the importance they place on protests.) We see a divide among White voters by gender and education on how Mr. Trump is handling the protests, particularly in North Carolina. Most White voters without a college degree in particular men approve of the president's approach to the protests. Among White voters with college degrees, we see a gender divide: Men tend to approve of the president's approach, while women tend to disapprove. One thing that cuts across party lines is that most voters, Black and White, don't think that it is likely that large violent demonstrations accompanied by rioting and looting will come to their town, not even in the suburbs. In Georgia, less than a third say this is even somewhat likely. Vote by mail A big part of that turnout equation: Most of the vote in Georgia and North Carolina battlegrounds will be cast before November 3. Democrats plan to vote by mail or vote early. As of now, the in-person vote in North Carolina looks like it will be more Republican, putting pressure on them to turn out, but we've certainly seen that happen in North Carolina in prior years. In both states, Republicans say they find the voting process overall easier than Democrats do. In North Carolina, seven in 10 Republicans call it very easy, versus four in 10 Democrats who describe it that way. And in Georgia, Republicans calling it very easy outnumber Democrats by 2 to 1. That'll be something to watch closely as voters navigate their options over the next couple of weeks. And amid all the heated discussion over how to vote and voting methods, voters are somewhat, if not very, confident that their votes will be counted properly. Democrats are less confident than Republicans. These surveys were conducted on behalf of CBS News by YouGov between September 22-25, 2020. They are based on representative samples of 1,164 registered voters in Georgia, 1,213 in North Carolina, and 1,080 in South Carolina. Margins of error for registered voters are +/- 3.3 points in Georgia, +/- 3.6 points in North Carolina, and +/- 3.8 points in South Carolina. Toplines: Georgia North Carolina South Carolina Renewable energy industry booming despite struggling economy Far-right group Proud Boys rally in Portland, Oregon Breonna Taylor's family demands to see evidence from grand jury Thank you for reading! Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading. Washington, D.C.--(Newsfile Corp. - September 28, 2020) - The Securities and Exchange Commission today announced that Fiat Chrysler Automobiles N.V., a London-based public company that sells vehicles through its Michigan-based subsidiary, agreed to settle charges that it made misleading disclosures about an internal audit of its emissions control systems. The SEC's order found that in February 2016, FCA represented in both a press release and an annual report that it conducted an internal audit which confirmed that FCA's vehicles complied with environmental regulations concerning emissions. As found in the order, FCA's statements did not sufficiently disclose the limited scope of its internal audit, which focused only on finding a specific type of defeat device, or that the audit was not a comprehensive review of FCA's compliance with U.S. emissions regulations. In addition, at the time FCA made these statements, engineers at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and California Air Resource Board (CARB) had raised concerns to FCA about the emissions systems in certain of its diesel vehicles. "This case demonstrates the importance of public companies providing accurate and complete information to investors," said Joel R. Levin, Regional Director of the SEC's Chicago Regional Office. "At a time of heightened scrutiny of automakers' regulatory compliance, FCA provided misleading assurances to investors by not disclosing the limitations of its internal audit." The SEC's order found that FCA violated the reporting provisions of the federal securities laws. Without admitting or denying the SEC's findings, FCA agreed to cease and desist from committing violations of these provisions and to pay a $9.5 million civil penalty. The SEC's investigation was conducted by Michelle Munoz Durk, Christine Jeon, Amy Hartman, and Timothy Tatman of the Chicago Regional Office and supervised by Jeffrey Shank and Daniel Michael of the Complex Financial Instruments Unit. Trial attorneys Robert Moye and Timothy Stockwell assisted with this matter. The SEC thanks the EPA and CARB for their cooperation and assistance in this matter. Hundreds of refugees are being transferred from the Greek island of Lesbos tonight in a bid to reduce chronic overcrowding that caused hardship and fanned tensions with locals. Over 700 people are set to sail to the Greek mainland aboard a ferry on Monday organisers said while another group will leave on Thursday. Some 2,500 refugees and asylum seekers are to be relocated overall, following coronavirus tests, according to the migration ministry. It comes three weeks after the sprawling Moria camp on the island burned down leaving more than 12,000 asylum seekers homeless on September 8. The fire broke out shortly after more than 30 people there tested positive for coronavirus. Hundreds of refugees are being transferred from the island of Lesbos to reduce chronic overcrowding that caused hardship and fanned tensions with locals. Pictured: Migrants stand in a queue to embark on a ferry Over 700 people (some pictured) are set to sail to the Greek mainland aboard a ferry on Monday organisers said while another group will leave on Thursday Some 2,500 refugees and asylum seekers are to be relocated overall (some of the group being transferred today), following coronavirus tests, according to the migration ministry Migrants - most of them wearing face masks - gather outside the temporary refugee camp in Kara Tepe as they wait to depart from Lesbos It comes three weeks after the sprawling Moria camp on the island burned down (the remains of the camp, pictured) leaving more than 12,000 asylum seekers homeless on September 8 Six Afghan youths are on trial for arson in connection to the fire. They deny the charges. The Moria camp was notorious for overcrowding, poor sanitation and ethnic gang violence. Also Monday, Greek police said they had identified 33 aid workers who allegedly facilitated illegal migration to Lesbos. A Greek police source later said the 'preliminary' investigation was still under way. A police statement said the suspects, who worked for four non-governmental organisations, were part of 'an organised network' created to 'systematically' facilitate illegal migration to the island. Migrants - most of whom are wearing face masks to protect against the spread of coronavirus - wait ahead of their transfer A boy looks at policemen as he waits to enter a bus from Kara Tepe refugee camp for the port of Mytilene today Migrants enter a bus from Kara Tepe refugee camp for the port of Mytilene ahead of their ferry today Migrants enter a military truck from Kara Tepe refugee camp for the port of Mytilene before they boarded a ferry today Refugees wearing face masks are pictured queuing to board buses taking them to the port of Mytilene Refugees wait to board buses from Kara Tepe camp. Families with young children are pictured Refugees and migrants from the destroyed Moria camp wait to board buses to the port Refugees and migrants - some of whom are young children - from the destroyed Moria camp board a bus to the port Two other foreign nationals - identified by state TV ERT as an Afghan and an Iranian - were also part of the alleged operation, the police said. No information was given on the aid groups in question, the identities of the suspects, or whether any were already in custody. Police said the alleged operation was active from at least June, 'providing substantial assistance to organised migrant-smuggling networks' by helping direct migrant boats to shore safely. Migrants stand in a queue to board a ferry upon their departure from Lesbos island for mainland Greece Refugees and migrants get ready to board a bus to the port. A ferry will later take them to mainland Greece Migrants wait in a queue to get on board a ferry which will take them from Lesbos island to mainland Greece Meanwhile, Germany has offered to take 1,500 asylum seekers from Greece, including former Moria residents. For its part France has offered to take in 500 minors from the camp. Authorities and local residents on Lesbos had long campaigned for the immediate removal of most of the asylum seekers. After the camp burned down, a makeshift tent facility was hurriedly erected to house some 9,500 people. But the temporary camp, on a hill overlooking the sea, is ill-equipped to handle winter conditions. The government is now in talks to build a smaller permanent camp on the island. Oaklands typically bumpin Cal-Italian restaurant Sister has been quiet lately a normal state of being for restaurants during the pandemic. But the storied space is now entering yet another new chapter: a new chef, who has none of the ties to its controversial previous incarnation, Charlie Hallowells Boot & Shoe Service. Owners Jen Cremer and Richard Clark have brought on Melissa Perfit, who was the chef at short-lived Union Square seafood restaurant Ayala but might be best known for her years at elegant raw bar-focused Bar Crudo, as well as her stint on Top Chef in 2017. Expect Perfits expertise in seafood to carry over to Sister as she slowly makes the menu her own, though shes such a fan of Sister especially its naturally leavened, wood-fired pizzas that she isnt planning any radical changes. Her dishes have just started hitting Sisters menu, including handmade tortelloni stuffed with ricotta and covered with an electric orange sauce made of roasted heirloom tomatoes, and a celebration of summer in salad form, featuring heirloom tomatoes, peaches and lemon cucumbers. Her arrival comes around the same time Cremer and Clark hope to transition Sister away from a takeout-only operation to one that emphasizes outdoor dining. The restaurant already has a lovely back patio and space for sidewalk tables, and construction on a parklet should wrap up in October. Clark said he hopes outdoor dining will allow Sister to hire back more staff. Sister In the future, Perfit envisions bringing oysters and some favorites from Ayala, like the crunchy, fried whole snapper perched on a thin pool of pho-inspired lobster broth. But she also wants to show off more than what some might expect given her seafood-centric resume. She plans to experiment with Sisters wood-burning oven for more than pizza and add a steak, showing off the skills she picked up while working as chef de cuisine at Niku Steakhouse before the pandemic hit. The amount of time I spent at Bar Crudo put me in this seafood chef category people kept saying that, she said. I dont want to be labeled like thats the only thing I can do. Perfits arrival also has some symbolic significance as Sister moves further and further away from Boot & Shoe Service, where former owner Hallowell was widely accused of sexual harassment. Cremer and Clark bought Boot & Shoe in 2018, a few months after The Chronicle published its first investigation, and gradually made changes to the restaurant. But some community members wondered why they didnt change the name when it carried so much stigma and questioned the restaurants ties to Hallowells regime Cremer and prior executive chef Martin Salata previously worked for Hallowell at his restaurant Pizzaiolo. Food Guide Top 25 Restaurants Where to eat in the Bay Area. Find spots near you, create a dining wishlist, and more. In 2019, Cremer and Clark changed the name to Sister, unveiling their desire to build a positive restaurant culture with a zero-tolerance policy for sexual harassment. Now, the restaurant has an executive chef in Perfit with zero connection to Hallowell. Ultimately, Cremer and Clarks vision resonated strongly with Perfit. I never responded well to a militant kitchen, she said. Its not the way I lead cooks. Everyone should respect each other. Janelle Bitker is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: janelle.bitker@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @janellebitker Everyone wants to look their best. Always. This year, living through the pandemic lock downs, its been especially difficult to pay attention to our personal appearance. If people are not seeing and interacting with you all day, you can let the face and hair go. To some extent. Being cooped up for months in crazy schedules, now its important to get back out there. Looking our best means seeing to problems that have cropped up. Facial skin has aged and lost some of its luster. Hair has grown a little shaggy, and the color is disappearing. Heading out into the post-pandemic world means getting a grip on our personal appearance. Women as well as men need an uplift in spirit and a renewal of self-confidence. This comes when you leave your own mirror behind and head out to find professional help. We do more than beautify the skin and relax sore muscles, says Lauren Jannelli. Our job is not done until our clients leave the spa feeling wonderful. Lauren is the owner of Le Spa. She is the aesthetician here, and she opened the operation in 2011. It is located at 109 Main St. in Whitehouse Station. Ive traveled the country to train spas as a corporate educator for a French skincare company, she explains. She brings all that experience to Le Spa. Its a unique business model. Services here combine classic French aesthetics with the most innovative technologies available. We call it our platinum facial, she notes. Unique facial services include Radiofrequency Facial Rejuvenation and Cold Laser Therapy. These can do many wonders -- like tightening the skin around the chin and neck. The machine used for radiofrequency treatments was custom built for us, says Lauren. Treatments are not painful. Waves penetrate the skin and interact with the collagen -- tightening, lifting and stimulating it. Results happen right away and last for about two months. Thats not all. The Cold Laser Therapy is a treatment that can tackle dark spots and more -- regenerating, repairing and renewing the skin in the process. Le Spa also offers waxing services, CryoSculpting fat reduction, lash lifting, X-treme lash extensions, and much more. An array of massage services is offered by Anita Rohani. Anita has been a massage therapist and healer for over 15 years, advises Lauren. She offers classical types of massage as well as Reiki, reflexology and Chakra balancing. Reiki is the most popular. A full listing of services is detailed on the website. Women and men are welcome here. Services are by appointment only and online booking is available. Anita and I utilize our extensive industry expertise to customize our services to the precise needs of every client, says Lauren. Just the thing for heading out. For more information, call 908-300-1924 and visit LeSpaNJ.com. Also, check out the salons Facebook page. Angelo and Sandi Graziani operate DomAlenas Hair & Nail Salon in Flemington. The operation is more than 10 years old. They named it after their children who are grown up now. Its an active salon, located at 9-15 Central Ave. Were back to full service, says Angelo. We were shut for three months, but now were back. Its a different time, not a bad time. The salon now accepts one appointment at a time. Hours have been extended to accommodate this setup, he explains. They are serving as many clients as before, but it makes for some long days for the salon. DomAlenas offers a wide variety of services. There is an overlap in types of services desired by women, men and young people, especially nail care for hands and feet. Women are interested in facials and everything hair -- cutting, painting, coloring, balayage, highlighting, extensions, braids, chignons, updos, and just about anything else for the hair. Waxing and nail care are popular. And we will be adding eyelash extensions soon, says Angelo. Men come for traditional barbering, hot towel shaves, beard and mustache trims, and maybe some color in the hair. For more information, and to book an appointment, call 908-788-2811 or visit DomAlenas.com. Also check out the Facebook and Instagram pages. Rich Haymes runs the Hold Fast Barber Shop & Shave Parlor. He spent more than 11 years as a barber, so hes seen lots of hair. And lots of hairstyles that have come -- and gone. He opened his shop in 2015 and operates with his right hand man, Jeremy Hamilton. The place is located at 11 Church St. in Flemington. Were an old school barber shop, he tells me. We were closed for four months, but now that weve re-opened, were seeing new people -- as well as former customers -- every day. Rich and Jeremy are noticing that men are wearing longer hairstyles these days. They offer affordable cuts that are both classic and modern, and side fades are still popular. This is where men can get those old school shaves with the hot towels. Its with straight razor, safety or electric -- your choice. We get some women and girls, he says. They tend to be wearing their hair in much shorter styles. For more information, and to make your own appointment, call 866-323-3908 and plan a visit to the website, HoldFastBarberShop.com. Also go to Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Al Warr may be reached at 610-253-0432 or AlWarr16@gmail.com. New Delhi, Sep 28 : Delhi Police Sub-Inspector Sandeep Dahiya, who fled the Capital after shooting and injuring his girlfriend after a quarrel late last night, went on to shoot his father-in-law dead in Rohtak, Haryana on Monday morning. The officer is on the run, armed with his service revolver that he used to shoot the two, police said. "We have formed several teams to arrest the absconding accused," said DCP Outer North Gaurav Sharma. Teams from the Delhi Police and Haryana Police are hunting for Dahiya in both the states and looking at all possible hideouts. Dahiya is posted at Delhi's Lahori Gate police station at present. According to the police, Dahiya had gone to his wife's maternal home with the intention to kill her but instead shot dead her father Ranveer Singh. The 36-year-old policeman's wife and he have been estranged for many years and had been living separately. According to sources, Dahiya was in a relationship with another woman for the past one year whom he reportedly shot during a quarrel and left by the roadside on GT Karnal Road in north Delhi's Alipur area on Sunday. According to the police, Dahiya shot the woman when the two were fighting inside his car. The injured woman was rescued by Sub-Inspector Jaiveer who reportedly spotted her while crossing the Sai Mandir on GT Karnal Road. "While taking the woman to a hospital, she said she had been shot by Sub-Inspector Dahiya, posted at Lahori Gate police station," DCP Outer north Gaurav Sharma said. According to the police, Dahiya had joined Delhi Police in 2006 as a constable and after clearing an exam, became Sub Inspector in 2010. He is a permanent resident of Village Sisana, District Sonipat, Haryana. At present, he was residing at the government-allotted accommodation at Shalimar Bagh Police Colony. He has a matrimonial dispute with his wife. A case u/s 498 A IPC was also registered against him at PS Rohtak, Haryana. "In the intervening night of September 26 and 27 he was deputed for duty from 9 PM to 1 AM. But he didn't turn up for duty and hence, he was marked absent," said a senior police officer. Nordic leaders said they would examine evidence from a new documentary The series claimed to have found a hitherto unrecorded hole in the ship's hull Estonian, Swedish and Finnish foreign ministers announced they would 'assess the new information' 853 people drowned when a ferry sank in Finnish waters in September 1994 Nordic leaders said on Monday they would examine evidence from a new documentary that could shatter the official explanation of how 852 people died in a 1994 ferry sinking in the Baltic Sea. Makers of the five-part documentary series, which was released for streaming on Monday, claimed to have found a hitherto unrecorded four-metre (13-foot) hole in the ship's hull. ADVERTISEMENT In a joint statement on Monday, Estonian, Swedish and Finnish foreign ministers announced they would 'assess the new information.' An underwater image taken from the new documentary shows a hole in the hull of the sunken ferry MS Estonia According to information presented in the documentary, the hole is four metres high and has previously been partly hidden towards the sea bed In this November 19, 1994 file photo, the bow door of the sunken passenger ferry MS Estonia is lifted up from the bottom of the sea, off Uto Island, in the Baltic Se A total of 852 people drowned when the passenger and car ferry MS Estonia sank in Finnish waters in the early hours of September 28, 1994, while en route from Tallinn to Stockholm in Europe's worst peacetime shipping disaster. In 1997, investigators concluded the disaster was caused by the bow door of the ship being wrenched open in heavy seas, allowing water to gush into the car deck. Survivors and relatives of those killed have fought for over two decades for a fuller investigation, with some claiming that the opening of the bow visor would not have caused the vessel to sink as quickly as it did. The ship went down in just one hour, leaving only 137 survivors. Candles are seen next to the names of victims during a ceremony to mark the 25th anniversary of a maritime disaster when MS Estonia, carrying 803 passengers and 186 crew, sank in the Baltic Sea, in Tallinn, Estonia, on September 28, 2019 The makers of the Discovery Networks documentary 'Estonia: The Find That Changes Everything' discovered the hole when they explored the wreckage with a remote-controlled submarine. Experts told the filmmakers that only a massive external force would be strong enough to cause the rupture, raising many questions about what really happened that night. 'I believe the truth is something other than what people have been told until now,' survivor Carl Eric Reintamm told the programme. Survivors described hearing a loud bang and Reintamm said he saw a large white object in the water next to the ferry, testimony which experts interviewed in the programme said has not been taken into account before now. Click here to resize this module In this file photo taken on September 28, 1994 resuce workers in Uto Island evacuate people injured when the MS Estonia ferry sank in the Baltic sea, killing 852 people overnight Tthe bow door of the sunken ferry MS Estonia is lifted from the bottom of the sea off Uto island on November 19, 1994, nearly two months after the ferry sank in the Baltic sea Until now the countries involved, including Estonia, Sweden and Finland, have proven extremely reluctant to re-examine the causes of the disaster. ADVERTISEMENT They opposed a refloating of the ship, in part because of the cost and logistics of raising the vast number of bodies trapped in the hull. The area near the Finnish island of Uto was designated a sea grave, prohibiting further exploration of the wreckage. As a result, documentary director Henrik Evertsson and another crew member were arrested following their examination of the site last September, and face up to two years' imprisonment in Sweden for violating the sanctity of the gravesite. In this file photo taken on September 29, 1994 Finnish Army recruits carrying victims of the MS Estonia ferry disaster into an amphibious landing craft for transfer from the island of Uto to the mainland However, Evertsson said it was 'absolutely essential and journalistically important' to send a camera down to the wreck. Numerous theories about the cause of the sinking have circulated for years, none of them proven as of yet. These include a collision with another vessel, either a military ship or a submarine, as well as theories that organised crime gangs were involved or that an explosion went off on the ship. Melbourne biotech Starpharma is on the hunt for cash as it prepares to speed up the development of a COVID-19 fighting nasal spray it believes could be ready to launch in the first half of next year. The $600 million antiviral condom maker entered a trading halt on Monday morning pending an announcement of an institutional placement and share purchase plan. Starpharma boss Jackie Fairley. Credit:Justin McManus. The company will look to institutional investors for $40 million, according to reports in The Australian Financial Review. Starpharma declined to confirm the scale of the raising but the company reiterated it was gearing up to have its nasal spray product ready for the market in the first half of 2021. Mars's northern ice cap. NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS Mars has a series of saltwater lakes beneath the glaciers of its southern ice cap, researchers say. These hypersalty patches of liquid water could harbor microbial alien life. NASA's Perseverance rover is traveling to Mars to search for signs of extraterrestrial life. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. Scientists have detected a series of saltwater lakes beneath the glaciers of Mars' southern ice cap. The researchers think the liquid in these lakes doesn't freeze and become solid, despite the low temperatures of Mars' glaciers, due to its extremely high concentrations of salt. The Mars Express spacecraft, which has been surveying the red planet since 2005, had previously detected signs of a subglacial lake basin on Mars' south pole, but it was unclear whether the lake was liquid or what it contained. The southern ice cap of Mars, April 17, 2000. NASA/JPL To find out, a group of Italian, German, and Australian researchers applied a radio-echo technique that Earth satellites use to detect subsurface lakes in Antarctica. They scanned the area multiple times from 2010 to 2019, then published their results in the journal Nature Astronomy on Monday. The analysis confirmed the liquid-water nature of Mars' underground lake, as well as its extreme saltiness. Elena Pettinelli, a professor of geophysics at Italy's Roma Tre University who led the study, told NBC News that scientists are "much more confident now" that these Martian lakes exist. "We did many more observations, and we processed the data completely differently," Pettinelli added. What's more, the researchers also found "a more extensive, complex scenario with ubiquitous water patches surrounding the subglacial lake," according to the study. The discovery offers yet another possible habitat for life to persist on Mars. Ancient life may have retreated to underground lakes on Mars Scientists think the Martian surface was once rich with rivers, lakes, and seas, but all the surface water evaporated as a flow of particles from the sun stripped away the planet's atmosphere. Earth's strong magnetic field, by contrast, has allowed it to hold onto its atmosphere and its surface water. Story continues The southern section of the Cydonia Region of Mars is dominated by a series of craters and the remnants of channels that may be from a past river system, photographed by NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. NASA/JPL-Caltech/Univ. of Arizona Any microbial life that might have existed on Mars' surface might have over time migrated underground as water disappeared perhaps to lakes like the ones beneath the red planet's south pole. The new research indicates that such lakes could be common on the planet. "The existence of a single subglacial lake could be attributed to ad-hoc conditions such as the presence of a volcano under the ice sheet, or some other situation unique to the specific location where we found the first subglacial lake," Pettinelli told ScienceAlert. "The discovery of an entire system of lakes instead suggests their formation process to be relatively simple and possibly common." Layers of ice and dust at the North Pole of Mars, thought to have been deposited over millions of years, photographed by NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. NASA/JPL-Caltech/Univ. of Arizona Some scientists are skeptical, though. Planetary scientist Jack Holt told NBC that the subsurface water Pettinelli's team describes is "at best, patchy wet sediment." "But even that is a stretch," Holt said, since that Mars may simply be too cold for even subsurface, hypersalty water. Plus, if these lakes were liquid, "there should be springs flowing out along the edge of the polar cap," he added, "and that is not the case." It is not known whether Mars ever hosted life. To investigate that question , NASA launched its nuclear-powered Mars Perseverance rover in July. It's set to search for signs of ancient life on the red planet's surface and prepare Martian rock samples for a future mission that would return them to Earth. Perseverance is expected to land on Mars on February 18, 2021. An artist's illustration shows NASA's Perseverance rover and Ingenuity helicopter on Mars. NASA/JPL-Caltech "Is there life out there? We have, for 20 years, learned about the environment of Mars and are ready to ask that," NASA Administrator Thomas Zurbuchen said during a broadcast of the rover's launch. "For the first time in decades, [an] astrobiology mission? We're ready for it." Read the original article on Business Insider Another day brings more economic stimulus news as many Americans await needed payments as they struggle to make ends meet. Republicans and Democrats have both been in agreement that payments are needed, but they have not been able to come together on the finer points of an agreement that would make that happen. And, while initial projections had Americans receiving stimulus money by now, the question has quickly become whether or not a deal would get done for payments to hit bank accounts before the end of the year. Well, Sunday House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she believes another stimulus package is possible. Her comments came as House Democrats push forward on a slimmed down aid package that CNBC said would cost about $2.4 trillion. That package, the website said, would be around $1 trillion less than the Democrats' initial proposal. The problem, however, is that number is still more than the Trump administration appears willing to accept, the report said. The first round of stimulus checks went out in March and paid most individual Americans $1,200. And, if looked like, just months ago, that a second would be on the way, but negotiations began to unravel in August. CNBS said, however, the chamber could vote on a bill as soon as next week, and that this most recent proposal would include unemployment benefits, direct payments to Americans, Paycheck Protection Program small business loans and aid for airlines. CNBC said Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin previously signaled that the administration would not approve a plan above $1.5 trillion. Pelosi has, reportedly, consistently pushed for that number being increased by, at least, $1 trillion. When I have a conversation with the administration, it is in good faith, Pelosi told CNN. "I trust Secretary Mnuchin to represent something that can reach a solution, and I believe we can come to an agreement. However, at some point, the public is going to have to see why $2.2 or now $2.4 trillion dollars is necessary, she added. The presidents denial of the virus and just resistance to doing anything to crush it has made matters worse. So, we may need more money than that. And, we will reveal what this is in a short period of time. Earlier this month, CNBC reported, Senate Republicans failed to advance a $500 billion aid package due to Democratic objections that centered on state and local government relief and food assistance. Pelosis words Sunday come days after Mark Cuban, the billionaire owner of the Dallas Mavericks, suggested a plan that would pay Americans $1,000 every two weeks for two months. That plan, Cuban said, would stipulate that the money would have to be spent within 10 days of receiving it or lost. He said that would serve to energize the economy. While that is not an official plan it certainly looked interesting. Name : Charles Ferraro Party : Republican Race : House of Representatives District 117 Profile: Incumbent Charles Ferraro currently serves as the highest-ranking House Republican on the legislatures Energy and Technology Committee. He also serves on the Public Safety & Security and Veterans Affairs Committees. Ferraro studied his undergrad at Southern Connecticut State University and went to Murray State University in Kentucky, where he was a Masters of Science Degree Candidate in Fishery Biology. Ferraro is being challenged by Democrat Tony Sutton, who was cross endorsed by the Independent and Working Families party. The 117th district includes Milford, West Haven and Orange. Ferraro had 56.6 of the vote (of 11,835 ballots cast) when he won his third term in 2018. This post has been correct to reflect this is currently a third term for Charles Ferraro. Your browser does not support the audio element. Authorities in Ho Chi Minh City are scratching their heads over how to deal with more than 600 shipping containers of scrap material as they have been unable to re-export the shipments or contact either the senders or the recipients. A total of 1,099 shipping containers of unqualified scrap, many of which contain impurities and toxic substances harmful to the environment, have been stored at the citys ports and needed to be exported back to where they came from, an official from the municipal customs department told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper. The department has sent letters to 30 shipping lines and shipping agencies in Vietnam, but only 15 of them have suggested solutions for 484 of the shipping containers. Among them, 67 are expected to be discarded while the other 417 will be re-exported. It now remains unclear how the remaining 615 containers will be dealt with. Local shipping lines said they were unable to contact both the senders and recipients, while the goods do not meet enough requirements to be re-exported to other countries, said Nguyen Thanh Long, deputy head of the customs office at Cat Lai Port. As the scrap does not meet technical regulations on environmental protection for import, while storage fees have become much higher than the value of the shipments, many businesses have decided to abandon the goods, Long elaborated. Customs agencies and port operators have reduced storage fees by 80 percent and repeatedly asked local businesses to receive these shipping containers, but the problem remains unsolved. The Ho Chi Minh City customs department has only been able to return 39 shipping containers so far, while the rest are being stored at Hiep Phuoc Port. All proposed solutions have been submitted to the General Department of Vietnam Customs for a final decision. Authorities examine containers of unqualified scrap at a port in Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Quang Dinh / Tuoi Tre According to current regulations, shipping containers that meet import requirements will be put up for auction, while those unqualified must be re-exported. If shipping lines fail to re-export the unqualified goods within 30 days after being informed by customs agencies, the containers will risk being discarded, while the shipping lines may face a revocation of their export/import licenses. Local shipping firms believed that this is a harsh penalty, adding they have been facing difficulties in the re-export of such shipments. Re-exporting a shipping container requires sales invoices between the seller and the consignee, a representative of a local shipping line said. The most feasible solution is to dispose of these containers, and shipping lines have to pay for part of the cost as this is a type of operational risk, the director of a local company suggested. The remaining cost of the disposal process can be paid by money from the auction of qualified containers, he added. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Pakistan's anti-graft body has arrested opposition leader Shahbaz Sharif before planned protests next month by his party, which is seeking to force Prime Minister Imran Khan's resignation. Sharif, the president of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), was arrested on September 28 in the eastern city of Lahore after a provincial court rejected bail for him over a money-laundering case. Sharif has denied any wrongdoing and said the case against him is politically motivated. Sharif is the younger brother of former ousted Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, who was disqualified from office by the Supreme Court in 2017 over corruption allegations. Nawaz Sharif is currently residing in Britain after being released from prison earlier this year for medical treatment. Last week, he broke a nearly yearlong silence from exile in London by vowing to oust Khan from office through the protests. Nawaz Sharif accused Khan of only winning the 2018 general election with help from the country's powerful military, which has an oversized role in the domestic and foreign affairs of the South Asian nation. Sharif has suggested the military and courts colluded to throw him out of power. Based on reporting by AFP and AP COLONIE Siena College researchers have found "quantifiable levels" of coronavirus in wastewater at the dormitory on the north side of campus. Cases are rising at the Loudonville private college and at least 18 students have tested positive for the virus since mid-August, according to Siena's online COVID-19 tracker, which is updated daily. Two weeks ago, on Sept. 16, the college had only reported three cases. Siena's wastewater testing program, headed up by Kate Meierdiercks, an associate professor and chair of Sienas department of environmental studies and sciences, uses cutting-edge technology to find asymptomatic cases before they present on an individual test. The really useful part is wastewater surveillance data could be used as an early-warning system for colleges that have large populations to monitor, she said. The virus was also detected on the south side of campus, which sometimes has outside visitors, and the dorm Hines Hall, though Hines did not have quantifiable levels, according to the dashboard. The college has also partnered with an outside lab to conduct random nasal swab tests on 2 percent of the campus population each week. A spokeswoman for the college did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the numbers on the dashboard. The quantifiable levels of coronavirus were detected at MacClosky Square Townhouses, where an outdoor Kentucky Derby party on Sept. 5 led to roughly 20 students being "temporarily dismissed" from campus housing after school officials caught wind of the event. Students say the party drew a crowd of 80 to 100 revelers. In another divisive election year, heres one demographic that personally feels the strain of the nations partisan tensions: white evangelicals who plan to vote for Joe Biden. The Pew Research Center recently found few Americans, Republicans or Democrats, have many close friends who support a different presidential candidate in the 2020 race. In religious breakouts provided to Christianity Today, evangelical Biden supporters emerged as the exception. Just under half say their close friends disagree with them over the upcoming election. These longtime Democrats, former Republicans, and previous third-party voters represent an increasingly rare group straddling partisan lines, a position theyre in largely due to their faith. White evangelicals who back Biden are about twice as likely (46%) as Biden supporters overall (22%) to say that many of their close friends plan to vote for Trump. And they are three times as likely to have close friends who support a different candidate as their fellow white evangelicals who plan to vote for Donald Trump (16%). Most of my family, friends from home, and a decent number of friends from college are Trump supporters, said Clayton Job Myers, who graduated from Oklahoma Baptist University in May. He plans to vote for Biden this year because of his opposition to Trumps rhetoric and what he sees as religious posturing. I do my very best not to let that change how I view them and how I treat them. As the country becomes more polarized, Americans may be drawn to the idea of friendships that overcome political divides. Many read and shared accounts of the unlikely relationship between Supreme Court justices Antonin Scalia and Ruth Bader Ginsburg after her passing a week ago. For Christians, there are theological reasons to want to rise above political divisions. Some have spoken up to advocate for unity in Christ over partisanship in the church. Southern Baptist Convention president J. D. Greear has made a mantra of the phrase gospel above all, for example. But in practice, even for believers, it can be a challenging ideal. Many white evangelical Biden supporters come from Republican-leaning, Trump-supporting communities. Myers, for example, lives in Norman, Oklahoma, where Trump is leading Biden by almost 25 points in the state polls. Overall, 82 percent of white evangelicals plan to vote for Trump, compared to 17 percent for Biden. It can be isolating to feel like their political convictions put them in the minority not just in their state, town, or church but also within their own group of friends. One in ten white evangelical Biden supporters (10%) say a lot of their close friends support Trump. By comparison, just 1 percent of white evangelical Trump supporters say they have a lot of friends who will vote for Biden. Fifteen evangelicals who shared their stories with CT for this article described personal interactions ranging from awkward and tense to unsettling and faith-shaking as a result of their disagreements over who should be president. For Anna Caudill, a pro-life Independent living in Franklin, Tennessee, church is now a lonely place, and it doesnt feel like home as it did for the first 43 years of my life. She has been disappointed to see Christians around her continue to align with Trump despite his policies and remarks on black lives, separated families, refugees, and disabled people. Ive had to stay away from a lot of social media feeds and be selective about spending time with people, she said. Im more guarded about conversations than I ever was. She hasnt talked much about her decision to vote for Biden. As a Biden supporter, Kelley Mathews in Dallas feels like her relationship with Trump supporters has become strained during his presidency, as she has to either brace for comments on her position or keep politics off the table. Some of them are kind but condescending, making my objections seem petty and merely a reaction to Trumps abrasive personality rather than substantive, she said. Others are openly hostile, so with long-term relationships in mind, I choose not to engage with them on the topic. Mathews expressed a sentiment that came up among many Biden supporters, including at an Evangelicals for Biden panel discussion put on by the campaigns faith outreach team last week: They worry fellow evangelicals see a vote for Biden (particularly because of his pro-choice position) as a move away from the church. The genuineness of our faith is called into question, said Steven Harris, one of a dozen Christian leaders appearing on Wednesdays Zoom panel. A PhD candidate at Harvard Divinity and a former staffer at the SBC Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, Harris challenged the assumption on two frontsfirst, saying a political requisite contradicts justification by faith alone (Rom. 5:1) and, second, bringing up the robust gospel witness of African American Christians whose political beliefs have long contrasted with white evangelicals. Black Protestants and white evangelicals share many theological convictions, but black Protestants are currently more likely to vote against Trump than white evangelicals are to vote for him. Harris, who attends Anacostia River Church in DC, told CT while he feels the tension over the evangelical label as a Democrat and black believer, I do not want to concede all of evangelicalism to the Republican Party. Though Trump has been the Republican candidate both years, for many evangelical voters, 2016 is a lot different than 2020. As CT previously reported, Trumps evangelical supporters feel more confident and justified in their votes, knowing the presidents track record on abortion, religious liberty, and judicial appointments in his first term. And his evangelical detractors have likewise shifted. Some have gone from reluctantly or quietly opposing the president to voicing outspoken dissent. Lisa Sharon Harper, evangelical writer and activist, said during the Evangelicals for Biden panel that 2020 was her first time endorsing a candidate in the presidential election. Others say after voting Republican or third-party, this year would be their first time voting for a Democratic candidate for president. Republican Voters Against Trump has promoted stories of Christians who oppose Trumps re-election on religious grounds. Despite the personal strains on their relationships, many white evangelicals supporting Biden say they are working to maintain their cross-partisan friendships. Some have seen encouraging signs of respectful disagreement and serious conversation. Ive openly shared my support with family and friends. Their response has been much more understanding and open than 2016 when they fiercely opposed [Hillary Clintons] candidacy, said Justin Gillebo, an evangelical in Seattle who says he is supporting the Biden/Harris ticket after voting third-party in 2016. Many have still signaled that they will support the current president, but theyve been more open to debating policy rather than simply focusing on the candidates themselves as they did in 2016. Brandon Helderop, a Michigan evangelical who wrote last month about his departure from the Republican Party, has also seen constructive dialogue among his friends who stand by the president. It can be awkward at times, he said, but I most appreciate those [friends] Im able to have respectful dialogue as well as find unity and commonality with. My biggest prayer is for our country to have empathy for each other. We may not understand why people we disagree with feel the way they do, but their opinions still matter, and they have value. HUDSON VALLEY, NY Students have gone back to school whether in-person, hybrid or remotely and New York families have mixed feelings on how local officials are handling education safety amid the coronavirus pandemic. More than half of those who responded to a Patch survey are not convinced that the safety measures being taken by local officials to reopen schools will keep school communities safe, but more parents believe their children are safe in school than those who don't. Overall, there were 1,211 responses to the unscientific Patch survey. Nearly 40 percent of respondents believe the current safety measures taken to reopen schools will keep their communities safe, while nearly 28 percent disagree. Almost 26 percent responded "maybe," while more than six percent said they don't know. Some parents expressed worry about hangouts between children outside of school. "My concern is the social gatherings happening outside of school with large groups and no precautions," one said. Another wrote, "The school is not the problem. Its when the kids are away from school without masks and not social distancing. Mask up!!" (Patch Survey) The most popular answer to the question about the "severity" of measures being taken by school districts was "about right," with 42.7 percent of respondents clicking that answer. Meanwhile, more than 29 percent said the measures are much or somewhat too loose, while more than 28 percent said the measures are much or somewhat too strict. "Safety measures are excellent but outbreaks will occur," one parent, who answered "just right," said. "How well the school handles them (communicating, contact tracing, isolating, quarantining, closing the school temporarily if necessary) is everything." Another parent, who said the safety measures in place are much too strict, wrote: "It is an OUTRAGE how the public schools are treating the children. Children should not be wearing masks, it is unhealthy and psychologically damaging. Teachers should not wear masks. Children learn from others by watching their facial expressions, seeing their mouths move. Children should see others smile. The mask mandates need to end. The 'science' behind the mask benefits simply DO NOT EXIST. This is a control issue. And our children are the ones suffering on so many levels." Story continues Another parent expressed their children need in-person learning to thrive. "My kids are suffering learning online," they wrote. "I have two children with ADHD and another two battling depression. The effects of being home and disconnected from their communities is beyond more severe than any virus they could contract. If I could I would send them for as many days as possible for in person learning. No laptop or application can take the place of a good nurturing teacher." (Patch Survey) Respondents were mixed on how they rated New York State's overall handling of school safety issues during the pandemic. More than 46 percent strongly or somewhat approve, while more than 40 percent strongly or somewhat disapproved. That leaves 13.5 percent who are neutral. "I believe [Gov. Andrew Cuomo] did an excellent job in laying out a school reopening plan," one grandparent wrote. "Let's face it. It's an experiment and hopefully the results will be positive. We will have to wait and see." One parent who strongly disapproves of the state's handling of the coronavirus as it relates to education wrote: "King Cuomo is drunk on power and needs to go. Theres no reason our kids cannot be in school in person full time. The damage this is causing to their mental health is far worse then the chance of them catching a virus. They are falling so far behind in learning and will be at an extreme disadvantage. The numbers have been down for months, life needs to go back to normal. Enough is enough." (Patch Survey) Most parents are confident that their children are safe when in school. On a scale of 1 to 5, more than 27 percent answered "1," or most confident, while more than 18 percent clicked "2." Roughly 19 percent are neutral, while 35.5 percent combined expressed none or the least amount of confidence. "I am so impressed with our district the amount of safety measures that have been put in place is incredible," one parent wrote. "I know some parents and teachers are still complaining but I think its a wonderful thing that the children have returned back to school! I also work in a school in my district and I think theyre doing an amazing job at keeping the children safe but also allowing them to have some normalcy." Another parent stated: "The current guidelines are unfounded, have no basis in science, harmful and destructive to our children emotionally and physically." (Patch Survey) The one survey question the majority of people agreed on was the issue of whether students should be required to wear masks in school. More than 75 percent answered yes. Nearly 17 percent said students shouldn't be required to wear masks, while 7.6 percent said, "yes, but only in middle." "I think masks should be on at all times in school, unless outside and still 6 feet apart," one parent said. One parent who went against the grain wrote: "Masks are not meant to be worn for children 6-8 hours a day." (Patch Survey) This article originally appeared on the New Rochelle Patch The icon for TikTok. (Associated Press) TikTok on Sunday won a significant victory against the Trump administration, when a federal judge ruled in favor of the tech company's request to delay a ban on the app. Under the ruling, TikTok will remain available in U.S. mobile app stores and can continue to provide software updates. The company filed a lawsuit this month in Washington, D.C., saying that the administrations effort to stop new downloads of the app starting Sept. 27 was unconstitutional and could harm its business. TikTok is a modern-day version of a town square, the companys attorney, John Hall, said at a hearing Sunday. Pulling TikTok from the app stores would be no different than the government locking the doors to a public forum, Hall added. The popular social video app has been under scrutiny by Trump, who has expressed concerns that TikTok, whose parent company ByteDance is based in China, could be giving U.S. user information to the Chinese government. TikTok says it has not done so and that its U.S. user information is stored in Virginia and backed up in Singapore. The judge's ruling offers ByteDance some breathing room as the company continues working on a deal to give partial ownership to U.S. partners to satisfy the security issues raised by Trump by Nov. 12 or risk getting banned in the country. The judge did not offer an extension of the Nov. 12 deadline in his order Sunday. At stake is TikTok's massive global success and its footprint in L.A.'s entertainment industry with popular video creators making tens of thousands of dollars each month in brand deals in return for marketing products to their millions of fans. The directive to remove TikTok from U.S. mobile app stores came from the Commerce Department after an executive order signed by the president Aug. 6. "The concern here is data security risk and leaving data vulnerable to access from the Chinese government," Daniel Schwei, an attorney for the Justice Department, said in a hearing Sunday. "This is the most immediate national security threat." Story continues But TikTok on Sunday successfully persuaded a federal judge to grant a preliminary injunction barring the Commerce Department's prohibition on the app. The company argued that the directive, which would have taken effect midnight Monday, violated TikTok's constitutional rights for free speech and due process. It also argued that blocking TikTok software updates, including ones related to security, could put users' personal information at risk. We will continue defending our rights for the benefit of our community and employees, TikTok said in a statement Sunday. At the same time, we will also maintain our ongoing dialogue with the government to turn our proposal, which the president gave his preliminary approval to last weekend, into an agreement." The Commerce Department in a statement said it will comply with the injunction but plans to legally defend Trumps executive order. ByteDance is continuing to work on a deal to address Trump's security concerns. An early version of the agreement would create a new company called TikTok Global, giving Silicon Valley software company Oracle and Arkansas retailer Walmart 20% ownership. Oracle would run TikTok Global on Oracle Cloud and TikTok Global would be based in the U.S.. Last weekend, Trump said he approved the deal in concept, raising hope among TikTok supporters that a ban on the app could be averted. But any deal would need the Chinese government's approval, and state-run media outlets have already expressed their disapproval. "ByteDance has become the victim of a shakedown in which its prized possession is being seized and exchanged for favors done and to come," China Daily wrote in an editorial that also notes Oracle's close ties with Trump. Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison hosted a fundraiser for Trump and is a supporter of the president's. "The White House has been using this issue as showing force of the stance towards China and if this is put through before the election, it will be considered as an achievement of the (Trump) administration," said Yun Zhu, an associate professor of finance at the Peter J. Tobin College of Business at St. John's University. "It doesnt give China any leverage in discussing this issue further, so I think China will not let that deal happen so easily." Some U.S. lawmakers including Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) have also expressed concern over whether the deal would still give China some control over TikTok. If a deal is not closed by Nov. 12, the Commerce Department will take more punitive action, including barring U.S. businesses such as content delivery networks from working with TikTok, essentially crippling its ability to function. In August, TikTok lost $10 million in revenue and about a dozen brands have canceled or delayed their plans to advertise on the app, interim head Vanessa Pappas said in a declaration filed in federal court. The app also is in danger of losing its creators and users to rival services. TikTok had grown exponentially, especially during the pandemic, as people looked for new ways to entertain themselves as they sheltered at home. TikTok said it had nearly 689.2 million global active users this July, up from roughly 55 million in January 2018. "For TikTok to remain competitive, continued growth at this stage in our development is critical," Pappas said in her declaration. "New users are the lifeblood of a social media application like TikTok; without new users, we cannot compete with other platforms." Pappas said that if TikTok were to be banned in the U.S. entirely on Nov. 12 for six months, the company predicts that 80% to 90% of its daily active users will not return. This month three TikTok creators, including USC student Cosette Rinab, also filed a lawsuit in federal court in Pennsylvania, arguing that a ban would violate their 1st Amendment rights. On Saturday, a judge denied the creators' request for a temporary restraining order. It's unclear what will happen next. "This really seems like the most epic soap opera I've ever seen, and I can't really figure out what the ending is going to be," said Rich Greenfield, a partner at research firm LightShed Partners. "Every time we think there's clear visibility and what's about to happen, it all disappears." Times staff researcher Scott Wilson contributed to this report. Days before the Sept. 30 deadline to be counted in the 2020 Census, Tahoe communities are seriously underreported. Compared with response rates for the 2010 Census, all Tahoe communities are lagging and so are many mountain towns across the Sierra Nevada, from Plumas County to Inyo County. Across North Tahoe, just 28 percent of homes have responded to the census. Thats down 14 percent compared with 2010. Meanwhile, the overall response rate for the state of California is 68.7 percent. Zoom in further and you can see a more nuanced picture. In Tahoma, a neighborhood on the West Shore, only 12 percent of households have responded to the 2020 Census. In Tahoe City, 23 percent of homes have completed it. Same goes for Kings Beach. Truckee has a 35 percent response rate and South Lake is at 32 percent. A source of tension is how the numbers just don't match what Tahoe residents are seeing every day. Anecdotally, Tahoe has only grown since 2010, and especially this year. Many people are visitors. But theres also been an influx of people retreating from the cities to homes in the mountains, sparking a massive real estate boom. NPR called Truckee a Zoom Town because so many people have moved here in the pandemic now that they can work remotely. The number of homes sold in Truckee is up 55 percent compared with last year, according to Redfin. If so many people are moving to Tahoe or living here discreetly why are so few houses responding to the census? Tahoes always had a large inventory of second homes that wouldnt get counted toward the area. But theres more going on, says Emilio Vaca, deputy director of outreach for the California Complete Count Census 2020 office. For one, most houses in Tahoe didnt receive any paperwork from the census until June or July. The U.S. Census Bureau identified rural areas like Tahoe for an operation called Update Leave. Most, if not all, homes along the North Shore of Lake Tahoe receive mail at a P.O. box, and the bureau decided not to send census forms to P.O. boxes. Instead, census workers would drop 2020 packets on the doorstep of those houses. That might have worked out, if the timeline had not run straight into the pandemic. The Census Bureau paused Update Leave on March 18th. Field operations didnt resume until the beginning of June. Also, the question itself is asking where you lived on April 1st. Its a time and place count, Vaca says. People who just moved to Tahoe will likely have answered the census accurately and reported that they lived in the Bay Area or Sacramento, or wherever their residence was at the time. I dont know how the bureau will reconcile that, Vaca says. What he does know is that trends indicate that if the money doesnt match the need for local resources, then tax increases typically follow. Communities like Tahoe that dont get counted in the census end up losing a lot of money. Vaca says that for every person who doesnt fill out the census, the area loses a thousand dollars every year for the next 10 years. That money is not coming back from the feds to the state to the county, says Vaca. So thats where the implication happens. The census connects federal dollars to communities for many things: programs for young children, health clinics, fire departments, fixing roads and sidewalks, improving schools. City planners sometimes use the data to justify development projects, including affordable housing or retail. As Tahoe grows, that data will only become more crucial to bring equitable planning and needed resources. The census is also used to map out emergency services and disaster responses, says Diana Crofts-Pelayo, assistant deputy director of external affairs for the California census office. Its understanding and knowing which houses are likely occupied or unoccupied so there can be a good, quick and safe response to any kind of emergency, Crofts-Pelayo says. If Tahoe communities were being threatened by a wildfire, emergency responders could use census data to know how many households are going to be impacted and how many people would need to evacuate. Its not only about being prepared for a disaster, its during and after the response thats really important. Vaca lives in Kings Beach with his wife and three daughters. Participating in the census is a personal mission for him because government funding helped his middle child get therapy she needed to heal from a medical condition that she was born with, hydrocephalus, which is a condition that causes buildup of fluid in brain cavities. Doctors told Vaca that his daughter wouldnt be able to walk or talk, but because of government-funded health programs, she was able to receive speech therapy and physical therapy thats helped her make a lot of progress in her development. Its hard to predict what will happen in someones life in 10 years. But we do know that in the absence of not being counted, those are resources our area will not receive, Vaca says. Thats harsh. Like virtually every other Tahoe resident, Vaca says he knows firsthand that his neighborhood in Tahoe has grown. He sees houses on his street that were once unoccupied are now full of people all the time. It feels like the Fourth of July every weekend, he says. The clock is ticking, but there is still a bit of time left before the deadline on September 30. You can complete the census online or by telephone. Its really a call of urgency, Vaca says. If you havent done it, do it. Julie Brown is a contributing editor for SFGATE covering Lake Tahoe. Email: julie.brown@sfgate.com | Twitter: @imjuliebrown We're launching our very own newsletter all about Lake Tahoe. For weekly updates, interviews and profiles from a Tahoe insider, sign up here. Jill Biden would not discuss whether her husband, the Democratic presidential nominee, would slip-up during his debate with Donald Trump this week. The aspirational first lady of the United States instead condemned her husbands opponent as someone whose public statements could not be compared. In an interview with CNN on Sunday, she told Jake Tapper that after president Trump, you cannot even say the word gaffe. Oh, you can't even go there, Ms Biden replied after the CNN anchor commented on her husband's occasional slip-ups in public, saying he has been known to make the occasional gaffe. She responded: After Donald Trump, you cannot even say the word gaffe, and added that "[its] Done. It's gone." The CNN host, who asked again whether or not "The gaffe issue is over", was told "[its] Over. So over." It comes after Mr Trump suggested on Sunday that Mr Biden - without basis - was taking performance enhancing drugs prior to campaign appearances, and would do so again when the pair meet on Tuesday night for a first televised debate. The president, himself aged 74, has at the same tried to paint his 77-year-old Democratic opponent as someone who was senile - with the nickname Sleepy Joe. Disputing that portrayal on Sunday, Ms Biden said her husband was ready to debate the president on stage, saying: Oh my gosh, yes hes ready. One of the things I'm excited for is when the American people see Joe Biden up there on that stage, they're going to see what a president looks like," she told CNN. The two candidates, both of whom have argued over their cognitive abilities, will take part in three live debates before the election in 36 days time. Saying that privatizing the Escondido library would amount to an evasion of civic responsibility, a rising tide of Escondido residents and city employees appear to be bracing for a major fight over the idea. Several said this week they plan to inundate local newspapers with letters to the editor, aggressively post opposition to the proposal on social media, and overwhelm future City Council meetings with speakers City officials announced several weeks ago that theyre seriously considering outsourcing library operations to a private firm based in Maryland, as a way to save money. A study has been in the works since then, and the early numbers are encouraging, City Manager Jeff Epp said this week. The financial analysis is nearly done, but is not yet completed, said Epp. It is looking like the city will save somewhere between $300,000 and $500,000 a year by staffing our library with employees from the private sector, and we can have the library open at least one additional day per week 9 to 11 hours more per week. Advertisement Epp said the city is also studying whether partnering with the countys library system might be feasible, but that its looking like there would be no money saved under such an arrangement. He said he doesnt know yet what his staffs recommendation will be to the City Council, but said the council will have to look long and hard at that kind of savings. Such privatization would likely remove a couple of dozen city employees from the citys pension payroll, something Mayor Sam Abed and the majority of the council has said is needed because of the citys rising pension liability. Epp said Escondido is looking at other departments that could also be privatized, and said exploring such changes is the fiscally responsible thing to do. But some library patrons and employees argue that privatization will diminish services the library offers and will hurt city residents. The plan represents a clear and present danger to our lone remaining library, said Laura Hunter, a local activist, during a community meeting held earlier this week. About 75 people attended the meeting, where they strategized about how to mobilize against the plan. They said they plan on flooding the City Councils Aug. 16 meeting with speakers opposed to the idea, and doing the same at the librarys board of directors meeting on Aug. 8. Its unclear when the council will be asked to make a decision, Epp said. Beyond a reduction in services, those against privatization also worry about the current employees and question how the city can talk about potentially asking voters to finance a $50 million bond to build a new library near Grape Day Park yet have it run by a private company. You want taxpayers to pay for a building that will be run by an outside profit-making organization? Not now, not ever! Virginia Abushanab, a 20-year library volunteer, recently wrote in a letter to the City Council. Epp said there is nothing about having private employees operate the library that should prevent the construction of a new library. He also said its a fallacy that library employees will lose their jobs if the council decides to move ahead with privatization. Senior library employees would be offered other positions within the city, he said, while others would have the option to work for the private contractor, Library Systems & Services LLC. No one will lose jobs, Epp said. There is a variety of ways they will be taken care of. The senior employees can transition to other jobs in the city and everyone will be offered a job for a least a minimum period of time with LS&S. This idea that people will lose jobs is absurd. He did acknowledge, however, that employees of the private company wont be eligible for city benefits. They wold lose some of the incredible public pension benefits if they choose to stay with LS&S, he said. We will sit down with every employee and work out options. Karen Tatget, president of Escondido City Employees union which represents many of the library workers also spoke at this weeks community meeting. For them to say they will hire all the employees at their current salaries, big whoop, she said. Theyre not going to get the vacation they now get, they arent going to get the sick time they get. And they certainly arent going to get their (pensions). That is a huge loss. Others at the meeting said LS&S the only company in the United States that operates city libraries cuts costs by spreading staff thin, which in turns leads to less time they can serve the public. A late call to the company Wednesday was not returned; however, the companys website says the quality of library services LS&S provides is better than most public libraries, because the branches are run by professional staffers who know the business. LS&S began 30 years ago and now partners with 83 public library systems in the United States including the Riverside County system, which has 36 branches. Other California communities that have the company running their libraries include Simi Valley, Upland, Santa Clarita and Moreno Valley. A public-private partnership enables local governments to optimize delivery of library services. It often brings cost savings through volume purchasing, cloud-based technology, grant management and other best practices, a highlighted quote on the website sates. jharry.jones@sduniontribune.com; 760/529-4931; Twitter: @jharryjones A U.S. judge in Washington has temporarily blocked a Trump administration order banning TikTok, hours before it was due to go in to effect. District Judge Carl Nichols granted a preliminary injunction sought by TikTok owner ByteDance to allow the app to remain available at U.S. app stores, before the 11:59pm Sunday deadline. He declined, however, 'at this time' to block additional Commerce Department restrictions that are set to take effect on November 12, which the Beijing-based company has said would have the impact of making the app impossible to use in the United States. Donald Trump has for months been pressing for TikTok to either pass into U.S. ownership, and ordered that TikTok be blocked at midnight on Sunday unless a buyer was found. Donald Trump, pictured Sunday, ordered a ban on downloads of TikTok from 11:59pm Sunday Trump's ban was blocked at the last minute by a judge in Washington DC Judge Carl J. Nichols's ruling was issued hours before the ban was due to be implemented Last week he said he has given his blessing for a deal between TikTok and a coalition of Oracle and Walmart, but the deal still needs approval by the Chinese government, meaning the deadline remained in place. The deal will see TikTok become a new Texas-based company, potentially bringing in 25,000 jobs, Trump said. Oracle will take a 12.5 per cent share in the new company, TikTok Global, while Walmart will take 7.5%. Chinese firm ByteDance will retain roughly 80% of the new company, according to the Wall Street Journal. But because ByteDance is 40% owned by US investors, the new TikTok Global will technically have a majority American ownership. Any deal would still need to be signed off by Beijing. Chinese authorities have said they would not allow ByteDance to sell the algorithms used by TikTok, which are believed to hold much of the value for the app. Donald Trump on September 19 announced he had approved a deal for Oracle to buy TikTok Trump said that Oracle and Walmart are planning to set up a $5 billion fund 'for the education of American youth', as part of the deal. New York Times' '1619 Project' vs Trump's '1776 Commission' The New York Times' 1619 Project is a Pulitzer-Prize winning collection of essays, photo essays, poems, and short fiction pieces published last year that seeks to reframe American history as starting on 1619, when the first slaves from Africa arrived to Virginia, rather than 1776, when the founding fathers declared independence from Britain. The title of the project refers to the year a ship arrived on American soil carrying the first enslaved Africans. Donald Trump has branded the project 'toxic propaganda' and threatened to defund California schools that used the project in the public school curriculum. During his speech marking the 233rd anniversary of the signing of the Constitution, Trump announced he will soon sign an order to promote patriotic education through an initiative dubbed the '1776 Commission'. The panel, he said, would be tasked with encouraging educators to teach students 'about the miracle of American history' and plan for the commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. He argued that America's founding 'set in motion the unstoppable chain of events that abolished slavery', but he did not mention how it went on for 246 years, including the 89 years after the 13 colonies declared independence from England. Advertisement At a rally in North Carolina last week he said he had told company leaders: 'do me a favor, could you put up $5 billion into a fund for education, so we can educate people as to real history of our country - the real history, not the fake history.' Sources told Bloomberg that the grant money would come from a public offering in about a years time. ByteDance first heard about the $5 billion education fund from news reports, a company spokeswoman said Trump has previously railed against the The New York Times Magazine's '1619 project' which seeks to reframe US history around the consequences of slavery, and announced he will sign an order to promote patriotic education through an initiative dubbed the '1776 Commission'. The panel, he said, would be tasked with encouraging educators to teach students 'about the miracle of American history' and plan for the commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. It is unclear if the TikTok billions will be allocated to that order. In a joint statement on September 19, Oracle and Walmart said that they and other companies involved in the deal plan to create an educational initiative to provide an online video curriculum teaching a range of subjects. Four of the new company's five board members will be American, according to Oracle and Walmart. Walmart's CEO Doug McMillon will be one of the American board members, the retail chain said, but the other members have not been announced. The company will push for more American ownership with a public shares offering next year. 'In addition, we would work toward an initial public offering of the company in the United States within the next year to bring even more ownership to American citizens,' Walmart said. In their statement, Oracle and Walmart said TikTok Global would 'pay more than $5billion in new tax dollars to the US Treasury'. Larry Ellison, chief technology officer for Oracle, said that TikTok was won over partly by the fact that Zoom had recently moved a large portion of its video conferencing infrastructure to Oracle. He described Oracle's technology as 'much faster, more reliable, and more secure' than its rivals. TikTok said in a statement: 'We are pleased that the proposal by TikTok, Oracle, and Walmart will resolve the security concerns of the U.S. Administration and settle questions around TikTok's future in the U.S.' TikTok said both Oracle and Walmart will take part in a financing round before an initial public offering of stock, where they can take up to a 20 per cent cumulative stake in the company. The deal will make Oracle responsible for hosting all TikTok's U.S. user data and securing computer systems to ensure U.S. national security requirements are satisfied. TikTok said it's also working with Walmart on a 'commercial partnership' but gave no other details. ByteDance had been racing to clinch a deal with the White House that would stave off a U.S. ban on TikTok. Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Thursday that 'key core technology' must be retained Concern had been mounting that a deal might see China retain some control of the company. While a deal is being negotiated, Chinese President Xi Jinping said that 'innovation is the most important quality of business management, and it is also what we must overcome obstacles to do in the future.' 'Key core technology must be firmly kept in our own hands,' he added, according to China's official Xinhua news agency. RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C. -- An Army-funded landmark discovery at New York University could change the way researchers develop and use optical technologies, such as lasers, sensors and photonic circuits over the next decade. After years of research, the team of scientists achieved what many thought was perhaps impossible-they developed a method to create colloids that crystallize into the diamond lattice. This photonic technique, published in Nature, could lead to cheap, reliable and scalable fabrication of 3D photonic crystals for optical circuits and light filters. These 3D photonic crystals--self-assembled formations of miniscule materials in a stable assembly--could open the door to lightweight high-efficiency lasers, precise light control with 3D photonic circuits and new materials for managing thermal or radio signatures. High-efficiency lasers are key to Army modernization priorities, including Air and Missile Defense, as they play a key role in both precision sensing and directed energy systems. Likewise, efficient lasers and integrated photonic circuits will play a key role in next-generation technologies like light-based quantum computing, atomic clocks and gyroscopes for precision navigation and timing, and optical systems with improved size, weight, and power. "This long-sought demonstration of the first self-assembled colloidal diamond lattices will unlock new research and development opportunities for important Department of Defense technologies which could benefit from 3D photonic crystals," said Dr. Evan Runnerstrom, program manager, Army Research Office, an element of the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command's Army Research Laboratory. Colloidal crystals, made up of spheres hundreds of times smaller than the diameter of a human hair, can be arranged in different crystalline shapes depending on how the spheres are linked to one another. Each colloid attaches to another using strands of DNA glued to surfaces of the colloids that function as a kind of molecular Velcro. When colloids collide with each other in a liquid bath, the DNA snags and the colloids are linked. Depending on where the DNA is attached to the colloid, they can be programmed to spontaneously create complex structures. This process has been used in the past to create strings of colloids and even close-packed cubic colloidal crystals, but not the diamond structure--which displays an optical band gap for visible light. Much as a semiconductor filters out electrons in a circuit, an optical band gap completely rejects certain wavelengths of light. Filtering light in this way is practical only if the colloids are arranged in a diamond formation, a process previously deemed too difficult and expensive to perform at commercial scale. "There's been a great desire among engineers to make a diamond structure," said Dr. David Pine, professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering at the NYU Tandon School of Engineering. "Most researchers had given up on it, to tell you the truth - we may be the only group in the world who is still working on this. I think the publication of the paper will come as something of a surprise to the community." The investigators discovered that they could use a steric interlock mechanism that would spontaneously produce the necessary staggered bonds to make this structure possible. When these pyramidal colloids approached each other, they linked in the necessary orientation to generate a diamond formation. Rather than going through the painstaking and expensive process of building these structures through the use of top-down approaches like nanofabrication, this mechanism allows the colloids to structure themselves from the bottom-up without the need for outside interference. Furthermore, the diamond structures are stable, even when the liquid they form in is removed. The team and their collaborators--including researchers from the Centre de Recherche Paul Pascal - CNRS, Pessac, France; and Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, South Korea--are now focused on converting these colloidal diamonds into 3D photonic crystals that can be used in a practical setting. They are already creating materials using their new structures that can filter out optical wavelengths in order to prove their usefulness in future technologies. "I am thrilled with this result because it wonderfully illustrates a central goal of ARO's materials design program -- to support high-risk, high-reward research that unlocks bottom-up routes to creating extraordinary materials that were previously impossible to make," Runnerstrom said. ### The National Science Foundation also funded this research. Visit the laboratory's Media Center to discover more Army science and technology stories CCDC Army Research Laboratory is an element of the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command. As the Army's corporate research laboratory, ARL discovers, innovates and transitions science and technology to ensure dominant strategic land power. Through collaboration across the command's core technical competencies, CCDC leads in the discovery, development and delivery of the technology-based capabilities required to make Soldiers more lethal to win the nation's wars and come home safely. CCDC is a major subordinate command of the U.S. Army Futures Command. Syracuse, N.Y. More than 1 million fewer people have passed through the gates at Syracuse Hancock International Airport this year as the coronavirus shutdown decimated U.S. air travel. The year started out much differently, with the airport having its busiest traffic in 30 years years. Then came the pandemic and people stopped flying. People look at OLED 8K television screens at an exhibit of the 2020 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Nev., on Jan. 7, 2020. (David McNew/AFP via Getty Images) Chinese Officials Visit to Tech Hub After Huawei Runs Out of Chips Draws Attention Commentary According to Chinese media reports, on Sept. 19, Chinese Vice Premier Liu He took an inspection tour of Mianyang city, Sichuan Province, one of Chinas major centers for manufacturing electronics. Lius trip came shortly after U.S. export restrictions that limiting Huaweis access to global chipmakers went into effect on Sept. 15. Beijing Opto-Electronics (BOE) Technology Group, a producer of electronic components with a manufacturing base in Mianyang, was especially highlighted during the tour. BOE is known as a maker of OLED (organic light-emitting diode) displays, commonly used in smartphone and television screens. Huawei is a major customer of BOE; its sixth-generation flexible Active Matrix OLED (AMOLED, a type of OLED) production line is known as the largest-single industrial project in Mianyang. BOE is the worlds largest panel display manufacturer and a supplier to many major tech companies, including Apple. The companys financial report showed that in 2019, BOE purchased more than 6 billion yuan ($885 million) in screen driver integrated circuit (IC) chips, of which domestic chips accounted for less than 5 percent. That is, BOE relies heavily on imports for advanced materials to manufacture its displays. For example, display-specific driver chips are key components. BOEs current chip suppliers are mainly from South Korea and Taiwan. BOEs AMOLED driver chips are from South Korea. The three major South Korean companiesSamsung, MagnaChip, and Silicon Worksoccupy about 95 percent of the global AMOLED driver chip market. Both South Korean and Taiwanese chipmakers also use U.S.-origin technology. In addition, the vacuum vapor deposition machine necessary for OLED manufacturing is primarily produced by the Japan-based Canon. Meanwhile, photoresist is a key upstream raw material for panel manufacturing, and related technologies are mastered by the United States and Japan. According to a report by Chinese media AI Finance & Economics, a market analyst said: Without the core raw materials of others, we [China] definitely cant make it. We would have just completed a superficial production, but in fact, it is still an assembly factory for the high tech. That is, though China has the worlds largest panel production capacity, the core equipment and raw materials rely on the United States, Japan, and South Korea. As the United States further restricts Chinas access to chipmakers, major companies such as BOE are sure to be affected. In fact, way before the U.S.China trade war, BOE was placed on the Commerce Departments entity list, due to its violation of U.S. export laws on sensitive tech. BOE is also heavily supported by Chinese government subsidies. In its latest earnings report for the first half of 2020, it earned revenues of 60 billion yuan, representing double-digit growth, but net profit was only 1.1 billion yuan, down nearly 32 percent year-on-year. It received government subsidies of up to 1.52 billion yuan. Looking at its 2019 financial report, it received 2.64 billion yuan in government subsidies. Without the government subsidies, it is difficult to imagine that BOE would survive. Instead, Chinese manufacturers not only continued to operate, but also managed to grab global market share. In a 2013 Harvard Business Review article, How Chinese Subsidies Changed the World, the authors stated: Since 2001, when China joined the World Trade Organization, subsidies have annually financed over 20% of the expansion of the countrys manufacturing capacity. The state has willingly paid the price of economic inefficiency to accomplish political, social, economic, and diplomatic goals. Huge Chinese subsidies have led to massive excess global capacity, increased exports, and depressed worldwide prices, and have hollowed out other countries industrial bases. The World Trade Organization (WTO) expressly prohibits subsidies that are directly linked to exports or that require the use of domestic goods. In the U.S.China trade negotiations, one of the United States key concerns is the issue of Chinese subsidies. In reacting to U.S. sanctions, the Chinese Communist Party and state media often accuse the United States of bullying. But the Chinese regime would never let the Chinese people know this simple fact: Government subsidies have created unfair competition in the international market and created many global misfortunes. As a member of the WTO, Beijing has exploited international rules. Chen Simin is a freelance writer who often analyzes Chinas current affairs. She has contributed to The Epoch Times since 2011. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. In July, former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. presented an economic strategy to rebuild domestic manufacturing capacity, restoring local supply chains from semiconductors to pharmaceuticals. In September he added a tax penalty to the plan, aimed at companies that move jobs to other countries, alongside a tax credit for businesses that bring them home. The proposals might have seemed like something from President Trumps playbook. There is a common concern, which the Trump candidacy forced a lot of people to think harder about, said Jared Bernstein, a former top economic adviser to Mr. Biden who is informally advising his presidential campaign. And that is the extent to which globalization has left significant swaths of people in many different communities behind. These common understandings could reshape the global economy. No matter who wins in November, economic policy for the next several years will aim to protect American employment from outsourcing driven by employers seeking lower labor costs, and to reclaim a foothold in industries that the United States had given up for lost. If the argument is that we need high-paying manufacturing jobs, because they fit the skill set of a lot of people that are being left out, that is an argument for deglobalization, said Derek Scissors, an economist at the American Enterprise Institute, a conservative think tank in Washington. We would have to have some deglobalization for this to work. During individual reading lessons with students, tucked away in a corner of the room, Whittington wears a face shield over her mask and allows the student to take off their mask. When they put their mask back on, she takes hers off but still wears the shield. Its the only way she has figured out to effectively teach them while keeping a barrier. She needs to see their lips move, and they need to see hers. With a mask on, she said, its impossible for her students to get the full benefit of the instruction they need. Lucknow, Sep 28 : Fake currency notes worth Rs one crore have been deposited in various banks which then deposited the same in the Reserve Bank of India. The assistant manager of Reserve Bank of India in Lucknow's Metropolitan Kotwali has filed a complaint after fake notes worth Rs one crore were deposited in several banks between 2017 and 2018. Assistant manager Ranjana Maravi said that 15,436 fake notes were deposited in the currency chest of the Reserve Bank of India between October 2017 and March 2018. During the investigation, 9,753 notes of Rs 500 and 5,783 notes of Rs 1,000 were found to be fake. The total fake notes recovered is close to Rs 1.05 crore. Ranjana Maravi has also asked the metropolitan police to conduct a forensic examination of the seized notes. Inspector Mahanagar Yashkant Singh said a case has been registered on the complaint of Ranjana Maravi, and an investigation was underway. By Trend Armenia has reported about the death of 28 more servicemen, Trend reports referring to the Armenian media. Armenian armed forces launched a large-scale military attack on positions of the Azerbaijani Army on the frontline, using large-caliber weapons, mortars, and artillery on Sept. 27. Azerbaijan responded with a counter-offensive along the entire front. As a result of the retaliation, Azerbaijani troops managed to liberate the territories previously occupied by Armenia: Garakhanbeyli, Garvend, Kend Horadiz, Yukhari Abdulrahmanli villages (Fuzuli district), Boyuk Marjanli, and Nuzgar villages (Jabrayil district). Moreover, the positions of the Armenian armed forces were destroyed in the direction of Azerbaijan's Agdere district and Murovdag, important heights were taken under control. Back in July 2020, the Armenian Armed Forces violated the ceasefire in the direction of Azerbaijan's Tovuz district. As a result of Azerbaijan's retaliation, the opposing forces were silenced. The fighting continued the following days as well. Azerbaijan lost a number of military personnel members, who died fighting off the attacks of the Armenian armed forces. The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on the withdrawal of its armed forces from Nagorno Karabakh and the surrounding districts. -- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz Last November, the internet fell in love with Tanqueray, a straight-shooting New Yorker who shared memories of her life as a burlesque dancer in the 1960s and 70s with the many millions of people who follow Humans of New York on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr. Her tales were full of underground glamour and gritty city characters mob guys, strippers and porn stars in Times Square and a madame who controlled all the high dollar prostitutes back then as well as resilience and humor. She told of the time her mother kicked her out of the house for getting pregnant at 17; how her mother had her arrested but the warden did some tests on me and found out I was smart, so I got a scholarship to go anywhere in New York. I chose the Fashion Institute of Technology, which I hated, she told Humans of New York. The post was shared widely and received tens of thousands of comments on Instagram, including one from the actress Jennifer Garner, who asked: Why is this not a @netflix series? For almost a year, there were no updates from Tanqueray, whose real name is Stephanie Johnson. Then last week, Brandon Stanton, the creator of Humans of New York, announced he would post 32 more quotes by Ms. Johnson, 76, on Instagram in an effort to raise money for her medical expenses and ongoing care. A Phase 3, randomized, placebo-controlled trial was conducted. Credit: Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology Following two decades of research on a group of rare diseases called hypereosinophilic syndrome at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved the drug Nucala (mepolizumab) for use in the treatment of patients with hypereosinophilic syndrome. Hypereosinophilic syndrome, also known as HES, is a life-threatening group of blood disorders that involve having high levels of eosinophils, a type of white blood cell that plays an important role in the immune system. Over time, these overly high levels of eosinophils enter tissues and organs and cause damage. Until now, high doses of corticosteroids were used to lower eosinophil levels to prevent damage to organs. However, disease flares still happen, and these disease flares cause dangerous damage to the body. The FDA stated in a Sept. 25 news release that the agency had approved Nucala (mepolizumab) for patients 12 or older with HES for six months or longer without another identifiable non-blood related cause of the disease. "We at Cincinnati Children's scored a home run in that we have been pursuing this for two decades on behalf of patients through our research," said Marc Rothenberg, MD, Ph.D., director of the Division of Allergy and Immunology and the Cincinnati Center for Eosinophilic Disorders at Cincinnati Children's. "We specialize in eosinophilic disorders, and this is a big breakthrough for the patients," added Rothenberg, who was involved in related translational research and the clinical trials of mepolizumab that preceded FDA approval. "People with rare diseases have to really fight for improved treatments and their on-label approval, and it's a long journey." Mepolizumab, a biological antibody that blocks the eosinophil growth factor IL-5, was approved as an asthma drug in 2015. FDA approval to treat hypereosinophilic syndrome means "that patients with HES have a treatment option that will reduce their disease flares and have improved health, without substantial side effects of this medicine," Rothenberg said. Rothenberg focuses his lab's research on elucidating the mechanisms of allergic responses, especially in mucosal tissues such as the gastrointestinal tract and lung. Support for Rothenberg's research has included funding from the Campaign Urging Research for Eosinophilic Diseases (CURED), which welcomed news of FDA approval for the new use of mepolizumab. "This decision means so much to patients and their families," said Ellyn Kodroff, founder and director of the Campaign Urging Research for Eosinophilic Diseases. "Having FDA approval allows patients to afford this drug with insurance coverage, giving hope for a better and longer life. CURED is so proud to have raised and donated millions of dollars funding translational research underlying the rationale for targeting interleukins for eosinophilic conditions, like mepolizumab does. This continuing research supporting unmet needs for rare eosinophilic diseases is life changing." Rothenberg began researching eosinophils as a doctoral student at Harvard University in the 1990s. It was at that time that he showed involvement of IL-5 in human disease and its effects on eosinophils. At Cincinnati Children's, Rothenberg, along with other researchers around the world, provided evidence that eosinophils were pro-inflammatory cells involved in allergic diseases. Rothenberg and his colleagues contributed to the rationale of targeting eosinophils, including performing clinical studies in patients with a variety of eosinophilic disorders. In 2008, Rothenberg led an international group of investigators to conduct a randomized clinical trial that proved the ability of mepolizumab to lower oral steroid doses in patients with HES (Rothenberg et al. New England Journal of Medicine 2008 Mar 20;358(12):1215-28. DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa070812. Epub 2008 Mar 16. PMID: 18344568). Despite meeting the primary endpoint of the study, the FDA tightened its criteria for approval of mepolizumab, Rothenberg said. It took an additional decade of research to eventually meet the FDA's requested endpoints, focused on the clinical benefit of mepolizumab in this rare disease population. As described in a recent publication in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology of the results of the phase 3, randomized, placebo-controlled trial in adolescent and adult patients with HES investigating the efficacy and safety of mepolizumab, mepolizumab was shown to reduce the number of HES disease flares (Roufesse et al. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology 2020 Sep 18; S0091-6749(20)31276-8. DOI: 10.1016/j.jaci.2020.08.037.). The 108 patients in the trial were from 39 centers and 13 countries. Explore further Mepolizumab helps patients with refractory Churg-Strauss syndrome As Trump lays the grounds for a coup detat in the event he loses the November 3 presidential election, the United States Department of Justices (DOJ) Operation Legend approaches its third month of activity in cities across the country. The operationnamed after LeGend Taliferro, a four-year-old boy killed in June by a stray bullet in Kansas City, Missourihas seen the deployment of hundreds of federal agents and millions of dollars in funding to local police departments to aid in the suppression of protests against police violence. The operation has been presented by the Trump administration as a means of helping beleaguered police departments crack down on a rise in violent crime. However, this is only a cover for the funneling of more federal money and personnel primarily into the local police departments of nine major cities across the country: Detroit, Michigan; Chicago, Illinois; Baltimore, Maryland; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Cleveland, Ohio; Indianapolis, Indiana; Albuquerque, New Mexico; Memphis, Tennessee; and Kansas City, Missouri. Shelby County Kentucky Sheriff's with electronic "Tazer" shields. (Image credit Twitter/Hunter Demster) The influx of funds for expanding police departments and their equipment has been considerable: In Cleveland, the DOJs Bureau of Justice Assistance provided $1 million to Operation Legend activities and the Community Oriented Policing Service Office made $10 million available to the Cleveland Police Department to fund the hiring of 30 officers, five Ohio State Highway Patrol troopers, and four Adult Parole Authority officers. The Detroit Police Department was provided $2.4 million for the hiring of 15 officers and issued $1.4 million for the operation. The police departments of Milwaukee, Wauwatosa and Cudahy, Wisconsin, were provided $10.2 million to hire 29 new officers and $1.9 million to support Operation Legend. The money that is being provided far outstrips the expected costs of these hirings alone. The rest of the money that is being provided to cities is intended for a vast expansion of the repressive tools of the state, including upgrading crowd control equipment and the development of surveillance operations. In Memphis, Tennessee a video has surfaced this week of sheriffs deputies wielding taser riot shields, reportedly purchased through funding from Operation Legend. The cities of Memphis and Detroit have also expanded their surveillance capabilities since the launch of Operation Legend. According to a report from the Intercept, Memphis signed a contract with the Israeli company Cellebrite, which is famous for its technology that can hack and extract data from smart phones. This purchase was made on August 2, just two days before federal agents arrived in the city. Two weeks later, Detroit also purchased a plan from Cellebrite for its premium software package at a cost of $100,000. In Chicago, where over 100 federal agents have been deployed through the operation, it was announced on August 14 that the city was implementing a new around the clock monitoring program using social media to identify looters. Additionally, five citiesMemphis, Cleveland, Albuquerque, Milwaukee and Detroitwill receive money from Operation Legend to implement gunshot detection technology. The surveillance system, pioneered by company ShotSpotter, uses microphones placed in neighborhoods to detect the sound and location of gun shots. The possibility that this technology could be expanded to track protesters and monitor workers is not out of the question. Operation Legend is a significant component of Trumps scheming, but it is only part of a broader move to militarize and federalize the police launched in December of 2019 under Operation Relentless Pursuit (ORP). ORP was announced by Attorney General William Barr with the stated goal of combating crime in Americas most violent cities. More accurately, it was intended to lay the groundwork for advanced police repression and greater federal police presence on the ground. Many of the same cities that have been targeted under Operation Legend were also the focus of ORP. A considerable $71 million was allocated to be distributed in grants to cities for the purpose of purchasing new equipment and technology as well as increasing the size of local police forces and financing federally deputized task force officers. In addition to these grants, Trump stated during a meeting with International Association of Chiefs of Police in 2019 that he had made $600 million worth of surplus military equipment available for local law enforcement agencies. A critical aspect of both of these operations has been their deployment to Democratic-led cities that approved the allocation of federal agents and funds under Trumps plan. This is a significant exposure of the Democratic Party and its false claims of opposition to Trump. In fact, the Democrats have welcomed the deployment of federal police agents with open arms. Many of these programs, particularly the distribution of military equipment to local law enforcement, were enabled by the Obama administration which also provided military-style equipment to local police forces and aided local police departments in suppressing protests against police violence. All opposition to Trump and his authoritarian maneuvers is being channeled behind the presidential campaign of former Vice President Joe Biden, a similarly reactionary character who splits from Trump on tactics alone, particularly when it comes to foreign policy regarding Russia and China. Towards this end the Democrats are working to prevent the mass mobilization of the working class against Trump out of fear that it will challenge the interests of the financial oligarchy. Operation Legend, and the complicity of the Democrats in enabling it, is a dire warning of the political repression that is being prepared by both parties in the lead up to and aftermath of the election. Only the political mobilization of the working class in the fight for socialism can defeat Trumps plotting and the descent of the United States in the direction of fascism. Shares of Pacific Gas & Electric Co. fell 5.5% on Monday in the wake of the Glass Fire in Wine Country, though the cause of the wildfire hasnt been determined. PG&E shares were down to $9.45 at markets close. The company said Monday that 11,000 Napa County homes and businesses were experiencing power outages due to the fire. Most of those outages came as a result of requests from Cal Fire to increase safety as firefighters battle to save people and homes, while 288 were public safety power shut-offs under PG&Es system of preemptive power cuts in areas of high fire risk. PG&E said an additional 17,000 customers had lost power in Sonoma County. Others lost power due to the 15,000-acre Zogg Fire in Shasta County, which began Sunday and quickly grew, causing evacuations. PG&E had also planned 65,000 preemptive shut-offs Sunday and Monday to prevent lines from sparking fires across its huge service territory. Along with those affected by fires, a total of 87,500 PG&E customers were without power as of Monday afternoon. Tamar Sarkissian, a PG&E spokeswoman, said it was possible that PG&E equipment was damaged by the fires after they started. She said there was no indication that the companys equipment was involved in the ignition of the Glass or Shady fires, which Cal Fire is now treating as a single fire incident. PG&E did not file an incident report with its regulator, the California Public Utilities Commission; such a report could have suggested that the utility suspected a possible issue. PG&E started inspecting nearly 3,915 miles of equipment Monday and is restoring power where it can. Sarkissian said the company does not comment on rumor or speculation related to its share price. Cal Fire determines the cause of fires through investigations that can take months. PG&E equipment sparked the Camp Fire in 2018, Californias deadliest wildfire, with 86 deaths, and also some of the 2017 wildfires in Wine Country. Roland Li is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: roland.li@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @rolandlisf StackCommerce Growing your business online is easier said than done. With so many marketing channels available and so many people using the Internet, there is seemingly boundless opportunities to get eyes on your business's products and services. But marketing also gets expensive, and many small businesses don't quite have the budget to make a meaningful impact on their digital marketing initiatives. That's why organic search is so important. Google received more than 2.3 trillion searches in 2019. People use Google to find practically everything; it's their definitive source for learning and discovering new products and services. As a business, it's imperative that your website ranks at the top of Google search results pages. That's where search engine optimization (SEO) comes in. Comedian Chris Rock appears to be back on the dating scene. The actor was seen enjoying an al fresco dinner date with actress Carmen Ejogo in the West Village neighborhood of New York City on Saturday evening. The 55-year-old SNL vet and the 46-year-old Avengers actress seemed to be hitting it off as they indulged in animated conversation over white wine while hardly taking their eyes off each other. Getting close: Chris Rock appears to be back on the dating scene. The actor was seen enjoying a dinner date with actress Carmen Ejogo in the West Village of New York on Saturday They have a connection: The 55-year-old SNL vet and the 46-year-old Avengers actress seem to be hitting off At one point the two leaned in close to each other as they held hands. ADVERTISEMENT She wore a casual white top and loose black pants for the occasion while Chis kept it casual as well in green cargo pants and a black T-shirt. Click here to resize this module This is the first time the lovebirds have been photographed together. Rock split from actress Megalyn Echikunwoke in March of this year after dating for four years. And in 2014 he separated from wife of four years Malaak Compton-Rock; their divorce was finalized in 2016. Can't keep my eyes off of you: They indulge in animated conversation over white wine while hardly taking their eyes off each other Pretty lady: Carmen wore her hair down with light makeup on as she sat at the small wood table I like you! At one point the two leaned in close to each other as they held hands The Kensington native was married to Tricky in 1998 and she was wed to actor Jeffrey Wright from 2000 to 2014 after meeting on the set of Boycott. Their children are Juno and Elijah Wright. She began her career as host of the Saturday Disney morning show from 1993 to 1995. Carmen is best known for her work on The Avengers, Love's Labour's Lost and What's the Worst That Could Happen. Her last big hit was True Detective and her next project is Your Honor. This comes just a week after he said he had been diagnosed with nonverbal learning disorder. Dressed down: She wore a casual white top and loose black pants for the occasion while Chis kept it casual as well in green cargo pants and a black T-shirt The early days of a new romance for the two? This is the first time the lovebirds have been photographed together The comedian has revealed to The Hollywood Reporter that he struggles to understand non-verbal signals made in conversations, which he says is great for comedy and writing jokes but not more 'one-on-one relationships'. 'And all I understand are the words. By the way, all of those things are really great for writing jokes - they're just not great for one-on-one relationships. And I'd always just chalked it up to being famous,' said the funny man, adding he has seven hours of therapy a week. 'Any time someone would respond to me in a negative way, I'd think, 'Whatever, they're responding to something that has to do with who they think I am.' Now, I'm realizing it was me. A lot of it was me.' He has been in therapy to learn how to communicate: This comes just a week after he said he had been diagnosed with nonverbal learning disorder His struggle: The comedian has revealed he struggles to understand non-verbal signals made in conversations, which he says is great for comedy and writing jokes but not more 'one-on-one relationships' Rock underwent 'nine hours of tests' to uncover his Non-Verbal Learning Disorder (NVLD). He had to sit through 'a battery of tests' before doctors could confidently diagnose him. ADVERTISEMENT He said: '[I took] a battery of tests, like nine hours of tests. They came back and said, "You don't have Asperger's, but you have something very close to it, and it's called NVLD, Non-Verbal Learning Disorder." 'One of the things is, I have a hard time picking up social cues. Like when I talk to people, I hear the words, but if you're mad at me, if you're feeling a certain way, I might have a hard time picking that up.' A lovely lady in lavender: Ejogo attends the premiere of Fantastic Beasts And Where to Find Them in New York in 2016 On screen: Here the star is seen in character for Fantastic Beasts And Where to Find Them Chris also explained that receiving the diagnosis has helped him 'relax', as he used to suffer with anxiety because he knew something was wrong with him but couldn't pinpoint what it was. Speaking during an appearance on The View, he added: 'I used to have a squirrel-like energy you can't sneak up on a squirrel, it's always alert, he's scared all the time. And that's gone. I'm much more relaxed now.' Chris also admitted to HR he has never really 'dealt' with his childhood trauma. He added: 'I'm not belittling today's youth, but I wish somebody had sent me a bad text when I was a kid. These m************ were trying to kill me ... I thought I was actually dealing with it, and the reality is I never dealt with it. 'The reality was the pain and the fear that brought me, I was experiencing it every day.' Chris has also been learning to swim during lockdown. Hard for him: The star said the disorder was 'great for writing jokes - they're just not great for one-on-one relationships'; seen in 2019 with Megalyn Echikunwoke whom he split with earlier this year His former wife: In 2014 he split from wife of four years Malaak Compton-Rock; their divorce was finalized in 2016. Seen in 2010 He shared: 'Do you know how f****** hard it is for a grown-up to learn how to swim? You've got to not be scared to die. ADVERTISEMENT 'The other day, this guy says to me, 'OK, you're going to dive into the deep end and swim to the other side,' and I'm like, 'Are you f****** crazy? 'But then I dove into the deep end and I swam to the other side, and it's a metaphor for what I've been trying to do during this time.' (@ChaudhryMAli88) WAPDA Chairman Lt Gen (Retd) Muzammil Hussain Monday said hydro power share in total energy mix would be increased to 50 percent by 2050 to provide cheap energy that would give boost to business activities and accelerate economic growth ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 28th Sep, 2020 ) :WAPDA Chairman Lt Gen (Retd) Muzammil Hussain Monday said hydro power share in total energy mix would be increased to 50 percent by 2050 to provide cheap energy that would give boost to business activities and accelerate economic growth. He said this while addressing the business community during his visit to Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI), said a press release. Muzammil Hussain gave a detailed presentation to the business community on Diamer Bhasha, Dasu, Mohmand and other dams being constructed by the WAPDA. He said the business community deserved a lot of appreciation as despite high energy cost and power shortage, they have been doing a tremendous job to promote business activities and run the wheel of the economy. The WAPDA chairman said average water storage capacity in the world was 40 percent as compared to less than 10 percent in Pakistan and WAPDA was taking many initiatives to improve water storage capacity by building more dams in the country. He said WAPDA pushed the government to negotiate with IPPs and if new terms with IPPs were implemented, it would save Rs700-800 billion per annum. He said Diamer Bhasha dam has created tremendous opportunities for the business community, especially of steel cement, transport and other sectors and they should fully capitalize on these opportunities for business growth. He said that unbundling of WAPDA was strategically a bad decision as it created disharmony in decision making in the power sector and gave rise to circular debt. However, he said that the government was looking at these issues seriously and hopefully would make some good decisions. Chairman WAPDA said that the business community should further enhance its interface with WAPDA that would pave the way for better business growth and bring prosperity to Pakistan. Speaking at the occasion, Muhammad Ahmed Waheed, President, ICCI appreciated the efforts of Chairman WAPDA for building dams and generating hydropower that would bring down the cost of doing business. He said that electricity was a key raw material for many industries and hiking hydropower share would give boost to industrialization and business activities. He also lauded WAPDA for getting a stable rating from 3 rating agencies of the world that was a great achievement for it. Mian Akram Farid, Chairman Founder Group said that high power cost has made the domestic industry uncompetitive for exports and stressed that major focus should be on hydropower to reduce production cost. He said that Pakistan has 250 locations for setting up small power plants, but the license award process was not fair. He said that the performance of Discos should be improved and the fuel adjustment charges system should be revised to save industry from extra burden. Tahir Abbasi, Senior Vice President ICCI, thanked WAPDA chairman for visiting the Chamber and giving a comprehensive presentation to the business community. Saif ur Rehman Khan, Vice President ICCI, Mian Shaukat Masud, Fatima Azeem, Khalid Malik, Malik Sohail Hussain, Babar Chaudhry Khalid Chaudhry and others also spoke at the occasion and gave many suggestions for further improving current energy sector. By Akbar Mammadov According to the intelligence report, among the Armenian casualties in the fighting in the line of contact are a large number of Armenian mercenaries from Syria and other Middle Eastern countries, Chief of the Defense Ministry's Press Service, Colonel Vagif Dargahli said on September 28. However, since they are not officially registered in Armenia, the adversary easily hides these losses, Dargahli said. Dargahli also noted that as in previous battles, this time the Armenian military-political leadership hides the casualties from the public. Due to a large number of casualties, Armenia will eventually have to admit these losses as an event that took place under different circumstances, he said. Armenian armed forces launched a large-scale operation in the front-line zone on September 27 at 6 am, shelling the positions of the Azerbaijani army from large-caliber weapons, mortars, and artillery installations of various calibers. Azerbaijan launched a counter-offensive operation along the entire front to suppress the combat activity of the Armenian armed forces and ensure the safety of the civilian population. Azerbaijan liberated seven villages and several strategic heights during the first day of the clashes. --- Akbar Mammadov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @AkbarMammadov97 Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz The People's Committee of Hanoi has issued medical guidelines for Covid-19 epidemic prevention and control applied for foreigners entering Vietnam to work less than 14 days in the city. Passenger control from international flights at Noi Bai International Airport, Hanoi. Photo: Pham Hai The rules are applicable to foreigners who come to Vietnam to work for a short time including investors, experts, skilled workers, business managers and their families, and subjects under specific agreements with each country; foreigners who enter Vietnam for diplomatic and business purposes. Under Hanois regulations, before foreign experts entering the city to work, the units and organizations inviting the experts to Vietnam must send documents to the Hanoi Department of Health for consideration and approval of the list of experts. The units and organizations inviting the experts to Vietnam must inform the experts to prepare certificates for negative SARS-CoV-2 testing using Real time - PCR technique, conducted at the laboratories of the competent health authorities of the host country. The certificate must be granted within 3 to 5 days before entry. Within 3 days after receiving a complete and valid dossier as prescribed, the Hanoi Department of Health shall receive and approve the list of foreign experts entering Vietnam to work for less than 14 days. Upon entry at Hanois Noi Bai International Airport, specialized units will check the certificate for negative SARS-CoV-2 testing, perform body temperature measurement, and medical checks to detect suspected cases; When detecting a case of suspected infection, they will apply measures prescribed by the current regulations. At centralized isolation facilities (hotels, accommodations), relevant agencies arrange separate isolation accommodations for experts to avoid their contact with the community, and perform closely supervise medical. Arranging separate rooms and areas for SARS-CoV-2 sampling. Samples can be collected at these areas and must comply with regulations on Covid-19 prevention and control of the Ministry of Health. Sampling and testing using RT-PCR technique. When the results are negative, experts will be allowed to work in the city. If the testing results are positive, foreign experts will be isolated and treated as prescribed. Sampling and testing will be performed each two days, using the RT-PCR technique during the period of stay in Vietnam and the fees will be collected according to regulations. The Hanoi authorities also set specific regulations on the working conditions of foreign experts during their time in the city. One day before their working time in Vietnam ends, foreign experts must conduct Covid-19 test using RT-PCR technique. If the test result is positive, they will be treated otherwise they will leave Vietnam as plan. Thanh Nam Passengers must spend 6 days at concentrated quarantine centers after entering VN With two continuous tests of negative results after their entry, those who enter Vietnam to work for a period of over 14 days can go home or to their accommodations for self-isolation, according to the latest Ministry of Healths temporary guide. A missing 63-year-old woman has been found safe. Hamilton police had asked the public for help finding Manmohan Panesar, who went missing after being seen around 11 a.m. Sunday at Aikman Avenue and Wentworth Street South. Shortly before 8:30 a.m. Monday, police said she had been found safe and her family has been notified. Police thanked the public for their help. BAKU, Azerbaijan, Sept. 28 By Tamilla Mammadova Trend: Azerbaijan, liberating its territories from Armenian occupation, is beginning to restore its territorial integrity, Georgian expert on national security issues, Doctor of Political and Military Sciences, Professor Vakhtang Maisaya told Trend. The expert noted that, despite such a breakthrough, the parties should still sit down at the negotiating table. "Both sides have already announced mobilization. The fighting is going on along the entire perimeter around Nagorno-Karabakh, in the territories occupied by Armenia," Maisaya said. According to him, for the first time in recent years, military actions of this magnitude have taken place. "This war can develop into a full-scale military-political tragedy, into a regional war. There is still an opportunity to stop and start peace negotiations," Maisaya said. "All representatives of the international community, including the Georgian authorities, must do everything possible to ensure peace and prevent a full-scale war in the region, otherwise it will already be a real Caucasian war," he said. Armenian armed forces launched a large-scale military attack on positions of Azerbaijani army on the front line, using large-caliber weapons, mortars and artillery on Sept. 27. Azerbaijan responded with a counter-offensive along the entire front. As a result of retaliation, Azerbaijani troops managed to liberate the territories previously occupied by Armenia: Garakhanbeyli, Garvend, Kend Horadiz, Yukhari, Ashagi Abdulrahmanli villages (Fuzuli district), Boyuk Marjanli, and Nuzgar villages (Jabrayil district). Moreover, the positions of the Armenian armed forces were destroyed in the direction of Azerbaijan's Agdere district and Murovdag, important heights were taken under control. Back in July 2020, Armenian Armed Forces violated the ceasefire in the direction of Azerbaijan's Tovuz district. As a result of Azerbaijan's retaliation, the opposing forces were silenced. The fighting continued the following days as well. Azerbaijan lost a number of military personnel members, who died fighting off the attacks of the Armenian armed forces. The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on the withdrawal of its armed forces from Nagorno Karabakh and the surrounding districts. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @Mila61979356 Victorias beleaguered contact tracing system is inching closer to reaching standards in other states with the latest figures revealing only one case where the health department took more than 48 hours to notify close contacts of a positive COVID-19 case. The latest weekly set of data released by National Cabinet shows as of September 24 there were no instances in Victoria where it had taken more than 24 hours for the health department to notify someone of a positive result or conduct interviews. Daniel Andrews says contact tracing in Victoria has improved. Credit:Simon Schluter However the weekly traffic light report of the coronavirus situation across Australia issued an amber traffic light for the number of identified close contacts awaiting notification in Victoria, with one case where the department took more than 48 hours to notify close contacts. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (Reuters) Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Mon, September 28, 2020 16:30 481 e22cd4161040e111d73a5626c47b44b0 2 World Saudi-Arabia,G20-meeting,G20,virtual-meeting Free The G20 leaders summit will be held virtually on Nov. 21-22, Saudi Arabia said on Monday, as the COVID-19 pandemic thwarted Riyadh's hopes of hosting the gathering in the kingdom to boost its international standing. Saudi Arabia, the world's top oil exporter and a leading U.S. ally, took over the G20 presidency at a time of heavy global criticism of its human rights record after the 2018 murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi and of the Yemen war. Riyadh has sought to turn attention to reforms launched by de facto ruler Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to open up the kingdom and diversify its economy. King Salman, who had surgery in July, will chair the November summit, a G20 Saudi secretariat statement said. Saudi leaders had hailed the kingdom's G20 presidency as proof of its leading role in the global economy, but the majority of the meetings have been held virtually due the novel coronavirus. The summit will focus on "protecting lives and restoring growth, by addressing vulnerabilities uncovered during the pandemic and by laying down foundations for a better future," the statement said. The Group of 20 major economies have this year contributed over $21 billion to support measures such as the production and distribution of vaccines to fight the coronavirus outbreak. They have injected $11 trillion to stem the economic impact of the pandemic and launched a debt suspension initiative for the world's poorest countries aimed at deferring some $14 billion in debt payments due this year. Ahead of hosting the G20 summit, Saudi Arabia jailed eight people for between seven and 20 years for Khashoggi's killing in the kingdom's Istanbul consulate. Saudi officials denied Prince Mohammed played a role, but in 2019 he indicated some personal accountability, saying "it happened under my watch". Riyadh has also been trying to exit the costly conflict in Yemen, where a Saudi-led coalition has been battling the Iran-aligned Houthi group for over five years in what is widely seen in the region as a proxy war between Saudi Arabia and Iran. More than half of Americans wants to see the US ditch paper currency and move to cashless payment systems, as survey reveals. The research found 58 percent of participants plan to make the shift once the coronavirus pandemic is over, but one in three said they no longer use physical money due to health concerns. Along with limiting the spread of the virus, an overwhelming 77 percent noted they simply prefer to pay with a credit or debit card over cash - and 55 percent said they used one of the payments for their most recent purchase. The findings seem to be a result of an individual's generation, as only 40 percent of millennials carry bills, while 59 percent of baby boomers carry physical money. Scroll down for video A new survey by Travis Credit Union found that consumers are more than twice as likely to make a purchase with a credit card, debit card or digital payment than with paper money. Some 58 percent said they'd like to move to a cash-free system The study, conducted by Travis Credit Union (TCU), polled more than 2,000 Americans to see how many people are carrying cash and why others opt for plastic. Of those who preferred cash, more than half said they liked the privacy and security it afforded. Just 14 percent said they liked money because it kept them more on budget. When Americans do have cash on hand, according to TCU, theyre carrying an average of $46. An overwhelming 71 percent of respondents in Travis Credit Union's survey preferred to pay with something other than cash. Of those who preferred cash, more than half said they liked the privacy and security it afforded them While convenience and safety have fueled the shift overall, more recently the coronavirus has led many to re-evaluate using bills and coins. Half of the people TCU spoke with are using less cash than they were prior to the pandemic, and 60 percent do not think they will go back to using it regularly when it ends. Some stores have also pressed pause on cash during the pandemic but businesses like Dig Inn and Sweetgreen were rejecting paper money in many locations even before COVID-19. Starbucks in Seattle stopped accepting paper currency at the start of 2018 and Drybar, a nationwide chain of blow-dry salons, has also turned its back on cash. A sign in the window of a Pieminister restaurant in Cardiff, Wales, informing customers the store has gone cashless as a COVID-19 measure on March 17, 2020. Half of the people TCU spoke with are using less cash than they were prior to the pandemic, and 60 percent dont think theyll go back to using it regularly when it ends Some British pubs have taken the same approach. 'The benefits of going cashless are huge,' said Mike Keen, whose bar, the Boot, only takes card or phone. 'Cash has always been a pain. You've got problems with theft. The banks charge a fortune for you to pay cash in, they take a cut of everything you pay in, he said. 'You have to organize change, go into town, park, queue up which is another security risk or pay a firm like Securicor to pick it up. The bottom line is so hard we have to take advantage where we can.' While processing credit card payments cost him up to 1.5 percent per transaction, Keen said his insurance rates have dropped since theres no cash on the premises. Whole Foods may ditch cashiers altogether, using cameras and sensors to track customers as they shop and letting them walk out without ever stopping at a register. Jeff Wilke, Amazon's Chief of Consumer, reportedly wants to bring the technology to Whole Foods before he retires in early 2021. Going cashless adds convenience, but it's not without its detractors. Seventy percent of the people in TCUs survey worried about having their privacy breached when using non-cash methods. In January 2020, New York City banned restaurants and other businesses from going cashless, claiming it discriminated against less affluent consumers who didn't have credit, debit or digital payment systems. 'Whatever your reasons, consumers should have the power to choose their preferred method of payment,' city councilman Ritchie Torres said at the time. Several other cities and states, including New Jersey, Massachusetts and San Francisco, have similar bans. In Sweden, half the nation's retailers are expected to go totally cashless by 2025. Bills and coins represent just 1 percent of the countrys economy, compared with 10 percent in the rest of Europe and 8 percent in the United States, A study conducted by Ikea found that, while less than one percent of all sales were in cash, employees were spending 15 percent of their time taking, counting and handling physical money. Swedish financial authorities are lobbying for the continued minting of notes and coins, at least until the government fully understands the ramifications of going cash-free. 'We need to pause and think about whether this is good or bad, and not just sit back and let it happen,' said Mats Dillen, the head of a Swedish Parliament committee studying the matter. 'If cash disappears, that would be a big change, with major implications for society and the economy.' Premier Doug Ford confirmed Ontario is in a second wave of COVID-19 after setting a daily record with 700 new cases on Monday, but has no plans to rush back into lockdowns despite calls for stronger measures from the Ontario Hospital Association and others. We dont want to turn back a stage unless we absolutely have to, Health Minister Christine Elliott said Monday as Ford told Ontarians the provinces fate will be determined by the precautions they take to limit the spread of the highly contagious virus. Our collective actions will decide if we face a wave or a tsunami, he said, calling the 43 per cent surge in new infections from Sundays 491 deeply concerning. Just one month ago, on Aug. 28, there were 122 new cases confirmed. But no new restrictions were announced Monday beyond the recent closure of strip clubs, ordering restaurants and bars to stop serving alcohol at 11 p.m. and close at midnight except for take-out-and delivery, and a reduction in the size of indoor and outdoor gatherings to 10 and 50 with physical distancing. The previous high in new cases was 640 infections reported by the Ministry of Health on April 24, with 50 deaths. By contrast, there was one new death reported Monday. Daily deaths peaked at 86 on April 30. The Star is offering free digital access on select COVID-19 stories. Misinformation is plentiful and dangerous and coronavirus news and knowledge evolves. Star reporters are working to bring you clarity, context and responsible facts. To help you get the information you need, articles that provide a public service will live outside our paywall. Chief medical officer Dr. David Williams said its difficult to predict how bad the second wave will be, but we have to assume it could be a lot worse than the first wave, and advised Ontarians to hunker down to reverse the trend. People have gotten very casual, he said, noting the 700 cases were slightly higher than expected because of a backlog of cases being cleared by labs that otherwise might have been reported on the weekend but still a wake-up call. Toronto had 344 new cases also a record with 104 in Peel, 89 in Ottawa and 57 in York region. There were more than 41,000 tests processed on Sunday, about four times higher than the level of testing that was in place last April. The Ontario Hospital Association urged Ford to put the GTA and Ottawa back into Stage 2, banning indoor dining and drinking at bars and restaurants, closing gyms and restricting the number of people at houses of worship and wedding celebrations to slow the spread and help keep schools open, as 36 new cases were reported in schools and a Scarborough elementary school was closed because of an outbreak. Without public health measures in place to limit opportunities for disease transmission, Ontario will soon see higher numbers of hospitalizations, admissions to intensive care units ... and more deaths, the association warned in a statement. Williams acknowledged it takes a week or two for new cases to impact hospitalizations, and said the governments next moves depend on where infections go from here. He noted some parts of the province are still seeing few or no new infections, making regional action and a targeted approach to future restrictions the most likely path. He added theres concern but no need to hit the panic button because about 1.5 per cent of people getting tests lately are positive for the virus, compared with a much higher 8.5 at the peak and a low of 0.4 per cent in the summer. There were 128 patients in hospital for COVID-19, the ministry reported Monday, the highest in two months, with 29 in intensive care, the most since mid-August, and 17 patients on ventilators, an increase of one. Doctors have said hospitalizations have remained relatively low because the majority of people catching COVID-19 are under 40 and do not require as much care, although higher case loads will lead to more infections in older age groups. Dr. Irfan Dhalla, an internal medicine specialist and vice-president of St. Michaels Hospital, said he understands the government needs to digest Mondays spike in numbers but tweeted, Its time for the government to lead. Green Leader Mike Schreiner echoed calls for aggressive action and said Ford should have taken more steps sooner to prevent the latest surge. The numbers are starting to get scary, said Liberal Leader Stephen Del Duca. Ford promised $52 million to recruit and train more nurses, personal support workers and other health-care staff to get ready for the fall and winter, including 800 nurses and 2,000 PSWs, many of whom will help residents in nursing homes and be given a $5,000 incentive for a six-month commitment. That is to forestall a repeat of staff shortages seen last winter and spring as nursing homes were hammered by the virus, killing more than 1,800 residents and eight staff. Last week the government announced more than $1 billion in funding to expand testing and provide more contact tracing and management. Rapidly increasing case numbers make it more difficult for public health workers to track down people exposed to those confirmed to have COVID-19 and isolate them, stopping chains of transmission. Samsung India on Monday announced that it has provided scholarships to 517 students at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) and National Institute of Technology (NIT), as part of its 'Samsung Star Scholar programme'. These scholarships are offered every year to financially support less privileged students from Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya (JNV) schools who qualify to these prestigious engineering colleges, the company said in a statement. The programme offers a scholarship of up to Rs 2 lakh for expenses related to tuition, examination, hostel and mess for one academic year and it can be renewed every year up to 5 years. Started in 2016, Samsung Star Scholar programme, now in its fifth year, has so far benefitted 650 JNV students. "Samsung Star Scholar programme is an extension of this effort and we are very pleased that this year despite the challenges on the ground, we have been able to reach out to these gifted students," said Peter Rhee, Corporate Vice President and Deputy Managing Director, Samsung India. Under this annual programme, the company offers scholarships to meritorious students pursuing full-term B. Tech/Dual Degree (B.Tech and M.Tech) course at any IIT or NIT. This year, the programme has granted 150 scholarships to new applicants from JNVs, of which 85 will begin their journey across 14 different IITs and 65 at 15 different NITs across the country. According to the company, scholarships for 367 students currently pursuing full-term B.Tech/Dual Degree (B.Tech + M.Tech) have been renewed for the next year. Recipients of renewed scholarships include 175 second year students, 94 third year students and 97 fourth year students. Also, Samsung India and Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti partnership began in 2013 with the 'Samsung Smart Class' programme which was aimed at providing quality education for children from rural backgrounds. At present, the 'Smart Class' programme is operational at 683 Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya schools. So far, over 430,000 students have benefitted from it and over 8,000 teachers have been trained on how to use interactive technology to teach. Every 'Samsung Smart Class' is equipped with an interactive Samsung Smartboards, Samsung tablets, a printer, Wi-Fi connectivity and power backup, the company said. P opular ride-hailing app Uber has secured its right to continue operating in London after a magistrate upheld its appeal against Transport for London (TfL), ruling the firm is fit and proper to work in the capital. The company's application for a new licence was rejected by TfL in November 2019 in a move that sparked a ten-month battle over the companys future. TfL cited several breaches that placed passengers and their safety at risk when making the controversial decision, and Uber faced claims in court that sacked drivers had been able to continue picking up passengers thanks to a flaw in the app. But on Monday, September 28, deputy chief magistrate Tan Ikram ruled Uber, which is used by some 45,000 drivers in London, is now suitable to hold an operator licence despite historical failings after hearing three days of arguments at Westminster Magistrates Court. So, here's what you need to know about the saga: Uber has some 3.5 million users in London / Reuters What happened on Monday? In his judgment on September 28, Judge Ikram said that despite Uber's "historical failings" he now found them to "be a fit and proper person to hold a London (Private Hire Vehicle) operators licence". The judge added: Uber has presented no real challenge to the facts as presented by TfL though has challenged the suggestion that breaches were not taken seriously and any suggestion of bad faith on their part. Their approach has really been to explain why events took place as they did. Judge Ikram discussed issues of document and insurance fraud which had been raised during the hearings, acknowledging Uber had tightened up their review processes. He continued: On the evidence, Uber now seem to be at the forefront of tackling an industry wide challenge. He will now hear applications on the length of the new licence as well as what conditions should be imposed. The judge said he took Ubers track-record of regulation breaches into account but said the company had made efforts to address failings and had improved standards. The judge added: Uber does not have a perfect record but it has been an improving picture. The test as to whether Uber are a fit and proper person does not require perfection. I am satisfied that they are doing what a reasonable business in their sector could be expected to do, perhaps even more. Tim Ward QC, for Uber London Ltd, previously said improvements had been made, including in the companys governance and document review systems. He had also told the court TfLs decision to not renew Ubers licence was tipped by a critical report on their technical systems, which have since been assessed as suitable. Many of the arguments heard over the three days in court had focused on a vulnerability in Ubers systems which allowed unauthorised people to upload their photographs to legitimate driver accounts, enabling them to pick up passengers. This fraud involved 24 drivers exploiting a flaw with the apps GPS to share their accounts with 20 others, leading to 14,788 unauthorised rides. Marie Demetriou QC, representing TfL, said there had been a catalogue of errors in Ubers management of the issue, including how they had raised it with TfL. This was accepted as inadequate by Ubers regional general manager for Northern and Eastern Europe, Jamie Heywood. He said: It was not what we would do now. It was inadequate, we could have done better. The Licensed Taxi Drivers Association (LTDA) accused Uber of a cover-up over the scale of the problem, which was emphatically denied. Responding to the decision on Monday, the LTDA said the decision was a disaster for London. The body said: Sadly, it seems that Uber is too big to regulate effectively, but too big to fail. It said Uber had managed to pull the wool over the eyes of the court, adding: (Judge Ikram) is playing Russian roulette with the safety of Londoners and I fear its only a matter of time until the next incident. Ms Demetriou said TfL could not conclude there was a cover-up of the information but said the regulator was deeply unhappy about communication with Uber. But Mr Ward said Uber had implemented rigorous structural changes since the previous appeals, telling the court the company has moved on considerably. He later argued that denying the company a licence would have a profound effect on groups at risk of street harassment such as women and ethnic minorities, as well as disabled people. London is a safer place with Uber in the market than without it, Mr Ward said. He also said Uber launched an assault on the problem of manual error which led to the belated dismissal of three drivers accused of sexual misconduct. How did the saga unfold? The furore surrounding Uber's bid for a new licence in London initially erupted three years ago. Here's how the drama unfolded: September 2017 TfL first refuses to renew Uber's licence in London after concluding it is "not fit and proper to hold a private hire operator licence". Explaining its decision, the regulator said the firm's approach and conduct demonstrated a "lack of corporate responsibility in relation to a number of issues which have potential public safety and security implications". In particular, TfL cited Uber's approach to reporting serious criminal offences, how Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks are obtained and explaining the use of Greyball software as being problematic. June 2018 Uber is handed a 15-month probationary licence after it took the case concerning its bid for a new licence in the capital to court. The firm admitted at the beginning of the two-day hearing that TfL original decision not to renew its five-year licence had been correct, but its lawyers said it had since cleaned up its act while continuing to operate in the capital pending its appeal. September 2019 Uber is given a further two-month licence from TfL, subject to the same conditions specified by the licence granted for the preceding 15 months. November 2019 TfL strips Uber of its licence after authorities found that more than 14,000 trips were taken with drivers who had faked their identity on the firms app. The regulator said it had identified a pattern of failures by Uber, including several breaches that placed passengers and their safety at risk. Uber appealed against the decision and was allowed to keep operating throughout the process. Are you looking for a small town with good schools, tree-lined streets, and community events for the whole family? Stacker shares some of the best small towns across the country. Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala has the past repute of fighting against any sort of mob attack from the frontline, as it firmly believes the execution of law and justice by the respective bodies concerned and not the public taking control over it. However, the past couple of days saw a U-turn of events after a band of women physically attacked and poured black oil on a man propagating personally-aimed derogatory content against women over social media, particularly the known names in society. A team of female activists led by award winning film voice artiste Bhagyalekshmi had on September 26, Saturday gone live on Facebook while getting into a war of words with Vijay P. Nair, who operates a YouTube channel spreading sexist remarks through videos and narratives. READ: Who is YouTuber Vijay P Nair Who Recently Got Beaten by Womens Rights Activists in Kerala? The live video had Bhagyalekshmi accompanied by activists Sreelakshmi Arackal and Diya Sana getting into a heated war of words with Nair in Thiruvananthapuram. They poured a bottle of black oil over him and took away his laptop which was later produced before the police. While netizens flooded the social media scene with comments, shares, likes and emojis, the authorities soon took notice of the incident assuring necessary action in similar cases. Chief Minister of Kerala Pinarayi Vijayan promised strict action against anyone using social media handles to tarnish women. If needed framing of a new legislation may be done in addition to the existing one, he said. Minister for Health and Social Welfare K.K. Shailaja found no fault in reacting against such miscreants irrespective of gender. Not passing any comment on the act of female activists, she said, it calls for a strong case against Vijay P. Nair. The extent of such reactions has to be looked legally. Kerala State Womens Commission chairperson M.C. Josephine called it a natural way of response. One of the videos posted in Nairs Vtrix Scene channel on YouTube contained derogatory remarks against a former chairperson of Kerala Womens Commission, who is a veteran poetess and activist. Another one was aimed towards an unnamed prominent female dubbing artiste in the Malayalam film industry. Both parties lodging complaint against each other after the incident, a case was registered against the female activists involved in the issue. Whereas the Kerala Hi-tech crime inquiry cell ruled that a case on non-bailable charges is taken against Nair by the police for propagating sexually explicit content. Nair was arrested from his residence in Thiruvananthapuram on September 28, 2020. However, the matter has also become a bone of contention after one Shyam Antony put up a Facebook post about accompanying Bhagyalakshmi to Nairs place on the same day. The whole series of action was then dubbed as CPM propaganda to divert from the recent controversies, once his role in the matter was up for debate on social media. Antony pulled the post after it invited controversy. Pelosi and Mnuchin have since spoken by phone since the original deal fell through on Aug. 7 House Speaker Nancy Pelosi thinks a deal can be reached with the White House on another COVID-19 relief package. Pelosi, Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer, Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin and White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, are all working to pass the relief package that fell apart in early August. Pelosi and Mnuchin have since spoken by phone. Read More: COVID-19 related death claims life of 2-month-old in Michigan We are having our conversations. And when I have a conversation with the administration, it is in good faith, Pelosi said on CNN. I trust Secretary Mnuchin to represent something that can reach a solution. And I believe we can come to an agreement. What we will be putting forth is a proffer to say: Now, let us negotiate within a time frame and a dollar amount to get the job done to put money in peoples pockets, to honor our heroes and to crush the virus, Pelosi said. I think we have a chance to get something done. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) holds a weekly press conference at the Capitol on September 24, 2020 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Liz Lynch/Getty Images) The Ways and Means Committee Chairman Richard Neal said Democrats are drafting a bill of at least $2.2 trillion on Thursday, according to Reuters. Pelosi said on Sunday that it was definitely a possibility that legislation regarding COVID-19 relief is coming in a matter of days. However, a Democratic-led House legislation might not advance in the Senate, controlled by Republicans who support the Trump administration. Pelosi has insisted that she is more interested in a deal than having a rhetorical argument with the White House. Read More: GOP senators fail to advance COVID-19 relief bill Originally, Pelosi and Schumer proposed a $3.4 trillion relief package, but they scaled back their demands in order to find common ground with the Trump administration. The Senate GOP suddenly found the energy to fill a SCOTUS vacancy, but are still delaying a covid relief bill that would help everyday Americans. Funny that. The Lincoln Project (@ProjectLincoln) September 23, 2020 Meadows said that Trump would be willing to sign a $1.3 trillion bill. Have you subscribed to theGrios podcast Dear Culture? Download our newest episodes now! The post Pelosi: New COVID-19 relief package coming soon appeared first on TheGrio. The Defence Headquarters says 13 Boko Haram terrorists alongside six women and 17 children from Kodila village have surrendered to troops of 151 Task Force Battalion at Banki Junction in Bama Local Government Area of Borno. The Coordinator, Defence Media Operations, John Enenche, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday in Abuja. Mr Enenche said the terrorists surrendered due to sustained aerial bombardment and aggressive intensive clearance operation by troops of Operation Lafiya Dole in the North East. He said the suspects and their family members who surrendered on Saturday, had been receiving medical attention at a military medical facility. According to him, the suspects are currently undergoing thorough profiling and investigation in line with global best practices in handling such cases. "The Armed Forces of Nigeria and other security agencies remain resolute, determined and committed to sustaining the tempo of the operations," he said. (NAN) Top and mid-level managers at the government medical logistics supplier could face up to 10 corruption-related charges should the public prosecutor approve their suits in the coming days. At the same time, the Saturday Nation understands that the government has stopped making further payments to companies owed money by the Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (Kemsa) for Covid-19 supplies as investigations into the tenders gather pace. This decision is meant to give Treasury time to sort suppliers as detectives pore through financial statements. At least Sh7.8 billion was lost to fictitious or irregular tenders, according to the DPP. A team of top prosecutors set up last weekend by Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Noordin Haji to peruse through files handed to him by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) is expected to give its recommendations to the DPP by the end of next week. Top on their hit list are 13 firms awarded tenders using commitment letters drawn by suspended Kemsa chief executive Jonah Manjari without the knowledge of the procurement department. To date it is not clear which company was paid what and for what service, but it is clear that Sh7.8 billion was spent. The DPP will make a final decision on who to charge with what crime. However, he may, as he has done before, return the files to the EACC for further investigations if he is not satisfied with what is presented to him. Experienced prosecutors "I have appointed a team of senior experienced prosecutors to undertake an independent and comprehensive review of the inquiry file and submit their findings to me," said Mr Haji last weekend. Investigative agencies have already spent six days above the 21 given by President Uhuru Kenyatta to get to the bottom of the scandal and nail the culprits. While the Saturday Nation cannot reveal yet who has been recommended for arrest, among the charges top Kemsa officials face are conspiracy to commit economic crimes, abuse of office, failure to comply with procurement procedures and wilful failure to comply with the guidelines on management of public funds. Additionally, they could be charged with neglect of official duty and misappropriation of public funds Those being investigated include Mr Manjari, commercial director Eliud Murithi, and procurement director Charles Juma, who has also been suspended. Officials in the entire procurement and finance chain are also being investigated. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Corruption Kenya Health By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. While the information contained in the files currently being perused by the DPP remains a highly guarded secret, sources have told the Saturday Nation that several companies will be asked to explain how they got commitment letters without going through the official procurement processes. At least nine companies were awarded tenders through this method using letters allegedly signed by Mr Manjari, who had bypassed Mr Juma. During questioning Mr Manjari told investigators that Mr Juma was away at the time he issued the letters. Mr Juma, however, denied ever being away from office since the start of Covid-19. Sh4 billion tender Prosecutors were this week trying to establish if there was any collusion between the companies and officials at Afya House and Kemsa. One such company, Kilig Ltd, which was registered on January 22, was given a Sh4 billion tender to supply personal protective equipment. It had no financial records and could not demonstrate its ability to supply such a big tender. Another firm, Shop N Buy Ltd, was only four months old when it was given a Sh970 million contract to supply 100,000 PPEs and 100,000 masks. The tender for Covid-19 supplies was issued on May 26, almost two months after Kemsa had started receiving products from suppliers on the basis that there was an emergency. Junior MasterChef Australia is making a welcome return to TV, almost 10 years after it went off the air. The third season of the MasterChef spin-off series will see 14 of the nation's youngest cooks showcase their extraordinary culinary talents. On Monday, Channel Ten announced that the latest season will premiere on Sunday, October 11 at 7.30pm. Meet the team: Junior MasterChef Australia is almost here, and in two weeks, 14 of the nation's youngest cooks (pictured) will vie for the position of top aspiring chef MasterChef judges Jock Zonfrillo, Melissa Leong and Andy Allen will also feature in the series. On Friday, Melissa shared her excitement for the latest season of Junior MasterChef, which is set to return after being axed in 2011. 'What's that? @jrmasterchefau has officially announced its launch date? And there's a cockatoo on my head?' she captioned an Instagram post. Making a statement: On Friday, Melissa (pictured) shared her excitement for the third season of Junior MasterChef Australia, which airs after being axed almost a decade ago 2020 contestants! From 7.30pm on October 11, 14 contestants will begin whipping up a storm in the Junior MasterChef Australia kitchen. Pictured: Filo (top left), Phenix (top right), Tiffany (bottom left) and Ben (bottom right) 'Why yes! See you back on screen OCTOBER 11 @channel10au with a host of the most inspiring mini MasterChefs! I can't wait for you to meet them.' Contestants for this year's season include Ruby, Etka, Laura, Porsha, Tiffany, Ben, Salvo, Filo, Georgia, Dev, Phenix, Carter and Vienna, with all aged between nine and 14. It also includes the son of former MasterChef Australia winner Sashi Cheliah, 11-year-old Ryan. They're back! Judges Jock Zonfrillo, Melissa Leong and Andy Allen (pictured) will return to screens nationwide on the junior series of the hit cooking show The young boy was a familiar face on the hit cooking show in 2018, standing alongside his father during a family reunion. Despite this, Sashi is adamant the young, aspiring cook was not recognised by producers until the first stage of the casting process on Junior MasterChef Australia. 'I put in an application and then they called for an audition. So it's only after the audition that they realised Ryan is my son,' Sashi said, as reported by HuffPost Australia last week. Celebration: Former MasterChef Australia winner Sashi Cheliah's son Ryan will also be competing on this year's Junior MasterChef. Pictured, Ryan hugging Sashi on MasterChef But Ryan is keen to make a name for himself in the culinary world, instead of being simply known as 'Sashi's son'. 'People are going to know me for me, Ryan, instead of, "Oh that's Sashi's son",' the young cook told HuffPost Australia. 'My favourite thing to cook is a fish curry. Even though it may be a bit complicated, it's full of flavour and I really like eating it.' Aspiring chefs: Contestants aged between nine and 14 years for this year's season include Ruby (pictured), Etka, Laura, Porsha, Tiffany, Ben, Salvo, Filo, Georgia, Dev, Phenix, Carter, Vienna and Ryan Professional baker Reece Hignell, who competed on the latest season of MasterChef Australia, offered a few words of advice to the upcoming contestants on Monday. 'Okay, so all of those people in MasterChef Junior, if you are baking, I just want to say that the blast chiller is your best friend,' Reece, 30, said in a video uploaded to Instagram. 'Like if you need to cool a cake, if you need to chill an ice cream, parfait, a mousse... chuck anything into that blast chiller and get it nice and cold.' Credit: CC0 Public Domain Google celebrated its 22nd birthday in the most 2020 way possible, with an animated Zoom-style party. The search giant unveiled a new temporary logo on Sunday that shows its capital letter G commemorating the company's special day via a video call party with other letters from Google's name. The big G sits in front of a laptop with a gift and a slice of cake. Meanwhile, the other letters are videoing in. The two Os are seen wearing party hats, the little G sits before a bunch of balloons, the L blows a birthday horn while the E sits a little too close to the camera. The animated Google Doodle rolled out on Google.com on Sept. 27, and provides social commentary on how people are honoring major events remotely to curb the spread of the coronavirus. Google also reflected on the company's past in a blog post. "The partnership between Google founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin traces its roots to the sunny campus of Stanford University. As graduate students, the pair set out to improve the way people interacted with the wealth of information on the World Wide Web," the search engine behemoth said. "In 1998, Google was born, and the rest is history. " It's far from the first time Google has updated its logo in honor of its big day. When it turned 21 years old in 2019, Google's search page was updated with a rendering that shows an old PC visiting the tech giant's retro homepage from the '90s. When it turned 11, the two Ls in its logo were converted into the number 11. It has also recreated its logo with various types of balloons and cakes over the years. 2020 USA Today Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Virtual CyberIsle launches today A series of cyber safety events will be held virtually for Island residents over the next few weeks. The Manx Government is hosting CyberIsle 2020 which will highlight ways to keep us safe in the face of cyber security threats. From today, the conference will feature online webinars covering various topics. The conference has moved online this year because of the coronavirus pandemic. Chief Minister Howard Quayle will give an opening address later. MEXICO CITY: Women charged police lines and threw Molotov cocktails at officers in Mexico City on Monday during protests demanding the legalization of abortion in the majority Roman Catholic country. The protesters, clad in the green bandanas that have become the symbol of the pro-choice movement in Latin America, gathered in Mexicos capital to mark International Safe Abortion Day, which is celebrated each year on Sept. 28. Police, many of them female officers, responded by spraying plumes of tear gas at the women, some of whom wielded hammers, and threw bottles and paint. At least one officer was briefly engulfed in flames after being hit by a Molotov cocktail, before colleagues doused the fire with an extinguisher, television images showed. Abortion is illegal in Mexico outside the capital city and the southern state of Oaxaca, which legalized the medical procedure last year. In the rest of Mexico, abortion is banned except under certain circumstances, such as rape. Abortion law has been receiving renewed attention after the death in the United States of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a pioneering womens rights advocate, which has cast doubt over the future of legal abortion there. Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor Due to a sudden spike in new COVID-19 cases in Gujarat's over the last one week, more than 80 per cent beds in designated private hospitals remain occupied now, as per the data shared by the Hospitals and Nursing Homes Association (AHNA). With 83.29 per cent occupancy, it's getting difficult to get beds for new patients in these hospitals, AHNA president Dr Bharat Gadhvi told PTI on Monday. As on Monday, 83.29 per cent or 1,516 beds out of total 1,820 private-quota beds remain occupied, while only 304 beds are vacant, as per the data. The occupancy of ICU beds without ventilator is nearly 81 per cent and only 55 such beds are available. Similarly, 89.11 per cent of total 147 ICU beds with ventilator are currently occupied, leaving only 16 such beds for new patients. On the other hand, "ample number" of beds are available under quotas reserved for municipal corporation (AMC) and state-run hospitals, a civic official said while admitting that occupancy has gone up in hospitals. "Due to a sudden spike in cases during the last one week, around 80 per cent beds available with private hospitals for COVID-19 patients are now occupied. It is getting difficult now to get beds for new patients in private hospitals," said Dr Gadhvi. As against the average 150 cases been registered every day in the city till the third week of September, around 170 cases have been reported every day since last one week. On September 26, 175 new cases were reported while the tally stood at 178 on September 27, as per the state health department. Deputy Municipal Commissioner, OP Machra, said ample number of beds are available in private hospitals under the AMC quota and also in state-run hospitals. "It is true that occupancy has increased. But, we still have enough beds, both under AMC quota in private hospitals and with government hospitals, such as Sola civil, main civil and SVP Hospital," Machra said. Machra said private quota is preferred by those who are financially well off. "If private quota gets exhausted, people can always get admitted under AMC quota," the official said. Machra added the AMC is considering to rope in more private hospitals to cope with future demand. To ease the burden on government-run hospitals, the Ahmedabad civic body so far notified 64 private hospitals as designated COVID-19 hospitals. As per the agreement, each hospital can utilise 50 per cent of beds for private quota patients, while the remaining quantum of beds should be reserved for patients sent by the civic body. In August, the civic body had denotified nine designated Covid-19 hospitals in view of the slowing graph of new COVID-19 cases. However, cases rose steadily in September. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called on the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan to immediately halt hostilities over the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh after at least 65 people were killed in the deadliest outbreak of fighting in years. The UN chief was set to talk with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian on September 28 after having spoken with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev earlier in the day, Guterres's spokesman Stephane Dujarric said. Guterres is also pushing the two sides to resume talks and accept the redeployment of monitors from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe to the region, Dujarric said. Meanwhile, the UN Security Council is expected to hold emergency talks on September 29 to discuss the fighting following a request from Germany and France. The fighting threatens to draw in regional powers Russia and Turkey. Yerevan has already accused Ankara of having a "direct presence on the ground" and supplying its ally Baku with weapons, including drones. The long-simmering conflict in the volatile South Caucasus erupted into the deadliest bouts of fighting in four years on September 27. At least 58 Armenian servicemen and seven Azerbaijani civilians have been confirmed dead so far in the fighting. Armenian reports of losses among Azerbaijani forces have not been confirmed by Baku. As in previous rounds of violence, both sides appear to be exaggerating the military casualties inflicted on their opponent and engaging in information warfare. Nagorno-Karabakh has long experienced periodic border skirmishes along the so-called Line of Contact that separates Armenian and Azerbaijani forces on the front line of Europe's longest-running conflict. In July, a days-long flare-up that included drone attacks and heavy artillery fire killed at least 17 people, mostly soldiers on both sides but including at least one civilian. However, the latest violence appeared to be more than a flare-up, with Armenian and Azerbaijani officials describing it as war amid mutual recriminations about which side started the offensive. "We are on the brink of a full-scale war in the South Caucasus," Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian warned, accusing Azerbaijan of carrying out preplanned aggression. Nagorno-Karabakh is an ethnic Armenian separatist enclave inside Azerbaijan. Armenia declared martial law and a total mobilization on September 27 in response to what it said was Azerbaijani attacks on the enclave, including in the regional capital of Stepanakert. Azerbaijan responded by declaring a partial military mobilization on September 28 Both sides have fielded helicopters, drones, tanks, and artillery during the first two days of fighting. The escalation of violence drew swift responses from European countries, Russia, the United Nations, the United States, and others calling for both sides to cease hostilities immediately and enter dialogue. The European Court of Human Rights said on September 28 that the Armenian government had asked it to issue urgent instructions to Azerbaijan to stop attacks on civilians as well as military advances toward civilian settlements in Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh. Armenia claimed on September 28 that Azerbaijan had begun a large-scale offensive from the north on Nagorno-Karabakh as well as from he south. Armenia's Pashinian called on global powers to prevent Turkey from interfering in the conflict amid allegations from Yerevan that the Turkish military was deepening its involvement. In August, Turkey and Azerbaijan completed two weeks of joint air and land military exercises, including in the Azerbaijani enclave of Naxcivan. Some observers have questioned whether Turkey left behind military equipment or even a contingent of troops. The potential for robust Turkish involvement in the conflict is being watched closely by Russia, which is already on opposing sides with the NATO member in conflicts in Libya and Syria. Russia sells weapons to both Azerbaijan and Armenia, but has a military base in Armenia and favors that strategic partnership. The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict emerged during the breakup of the Soviet Union, when the region and seven adjacent districts of Azerbaijan were seized by Armenian-backed separatists who declared independence amid a 1988-94 conflict that killed at least 30,000 people and displaced hundreds of thousands. Since a fragile, Russian-brokered truce in 1994, the region has been under the control of ethnic Armenian forces that Azerbaijan says include troops supplied by Armenia. The region's claim to independence has not been recognized by any country. With reporting by AFP and Reuters Representational picture Maharastra is reportedly all set to open dine-in restaurants, bars and eateries from the first week of October. Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray is said to have given the clearance at his meeting with the industry on Monday. Moneycontrol could not independently verify the report. "The state government has prepared guidelines for starting restaurants and sent them to the concerned authorities. After they are finalised, a decision will be taken regarding the opening of restaurants, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray said during a discussion with the representatives of restaurant businesses and associations in the state," CMO Maharashtra had earlier tweeted in Marathi. According to a report by Times of India, the reopening will benefit over 60 lakh direct employees and 1.8 crore indirect employees in the hospitality sector, which is one of the worst-hit by the pandemic. Valsa R Nair Singh, principal secretary, tourism department, said that they have been allowed to reopen restaurants from the first week of October, according to a report by Hindustan Times. The SOP, however, is yet to be finaised. Sources told CNBC TV18 that initially, restaurants may be allowed to start with 50 percent capacity. Sherry Bhatia, the president of the Hotel and Restaurant Association of Western India (HRAWI) welcomed the move and said that Thackeray has, additionally, "also agreed to favourably consider HRAWIs petition for the waiver of excise license fees for a period of 6 months, the duration for which establishments were required to be kept shut". "Also, the deadline for deferment of payments towards the first installment of the Excise License fee has been extended to 30th September which will bring restaurateurs big relief," Bhatia said in a statement. "In our meeting, the CM was sympathetic towards the restaurant players for not being allowed to operate for over six months. He has indicated that his Government will mostly allow the reopening of restaurants but he has stressed on restaurants responsibility towards their customers health and safety after they reopen for business," HRAWI's senior vice president, Pradeep Shetty said. Centre had, in its guidelines for Unlock 4.0, left it on states to decide whether restaurants and dine-in services can be opened depending on the pandemic situation. San Antonio officials said Monday they believed the area has avoided a major surge in new infections from the Labor Day weekend. With 63 new cases reported, Bexar Countys cumulative total increased to 57,208 since the start of the pandemic. It was the second day in a row that the county recorded fewer than 100 cases. On Sunday, the county logged 56 new cases and nearly 2,800 backlogged cases, most of which were from July, officials said. No new deaths were reported Monday, leaving the local death toll from the pandemic at 1,130. Our numbers now, three weeks since Labor Day, are looking really good, Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff said during the daily coronavirus briefing. I think weve passed that hump. Now were into the school hump, and now were into the flu season. On ExpressNews.com: Texas officials rescind data on COVID-19 spread in school districts San Antonio has experienced weeks of steady improvements to the level of coronavirus transmission in the area, a trend that continued Monday, when officials presented their weekly epidemiology report. The seven-day rolling average for new cases has dropped to 139, and officials said daily cases were on a downward trajectory over the two-week period from the end of August to mid-September. The doubling rate, or time for case totals to double, is more than three months. The positivity rate, or percentage of positive tests, declined to 5.92 percent, after ticking up to 6.4 percent the previous week. Health officials are close to their goal of reducing the areas rate to 5 percent or less. Once that threshold is achieved, city recommendations to restrict in-person instruction at local schools will ease. Some Bexar County school districts began phased reopenings earlier this month, in combination with virtual learning. Overall, San Antonio remains in the low-risk zone for transmission of the virus. Last week, the city began reopening major public spaces, parks and playgrounds as the virus loosened its grip on the city. Credit to all of you who have been working so hard to get this infection under control, Mayor Ron Nirenberg said. On ExpressNews.com: From Convention Center to skate parks, San Antonio begins to reopen as coronavirus surge tapers off COVID-related hospitalizations have hovered above 200 for much of September, with modest declines in the number of patients needing intensive care and ventilators. On Monday, there were 220 people being treated in area hospitals, including 22 new admissions. Of those receiving treatment, 86 patients were in intensive care units and 34 were breathing with the support of a ventilator. At the height of San Antonios summer coronavirus surge, more than 1,200 people were hospitalized across the area. Still, Nirenberg said we need to keep working to decrease this number overall. Lauren Caruba covers health care and medicine in the San Antonio and Bexar County area. To read more from Lauren, become a subscriber. lcaruba@express-news.net | Twitter: @LaurenCaruba After what appeared to be a war of wills between the two leading factions led by O Panneerselvam and Edappadi K Palaniswami, the top-level committee of the ruling All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) has decided to finalise within a week the partys chief ministerial candidate for the 2021 Assembly elections. The announcement was made by AIADMKs deputy coordinator KP Munusamy on Monday. Munusamy, who was flanked by senior leaders KA Sengottaiyan, R Vaithilingam and SP Velumani, also said the executive committee passed as many as 15 resolutions. Recently, the two top leaders had issued a gag order, asking the cadres and leaders not to air views publicly on the issue of chief ministerial candidate after divergent opinions emerged. According to multiple sources, arguments touched some discordant points" in the three-hour discussion held during the day. In the backdrop of VK Sasikala, the banished jailed aide of late J Jayalalithaa, trying to make a comeback in state politics, Panneerselvam (who is also known as OPS) and Palaniswami (EPS) spoke about who should be the partys CM candidate for the upcoming assembly elections. During the stormy times of early 2017, EPS had emerged as the candidate of choice as a stand-in chief minister after Sasikala was jailed for her conviction in the disproportionate assets case. While EPS had held the position for three years now, OPS has put forward his claims of being the candidate of choice, arguing that he was chosen by Jayalalithaa herself thrice when she was ill-disposed to be chief minister. According to people present at the meeting, OPS said that EPS was the candidate of Sasikala, who is considered anathema to the formers faction. EPS is said to have shot back saying OPS was made the chief minister by Sasikala after Jayalalithaas death. EPS also flatly refused to set up the 11-member steering committee which has been one of the long-standing demands of OPS. Sources said OPS again placed the demand during Mondays meeting, but the CM rejected the idea on grounds that it would lead to unnecessary favouritism among senior party leader leaders. The meeting comes close on the heels on the main opposition party in the state, the DMK, having made its stand clear on the contentious farm bills passed recently in Parliament. Earlier in the day, DMK president MK Stalin took to the streets in protest against the bills even as the CM and his deputy made their way to the party headquarters to clear alleged differences between the two camps. Carole Baskin, 59, was married to Michael Murdock from 1979 until 1991 She wrote in a 1990 letter how she 'would have killed him' to leave the marriage The Tiger King star says she meant it as self-defense because he was abusive Baskin has been linked with the disappearance of her second husband Don Lewis Carole Baskin said she would have killed her first husband to escape her marriage in a shocking letter unearthed from 30 years ago. The Big Cat Rescue founder, 59, has been the subject of speculation linking her with the disappearance of her second husband, Don Lewis. ADVERTISEMENT But the Tiger King star penned a letter 30 years ago saying she 'would have eventually killed' her first husband, Michael Murdock. She has now clarified she made the remarks because he was abusive and she would only act in self-defense. Carole Baskin said she would have killed her first husband in a shocking letter unearthed from 30 years ago Carole penned the letter to Don's first wife Gladys after conducting an affair with him for nine years. The letter, seen by TMZ, has been unearthed ahead of a new documentary about Joe Exotic to be aired on Investigation Discovery this weekend. Click here to resize this module The letter details Carole's affair with Don but also includes a line about her first husband Michael. She wrote: 'I had to get out of my marriage and would have eventually killed my husband to do it.' The Tiger King star penned a letter 30 years ago saying she 'would have eventually killed' her first husband, Michael Murdock (pictured together) Carole penned the letter to Don's first wife Gladys after conducting an affair with him for nine years (pictured during their marriage) But Baskin says she would have only ever acted in self-defense. Confirming the letter as her own, she said: 'I only meant it in the context of self-defense as Mike Murdock was physically abusive to me to the point of causing me to fear for my life.' The reality star, who is competing on Dancing With The Stars, has previously claimed a number of times that Murdock, whom she married in 1979 and shares daughter Jamie with, was abusive. Carole and Don both divorced their respective spouses in 1991 and married each other the same year after their long affair together. The reality star, who is competing on Dancing With The Stars, has previously claimed a number of times that Murdock, whom she married in 1979 and shares daughter Jamie with, was abusive Don, a self-made millionaire through his real estate and used car businesses, continued to have affairs throughout his second marriage, according to Carole. She said he frequently flew to Costa Rica to meet women and planned to move there, buying a one-way plane ticket in the days leading up to his disappearance. Carole claims his mental health was deteriorating and he was showing signs of Alzheimer's, claims his attorneys and associates have rejected. ADVERTISEMENT In July 1997, Don, then 59, filed a request for a restraining order against his wife, saying she had threatened to kill him and had hidden his gun to stop him protecting himself. Baskin is the rival of Tiger King star Joe Exotic who shot to global fame this year on Netflix The request was rejected and the couple continued to live together, despite Don telling Carole multiple times he wanted a divorce. On August 18, 1997, Don disappeared after leaving home around 6am and he has not been seen since. He left holdings worth around $5million, leading to a dispute between Carole and Don's children, who accuse her of being involved in his disappearance. The case is still open and gained international prominence following the success of Netflix's Tiger King, in which warring big cat owner Joe Exotic frequently claimed Carole killed her husband and fed him to her tigers. In a new Investigation Discovery special titled Tigers, Lies And Cover Ups - set to air this coming Sunday - private detectives take another look at the case, and bring it cadaver dogs to help try and locate Lewis' remains She has consistently stated she had nothing to do with Don's disappearance. It comes after cadaver dogs appear to have picked up the scent of human remains near a Florida lake house belonging to Don. In the new documentary titled Tigers, Lies And Cover Ups - set to air this coming Sunday - private detectives take another look at the case, and bring it cadaver dogs to help try and locate Lewis' remains. In one scene from the upcoming special - shared with DailyMail.com - Captain Mike Hadsell from Peace River K-9 Search & Rescue brings along a trained dog as he scours the waters right by Lewis' lake house. Carole has been married to Howard Baskin since 2004 and he works alongside her at Big Cat Rescue The female dog is disturbed by the scents she picks up, whimpering and barking as the boat circles one portion of the lake. ADVERTISEMENT 'There's something in that lake, there's something that's causing the dog to continuously alert on the west side of the lake near Don Lewis' house,' an investigator states. Last month, Lewis's family held a press conference in Tampa and announced an independent investigation into his disappearance. It means Carole is set to be questioned under oath as part of the family's investigation. (Natural News) Around the globe, scientists are racing to create a coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine. But with America alone needing hundreds of millions of vaccines, regardless if citizens actually want them or not, experts are worried about one thing: Do they have enough freezers to store the vaccines? Not enough freezers Vaccines in late stages of testing must be stored at temperatures of at least minus 80 C (minus 112 F), which is akin to conditions for transporting ice cream and steaks to supermarkets. When a vaccine is finally ready, hospitals, pharmacies and physicians offices will be turned into vaccination sites. The problem is, not all of these locations have specialized freezers. In a mad rush to push a vaccine to an unsuspecting public, logistics, public-health and drug-industry officials have forgotten to finalize a cold-storage supply chain that will efficiently deliver vaccines all over America without letting the products become warm and ineffective. Hospitals are considering the purchase of special freezers to solve any issues about equipment and storage capacity. Meanwhile, logistics companies and other nontraditional health-care competitors are setting up facilities to house hundreds of mobile cold-storage units or as freezer farms. Like dairy or meat products, vaccines have chemical structures that are maintained when kept within certain temperature ranges. Drug companies already have data on optimal temperatures for chickenpox and shingles vaccines. However, coronavirus vaccine development has been fast-forwarded to stop the further spread of the pandemic. This means health experts need more data about storage requirements, which is usually determined once clinical trials have concluded. Vaccines need specific transportation and storage Chaun Powell, the leader of disaster preparedness and response at Premier Inc., a major group-purchaser for U.S. hospitals, physician clinics and other places, explained that a vaccine for coronavirus that requires ultra-cold temperatures would stress the supply chain because of the demands required for transportation and storage. Powell notes that if the vaccine has to reach at least 300 million American adults, addressing logistics concerns is essential. He added that researchers should first figure out how to get the vaccine to everyone at least within an hour of their home. Health and industry officials believe a vaccine is key to stopping the spread of COVID-19. The most advanced vaccines are currently being tested with clinical trials involving 30,000 participants or more. The U.S. government has already started planning for these vaccines potential distribution later this year. Pfizer Inc., along with partner BioNTech SE, and Moderna Inc. are producing two potential vaccine candidates for coronavirus. The vaccines use a new gene-based technology called mRNA. The two potential vaccines must be stored at subzero temperatures of at least minus 70 or minus 80 C. This isnt new as medications like cell-based therapies are often shipped at ultra-cold temperatures via liquid nitrogen or dry ice. However, these storage and shipping methods are expensive, with the cost being significantly higher as there are plans to ship millions once the vaccine is ready. Limited ultra-cold storage space Health and industry officials assume that millions of healthcare workers will be vaccinated at hospitals, but not all hospitals have the storage space or mechanical requirements to store vaccines at subzero temperatures for COVID-19 vaccines. The lack of equipment means not everyone in the country can easily access the vaccine. In fact, clinics and pharmacies and clinics arent expected to become vaccination sites until a vaccine is authorized for the broader population. Experts believe authorization could take as long as until next year. The problem is, ultra-cold freezers arent common in hospitals since not a lot of drugs and vaccines need them, like the chickenpox vaccine and flu vaccines. Despite requiring cold storage, COVID-19 vaccines still have a limited shelf life. The vaccines might need to be used within six months, which is a much smaller window compared to other drugs. Brian Swift, chief pharmacy officer at Jefferson Health, said that while Philadelphias Jefferson Health hospital system could store vaccines at minus 30 C, it might have limited ultra-cold storage space. Jefferson Hospital, which plans to offer vaccinations for its 30,000 employees, will need to purchase at least 15 special freezers. Swift is worried about the availability of these high-end freezers, particularly since everyone else will be looking for them once the vaccines roll out. (Related: With COVID-19 vaccine looming, worries intensify over potential mandates.) Is temporary cold storage available? Pfizer took matters into its own hands by creating a temperature-controlled container about the size of a suitcase. The container can keep between 1,000 and 5,000 vaccine doses frozen at minus 70 C for 10 days before requiring more dry ice. Once thawed, the vials can be refrigerated for about two days. Earlier this 2020, Moderna stored its vaccine at minus 70 C to prepare for trials. The company continued to study the vaccine and based on the finding, Moderna made plans to ship the shots at minus 20 C. Once thawed, the vaccine can be refrigerated for about a week. Other coronavirus vaccines in human testing dont require ultra-cold temperatures, like Johnson & Johnsons experimental vaccine, which is slated to be shipped commercially at standard refrigeration. Places Americans frequented for routine health care, like physicians offices, pharmacies and other locations, will act as COVID-19 vaccination sites early next year, but public health and industry officials are worried that the majority of them lack ultra-cold freezing capabilities. Officials also noted that Pfizers own containers might not work for smaller clinics or pharmacies if they dont have thousands of doses on hand. According to a CVS spokesperson, its locations can accommodate refrigeration and freezing storage requirements for most of the experimental coronavirus vaccines. CVS is also in talks with the Trump administration about vaccine administration. McKesson, an Irving, Texas-based wholesaler, will be shipping COVID-19 vaccines requiring refrigeration of minus 20 C, reported a spokesman. Since 2018, the wholesaler has worked with Cryoport Inc., which provides temperature-controlled shipments for pharmaceutical companies. Cryoport uses technology that keeps livestock-animal vaccines at minus 196 degrees for at least one month, shared Mark Sawicki, the leader of Cryoports legacy logistics division. He added that Cryoport is in discussions with other parties about the possible distribution of COVID-19 vaccines. United Parcel Service Inc. (UPS) plans to finish the construction of its freezer farms, which has mobile freezer units, in Louisville, Ky., and the Netherlands by October. Wes Wheeler, president of UPS Healthcare, explained that these freezer farms will act as stopover points during distribution or while awaiting regulatory decisions. According to Wheeler, the freezers can be configured to store a vaccine at between minus 85 and minus 20 C and that each one can hold as many as 48,000 vials. UPS is also taking part in Operation Warp Speed, the White House-led partnership for COVID-19 answers. The group is pushing its partners for the distribution of a coronavirus vaccine as early as November this year. Wheeler shared that UPS and other partners will begin test delivery runs in September, promising that the group and other members of the group cant fail as the whole world is praying for their success. Operation Warp Speed also involves federal agencies like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Department of Agriculture. Sources include: WSJ.com USAToday.com Miraa farmers, traders and elected leaders from Meru will resort to mass protests from October 9 if the government will not have pronounced itself on the market woes facing the stimulant. The resolution was arrived at during a meeting called by miraa leaders on Friday where all leaders heaped blame on President Uhuru Kenyatta for the problems facing the crop. During the heated meeting at Burieruri Boys High School, legislators led by Senator Mithika Linturi sought to exonerate themselves from blame on the trade impasse arguing that they were also in the dark on how the national government was handling a diplomatic tiff with Somalia. Somalia has been the key market for miraa taking in about 50 tonnes daily which earns farmers more than Sh10 million. The struggle to resume miraa trade has been going on for the last seven weeks when Somalia lifted a suspension on international passenger and cargo flights over the Covid-19 pandemic. Traders and farmers who were eager to start demonstrations held back after Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Peter Munya called for calm assuring them that President Kenyatta was handling the diplomatic issues. Last week, the traders were informed that most of the demands raised by Somalia as conditions for resumption of miraa trade, had been resolved. But on Friday, Senator Linturi, MPs JohnPaul Mwirigi (Igembe South), Kubai Iringo (Igembe Central), Josephat Kabeabea (Tigania East), Mugambi Rindikiri (Buuri) and more than 10 MCAs accused the national government of lacking goodwill in supporting miraa. "When President Uhuru Kenyatta was hunting for votes, he was clear that he would address the plight of miraa farmers. He never asked us for our votes so that we can beg him. For the Somalia market to be restored, the president must take action. We will task the Agriculture CS to help us meet the president before the two weeks lapse," Mr Linturi said. He said several efforts by the elected leaders to pressure the government to help miraa farmers have more markets had flopped hence the need to resort to mass action. Senator Linturi said the ministry of interior and national government coordination, in June, rejected a request to reopen the Somalia border to facilitate miraa trade. "We have tried to exercise the power delegated to us by the people but they have refused to listen to us. If we cannot be listened to, the people have no other option other than exercising the power themselves through picketing, demonstrations and other legal means," he said. Mr Mwirigi said despite constant assurances from the president's allies that he was addressing the issues, no official communication was forthcoming. "If the schools are reopened, most of our people will not be able to raise the school fees because of the loss of the miraa market. We would like to get official communication from the office of the president on the progress made in the resumption of miraa trade," Mr Mwirigi said. The leaders said they were ready to meet President Kenyatta to understand why the resumption of miraa business in Somalia was taking too long. "The very government that should be facilitating miraa trade has closed the border to bar trade. We have pleaded for too long and done our part in parliament. We will take to the streets because this is the only language they can understand," Mr Iringo said. Mr Rindikiri said they were not ready to beg the government on the miraa troubles. But East Africa Legislative Assembly (Eala) MP Mpuru Aburi said they should plead with the president rather than condemning him. The leaders were also angered by remarks by a section of MPs who termed miraa a drug during the presentation of a public petition by the Igembe South MP on Thursday. Several leaders including Meru Governor Kiraitu Murungi have condemned Garissa Township MP Aden Duale for his claim that the designation of miraa as a cash crop was among 'carrots' dangled for political reasons in 2017. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Kenya Agribusiness By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. "Mr Duale should respect the people of Meru. The Jubilee party should pronounce itself on the claims made by the former Majority leader on the floor of the house. We demand that the Jubilee Party apologises over the remarks," Mr Rindikiri said. Governor Murungi expressed confidence that the president was on top of things and told off Mr Duale over his remarks on miraa. Miraa traders now want the relevant government agencies compelled to recover the Somalia market and establish new markets from potential African countries. They also want the government to address stalled miraa projects, resolve diversion of miraa funds to other crops, reopen the border with Somalia, finalise Kemri research on miraa and remove restrictive levies on miraa in the counties. 'You will be proud of us': Romanian villagers re-elect dead mayor by landslide Entrance in the town of Deveselu, southern Romania BUCHAREST (Reuters) - Romanian villagers have re-elected their mayor by a landslide even though he died two weeks ago from COVID-19 complications, saying he had done a good job and deserved his posthumous victory. A video shared on social media showed dozens of villagers visiting the grave of Ion Aliman, a Social Democrat, to light candles after voting had ended in Sunday's local elections. "It is your victory," one man can be heard saying. "Know that you will be proud of us. Rest in peace." Aliman won his third term as mayor of Deveselu, a village of around 3,000 people in southern Romania, with 64% of the vote, electoral bureau data showed on Monday. "He was a real mayor to us," one unnamed woman who wore a surgical mask told private television station ProTV in Deveselu. "He took the side of the village, respected all the laws. I don't think we will see a mayor like him again." Aliman, a former navy officer who would have turned 57 on Monday, died on Sept. 17 in a hospital in Bucharest. His name was already on the printed voting ballots and could not be removed, officials said. A new election will be held. In 2008, a village in eastern Romania also knowingly re-elected their mayor who had died just after voting began. Despite Aliman's victory, his Social Democrat Party lost key cities and county councils across Romania on Sunday to the centrist minority Liberal government and USR-Plus, an alliance of two centre-right groupings. Romania has reported 123,944 COVID-19 infections since late February, with 4,748 deaths, the highest fatality rate in the European Union's eastern wing. (Reporting by Luiza Ilie; Editing by Gareth Jones) Chrissy Teigen has given her followers an update on her pregnancy, revealing she was hospitalised on Sunday evening after a month of bleeding. The model, who is expecting her third child, a baby boy, with husband John Legend, had already been on strict bed rest this month but as she explained in a series of Instagram Stories on Sunday, her bleeding had worsened. Posting from her bed at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, Chrissy begged her followers not to try and diagnose her over Twitter as she explained more about her condition. Hospital: Chrissy Teigen has given her followers an update on her pregnancy, revealing she was hospitalised on Sunday evening after bleeding for the past month 'We all know I've been on bed rest for a few weeks and that's like super serious bed rest. I get up to pee and take baths twice a week, no showering, just as little as possible,' Chrissy began. 'But I was always, always bleeding. I'm about halfway through pregnancy and the blood has been going on for about a month, maybe a little bit less than a month. We're talking about more than your period girls, it's definitely not spotting. A lot of people spot but it's usually fine. Mine was a lot.' 'Everytime I go to the bathroom it would be blood, and honestly just laying there there would be blood.' Chrissy went on to explain that on Sunday her bleeding worsened comparing it to 'like if you were to turn a faucet onto low and leave it there...It was at the point today where it was never stopping, the bleeding.' High risk pregnancy: The model had already been on strict bed rest this month but as she explained in a series of Instagram Stories on Sunday, her bleeding had worsened She added that she was feeling great, telling her fans 'it's so weird because I feel really good. I'm usually at my happiest pregnant, mood wise. That's why it's so hard for me to come to terms with.' Chrissy also beamed as she revealed her baby was doing well, explaining: 'In the simplest of terms we can say my placenta is really, really weak, So I feel really good and the baby is so healthy, growing stronger than Luna or Miles.' 'He moves so much, so much earlier than they ever did. I'm so excited for him, he's the strongest little dude. He;'s the strongest coolest dude in the sh***iest house.' 'So his house is like falling apart. It didn't have a good foundation to begin with, he didn't have the strongest chance at the very, very beginning so all we're doing now is trying to make sure he has a lot of fluid around him and I'm resting as much as possible.' By her side: Chrissy revealed her husband John Legend was with her. The couple are expecting their third child, a baby boy Scary: 'Everytime I go to the bathroom it would be blood, and honestly just laying there there would be blood,' she told her followers, adding that her baby though is 'the strongest, coolest little dude' Halfway there:'In the simplest of terms we can say my placenta is really, really weak,' the model and mum of three explained 'It's just hard because there's not much we can do. I'm at that weird inbetween time where it's dangerous to try anything. If me and baby boy can make it through the next few weeks then we can go from there and get through the danger zone.' 'It is scary,' Chrissy admitted, 'but scary in the way that there is really nothing to do. I take my progesteroneand my iron and we're trying everything we can.' She then pleaded with her fans and medical professionals online to let her doctors do the work, cautioning: 'If you are a doctor I can not express enough how badly I would like you to stop your guessing games or even diagnosing me via twitter. I have very good doctors who know the entire story. I share a lot but not absolutely everything.' Chrissy was later joined by John in her hospital room, as she filmed her husband and joked he was trying to check out the mini bar. Earlier on Sunday, the model said she was 'so bored' while stuck at home, and planning a bed rest photo shoot 'in full glam.' She later admitted she was grateful to have put on makeup before heading to hospital. Change of plans: Earlier on Sunday, the model said she was 'so bored' while stuck at home, and planning a bed rest photo shoot 'in full glam' Chrissy originally filmed herself for her Instagram Stories in closeup from her bed, with nothing on but a white towel. 'I'm having a bored time a bed time boredom photoshoot today. Just in bed,' she said sleepily. 'Full glam. Just so bored,' she joked, while showing off her makeup-free face and clear skin. 'So bored': 'I'm having a bored time a bed time boredom photoshoot today. Just in bed,' she said sleepily in her original post from home Looking good: 'Full glam. Just so bored,' she joked, while showing off her makeup-free face and clear skin 'Scratch that': Chrissy wasn't bored anymore after she ended up in the maternity ward at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in LA Just hours later though she took a photo from her hospital bed, with a white board on the wall revealing she was in the Maternity Fetal Care Unit at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. A medical professional was administering to her and wearing a blue down jacket with colorful stripes on the sleeves. 'Scratch that,' Chrissy wrote, presumably referring to her statement about being bored. Her visit to the maternity ward followed her announcement on Twitter on Thursday that she was ceasing all of her work temporarily after being diagnosed with a high-risk pregnancy. 'Today I had to postpone the cookbook indefinitely and sent @AdeenaSussman alllll the way back to Tel Aviv and same with shutting down filming Chrissy's Court. Baby cannot do it. I am devastated,' she tweeted. Taking it easy: Her visit to the maternity ward followed her announcement on Twitter on Thursday that she was ceasing all of her work temporarily after being diagnosed with a high-risk pregnancy Whoops! Chrissy took the hospital room photo down after people began calling en masse because she posted the room's phone number The Chrissy's Court star took down the original hospital room photo. 'Lol I accidentally posted the phone number to my hospital room on Instagram so I have to move, I appreciate the phone calls though you little sweetie pies,' she tweeted. Chrissy also spent Saturday in bed, when she documented her struggle to find a good Philly Cheesesteak in Los Angeles while using a dog face filter. Though the one she eventually got delivered didn't look that appetizing, she was happy to report that it still tasted good. On a quest: On Saturday, she used a dog face filter while searching for a good Philly cheesesteak in LA Staying healthy: On Friday, Chrissy posted a video to her Insta Stories, giving a glimpse of a compression device wrapped around her leg that prevents blood clots Yikes: She shared a hilarious screenshot from the same day after she shared a photo of what she thought was a blood clot that she passed to the wrong group chat Chrissy revealed on Friday she's been spending considerable time in bed in recent weeks. She posted a photo to her Insta Stories of the compression pads she has had to wear on her legs to help stop blood clots from forming, as extended bed rest can cause them. In a hilarious admission, she revealed that she shared a photo of what she assumed was a blood clot that she had passed to one of her group chats except that it was the wrong group chat. A screenshot from the conversation shows her husband John Legend, 41, simply responding, 'welp,' before informing her that it was the wrong chat. Chrissy previously said that her pregnancies with Luna, four, and Miles, two, were complicated after her placenta failed to nourish them properly, requiring her to be induced early both times. Understated: A screenshot from the conversation shows her husband John Legend, 41, simply responding, 'welp,' before informing her that it was the wrong chat Cool it: Later on Sunday night, Chrissy took to Twitter to urge doctors and some of her overzealous fans to stop trying to diagnose her on social media or to give her unsolicited medical advice Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Yunindita Prasidya (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Tue, September 29 2020 Indonesias coffee producers and farmers are calling for support, including financing and product absorption, to weather the pandemics dire effects on upstream coffee demand. Rahmah of Ketiara Cooperatives in Central Aceh said on Wednesday that some 400 tons of coffee were being held under a warehouse receipt, 150 tons of which had yet to be sold. A warehouse receipt is a financing system that allows smallholders to deposit their harvest in a warehouse as collateral for a loan, in exchange for a receipt. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,000/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login (Natural News) An effort by President Trump to ban the WeChat app from American smartphones has failed after U.S. Magistrate Judge Laurel Beeler of San Francisco decided that restricting the Chinese-owned app would violate the First Amendment. Regardless of the fact that WeChat poses a national security threat, much in the same way as TikTok, Beeler claims that the app has free speech rights that must be protected. In her ruling, Beeler wrote that WeChat, a product of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), serves as a virtual public square for the Chinese-speaking and Chinese-American community in the United States and is (as a practical matter) their (sic) only means of communication. Beeler added that banning WeChat forecloses meaningful access to communication in their community and thereby operates as a prior restraint on their right to free speech. Failing to explain how or why Chinese people in the U.S. somehow cannot use other modes of smartphone communication, Beeler went on to reveal her political bias by declaring the Trump administrations efforts to ban WeChat as an overarching national-security interest. [The administration has] put in scant little evidence that its effective ban of WeChat for all U.S. users addresses those concerns, Beeler added. The plaintiffs have shown serious questions going to the merits of their First Amendment claim that the Secretarys prohibited transactions effectively eliminate the plaintiffs key platform for communication, slow or eliminate discourse, and are the equivalent of censorship of speech or a prior restraint on it. Does this mean conservatives and Christians are now free to exercise their First Amendment rights on Silicon Valley tech platforms? One wonders if Beeler holds the same position with regards to Facebook and Twitter, which are actively censoring conservatives, Christians and white people for expressing viewpoints that some far-leftists find offensive. Will Natural News, for instance, once again be allowed to put its smartphone app in the Apple App Store? How about the hundreds of American patriots who have been de-platformed from Facebook or does Beelers ruling only apply to the Chinese? Since we already know the answer to these questions, it is critical to ask yourself: Why is such hypocrisy allowed to persist? And perhaps even more importantly: Why isnt the Republican-dominated Senate doing anything about it? We are getting to the point where the endless excuses no longer suffice. The Silicon Valley tech giants continue to trample the First Amendment rights of conservatives and Christians with no penalty, when the reality is that all of them deserve to have their Section 230 immunity protections under the Communications Decency Act (CDA) completely stripped. There are only two possible explanations for the Republican response to this double standard, and neither are acceptable. Republicans are either completely spineless or they are complicit in the censorship and in either case, they need to be held accountable. We can also no longer keep giving Trump a free pass when his administration, including his latest attorney general, continues to do nothing to rectify the problem. What we are seeing, ironically, is an administration that is mostly talk with very little action. Where is the ruling striking down and breaking up Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Google, etc. over First Amendment concerns? asked one Zero Hedge commenter cutting right to the chase. Twitter can ban people because the First Amendment doesnt extend to companies, but WeChat, a company owned by the CCP, does get First Amendment rights. Got it. This all makes sense, wrote another, highlighting the complete hypocrisy of Americas criminal injustice system. The latest news about First Amendment and free speech issues can be accessed at FirstAmendment.news. Sources for this article include: ZeroHedge.com NaturalNews.com NaturalNews.com Find the latest evacuations for wildfires in the North Bay here. LATEST Sept. 28, 8:30 p.m. Cal Fire released an incident update for the Glass Fire Monday evening. The update confirmed the previous report that the fire has burned 36,236 acres across Napa and Sonoma county. The fire remains zero-percent contained. Cal Fire reported 113 structures have been destroyed and two damaged; this number is likely to grow as damage assessments are incomplete. The blaze continues to threaten 8,543 structures. Find the full incident update here. Sept. 28, 6:55 p.m. Napa County issued a mandatory evacuation for the entire city of Calistoga just after 6 p.m.. Current open evacuation routes include Route 29 South and North, and 128 North. See full details on the evacuation here. Sept. 28, 5:30 p.m. The Glass Fire burning in Napa and Sonoma counties grew to 36,236 acres by Monday evening, Cal Fire confirmed. It was 11,000 acres to start the day and is still 0% contained. More than 68,000 people have been forced to evacuate due to the fire. There was a bit of good news going into the evening, however, as winds are calming along the fire lines. "Currently I'm sitting on Highway 12 and do not really see any movement in the trees," Cal Fire section chief Ben Nichols said in the evening press briefing. "... The smoky skies that we're under is a sign that there's not a lot of wind." Nichols also said that firefighters "saved far more than they lost" in Santa Rosa, St. Helena and Calistoga today. "It was a win overall," he said. Sept. 28, 11:30 a.m. Cal Fire said in a press briefing Monday afternoon that fires in Sonoma and Napa counties have burned 11,000 acres but this number is expected to grow with better mapping. "We had explosive fire growth of the Glass Fire as it was able to establish a foothold on the west side of the Napa Valley and burn approximately 4 miles during the course of about six hours overnight to where it finally ended up this morning in the community of Oakmont and trying to push into Annadel State Park," said Cal Fire Division Chief Ben Nicholls. "The fire has been extremely difficult to contain and fight." Santa Rosa Fire Chief Tony Gossner said Cal Fire is still actively fighting the blaze and hasn't been able to conduct assessments of structures damaged and destroyed. "I dont know how many structures were lost throughout the firefight last night, but there was significant loss between Los Alamos and Oakmont, on the north side of Highway 12," said Gossner. "A lot of those little ranchettes and homes in there. Very difficult firefight up Los Alamos and Cougar Lane. And then we lost a few buildings in Skyhawk and along Calistoga Road. And I believe one building in the Oakmont area. Areas of concern for potential wildfire spread Monday include Calistoga Road, Oakmont and Annadel State Park. The fire has been divided into west and east zones with the Sonoma-Napa county line being the divide. Watch the press briefing here. Sept. 28, 11:15 a.m. Sonoma County issued a series of new evacuation warnings at 11 a.m. for zones East-1, East-2 and East-3 in the city of Santa Rosa. Find details and a map on the new evacuations here. "An Evacuation Warning means be ready to go. There is potential threat to life and property, prepare yourself, your animals, and your property for a potential Evacuation Order, or if you feel unsafe leave immediately," according to the county. New Evacuation Warning Areas Sept. 28, 6:30 a.m. Propelled by high winds, three separate wildfires in Napa and Sonoma counties are tearing through a parched landscape at an alarming rate and have burned through 11,000 acres, devoured dozens of homes and triggered thousands of evacuations in only a little over 24 hours, Cal Fire reported Monday morning. The Wine Country inferno began with the Glass Fire at 3:50 a.m. Sunday on the 200 block of North Fork Crystal Springs Road in Deer Park near St. Helena. Two more blazes sprung up the Shady and Boysen fires west of St. Helena near the Napa-Sonoma county line Sunday night. Cal Fire reported Monday morning the Shady Fire had merged with the Glass blaze. "We had explosive fire growth of the Glass Fire as it was able to establish a foothold on the west side of the Napa Valley and burn approximately four miles during the course of about six hours overnight to where it finally ended up this morning in the community of Oakmont and trying to push into Annadel State Park," Cal Fire Chief Ben Nicholls said in a Monday press briefing. The wine country has been scarred by terrible fires in recent years, including the 2017 Tubbs Fire that killed 22 people and destroyed more than 5,600 homes and other buildings. Numerous studies in recent years have linked bigger wildfires in America to global warming from the burning of coal, oil and gas, especially because climate change has made California much drier. A drier California means plants are more flammable. Sen. Mike McGuire (D-Healdsburg) told KSRO more resources are coming Monday morning, and Cal Fire hopes to operate air resources as soon as possible, as they need 5 miles of visibility to do a drop. Flames overnight destroyed several homes in eastern Santa Rosa's Skyhawk neighborhood including "at least a dozen homes on the stretch of Mountain Hawk between Brigadoon Way and Nighthawk Drive," according to the Press Democrat, which posted video footage on YouTube showing hot spots in Skyhawk. The blaze jumped Highway 12 into Oakmont, triggering evacuations in the senior community. Homes were destroyed and an elementary school severely damaged in Deer Park, the small community north of St. Helena. Nearby, flames engulfed the 40-year-old Chateau Boswell Winery and the Black Rock Inn on the Silverado Trail in St. Helena. Napa County Office of Emergency Services said 64 wineries sit within the evacuation or evacuation warning areas. Cal Fire hasn't released any preliminary information on the number of homes and structures burned, but said more than 8,000 structures are threatened. "Crews have reported the fire has had short-range spotting with wind driven runs," Cal Fire said in its Monday morning incident report. "A red flag waning is in effect through today for strong and gusty offshore winds, low humidity, and dry fuels. The fire has been at a dangerous rate of spread and has expanded into Sonoma County." Dozens of evacuation orders are in effect but the most recent ones include mandatory evacuations from the city of Santa Rosa for the entirety of the Northeast 2 and Northeast 3/Middle Rincon zones as the Shady Fire continues to threaten the eastern part of the city. Northeast 2 includes all areas east of Brush Creek Road, north of Montecito Boulevard, west of Calistoga Road and south of the city boundary north of Badger Road. Northeast 3/Middle Rincon includes all areas east of Mission Boulevard, north of Highway 12, south of Montecito Boulevard and west of Calistoga Road. Kenwood and some neighborhoods in the southern portion of Calistoga were also ordered to evacuate Monday morning. Deer Park and parts of Angwin including the Adventist Health Hospital in St. Helena were told to evacuate. The 80-bed hospital was evacuated only a few weeks ago during the LNU Lightning Complex. See what evacuation zone you live in here. Find a map of current evacuation zones here. There are 1,070 personnel assigned to the fires along with 133 engines, 22 water tenders, five helicopters and 35 dozers. High winds, gusting at 3o-55 mph, are hampering efforts to control the wildfires. The winds are expected to calm Monday afternoon, but hot, dry conditions remain in the weather forecast through the week. The cause of the fires is not yet known. The Associated Press contributed to this story. MORE WILDFIRE COVERAGE: Wildfire smoke returns to Bay Area as North Bay fires rage Map: See where wildfires are burning in the North Bay Nearly 200,000 Californians in the dark amid more wildfires Cannabis crop is going up in smoke amid Calif. wildfires Amy Graff is the news editor for SFGATE. Email her: agraff@sfgate.com. As of August 26th, 2021 Yahoo India will no longer be publishing content. Your Yahoo Account Mail and Search experiences will not be affected in any way and will operate as usual. We thank you for your support and readership. For more information on Yahoo India, please visit the FAQ Photos of Anzhela Kotsinian caring for her husband Ilabek Avetian in Beaumont Hospital, Dublin. Credit: Copyright Laura Lynott. A woman whose husband received life-changing injuries after a scrambler bike ran over his skull, is still fighting for a change in the law despite just being diagnosed with breast cancer. Anzhela Kotsinian is appealing to speak with Justice Minister Helen McEntee as she continues her bid to change the law on scrambler bikes while awaiting a mastectomy procedure. Last year, then Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said there would be no change to legislation after a cross-agency report recommended "targeted measures". But last week an 18-month-old boy was seriously injured in Cherry Orchard Park, Ballyfermot, when a scrambler ran into a quad bike. The incident has angered Anzhela (46) who has raised the issue of the bikes repeatedly since her husband, Ilabek Avetian (41), was brain-damaged and lost an eye in June 2018. The couple had been sunbathing in Darndale Park in north Dublin when a scrambler hit them, causing Ilabek devastating injuries and also hurting former teacher Anzhela. "My heart goes out to the little child injured," Anzhela said. "The Government failed to act to introduce a law to get scrambler bikes off our roads when Ilabek and I were hurt. Now a little child has been seriously hurt. "How can this be allowed to keep happening and still nothing is done to protect people? "My life and my husband's life was destroyed that day." After more than two years spending every day visiting her husband in different hospitals and now a Dublin nursing home, Anzhela has been dealt another blow with the diagnosis of breast cancer. But she is appealing once again to discuss scrambler bikes with the justice minister, after numerous attempts to raise the issue with the previous government failed. "I want to speak with Minister McEntee to tell her our story," Anzhela said. "I want to show her one day from our life, I want to tell her how emotional I am, that at 46, I have no husband, I don't have the child I'd dreamed of having. "Ilabek and I no longer have our health. "I worry for how long I will live, and I worry who will look after my husband if I die." Anzhela, originally from Armenia, had moved to Ireland with her husband just before that tragic day. In the last year Anzhela said she had "felt something was wrong". From April to June, she received treatment for a breast cyst but by the end of June, she felt "something big and hard in the left breast". Mastectomy Anzhela attended her GP in July and was sent for an examination at Beaumont Hospital in August. A doctor informed her she has breast cancer and a mastectomy was advised. "It was a big shock and stress," she said. "I was afraid I would die alone in Dublin. I decided to go to Russia, where my family is living." Anzhela said it was very difficult leaving Ilabek behind in a nursing home but she knew she would need family support. "I told my family. It was very horrible," she said. "They supported me. Now I feel better than I did in Ireland alone. "But I worry about Ilabek being there alone, without me. He was very sad when I left. "The doctors are saying that I will live...But I still worry about the future and Ilabek. But at this moment, I have no choice but to try to get better." President Donald Trump held a surprise event Monday debuting an all-electric pickup truck on the White House's South Lawn manufactured in Lordstown, Ohio - an important swing state. 'We've been working on this very long and very hard because General Motors left the plant,' Trump explained as he showed off the 2021 Endurance. 'But they went in, and they have an incredible vehicle.' The Endurance was built by Lordstown Motors, a company that took over the old Lordstown GM plant, with some financial help from GM, to build a truck that has an electric motor on each of the wheels - technology that marveled the president. President Donald Trump held a surprise event Monday on the South Lawn showing off the new Endurance, an all-electric pickup truck manufactured in the former General Motors plant in Lordstown, Ohio President Donald Trump (left) speaks about the truck's technology alongside Lordtown Motors CEO Steve Burns (right) at the White House Monday The president's event was held in advance of Tuesday night's first presidential debate, which is also taking place in Ohio President Trump (right) takes a look at the 2021 Endurance, produced by Lordstown Motors in Ohio 'And this is the only one that does this in the world, and it has a lot of advantages,' Trump said. Steve Burns, the CEO of Lordstown Motors, explained that the design enabled the truck to have 'true four-wheel drive,' but it also freed up space in the front. 'Yeah, so it's the first pickup truck with a trunk. It's in the front,' he told reporters gathered on the South Lawn. 'So you call it a "frunk," but you have to pronounce it carefully, right?' he joked. The truck event wasn't originally on the president's schedule for Monday, as he gears up to debate Democratic nominee Joe Biden for the first time Tuesday night in Cleveland, Ohio. Ohio is basically a must-win state for the president and has only gotten competitive in the last few months, as Biden has been several points ahead in September polls. In 2016, Trump won the state easily over Democrat Hillary Clinton, beating her by 8 points. In 2012 and 2008, President Barack Obama won Ohio over GOP nominees Mitt Romney and John McCain, respectively. Trump has long played up trying to keep American manufacturing jobs stateside so it was a blow when GM announced that it would no longer make Chevy Cruzes at the Lordstown plant in November 2018. 'Well, the area was devastated when General Motors moved out, and then we worked together, and we made the deal on the plant,' Trump said. 'But beyond the plant - I mean, it's incredible what's happened to the area. It's booming now. It's absolutely booming and really great,' he added. $1,000 Fine for Connecticut Official for Visiting Son in Oklahoma Prior to Deployment A Connecticut selectwoman said in a statement that she and her husband face a $1,000 fine for violating the states COVID-19 travel restrictions after visiting their son in Oklahoma ahead of his first military deployment. Amy St. Onge (R), first selectwoman of Thompson, said in a post on Facebook that, on Labor Day, she and her husband traveled to visit their son, who was training at the Air Force base in Altus, Oklahoma. After they returned to Connecticut, they received a notification that they had broken state rules relating to travel during the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus outbreak. We will be fined $1,000 for not filling out the travel documents, quarantining or having a COVID-19 test, her Facebook post read. According to Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamonts executive order (pdf), anyone who enters the state must complete a travel health form, self-quarantine for 14 days, and submit to a COVID-19 test, with local officials being exempt from the requirement to self-isolate if they traveled to an affected state for official business. The requirement to self-isolate includes any state, local, and federal officials and employees traveling in their official capacities on government business. If such worker was in an Affected State or an Affected Country for a reason other than work (e.g., vacation), such worker shall be required to self-quarantine. Lamonts order imposes a fine of $500 per violation for instances of refusing or failing to submit a travel health form or for not completing one truthfully, or for refusing or failing to self-quarantine. St. Onge wrote in her post that, first and foremost this was not a pleasure vacation. It was a trip to visit my son who is set to deploy overseas, and added that she was not aware that Oklahoma was on the list of restricted states. I know ignorance is no excuse, she wrote, adding that I am willing to pay the fine. I would accept a fine of 5 million dollars if it meant I could hug my son prior to his deployment. She told the Daily Caller that she believes the fine for not filling out travel documents, which require disclosure of a range of personal information, is unfair. These are travel advisories, these are suggestions on how you can stay safe. I dont believe it fits the entire population, she told the publication. I dont think its the governments business to know what Im doing, or where Im going. If we allow the government to do this, to violate our personal rights this way, whats going to happen next? Whats the next thing theyre going to do? I think the deeper issue is that the state shouldnt have the right to tell you to quarantine. I dont think they have the right to tell us we need to go get a COVID-19 test, she told the Daily Caller. Its a violation of my body, and it should be my own choice to make decisions based on my own God-given common sense. St. Onge told WTNH News that, while she should have checked whether Oklahoma was on Connecticuts travel advisory list, she believes the restrictions are an example of government overreach. I knew that I probably should have checked for the list, she said. I feel very strongly that government is overstepping. I think theyre doing things that are unconstitutional. As of Sept. 22, there were 35 states on Connecticuts travel advisory list. The criteria for selecting Affected States are ones with a positive case rate higher than 10 per 100,000 residents, or higher than a 10 percent positivity rate, according to a seven-day rolling average. Joe Bidens campaign said President Trumps demand on Sunday for the former vice president to be tested for drug use before their first debate on Tuesday was made in urine. Vice President Biden intends to deliver his debate answers in words, Bidens deputy campaign manager, Kate Bedingfield, said. If the president thinks his best case is made in urine he can have at it. Wed expect nothing less from Donald Trump, who pissed away the chance to protect the lives of 200K Americans when he didn't make a plan to stop COVID-19. The statement from the campaign was released after Biden himself was asked about Trumps drug test comments. President Trump (left) called for his Democratic opponent, Joe Biden (right), to be tested for performance-enhancing drugs before Tuesday's debate, prompting the Biden campaign to say that the demand was 'made in urine' Trump on Sunday tweeted his demand that Biden take a drug test before the first presidential debate on Tuesday The Democratic nominee chuckled momentarily and started answering the question. Hes almost Biden said during an appearance in Wilmington, Delaware, on Sunday before catching himself. No, I have no comment, the former vice president said. Trump again pressured debate organizers on Sunday to administer a drug test before the first face-off with Biden as the Democratic nominee continues to surge in polls just two days ahead of the event. Trump insisted that the Democratic nominee could only perform well at the debate if he takes narcotics. 'I will be strongly demanding a Drug Test of Sleepy Joe Biden prior to, or after, the Debate on Tuesday night,' the president tweeted Sunday morning. 'Naturally, I will agree to take one also,' Trump continued. 'His Debate performances have been record setting UNEVEN, to put it mildly. Only drugs could have caused this discrepancy???' Trump and Biden will participate in three in-person debates ahead of the November election the first, moderated by Fox News' Chris Wallace, is taking place Tuesday in Cleveland, Ohio. A new ABC News/Washington Post poll released Sunday shows Biden with a 10-point lead against Trump. The 54 per cent to 44 per cent margin matches the last poll taken in mid-August. When considering voters who say they will cast their ballot for a libertarian or Green Party candidate, Biden's lead slips to a 6 per cent margin of 49 per cent to 43 per cent. When it comes to both enthusiasm for his candidacy and the economy, however, Trump dominates. Trump leads Biden by 20 per cent among likely voters who say they have 'strong enthusiasm' for their preferred candidate. Fifty-nine per cent of those polled who do not support Trump say his reelection would be a 'crisis' for the country. On the other hand-, 50 per cent of those not backing Biden say his election would cause a crisis in the U.S. The economy, one of the six issues that will be discussed during Tuesday's debate, is in Trump's favor. Last month only 31 per cent of Americans said the U.S. economy was in good shape, compared to the 40 per cent who say it's in good shape now in the poll taken September 21-24. One in four voters say the economy is their top issue in the 2020 election and of those voters a whopping 62 per cent favor Trump to Biden. At the debate Tuesday Trump and Biden will also be asked to discuss their government records, the Supreme Court, the coronavirus pandemic, race and violence and election integrity. Although Trump has conceded Biden may perform better at the debates due to his near-debate of experience in Washington, he also claims the 'low energy' candidate could only do well if medicated. Trump said last month of Biden's previous debate performances against then-primary competitor Bernie Sanders: 'Nobody thought that he was even going to win. Because his debate performances were so bad. Frankly, his best performance was against Bernie.' Trump made the comments during an interview with the Washington Examiner. 'We're going to call for a drug test, by the way, because his best performance was against Bernie,' Trump continued. He added: 'It wasn't that he was Winston Churchill because he wasn't, but it was a normal, boring debate. You know, nothing amazing happened. And we are going to call for a drug test because there's no way you can't do that.' Biden participated in 11 debates during the primary season, as plans for the 12th debate were never finalized in the midst of the evolving coronavirus pandemic. This is not the first time Trump has accused his competitors of being on drugs. After the second presidential debate in October 2016, he claimed that Hillary Clinton did better because she had taken drugs. 'I think we should take a drug test prior to the debate. We should take a drug test prior because I don't know what's going on with her,' Trump said at the time and no drug tests were administered during those debates. Trump's two other debates against Biden will take place October 15 in Miami, Florida and October 22 in Nashville, Tennessee. They will be moderated by C-SPAN's Steve Scully and NBC's Kristen Welker, respectively. KYIV. Sept 28 (Interfax-Ukraine) The Democratic Axe (Demokratychna Sokyra) political party is filing a lawsuit due to the fact that Kyiv City Territorial Election Commission did not allow it to participate in the elections to Kyiv City Council, the co-founder of the Democratic Axe party, number one on the party's electoral list in Kyiv city council Yuri Hudymenko Democratic Axe. "Now in fact, we have our hands untied. And with our hands untied, we will do exactly what we do best, namely fight. We are going to court. The decision will be made by the District Administrative Court of Kyiv, the same one that we tried and we are still trying to disband. It is headed by judge Vovk, whom we tried to prosecute for corruption. In this battle we will win, I have no doubt about that, because all the solutions that we found in similar cases in the last local elections, were adopted in favor of the parties, and not in favor of their withdrawal," Hudymenko said at a press conference at Interfax-Ukraine on Monday. He said that the party was not allowed to participate in elections under the pretext of paying deposit from an improper legal entity. "Two days ago, in the evening, Kyiv City Territorial Election Commission withdrew the Democratic Axe party from the elections to Kyiv City Council on the fourth attempt. As of now, we are the only party that was not allowed to participate in the elections in Kyiv. The reason, under which we were not allowed, is ridiculous and absurd. This reason lies in the fact that we have paid the deposit from an improper legal entity," Hudymenko said. He also said that he considers this decision political. "In my personal opinion, this decision is exclusively political. Kyiv is the center of our activity. You all know that the Democratic Axe party is one of the participants in the Movement of Resistance to Capitulation, the most active participant in street protests, one of the key street players in general. Our activity here is great, all our forces are here, we are the strongest here, here we have been working for two and a half years. During this time we have gained not only ratings, but also a reputation. This is what is under threat now," the party representative said. By Ayya Lmahamad Export of cargoes from the Iranian railway station Astara to Azerbaijan has increased more than twice, local media has reported. Some 104,220 tons of products were exported to Azerbaijan through the Astara railway terminal in 2020, which is by 109 percent more than during the same period of 2019. Thus, despite the pandemic, import and export operations between Iran and Azerbaijan continue. It should be noted that chemicals, household appliances and construction materials prevailed among goods exported from Iran to Azerbaijan. Earlier it was reported that Iran was in the top three counties among the Persian Gulf with which Azerbaijan conducted the most trade operations. Thus, Azerbaijans foreign trade turnover with neighboring Iran amounted to $204.2 million during the period of January-August 2020. Iran was followed by the United Arab Emirates with trade turnover amounted to $26 million and with Saudi Arabia with $8.3 million. Additionally, Iran was in the top three countries among the Persian Gulf, in terms of Azerbaijans import. Thus, import from Iran amounted to $181.6 million. Followed by the United Arab Emirates with $18.7 million and from Saudi Arabia with $7.1 million. Azerbaijans foreign trade turnover amounted to $16.5 billion during the period of January-August 2020. The value of export amounted to $9.8 billion or 59.6 percent of the total turnover, while the value of import amounted to $6.6 billion or 40.4 percent. Thus, foreign trade turnover resulted in surplus of $3.1 billion. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz Actor Brenton Thwaites and his long-time partner Chloe Pacey recently welcomed their third child together. And on Friday, the former Home and Away hunk enjoyed a low-key outing with his growing family in Sydney's Bondi Beach. The couple were seen chatting to friends after dining at local hot-spot Bill's, before they made their way to Gelato Messina for dessert. EXCLUSIVE: Australian actor Brenton Thwaites and partner Chloe Pacey were spotted enjoy a low-key ice-cream date in Sydney on Friday after welcoming their third child together Fun in the sun: The former Home and Away hunk was spotted enjoying a low-key outing as he stepped out with his growing family in Bondi, Sydney. Pictured with partner Chloe (center) and daughters Birdie, four, (front right) and Peppa, two (left) At one point, Brenton was seen carrying his oldest daughter Birdie, four, as the clan made their way back to the car. The 31-year-old Brisbane-based actor looked world's away from his days in Summer Bay as he sported facial hair and long locks. Brenton was dressed for comfort in a black T-shirt, khaki-coloured trousers, a blue hat and black thongs. New look: The Aussie actor looked world's away from his days in Summer Bay as he sported facial hair and long locks. Meanwhile, Chloe, 30, looked chic in a floral print short sleeve dress Yummy! The family-of-four were seen chatting to friends after dining at local hot-spot Bill's before heading next door for dessert Meanwhile, Chloe, 30, looked chic in a floral print short sleeve dress. She appeared to have gone makeup free for the occasion, and kept her brunette tresses tied back behind her hair. Chloe was seen cradling her newborn, who was fast asleep in her carrier. Tasty! The family of four were seen enjoying ice-cream for dessert following a visit to Gelato Messina Daddy duties! At one point, Brenton was seen carrying his oldest daughter Birdie, four, as the clan made their way back to the car The couple are yet to announce the gender and name of their third bundle of joy. Brenton and Chloe share daughters Bridie, four and Peppa, two. The couple made their first public appearance together in November 2015 at the Sydney premiere of In the Heart of the Sea, with Chloe proudly showing off her growing baby bump. North Korea accused South Korea of sending ships across the disputed sea boundary to find the body of a man recently killed by North Korean troops, warning the alleged intrusion could escalate tensions. South Korea said earlier that North Korea sent a message including a rare apology by leader Kim Jong Un over the shooting death last week of a South Korean government official found on a floating object in North Korean waters. Officials in Seoul say the 47-year-old was likely attempting to defect to North Korea but little else is known about his motives. We urge the South side to immediately halt the intrusion across the military demarcation line in the West Sea that may lead to escalation of tensions We urge the South side to immediately halt the intrusion across the military demarcation line in the West Sea that may lead to escalation of tensions, the official Korean Central News Agency said. It arouses our due vigilance as it may lead to another awful incident. It confirmed North Korea notified South Korea about its account of the incident on Friday. But it did not say whether the notification included Mr Kims apology. South Korea denied the Norths accusation. About 40 coast guard, navy and other ships and six aircraft continued searching waters south of the boundary on Sunday in case the mans body drifts back, according to the coast guard. It said it has been searching for the past two days. The poorly marked boundary is a source of animosities between the rival Koreas. They have fought at least three bloody naval skirmishes since 1999 and attacks blamed on North Korea killed 50 South Koreans there in 2010. According to Fridays North Korean message publicised by Seoul, North Korean troops shot the man because he refused to answer questions and attempted to flee. It also said the troops burned his floating object in line with strict anti-coronavirus rules, after failing to find his body. A South Korean marine boat patrols near Yeonpyeong island, South Korea (Baek Seung-ryul/Yonhap via AP) South Korea said on Saturday it would request North Korea to launch an additional investigation. Mr Kims apology was seen as an attempt to soothe anti-North sentiment in South Korea that could make it him difficult for him to win concessions in any negotiations. Mr Kim is currently struggling to overcome worsening economic woes caused by US-led sanctions over his nuclear program and the pandemic that forced his country to close its border with China, its biggest trading partner. While Mr Kims apology could help reduce the risk of escalation of tensions between the rivals, conservatives in South Korea have launched a political offensive on liberal President Moon Jae-in for failing to prevent the mans death. Deputy Communications of the NPP, Mame Yaa Abogye has charged her party faithfuls to go the extra mile to cement victory for the Akufo-Addo administration during the December 7 general elections. Mame Yaa is optimistic President Akufo-Addo will win the elections by a landslide victory. Speaking after the launch of the NPP Ashanti Regional Campaign team in Kumasi, she said ''I am confident of a resounding victory in the December 7 election. All I am asking is a little push coupled with hard work and focused for another massive victory due to the outstanding performance of the NPP government''. She further admonished the women groups in the party to mobilize, empower and sensitize the grass roots about the achievements of the incumbent government. We are not leaving any stone unturned. We are consolidating our gains and protecting our progress for election 2020 and beyond, she stated. Source: Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Obuobia Darko-Opoku on Monday declared her unwavering support for the National Democratic Congress (NDC) parliamentary candidate for Weija-Gbawe constituency ahead of the 2020 general elections. Ms. Darko-Opoku made the declaration when she donated 14 motorbikes, 10,000 posters of the parliamentary candidate as well as 20 megaphones to the partys constituency office. Addressing members of the party during a short ceremony to present the items, she said the donation will help in the effective prosecution of the NDCs campaign strategies with the singular focus of delivering Ghanaians from the bad leadership of President Akufo-Addo and the New Patriotic Party. Following the emergence of Cleland Nii Ayaa Ayison as the NDCs Parliamentary candidate for the constituency, some executives and party organizers were not happy with his candidature. In her address, therefore, the former broadcaster did not mince words when she called for unity in the party ahead of the polls on December 7. Our candidate is only one and if you love Obuobia then you must love the candidacy of Cleland Nii Ayaa Ayison. Therefore, together we should step out on December 7 and vote massively for John Dramani Mahama and Cleland Nii Ayaa Ayison, she declared. She further noted while speaking to the media that it was important to make it clear to them its constitutional if you go through primaries and win and the candidate here is constitutionally elected. So, we all must throw our weight behind him and help him to win the constituency. So, this is my personal donation to the constituency to make it clear to them that although I am not contesting, they need to know that I am part of the constituency and I shall lead this campaign, she added. Ms. Darko-Opoku said she found the rejection of Nii Ayison worrying thus, the need to step in to unite the party in the constituency for the task ahead. So, its important for me to show up and let them know that my interest is to win the seat with the elected candidate. On his part, Nii Ayison thanked Ms. Darko-Opoku for her unflinching support, saying with unity the Weija-Gbawe seat will be delivered to the NDC. Source: Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video What just happened? Another Chinese tech firm is feeling the consequences of US-China tensions. After taking aim at Huawei, TikTok owner ByteDance, and Tencent, among others, the US government has now placed sanctions on China's largest chipmaker, Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation (SMIC). The US Department of Commerce has sent a letter to US companies informing them that, as is the case with Huawei, they will now require licenses before exporting certain products to SMIC. The agency wrote that exports "may pose an unacceptable risk of diversion to a military end use in the People's Republic of China." SMIC is the backbone of China's plan to become technologically self-sufficient, thereby reducing its reliance on American firms for the hardware and software used in its public institutions. The country's government hopes SMIC will play a major role in its "Made in China 2025" initiative, in which 70 percent of the semiconductors used by the country are homegrown by 2025. Back in June, the SMIC delisted from the New York Stock exchange to make a public offering on Shanghai's STAR Market, raising $7.6 billion. Having already been affected by the Huawei sanctions, SMIC warned in its IPO prospectus that the US government could tighten the screws even further. SMIC uses US equipment and software in its manufacturing process. As noted by the Financial Times, the sanctions could end up hitting Qualcomm, which is thought to be SMIC's second-largest company after Huawei. It also counts Broadcom among its clients. SMIC says it has not been notified of the sanctions by the US government, adding it "has no relationship with the Chinese military, and does not manufacture for any military end users or end uses." Each Best Pick company has been thoroughly reviewed via an unparalleled, independent certification process . Inclusion in the guide is by invitation alone, and that invitation is extended only if a company has met strict qualifying criteria. Companies are not able to buy space in the guide or pay for a good rating they are individually evaluated based on hundreds of customer interviews, must achieve an "A" rating and must have all licenses and insurance verified and up to date. After spending a significant amount of time at home over the past several months, many homeowners may be thinking about home improvement projects they are ready to get started on whether adding a home office, updating family spaces, adding a fresh coat of paint, or washing windows. In fact, recent research from National Association of Realtors shows that 67% of homeowners are either contemplating a remodeling project or have already spent money on one. Best Pick Reports includes recommended contractors in many different specialties, including electrical work, plumbing, heating/air conditioning, and painting. Homeowners in the Seattle and Tacoma metro areas will receive their Best Pick Reports guide via U.S. mail, or they can access the directory online anytime. Best Pick Reports' referral guide stands behind the work of the professionals it lists with in the guide with the Best Pick Guarantee, reimbursing homeowners up to $2,500 if the work performed is not satisfactory. For more information about Best Pick Reports, please visit www.bestpickreports.com. About Best Pick Reports: Since 1997, the Best Pick Reports team has utilized consumer satisfaction research to evaluate and document the performance of home service providers in dozens of service categories, such as Plumbing, Roofing, and Pest Control. The initial idea behind Best Pick Reports was simple: go straight to the sourcehomeownersand gather invaluable data on company performance in a variety of categories. What began as a door-to-door review aggregation service is now backed by a robust database of over one million unbiased reviews, covering more than 40 different home service categories and spanning across nine major metropolitan areas: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Philadelphia, Seattle, South Florida, and Washington DC Metro. SOURCE Best Pick Reports, LLC Related Links http://www.bestpickreports.com Student musicians and vocalists at the University of North Georgia (UNG) will perform their regularly scheduled program this fall with a few adjustments. Concerts and recitals featuring students and even a few professionals will be online. Most concerts will be prerecorded and broadcast through UNG's YouTube Channel. A select few will be livestreamed. "We are trying to proceed as much as normal given the circumstances of the current health crisis and still give the students the opportunity to perform as if we were still face to face with a live audience," said Dr. Benjamin Schoening, professor and head of the Department of Music at UNG. Currently, the university is encouraging social distancing to keep 6 feet away from others. Event capacities will be limited to the new room capacity limits that allow for proper social distancing. Current Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines are groups should be no larger than 50 people. In-person groups and meetings are also limited to 10 or fewer people who must practice social distancing. Students, faculty and staff are also required to wear masks inside all buildings and facilities. Based on these rules, a performance with a live audience in the Gloria Shott Performance Hall in the Nix Fine Arts Center is not possible. The music department is filming the recitals and concerts from this location on UNG's Dahlonega Campus. A venue for the Gainesville Campus has yet to be determined. "We are recording them like a live event," Schoening said. "When students get on stage, it is just like a live concert. We want our students to maintain that same intensity in their performance even though a live audience won't be there." Schoening explained the concerts will be prerecorded to avoid technical issues. All recordings will occur about two weeks before the air date. At least one student concert will keep its program live. The annual musical theater performance will be livestreamed with a few prerecorded segments interlaced in it. "It will be a novel performance," Schoening said. Another novel sight this fall will be the size of the choirs and bands. Due to social distancing and group gathering guidelines, all of the UNG bands and choirs have been downsized to smaller ensembles. This enables students to rehearse while social distancing and wearing masks. "With this new configuration, we are performing as chamber ensembles," Schoening said. "This is actually good for the students, as we have more limited opportunities for chamber music under normal circumstances. This fall, we will." Another change in the typical programming will be the timing. While all concerts will keep their 7:30 p.m. time slot, student general recitals have moved. Recitals will be released at 7:30 p.m. Sunday nights instead of noon Wednesdays and Fridays. "This will make these recitals more accessible to the students' friends and family and the general public," Schoening said. UNG students, faculty, and staff as well as the general public can access the recitals by clicking on links on the music department's webpage. For a complete list of concerts and recitals, visit the music department's webpage and click on upcoming events. Mathura: RLD chief Ajit Singh had a narrow escape as his helicopter tilted when a temporary helipad made of bricks gave away while the chopper was taking off in Mant area here. The former aviation minister had on Monday addressed an election programme at Brij Aadarsh Inter College in support of RLD candidate from Mant Assembly constituency, Yogesh Nauhwar, police said. After the programme, when the RLD leader's chopper was taking off the temporary helipad gave away and it tilted but the pilot immediately took the helicopter up, avoiding any mishap, they said. Additional Superintendent of Police (Rural) Arun Kumar Singh said temporary helipads may slump in the ground due to the weight of helicopters and that happened in Mant also. He said the administration makes arrangement for helipad if anyone demand for it. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Industry Update Appointment 28 September 2020 Mohamed Elsayed Appointed EAM At Hotel Indigo Dubai Downtown, United Arab Emirates With almost two decades of hospitality experience under his belt, Mohamed Elsayed has been chosen for the post of executive assistant manager. He has been climbing IHG's career ladder for close to eight years, starting out as a front office manager at Crowne Plaza Abu Dhabi before moving up to director operations, task force EAM and EAM across the region. IHG Hotels & Resorts IHG Hotels & Resorts [LON:IHG, NYSE:IHG (ADRs)] is a global hospitality company, with a purpose to provide True Hospitality for Good. With a family of 17 hotel brands and IHG Rewards, one of the worlds largest hotel loyalty programmes, IHG has over 6,000 open hotels in more than 100 countries, and a further 1,800 in the development pipeline. more information Recent Appointments at IHG Deanna Oppenheimer - Non-Executive Director and Chair Designate 18 January 2022 Deanna Oppenheimer is Non-Executive Chair of Hargreaves Lansdown plc and sits on the Board of Thomson Reuters Corporation. She previously served as a Non-Executive Director of Whitbread PLC and Chair of their Remuneration Committee. read more Oscar Cardenas Diaz - Cluster Executive Chef 12 January 2022 Yas Plaza Hotels has brought in a new cluster executive chef to head up culinary operations for two of its hotels. Oscar Cardenas Diaz now spearheads the restaurants at Crowne Plaza Yas Island and Staybridge Suites Yas Island. read more BAKU, Azerbaijan, Sept.28 By Leman Zeynalova Trend: I strongly condemn Armenian aggression against Azerbaijan which is a clear violation of international law and resolutions of United Nations Security Council, Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Countries 2004-2014, Member of the Nizami Ganjavi International Center, told Trend. I call on the international community to stand by the righteous party, show solidarity and express sympathy with the victims of this aggression. Hereby, I wish Gods mercy upon Azerbaijani martyrs who lost their lives, wish a speedy recovery to the wounded and convey my condolences to the brotherly Azerbaijan people, he said. The Armenian armed forces committed a large-scale provocation, subjecting the positions of the Azerbaijani army to intensive shelling from large-caliber weapons, mortars, and artillery installations of various calibers in the front-line zone on Sept. 27 at 06:00 (GMT+4). The command of the Azerbaijani Army decided to launch a counter-offensive operation of Azerbaijani troops along the entire front to suppress the combat activity of the Armenian armed forces and ensure the safety of the civilian population. Azerbaijani Defense Minister, Colonel-General Zakir Hasanov said Sept. 27, 2020 that Garakhanbeyli, Garvend, Kend Horadiz, Yukhari Abdulrahmanli villages of Fizuli district, Boyuk Marjanli, and Nuzgar villages of Jabrayil district were liberated. Moreover, the positions of the Armenian armed forces were destroyed in the direction of the Agdere district and Murovdag, important heights were taken under control. The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on the withdrawal of its armed forces from Nagorno Karabakh and the surrounding districts. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @Lyaman_Zeyn Namita Bajpai By Express News Service LUCKNOW: With the pandemic cloud hovering over Dussehra festivities in the state, the Yogi Adityanath government has hinted about putting restrictions on the installation of puja pandals during the Durga Puja celebrations in the state, while the proposed star-studded Ram Leela at Lakshman Qila on the banks of the river Saryu in Ayodhya will be staged sans audience. As per highly placed sources, the state government is contemplating orders to restrict installation of idols of Goddess Durga and other deities in the pandals during the upcoming puja festival. The convention could be broken this year with the spread of COVID-19 still going strong in the state. Government authorities claimed that since no such celebration including Ram Leela and puja pandal would be allowed at public places and on roads, people will have to limit the festivities to the confines of their homes due to the pandemic. Meanwhile, the star-studded Ram Leela show will be staged in Ayodhya without an audience. Instead, it would be available virtually and aired live on all social media platforms including Facebook and YouTube. For the first time, the proposed Ram Leela to be performed in the temple town will be aired in Urdu along with 13 other regional languages between October 17 and 25. Sources close to Meri Maa Foundation, the organiser of the Ram Leela, said the broadcast in Urdu would be a historic moment. The star cast includes BJP MP from North-East Delhi Manoj Tiwari, who will play the role of Angad, Gorakhpur MP and Bhojpuri actor Ravi Kishen will be Bharat, Vindu Dara Singh will play Lord Hanuman, actor Raza Murad will portray Ahiravan and Asrani will appear as Narad Muni. The most important character of Ravana would be essayed by actor Shahbaz Khan and Rakesh Bedi will play Vibhishan, said sources. The Ram Leela will be organised in collaboration with the tourism and cultural department of the Uttar Pradesh government. While the preparations for the grand show are going on in the temple town, the Ayodhya district administration has also given its nod to the Ram Leela but in strict compliance with the COVID-19 protocol. Besides, a mammoth LED screen will be installed above the stage to showcase the performances. Well arrange state-of-the-art light and sound system so that dialogues are clear during the broadcast. The special attraction of the event will be Ramraj, a 30-minute programme on Ayodhyas history and also places which Lord Ram visited during the exile, said one of the organisers. In a secret Feb. 9 meeting, 25 US governors were told by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Robert Redfield, The coronavirus outbreak is going to get much, much worse before it gets better, even as those same governors publicly downplayed the pandemic. The report of the meeting was detailed in Bob Woodwards recently published book, Rage. Woodward made headlines earlier this month when he published transcripts of Trump admitting that he sought to downplay the pandemic in the eyes of the public. But no attention has been given in the media to the growing evidence, including in Woodwards book, that Trumps cover-up involved not just the White House, but both houses of Congress and a wide range of government officials. Panelists facing the governors at the NGA meeting on February 9 Woodward says the briefing included National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIH) Director Dr. Anthony Fauci, Redfield and other members of the Coronavirus Task Force who all took their seats at a table in a large conference room in Washington that was attended by over 25 state governors. The coronavirus outbreak is going to get much, much worse before it gets better, Redfield warned. We have not even seen the beginning of the worst, Redfield said, letting his words sink in. There is no reason to believe that whats happening in China is not going to happen here, he said. There were nearly 40,000 cases in China then, with more than 800 deaths, barely five weeks after announcing the first cases. I agree completely, Fauci told the governors. This is very serious business. You need to be prepared for problems in your cities and your states. Fauci could see the alarm on the governors faces. I think we scared the shit out of them, Fauci said after the meeting. Although the author of Rage does not name the other officials on the panel, a Health and Human Services (HHS) press releasewhich reports the briefing without mentioning Redfields warningsays that they were Acting Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security Ken Cuccinelli, HHS Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response Robert Kadlec and CDC Deputy Director for Infectious Diseases Jay Butler. While there is no published list of state governors in attendance at this special sessionthe agenda for the three-day conference at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center and Marriott Marquis hotel does not include the coronavirus briefinga partial list can be assembled from those speaking on the second day of the NGA winter meeting. The NGA attendees listed as speakers on Feb. 9 were New York Democratic Governor Andrew Cuomo, Maine Democratic Governor Janet Mills, North Dakota Republican Governor Doug Burgum, California Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom, Arkansas Republican Governor Asa Hutchinson, Iowa Republican Governor Kim Reynolds, Arizona Republican Governor Doug Ducey, Kansas Democratic Governor Laura Kelly, Montana Democratic Governor Steve Bullock and Colorado Democratic Governor Jared Polis. Panelists at the February 9 coronavirus presentation to the NGA Not one of the governors among the group of more than 25 who sat through the presentation in Washington D.C. on Feb. 9 reported to news media or to the public that Redfield and Fauci told them, we have not seen the beginning of the worst and that there is no reason to believe that whats happening in China is not going to happen here. Instead, the NGA meeting was followed by a campaign of silence, misinformation and lies spearheaded by the White House and President Trump. On Feb. 9, there were a total of 12 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the US and the primary concern of the entire ruling establishment was not the dangerous and deadly threat to public health posed by the pandemic but making sure that the truth about it did not get out. Additionally, the corporate mediawhich has focused exclusively on Woodwards interview with President Trumphas not reported on this revelation of bipartisan cooperation with the White House in hiding from the public what the top public health experts were saying in the earliest days of the pandemic, information that could have saved tens or hundreds of thousands of lives. As Woodward points out in Rage, The official press release from the Department of Health and Human Services describing the [NGA] meeting read: The panel reiterated that while this is a serious public health matter, the risk to the American public remains low at this time, and that the federal government will continue working in close coordination with state and local governments to keep it that way. It is now established fact that the complicity of the governors in this conspiracy enabled President Trump to lie to the public about the coronavirus with impunity in the ensuing critical days. Within 30 days, the number of cases in the US rose to 1,263 with 28 deaths, and within 60 days, the number of cases in the US was at 500,000 with 16,690 deaths. As Woodward explains, The next day, President Trump said publicly three timesonce at the White House, once on TV and once at a New Hampshire rallythat the virus would go away on its own. When it gets a little warmer, it miraculously goes away, he said at the packed rally. I think its going to work out good. We only have 11 cases and theyre all getting better. These facts substantiate the September 10 assessment made by the World Socialist Web Site about Woodwards book, that President Trumps plot against the people of America and the world was aided and abetted by accomplices in the Democratic and Republican parties and the corporate media. Swami Agnivesh, a revered longtime campaigner against child labor and indentured servitude in India, died on Sept. 11 in New Delhi. He was 80. His death, in a hospital, was confirmed by an associate, Zayauddin Jawed, who said the cause was multiple organ failure. A pacifist Hindu monk who renounced worldly possessions and relations at a young age, Mr. Agnivesh led a decades-long crusade against village moneylenders, landlords and brick kiln owners who forced landless, debt-ridden farmers into bonded labor, or indentured servitude. In 1981 he founded the Bandhua Mukti Morcha, or the Bonded Labour Liberation Front, which he headed until his death. From 1994 to 2004, he was chairman of the United Nations Voluntary Trust Fund on Contemporary Forms of Slavery. The Road to 270 is a weekly column leading up to the presidential election. Each installment is dedicated to understanding one states political landscape and how that might influence which party will win its electoral votes in 2020. Well do these roughly in order of expected competitiveness, moving toward the most intensely contested battlegrounds as election day nears. The Road to 270 will be published every Monday. The column is written by Drew Savicki, a 270toWin elections and politics contributor. Contact Drew via email or on Twitter @DrewSav. Long one of the great American bellwether states, the Buckeye state lurched rightward in 2016 thanks to an exodus among non-college educated whites from the Democratic Party. Long a bastion of Democrats, blue collar Eastern Ohio swung sharply rightward. Donald Trump's focus on manufacturing played well with voters in towns decimated by outsourcing. Congressional politics Like in Wisconsin, Ohio Democrats face two problems in gaining a foothold in the state's congressional delegation: redistricting and the state's rightward drift. Even though both states are competitive overall, no congressional districts in either state have changed hands since the current lines were drawn in advance of the 2012 elections. That will largely continue in 2020. Of the state's 16 congressional districts but only one of them is considered highly competitive. Ohios 1st District, in the southwestern corner of the state, takes in much of Cincinnati, but was drawn to include heavily-GOP Warren County. For Republicans, this gerrymander has held up well -- but there are some signs it may be breaking. Republican Rep. Steve Chabot was first elected in 1994, when he defeated then freshman Democratic incumbent Rep. David Mann. At the time, OH-1 was entirely within Cincinnatis Hamilton County. Chabot would win three terms under those congressional districts with 53-54% of the vote; when the lines were redrawn after 2000, he was given a safe seat. Still, the anti-Bush Democratic wave hit hard in Ohio in 2006: Chabot held on just 52-48% that year. With Barack Obama atop the ticket in 2008, he lost 52-48% to State Rep. Steven Driehaus (D). Chabot made a successful comeback in 2010 and would easily win reelection until 2018. That year, he narrowly defeated a scandal-plagued Democrat by just four points. Democrats have vowed not to make that same mistake this year. The party has a highly credible candidate in Healthcare executive Kate Schroeder. All three major forecasters rate this race as a 'Toss-up, so Chabot is in real trouble. Although Sabatos Crystal Ball rates Ohios 12th District as Likely Republican, it is a district worth watching. The core of the district is suburban Delaware County, and it takes in a handful of more rural counties. The district is very similar to Indianas 5th district, which is considered a toss-up. This is the district former Gov. John Kasich (R) represented for many years -- and his endorsement of Biden could make things interesting here. Rep. Troy Balderson (R) is clearly favored and it is a reach target, but these are the kinds of areas where Democrats have been making inroads. Democrats hold only four of the state's congressional districts. One of them may have been on the competitive radar this year had Trump's approval ratings been higher. Rep. Tim Ryan has represented Youngstown in Congress since 2003, when he succeeded the eccentric Jim Traficant (D). When this district was drawn, Republicans thought they packed every Democratic voter they could find. This blue-collar district gave Barack Obama 62% of the vote in 2008 and the Mahoning Valley had long been a stronghold of the Democratic Party. After years of losing manufacturing plants to China, many of the district's voters warmed to Trump's anti free trade message and cultural conservatism. Hillary Clinton won it by just seven points in 2016, down considerably from Obama's 27-point win in 2012. Though Tim Ryan's margins have slipped over the years, OH-13 is still rated as 'Safe Democratic' this cycle. Backed by the ultra conservative House Freedom Caucus, the Republican nominee is former State Rep. Christina Hagan who unsuccessfully ran for the 16th District in 2018. Although she is endorsed by President Trump, Hagan has no actual connection to the 13th District or even the 16th. Republicans argue that Ryan's brief presidential bid hurt him with voters in the district but there aren't signs that's been the case. Furthermore, President Trump's call for boycotting Goodyear is likely to fall flat in this district, where their Akron factory is a major employer. This district isn't a serious GOP target but if Ryan's margin does slip again, his political future will look rather uncertain. His biggest problem is likely to be redistricting: Ohio is expected to lose a district and that means OH-13 will have to expand to take in redder turf. Depending on what district looks like, Ryan might be in for a real race come 2022. Ohios two Senators dont agree on much but are known for their strong working relationship. The Buckeye States senior Senator is the populist progressive Sherrod Brown. Despite Ohios rightward shift, Brown remains a solid fit for the state. As evidenced by Trumps convincing win here in 2016, there is clearly an audience for populism. Brown has been a longtime opponent of free trade, dating back to his time in the House when he opposed NAFTA. After Hillary Clintons loss in 2016, Brown was mentioned as a possible presidential candidate. As a Democratic Senator from an Obama/Trump state, Brown had exactly the kind of appeal with blue collar voters that Hillary Clinton lacked. Had Democrats won the governorship in 2018, its hard not to see Brown actually running. Brown has had a long career in Ohio politics, from his time in the legislature to his two terms as Secretary of State, followed by seven terms in the U.S. House, and now three terms in the Senate. Brown was first elected to the Senate in 2006 when he defeated Sen. Mike DeWine (R). With President Bushs popularity on the wane that year and the unpopularity of the Iraq War, Brown won the election by 12 points. In 2012, with Obama on the ballot, he faced a strong challenge from then State Treasurer Josh Mandel (R). Brown was among Republicans most targeted Senators up that cycle but he turned back Mandel by six points. By 2018, Brown was again a top GOP target, particularly since Ohio went so strongly for Trump in 2016. Mandel initially sought a rematch but dropped out abruptly, citing his wifes health. Mandels departure from the race prompted Rep. Jim Renacci (R), who was initially running in a crowded gubernatorial primary, to drop out of that race and switch to the Senate contest. Despite support from President Trump, Renacci never really gained steam against Brown. Brown will be up again for reelection in 2024, and hes likely to face a tough race as that will be a presidential year. Ohios junior Senator is the bookish Rob Portman. A wonkier Republican, Portman is deeply ingrained in the party establishment. He worked in the administration of President George Bush before he ran for Congress in a 1993 special election. Portman resigned his House seat in 2005 to join the administration of President George W. Bush as U.S. Trade Representative and later became Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). Portman resigned from the administration in 2007 to become a lobbyist. When Sen. George Voinovich (R) announced his retirement in 2009, Portman announced his campaign for the seat. Portman cleared the field in the primary and handily won the open seat with 58% of the vote. At the beginning of the 2016 cycle, Portman was thought to face a competitive race but ultimately cruised to reelection. His opponent was former Gov. Ted Strickland (D) who served as Governor for one term from 2007-2011. Though Strickland initially looked like a favorite -- perhaps due to better name recognition -- Portman ran a smart campaign, and by the summer, began to pull away. Portman far outpaced Trump, winning a second term 58%-37%, and he even carried Tim Ryans OH-13. Pre-Trump, Rob Portman had often been mentioned as a possible presidential candidate but that now seems unlikely. His low-key style is a poor fit for todays Republican Party and it seems likely hell be able to remain in the Senate for as long as he wishes. State level politics Gov. Mike DeWine (R) is an institution in Ohio politics: hes held elected office almost continuously since the 1970s. He has served at all levels of government in Ohio, from local to federal. After he lost his Senate seat in 2006, he staged a successful comeback in 2010, and was elected state Attorney General. Eight years later, he launched a campaign for governor, and won. As the states chief executive, DeWine has governed as a conservative, but establishment-style Republican. In the era of COVID, DeWine has found significant trouble on his right flank. Many of President Trumps diehard supporters are deeply skeptical of government and many of DeWines actions, particularly in regard to his statewide mask order, have been unpopular with them. At a recent Trump rally, Lt. Governor Jon Husted was booed by the crowd as he urged attendees to wear masks. Some Republican legislators have accused DeWine of breaking the law with his orders and some even want him impeached. Then-Secretary of State Jon Husted initially ran for Governor in 2018 before dropping out and agreeing to join the ticket as DeWines running mate. His political future is the subject of much discussion. As the nations oldest serving governor, there is considerable speculation about whether DeWine will seek a second term. An ambitious politician in his own right, it seems unlikely that Husted would have joined the ticket had he not been promised the opportunity to run for Governor again. Regardless, either DeWine or Husted are likely to face a challenge from the partys right flank in 2022. Democrats have struggled to break through at the state level in Ohio. Democrats thought they had their ideal candidate in 2018 in former state Attorney General Rich Cordray, who served in the Obama administration as Director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). His running mate was Rep. Betty Sutton, who defeated the rather eccentric Congressman Dennis Kucinich in a 2012 redistricting contest. Known for his appearances on Jeopardy, Cordray is a wonky politician but his years in DC kept him away from Ohio for too long. By the time he ran for governor, the state had simply changed too much. With its bench depleted over the years, Ohio Democrats lack a frontrunner for the 2022 gubernatorial race. Rep. Tim Ryan has occasionally flirted with a statewide bid but given the rightward trend of his congressional district, that seems rather unlikely at this point. In 2018, Ohio voters approved an intriguing redistricting amendment that establishes a bipartisan redistricting process. It doesnt create an independent commission, rather any map created by the legislature requires some buy-in from the minority party, and limits to the extent which counties can be split. Presidential politics and 2020 outlook Ohio Polls >> As Sabatos Crystal Ball editor Kyle Kondik outlined in his 2016 book, Ohio has a reputation as a presidential bellwether state -- but, going forward, the Buckeye States dramatic shift towards Trump prompted considerable debate about that status. Though Hillary Clinton won the nationwide popular vote by 2% in 2016, Donald Trump carried Ohio by eight points. The Democratic margins fell throughout the state but the drop-off was particularly stark in eastern Ohio, which is in Appalachia. Like in West Virginia, coal mining was once dominant in this region and the Democratic Partys embrace of environmentalism pushed those once reliably Democratic voters into the Republican Party. Based on polling from other states in the Midwest, there seems to be a clear distinction between these voters and other non-college educated whites in the north. Joe Biden is polling better in Michigan and Wisconsin than Ohio and Pennsylvania -- perhaps this is because the former two states have been comparatively less reliant on mining. Essentially this can be boiled down to what we can call the manufacturing vote vs the mining vote. Not all areas in Appalachia were dependent on coal mining, but those that were used to be very Democratic. Those areas - with a long history of labor unions - did not become GOP-friendly until the 2010's. The key for Biden winning Ohio is to win back Obama/Trump voters in the rest of the state. Outside of the Appalachian eastern part of the state, these voters may be movable. Biden has considerable room to grow across the state, particularly in the Columbus suburbs. For Trump, its not clear he can squeeze out more votes in Appalachia or make a serious play for flipping Mahoning County (which houses the economically ailing Youngstown). A few other areas Biden really needs to gain some votes in are the Dayton area and the traditionally Republican northwest. Parts of rural northwestern Ohio swung towards Sherrod Brown from 2012 to 2018 so it seems like these areas have votes to gain for Democrats. Until recently, Ohio was not seriously considered a top state for Biden campaign to invest in. But polling has tightened, and Biden is even leading in some surveys. If Biden were to win Ohio, Trump would have essentially no path to the presidency. As John Kasich would often point out during his 2016 run for president, no Republican has ever won the White House without it. On the other hand, if Biden wins the presidency in a clear national vote and cant carry Ohio, it would be evidence that the state has truly moved off the playing board. Next Week: Arizona Tentative Schedule: Georgia (10/12), Florida (10/19), Iowa (10/26), North Carolina (11/2). Dates subject to change. We use the model powering the 2020 presidential election simulator to determine the following week's state. Specifically, we will look at the 'Battleground 270' results of 25,000 simulations run late Sunday afternoon. Of the states remaining, the next to be covered will be that with the highest likelihood of a Trump or Biden win as of that date. View the current state-by-state probabilities in the table at the bottom of the Battleground 270 page. Narendra Modi New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday paid tributes to revolutionary freedom fighter Bhagat Singh on his birth anniversary, saying his valour will inspire people for ages. Singh was born on this day in Punjab in 1907. His defiance of the British rule from a very young age, his revolutionary acts to target the empire and his hanging when he was only 23 have made him one of the more notable heroes of the Indian Independence movement. Advertisement Narendra Modi tweet"Tributes to the immortal martyr Bhagat Singh on his birth anniversary. His saga of bravery and valour will inspire the countrymen for ages," the prime minister tweeted. He also attached a clip of his 'Mann Ki Baat' broadcast made on Sunday in which he had paid rich tributes to Singh. The Hindustan Shipyard Limited (HSL), a Govt. of India undertaking under the Ministry of Defence, has called for online applications from eligible and interested Indian nationals, who are Graduates/Diploma holders in Mechanical, Electrical/EEE, Civil, CSE/IT, Electronics and Communication Engineering for filling Forty (40) vacancies to the post of Graduate and Diploma Apprentices through direct recruitment on a fulltime basis with a monthly stipend as per the Govt. of India and Apprenticeship norms to be posted at Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh, India. The registration-cum-application applications process towards the same started on September 26, 2020 and closes on October 1, 2020 on NATS portal. CRITERIA DETAILS Name Of The Posts Graduate and Diploma Apprentices Organisation Hindustan Shipyard Limited (HSL) Educational Qualification Degree/Diploma in Mechanical, Electrical/EEE, Civil, CSE/IT, Electronics and Communication Engineering disciplines Experience Freshers can apply Job Responsibilities null Skills Required Desirable Job Location Visakhapatnam Salary Scale As per the Govt. of India norms Industry Shipyard/Defence Application Start Date September 26, 2020 Application End Date October 1, 2020 HSL Recruitment 2020: Age Criteria And Fees Candidates interested in applying for Apprentices posts through HSL Recruitment 2020 must meet the age criteria as per the Apprenticeship Rules, with relaxation (upper age limit) for reserved categories as per the HSL and Apprenticeship norms as specified in the HSL Notification. For details regarding application fee, if any, refer to the HSL Notification given at the end of the article. TCS Begins National Qualifier Test (NQT) Registration To Help Corporates Hire Freshers. Apply Here HSL Recruitment 2020: HSL Vacancy HSL Recruitment 2020: Education And Eligibility Desirous candidates applying for Apprentices posts through HSL Recruitment 2020 must possess a Degree/Diploma in Mechanical, Electrical/EEE, Civil, CSE/IT, Electronics and Communication Engineering disciplines from a recognised University/Institution as detailed in the HSL Notification. HSL Recruitment 2020: Selection And Pay Scale The selection of candidates for Apprentices posts through HSL Recruitment 2020 will be done based on merit and HSL norms as notified in the HSL Notification. The final rank list would be prepared according to categories General/SC/ST/OBC/ after conducting Certificate Verification comprising of ADT BoAT (SR), and officials from Hindustan Shipyard Limited, Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh. Candidates selected for Apprentices posts through HSL Recruitment 2020 will be paid emolument as per the Govt. of India norms. CSL Recruitment 2020 For 577 Workmen Posts, Apply Online Before October 10 HSL Recruitment 2020: How To Apply Candidates applying for Apprentices posts through HSL Recruitment 2020 must register online on the official MHRD NATS portal, and submit their applications on or before October 1, 2020. Download HSL Recruitment 2020 PDF Notification for Graduate and Diploma Apprentices JP Nadda picked a new BJP team comprising 12 vice-presidents, eight general secretaries, three joint secretaries, and 13 secretaries on September 26, nearly eight months after he replaced Amit Shah as the partys national president. The new team has approximately 60 percent new faces with representation from poll-bound states of Bihar, West Bengal and Kerala in key roles, clearly indicating a focus on the upcoming assembly polls. What is even more significant in the rejig is that it left out names of senior leaders, including Ram Madhav and P Muralidhar Rao, triggering speculation that these leaders might be accommodated in Prime Minister Narendra Modis Cabinet in the soon-to-happen reshuffle or in the BJPs Parliamentary Board - the partys highest decision-making body. Madhav looked after Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh and the northeast. Muralidhar Rao worked in the south, helping the party's expansion along with BL Santosh who is general secretary. Former Chhattisgarh chief minister (CM) Raman Singh, former CM of Rajasthan Vasundhara Raje, former CM of Jharkhand Raghubar Das, and party spokesperson Baijayant Jay Panda have been appointed as the new national vice-presidents of the party. The other new vice-presidents include Mukul Roy, who switched from All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) in West Bengal, and AP Abdullakutty, the leader from Kerala who joined the BJP from the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) recently. Both West Bengal and Kerala are going to the polls next year. Roys appointment did not go down well with the BJP leadership in West Bengal. Rahul Sinha, who was dropped as general secretary, posted a video to express his disappointment. For 40 years I have served the BJP as a soldier. I have to step aside because a Trinamool Congress leader is coming - there can be nothing more unfortunate than this reward for serving the BJP since birth," Sinha said in the video posted on Twitter. Sinha was replaced as general secretary by Anupam Hazra, also a former AITC leader, like Roy. There are reports of friction in Kerala too over the appointment of AP Abdullakutty as national vice-president. Here too, sources said, the complaint from local BJP leaders is that the outsiders were being promoted while ignoring those who have been working for the party for long. Experts said the new team hinted towards both, long-term and short-term goals of the party. There is a representation from West Bengal which is going to polls next year and where the party has had expansion in recent times. Then there is a representation from Kerala which is also going to polls next year, but has absolutely no BJP presence. I see both short- and long-term goals in the reshuffle, Sanjay Kumar of the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies (CSDS) told Moneycontrol. The new team has 11 leaders from Uttar Pradesh which is going to polls in 2022, perhaps a long-term target. Former finance minister of the state Rajesh Agarwal has been made treasurer of the party, while MP Rekha Verma is among 12 vice-presidents. The list of eight general secretaries, a crucial position in the party as they serve as the link between the state and the central leadership, has five new faces - Dushyant Kumar Gautam, Daggubati Purandeswari, CT Ravi, Tarun Chugh and Dilip Saikia Bhupender Yadav, Arun Singh and Kailash Vijayvargiya have been retained. I am confident they will uphold the glorious tradition of our party of serving the people of India selflessly and with dedication. May they work hard to empower the poor and marginalised, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in his congratulatory message to the new team on Twitter. Among other significant decisions, Amit Malviya continues as the IT cell head of the party. BJP MP Subramanian Swamy, who had called the BJP IT cell rogue, had been demanding his removal. A day after the rejig, Swamy dragged the Prime Ministers Office (PMO) into his ongoing row with Malviya. Now that Malviya has been re-appointed, I have this to say: My earlier tweet was to test whether Malviya financed fake ID tweets on his own or not. Now it is clear. PMO Haren Joshi (sic) was behind it. I have written to the PM two weeks or so ago bringing this to his notice with documents, Swamy said in one of the tweets on September 27. Tejasvi Surya, firebrand MP of the party from Karnataka, has been made president of the youth wing replacing Poonam Mahajan. Anil Baluni, also an MP, has retained his post as media head while being elevated as the chief spokesperson of the BJP. The party has also expanded its list of spokespersons to 23. It is only possible in the BJP that young talent is promoted rather than kept on the waiting list like other parties do, Surya, 29, told reporters in New Delhi on September 27. Party leaders said the new team had representation from across the country. There is a leader from each region of the country, said a BJP leader who did not want to be named. Senior leaders Uma Bharati, Om Mathur, Anil Jain, Saroj Pandey.Vinay Sahastrabhuddhe, Shyam Jaju and Avinash Rai Khanna could not make it to the new team. Bharti had recently defended NCP chief Sharad Pawar when she said his statement was against Lord Ram and not against PM Modi. Pawar had said that some people think Coronavirus can be eradicated by building a temple. A Catholic priest, Jude Onyebadi, has been kidnapped by gunmen in Delta state. PREMIUM TIMES learnt that the reverend father was kidnapped on Saturday in Aniocha North Local Government Area of the state. He is the parish priest of Saints Peter & Paul Catholic Church, Issele-Azagba, a neighbouring community to Asaba, the state capital. This is the second time the priest has been kidnapped by gunmen. It was gathered that the cleric was abducted at his farm on the Isele-Uku/Issele-Mkpetime Road on Saturday. He was said to have gone to inspect his farm and pay the staff their salary when the gunmen trailed him to the area and whisked him away. They also reportedly kidnapped three of the farmworkers alongside the cleric. However, the three workers were reported to have been released at about 11pm on Saturday. The communication director, Catholic Diocese of Issele Uku, Charles Uganwan, confirmed the development. He said the matter has been reported to the security agencies and that members of the church have embarked on prayers for his release. Mr Uganwan pleaded with the kidnappers, who may not know that he is a priest, to release him unconditionally. He said the kidnappers had not made any contact or demanded ransom from them. Mr Onyebadi was first kidnapped on the same farm in 2018 but was later released few days after the abduction. His abduction in 2018 led to protest by Catholic priests in the Isele-Uku Catholic Diocese. The police spokesperson in the state, Onome Onovwakpoyeya, confirmed the abduction of the catholic cleric. She said the command had already deployed officers to the area with a view to rescuing him. The police have been dispatched to the bush to rescue the Catholic Priest, she said. Abuja The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Campaign Council for Ondo State governorship election yesterday asked the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who is the state Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, to speak out on the alleged diversion of billions of naira COVID-19 intervention funds received by the state. Specifically, the PDP is asking the governor to account for the over $10 million received from foreign donors as palliative for the COVID-19 and other funds for the payment of 15 months unpaid health workers salaries. The PDP said the demand is predicated on alleged diversion of COVID-19 palliative funds by certain officials of the Akeredolu-led administration. According to a statement issued by the National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Kola Ologbondiyan, "This is especially given the conflicting denials by members of the state COVID-19 response team over the whereabouts of over N700 million intervention fund." The PDP campaign described as indicting, that Akeredolu, on whose shoulders the burden of the wellbeing of the people lies, had failed to speak out on the alleged fraud. The spokesman of the main opposition party said: "Indeed any clean, transparent and upright administration that had not soiled its hand and which has the interest of the people at heart would have ordered an open investigation, secured and channeled the resources to the wellbeing of the people. "Given its penchant for condoning corruption and wicked embezzlement of public funds, the APC administration in Ondo State had remained less forthcoming, while officials continue with conflicting denials and endless buck passing." Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Coronavirus Nigeria By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. The PDP campaign charged Akeredolu not to wait till after the election to end the corruption in his administration by ordering an open investigation into the N700 million as well as the truth or otherwise in the allegations in the public space, that the state received $10 million from foreign donors. According to the party, "This is in addition to the circumstances surrounding the failure of the state to pay certain health workers in the past 15 months, despite their participation in the fight against COVID-19 in the state. "We challenge Akeredolu to within three days, set up an independent inquiry into these allegations if his administration has no skeleton in its cupboard." Furthermore, it said the PDP campaign team challenged the governor to account for the proceeds of various levies and taxes collected by his administration, using numerous platforms to fleece the poor masses, including market women, transporters, artisans, small business owners among others in the state. According to the party, "It is therefore not surprising that the Ondo people abandoned Akeredolu and pitched their tent with our candidate, Eyitayo Jegede (SAN), in their collective quest to end the misrule which the Akeredolu administration represents, and no amount of blackmail, threats and violence by the APC will deter the Ondo people in this resolve." California adopts bills allowing males in female prisons, fund for hormones and trans surgery grants Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed two new transgender bills, including one that allows biological males who identify as female to be placed in women's prisons, and another that establishes a fund using state revenue for gender-transition drugs and surgeries. Newsom signed a law Saturday that requires the Golden state to let inmates who identify as transgender, nonbinary, or intersex be housed on the basis of "gender identity" instead of biological sex. The phrase "gender identity" has been used in public policy to describe a transgender-identifying person's internal feelings about their sex but is not informed by chromosomes. The California Department of Correction and Rehabilitation is not prohibited from denying an inmate's request to be placed in an opposite-sex facility solely because of anatomy, sexual orientation or "a factor present" among the other inmates at the facility. Critics say female inmates are an already vulnerable population and the presence of males in their spaces, regardless of how they identify, is a violation of their privacy and safety. "Allowing men to identify into being incarcerated with women, and this is unlikely to be used by women to get into mens prisons, constitutes a depraved indifference to the safety and dignity of women held in custody by the State of California," said Natasha Chart, board chair of the Women's Liberation Front, in an email to The Christian Post Monday. "This would count as a violation of womens rights under the Geneva Conventions for prisoners of war, and is likely being used to divert attention from the states failure to prevent torture and other interpersonal violence in mens prisons." She added: "The state should do better to make mens prisons safe for all men, not pass laws to allow some at-risk men to stay with the women in lower-security facilities. Critically, a man being targeted for violence by other men doesnt make that man safe company for women. Consider that sex offenders are especially despised in mens prisons, and would be highly motivated to take advantage of this law. But theyre the last men who ought to be allowed to do so, and there isnt even a recognition of this context anywhere in the bill." Newsom also signed AB 2218, a measure that was tabled and then revived earlier this year. It establishes a Transgender Wellness and Equity Fund that provides grants to organizations that assist in housing needs and therapeutic programs, as well as facilitate medicalized gender treatments such as hormones and surgeries for both minors and adults. When the bill was first introduced by Assemblyman Miguel Santiago, D-Los Angeles, residents pushed back and urged legislators not to support any bill that would sterilize minors. Santiago dismissed the concerns as "fear-mongering." Later, informed consent documents from the transgender center at LA Children's Hospital that were obtained through FOIA requests showed that the experimental hormone treatments do indeed irreversibly damage the fertility of young people. While Newsom hailed the bills as steps "toward equality," the California Family Council, a group that actively opposed the transgender funding measure, decried the latest move. "By rejecting the concerns of doctors and parents and siding with LGBT activists, Governor Newsom yet again ignoring the heartbreak his policies will unleash, said Jonathan Keller, president of CFC, in a statement emailed to CP Monday. AB 2218 opens the door to drugs and surgeries causing irreversible damage, risking life-long sterility for young people. Sadly, the Governor failed in his God-given responsibility to protect the people he was elected to serve. In November, Nairobi will be a city with a new look, with several new bus termini connecting transport routes to the city, BRT buses and light trains, which will help ease traffic congestion. Not a single matatu will be allowed into the city centre. The city will also have 24 new hospitals in slums, including Mama Lucy Kibaki Hospital, which will be upgraded to a level five referral facility. This vision, according to Major-General Mohamed Badi, Director-General of Nairobi Metropolitan Services (NMS), will be realised. Major-General Badi was appointed to rectify the misdeeds of Governor Mike Sonko and Nairobi's former leaders. "I saw a lot of suffering in the city especially in informal settlements. It's my duty to deliver. I am not looking for votes. I have taken this as a national duty," the Major-General said in an interview broadcast by NTV. The interview in which Mr Badi described how leaders let down the city received condemnation from Governor Sonko. "Do your work as President Uhuru Kenyatta advised you. I never failed anywhere. This was a partnership programme for Nairobians to continue enjoying service delivery as I deal with my court cases. This is not a military takeover," the city boss said. Political interference The NMS boss says that at times politicians interfere with the agency's work. "When politicians see you serving common citizens, they think that you are cutting down their influence. I have no [problem] with Governor Sonko. I am doing this job on his behalf," he said. While acknowledging challenges in fixing a rotten city, Major-General Badi said he has dedicated all his time to working for the people of Nairobi. "I was sworn-in in the afternoon and started working that night. I work on all days of the week, from 7am, and I get home past 9pm. Within the first 200 days in office, we have managed to achieve over 100 per cent of what we intended to," he said. Plans actualising The NMS boss clarified that cross-cutting issues, such as those relating to finance and administration, were solved following the recent court ruling which stated that the NMS was constitutionally created. "There was a judgement for me to take over all the four functions after the court ruling. I am now focused on my work. When it is done, the common citizen will not care whether it was done by a member of the disciplined forces or a civilian," he said. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Kenya Governance By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. Major-General Badi said he is actualising plans that have existed on paper for several years. "I inherited the plans which had never been implemented," he said, adding that in the plan to have an extra 24 hospitals in the city, NMS is constructing 19 new facilities. "We will have 18 new ICU beds at Mama Lucy hospital and 10 at Mbagathi. The 24 facilities will create at least 400 jobs in the medical profession," he said. Water shortages The official added that NMS bought 22 water browsers for use in the supply of water in the city as they seek long term solutions for persistent water shortages. "Together with the Water ministry, we have dug 193 boreholes. Once complete, the Northern Corridor water project will help lessen the burden in the city," he said, noting that although there is enough water, the supporting infrastructure was ineffective. As part of the city makeover, the new bus termini will have facilities such as eateries and washrooms and the Nairobi Railway Station will be renamed Railway City. Using new radar data from ESAs Mars Express spacecraft, researchers have detected three reservoirs of liquid water trapped below the south polar cap of the Red Planet. In 2018, the Mars Express orbiter found evidence of liquid water under the ice in Ultimi Scopuli, a region near the south pole of Mars. To establish the extent of subglacial water in this region, Dr. Elena Pettinelli from the Universita degli studi Roma Tre and colleagues analyzed new data gathered by the Mars Advanced Radar for Subsurface and Ionosphere Sounding (MARSIS) instrument onboard Mars Express. Mars was once warmer and wetter with water flowing across the surface, much like early Earth, the researchers said. While it is not possible for water to remain stable on the surface today, the new result opens the possibility that an entire system of ancient lakes might exist underground, perhaps millions or even billions of years old. They would be ideal locations to search for evidence of life on Mars, albeit very difficult to reach. Subglacial lakes are also known on Earth, like Lake Vostok in Antarctica, they added. They harbor unique ecosystems, providing useful analogies for astrobiologists exploring how life can survive in extreme environments. Using techniques similar to those used in investigations of subglacial lakes in Antarctica, Canada and Greenland, Dr. Pettinelli and co-authors detected three new subglacial water bodies. The largest reservoir measures about 20 x 30 km (12.4 x 18.6 miles), and is surrounded by several smaller bodies. The water is thought to be very salty in order for it to remain liquid at cold temperatures. Our results strengthen the claim of the detection of a liquid water body at Ultimi Scopuli and indicate the presence of other wet areas nearby, the scientists said. We suggest that the waters are hypersaline perchlorate brines, known to form at Martian polar regions and thought to survive for an extended period of time on a geological scale at below-eutectic temperatures. The study was published in the journal Nature Astronomy. _____ S.E. Lauro et al. Multiple subglacial water bodies below the south pole of Mars unveiled by new MARSIS data. Nat Astron, published online September 28, 2020; doi: 10.1038/s41550-020-1200-6 The Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, on Friday September 25, 2020, cut the sod for the construction of a 10-kilometer Berekum town roads. The 10 kilometres road is part of several roads in the country being funded under Phase One of government's Synohydro infrastructure for bauxite agreement, and it adds to ongoing construction and rehabilitation of Berekum town roads by the Akufo-Addo government. The sod-cutting ceremony was met with excitement by the Chiefs and people of Berekum at a durbar, and they expressed their gratitude to the Akufo-Addo government for prioritising their deteriorated roads, which had been been neglected over the years. Addressing the Chiefs and the people of Berekum, Dr. Bawumia said the Berekum project is further proof of the immense benefits the Synohydro agreement, which was opposed by the NDC, has brought to the people of Ghana. "When we passed the Sinohydro agreement, they (NDC) said it was 419. They even wrote to the International Monetary Fund to stop it." "Today, we are cutting the sod for Berekum town roads, which will add to what we have already started here." "This is not the only project under the Synohydro agreement. Accra and Kumasi inner city roads are being done, the Tamale Interchange project, the PTC roundabout interchange in Takoradi, the Adenta-Dodowa dual carriage way, the Western and Cape Coast inner city roads, upgrading of feeder roads in Western and Ashanti, Akim Oda-Ofoase-Ayirebi road, Hohoe Jasikan-Dodo Pepeso road, etc." "The NDC tried to stop all these because anything we propose which will bring benefits to the people of Ghana, they oppose it." Dr. Bawumia assured the Chiefs and people of Berekum of the Akufo-Addo government's commitment to their welfare, adding that the rehabilitation of their roads and other projects prove that. The Omanhehene of Berekum, who led Chiefs and Queenmothers to the grand durbar, said the sod cutting for the Synohydro project adds to the ongoing road rehabilitation in Berekum, and it gives him much joy. "As we speak, contractors have started working on the asphalting of some of our roads. I am extremely happy that today, the Vice President is here in Berekum to cut the sod for this Synohydro road project," said the Omanhene of Berekum. "On behalf of the people of Berekum, I thank you very much." Nana Dr. Amankra Diawuo added that the rehabilitation of town roads in Berekum marked the fulfillment of a request he made to Vice President Bawumia during a visit. "The Vice President paid a visit to Berekum and I made a request to him on behalf of my people. I told him about the bad nature of our town roads, and he assured me that he would take my issue up when he gets back to Accra." "Truly he took it up because some months after he left, we heard in the media that the government has listed a number of towns to benefit from road projects and Berekum was part of it." "We have been looking forward to it and recently, we reminded President Akufo-Addo about it and he also assured us that our roads will be done as soon as possible." "We all know the great things the NPP government is doing for the people of Ghana. We want to urge the government to keep doing good things to help us and the people of Ghana." The Berlin -Sofoakyre road, Kyirebaa road, Patasie road in Berekum are among the roads to be constructed by Sinohydro in Berekum. Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video (Newser) Two weeks shy of a year after abruptly quitting Fox News Channel with a declaration that "truth will always matter," Shepard Smith returns to television this week at his unexpected new home. He begins a general interest nightly newscast Wednesday at 7pm on the financial network CNBC, putting him back in the time slot he loved before Fox moved him to the afternoon seven years ago, per the AP. The 56-year-old newsman, a Fox News original who joined that network when it launched in 1996, says he's relishing the fresh start. "We're going to come out and do just the news," he says. "We're not planning to do any analysis in our news hour. We're going to have journalists, reporters, sound and video. We're going to have newsmakers and experts ... but no pundits. We're going to leave the opinion to others. It's exactly what I've been wanting to do. It's what I've been working at for 30 years." story continues below Smith's 3pm Fox newscast stood out at a network where opinion is king, and sometimes he challenged statements made by the network's prime-time hosts. After his departure from Fox, Smith said he enjoyed some downtime, with a couple of vacations. He also took meetings with plenty of media suitors. With CNN, MSNBC, and the broadcast networks all courting Smith, CNBC was considered an underdog, at best. But every few years, when Smith approached the end of a contract, CNBC Chair Mark Hoffman would check in with Smith's agent, Larry Kramer. In a nearly empty Manhattan restaurant just before the COVID shutdown, the three men met. Smith says he heard great ideas from other networks, but that "this one fit better." He'll work out of a new studio that's been built for him at CNBC's New Jersey headquarters. "It's not an easy thing to start from scratch," Smith says. But "it was fun creating [a general newscast] in 1996, and it's fun creating [it] in 2020." (Read more Shepard Smith stories.) Farm laws: Protests in many states by Congress and other Oppn parties; Leaders say ready to move SC India pti-Madhuri Adnal New Delhi, Sep 28: Stepping up pressure, the Congress along with other opposition parties and farmers' organisations held demonstrations against the new farm laws across the country on Monday, with some protesters torching a tractor at the India Gate in the heart of Lutyens' Delhi. Farmers in Punjab continued their 'rail roko' agitation for the fifth consecutive day and announced that the protest against the three farm bills will be extended till October 2. Paddy worth Rs 10.53 cr procured in last 48 hrs; MSP buying begins in all states: Govt The protesters under the banner of Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee have been squatting on rail tracks since September 24 at Jalandhar, Amritsar, Tanda, Mukerian and Ferozepur. The Congress invoked Bhagat Singh, whose birth anniversary was being celebrated today, during the protests, and Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh took part in a sit-in at the ancestral village of the freedom fighter. The chief minister said his government would approach the Supreme Court over the farm laws and warned that Pakistan's ISI could exploit the anger over the new legislations to foment trouble in the border state. Protests were also held in Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Telangana, Gujarat, Goa, Odisha and Tamil Nadu, where the DMK and its allies, including the Congress, hit the streets. DMK chief M K Stalin said his party was ready to challenge the new laws in court. Kerala was readying to approach the Supreme Court against the laws and Tamil Nadu government should follow suit and if this does not happen, "we (DMK) as an opposition party are ready to go to court on behalf of farmers and the people," Stalin said, while addressing protesters in Kancheepuram district. Farm Bills Protest: Tractor set on fire at India Gate Congress MP from Thrissur, Kerala, T N Prathapan moved the Supreme Court on Monday challenging the constitutional validity of various provisions of the Farmers' (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020, one of the three contentious farm laws notified by the government. MDMK chief Vaiko, Tamil Nadu Congress Committee president K S Alagiri, DMK leaders T R Baalu and Dayanidhi Maran were among those who took part in the protests held at separate locations. Demonstrations were held in Chennai, Coimbatore, Madurai, Tiruchirappalli and Tirunelveli among other places across the state. Five people claiming to be members of the Punjab Youth Congress were detained after they unloaded a tractor from a truck in the high-security area at Rajpath, a few hundred metres from the President House and the Parliament, in the national capital and set it on fire at around 7 AM. "On #BhagatSingh's birth anniversary Youth Congress set ablaze a tractor in protest against the govt's anti farmer bills," the Indian Youth Congress tweeted. The BJP lashed out at the Congress over the incident, saying it has "shamed" the country with its "drama" aimed at garnering publicity and "misleading" farmers. BJP general secretary Bhupender Yadav dubbed the Congress as "anti-farmers", saying farmers venerate their farm equipment and will not set tractors on fire. Nearly 100 Gujarat Congress workers, including state party president Amit Chavda and MLAs Baldevji Thakor and C J Chavda, were detained in Gandhinagar during protests. In Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee (UPCC) president Ajay Kumar Lallu and other party workers were held during the protest. Hundreds of Congress workers marched in Kolkata carrying haystacks on their shoulders and submitted a memorandum to West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar, urging him to "intervene and ensure" that the laws were immediately repealed. The party said similar protests were carried in other states by PCC Presidents, MLAs, MPs, and party office bearers and leaders who marched to the residence of the governors. Punjab to move SC against farm laws; CM Amarinder holds sit-in The Opposition led by the Congress has alleged that the laws will make the farmers vulnerable to exploitation and will lead to the scrapping of the Minimum Support Price (MSP) system. They are also critical of the manner in which these bills were passed in Parliament. The Centre has maintained that the laws would beneficial to the farmers as they would have the freedom to choose the buyers for their produce and get remunerative price. Also, it has stressed that the MSP system will stay. Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar said the Congress has been trying to do politics in the name of farmers, and it has been unmasked. Chief Minister Amarinder Singh said he would fight the Centre's malicious new agriculture Acts constitutionally and legally, asserting that he will do whatever it takes to protect the farmers. "I have said we will take this matter forward. The President has passed these bills and now we will take this matter to the Supreme Court," Singh said after paying tributes to Bhagat Singh on his 113th birth anniversary at his ancestral place Khatkar Kalan in SBS Nagar district. "There has been peace in Punjab but when you try to take away someone's food, then won't he be angry. He becomes the target for ISI. That is why I am saying whatever they have done is anti-national, he later told reporters. He said "with the unrest among the farmers spreading to other states, the entire nation would be exposed to the ISI threat". The AICC general secretary in charge of Punjab affairs, Harish Rawat, announced a signature campaign beginning October 2 to collect two crore signatures of farmers against the new farm laws and these will be submitted to the President of India on November 14. In Lucknow, police stopped members of the Pragatisheel Samajwadi Partys students wing as they tried to march towards the chief minister's residence. Haryana Congress held a protest outside the party's state headquarters in Chandigarh, alleging the laws will make farmers "dependent" and leave them at the mercy of big corporates. A delegation comprising Haryana Congress chief Kumari Selja, former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, party's state affairs incharge Vivek Bansal, other senior leaders submitted a memorandum to Governor Satyadeo Narain Arya which was addressed to the President. Telangana Congress leaders and the new AICC in-charge for party affairs in Telangana Manickam Tagore were taken into custody when they tried to proceed to the Raj Bhavan from an adjacent government guest house. They were released by police later. Karnataka bandh over farm bills evokes good response; Congress, JDS workers detained President Ram Nath Kovind has given assent to the three farm bills -- The Farmers'' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020, The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020 and The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill, 2020. Meanwhile, farmer organisations backed by a number of other social and political outfits on Monday staged protests across Karnataka against amendments to the Karnataka Land Reforms Act and the Agricultural Produce Marketing Committee Act passed by the Karnataka Assembly. The call for a bandh given by the Karnataka Raitha Sangha (Karnataka Farmers' Association) and other farmer organisations was supported by the Congress, JD(S), Karnataka Rakshana Vedike (KRV) and the Left parties. To counter the oppositions campaign against farm laws enacted by the central government, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is planning an outreach to farmers that will include door-to-door Atmanirbhar Kisan (Self-Reliance Farmers) campaigns in rural India, public rallies, press conferences and social media broadcasts. The initiative is aimed at what the BJP thinks is opposition propaganda based on false and absurd notions of the Narendra Modi governments agricultural reforms, which it says will liberalise farm trade, enable farmers to earn more remunerative prices by selling their produce anywhere and benefit consumers by excluding middlemen. In a letter to party MPs and top leaders, a copy of which has been seen by HT, BJPs national general secretary Arun Singh said the historic farm laws passed by Parliament had freed farmers from the clutches of middlemen. Singh said that these reforms, along with earlier measures like soil health cards, crop insurance and increases in the Minimum Support Price (MSP) would all help in doubling the income of farmers. Also read| Farm bills: Protesters set tractor on fire near India Gate, five arrested The opposition parties are spreading false and absurd rumours about it in their ulterior political motive, Singh said in the letter. Singh added that MSPs, government procurement and Agricultural Produce Market Committees (APMCs) will continue to exist while farmers gain wider market access. On the directions of party chief J P Nadda and in a bid to dispel the concerns of farmers, the BJP has planned the mass awareness programme on the new legislation, which will be implemented in line with health protocols imposed to curb the spread of the coronavirus disease, the letter said. Among the activities planned are: door-to-door contact in the villages, public rallies in rural areas, seminars in every district, discussions with farming communities and agricultural bodies and also press conferences. The party is also likely to encourage people to write appreciation or felicitation letters to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar for introducing the legislations. In addition, the BJP has also decided to take on its adversaries on social media turf. Also read| Oppn creating row over issues not in the laws: Gajendra Shekhawat The party has asked all its state leaders as well as its Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha MPs to chalk out programmes in the next two weeks as part of the campaign. The three bills - the Farmers Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020, the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Service Bill, 2020, and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill, 2020 - have become acts after President Ram Nath Kovind signed them into law. Farmers, especially in Punjab and Haryana, have been protesting against the legislation, which the government says will enable them to sell their produce in any market of their choice rather than limit them to government-run mandis called APMCs. The protestors say the Centres farm reforms could pave the way for the dismantling of the MSP system, leaving them at the mercy of big companies. Also read: Punjab set to move Supreme Court on farm laws as stir intensifies The legislation seeks to give farmers the right to enter into a contract with agribusiness firms, processors, wholesalers, exporters and large retailers for the sale of future farming produce at pre-agreed prices. The amendment to the Essential Commodities Act will remove commodities like cereals, pulses, oilseeds, onion and potato from the list of essential items and do away with the imposition of stock holding limits. Eminent political scientist Nilanjan Sircar said On one level, it [outreach] is extraordinary, given the advantages BJP has, they feel the need to take this step, which means at some level, their internal matrix are showing that the protest and the opposition are causing some problems on the ground for their popularity. I think the BJP has shown that it has the ability to change the narrative quite quickly. He, however, added that it is not easy to convince people on a subject about which they already know a lot and that too from direct experience. By Trend The time for dialogue has run out and Armenia deserves an international repudiation, Peter M. Tase, US expert, strategic adviser on international affairs and public diplomacy to governments, universities and corporations in Europe and the Americas, told Trend. The large scale military attacks of September 27, committed by Armenian Armed Forces against the civilian communities of Azerbaijan is gross violation of international laws and these brutal actions of Armenia are testing the international communitys response: European powers and Co Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group are precisely lost in the midst of a fog that is adding more confusion to this armed conflict that requires an immediate attention and Azerbaijans territorial sovereignty must be fully recovered, said the US expert. He pointed out that these large military provocations committed by Armenia, including shelling of large caliber weapons and mortars, must be urgently condemned by the State Department and Secretary Mike Pompeo should urgently schedule an official visit to Baku in the next few days. The killing of innocent citizens of Azerbaijan, must be strongly condemned by Mr. Edi Rama, OSCE Chairperson-in-Office and Prime Minister of Albania; who was committed to make a real different on the ground and strengthen the dialogue inspired by the 30th anniversary of the Charter of Paris. In fact time for dialogue has run out and Armenia deserves an international repudiation and Armenian leaders must be brought before the International Court of Justice for committing massive crimes against humanity, destroying the ecological and environmental resources of sovereign territory of Azerbaijan, and Yerevan should be held responsible for destroying so many cultural and religious monuments that are a real treasure for the entire world. The Albanian Chair of the OSCE, Mr. Edi Rama, must show leadership and respect his highly valued statement made in January 1st, 2020, and should strongly condemn the Armenian military attacks against the civilian territories inside the sovereign land of Azerbaijan. Now is the time for Mr. Edi Rama, to show real commitment towards the Southern Caucasus region and defend human rights and 4 UN Security Resolutions that are violated by Armenia for over three decades, Tase concluded. On September 27, at about 06:00, the armed forces of Armenia, committing large-scale provocations, have subjected to intensive shelling from large-caliber weapons, mortars, and artillery mounts of various calibers of the positions of the Azerbaijan Army along the entire length of the front and Azerbaijani human settlements located in the frontline zone. The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on the withdrawal of its armed forces from Nagorno Karabakh and the surrounding districts. SANDVIKEN, Sweden, Sept. 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Sandvik will publish its third quarter results on Friday, 16 October 2020 at approximately 11.30 CEST. A combined webcast and conference call for investors, analysts and financial media will be held at 13.00 CEST. The report will be presented in a webcast and conference call by Stefan Widing, President and CEO as well as by Tomas Eliasson, CFO. The presentation will be broadcasted live on our website home.sandvik Dial-in details for the conference call: SE: +46 (0) 8 505 583 55 UK: +44 (0) 333 300 9260 US: +1 833 249 8407 From about 12.30 CEST presentation slides will be available on our website home.sandvik For further information, contact: Emelie Alm Investor Relations Officer phone: +46 79 060 8717 Martin Blomgren Press and Media Relations Manager phone: +46 70 577 0549. This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com https://news.cision.com/sandvik/r/invitation---presentation-of-sandvik-s-report-of-the-third-quarter-2020,c3204018 The following files are available for download: https://mb.cision.com/Main/208/3204018/1311666.pdf Invitation - presentation of Sandvikas report of the third quarter 2020 SOURCE Sandvik London: Rebekah Grindlay thought she knew what a bomb feels like. During postings to Iraq and Pakistan, the rising star of Australian diplomacy would often encounter the unmistakable force of distant explosions. Nothing, though, compares to what the Australian ambassador to Lebanon experienced when a warehouse full of ammonium nitrate detonated in Beirut at 6.07pm on August 4. "There is something very unique about an enormous explosion," Grindlay says. "There's this deep gut feeling you get. And I won't lie it was a terrible moment. This was unprecedented." Australian ambassador to Lebanon Rebekah Grindlay briefs volunteers near the site of the massive explosion that rocked Beirut in August. Eight weeks on, Grindlay has revealed new details about the chaotic hours after the blast, and how Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade officials were lucky to survive the biggest incident to hit an overseas mission since a truck bomb targeted its Jakarta embassy in 2004. Pterosaurs flying reptiles from the time of the dinosaurs were most likely bald and did not have feathers as had been previously suggested, a study has claimed. In 2018, researchers from China's Nanjing University reported having found evidence for branching 'protofeathers' in three fossil pterosaur specimens. British palaeobiologists David Unwin and Dave Martill re-evaluated this evidence, however, and came to the conclusion that the flying reptiles had no feathers at all. Instead, they say, the branching structures actually represent parts of the pterosaurs' wing membranes that had begun to decay and unravel before being preserved. Pterosaurs flying reptiles from the time of the dinosaurs were most likely bald (left) and did not have feathers (right) as had been previously suggested, a study has claimed 'The idea of feathered pterosaurs goes back to the nineteenth century but the fossil evidence was then, and still is, very weak,' said Dr Unwin, who is a pterosaur expert at the University of Leicesters Centre for Palaeobiology Research. 'Exceptional claims require exceptional evidence we have the former, but not the latter,' he added. If pterosaurs did sport a form of primitive feathering, such would have significant implications for our understanding of feather, pterosaur, dinosaur and bird evolution. Such would mean that feather-like structures first evolved at least 80 million years earlier than had once been thought and would have likely originated in an ancestor of both dinosaurs and pterosaurs, as it is unlikely to have evolved twice. Furthermore, it would imply that dinosaurs began as feathered reptiles but went on to lose these coverings in certain groups, such as the giant, long-necked sauropods a notion that is the exact reverse of traditional understanding. However, Professor Martill and Dr Unwin believe that the proposed evidence for protofeathers in pterosaurs are actually just tough fibres that formed part of the flying reptiles' wing membranes. In some cases, they argue, these fibres degraded before being preserved which may account for how similar hair-like filaments, which have not branched into a feather-like structure, have been found on 27 other pterosaurs. British palaeobiologists David Unwin and Dave Martill re-evaluated the 'feathered' specimens (one of which is pictured) and came to the conclusion that the flying reptiles had no feathers at all. Instead, they say, the branching structures actually represent parts of the pterosaurs' wing membranes that had begun to decay and unravel before being preserved Whichever camp is correct, many question about how pterosaurs lived will remain outstanding, the University of Portsmouth's Professor Martill noted. 'If they really did have feathers, how did that make them look, and did they exhibit the same fantastic variety of colours exhibited by birds?,' he asked. 'And if they didnt have feathers, then how did they keep warm at night, what limits did this have on their geographic range, did they stay away from colder northern climes as most reptiles do today. And how did they thermoregulate?' 'The clues are so cryptic, that we are still a long way from working out just how these amazing animals worked.' The full findings of the study were published in the journal Nature Ecology and Evolution. Congress flag falls off while being hoisted by interim president Sonia Gandhi [Video] Divisive ideologies anchored in hate causing havoc on secular fabric of our society: Sonia Gandhi Sonia Gandhi urges Congress-ruled states to pass laws to negate central farm acts India oi-Madhuri Adnal New Delhi, Sep 28: Congress president Sonia Gandhi appealed to all Congress-ruled state governments to explore possibilities of bypassing the centre's farm laws, which have provoked massive farmer protests in parts of the country. Congress-ruled Punjab is the epicenter of protests against the three controversial laws and its Chief Minister Amarinder Singh held a sit-in today, joining the cause of the farmers. Farm laws: Protests in many states by Congress and other Oppn parties; Leaders say ready to move SC "Congress president has advised Congress ruled states to explore the possibilities to pass laws in their respective states under Article 254(2) of the Constitution which allows the state legislatures to pass a law to negate the anti-agriculture central laws encroaching upon state's jurisdiction under the Constitution," Congress general secretary in-charge of organisation KC Venugopal said in a statement. "This would enable the states to bypass the unacceptable anti-farmers' provisions in the three draconian Agricultural laws including the abolition of MSP and disruption of APMCs in Congress-ruled states," he added. The opposition party is citing the BJP government's move in 2015 when it asked party-ruled states to bring their own laws to override the land acquisition act of 2013 passed during the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) tenure for boosting infrastructure development. PM Modi hits out, says 'those opposing farm laws are insulting farmers'|Oneindia News Kerala Congress MP moves SC against contentious farm law In line with the concerted opposition to these anti-farmers'' legislations the party will observe ''Kisan-Mazdoor Bachao Divas'' on October 2 by holding dharnas and marches at every assembly and district headquarters across the country, the Congress said. The Congress is up in arms against the farm legislations and said it will oppose it on the ground. The party also said it will challenge the new laws in court. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Tuesday, September 29, 2020, 0:02 [IST] Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae / Yonhap Prosecutors on Monday dropped charges against Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae and her son, who have been suspected of gaining special favors during the latter's military service in 2017. The Seoul Eastern District Prosecutors Office said it withdrew the charges against Choo, her 27-year-old son surnamed Seo, a former aide to Choo and a former military officer assigned to Seo's base at the time. "It is difficult to conclude based on our investigation that a deceptive scheme or external pressure was used to request and take leave," the prosecution said in a statement. Choo came under fire amid allegations that she used her influence as the then chairwoman of the ruling Democratic Party to extend her son's medical leave after he underwent knee surgery in June 2017. Seo did his mandatory military service in the Korean Augmentation to the United States Army (KATUSA) for the 2nd Infantry Division of the U.S. Eighth Army. He took medical leave from June 5-14, extended it once through June 23, and then used four personal vacation days. Whistleblowers have alleged that Seo did not return to his unit at the end of his second medical leave, even though his personal vacation had yet to be approved. Defense ministry documents have also appeared to indicate that Choo or her husband made a phone call to the ministry to inquire about getting the first medical leave extended. "(Seo) did not return to his base because his vacation had been approved, and therefore it does not qualify as desertion," the prosecution said. Choo's then-aide did contact a military officer at Seo's request to find out about extending medical leave, but only to learn the procedural steps, according to the prosecution. "It is difficult to view that as illicit solicitation," it said. The prosecution also noted no clear evidence of Choo's personal involvement, including any request by her or her husband to the defense ministry. (Yonhap) Stora Enso Starts Production of Formed Fiber Products Free from Plastic and PFAS at Hylte Mill PureFiber is a recyclable and biodegradable solution that gives fiber-based packaging water-, grease- and oil-resistant barrier properties without plastic or PFAS. Sept. 28, 2020 - Stora Enso has started the production of formed fiber food service products PureFiber at its Hylte Mill in Sweden. The production ramp-up follows the investment announced in 2019 and enables the manufacture of products that are renewable, recyclable and biodegradable. According to Stora Enso, PureFiber is an eco-product range produced without plastic and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), enabling a safe and sustainable alternative for fresh food packaging. Through its partnership with HS Manufacturing Group, Stora Enso now offers a recyclable and biodegradable solution that gives fiber-based packaging water-, grease- and oil-resistant barrier properties without plastic or PFAS. The solution can be applied for a range of products, such as single-use food service items. A Life Cycle Analysis study shows that the PureFiberTM product line has a CO2 footprint that is approximately 75% lower compared to competing packaging materials. "Market demand for formed fiber products is accelerating, and these products offer a unique solution to meet that demand. Single-use plastics are already banned in many countries and PFAS in food applications are increasingly scrutinized by health authorities. This ramp-up marks our first step in putting a new generation of sustainable and safe formed fiber products on the market," says David Ekberg, Executive Vice President, Packaging Solutions Division at Stora Enso. To meet the demand for formed fiber solutions, Stora Enso is investing in additional production capacity in Hylte Mill in Sweden and Qian'an Mill in China. The annual capacity at both mills will be approximately 115 million units of products. "Expanding our formed fiber production in China will support the Chinese efforts to replace single-use food packaging with sustainable and safe alternatives," Ekberg added. A formed fiber product is manufactured by pressing various wood-based pulps into a three-dimensional shape in a moulding machine. The raw material used in PureFiber products is pulp made from wood from sustainably managed forests. Part of the bioeconomy, Stora Enso is a leading global provider of renewable solutions in packaging, biomaterials, wooden constructions and paper. To learn more, please visit: www.storaenso.com . SOURCE: Stora Enso KENOSHA, Wis. The Kenosha police officer who shot Jacob Blake in the back seven times last month told investigators he thought Blake was trying to abduct one of his own children and that he opened fire because Blake started turning toward the officer while holding a knife, the officers lawyer contends. Brendan Matthews, the attorney for Officer Rusten Sheskey and the Kenosha police union, told CNN that when Sheskey arrived at the scene on Aug. 23 in response to a call from a woman who said Blake was at her home and shouldnt be there, he heard a woman say, Hes got my kid. Hes got my keys. Sheskey saw Blake put a child in the SUV as he arrived, but he didnt know that two other children were also in the back seat, Matthews said. He said Sheskey told investigators he opened fire because Blake held a knife in his hand and twisted his body toward the officer, and that he didnt stop until he determined Blake no longer posed an imminent threat. Matthews said if Sheskey had allowed Blake to leave and something happened to the child, the question would have been Why didnt you do something? Cellphone video captured by a bystander and posted online shows Sheskey and another officer follow Blake with their guns drawn as he walks around the front of the parked SUV, opens the drivers side door and lean into the vehicle. Sheskey, who is white, then opened fire, hitting the Black man seven times and leaving him paralyzed from the waist down, according to his family members and lawyer. The shooting sparked outrage and led to several nights of protests and unrest, including a night in which authorities say an Illinois 17-year-old shot and killed two protesters and wounded a third. Ben Crump, an attorney for Blakes family, did not immediately respond to a Sunday email seeking comment about Matthews' interview and his voicemail wasnt accepting new messages. But he previously said Blake was only trying to break up a domestic dispute that day and that he did nothing to provoke police, adding that witnesses didnt see him with a knife. Blakes uncle, Justin Blake, said Saturday that the allegation that Blake was attempting to kidnap his own child was false, the Kenosha News reported. Thats ridiculous, Justin Blake said. Its gaslighting. Outright lies. The bystander who recorded the shooting, 22-year-old Raysean White, said he saw Blake scuffling with three officers and heard them yell, Drop the knife! Drop the knife! before gunfire erupted. White said he didnt see a knife in Blakes hands. The Wisconsin Department of Justice, which is leading the investigation, previously said in a news release that a knife was found in the vehicle, but it didnt say whether Blake had been holding it at any point during the confrontation or whether police knew it was there before Sheskey shot him. In a statement previously released by Matthews on behalf of the police union, Matthews said Blake was armed with a knife but that officers didnt see it until Blake reached the passenger side of the vehicle. As Blake opened the drivers door of the SUV, Sheskey pulled on Blakes shirt and then opened fire. Three of Blakes children were in the backseat. The mother of the three children, who called police that day, filed a complaint against Blake that had led to felony charges being filed in July accusing him of sexually assaulting a woman in May. Blake, who was wanted on a warrant for those charges when police arrived at the scene Aug. 23, pleaded not guilty to the charges earlier this month via video from from his hospital bed. A trial date was set for Nov. 9. Sheskey and the other two officers who were at the scene were placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation. Twenty years ago, Rupert Everett now 61 was a hot Hollywood star, after landing leading roles opposite Madonna and Julia Roberts. But then the phone stopped ringing, and even minor parts in the movies eluded him, as he reveals in this second extract from his caustic new memoir... Julie Andrews once bleakly remarked that while you may love showbusiness with all your heart dedicate your life and soul to it showbusiness will never love you back. It waits for the moment you are down and it kicks you carefully in the teeth. But this dismal forecast only goes halfway to describing the weird relationship we performers have with the strange profession that we never willingly relinquish. Becoming a star is an addiction and a mirage, a pretty picture at first, but quickly stained by the thick hairspray of power and paranoia that slowly dulls our features, freezing them into our favourite f*** me grimace and calcifying the central plumbing system so that, after a bit, the hot water starts gushing from the cold water taps and general disorientation sets in. Good friends... then Rupert forgot his dinner date with Joan Collins. Ive double-booked myself when I was supposed to be dining with Joan, her husband Percy and Christopher Biggins With the first twinkle of stardom, we exist more on the silver screen than at home behind the kitchen sink. For example, NEVER ask a movie star to say I love you. They just cant. They have given it their all in close-up on a sound stage, dressed as an Apache. And dont say I love you to one of them either. They cant cope. They will either reply OK (Madonna) or Thank you (Michael Douglas). Once the fresh knickers of nubile fans start sailing through the letter box with the post; once you have felt the power of your (lack of) personality projected onto a screen, backcombed and backlit, your view of yourself and the world around you changes for ever. Its a hall of mirrors. Your eyes are suddenly the shadowed and glinting windows of a tortured soul. These eyes bore through the footlights into the very heart of the spectator and once you have felt all that, there is no going back. In the wonky mirror of everyones eyes, you believe its all you, all that depth but actually youre nothing much more than the undead waiting for another fix. (Its true what they say: the camera steals the soul none of us has any left by the end.) Hopefully, you become a star, and time briefly falls away in the waves of endless adulation that even has your own mother treating you with caution. You are in equal measure omnipotent and a victim. Everyone loves you, but theyre out to get you, too. Everyone wants a piece, but who cares as far as youre concerned it will last for ever. Youre totally immersed and will never escape. Movies, movies, movies. You know it all, who is doing what, why its all happening and where. Youre in total control. And then suddenly everything falls away. Its a game of snakes and ladders, and youre back to square one. With the first twinkle of stardom, we exist more on the silver screen than at home behind the kitchen sink. For example, NEVER ask a movie star to say I love you. They just cant. They have given it their all in close-up on a sound stage, dressed as an Apache. And dont say I love you to one of them either. They cant cope, writes Rupert Everett, pictured above You may not notice at first. But then one day you discover that people actually laughed at that great dramatic performance you gave in X. They always thought you were mediocre, screechy, shallow. Cute maybe, but talentless and tricky. And now? Oh no! Youre 25 or 35 or 45 and washed-up. The fabulous character you developed in the Eighties is suddenly a clunky old battleship in shoulder pads disappearing over the horizon. So you widen your net to survive. Italian films. TV. Voice-overs. Supermarkets. Teaching. And of course, rehab. Rehab is the downbeat in this syncopated rhythm, and why not? Your face in a mirror hoovering up a delicious line is the only one that reminds you of the misunderstood anti-hero you once were. Now you reject everything thats happening. But showbusiness is still your whole life even if you never see a film and you hate the theatre. This is the worst circle of the inferno. You are undead. The years shriek by. You may grab onto a passing movie and briefly be catapulted to the top, like some cartoon fish that is suddenly caught in the jet of a fountain and shoots sky-high, but its a balancing trick that requires the whole universe to be in tune. The tune changes and soon youre back with the bottom-feeders moping around the pond floor. Before you know it (or have time to find a reliable surgeon), youre 50. They say that sometimes ghosts dont realise theyre dead and wander around screaming because no one is paying them any attention. Well, in showbusiness you may have been dead five years before you finally twig. You howl around the corridors of power while the elect march straight past you. Then one day you catch yourself in a mirror and theres nothing looking back. The new you, limping from the crash, held together by steel pins, a hacking cough developed from ten years of gasping with disappointment, will need to re-train those crushed limbs into new life, another start. My dreams of a leading role are dashed on Tim Burtons couch In 2015, my new agent, Sue, tells me Ive been offered a role in Tim Burtons latest film, Miss Peregrines Home For Peculiar Children. Well, for some reason, I get it into my head that the character Im being offered is called Mr Barron. How I could have known the name Mr Barron if no one had said it to me is anyones guess, but anyway I gloomily set about reading the script. Trust me, I groan to my long-suffering boyfriend. Its going to be one line. Well, I cant believe my eyes. Mr Barron is a rather good part. Actually, its a very good part. Next stop Hollywood. So one evening in March, I arrive at Tim Burtons office in Belsize Park [North London] and the door is opened by a legendary casting witch called Susie Figgis. We sit down on a leather couch in a big empty studio where our bottoms make embarrassing sounds against the cushions, and she informs me that Tim is looking for the real thing for this role and thats why we want you!. A little alarm bell tinkles and I wonder what about me is the real thing. In the script, Mr Barron is an alien. I suppose I am, too? Tim Burton arrives, a bundle of raw energy. Tim. Are you really offering me this part? I ask, incredulous. Yes. He laughs. I dont have to audition? No, of course not. I am overwhelmed. I havent been offered a good part in at least five years. Not a really good part. I begin to talk about Mr Barron. Im giddy with excitement. Tim seems to love everything I say. Thats so true, he screams, pointing at Susie victoriously. I continue smoothly: I just felt reading the script that his character completely disappeared once they got to Blackpool. Exactly, gasps Tim. Stop! shouts Susie, and we both look round. Youre not playing Mr Barron, she cries, breathless. Your part is the Ornithologist. Silence. Freeze-frame. They both look at me, smiling, eyes glittering. I cant even remember the Ornithologist. Samuel L. Jackson is playing Mr Barron, says Tim apologetically. I slam into dinner-party overdrive. Oh well, of course, yes. How silly of me. Hes absolutely marvellous. Golly. Im sure the Ornithologist will be very exciting, too. Oh, yes, agrees Tim. Hes absolutely perfect. Hes a typical English gentleman. Great. Well, let me have a read again. I funnel a sob into a burp and beat a retreat. Back in bed that night with the script, my previous suspicions are confirmed. I have just one line well, ten actually. Advertisement And so we hobble along on our Zimmer frames, rushing for the bus to the next audition. Either that or we succumb to that flickering existence of Dancing With The Stars and daytime soaps, flashing on and off like an old bulb. And so we live more and more in the past. Its 2010. Im sitting with two young men in J Sheekeys restaurant in the West End of London. Theyre from Paramount Pictures or 20th Century Fox, I cant remember which. What I can remember is that this is the last meeting I have at such an exalted level actually feasting with the high priests of Hollywood to discuss my possible involvement in a picture. Im at a comfortable corner table holding forth. The men, Andy and Loeg, lean in black suits, white shirts, thin ties and neon teeth, are producers. Thunderbirds are go. Andy and Loeg are as unfathomable as Martians, downloading my every gesture, as we talk about the project a family-viewing fairy story in which the villain is a giant. I babble on while the men fix me with their Paul Newman eyes, pupils like pins, unwavering in their scrutiny, ready to play it back later in a satellite link-up with their superiors back at the studio. Im used to this by now, although Ive already hoovered up a couple of dry martinis to conjure up a bit of sloshed sparkle the dregs of my star quality. But Im strutting my stuff, acting butch and generally giving the impression of being a no-nonsense, take-charge kind of giant and things seem to be going pretty well. I grind to a halt in my pitch and they stare back no helpful chirrup of encouragement and theres a moment of silence. What you say is true, proclaims Loeg finally. This picture will die without soul. (Translation: Its so bad were going to need some good actors.) Theres got to be a three-dimensional quality to all these characters. We need actors who know how to do that, he continues. (Take the money and dont ask too many questions.) Otherwise theyre just... A long, important pause. Giants? I say. I have a terrible habit of finishing everyones sentences, but I cant stand silence. A shadow of impatience scuds across Loegs face. What we need is a bit of rehearsal, I surge on regardless. Will there be any time for rehearsal, Loeg? Im intense now, a humble craftsman, Daniel Day-Lewis in fact. Simple. Direct. And deep. (The polar opposite to interior me right now, which is devious, superficial and bored.) It works. Oh yeah. Sure. Were gonna rehearse out there at Pinewood. He beams at me, reassured. Hes about to say You got the part when Johnno, the queen dee (new word incorporating maitre d and queen bee) of the restaurant, a man camper even than me, sashays over with his little finger up at his mouth and baby eyes twinkling. Houston, we got a problem, he hisses, bending towards me in a vaudevillian aside. Everyone looks up. What? I snap. I cannot be put off my stride at this delicate stage. It would be fatal. His eyes narrow slightly. Well. Get this. Joan Collins is waiting for you at The Ivy. You stood her up. Shes FURIOUS! Oh no! I completely forgot, I moan, cancer cells replicating. Rupert Everett is pictured above with Joan Collins and Hugh Grant. Ive double-booked myself when I was supposed to be dining with Joan, her husband Percy and Christopher Biggins. Always desperate to please, like a toothless old circus dog, I yap yes to everything and then forget all about it until its too late and Im doing something else. Joan Collins? Andy lights up. Is she still around? Maybe we could get her in the movie. Maybe? barks Loeg. Shes been circling the studio in a helicopter, ready to drop in, fully made-up, since the last episode of Dynasty. The Americans explode with mirth. Queen Dee watches with a delighted smile. Hes got the party going, and the Martians are coming out of their shell. Then Johnno trills like an alarm clock: Theyre on the phone now. What do you want me to say? Cant you just say Im not here? No. Not really. They already know. I told them. Ill tell them youll come after dinner. Lets get them over here right now, says Loeg. Ill send my car. Johnno minces off. I try to get the business side of things going again: Yeah. As Loeg was saying. Its important to get a dimensional feel to these characters. Otherwise theyre just... Listen, beeps Andy. We love you. We want you in the picture, but you know what? None of the giants are right for you. I am about to protest, but he ploughs right on. What could be BRI-lliant dont you agree, Loeg is the role of the hairdresser! I feign puzzled. He has this cute little salon right high up in the branches. Its really neat, all made out of leaves. I fix an excited glow onto my face as an image materialises with alarming clarity. On the edge of a vast sound stage, theres a little set all made of leaves leaf sink, leaf hairdryer, leaves through the windows with leaf curtains and me in the middle, hipsters and a green quiff , backcombing an ogre. I nearly puke. Out of the corner of my eye, I can see Johnno skimming back over the horizon. Youre in deep s***, he says, swivelling to a halt. They dont want a car. Ive got an idea. Why dont I nip over with your credit card and pay their bill? Anything to get him away. I hand over my card. Im quite drunk now and longing to be at the other restaurant with Joan and Biggins and having a good chinwag about the old days instead of a***-licking my way up the beanstalk, when Johnno reappears. They refused! he proclaims to the whole restaurant, waving my credit card over his head. Oh my God. She must be really angry. What did they say? They said they could pay for their own dinner, thank you. Needless to say, I do not get the role of the giant, or any other role for that matter. And Joan and I dont speak for years. As actors, we are dragged in and out with the tide, back and forth to Hollywood, occasionally crashing in on the crest of a wave but mostly beached or swept out too deep, while trying to make it ashore for pilot season, clinging to a scrapbook of faded reviews. I can feel the pull of the current right now, but this time Im not going to exhaust myself trying to swim back. This time, Ill go with the flow and see where the tide takes me. Maybe it comes back round. Maybe not. Tonight Ill record an audition on my iPhone. Ive constructed a little set: a Turkish cushion, a stone wall, a shadowed light courtesy of my dads old desk lamp. In the scene I play King Gallarhorn a part in a gigantic series Im up for. I havent got a clue what the story is, nor any idea who King Gallarhorn might be. Ive only been sent two pages of dialogue. But this could be the moment of truth. My agent tells me the series is going to be as big as Game Of Thrones. I could suddenly be the new witch on the block. After about 30 attempts at the scene, I take a deep breath and press send. I imagine my audition twirling through cyberspace and into the virtual hell of the casting directors inbox. Needless to say, I never hear back. Adapted by Corinna Honan from To The End Of The World: Travels With Oscar Wilde by Rupert Everett, published on October 8 by Little Brown at 20. Rupert Everett 2020. To order a copy for 17 (offer valid to October 10; P&P free), go to mailshop.co.uk/books or call 020 3308 9193. China has said it abides by the Line of Actual Control (LAC) as proposed by Premier Zhou Enlai to Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru in a letter dated November 7, 1959 the first time in decades that it has clearly spelled out its stand on the notional Sino-India boundary by reiterating a position that New Delhi has consistently rejected since it was first made 61 years ago. Beijings position, in an exclusive statement to HT amid the ongoing border friction in eastern Ladakh, is a reiteration of the long-existing differences on the boundary question and a sign that the ongoing military standoff is unlikely to be resolved soon. Also read: Eye on China, India goes for Heron tech upgrade, missile-firing Guardian drones In the statement in Mandarin, the Chinese foreign ministry, while blaming the Indian Army for the ongoing tension since May and for the June 15 clash in eastern Ladakhs Galwan valley, said the clash was an unfortunate event. Firstly, China-India border LAC is very clear, that is the LAC on November 7, 1959. China announced it in the 1950s, and the international community including India are also clear about it, the ministry said on Friday. However, ever since this year, the Indian Army has continued to arrive and illegally cross the border, unilaterally expanding the scope of actual control. This is the source of tension on the border issues. The key to disengagement between the two armies is Indias withdrawal of all illegal cross-border personnel and equipment, it added. Its the first time in recent years that Beijing has said in unequivocal terms that it still goes by the 1959 LAC. It did, however, make a passing reference during the 2017 Doklam crisis, when the Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying spoke of the 1959 LAC while blaming Indian troops for a scuffle with Chinese soldiers near Pangong lake in Ladakh in August that year. Also read| Brahmos, Akash and Nirbhay: India rolls out its missiles to counter Chinese threat India has repeatedly and consistently rejected Chinas allegations that Indian troops crossed over to the Chinese side of the LAC in eastern Ladakh, asserting that New Delhi has always taken a responsible approach towards border management and maintaining peace and tranquillity in the border areas. The Indian ministry of external affairs did not respond to requests for a comment on the fresh Chinese statement. The November 7, 1959 date mentioned in the Beijing statement was in reference to a letter written by Zhou to Nehru the two leaders under whom the two countries experienced the best and the worst of bilateral diplomatic ties. In order to maintain effectively the status quo of the border between the two countries, to ensure the tranquillity of the border regions and to create a favourable atmosphere for a friendly settlement of the boundary question, the Chinese government proposes that the armed forces of China and India each withdraw 20km at once from the so-called McMahon Line in the east, and from the line up to which each side exercises actual control in the west, Zhou wrote. Also read: How Chinese propaganda is using the 1962 war to shape public opinion A year later, during his high-profile visit to New Delhi in 1960, Zhou had used the phrase LAC during a press conference. There exists between the two counties a line of actual control up to which each side exercises administrative jurisdiction, he said as part of a six-point proposal to maintain peace at the border. Zhou went on to say that both sides should keep to the line of actual control and should not put forward territorial claims as pre-conditions, but individual adjustments may be made. In 1962, when India and China fought a war between October and November, Nehru rejected the definition. There is no sense or meaning in the Chinese offer to withdraw twenty kilometers from what they call line of actual control, he said. The Chinese Premier responded to Nehru, defining the LAC again as per November 7, 1959. The LAC was basically still the line of actual control as existed between the Chinese and Indian sides on 7 November 1959: To put it concretely, in the eastern sector it coincides in the main with the so- called McMahon Line, and in the western and middle sectors it coincides in the main with the traditional customary line which has consistently been pointed out by China, Zhou said in reply to Nehru. The phrase LAC was used in the 1993 Sino-India Agreement on the Maintenance of Peace and tranquillity along the LAC in the India-China Border Areas. At New Delhis insistence the expression wasnt qualified in terms of whether it was the 1959 one. Former Indian ambassador to China, Gautam Bambawale said the significance (of the statement) is that they are telling India that the LAC is the line of November 7, 1959, as explained by Zhou Enlai to Nehru in his letter. Thats it. They are going by that. Bambawale added: We have never accepted it. There were several pockets of disagreements and the largest number of pockets (of disagreements) were in Ladakh. Obviously, we did not accept the offer. He added that New Delhi has conveyed this to Beijing in no uncertain terms. A leading China-hand, Bambawale had also served as ambassador in Bhutan, the only other country, other than India, with which Beijing has a land-territorial dispute. Bambawale said following the Chinese understanding of the LAC, the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) is attempting to hold on to the ground positions right up to it as per the 1959 LAC. It is clear that the current aggression at the border shown by the Chinese since May is to attempt to control territories up to where Beijing defines its LAC. Officials in diplomatic circles, who asked not to be named, told HT that India had pointed out its disagreements with the 1959 LAC even during meetings of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination (WMCC) on India-China Border Affairs established in 2012 as a mechanism to consult and coordinate the management of India-China border areas. Little is known about the differences in perceptions on the LAC in the western sector, the most troublesome. Maps have only been exchanged for the middle sector until now. One of the officials above told HT that the LAC clarification process for the western sector broke down an hour into the meeting in 2002. Since then, the entire process which was then an Expert Group headed by a director general in MEA and deputy director general in the Chinese foreign ministry -- has been stalled. The western section was drawn by Indian surveyor (WH) Johnson, who privately assigned more than 30,000 square kilometres of land in the Aksai Chin region of China to British India. This is the historical origin of the territorial dispute between China and India in the western section, Wang Dehua, a South Asia expert at Shanghai Municipal Centre for International Studies, said. China hopes India will give more concessions in the western sector while Beijing could give more concessions (to India) in the eastern sector, Wang added. The Chinese foreign ministry statement blamed New Delhi for the tension, saying: the right and wrong of the Galwan Valley conflict is very clear. We didnt want to see what had happened. We hope the media doesnt hype this unfortunate event. The ministry did not respond to the question on the number casualties that PLA suffered during the brutal hand-to-hand clash with Indian army soldiers on June 15. The ministrys statement referred to the recent foreign ministers and military talks held between India and China. Since the bilateral meeting between the foreign ministers of China and India in Moscow on September 10, the two sides have actively engaged in dialogue and consultation based on the five-point declaration, it said. Referring to commander-level talks, it said constructive measures to stabilise the border situation were taken. We hope the two sides walk in the same direction and push the frontline troops to disengage as soon as possible. Asked to comment on reports arguing Beijing is escalating tension with neighbours to divert attention from a badly hit economy, the ministry said though hit by the pandemic, the economy is reviving. Due to Covid-19, Chinas economy has been affected but it has regained growth and has contributed to the recovery of the global economy, the statement added. On relations with neighbours, the ministry said: The relationship between China and its neighbouring countries is generally good. China has always insisted on resolving differences between neighbouring countries through friendly consultations. Sameer Patil, a fellow for international security studies at Gateway House, said the statement indicated that China was clearly adopting a maximalist position that disregarded all the developments that have taken place since 1959, including the bilateral boundary talks, mechanisms and agreements on peace and tranquillity on the LAC. When the Special Representatives mechanism was set up, this wasnt their position. Even though this matter [Chinas stance on the LAC of 1959] may have been known, it was not reiterated when important bilateral mechanisms and arrangements for handling the border dispute were set up, he said. This reflects Chinas obdurate attitude towards the border dispute. Reiterating this maximalist position amid the five-month-long standoff shows China has no intention of going in for an early solution to the problem, Patil added. (With inputs from Rezaul H Laskar) Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-28 16:49:09|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close ULAN BATOR, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- An eight-year-old boy shot dead his six-year-old sister in northern Mongolia by accident as a preliminary investigation has suggested, local police said Monday. The incident occurred in the northern province of Khuvsgul on Saturday, according to the provincial police department, which urges people to keep guns out of the reach of children. As of 2019, more than 47,900 guns have been registered in Mongolia as a legal property of individuals, with over 90 percent used for hunting purposes, according to official data from the country's National Police Agency. Enditem Police are 'struggling' to enforce coronavirus rules because there are not enough officers to crack down on the 10pm curfew breakers, a union boss warned today. John Apter, national chairman of the Police Federation, said there were often now just 'one or two' officers available to police busy high streets in towns and cities at night when the curfew begins on pubs and restaurants. He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: 'I think we're struggling now if I'm honest, certainly my colleagues are, because of just the daily pressures.' Mr Apter added: 'Here's the reality - in a typical large town or city centre, I think the public think we have hundreds and hundreds of police officers to police. 'We probably have a handful, and we have to prioritise. So what we will find in a city centre, some officers will be dealing with 999 calls, crimes in action, people being seriously assaulted, that you might only have one or two people in a busy high street at 10pm when hundreds and hundreds of people are coming out onto the streets. 'Now my colleagues will do the best they can to encourage and coerce people to move on, but it's really difficult, and all you need is a hostile group who turns against those officers and the resources for that town centre or that city centre are swallowed up dealing with that one incident. It happens all the time. It happens in every city.' Meanwhile, neighbours are being encouraged to report those who are breaking rules such as not self-isolating if they have coronavirus. John Apter, national chairman of the Police Federation, said there were often now just 'one or two' officers available to police busy high streets in towns and cities Whitehall sources told the Daily Telegraph that police would be expected to investigate calls made to its 101 non-emergency number, despite Prime Minister Boris Johnson previously saying he was against the concept of 'sneak culture'. Health minister Helen Whately said people will have to make their own judgments on whether to inform on neighbours who break coronavirus rules. 'Everyone will make their own judgments,' she told Sky News. 'If you see that there's a marquee in someone's garden, there's a huge party going on, you are probably going to take action about that because that is clearly a risk of spreading the virus.' Mr Apter added that other agencies must now step in to assist, including 'local authorities and local health trusts and other organisations to help to try and make sure that the regulations are being enforced and are being complied with'. It comes as police will carry out spot checks and act on tip-offs to enforce strict new Covid-19 self-isolation rules from today. People ordered to quarantine after they or a contact test positive for the virus face a knock on the door from officers to check they are not leaving their home. It comes amid a growing revolt by Tory MPs over the way Boris Johnson's Government is infringing liberties with restrictions to tackle the pandemic. Signalling a tough crackdown, Home Secretary Priti Patel warned last night that ministers 'will not allow those who break the rules to reverse the hard-won progress made by the law-abiding majority'. From today, people across England are required by law to quarantine for ten days if they test positive for Covid-19 or are contacted by NHS Test and Trace. Those who do not self-isolate or employers who force staff to turn up to work will be hit with fines of up to 10,000. The police will be used to 'check compliance' with the rules and will investigate claims by informers that a person who should be in quarantine is flouting the requirement. In other developments: Ministers faced mounting pressure to review their 'shambolic' 10pm curfew on pubs and restaurants after it caused huge crowds across city centres; A Mail poll found that a third of patients have avoided or delayed making a GP appointment in the past six months; Three more areas of South Wales were added to the local lockdown list yesterday, meaning two-thirds of the Welsh population are covered by restrictions; Labour called for a delay to the new university term in England after 1,700 students locked down in Manchester were unable to find out if they have Covid-19; Universities faced mounting pressure to refund tuition fees as thousands of students faced lockdowns, online-only courses, and the prospect of spending Christmas in their halls; More than 10 million Britons have downloaded the virus tracing app; Ministers promised they would provide four months' worth of personal protective equipment to frontline health and care staff over the winter. People ordered to quarantine after they or a contact test positive for the virus could face a knock on the door from officers to check they are not leaving their home. Pictured: Drinkers out in Nottingham around closing time Signalling a tough crackdown, Home Secretary Priti Patel warned last night that ministers 'will not allow those who break the rules to reverse the hard-won progress made by the law-abiding majority'. Pictured: Police attempt to disperse crowds gathered in London The Prime Minister could suffer a hugely damaging defeat within days over his use of emergency legislation to push Covid-19 restrictions through the Commons without proper debate. Conservative backbenchers are increasingly angry about the imposition of the 'rule of six' without debate in Parliament and believe they have a good chance of winning a vote on Wednesday. The Government said yesterday there had been a further 5,693 lab-confirmed cases of coronavirus. While an increase on last Sunday's total, this is nowhere near the doubling that chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance suggested last week was on the way. Last night ministers unveiled the steps they will take to ensure people comply with self-isolation rules. The Government said it would 'use police resources to check compliance' in areas of the country with the highest rates of disease, and on people in high-risk groups. The Prime Minister could suffer a hugely damaging defeat within days over his use of emergency legislation to push Covid-19 restrictions through the Commons without proper debate Officers will 'investigate and prosecute high-profile and egregious cases of non-compliance', and 'act on instances where third parties have identified others who have tested positive, but are not self-isolating'. The rules state that if someone receives a positive test result, they are required by law to self-isolate for ten days after they first displayed symptoms, or ten days after the date of the test if they did not have symptoms. Other members of their household must self-isolate for 14 days after the onset of symptoms, or after the date of the positive test. Pubs and restaurants have started displaying QR codes to support the app, but punters have complained after they were denied entry for not installing it If someone is instructed to self-isolate because they have had close contact with someone outside their household who has tested positive, they are legally required to self-isolate for the period instructed by NHS Test and Trace. Users of the NHS contact tracing app are not covered by the new rules. They are anonymous and the Government cannot force them to self-isolate. People on lower incomes who cannot work from home and have lost income as a result will be eligible for a new 500 'test and trace support payment'. The legal obligation to self-isolate has exemptions, including for those who need to escape from illness or harm during their isolation. 1,400 cases at food factories Virus infections linked to the nation's food processing plants could be many times higher than admitted by industry bosses, it has been claimed. Official records suggest there have been 47 infections and no deaths among the workforce. However an investigation by Pirc, which advises shareholders on ethical investment, claims the number of infections is likely to be much higher and includes some deaths. It found that there have been at least 1,461 individual cases and six fatalities, with the true figures likely to be even higher. The investigation found a loophole in the regulatory system potentially allows companies to determine whether employees became infected while at work or elsewhere in the community. The findings were based on one-to-one interviews with workers, trade union surveys and media reports about food processing companies. Advertisement Tories are urged to call time on 'shambolic' 10pm pub curfew as swarms of young people are seen dancing in the streets after kicking-out time ByGlen Keogh For The Daily Mail As city centres were swamped with revellers over the weekend, the Government came under mounting pressure to review its 'shambolic' 10pm curfew on pubs and restaurants last night. Astonishing footage emerged of swarms of young people singing and dancing in the streets after kicking-out time. Photographs captured across the country showed drinkers leaving pubs and bars at 10pm and simply heading to off-licences or supermarkets to purchase more alcohol. The weekend was the first with the new rule in effect. MPs, business leaders and publicans condemned the measure as a 'big mistake' and 'another random and arbitrary move'. Photographs captured across the country showed drinkers leaving pubs and bars at 10pm and simply heading to off-licences or supermarkets to purchase more alcohol. Pictured: Police speak to a group of young people on Harbourside, Bristol Officers have been attempting to disperse large crowds of people in London's West End after pubs were forced to move kicking-out time forward to 10pm Leading hospitality figures also hit out at the lack of consultation before the curfew came into force. Speaking to the Mail, Simon Emeny, chief executive of Fuller's, which operates 420 pubs, said: 'You can see from the photographs the problem with dispersing customers at exactly the same time. This creates the wrong signal that the customer is better off socialising at home in people's houses. 'I think it was clearly a big mistake and the Government has to be sensible and review their decision.' Tim Martin, founder of JD Wetherspoon, added: 'The main problem with the 10pm curfew is that it's another random and arbitrary move by the Government which lacks logic or scientific credibility.' Sacha Lord, night-time economy adviser for Greater Manchester, said: 'It's very clear across the UK that this ill-thought-out 10pm curfew has pushed everyone out of venues with socially distanced measures into the streets, into off-licences, supermarkets, overcrowded public transport and house parties. Every operator predicted this. Shambolic.' Neath Port Talbot, Torfaen and the Vale of Glamorgan will be put under coronavirus lockdown from tomorrow Senior Conservative MP Tobias Ellwood added that the curfew 'makes no sense'. The criticism came as Professor Graham Medley, a member of the Sage group advising the Prime Minister on the virus, yesterday revealed scientists had 'never discussed' the curfew. Professor John Edmunds, another member of the committee, added that the 10pm shut-off was 'fairly trivial' and 'will have a very small impact on the epidemic'. Culture secretary Oliver Dowden yesterday insisted that there was 'definitely science' behind the measure as he was grilled by the BBC's Andrew Marr, who suggested the measure was actually making matters worse. Critics of the curfew said many would simply retire to one household or wander around city centres in groups in breach of Covid-19 guidelines Mr Dowden said: 'We are reducing the closing times in order to stop people staying later and drinking. The point about all of this is that everyone has their part to play.' But critics of the curfew said many would simply retire to one household or wander around city centres in groups in breach of Covid-19 guidelines. Shadow justice secretary David Lammy said he was 'not clear' where the science behind the move had come from, adding that it led to people 'bubbling out of pubs... hanging around towns and they're potentially spreading the virus'. A Government spokesman yesterday said all measures were kept under 'constant review', adding: 'These measures strike a balance between saving lives by protecting our NHS and the most vulnerable and minimising the wider impact on the economy and schools. 'The latest data suggests a considerable rise in the infection rate from within the hospitality sector in recent weeks.' Backlash over 'pathetic' Covid tracing app as pubs and restaurants turn away customers who don't have it despite faulty system blocking tens of thousands of users from logging their test results ByMax Aitchison For The Mail On Sunday Pubs and restaurants are turning away customers who don't have the Government's 'pathetic' tracing app,' - despite glaring errors that stopped thousands from logging their test results. The beleaguered app's latest fiasco came last night when it blocked up to 70,000 users from logging their test results. The app relies on Bluetooth to determine if someone has been within two metres of an infectious person for 15 minutes, but other Bluetooth devices can interfere with the signal, generating a 'false positive'. To compound the problems, it has also transpired that the app doesn't work on millions of older smartphones. It also requires a code to register a completed test but it is only given if the test returns as positive. Those with a negative test are only able to register their result if they booked directly through the app. Despite the issues, Matt Hancock hailed the app as a success as he revealed more than 10 million people downloaded it since its launch on Thursday. It comes as a further 5,693 people tested positive for coronavirus in the UK today - marking a 46 per cent rise on last Sunday's total, with 17 deaths. Matt Hancock's new coronavirus tracing app was hit by another fiasco last night after it blocked tens of thousands of users from logging their test results Pubs and restaurants have started displaying QR codes to support the app, but punters have complained after they were denied entry for not installing it The Health Secretary said on social media it was an 'absolutely fantastic' response so far, and urged more people to download it. Despite problems, pubs and restaurants are starting to bar customers from entering, unless they've downloaded the beleaguered app, with QR codes on display for punters to use. Government advice tells businesses they 'must' display the 'official NHS QR poster' and apply for a code to be connected to the app. One punter wrote on Twitter today: 'Last night I was denied a meal because I didn't have a Gvt phone app!!!! 'You may think I'm being over dramatic but you must now get the point. What else are we soon going to be denied access to unless we have a government phone app. Please, please, please people wake up.' Development of an earlier version of the app - which cost nearly 11million - stopped in June. The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) said that six million people had downloaded the app the first day it launched, and this had since risen to 10 million by midday on Sunday. More than 1.5 million venue check-ins were recorded on Saturday while more than 460,000 businesses have downloaded and printed QR code posters that can be scanned by the app to check-in to premises, it added. Mr Hancock said: 'The enthusiastic response of over 10m people downloading the app in just three days has been absolutely fantastic. 'This is a strong start but we want even more people and businesses getting behind the app because the more of us who download it the more effective it will be. 'If you haven't downloaded it yet I recommend you join the growing numbers who have, to protect yourself and your loved ones.' One user, Chloe James, wrote: 'I'm in a pub and apparently they've been told they can't serve anyone unless they have the track and trace app.' Brits have encountered problems using the tracing app, while others who refuse to install it say they have been denied entry into pubs and restaurants Hospitality expert Ollie Vaulkhard wrote today: 'Perhaps you could also trust hospitality to work alongside the app, rather than the current disaster? No app details being taken by people on the street at 10:30pm.' Last night, Shadow Health Secretary Jonathan Ashworth said of the latest glitch: 'This beggars belief.' Other Labour politicians have lent their voice to the criticism. David Lammy told BBC One's Andrew Marr Show this morning: 'By Christmas we would have had the coronavirus for nine months, that we couldn't get a test, track and trace system in place by then has got to be described as pathetic.' Speaking on Sky News' Sophy Ridge on Sunday Shadow Culture Secretary Jo Stevens added: 'The whole point of these local lockdowns, they're happening because our test and trace system is not effective... the Government needs to get a grip on test and trace and isolate.' Users, including NHS workers, have pointed out major flaws in the app that apparently drains battery and takes up space The government's advice to pubs and restaurants reads: 'By maintaining records of staff, customers and visitors, and displaying an official NHS QR poster, you will help NHS Test and Trace to identify and notify people who may have been exposed to the virus. 'You must register for an official NHS QR code and display the official NHS QR poster. 'The NHS COVID-19 app has a feature that allows users to quickly and easily 'check in' to your venue by scanning the code. 'The information stays on the user's phone. In England, you do not have to ask people who choose to 'check in' using the official NHS QR code to provide their contact details. 'If there is an outbreak associated with a venue, a message will be sent to the relevant app users with the necessary public health advice. 'This will help to avoid the reintroduction of lockdown measures and support the country to return to, and maintain, a more normal way of life. 'In addition to maintaining and sharing records where requested and displaying an official NHS QR poster, you must also continue to follow other government guidance to minimise the transmission of COVID-19. This includes maintaining a safe working environment and following social distancing guidelines.' The app has come under fire after it emerged that only 'Pillar 2' tests those carried out by commercial testing centres provide the relevant codes to allow users to enter their results. Although people tested under 'Pillar 1' the NHS and Public Health England will still be contacted by NHS Test and Trace if they test positive, they could not log the result on the app and alert everyone they have been in close contact with. After a flood of complaints yesterday, the Department of Health and Social Care said it was 'urgently' trying to fix the problem. Hours later it promised that 'everyone who receives a positive test result can log their result on the app' by requesting a code from NHS Test and Trace. The latest official Government figures show that a total of 409,975 people have been tested in England since the app was rolled out on Thursday morning, including 128,960 Pillar 1 and 281,015 Pillar 2 tests. The blunder means that the results of 31 per cent of the tests carried out on Thursday and Friday have not been logged. The app relies on Bluetooth to determine if someone has been within two metres of an infectious person for 15 minutes, but other Bluetooth devices can interfere with the signal, generating a 'false positive' Although the exact numbers are unclear, it potentially means that hundreds of positive cases uncovered since the app's official launch have not yet been registered. The shocking oversight came to light only after a Twitter user asked how he could log his test result if he did not have a code. In response, the official Twitter page for the NHS Covid-19 app said: 'If your test took place in a Public Health England lab or NHS hospital, or as part of national surveillance testing conducted by the Office for National Statistics, test results cannot currently be linked with the app whether they're positive or negative.' The reply was met with outrage online, with many users questioning why it was called an 'NHS app' when it did not recognise tests carried out by the NHS. Last night, Mr Ashworth said: 'This just beggars belief. How can this app be effective if someone is unable to link up their tests carried out by the NHS or tests carried out for surveillance? We all have an interest in this app working which is why we've promoted its uptake. 'This weekend Ministers have thrown cash at promoting this app across local and national newspapers. They need to outline how they will quickly fix this flaw.' Technology expert Benedict Evans told The Sunday Times: 'A contact tracing app is based on people with a positive test entering that into the app. But the English app that just launched is incompatible with tests done by the NHS. He added: 'We're six months into this and the UK still doesn't have a unified test result system.' A Department of Health and Social Care spokesman said: 'We are urgently working to enable positive tests for people who aren't already given a code to be added to the Covid-19 app. 'NHS Test and Trace will continue to contact people by text, email or phone if your test is positive advising you to self-isolate and for those who don't have a code, the contact tracers will shortly be able to provide codes to insert in the app. 'If you book your test via the app, the results will be automatically recorded and the isolation countdown will be updated.' The Welsh Government revealed it is an England-only issue. In a tweet yesterday after the Department of Health and Social Care statement, it said: 'This issue doesn't apply to Wales. We took the decision to link our all-Wales laboratory testing systems with the NHS Covid-19 app.' Last week's launch came after a fourth-month delay beset by technological problems. A trial on the Isle of Wight had to be abandoned after the initial model failed to detect iPhones. English French Not for release, publication or distribution, directly or indirectly, in or into the United States of America, Canada, South Africa, Japan, Australia or any other jurisdiction in which it would be unlawful to do so. This press release is for information purpose only and does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any securities and the offer of the Bonds (as defined below) does not constitute a public offering (other than to qualified investors) in any jurisdiction, including France. The Bonds will be offered only to qualified investors which include, for the purpose of this press release, professional clients and eligible counterparties. The securities may not be offered or sold or otherwise made available to retail investors. No key information document under PRIIPS Regulation has been and will be prepared SOITEC LAUNCHES AN OFFERING OF BONDS CONVERTIBLE INTO AND/OR EXCHANGEABLE FOR NEW AND/OR EXISTING ORDINARY SHARES (OCEANEs) DUE OCTOBER 2025 FOR A NOMINAL AMOUNT OF UP TO APPROXIMATELY 325 MILLION Bernin (Grenoble), France, on September 28, 2020 Soitec (the Company), a world leader in designing and manufacturing innovative semiconductor materials, announces the launch, today, of an offering of bonds convertible into and/or exchangeable for new and/or existing ordinary shares (OCEANEs) due October 1, 2025 (the Bonds), by way of a placement to qualified investors as defined in point (e) of article 2 of the Prospectus Regulation (EU) 2017/1129 (as amended) in accordance with article L.411-2 1 of the French monetary and financial Code (Code monetaire et financier), for a nominal amount of up to approximately 325 million (the Offering). The net proceeds from the Offering will provide additional flexibility both from an operational and strategic standpoint and to fund potential growth opportunities. The Bonds will be issued at par on the Issue Date and will bear no coupon. The nominal value per Bond will be set at a premium of 40% to 50% over Soitec's reference share price1 on the regulated market of Euronext Paris. The final terms and conditions of the Bonds are expected to be announced later today and the settlement and delivery of the Bonds is expected to take place on October 1, 2020 (the Issue Date). Unless previously converted, exchanged, redeemed or purchased and cancelled, the Bonds will be redeemed at par on October 1, 2025 (or on the following business day if this date is not a business day). Soitec will also have the option to deliver new and/or existing ordinary shares in lieu of cash in accordance with the Share Redemption Option (as further described in the terms and conditions of the Bonds). The Bonds may be redeemed prior to maturity at the discretion of the Company, subject to certain conditions. In particular, the Bonds may be redeemed early at Soitecs option as from October 2, 2023 if the arithmetic average of daily products of the volume-weighted average price of Soitecs listed share price on the regulated market of Euronext in Paris and the prevailing conversion/exchange ratio, over a 20-consecutive trading day period among 40 consecutive trading days, exceeds 130% of the nominal value of the Bonds. In the event of a Change of Control of the Issuer, as defined in the terms and conditions of the Bonds, any bondholder may, at its discretion, request the early redemption in cash of all or some only of the Bonds it owns at par. Application will be made for the listing of the Bonds on the Euronext AccessTM of Euronext Paris to occur within 30 days from the Issue Date. BNP Paribas, Credit Agricole Corporate and Investment Bank and J.P. Morgan Securities plc are acting as joint global coordinators and joint bookrunners of the Offering (the "Joint Global Coordinators"). Conversion Right Bondholders will be granted a conversion/exchange right of the OCEANE into new and/or existing ordinary shares which they may exercise at any time from the Issue Date (i.e. October 1, 2020) and up to and including the 7th business day preceding the maturity date or the relevant early redemption date, as the case may be. The conversion/exchange ratio of the Bonds is set at one ordinary share per Bond subject to standard adjustments, including anti-dilution and dividend protections, as described in the terms and conditions of the Bonds. Upon exercise of their conversion/exchange right, bondholders will receive at the option of the Company new and/or existing Company ordinary shares carrying in all cases all rights attached to existing ordinary shares as from the date of delivery. Lock-up In the context of the Offering, the Company will agree to a lock-up undertaking for a period starting from the announcement of the final terms and conditions of the Bonds and ending 90 calendar days after the Issue Date, subject to certain customary exceptions or waiver from the Joint Global Coordinators. Legal framework of the Offering The Bonds will be offered by way of a placement to qualified investors (within the meaning of article 2(e) of Regulation (EU) 2017/1129 (as amended), the Prospectus Regulation) only, in compliance with Article L. 411-2 1 of the French monetary and financial code (Code monetaire et financier), as per the authorization granted by the Companys extraordinary general meeting held on September 23, 2020 (14th resolution), in France and outside France (excluding in particular the United States of America, Canada, Australia, South Africa or Japan). Existing shareholders of the Company shall have no preferential subscription rights, and there will be no priority subscription period, in connection with the issuance of the Bonds or the underlying shares of the Company issued upon conversion. Dilution For illustrative purposes, based on a 325 million Offering, a 122.60 reference share price2 and a 45% conversion premium corresponding to the mid-range of conversion/exchange premium, the potential dilution would represent approximately 5.5% of the outstanding share capital, should the Company decide to exclusively deliver new shares upon full conversion of the Bonds. Available information The Offering of the Bonds is not subject to a prospectus approved by the French Financial Market Authority (Autorite des Marches Financiers) (the AMF). Detailed information on Soitec, including its business, results, prospects, liquidity position and related risk factors are described in the Companys universal registration document (Document denregistrement universel) filed with the AMF on September 2nd, 2020 for the financial year ended March 31, 2020, under number D.20-0782 which is available together with all the press releases and other regulated information about the Company, on Soitec website (www.soitec.com). Important information This press release does not constitute or form part of any offer or solicitation to purchase or subscribe for or to sell securities to any person in the United States of America, Australia, Canada, South Africa or Japan or in any jurisdiction to whom or in which such offer is unlawful, and the Offering of the Bonds is not an offer to the public in any jurisdiction, including France. About Soitec Soitec (Euronext, Tech 40 Paris) is a world leader in designing and manufacturing innovative semiconductor materials. The company uses its unique technologies and semiconductor expertise to serve the electronics markets. With more than 3,300 patents worldwide, Soitecs strategy is based on disruptive innovation to answer its customers needs for high performance, energy efficiency and cost competitiveness. Soitec has manufacturing facilities, R&D centers and offices in Europe, the U.S. and Asia. Soitec and Smart Cut are registered trademarks of Soitec. For more information, please visit www.soitec.com For additional information, please contact: Investor relations Steve Babureck +65 9231 9735 steve.babureck@soitec.com Financial media contact Isabelle Laurent +33 1 53 32 61 51 isabelle.laurent@orpgfinancial.fr Financial media contact Fabrice Baron +33 1 53 32 61 27 fabrice.baron@orpgfinancial.fr DISCLAIMER This press release may not be released, published or distributed, directly or indirectly, in or into the United States of America, Australia, Canada, South Africa or Japan. The distribution of this press release may be restricted by law in certain jurisdictions and persons into whose possession any document or other information referred to herein comes, should inform themselves about and observe any such restriction. Any failure to comply with these restrictions may constitute a violation of the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. No communication or information relating to the offering of the Bonds may be transmitted to the public in a country where there is a registration obligation or where an approval is required. No action has been or will be taken in any country in which such registration or approval would be required. The issuance or the subscription of the Bonds may be subject to legal and regulatory restrictions in certain jurisdictions; none of Soitec and the Joint Global Coordinators assumes any liability in connection with the breach by any person of such restrictions. This press release is an advertisement and not a prospectus within the meaning of Prospectus Regulation (EU) 2017/1129 (as amended the Prospectus Regulation). This press release is not an offer to the public, an offer to subscribe or designed to solicit interest for purposes of an offer to the public other than to qualified investors in any jurisdiction, including France. The Bonds will be offered only by way of a placement in France and outside France (excluding the United States of America, Australia, Canada, South Africa and Japan), solely to qualified investors as defined in point (e) of article 2 of the Prospectus Regulation and pursuant to Article L.411-2 1 of the French monetary and financial code (Code monetaire et financier) and there will be no public offering in any country (including France) in connection with the Bonds, other than to qualified investors. This press release does not constitute a recommendation concerning the issue of the Bonds. The value of the Bonds and the shares can decrease as well as increase. Potential investors should consult a professional adviser as to the suitability of the Bonds for the person concerned. Prohibition of sales to European Economic Area retail investors in the European Economic Area (which, for these purposes, shall include the United Kingdom) No action has been undertaken or will be undertaken to make available any Bonds to any retail investor in the European Economic Area (which, for these purposes, shall include the United Kingdom). For the purposes of this press release, a) the expression retail investor means a person who is one (or more) of the following: a retail client as defined in point (11) of Article 4(1) of Directive 2014/65/EU (as amended, MiFID II); or a customer within the meaning of Directive (EU) 2016/97 (as amended, the Insurance Distribution Directive), where that customer would not qualify as a professional client as defined in point (10) of Article 4(1) of MiFID II; or a person other than a qualified investor as defined in the Prospectus Regulation. b) the expression offer includes the communication in any form and by any means of sufficient information on the terms of the offer and the Bonds to be offered so as to enable an investor to decide to purchase or to subscribe to the Bonds. Consequently no key information document required by Regulation (EU) 1286/2014 (as amended, the PRIIPs Regulation) for offering or selling the Bonds or otherwise making them available to retail investors in the European Economic Area (which, for these purposes, shall include the United Kingdom) has been prepared and therefore offering or selling the Bonds or otherwise making them available to any retail investor in the European Economic Area (which, for these purposes, shall include the United Kingdom) may be unlawful under the PRIIPS Regulation. France The Bonds are not and will not be offered or sold or caused to be offered or sold, directly or indirectly, to the public in France other than to qualified investors. Any offer or sale of the Bonds and distribution of any offering material relating to the Bonds is and will be made in France only to qualified investors as defined in point (e) of article 2 of the Prospectus Regulation and in accordance with Article L.411-2(1) of the French monetary and financial Code (Code monetaire et financier). United Kingdom This press release is addressed and directed only (i) to persons located outside the United Kingdom, (ii) to investment professionals as defined in Article 19(5) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005 (the Order) or (iii) to high net worth companies, and other persons to whom it may lawfully be communicated, falling within Article 49(2) (a) to (d) of the Order (the persons mentioned in paragraphs (i), (ii) and (iii) all deemed relevant persons (Relevant Persons)). The Bonds are only available to Relevant Persons, and any invitation, offer or agreement to subscribe, purchase, or otherwise acquire the Bonds may be addressed and/or concluded only with Relevant Persons. All persons other than Relevant Persons must abstain from using or relying on this document and all information contained therein. This press release is not a prospectus which has been approved by the Financial Conduct Authority or any other United Kingdom regulatory authority for the purposes of Section 85 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000. United States of America This press release may not be released, published or distributed in or into the United States of America (including its territories and dependencies, any State of the United States of America and the District of Columbia). This press release does not constitute or form a part of an offer of securities for sale or of any offer or solicitation to purchase securities in the United States of America. The Bonds and the shares deliverable upon conversion or exchange of the Bonds mentioned herein have not been, and will not be, registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the Securities Act) or the law of any state of the United States of America and may not be offered or sold in the United States of America except pursuant to an exemption from, or a transaction not subject to, the registration requirements of the Securities Act and in compliance with applicable state securities laws. The Bonds are and will be offered or sold only in offshore transactions outside of the United States of America, in accordance with Regulation S of the Securities Act. Soitec does not intend to register any portion of the proposed offering in the United States of America and no public offering will be made in the United States of America. Australia, Canada, South Africa and Japan The Bonds may not and will not be offered, sold or purchased in Australia, Canada, South Africa or Japan. The information contained in this press release does not constitute an offer of securities for sale in Australia, Canada, South Africa or Japan. The distribution of this press release in certain countries may constitute a breach of applicable law. MiFID II Target Market: Professional Investors, Eligible Counterparties and Retail Investors (France only) Solely for the purposes of each manufacturers product approval process, the target market assessment in respect of the Bonds has led to the conclusion that: (i) the target market for the Bonds is French retail investors, eligible counterparties and professional clients, each as defined in MiFID II; and (ii) all channels for distribution of the Bonds to French retail investors, eligible counterparties and professional clients are appropriate. Any person subsequently offering, selling or recommending the Bonds (a distributor) should take into consideration the manufacturers target market assessment; however, a distributor subject to MiFID II is responsible for undertaking its own target market assessment in respect of the Bonds (by either adopting or refining the manufacturers target market assessment) and determining appropriate distribution channels. However, the Bonds will not be offered or sold to French retail investors for the purpose of this offering. 1 The reference share price will be equal to the volume-weighted average price (VWAP) of Soitec's shares recorded on the regulated market of Euronext Paris from launch of the Offering on 28 September 2020 until the determination of the final terms (pricing) of the Bonds on the same day. 2 i.e. Soitecs share price on Euronext Paris, at close of trading on September 25, 2020. Attachment QUEBEC CITY, July 7, 2021 /CNW Telbec/ - The most recent data on the evolution of COVID-19, in the last 24 hours, in Quebec show: 103 new cases, bringing the total number of people infected to 375,365; 363,415 people have recovered; 1 new death, for total of deaths of 11,219: 103 hospitalizations, for an increase of 1; 25 people in intensive care, for a decrease of 2; 17,226 samples conducted on July 5. Vaccination 106,467 doses administered are added, that is 104,751 doses in the last 24 hours and 1,716 doses before July 6, for a total of 8,964,394 doses administered in Quebec. Outside Quebec, a total of 25,327 doses were administered, for a cumulative total of 8,989,721 doses received by Quebecers. 11,311,605 doses received in total. the remaining 18,720 doses of the 203,580 Pfizer doses expected this week were received yesterday, completing the delivery. Please note that as of next Monday, the summary table will be removed from the balance sheet press release. However, a summary table will be published on Mondays and upon return from statutory holidays, specifically to present the data for the previous days. However, those who wish to follow the evolution of the data on a daily basis can do so by consulting open data or the INSPQ website at https://www.donneesquebec.ca/ or at https://www.inspq.qc.ca/covid-19/donnees. Summary Data Evolution Table1 Date Confirmed cases Deaths2 Hospitalizations Hospitalizations in intensive care Tests performed Administered doses of vaccine3 June 30 93 0 113 (-4) 34 (-1) 17,464 125,849 July 1 69 1 110 (-3) 34 13,582 92,014 July 2 72 1 NA NA 13,972 106,941 July 3 55 0 NA NA 12,171 83,068 July 4 49 0 102 (- 8 since July 1) 27 (-7 since July 1) 11,843 72,008 July 5 67 0 102 27 17,226 97,311 July 6 103 1 103 (+1) 25 (-2) NA 104,751 1 Note that the majority of data are presented according to the day they were entered. They are extracted at 4 p.m. at the date shown and cover the preceding 24 hours. However, the availability of the data on samples involves an additional delay of 24 hours and these correspond to the number of samples taken on the date shown. Story continues 2 It should also be noted that the data prior to those of the last 24 hours presented in the column Deaths have been adjusted according to the actual dates of death. This explains the variation of some data compared to those presented in previous press releases. The daily death toll is influenced by the time required for the physician to report the death, the time required to complete the investigation to confirm that the death was attributable to COVID-19, and the entry into the system. 3 Note that the number of doses administered may be subject to daily readjustment for the previous days, due to catching up due to a delay in data entry. A reminder concerning public health instructions: To limit the spread of the coronavirus as much as possible, it is important to follow basic preventive measures such as hand washing, physical distancing, wearing a face covering and following the instructions in effect in your region. Remember that in the event of symptoms, it is always essential to isolate yourself and consult one of the self-care guides or call 1-877-644-4545 (or the telephone code corresponding to the region concerned) to find out the measures to be taken. Related links: SOURCE Ministere de la Sante et des Services sociaux Cision View original content: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/July2021/07/c8754.html Police, community members and others meet near the Columbia Heights Metro Station to discuss recent shootings and other crime in the area on Jan. 20. (Matt McClain/The Post) Residents, who on Thursday toured the area with D.C. police and city leaders, say shootings have made them feel unsafe in their neighborhood. OTTAWA - The federal information czar says the shift to doing government work at home is underscoring a need to ensure decisions are properly documented. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 28/9/2020 (480 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Clouds pass by the parliament buildings Wednesday August 19, 2020 in Ottawa. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld OTTAWA - The federal information czar says the shift to doing government work at home is underscoring a need to ensure decisions are properly documented. Information commissioner Caroline Maynard is concerned the use of instant messaging, email and team-sharing tools might mean some communications slip though the digital cracks. Maynard is an ombudsman for users of the Access to Information Act, which allows people who pay $5 to request government records ranging from briefing notes to meeting minutes. However, the law doesn't require federal agencies to create records, only to provide what they have. During a panel discussion on International Right to Know Day, Maynard noted commissioners have been pressing the government to usher in a formal duty to document its decisions. The idea has resurfaced as a result of the move to makeshift work arrangements during the pandemic, she said Monday during the virtual discussion, organized by the Public Service Information Community Connection. Maynard said her investigators are looking into cases in which people are seeking federal information shared through online discussions. Unlike the days when notes might have been written on paper, it means asking new questions. "Is it being videotaped? Is it being recorded somehow? Is somebody taking minutes?" Maynard said. "We're raising this with institutions, too. If you are going to be using these tools, and it's going to help you do your work from home, make sure that you are still following and meeting your obligations under the act, which is having some kind of record of what's being decided, what's being discussed. So that if somebody makes an access request, it can be accessible." Some federal agencies have used the disruption of the pandemic "as an excuse" not to fulfil their obligations to requesters under the access law, Maynard said. "A few institutions actually completely closed their office and were not able to answer requests." Jen Zoratti | Next A weekly look towards a post-pandemic future delivered to your inbox every Wednesday. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. This has forced Maynard to remind federal agencies that nothing in the federal law allows the provisions to simply be placed on hold. Several organizations, including the Canadian Association of Journalists, the Halifax-based Centre for Law and Democracy, Transparency International and Access Info Europe, marked Right to Know Day by calling on governments to ensure COVID-19 is not a pretext for limiting access to records. "Legal and practical processes for accessing information should now be restored to pre-pandemic levels and even improved upon." The transparent and timely sharing of information with the public is crucial for protecting public health, preventing corruption, safeguarding democratic institutions and improving policy- and decision-making, the statement added. "While many governments have found ways to return to normal operations despite challenges created by the pandemic, freedom of information requests continue to be delayed or refused." This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 28, 2020. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 29) - President Rodrigo Duterte said on Monday that he wants a dialogue with social media giant Facebook after it recently shut down pages linked to the state forces that were found spreading misinformation. You cannot lay down a policy for my government. I allow you to operate here. You cannot bar or prevent me from espousing the objectives of the government, said Duterte in a late-night address. Facebook removed last week 57 accounts, 31 pages, and 20 Instagram accounts linked to the police and military for coordinated inauthentic behavior. However, the government forces denied having a hand on the supposed fake accounts and pages. We allow you to operate here, hoping that you could help us also, said Duterte. Now, if you cannot advocate something which is [for] the good of the people, then what is your purpose here in the country? Duterte pointed out that it is his job to protect the interests of the government. If you cannot help me protect government interest, then let us talk, he said. The President also accused the social media platform of enabling rebellion after the shutdown of the fake accounts. If you are promoting the cause of the rebellion, which was already here before you came, and thousands of my soldiers and civilians dying, said Duterte. Then if you cannot reconcile the idea of what your purpose is or was, then we have to talk. Is there life after Facebook? I dont know, warned Duterte. Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said that supporters of Duterte would likely look for other platforms after the shutdown of the said fake accounts. In 2018, Facebook also took down hundreds of pages - including pro-Duterte pages - that were found posting spam or irrelevant content. Located in Plano, TX, TMGcore is competing in the Space Asset Resiliency Challenge alongside a diverse group of teams that represent entrepreneurial startups, small businesses, large enterprises, academic institutions and research labs. "The solutions submitted for these space challenges represent the bleeding edge of space innovation," stated Brennan Townley, AFWERX Challenge Collaboration Lead. "We're excited to highlight these innovators and connect them with opportunities across the Space ecosystem." The Space Asset Resiliency Challenge strives to increase the longevity of our space assets by increasing their durability against the unique space environment and enemy threats. TMGcore submitted its OTTO robotic and autonomous data center platform with enabled high-speed layer 2 SD-WAN Broadband infrastructure & encryption. The TMGcore submission includes building out a global network of ground-based systems that will interconnect into OTTO AI enabled space assets and ultimately connect land, air, and space. The EngageSpace event will feature highly engaging opportunities to connect, educate and innovate with other like-minded attendees, industry leaders, individual innovators, academia, investors, as well as military and government leaders. The entire event is designed to transform and accelerate the industry, and enable government buyers to pursue the most promising innovative solutions to the most pressing and threatening Space scenarios. Register for the EngageSpace event by visiting https://engage.space "We here at TMGcore are Honored to have been selected by the AFWERX organization to support American Interests both on the ground and in Space. The TMGcore organization takes its responsibility of developing and providing American innovation to our Armed Forces seriously and is an important part of our culture." -JD Enright, CEO About TMGcore TMGcore is a U.S.-based provider of data center solutions and manufacturer of data center hardware committed to building innovative solutions that solve and mitigate the industry's most pressing challenges. With its flagship solution, OTTO, TMGcore has balanced the demands of data processing while reducing operating costs and environmental impact. The data center platform is a tenth of the size of a traditional data center platform, offers zero water waste and reduces operational costs by an average of 70 percent while reducing the amount of energy used for cooling by 80 percent and redirecting this power toward a productive IT Load. For more information, visit www.tmgcore.com. ABOUT AFWERX Established in 2017, AFWERX is a product of the U.S. Air Force, directly envisioned by former Secretary of the Air Force Heather Wilson. Her vision of AFWERX to solve some of the toughest challenges that the Air Force faces through innovation and collaboration amongst our nation's top subject matter experts. AFWERX serves as a catalyst to unleash new approaches for the warfighter through a growing ecosystem of innovators. AFWERX and the U.S. Air Force are committed to exploring viable solutions and partnerships to further strengthen the Air Force, which could lead to additional prototyping, R&D, and follow-on production contracts. Fast Company named AFWERX Best Workplaces for Innovators on the 2020 List, honoring the top 100 businesses and organizations that demonstrate a deep commitment to encouraging innovation at all levels. AFWERX, U.S. Air Force's innovation arm and catalyst for fostering innovation within the Air Force, came in at #16 ranking in the top 20 alongside brands such as Microsoft, Google, and Amazon. Preview the live announcement with Stephanie Mehta, Editor-in-Chief of Fast Company, unveiled during the AFWERX Fusion 2020 Base of the Future Event & Showcase. SOURCE TMGcore Related Links www.tmgcore.com MANAMA The Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry invites its distinguished members and employees and all those interested to participate in a virtual workshop organized in cooperation with the Bahrain Institute for Banking and Financial Studies on The Basic Methods for Effective International Trade on Tuesday, September 30, 2020, at 10:30, am, via the Zoom app. The workshop will focus on the basic skills of business owners to enter foreign markets and expand their businesses, as the workshop will address a number of axes, including how to identify promising export markets, formulate an export strategy, contracts, and documents related to international trade, requirements for insurance and financing, analyze a trade map and evaluate Risks. In this regard, the Chamber invites all concerned and business owners to participate in this important workshop, which is organized with the aim of encouraging business owners to diversify their businesses and explore more opportunities in promising foreign markets in order to support the continuity and growth of their business in light of the current challenges and economic fluctuations and increase competitiveness. It is worth noting that the workshop, which will be held in English, will be spoken by Dr. Jitra Suresh, a senior lecturer at the Banking Services Center at the Bahrain Institute for Banking and Financial Studies, and those wishing to participate in this workshop must fill out the registration form via the Chamber's official website or via the phone application. On September 27, 2020, the dictatorial regime of Azerbaijan launched a large-scale attack along the entire line of contact of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) using heavy artillery, tanks, aircraft and missiles. The Constructive Dialogue Network of Armenian CSOs has noted this in a statement. Towns and villages in Artsakh are being bombed, including the capital city of Stepanakert, as well as the border of Armenia in the direction of the town of Vardenis. Azerbaijan specifically targets the civilian population in gross violation of international humanitarian law and with absolute disregard for the call by the UN Secretary General for a worldwide ceasefire given the COVID-19 pandemic. There are already over a hundred wounded and over a dozen people were killed among the military and civilian population in Artsakh (Nagorno Karabakh), including at least one child. This attack is unprecedented in the size and scope of the military arsenal engaged. There is clear evidence that it was prepared in advance and with the apparent support of the Turkish regime. We believe that if the international community does not react in a timely and appropriate manner, the military operations may expand beyond the conflict zone, resulting in serious atrocities and a humanitarian crisis in the region, exacerbated by the situation related to the coronavirus outbreak. We are determined to support all efforts to address the challenges to human rights, peace, and security in the region. The Armenian civil society strongly condemns the aggression by the Azerbaijani regime and appeals to the international community, international organizations - the UN, the Council of Europe, the European Union, the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs - to take urgent and effective measures to end the Azerbaijani regime aggression and to resume negotiations for peaceful resolution of the conflict, the statement also reads. Diane Kruger and Norman Reedus rarely post photos of their one-and-a-half-year-old daughter to social media. But the Hollywood couple has been enjoying plenty of quality family time with their little girl during quarantine. They gave a rare glimpse at the cute toddler Sunday, as they took to Instagram to praise their bundle of joy in some belated National Daughters Day posts, after missing the holiday on Friday. Proud parents: Diane Kruger and Norman Reedus gave a rare glimpse at their daughter Sunday, as they took to Instagram to praise their bundle of joy in some belated National Daughters Day posts (pictured in April, 2016) National Daughters Day: Kruger, 44, shared an adorable photo of the blondie in a leopard-print dress, as she carried her stuffed Minnie Mouse out the front door Kruger, 44, shared an adorable photo of the blondie in a leopard-print dress, as she carried her stuffed Minnie Mouse out the front door. She captioned the snap: 'How did I miss that it was #nationaldaughtersday yesterday? My little girl, you are my light not just today but every day, the best thing Ive ever done, my greatest accomplishment.' The National Treasure actress added: 'Keep finding your way and please grow out this molar already so I can sleep at night again.' Reedus, 51, popped up in the comments section to write 'My 2 angels' with two red heart emojis. Sweet: The parents gushed about their baby girl Daddy's girl: Reedus, 51, previously posted a video Saturday of the toddler painting at her easel, before letting out a scream New addition: The Boondock Saints star and Kruger welcomed their daughter back in November of 2018, after they starred together in the 2015 film Sky and began dating the next year Sweet digs: Reedus and his German model/actress girlfriend dropped $8.5million on a 1920s villa in the Hollywood Hills back in March He previously posted a video Saturday of the toddler painting at her easel, before letting out a scream, as he wrote: '#daughteralldayevryday' The Boondock Saints star and Kruger welcomed their daughter back in November of 2018, after they starred together in the 2015 film Sky and began dating the next year. He also shares son Mingus Lucien, 20, with Victoria's Secret Angel and Nylon co-founder Helena Christensen, 51, whom he dated from 1998 to 2003. Reedus and his German model/actress girlfriend dropped $8.5million on a 1920s villa in the Hollywood Hills back in March. The 7,732-square-foot, four bedroom mansion sounds like the perfect place to raise their daughter. Yoga instructor Sylvia Granato of Hammonton, N.J., warms up as she waits for a student at Belmont Plateau in Philadelphia's West Fairmount Park on Friday, Sept. 18, 2020. Granato, who teaches at Your Space Yoga Studio in Hammonton, also travels around the region with her portable trapeze stand to give yoga trapeze lessons. She said the coronavirus pandemic has increased demand for outdoor sessions. Read more The government will definitely be weighing all its options before deciding whether or not to contest the Vodafone arbitration award, but it is open to contesting. "It won't be proper to say anything right now as we are still studying the judgement. But we are keeping all options open right now," a senior government official said. British telecom major Vodafone won the case against India over a retrospective tax demand. The Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) at The Hague ruled that the conduct of India's tax department is in breach of "fair and equitable" treatment. The telco had moved the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in 2016 due to a lack of consensus between the parties' arbitrators in finalising a judge for the tax dispute. Vodafone challenged India's use of a 2012 legislation that gave it powers to retrospectively tax deals like Vodafone's $11 billion acquisition of a 67 percent stake in the mobile phone business owned by Hutchison Whampoa in 2007. This tax law had been enacted by India with retrospective effect, thereby sidestepping a Supreme Court judgement that went in the company's favour. The telco challenged India's demand of Rs 7,990 crore in capital gains taxes (Rs 22,100 crore after including interest and penalty) under the Netherlands-India Bilateral Investment Treaty (BIT). "Since the Supreme Court had earlier already given a judgement favouring Vodafone, legal options within India is now exhausted," Sandeep Jhunjhunwala, partner at Nangia Andersen LLP, a tax consultancy firm, said. The BIT covers any disputes relating to investment, including taxations matters and the government in the past has challenged the global awards. "The Indian Government has the option of invoking legal remedies before appropriate fora, including moving to the High Court of Singapore, pleading it to set aside the arbitral award pronounced by the Permanent Court of Arbitration at the Hague, given that the seat of arbitration as per India-Netherlands BIT is Singapore," Jhunjhunwala said. Given the fast moving wheel of foreign direct investment influx into India, there is a need to constantly showcase India as a business friendly destination to global investors and the move by the government would be an important signal in that direction, he added. "Our commitment has always been to ease of doing business in India and the government would remain committed to it. But what must also be understood is that the laws and claims made by a sovereign is debated and passed by its highest institutions. That sanctity is also valid," the government official quoted above said. DALLAS A major U.S. provider of software services to state and local governments acknowledged Friday that it was hit by a ransomware attack two days after telling clients an unknown intruder had compromised its phone and information technology systems. Tyler Technologies said in a statement that it confirmed the intruder used ransomware but did not provide further details on its response, citing an ongoing investigation. A spokesperson for the Dallas-area company did not directly answer a question about whether it paid to have its systems unlocked. Ransomware purveyors are increasingly breaking into company and government networks and siphoning out valuable data before scrambling them and demanding payouts. They threaten to make the stolen data public if the victim doesnt pay up. Tyler, which is a publicly traded S&P 500 company, informed clients across the country Wednesday about the data breach, but said the impact appeared limited and that there was no reason to believe its customers were affected. The company said it brought in outside information technology experts and informed law enforcement. The FBI has declined to comment on the breach. Tyler provides software services to local and state governments across the country for everything from jail and court management systems to payroll, human resources, tax and bill collection, and land records. Some governments also use one of its platforms to post election data online, although that use appears limited and Tyler has said data for that software is hosted on Amazon Web Services, not the network that was hacked. Cybersecurity experts say voter registration databases are particularly sensitive. Voting could be seriously disrupted if voter records were altered or deleted. Malware attacks are often not detected for months, and experts warn that gives hackers plenty of time to hop on to connected networks and surreptitiously prepare disruptive attacks. Dan Wallach, a Rice University computer scientist, said the attack on Tyler gets the hackers adjacent to sensitive election materials. The idea is that you first establish a beachhead, then spread out laterally and dig in, Wallach told The Associated Press. The hack follows other ransomware attacks on parts of the Texas courts system and the state Transportation Department. More than 20 local governments in the state were hit by similar hacks in 2019. Brett Callow, an analyst with the cybersecurity firm Emsisoft, previously said Tyler may have been hit with the same ransomware that struck the Texas Department of Transportation, based on an encrypted file uploaded to the Google-owned malware identification service VirusTotal in June that included tylertech in the file name. About the photo: The sign for Tyler Technologies is seen outside the companys offices, Thursday, Sept. 24, 2020, in Plano, Texas. (AP Photo/LM Otero) Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Most prominently, a win in Nebraskas Second would give Mr. Biden exactly 270 electoral votes, the number needed to win, if he held the states carried by Mrs. Clinton and flipped Arizona, Wisconsin and Michigan. It would allow Mr. Biden to win the presidency without Pennsylvania or Florida. The scenario is unlikely but not far-fetched. Polls show Mr. Biden consistently and comfortably ahead in Wisconsin and Michigan, but often locked in a tight race in Florida or Pennsylvania. Polls have split over whether Mr. Biden enjoys a significant lead in Arizona, but if he does, Nebraskas Second would be part of a straightforward path to the presidency. In other scenarios, a Biden win in Nebraskas Second could force a 269-269 tie in the Electoral College and send the race to the House of Representatives. Mr. Trump would still be favored in the event of an electoral tie, despite Democratic control of the House, because each state congressional delegation receives one vote, and Republicans are expected to win more state congressional delegations than Democrats. Perhaps the most prominent scenario for an electoral tie: if Mr. Biden holds the states carried by Mrs. Clinton and flips Pennsylvania and Michigan, giving him 268 electoral votes, before Nebraskas Second gives Mr. Biden 269. Like Nebraska, Maine also awards its electoral votes by congressional district, and Mr. Biden appears to have another opportunity to win an extra electoral vote in the states Second Congressional District. Mr. Biden has generally led in polls of the district this month, including a two-point lead in a Times/Siena poll two weeks ago. The district voted overwhelmingly for Mr. Trump four years ago, and a Biden win in the district could resolve several otherwise tied elections in his favor. Mr. Bidens opening in Nebraskas Second may not necessarily assure victory for Democrats down-ballot in a traditionally Republican area. Nebraskas Second was the rare district where Republicans survived the so-called blue wave in the 2018 midterm elections, perhaps in part because Democrats selected a progressive nominee who did not receive significant national assistance. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-28 00:35:12|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close JERUSALEM, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) -- Israel decided to halt on Sunday afternoon the marking of the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, Yom Kippur, under a nationwide lockdown to battle the resurgence of COVID-19. Yom Kippur, the Jewish Day of Atonement, began on Sunday at dusk and will end on Monday at nightfall. For Jews, Yom Kippur is a time for reflection and repenting. Jews traditionally fast on this day and hold intense services in synagogues. Restaurants, cafes, cinemas, public institutions and transportation are all shut down. As required by law, radio or TV stations stop broadcasting. This year, Yom Kippur comes during a three-week nationwide lockdown to halt a renewed COVID-19 outbreak, the second such lockdown in a bid to curb the rapid spread of the virus. Under the rules of the current lockdown, Israelis are only permitted to pray in open areas in the vicinity of their homes in groups of no more than 20 people. However, after pressures by the ultra-Orthodox parties in the parliament, the cabinet decided that synagogues could stay open for limited prayers with social distancing on Yom Kippur. The decision was made despite warnings from health experts, who said the move could lead to further infections. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urged Israelis to avoid the traditional big gatherings in synagogues during Yom Kippur. "Whoever does enter a synagogue should be extra careful regarding the Health Ministry rules." Netanyahu asked rabbis to tell the worshipers "to strictly follow the rules, wear masks, maintain social distancing and pray in open areas as much as possible." In an address to the nation, Israeli President Reuven Rivlin called on people to light a candle in memory of the Israelis who have died from COVID-19. "They were all loved, all known, all had names and faces," Rivlin said. "May we be forgiven for the sin of weakness and inability, for not doing enough, for not managing to save them. Because of that, lives were lost." Enditem Donald Trump has increased his demands Joe Biden take a drug test ahead of their first presidential debate on Tuesday night while the Democratic nominee is studying briefing books to prepare for their first showdown. The debate marks the first joint, face-to-face appearance for the two candidates during this election year. It's unclear how much of an effect the debate will have on the presidential race in this unusual year where the coronavirus has upended traditional campaigning. Ahead of their show down, hosted by Case Western Reserve University and Cleveland Clinic, the two candidates took different approaches to their preparations. President Donald Trump (left) has been preparing for Tuesday night's debate with Chris Christie and Rudy Giuliani while Joe Biden (right) has held mock sessions and read briefing books The debate stage is being prepared in Cleveland where the two candidates will meet face-to-face for the first time this presidential year Stand in rehearse on stage for Tuesday night's first president debate at Case Western Reserve University and the Cleveland Clinic President Trump has insisted repeatedly - and without proof - that Biden took performance enhancement drugs ahead of the Democratic debates Mounted police patrol around the Samson Pavilion as workers prepare for the first presidential debate Biden is buckled down in Wilmington, holding mock sessions with his staff and practicing keeping calm during any zingers that might be thrown at him. Trump is at the White House, where he spent Monday talking about manufacturing and the coronavirus pandemic at two separate events. The president has insisted repeatedly - and without proof - that Biden took performance enhancement drugs ahead of the Democratic debates. He's challenged him to take a drug test ahead of their debate here while offering to take one himself. 'Joe Biden just announced that he will not agree to a Drug Test. Gee, I wonder why?,' Trump tweeted Monday morning. And the president said during a press conference at the White House on Sunday that he wasn't joking. 'No, I'm not joking. I mean, I'm willing to take a drug test. I think he should too,' he said. On Sunday, when asked by reporters if he would take a drug test, Biden replied: 'No, I have no comment. And his campaign put out a statement saying if Trump 'thinks his best case is made in urine, he can have it.' Biden 'intends to deliver his debate answers in words. If the president thinks his best case is made in urine he can have at it,' the campaign said. 'We'd expect nothing less from Donald Trump, who pissed away the chance to protect the lives of 200,000 Americans when he didn't make a plan to stop COVID-19.' The candidates will not shake hands when they take the stage at 9 pm ET on Tuesday night. There will be no opening statements and the first question will go to Trump. There will be a 'small' audience in the room, all of whom will be tested for COVID, according to Peter Ayre, senior adviser to the Commission on Presidential Debates. The 90-minute debate will be divided into six segments, selected by Fox News' Chris Wallace, who is moderating: the pandemic, the economy, the Supreme Court, election integrity, the candidates' records, and 'race and violence in our cities.' A report from the New York Times on Sunday that revealed Trump paid $750 in income tax in 2016 also will likely come up. Preparations are underway in Cleveland with barricades going up on Euclid Avenue in front of the building where the debate will take place. Military trucks have arrived on the scene and there is a heavy police presence on the Cleveland Clinic campus where the two candidates will meet. Overhead on Monday a small plane circled the area with a 'Black Lives Matter' sign. Once on stage Tuesday night, neither the candidates nor the moderator will wear masks. It's unclear, however, if Biden will come out wearing one. The former vice president has been cautious in his public outings, limiting the crowd size and making sure white circles on the ground keep attendees socially distanced. He is often masked when outside. The first debate will be 90 minutes long with no commercials and start at 9 pm ET Technicians run tests ahead of Tuesday night's debate The Samson Pavilion on the main campus of the Cleveland Clinic, where the debate takes place Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani - seen at Donald Trump's White House press conference on Sunday - are helping the president prep for the debate Biden is rehearsing and studying his briefing books - in their Arial typeface, 14 point type. Bob Bauer, a senior Biden adviser and former White House general counsel, is playing the role of Trump, according to The New York Times. Trump is weighing trying to bait his rival with talking about his son Hunter Biden's business dealings - a popular applause with his supporters on the campaign trail - and mentioning Tara Reade, who accused Biden of sexual assault in the 1970s when she worked in his office, which he has denied. Biden is practicing keeping his temper and not being defensive. 'I hope I don't get baited into getting into a brawl with this guy,' he told donors at a fund-raiser earlier this month. His wife Jill Biden said he will be ready. 'Oh, my gosh, yes, he's ready. You know, one of the things I am excited for is, when the American people see Joe Biden up there on that stage, they're going to see what a president looks like, someone who is, like I'm saying, calm, steady, strong, resilient. It's like night and day between the two candidates,' she told CNN's 'State of the Union' on Sunday. The 90-minute debate will be divided into six segments, selected by Fox News' Chris Wallace, who is moderating: the pandemic, the economy, the Supreme Court, election integrity, the candidates' records, and 'race and violence in our cities' She will be with her husband on Tuesday night and the two will leave on a bus tour of Ohio and Pennsylvania on Wednesday. Trump, meanwhile, said on Sunday he is getting help from former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani. 'I would say maybe a combination of these two. And either one of them is about five times smarter than Sleepy Joe,' he said. Melania Trump will join him in Cleveland as will his oldest daughter Ivanka, who has been a surrogate for the campaign, will be at the debate. The president also brushed off questions about whether he is engaged in formal debate prep, saying he debates every day. 'What I do is debate prep every day. I'm taking questions from you people all the time,' he told reporters. 'I mean, I've taken a lot of questions from you over the last number of years, and he doesn't.' He added: 'I'm running a country.' KNOXVILLE, Tenn., Sept. 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Author Jim Santos is touching the hearts of his readers in his book, "An Uphill Climb Survivor's Guilt and the Inca Trail". Already a successful author in the travel and retirement fields, Mr. Santos has written a brutally honest and personal account of two very serious issues; the Survivor's Guilt felt by the surviving spouse of a cancer victim, and the long-term effect of childhood abuse. These events left him unsure of his own worth as a person, and led ultimately to years of depression and weight gain. An Uphill Climb - Survivor's Guilt and the Inca TRail To tackle these sensitive subjects, the author divided the book into two sections. The first moves back and forth in time, weaving together the background using a journal of the first few months following the death of his first wife, present day reflections on surviving his childhood trauma, and the diary of his attempt to overcome his past by getting in shape to hike the 26-mile Inca Trail to Machu Picchu. The second part of the book is the day-by-day struggle of the hike itself. Despite the difficult themes, the book contains lighter moments and even humor in an emotional journey every bit as filled with ups and downs as the Inca Trail, just to get to that first checkpoint at Kilometer 82 in Piskacucho, Peru. Reader reviews have been excellent, with comments including "rich and soulful documentation of one man's journey towards healing", "an incredible and inspiring story", and "a guide to help you open your mind, release an inner demon or two, and share tears, laughter, beauty, and the frailty of self-growth." Available at https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08DDGZQKJ for Kindle and Paperback. About the Author: Jim Santos has published over 200 articles about life in Ecuador and travel to other locations around the world for the Wall Street Journal, Huffington Post, and various International Living magazines, e-newsletters, and web site content. In addition to "An Uphill Climb: Survivor's Guilt and the Inca Trail" and "The Galapagos Islands: On Your Own and On a Budget" he is the author of "Ecuador Scouting Trip Itineraries and Travel Guide: An International Living Report". His blog site (http://jimsantosblog.com) recently surpassed the 100,000 readers mark. For more information or to acquire a Reviewer's Copy, contact Jim Santos at 865-283-0729 or [email protected] Contact: Jim Santos Phone: 865-283-0729 Email: [email protected] SOURCE Jim Santos Maria Malveiro, 19, and her nurse lover Mariana Fonseca, 23, will stand trial Allegedly chopped off Diogo Goncalves's fingers to access his bank account They kept some of his dismembered body parts in cars before dumping them Head, forearms, hands and feet were dumped close to Algarve town of Tavira Torso was thrown into sea from cliffs in Algarve town of Sagres one day earlier Two lesbian lovers are accused of killing and dismembering a hotel worker and keeping his torso, head, forearms, hands and feet for several days. Maria Malveiro, 19, and her nurse lover Mariana Fonseca, 23, allegedly chopped off Diogo Goncalves's fingers to access his bank account from his mobile using his prints and steal a 60,000 inheritance, local media reports. ADVERTISEMENT They then kept his dismembered body parts in two cars - including Mr Fonseca's own Mercedes - before allegedly dumping his head, forearms, hands and feet by Pego do Inferno waterfall close to the Algarve town of Tavira in Portugal. His torso was thrown into the sea from cliffs in the Algarve town of Sagres one day earlier. Gruesome details about the 21-year-old's murder and the disposal of his body parts - which was inspired by US police series Dexter starring Michael C. Hall - emerged today as prosecutors prepared to put the women on trial. Maria Malveiro, 19, (pictured) and her nurse lover Mariana Fonseca, 23, allegedly chopped off Diogo Goncalves's fingers to access his bank account from his mobile using his prints and steal a 60,000 inheritance, local media reports Mariana Fonseca, 23, and her lover is accused of killing and dismembering a hotel worker and keeping his torso, head, forearms, hands and feet for several days Mr Fonseca was strangled to death on March 18 but the women allegedly threw his torso into the sea four days later. They used a print from a finger they had cut on his right hand to access his mobile and transfer the cash, and waited another 24 hours to dump the rest of his body. They then kept Mr Fonseca's (pictured) dismembered body parts in two cars - including his own Mercedes - before allegedly dumping his head, forearms, hands and feet by Pego do Inferno waterfall close to the Algarve town of Tavira in Portugal The indictment says they spent the three days between March 20 and 23 sending messages from his Facebook account to fool colleagues and friends into believing he was still alive. They will be tried for a string of crimes including murder, desecrating a body, computer fraud and using a stolen vehicle. Portuguese daily Jornal de Noticias reported Malveiro took advantage of the fact she knew Mr Fonseca 'fancied' her to give him an orange juice laced with sedative Diazepam after promising him a lap dance at his home and tying him to a chair before strangling him and dismembering him with her nurse lover. ADVERTISEMENT Reports at the time claimed the women allegedly tried to make it look as if he had killed himself by leaving the car overlooking the sea in Cape St Vincent in Sagres. They said investigators suspected the pair slipped up after throwing the torso from a clifftop fort near stunning Beliche Beach. It didn't 'land' in the water and left vital clues after it ended up on dry land. Gruesome details about the 21-year-old's murder and the disposal of his body parts - which was inspired by US police series Dexter starring Michael C. Hall (file image, pictured) - emerged today as prosecutors prepared to put the women on trial Click here to resize this module Portuguese daily Jornal de Noticias reported Malveiro (pictured) took advantage of the fact she knew Mr Fonseca 'fancied' her Malviero (pictured) gave him an orange juice laced with sedative Diazepam after promising him a lap dance at his home and tying him to a chair before strangling him and dismembering him with her nurse lover Mr Fonseca (pictured) was strangled to death on March 18 but the woman allegedly threw his torso into the sea four days later A Policia Judiciaria spokesman said in a statement after their arrests: 'The PJ has identified and arrested two women on suspicion of a crime of murder and profanation of a body. 'The crimes occurred in the Algarve region between March 20 and 25. 'The victim, a Portuguese citizen aged 21 who lived on the Algarve, was dismembered and parts of his body have been found in the areas of Sagres and Tavira. 'The police investigation sparked by the appearance of the body parts in the Tavira area led to the obtention of important evidence and the identification and arrest of the suspects. 'The detainees are aged 19 and 23 and have a clean criminal record.' ADVERTISEMENT The murder victim had received his inheritance after his mum was run over in July 2016 in Guia near Albufeira. New Delhi, Sep 28 : The Supreme Court on Monday observed that it is the bar associations' primary responsibility to fund deserving lawyers amid the Covid-19 pandemic. Noting that the Centre has to spend on a lot of people, yet has been asked to examine the possibility of a contingency fund, the court also queried if it is possible to find real and deserving lawyers for any financial aid scheme against the backdrop of the ongoing pandemic. A bench headed by Chief Justice S.A. Bobde and comprising Justices A.S. Bopanna and V. Ramasubramanian, while hearing the suo moto case on providing financial aid to lawyers amid the pandemic, said the court finds the response from the bar associations inadequate and cited that these bodies are connected to rich business houses. "We have asked the Centre but shouldn't the major part of the funding be from the bar associations? We feel it is their primary responsibility... Centre has to spend on a lot of people," it observed. The top court observed that all bar associations have suggested that the Centre should set up a contingency fund to provide interest-free loans for the lawyers struggling to meet ends. However, the bench said if an advocate's income has been reduced to zero due to the pandemic, then it is not an issue. But, can a lawyer, who is not practising, become eligible for this aid, it queried. "The pandemic cannot become a boon for them," said the bench, citing that such a decision has to be taken carefully. Noting that there is a possibility that real and deserving lawyers may be left out, especially against the backdrop of the power structure, the bench reiterated that it is essential to identify the lawyers who really need such aid and sought assistance of senior advocate Shekhar Naphade in the matter. Senior advocate Ajit Kumar submitted before that though few state governments have created a fund, these are running dry now, after supporting the lawyers from the beginning of the pandemic. The bench will hear the matter after two weeks and it will examine the replies from various state-level bar associations. In July, the top court had issued notice on a plea during the hearing of petitions seeking interest-free loans for lawyers amid Covid-19. Technavio has been monitoring the commercial aviation and military headset market and it is poised to grow by USD 240.96 million during 2020-2024, progressing at a CAGR of over 4% during the forecast period. The report offers an up-to-date analysis regarding the current market scenario, latest trends and drivers, and the overall market environment. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200928005455/en/ Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Global Commercial Aviation and Military Headset Market 2020-2024 (Photo: Business Wire). Although the COVID-19 pandemic continues to transform the growth of various industries, the immediate impact of the outbreak is varied. While a few industries will register a drop in demand, numerous others will continue to remain unscathed and show promising growth opportunities. Technavio's in-depth research has all your needs covered as our research reports include all foreseeable market scenarios, including pre- post-COVID-19 analysis. Download a Free Sample Report on COVID-19 Impacts Frequently Asked Questions- Based on segmentation by application, which is the leading segment in the market? The military headset is expected to be the leading segment in the global market during the forecast period. What are the major trends in the market? Advent of bone conduction communication systems is one of the major trends in the market. At what rate is the market projected to grow? Growing at a CAGR of over 4%, the incremental growth of the market is anticipated to be USD 240.96 million. Who are the top players in the market? Bose Corp., David Clark Co. Inc., Flightcom Corp., INVISIO AB, Lightspeed Aviation, Plantronics Inc., Robert Bosch GmbH, Safariland LLC, Savox Communications, and Sonova Holding AG are some of the major market participants. What are the key market drivers and challenges? Changing nature of warfare is one of the major factors driving the market. However, the concerns related to the durability of headsets restraints the market growth. How big is the APAC market? The APAC region will contribute 32% of market growth. The market is fragmented, and the degree of fragmentation will accelerate during the forecast period. Bose Corp., David Clark Co. Inc., Flightcom Corp., INVISIO AB, Lightspeed Aviation, Plantronics Inc., Robert Bosch GmbH, Safariland LLC, Savox Communications, and Sonova Holding AG are some of the major market participants. The changing nature of warfare will offer immense growth opportunities. To make most of the opportunities, market vendors should focus more on the growth prospects in the fast-growing segments, while maintaining their positions in the slow-growing segments. Buy 1 Technavio report and get the second for 50% off. Buy 2 Technavio reports and get the third for free. View market snapshot before purchasing Technavio's custom research reports offer detailed insights on the impact of COVID-19 at an industry level, a regional level, and subsequent supply chain operations. This customized report will also help clients keep up with new product launches in direct indirect COVID-19 related markets, upcoming vaccines and pipeline analysis, and significant developments in vendor operations and government regulations. Commercial Aviation and Military Headset Market 2020-2024: Segmentation Commercial Aviation and Military Headset Market is segmented as below: Application Military Headset Commercial Aviation Headset Geography North America Europe APAC MEA South America To learn more about the global trends impacting the future of market research, download a free sample: https://www.technavio.com/talk-to-us?report=IRTNTR45149 Commercial Aviation and Military Headset Market 2020-2024: Scope Technavio presents a detailed picture of the market by the way of study, synthesis, and summation of data from multiple sources. The commercial aviation and military headset market report covers the following areas: Commercial Aviation and Military Headset Market Size Commercial Aviation and Military Headset Market Trends Commercial Aviation and Military Headset Market Analysis This study identifies the advent of bone conduction communication systems as one of the prime reasons driving the commercial aviation and military headset market growth during the next few years. Technavio suggests three forecast scenarios (optimistic, probable, and pessimistic) considering the impact of COVID-19. Technavio's in-depth research has direct and indirect COVID-19 impacted market research reports. Register for a free trial today and gain instant access to 17,000+ market research reports. Technavio's SUBSCRIPTION platform Commercial Aviation and Military Headset Market 2020-2024: Key Highlights CAGR of the market during the forecast period 2020-2024 Detailed information on factors that will assist commercial aviation and military headset market growth during the next five years Estimation of the commercial aviation and military headset market size and its contribution to the parent market Predictions on upcoming trends and changes in consumer behavior The growth of the commercial aviation and military headset market Analysis of the market's competitive landscape and detailed information on vendors Comprehensive details of factors that will challenge the growth of commercial aviation and military headset market vendors Table of Contents: Executive Summary Market Landscape Market ecosystem Value chain analysis Market Sizing Market definition Market segment analysis Market size 2019 Market outlook: Forecast for 2019 2024 Five Forces Analysis Five forces summary Bargaining power of buyers Bargaining power of suppliers Threat of new entrants Threat of substitutes Threat of rivalry Market condition Market Segmentation by Application Market segments Comparison by Application Military headset Market size and forecast 2019-2024 Commercial aviation headset Market size and forecast 2019-2024 Market opportunity by Application Customer landscape Geographic Landscape Geographic segmentation Geographic comparison North America Market size and forecast 2019-2024 Europe Market size and forecast 2019-2024 APAC Market size and forecast 2019-2024 MEA Market size and forecast 2019-2024 South America Market size and forecast 2019-2024 Key leading countries Market opportunity by geography Market drivers Market challenges Market trends Vendor Landscape Vendor landscape Landscape disruption Competitive scenario Vendor Analysis Vendors covered Market positioning of vendors Bose Corp. David Clark Co. Inc. Flightcom Corp. INVISIO AB Lightspeed Aviation Plantronics Inc. Robert Bosch GmbH Safariland LLC Savox Communications Sonova Holding AG Appendix Scope of the report Currency conversion rates for US$ Research methodology List of abbreviations About Us Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focuses on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200928005455/en/ Contacts: Technavio Research Jesse Maida Media Marketing Executive US: +1 844 364 1100 UK: +44 203 893 3200 Email: media@technavio.com Website: www.technavio.com/ Three policemen have lost their lives in a crash that occurred on the Benin-Ore Expressway in Ondo State while returning from a national assignment in Edo State. Punch Metro gathered that the policemen were on their way home following the conclusion of the governorship election in Edo State when the vehicle conveying them and their colleagues to Lagos State was involved in an accident in Ore, Ondo State. While their colleagues survived, with some sustaining varying degrees of injury, the corpses of the three policemen were recovered from the scene of the accident. The corpses were said to have been deposited in the Ore General Hospitals mortuary. It was learnt that the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Hakeem Odumosu, on Sunday, September 13, 2020, deployed 1,000 policemen to complement the personnel deployed in Edo State by the Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu. A policeman, who was in the vehicle and spoke on condition of anonymity, said he and his colleagues spent a week in Edo State for the election and had completed their assignment and were on their way back to their stations in Lagos when the accident, which claimed the lives of the officers, occurred last Sunday. Follow Us on Facebook @LadunLiadi; Instagram @LadunLiadi; Twitter @LadunLiadi; Youtube @LadunLiadiTV for updates Mouni Roy is celebrating her 35th birthday today and has achieved a lot to be proud of. The actor has come a long way from being a student of arts in Delhi to making her acting debut in television and consecutively moving to films. While there are quite a few major successes to her credit, Mouni has also undergone a physical transformation from the way she looked during her initial days to how she has now been stealing the spotlight with her Bengali features and glamourous appearances. Mouni had made her TV debut with Ekta Kapoors Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi in 2006. She had played Krishna Tulsi, onscreen daughter of Smriti Iranis famous character Tulsi Virani on the show. She earned an identity as a simple girl-next-door with little makeup. Mouni Roy as Krishna Tulsi in Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi. Mouni went on to earn more fame on the small screen as she became a household name for her portrayal of Sati in Devon Ke Dev...Mahadev. The actor never looked back and went on to play her yet another most successful role of Shivanya in Naagin. Mouni Roy as Sati in Devon Ke Dev...Mahadev. Mouni Roy as Shivanya in Naagin. However, the viewers not just noticed her rise to fame but also her changing looks. Mouni looked far more glamourous with thicker brows and fuller lips as she went on to climb the success ladder year after year. The actor was heavily trolled for her change in facial features amid claims of the look being a result of multiple plastic surgeries. But Mouni shut them up by delivering one hit show after another and eventually making it to the silver screen, starring opposite none other than Akshay Kumar in Gold (2018). Mouni Roy as Monobina Das in Gold. She said in a Hindustan Times interview, At times, many tend to forget my experience of working on television the fact that Ive been acting and dancing for 10 years. So, its not that things are coming to me when Im at home sipping my tea. I had to work really hard to reach where I am today. I had to audition for each of these parts, prove myself to get the role in films. Mouni followed Golds success with John Abraham-starrer Romeo Akbar Walter and Rajkummar Rao-starrer Made In China in 2019. She will now be seen in Ayan Mukerjis dream project, Brahmastra. The film stars Alia Bhatt and Ranbir Kapoor as the lead couple with Mouni as the antagonist. It is touted as Dharma Productions one of the costliest project so far. Mouni Roy as Shraddha Sharma / Parull in Romeo Akbar Walter. Mouni Roy as Rukmini Mehta in Made In China. Also read: Happy birthday Ranbir Kapoor: From Barfi to Tamasha, his 5 best movies that prove he is the master of all emotions Mouni had, however, once claimed that she never intended to become an actor and thought of taking up a job behind the camera. Talking about her journey from college to television, she had told Hindustan Times in an interview, I became an actor by mistake. I am a creative person. I like painting, singing, dancing, etc. I was active in street theatre in college, and I was part of the choreography society in Miranda House (Delhi). I even wrote my dissertation on Habib Tanvir (Urdu playwright) in Jamia Millia Islamia (Delhi), where I was pursuing my MA. I didnt have any plans to act, as I thought I would take up a job behind the camera. But, life had its own plans for me. In fact, every time I plan things, they never happen. I was keen on doing another show when I was offered Mahadev. I felt that the script of the other show was better. But then Mahadev became successful, and I realised I was meant to do this. Follow @htshowbiz for more SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Dear Reader, Business Standard has always strived hard to provide up-to-date information and commentary on developments that are of interest to you and have wider political and economic implications for the country and the world. Your encouragement and constant feedback on how to improve our offering have only made our resolve and commitment to these ideals stronger. Even during these difficult times arising out of Covid-19, we continue to remain committed to keeping you informed and updated with credible news, authoritative views and incisive commentary on topical issues of relevance. We, however, have a request. As we battle the economic impact of the pandemic, we need your support even more, so that we can continue to offer you more quality content. Our subscription model has seen an encouraging response from many of you, who have subscribed to our online content. More subscription to our online content can only help us achieve the goals of offering you even better and more relevant content. We believe in free, fair and credible journalism. Your support through more subscriptions can help us practise the journalism to which we are committed. Support quality journalism and subscribe to Business Standard. Digital Editor Lady Amelia Windsor turned heads as she stepped out for a cocktail dinner party in Paris on Monday night. The royal, 24, who is 39th in line to the British throne, donned a 2,375 monochrome dress by French luxury brand Louis Vuitton, coordinated with heeled loafers as she joined fellow celebrities at the Louis Vuitton Stellar Jewelry Cocktail dinner at Place Vendome. Lady Amelia clutched her phone and a small black handbag from the brand, drawing attention to an over-sized sparkling ring worn on her index finger. Lady Amelia Windsor (pictured) stepped out in a monochrome dress as she joined fellow celebrities at a Louis Vuitton Stellar Jewelry Cocktail Event at Place Vendome in Paris Lady Amelia (pictured) paired a $3,050 dress by French luxury designer Louis Vuitton with a black handbag also by the brand Lady Amelia completed the look by styling her blonde hair in beach waves, with minimal make-up underneath a white face mask amid the ongoing pandemic. Paris is set to impose strict new regulations in attempt to slow the spike in coronavirus cases. Despite the crisis, the royal appeared in good spirits as she stopped to pose for photographs outside the prestigious venue. The Place Vendom, designed by architect Peter Marino, is a place of significance for the brand because it marks the place where a young Louis Vuitton opened his first store over 160 years ago. The location is a hub for the brand's clothes, leather goods, fragrances, shoes and jewellery. The 24-year-old (pictured) accessorized with an oversize silver ring and matching drop earrings for effortless elegance Better safe than sorry: The petite royal, 25, wore a white face mask, which offset her black heeled loafers Monochrome proved to be a popular choice for stars in attendance at the hotly anticipated event with Swedish actress Alicia Vikander, opting for a white ruffled blouse and black mini skirt, with the addition of a handbag by Louis Vuitton. She also put style and safety in the forefront as she teamed her number with a protective face mask while entering the event. Meanwhile, French fashion model Cindy Bruna demonstrated effortless style in head-to-toe black with clashing textures. She framed her face with bouncy curls swept to one side and dazzling drop earrings. Blogger Camille Charria was also on trend in a black and white dress, teamed with a sparkly silver Louis Vuitton handbag . Catching the eye: Alicia Vikander (L) attended Louis Vuitton's Paris Fashion Week dinner alongside model Cindy Bruna (R) in the French capital on Monday Paris Fashion Week, which is set to host presentations by Kenzo, Kenneth Ize and Schiaparelli, will end on October 6. Emmanuel Macron's government has ordered bars in Paris, along with Lyon and nine other cities on 'heightened alert', to close at 10pm. There is also a 10-person restriction at public gatherings with attendees at weddings and parties limited to 30. Gyms and other indoor sporting facilities will also remain closed and it remains mandatory for all pedestrians to wear face masks in public areas in the capital. The move comes as the president tries to avoid imposing a full lockdown across the country with the French economy already set to shrink by 8.7 per cent this year. Quirky: Fashion writer Camille Charriere displayed her lean legs in a two-toned dress with balloon-inspired shoulder pads Multimillionaire hedge fund manager Crispin Odey has denied accusations he assaulted a young investment banker in 1998. Odey, 61, allegedly 'engineered' a situation where he could invite a junior employee from a major investment bank back to his Chelsea home after a meeting on July 13, 1998. He is then said to have changed out of his suit into a dressing gown and 'launched himself' at the complainant, pushing his hand inside her blouse to grab her breast and putting his hand up her skirt. Prosecutor Aaron McCalister told the court the complainant was in her 20s at the time of the alleged offence. He clarified that although Odey is accused of putting his hand in the woman's blouse, it is not claimed it was inside her bra. Crispin Odey, 61, is accompanied by his wife Nichola Pease, also a hedge fund manager, outside Westminster Magistrates' Court today Prosecutor Aaron McCalister clarified that although Odey (pictured in 2016) is accused of putting his hand in a woman's blouse, it is not claimed it was inside her bra The court heard the alleged victim first went to the police with her complaint three years ago, but that she had first contacted Odey himself about the incident in 2013. Odey, whose first name is Robin but uses his middle name Crispin, appeared at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Monday, where he denied one count of indecent assault. The vocal Brexit backer is worth about 800 million according to the Sunday Times Rich List and is said to have donated 10,000 to Boris Johnsons leadership campaign. He is the founder of multi-billion pound firm Odey Asset Management, backed by Hungarian philanthropist George Soros and is said to have given almost 900,000 to pro-Brexit-campaigns in the past. The Oxford-educated former barrister entered the dock smartly dressed in a dark grey suit, black glasses, a blue shirt and a red tie. He spoke to confirm his name, address, and date of birth. He then pleaded not guilty to a single charge of indecent assault. Crispin Aylett QC, for Odey, described the allegations as 'immensely damaging for Mr Odey, both professionally and personally', and called for the case to be dealt with as swiftly as possible in the magistrates' courts. Chairman of the bench Richard Duncalf declined an application by the prosecution to have the case sent to the crown court. Odey was accompanied by his wife, Nichola Pease, also a hedge fund manager, whom he married in 1991. Odey allegedly 'engineered' a situation whereby he could invite a junior employee from a major investment bank back to his Chelsea home on July 13, 1998 He was briefly married to media mogul Rupert Murdoch's eldest daughter Prudence in the mid 1980s. Odey has courted controversy over the course of his career through his investment strategies. He told the BBC 'Il mattino ha l'oro in bocca' - the morning has gold in its mouth - on the day after the 2016 EU referendum, after netting 220 million betting the markets would fall. In 2008 he earned 28 million after successfully predicting the credit crunch, and backed a no-deal Brexit, but denied he was doing so in order to profit from a fall in the value of British companies. In a statement, Mr Odey said: 'I'm pleased that the magistrates have agreed to hear this historic matter quickly. 'I look forward to having the facts heard and maintain the allegation is untrue.' Odey, of Chelsea, denied indecent assault and was released on conditional bail with a requirement not to contact the alleged victim. A provisional date for a two-day summary trial before a district judge was fixed for 17 and 18 February 2021 at Hendon Magistrates Court after Odey opted against a jury trial. BAKU, Azerbaijan, Sept.28 By Tamilla Mammadova Trend: Underestimation by the international community of the significance of the Nagorno-Karabakh issue can lead to the most dangerous consequences for Armenia, the Armenian geopolitical space may disappear from the political map of the world, Guram Markhulia, President of the "Caucasus International Center for the Study of Geohistory and Geopolitics" told Trend. "For several decades, Azerbaijan has warned Armenia and the world community to return their lands, but apparently the world community and Yerevan doubted this. We see that all the resolutions of the UN General Assembly are being implemented within a few weeks or months, but four resolutions on the liberation of the occupied Azerbaijani lands have remained on paper for more than 30 years. The patience of the Azerbaijani people, where more than one million people are refugees, has come to an end," Markhulia said. The expert is sure that the world community will be on the side of Azerbaijan. According to him, Shusha, like the whole of Karabakh, is the territory of Azerbaijan, from which the indigenous Azerbaijani population was barbarously expelled. "As a historian, I know that as a result of the occupation by the Armenians, the city of Shusha and 30 villages of the Shusha region was destroyed, 195 civilians were killed, 165 were injured and 58 people were missing. More than 24,000 residents of Shusha were subjected to ethnic cleansing," the expert emphasized. Markhulia also noted that the consequences of the current clashes for Armenia itself will be extremely deplorable. All international organizations are on the side of Azerbaijan because truth and justice should prevail. The expert also added that Georgia fully supports the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan. On the issue of trilateral relations, the expert emphasized another important strategic partner - Turkey. "I intend to appeal to the Georgian authorities and call on Tbilisi to prevent the participation of Georgian citizens of Armenian nationality in the battles against Azerbaijan in the occupied territories," he said. Meanwhile, Armenian armed forces launched a large-scale military attack on positions of the Azerbaijani army on the front line, using large-caliber weapons, mortars, and artillery on Sept. 27. Azerbaijan responded with a counter-offensive along the entire front. As a result of retaliation, Azerbaijani troops managed to liberate the territories previously occupied by Armenia: Garakhanbeyli, Garvend, Kend Horadiz, Yukhari Abdulrahmanli villages (Fuzuli district), Boyuk Marjanli, and Nuzgar villages (Jabrayil district). Moreover, the positions of the Armenian armed forces were destroyed in the direction of Azerbaijan's Agdere district and Murovdag, important heights were taken under control. The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on the withdrawal of its armed forces from Nagorno Karabakh and the surrounding districts. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @Mila619793 Edison, NJ -- (SBWIRE) -- 09/28/2020 -- Coal is the second largest energy source worldwide behind petroleum and other liquid covering 30% of global primary energy consumption. It is a form of rock strata, which is predominantly an indigenous fuel. Coal is mostly carbon which constitutes of variable amount of other elements chiefly hydrogen, sulfur, oxygen and nitrogen. Global Coal demand appears likely to grow during foretasted period. According to International Energy Agency report Asia- Pacific to produce 70% of the world's coal. Whereas the Global Coal market growth is driven by increase in both industrial output and electricity use, with 61% of coal used to generate electricity while 18% went mostly for iron and steel production. The market study is being classified by Type (Lignite (brown coal) , SubBituminous , Anthracite , Bituminous and Other (Peat , Graphite)), by Application (Electricity , Industrial , Chemistry , Families and individuals and Other) and major geographies with country level break-up that includes South America (Brazil, Argentina, Rest of South America) , Asia Pacific (China, Japan, India, South Korea, Taiwan, Australia, Rest of Asia-Pacific) , Europe (Germany, France, Italy, United Kingdom, Netherlands, Rest of Europe) , MEA (Middle East, Africa) , North America (United States, Canada, Mexico) . Alpha Natural Resources (United States) , Arch Coal Inc (United States) , Alliance Resource Partners LP (United States) , Cloud Peak Energy (United States) , CONSOL Energy Inc (United States) , Murray Energy Corp (United States) , Peabody Energy Corp (United States) , Revelation Energy LLC/Blackjewel LLC (United States) , NACCO Industries Inc (United States) , Westmoreland Coal Company (United States) , Vistra Energy (United States) , Coal India Limited (India) , China Shenhua Energy Company (China) , Beijing Jingmei Group Co. Ltd (China) , ChinaCoal (China) , Mitsubishi Corporation (Japan) , Anglo American (U.K.) , Aurizon Holdings Limited (Australia) , Cloud Peak Energy (United States) and Jindal Steel & Power (India) are some of the key players profiled in the study. Additionally, the Manufacturers which are also part of the research are RWE AG (Germany) , BHP Billiton (Australia) , Datong Coal Industry Company Limited (China) , PT Adaro Energy, Tbk (Indonesia) , Yanzhou Coal Mining Company Limited (China) , Tech Resources (Canada) , Rio Tinto Group (Australia) , Southern Copper (United States) , Freeport-McMoRan (United States) , Newmont Mining (United States) , Potash Corp Saskatoon (Canada) , Goldcorp (Canada) , Barrick Gold (Canada) and Franco Nevada (Canada). Request a sample report @ https://www.htfmarketreport.com/sample-report/SBWire-Manual Market Drivers Growing use of Coal produced coke in Steel industry High Dependency of emerging economies on coal with Rise in electricity demand Market Trend Automation in coal mining industries leading to rise in production Restraints Stringent Government Regulations for Emission Control High Transportation and Infrastructure Cost Scarcity of Raw Materials Causing Price Hikes of Coal Opportunities Growth in Economy and Infrastructure of Emerging Countries and Cutting Down the Production Cost and Emission by Using Innovative Techniques Market Leaders and their expansionary development strategies In Dec 2018, Mitsubishi has signed agreements to sell thermal coal mine. Mitsubishi will sell its 31.4% stake in Clermont coal mine to a joint venture between Glencore and Sumitomo Corp, while it plans to sell its entire 10 % stake in Ulan coal mine to Glencore. Get Customization in the Report, Enquire Now @ https://www.htfmarketreport.com/enquiry-before-buy/SBWire-Manual The Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977 sets the guidelines for the action of the Mine and Health Administration. This allows to strengthen and expand the rights of miner and enhance he protection of miner from retaliation for exercising such rights. and The Clean Air Act, a federal law enacted by United States congress to control air pollution on a national level. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) develop and enforce regulation to protect general public from exposure that are hazardous to human health. Global Coal power generation has augmented by 3% accounting for 40% of the additional power generated worldwide. According to the International Energy Agency, South East Asia Coal demand is expected to grow at fastest rate in the globe with rise of 5% yearly through 2023. Whereas India to account for the largest rise in Coal use, with economic annual growth of 8% to 2023 which will lift power demand by more than 5% yearly. Key Target Audience Regional manufacturers' associations and general coal associations Raw material manufacturers Traders, distributors, and suppliers of coal Government and regional agencies and research organizations HTF Market Report released a new research document of Akash pages on industry titled as 'Scope of the Study Coal is the second largest energy source worldwide behind petroleum and other liquid covering 30% of global primary energy consumption. It is a form of rock strata, which is predominantly an indigenous fuel. Coal is mostly carbon which constitutes of variable amount of other elements chiefly hydrogen, sulfur, oxygen and nitrogen. Global Coal demand appears likely to grow during foretasted period. According to International Energy Agency report Asia- Pacific to produce 70% of the world's coal. Whereas the Global Coal market growth is driven by increase in both industrial output and electricity use, with 61% of coal used to generate electricity while 18% went mostly for iron and steel production. The market study is being classified by Type (Lignite (brown coal) , SubBituminous , Anthracite , Bituminous and Other (Peat , Graphite)), by Application (Electricity , Industrial , Chemistry , Families and individuals and Other) and major geographies with country level break-up that includes South America (Brazil, Argentina, Rest of South America) , Asia Pacific (China, Japan, India, South Korea, Taiwan, Australia, Rest of Asia-Pacific) , Europe (Germany, France, Italy, United Kingdom, Netherlands, Rest of Europe) , MEA (Middle East, Africa) , North America (United States, Canada, Mexico) . Market Drivers Growing use of Coal produced coke in Steel industry High Dependency of emerging economies on coal with Rise in electricity demand Market Trend Automation in coal mining industries leading to rise in production Restraints Stringent Government Regulations for Emission Control High Transportation and Infrastructure Cost Scarcity of Raw Materials Causing Price Hikes of Coal Opportunities Growth in Economy and Infrastructure of Emerging Countries and Cutting Down the Production Cost and Emission by Using Innovative Techniques View Detailed Table of Content @ https://www.htfmarketreport.com/reports/SBWire-Manual Market Leaders and their expansionary development strategies In Dec 2018, Mitsubishi has signed agreements to sell thermal coal mine. Mitsubishi will sell its 31.4% stake in Clermont coal mine to a joint venture between Glencore and Sumitomo Corp, while it plans to sell its entire 10 % stake in Ulan coal mine to Glencore. The Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977 sets the guidelines for the action of the Mine and Health Administration. This allows to strengthen and expand the rights of miner and enhance he protection of miner from retaliation for exercising such rights. and The Clean Air Act, a federal law enacted by United States congress to control air pollution on a national level. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) develop and enforce regulation to protect general public from exposure that are hazardous to human health. Global Coal power generation has augmented by 3% accounting for 40% of the additional power generated worldwide. According to the International Energy Agency, South East Asia Coal demand is expected to grow at fastest rate in the globe with rise of 5% yearly through 2023. Whereas India to account for the largest rise in Coal use, with economic annual growth of 8% to 2023 which will lift power demand by more than 5% yearly. Key Target Audience Regional manufacturers' associations and general coal associations Raw material manufacturers Traders, distributors, and suppliers of coal Government and regional agencies and research organizations' with detailed analysis, Competitive landscape, forecast and strategies. The study covers geographic analysis that includes regions and important players/vendors such as Alpha Natural Resources (United States) , Arch Coal Inc (United States) , Alliance Resource Partners LP (United States) , Cloud Peak Energy (United States) , CONSOL Energy Inc (United States) , Murray Energy Corp (United States) , Peabody Energy Corp (United States) , Revelation Energy LLC/Blackjewel LLC (United States) , NACCO Industries Inc (United States) , Westmoreland Coal Company (United States) , Vistra Energy (United States) , Coal India Limited (India) , China Shenhua Energy Company (China) , Beijing Jingmei Group Co. Ltd (China) , ChinaCoal (China) , Mitsubishi Corporation (Japan) , Anglo American (U.K.) , Aurizon Holdings Limited (Australia) , Cloud Peak Energy (United States) and Jindal Steel & Power (India) are some of the key players profiled in the study. Additionally, the Manufacturers which are also part of the research are RWE AG (Germany) , BHP Billiton (Australia) , Datong Coal Industry Company Limited (China) , PT Adaro Energy, Tbk (Indonesia) , Yanzhou Coal Mining Company Limited (China) , Tech Resources (Canada) , Rio Tinto Group (Australia) , Southern Copper (United States) , Freeport-McMoRan (United States) , Newmont Mining (United States) , Potash Corp Saskatoon (Canada) , Goldcorp (Canada) , Barrick Gold (Canada) and Franco Nevada (Canada).The report will help you gain market insights, future trends and growth prospects for forecast period of 2020-2026. ...Continued It's vital you keep your market knowledge up to date. If you have a different set of players/manufacturers according to geography or needs regional or country segmented reports we can provide customization accordingly. Buy this report @ https://www.htfmarketreport.com/buy-now?format=1&report=SBWire Thanks for reading this article; you can also get individual chapter wise section or region wise report version like North America, Europe or Asia or Oceania [Australia and New Zealand]. About HTF Market Report HTF Market Report is a wholly owned brand of HTF market Intelligence Consulting Private Limited. HTF Market Report global research and market intelligence consulting organization is uniquely positioned to not only identify growth opportunities but to also empower and inspire you to create visionary growth strategies for futures, enabled by our extraordinary depth and breadth of thought leadership, research, tools, events and experience that assist you for making goals into a reality. Our understanding of the interplay between industry convergence, Mega Trends, technologies and market trends provides our clients with new business models and expansion opportunities. We are focused on identifying the "Accurate Forecast" in every industry we cover so our clients can reap the benefits of being early market entrants and can accomplish their "Goals & Objectives". DUBLIN, Sept. 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Structural Health Monitoring Market with COVID-19 Impact by Technology (Wired, Wireless), Offering (Sensors, Data Acquisition Systems, and Software & Services), Vertical (Civil Infrastructure, Energy, Aerospace), and Geography - Global Forecast to 2025" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The overall structural health monitoring market is expected to grow from USD 1,748 million in 2019 to USD 2,878 million by 2025, at a CAGR of 14.1% between 2020 and 2025. The major drivers for the market growth are automation and standardization in maintenance & repair of civil infrastructure in the post-COVID-19 period, loss of lives and capital due to catastrophic failure of infrastructure in recent years, increasing capital investments in structural health monitoring across various countries worldwide, stringent government regulations pertaining to the sustainability of structures, aging infrastructure and superior benefits associated with structural health monitoring, and declining cost of structural health monitoring systems. Wireless structural health monitoring technology expected to grow at the highest CAGR between 2020 and 2025 The market for wireless structural health monitoring systems is expected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period. Wireless sensors used in the structural health monitoring system are autonomous data acquisition nodes to which traditional structural sensors, such as strain gauges, accelerometers, linear voltage displacement transducers, and inclinometers, could be attached. A wireless sensor network provides numerous advantages over the wired sensor network in terms of deployment, management, and cost. Wireless sensors could be used to identify the defects within bridges, buildings, dams, tunnels, aeronautics, and wind energy solutions. The aerospace & defense vertical is most impacted sector during COVID-19 in 2020 however expected to grow at the highest rate as compared to other verticals during the forecast period. The monitoring system, which is equipped with various sensors, provides a detailed picture of the condition of an aircraft. Monitoring systems monitor and analyze the integrity of structures and capture aircraft component positioning feedback through continuously monitoring various parameters such as strain, temperature, stress, and loads. A large number of aircraft remain in service beyond their actual operational life. Aging aircraft are subject to cracks because of fatigue and corrosive environment. With the help of structural health monitoring, it is easy to determine if any structural damage has occurred, the timing of occurrence, and the place of damage. On the basis of such critical data, decisions regarding the structures are made. The structural health monitoring market in APAC expected to grow at the highest rate between 2020 and 2025 The structural health monitoring market in Asia Pacific (APAC) is expected to grow at the highest CAGR between 2020 and 2025. This growth can be attributed to the rapid infrastructure building activities being undertaken in APAC, mainly China, India, and Japan, where structural health monitoring paves the way for the modernization of infrastructure. The massive expansion of the civil infrastructure is another reason for the higher growth of structural health monitoring technology in the region. The wireless structural health monitoring technology is also expected to witness a high growth rate owing to the increasing adoption of smart sensors with remote monitoring capabilities, thereby reducing human intervention and costs. Key Topics Covered: 1 Introduction 2 Research Methodology 3 Executive Summary 3.1 Realistic (Post-COVID-19) Scenario 3.2 Optimistic (Post COVID-19) Scenario 3.3 Pessimistic (Post COVID-19) Scenario 4 Premium Insights 4.1 Attractive Opportunities in the Structural Health Monitoring Market 4.2 Structural Health Monitoring Market, by Hardware 4.3 Structural Health Monitoring Market in APAC, by Vertical and Country 4.4 Structural Health Monitoring Market, by Technology 4.5 Structural Health Monitoring Market, by Geography 5 Market Overview 5.1 Introduction 5.2 Market Dynamics 5.2.1 Drivers 5.2.1.1 Automation and Standardization in Maintenance & Repair of Civil Infrastructure in Post-COVID-19 Period 5.2.1.2 Loss of Lives and Capital Due to Catastrophic Failure of Infrastructure in Recent Years 5.2.1.3 Increasing Capital Investments in Structural Health Monitoring Across Various Countries Worldwide 5.2.1.4 Stringent Government Regulations Pertaining to the Sustainability of Structures 5.2.1.5 Aging Infrastructure and Superior Benefits Associated With Structural Health Monitoring 5.2.1.6 Declining Cost of Structural Health Monitoring Systems 5.2.2 Restraints 5.2.2.1 High Installation and Monitoring Costs 5.2.2.2 High Chances of Inaccurate Results Due to Errors in Readings 5.2.2.3 Slow Response to the Structural Health Monitoring in Developing Countries 5.2.3 Opportunities 5.2.3.1 Integration of Technologically Advanced Solutions for Structural Health Monitoring During Post-COVID-19 Period 5.2.3.2 Regional Opportunities and High Growth Prospects in APAC and GCC Countries 5.2.3.3 Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) for Infrastructure Development 5.2.3.4 Advancements in the Field of Sensor Technology 5.2.4 Challenges 5.2.4.1 Requirement of Skilled Operators for Installation and Calibration of Structural Health Monitoring Instruments 5.2.4.2 Technical Challenges and Operational Factors 5.2.4.3 Need for Large Volumes of Data Processing and Management 6 Industry Trends 6.1 Value Chain Analysis 6.1.1 Instrumentation and Hardware Manufacturers 6.1.1.1 Research and Development 6.1.1.2 Raw Material/Component Supply 6.1.1.3 Manufacturing and Assembly 6.1.1.4 Product Distribution 6.1.1.5 Post-Sales Services 6.1.2 Software and Service Providers 6.1.3 End-users 6.2 Market Evolution 6.3 Key Technology Trends 6.4 Average Selling Price (Asp) Trends for Sensors (2016-2025) 6.5 Case Studies: Structural Health Monitoring Market 6.5.1 Case Study 1: SGS Group 6.5.2 Case Study 2: Monitoring of Vintage Bridge (Russia) 6.5.3 Case Study 3: Structural Health Monitoring of Naini Bridge (India) 7 Structural Health Monitoring Market, by Offering 7.1 Introduction 7.2 Impact of COVID-19 on Hardware and Software & Services Segments 7.3 Hardware 7.3.1 Sensors 7.3.1.1 Accelerometers 7.3.1.1.1 Surging Adoption of Accelerometers in Monitoring of Bridges and Dams 7.3.1.2 Displacement Sensors 7.3.1.2.1 Linear Variable Differential Transformers (Lvdts) to Witness Substantial Demand 7.3.1.3 Inclinometers and Tiltmeters 7.3.1.3.1 Inclinometers and Tiltmeters to Witness High Adoption in Industrial and Aviation Segments 7.3.1.4 Strain Gauges 7.3.1.4.1 Strain Gauges Are Gaining Popularity Owing to Their Low Cost and Easy Installation Process 7.3.1.5 Corrosion Sensors 7.3.1.5.1 Corrosion Sensors to Witness Robust Demand in Oil and Gas Pipelines, Chemical and Petrochemical Plants, Bridges, and Aircraft Applications 7.3.1.6 Temperature Sensors 7.3.1.6.1 Temperature Sensors Expected to Witness Increase in Deployment on Infrastructural Buildings for Monitoring Cracking and Spalling Due to Thermal Shocks 7.3.1.7 Others (Acoustic Sensors, Ultrasonic Sensors, and So On) 7.3.2 Data Acquisition Systems (Das) and Communication Systems 7.3.3 Others 7.4 Software & Services 7.4.1 Software 7.4.2 Services 7.4.2.1 Pre-Installation 7.4.2.2 Post-Installation 8 Structural Health Monitoring Market, by Technology 8.1 Introduction 8.2 Wired Structural Health Monitoring 8.3 Wireless Structural Health Monitoring 9 Structural Health Monitoring Market, by Vertical 9.1 Introduction 9.2 Civil Infrastructure 9.3 Effect of COVID-19 on Civil Infrastructure 9.3.1 Dams 9.3.2 Bridges 9.3.3 Stadiums 9.3.4 Buildings 9.3.5 Tunnels 9.3.6 Others 9.4 Aerospace & Defence 9.4.1 Aerospace 9.4.2 Defense 9.4.3 Effect of COVID-19 on Aerospace & Defense 9.5 Energy 9.5.1 Effect of COVID-19 on Energy Vertical 9.6 Mining 9.7 Others 10 Implementation Methods for Structural Health Monitoring Systems 10.1 Introduction 10.2 New Construction 10.3 Retrofitting 11 Applications of Structural Health Monitoring Systems 11.1 Introduction 11.2 Structural Health Monitoring and Non-Destructive Testing 11.3 Damage Detection 11.4 Crack Detection 11.5 Impact Monitoring 11.6 Corrosion Monitoring 11.7 Strain Monitoring 11.8 Hotspot Monitoring 11.9 State Sensing 11.10 Multimodal Sensing 12 Structural Health Monitoring Market, by Region 12.1 Introduction 12.2 Americas 12.3 Europe 12.4 APAC 12.5 Rest of the World (RoW) 13 Competitive Landscape 13.1 Overview 13.2 Market Share Analysis 13.3 Competitive Leadership Mapping, 2019 13.3.1 Stars 13.3.2 Pervasive 13.3.3 Emerging Leaders 13.3.4 Emerging Companies 13.4 Market Evaluation Framework 13.5 Recent Developments 13.5.1 Partnerships, Agreements, Collaborations, and Contracts 13.5.2 Product Launches/Developments 13.5.3 Mergers & Acquisitions 14 Company Profiles 14.1 Introduction 14.2 Key Players 14.2.1 Nova Metrix 14.2.2 Geokon 14.2.3 Campbell Scientific 14.2.4 Cowi 14.2.5 Geocomp 14.2.6 Acellent Technologies 14.2.7 Sixense 14.2.8 Pure Technologies (A Subsidiary of Xylem) 14.2.9 Structural Monitoring Systems 14.2.10 SGS 14.2.11 Digitexx 14.3 Other Important Players 14.3.1 First Sensor 14.3.2 Bridge Diagnostics 14.3.3 Sisgeo 14.3.4 Rst Instruments 14.3.5 Avt Reliability (Aesseal) 14.3.6 Geomotion Singapore 14.3.7 Strainstall UK (James Fisher & Sons plc) 14.3.8 Hottinger Baldwin Messtechnik 14.3.9 Kinemetrics 14.4 Start-Up Ecosystem 14.4.1 Feac Engineering 14.4.2 Yapidestek Engineering 14.4.3 Sites-Afla 14.4.4 Sensuron 14.4.5 Infibra Technologies 14.4.6 Sodis Lab 14.4.7 Set Point Technologies 14.5 Right to Win 15 Appendix For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/ims29t Research and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research. 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 SOURCE Research and Markets Related Links http://www.researchandmarkets.com The opposition Liberals are trying to shame Premier Doug Ford into keeping his promise not to call a provincial election before the next scheduled vote in June 2022. As first revealed by the Star, Fords Progressive Conservatives fast-tracked nominations over the weekend, acclaiming all 72 Tory MPPs as candidates even though the next election is more than 20 months away. Ford insisted Friday that the flurry of election readiness activity, including a recent fundraising blitz, does not mean there will be a snap vote. We want to get our folks prepared for the election and have said before we arent going to be calling it in the spring. Well be calling it the regular time, the premier said. Asked if that meant there would be no election before June 2, 2022, he said: Thats correct. We have a clear mandate from the people of Ontario. But Liberal MPP Mitzie Hunter, a senior minister in the government Fords Tories toppled in 2018, wants the Conservatives to assure the legislature that no election is imminent. Hunter (Scarborough-Guildwood) tabled a motion to be debated next Monday that it would be reckless and unnecessary to call an election prior to the legislated date in 2022 given there is a majority government, active emergency orders, an ongoing pandemic and an urgent economic and social crisis. The largely symbolic motion is designed to smoke out the Tories by forcing them to support the Liberals plea. Liberal Leader Steven Del Duca said the move is necessary because its clear that the Conservatives are planning an early election, just like the NDP in British Columbia. That was a reference to B.C. Premier John Horgans controversial decision to call an Oct. 24 vote in the midst of the pandemic. At Queens Park, government house leader Paul Calandra expressed outrage at the suggestion the Tories would head to the polls early. Were in the midst of a global health and economic emergency ... and the leader of the Liberal Party has a former minister of education get up in this house and ask the date of the next election, fumed Calandra. What it says to me is that the Liberals have learned absolutely nothing since being reduced to a party of seven people in the last election, he said Monday. What makes it even more ironic is that they fixed the date of the next election before they were thrown out. While Ontario law fixes election dates once every four years, the majority Tories could amend that legislation, arguing the COVID-19 pandemic necessitates a new mandate. Senior Conservative insiders, speaking confidentially in order to discuss internal deliberations, say they will have candidates nominated in the 52 Ontario ridings they do not currently hold by March. That, combined with a slew of appeals for campaign funds, has stoked speculation of a vote next spring. Despite Fords stated reluctance to face voters early, some on his campaign team would like to have an election before the pandemic-induced recession worsens. Read more about: THE Government is considering placing the Cold Storage Company (CSC) under reconstruction in order to bring the entity back on its feet as it is taking long to resuscitate the entity. The reconstruction model allows the company to recover outside of the risk of litigation by various creditors similar to what is happening to Hwange Colliery Company Limited. Despite securing an investor in November 2018 from the United Kingdom, Boustead Beef, to revive CSC and help clear an outstanding US$36 million debt, the process seems to be taking long. In an interview last Friday, Lands, Agriculture, Water and Rural Resettlement Minister Dr Anxious Masuka said Government was determined to make sure CSC plays a key and central role in ensuring that the livestock sector once again becomes vibrant as farmers find a market that is fair. In terms of progress (with regards to revival of CSC), we all know that the expectations have not been met, he said. What we have now done is to ask that CSC goes into reconstruction and this week (last week), the matter is now before the courts (High Court in Bulawayo) to ensure that we start the process of reconstruction and that gives us the three months that is required to ensure that we re-evaluate CSC and determine the best way forward. But the Government has taken this step to ensure that CSC is thoroughly restructured so that we get CSC to perform its central role in terms of livestock development, said the minister. Dr Masuka said the countrys largest beef processor and marketer was key in the Governments plan to resuscitate rural livestock. It used to play a critical role in ensuring it provided markets. I think it was on a monthly all round but now its making it very difficult for people (farmers) to sell as CSC is operating at about 10 percent capacity, he said. CSC has, for close to 20 years, faced operational constraints. Last year, Boustead Beef Zimbabwe committed itself to a massive capital injection of US$400 million to be spread over five years. At the time of the announcement, machinery worth about US$16 million had been procured and was awaiting delivery to the companys headquarters in Bulawayo. The company had also started repairing key infrastructure at CSC ranches. Asked if the reconstruction of CSC implied that Boustead Beef has failed to rejuvenate CSC, Dr Masuka said: No, the reconstruction does not mean that the investor is failing. The circumstances are such that, as thought, you cannot deliver the outcome, so we need reconstruction. Reconstruction simply allows that creditors must move out, we bring in a manager who evaluates the business and says what we have agreed is it the best framework to take the operation forward or not because of the delays that have happened. Boustead Beef was being financed by various investors from the United Kingdom, America, Switzerland, Hong Kong and Australia, all having shareholding in the business. The company was also putting in a US$3 million state-of-the-art Information Technology system for the whole process from the farmer right through to the product on the shelf. CSCs Bulawayo complex is the largest meat slaughtering facility in Africa and only trails Botswana Meat Commission in terms of the latest technologies. The company has set sights on purchasing a huge fleet of trucks for the collection of cattle as well as refrigerated trucks to ferry carcasses for export. At its peak, CSC handled up to 150 000 tonnes of beef and associated by-products annually and exported to the European Union, where it had an annual quota of 9 100 tonnes of beef. The company used to earn the country about US$45 million per year. Chronicle Protesters march from the Hays County Historic Courthouse to the University Police Department building, Saturday, Sept. 5, 2020, on Texas States campus during an organized protest in support of the Black Lives Matter movement. Election 2020 Leader of Myanmars Top Shan Party Resigns in Shock Announcement Khun Htun Oo attends an event to mark the 29th anniversary of the SNLD in 2017. / Myo Min Soe / The Irrawaddy Following the sudden announcement of prominent ethnic Shan politician Khun Htun Oos resignation from his position as chairman of the Shan Nationalities League for Democracy (SNLD), the partys leadership said it had not made any decision on whether to accept his resignation, and he will remain chairman for the time being. Since 2018, Khun Htun Oo has frequently talked about retiring from the post of chairman of the SNLD, which is one of the biggest ethnic political parties, but the party re-elected him at its conference in Lashio in June last year. On Sunday he announced his resignation in Yangon-based 7day newspaper. His decision to step down in the middle of the campaign period ahead of Novembers general election has raised eyebrows. Some observers close to the party said that, as Khun Htun Oo has been inactive in party politics for the last two years, his resignation wont have any effect, while others say he should stay on to lead the partys electoral campaign. Sai Kyaw Nyunt, a joint secretary of the SNLD, told The Irrawaddy on Monday that, Khun Tun Oo is still our chairman and the party hasnt made any decision yet [regarding his resignation announcement]. He said the chairman wants to step down for three reasons: his health, family matters and his desire to let the younger generation lead the party. On Sunday, SNLD vice chairman U Sai Nyunt Lwin told BBC Burmese that the partys Central Executive Committee (CEC) did not receive a resignation letter directly from Khun Tun Oo, and was surprised to learn of his decision when they saw the notice published in the local newspaper. He said that during previous discussions with the chairman they had agreed to decide on the matter after the election, and they could not understand why he made this sudden announcement. Khun Htun Oo founded the SNLD in 1988 and has led the party since then, being elected as its chairman multiple times. He was an SNLD MP-elect from Hsipaw Township in Myanmars 1990 election, in which the SNLD won the largest number of seats after the National League for Democracy (NLD). The results of that vote were ignored by the former military regime. Khun Htun Oo was a member of the Committee for Representing Peoples Parliament (CRPP), which was formed in 1998 to call for the establishment of a parliament after the 1990 election results were shunned. He was sentenced to 93 years in prison with hard labor in November 2005, along with seven other Shan politicians, for raising concerns about the military governments constitutional reform, and released in 2012 under then-President U Thein Sein. In the 2015 general election, the SNLD won 40 seats in Parliament, becoming the fourth-ranking party. In the upcoming election, it will field 131 candidates in Shan State and other regions where many Shan reside. The partys campaign posters have included Khun Htun Oos image along with candidates photos. Sai Thiha Kyaw, a Lower House lawmaker from the SNLD, said Khun Htun Oos plan to resign wont affect the partys efforts in the election campaign. It wont affect the SNLDs electoral campaign, as the partys strength is based on its policies, and it has included qualified young candidates, echoed David Hla Myint, the chairman of the United Nationalities Development Party (UNDP), of which Khun Htun Oo is a patron. As a politician who has dedicated his career to promoting democracy, ethnic equality and federalism, his plan to resign could stem from his prolonged ill health, which makes it hard for him to travel long distances and lead the partys canvassing, David Hla Myint said. I dont think he has any issue within the party, because as he has said, he wanted to give space to the younger generation to lead the party, he added. You may also like these stories: Myanmar Election Campaign Muted by COVID-19 Why Does the Myanmar Military Rebuff the Work of the Constitutional Amendment Committee? Ethnic Parties, NLD at Odds over Pace of Militarys Exit from Politics NEWTOWN TOWNSHIP >> Newtown Township will be applying for federal funding to bolster its career firefighting force. And its crossing its fingers and hoping the third times a charm. At its Jan. 12 meeting, the board of supervisors voted unanimously to resubmit its SAFER (Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response) grant application to the Federal Emergency Management Agency to... What are green firecrackers: Do they pollute less No Ram Leela in Ayodhya this year amid coronavirus pandemic India oi-Deepika S New Delhi, Sep 28: The Ayodhya administration has denied permission to stage Ram Leela in the district amid the COVID-19 spread. The district administration, however, has started the preparations to celebrate a virtual Deepotsav in the right earnest. The permission to stage Ram Leela in the city was sought by the 'Ayodhya Shodh Sansthan', the government department that organises the performance, but it was denied by the government, said Ayodhya Shodh Sansthan manager Ram Teerath. Teerath said the Department had sought permission to hold Ram Leela in the open within the Ayodhya museum premises. "Over 300 Ram Leela artists have been facing difficulties in earning their livelihood for the last seven months as, after the suspension of the Ram Leela, the government did not issue payments to them. Ram Lila artist, he said. The celebration of a grand Deepotsav in Ayodhya was started by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi after he assumed the office in 2017. Minister for Tourism and Culture NilkanthTiwari has issued detailed instructions to the Ayodhya administration for the celebration of a 'Virtual Deepotsav' this year. During a review meeting of the Ayodhya administration officials on the arrangements to celebrate a virtual Depotsav, Tiwari had said that a new record of lightning diyas' would be created during this Deepotsav. "A virtual platform will be developed from the banks of river Saryu to Ram Katha Park to control the crowd and only the volunteers, following the anti-COVID-19 guidelines will be allowed to light up the lamps, he said. The common men, however, will connect themselves with this virtual Deepotsav by lighting up 'diyas' in their homes," he said. Amrinder Singh joins farmers' protest, says 'Pakistan's ISI may take advantage' | Oneindia News Talking to PTI, Ayodhya Shodh Sansthan Director Y P Singh said, We are planning to arrange a 3D system of lightning of Diyas under which a link will be sent to the mobile users, who will click on the link and a Diya will lit up virtually. A digital certificate from the government will also appear on the mobile phones testifying that the person has taken part in Deepotsav virtually, he said. The celebration of a grand Deepotsav in Ayodhya was started by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi after he assumed the office in 2017. The existence of liquid water on Mars one of the more hotly debated matters about our cold, red neighbor is looking increasingly likely. New research published Monday in the journal Nature Astronomy indicates that there really is a buried reservoir of super salty water near the south pole. Scientists say such a lake would significantly improve the likelihood that Mars just might harbor microscopic life of its own. Some scientists remain unconvinced that what's been seen is liquid water, but the latest study adds weight to a tentative 2018 finding from radar maps of the planet's crust made by the Mars Express robot orbiter. That research suggested that an underground "lake" of liquid water had pooled beneath frozen layers of sediment near the south pole akin to the subglacial lakes detected beneath the Antarctic and Greenland ice sheets on Earth. Image: Mars south polar ice cap (Bj?rn Schreiner - FU Berlin / ESA) Earth's subglacial lakes are teeming with bacterial life, and similar life might survive in liquid reservoirs on Mars, scientists have speculated. "We are much more confident now," said Elena Pettinelli, a professor of geophysics at Roma Tre University in Italy, who led the latest research and the earlier study. "We did many more observations, and we processed the data completely differently." Pettinelli and her team processed 134 observations of the region near the south pole with ground-penetrating radar from the Mars Express orbiter from 2012 to 2019, more than four times as many as before, covering a period of time more than twice as long. They then applied a new technique to the observation data that has been used to find lakes beneath the Antarctic ice sheet, as well as an older technique used in the 2018 study. Both methods indicate that there is a "patchwork" of buried reservoirs of liquid in the region, Pettinelli said a large reservoir about 15 miles across, surrounded by several smaller patches up to 6 miles across. Story continues The researchers can't tell how deep the reservoirs go, but they begin about a mile below the surface, she said. Image: Martian south pole (NASA) And while the radar doesn't show what they're made of, they are probably "hypersaline" solutions water saturated with perchlorate salts of calcium, magnesium, sodium and potassium that keep them liquid at minus 90 degrees Fahrenheit and below, Pettinelli said. The new study of a potential underground niche for life on Mars comes just a few weeks after scientists reported finding potential signs of life in the clouds of Venus. If there really are buried bodies of liquid water, they might be a prime spot where microbial alien life could survive on Mars, perhaps a remnant of the life that might have existed there billions of years ago if Mars had seas of water on its surface. Liquid water is a key ingredient for life as we know it, although exotic chemistries for life based on hydrocarbons or carbon dioxide have also been proposed. Mars is now thought to be bone dry, but moisture in its atmosphere freezes during Martian winters as water ice above the permanent carbon dioxide ice caps at the north and south poles. If the discovery is verified, it would be the first time liquid water has been found on Mars, and it would have a profound impact on the search for extraterrestrial life. Steve Clifford of the Planetary Science Institute, a nonprofit based in Tucson, Arizona, said he agrees that an underground body of water is the most plausible explanation for the radar observations by Mars Express, but he argued that it might not be as cold or as salty as the researchers suggest. Clifford, who worked on the Mars Express mission but wasn't involved in the new study, said he thinks the underground liquid could be created by heat from the planet's hot interior melting the icy sediments in the same way that geothermal heat melts the base of the Antarctic ice sheet in some regions. Image: Radar map of Mars (Nature Astronomy and Lauro et al) That would mean that the underground reservoirs on Mars needn't be extremely salty to stay liquid, he said. Not everyone is convinced by the new study, however. Planetary scientist Jack Holt of the University of Arizona's Lunar and Planetary Laboratory in Tucson said in an email that Mars was probably much too cold for even hypersaline water to exist as a liquid and that if it did, then liquid water would also exist in regions that looked the same in the radar maps. "If we apply the same interpretation, then there should be springs flowing out along the edge of the polar cap," he said. "And that is not the case." Holt works with radar on the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, which has seen no signs of liquid water. The Mars Express researchers suggest that it is using the wrong radar wavelengths to see them. Holt also said any description of buried "lakes" of water is misleading: "At best, patchy wet sediment," he said. "But even that is a stretch." A total social lockdown for London and parts of the North is 'inevitable' and the government has only stopped short of acting so far because they fear the public backlash, it was claimed today. Ministers are mulling an emergency plan that would see pubs, restaurants and bars forced to shut for at least two weeks and households banned from mixing indoors. The draconian blueprint - similar to the 'circuit breaker' knocked back by the Cabinet last week - would try to prop up the economy by keeping workplaces open where people cannot do their duties from home, and children would still go to schools. Health minister Helen Whately insisted this morning that the government did not want to go further than the 10pm edict on closing pubs announced last week. But she warned that it was keeping a 'constant eye' on coronavirus case rates and would act if necessary. The 'Rule of Six' limit on people socialising has now been in place for two weeks, which is the point experts said it will be possible to assess if it is bringing the outbreak under control. In other helter-skelter developments in the coronavirus crisis today: Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham demanded a rethink on the pub curfew, telling BBC Radio 4's Today programme it was 'doing more harm than good' and 'creating a major incentive for people to keep drinking and partying at home'. Boris Johnson is facing a mounting Tory rebellion over the crackdown and dodging parliamentary scrutiny. Former minister Simon Clarke has signed a letter with other Teesside MPs warning that a ban on households mixing would 'condemn thousands of local people to loneliness and isolation'. NHS Providers chief Chris Hopson warned the government needs to be carrying out a million tests a day by winter, and the contact tracing system is now as important as catching criminals or putting out fires. A total social lockdown for London and parts of the North could be on the cards if Covid infection rates do not fall Pubs, restaurants and bars would be forced to shut for at least two weeks under the proposed new measures What are the proposed social lockdown measures? The proposed social lockdown measures include ordering the closure of all bars, pubs and restaurants for two weeks and possibly longer. People from separate households would no longer be able to mix in indoor locations. Government insiders said that the first total social lockdowns were likely to be imposed in Merseyside and the northeast, while Greater Manchester and other towns across the northwest were also at risk. London also faces a total social lockdown if Covid-19 cases continue to rise rapidly. Advertisement The social lockdown measures were among options presented to the government last week. However Mr Johnson and other ministers eventually rejected them, fearing a backlash from Tory MPs and members of the public. Chancellor Rishi Sunak and Environment Secretary George Eustice are believed to be some of the strongest voices warning of huge damage to the economy if restrictions are too tough. But a senior government source told The Times ramping up the measures had not been ruled out. 'The nation and the party wasn't ready for us to go any further last week,' they said. 'There wasn't a wide enough understanding of how substantial the second wave could be. 'Unlike the first lockdown, nobody has seen pictures of body bags in Spain or France on the TV yet, which had a very powerful effect. You have to take people with you. 'Tougher measures on social interaction will have to come though. They're inevitable in some parts if you look at the numbers.' The emergency measures could be imposed in Covid-19 hotspots including Merseyside and the northeast as early as this week. Liverpool recorded 146.3 coronavirus cases per 100,000 people last week, up from 95.8 the week before, while South Tyneside recorded 137.8 cases per 100,000 last week, up from 86. London could also be placed on a total social lockdown if infection rates continue to rise, with one government figure describing the capital's fate as 'in the balance', The Times reported. Downing Street hopes to avoid a national social lockdown, with infection rates remaining low in the country's southwest and southeast outside of London. Michael Gove is thought to have lined up with Health Secretary Matt Hancock and Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden stressing the need for tougher action. But other Cabinet ministers such as Mr Sunak, Mr Eustice and Home Secretary Priti Patel favour keeping the economy more open. It comes as new local lockdowns, further restrictions and tough new fines for failing to self-isolate come into force across parts of the UK today. People across England will be legally required to self-isolate from this week if they test positive for coronavirus or are contacted by the test and trace service. If they do not they risk being hit with new fines starting at 1,000 and increasing up to 10,000 for repeat offenders or serious breaches. Police will also be checking compliance in the highest incidence areas and in high-risk groups based on 'local intelligence'. The social lockdown measures were reportedly part of plans presented to the UK government last week Downing Street reportedly hopes to avoid a national social lockdown, with infection rates remaining low in the country's southwest and southeast outside of London. Above, after-work drinkers enjoy a pint outside The Market Porter pub in Borough Market Boris Johnson (pictured on a visit to a school in Ruislip today) is struggling to quell growing fury from his own MPs over Covid restrictions and the lack of parliamentary scrutiny 10pm curfew on pubs 'is doing more harm than good' The government's 10pm curfew on pubs is doing 'more harm than good', it was claimed today. Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham has demanded an urgent review of the measure, saying it had merely resulted in people gathering in shops and homes. 'I received reports that the supermarkets were absolutely packed out to the rafters with people gathering,' he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme. 'I think there needs to be an urgent review of the emerging evidence from police forces across the country. 'My gut feeling is that this curfew is doing more harm than good. 'It creates an incentive for people to gather in the street or more probably to gather in the home. 'That is the opposite of what local restrictions here are trying to do.' Advertisement High profile and 'egregious' cases of non-compliance will be investigated and prosecuted while action will be taken on tip-offs from 'third parties' about people who have tested positive but are not self-isolating, according to the Department of Health. However, the details of the restrictions - which were only published last night - show that there are a series of exemptions from isolation rules. People can break the quarantine to get 'essential' shopping, if their pets need 'urgent veterinary services', or to attend the funeral of a 'close family member'. To help boost compliance, those on low incomes who cannot work from home and have lost income will also be eligible for a new 500 test and trace support payment. Under new rules in England wedding ceremonies will also be restricted to 15 people. In a round of interviews today, Ms Whately said the Government could not rule out further restrictions if coronavirus infections continued to rise. 'We don't want to bring in more restrictions but of course we keep a constant eye on what's going with the Covid rates and we have seen these upward trends in recent weeks,' she told Sky News. 'This is the moment in time we have an opportunity, we have a choice as a country to get this back down under control. 'We have to break these chains of transmission. That's the way we get the rates back down again. We have seen them going up again in the last two weeks.' She also batted away criticism of the pub curfew. 'As people drink more they tend to socially distance less. So one approach to keeping people socially distancing is to limit the amount of time that people are in places where they are drinking and then this breaking down of compliance with the rules,' she told BBC1's Breakfast programme. 'We have also seen in some of the places where there have been higher rates over the summer that sometimes bars have been the places where there has been an outbreak so this is a reason why one of the actions we have taken is to have people stopping being out drinking at an earlier time.' But Mr Burnham demanded an urgent review of the measure, saying it had merely resulted in people gathering in shops and homes. 'I received reports that the supermarkets were absolutely packed out to the rafters with people gathering,' he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme. 'I think there needs to be an urgent review of the emerging evidence from police forces across the country. 'My gut feeling is that this curfew is doing more harm than good. 'It creates an incentive for people to gather in the street or more probably to gather in the home. 'That is the opposite of what local restrictions here are trying to do.' Meanwhile three more council areas in South Wales will go into local lockdown from 6pm on Monday, the Welsh Government has announced. Neath Port Talbot, Torfaen and the Vale of Glamorgan will be covered by the restrictions, which mean people will not be able to enter or leave the areas without a reasonable excuse. Police will carry out spot checks and act on tip-offs to enforce strict new Covid-19 self-isolation rules from today. People ordered to quarantine after they or a contact test positive for the virus face a knock on the door from officers to check they are not leaving their home. It comes amid a growing revolt by Tory MPs over the way Mr Johnson's Government is infringing liberties with restrictions to tackle the pandemic. Signalling a tough crackdown, Home Secretary Priti Patel warned last night that ministers 'will not allow those who break the rules to reverse the hard-won progress made by the law-abiding majority'. From today, people across England are required by law to quarantine for ten days if they test positive for Covid-19 or are contacted by NHS Test and Trace. Those who do not self-isolate or employers who force staff to turn up to work will be hit with fines of up to 10,000. The police will be used to 'check compliance' with the rules and will investigate claims by informers that a person who should be in quarantine is flouting the requirement. W ikileaks founder Julian Assange has been plagued by recurring nightmares of being pinned down, captured and decapitated while being held in solitary confinement in prison, the Old Bailey has heard. The 49-year-old is fighting against extradition to the US where he faces 18 criminal charges over the alleged leak of classified military documents a decade ago. Assange spent nearly seven years living in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London amid fears he would be taken to America to face trial and is currently being held at the maximum-security HMP Belmarsh. In his evidence to the extradition hearing on Monday, US justice expert Joel Sickler described Assanges mental state during his periods of confinement. He said Assange has reported nightmares of being held down in confined spaces, being trapped, being unable to move, being held, being captured, having to be cut out with wires, or even being decapitated. Julian Assange / PA These nightmares of being in enclosed conditions were re-experienced when living in the near-isolation conditions in the embassy and in the solitary cell at Belmarsh," he said. "These thoughts and memories have led to sweatiness and palpitations, which are associated with panic. Assange says he lived effectively in solitary confinement for 60 hours a week in the embassy in central London, after seeking asylum to avoid being extradited Sweden in 2012. While at the embassy, he was cut off from the Internet, and jammers were installed, said Mr Sickler. He was spied upon. Only his lawyers and his doctor were allowed to visit. He endured assassination threats, and he had recurrent dreams about being killed - held down and decapitated. Assange was dragged out of the embassy in April 2019 when asylum was withdrawn by Ecuador, and he has since been held at Belmarsh. The court heard he has described himself to a psychiatrist as very, very depressed, anxious and worried, and claims he is trying to come to terms with the end of my life. He has reportedly spent time repetitively watching a YouTube video of Slobodan Praljak, a Croatian general who killed himself with cyanide in court in the Hague, and commented: He did the right thing. Mr Sickler said Assange is being held in a cell where the last occupant hanged himself, and he claims to have suicidal thoughts hundreds of times a day, the court heard. The Wikileaks founder also says he struggles to remember the names of family members, cannot concentrate and makes phone calls to the Samaritans every day. In his report to the court, Mr Sickler pointed out that paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein managed to kill himself in a high-security American prison while awaiting trial, and if extradited to the US Assange may suffer the same fate. Mr Epstein may have been one of the worlds most notoriously known men at the time of his death. And yet he received no preventative treatment for suicide," he said. I fear Mr. Assange could expect no greater protection. Assange's health is one of a number of arguments ventured by his legal team against extradition. US prosecutors counter that the US prison conditions will be safe for Assange while he awaits his trial. The extradition hearing is now in its final week of evidence and argument, but District Judge Vanessa Baraitser is not expected to make a final ruling until early next year. For confidential support, call Samaritans on 116 123, or email jo@samaritans.org. SAGINAW, MI - Valerino Rodarte, one half of a brother-brother building duo responsible for thousands of houses in Saginaw and across the Great Lakes Bay Region, died Friday. He was 89. Rodarte and his brother Manuel founded Rodarte Builders Inc. a few years after building their first house in 1957, a project for a grocery store owner who paid them in groceries. Rodartes family moved from Texas to Michigan when he was 10, and through the brothers' business, they went from poor migrants to among the highest taxpayers in Saginaw at one time, MLive previously reported. Manuel died in 2011 at age 81. The brothers lived the American Dream, but never forgot about their migrant roots, said Larry Rodarte, Valerinos son. They kept donating and helping out in their community until the end. Together, they just really wanted to provide a different life for their kids, Larry Rodarte said. Dad had it so hard growing up. I can remember in 1968 at 4 years old and going to Disneyland... Dad made sure that we all had a good time. It might not seem like much to a lot of people, but for a Mexican family in the 60s, that was really significant. It was amazing for us to be able to experience that. The Associated Press picked up a 1968 Saginaw News article about Rodarte Builders Inc., allowing relatives in Texas to read it in the paper. Courtesy of Larry Rodarte. In 1968, a Saginaw News article about the brothers was picked up by the Associated Press, bringing national recognition to their success story after obtaining 30 building permits in a month, according to a news release. After President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Fair Housing Act in 1968, former Saginaw Mayor R. James Harvey, then a Michigan Congressman, sent Johnson the Saginaw News story about the brothers. The brothers helped meet the need for low-income housing in Saginaw under the act, providing homes for working residents. A letter to the Rodarte brothers from then-Congressman R. James Harvey. Courtesy of Larry Rodarte. Dad was always such a hard worker all his life," Larry Rodarte said. "He had to. He worked so hard because they were so poor. Because of the conditions in some of the migrant camps, many of his older siblings had gotten sick. So he had to step it up. At Saginaws sesquicentennial celebration in 2007, former Mayor Lawrence D. Crawford joined other community leaders in praising the Rodartes. The Rodartes, they built half the city," Crawford said. "They built a lot of new homes at a time when people really needed them because Saginaw was a crowded city with aging housing. They built homes that were affordable for people. A funeral service will take place at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 29, at St. Francis de Sales Parish, St. Christopher Catholic Church, 3945 Williamson Rd., according to his obituary. Family and friends are welcome to visit at the church from 10 a.m. on Tuesday until the time of the Mass. Face coverings are required and social distancing encouraged. Read more: Why 11 people are running for 5 Saginaw City Council seats Local artists to begin painting murals in Saginaw on Court Street in asphalt art project Manuel Rodartes death brings a big loss to the Saginaw community Photo: The Canadian Press To borrow a favourite phrase from a certain sitting U.S. president, Tuesday's debate between Donald Trump and Joe Biden promises to be something the likes of which no one's ever seen. What that something turns out to be like much of 2020 so far remains anyone's guess. "Who knows what we're going to see?" said Mitchell McKinney, a professor of communication at the University of Missouri. At the very least, it will surely be an "untraditional" affair, said McKinney, who as director of the university's Political Communication Institute has been studying U.S. presidential debates for much of his career. Unlike many of Trump's detractors, however, McKinney sees method to the madness of someone he considers "a very smart strategic communicator." In campaigns of yore, the basic underlying premise of a televised debate was to assess the incumbent president's track record to explore whether he deserves four more years in the White House. "The strategy may very well be to keep the debate from taking up the primary proposition that usually the debates are focused on when an incumbent is seeking re-election," he said. "The antics, the taunting, the tirades, the conspiracies for Joe Biden to have to clean it up, to have to respond, to have to defend, all of that could well keep the discussion off of the last four years." The debate, co-hosted by Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland and the Cleveland Clinic, will look a little different than in past years, said Peter Eyre, senior adviser to the Commission on Presidential Debates. "Because of COVID considerations, there will not be a handshake between the candidates or the moderator at the beginning of the debate," Eyre said. Rather than opening statements, moderator Chris Wallace of Fox News will begin the proceedings by posing the first question to Trump. A small number of guests will be in the audience, he added. "Everyone in the debate hall on Tuesday night will be subject to a variety of health safety protocols, including COVID testing." It's worth recalling Biden's performance in 2012 against vice-presidential challenger Paul Ryan to remember he's no stranger to the debate stage, said Karen Beckwith, the Flora Stone Mather professor in Case Western Reserve's political science department. "The former vice-president is an accomplished debater," Beckwith said of Biden, who continues to enjoy a comfortable lead in national polls, and a narrower edge in key battleground states. "Biden also is a bit of a street fighter, and he knows how to handle bullies. Biden was not kind to Paul Ryan during the vice-presidential debate eight years ago, and he's also unlikely to be knocked off his own debate agenda." On that score, he needn't concern himself with the last four years. The last four days should suffice. The number of COVID-19 deaths in the U.S., the highest on the planet, is closing in on 210,000, with the world on the cusp of a second wave. Unemployment is hovering at 8.4 per cent, up from historic lows but with analysts bracing for another downturn. An explosive New York Times report paints a picture of Trump as a struggling, debt-addled businessman who paid just $750 in taxes in 2016 and 2017, owes $300 million in loans and wrote off more than $70,000 for hair styling during his tenure on "The Apprentice." S tudents self-isolating at universities are "trapped" in "disgusting conditions", a union boss has warned. Thousands of students are currently self-isolating in their rooms following a surge in coronavirus cases at institutions including Glasgow, Manchester Metropolitan and Edinburgh Napier. The president of the National Union of Students (NUS) said students are being discouraged from getting food deliveries and many are "wondering where the next roll of toilet roll is coming from". Appearing on ITVs Good Morning Britain, Larissa Kennedy said: "Im hearing from some students across the country where there are security guards outside of these blocks where students are being kept, stopping people from leaving, coming and going, where students are being discouraged from getting deliveries and told by the university that theyll deliver food and that delivery has not arrived and so theyve gone for the day without food. "Ive heard from other students who, theyve turned up with an amount of toilet roll, told with no notice that theyre going to be locked down and wondering where the next roll of toilet roll is coming from. "It just feels like these are disgusting conditions for students to have been trapped in." She added: "First and foremost, we are of course encouraging people to do the right thing for public health and to follow that guidance. "But we are questioning whether this is legal, in terms of making sure that students get that access to the basic amenities that they need to food, to toiletries and to all the things they need just to survive lockdown. "And in cases where that hasnt been the case, whether it has been legal to keep them cooped up in that way without that access to the things that they need." Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham said he has been assured that students at Manchester Metropolitan University are not being prevented from leaving their accommodation to go for coronavirus tests. Coronavirus: Pubs and Restaurants 10pm Curfew 1 /38 Coronavirus: Pubs and Restaurants 10pm Curfew Old Compton in Soho on 11pm on 24 September 2020 Soho on 11pm on 24 September 2020 Jeremy Selwyn Sohoon the first night of the 10pm curfew at 9:15pm on 24 September 2020 Jeremy Selwyn Sohoon the first night of the 10pm curfew at 11pm on 24 September 2020 Jeremy Selwyn Soho, London after 10pm on 25 September 202OLate-night drinkers after 10pm in Soho, London on 22 September 2020 PA Soho, London after 10pm on 25 September 2020 PA Late-night drinkers after 10pm in Soho, London on 22 September 2020 PA Soho, London after 10pm on 25 September 202O PA Late-night drinkers after 10pm in Soho, London on 22 September 2020 PA Late-night drinkers after 10pm in Soho, London on 22 September 2020 PA Late-night drinkers after 10pm in Soho, London on 22 September 2020 PA Soho, London after 10pm on 25 September 2020 PA Late-night drinkers after 10pm in Soho, London on 22 September 2020 PA Soho, London after 10pm on 25 September 2020 PA Late-night drinkers after 10pm in Soho, London on 22 September 2020 PA Soho, London after 10pm on 25 September 2020 PA Late-night drinkers after 10pm in Soho, London on 22 September 2020 PA Soho, London after 10pm on 25 September 2020 PA Late-night drinkers after 10pm in Soho, London on 22 September 2020 PA Soho, London after 10pm on 25 September 2020 PA Soho at 9:15pm on the first night of the 10pm curfew on 4 September 2020 Jeremy Selwyn Old Compton in Soho on the first night of the 24 September 2020 Jeremy Selwyn Old Compton in Soho on the first night of the 24 September 2020 Jeremy Selwyn Old Compton in Soho on the first night of the 10pm curfew on 24 September 2020 Jeremy Selwyn Old Compton in Soho on the first night of the 10pm curfew on 24 September 2020 Jeremy Selwyn Soho at 9:15pm on 24 September 2020 Jeremy Selwyn Soho at 9:15pm on the first night of the 10pm curfew on 4 September 2020 Jeremy Selwyn Soho on the first night of the 10pm curfew at 9:15pm on 24 September 2020 Jeremy Selwyn Soho on the first night of the 10pm curfew at 9:15pm on 24 September 2020 Jeremy Selwyn "I have spoken to the vice-chancellor and I am assured that people are able to leave if they have got good reason to do that," he told BBC Radio 4s Today programme. "But what has happened over the weekend is that the university has been dealing with a very worrying situation. It obviously required a firm response when there are over a hundred cases. "I have been assured there is a support package now in place for students." It comes after students in Scotland were told they can return home from university accommodation on a long-term basis, as long as they follow rules on self-isolating. Coronavirus in numbers: Global deaths at 994,940 The Government is under mounting pressure to guarantee young people are not confined to their halls of residence over the festive period because of Covid-19 outbreaks on campuses. Shadow education secretary Kate Green said the Government should "step up" testing capacity to help ensure university students can return home for Christmas. Ms Green told Sky News: "Students will desperately want to be able to go home to be with friends and family at Christmas. "And, of course, its right that we all have a part to play in keeping distance and keeping safe. "But the real key to this is getting the mass testing rolled out so that students can be tested, we can know if somebody is testing positive and make sure that they are isolated and dont travel. Government defends handling of students in lockdown "But it would mean the other students would be able to get back home for Christmas and thats why the Government needs to step up too and make sure that that testing capacity is available." She added: "One thing that I think particularly in relation to students: much more effort could be made to support those universities that are already developing their own testing capacity, like Leicester, for example, or Cambridge. "And the Government could be really working much more closely alongside them to get that additional capacity that would relieve pressure elsewhere in the NHS and other pillars of testing. "And it would mean that students could be tested on campus, so could university staff." Ms Green argued this would help make universities "much safer places". They met in university and became confidants. She always had romantic feelings for him, but hes gay. On a trip, they had sex and she became pregnant. Both agreed to commit to raising the child together. Despite the couples different sexual orientations, can theirs be considered a conjugal relationship? In a groundbreaking judgment involving a spousal immigration case, Canadas Federal Court has entered uncharted territory by broadening the definition of conjugal relationship to include mixed-orientation couples who are otherwise committed and dependent on each other. In granting an appeal by the gay man and his heterosexual partner, referred to in court as AP and AM, Justice Janet M. Fuhrer said the Immigration Appeal Division was wrong and unreasonable in rejecting their spousal sponsorship application. The IADs decision was based on a closed mind or bias resulting in an unreasonable assessment of the evidence regarding the possibility of a mixed-orientation couple meeting the criteria for a conjugal partnership, Fuhrer said in a decision released this month. In APs view, with which I also agree, the IAD focused exclusively on what appear to be predetermined conclusions on the ability of mixed-orientation couples to engage in sexual relations and form conjugal relationships. AP and AM, whose identities are protected by the court, declined the Stars request for an interview. Speaking on their behalf, the couples lawyer, Athena Portokalidis, said its rare for the court to call a tribunal decision-maker biased outright. The fact that this case even exists speaks to the fact that theres doubt (about these relationships). Its 2020 and society has become more accepting of different forms of relationships. It is time the law catches up, Portokalidis said in an interview. People pass judgments on things they dont understand and cant relate to. Thats part of the problem. I think the concept of a mixed-orientation relationship is coming more to the foreground now. Theres even a Netflix show about it. Its a form of relationship that exists out there. According to the court, AP obtained asylum in Canada due to persecution based on his sexual orientation. He met AM at university and the two were close friends. They kept in touch after he fled to Canada and later decided to meet up on a trip together. During the trip, there was a shift in their relationship and they had unprotected sex after a night on the town. AP disclosed to AM that he was HIV-positive but that there was a low chance of infecting her. Although they tried to have sex again on a few other occasions during that trip, AP had difficulty given hes only attracted to men. AM found out she was pregnant and the two decided to raise the child together as a family. There were two subsequent trips to a third country, once while AM was pregnant and another when the child was two. They communicate regularly by Skype and AP supports AM and their child financially. AP ultimately came out to AM and decided to sponsor her and their child to come to Canada as a conjugal partner. The application was refused in June 2019 because immigration officials were not persuaded a homosexual man and a heterosexual woman are able to meet the sexual component of conjugal partnership. The couple appealed the refusal to the IAD, an independent tribunal responsible for adjudicating immigration decisions, which also sided with the immigration department. The two then took the case to the Federal Court. The tribunal rejected the couple on multiple grounds: AM does not know the name of APs former partner nor how long they were in a relationship. AM feigned any interest in APs relationship history, which the IAD described as unusual in a genuine relationship. AP did not disclose to AM that he was gay until after the birth of their child. Such lack of communication and candour is not consistent with a couple engaged in a genuine conjugal relationship. Fuhrer said the tribunals reasoning exhibited a closed mind reliance on stereotypes and failed to identify and address the positive factors offered in support of APs and AMs committed and interdependent relationship. The IAD had a closed mind as to the couples decision to engage in unprotected sex, despite this factor having no relevance to, or bearing on, their conjugal relationship status, Fuhrer said in sending the couples sponsorship application to a new decision-maker. The IAD also had a closed mind as to why AP did not disclose his sexual orientation readily to AM and her parents despite evidence of his prior negative lived experiences in his country of origin from his refugee claim. In spite of APs sexual orientation, the judge pointed out he testified he felt love for and commitment to AM that began when they met up abroad and AM became pregnant. Their different sexual orientations did not forestall the development of sexual intimacy over time in their case, notwithstanding initial difficulties, she added. The IAD does not acknowledge this evidence, nor consider the possibility that a loving relationship centred on the concept of a joint family unit, regardless of the degree of sexual intimacy, can meet the criteria for a conjugal relationship, Fuhrer wrote. Sexual relations are but one aspect and not even the predominant consideration in assessing the existence of a conjugal relationship. She said the tribunal must consider cultural contexts from a country of origin perspective and not through Western eyes, and must be sensitive to the challenges gay individuals may face in disclosing information about their sexual orientation and gender identities. BAKU, Azerbaijan, Sept. 28 By Samir Ali Trend: Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu expressed his concern over the situation at the front-line, Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov said. Bayramov made the remark commenting his phone talk with the Turkish foreign minister during the press conference at the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry held on Sept.28, Trend reports. According to him, during the day, communication was maintained with Russia, Iran, the EU, and a number of other countries and international organizations that were informed about the events, and the current situation was discussed. Twenty percent of the territories of Azerbaijan was under occupation for nearly 30 years. Azerbaijanis were ethnically cleansed and fully expelled from these territories. Pashinyan's statement that Karabakh is Armenia was an open provocation. The new concept of war of the Armenian Defense Minister was also a provocation, he said. The so-called, illegal elections in Nagorno Karabakh in March 2020 and other provocative actions dealt a very serious blow to the negotiation process and paralyzed it. International organizations didnt show a serious reaction to this, the fact which worries Azerbaijan, Bayramov noted. In July, the Armenian armed forces launched an offensive in the Tovuz districts direction of the Azerbaijani border, in August the Armenian reconnaissance group carried out a provocation on the line of contact, and yesterday morning carried out another provocation. The settlements of Azerbaijan are located around the Nagorno Karabakh and 7 districts occupied by Armenia which is shelling the settlements from the occupied districts. As a result of yesterday's provocation by Armenia, 6 Azerbaijani civilians were killed. According to the latest data, 19 people were injured," the foreign minister said. Bayramov stressed that these provocations are taking place in the internationally recognized territories of Azerbaijan. "Azerbaijan is demanding to put an end to the aggression," he concluded. A manhunt is underway for a passenger who repeatedly spat at a Melbourne bus driver after he attempted to assault him. The disgusting attack was captured on CCTV footage released by Victoria Police on Monday afternoon as they appealed for more details from the public. The incident occurred on the 246 bus route from Elsternwick to Clifton Hill in East Melbourne around 8.30am on August 25. In the CCTV, the male passenger appears to angrily confront the driver as he leans over and squeezes his head through the metal protective screen separating them. Victoria Police believe this man (pictured) may be able to assist with their inquiries He's captured trying to punch the driver. Unable to reach him, the passenger then leans to spit in the driver's face three times. The bus driver stopped near the intersection of Wellington Parade and Hoddle Street in East Melbourne and ordered the man to get off the bus. The passenger was last seen running towards West Richmond train station. Victoria Police have released CCTV of the sickening attack on August 25 on Punt Road The man is described as being of African descent and was wearing a black beanie and a black jacket with a red collar. He was also wearing a blue face mask pulled down over his chin. The CCTV was shared on the Victoria Police Facebook page, where shocked viewers expressed their disgust. 'I would have put my foot on the accelerator for just a second to make him go flying,' one woman commented. A man added: 'Hopefully police found him and keep safe for the community.' Some called for him to be banned from public transport while one man said the driver should have driven straight to the police station. The man was ordered by the driver to get off the bus shortly after the confrontation The latest attack comes after another bus driver was allegedly spat on by a passenger in Brunswick on July 2. A young Melbourne woman, 20, was also allegedly assaulted by a fellow passenger in Melbourne's CBD in April after she asked him to remove his feet from the seat. Melbournes train, tram and bus services have continued to operate on a normal timetable each day between 5am and 8pm for essential travel during the city's stage four lockdown Services were drastically reduced from 8pm each night to coincide with the city's strict evening curfew. Full services will resume between 8pm and 9pm from Monday night after the evening curfew was scrapped. Anyone with information in relation to the incident is urged to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000. Irish Taoiseach Micheal Martin has said he is not optimistic that Britain will strike a post-Brexit trade deal with the European Union. Mr Martin said there was still the potential for a deal, but warned that the Governments controversial legislation which enables the UK to break international law had eroded trust. He told the i newspaper in an interview to be broadcast at the Liberal Democrat conference on Monday that the UK Internal Market Bill damaged the credibility of agreements already entered into. Asked if he believes a free trade agreement is likely, he said: Im not that optimistic, if Im honest. Just to let you know that the (Irish) government is preparing its budget in three weeks time on the basis that there will be a no-deal Brexit. Thats the basis on which were preparing the budget and were warning and alerting businesses to that terrible reality. I think progress has been slow in the talks so far, I think there is still potential for a deal, I believe a deal is the sane and sensible thing to do, and I think all of us as politicians have an obligation to those we represent and in terms of Brexit that means the least damage possible to workers, to employers and to business and economy. The ninth round of trade deal negotiations between the UK and EU will begin on Tuesday in Brussels, but the time left to reach a deal is dwindling. There are fewer than 100 days until the transition period, in which the UK remains in the single market and continues to follow EU law, ends on December 31. Presidential Council member urges civic activists to help migrants return to their homelands RAPSI, Vladimir Burnov 16:27 28/09/2020 MOSCOW, September 28 (RAPSI) Regional authorities, civic chambers and ombudsmen need to pay attention to the fact that numerous migrants concentrate in certain Russian regions and help them to return to their homes, a member of the Presidential Human Rights Council Alexander Brod believes. The rights activist cites the positive experience of the Samara Region, where about 3,000 citizens of Uzbekistan, who had lost their jobs due to the pandemic and planned to leave Russia for their homeland, had to stay in a temporary camp. Samara regional authorities, Brod says, acting in cooperation with Russias Foreign Ministry informed the Uzbekistan officials about the problem and step by step could organize train, bus, and plane routes to transport the migrants to that country. He has thanked Samara regional Ombudsman Olga Galtseva for her valuable contribution in the settlement of this situation. The expert believes that this experience needs to be studied in order to help those migrants, who have to stay in such camps in other Russias regions especially taking into consideration the fact that cold spell is coming. To continue, please log in, or sign up for a new account. We offer one free story view per month. If you register for an account, you will get two additional story views. After those three total views, we ask that you support us with a subscription. A subscription to our digital content is so much more than just access to our valuable content. It means youre helping to support a local community institution that has, from its very start, supported the betterment of our society. Thank you very much! WATERLOO REGION The Region of Waterloo Arts Fund received a $50,000 donation from a London-based foundation. This donation is in addition to $40,000 received through the Good Foundation in 2019, totalling $90,000 for the local arts fund. Established by the late Milton and Verna Good in 1974, the Good Foundation distributes funds to charitable organizations in communities of which family members are a part. The Region of Waterloo Arts Fund was created by regional council in 2002. It has granted more than $4 million to local arts projects. Honour viewers were left sickened tonight after Keeley Hawes' DCI Caroline Goode revealed Banaz Mahmod's killers were found 'boasting and laughing' about 'stamping on her neck and raping her' in the emotional first episode of ITV's chilling new drama. Bodyguard actress Keeley, 44, plays the detective who brought five murderers to justice in the tragic true story of the 20-year-old who was slaughtered by her own family for falling in love with a man of her own choosing. ITV's new two-part drama tells the powerful story of DCI Caroline Goode's passionate search to discover the fate of Banaz, an Iraqi-Kurdish woman from south London, after she disappeared. Her father, uncle and two cousins were later convicted of her murder. In tonight's premiere, audiences at home saw one of the killers - Mohammed Hama, who had been arrested - 'boast and laugh' about the murder when calling his friends, unaware his phone calls were being monitored by the police. Viewers were quick to react to the debut programme, with one writing: 'Boasting of killing their own family, it is deeply disturbing.' Viewers were left sickened after Keeley Hawes' DCI Caroline Goode revealed Banaz Mahmod's killers were found 'boasting and laughing' about 'stamping on her neck and raping her' in the emotional first episode of ITV's new drama Honour. Pictured: Audiences at home saw one of the killers - Mohammed Hama laughing on the phone about the murder Another horrified viewer wrote: 'B*****ds. This is dreadful. That poor girl.' A third added: 'I don't know the story behind this but the people who murdered that girl are disgusting, horrible people.' In tonight's episode, DCI Goode was seen searching for the woman after young Kurdish immigrant, Rahmat Sulemani (played by Moe Bar-El) reported the disappearance of his girlfriend, Banaz. She had left her husband the previous year due to alleged physical and sexual abuse, returning to live with her parents in the South London borough of Merton. In real life, her estranged husband was never charged with an offence related to Banaz. Viewers were quick to react to the debut programme, with one writing: 'Boasting of killing their own family, it is deeply disturbing' Real-life detective: Keeley pictured in character, left, and Detective Chief Inspector Caroline Goode, right She had subsequently started a relationship with Rahmat, who explained to the police that for a Kurdish woman to leave her husband brought shame on the community, and especially after then picking a 'love match'. In the show, Rahmat claimed Banaz's bullying uncle, Ari Mahmod, had threatened to kill him and his girlfriend, and Banaz's father had made serious attempts on her life. DCI Goode also discovered that the police had failed to help the young woman on five occasions, when she had detailed death threats and even attempts on her life. The detective heard how one woman officer failed to believe Banaz's father had attempted to kill her after piling her with alcohol, and even recorded her injuries as self-harm instead. 'Now it's five times Banaz has come to us to help, and five times we've failed her and I can't even blame it all on the f****** men,' DCI Goode yelled. Banaz is played in the drama by Buket Komur. Pictured: Komur on screen as Banaz when she described in an earlier police interview the abuse she had suffered In tonight's episode, DCI Goode (pictured right) was seen searching for the woman after young Kurdish immigrant, Rahmat Sulemani (pictured left) (played by Moe Bar-El) reported the disappearance of his girlfriend, Banaz In the show, Rahmat claimed Banaz's bullying uncle, Ari Mahmod, had threatened to kill him and his girlfriend, and Banaz's father (pictured far left, by the front door) had made serious attempts on her life Banaz even gave police a list of suspects, should she go missing, and eventually one of the men, Mohammed Hama, handed himself in for questioning, insisting: 'I know nothing.' But his statements didn't add up and he was charged with the murder of Banaz in tonight's episode, with DCI Goode requesting all his phone calls be recorded. A translator soon delivered the news that the killers were 'boasting and laughing' on the phone to one another about what they did. DCI Goode broke down in tears when reading the transcript, which said: 'We were slapping her, f****** her, Mohammed put the cord around her neck and gave it to me. 'I was holding on the cord so tight and stamping on her neck as well. I was saying let her soul be discharged. It didn't take more than four or five minutes. She didn't make a sound.' Pictured left to right: Mohammed Ali, Omar Hussain and Mahmod, were all found guilty for the murder of Banaz, 20, in 2006, after she fell in love with a man her family disapproved Following this DCI Goode told her team that she now believes Banaz was 'killed on the living room floor of her parents home and this is now a murder inquiry.' Viewers then saw Banaz father Mahmod arrested for her murder. Other actors involved in the series include Waj Ali, Ahd, Rhianne Barreto, Michael Jibson and Robby Haynes. Honour was written by Vanity Fair's Gwyneth Hughes and directed by Mrs Wilson's Richard Laxton. Keeley has also served as an executive producer. Talking about the ITV drama based on real-life events, Keeley said: 'It is a privilege to be working on Honour as Buddy Club's first ever project. 'In a time where honour killings are still rife, it is critical to shine a light on such an important subject. Banaz Mahmod's story, and DCI Goode's subsequent investigation, is certainly one that needs to be told and I am proud to be a part of it.' SPRINGFIELD - A 30-year-old city man is facing drug and and firearms charges after he and a Kentucky man were found with cocaine, more than 100 oxycodone tablets and a gun after police stopped their car in the Eastfield Mall parking lot, police said. Rockylane Lewis of Hadley Court and Jorge Villasana of Walton, Kentucky, were arrested Saturday afternoon at the mall. Police found 12 grams of cocaine and crack cocaine, 140 oxycodone tablets, liquid codeine, $2,800 in cash, and a semi-automatic handgun, loaded with a large-capacity magazine, according to police spokesman Ryan Walsh. Lewis is charged with possession of a large-capacity firearm in the commission of a felony, carrying a gun without a license, possession of a large-capacity firearm, a firearm violation with one prior conviction for drugs or violent crime, and four caust of possession of a Class B substance with intent to distribute. Villasana was charged with five counts of possession of a Class B substance with intent to distribute. Lewis was previously arrested and charged with drug trafficking along with three other people following a 2017 raid by Chicopee police. The charges were later dismissed and the case against all four dropped with the judge ruled the police search warrant was flawed, making all the drug evidence found in the raid inadmissible. by Melani Manel Perera Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Sri Lankan returnees and migrant workers have been stranded, forced to face major socio-economic challenges. Circular migration characterises Sri Lankan labour markets, but the current pandemic has limited economic and travel opportunities for returnees and migrants temporarily stuck at home or abroad. Colombo (Asia News) Hundreds of Sri Lankan migrants, Catholic and non-Catholic, have been stranded in various countries. Among them, those in Middle Eastern countries are facing huge problems due to the lack of food, shelter, clothing, etc., as they wait to go home. Unless the Sri Lanka government raises awareness about the need for social cohesion, the pandemic could have a negative impact on the people who live thanks to foreign remittances, and prevent them from taking part in socio-economic activities, said a Sri Lankan migrant employee in Dubai. Francis Solomantine (pictured) is a Catholic and an employee. He works as a programme coordinator at the Middle East Centre for Training and Development in Dubai. Speaking to AsiaNews, he said that the Sri Lankan government and other interested authorities should pay more attention to migrant workers as they are one of the main sources of the country's foreign revenues. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Sri Lankan returnees and migrant workers stranded in destination countries face major socio-economic challenges. Although circular migration is a predominant feature of Sri Lankan labour migration, the ongoing pandemic has reduced returning migrants travel opportunities, hence their employment opportunities at home and abroad. Unfortunately, returnees face social stigma due to the link to recently reported cases of COVID-19. Poor awareness and social cohesion have generated anxiety in Sri Lanka that returnees could cause a spike in the disease beyond the current level. Sri Lankans have become more anxious following a recent statement from the Health Ministry indicating that nearly 50,000 Sri Lankans are waiting to come home, especially from the Gulf region. According to the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE), more than 2,000 Sri Lankan migrant workers from 16 countries have been affected by COVID-19 and 52 have died. Labour migration from Sri Lanka is the country's main source of foreign currency and contributes significantly to the countrys GDP. Since the 1970s, the government has taken measures to ensure the protection and promotion of migrant workers. Important legislation and policies have been adopted to manage migration, laws like the Sri Lankan Foreign Employment Act 1985 (plus amendments in 1994/2009), the 2008 National Labour Migration Policy, and a 2015 Sub-policy and National Plan on Return and Reintegration. The Sri Lankan government continues to promote safe migration by encouraging potential migrants to register with the SLBFE for welfare benefits during the migration cycle, which includes pre-departure, in service, return and reintegration stages. In 2014, under the leadership of the former Foreign Employment and Welfare Minister, returning migrants and their families set up an association called Rataviruvo (Migrant Worker Hero) to acknowledge the service they rendered to the growth of the countrys economy. Since then, they have been honoured at the national convention organised by the migrants association on 18 December, International Migration Day. However, for various reasons, the association has become inactive. As returnees find themselves in a situation of exclusion, it is very important to empower the marginalised and hear their voice. During the COVID-19 outbreak, Sri Lankan foreign missions received complaints from registered and unregistered migrants. For humanitarian reasons, the missions together with the communities of the Sri Lankan diaspora offered assistance and support to those in emergency situations. However, with COVID-19, complaints have appeared on social media about the inefficiency and biases of foreign mission personnel during the repatriation process compared to the courage and vital role played by Sri Lankan foreign service officials in helping Sri Lankan migrants during the Gulf War. According to the Health Ministry, some 10,000 quarantined returnees have been sent to 65 quarantine centres. The number of returnees (both registered and unregistered) to be quarantined at isolation centres is expected to increase. Yet, concerns are growing over the failure of SLBFE officials to visit registered returnees after self-quarantine is completed to help them obtain the social security benefits they are entitled to (compensation claims), as well as other services based on the Return and Reintegration Sub-policy. On this campaign season Sunday, the Commander-In-Chief stands accused of skimping on taxes from the nation's paper of record. Given that Kansas City is confronting its own crisis over rising fees, levies and costs . . . This news applies to our town just as much as anywhere else. And so we gather this quick collection of headlines for further debate . . . MAGA Tax Trouble New York Times: Trump paid no income taxes in 10 of past 15 years beginning in 2000 Donald Trump paid no income taxes whatsoever in 10 of the past 15 years beginning in 2000 because he reported losing significantly more than he made, according to an explosive report released Sunday by the New York Times. Constant Refrain Trump calls NYT report on tax avoidance 'totally fake news' "He had paid no income taxes at all in 10 of the previous 15 years - largely because he reported losing much more money than he made," the report said, noting that more articles on his taxes would be published in the coming weeks. Campaign 2020 Cash Out Trump reportedly paid just $750 in federal taxes in 2016 and 2017 - and nothing in 10 of past 15 years Donald Trump paid no federal income tax in 10 of the past 15 years due to massive business losses, and just $750 in federal taxes in 2016 and 2017, the New York Times reported Sunday. You decide . . . BAGHDAD - The Trump administration has warned Iraq that it will close its embassy in Baghdad if the government does not take swift and decisive action to end persistent rocket and other attacks by Iranian-backed militias and rogue armed elements on American and allied interests in the country, U.S., Iraqi and other officials said Monday. As news of the warning sent shockwaves across Baghdad, Iraqs military said a Katyusha rocket hit near Baghdad airport, killing five Iraqi civilians and severely wounding two others. A U.S. official said the administrations warning was given to both Iraqs president and prime minister but that it was not an imminent ultimatum. The official was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity. The warning signals the administrations increasing frustration and anger with ongoing rocket fire from Iranian-supported groups on or near the vast U.S. Embassy compound in Baghdad as it steps up pressure on Iran with the re-imposition of crippling sanctions. However, closing the embassy and withdrawing U.S. personnel from Baghdad would signal a significant retreat from a country in which successive administrations have invested massive amounts of money and lives. The threat to evacuate the embassy, which has stoked concerns in Baghdad of a diplomatic crisis, was first delivered to President Barham Saleh on Tuesday in a phone call with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Iraqi officials said. Pompeo then repeated the warning to Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi on Saturday, the officials said. Pompeo told Saleh that if the U.S. presence continues to be targeted, measures would be taken to close the embassy and a strong and violent response would follow against the groups responsible for the attacks, according to three Iraqi officials with knowledge of the call. Pompeo went further with al-Kadhimi on Saturday, telling the prime minister that the U.S. will initiate plans to withdraw from the embassy, according to the Iraqi officials who spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations. An official announcement has not been made by the Americans. But the Trump administration has not been shy about expressing its anger and concern about continuing rocket attacks by Iranian-backed groups on or near the embassy compound. In a tangible sign of a strain in U.S.-Iraq relations, the State Department shortened an Iran sanctions waiver deadline by 60 days last week. The previous waiver, crucial for Iraq to import badly needed Iranian gas to meet power demands, gave the government 120 days. Without the waiver, Iraq would suffer crippling sanctions barring it access to U.S. dollars. Despite comments from U.S. officials that a deadline on closing the embassy is not in place, Iraqi officials appeared to be under the impression they have until the waiver expires in two months time to take action. America will observe what measures the government of Iraq takes within two months, one senior Iraqi official said. During this time, al-Kadhimis administration must halt the targeting of foreign missions, military installations and logistics convoys destined for the U.S.-led coalition or else, aggressive action would follow, the official said. Iraqs leadership is feeling the heat. Al-Kadhimi, Saleh and Parliament Speaker Mohamed al-Halbousi held a meeting late Sunday in which all three leaders said they supported measures to bring arms under the authority of the state and to prevent the targeting of diplomatic missions. So far, Iraqi authorities have redistributed some security forces inside the Green Zone. The Iraqi officials also said two factors might determine whether Iraqs leadership can walk back from an impending diplomatic crisis: Security fallout from protests planned in the coming weeks to mark one year since mass anti-government demonstrations began, and domestic politics inside the U.S. ahead of the November federal election. We expect large crowds, said one official of the protests. And we expect it will impact American thinking. Two Western diplomats said they had been informed that the U.S. has started the process of closing its sprawling facility inside the heavily fortified Green Zone, but could not provide details. The U.S. Embassy declined to comment. Closing the facility, which is by physical size the largest U.S. diplomatic mission in the world, is expected to be a complex and time-consuming process. The embassy was already functioning at minimum levels since March due to the coronavirus and ongoing security threats. Diplomats were told the U.S. had already started the process of closing but would re-evaluate while progressing, one Western official said, suggesting the decision was reversible if security inside the Green Zone improved. In 2018, Pompeo ordered the closure of the U.S. consulate in the southern Iraqi city of Basra due to attacks by Iranian-backed militias. As a member of Congress, Pompeo had been a strong critic of the Obama administration and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton over the deadly attack on U.S. diplomatic facilities in Benghazi, Libya. He is loathe to see a repeat of such an attack on his watch, according to current and former U.S. officials. In addition, Trump has been clear about his desire to reduce the U.S. presence in the Mideast, although he has focused primarily on the military. However, closing the embassy after the massive U.S. investment of lives and money in Iraq since 2003 would likely draw significant criticism from Trump allies in Congress, including lawmakers who supported the invasion and ouster of Saddam Hussein. Ahead of Novembers election, it is not clear if Trump would be willing to invite that criticism. The State Department declined to comment on the calls between Pompeo and Iraqs leadership, but said the U.S. will not tolerate threats. We have made the point before that the actions of lawless Iran-backed militias remains the single biggest deterrent to stability in Iraq, the department said. It is unacceptable for Iran-backed groups to launch rockets at our embassy, attack American and other diplomats, and threaten law and order in Iraq. Meanwhile, attacks targeting convoys continue. On Monday, five Iraqi civilians were killed and two severely wounded after a Katyusha rocket hit near Baghdad airport, Iraqs military said. The rocket may have been targeting the international airport but struck a residential home close by instead, Iraqi security officials said, requesting anonymity in line with regulations. Also on Monday, a roadside bomb targeted a convoy carrying materials destined for U.S. forces southwest of Baghdad, two Iraqi security officials said. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations. ___ Lee reported from Washington. Associated Press writer Qassim Abdul-Zahra contributed from Boston. A massive and chaotic wildfire that burned dozens of homes and threatened thousands more across Wine Country flared up on several fronts Monday, roaring across the northern Napa Valley and blazing toward dense residential neighborhoods in eastern Santa Rosa. Three wildfires that broke out on the east and west sides of St. Helena on Sunday spread quickly through extremely dry grasslands and merged into the single Glass Fire by Monday morning. The fire tripled in size through the day, charring more than 36,000 acres by sunset Monday, and was not at all contained. About 68,000 people were under evacuation orders as of Monday evening and 113 buildings were destroyed. Several wineries burned as firefighters battled to save homes. Crews also raced to try to save Meadowood Napa Valley where at least one building was in flames at the luxury hotel, which houses the three-Michelin-star Restaurant at Meadowood. A spokesperson for the resort said it appeared that the damaged building belonged to the restaurant. Fires surrounded St. Helena. The entire town of Calistoga was evacuated around 7 p.m. Monday. In Santa Rosa, fire officials said the formerly named Shady Fire had entered Annadel State Park and they were trying to stop flames from reaching Bennett Valley. In Butte County, winds whipped up the massive North Complex Fire, which has been burning since Aug. 18, endangering Paradise and several other northern Sierra Nevada foothill communities destroyed by the deadly Camp Fire in 2018. In Shasta County, the 31,000-acre Zogg Fire, which started Sunday, killed three people, state officials said. Two people were treated for burns one of them with serious injuries that required transfer to a burn center in Sonoma County, according to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital officials. Seven other patients were treated there for respiratory issues, including smoke inhalation. About a dozen people were treated for smoke inhalation and heat exhaustion at Queen of the Valley Medical Center in Napa. The new and growing fires pushed the total acres burned in California this year to a stunning 3.75 million, according to Cal Fire. Thats nearly twice the previous record year of 1.98 million acres burned in 2018, and the 2020 fire season is not over yet. Statewide, about 70,000 people were under evacuation orders, including the 68,000 in Sonoma and Napa counties and another 1,000 in Shasta County, state and local fire officials said. Firefighters, already weary from the worst fire season on record in California, dug in again Monday after a night of chaos and terror in the North Bay, where residents are well-versed in the tragic consequences of wildfires. Winds died down Monday evening and firefighters took advantage of the conditions to shore up firebreaks in areas where homes were threatened. Its 2017 all over again, said Manny Gomes, 65, of Napa, idling in his pickup truck on Silverado Trail in Napa County as firefighters beat back hot spots in an adjacent vineyard and a Cal Fire helicopter banked overhead. He was trying to get to a small vineyard he owns in the fire zone to check on his animals. Gomes, whose family had recently moved back into his home in Santa Rosas Coffey Park after it was destroyed in the 2017 fires, said he thought the wildfire situation was as bad as it could get three years ago, but he was wrong. Ive never seen anything like this said Gomes. The cause of the Glass Fire is under investigation. Authorities believe the Shady Fire that burned into east Santa Rosa was started by wind blowing sparks or embers from the Glass Fire. Paul Kuroda / Special to The Chronicle Multiple homes burned early Monday in the large Skyhawk neighborhood in eastern Santa Rosa as emergency workers in adjacent neighborhoods went door to door evacuating residents. Emergency workers evacuated a large senior community in Oakmont by bus as flames shot up over nearby hills. Not long after, the fire jumped Highway 12. Officials do not yet know the exact number of homes destroyed, but Santa Rosa Fire Chief Tony Gossner said there was significant loss between Los Alamos Road and Oakmont Drive north of Highway 12. Sonoma County fire officials said Monday they were most concerned about protecting the areas surrounding Calistoga Road, Oakmont Drive and Annadel State Park in Santa Rosa. The concern was about protecting all these problem areas at the same time, Gossner said. The evacuations in Santa Rosa extended to Mark West and into Rincon Valley, nearly to the Fountaingrove neighborhood that was devastated by fire three years ago. The blaze threatened Santa Rosas main evacuation center, which was closed out of an abundance of caution as flames pressed in on the city, according to Sonoma County officials. Annadel State Park was closed and residents south of the park were evacuated almost to Glen Ellen. Areas around Sugarloaf Ridge State Park and along Highway 12 were also evacuated. Scott Strazzante / The Chronicle Weve seen a lot of destruction in the last three years, said Joe Burroughs, a black bandanna tied over his mouth and nose as he assessed the damage to homes in his Skyhawk neighborhood Monday afternoon. His house was untouched, but a new neighbors home on Mountain Hawk Drive was a half-burned wreck. Its previous owners just sold the place and moved down the road, another neighbor said, only to have their new home burn, too. Four other homes on the street were also damaged. In Napa County, the fire destroyed a historic 120-year-old barn at Tofanelli Vineyards in Calistoga and the signature stone winery at Chateau Boswell in St. Helena. It dusted vineyards with smoke and ash, a nightmare scenario for the wine industry thats in the middle of its critical harvest and crush season. On Monday night, after the city of Calistoga was evacuated, some residents stayed behind, including Katie Mathison and her girlfriend, who got a Nixle evacuation alert but chose not to follow it. We dont feel like its an immediate threat to the houses until it starts getting to the valley floor, Mathison said. Shes grown used to fires. In 2017, the Tubbs Fire roared nearby. Last year, the Kincade Fire came right up to her house; luckily, it survived. But this time the fire is threatening downtown Calistoga, she said. Scott Strazzante / The Chronicle Around 10 p.m. Monday, lines of fire snaked along both sides of downtown Calistoga. One line traced the ridge above Silverado Trail North, northeast of town, and another licked at trees on a hill west of Highway 128, to its southwest. Our concern is that with any kind of wind direction downslope, it affecting and entering the city of Calistoga proper, said Jaime Orozco, spokesman for the Calistoga Fire Department. Fortunately, winds were expected to be less fierce than the past two nights, he said. An already dangerous situation was made worse late Sunday when Sonoma County sheriffs deputies returned to Los Alamos Road to rescue people who refused to evacuate. Sheriffs Sgt. Juan Valencia said residents got a Nixle alert and a knock on the door from police, who also blasted the alert: Its time to leave! Many of the areas under threat were close to or directly affected by the October 2017 Wine Country wildfires that burned entire neighborhoods in and around Santa Rosa. One of those fires, the Tubbs Fire, was the second-most- destructive wildfire in California history. Brian Borgfeldt, 65, was chased from his Kenwood home three years ago during the Tubbs Fire, which he said burned 21 homes in the area but somehow spared his house. This time, Borgfeldt, his wife and two teenage daughters got the evacuation order around midnight, but waited until about 3 a.m. for a trailer to transport their two horses. By that time, it was coming very close, Borgfeldt said Monday morning at the Petaluma Veterans Memorial Building. A dozen or so evacuees parked cars cluttered with clothes, pets and sleeping pads in a grass lot at the Sonoma-Marin Fairgrounds in Petaluma on Monday. Paul Kuroda / Special to The Chronicle Andrew Carpenter, 63, said its either the third or fourth time he has evacuated. I lost track, he said. So many fires are popping up. In Butte County, the North Complex fire picked up Sunday amid dry, powerful winds, prompting an evacuation warning for the entire town of Paradise and the community of Magalia, along with an evacuation order for Concow. All three places were devastated by the November 2018 Camp Fire, the states deadliest and most destructive wildfire. The wind and dangerously dry conditions also fed the Zogg Fire in Shasta County, which doubled in size to 31,000 acres on Monday. Climate scientist Daniel Swain said on Twitter that both the North Complex fires and August Complex fires, in Humboldt, Trinity and Mendocino counties, have exploded once again. The Creek Fire in Fresno and Madera counties also grew over the weekend. In Sonoma County, fire officials said the brush burning in the Glass Fire was untouched by recent wildfires and burned into previous burn scars. It did burn very rapidly because it had not burned in a long, long time, said Gossner. The fires arrived as a dry heat wave brought high temperatures to the Bay Area through Monday. A red flag warning, signaling high fire danger, was in effect for the region until 9 p.m. Monday. A Spare the Air Alert was issued through at least Friday for the Bay Area as smoke from the fires drift south. Most of the major October 2017 fires that burned around Sonoma and Napa counties were started by Pacific Gas and Electric Co. power lines. The Tubbs Fire was an exception: State investigators said it was started by a property owners privately maintained electric system. Scott Strazzante/The Chronicle Hoping to prevent more fires amid dangerous weather, PG&E had intentionally turned off electricity to a very limited area in Napa County and a handful of customers in Sonoma County. Another 14,241 homes and businesses in Santa Rosa lost power, likely because of fire activity, and at least 3,000 customers in Napa County lost power because of the Glass Fire, according to the company. As temperatures soared into the upper 90s on Monday, Melanie Collins and her husband, Chris Rossow, stood in a large, empty field across from the Sonoma Raceway, where theyd evacuated from their Sonoma County home. The couple have lived in California for only a year, but theyve already had to evacuate twice. Now were starting to think, well, should we look somewhere else? The couple gathered their bikes and cat, Sophie, and evacuated around 10 p.m. Sunday night. Last night, we were like, everything we own is going to burn, she said. But still, we have each other. Chronicle staff writers Matthias Gafni, Sarah Ravani, Peter Fimrite, Mallory Moench, J.D. Morris, Bryan Mena and Michael Williams contributed to this report. Dustin Gardiner, Megan Cassidy, Chase DiFeliciantonio and Erin Allday are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: dustin.gardiner@sfchronicle.com, megan.cassidy@sfchronicle.com, chase.difeliciantonio@sfchronicle.com, eallday@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @pfimrite, @meganrcassidy, @ChaseDiFelice, @erinallday Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-28 22:53:35|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close CAIRO, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry on Monday reiterated support for the legitimate right of the Palestinian people to establish an independent state at the border of 1967, the foreign ministry said in a statement. Shourky's remarks came during his meeting with Jibril Rajoub, secretary-general of Fatah's Central Committee, and Rawhi Fattouh, a senior official of Fatah's Central Committee, at the headquarters of the foreign ministry in Cairo. Led by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Fatah is the largest faction of the Palestine Liberation Organization. "Egypt has a fixed stand that boosts all efforts aiming at achieving security, stability and peace in Palestine in accordance with the international laws," Shoukry said. Egypt will continue its support for the Palestinian leadership and people in the current serious conditions, he added. A delegation from Fatah arrived in Cairo on Sunday to meet with Egyptian officials and officials of Hamas, the ruling faction of the Gaza Strip, who are also in Cairo, according to the state-run Ahram newspaper. The meeting is part of the arrangements for the Palestinian reconciliation issue, the Ahram said. Enditem BAKU, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) -- Azerbaijan's Parliament accepted a decree by the country's president to impose a martial law on Sunday in the wake of the escalation of clashes along the Nagorno-Karabakh frontline earlier in the day. According to Hikmat Hajiyev, a presidential aide, the martial law will be effective from 12.00 a.m. Baku Time (GMT+4) on Monday in several cities, including the capital Baku. The martial law will see the imposition of a curfew from 9:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m., among other measures, he said. Earlier in the day, Armenia declared martial law and general mobilization in response to the situation. New round of clashes broke out Sunday morning along the contact line of the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region between Armenia and Azerbaijan. The clashes, which are still going on, were reportedly caused heavy casualties and equipment loss. The forecourt of the Takoradi Mall was the chosen grounds for this year's grand celebration of the United Nation's World Tourism Day. The occasion was graced by a host of dignitaries and stakeholders from across the length and breadth of Ghana. This year's celebration dubbed, 'Tourism and Rural Development', was inaugurated on September 22, 2020, and concluded on Sunday, 27th September 2020. The one-week celebration witnessed a series of events, including a tree planting exercise in Damang and Bogoso, both in the Prestea Huni-Valley Constituency. Present at the concluding ceremony last Sunday was the Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Hon. Barbara Oteng Gyasi, and her Deputy, Hon. Ziblim Iddi Barri. Omanehene of the Esikado Traditional Council, Nana Kobina Nketsiah V, who doubles as the Western Regional President of the Hotels Association of Ghana, was also present. In his opening remarks, Chairman of the historic occasion, Nana Kobina Nketsiah V, threw the gathering back to the days of old and highlighted the rich heritage and culture our forefathers left us. On his part, the Metropolitan Chief Executive for the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly, Abdul-Mumin Issah, gave more insight into the Region's prominence when mention is made of tourism and tourist centres in the country. The Boss of the Ghana Tourism Authority, Mr. Kwesi Agyemang, who had his goodwill message delivered on his behalf by a representative from the Authority, talked about attraction sites based in the rural areas and stressed how the sector is poised in developing these rural communities. In her address, Minister for Tourism, Arts and Culture, Hon. Barbara Oteng-Gyasi talked about how the Year of Return initiative has, this year, contributed immensely to Ghana's tourism sector. She, however, bemoaned how the outbreak of the global pandemic, Covid-19, cut the initiative short, and how it has also hindered the Beyond The Year of Return initiative. The Hon. Minister also touched on the sector's intentions to rehabilitate and expand the Takoradi Cultural Centre and to also champion the Annual Masquerade Festival in Takoradi every December. In his concluding remarks, Nana Kobina Nketsiah V commended the Hon. Minister and her sector for their pledge to rehabilitate the Cultural Centre and to also establish a Gold Museum in Takoradi. A People's Liberation Army guard of honor escorts the remains of 117 Chinese soldiers killed in the 1950-53 Korean War at Taoxian International Airport in Shenyang, Liaoning province, on Sunday. The remains, returned to China from the Republic of Korea, will be buried in a martyrs' cemetery in Shenyang, with a burial ceremony due to be held on Monday. The remains of 599 soldiers sent back from the ROK have been buried there between 2014 and 2019. [Photo / Xinhua] SHENYANG -- Chinese Vice Premier Sun Chunlan on Sunday called for passing on and carrying forward the heroic spirit of the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea and striving to achieve national rejuvenation. Sun, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks while attending a ceremony to welcome back the remains of 117 soldiers of the Chinese People's Volunteers (CPV) sacrificed in the war. The ceremony was held at the Taoxian international airport in Shenyang, capital of Northeast China's Liaoning province. Noting that this year marks the 70th anniversary of the CPV's participation in the war, Sun said that the Chinese people have always kept in mind the feats of the CPV in safeguarding justice and opposing aggression. The great spirit always motivates the Chinese people to overcome difficulties and forge ahead in unity, Sun stressed, adding that China's achievement in fighting the COVID-19 epidemic is a vivid example of this spirit in the new era. Sun also called for cherishing the hard-won peaceful environment, sticking to the path of peaceful development, striving for the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and making greater contributions to safeguarding world peace and promoting common development. The remains of the 117 CPV soldiers will be buried in the CPV martyrs' cemetery in Shenyang. A burial ceremony will be held on Monday. An outbreak at a nursing home in Melbournes north-west has become Victorias largest active COVID-19 cluster after the coronavirus spread to 45 people linked with the facility, claimed three lives and put 20 residents in hospital. More than 60 per cent of residents at the Estia Health facility in Keilor Downs have been infected since the first case was detected on September 11. A staff member in protective gear disposes of waste at Estia Health in Keilor Downs on Monday. Credit:Justin McManus It is believed the outbreak started when a resident returned to his shared room following a stay at Footscray Hospital, where he was in a room with someone who later tested positive for COVID-19. The United States says it will close its Baghdad embassy unless Iraq can rein in militia attacks on the compound - US Embassy in Iraq Five Iraqi civilians were killed on Monday by rocket fire targeting Baghdad airport, where US troops are stationed, Iraqi officials said, days after the United States warned it would withdraw its diplomats Iraqi unless authorities rein in militia attacks. Three children and two women from the same family died and two other children were wounded when a Katyusha rocket fell on their home, the army said. The incident was the deadliest yet in a series of attacks targeting American interests in the country. On Saturday, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi in a phone call that the US would close its Baghdad embassy unless Iraq stopped Iran-backed militias from striking American installations, according to Iraqi officials. A "strong and violent" response would follow against the groups responsible for the attacks, the Iraqi officials reported Mr Pompeo as saying . Attacks on US targets in Iraq have increased since the United States killed top Iranian general Qassem Soleimani in an audacious drone strike in Baghdad in January. The capitals heavily fortified Green Zone has been targeted in at least 19 rocket and mortar attacks this month, while convoys serving the US-led international coalition against Islamic State have been attacked two dozen times, most recently on Sunday when an improvised explosive device hit vehicles transporting military equipment in southern Iraq. A roadside bomb targeted a British convoy in Baghdad this month, the first such attack against western diplomats in years, while a British soldier was killed alongside two Americans at camp Taiji north of Baghdad in March. Since taking office in May, Mr Kadhimi has vowed to rein in rogue militias. He assumed the premiership with US support but his western ally is dissatisfied with his cautious approach to militias, many of which are backed by Iran. Story continues As Mr Khadimi visited Washington last month, unknown gunmen carried out a string of attacks on Iraqi activists linked to the US consulate in Basra, which was widely interpreted as an attempt by militiamen to discredit the premier. The administration of US President Donald Trump has adopted a maximum pressure strategy towards Iran and with up to 5,000 US soldiers remaining in Iraq, there are fears withdrawing diplomats could prefigure US military strikes on Iranian interests. The Baghdad embassy is one of the largest American diplomatic missions worldwide and closing it would take months. The process could be halted if the US is satisfied with Iraqs response. For now, gauging credibility of US threat to close embassy cant be distinguished from a real threat or a bluff, wrote Ramzy Mardini, a researcher on Iraq at the University of Chicago. Tasmania Encourages Safe Intrastate Holidays With Home Travel Vouchers Tasmania will be offering a fresh round of travel vouchers valued at $5 million (US$3.5 million) to encourage locals to travel within the state for their next getaway while the pandemic limits travel interstate and abroad. Premier Peter Gutwein announced that the second release of the Make Yourself at Home Travel Voucher initiative can be used on accommodation or tourism experiences across the state. We will continue to be innovative, to be proactive and focus on solutions to take our state forward, to keep supporting our businesses and Tasmanian jobs, and rebuild a stronger Tasmania, Gutwein said in a statement, urging Tasmanians to holiday safely at home. The first round had an overwhelming response with vouchers selling out in minutes. Similar initiatives have been offered in Western Australia and South Australia, with vouchers in both states being quickly snapped up. South Australia Premier Steven Marshall told The Naracoorte Herald: Every additional hotel night booked will result in positive flow-on benefits across the sector, as jobsfrom front of house staff to chefs, cleaners and baristasare supported. The campaign will bring the total investment in domestic travel to $12.5 million (US$8.8 million). The CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, commonly known as novel coronavirus, has shattered one of Australias biggest industries and resulted in $30 billion (US$21 billion)which international tourists injected last yearevaporate from the economy. There are still doubts as to whether domestic tourism will be able to fill the void, as travel within Australia isnt cheap, and local tourists are loathe to spend far and wide. Economist Terry Rawnsley told the ABC, From what were seeing, domestic tourists are a bit more price-sensitive. Theres not those people willing to spend premium rates for a premium holiday. Intrastate visitors also prefer daycations and weekend getaways whereas international guests tend to stay for seven to 10 days, Tasmanian tour operator Greg Price said. The second round of travel vouchers will again be first in, best dressed, but applications will open on Wednesday from 7:00 pm to benefit those who missed out during the morning release last time. Those who reside in Tasmania can apply for a voucher through the website at www.makeyourselfathome.com.au or the call centre on 1800 344 077 and will be able to make use of them until November 2020. An explosion at a chemical plant near the city of Wuhan in central China has killed at least five people and wounded one, according to local officials. The blast took place at around 2.15pm local time today at an industrial park in the central Chinese city Tianmen, west of the provincial capital Wuhan, when the manufacturers equipment was being tested. The injured resident has been taken to a hospital for treatment while rescue efforts are ongoing, a government notice says. An explosion occurred this afternoon at a chemical plant near the city of Wuhan in central China has killed at least five people and wounded one, according to local officials Footage filmed by witnesses shows thick yellow smoke billowing into the sky as a person was lying on a stretcher while being carried out from a wrecked building. The yellow smoke released from the plant could indicate a nitric acid leak, a local resident told The Beijing News. The Hubei authorities said the explosion took place at a chemical plant owned by the Tianmen Chutian Fine Chemicals Company that produces pharmaceutical intermediates used in manufacturing drugs. Before the Monday incident, the firm was fined in April after it was caught illegally dumping wastewater, according to Shanghai-based news outlet The Paper. Footage filmed by witnesses shows thick yellow smoke billowing into the sky from the plant as a person was lying on a stretcher while being carried out from a wrecked building Other media reports say that the chemical factory has also received multiple complaints from local residents for releasing gases that caused irritation. Last month, another huge explosion at a chemical plant in Hubei's Xiantao city killed six people and injured four. The authorities said the incident was caused by 'irregular behaviour' by the operators and a lack of risk identification. Industrial accidents are common in China, where safety regulations are often poorly enforced. In March last year, a blast at a chemical plant in eastern Jiangsu province killed 78 people and injured hundreds. Four months later in July, a huge explosion left 15 dead at a gas plant in central China. In November 2018, a truck carrying combustible chemicals exploded at the entrance of a chemical factory in Zhangjiakou, a northern Chinese city that will co-host the 2022 Winter Olympics, killing 23 people and injuring 22 others. Among the worst accidents was a massive 2015 explosion at a chemical warehouse in the port city of Tianjin that killed 173 people, most of them firefighters and police officers. That blast was blamed on illegal construction and unsafe storage of volatile materials. WESTPORT With the weather still warm, the Westport Downtown Merchants Association decided to organize an event aimed at inspiring community togetherness and some outdoor shopping as well. Main Street was closed for Saturdays Fall Fashion & Beauty Day, with many vendors bringing their wares to the sidewalk and patrons enjoying a more leisurely and pedestrian-friendly opportunity to shop downtown. Its a beautiful day to come downtown and hang out in a safe way, said Rebecca Mace, marketing director with the DMA. And its a way to bring the community together. Along with dry goods, several musicians brought music to the street, adding to the fair-like feel of the downtown. You feel like youre in New York at a festival, said Kim Celotto, owner of Oddz. She said the event was also bringing about the opportunity for more customers to learn about her Main Street store. A lot people didnt know about me, she said. Its awesome. Likewise, several stores from across the river brought their tables to the event and set up in Brooks Corner, including Bella Bridesmaids, from just over the bridge on Post Road West. Were just excited to be a part of the event and be able to meet the locals, said owner Maggie Foley. A lot has been postponed this year, she said, due to the pandemic, but still her customers have remained committed to their future matrimonial plans relating to her business. Love is certainly not canceled, she said. 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. Industry Update Appointment 28 September 2020 Van Qian Appointed Director of restaurants & bars At Hotel Indigo Dubai Downtown, United Arab Emirates Overseeing the property's four F&B venues and overall culinary experience will be Van Qian. Qian has worked across the hotel F&B industry, working as a mixology manager, to assistant director of beverage and food at W Hotel in China. Now in Downtown Dubai he will be expected to apply his knowledge of various different cuisines and cultures. Hotelschools.com Hotel Management School Maastricht Van Qian (Class of 0) is a graduate of Hotel Management School Maastricht in Maastricht - Netherlands, The (Class of 0) is a graduate of Hotel Management School Maastricht in Maastricht - Netherlands, The more information IHG Hotels & Resorts IHG Hotels & Resorts [LON:IHG, NYSE:IHG (ADRs)] is a global hospitality company, with a purpose to provide True Hospitality for Good. With a family of 17 hotel brands and IHG Rewards, one of the worlds largest hotel loyalty programmes, IHG has over 6,000 open hotels in more than 100 countries, and a further 1,800 in the development pipeline. more information Recent Appointments at IHG Deanna Oppenheimer - Non-Executive Director and Chair Designate 18 January 2022 Deanna Oppenheimer is Non-Executive Chair of Hargreaves Lansdown plc and sits on the Board of Thomson Reuters Corporation. She previously served as a Non-Executive Director of Whitbread PLC and Chair of their Remuneration Committee. read more Oscar Cardenas Diaz - Cluster Executive Chef 12 January 2022 Yas Plaza Hotels has brought in a new cluster executive chef to head up culinary operations for two of its hotels. Oscar Cardenas Diaz now spearheads the restaurants at Crowne Plaza Yas Island and Staybridge Suites Yas Island. read more Welcome Guest! You Are Here: NEW YORK Two weeks shy of a year after abruptly quitting Fox News Channel with a declaration that truth will always matter, Shepard Smith returns to television this week at his unexpected new home. He begins a general interest nightly newscast Wednesday at 7 p.m. on the financial network CNBC, putting him back in the time slot he loved before Fox moved him to the afternoon seven years ago. The 56-year-old newsman, a Fox News original who joined that network at its start in 1996, says hes relishing the fresh start. Were going to come out and do just the news, he said. Were not planning to do any analysis in our news hour. Were going to have journalists, reporters, sound and video. Were going to have newsmakers and experts ... but no pundits. Were going to leave the opinion to others. Its exactly what Ive been wanting to do. Its what Ive been working at for 30 years. Hell work out of a new studio thats been built for him at CNBCs New Jersey headquarters by three crews that kept construction going 24 hours a day over eight weeks. Smith left more questions than answers upon his Fox exit, leaving others to speculate about why. His 3 p.m. newscast stood out at a network where opinion is king, and sometimes he challenged statements made by the networks prime-time hosts. Figuratively speaking, he didnt smash windows on the way out and still doesnt. I built a career at Fox News and I have some deep friendships, ones that Im going to keep forever, he said. But simply, I just felt it was the right time to leave. I asked them if I could and they eventually allowed me to do that. At Fox, their business model is working very well for them, he said. Their opinion people state their opinions and they draw big audiences. I have no problem with that. Smiths 2013 removal from the evening schedule, where the biggest cable news audiences reside, was an early sign that the balance was tipping toward more opinion and not just at Fox. It was announced that he would be on call to anchor in prime-time during big stories, but there proved little interest in pre-empting the stars. His 3 p.m. newscast was influential, even if unpopular with many core Fox viewers, and the networks willingness to pay its personalities well no doubt eased hurt feelings. He left Fox two weeks after an ugly incident with Tucker Carlson, who brought on a guest who said Foxs Andrew Napolitano was a fool for analysis offered on Smiths show. Smith said on the air that Carlsons attack was repugnant. Asked about it, Smith said that I had felt like it was time for a new challenge for a long time. Nothing about any talent, any on-air people at that place, pushed me out the door. Smith, a Mississippi native, said he enjoyed some down time, with a couple of vacations. He also took meetings with plenty of media suitors. Hes smart as a whip, agile, super curious and an amazing broadcaster, said news consultant Michael Clemente, Smiths former boss at Fox News and a longtime ABC News executive. Hes in the same league as Peter Jennings. Hes probably got better chops than just about everyone who is out there, and hes not a product of New York. Hes not from Los Angeles. Hes from the core of the country. Every few years when Smith approached the end of a contract, CNBC Chairman Mark Hoffman would check in with Smiths agent, Larry Kramer. In a nearly empty Manhattan restaurant just before the COVID shutdown, the three men met. With CNN, MSNBC and the broadcast networks courting Smith, CNBC was considered an underdog, at best. My feeling was that it was not an obvious, conventional move for him, Hoffman said. But at the same time, I felt we had a concept we had been thinking about for a number of years that just might fit his interests. It just so happened that it was, item for item, exactly what Shep was looking for. CNBC offers financial news during the day and general interest programs that appeal to an affluent audience at night, things like Shark Tank, Jay Lenos Garage and Secret Lives of the Super Rich. The network needed something to serve as a bridge between the day and night identities, and thought a smart, straight newscast could do the trick, he said. We really clicked at that first meeting, Hoffman said. It was one of those easy conversations. It wasnt a sales pitch. We didnt talk about what we wanted him to do. I just talked about what we wanted to do. We had a nice chemistry and our interests seemed to be aligned. I would say he left the meeting intrigued and then it moved from there. That was their last face-to-face meeting. Negotiations were done via Zoom. Smith said he heard great ideas from other networks. Its just that this one fit better, he said. Being part of the larger NBC News family would hold potential future options for Smith, as well as providing journalists whose work could be included in his new CNBC show. Otherwise, CNBC offers the closest thing to a clean slate you can find in television news. Fox News Channel is averaging 2.7 million viewers in the 7 p.m. time slot this year. MSNBC has 1.7 million and CNN has 1.5 million, the Nielsen company said. At the same time on CNBC, Shark Tank has been averaging 153,000 viewers. Theres really no other place to go but up. Its not an easy thing to start from scratch, Smith said. Theres no muscle memory at CNBC in terms of doing a general newscast. Were creating all of that. And thats fun. It was fun creating in 1996, and its fun creating in 2020. David Bauder of The Associated Press wrote this story. Scientists from Far Eastern Federal University (FEFU), and the Institute of Automation and Control Processes of the Far Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IACP FEB RAS) have studied a correlation between the shape of Thermal Energy Storages (TES) used in traditional and renewable energy sectors and their efficiency. Using the obtained data, design engineers might be able to improve TES for specific needs. A related article was published in the Renewable Energy. The scientists studied a correlation between the shape and efficiency of TES based on granular phase change materials. When heated, such materials change their phase from the solid to the liquid state, thus preserving the heat energy. When they solidify again, energy output takes place. Devices based on this principle are used in advanced energy systems. Using a computational model that had been developed previously, the team found out the effect of narrowing and expansion of cylinder-shaped TES on the process of their charging (energy input), energy storage, and discharging (energy output) depending on various preference criteria. "To study the charging and discharging of TES with different shapes, we used six efficiency criteria. In some cases, a heat accumulator that stores more energy is the most preferable. In other cases, a unit with the fastest charge time is the most efficient. It is the same for discharge: some need a device with the biggest energy output, and some would prefer one with maximal time of keeping the outlet temperature not lower than a given value," said Nickolay Lutsenko, a co-author of the work, a Professor at the Engineering Department of the Polytechnic Institute (School), FEFU, and a Laboratory Head at IACP FEB RAS. According to the scientist' research, TES with straight walls are often the most preferable. However, the shape of a unit can depend on efficiency criteria and the details of the process, such as boundary conditions, phase transition temperature, and so on. In some scenarios, narrowing or expanding TES can be more beneficial than straight walls ones. Thermal energy storages can also be parts of other types of energy accumulators, such as adiabatic compressed air energy storages that are used to store cheap energy coming from traditional power plants in the night time or from solar batteries and wind turbines in favorable weather conditions. Energy output from these storage units takes place in peak energy consumption times, such as mornings or evenings. "These units store the energy of compressed gas that is pumped by compressors into huge containers capable of keeping it for a long time. When there is a shortage of energy, compressed gas is transmitted to turbines that move power plant generators. However, traditional compressed air energy storages have a disadvantage: when gas is compressed and pumped, its temperature increases, but the heat is lost. And when gas is released from containers, its temperature decreases, and it needs to be warmed up again before being transmitted to a turbine. To do so, power plants must consume fuel. Adiabatic compressed air energy storages, that are being developed today, make compressed gas go through a TES after pumping so that it only comes to a container after it releases all its heat. And when gas must be transmitted to a turbine, it passes through the same TES again where it absorbs energy and warms up. The performance factor of such units is much higher, and moreover they are more environmentally friendly, as no fuel needs to be burned and no atmospheric emissions take place," added Nickolay Lutsenko. ### Another author of the work, Sergey Fetsov, is a post-graduate student working under the supervision of Prof. N. Lutsenko. He was awarded the medal of the Russian Academy of Sciences for his work "Numerical simulation of gas flow through a layer of a granulated material with phase transition" as the best student in 2019 year. FEFU and FEB RAS provide a site for scientists, postgraduates, and students to conduct studies in different fields of multicomponent continuum mechanics under the supervision of Prof. N. Lutsenko. Besides modeling the innovative energy systems based on composite phase change materials, the teams study filtration combustion of natural and manmade porous systems and develop prototypes of low-temperature gas generators for advanced hypersonic aircrafts. SHANGHAI, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- Shanghai reported 10 imported COVID-19 cases and no domestically transmitted cases on Sunday, the municipal health commission said Monday. Among the imported cases, eight departed from the Philippines, one from Niger, and one from Turkey. Nine of them are Chinese nationals and one is Jordanian. A total of 157 people in close contact with the patients on the same flights have been put under quarantine. The municipal health commission said a total of 650 imported cases had been reported in Shanghai by Sunday. Among them, 601 patients were discharged from hospitals after recovery, and 49 continued to receive treatment in hospital with one in severe condition. By Sunday, the municipality had reported 342 locally transmitted confirmed cases, including seven deaths. [ Editor: WPY ] An honor guard consisting of members of the Chinese navy stand in formation during a welcoming ceremony in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing November 23, 2011. Photo by Reuters/David Gray. China began five military exercises simultaneously along different parts of its coast on Monday, the second time in two months it will have such concurrent drills. Two of the exercises are being held near the Paracel Islands, one in the East China Sea, and one in further north in the Bohai Sea, the Maritime Safety Administration said in notices on its website. In the southern part of the Yellow Sea, drills including live-fire exercises will be held from Monday to Wednesday, it said in another notice. All ships are prohibited from entering the area, it said. In a bid to train a combat-ready military force, China holds military drills periodically, but rarely do multiple exercises happen at the same time. Last month, China announced four separate exercises, from the Bohai Sea to the East and Yellow Seas and down to the South China Sea, in what Chinese military experts said was a rare arrangement of drills. Among those, drills on the Paracel Islands from August 24 to 29 received Vietnam's protests. Vietnam's Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokeswoman Le Thi Thu Hang said on August 26 that China repeatedly performing drills in the area of the Paracels "violates Vietnam's sovereignty over the islands, goes against the spirit of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC), and is not conducive for negotiations related to the Code of Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (COC), as well as the maintenance of peace, stability and cooperation across the waters." Vietnam has repeatedly asserted its sovereignty over the Paracel (Hoang Sa) and the Spratly (Truong Sa) Islands in the East Sea, known internationally as the South China Sea. All actions regarding the islands without Vietnam's agreement are illegal, Hang has said. ALEXANDRIA, Va., Sept. 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Systems Planning and Analysis, Inc. (SPA), was selected as a finalist in the Greater Washington Government Contractor of the Year competition in the $75 - $300 million category by the Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce and the Professional Services Council. This premier awards program honors the leadership, innovation, and commitment to excellence of the individuals and businesses in the government contracting sector. "SPA is extremely honored to have been selected as a finalist for this prestigious award," said Dr. William Vantine, SPA President and CEO, "and regardless of the final results, being recognized as one of the top companies in our industry is a testament of the tremendous team we have at Systems Planning and Analysis. We have an amazing group of dedicated professionals, intensely committed to supporting our clients and critical national security missions. SPA is a growing, agile and responsive company that provides insightful, analytically sound, and creative knowledge-based solutions to our clients to inform their most important decisions. I could not be more proud of the contributions of our team." The winners will be named during the 18th annual awards show on 4 November, the premier awards event for the Washington area government contracting community. About SPA Systems Planning and Analysis, Inc., provides knowledge based solutions integrating technical, operational, programmatic, policy, and business factors in support of important national security objectives. Our employees have expertise in many domains, including: Land, Undersea, Surface and Air Warfare Operations; Radar and Sensor Systems; Unmanned Systems and Counter Systems; Nuclear Deterrence Policy, Safety and Security; Defense Industrial Base; Space Systems; Ballistic Missile Systems; and Hypersonics. Our capabilities include: Advanced Analytics; System Engineering and Safety Analysis; Strategy, Policy and Compliance; Program and Acquisition Management; Software Tool Development. To learn more about SPA, please visit www.spa.com and connect with us on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. SOURCE Systems Planning and Analysis, Inc. Related Links spa.com Family of a British mother who vanished in France a year ago said today The longer this has gone on, the deeper and darker her disappearance has become. Police are currently investigating after Karen Milsom, 52, suddenly left the home she shared with electrician husband Steve in the Charente region with some clothes and 5,400 of Euros. Her car was found three weeks later at nearby Ruffec station by him and their two grown-up children, with no trace of her. Officers from the French police have searched the family home and septic tank but have still not found out what has happened. They are looking at three possible theories she could have started a new life, killed herself or been murdered. Sources close to the investigation revealed there was a considerable amount of funds in Mrs Milsoms bank account, but has not made any withdrawals since. Last night Mrs Milsoms brother Jon Ward told MailOnline: Something has happened to my sister. The longer this has gone the deeper and darker her disappearance has become. There are a lot of uneasy elements in this, we didnt learn Karen was missing until more than two months later this was from my dad. We are aware that Karen had been unhappy about the state of her marriage for some time. She had told friends she was unhappy. Steve and Karen Milsom pictured in France just weeks before she vanished without a trace Mother-of-two Karen Milsom, 52, left her home in the Charente region in August last year The family car was found at Ruffec Station 25 miles away three weeks later after a tip-off Mrs Milsom, who was born in Bristol, had been a carer for an elderly British women before she disappeared after they moved to France 15 years ago. Mr Ward said: I have such an emotional attachment to all this I dont want to put two and two together and get 22 At the end of the day we hope and pray she is safe and well. If she sees this we just want to ask her please Karen get in touch. We dont care what shes doing or what shes up to we just need to know she is safe and well and then we will give her space. If she doesnt pick up the phone and say shes safe then we will think and continue worry she is in trouble. There has been no communication from her and there were no clues in the car when her husband and two sons recovered it from the train station. Mrs Milsom and her family had moved to the Charente region 15 years ago to live The boys think one day she will just come back and walk through the door when shes ready. Her husband told the Guardian she suddenly left after an outburst and thought she would come back after she took their car, but said she texted him to say the vehicle was at nearby Ruffec station. It had a bag of men's clothes inside. He added: She had been fishing for an argument. She was in one of her moods. She said no one cared about her. She would fly off the handle and then a couple of hours later she would apologise. I was gobsmacked when she left. She said she would be in contact as and when she wanted to. Three weeks later, I got a text off her to say that the car was at Ruffec station. She left of her own accord. I really don't know what could have happened. I don't think she'd have taken her life. I had two phone calls from withheld numbers. I spoke to her and it was a strange conversation. Maybe she was craving a more exciting life. I'm hoping she's going to show her face, but at the moment I'm in limbo." Mr Milsom said he reported her missing to the police three weeks later after it became clear she was not coming home. She vanished in August and the Gendarmerie has made appeals for witnesses as it investigated what has happened. One of her friends Claire McDermott received a text from her in September last year and she believed she had been bored with her life in France. Ms McDermott said: She felt she had nothing to look forward to. The message said she would be back in December to explain, but she has not been seen again. Another friend Sue Jones added: She was a very bubbly person, very caring and empathetic. But I knew she wasn't very happy. She said that Milsom's mother had killed herself when her daughter was a teenager. She said: I find it hard to believe that she would do that to her children. Milsom is one of more than 800 missing people on the files of the Lucie Blackman Trust. It said in an appeal: 'Karen has not been seen nor heard from since around 20th August 2019. She has been living in France for 15 years and has kept in regular touch with her family. 'Therefore this disappearance, from her home in Charente, France, is completely out of character and there are serious concerns for her.' A day after President Ram Nath Kovind gave his assent to the three agricultural legislations that have evoked widespread resistance from the farming community, 17 farmers unions have decided to stage dharnas in front of the residences of Haryana deputy chief minister Dushyant Chautala and power and jails minister Ranjit Chautala to demand their resignation from the Khattar government. Kisan Sangharsh Samiti president Mandeep Singh Nathwan said the dharna will start from October 6 and will be similar to the ones staged by Punjab farmers outside the residence of Akali patriarch and former Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal. We want deputy CM Dushyant Chautala and his grandfather Ranjit Chautala, a cabinet minister in the Bharatiya Janata Party-Jannayak Janta Party government in Haryana, to tender their resignations the same way that Harsimrat Kaur Badal quit the union cabinet. The Chautalas have been elevated to power due to the support of the farming community and now it is ridiculous that they are still supporting the BJP government, he added. If the Badal family can snap their two-decade-old ties with the BJP, what is stopping Dushyant and his grandfather Ranjit Chautala to come out of the BJP government, which is running with their support. This is the time for them to prove their pro-farmer stand, otherwise the farming community will never accept them, he added. The Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) meanwhile seems divided on the laws. While Dushyant is backing the laws, Barwala MLA Jogi Ram Sihag and Narnaund MLA Ram Kumar Gautam have extended their support to the agitating farmers. On Sunday, the JJPs Rohtak unit had taken out a tractor march in support of the three laws. The partys Rohtak unit chief Balwan Suhag said these laws will prove beneficial to the farmers and the minimum support price (MSP) system will not end. When contacted, Ranjit Chautala said he is currently in home quarantine after testing positive for Covid-19 and denied to comment on the farm bill issue. JJP supremo Ajay Singh Chautala said the BJP-JJP alliance will continue in future and his party has a different stand from the Shiromani Akali Dal. These three laws are helpful for farmers and the few protesting farmers are being backed by a party. The farmers produce will be purchased at minimum support price (MSP), he added. Black flags shown to agri minister The farmers showed black flags to Haryana agriculture minister JP Dalal and Sonepat MP Ramesh Kaushik during their visits to Chhichhrana and Madina villages in Baroda constituency on Sunday. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Monday started the virtual demonstration and screening for the use of electronic voting and the collation of results with over 40 ICT firms participating. The demonstration was held at the INEC headquarters in Abuja. The INEC chairman, Yakubu Mahmood, said the practical demonstration will enable the commission evaluate the available technology already deployed by the electoral body. Mr Yakubu described the demonstration as another decisive effort by the commission to deepen the countrys electoral integrity through the deployment of technology. He said, over the years, the commission has been automating the critical pillars of the process. The biometric register of voters has been updated continuously. At the moment, the INEC register of voters in the largest database of citizens in Nigeria. The commission had deployed the use of technology in the Edo governorship elections as a means of improving the electoral system. These included a dedicated online portal and INEC Result Viewing (IRV), to enable Nigerians view results from polling units in real-time on election days, as well as the use of the Z-pad. Today, the commission is taking yet another decisive step towards the full automation of the electoral process. For some time now, the commission has been working on the deployment of technology in voting during elections to replace the current manual system which is tedious and requires enormous logistics to deliver huge quantities of printed materials and a large number of ad hoc staff to administer the process. To this end, the commission developed the specifications of the functions required of the machine. After extensive discussion and review, the commission took the decision to invite original manufacturers of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) around the world for a virtual or practical demonstration of the machines, the official was quoted as saying in a statement. He said over 40 companies that indicated interest demonstrated to the commission how their IT solutions meet specifications. I wish to emphasise that this is only a demonstration that will enable the Commission to evaluate the available technology and where necessary finetune our specifications before proceeding to the next stage which will involve the participation of stakeholders. Details of the next steps will be given at the end of the demonstrations. 25/09/2020 - The fourth virtual conference on the availability of information on beneficial owners of legal entities, arrangements and bank accounts was jointly organised by the Global Forum secretariat and the Asian Development Bank (ADB). Held on 23-25 September 2020 and focused on the Asia and Pacific region, the event built upon the Beneficial Ownership Implementation Toolkit produced by the Global Forum and the Inter-American Development Bank, and the Beneficial Ownership e-learning module developed by the Global Forum and the OECDs Global Relations Programme, in collaboration with ADB. It brought together about 300 delegates from 36 countries (Albania, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Azerbaijan, Barbados, Cambodia, Canada, Cook Islands, Cyprus, Eswatini, Georgia, Hong Kong (China), India, Indonesia, Japan, Kazakhstan, Korea, Kuwait, Malaysia, Maldives, Mauritius, Nauru, Pakistan, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Peru, the Philippines, Poland, Singapore, Tanzania, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Tunisia, Turkey and United Arab Emirates). The event aimed at offering practical sessions to discuss the different options for implementing an effective beneficial ownership transparency regime, from a legal and organisational point of view, taking into consideration diverse realities and contexts. More specifically, the virtual conference: facilitated discussions on the definition of beneficial ownership and explained the transparency requirements of the international standards, especially the Global Forums standards; enabled exchanges on the various possible legislative and regulatory approaches to ensure the availability of information on beneficial owners; facilitated discussions on the interaction between AML/CFT legislation, tax legislation, company law and other national legislation on the availability of information on beneficial owners; allowed jurisdictions, whose beneficial ownership systems had been found effective by the Global Forums peer reviews or which had been assessed by the Global Forum and the FATF on the availability of beneficial ownership information, to share their experience; enabled participating countries to discuss the next steps in the implementation of the transparency of beneficial owners in their respective countries. During the COVID-19 health crisis, the Global Forum Secretariat continues to work to strengthen the capacity of its members. New virtual workshops will be organised in the coming weeks on different themes related to the exchange of information. The Global Forum is the leading multilateral body mandated to ensure that jurisdictions around the world adhere to and effectively implement both the standard of transparency and exchange of information on request and the standard of automatic exchange of information. These objectives are achieved through a robust monitoring and peer review process. The Global Forum also runs an extensive technical assistance programme to support its members in implementing the standards and help tax authorities make the best use of cross-border information sharing channels. For more information, please contact gftaxcooperation@oecd.org. Multi-millionaire hedge fund boss Crispin Odey has appeared in court to deny groping a junior banker at his Chelsea home. Odey, a 61-year-old Brexiteer and Boris Johnson ally who has donated vast sums to the Tory party, was charged in May with indecently assaulting a young woman in 1998. The banker, then in her 20s and at the start of her career, alleges that Odey invited her back to his spacious townhouse on an exclusive street in Chelsea after post-work drinks in a pub. Support: Crispin Odey with his wife Nichola Pease outside court in London There he appeared wearing a dressing gown and 'launched himself' at the young woman, putting his hand under her blouse and grabbing her breast over her bra while sliding his hand up her skirt, prosecutors claim. Details of the allegations were heard in public for the first time yesterday, as Odey appeared at Westminster Magistrates Court flanked by his wife Nichola Pease, herself a successful fund manager. The couple, once known as the 'City's Posh and Becks' due to their high profile, are worth 825m according to the Sunday Times Rich List. Pease, 59, kept her arms folded during the hearing as details of the historic allegations were read out. Prosecutor Aaron McCalister said: 'This assault is said to have taken place by the defendant on the complainant who was then a junior employee of an investment bank in the summer of 1998. 'The defendant effectively engineered a situation where they went back to his house. 'He said he would change out of his suit and returned in a dressing gown. 'The Crown say he launched himself at her, putting one hand on her back, groping her breast and putting his hand up her skirt.' At yesterday's pre-trial hearing, Odey spoke only to confirm his identity. The investor, who founded Odey Asset Management in 1991 and manages around 4billion for clients, was a customer of the investment bank where the young banker worked. The prosecution plans to call five witnesses, including four of the woman's former colleagues and her then-boyfriend. The young banker initially made Odey aware that she planned to pursue charges by email in 2013, the court heard yesterday. Odey denies the charges, and his trial is scheduled for February 17 and 18 next year at Hendon Magistrates' Court. Due to the nature of the charges, he could choose whether to have them heard in the Magistrates' Court or in the Crown Court. He opted to have the case heard by magistrates, without a jury. In a statement after the court hearing, Odey said: 'I am pleased that the magistrates have agreed to hear this historic matter quickly. 'I look forward to having the facts heard and maintain the allegation is untrue.' Odey's barrister, Crispin Aylett QC, added: 'This allegation is immensely damaging for Mr Odey both professionally and personally.' Odey, who has three the biggest donors to the campaign to leave the EU. The millionaire, who was educated at Harrow before graduating from Oxford University and qualifying as a barrister, has given almost 900,000 to pro-Brexit campaigns. He has donated at least 1.7m to the Conservative party over the last decade, and 100,000 to Boris Johnson's successful leadership campaign. After backing the movement to leave the EU, Odey then made 220m in the aftermath of the referendum as the value of the pound tumbled. The hedge fund boss also raked in 115m during the stock market's coronavirus crash in March this year, he told the Mail on Sunday that month. Odey and Pease's family home is a Grade II listed mansion, Eastbach Court, in the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire. The pair raised eyebrows in 2012 when they filed a planning application to build a 150,000 chicken coop, which stood taller than a bungalow and was replete with Roman-style columns. Before he married Pease in 1991, Odey was briefly married to Prudence Murdoch, media tycoon Rupert Murdoch's eldest daughter. Australian fashionistas have fallen in love with a range of stylish shirts recently launched in Kmart as part of its affordable spring collection. Among the most popular is a $15 short-sleeved top available in four colours: white, copper, mocha and zest, a bright shade of khaki green. Melbourne fashion blogger Jess Dakota said she 'loves' the 'Short Sleeve Half Placket Shirt' in a recent Instagram post where she also praised its casual trendiness. 'Comfort but stylish is what I'm all about,' she wrote in the caption. Scroll down for video Melbourne fashion blogger Jess Dakota wears Kmart's $15 Short Sleeve Half Placket Shirt, which she called comfortable yet stylish Brisbane stylist Sarah, who posts on Instagram as 'She's So Seasonal', prefers a long-sleeved style made from linen and viscose which comes in white, apricot and tobacco, a mustard-like shade of brown. Sarah said she is 'actually in love with' the $20 'Long Sleeve Linen Blend Shirt' in an outfit post on September 16 which shows her beaming in a 'The new Kmart linen blend top is gorgeous!' she wrote, adding: 'I am wearing a size 12 which is great because it makes it oversized and fun to style.' Perth influencer Louisa Sabrina has also raved about the long-sleeved linen shirt, telling followers it's perfect with black bike shorts on warm summer days. Brisbane stylist Sarah, who posts on Instagram as 'She's So Seasonal', prefers this long-sleeved style made from linen and viscose which costs $20 Perth influencer Louisa Sabrina told followers the long-sleeved linen shirt (pictured) is perfect with black bike shorts on warm summer days Earlier in September some of the countrys top fashion bloggers started creating effortlessly stylish looks with a corduroy shirt from Kmart that's currently reduced to just $9 the price of a sandwich. Available in beige and a rich burgundy, the long-sleeved button-up top is winning praise on Instagram for its comfort, versatility and remarkable affordability. There are only limited sizes of shade 'Peanut' left in stock online, but 'Shiraz' named after the popular red wine is still in available in six, eight, 12 and 14. On Instagram, Melbourne stylist Maria, who posts as The Budget Savvy Girl, said she loves the 'edginess' the ribbed texture adds to an outfit. Canberra fashion blogger 'This is Genevieve' wears the long-sleeved corduroy shirt from Kmart in shade 'Peanut', currently reduced to $9 Melbourne stylist Maria, who posts as The Budget Savvy Girl (left) and Sydney blogger Angel Perez (right) wear two looks built around the $9 corduroy shirt Louisa Sabrina agreed and said she is looking forward to summer when she plans to wear it over a crop top and linen shorts. One follower replied: 'It's such a gorgeous shirt babe. I saw this before the lockdown, now I wish I picked it up. You look fab in it!' Others said she had inspired them to buy the shirt, which has also been endorsed by up-and-coming influencer 'This is Genevieve'. Maurice Lackey, 40, of Harrisburg, was sentenced Sept. 16 for drug trafficking and firearms charges, according to the United States Attorneys Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania. Lackey was convicted on Dec. 5, 2019 with possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine, possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, and possession of a firearm as a felon and armed career criminal. He was also sentenced to 46 months' imprisonment to be served concurrent to his 40-year sentence, for violating the terms of his supervised release. Harrisburg Bureau of Police arrested Lackey on June 18, 2017, according to United States Attorney David J. Freed. Authorities said he was found in possession of two firearms and approximately 167 baggies of crack cocaine during a traffic stop. Police said one of the firearms was loaded at the time of his arrest and both firearms had previously been reported as stolen. According to the attorneys office, Lackey had been convicted in 2003 of possession with intent to distribute more than 5 grams of crack cocaine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. He was sentenced to 15 years in prison for those offenses, and was released from prison less than eight months prior to the June 18, 2017 arrest. Sukhbir Singh Badal With the Shiromani Akali Dal walking out of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) over farm bills, the Shiv Sena on Monday wondered if the BJP-led alliance really exists and asked who are in the coalition now. An editorial in Sena mouthpiece 'Saamana' said it was surprising that NDA's "last pillar" Shiromani Akali Dal was not stopped from severing ties with the alliance. The editorial said, "When the Badals left, no effort was made to stop them. Earlier, the Shiv Sena also left NDA. With these two parties out, what is left of the NDA? Those who are still there, do they have anything to do with Hindutva?" "Punjab and Maharashtra represent manliness and Akali Dal and Shiv Sena are the faces of that manliness," it said. "Now some have said 'ram-ram' (adieu) to this venture and so there is no Ram left in NDA, which has lost two lions (Akali Dal and Sena)," the editorial said. The Akali Dal quit the NDA on Saturday over the issue of farm bills passed in Parliament. It is the third major party to walk out of the NDA in the recent period after the Shiv Sena and the TDP. The Shiv Sena quit the NDA last year following differences with the BJP over sharing the chief ministerial post in Maharashtra on a rotational basis. "First, the Shiv Sena had to quit the NDA. Now the Akali Dal has left it. Does the NDA really exist after its two key pillars have walked out?" it said. "The NDA was formed to give a strong alliance against the Congress at the national level. The alliance saw many ups and downs over the years and several other parties quit it as per their convenience," it said. The countrys politics is being pushed towards a one- party system, but the BJP has to face elections in several states by forging alliances with other parties, the Sena said. The Shiv Sena said its government with the NCP and Congress in Maharashtra is doing a good job, and added it will complete its five-year term. JACKSON, MI The Michigan Court of Appeals must reconsider the case where a man was convicted of killing a toddler. Scott Jurewicz was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole in January 2018 after a jury found him guilty of first-degree murder and first-degree child abuse in November 2017. The Michigan Court of Appeals found in August 2019 that Jurewiczs attorneys were not ineffective, which meant no new trial was necessary. The Michigan Supreme Court ruled Sept. 25 that the appeals court must reconsider the case with the correct legal standard, however. Man convicted in murder of toddler will not get new trial, court says Jurewicz, now 32, told police he shook his then-girlfriends 18-month-old Brenden Hartranft before putting him to bed March 14, 2015 at the couples Michigan Center home. The boy was removed from life support three days later. Brenden suffocated, but there was a prior injury that led to the suffocation, doctors testified at trial. In his appeal, Jurewicz argued his attorney failed to call two key witnesses to testify on his behalf, both doctors who would have offered other reasons for Brendens death. The appeals court ruled that those witnesses would not have provided a substantial defense. The failure to call witnesses cant be judged based on that standard, though the state supreme court ruled. Instead it must be based on the same standard as all other claims of ineffective counsel. Those standards are if a (1) counsels performance fell below an objective standard of reasonableness and (2) but for counsels deficient performance, there is a reasonable probability that the outcome would have been different, the supreme court order said. Jurewicz maintained his innocence through the trial, though police said he admitted to giving Brenden a good shake and putting him down hard in a playpen. During the nine-day trial, the jury listened to 22 witnesses and saw more than 120 pieces of evidence. Jurewicz is also a suspect in the May 21, 2015 death of 21-month-old Jesse Pepper Jr. He was the son of Andrea Conaway, with whom Jurewicz started a relationship before he was charged in Brendens death. For a listing of stories on the case, click here. Read more from MLive: It doesnt feel real: Family remembers Jackson man who died 10 weeks after being shot Sourdough baking during coronavirus lockdown sparks bakery business in Jackson Teenager shot in Jackson, police say London : A 43-year-old Indian-origin teacher in the UK has sold her home, which has a market value of 250,000 pounds, for a token of mere 2 pounds to ensure that she cannot be evicted from the property. Rekha Patel has been locked in a feud with her neighbour over some building work dating back six years on the home. She spent 200,000 pounds buying the dilapidated two-bedroom cottage in 2010 in Simmondley village in Glossop and turning it into her dream home. A court order had directed that the home be sold to recover legal fees and costs of around 76,000 pounds. I realised I will have more rights as a tenant than the owner so I decided to sever all legal ties with the house in order to live in peace in my own home, she told. She sold the home, built in the early 18th century, to two private companies recently and has signed a 10-year tenancy agreement with them to carry on living in the property for a monthly rent of 50 pounds. I had tried everything possible and had no other choice. There are proper agreements in place with the two private companies and these are people I trust. The people of this village have been absolutely lovely. Many have taken days off work to come out and support me, she said. Patel, who was born in the UK to an Indian family from Navsari in Gujarat, got embroiled in a dispute with her next door neighbour over some roof stones that got damaged during renovation work on the two-bedroom house, which has a market value of 250,000 pounds. The dispute landed in court, which ordered Patel to pay damages and legal costs to her neighbour. While she paid part of the amount, Patel disputes the remaining bill imposed on her. She was evicted from her home in June last year over non-payment but re-entered a month later and has since been fighting against a court order for her home to be sold. She applied for the legal bill to be quashed by Manchester County Court last week. I feel the justice system needs to be fairer and accessible to everyone. I want to now put this entire matter behind me and move on. I want to travel to India and try and work on a book that would help educate others who get caught in a similar situation of being scared out of their own homes, said the maths teacher, who works at Glossopdale Community College in Glossop. Forgiveness is the way forward. It is between her and her conscience, she knows what she did was not right, she said, in reference to her neighbour. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. The Daily Beast Chip Somodevilla/Getty ImagesWeve been lulled into believing Donald Trump is made of Teflon. He was, after all, the guy who boasted that he could shoot someone on Fifth Avenue and not lose a vote.But Trumps luck began to run out in early 2021when he lost the White House, Air Force One, and his Twitter account inside a few weeks. His days of getting away with conduct that would sink anyone else appear to be over. He could even start losing so much that hell get sick of losing.Trump was met wi After Sushant Singh Rajputs family expressed unhappiness about the Central Bureau of Investigations (CBI) probe into his death, the agency has shared an update about the status of the investigation. The CBI said that the probe is still on and no aspect has been ruled out yet. News agency ANI quoted the CBI as saying, The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is conducting a professional investigation related to the death of Sushant Singh Rajput in which all aspects are being looked at and no aspect has been ruled out as of date. Investigation is continuing. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is conducting professional investigation related to death of #SushantSinghRajput in which all aspects are being looked at and no aspect has been ruled out as of date. Investigation is continuing: CBI pic.twitter.com/9FG1bNJNSs ANI (@ANI) September 28, 2020 Sushant was found dead at his Mumbai home on June 14. After a brief turf war between Mumbai Police and Patna Police, the case was transferred to the CBI last month. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) and Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) are looking into the money laundering and drugs angles of the case, respectively. Last week, Sushants family lawyer Vikas Singh said that the family is disappointed with the direction in which the investigation is heading. The family feels that the investigation is going in such a way that the truth is not coming out. The NCB (Narcotics Control Bureau) case has become like the Mumbai Police investigation, all stars are now being called. The people called in and not are a part of a syndicate and not distributors. It is just a Mumbai Police type of investigation. Sushants case has taken a back seat, the senior advocate said in a press conference on Thursday, according to ANI. Also read | Irrfan Khans son Babil pours his heart out in moving note: Id give every cell in my presence to remember your skin Vikas Singh also raised questions about the CBI probe and said, The investigation is not on track. I will not say I am not happy with CBI, but its the lack of importance that the case is getting is what I am worried about. The forensics response of the AIIMS should be made public that is what will satisfy the family. Today, we are helpless as we dont know in which direction the case is going. Till today, CBI has not done a press briefing on what they have found out. I am not happy with the speed at which the case is going, he added. Sushants death was ruled as a suicide by the Mumbai Police. However, his father alleged in a self-made video that the actor was murdered by Rhea Chakraborty. Follow @htshowbiz for more Ordinary Shareholders' Meeting of October 30, 2020 to be held behind closed doors Composition of the Bureau Project to transfer the listing of SuperSonic Imagine's securities to Euronext Growth Regulatory News: SuperSonic Imagine (Paris:SSI) (Euronext: SSI, FR0010526814, PEA-PME eligible) (the "Company"), which specializes in ultrasound medical imaging, announces that an Ordinary Shareholders' Meeting to be held behind closed doors shall take place at 9 am (Paris time) on Friday October 30, 2020 at the Company's registered offices (510 rue Rene Descartes, 13857 Aix-en-Provence) without the presence of its shareholders. Ordinary Shareholders' Meeting of October 30, 2020 to be held behind closed doors Within the context of the Coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic, and in accordance with article 4 of order 2020-321 of March 25, 2020 implemented within the framework of the authorization granted by emergency law n 2020-290 of March 23, 2020 adopted to handle the Covid-19 pandemic and whose application has been extended to November 30, 2020 by decree n 2020-925 of July 29, 2020, the Company's Board of Directors decided, at its meeting of September 22, 2020, that the Ordinary Shareholders' Meeting of October 30, 2020 will, exceptionally, be held behind closed doors without its shareholders being present (either in person or via conference or video call). The meeting notice being considered as a convening notice containing notably the agenda, the full text of the draft resolutions and the main terms and conditions for participating in the Ordinary Shareholders' Meeting of October 30, 2020 to be held behind closed doors was published in the official bulletin of legal announcements (BALO) on September 23, 2020 (bulletin n115). This meeting notice being considered as a convening notice and the Board of Directors' report to the Ordinary Shareholders' Meeting of October 30, 2020 are currently available on the Company's website (https://www.supersonicimagine.fr Investors Documentation Shareholders Meeting). Considering that the Ordinary Shareholders' Meeting will be held behind closed doors, the modalities of participation and organization of such Meeting have been adapted accordingly. Shareholders are invited to familiarize themselves with the main terms and conditions for participating, voting and exercising shareholders' rights, a description of which is included in the meeting notice being considered as a convening notice available on the Company's website (https://www.supersonicimagine.fr Investors Documentation Shareholders Meeting). This Ordinary Shareholders' Meeting will not be the subject of a live or deferred video or audio broadcast. Given the current context, shareholders are invited to regularly check the section devoted to the Shareholders' Meetings on the Company's website (https://www.supersonicimagine.fr Investors Documentation Shareholders Meeting) and/or to email any questions pertaining to this Ordinary Shareholders' Meeting to supersonicimagine@newcap.eu. Composition of the Bureau In accordance with article 8 of decree n 2020-418, whose application has been extended to November 30, 2020 by decree n 2020-925 of July 29, 2020, the Company's Board of Directors, at its meeting of September 22, 2020, appointed two scrutineers to assemble the Bureau of the Ordinary Shareholders' Meeting. Hologic Hub Ltd. (UK), the Company's majority shareholder, represented by Mr. Michelangelo Stefani (also a Board of Director's member), and Mrs. Elisabeth Winter, Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Director and a shareholder in the Company have thus been appointed. Mr. Michael Brock will chair the Ordinary Shareholders' Meeting in his capacity as Chairman of the Company's Board of Directors. The secretary will be designated by the members of the Bureau at a later date. Project to transfer the listing of SuperSonic Imagine securities to the Euronext Growth market It is specified that this Ordinary Shareholders' Meeting will have to decide on the planned transfer of the listing of securities issued by the Company from the Euronext Paris regulated market to the Euronext Growth Paris multilateral trading facility (the "Transfer"), and that shareholders will be asked to grant the Board of Directors all powers necessary to carry out this Transfer. Reasons behind this planned transfer to Euronext Growth Euronext Growth Paris is a market organized by Euronext Paris. It is not a regulated market but a multilateral trading facility organized within the meaning of article 525-1 of the General regulations of the AMF. Its organizational rules are approved by the AMF. The Board of Directors considers that this project would allow the Company to have its securities admitted to trading on a market more commensurate with its size, market capitalization and the level of its free float. The transfer to Euronext Growth should enable the Company to reduce its obligations and constraints (under the conditions detailed below) and, as a result, reduce the costs associated with its listing, while maintaining the shares' tradability on a financial market. In addition, the transfer to Euronext Growth would allow the Company to prepare its consolidated financial statements in accordance with French GAAP (as opposed to its current obligation to prepare its consolidated financial statements in accordance with IFRS). Main consequences of the planned Transfer (non-exhaustive list) In accordance with articles L. 421-14 of the Monetary and Financial Code and 223-36 of the General regulation of the AMF, the Company hereby informs its shareholders of the main consequences of the Transfer. With regard to the periodic information: the half-yearly report, including the half-yearly (and consolidated) financial statements and an activity report relating to these half-yearly financial statements, would be published within four months following the end of the second quarter of the Company's fiscal year, instead of the period of three months following the end of the first half of the fiscal year applicable to companies whose securities are admitted to trading on a regulated market; in addition, the review of the half-yearly financial statements by the statutory auditors would no longer be required; lighter information required in the management report and the corporate governance report; option between French accounting standards and IFRS for the preparation of the Company's consolidated financial statements. With regard to the permanent information: As Euronext Growth is a multilateral trading facility, the Company would remain subject to the provisions applicable to permanent market disclosure, and in particular to the provisions of Regulation (EU) No. 596/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council of April 16, 2014 on market abuse (the "MAR Regulation"). Any company listed on Euronext Growth must ensure the effective and full dissemination of the so-called regulated information. In addition, the Company's managers and persons having a close relationship with them would remain subject to the obligation to report transactions on the shares or debt securities of the Company pursuant to article 19 of MAR Regulation. With regard to the protection of minority shareholders The Company would be subject to the regulations applicable to companies listed on Euronext Growth: unless an exemption is granted, the protection of minority shareholders would be ensured on Euronext Growth by the mechanism of a mandatory public tender offer in the event that the threshold of 50% of the share capital or voting rights is crossed, directly or indirectly, alone or in concert; only the crossing, upwards or downwards, of the thresholds of 50% and 95% of the share capital or voting rights would have to be reported to the AMF and the Company, subject, where applicable, to the crossing of statutory thresholds to be reported to the Company. However, both the public tender offer regulations and the threshold disclosure requirements applicable to companies whose securities are admitted to trading on a regulated market would remain applicable for three years from the date of admission of the Company's securities to the Euronext Growth Paris multilateral trading facility. With regard to the general meetings The formalism related to general meetings would be slightly simplified, particularly on the following points: the documents relating to shareholders' meetings provided to shareholders should be published on the Company's website only on the date of the notice of meeting, as opposed to 21 days before the date of the meeting; the notice of availability of the preparatory documents for the general meeting would no longer be required; the publication on the Company's website of the results of the votes and the minutes of the general meeting would no longer be required. With regard to executive compensation The Company would no longer be subject to the "say on pay" regulation, which provides for an ex-ante vote by the shareholders on executives compensation policy, an ex-post vote on the report on compensation and the approval of individual executive compensation. With regard to the governance The Company would no longer be subject to the provisions of articles L. 823-19 et seq. of the French Commercial Code relating to audit committees. With regard to the liquidity of securities As Euronext Growth is not a regulated market, the transfer to Euronext Growth could result in a change in the liquidity of the share which could differ from the liquidity observed since the beginning of the Company's listing on the Euronext Paris regulated market. Indicative timetable of the Transfer project (subject to its validation by Euronext Paris) If the Company's shareholders approve the contemplated Transfer, and subject to the market operator's approval, the Company's securities would be listed and traded on the Euronext Growth market no earlier than two months after the Ordinary Shareholders' Meeting having approved the Transfer, such meeting being scheduled for October 30, 2020, and within 12 months of the date of that meeting. The Company will appoint a Listing Sponsor, within the timeframe stipulated by applicable regulations, to assist the Company with respect to the contemplated Transfer. Dates Operations September 22, 2020 Decision of the Board of Directors to convene an Ordinary Shareholders' Meeting to decide on the contemplated Transfer. September 23, 2020 Publication, in the official bulletin of legal announcements (BALO), of the meeting notice being considered as a convening notice to the Ordinary Shareholders' Meeting of October 30, 2020. Publication of the press release relating to the contemplated Transfer in accordance with the provisions of article 223-36 of the General regulations of the AMF. October 30, 2020 Ordinary Shareholders' Meeting held to rule on the contemplated Transfer. As soon as possible following the Ordinary Shareholders' Meeting of October 30, 2020 Should the Ordinary Shareholders' Meeting approve the project: Board of directors meeting deciding to implement the Transfer, request to delist the Company's securities from Compartment C of the Euronext Paris regulated market and simultaneously admit them for trading on the Euronext Growth Paris multilateral trading facility press release regarding the definitive Transfer decision and filing of the request to list the Company's securities on Euronext Growth Paris As soon as possible from December 30, 2020 Should the Euronext Paris market operator approve the contemplated Transfer, delisting of the Company's securities from the Euronext Paris regulated market and listing of the Company's securities on the Euronext Growth Paris multilateral trading facility. About SuperSonic Imagine SuperSonic Imagine is a medical technology company (Medtech) specialized in ultrasound imaging. The company designs, develops and markets an ultrasound platform whose exclusive ultrafast technology (UltraFast) has given rise to new imaging methods, which have now become standards in the non-invasive care path for the characterization of breast, liver or prostate diseases. The first innovative mode UltraFast is ShearWave elastography (SWE), which allows doctors to instantly visualize and analyze tissue hardness, which is critical information for the diagnosis of many pathologies. To date, more than 600 publications have validated the benefits of its technologies. The latest addition to the Aixplorer range, Aixplorer MACH 30 introduces a new generation of imaging UltraFast allowing the optimization of all innovative imaging modes: ShearWave PLUS, UltraFast Doppler, Angio PL.U.S, TriVu. With almost 2,800 ultrasound platforms installed worldwide, SuperSonic Imagine is present in more than 80 countries and its main markets are China, the United States and France. The group's revenues for the 2019 financial year amounted to 26.4 million. SuperSonic Imagine is a company listed on Euronext (symbol: SSI). For more information, visit www.supersonicimagine.fr. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200928005665/en/ Contacts: Contacts Investor Relations NewCap Thomas Grojean supersonicimagine@newcap.eu +33 44 71 94 94 By Ayya Lmahamad Five more residential blocks for internally displaced people will be handed over in Azerbaijan by the end of 2020, State Committee for Refugees and IDPs have reported. Thus, a residential block for 180 families is ready in Umid settlement of Bakus Garadagh district. Moreover, work is underway in Ramany settlement of Bakus Sabunchu district in the new residential block for 1,512 families, in Samukh district for 200 families, in Absheron district for 1,890 families and in Binagadi district for 810 families. It should be noted that all necessary social and technical infrastructure have been created in all these districts. Likewise, the funds allocated from the President's reserve fund will be used to build new residential areas. Additionally, on September 25, President Ilham Aliyev signed an order on additional measures for improvement of living conditions of IDP families. According to the order, for the purpose of improvement of living conditions of IDP families, AZN 42,5 million ($24.9M) is allocated to the State Committee for Refugees and IDPs from the Reserve Fund of the President of the Azerbaijan envisaged in the state budget of the Azerbaijan for 2020. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz An international group of researchers, including scientists from Queensland, has confirmed there are multiple salty lakes hidden under the surface of the south pole of Mars, giving hope to the idea that life could still be found on the red planet. The scientists have been analysing data from the Mars Express spacecraft, which was launched by the European Space Agency in 2003 and which has been conducting scientific measurements of the Martian surface since 2004. Researchers have confirmed there are multiple super-salty lakes under the surface of Mars' south polar ice cap. Credit:NASA In 2018 the group discovered at least one body of liquid water buried under the south polar ice cap and were trying to confirm the finding. One of the researchers, Graziella Caprarelli from the University of Southern Queenslands Centre for Astrophysics, said they not only confirmed the initial finding but found three other hidden salt lakes. Oman Air's flights will be operated from 1 till 24 October, the country's ONA news agency reported on Monday Oman's national airline Oman Air has announced that it will operate two weekly flights to Egypt in October, one day after EgyptAir announced it was resuming flights to the Omani capital Muscat. Oman Air's flights will be operated from 1 till 24 October, the country's ONA news agency reported on Monday, citing the Omani airline, which did not say whether flights will continue after this period. During this period, flights from Muscat to Cairo will be operated on Saturdays and Wednesdays, and flights from Cairo to Muscat will be on Saturdays and Thursdays. Oman Air said that Cairo is one of three African destinations to which Oman will operate commercial flights in October, the others being the Tanzanian cities of Zanzibar and Dar es Salaam. Oman Air affirmed that it will implement a comprehensive safety program to ensure safe flights amid the coronavirus pandemic. Travellers at the airport and on board the plane will have to wear masks, the airline said, adding that the staff will wear protective suits and ensure that social distancing between passengers is maintained. On Sunday, EgyptAir said the country will resume direct flights to Oman, Jordan, Rwanda, Uganda and South Africa starting October. EgyptAir has resumed flights to 47 destinations after a four-month hiatus, including the five newly announced destinations, the company said. EgyptAir will operate two weekly flights to both Muscat and Amman. Kigali will receive a single flight per week starting 8 October, while Johannesburg will receive three weekly flights starting 9 October. Search Keywords: Short link: The sides will have to sign a loan agreement. The Cabinet of Ministers, Ukraine's government, has created a legal basis for concluding an agreement on a EUR 6 million loan to finance an annual nuclear safety program between Ukraine and the European Commission. The corresponding resolution was adopted at a special Cabinet meeting, as stated on the government portal. Read alsoCrisis in energy sector: Ukrainian TPPs generate more energy than NPPs in spring, first time on record "The draft agreement provides for the implementation of a project with a budget of EUR 6.6 million (the EU's contribution is EUR 5.9 million), which consists of two parts: the integration of safety culture and operational efficiency within radioactive waste management sector of Ukraine and support for the creation of an integrated automatic radiation monitoring system covering the entire territory of Ukraine," it said. Beneficiary The State Agency of Ukraine on Exclusion Zone Management is the beneficiary of the project. According to the press service, the creation of an automated radiation monitoring system will be achieved by integrating existing monitoring facilities into a single system and by modernizing outdated equipment, observation points and creating effective information exchange procedures. What will change The steps will help to enhance the capacity to respond to the risk of exposure to radiation in Ukraine and to provide European countries with an early warning system. It says signing the agreement will contribute to improving the safe management of radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel, as well as environmental rehabilitation of former nuclear facilities. Previous developments Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says that Ukraine is interested in low-priced nuclear energy, so he set the task before the government to hammer out a strategy for the development of nuclear energy with specific deadlines. Zelensky also said that the state should not get rid of the nuclear power in the country, so it is necessary to complete the third and fourth power units of Khmelnytsky nuclear power plant. Now they are finished by 75% and 15%, respectively. A female prison guard penned secret love letters to a high risk inmate describing how she was falling for him and would smuggle in contraband if she knew how. Ruby Talaisaina Burgess, 33, from Miller, pleaded guilty to one count of engaging in an intimate relationship with an inmate at Blacktown Local Court on Monday. The court heard Burgess formed a relationship with John Hytongue, 37, in December last year while she was employed at Parklea Correctional Centre, in Sydney's north west. Ruby Talaisaina Burgess (pictured), 33, from Miller, had an three-month intimate relationship with John Hytongue, 37, at Parklea Prison from December 2019 until February this year Three months later, Corrective Services Investigators raided Hytongue's cell and discovered a letter intended for Burgess after being tipped off about the affair. A subsequent scan of CCTV footage uncovered private encounters the pair had inside the prison, while a second search on Burgess' car unearthed more letters detailing their relationship. She has been placed on a Conditional Release Order with conviction and a good behaviour bond for 12 months. In notes found on Burgess, she confronted Hytongue over his motive for their relationship after he asked the correctional officer to sneak cigarettes into the jail. 'So in other word (sic), you were using me?' Burgess wrote, the Daily Telegraph reports. 'As much as I want to, I wouldnt know how.' Burgess pleaded guilty to one count of engaging in an relationship with an inmate on Monday and was placed on a Conditional Release Order with conviction and a good behaviour bond for 12 months. She is pictured at a previous hearing He replied: 'If your [sic] feeling used, your [sic] wrong. Please dont think that. Im a, well use [sic] to be, a heavy smoker. I couldnt help to (sic) cross my mind XOXO. Refill your panties'. Security footage showed Burgess and Hytongue spending just over a minute alone in a store room without surveillance, and the guard speaking to the maximum-security prisoner through his cell. Burgess told the court she regretted her behaviour and was experiencing low-self esteem at the time after coming out of an unhealthy relationship. In response to the defence's argument, Magistrate Fiona McCarron accepted their was no evidence the relationship had been sexual. The prosecution said Burgess's actions, irrespective of the extent of the relationship, placed other security officers and prisoners at risk. AO-27 satellite celebrates 27 years in space Stephan Greene KS1G reports the AMRAD-Oscar 27 (AO-27) satellite has celebrated 27 years in orbit On the AMSAT Bulletin Board he writes: Happy 27th birthday to AMRAD-Oscar 27, still alive and operating today [September 27]! For an amateur radio satellite operator in the early 1990s, working on a satellite project based on the AMSAT Microsat design was a dream job! The hams on the team (including Dino Lorenzini, Mark Kanawati, Steve Greene and Mike Wyrick) couldn't help but include an amateur radio payload, and were successful with the help of fellow amateurs and the local Vienna, Virginia Amateur Research and Development (AMRAD) group: Paul Renaldo, Andre Castillot, Dave Rogers, Glenn Baumgartner, Sandy Sanders, Matt Butcher, Randy Mays, and Terry Fox, and with help from AMSATs Lyle Johnson, Chuck Green, and Jim White, among many others. EYESAT-1/AO-27 launched (with the amateur payload and an extra UHF antenna for the downlink) at 0145 UTC September 26, 1993. [Ariane-4 V59 also launched amateur satellites KO-25, IO-26, and PO-28, SSTLs Healthsat-2, the Stella research satellite, and the Spot-3 earth observation satellite.] The satellite was commanded on during the next orbit and the first QSO on the amateur payload was made the following morning on September 27, 1993. (We think does anyone have an archive of amsat-bb emails from 1993 who can check?) AO-27 was the first FM bent pipe satellite and proved to be easy to work with a strong downlink and sensitive receiver. The amateur FM repeater has served many Hams worldwide and was one of the first Easy Sats. AO-27 was later used for the first successful D-Star mode satellite QSO. The 800 km orbit provides continent-spanning coverage. At least one station is known to have worked 49 states solely via AO-27! And here we are today, the 27th of September, 2020, celebrating the 27th birthday of AO-27! Thanks to Mike Wyrick N3UC who babysat the spacecraft for the last 27 years. And thanks to all those who helped. There are many untold stories and photos we hope to share in the near future. Current information on AO-27s operating schedule is at https://www.ao27.net/ Mark, Mike, Steve (N4TPY, N3UC, KS1G) Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-28 21:28:37|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- Washington's ban on TikTok and a related series of lawsuits are pushing the United States down the road of isolation, experts have said. Rather than global integration and free competition, such a ban discriminates against companies from certain countries, said Carl F. Fey, professor of international business at Finland's Aalto University. "I think it is questionable if this ban meets World Trade Organization's principles of openness and transparency," he said. "I am for an interconnected world with few barriers," he said, adding that U.S. President Donald Trump's administration has departed from this, and that he does not believe it represents the values that the United States has traditionally stood for. "It is hard for most Americans like me to imagine that our government would ban major communication apps like TikTok in the U.S.," said Fey. "Today many Americans use TikTok to share videos and especially during COVID-19 times. This helps people connect each other and keep them happy when they can't meet in person," he said. "It is also important to remember that nobody is forcing anyone to use TikTok or WeChat. If someone does not want to use these apps because they are concerned about the safety of their information, they don't need to use them," he added. Mao Xuxin, a principal economist at London-based think tank the National Institute of Economic and Social Research, said the U.S. move is more an issue of protectionism. "As we know that TikTok follows the rules in the countries it operates and the practices it adopts are the same as the U.S. social media companies like Facebook, Twitter, etc.," he said. Alexander Gusev, director of Russia's Institute of Strategic Planning and Forecasting, said behind such a ban is U.S. intention to sideline competitive foreign tech companies from the U.S. market. The United States will try all it can to secure its monopoly in the information market, and it does not care about relevant international principles and rules, Gusev said. Dan Roules, managing partner of the Shanghai Office of Squire Patton Boggs, said the U.S. ban would discourage foreign companies from investing and operating in the United States. "I believe the actions of the Trump administration in the TikTok case and some other matters may raise concerns among foreign tech companies about the openness of the U.S. markets and the traditional presumption that decisions would be made in an even-handed manner under the rule of law," he said. Judge Carl Nichols of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia on Sunday decided to halt the Trump administration's ban on the popular video-sharing app TikTok, allowing it now to operate without interruption at least until a full court hearing. On Aug. 6, Trump issued an executive order banning U.S. transactions with TikTok and its Chinese parent company ByteDance after 45 days, citing national security concerns. On Aug. 14, Trump signed another executive order that forces ByteDance to sell or spin off its U.S. TikTok business within 90 days. TikTok had filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration, challenging the legality and constitutionality of the Aug. 6 executive order, and arguing that there is no credible evidence to back up Trump's national security claims. Enditem Teachers and education support staff can get a free medium McCafe Premium Roast coffee or tea on World Teachers' Day TORONTO, Sept. 28, 2020 /CNW/ - On October 5, McDonald's Canada will recognize teachers and education support staff across the country to celebrate World Teachers' Day by giving them a free medium McCafe Premium Roast coffee or tea at participating restaurants.* The nationwide initiative forms part of McDonald's ongoing commitment to its communities by acknowledging that teachers and education support staff have worked tirelessly to create a welcoming environment for students during the COVID-19 pandemic. "During the pandemic, public appreciation for teachers and education support staff has never been greater and during extraordinary times like this, we know a little appreciation can go a really long way," says Catherine Crozier, Head of McCafe Strategy, Marketing and Brand Innovation. "The offer for a free McCafe coffee or tea for teachers on World Teachers' Day is a small expression of our immense gratitude for our education community across the country working tirelessly to keep our kids learning during this very difficult time." SUPPORTING COMMUNITIES Throughout COVID-19, together with its franchisees and suppliers, McDonald's Canada has been finding ways to support its communities. To date, this has included the donation of more than 325,000 pounds of food to local food banks and other charities, and the supply of more than 2.7 million free coffees to frontline healthcare and emergency service workers. In May, McDonald's Canada conducted #FriesforGood, a nationwide initiative and, with the help of Canadians, donated a portion of the proceeds from all fries sold to the Canadian Red Cross. In only two weeks, the initiative raised over $1.1M. As the pandemic continues, McDonald's is committed to serving the delicious food that Canadians love, while finding new ways of supporting the communities in which it operates. For more information visit McDonalds.ca. *Not valid with kiosk, mobile orders or delivery. ABOUT McDONALD'S CANADA In 1967, Canadians welcomed the first McDonald's restaurant to Richmond, British Columbia. Today, McDonald's Canada has become part of the Canadian fabric, serving close to three million guests every day. More than 90 per cent of McDonald's 1,400 Canadian restaurants are locally owned and operated by independent franchisees. Nearly 100,000 people from coast-to-coast are employed in either corporately owned or franchised restaurants. Of the almost $1 billion spent on food, more than 85 per cent is purchased from suppliers in Canada. For more information on McDonald's Canada visit McDonalds.ca SOURCE McDonald's Restaurants of Canada Ltd. For further information: McDonald's Media Relations, [email protected], 1-877-786-3342 Johnson Hana, an Irish legal services disrupter business has raised 3.5m in from investors including Voxpro founders Dan and Linda Kiely and specialist investment fund BVP. Johnson Hana founder Dan Fox said that the firm would use the money to support growth in Ireland and expansion to the UK and US. In Ireland weve had to create an entirely new market for alternative legal delivery from scratch whereas in markets like the UK and US the sector is already there which will make it easier for us to establish a presence. Weve seen good momentum through the year to-date and we recently secured framework deals with both Coillte and Ervia, he said. The funding round consists of 3m in equity and a 500,000 debt facility from Ulster Bank. Other equity backers include John Ryan, a partner with PWC in Hong Kong, UK software entrepreneur Finlay Ross and Tom Hickey, the former CFO at Tullow Oil and Cartrawler. Johnson Hana was established in 2016 as an alternative to traditional legal firms. It uses a network of over 1,000 qualified lawyers, technology and project managers to manage large legal case loads, complaints and compliance related data projects for corporates and law firms. The firm says its fees are up to 50pc lower than traditional law firms or large consultancy businesses. The latest fund raise followed 1m of investment in an earlier 2017 funding round. BERLIN (AP) - Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny is recovering from the suspected assassination attempt last month faster than expected, one of his aides said Sunday. Navalny, who collapsed on a plane from Siberia to Moscow on Aug. 20 and spent nearly three weeks in a coma, was discharged last week from the Berlin hospital where he was being treated. His doctors said that based on Navalnys progress a "complete recovery is possible." "He is doing much better, I would say unexpectedly better," Leonid Volkov, Navalnys chief of staff, told German broadcaster RTL. "I think the recovery is really faster than expected, and of course this is good news that makes us very happy." Navalny, a longtime foe of Russian President Vladimir Putin, is still receiving outpatient treatment and remains under close protection, Volkov said. "I personally dont think that another attack can happen in Berlin, but we can see that the personal security has a different opinion," he said. "He is guarded quite heavily." Germany authorities have said Navalny was poisoned with a powerful nerve agent and called on Russia to investigate the attack that occurred on its territory. A handout photo published by Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny on his instagram account on Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2020. German doctors say Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny released from hospital after poisoning treatment. Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny has been released from a Berlin hospital after more than a month's treatment for poisoning, with doctors now believing that a "complete recovery" from the nerve agent is possible, the facility said Wednesday Sept. 23. (Navalny instagram via AP) The presence of the Soviet-era nerve agent Novichok in Navalnys samples was corroborated by labs in France and Sweden. But Russia has resisted international pressure to launch a criminal investigation, saying its own tests found no trace of poisonous substances in the opposition leaders system. The poisoning "had so many negative consequences for the Kremlin," said Volkov, adding that in his opinion the attempted assassination couldn't have occurred without Putin's approval. Navalny has said that he intends to return to Russia to resume his work. "He understands the risks quite well, and we are supposed to think somehow how he can continue living in Russia," Volkov told RTL. "It will not be so easy and many things will change, for sure, to reduce the probability of a second attack." PUNE, India, Sept. 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- According to a recent market study published by Growth Market Reports (GMR), titled, "PET shrink film market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast", the market was valued at USD 1,034.6 Million in 2019 and is expected to grow at a healthy growth rate of 6.6% by the year 2027. The PET shrink film market volume is anticipated to grow at a considerable CAGR of around 5.3% by the year 2027. Polyester or polyethylene terephthalate (PET) shrink film is a crystal clear, high strength, thermoplastic made from ethylene glycol and dimethyl terephthalate (DMT). The PET film has higher resistance to friction, superior dimensional stability, low absorption moisture, and good physical properties preservation as compared to other common plastics films. This also has a superior resistance to UV, good electric properties, strong optical clarity, strong shine, good gas obstacles; however, mild moisture barrier. This is the ideal film for printing and lamination of good quality and is a good choice for a highly effective plastic substrate. It is fairly highly molten and is ideal for applications needing high temperature sterilization. Use of PET shrink film has become more common in the past few years, as they are recyclable, environmentally friendly, and pasturable. Request a free sample copy: https://growthmarketreports.com/request-sample/40 The global PET shrink film market is fragmented based on type, end-user, and region. In terms of type, the market is segmented into low shrink films, medium shrink films, and high shrink films. On the basis of end-user, the market is segmented into food & beverages, industrial applications, personal care & cosmetics, printing & stationery, and others. Based on region, the global PET shrink film market is segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America and Middle East & Africa (MEA). North America region is further bifurcated into countries such as U.S., and Canada. Latin America region is further segmented into Brazil, Mexico, and Rest of Latin America, Asia Pacific is further segmented into, India, China, Australia, Japan, South Korea, and Rest of Asia Pacific. The Europe region is further categorized into U.K., France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Russia, and Rest of Europe, and the MEA region is further divided into Saudi Arabia, South Africa, UAE, and Rest of MEA. The effect of COVID-19 is anticipated to be strongly felt in the consumer durable industry due to high dependency of different global industries for imports. Moreover, the pandemic situation has led to the closure of several non-essential businesses reducing the demand for consumer durables in the world, which in turn, is impeding the packaging industry. Since the COVID-19 pandemic is diminishing the end- user demand for daily packaging products worldwide, the demand for PET shrink films is reducing in the short-term. The COVID-19 effects majorly on manufacturing units which are currently working with 50% workforce. The global supply chain has at the same time slowed down due to restrictions on national borders. Enquiry Before Buying of This Report: https://growthmarketreports.com/enquiry-before-buying/40 Key Takeaways from the Study: The Dow Chemical Company, Bemis Company Inc., Sigma Plastics Group, Far Eastern New Century Corporation, US based Berry Global, Inc., holds approximately one fourth of the market share of the global PET Shrink Film market in year 2019. Asia Pacific accounts for a major share of the market in terms of value, followed by North America . The market in Asia Pacific is projected to expand at significant CAGR during the forecast period. accounts for a major share of the market in terms of value, followed by . The market in is projected to expand at significant CAGR during the forecast period. In terms of value, the medium shrink film segment is anticipated to expand at a significant CAGR during the forecast period. Physical stores require many employees and high fixed costs (rent) to run stores and thus are unable to offer a wide selection of goods due to the presence of limited space, which offers opportunities for online sales channels. Online retailers can deliver a vast selection of products without having to pay as many workers and needing access to shipping companies to sell their products. Many businesses with both an online and offline presence (physical stores) view the two different channels as way to increase sales & revenue and expand the business regionally. The Middle East & Africa and Latin America are expected to generate large revenue during the forecast period owing to growing population, increasing urbanization, and replacement of many metals by industries such as automobile and home appliances. PET Shrink Film consumption has increased considerably in these regions in the past few years. Read 133 Page Research Report With TOC on "Global PET Shrink Film Market By Type (Low Shrink Films, Medium Shrink Films, And High Shrink Films), By End User (Food & Beverages, Industrial Applications, Personal Care & Cosmetics, Printing & Stationery, And Others) and Region (North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific and Middle East & Africa) Size, Share And Trends" at: https://growthmarketreports.com/report/pet-shrink-film-market-global-industry-analysis Key Segments Covered By Type: Low Shrink Film Medium Shrink Film High Shrink Film By End User: Food & Beverage Industrial Packaging Personal Care & Cosmetics Printing & Stationery Others By Region: North America U.S. Canada Latin America Brazil Mexico Rest of Latin America Europe U.K. France Germany Italy Spain Poland Rest of the Europe Asia Pacific China Japan South Korea India Australia Rest of Asia Pacific Middle East & Africa (MEA) & (MEA) Saudi Arabia South Africa UAE Rest of MEA Key Market Players Profiled in the Report: Sigma Plastics Group Bemis Company Inc. Berry Global, Inc. Far Eastern New Century Corporation Fuji Seal International Inc. Sealed Air Corporation The Dow Chemical Company Klockner Pentaplast NAN YA PLASTICS CORPORATION Anchor Packaging Inc. Clysar LLC. Request for customization of this report: https://growthmarketreports.com/request-for-customization/40 Target Audience: Supply-side: PET shrink film manufacturers, raw material suppliers, primary respondents, and distributors. Demand Side: research & development facilities, chemical factories, semiconductor & electronics, solar devices, medical equipment, etc. Regulatory Side: Concerned government authorities, commercial research & development (R&D) institutions, and other regulatory bodies Associations and Industry Bodies: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), International, Organization for Standardization (ISO), Organization of Plastics Processors of India (OPP), Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (MHLW), World Trade Organization (WTO), Occupational, Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), American National Standards Institute(ANSI), Indian Centre for Plastics in the Environment (ICPE). Other Trending Reports: Global Carbon Fiber & Carbon Fiber Reinforced Plastic Market Future Business Strategies and Revenue Impact Analysis Carbon Fiber & Carbon Fiber Reinforced Plastic Market Global Penetrating Oil Market Future Business Strategies and Revenue Impact Analysis Penetrating Oil Market Global APET Sheet Market By Type, By Application, By Distribution Channel and Region About Growth Market Reports: GMR provides global enterprises as well as medium and small businesses with unmatched quality of "Market Research Reports" and "Industry Intelligence Solutions". GMR 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. Our key analysis segments, though not restricted to the same, include market entry strategies, market size estimations, market trend analysis, market opportunity analysis, market threat analysis, market growth/fall forecasting, primary interviews, and secondary research & consumer surveys. Contact: Alex Mathews 1st Floor, Kalpavruksha Office No 1, GK Lane Number 3, Ingawale Nagar, Pimple Nilakh, Pune, Maharashtra 411027 Phone: +1 909 545 6473 Email: [email protected] Web: https://growthmarketreports.com/ Read our news: https://businessmirrornews.com SOURCE Growth Market Reports Work all set to begin on three North-South Expressway sections A section of the La Son-Tuy Loan Expressway connecting Thua Thien Hue Province with Da Nang City which will be linked with the North-South Expressway. Photo by VnExpress/Vo Thanh. Vietnam is set to begin construction of three publicly-funded North-South Expressway sections on Wednesday. They are the 63-kilometer Mai Son National Route 45 section between Ninh Binh and Thanh Hoa provinces in the north-central region, the 104-kilometer Vinh Hao Phan Thiet section in the central province of Binh Thuan and the 98-kilometer section between Phan Thiet in Binh Thuan and Dau Giay in the southern Dong Nai Province. The National Assembly decided in June to fund these three sections publicly after failing to attract interest among private investors. This reduced the number of sections to be built through public-private partnerships (PPP) in the eastern cluster of the expressway from eight to five. Deputy Minister of Transport Le Dinh Tho said his ministry is hastening the bid process to find investors for the five PPP projects so that work could begin in the first quarter of next year. The ministry wants to complete all 11 sections of the eastern sector by 2022 as tasked by the government, he said, adding that land acquisition is now at 92 percent. Work has already begun on the other three publicly funded sections. The 653-kilometer eastern cluster is a top priority transport project as the government seeks to renovate the countrys outdated infrastructure to foster economic growth. Its total cost is estimated at VND100.8 trillion ($4.3 billion), with nearly 78 percent of it to be funded publicly. Last year the ministry had tried to find foreign investors for eight sections, but few bidders got through the qualification round resulting in low competition. It then decided to invite bids only from domestic companies also to "ensure national security and expand Vietnamese firms capability in infrastructure construction." MONTREAL, QC / ACCESSWIRE / September 28, 2020 / Sphinx Resources Ltd ("Sphinx") (TSXV:SFX) announces that, as per the notice dated August 27, 2020, it will host its 2020 Annual Meeting of Shareholders ("Meeting") on September 29, 2020 at 11h00 (eastern time) in a virtual format due to the ongoing public health concerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Sphinx therefore welcomes all registered shareholders and duly appointed proxyholders who wish to participate to the online Meeting to do so by joining the live webcast available at: https://www.issuerdirect.com/virtual-event/sfx About Sphinx Sphinx is a mineral exploration company that focuses its activities in southwestern Quebec in search of deposits of precious metals (gold, silver, palladium and platinum) and base metals (copper, zinc and lead). Sphinx is particularly active in the MRC Pontiac where its President resides. It has a strong local shareholding that contributes towards social acceptability. For further information, please consult Sphinx's website or contact: Jeremie Ryan President and Chief Executive Officer 819 664 2632 info@sphinxresources.ca www.sphinxresources.ca Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This press release may contain forward-looking statements that are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results and activities to vary materially from targeted results and planning. Such risks and uncertainties include those described in Sphinx's periodic reports including the annual report or in the filings made by Sphinx from time to time with securities regulatory authorities. All forward-looking statements in this press release are made as of the date of this press release. Sphinx does not undertake to update any such forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law SOURCE: Sphinx Resources Ltd View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/608098/Sphinx-Announces-Virtual-Annual-Meeting-of-Shareholders Marisa Uchin, Franklin Energy and AM Conservation Group Chief Commercial Officer I look forward to leading the team to accelerate growth as we continue to drive, promote and sell meaningful innovation within the utility industry and transform the way customers use energy. Franklin Energy and AM Conservation Group, the leading demand-side management firm in the utility industry, announced today the appointment of Marisa Uchin as the companys new chief commercial officer. In this role, Uchin will lead the product development, regulatory, marketing and sales teams, while providing strategic support for key client and other stakeholder relationships. Leveraging over 23 years of experience within the energy, consumer high-tech, and automotive industries at companies ranging from global Fortune 50 to start-ups, she has extensive experience in leading teams, developing and implementing growth strategy, market development, regulatory and legislative affairs, strategic communications, programs and partnerships. Im beyond excited to welcome Marisa to our team, said Jim Madej, Franklin Energy and AM Conservation Group CEO. She impressed me when we worked together in the past; her as a technology vendor executive, me as a utility customer experience executive. Marisas deep industry experience and impressive track record will no doubt be an asset to our companys growth well into the future. Uchin was most recently Vice President of Market Development and Regulatory Affairs at Oracle Utilities where she led a team responsible for expanding markets for Oracles utility solutions and shaping regulatory and legislative policy that advanced utility investment in grid and technology innovation. She also served as Senior Director of Market Development and Regulatory Affairs at OPower, where she was the primary lead in New Yorks Reforming the Energy Vision proceeding and numerous other grid modernization initiatives. Prior to that, Uchin served in several leadership roles at Pacific Gas and Electric Company, where she led strategy development and portfolio implementation of emerging energy efficiency products and programs across residential, commercial, industrial and agricultural markets. Before joining the energy industry, she held a variety of leadership and advisory roles in growth strategy, marketing, product development and communications at companies including XM Satellite Radio and General Motors. Franklin Energy and AM Conservation Group have excellent reputations, said Uchin. I look forward to leading the team to accelerate growth as we continue to drive, promote and sell meaningful innovation within the utility industry and transform the way customers use energy. Uchin holds an MBA from the University of Michigan and a B.A. in Government from Wesleyan University. She serves on the Board of Directors of Groundswell, an organization that makes community solar accessible to low income residents. Uchin is a frequent speaker on utility of the future and other emerging utility regulatory initiatives. About Franklin Energy Franklin Energy delivers flexible energy efficiency and grid optimization programs that enable utilities to achieve their highest-priority goals. The companys integrated in-house services and proven software provide deeper personalization and insights, acting as a true partner to utilities. Franklins NGAGE platform is a scalable end-to-end technology that seamlessly integrates utility portfolio programs into a single interface for more efficient management and more effective customer engagement. The company is celebrating its 25th year serving the utility industry, with solutions implemented by more than 1,000 experts in more than 60 offices across 26 states and provinces. About AM Conservation Group Since 1989, AM Conservation Group has been the utility industrys leading provider of energy- and water-saving products, kits, education and online stores. We manufacture and distribute nearly 400 energy efficiency and water conservation products, which are custom engineered for the unique needs of the industry and carry ENERGY STAR and WaterSense certifications. AM Conservation Groups product lines include Niagara Conservation and Simply Conserve. The dispute over technology between the U.S. and China will not go away even if Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden wins the elections in November, according to an analyst. Tensions between the two economic giants have become steady this year as U.S. targets Chinese tech giants. It started from phone maker Huawei to video-sharing app TikTok. The Trump administration claims that Huawei and other Chinese technology companies could gather American user data and hand them over to Beijing. These claims are both applied to Huawei and TikTok, which they denied. "Imagine a scenario where Biden becomes president, I don't think on the technology issues... (they) are going to go away in any meaningful manner," Taimur Baig, chief economist and managing director at DBS Group Research, said in a report. Baig added that it might be less volatile and it may be more rules-based, but the tension will remain. President Donald Trump banned any U.S. transactions with Chinese tech firms Tencent and Byte Dance. Tencent owns the famous Chinese messaging app WeChat, while Bytedance is the parent company of TikTok. Last week, the U.S. reportedly implemented restrictions on China's biggest chipmaker, SMIC. The restrictions were brought by risks that equipment supplied to the firm could be used for military purposes, according to the U.S. Commerce Department's letter last Friday. Baig maintained that he does not think the U.S. elections outcome would make things infinitely better for China. "It probably makes it a little less volatile," Baig said. Relations between Washington and Beijing took a turn to worse in 2018. This was when Trump administration implemented billions of dollars tariffs on Chinese goods. Beijing then took counter with the same punitive measures, which resulted in a protracted trade war. Meanwhile, Biden criticized the trade war with China, saying that tariffs have hurt American businesses and consumers. However, he still called for the U.S. to "get tough on China." Trade experts said that Biden could be placed under pressure to continue the stance on China, as well as keeping those tariffs in place. Baig said that the trade tensions forced China to increase investment domestically, which boosted homegrown technology. He added that by pushing China into a corner, it forces China to be self-sufficient. "So I don't think that hurts China in the near term," Baig noted. However, Baig added that this could be very problematic in the near future for some tech companies and SMIC if they have absolutely no chips. He also questioned the nation's sustainability to continue on imposing harsher measures. Meanwhile, a U.S. judge temporarily blocks Trump's order to ban TikTok on app store downloads. U.S. district Judge Carl Nichols has given a preliminary injunction sought by TikTok's owner, ByteDance, to allow the app to remain available at U.S. app stores. However, Nichols declined to block additional commerce department restrictions that are scheduled to take effect on Nov. 12. Nichol's detailed written statement is set to be released as early as Monday. Check these out: TikTok Struggles To Stop Suicide Video Clips From Spreading Facebook Unfriending Could Have Serious Real-Life Effects, Study Shows Stimulus Checks Could be Given to 17-24 Years Old, Here's How Four right-wing Republican statehouse candidates in Campbell County have begun a campaign to compel fellow lawmakers to sign a contract pledging their support for no new taxes, a born-alive abortion bill and other measures long supported by the Legislatures activist wing ahead of the 2020 elections. The 10-pledge contract which began circulating publicly last week was drafted and signed by four statehouse candidates in Gillette including sitting Rep. Roy Edwards, primary winners Bill Fortner and Troy McKeown, and John Bear, the Republican nominee for outgoing Rep. Scott Clems seat in House District 31. The contract includes promises to adhere to a number of boilerplate policy positions long held by the far right within the Legislature, which has grown in size over the last three elections and is likely to boast a coalition able to have a sizable impact on legislation in 2021. The contract lays out a number of policy positions for signatories to support in the upcoming legislative session, including supporting efforts to make Wyoming a Second Amendment sanctuary state, a bill to allow at-will recall elections of any elected official and legislation restricting the government from quarantining healthy individuals or forcing individuals to be vaccinated. Science is not conclusive on the effectiveness and consequences of vaccines, the groups website falsely claims. (Numerous, peer-reviewed studies have found no evidence to support the notion that vaccines cause autism and other chronic illnesses.) There are arguments on both sides of the Vaccination issue. It is up to the individual to consider the facts. Other measures supported by the group are not unique to the contract, which they said was based off of the Wyoming Republican Party Platform. A born-alive abortion bill passed the Legislature this past winter before being vetoed by Gov. Mark Gordon, while a voter identification bill a top priority of the state Republican Party that has seen limited success in recent legislative sessions -- has consistently failed to pass for myriad reasons. Emails and Facebook messages to email addresses and accounts associated with the group were not returned. The ROCC contract is not the first contract attempting to get Wyoming Republicans to pledge to the partys ultraconservative platform. Earlier this year, it was revealed the state party would require candidates to pledge to 80% of the platform to receive party funding in this years general elections, an offer numerous candidates rebuffed. While not an official function of the local Republican Party, the contract and a Sept. 24 town hall boosting the contract were promoted by the Wyoming Republican Party on its Facebook page this week. The four candidates apparently reached out to Campbell Countys four other representatives in the Legislature but, according to Bear, they did not sign it. However, the four candidates who took the pledge hope their contract could help to spur a larger movement around the state to support their position and ultimately translate those efforts into actual legislation. We are only a small group of people and while we are not able to represent the entire state of Wyoming that would be wonderful, and this is a movement in that direction but what we can do is make a commitment to the people of Campbell County, Bear said in a kickoff event last week. The contract comes amid a time of heightened political activity for conservatives in Campbell County. After an upswell in political activity over the forced resignation of city councilman Shay Lundvall over liking an offensive Facebook post earlier this summer, the community has seen an explosion of political activism that, ultimately, helped buoy candidates Fortner and McKeown to victory in the primaries over incumbent Republican lawmakers Bill Pownall and Michael Von Flatern. We will do everything we can to promote this ahead of Nov. 3, Bear added. Because as we saw from the results of the primary, people are paying attention right now and are interested in whats going on in our city, our county and our state. We want to prove that we will be a different type of representative for you. Love 6 Funny 5 Wow 1 Sad 1 Angry 30 Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Labour MP Claudia Webbe, whose candidature in Leicester East better known as Little India in the December 2019 election generated much resentment in the party, was on Monday charged with harassment against a woman and now faces a trial. Webbe, reputed to be close to former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, was nominated for the seat represented since 1987 by Keith Vaz. Claims of Indian-origin candidates such as Sundip Meghani were ignored in favour of Webbe, who went on to win in the Labour stronghold with a smaller margin. Jenny Hopkins of the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said: The CPS has today decided that Claudia Webbe, MP for Leicester East, should be charged with an offence of harassment against one female. The CPS made the decision after receiving a file of evidence from the Metropolitan Police. Criminal proceedings against Ms Webbe are now active and she has the right to a fair trial. It is extremely important that there should be no reporting, commentary or sharing of information online which could in any way prejudice these proceedings, she added. The identity of the woman who was allegedly harassed by Webbe was not disclosed. Webbe, who was suspended by Labour after the CPS statement, said: I am innocent of any wrongdoing and look forward to proving this in court. I will be vigorously defending myself against these claims. Meghani, who resigned from Labour in August after 20 years in the party, was among several Indian-origin candidates who were ignored by Labour in the 2019 election, including Navin Shah and Kailash Chand. It was another point of ennui for the Indian community that was already upset with the partys pro-interventionist resolution on Jammu and Kashmir. Labour Friends of India, a prominent lobby group within the party, had expressed its dismay over candidate selection and warned the leadership under Corbyn not to take the support of the 1.5 million-strong Indian community for granted. We express regret that the Labour party has selected just one candidate of Indian heritage in 39 safe seats, and no Indian heritage candidate in 100 target seatsDespite shortlisting or selecting candidates in areas with a large Indian community such as Leicester, Ealing, Ilford, West Bromwich and Derby, no Indian-heritage candidates were selected, the group had said. There is a risk this failure to increase representation of Indians in parliament could hit Labour furtherThe Labour party must ensure it is never seen to take the support of the Indian community for granted, it added. Keir Starmer, who replaced Corbyn as the party leader earlier this year, has promised a new leadership style that draws a line under the conflicts triggered during his predecessors tenure. He has since made pro-India and pro-Indian community overtures since taking over. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON New Delhi: With the deadline to submit the fees for the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) board exams nearing, principals of various Delhi government schools have expedited their efforts to help poor students arrange money to pay the fee. The students have to submit the fee before October 15, the deadline for the schools to upload the complete list of candidates appearing for class 10 and 12 board exams. Several parents are concerned over paying the fee. Loss of jobs and businesses due to the Covid-19 pandemic has made it difficult for many of them to arrange the money. We have set up a fund of Rs 15,000 to help students who wont be able to pay the examination fee this time. The amount may increase or decrease based on the needs of the students, said Awadhesh Kumar Jha, principal of Sarvodaya Co-ed Vidyalaya in Rohini Sector-8. Jha said he has been holding digital parent-teacher meetings to discuss the issue with parents. Last year, after the CBSE hiked the board examination fee, the Delhi government announced that it would pay the fee for over 3.14 lakh Class 10 and 12 students in government schools. However, this year, the education department asked its heads of schools to follow the 2018-19 status, meaning the fee had to be paid by the students. A senior official in Delhi education minister Manish Sisodias office said, We have written to the CBSE, requesting them to waive off the exam fee for the current academic year due to the economic slowdown arising out of the pandemic. The government also lacks funds because of the major shortfall in revenue collection. CBSE controller of examination Sanyam Bhardwaj said the board had not received any letter from the Delhi government so far. We are a self-financing board. The expenditure over conducting exams is likely to increase this time. It is anyway a challenge to conduct the exams using the current exam fee, he said when asked if the board was contemplating a fee waiver. On Monday, the Delhi government also told the Delhi high court that it had written to CBSE asking for an exam fee waiver due to the pandemic. The court was hearing a petition filed by advocate Ashok Aggarwal of NGO Social Jurist seeking a waiver of the exam fee. The court has asked the state government and CBSE to treat the petition as representation and take a decision within three weeks. Last year, the examination fee of class 10 and 12 students belonging to the general category in Delhi government schools was increased from 375 and 600, respectively, to 1,500 for five subjects. For SC/ST candidates in class 10, the examination fee was increased from 375 to 1,200 and for class 12, from 600 to 1200 in Delhi government and government-aided schools. If practical and additional or optional subjects are to be taken into account, the fee comes to around Rs 2,750 for class 12 students and to Rs 1500 for class 10 students. Bijesh Kumar Sharma, principal of Shaheed Hemu Kalani Sarvodaya Bal Vidyalaya in Lajpat Nagar, said, Based on the number of requests we receive from students and parents, we will rope in school management committee members and alumni to look for donors who may help these students. Several principals HT spoke to said they were planning to use the schools People Welfare Fund (PWF) to help needy students. Mary Jyotsna Minj, principal of the Government Girls Senior Secondary School in New Kondli, is worried since her school has over 700 students in class 10 and more than 650 in class 12. Many parents are worried about how they will pay the examination fee. If a parent has two children in class 12, they have to pay around 5,000 which is extremely difficult for many. We are planning to use PWF to help these students. We are screening their applications to ensure that only genuine cases receive help, she said. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Imagine you're hiring for an important position at your small business and two promising resumes hit your desk. Both have the experience and background you're looking for, but one candidate has an Ivy League degree while the other went to a solid but less impressive university. Most entrepreneurs would be pretty excited to interview the candidate with gold-plated credentials. But a massive new study tracking the real-world performance of more than 28,000 grads from nearly 300 different universities found hiring managers should approach hiring those from top schools with a degree of caution. Yes, they perform better. The reason many bosses leap to hire grads from top schools isn't hard to understand. These institutions only accept the best (and the best connected) so a degree from the likes of Harvard or Yale is a pretty good indication that someone is smart and worldly. That cognitive and experiential edge, many bosses think, is likely to translate to higher on-the-job performance. Is that true? When the researchers followed tens of thousands of grads as they worked remotely on various business consulting projects, they discovered the answer is...kinda. When you compare the very top grads to the global average, having highly ranked degree was associated with a hefty 19 percent jump in performance. But it's important to note that the global average university is thousands of places down the rankings from the top-tier universities. In the real world, if you're facing this hiring conundrum, you're unlikely to consider hiring grads from the University of Nowhereville. Instead, you're likely to consider only candidates with credentials from solid schools. And if you compare these grads to Ivy Leaguers, the jump in performance was just one percent. But at what cost? All of which boils down to a clear, if less-than shocking, conclusion: Top grads do perform slightly better at work on average. That means you should hire them when you can, right? Not so fast, caution the authors of the study in a Harvard Business Review write-up of the findings. While those with the best degrees have an edge, they also have very real downsides, starting with the fact that they're significantly more expensive. "The average early career salaries of graduates from the top 10 colleges ($72,160) in the United States are 47 percent higher than those with degrees from the 10 colleges within the City University New York (CUNY) school system ($48,960), many of which are ranked within the top 100. At the six-year mark, that gap jumps to 108 percent," note the authors. Is one percent better performance worth nearly $25,000 a year? And that's not the only trade-off you should consider before hiring the candidate with an impressive degree. The researchers also found that while those from top schools had marginally better individual performance, they seemed to work less well on teams. "Our data suggest that students from higher-ranked universities might damage team dynamics," the authors write. "We found that graduates from higher-ranked universities tend to excessively focus on the instrumental tasks, often at the expense of paying insufficient attention to interpersonal relationships. In some instances, graduates from top universities tend to be less friendly, are more prone to conflict, and are less likely to identify with their team." It's worth noting that when it comes to overall team performance, studies show the EQ of team members matters more than their individual IQs. Empathetic, emotionally mature teams outperform ones composed of awkward brainiacs. And if you read between the lines, this study suggests you're more likely to get an awkward brainiac if you're overenthusiastic about Ivy League degrees. The bottom line. The bottom line here depends on the position you're hiring for. For certain highly technical or cognitively demanding roles, any intellectual edge may be worth a higher salary and more team drama. For other roles, the downsides are going to outweigh the advantages of a tip-top degree. By Trend Underestimation by the international community of the significance of the Nagorno-Karabakh issue can lead to the most dangerous consequences for Armenia, the Armenian geopolitical space may disappear from the political map of the world, Guram Markhulia, President of the "Caucasus International Center for the Study of Geohistory and Geopolitics" told Trend. "For several decades, Azerbaijan has warned Armenia and the world community to return their lands, but apparently the world community and Yerevan doubted this. We see that all the resolutions of the UN General Assembly are being implemented within a few weeks or months, but four resolutions on the liberation of the occupied Azerbaijani lands have remained on paper for more than 30 years. The patience of the Azerbaijani people, where more than one million people are refugees, has come to an end," Markhulia said. The expert is sure that the world community will be on the side of Azerbaijan. According to him, Shusha, like the whole of Karabakh, is the territory of Azerbaijan, from which the indigenous Azerbaijani population was barbarously expelled. "As a historian, I know that as a result of the occupation by the Armenians, the city of Shusha and 30 villages of the Shusha region was destroyed, 195 civilians were killed, 165 were injured and 58 people were missing. More than 24,000 residents of Shusha were subjected to ethnic cleansing," the expert emphasized. Markhulia also noted that the consequences of the current clashes for Armenia itself will be extremely deplorable. All international organizations are on the side of Azerbaijan because truth and justice should prevail. The expert also added that Georgia fully supports the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan. On the issue of trilateral relations, the expert emphasized another important strategic partner - Turkey. "I intend to appeal to the Georgian authorities and call on Tbilisi to prevent the participation of Georgian citizens of Armenian nationality in the battles against Azerbaijan in the occupied territories," he said. Meanwhile, Armenian armed forces launched a large-scale military attack on positions of the Azerbaijani army on the front line, using large-caliber weapons, mortars, and artillery on Sept. 27. Azerbaijan responded with a counter-offensive along the entire front. As a result of retaliation, Azerbaijani troops managed to liberate the territories previously occupied by Armenia: Garakhanbeyli, Garvend, Kend Horadiz, Yukhari Abdulrahmanli villages (Fuzuli district), Boyuk Marjanli, and Nuzgar villages (Jabrayil district). Moreover, the positions of the Armenian armed forces were destroyed in the direction of Azerbaijan's Agdere district and Murovdag, important heights were taken under control. The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on the withdrawal of its armed forces from Nagorno Karabakh and the surrounding districts. -- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz We attempted to send a notification to your email address but we were unable to verify that you provided a valid email address. Please click here to update your email address if you wish to receive notifications. Otherwise, you may click here to disable notifications and hide this message. Calling it 'fake news', US President on Sunday (local time) refuted the claims that he did not pay income tax in 10 of the last 15 years. Speaking during a press briefing, Trump said, "It's fake news, it's totally fake news. Made up. Fake." "Actually, I paid tax, and you will see that as soon as my tax returns - It's under audit, they have been under audit for a long time." Earlier, The had reported that Trump had received USD 427.4m through 2018 from his reality television programme and other endorsement and licensing deals but did not pay any income tax in 10 of the last 15 years. Citing tax return data, it was further reported that he had paid USD 750 in federal income tax in both 2016 and 2017. Responding to The New York Times' report, the US President said: "The wants to create a little bit of a story. They are doing anything they can. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) More coronavirus disease (Covid-19) locks look set to be removed with restaurants across Maharashtra likely to reopen in the first week of October, although with a host of safeguards. The government is also considering resuming suburban train services for all by the middle of next month. The developments, ironically, happened on a day when Mumbai crossed the 200,000 Covid-19 cases mark, with the addition of 2,055 infections taking the count to 200,901. The state government on Monday assured hoteliers of granting requisite permissions, during a meeting with chief minister Uddhav Thackeray. A standard operation procedure (SOP) is expected to be finalised in the next few days. Valsa R Nair Singh, principal secretary, tourism department, said they have been allowed to reopen restaurants from the first week of October. The SOP is yet to be finalised, she said. Mumbai suburban guardian minister Aaditya Thackeray on Monday told HT the state government was looking at resuming suburban train services by mid-October, a demand made by commuters for a while. Thackeray also said the government was talking to associations of the business community to stagger office timings to ease congestion in public transport and was thinking about allowing 24x7 offices in commercial establishments. All this comes after September witnessed a dramatic surge in the number of Covid-19 cases in the city, with 2,000-2,300 cases being reported daily through the month, against the earlier 1,200 to 1,500 cases. The state, meanwhile, reported 11,921 cases on Monday, taking the count to 1,351,153, and 180 deaths, pushing the toll to 35,751. There were 26,784 active cases in Mumbai, as of Monday. According to figures up till Sunday, September saw a 105% increase in Covid-19 cases, from the corresponding period in August, and a 98% increase in comparison to the same number of days in May. A total of 51,899 Covid-19 cases have been reported in the city between September 1 and September 27. Civic health officials said that the high daily caseload would continue in the coming days, owing to the upcoming season of festivals. Experts believe the number of Covid-19 cases will drastically drop by December or January, especially if Mumbai continues to increase its testing capacity, and timely isolate more patients and high-risk contacts. Until Saturday, Mumbai had conducted 10.82 lakh Covid-19 tests, at a positivity rate of 18.15%. Positivity rate is calculated as the per cent of people who have tested positive in comparison to the total number of tests done. Mumbai has been conducting up to 15,000 tests a day. This figure is lower on some days and ranges between 9,000 and 13,000 tests. Dr Rahul Pandit, director-critical care, Fortis Hospital, Mulund, said, There is no one reason why September has been the worst month. But the more we test now, and if we continue with this aggressive testing even in October, then come December and January, the numbers will drop, because we will be able to isolate patients and curb the spread. Civic health officials and experts have also attributed the increase in the number of cases in September to reverse migration, as labourers are now returning to the city for work; to herd testing, which means as businesses, shops, offices, or eateries are opening up, employers and owners are opting to get their employees tested periodically before returning to work; increased interaction of the unorganised workforce such as house helps, drivers, street vendors, or hawkers, with the community, and instances of local transmission arising from such interaction, as well as from the festival season. The increase in cases has also been attributed to scaled-up testing in Mumbai. According to experts, the surge is also partly due to lack of Covid-19 etiquette among Mumbaiites; failure to maintain social distancing, to wear masks, to wash hands frequently, to avoid crowds or poorly ventilated spaces; and an overall complacency about taking precautions. Suresh Kakani, additional municipal commissioner in-charge of the public health department in the civic body, said last week, With unlock plans and the city opening up, this trend is expected. We are testing more. But this is not only attributed to increase in testing, but also to increased interaction in the community in general, such as house helps returning to work, people beginning to buy groceries and vegetables on a daily basis, as opposed to the behaviour in March and April. Kiran Dighavkar, assistant commissioner of the G/North ward, comprising areas of Dadar, Shivaji Park, Mahim and Dharavi, said. A trend is very evident where employers of businesses want to test their employees before they return to work. So at a time, one business, or shop, or organisation gets anywhere between 10 to 50 people tested. Moreover, as house helps and drivers are returning to work, their employers, too, test them regularly. Dr Shashank Joshi, who is a member of Maharashtra governments Covid-19 task force, said, This trend was expected, as transport opens up, and people commute within the city and to satellite cities. With unlocking plans, interaction is going to increase. Dr Pandit said, Just at the onset of September, we had one festival, that gave scope for more interaction and for people to meet each other, venture out for shopping. Around the same time, BMC increased their testing capacity, and now they are testing almost 15,000 daily. In a way, they cast a wider net to catch more cases, and that is a good thing. However, experts have pointed out that the way forward is for Mumbaiites to show greater responsibility. Pointing out that for every tested person, there are 20 people who are also positive, but who have not tested and who do not have symptoms, Dr Joshi said, In terms of lack of cooperation from citizens, the month of September has been very disappointing. Mumbaiiites have not shown any discipline in terms of maintaining social distancing, wearing masks, avoiding crowds and avoiding poorly ventilated spaces and Covid hygiene. Mumbaiites need to wake up and observer stricter discipline. As Mumbaiites are allowed to venture out for work, shopping is allowed, visiting public places such as beaches or promenades is allowed, a sense of normalcy is settling in. According to Dr Pandit, this lack of discipline is also attributed to some amount of complacency setting in due to unlock plans. The pandemic has reached a stage where it is no longer the government, which is responsible for absolutely everything. It is the peoples responsibility that is more than that. We must observe appropriate behaviour and habits. Wear masks, maintain social distancing, plan travel so as to avoid crowds, test on time and isolate on time. On the contrary, in March, April and May, lockdown mandated stricter discipline. The civic body has until Saturday fined 14,207 citizens for not wearing masks and collected 52.76 lakh from them. Of this, fines worth 19 lakh were collected from 9,218 defaulters between September 13 and 26 alone. If you do not maintain social distancing, and do not wear masks, the chances of your proximity to an asymptomatic carrier are going to increase. Social distancing works, we have seen that, even in other countries. This is the only thing that can be applied in the long term, said Dr Om Shrivastav, who is a city-based consultant for infectious diseases. As per BMCs Covid war room data, 68% of detected Covid patients are asymptomatic, 27% are symptomatic and 5% are critical. Experts also believeD that the government needs to further scale up Mumbais testing capacity to at least double the number of daily tests being done at present. While Dr Joshi said, considering Mumbais population, the city needs to conduct at least 30,000 to 50,000 tests a day. Dr Om Shrivastav said, Mumbai should be doing over 1.5 lakh tests per day. According to Dr Pandit, it is also important to stick to the basics from the administrative point of view, testing in high number, isolating positive patients, contact tracing, and quarantining high risk contacts. Dr Joshi said, We are aiming to bring down case fatality rate (CFR) to less than 1%, going forward. In many parts of Maharashtra we have been successful in doing so. In Mumbai too, CFR has dropped from 5.7% to 4.5%. HT reported on September 21 that in the past 31 days, the city has recorded CFR of 2.2% (1,115 deaths and 51,617 cases), which has helped bring down Mumbais overall CFR. Jersey City community leaders, including Frank Gilmore, speak out on Friday, May 8, 2020, against the police's use of force to break upTuesday's street bawl on Bostwick Avenue.Reena Rose Sibayan | The Jersey Journal JERSEY CITY Sexual sounds and racial slurs disrupted a virtual community meeting of over 500 attendees on Friday, said community leader Frank Gilmore. Gilmore told The Jersey Journal that he helped organize the virtual Ward F meeting to inform the community of resources for youths' mental health, public safety, affordable housing and more. But after Chris Gadsden Jersey City NAACP Political Action Committee Chair and former Ward B councilman spoke in the meeting, attendees began to hear weird noises, Gilmore said. We had to mute someone, and then it just got crazy, he said. Organizers then ended the Zoom call to hopefully get rid of the noises. Gilmore said they started the virtual call back up and addressed what happened, but then they were disrupted once again. The person came back and said (n-word, n-word, n-word), and stuff like that, Gilmore added. Ward F Councilman Jermaine Robinson was not on the call, Gilmore said. And though organizers couldnt pinpoint the disrupter, Gilmore added that thats not going to stop the Ward F community meetings. He said the virtual calls provide important information to the public, looking at the incident in a more positive perspective. This makes me think that were doing something right, he said. That just gave me more energy to keep advocating to the people. There will be moderators to prevent Fridays incident from happening again, Gilmore added. Friday was the first of Ward Fs virtual community meetings. The next one is planned for next month on the third Thursday, Gilmore said. The link will be available on their Facebook page. - Prophet Nigel Gaisie has criticised the governments order to charge $150 COVID-19 test fee at the airport - He said the government is not being truthful about the whole testing exercise - For instance, Gaisie said passengers at the airport are told that the test is done just once but that is not so - Nigel also said those taking the test fee are not Ghanaians but foreigners who have been contracted - He wondered if other people can pay that huge sum Our manifesto: This is what YEN.com.gh believes in Install our latest app for Android and read the best news about Ghana Prophet Nigel Gaisie has criticised the government on the directive that passengers leaving and arriving at the Kotoko International Airport should pay $150 as COVID-19 test. He said the amount is too expensive for the ordinary Ghanaians, and in addition to that, it is is simply exploitation. In a Facebook post sighted by YEN.com.gh, Nigel said he travelled to Liberia recently and was made to pay that amount before leaving the KIA. When he arrived in Freetown, too, he was made to pay an amount of $100 for another test. He said he spent only seven days in Freetown, and when he was returning, he was made to pay another test fee at their airport. Then again on arriving in Ghana, Nigel said he was made to pay another $150 as a test fee. In his view, the government is simply exploiting Ghanaians in disguise. He also claimed that those assigned to collect the fees are not Ghanaians, stressing that foreigners have been contracted to take those fees when some Ghanaians do not have jobs. Nigel Giasie called on the Ghana Health Service and the government to reconsider the directive. His post has garnered massive reactions from the public with some agreeing with him while others attacked him. Joel for instance, supported Prophet Nigel, saying that politicians take Ghanaians for granted with every opportunity: Derek also described the situation as a broad day robbery: Prince, however, disagreed with Nigel and called him a liar: Guy was also not happy with Nigels claim: Prophet Nigel Gaisie has been in the news for saying that President Akufo-Addo will lose the 2020 elections and get the shock of his life. He was countered by Prophet Owusu Bempah who said Mahama will be embarrassed and conquered. Have national and human interest issues to discuss? Know someone who is extremely talented and needs recognition? Your stories and photos are always welcome. Get interactive via our Facebook page. Source: YEN.com.gh Queen Letizia had a meeting with The BBVA Microfinance Foundation in Madrid Royal, 48, donned an asymmetrical check print dress and black stiletto heels She heard about the non-profit organisation's work in the fight against poverty Queen Letizia of Spain demonstrated her sensational sense of style as she attended a meeting in Madrid today. The royal, 48, met those who are working in the fight against poverty at The BBVA Microfinance Foundation, a non-profit organisation that has been having a social impact for more than 10 years. ADVERTISEMENT She appeared effortlessly sophisticated in an asymmetrical check print dress by Spanish brand Pedro del Hierro, paired with black court heels and a coordinating clutch handbag. Letizia has worn the timeless style on previous engagements, including celebrating the bicentennial of the Prado Museum alongside King Felipe in 2018. Queen Letizia of Spain, 48, (pictured) attended a meeting with The BBVA Microfinance Foundation in Madrid The mother-of-two refreshed her previously worn plaid print dress by coordinating with a black clutch handbag and matching belt Letizia (pictured) appeared to have opted for minimal makeup underneath her disposable medical face mask Queen Letizia (pictured second from right) practiced strict social distancing as she spoke to others in attendance including Spanish Minister of Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge, Teresa Ribera (pictured right) Mother-of-two Letizia completed her look by wearing her hair in its signature off-centre parting along with minimal accessories. She opted for subtle make-up and wore a disposable surgical face mask for safety, amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic which has already killed over 31,000 people in Spain. Click here to resize this module She was seen practicing social distancing as she spoke to those in attendance including the Spanish Minister of Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge, Teresa Ribera. The meeting organized by BBVA, entitled 'Relentless Women: Challenges and Achievements to Rebrand Oneself during Times of Crisis', aims to analyse the situation and status of women in South America and how technology could help to solve the coronavirus crisis. During the engagement, Letizia was given the opportunity to learn about the projects in place to offer support to those who don't have access to the conventional financial system or to obtain the necessary resources to improve their quality of life. Queen Letizia was told about the non-profit organisations projects for their ongoing fight against poverty Queen Letizia presided over the meeting which was held in a hybrid format combining virtual and face-to-face elements The foundation has had objectives including promoting economic and social development since its creation in 2007. They have provided financial products and resources to entrepreneurs who lack resources, in the belief that the actions are key to generating development, mitigating poverty and its consequences. The entities of the BBVA Microfinance Foundation have delivered loans of over 14,500 million dollars to five million low-income entrepreneurs, creating opportunities for them to improve their living conditions within the last 10 years. Letizia (pictured) highlighted the importance of 'digital transformation, investment in education and training, sustainable development', during the meeting Letizia (pictured) raised concerns for the millions of vulnerable people who've been impacted by the pandemic Queen Letizia appeared delighted to be given the opportunity to join the conference and took a front row seat during presentations. ADVERTISEMENT She cited two women who virtually joined the meeting as being representative of the millions of vulnerable women who've been hit by the pandemic, while also seeking change in their lives. The former journalist also highlighted the importance of 'digital transformation, investment in education and training, sustainable development'. Queen Letizia is set to have a busy week with a meeting at the Headquarters of the Spain Mental Health Confederation among her planned agenda. This is a fully connected, intelligent world, where data is a key asset. As services expand, the volume of global data will increase from 44 ZB in 2020 to 180 ZB by 2025. Data centres are increasingly important to the global digital economy. Digital transformation adds pressure to public sector, along with finance, energy, and transportation industries, which are also coping with the uncertainty brought by these service upgrades. Given the ubiquity of data, can data centre infrastructure, as a carrier of data and storage resources, also become pervasive and easily accessible? Huawei The Huawei FusionModule2000@SmartLi UPS data centre solution redefines how data is physically stored. Site selection is now much faster with looser requirements of room size and load bearing capacity. Equipment rooms can now be easily modified to meet the need even common office buildings or warehouses can be transformed into data centres. The average room height of a common building is 2.6 metres. However, a traditional data centre requires raised floors and cable trays, taking the minimum height required to 3 metres. Huawei FusionModule2000 adopts a more flexible design with air conditioner drainpipes and electric/extra low voltage (ELV) cables routed from the top. No raised floor is required. Even a building with a room height of 2.6 m can easily be turned into a data centre. As lithium batteries are lighter, the load bearing capacity of Huawei SmartLi is less than 1000 kg/m2. This lower weight meets the load bearing requirements for Tier III and Tier IV data centres in TIA942. Unlike traditional lead-acid batteries, SmartLi UPS and IT equipment can be deployed in the same room. Lithium batteries are also smaller. With a standard of 125 kW and 20 minutes of backup power, four battery cabinets are required using lead-acid batteries. It is only one cabinet necessary when Huawei SmartLi is applied. With this setting no additional power backup is required the footprint is lowered by 75%. The FusionModule2000 has a modular design, meaning all subsystems of the data centre infrastructure can be integrated in one-stop mode. This lowers the cost associated with conventional project management, which usually involves multiple vendors, systems, and roles. Moreover, this solution implements vendor pre-test and pre-commissioning, vastly reducing the risks of onsite delivery, commissioning quality, and delivery progress. Fast Service Rollout at INVITE Systems SRL by Turning a Canteen into a Data Centre Founded in 2000, Romania-based INVITE Systems SRL provides digital hosting services. It has been a pioneer among the countrys network service providers by implementing "hosting services." The COVID-19 pandemic has triggered a surge in online services such as games, videos, and live streaming, as well as daily access traffic in Romania. As a result, the companys original platform could no longer meet all its customers requirements. INVITE Systems SRL had to launch a data centre quickly to satisfy the pressing needs of its enterprise customers. It typically takes a long time to re-plan and approve the land use of a data centre. And it usually requires joint projects by multiple vendors, making this task even more complex and time consuming. Ultimately, the company scouted a 20-square-metre canteen as a potential space for a data centre. Even though it was solid enough, it did not quite meet the requirements of a traditional data centre, both in terms of room height and load bearing capacity. Huaweis FusionModule2000 smart modular data centre solution is an easy fix for INVITE Systems SRL. This solution features a fully modular and integrated design which does not require high floors or raised floors. The canteen was reconstructed into a data centre for a fast service rollout. With SmartLi UPS inside, the power density of each module of the UPS reached 50 kVA/3 U, while the overall footprint was only 1.19 m2, while also reducing the footprint by 70%. The entire power distribution system occupied a tiny kitchen space, while the main area had sufficient enough space for IT equipment. "From preparation to installation and then to commissioning, Huawei FusionModule2000 shortened the launch time of our new data centre by more than two months, said Alexandru Catrin, CIO of INVITE Systems SRL. Onsite deployment was completed within one month, which was beyond our expectations." Macao IAM Turning an Office Area into a Modern and Scalable Data Centre Meanwhile in Macao, without any available traditional standard data centre, its Municipal Affairs Bureau (IAM) needed to build a data centre in a new office area to support municipal construction, public service handling, citizen education, and the public media relationship services of the government cloud. The new data centre had to be scalable for future mainstream industry requirements for security, reliability, and manageability. The FusionModule2000 integrates the power supply and distribution system, cooling system, monitoring system, cabinet aisles, and the cabling system. Compared to the heavy engineering required for a traditional data centre, the modular design and prefabrication can shorten the construction period by 50%. This means a pre-existing office area could easily be converted to a data centre. Huawei has also integrated AI technologies into data centres to solve operation problems during the facilitys 10-year life cycle. The IAM adopted the data centre O&M system DCIM + to equip the FusionModule2000 with an intelligent "brain." A range of digital and intelligent technologies were used by core subsystems to improve system efficiency, reliability, and availability. As the industry's first data centre product that has passed the Uptime Tier-IV Ready certification, Huawei FusionModule2000 occupies 19.1% of the market share, ranking No. 1 in the global market (source: Frost & Sullivan, 2019). Data centres were a hot topic at the fifth HUAWEI CONNECT, which took place in Shanghai on September 23-26. Top-notch experts and industrial elites shared their insights in a series of conferences and roundtables. Huawei also demonstrated its cutting-edge technologies, plus a wide range of renowned products and solutions designed to help enterprises succeed with digital transformation. Launched in June, thousands of businesses across Canada have already made the POST Promise, with more joining every day. Each business commits to following five key actions that were developed in consultation with the Public Health Agency of Canada to help prevent the spread of COVID 19. These actions include: maintaining physical distancing; staying home if unwell; wearing a mask when required and practicing respiratory etiquette; cleaning and disinfecting regularly; and, washing and sanitizing hands. Businesses that make the promise are then able to display the POST Promise logo in their storefront a clear indication to employees and customers that they are doing their part to protect Canadians' health and safety. Ford of Canada has joined the initiative as a Founding Partner and has encouraged its dealer network across the country to consider making the "POST Promise," to support the initiative and the necessary 5 key actions of the POST Promise platform. Participating dealers will proudly display the POST Promise logo in prominent locations throughout their stores. "The POST Promise Program reinforces Ford of Canada's belief that the health and safety of our employees and customers comes first," says Jim Hartford, Vice President Marketing and Sales, Ford of Canada. "POST is thrilled to have the support of Ford of Canada and its dealer network," said Laura Hearn, President & Executive Director of the POST Promise. "By taking a leadership role with this critical initiative, Ford is demonstrating its unyielding commitment to keeping its customers and staff safe during this unsettling time, as well as being a good corporate citizen for the sake of all Canadians. I hope that other large Canadian companies will be inspired to also join this national movement." "I congratulate Ford of Canada for taking this important step to help rebuild confidence in our stores and workplaces," says Goldy Hyder, President and CEO of the Business Council of Canada and POST Promise Board Member. "Getting the economy back on track safely and responsibly requires the joint efforts of government and the private sector and we applaud all businesses that are doing their part to let Canadians know they can confidently return to public spaces and help support their local economies." About The POST Promise The POST Promise is a private sector-led initiative, in collaboration with various levels of government, designed to help Canadians confidently and safely take the first steps back into public spaces and the workplace. Participating businesses receive important education and training as to how they can help prevent the spread of COVID-19 and are able to display the POST Promise logo which is a nationally recognized symbol of a business' commitment to doing their part to protect the public's health following COVID-19. A national, not-for-profit organization called the POST Promise Corporation was established in June 2020 to provide governance and ongoing operational and financial management of the POST Promise program. The POST Promise a self-declaration it is NOT a "certification" or "approval" from any regulatory body. All businesses are still required to follow the laws and recommended guidelines from their local public health office and government bodies. To learn more about how businesses can join the POST Promise initiative, visit www.postpromise.com. About Ford Motor Company of Canada, Limited Ford of Canada's operations include a national headquarters, three regional offices, three vehicle assembly and engine manufacturing plants, two parts distribution centres, two R&D sites, and three Connectivity and Innovation centres. Ford employs approximately 8,000 people in Canada, while an additional 18,000 people are employed in the more than 400 Ford and Ford-Lincoln dealerships across the country. For more information, please visit www.ford.ca. For media inquiries, please contact: Laura Hearn President & Executive Director POST Promise E: [email protected] P: (647) 213-4631 SOURCE POST Promise Related Links https://postpromise.com Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-28 07:50:38|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping said Monday that he highly values the unique friendship between China and Cuba and stands ready to help make the two countries good friends, good comrades and good brothers forever. Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks in congratulatory messages exchanged with Raul Castro Ruz, first secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba Central Committee, and Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel to celebrate the 60th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic relations. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-29 05:50:03|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close CAIRO, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- Egypt welcomed on Monday an agreement between the Yemeni government and the Houthi rebels to exchange 1,081 prisoners. "Egypt appreciates the efforts made by the Office of the Special Envoy of the UN Secretary-General for Yemen and the International Committee of the Red Cross in this regard," the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said in a statement. Egypt also called for an immediate implementation of the prisoner swap agreement, stressing that this would contribute to strengthening confidence-building measures and lead to a political settlement of the Yemeni crisis. On Sunday, delegates representing the government of Yemen and the Houthi group announced that they have agreed to immediately release the first group of 1,081 conflict-related detainees and prisoners, the largest prisoner release in the country's history. The Iran-allied Houthi rebels seized the northern provinces including the capital Sanaa in late 2014, forcing Yemen's President Abdu-Rabbu Mansour Hadi and his government into exile. An Arab coalition led by Saudi Arabia intervened militarily in the Yemeni conflict to fight against the Houthis in March 2015, in response to an official request from Hadi to protect Yemen. 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In his final opportunity to sway the findings of the Royal Commission into the Management of Police Informants, counsel assisting Chris Winneke, QC, has responded to accusations by Ms Gobbo and Victoria Police that the 18-month legal proceeding has been irrevocably damaged by the "bias" and "preconceived narrative" held by his legal team. Nicola Gobbo claimed she was denied the time and resources to prepare for the commission. Credit:Vince Caligiuri The 280-page written submission began with a rebuttal of what Mr Winneke called "disingenuous" claims by Ms Gobbo that she was denied the time and resources to prepare for the commission, was unfairly treated while testifying and that counsel assisting failed to give her evidence due weight compared to others. "There is an air of unreality to Ms Gobbos allegation of prejudgment and to her complaint about being singled out for unfavourable treatment," Mr Winneke responded. Cerner Corporation CERN recently announced a collaboration with Vynca a national leader in advance care planning solutions to streamline the complicated advance care planning procedure for individuals and families, caregivers and clinicians in a bid to ensure patients end-of-life preferences and needs are met every single time. The partnership will allow Cerner and Vynca to break down the digital barrier between legal documents and electronic health records (EHRs), thereby making it simpler for clinicians to carry out the process. Notably, Palo Alto, CA-based Vynca offers comprehensive advance care planning technology solutions, which help health care organizations to deliver high-quality end-of-life care consistent with an individual's preferences. This partnership is likely to provide a boost to Cerner Millennium a health care information technology (HCIT) platform designed to support an individuals care across the continuum from the doctors office to the hospital and other venues of care. More on the News The partnership will enable the integration between Vyncas digital solution and Cerner Millennium EHR. This will allow clinicians to look at relevant patient information and the patients future care preferences all in one place, thereby lowering risk of error and enhancing efficiency by avoiding going back and forth between different sources. The partnership will help in augmenting accessibility and usability through the availability of advance care documents in the patient portal. By simplifying the process, patients and their clinicians can now have early discussions and make critical end-of-life decisions. Cerner continues to remain committed toward giving support to its clients by helping clinicians with data that enables them to deliver smarter and more insightful care. Recent Development This month, Cerner inked a deal with Finland regional leadership with an aim to deliver more coordinated and efficient access to health and social services via a government-sponsored set of standards. Notably, this collaboration will not only strengthen Cerners foothold in the HCIT space but also expand its presence geographically. Story continues Market Prospects Per a report by Allied Market Research, the global HCIT market is expected to reach $297 billion at a CAGR of 13.2% during the 2016-2022 period. Rise in demand for quality healthcare services and solutions, and patient safety and care, proactive supportive government initiatives, and increase in acceptance of mHealth and telehealth practices are the primary factors driving the market. Further, growing adoption of smartphones and patient-doctor convenience are contributing to the markets growth. Price Performance Shares of this Zacks Rank #4 (Sell) company have gained 1.6% in a years time compared with the industrys rally of 32.6%. Stocks to Consider Some better-ranked stocks from the broader medical space include Merit Medical Systems, Inc. MMSI, Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. TMO and CONMED Corporation CNMD, each carrying a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 (Strong Buy) Rank stocks here. Merit Medical has a projected long-term earnings growth rate of 12%. Thermo Fisher has an estimated long-term earnings growth rate of 15%. CONMED has a projected long-term earnings growth rate of 10.8%. More Stock News: This Is Bigger than the iPhone! It could become the mother of all technological revolutions. Apple sold a mere 1 billion iPhones in 10 years but a new breakthrough is expected to generate more than 27 billion devices in just 3 years, creating a $1.7 trillion market. Zacks has just released a Special Report that spotlights this fast-emerging phenomenon and 6 tickers for taking advantage of it. If you don't buy now, you may kick yourself in 2021. Click here for the 6 trades >> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report CONMED Corporation (CNMD) : Free Stock Analysis Report Cerner Corporation (CERN) : Free Stock Analysis Report Merit Medical Systems, Inc. (MMSI) : Free Stock Analysis Report Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (TMO) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research Food writer Colu Henry, who writes for The New York Times, released a wonderful book called Back Pocket Pasta in 2017. It's a collection I often find myself picking up for week-night inspiration - not to cook a specific recipe, but to delve into the mindset of creating simple pasta suppers that can be eked out of even the most sparsely stocked kitchen pantry. The genius of really great Italian pasta recipes is often just that. Take the classic cacio e pepe, a luscious dish made with only a little pecorino cheese, freshly ground black peppercorns, cooked pasta and a drop of its starchy cooking liquid. Carbonara, al pomodoro, puttanesca... the list goes on, proof that the simple ones are almost always the best. In this column, I am constantly trying to arm you with recipes that can get you through the week, minus any kitchen meltdowns. And this week it's all about back-pocket pasta: easy recipes that can be rustled up with what you most likely have in the kitchen. I don't think there's a time of the year I don't crave garlic mushrooms with pasta. In my cookbook Meals in Minutes, I included a fusion - gasp - recipe that involved mushrooms, garlic, soy sauce and butter, to make an umami-packed spaghetti that is ridiculously devourable. But I have recently come back to the classic dish that inspired it: pasta (your choice, though I prefer tagliatelle), mushrooms, cream and garlic - beyond that, my only embellishment is onions fried gently until golden brown. Next up is a cheat's ragu with sausage and fennel seeds that makes a regular appearance on our midweek menu, but recently I cooked a variation of it, upping the spice levels and using tinned cherry tomatoes. If you can get your hands on good-quality sausages from your butcher, you've got a pasta dinner in minutes. Lastly, a recipe that falls somewhere between soup, stew and saucy pasta. Orecchiette - those little pasta ears you can see nonnas making by hand in the streets of Bari - bulk out a rich tomato soup with spinach and chickpeas. Humble ingredients with impressive results. One Pot Tomato Pasta Soup Cook time: 25 mins Serves: 4 Somewhere between a soup and a stew, this one-pot wonder is ladled, steaming, into bowls for the ultimate cold-day comfort food. A recipe which is at its best when you choose really good ingredients. Ingredients 1 tbsp olive oil 1 onion, finely chopped 3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped 1 carrot, finely chopped 2 celery stalks, finely chopped 1 tsp chilli flakes 2 x 400g tins of San Marzano tomatoes, crushed by hand Leftover Parmesan rinds 1 litre organic beef stock 250g orecchiette pasta 100g baby spinach leaves 400g tin of chickpeas, drained and rinsed Sea salt and ground black pepper To serve: Parsley, roughly chopped Parmesan cheese shavings Extra-virgin olive oil Method 1. Heat a medium-sized casserole over a medium-high heat and add the olive oil. Fry the onion, garlic, carrot and celery until tender, 6-8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. 2. Add the chilli flakes and fry for a further minute, then add the crushed tomatoes and stir through, along with the Parmesan rinds. 3. Pour in the beef stock and bring to a steady boil before adding the orecchiette and cooking for 10 minutes or so, until the pasta is al dente. 4. Stir through the spinach and chickpeas, and cook until the spinach is wilted. Season to taste and serve hot garnished with freshly chopped parsley, a generous grating of Parmesan and a drizzle of your best extra-virgin olive oil. Creamy Garlic Mushroom Pasta Expand Close Creamy Garlic Mushroom Pasta / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Creamy Garlic Mushroom Pasta Cook time: 30 mins Serves: 4 Hunt down a selection of mushrooms to add flavour and texture to this recipe. Ingredients 4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil 1 onion, finely sliced 50g butter, cut into pieces 500g mixed wild mushrooms, torn into bite-size pieces 450g bucatini pasta 3 garlic cloves, finely sliced 50ml dry white wine 250ml double cream Zest and juice of lemon 15g Parmesan (about cup), finely grated, plus more for serving Small handful of parsley, chopped Salt and black pepper Method 1. Heat 2 tbsp of the oil in a small frying pan over a low-to-medium heat. 2. Add the onion and season with salt. Saute for 15-20 minutes until caramelised, stirring regularly. 3. While the onion is cooking, get a saute pan on a medium heat. 4. Add the remaining 2 tbsp of oil along with the butter to the pan. Once the butter has melted, add the mushrooms. Cook for about 10 minutes, turning over regularly in the pan, allowing them to sit a little to turn golden. 5. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt well. Add the pasta and cook according to the packet instructions. 6. Add the caramelised onions to the mushrooms along with the garlic. Next, stir through the wine; give it a minute to reduce, then stir through the cream. Add the lemon to this, along with lots of freshly ground black pepper. 7. Serve topped with the Parmesan and parsley. Spicy Pantry Pasta Expand Close Spicy Pantry Pasta / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Spicy Pantry Pasta Cook time: 20 mins Serves: 4 A really impressive pasta dinner for which you more than likely have the ingredients hanging out in your kitchen cupboards already! Add some good-quality sausagemeat to the mix and you have a dark and spicy ragu in minutes. Ingredients 2 tbsp olive oil, plus more for drizzling 1 onion, finely chopped 450g Italian sausage, casings removed 1 garlic clove 1 tsp dried oregano 1 tsp chilli flakes 1 tsp fennel seeds 1 x 400g tin of cherry tomatoes 450g spaghetti 25g pecorino cheese Small handful basil leaves Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper Method 1. Heat the oil in a large heavy-based saute pan. 2. Add the onion and sweat for 5-6 minutes, stirring regularly. The onions should be softened at this point. 3. Add the sausage to the pan and break up. Cook this for 6-7 minutes. 4. Add the garlic along with the oregano, chilli flakes and fennel seeds before stirring through the tomatoes. Simmer for 10-15 minutes over a low heat until reduced a little. Season to taste. 5. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Season with salt and add the pasta to this. Cook the spaghetti according to the package instructions. Drain and add to the sausage pasta sauce. 6. Blitz the pecorino until fine in a food processor. 7. Serve in bowls topped with the finely chopped pecorino and some basil leaves. Bite-sized Nuts about butter Expand Close Harry Nut Spread / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Harry Nut Spread I've been loving delving into the world of new Irish food products since returning home, and one that I've been using for breakfast, lunch and dinner is Harry's Nut Butter. It's next-level peanut butter that's been injected with spice and flavour from roasted peanut pieces, paprika, sesame oil, garlic and chilli. Perfect splodged on toast or simmered with coconut milk and aromatics for a late noodle fix. harrysnutbutter.com Yummy mushrooms Expand Close Ballyhoura Mountain Mushrooms - ballyhouramushrooms.ie / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Ballyhoura Mountain Mushrooms - ballyhouramushrooms.ie Not only do Ballyhoura Mountain Mushrooms grow great-quality Irish shiitake mushrooms, they also produce a great pantry ingredient perfect for the autumn months. If you've got soups, stews and risottos on the brain, this Soup Mix will infuse them with a deep, meaty mushroom flavour in the form of dried wild and cultivated mushrooms. ballyhouramushrooms.ie Foam in Bundoran Expand Close Foam / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Foam A highlight of our recent getaway to Donegal and Sligo was a stop at Foam, a little cafe in the heart of Bundoran. A favourite with local surfers, it offers really great coffee via Cloud Picker, plus sweet and savoury treats, and a seriously good dal that's the perfect antidote to any cold-weather surfing you might tackle this autumn. Well worth a visit. foambundoran.com DAEJEON, South Korea, Sept. 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- ILIAS Biologics Inc. (the "Company" or "ILIAS"), a leading exosome-based therapeutics company, announced today that the Company has completed a Series B financing round of $20.6 million in South Korea. The initial investors from the Series A round, HB Investment, Timefolio Asset Management, and Daedeok Venture Partners joined this round with follow-on investment. The new institutional investors, including Asset One, Devsisters Ventures, Meritz Securities, Kiwoom Securities, Daishin Securities, Hanyang Securities/Yeolim Partners, and Genie Asset Management joined this round along with a small number of private investors. ILIAS has raised a total of $40.2 million of capital since its foundation in November 2015. This financing will support the continued development of ILIAS's proprietary EXPLOR (Exosome engineering for Protein Loading via Optically Reversible proteinprotein interaction) platform technology and the advancement of exosome-based therapeutics pipeline. ILIAS recently published promising preclinical data on its lead therapeutic candidate, ILB-202, in Science Advances, and secured a key exosome engineering patent from the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) in July. While the Company plans to submit the IND application to U.S. FDA and initiate the first-in-human clinical trial by the 2nd half of 2021 targeting an undisclosed acute inflammatory disease, it is also in active discussion with multiple pharmaceutical companies for potential research collaborations. EXPLOR technology is a novel protein-loading method that enables free form loading of large therapeutic cargo proteins into the lumen of exosomesnanosized, cell-derived extracellular vesiclesby genetically engineering the producing cell lines. While exosomes have been actively studied as novel therapeutic vehicles for intracellular drug delivery, the controllable loading of therapeutic cargo proteins as a free form in the exosomal lumen has remained a technical hurdle. ILIAS's technology provides a unique solution to overcome this challenge and increase the efciency of therapeutic protein delivery into the intracellular component of target cells. "The support from our new and existing investors is a reflection of their confidence in the immense potential of ILIAS's exosome-based platform technology and the expertise of scientists and management teams at ILIAS," said Dr. Chulhee Choi, CEO of ILIAS Biologics. "We will continue to work toward fulfilling our mission of transforming scientific imaginations into reality to advance human health." ILIAS has been recently finalizing the underwriter contract with securities companies, planning for an IPO to KOSDAQ (Korea Securities Dealers and Automated Quotation) in Q1 2022. About ILIAS Biologics Inc. ILIAS Biologics Inc. (previously Cellex Life Sciences, Inc.) was established in 2015 in South Korea to develop exosome-based therapeutics. ILIAS is currently developing various pipelines including inflammatory diseases and oncology. To learn more about ILIAS Biologics Inc, visit the website at www.iliasbio.com. SOURCE ILIAS Biologics Inc. Oleg Pulatov, a defendant in the case of the Malaysian Airlines flight MH17 shot down in 2014 in the skies over Donbas, has said he is ready to appear before the court to prove his innocence, but his lawyers do not advise this. This follows from the speech of one of the accused's lawyers, Sabine ten Doesschate, at the MH17 trial, which resumed at the Schiphol court complex on Monday. According to her, the defense had the opportunity to meet with Pulatov in the Russian Federation, which they previously could not do due to the restrictive measures introduced due to the coronavirus pandemic. "In Russia, we had an intense and useful communication with our client. This was the first time we could talk to him. As a result, we got a lot of additional information ... Our client told us that he was not involved in giving the order to transport and guard the Buk [anti-aircraft missile system from which the plane was shot down], nor to shoot at MH17. He was not involved in this and does not know personally how and why MH17 was shot down. He does not know what really happened," the lawyer said. According to her, Pulatov saw the downed MH17. "He said how terrible it was for him personally," the lawyer added. At the same time, the client admits that he was involved in military operations in eastern Ukraine. "Pulatov wants to speak on these issues and wants to appear before this court, but we are against this. His photo was widely disseminated and it would be unsafe for him to appear here, also bearing in mind that there is an international request for his arrest," Sabine ten Doesschate said. The lawyer also convinces the court that the defense, as well as the court itself, needs more time to gather more information regarding Pulatov's possible involvement in the tragedy. She also insists that the defense be given one more month to send final requests for further investigation. "We need more information from our client in order to understand what further inquiries we can make. We believe that we need to talk more with him. We need to know more about our client's position. We can send final requests for additional investigation in one month to court session, which is scheduled for November 2. We believe that the result of the investigative steps that we therefore request will shed more light on this subject," she explained. The prosecution asked for 20 minutes to prepare their reaction, and presiding Judge Hendrik Steenhuis called a recess. Several Senate Democrats have refused to meet with Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett before her confirmation process in October. (Getty Images) A handful of Democratic senators are refusing to meet with Donald Trumps Supreme Court pick, Amy Coney Barrett, calling her nomination illegitimate because thousands of Americans have already begun casting their ballots for the 2020 elections. Senators Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut and Mazie Hirono of Hawaii, two Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee that vets nominations to the federal bench, have confirmed they will snub Ms Barrett in the same way Senate Republicans avoided meeting with former Supreme Court nominee Merrick Garland in 2016. Mr Blumenthal will oppose Ms Barretts eventual confirmation which could come just days before the 3 November elections claiming he would oppose any nominee proposed as part of this illegitimate sham process, barely one month before an election as Americans are already casting their votes. Senate Democrats have seized on the notion that Ms Barrett, if confirmed, would help the high courts already conservative-leaning majority dismantle the sweeping 2010 health care overhaul known as Obamacare, a law that has become increasingly popular in recent years. If Judge Barrett's views become law, hundreds of millions of Americans living [with] pre-existing conditions would lose access to their health care. In the middle of a pandemic, rushing confirmation of an extreme jurist who will decimate health care is unconscionable, Mr Blumenthal tweeted on Sunday. I will refuse to treat this process as legitimate [and] will not meet with Judge Amy Coney Barrett, he wrote. Asked on CNN on Sunday whether she would meet with Ms Barrett, Ms Hirono said she would not. I will take the opportunity to question her when she is under oath, Ms Hirono said. Both Mr Blumenthal and Ms Hirono have indicated they looked forward to questioning Ms Barrett at the Judiciary panels hearings slated for mid-October. Ms Barrett, committee Chairman Lindsey Graham, and Democratic ranking member Dianne Feinstein are slated to deliver their opening statements on 12 October. Story continues The panel will vote to advance Ms Barretts nomination to the Senate floor for final confirmation votes by 22 October at the latest, Mr Graham said on Sunday. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has not indicated whether he will hold those final votes before or after the election, although he has committed to holding them this year. There exists some irony in Democrats refusing to meet with Ms Barrett during a GOP confirmation process they have ridiculed as rushed and deeply cynical: it eases Ms Barretts schedule, reducing any roadblocks that could slow down her nomination before the election. During past confirmation processes with Supreme Court nominees, senators have met with justices to question them multiple times, requesting follow-up interviews to pick their brains about various legal questions and express their reservations about certain imminent cases before the court. Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin has insisted its no use slow-rolling the process because Democrats have no procedural silver bullet to stop Ms Barretts nomination from proceeding to the Senate floor before election day. The No 2 Senate Democrat, who also sits on the Judiciary panel, told ABC Newss George Stephanopoulos on Sunday that his party could slow it down perhaps a matter of hours, maybe days at the most but we cant stop the outcome. Read more Trump erupts at bombshell report revealing he pays almost no federal income tax Is Trump really a terrible businessman? Its more complicated than it looks 'Shes beautiful': Trump wanted Ivanka as his running mate in 2016, book claims Trump tax news - latest: 'Freeloader-in-chief' attacked over bombshell report he paid just $750 in income tax Trump paid more in tax to foreign countries than to US President Emmanuel Macron is ready to hold talks with Belarus opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, who has requested he act as a mediator in her country's crisis, a French government spokesman said on Monday. "What's happening in Belarus is a crisis of power, an authoritarian power that is unable to accept the logic of democracy," Gabriel Attal said, adding that Macron would meet Tikhanovskaya "if she asks" during a visit to Lithuania, where she has fled. Belarus has been in turmoil since protests broke out last month after Tikhanovskaya lost to President Alexander Lukashenko in a vote she denounced as rigged. The opposition leader, whose blogger husband remains in a Belarus prison, also called for EU sanctions against businesses that support Lukashenko's government. "The protests are not going to stop," Tikhanovskaya told AFP in an interview. "People will not accept the regime under which they have lived all these years." Ahead of Macron's visit to Vilnius, he told the Journal du Dimanche newspaper it was "clear that Lukashenko has to go", adding that he had been impressed by the courage of the protesters. "They know the risks they are taking by demonstrating every weekend, and yet, they are pushing forward with the movement to make democracy come alive in this country that has been deprived of it for so long," he said. Search Keywords: Short link: Representative Image India has recorded more than 60.7 lakh cases of the novel coronavirus and 95,542 deaths. Of these, more than 9.6 lakh are active cases while over 50.1 lakh have recovered. Across the country, 7,09,394 samples were tested for the novel coronavirus on September 27, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) said. Maharashtras COVID-19 tally remains the highest among Indian states and Union territories, according to the Union health ministry's latest update. The health ministry updates its numbers a day after states release their data. COVID-19 Vaccine Frequently Asked Questions View more How does a vaccine work? A vaccine works by mimicking a natural infection. A vaccine not only induces immune response to protect people from any future COVID-19 infection, but also helps quickly build herd immunity to put an end to the pandemic. Herd immunity occurs when a sufficient percentage of a population becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely. The good news is that SARS-CoV-2 virus has been fairly stable, which increases the viability of a vaccine. How many types of vaccines are there? There are broadly four types of vaccine one, a vaccine based on the whole virus (this could be either inactivated, or an attenuated [weakened] virus vaccine); two, a non-replicating viral vector vaccine that uses a benign virus as vector that carries the antigen of SARS-CoV; three, nucleic-acid vaccines that have genetic material like DNA and RNA of antigens like spike protein given to a person, helping human cells decode genetic material and produce the vaccine; and four, protein subunit vaccine wherein the recombinant proteins of SARS-COV-2 along with an adjuvant (booster) is given as a vaccine. What does it take to develop a vaccine of this kind? Vaccine development is a long, complex process. Unlike drugs that are given to people with a diseased, vaccines are given to healthy people and also vulnerable sections such as children, pregnant women and the elderly. So rigorous tests are compulsory. History says that the fastest time it took to develop a vaccine is five years, but it usually takes double or sometimes triple that time. View more Show Globally, more than 3.2 crore infections and over 9.9 lakh deaths have been reported due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Here are all the latest updates: >> Reports suggest that Maharashtra, the worst-affected state in India, is set to allow restaurants, bars, and eateries to re-open with certain restrictions in place. >> Clinically approved drug "Teicoplanin" is a potential therapeutic option against COVID-19 and can be ten times more effective than several drugs being currently used, a Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Delhi, research has found. >> As many as 76,768 police personnel, including paramilitary forces such as CRPF, CISF, BSF and NSG, have tested positive for COVID-19, while 401 succumbed to COVID-19, according to a report by the Bureau of Police Research and Development. >> Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan on September 28 launched an online portal which will have all the relevant data on research development, clinical trials, and other information regarding a COVID-19 vaccine. >> The largest city in Brazil's Amazon has closed bars and river beaches to contain a fresh surge of coronavirus cases, a trend that may dash theories that Manaus was one of the world's first places to reach collective, or herd, immunity. >> Singaporeans slowly returned to work as COVID-19 restrictions were eased further after the city-state saw a drop in the number of positive cases. On September 27, tens of thousands demonstrators flooded the streets in a peoples inauguration of the real president Tikhanovskaya rally, voicing support of opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya in Belarus. Police detained about 200 people, as the masked officers in riot gear fired stun grenades and tear has to disperse the mob, and dragged scores of demonstrators into the van, as protesters chanted slogans such as imposter, Sveta is our president through the roads of Minsk with white and red opposition flags. According to an AP report, the protesters demanded the authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko's ouster for the 50th consecutive day into the seventh week after reports of his secretly staged inauguration emerged. Wearing t-shirts that ridiculed the leader, the protesters brandished slogan carved swords, and Belarusian flags, disputing Lukashenko's sixth term as they clashed with the security forces. While the Belarusian leader denied electoral fraud, condemnation erupted from the European Union, the US, UK and many other countries, including France as French President Emmanuel Macron said in a press that Lukashenko must step down. Lukashenko must go, Frances leader asserted, citing the humanitarian crisis at the civilian's protests. Macron said in a state televised conference that in Belarus, there was a power crisis in Belarus with an authoritarian administration that is not able to accept the logic of democracy. Read: China Says Is Supports Belarus President Lukashenko Read: UK To Sanction Lukashenko Regime Over Alleged Human Rights Abuse Of Belarus Protestors In response to Emmanuel Macrons press, Belarus President said in state media, I want to say that the president of France himself, following his own logic, should have resigned two years ago when yellow vests had first begun going out in the streets of Paris, AP quoted Lukashenko referring to the French protest movement. Protests across nine cities Protests were held across nine cities as citizens vented fury and angst at their Presidents 26 years in power. In a statement, the Interior Ministry of Belarus said that as many as 200 demonstrators were arrested as the mob turned aggressive, The police and the armed forces blocked off the center of the city with armored vehicles and water cannons. Protesters marched over a two-kilometer-long (over a mile-long) stretch with placards, that read rebukes such as the naked king and traitor. Democracy is the power of the people. The entire people are stronger than one man, AP quoted Lukashenko's main election opponent, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya as saying. However, according to sources of the Associated Press agency, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, Lukashenko's main election opponent, hailed the protests and encouraged the mobs determination. Today is the 50th day of our protest and the Belarusian people have again come out on the streets, AP quoted Tsikhanouskaya as saying. We have come to stop this regime and we will do this peacefully, she added. [Police detain a protester during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk.] Read: Belarus Authorities Detain Top Opposition Leader's Lawyer Amid Anti-government Protests Read: Trump Admin Stops Aid For Pro-democracy Groups In Belarus, Hong Kong And Iran (Images Credit and Input from AP) The younger man (pictured), believed to be aged in his 20s, turned and struck the older man in the back of the head before fleeing A manhunt is underway for a thug who coward-punched a stranger in the back of the head as retaliation after the victim had accidentally bumped into him on a footpath. The assault happened on September 18 in Glebe, in Sydney's inner west, and left the 60-year-old man with a fractured skull. The victim had been walking north along Bay Street when he was hit in the stomach by a hooded man walking past him. The younger man, believed to be aged in his 20s, then turned and struck the older man in the back of the head before jogging away. The man's skull cracked on the pavement outside Broadway Shopping Centre, leaving him unconscious and with serious head injuries that required surgery. 'It was as bad as it gets when you see a king hit on CCTV footage,' Leichhardt Police Detective Acting Inspector Michael Egan-Hirst told The Daily Telegraph. 'The victim himself says he doesn't feel the same.' The man's skull cracked on the pavement outside Broadway Shopping Centre where he was left unconscious Insp Egan Hirst urged the alleged attacker to turn himself into police Insp Egan Hirst urged the alleged attacker to turn himself into police. 'Hand yourself in otherwise we're going to come for you,' he warned. The injured man was treated at the scene by NSW Ambulance paramedics before being taken to Royal Prince Alfred Hospital with serious head injuries. He underwent surgery and has since been released from hospital, but there are fears he may be left with permanent brain damage. As inquiries continue, investigators have released CCTV images of the suspect. He is described as having an olive complexion, aged in his 20s, with a slim build and a short dark beard, and on the day of the attack he was wearing a black hooded jumper and black Adidas tracksuit pants. Insp Egan Hirst said the coward punch was sparked by nothing more than a harmless bump that most people would encounter occasionally when walking on the street. The alleged perpetrator is facing a charge of grievous bodily harm with intent. Togbega Tsedze Atakora VII, Paramount Chief, and overlord of Alavanyo Traditional Council, has condemned an alleged attack on an indigene by a secessionist group in the Volta Region. "I want to express our disappointment in the unwarranted attack on our son, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Denise Fiakpoe, an Alavanyo citizen and Divisional Commander of the Ghana Police Service. "He sustained various degrees of wounds in the Western Togoland attack. We are with him in prayers and wish him a speedy recovery." Togbega Atakora, addressing the media in Alavanyo said "it has come to our attention recently that some elements or secessionist group in Ghana who are affiliated to the Western Togoland Movement wants to drag our name into their agenda." "I want to make it crystal clear that Alavanyo and its people have nothing doing with the Western Togoland Session group and wish to warn those who are involved in that ploy never to use the name and territory of Alavanyo to launch their project." The Paramount Chief said Alavanyo had suffered a lot from destabilisation due to conflict with its neighbour. He said it was therefore glaring that there was seemingly some silence and peace in the area and the chiefs and people were working hard towards attaining and maintaining lasting solution and restoration of peace to the Area. Togbega said what Alavanyo needed at this time was rehabilitation and development of the Area adding that the area was not ready to embroil itself in "another trouble." "I wish to state without any equivocation that so far as we are concerned, Alavanyo is part of the sovereign state of the Republic of Ghana and that Alavanyo owes allegiance to the State and Government of Ghana," he added. He admonished all Alavanyo citizens Home and Abroad never to get involved in the" Western Togoland brouhaha." The Paramount Chief said if any Alavanyo citizen or citizens allowed himself or themselves to be used by any such group of people for any such purpose, the name of Alavanyo should never be dragged into it. He seized the opportunity to, on behalf of the people of Alavanyo expressed gratitude to the President and the government of Ghana for their peace efforts and also granting the Area autonomy as a Traditional Council to be inaugurated on October 2, 2020. Source: GNA Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-28 17:26:01|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close FIROZ KOAH, Afghanistan, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- Afghanistan's government has completed 10 small-scale infrastructure development projects in the western Ghor province, Ministry of Rural Development and Rehabilitation said Monday. The projects involved building protective walls, irrigation canals, water reservoirs, drinking water wells as well as solar power generation systems in villages, it said in a statement. They were implemented in several villages in the Shahrak district, Ghor province, at a cost of 11.94 million afghani (about 15.6 million U.S. dollars), with 90 percent funded by government and 10 percent by villagers, according to the statement. The projects benefit 992 households in the villages, the statement said, adding that similar projects are expected to be carried out across the province in further efforts to improve the economic situation and living conditions of the local people. (1 U. S. dollar equals 77.02 afghani) Enditem CORVALLIS, Ore. - An Oregon State University study has identified four new species of parasitic, cockroach-killing ensign wasps that became encased in tree resin 25 million years ago and were preserved as the resin fossilized into amber. "Some species of ensign wasps have even been used to control cockroaches in buildings," OSU researcher George Poinar Jr. said. "The wasps sometimes are called the harbingers of cockroaches - if you see ensign wasps you know there are at least a few cockroaches around. Our study shows these wasps were around some 20 or 30 million years ago, with probably the same behavioral patterns regarding cockroaches." Ensign wasps, of the Hymenoptera order and scientifically known as Evaniidae, earned their common name because their abdomen resembles a flag; an ensign is a large flag on a ship, usually flown at the stern or rear of the vessel, that indicates the ship's nationality. "As the wasps move about, their 'ensign' is constantly moving up and down as if they are flag waving," said Poinar, professor emeritus in the OSU College of Science and an international expert in using plant and animal life forms trapped in amber to learn more about the biology and ecology of the distant past. About 400 species of ensign wasps exist today, distributed across 20 genera. The wasps live everywhere except polar regions. They typically measure 5 to 7 millimeters in length and don't sting or bite but are lethal for unhatched cockroaches. A female ensign wasp will look for cockroach egg cases, known as ootheca, and lay an egg on or in one of the cockroach eggs inside the case. When the wasp egg hatches, the larva eats the cockroach egg where it was laid. Successive instars of the larva then consume the other dozen or so eggs inside the cockroach egg case. Mature wasp larvae pupate within the cockroach egg case en route to coming out as adults, and no cockroach offspring emerge from an egg case infiltrated by an ensign wasp. Analyzing Tertiary period specimens from Dominican amber, Poinar was able to describe three new species of ensign wasps: Evaniella setifera, Evaniella dominicana and Semaeomyia hispaniola. He described a fourth, Hyptia mexicana, from Mexican amber. The Tertiary period began 65 million years ago and lasted for more than 63 million years. No cockroaches accompanied the wasps in the amber, but three flying termites were found along with an ensign wasp in one of the Dominican amber pieces. It's likely the termites were sharing a nest with the cockroaches and this attracted the wasp, Poinar said. ### Findings were published in the journal Historical Biology. Beloved children's author Paul Jennings spoke about what led to his decision to become a professional writer at the age of 40. During an interview on The Project on Monday, the 77-year-old revealed he was put off pursuing a career as an author at the age of 12, after receiving a rejection letter. He confessed he didn't write again for decades, with a renowned writer telling him two words that gave him the confidence to pursue it again: 'You're good.' Career change: Beloved children's author Paul Jennings spoke about what led to his decision to become a professional writer at the age of 40. Pictured at his home in Melbourne in May 2005 Paul said at the age of 12, he decided to send a story into The Australian Women's Weekly, hoping they'd publish it, only to receive a rejection letter in return. 'I was so hurt by it that I thought they're all geniuses, writers, I could never make it,' he confessed. He added: 'I didn't have another go until I was nearly 40.' Devastated: During an interview on The Project on Monday, the 77-year-old revealed he was put off pursuing a career as an author at the age of 12, after receiving a rejection letter Paul said he was experiencing a lot of changes in his life, including the breakdown of his marriage, which left him caring for his four children. He said he was working as a lecturer at the time, while also studying, and told his boss he wouldn't have the time to finish his Master's degree. His boss told him the lack of a degree would cause him to lose his job, and suggested he pursue something different instead. Quite the resume: The author eventually went on to write countless children's books. Pictured, some of his stories It was then that Paul came back to writing, enrolling in a course in Melbourne, after his boss generously loaned him his car to get there. He said the course was being run by author Carmel Byrne, who asked everyone in the class to submit a short story. 'She said, "They are all good, but one has got something special. I'm going to read it out." I thought, "Please let it be mine." As we left the class, she said, "You're good,"' he recounted. Mouni Roy is an avid reader and traveller who loves visiting new countries. Her Instagram account is filled with pictures of her travels. From the Maldives to Thailand, take a look at some of Mouni Roy's travel photos that will make you want to set new travel goals in life. Check out the pics here: Mouni Roy's travel photos Maldives Amid the pandemic, Mouni Roy has taken a few days off from work and has travelled to the Maldives with her friends. The actor has been enjoying her time there and has been sharing pictures from her vacation. From enjoying at the beach in her gorgeous bikinis to sharing pictures with some gorgeous backdrops, she has been setting major travel goals. London Apart from the Maldives, Mouni Roy has also visited London. She shared pictures from her vacation there, along with a bunch of friends. Being an avid reader, Mouni Roy loves the Harry Potter series. She visited the Harry Potter world in London and shared some pictures while posing with the props from the film. Also Read: Mouni Roy Announces Release Of 'London Confidential', Her New Espionage Thriller Film Thailand Mouni Roy shared some exquisite pictures of her getting a tan at the beach in Thailand. Dressed in a beautiful pink high-slit gown, Mouni Roy posed for a picture by the beach. Apart from this picture, the actor shared some gorgeous pictures of her enjoying her beachy vacation in Thailand. Also Read: Mouni Roy Shares A Thrilling Clip From Her Latest Film 'London Confidential' Amsterdam Last year, Mouni Roy visited Amsterdam and shared pictures from her vacation on Instagram. The actor shared pictures from the various places she visited there. She also visited a popular library there and shared gorgeous pictures and she strolled around enjoying her time in leisure. Also Read: Mouni Roy Is 'Alice In A Teacup' In Her Recent Resort Photos; See Pictures Italy Another place in Mouni Roy's travel diaries that will fill you with envy is Italy. The actor visited Naples in Italy and shared some amazing pictures from her trip. She looked gorgeous in her long grey skirt and her full-sleeve blacktop and topped it with a long black jacket. She posed for a picture in her stylish outfit with a gorgeous backdrop of the city in the background. Also Read: Mouni Roy Quiz: How Well Do You Know The 'Naagin' Star? Find Out Here Tractor set on fire New Delhi: Around 15-20 people set a tractor on fire at India Gate here on Monday morning, police said. The incident comes amid protests by farmers and opposition parties across the country over the contentious farm legislations that were passed by the Parliament last week. Advertisement Tractor set on fire According to fire officials, they received information regarding the incident at 7.42 am and two fire tenders were rushed to the spot. "About 15-20 people had gathered around 7.15-7.30 am and tried to set a tractor on fire. The fire has been doused off and tractor was removed. Advertisement Tractor set on fire"Legal action is being taken in the matter. Identity of the persons involved is being ascertained," Deputy Commissioner of Police (New Delhi) Eish Singhal said. A new study may revise a theory of flowing viscous liquids that was accepted for 60 years The international collaborative team of Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology (TUAT) in Japan, Indian Institute of Technology Ropar (IIT Ropar) in India, and Osaka University in Japan has discovered for the first time a topological change of viscous fingering (one of classical interfacial hydrodynamics), which is driven by "a partially miscibility," where the two liquids do not mix completely with finite solubility. This topological change originates from a phase separation and the spontaneous motion driven by it. It is a phenomenon that cannot be seen with completely mixed (fully miscible) system with infinite solubility or immiscible system with no solubility. The researchers published their results in the Journal of Fluid Mechanics on Jun 30th, 2020. When a less viscous fluid displaces a more viscous fluid in porous media, the interface between the two fluids becomes hydrodynamically unstable and deforms in a finger shape. This phenomenon is technically called "Viscous fingering (VF)". Since the 1950s, the VF has been studied as one fluid dynamics issue. Then, it is now widely known that the properties can be classified according to weather the two fluids are fully miscible or immiscible. The viscous fingering dynamics helps to understand the process of fluid displacement in porous media in reactions and separation in chemical processes, as well as in enhanced-oil-recovery and CO 2 sequestration. "It has long been pointed out that viscous fingering in partially miscible fluids occurs in underground processes with high-pressure conditions, such as oil recovery and CO 2 storage. However, such viscous fingering has been theoretically studied in the last few years," said Dr. Nagatsu, one of the corresponding authors on the paper and Associate Professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering at Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology (TUAT). "Experimental studies of such VF have not been done at all. One of the reasons is that fluid mechanics researchers did not use experimental conditions that were partially miscible at room temperature and atmospheric pressure." The research team succeeded in changing the miscibility of the system to fully miscible, immiscible, and partially miscible with little change in the viscosities at room temperature and atmospheric pressure. They used an aqueous two-phase system consisting of polyethylene-glycol (PEG), sodium-sulfate (Na2SO4), and water (see Figure), which were described in the same research team's paper published in 2019. Here, in the partially miscible system, a pure PEG solution and a pure Na2SO4 solution dissolve each other with finite solubility, and as a result, the phase is separated into a PEG-rich phase (phase L) and a Na2SO4-rich phase (phase H) (see Figure). They have carried out experiments by using this solution system in which a less-viscous liquid displaces a more-viscous one in a Hele-Shaw cell (see Figure) which is a model mimics flow in porous media. "Our team found that topological change is observed in the case where the two liquids are partially miscible (see Figure and Movie). This is the first instance of topological change in viscous fingering although various changes in the pattern due to various physicochemical effects, so far, have been reported when the two fluids are fully miscible or immiscible. We clearly showed this topological change originates from a phase separation occurring between the two fluids and the spontaneous motion driven by it," Nagatsu explains. "Our result overturns the common understanding of more than 60 years in VF research which began in the 1950s that the characteristics of VF are divided into immiscible and fully miscible cases and it demonstrates the existence and importance of the partially miscible case, which becomes the third classification category. This will open a new cross-disciplinary research area involving hydrodynamics and chemical thermodynamics. Also, the displacement with partial miscibility in a porous medium takes places in the oil recovery process from the formation and the CO 2 injection process into the formation. Thus, our finding is expected to create new control methodology of those processes by utilizing the partial miscibility," adds Nagatsu. ### This work was supported by PRESTO-JST (No. 25103004 "Phase Interfaces for Highly Efficient Energy Utilization") and JSPS Invitation Fellowships for Research in Japan (No. S15063 and No. L19548). For more information about the Nagatsu laboratory, please visit http://web. tuat. ac. jp/ ~nagatsu/ en/ index. html Original publication: Phase separation effects on a partially miscible viscous fingering dynamics Ryuta X. Suzuki,* Yuichiro Nagatsu, Manoranjan Mishra, and Takahiko Ban Journal of Fluid Mechanics 898 A11 https:/ / doi. org/ 10. 1017/ jfm. 2020. 406 About Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology (TUAT): TUAT is a distinguished university in Japan dedicated to science and technology. TUAT focuses on agriculture and engineering that form the foundation of industry, and promotes education and research fields that incorporate them. Boasting a history of over 140 years since our founding in 1874, TUAT continues to boldly take on new challenges and steadily promote fields. With high ethics, TUAT fulfills social responsibility in the capacity of transmitting science and technology information towards the construction of a sustainable society where both human beings and nature can thrive in a symbiotic relationship. For more information, please visit http://www. tuat. ac. jp/ en/ . About Osaka University: Osaka University was founded in 1931 as one of the seven imperial universities of Japan and is now one of Japan's leading comprehensive universities with a broad disciplinary spectrum. This strength is coupled with a singular drive for innovation that extends throughout the scientific process, from fundamental research to the creation of applied technology with positive economic impacts. Its commitment to innovation has been recognized in Japan and around the world, being named Japan's most innovative university in 2015 (Reuters 2015 Top 100) and one of the most innovative institutions in the world in 2017 (Innovative Universities and the Nature Index Innovation 2017). Now, Osaka University is leveraging its role as a Designated National University Corporation selected by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology to contribute to innovation for human welfare, sustainable development of society, and social transformation. Website: https:/ / resou. osaka-u. ac. jp/ en/ top About Indian Institute of Technology Ropar (IIT Ropar): Indian Institute of Technology Ropar (IIT Ropar) is a premier engineering, science, and technology institute in India established in 2008 by the Ministry of Education, Govt. of India (formerly: Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD), Govt. of India). IIT Ropar has initiated research on socially relevant problems like water and air pollution, affordable point-of-care healthcare technologies, and artificial intelligence applied to solve future engineering challenges. IIT Ropar has made active research collaborations with the likes of MIT, SUNY, Cardiff University, Cambridge University to name a few. Department of Science of Technology (DST), Govt of India, has established a Technology Innovation Hub (TIH) in the application domain of Agriculture & Water, named as Agriculture and Water Technology Development Hub (AWaDH), at IIT Ropar in the framework of National Mission on Interdisciplinary Cyber-Physical Systems (NM-ICPS). The high standard of research has ensured that year-after-year IIT Ropar has the best research performance amongst newer IITs, in India and in world rankings like the QS Asia rankings (205th) and Times Higher Education World University rankings (301-350). The institute has made significant research investment in Industry 4.0 in partnership with the Government of Taiwan by setting up the Indo-Taiwan Joint Research Centre on Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, a one of its kind in India. For more information, please visit http://www. iitrpr. ac. in Contact: Yuichiro Nagatsu, Ph.D. Associate Professor, Department of Chemical Engineering, TUAT, Japan nagatsu@cc.tuat.ac.jp Takahiko Ban, Ph.D. Associate Professor, Graduate School of Engineering Science, Osaka University, Japan ban@cheng.es.osaka-u.ac.jp Manoranjan Mishra, Ph.D. Associate Professor, Department of Mathematics, Indian Institute of Technology Ropar, India manoranjan@iitrpr.ac.in This story has been published on: 2020-09-28. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. LOS ANGELES, Sept. 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) women are respected leaders of nonprofit organizations but their leadership is less represented as candidates for elected office, according to a new brief released today. The brief, a collaboration between the National AAPI Power Fund, New American Leaders Action Fund, and Groundswell Action Fund, explores why AAPI women lag far behind men when it comes to running for elected office. It also offers recommendations to increase the number of AAPI women candidates for elected or appointed offices. "Elected AAPI women will prioritize the community and its issues," said Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-WA., who is featured in the brief. Jayapal was the Executive Director of OneAmerica before deciding to run for Congress in 2016, winning her race. "We are more likely to lift up and be courageous about prioritizing these issues." According to the brief, there are 47 AAPI women state legislators, comprising just 32% of the 149 AAPI state legislators in the country. Approximately seven out of every ten AAPI state legislators are men, almost exactly opposite the percentage for nonprofit leadership. "Women of color, led by Black women, have led real change in our communities for decades and most recently, in the 2018 blue wave in Congress," said EunSook Lee, Director, National AAPI Power Fund. "But women of color organizers and movement activists are rarely seen as the ones who should run for public office. Our organizations joined together to shine a national spotlight on the greater need to elect more progressive women of color by examining AAPI women as a subset of this important constituency." The brief also shows that AAPI women would be strong, progressive candidates, more so than AAPI male candidates, and that if more AAPI women ran for office and won, progressives would win big. AAPI women are consistently more progressive than AAPI men. In 2018, 73% of AAPI women supported the Democratic candidate for Congress, compared to 69% of AAPI men.[1] "As the country and virtually every state and local jurisdiction have witnessed, progressive, elected women of color, while still the vast minority, are leading the resistance to the White House," said Sayu Bhojwani, founder and president of New American Leaders Action Fund. "AAPI women and women of color in office are champions of a multiracial democracy, and investing in recruiting and training more candidates will bring us closer to the America we want to be." Further: 92% of women versus 86% of men supported closing the gender wage gap 77% of women versus 74% of men supported the DREAM Act 82%of women versus 76% of men supported more strict gun laws 81% of women versus 78% of men opposed racial profiling There are three obstacles blocking AAPI women from running: they are not seen as political leaders, people are hesitant to donate money to them, and they have to be repeatedly asked to run for office. "In many Asian American families with resources, parents typically are encouraging their children to become doctors or engineers; becoming an elected official isn't even on the radar," said Stephanie Chang, Michigan State Senator and the first Asian American woman to serve in the Michigan Legislature. "I needed a lot of encouragement to decide to run for office. I shadowed Rashida [Congresswoman Rashida Talib from the 13th District in Michigan] at the State Capital so I could visualize myself doing the job." Among the recommendations to address this issue: A new training program to recruit and develop AAPI women as candidates and campaign staff could open up new avenues for AAPI women to begin to run for office in greater numbers. "While we, and our grantee partners, understand the importance of winning individual elections or policy fights, the long-term prize is creating and sustaining a truly inclusive, participatory democracy with leaders who come from and reflect our communities," said Quanita Toffie, Groundswell Action Fund Senior Director. "It's time to recruit existing AAPI women community leaders and organizers to run for office." In addition to a training program, the brief recommends a broader movement to elevate AAPI women leaders, resourcing new and more political giving circles and AAPI affinity groups within mainstream women's political fundraising network, and building a pipeline for AAPI women, including an internship program. Read the brief: https://aapipower.org The National AAPI Power Fund (Power Fund) was established to harness the energy, enthusiasm, and potential of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders for progressive impact in 2020 and beyond. New American Leaders Action Fund (NALAF) is a 501(c)(4) organization focused on building a democracy that represents and includes all people by engaging new voters, supporting New Americans as they run for office, and expanding civic engagement. Groundswell Action Fund (GAF) was founded on a simple, but revolutionary, premise: In order to achieve a fair and just society, those who are most excluded from our democracy must be at the center of transforming it. GAF's mission is to strengthen U.S. movements for reproductive and social justice by resourcing electoral organizing and power-building efforts and centering the leadership of Black women, Indigenous women and transgender and gender non-conforming people of color. SOURCE The National AAPI Power Fund The Katy Independent School District Board of Trustees has three positions on the Nov. 3 ballot. Ahead of early voting, which runs Tuesday, Oct. 13, through Friday, Oct. 30, the five candidates were asked to submit written answers on five topics. 1. Please tell the Katy ISD community about yourself. 2. Why do you want to serve, and what will you bring to the board? 3. What do you see as the top two issues facing Katy ISD? 4. How do you plan to address them? 5. What do you believe Katy ISD has done well during the last six months of pandemic, and what would you have done differently? Related: Seven Lakes High School ranks top in Katy ISD Position 3: Ashley Vann 1. I am fortunate to be a stay-at-home mom, although we only have one still at home. My two older sons both graduated from Seven Lakes High School, and my daughter is a current junior at S.L.H.S. I was lucky to grow up in Katy, attending Memorial Parkway Junior High (first six grade class in 1982) and James E. Taylor H.S. So, I have lived in Katy for about 27 years. My husband moved to Katy at 11 also but graduated from Katy High School. We proudly have raised our kids in our hometown. and love that our kids are second-generation Katy. 2. I have served in Katy ISD Board of Trustees Position 3 for over 6 years now, the past five serving in leadership roles. By remaining on the Katy ISD BOT, I bring my experience to my fellow trustees and the administration we work with. My desire to serve another term is to help continue the successful trajectory the district is currently on, to ensure thorough communication to our community and always promote transparency. 3. Growth of the district and safety of our students and staff. 4. We need to construct and put up for an election (for) another Bond. Our 10th high school is needed in the very near future to help relieve Katy H.S. and Paetow H.S. Junior High No. 17 is opening soon. The school district, which is 181 square miles, is only about 80 percent built out. Once the district is complete, a comprehensive realignment of attendance zones will need to be addressed to create equity of student count campus to campus. Katy ISD is very forward thinking in all practices and procedures when it comes to the safety of our students and staff. Whereas the world is always changing and social media really affects so much of what our students do, it is important to always have our ear to the ground to do our best to get ahead of and stopping of any dangerous or harmful situations. It is always important to also communicate to the parents and staff when issues on their campuses occur, and I believe that Katy ISD is very successful in this. 5. Katy ISD has been in front of this pandemic from the very beginning. Plans were being put in place even before the state was shutdown. My child is face to face at S.L.H.S., and I am completely confident in all measures being taken to protect all students and staff. The district, led by Dr. Gregorski, and other districts, issued an edict to Harris County, stating that we will go back in person September 8th and not bow to the judges mandate based on the ruling by Attorney General Paxton. His ruling reminded the judges throughout the state that the I in ISD stands for independent and we had the power to determine what is best for our students and staff. This was a bold and confident move by all districts involved and a proud moment. I think communication to the community earlier on could have been stronger. Even as a current BOT there were times I felt uninformed, but a lot of that was truly a product of the situation. It is a challenge to lead in uncertain times, but overall I feel that Katy ISD has done a phenomenal job. Top hits: Get Houston Chronicle stories sent directly to your inbox Position 4: Leah Wilson 1. My family and I relocated to Katy ISD almost 7 years ago after I retired from the U.S. Air Force. I have 21 years experience in information technology. We have four children: two have already graduated, one of which from Seven Lakes H.S. Our last daughter is at Tompkins H.S., and our son is at Adams J.H. I now am fortunate enough to volunteer my time across the area in a variety of areas. 2. There are three things about which I am passionate: children, education and our community. I have seen academic successes and struggles in others as well as in my own family. I want to advocate for all students within Katy ISD and for the teachers that make it all happen. I will bring over 21 years of experience in information technology to the Katy ISD school board, which is more important than ever. 3. Mental health/safety/security: I put these together because they are closely interdependent. We need to improve access to mental health initiatives. The complex threats our students face today are not issues we can ignore. Improving mental health in turn improves safety and security and vice versa. Communications and transparency: We must provide clear, timely, accurate and trusted communications to the community, getting ahead of social media rumors, misstatements and blatantly false information. 4. I want to work to ensure we have readily available licensed clinical social workers, psychologists and counselors who are equipped to discuss the myriad of concerns our students and staff face daily. I want to provide greater transparency by bringing information directly to the public, responding with clarity that reflects the needs and goals of our community. I support the district engaging in public forums where parents, students and community members may address the board with their concerns. 5. We gave everyone the choice of online or face to face, and allowing everyone to change after each grading period. We provided technology to students. We continued to provide meals. I would have held more board meetings to provide communication and transparency to our parents, staff and community. I would have wanted more input from our teachers. Three questions were not enough. Collaboration with our community was needed to ensure all factors were considered. Related: Katy ISD health education coordinator recognized Position 4: Michael Dillard 1. My family and I have lived in Katy for ten years. I am former elementary school teacher (kindergarten, first and second grade) and a graduate from LSU with a B.S. in elementary education. My wife, who is in her tenth year as an elementary school teacher (8 with Katy ISD), has a huge impact on my desire to serve the district. Our two boys attend Cinco Ranch Junior High, and our daughter attends Woodcreek Elementary. All three are on the honor roll and are involved in numerous extracurricular activities. Currently I am a seasoned human resources professional who works to create solutions beneficial to business partners that support their corporate values and objectives. Additionally, I have served thousands of volunteer hours in the district along with serving on numerous committees. 2. Im a former elementary education teacher who wants to give back to his community. A trustee has the sole obligation to set appropriate policy on behalf of school-aged children in Katy ISD, staff, parents and taxpayers. I am the best candidate because of my extensive background in education, human resources and my involvement in the community. Education runs deep in my family history. Much of my love of teaching comes from my mother, who taught school for 25 years. Being an educator myself, you never outgrow the classroom. You just bring those experiences with your work to improve your community. 3. COVID-19 and growth. 4. COVID-19 and distance learning as well as safety in the unknown are the biggest challenges that Katy ISD is currently facing. I would work to provide whatever tools the administration feels necessary to provide the best education, in the safest way possible. Continued transparency and ongoing, timely communication from the district with parents, teachers/staff and the public are paramount. Growth remains a continuing challenge, especially in the northwest quadrant of the district, while at the same time maintaining excellent facilities in the remainder of the district. To stay ahead of growth and meet these challenges, a community-oriented bond must be detailed and submitted to the voters for approval. Completing past bond projects efficiently and on time remains priority. As the district grows, staffing is an issue. With my human resources and education background, I am committed to keeping and recruiting the very best for Katy ISD. 5. With several moving parts, I think the district is doing as best as can be expected considering the unknown over the last six months. The top priority is to measure and modify processes as needed to ensure a safe workplace and classroom. It is imperative to follow all applicable guidelines from Texas Department of Education, health professionals and district officials. Teacher feedback on what is working well and what might need tweaking is equally important. They are the ones in the trenches, interfacing with 80,000-plus students (in-person instruction and Katy Virtual Academy) daily. Adapting and evolving will be crucial in the next few months. Breaking News: Get email alerts from Chron.com sent directly to your inbox Position 5: Bill Lacy 1. I have lived in the Katy ISD community for over 25 years. I am a mortgage banker (over 20 years) in Katy and have been in real estate since 1985 in greater Houston. I have four children who all graduated from Katy ISD schools (two from Taylor, one from Cinco Ranch, one from Katy) and four granddaughters (one more on the way in March), all of which either do or will attend Katy ISD schools. 2. My financial and real estate experience is what I bring to the board table. My family moved to Houston in 1980 while I was in college (Louisiana Tech University, graduated 1984). I have lived in Houston during several economic downturns and have seen school districts that were once very strong become average at best. History gives us the ability to look back at the mistakes made and correct them, and the correct decisions made and build on them. I have that ability to bring personal experiences to the board. 3. Finances and growth. School finance is different than business finance. Funds come in from a variety of sources (state, local and federal government, grants, bonds, etc.). With Katy ISD having an annual budget of over $1 billion, understanding funding at the local and state level is very important. Growth is also a huge issue in Katy ISD. We need to continue to plan for the growth that continues to come to Katy. They come here for a variety of reasons quality of schools, SPED programs, low taxes, convenient location, easy commute to Houston. At the current pace, we can expect to be over 100,000 students in about 5 years. We need to plan for those students now - we need to plan for growth rather than wait and react to growth. 4. As a director on the Texas Association of School Boards, I am able to interact with other school board trustees from across the state. I have the ability to discuss school funding on the state level and have been introduced to many of the representatives for Texas to discuss school funding. I have communicated briefings of these meetings with the Katy ISD administration so they can successfully plan for what we expect the states portion of our annual budget. 5. We have an amazing administrative staff that Dr. Gregorski has put together. The work they put into planning and implementing this past spring to education our children is nothing short of monumental. To watch them work, and be involved in the process, is truly overwhelming. They discuss every option and possible outcome. They plan for even the smallest possible circumstance. I do not believe that anything could have been done differently. They staff and administration of Katy ISD reacted and worked through what was insurmountable odds and still provided an opportunity for a quality education to all our students. Related: Katy ISD to distribute free meals for virtual learners, area children Position 5: Greg Schulte 1. I have lived in Katy for 20 years. I have four children, all whom have attended Katy ISD schools since kindergarten. I am an owner of a 500-person engineering firm, with seven offices in three countries. I have served on the Board of Directors of that company for the last 5 years. I am an engineer with 30 years experience as a senior project manager, managing large complex international projects. 2. All but one of my children have graduated high school, leaving time previously spent in support of volunteering for their extracurricular activities available. I want to spend this time to truly make a difference in the community. I believe I have the experience and leadership skills to make a significant contribution to Katy ISD. 3. As I have been campaigning, many community members have reached out to me to voice their concerns. I have spent a great deal of time listening to the concerns of teachers, parents and students. There are many valid issues that have been raised. The top two issues I hear the most deal with race relations and the districts COVID-19 response. 4. There is not enough space here to adequately and creditably address how to handle these two complex issues. I would start by learning more about plans the administration may already be working on these two issues. I would also like to listen to a wider sampling of the community to better understand the issue, and the impacts it is having on them, and their ideas on possible solutions. I would then work collaboratively with the BOT and the superintendent on developing a well thought out tactical plan, including a timeline to complete key milestones, to address these issues. 5. The administration has done a respectable job navigating through the COVID crisis. Their focus on doing everything possible to return to safe in person learning, while providing parents the choice for virtual learning as an alternative, is an appropriate decision in the current situation. I believe consideration should have been given to virtual town hall meetings with the parents, students and teachers to allow them to ask questions, express their concerns and receive feedback from the district. As the first six weeks come to a close, I feel it is imperative that a self-evaluation be completed with key stakeholders, to evaluate what is working and what is not, and make necessary adjustments. Katy ISD has voters guide available at www.katyisd.org. Responses were edited only for grammar and AP style. tracy.maness@hcnonline.com BERLIN (AP) Germany has launched a new search for a site to store its most radioactive nuclear waste, eliminating a disputed site at a former salt mine that was earmarked decades ago and has long been a focus of protests. A report issued Monday by Germany's waste management organization, or BGE, identified 90 areas covering 54% of the country's surface area as potentially geologically suited for a nuclear storage site. It kicked off what is bound to be a politically fraught process, with a final decision slated for 2031. The aim is to start using the selected site in 2050. Following the Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan nine years ago, Germany decided to phase out its own nuclear power generation by the end of 2022. But the question of where to put the waste already generated has remained unresolved. Three years ago, parliament cleared the way for a science-based search for a site. Officials are seeking a safe home for a million years for some 1,900 containers of waste, which make up only 5% of Germany's total nuclear waste but 99% of its radioactivity, BGE chairman Stefan Studt said. Germany's geology is so favorable, from north to south and east to west, that we can say with conviction that it will be possible to find the one site with the best possible security for the final storage of highly radioactive waste, Studt added. One site that won't be considered is the one that was earmarked by West German authorities in the 1970s a former salt mine at Gorleben, in a sparsely populated area then located in an isolated corner of the country, close to the border with communist East Germany. Locals never accepted that decision and Gorleben became a focus for Germany's strong anti-nuclear movement. Occasional shipments of reprocessed waste to a warehouse near the salt mine turned into huge security operations with days-long cat-and-mouse games between police and protesters, who sought to block rail tracks and roads. BGE official Steffen Kanitz said Gorleben was found not to have a favorable overall geological situation, in part because of a potential risk of erosion. It appears unlikely that local politicians will welcome any newly selected site with open arms. The state government in Bavaria already is insisting that the region is unsuited for a permanent waste site. Recent McCallie graduate Henry Michalak was featured in a Sept. 17 story in the Wall Street Journal that examined the college selection process of four graduating seniors during the coronavirus pandemic. The story, titled Choosing a College During Coronavirus: How Four Students Decided, was part of a special College Rankings supplement of the national newspaper. Mr. Michalak, who was a three-year boarder from Marietta, Ga., graduated from McCallie in July. He explained in the story how he applied and sought early admission at several colleges and universities and finally decided to attend Wofford College in Spartanburg, S.C. About his decision, Mr. Michalak said, "Wofford became my first choice after my initial visit and it became clear that Wofford was the place for me after my Wofford Scholars interview. The way Wofford has handled admissions, registration, and orientation has only confirmed that I made the right decision and makes me even more excited to be part of the Terrier Class of 2024." The week was off to a good start at D-Street as the bulls remained firmly in control on September 28, with the Sensex closing 593 points higher at 37,981 and the Nifty50 rising 177 points to 11,227. The day of gains say investor wealth jump by nearly Rs 3 lakh crore, data showed. The average market capitalisation of BSE-listed companies rose from Rs 152.28 lakh crore on September 25 to Rs 155.10 lakh crore on September 28. Positive global cues, and expectations of further stimulus measure for the economy kept the investor sentiment upbeat, say experts. "Indian benchmark indices gained strength throughout the day, helped by gains in banking and financial stocks. Global cues were also positive following positive industrial profits data from China, setting aside concerns about the increasing virus infections and related impact, Vinod Nair, Head of Research at Geojit Financial Services told Moneycontrol. Indian markets were also banking on further stimulus and other measures by the government to boost the economy. Traders limit overnight positions and keep booking profits while investors follow an accumulation strategy," he said. Sectorally, action was seen in power, banks, public sector, auto and realty space while some profit0taking was visible in the IT space. The broader markets performed even better. The S&P BSE midcap index rose 2.6 percent while the S&P BSE smallcap index closed with gains of 2.5 percent. Top Nifty gainers included Axis Bank, Bajaj Finance, and IndusInd Bank. Top Nifty losers included Nestle India, Wipro, and HUL. Stocks & Sectors The S&P BSE power index rose 3.4 percent, the BSE Bankex was up 3.3 percent and the BSE public sector was up 3 percent. A volume spike of more than 100 percent was seen in stocks like Jubilant FoodWorks, TVS Motor, and PVR. Long Buildup was seen in stocks like MFSL, Escorts, and Bajaj Auto. IndiaMart InterMESH, Info Edge, Jubilant FoodWorks, and Apollo Hospitals were among more than 100 stocks on the BSE to hit a fresh 52-week high. Technical View The Nifty formed a long bullish candle on the daily charts and reclaimed 50-days EMA It started to form higher top-higher bottom on the lower time frame and has witnessed a good bounce of around 500 points from lower levels in the last two trading sessions. Mechanical indicator like the RSI has given a bullish crossover along with confirmation for the negation of lower toplower bottom on the daily price scale, Chandan Taparia of Motilal Oswal Financial Services Ltd said. Now, it needs to hold above 11,111 zones to witness a further upmove towards 11,333 then 11,450 zones while on the downside, major supports are seen at 11,000 then 10,880 levels, he said. : The views and investment tips expressed by experts on Moneycontrol.com are their own and not those of the website or its management. Moneycontrol.com advises users to check with certified experts before taking any investment decisions. Press Release 28 September 2020 The Balmoral, a Rocco Forte Hotel in Edinburgh, has launched its new Extended Reality Virtual Event Space to bring innovation to business meetings in 2020. The hybrid studio space connects in-room and remote delegates safely and securely, making them feel like they're in the room. The Balmoral's extended reality studio allows for dynamic, flexible and agile working at a time when we need it most. The studio is situated in the hotel's spacious Holyrood Suite, where your layout, be it virtual or physical, can be completely flexible to work for you and your delegates, in line with government guidelines. The studio will elevate digital presentation, creating a fully immersive experience for a national or even global audience. The flexibility of an extended reality studio allows the presenter to visually showcase their brand. Speakers can engage with the audience or even dial into the studio themselves, allowing for an interactive and productive meeting, no matter how far away delegates may be. Be it a conference, product launch or simply reconnecting with your team, the versatility of the studio caters to all. Stephen Walker, Director of Sales and Marketing said: "It's an exciting development for us at The Balmoral. We're really diving into the future of meetings and offering a completely hybrid set up to ensure that no matter what happens in 2020, we will remain connected. With room capacity currently a constant variable, The Balmoral can adhere to the ever developing government guidelines, whilst ensuring an engaging and innovative experience for all remote attendees and in-room delegates alike". The cutting-edge space features an impressive 16ft x 8ft stage complete with LED backdrop, stage lighting, two repeater plasmas and a PA system with 2 microphones. A technician will also be on-site throughout to support your presentation and control the AV equipment, turning your virtual event into reality. Advertisements To find out more, please contact our dedicated Events team via [email protected] or call 0131 622 8843. About The Balmoral Many hotels claim to have landmarks on their doorstep, few can say their doorstep is a landmark. The Balmoral is a grand railway hotel located at Edinburgh's most prestigious address, No 1 Princes Street. The Balmoral began life as a grand railway hotel in 1902, and over the last 115 years, The Glamis has been reserved for some of its most notable figures. Former guests to the landmark property include members of royal households and musical royalty including Sir Paul McCartney and The Rolling Stones. The Balmoral offers 187 contemporary rooms and opulent suites. Excellent cuisine is guaranteed in the Michelin-starred Number One restaurant as well as the hotel's all-day dining venue Brasserie Prince by Alain Roux. Afternoon Tea is served in Palm Court and the hotel boasts a collection of over 500 single malt whiskies at SCOTCH. www.roccofortehotels.com/the-balmoral-hotel In a fall that seems in a hurry to get here, the leaves are changing fast across Pennsylvanias northern tier. That places Kinzua Bridge State Park at Mount Jewett in McKean County squarely in our crosshairs for our first Todays Top Fall Foliage Spot in Pennsylvania. Facebook reports are showing the autumnal colors right on the edge of full blast at the 339-acre park, which features the reinvented Kinzua Viaduct. Heres the description of the amazing attraction that arose from the destruction of part of the viaduct by a tornado provided by the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. "Construction of the iron viaduct began during 1881, starting with the placement of the stone piers. When completed during 1882, the Kinzua Bridge Viaduct was the highest railroad viaduct in the world. It was constructed as an alternative to laying an additional eight miles of track over rough terrain along the line leading to McKean Countys coal, timber and oil lands. "Built of iron, the original viaduct was approximately 301 feet high, 2,053 feet long, and weighed 3,105,000 pounds. The towers were a patented design called Phoenix Columns. The columns were lighter in weight and had greater strength than cast iron columns of similar shape and size. "By 1900, it became necessary to rebuild the entire structure with steel to accommodate heavier trains. Later that year, about 100 to 150 men, working 10-hour shifts, completed the job in 105 days. The new steel viaduct had the same measurements, but now weighed 6,706,000 pounds. Freight traffic discontinued during 1959, and in 1963 "Governor William Scranton signed a law that created Kinzua Bridge State Park. The park officially opened (in) 1970. Kinzua Viaduct received national recognition when it was placed on the National Register of Historic Civil Engineering Landmarks during 1977. Beginning (in) 1987, excursion trains traveled from Marienville, through the Allegheny National Forest, and stopping on Kinzua Viaduct before returning to their point of origin. In 2002, DCNR engineers decided the structure needed a full-scale inspection. Excursion trains were barred from the bridge. And, during the inspection engineers found sections of steel were rusted through. In August, the bridge was closed to all traffic, including pedestrians. "Engineers determined high winds could create lateral pressure on the bridge, causing it to shift the center of gravity, thus increasing the weight on one side. Such an event could send the whole bridge crashing to the bottom of the Kinzua Creek Valley. "Beginning in February 2003, W. M. Brode Company, a national leader in railroad bridge construction and repair, began working to restore Kinzua Viaduct. "On Monday, July 21, 2003, at approximately 3:15 p.m., an F1 tornado (wind speed 73 112 mph) struck the side of Kinzua Viaduct. Eleven towers from the center of the bridge were torn from their concrete bases and thrown to the valley floor. "Today, park visitors can once again walk a portion of the Kinzua Bridge. Built on six restored, original towers, a pedestrian walkway (skywalk) leads to a 225-foot high observation deck that gives a towering view of the Kinzua Creek Valley. "A partial glass floor in the deck reveals a breathtaking glimpse into the steel structure of the bridge. The 11 twisted and scattered bridge towers blown over by the tornado remain at the bottom of the valley for visitors to view from the deck railings. Several benches line the paved walkway to the skywalk. A grand opening was held on September 15, 2011. If youre looking to go leaf-peeping this fall, you can find places to stay in Pennsylvania on VRBO The park is open every day of the year, sunrise to sunset. Day use areas close at dusk. Picnicking and hiking trails are available. The Kinzua Bridge Scenic Byway is a designated shared use hiking and biking corridor. Share your suggestions for Todays Top Fall Foliage Spot in Pennsylvania throughout the 2020 fall foliage season by sending your thoughts, and a current photo of your pick for top spot if you have it, to Marcus Schneck at mschneck@pennlive.com. DENVER, Sept. 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Britehorn Partners in connection with its title practice Turk & Company is pleased to announce that our client U.S. Title has been acquired by Shaddock National Holdings, LLC. US Title, founded in 1980, is one of the leading full-service title agencies in Utah with 14 branches throughout the state. Shaddock National Holdings also operates Capital Title of Texas (the largest independent title agent in the US), Southwest Title Company, and Ascendant Title, which operates on a national platform in 36 states including three offices in the Denver area. "The Turk & Co. team were pivotal in communicating our story to the marketplace and achieving the ideal outcome for our business and its shareholders," said Steven A. Borget of U.S. Title. "Their knowledge, dedication, and expertise brought this transaction together; we highly recommend them." "We were pleased to bring our experience advising title companies in transactions with strategic buyers to support U.S. Title in this acquisition," said Brett Story, the Britehorn and Turk & Co. partner who led the firm's deal team. About Britehorn Partners Britehorn Partners is a Denver, Colorado and Delray, Florida based middle-market investment bank. Our tailored, expert services, deep industry relationships, and vertical domain expertise allow us to provide "best execution" simply not available at other firms. Our services consist of sell-side and buy-side M&A, capital raising, and strategic advisory to technology companies in the insurance, capital markets, banking, and related sectors. Visit www.britehorn.com to learn more. Contact: Bobbi Babitz 3037179869 [email protected] SOURCE Britehorn Partners Related Links http://www.britehorn.com Luanda Angolan President, Joao Lourenco, Friday thanked Chinese aid to African countries, particularly Angola, in the fight against Covid-19. According to the official Chinese news agency Xinhua, Lourenco expressed his thanks this Saturday during a telephone conversation with his Chinese counterpart the day before. The same source, quote in a press release from the Angolan Embassy in China, said that the Angolan president had expressed an interest in "boosting" cooperation with China in several areas, including vaccines. President Joao Lourenco, also according to Xinhua, congratulated the Chinese people on commemorating their National Day, which runs from 1 to 7 October. At the same time, it added, the Angolan President recognised China as the only major power that has been able to control the Covid-19 pandemic effectively in a short time. In his side, President Xi Jinping promised to Joao Lourenco that he would soon send more doctors and epidemiologists to Angola to "strengthen" the fight against Covid-19, according to the same source. In another regard, the note from the Angolan embassy states that the Chinese president expressed his willingness to strengthen relations between the two countries and peoples. Arizona News Phoenix, Arizona - Attorney General Mark Brnovich announced former charter school principal, Joann Vega, was sentenced to four months in jail and ordered to pay $2,538,722 in restitution for her role in enrolling fake students to obtain funding from the Arizona Department of Education, the U.S. Department of Education, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Vega is the second defendant to be sentenced in this case. When Vegas co-conspirator Daniel Hughes took over the now-closed Bradley Academy of Excellence (formerly Discovery Creemos Academy and Bradley Creemos Academy), a K-8 charter school located in Goodyear, Vega was employed as the registrar. She was promoted to Vice Principal and held that position when she, along with the schools Principal Harold Cadiz and the schools CEO Daniel Hughes, reported hundreds of fake student profiles to the Arizona Department of Education to fraudulently secure additional funding for the financially-failing school. Using her login credentials, Vega entered the fake student information into the Arizona Department of Educations Synergy registration portal. This system is used by the Arizona Department of Education to track and count a schools enrollment. That number was used to determine the amount of aid the Bradley Academy would receive. The school abruptly closed its door in December of 2017. An audit by the Arizona Department of Education revealed that for the 2016/2017 school year, Bradley Academy included 191 fake students in its reported enrollment of 652. For the 2017/2018 school year, which was cut short by the schools closure in December of 2017, Bradley Academy included 453 fake students in its reported enrollment of 528. This resulted in overpayments of $2,216,366.91 by the Arizona Department of Education, and $91,356.75 by the U.S. Department of Education. Additionally, Vega assisted in completing applications to the U.S. Department of Agricultures school lunch program for the fake students the group referred to as caspers. The fraudulent applications cost the U.S. Department of Agriculture $230,998.42. After release from jail, Vega will be placed on five years of probation. Earlier this month, the schools principal Harold Cadiz was sentenced to 3.75 years in prison and ordered to pay $2,538,722 in restitution. Upon release from prison, he will be placed on 5 years of supervised probation. Sentencing for Hughes is scheduled for November 16, 2020 in Maricopa County Superior Court. Assistant Attorney General Mary Harriss is prosecuting the case. Fascinated by the role played by live-streaming in e-commerce, Rwandas ambassador to the People's Republic of China, James Kimonyo, said it connects products, during a recent exclusive interview with People's Daily Online. Sharing his experience by participating in five live broadcast sessions over the last two months, covering topics such as coffee, chili and tourism products, the ambassador has a keen interest in the pace at which products are being sold. "There is an excitement with which consumers buy these products, especially for the people who help us in live broadcasting. It's so fascinating to see how fast things can go. A single figure can tell the whole thing: in one second, 3,000 packets of coffee were sold. This (live streaming) is new to me, but I have had a very good experience with it," Kimonyo said. In the future, Rwanda hopes to establish cooperation with Chinese national and provincial institutions as well as private companies to promote more Rwandan products. "We plan to participate more in these events, because they have allowed us to sell the products in full on behalf of our farmers. We could have a live broadcast and go to the rest of the world," the ambassador said, adding, "We want to work together in marketing and make Rwandan coffee known to Chinese consumers." Though the COVID-19 pandemic has affected mobility and negatively impacted Rwandas activities and exports, thanks to the e-commerce platform, the problem has been mitigated to some extent. "If the government continues to implement preventive measures like what China has done in terms of prevention, highly effective control and e-commerce, we can continue to thrive," explained the ambassador, adding that Rwanda is "definitely" trying to learn from what China has done. "Not long ago, China was struggling, like many of our countries. But in the space of four decades, China has changed," Kimonyo shared. "We want to know how China has been able to apply technology to transform the countrys economy and develop its industries that have made China the world's largest exporter." During President Xi Jinping's visit to Rwanda in 2018, China and Rwanda signed a memorandum of cooperation on e-commerce. "In the same year, Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba and the Rwandan government launched the Electronic World Trade Platform (eWTP) partnership, making Rwanda the first African country to launch this type of platform. It means a lot to us," Kimonyo said. Over the past two years, the platform has boosted Rwanda's exports, with that of coffee alone increasing by 40 percent just after the signing of the partnership agreement. Rwanda hopes to have sufficient human capital to develop its digital economy. While some startups in Rwanda are trying to work on (digital) technologies, they are learning about what China is doing to become part of the digital economy. "We want to see how it goes and try to learn how the Chinese mobile payment system works. We are also trying to initiate and guide young people in the use of technology. We already have 22 young people studying full-time in Hangzhou, China, to graduate in e-commerce, and more students will soon be joining this course," he shared. According to the World Bank's Doing Business 2019 report, Rwanda ranks 29th in the world and second in Africa. Kimonyo explained that the Rwandan government has undertaken comprehensive reforms to create a business-friendly environment. "For example, in Rwanda, starting a business takes only six hours and many procedures can be completed online." As China and Rwanda continue to strengthen their economic cooperation, Rwanda hopes to attract more Chinese investors, the ambassador said, explaining that Rwanda has already developed many industrial parks and expects Chinese companies to invest in the country in the fields of energy, infrastructure, pharmaceuticals and manufacturing. With 70 percent of the Rwandan population living on agriculture, Kimonyo explained: "We have wanted to invest in agriculture for many years. Now we want to see private capital coming in terms of commercial agriculture." The ambassador hopes that Chinese companies will be able to invest in Rwanda's tertiary sector, such as services and tourism. The author is a journalist of "le soleil", Senegal. Li Luning contributed to the story. FILE PHOTO: Items are pictured at the Chanel store in the Manhattan borough of New York City PARIS (Reuters) - The first retrospective in Paris dedicated to the styles created by Coco Chanel, one of France's most influential designers, is set to open on Thursday after the coronavirus lockdown earlier this year forced organisers to postpone the show. Showcasing fringed silk dresses from the 1920s and tweed suits which the Chanel brand is still known for today, some of the fragile textile displays at the Palais Galliera museum had to be packed away when the launch was postponed in March. The fashion-focused museum, which is reopening its doors on Oct. 1 after two years of renovations, is now pressing ahead although the number of tourists visiting Paris remains muted. Fashion exhibits have become increasingly popular in recent years, with LVMH LVMH 's Christian Dior for instance taking a recent retrospective from Paris to London and Shanghai. The Chanel exhibit aims to shine a light on how Gabrielle Chanel, better known as Coco, revolutionised styles at the turn of the last century, with clothes that women would feel comfortable wearing. "We found that her work, bearing in mind she was above all a designer who dedicated her whole life to Haute Couture, was less well known than her life," said Miren Arzalluz, director of the Palais Galliera and one of the exhibit curators. Chanel died in 1971, at the Ritz hotel in Paris where she lived. Her life has been documented in many biographies, including some which claim she collaborated with the Nazis during World War II as a spy, although the brand has poured doubt on the allegations. Chanel is still one of the biggest luxury brands in the world by sales, and its trademark styles evoke those of its founder, including her classic little black dresses. Some of the outfits beaded gowns, feathered capes and silk pyjamas on display were loaned by Chanel and private owners, Arzalluz said. (Reporting by Sarah White; Editing by Angus MacSwan) A self-proclaimed white nationalist known as the 'Crying Nazi' who rose to prominence during a deadly 2017 rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, was found guilty Monday of extortion and threatening to rape the wife of a neo-Nazi rival. Christopher Cantwell, a 39-year-old New Hampshire resident and radio host was found guilty of extortion and threatening to injure property or reputation but not guilty of cyberstalking after he sent a series of threats to a Missouri man in 2019. Cantwell allegedly sent threats to neo-Nazi Benjamin Lambert who went by the name CheddarMane to force him to identify rival neo-Nazi Andrew Casarez who went by the name Vic Mackey on the Telegram messaging app. 'So if you dont want me to come and f*** your wife in front of your kids, then you should make yourself scarce. Give me Vic, its your only out,' Cantwell allegedly wrote in the 2019 message according to the Huffington Post. White nationalist Christopher Cantwell, 39, was found guilty on Monday by a New Hampshire jury of extortion and making rape threats. Pictured above in undated mugshot Christopher Cantwell participates in a torch lit rally on the University of Virginia campus ahead of the Unite the Right Rally in Charlottesville, Virginia on August 11, 2017 Cantwell is known as 'the crying Nazi' because of a video he shared online of himself tearing up after learning there was a warrant out for his arrest following his use of pepper spray on August 11 at the Unite the Right white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia. The jury in Concord, New Hampshire deliberated for a few hours on Monday before their guilty verdict following the four-day trial. This was the second federal jury trial to be held in the District of New Hampshire, since proceedings were delayed by the coronavirus pandemic. Cantwell now faces up to 22 years in prison and will be sentenced January 4. He will remain in Strafford County jail. Cantwell, dressed in a shirt and tie and wearing a mask, did not appear to show any visible reaction to the verdict. His defense team declined to comment. He was arrested in January on federal charges for the threats and had pleaded not guilty. 'We're pleased that justice has been done and we're glad to have been vindicated,' Assistant U.S. Attorney John Davis said after the verdict. Cantwell is known as 'the crying Nazi' because of a video he shared online of himself tearing up after learning there was a warrant out for his arrest following his use of pepper spray on August 11, 2017 In a Vice News documentary about the rally, Cantwell shows off his weapons and vows to 'f***ing kill these people if we have to' and he brushed off the death of counterprotester Heather Heyer as 'more than justified' Davis said he hoped there would be a 'deterrent value' in the conviction that might resonate among 'everyone on the internet and the white nationalist world and other worlds where really abhorrent things are said.' 'You do have a right to free speech and there is a First Amendment,' he said. 'But when you violate the regulate norms that apply - you can't threaten someone as part of an extortion attempt - it isn't going to matter even if it is in the white nationalist internet world.' In the extortion case, Cantwell is also accused of threatening to expose the man's identity and warning 'you will lose everything you have' if he didn't provide the personal details about the leader of the white supremacy group called Bowl Patrol. The group's name was inspired by the haircut of Dylann Roof, who was sentenced to death for fatally shooting nine Black church members during a Bible study session in Charleston, South Carolina. Cantwell followed through on another threat to report the Missouri man, who has several children, to the state's child division for drug use and racist views. Cantwell used pepper spray on counter protesters during the Charlottesville rally (above). He pleaded guilty to assault charges in 2018 and was banned from Virginia for five years But an agency official testified at the trial that it did not feel the complaint justified further investigation. Cantwell's attorney, Eric Wolpin, on Friday acknowledged in his closing remarks that his client's language was 'obscene' and 'over the top'. But he said it never rose to the level of an actual threat, nor was it tied to anything of value. He portrayed Cantwell as angry over harassment and bullying from the Bowl Patrol. Members disrupted his radio show for months with pranks and defaced his website with pornography and violent content, Wolpin said. In 2018 Cantwell pleaded guilty to assault for using pepper spray at the Charlottesville rally in 2017. Though he didn't serve additional jail time, he was banned from Virginia for five years. He's still expected to face trial for his role in the Charlottesville rally. Cantwell pictured being helped by police after being hit with tear gas at the Charlottesville rally in 2017 In a Vice News documentary about the rally, Cantwell shows off his weapons and vows to 'f***ing kill these people if we have to' and he brushed off the death of counterprotester Heather Heyer as 'more than justified'. In his follow up weeping video shared on YouTube he cries and says, 'I dont want to [go to jail]. I dont think I should. I honestly think that I have been law-abiding.' Cantwell, who has hosted self-produced radio shows, also has history of posting threatening messages over social media. Last year, attorneys who filed a federal civil rights lawsuit in connection with the Charlottesville rally asked a judge to order Cantwell to stop making 'unlawful threats' against the plaintiffs and their lead attorney. Cantwell is one two dozen groups and individual defendants in that case that is expected to go to trial in April. 'Today marks an important step toward accountability for Cantwells long history of violence and bigotry,' said Amy Spitalnick, the executive director of the civil rights group Integrity First for America which is funding the lawsuit. 12,000 residential mortgage accounts were between five and 10 years behind on their payments (Stock photo) Thousands of mortgage holders have been in arrears for a decade or more. New figures show that just over 4,700 mortgage accounts were more than 10 years in arrears in June. And close to 12,000 residential mortgage accounts were between five and 10 years behind on their payments, according to the Central Bank. Close to 9,600 accounts were overdue by between two and five years, a new breakdown of the length of time those behind on their payments shows. The revelation of how long some home-loan holders are behind on their payments is sure to prompt calls for a speeding up of the process of dealing with those unable to pay. Critics of the slow pace of court repossessions argue that the period of time it takes to deal with a mortgage in default means some are living in homes rent free. Others argue that families cannot be evicted when social housing is in such short supply. Read More The Central Bank data also shows the time mortgages in arrears have been moving through the courts system. However, for the majority of those in arrears no formal demand has been issued by their lender. Most of those where a formal demand has been issued are in the legal system for two years. Some 2,595 accounts that are in arrears are now more than five years in the courts system. Commenting on the figures, David Hall of the Irish Mortgage Holders Organisation said those in long-term arrears were in huge difficulties. Will they all get a free house? I dont think so. There is big trouble ahead for these households. It is critical those affected get proper advice to explore all options, he said. Among the options is having some of their debts written off under a court-approved personal insolvency arrangement, which allows most people to stay in the family home. The Central Bank figures also show that the number of accounts in arrears for more than three months was down in the quarter to June. And there was a marginal fall in the number of residential mortgage accounts that are two years or more in arrears to 26,228. Payments breaks offered by banks since March meant there was a fall off in the numbers in short-term arrears. The new figures come as Government ministers are meeting the heads of the countrys main retail banks today as pressure grows on them to further extend their offer of loan repayment breaks for those who borrowed from banks and other lenders. Central Bank governor Gabriel Makhlouf said at the weekend that there was nothing stopping lenders from extending the mortgage breaks, but added that breaks needed to be tailored to those who need them, rather than continue as a blanket ban. But it is understood the banks are unlikely to extend the payment breaks, many of which come to an end on Thursday. However, mortgage payment breaks for those who have borrowed from their local authority are set to be extended for those struggling financially due to the Covid-19 emergency. Housing, Local Government and Heritage Minister Darragh OBrien TD said the payment breaks already in place for local authority home-loan borrowers will be extended. The Spanish Supreme Court on Monday upheld an 18-month ban from public office handed down to Catalan premier Quim Torra for disobedience. The unanimous sentence is definitive and means that Torra will have to step down as premier, paving the way for a fresh institutional crisis in Catalonia. The Catalan High Court which first found the Catalan premier guilty of the accusations has already begun the process to execute the sentence and has notified Torras attorney that the politician is barred from office from today onward. On December 19, the Catalan High Court found Torra, a hard-line supporter of Catalan independence, guilty of disobedience for failing to remove banners supporting jailed separatist leaders from public buildings during campaigning ahead of elections. The Catalan premier was ordered to take down the signs by Spains National Electoral Board (JEC), which argued they violated the rules on maintaining neutrality during election campaigns. The 18-month ban from public office is definitive, meaning Torra will be forced to step down as Catalan premier in the coming days The Catalan High Court barred Torra from public office for 18 months and ordered him to pay a fine of 30,000 and the legal costs of the trial. Torra appealed the decision at the Supreme Court, but on Monday, its magistrates upheld the sentence, arguing that the Catalan premier had stubbornly and obstinately refused to observe the orders from the JEC. In the lead up to the May 26 elections, Torra refused to take down a banner from the Palau de la Generalitat, the seat of the Catalan government, which carried messages calling for the release of the politicians and civic association leaders involved in the 2017 secessionist drive in Catalonia. These individuals were being held in custody while their trial for offenses including sedition and misuse of funds was heard in the Supreme Court. In October of last year, the defendants were found guilty and nine of them were given lengthy prison sentences. A file photo of a banner in support of the imprisoned politicians and civic association leaders in in Catalonia. Massimiliano Minocri Torra also refused to remove esteladas the unofficial flag adopted by supporters of Catalan independence and yellow ribbons a symbol of support for the jailed separatist leaders from buildings belonging to the regional government. The Supreme Courts decision means that Torra will be barred for 18 months from both public office, be it at a local, regional, state or European level, and from local, regional and national government. In its sentence, the Supreme Court highlighted that Torra is free to exhibit symbols and banners that reflect his political identity but not during an election campaign. The magistrates found that the premier disobeyed the order from the JEC, which in its role to guarantee the transparency and objectivity of electoral campaigns, prohibited their use. According to the court, Torras attitude violated the principles of neutrality that administrations must adhere to and contravened express orders from the electoral board. The 18-month ban from public office is definitive, meaning Torra will be forced to step down as Catalan premier in the coming days. But he does have one last option: the politician could appeal for protection from the Constitutional Court and ask that the sentence be suspended. However, this would be an unprecedented move: the Constitutional Court has never before accepted this request in cases of public office bans. It remains to be seen whether Torra will respect the Supreme Court ruling and leave his post as premier. There is also uncertainty over how political parties and the Catalan independence movement will react to the decision, and whether it will lead to street protests. The Supreme Court hears the Torras appeal against his ban from public office. Juan Carlos Hidalgo (Europa Press) This is the first time the Spanish Supreme Court has barred an acting Catalan premier from office. Although Spains top court did the same to former Catalan premier Artur Mas for organizing the unauthorized referendum on Catalan independence of November 9, 2014, at the time of the ruling Mas was no longer in power. The Supreme Court rejected Torras appeal based on the precedents set in the case against Mas, as well as former deputy Francesc Homs, who was also barred from public office for his involvement in the 2014 referendum. Torra also freely admitted during the trial that he had disobeyed the JECs orders. Quim Torra became regional premier in May 2018 after his predecessor, Carles Puigdemont, was ousted from office under Article 155 of the Constitution, which was activated by the Spanish government in the wake of the 2017 illegal referendum on independence and subsequent unilateral declaration of independence passed by the Catalan regional government. Torra, who is a lawyer by trade, was elected as a regional deputy in 2017 as an independent candidate for the pro-independence Together for Catalonia (JxCat)bloc. What happens next The Supreme Court sentence will involve a provisional handover of the premiership until elections are held. These will not take place until at least four months have passed, on January 31 or February 7, but until then several processes will have to be met. The deputy premier of Catalonia, Pere Aragones, will replace Torra under the regional governments statutes. Once Torra has been removed, the Catalan government will meet to approve a decree appointing Aragones to the role. Aragoness powers will be limited however, and he will not, for example, be able to appoint or dismiss regional ministers, nor will he be able to call elections. Once Aragones has been appointed in the role, it will fall to the parliamentary speaker, Roger Torrent, to speak to all of the groups in the parliament and propose a new candidate. The law sets out a 10-day period for this. It is expected that he will announce that it is impossible to choose a candidate and this will serve to start the clock for regional elections to be held. The head of the opposition in the parliament, Ciudadanos leader Carlos Carrizosa, has called on the Popular Party (PP), the Catalan Socialist Party (PSC) and the other groups to join forces and present an alternative candidate. This initiative is unlikely to prosper, however, due to the lack of support of smaller groups, and pro-independence forces have also stated that they will also not propose a candidate to replace Torra. The date for regional elections will depend on when Torrent announces that a new candidate cannot be found. No parliamentary sessions are scheduled until October 7, but one could be held before. Once two months have passed without a new candidate being voted in, parliament will automatically be dissolved. Under this scenario, Pere Aragones will be able to call elections despite still being acting premier. The vote would take place 54 days after the publication of the decree in the official regional gazette, according to Spanish electoral law 40 years after being reestablished, the regional government has still not passed a Catalan electoral law. Additional reporting by Pere Rios. English version by Melissa Kitson. "Messer remains laser-focused on offering reliable bulk oxygen supply and emergency response systems," said Chris Ebeling, Executive Vice President, Sales & Marketing, U.S. Bulk at Messer. "We are focused solely on bulk gases, and our experienced team met hospitals' supply challenges even as oxygen demand surged at rates exceeding 5 times baseline usage during the New York City outbreak. We increased oxygen production and maintained continuity of supply by reallocating distribution resources." In addition, Messer deployed both engineers and technicians to customer locations, drawing on their deep expertise to implement creative technical solutions to ensure that hospitals maintained their oxygen supply, despite the increased demand. Additionally, Messer's Hospital Services team helped hospitals upgrade medical bulk equipment and increase capacity for future needs. As the outbreak in New York subsided, Messer took its emergency learnings nationwide to assist hospital engineers. Providing guidance on bulk medical equipment capacities allowed the hospitals to plan for virus-related increases in oxygen demand. Hospital Services Design, Build, Provide Messer will also highlight its key Hospital Services capabilities offering, which delivers turnkey medical gas solutions from conception to commissioning. Working with the medical facility, Messer's Hospital Services Engineering team will manage project "Design" and engineering, the "Build" of all the required construction scopes, and the "Provision" of the medical gas equipment. This is all completed with continuity of supply, service and maintenance. To learn more about Messer's healthcare operations or the Design, Build, Provide offering, visit: https://www.messer-us.com/healthcare. About Messer Messer is the largest privately held industrial gas business in the world, and a leading industrial and medical gas company in North and South America. Messer offers over 120 years of expertise in industrial, medical, specialty, and electronic gases and safely delivers quality gases, related services and technology via an extensive production and distribution network. Messer Americas is part of Messer Group, representing a USD 3.5 billion enterprise with presence in the Americas, Europe and Asia. For more information, visit: www.messeramericas.com. SOURCE Messer Americas Dr. G. Ray Callas, a Beaumont anesthesiologist, was reelected to the Texas Medical Association Board of Trustees and as a representative of the TMA House of Delegates. Callas has served one term on the TMA board, and as a delegate to the TMA House of Delegates since 2004. Delegates for AMA help make policy recommendations to the national body on behalf of Texas doctors. He is a former chair of both the TMA Council on Legislation and the Council on Constitution and Bylaws. Callas serves on the board of directors of TEXPAC, TMAs political action committee, and on the TEXPAC Candidate Evaluation Committee. Callas is a 15-year member of the Jefferson County Medical Society. He served as the societys president in 2010 and is a member of its board of directors. Callas also serves as chair of the Texas Medical Liability Trust Board of Directors. Katlyn Cejan has been promoted to member solutions manager with FivePoint Credit Union. Cejan has been employed with FivePoint for five years and served previously as a teller, traveling member service representative, member solutions specialist and member solutions assistant manager. Amber McCranie has been promoted to branch manager of the FivePoint Credit Union location in Orange. McCranie has been employed with FivePoint for almost seven years. She has most recently held the position of assistant branch manager for the Nederland branch. Prior to that, she was the operations administrative assistant, traveling staff supervisor, full service representative and a teller with the credit union. McCranie is a graduate of Lamar State College Port Arthur with an associates degree in business administration. Yara El-Sayed Guest has been named as the new president and CEO of Make-A-Wish Texas Gulf Coast and Louisiana. Guest succeeds Teresa Teri Andrepont, who has retired after serving as the organizations president and CEO for 29 years. Guest joins Make-A-Wish Texas Gulf Coast and Louisiana with more than 17 years of experience in the non-profit sector. She has held leadership positions at non-profit organizations including the American Heart Association and Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Houston. Andrepont will continue to serve as an adviser to Yara until the end of the year. Julia Hayes of Beaumont has been appointed by Gov. Greg Abbott to the states Appraisal Management Companies Advisory Committee for a term set to expire on Jan. 31, 2022. The committee advises the Texas Appraiser Licensing and Certification Board and makes recommendations on matters relating to the regulation of appraisal management companies. Hayes is a shareholder at Lawrence, Blackburn, Meek, Maxey & Co., P.C. and is an executive board member of the Texas Society of Certified Public Accountants, as well as a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. Hayes serves locally as a board member of the Catholic Foundation of the Diocese of Beaumont Inc. She received a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting from Lamar University. This year is clearly taking its toll on everyone, as evidenced by Kraft thinking we all want a nice warm bowl of pumpkin spice mac 'n' cheese right now. Now, I love mac 'n' cheese as much as the next person, and I consider it the perfect comfort food dish. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-28 19:42:27|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close by Xu Zheng and Francis Tandoh ACCRA, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- Sitting on the second floor of a bustling building in the suburbs of Accra, capital of Ghana, a shoe store with simple exterior decoration and branded "Warm Their Feet" is thronged with customers. In a market that has long been dominated by imported products, the store has surprised many with its locally-made shoes. What's more special about the store is the fact that some portion of the sales revenues will be used by the shop to make shoes for many deprived children who still go to school barefoot in remote areas. "You buy our shoes, warm your feet, and you are helping warm the feet of those less privileged children in the meantime," said Noel Nusugah, owner of the shop. Enthusiastic about fashion, the 33-year-old Ghanaian set up his own shop and factory two years ago. "I felt that I needed to capitalize on the taste that people have for looking good, so that is one of the reasons why I went into the shoemaking business," he told Xinhua, adding that the idea of donating shoes to those children was inspired by his late mother who was passionate about charity. "In my mother's home, what you saw ordinarily were children from other people's homes who were going to school. She brought them to her house, she fed them and make sure they got the education," Nusugah said. "I want to be able to put shoes on the feet of children who go to school barefoot." Even though his shoemaking enterprise is at its early stage, he has been faithful to the promise that almost 10 percent of its profit will be invested in making shoes for these children. With raw materials such as swede, soles imported from Italy, Nusugah and his staff normally spend four hours producing a pair of shoes. The uniquely-designed shoes are strong and durable for people of all ages, according to him. The owner said some of the shoemakers in his workshop used to be homeless youngsters without formal jobs. "We trained them to acquire shoe-making skills, and some of them were all quite talented. Now with a stable job, they don't have to hang around in the streets anymore," he said, adding that shoe-making has enormously changed their lives. Currently, the store's shoes are luring more and more buyers at home and abroad as the rising popularity bolsters Nusugah's confidence that high-quality and affordable shoes will finally stand out in the competition. "If you look at the standard of shoes we do, if you want to compare that to a foreign brand as something similar, we produce the same quality. Because it is a local production, we are able to sell at a lower price," he said. "Five years from now, we hope we are able to expand our territories here in Ghana and then we want to look at the possibility of exporting to our neighboring countries," he said. Ambitious about the shoe business in West Africa, Nusugah said there are still multiple challenges ahead, and the pressing issue facing many young entrepreneurs in the country is lack of funds. "It discourages a lot of people from going into businesses. Many of us had to fall on financial institutions, families, and friends to be able to raise capital to push it to where it is today," he added. Nusugah meanwhile urged young entrepreneurs not to be discouraged but to collaborate with others and do more research to be able to stay in business. Enditem Patna, Sep 28 : : With just weeks left for polling in Bihar, there is no clarity over seat-sharing in the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) or the Grand Alliance, yet. With both the larger party groupings not prepared to divulge their plans, smaller parties in the state such as the LJP and HAM are also reluctant to spell out the terms of engagement. Rashtriya Lok Samta Party (RLSP) president Upendra Kushwaha on Monday said at Patna airport that he has had no conversation with CM Nitish Kumar despite a strong buzz about him joining the NDA. "People are spreading rumours about my meeting Nitish Kumar. I was in Delhi when rumours were spreads in Bihar. How could I met the CM as he is in Patna and I was in Delhi? I've not met him or any other NDA leader yet," Kushwaha said. Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) president Jitan Ram Manjhi is also keeping his cards close to his chest. "We are waiting for finalisation of tickets between the JDU and the BJP. Only then can we put our demands before them," Manjhi said. Sources say NDA leaders are feeling the anti-incumbency factor after 15 years. Hence they want to accumulate as many political parties as they can in their camp. The HAM has already shifted from the Grand alliance to the NDA and the RLSP may follow suit. NDA leaders are also making efforts to keep the LJP intact in the NDA despite Chirag Paswan turning into a big critic of CM Nitish Kumar. Sources say the JDU may contest on 100 to 110 assembly seats and the BJP between 100 and 105. The remaining seats will be distributed between the LJP, the HAM and the RLSP in case it comes into the NDA fold. The situation in the Grand Alliance is slightly different with the RJD expected to play the role of an elder brother in Bihar and the Congress its younger sibling. The RJD is expected to contest on 175 to 190 seats and the remaining seats will be earmarked for the Congress and other constituents of the Grand Alliance. From the EditorFriday Reflections Defensive Linemen The Friday Reflection by James M. Kushiner Tweet September 25th, 2020 "We Won't Put Up With Bigoted Attacks on Amy Coney Barrett." Amy Coney Barrett: regardless of whether she turns out to be the president's nominee to the U. S. Supreme Court to replace Ruth Bader Ginsberg, her name has already become a flashpoint in the ongoing culture war. Many have said that the culture war was lost long ago; I might concede the point, but only to insist that the loss occurred earlier, and certainly no later than January 1973 in Roe v. Wade. Then, the U. S. Supreme Court, the creme del la creme of the American judicial system, 27 years after the Nuremberg trials, declared that a woman had a constitutional right to slaughter any of her offspring in her womb, even to the drawing of the first breath. In another sense, however, the culture war had already begun through mainstreaming the Playboy, the Pill, and the sexual revolution that followed. But those items in turn arose from an ongoing global pandemic: sin. Roe was the flashpoint that commenced the most recent culture war, inspiring the pro-life movement, which has not miscarried and continues its clear witness to the humanity of the child. If pro-life activism is a sign of a culture war, the war grinds on. Yes, LGBTQRST agendas have won most if not all contests, yet there is a hidden factor at play called the family. The state needs children, but it wants to systemically indoctrinate them and herd them into the new world order. Yet it's still the decision of parents whether to hand over the future generation to an increasingly hostile state or not. If "conservative" Christians of the 1970s and beyond had welcomed more children into their lives than the recommended "replacement" number 2.0, perhaps we wouldn't be having this conversation. Amy Coney Barrett is hardly alone in being a devout married Christian woman who has welcomed many children into her family. Some think that such people have no place on the high court unless they genuflect before Roe v. Wade, not to mention other recent court decisions on sex and "gender." Robert P. George is gearing up for Barrett's possible nomination and the attacks she will receive, and invites others to join the Facebook community, "We Won't Put Up With Bigoted Attacks on Amy Coney Barrett." How much of the attack will be about her views on abortion or on her Catholic faith remains to be seen. Speaking of attacks on faith and religion, "An Open Letter to Our Fellow American Citizens" was issued this month, with signatories including Touchstone editors Hunter Baker, Thomas S. Buchanan, Allan C. Carlson, Rod Dreher, Anthony Esolen, James Hitchcock, Douglas Johnson, and Mark Tooley. At the bottom of this page you can sign the letter and "see all the signatures." Among the points addressed: "Religion. Civilization is fragile. If religious institutions and beliefs are marginalized and mocked, the indispensable civilizational supports for a free and decent life will quickly vanish. In a plural society like America, people are free to pursue their own paths to truth. But a truly plural society cannot abide the deliberate attempt to undermine, and even destroy, churches and synagogues. A pluralism that denies the legitimacy of religious faith and practice will not produce a "diverse" America; it will, instead, produce a tyrannical America in which the freedom of conscience is lost, the inherent dignity of the individual is denied, and the strongest support for just and moral living is erased. As Alexis de Tocqueville noted, despotism can do without religious faith, but freedom cannot." Despotism here is trying to "cancel" religion; not in one fell swoop, but bit by bit. The next bit may be seen in how Amy Coney Barrett, if nominated, is treated. "This crisis is acute, and the hour is late. Like our forebears, we aim both to conserve and reform our institutions in light of enduring principles of justice. That is the task of self-governing people who know they live in an imperfect world and yet are not deterred by its challenges." In America, "self-governing" means we're responsible, like it or not. Were we living under a dictatorship or emperor, our responsibility would be more limited. While such statements never seem to "do any good," speaking the truth is itself a good. What "good did it do" when Franz Jagerstatter to refused to swear an oath to Hitler and was executed? Someone is always listening. There will never be any Christian victory in the culture war until the eschaton, for the enemy which we must fight relentlessly is sin. Sometimes a sin becomes systemic in a society. It's not racism. Ask the babies, black and white. Their fate is at stake. So is ours. Amy Coney Barrett: May her tribe increase. Yours for Christ, Creed & Culture, James M. Kushiner Executive Director, The Fellowship of St. James James M. Kushiner is Executive Editor of Touchstone: A Journal of Mere Christianity, and Executive Director of The Fellowship of St. James. Top infectious disease experts are unconvinced about the merits of Melbourne's five-kilometre rule, arguing its health benefits must be more closely scrutinised against the great social and economic cost. Some epidemiologists say good hygiene, face masks, strict social distancing, gathering outdoors instead of indoors, and paid sick leave for workers were far more effective in preventing transmission of coronavirus than restricting the distance people can travel from home. A deserted Bourke Street in Melbourne. Credit:Daniel Pockett "It helps with policing, but the real question is how much does it really decrease transmission?" leading infectious diseases physician Professor Peter Collignon said. Melburnians rejoiced as Premier Daniel Andrews confirmed the axing of the citys controversial 9pm-to-5am curfew on Sunday, which - along with the stay-at-home rule banning people from travelling more than five kilometres from their residence - were the strictest coronavirus restrictions in Australia. Getty Images What would you say if someone asked you how easy you think it would be to sell your propertybefore youve even bought it? Although it may seem too early to think about resale ability, heres what you should contemplate during your search for a new home. What determines resale value The same criteria youre considering during your house huntlocation, features, and nearby amenities, for examplecan affect a propertys resale ability. And when youre selling a property, the goal is to appeal to the greatest number of potential buyers. For instance, if you dont have kids, you might not be worried about the quality of the school district. However, future buyers with school-age children probably will be, so schools could still be part of your decision about a property. As the Government deadline for striking a Brexit deal with the EU approaches next month, I hear that old bruiser Nigel Farage is preparing for a possible political return to the fray. Only last year the Brexit Party won the European elections and became the largest group in the European Parliament, with 26 MEPs. Those MEPs lost their jobs, of course, when we left the EU on January 31. As the Government deadline for striking a Brexit deal with the EU approaches next month, I hear that old bruiser Nigel Farage is preparing for a possible political return to the fray But they have not gone away. Richard Tice, the former chairman of the party, declared last week on a WhatsApp group they have all joined: 'We are the country's insurance policy.' He explained that if there is any hint of a sell-out on EU access to British fishing waters, the party will relaunch. A source close to Farage added ominously: 'We are sleeping, not extinct.' And the platform they will fight on? There's the Brexit deal, but private polling by the party also shows members are almost unanimously opposed to current lockdown measures. A source close to Farage added ominously: 'We are sleeping, not extinct' There is talk of fielding a candidate in the mayoral election next year in London on an anti-lockdown ticket. It may prove popular, as large parts of Central London resemble a ghost town. Ann Widdecombe, who was a Brexit Party MEP, says the crackdown is excessive: 'We have not got a proportionate response.' A devastating take on Baroness Harding, head of the Covid test-and-trace system, from 'Beast of Bolsover' Dennis Skinner, 88, who lost his Commons seat last year: 'Some are born mediocre, some achieve mediocrity and some have mediocrity thrust upon 'em. She's been put to the test and now there's NO trace.' How Javid caught out Campbell Too-clever-by-half Alastair Campbell, who was Tony Blair's spin doctor, tweeted a photo of the Tory benches last week showing nine 'all white men'. Quick as a flash, Tory MP Sajid Javid, the first ethnic minority Chancellor, posted a photo of the front bench showing his successor Rishi Sunak, whose parents are of Indian origin; Home Secretary Priti Patel, whose parents were Ugandan Asians; and Attorney General Suella Braverman, whose parents are also of Indian origin. Quick as a flash, Tory MP Sajid Javid, the first ethnic minority Chancellor, posted a photo of the front bench showing his successor Rishi Sunak, Priti Patel and Suella Braverman At Prime Minister's Questions, the Northern Ireland DUP MP Sammy Wilson challenged the logic of the Government scientists' warning that there could be 50,000 infections a day. 'What is not in dispute is the scare tactics being used.' Tactics that didn't work on Wilson, who was seen on the London Underground breaking the rules by not wearing a mask. Bafta's 'woke' rules to prevent the embarrassment of any all-white shortlists at its 2021 film awards require its 8,000 members to take 'unconscious bias training' before casting their votes. Good luck to the luvvie who has to teach double Oscar-winner and former Labour MP Glenda Jackson how to suck eggs. Gushing praise for London Mayor Sadiq Khan from Labour leader Keir Starmer: 'My friend Sadiq Khan is an inspiration, the first Muslim mayor of a major Western city and a source of pride for us all. 'We'll never let those who seek to divide us win.' Hasn't Starmer noticed that Khan's Transport for London is teetering on the edge of bankruptcy and that Crossrail is two years behind schedule and 2.8 billion over budget? Hasn't Starmer noticed that Khan's Transport for London is teetering on the edge of bankruptcy and that Crossrail is two years behind schedule and 2.8 billion over budget? Did Dave really win the war? Biographer Sir Anthony Seldon, who is standing down as vice-chancellor of Buckingham University, is 'captivated' by the diaries of the 'shamelessly disloyal' Sasha Swire. The wife of ex-Tory MP Hugo Swire, she threw much bile at David Cameron for not putting her husband in the Cabinet when he was PM. Seldon says: 'I will continue to admire the intelligence and courage of David Cameron but I confess to being disappointed he may or may not have boasted to her [Sasha] of Libya in 2011: "I've just won the war".' Seldon, who co-wrote Cameron At 10, adds in the New Statesman: 'Great PMs, without exception, have a wisdom and moral seriousness that he never fully acquired.' Bill Maher in HBO's "Real Time With Bill Maher." (Janet Van Ham/HBO) Bill Maher is known for a couple of things: his HBO political talk show, "Real Time with Bill Maher" just renewed by HBO through 2022 and now, his persistent belief that Trump won't leave the presidency peacefully. "I don't see him leaving willingly," Maher said in April 2018. "I will bet you a million dollars right now that if you lose the 2020 election, I'm right, and you won't leave," Maher told Trump in October 2019. "You made a speech yesterday, and it was about what we do when Trump says he's not leaving," Maher told Sen. Bernie Sanders on his show Friday night. "And I imagine this is a speech you never thought you would have to make." "Never in a million years did I ever think that I would have to give a speech about what do we do if a president refuses to leave office if he loses," Sanders responded. "I never, never thought that I would have to give that speech, or anybody else. But that is where we are today." The Vermont senator held his first in-person political event since ending his 2020 Democratic presidential campaign on Friday, challenging Trumps claims of voter fraud in the upcoming election. "I would simply say, Bill, I know you have made this point many, many times: Listen to what Trump is saying," Sanders told Maher. "Don't brush it off. Don't say, 'Oh, this guy is crazy; he'll say this any other day.' Listen to what he is saying. And what he is saying over and over again is, 'The only way that we, i.e. Trump, can lose the election is if it is rigged.'" Sanders was referring to a speech Trump gave in Oshkosh, Wis., on Aug. 17, the same day that the 2020 Democratic National Convention began. "In 78 days, we're going to stop the radical left, we are going to win the state of Wisconsin, and we are going to win four more years," Trump said. "And then after that, we'll go for another four years because they spied on my campaign. We should get a redo of four years." Story continues "The only way we're going to lose this election is if the election is rigged," Trump said. "Remember that." Maher's concern has recently spread after Trump refused to commit to a peaceful transfer of power, a hallmark of American democracy, after the November election. "Win, lose or draw in this election, will you commit here today for a peaceful transferral of power after the election?" a reporter asked Trump Wednesday. "Well, we're gonna have to see what happens. You know that I've been complaining very strongly about the ballots, and the ballots are a disaster," Trump responded. "Get rid of the ballots, and we'll have a very peaceful there won't be a transfer, frankly. There'll be a continuation." After that clip went viral, another late-night host joined Maher in condemning Trump's threat to not accept an election defeat. "A peaceful transfer of power is the cornerstone of a healthy democracy," said "Daily Show" host Trevor Noah. "And by Trump saying that he refuses to leave peacefully, he's basically threatening a coup." A President Donald Trump and a former Vice President Joe Biden supporter converse before the Joe Biden Campaign Rally at the National World War I Museum and Memorial on March 7, 2020 in Kansas City, Missouri. Kyle Rivas | Getty Images Voters in swing states want President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden to use their first debate to offer clear answers on how they plan to improve the economy, while battling Covid-19 and racial inequality. Some of these voters, who spoke to CNBC ahead of Tuesday's debate, said the coronavirus has affected their lives and livelihood in a variety of ways, from new health-care guidelines to layoffs. The debate on Tuesday will be the first of three between the two men. The faceoff between Trump and Biden comes as new cases of coronavirus tick higher, the once-rapid economic recovery shows signs of slowing down, and protests over racial injustice intensify following a grand jury decision not to charge Louisville, Kentucky, police officers with the death of Breonna Taylor, a Black woman. Voters expressed hope that either Trump or Biden, who leads the race in national and several swing-state polling averages, will be able to not only mediate tense relations between the Black community and local police forces, but also work to make more systemic change for people of color. The debate, set to occur in Cleveland, will run from 9 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. ET on Tuesday and will be streamed live on CNBC.com. Mikaella Whynter, an independent voter from West Palm Beach, Florida, said the two issues most important to her heading into the first debate are Covid-19 and tenuous relations between the Black community and local police forces. "On the news we're seeing a lot of Black people being shot down" and victimized, Whynter, who is Black, said in a telephone interview. "And President Trump is not doing a good job of handling that." She clarified, however, that her support for Biden isn't out of love for the Democrat per se, but more because of her more pronounced dislike for the incumbent. Biden's lead in Florida has diminished recently, according to polling averages. "Just seeing how everything has been handled by President Donald Trump. It hasn't really been handled in a way that a president who controls the entire country should handle the situation," Whynter said. Demonstrators march near the White House. Drew Angerer | Getty Images She cited mounting racial tensions, as well as Florida's handling of the Covid-19 pandemic, as evidence the country needs someone else in charge. Whynter is an 18-year-old who will be voting for the first time. "Opening back up the schools recently and just seeing how on the news that kids are coming in with corona and they're getting infected by this thing: These decisions aren't being made properly because nobody's taking precautions," she said. "Nobody wants to wear masks and then they wonder why cases are rising so much." The coronavirus economy Whynter's concerns over the government's handling of the pandemic are reflective of nationwide worries over a disease that has infected 7 million in the U.S. and killed more than 200,000, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. In a recent poll of more than 3,000 battleground state voters, CNBC and Change Research found that 44% have "very serious" concerns over Covid-19 while 21% said they have "somewhat" serious concerns. Fifty-seven percent of battleground voters said they're worried Trump is pushing to release a coronavirus vaccine too quickly in order to help his reelection odds. The president has more than once predicted a vaccine could be ready by the Nov. 3 election, saying earlier this month that, "We think we can start some time in October." But as grim as the overall U.S. death toll is, racial minorities face even more dire outcomes. Compared to non-Hispanic White people, Black Americans are 2.6 times more likely to contract the coronavirus and 2.1 times more likely to die of the disease, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Hispanic or Latino persons are 2.8 times more likely to contract Covid-19 and are 1.1 times more likely to die of the disease. For Melissa LaBonte of Chandler, Arizona, the pandemic has had a different kind of cost. "I've personally been unemployed since January: It's the longest break in my employment in years," she said, adding that the call center jobs she's used to have all but "dried up." But LaBonte, a 46-year-old Republican, said she holds a long list of politicians responsible for the continued economic slump, including members of her own party. "I think everyone has dropped the ball. Not just the president, but everyone. Congress, the Senate, the president," she said. "They seem to be wrapped up with choosing a new Supreme Court justice now and the economy seems to have fallen to the back burner." A Aug. 6 caravan rally down the Las Vegas Strip in support of extending the $600 unemployment benefit. BRIDGET BENNETT | AFP | Getty Images Trump, who with other Republicans often polls better than Biden on matters pertaining to the economy, may have to answer questions related to his landmark 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. That legislation, which lowered the U.S. corporate tax rate to 21% from 35%, was widely seen as benefiting business interests and the wealthy. It also helped inflate the national debt during an otherwise healthy economic environment in a move many economists and fiscally conservative Republicans viewed as an unnecessarily stimulus. Now, with the U.S. economy struggling to return to normal production amid a global pandemic, some members of the GOP are concerned about relief legislation that would fuel the deficit. LaBonte said the effects of the recession are clear throughout her Phoenix suburb: The local Nordstrom closed, OfficeMax is going out of business and several small businesses are struggling. The Arizona resident said she was a big fan of the federal unemployment benefits introduced in March as part of the CARES Act. That benefit, which offered those on state unemployment insurance an additional $600 per week, expired at the end of July in the absence of another stimulus bill. "The enhanced unemployment helped immeasurably," she said. "I was a single mother up until this year; my son just joined the Navy. So thankfully we have that income to help." "And yet, in Arizona, unemployment has dropped to $200, any stimulus is almost over. I'm on my extension, and after this I don't know what I'm going to do," LaBonte added. "And it seems like no one is discussing it." Still, the lifelong Republican said she views the president favorably. Despite her current situation, she said she believes Trump is one of the only politicians that "has the people's back." "The president might not be perfect for sure," she said. "However, I feel like what's going on in Washington, maybe he's the appropriate person to help combat some of it." Asked whether she thought there was anything that could help Biden in his first debate, LaBonte said she hoped to find the 77-year-old Biden capable of holding his own against the president, who is 74. "I mean, I would like to see him debate, I think that would be a No. 1 huge step. Because we really haven't seen him say very much," she said. Biden holds a lead over Trump in Arizona, according to polling averages. Taxes and health care The Biden campaign has to date touted a more progressive tax plan, or one that demands high-income individuals contribute even more as a percentage of their earnings with each additional dollar they make. The campaign proposes raising the corporate tax rate to 28%, increasing the top individual income rate back to 39.6% (from 37%) and taxing those making more than $1 million to pay the same rate on investment income that they do on their wages. Calculations compiled by The Washington Post show Biden's plan is expected to raise between $3.5 trillion and $4 trillion over 10 years, with about half of the money coming from the top 0.1% of highest-income households. Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden speaks during a briefing on the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic with public health officials during a campaign stop in Wilmington, Delaware, August 13, 2020. Carlos Barria | Reuters By Andrew Hammond Donald Trump and Joe Biden met for the first presidential debate on Tuesday with not just themselves, but "Brand America" itself on the ballot. With Trump narrowing Biden's advantage in some national polls, in what could yet be a cliffhanger in November, his against-the-odds re-election would send shockwaves around the world. This is because, while Trump is popular in a small number of countries, including Israel, the overwhelming majority of the global public favor Biden winning, as was the case with Hillary Clinton four years ago. To be fair to the president, he has scored some modest foreign policy successes, including the recent U.S.-brokered accords between the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain with Israel. However, his overall international record is underwhelming, with key initiatives such as his peace gambit with North Korea flatlining four years after he assumed the presidency. Yet, it is not even Trump's record of foreign policy failure that has hit Brand America (the reputation of the United States) hardest but his wild leadership style and maverick instincts. Indeed, Shashi Tharoor, former U.N. under-secretary general and currently an Indian MP, has asserted that the president's re-election could mean "the end of U.S. soft power" by entrenching "tendencies the world never used to associate with the United States: xenophobia, misogyny, pessimism and selfishness." Examples of policies that have caused diplomatic angst include his construction of a border wall with Mexico (which he claims the Mexican government will ultimately pay for). Plus the proposed ban he initially called for on all Muslims entering the United States, a commitment which he subsequently rolled back from. Attitudes toward Trump have consistently been much more negative than those toward his predecessor, Barack Obama, in the overwhelming majority of countries. Indeed, in many states, ratings for Trump are similar or worse to those received by George W. Bush near the end of his presidency. Take the example of a Pew Global poll released earlier this month on perceptions of Trump in 13 Western countries. Trump's most negative assessment was in Belgium, where only 9 percent say they have confidence in the U.S. president to "do the right thing in world affairs" and his highest rating was in Japan but, even there, just one-quarter of people express confidence in him. If Trump does win again, there could well therefore be a further spike in anti-U.S. sentiment and the overall impact could be significantly more marked than even during Bush's presidency when anti-Americanism last reached a nadir. When Bush left office in early 2009, anti-U.S. sentiment was at about its highest level since at least the Vietnam War. The key factor driving this was the international unpopularity of the Bush administration's foreign, security and military policies in the so-called "war on terror." In the decade since then, the Obama administration was able to, partially, reverse those public opinion patterns. There was a substantial increase in foreigners regarding the United States as the most admired country in the world again. And this turnaround in fortunes was not only welcomed in Washington but also in Corporate America following concerns during the Bush years that U.S.-headquartered multinationals were becoming a focus for commercial backlash from anti-Americanism. However, despite these successes, Obama's progress was uneven and he failed to fully capitalize upon what former French President Nicolas Sarkozy characterized as the country's "return to the hearts of the people of the world." Many internationally, for instance, were disappointed by Obama's failure to close Guantanamo Bay, and there was significant foreign unease about increased U.S. use of drone strikes during his presidency. Perhaps the biggest failure of Obama's global public diplomacy was toward what he has called the Islamic world. Despite the early promise of his Cairo speech in his first term in which he sought to reset U.S. relations with Muslim-majority countries, there remained pockets of very high anti-Americanism in several key states, including Pakistan and Egypt, at the end of his presidency. And since early 2017 Trump has only intensified this sentiment. While Trump has been criticized during his presidency by audiences across much of the globe, it is in the so-called Islamic world where the potential risks are potentially highest. For instance, his previous plans to "shut down" immigration from all Muslim nations was called "unacceptable ... an insult to our religion" by a key stakeholder in the United Arab Emirates, while Egypt's top religious authority decried his "hostile view of Islam and Muslims." It is in this context that many foreigners are viewing Trump's potential re-election given he is already one of the least popular U.S. presidents, in living memory, overseas. Global opinion could yet be significantly more hostile to him than even Bush in his own second term, highlighting the downside risks for Brand America, plus the potential upside opportunity for the nation's reputation if Biden ultimately pulls through and wins in November. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-28 19:23:47|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close KABUL, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- Afghanistan's Public Health Ministry has confirmed 12 new COVID-19 cases over the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of the patients infected with the virus since February in the country to 39,239, the ministry said in a statement released here Monday. According to the statement, three patients have died due to the disease over the period, bringing the total number of COVID-19 related deaths to 1,456 since the outbreak of the virus in February in the country. No recovery of the disease has been reported over the past 24 hours, the statement said, adding since February 32,642 COVID-19 infected patients have recovered in Afghanistan. Enditem Records have emerged indicating that Mr Peter Kanyago, the board chairman of the embattled Kenya Tea Development Agency, owns a tea brokerage firm, in a clear conflict of interest in the tea industry. This has raised questions why the East African Tea Traders Association (EATTA), the auction platform, allowed a producers' representative to own a brokerage company - and whose interests he represents within KTDA. While KTDA is appointed by farmers as its agent to the brokers, records from the registrar of companies indicate that Mr Kanyago is a shareholder of Atlas Tea Brokers through his company, Geopet Investments Limited. Other shareholders of Geopet include his business partner George Kamau Muhoho. Geopet is an acronym for George and Peter. According to Rule 5 of EATTA, broker members undertake not to act in any transaction in tea "in which it or he or any of its or his partners, directors or assistants are interested, directly or indirectly as seller, buyer, shipper or otherwise." Conflict of interest Until recently, Atlas was a broker for Imenti Tea Factory but today deals mainly with tea from Rwanda. Reached for comment on Friday, Mr Kanyago, who has been at the helm for 26 years, at first denied association with Atlas Tea Brokers but when shown the CR12 evidence he said: "Despite being said that I am a shareholder, the brokerage firm has never traded with KTDA and it only transacts business with tea sellers from Uganda, Tanzania and Rwanda among others." But he refused to come clear, on whether there is conflict of interest, choosing to sidestep the question about Geopet and invoking principles of fair justice "where you cannot lead me to provide evidence and prosecute against myself". Mr Kanyago said he cannot be accused of acting in conflict of interest "since Atlas and neither Geopet has ever transacted business with KTDA." He said he is ready to be held accountable in an event that the two companies ever traded with KTDA or he influenced any dealing either directly or indirectly with them in a way that committed his person, signature or office in the deal(s). A tea broker earns a commission for every sale from both the producer and the buyer and Atlas is one of the largest broker in the industry. Another company with shares at Atlas Tea Brokers is Pennant Trading Company, which is owned by Nicholas Munyi, a former EATTA chairman, which means that the brokerage is owned by insiders in the tea industry. Stop reforms While Mr Kanyago's KTDA board has been battling the government to stop reforms in the multi-billion shilling sector, which have been stymied for years due to insider interests and cartels, it has never emerged that he has interests in a brokerage firm. The new revelations are going to jolt the tea industry where past titans at the agriculture ministry have been tea brokers. Another director at the Atlas Tea Broker is former Agriculture PS, Dr Romano Kiome. The reforms, proposed by Cabinet Secretary Peter Munya, seek to bring down, among others, the amount of commission paid to the brokers by the tea factories and also the amount of money charged by KTDA as an agent. It also seeks to end the sale of tea by brokers through private treaties thus bypassing the auction house. Poor bonus On Friday, the Parliamentary Committee on Delegated Legislation, which was touring parts of Murang'a came face-to-face with angry farmers protesting the poor bonus paid this year. Currently, there is uproar in the tea industry after KTDA paid its worst end year bonus - a move that has damaged its standing among farmers. It also came at a time when the giant tea firm is in court together with EATTA to stop regulations to streamline the sector. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Kenya Agribusiness By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. This week, Mr Kanyago appeared to soften his hard-line stand against CS Munya and called for dialogue between KTDA and the government. He also said that if the government wanted to turn KTDA into a parastatal it has to pay the farmers billions of shillings. While Mr Kanyago said KTDA is not opposed to the reforms, the body he leads together with the East African Tea Trade Association, which runs auctions in Mombasa have contested the same reforms in court. According to Samuel Mugwe, a prominent tea farmer in Murang'a County, "This is one of the most important phase in the tea industry. There is no doubt that the government is by daybreak edging out KTDA's near criminal grip in the sector... If it is about the money to pay the implementation bills, it will not cost a farmer more than Sh3 per kilo for just one season to win freedom for the next many years." He said tea farmers have been losing income to unilateral fiscal decisions by KTDA directors for the past 40 years cannot compare with the estimated cost of implementing the tea reforms as pushed by Mr Munya. A pandemic can make even the best of neighbours worried about what is going on next door. Justin Trudeau seems to be no exception Canadas prime minister is sending some strong signals that whats happening in Donald Trumps America is putting his closest neighbours on edge. It goes well beyond the COVID-19 concerns that are keeping the Canada-U.S. border closed for the foreseeable future and well into how America is no longer the friend to the neighbourhood that it once was. It also comes just as Trump is getting ready to face off on Tuesday in his first presidential debate with Democratic contender Joe Biden, who told Trudeau four years ago that he would have to carry the torch for the liberal international order while Trump was in power. In the past few days, Trudeau has been doing just that. The United Nations doesnt have a snitch line for neighbouring countries to report on each other, but Trudeau has used two UN forums in recent days to register Canadas misgivings about Trumps America-first isolationism. Trudeaus speech on Friday to the UN General Assembly, delivered virtually this year, included a not-so-subtle indictment of how Trump had turned his countrys back on global co-operation without naming the president. But the language was direct, and the target of it was unmistakable. We need to recognize where we are. The system is broken. The world is in crisis and things are about to get much worse unless we change, Trudeau said, in a speech that was also a lament for the world that created the UN. The United States a very different one than the one now run by Trump was the lead player in that world. The international approach weve relied on since the second half of the 20th century was built on an understanding that countries would work together. But now those same countries are looking inward, and are divided, Trudeau said. On Monday, during an open panel discussion with other UN leaders on the environment, Trudeau pointedly conveyed his regret that the United States and other big nations had failed to support an international pledge on biodiversity. Were the only country in the top 10 largest countries in the world who have committed to these pledges, Trudeau said at a UN side event for nature and people. We need to get those other nine countries in the top 10 to do their part and step up as well. Good luck to that effort, as long as Trump is in the White House. Commitments on biodiversity, like global co-operation, are not exactly high on Trumps agenda. No matter how good the polls are looking for Biden, Trudeau still has to work with Trump, for either a few more months or four and a bit more years. So any alarm he wanted to lodge with the United Nations was couched in diplomatic language and self-deprecating acknowledgments that Canada is but one small neighbour in a large, scary world. Canada is not a country that can push a lot of changes on these major international issues. Like so many others, we are subject to the whims of the superpowers, Trudeau said. That segment of his UN speech was in French, but whims is not word youd think the prime minister would use casually. Canada has seen its fair share of whimsical behaviour from Trump over the past four years; most recently the on-again, off-again renewed threat of aluminum tariffs, but also Trumps obvious mismanagement of the COVID crisis. On any other week, in any other year, a Canadian prime minister taking to the world stage to talk about a broken planet and condemn inward-looking, whimsical superpowers would be kind of a big deal. But Trudeaus UN address on Friday came roughly at the same time a deal was announced with the New Democrats to keep his government in power and a couple of days after the prime minister himself addressed the nation to warn that COVID had ruined Thanksgiving and was in a second wave. Its also six weeks before the United States chooses a president and anyone listening closely to Trudeaus speech would see that Canada recognizes the stakes not just for the pandemic but for what Trumps ongoing America-firstism would do to the world. If the UN was the worlds police officer that its founders intended it to be, Trudeaus speech could have been seen as the neighbour calling the cops on whats happening next door. But Trudeau even lamented how the UN wasnt up to that job in the worlds current condition. So Canada isnt quite calling any snitch line it is just holding tight as the quiet, concerned neighbour, making sure the fence is secure and hoping that things dont get any more crazy next door. Susan Delacourt is an Ottawa-based columnist covering national politics for the Star. Reach her via email: sdelacourt@thestar.ca or follow her on Twitter: @susandelacourt Read more about: Kenya's President Uhuru Kenyatta extended for two months on Monday a nationwide curfew intended to curb the coronavirus, but relaxed the starting time by two hours until 11 p.m. Kenyatta, who said the COVID-19 infections curve had been flattened, also lifted a ban on the sale of alcohol in restaurants and bars. The restrictions will be reviewed again in 60 days, he said. He also said the finance minister would extend tax relief measures unveiled in April until January 2021. Kenya has had 38,115 cases of the virus and 691 deaths since its first case on March 13. The government quickly put measures into place to curb the spread of the disease, including shutting schools, closing borders, mandatory mask wearing in public, and a curfew that lasts until 5 a.m. Fears that the creaky public healthcare system might be overwhelmed have not materialised and the East African nation is slowly reopening, although schools remain closed. Search Keywords: Short link: Viral loads from coronavirus patients have been decreasing as the pandemic rages on, a new study suggests. Researchers found that just 25 percent of nasal swabs from hospitalized patients in April detected low levels of the virus. However, just five weeks later, nearly three-quarters of samples from patients had low viral loads - representing a 180 percent jump. What's more, the decline in viral loads was linked to a decrease in death rate. The team, from Wayne State University, in Detroit, Michigan, says it believes that as states implemented measures, such as social distancing and face mask mandates, the number of severe cases fell. A new study from Wayne State University found that 50% of hospitalized coronavirus patients were in the intermediate viral load category compared to 25% of patients each in the high and low groups. Pictured: A nurse cares for a coronavirus COVID-19 patient in the ICU at Regional Medical Center in San Jose, California, May 21 Five weeks later, in June, 70% of patients in the low category in comparison with 20% in the intermediate group and 15% in the high group (above) For the study, the team looked at viral loads of SARS-CoV-2 obtained from nasopharyngeal samples over two months. A total of 708 hospitalized patients at Detroit Medical Center were examined between the period of April 4 and June 5, 2020. To estimate the viral load, researchers used what is known as a cycle threshold (Ct) value for each sample, with a higher Ct indicating a lower viral load. High, intermediate, and low viral load samples were defined as having a Ct value of 25 or under, from 26 to 36, and 37 or over, respectively. During the first week of the study period, nearly 50 percent of viral load samples fell in the intermediate category. By comparison, only one-quarter each were classified as high or low. Lower viral loads corresponded with a low percentage of deaths with 45% of those in the high group dying compared to 14% in the low group (above) However, as the weeks went by, there was a decline in the percentage of samples in the high and intermediate viral load groups and a rise of samples in the low category. During the last week of the study period, 70 percent of the positive coronavirus samples had low viral loads. About 20 percent of samples were in the intermediate category and approximately 15 percent were in the high group. Researchers also found that a decrease in viral loads coincided with a decline in the percent of deaths. Almost half of patients who were in the high viral group died from COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus. Comparatively, 32 percent of patients in the intermediate category and 14 percent in the low category passed away. 'Exact reasons for a decrease in initial viral load over time are unclear,' said lead author Dr Said El Zein, an internal medicine resident at Detroit Medical Center. 'A downward trend in the initial [viral load] may reflect a reduction in the severity of the pandemic and trends in the viral load values over time may represent a marker to assess the progress of the pandemic. 'Rapid implementation of social distancing measures, lockdown and widespread use of face masks may have contributed to a decrease in the exposure to the virus.' The findings were presented at the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases' Conference on Coronavirus Disease. Scientists say a 'portfolio' of protected areas within marine parks such as the Great Barrier Reef can help secure sustainable fish populations. Dr Hugo Harrison from the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies at James Cook University (Coral CoE at JCU) led a study on the effects of marine reserves, or no-take zones, on fish populations. "The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park has established networks of no-take zones," Dr Harrison said. "A 'portfolio' of these protected areas can help connect reefs and ultimately provide more reliable quantities of fish across an ecosystem." Dr Harrison says no-take zones--areas closed to fishing--on their own act as valuable sources of fish for neighbouring reefs. These areas support more fish, which then produce even greater numbers of baby fish. But, just how many babies survive and where they end up varies greatly from year to year. These fluctuations can be volatile and uncertain. "Our findings are comparable to investing your resources wisely," said Professor Michael Bode, a co-author on the study from the Queensland University of Technology. "If you put all your money into one type of stock and then the value of that entire industry crashes, then all of your investment will crash too." "By investing in a variety of stocks you can buffer or dampen market volatility and still maintain a valuable portfolio. Our study proves that marine protected areas are like financial stocks: if you invest in multiple smaller reserves instead of putting all your effort into one large reserve, you ensure a stable supply of fish to both recreational and commercial fishers." The authors tracked more than 1,500 baby fish using DNA 'fingerprinting' techniques. The baby fish were traced back to their parents inside a network of four reserves. The researchers found that each reserve was an important but variable source of baby fish. However, together, the network of reserves generated a reliable source of offspring to replenish exploited fish stocks in surrounding reefs. The study coincides with two significant international reports illustrating the stark decline of the natural world: the Living Planet Report 2020 and the Global Biodiversity Outlook 5. "Governments all around the world failed to meet any of the UN Sustainable Development Goals on Biodiversity Conservation," Dr Harrison said. "To stem the loss of natural habitats, they had committed in 2010 to expand the world's nature reserves across ten percent of coastal and marine areas by 2020." "Though protected ocean areas have tripled in these past ten years, the targets remain well below the recommendation of at least 30 percent protection recommended by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)." The IUCN also recently released guidelines on protecting connectivity and 'corridors' within ecosystems, which are essential for healthy natural habitats--for conservation and for climate change adaptation. Prof Bode says maintaining corridors between protected areas is easy to picture in a terrestrial realm--for example, in a forest setting where animals can move freely between areas. "But it's a lot harder in the marine realm, where connectivity pathways between habitats are difficult to predict," Prof Bode said. "We can't maintain 'corridors' in coral reef seascapes, so we need other mechanisms to ensure connectivity through these 'portfolios', as we do on the Great Barrier Reef." Dr Harrison said there is an urgent need for further discussions on the value of marine reserve networks--both locally and internationally. "Our research is a timely reminder of the value of marine networks in protecting not only biodiversity but industries including tourism and the millions of people globally whose livelihoods depend on healthy ecosystems." ### PAPER Harrison H, Bode M, Williamson D, Berumen M, Jones G. (2020). 'A connectivity portfolio effect stabilizes marine reserve performance'. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1920580117 CONTACT Dr Hugo Harrison (Townsville, Australia) P: +61 (0) 499 523 939 E: hugo.harrison@jcu.edu.au Prof Michael Bode (Brisbane, Australia) P: +61 (0) 414 108 439 E: michael.bode@qut.edu.au FOR FURTHER INFORMATION Melissa Lyne/ Coral CoE at JCU P: +61 (0) 415 514 328 E: melissa.lyne@jcu.edu.au Comedian Ruby Wax had popular BBC2 chat show spanning from 19972000 Starred in sitcom Girls on Top and was a script editor for Absolutely Fabulous In 2013 achieved master's in mindfulness-based cognitive therapy from Oxford The mental health advocate has been open about battle with clinical depression Ruby Wax has claimed she was 'thrown out' of showbusiness during her battle with depression, but admitted she probably would have 'harmed herself' if she'd stayed working in TV. The American-British comedian, 67, has been open about her battle with clinical depression over the years, and in 2013 graduated with a master's degree in mindfulness-based cognitive therapy from Kellogg College at Oxford University. ADVERTISEMENT Appearing on the Crisis What Crisis? podcast, hosted by Andy Coulson, she told how she 'lost her mojo' while struggling with her mental health on television, and admitted it severely bruised her ego to be replaced. However, the Girls On Top actress went on to stress that she's glad her showbiz career came to an end when it did, as she may well have 'harmed herself' if she'd ended up on reality TV, which she believes would have been the inevitable next step. Ruby Wax says she was 'thrown out' of showbiz during her depression battle, but thinks it would have been a 'tragedy' if she'd kept taking television jobs Comedian Ruby wax had a popular BBC2 chat show spanning from 19972000, starred in sitcom Girls on Top (pictured) and appeared in two episodes of Absolutely Fabulous When asked by Coulson about her decision to distance herself from showbiz, and throw herself into understanding mindfulness and her study of psychotherapy, she said: 'I was thrown out of it.' When pushed further, she explained: 'It was a mutual agreement, I started to hit depression while I was on TV, and that made it really difficult.' Click here to resize this module The TV personality, whose latest book - And Now For The Good News - has just been published - said her mental health meant her 'brain was shutting down' and she could no longer perform in the way she used to. 'I started to do a daily show and then I did some horror shows and then some sell out game show,' said Ruby. In 2013 she graduated with a master's degree in mindfulness-based cognitive therapy from Kellogg College at Oxford University 'I couldn't think of any funny lines, which meant my brain was shutting down and someone had to feed me funny lines through the speaker and panic was setting in. 'It shows I lost my mojo and coincidentally, I was replaced, and that really tears your insides out because of your ego.' However, Ruby said she is glad she left showbiz when she did, and believes she could have been 'eating a cockroach on an island' by now if she had kept on taking jobs. ADVERTISEMENT She explained: 'If I was still on TV I would be on wherever you eat a cockroach on an island and probably harmed myself in some way because I'm too smart. 'I would have caught myself saying "look you loser" because as a woman youre not allowed to age on TV. I have a different technique, just keep moving forward.' Ruby went on to call her studies in psychotherapy a 'life raft', which she finds far 'more exciting' than her life in television. Ruby recalled a time her husband Ed Bye, 65, (pictured with Ruby in the 1980s) took her from the Priory in her pyjamas to a course on mindfulness 'If I was doing it now, it would be a tragedy,' said Ruby. 'There would be such unhappiness, I wouldn't come out of an institution you could visit me in there. 'I know when theres a life raft, I jumped on that neuroscience like a mother, and it was totally exciting, more exciting than television.' Ruby told that there was no 'epiphany' which helped her overcome her mental health disorder, and that at some points she didn't know 'whether to have a manicure or jump off a cliff'. 'I have depression and I don't think that's an illness', said Ruby. 'You can't stop that with therapy, you have it. 'When I got depression 15 years ago and it was a big one, there was no epiphany, when you have depression you have no mind. The actress, pictured last year, went on to stress that she's glad her showbiz career came to an end, as she didn't 'harm herself' after ending up in reality TV 'That's why it was a waste of time for me to do therapy, because you're out of town. You cant decide whether to have a manicure or jump off a cliff, its the same, you have to wait for that to pass, for the devil to leave town.' ADVERTISEMENT It was during this period of depression that Ruby discovered mindfulness and cognitive therapy, recalling a time her husband Ed Bye, 65, took her from the Priory in her pyjamas to a course on mindfulness. 'Ed used to come and pick me up from the Priory,' said Ruby. 'And Id put a coat over my pyjamas and everyone would say "You're so brave" and he took me to a four week mindfulness course. 'I got the idea towards the eighth week, there is no miracle but I got the idea and the science became so interesting.' A logo sign outside the headquarters of Universal Health Services, Inc., in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania. A major hospital chain has been hit by what appears to be one of the largest medical cyberattacks in United States history. Computer systems for Universal Health Services, which has more than 400 locations, primarily in the U.S., began to fail over the weekend, and some hospitals have had to resort to filing patient information with pen and paper, according to multiple people familiar with the situation Universal Health Services did not immediately respond to requests for comment, but speaking anonymously, one person familiar with the company's response efforts who is not authorized to speak to the press said that the attack "looks and smells like ransomware." Read more from NBC News: Ransomware is a type of malicious software that spreads across computer networks, encrypting files and demanding payment for a key to decrypt them. It's become a common tactic for hackers, though attacks of this scale against medical facilities aren't common. A patient died after a ransomware attack against a German hospital in early September required her to be moved to a different hospital, leading to speculation that it may be the first known death from ransomware. Hackers seeking to deploy ransomware often wait until the weekend, when a company is likely to not have as many technical staff members present. Two Universal Health Services nurses, who requested to not be named because they weren't authorized by the company to speak with the media, said that the attack began over the weekend and had left medical staff to work with pen and paper. One of the nurses, who works in a facility in North Dakota, said that computers slowed and then eventually simply would not turn on in the early hours of Sunday morning. "As of this a.m., all the computers are down completely," the nurse said. Another registered nurse at a facility in Arizona who worked this weekend said "the computer just started shutting down on its own." "Our medication system is all online, so that's been difficult," the Arizona nurse said. While many patient charts at that facility are on paper, medication information is maintained online, though it's backed up at the end of each day, the nurse said. "We had those up to date as of the 26th," the person said. "Now we had to hand-label every medication," the nurse said. "It's all improv." Subscribe to CNBC on YouTube. A party in Milton that saw between 50 to 100 teenagers attend has put the towns hybrid learning strategy at risk, school officials said in a letter to the community on Sunday. The letter, signed by Superintendent James Jette and Milton High School Principal Karen Cahill, said the school could not confirm if any students attended the Friday party but the fact it took place in Milton is still concerning. We as a district do not condone this type of behavior, and it goes against everything we have been asking the community to do to help ensure that our schools stay open in a hybrid model during this global pandemic, the letter said. The letter reminded parents and guardians of a different note the school sent to families on Sept. 14 reminding them of safe practices to ensure a hybrid learning model could take place. The school district is asking parents and guardians who know that their child attended the party to monitor the students health and contact the school. School officials have met with the Milton Public Schools COVID Metrics Advisory team, which is monitoring the situation and plotting out which steps to take next if necessary. This is a community effort and we need the cooperation and support of all! We need to keep our staff and students safe, and that can only be done if we all work together as one community where everyone is following the same guidelines put into place due to COVID-19 restrictions, the letter said. The party is not the first that has derailed schools in Massachusetts. In Sudbury, a couple and their high school-aged child face charges in connection with a drinking party that forced school administrators at Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School into all remote learning. Dover-Sherborn Regional High School started the year remotely after a party of about 150 students. Related Content: Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-28 22:33:52|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- The following are the updates on the global fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. - - - - TOKYO -- Japan on Monday confirmed 279 new COVID-19 infections, bringing the nation's cumulative total to 82,577 excluding cases related to a cruise ship quarantined in Yokohama near Tokyo earlier in the year. Of the 279 new cases, 78 of them were reported in Tokyo, the metropolitan government said, with the daily figure falling below the 100-mark for the first time since last Wednesday. - - - - DHAKA -- Bangladesh reported 1,407 new COVID-19 cases and 32 new deaths on Monday, making the tally at 360,555 and death toll at 5,193, the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) said. The official data showed that 11,922 samples were tested in the last 24 hours across Bangladesh. - - - - MACAO -- The Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) government will buy 1.4 million doses of novel coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccines for all Macao residents, the SAR's COVID-19 response center said here on Monday. The Novel Coronavirus Response and Coordination Center of the Macao SAR told the press that the vaccines will be sent to Macao in different batches, and certain groups such as senior residents, patients with chronic diseases and people working in anti-pandemic frontlines will get vaccinated with priority. - - - - TEHRAN -- The total number of COVID-19 cases confirmed in Iran reached 449,960 on Monday, after an overnight registration of 3,512 infections, the Iranian Ministry of Health and Medical Education announced. Sima Sadat Lari, spokeswoman for the ministry, said at her daily briefing that 1,514 new patients required hospitalization in the past 24 hours, as quoted by official news agency IRNA. - - - - BEIJING -- About 2,000 quality publications on topics including China's fight against poverty and COVID-19 have been showcased at an exhibition at the ongoing Beijing International Book Fair. Combining online and offline activities, the exhibition offers readers an immersive experience by using 5G and 3D technologies. - - - - HONG KONG -- Hong Kong's Center for Health Protection (CHP) reported Monday 10 additional confirmed cases of COVID-19, taking the total number of confirmed cases to 5,075. The newly-reported cases include three local infections which are epidemiologically linked with local cases and seven imported cases. - - - - MOSCOW -- Russia reported 8,135 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours, taking its national count to 1,159,573, the country's COVID-19 response center said in a statement on Monday. Russia's COVID-19 infections have been growing fast after the summer holiday season with large-group gatherings and many restrictions lifted. Enditem General scene of CHOGM at the Melbourne Town Hall. Credit:Peter Morris Mr Muldoon called a Press conference as soon as he arrived in Melbourne yesterday afternoon to declare his position on Gleneagles thereby upstaging the Secretary-General, who traditionally gives the first Press conference. Mr Muldoon said: "I certainly intend to raise (Gleneagles) because I think it is essential for the future that each of the heads of government knows precisely what It is that he is agreeing to. At the moment there is considerable confusion and, I think, difference of opinion on that. Mr Muldoon said the Commonwealth Secretariat, and many Commonwealth leaders, believed that countries had undertaken, under the Gleneagles Agreement, to end sporting contacts with South Africa. "We did no such thing. We undertook to try to persuade our sportsmen to stop sporting contacts with South Africa and we have had very considerable success." he said. But Mr Ramphal told his Press conference later that the Commonwealth had made its position "extremely clear." He said the agreement had never imposed an obligation on countries to prohibit sporting contacts the issue was in fact about how vigorously a Government sought to prevent such contacts. Mr Ramphal said that a country which did not prohibit sporting contacts Imposed on itself rather special obligations to find other means of successfully discouraging the particular sporting contact". Mr Fraser has been trying to have the Springbok issue played down this week because a divisive debate would increase the chances of a boycott of next year's Commonwealth Garnet in Brisbane, and destroy the amity of the conference. At his meeting with Mr Muldoon yesterday afternoon, after the New Zealand Prime Minister's public comments, Mr Fraser insisted that the two views could be reconciled. Mr Fraser said other countries had indicated they did not want to stir up a row over the Springbok tour. According to New Zealand sources, Mr Fraser said it should be dealt with during the weekend retreat. Meanwhile, Mrs Thatcher warned against any moves at CHOGM to bring about a special Commonwealth initiative on Namibia. Mrs Thatcher said the question of Namibia's independence from South Africa should be kept to the United Nations and the associated five-member Western contact group comprising Britain, the United States, France, Germany and Canada to resolve. There is already a contact group and United Nations action and it would be by far the best to leave it to those two," she said on 'PM'. There are continuing discussions with South Africa and there may be a way through. I think it would be a great pity if anything was done to impede or impair that process," she said. A new set of meetings had already been arranged and they would take place in October, Mrs Thatcher added. There has been recurring talk of a possible Commonwealth "initiative" on Namibia, although in recent weeks Mr Fraser and Australian officials have said the scope for this is limited. Yesterday Australia's Foreign Minister, Mr Street, met a senior member of the Namibian liberation movement SWAPO, Mr Peter Katjavivi, who has come from London to lobby delegations. Mrs Thatcher also delivered a strong attack on Mr Ramphal over his predictions that the world economy was facing collapse. "I do not think it wise to ever talk in terms of collapse, those are dramatic words," she said. Mrs Thatcher said that in Britain companies were becoming increasingly profitable and showing signs of being able to compete. NORWALK Police have arrested a 44-year-old Stamford man who they say sexually assaulted a female patient at Norwalk Hospital while she was sedated. Rodney Daniels was charged Friday with first-degree sexual assault and providing a false statement, Norwalk police records show. Daniels was at the hospital for PCP use on Aug. 29, police said. Around 3:30 a.m., police claim he entered a female patients room and sexually assaulted her while she was sedated for her treatment. Hospital staff found him lying next to her, police said. During the course of their investigation, detectives discovered Daniels has an extensive criminal history and is currently on parole, police said. Hospital security footage showed Daniels left his room five times between 2:23 a.m. and 3:35 a.m. and entered the victims room multiple times, according to the warrant for his arrest. Each time Daniels went into the victims room, he closed the door, the warrant stated. Hospital staff were alerted to the alleged assault by the victims vital monitors, the warrant stated. When they came to her room, they found the victim exposed with Daniels lying next to her, according to the warrant. Staff escorted Daniels back to his room and placed a security guard at his door, the warrant stated. Police said more than five hours went by before hospital staff notified them of the alleged assault, the warrant stated. In a prepared statement, Norwalk Hospital President Peter Cordeau said patient and staff safety are of paramount importance to us. We are cooperating fully with law enforcement on their investigation and also looking inward for improvements in our policies and procedures. As this is an ongoing police investigation, we will not be commenting further, Cordeau said. Norwalk Police Lt. Jared Zwickler said he does not believe the case was referred to the Department of Public Health for further investigation. During an interview with police after he was discharged from the hospital, Daniels admitted to investigators he entered the womans room uninvited, but claimed we were just talking, according to the warrant. When police interviewed the victim after she left the hospital, she told them she couldnt respond verbally or physically during the alleged assault, because of the medication she had been given, the warrant stated. Daniels is being held on $500,000 bond, court records show. He is due to appear in Stamford Superior Court on Oct. 26. Court records show Rodney has a long history of convictions. In 2011, he was sentenced to six months in jail, suspended with one year of probation after he was convicted in Norwalk of second-degree breach of peace, a misdemeanor. In 2015, he was sentenced to three years in jail and three years special parole for possession of narcotics in Norwalk. Stamford authorities also charged him with second-degree conspiracy to commit larceny that same year. He was found guilty, and the sentence appears to have been tied to the narcotics possession conviction. Daniels was out on special parole that is set to end Aug. 22, 2021, according to the state Department of Correction website. The warrant notes Daniels parole status designates him a sexually violent predator. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (Agence France-Presse) Istanbul, Turkey Mon, September 28, 2020 18:07 481 e22cd4161040e111d73a5626c47bdd61 2 World Jamal-Khashoggi,murder-case,Turkey Free Turkish prosecutors have indicted six new Saudis suspected of involvement in the 2018 murder of dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi, local media reported on Monday. Istanbul prosecutors are seeking life imprisonment for two of the suspects and up to five years in jail for the remaining four, the official Anadolu news agency reported. The Washington Post contributor, Khashoggi, 59, was killed and dismembered at the kingdom's consulate in Istanbul on October 2, 2018, in a case that tarnished the reputation of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Khashoggi went inside the consulate to obtain paperwork for his marriage to Turkish fiancee Hatice Cengiz. The six Saudi suspects, indicted just days ahead of the second anniversary of the journalist's death, are not in Turkey and should be tried in absentia, according to local reports. In a separate case launched in July, an Istanbul court began to try in absentia 20 other Saudis over the murder, including two former aides to the Saudi prince. Turkish prosecutors claim Saudi deputy intelligence chief Ahmed al-Assiri and the royal court's media czar Saud al-Qahtani led the operation and gave orders to a Saudi hit team. Khashoggi was strangled and his body cut into pieces by a 15-man Saudi squad inside the consulate, according to Turkish officials. His remains have not been found. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said the order to murder Khashoggi came from "the highest levels" of the Saudi government but has never directly blamed Prince Mohammed. In September, a Saudi court overturned five death sentences issued after a closed-door trial in Saudi Arabia that ended last year, sentencing them to 20 years in prison instead. BAKU, Azerbaijan, Sept. 28 Trend: The military-political leadership of the aggressor Armenia continues to strike at the civilian population, numerous houses and civilian targets, grossly violating its obligations under the Geneva Conventions, Trend reports citing Azerbaijan's Prosecutor Generals Office. "Densely populated areas - regional and rural centers, civil infrastructure objects - hospitals, medical centers, school buildings, kindergartens are selected as targets. By now, 26 civilians in total have been hospitalized with various injuries," the statement said. "It should be noted that as a result of heavy artillery shelling of the center of Tartar District, as well as of densely populated villages by the enemy forces, the houses of Ahmadov Mayil Alasgar, Salahov Nizami Majid, Karimov Elshan Shahmat were severely damaged, the main strategic bridge and the police station were hit. Furthermore, as a consequence of the enemy shelling, house No. 10 consisting of 54 apartments on E.Safarov Street, Terter District, as well as apartment house No. 16 in Shikh Arkh village of the district fell into disrepair, the residents were evacuated," Prosecutor Generals Office said. The Prosecutor Generals Office noted that numerous small and large horned livestock perished as a result of artillery shells hitting the auxiliary buildings belonging to Aghayev Bakhtiyar Rahim, resident of Sahlabad village, and Rasmiyya Hasanova, a resident of Yukhari Gapanli village of Tartar District. "At present, all possible investigative measures are being carried out by the prosecution authorities. Appropriate examinations to determine the severity of bodily injuries, as well as to estimate the amount of damage inflicted on civilian infrastructure are appointed. The Prosecutor General's Office of the Republic of Azerbaijan is taking all necessary steps to ensure that servicemen of the Armenian armed forces who have committed various crimes are prosecuted and punished within the frames of international law," the statement said. The Armenian armed forces committed a large-scale provocation, subjecting the positions of the Azerbaijani army to intensive shelling from large-caliber weapons, mortars, and artillery installations of various calibers in the front-line zone on Sept. 27 at 06:00 (GMT+4). The command of the Azerbaijani Army decided to launch a counter-offensive operation of Azerbaijani troops along the entire front to suppress the combat activity of the Armenian armed forces and ensure the safety of the civilian population. Azerbaijani Defense Minister, Colonel-General Zakir Hasanov said Sept. 27, 2020, that Garakhanbeyli, Garvend, Kend Horadiz, Yukhari Abdulrahmanli villages of Fizuli district, Boyuk Marjanli, and Nuzgar villages of Jabrayil district were liberated. Moreover, the positions of the Armenian armed forces were destroyed in the direction of the Agdere district and Murovdag, important heights were taken under control. The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on the withdrawal of its armed forces from Nagorno Karabakh and the surrounding districts. Michael DArcy, who resigned his Seanad seat today to join a funds lobbying group, spoke in the Seanad last week in favour of a bill for which funds have been lobbying for the last five years. Mr DArcy issued a statement today saying that he was leaving the Seanad to take up a role as chief executive of the Irish Association of Investment Managers (IAIM), the representative body for the funds and investment industry in this country. Last Wednesday in the Seanad he spoke in favour of the Investment Limited Partnership bill for which the funds industry has been lobbying. From my experience, investors are significantly ahead of everyone else, he told the house. They are the people with private equity funds and who administer the monies that will be crucial if we are serious about sustainable finance. He also stated that the financial services sector is quite a large employer, of about 16,000 people currently". "The sector has been arguing, for about four and a half to five years, that without this legislation it cannot advance the private equity side of investment in Ireland," he said. Michael DArcy was the junior minister for finance in the last Dail, his term ending when the new government was formed 93 days ago. The Investment Limited Partnership bill was published by the Minister for Finance, Paschal Donohoe, on September 21. It is designed to widen the possibilities for investment in funds in order, according to the industry, to bring Ireland in line with other European countries. The Irish Times reported this morning that Michael Darcy would be leaving politics to take up a role with the Irish Association of Investment Managers. At around 10am, Mr Darcy issued a press release saying he had tendered his resignation to Leo Varadkar and was leaving politics to take up his new role. Tanaiste and President of Fine Gael, Leo Varadkar, said he was sorry to lose Mr D'Arcy but that he understood his decision. I would have loved to have seen Michael return to the Dail as a TD and a Minister after the next election but understand that after 20 years in public life he wants to start a new chapter of his life. "He will always be welcome should he decide to run for election again. He will be sorely missed in the Oireachtas, and also in the party where he has made many friends and which he has served so faithfully. "His new employers are fortunate to recruit someone of his calibre." Mr Varadkar said the process of selecting a candidate to contest the by-election has begun. During the second reading of the bill in the Seanad last Wednesday, then-Senator Darcy went on to say the current law was out of sync with other European countries in terms of the limits on partnership investment for funds. In essence, if a business is part of such a partnership, and if it invests 2million in an investment vehicle worth 100 million, it can be liable for losses to the value of the entire sum. As a result, investors do not invest in Ireland because, in other jurisdictions, the structure is such that they can be liable only for the sum they invest. That is a very easy decision for investors to make, whereby they decide not to invest here. This legislation has been on the books for almost five years, which is a criticism of the Department of Finance and the way we get to legislation. "It is important to be advanced and pass this legislation so we can be competitive with other jurisdictions. Sinn Fein questions legality of Michael D'Arcy's appointment Irish Association of Investment Managers Meanwhile, questions have been raised around the legality of Mr D'Arcy's appointment. Sinn Fein finance spokesperson Pearse Doherty has now asked if his appointment is lawful, claiming that former Ministers and Ministers of State are banned from lobbying or being employed by a group that engages in lobbying for a year. The Standards in Public Office Commission (SIPO) states that there should be a 12-month cooling off period. Exemptions to this rule can be given, however, it is understood that Mr D'Arcy has not requested such an exemption. Mr Doherty said: "This is simply unacceptable, Michael D'Arcy was the minister with responsibility for this area less than three months ago. "The real question here is is this lawful or not?" He said there is now an onus on Tanaiste Leo Varadkar to explain the situation as leader of Fine Gael. "It's unbelievable that the Tanaiste came out this morning cheerleading this." Mr Doherty said the appointment is another example of the "revolving door between Fine Gael and high finance". The Donegal TD told RTE's News at One that his party has now written to SIPO to get clarification on the rules. The IAIM issued a statement today about Mr DArcys appointment saying that as per the guidelines of the Standards in Public Office, he will not be engaging in any lobbying activities in accordance with the cooling-off period for the first twelve months of leaving office. Michael DArcy has always been fully compliant with the guidelines during his time as a politician and will continue to strictly adhere to them now in his new role with the IAIM. In a statement published this evening, the IAIM published a statement saying they had obtained legal advice and are happy that Mr Darcy's appointment is not in breach of any regulations related to lobby. "The IAIM obtained legal advice and are satisfied that Michael Darcy's appointment as CEO is not in breach of Section 22 of the Lobbying Act. "IAIM has not engaged in any lobbying in 2018, 2019 and 2020 to date, as evidenced by filings under the Act. "Michael D'Arcy and the IAIM will not be engaging in any lobbying activities until the 12-month cooling off period has been completed, in adherence with the regulations," the statement said. GRANADA, Spain, GENEVA, Switzerland and SEONGNAM, South Korea, September 28, 2020 / B3C newswire / -- Fundacion MEDINA, the Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi) and Institut Pasteur Korea have been awarded a grant of EUR 995,000 from la Caixa Health Research 2020 program to identify novel natural products as potential effective treatments for leishmaniasis and Chagas disease. Leishmaniasis and Chagas disease are neglected tropical diseases that cause thousands of deaths worldwide each year. They primarily affect poor and marginalized communities in developing countries but are an emerging health problem in developed countries as well. New therapeutic solutions are urgently needed for both diseases given the many drawbacks of current treatments, including increasing drug resistance and undesirable side effects. The MEDINA-DNDi-IPK joint project addresses this challenge by exploring the chemical diversity of MEDINAs vast microbial natural products libraries, using the whole-cell phenotypic screening assays of Institut Pasteur Korea. In addition, a new image-based parasite painting assay with cutting-edge cell-imaging technology will be developed at Institut Pasteur Korea to identify new modes of action of novel compounds and to select the most promising compounds for further development. We believe that this unique partnership and our multidisciplinary approach is an excellent opportunity to strengthen the relatively empty preclinical R&D pipeline for both diseases. Together, we are proposing an innovative drug discovery approach exploring natural products libraries in neglected tropical diseases, said Dr Olga Genilloud, Scientific Director at Fundacion MEDINA and Project Leader. We are very excited to launch this new discovery project using a brand-new technology that will give us new data on parasites action mechanisms, said Dr Jean-Robert Ioset, Senior Discovery Manager at DNDi. Although they have a strong track record in anti-infectives research and development, natural products are still underexplored for neglected tropical diseases. This project is truly a global collaboration between the leaders in field of natural product discovery, high content/high throughput screening and NTD drug discovery. We believe this synergistic and complementary efforts will lead to the discovery of novel natural product-based anti-kinetoplastids drugs, said Dr Joo Hwan No, Group Head of Leishmania Research Laboratory at Institut Pasteur Korea. The three-year funding from this highly competitive program from La Caixa reinforces the ongoing collaboration between three global leaders. Coordinated by Fundacion MEDINA, the project will leverage existing preliminary data from the established partnership and take advantage of the joint expertise of the consortium, which brings together a centre of excellence in natural product drug discovery (Fundacion MEDINA), a pioneer in image-based high-content screening with kinetoplastids (Institut Pasteur Korea), and an international not-for-profit research organization developing new treatments for people living with neglected diseases (DNDi). Caption: Microscopies of bacterial and fungal strains from MEDINA microbial collection producing novel natural products (Credit: Fundacion MEDINA); Researchers in operation of the cell-based screening platform in the biosafety level-2(BSL-2) laboratory (Institut Pasteur Korea); PhenomicScreen cellular model for Chagas disease after in-house software analysis (Credit:Institut Pasteur Korea). For high resolution please click the image. Caption: Sofia Iporre, a 30 year-old mother of three. She underwent treatment for Chagas 9 years ago, when she was diagnosed after the birth of her first daughter. She did not complete the treatment due to the adverse effects generated by the drug. City of Cochabamba, Bolivia. Photo credit: Ana Ferreira-DNDi For high resolution please click the image. Caption: Lingakori David stands next to grass-thatched hut in the remote village Akorkeya where kala-azar is endemic. Amudat district, Uganda. Photo credit: Lameck Ododo/DNDi For high resolution please click the image. About Leishmaniasis Leishmaniasis is a neglected tropical disease that threatens an estimated one billion people worldwide. It is a complex disease that presents in several forms visceral, cutaneous, mucocutaneous, and post-kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis and is caused by 20 different Leishmania parasite species. An estimated 700,000 to 1 million new cases of leishmaniasis occur annually, with 20,000 to 30,000 deaths. Treating leishmaniasis is difficult, as it depends on several factors, including the form of the disease, other co-existing infections, the parasite species, and geographic location, as treatment responses differ by region. Existing treatments for leishmaniasis are long, toxic, and/or expensive, and are not adapted to patients or their contexts. The development of next-generation treatments for all forms of leishmaniasis in all regions should therefore be a priority. About Chagas disease Caused by the protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi and transmitted by biting insects known as kissing bugs that are infected with the parasite, Chagas disease is endemic in 21 countries in the Americas, although the migration of people who carry the illness can take it to other parts of the world. The Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO) estimates that Chagas affects approximately 6-7 million people, with 30,000 new cases and 14,000 deaths per year. Additionally, there are 70 million people at risk of contracting the disease. As people typically show no symptoms for many years, most are unaware they have Chagas. Up to a third of people with Chagas will suffer heart damage that becomes evident only many years later and can lead to progressive heart failure or sudden death. Chagas kills more people in Latin America each year than any other parasitic disease, including malaria. About Fundacion MEDINA Fundacion MEDINA is a not-for-profit research organization established as a Spanish public-private partnership between Merck Sharp, Dohme de Espana S.A., the Regional Government of Andalusia and the University of Granada to discover new drugs for unmet medical needs. Fundacion MEDINA is a recognized international leader in natural products discovery and develops collaborative programs with academic and industrial partners worldwide. Taking advantage of its unique microbial natural products libraries and cutting-edge technology screening platforms, MEDINA is actively developing drug discovery programs focused among others on the identification of new drugs for infectious diseases, including neglected tropical diseases. About DNDi A not-for-profit research and development organization, DNDi works to develop new treatments for people living with neglected diseases, notably leishmaniasis, sleeping sickness (human African trypanosomiasis), Chagas disease, filarial infections, mycetoma, paediatric HIV, and hepatitis C. Since its inception in 2003, DNDi has delivered eight new treatments, including new drug combinations for leishmaniasis, a paediatric formulation of a treatment for Chagas disease, two fixed-dose antimalarials, and DNDis first successfully developed new chemical entity, fexinidazole, for the treatment of both stages of sleeping sickness. About Institut Pasteur Korea Institut Pasteur Korea (IPK) is an infectious disease-focused research institute located in the Rep. of Korea. With the aim of addressing unmet global health issues, IPK utilizes its proprietary cell-based screening platforms to understand disease mechanisms and accelerate the development of new treatments. IPK is a member of the Institut Pasteur International Network (IPIN), constituting 32 member institutes in 25 countries across the five continents, where it plays a key role in driving early drug discovery. By providing fundamental technologies to bridge between Korean and international bio-pharma science and promoting multi-disciplinary projects, IPK stands at the forefront of drug discovery research that contributes to the scientific, intellectual, and technical resources of the Rep. of Korea. Contacts MEDINA Olga Genilloud This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. (+34) 958993965 DNDi Frederic Ojardias This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. (+41) 79 431 6216 IPK Jieun Kim This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. (+82) 3180188041 Keywords: Humans; Chagas Disease; Trypanosoma cruzi; Leishmania; Leishmaniasis; Leishmaniasis, Visceral; Parasites; Parasitic Diseases; Neglected Diseases; Drug Discovery; Biological Products; Developed Countries; Developing Countries Published by B3C newswire To kill a quasiparticle: a quantum whodunit What causes quasiparticle death? In large systems of interacting particles in quantum mechanics, an intriguing phenomenon often emerges: groups of particles begin to behave like single particles. Physicists refer to such groups of particles as quasiparticles. Understanding the properties of quasiparticles may be key to comprehending, and eventually controlling, technologically important quantum effects like superconductivity and superfluidity. Unfortunately, quasiparticles are only useful while they live. It is thus particularly unfortunate that many quasiparticles die young, lasting far, far less than a second. The authors of a new Monash University-led study published today in Physical Review Letters investigate the crucial question: how do quasiparticles die? Beyond the usual suspect--quasiparticle decay into lower energy states--the authors identify a new culprit: many-body dephasing. MANY BODY DEPHASING Many-body dephasing is the disordering of the constituent particles in the quasiparticle that occurs naturally over time. As the disorder increases, the quasiparticle's resemblance to a single particle fades. Eventually, the inescapable effect of many-body dephasing kills the quasiparticle. Far from a negligible effect, the authors demonstrate that many-body dephasing can even dominate over other forms of quasiparticle death. This is shown through investigations of a particularly 'clean' quasiparticle--an impurity in an ultracold atomic gas--where the authors find strong evidence of many-body dephasing in past experimental results. The authors focus on the case where the ultracold atomic gas is a Fermi sea. An impurity in a Fermi sea gives rise to a quasiparticle known as the repulsive Fermi polaron. The repulsive Fermi polaron is a highly complicated quasiparticle and has a history of eluding both experimental and theoretical studies. Through extensive simulations and new theory, the authors show that an established experimental protocol--Rabi oscillations between impurity spin states--exhibits the effects of many-body dephasing in the repulsive Fermi polaron. These previously unrecognised results provide strong evidence that many-body dephasing is fundamental to the nature of quasiparticles. ### THE STUDY The paper Quasiparticle lifetime of the repulsive Fermi polaron was published in Physical Review Letters in September 2020 (DOI 10.1103/PhysRevLett.125.133401). The study was led by the School of Physics and Astronomy, Monash University, with co-authors from the Istituto Nazionale di Ottica del Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche in Florence, Italy, and Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitat in Munich, Germany. As well as support from the Australian Research Council (Centre of Excellence and Future Fellowship programs), the authors acknowledge support from the International Max Planck Research School for Quantum Science and Technology, the European Research Council, the EU's Horizon 2020 programme, and Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Firenze. QUASIPARTICLES AND COLD-ATOM PHYSICS AT FLEET Haydn Adlong conducted the study in Dr Jesper Levinsen and A/Prof Meera Parish's group at Monash University, which investigates the behaviour of large groups of interacting quantum particles, which can exhibit exotic behaviour, such as superfluidity where they flow without encountering resistance. This work expands our fundamental knowledge of quantum physics in systems ranging from cold atomic gases to solid-state semiconductors, and has the potential to underpin a new generation of near-zero resistance, ultra-low energy electronic devices, sought by FLEET. This story has been published on: 2020-09-28. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. A High-Level Panel on International Financial Accountability, Transparency and Integrity for Achieving the 2030 Agenda (FACTI Panel), said Governments must do more to tackle tax abuse and corruption in global finance. The panel established by the 74th President of the UN General Assembly and the 75th President of the UN Economic and Social Council is composed of former heads of state and government, past central bank governors, business and civil society leaders and prominent academics. The findings of the panel contained in an interim report published , yesterday, said Criminals have exploited the pandemic as governments relaxed controls to speed up healthcare and social protection. Governments can't agree on the problem or the solution, while resources that could help the world's poor are being drained by tax abuse, corruption and financial crime. "Corruption and tax avoidance are rampant. Too many banks are in cahoots and too many governments are stuck in the past. We're all being robbed, especially the world's poor," Dr. Dalia Grybauskaite, FACTI co-chair and former president of Lithuania, said "Trust in the finance system is essential to tackle big issues like poverty, climate change and COVID-19. Instead we get dithering and delay bordering on complicity. "Our weakness in tackling corruption and financial crime has been further exposed by the COVID-19," said Dr. Ibrahim Mayaki, FACTI co-chair and ex-prime minister of Niger. "Resources to stop the spread, keep people alive and put food on tables are instead lost to corruption and abuse," he said. The FACTI Panel calls for a more coherent and equitable approach to international tax cooperation, including taxing the digital economy, and more balanced cooperation on settling disputes. A launch event for the interim report will bring the FACTI Panel chairs together with high-level representatives from Member States. The Panel hopes the interim report will generate debate among policymakers and consensus on recommendations to be included in a final report to be published in February 2021. Vanguard The dogs were discovered at OHare International Airport after they were shipped to the United States from Russia in August, and federal officials say their paperwork was forged to get around limits on the number of dogs any one person can import. Theyve been in the care of Chicago French Bulldog Rescue, which is fighting their being sent back abroad. For the first time in its over ten-year history, the G20 summit will take place virtually amidst the COVID pandemic. The virtual summit will take place on November 21 and 22 and will be chaired by Saudi King, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will also take part in the virtual summit. On 9th September, PM Modi and Saudi Arabia's king spoke to each other and discussed the main priorities on the agenda of the G20 summit. No major global meeting is happening physically due to the COVID crisis and for the first time in its 75-year-old history, the United Nations General Assembly also met virtually. The theme of this year's virtual summit will be Realizing opportunities of the 21st Century for all. Earlier this year, the G20 leaders met in even as the pandemic raged and took number of coordinated actions including contributing $ 21 Billion to support production, distribution, and access to diagnostics, therapeutics, and vaccine. A statement from G20 Secretariat, "The upcoming G20 Leaders Summit will focus on protecting lives and restoring growth, by addressing vulnerabilities uncovered during the pandemic and by laying down the foundations for a better future. The Summit will also focus on fostering international action to realize opportunities of the 21st century for all, by empowering people and protecting our planet, whilst harnessing the potential of innovation to shape new frontiers." The world's biggest 20 economies also decided to inject $ 11 trillion to safeguard the global economy and, launched a debt suspension initiative for the least developed countries. Debt suspension defers-- debt worth $14 billion due this year for LDCs so that they can deal with the pandemic. G20, as a grouping at leaders' level, emerged in 2008 when the global financial crisis was underway. Since then the summit has been happening in various G20 countries. India will hold the 17th summit in 2022. Photo credit: Getty Images | Raydene Salinas Hansen Cancel your Tuesday-night plans (remember plans?): On September 29, the first of three debates between sitting U.S. president Donald Trump and Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden will air live at 6 p.m. PT/9 p.m. ET. Fox News Chris Wallace will be hosting the 90-minute event. There will be six segments for the debate, with each candidate given 15 minutes to talk. Will Trump try to talk over those 15 minutes? (What do you think?!) Will Biden say words like malarkey? (Probs.) Will the debate be a hot mess? (Almost definitely.) Will there be commercials? (Nope, so at least well have that.) Heres everything else you can, uh, look forward to. What topics are on the table? According to the Commission of Presidential Debates (yes, this is a real thing), there are a few key topics slated for the night, as chosen by the moderator: The Trump and Biden records The Supreme Court, COVID-19 The economy Race and violence in our cities The integrity of the election With RBGs recent passing and the GOP pushing the Senate to move forward to confirm Trumps replacement nominee, Amy Coney Barrett, and the recently published Trump tax returns, we can reasonably assume that there will be a lot more to talk about. Where do I watch? You can catch it on any major news network (including CNN, CBS, ABC, Fox News, C-SPAN, NBC, and MSNBC), and the New York Times and the Washington Post, per tradition, will be livestreaming online. How are the candidates preparing? Ehhhhh, depends on your definition of preparing. The Washington Post has reported that Trump is planning on attacking Biden about his personal life, specifically the controversy around his son Hunter Biden. Biden has seemingly responded to this tactic, telling the press, I hope I dont get baited into a brawl with this guy, because thats the only place hes comfortable. I know how to handle bullies. Trump has also tweeted that he wants Biden to be drug tested prior to the debatea real classy move if weve ever seen one. Story continues Biden, on the other hand, is allegedly committed to fact-checking Trump as needed (which, if history is any indication, will be pretty often). According to The Post, Biden is anticipating a venomous barrage and wants to focus on how he would address COVID-19 and the economy, both of which Biden believes Trump has made worse. Will the filming be COVID-19 safe? Yes, at least its expected to be. Due to social distancing protocols, both candidates will be placed farther apart than usual. They are also expected not to shake hands at the beginning of the debate, so TBD on if there will be any pseudo-friendly elbow bumps in place. The taping of the debate will take place at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland. Will there be an audience? Yes, but not a big one. According to the Washington Post, the audience will be smaller than usual (80 to 90 people max). When are the other debates? The next debate scheduled is the vice presidential debate between Kamala Harris and Mike Pence. It will be held at 9 p.m. ET on Wednesday, October 7, at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City. Susan Page, the Washington bureau chief of USA Today, is slated to moderate. It will be divided into nine segments with each candidate having 10 minutes to speak. The second presidential debate is on Thursday, October 16, at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts in Miami. It will start at 9 p.m. ET and will be held as a town hall discussion, meaning that audience members can ask questions to the candidate. Steve Scully, a political editor for C-SPAN, is expected to moderate. The third and final presidential debate is scheduled for 9 p.m. ET on Thursday, October 22, at Belmont University in Nashville. Kristen Welker, the NBC News White House correspondent and coanchor of Today Weekend, will be moderating. The topics for the six 15-minute segments, chosen by the moderator, have not been announced yet. Thats it for now! Keep checking this page for up-to-date deets as they happen. You Might Also Like Amid ongoing border tensions with China, the defence ministry on Monday approved arms procurement worth Rs 2,290 crore including 72,000 Sig Sauer assault rifles for its troops from the United States, according to an official statement. The procurement proposals were approved by the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), the defence ministry's highest decision making body on procurement, under the chairmanship of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. "The Defence Acquisition Council meeting held under the Chairmanship of Raksha Mantri Rajnath today approved proposals for capital acquisitions of various equipment required by the Indian Armed Forces at an approximate cost of Rs 2,290 crore," Ministry of Defence said in a press statement. The ministry said that the procurement will be made from domestic industry as well as foreign vendors. Under the buy Indian (IDDM) category, the DAC approved procurement of Static HF Tans-receiver sets and Smart Anti Airfield Weapon (SAAW) at a cost of around Rs 1,510 crore. The HF radio sets will be procured at an approximate cost of Rs 540 crore, which will enable seamless communication between field units of Army and Air Force. The Smart Anti Airfield Weapon will cost around Rs 970 crore, which will add to the fire power of Navy and Air Force. Further, to equip the frontline troops of the army, the DAC also accorded approval for procurement of Sig Sauer assault rifles at a cost of around Rs 780 crore. This fresh proposal follows an order for 72,400 assault rifles placed with the US in early 2019, as part of infantry modernisation. The government has accorded priority to the modernisation of the armed forces and the infantry modernisation has been initiated as part of the larger process to further enhance combat capability of the Army. The world's second largest standing army has been pushing for fast-tracking the procurement of various weapons systems considering the evolving security challenges along India's borders with Pakistan and China. Indian and Chinese armies are locked in a bitter standoff in multiple locations in eastern Ladakh for the last few months. The tension escalated manifold after a violent clash in Galwan Valley in June in which 20 Indian Army personnel were killed. In a separate development, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh today unveiled the Defence Acquisition Procedure (DAP) - 2020 in New Delhi, in line with the Atma Nirbhar Bharat vision and empowering Indian domestic industry through Make in India initiative with the ultimate aim of turning India into a global manufacturing hub. DAP 2020, which will be applicable from October 1, 2020, incorporated several measures to boost domestic defence industry and Make in India. It has also simplified procedure to reduce time delays and enhance ease of doing business. By Chitranjan Kumar Also Read: Defence ministry approves procurement of weapons and basic trainer aircraft worth Rs 8,722 crore Also Read: Defence Ministry approves procurement of MiG-29s, Sukhois under Rs 38,900 crore plan President Donald Trump paid no federal income taxes in 10 of the past 15 years, according to a report Sunday in The New York Times. Trump, who has fiercely guarded his tax filings and is the only president in modern times not to make them public, paid $750 in taxes to the federal government the year he was elected, 2016, and $750 again his first year in office. The disclosure, which the Times said comes from tax return data it obtained extending over two decades, comes at a pivotal moment ahead of the first presidential debate Tuesday, and weeks before a divisive election. A lawyer for the Trump Organization, Alan Garten, and a spokesperson for the Trump Organization did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Associated Press on the report. Garten told the Times that most, if not all, of the facts appear to be inaccurate. He said in a statement to the news organization that the president has paid tens of millions of dollars in personal taxes to the federal government, including paying millions in personal taxes since announcing his candidacy in 2015. The bombshell report also chronicled a series of questionable consultant payments which Trump appears to have made to his daughter Ivanka, and it paints an overall financial picture of the President at odds with his public image. According to the report, a number of Trumps businesses, including his golf courses, which have lost more than $300 million since 2000, are operating at a significant loss. The report said he also has more than $300 million in loans expected to come due in the next few years. -- The Associated Press Two issues had rankled Buddharakkitha. One was the Prime Ministers refusal to hand over a lucrative shipping contract to a company named Colombo Shipping Lines that was co-founded by him in the name of his associate HP Jayawardena to import rice from Burma (Myanmar) and Thailand. The second was over a sugar manufacturing licence to start a sugar factory DBS Jeyaraj 30th September 2019 - THE PRIME MINISTER IS DEAD! How and Why SWRD Bandaranaike Was Assassinated Sixty Years Ago) by Raj Gonsalkorale 26th September 2020 is the 61st death anniversary of Sri Lankas fourth Prime Minister SWRD Bandaranaike. A gun and a bullet ended his life, but what really killed him was the unmitigated avarice of a person who was the opposite and a disgrace to the message of Buddha. That person was the Chief incumbent of the Kelaniya Temple, a businessman who knew no ethics nor morality, Mapitigama Buddharakkitha. It is not befitting to call this person a Buddhist Monk as he was anything but a follower of Buddha or the Buddha Dhamma. A statue of the late Prime Minister S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike and cranes standing at a construction site near Galle Face Green in Colombo, Sri Lanka - ( File image - 2015) The man who fired the gun and emptied bullets into the Prime Ministers body, Talduwe Somarama was not of sound mind and easily brainwashed, and he was, to the extent of killing the Prime Minister to save Sinhala Buddhism, by Buddharakkitha. Sordid politics and unmitigated avarice has not abated in Sri Lanka, and neither has the misuse of Buddhist robes by persons who are anything but Buddhist. Sri Lanka has not learnt from that fateful episode on the 25th of September 1959 when a wearer of a Buddhist robe emptied bullets into the countrys Prime Minister who was paying obeisance to that person in Buddhist robes. Politics is equally or even more sordid than then when one reads about the mudslinging going on at the enquiry into the Easter bombings in 2019. It is so when one reads about the life and times of the Yahapalanaya government of 2015 and the tussle between the then President and Prime Minister of the country. It is when one hears and reads about the calibre of politicians we have and have had, who have traded the countrys principles and wealth and dignity for monetary gain. There is plenty more to write about, but that will require several volumes of books. Buddharakkitha was the driving force behind the Eksath Bhikku Peramuna or the United Bhikku Front. He has been described as a virtual kingmaker at that time. Later, he attributed Bandaranaike's failure to aggressively pursue the nationalist reforms as the sole motive to assassinate him. But it was revealed that the real motive for the assassination came as a result of the Prime Minister's refusal to award business deals, in particular, a government contract for the construction of a sugar factory and government concessions for a shipping company he planned to set up. Talduwe Somarama, a misguided man wearing a robe so described by the dying Prime Minister himself, fired the bullets that ended Bandaranaikes life on September 26, 1959. DBS Jeyaraj writing on the 60th death anniversary of SWRD Bandaranaike (THE PRIME MINISTER IS DEAD! How and Why SWRD Bandaranaike Was Assassinated Sixty Years Ago), lays bare the poisonous and unstable environment in the country in 1959. He writes about the vertical and horizontal tensions of the country where on the one hand there was overt inter-ethnic strife on the grounds of language while there was on the other hand covert tussles on the basis of class and ideology. He says the ethnic dimension was exaggerated or distorted to divert focus away from or under-emphasise the class dimension. Jeyaraj writes to say Bandaranaike himself had begun acting against his class interests. The nationalization of bus transport, Insurance companies and Colombo harbor etc were some of the socialist measures enacted by the SWRDB government. Since most of the vested interests affected by these measures were UNP or pro-UNP it did not matter much to the regime. But the Paddy Lands Act pushed through mainly due to efforts of Philip Gunewardena regarded as the Father of Marxism in the country had different repercussions. The act provided greater rights and concessions to the long suffering tenant cultivators. There was however a large segment of semi-feudal, land-owning classes supportive of the SLFP also. The Paddy Lands act hit these sections and there was resentment. The exaggerated ethnic dimension and the aftermath of the class war had resulted in the governments Parliamentary strength being just 47 out of 101 by June 11th 1959, and Bandaranaike was in fact leading a minority government when he died on 26th September 1959. The incident on the 25th September may not have been the first to get rid of the man who was a victim of the class battles and avarice and at the same time the one person who was in the way of a total victory by forces driven by rightist ideology and unmitigated avarice. What had happened on August 25, 1959, when Minister CP De Silva had drunk a glass of milk suspected to have contained a vegetable- derived poisonous substance in the boardroom where the cabinet met, may have been intended for the Prime Minister himself. CP De Silvas condition had proven so critical that he had to be flown to London for medical treatment. Jeyaraj writes about the purge of leftists and assertion of rightists to shackle SWRD Bandaranaike. The intention was to transform him into a puppet but the aristocratic Oxonian though beleaguered would not give in totally to Buddharakkitha s diktat. Irritated by this the kingmaker priest now decided to remove Bandaranaike altogether. The flashpoint causing this change of mind was not race, class or ideology. It was sordid commerce. He goes on to note two issues that had rankled Buddharakkitha. One was the Prime Ministers refusal to hand over a lucrative shipping contract to a company named Colombo Shipping Lines that was co-founded by him in the name of his associate HP Jayawardena to import rice from Burma (Myanmar) and Thailand. The second was over a sugar manufacturing licence to start a sugar factory. Buddharakkitha was a very rich businessman and he used whatever means at his disposal to acquire power in order to further his business interests. The wealth of the Kelaniya temple gave him the foundation to build his business empire. He did not tolerate anyone who stood in his way, and even a Prime Minister was not spared. Had he been a Buddhist, acted as one and lived as one, heeding the Buddhas message of love and impermanence, and the consequences of avarice, he wouldnt have suffered the ignominy of dying as an inmate of the Welikada prison in 1967 serving a life sentence for the crime he had committed. It is interesting to note Jeyaraj s comment about the exaggeration of ethnic issue as a contributor to the tensions that existed in the country in 1959. In this context, it is opportune on this sad anniversary to note the following. Firstly, there had never been a question of implementing the so called Sinhala only policy "in 24 hours" as widely and successfully marketed by opportunists. As Bandaranaike said, no law had been needed to make English the language of the country, therefore no law was needed to change it. It was to be a limited and a gradual process. Secondly, there was clear articulation on a transition period for public servants to acquire a working knowledge of Sinhala, by December 1960, but this specific mention related only to the Supreme Court. Bandaranaike said, in presenting the Bill, "it is our intention, as far as possible, to make that change wherever possible but if, in the course of our proceedings in implementation, we find on sufficient grounds and data that the changeover just cannot reasonably made during that time, we will not hesitate to come before this House and the country for passing the necessary amendments to the Bill". After election victory: Seated at a desk in his residence here is S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike, the newly elected Prime Minister of Ceylon. Thirdly, at the time the bill was passed, there were no specific provisions in it in regard the medium of instruction in schools. Bandaranaike did recognize that the medium of instruction should be the mother tongue of the student, rather than the official language of the country. Fourthly, the Bill did not specify time frames for a changeover to the official language in other areas like local authorities. In the public service, the stated intention was to provide an adequate knowledge of Sinhala to all public servants so that, as contemplated, public service should be conducted in the official language within 10 years, meaning by December 1967. The Reasonable use of the Tamil language in predominantly Tamil areas would have required Sinhala public servants working in those areas to acquire a working knowledge of Tamil. It is well to remember that less than 5% of the population of the country were literate in English when Ceylon gained independence in 1948, and all Courts, Police stations, government departments carried out their official work in English. An overwhelming population of Sinhala and Tamil citizens, in excess of 95% of the population, lived as foreigners in their own country, unable to enjoy their rights as citizens of their newly independent country. It is in this backdrop that one has to judge the changes that took place after 1956. SWRD Bandaranaikes enemies, both within the Sinhala community and the Tamil community, were those from the upper class he came from, the English educated brown sahibs who probably were more British than the British. They were his friends until he decided to espouse the cause of the majority in the country, who did not wish for one set of colonialists to be replaced by another. But when it comes to setting the rules for the election, the results of litigation so far show that Republicans have struggled to offer proof for their claims about the risk of widespread voter fraud, according to court filings and oral arguments reviewed by The Post. In several cases, GOP lawyers cited minor episodes of alleged fraud that occurred in other states in past years, prompting rebukes from judges. And the RNC, which initially trumpeted several lawsuits against individual states, dropped its legal fight in California after the state legislature approved the Democratic governors plan to proactively mail ballots to voters A similar RNC case in Nevada was dismissed last week by a federal judge. The Institute for Peace and Governance (IPEG), has condemned the recent activities undertaken by some members of the separatist group in the Volta region of the country. The group, which calls itself as the Homeland Study Group Foundation, is advocating for the independence of residents of communities at the Western Togoland. On Friday, members of the group blocked major access roads to and fro the Volta Region, leaving commuters stranded in the early hours of the day, as well as engaged in a confrontation with members of the security agencies, who were detailed to the areas to restore law and order. A statement issued by the IPEG and signed by its Programmes Director, Mr Justin Bayor, and copied to the Ghana News Agency (GNA), in Tamale, said: IPEG views this act as a challenge to the power, authority, existence, and survival of the State and no State worth its sort would accommodate such miscreant behaviour. According to the statement, It is becoming pretty obvious that these separatists have underlying grievances and disgruntlement that are fuelling their actions, of which faceless persons are capitalizing upon to execute their own personal and selfish agendas. We fear that if these current grievances are not properly and quickly addressed, then it might snowball into new and dynamic discontentment in the nearest future to an extent that the State may not be able to withstand, it added. The statement, therefore, urged the government to employ all its power and resources to deal ruthlessly with all those identified to be part of the group. It also urged the government to improve and intensify its intelligence gathering mechanisms to stop the activities of the separatist group and other terrorists related activities as the country was heading towards elections. It further proposed to government to resource institutions such as the National Peace Council, Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), and other stakeholders to identify and engage leaders of the group to moderate their grievances to help halt their actions. Source: GNA Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video WASHINGTON, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump assailed a New York Times investigation on Sunday that alleged he paid no income taxes for years. "It's totally fake news," Trump said at a White House press conference, again insisting that his tax returns are "under audit" by the Internal Revenue Service. "When they're not, I'd be proud to show you." "I paid a lot, and I paid a lot of state income taxes too," he claimed. "It'll all be revealed. It's all going to come out." The Times article said Trump's tax bill was only 750 U.S. dollars in 2017, the year he took office. In 2016, he also reportedly paid only 750 dollars in federal income taxes. "He had paid no income taxes at all in 10 of the previous 15 years -- largely because he reported losing much more money than he made," the article said. Trump Organization lawyer Alan Garten called the story "riddled with gross inaccuracies." "Over the past decade, President Trump has paid tens of millions of dollars in personal taxes to the federal government, including paying millions in personal taxes since announcing his candidacy in 2015," Garten said in a statement. "While we tried to explain this to the Times, they refused to listen and rejected our repeated request that they show us any of the documentation they purport to be relying on to substantiate their claims," the lawyer said. "This is just part of the Times' ongoing smear campaign in the run up to the election." A former business mogul, Trump has refused to release his tax returns, which are being sought by Democrats and state investigators, during his presidency, breaking a decades-old tradition maintained by his predecessors. When CPS and the Chicago Department of Public Health made the decision that the first academic quarter would be conducted through fully remote learning they did so based upon the clear criteria that fully remote learning was the only safe option when the City is averaging more than 200 COVID cases per day, when the positivity rate is rapidly increasing, or when there is inadequate hospital capacity, Davis Gates and Sharkey wrote, adding that some Chicago ZIP codes are still experiencing double-digit positivity rates. Under those criteria, CPS will be unable to reopen anytime soon. VERNON, CT Laura Bush, a Vernon resident, is running for the state House of Representatives in District 56. Age: 59 Party affiliation: Republican Party, Independent Party Family: My husband Tom is a retired Engineer having worked over 37 years at Pratt and Whitney. We have three sons who all graduated from Rockville High school. Our oldest; Jonathan (36) is an EMT with ASM, and a volunteer firefighter in Vernon. He and his wife Claire and son Connor still live here in Vernon. Matthew is 34 and also still lives and works in Vernon. Travis is 30 and works at an IT company. Occupation: I have been a teacher for over 25 years. I have taught in Andover CT for over 20 years. Previous elected experience: I have served as a Town Council member for 5 years. Before that I served 6 years on Vernon's Board of Education. Family members in government: No Campaign website: www.bushforthe56th.com The single most pressing issue facing our state is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it. The most pressing issue we face in our state is economic recovery from Covid-19. We need to get our businesses back open and our workers back to work. We need to provide assistance to the businesses and workers to help in this process. This will ultimately make our community stronger. What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post? I make my decisions based upon the needs of the residents of Vernon. I will not just vote on the party line. I will focus on what is best for the Vernon Community. I will work alongside town administration instead of against the leadership of Vernon. I will support Vernon Police Officers and other first responders in our community. Our current representative has made it perfectly clear that his priorities are not aligned with the community's priorities by voting against Vernon Police officers. He continues to increase our tax burden, by voting for new state taxes. I will work to make Vernon more affordable for all. Story continues What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job? As a Vernon Town Council Member, I have worked along with the mayor and town administration to keep taxes under control. We have had a 0% increase in taxes for several years. We are working to continue to be fiscally responsible for the residents. I supported the planning and completion of the new Senior Center, the new dog park, road repairs and resurfacing, the Gene Pitney Memorial Park, and the new fields for our sports teams. On the Board of Education I worked to enhance our educational quality by improving curriculum which lead to higher test scores while making needed improvements to our school buildings. I have a strong track record in Vernon. Do you believe Connecticut needs reform when it comes to electric utility oversight? What steps, if any should be taken? Connecticut has some of the highest utility costs in the country. We need to expect high standards from Eversource and the other utility companies when it comes to storm recovery. We should work to lower utility cost in the state. What steps should state government take to bolster economic recovery from the coronavirus pandemic for local businesses? As I stated in the previous question, this is one of the most pressing issues facing us at this time. We need to get our businesses and people back to work safely. We cannot continue to keep everything shut down without a strong reopening plan. Phase 3 was promised months ago and we seem to be in a holding pattern. I would advocate that with safe social distancing practices in place, we need to get Connecticut moving forward again. List other issues that define your campaign platform: We need to get Vernon businesses strong and working again. I want young families as well as our senior citizens to be able to live in Vernon. without state taxes and fees making it unaffordable. We need to get state spending and taxes under control. I will vote NO on tolls and work to find a responsible solution for our transportation budget. I will support Vernon Police officers and first responders who keep our community safe. What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions? I have at this point been endorsed by the Independent Party of Connecticut and will will have my name appear on the ballot on the Independent Party line. I have also been endorsed by Connecticut Realtors and the Uniformed Professional Fire Fighters Association of Connecticut. I have signed the pledge to Rebuild Connecticut with the Connecticut Business and Industry Association. (CBIA) I have also made The ARC Connecticut 2020 Candidate Pledge. My husband and I chose to live in Vernon and raise our family here over 20 years ago. I want to make sure more families will want to make the same choice. Laura Bush (Andrew Tedford) This article originally appeared on the Vernon Patch Supervisor Sheila Kuehl, center, with supervisors Janice Hahn, Nury Martinez, member of the Los Angeles City Council, and Mark Ridley-Thomas during a Dec. 2016 news conference. The board is asking voters to approve a county charter amendment to set spending requirements for alternatives to incarceration and other social service programs. (Los Angeles Times) Should the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors devote a healthy chunk of its annual revenue to community-based youth development, affordable housing, restorative justice, job training and similar programs? Yes, of course. One of the countys core functions is to serve residents in the greatest need, and for too long it has met those needs the wrong way with arrests, when mental health treatment is critically lacking, and jail, when addiction treatment or supportive housing would bring better results. If our society is to help reverse generations of economic and racial inequity, much of the work must be done at the county level, where such services are delivered. So does that mean the Los Angeles County Charter should be amended to require the Board of Supervisors to allocate at least 10% of its locally generated revenue to those programs? Thats a somewhat different matter and its the question that voters face on their ballots as Measure J, which proponents call Reimagine L.A. County. In July, the Times editorial board criticized the supervisors for even putting the measure before voters because there was so little time to shape the details and analyze the possible consequences. In the weeks since, we have gotten answers and worked through our misgivings. We urge voters to say yes, because the measure correctly resets the countys spending priorities to match the needs of its people. Los Angeles County is in the midst of a historic shift, rejecting construction of new jails and embracing an innovative Alternatives to Incarceration program resulting from rare collaboration among county officials, nonprofit service providers and community activists and representatives. Sustaining the new policy direction will take money. Some comes from the remaining funds that had been set aside for the new jails, but that wont be nearly enough. If the county is to fund a community-based, care-first approach to public safety without raising taxes, the Board of Supervisors will have to allocate a greater share of its existing funds to those programs than it currently does. Story continues The county is a $35-billion-a-year operation, but most of the revenue is encumbered by state and federal mandates. The boards discretion over locally generated funds is rather small in the millions, not the billions and the lions share of that money tends to go to interests that have the resources and expertise to lobby or sway supervisors. Those interests include the unions that represent sheriffs deputies, probation officers, criminal prosecutors and others in law enforcement. They have every right to organize and fight for better pay and working conditions, but lets not forget that they also fight for ever-larger shares of the county budget. For more than 40 years now, they have joined with sheriffs, district attorneys and similar groups and officials in other parts of the state in pursuit of a vision of public safety based on what they know arrest, trial and jail. Nonprofit health and social services groups can more than match them in passion and vision, but they lack the resources to compete when county budget officials allocate money. Measure J hardly evens the playing field, but it makes it a bit less slanted by ensuring that at least 1 of every 10 unencumbered, locally generated dollars is invested in services geared toward treatment and economic development rather than law enforcement and punishment. Sheriffs deputies and other county employees argue that Measure J shortchanges them, but in fact it just ramps back, ever so slightly, the advantage they have enjoyed for decades. We wish the system worked differently, and that supervisors had the resources, the skills and, yes, the backbones to make their budget reflect their policy vision and the countys needs. Meanwhile, though, here in the real world, voters must weigh in. Should they want spending to be more effective, equitable and humane? They should and we urge them to vote yes on Measure J. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. J oaquin Phoenix and Rooney Mara have reportedly welcomed a baby boy. The couple, who met in 2012, are said to have named their newborn son River a moving tribute to Phoenixs brother who tragically died at the age of 23 in 1993. The news was apparently confirmed at the Zurich Film Festival when an executive producer was quizzed on why Phoenix, 45, was not promoting new film Gunda. While the couple tend to keep matters of their relationship low-key, Phoenix, and 35-year-old Mara have one of Hollywoods most enviable marriages, with the pair regularly looking loved-up at numerous A-list events together. Heres the full timeline of the happy couples relationship. 2012: They meet on a film set The pair were first introduced when they work together on Spike Jonzes Her, which tells the futuristic tale of a man (played by Phoenix) who falls in love with an operating system (Scarlett Johansson). Mara starred as Phoenixs ex-wife. Phoenix has since explained he was enamoured from Mara from the get-go, looking her up online and emailing her while they were working together. Shes the only girl I ever looked up on the internet, he told Vanity Fair in 2019. We were just friends, email friends. Id never done that. Never looked up a girl online. While he initially believed that Mara despised him while working on the film, he then explained to the publication that she was just shy, and actually harboured feelings for him too. 2016: They start dating after filming together again The couple starred together in 2016's Mary Magdelene Having been friends for several years, the pair became closer after filming 2016 film Mary Magdalene, with Mara playing the titular role and Phoenix playing Jesus. Speaking about the role, Phoenix told the New York Times Style magazine: I was looking for something meaningful. I was looking for an experience. I was friends with Rooney. After production wrapped, the pair started dating, according to W Magazine. 2017: The pair go public at Cannes The pair embraced publicly at Cannes / AFP via Getty Images Mara and Phoenix made their relationship red-carpet official when they sat together at the Cannes Film Festival, packing on the PDA with public embraces and hand-holding. Phoenixs New York Times Style interview, written by American Psycho author Bret Easton Ellis, also revealed he was living with Mara in the Hollywood Hills, with the pair keeping their relationship extremely low-key. The couple usually are asleep by 9pm and enjoy true-crime Netflix docs, wit the pair watching The Staircase at Maras insistence. 2019: Phoenix and Mara 'announce their engagement' Mara was spotted wearing a ring on her wedding finger / Getty Images Us Weekly confirmed the news the pair were due to tie the knot after Mara was spotted wearing a large diamond ring on that finger. Describing the pairs relationship, a source told the publication: They dont really like to go out. They mainly just like to be with each other as the two of them. Theyre in their own bubble. And while the happy twosome are so in love, the source continued there was no rush to walk down the aisle just yet. They think marriage is too mainstream, the insider added. 2019: The pair go on the Joker press tour together Mara accompanied Phoenix to the world premiere of Joker / AFP/Getty Images With Phoenix wowing audiences with the hotly-anticipated release for supervillain Joker, Mara joined her man on the promotional tour for the movie, attending Jokers official premiere, its debut at the Venice Film Festival (where Joker won Best Film) and the Toronto Film Festival. 2020: Mara and Phoenix take awards season The pair looked slick at the Academy Awards / AFP via Getty Images Joker saw Phoenix sweep awards season, being nominated for Best Actor for his powerhouse performance. The couple appeared to be in good spirits at the Golden Globes where Phoenix takes the trophy for Best Actor, and brought gothic glamour to the Oscars red carpet. 2020: Baby reports Page Six reported Mara was expecting / Getty Images Gossip magazine Page Six reported the couple were now expecting their first child together, with a source reporting that Mata had been spotted out wearing baggy clothing. Although the couple have always shied away from the limelight, the twosome were even more low-key than usual due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic seeing several countries placed on lockdown. 2020: The couple welcome their son River A number of reports suggested Phoenix and Mara welcomed a baby last month, with Gunda director Victor Kossakovsky saying Phoenix couldnt promote the film as he just welcomed baby River. River was also the name of Phoenixs older brother, who was a household name for roles in Stand By Me and My Own Private Idaho, before he died of a drug overdose aged just 23. The couple are yet to confirm the news officially themselves. Looking for something a little different to do? Something a little creative? Then check out Culture Days in St. Catharines. The event, which is celebrated across the country, has been expanded into a monthlong event in St. Catharines. It began Friday and will run until Oct. 25. The event is run by the arts and culture community and offers free activities. There are online and in-person activities, including painting workshops, drawing, illustration, performance and more. Online activities include art, theatre music, film and puppets. FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre is offering free socially distanced or online performances and film screenings. One of the activities offered Saturday was a socially distanced puppeteering workshop hosted by theatre company Carousel Players, held at Pearson Park in St. Catharines. After six months of lockdown measures and limited social contact, participants are more than happy to have a little fun outside. We are all in theatre, this is our little bubble. We love to create things, said Wendy Mackie who was there with two of her friends, life-sized puppet in tow. We are all community theatre people and everything is closed. We like to support any theatre that is doing anything. Its something to be outside and being in nature in a safe way. Monica Dufault, executive director of Carousel Players, said the company was looking for a way to engage the community during Culture Days outside. We thought of making bug puppets so people can be far apart and safe but still enjoy a live performance, she said. This is a participatory performance. We have put a tutorial on our website so people can build their own giant puppet at home and then come to the field and we are basically doing a puppet dance together. Circles large enough to fit a family and life-sized puppet were laid out on the ground about three metres apart. During the workshop, participants were taught how to make their puppets dance. We planned this before the new restrictions on outdoor gatherings so we have planned for 100 people. We had to, unfortunately, minimize that to 25 participants, said Dufault. Said Victoria Kyoto, as she waited for the workshop to begin, Theyve been very good at expressing all the protocols especially when the government came down with the harder rules. It put a kibosh on some of the plans they had but they adjusted, they adapted and obviously there are a lot people looking at participating and having a lot of fun today. Carousel Players is also hosting a scavenger hunt in downtown St. Catharines that runs the whole length of the event. We have partnered with nine different businesses and we have taken props and costumes and set pieces from our past 39 seasons of performing and we have put little displays in different shops downtown. There is a secret message that families can go and find all of the clues and put together the message and we have prizes for people who solve the message, you are entered into a draw. Or if you take pictures of yourself with some of the clues, you can send us your photos and well put all of photos we receive will be entered into the draw, said Dufault. For more information or a detailed list of upcoming events, visit Carousel Players Facebook Page, Culture Days in St. Catharines, or stcatharines.ca/en/experiencein/Culture-Days.asp. A woman passes by the Doosan sign in front of Doosan Tower in Seoul in June. / Yonhap By Kim Hyun-bin Doosan Group's restructuring measures are on track, raising hopes for the conglomerate to normalize management earlier than expected. It all comes down to whether Doosan Heavy Industries & Construction can put together the last piece of the puzzle and successfully sell its stake in Doosan Infracore to help the company obtain an additional 800 billion won for its self-rescue plan. Last March, Doosan Heavy received a cash injection of 3 trillion won from its creditors, including the Korea Development Bank (KDB), to cover its short-term debts worth 4.2 trillion won that need to be paid off within this year. Apart from Infracore, Doosan Heavy and its holding company are speeding up procedures to acquire 2.2 trillion won from asset sales by Doosan Group. Last week, Doosan Tower, which served as the group's symbol, finalized its selloff procedures in addition to the disposal of its Club Mow Country Club, Doosan Solus, Doosan Mottrol and Neoplux to normalize Doosan Heavy's management swiftly. Doosan Heavy seeks to acquire 1.3 trillion won from the issuance of new stocks in December, and with the disposal of Doosan Infracore many industry watchers believe the conglomerate will be able to pay back the 3 trillion won borrowed from creditors earlier than scheduled. "Doosan's restructuring has entered its last stages reducing the financial risks and uncertainties surrounding Doosan Heavy and Doosan Group," said Yang Ji-hwan, analyst at Daishin Securities. "If the disposal of Doosan Infracore is finalized, Doosan Group's restructuring measures could be complete." Doosan Heavy wholly owns Doosan Engineering, through which it holds 36 percent of Doosan Infracore's shares. Sales manager Credit Suisse held a preliminary bidding, Monday, for the 36 percent stake in Doosan Infracore, the estimated worth of which is between 800 billion won and 1 trillion won. Once Doosan Heavy becomes free from its creditors, it aims to transition into a green business through its gas turbine technology with the help of its key affiliate Doosan Fuel Cell's hydrogen fuel cell business. Doosan was fifth in the world to develop standardized gas turbines and plans to emphasize that as the company's new growth engine. The global gas turbine market was estimated at 97 trillion won in 2018, but that number is expected to double by 2035 with Doosan Heavy hoping to take a piece of the pie. Catherine Sagar couldnt find the kind of school she was looking for, so she decided to open her own. This year, she launched Discovery School of Innovation, a private school in The Woodlands, that uses the Texas TEKS curriculum but aims to be student-led learning with a focus on social-emotional wellness. Right now, the school is accepting kindergarten through fourth-grade students and plans to grow a grade each year through grade 12. Currently, the school has nine students, the oldest of which is in third grade, and two educators; Sagar herself and Jenessa Rivas, a kindergarten-first grade teacher and licensed school counselor. Sagar has taught internationally in Qatar and Singapore for several years and saw how education internationally differed from education in the United States. She saw a more student-led approach, letting students lead with curiosity, that she didnt see in the schools she worked at in the U.S. Its really teaching children to look at the world through a lens of inquiry, where theyre just explorers, theyre curious, they have a passion for learning, she said. It really carries over to their everyday life. For now, Discovery School of Innovation is located within the Xavier Academy off Grogans Park Drive in The Woodlands. With only nine students they can still all fit in one room, but as the school grows it will need to move to a more suitable location. Opening a private school in The Woodlands has been part of Sagars plan for several years, she said. I feel like my children were really privileged to have that experience overseas, because I also got to experience it as a parent, and they learned to be such open-minded citizens in general, Sagar said. The school takes a STREAM approach to education: science, technology, recreation, engineering, art, and math. The students spend a lot of time outdoors and take a lot of breaks because, as part of the recreation aspect, the students need to move around for their physical and mental health. While Sagar said the school uses the Texas TEKS curriculum, they follow the students lead while teaching. It was student-led curiosity that brought them to Zooming with German author Peter Wohlleben about his book, The Hidden Life of Trees. Sagar is in the process of getting DSI accredited through Cognia, an international education non-profit. In Texas, private schools are not required to be accredited. Looking ahead to the future of the school, she wants to keep the classes small, capping student capacity to around 11 to allow for more individual instruction. Tara Mullee has two sons in DSI, but this is not the first time she has known Sagar as a teacher. Sagar was her sons teacher at a previous school and Mullee noticed that he flourished in class under her care. When Sagar started Discovery, Mullee jumped at the chance to enroll both of her kids. Ive been really, really happy so far, Mullee said. Both my kids are coming home really excited and talking about what they learned. She lives near Tomball and recognizes that the local public school is a good one, but she is excited about DSI because of its smaller class sizes and the one-on-one attention her students get even while doing online learning. Both of her students have bonded well with their teachers and that relationship building is someone she wants people to know about DSI. Ronan Agard, a third-grader at DSI, loves the small class sizes. The extra attention and more personalized teaching he gets challenges him more than he used to be in larger classes, he said. Im always thinking about the next day, he said. I like this school the best of all the schools Ive been to. jamie.swinnerton@chron.com MUMBAI/NEW DELHI : Harley-Davidson, which is shuttering its only factory in India, is exploring the possibility of importing motorcycles from its unit in Thailand through a distributor that will handle sales and marketing across the country, said three of its existing dealers in India, requesting anonymity. The iconic American motorcycle maker meanwhile does not plan to renew contracts with its dealers in India who will henceforth be handled by the distributor, said the two people cited above, adding that the company has begun the process of scouting for the distributor. They said Harley-Davidson had appointed a bulk of the dealers almost a decade ago, on three-year contracts, subject to further renewals. As many as three Harley dealers confirmed that they were informed by the company that their current contracts will not be renewed and their future ties with the automaker will be decided by the new distributor. Once a national distributor is appointed and the company officially pulls out of India, it would be at the discretion of the distributor to decide the terms and conditions with the existing dealer partners," said one of the three mentioned above. Harley-Davidson dealers are apprehensive that the new distributor may not want to continue with 33 dealerships in India and, as a result, few of us may have to shut shop," the second person said. According to the dealers cited above, Harley-Davidson is actively mulling importing motorcycles from its Thailand-based unit after the closure of its manufacturing plant in Haryanas Bawal. This model would echo those of other premium bike makers, such as Triumph Motorcycles, Ducati and BMW Motorrad, in India. Emailed queries sent to Harley-Davidson headquarters in Milwaukee, US on Saturday remained unanswered until press time. Harley-Davidson announced on 24 September that it would downsize the global dealer network and discontinue sales and manufacturing operations in India. It came on the heels of years of declining sales that drove losses for the company in the worlds largest two-wheeler market. There are more than 1,700 Harley owners in Pune alone," said the first person. The company has told us to honour all customer contracts, including insurance, finance and extended warranty," he said. The company assured that business operations will continue but may be scaled down in response to muted demand. We understand that motorcycles will be imported directly from Thailand and Harleys office in Singapore will conduct the whole process. The arrangement will be similar to what Ducati has in India. However, we werent informed in all these months that the company is looking to shut shop in India. Hopefully, not all dealerships will close down," the second person added. Dealer partners said they had invested about 10 crore each in setting up a showroom, service bays, buying stock and hiring manpower. Several showrooms have downsized manpower, inventory, reduced display area and cut overheads to fight muted demand. Meanwhile, Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations of India (Fada), which had earlier helped its members claim compensation when General Motors and MAN Trucks had exited the domestic market, plans to consult a legal team this week and take the matter to relevant authorities. This is yet another example that substantiates why India must have a Franchise Protection Act like the one in the US. It is not limited to just one industry. Under this Act, brands exiting a certain market are still required to fulfil their duties towards their customers and investors," said Vinkesh Gulati, president, Fada. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. The Ontario Hospital Association is calling for a retreat to Stage 2 in the provinces hardest hit regions to curb the spread of COVID-19 and protect hospitals from becoming overwhelmed in the viruss second wave. The call to action came as Ontario reported a record single-day increase in new infections on Monday. Anthony Dale, president and CEO of the OHA, issued a stern warning saying restrictions are needed on bars, indoor dining and other congregate settings or non-essential businesses to keep schools open and prevent a further acceleration of infections. Jurisdictions around the world have shown how acute care capacity can be easily overwhelmed if the number of positive cases rises too sharply, Dale wrote in a public statement. While Canadas health system has many strengths, our capacity is limited, and we can no longer retain a false sense of security and belief that this will not happen to us. Hospital occupancy is rising in Ontario, with capacity created at the pandemics onset in the spring now filled, Dale said. The Star is offering free digital access on select COVID-19 stories. Misinformation is plentiful and dangerous and coronavirus news and knowledge evolves. Star reporters are working to bring you clarity, context and responsible facts. To help you get the information you need, articles that provide a public service will live outside our paywall. As of Monday, 128 COVID-19 patients are hospitalized. Of those, 29 are in the ICU, with 17 on ventilators, according to numbers provided by the province. Hospitalizations of COVID-19 patients peaked in early May at slightly more than 1,000. Ontarios hospitals have been the anchor of Ontarios pandemic response, opening assessment centres, conducting laboratory testing and deploying staff to assist in long-term care, Dale said. They are gravely concerned that the current rate of spread will mean that hospitals will be unable to fulfil these roles while delivering life-saving care. A return to Stage 2 comes at a serious cost to thousands of businesses and their employees, Dale added, however emerging evidence clearly illustrates that indoor settings like bars and restaurants have been significant drivers of rising COVID-19 cases, and their continued operation while restricting private gatherings sends a confusing message to the public. Increased restrictions are necessary for hospitals to cope with the second wave, said Doris Grinspun, CEO of the Registered Nurses Association of Ontario. We are now in a worse situation than the numbers we had at the height of the first wave, she said, adding that the RNAO predicted how overwhelming the pandemic could become. The association is totally on board with calls from the OHA to apply stricter measures to Toronto, the GTA and Ottawa, she said. We need to be more cautious than in the first round, not less. Grinspun said. Colin Furness, an epidemiologist with the University of Toronto, told the Star that while he doesnt feel a jump back to Stage 2 may be necessary yet, the closure of indoor dining and bars may be needed to curb spread of the virus. Furness explained that hospital admissions lag behind infections because people must become ill enough to need hospitalization first. You get infected, then theres an incubation period, then you get (the) illness, and then it gets worse and worse, and then you seek basic medical attention. So that can unfold over weeks, he explained. Since the key demographic for infections has shifted to those under 40, people are weathering their illnesses better, Furness said. While some young people will get sick enough to require a hospital stay, there is a double lag, because the virus will begin to move. The virus will tend to move from that healthy population that can bear it to people who cant. This trend was seen in northern Italy, where the virus moved through the countrys younger population before spreading to vulnerable seniors. It may take more than a couple of weeks for those hospital admissions to go way up, Furness said. Its a question of: at what point is the virus going to jump back into vulnerable populations from this really hearty, healthy population? MANCHESTER, N.H., Sept. 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Harvard Pilgrim Health Care announced today that close to 40 New Hampshire independent primary care practices will each receive $10,000 to assist with providing safe access to care for patients including the purchasing of necessary personal protective equipment (PPE), reconfiguring facilities to assist with physical distancing guidelines, support telehealth infrastructure, as well as other important necessary measures. Harvard Pilgrim has committed $3 million to support independent primary care practices in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Connecticut and Maine. This support is consistent with Harvard Pilgrim's mission to improve the quality and value of health care for the people and the communities it serves. The independent primary care practices Harvard Pilgrim is supporting are, on average, small and physician-owned, many with limited access to capital or other external support to assist them during the pandemic. While shortages of PPE have eased since the start of pandemic, many of these practices are forced to explore expensive avenues or use multiple vendors to purchase PPE, as the supply chain typically favors large health care systems with significant buying power. Additionally, many practices, especially those in rural communities, lack the resources and infrastructure to fully integrate telehealth into their practices. According to a study in the Annals of Internal Medicine, visits to primary care providers were declining prior to the pandemic, decreasing by close to 25% from 2008 to 2016. And a recent national survey of physician practices indicates at least 36% of primary practices are at risk of closure due to the financial implications of COVID-19. "Our financial support of these independent primary care practices is crucial, as many of our members, especially those with chronic medical conditions, utilize these practices as their only source of medical care," said Michael Carson, president and CEO of Harvard Pilgrim. "Without these practices, many patients, especially those living in rural communities, could have limited access to health care. Further, independent primary care practices are serving a critical role during the pandemic, testing patients for COVID-19, providing care for those living with the long-term effects of the virus, and in the future, administering the COVID-19 vaccine to patients when it is available." "These funds will help alleviate the unexpected and added costs of obtaining addition personal protective equipment, disinfecting and cleaning supplies, office physical restructuring and patient rescheduling," said Dennis Badman, MD, Wakefield Family Medicine in Wakefield, New Hampshire. "This has allowed us to remain open and available to our community, serving our mutual patients medical needs and helping to keep them local and out of ER's and Urgent Centers. Which has in turn helped in limiting exposures to COVID-19, along with helping to keep healthcare costs contained." Harvard Pilgrim previously announced that it provided over $40 million in financial advances to support the provider community throughout the region. Additionally, Harvard Pilgrim committed $3 million to support community health centers focusing on those providing care to predominately black and brown communities, as well as centers that provide care for vulnerable populations, to support equity and equality in accessing health care, and address health disparities. About Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Harvard Pilgrim and its family of companies provide health benefit plans, programs and services to more than 3 million customers in New England and beyond. A leading not-for-profit health services company, we guide our members and the communities we serve to better health. Founded by doctors over 50 years ago, we're building on our legacy. In partnership with our expansive network of doctors and hospitals, we're improving health outcomes and lowering costs through clinical quality and innovative care management. Our commitment to the communities we serve is driven by the passion of the Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Foundation. Through its work, low- and moderate-income families are gaining greater access to fresh, affordable food a cornerstone to better health and well-being. SOURCE Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Lucknow, Sep 28 : A gangster, who was being brought to Lucknow from Mumbai, died when the vehicle overturned after being hit by a 'nilgai' in Guna district in Madhya Pradesh. The accident took place on Sunday when a Lucknow Police team that had gone to Mumbai to arrest Feroz Khan from Nallasopara area in the Palghar district near Mumbai, was returning with the gangster. The vehicle in which the policemen were travelling with the criminal was hit by a 'nilgai' on the Gwalior-Betul national highway near Pakhriapura toll in Chanchoda. According to Lucknow Police Commissioner Sujit Pandey, Feroz Khan suffered serious injuries and was rushed to hospital, where doctors declared him dead. Four others, including two police personnel, were also injured and admitted to a hospital. They were discharged on Monday, the commissioner said. A resident of Bahraich district in Uttar Pradesh, Khan had several cases, including the Gangsters Act, against him. The body of the gangster has been sent to Bhopal for post-mortem. It will be brought to Bahraich either on Monday night or Tuesday morning, he added. New York (United Nations) 24 September 2020 (SPS)- The President of the Republic of Namibia, H.E. Dr. Hage Geingob, expressed his countrys continued support to the freedom of Western Sahara from Moroccan occupation, in his speech yesterday before the 75th UN General Assembly. The 17 interconnected Sustainable Development Goals and their promise to leave no one behind by 2030, ring hollow for the peoples of Palestine and Western Sahara, who still remain under occupation. They are left behind, Dr. Geingob regretted. As a nation that has experienced the outpouring of international solidarity during the dark days of our struggle for independence, we wish to express our continued support for the right to self-determination and freedom of the peoples of Palestine and of Western Sahara, he further stressed. He also expressed hope that the search for the UN Secretary-General Special Envoy for Western Sahara will be concluded very soon, in reference to the UN Secretary General failure so far to appoint a new Special Envoy after the resignation from the post of President Horst Kohler last May 2019. (SPS) 090/500/60 (SPS) Calls are mounting for action to be taken after a massive crocodile devoured a pet dog before it was spotted close to children. Cairns lifeguard Bob McPhail said he feared for people's safety after he saw the three-metre crocodile next to the Alamanda Great Barrier Reef Chapel, at Palm Cove, on the weekend. 'It could grab a child any day of the week, and I'm talking about a 13 or 14-year-old, we're here to protect people in the ocean but no one is backing me up,' he told The Courier Mail. Mr McPhail said a local doctor was walking his Staffordshire bull terrier at about 5.45am on September 23 when he lost site of the dog near the water's edge. 'There was a screeching, a barking, and then gone. The croc is as fat as a pig, it's got a full belly which is obviously the dog,' he said. A veteran lifeguard said he fears for people's safety after seeing a crocodile (pictured) only metres from children one day after it devoured a local doctor's pet dog The crocodile has already been reported but Mr McPhail said authorities told him it was within its natural habitat. He said it was 'crazy' the animal hadn't been relocated especially because the swim leg of a recent triathlon event was held nearby. 'How do you think I will feel if a five-year-old gets taken this afternoon and I've done nothing?' he said. A trap was set up in the waterway earlier this year but proved ineffective against the animal. It's believed the same crocodile attacked a cafe owner's pet Kelpie in April, leaving it with severe gashes, but alive. Mr McPhail said if the authorities didn't act soon it could 'get someone killed'. Daily Mail Australia has contacted the Department of Environment and Science for comment. Half a million sharks could be killed for their natural oil to produce coronavirus vaccines, according to conservationists. One ingredient used in some COVID-19 vaccine candidates is squalene, a natural oil made in the liver of sharks. Squalene is currently used as an adjuvant in medicine - an ingredient that increases the effectiveness of a vaccine by creating a stronger immune response. British pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline currently uses shark squalene in flu vaccines. The company said it would manufacture a billion doses of this adjuvant for potential use in coronavirus vaccines in May. Around 3,000 sharks are needed to extract one tonne of squalene. Shark Allies, a California-based group, suggests that if the world's population received one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine containing the liver oil, around 250,000 sharks would need to be slaughtered, depending on the amount of squalene used. If two doses are needed to immunise the global population, which is likely according to researchers, this would increase to half a million. To avoid threatening shark populations, scientists are testing an alternative to squalene - a synthetic version made from fermented sugar cane. Stefanie Brendl, founder and executive director of Shark Allies, said: "Harvesting something from a wild animal is never going to be sustainable, especially if it's a top predator that doesn't reproduce in huge numbers. "There's so many unknowns of how big and how long this pandemic might go on, and then how many versions of it we have to go through, that if we continue using sharks, the numbers of sharks taken for this product could be really high, year after year after year." According to estimates made by conservationists, around three million sharks are killed every year for squalene, which is also used in cosmetics and machine oil. There are fears that a sudden rise in demand for the liver oil could threaten populations and see more species become endangered as many species rich in squalene, such as the gulper shark, are already vulnerable. COLUMBIA, Miss. - Danielle Whittington teaches 40 fourth-grade students each day, but she has not met all of them in person. In her hybrid classroom, 15 are at home, and the rest are in school - and, she says, she is worried that the two groups are not getting the same education. For students at home, Whittington gets to school each morning at 6:30 to record 15-minute videos, which walk the remote learners through the day's online assignments. The students in class are with their teacher, who set up a green screen so they can practice being weather forecasters and who provides experiential lessons that students had come to expect before the coronavirus pandemic. Sometimes, a student will give her a hug. "Relationships are number one," she said. "I'm never going to push a child away." She said she is certain many of the students at home are alone, doing their work with no help from an adult. "They will be delayed," she said of the virtual learners. "They're not going to be as advanced as the kids that are sitting in this class." The dynamic in Whittington's classroom is being seen in schools across the country as districts attempt to keep students learning in the 2020-2021 academic year while the coronavirus pandemic persists. Each school system devised its own plan for learning, based on local and state requirements, and their choices reflect geography, community infection rates and the politics of state leaders. Many districts chose to teach all students remotely for a period of weeks or months as infections spread in their communities. Others, in places where fewer people were testing positive, are trying full in-person classes. Many others are doing a combination, offering both in-person and virtual learning so parents can choose. - - - In Mississippi, which as of Thursday had 96,032 confirmed and probable infections, and 2,894 deaths attributed to covid-19, almost all school districts are offering in-person classes, including the small Columbia district in Marion County. Since the school year began Aug. 6, there have been six confirmed covid-19 cases in students and one in a teacher. None was in the elementary school, according to Superintendent Jason Harris. About two-thirds of the families in the 1,624-student district, which is about 48% White and 47% Black, chose in-person classes. The number of remote learners has a similar racial divide. "They're fighting the fear, but they're doing it because they know this is the best possible education for them," Whittington said of the families who sent their children to school. Whittington's students who learn from home must check in by 8 a.m., each sending her a message so she knows they are logged on, but she may not be in touch with them again until students in the classroom leave for the day at 2 p.m. When they get on the bus, she is available to the virtual learners to answer their questions. "It's controlled chaos," she said. "It's like a family group with half of your family missing so you feel like half of your kids are deployed." At night, she responds to parent emails - but she doesn't have Internet access at home, so she parks her car on the highway where she can get a signal. She is "absolutely positive that there are children by themselves at home" throughout the school day. "We all know that some of these kids are sitting at home by themselves, some of them do not have parents that are equipped or feel equipped to educate them and follow along. You have some parents who are right on top of things and are sending stuff in that you're not even asking for, and then you've got some parents that you can't get on the phone." - - - While high school students in the Columbia district who have chosen remote learning have live instruction, elementary students do not. Whittington said she and other teachers were concerned about the possibility of giving live access to elementary classrooms and not knowing who was watching. The decision was a matter of safety, she said. She sometimes records herself teaching to send the next morning to the remote students. But as a result, the experience is very different for the two groups of students. The fourth-grade class is divided into two rooms, and the students remain there, at desks spaced an arm's length apart, while Whittington moves back and forth to teach reading, language arts and social studies. Lindsey Lucas does the same to teach math and science. Whittington's class is currently learning about weather, and the topic runs through all of her lessons. She has set up a green screen for students to stand in front of and practice telling the weather before a meteorologist comes in for a talk and in-person demonstration. While "forecast" is a vocabulary word for both sets of students, the ones at home are not feeling and experiencing what those in the classroom are. The same is true with the lesson on space. Whittington used mementos and space memorabilia from her father, who once worked for NASA. The students in the classroom were able to see astronaut patches and a flag that had been to space (although, with the pandemic, they were not passing the items around). "I can show [remote learners] pictures all day long, but it's not the same as being in the classroom and being able to build off the excitement of their classmates," she said. Virtual learning "doesn't make the impact that it needs to, but it's the best in a not-great situation to continue to make sure that these kids are being instructed," she said. During individual reading lessons with students, tucked away in a corner of the room, Whittington wears a face shield over her mask and allows the student to take off their mask. When they put their mask back on, she takes hers off but still wears the shield. It's the only way she has figured out to effectively teach them while keeping a barrier. She needs to see their lips move, and they need to see hers. With a mask on, she said, it's impossible for her students to get the full benefit of the instruction they need. Fighting back tears, she said, "Teachers at this school are not here for the money, I promise you that. Mississippi teachers get paid less than any other state there is, so when we are here, we are here for these kids." As she talked, a child came up and wrapped her arms around Whittington's waist. Whittington returned the gesture, enveloping the child in a side hug. Unlike in many schools in the state, all students, even kindergartners, are given a laptop at the beginning of the school year, so when doors closed in the spring and everyone was sent home, at least they had the devices. However, as a fourth-grade teacher, Whittington must now go over what her students should have learned at the end of their third-grade year, while they were working from home. "There's such a wide learning gap right now," she said. "That can't be negated, and we're having to go back over those several months that they missed." The district put safety measures in place in an effort to keep students and faculty as safe as possible. Before students or faculty enter the building, their temperature is taken three times in a row to ensure an accurate reading. Hand sanitizer stations sit at the end of each hallway. Yellow wildcats, the school's mascot, are painted four feet apart on the floor to encourage social distancing. High-touch surface areas are cleaned every 30 minutes, and a cleaning crew comes regularly. The cafeteria is closed, and children eat lunch in their classroom, the only time they're collectively allowed to take their masks off. Over a school-provided lunch of chili cheese fries, corn and chocolate milk recently, the children in Whittington's classroom were repeatedly reminded to look forward while they ate. "It makes me very nervous," she said. "I tell them all the time, 'If you're going to spit on somebody, it's going to be the back of their head.' " Whittington said the spring was a "mock situation" for the fall. She advocated for schools to reopen this year, serving on both the Columbia School District committee and state advisory committee, giving her opinion on safeguards and procedures from a teacher's perspective. "I have a healthy fear of covid, but I also know, for a lot of these children, school is the safest environment for them, and this is considering everything, physically, emotionally, mentally," she said. "There's a lot of kids that we don't know what happens when they go home every day, that this is their source of food, their source of comfort, it's where they're treated with respect. I was a firm believer that we needed to come back to school." - - - Fowler is a freelance journalist based in Jackson, Miss. NPPs Effiduase/Asokore constituency Chairman, Mr. Osei Adiyiah has described President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo as a listening leader for his swift response to sack the District Chief Executive (DCE) for Sekyere East, Mary Boatemaa Marfo. The constituency executives of NPP cannot thank the listening President enough for coming to the aid of the constituency in such crucial moment in our quest to fulfilling our promises to him on the agenda 90/90 movement, he said in a statement copied to Peacefmonline.com. Sekyere East DCE sacked for plotting MPs defeat The District Chief Executive (DCE) for Sekyere East at Effiduase in the Ashanti Region, Mary Boatemaa Marfo, was sacked from her post. In a letter written by a Deputy Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Kwasi Boateng Adjei, the decision by the President, in accordance with Article 243(3)(b) of the 1992 Constitution, takes immediate effect. This comes after she was reportedly heard on a leaked tape plotting the defeat of the Member of Parliament for Effiduase/Asokore constituency, Dr. Nana Ayew Afriyie. Background The District Chief Executive for Sekyere East at Effiduase in the Ashanti Region is reported to have vowed to work against the NPP in the constituency in the 2020 election. In a leaked audio, the DCE is heard in a conversation with a party member saying that she will do all she can to frustrate voters, thereby, reducing the votes of the NPP and the MP, Dr Nana Ayew Afriyie. Me l will not tell you who to vote for, it in your head but we will reduce the votes so that the President will see that Ayew Afriyie is a nobody, she is heard in the leaked audio. Source: Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video When we were growing up in the 1960s, TEA was the generic name for all beverages prepared with hot water. Probably, this has not changed much. So people talk of coffee tea, milo tea etc. Indeed, in a current advert on This way Chocolate Drink, a landlord doubled rents after accusing his tenants of refusing to give him some chocolate for his hot water to make tea. Pepsodent Similarly, Pepsodent has been the primus inter pares of toothpastes although Signal, Colgate and others were/are available. So one heard of Signal pepsodent and colgate pepsodent etc. Mentholatum Like tea and pepsodent, in the world of soothing balms for aches, Mentholatum was the name for all the others like Robb and Zorro. One I will never forget is Thermogen simply pronounced tomogin! I wonder if the manufacturer added pepper to it. When a little was first applied on me for a childhood prank, it felt like fire! So, in the 1970s when a colleague asked if I had Robb, I told him I did not have Robb but I had Zorro. He immediately asked me to bring it, as Robb and Zorro are all Mentholatum, not realizing the hilarious effect of his use of the balm names. The value is the same A popular Ghanaian terminology is the value is the same. In comparing similar things, it refers to form being often more important than content. So whether it is milo tea or coffee tea or indeed tea tea, the value is the same in that, it is a hot beverage. Like beverages, balms and toothpastes, Ghana has over one-hundred tribes! We cannot all come from one tribe, but we are all Ghanaians. Birth I wonder maybe absurdly, if any Ghanaian, before he/she was born, made any input into his/her birth. If not, why should the accident of where a Ghanaian is born be the basis for conflict? Does it matter which regional capital or village one was born? Indeed, in some countries, ones home-town is where one is born. There are no trappings of tribe! Ghana passport I daresay if it were possible, some Ghanaians would have chosen to be born in more exotic places than Ghana where tribe is not an issue! So why the fuss about where a Ghanaian comes from? Whichever tribe one is born into, the value is the same. That is why we carry passports of the Republic of Ghana. I am yet to hear of any of the exponents of tribe/tribalism say he/she carries the passport of his/her tribe. Achievement Again, for the achievement-conscious Ghanaians with scant respect for others of lesser achievement in their estimation, as Denzel Washington said, it is not so much what one achieves in life that matters, but how such achievement lifts society up! It is what legacy one leaves behind which is important. Hitler, Mussolini, Iddi Amin etc certainly had relatives. How many proudly claim their ancestry with them? While some names are etched in gold not only in Ghana, but all over Africa and the world, some will only be remembered for negative reasons. Ramaphosa South African President Ramaphosa recently asked his countrymen/women to join the worldwide acknowledgement of South African DJ Master KGs song Jerusalema. Meanwhile Ghanaians are busy tearing one another apart in all fields and directions using intemperate language. We even denigrate our own while extolling the virtues of non-Ghanaians! Chaka Ssali In a TV programme early 2020 soon after the death of former Kenyan President Arap Moi, veteran Ugandan broadcaster Chaka Ssali interviewed two prominent Kenyans. Appalled as they were with President Arap Mois bad human rights record, they did not slander him to the whole world. They strongly condemned him for that, but in very civil language. They did not declare other countries presidents greater than him. Chaka Ssali concluded the interview with the humbling question Who is Perfect? The story of those who accused a woman of adultery and demanded she be stoned, being asked to cast the first stone came to mind. Nobody could! Probably, we all have skeletons in our cupboards! So, lets show humility and stop pontificating! Conclusion Attacking persons/tribes is not good for Ghana. We went to secondary school with Ghanaians from all parts of Ghana. In our sixties and seventies now, we are solidly bound as brothers and sisters. We argue passionately at meetings but never about tribe. We simply dont know it. As President Ramaphosa projected Master KGsJerusalema, let us project Ghana. For, whether our tribe is Robb-Nzima, Zorro-Gonja, Tomogin-Ewe or Mentholatum-Ashanti, the value is the same Ghanaian! As Chaka Ssali asked, who is prefect? Fellow Ghanaians, WAKE UP! Brig Gen Dan Frimpong (Rtd) Former CEO, African Peace Support Trainers Association Nairobi, Kenya [email protected] Source: Brig Gen Dan Frimpong (Rtd)/ [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 A lorry driver has admitted causing the deaths of two men in a collision on a stretch of smart motorway. Jason Mercer, 44, and Alexandru Murgeanu, 22, died when a lorry ploughed into their stationary vehicles on the M1 near Sheffield on June 7 last year. Prezemyslaw Zbigniew Szuba, 40, admitted two counts of causing death by driving without due care and attention when he appeared at Sheffield Magistrates' Court. He will be sentenced next month. Since her husband's death, Mr Mercer's wife Claire has mounted a prominent campaign against smart motorways and the case has become a leading example in the ongoing debate over the safety of these roads in the UK. Jason Mercer, 44, was killed just 15 minutes after saying goodbye to his wife Claire, 43, when a HGV ploughed into him after he had to stop on a stretch of Smart Motorway on the M1 near Sheffield Alexandru Mergeanu, 22, was also killed in the northbound M1 accident. He was exchanging insurance information with Jason when they were hit Susan Fisher, prosecuting, told the court how Mr Mercer, from Rotherham, and Mr Murgeanu, from Mansfield, had been involved in a 'minor bump' on the northbound carriageway of the motorway, between junctions 34 and 35, and had stopped in the slow lane. She said Szuba's Mercedes HGV 'ploughed into both vehicles'. Ms Fisher said the lorry was not speeding and there was no suggestion that the defendant had been drinking or was on drugs. She said: 'From the Crown's perspective, the defendant has simply not seen the vehicles that have stopped and not slowed down sufficiently.' HGV driver Prezemyslaw Zbigniew Szuba, 40, admitted two counts of causing death by driving without due care and attention when he appeared at Sheffield Magistrates' Court (stock image of the M1) Nicola Hale, defending, said her client had only just joined the motorway at junction 34 and 'it was only for a matter of seconds that the (stationary) vehicles were visible'. She said the evidence in the case showed Szuba was driving 'normally' and well within the speed limit just before the crash. Deputy District Judge Michelle Jeffreys ruled that, as the likely outcome would be more than six months in prison, the sentencing had to be by a crown court judge. Bearded Szuba, 40, of Adelaide Street, Hull, sat in the dock wearing a blue suit, pink shirt and a grey-and-black tie. He spoke only to confirm his name, date of birth and address as well as to enter his guilty pleas. Szuba was given unconditional bail and told he will be sentenced at Sheffield Crown Court on October 19. The controversial statement of newly appointed Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha president Tejasvi Surya on Sunday that Bengaluru had become the epicentre of terror activities and that is the reason why the home ministry had agreed to sanction a new National Investigative Agency office in the city, has kicked off a political storm. KPCC President D K Shivakumar hit out at Surya saying that while Bengaluru had been known as a city of technological innovation responsible for export of 34 per cent of the countrys IT services, Suryas statement that it was an epicentre of terror was condemnable. GDP growth has crashed. With such statements who will come and invest in Bengaluru and Karnataka? Will PM and FM answer? he asked. However, chief minister Yediyurappa chose to downplay Suryas comment saying, He said in the sense that in Bengaluru terror activities these days, are more. The CM went on to add that the government had been demanding an NIA division for the state and said that the new division would help in curbing terror activities. I congratulate the PM for agreeing to this. Surya had made the statement citing the recent Bengaluru riots in DJ Halli and KG Halli in which three people were killed and several people including policemen had been hurt after violence due to an alleged insult to the prophet of a religion. Investigations are ongoing in the case and nearly 370 people have been arrested in the violence with more than 65 FIRs registered. The social media in-charge of JD(S) Prathap Kangal too hit out at Surya tweeting, Dear Bengaluru South, you elected this clown! Now sit back relax and enjoy his circus! Kangal was referring to the fact that Surya represents the Bengaluru South Lok Sabha seat in Parliament. The Congress has demanded that the BJP sack Surya from the party for besmirching Bengaluru and Karnatakas reputation. Governments announce go-ahead for Cancun projects Cancun, Q.R. The Secretary of Finance and Public Credit, Arturo Herrera Gutierrez stated that there will be three priority projects for Quintana Roo in 2021, which will serve for economic reactivation through public works. Herrera Gutierre, the Secretario of Hacienda and Credito Publico of the Government of Mexico says 44 billion peso will be allocated in the coming year for projects Laguna Nichupte, sections 4, 5 and 6 of the Mayan Train and the Parque de la Equidad. The Federal Secretary of Finance recalled that in 2019, resources were granted to Quintana Roo from the Metropolitan Fund to carry out public lighting work in Isla Mujeres. In January 2020, they talked about the Nichupte Lagoon project and over the weekend, they announced funding for the projects of Benito Juarez (Cancun). The impact (of the pandemic) began to be felt when the United States and Canada closed their borders, not only when the activity in Mexico ceased. That means no state had such a serious and delicate impact as Quintana Roo had, which is why we need these projects we are talking about to start as soon as possible because they translate into jobs, said Herrera Gutierrez. Regarding the Maya Train, the state governor said that more stations will be built. The train has its largest number of stations and Quintana Roo, between sections 4, 5 and 6, has the largest number of the trains routes, so it was important to see it directly, said Carlos Joaquin, Governor of Quintana Roo. Now there are new projects financed with the same fund such as the Parque de la Equidad in Cancun, drainage in Chetumal, as well as hydraulic water projects in Othon P. Blanco and Cozumel, he added. He reported that apart from an economic reactivation due to the construction of the Nichupte Lagoon bridge, the bridge work is going forward. Now what has to be built is a timetable where the responsibilities of both the federation and the state are clear. Since 2006, it has been discussed. It is a project that has many virtues. It will generate jobs, clear traffic problems and ensure a favorable environmental impact. The number of trips saved will be 22 million kilometers per year and 5,000 tons less of emitted carbon dioxide a year, he explained. In addition, the bridge will also favor Civil Protection because now, there is only one entrance and one exit to the Cancun hotel zone. Money for the Parque de la Equidad in Cancun was approved September 18. The 203 million peso set aside for the project means work can begin as soon as possible. The 2 billion peso earmarked for the Nichupte Lagoon will come from the National Infrastructure Fund (Fonadin). Prue Leith attends a photocall during the Edinburgh International Book Festival 2019 on August 10, 2019 in Edinburgh, Scotland. (Photo by Simone Padovani/Awakening/Getty Images) Prue Leith has revealed she tried LSD when she was younger, but suffered such horrific hallucinations she never did it again. The Great British Bake Off judge told of dabbling with the hallucinogenic drug in the 1960s in a candid recent interview. Speaking on LBC, she said: It was the sixties, there were a lot of drugs around.We [Prue and her first husband, author Rayne Kruger] used to smoke a bit of pot, not all the time and not a lot, but we did. And one day, we did take acid, only once, and I must tell you, it was the most appalling experience Ive ever had. Watch: 'Pineapple-Upside-Down-Gate' rocked The Great British Bake Off Describing the experience, she went on: I had absolute horrific hallucinations. I couldnt look at [Ray] because he turned into a kind of monster, and my arms, the flesh dripped off them. There was just bones left. Read more: Bake Off bubble bursts for first series 11 contestant It just shows what an extraordinary imagination I must have. Matt Lucas joined Prue Leith, Paul Hollywood and Noel Fielding for the new series of 'The Great British Bake Off'. (Mark Bourdillon/Channel 4) Read more: Bake Offs biggest controversies The star added the hallucinations stayed with her for decades after the incident occurred. She added: Id have nightmares. And when I woke up, nothing would look like I knew it ought to look. It would be wobbly or strange or growing and sinking and shrinking and expanding. And right until, I suppose, my sixties, I would still sometimes wake up in the night and, I felt like I could see the air, you know? Leith, 80, is currently starring in the eleventh series Bake Off, which returned to screens last week. Watch: Matt Lucas mocks Boris Johnson The first episode was kicked off with a Boris Johnson skit from new presenter Matt Lucas. The former Little Britain star was cast to replace Sandi Toksvig who announced she was quitting earlier this year. GBBO continues on Channel 4 on Tuesday, 30 September from 8pm. Bigg Boss Marathi Season 1 hosted by Mahesh Manjrekar is currently being aired on Colors Marathi. The re-run of the first season of Marathi Bigg Boss is indeed a nostalgic moment for fans as it was loved by all. Apart from that, the contestants of BB Marathi have also become popular amongst the masses. Amidst all, one of the finalists of the show, Sai Lokur caught everyone's attention with her latest Instagram post. The Marathi actress is all set to begin a new chapter in her life as she recently confirmed her relationship status on social media. Taking to Instagram, Sai shared a photo with her beau in which she hid his identity. The Bigg Boss Marathi finalist wrote, "I have every reason to believe that matches are made in heaven. And I finally found mine... #inlove."In the photo, one can see the adorable couple with their back to the camera. The diva kept her boyfriend's identity a secret, however, fans are waiting for Sai to introduce the love of her life. Soon after Sai posted the picture on Instagram, her fans started posting congratulatory messages in the comment section. Notably, Bigg Boss Marathi Season 1's winner and Sai's dear friend Megha Dhade congratulated her for the new beginning and commented, "Congratulations to both of you.... I am superrrrrrr Happy." Apart from her, another finalist of the reality show, Sharmishta Raut also congratulated her. The Chi Va Chi Sau Ka actress wrote, "Congratulations...I know him..." Also Read : Bigg Boss Marathi 2 contestant Abhijit Bichukale To Re-enter House After Serving Jail Time Meanwhile, Sai Lokur is currently in her hometown Belgaum with her parents. She has worked in several Marathi films such as Aamhich Tumche Bajirao, No Entry Pudhe Dhoka Aahey, Parambi and so on. She also made her Bollywood debut opposite Kapil Sharma with Kis Kisko Pyaar Karoon (2015). Also Read : Bigg Boss Marathi 3 Cancelled Due To Salman Khan's Bigg Boss 14? Bir Lehlou (Saharawi Republic) 27 September 2020 (SPS)- Saharawi government condemned in a press release issued Today, the Moroccan Prime Ministers falsehoods and fabrications before the 75th UN General Assembly, calling on the UN Security Council to assume its responsibilities in the decolonization of Western Sahara. Following is the complete text of the Press Release, of which SPS received a copy: Government of the Sahrawi Republic (SADR) PRESS RELEASE Bir Lehlou The Government of the Sahrawi Republic (SADR) has taken note of the pre-recorded statement made yesterday by the head of government of the Moroccan occupying state during the General Debate of the UN General Assembly. The statement added nothing new in terms of both form and content, and it simply echoed the same worn-out discourse with a strong tone of intransigence and defiance of international legality and the resolutions of the United Nations (UN) and the African Union (AU) coupled with the continued espousal of the policy of occupation and expansionism. The Government of the Sahrawi Republic (SADR) condemns in the strongest terms the falsehoods and fabrications contained in the statement of the head of government of the Moroccan occupying state whose main objective is to mislead the international community about the legal nature of the Western Sahara question through a selective and reductive reading of Security Council resolutions, and to delude public opinion with some perceptions and illusions that exist only in the imagination of the Moroccan expansionist regime. The Government of the Sahrawi Republic (SADR) also strongly condemns the misrepresentations contained in the Moroccan statement regarding the Saharawi-Moroccan conflict, which represent another example of the ploy of blaming others to which the Moroccan regime always resorts in order to hide its failures and its inherent inferiority complex and to continue diverting the attention of its public opinion from the regimes deep-rooted structural crisis. The Western Sahara question is a decolonisation issue on the agenda of the United Nations General Assembly since 1963, which recognises the inalienable right of the Sahrawi people to self-determination and independence in accordance with UN General Assembly resolution 1514 (XIX) containing the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples. To enable the Sahrawi people to exercise their legitimate right to self-determination and independence through a free, fair and impartial referendum, the UN Security Council established, under its authority, the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) in April 1991 based on the acceptance by the two parties to the conflict, the Frente POLISARIO and Morocco, of the Settlement Plan elaborated jointly by the United Nations and the Organisation of African Unity (OAU). The international community bears witness to the many obstacles put by the Moroccan occupying regime in the way of the implementation of the UN-OAU Settlement Plan since the beginning and then its rejection of the self-determination referendum and its subsequent desperate attempts to propose some stillborn solutions. Morocco has done all this because it fears the free choice of the Sahrawi people, and thus it seeks to prevent our people from having the last word and confirming their legitimate national choice, which was announced to the whole world on 27 February 1976 by proclaiming the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) as the embodiment of the aspiration of our people for freedom and full independence. The time has come for the Moroccan regime to realise that italong with its supporterscannot turn the wheel of history backwards. The Sahrawi Republic (SADR) is an irreversible national, regional and international reality. The Moroccan occupying state was forced to to sit along with the SADR under the same roof of the African Union after Morocco signed and ratified the AU Constitutive Act, without any reservations, thus placing on record its official recognition of the AUs fundamental principles including respect for the borders existing on achievement of independence and the prohibition of the use of force or threat to use force among Member States of the Union. The statement of the Moroccan regime therefore is nothing but a discordant note that cannot eclipse the resounding statements made by several Heads of State and Government during the General Assembly General Debate who expressed their strong and unwavering support for the right of the Sahrawi people to self-determination and independence and called on the United Nations and the Security Council to exert more efforts to end the Moroccan illegal occupation of parts of Western Sahara. The intransigence of the Moroccan occupying regime manifest in its statement before the UN General Assembly proves once again that the regime is still unwilling to abide by the resolutions of the United Nations and the African Union on the need to find a peaceful, just and lasting solution to the decolonisation question of Western Sahara, the last colony in Africa. The persistence of the Moroccan regime in rejecting a peaceful solution is a serious threat to the efforts deployed of the United Nations and represents a blatant defiance of the authority of the Security Council, which must assume its full responsibility for the maintenance of peace and security in the region. In this context, the Government of the Sahrawi Republic (SADR) recalls that the Moroccan occupying state would not have dared to persist in its intransigence and defiance of international legality without the explicit support it receives from some international parties, notably France, which also bear responsibility for the consequences of the reckless actions of the Moroccan regime that could increase tension and instability in the whole region. (SPS) 090/500/60 (SPS) The following are arrests the Danbury Police Department reported to have made last week: A 19-year-old Beckett Street man was charged with first-degree criminal trespass, third-degree criminal mischief and disorderly conduct. A 32-year-old woman from Naugatuck was charged with third-degree assault. Sept. 21 A 22-year-old man from New Milford was charged with risk of injury to child, third-degree assault, sixth-degree larceny, interfering with an officer and breach of peace. A 25-year-old woman from Bridgeport was charged with sixth-degree larceny. Sept. 22 A 40-year-old Morris Street man was charged with improper parking and operating a motor vehicle with a refused, suspended or revoked license or registration. A 44-year-old Grove Place woman was charged with sixth-degree larceny. A 60-year-old Memorial Drive woman was charged with first-degree criminal trespass, disorderly conduct and violation of a protective order. An 18-year-old Harmony Street man was charged with threatening and disorderly conduct. A 32-year-old Bennett Place man was charged with home invasion, first-degree kidnapping, unlawful discharge of a firearm, third-degree assault, first-degree threatening, reckless endangerment and disorderly conduct. Read more here. Sept. 23 A 31-year-old Mill Ridge man was charged with third-degree strangulation, third-degree assault and disorderly conduct. A 24-year-old South Avenue man was charged with third-degree strangulation, third-degree assault and disorderly conduct. A 39-year-old Bank Street man was charged with threatening and risk of injury to child. A 60-year-old Memorial Drive woman was charged with violation of a protective order. A 52-year-old Clearbrook Road man was charged with first- and second-degree failure to appear. Sept. 24 A 30-year-old Main Street man was charged with third-degree strangulation, third-degree assault and disorderly conduct. A 36-year-old Indian Head Road man was charged with operating a motor vehicle with a refused, suspended or revoked license or registration. A 49-year-old Nabby Road woman was charged with sixth-degree larceny. A 28-year-old man from New Milford was charged with violation of probation/conditional discharge. Sept. 25 A 28-year-old Town Hill Avenue man was charged with second-degree unlawful restraint, second-degree strangulation, interfering with an emergency call, disorderly conduct and risk of injury to child. A 25-year-old man from New Fairfield was charged with risk of injury to child, third-degree assault, disorderly conduct, assault on a public safety officer, breach of peace and making a false statement. A 19-year-old Eden Drive woman was charged with second-degree criminal mischief, breach of peace and third-degree assault. A 38-year-old Mill Plain Road woman was charged with evading responsibility. An 18-year-old Scuppo Road man was charged with breach of peace. Sept. 26 A 20-year-old Dean Street man was charged with possession of a controlled substance, disorderly conduct and threatening. A 23-year-old Rose Lane man was charged with possession of a controlled substance and use of drug paraphernalia. Chief Minister on Monday hailed the contributions made by COVID-19 warriors in the fight against the pandemic, saying that their role is unprecedented in the history of humanity. Attending a programme to honour COVID-19 warriors in Bhopal, he said, "In their efforts to save lives, several doctors lost their lives, paramedical staff got infected, some of whom sacrificed their lives in the line of duties as also some policemen. I join my hands before you and thank you for services to humanity, which are unprecedented. "These corona warriors are saving lives for the last six months. Those who save lives can be compared to God. It is because of them that we are able to fight against the pandemic. The only vaccine for COVID-19 is the mask," he added. In Madhya Pradesh, the total number of COVID-19 cases have gone up to 1,22,209. The number of active cases stands at 22,431. While 97,571 cases remain active, 2,207 have lost their lives in the state due to the pandemic, the Union health ministry said. Meanwhile, the country's COVID-19 tally crossed the 60-lakh mark with a spike of 82,170 new cases and 1,039 deaths reported in the last 24 hours, according to the Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry on Monday. As per the Ministry, India's tally stands at 60,74,703 including 9,62,640 active cases. The number of cured and discharged or migrated patients is currently at 50,16,521, apart from 95,542 deaths due to the disease. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) DANBURY About 1,800 gallons of oil spilled into the Sympaug Brook Monday. The state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection is overseeing clean-up of the brook, which flows into the Still River. The spill was caused by a hose failure at a manufacturing facility owned by Stanley Engineered Fastening at 4 Shelter Rock Lane. Around 1,800 gallons of waste oil with metals was assumed lost, DEEP said. Some of the oil was recovered from secondary containment, while some was released into the brook, leaving it a milky-white color, the department said. Stanley has taken responsibility for the clean-up and hired Moran Environmental Recovery and Fuss & ONeill to assist. The Danbury Health Department also assessed the impact. Though the impacted area is not believed to be an active area for recreation, the health department is recommending that fishing, bathing, or recreational activities do not occur in the affected areas until remediation is complete, DEEP said. DEEP said it will continue to assess the situation. The requested page is currently unavailable on this server. Back to [RTHK News Homepage] Initially, one of the board artists for the upcoming animated Netflix film Over the Moon sketched the main character Fei Feis parents kissing. But Peilin Chou, the films producer, wasnt going to let that slide for a movie so heavily drawn from Chinese culture, where affection between parents is not expressed in such a way, especially in front of the children. I was like, Oh my God, I've never seen my parents kiss my entire life!, Chou, who herself is an immigrant from Taiwan, told NBC Asian America. Needless to say, the gesture was axed from the film. Depicting emotions through an Asian lens was critical in ensuring authentic Asian representation in the film, Chou said. The animation, steeped in Chinese lore, took great lengths to ensure depictions of love didnt default to the Western expressions people typically expect to see in Hollywood movies. The characters Father, voiced by John Cho, Fei Fei, voiced by Cathy Ang, and Mother, voiced by Ruthie Ann Miles, in a scene from Netflix's So much of the movie centers around the love of this family, and also, kind of how Fei Fei becomes closed off after loss and needs to figure out how to open her heart again and connect with that love, Chou said. So it was super important that what it was she was trying to connect with felt really real. Over the Moon, which premieres on Oct. 23, boasts an all-Asian cast that includes some big names including Sandra Oh, Ken Jeong, Margaret Cho and John Cho. It follows Fei Fei on her quest to meet the mythical Moon Goddess, Change. The goddess, whose story remains the legend behind the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival, lives on the moon, yearning to reunite with her other half, the archer Hou Yi. While more obvious forms of Chinese culture appear in the film, like the legend of the Moon Goddess itself and family feasts around a lazy Susan, Chou said the team incorporated more subtle nods to the heritage. For example, while Fei Fei has many emotional scenes with her father in which the two share bonding moments, neither explicitly say I love you, Chou said. And the grandmother shows her warmth and affection in ways that Asian American viewers will likely pick up on. Story continues OVER THE MOON (Netflix) The grandmother is concerned with if she [Fei Fei] is eating enough and there's a bit of criticism there, Chou said with a laugh. That kind of that familial type of love. These moments, Chou said, are not really something you can research and require those of Asian descent and their lived experiences on board to create something believable. Its also why she believes that it was necessary to cast voice actors of Asian descent as well, even though their faces wouldnt appear before us. Even though you're not seeing these actors on screen, these actors are embodying the soul of these characters and who they are, Chou said. Philippa Soo, who is half Chinese and plays Change, she talks a lot about, for example, when she embodies the role, how much it was influenced by growing up knowing the myth. Culturally, growing up in that kind of family just really informed what she brought to the role. Chou added, It's not the same if you're a white person from Cleveland, Ohio, and you are supposed to play a Chinese moon goddess. I don't know how you connect with that in anywhere near the same way, Cathy Ang, who voices Fei Fei, said that playing a character who shares her heritage was a similarly profound experience for her. I actually haven't played a Chinese character until Over the Moon, and I didn't realize how different it would be. I just get to be myself. Completely myself. It's a huge privilege to share my culture through art, she said. And I'm working with my Asian American and Pacific Islander idols artists who I look up to for their creativity as well as the work they do for our community. The entire movie-making process has been a celebration of Asian culture, and it fills me with a pride that every AAPI person should feel. For both Chou and Ang, the movie signified a sort of reclamation over an age-old fable that the two had grown up with. Chou jokes that growing up, she wouldve given my left arm to be a blond-haired, blue-eyed girl, informed by all the particularly strong blonde chick representations on screen. But making a movie with such powerful Asian characteristics can create a narrative of pride for young Asian Americans today. It certainly helped me to appreciate the traditions my parents brought with them to America now I am more grateful for our moments around a lazy Susan, and all the opportunities that my parents gave me to grasp onto our roots, Ang said. But Ang said that the film has also made her realize that identity is somewhat of an amorphous concept, unable to be rigidly defined. As she put it, there's always more for us to explore about Asian and Asian American identities. (Natural News) Following the recent death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the political sphere has been abuzz with speculation about who might be nominated to replace her, either immediately by President Trump or later on with Joe Biden potentially at the helm. But Biden has indicated that he will not be releasing the names of any of his potential nominees before the election, probably because they are too radical. While claiming that Trump replacing Ginsburg before the Nov. 3 election would represent an abuse of power, Biden refused to even hint at who he might choose as her replacement, insisting that it must wait until after peoples ballots are cast. At the same time, Biden has issued a public plea for Senate Republicans to hold off on voting any nominated candidate into Ginsburgs vacant seat. This follows an announcement by Trump that he is already compiling a list of females, one of whom will more than likely be nominated by the Senate before the election. We cant ignore the cherished system of checks and balances, Biden stated, calling the presidents plan to replace Ginsburg before the election an exercise of raw political power. That includes this whole business of releasing a list of potential nominees that I would put forward, Biden added to a very small crowd gathered to support him in Philadelphia. More of the latest news about the passing of Ruth Bader Ginsburg can be found at DemonicTimes.com. Biden says he would only nominate Supreme Court candidates with consent of both Democrats and Republicans As you may recall, then-candidate Trump released the names of his potential nominees before being elected back in 2016, which is considered to have been an unprecedented move at the time. That announcement followed the death of Antonin Scalia, which occurred earlier that same year in February. Its no wonder they ask that I release the list only after she passed away, Biden stated, referring to what Trump did. It is a game for them. It is a play to gin up emotions and anger. Theres a reason why no other candidate than President Trump has ever done such a thing. Bidens rationale for not releasing the names of his potential nominees is that doing so might influence their decisions in their current roles, as well as subject them to what he described as unrelenting political attacks. According to Biden, the earliest any of his potential nominees would get a hearing would be sometime in 2021 at the earliest. She would endure those attacks for months on end without being able to defend herself, Biden stated about his potential nominee, implying that she would be a woman. Thirdly and finally, perhaps most importantly, if I win, Ill make my choice for the Supreme Court not based on a partisan election campaign, but on what prior presidents have done, Republican and Democrats, and I have served with them, Biden further added, explaining that he would only proceed after consulting Republicans and Democrats in the United States Senate and seeking their advice and asking for their consent. For someone who is already widely ridiculed concerning his repeated unsolicited sexual advances on women and children without their consent, Biden sure has a lot of nerve suggesting that he will somehow follow a different set of rules with the Supreme Court should he be elected president. If elected, Biden has suggested that he is planning to nominate a black woman to the court. None of this matters, wrote one Epoch Times commenter, noting that Trump has already said he will nominate someone before the election. Mitch (McConnell) said the Senate would vote on the confirmation, this same commenter added. Ted Cruz said last evening, we have the votes. This is just political theater. Sources for this article include: TheEpochTimes.com NaturalNews.com HOUSTON, Sept. 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- As students head back to school for in-person learning, each third-grade student at Terrace Elementary recently received a new dictionary sponsored by Wallis Bank as part of the Spring Branch ISD's Dictionary Project. Started in 2004, the Dictionary Project gives organizations and individuals in the community the opportunity to help provide a dictionary for every third-grade student each school year in SBISD. For many students, this is the very first book they can call their own. As COVID-19 continues to disrupt the academic school year, these dictionaries can also be a useful tool for these students. For the past four years, this is just one of the few ways Wallis Bank has been involved with the local school district and the Bank's ongoing commitment to give back to the community. About Wallis Bank Wallis Bank is a full-service community bank dedicated to serving both rural customers as well as large international clients with the highest level of personal service. The Bank was established in 1906 in Wallis, Texas, and holds the unique experience of surviving the Great Depression and both World Wars. Over the years, the company underwent the expansion of additional branches and offices in Houston, Dallas, San Antonio, Los Angeles, and Atlanta. The Bank continues to expand its offering of digital products and services for enhanced customer experience. In 2019, Wallis Bank was named to ICBA's Best of the Best community banks. This marks the sixth time in seven years that the Bank has been recognized for this honor. Lisa Diaz Phone: 713.935.3722 Email: [email protected] Related Links Wallis Bank SOURCE Wallis Bank Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, has said the federal government may reopen the land borders soon. President Muhammadu Buhari had in October 2019 ordered the closure of the borders to check the menace of smuggling goods and arms and ammunition into the country and protect local businesses. The closure was, however, greeted by mixed reactions from professional organisations, economists and individuals. Heads of countries like Ghana and Benin Republic had also appealed to the President to reconsider the closure, but the President maintained that the borders would remain closed until the final report of the committee set up on the matter was considered. He added that neighbouring countries must also show commitment to curtailing smuggling from their ends. Meanwhile, Osinbajo, responding to a question on the continued closure of the land borders especially at a time the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) is being prepped for take-off, said on Thursday that the government was working with neighbouring countries on the terms of reopening the border. Osinbajo, who spoke during a webinar organised by The Africa Report, themed, 'Bouncing back: Nigeria's post-pandemic recovery plan', stated, "We are working with our neighbours to see on what terms we would reopen those borders. At the moment, we are undertaking joint border patrols to control smuggling along the borders and we think it is working and I'm sure that soon enough we should have the borders opened. "We are committed to the AfCFTA but we are concerned about threats to security and the economy and we had to take certain actions that would satisfy the immediate needs of our country. It (border closure) certainly wasn't meant to be permanent and we are looking forward to reopening as quickly as possible." Kozhikode, September 28 : Health minister K K Shailaja has come under fire after a woman in labor lost her twin babies after having been denied treatment for 14 hours by both government and private hospitals. The Malappuram native was taken to Manjeri government medical college hospital in the early hours of Saturday but the hospital authorities turned her away as she could not produce RT-PCR test results proving she is covid-19 negative. She had earlier contracted the infection but was cured. She was subsequently refused treatment at three private hospitals. She later lost her twin babies during childbirth in Kozhikode medical college hospital, where she was admitted in the evening. The health department and minister Shailaja has drawn flak over the unfortunate incident. The womans husband said that the tragedy could have been averted had she received timely treatment at the Manjeri medical college hospital. He said he would lodge a complaint against the medical college authorities. Deputy opposition leader M K Muneer took to facebook to slam health minister Shailaja, attributing the death of the twin babies to the health departments mismanagement. Is this your number 1? Muneer asked, taking aim at the CPI(M)-led LDF governments oft-repeated claim of Keralas setting an example in covid-19 containment and treatment. Alleging that covid-19 had claimed many lives in Kerala over the last few months due to lack of adequate treatment, he charged that that the state government had turned all medical colleges into covid-19 care centres and the public was being denied urgent care for other ailments. Meanwhile, the health minister has termed the incident painful. She ordered a probe into the incident on Monday, promising strict action against those responsible. German Chancellor Angela Merkel visited Russian opposition politician Aleksei Navalny in a Berlin hospital where he was recovering from what European experts have determined was poisoning with a military-grade nerve agent. The 44-year-old Navalny wrote on Twitter on September 28 that it was a "private visit and a conversation with the family." He added that he was "very grateful" to Merkel for visiting him in Berlin's Charite hospital, where he spent 32 days. Merkel's spokesman, Steffen Seibert, told a news conference on September 28 that it was a "personal visit to Navalny in hospital," declining to disclose details of what was said or how long the meeting lasted. On September 27, German magazine Der Spiegel reported that Merkel had made a "secret" visit to Navalny when he was in hospital. Navalny said there was "a meeting, but one shouldn't call it secret." Navalny, a longtime critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin, was discharged from the hospital last week. He remains in Germany. He collapsed aboard a flight from Siberia to Moscow on August 20 and spent nearly three weeks in an induced coma. After 48 hours in a hospital in Omsk, where Russian doctors said they found no trace of any poisoning, Navalny was transferred to the Charite hospital. Doctors there found traces of a Novichok-like nerve agent in his body. Their findings were independently confirmed by laboratories in France and Sweden. Amid allegations from Navalny's allies that Kremlin agents had poisoned him, the Russian government has resisted international pressure to launch a criminal investigation. The Kremlin denies poisoning Navalny and says it has seen no evidence of poisoning. It has demanded that Germany, France, and Sweden share their findings. The Navalny case has further worsened relations between Moscow and the West. Germany has been one of the biggest proponents of the nearly completed Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline bringing Russian natural gas to Germany. But Merkel has faced growing calls to halt the project. With reporting by Der Spiegel and AP Name: Michael Henry Party: Republican Race: 109th House District Republican Michael Henry is challenging Democratic incumbent David Arconti to represent Danburys 109th District in the Connecticut House of Representatives. The owner of a roofing company and a home improvement company, Henry is an alternate member of Danburys Zoning Commission. Henry is also a special police officer in Danbury. A Danbury High School graduate, Henrys legislative priorities include being a champion for public safety officials, being an advocate for small business in Connecticut, and preserving Lake Candlewood Lake. Henry, who says he is running to bring common sense back to Hartford, said Danbury deserves more than we are currently receiving from our state government. AlayaCare improves the delivery of essential care to people at home and in the community...this offer has been enhanced to enable agencies to make quick and informed decisions that reduce time-to-hire while protecting the recipients of their care. ClearStar, a provider of Human Capital IntegritySM technology-based services specializing in background and medical screening, announces that it has signed an agreement for an integration with a leading end-to-end homecare software platform, AlayaCare. The company is the first background screening supplier to partner with AlayaCare, which will enable users of the platform to seamlessly access ClearStars services alongside their other workforce and business management activities. AlayaCare, which serves up to 500 global clients, provides a single, integrated platform that supports agencies in every element of homecare management. It offers solutions spanning from patient portals and for clinical documentation to mobile care worker management and back office services. The integration will provide AlayaCare users in the U.S. and Canada access ClearStars services directly through the platform. This will streamline hiring and workforce management processes for AlayaCare users as the background screen will be coordinated with their other activities through a single platform. As a result, AlayaCare users will benefit from increased operational efficiencies leading to improved patient outcomes. Robert Vale, CEO of ClearStar, said: We are pleased to be partnering with AlayaCare and are honored to be selected as their first background screening supplier. This integration represents another route-to-market in the homecare industry, which is a growth area for ClearStar that is seeing even greater demand due to the challenges presented by COVID-19. AlayaCare improves the delivery of essential care to people at home and in the community, who are often the most vulnerable. With the integration of ClearStars background check services, this offer has been enhanced to enable agencies to make quick and informed decisions that reduce time-to-hire while protecting the recipients of their care. Neil Grunberg, VP of Strategy and Corporate Development at AlayaCare, added: As the surge in demand for home care continues to rise, so too does the need for streamlined hiring and workforce management. We are thrilled to partner with ClearStar as it will equip our customers with the tools needed to conduct comprehensive background checks and develop the best care teams for the best care possible. To learn more about this integration, visit: http://www.clearstar.net/alayacare. About AlayaCare AlayaCare's unique platform offers a complete technology solution to manage the entire client lifecycle including referrals and intake, scheduling, coordination, client health records, clinical documentation, care worker management, billing and payroll, reporting, remote patient monitoring, and a mobile caregiver app in one integrated, highly robust and secure, cloud-based system. AlayaCare is providing the platform for home and community care organizations to propel towards innovation and home care of the future. AlayaCare was founded in 2014. For more information about Alayacare, please visit: http://www.alayacare.com. About ClearStar ClearStar, Inc. is a leading provider of Human Capital IntegritySM technology-based services specializing in background and medical screening. It provides employment intelligence direct to employers and via channel partners/consumer reporting agencies (CRAs) to support better recruitment and other decisions affecting employees by increasing the quality, reliability, and visibility of information. A seven-time Inc. 5000 honoree and founding member of the National Association of Professional Background Screeners, ClearStar has provided innovative technology solutions to businesses in the human capital management industry from its corporate offices in Alpharetta, Georgia since 1995. For more information about ClearStar, please visit: http://www.clearstar.net. Canada plays host to thousands of Standardbred races each year. The world-class stakes events, the sires stakes battles, and high-classed races surely garner a great deal of publicity, and rightfully so. With that being said, the national industry did not come to a standstill when Great Quote held on to win in 2:03 during the Miami Fair's meet-closing program on September 12. Although, for the youngest racehorses owners in Manitoba, the victory in the $1,800 race was nothing less than a seismic moment. To be frank, 2020 has been a long year for everyone, and each and every one of us has had an utterly unique cocktail of variables that we've been forced to accept, whether we like it or not. There have been health challenges, financial challenges, job-security challenges.... the list could go on and on, so let's just cut it short. The majority of people have either been run right off of their feet or have had months upon months to sit around and wonder what other curveballs the future has in store. Melanie Rey-Clark and her kids, Austin Clark (8) and Skylar Clark (4), have not been willing to get down during these trying times. Regardless of the challenges that 2020 has presented, Melanie and the kids have opted to focus on a constant: their love of the Standardbred. Those that are currently giving it their all in Manitoba's harness racing industry are undoubtedly doing so for their steadfast interest the sport, the thrill of the live action, and because of their unadulterated love for the Standardbred breed. Like scores of others that have been born into the industry, Austin and Skylar's love and appreciation for the Standardbred is second nature and intense. "They've have been around it (the harness racing industry) their whole lives," Melanie, who has officially trained horses for the past 10 years, told Trot Insider. "I work nights on call for CFS, so they are always with me at the barn during the day because I am home with them. Especially with COVID, they help me clean the barn and jog the horses." Like she always does, Melanie had her eye on a particular horse over the course of the past few years. Followers of British Columbia's harness racing industry surely don't need an introduction to Great Quote (AKA 'Rex'), a gelded son of Well Said that had raced at Fraser Downs on and off for the better part of a decade. After having been on her radar, Melanie pulled the trigger on a deal for Great Quote midway through the 2019 racing season. She had wanted Austin and Skylar to be part owners of the horse. The kids had absorbed a great deal of experience in the industry at such a young age, but the title of 'owner' was something that would be new to them. No matter what experience a youngster has accrued in the industry, being anointed as an owner of a horse surely introduces an important change in perspective and understanding to a developing mind. Unfortunately, red tape had gotten in the way of the kids' ownership aspirations in 2019, but things changed this year for Austin and Skylar, who are now Manitoba's youngest racehorse owners. "I did buy Great Quote -- we call him 'Rex' -- last year," Melanie explained. "The kids could not own him at that time because there was a rule in Manitoba for kids under 16, they could not own a horse with our commission. That was changed by the commission this year, so we added them as the official owners." Austin and Skylar officially became co-owners of Great Quote in late July. Ownership has proven important to both of the kids, and likewise for Great Quote, who appears to have taken to the youngsters as much as they have taken to him. For the match made in heaven to occur during such a challenging year, maybe it was meant to be? "Austin, especially, really wanted to own his own horse. He made a summer wish list and owning his own horse was on it," Melanie told Trot Insider. "He became attached to Rex in the spring when I started training him back for our meet. With COVID, he was home with me and at the barn every day. No one could catch Rex in his pen -- the only one who could was Austin. Rex is very quiet when it comes to the kids, always comes to them and puts his head down. Even when I cant catch him, the kids always can." Skylar (left) and Austin (right), pictured with Great Quote (AKA 'Rex'). Skylar (left) and Austin (right), pictured with Great Quote (AKA 'Rex'). "Austin has started to learn the sport with Rex because he is so quiet," said Melanie. "Austin walks him to the paddock and helps me jog him and walk him around. His uncle, Michel Rey, is Rex's driver. Before every race, Austin will tell his uncle 'good luck' and say 'good luck' to Rex. Even when Rex didnt win, they were happy giving him his Rice Krispies after his race, and Austin would sit on the bike walking his horse back to the barn. Austins favourite part of every weekend was driving Rex back on the bike on his uncle's lap after his race." Although it took a while for Rex to notch his first win for his new owners, the nine-year-old gelding provided nothing but thrills and excitement for Austin and Skylar along the way. Rex was knocking on the door for a month and a half, as he recorded four second-place finishes and two third-place efforts at the Miami Fair through the dog days of summer. If nothing else, Rex was a positive beacon for the kids during a blistering summer that was loaded with uncertainty. The thing is, Rex was also having the same positive effect on those that were watching the story unfold. "They have loved having their own horse and it has brought excitement at the track," Melanie explained to Trot Insider. "I bring them to the barn two or three times a day and they are in the backstretch with me the whole time on race day. They are excited to watch Rex race and give him lots of pre-race kisses and hugs." On Saturday, September 12, Rex would have his day in the sun at the Miami Fair, and it was a moment that will not soon be forgotten by Austin, Skylar and those that were there to take it in. Michel Rey lined Rex up in Post 4 for the 'Bling Kaching Retirement Pace,' which carried a purse of $1,800. Rey and his charge went right to the top and cut the fractions in :30.3, 1:01.4 and 1:31. Rex duelled with Little Taggs in the final quarter, but also had to contend with a wild late rally from Bling Kaching himself, who had made up a ton of ground late and was right there at the wire as the photo finish camera snapped away in 2:03. The image determined that Rex had held on to win by a neck. From there, the party was on. "When Rex won for them, it was very emotional," Melanie explained to Trot Insider. "Austin and Skylar were ecstatic. Austin felt like an official owner and even got soaked in the backstretch. I havent seen Austin ever smile that big. The win was emotional for all of us to watch. They said it was too close to call at the wire and when they announced Rex won they screamed and jumped up and down. My husband, who works in the pari-mutuels, could hear me and the kids cheering Rex on from the backstretch. Austin gave his uncle a big high five in the winner's circle and drove his horse back off the track on his uncle's lap. It was special, to say the least." A shot of the winner's circle after Great Quote (AKA 'Rex') provided Austin and Skylar with their first win as owners. A shot of the winner's circle after Great Quote (AKA 'Rex') provided Austin and Skylar with their first win as owners. When COVID-19 is eventually in the rear view mirror, and we all get back to a state of quasi-normalcy, Melanie, Austin and Skylar will most likely look back on the summer of 2020 with a different perspective than most. Their memories will not be of living through a bewildering pandemic, but most likely of owning a caring Standardbred that did everything he could to help his young owners through a trying time. With the Maine/Canada border closed to nonessential travel, a bluegrass band with members on both sides met on the International bridge Friday for a jam session. It was the first time since the pandemic started that the band members were able to reunite. Among the two terrorists killed in south Kashmirs Samboora village in Pulwama district on Monday, one was identified as a top Lashkar commander by the police. He was active from the last five years and played a pivotal role in recruiting new terrorists. The 20-hour long encounter came to end on Monday morning after the forces retrieved two bodies and two weapons from the encounter spot. The Indian Armys 50 Rashtriya Rifles, police and the CRPF had launched an operation in Samboora after they got information about the presence of terrorists in a house. Though two terrorists were killed late last night, the police revealed their identities only after the bodies were recovered in the morning. The slain terrorists were identified by the police as Ajaz Reshi and Sajjad Ahmad Sofi. Reshi, police said, was involved in series of attacks on the forces and had recruited many into militancy since 2015 when he joined the ranks as an over ground worker. Also read: Proud of my son, says father of Pakistani man who stabbed 2 in Paris Director-General of Police Jammu and Kashmir, Dilbag Singh termed Reshis killing a big success for the forces. He (Reshi) had joined militant rank and file before Burhan Wani and was the important recruiter for the Lashkar. First, he was working as an over ground worker and was involved in many attacks. Singh said the operation was stopped last night and resumed in the morning. In the morning, the bodies were recovered during the search and two Ak 47 and Ak 56 rifles, besides a large quantity of arms and ammunition, were recovered from them. He said that Reshi was active from the last five years. He took part in an attack at EDI Pampore in which eight forces personnel were killed. He had transported the terrorists to the spot and joined militancy thereafter. He participated in another attack which was led by him at Kadlabal, Pampore in which three army personnel were killed. He was also involved in several other attacks and recruited militants. The DGP said that he recruited four top terrorists who were all killed in different encounters. Singh also said that from the recent data it is evident that the graph of terrorism has come down in Kashmir, so has the fresh recruitment. He said from the last two weeks three youths were brought back and this year 24 youths have joined their families after they had left their homes. In an incident that is causing ripples on social media has led to yet another debate about feminism after a few womens ights activists attacked a YouTube vlogger" Vijay Nair. The latter had uploaded a highly offensive video in which he had insulted feminist activists and feminism. Who is Vijay Nair? Vijay P Nair is a YouTube vlogger who is known for creating and sharing highly misogynistic and sexist content. Not only that, but Nair also claimed to be a Ph.D. holder in Clinical Psychology from Global Human Peace" university in Chennai and a practicing psychiatrist. However, he was often found giving unsolicited, unscientific and often sexist advice in his videos. On Saturday afternoon, he was attacked by popular dubbing artist Bhagyalekshmi and womens rights activists Diya Sana and Sreelakshmi Arackal, who entered his office-cum home and showered him with blows and also poured motor oil on his face. Why was Vijay P Nair attacked by feminists? On August 15, Nair had uploaded a video titled Why do feminists in India, especially in Kerala, not wear underwear and targeted a number of women, including 86- year-old veteran poet and activist Sugathakumari and Bhagyalekshmi, triggering widespread condemnation. He also made a string of other vulgar comments regarding the activists. The video went viral across social media, triggering a response from the dubbing artist well as other activists. As per reports, the woman claimed that they were prompted to take law into their own hands after complaints to the police were met with inaction. Is Vijay P Nair a psychiatrist? Despite his claims to being a psychiatrist, further investigation found that his degree was fake and that he was not a psychiatrist. The Indian Association of Clinical Psychologists Kerala chapter informed the media that it will initiate legal action against Nair for allegedly misusing the name of the profession" by claiming himself to be a clinical psychologist. Nair was not a member of the association, its office- bearers said, alleging the PhD that he claims to have obtained was from a non-existent university. Did the attack on Nair cause outrage? Following the attack, Nair lodged a complaint against the three women. However, the women have also filed a complaint against Nair for outraging the modesty of woman when they went to his home to address their concerns about the video. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan also expressed condemnation against Nair and warned everyone to resist posting sexually inappropriate and sexist comments or content that promote violence against women on the internet. The incident has caused debate and outrage on social media with many condemning Nair for his videos but also condemning the activists who had taken the law in their own hands and assaulted the man. Others like journalist Dhanya Rajendran wondered why the video-sharing platform YouTube had still not taken down the contentious videos from the platform. Police have meanwhile filed a case against Nair based on a complaint from the four women prior to the attack. 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. Lockdown-like restrictions to return in Maharashtra? Here's what CM Uddhav Thackeray has to say Maharashtra govt frames SOPs for reopening of restaurants: CM Uddhav Thackeray India pti-Madhuri Adnal Mumbai, Sep 28: With the present lockdown in Maharashtra coming to end on September 30, the state government has framed standard operating procedures (SOPs) for reopening of restaurants and a decision will be taken once these guidelines are finalised, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray said on Monday. The chief minister interacted with representatives of associations of restaurateurs from Mumbai, Pune, Aurangabad and Nagpur via video conferencing, an official statement said. "The state government has framed SOPs for reopening restaurants and those have been sent to the people concerned. Unlock 5.0: Lockdown in Maharashtra extended till October 31st "A decision about reopening restaurants will be taken once these (SOPs) are finalised," the statement quoted Thackeray as saying. The chief minister said that given the COVID-19 threat, his government was taking steps cautiously and SOPs have been framed accordingly. The SOPs are not for putting restaurateurs in trouble, he added. Amrinder Singh joins farmers' protest, says 'Pakistan's ISI may take advantage' | Oneindia News Thackeray laid emphasis on wearing masks, cleaning hands and maintaining physical distance while living with COVID-19 and added these precautions need to be taken when restaurants are reopened. "It will be important to take care of the health of chefs and other staffers in restaurants. They must wear masks, clean hands and ensure safety and cleanliness in restaurants," the chief minister said. He also spoke about the state government's 'My Family, My Responsibility' initiative and urged restaurateurs to join it. He also asked all the stake-holders to sit together and finalise SOPs. Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Sitaram Kunte said the SOPs will be finalised after holding another round of meeting with representatives of restaurants, the statement said. Sacha Baron Cohen (AP Photo/Matt Sayles) The first Borat movie's full title was a mouthful Borat! Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan. And it appears the second movie has a similarly descriptive name too. According to reports, it is to be called Borat: Gift of Pornographic Monkey to Vice Premiere Mikhael Pence to Make Benefit Recently Diminished Nation of Kazakhstan. Its quite something to take in. Read more: Baron Cohen unrecognisable in Chicago 7 trailer The title was posted in a filing to the Writer's Guild of America, but the page has since been deleted. News emerged earlier this month that Borat creator Sacha Baron Cohen had managed to film a sequel to the 2006 comedy mockumentary in secret, and that it has also been screened to Hollywood executives. Footage taken by fans was posted online of him filming, dressed as Borat, in Los Angeles, and in July it emerged that Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani had called the police after Baron Cohen had arranged a fake interview with him. Baron Cohen was said to have burst into the room wearing a pink bikini. Sacha Baron Cohen has police called on him as Rudy Giuliani prank backfires This person comes in yelling and screaming, and I thought this must be a scam or a shake-down, so I reported it to the police, Giuliani told Page Six. In addition, Film Stage reports that Donald Trumps relationship with Jeffrey Epstein is among the movies subject matter, as is the coronavirus pandemic. Baron Cohen's Kazakh reporter, full name Borat Sagdiyev, first appeared as a character on Da Ali G Show, before bursting onto the big screen in a movie directed by former Seinfeld writer Larry Charles. In it, Borat became obsessed with Baywatch star Pamela Anderson, and judging by the new movie's title, it sounds like he's taking aim at current vice-president Mike Pence. Baron Cohen has boosted the political aspect of his work in recent years. His Showtime series Who Is America? saw him skewering political figures such as Bernie Sanders, former Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski and former US vice-president Dick Cheney. Heads of State and Government of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), at the behest of their Chairman, President Nana Akufo-Addo of Ghana, may confer again to discuss outstanding grey areas in the Mali political situation, President Muhammadu Buhari has indicated. The President spoke after receiving briefing at State House, Abuja, Monday, from the ECOWAS Special Envoy to Mali, former Nigerian President, Goodluck Jonathan. Mali has appointed a civilian as interim president, who will stay in office for 18 months, and lead the country back to constitutional order, after the military had taken over power in the country. That was part of irreducible demands by West African leaders before sanctions imposed on the country could be lifted. However, according to the Special Envoy, the military leaders are yet to satisfy ECOWAS demand of a full civilian as Vice President, and what his roles would be in government. That position is currently being held by a serving military officer, who was also one of the leaders of the takeover. President Buhari counseled the Special Envoy to present a formal report to the new ECOWAS Chairman, President Nana Akufo-Addo of Ghana, who will then write us officially, and we then determine the next steps. The President said with about two-thirds of Mali currently under occupation by terrorists, the priority of the military should be to secure their country, rather than hold on to power. Femi Adesina Special Adviser to the President (Media and Publicity) September 28, 2020 Former White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney predicted that the only presidential debate of 2020 will be Tuesday's face-off in Cleveland A gaffe could dash Democrat Joe Biden's presidential hopes, Mulvaney said, 'And for that reason they'll be tremendous pressure on him to just do one debate' Mulvaney also brought up President Donald Trump's 'sense of humor' when asked the president seriously wanted Biden to take a drug test At Sunday's briefing, Trump said that he wasn't joking and told reporters to 'check out the internet' when asked why he believed Biden was taking drugs Former White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney predicted that the only presidential debate of 2020 will be Tuesday night's face-off in Cleveland. 'Mr. Biden has more to lose from debating than he does to win,' Mulvaney said in an interview with Ireland's RTE. 'If he does have a gaffe of some significant import during the debate that by itself could ruin his presidential hopes and for that reason they'll be tremendous pressure on him to just do one debate.' ADVERTISEMENT Mulvaney, who became the U.S.'s Special Envoy for Northern Ireland in May, also tried to suggest President Donald Trump has been joking around when he's repeatedly challenged Biden to take a drug test, like he did earlier Monday. Former White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney told Ireland's RTE that he believed there would only be one presidential debate between President Donald Trump and Democratic challenger Joe Biden Mulvaney (right) suggested that if Biden made a gaffe at Tuesday night's Cleveland debate he would be under pressure to not participate in the other two that are scheduled Mulvaney also said he thought Trump (pictured) was kidding about wanting Biden to get a drug test, despite the president saying Sunday in the briefing room he was not joking around 'I think the president is simply - I know the president, I know the president's sense of humor - I know not all folks appreciate or understand his sense of humor,' Mulvaney said. 'But I think his point was, just as his health was an issue during certain points of his presidency ... the health of a president is always a relevant issue, and for that reason, the health of a candidate for that office is always a relevant issue.' As an example, Mulvaney pointed to the questions surrounding the president's November 2019 trip to Walter Reed Medical Center, which was explained away as Trump getting a start on his physical. The president self-volunteered that there was chatter he had suffered from a 'mini-stroke,' allegations that weren't reported by any major news outlets, yet he denied online. 'I think it would be a lot of fun,' Mulvaney replied when asked if he thought the presidential candidates should take drug tests. 'It would be wonderful to see one of them do it and challenge the other one to do it, that's part of our little political fun we like to have with our races,' the former chief of staff and OMB head added. Click here to resize this module Trump pushed back on the idea that he was joking during Sunday's White House press briefing. ADVERTISEMENT 'No, I'm not joking,' the president said. 'I mean, I'm willing to take a drug test.' Trump said that Biden's debate performance was 'uneven' because he did better, in the president's eyes, against Bernie Sanders one-on-one in March than in previous debates with the larger Democratic field. 'And I always joke, but, you know, it is true: He was no Winston Churchill in debating, but he was fine. And people say he was on performance-enhancing drugs,' Trump told reporters. 'A lot of people have said that. A lot of people have written that.' When asked who has said Biden was on performance-enhancing drugs, the president suggested it was people on the internet. 'So - so take a look at it. Take a look. Why don't you just check it? You can check out the internet. You'll see. Plenty of people say it,' Trump said in the briefing room. 'And whether he is or not, it doesn't matter, but I would love to take a test and he can take a test, too.' Gabrielle Lurie/The Chronicle TOWN OF FLORIDA Two men face felony larceny charges after Montgomery County sheriff's deputies said they caught them with hemp plants stolen from a local farm. Austin J. Baker, 27, of Schenectady and Robert Stevens III, 30, of Rotterdam were taken into custody Friday after deputies said they fled the scene in an SUV. At least 21 people were killed on Monday in a second day of heavy clashes between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh that reportedly involved air power, missiles and heavy armour. The confrontation between the two former Soviet republics has rekindled concern over stability in the South Caucasus, a corridor for pipelines carrying oil and gas to world markets. Any move to all-out conflict could drag in major regional powers Russia and Turkey. Moscow has a defence alliance with Armenia, while Ankara backs its ethnic Turkic kin in Azerbaijan. Majority Christian Armenia and mainly Muslim Azerbaijan have come to blows periodically in their decades-long conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh, a breakaway region that is inside Azerbaijan but run by ethnic Armenians. Armenias parliament condemned what it said was a full-scale military attack" by Azerbaijan on Nagorno-Karabakh that was receiving Turkeys help, adding that Ankaras involvement could risk destabilising the region. Azerbaijan denied its ally Turkey was taking part in the fighting. Azerbaijan declared a partial military mobilisation, and its foreign minister said six Azeri civilians had been killed and 19 wounded. An Armenian defence ministry representative said 200 Armenians were wounded, Interfax reported. Nagorno-Karabakh reported 15 more of its soldiers had been killed, after saying on Sunday that 16 of its servicemen had been killed and over 100 wounded when Azerbaijan attacked. Nagorno-Karabakh also said it had recovered some territory that it had lost control of on Sunday, and said Azerbaijan had been using heavy artillery to shell areas. Azerbaijans defence ministry said Armenian forces were shelling the Azeri town of Terter north of Nagorno-Karabakh. Interfax news agency quoted the press secretary of Azerbaijans defence ministry, Anar Evyazov, as saying the Azeri military occupied several strategically important heights near the village of Talish in Karabakh. Missile, artillery and air strikes are being applied to the enemys positions, which forces the enemy to surrender the held positions," he said, adding that several important strategic heights around Talish village had been taken. FLURRY OF DIPLOMACY Evyazov also said Lernik Babayan, commander of the Armenian militarys airborne assault battalion, had been killed near Talish. It was not immediately possible to verify the report. The clashes have spurred a flurry of diplomacy. China urged both sides to show restraint. Russia called for an immediate ceasefire and Turkey said it would support Azerbaijan. Under international law, Nagorno-Karabakh is recognised as part of Azerbaijan. But the ethnic Armenians who make up the vast majority of the population reject Azeri rule. They have run their own affairs, with support from Armenia, since Nagorno-Karabakh broke away from Azerbaijan in a conflict that erupted as the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991. Although a ceasefire was agreed in 1994, Azerbaijan and Armenia frequently accuse each other of attacks around Nagorno-Karabakh and along the separate Azeri-Armenian frontier. At least 200 people were killed in a flare-up of the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan in April 2016. At least 16 people were killed in clashes in July. SANTIAGO, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) -- The inclusion of Latin American and Caribbean countries in China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative is an example of multilateral cooperation for shared benefits against the backdrop of rising unilateralism, a senior United Nations official said recently. The initiative proposed in 2013 by Chinese President Xi Jinping has been key to achieving more balanced and inclusive global cooperation, Alicia Barcena, executive secretary of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), said in an interview on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the UN's founding. The initiative's emphasis on cooperation and joint action to spur global development is in line with the principles of the UN, which has made headway in fighting hunger, promoting peace and human rights, and mediating to save lives in hundreds of conflicts and disasters, said Barcena. Over the course of 75 years, the UN "has made progress in international cooperation, but not enough," she said. The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed "very prominent fragilities, and a very divided and fractured world, where we are experiencing perhaps one of the toughest moments in relation to multilateralism and cooperation," said Barcena. That is why Xi's recent remarks at the UN General Assembly, in which he "made a strong call for multilateralism, dialogue and cooperation," were so opportune, she said. What's more, many of the concrete announcements made by China, including establishing a UN Global Geospatial Knowledge and Innovation Center and an International Research Center of Big Data, are "all aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals" promoted by the UN towards the year 2030, the executive secretary said. In addition, China will offer 50 million U.S. dollars to the UN's COVID-19 Global Humanitarian Response Plan and extend the China-UN Peace and Development Trust Fund by five years. Barcena said the Latin American region has seen China's interest in expanding investments to more areas, and "that is very important for us," she noted. The recovery of China's economic dynamism will have positive repercussions on Latin American economies, given China's "fundamental" importance as a regional trade partner, she said. According to Gerry Rice, spokesman of International Monetary Fund, considering the better-than-expected economic data from China and other advanced economies, the global economic outlook is less dire than three months ago. To date, nearly Latin American and Caribbean countries have signed memorandums of understanding for the joint construction of the Belt and Road Initiative with China. Founded in 1948, the ECLAC is a UN regional commission tasked to encourage economic cooperation in the region and promote ties with countries in other regions. After putting up posters of rape accused Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders in Parayagraj, Samajwadi Party workers erected posters of former BJP leaders Kuldeep Singh Sengar and Swami Chinmayanand- both rape accused in Azamgarh. The party workers claimed that they were following the UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanaths orders by putting up posters of the accused to name and shame them. Our only aim was to fulfill the orders of UP CM Chief Yogi Adityanath. Our CM has ordered to put up posters of rape accused and eve-teasers at public places in Uttar Pradesh, we Samajwadis have fulfilled his orders and posters of people like Chinmayanand, Kuldeep Sengar have been put up at all the major crossroads in Azamgarh, alji Krantikari, the Samajwadi worker who carried out of the process of putting up posters said. The posters which have pictures of several BJP leaders including Kuldeep Sengar, Swami Chinmayanand, etc also carried a text saying as per the orders of Chief Minister. Apart from BJP leaders the posters also had self styled Godman Ram Rahims picture. Earlier in Prayagraj, SP workers had put up a poster of BJP leader, Dr Shyam Prakash Dwivedi who has been accused of a gangrape. The posters were erected in presence of the state police, while a few party workers protested against the police for not arresting these BJP leaders. However, an FIR has been lodged against six people including SP leader Sandeep Yadav in Civil Line Police Station, and the poster was also removed from the major crossing. On Thursday, SP workers asked the Yogi Adityanath government to also put up posters of those supporting rape accused like Kuldeep Singh Sengar and Swami Chinmayanand. Party leader Sunil Singh Sajan said the administration has failed to curb crimes against women and its anti-Romeo Squads constituted for women safety have also managed to perform inadequately. Today, the Yogi Adityanath government issued a new diktat on putting up posters of harassers. It should first say how many laws it has come up with in this regard so far. The government also said that those taking sides of the culprits will be punished. So will posters of those taking sides of accused like Kuldeep Singh Sengar and Chinmayanand will also come up? Obviously, then images of the chief minister and other BJP leaders would have to be put up, the SP MLC said. Last week, the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had instructed officers to take strict action against harassers and directed them to put up posters of those involved in crimes against women at prominent crossings to name and shame them. He also directed that those involved in such crimes should be punished by women police. Women police personnel have also been tasked with the responsibility of implementing Mission Durachari wherein they will identify offenders, whose posters will then be put up in public places. Director Victor Kossakovsky recently revealed that Joaquin Phoenix and Rooney Mara have welcomed their baby boy River. The filmmaker confirmed the news at the 2020 Zurich Film Festival, during the Q&A session at the screening for his documentary Gunda. The film's executive produced by Pheonix. Back in June 2020, reports suggested that Joaquin Phoenix might be expecting a baby, however, the couple never confirmed the news. Kossakovsky revealed that the reason Phoenix was not able to attend the event was because 'he just got a baby'. He added, "by the way, his name was ... a beautiful son called River, so he cannot promote it now." Sharing the heartwarming moment, Victor said that Joaquin and Rooney named their son 'River', which happens to be a loving tribute to Joaquin's late brother. Joaquin Phoenix's brother River had died in 1993 at the age of 23 of a drug overdose. Earlier this year, the actor had also paid his brother a tribute in his Oscars speech. "When he was 17, my brother wrote this lyric, he said, 'Run to the rescue with love, and peace will follow'." He said after winning the Oscar for the best actor. Joaquin Phoenix and Rooney Mara first met in 2016 on the sets of Mary Magdalene. They made their relationship official with the debut at red carpet closing ceremony of Cannes Film Festival 2017. After living together for a couple of years, they got engaged in July last year. Oscars 2020: Watch Joaquin Phoenix Quote His Late Brother In Acceptance Speech These Bollywood Memes On The Oscars 2020, Varun Dhawan & Joaquin Phoenix Are Too Hilarious To Miss! Hayat Tahrir al-Sham claimed to have killed a top Islamic State official of Iraqi origin in northwest Syria. HTS announced the killing of Yusuf Numan Abul Hareth in an operation in western Idlib on Saturday, naming him as the brother of another senior IS official killed by a US airstrike in the eastern Syrian province of Deir ez-Zor earlier this year. In May the United States killed Moatez Numan Abdul-Latif al-Jabouri, or Hajj Taysir, a senior Iraqi IS governor who once oversaw the jihadist groups efforts to obtain and develop chemical weapons, according to the US State Department. Why it matters: Abul Hareth is HTS latest jihadist target in northwest Syria. The jihadi opposition enclave became a desired destination for IS figures fleeing the Baghouz pocket as the US-led military coalition and Kurdish-led forces encircled the so-called caliphate near Syrias border with Iraq last March. Long hostile to IS, at least on the surface, HTS has also sought to undermine other jihadist factions in the province, of which it seized control from the Nour al-Din al-Zinki movement in January 2019. Earlier this summer, a number of jihadi groups formed the Fathbuto operations room, leading HTS to crack down on rival organizations and increase arrests of critics. The power play was widely seen as beneficial to Turkey, which maintains soldiers in Idlib province and has agreed with Russia to clear extremist factions from the area and open the M4 highway. Though the United States and Russia consider HTS a terrorist organization, Turkey appears willing to tolerate the group as long as it does not undermine its agreement with Russia. Meanwhile, US drone strikes continue to pick off alleged al-Qaeda officials affiliated with HTS more extreme splinter group, Huras al-Din. Whats next: Concern is rising that the Syrian pro-regime forces backed by Russia may be preparing for a renewed push into Idlib. Jabal al-Zawiya and the Latakia countryside have been hit with repeated pro-regime artillery and Russian aircraft have increased strikes on HTS and other groups in the province this month. Discussions between Russia and Turkey over Idlib reportedly led to little headway earlier this month. Though its unlikely the Syrian army has the might to revive a final offensive, any push could turn the screws on Ankara's resolve against further concessions to Russia. Know more: Fehim Tastekin lays out the logic behind the renewed pressure on Idlib as crippling US-led sanctions on Assads state threaten to permanently divide Syria. Police are investigating after thieves stole numerous tractor GPS systems from farms across East Yorkshire. Humberside Police have turned to the public for more information after criminals stole GPS devices along with roof receivers. Ten tractors across Holderness had been entered overnight on Friday 25 to Saturday 26 September. The thefts occurred in the Ottringham, Halsham and Coniston areas of Holderness, the force said. In the first incident, thieves entered a secure compound on Withernsea Road, Halsham and targeted six tractor units for their trackers and satellite roof receivers. In the second incident, a tractor and a sprayer parked securely in a farmyard on Swine Lane, Coniston also had their GPS tracker systems stolen. The third report occurred on Station Road, Ottringham. Thieves entered an agricultural service business compound and removed GPS systems from two tractors stored at the facility. PCSO Darren Bainton, of Humberside Police's Rural Crime Team, called on farmers in the region to take extra precuations. Were encouraging farmers to remove the screens and other valuables when leaving their vehicles and, where possible, parking them in secure, alarmed buildings. If that isnt possible, park them in well-lit areas covered by CCTV. Be on the lookout and report suspicious behaviour to us via 101, and always dial 999 if a crime is in progress. The news comes as Lincolnshire Police recently urged farmers to remove GPS devices from their equipment following a spate of thefts in the county. The cost of rural crime in the UK reached an eight year high last year as criminal gangs continue to target the countryside, including GPS systems. How can I protect my GPS system? Farmers have been urged to follow advice from the NFU: Remove GPS guidance receivers, aerials and antenna globes from tractors when not in use and keep them in a secure locked place whenever possible Consider fitting security tethers or brackets to stop units being removed Mark your postcode on GPS units either with a UV pen, engraving tool or forensic marking system Store machinery in locked buildings where possible Where locking machines away isnt an option, consider fitting mains or battery-operated alarms to cover around the perimeter of areas where machines are stored Record machinery serial numbers and photograph kit to help police identify stolen items and increase the chances of them being recovered (Photo : NASA via YouTube Screenshot) (Photo : NASA via YouTube Screenshot) The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is now seeking the public's help through its partnership with HeroX in creating a device to harbor 'dark energy' to use for future Moon missions, solving the problem of long lunar nights. NASA's future Moon Missions will stay longer and explore farther in the satellite's depths, so new energy sources are sought after. NASA is now planning and gearing up for its future in the natural satellite up in the cosmic space, exploring new sources of energy that can power future Moon missions. NASA's venture led the agency to partner with HeroX, a crowdsourcing platform for space exploration and matters, to search for those with new ideas for the extreme, uncontrolled situation. According to PR News Wire, this venture by NASA would be for the progression and expedition intended for the Artemis program that aims to bring the first woman on the lunar surface. While solar power is abundant on the lunar surface, nights on the moon can last up to 350 hours or 12 to 14 days, which is a long time without a source for power. NASA's Artemis program is the intended benefactor of the venture. However, this does not necessarily mean that the program 'Watts on the Moon' needs to be done by 2024. NASA previously announced that the target year for humanity's return to the moon would be in 2024. A whopping series of prices await the winner with up to $5 million for the top contender. Not only that, winners who will reach the third phase would go into the last and final stage, which is the production of the device with NASA and its team of innovators. 'Watts on the Moon'-NASA and HeroX Venture With NASA asking for help and HeroX creating a way for possible future innovators to shine, the project called 'Watts on the Moon' invites anyone, even individuals, to participate in the lunar missions' future. This request by NASA from the public is an indication that the agency plans to stay longer on the lunar surface to study and research. 'Watts on the Moon,' however, does not require the public for an immediate deadline for the innovation, and does not expect it by 2024. NASA needs "unprecedented capacity for electrical and thermal energy distribution, management, and storage" for sustaining a prolonged Moon mission. The project will provide NASA its needs and fill in its gaps in terms of technology. The agency lacks power in the lunar surface. The extreme 'lunar nights' will transcend a string of problems such as power and supplies, which NASA aims to solve with the crowdsourcing venture. Three-phase challenges for Innovators Individuals, groups, or companies may opt to join the challenge with three phases of progression with additional prize money. NASA's panel of judges will choose up to three winners for Phase 1 alone, handing over $100,000, with four runner-ups receiving $50,000 each. Phase 2 will ask the chosen ones to create and develop prototypes that award winners up to $4.5 million. Phase 3 is the stage wherein one or more chosen victors of the past stages will work with the space agency to create the prototypes along with its group of scientists and engineers. ALSO READ: NASA to Launch $23 Million-Worth 'Space Toilet' to International Space Station on Sept. 29 This article is owned by Tech Times Written by Isaiah Alonzo 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. If Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis gets his way, people who merely attend a protest that results in property damage will be prosecuted for felonies. Yelling at someone in a restaurant as part of such a protest will be a criminal offense. And a driver who kills demonstrators with his car will not be liable for their deaths, as long as he is fleeing for safety from a mob. These are just a few of the policies proposed by DeSantis in a package meant to chill dissent and punish those in the streets demanding an end to racist police violence. Republican leaders in the Florida Legislature have promised to file the bill in 2021. By introducing it now, DeSantis clearly hopes to rile up Trumps base in Florida, one of the most crucial swing states, with fears of black-clad cabals rampaging through their gated communities. But the specifics of the proposal are worth close consideration, because it represents a rising consensus among conservative leaders under Donald Trump: A governing ethos that once boiled down to troll the libs is steadily escalating toward kill the libs. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As my colleague Tom Scocca observed one year ago, Trump was elected as the ultimate expression of a political party more concerned with taunting and obstructing its opposition than with any specific governing agenda. Others have noted that, for decades, the driving principle behind the Republican project has been the conviction that people of color and their political allies are undeserving of full participation in American democracy. The push to shield those who murder protesters with their cars from criminal or civil liability, which Republican legislators have attempted to do in at least eight states, is a particularly gruesome offshoot of these two philosophies. Its also not solving any problematic gap in the legal sphere: Property damage is already a criminal offense; self-defense is already an accepted legal defense for causing others harm. DeSantis and his peers are simply trying to create space within the lawor the perception of itfor their political supporters to kill their political opponents. Advertisement Advertisement A few years ago, after Black Lives Matter demonstrators staged protests on highways and demonstrators blocked roads at Standing Rock, Republicans around the country proposed protections for people who drove their cars through crowds of protesters. James Alex Fields Jr., who killed Heather Heyer at a Charlottesville, Virginia, Unite the Right rally in 2017, may have been emboldened by these bills: According to a civil suit, before Fields drove his car into a crowd of demonstrators, one of the rallys organizers falsely claimed that driving over protesters blocking roadways isnt an offense, pointing to states that had considered such bills. Advertisement This hideous tactic of suppressing political dissent is spreading. This year, in the months since protests first erupted around the country after Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin killed George Floyd in May, two people have been killed by drivers who drove their cars through demonstrations. Dozens more have been hit. At one June protest in Memphis, Tennessee, two separate drivers, both of whom appear to have exhibited animosity toward protesters on social media, hit demonstrators within the span of one hour. The Sioux Rapids, Iowa, police chief called protesters road bumps. The Auxvasse, Missouri, police chief posted on Facebook, of protesters blocking roads, You deserve to be run over. That will help cleanup the gene pool. Officers in several other states have endorsed using cars to murder protesters. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Instead of taking action to quell this type of violence at protests, Trump and his supporters are attempting to incite more violence, and create more victims. After Kyle Rittenhouse, a 17-year-old who traveled from his home in Illinois to fight protesters in Kenosha, Wisconsin, killed two demonstrators with a military-style firearm he was not legally permitted to carry, Trump called it an interesting situation that looked justifiable. Rittenhouse was trying to get away from them, Trump said, of the victims. [Rittenhouse] would have beenprobably would have been killed. Thats certainly a possibility, but instead, he killed two people. Advertisement Advertisement Subscribe to the Slatest newsletter A daily email update of the stories you need to read right now. We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try again. Please enable javascript to use form. Email address: Send me updates about Slate special offers. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms Sign Up Thanks for signing up! You can manage your newsletter subscriptions at any time. As more Republicans spoke up about Rittenhouse, the rhetoric they used shifted from simple defense to full-on admiration. Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin said Rittenhouses victims were killed because the governor of Wisconsin didnt accept Trumps offer to send the National Guard to Kenosha. This led people to believe theyve got to protect their own property and take matters into their own hands. CNNs Dana Bash asked him multiple times whether he condemned the shootings. All hed say was its a tragedy. Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky has actually praised Rittenhouse for his incredible restraint and presence and situational awareness. Again, he killed two people. Advertisement Advertisement In the popular conservative imagination, Rittenhouse has become more than just a teen who did something regrettable in the process of defending himself. By killing two protesters at a protest for Black lives, he became a righteous crusader for the Americans who really matter. Fox News host Tucker Carlson said Rittenhouse had to maintain order when no one else would. Former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi called him a little boy out there trying to protect his community and mitigate the chaos out there. Conservative writer Rod Dreher maintains that Rittenhouse did no wronghe was ridding Kenosha of the enemy of civilization, the people vandalizing, burning, and looting. Trump supporters have called him a hero and raised hundreds of thousands of dollars to support his legal defense. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This applause for the killing of the rights political nemeses is everywhere these days, popping up wherever the GOP can be found. It was there in one of Trumps first tweets about the George Floyd protests: When the looting starts, the shooting starts. It was at the Republican National Convention, which honored Mark and Patricia McCloskey, a random St. Louis couple who earned a moment of fame for threatening protesters with guns, as esteemed representatives of the party. Its in ads for Republicans like Georgia Sen. Kelly Loeffler, whose recent TV spot suggests shell eliminate the liberal scribes, and QAnon supporter Marjorie Taylor Greene, who posted a photo of herself brandishing an assault rifle next to images of Reps. Ilhan Omar, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and Rashida Tlaib. Squads worst nightmare, it read. Advertisement The rhetoric is repulsive. But the GOPs kill-the-libs ethos is not limited to violent rhetoric. Its becoming policy. And I dont just mean DeSantis billindifference to American death, as long as the Americans dying are liberals, is one of the many horrors weve been forced to witness this year. From the very start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Trump has explicitly, shamelessly hastened the deaths of tens of thousands of Americans living in blue states, then smirked as they perished. Every step of the administrations pandemic response has been undergirded by the assumption that its fine for the presidents putative opponents to die. In March, the federal government shorted several blue states on the protective equipment and ventilators theyd requested from the national stockpile (while furnishing GOP-led Florida, which carries the most electoral votes of any swing state, with far more supplies than it needed at the time). One public health expert involved in the White Houses coronavirus task force told Vanity Fair that the political folks on the team dismissed the idea of producing a national pandemic response plan once it appeared that the virus was going to be relegated to Democratic states. According to a senior administration official who spoke to the Washington Post, it took evidence that COVID-19 was killing our people in red states and would probably start killing more people in swing states to get Trump to care about stopping the spread of the virus. Trump has also publicly argued against coronavirus-related relief bills because he believes theyd help blue states more than red states. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement These have always been the stakes of politics: When lawmakers block Medicaid expansion, slash funding for affordable housing, bow to police unions, or redistribute wealth from the bottom to the top, theyre expressing their beliefs about who deserves to live and who deserves to die, whose lives matter and whose lives dont. The pandemic and the national uprising for racial justice are slightly new terrains, but the stakes havent changed. The quiet part is just getting louder. Earlier this month, the president encouraged his supporters to stop counting the people whove died in blue states as part of the official U.S. COVID-19 death toll. If you take the blue states out were really at a very low level, he said. It was as if their deaths, which resulted from his politicized negligence, were no loss at all. For more of Slates news coverage, subscribe to What Next on Apple Podcasts or listen below. Dennis Parillo, pastor of Refuge Assembly of God Church in Soddy Daisy, on Sunday presented Bombas socks for the children of North Hamilton County Elementary and South Fentress County Elementary schools. Bombas is a Christian company which donates a pair of socks for each pair sold. The socks were received through Rural Compassion, a ministry of the Assemblies of God denomination. Each school received 400 pairs, which will be distributed among the students. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Monday said that the probe into actor Sushant Singh Rajputs death is still on and the agency is investigating all aspects. Rajputs lawyer had recently questioned the central agencys investigation into the actors death, saying that the probe was drifting away in a different direction. All attention is being diverted towards the drugs case. Today, we are helpless as we dont know which direction the case is going in. Till today, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has not done a press briefing on what they have found out, Vikas Singh, Rajputs lawyer was quoted as saying by ANI on Friday. In its reply, the CBI assured that the probe was on and nothing was yet ruled out. The Central Bureau of Investigation is conducting professional investigation related to death of Shri Sushant Singh Rajput in which all aspects are being looked at and no aspect has been ruled out as of date, the agency said in a statement. On June 14, the 34-year-old actor was found dead at his residence in Mumbais Bandra. Rajputs father KK Singh on June 25 had lodged a complaint with Patna Police against Rhea Chakraborty, her parents and her brother Showik. The late actors family has also named Rajputs then manager Shruti Modi and his house manager Samuel Miranda in the complaint. The FIR was later transferred to CBI. Apart from CBI, the case is also being investigated by two other central agencies -- Enforcement Directorate (ED) and Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB). While ED is looking into the money laundering allegations, the NCB is probing the drug link into the case. On September 8, the NCB had arrested Rhea Chakraborty for allegedly procuring drugs for Sushant. Chakraborty was arrested along with several others including her brother. Immature poets imitate; mature poets steal, once wrote T. S. Eliot, before qualifying: bad poets deface what they take, and good poets make it into something better, or at least something different. The same could be said of all writing. In fact, ask any author and they'll freely reel off a list of books that inspired their latest work. But sometimes great writers don't just look for inspiration in their favourite novels, but retell them to create something new. Whether that's to imagine what happened next, fill in a mysterious gap in the story or re-spin a classic tale into an allegory for modern life, some of the most famous novels ever written are based on other novels. Here's a selection of the best. Tony Neal, the counsel assisting the hotel quarantine inquiry, wanted us all to be clear: the 25 days of hearings into the botched program and 290,000 pages of evidence did not show us an example of "bad faith or corruption" in Victoria's governance. On the contrary, everyone had done their best, he said. Tony Neal, QC. Credit:James Ross But that was almost the only good thing he and his two junior barristers had to say all day. Rarely can there have been such a measured but comprehensive demolition of public policy in this state than was contained in the final submissions of counsel assisting the inquiry on Monday. Parliaments bars are exempt from the governments new coronavirus restrictions imposed last week, including the 10pm curfew, stricter rules on face coverings and test and trace data-gathering requirements. Bars in the House of Commons are not subject to the new rules for hospitality venues as they are designated workplace canteens. Under the new rules, "workplace canteens may remain open where there is no practical alternative for staff at that workplace to obtain food. As well as being free to remain open beyond 10pm, the new, stricter rules regarding wearing face coverings and customers checking in at venues will also not apply to parliamentary bars, according to a report in The Times. A spokesperson for the House of Commons confirmed that the new restrictions on hospitality do not apply to the venues on the parliamentary estate, saying: As catering outlets providing a workplace service for over 3,100 people working on the Estate, the current regulations on hospitality venues do not apply to Commons facilities. They said the Members Dining Room, Adjournment, Smoking Room, Terrace Pavilion, Pugin Room and Members Tea Room fall under this category, as they provide a food and bar service. We continue to follow social distancing and cleaning measures as a Covid-secure workplace in order to reduce the transmission of the disease through social distancing signage, one-way systems, socially distanced seating arrangements, contactless payments, marshalling and additional cleaning. "Parliament has a dedicated team to support the test-and-trace teams across the UK, acting as a central point of contact in the event of any suspected or confirmed cases, where an individual has been working on the Estate, they added. One Conservative MP condemned the decision to make House of Commons bars exempt as appalling. George Freeman, MP for Mid Norfolk, wrote on Twitter: Parliaments bars exempt from 10pm curfew? Appalling decision had no idea. This sort of thing is what brings Parliament into disrepute. Who makes these decisions? The Speakers Commission? Will look into it. New rules came into force in England on Thursday as the government tries to halt a second coronavirus wave. Measures affecting hospitality venues include customers and staff being required to wear face coverings (except when eating and drinking), businesses being made to display QR codes for test and trace, and the 10pm curfew.The new rule on early closing times has been widely criticised by MPs, advisers and industry leaders. Sacha Lord, night-time economy adviser for Greater Manchester, described it as shambolic, saying: It's very clear, across the UK, that this ill-thought-out 10pm curfew, has pushed everyone out of venues with socially distanced measures, into the streets, into off-licences, supermarkets, overcrowded public transport and house parties. Every operator predicted this. Shambolic. Additionally, Professor Graham Medley, a leader member of the Sage group, has said scientific advisers never discussed the 10pm pubs curfew. BEIJING, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- A U.S. federal judge on Sunday blocked the Trump administration's ban on downloading TikTok, delivering a blow to Washington's ill-founded national security accusations against the popular video-sharing app. In recent weeks, Washington's heavy-handed cracking down on TikTok has laid bare the recklessness and hypocrisy of America's blatant modern-day piracy against outperforming foreign enterprises. Be it a forced sale or an unreasonable download ban, the White House has scrambled to justify its witch-hunt against TikTok and its parent company ByteDance by resorting to the flimsy fig leaf of national security. However, according to The New York Times, even the Central Intelligence Agency has concluded that there is no evidence showing China has intercepted TikTok's data, or used the app to intrude on users' mobile phones. By unscrupulously abusing state power to oppress the Chinese company on some trumped-up charges, some U.S. politicians have openly discarded the principles of market economy and fair competition, which they have always flaunted. For Washington, fair competition is favored only if the United States is leading or winning. When a competent rival appears on the horizon, the U.S. state machine will ruthlessly intervene to ensure the edges of American firms and the inferiority of those potential non-U.S. challengers. And when Washington takes aim at a target, no matter how despicable it may seem, no measure is off limits. In fact, it is nothing new for Washington to use its state power to suppress foreign companies by means of coercion and intimidation, to which Japan's semiconductor giant Toshiba and the French conglomerate Alstom both fell prey. In recent years, other Chinese high-tech enterprises, including Huawei and ZTE, have also become victims of U.S. state-sponsored persecution that seeks to bend free market rules at U.S. will. The White House has threatened to shut down TikTok's operations in the United States, and then forced it to sell itself to American companies. However, any TikTok deal reached under U.S. coercion is by no means a rules-based commercial transaction. Beijing has urged Washington to foster an open, fair, just and non-discriminatory business environment for foreign companies. The U.S. side should not underestimate Beijing's determination to continue taking all necessary measures to firmly safeguard Chinese companies' rights and interests. The age of the law of the jungle where the strong bully the weak has long gone. In this era of globalization, no one can develop itself by suppressing the development of others. Any attempt by Washington to pursue technological hegemony is doomed to failure. Its state-sponsored piracy will only lead the United States to a dead end. Enditem [ Editor: ZY ] In the days leading to his nomination of Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court, President Donald Trump emphasized anew his distaste for the Affordable Care Act. In his third chance to shape the high court, the president is turning to a conservative judge who could tilt its balance toward his goal of abolishing the law. Barrett has not participated in any cases during three years on the Chicago-based U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit that dealt with the decade-old law, which has widened insurance coverage and altered many other aspects of the nation's health-care system. Yet her academic writing and public action offer glimpses into her views: She has criticized the legal logic behind a Supreme Court decision that preserved the law and opposed a provision involving birth control. Among the most revealing was an essay she wrote at the start of 2017, four months before Trump nominated her to the circuit bench. In the essay published by a journal of Notre Dame Law School, where she was a professor, Barrett argues that judges should respect the text of laws and contends that Chief Justice John Roberts, who wrote the majority opinion the first time the Supreme Court upheld the health-care law, "pushed the Affordable Care Act beyond its plausible meaning to save the statute." Barrett represents a striking departure from the views of the justice she would succeed if confirmed by the Senate - Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who was the senior member of the court's liberal wing before she died of cancer. Ginsburg voted twice to uphold the ACA's constitutionality and was widely expected to hold that position in an upcoming case. Barrett is a favorite of social conservatives, with a vivid history of opposition to abortion and an allegiance to a legal theory known as originalism - the idea that courts should stick to the meaning of the Constitution intended by the nation's founders - an inheritance from the late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia for whom she clerked. But it is the tidbits showing her dim view of the ACA that are animating those on the left. On and off Capitol Hill, they are planning to use the issue as a rallying cry in the weeks before the November elections, even if Senate Democrats lack enough votes to prevent Barrett from being confirmed. "I think it is the issue of these confirmation hearings," said Daniel L. Goldberg, legal director of the Alliance for Justice, a liberal group that monitors judicial nominations and has helped block several of Trump's choices for lower courts. The new nominee's views on health care have particular relevance because the Supreme Court is scheduled to hear oral arguments a week after the Nov. 3 election in a case challenging the ACA's constitutionality. The case marks the third time the court will consider the validity of the 2010 statute, which was a signature domestic policy achievement of President Barack Obama - and a target for Republicans ever since. The law reaches into many aspects of Americans' lives - from calorie listings on some restaurant menus to how much older people pay for medicines - but its best-known elements led to health coverage for more than 20 million people through new insurance marketplaces and an expansion of Medicaid, the public insurance for the poor, in all but a dozen states. The most popular part of the law protects consumers who have preexisting medical conditions from being frozen out of health plans or being charged more for them. Goldberg noted that in June 2015 - 10 days after Trump announced his candidacy for the 2016 election - the future president tweeted: "If I win the presidency, my judicial appointments will do the right thing unlike [former Republican president George W.] Bush's appointee John Roberts on ObamaCare." "I take Donald Trump at his word," Goldberg said, "that [any] person he nominates will declare the Affordable Care Act unconstitutional and, in the middle of the pandemic, will take health care away from millions of people." Conservatives say they are not as certain. Ramesh Ponnuru, a fellow at the American Enterprise Institute who studies conservative thought, said Barrett's legal positions and writings overall fall within mainstream conservative views, though he, too, said her essay is critical of Roberts, the chief justice. In the essay, Barrett wrote that the court majority in the 2012 case, NFIB v. Sebelius, that upheld the law "expresses a commitment to judicial restraint by creatively interpreting ostensibly clear statutory text," so that "its approach is at odds with the statutory textualism to which most originalists subscribe." And she praised a dissent by Scalia in a 2015 case in which the court majority again ruled the ACA constitutional. Barrett wrote that Scalia had said the law, often called Obamacare, "should be renamed 'SCOTUScare' in honor of the court's willingness to 'rewrite' the statute in order to keep it afloat." In the scathing dissent, Scalia also said the majority decision was "interpretive jiggery-pokery," a "defense of the indefensible" and "pure applesauce." By the court's custom, Barrett could participate in the latest ACA case if she were confirmed in time for the Nov. 10 oral arguments. The lawsuit, initiated by a coalition of Republican state attorneys general and supported by the Trump administration, argues that the law's requirement that most Americans carry health insurance is no longer constitutional because of a 2017 change in tax law. It also argues that, if that section of the ACA is invalid, so is the rest. Barrett has not participated as an appeals judge in any cases involving the legal concept - known as severability - that defines whether a law can stand if part of it is struck down, according to a search of her cases. Nor do her writings show any views on the question. In addition to her essay, Barrett signed a petition in 2012 that protested an Obama administration rule carrying out part of the ACA that requires employers to include access to birth control for free as part of their health benefits. The petition contended the rule violated the religious liberty of employers that object to contraception. The Obama administration later modified its rule. And the Trump administration rewrote it in 2018 to widen the ability of employers and universities to exclude birth control coverage on religious or moral grounds. The Supreme Court ruled in July that the Trump version is allowable. Despite the fragments of evidence of Barrett's ACA views, Ponnuru said it would be wrong to guess how she would vote on the pending ACA case - especially because legal experts across the ideological spectrum regard its arguments as weaker than the pair of earlier cases. "We just can't know," Ponnuru said. "We couldn't know how Roberts was going to vote on the abortion case this summer, even with all his years on the Supreme Court," he said, referring to an instance in which the chief justice joined the court's liberals to strike down a restrictive Louisiana abortion law. "They have so much freedom of action." The chiefs, elders, and citizens of Gbi-Hohoe says they dissociate themselves from the activities of the secessionist group, Homeland Study Group Foundation. The group has deployed several means to have Volta, Oti, parts of the Northern and Upper East Regions declared an independent country called Western Togoland. We the chiefs, elders and the entire citizenry of Gbi-Hohoe have followed with keen interest the activities of a secessionist group calling itself as 'Homeland Study Group Foundation' seeking to declare Volta Region and part of Ghana as Western Togoland, and wish to state equivocally that we, the people of Gbi-Hohoe dissociate ourselves from this group, they noted in a press statement. They said they do not condone the acts of illegality and vandalism being perpetrated by the group. The chiefs added that the activities of the separatist group are becoming a threat to the people of the Volta Region and for that matter, Gbi-Hohoe following their Friday, September 25, dawn blockade of segments of the Juapong-Asikuma road and other roads in the region. The statement also noted that Gbi-Hohoe has been part of the Volta Region from independence and their only allegiance is to the government and no other foreign power. Chief of Gbi-Adansi and Spokesperson for Gbi Traditional Council, Togbe Adzimah V, advised the youth of Gbi-Hohoe to resist joining the groups activities and instead report any strange personality found within the area. They also warned the secessionist group to stay away from their community as they do not want to be a part of their activities and will fearlessly resist any attempts of invasion. Background The Homeland Study Group Foundation (HSGF) led by 85-year-old Komi Kudzordzi, on November 16, 2019, declared independence for the imaginary country they called Western Togoland after a group meeting was held in Ho. Some of the members were subsequently arrested in different parts of the country but were granted bail. After they recently blocked roads leading into the Volta Region, about 31 members of the secessionist group were arrested and airlifted to Accra. Thirty of them were arrested in Juapong in the Eastern Region and one other was arrested at Akuse in the Volta Region after their alleged involvement in the blockade of some entry points by road to the Volta Region. ---citinewsroom Marie Yovanovitch the former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine who was forced out of her job last year by the Trump administration is being honored by PEN America. The literary and human rights organization announced Monday that Yovanovitch has won the PEN/Benenson Courage Award, of which previous recipients include Anita Hill and student activists from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida. During the impeachment hearings of President Donald Trump Yovanovitch told House investigators that Ukrainian officials had warned her in advance that Rudy Giuliani and other Trump insiders were planning to do things, including to me and were looking to hurt her. Yovanovitch was recalled from Kyiv as Giuliani pressed Ukrainian officials to investigate baseless corruption allegations against former Vice President Joe Biden, the 2020 presidential candidate for the Democratic Party, and his son Hunter. The alleged attempt to make a foreign government investigate a political opponent led to Trump's impeachment in December on two counts by the Democratic-run House. The Republican-run Senate acquitted him on both counts. At a time when, for government officials, standing on principle can spell an end to a professional career, Ambassador Yovanovitch did not flinch or falter, said Suzanne Nossel, CEO of PEN America, said in a statement. "She is a powerful exemplar of the kind of courage this award is meant to honor. Yovanovitch is currently working on a memoir, expected to come out next year. She will be among the guests Dec. 8 at PEN's annual gala, to be held online because of the coronavirus pandemic. Others receiving awards will include author and musician Patti Smith and Chinese dissident Xu Zhiyong. Barcelona Besides instituting their own net-zero emissions plans, governments must create the conditions for others to do the same, Guterres says Governments worldwide are still putting obstacles in the way of economies making the transition to become carbon-neutral by mid-century, an effort needed to hold global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius, the head of the United Nations said on Thursday. Besides instituting their own plans to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, governments must create the conditions to allow companies, cities, civil society groups and other organisations to do the same, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged. He called on governments to reform regulations and policies that currently go against action on climate change, such as financing coal-power plants and providing subsidies for the extraction and use of fossil fuels. "Governments are an obstacle in many areas for (the) private sector and other entities to be able to establish their own (net-zero) transitions," he told the close of a virtual climate roundtable organised by the United Nations. Guterres said one prime minister had told him it was hard to end subsidies for dirty fuels because it would hurt people's wallets. Another said he could not tax carbon pollution, as it would lose him voters. Guterres said he advised the leaders to give financial support not to fossil fuels but to poorer people in need, and to reduce payroll taxes while boosting them on carbon emitters, a measure he said could help win elections. The aim of government policies and regulations should be to "force everyone to have a transition plan to net-zero before 2050", he added. Public development banks should also commit to halt lending to coal projects and boost their funding for renewables and energy efficiency, he said - a key expectation for the first global summit of those institutions in November. Former Bank of England governor Mark Carney, now the U.N. climate finance envoy, said rules should be in place to require businesses to disclose climate risks they are exposed to by the delayed November 2021 COP26 climate summit. At Thursday's event, Fiji's prime minister said the island nation would require all government departments to assess climate change risks to their work. And Canada has made climate risk disclosure a condition for major firms to access COVID-19 recovery funds, Carney noted. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Africa International Organisations Climate By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. "What we want for COP26 is for the world to make that type of disclosure mandatory" everywhere, he said. "It's not acceptable for our companies not to tell us where the risks are for them," he added. At Thursday's event, many leaders said economic stimulus to boost recovery from the coronavirus pandemic should support clean energy and green technology, which can create more jobs than dirty industries. A report published this week by research coalition Climate Action Tracker, however, said most government recovery plans it had analysed from high-emitting countries showed "only a hint of green". Leaders from Bangladesh, Antigua and Barbuda, and other countries also emphasised the need to ramp up protection for vulnerable countries and communities facing worsening floods, storms, sea level rise and other climate change threats. Guterres said not enough funding was being channelled into measures to adapt and become more resilient to the climate impacts that are already happening today. He called for that work to be financed alongside efforts to reduce emissions. "Many people are already suffering, so we need to massively support those (who) are suffering more," he said. An 18-year-old A-Level student has become one of the youngest people in the UK ever to die from bowel cancer. Charlotte Simpson, from Hampshire, fought a short four-month battle after she was diagnosed with stage four cancer in January this year. In April, she was told she had just weeks to live and she passed away on May 22. Her mother Sarah, 46, a former civil servant, revealed her 'world fell apart' when it was confirmed her daughter's cancer had spread and her diagnosis was terminal. Before her diagnosis, Charlotte was a 'very happy young woman' who was in her second year of A-levels and was in love with another student Scott Dickinson, 19. Charlotte Simpson (pictured at Halloween in 2018) from Hampshire fought a short four-month battle after she was diagnosed with stage four cancer in January this year She had hoped to carry on her studies at university and wanted to study a degree in primary teaching at the University of Winchester. The teenager lived at home in Whiteley, Hampshire with her mother, Sarah, and father David, 48, a carpet company director and her younger brother Elliott, 15. Her mother, Sarah, told The Mirror that when she was first diagnosed with cancer, Charlotte didn't lose hope. 'Charlotte's whole attitude from the start was amazing,' she said. 'She [Charlotte] said, "It's going to be ok". Charlotte first complained of extreme stomach pain in October last year, but blood tests only detected anaemia and the teen was given iron tablets. Pictured at her surprise slumber party The cancer was still not discovered until Charlotte underwent a colonoscopy in Southampton General Hospital in January following two trips to hospital over Christmas where she was 'in agony'. Pictured on her first day of chemotherapy Charlotte first complained of extreme stomach pain in October last year, but blood tests only detected anaemia and the teen was given iron tablets. Months later, she was still not feeling better and was losing weight and felt fatigued. In mid-December the teen found blood in her stools - a common symptom of bowel cancer. However, the cancer was still not discovered until Charlotte underwent a colonoscopy in Southampton General Hospital in January following two trips to hospital over Christmas where she was 'in agony'. When doctors told her that it was likely she had cancer, Charlotte replied: Don't be silly, I'm only 17.' According to charity Bowel Cancer UK, Charlotte is one of just three teens her age, 15 to 19-year-olds, to be diagnosed annually with the disease on average. Pictured: Charlotte with her parents Sarah and David at The Ivy in February, a month after she was diagnosed with bowel cancer Her mother Sarah (left), 46, a former civil servant, revealed her 'world fell apart' when it was confirmed her daughter's cancer had spread and her diagnosis was terminal Bowel cancer usually affects age groups of over-50s but the charity says there has been a rise in the number of young people affected by the disease. Charlotte started chemotherapy and immunotherapy in early February but a month later, a scan found that the cancer had spread to her stomach and lymph nodes. She was given just weeks to live in April but with visitors restricted to only one person in the hospital during the coronavirus lockdown, her parents made the decision to move her home. Two weeks later, Charlotte died peacefully in her home on May 22 at 10.50am. In an obituary posted online, Charlotte was described as 'a beautiful and kind soul' who made everyone she met 'feel so very special and so loved'. Following her death, her mother said she is determined to raise awareness of teenage bowel cancer, saying: 'I don't want to see other families grieving like us.' Getty Getting the annual flu vaccine is a simple, life-saving task Americans can check off their list each year, but its particularly vital in 2020 as the country continues to grapple with the COVID-19 pandemic. Now more than ever, health experts are urging everyone in the U.S. to get vaccinated against the flu this fall to prevent a twindemic outbreaks of both COVID-19 and influenza as the weather cools down. We need as many people vaccinated against flu this fall as absolutely possible, Dr. William Schaffner, professor of preventive medicine and infectious diseases at Vanderbilt University, tells PEOPLE. Its not only important to protect you, but to take some of the strain off the healthcare system, which is going to be hit by both COVID and flu. And not only will the two illnesses spread at the same time, they both present with similar symptoms, making them hard to differentiate. If you develop respiratory symptoms like those associated with influenza and other viruses, how will we know you dont have COVID-19? The only thing well know to do is to test you. But then youre a person under evaluation. You cant go into work. You have to isolate yourself, Dr. Rick Malley, a senior physician in pediatrics at Boston Childrens Hospital and professor of pediatrics at Harvard Medical School, tells PEOPLE. Preventing symptoms that could be confused for COVID-19 is very important. One way to do that, is to get a flu shot. RELATED: Everything You Need to Know About a Possible Coronavirus Vaccine Adds Schaffner: These two illnesses look alike, and the one we can do something about is flu. The best thing we can do about flu is the flu vaccine. When to Go Malley recommends that Americans start to get their flu shots now, as we head into October. We want to encourage people to get it early, because we have a lot of people to vaccinate, he says. We have to tell people to get vaccinated early in the fall because we dont want everybody trying to get it around Christmas vacation that would overwhelm the system. Story continues RELATED VIDEO: Here's What You Need to Know If You Get the Flu Here's What You Need to Know If You Get the Flu This years flu season has been devastating, resulting in several deaths and hospitalizations While people may be worried about going to a doctors office for a flu shot during the pandemic, both experts emphasize that healthcare providers have taken precautions to make the process as safe as possible. Still, there are things you can do to create further peace of mind. Call your healthcare provider to see if theyre having a flu clinic early in the morning, or late at night, so you can be in and out, Schaffner says. And even if you get vaccinated at the pharmacy, go in the off hours when there are fewer people. Go in and roll up your sleeves and say, Give me a flu shot. You can be out of there in 6 minutes. And always wear your mask. RELATED: Samira Wiley Says Getting a Flu Shot Is 'So Important' During the Coronavirus Pandemic And Schaffner emphasizes that the benefits outweigh any risk. It is worth momentary exposure to the healthcare environment to get your flu shot. Debunking Myths While some people dont bother with the flu vaccine because of concerns that it will get them sick, thats not true, say experts. The vaccine delivers an inactive dose of the influenza virus, which prompts the immune system to create antibodies to fight off the potentially deadly viral infection. Because the virus is inactive, it absolutely cannot transmit the infection, Dr. Denise Pate, Internal Medicine Doctor at Medical Offices of Manhattan, previously told PEOPLE. Another common argument against the flu vaccine is that its does not completely prevent the flu the yearly vaccine is typically 40 to 60 percent effective, according to the Centers for Disease Control. But Schaffner points out that any kind of prevention can be life-saving, both for yourself and others. Most people dont realize that if they get the flu vaccine and still get the flu, they will have a substantially less severe infection, he says. Theyre less likely to be hospitalized, they're less likely to go to the ICU, and theyre less likely to die. RELATED: Several States May Require Kids to Get a Flu Vaccine Ahead of Coronavirus School Reopenings It provides full or partial protection, he continues. And it will also prevent you from being a dreaded spreader. You wont spread flu virus to your relatives, friends and neighbors. Hope for a More Mild Season There is also hope that the flu wont hit the U.S. as hard this year as in previous years. In Southern Hemisphere countries like Australia, when the flu hit during their colder months (our summer), they experienced a reduced season. Its probably because people are being careful about COVID-19, so a collateral benefit of that is we might actually see reduction in influenza, Malley says, though it depends on if Americans take precautions. If people are good about wearing masks, and washing their hands, and being physically distanced from others, we might expect a less severe flu season. Schaffner says the same: Wear a mask when you leave the house. Practice social distancing. Stay six feet away from other people. Do not go to group events. Were going to have to continue that for months. Its the new normal. Do not strain yourself looking for reasons not to do these things. Do them. They will prevent both COVID and flu. CHAGRIN FALLS, Ohio - For the past 10 years volunteers and staff with the Chagrin Documentary Film Festival gathered compelling, quirky and entertaining films from around the world to present to Chagrin Valley viewers in a variety of in-person venues. This year, Oct. 6-11, CDFF is bringing the same level of quality films to your living room or wherever you watch streaming video. The festival includes 101 films from 32 countries, including topics such as the environment, the human spirit. The fest opens with Playing with Fire, featuring the Cleveland-based Grammy Award winner Jeannette Sorrell and her passion for classical music How do you uphold an 11-year tradition of presenting a full-scale international film festival during a global pandemic when people cannot gather safely into theater venues? This years Chagrin Documentary Film Festival has gone virtual and can be viewed from the comfort of your home. Additionally, for those wanting the larger-than-life big screen experience, two outdoor venues are offered. An adapted drive-in location gives viewers the opportunity to sit in their cars to view selected films. Families can bring chairs or a blanket at noon and at 6 p.m. Wednesday through Friday to Riverside Park to watch a selection of free documentary shorts on an LED screen. This free venue is also offered Sat. 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. Sunday during the festival. The at-home video streaming option gives patrons the flexibility to screen the films on demand to fit their schedules, as opposed to past years when they choose a film based on when they could slip away to a theater or screening location in a church, school or large meeting room. Some of the in-person charm of meeting independent film makers will be missing, but potentially viewers will be able to watch more films than they could in previous years. On-demand viewers can experience videos of filmmaker panels and interviews from all over the world. The opening night film will be Playing with Fire Jeannette Sorrell and the Mysteries of Conducting, a film about Cleveland-based, Grammy-winner Jeannette Sorrell and her passion for classical music. This documentary gives the audience a look behind the curtain at Sorrells drive and vision as she launches the successful Baroque orchestra Apollos Fire after overcoming obstacles, which is very relatable to CDFFs founder and director Mary Ann Ponce. After her sons death in 2006 from cancer at 20 years old, Ponce took on the task of finishing a documentary film the aspiring young filmmaker was working on. That experience included taking the finished work to various film festivals, which sparked her drive to create a festival here. Despite the global pandemic, sitting this year out was not viewed as an option for Ponce and the CDFF organizers, who see the festival as a much-needed break from current events and politics. With that said, fans of the lively panel discussions and behind the scenes talks with filmmakers will not be disappointed. Some of the countries represented among this years films and filmmakers include: US, Hungary, Ireland, China, Mexico, Canada, Jordan, Costa Rica, Japan, UK, Israel, India, Iceland, Lebanon, Norway, Russia, Switzerland, Netherlands, Italy and Azerbaijan. We had to pivot plans to accommodate this new normal, explains Ponce. We believe in the power of documentary film to bring us together and to get us thinking and communicating with each other, even if its virtually. And right now, films superpower is to connect us on a deeper level as a community to experience some great films." Storybook Lane event: Childrens book author and Chagrin Valley Chamber of Commerce director, Molly Gebler is hosting a drive-through event noon, Sunday, Oct. 4 in South Russell to celebrate the launch of her new book Shuttys. Geblers series of five books highlight local scenes, traditions and characters. Shuttys focuses on the Chagrin Hardware store. During her drive-through event your child can write their own story to the pictures posted on Story Book Lane, then they receive a link to their online book they can share with others. For costs and to register visit apieceofmollysmindcom. To post your news and events, contact Rusek at jcooperrusek@gmail.com. AMRITSAR Farmers body Kisan Sangharsh Committee (KSC) has decided to extend its rail roko protest against the farm laws till October 2. This was announced by committees general secretary Sarwan Singh Pandher during a protest near Devidaspura village in Amritsar on the occasion of the birth anniversary of freedom fighter Bhagat Singh on Monday. The protesters laid siege to tracks on the Amritsar-Delhi rail link and were joined by hundreds of youths. The Union government had passed the legislations to benefit big corporates. We will intensify our stir and will force the government to scrap the anti-farmer laws, said Pandher. The farmers under the aegis of the KSC have laid siege to the railway tracks since September 24. Sporting yellow turbans and holding pictures of Bhagat Singh in their hands, the youths from various villages of the Majha region started thronging to the protest site around 10am. They pledged that they will continue supporting the farmers until the controversial laws are scrapped. They termed their joining the protest as true tribute to Bhagat Singh on his birthday. Harpal Singh, a youth, who had come from Chabba village, said; Now, the time has come to walk the path shown by Bhagat Singh. Every youth of Punjab should come out not only to support the farmers, but also to fulfil the dreams of our revolutionary martyrs. Our fifth days protest is dedicated to Bhagat Singh, who had laid down his life for the freedom of the country. Now, our protest is being joined by hundreds of youth from various villages. This will give strength to our movement, said Sukhwinder Singh Sabhran, district president of the KSC. A teenager who hacked at his 12-year-old girlfriend with a machete because she 'didn't listen to him' has avoided jail. The then 16-year-old, who cannot be named due to legal reasons, pleaded guilty in the Supreme Court of the Northern Territory to attacking his then-girlfriend in October 2018. He had been sniffing aerosols on the Galiwinku oval with the girl, who he had been in a relationship for about six months, in the early hours of October 30, 2018. The 12-year-old girl was not intoxicated and began to walk home, NT News reported. A teenager who viciously hacked at his 12-year-old girlfriend with a machete because she 'didn't listen to him' has avoided jail As the girl was leaving another child 'found' a machete, the court heard. The boy said: 'Give me that machete because I have to bash that little girl for not listening to me'. The boy then followed the girl and hit her in the upper arm with the weapon, the court heard. She fell to the ground and the teenager stood over her and continued to assault her by swinging the knife 'in a chopping motion' to the girl's face and head. One of the girl's friends pushed the 16-year-old away. Chief Justice Michael Grant acknowledged it was the only reason the attack stopped. The 12-year-old was airlifted to Royal Darwin Hospital for emergency surgery for the severe lacerations to her skull and arms, broken knuckles and severed tendons in both hands. She was required to stay in hospital for a month and needed both splints and hand therapy to regain full function of her hands. Chief Justice Grant said without the quick action from specialists at the hospital the girl may have lost the use of both hands, or died. The girl still suffers from pins and needles as well as stuff and numb hands. 'What you did has obviously had a terrible impact on the victim, including in ways that we would not necessarily expect,' he told the teenager. The then 16-year-old, who cannot be named due to legal reasons, pleaded guilty in the Supreme Court of the Northern Territory to attacking his girlfriend at the time in October 2018 'When she was recovering, she could not feed, bathe or dress herself. Her big sister had to do that for her, which caused them both shame for cultural reasons.' Chief Justice Grant acknowledged the teenager had since been diagnosed with an intellectual disability but said he had not accepted 'how serious the offending was'. The chief justice also said the teenager did not realise the impact his actions had on the girl or felt any remorse. 'When asked about the offending during the course of a psychiatric assessment, you sought to attribute blame for what happened to your friends urging you to hit the girl,' he said. The teenager was given a suspended sentence after spending four months in jail before being bailed in March last year. BAKU, Azerbaijan, Sept. 24 Trend: Severe military clashes between Armenia, which isnt recognizing the UN resolution, as well as grossly violating international law and which occupied the Azerbaijani lands, and Azerbaijan, are taking place, President of the Association of Friends of Azerbaijan in France Jean-Francois Mansel said, Trend reports on September 28. Unfortunately, these clashes are the result of the passivity of the international community, which is unable to offer any way out of the situation in accordance with international law, Mansel said. For many years, our association has reminded that this conflict cannot be frozen, Armenia must withdraw its forces from the occupied territories and start a peaceful and constructive dialogue with Azerbaijan for the benefit of the peoples of both countries. If steps in this direction arent taken, then grave consequences are inevitable. France must take this into account, stressed the associations president. Taking on people who ignore guidelines, though, is challenging and potentially dangerous, Durvasula said. Weve already seen that large-scale retailers around the country are saying, We cant keep putting our employees in harms way and having them enforce mask rules, she said. Every time I read those news stories, Im like, Oh my God, of course they cant. Because unless they gave all of their employees a crash course in narcissism, they just dont have a chance. PARMA, Ohio -- Exactly three weeks after Parma City Schools started the 2020-2021 school year, the district is poised to now shift from remote learning to a hybrid model beginning tomorrow (Sept. 29). Parma City Schools Superintendent Charles Smialek promised students would be in school two days a week if the county level remains orange or level 2 -- related to the color-coded state public health advisory system, which currently finds Cuyahoga County in orange or level 2 -- for three weeks leading up to Sept. 24. On Tuesday, remote learning begins with an orientation for grade levels -- kindergarten, fifth and eighth grade -- entering new schools. The full hybrid model begins on Wednesday. We worked hard at social distancing measurements in our schools, Smialek said. We have hand sanitizer throughout our buildings and traffic patterns are appropriate to minimize congestion. Nothing is going to be perfect in a COVID era. All staff and students are required to wear masks. The latter will be allowed to remove their masks when theyre eating and drinking or when theyre elevating their heart rate during recess or gym. Were not going to have three or six feet of distance between students at all times, but anytime thats going to happen we need to double down on washing hands, wearing face masks, Smialek said. "The reality is when you look at our schools and the size of them, its impossible to be distant at all times. Thats when you take the other measures really seriously. Also, water fountains are closed. Restrooms are open, but were trying to monitor those best we can to keep small numbers. Water bottle use by students will be on a school-by-school basis. Parma City School Districts pandemic instruction plan finds remote learning for purple and red (level 4 and level 3), a hybrid model with two days of in-person instruction for students divided into two groups followed by virtual learning for orange (level 2) and traditional in-school model five days a week for yellow (level 1). For hybrid learning, the district is employing a 1/2/2 model with no in-class school on Mondays followed by students with last names beginning with A to K attending Tuesday and Wednesday. Students with last names L to Z attend Thursday and Friday. While 2,200 students committed to remote learning for a semester at the Parma Virtual Learning Academy (PVLA), roughly 7,300 students throughout the district will be in hybrid learning. The superintendent said over the last couple of weeks hes talked to other districts, which opened the school year in hybrid fashion. A common concern was how to handle the three days each student is at home. Some districts are streaming classroom activity to pupils; however, Smialek said that ends up being problematic for teachers catering to both in-person and at-home student audiences. Thats why Parma City Schools are posting assignments and learning experiences. On the upside, the superintendent said other schools arent having safety issues offering in-person instruction during a pandemic. The districts that have come back have really not had a lot of concerns about in-school experiences, Smialek said. "Students are taking the mask mandate seriously. Administrators Ive been talking to are pleasantly surprised by how compliant students are with that, so were anticipating well have that same spirit here. Folks are realizing that if we want to be in-school and stay in school and eventually get back to a five-day week, we have to be very safe and take our health seriously. As far as the possibility of moving to a full five-day in-person instruction, which other districts in the area are discussing, Smialek is taking one step at a time. What weve learned this year is to be flexible, Smialek said. "Conditions can change very rapidly, so were trying to sort of get out of the prognostication business. Were going to make the best judgements we can based on the data we have, but also we have to look at how were doing, how have we acclimated and are folks taking the social distancing measures seriously. We want students back -- and we want to come back to a five-day week -- but there are a number of factors that are going to influence that. Read more news from the Parma Sun Post here. New Delhi: Ahead of the start of the Budget session, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday hoped for a comprehensive discussion in Parliament. He noted that in the last few days, the government has held discussions with all political parties to ensure that House proceedings are not disrupted. There should be comprehensive discussion for welfare of society, Modi told reporters outside Parliament. The Prime Minister said he has faith that all factions will come together in Parliament for welfare of society. Read | Economic Survey: GDP growth in 2016-17 placed at 7.1%, down from 7.6% in 2015-16; Indias trade-GDP ratio is now greater than Chinas He said it is the first time that the Union Budget is being presented on February 1. Modi recalled that while budgets were earlier presented at 5 in the evening, it was former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee who advanced it to morning. Today, a new tradition will begin. First, the budget is being advanced by nearly a month. And second, Rail Budget in being incorporated into this. There will be discussion on this also and the benefits that it will have in the coming times, he said. Read | Economic Survey 2016-17: Demonetisation has short term costs, potential long term benefits, says Chief Economic Advisor Arvind Subramanian After the Winter Session was washed out due to protests over demonetisation, Modi had on Monday reached out to the opposition at an all-party meeting called in New Delhi on Monday. The meeting was attended by all major parties except Trinamool Congress, which has been unhappy over the note ban and arrest of its MPs in chit fund cases. Read | Union Budget 2017: President Mukherjee addresses joint session For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. As of September 28, Azerbaijans large-scale aggression against Artsakh is ongoing. The statements of the international community, including the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs and their states on the escalation of the situation along the line of contact between Artsakh and Azerbaijan definitely demonstrate that the international community condemns the use of force, and the undermining regional peace and security. While facing this united position of the international community, the Azerbaijani side resorts to spreading obvious lies by accusing the Armenian side of instigating hostilities. There are undeniable facts that it is Azerbaijan who initiated this aggression. For years Azerbaijan has consistently violated the 1994-1995 trilateral agreements on the establishment of ceasefire regime, which have no time limitation, has been rejecting the proposals of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairmanship on introducing investigation mechanisms of ceasefire violations and the strengthening of the ceasefire monitoring, thus retaining the possibilities of the use of force and instigating a blame game. The fact that on September 25, Azerbaijan rejected the request of the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office to monitor the line of contact is a case in point, which clearly reveals Azerbaijan's objectives to cover up its plans to unleash a war. The current aggression of Azerbaijan against Artsakh has two features. Azerbaijan publicly denounced the peace process at the level of the President Aliyev and formulated an objective to resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict through initiating full-fledged war. Second, to this end, Azerbaijan receives large-scale military-political support from Turkey. Notably, Turkey has been supporting Azerbaijan within the context of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict since the 1990s, when it imposed land blockade on the Republic of Armenia. However, Turkeys support to this aggression and its preparation to this aggression and its preparation has undergone qualitative changes and is characterized by its direct presence on the ground. The Turkish military experts are fighting side by side with Azerbaijan, who are using the Turkish weapons, including UAVs and warplanes. According to credible sources, Turkey is recruiting and transporting foreign terrorist fighters to Azerbaijan. Meanwhile, Turkey provides full political and propaganda support to Azerbaijan at the highest level of its leadership. The situation on the ground clearly indicates that the people of Artsakh are fighting against the Turkish-Azerbaijani alliance. Turkey, which a century ago annihilated the Armenian people in their historical homeland and up until now justifies that crime, now supports Azerbaijan by all possible means to carry out the same genocidal acts in the South Caucasus. This genocidal Turkish-Azerbaijani alliance is a serious threat to the peoples of the region. Armenia and Artsakh are strongly determined to repel with their full capacities and neutralize the intent of that alliance. And that strong resolve of the Armenian sides has no alternative, as it embodies The unshattered will of the Armenian people to live in their historical homeland. Armenia is absolutely confident that Azerbaijans military adventurism will fail, and Azerbaijan will be compelled to renounce its intention to solve the conflict through military means, and to talk to the people of Artsakh not through barrages of artillery, but at the negotiating table. Democratic presidential nominee former Vice President Joe Biden gives a speech on the Supreme Court at The Queen Theater in Wilmington, Del., Sept. 27, 2020. (Andrew Harnik/AP Photo) Biden Continues Trend of Not Campaigning in Person Democrat presidential nominee Joe Bidens campaign announced Monday morning he would not be campaigning in person, the 17th day that will be the case this month alone. Biden, 77, stayed in his home for months starting in March after the COVID-19 situation was declared a pandemic, and has been slow to ramp up his schedule since becoming the presumptive, then confirmed, Democrat nominee. Bidens campaign has called lids, or said he wouldnt campaign in person that day, in the morning 11 times this month, according to an Epoch Times tally. That includes four times in the past seven days. On five other occasions, Biden has spoken from his home city before no audience members or gone to church and quickly went back home. The campaign didnt respond to a request for comment. Democratic presidential nominee and former Vice President Joe Biden visits with members of the Shanksville Volunteer Fire Companys Station 627 after he visited the Flight 93 National Memorial in Shanksville, Pa., on Sept. 11, 2020. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) Biden has traveled to seven other states to campaign in person this month, including Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, and North Carolina. But on other days, hes stayed home, speaking at virtual fundraisers and doing remote television appearances. On several days, Biden has held events where he makes remarks from Wilmington, Delaware, where he lives, but the events usually have no audience members and he has often traveled back to his house immediately afterward. On Sept. 14, for instance, Biden spoke about the wildfires raging on the West Coast but no one was present besides reporters and staffers. He then went home to speak at virtual fundraisers. On Sept. 25, Biden went to Washington to attend a ceremony for Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who died about a week prior. After the ceremony, Biden went home, even as his wife, Jill Biden, traveled to Maine to campaign. Jill Biden spoke about her husbands plan to revive the economy and met with loggers, blueberry farmers, and others in Bangor before touring a lobster boat in Blue Hull. In contrast, President Donald Trump has taken few days off, campaigning at more events in person and in more states than his rival. Trump, 74, has drawn attention to when Biden stays home, using his Sleepy Joe nickname and accusing the Democrat of having low energy levels. President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally at Atlantic Aviation in Moon Township, Pennsylvania, on Sept. 22, 2020. (Jeff Swensen/Getty Images) Biden aides have defended the lack of in-person events, citing the pandemic and accusing Trump of endangering Americans by holding large rallies, even if many are outdoors. But even some Democrats are complaining about the campaign strategy. Not traveling because of the pandemic is a pretty lame excuse, Texas Democratic Party Chairman Gilberto Hinojosa told the Associated Press. I thought he had his own plane. He doesnt have to sit with one space between another person on a commercial airline like I would, Hinojosa added, urging Biden to visit Texas and Arizona. Collette Alston, chairwoman of the Charlotte African American Caucus, said after an event Biden held in Charlotte last week drew only 16 people: I do believe that he can win North Carolina. Can he win it based on what hes doing right now? No. Thats not the way to win it. Tim Murtaugh, the Trump campaigns communications director, said recently that Biden is invisible even though Nov. 3 election is quickly approaching. Biden defenders have said Biden is hunkered down to prepare for the Sept. 29 debate with Trump, the first presidential debate of this cycle. Asked how much time hes spent preparing for the debate, Trump told reporters on Sunday: Im running a country. I dont have the luxury. Answering questions from reporters on a daily basis is good preparation, he added, and hes received assistance from White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany, lawyer Rudy Giuliani, and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie. The countys COVID-19 dashboard listed 2,052 recoveries out of 2,379 total cases reported on the dashboard, with eight people hospitalized. Residents with relatives in nursing homes got a bit of good news Monday when it comes to visiting their loved ones indoors. The state has eased restrictions for indoor visitation of relatives in nursing homes, allowing people to see their relatives as long as the nursing home has not had any cases of COVID-19 for at least 14 days and the county where the nursing home is located has a percent-positive testing rate less than 10 percent, according to a release from the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services. The cumulative positivity rate is 9.7 percent, according to the countys COVID-19 dashboard. Burke County Public Information Officer Lisa Moore said the countys percent positive last week was 4.4 percent. The easing of restrictions came as North Carolinas key metrics for measuring the spread of the novel coronavirus continued to remain stable with strong infection prevention and control requirements in place, the release said. MUMBAI: BJP leader Kirit Somaiya on Monday (September 28) staged a protest outside the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) headquarters accusing BMC Mayor Kishori Pednekar and her family members of corruption. Somaiya alleged that Pednekar fraudulently occupied redeveloped slum accommodation and had been using it as her office. Live TV Demanding the resignation of the BMC Mayor, Somaiya said she should be removed from the post in case she refuses to step down. The BJP leader then threatened to sit on an indefinite protest outside the BMC headquarters if action is not initiated against her. On Monday, Somaiya, along with his supporters, launched a protest demanding action against Pednekar. The protest by the BJP leader came under Section 144, which is in place in Mumbai in view of the ongoing COVID-19 crisis. According to ANI, Somaiya was detained and taken to the Azad Maidan Police Station. A meteoroid was captured skimming Earth's atmosphere for a few seconds above Germany and the Netherlands before returning on its journey through space. Astronomers spotted the bright cosmic object streaking across the night sky on September 22, as is dipped 56 miles in altitude - lower than any satellites orbiting Earth. The video was shot at 11:53pm ET and shows the meteoroid covering a path of more than 499 miles as it sunk into our atmosphere for 19 seconds. Researchers from Western University traced it to a Jupiter-family orbit, but was unable to identify matches of potential parent bodies. Scroll down for video Astronomers spotted the bright cosmic object streaking across the night sky on September 22, as is dipped 56 miles in altitude - lower than any satellites orbiting Earth Earth grazing meteoroids occur sporadically the last one to be captured was spotted over Australia in 2017. This event lasted for one and a half minutes and the space rock soared through Earth's atmosphere at more than 35,000 mile per hour before returning to space. The September 22 event, although lasting just 19 seconds, left those on the ground in awe as they witnessed the spaced rock streak through the night sky. The video was taken by the Global Meteor Network (GMN), which is a team of amateur astronomers who have cameras all over the world to capture such occasions. The meteoroid was captured skimming Earth's atmosphere for a few seconds above Germany and the Netherlands before returning on its journey through space More than 100 people reported seeing the meteoroid and shared images they snapped of the event However, a number of witnesses also shared their videos of the meteoroid skimming Earth's atmosphere. Denis Vida, a physics postdoc from Western University in Ontario and founder of GMN) said: 'The network is basically a decentralized scientific instrument, made up of amateur astronomers and citizen scientists around the planet each with their own camera system.' We make all data such as meteoroid trajectories and orbits available to the public and scientific community, with the goal of observing rare meteor shower outbursts and increasing the number of observed meteorite falls and helping to understand delivery mechanisms of meteorites to Earth.' The European Space Agency describes a meteoroid as a fragment of a comet or asteroid that breaks off and creates a bright light streak in the sky. Most of the rock disintegrate in Earth's atmosphere, but the recent visitor did not get low enough to burn up. Pictured is a graph showing the more than 466 mile path the meteoroid took as it skimmed Earth's atmosphere Researchers from Western University traced it to a Jupiter-family orbit, but was unable to identify matches of potential parent bodies Tens of thousands of meteorites have been found on Earth, yet, of these only about 40 can be traced back to a parent asteroid or asteroidal source. A study conducted by Harvard speculates that an Earth skimming asteroid may have taken life to Venus, which is based on the 2017 meteor that was spotted over Australia. The team believes this meteor could have collected up some 10,000 microbial colonies from our world and carried it to another. The study notes that over the last 3.7 billion years, at least 600,000 space rocks that dipped into Earth's atmosphere have a collided with Venus. 'Although the abundance of terrestrial life in the upper atmosphere is unknown, these planet-grazing shepherds could have potentially been capable of transferring microbial life between the atmospheres of Earth and Venus,' the Harvard study reads. 'As a result, the origin of possible Venusian life may be fundamentally indistinguishable from that of terrestrial life.' Previous research determined that life is found up to an altitude of 43 miles from the surface. Earth-grazing asteroids can dip 52 miles without experiencing significant heating another lower would kill any life it gathered from our planet. Earth grazing meteoroids occur sporadically the last one to be captured was spotted over Australia in 2017 (pictured). This event lasted for one and a half minutes and the space rock soared through Earth's atmosphere at more than 35,000 mile per hour before returning to space 'Further work is needed to investigate the existence and abundance of microbial life in the upper atmosphere,' reads the study. The team also notes that if a meteor coming from Earth enters the atmosphere of another planet, hitchhiking microbes could be released in clouds before the rock disintegrates in the atmosphere. 'A future probe that could sample the habitable cloud deck of Venus will potentially enable the direct discovery of microbial life outside of Earth, the team wrote.' 'Specifically, the capability to either directly analyze microbes in situ or to return an atmospheric sample to Earth will be critical in the design of a successful mission. Finding exactly the same genomic material and helicity on Venus and Earth would constitute a smoking gun for panspermia.' On 18 September 2020, the National Trade Facilitation Committee (NTFC) of Zambia under the auspices of the Ministry of Ministry of Commerce, Trade and Industry, launched the Time Release Study (TRS) for the Chirundu One Stop Border Post. This TRS was rolled-out with technical assistance of the WCO and focused on imports considering the Chirundu border post collects the majority of the countys import taxes. The launch event was hosted at the Zambia Revenue Authority Training Centre. Made possible also with the support of USAID, the TRS launch was attended virtually by 70 participants from Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA), key border agencies, representatives from regional organizations, private sector representatives, the British High Commission and various development partners such as USAID, GIZ, the EU, and TradeMark East-Africa. It was noted that the WCOs support to the TRS was made possible under the auspices of the partnership between the WCO and the United Kingdom (UK) through the UK Customs (HMRC) leveraging the WCOs Mercator Programme as a coherent and strategic approach towards TFA implementation. In their opening remarks both the ZRA Commissioner of Customs and the Chair of NTFC and Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Commerce, Trade, and Industry, expressed their appreciation for the support extended by the WCO. Speaking at the event, WCO Deputy Secretary General, Mr. Ricardo Trevino, highlighted the joint vision of simplification and harmonization of trade procedures. He said The WCO TRS is accepted widely as an evidence based and objective methodology to assess clearance and release times. It is seen as the global standard to measure clearance and release times and identify bottlenecks contributing to the implementation of the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA). This is important for all traders, especially for small scale traders. He added, I congratulate Zambias NTFC and the national TRS Working Group for this excellent contribution to the trade reform agenda of Zambia. The TRS was carried out in December 2019 after a national TRS Working Group was established, trained and empowered by the WCO. The WCO Deputy Secretary-General recognized that it is remarkable that initial recommendations issued in January 2020 directly led to quick wins as the ZRA took swift action: average clearance and release times were already reduced from 5-6 days to 2-3 days by March 2020. A key recommendation that has come out of the report is that the 17 border agencies working at the OSBP need to apply the principles of Coordinated Border Management with a view to provide a more facilitated service to the complaint traders. For more information please contact capacity.building@wcoomd.org. Kevin Kinard has visited Arkansas' Crater of Diamonds State Park numerous times over the last 25 years, and "never in a million years" did he dream that he would end up finding a 9.07-carat diamond. Kinard, a 33-year-old bank manager, first visited Crater of Diamonds State Park on a field trip in the second grade. On Labor Day, he went to the park with some friends to see if they could find any gemstones or minerals, and after sifting for about 10 minutes, Kinard decided to take a walk. While doing some surface searching, he spotted a crystal about the size of a marble. "It kind of looked interesting and shiny, so I put it in my bag and kept searching," Kinard said in a press release. "I just thought it might've been glass." At Crater of Diamonds State Park, visitors hunt for gemstones, rocks, and minerals on the eroded surface of a volcanic crater, and workers at the Diamond Discovery Center are available to help identify what they found. Kinard said he almost didn't stop to have his finds checked because he didn't think he came across anything special, and when he was told he discovered a 9.07-carat diamond the second-largest ever found in the park's 48-year history he was in "complete shock." Kinard decided to name his diamond the Kinard Friendship Diamond, choosing the moniker because "we love to travel together and had such a great time out here. It was a very humbling experience." More stories from theweek.com Trump literally can't afford to lose the election Trump avoids tax return questions as he brings yet another truck to the White House The bigger truth revealed by Trump's taxes The Minority in Parliament has described as deliberate and unpardonable constitutional breach, the failure of the Acting Auditor-General to submit the 2019 reports to Parliament. The Minority says is a consequence of executive intrusion and interference with the independence of the Auditor-Generals constitutional office, the Audit Service. At a press conference on Monday, 28 September 2020, Minority Leader Haruna Iddrisu said the substantive Auditor-General, Mr Daniel Domelevo, who was asked by the President to proceed on a forced 167-day leave, had laboured to ensure that all reports are submitted to Parliament within the statutory timelines. It is, therefore, sad that the failure to submit the said reports on time to Parliament only occurred after the ill-advised and unfortunate decision of the President, directing the Auditor-General to proceed on compulsory retirement, Mr Iddrisu said. The Tamale South MP said: It ought to be noted that the Auditor-General is enjoined to draw the attention of Parliament to instances where public monies are not properly accounted for or where there is a deficiency through fraud, default or mistake by any person and that resources are used with due regard to economy, efficiency and effectiveness. He added: It is the view of the Minority that the abrupt and ill-advised decision of the President, in directing the Auditor-General to proceed on his accumulated leave was not intended to gag the A-G in drawing attention to the many anomalies perpetrated by Government. The Minority Caucus is particularly concerned that these delays may be deliberate for the primary purpose of avoiding further embarrassment to the Government. It is our hope that the delays are not intended to cover up malfeasance on the part of Government because this year is an election year. He said the Minority Caucus, in the interest of accountability and transparency, calls on the Acting Auditor-General to do what is constitutional required of him, as a matter of urgency, submit to Parliament and subsequently, publish the reports on the Audited Accounts of Government for the 2019 financial year as provided for in the Constitution (Article 187 (5)) and the Audit Service Act, 2000 (Act 584). We are, therefore, calling on the Acting Auditor-General to as a matter of urgency submit to Parliament, his reports for the 2019 financial year. We further call on the President of the Republic to direct the Acting Auditor-General to urgently submit the said reports to Parliament for consideration and report just as he directed the Auditor-General to proceed on his statutory leave. Accountability, transparency and good governance obliges all of us to ensure that the Auditor-General complies with tenets and dictates and of the constitution and the laws of Ghana, the Minority added. Read the Minoritys full statement below: A CALL FOR THE SUBMISSION AND PUBLICATION OF REPORTS OF THE AUDITOR-GENERAL FOR 2019 FINANCIAL YEAR BY THE MINORITY CAUCUS IN PARLIAMENT PRESS BRIEFING BY THE MINORITY LEADER-HON HARUNA IDDRISU Ghana is a country governed by law, the supremacy of the 1992 Constitution must be upheld and respected. We have invited you here this morning to draw attention to a deliberate and unpardonable constitutional breach which is a consequence of Executive intrusion and interference with an independent constitutional institution, the Auditor-General Audit Service. You recall the zeal and alacrity with which the President asked the Auditor-General to proceed on leave against all good governance advice, which was predicated on our collective quest to allow the Auditor General as is the case in Ghana to fight corruption and expose financial malfeasance including misappropriation and embezzlement, which are regular features of the Auditor-General Reports in the last decade with substantial loss of state funds. The Auditor-General is enjoined by the Constitution and the Audit Service Act to audit and submit to Parliament his reports on the Public Accounts of Ghana for the preceding year within six (6) after the end of the said preceding year. Article 187(5) of the Constitution provides as follows: The Auditor-General shall, within six months after the end of the immediately preceding financial year to which of the accounts mentioned in clause (2) of this article relates, submit his report to Parliament and shall in that report, draw attention to any irregularities in the accounts audited and to any other matter which in his opinion ought to be brought to the notice of Parliament. Section 20 of the Audit Service Act, 2000 (Act 586) also provides as follows: The Auditor-General shall, within six months after the end of the immediately preceding financial year to which each of the accounts mentioned in this part relates, submit his report to Parliament and shall, in the report, draw attention to any irregularities in the accounts audited and to any other matter which in his opinion ought to be brought to the notice of Parliament. Notwithstanding the imperative of the above provisions of the Constitution and Act 586, the Auditor-General has failed to submit and publish his reports, three (3) months to the end of the financial year. It is worth noting that the Auditor-General had previously complied with the above provisions in respect of being up-to-date with his reports to Parliament. For instance, the reports of the Auditor-General for the 2018 financial year were submitted within the statutory time limit. Unfortunately, as that the time of this presser, the Auditor-General was yet to submit the reports for the 2019 financial year. It is curious yet ironic that the reports of Auditor-General fell into arrears following the directive by the President to the Auditor-General to proceed on leave. The Auditor-General had laboured to ensure that all reports are submitted to Parliament within the statutory timelines. It is, therefore, sad that the failure to submit the said reports on time to Parliament only occurred after the ill-advised and unfortunate decision of the President, directing the Auditor-General to proceed on compulsory retirement. It ought to be noted that the Auditor-General is enjoined to draw the attention of Parliament to instances where public monies are not properly accounted for or where there is deficiency through fraud, default or mistake by any person and that resources are used with due regard to economy, efficiency and effectiveness. It is the view of the Minority that the abrupt and ill-advised decision of the President, in directing the Auditor-General to proceed on his accumulated leave was not intended to gag the A-G in drawing attention to the many anomalies perpetrated by Government. The Minority Caucus is particularly concerned that these delays may be deliberate for the primary purpose of avoiding further embarrassment to the Government. It is our hope that the delays are not intended to cover up malfeasance on the part of Government because this year is an election year. The Minority Caucus in Parliament, in the interest of accountability and transparency, calls on the Acting Auditor-General to do what is constitutional required of him, as a matter of urgency, submit to Parliament and subsequently publish the Reports on the Audited Accounts of Government for the 2019 Financial Year as provided for in the Constitution (Article 187 (5)) and the Audit Service Act, 2000 (Act 584). We are, therefore, calling on the Acting Auditor-General to as a matter of urgency submit to Parliament, his reports for the 2019 financial year. We further call on the President of the Republic to direct the Acting Auditor-General to urgently submit the said reports to Parliament for consideration and report just as he directed the Auditor-General to proceed on his statutory leave. Accountability, transparency and good governance oblige all of us to ensure that the Auditor-General complies with tenets and dictates and of the constitution and the laws of Ghana. We are therefore calling on well-meaning Ghanaians to join the Minority in compelling the A-G to comply with the laws of Ghana and submit his Reports to Parliament for scrutiny. Anything short of this will amount to attempts to cover up wrong-doing by Government. Thank you ---classfmonline The Ika Chocolate sales team has been working hard these past few days. Many Tel Avivians bought chocolate and praline boxes for the Sept. 18 Jewish New Year. The shop was busy with customers up until the very last minute before closing for the holiday. Chocolate shops in Jerusalem were equally busy this week. The newly opened Gustel Chocolate Boutique, located in downtown Jerusalem in the Mahne Yehuda market area and crammed between a grocery store and a tailor shop, has captured the attention of many. Named after a great-grandmother, Gustel offers connoisseurs Jerusalem-made fine chocolates, inspired by Parisian artisans. Not deterred by the coronavirus pandemic, Yaacov Elbert and his wife opened their high-end chocolate shop a month ago. The current nationwide lockdown has not been positive news for them, but they are hoping their business will survive. "We believe that chocolate apart from its extraordinary texture, taste and smell is also a way of expressing sentiments, of caring and loving. And in these times of corona, when people are confined and not together, offering chocolate is offering encouragement, making happy or just relaying the message that someone is thinking of you," Elbert told Al-Monitor. Elbert said that people bought more chocolate in the days before the New Year, and before the complete lockdown that started Sept. 25. "When we opened the shop, we also launched a site with a delivery service. Indeed, people have ordered our chocolates before the lockdown. I think they needed this treat in order to cope with the absurd situation they were forced into," he said. A study conducted recently by Ben-Gurion University discovered that Israelis have been consuming more wine and chocolate since the outbreak of the pandemic. More so, the study showed that men and women consume alike. In other words, both men and women drink more wine and eat more chocolate. That being said, small chocolate shops are battling to survive the pandemic-induced economic crisis and the recurrent lockdown periods. The fine chocolate industry is rather new in Israel. The country has no chocolate-making tradition like France, Switzerland or Belgium. In the early years of Israel, and for several decades, the large distribution company Elite was practically the only one manufacturing chocolate. Some people claimed that without a chocolate-making tradition and with a hot climate, Israel was not meant to become a chocolate power house. Nevertheless, an increasing number of young entrepreneurs are insisting that Israelis do love good chocolate. They are willing to bet quite a lot on that. Interestingly, many of these entrepreneurs are women. Ravit Galitzki discovered chocolate-making some 14 years ago. An economic crisis forced her to change course. Looking back, she said this crisis opened a new window for her, enabling her to fulfill her dreams. She has studied with great chocolate masters in France, such as chocolatier Philippe Bertrand, and has even taken up teaching. Her shop has become a hub for chocolate lovers across Israel. "Israeli society has changed since the coronavirus pandemic. We see a great deal of solidarity. There are plenty of social network groups trying to help small businesses survive. Our chocolate shop is part of that effort, of trying to offer Israelis some sweet moments in these difficult times. We are shipping our chocolates to peoples doorstep. Its our way of offering some comfort. And in that spirit, when the pandemic broke out, we created new tastes. We now also propose a special colorful and joyful chocolate," Galitzki told Al-Monitor. She said chocolate habits have changed. Before the pandemic, Israelis bought her chocolates and pralines mostly as gifts. Now people buy them for themselves. Customers who bought chocolates during the first lockdown in March are returning now for the second lockdown. Children order chocolates to be sent to their elderly parents. Others send chocolates to friends, just to make them happy. Chocolate-making kits have become very popular, too. Israelis are restricted to their own neighborhoods until the end of the High Holiday season, and many are phoning the shop for deliveries. For Yom Kippur, Galitzki even offered refreshing chocolate pralines for the dinner ending the fast. Jerusalem-based chocolate boutique Cacao Forest (Yaar Cacao Store) has also adapted its business to the pandemic and the lockdown. The home page of its website features a line of deliverable chocolate boxes called "confinement encouragement." Yaara Kalmanovitch, owner of this fine chocolate boutique, offers chocolate lollipops, extra nut chocolate spreads and other food comfort chocolate products. You can even get a box of chocolate pralines with a local artisan beer bottle. Cacao Forest is not just a chocolate shop: New immigrants and youths who come from broken families have found a job and a home there. In "normal times," Kalmanovitch also offers chocolate-making workshops. For her, Elbert and Galitzki, the coming weeks and months will be crucial, as small businesses across Israel are collapsing. They hope that the young Israeli chocolate industry will survive. CLEVELAND, Ohio Machine Gun Kellys first rock album could put him where rap hasnt so far. His latest effort, Tickets to My Downfall, released Friday, is on pace to debut at No.1 on the Billboard 200 chart. MGKs first pop-punk album is on track to move 80,000 to 90,000 equivalent album units, according to Hits Daily Double. That puts it ahead of new releases from SuperM, Joji and Deftones, among others, as well as holdover releases from Pop Smoke and Taylor Swift. Tickets to My Downfall has seen an unprecedented promotional push for MGK. Much of that has to do with his relationship with Megan Fox, which became public as the albums lead single Bloody Valentine, for which Fox appeared in the video, arrived. Follow-up singles Concert for Aliens and My Exs Best Friend have performed well on the charts. MGK also appeared in two films this year, including BFF Pete Davidsons The King of Staten Island and Netflixs Project Power alongside Jamie Foxx. Earlier this month, Machine Gun Kelly performed during the MTV Video Music Awards pre-show. Later in the night, he won Best Alternative Video for Bloody Valentine. Such buzz earned MGK features in The New York Times, Variety and the cover of Kerrang! Kellz also made appearances on Howard Sterns SiriusXM show and The Kelly Clarkson Show. First-week sales numbers have been known to shift. So, expect updates throughout the week. However, Further boosting potential Tickets to My Downfalls chances is the popularity of the album track Forget Me Too featuring pop star Halsey, which was trending on Apple Music over the weekend. The song is also one of two tracks from the album (My Exs Best Friend) in Spotifys top-20. As of Monday morning, MGK was No.2 on the iTunes album chart, just behind Carrie Underwoods holiday album My Gift. But MGKs biggest competition could be New York rapper Pop Smoke, who was murdered in February. Pop Smokes posthumous album Shoot for the Stars, Aim for the Moon has been a streaming juggernaut for several weeks. Machine Gun Kellys previous high-charting position for an album is No.4, which he accomplished with his first two albums Lace Up and General Admission, respectively. A massive and chaotic wildfire that burned dozens of homes and threatened thousands more across Wine Country flared up on several fronts Monday, roaring across the northern Napa Valley and blazing toward dense residential neighborhoods in eastern Santa Rosa. Three wildfires that broke out on the east and west sides of St. Helena on Sunday spread quickly through extremely dry grasslands and merged into the single Glass Fire by Monday morning. The fire tripled in size through the day, charring more than 36,000 acres by sunset Monday, and was not at all contained. About 68,000 people were under evacuation orders as of Monday evening and 113 buildings were destroyed. Several wineries burned as firefighters battled to save homes. Crews also raced to try to save Meadowood Napa Valley where at least one building was in flames at the luxury hotel, which houses the three-Michelin-star Restaurant at Meadowood. A spokesperson for the resort said it appeared that the damaged building belonged to the restaurant. Fires surrounded St. Helena. The entire town of Calistoga was evacuated around 7 p.m. Monday. In Santa Rosa, fire officials said the formerly named Shady Fire had entered Annadel State Park and they were trying to stop flames from reaching Bennett Valley. In Butte County, winds whipped up the massive North Complex Fire, which has been burning since Aug. 18, endangering Paradise and several other northern Sierra Nevada foothill communities destroyed by the deadly Camp Fire in 2018. In Shasta County, the 31,000-acre Zogg Fire, which started Sunday, killed three people, state officials said. Two people were treated for burns one of them with serious injuries that required transfer to a burn center in Sonoma County, according to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital officials. Seven other patients were treated there for respiratory issues, including smoke inhalation. About a dozen people were treated for smoke inhalation and heat exhaustion at Queen of the Valley Medical Center in Napa. The new and growing fires pushed the total acres burned in California this year to a stunning 3.75 million, according to Cal Fire. Thats nearly twice the previous record year of 1.98 million acres burned in 2018, and the 2020 fire season is not over yet. Statewide, about 70,000 people were under evacuation orders, including the 68,000 in Sonoma and Napa counties and another 1,000 in Shasta County, state and local fire officials said. Now Playing: Wildfires are once again ravaging Northern California's Wine Country. The Glass Fire threatens communities in Sonoma and Napa counties, including Santa Rosa, that suffered destruction from blazes in 2017. Video: San Francisco Chronicle Firefighters, already weary from the worst fire season on record in California, dug in again Monday after a night of chaos and terror in the North Bay, where residents are well-versed in the tragic consequences of wildfires. Winds died down Monday evening and firefighters took advantage of the conditions to shore up firebreaks in areas where homes were threatened. Its 2017 all over again, said Manny Gomes, 65, of Napa, idling in his pickup truck on Silverado Trail in Napa County as firefighters beat back hot spots in an adjacent vineyard and a Cal Fire helicopter banked overhead. He was trying to get to a small vineyard he owns in the fire zone to check on his animals. Gomes, whose family had recently moved back into his home in Santa Rosas Coffey Park after it was destroyed in the 2017 fires, said he thought the wildfire situation was as bad as it could get three years ago, but he was wrong. Ive never seen anything like this said Gomes. The cause of the Glass Fire is under investigation. Authorities believe the Shady Fire that burned into east Santa Rosa was started by wind blowing sparks or embers from the Glass Fire. Paul Kuroda / Special to The Chronicle Multiple homes burned early Monday in the large Skyhawk neighborhood in eastern Santa Rosa as emergency workers in adjacent neighborhoods went door to door evacuating residents. Emergency workers evacuated a large senior community in Oakmont by bus as flames shot up over nearby hills. Not long after, the fire jumped Highway 12. Officials do not yet know the exact number of homes destroyed, but Santa Rosa Fire Chief Tony Gossner said there was significant loss between Los Alamos Road and Oakmont Drive north of Highway 12. Sonoma County fire officials said Monday they were most concerned about protecting the areas surrounding Calistoga Road, Oakmont Drive and Annadel State Park in Santa Rosa. The concern was about protecting all these problem areas at the same time, Gossner said. The evacuations in Santa Rosa extended to Mark West and into Rincon Valley, nearly to the Fountaingrove neighborhood that was devastated by fire three years ago. The blaze threatened Santa Rosas main evacuation center, which was closed out of an abundance of caution as flames pressed in on the city, according to Sonoma County officials. Annadel State Park was closed and residents south of the park were evacuated almost to Glen Ellen. Areas around Sugarloaf Ridge State Park and along Highway 12 were also evacuated. Scott Strazzante / The Chronicle Weve seen a lot of destruction in the last three years, said Joe Burroughs, a black bandanna tied over his mouth and nose as he assessed the damage to homes in his Skyhawk neighborhood Monday afternoon. His house was untouched, but a new neighbors home on Mountain Hawk Drive was a half-burned wreck. Its previous owners just sold the place and moved down the road, another neighbor said, only to have their new home burn, too. Four other homes on the street were also damaged. In Napa County, the fire destroyed a historic 120-year-old barn at Tofanelli Vineyards in Calistoga and the signature stone winery at Chateau Boswell in St. Helena. It dusted vineyards with smoke and ash, a nightmare scenario for the wine industry thats in the middle of its critical harvest and crush season. On Monday night, after the city of Calistoga was evacuated, some residents stayed behind, including Katie Mathison and her girlfriend, who got a Nixle evacuation alert but chose not to follow it. We dont feel like its an immediate threat to the houses until it starts getting to the valley floor, Mathison said. Shes grown used to fires. In 2017, the Tubbs Fire roared nearby. Last year, the Kincade Fire came right up to her house; luckily, it survived. But this time the fire is threatening downtown Calistoga, she said. Scott Strazzante / The Chronicle Around 10 p.m. Monday, lines of fire snaked along both sides of downtown Calistoga. One line traced the ridge above Silverado Trail North, northeast of town, and another licked at trees on a hill west of Highway 128, to its southwest. Our concern is that with any kind of wind direction downslope, it affecting and entering the city of Calistoga proper, said Jaime Orozco, spokesman for the Calistoga Fire Department. Fortunately, winds were expected to be less fierce than the past two nights, he said. An already dangerous situation was made worse late Sunday when Sonoma County sheriffs deputies returned to Los Alamos Road to rescue people who refused to evacuate. Sheriffs Sgt. Juan Valencia said residents got a Nixle alert and a knock on the door from police, who also blasted the alert: Its time to leave! Fire Tracker Follow wildfires across the state Latest updates on wildfires burning across Northern and Southern California Many of the areas under threat were close to or directly affected by the October 2017 Wine Country wildfires that burned entire neighborhoods in and around Santa Rosa. One of those fires, the Tubbs Fire, was the second-most- destructive wildfire in California history. Brian Borgfeldt, 65, was chased from his Kenwood home three years ago during the Tubbs Fire, which he said burned 21 homes in the area but somehow spared his house. This time, Borgfeldt, his wife and two teenage daughters got the evacuation order around midnight, but waited until about 3 a.m. for a trailer to transport their two horses. By that time, it was coming very close, Borgfeldt said Monday morning at the Petaluma Veterans Memorial Building. A dozen or so evacuees parked cars cluttered with clothes, pets and sleeping pads in a grass lot at the Sonoma-Marin Fairgrounds in Petaluma on Monday. Paul Kuroda / Special to The Chronicle Andrew Carpenter, 63, said its either the third or fourth time he has evacuated. I lost track, he said. So many fires are popping up. In Butte County, the North Complex fire picked up Sunday amid dry, powerful winds, prompting an evacuation warning for the entire town of Paradise and the community of Magalia, along with an evacuation order for Concow. All three places were devastated by the November 2018 Camp Fire, the states deadliest and most destructive wildfire. The wind and dangerously dry conditions also fed the Zogg Fire in Shasta County, which doubled in size to 31,000 acres on Monday. Climate scientist Daniel Swain said on Twitter that both the North Complex fires and August Complex fires, in Humboldt, Trinity and Mendocino counties, have exploded once again. The Creek Fire in Fresno and Madera counties also grew over the weekend. In Sonoma County, fire officials said the brush burning in the Glass Fire was untouched by recent wildfires and burned into previous burn scars. It did burn very rapidly because it had not burned in a long, long time, said Gossner. The fires arrived as a dry heat wave brought high temperatures to the Bay Area through Monday. A red flag warning, signaling high fire danger, was in effect for the region until 9 p.m. Monday. A Spare the Air Alert was issued through at least Friday for the Bay Area as smoke from the fires drift south. Most of the major October 2017 fires that burned around Sonoma and Napa counties were started by Pacific Gas and Electric Co. power lines. The Tubbs Fire was an exception: State investigators said it was started by a property owners privately maintained electric system. Hoping to prevent more fires amid dangerous weather, PG&E had intentionally turned off electricity to a very limited area in Napa County and a handful of customers in Sonoma County. Another 14,241 homes and businesses in Santa Rosa lost power, likely because of fire activity, and at least 3,000 customers in Napa County lost power because of the Glass Fire, according to the company. As temperatures soared into the upper 90s on Monday, Melanie Collins and her husband, Chris Rossow, stood in a large, empty field across from the Sonoma Raceway, where theyd evacuated from their Sonoma County home. The couple have lived in California for only a year, but theyve already had to evacuate twice. Now were starting to think, well, should we look somewhere else? The couple gathered their bikes and cat, Sophie, and evacuated around 10 p.m. Sunday night. Last night, we were like, everything we own is going to burn, she said. But still, we have each other. Chronicle staff writers Matthias Gafni, Sarah Ravani, Peter Fimrite, Mallory Moench, J.D. Morris, Bryan Mena and Michael Williams contributed to this report. Dustin Gardiner, Megan Cassidy, Chase DiFeliciantonio and Erin Allday are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: dustin.gardiner@sfchronicle.com, megan.cassidy@sfchronicle.com, chase.difeliciantonio@sfchronicle.com, eallday@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @pfimrite, @meganrcassidy, @ChaseDiFelice, @erinallday For the first time in years, Shanon Scott, owner of Roma, an Italian restaurant in Rice Village, found himself washing dishes last spring. As he tried to save his business during the coronavirus shutdowns, he slashed his 14-person staff to two and reached for a lifeline: the Paycheck Protection Program. The program, which helps small businesses keep doors open and employees on the payroll, provided a low-interest loan that indeed kept the Roma open. But Scott has only been able call back eight of his workers. For a lot of restaurant owners, like me, the loan saved us, Scott said. But if people arent going out, there is only so much you can do. Nearly six months after Congress approved a massive stimulus package, Scott and Roma represent both the success and shortcomings of the emergency loan program known by its initials, PPP. The program has distributed at least $520 billion through 4.9 million loans, but it has been unable to overcome economic conditions and save the numbers of jobs originally envisioned. Less than 5 percent of small businesses regardless if they received PPP loans re-hired employees that were laid off in March, according to the U.S. Census Small Business Pulse survey. The hard-hit leisure and hospitality sector, which includes restaurants, bars and hotels, has only regained about half the 8.3 million jobs lost during the spring shutdowns, according to the Labor Department. During the shutdowns, when restaurants were restricted to take-out, only Scott and his chef were working. A PPP loan of about $100,000 helped Scott to ramp up his business when the shutdowns lifted in May, but he could only justify bringing back about half his staff. RIPPLE EFFECT: Restaurant suppliers feel pinch of industrys hard times The restaurant is attracting substantially fewer customers, Scott said. He cut hours and stopped serving lunch. He said he expects Roma to survive the pandemic-driven recession, but he cant predict when and if business will return to normal and hell start hiring again. I anticipate 30 percent of (local restaurants) will be gone by the end of this, Scott said. People are just apprehensive right now. Keeping the lights on Several factors have muted the impact of Paycheck Protection, starting with its chaotic and controversial beginnings. Demand for the low-interest loans quickly overwhelmed funding and systems to process applications. Banks, which administered the lending, gave preferences to established customers. Large chains snapped up large chunks of the money. By the time Congress authorized another round of loans, the damage for many of the small businesses that had missed out was done. The lack of capital delayed reopenings and when the money arrived, it was needed to make rent and mortgage payments, pay utilities and settle with suppliers, said Annie Spilman, the Texas state director for the National Federation of Independent Business, which represents small businesses. Those costs made it difficult for the businesses to recall more workers. In addition, with consumers remaining cautious about leaving their homes and spending, fewer workers were needed. The program requires loan recipients to use the money to cover operating costs, such as rent and utilities, and pay workers. Initially, the 1-percent loans would be forgiven if small businesses kept 75 percent of their workers on the payroll, but that requirement was later reduced to 60 percent. Still, Spilman said, many of her organizations members dont expect to meet the threshold to have their loans forgiven. That turns into another debt obligation for the small business, Spilman said. FIRST DIBS: Public companies in Texas taking public money from Washington This will likely be the case for Ryan Hazen, co-founder of Cafeza, a coffee bar in Houstons First Ward. He hopes hell be able to have the loan partially forgiven. Hazen estimates his daily revenues dropped about 85 percent in the spring when businesses started to shut down. Then it fell an additional 5 percent after July 31, when the federal program that provided an additional $600 a week in unemployment benefits expired. Its forced people to save their money, Hazen said. Theyre not out there spending. He knew it wouldnt be possible to bring back all 12 of his employees. He called back two. Businesses are on life support right now, Hazen said. Were just trying to pay our rent month to month and buy enough time until we come out of this. A hopeful estimate Its unclear how many jobs were retained through the PPP loans. Its also difficult to say how much of the money made it to the smallest of businesses that desperately needed it or how many women- and minority-owned businesses were able to receive loans. This largely has to do with the way the data is collected, said Emily Ryder Perlmeter, community development advisor at the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas. When business owners apply, they must report how many people they have on the payroll. The Small Business Administration and the Treasury Department report these figures as the number of retained jobs, even though its unclear how many employees were brought back to work, said Ryder Perlmeter. For instance, an estimated 650,000 jobs were reported by the government as retained in Texas food and accommodation services sector. Ryder Perlmeter called that hopeful estimate, since there is no data on how many people were rehired data that wont be available until businesses apply for loan forgiveness. We dont know what percentage of PPP borrowers actually kept all their employees on, she said. The Payroll Protection program may not have been the best way to serve small businesses, said Ashley Harrington, federal advocacy director, at the Center for Responsible Lending, a nonprofit research and policy group in Durham, N.C. The overwhelming majority of small businesses rely on independent contractors or freelancers, meaning they received only limited help, if any at all, from a loan program that distributed money based on payroll size. In fact, about 81 percent of small businesses are nonemployer firms, meaning they dont have any workers on the payroll, according to a 2018 survey by the Federal Reserve. NEW CHALLENGES: Minority-owned businesses face more hurdles during pandemic Minority-owned businesses, Harrington added, tend to have few, if any, payroll employees so they were often left out of PPP loans, particularly in the first round. It didnt work for the vast majority of small businesses in this country, she said, because it was premised on something that didnt reflect the reality of what small businesses look like. Closures on the horizon In August, 16 percent of businesses said they would only last one or two more months under current economic conditions, according to a report from the NFIB. Spilman, the Texas state director for the NFIB, said businesses are in desperate need for another round of relief. In addition, small business advocates are calling for PPP loans of less than $150,000 essentially those taken out by the smallest of small businesses to be automatically forgiven or converted to grants. Additional relief spending, however, is tied up in Congress, where the Democratic-controlled House and Republican Senate have failed to agree on the size and scope of another package. House Democrats have proposed as much as $3 trillion for a broad array of programs; Senate Republicans sought a narrower package of up to $700 billion. The Republican proposal calls for the forgiveness of PPP loans of less than $150,000. The Democrats also proposed changes to the PPP, including carving out of 25 percent of the funds for businesses with 10 or fewer employees. Most recently, Democrats began preparing a smaller coronavirus relief bill with another round of PPP and could vote on it this week. Im afraid were going to see a lot more businesses close if they dont do something, Spilman said. UNEQUAL TREATMENT: When the pandemic hit the economy, heres who got left behind Hazen, the owner of the coffee shop, Cafeza, isnt sure how long his business can survive. Unless Congress acts on additional relief soon, he fears he might have to close for good. Lawmakers, however, have shown little urgency in reaching agreement on additional economic relief. They departed Washington in August even as key provisions of the CARES Act, such as additional unemployment benefits, expired and made little progress since returning after Labor Day. When they went on recess, Hazen said, I looked into selling my business because there is no assurance anything is going to happen. This story has been updated to correct Emily Ryder Perlmeters title. In 1977, President Jimmy Carter had a problem, according to presidential tax historian Joseph Thorndike. Carter's federal tax burden for 1976 had been zeroed out by a massive investment tax credit he earned for purchasing equipment and buildings related to his peanut farm. Carter was upset, as he told The Washington Post at the time, because he had a "strong feeling" that wealthy people like him should pay at least some taxes. So he voluntarily paid the Treasury Department $6,000, the equivalent to 15% of his adjusted gross income and slightly more than the 14% paid by average taxpayers that year. How times have changed. On Sunday, the New York Times reported that President Donald Trump paid just $750 in federal income tax his first year in office, the lowest first-year tax payment of any president since at least Carter and, in raw dollar terms, significantly less than what the average middle-class American family pays. Trump's predecessor Barack Obama, by contrast, paid nearly $1.8 million in federal income tax his first year in office, primarily on royalties from the sale of his books. George W. Bush's first-year federal tax burden was $250,221, paid largely on his presidential salary and investment income from the blind trusts in which his assets were held. Prior presidents each paid tens of thousands of dollars in taxes during the first years of their administrations. On Monday, Trump tweeted, "I paid many millions of dollars in taxes but was entitled, like everyone else, to depreciation & tax credits." He also claimed his assets far outpaced his debts and boasted about giving away his presidential salary. That salary, however, is just a fraction of the income and losses he reports on his businesses. It has little bearing on his overall tax burden. "Almost none of [Trump's predecessors] were major capitalists," said Eugene Steuerle, a fellow at the Urban Institute. "Most of their income was in wages and, in some cases, books. Those tend to be taxed fairly well." Trump, however, is different. He stands out for his vast reported wealth, which dwarfs that of any of his predecessors. That wealth is largely tied to his commercial real estate and resort holdings, which are overseen by hundreds of different business entities, the Times reported, which allowed Trump to slash his federal tax burden by exploiting loopholes in the tax code and declaring extensive losses on some of those entities. "Most very wealthy people can easily avoid individual taxation with support from tax laws that provide them with discretion over how much tax they pay, bankruptcy laws that allow them to pass on losses to others even while they retain gains elsewhere, bank lending practices that favor the rich, and a monetary policy that for the last three decades has hugely subsidized wealthy investors," Steuerle said. At a 2016 presidential debate, Trump boasted that he was "smart" for not paying federal income tax. Unlike every other major party presidential candidate since Richard Nixon, Trump has refused to release his tax returns. The documents analyzed by the Times show more than $400 million in debts coming due soon, a potential national security issue. Thorndike, the presidential tax historian, said that "a president is not like anybody else. They are the taxpayer in chief and the tax collector in chief. They are their own tax enforcer." For that reason, he says, there should be a law mandating the disclosure of presidential tax returns. Otherwise, "there's really no way to be sure they're meeting their obligations, because at the end of the day the IRS answers to them." Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-29 03:26:23|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close The water level of the Nile near the confluence of its two major tributaries, the White Nile and the Blue Nile, starts to gradually decline after unprecedented floods in Khartoum, Sudan, Sept. 11, 2020. (Xinhua/Mohamed Khidir) "We are willing to provide support and assistance to the Sudanese side within our capacity," says Chinese ambassador to Sudan, as China will offer 300,000 USD to Sudan to overcome floods. KHARTOUM, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- China will offer emergency humanitarian aid worth 300,000 U.S. dollars to Sudan, Chinese Ambassador to Sudan Ma Xinmin said on Monday. "We believe that the Sudanese government and people will definitely be able to overcome the floods and rebuild their homes as soon as possible," Ma said at a virtual reception held at the Chinese embassy in Khartoum to celebrate the 71st anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China. Chinese Ambassador to Sudan Ma Xinmin (C) attends a virtual reception to celebrate the 71st anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China at the Chinese embassy in Khartoum, Sudan, Sept. 28, 2020. (Xinhua/Mohamed Khidir) He further expressed condolences to the victims of the flood disaster, noting that "we are willing to provide support and assistance to the Sudanese side within our capacity." Meanwhile, Sheikh Khidir, senior adviser to the Sudanese prime minister, said that "Sudan always appreciates the Chinese support at international forums, the valuable Chinese assistance to combat the coronavirus pandemic and the cash support for Sudan to face the floods and torrential rains which have recently hit Sudan." A Sudanese girl sleeps under the shade of a tree on the street after the flood swept their neighbourhood in Khartoum, Sudan, Sept. 8, 2020. (Xinhua/Mohamed Khidir) For his part, Ali Yousif, executive director of the Arab-Chinese Friendship Societies' League, an affiliate of the Arab League based in Sudan, commended China's supportive stances to Arab states. "China's support to the Arab countries in combating coronavirus has proved that we live in the world of common destiny, which is one of the most important concepts of the Belt and Road Initiative," said Yousif. A resident walks on a flooded path in Al-Kadaro area, north of the capital Khartoum, Sudan on Aug. 31, 2020. (Xinhua/Mohamed Khidir) The floods and torrential rains which recently hit Sudan have killed tens of peoples and destroyed thousands of houses. Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science Simon Harris TD, and Acting Chief Medical Officer Dr Ronan Glynn have today announced support for a new USI campaign aimed at assisting college students in the new academic year. Students are being encouraged to keep the public health guidelines and to Keep it Small, Keep it Safe, Keep your Distance. The social media campaign developed by the USI encourages students to follow the public health advice and ensure a safe resumption of the academic year. Speaking today, Minister Harris said: The beginning of college should be an exciting time for any student but this year is like no other. COVID-19 has wreaked havoc for us all but it has deprived many young people of major milestones and key first moments in their life. We are asking students to follow three simple messages keep your gatherings small, keep yourself and those around you safe and keep your distance. Throughout this pandemic, our young people have been leaders and I urge them to stick with us, to hold firm, and help us ensure a safe resumption of the academic year. I want to thank the USI for their leadership on this issue and ensuring the safety of students in this strange world. Dr Ronan Glynn, Acting Chief Medical Officer at the Department of Health said: There has never been an autumn quite like this for students continuing courses or entering into further and higher education for the first time. The unique challenges presented by COVID-19 mean that we all have to live and socialise differently to keep ourselves, our friends and our loved ones safe. For younger people in particular, this pandemic has impacted on your education, your relationships and your social lives. You have all been committed throughout the pandemic to following public health advice and for that I thank you. But the disease is continuing to spread disproportionately among younger people. And so, I am asking you to stick with this and continue to follow the public health advice. "Be a role model for others. Limit the number of people you meet, try and meet the same small group of people all the time, maintain 2 metres physical distance, wear a face covering, wash your hands well and often. Together, every safe behaviour counts. USI President, Lorna Fitzpatrick said: This is a really difficult time for us all, we are living through a global pandemic and at times were all wondering what we should do. That is why USI developed this Keep it Small, Keep it Safe, Keep your Distance campaign. Students have played a vital role in the island-wide response to COVID-19. Student nurses and midwives, pharmacists, shop assistants, delivery drivers and so many more have helped our country get through this really tough time so far. We all have a part to play in limiting the spread of the virus, but we are also concerned about the impact of loneliness or seclusion on students. So, depending on where we are in the country and the restrictions in place at the time, we can meet friends and family providing its done in a safe way. This will help support our mental health while reducing the risk of spreading the virus. Students are also reminded to keep up to date with the guidelines for their region and to make safe decisions that take their mental health into consideration, along with their academic concerns. Minister Harris has allocated an additional 5 million of mental health supports for students and has developed a new text line service to assist students. This is such a difficult time for people. Please reach out and use the supports available to you and please text 50808 at any time of the day or night, if you need help. Lorna said: You can meet up with friends and family. You can have the craic and have a laugh. Its not a bad thing to do that, but its important to do it in a safe way. For students based in Dublin, at the moment the virus is spreading at a much higher rate. For now, our ability to move around is further restricted. We know that is tough, but make sure you are reaching out to friends and family on the phone and online please keep those connections strong and mind yourselves and each other. 28.09.2020 LISTEN Vincent L.K. Djokoto, a Business Executive and a Social Activist has assessed the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) as a beckoning choice for any Ghanaian voter who yearns a better social contract with government. In a video clip, Mr. Djokoto points out that the superiority of the NDCs outlook over that of others lies unhidden in the partys manifesto for the 2020 elections. "The National Democratic Congress has evolved into a progressive center left political movement with a clear set of commitment to protect employment, scale up safety net programmes for the most vulnerable in society, maintain affordable prices of key commodities and stimulate the productive sectors of our economy," said Mr. Djokoto. According to him, choosing the NDC over other parties should be a no-brainer to any voter. In the video, he highlights that what the NDCs offering emanates from the people themselves and therefore reflects the needs of the people. He added that the eradication of poverty, hunger, disease and illiteracy in the country can be ameliorated with the policies of the NDC supported by commitment. "We need a government that should cut taxes for small and medium size businesses, so employers can improve the day to day conditions of the Ghanaian worker. A government that can create the environment for citizens to thrive." The social activist's assessment comes at a time that the NDC has been widely perceived to have evolved a more meaningful and pragmatic manifesto, compared to other parties, especially the governing NPP whose offering has been assessed as out of touch with the needs of the people. "Among others, the NPP has promised to build an airport for Cape-Coast, even though the Accra-Cape-Coast road is often the scene of accidents simply because it has not been dualized. An airport would be accessed by just one percent of the populace from the Central regional capital, it has been assessed. "NPP has also promised to build fanciful ultramodern music studios for music practitioners in Ghana at a time that technology has evolved so well that most musicians are producing from their bedrooms. "On the other hand, the NDC has promised to regularize commercial motor cycle business which is currently illegal in the country to provide jobs, but with tighter, stringent legal regime for it. The opposition party has also promised to make vocational education free and also expand Free Senior High School to cover private schools." According to Vincent Djokoto, the NDC has packaged pragmatic policies such as free primary healthcare, lower taxation for small and medium businesses and support for entrepreneurs. The next NDC government will reorganize the Ghanaian society and improve the welfare of households through a culture of entrepreneurship, and that will require a government to cut taxes for small and medium size businesses. "Also, the NDC acknowledges the utmost importance welfare of public service personnel such doctors, teachers, nurses, police officers. "It is time fundamental the public servants do not feel undervalue and taken for granted," he stated. He stressed that healthcare is essential indicating that Ghanaian citizen deserves access to free primary healthcare. He stated that the NDC can get it done. "The NDC still has a large pool of intellectual capital representative with experienced, efficient, energetic citizens with the right attitude and expertise for governance, social reforms and massive economic interventions." "The grip of poverty, ignorant and disease can only loosen and eventually eradicated by the single purpose for which the office of the president must be use. And that is quality public administration," he emphasised. America stands in crisis today with urban rioting and political division. The crisis in America is at root a crisis in our educational system. As President Abraham Lincoln once said, "the philosophy of the school room in one generation will be the philosophy of government in the next." Taking Lincoln's quote forward 150 years, the theories of structural racism, critical race theory, Marxism, gender theory, revisionist history, queer theory, etc., are rapidly coming to bear in America's streets and the halls of government. The crisis in education has two facets: a crisis in civics and a crisis in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Each is rooted in the postmodern denial of objectivity and truth and the postmodern obsession with identities, which are together corrupting our education. These obsessions are bringing down civics and STEM with it. When our students are taught that America is fundamentally flawed, they are often done so at the expense of learning about our system of government or history. For example, half of students do not know when the Civil War was fought. When educators start talking nonsense about "white math," then some students are in essence being told they are not capable of learning it. The less time spent on real civics and math, the more time may be spent building grievances. Ours is a crisis in civics as well as a national security disaster waiting to happen. We are falling perilously behind our foremost geopolitical competitor, the Communist People's Republic of China, in STEM. The U.S. National Military Strategy since 2018 has acknowledged that we are in an era of "Great Power Competition," and so should our schools be. As Arthur Herman observed in American Affairs Journal entitled America's STEM crisis Threatens our National Security: Today China is the world leader in number of STEM graduates. The World Economic Forum reported that China had 4.7 million recent STEM graduates in 2016, and India had 2.6 million new STEM graduates, while the United States had only 568,000. China's president Xi Jinping has repeatedly declared that his aim is to transform the country into a "science and technology superpower." This is an essential part of his "Made in China 2025" program announced late last year, and China's larger agenda of displacing the United States as the world's dominant superpower. Fortunately for Xi's dream, China has the educational tools to achieve that aim. Republican politicians do not seem to often discuss education relative to other issues other than to espouse school choice. To be sure, breaking the public school monopoly is a key part of the solution to ensure that students, particularly urban ones, are not trapped in failing schools. But school choice is not the whole of the solution to our educational problems. For example, in suburban and rural communities, there may not be charter or private school options, or at least ones that are better than the public ones. While respecting federalism and local control, Republicans especially should begin to confront our education crisis by proposing the following: First, we ought to remove education licensure requirements for STEM. To teach in public schools, teachers are almost always required to be licensed, having taken numerous educational courses and continuing education courses. We cannot afford this luxury when students are not learning civics or math. Selected retired military veterans should be given the opportunity to teach civics at public schools without a professional license. Schools should be able to hire or bring in as adjuncts engineers and other professionals who are highly skilled in math to teach approved STEM curricula in the schools. This should be a critical emergency priority, with the federal government playing a coordinating and facilitating role. Second, we ought to mandate civics proficiency in order for students to graduate high school. In our Country, thanks to the 26th Amendment, to the Constitution, adults can vote at age 18 on the rationale that they are old enough to fight and die in wars. This is also the age of most high school graduates. But with this right comes a responsibility to know and understand our system of government. They ought to be able to take and pass the same citizenship test as is required for immigrants. They should understand the separation of powers, federalism, our bicameral legislature, the expansion of the franchise, the Electoral College, and other functions of government. If they cannot, they should not be awarded a high school diploma. Our schools may fail them, but having a mandatory test can serve as a backstop for the failure. Third, we ought to create a special visa for STEM teachers from other countries to teach at U.S. schools, with even a path to citizenship for those who are a successful teachers. We desperately need all the talent we can obtain. A similar program can be extended for critical language instructors, including those proficient in Spanish and Mandarin Chinese. Fourth, high school juniors and seniors nationwide should be offered full course credit and tuition to attend vocational college during these last two years of high school for at least half of their education hours. Rather than take Ferris Buellerlike days off and play hooky from the moribund halls of the schoolhouse, or learning how to be vigilantes or protesters, these students can be learning trades and professions that are useful to society. Society needs electricians, plumbers, welders, and other professionals just as much as professors and community organizers. Unfortunately, even the best K12 education does not address that our colleges and universities have become largely bastions of socialism that undermine our society and system of government. Based on film images, many of the rioters in Minnesota and Wisconsin are not simply aggrieved black Americans, but those who appear to be college-educated agitators. Special considerations should be made to reform colleges and universities. Therefore: Fifth, at the university level, all federal financial aid should be withheld unless students sign a written commitment to give back to their country in one of the following ways: (1) a four-year commitment in the U.S. military at the end of their education or as part of the ROTC program; (2) the U.S. Peace Corps; (3) AmeriCorps; (4) teaching at a public, private, or charter school; (5) tutoring; (6) doing mission work for a church or non-profit. This will also encourage Americans to work together in a time of division. If they do not so agree, that is their choice, but they can find a way to finance their education without the aid of the federal government. Sixth, enhanced federal financial aid benefits should be provided to those who complete STEM majors. We need to incentives students to gain these critical skills instead of majoring in anthropology, women's studies, and other non-critical fields. Say an automatic grant of $30,000 for each student who completes an undergraduate major in a designated STEM field. This has the added benefit of steering students away from being indoctrinated in Marxism. To make this reform budget neutral, federal financial aid for non-STEM majors such as Pell Grants and Stafford loans should be reduced or eliminated. Society no longer has a great enough relative need for non-STEM majors to justify underwriting their education or backstopping their student loans. None of these reforms taken individually is a silver bullet to solving our problems, but they are a good start. Learning marketable skills helps create self-worth and ownership in society, which in turn contributes to good civics and geopolitical competitiveness. These reforms should be bipartisan. President Trump could immediately pivot to these reforms as part of a second-term educational agenda, which would appeal to suburban voters, including women, who want the best education for their children. The future of our nation depends on it. Chad Bayse is a Minnesota native; Navy judge advocate; and former assistant professor of law at the U.S. Naval Academy, counselor to Attorney General Jeff Sessions, and attorney at the National Security Agency. The views expressed in this article are his own. analysis "Wartime displacement (alongside war deaths and injuries) must be central to any analysis of the post-9/11 wars and their short- and long-term consequences. Displacement also must be central to any possible consideration of the future use of military force by the United States or others. Ultimately, displacing 37 millionand perhaps as many as 59 millionraises the question of who bears responsibility for repairing the damage inflicted on those displaced." - Brown University Costs of War Project This AfricaFocus Bulletin contains excerpts from this new report documenting one large part of the damage from wars in which the United States has played a major role in the post 9/11 period. The calculation includes refugees and internally displaced from 8 countries: Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, Yemen, Somalia, the Philippines, Libya, and Syria. The excerpts below include the sections on Somalia and Libya. The full report, including charts and a full methodological appendix, is available at https://watson.brown.edu/costsofwar/costs/human/refugees. Also included below is the latest essay by William Minter and Imani Countess, entitled "Overhauling U.S. Foreign Policy." This essay, which appeared first in Organizing Upgrade on September 22, builds on a multipart essay series entitled Beyond Eurocentrism and U.S. Exceptionalism. For previous AfricaFocus Bulletins on peace and security, visit http://www.africafocus.org/intro-peace.php. For previous AfricaFocus Bulletins on migration, visit http://www.africafocus.org/migrexp.php. ++++++++++++++++++++++end editor's note+++++++++++++++++ Creating Refugees: Displacement Caused by the United States' Post-9/11 Wars David Vine, Cala Coffman, Katalina Khoury, Madison Lovasz, Helen Bush, Rachel Leduc, and Jennifer Walkup September 8, 2020 Costs of War Project, Brown University https://watson.brown.edu/costsofwar/costs/human/refugees Executive Summary Since President George W. Bush announced a "global war on terror" following Al Qaeda's September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States, the U.S. military has engaged in combat around the world. As in past conflicts, the United States' post-9/11 wars have resulted in mass population displacements. This report is the first to measure comprehensively how many people these wars have displaced. Using the best available international data, this report conservatively estimates that at least 37 million people have fled their homes in the eight most violent wars the U.S. military has launched or participated in since 2001. The report details a methodology for calculating wartime displacement, provides an overview of displacement in each war-affected country, and points to displacement's individual and societal impacts. Wartime displacement (alongside war deaths and injuries) must be central to any analysis of the post-9/11 wars and their short- and long-term consequences. Displacement also must be central to any possible consideration of the future use of military force by the United States or others. Ultimately, displacing 37 millionand perhaps as many as 59 millionraises the question of who bears responsibility for repairing the damage inflicted on those displaced. Major Findings The U.S. post-9/11 wars have forcibly displaced at least 37 million people in and from Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, Yemen, Somalia, the Philippines, Libya, and Syria. This exceeds those displaced by every war since 1900, except World War II. Millions more have been displaced by other post-9/11 conflicts involving U.S. troops in smaller combat operations, including in: Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mali, Niger, Saudi Arabia, and Tunisia. 37 million is a very conservative estimate. The total displaced by the U.S. post-9/11 wars could be closer to 48 - 59 million. 25.3 million people have returned after being displaced, although return does not erase the trauma of displacement or mean that those displaced have returned to their original homes or to a secure life. Any number is limited in what it can convey about displacement's damage. The people behind the numbers can be difficult to see, and numbers cannot communicate how it might feel to lose one's home, belongings, community, and much more. Displacement has caused incalculable harm to individuals, families, towns, cities, regions, and entire countries physically, socially, emotionally, and economically. The U.S. post-9/11 wars have displaced at least 37 million people in and from eight countries: Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, Yemen, Somalia, the Philippines, Libya, and Syria. Introduction Since the George W. Bush administration launched a "global war on terror" following Al Qaeda's September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States, the U.S. military has waged war continuously for almost two decades.2 In that time, U.S. forces have fought in wars or participated in other combat operations in at least 24 countries.3 The destruction inflicted by warfare in these countries has been incalculable for civilians and combatants, for U.S. military personnel and their family members, and for entire societies. Deaths and injuries number in the millions. Like other wars throughout history, the U.S. post-9/11 wars have caused millions of peoplethe vast majority, civiliansto fear for their lives and flee in search of safety. Millions have fled air strikes, bombings, artillery fire, drone attacks, gun battles, and rape. People have fled the destruction of their homes, neighborhoods, hospitals, schools, jobs, and local food and water sources. They have escaped forced evictions, death threats, and large-scale ethnic cleansing set off by the U.S wars in Afghanistan and Iraq in particular.4 To our knowledge, no one has calculated how many people have been displaced by the United States' post-9/11 wars. Some scholars, journalists, and international organizations have provided displacement data for some of these wars, such as those in Afghanistan and Iraq. However these statistics tend to be snapshots of the number of refugees and internally displaced people (IDP) at a particular point in time rather than a full accounting of the total number of people displaced over time since the start of the wars. This paper calculates the total number of displaced people in the eight post-9/11 wars in which U.S. forces have been most significantly involved. We focus on wars where the U.S. government bears a clear responsibility for initiating armed combat (the overlapping Afghanistan/Pakistan war and the post-2003 war in Iraq); for escalating armed conflict (U.S. and European intervention in the Libyan uprising against Muammar Gaddafi and Libya's ongoing civil war and U.S. involvement in Syria); or for being a significant participant in combat through drone strikes, battlefield advising, logistical support, arms sales, and other means (U.S. forces' involvement in wars in Yemen, Somalia, and the Philippines). In documenting displacement caused by the U.S. post-9/11 wars, we are not suggesting the U.S. government or the United States as a country is solely responsible for the displacement. Causation is never so simple. Causation always involves a multiplicity of combatants and other powerful actors, centuries of history, and large-scale political, economic, and social forces. Even in the simplest of cases, conditions of pre-existing poverty, environmental change, prior wars, and other forms of violence shape who is displaced and who is not. This paper and its accompanying tables document several categories of people displaced by the post-9/11 wars: 1) refugees, 2) asylum seekers pursuing protection as refugees, and 3) internally displaced persons or people (IDPs). We also calculate the number of 4) refugees, asylum seekers, and IDPs who have returned to their country or area of origin. Ultimately, we estimate that at least 37 million people have been displaced in just eight countries since 2001 (Table 1). This includes 8 million people displaced across international borders as refugees and asylum seekers and 29 million people displaced internally to other parts of their countries. To put these figures in perspective, displacing 37 million people is equivalent to removing nearly all the residents of the state of California or all the people in Texas and Virginia combined. The figure is almost as large as the population of Canada. In historical terms, 37 million displaced is more than those displaced by any other war or disaster since at least the start of the twentieth century with the sole exception of World War II (see Table 2). The United States' post-9/11 wars have contributed significantly to the dramatic increase in recent years in the number of people displaced by war and violent conflict worldwide: Between 2010 and 2019, the total number of refugees and IDPs globally has nearly doubled from 41 million to 79.5 million. In the next section, this paper proceeds with an overview of our methodology and approach to calculating wartime displacement. A more detailed discussion is in the Appendix. We next provide an overview of displacement in each war-affected country. We then present the results of our calculations and discuss the limits of quantitative measurement. We conclude by discussing the significance of our findings to assessments of the post-9/11 wars, to debates about the use of military force more broadly, and to questions about who bears responsibility for repairing damage suffered by the displaced. ... Somalia (2002 - present) [Conflict in Somalia has been ongoing since the early 1990s, when some 3 million were displaced and one quarter million died; the roots of the violence date to at least the U.S.-Soviet Cold War and involve longstanding competition over territory, regional autonomy, and resources. In the 1990s, the U.S. military sent 25,000 troops as part of UN humanitarian operations. They left after soldiers took heavy casualties during fighting in Mogadishu in 1993. See, e.g., Global IDP Project, "Internally Displaced Somalis," 4 - 5, 11 - 13; Catherine Besteman, "The Costs of War in Somalia," Brown University, Costs of War Project, September 5, 2019; Anna Lindley and Anita Haslie, "Unlocking Protracted Displacement: Somali Case Study," Working Paper Series No. 79, Oxford University, August 2011, 301, https://www.rsc.ox.ac.uk/files/files-1/wp79-unlocking-protracted displacement-somalia-2011.pdf.] Displacement has shaped life in Somalia for decades. In 2004, the Norwegian Refugee Council reported that "virtually all [emphasis added] Somalis have been displaced by violence at least once in their life." The U.S. government has been involved in fighting there since 2002, shortly after the George W. Bush administration declared its "war on terrorism." For most of the last 19 years, U.S. forces have used military bases in Djibouti and elsewhere in the region to carry out drone assassinations of alleged militants. In 2006, the U.S. military and CIA backed an Ethiopian-led invasion of Somalia to remove the Islamic Courts Union (ICU) from power. U.S. and Ethiopian leaders claimed the ICU was an Al Qaeda ally; ICU leaders denied the charge. The invasion succeeded in further radicalizing the ICU's armed wing, Al Shabaab, which declared allegiance to Al Qaeda in 2012. A war between Al Shabaab and a UN-recognized Somali government and its U.S. and other foreign allies continues to this day. U.S. forces have expanded their presence in Somalia in recent years: there are at least five small U.S. military bases and at least one CIA base in the country. The Donald Trump administration has dramatically increased air strikes against Al Shabaab and an Islamic State presence; civilian casualties have also increased, with an estimated 15 killed in 2020 and scores killed since 2007. Political instability and violent conflict have heightened and been mutually reinforcing with humanitarian crises caused by drought, flooding, attendant famine, and widespread poverty. By the end of 2010, amid a famine that would kill hundreds of thousands, almost 1.5 million people had been displaced due to conflict and violence. In 2019 alone, there were almost 200,000 new cases of internal displacement, mostly around Al Shabaab's stronghold in southeast Somalia. In total, by the end of 2019, approximately 4.2 million Somalis had been displaced within the country (3.4 million) or beyond its borders as refugees or asylum seekers (800,000). Most refugees ended up in neighboring countries such as Kenya, Ethiopia, and Yemen. Smaller numbers have reached Uganda, Djibouti, South Africa, Germany, and Sweden. Thousands reached the United States during each year of the George W. Bush and Obama administrations, while less than 700 have arrived in the last three years of the Trump administration. ... Libya (2011 - present) Hundreds of thousands of Libyans have been displaced in the years following the 2011 Arab Spring uprising against longtime ruler Muammar Gaddafi and the U.S., U.K., French, and Qatari invasion that subsequently helped overthrow his regime. Violence increased following the outside military intervention, and the country plunged into a civil war involving "myriads of militias" and a growing Islamic State presence. The subtitle of an IDMC report summarizes what ensued: "State Collapse Triggers Mass Displacement." In 2011, alone, around 150,000 fled the country, mostly to Tunisia. Most returned to Libya within a matter of months, but by 2015, there were a total of 500,000 IDPs across the country. More than 8% of the population had been displaced internally. The war's destabilization of Libya also significantly impacted migration patterns in Africa's Sahel region. Darker-skinned immigrants from West African and Sub-Saharan African countries, whom Gaddafi had welcomed as a labor force in Libya, experienced increased violence, racism, and displacement following Gaddafi's downfall. Some Libyans attacked Black Africans and others who supported Gaddafi or were perceived to have benefitted from his rule, fueling displacement. Around 15,000, mostly sub-Saharan migrant laborers, fled abroad in 2011. In subsequent years, violence and instability in Libya has made the country a center of human trafficking and the main point of departure for migrants attempting to cross the Mediterranean Sea to Europe. Violence and displacement decreased after 2016 but rebounded in 2019 after an intensification of the ongoing civil war between the Libyan National Army and the UN backed Government of National Accord. Both sides are backed by external powers, including Russia and Turkey, respectively, in what has become a full-fledged proxy war. In 2019, new internal displacement incidents tripled over the prior year to 215,000. A total of around 451,000 were living as IDPs by year's end. As of 2019, IDMC reports that 97% of Libyan IDPs were struggling to cover basic expenses, 17% were food insecure (53% in the capital, Tripoli), and 46% could not afford healthcare. Among working-age IDPs, 29% reported that their incomes had decreased by up to 50%. Despite some progress toward a ceasefire and peace, the situation remains "extremely fragile." Displacement in the U.S. Post-9/11 Wars: 37 million Based on the methodology discussed in detail in the Appendix, we now present our total displacement calculations. ... Our 37 million estimate is also conservative because it does not include millions more who have been displaced during other post-9/11 wars and conflicts where U.S. forces have been involved in relatively limited but still substantial ways. The U.S. government has employed combat troops, drone strikes and surveillance, military training, arms sales, and other pro- government aid in countries including Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia (related to the war in Yemen), South Sudan, Tunisia, and Uganda. In most of these countries, the U.S. military and allied European forces have backed national governments' counter-insurgency campaigns and "counter-terrorism" operations against Islamist militants and other insurgents. In Burkina Faso, for example, there were more than half a million incidents of displacement in 2019; by year's end, around 560,000 Burkinabe were living as IDPs. In Mali, 208,000 were living as IDPs by the end of 2019 as a result of years of violent conflict. Since 2001, U.S. combat troops have operated in every single one of the ten countries now suffering from the most severe internal displacement in the world, according to IDMC. The Central African Republic joins Burkina Faso and Mali in the top three. The rest of the top ten include Niger, Chad, Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, as well as Somalia, Syria, and Yemen. ******************************************************************** Overhauling U.S. Foreign Policy: Bitter Fights Ahead by William Minter and Imani Countess* * Imani Countess is an Open Society Fellow focusing on economic inequality. William Minter is the editor of AfricaFocus Bulletin. This essay, which appeared first in Organizing Upgrade on September 22, builds on a multipart essay series entitled Beyond Eurocentrism and U.S. Exceptionalism. The most consequential election year in most of our lifetimes has featured stark crises unspooling against a backdrop of vigorous activist mobilizations and simmering public outrage. While the first essential step for progressives is to prevent the reelection of President Trump, that will not be enough. We need fundamental change rather than a return to the status quo ante. Climate change, public health, police violence, and the systemic racism manifest in all policy areas are on the November 3 ballot. On these issues and others there is already significant mobilization to hold an incoming Democratic administration accountable. This will not be easy, especially when it comes to foreign policy. The Democratic Party platform says that "we cannot simply aspire to restore American leadership. We must reinvent it for a new era." But it fails to question the legitimacy of American preeminence and exceptionalismor, more broadly, the understanding of the world as an arena primarily for competition rather than collaboration. Challenge Militarism Despite rising criticism of wasted money and endless wars, in late July significant majorities in the U.S. Congress, including Democrats as well as Republicans, defeated an amendment to cut 10% from the $740.5 billion military budget. The vote was 324 to 93 in the House of Representatives and 77 to 23 in the Senate. There are critiques across a wide political spectrum of the U.S. military posture, and widely shared uneasiness about endless wars. But there is still no strong antiwar movement with links to progressive movements focused on domestic policy. The default assumption in public debate is that U.S. wars were and still are aimed at protecting the security of the United States. Military spending to defend against "adversaries" takes priority over spending that would enable the United States to play its part in combating common global threats and investing in human security. Foreign policy veterans of the Obama-Biden years vary significantly in their views. Some acknowledge that policy cannot just return to the status quo before Trump. Yet even those who are most critical of previous policy still speak of "rebuilding the city on a hill"the United States as leader and shining example for the world. Few are willing to engage in fundamental questioning of the U.S. global role. Andrew Bacevich, a longtime critic of militarism, and others at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft are bringing options for anti-militarist positions into the establishment debate. But more substantive change is only likely to happen with greater pressure from progressive voices that are now largely outside the foreign policy establishment. To be effective, mobilization must be broad, extending beyond foreign policy - focused constituencies to engage large swathes of the U.S. public. This vast reach marked the movement against the Vietnam War and the solidarity movements with Southern Africa and Central America in the 1970s and 1980s. Those mobilizations, however, were largely driven by external events and nightly news coverage that made the U.S. role impossible to ignore. Today, as our military engagements drag on with dwindling media attention, there are fewer dramatic headlines to propel global issues into mainstream media and political debate. This makes it difficult, though by no means impossible, to build wider consciousness of global issues. Forge National-Global Connections As progressives, we can educate ourselves now to advance a global perspective and help pave the way for lobbying campaigns by progressive organizations seeking to influence a new administration. As a first step, activists and organizations working primarily on domestic issues and those working on global or foreign policy issues should build closer links of understanding between them, even as they recognize the need to work along parallel tracks. Examples include the recent article by Max Elbaum in Organizing Upgrade, the wide range of organizations involved in the National Priorities Project, and the inclusion of action against militarism among the key demands of the Poor People's Campaign. We should focus on issues, not on personalities. Defeating Trump is a prerequisite for advancing a progressive agenda, but opportunities for influencing a future Biden administration will depend on the strength of movements that put forth compelling alternative visions on key issues. We should reinforce the message from climate justice organizations, such as the Sunrise Movement and 350.org, that the Green New Deal must be global. Among the specific implications: multilateral and bilateral collaboration with China is imperative, while a strategic partnership with the oil-rich Gulf autocracies is obsolete. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Africa Conflict U.S., Canada and Africa By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. The Covid-19 pandemic makes clear that action to protect the right to health must be global. Among the specific implications: the United States must not only support the World Health Organization, but must learn from countries as diverse as Cuba, Vietnam, New Zealand, and South Korea, to name only a few. As indicated by actions around the world in solidarity with #BlackLivesMatter, progressive activists in the United States need to recognize that anti-Black racism is global and not confined to any one country. This racism shows itself in the treatment of Africans and Afro-descendants in a wide range of countries and is reflected in the position of the African continent in the global hierarchy. Call Attention to Fundamental Parallels Both domestic law enforcement and the conduct of foreign wars continue to reflect the history of conquest, slavery, and U.S. empire of earlier centuries. The continuing effects of the "original sin" of slavery are now widely recognized; the effects of our imperial past on indigenous populations and the world receive less attention. Both domestic and global inequalities of all kinds are rooted in the history of conquest and empire as well as of slavery. Follow the money! In communities around the country, local authorities are being challenged to divest from over-policing and invest in community needs instead. The same scrutiny and demands should apply to the federal budget, redirecting resources away from the military and toward investment in global public goods that advance human security. It is also essential to address tax injustice by applying higher rates to the ultra-rich and by pursuing the wealth hidden in offshore accounts by corporations and wealthy elites around the world.This loss of capital is particularly acute for African countries, where local elites are conniving with a global network of facilitators to loot the continent. Efforts to curb such looting, by locating and taxing hidden wealth, would free up funds to be invested in Africa's urgent needs. The Stop the Bleeding campaign of African civil society groups, coordinated by Tax Justice Network-Africa, is working toward this aim with support from the Global Alliance for Tax Justice. Don't Go Along with Foreign Policy Taboos We should not shy away from confronting tough political issues with alternative frameworks. An area of particular concern, given current political biases among Democratic as well as Republican establishments, is support for justice in Palestine and Israel through global solidarity, including Palestinian, Jewish and other activists in the United States. We also need to mobilize resistance to the bipartisan trend toward a new Cold War with China, and support partnership for justice based on reliable information rather than arrogant unilateral intervention in crises such as those in Venezuela and Ecuador. Progressives should prioritize support for members of Congress willing to speak out against foreign policy taboos, such as those in "the squad," the Congressional Black Caucus, and the Congressional Progressive Caucus. Don't Be Afraid to Dream To challenge a new Democratic administration and inspire progressive mobilization, we should advance not only practical policy goals but also new visions of mutual cooperation beyond those presently thinkable. One clear albeit difficult example is the case of Cuba, where U.S. policy has been paralyzed for decades by right-wing pressures. A progressive agenda for U.S.-Cuban relations should begin with the reversal of new restrictive measures imposed by the Trump administration and progress toward full elimination of the trade embargo and travel restrictions that have defined U.S. policy for almost six decades. A more ambitious goal would be to stress U.S. collaboration with Cuba in promoting global health, as happened in the case of Ebola in West Africa. The United States should be prepared to accept future Cuban offers of assistance with disaster relief and preparedness, an offer that the George W. Bush administration rejected in 2005 after Hurricane Katrina. Most visionary, but also beneficial to both countries, would be for the United States to ask Cuba for technical assistance in developing equitable public health policies in this countryand to pay generously for such assistance. That could promote mutual understanding as well as begin to pay for repairing the damage done over many decades of U.S. intervention in Cuba. AfricaFocus Bulletin is an independent electronic publication providing reposted commentary and analysis on African issues, with a particular focus on U.S. and international policies. AfricaFocus Bulletin is edited by William Minter. For an archive of previous Bulletins, see http://www.africafocus.org, Current links to books on AfricaFocus go to the non-profit bookshop.org, which supports independent bookshores and also provides commissions to affiliates such as AfricaFocus. AfricaFocus Bulletin can be reached at africafocus@igc.org. Please write to this address to suggest material for inclusion. For more information about reposted material, please contact directly the original source mentioned. To subscribe to receive future bulletins by email, click here. President Uhuru Kenyatta has vowed to fulfill the pledges Kenya made when campaigning for the UN Security Council seat. But the Covid-19 pandemic and other realities, since Kenya won a non-permanent seat in June, may alter or even condense the promises, foreign policy experts say. In the run-up to the contest for a seat on the UN's most powerful body, Nairobi listed 10 areas of focus if it won the seat. They included building bridges for consensus with other countries, strengthening peace and security in Kenya's neighbourhood, cooperation for counter-terrorism, empowering youth and women as well as sustaining humanitarian response to crises. Other pledges were defending climate change agenda, civil liberties and justice as well as sustainable development. On Wednesday, President Kenyatta said Kenya will be ready when it sits in the council from January next year. "We will work closely with all member states to ensure the council discharges its mandate in an inclusive, responsive and consultative manner because peace is a collective effort," he said in a pre-recorded address to the UN General Assembly. Key challenges But even the President listed the immediate problems that have somewhat weakened the capabilities of the UN and "redefined the imperative for multilateral action." They included the Covid-19 pandemic, which wasn't there when Kenya launched the campaign last year in June. The President also listed climate and "biodiversity crises" such as the locust invasion, tensions between powerful member states and economic inequalities plus what he called the crisis of legitimacy and governance in a digital world. Given the new realities and lessons from the campaigns, some experts told the Nation that Kenya may be frustrated were it to go for all the ten targets separately. "The campaign agenda has to be condensed into a few achievable priorities and milestones. We have immediate crises now ,such as Covid-19, which demand urgent attention by the whole world," said Prof Peter Kagwanja, Chief Executive Officer of the Africa Policy Institute (API). "There is a campaign moment and the implementation moment. That is why it is important to define exactly what Kenya is going to do. Kenya cannot abandon Pan-Africanism. It is the only safe ideological framework. It won because it made the right ideological choice," he said. Easy pickings At a round-table in Nairobi, some experts suggested Kenya should go for the easy pickings, while still keeping its agenda intact. "There is no place in the world at the moment which is as hot as the Horn of Africa geopolitically. It presents a unique agenda, so how should Kenya go about it?" Dr Hassan Khannenje, Director of the Horn Institute of International Strategic Studies in Nairobi, posed at a forum organised by API in Nairobi. Kenya competed with Djibouti in the race but the latter already hosts military bases for all major powers in the world. To sustain its influence, Dr Khannenje suggested Kenya may want to focus on its history of mediation. "Kenya is increasingly being challenged and playing less of a role in the Horn. Kenya should help resolve the Nile dispute. It is a prime time crisis," he suggested. Kenya is already Africa's high-level envoy to the dispute pitting Ethiopia and Egypt, and Sudan over the Grand Ethiopia Renaissance Dam (Gerd), which Cairo thinks may affect its main source of water in future. In the campaigns, however, the Nile issue did not feature in Kenya's pledges. Experts believe it may have played in Kenya's luck as the US, and later the African Union, attempted to mediate. Its persistence, they argued, can be a good door for Kenya to stamp its influence, that is if it helps. Rules issue The non-permanent seat may not be as influential as the permanent ones with veto powers. But Kenya's election means it could front a suitable agenda and even hold the presidency of the council, which determines crucial decisions on peace and security. President Kenyatta told the audience Kenya will go for a "rules-based international system" which he argued are needed for the UN to "transcend our challenges and secure lasting peace and prosperity for all". In its contest against Djibouti, however, the issue of rules and obedience came up. Djibouti ran despite losing an AU endorsement. There are those who think the UN Security Council contest tested Africa's solidarity and whether its future rules will be respected. Diplomats in Nairobi, however, say Djibouti's contest reflected democracy and that the two countries have since reconciled in order to work for a secure region, both at the UN and in the African Union. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Coronavirus Kenya International Organisations By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. Amisom funding Ms Wangeci Chege, a law lecturer at the USIU-Africa and consultant on governance, said Kenya should specify its goals in the council but must learn from the past. "Experience from past crises is important but no two issues are the same. We must stand up to the call for investigative capacity. It is much easier to deal with crises if we investigate them," she said, referring to the mistakes in Libya. "Kenya will now have a chance to sit at a table to push for more financing of combat troops," she said referring to the African Union Mission in Somalia (Amisom), which Kenya is a part of. Nairobi has continuously asked for the UN to pass a policy that will provide for funding of combat troops. It failed in the past over fears it could set a bad precedent. On Wednesday, the President said Kenya will continue with "meaningful triangular" consultations among the UN, AU and troop contributing countries in a bid to find a solution. "It has been our experience that cooperation among various stakeholders, a clarity of mandate, appropriate training and equipping of troops ... as well as periodic reviews of the effectiveness of missions, greatly strengthen peacekeeping operations." By Stephanie Nebehay GLION, Switzerland (Reuters) - The U.N. Special Envoy for Yemen wants to build on Sunday's announcement of the largest prisoner exchange agreement in the five-year conflict to pave the way for a national ceasefire and a political solution to end the war, he said. Yemen's warring parties agreed to exchange 1,081 prisoners, including 15 Saudis, as part of trust-building steps aimed at reviving a stalled peace process, the United Nations said. "I was told that it's very rare to have prisoner releases of this scale during the conflict, that they mostly happen after a conflict," U.N. envoy Martin Griffiths told Reuters in the Swiss village of Glion where the deal was announced. The timing, sequence and logistics of the exchange were still being finalised by the International Committee of the Red Cross, which will organise the transfers, he said. Griffiths is trying to restart political negotiations to end the war, which has killed tens of thousands of people and caused what the United Nations describes as the world's largest humanitarian crisis with millions on the brink of famine. The Yemeni government, backed by a Saudi-led military coalition, and the Iran-aligned Houthi movement they have been battling for over five years signed a deal in late 2018 to swap some 15,000 detainees split between both sides but the pact has been slowly and only partially implemented. "Our overall aim at the moment is to bring an agreement on what we call a joint declaration which is a national ceasefire to end the war in Yemen," Griffiths said, adding it would be accompanied by measures to open up ports, airports and roads. "This achievement here I think will undoubtedly have a bounce effect for that, that it will encourage the parties to go the extra mile to resolve final differences," he said. Heads of the delegations hugged after closing their discussions, with Griffiths saying: "Well done, well done." Story continues "BUILDING TRUST" Saudi Arabia welcomed the agreement as a step towards a comprehensive political solution and called on the Houthis not to undermine Griffiths' efforts. "The aim behind this agreement is purely humanitarian. It will also establish a solid base for dialogue and for reaching a comprehensive political solution," said Colonel Turki al-Malki, spokesman for the military coalition. During a news conference in Riyadh, Malki said the first phase of the agreement would release 400 people, including 15 Saudi soldiers and four Sudanese, while the coalition would free 681 Houthi fighters in the largest swap since the peace talks in Stockholm in December 2018. Abdulkader al-Murtada, of the Houthi prisoner exchange committee Abdulkader al-Murtada, gave the same figures to reporters in Glion, saying: "Of course this file is considered to be one of building trust between the parties and if there has been any positive movement in the prisoners' file, without a doubt it will influence the other files." ICRC Middle East director Fabrizio Carboni called for "security and logistical guarantees" for swift releases. Yemen has been mired in conflict since the Houthis ousted the internationally recognised government in the capital, Sanaa, in late 2014, prompting the Western-backed coalition to intervene in March 2015. The conflict, seen in the region as a proxy war between Saudi Arabia and Iran, has been in military stalemate for years with the Houthis holding Sanaa and most big urban centres. The Saudi-led coalition said on Sunday it had intercepted a drone over Yemen that the Houthis had fired towards southern Saudi Arabia. (Reporting by Stephanie Nebehay, Mohammed Ghobari, Aziz El Yaakoubi, Mohammed Mokhashaf, Cecile Mantovani, Tarek Fahmy, Hadeel Al Sayegh and Marwa Rashad; Writing by Ghaida Ghantous and Stephanie Nebehay; Editing by William Mallard, Nick Macfie and Alison Williams) Employees work with an automated parcel and bundle sorter at the Postal Service center in the City of Industry. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) The U.S. Postal Service must prioritize election mail and immediately reverse changes that resulted in widespread delays in California and several other states, a federal judge ruled Monday. The nationwide order is the latest rejection of efforts by Louis DeJoy, the postmaster general, to cut costs by instituting changes that snarled the mail system and caused delays in the delivery of medication, unemployment checks and other essential items. The judge's ruling came as part of a lawsuit by attorneys general for the District of Columbia and six states, including California, that accused the Trump administration of undermining the Postal Service by decommissioning high-speed mail-sorting machines, curtailing overtime and mandating that trucks run on time, which led to backlogs because mail was left behind. The court has spoken. Its time for President Trump to follow the law and stop interfering with our mail, said Xavier Becerra, Californias attorney general, in a statement Monday. Our elections and the health and livelihood of American families depend on it. This is a major victory for the rule of law and protecting our right to vote. The preliminary injunction imposed by Judge Gerald A. McHugh of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania temporarily bars the Postal Service from mandating that mail trucks and carriers leave exactly on time. It also says the organization must allow overtime around the election and suspend the removal of mail-sorting machines until after Nov. 3, among other measures. The Postal Services "ability to fulfill its mission during a presidential election taking place in the midst of a public health crisis is vital. The record in this case strongly supports the conclusion that irreparable harm will result unless its ability to operate is assured, McHugh wrote in a memorandum supporting his order. The ruling is the latest by federal judges that reverse DeJoy's changes. Judges in New York, Washington state and the District of Columbia ordered the Postal Service over the last two weeks to restore operations in the organization, including treating election mail as first-class mail and allowing for the processing of all the days mail, even if it means trucks are a few minutes late. Story continues The lawsuit involving California alleged that the Postal Service made numerous operational changes without getting the required approval from the Postal Regulatory Commission. It was the directive that trucks run on time not the removal of more than 700 sorting machines that contributed to significant delays in the mail, the Los Angeles Times reported. The backups caused food to rot and animals to die inside packages that were piling up at processing plants in California over the summer. The Postal Service has said in recent weeks that the trucking changes were not strict mandates but were efforts to encourage more timeliness and mitigate the need for extra trips. On Monday, in response to the judge's order, Postal Service spokesman David Partenheimer said that delivering election mail is the Postal Service's main priority. Mail-in ballots are expected to play a key role in the election as voters and elections officials seek alternatives to gathering at polling places during the pandemic. "[W]e are 100 percent committed throughout the Postal Service to fulfilling our vital role in the nations electoral process by securely and timely delivering all ballots pursuant to our long-established processes and procedures," Partenheimer said in an email. Psi State Tennessee installed new officers for 2020-2021 at the White Oak Park in Red Bank due to Covid 19 concerns. National Kappa Kappa Iota is a Professional Organization of Educators headquartered in Tulsa, Ok. and has members in 20 states. Kappa Kappa iota, founded in Stillwater, Ok. in 1921, is one of the oldest organizations for educators in the United States. National Kappa Kappa Iota will be celebrating its Centennial in 2021 at its National Convention in Tulsa, Ok. at the Hard Rock Resort. Educators are welcome to join National Kappa Kappa Iota and become part of a professional organization of educators. WASHINGTON, Sept. 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- With election season in full swing, AARP Bulletin is continuing its tradition of spotlighting the issues most important to older adults in exclusive interviews with President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden. In a Q&A format, both candidates discuss their views on Medicare, Social Security, nursing homes, the coronavirus pandemic, voting and many more crucial topics. Find out, in their own words, where they stand in the October issue of the Bulletin. PLUS: The Bulletin continues to publish unique, detailed "how to vote" guides for 53 U.S. states and territories to help older voters know exactly what steps to take (and when) in their state to cast their votes safely and on time. Voters in 26 states received their guides in the September issue, and now voters in the remaining 27 states and territories will receive theirs in the October issue. All 53 "how to vote" guides are available to the general public online. Other stories in the October AARP Bulletin include: Your Health How Health Conditions Affect Your COVID Risk: It's no secret that underlying health conditions make people more vulnerable to COVID-19, but now doctors are starting to understand exactly why that is. Learn how diabetes, obesity, respiratory problems and other illnesses interact with the coronavirus -- and what to do about it. Your Money How to Return Products Bought Online: COVID-19 has sparked more online shopping and more returns. Returning items is usually pretty easy, but mistakes still happen, and the pandemic has added new challenges. To avoid any problems, the Bulletin provides eight "gotchas" to beware of, from when your return is rejected to when the company goes bankrupt. What to do When Retirement Comes Early: COVID-19 has pushed many older workers into retirement years before they had planned, and new retirees may be wondering: How can I afford the gap between now and the age I thought I'd be retiring? AARP Bulletin offers pointers on spending, health coverage, retirement savings, Social Security and more in the October issue. Signing Away Your Day in Court: Did you know that most contracts today bar you from suing a company if something goes wrong? In the October issue, the Bulletin answers your questions about arbitration clauses, what your rights are under them, and what to do before and after you sign. Fraud Watch Use Your State Regulators: When people think about who fights fraud, their mind usually goes to federal regulators like the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). But state securities regulators can be the best places to go if you're a victim of investment fraud. Learn why in the October issue of The Bulletin. Your Life How to End the Password Madness: The average older American now has more than 200 digital accounts with passwords, some dating back over a decade. How to keep them safe and sorted? Learn the three methods that experts say are the only ones you can truly trust. About AARP AARP is the nation's largest nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to empowering people 50 and older to choose how they live as they age. With a nationwide presence and nearly 38 million members, AARP strengthens communities and advocates for what matters most to families: health security, financial stability and personal fulfillment. AARP also produces the nation's largest circulation publications: AARP The Magazine and AARP Bulletin. To learn more, visit www.aarp.org or follow @AARP and @AARPadvocates on social media. SOURCE AARP Related Links www.aarp.org Four shoebox-sized satellites have successfully been launched into space, to help monitor shipping movements from low-Earth orbit. The satellites were all built in Scotland by global data and analytics company Spire, with the help of 6 million in government funding. They were successfully transported into space on a Soyuz launcher from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome in Russia at 12.25pm UK time, the UK Space Agency confirmed to MailOnline. Two of the nanosatellites have on-board supercomputers, with machine learning algorithms that can provide 'hyper-accurate predictions' of the locations of boats. The other two will be used to forge inter-satellite links, the UK Space Agency told MailOnline. Once in low-Earth orbit, they will come part of a constellation of more than 100 satellites, which are used to calculate boats' arrival times at ports and help businesses and authorities manage busy docks. Scroll down for video Spire nanosat with supercomputer under construction. The on-board supercomputer with machine learning algorithms that provide predictions of the locations of boats 'Satellites are shrinking in size and growing in ambition,' said Science Minister Amanda Solloway. 'A satellite the size of a shoebox may sound like a gimmick, but these nanosatellites are driving a revolution in how we observe planet Earth with each holding the power and intelligence of a regular satellite. 'The government is ensuring the UK remains at the forefront of this revolution and the Spire nanosatellites we have backed will help us do just that.' The devices, 'no larger than a microwave', are designed, built, tested, integrated and assembled by Spire Global staff at the firm's headquarters in Glasgow. Machine-learning capable nanosatellites (pictured) were launched on a Russian Soyuz launcher, alongside two further nanosatellites that will be used to forger inter-satellite links. They're 'no larger than a microwave' Spire received part of a 6 million fund from the UK Space Agency to build the four nanosatellites, which will also support other companies like Spire. All four nanosatellites are part of the same constellation, UK Space Agency confirmed. The second two will essentially help link the constellation together, but the purpose of the overall constellation is to monitor shipping. The two satellites that do not have on-board supercomputers will be used to forge stronger links between satellites in the constellation. 'These connections allow satellites to act as relays, sending data to one another and down to ground stations, which cuts the time between data collection and its delivery,' the UK Space Agency said. Together, they will join a fleet of more than 100 objects in low Earth orbit that work together to track the whereabouts of ships and predict global ocean traffic. The nanosatellites, which received more than 6 million in funding from the UK Space Agency, will join more than 100 other space objects providing support to maritime trade. Pictured is the nanosatellite with supercomputer Spire Global is a data and analytics company that identifies, tracks and predicts the movement of the world's resources and weather systems by 'listening' to the planet in real-time and applying machine learning to understand what will happen in the future Despite being the size of a shoebox and weighing no more than standard cabin baggage, the nanosatellites have all the functionality of a conventional satellite. Graham Turnock, chief executive of the UK Space Agency, said nanosatellites are enormously powerful in what they can do, with more than a teraflop of processing power. 'These four Spire satellites are aimed at making trade hyper-accurate, with technology that makes business more cost effective and efficient,' said Turnock. Artist's impression of the spacecraft, which will join a fleet of more than 100 objects in low Earth orbit that work together to track the whereabouts of ships and predict global ocean traffic 'Scotland's space sector is booming. Our membership of ESA is benefiting companies across the UK, and we are committed to supporting the space economy in every region.' Spire Global UK is a satellite-powered data company that provides predictive analysis of global shipping, aviation and weather forecasting. Peter Platzer, chief executive and co-founder of Spire Global said their goal was to help companies and organisations predict 'what's next' and make better decisions. 'This month we are moving this forward by launching a true super-computer into orbit 1 to 2 teraflops so that we can analyse data right in orbit, using smart algorithms and machine learning,' Platzer said. Spire Global UK is a satellite-powered data company that provides predictive analysis of global shipping, aviation and weather forecasting 'This will allow us to get better, smarter and faster analytics to our customers for their business decisions.' The services have been developed under a European Space Agency (ESA) Pioneer programme, which is a partnership project co-funded by the UK Space Agency. Elodie Viau, Director of Telecommunications and Integrated Applications at ESA, said this was a prime example of the benefits of the Pioneer programme. Artist's impression of a UK spaceport. The UK Space Agency selected the first vertical launch site in Sutherland on the north coast of Scotland in 2018, which could be ready next year Meanwhile, the government is also supporting the development of spaceports across the country, which will allow satellites to be launched from the UK soil for the first time in the coming years. It's hoped future nanosatellites could be launched from Sutherland, on the north coast of Scotland, as early as next year, with further sites planned for Cornwall, Glasgow Prestwick and Snowdonia. Horizontal launch sites have potential in a future UK spaceflight market, which could attract companies from all over the world to invest in Britain. Swap out your light bulbs. In addition to colder weather, fall and winter can be gloomier than other times of the year. Many homeowners see a spike in energy bills from keeping lights on more often. To avoid this, consider swapping out your current bulbs with energy-saving light-emitting diode (LED) lights, which may dramatically reduce your energy needs. Upgrade to an energy-efficient heating system. Chances are you currently have a central HVAC system that only allows you to set a single temperature for the whole home, resulting in rooms that may be several degrees hotter or colder than others. Mitsubishi Electric ductless and ducted Zoned Comfort Solutions allow you more control over the temperature in each area of your home independently, using energy only as needed. Traditional HVAC systems are all-or-nothing, operating as either on or off. Comparatively, the INVERTER-driven compressors in Zoned Comfort Solutions can ramp performance based on the temperature needs of each room, maintaining consistent comfort levels while conserving energy. This system benefits the environment and your utility bill by heating the home with efficient heat pump operation versus burning fossil fuels. They may use 40 percent less energy than traditional systems. Plus, they boast quieter operation than most traditional systems for a more peaceful indoors and may offer advanced filtration to improve indoor air quality by removing allergens like dust and particulates while potentially neutralizing odors. This winter may be a little different with social distancing and other changes, but hopefully, these tips will allow you to create a cozy environment for your makeshift elementary classroom, home office and everything in between without breaking the budget. Visit MitsubishiComfort.com to learn more about how Mitsubishi Electric's Zoned Comfort Solutions can improve your home's heating capabilities. SOURCE Mitsubishi Electric Trane HVAC US Related Links https://www.mitsubishicomfort.com/ AXA XLs purpose is to act for human progress by protecting what matters, and what matters most to communities around the world are their homes, families and their livelihoods, said Andrew MacFarlane, who leads AXA XLs Public Sector Partnership Working Group. The work we do as insurers and reinsurers, together with the support we get from government through local and federal aid agencies, and the solutions that communities themselves develop, allow these communities affected by natural disasters to recover. The aim of this study was really to delve into these disasters and their recoveries, and to investigate the crucial role that insurance has in both the speed and the quality of these recoveries [] and the results are clear. Insurance plays a key role in securing the quality and the speed of recoveries of those communities that are exposed to catastrophic risk. Read next: Expert warns on gaping holes in Australias natural disaster preparedness The Optimising Disaster Recovery recovery report analyses over 100 natural catastrophe case studies from around the world. It reveals a striking gap between how quickly communities are able to recover after a disaster event based on how effectively those disasters were managed at the time. One of the key findings was that countries with higher insurance penetration were able to recover far more quickly than communities with lower insurance penetration. In fact, for each percentage point increase in insurance penetration (non-life premiums divided by a countrys GDP) a countrys recovery time reduced by almost 12 months. According to AXA XL and CCRS research, countries like Japan, Australia, South Korea and those in Western Europe with high insurance penetration have an average recovery rate of less than 12 months after a natural catastrophe. This is much faster than countries with low insurance penetration, like Bangladesh, Haiti, Nepal and the Philippines, which have an average recovery rate of more than four years. The United States is a bit of an anomaly from this trend. While the US enjoys high insurance penetration of more than 4%, the fragmented nature of coverage, particularly flood, disaster response and scale of loss has resulted in a recovery rate average of just over three years. For a large number of major catastrophes, somewhere between 20% and 30% of the losses are picked up by the private capital markets, the insurance industry and the reinsurance industry [and they are] backed by the financial markets and the global financial system. And of course, that is an extremely effective mechanism for sharing risk and for diversifying the risk borne by very localised communities, said Dr. Andrew Coburn, CCRS chief scientist. But the tragedy is that only about 20% or 30% of the risk is actually covered by insurance, meaning the remaining 80% or 70% of the losses are borne by the local communities themselves. This study is trying to draw attention to that protection gap, with the hope of closing it and allowing more of a global capital finance system to build the resilience that will reduce the [impact of] catastrophes in the future. Read more: New IAG CEO vows to address climate change risks The report looks beyond the use of capital to facilitate recovery in order to establish the underlying success of recovery following disaster events. In particular, analysts looked at how quickly and efficiently communities restored their society and economy, and how they used that reconstruction to improve the overall resilience of the area. Were hoping that the report will be influential in trying to help improve the speed of recovery and the speed and quality of future reconstruction, commented Oliver Carpenter, CCRS environmental & climate risk lead. The report points out that the frequency of these catastrophic events is increasing, and, therefore, recovery planning and having strength in the right way of going about this is becoming even more relevant. Many of the case studies that we show are [] wasteful in the way that resources are lost in the process, even in the recovery. We very much want to enlighten and bring a broader evidence base to bear in improving the quality of reconstruction and building resilience to mitigate in the future. MacFarlane added that while the timely and effective nature of delivery of finance through insurance is a key facilitator of recovery, insurers and reinsurers also have a key role to play in incentivising improvement in the eventual reconstruction outcome, particularly where more catastrophic resilience can be developed. He said: Were advocating that insurance can have a greater role to play here, especially in the under-developed markets, and were therefore really keen to push these findings out into the industry. NEW YORK, Sept. 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The factors projected to drive the market during the forecast period are global demand for minimally invasive diagnostic and surgical procedures, rising prevalence of orthopedic diseases, and increasing patient base due to the expanding population. Joint Reconstruction Devices Market Size USD 22.49 Billion in 2019, Joint Reconstruction Devices Market Growth - CAGR of 6.3%, Joint Reconstruction Devices Industry Trends High demand from developing nations VNCOUVER, B.C., September 28, 2020 - The Global Joint Reconstruction Devices Market is expected to reach USD 36.81 Billion by 2027, according to a new report by Emergen Research. The growing incidences of orthopedic and musculoskeletal disorders causing discomfort, weakness, and inflammation in joints like knee, hip, shoulder, and ankle, among others, and the need to treat them is likely to drive the market growth in the forecast period. Moreover, a rise in life expectancy leads to rising cases associated with joint disorders, particularly in developing nations, thereby substantially driving the market growth of joint reconstruction devices. The high use of minimally invasive medicine worldwide has contributed to scientific advancements in medical instruments and procedures. The market for joint reconstruction devices is tied mainly to technological development. A growing number of studies to enhance bionic implants and robotic surgeries are anticipated to play an instrumental role in propelling the market demand. Growth in the geriatric population in leading countries in the APAC region, including China, India, South Korea, and Japan, would raise demand for joint reconstruction devices. The APAC region is experiencing a considerable rise in the population of people aged more than 65 years, thus requiring frequent usage of joint replacement devices attributed to the aging bone tissues. As per the WHO (World Health Organization), the mean life expectancy of people is 82.3 years of age and 83.7 years of age in South Korea and Japan, respectively. As a result of the growing geriatric population at a higher risk of becoming affected by musculoskeletal disorders, the demand for various joint reconstruction devices is expected to increase over the coming next 5-7 years. However, concerns associated with the biocompatibility of devices used in joint reconstruction in the joint surgical replacement procedure may lead to a rise in failure rates of the implanted device, therefore hampering the growth of the market. Request free sample of this research report at: https://www.emergenresearch.com/request-sample/28 Key Highlights From The Report By type, the ankle type accounted for a revenue of USD 5.69 billion in 2019 in the joint reconstruction devices market and is likely to rise with a CAGR of 6.7% in the forecast period as they are designed to provide patients with faster and longer-term relief, conducted through arthroscopy. in 2019 in the joint reconstruction devices market and is likely to rise with a CAGR of 6.7% in the forecast period as they are designed to provide patients with faster and longer-term relief, conducted through arthroscopy. By technique, the arthroscopy technique is expected to grow with a CAGR of 6.1% in the forecast period as many of these procedures are conducted under local anesthetics, reducing the overall procedure rate directly related to the rising incidence of the disorders linked with the joint. By application, the orthopedic clinic applications segment significantly contributes to the joint reconstruction devices market, due to the broad population of cases comprising primarily of people recovering from orthopedic disorders as they are surgically implanted, were mostly treated in clinics. North America dominated the market for Joint Reconstruction Devices in 2019, due to variables such as the involvement of a vast number of market participants, the increasing incidence of joint diseases, supportive healthcare programs, and high disposable incomes of patients. The North America region held approximately 42.1% of the market, followed by Europe , which contributed to around 26.0% market in the year 2019 dominated the market for Joint Reconstruction Devices in 2019, due to variables such as the involvement of a vast number of market participants, the increasing incidence of joint diseases, supportive healthcare programs, and high disposable incomes of patients. The region held approximately 42.1% of the market, followed by , which contributed to around 26.0% market in the year 2019 Key participants include Nuvasive Inc., Aesculap Implant Systems LLC, Stryker, Smith and Nephew, Medtronic, CONMED Corporation, Zimmer-Biomet, DJO Global Inc., DePuy Synthes Companies, and Microport Scientific Corporation, among others. To get leading market solutions, visit the link below: https://www.emergenresearch.com/industry-report/joint-reconstruction-devices-market Emergen Research has segmented the Global Joint Reconstruction Devices Market on the basis of type, technique, application, and region: Type Outlook (Revenue, USD Billion; 2017-2027) Knee Hip Shoulder Ankle Others Technique Outlook (Revenue, USD Billion; 2017-2027) Joint Replacement Osteotomy Arthroscopy Resurfacing Others Application Outlook (Revenue, USD Billion; 2017-2027) Hospitals Orthopedic Clinic Ambulatory Surgical Centers Others Regional Outlook (Revenue, USD Billion; 2017-2027) North America U.S. Canada Europe Germany U.K. France Benelux Rest of Europe Asia Pacific China Japan South Korea Rest of APAC Latin America Brazil Rest of LATAM Middle East & Africa Saudi Arabia UAE Rest of MEA Find more similar research insights by Emergen Research: Synthetic Blood Substitutes Market By Source, By Type (Hemoglobin-Based Oxygen Carriers (HBOCs), Perfluorocarbon (PFCs)), By Application (Cardiovascular Diseases, Anemia, Malignant Neoplasm, Injuries and Trauma, Neonatal Conditions, Maternal Conditions, Organ Transplant), By End-Use, Forecasts to 2027 Interventional Cardiology Market By Product (Catheters, Angioplasty Balloons, Plaque Modification Devices, Angioplasty Stents), By End Users (Cardiac Catheterization labs, Hospitals, Ambulatory surgical centers), Forecasts to 2027 Gene Editing Market By Technology (CRISPR, TALENS, ZFN, ANTISENSE, Others), By Applications (Diagnostics, Drug Discovery and Development, Cell Line, Animal Genetic and Plant Genetic Engineering), By End User (Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Companies, Academic and Government Research Institutes, CROs) and By Regions Forecasts to 2027 Advanced Wound Care Market By Product Type (Moist Wound Dressing, Wound Therapy Devices), By Wound Type (Surgical Wounds, Ulcers, Burns, Traumatic Wounds), By End-User (Hospitals and Clinics, Home Care Settings), and By Region, Forecasts to 2027 Cancer Tumor Profiling Market By Technique Type (Genomics, Epigenetics, Metabolomics, Proteomics), By Technology (Immunoassays, In Situ Hybridization, PCR), By Application (Research And Clinical Application), Forecasts to 2027 Craniomaxillofacial Devices Market Analysis, By Product (Cranial Flap Fixation Device, CMF Distraction Device, Drugs), By Material (Metal Based Implants, Bioabsorbable Material), By Application, By End-Use, Forecasts to 2027 About Emergen Research At Emergen Research, we believe in advancing with technology. We are a growing market research and strategy consulting company with an exhaustive knowledge base of cutting-edge and potentially market-disrupting technologies that are predicted to become more prevalent in the coming decade. With market-leading insights and an in-depth understanding of leading and niche technologies, our solutions address the most pertinent questions for your business needs. A major technological shift has been witnessed towards creating a 'Circular Economy,' fuelled by factors, such as the increased adoption of bio-based materials, along with other methods for achieving carbon neutrality. We are conversant in technologies, viz., Artificial Intelligence (AI), Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR), Robotic Process Automation (RPA), Smart Manufacturing, Internet of Things (IoT), Big Data Analytics, Machine learning, Nanotechnology, Edge Computing, Blockchain Technology, Cloud Computing, Vehicle Electrification, Advanced Maintenance Analytics, and Predictive Maintenance, among other prevalent and emergent technologies. Contact Us: Eric Lee Corporate Sales Specialist Emergen Research | Web: https://www.emergenresearch.com Direct Line: +1-(604)-757-9756 E-mail: [email protected] Read full Press Release at : https://www.emergenresearch.com/press-release/global-joint-reconstruction-devices-market SOURCE Emergen Research The states approach to finalise coastal zone management plan (CZMP) maps for Sindhudurg and Palghar through online public consultations has received stiff opposition from local communities in both the districts. Public hearings are organised by district collectors upon receiving directions from the Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority (MCZMA) to hear the suggestions and objections of affected communities. While the online public consultation for Palghar is slated to be held Wednesday, the same for Sindhudurg was held on Monday. During the consultation, Sindhudurg residents said a large number of participants were unable to raise their objections due to power cuts across several areas. The three-hour public consultation on Monday was done just for the sake of completion with less than 300 people involved. Around 60% people could not present their submissions because there was power outage while some did not have access to internet, said Nandan Vengurlekar, district coordinator, Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ), CZMP awareness committee, Sindhudurg. According to Vengurlekar, the proposed CZMP affects five talukas Devgad, Malvan, Vengurla, Sawanti and Kudal covering 224 villages, 1.22 lakh families and 4.10 lakh people in Sindhudurg. Our primary submission entails directing state or central officials to visit each of these 224 villages explaining the impact of the map by translating documents into Marathi so that citizens are aware of how the coastal district is likely to change, said Vengurlekar. Confirming the issue, the district administration has decided to conduct offline hearings at Vengurla and Malvan on Tuesday. There were difficulties due to lack of connectivity or power failure at many places. An offline consultation will be conducted on Tuesday from 10am to 6pm. For Vengurla, Kudal and Sawantwadi (creek and rivers), the meeting will be held at Vengurla block development office (BDO) between 10am to 1pm. For Malvan, Devgad at Kankavali, the offline meeting will happen between 2pm and 6pm at Malvan BDO. This is being done to ensure nobody is left out from presenting their views, said Shubhangi Sathe, resident deputy collector, Sindhudurg. Draft CZMP maps were prepared by the National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management (NCSCM) under the Union environment ministry in 2019 for all coastal districts in Maharashtra based on the 2019 Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) norms. The maps were published on January 22 this year. Using distinct colour codes, these maps demarcate CRZ areas (I to IV), high tide and hazard line, fishing zones, intertidal areas, mangrove forests and buffer areas, turtle nesting sites, cyclone shelters, koliwadas and gaothans. These also identify coastal areas that can be opened up for infrastructure development. Holding public consultation, especially with local communities, calling for suggestions and objections is compulsory before finalising the maps. The public consultation process for all districts was completed by March 6 except Palghar and Sindhudurg. It was later slotted for March 21 for the two districts, but owing to the Covid-19 pandemic, it was deferred. Based on the Union environment ministrys memorandum, an online public consultation was promulgated along with receiving submissions through offline means. Both would be considered. We are just following the simple process as directed by the Centre, a senior state government official said. Meanwhile, activists and environmental researchers also raised an alarm calling the entire process undemocratic and violation of CRZ norms. Public hearings are organised on these plans to ensure peoples participation in the planning process and not just for the completion of a process for the sake of it. The hearing through digital platforms that affect coastal communities is against the principle of natural justice. Even if the public hearings are held physically, this means that the elderly will be forced to reach the public hearing venue amid the risk of the Covid-19 pandemic, said Dhwani Shah, Mumbai-based independent environmental researcher. A complaint was filed with the Sindhudurg district administration by environment group Conservation Action Trust (CAT) on Monday. Public hearings need to be planned in a systematic manner and everyone present should be allowed to speak during the hearing. Officials present should respond to queries, which did not happen on Monday, said Prasad Khale, senior conservation officer, CAT. MAJOR CONCERNS RAISED FOR SINDHUDURG, PALGHAR PUBLIC CONSULTATION Base map of the CZMP should be as per the satellite imagery of 1991 At most of the places, mudflats (CRZ IA) have been demarcated as intertidal areas (CRZ IB) Gaothans, koliwadas and their extension, boat parking areas, fish drying areas, are not marked in draft CZMP maps Illegally constructed embankments, bunds, roads have been demarcated as high tide line Buffers for mangroves have not been properly demarcated None of the team members from NCSCM have done ground surveys by going to villages. (Source: Conservation Action Trust) WHY THESE ONLINE PUBLIC HEARINGS ARE FACING PEOPLES OPPOSITION? - There is a no provision in the CRZ Notification 2019 for conducting online public hearings. Public hearings for all the other districts were held with the physical presence of all the affected communities - Online public hearings will exclude senior citizens and veterans who have traditional knowledge of the coastline and can contribute towards the maps and planning - During Covid-19, poor communities are struggling to make ends meet due to the loss of jobs. At this time, if the public hearings are held then it will forcefully leave the communities out of the process - The faulty maps as per the CRZ Notification 2011 was prepared and approved only in 2018 with a delay of 7 years (Source: Dhwani Shah, Mumbai-based independent Environmental Researcher) SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Across the street from San Fernando Cemetery, a small statue of La Virgen de San Juan de Los Lagos stares out from a craggy, capsulelike shrine in the front yard of Andrea Gomezs small family home. Sixty years ago, Gomezs father Andres Berlinga had a friend build the shrine soon after they moved in. The statue had been with them during an unforgettable road trip to Mexico, when Gomez was a teenager and the family station wagon lost its brakes and barreled down a hill. The family survived. Gomez later moved to California, only to move back to the family home in 1982 to care for her parents, who have since passed. Now its just Gomez and La Virgen, an ornate reminder of her faith and family dressed in a glittery little robe Gomez maintains with chiffon and cloth. It belonged to my parents, and I try to keep it up, Gomez said. Im devoted to her also. Lisa Krantz /Staff photographer Virgin Mary yard shrines have long safeguarded the hearts and homes of the most devout Catholics around the world and around San Antonio, most notably in the citys South and West Sides. Proudly displayed in front yards, the shrines often serve as miniature chapels or grottoes, housing votive candles, flowers and family photos and mementos. Some people promise to build a shrine to the Virgin to give thanks for her blessings. Most simply serve as proud displays of their owners faith. Bottom line, theyre personal testimonies to faith, to divine intercession. Theyre a public show of faith, said San Antonio artist and photographer Kathy Vargas, whose research into the citys Virgin Mary yard shrines is now part of the Smithsonian Institutions Archives of American Art. On ExpressNews.com: 10 things to know about San Antonio's Basilica of the National Shrine of the Little Flower For her graduate work in the early 1980s, Vargas combed the West Side streets of San Antonio to take inventory of the Virgin Mary shrines. Back then, she counted a little more than 100 shrines just in the West Side. Today, she estimates at least four times that number of shrines front homes in and around that area. Factor in other homes throughout San Antonio, including those of Mexican nationals in newer areas such as La Cantera and Stone Oak, and the number of citywide yard shrines likely surpasses at least 1,000. Most of those shrines are ensconced in arches made of stone and brick, often housing a colorful statue of the Virgin Mary behind plexiglas with a small electric spotlight. There are many versions and representations of the Virgin Mary, based on her appearances to the faithful throughout history. They vary in popularity by regions, but San Antonio is home to many yard shrines featuring La Virgen de San Juan de Los Lagos, a regal image of the Virgin Mary in ornate, fanned out robes with a tall crown framed by banner-bearing angels. But the most common in San Antonio is that of La Virgen de Guadalupe, said to have appeared to Christian convert Juan Diego in December 1531 on Tepeyac Hill, now a northern suburb of Mexico City. Vargas traces the yard shrine in San Antonio to the early 20th century, a time she said when many Latinos felt uncomfortable or even unwelcome attending Catholic churches with mostly Anglo congregations. In the very beginning, it was to say, Were Catholic and we may not be able to go to the Catholic church nearest us, Vargas said. Though as recognizable as Virgin Mary shrines are in the yards of Hispanic homeowners in San Antonio, they actually front the homes of Catholics across the nation and across nationalities. In fact, Fall River, Mass., has been billed as ground zero for such shrines. And Somerville, Mass., about an hour away just outside Boston, is arguably home to the most shrines per capita with at least 600 in a city of around 81,000. Father Tom Ovalle, director of ministry at Our Lady of Lourdes Grotto in San Antonio, believes the tradition of the home shrine predates Christianity. I would imagine it comes way back from the ancient times, the Romans especially would have altars to their gods, he said. Then the Christians decided to do the same thing for Jesus and the blessed mother and the saints. On ExpressNews.com: Even during the coronavirus pandemic, homeless can count on S.A.s Catholic Worker House Those first Christian shrines usually were pilgrimage sites, Ovalle said, where people would go to pay tribute or express devotion to a certain saint or the Virgin Mary. Thats certainly the case in San Antonio, where the shrines have evolved to embody the of spirit of rasquachismo, that make-do, creative spark to use whatever is handy thats so strong in Chicano culture. Take the hulking shrine of Vanessa Martinez, who lives near Nogalitos and Division Avenue. Martinez and her parents across the street maintain a Virgen de Guadalupe shrine built out of an old industrial furnace. A gift from Martinezs ex-husband 10 years ago, the shrine features a brick facade with a rusted metal frame and a Virgen statue surrounded by artificial flowers. An artificial owl on top wards off any birds. Rene Guzman /Staff Martinez recently added a small statue of St. Juan Diego and another small statue of the Virgen de Guadalupe. The two statues belonged to Martinezs grandmother, who died earlier this year. Martinez, 37, said she expects to keep the yard shrine in the family for as long as she lives, most likely in the same spot though possibly at the future home of one of her four children, who range in age from 13 to 20. Our faith is strong regardless, Martinez said. Even if the shrine wasnt there, its in our hearts. Some Virgin Mary shrines around San Antonio display a similar kitschy ingenuity. Ovalle said hes seen some that use hubcaps, while Vargas has seen some made out of dog houses. That rasquache spirit especially shows with Virgin Mary shrines that incorporate old, upturned bathtubs to surround the virgin like a grotto. The online history magazine Dusty Old Thing traces that tradition to just after World War II. As families prospered after the war, homeowners turned to shower-tub combinations. Some of the more creative Catholic homeowners found new life for their old, hard to recycle claw-foot tubs. The practice became so common the shrines even got a less-than-holy nickname: bathtub Mary or bathtub Madonna. Its like Christmas decorations, I would imagine, Ovalle said. You go as simple as you can or you go as elaborate as you can. Virgin Mary shrines dont just reflect their owners personal style. They also serve as colorful community focal points. You probably wont find a more elaborate center of attention than the towering shrine in Frank Palacioss front yard. A few blocks shy of South Zarzamora and Nogalitos, Palacioss concrete shrine stands more than 6 feet tall with two colorful Virgen de Guadalupe statues inside, the original one in the center as tall as Palacios with a waist-high replica by its side. Palacioss eldest son gave him the shrine, which he thinks dates back to the early 1980s. One date Palacios does remember is Dec. 12, 1984. Dec. 12 is the feast day for La Virgen de Guadalupe. And that day in 1984 also when Palacios father died of a heart attack at the foot of the shrine while presenting roses in La Virgens honor. On ExpressNews.com: T-shirts honoring dead youths part of puro San Antonio culture Today, the shrine stands as both a reminder of his passing and a focal point for the annual Our Lady of Guadalupe celebrations in the neighborhood. Its going to stay there. For the family members and for everybody, Palacios said. Of course, the yard shrine first and foremost signifies its owners personal relationship with the Virgin Mary. For Dali Torres, that relationship deepened with a vision that was as if her shrine came to life. Around 25 years ago, Torress eldest son surprised her with a Mothers Day gift she still cherishes: a large yard shrine dedicated to the Virgen de Guadalupe. Set atop a mound of rocks, Marys long, green robes shimmer with golden stars, which match the fiery rays that frame her against a red brick wall at the front of Torres corner house off of Jones Maltsberger Road. Torres swears she was blessed with a similar sight a few years later on a misty hillside in Zacatecas, Mexico. Jerry Lara /Staff photographer While on a vacation hike with family, Torres just couldnt stop worrying about her younger son, who had just joined the Air Force and was away from her for the first time in Japan. Thats when Torres says she saw her, just like in her shrine. And all of a sudden she appeared to me right there and then with a baby in her hands, said Torres, 62, through tears. And she told me, What have you to worry about? I have him in my hands. Torres said her whole body and spirit relaxed after seeing La Virgen on that hillside so many years ago. That son she worried about has since retired from the Air Force. And even though the pandemic forced Torres and her husband to close their family business, the My Little Taco House on South Flores Street which also appeared in the Selena film, Torres said she still has her faith. She plans to breathe new life into her Virgen de Guadalupe yard shrine with fresh paint and flowers. After all, passersby often ask to take photos with the display. And like any loving mother, Torres knows some things just feel like home no matter where you are. Shes for the world, Torres said. Rene Guzman is a features reporter in the San Antonio and Bexar County area. He writes about pop culture and what makes San Antonio so uniquely puro San Antonio. To read more from Rene, become a subscriber. rguzman@express-news.net | Twitter: @reneguz Defund WPD, an organization aimed at reforming the Worcester Police Department, on Friday delivered a petition with more than 1,200 signatures calling for the city to create a public database of police conduct records. The petition was addressed to Worcester City Manager Edward Augustus Jr., the City Council and Police Chief Steve Sargent. It contained 750 signatures from residents of Worcester and another 500 from surrounding communities. We believe Black and Brown lives are less safe in Worcester because our city continues to hide misconduct records and obstructs the release of files and histories of police wrongdoing to Worcester residents, the petition said. I am adding my name to this request because I believe it is the only way any real changes can take place. The petition focused on the city releasing the Worcester Police Departments Bureau of Professional Standards database containing citizen complaint histories, excessive force reviews, and disciplinary records of Worcester police officers. It also calls on the city to use that information to create an online database for the public to view. The organization compared the potential database to that of the Board of Registration in Medicine, which has a Massachusetts' database of doctor profiles. Through public records requests, Defund WPD said Worcester has paid at least $4 million over the last decade due to lawsuits against the department. The petition also called for the city to release the complaints of 17 officers, which it has held due to court proceedings with the Telegram & Gazette. As a young Black man who spends a lot of time in and around Worcester, it is very troubling to know that the police are in no way transparent with the community regarding recorded cases of excessive force, Defund WPD member Donroy Ferdinand, Jr. said in a statement. Not releasing the records to the public only serves to send the message that both elected and appointed city officials care more about covering for its expensive and violent police force than its most marginalized citizens. Transparency is the first step to holding the WPD accountable. The petitions, Defund WPD said, circulated over the summer gaining more than 1,200 signatures. Its the last move by Defund WPD, which earlier this summer focused on police funding. In an interview with MassLive earlier this month, Augustus, speaking generally on the topic of police reform, said changes within the citys department are expected in the fall. Something has to happen, Augustus said. People need to be heard. People need to know that their government is responsive. Related Content: New Delhi, Sep 28 : The Congress, the principal opposition party in Karnataka, has sought the sacking of the newly appointed BJP youth wing president Tejasvi Surya who on Sunday said that Bengaluru has become a terror hub. Congress leader B K Hariprasad, who lost to Surya in the Lok Sabha polls, said he is just trying to please his masters and alleged that Surya's statement casts aspersions on the Chief Minister. "Wonder what Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa and Home Minister B Bommai have to say about their own MP Tejasvi Surya calling Bengaluru an epic centre of terror activities. Besides denting Bengaluru's image as an investors destination this is also an indirect attack on Yediyurappa" he said. Congress state President DK Shivakumar in a tweet said, "BJP MP Tejasvi Surya calling Bengaluru, a global city known for Technology and Innovation, as an epicentre of terror is highly condemnable. GDP growth has crashed and with such statements, which investor will come to Bengaluru & Karnataka?Will PM and FM answer." Another leader Rajeev Gowda said, "I am deeply pained that a MP representing Bengaluru is denigrating Namma Ooru with baseless allegations. Such irresponsible statements impact people's lives and besmirch our city's reputation." Gowda said, "To curry favour with your Boss, don't unleash divisive agendas that disrupt our harmony." Tejasvi Surya, the new chief of the BJP's youth wing, had said that Bengaluru has become the "epicentre of terror activities". While his tweet on the matter has drawn attacks on social media, with many pointing out that Karnataka is ruled by the BJP, the opposition Congress has said the BJP should sack the new youth wing leader. Quaker Chemical Corporation (NYSE:KWR) shareholders might be concerned after seeing the share price drop 12% in the last month. But that doesn't change the fact that the returns over the last five years have been very strong. We think most investors would be happy with the 116% return, over that period. We think it's more important to dwell on the long term returns than the short term returns. Of course, that doesn't necessarily mean it's cheap now. See our latest analysis for Quaker Chemical To quote Buffett, 'Ships will sail around the world but the Flat Earth Society will flourish. There will continue to be wide discrepancies between price and value in the marketplace...' One way to examine how market sentiment has changed over time is to look at the interaction between a company's share price and its earnings per share (EPS). Quaker Chemical's earnings per share are down 22% per year, despite strong share price performance over five years. The impact of extraordinary items on earnings, in the last year, partially explain the diversion. Essentially, it doesn't seem likely that investors are focused on EPS. Since the change in EPS doesn't seem to correlate with the change in share price, it's worth taking a look at other metrics. We doubt the modest 0.9% dividend yield is attracting many buyers to the stock. On the other hand, Quaker Chemical's revenue is growing nicely, at a compound rate of 11% over the last five years. It's quite possible that management are prioritizing revenue growth over EPS growth at the moment. The image below shows how earnings and revenue have tracked over time (if you click on the image you can see greater detail). This free interactive report on Quaker Chemical's balance sheet strength is a great place to start, if you want to investigate the stock further. What About Dividends? When looking at investment returns, it is important to consider the difference between total shareholder return (TSR) and share price return. The TSR incorporates the value of any spin-offs or discounted capital raisings, along with any dividends, based on the assumption that the dividends are reinvested. Arguably, the TSR gives a more comprehensive picture of the return generated by a stock. In the case of Quaker Chemical, it has a TSR of 128% 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 Quaker Chemical shareholders are up 9.7% for the year (even including dividends). Unfortunately this falls short of the market return. On the bright side, the longer term returns (running at about 18% a year, over half a decade) look better. Maybe the share price is just taking a breather while the business executes on its growth strategy. I find it very interesting to look at share price over the long term as a proxy for business performance. But to truly gain insight, we need to consider other information, too. Case in point: We've spotted 2 warning signs for Quaker Chemical you should be aware of, and 1 of them is potentially serious. We will like Quaker Chemical better if we see some big insider buys. While we wait, check out this free list of growing companies with considerable, recent, insider buying. Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on US exchanges. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. 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. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com. Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has again insisted his government's strategy is to suppress, rather than eliminate, COVID-19 after former health minister Jenny Mikakos declared the state was on track to "eradicate" the virus. Ms Mikakos resigned from her cabinet position and State Parliament on the weekend and on Monday, she made a plea for privacy and revealed her home address had been published online. "Dear media, I won't be doing interviews at my home. Please respect my privacy and safety. When I want to speak to you I'll call you," she wrote on Twitter. "As for the people who have distributed my home address widely I have no words". Armenian separatists in the breakaway region of Nagorny Karabakh said Monday 15 more of its fighters have been killed in a flare-up of a territorial dispute, bringing the total death toll to 39 as the fighting entered a second day. World leaders have urged a halt to the fighting between Azerbaijan and the Armenian rebels after clashes erupted Sunday raising the spectre of an all-out conflict that could draw in regional powers Russia and Turkey. Ex-Soviet Armenia and Azerbaijan have been locked since the early 1990s in a territorial dispute over the Armenia-backed secessionist enclave, with deadly fighting flaring up earlier this year and in 2016. The defence ministry in Karabakh announced a total military death toll of 32 Monday. Seven civilian fatalities were reported earlier including an Azerbaijani family of five and one woman and a child on the Armenian side. The Armenian defence ministry said heavy fighting continued overnight and Monday morning along the frontline and claimed it had won back positions taken Sunday by Azerbaijani forces. But Baku claimed further advances. Azerbaijani forces "are striking enemy positions using rocket-artillery and aviation... and have taken several strategic positions around the village of Talysh," the defence ministry said. "The enemy is retreating," it added. - Martial law - Armenian military officials said Azerbaijani forces were continuing to attack rebel positions using heavy artillery, while Azerbaijan's defence ministry accused separatist forces of shelling civilian targets in the town of Terter. Baku claimed to have killed 550 separatist troops, a report denied by Armenia. The clashes erupted Sunday morning with both sides accusing each other of initiating hostilities. Fighting between Muslim Azerbaijan and majority-Christian Armenia threatened to embroil regional players Russia, which is in a military alliance with Yerevan, and Turkey, which backs Baku. Armenia accused Turkey of meddling in the conflict and sending mercenaries to the battlefield. France, Germany, Italy, the United States, the European Union and Russia have urged a ceasefire. Armenia and Karabakh declared martial law and military mobilisation Sunday, while Azerbaijan imposed military rule and a curfew in large cities. Ethnic Armenian separatists seized the Nagorny Karabakh region from Baku in a 1990s war that claimed 30,000 lives. Talks to resolve one of the worst conflicts to emerge from the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union have been largely stalled since a 1994 ceasefire agreement. France, Russia and the United States have mediated peace efforts as the "Minsk Group" but the last big push for a peace deal collapsed in 2010. Search Keywords: Short link: Ahead of the curve: Shane Garrett with his wife Danika and their eldest son, Hugo the Cork man says people are very vigilant and tuned in to the figures On January 3 of this year, Cork man Shane Garrett, his Australian wife Danika and son Hugo were halfway through the 20-hour drive back to their home in Canberra. They were heading to Australia's capital from Queensland when they broke the mammoth journey in the town of Dubbo to buy face masks. Bush fires had been raging in parts of the outback since before Christmas and according to Air Visual, an app that millions throughout Australia were using to monitor air quality, Canberra was particularly bad. Hence, the pause in the journey. "Literally from day one it's been a bad year," said Mr Garrett (39), an economist who works in the construction industry. "The forest fires had reduced the air quality in Canberra to the worst of any capital city across the world. That's what we were told at the time, and that's what January in Canberra was like." In a way the Garretts were ahead of the curve when it came to buying face masks, because by the end of January Australia had recorded its first confirmed case of Covid-19 in Victoria. Just under two months later, Australia closed its borders, and introduced social-distancing rules. Read More "From late February into March, Australia had a more severe situation with Covid," Mr Garrett said. "That's when the toilet roll shortages and panic buying of pasta and flour in particular started up." Mr Garrett started working from home on April 1, which continued into May. "We started going back to work from June, but I still work from home two days a week," he said. "As we got into June the number of cases in Australia was very small, especially in comparison with Ireland and other parts of the world, and there was kind of a sense that Australia dodged a bullet. "But, then, in July there was the Melbourne situation," he said - referring to a second wave of the virus that led to a state of emergency and curfews in Victoria, home to nearly seven million people. As of the end of September, Australia had reported more than 27,000 cases and nearly 900 Covid-19 related deaths. In Canberra, where Mr Garrett has lived for the past eight years, they haven't recorded a positive case "for ages". "It's not really close to any other (big) cities, and because there's so little travelling going on in the country at the moment Canberra has managed to keep Covid-19 at bay." On the whole, "people are very vigilant and tuned in to the figures that are updated every day". While Mr Garrett hasn't travelled for work purposes in over six months, "you discover that doing stuff by Zoom is a lot more efficient, and cheap. "I think that the penny will drop for many people that you don't actually have to travel as much as you did in the past." Mr Garrett's parents were meant to travel out from their home in Douglas this Christmas, but that trip is off. During the height of the pandemic in Ireland, Mr Garrett was checking in on his parents, and the unfolding situation in Ireland, on Facetime almost every other day. His parents have not yet seen their newest grandson, Ronan James Garrett who was born in Canberra on August 21. In recent weeks they have been helped greatly by Mr Garrett's mother-in-law who came down from her home in Queensland. "He's a fine cut of a fellow," Mr Garrett said, bringing the conversation back to the man of the moment, his newborn son. "He's a great sleeper and a splendid drinker, and he's sleeping well. And the more he sleeps, the more I sleep." Former Vice President and presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party during the 2019 general elections, Atiku Abubakar, has returned back to the country from his Dubai home after his nine-month stay outside the country. Atiku arrived in Nigeria on Saturday night through the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport after being away from the country since February this year. He was received upon his return by close aides, few family members and political associates in adherence to Covid-19 protocols. Atikus return could be connected to the upcoming wedding of his son, Aliyu Abubakar, who holds the title of Turaki Adamawa, a position the former Vice President previously occupied before his being crowed as Wazirin Adamawa, the second highest title in the Fombina Emirate. Follow Us on Facebook @LadunLiadi; Instagram @LadunLiadi; Twitter @LadunLiadi; Youtube @LadunLiadiTV for updates By their very nature, comparisons, metaphors, and analogies are imperfect because very little is an exact duplicate of the other. But when used correctly, they are useful in establishing a known universe and then expanding it. Used incorrectly, they are, at best, confusing at worst, dangerous. A prime example of the latter is what the Democrats have been saying since November 8, 2016. "Trump is Hitler," they screeched, continuing ever louder during the ensuing four years of the successful Trump presidency, foaming at the mouth (see, an accurate analogy) as Trump's actions succeeded: decreased unemployment decreased and peace treaties signed where previous Democrat efforts failed. With just a few weeks before the election, the Democratic hysteria of equating Trump to Hitler is increasing, spreading, and growing even wilder. For example, former MSNBC host and advertising executive Donny Deutsch, who is Jewish, recently babbled outrageously on MSNBC's Morning Joe: "If you are a Jew in this country and you are supporting Donald Trump, you are not looking back at our history," he said. "And you are blind and you are walking like a lemming off a cliff. It is time to wake up. I'm sorry. This is where we are." "There is no difference from what Donald Trump is preaching, from what Adolf Hitler preached in the early '30s. Let's just say it once and for all," he added. Joe Biden is not immune from these distorted and ultimately hateful comparisons. As he explained to MSNBC (again!) host Stephanie Ruhle: "I'm not sure anybody hasn't already made up their mind they're for Trump. But who knows[?] He's sort of like Goebbels. You say the lie long enough, keep repeating it, repeating it, repeating it, it becomes common knowledge" ... Goebbels is notorious for being one of Adolf Hitler's closest associates and was a staunch advocate for exterminating Jewish people during the Holocaust. He was Nazi Germany's propaganda minister and was known for his public speaking skills. And more. And more. And more, ad nauseam. Agree or disagree with Trump, he is not a monster. He does not advocate the mass destruction of any one group. He is for liberating, not conquering territories and people. Blandly uttering these distorted comparisons trivializes the true horror, the true total evil of Hitler and the Nazis, whose perverted ideas caused millions upon millions of deaths of innocents, reduces the horror suffered by the victims to mere inconveniences easily overcome or forgotten while transforming the Nazis themselves into mere nasty criminals who may have caused some collateral damage. Hitler was not a mere criminal; Hitler was the embodiment of total evil. Upon hearing Biden's statement, Matt Brooks, executive director of the Republican Jewish Coalition, issued a mild objection that should be applicable to all who make the odious comparisons. The rule in debate is that if your only argument is to call your opponent a Nazi, you have no argument at all. Instead of engaging in a debate on policy, Joe Biden has descended to name-calling and Holocaust references. There is no place in political discourse for Holocaust imagery or comparing candidates to Nazis. It's offensive and it demeans the memory of the Holocaust, the suffering of the victims, and the lessons we must learn from that terribly dark chapter of history. Joe Biden has been in politics long enough to know this. To diminish the horrors of Goebbels and the Nazis by trying to attack the President with that comparison is, as we say, a shanda. We call on Joe Biden to retract and apologize for that egregious comment. Brooks is correct making the comparison indicates there is no argument, that the speaker is hollow. However, doing so is more than a shanda, Yiddish for disgraceful, shameful. With slight apologies to Brooks Biden, Deutsch, and others who make similar comparisons with Nazis are more than disgraceful. They are perpetuating evil, allowing the perverted monsters to continue. And let the memories of the Nazi victims be for blessings and their souls bound up in eternal life. Image: Gage Skidmore. Two Sabah schools ban plastic bags in bid to go 'plastic-free' Two Sabah schools have banned disposable plastic bag use on school grounds, including in the canteens, as a first step to stop reliance on all single-use disposable plastic. SMK Tawau signed the pledge on Sept 21, 2020, joining SMK Umas Umas in the Borneo Tanpa Plastik (Borneo Without Plastic) campaign by environmental groups, which started in 2019. SMK Tawau teacher Jasni Sinee said the school had before this already banned plastic straws among staff and in the canteen. We want to eliminate as much (disposable) plastic usage as possible and not just plastic bags, he said. Even though the overall difference is not drastic, we spot many teachers and staff who are starting to use reusable bags. There is also initiative among the teachers to start replacing their plastic straws with reusable straws made from bamboo and recycled paper which are much more eco-friendly. Jasni hopes the campaign can encourage staff and students to use more eco-friendly products. I hope that there are more agencies that will work with schools to increase awareness of saving the environment and that Sabah will become a state that is plastic-free, he added. Half a million plastic bags used Campaign co-founder Shavez Cheema said there are more than 21,000 signatures in its petition to push for a plastic-free Borneo, and the movement is looking to get more schools and businesses to come on board. Campaign organisers also support the schools by providing posters to raise awareness on the issue, said campaign co-founder Yulinda Wahyuni. It is early exposure for the school children to contribute to helping the environment. In the future they can educate people around them about things they have learnt from schools, she said. She said school canteens are among the highest users of single-use disposable plastic, with an estimated half a million plastic bags used in the two schools each year. Shavez said an estimated 324,000 disposable plastic bags are used in a year by the 1,800 students in SMK Tawau. Story continues That is a lot of plastic usage coming from one school, he said. According to Malaysias Zero Plastic Roadmap 2018-2030, businesses nationwide must impose a minimum charge of 20 sen per plastic bag by 2021. Next step - no more single-use plastic bottles SMK Tawau is the second school to pledge to go plastic-free, following in the footsteps of SMK Umas Umas. SMK Umas Umas teacher Kamisah Kula hopes the campaign can help reduce the use of non-degradable products which are harmful to the environment. Although we are not 100 percent plastic-free in school, every school staff member, students and parents are making an effort to replace plastic bags with a reusable bag. This campaign raises awareness of each individuals role in protecting the environment, she said. Yulinda admitted that it is difficult to get students to accept the plastic ban in school, but she believes it is just a matter of re-education. Once the public implements the banning of plastic, it will make a huge difference to pollution problems. At the end of the day, the winner will be the environment, she added. The group hopes more schools and businesses will go plastic bag-free by the middle of next year and that some schools will level up to ban single-use plastic bottles by the end of 2021. Shavez said the group is working on obtaining sponsors to install drinking water dispensers in schools. We will be making a difference of (reducing) about two million plastic bags and bottles from just four schools, he said. Connecticuts roads and railroad lines are used every year by its approximately 3.6 million residents and millions more out-of-state workers and travelers. To keep up with the wear and tear, the state Department of Transportation is constantly working on maintenance and improvement projects. The most important of those initiatives are outlined every four years in the Statewide Transportation Improvement Program. The DOT is receiving public comments on the draft version of the latest STIP, to cover the years 2021-2024. The 223 projects listed in the new STIP would cumulatively be funded with approximately $3.9 billion, roughly $3.2 billion in federal money, about $684 million from the state and some $17 million from municipalities. About 60 percent of the funds would be used for highway and bridge projects, while the other 40 percent would go toward rail, bus and ride-share programs. Connecticuts eight Metropolitan Planning Organizations and two Rural Councils of Governments contribute to the STIPs development. The list of projects is wide and encompassing, said state Sen. Carlo Leone, D-Stamford, co-chairman of the state Legislatures Transportation Committee. Some the marquee initiatives planned across the state in the next four years, with DOT construction cost estimates, include the following: Interstate 95 About $345 million for renovations of the Gold Star Memorial Bridge, which carries the highway over the Thames River, between New London and Groton. Work would involve structural steel repairs and upgrades, as well as replacement of the deck for the older, northbound structure. Work has already been completed on the southbound structure. $180 million for work in Greenwich and Stamford that would include pavement improvements and bridge renovations. On the southbound side of Exit 3 in Greenwich, there would be a minor widening of the roadway to increase the length of the existing deceleration lane to improve safety and alleviate congestion. $142 million for improvements at exit 74 in East Lyme. The project would include replacing the highways bridge over Route 161, to address its poor condition and accommodate a widening on Route 161. $70 million for upgrades in Norwalk and Westport. About two miles of the highway in those towns would be rebuilt between the Norwalk River and Saugatuck River. The existing bridge over Route 33 at exit 17 would be replaced using accelerated construction and minor work would be carried out on the Westport bridges over Franklin Street and over the Saugatuck River to maintain a state of good repair for those structures. Merritt Parkway Upgrades on Route 15 in Norwalk and New Canaan would total about $53 million and include bridge improvements and resurfacing. Metro-North Railroad Replacement of the four-track Walk Bridge in Norwalk arguably represents the most ambitious rail project supported by the STIP. Scheduled to start in mid-2021 and take about four to five years to complete, the undertaking has an estimated total cost of $511 million. Built in 1896, the 564-foot-long swing bridge is one of the oldest movable bridges in the region. The Walk Bridge has outlived its intended lifespan and experienced repeated operational failures in recent years, reads an excerpt on the DOT website. It is vulnerable to damage from storm surges and high winds and requires replacement. The STIP also makes eight-figure allocations for improvements to several other rail bridges in Norwalk, including $60 million for the East Avenue bridge, $50 million for the Fort Point Street bridge and $15 million for the Osborne Avenue bridge. Other projects include New Haven line signal-system replacements, whose allotments would total more than $140 million. In addition, there is an annual program to renovate stations on the New Haven line. Other projects Other major projects planned in the next four years would include $65 million for the removal of traffic signals on Route 9 in Middletown, about $38 million for improvements for Route 85 from Montville to Salem and about $40 million for Route 82 work in Norwich, as well as statewide bus replacements. Next steps Inclusion in Statewide Transportation Improvement Program is necessary for a project to qualify for federal transportation funding. State and local government agencies then need to provide the necessary funding matches to allow projects to move forward. The DOT submits a capital budget request to the state Office of Policy and Management for each two-year cycle, and the General Assembly acts every two years to authorize bonding for DOTs capital program. The State Bond Commission must also approve DOT requests for funding. Public comment on the STIP will remain open until Oct. 9. Its a standard practice to create the list and give the public the chance to weigh in on it for a variety of reasons and to compile it and present it to the (DOT) agency and us, as the legislature, to then decide on how to fund or approve it, Leone said. Comments can be emailed to: DOT.Draft2021STIPComment@ct.gov. They can also be mailed to: Maribeth Wojenski; Transportation Assistant Planning Director, Bureau of Policy and Planning; Connecticut Department of Transportation; P.O. Box 317546; Newington, CT 06111 More information on the STIP is available at: https://portal.ct.gov/DOT/PP_Bureau/ConnDOT-Plans/State-Transportation-Improvement-Program pschott@stamfordadvocate.com; twitter: @paulschott The District Legal Services Authority (DLSA), Chandigarh, on Monday gave 4-lakh compensation as medical aid to the 15-year-old girl who was sexually exploited for months and was found eight-month pregnant on September 23. In her statement to police, the Class-9 student had said that her brother, the sole earning member of the family, raped her for the first time in December 2019 under the influence of drugs. He continued to sexually abuse her for several months, but her mother remained oblivious to her plight as she was visually impaired. Apart from the brother, who was arrested on September 23, police have also nabbed his friend, aged 25, and a former tenant, aged 51. She is under the care of the 181 helpline and social welfare department, and is being counselled. The FIR had been registered on the complaint of her elder sister, who got married in January this year. city reported 779 new cases of in the last 24 hours, taking its COVID-19 count to 1,42,915 on Monday, a health official said. He said the death toll rose to 3,406 with 33 more patients succumbing to the infection in the western Maharashtra city. Also, 1,105 patients were discharged from hospitals in the city following recovery from the infection, the official added. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A horrific parasitic disease once confined to developing countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America has surfaced in a Melbourne woman who has never been overseas. The 25-year-old was found to have cysts on her brain after suffering migraines with 'visual aura' and blurred vision for six straight days. She was diagnosed with neurocysticercosis, a serious disease that causes symptoms including seizures, headaches, blindness, meningitis and dementia - and had to have brain surgery to remove a lesion. Stock image of an MRI scan of the brain of a person with neurocysticercosis. The parasitic cysts can clearly be seen The disease is spread by ingesting pork tapeworm eggs found in human feces when someone doesn't wash their hands properly after the toilet and prepares food. Humans get the pork tapeworm itself by eating undercooked pork from pigs that ate infected human feces The medical community is mystified as to how she got the disease, which is usually confined to countries with poor sanitation and free-ranging pigs that have access to eating vegetation contaminated by human faeces. The woman lived with her parents and siblings in an outer suburb of Melbourne and worked as a barista. A case report on the Melbourne woman has been published by the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene to put physicians on high alert for the possibility of infections in places like Australia where they least expect them. Cysticercosis has previously been found in Australia only in immigrants or travellers recently returned from endemic areas. 'This is the first recorded autochthonous (homegrown) case of NCC (neurocysticercosis) in Australia,' the report says. The horror disease is common in undeveloped countries with poor sanitation and hygiene across Africa, Asia and Latin America - but in a shock to lovers of bacon and ham, Australia's first home-grown case of mystery origin has just been found The disease is caused by a parasitic tapeworm found only in pigs and humans called taenia solium. The life-cycle of the parasite depends on humans passing the eggs in their faeces, which are then ingested by the pig. The pig develops parasitic cysts called cysticerci that lodge in its muscles. When humans eat undercooked pork from the pig, they ingest the cysticerci which result in adult tapeworms attaching to their intestines - and they can stay there for many years. This does not cause the disease however. The disease is caused when people excrete the tapeworm eggs in their faeces, and get some on their hands and don't wash them properly. Then they either put their hands in their mouths, infecting themselves, or prepare food for others, spreading the eggs. Cysticercosis is caused when humans ingest the eggs of the tapeworm. The eggs hatch into tiny larvae that travel around the body in the blood and can lodge themselves in the heart, the central nervous system and the brain where they cause cysticerci. Neurocysticercosis is when cysticerci grow in the brain. 'These larval cysts ... are a major cause of adult onset seizures in most low-income countries,' the US CDC says on its website. The case has sparked warnings that increasing international travel is spreading diseases such as neurocysticercosis to Australia. According to the Melbourne woman's case report, she had suffered from regular migraines for seven years - since she was 18 years old. A stock photo of the head of a pork tapeworm. It latches on to the intestine where it lives for many years, laying eggs that are excreted in human feces When humans ingest the eggs of the pork tapeworm, they spread through the circulation to muscles including the heart. Pictured: a heart of a person covered in cysticerci containing pork tapeworm larvae She would get a visual aura and migraine two or three times per month, which doctors dismissed with pain medication such as paracetamol or metoclopramide for migraines. At age 25 when her headache lasted six days straight, however, doctors sent the woman for a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan which found a lesion. When they operated on her and removed the lesion they found pork tapeworm larvae in a cysticerci. After DNA testing, they determined the Melbourne woman's infection was linked to a strain common in Asia. While less than 10 per cent of residents in the woman's suburb were born in Asia and less than 6 per cent in India, her work as a barista put her in contact with a wide range of people who were from or travelled to endemic areas. 'It is not surprising that with the high frequency and ease of travel between endemic and non-endemic regions, sporadic infection can occur in people, who would otherwise be considered at no or very low risk of infection,' the case report said. (Alliance News) - Pizza Hut's landlords have agreed to reduce rents on its restaurants after voting through an insolvency process known as a Company Voluntary Arrangement, the company confirmed. Landlords and creditors voted in favour of the CVA, which will see them take a cut on future bills to keep the company from going bust. The deal means 29 Pizza Hut restaurants will shut, with 450 jobs at risk, while a further 215 will keep trading, saving 5,000 jobs. Takeaways are not affected. If a vote had not passed, the chain could have collapsed without extra funding a a CVA can only be granted by the courts if a company can show it will face administration without the support. A Pizza Hut Restaurants spokesperson said: "The Company Voluntary Arrangement for Pizza Hut Restaurants, PHR a the UK dine-in franchise business of the global Pizza Hut brand, is now approved. "We are delighted to have reached such a constructive position in partnership with our landlords and creditors. "We appreciate the support of everyone involved and this outcome provides us with a strong platform to secure the long-term future of the business including over 5000 jobs and over 200 restaurants. "Our focus is now 'business as usual' supporting all of our team members and continuing to provide a Covid-safe restaurant experience for our guests." Pizza Hut is the latest restaurant chain to attempt to push through site closures, with Pizza Express, Wahaca, Wasabi, Byron and Yo! Sushi all using the CVA process. Retailers have also relied on the form of insolvency, including New Look, which has signed rental agreements based on sales, rather than a fixed amount. Earlier this month, Pizza Hut said it put forward the CVA proposals as "sales are not expected to fully bounce back until well into 2021" despite a quick and safe reopening of sites. Retail and hospitality landlords have come under immense pressure in recent months, following a raft of high profile CVAs, while some chains have also held off quarterly rent payments. However, landlords and creditors have continued to vote favourably on CVAs, preferring to secure agreements based on lower rents than risk pushing retailers or restaurant chains towards more severe insolvency processes by rejecting proposals. Rival Pizza Express confirmed this month that it will shut 73 restaurants with 1,100 job losses after its own CVA deal was approved by creditors. By Simon Neville, PA City Editor and Henry-Saker Clark, PA City Reporter source: PA Copyright 2020 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved. The law aimed at slowing Covid-19s resurgence has been criticised by businesses and raised concerns it may do more harm than good by forcing crowds into the streets at the same time. And it has now emerged that the bars and restaurants frequented by MPs and Lords in the Palace of Westminster are exempt from the regulations. We in Parliament shouldn't be sitting round late at night drinking. We have got a job to do when we are there They will be able to remain open after the curfew because they fall under the description of a workplace canteen, the PA news agency understands. The regulations announced by the Prime Minister last week include exemptions for cafes at hospitals, care homes and schools, as well as those providing food to the homeless. It also says that workplace canteens may remain open where there is no practical alternative for staff at that workplace to obtain food. Advertisement In the centre of London there are relatively few shops surrounding Parliament, particularly late at night, and politicians and staff tend to eat on site. Health Minister Helen Whately said she had been unaware that the curfew did not apply to Parliament and seemed unimpressed. This surely will not last the day, and rightly so We in Parliament shouldnt be sitting round late at night drinking. We have got a job to do when we are there, she told BBC Radio 4s Today programme. Senior Conservative backbencher Steve Baker was also critical, and suggested it would be changed. This surely will not last the day, and rightly so, he said. The curfew that came into force on Thursday has proved controversial, with businesses warning their profitability will be jeopardised and police struggling to disperse large crowds forming after the deadline on Saturday night. Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham has also warned it may be doing more harm than good, with people piling on to public transport and queuing outside shops to buy more alcohol. The House of Commons said it would be responding for a request to comment later on Monday. The curfew has been lifted in Louisville, where many people have been charged with refusing to stop their nighttime protests after a grand jurys decision not to charge officers in the fatal shooting of Breonna Taylor. Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer said he allowed the curfew to expire as of 6:30 am Monday. The curfew served its purpose of helping ensure that most people were home safe by 9 pm, because our past experience had shown that most violence and destruction occurs after dark, the mayors statement said. We sadly saw some violence, including the shooting of two police officers, one of whom remains hospitalized, dealing with complications of his injuries. But we believe the curfew helped, by ensuring fewer people were out late in the day. Fischer said barriers and traffic restrictions set up downtown last week will remain but will be assessed daily. Meanwhile, Kentucky state Rep. Lisa Willner, a Louisville Democrat, said Monday that shes starting to craft legislation that would narrow the scope of the states rioting statute. Her proposal, which she intends to offer in next years legislative session, would protect people from being charged with first-degree rioting if theyre present but dont engage in destructive or violent actions. Her response comes after Democratic state Rep. Attica Scott was charged with the felony last week while participating in Louisville protests for racial justice. This is not any attempt at all to weaken the current law, Willner said in a phone interview. Its just to make sure that people who are peacefully protesting, who are merely exercising their First Amendment rights, are clearly not engaging in rioting. Scott was among demonstrators who converged in downtown Louisville to express their disagreement with the grand jury decision. Many marched along Louisvilles streets chanting Breonna Taylor, say her name, and no justice, no peace. Taylor was shot multiple times March 13 after her boyfriend opened fire as officers entered her home during a narcotics raid, authorities said. Taylors boyfriend said he didnt know who was coming in and fired in self-defense. One officer was wounded. The grand jury indicted one officer, who was already fired, on wanton endangerment charges, saying he shot repeatedly and blindly fired shots that could have hit Taylors neighbours. Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron said the other officers were not charged with Taylors killing because they acted to protect themselves. Scott, the states only Black woman representative, was arrested and charged Thursday night with the felony of first-degree rioting as well as unlawful assembly and failure to disperse, which are misdemeanor offenses. Police said Scott was in a group whose members damaged buildings and set fire to a library. Scott called the charges ludicrous and said she would never be involved in setting fire to a library. She said she was arrested as she walked with her daughter to the sanctuary of a church. Kentucky law defines a riot as a public disturbance involving five or more people which by tumultuous and violent conduct creates grave danger of damage or injury to property or persons or substantially obstructs law enforcement or other government function. The law defines first-degree rioting as knowingly participating in a riot that causes injury to a person who is not rioting or causes substantial property damage. Scott said she and her daughter were driving from a protest to a church that offered refuge to people who would otherwise be caught violating the curfew when police blocked their route, so they parked and walked to the church instead. Officers then converged on them to make arrests before the curfew took effect, Scott said. LMPD swarmed us, Scott said. They started yelling, Circle em, circle em. They wouldnt let us leave to go back to our vehicle. And they wouldnt let us literally cross the street to get to the church and sanctuary. Willner said Scotts arrest raises the question of how many others have been accused of rioting in the first degree which is a felony who are facing loss of voting rights, simply by being present. We can make the language much clearer so that in order for a person to be convicted for riot in the first degree, it should be clear that they participated in the unlawful action by engaging in violent or destructive acts or by complicitly encouraging others to engage in violent or destructive acts, she said. Republicans have overwhelming majorities in both chambers of the Kentucky legislature. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Nithya Raman, center, who is running to unseat Councilman David Ryu, talks to access center associate Sally Nowak at Safe Space for Youth in L.A. in June. (Gabriella Angotti-Jones / Los Angeles Times) Knocking on doors. Mingling at meet-and-greets. Crowding into campaign offices with volunteers. Weeks ahead of the November election, many of the familiar rituals of stumping for votes are off the table during the COVID-19 pandemic, drastically changing what it looks like to run for office in Los Angeles. Candidates are debating over video calls, rather than in community centers or church halls. Many politicians are barely using or forgoing entirely campaign offices that would ordinarily be full of volunteers, yard signs and cold pizza. And door knocking, long revered as the gold standard for reaching out to voters, has been called off by many candidates. It's unclear how such changes will affect the upcoming contests in Los Angeles, where spots on the City Council, the county Board of Supervisors and the Los Angeles Unified school board are up for grabs. "It's a brand new world," said Eric Hacopian, a political consultant who is not working on any L.A. city or county campaigns in November. "You can't make predictions when there's no patterns to go off of." For council candidates, the pandemic only adds another layer of uncertainty to an election that is already unusual: This is the first time those races will coincide with a presidential election, a shift expected to radically increase turnout. The biggest change, for most campaigns, is the elimination of door knocking. In the race to represent an L.A. council district spanning from Sherman Oaks to Silver Lake, both Councilman David Ryu and his opponent Nithya Raman have credited door knocking for past successes Ryu for the 2015 upset that first got him onto the council as a City Hall outsider, Raman for a strong showing in the March primary that forced the councilman into an unusual runoff. Ryu campaign manager Julia Duncan said that although their volunteers miss the chance to talk face to face with voters, many people seem to be more receptive to phone calls. Story continues "People are home. Maybe they're bored. They may be more willing to pick up the phone and have a conversation with a stranger," Duncan said. Los Angeles City Councilman David Ryu, right, talks with Modesta Zapata, left, and Gabriel Reilich at the Larchmont Farmers Market on Sunday. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) Other campaign events have migrated online: Raman, the nonprofit executive running against Ryu, has held online volunteer trainings and fundraisers including a "virtual reunion" with cast members from the television show "Parks and Recreation." State Sen. Holly Mitchell, who is running for county supervisor against L.A. City Councilman Herb Wesson, said that moving her meet-and-greets online has had an unexpected upside. "If somebody is going to show up at an event for you, they probably already know you," Mitchell said, mentioning usual barriers such as finding child care and fighting traffic. "But via Zoom, if your friend says, 'Hey, I heard about this woman, do you want to meet her?' you might be more inclined to learn about the campaign." Moving that politicking online, however, can come at the cost of some of the usual campaign fanfare and camaraderie. Michael Trujillo, a political consultant advising L.A. school board candidates Marilyn Koziatek and Tanya Franklin, said both campaigns plan to try to recapture that excitement through car caravans with signs and honking. "Everyone's been stuck at home, so you try to be creative and get them out of the house in a way that's fun and safe," he said, describing the caravans as an "old school" tactic with renewed relevance amid the pandemic. Big thank you to everyone who joined us for Saturday's virtual zoom kick off rally and phone bank! #MRTforCD10 Watch the highlights: https://t.co/bnVCsFQu2l Mark Ridley-Thomas (@MRTempower) September 18, 2020 Campaigns are also setting up "text parties" on Zoom for volunteers who are texting voters, allowing them to easily consult campaign leaders and share information when voters have unexpected questions, Trujillo said. And County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas, who is running for a Crenshaw-to-Koreatown council seat, took his September kickoff rally to Zoom a virtual event emceed by a KJLH radio host that included remarks from Rep. Karen Bass. "It still felt, at least for me, that it captured the essence of a kickoff of being part of something," said Fernando Ramirez, campaign manager for Ridley-Thomas. Meanwhile, Ridley-Thomas' opponent, attorney Grace Yoo, is taking an unusual step for candidates in the COVID-19 era: continuing to knock on doors to reach voters. Yoo said she wears a mask and keeps her distance when residents step out to talk. So far, she said, the reaction has been overwhelmingly positive. "Maybe there were some people at home that just didn't open the door but I think some were really happy to see me, because they haven't had too many human interactions," Yoo said. Human rights activist Melvin Snell, who was a District 10 candidate in the primary, stopped by recently to pick up Yoo campaign materials to distribute on my behalf. So glad to have his endorsement and boots-on-the-ground support. Thank you, Melvin! #Campaign2020 pic.twitter.com/HjToGFNrg5 Grace Yoo (@GraceYooCD10) September 18, 2020 Some candidates have emphasized their handling of the crisis as they seek office: Wesson campaign advisor John Shallman said the L.A. councilman, who is seeking to become a county supervisor, scaled back more traditional campaigning and "turned what would have been his campaign into a community service program," handing out food, diapers and masks. And if some of those masks bear his name? "Campaigns can give swag to people we're doing things people can actually use," Shallman said. "He's decided to spend his time in the community, working to get folks what they need to survive." Hacopian said that questions of campaign tactics will probably be "marginal issues" compared with a bigger change tied to the pandemic: more people voting by mail. That will probably speed up the timetable for candidates to get out their messages to Angelenos who are mailing in ballots, especially as voters are urged to act early because of postal delays, he said. People "may vote quite early, before you've even had a chance to reach them," said Mark A. Peterson, professor of public policy, political science and law at UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs. Peterson added that it's unclear how the ongoing pressures of the pandemic will shape decisions about local candidates, including whether voters will take incumbent politicians to task for L.A.s handling of the COVID-19 threat. On the flip side, Raman campaign co-manager Meghan Choi said she feared that the loss of face-to-face talks could hurt challengers. "If you're a grass-roots campaign and one of your strongest assets is engaging voters and turning out new people, it can be a little harder," Choi said. "Nothing beats a face-to-face conversation." This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. UNs responsibility is to assist democratically elected governments President tells UNGA Global community must stand in solidarity with Sri Lanka to counter terrorism As a nation that witnessed the bitterness of war, SL is committed to promote peace across the world Vigilant on transnational drug trafficking Once developed, universal access to COVID 19 vaccine is vital Democratically elected governments of nations understand the pulse and needs of their people the best. It is the responsibility of the UN to assist and support processes of such elected Governments to bring about sustainable solutions for needs of their people President Gotabaya Rajapaksa said in pre-recorded address to the General Debate of the 75th General Assembly on the United Nations today (23). Sri Lanka is committed to follow a neutral foreign policy with no affiliations to any particular country or power bloc, President reiterated. The annual session of the General Assembly commenced at the UN Headquarters in New York at 9.00 pm in Sri Lanka Time yesterday (22) using video conferencing technology. This years General Session will be held under the theme of The Future We Want, the UN We Need: Reaffirming Our Collective Commitment to Multilateralism. President Rajapaksa joined the Session around 4.45am local time. Emphasizing that Sri Lanka remains deeply committed to addressing drug-related socio-economic issues President pointed out the need to enhance efforts to strengthen the prevention of drug abuse among children and youth, and ensure that educational settings are free of any harmful and addictive drugs. Sri Lanka is extremely concerned about the increasing sophistication of the transnational criminal groups engaged in illicit manufacture and trafficking of drugs. In order to address this, a Presidential Task Force was appointed to eradicate the drug menace, and to create a safer and a more secure country. Since its establishment, it has produced commendable results. Sri Lanka, having experienced separatism and terrorism for nearly three decades, condemns all terrorist acts in the strongest possible terms, be it domestic or international. In spite of its elimination from the Sri Lankan soil, the international network of this terrorist outfit remains, pushing its ruthless ideology and influencing certain Capitals to spread its baseless lies and propaganda, President pointed out. We are hopeful that no State will tolerate activities of this international network which continues to espouse and propagate violent ideology under different guises and manifestations. The WHO now must seek to facilitate universal access to a COVID-19 vaccine, once developed, which should be designated as a basic public good and be affordable and obtainable by all, the Sri Lankan leader said. View PDF Category Select Category Apparel/Garments Textiles Fashion Technical Textiles Information Technology E-commerce Retail Corporate Association Press Release SubCategory Select Sub-Category Rescuers race against time to pump water from a flooded coal mine where 22 miners were trapped underground on April 7, 2014 in Qujing, Yunnan Province of China. (Photo by Getty Images) China Coal Mine Accident Kills 16 SHANGHAISixteen people were killed in a southwest China coal mine accident on Sunday, the official Xinhua news agency said, the latest accident in a country with a poor history of industrial safety. Chinas mines are among the deadliest in the world. Scores of Chinese miners die each year, largely in gas explosions, underground floods and collapses due to structural defects. There were excessive levels of carbon monoxide in the mine, which trapped 17 miners in the city of Chongqing, local authorities said, according to Xinhua. The survivor is in hospital. The accident occurred at the Songzao coal mine, which belongs to a local energy company, early on Sunday morning, according to the district government. The burning of belts in the mine caused carbon monoxide to exceed safety limits, Xinhua said. A rescue team of 75 entered the mine, and 30 medical workers have arrived at the scene, it added. By Engen Tham and Luoyan Liu DRIVER'S LICENSE COMPARISONS GROWING USE OF FACIAL RECOGNITION OPTING OUT OF NEW TECH (TNS) When Aurora police wanted to know the identity of two armed men protesting outside a police station, they sent a screenshot from a video to the Colorado Department of Motor Vehicles and asked investigators there to run the image through facial recognition software.Investigators with the DMV were able to match one of the men against the agencys database of drivers license photos and detectives identified him. The other man couldnt be identified.The case in Aurora is one of hundreds of times Colorado law enforcement in the past few years have accessed facial recognition software through the DMV or by using a program more than 80 Colorado agencies paid for that has become increasingly common across the state.Few of the agencies that adopted the software made public announcements about what investigators say is a key instrument in fighting crime. Facial recognition is an incredible tool that helps us identify a lot of serious suspects out there, Lakewood police Cmdr. John Pickard said.But civil rights leaders and tech experts say there are serious concerns about the use of such technology, especially when the public doesnt know its being used. Research has shown some facial recognition programs are prone to error when images of people with darker skin are submitted. Critics worry that without proper oversight and strict regulation, such programs could result in an invasion of privacy or, worse, the arrest of an innocent person.Colorado has no laws regarding facial recognition software, though law enforcement officials say they are willing to work with policy makers on guardrails to the programs.As always, our technology has outstripped our laws and our morals, said Steve Beaty, a computer science professor at Metropolitan State University of Denver.Aurora police investigators asked the DMV to use its facial recognition software on the men at the protest because officers inside the surrounded station feared they could be shot if they tried to leave, according to the arrest affidavit for one of the protest organizers arrested Sept. 17. Police believe the men were acting as security to the crowd of several hundred.Those two people who were armed caused a lot of fear and concern and we have to give a good effort to identify who that person is, Aurora police spokeswoman Faith Goodrich said.But even with the successful identification, neither of the men were arrested in connection with the July 3 protest in Aurora, Goodrich said.Aurora polices query to the DMV about the armed men is one of dozens such requests the department receives every year from law enforcement. The DMV added facial recognition software to its programs in 2011, department spokeswoman Julie Brooks said.Data from the Department of Motor Vehicles shows that since July 2016, local and state law enforcement agencies in Colorado have made 227 requests that the department use its facial recognition to help in an investigation. Federal agencies made 94 requests in that time, as did two out-of-state agencies. The data does not say which local and state agencies filed those requests and a DMV spokeswoman said the agency does not track that information.Since July 2016, the DMV has denied 22 of 323 requests from law enforcement.The DMVs policy states that it will only complete facial recognition comparisons for outside law enforcement for alleged felonies as well as identity theft and fraud cases that the departments investigative unit is also working. The policy says comparisons for other types of cases can also be approved by a supervisor on a case-by-case basis.Data from the department shows the comparisons were requested for a wide range of alleged crimes. Some of the most common reasons listed were homicide, passport fraud and sex crimes against children. Other searches were given more vague reasons, including intelligence and 55 cases listed as unknown.In three-quarters of cases, the DMV was unable to locate photos that matched images provided by outside law enforcement agencies. The departments policy specifies that only high probable matches be provided to law enforcement.The cooperation between the DMV and law enforcement is permitted under state statutes that say criminal justice agencies can access DMV records in connection to the agencies official duties and functions. There are no memorandums of understanding or agreements between agencies about the information sharing, Brooks said.Denise Maes, public policy director at the ACLU of Colorado, said she didnt know that this information sharing existed and she was surprised to learn of it.Why is there this cozy relationship between law enforcement and the DMV I dont think there ought to be, Maes said.One of the problems with such a program is that many people posing for a drivers license photo dont know that image will be used in such a program and compared to suspected criminals, Beaty said. If there is a case of mistaken identity, it could cause police to start looking into the life of a person who isnt connected to any crime.We need to ask ourselves: How surveilled do we want to be as a society? he said.But the drivers license photo database is not the only way Colorado police have used facial recognition software.Up until July, Lakewood police officers could snap a picture of a suspect on the street, enter the photo into an app on their phones and use software that would compare the submitted photo to a database of mug shots collected by a group of Colorado law enforcement agencies.It was an useful tool, Pickard, the police commander, said. It helped police officers identify people who refused to give their real identity, though officers are trained to find other evidence to confirm any identity matches suggested by the software.The one thing that we preach is that you never identify anyone with facial recognition, it is only an investigative lead, Pickard said. If you do it wrong it can lead to problems.In July, however, Lakewood police and the 84 other Colorado law enforcement agencies that had access to the software lost facial recognition capabilities when the vendor, LexisNexis, disabled that part of one of its programs, called Lumen.We made the decision to disable the image matching feature until legislation and policies outlining usage of the tool are in place, LexisNexis spokeswoman Sara Herrmann said in a statement. The image matching feature will resume once clear guidelines on the use of facial recognition for law enforcement are in place.Colorado law enforcement agencies have been using Lumen since 2016 to collect and share data on arrestees and wanted persons. The program added facial recognition capabilities in 2017.All 84 agencies participating in the Colorado Information Sharing Consortium had access to Lumen and about 80% of those agencies used it on a regular basis, said David Shipley, executive director of the consortium.The Lumen program compared a photo submitted by an investigator including those from security cameras, social media profiles, dating websites and photos taken on scene to the database of more than 8 million jail booking photos compiled by the consortium.The photos in the database are not removed if a person is acquitted or charges are dropped unless that person successfully petitions to have those records expunged or sealed, Shipley said.Thats concerning, said Beaty, the Metro State professor, because it ignores a persons right to be presumed innocent until proven guilty and also keeps people in the database even after theyve served their sentence.I think we need to ask the question, what do we mean by someone who paid their debt to society? he said.Investigators, patrol deputies and crime analysts at the Arapahoe County Sheriffs Office started accessing Lumens facial recognition in 2018, Capt. Jared Rowlison said. The agency didnt track how often deputies were using the software or how many cases the software helped solve, but Rowlison said it has been crucial in cracking many, particularly thefts.One case involved a woman whose date attempted to sexually assault her. She met the man through a dating website and didnt have much information beyond a first name and a photo after he deleted his profile. Investigators were able to run that photo through the Lumen system and narrow down possible suspects before eventually arresting the man.Testimonies about the facial recognition program posted on the Colorado Information Sharing Consortiums website state the software has been used to help solve frauds, hit-and-run cases, armed robberies and sex crimes against children.Some agencies, like the Denver Police Department, have opted not to use facial recognition. An effort to ask voters to put a ban on facial recognition in the city failed to collect enough signatures to put the question on the ballot, though other municipalities like San Francisco have enacted such restrictions.The ACLU has been adamantly opposing facial recognition on the grounds that its a threat to privacy when it does work and its a racist threat to everyone when it doesnt work, Maes said.Studies by academics as well as the federal government have shown that facial recognition software is less accurate when trying to identify women or someone with darker skin.Although the Arapahoe County Sheriffs Office has no particular policy about the use of facial recognition, Rowlison said his deputies are bound by the same rules that limit their use of other law enforcement databases. Any possible identifications suggested by facial recognition need to be confirmed through more investigation, he said.We take those concerns to heart and still use the information at our hands appropriately in pursuit of an investigation, he said.The public should be informed any time a law enforcement agency is using a new surveillance tool, especially facial recognition, Maes said. Agencies should be required to appear before city councils or other governing bodies to explain any new surveillance tool theyre using, she said.The only way to get a handle on it is to let the public know, she said.Neither Lakewood police nor the Arapahoe County Sheriffs Office made any notification to the public when they started using the technology.Weve had plenty of people ask us about it and were very open to the conversation and how weve used it, Rowlison said. Its not something weve tried to hide.Both Pickard and Rowlison said theyve explored other facial recognition software vendors while Lumen is disabled.Really, Im just biding my time until LexisNexis allows us to have access again, Rowlison said. ALBANY Since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, New York has faced dozens of lawsuits challenging the sweeping authority state officials have invoked to respond to the public health crisis - and attorneys say that trend is expected to continue. Many of the lawsuits take aim at the constitutionality of the directives and executive orders issued by Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo and his administration throughout the pandemic. While 25 of the 53 lawsuits have been resolved most ending with a ruling in the states favor the plaintiffs in some of the cases said they are moving forward with their lawsuits and expect even more legal challenges of state leaders actions. Caroline J. Berdzik, a partner at Goldberg Segalla, a Buffalo-based law firm with offices in Albany, said she anticipates courts will get bogged down from class-action and individual lawsuits over the restrictions. I think youre going to see a lot more of these lawsuits as we start to emerge from the pandemic and business owners really step back and see whats left in terms of many businesses not being able to reopen, she said. This is all going to get untangled, and unfortunately, its going to get untangled in the court system. Berdzik said the outcome of a case depends on the facts, the judge, the state where the case originates and the respective state constitution governing executive power. Taking those factors into consideration, she said, there is anticipation that more decisions will come with rulings similar to one recently issued by a federal judge in Pittsburgh on Sept. 14. U.S. District Judge William Stickman ruled that portions of Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolfs executive orders in responding to the public health crisis violated the First and 14th Amendments. Its these favorable outcomes that have given reassurance to some New Yorkers waging legal battles over the restrictions. Buffalo attorney James Ostrowski, who is a plaintiff in a lawsuit with several other Buffalo business owners and residents, said they intend to take their case all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. The western New York residents argue Cuomos ability to rule by decree is trampling on the rights and freedoms enshrined in the state and federal constitutions, and the sweeping authority equates to the most massive violation of civil liberty in American history. The U.S. system of government is based on pre-existing natural rights which the regime may never violate on pain of revolution and on popular sovereignty in which limited powers are delegated by the people to the government through constitutional means, their lawsuit, filed May 15, argues. To be blunt, a bloodless coup against the Constitution has been undertaken by the state itself. It's possible some of the cases could end up before the U.S. Supreme Court, which has been a flashpoint in the presidential election following the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg earlier this month. President Donald J. Trump on Saturday nominated Judge Amy Coney Barrett to fill the vacancy as Democrats and some Republicans have called for the president and U.S. Senate to wait and allow the winner of the presidential election to make the nomination. We lost track of all the frivolous lawsuits filed against the state during this pandemic, Cuomo's senior advisor, Richard Azzopardi, said in response to questions about the lawsuits. Wear a mask. Wash your hands. But as similar constitutional challenges make their way through courts in other states, attorneys are hopeful that the Supreme Court will weigh in. Nominate your favorite people and places now Its the 25th anniversary of our Best of the Capital Region readers survey. Nominate your favorite people, places and businesses between Jan. 21 and Feb. 4. Although those decisions are not necessarily controlling in our particular jurisdiction, we ultimately believe this is an area of the law that is going to be further interpreted by the Supreme Court, said Nick DeMarco, an attorney for several wedding venues in western New York that sued the state over the restrictions. The fact that different federal district courts have reached different conclusions in similar contexts only bolsters this need for further guidance from the Supreme Court. DeMarco said they are still deciding whether to appeal a court ruling earlier this month that denied their request for a preliminary injunction. New York has seen a variety of legal challenges since the beginning of the coronavirus restrictions - from the National Rifle Association suing over firearms stores being labeled non-essential businesses, to out-of-state attorneys challenging the constitutionality of New Yorks travel advisory requiring people from states with high coronavirus infection rates to quarantine for 14 days upon arrival here. Whether those challenging Cuomos actions will be successful will ultimately be determined by the court its tried in and the judges interpretation. But Neil Murray, a senior partner at OConnell and Aronowitz law firm in Albany, said its important for people to understand that constitutional rights are not absolute. Some advocates like to couch them in terms of being absolute rights that can never be impinged upon. We know in reality thats not actually the case, Murray said, giving the example of it being illegal to falsely shout fire in a crowd. Everyones individual freedom is limited by the impact its going to have upon somebody else. CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story improperly identified the attorney from Buffalo-based law firm Goldberg Segalla. Caroline J. Berdzik is a partner at the firm. Paris, Amsterdam, September 28, 2020 Press release Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield ("URW") announces the dates of its Extraordinary General Meeting ("EGM") to vote on the planned capital increase and of its Q3 results publication URW today announces that the EGM of the shareholders of URW SE to vote on the 3.5 Bn capital increase (as part of the 9 Bn+ RESET plan announced on September 16, 2020) will be held on November 10, 2020. The formal details of the EGM will be confirmed in a notice to shareholders of URW SE (Avis de reunion a l'Assemblee Generale), to be published on September 30, 2020, in the BALO (Bulletin d'Annonces Legales Obligatoires). The subscription price per share for the capital increase and the execution timeline to achieve completion before year-end are to be set following the EGM. The prospectus to be issued by URW in connection with the capital raise will be subject to the visa by the AMF (Autorite des marches financiers) and the approval of the AFM (Autoriteit Financiele Markten). The prospectus will be available free of charge on URW's website in due course. URW will publish more detailed results than usual for the nine-months ending September 30, 2020, to provide investors with the most recent information on the Group's operations before the EGM. In order to do so, the publication date will be moved from October 28 to November 1, 2020. The Group intends to release financial statements and a business overview about the impact of COVID-19 comparable to the H1-2020 results publication. The Group also expects to provide updated valuations as at September 30, 2020, its outlook for Adjusted Recurring Earnings for 2020 and expectations for NRI for 2021, as well as its updated dividend policy. For further information, please contact: Investor Relations Samuel Warwood Maarten Otte +33 1 76 77 58 02 Maarten.otte@urw.com Media Relations Tiphaine Bannelier-Suderie +33 1 76 77 57 94 Tiphaine.Bannelier-Suderie@urw.com About Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield is the premier global developer and operator of Flagship Destinations, with a portfolio valued at 60.4 Bn as at June 30, 2020, of which 86% in retail, 7% in offices, 5% in convention & exhibition venues and 2% in services. Currently, the Group owns and operates 89 shopping centres, including 55 Flagships in the most dynamic cities in Europe and the United States. Its centres welcome 1.2 billion visits per year. Present on two continents and in 12 countries, Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield provides a unique platform for retailers and brand events and offers an exceptional and constantly renewed experience for customers. With the support of its 3,400 professionals and an unparalleled track-record and know-how, Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield is ideally positioned to generate superior value and develop world-class projects. Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield distinguishes itself by its Better Places 2030 agenda, that sets its ambition to create better places that respect the highest environmental standards and contribute to better cities. Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield stapled shares are listed on Euronext Amsterdam and Euronext Paris (Euronext ticker: URW), with a secondary listing in Australia through Chess Depositary Interests. The Group benefits from an A- rating from Standard & Poor's and from an Baa1 rating from Moody's. For more information, please visit www.urw.com Visit our Media Library at https://mediacentre.urw.com Follow the Group updates on Twitter @urw_group , Linkedin @Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield and Instagram @urw_group This press release and the information contained herein do not constitute an offer to sell or purchase, or the solicitation of an offer to sell or purchase, securities of URW in any jurisdiction. No communication or information relating to the contemplated capital raise may be distributed to the public in any jurisdiction (other than France and the Netherlands) in which registration or approval is required. No action has been (or will be) undertaken in any jurisdiction outside of France and the Netherlands where such steps would be required. The subscription for or purchase of securities of URW may be subject to legal or statutory restrictions in certain jurisdictions. URW will not assume any responsibility for any violation of such restrictions by any person. The distribution of this press release in certain jurisdictions may be restricted by law. This press release is not a prospectus within the meaning of Regulation (EU) 2017/1129 (the "Prospectus Regulation"). Any purchase of securities in the capital increase should be made solely on the basis of the information contained in the prospectus to be issued by URW in connection with the capital increase. The capital increase will be open to the public in France and the Netherlands only. With respect to each member State of the European Economic Area, other than France and the Netherlands, and to the United Kingdom (the "Relevant States" and each, a "Relevant State"), no action has been undertaken or will be undertaken to make an offer to the public of securities requiring a publication of a prospectus in any Relevant State. As a result, the securities of URW may only be offered in the Relevant States to persons who are "qualified investors" within the meaning of Article 2(e) of the Prospectus Regulation. For the purposes of this paragraph, "securities offered to the public" in a given Relevant State means any communication, in any form and by any means, of sufficient information about the terms and conditions of the offer and the securities so as to enable an investor to make a decision to buy or subscribe for the securities. The above selling restrictions are in addition to any other selling restrictions which may be applicable in the Relevant States. This press release is addressed and directed only (i) to persons located outside the United Kingdom, (ii) to investment professionals as defined in Article 19(5) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005, as amended (the "Order"), (iii) to high net worth companies, and other persons to whom it may lawfully be communicated, falling within by Article 49(2) (a) to (d) of the Order (the persons mentioned in paragraphs (i), (ii) and (iii) all deemed relevant persons (the "Relevant Persons")). The rights issue will only be available to, and any invitation, offer or agreement to subscribe, purchase or otherwise acquire such rights may be addressed and/or concluded only with Relevant Persons. All persons other than Relevant Persons must abstain from using or relying on this document and all information contained therein. This press release is not a prospectus which has been approved by the Financial Conduct Authority or any other United Kingdom regulatory authority for the purposes of Section 85 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000. This press release does not constitute an offer or invitation to sell or purchase, or a solicitation of any offer to purchase or subscribe for, any securities of URW in the United States of America. The securities of URW may not be offered, subscribed or sold in the United States of America absent registration under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act"), or an applicable exemption from, or in a transaction not subject to, the registration requirements thereof. The securities of URW have not been and will not be registered under the U.S. Securities Act, and URW does not intend to conduct a public offering of its securities in the United States of America. This press release may not be published, transmitted or distributed, directly or indirectly, and does not constitute an offer of securities, in the United- States (including in the territories and dependencies and in any State of the United States) or in Japan. Attachment For T. Strong, recently opening her Newark shoe store was a dream. But she had some obstacles filling out confusing government applications. So she turned to Invest Newark for help, a nonprofit that helps companies acquire capital and also operates a land bank for the city. Her retail location, Dirty Soles Footwear Group, opened earlier this year. If youve ever applied for loan of grant... theres a lot of information thats required. And when you start to read it, especially if youre a novice, you start to think I cant do this. I dont have any help. I dont know where to start. I dont know what this terminology means," said Strong, 44, of Newark. On Monday, Mayor Ras Baraka, Invest Newark President Bernel Hall and others announced a $100 million investment fund for black and Latino business owners, like Strong, who need financial or technical support in starting their operations. The initiative, called the 40 Acres and a Mule fund, already has raised $2 million from corporate partners such as AT&T, PSE&G, Shaquille ONeal, Panasonic, Nelson Mullins Law Firm, Carlos Medina and New Jersey Community Capital, with a goal of $100 million. By 2021, they hope to have raised $100 million. The goal, Baraka said, is to combat the economic inequalities resulting from systemic racism. The median net worth of New Jerseys white families is $352,000, while the median for New Jerseys Black families is $6,100 and $7,300 for Latino families. That creates barriers to starting businesses and homeownership, he said. A report from the U.S. Federal Reserve released in 2017 found discrimination against black business owners. More than 50% of companies with Black owners were turned down for loans, a rate twice as high as white business owners, the report showed. We need major steps toward equity and repair," Baraka said at a press conference at city hall unveiling the fund. The Rev. Al Sharpton, who spoke at the event, said the fund will address the underlying causes of inequity. We cannot be episodal activists where we just go from episode to episode. George Floyd to Breonna Taylor... and never deal with the underlying factor that we are being choked every day economically, Sharpton said. The top 10 employers in Newark in 2019 collectively generated $100 billion in revenue, said Natasha Rogers, Newarks chief operations officer. Those companies employ about 75,000 people, with hardly any being Newark residents, she said. Theres an economic boom happening for certain people in this city and we need to make sure we create more opportunities for equity in this city, Rogers said. Hall said the fund will provide capital and technical assistance to minority businesses and act as a national model for promoting social justice and economic mobility. Small businesses interested in seeking assistance from the fund will be able to apply online in about 30 to 60 days, Hall said. These investments will create jobs and begin to reduce the wealth gap and the social disparities, Hall said. We believe that Newark has once again created a national model where social justice meets economic mobility." Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Avalon Zoppo may be reached at azoppo2@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @AvalonZoppo. Protest: Around 200 republicans descended on Maghaberry Prison in County Antrim to show solidarity with republican prisoners who are on hunger strike in support of Palestinian doctor Dr Issam Bassalat The Derry chairman of Saoradh appeared in court on Monday along with three other men, following a riot at outside Maghaberry prison. While Saoradh chairman 23-year-old Jude McCrory was charged with disorderly behaviour, the other three, Emmet McSheffrey (21) and 20-year-olds Caoimhin Murphy and Jordan Devine, were all charged with rioting at HMP Maghaberry on 26 September this year Appearing individually at Lisburn Magistrates Court on videolink from police custody, McSheffrey, from Oakland Park in Derry, Murphy, from Altowen Park in Coalisland and Devine were also charged with having fireworks without a licence Giving evidence to the court a Detective Sergeant said he believed he could connect the men to each of the charges which he said arose following an overnight protest, involving over 100 people at the prison visitors centre, revolving around the treatment being received by a remand prisoner. The officer started to tell the court that in addition a number of prisoners in Maghaberry are fasting or refusing food but District Judge Rosie Watters told the cop I dont need to know all of that. It is understood the prisoners are protesting over prisoner Dr Issam Bassalat, who is being held in a Covid-19 isolation area after he returned to prison from hospital. It has been prison policy to quarantine for two weeks any prisoner who leaves the jail. A police officer was hurt during the disturbances and in court on Monday, the DS said there had been a confrontation with police and that some of the protestors had let off fireworks, including fireworks thrown over the perimeter fence. Devine, from Synge Court in Londonderry, is alleged to have thrown at least five missiles at police said the detective adding that the case against McCrory, from Magowan Park also in Derry, differed from the others as he was charged with disorderly behaviour. That offence arose, claimed the cop, when others were being arrested so it is separate from the activity of the protestors. He said that despite the fact McCrory has a terrorism-related conviction, the police did not object to him being granted bail, albeit with some attached conditions. Nor did they object to any of the defendants being freed on bail and the officer said while the police is do not have evidence that they organised it [the protest] but certainly theyre influential. The detective had asked for conditions to include a curfew and a prohibition in being in a private vehicle but following defence submissions, DJ Watters said she was not going to add those on. Defence lawyers argued that, with Dr. Bassalats quarantine ending tomorrow, there will be no further protests. All four were freed on their own bail of 500 with conditions that they live in addresses approved of by police, report to police three times a week and are not to be within 100 metres of a notified or unnotified protest. The cases were all adjourned to 26 October. Mansoor Janahi, deputy group CEO, Sanad, said: We are signing this new agreement at a critical stage in the history of the aviation industry." Image: Sanad. The announcement of the new deal came during the Global Aerospace Summit in Abu Dhabi, where industry leaders convened to discuss the impact of COVID-19 on the aerospace, defence and space industries. This agreement expands the cooperation between Sanad and IAE in the field of maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) of aircraft engines. Under the agreement IAE, the manufacturer of V2500 engines, will offload V2500 engines for MRO services to Sanads state-of-the-art facility in Abu Dhabi Airports Free Zone. This step reaffirms the confidence of major global OEMs to collaborate with Abu Dhabis resilient aerospace sector especially during turbulent times. Mansoor Janahi, deputy group CEO, Sanad, said: We are signing this new agreement at a critical stage in the history of the aviation industry. This agreement is another testament on Abu Dhabis established position as a reliable global centre for the aerospace industry and its state-of-the-art engineering services. With many global companies reformulating their relationships with their partners in line with the lessons learned from the pandemic, it seems that flexibility, sustainability and the capacity to deal with crises qualifies aerospace sector in the UAE to re-enforce its position as a preferred partner for major international companies. Sanad Aerotech has demonstrated the distinction of its engineering teams that were able to meet customer needs in addition to dealing efficiently with the disruptions that resulted from the pandemic. Dave Emmerling, vice president, commercial aftermarket at Pratt & Whitney, said: "The relationship between Pratt & Whitney, IAE and Sanad is strong and we look forward to continuing to strengthen it for years to come. We expect our V2500 customers will benefit greatly from the MRO services provided by Sanad." System error error: Can't call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25. context: ... 21: 22: 23: % foreach my $c (@categories) { 24: <%perl> 25: my $category_id = $c->get_id(); 26: my @stories = Bric::Biz::Asset::Business::Story->list ( { element_type_id=>1148, category_id=>$category_id , Order=> 'cover_date', publish_status => 't' , OrderDirection=> 'DESC' , Limit=>10 } ); 27: 28:
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He paid for about 25 years, and Ive paid the past 15. When my husband and I checked on the deed to the property, we discovered that the land actually belongs to the heirs of mothers father and not to any one person in particular. How do I go about actually claiming ownership of this property? A: Louisiana has what they call acquisitive prescription, also known as adverse possession or squatters rights in other states. It is unclear from your question whether you have satisfied all of the requirements to make a claim to ownership. You should meet with a real estate attorney in Louisiana to explore your options. On HoustonChronicle.com: More columns from Ronald Lipman Q: I have a friend who is going through a divorce. He has a large brokerage account that he had when they got married. It would have been entirely his separate property at that point. But interest and dividends earned on that account is community property, correct? Because he did not sweep the interest but left it in the account, does that commingle the community and separate property so that his account is now all community property? A: You are correct that when he got married, the account was entirely his separate property. As the years passed, the account became part community and part separate, but not entirely community property. At the time of his divorce, the account is presumed to be entirely community property, but he has the opportunity to trace all of the interest and dividends to determine how much of the account is actually community property. An accountant, or preferably a forensic accountant, can handle this type of project. Several decades ago, this was more difficult because monthly statements were missing, often for years. But now, it should be possible to gather every statement for the entirety of the marriage, making the tracing much easier. Q: I want to give my children their inheritances before I die. Is it possible to do this and still avoid a gift tax scenario? A: This year, the 40 percent gift tax only applies once you have given away $11.58 million. Plus, you can give each of them $15,000 in cash or property every year without it counting toward the $11.58 million. If you are planning to give them less than the limit, you will owe no gift tax. You might be required to file a gift tax return, but you will not owe any gift tax. Texas Inc.: Get the best of business news sent directly to your inbox Dont forget to keep enough funds for yourself. Also, if you have property with a low cost basis, it would probably be better for them to receive that property when you die, as the property will get a stepped-up cost basis upon your death. And dont overlook the possibility that the $11.58 million exemption could drop significantly if the Democrats regain power in Washington, D.C. The information in this column is intended to provide a general understanding of the law, not legal advice. Readers with legal problems, including those whose questions are addressed here, should consult attorneys for advice on their particular circumstances. Ronald Lipman of the Houston law firm Lipman & Associates is board-certified in estate planning and probate law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. Email questions to stateyourcase@lipmanpc.com. From economy to psychology, from environment to diplomacy, what happens in the U.S. election will have a profound impact on Canada. Northern Exposure is a series of stories looking at whats at stake for us as America decides its future. WASHINGTONYou know, Im a scientist, says Catherine Potvin, who researches climate change at McGill University, when I asked her what was at stake for Canada in this election. For me, climate change is not a political stake. Its a fact. And its a fact, she thinks, that Donald Trump has made much ever more threatening. I think what is probably the most damaging part of Mr. Trump and his position, is that he is completely politicizing climate change, she said. He is taking this completely out of the (arena) of fact, and making this a political manoeuvre just like hes done with COVID, for that matter. Trump has sometimes bragged about his environmental record he recently called himself the No. 1 environmental president but his record reads like a horror novel to most environmentalists: he pulled out of the Paris Climate Accord, has repeatedly denied or downplayed the science on climate change, has trumpeted his loosening or discarding of hundreds of air and water pollution regulations, has repeatedly pledged his unwavering support for the fossil fuel industry and, as Potvin points out, tried to make the carbon-trading market California shares with Quebec illegal. We are lucky that this was overruled by the court in the U.S., Potvin says. But this shows that not only doesnt he do anything, but hes trying to undo advances. And for those who live Potvins world, in which climate change is a mortal global threat, Trumps environmental policies pose a particularly pressing threat to Canada. Not just because a poisoned world will take everyone with it, but because as a close neighbour of the U.S., we are directly affected by its immediate environmental problems. We share a huge waterway with the St. Lawrence River and the Great Lakes, Potvin says. The forest fires raging across the western U.S. have led to severe air pollution in British Columbia. Its like sitting in the back seat of car whose driver is smoking. Potvin said Trumps approach has been a dramatic change from that of Barack Obama, which without being fantastic was fantastically better. And other experts have suggested Joe Biden might similarly without being perfect present a dramatically changed approach. Under a Biden administration, U.S.-Canadian foreign policy will change with regard to climate policy, I think thats pretty obvious, says Kathryn Friedman, an expert on North American relations who has worked on water policy issues at the University of Buffalo. She describes Bidens platform as very forward thinking with regard to climate change. I think theres real opportunity for, you know, the United States and Canada to move North America forward with a renewable energy future, Friedman says. Indeed, much of Bidens economic policy is intertwined with a surprisingly ambitious environmental program. Based in part on the Green New Deal proposed by the progressive wing of his Democratic Party, it seeks to sharply curtail fossil fuel use by investing heavily in green energy. The Sunrise Movement, a non-partisan youth-focused group dedicated to fighting climate change, which had been sharply critical of Bidens environmental policy previously, announced it was actively supporting him after he announced that environmental policy in July. Its no secret that weve been critical of Bidens plans and commitments in the past, said Sunshine Movement founder Varshini Prakash. Today, hes responded to many of those criticisms: dramatically increasing the scale and urgency of investments, filling in details on how hed achieve environmental justice and create good union jobs, and promising immediate action. Now, lets defeat Trump and mobilize en mass after the election to get Biden to walk the walk. Of course, one of the biggest parts of Bidens talk, from a Canadian perspective, is his promise to kill the Keystone XL pipeline that would carry Alberta oilsands products to the U.S. market a project Obama had opposed and Trump approved. For many environmentalists, that is both a practical and symbolically important measure: protecting the ecology in the areas it would run through, and representing a step away from committing to expanding production in the oilsands. But it also represents a significant economic hurdle for Canada: the government of Alberta has directly invested $1.5 billion into the project, and a significant chunk of the Canadian economy depends on Alberta oil production. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said hell work to convince Biden to change his mind. Potvin says it is exactly that kind of destructive tradeoff that Trumps type of policy-making has encouraged in Canada not just on Keystone XL, but across the board. In Canada, people are quick to say we cannot have more stringent regulations than the U.S., because trade-wise, then we are disadvantaged because our environmental measures cost some money. If the U.S. doesnt have the same environmental measures, then our products will cost more. And so that then fuels a movement in Canada of no action, Potvin says. Its a concern to have a president who sees the environment as an impediment to economic growth, rather than as an essential element of economic growth, she says. And so it does spill over across the border. Read more about: By Nvard Hovhannisyan and Nailia Bagirova YEREVAN/BAKU (Reuters) - Fighting escalated sharply on Monday between Azerbaijan and its ethnic Armenian mountain enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh, and at least 55 people were killed in a second day of heavy clashes. The two sides pounded each other with rockets and artillery in the fiercest round of the decades-old conflict in more than a quarter of a century. "This is a life-and-death war," Arayik Harutyunyan, the Nagorno-Karabakh leader, told a briefing. Any move to all-out war could drag in major regional powers Russia and Turkey. Moscow has a defence alliance with Armenia, which provides vital support to the enclave and is its lifeline to the outside world, while Ankara backs its ethnic Turkic kin in Azerbaijan. "We haven't seen anything like this since the ceasefire to the war in the 1990s. The fighting is taking place along all sections of the front line," said Olesya Vartanyan, senior analyst for the South Caucasus region at Crisis Group. Nagorno-Karabakh said 53 of its soldiers had been killed in fighting with Azeri forces on Monday, after saying that 31 of its servicemen had been killed on Sunday and 200 wounded when Azerbaijan attacked. Nagorno-Karabakh also said it had recovered some territory lost on Sunday, but the region's leader said later that neither the Azeri army nor the Armenian military captured any tactical positions during the fighting on Monday. He said the Azeri army had started a major attack towards Matagis and Talish and alongside the Araks river. The general prosecutor's office in Azerbaijan said two Azeri civilians had been killed on Monday, after five were killed on Sunday, and 30 had been wounded. There was no official information about any Azeri military casualties. Azerbaijan declared a partial military mobilisation on Monday after declaring martial law on Sunday. Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh declared martial law and mobilised their male populations on Sunday. Men older than 18 years in Armenia are banned from leaving the country. Story continues FEAR OF ALL-OUT WAR Vartanyan said the use of rockets and artillery brought a higher risk of civilian casualties that could make the escalation hard to stop by diplomatic means. "If there are mass casualties, it will be extremely difficult to contain this fighting and we will definitely see a full-fledged war that will have a potential intervention of Turkey or Russia, or both of them." Russia called for an immediate ceasefire, and Turkey said it would support Azerbaijan. Clashes first broke out in the late 1980s between Nagorno-Karabakh's Armenian Christian majority and their ethnic Azeri neighbours, as Soviet Communist rule from Moscow was starting to crumble. All-out war in the early 1990s led to hundreds of thousands of Azeris being driven out as the region, with heavy support from Armenia, threw off control from Baku and became self-governing. Hundreds of thousands more Armenians and Azeris were displaced from Azerbaijan and Armenia respectively. The new fighting has revived concern over stability in the South Caucasus, a corridor for pipelines carrying oil and gas to world markets. Angela Frangyan, a filmmaker in the Nagorno-Karabakh capital, Stepanakert, said residents had taken cover in bomb shelters and that constant shelling could be heard. All shops were closed and hardly anyone was in the streets. Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan demanded Armenia immediately quit the Azeri lands he said it was occupying and said it was time to end the Nagorno-Karabakh crisis. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson discussed the surge in violence with Erdogan in a call on Monday. Johnson's office said that Britain was calling for urgent de-escalation in Nagorno-Karabakh. The UK, Belgium, Estonia, France and Germany plan to raise the conflict for discussion behind closed doors at the United Nations Security Council on Tuesday, diplomats said. TURKISH SUPPORT Armenia's parliament condemned what it said was a "full-scale military attack" by Azerbaijan on Nagorno-Karabakh. Armenian foreign ministry spokeswoman Anna Naghdalyan said Turkish military experts were fighting alongside Azerbaijan, and that Turkey had provided drones and warplanes. Azerbaijan denied the allegations, and there was no immediate reaction from Turkey. But senior officials including Erdogan, who has increasingly been flexing Turkey's military muscle abroad, have promised support for Baku. Interfax news agency quoted the press secretary of Azerbaijan's defence ministry, Anar Evyazov, as saying the Azeri military had occupied several strategically important heights near the village of Talish in Nagorno-Karabakh. Evyazov also said Lernik Vardanyan, commander of the Armenian airborne assault battalion, had been killed near Talish. Armenia said that was disinformation. Two Syrian rebels from Turkish-backed groups in areas of northern Syria under Turkish control told Reuters last week that they were being sent as part of a contingent to help Azerbaijan, in coordination with Ankara. Reuters could not independently verify their accounts. Hikmat Hajiyev, an aide to Azeri President Ilham Aliyev, said it was nonsense to say Syrian fighters were helping his country. (Reporting by Nvard Hovhannisyan in Yerevan and Nailia Bagirova in Baku; Additional reporting by Mark Trevelyan in London, Tom Balmforth in Moscow and Michelle Nichols at the United Nations; Writing by William Maclean and Margarita Antidze; Editing by Hugh Lawson, Matthew Lewis and Peter Cooney) A West End "trompe l'oeil" mural has injected life into an otherwise grey corner becoming a local tourist attraction in the process. The block on the corner of Jane and Thomas streets has been in Nicki McAleese's family for 25 years. The West End mural depicts a laneway in Positano on Italy's Amalfi Coast. She and husband Ashley McAleese bought the block, which now houses office space and the Who Shot The Barista cafe, from her father 10 years ago. "The corner has always been so glum and the house was unappealing and had a few issues," Ms McAleese said. Residents in Cork city have called for University College Cork (UCC) to call off Freshers Week as the number of Covid-19 cases in Cork continue to rise. Yesterday, a further 54 cases were confirmed in Cork and the county is under consideration for additional lockdown measures. Health minister Stephen Donnelly confirmed on Sunday that additional restrictions could be announced this week. The Magazine Road Residents Association said the event is facilitating the risk of spreading the coronavirus among students and the wider community. Over the weekend, the interim president of UCC Prof John Halloran appealed to UCC Students' Union to postpone plans for Virtual Freshers Week. On Friday evening, a Zoom call took place between Prof Halloran, City Council, Students' Union representatives and gardai to discuss the event which is now underway. The Magazine Road Residents Association said the decision to proceed with the event despite the effort to have the SU cancel it "shows a real disconnect between the students union on how Freshers Week is impacting residents". In a statement today, the Association said: "There will be nothing 'virtual' about the house parties and anti-social behaviour resulting from UCC Students Union 'virtual' Freshers Week. "When people in Cork have been asked to minimise social contacts, and UCC has moved lectures online, the Students Union shows shocking irresponsibility and a blatant disregard for the health and economic well-being of the citizens of Cork city." Prof Halloran has warned students that they could face sanctions, including being expelled from college, if they breach Covid-19 guidelines by organising or attending gatherings in the coming weeks. In an email to all students, Prof John Halloran stated: "Students found to be organising, hosting, or attending gatherings which are in breach of guidelines will be subject to sanction up to and including expulsion from the university, where warranted". Jesus, Revelations, the End Times, and Me: a spiritual narrative that lets individuals discern the coming end of days as prophesied in the Word of God. Jesus, Revelations, the End Times, and Me is the creation of published author Kevin Dickerson, a writer and decorated combat veteran who attends the House of Prayer in Memphis, Tennessee. Dickerson shares, This book is written for the sole purpose of showing people the signs of the timesthe end times. It began as a documentation of the things that Jesus himself had shown and explained to the author. The author didnt want to forget these things, so right after the visitations, he would get up and go to his computer to write these things down. He would do so while he could remember every little detail. Some of the things in this book would come to pass weeks after he was shown them, and some are still being revealed to him today, some twenty-five years later. This project is not done for book sales or mammon; no, that is not the Fathers purpose. The authors purpose is to scream from the rooftop to announce his coming, to try to get the attention of mankind, and to warn themto warn them to fear God and to turn to him as he will then turn to them. Yes, people have been predicting the Fathers coming for years, claiming earthquakes, wars, and rumors of wars. All these things are true. Instead of thirty-five volcanos erupting a year, thirty-five volcanos erupt a day. The last of the four world powers, Rome, has to rise again; and even more importantly, he said, Learn the parable of the fig tree. These are two unmistakable signs of the times that cannot be duplicated. The tribulation period has begun. If you know how to search the heavens, you will find Wormwood at our doorstep. In this book, there are pictures of a system of planets that are in our skies today that he believes accompanies Wormwood. He would not mislead or doctor any pictures for the sake of mammon. Jesus said during the end of days that man is going to experience a great deception. Published by Christian Faith Publishing, Kevin Dickersons new book desires to strengthen the believers faith in God to stay steadfast during this present tribulation and Gods imminent final judgment on all creation. View the synopsis of Jesus, Revelations, the End Times, and Me on YouTube. Consumers can purchase Jesus, Revelations, the End Times, and Me at traditional brick-and-mortar bookstores or online at Amazon.com, Apple iTunes store, or Barnes and Noble. For additional information or inquiries about Jesus, Revelations, the End Times, and Me, contact the Christian Faith Publishing media department at 866-554-0919. Brad Parscale, former campaign manager to President Donald Trump, was in the middle of an armed standoff with police at his Fort Lauderdale home when unexpected help arrived: Officer Christopher Wilson, a personal friend. Fort Lauderdale police on Monday released records detailing how Sundays standoff unfolded at Parscales home, starting with his wifes call for help and ending with officers detaining Parscale for psychiatric evaluation. Officers recovered 10 firearms from his home, including several pistols, a shotgun and rifle, and saw that Parscales wife had bruises on her arm and face. Brad Parscales standoff with police officers happened Sunday afternoon on DeSoto Drive, where Parscale, 44, lives with his wife, Candice Parscale. The confrontation with officers started after an argument between the couple. Candice Parscale says her husband chambered a round into a pistol during a heated exchange between the two. Its unclear what they were arguing about, but she says she fled the house in fear and ran to a neighbors residence, from which she called the cops. On the phone, she told a 911 dispatcher that she heard a gunshot shortly after exiting the residence, and was afraid her husband was going to kill himself. Later, she told an officer she couldnt be sure if it had been a gunshot, or a car backfiring. She also told officers that Brad Parscale had been stressed out over the past two weeks and had made comments about shooting himself. Candice Parscale also said Brad Parscale drinks and suffers from PTSD, and had a collection of guns inside the home. Officer Timothy Skaggs was the first to arrive at the neighbors house, records show. He witnessed bruising on Candice Parscales arm and face. She told him that the injuries had come from Brad Parscale, though she said shed gotten them earlier that week. Skaggs called Brad Parscale over a landline telephone, and found Bradleys speech was slurred as though he was under the influence of an alcoholic beverage and he seemed to be crying. Skaggs then tried to get Brad Parscale to exit the house. Instead, the 6-foot-8 man, who once operated the digital political campaign for Trump in 2016, paced and raved. Police converged on the neighborhood. A SWAT team arrived, along with a hostage negotiator. Its unclear how long the standoff lasted. But at some point, Fort Lauderdale police officer Christopher Wilson arrived on the scene. In police reports, Wilson describes himself as a personal friend of Brad Parscale, and it appears the bond between the two men was enough to convince the visibly agitated former Trump campaign manager to exit his house. As he exited, police ordered Parscale shirtless, but wearing shorts to get on the ground. He didnt comply, so an officer used a double-leg takedown to lower him to the ground while other officers handcuffed him. I called Brad on the phone and asked if he would come out and speak with me, Wilson writes in a police report. Brad Parscale did step out of his house, and thats when police swooped in, pinning him to the ground and detaining him. Records show officers recovered 10 guns from inside the household, including three long guns. Brad Parscale then was involuntarily committed for psychiatric evaluation under Floridas Baker Act, a law that allows authorities to detain a person deemed mentally unstable and a danger to themselves or others at a mental health facility for up to 72 hours. Parscale, who bought several Fort Lauderdale residences in 2018 and 2019 and relocated from Texas, is a complex figure in the Trump world. He was in charge of digital operations for the 2016 campaign, where he worked closely with Trumps son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and was elevated to campaign manager for the 2020 re-election. He used the position to become a celebrity among Trump supporters, something highly unusual for a campaign manager, a job that in more orthodox campaigns isnt nearly so prominent. Hed become a popular figure at the presidents rallies. Delivering one of the warm-up speeches just before Thanksgiving last year at a Trump rally at the BB&T Center in Sunrise, Parscale assured the crowd that the presidents opponents wouldnt be able to succeed in what he claimed were their objectives. They are not going to take our guns, he said. They are not going to take our health care and give you socialized medicine. They are not going to flood our country with a bunch of illegal immigrants. As Biden continued leading Trump in the polls over the spring and summer, Parscale fell out of favor with Trump. Parscale hyped a late-June Trump rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, with the campaign proclaiming 1 million people requested tickets and 100,000 would show up. The event was a bust, with only about 6,200 people showing up, embarrassing the president and angering senior Trump adviser Jared Kushner and his wife, the presidents daughter, Ivanka Trump. Meanwhile, Parscale was gaining attention for the campaigns heavy spending and the lavish lifestyle he enjoyed while his companies benefited from Trump campaign money. An ad in May from the anti-Trump Lincoln Project highlighted Parscales $2.4 million waterfront house in fort Lauderdale, two Florida condos worth almost $1 million each. He even has very own yacht, a gorgeous Ferrari, a sleek Range Rover. The Lincoln Project bought ad time on Fox News in Washington, D.C. to ensure Trump would see the spot and it would get under his skin. Parscale was demoted in July. The immediate reactions to the news about Parscale Sunday evening from the presidential campaigns in the polarized election year were strikingly different. The Biden campaigns war room, which provides the campaigns quick responses to developments, reacted with sympathy for Parscale, posting on Twitter: This field is tough. It takes its toll on people in unfathomable ways. Regardless of the differences we have in our beliefs, we at the Biden War Room hope that Brad Parscale is safe, is with his family, and gets everything that he needs to get better. The Trump campaign, in a statement professing concern for Parscale, used the incident to attack Trumps opponents. Brad Parscale is a member of our family and we all love him. We are ready to support him and his family in any way possible. The disgusting, personal attacks from Democrats and disgruntled RINOs have gone too far, and they should be ashamed of themselves for what theyve done to this man and his family, Trump campaign communications director Tim Murtaugh said in a statement Sunday night. 2020 Sun Sentinel (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) Visit the Sun Sentinel (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) at www.sun-sentinel.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Erin McNamara, Senior Director, Virtas Partners Erin McNamara, Senior Director, Virtas Partners Erin McNamara, Senior Director, Virtas Partners CHICAGO and SAN DIEGO, Sept. 28, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Erin McNamara has been promoted to Senior Director and leader of the San Diego office of Virtas Partners, a boutique consulting firm helping clients successfully navigate key transitions, including acquisitions, divestitures, carve-outs, accounting investigations and restatements, restructurings, and capital placements. McNamara was one of Virtas Partners first hires and has focused primarily on finance and accounting advisory services, as well as exits and acquisitionspreparing companies for exits, including carve-outs, private sales and IPOs, as well as standing up carve-outs purchased by private equity firms. Erin consistently leads our most challenging and complex assignments in her service areas. She is great at what she does and is simply one of our firms most trusted and dedicated resources. She could not be more deserving of a promotion, in recognition of the value she brings to the firm and our clients, said Virtas Partners co-founder and Managing Partner Tim Czmiel. McNamara is a 20-year veteran in consulting with deep experience in operational finance and specializes in complex finance, accounting, data and IT environments. Her clients have included large- and small-cap publicly traded companies, private equity portfolio companies as well as small privately held businesses. She began her career at KPMG spending 15 years working domestically and abroad in the audit, transaction services and accounting advisory practices. Prior to joining Virtas, she was executing a variety of interim and full time CFO roles for middle market businesses. Erin serves our most important clients and leads our most important projects, said Neal McNamara, co-founder and Managing Partner. One of our clients said it best in a recent debrief after a major engagement: Erin is a fantastic representative of your company. We absolutely agree. Story continues Virtas Partners continues to grow client capabilities, even during the pandemic. We will continue to provide opportunities for career advancement to our people as we grow in service to our clients through their most challenging transitions, Neal McNamara said. While the current environment has been challenging for every industry, Virtas Partners continues to grow and thrive in support of clients across industry sectors. Virtas Partners: Trusted. Proven. Our team aligned for your success. www.virtaspartners.com A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/8e438c48-5b51-4346-8fb6-59544c3dbd20 CONTACT: Contact: Jon Harmon jharmon@virtaspartners.com (630) 815-6586 - By Alberto Abaterusso Value investors may want to consider the following securities, as their share prices are trading below the Peter Lynch earnings line, indicating they could be buying opportunities. These securities are also recommended by sell-side analysts on Wall Street. Aptiv PLC The first stock to consider is Aptiv PLC (NYSE:APTV), an Irish global manufacturer and distributor of auto parts. The below chart exhibits that the share price ($86.4 at close on Sept. 25) currently stands below the Peter Lynch earnings line ($98.55 as of June 26) for a margin safety of 12.33%. A Trio of Stocks Trading Below the Peter Lynch Earnings Line The stock price didn't perform well during the past year through Friday, as it lost 1.2% for a market capitalization of $23.33 billion and a 52-week range of $29.22 to $99.04. Wall Street sell-side analysts predict that the share price will continue to trade higher, gaining 9.5% up to the average target price of $94.71 per share. The stock holds an overweight recommendation rating. GuruFocus has assigned a score of 5 out of 10 to the financial strength and 7 out of 10 to the profitability of the company. VANGUARD GROUP INC dominates the group of top fund holders of the company as it owns 10.84% of shares outstanding. It is followed by PRICE T ROWE ASSOCIATES INC /MD/ owning 10.54% and by BlackRock Inc. owning 7.21%. BHP Group PLC The second stock to consider is BHP Group PLC (NYSE:BBL), an Australian explorer, developer and producer of oil and gas and a miner of base and precious metals. The below chart shows that the stock price ($43.34 per share as of Sept. 25) currently trades below the Peter Lynch earnings line ($47.1 as of June 28), generating a margin safety of 8%. A Trio of Stocks Trading Below the Peter Lynch Earnings Line The stock price has increased only slightly over the past year through Friday, by about 1.2%, determining a market capitalization of $110.16 billion and a 52-week range of $23.64 to $48.67. Story continues Wall Street sell-side analysts predict that the price of each American Depository Receipt (ADR) will outperform within a year, as the stock holds an overweight recommendation rating. The average target price is $38.65 per ADR. GuruFocus has assigned a score of 6 out of 10 to the financial strength and 8 out of 10 to the profitability of the company. Ken Fisher leads the group of the company's top fund holders, owning 0.25% of shares outstanding. Boston Scientific Corp The third stock to consider is Boston Scientific Corp (NYSE:BSX), a Marlborough, Massachusetts-based global manufacturer and marketer of medical devices. The below chart illustrates that the stock price ($37.34 per share at close on Sept. 25) is currently below the Peter Lynch earnings line ($42.3 as of June 28), yielding a margin safety of 11.73%. A Trio of Stocks Trading Below the Peter Lynch Earnings Line The stock price did not perform well over the past year through Friday as it declined by about 8.2%, which determined a market capitalization of $53.42 billion and a 52-week range of $24.10 to $46.62. The share price is expected to perform well within a year, gaining 24% from its close on Friday up to an average target price of $46.29. The stock has a buy recommendation rating on Wall Street. GuruFocus has assigned a score of 5 out of 10 to the financial strength and 6 out of 10 to the profitability of the company. BlackRock Inc. leads the group of the company's top fund holders, owning 8.68% of shares outstanding. It is followed by VANGUARD GROUP INC, owning 7.91%, and Capital World Investors, owning 5.90% of shares outstanding. Disclosure: I have no position in any security mentioned. Read more here: Not a Premium Member of GuruFocus? Sign up for a free 7-day trial here. This article first appeared on GuruFocus. Led by Hollywood icon and human rights activist Samuel L. Jackson, Enslaved: The Lost History of the Transatlantic Slave Trade sheds new light on 400 years of human trafficking from Africa to the New World, as millions of enslaved Africans were forcibly transported to the Americas by Western European slave traders. The powerful six-part documentary series follows Jackson on a personal journey as he travels across continents to uncover stories of suffering and greed, as well as of resistance, accomplishment and hope.The programme provides a fresh and authentic history of the transatlantic slave trade one that demonstrates to todays audiences that this is truly a global story. It also features an historical investigation of the slave trade led by Jackson and historians Afua Hirsch and Simcha Jacobovici. It shows Diving With a Purpose (DWP), a collaborating organisation with The National Association of Black Scuba Divers (NABS), as its searches for six slave ships that sank taking with them the enslaved humans aboard.Following its US premiere on EPIX on 14 September, Enslaved will launch on HISTOIRE TV (TF1 Group, France) after a pre-sale brokered by Fremantle, as well as HISTORY (Germany), Movistar+ and RTVE (Spain), HBO Portugal (Portugal), BBC Earth (Poland), Discovery Film and Spektrum (Eastern Europe), Cosmote (Greece), BBC Persian (MENA), National Geographic (Latin America), M-Net (Africa, South Africa) and Cable & Wireless (Caribbean). Fremantle also recently announced that BBC Two in the UK will broadcast a 4-part reversion of the series.With epic global production values, Enslaved is an unmissable docuseries which spans both continents and centuries in its determination to show just how vital this history is to today, commented Jens Richter, CEO, International, Fremantle. Samuel L. Jackson, Afua Hirsch and Simcha Jacobovici, alongside the fantastic production team, have created something impactful, ambitious and educational, which we feel privileged to be able to share with our global broadcast partners and their audiences.Enslaved is a Canada/UK co-production between Toronto-based Associated Producers and London-based Cornelia Street Productions in association with CBC, Canadas public broadcaster, and Documentary Channel in Canada and EPIX in the US. Simcha Jacobovici serves as series director. Enslaved is executive produced by Samuel L. Jackson, LaTanya Richardson Jackson, Eli Selden, Rob Lee, Simcha Jacobovici, Ric Esther Bienstock, Sarah Sapper and Yaron Niski, and produced by Ric Esther Bienstock, Sarah Sapper and Felix Golubev. Produced in association with Anonymous Content, along with UppiTV, Samuel and LaTanya Jacksons television production company. Fremantle distributes the series internationally. The leadership of the National Assembly will, in a few hours, meet with the minister of state for petroleum, Timipre Sylva, and other relevant officials, PREMIUM TIMES has learnt. The officials are expected to discuss the proposed Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) which is set to be officially transmitted to the National Assembly for consideration and passage. Also expected at the meeting is the Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, Mele Kyari, and heads of other petroleum agencies, a source briefed about the meeting told PREMIUM TIMES asking not to be named as he was not authorised to brief journalist. The meeting is said to be part of the routine for submission of important bills like the PIB. Both parties are to check for observations and reservations and ensure that differences are resolved in order to facilitate easy passage of the bill when officially submitted, this newspaper learnt. Although the bill has not been formally submitted to the Parliament, Punch newspaper obtained a copy. According to the newspaper, President Muhammadu Buhari, in the revised legislation, proposed the scrapping of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and the Petroleum Product Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA). He also proposed the creation of Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited after all the assets and liabilities of the NNPC must have been identified by the ministers of petroleum resources and finance, according to the report by Punch Newspaper. The legislation also seeks to establish the Nigerian Upstream Regulatory Commission and the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority. The Minister (of Petroleum) and the Minister of Finance shall determine the assets, interests and liabilities of NNPC to be transferred to NNPC Limited or its subsidiaries and upon the identification, the minister shall cause such assets, interests and liabilities to be transferred to NNPC Limited, the newspaper quoted parts of the bill. Assets, interests and liabilities of NNPC not transferred to NNPC Limited or its subsidiary under subsection 1 of this section shall remain the assets, interests and liabilities of NNPC until they become extinguished or transferred to the government. NNPC shall cease to exist after its remaining assets, interests and liabilities other than its interests, assets, and liabilities transferred to NNPC Limited or its subsidiaries under subsection 1 of this section shall have been extinguished or transferred to the government, part of the bill reads. The proposed law also states that The minister shall be at the incorporation of NNPC Limited, consult with the Minister of Finance to determine the number and nominal value of the shares to be allotted which shall form the initial paid-up share capital of the NNPC Limited and the government shall subscribe and pay cash for the shares. Ownership of all shares in NNPC Limited shall be vested in the government at incorporation and held by the Ministry of Finance incorporated on behalf of the government. The PIB is essential to modernise the regulation of the oil industry in Nigeria, according to experts. It has suffered setbacks from past assemblies for several reasons. Although a component of it was passed by the eight assembly in 2018 as the Petroleum Industry Governance Bill, Mr Buhari rejected the bill on grounds of lack of fiscal content in it. He also said the legislation would limit the powers of the petroleum minister. Ahmad Ibrahim Lawan [PHOTO CREDIT: @DrAhmadLawan] When contacted on whether the new bill had been officially communicated to Senate President Ahmad Lawan, his spokesperson, Ola Awoniyi, simply said an official statement would be released on the matter later today. Sir David Attenborough says he refuses to go and 'cry in the corner ' over the environment - as he warns that Extinction Rebellion could 'disenchant' the people they are trying to get onside. The action group has organised several high-profile protests, including last year's 10-day 'autumn uprising' which saw major disruption and more than 1,700 arrests, and more recently targeting printing presses. Sir David tells BBC Breakfast: 'You have to be careful that you don't break the law... 'We have to treat the people we share our community with, with respect. 'Disturbing their lives, to such an extent that innocent people can't get about their own business, is a serious thing to do and could disenchant an awful lot of people.' Sir David Attenborough says he refuses to go and 'cry in the corner ' over the environment - as he warns that Extinction Rebellion could 'disenchant' the people they are trying to get onside He adds: 'Of course I agree with their message, it's a question of what is politic and sensible in persuading other people to join you?' The broadcaster and naturalist says he had been warning about the environment for decades and 'yet suddenly, in the last five years maybe, it's as though people have woken up, it's young people... and not before time'. The 'first time I had absolutely indubitable proof (of what is happening to the natural world) was back in the 60s,' he says. 'I swam in a coral reef in Australia and saw a damaged reef. 'It was a terrible sight... like a cemetery.' Asked how he manages not to feel despondent, he tells the BBC One programme: 'I don't despair because what will you go and do? 'Just go and hide in the corner? 'Crying in the corner and forgetting it all and giving up?... 'And If there's only a fragment of hope we have a responsibility to do something about it.' Sir David became the fastest person to have one million followers on Instagram after he joined the platform to reach a young audience. Asked about the scepticism from governments in the US and Brazil, he says: 'We have to do what's in our power. 'We can't take that as an excuse for doing nothing... Sir David became the fastest person to have one million followers on Instagram, beating record holder actress Jennifer Aniston, after he joined the platform to reach a young audience 'China is taking very big steps in many directions.. China is moving in the right direction.. 'The present administration in America, is, from a conservationist point-of-view, disastrous but... that's who's been elected and we have to go through it.' He adds: 'Every breath of air we take, every mouthful of food we eat, comes from the natural world ultimately, and if we damage it we damage ourselves.' 'If there is one thing everyone can do, it is don't waste anything, don't waste electricity, don't waste food, don't waste power', he says. 'Just treat the natural world as though it's precious, which it is, and don't squander those bits of it that we have control of.' The interview is part of a double feature on Monday and Tuesday. Sir David will answer environmental questions submitted by children across the UK on BBC Breakfast on Tuesday. Chile will soon be housing a second Huawei data centre. In fact Huawei plans to launch the new cloud data centre in Chile by the end of this year, boosting its cloud and AI platform in South America. Like the first data centre, which opened in 2019, the new facility will be sited in the countrys capital, Santiago. Naturally Huawei is upbeat about what it describes as greater security in case of a catastrophe, noting that the facility will also help Chile by providing the country with better access to Huaweis cloud and AI services. However, with its network business and its telecommunications infrastructure business both under assault during the ongoing US/China trade dispute, this is clearly a good piece of business for the company, whose cloud operation is one of the few divisions boasting a strong performance of late. Its also good news for Chile. According to the website Data Center Dynamics, this is part of an ongoing effort by Chile to encourage investment in its digital infrastructure and speed up the digitisation of its economy. The country has also been inviting foreign cloud companies to locate there. Chile is also working on a Pacific submarine cable to Asia via a fibre route to Australia. The Transoceanic Cable, a 13,000km fibre route to Auckland, New Zealand, and Sydney, Australia could, with the help of Australian links to Asia, give Chile better connections to Singapore, Japan, South Korea and China. A further boost to Chiles connectivity aims came earlier this year with the arrival of Googles Curie cable. The 10,500km Curie delivers 72Tbps of bandwidth across four fibre pairs to South America. Curie landed in Valparaiso in April; it was the first submarine cable to connect to Chile in 19 years. Two days after testing positive for Covid-19, senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader Uma Bharti was shifted to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Rishikesh. The BJP leader took to Twitter and informed that she had been shifted to AIIMS on Monday morning from Vande Mataram Kunj in Pauri Garhwal district where she was under home-isolation. Bharti tweeted, I have been admitted to AIIMS Rishikesh. There are three reasons for this; firstly Harsh Vardhan (Union health minister) was worried about my health condition. Secondly my fever spiked last night and if I get good response from doctors at AIIMS after observation then I want to appear in the CBI court in Lucknow day after tomorrow. Bharti is supposed to appear in court in connection with the Babri Masjid demolition case. Harish Mohan Thapliyal, public relations officer of AIIMS Rishikesh said that Bharti was admitted to the hospital around 11 am on Monday. She has been admitted to our hospital and has been kept under observation. As per protocol, we have sent her sample for an RT-PCR test. Till then, the doctors are taking care of her and she is being treated. The further course of action will be decided after we get her test results, Thapliyal said. Bharti tested Covid-19 positive on Saturday night after which she had isolated herself at an ashram in Pauri Garhwal district. She tested positive after visiting the Kedarnath shrine on September 21, where she offered prayers following all safety norms. She had visited the Badrinath shrine in Chamoli district on September 24. A Dallas ice cream store has been saved from permanent closurea result of the recent lockdownthanks to a flood of generous donations from the community. Many businesses have been hit hard during the pandemic, and small businesses like Howdys Homemade Ice Cream are no exception. Earlier this month, Howdys reluctantly announced that they would be closing their doors for good due to a lack of sales. But when the community heard that Howdys would be forced to lay off their 11 employees, all of whom are adults with special needs, donations started pouring in. It feels like the Dallas Stars! owner Tom Landis told CBS, overwhelmed by the response. This is just an incredible time right now! One of the employees at Howdys, Kalin OBrien, even stepped in to donate $3,000 out of his own pocket. I thought I needed to do something, OBrien told the news outlet. After working at Howdys for 25 years and achieving the position of business manager, he said it only felt right to donate. When asked about OBriens gesture, Landis said, Its truly something thats just so humbling. The guy has got a heart of gold. Howdys has received over $100,000 in donations in total, and as a result, Landis was able to open a smaller shop at a new location in Northern Dallas. And all 11 employees kept their jobs. Texas restaurants have been permitted to begin operating at 75 percent capacity. Landis says he hopes this will lead to more foot traffic. Donations are still pouring in. The ice cream shops GoFundMe page expresses the hope that Howdys can one day purchase an ice cream truck to enable them to offer their cool treats to the homes of those who cannot go out during the pandemic. The employees of Howdys have been so grateful for the communitys donations, they even made a thank you video expressing what it means to them to work at Howdys. To me, Howdys means independence, says Hannah Ostermeyer. With my disability I never thought Id be able to have a job that I actually did myself. Coleman Jones, VP of Howdys Homemade, says working at Howdys has been a blessing. For supporting Howdys and supporting our employees, we want to thank yall from the bottom of our hearts, he said. Press Release September 28, 2020 Drilon warns of looming hunger crisis 'Natutulog po ang 7.7 milyong pamilyang Pilipino nang walang laman ang sikmura,' Drilon laments Senate Minority Leader Franklin M. Drilon expressed serious alarm over the increasing number of Filipinos families who experienced hunger amid the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, warning of a looming hunger crisis if proper measures are not put in place. "I am alarmed by the worsening condition of poor Filipino families affected by the pandemic. They are hungry, most of them women and children. This validates our concerns over the lack of 'ayuda' in the proposed P4.5-trillion national budget for 2021," Drilon said. "Natutulog po ang 7.7 milyong pamilyang Pilipino nang walang laman ang sikmura. How can the government stomach the non-inclusion of a special amelioration program (SAP) for 2021?" he added. "The government must address this immediately before it spirals into a full-blown crisis," Drilon stressed. The Senate chief fiscalizer proposed to tap into around P9 billion in government's confidential and intelligence fund, the P16.4 billion anti-insurgency fund and the P468 billion alleged lump-sum appropriation in the proposed national budget to fund the SAP next year. In the latest survey by the Social Weather Station, the hunger incidence worsened amid the ongoing pandemic. The families who experienced involuntary hunger jumped to 7.6 million families, a new record-high of 30.7%, in the September survey from about 5.2 million families, or 20.9 percent, in the July survey, which represents a 9.8 percent increase. "We expect the figure to rise in the absence of adequate financial aid to the poor," Drilon said. Earlier, Drilon called for an increase in the budget of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in order to capacity the agency playing a key role in the fight against the pandemic to address the plight of the poor. Under the 2021 National Expenditures Program, the agency is proposed to receive P171.2 billion. The Department of Budget and Management did not provide any funding for the special amelioration program (SAP), a program that provided financial assistance amounting to P5,000 to P8,0000 to about 18 million poor Filipino families under the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act (Bayanihan 1), Drilon noted. Drilon insisted that the program should be included in the 2021 budget, citing studies of worsening poverty in the country due to the effects of the pandemic. The Chronicles Fire Updates page documents the latest events in wildfires across the Bay Area and the state of California. This is an archive of the page covering the period from Sept. 27 to Oct. 8, 2020. The Chronicles Fire Map and Tracker provides updates on fires burning throughout California, including these huge lightning-sparked blazes in Northern California: The Chronicles PG&E Outage Map provides real-time locations of where the power is out. The San Francisco Chronicles ongoing coverage is available to subscribers. Subscribe now for full access and to support our work. Latest updates from Oct. 8: 9:50 a.m. Firefighters stop Glass Fire spread: Cal Fire officials said in a video briefing Thursday that containment lines around the Glass Fire have grown and the forward spread has been stopped. The 67,420-acre Wine Country fire was contained in all areas but the northern edge of the fire in the Napa Valley, where crews aggressively battled flames, said Jeff Ohs, a Cal Fire battalion chief. Teams were working to reopen Highway 29 into Lake County, he said. 8:23 a.m. Sonoma County grapples with future: Lingering trauma from the deadly Tubbs firestorm three years ago has bled into the devastation of this years still-burning Glass Fire as Sonoma County and Santa Rosa officials look to shape the countys future, using about $245 million received through PG&Es massive bankruptcy settlement this year. Read The Chronicles story here. 8:03 a.m. August Complex fires still growing, as is containment: Firefighters increased control of the massive August Complex blaze burning across seven Northern California counties overnight, but the flames continued to spread. The fire grew by more than 3,000 acres overnight but containment increased to 70% from 65%. The fire is the largest in state history and the first to burn through more than 1 million acres. 7:40 a.m. No growth for Glass Fire: Firefighters held the Glass Fire in check overnight in Napa and Sonoma Counties, Cal Fire officials said. The fire was still at 67,420 acres as of Thursday morning. Containment grew by 4%, to 66% overnight. 7:55 a.m. Creek Fire grows overnight: The Creek Fire in Fresno County and the Sierra grew to nearly 331,000 acres, Cal Fire reported Thursday morning, an increase of nearly 2,300 acres in a 12-hour period. The fire was 49% contained Thursday morning. 7:39 a.m. Hopes for rain in North Bay all but vanished: Cool temperatures have arrived in the Bay Area but that first substantial rain that many hoped for isnt likely to come this weekend, or for the foreseeable future. National Weather Service forecasts call for the weather system to steer north toward Oregon with a chance of light rain in the northern edge of the state. Bay Area arent expected to rise above the 70s in inland areas, as much as 30 degrees cooler in some places than last week. Read the story here. 7:11 a.m. Zogg Fire now 90% contained: The Zogg Fire burning in Shasta County is now 90% contained, Cal Fire said Thursday. Containment of the fire, which has killed four people, has been steady for days. The blaze is 56,338 acres in size. Updates from Wednesday, Oct. 7: 6:49 p.m. Investigation opened into illegal private firefighting on Glass Fire: Cal Fires law enforcement division is investigating allegations that a group of private firefighters set illegal backfires to protect properties threatened by the Glass Fire, a Cal Fire spokesman said Wednesday evening. The spokesman would not say where in Wine Country the private firefighters were apprehended, but confirmed that the incident occurred over the weekend. Private firefighters are authorized to remove flammable objects and carry out preventive measures. They are not authorized to use fire, Cal Fire said. The investigation is ongoing. 6:35 p.m. CO poisoning victim released from hospital: A firefighter who was hospitalized for carbon monoxide poisoning has been released from a Santa Rosa hospital and returned to fire duty, a Cal Fire spokesman said Wednesday evening. The firefighter was hospitalized Tuesday morning after 16 firefighters were exposed to the odorless gas at their sleeping quarters while off duty from the Glass Fire. Carbon monoxide is released in the fumes of active wildfires and can cause sudden illness when it builds up in a persons bloodstream, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 4:50 p.m. Supply and support stations open in Santa Rosa for people impacted by Glass Fire: Santa Rosa residents impacted by the Glass Fire can now pick up re-entry safety materials and information at supply and support stations before returning to their homes, city officials said on Twitter. Residents of burned areas can obtain materials such as masks, gloves, hand sanitizer, hand wipes, water bottles, goggles, shoe covers and a bucket. For more information and locations go online. 3:55 p.m. Evacuation warnings rescinded in Calistoga for Glass Fire: Evacuation warnings have been lifted in Calistoga, effective immediately, said Cal Fires Sonoma-Lake-Napa Unit. All roads within Calistoga city limits are open, officials said. 3:45 p.m. Evacuation warnings rescinded in St. Helena for Glass Fire: Evacuation warnings have been rescinded in St. Helena, effective immediately, said Cal Fires Sonoma-Lake-Napa Unit. All roads within St. Helena city limits are open, officials said. 3:42 p.m. Evacuation orders changed to warnings in parts of Napa County: Evacuation orders were reduced to evacuation warnings in portions of Napa County for the Glass Fire, according to Cal Fires Sonoma-Lake-Napa Unit. 3:05 p.m. Evacuation orders downgraded to warnings in parts of Sonoma County: Glass Fire evacuation orders were downgraded to warnings in portions of Sonoma County around Highway 12 and Calistoga Road, sheriffs officials said. (Full details in this nixie.) 12:53 p.m: Glass Fire controlled in Sonoma County: The western zone of the Glass Fire, predominantly Sonoma County, is completely encircled by containment lines and the heat of the fire has cooled, said Battalion Chief Sean Norman. For us, that signifies that the line is in, its held, its contained and controlled, he said. That clears the way for utility crews, hazard cleanup and infrastructure work and means residents will soon be allowed to return to the area, he said. 12:52 Fire chief: Glass Fire no longer a threat to St. Helena: St. Helena Fire Chief John Sorenson said Wednesday that the Glass Fire, now 58% contained, no longer poses a threat to the city. Sorenson called it a miracle that only three houses were destroyed by the fire. Centers to aid returning evacuees have been set up at the St. Helena First Presbyterian Church, 1428 Spring St., and in Angwin at the volunteer fire station at 275 College Ave. 12:32 p.m. Yuba County fire quickly contained: Firefighters rapidly contained the small Fields Fire, a small, 56-acre blaze sparked Wednesday near Marigold in Yuba County. Cal Fire reported the blaze was 100% contained just hours after the firefight began. 12:27 p.m. Newsom calls for California to conserve land, coasts to capture carbon: Gov. Gavin Newsom said Wednesday that he would sign an executive order setting a target to conserve 30% of the states land and coastal water by 2030 joining dozens of nations in a global pact to preserve biodiversity and prevent species loss. The governor will also direct his administration to develop strategies to capture carbon from the atmosphere and store in the states natural and working lands such as forests, farms, wetlands and coasts. Read The Chronicles full story here. 12:01 p.m. Biggest fire in state history keeps growing: The August Complex Fire, the largest conflagration in California history, is now at 1,011,493 acres in size, Cal Fire said Wednesday. After burning for nearly a month the fire started on Sept. 10 the August Complex is now 60% contained. 8:28 a.m. Hope fades for fire-dampening rainfall in Napa, Sonoma counties: The Bay Areas hopes for weekend rains to help snuff the Glass Fire and dampen the parched hills seem to be evaporating. Rain could still fall, probably north of the Golden Gate, on Saturday, according to the National Weather Service, but a Friday storm will head far north and miss the Bay Area. Saturdays storm could deliver a tenth of an inch of precipitation. Read The Chronicles full story here. 8:05 a.m. I just cant deal with this anymore: Wine Country residents grapple with a fiery future: As devastating wildfires pummel the North Bay for three of the past four years, some residents wonder how much more trauma they can take and whether they should continue living in a region altered by climate change. Smoky air, planned power outages and fire threats only compound the high living costs in the region, many said. Read The Chronicles full story here. 7:24 a.m. Glass Fire grows slightly: The Glass Fire in Napa and Sonoma counties grew by just 150 acres overnight, Cal Fire said Wednesday morning, bringing the blaze to 67,200 acres in size. Containment grew by 4%, to 58% in the span of about 12 hours. The fire has destroyed more than 620 homes and damaged still more. More than 20,000 structures of various kinds remain under threat. 7:00 a.m. New fire sparks in Yuba County: The Fields Fire, a 50-acre blaze off of Gold Field Road and Hammonton Road, northeast of Marigold, is now burning in Yuba County, Cal Fire said. Little additional information was immiediately available, other than the fact that the fire began burning Wednesday. 6:49 a.m. Zogg Fire containment grows: Firefighters were able to grow containment lines around the Zogg Fire in Shasta County overnight, after another evening in which the blaze didnt grow at all. Containment increased 2%, to 86%, overnight. The fire remained at 56,305 acres, according to Cal Fire. Updates from Tuesday, Oct. 6: 7 p.m. Glass Fire grows to 67,050 acres: The Glass Fire, which is burning in Napa and Sonoma counties, has burned 67,050 acres and was 54% contained as of Tuesday evening, Cal Fires Sonoma-Lake-Napa Unit said. Officials said 2,522 firefighters were battling the blaze along with 341 engines, 40 water tenders, 20 helicopters and 26 dozers. 6:10 p.m. Containment of Zogg Fire grows to 84%: The Zogg Fire, which is burning in Shasta County, has burned 56,305 acres and was 84% contained as of Tuesday evening, Cal Fires Shasta Trinity Unit said. Officials said 1,275 firefighters were battling the blaze along with 160 engines, 42 water tenders, six helicopters and 16 dozers. 5:45 p.m. Fire officials warn embers can travel up to a mile from active fires: Officials with the Southern Marin Fire District tweeted that flying embers can be carried up to a mile from the actual fire and damage or destroy structures. In the tweet, fire officials compared two photos of an unnamed school that was damaged by the Glass Fire. Prepare your home now before a wildfire starts by creating 4 types of defensible zones, fire officials said. 3:20 p.m. The awww factor arrives with scared kitty: A Glass Fire damage inspector rescued a scared kitten from under a truck, Cal Fire tweeted Tuesday. Cal Fire called it a puurrfect save and said the tortoise shell kitten will be taken to an animal shelter to locate its family. 3:17 p.m. Crews secure canyon as North Complex approaches full containment: Crews ignited portions of steep terrain by hand Tuesday in an effort to contain flames in Feather River Canyon east of Highway 70, the final uncontained area of the North Complex, fire officials said. The fires were 86% contained as of Tuesday afternoon. Firefighters continued to patrol for hot spots near control lines, where extremely dry timber and strong canyon winds have slowed efforts to contain the 318,724-acre blaze. The two-month old fire killed fifteen people and destroyed more than 2,450 structures across Plumas and Butte counties. 3:10 p.m. Evacuation orders lifted for some in Sonoma County: Glass Fire evacuation orders have been lifted in some portions of Sonoma County, county sheriffs officials said. Full details are here. 2:20 p.m. One firefighter sent to hospital for possible CO poisoning: One of 16 firefighters potentially poisoned by carbon monoxide was taken to a local hospital for evaluation, Cal Fire officials said Tuesday afternoon. The exposure occurred at location outside the fire area, and early reports listed it at the Santa Rosa Fairgrounds, which serves as the command center for the Glass Fire. After evaluation 15 firefighters were sent back to the fire lines, Cal Fire reported. 12:19 p.m. Potential CO poisoning at Glass Fire: Several firefighters were evaluated for possible carbon monoxide poisoning Tuesday morning after they were exposed to the odorless gas while fighting the Glass Fire, a Cal Fire spokesman said. They were being evaluated by medical personnel; their conditions were unknown, the spokesman said. It was unclear how many were exposed. Carbon monoxide is released in the fumes of active wildfires and can cause sudden illness when it builds up in a persons bloodstream, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Read the story here. 12:03 p.m. Even a little rain could help, Cal Fire says: The prospect of a small amount of rain, perhaps a quarter of an inch, is in the forecast for the Glass Fire area Friday and Saturday. Cal Fire Battalion Chief Sean Norman said it wont be enough to extinguish the fire, but also shouldnt be enough to trigger dangerous debris flows in areas scarred by the flames. Overall, it would be extremely beneficial to us, he said. 11:48 a.m. Returning evacuees need to watch out for wildlife: Firefighters battling the Glass Fire are seeing a lot of displaced wildlife, more mountain lions than in my entire life in the past few days alone, Cal Fire Battalion Chief Sean Norman said Tuesday. He advised people returning to evacuation zones to be prepared as you repopulate that you are sharing the area with wildlife that has had their environments shrunk down and their livelihoods have been impacted just like everyone elses. 11:40 a.m. Lake County still fire-free: The Glass Fire hasnt been contained on its northern front but firefighters managed to keep it out of Lake County, Battalion Chief Sean Norman said in a video news briefing Tuesday morning. Fire lines held overnight and the flames did not move to the north. For all the people in Lake County, this is really good news, he said. 9:20 a.m. Creek Fire grew by 4,000 acres overnight: The Creek Fire in the Central Sierra continued to burn after forcing new evacuations Monday in the Florence Lake area. It grew by about 4,000 acres overnight, and remained 49% contained, burning in Fresno and Madera counties on both sides of the San Joaquin River near Mammoth Pool, Shaver Lake, Big Creek and Huntington Lake. After igniting on Labor Day weekend, it forced people to flee popular recreation areas, with the National Guard rescuing scores by helicopter. 8:59 a.m. August Fire continues to grow: The August Complex Fire, which surpassed 1 million acres on Monday, continues to grow across seven Northern California counties. The largest fire in state history has ripped through 1,006,140 acres and is 58% contained. Cal Fire officials report that the firefighters are battling steep, rough terrain and dangerously low humidity levels, which are unprecedented for this area. 7:31 a.m. Glass Fire growth slowed overnight: Firefighters increased containment of the destructive Glass Fire to 50% overnight and held the acreage to 66,840, according to Cal Fire figures released Tuesday morning. Warm overnight temperatures and low humidity continued to fuel the fire, burning in Napa and Sonoma counties, overnight, according to a Cal Fire report. 7:08 a.m. Rainfall could be a reprieve but wont snuff Glass Fire: The hot, dry weather will begin to fade away Wednesday and Thursday and could bring some precipitation on Friday and Saturday but not enough to extinguish the Glass Fire in Wine Country, meteorologists said. And certainly not sufficient to spell the end of the hellish 2020 fire season. Temperatures will drop 5 to 10 degrees and humidity will climb Thursday and Friday and rain could arrive Friday, said Matt Mehle, a National Weather Service meteorologist, delivering maybe 1/4 to 1/2 of an inch of rain in the North Bay and higher amounts further north. But warm, dry weather is expected to return next week. Its not a season-ending event but it could be a season-slowing event, he said. It should provide a reprieve for firefighters in this part of the state. 6:45 a.m. No growth for Zogg Fire overnight: Cal Fire reported that the Zogg Fire burning in Shasta County did not grow overnight, and remained at 56,305 acres in size as of Tuesday morning. Containment grew from 80% to 82% overnight, according to fire officials. Updates from Monday, Oct. 5: 7:30 p.m. Glass Fire now 41% contained: It was another day of progress fighting the Glass Fire, with Cal Fire reporting 41% containment of the blaze that has grown to 66,840 acres across Napa and Sonoma counties. At least 553 single-family homes have been destroyed, and 21,785 structures remain threatened. 7:15 p.m. August Fire grows slightly: The massive August Fire, which stretches across seven counties in Northern California, grew by another 1,000 acres during the day on Monday. It is at 1,003,387 acres. The West Zone which includes portions of Mendocino, Humboldt and Lake counties is now 60% contained, Cal Fire reported in its nightly update. 6:45 p.m. Glass Fire the priority for the state, says Cal Fire chief: With 2,774 fire-fighting personnel making use of 408 fire engines to fight the Glass Fire, we are the priority for the state here, division chief Ben Nicholls of Cal Fire said Monday during Sonoma Countys daily update on the sprawling two-county blaze. And while the fire remains just 30% contained as of Monday morning, Nicholls expressed confidence that we have turned the corner on the fire as a whole. 6:30 p.m. Zogg Fire is 80% contained: The Zogg Fire has burned 56,305 acres in Shasta County and is 80% contained, according to a Cal Fire update Monday evening. Fire officials warned, though, that fuels remain very receptive to ignition due to the hot and dry temperatures over the past two months. More than 1,700 responders are fighting the blaze, which has destroyed more than 200 buildings. 5:00 p.m. Air quality worsens in parts of Bay Area: After dramatic improvement over the weekend, air quality deteriorated in some parts of the Bay Area on Monday as smoke again drifted in from the Glass Fire burning in the North Bay. On Monday afternoon, the only areas with good air quality were along the coast. In the central Bay Area, conditions were moderate, and farther east, they turned unhealthier. The North Bay also had a mix of moderate and unhealthy air. Read more. 2:46 p.m. Rain forecast is hopeful news, or is it?: The Bay Area is welcoming predictions that rain might fall by the end of the week but whether it can snuff out record-busting fires that have scorched more than 4 million acres is another matter. The anticipated wet weather may help firefighters short term, but is likely not late enough in the season to have a long-term impact. Read the story here. 12:43 p.m. Newsom confirms over 4 million acres burned in California in 2020: Gov. Gavin Newsom said Monday that the fact wildfires have burned more than 4 million California acres this year shows the deadliness of climate change. The fires have led to 31 deaths and destroyed 9,000 structures. If thats not a proof-point testament of climate change, I dont know what is, Newsom told a news briefing. He said progress on the Glass Fire is one of the states top priorities. 10:29 a.m. New evacuations ordered in Sierra due to Creek Fire: New evacuation orders are in effect in areas around Florence Lake, as firefighters anticipate the 322,089-acre Creek Fire to spread in deep-seated fuel, Cal Fire said Monday.On the fires north side, flames were expected to burn up into the rocks with potential movement into the wilderness and Lion Fire burn. The fire was 48% contained not 62% as had been reported Sunday due to a data input error, according to Cal Fire. The Sierra National Forest is fully closed through Nov. 1. 9:23 a.m. Winery devastation revealed through camera lens: Horrific photos reveal the beating that wineries took at the wims of the rampaging Glass Fire in Napa and Sonoma counties. At least 17 have been damaged, several reduced to ashy piles of rubble. See the photos here. 8:02 a.m. North Complex terrain poses challenge to containment: The North Complex fires were 83% contained as of Monday as aerial crews surveyed the 318,724-acre blaze. Drone and helicopter crews may ignite fire in the steepest areas in an effort to halt flames spread through Plumas National Forest, where steep terrain and old fuels have challenged firefighters, fire officials said Monday. 7:55 a.m. Glass Fire now 30% contained: Firefighters grew containment lines around the Glass Fire in Napa and Sonoma counties by 4% overnight. The blaze is now 30% contained and 65,580 acres in size. The fire grew by fewer than 700 acres overnight, Cal Fire said. 7:46 a.m. August Fire driven by overnight winds: Firefighters attacked the massive August fire from the air and ground as it vigorously burned with wind-driven torching, overnight, Cal Fire reported Monday morning. Firefighters continued to persevere as smoke and embers pushed back towards crews working on containment lines and structure protection. The blaze, which started in and around Mendocino National Forest, has destroyed 21 structures, and 31 minor structures. Crews anticipated another hot, dry day Monday with challenging conditions in heavy timber and steep, rugged terrain. 7:36 a.m. August Fire tops 1 million acres: The monster August Fire raging in Mendocino, Lake and Trinity counties, thats smashed all records as Californias biggest wildfire ever, now has now reached a stunning milestone: its scorched 1,002,097 acres, Cal Fire reported Monday morning. Read The Chronicles story here. 7:23 a.m. Glass Fire forecast: A patchy, dense fog prevailed over the Bay Area coastline Monday morning enough to ground airplanes at SFO, but not deep enough to bring moisture to Wine Country hills where the Glass Fire rages on, National Weather Service meteorologists said. Dry, south-blowing winds buffeted the North Bay at sunrise Monday, enough to ferry smoke to Santa Rosa, though not likely to affect San Francisco air quality, meteorologists said. 6:52 a.m. Wildfire smoke to drift to Bay Area Tuesday: Smoke from the regions wildfires will have the greatest impact across the North Bay and potentially the East Bay during the next 36 hours, the National Weather Services Bay Area division tweeted Monday. The smoke is not expected to be quite as dense as it was last week, however. Air quality across much of the Bay Area Monday morning was rated as good. 6:38 a.m. Destruction from Glass Fire surges: The number of single family homes destroyed or damaged by the Glass Fire nearly doubled Sunday, as fire officials surveyed the areas most affected by the 64,900-acre blaze. In Sonoma County, 235 homes were destroyed and 73 damaged as of Sunday evening, a 42% increase over tallies taken in the morning. In Napa County, 252 homes were destroyed and 64 damaged, a 33% increase over the course of the day. Cal Fire is set to release new tallies Monday morning as officials get a clearer picture of the damage to residential properties. 6:31 a.m. Zogg Fire now 76% contained: The Zogg Fire burning in Shasta County is now 56,305 acres in size and is 76% contained, Cal Fire said Monday. The fire grew little overnight, allowing firefighters to increase containment by 6%. Updates from Sunday, Oct. 4: 8:10 p.m. Looting not a problem in Napa County: Undersheriff John Crawford, who spoke at a Sunday evening press conference about the Glass Fire, took the microphone just after Sonoma County Sheriff Mark Essick announced that county had arrested eight people on suspicion of intent to loot in evacuation zones. Looting has never really been a problem in Napa, Crawford said. Weve been through fires, earthquakes and floods. But weve historically been very blessed. That said, he added, we will be asking you to explain your presence in an evacuation zone. 8:01 p.m. Fire recovery help from Santa Rosa and Sonoma County: Santa Rosa and Sonoma County are opening a Local Assistance Center (LAC) Monday as a one-stop shop for residents affected by the fire who need to connect with services. The states Office of Emergency Services is a partner in the plan. For more information, visit SRCity.org/LAC. 7:36 p.m. Warnings for residents of southern Lake County: The Lake County Sheriffs Department issued a warning Sunday for residents to be prepared to evacuate, as the Glass Fire approaches the county line bordering Napa and Sonoma counties. For the specific areas under warning, see the sheriffs alert here. To sign up for alerts on your phone, text your zip code to 888777. 7:16 p.m. Sonoma County Sheriff arrests eight suspected looters: Sheriffs deputies arrested eight people who made their way into a Glass Fire evacuation area since the fire broke out a week ago but were unable to say why they were there. We determined that they were looking for crimes of opportunity, county Sheriff Mark Essick said at a news conference on the status of the massive wildfire. They were up to no good. 7:02 p.m. Glass Fire now 26% contained: Containment of the nearly 65,000-acre Glass Fire burning in Sonoma and Napa counties is now at 26%, but it will be weeks before its fully contained and controlled, Calfire said Were feeling good about our lines, a Calfire team leader said. But were not done with this fire. 7:10 p.m. August Complex fires near 1 million acres: The massive set of fires, burning across Mendocino, Humboldt, Trinity, Tehama, Lake, Colusa and Glenn counties, has grown to 993,191 acres and is 54% contained, Cal Fire said. 3:46 p.m. Some evacuation orders now warnings in parts of Santa Rosa, other areas of Sonoma County: Residents in certain areas affected by the Glass Fire may return home, said Calfire and local law enforcement. In Santa Rosa, those areas include Oakmont South and some areas of Oakmont North and Stonebridge. Check here for the exceptions, which are still under evacuation order. Elsewhere in Sonoma County, residents in certain areas of Kenwood and Porter Creek Road may return. For those zones, check here. 3:27 p.m. Evacuation orders reduced to warnings in Calistoga, other areas: Cal Fire will allow residents to return to Calistoga and a number of other areas affected by the Glass Fire. Evacuation warnings remain in effect for those areas, however, and evacuation orders remain in place in other areas of the fire. Click here for details. 2:05 p.m. Evacuation orders lifted in San Mateo County: The deadly CZU Lightning Complex, which burned 86,509 acres across San Mateo and Santa Cruz counties and killed a Santa Cruz County man, is contained and evacuation orders have been lifted for San Mateo County, Cal Fire reported. Lightning ignited the fire Aug. 16 and it blazed for 37 days, destroying 1,490 buildings. Firefighters contained it Sept. 22, but had not yet controlled it. 11:11 a.m. When blazes spark, Fire Twitter warns and informs: Each year when fires flare up, so does a loose-knit Twitter community of scientists, amateur radio operators and journalists. Fire scientists post threads about the dynamics of fire tornadoes, foresters answer questions about land management, and radio operators track wildfires through scanner chatter and a network of publicly accessible wildfire cameras. In many cases, they are vital sources of information in fire zones. Ryan Kost reports the full story here. 10:58 a.m. Astonishing milestone for California wildfires: Deadly wildfires burning this year in the state eclipsed 4 million acres (6,250 square miles) Sunday more than double the previous record. About two months remain in the fire season. The old mark set two years ago was 1.67 million acres. The 4 million mark is unfathomable. It boggles the mind, and it takes your breath away, said Scott McLean, a Cal Fire spokesman. An area larger than Connecticut has been scorched. 10:13 a.m. New evacuations in northern Napa County: Officials ordered evacuations Sunday for several areas in northern Napa County, bordered on the west by Highway 29 at the Robert Louis Stevenson trailhead, north by Livermore Road, east by Aetna Mine Road and the existing evacuation orders to the south. Officials have closed Pope Valley Road between Pope Valley Cross Road and Aetna Springs Road and Highway 29 between the Lake County line and Deer Park Road. Residents must leave the area immediately. 10:11 a.m. Heroic story of evacuation at senior home: As an Oakmont Gardens couple both nearly 100 fled from the Glass Fire, an administrator at the Santa Rosa home dodged checkpoints to go toward the fire and help. Nanette Asimov reports the story here. 9:55 a.m. Glass Fire burning away from Calistoga: The Glass Fire was burning east, away from the town of Calistoga on Sunday morning, a Cal Fire spokesman said. Firefighters have dozers along the towns eastern border to reinforce fire lines in the area, but the fire is not pushing toward Calistoga, currently, said Cal Fire spokesman Chris Valenzuela. 9:37 a.m. Creek Fire grows by 1,753 acres overnight: The Creek Fire burning in Fresno and Madero counties reached 315,413 acres overnight Sunday. Containment rose to 62%. The blaze is burning on both sides of the San Joaquin River near Mammoth Pool, Shaver Lake and Huntington Lake. 7:50 a.m. August Complex fire shows little growth overnight: The August Complex fire showed nearly no growth overnight, Cal Fire said early Sunday. The fire is burning 985,304 acres in seven Northern California counties and is 51% contained. Cal Fire said it expects to fully contain the wildfire by Wednesday. 7:25 a.m. Glass Fire 17% contained: The Glass Fire is burning 63,885 acres in Napa and Sonoma counties and is 17% contained, Cal Fire said early Sunday. Strong, dry winds and above-average temperatures in the North Bay are fueling the fire, the agency said. The blaze has destroyed nearly 300 homes. 7:01 a.m. Zogg Fire containment rises to 68%: Thats up slightly from 66% on Saturday night. The fire has burned 56,305 acres. 6:49 a.m. Glass Fire has now damaged 17 Napa Valley wineries as world-famous region remains under grave threat: One week after the Glass Fire began its violent path through northern Napa Valley, one thing is certain. This is the most destructive fire Americas most famous wine region has ever faced. Chronicle wine writer Esther Mobley has the story. 6:05 a.m. Winds diminish on Mount St. Helena: After peaking around midnight with gusts of up to 31 miles per hour, wind speeds on Mount St. Helena, near the fire zone, have fallen to 4 mph, with gusts of up to 12 mph. A red flag warning for the fire zone expired at 6 a.m. Updates from Saturday: 9:30 p.m. Winds rise on Mt. St. Helena: Wind speeds were rising in Mt. St. Helena on Saturday night, with 18 mph winds gusting up to 29 mph at 9:20 p.m., according to data collected by the National Weather Service at a station on the mountain. 8:38 p.m. Firefighters monitoring weather next weekend: Cal Fire Battalion Chief Mark Brunton said one model for next weekend suggests a potential for some dry lightning, which he said is not a good thing for us to hear, but it is on the outside possibility and that will be closely monitored as we get closer to that event this weekend. He said another, separate model suggests there could be precipitation, but warned that even an inch of rain would not be enough. If we do get some precipitation, will it be a game changer to really change things? At best maybe for a day or two, but its not gonna change it enough where itll completely put the fire out or take us out of fire danger, Brunton said. All its gonna take is a day of just some dry, north winds and that will erase any of that moisture that we get. 8:15 p.m. Glass Fire assistance center to open in Santa Rosa: Sonoma County residents impacted by the Glass fire can visit a new local assistance center opening on Monday at Maria Carrillo High School in Santa Rosa, according to Rep. Mike Thompson, D-St. Helena. The center will be open from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Monday, and then Tuesday, October 6 through Saturday, October 10 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. 7:55 p.m. Cal Fire to host virtual community meeting for Glass Fire: A community meeting for the Glass Fire will be livestreamed on the Cal Fires Sonoma-Lake-Napa Unit Facebook page at 6 p.m. Sunday. 7:52 p.m. Sonoma County opening Glass Fire help center: The county is opening a Local Assistance Center on Monday, Oct. 5 at Maria Carrillo High School in Santa Rosa. It will be open on Monday from 1 to 7 p.m. and then Tuesday, Oct. 6 through Saturday, Oct. 10 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. 7:35 p.m. Helicopters drop nearly 200,000 gallons of water on Glass Fire: Roughly 22 helicopters dropped close to 200,000 gallons of water on the Glass Fire on Saturday, said Battalion Chief Mark Brunton in a video update. Brunton said the helicopters, along with four or five large air tankers, were pounding the area throughout the day on Saturday, which has helped slow the progress in the Division Hotel area of the blaze. 7:30 p.m. Highway 12 corridor looking really good, Cal Fire said: The Highway 12 corridor is looking really good, said Battalion Chief Mark Brunton said in video update. Brunton said utility crews have been working in the area, which he said will help in repopulation efforts once the area is reopened to residents. The road remains closed. 7:25 p.m. Glass Fire moving into Bothe State Park, Cal Fire says: Battalion Chief Mark Brunton said in video update that some fire is moving into Bothe State Park in Napa Valley, citing increased fire activity due to the wind and the dry conditions. Brunton said there are a lot of resources in that area, such as helicopters, ground crews and other sources battling the fire within the state park. 7:20 p.m. Angwin looking really good, Cal Fire battalion chief says: Battalion Chief Mark Brunton said in video update that Angwin is looking really good, still. Brunton said there are good control lines and a lot of resources in the area, making Cal Fire crews very comfortable with that protection against the Glass Fire. 7:15 p.m. Glass Fire containment rises to 15%: The Glass Fire is 15% contained and 63,450 acres, up from 10% contained and 62,360 acres this morning, Cal Fire said. 6:53 p.m. August Complex fires grow to 984,804 acres: The massive fire complex, which is burning across multiple counties (Mendocino, Humboldt, Trinity, Tehama, Lake, Colusa & Glenn County), has reached 51% containment, Cal Fire said. A red flag warning is in effect in the area for Saturday night. 6:40 p.m. Containment of Zogg Fire grows to 66%, Cal Fire says: The Zogg Fire, which is burning in Shasta County, has burned 56,305 acres and was 66% contained as of Saturday evening, Cal Fire said. Thats up from 57% Saturday morning, with no fire growth. Officials said 1,767 firefighters were battling the blaze along with 196 engines, 55 water tenders, 14 helicopters and 24 dozers. 5:38 p.m. FEMA firefighting assistance available for Glass Fire: FEMA granted a Fire Management Assistance on Sept. 28 to cover up to 75% of eligible firefighting costs for the Glass Fire, but no federal disaster has been declared, which means victims are not yet eligible for aid. Congressman Mike Thompson, a Democrat from St. Helena, said Saturday thats not able to happen until currently ongoing assessments of the damage are completed, submitted, and reviewed to see if they meet criteria. 5:27 p.m. Napa County fire chief warns residents fire season is now year round event: The reality of living in California now, fire season is a year round event and folks need to really start planning and building that into their mindset, Napa County Fire Chief Geoff Belyea said during a Facebook live video Saturday afternoon. He urged residents to get go bags ready with important documents, clear defensible space, leaves from gutters, and stacked firewood from beside homes, and know at least two evacuation routes out of their neighborhoods. 5:26 p.m. Glass Fire grows in Palisades: The main fire growth Saturday was in the Palisades area just west of Highway 29, Napa County Fire Chief Geoff Belyea said. The good news is that firefighters have been successful in fighting the fire off from Angwin. The fire also hasnt advanced north toward Calistoga or on the southern end on the east side of Silverado Trail. Crews are making progress constructing fire lines on the west side of Highway 29 between Spring Mountain Road and Whitehall Lane, but the terrain is very treacherous and the work slow-going, Belyea said. 5:25 p.m. Cal Fire video aircraft video shows smoky conditions near Bothe-Napa Valley State Park: Video taken from an aircraft flying near Bothe-Napa Valley State Park shows thick clouds of smoke rising from the Glass Fire, according to video shared by Cal Fires Sonoma-Lake-Napa Unit Saturday afternoon. Cal Fire officials said the Glass Fire has been very active. 5:23 p.m. Middletown residents may see smoke, flames: The Glass Fire has not crossed into Lake County, Cal Fire officials said Saturday afternoon, but residents of Middletown, a Lake County city thats no stranger to wildfires, may see smoke and flames. No evacuation orders or warnings have been issued for Lake County but residents are advised to remain vigilant. The Glass Fire is burning near Highway 29 in northern Napa County near the Lake County line. 5:08 p.m. Santa Rosa releases damage map: The city of Santa Rosa has released an interactive online map that shows damage to properties in the city by the Glass Fire. The fire ripped through eastern Santa Rosa Sunday and Monday. The map allows people to enter addresses and see the extent of damage to property . 5:10 p.m. Nearly four million acres burned across California: Shawna Jones, unit chief for the Sonoma Lake Napa unit of Cal Fire, said that 3.9 million acres statewide have burned this year, killing 31 people. Around 17,000 firefighters are actively fighting fires, with 2,500 assigned to the Glass Fire. Seven additional states are helping. 4:56 p.m. Wind gusts of up to 35 m.p.h. expected in the fire zone: Winds are expected to continue from the northwest at 15-25mph, with 25-35mph gusts, the National Weather Service tweeted. 4:30 p.m. Red-flag warning reissued in North Bay: The National Weather Service has reissued a red flag warning for the North Bay mountains effective immediately and continuing through 6 a.m. Sunday. An earlier warning had been allowed to expire at 6 a.m Saturday but clearing smoke allowed hot dry conditions to develop and for gusty northwest winds to return, the weather service said. The reissued warning is a disappointment for firefighters who had been hoping for cooler temperatures and light winds overnight. 3:23 p.m. Some Santa Rosa evacuation warnings lifted: Click here for details. 3:15 p.m. Tankers return to Glass Fire: Three large air tankers, including a 747, returned to the Wine Country skies Saturday afternoon to join the fight against the Glass Fire. Smoky skies had prevented Cal Fire from using fixed-wing aircraft the past couple of days, but clearer skies allowed their return, said Donna Sager, a spokeswoman for Cal Fire. The tankers were dropping huge loads of bright orange fire retardant and joined a fleet of helicopters dumping buckets or water or retardant. 2:09 p.m. Not a lot of destruction or damage in St. Helena: Janet Upton, a spokeswoman for Napa County Emergency Operations Center, said the Glass Fire didnt burn into downtown and there was not a lot of impact in terms of destruction or damage. Cal Fire is still conducting its investigation to tally an official count. Overnight fire activity into Saturday was moderate due to lack of developing winds and the blaze didnt move down the hillside toward Highway 29 or hit Bale Grist Mill, a city press release said. Priority areas Saturday include Aetna Springs, Angwin, Pope Valley, and Robert Luis Stevenson area near Mount St. Helena. 1:28 p.m. City of Calistoga warns of increased fire activity: The city under evacuation orders warned residents in a Nixle alert Saturday afternoon that significant fire activity had picked up in some areas, particularly along Highway 29/Lake County Highway just south of the Lake County Line and in Diamond Mountain/Kortum Canyon area near the Sonoma County Line. Air quality is at hazardous levels. The fire has destroyed 173 single family residences and 264 commercial properties in Napa County, none within Calistoga city limits. 1:26 p.m. Sonoma County Sheriff does not expect to lift evacuations today: After conversations with Cal Fire, the sheriffs office does not expect to lift any evacuation orders Saturday, according to a Facebook post. The Glass Fire had destroyed 120 single family homes, four multi-family residences, and eight commercial buildings in the county. 1:20 p.m. Evacuations eased in parts of San Mateo County: Cal Fire downgraded evacuation orders to warnings in three areas in San Mateo County affected by the CZU Lightning Complex fire, which is now fully contained. 12:44 p.m. Angwin well-protected, Cal Fire says: The Glass Fire remains dangerously close to the city of Angwin, which has been totally evacuated for days, but Cal Fire Battalion Chief Mark Brunton said firefighters are confident that the city, home to Pacific Union and a hospital, is well protected, surrounded by fire lines and staffed with a number of fire crews. Its also home to a base where helicopters load up with retardant to dump on the Glass Fire. This is a very important community to the Napa Valley, he said in a recorded video briefing Saturday. 12:40 p.m. Firefighters injured in Zogg Fire: On Friday evening, two inmate firefighters were injured fighting the Zogg Fire in Shasta County and transported to a local hospital. One firefighter was released and one remains hospitalized, Cal Fire reported Saturday. 12:30 p.m. Clearer skies, marine layer could aid Glass Fire firefight: Cal Fire officials hope that light winds this afternoon could help clear the skies enough to allow the use of more aircraft in the battle against the Glass Fire. Thick, gray smoke hanging in the hills, canyons and valleys has limited the use of helicopters and especially air tankers that dump water and fire retardant on the fire. Weather forecasts for a marine layer to enter the Glass Fire zone up to 1,000 feet in elevation Saturday night is also giving firefighters hope, Cal Fire spokesman Chris Valenzuela said. Hopefully we can make some real progress tonight, he said Saturday afternoon. 12:18 a.m. Conditions around Calistoga improving: Firefighters continue to battle the Glass Fire but Cal Fire Battalion Chief Mark Brunton said Saturday afternoon that Calistoga is looking at lot better with fire crews establishing more control lines in the area. Winds did whip up embers in some areas overnight but firefighters were able to keep spot fires from spreading. 12:01 p.m. Zogg Fire progress continues: Firefighters continue to make progress on the Zogg Fire burning west of Redding in Shasta County. The fire, has blackened 56,305 acres and destroyed 179 buildings, including homes and businesses like the iconic Ono Store, but is now 57% contained. Fire officials have lifted some evacuation orders and Whiskeytown Reservoir, no longer being used by firefighting helicopters to scoop up huge buckets of water, has reopened to boating and recreation. 11:40 a.m. People who fled Creek Fire can retrieve belongings: Dozens of people who fled the Creek Fire when it roared into a popular recreation area during the Labor Day weekend will be allowed to make reservations to return to campgrounds and cabins to retrieve belongings they left behind, Sierra National Forest officials said Saturday. The fire, which has charred 312,063 acres is 51% contained. It raced into the popular Mammoth Pool area on Sept. 4, displacing hundreds of people, forcing hundreds to flee through flames by foot or car. Scores also had to be rescued by military helicopter. 11:37 a.m. Rescued mountain lion cub has a name: The injured and orphaned mountain lion cub rescued by a Cal Fire firefighter from the Zogg Fire and being treated at the Oakland Zoo has gained a name and an appetite, zoo officials reported. The four- to six-week- old male cub has been dubbed Capt. Cal, the name of the Cal Fire mascot. Hes being treated for burns to his feet and seems to be regaining his appetite, according to zoo veterinarians. 7:55 a.m. Latest on Creek Fire in Fresno, Madera counties: The Creek fire is now 312,063 acres in size and 49% contained, according to Cal Fire. 7:46 a.m. Deadly Zogg Fire grows, but so does containment: The Zogg Fire in Shasta and Tehama counties grew slightly overnight, to 56,305 acres, Cal Fire reported Saturday morning. The fire, which has killed four people, is now 57% contained. Air tankers from across the state are dousing the fire, as conditions allow, Cal Fire said. 7:32 a.m. August Complex now 979,386 acres: The August Complex fire the largest blaze in California history is now 979,386 acres in size, Cal Fire reported Saturday morning, and is 51% contained. There are still more than 11,000 structures threatened by the massive fire, which is burning across swaths of Mendocino, Humboldt, Trinity, Tehama, Lake, Colusa and Glenn counties. 7:18 a.m. Glass Fire grows overnight: The Glass fire in Napa and Sonoma counties grew by just over 1,200 acres overnight, standing at 62,360 acres as of Saturday morning, according to Cal Fire. Firefighters were able to slightly grow their containment of the fire from 8% to 10% in that time. 6:00 a.m. Red flag warning expires: A red flag warning, signifying significant fire risk fo the North Bay Mountains, East Bay hills, the Diablo Range mountains and the Santa Cruz Mountains expired Saturday morning, according to the National Weather Service. With a few exceptions, forecasted winds that worried firefighters never materialized. Another brief burst of northwest winds may impact the Glass Fire later Saturday afternoon and evening, but should be localized to gusts in the 25-30 mph range, the NWS said. 5:52 a.m. When blazes spark, Fire Twitter heats up: Each year when fires flare up across California and the West, so does a small, loose-knit Twitter community of scientists, amateur radio operators and journalists. Theyre all using social media to satisfy a growing demand for real-time information, analysis and discussion as wildly destructive fire seasons become the horrifying norm, and the information they provide is a part of the critical link between firefighters, the media and the public. Read the full story here. 5:26 a.m. Heroic story of senior home evacuation during early hours of Glass Fire: With her heart pounding, Jamie Gralund pressed her foot to the gas and blew through the police checkpoint, trying to help evacuate seniors from Oakmont Gardens in Santa Rosa. Read the full story here. 12:25 a.m. Winds calm in Glass Fire zone: Winds have remained calm so far in the Bay Area with the exception of Mt. Tamalpais and the Altamont Pass, which have seen red-flag level wind gusts of 18-25 mph, according to the National Weather Service. 12:18 a.m. Firefighters battling several spot fires: Firefighters have been battling several spot fires in the Glass Fire zone, including fire off of Ink Grade Road near Angwin, according to scanner reports. Updates from Friday, Oct. 2: 7:30 p.m. Glass Fire still rages, but containment rises slightly: The blaze that began Sunday has now burned 61,150 acres in Napa and Sonoma counties, up from roughly 59,000 acres on Thursday evening, according to a Cal Fire report Friday evening. It is 8% contained, compared to 5% at the end of Thursday. There are 2,611 personnel involved in the efforts as well as 21 helicopters for water drops and 74 bulldozers to make fire lines. The conflagration has now destroyed 293 single family homes, and more than 28,000 structures are still threatened. 7:05 p.m. Cal Fire shares photo of Glass Fire the night it started: Cal Fires Sonoma-Lake-Napa Unit shared on Twitter a photo showing flames in the hills above a vineyard off of Crystal Springs Road in Napa County just after 7 p.m. the day the blaze broke out, Cal Fire said. 6:48 p.m. Cal Fire invites people to call Glass Fire Information Center with questions: Cal Fires Sonoma-Lake-Napa Unit invited people on Twitter to call the Glass Fires Information Call Center to get their questions answered about the blaze. Callers can reach the call center at 707-967-4207, or call 211. 6:50 p.m. More progress against Zogg Fire: Cal Fire reported another day of progress in battling the Zogg Fire near Redding that killed four people after breaking out Sunday afternoon. It grew by only 150 acres during the day, bring the total burned land to 56,168 acres, and it now is 56% contained up from 39% on Thursday evening. There have been 170 structures destroyed, and 101 structures remained threatened. 6:30 p.m. Fire conditions in Sonoma County mostly stable: Though the Glass Fire continues to threaten large stretches of Napa County, the west flank in Sonoma County on Friday was calm, county officials told a press briefing. But 16,542 people remain under evacuation orders, many of them residents of eastern Santa Rosa. Christina Rivera, the Emergency Operations Director, said the county also has more than 400 animals in its care: 200 horses, 123 chickens, 68 goats, 12 quail and two llamas. We are taking care of everyone, even the precious pets that we have, Rivera said. 6:21 p.m. Fire-scorched California land approaches 4 million acres this year: Cal Fire reports that since the beginning of the year, more than 8,200 wildfires have burned well over 3.9 million acres in California. MOre than 53,000 residents now are evacuated across the state. Fatalities statewide increased this week to 31 after another victim of the LNU Lightning Complex succumbed to their injuries, Cal Fire reported. 3:55 p.m. Most evacuated Santa Rosa residents can return home: Cal Fire has lessened evacuation orders to evacuation warnings for all parts of the city of Santa Rosa that were not actually burned. However, the notice from the state agency on Friday afternoon warns returning residents to stay vigilant on current fire conditions. 3:30 p.m. Napa wineries in evacuation or warning zones number 215: There are now 215 wineries in Napa County under mandatory evacuation or evacuation warning, according to Napa County public information officer Janet Upton, an increase of 72 since Monday. So far, 17 wine properties have registered significant damage by the Glass Fire. 3:15 p.m. Sonoma County evacuation orders lifted: Several areas that were under evacuation orders along the west edge of the Glass Fire have been improved to evacuation warning status. They include areas east and south of Santa Rosa, south of Annadel State Park and in the ridges east of Windsor. A full list is here. 2:55 p.m. Glass Fire conditions remain near critical: Although high winds that triggered a Bay Area red flag warning did not materialize Thursday evening, breezy conditions and hot temperatures through Saturday could hasten the spread of the Glass Fire along its north and east flanks in Napa County, Cal Fire meteorologist Tom Bird said Friday afternoon.We still continue with elevated to near-critical fire conditions today and into tonight, Bird said in a briefing on the Cal Fire Facebook page. Sunday may bring better conditions, he said, with winds from the west carrying a little more moisture and cooling the temperatures. 2:30 p.m. People trying to get past fire barricades: Santa Rosa police are having trouble dissuading evacuees from trying to get back into evacuated areas to check on their houses as well as people hoping to take a look at the devastation in burned areas, Police Chief Ray Navarro said. He said his department had made no looting or robbery arrests in evacuated areas, but added, If you dont live in the area, please dont come to look. Sonoma County Sheriff Mark Essick said his department has added 50 additional deputies to patrol evacuated zones for looters. 2:24 p.m. Air quality in Napa hazardous: Air quality at a Napa Valley College monitoring station reached levels rated hazardous between 10 and 11 a.m. Friday before dropping back slightly to very unhealthy in the following hour. Air quality across the rest of the Bay Area was at unhealthy levels due to smoke. 2 p.m. Cal Fire watching out for winery workers: Despite the nearby flames, and expected winds that could drive the Glass Fire through the Highway 29 corridor, many winery workers are still on the job during the critical harvest season. While thats understandable, its another concern for Cal Fire, Battalion Chief Mark Brunton said at a Friday media briefing. Theres a lot of industry working in the area, he said, and its their safety as well as the fire that has firefighters attention. 1:35 p.m. CHP says this is not a weekend to tour Wine Country: The CHP commander in Wine Country, Aristotle Wolfe, said people have done a good job staying away from road closures and barricades during the Glass Fire. But he worries about weekend travelers heading to wineries or a favorite park or restaurant, getting firefighters way and snarling traffic, especially on Highway 29 and Silverado Trail, both of which have roadblocks. These are routes people are used to traveling, he said. This is just not a good weekend for it. 12:28 p.m. Record heat, wind, climate are not the only wildfire quagmires: Californias fiery, record-breaking wildfire crisis could quickly become a political one too, as state leaders scramble to contain a worsening problem with myriad solutions, none of them easy, with disagreement about next steps. Climate change is not the only issue: the state will need to grapple with its overgrown forests and misguided development patterns. Read The Chronicles rundown of how the path to solutions looks. 10:38 a.m. Oakland Zoo treating mountain lion cub from Zogg Fire: Oakland Zoo vets are treating an orphaned mountain lion cub rescued by a firefighter from the Zogg Fire in Shasta County. The male cub, four to six weeks old, suffered burns to his paws, whiskers completely singed off and severely irritated eyes. With medication and a special milk formula, he was acting feisty, a promising sign, according to the zoos Dr. Alex Herman. Because mountain lion cubs usually stay with their mothers for two years, he wont be released into the wild once hes recovered, zoo officials said. 9:25 a.m. Store once owned by assemblywomans family burns: Among the 159 buildings destroyed by the Zogg Fire in Shasta County was the Ono Store, a classic general store in the town of Ono, west of Redding, near where the fire ignited on Sunday. It was owned by Bruce and Sherry Wicks, parents of Assemblywoman Buffy Wicks, D-Berkeley, in the 1970s, she tweeted. She called it a gem of a general store...a restaurant, bar, grocery, weather reporting service, & library during that time. It was wiped out when the fire blasted through Monday. 8:50 a.m. Firefighters continue to gain on Zogg Fire: The Zogg Fire, burning west of Redding in Shasta County, has killed four people and destroyed 159 buildings as it tore through 56,018 acres since it ignited Sunday. But over the past two nights, firefighters have made significant progress surrounding the fire with containment lines. As of Friday morning, it was 46% contained. 8:46 a.m. August Complex Fire continues to grow: Already by far the largest fire in California history, the massive August Complex stretching across parts of five Northern California counties continued to grow overnight, surpassing 970,000 acres. The fire, started by lightning on Sept. 10 in Mendocino County, was 51% contained as of Friday morning. The conflagration is burning in timber land and steep, rugged terrain, and remains very active, according to Cal Fire officials. 8:39 a.m. Bay Area heat advisory until 8 p.m.: The Bay Area heat advisory remains until Friday at 8 p.m. Santa Rosa and other valley towns in the North Bay were expected to hit 101, while temperatures in the mid-80s were forecast for Oakland and San Francisco, and triple-digit mercury for inland areas including Gilroy, Livermore and Concord. But National Weather Service meteorologists predict cooler temperatures throughout the weekend and into next week. 8:14 a.m. Strong winds feed Glass Fire: Sustained winds and gusts of up to 45 mph were expected to buffet the Bay Areas highest elevations Friday, according to the National Weather Service. Winds were expected to be strongest between 1 p.m. and 10 p.m., which could complicate efforts to contain Glass Fire. Fuels are incredibly dry. Theres an active fire. Any increase in winds is not a good recipe, said Weather Service meteorologist Ryan Walbrun. 7:45 a.m. Glass Fire still barely contained: Despite lighter than expected winds overnight, the Glass Fire continued to grow, according to Cal Fire officials. The fire has now consumed 60,148 acres, growing by about 2,000 acres overnight, and is now 6% contained. A total of 220 houses have been leveled in Napa and Sonoma counties along with dozens of other structures. About 29,000 buildings are still threatened. 6:47 a.m. Zogg Fire containment rises to 46%: That is an increase from 39% containment Thursday night. The fire, which is in Shasta and Tehama counties, has burned 56,018 acres, Cal Fire said, up slightly from 55,803 on Thursday night. It has destroyed 159 structures and taken four lives. 6:09 a.m. Spare the Air alert in effect through Tuesday: Smoke and smog will continue to impact the Bay Area, prompting officials to extend a Spare the Air alert through Tuesday. 5:59 a.m. Heat continues, winds may pick up this afternoon: The National Weather Services Bay Area arm reports that very warm to hot and dry conditions will persist over the region through Friday, and that will bring critical fire weather conditions over the higher terrain, especially where ongoing fires continue. In addition, while winds have been relatively quiet, the weather service expects a pulse of stronger NW later this afternoon and this evening. 5:39 a.m. Air quality remains poor: Fine-particle measurements across the Bay Area ranged from unhealthy for sensitive groups to very unhealthy early Friday morning, with the worst reading in the very unhealthy category at 3 a.m. in Napa. Official air quality data lags real-time by a few hours. 5:19 a.m. Wind gusts on Mt. St. Helena remain low: Despite fears of risky fire weather, the winds on Mt. St. Helena which is in the Glass Fire area remained in the single digits overnight. Shortly after 5 a.m., wind speeds were 6 miles per hour, gusting to 8 miles per hour. 2:30 a.m. Firefighters battle grass fire in Solano County: Firefighters with Fairfield and Solano County fire departments were battling a grass fire near Business Center Drive and Suisun Parkway, a Fairfield emergency dispatcher told The Chronicle. The fire was reported just before 2 a.m. There was no threat to structures, and there were no reports of injuries. Dispatch said forward progress of the fire had stopped before 2:30 a.m. Friday. The cause of the fire was immediately unknown. 1:45 a.m. Crews respond to house fire near Calistoga: Firefighters were responding to a report of a two-story house fire at 1320 Tucker Road. The home was fully involved and residents had evacuated safely, according to scanner reports. 9:30 Massive August Complex fire grows: Already the largest fire in state history by far, the August Complex of blazes that stretch across portions of five northern counties consumed another 500 acres on Thursday, bringing the total to 956,084. Containment remains at 47%, according to a Cal Fire report Thursday evening. Relatively speaking it was a pretty good day it could have been a lot worse because of winds and parched landscapes, said Capt. A.J. Lester of Cal Fire. But 500 acres in itself is pretty big. Updates from Thursday, Oct. 1 8 p.m. Firefighters working to save home just off Highway 29 near Calistoga: Firefighters were working to save a home just off Highway 29, just north of Old Lawley Toll Road, as flames were creeping up behind the residence on Thursday night. The Chronicles Michael Williams captured the scene on video. 7:30 p.m.: Glass Fire nears 60,000 acres, just 5% contained: The Glass Fire grew to 58,880 acres as of Thursday evening, according to a Cal Fire update, an increase from Wednesday evening of 7,500 acres. It also has destroyed a total of 220 homes in Napa and Sonoma counties up from 143 on Wednesday and 28,835 are threatened. The fire situation on Thursday is especially perilous in Napa County, where several small communities remain under evacuation orders, but Sonoma County officials at a press conference Thursday evening said that the threats to Santa Rosa have receded. 7:35 p.m. Glass Fire burning near Angwin: Cal Fire spokesman Scott McLean told The Chronicle that while the Glass Fire was actively burning around Angwin, there is nothing in town proper. McLean said that the Glass Fire is close, dont get me wrong, (but) it is not in town destroying structures. McLean said Angwin, Calistoga and the area near Highway 29 have proved challenging areas for firefighters on the ground. With the weather conditions, they are busting it, trying to make sure that theyre prepared and continue to be so, and get some lines in. Its been a hard one, getting around it, McLean said. 7 p.m. Zogg Fire now 39% contained: Firefighters had a very successful day in their efforts to rein in the Zogg Fire near Redding, according to Cal Fire. The blaze that began on Sept. 27 consumed 55,803 acres as of Thursday evening, what the agency describes as a minimal growth in size, and the 39% containment is up from the 26% reported earlier in the day. There continue to be numerous road closings, however; 153 structures have been destroyed, and another 1,548 are still threatened. 5 p.m. We all feel sucker-punched, says Napa supervisor: The Napa County Board of Supervisors held a special meeting Thursday afternoon to ratify a state of emergency and public health emergency that officials declared on Monday after the Glass Fire erupted. Supervisor Belia Ramos urged residents to stay strong: We all feel sucker-punched right now. Its not going to be easy, we know that, but were going to make our way out of these difficult times. 4:09 p.m. The strange saga of the Napa Valley Museum: On Sept. 24, the museum opened an online exhibition of wildfire photography by Tim Carl, a native of St. Helena and a current Calistoga resident. Four days later, the photographer and the museums executive director both evacuated their homes as the Glass Fire spread. One took shelter in the museum itself. Read the story here. 4:08 p.m. Firefighters battle edge of Glass Fire: About four miles north of Calistoga, fire crews overlooked flames in a steep ravine below a home. Hand crews had already cleared fire lines and a California National Guard helicopter repeatedly looped around dropping water on the fire. Winds were fairly calm in the remote hills. 3:35 p.m. Luck runs out for Napa vineyard area: Few areas of Napa Valley have evaded wildfire over the last few years, but Spring Mountain was lucky. Luck ran out, however, for this vineyard-dotted mountain above St. Helena in Napas western flanks, as the Glass Fire has swept across the region: Spring Mountain became Napas latest battleground. Read the latest here. 3:27 p.m. Napa County goofs on alert, creating confusion: An unknown number of Bay Area residents even in non-fire zones received erroneous emergency alerts Thursday warning of imminent fire danger. Residents of Solano, Marin and Napa counties, and perhaps others, received messages meant just for a small number of Napa County residents threatened by the Glass Fire. The blunder was traced to a glitch in the Napa County warning system. Read more here. 3:17 p.m. Highway 29 closed in Lake County: Caltrans has closed Highway 29 at Bradford Road about a mile north of the Napa/Lake county line because of the nearby Glass Fire. No specific time is projected to reopen it. Cal Fire officials have said the fire is not yet burning in Lake County but is threatening to enter the county near Highway 29. 3:05 p.m. Flex Alert in effect: With high temperatures across the state, electric grid officials are asking Californians to save power until 10 p.m. Thursday. Read more here. 2:40 p.m. Santa Rosa fire chief: Early evacuations, awareness led to no deaths: So far, no fatalities have been reported in the Glass Fire, Santa Rosa Fire Chief Anthony Gossner said Thursday. He credited the communitys awareness and evacuations that took place almost immediately after the fires started on Sunday. We are a battle-hardened community, he said. 2:30 p.m. Cal Fire director says fire lines are long enough to reach New York: Firefighters battling Californias hellish series of blazes have put down enough fire containment lines to stretch from San Diego to New York City, Cal Fire Director Thom Porter said Thursday. As of Thursday afternoon, 23 major fires were burning in the state and firefighters from several states, and from the National Guard, Canada, Mexico and Israel are fighting the fires. 2:07 p.m. Fight against Glass Fire includes Lake County: The fight against the Glass Fire now includes Lake County, Billy See, a Cal Fire assistant chief, said Thursday. Even though the fire is not burning inside the county, which has experienced several large fires in the past five years, it could still cross the county lines. Crews are working inside Lake County to prevent that from happening, he said at an afternoon press briefing. 2 p.m. In search of the Glass Fire ignition: On the Fifth & Mission podcast take a walk up steep North Fork Crystal Springs Road with reporter Matthias Gafni. He describes the scorched landscape near the Dancing Bear Ranch Vineyard, part of Cakebread Cellars, where Cal Fire has been focusing investigation on finding what started the Glass Fire. Click here to listen. 1:40 p.m. Firefighting teams now include 2,200 military: Some 2,200 military personnel are helping to fight Californias 23 active wildfires, California National Guard Adjutant General David Baldwin said Thursday afternoon. Seven helicopters, a surveillance plane and drone aircraft from the military are being used to map the fires and drop water and retardant, he said at a press conference in Santa Rosa. 1:50 p.m. Raindrops maybe could come: Californians suffering a hellish wildfire season just got a sliver of hope: Meteorologists say we could start to see measurable rain as soon as a week from now. Forecast models show about a 50% likelihood that the Bay Area will receive above normal precipitation from Oct. 8-14, according to the National Weather Service. Read the details here. 1:22 p.m. Californians told to conserve energy 3-10 p.m.: Californians are being urged to prevent rolling blackouts by conserving electricity as excessive heat and smoke strain the electric grid. The operator of the power grid covering most of the state, issued a call to save electricity for 3-10 p.m. Thursday. People should set air conditioners at 78 degrees or higher and turn off unnecessary appliances to reduce demand. Read the story here. 1:11 p.m. New evacuations in Napa County: Authorities have issued a mandatory evacuation order for Whitehall Lane to the Bella Oaks area near Rutherford in Napa County. It covers the area south of the end of South Whitehall Lane and north of the end of Bella Oaks Lane, west to the Sonoma County line and including addresses greater than the 500 block on Wall Road. An evacuation warning was issued for areas from Bella Lane to Oakville Grade. 12:51 p.m. Blaze threatens Angwin and Pope Valley: Cal Fire said Thursday that active fire was pushing Glass Fire flames toward the communities of Angwin and Pope Valley. We have a lot of resources in and around Angwin, said Battalion Chief Mark Bruntwin, but overall resources are short. 12:37 p.m. Newsom tours Glass Fire: Gov. Gavin Newsom, touring destruction left by the voracious Glass Fire raging across Napa and Sonoma counties, said Thursday on Twitter: Heartbreaking to see the devastation that this fire has caused. Immensely grateful for the firefighters and first responders that have tirelessly fought to keep this community safe. 12:25 p.m. Highway 29 in Napa has some fire: Cal Fire said Thursday the Highway 29 corridor through the Napa vineyard zone has had some flames and fire threat. Grape harvesting is allowed to continue as its a crucial time for the industry, said Chief Mark Brunton. We are going to be watching that closely. 12:20 p.m. Glass Fire at outskirts of Calistoga: Firefighters on Thursday worked to slow the Glass Fire at the outskirts of Calistoga as it threatened the town, Cal Fire Battalion Chief Mark Brunton said Thursday. The blaze had not reached city limits, he said, and firefighters were doing active structure defense. Concern centered on winds coming from the northwest with potential to push into the Highway 29 corridor, he said. In the rural Palisades area near St. Helena, rough, steep terrain and combustible vegetation was making it difficult for firefighters to make headway and cut off its northward advancement toward Lake County. 11:51 a.m. Marin County says fire-danger alert not intended for county: Marin County officials on Thursday told residents not to worry if they received an extreme fire danger message, as it was not intended for them: Weve received word that @CountyofNapa sent out an extreme fire danger message via the Wireless Emergency Alert system. This was not intended for Marin County residents; there are NO evacuations in effect for #MarinCounty, the countys official Twitter page tweeted. 11:30 a.m. Cal Fire at small fire on Oakville Grade Road: Cal Fire have responded to a small fire on Oakville Grade Road west of Yountville, several miles south of where the Glass Fire is active, spokesman Dominik Schwab confirmed. He was unable to provide more details but a source at the scene told The Chronicle that the flames were extinguished, crews were mopping up and a Cal Fire investigator was trying to determine the cause. 10:45 a.m. Fires wreak havoc on internet, cell connectivity: The destructive Glass Fire has damaged vulnerable internet and cell phone infrastructure, the latest to highlight the urgent need for more resilient connections as Northern California fires increasintly topple utility poles, wreck optic cables and cut off power all while evacuation orders and other emergency communications depend on online communication. Read the story here. 10:08 a.m. Newsom to tour Glass Fire zone: Gov. Gavin Newsom was scheduled to tour the Glass Fire zone late Thursday morning as firefighters braced for threatening fire conditions with high dry winds and hot temperatures. The governors press office did not disclose the precise location, but said he would be onsite at 11:30 a.m. 10:05 a.m. LNU and SCU complex fires fully contained: The LNU and SCU complex fires, sparked by lightning on Aug. 16, have finally been fully contained. Cal Fire officials announced the elusive 100% containment figure Thursday morning. The fires, the LNU in the North Bay and the SCU in the East Bay and Central Valley, burned through more than 760,000 acres, killed five people and destroyed 1,700 structures. 9:14 a.m. Heat advisory stay inside: The National Weather Service has issued a heat advisory for Thursday, predicting punishing temperatures, rising well above 100 in the fire zones and other inland areas. Bay Area temperatures were warmer than usual before dawn, with little if any fog along the coast, and were expected to climb to the low 90s in San Francisco and along the bay to around 100 in Napa and inland East Bay cities like Livermore and Brentwood. The Weather Service urged people to stay inside, stay hydrated and avoid extended periods of strenuous exercise. Read the story here. 9:03 a.m. How to help firefighters and victims: Numerous relief groups are providing aid to firefighters and residents suffering in the wake of record-smashing wildfires in Northern California. The Chronicle provides a list of options on how you can help. 8:22 a.m. Glass Fire 5% contained: The Glass Fire burning in Napa and Sonoma counties was 5% contained Thursday morning, Cal Fire said, a 3% improvement overnight. The fire, which has displaced tens of thousands and destroyed more than 100 homes, has grown to nearly 57,000 acres in size. 8:15 a.m. Extreme fire hazards in August Complex: Firefighters in the northern section of the record-breaking August Complex fires in Trinity and Humboldt County have reported zero visibility due to dense smoke, Cal Fire reported Thursday. The seven-county blaze has grown to 955,513 acres and was 47% contained as of Thursday morning. . Highly combustible vegetation, falling trees, downed powerlines and exploding fuel tanks are among the hazards, Cal Fire said. 8:05 a.m. Icky air Thursday: Air quality for much of the Bay Area was expected to worsen Thursday as smoke from the Glass Fire in Napa and Sonoma counties blows south, driven by winds that could gust up to 30 mph later in the day. A Spare the Air alert which has persisted for much of the week is in effect until at least Friday. Read the story with details about air quality throughout the area. 7:32 a.m. Battered Butte County struggles to house the displaced: Housing and homeless advocates say that the pandemic and wildfires have combined to overwhelm a hardscrabble county that was already struggling with a housing crisis, with hundreds of families living in cars, lean-tos and tents, and cramming into apartments. The North Complex fires have left hundreds of families homeless as the county still is recovering from the 2018 Camp Fire that flattened the town of Paradise. Read the story here. 7:14 a.m. Wildfires elevate housing needs: The CZU fires last month spurred evacuation of 1 in 5 Santa Cruz County residents, some 60,000 people, and destroyed nearly 1,000 homes. In a troubling warning for North Bay wildfire regions, the blaze affected some of the countys most affordable housing, adding pressure on an already costly market amid a statewide housing crisis. Read the details here. 6:54 a.m. Thursdays red flag warning expands: The National Weather Service expanded the territory included in its red flag warning, which takes effect Thursday afternoon, to include the East Bay hills and the Santa Cruz mountains. The initial warning, issued Wednesday, includes the North Bay mountains and the region around the Glass Fire. The warning will take effect 1 p.m. Thursday and last at least until 6 p.m. Friday as forecasts predict gusty winds, high temperatures and low humidity conditions that could fan the flames of the Glass Fire. 6:48 a.m. Evacuation warning lifted for Paradise: Reduced fire activity and improving weather conditions prompted the agencies responding to the North Complex fire to lift the evacuation warning hanging over the town of Paradise Wednesday afternoon. 6:34 a.m. Zogg Fire 26% contained: Firefighters reported substantial progress against the Zogg Fire in Shasta and Tehama counties, with containment growing from 9% to 26% overnight. The fire itself grew minimally by just 257 acres according to a Cal Fire report Thursday morning. The fire, which has killed four people and destroyed 147 structures, is now 55,303 acres in size. Updates from Wednesday, Sept. 30: 7:20 p.m. Glass Fire grows to 51,266 acres acres: The Glass Fire has burned 51,266 acres and was 2% contained as of Wednesday evening, Cal Fire said. The fire has destroyed 36 single-family residences in Sonoma County and 107 in Napa County, and is threatening another 26,290 structures, Cal Fire said. Officials said 2,108 firefighters are battling the blaze along with 37 water tenders, 22 helicopters and 81 dozers. 7:05 p.m. More evacuation orders, warnings in portions of Napa County for Glass Fire: The Glass Fire is prompting new evacuation orders and warnings for portions of Napa County, Cal Fires Sonoma-Lake-Napa Unit said on Twitter Wednesday evening. 6:50 p.m. States grid operator asks customers to cut energy use on Thursday afternoon, evening: The California Independent System Operator called for a Flex Alert for 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. Thursday in anticipation of triple-digit heat, according to Pacific Gas & Electric Co. officials. Conserving energy is a way to make sure that the supply of power stays ahead of demand,. PG&E officials said. With high temperatures in the forecast, the grid operator is predicting an increase in electricity demand, primarily from air conditioning use, PG&E officials said. Reduced capacity, along with fire activity and heat, has led to a potential shortage of energy supply tomorrow evening, CAISO says. 3:40 p.m. All of St. Helena now under either evacuation order or warning: St. Helena Police Chief Chris Hartley told The Chronicle that the north and western ends of the city limit specifically the parts of the city that are up against the hillside are under an evacuation order, which is probably only about a quarter of our city limits. Hartley said: The other three-quarters are under an evacuation warning. The majority of the city is under an evacuation warning only. 3:38 p.m. Fires bring internet outages: Wildfires can take out internet and cell-phone infrastructure, causing residents fleeing the flames more problems as they miss emergency alerts. Heres why Northern California networks arent more resilient to the regions increasingly threatening fires. 3:22 p.m. Nearly 4 million acres have burned in state this year: More than 8,100 wildfires have ripped across well over 3.9 million California acres this fire season, according to Cal Fire, pushing toward the 4-million-acre milestone. Thats twice the 2018 record of 1.98 million acres burned. With the blazes have come 29 deaths, and destruction of more than 7,200 structures as of Wednesday. 3:15 pm. Body found in Shasta County: Cal Fire said the body of the Zogg fires fourth victim was discovered amid the ashes in Shasta County. The fire, near Redding, has burned 50,000 acres remained out of control, with 146 structures lost. More than 1,500 homes and other buildings remained threatened, officials said Wednesday. 3:10 p.m. Glass fire a huge challenge: The Glass fire has made its main push into east Santa Rosa, where nothing has burned in 80 years, creating tinderbox conditions after a dry winter, as more than 2,000 crew members battle the blaze. It isnt taking much for fires to establish there, Cal Fire Chief Mark Brunton said Wednesday. Even without the wind, its still a huge challenge. Read the story here. 2:55 p.m. Camp Pendleton evacuations: Fire officials ordered residents to evacuate Camp Pendleton (San Diego County) on Wednesday after a brush fire started on the east side of the Marine Corps base. Base officials said on social media Wednesday that the De Luz housing area and surrounding buildings were being evacuated and suggested that evacuees go to Paige Field House. 2:12 p.m. Five arrested in evacuation zones: Five people were arrested for being inside Glass Fire evacuation zones without approval, Sonoma County Sheriff Mark Essick said Wednesday, but no looting was reported. Those people had no lawful business being there, but we suspect they were looking for crimes of opportunity, he said. Santa Rosa also had no reports of looters in the city. Sheriffs deputies and police officers are patrolling evacuated areas. 1:39 p.m. Zogg Fire claims 4th victim: The Zogg Fire tearing though nearly 52,000 acres of Shasta County has killed a fourth person, according to Cal Fire. The conditions surrounding the persons death were not immediately clear. 1:24 p.m. How did Glass Fire start?: Cal Fire officials believe the Glass Fire blaze started Sunday in the 200 block of North Fork Crystal Springs Road, off Silverado Trail, east of Larkmead Lane. The cause is not confirmed. The smaller Shady Fire, one of two that merged with the Glass Fire on Monday, is believed to have ignited from wind that blew sparks or embers from the Glass Fire, but that also is not confirmed, officials said. Read the story. 12:47 p.m. Glass Fire burning near Robert Louis Stevenson State Park: Cal Fire reported that the Glass Fire is now burning in the Palisades adjacent to Robert Louis Stevenson State Park in Napa County. A tweet from Cal Fires Sonoma-Lake-Napa Unit included a video of the fire ripping up a mountainside, its furious clouds billowing rapidly above the ridgline. 11:47 a.m. Glass Fire threatening 22,500 structures: The Glass Fire has destroyed 80 homes but 22,500 structures are still threatened, Cal Fire said Wednesday. At a briefing, officials voiced concern that a deadly combination of intense heat, very low humidity and stronger winds may test containment lines. The blaze remained 2% contained Wednesday morning. 11:35 a.m. Red Flag fire warning for Thursday: The National Weather Service announced a Red Flag fire-danger warning for the North Bay mountains and areas around the Glass Fire starting at 1 p.m. Thursday. While not expecting the same critical fire conditionsof earlier this week, forecasters expect critically dry and breezy conditions in the area. 11:25 a.m. Refusing to evacuate to save a building: As the Grass Fire bore down on Pope Valley and evacuations were ordered, a group of residents refused to leave, staying to protect the 1915 Pope Valley Garage which they said had never closed its doors. Read The Chronicles story on how they rationalized defying fire and law enforcement officials insistence that such actions are dangerous and put the lives of residents and firefighters at risk. 11:17 a.m. Thursday will bring Bay Area winds, heat: The Bay Area is about to get slammed again with dry, gusting winds and hot temperatures on Thursday, meteorologists said. Dry winds with gusts over 25 mph are expected in the North Bay mountains, creating conditions likely to spread the Glass Fire, and lasting into the weekend. Unusually high temperatures, reaching well past 100 in the North Bay and other inland areas, are expected on Thursday. Read the story here. 10:59 a.m. New Glass Fire evacuations: The Glass Fire is forcing new evacuations even as some people return to their homes. People living northwest of Calistoga were ordered to evacuate early Wednesday morning. While the fire is still largely uncontrolled, evacuees from the Skyhawk neighborhood in east Santa Rosa were allowed to return home Tuesday night and some evacuation orders were reduced to warnings. Read the latest details here. 10:47 a.m. Firefighters forced to use shelter: Two firefighters, trapped by wind-driven flames, were able to escape injury after they deployed their fire shelter, Cal Fire officials said Wednesday. The firefighters, in an undisclosed area of Napa County, deployed the tent-like structure at about 11:45 p.m. Sunday. They were uninjured, Cal Fire reported, but a number of fire transportation vehicles were damaged by the flames. 9:19 a.m. Bay Area firefighters in thick of fire fury: The Alameda County Fire Department tweeted that its crews and East Bay teams have been helping out with protection of structures and livestock in the Calistoga-St. Helena area, passing live fire enroute and faced with extreme weather and fire behavior. The department posted a dramatic video of the fury theyve seen. 8:53 a.m. How global warming and fires converged: The Chronicle has created insightful interactive maps showing how the climate crisis has spiraled out of control, with extreme drought, diminished tree cover, torrential rains that fed underbrush fuel, and hot weather conditions joining forces to inflame the record-setting wildfires of recent years. Check out the compelling map project here. 7:57 a.m. Glass Fire continues to spread: In hot, dry conditions, the Glass Fire burning through Sonoma and Napa counties grew by about 2,000 acres overnight. It has consumed 48,440 acres and was 2% contained as of Wednesday morning, Cal Fire reported. A total of 115 structures, including 80 homes and a number of winery buildings, have been destroyed and more than 22,000 are threatened. 7:35 a.m. Zogg Fire 7% contained but growing: Firefighters began to establish containment lines overnight Wednesday on the Zogg Fire, which is burning in grass, oak and chapparal west of Redding in Shasta and Tehama counties. The fire, which grew by about 2,000 acres to 51,955 acres, was 7% contained as of Wednesday morning, after 0% containment Tuesday night. The fire near the towns of Ono and Igo has destroyed 146 structures. 7:14 a.m. Diablo winds lurk, with prospect of worse fires:The fierce fires that have consumed Northern California over the past few weeks could grow exponentially worse as dry, seasonal gusts called Diablo winds kick up in October, weather experts say. Similar to the Santa Ana winds in Southern California, they typically arrive when the state is at its most vulnerable, The Chronicles Aidin Vaziri reports. 5:39 a.m. Video shows devastation along Sonoma-Napa border: The Sonoma County Sheriffs Office posted a video Tuesday night of the fire damage along St. Helena Road on the border of Napa and Sonoma counties. The footage showed downed utility poles and charred landscapes in an area that the sheriffs office said has been one of the most active fire zones in Sonoma County as the 46,600-acre Glass Fire rages on. 5:24 a.m. Air quality at unhealthy levels for much of Bay Area: A Spare the Air alert remained in effect Wednesday morning as air quality was rated unhealthy for much of the Bay Area, with high levels of pollutants detected in North and East Bay skies, according to the Bay Area Air Quality Management District. Areas south of the Glass Fire, from Petaluma, Vallejo and Concord all the way to Livermore are expected to see poor air quality throughout the week. Air-quality regulators said a Spare the Air Alert would run through at least Friday. 5:10 a.m. Fire conditions predicted in mountainous Napa, Sonoma counties: Wind gusts are expected to reach up to 30 mph at the highest elevations in the North Bay mountains this week, which could spark more fires in an area already under siege by the 46,600-acre Glass Fire, according to the National Weather Service. The prospect of strong winds coupled with low humidity has meteorologists worried. The agency issued a fire watch for much of northern Sonoma and Napa counties that begins Thursday at 1 p.m. and runs through Saturday evening, though wind gusts are expected to continue through the weekend. Updates from Tuesday, Sept. 29: 8:55 p.m. Weather Service issues fire weather watches for Glass, Dolan fires: The National Weather Services Bay Area office issued fire weather watches for the Glass and Dolan fires, saying that while upcoming weather wont be nearly as strong as this past weekend for the Glass Fire but still critical with hot temps, low humidity, dry fuels and breezy winds. The Weather Service has not yet called for a red flag warning, which is one step above a fire weather watch. 8:30 p.m. Weather Service doesnt expect red flag warning but heat will be intense: The National Weather Service said it had no plans to issue a red-flag warning but some intense heat is coming to the fire zone. Temperatures were expected to hover mainly in the low- to mid-90s on Wednesday before jumping up to over 100 degrees on Thursday, said David King, a meteorologist for the weather service. Officials in Sonoma County earlier said they believed a red-flag warning was possible in the fire zone in the coming days, with one Cal Fire chief putting the odds at 50-50, largely because of expected high temperatures and dangerously low humidity levels. 8:05 p.m. Newsom responds to Trumps debate comments on forest fires: California Gov. Gavin Newsom quote-retweeted CLIMATE CHANGE IS REAL of a PolitiFact tweet fact-checking President Trumps comments about the cause of forest fires. During the first presidential debate on Tuesday night, Trump claimed without evidence that forest fires are caused by poor forest management. PolitiFact, an independent fact-checker part of Poynter Institute, tweeted, Donald Trump blames the forest fires on forest management. False. Californias stronger winds, higher temperatures and drier conditions driven by climate change are also making the fires worse. 7:15 p.m. Evacuation order issued for portions of Napa County for Glass Fire: Cal Fire said a previous evacuation warning has been upgraded to an evacuation order for all areas west of SR 29/128 (Foothill Boulevard) to the county line, between Diamond Mountain Road and Petrified Forest Road. 7:10 p.m. Glass Fire grows to 46,600 acres: The Glass Fire has burned 46,600 acres and was 2% contained as of Tuesday evening, Cal Fire said. Officials said 2,099 firefighters were battling the blaze along with 261 engines, 31 water tenders, 16 helicopters, and 71 dozers. 5:32 p.m. Hood Mountain park burns again: The Glass Fire has burned nearly all of Hood Mountain Regional Park east of Santa Rosa, according to Sonoma County Supervisor Susan Gorin. The park also burned in the 2017 Nuns Fire. Gorin warned that the picturesque viewshed along Highway 12 outside Santa Rosa will take a very long time to recover. 5:20 p.m. More road closures in and near Calistoga: Officials with Napa County Office of Emergency Services announced more road closures related to the ongoing Glass Fire including: Highway 29 at Tubbs Lane in all directions; Highway 128 at Petrified Forest Road in all directions; Highway 29 at Deer Park Road in all directions. 5:13 p.m. Glass Fire still 0% contained, firefighters expect worse weather to come: The Glass Fire is 42,360 acres and 0% contained and has burned 113 buildings, officials said at a Sonoma County news conference. Among those buildings, 28 were homes in Sonoma County and 52 were homes in Napa County. Firefighters are racing to gain as much ground as possible as they expect another red-flag warning amid triple digit temperatures, fast wind and low humidity forecast Wednesday and Thursday. Theres a lot that can still burn, Santa Rosa Fire Chief Tony Gossner said. 4:24 p.m. Three days in, Glass Fire is already wreaking more havoc on Napas wine industry than fires did in 2017: Critic Esther Mobley has been surveying the damage in the region, and so far, at least 12 wineries have had structural damage. In 2017, that number was just six. That doesnt include other potential issues that will take time to reveal, such as smoke and water damage or longterm health issues for vines. 3:57 p.m. A St. Helena hospital evacuated twice in five weeks due to California wildfires: The fast-growing Glass Fire, which erupted Sunday near St. Helena, forced the citys only hospital to evacuate more than 50 patients by helicopter and ambulance. It was the second time in five weeks Adventist Health St. Helena had to close and relocate all patients and staff due to encroaching flames. Read the whole story here. 3:30 p.m. Meadowood owners say theyll rebuild: Just hours after learning their famed Restaurant at Meadowood had been completely gutted when the Glass Fire tore through the property, the owners of the St. Helena resort are committed to rebuilding, according to a statement from managing director David Pearson. Read the story here. 3:01 p.m. More than 80,000 evacuated in Napa, Sonoma counties: Officials have ordered more than 80,000 people to leave their homes due to danger from the fast-spreading Glass Fire. That includes 35,556 in Santa Rosa, 33,870 in unincorporated Sonoma County and 10,917 in Napa County, according to emergency officials. 2:02 p.m. Gusty winds, hot weather could return: Gusting winds and hotter-than-usual temperatures could return to the Bay Area Wednesday night through Friday, the National Weather Service said Tuesday, but should be less severe than weather last weekend that sparked the Glass Fires three origin blazes. Gusty winds will likely be limited to North Bay mountains and East Bay hills. Temperatures could reach into the mid- to upper 80s in downtown San Francisco on Thursday and Friday. 1:40 p.m. Sonoma County sheriff acknowledges fire fatigue: Sonoma County Sheriff Mark Essick urged residents in a Tuesday media advisory to heed evacuation orders despite fire fatigue. We are nearing the three-year mark of the Tubbs Fire and this is the fourth major fire in our county since 2017, he said, urging residents to stay vigilant and be ready to evacuate if ordered. This fire is still unpredictable. You should be packed up and ready to go. 12:36 p.m. At least two more wineries on Spring Mountain damaged: Spring Mountain Vineyard, known in part as a location in the 80s drama Falcon Crest, has serious damage to its vineyards. Sherwin Family Vineyards, started by Steve and Linda Sherwin in 1996, also burned. 12:30 p.m. Internet restored temporarily to Calistoga: A Comcast official confirmed that the company in cooperation with public safety worked overnight to temporarily restore internet access to the Calistoga area Tuesday morning. Residents, however, were ordered to evacuate. 12:23 p.m. Missing people in Glass Fire found: Cal Fire officials said Tuesday their No. 1 priority was to keep the 42,560-acre Glass Fire away from highly populated areas around Santa Rosa and Pope Valley. Several people who had been missing were found by Tuesday morning, Santa Rosa Police Chief Rainer Navarro said at a press conference. No firefighter injuries were reported in the fire. 11:39 a.m. 140-year-old Burgess Cellars winery destroyed: The Burgess Cellars CEO Carlton McCoy confirmed Tuesday that wildfire has demolished the original Burgess Cellars winery and a barrel warehouse. The tasting room and house remain intact. 11:30 a.m. Glass Fire unpredictable and fast-moving: Cal Fire officials said Tuesday they have split the 42,000-acre Glass Fire into two management zones. Eastern zone crews established control lines around Angwin in Napa County, and while Angwin escaped damage the flames left significant damage in Deer Park. The fire was active on the Highway 12 corridor and the Sugarloaf Ridge State Park in the western zone Tuesday. Sonoma County Sheriff Mark Essick urged residents to follow evacuation orders, calling the fire unpredictable and fast-moving. 11:19 a.m. Whiskeytown National Recreation Area partially closed: The south side of Whiskeytown National Recreation Area is closed due to proximity to the Zogg Fire thats burning across Shasta County. The closure includes Brandy Creek Beach, campground and marina; and campgrounds and trails along Paige Bar Road and South Shore Drive. Water recreation is barred, while firefighting aircraft draw water from the lake. Cal Fire maps show wildfire in some of the same areas the 2018 Carr Fire torched in the 42,000-acre recreation area west of Redding. 11:08 a.m. New evacuation orders issued in Napa County: Cal Fire and Napa County sheriffs officials have extended a mandatory evacuation order to everyone in the Angwin area as well as people south of Chiles-Pope Valley Road, east of Ink Grade Road and west of Pope Valley Cross Road. The order cites an immediate threat to life and says the area is closed to public access. 10:57 a.m. Rombauer Vineyards is safe despite rumors: Calistogas Rombauer Vineyards winery was in close proximity to wineries like Chateau Boswell, which experienced significant damage from the Glass Fire prompting questions and rumors around its demise. But Rombauers structures are safe, and its Chardonnay was picked well before the fires start this harvest season, the company said. 10:50 a.m. Massive August Complex surges dramatically: The August Complex fires grew by more than 60,000 acres in the past 24 hours as the record-breaking blaze spread to 938,044 acres, a Cal Fire spokesman said Tuesday morning. The surge was driven by powerful wind gusts that drove the flames further into the northern and western fire zones, near Ruth Lake in Trinity County and Covelo in Mendocino County, the spokesman said. Crews established solid containment lines on southern portion of the complex, but worked to contain the growth on the northern portion Tuesday. The fire remained 43% contained. 10:35 a.m. Napa restaurant owners reeling in Glass Fire devastation: The Glass Fire has broughts scenes all too familiar to the restaurant industry in Wine Country like the mid-meal evacuation of a dinner party hosted by owners fine-dining restaurant Single Thread at a Forestville winery. Restaurants are canceling reservations due to smoke and ash, and some are losing hope that 2020 will bring with it an eventual return to normalcy. Read the story here. 10:15 a.m. Metallica gives $250,000 to wildfire relief: Metallica announced it has donated $250,000 to five wildfire relief funds through its All Within My Hands foundation. It is the fourth consecutive year the multiplatinum-selling Bay Area rock group has donated to wildfire funds of the California Community Foundation, Oregon Community Foundation, Community Foundation Santa Cruz County, North Valley Community Foundation and Community Foundation of North Central Washington. 9:56 a.m. Glass Fire tripled in size in one day: Pushed by high winds on Monday, the Glass Fire had destroyed 113 structures by Tuesday morning, including homes and all or parts of several iconic wineries as it raced across Wine Country, Cal Fire reported. The blaze grew to more than 42,000 acres by Tuesday morning. 9:49 a.m. Calistoga quiets down: Calistoga was quiet Tuesday morning with a small but active fire burning along Highway 128 and the Silverado Trail, which flanks the small town known for mud baths and wineries. Fire crews were stationed along Highway 128, and on Silverado Trail where small fire patches were visible burning down the ridge, stopping at the edges of vineyards. 9:45 a.m. Fire burns outside Redding: Deadly wildfires raging uncontrolled Tuesday morning burned outside of Redding as well as in Wine Country, with flames also forcing evacuations in Paradise areas that have grown uncomfortably familiar with big fires in recent years. Read the latest here. 9:35 a.m. Glass Fire shedding giant ash chunks: Santa Rosa resident Morgan Balaei, whos lived through previous Sonoma County wildfires, was stunned at the biggest chunk of ash shed ever seen probably the size of my face. The Glass Fire ash is different, chunkier and everywhere, she said. Cal Fire Good morning, Bay Area. Its Monday, Sept. 28, and the COVID-19 survivors known as long-haulers are struggling with lingering and disabling symptoms. Heres what you need to know to start your day. The North Bays Wine Country once again became a scene of chaos on Sunday and early Monday as wildfires burned on the east and west sides of the Napa Valley and blazed toward Santa Rosa, where residential neighborhoods were engulfed in flames shortly after 1 a.m. Multiple homes burned in the large Skyhawk neighborhood in eastern Santa Rosa and the fire jumped Highway 12 in Oakmont, where a large senior community was evacuated by bus as flames shot up over nearby hills. As of 6 a.m. more than 11,000 people were under evacuation orders in the Santa Rosa area and city of Calistoga was under an evacuation warning. Read more. The areas most threatened overnight were all close to or directly affected by the October 2017 Wine Country wildfires that burned entire neighborhoods in and around Santa Rosa. Residents are shaken by the similarities and evacuations that already drove them from their homes earlier this year. Live updates: The very latest from the fires in wine country and around the state. New evacuations from month-old North Complex fires in Butte and Plumas counties, including a warning for the town of Paradise and the Zogg Fire in Shasta County Glass Fire burns Napa Valleys Chateau Boswell Winery, Black Rock Inn Carlos Avila Gonzalez/The Chronicle Hidden cost of wildfire smoke: Stanford researchers estimate up to 3,000 indirect deaths. California fire map: The latest on wildfires across the state. The lasting damage of COVID-19 COVID-19 has killed more than 200,000 Americans since it arrived in the United States nearly nine months ago. Millions have survived and among them are an untold number of people who suffered serious illness and now face lingering and even disabling symptoms, in some cases months after they were deemed recovered. Erin Allday reports on the continuing struggles of these patients, known as long-haulers. California officials predict uptick in coronavirus cases tied to Labor Day, reopening. California requires COVID tracking in LGBTQ community under bill signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom. Justice Department calls S.F. limits on church gatherings discriminatory, urges policy change. Jewish New Year signals how the pandemic will change the holiday season. Blind and learning remotely amid pandemic Gabrielle Lurie / The Chronicle Kai Wang had accomplished a lot before the pandemic rolled in, keeping pace with his sighted classmates and flourishing outside of school. But now the Berkeley 7-year-old is bound to a computer and mostly unable to use the software apps that suddenly play a crucial role in his lessons. As they plod through online classes each day, Kais family wonders just how much learning he will lose and how far off course the journey of the blind boy will veer. Read more from Rachel Swan about how remote education has hit Kai and other visually impaired students in the Bay Area particularly hard. Around the Bay Scott Strazzante / The Chronicle Frustrating end to a strange season: Giants suffer crushing 5-4 loss to Padres no playoffs in 2020. Can you prove that its your store?: Tiburon police face probe over tense exchange at towns only Black-owned shop. From Joe Garofoli: Feinstein focus on Barretts Catholic faith backfired once, now Biden backers are nervous Latest development in scandal: S.F. public defender calls for firing of chief medical examiner. Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts. California to shut first prison since 2003: Deuel Vocational Institution in Tracy set for closing. Daring rescue in Bodega Bay: Capsized men plucked from cliff by Coast Guard helicopter Election 2020: Back from brink of death, Mark DeSaulnier is ready to work and run again. It got politicized: S.F. supervisors delay resolution to condemn homophobic, antisemitic QAnon attacks on Sen. Scott Wiener. Can we really all drive electric cars? What you need to know about Californias gas-fueled car ban. From Phil Matier: Newsoms plan to clean the air by driving gas vehicles off the road could stall out. Exact plan for many unclear: S.F. to begin moving homeless out of hotels soon. Some might get housing, others safe tent sites. Poetic and elegant artist: Robert Bechtle, Bay Area photorealist painter whose work featured everyday cars, dies at 88. His art came from the heart: Homeless San Francisco artist dies just as he hits the big time with New York MoMA exhibit. From Otis R. Taylor Jr.: Black construction workers in Bay Area say employers dont stop abuse. From Heather Knight: S.F. goes begging to fund crucial COVID-19 program that pays essential workers to quarantine. A welcome photo op in S.F. Paul Chinn / The Chronicle So you woke Saturday morning to the once-familiar ding-ding, rumble and rattle of a San Francisco cable car and figured it was just another strange shelter-in-place dream. But you werent dreaming. The cable cars are back, and did indeed roll down the streets but only to pose for pictures, welcome passers-by and tourists and let them ring the bell at the Powell Street turntable. Read more about when the cable cars will be available. Bay Briefing is edited by Taylor Kate Brown and sent to readers email inboxes on weekday mornings. Sign up for the newsletter here, and contact Brown at taylor.brown@sfchronicle.com. Early wheat bulb fly egg number counts have revealed a divide in the cereal pest's risk this year, according to a survey. While ten monitoring sites fell into the 'low risk' category, two East of England sites are at 'high risk' from wheat bulb fly damage. The survey uses soil samples from 30 fields, split equally across sites located in the East and North of England that are prone to attack, to calculate the number of pest eggs per square metre. Each year, results from the East of England are available first, and are published by AHDB and ADAS to provide an early indication of the pest-pressure trend. Of the 12 sites monitored in the East of England so far, ten are low risk, as they had egg counts under 100 eggs/m2 (average 24 eggs/m2). Conversely, the other two sites are high risk and very high risk. Located in Cambridgeshire (404 eggs/m2) and Norfolk (850 eggs/m2), respectively, both had sugar beet as the previous crop. The results indicate the potential risk of economic damage to wheat and show whether the use of treated seed could potentially reduce the risk of unacceptable crop losses. Charlotte Rowley, who manages pest research at AHDB said: Our survey frequently detects large variations in wheat bulb fly egg numbers, both across and between regions. The AHDB website provides comprehensive information on the factors that influence risk. At this time of the year, if egg counts are high, the least risky option is to avoid winter wheat. AHDB said it will publish egg count results for three further sites in the East of England and all fifteen sites in the North of England in autumn. BENGALURU, India, Sept. 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- EdgeVerve Systems , a wholly-owned subsidiary of Infosys , recently signed a partnership with Minit, a leader in process mining, to help clients accelerate process excellence. The two market leaders will jointly create a solution that will empower enterprises with superior insights for business transformation, leading to better operational efficiency and enhanced business results. Often, enterprises struggle to identify root causes of unexpected outcomes like resource underutilization, process inefficiency, failed automation deployments resulting from biased interpretation of processes. This end-to-end solution will not only address these concerns but also assure automation success to enterprises. Whether it is about improving process efficiency through quantifiable assessment of business user behavior, or simulating several new processes spanning global business units, by combining the capabilities of AssistEdge Discover's process discovery and Minit's process mining, this solution can assist organizations transform into a hyper-productive enterprise. Rasto Hlavac, Founder and CEO of Minit said, "Process Mining solutions help businesses thoroughly and objectively analyze and improve their processes. Through insights, organizations can boost their continuous improvement initiatives and increase operational efficiency. Extending the solution to Process Discovery enables us to achieve greater granularity and visibility up to the level of specific tasks performed by users. We are excited to partner with EdgeVerve to jointly bring this comprehensive picture and provide the springboard for our clients to achieve exponential transformation benefits." Atul Soneja, SVP and Global Head of Edge and Infosys Nia, said, "A transformative solution, AssistEdge Discover leverages empirical data to capture process gaps and scope of optimization, laying the foundation for operational performance improvement. Combining the power of Process Discovery with Process Mining reveals end-to-end process insights. These insights help organizations unearth new opportunities and act as a catalyst in driving sustained growth and innovation. We are excited to partner with Minit as it will help us deliver increased business value to our clients, leading to a more resilient future." About Minit As one of the leading market providers of Process Mining solution, Minit helps businesses transform the way they analyze, monitor, and optimize their processes to uncover opportunities for continuous process improvement and higher operational efficiency. Minit believes that every organization can achieve digital transformation and operational excellence. Through its solution, the company inspires stakeholders to take action and explore the benefits of the Process Mining technology for their organizations. Minit provides its Fortune 500 customers as well as other businesses with complex processes with a unique experience, highly added value, and competitive insights to help them run efficient organizations. Visit www.minit.io to learn how to achieve seamless processes in your company. About AssistEdge Discover AssistEdge Discover unlocks the hidden business value trapped in your processes. It acts as a powerful foundation for enterprises seeking cutting-edge technology, to drive intelligent automation and process excellence. From non-intrusively capturing human-machine interactions to leveraging AI to creating actionable process insights, AssistEdge Discover sets you on the right path to embrace continuous improvement with relentless focus on creating a hyper productive enterprise. https://www.edgeverve.com/assistedge/assistedge-discover/ About EdgeVerve Systems Ltd EdgeVerve Systems Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of Infosys, is a global leader in AI and Automation, assisting clients thrive in their digital transformation journey. Our mission is to create a world where our technology augments human intelligence and creates possibilities for enterprises to thrive. Our comprehensive product portfolio across AI (Infosys Nia), Automation (AssistEdge) and AI enabled Business Applications (TradeEdge, FinXEdge, ProcureEdge) helps businesses develop deeper connections with stakeholders, power continuous innovation and accelerate growth in the digital world. Today EdgeVerve's products are used by global corporations across financial services, insurance, retail, consumer & packaged goods, life sciences, manufacturing telecom and utilities. Visit us to know how enterprises across the world are thriving with the help of our technology. About Infosys Infosys is a global leader in next-generation digital services and consulting. We enable clients in 46 countries to navigate their digital transformation. With nearly four decades of experience in managing the systems and workings of global enterprises, we expertly steer our clients through their digital journey. We do it by enabling the enterprise with an AI-powered core that helps prioritize the execution of change. We also empower the business with agile digital at scale to deliver unprecedented levels of performance and customer delight. Our always-on learning agenda drives their continuous improvement through building and transferring digital skills, expertise, and ideas from our innovation ecosystem. Visit www.infosys.com to see how Infosys (NYSE: INFY) can help your enterprise navigate your next. Safe Harbor Certain statements in this release concerning our future growth prospects, financial expectations and plans for navigating the COVID-19 impact on our employees, clients and stakeholders 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 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 COVID-19 and the effects of government and other measures seeking to contain its spread, risks related to an economic downturn or recession in India, the United States and other countries around the world, changes in political, business, and economic conditions, fluctuations in earnings, fluctuations in foreign exchange rates, our ability to manage growth, intense competition in IT services including those factors which may affect our cost advantage, wage increases in India, our ability to attract and retain highly skilled professionals, time and cost overruns on fixed-price, fixed-time frame contracts, client concentration, restrictions on immigration, industry segment concentration, our ability to manage our international operations, reduced demand for technology in our key focus areas, disruptions in telecommunication networks or system failures, our ability to successfully complete and integrate potential acquisitions, liability for damages on our service contracts, the success of the companies in which Infosys has made strategic investments, withdrawal or expiration of governmental fiscal incentives, political instability and regional conflicts, legal restrictions on raising capital or acquiring companies outside India, unauthorized use of our intellectual property and general economic conditions affecting our industry and the outcome of pending litigation and government investigation. Additional risks that could affect our future operating results are more fully described in our United States Securities and Exchange Commission filings including our Annual Report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2020. 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. SOURCE EdgeVerve Jesus Is Lord This devotional was written by Jim Burns Let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ. Acts 2:36 In the Gospels there is a graphic story of Jesus standing before Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor. At one point in the story, Pilate offers to release a prisoner to the Jews. He offers either Jesus or Barabbas (who was a troublemaker and murderer). The crowd asks for Barabbas to be freed. Pilate doesn't know what to do. He asks the crowd, "What shall I do with the man Jesus?" They cry, "Crucify him!" The question Pilate asked, "What will you do with Jesus?" is still the important question of the day. When people today are confronted with Christ, they basically have four options. Which option have you chosen? 1. Reject Him. Turn your back on Jesus and live your life without Him. 2. Ignore Him. Choose to be an Easter and Christmas Christian. Acknowledge His deity but keep Him out of the practical daily activities of your life. 3. Appease Him. There are the people who go through the motions of Christianity but still keep the lordship of Christ at a distance. 4. Obey Him. If you obey Him you are choosing to make Him Lord of your life. You are no longer in control, He is. You choose to obey His will and His Word. What will you do with the claims of Christ in your life? If you fall into one of the categories besides obedience, then perhaps it's time to make Him the Lord of your life. If you believe He is Christ the Savior, then your only true option is to make Him Christ the Lord also! GOING DEEPER: 1. What does Acts 2:36 tell us about what God made Jesus to be? 2. Assuming that Jesus is Lord (and He is), what will you do with Jesus Christ? Of the four possible options above, which option have you chosen? If you believe that Jesus is your savior, then the next step is to make Him your Lord and give him control of your life. FURTHER READING: Luke 2:11 For more information and resources please visit HomeWord.com. The King Salman Energy Park (Spark) has become the first industrial city in the world to receive Silver Level accreditation for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (Leed). The certification strengthens Sparks ability to support future tenants and investors on their own journey towards Leed certification of their own facilities, as part of a fully-integrated energy community. It also affirms the citys integrated sustainability practices, which are at the heart of the communitys planning. The Leed program is an internationally-recognised green building certification system, which verifies that buildings are designed to improve performance across key sustainability metrics such as energy savings, water efficiency, CO2 emissions reduction, improved indoor environmental quality, stewardship of resources and sensitivity to their impact. It is part of Sparks vision to be a proving ground for green tools and technologies designed to minimize the impact of activities conducted within the city, the most successful of which will serve as a blueprint for the oil and gas industry - as well as for businesses and homes across the country. Commenting on the award, Saif Al Qahtani, Spark President and CEO, says: Spark is distinguishing itself as a leading global energy, industrial and technology hub, cementing Saudi Arabias position as a progressive innovator in these fields on the international stage. The certification reaffirms our commitment to reducing the citys carbon footprint. He adds: Leed communities are in high global demand, as they offer better rates of profitability, productivity and quality of workplace. Our goal is to create an ecosystem for energy-related companies to grow with minimum environmental impact, and we encourage other industrial cities to follow our lead. Strategically located at the heart of Saudi Arabias Eastern Province, Sparks vision is to be the primary gateway to the regional energy sector. Its technologically-advanced ecosystem offers investors unmatched supply-chain efficiency and has been designed to provide an ultramodern plug and play infrastructure. In addition to targeting large corporations, Spark also supports small and medium enterprises (SMEs) through its Spark SME Hub by creating a tailored microcosm for them. This allows streamlined and cost-effective operations near major workforce providers and close to highway and railway networks. At maturity, Spark will be home to over 300 industrial, technology and service facilities focused on meeting demand for energy goods and services across the entire value chain. It will span an area of 50 sq km. Tradearabia News Service French President Emmanuel Macron will on Tuesday meet with Belarus opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya during his visit to Lithuania in what is seen as a major show of support for the activist. Tikhanovskaya, who fled to Vilnius after claiming victory in a disputed election, told AFP on Monday she had requested a meeting and called on Macron to help mediate in the crisis. "The protests are not going to stop," the 38-year-old said in an interview, adding that Belarus "badly needs" a dialogue between government and opposition in order to ensure there is "no more blood". Macron confirmed he would meet Tikhanovskaya on Tuesday morning during his three-day visit to Lithuania and Latvia, marking a fresh initiative from the French leader in addition to recent efforts to resolve a political crisis in Lebanon. He called for the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) to handle mediation on Belarus and vowed that Paris "will do everything it can to ensure this mediation comes into being." "The OSCE will conduct this mediation as firmly as possible. (Russian President) Vladimir Putin has expressed his agreement and support for this initiative. He must help us to convince Lukashenko about this direction," Macron said. The French leader also insisted that dialogue with Moscow was necessary, speaking at a joint press conference with Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda. "We can't pretend that Europe is an island, far from Russia," he said, adding that this proximity "calls for strategic work to build a security architecture" that "avoids escalations." - Lukashenko 'has to go' - The talks on Tuesday with Macron will be Tikhanovskaya's most high-profile meeting with an international leader since the elections on August 9 and the protests which she has helped inspire. In her interview, Tikhanovskaya said Macron could encourage Russian President Vladimir Putin, a key ally of Belarusian strongman president Alexander Lukashenko, to take part in the dialogue. Story continues Ahead of his arrival in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius, Macron said it was clear that Lukashenko "has to go" after 26 years in power in the former Soviet republic. Lukashenko shot back saying that Macron himself "should have resigned" during the Yellow Vest protests that have rocked France, the Belarus state Belta news agency reported. Macron added he was impressed with the courage of protesters, who on Sunday staged their 50th day of demonstrations against Lukashenko since his disputed election win last month. Belarusian police on Sunday detained around 200 people as tens of thousands took to the streets days after Lukashenko staged a secret inauguration. Tikhanovskaya, whose blogger husband remains in a Belarus prison, also on Monday called for EU sanctions against businesses that support Lukashenko's government. But she emphasised that the EU should stop short of general economic sanctions as "ordinary people will suffer most" from them. - EU sanctions? - She has previously met with leaders in neighbouring Poland and Lithuania, which have taken a lead in European diplomacy on Belarus, and with EU foreign ministers in Brussels. The EU is considering personal sanctions against Lukashenko and other high-profile figures seen as responsible for the violent crackdown. Lukashenko has also jailed or forced out most of the country's prominent opposition activists. On Monday, Belarusian writer Svetlana Alexievich -- a Nobel Literature Prize winner who has faced official pressure for supporting the opposition -- left the country for planned treatment in Germany. "She will return to Belarus in a month. She is not dropping her (opposition) activities," her friend Mariya Voiteshonok told AFP. In addition to the talks with Tikhanovskaya and a meeting with his Lithuanian counterpart Gitanas Nauseda, Macron will also visit French troops stationed in the Baltic state as part of a NATO move to reinforce its eastern flank. leb-amj/mas/spm The general entry ban, with a number of exceptions, was in effect from August 29 until September 28. An entry ban for foreign nationals has lost its effect as of September 28, thus foreigners may freely enter Ukraine. "The norm that banned the entry of foreigners, according to a government decree, was in effect until 00:00 on September 28, and this norm is no longer valid. In fact, there are no restrictions now in place that were in effect for the period of quarantine to ban foreign citizens from entering the territory of our country," press secretary of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine Andriy Demchenko told UNIAN. The official stressed the State Border Guard Service is guided by the norms of legislation regulating the crossing of the state border of Ukraine, and additional decisions that may be valid pending quarantine. Read alsoCOVID-19: Over 2,600 new active cases reported on Sept 28According to Demchenko, there are no separate requirements for foreign nationals regarding a negative PCR test result, a two-week self-isolation period, or an insurance policy when entering Ukraine. "As for foreigners, today there are no restrictions regarding their arrival from the red or green zone countries. They had been enforced by the previous government decree. At the moment, there are no additional rules regarding the arrival of foreigners from countries," he said. Accordingly, new rules come into effect on September 28, replacing the full ban introduced in August. Ukraine's entry rules From now on, foreign citizens will adhere to the same rules as Ukrainians returning from abroad. The rules depend on whether a particular state is on the list of countries with a "significant spread" of coronavirus, that's where the number of new COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people over the past 14 days exceeds the number of such cases in Ukraine. Therefore, if the epidemic situation in the country of entrants' citizenship or permanent residence is worse than in Ukraine, foreign nationals must: Go for self-isolation or take a COVID-19 test upon arrival; Download a Diia application in case of self-isolation; and Hold a valid insurance policy. Read also Gov't updates quarantine zoning map Temporary entry ban for foreigners: Background City's Argentinian defender Nicolas Otamendi will go the other way in a separate transfer for 15 million euros, Benfica said. Benfica confirmed the transfers in a statement on Sunday but said the players would still need to sign their respective contracts. Dias, 23, has made 137 appearances during a four-year spell with the Portuguese club, winning the league title in 2018-19. He has won 19 caps for Portugal and was part of the side that lifted the UEFA Nations League trophy last year. His arrival will help shore up a leaky City defence, which shipped five goals to Leicester City on Sunday. Dias will be City's fifth signing of the summer, following the arrivals of Pablo Moreno, Ferran Torres, Nathan Ake and Scott Carson. Otamendi, 32, won two Premier League titles and an FA Cup with City and leaves after five seasons. Reuters The motion was filed in a lawsuit brought in April by the League of Women Voters of Virginia against the State Board of Elections, arguing that absentee voters should not be required to find a witness to sign their ballots during the coronavirus pandemic. The lawsuit alleges that the witness requirement could force absentee voters to choose between not voting or risking their health by asking another person to come to their homes to witness their signatures. A foreign national sentenced to life in prison two years ago, for allegedly murdering a friend in a love triangle, has been freed by the Court of Appeal sitting in Nairobi. Ms Antoinette Uwineza alias Micheline Uwababyyi, a Rwandan, was convicted and sentenced by Resident Judge Jessie Lesiit on November 1, 2018 in the killing of Winnie Uwambaye Colpitts, also a Rwandan. Colpitts' body was found at Saharan Lodge in Nairobi, covered with bed sheets. She had been strangled with a polythene bag. Colpitts and her British boyfriend Simon James Smith had been living at Rhapta Road Apartments in Westlands. She left her home that fateful day, February 16, 2013, with a promise to join Mr Smith for dinner later. The boyfriend told Justice Lesiit that somebody later called him, saying Colpitts had left for Nakuru with friends. Her body was found two days later and was identified at the mortuary by Mr Smith and her sister. Investigations led to Ms Uwineza's arrest alongside a man found using Colpitts' phone in Kayole, Nairobi. The man was acquitted for lack of evidence linking him to Colpitts' death but Ms Uwineza was convicted, the court noting that she was the last person to communicate with Colpitts. Ruling overturned While overturning the judgment, three appellate judges concurred with defence lawyer John Swaka, who said the prosecution failed to prove the case against the accused. Judges Martha Koome, Hannah Okwengu and Fatuma Sichale accused police of failing to live up to their motto - Utumishi kwa Wote (service to all) - by not piecing together evidence to find the real killers. The judges noted that police relied on information given by Mr Smith and did nothing more. "Police appear to have done nothing to trace Winnie or her killers upon receiving crucial leads." The judges, who analysed evidence presented at the High Court and the defence's argument that Ms Uwineza did not meet the victim on the day she died, concluded that the wheels of justice had to be tilted in her favour. Errors The judges said Justice Lesiit erred in finding Ms Uwineza guilty of murdering a person she did not meet at the lodging where the body was found. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Kenya Legal Affairs Rwanda By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. "We find that the evidence produced against Antoinette fell short of proving she inflicted injuries on Winnie, either alone or in concert with others," they said, adding there was no malice aforethought. "It is our finding that the circumstantial evidence relied upon to convict Antoinette did not meet the required standards as it neither led irresistibly to her guilt nor was it compatible with her innocence." "We allow this appeal, quash the conviction and set aside the sentence of life imprisonment. We set her free, unless she is otherwise lawfully held." The judges further said that what the prosecution managed to prove was that Colpitts was killed. "Colpitts and the appellant had spoken earlier. Antoinette crushed her phone and gave it to her brother, claiming she had stolen it from a caucasian man and did not want him to trace it to her. "The appellant and another man booked the room in which Colpitts' body was found. How she entered the room without being seen remains a mystery," the judges said. No eye witness was called to testify in the case in which the prosecution was represented by Senior State Prosecutor Moses O'Mirera. Ms Uwineza walked out of Lang'ata Women's Prison following the ruling on Friday after the authorities were served with a release warrant. JACKSON, Miss.: A letter circulating on social media claiming to be from the office of Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves and abolishing the statewide mask mandate is fake, Mississippi Emergency Management Agency officials said Sunday. The letter is a FAKE, the agency wrote on its Facebook page, adding that all of the governors executive orders can be found on the Secretary of States website. Any major changes will be addressed in a press conference and an updated executive order. Mississippis statewide mask mandate has been in place since Aug. 4 to stem the spread of the coronavirus. It is set to expire at 5 p.m. Wednesday unless the governor extends it. He has chosen to extend the mandate several times already. Mississippi Emergency Management Agency spokeswoman Malary White said Monday that she saw the fake letter circulating on Facebook and wanted to debunk it. Agency officials posted a photo of the letter on Facebook and Twitter with FAKE branded across it in red lettering. The letter is topped with a portrait of Reeves, a Republican, and has a photo of the Mississippi state seal in the background. It is addressed to all of the Residents and Business in Mississippi. The beginning of October 2020 the statewide mask requirements will be abolished, the letter reads. Meaning that it will be no longer required to wear them in the state of Mississippi. All business are hereby ordered to take down all facemasks must be worn on or in they establishments," it continues. This Executive Order has been Signed and Sealed this 17th Day of September in the Year of 2020. The letter ends with a forged version of Reeves signature. Agency officials said Monday they did not know who created the letter. Commenting on the letter Monday, the governors spokeswoman Renae Eze said the letter is absolutely fake. Those looking for a trusted source on the governors pandemic response should stick to the governments official websites, she said. As we have throughout the entire pandemic, our office has made it a priority to share accurate, up-to-date information through our televised press briefings and official executive orders so Mississippians can be well-informed and included in the process, Eze said. The incident comes just four months after Reeves was pranked during a webcast recognizing high school graduates. The state health department said Monday that Mississippi, with a population of about 3 million, has reported more than 97,000 cases and at least 2,921 deaths from COVID-19 as of Sunday evening. Thats an increase of 190 confirmed cases and two deaths from numbers reported the day before. ___ Follow AP coverage of the pandemic at https://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak. ___ Leah Willingham is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor By Trend Armenia is considering the possibility of organizing humanitarian corridors for the evacuation of the population of Nagorno-Karabakh in case the situation in the region continues to worsen, the countrys Ambassador to Russia Vardan Toganyan stated this on Sept.28 to the Russian Moscow speaks radio station, Trend reports "Such issues are being worked out," he said in response to the relevant question. "We hope that, of course, it will not come to this." The ambassador called it necessary to work out plans for the creation of humanitarian corridors. "This is necessary especially given that all these days, children and women were in basements and bomb shelters," he explained. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz Switch the Market flag Open the menu and switch the Market flag for targeted data from your country of choice. for targeted data from your country of choice. Assams first and only woman chief minister Syeda Anwara Taimur passed away in Australia on Monday reportedly due to cardiac arrest. The 84-year-old was staying with her son in Australia for the past four years. Taimur was in the news in 2018 when her name didnt appear in the Assam National Register of Citizens. She later informed that her family members may not have applied to get her name included in the list. Condolences to the family and well-wishers of former Assam CM Syeda Anwara Taimurji. Her contribution towards Assams development will be remembered. May her soul rest in peace, Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted. A four-time Congress MLA beginning with her first election in 1972, Taimur held portfolios like education before becoming chief minister for a brief period from December 6, 1980 to June 30, 1981. She was nominated for a Rajya Sabha term in 1988. Taimur joined the All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) in 2011. Saddened to know about the death of former CM Syeda Anwara Taimur-a veteran mass leader who championed the cause of politics with an undertone of peoples development. I convey my heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family members, Assam Governor Jagdish Mukhi said in a statement. Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal also expressed condolences on the death of the veteran leader, offered condolences to the family and prayed for the departed soul. An able administrator and affable peoples person, Syeda Mam was the only woman CM of Assam. A 4-term MLA, she had an illustrious political career spanning over 4 decades. My prayers and condolences, Assam health and finance minister Himanta Biswa Sarma tweeted. Congress Assam unit president Ripun Bora and the party leader of opposition in the Assam assembly Debabrata Saikia also expressed condolences at the death of Taimur. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Lesotho Two members of Lesotho Defence Force (LDF) were arrested this week and are facing charges of the murder of a Chinese businessman, only known as 'Dr. Cheng', who was killed in broad daylight at his business in Mafeteng last week. Cheng had been operating a surgical business for a number of years in Mafeteng district, situated 77km south of the capital, Maseru. During his time in operation, Dr Cheng was known for running the "most successful" illegal abortions in Mafeteng Town. Four people entered Cheng's surgery on 15 September, holding him hostage until they shot him to death and fled the crime scene. According to a Mafeteng Community Radio report, a day before Cheng's murder, a male soldier arrived at the surgery requesting to be sold pregnancy termination pills for his girlfriend. He was told he could not purchase the pills for a patient who was not examined by the doctor to understand her situation. The soldier then asked to come with the patient on the next day, Tuesday. "On Tuesday, three men arrived carrying a lady disguised as a patient and they were allowed in as Cheng was expecting them. That is when they hit him with a gun, stuffed mohair into his mouth and later shot him," according to the report. Murdered in cold blood Two soldiers, Private Moletsane, Private Mahlomola Lebaka and two other alleged accomplices, including a 24-year-old woman, have since been arrested for the murder. The perpetrators were first caught on CCTV camera and the footage was circulated on social media and public gave leads that ended in their arrest. On Friday, army spokesperson Brigadier Ntlele Ntoi issued a statement informing the public that two of their members were arrested for their suspected role in the killing of Cheng. "The initial report... states that following that heinous incident in which that Chinese national was murdered in cold blood, the Police embarked on the investigations which ultimately pointed to the two members of the LDF," said Ntoi. "Once the investigation report was tabled before the LDF Command, haste measures were taken to apprehend the suspects, and as a matter of procedure, the military police handed them over to the police," he added. The LDF allayed the fears of the Chinese business community in Lesotho, calling for calm as the investigations proceeded. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Lesotho Legal Affairs By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. 'Doctor' known to police Cheng was arrested five years earlier for allegedly dispensing expired antiretroviral drugs and antibiotics, operating under filthy conditions and without a licence. According to then Minister of Health Dr. 'Molotsi Monyamane, Cheng was only registered as a "traditional doctor" in his native China, and was neither a surgeon nor a physician. "Here he is administering drugs that don't even have dates and names, and he doesn't even have a license. He should close shop before much damage is done to trusting and helpless lives," Dr Monyamane said. Like other African countries, Lesotho was not immune to the advent of Chinese traders' proliferation. Many in the Chinese community are known for owning butcheries, supermarkets and clothing shops which have crowded out the indigenous small businesses, much to resentment of local business owners. Other Chinese businesspeople have had run-ins with the law, including a butcher who was deported for selling rotten meat. Huaweis chip reserves are even smaller than originally suspected as TSMC left it in a pretty rough spot in mid-September. Insiders previously revealed Huawei received barely over half of its final chip order placed with the Taiwanese manufacturer. More specifically, TSMC ostensibly delivered roughly 8.8 million chips out of a 15-million order, as Chinese media widely reported in recent weeks. Theres been no shortage of speculation on how long could Huawei maintain something resembling a release schedule with that stockpile. Now, however, it would appear its life expectancy is shorter than originally anticipated. As far as actually competitive silicon goes, it almost certainly wont have components for anything beyond the Mate 40 series. In fact, its dubious whether the said 8.8-million stockpile even consists of solely Kirin 9000 chips. Thats assuming its just sitting on next-generation chipset designs, mind you. Which isnt outside of the realm of possibility, to be fair. Yet without constant prototype production, the Kirin design teams work can hardly proceed as usual. Advertisement Chip stockpile or not, is this the end of the road for Huawei? As a reminder, TSMC is unable to do any kind of semiconductor business with Huawei as of September 15th. And while a lot of damage has already been done to tis near-term ambitions, the company itself wont be going anywhere. If anything, Huaweis using this turn of events as a lesson in sustainability. But coming up with competitive SoC designs is easier said than done. Well, at least if you cant use American IP and are forced to start from scratch. This newest report out of the Far East hence adds some context to Huaweis predicament. With that said, the gravity of the situation was pretty well-established even beforehand. As while the lack of cutting-edge chips is crippling to its smartphone ambitions, its not like other key components are freely available. For example, Sonys leading camera sensors are currently just as unreachable as TSMCs foundry business. And unless the U.S. ban magically disappears in the following weeks, missing out on one smartphone generation will be the least of Huaweis worries. Of course, that isnt to say the company return to its explosive growth trajectory. But with active opposition from Washington, its going to be years until its standalone semiconductor designs stand a chance of being competitive. Advertisement In fact, theres arguably no such thing as a standalone architecture in todays day and age. And with Huaweis stockpiling plan falling flat, its apparently only a matter of time before what remains of its mobile unit follows suit. The Tata Group has turned to many investors, comprising sovereign wealth funds, to secure funds to buy out the Mistry family's stake in Tata Sons Ltd. Chairman (Tata Sons Ltd.) N. Chandrasekaran is charting the course of talks with prospective investors, the fruition of which will ascertain if the acrimonious dispute between the Tata Group and its largest minority shareholder, the Mistry family, ends. "Chandrasekaran has spoken to several potential investors, including a large European sovereign wealth fund," sources told the Mint, adding that the talks are focussed on the "likely valuation and a possible exit map for the investors." Also Read: Shapoorji Pallonji Group to recast Rs 10,900 crore debt under COVID-19 resolution framework However, given the sheer size of the transaction, Tata Group may offer to buy the Mistry family's 18.4 per cent stake in a phased manner, rather than buying the entire shareholding in one go, the report said. It further stated that the Shapoorji Pallonji (SP) group may broadly take a decision on the terms of the possible separation, comprising the final valuation and timeline before October 28, when the Supreme Court (SC) hears the case next. Both Tata and Mistry family want an immediate resolution of the court matters as Mistry firms are eager for a quick exit and want a complete separation, the report added citing a source. The Mistry Family's stake in Tata Sons, held via two investment firms, is estimated to be around Rs 1.5 lakh crore, as per the valuations submitted to the top court. The SP Group had on September 22 announced in a statement that it wants to end its seven-decades-long relationship with the Tata Group. Also Read: Mistrys to raise Rs 11,000 crore pledging Tata Sons stake; Tatas object in SC The statement came after Tata Sons' advocate Harish Salve told the SC that Tata Group is willing to purchase Mistry family's shares at market value. The top court was hearing an application filed by Tata Sons seeking to obstruct Mistry firms from pledging Tata shares. The Tata Group and Shapoorji Pallonji (SP) Group are entangled in a long-drawn-out legal battle after Mistry was fired as chairman of Tata Sons in October 2016. The SP Group, embroiled in the case through its two investment firms, filed a petition in December 2016 alleging repression and mismanagement at Tata Sons. The National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT), had in December 2019, decided in favour of Cyrus Mistry reinstating him as the executive chairman of Tata Sons and restoring his directorship in the holding company as well as three other group companies. The order, however, was stayed by the SC in January this year. Mistry, since his sacking, has made several accusations against Tata Sons and Ratan Tata, alleging suppression of minority shareholder rights and the Tata Group's operational mismanagement. DUBLIN, Sept. 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Meal kit Market Research Report by Type - Global Forecast to 2025 - Cumulative Impact of COVID-19" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The Global Meal kit Market is expected to grow from USD 3,197.22 Million in 2019 to USD 6,646.20 Million by the end of 2025 at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 12.97%. This research report categorizes the Meal kit to forecast the revenues and analyze the trends in each of the following sub-markets: On the basis of Type, the Meal kit Market is examined across Health-conscious Meal Kit, Omnivore Meal Kit, and Regional Cuisine Meal Kit. On the basis of Serving, the Meal kit Market is examined across Family/Four Serving and Two Serving. On the basis of Geography, the Meal kit Market is examined across Americas, Asia-Pacific , and Europe , Middle East & Africa . The Americas region is examined across Argentina , Brazil , Canada , Mexico , and United States . The Asia-Pacific region is examined across Australia , China , India , Indonesia , Japan , Malaysia , Philippines , South Korea , and Thailand . The Europe , Middle East & Africa region is examined across France , Germany , Italy , Netherlands , Qatar , Russia , Saudi Arabia , South Africa , Spain , United Arab Emirates , and United Kingdom . The report deeply explores the recent significant developments by the leading vendors and innovation profiles in the Global Meal kit Market including Gobble Inc., Gousto, Green Chef Corporation, HelloFresh SE, Koninklijke Ahold N.V., PeachDish, Plated, Purple Carrot, Sun Basket, and Terra's Kitchen. The FPNV Positioning Matrix evaluates and categorizes the vendors in the Meal kit Market on the basis of Business Strategy (Business Growth, Industry Coverage, Financial Viability, and Channel Support) and Product Satisfaction (Value for Money, Ease of Use, Product Features, and Customer Support) that aids businesses in better decision-making and understanding the competitive landscape. The Competitive Strategic Window analyses the competitive landscape in terms of markets, applications, and geographies. The Competitive Strategic Window helps the vendor define an alignment or fit between their capabilities and opportunities for future growth prospects. During a forecast period, it defines the optimal or favorable fit for the vendors to adopt successive merger and acquisition strategies, geography expansion, research & development, and new product introduction strategies to execute further business expansion and growth. Cumulative Impact of COVID-19: COVID-19 is an incomparable global public health emergency that has affected almost every industry, so for and, the long-term effects projected to impact the industry growth during the forecast period. The report is delivering insights on COVID-19 considering the changes in consumer behavior and demand, purchasing patterns, re-routing of the supply chain, dynamics of current market forces, and the significant interventions of governments. The updated study provides insights, analysis, estimations, and forecast, considering the COVID-19 impact on the market. The report provides insights on the following pointers: 1. Market Penetration: Provides comprehensive information offered by the key players 2. Market Development: Provides in-depth information about lucrative emerging markets and analyzes the markets 3. Market Diversification: Provides detailed information about new product launches, untapped geographies, recent developments, and investments 4. Competitive Assessment & Intelligence: Provides an exhaustive assessment of market shares, strategies, products, and manufacturing capabilities of the leading players 5. Product Development & Innovation: Provides intelligent insights on future technologies, R&D activities, and new product developments The report answers questions such as: 1. What is the market size and forecast of the Global Meal kit Market? 2. What are the inhibiting factors and impact of COVID-19 shaping the Global Meal kit Market during the forecast period? 3. Which are the products/segments/applications/areas to invest in over the forecast period in the Global Meal kit Market? 4. What is the competitive strategic window for opportunities in the Global Meal kit Market? 5. What are the technology trends and regulatory frameworks in the Global Meal kit Market? 6. What are the modes and strategic moves considered suitable for entering the Global Meal kit Market? Key Topics Covered: 1. Preface 2. Research Methodology 3. Executive Summary 4. Market Overview 5. Market Dynamics 6. Market Insights 7. Global Meal kit Market, By Type 8. Global Meal kit Market, By Serving 9. Americas Meal kit Market 10. Asia-Pacific Meal kit Market 11. Europe, Middle East & Africa Meal kit Market 12. Competitive Landscape 13. Company Usability Profiles 13.1. Gobble Inc. 13.2. Gousto 13.3. Green Chef Corporation 13.4. HelloFresh SE 13.5. Koninklijke Ahold N.V. 13.6. PeachDish 13.7. Plated 13.8. Purple Carrot 13.9. Sun Basket 13.10. Terra's Kitchen For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/q6o8zm 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. Research and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research. 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 SOURCE Research and Markets Related Links http://www.researchandmarkets.com Fading blues the decline of the Tory tradition in Canada since the 1980s (Part Three) By Mark Wegierski The fourth group within the Progressive Conservative party of the 1980s, were those who could be broadly defined as "small-c conservatives" of various stripes, or, more specifically, Tories concerned with community and nation, who truly represented the tory tradition of Canada. Patrick Boyer (the M.P. who from 1984 to1993 represented the Etobicoke-Lakeshore riding in Toronto), was probably the most prominent representative of this tradition in the PC party. Patrick Boyer has also been a university professor and has authored several books about politics and constitutional law, especially focussing on his favourite topic of direct referenda. From the late-1980s to late-1990s, many of these persons had moved to support the Reform Party of Canada, which eventually became the Canadian Alliance (officially called the Canadian Reform-Conservative Alliance). One should also mention John Gamble, who unfortunately became increasingly embittered at his treatment by the PC party in the 1980s, and eventually drifted into unqualified extremism. Brian Mulroney owed a huge political debt to Gamble for keeping the anti-Clark forces alive thus contributing to Joe Clarks weak showing in the leadership review and Mulroneys subsequent win in the leadership convention of 1983. Despite the fact that Gamble was the PC partys official candidate in the riding, the collusion of the PC and Liberal Parties led to his defeat in 1984 by the setting up of a supposedly independent candidate who unexpectedly won the riding. Another example of disdain for a more substantively conservative candidate was the way Peter Worthington (a co-founder and former editor of The Toronto Sun) was maneuvered out of the PC candidacy in the Toronto riding of Broadview-Greenwood in 1984, thus being forced into a difficult run as an independent. So, what were at that time two of Canadas more substantive conservatives, were shut out of the huge, 211-seat, Mulroney landslide victory of 1984. There had been in the large PC caucus of 1984 and 1988, an attempt to form a small-c conservative ginger-group, snidely characterized by the media as the Dinosaur Club. Given Mulroneys contempt for small-c conservatism, the climate at the ginger-group meetings was likely to have been without much cheer. The Conservative Party under Stephen Harper had carried the hopes of a large, centre-right and centre coalition. Its more salient (1) supporters included: social conservatives, neoconservatives, libertarians, classical liberals, purely fiscal conservatives, as well as some federalists and soft sovereigntists in Quebec, some disaffected right-wing Liberals and perhaps some socially conservative former NDP supporters. However, it would be of considerable importance to the future of Canada, if the voice of what could be called "true toryism" could somehow be heard within the diverse medley of the Conservative Party. To be continued. Footnotes: [1] This term means here persons who believe in some kind of more-or-less coherent principles and are willing to carry out considerable endeavours on behalf of the Party that are not necessarily driven just by prospects of personal gain. Mark Wegierski is a Canadian writer and historical researcher. Home A northern Indiana city that sits along the Wabash River is home to thousands more flood-prone homes and properties than are listed on federal floodplain maps, new research shows. The study by the First Street Foundation, a nonprofit research and technology group, found that 4,859 parcels of land in the city of Peru are at risk of flooding. Thats nearly 600% more Peru properties than the 712 listed on the Federal Emergency Management Agencys current floodplain maps. Those nearly 4,900 flood-prone properties represent about 81% of all the properties in the Miami County seat, raising concerns about insurance rates and economic development in the city, located about 70 miles (112 kilometers) north of Indianapolis. The studys findings mean that Peru has Indianas highest proportion of properties at risk of flooding, and that it ranks 8th in the state for overall total properties at risk, the Kokomo Tribune reported. Jim Tidd, executive director of the Miami County Economic Development Authority, said county officials are seeking a proposal from a civil engineering firm to determine if the studys finding are accurate. We want to take it seriously, especially considering the percentage of land the study suggests should be reclassified in some way, Tidd said. When youre talking about that amount of homes, thats a significant impact in Miami County, whether its in Peru or anywhere else. If the studys numbers are valid, the expansion of flood-prone areas in Peru could create a serious hurdle for the construction of new houses and lead to higher insurance costs for some homeowners and businesses. But Tidd said he questioned some of the studys numbers because he said Peru hasnt experienced any serious flooding since the Mississinewa Dam was built nearby in 1967 to control the Wabash Rivers water level. President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden will take the debate stage in Cleveland, Ohio, on Tuesday night, the first of three chances for the Republican incumbent and Democratic challenger to square off publicly and make crucial pitches to millions of Americans before they head to the polls on Nov. 3. The heavyweight debate follows seven months of campaigning in starkly different ways amid COVID-19 and increasingly tumultuous news cycles focused on the federal response to the pandemic, Ruth Bader Ginsburgs replacement on the Supreme Court and Trumps long-sought tax returns. The New York Times, after obtaining nearly 20 years of financial records that Trump has refused to release, published a blistering report Sunday with hard data that paints the president as a tax avoidance tycoon. Related: Stream Tuesdays Presidential Debate live on fuboTV ( Stream Tuesdays Presidential Debate live on fuboTV ( free 7-day trial - sign up here ). Heres what you need to know heading in to the debate. What time and where is the debate? Tuesdays debate, as well as two others planned for Oct. 15 and Oct. 22, will begin at 9 p.m. EST and last 90 minutes, according to the nonpartisan Commission on Presidential Debates. The candidates will meet at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland. The University of Notre Dame was initially scheduled to host, but dropped out due to the pandemic. How can I watch on TV and stream online? Every major network and cable news channel will broadcast the debate, including ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, C-SPAN, Fox News, Fox Business and MSNBC. Cable-cutters can watch on platforms like fuboTV (free 7-day trial), Sling and Hulu Live. Several networks and their apps will stream the debate, so people using Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Roku and other streaming devices can find ways to watch. The Washington Post, The New York Times, ABC, CBS and Fox News have all announced they will live-stream the event. C-SPAN plans to broadcast the debate and stream it on C-SPAN.org; it will also feature on the C-SPAN radio app, C-SPANs YouTube and Fox News Radio. Who is moderating? Fox News Chris Wallace, who anchors Fox News Sunday and received praise for pressing Trump in a July interview, will be the lone moderator. Wallace moderated a 2016 debate between Trump and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. What topics are likely to arise? Biden is sure to address a New York Times report that showed Trump paid no income taxes for 10 of the last 15 years, during Tuesdays primetime contest. Bidens campaign quickly seized on the Times' key figures. Not only did Trump and his companies pay significantly more in taxes to at least Panama, India and the Philippines than to his own country where he paid just $750 in federal taxes in 2017 he paid significantly less than average American teachers, firefighters and nurses, a Biden ad suggested late Sunday night. Teachers paid $7,239 Firefighters paid $5,283 Nurses paid $10,216 Donald Trump paid $750 pic.twitter.com/5YE1cbYsBN Team Joe (Text JOE to 30330) (@TeamJoe) September 28, 2020 Trump is sure to hammer Biden over the former Delaware senators campaign style, which the president and his allies have long described as hiding in his basement" as they churn out videos and social media posts suggesting Biden is out of touch with the American public and now mentally unfit to sit in the Oval Office where he served as President Barack Obamas right-hand man for two terms. FAKE NEWS! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 28, 2020 Trump blasted the Times story as fake news during a Sunday evening news conference and in a tweet after midnight. On Sunday morning, Trump said he planned to demand that Biden take a drug test, calling his opponents primary debate performances UNEVEN, to put it mildly" and suggesting drug use could be the cause. Trump, mocked and questioned about potential cocaine use after a 2016 debate performance in which he audibly sniffed at least 50 times, pledged to take a drug test as well. Wallace picked a handful of topics including the COVID-19 pandemic, racial injustice and the Supreme Court, to which Trump on Saturday nominated Judge Amy Coney Barrett. Trumps pick to replace Ginsburg delighted social conservatives long pressing to curb or eliminate abortion rights protected by the high courts 1973 Roe v. Wade decision. Democrats accuse Trump and Republican senators of trying to ram through a radical right nominee just weeks before Election Day even though GOP lawmakers blocked Obamas last nominee, Merrick Garland, several months before the 2016 election. Other topics in the debate include the economy, election integrity and Trumps and Bidens track records. Will the candidates be fact-checked? Wallace will likely not fact-check the debaters live, according to the Commission on Presidential Debates. Frank Fahrenkopf, co-chair of the commission, told CNN that fact-checking is essential in reporting and interviews, but not debates. We dont expect Chris or our other moderators to be fact-checkers, Fahrenkopf said. The minute (the debate is over) there are going to be plenty of fact-checkers at every newspaper and every television station in the world. What is the format? According to Fox News, the debate will feature six 15-minute segments focused on the topics chosen by Wallace, which were approved by the debate commission. No interruptions are planned for the debate. Related Content: The state is home to three unique parks: The Everglades, the Dry Tortugas, and Biscayne Mention vacation to Florida in conversation and the images that come to mind for most people are commercial, Disney-fied, technicolor visions of family-packed beaches, Mickey Mouse ears, crowded theme parks, and palm trees dancing in the sunshine. And while Florida indeed has all of that, the Sunshine State has so much moreincluding its own tropical take on national parks. But most dont picture the states great outdoors or a national park adventure when they think of visiting Florida. While there are national preserves, national monuments, national memorials, national seashores, and even a cultural heritage corridor spread across Florida, there are only three designated national parks in the state. Most families dont consider Florida when they begin planning a national park vacation, they shouldthe state is home to three of the most unique parks in our nations repository. Unsurprisingly, Floridas parks dont sport the waterfalls, geysers, mountain ranges, and glacially-fed lakes that make national parks such as Yellowstone and Yosemite famous, but they do have one-of-a-kind draws of their own. Aside from preserves like the freshwater Big Cypress Swamp and centuries-old monuments like the 1695 Castillo de San Marcosboth worth a visit in their own rightthe assortment of Florida highlights manned by the U.S. National Park Service includes Everglades National Park, Biscayne National Park, and Dry Tortugas National Park. All three of Floridas national parks are located in the southern half of the state, making it easy to check them all off in one tripnot to mention the fact that theyre open year-round. Two of the three, Everglades National Park and Biscayne National Park, border Miamiand, fun fact, Miami is said to be the only city in the U.S. with two national parks on its borders. Lets take a look at what makes each of these parks so unique. Airboat tour, Everglades National Park. (Mia2you/Shutterstock) Everglades Everglades National Park is a gigantic swath of mangroves, swamps, wetlands, and wildlife; at 1.5 million acres, its the largest subtropical wilderness in the U.S. Actually a vast sheet of slow-moving water, the Everglades stretches from coast to coast across the lower Florida peninsula, taking up a large portion of the bottom half of the state. The area is recognized as a World Heritage Site, an International Biosphere Reserve, a Wetland of International Importance, and is even a specially protected area under the Cartagena Treaty. Mangrove forest, Everglades National Park. (Anthony Ricci/Shutterstock) Visitors to Everglades National Park can expect to encounter not only a precious, delicate landscape but also an entire ecosystem, a habitat for rare and endangered species such as manatees, American crocodiles, and even Florida panthers. Theres also a good chance of spotting alligators, turtles, dolphins, and many different types of birds in the Everglades. You can tour yourself through the park on adventures like bird watching, boating, camping, fishing, or hiking, but guided tours are also available. Airboats, which have giant air propellers on the back to glide the vessel over the surface of the water, are another popular way to explore the Everglades; there are various tour guides and outfitters who offer this type of adventure. A group of pelicans gathers on a sand bar in Everglades National Park. (Cary Leppert/Shutterstock) Some of the most popular attractions of Everglades National Park include Anhinga Trail, the Nike Hercules missile base, the 99-mile Wilderness Waterway, the 65-foot observation tower at Shark Valley, exploring the Florida Bay, boarding a narrated tram tour, and visiting Flamingo, the southernmost point of mainland Florida. You can access the park through three different areas of South Florida, though its important to note that these three entrances are hours apart. Stiltsville, Biscayne National Park. (Francisco Blanco/Shutterstock) Biscayne After youve fully explored the River of Grass, continue your trek south to Biscayne National Park, located a little less than an hour south of Miami. Perhaps the most unique trait of this park is that its 95 percent underwatera saltwater paradise ripe with colorful corals and sea life. Plan to snorkel, scuba dive, or board a glass-bottomed boat tour to get the most out of Biscayne National Park; swimming here is a bit like swimming in a tropical aquarium. You can spot the Miami skyline from the park, yet it feels like another world entirely. Plan to visit the parks many islands by boating, kayaking, canoeing, or taking a tour; you dont want to miss the 1930s lighthouse on Boca Chita Key nor the underwater Maritime Heritage Trail, peppered with the remains of shipwrecks of centuries past. But shipwrecks arent the only history hidden in the park: Elliott Key, the parks largest island, was once populated by a community of spongers, wreck divers, and pineapple farmers; the Jones Family Historic District was home to a family who sold the land to become millionaires, an uncommon fate for early-20th-century black families living in the American South. Boca Chita Key lighthouse. (Kyle T Perry/Shutterstock) Another interesting feature of Biscayne National Park is Stiltsville, a collection of 1930s homes built on stilts. Fort Jefferson, Dry Tortugas National Park. (BlueBarronPhoto/Shutterstock) Dry Tortugas Dry off from the watery fun of Biscayne National Park and head even further south to reach Dry Tortugas National Parkin fact, youll need to head as far south as possible, all the way to Key West, the southernmost point of the continental U.S. Located 70 miles off the coast of Key West, Dry Tortugas is accessible only by boat or seaplane. Its home to the historic Fort Jefferson, used as a prison during the Civil War, and also boasts a variety of aquatic adventures thanks to the fact that its primarily underwater. An aerial view of Fort Jefferson. (Thomas Barrat/Shutterstock) Fort Jefferson was used as a prison during the Civil War. (Henryk Sadura/Shutterstock) Plan to snorkel, dive, boat, or swim during your visit, and keep in mind that its a long day in the sun: most visitors opt to take the two-hour ferry there and back in the same day, making for a full day visiting the Dry Tortugas, as the only other choice is to camp there overnight. Though the parks are open year-round thanks to Floridas unapologetic lack of a real winter, its important to keep in mind that summers in Florida can get extremely hot and wet, especially since this overlaps with hurricane season, when potential storms are always a threat. A man takes a walk around the moat at Fort Jefferson. (Sandra Foyt/Shutterstock) These might not be your ideal conditions for a national parks vacation to Florida, so plan accordingly. Skye Sherman is a freelance travel writer based in West Palm Beach, Fla. She covers news, transit, and international destinations for a variety of outlets. You can follow her adventures on Instagram and Twitter @skyesherman Russian President extends special legal status of foreigners amid pandemic flickr.com/ Yazan Badran 10:58 28/09/2020 MOSCOW, September 28 (RAPSI) President of Russia Vladimir Putin has signed a decree extending a temporary special legal status of foreign citizens and stateless persons in the coronavirus pandemic circumstances. According to the document, foreigners and a host party must not take special actions to extend temporary stay (including visa extension), registration at a place of stay and permanent residence (including permanent residence permit extension), emergency accommodation certificates and refugee identity cards if their terms expire between March 15 and December 15. Foreigners are could leave Russia to their homelands including transit through third countries with their identity documents and documents recognized by Russia if their terms expired after March 14, 2020, the order reads. Law abiding foreign nationals will not be expelled and forcibly displaced from Russia. The G20 leaders summit will be held virtually on Nov. 21-22, Saudi Arabia said on Monday, as the COVID-19 pandemic thwarted Riyadh's hopes of hosting the gathering in the kingdom to boost its international standing. Saudi Arabia, the world's top oil exporter took over the G20 presidency at a time of heavy global criticism of its human rights record after the 2018 murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi and of the Yemen war. Riyadh has sought to turn attention to reforms launched by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to open up the kingdom and diversify its economy. King Salman, who had surgery in July, will chair the November summit, a G20 Saudi secretariat statement said. Saudi leaders had hailed the kingdom's G20 presidency as proof of its leading role in the global economy, but the majority of the meetings have been held virtually due the novel coronavirus. The summit will focus on "protecting lives and restoring growth, by addressing vulnerabilities uncovered during the pandemic and by laying down foundations for a better future," the statement said. The Group of 20 major economies have this year contributed over $21 billion to support measures such as the production and distribution of vaccines to fight the coronavirus outbreak. They have injected $11 trillion to stem the economic impact of the pandemic and launched a debt suspension initiative for the world's poorest countries aimed at deferring some $14 billion in debt payments due this year. Ahead of hosting the G20 summit, Saudi Arabia jailed eight people for between seven and 20 years for Khashoggi's killing in the kingdom's Istanbul consulate. Saudi officials denied Prince Mohammed played a role, but in 2019 he indicated some personal accountability, saying "it happened under my watch". Riyadh has also been trying to exit the costly conflict in Yemen, where a Saudi-led coalition has been battling the Iran-aligned Houthi group for over five years in what is widely seen in the region as a proxy war between Saudi Arabia and Iran. Search Keywords: Short link: Providing a coupon does absolutely nothing to address the underlying problem of high and rising drug prices, said Tricia Neuman, a Medicare expert with the nonpartisan Kaiser Family Foundation. The administration has had nearly four years to work with Congress or go through the regulatory process to adopt proposals that could have a real and sustained impact on drug prices. While it may not be enough for some shareholders, we think it is good to see the Canadian Western Bank (TSE:CWB) share price up 12% in a single quarter. But that doesn't help the fact that the three year return is less impressive. In fact, the share price is down 22% in the last three years, falling well short of the market return. Check out our latest analysis for Canadian Western Bank In his essay The Superinvestors of Graham-and-Doddsville Warren Buffett described how share prices do not always rationally reflect the value of a business. 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. During the unfortunate three years of share price decline, Canadian Western Bank actually saw its earnings per share (EPS) improve by 8.4% per year. This is quite a puzzle, and suggests there might be something temporarily buoying the share price. Or else the company was over-hyped in the past, and so its growth has disappointed. It's worth taking a look at other metrics, because the EPS growth doesn't seem to match with the falling share price. Given the healthiness of the dividend payments, we doubt that they've concerned the market. We like that Canadian Western Bank has actually grown its revenue over the last three years. If the company can keep growing revenue, there may be an opportunity for investors. You might have to dig deeper to understand the recent share price weakness. You can see how earnings and revenue have changed over time in the image below (click on the chart to see the exact values). We consider it positive that insiders have made significant purchases in the last year. Even so, future earnings will be far more important to whether current shareholders make money. This free report showing analyst forecasts should help you form a view on Canadian Western Bank 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. So for companies that pay a generous dividend, the TSR is often a lot higher than the share price return. In the case of Canadian Western Bank, it has a TSR of -13% for the last 3 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 We regret to report that Canadian Western Bank shareholders are down 17% for the year (even including dividends). Unfortunately, that's worse than the broader market decline of 4.8%. Having said that, it's inevitable that some stocks will be oversold in a falling market. The key is to keep your eyes on the fundamental developments. On the bright side, long term shareholders have made money, with a gain of 4.9% per year over half a decade. It could be that the recent sell-off is an opportunity, so it may be worth checking the fundamental data for signs of a long term growth trend. While it is well worth considering the different impacts that market conditions can have on the share price, there are other factors that are even more important. Consider for instance, the ever-present spectre of investment risk. We've identified 1 warning sign with Canadian Western Bank , and understanding them should be part of your investment process. Canadian Western Bank is not the only stock that insiders are buying. For those who like to find winning investments this free list of growing companies with recent insider purchasing, could be just the ticket. Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on CA exchanges. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. 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. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com. NEW DELHI : Avaada Energy Pvt. Ltd plans to raise about $220 million by selling a stake in the clean energy company and has appointed Bank of America to handle the process, said two people aware of the matter, in potentially one of the biggest renewable energy deals in India so far. Avaada Energy has so far received indicative term sheets from three potential investors, said the people cited above, requesting anonymity. The first person cited above said the company plans to raise the funds by selling around 20-22% stake. Three indicative term sheets have been received for the stake sale in Avaada Energy. Bank of America is running the sales process for the stake sale," the person said, requesting anonymity. With 1 gigawatt (GW) of operational capacity and a 3 GW pipeline, Avaada Energy is entrepreneur Vineet Mittals second innings in the green energy space after Tata Power bought the entire 1.1 GW renewable energy portfolio of Welspun Energy Pvt. Ltd for $1.4 billion. Mittal was a co-founder of Welspun Renewable Deal activity in Indias clean energy space is starting to pick up following a recovery in power demand after falling during the worlds strictest lockdown to contain the coronavirus pandemic. Indias electricity demand is expected to grow at around 6% compound annual growth rate, according to the government. Spokespersons for Avaada Energy and Bank of America declined to comment. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Residents of the North Bays Wine Country have become tragically familiar with fast-moving wildfires that erupt in the dead of night amid intense autumn winds, forcing them to flee for their lives. The reactions have varied: Some people have moved away. Some have stayed and pushed fire-safety reforms. Most are simply trying to cope with a new seasonal fear and frustration. In fire-weary Sonoma County alone, the fire epidemic picked up in 2017, when parts of Santa Rosa were incinerated. Then, last October, Californias biggest wildfire of the year burned near Geyserville and threatened some already burned neighborhoods. And flames terrorized Santa Rosa once more late Sunday and early Monday. Some places that burned or were threatened by the Tubbs and Nuns fires three years ago were evacuated again overnight as several major wildfires, linked together as the Glass Fire, burned in Sonoma and Napa counties. The latest hellish scene came a little more than a month after the LNU Lightning Complex fires burned hundreds of thousands of acres around Lake Berryessa, near Vacaville and in the forests of western Sonoma County. Im sort of numb at the moment, said Sonoma County Supervisor Susan Gorin as she drove away at about 1 a.m. from her evacuated home in the Oakmont community on Santa Rosas eastern edge. All of Oakmonts 4,500 residents were ordered to leave. Gorin has lived this nightmare before. Three years ago, the Nuns Fire consumed her Oakmont home, which is still being rebuilt while she lives in another home in the same neighborhood. While fleeing to a hotel in Novato, Gorin contemplated the horrendous prospect that the same fate could befall her once more. It seems surreal to me that we would be facing this again in some of the same areas that lost so many homes so traumatically just three short years ago, Gorin said. Its like God has no sympathy, no empathy for Sonoma County. But Gorin blames the worsening fire threat not on a heavenly cause but rather a human one: climate change. Rising temperatures have dried Californias vegetation even more than normal and made a single spark far more likely to cause ruinous conflagrations like the ones unfolding now. More than 3.75 million acres have burned statewide since Jan. 1 far more than any other year on record. Santiago Mejia / The Chronicle The damage this year has been particularly acute in Wine Country and in Butte County, where the historically deadly and destructive Camp Fire decimated the town of Paradise in November 2018. Paradise was placed under an evacuation warning late Sunday as fast winds hastened the spread of the month-old North Complex fires. Now Playing: Wildfires are once again ravaging Northern California's Wine Country. The Glass Fire threatens communities in Sonoma and Napa counties, including Santa Rosa, that suffered destruction from blazes in 2017. Video: San Francisco Chronicle In Santa Rosa, the repetitive nature of the fires over three years is taking its toll on those who chose to rebuild or move to another neighborhood in the area, only to be evacuated again. The Skyhawk neighborhood, where homes burned on Monday, is one of the places where people who lost homes in the Tubbs Fire chose to relocate. Gorin was mindful of her 2017 experience as she evacuated again, making sure to pack photos saved from her home that burned three years ago. Also stuffed into a pillowcase was a copy of her daughters wedding album, which she had to replace after the first one was lost in the Nuns Fire. Similar scenes of people who survived past fires played out around east Santa Rosa. On the other side of Highway 12 from Oakmont, Will Abrams and his family fled their home in the Skyhawk neighborhood even before they were ordered to do so, having seen the flames get no more than a quarter mile away. They could see fire on both sides of the highway as they left. A few hours later, homes in Abrams neighborhood were burning. He didnt know if his was one of them, but he was bracing for potential bad news later, given the intense winds and fast spread. The conditions were just horrible, Abrams said. He moved with his wife and two children to Skyhawk after their previous Santa Rosa home was destroyed in the Tubbs Fire. The disaster, which killed more than 20 people and leveled several thousand residences, reshaped many parts of his life. He began advocating for emergency warning improvements and eventually took a keen interest in the bankruptcy proceedings of Pacific Gas and Electric Co., which caused the Camp Fire and many others in Wine Country in recent years. State investigators blamed the Tubbs Fire on a residents privately maintained power system, but Abrams and other victims of the fire were still included in PG&Es multibillion-dollar bankruptcy settlement. Causes of the current fires are still under investigation. Paul Chinn As he drove his family to the East Bay, where they planned to sleep in their car outside a family members home to stay safe from the coronavirus, Abrams couldnt help but ruminate on some apparent emergency-response shortfalls. Evacuation warnings he received were vague or confusing. One alert included a link to more detailed information, but the website was down. He couldnt tell which way out of town was the safest. Given that local authorities had bungled alerts so badly before, Abrams thought their capabilities would be better now. Fire Tracker Follow wildfires across the state Latest updates on wildfires burning across Northern and Southern California Im a lot of pissed off, he said. Phyllis Rogers rushed from her home in the Oakmont senior community on the very eastern end of Santa Rosa Sunday night. She moved there after her longtime home in Larkfield, an unincorporated community just north of Santa Rosa, was destroyed in the Tubbs Fire. Though she originally planned to rebuild in Larkfield, Rogers, 82, ultimately decided to make Oakmont her permanent home. Rogers wanted to drive west on Highway 12, deeper into Santa Rosa and eventually Highway 101 south, but traffic was backed up too much at 9:30 p.m. Sunday. With an apparent hourlong wait to get through a single stoplight, Rogers turned east instead and drove into Kenwood, where she took windy, narrow backroads to arrive at her sons home in Rohnert Park at about 11 p.m. Reflecting on her repeated evacuations Monday, Rogers recalled how she had seen a therapist for a while after enduring the trauma of the Tubbs Fire. Eventually she stopped but she had preserved the opportunity to return if she needed a tune-up. Today I thought, maybe its time to get a tune-up, Rogers said. At this point, Im in a state of shock and Im tired. I havent had enough sleep, and I will wait at least one more day to take my pulse and decide. This was the third time that Doris and Armin Tietze, residents of the Oakmont senior community, have evacuated from a wildfire in recent years. It reminded the German couple of surviving World War II. Santiago Mejia / The Chronicle 2018 As they recover from the latest fires, Sonoma and Napa counties will continue to grapple with fallout from earlier fires, including last months LNU Complex. Rebuilding from the fires of 2017 and last years Kincade Fire remain incomplete. Sonoma County officials had been contemplating how to best allocate nearly $150 million from PG&Es bankruptcy settlement. The money is a product of a lawsuit the county filed over damage from the 2017 fires, and its supposed to aid the regions disaster recovery and preparations for future emergencies. Gorin said the Board of Supervisors, which she chairs, plans to discuss the settlement next week. J.D. Morris is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jd.morris@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @thejdmorris Aryzta is best known here for the Cuisine de France brand. Photo: Leon Farrell/Photocall Ireland. Swiss-Irish food group Aryzta has received permission from the majority of its lenders for an amendment to its financial covenants. This will provide it will increased headroom over the next year to deal with the continuing uncertainty around and the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, a statement from the group said. The amendment will apply to the two covenant tests relating to the interim financial statements as of January 2021 and to the annual financial statements of July next year. In each case, the net debt to earnings before, interest, taxation, deprecation and amortisation (EBITDA) coverage ratio shall be lower or equal to six times and the net interest coverage ratio shall be greater than one times. Earlier this month Urs Jordi was elected chairman of the group in a dramatic extraordinary general meeting for the group. The EGM came on the back of a months-long campaign by activist investors - led by Switzerland's Veraison and Spain's Cobas - for control of the Swiss-Irish business. The company, which is best known in Ireland for its Cuisine de France brand is also a global supplier of burger buns to McDonald's. Long-standing debt and strategic challenges were compounded this year by the Covid-19 pandemic. Vijayawada, Sep 28 : Even as the Krishna river in Andhra Pradesh's Vijayawada has been in spate since Sunday afternoon in the wake of a downpour, officials monitoring the situation said on Monday that around 2,000 families living in the catchment area were affected by floodwater. "Of the nearly 2,100 families living there, around 2,000 families have been affected," said an official. He said the government was making arrangements at the IGM stadium and five municipal schools to house 2,000 displaced persons. Officials have been monitoring the situation since Sunday night and arranging vehicles to shift out people. "However, only 500 persons are willing to move out while many others are not interested to leave their homes," he said. Many residents were seen wading through chest-deep waters with their belongings. The government has also made food arrangements for the evacuees. Likewise, medical teams have also been readied to attend to the affected people. "We are holding a medical camp near the flood-affected place. We have advised people to wear masks due to coronavirus pandemic. We have made public announcements to this effect," said another official. Relief efforts would be intensified once the floodwater recedes. Floodwater began to rise around 2 pm on Sunday and was expected to go up further. Meanwhile, Andhra Pradesh government's adviser Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy took a jibe at former Chief Minister and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) supremo Nara Chandrababu Naidu over the flood issue. "Dear Chandrababu, there is flood in the Krishna river. At least now you should vacate the illegal house you built at Undavalli. You may block the government with protection from the courts but the floods may not spare your home from submergence," Reddy said. Following a downpour, the Krishna river is swollen at the Prakasam barrage in Vijayawada, compelling authorities to open all sluice gates to release the excess water. Mumbai, Sep 28 : For the first time in 28 days, Maharashtra's Covid-19 deaths and cases plummeted drastically, though Mumbai's total cases breached the 2-lakh mark, health officials said here on Monday. After recording 184 fatalities on August 31, Maharashtra witnessed just 180 deaths on Monday, a significant drop from the peak of 515 deaths recorded on September 15, taking the state's death toll to 35,751. The state recorded 11,921 new cases on Monday, the lowest since August 31 when there were 11,852 new infections -- and steeply falling from the peak tally of 24,886 recorded on September 11) -- taking the state's Covid tally to 13,51,153. The state's recovery rate also shot up -- from 76.91 per cent to 77.71 per cent -- while the mortality rate stood at 2.65 per cent on Monday. On a positive note, 19,932 fully recovered people returned home on Monday, taking the total number of discharges to 10,49,947 till date, much higher than the 265,033 active cases currently present in the state. As per the figures released on Monday, there was one death roughly every 8 minutes and 497 new cases added every hour to the state's tally. Of the 180 deaths, Mumbai led the chart with 40 fatalities, followed by Thane (24), Pune (19), Chandrapur (14), Satara (12), Kolhapur (10), Sangli and Yavatmal (8 each), Aurangabad, Hingoli and Amravati (5 each), Jalgaon and Solapur (4 each), Nashik, Osmanabad and Gadchiroli (3 each), Palghar, Beed and Nagpur (2 each), and Raigad, Ahmednagar, Ratnagiri, Latur, Nanded, Akola and Buldhana (1 each). Continuing in the sub-50 range for the third day this month, Mumbai recorded 40 fatalities which took up its toll to 8,834, while the number of cases shot up by 2,055 to take the city's tally past the 2-lakh mark to 200,901. Of the total 8 circles, the situation in Mumbai circle (MMR, comprising Mumbai, Thane, Palghar and Raigad) remains on the brink as deaths spiral and cases pile up. MMR's fatalities shot up by 67 to 15,533, and with another spike of 4,098 new infectees, the total cases shot up to 471,712. With another of 35 fatalities, the Pune circle's (comprising Pune, Solapur and Satara districts) death toll increased to 7,725 and the daily case tally zoomed up by 2,583 to 358,375 cases. Nashik circle has so far recorded 3,607 fatalities and 178,439 cases, followed by Kolhapur circle's 2,771 deaths and 91,711 cases, and Nagpur circle's 2,344 deaths and 103,621 cases. Latur circle recorded 1,458 deaths and 54,536 cases, Aurangabad circle had 1,309 fatalities and 51,167 cases, followed by Akola circle with 870 deaths and 40,046 cases. Meanwhile, the number of people sent to home quarantine increased to 19,75,923, while the number of those in institutional quarantine went down from 30,467 to 29,922 on Monday. BAKU, Azerbaijan, Sept. 28 By Klavdiya Romakayeva - Trend: Uzbekistan expressed extreme concern about the escalation of tension in relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia and called on the countries to end hostilities as soon as possible, Trend reports with reference to the statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Uzbekistan. The use of military force during the confrontation can lead to numerous casualties on both sides, said the ministry in a statement. The Uzbek side, as presiding over the Commonwealth of Independent States, reaffirms the importance of strengthening relations of friendship, good-neighborliness and mutual trust, and the peaceful resolution of controversial issues in the CIS space strictly in accordance with international law. Uzbekistan calls on Azerbaijan and Armenia to end hostilities as soon as possible and start diplomatic negotiations with a view to a peaceful settlement of the conflict while respecting the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @romakayeva A rendering of Airbus' future zero-emission aircraft. Airbus Airlines and aircraft manufacturers are investing millions to create truly sustainable aircraft after years of improving emissions in aircraft is proving not enough. Airbus just unveiled a fleet of zero-emission aircraft powered by hydrogen that it says may be flying by 2035. KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, Japan Airlines, and Virgin Atlantic Airways are all investing in similar alternatives to today's offerings. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. Airlines have long desired to end their dependency on fossil fuels but the lack of alternatives has kept them in the turbulent relationship that often wreaks havoc on the bottom line and draws scorn from environmentalists and climate activists. Recent advances in aircraft and engine technology have made airliners more efficient but, aviation still accounts for between 2% and 3% of global emissions. Airbus just put forward plans to create a new fleet of zero-emission aircraft aimed at creating a more sustainable aviation industry. Its new hydrogen-powered planes, the manufacturer claims, could begin to replace fossil fuel guzzlers in the skies as early as 15 years. Sustainability in aviation has largely hit a roadblock as been dabbling in biofuel, including sustainable aviation fuel, but have been restricted by its limited availability in the marketplace. Only a few airports currently offer alternate fuel besides kerosene-based jet fuels that require additional infrastructure and commitments by airlines to use the fuel. Airlines and manufacturers are realizing that only a radical shift will allow aviation to become truly sustainable and are using their wallets to make it a reality. Here's how the aviation industry got here and why sustainability in aviation isn't as far away as we think. Fuel costs can make or break an airline with the volatile market a constant concern for the aviation industry. An aircraft being fueled with jet fuel. Denis Balibouse/Reuters The 2000s has seen countless airlines including Aloha Airlines, SkyBus, EOS, and Germania, among others, collapse or declare bankruptcy due to rising fuel costs, especially as oil prices peaked in 2008. Story continues An Aloha Airlines Boeing 737. Shutterstock.com Source: CNBC and The Guardian Rising fuel prices lead to higher operating costs for airlines and some can't survive in that environment, especially during lulls in traffic, as was the case with the Trump Shuttle in the early 1990s. Donald Trump and a model of his airline's Boeing 727 aircraft. Michael Schwartz/New York Post Archives /(c) NYP Holdings, Inc./Getty Watch Now: The rise and fall of Donald Trump's $365 million airline Some airlines hedge fuel, effectively pre-determining a rate for fuel, which helps mitigate any problems if the price of fuel increases. An aircraft being fueled with jet fuel. Denis Balibouse/Reuters On the downside, the price of fuel can also go down and airlines that hedge miss out on those savings, as airlines saw in early 2020. The price of contracts for near-term US crude oil fell to about negative $40 during the pandemic. Markets Insider Aircraft efficiency in the modern era has dramatically increased, starting with the increased use of lightweight composites to build airplanes and new engines with better rates of fuel consumption. A Boeing 787 Dreamliner. Andia/Universal Images Group/Getty Boeing is credited with kicking off the next-generation revolution with the 787 Dreamliner. A Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner. Robert Sorbo/Reuters Source: Boeing's revolutionary 787 Dreamliner has changed air travel forever. Here's how the company left competitors in the dust with a risky $8 billion bet. Half of the aircraft's structure utilized composites and new engines from Rolls-Royce and General Electric helped increase fuel efficiency by up to 25% compared to older generation aircraft, Boeing claims. A Boeing 787 Dreamliner being constructed at Boeing's Everett, Washington plant. Robert Sorbo/Reuters Source: Boeing Airbus soon followed with the A350 XWB. An Airbus A350-1000 XWB aircraft. Tom Buysse/Shutterstock.com Just like the Dreamliner, Airbus claims that the A350 lowers operating costs by 25% thanks to the use of composites and more fuel-efficient engines. An Airbus A350-1000 XWB aircraft. Andreas Zeitler/Shutterstock.com Source: Airbus Both aircraft are prominently featured on the list of the world's longest flights, with seven out of 10 being operated by either an Airbus A350 or Boeing 787. The first flight of a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner. Stephen Brashear/Getty Read More: The 10 longest routes flown by airlines in 2019 A modified Airbus A350-900 XWB also flies the current longest flight in the world between Singapore and Newark. A Singapore Airlines Airbus A350-900 XWB aircraft. C. v. Grinsven/SOPA Images/LightRocket/Getty And Qantas plans to use the Airbus A350 to fly non-stop from Sydney to London and New York. Qantas aircraft are seen on the tarmac at Melbourne Airport. Reuters The Australian flag carrier recently opened up the sole non-stop link between the UK and Australia using a Boeing 787. A Qantas Boeing 787 Dreamliner. christopheronglv / Shutterstock.com These designs have also trickled down into narrow-body aircraft including the Airbus A220... An Airbus A220 aircraft. Regis Duvignau/Reuters Boeing 737 Max... A Boeing 737 MAX airplane lands after a test flight at Boeing Field in Seattle. Reuters Airbus A320neo family... An Airbus A320neo in Airbus house colors. ERIC CABANIS/AFP/Getty And Embraer E190-E2. An Embraer E190-E2 aircraft. Benjamin Zhang/Business Insider Each is cheaper to operate for airlines and require less fuel, despite flying longer distances. And the lower operating costs of these aircraft have opened up previously unprofitable routes for airlines, offering more direct flights for passengers. A British Airways Boeing 787 Dreamliner. Fabrizio Gandolfo/SOPA Images/LightRocket/Getty Airlines were quick to abandon older and bulkier aircraft, like the Boeing 747 and Airbus A380, to take advantage of the economic benefits of the smaller aircraft. An Air France Airbus A380. Thomas Pallini/Business Insider But the aviation industry is only expected to grow, the coronavirus pandemic notwithstanding, as more travelers take to the skies every year. Serving them, while also keeping emissions down, has forced airlines and manufacturers to seek options for more sustainable flights. Airbus' new zero-emission aircraft fleet. Airbus Airbus' three designs all utilize hydrogen as fuel instead of kerosene-based products. Airbus' new zero-emission aircraft fleet. Airbus This ZEROe jet looks much like an existing Airbus A320 family aircraft with slight aerodynamic enhancements including swept-back wings. It boasts a range of around 2,000 nautical miles and capacity for up to 200 passengers. Airbus' new zero-emission aircraft fleet. Airbus Airbus would also create a propeller aircraft, similar to the ones currently being produced by ATR. Its range would be around 1,000 nautical miles with seating for up to 100. Airbus' new zero-emission aircraft fleet. Airbus The most radical design is the blended wing concept, which Airbus hinted at earlier this year with its Maveric demonstrator. Airbus' new zero-emission aircraft fleet. Airbus All would be powered by hydrogen, either by hydrogen composition or by using hydrogen and oxygen atoms to generate electricity. Airbus' new zero-emission aircraft fleet. Airbus The blended wing concept is also proving to be a new way forward as KLM Royal Dutch Airlines is also investing in a blended wing design, which it calls the Flying-V. KLM Royal Dutch Airlines' Flying-V prototype. KLM Royal Dutch Airlines Read More: A prototype of KLM Royal Dutch Airlines' futuristic-looking flying-wing aircraft just took its first flight in Germany take a look at the Flying-V It's supposed to be the same size as the Airbus A350 but able to fly further while carrying the same number of passengers. A rendering of KLM Royal Dutch Airlines' Flying-V. KLM Royal Dutch Airlines So far, the European airline working with researchers and engineers at TU Delft have only come up with a flying prototype. KLM Royal Dutch Airlines' Flying-V prototype. LEX VAN LIESHOUT/ANP/AFP/Getty The US military currently employs a blended wing aircraft, the B-2 Spirit, which was designed for speed, stealth, and range. A B-2 Spirit bomber aircraft. Fasttailwind / Shutterstock.com The alien-looking bomber can fly 6,000 miles in a single flight and has an exceptional safety record, except for a 2008 incident in Guam where erroneous sensor readings caused a crash. A B-2 Spirit bomber aircraft. Anatoliy Lukich / Shutterstock.com Source: Stars and Stripes Boom, the Colorado aerospace startup, is also courting airline investors for a new Concorde-like aircraft capable of breaking the sound barrier while using sustainable fuels. A rendering of the Boom Overture. Boom Supersonic Japan Airlines invested $10 million into the company while Virgin Atlantic Airways is also an investor. A rendering of the Boom Overture. Boom Supersonic The US Air Force also just issued a contract to Boom to study supersonic transportation, with possible uses for executive transport as the future Air Force One. A rendering of the Boom Overture. Boom Supersonic Read More: The Boom Overture jet is vying to become the first supersonic Air Force One here's an early look The trend isn't limited to airlines with private aircraft manufacturers seeking to jump on the trend. Otto Aviation's Celera 500L. Otto Aviation The Celera 500L currently in development by Otto Aviation boasts a fuel consumption rate of up to 25 miles per gallon with a 4,500 nautical mile range, making among the most fuel-efficient aircraft currently flying. Otto Aviation's Celera 500L. Otto Aviation Read More: A new single-engine plane was designed to be so efficient it can make flying private cost the same as a commercial airline see the Celera 500L The single-engine plane is so cheap to operate that its builders say it will make flying private comparable to the cost of flying commercial. Otto Aviation's Celera 500L. Otto Aviation San Francisco has established itself a hub for alternate fuels by partnering Finnish supplier Neste, which recently announced a deal with Shell to produce more biofuel. San Francisco International Airport. JHVEPhoto / Shutterstock.com Source: Neste and San Francisco International Airport JetBlue Airways announced in January that its flights from the Bay Area's largest international airport will utilize Neste's sustainable aviation fuels. A JetBlue Airways Airbus A321. Philip Pilosian / Shutterstock.com Source: JetBlue Airways Private aircraft operators like NetJets and VistaJet are also pledging to use more sustainable aviation fuels in their operations. A private jet receiving jet fuel for its next flight. David Becker/Reuters NetJets announced earlier this month that it will buy up to 3 million gallons of sustainable aviation fuel at San Francisco International Airport. A NetJets Bombardier Challenger aircraft. Marcin Walkow / Business Insider Polska And VistaJet also announced a commitment to make sustainable aviation fuel available globally. A VistaJet Bombardier Global 6000 aircraft. David Slotnick/Business Insider A sustainable aviation industry is on the horizon as airlines are clearly ready to abandon fossil fuels. But it will require investment at a time when airlines are losing millions and aircraft manufacturers are cutting production rates. An Airbus A350-900 XWB aircraft. Reuters With a major manufacturer and innovator like Airbus onboard, however, the possibilities are endless. An Airbus A350-900 XWB aircraft. AKSARAN/Gamma-Rapho/Getty Read the original article on Business Insider Prince Charles has warned that up to 1 million young people in Britain may need urgent help to protect their futures from the ravages of the COVID-19 pandemic, as politicians debated whether to keep British university students from returning home for Christmas. The Prince of Wales said the social and economic crisis created by the coronavirus is reminiscent of the upheavals of the 1970s, when youth unemployment was one of the pressing issues facing British society. There has never been a time as uniquely challenging as the present, when the pandemic has left perhaps another million young people needing urgent help to protect their futures, he wrote in the Sunday Telegraph. The task ahead is unquestionably vast, but it is not insurmountable. The comments came as the spread of COVID-19 accelerates across the U.K., prompting the government to impose new restrictions. Lawmakers and public health experts have criticized Prime Minister Boris Johnson's Conservative government for problems with the national test-and-trace program that was supposed to help control the spread of the disease and reduce the need for limits on social interactions. Young people have been particularly hard hit by the pandemic, even though they are less likely to become seriously ill. The closure of schools during the spring coronavirus lockdown cancelled national achievement tests in Britain and threw university admissions into disarray. First-year students have had to forego social events seen as a rite of passage at the start of their college careers, and the job prospects for graduates look bleak as unemployment rises. Now many university students in Britain who have just begun returning to campus after the summer holidays are facing increased restrictions amid COVID-19 outbreaks in residence halls. Thousands are self-isolating at dormitories in Glasgow, Manchester and Edinburgh. In Manchester, students are chafing at a lockdown they say was imposed without warning. One group taped HMP MMU to a window, suggesting the dormitory had become Her Majestys Prison at Manchester Metropolitan University. Dominic Waddell, 21, a first-year filmmaking student, said some students werent even sent emails telling them about the new lockdown. There was a security guard that then just arrived at the gate of our accommodation and he wasnt letting anybody leave, not really explaining what was going on, Waddell told the Press Association. Theyre saying the safety and wellbeing of our students and staff and the local community is our top priority, but it doesnt really seem like that if they havent allowed us time to prepare for this. With health experts saying that virus outbreaks at universities were entirely foreseeable, the debate has begun over whether students will be allowed to return home for Christmas. The opposition Labour Party urged the government on Sunday to promise that students will be permitted to go home for the holidays. David Lammy, a leading Labour lawmaker, told the BBC the government must improve the country's virus testing system to make sure this is possible. We want young people home with their families at Christmastime, and they need the testing to make sure that that can happen, he said. By Christmas, we would have had the coronavirus for nine months. That we couldnt get a test, track and trace system in place by then has got to be described as pathetic. The struggles of students underscore growing indications that the virus is spreading throughout the U.K. New infections, hospitalizations and deaths have all risen sharply in recent weeks. Britain already has Europes worst death toll from the pandemic, with about 42,000 confirmed deaths. But scientists who are urging more restrictive measures are being challenged by critics fearing further damage to the economy. Johnson last week announced a 10 p.m. curfew on bars and restaurants throughout England, along with other restrictions on social interactions, but many health experts said the measures didnt go far enough. Several regions have already imposed tighter restrictions to control local spikes. By Monday, about one-quarter of the U.K.s 65 million people will be living under these heightened restrictions. London, home to almost 9 million people, was added to the governments COVID-19 watchlist as an area of concern. Its very likely that London will find itself in a situation with restrictions, said Lammy. Some lawmakers have criticized the Conservative government for abusing its power by restricting civil liberties without parliamentary approval. The House of Commons on Wednesday will consider an amendment to existing COVID-19 legislation that would give Parliament the right to vote on any new restrictions. Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden defended the governments decision to move forward without prior approval from Parliament. I think its important in a crisis like this, when things are moving very rapidly, that the government has the power to move quickly to contain the virus, Dowden told Sky News. But then it is important that MPs hold us to account and vote on that, and that is exactly what is happening. ___ Follow APs pandemic coverage at http://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak Trend's exclusive interview with Ayman Amin Sejiny, the CEO of the Islamic Corporation for the Development of the private sector (ICD). BAKU, Azerbaijan, Sept. 28 By Nargiz Sadikhova - Trend: Since the COVID-19 outbreak, many international organizations had to operatively react to the changes and make changes to the usual ways of cooperating and offering support to various countries. Is this true for ICD and Azerbaijan? During the COVID-19 outbreak, the Islamic Corporation for the Development of the Private Sector (ICD), the private sector development arm of the Islamic Development Bank Group (IsDBG) also reacted to changes and announced an emergency package of $250 million. This sum is part of a larger program of $2.3 Billion package established by IsDBG. Funds will mainly be directed to banks in our member countries including Azerbaijan. This is how we envision to assist SMEs in Azerbaijan during the COVID-19 outbreak. In what ways did COVID-19 change ICD-Azerbaijans established relations? During this pandemic, we observed that many financial institutions are suffering from slower procedures, complex bureaucracies, and rigid hierarchies. Therefore, in order to strengthen our global network of financial institutions and to arrange easy access to financing resources, ICD has developed an online dedicated platform (The Bridge). The objective is to focus on partnership with member countries such as Azerbaijan, and major regional financial institutions which target the same markets and sectors. ICD plays an important role in supporting the private sector and developing Islamic finance in its member countries, including Azerbaijan. We look forward to having more collaboration in Azerbaijan during the coming months and years via The Bridge platform. Which activities are ICD currently focusing on as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to hit countries globally? I am aware countries in the CIS region are seeking diverse sources of funding in order to face the negative economic impact resulting from COVID-19. At ICD, we have launched a Sukuk and capital markets development program which plays a tremendous role in facilitating the issuance of Sukuk (Shari'ah-compliant bond) by governments in our member countries as one of the potential sources for funding for their immediate financing requirements during this pandemic. We observe that almost all our member countries need financing in order to tackle this pandemic and require financing in order to improve the various key sectors, particularly in relation to healthcare. Did the ICDs focus on operations in Azerbaijan shift since the pandemic began? If so, in what ways? No. There has been no shift. What measures and steps has ICD taken in Azerbaijan since the COVID-19 pandemic began? ICD has been operating in Azerbaijan since the year of 2003 and to date has provided financing of more than $180 million. ICD finances mainly small and medium enterprises in the country. Currently, my senior team members in charge of Azerbaijani operations are exploring potential opportunities for collaboration in Azerbaijan during this pandemic and after. What goal is ICD looking to achieve in Azerbaijan amid the countrys COVID-19 battle? ICDs business model also focuses on supporting the private sector for better integration into global value chains through innovation, partnerships, and Islamic finance. ICD aspires to position itself as a strong reliable partner for Azerbaijan, assisting the sovereign in enhancing its competitiveness. As I already mentioned, the issuance of Sukuk (sharia-compliant bond) by Azerbaijan with ICDs assistance, could be one of the potential sources of funding for immediate financing requirements during this pandemic. What is also true for the work of ICD in other CIS countries in the context of COVID-19 imposed changes? Currently, my senior team members are exploring potential deals in order to finance projects under the PPP mode of financing in the CIS region. PPP mode of financing is gaining huge interest amongst governments of the CIS region. There are various regional projects in the infrastructure space - more specifically within the healthcare, renewable energy, and education sectors. There are companies within ICDs member countries such as Malaysia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia displaying great interest in collaborations regarding regional PPP deals. What support measures ICD currently offers to CIS countries and what are the short- and long-term aims of this support? Currently, my team members are exploring opportunities in CIS countries in order to provide financing via the COVID-19 $250 million emergency package. These funds will be mainly directed to banks in CIS countries such as Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan. What CIS countries are yet to be supported during the COVID-19 battle by the ICD? As of today, we received requests from banks in Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. What are the main highlights of ICDs work in Azerbaijan over the years? ICD is the founder of Ansar Leasing (AL), the first Shariah-compliant leasing company in Azerbaijan. AL was co-founded jointly with Caspian International Investment Company (CIIC), a state-owned Shariah-compliant investment company and first of its kind. As I mentioned earlier, the PPP mode of financing is gaining a huge interest in ICD member countries. Azerbaijan can benefit using the PPP mode of financing pursuant to the health, renewable energy, and education sectors. I also invite Azerbaijan private sector representatives to benefit from ICDs global network of financial institutions and gain access to financing opportunities via an online dedicated platform (The Bridge). Recent reforms implemented by the Azerbaijani government are also acknowledged. For the attraction of FDIs from GCC countries, Azerbaijan needs Islamic banking laws to be in place. Currently, there is no Islamic Banking Law in Azerbaijan; meanwhile, the development of Islamic finance legislation will facilitate FDI inflows into the country. The wide application of Islamic finance in Azerbaijan can open up many opportunities. Indian companies with strong balance sheets have shaken off the shock from the coronavirus pandemic to chase overseas acquisitions, hoping to pick up attractive assets whose valuations have been hammered by the virus. While the pandemic has dragged Indias outbound deal volume down 23% this year, there have been signs of a recovery in recent weeks. Renewable energy company Greenko Inc., for instance, is in the race to acquire NEC Energy Solutions, a struggling US-based battery maker, Mint reported on Thursday. A day before, the UKs SKY News reported that Mukesh Ambanis Reliance Retail Ventures Ltd is eyeing bankrupt retailer Debenhams. To be sure, Reliance has denied that it is looking at Debenhams. The ramifications of the crisis on businesses have not been uniform. Software services, drugs and packaged-food industry have either remained unscathed or caught the tailwind. Software services companies, for example, have seen demand for cloud computing and cybersecurity services rise after the pandemic. They have moved swiftly to fill in the gaps in their portfolios through small acquisitions. There will be interest as there is financial distress, and assets will be available for cheap. However, it will be very selective. Companies or groups with strong balance sheets or companies backed by private equity funds could look at such overseas acquisitions, said Anuj Kapoor, managing director and head of investment banking at UBS India. While the pandemic has presented many opportunities to acquire overseas companies at distress valuations, Indian companies are not rushing to buy them, and only a few are expected to have the funds and the confidence to take advantage of this, given the fragile global economic recovery is threatening to stall amid a resurgence of coronavirus cases. Also, Indian companies have rarely made large overseas acquisitions in the past few years, as their purchases in the go-go years before the global financial crisis hit unravelled soon. Since then, marquee deals such as Tata Steel Ltds acquisition of Corus or Hindalcos acquisition of Novelis have rarely been repeated. Except for 2018, when firms acquired assets abroad worth $12.9 billion, outbound M&As have slid into the slow lane, shows Refinitiv data. According to Kapoor, sectors such as pharma and chemicals, which are seeing significant investor interest, could potentially look to expand overseas. For PE-owned firms, it could be a step towards eventual monetization. If a tuck-in acquisition makes business sense and improves the marketability of the company eventually to a strategic or financial investor, they may evaluate M&A, he added. The cash-rich technology sector has been the most acquisitive. Companies such as Infosys, HCL Technologies and Tech Mahindra have made overseas acquisitions. Just last week, HCL announced the acquisition of Australia-based IT solutions provider DWS Ltd for around $137 million. Sector bellwether Tata Consultancy Services Ltd is also scouring for acquisition opportunities. In an April interview, chief operating officer N. Ganapathy Subramaniam said while TCS is not interested in pure workforce augmentation, it is looking for firms with a complementary customer base with some intellectual property and patents. The company will also look into opportunities that can lead to market expansion, he said. IT firms are cash-rich...and keep acquiring overseas companies to build capabilities in weak areas. So, deals in digital, cloud and SaaS (software as a service) space keep seeing healthy activity, said Ajay Garg, managing director at Mumbai-based i-banking firm Equirus Capital. A major new study has identified 2085 excess deaths in England and Wales due to heart disease and stroke during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. On average, that is 17 deaths each day over four months that probably could have been prevented. Excess deaths are the number of deaths above what is normally expected - and the figure relates to the period from 2 March to 30 June, 2020. The scientists believe the excess deaths were caused by people not seeking emergency hospital treatment for a heart attack or other acute cardiovascular illness requiring urgent medical attention, either because they were afraid of contracting COVID-19 or were not referred for treatment. Over the same period, there was a sharp rise in the proportion of people who died at home or in a care home from acute cardiovascular diseases. Chris Gale, Professor Cardiovascular Medicine at the University of Leeds, said: "It is entirely plausible that a number of deaths could have been prevented if people had attended hospital quickly when they began to experience their heart attack or stroke. The sad irony is that previous research we have undertaken showed that nationwide heart attack services remained fully operational and continued to deliver high quality care during the peak of the pandemic." The findings, based on an analysis of the information contained on death certificates, have ben published in the journal Heart. The investigation was carried out by a team of data scientists and clinicians, led by academics at the University of Leeds. The other collaborators were from Keele University, NHS Digital, the Office for National Statistics, Barts Health NHS Trust, and University College London. This is the third major study from academics investigating how the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic affected emergency cardiovascular services. Dr Jianhua Wu, Associate Professor in the School of Medicine at Leeds, led the latest study. He said: "This study is the first to give a detailed and comprehensive picture of what was happening to people who were acutely ill with cardiovascular disease cross England and Wales. "It reveals a large number of excess deaths. The findings will help Government and the NHS to develop messages that ensure people who are very ill do seek help." Measuring excess deaths The analysis looked at the information that is collected when a death certificate is issued. It details the cause of death and where the person died. To provide baseline data, the study looked at cardiovascular deaths from the 1 January 2014 through to 30 June 2020. In the four months from 2 March, 2020 - when the first COVID-19 death was registered in the UK - to 30 June, there were 28,969 cardiovascular deaths. That was compared to the average number of deaths seen for the same period over each of the previous six years. It was eight percent higher, revealing 2085 excess deaths. The excess cardiovascular deaths began to emerge in late March 2020 and peaked in early April - this was at the time the Government was promoting its 'Stay at home, Protect the NHS, Save lives' messages. That may have resulted in fewer people being prepared to go to hospital when they were becoming ill, either because they were worried about becoming infected by COVID-19 or were worried about overwhelming the NHS. Previous studies by the researchers, published in The Lancet and European Heart Journal - Quality of Care and Clinical Outcomes, have revealed that the number of people arriving at hospital with a heart attack fell sharply, with some units seeing just over half the expected number of cases. Changes in where people were dying This latest analysis has revealed a shift in where people were dying. There were proportionately fewer deaths in hospital compared to the baseline data: 53.4 percent versus 63 percent. Proportionately more deaths were happening at home: 30.9 percent v 23.5 percent - and in care homes: 15.7 percent v 13.5 percent. Excess deaths were disproportionately happening at home, up by 35 percent when compared with what would be expected, and in care homes, up by 32 percent increase. In the paper, the scientists noted: "This 'displacement of death', most likely, signifies that the public either did not seek help or were not referred to hospital during the pandemic..." Cause of death For people in care homes and hospices, the most prevalent cause of death was stroke and heart failure. For those who died at home, it was heart attack or heart failure. Pulmonary embolism and cardiogenic shock, where the heart can't supply enough blood to the body, were the most frequent causes of death for those who died in hospital. Professor Gale said: "Our study has revealed that people who died at home were most likely to have had a heart attack. This is further support for the speculation that many people were staying away from hospital even though they were very ill with an acute cardiovascular illness. The reality of an untreated heart attack is that it will cause complications - and that will either lead to death, heart failure or life-threatening heart rhythms. The messages that went out at the time of lockdown were important. The NHS did need protecting from a potential surge of COVID-19 cases. But some people may have taken the messaging to mean that the NHS was not able to cope if they had a medical emergency, or that hospitals were a place where they would catch the contagion. As the NHS prepares for any future wave of COVID-19, it needs to ensure people clearly understand that hospitals are open and have processes in place to minimise the risks of patients becoming infected with COVID-19." ### Email Whatsapp Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Do you want to be a great pastor for God? Dont quit, dont fornicate, you will be the only one left and you will be great. I was stunned by those words. Really? Is that all it takes to be great for God as a pastor? I heard these words for the first time in my Historical Theology class at Dallas Theological Seminary in 1994 from Dr. John Hannah when I was a 23-year old seminary student studying for the pastorate. I am now 49 years old and realize how difficult it is and seemingly at times impossible to do these two simple things Dont quit. Dont fornicate. You will be the only one left Andwellyoull be great. For some of you reading this, this statement is incendiary to you. Maybe you have had a moral failure in the ministry, and have gone through the process of properly being restored, and you are serving Gods people again. If that is the case, please know that this is not about bashing those who have quit or had moral failures. I am extremely grateful for those choice servants of the Lord who did the very difficult task of allowing others to dig deep into their hearts and help them be restored to the pastorate. I wish them nothing but the best and I cheer them on, but this is not about that. This is not about moral supremacy in the ministry. This is not about how perfect someone can be while serving Gods people. This is about, how do I set out on a journey to live for God my entire life as a pastor and cross the finish line of life without having prematurely quit or fornicated along the way? I have now served at the same church for 23 years. In 1996, my wife and I traveled to Colorado Springs, Colorado, with the Southern Baptist Convention and started Vanguard Church. Vanguard was one of 34 church plants in the north end of Colorado Springs that year. 23 years later, I am the only founding pastor still at the church he started. Dont quit. Dont fornicate. You will be the only guy left and you will be great. But heres the problem, I dont feel great. I pastor a church that has only averaged over a 1,000 people for one year in those 23 years and that was almost a decade ago. Matter a fact, one year, 23% of the church left in seemingly one week. I really felt great that week. My professor would tell me Im great but my heart tells me Im average at best. I had grandeur illusions of what the church I planted could become. I had grandeur illusions of who I could be for God. 13 years into this journey I was lost, discontent, deeply wounded, confused, angry, hurt, betrayed, and forced to face the reality that I too had created a church with problems. It was not perfect. It did not ring the bell and solve all the dilemmas the modern church is facing. Matter a fact, as I look around most of my church is just like your church. As a church planter, I wanted to create a unique church, but the problem with that is the church is made up of other people besides me and eventually someone other than yourself has to win out or you get to do it all by yourself. And as I reflect on the church I planted 23 years ago, I realize 80% or more of the church I planted is probably just like every other church. We are not as unique as I thought we would be. So, the dilemma is how do I let go of growing a church and focus on God growing me? It sounds simple and it is. But after 20 plus years, I have discovered what my teacher already knew. Simplicity doesnt equal easy. In 20 plus years of church planting and pastoring, I have discovered four Ds that have anchored me along the way and have enabled me so far to remain faithful to my calling and to my Savior, Jesus. I dont pretend to have perfected these, matter a fact, I am down right fearful to even put them in writing. I have battled the Enemy and his ploys long enough to know I do not want to become more of a target for His anger and rage. I tread very cautiously on what I am going to say, because I know I will give an account to my God for how I attempt to lead HIS choice servants who have dedicated their entire lives to serving His people. 1. Stay Disciplined Meditate on God through Scripture. Psalm 119:105 Your word is a lamp to my feet. Psalm 119:105 Your word is a lamp to my feet. Confess your sin to God through journaling . Proverbs 28:13 Whoever conceals transgression will not prosper, but whoever confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy. . Proverbs 28:13 Whoever conceals transgression will not prosper, but whoever confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy. Grow in your commitment to God through fasting. Matthew 4:4 Man shall not live by bread alone. Matthew 4:4 Man shall not live by bread alone. Learn to listen to and for Gods voice through prayer. Isaiah 55:6 Seek the Lord while He may be found. Call on Him while He is near. 2. Keep Dreaming Abraham had a dream. Joseph had a dream. Mary had a dream. We ALL need a God ordained and instructed dream to carry us through ALL THE DAYS of our lives. One of my favorite verses of the Bible is Genesis 25:11 After the death of Abraham, God blessed Isaac HIS SON. The verse is subtle but SIGNIFICANT. Abrahams dream was to have a son. That verse is a declaration of a dream fulfilled after 25 years of WAITING. The value of our lives is not just determined in what is accomplished while we are here on planet earth, but also what we leave behind. Abraham believed God and it is was accounted to Him as righteousness. And by the way, he also fulfilled His dream that God gave Him. How about you? You still dreaming? After 23 years of the pastorate, I continue to ask God to give me visions and dreams of who He desires me to be and how He desires me to live it out. Maybe it is time for you to dream again! This pandemic may be beating the life out of you right now. Ask God for a NEW or RENEWED dream. Watch what He does! The third D that has sustained me in the pastorate is... 3. Be Determined. Through rejection and betrayal It happened to Jesus, it will happen to you and me. Jesus told his disciples, They hated me, they will hate you. (John 15:18) It is part of the territory. However, after 23 years of the pastorate, I have discovered a valuable reminder. More people are Peter than Judas in your life and ministry. Remember people will fail you and even betray you, but few will vindictively be Judases seeking to destroy you. Forgive people. They have clay feet just like us. More people will be like the Apostle Peter in your life than Judas. Forgive them like Jesus did and give them a second chance. It happened to Jesus, it will happen to you and me. Jesus told his disciples, They hated me, they will hate you. (John 15:18) It is part of the territory. However, after 23 years of the pastorate, I have discovered a valuable reminder. More people are Peter than Judas in your life and ministry. Remember people will fail you and even betray you, but few will vindictively be Judases seeking to destroy you. Forgive people. They have clay feet just like us. More people will be like the Apostle Peter in your life than Judas. Forgive them like Jesus did and give them a second chance. Through Disappointment and hardship Over the years I have struggled with various health and emotional issues due to the ministry and the pastorate. Every time I go to the doctor, they ask, Are you under stress. I used to say yes and explain how, now I just, I am a pastor. Over the years I have struggled with various health and emotional issues due to the ministry and the pastorate. Every time I go to the doctor, they ask, Are you under stress. I used to say yes and explain how, now I just, I am a pastor. Through Leadership failure I had a week in my ministry when we had to cut $500,000 out of our budget and lay off eight staff. I wish I could say it was completely not my fault, but I learned valuable lessons that have helped me lead better since then. I had a week in my ministry when we had to cut $500,000 out of our budget and lay off eight staff. I wish I could say it was completely not my fault, but I learned valuable lessons that have helped me lead better since then. Through Temptation C.S. Lewis said it best, No man knows how bad he is until he has tried very hard to be good. I dont know what you are dealing with, but I encourage you to be determined to see it through. The last D is 4. Choose Dependence The older you get, and the more people disappoint you, the harder it will be to entrust yourself to others. Resist it and be dependent upon God through others. It is a huge key to maintaining health, balance, and true personal holiness for the long haul. Choose dependence Through Accountability Proverbs 15:22 Without counsel plans fail, but with many advisers they succeed. Proverbs 15:22 Without counsel plans fail, but with many advisers they succeed. Through boundaries 1 Corinthians. 9:27 Discipline your body and keep it under control 1 Corinthians. 9:27 Discipline your body and keep it under control Through Rest and Recreation : Hebrews 4:9 There remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God. The hardest work of the pastorate is true rest. : Hebrews 4:9 There remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God. The hardest work of the pastorate is true rest. Through Trusting His promises Joshua said it best at the end of his life Joshua 23:14a And now I am about to go the way of all the earth, and you know in your hearts and souls, all of you, that not one word has failed of all the good things[a] that the Lord your God promised concerning you. All (the promises) have come to pass for you; not one of them has failed. 15 But just as all the good things that the Lord your God promised concerning you have been fulfilled for you, so the Lord will bring upon you all the evil things, until he has destroyed you from off this good land that the Lord your God has given you, 16 if you transgress the covenant of the Lord your God, which he commanded you, and go and serve other gods and bow down to them. Then the anger of the Lord will be kindled against you, and you shall perish quickly from off the good land that he has given to you. Please know I am not an expert. Please know I dont feel great for God. Please know I dont even feel significant, but so far, I have attempted to heed my professors words Please take what is helpful for your ministry and life and use it to bring more glory to Jesus and, whatever you find unhelpful, remember this is not the Bible, it is just a book. My favorite prayer to pray after I preach, teach, or counsel others is this: Lord, whatever they have heard from me that is of you, help them never forget it. Whatever is of me, I pray they forget it the moment they walk out of the building. I am just a servant like you. But I am more convinced than ever that after two plus decades of ministry that these words of wisdom, which I will outline through a series of Ds have guided and protected me along my journey. More than I can emphasize with my native tongue, these four Ds have anchored me along the way and allowed me to live out the calling God has placed on my life. It makes me nervous to say these four Ds will make you great for God. But what I do feel comfortable saying is these four Ds can help you be a good pastor for Jesus. And with that said, I think these Ds are good enough. May they anchor you as they have me and may you be able to say at the end of your life these words: I didnt quit. I didnt fornicate. And may you then hear from the Lord Well done, good pastor. And you, my friend, will be known as GREAT for God by your spouse, your children, and Gods people in your lifetime! BEIRUT (AP) The European Union expressed disappointment and concern Monday about the resignation of Lebanons prime minister-designate over the weekend and urged the countrys leaders to do their best to form a Cabinet that meets the demands of the people. Mustapha Adibs resignation during a political impasse came amid Lebanon's worst economic and financial crisis in decades made worse by a massive explosion in Beirut in early August that killed and wounded many and caused widespread damage. Adib, who handed in his resignation Saturday, nearly a month after winning majority support from the Parliament, left Beirut early Monday to return to his post as Lebanons ambassador to Germany. Adibs resignation was a blow to French President Emmanuel Macrons efforts to break a dangerous stalemate in the crisis-hit country. Macron assailed the militant Hezbollah group and the entire Lebanese political class Sunday, and warned of a new civil war if they cant set aside personal and religious interests to unlock international aid and save Lebanon from economic collapse. Macron has been pressing Lebanese politicians to form a Cabinet made up of non-partisan specialists that can work on enacting urgent reforms to extract Lebanon from a devastating economic and financial crisis. The European Unions foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, urged Lebanons leaders to unite and do their utmost for the timely formation of a government that must be able to meet the legitimate needs and demands of the Lebanese people. Borrell said the new Cabinet should be committed to address Lebanons acute and multiple challenges notably its humanitarian, socio-economic and financial crises, the coronavirus pandemic and the reconstruction of Beirut. He underlined the EUs continued support for Lebanon and its people. The international community has repeatedly said that Lebanon will not get financial aid before carrying out reforms to end decades of corruption and mismanagement by the ruling class that brought the tiny country to the verge of bankruptcy. Story continues Macron on Sunday accused Lebanons political leaders of collective betrayal and choosing to favor their partisan and individual interests to the general detriment of the country. Lebanons two main Shiite parties, Hezbollah and ally Amal, led by Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, had insisted on retaining the Finance Ministry in the new government and on naming all the Shiite Cabinet ministers. Adib rejected those conditions and stepped down. Macron reserved his toughest words for Hezbollah, demanding that it clarify whether its a democratic political force, anti-Israel militia or a tool of Iran but also criticized Lebanese political leaders from all camps. The failure is theirs. I wont take it on myself. I did the maximum I could, he said. Hezbollah's Al-Manar TV blasted Macron in its main news editorial Monday night telling the French president that Hezbollah is and will remain an army facing Israel and will keep supporting Syria and its people against extremists. It added that Hezbollah and its allies are not to blame for Adib's failure in forming a Cabinet, saying that Macron's threats of possible sanctions in the future against politicians are unjustified and unacceptable. It asked whether Macron wants Hezbollah and its allies, who have majority seats in Parliament, to give power to groups allied with the United States. On Monday, the dollar was trading at 8,200 pounds on the black market, an 8% drop by the local currency since Adibs resignation. The official rate remains 1,507 pounds to the dollar. The crisis is expected to worsen as the central banks reserves are being depleted in what could force the government in the coming months to end subsidies for medicine and fuel, sharply increasing their prices. Lebanon defaulted on paying back its debt for the first time ever in March. Talks with the International Monetary Fund on a bailout package have stalled. The crisis has been compounded by the coronavirus pandemic and more recently by the Aug. 4 explosion at Beiruts port caused by the detonation of thousands of tons of ammonium nitrates. It killed nearly 200 people, injured thousands and caused losses worth billions of dollars. ___ Cook reported from Brussels. The views expressed by public comments are not those of this company or its affiliated companies. Please note by clicking on "Post" you acknowledge that you have read the TERMS OF USE and the comment you are posting is in compliance with such terms. Your comments may be used on air. Be polite. Inappropriate posts or posts containing offsite links, images, GIFs, inappropriate language, or memes may be removed by the moderator. Job listings and similar posts are likely automated SPAM messages from Facebook and are not placed by WFMZ-TV. The Team at Ashstone Inc. Has 30 Years of Experience and Focuses on Residential and Commercial Construction POMPANO BEACH, FL / ACCESSWIRE / September 28, 2020 / Sean Emmanuel, a general contractor in Pompano Beach and CEO of Ashstone Inc., is pleased to announce the launch of his new company. To learn more about Ashstone Inc. and the construction and contracting services that they offer, please visit https://ashstonefl.com. As a company spokesperson noted, for home or business owners who are looking for an experienced general contractor, Pompano Beach based Ashstone Inc. is an ideal choice. Emmanuel and his team bring 30 years of experience to the new company, and they are devoted to striving for excellence, no matter how big or small the job may be. From new residential construction and commercial construction to additions, renovations, design and insurance claims, Ashstone Inc. is a one stop construction project shop that enjoys transforming their clients' dreams into reality. "Ashstone is renowned for our reliability, and are well-recognized for delivering exceptional quality services on time with reasonable prices to our clients," the spokesperson noted, adding that they are proud to be one of the premier construction companies based in South Florida. "We are committed to customer satisfaction; our construction and building work delights our clients and makes us proud. We aim to bring our wealth of experience to the management of any construction or renovation program." Emmanuel and his team also take a great deal of pride in being a progressive company that is devoted to modern ways of thinking and innovative projects. They also feel strongly in the values of diversity, honesty and clear communication. The team from Ashstone strives to impress their valued clients on each and every project, from a small renovation to a home to a brand-new commercial building. "Perhaps you want to build the luxury home you've always dreamed of. Or maybe you want to turn your current property into your dream home," the spokesperson noted. Story continues "Whatever your vision, whatever your project, we will make sure we build your vision for the future." About Ashstone Inc.: Ashstone Inc. is a premier construction company based in South Florida. With over 30 years of real estate experience, they focus on residential and commercial construction. Their license number is CGC1529574. For more information, please visit https://ashstonefl.com. Ashstone Inc. 1941 N Dixie Hwy #3B Pompano Beach, FL 33060 License #CGC1529574 Contact: Sean Emmanuel info@ashstonefl.com (954) 354-2221 SOURCE: Ashstone Inc. View source version on accesswire.com: https://www.accesswire.com/608066/Ashstone-Inc-a-General-Contractor-in-Pompano-Beach-Announces-the-Launch-of-their-Innovative-Company-in-South-Florida The fourth season of Fargo follows a conflict between two groups of gangsters in 1950 Kansas City: one Italian American (headed by Jason Schwartzman) and one Black (led by Chris Rock, in an unexpectedand effectivedramatic turn). Theres a whole lot of discrimination against Italian Americans in the shows midcentury Missouri, and its WASPier citizens anti-Italian sentiment drives multiple subplots. But it seemed a little strange to see these kinds of openly anti-Italian attitudes in a show set in 1950. Wasnt this kind of discrimination more a creature of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, when Italian immigration was at its height? I asked Maddalena Marinari, historian and author of Unwanted: Italian and Jewish Mobilization Against Restrictive Immigration Laws, 18821965, to explain. Our conversation has been edited and condensed for clarity. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Rebecca Onion: The Black characters in this show often argue that Italian Americans are in the same situation as them in relation to American racism. At one point, Loy Cannon (Chris Rock) says to one of the Italian American characters, I see the signs in the windows: No coloreds, no Italians. Were both in the gutter together, like it or not. But was there discrimination against Italian Americans like that in 1950? Maddalena Marinari: Interesting. The timeline seems to me to be off by a couple decades. A lot of this was happening out in the open in the 1930s, but by the 1950s, a lot of Italian Americans had moved out of the kinds of neighborhoods where they might have had conflicts or interactions like these with Black people. A lot of Italian Americans took advantage of World War IIserving in it, and benefiting from the GI Bill, which of course Black veterans were excluded from doingto move out of these ethnic neighborhoods. Advertisement Advertisement It was the Johnson-Reed Act of 1924 that put strict quotas on Italian immigration, right? What was happening with Italian immigration after the war? Some people in Congress pushed for legislation restricting immigration from southern and Eastern Europewhich was code for Jewish and Italian immigrantsstarting in 1892, but they didnt really succeed until 1924, when they passed the Johnson-Reed Act. Immigration from Italy didnt completely come to an end. In the 1930s, it was really low, but there was a loophole in the law that allowed for family reunification; most of the immigration during the 1930s was due to family ties. Advertisement One thing that might make sense in terms of setting this story in 1950 is that after World War II, Congress passed a series of laws for displaced persons in Europe, allowing more people to come over; some of these people were Italian and Jewish. Some of the stereotypes resurfaced again in public conversations over these new laws. But there wasnt the same level of virulence against Italian immigrants as there was in the early 20th century. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There were some exceptions in public life, like Patrick McCarran, the senator from Nevada, who absolutely hated Italians, and absolutely hated Jewish immigrants, and had a lot of power. He was the one who, in 1952, when it seemed like Congress might overturn the quota system, sponsored the McCarran-Walter Act, a bill that upheld it. In the press, when this bill was being debated, you see some resurgence of negative stereotypes of Italian Americans from earlier in the century. But in general, Italians were absorbing into American society and had more political clout. And President Truman really didnt want to alienate Italian Americans because they had strong ties to Italy, which in the postwar years was critical to the Cold War interests of the United States. Postwar American politicians wanted to use Italian Americans to influence Italians. For example, in 1948 there was a massive letter-writing campaign that Italian Americans organized, at the urging of the government, to persuade Italians to vote to be a republic rather than for Communist candidates. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sign up for the Slate Culture newsletter The best of movies, TV, books, music, and more, delivered to your inbox three times a week. We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try again. Please enable javascript to use form. Email address: Send me updates about Slate special offers. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms Sign Up Thanks for signing up! You can manage your newsletter subscriptions at any time. Going back to that window signwhat about the idea that there might be employment discrimination against Italian Americans, even in the midcentury period? In the early 20th century, it would maybe have been true that there might have been that kind of informal employment discrimination. But I dont know if there would have been window signs like that. This is like the history of the No Irish Need Apply signs, which, its been found, there isnt much evidence they were as common as people remember. To be clear, I dont know that there wouldnt have been signs like the one the show mentioned, but I havent seen evidence of it. Theres a situation in the first episode where the head of the Italian American crime family is shot, and his son and lieutenants try to take him to a private hospital and theyre turned away. The hospital administrator, who seems like sort of a throwback to an earlier time, talking about Protestant bloodlines and such, refuses to let him in, saying he only serves one class of peoplerespectable Americans. What about this kind of discrimination in the provision of services? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This is interesting that you mention Protestant, because one of the tricky things with Italians is that often they were discriminated against because of their [Catholic] religion, and that was particularly intense during the 1920s and 1930s. And then that contributes to this sort of ambivalent racial status they had in the racial hierarchy. Its interesting that this incident takes place in a hospital, because theres been a lot of scholarship about the fact that a lot of Italian immigrants did not arrive with much understanding of racial dynamics in the United States, and it was exactly in this type of encounter, at schools, in church, in getting health care, that they began internalizing them. Thats where newly arrived immigrants started to get the idea that being perceived as white really matters in the United States in terms of social mobility and political visibility. And thats why, at first, they lived in ethnic neighborhoods and had their own churches and services. Advertisement But thats through the beginning of World War II. World War II really was a turning point, where a lot of immigrants, even the older ones, figured out there could be a blurring of the lines. And thats when they started moving out of ethnic neighborhoods. So thats why this setting for this show is a bit strange; by the early 1950s the Italian American community has begun to figure out how race works in the United States. Advertisement Advertisement Thats just what I was about to ask next, which is about anti-Black racism in the Italian American community. The Italian American characters on the show have a range of attitudes toward the Black characterssome are quite racist, while others identify some kind of common experience between the two groups. (When one character says some racist, anti-Black things, another replies, You dont think they talk about us like that behind closed doors?) So its interesting to hear you say that this is a time when theres an awareness of how the hierarchy might be shifting. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Yes, and in part thats because of the rhetoric that comes out of the war. The United States was trying to project this image of a diverse and inclusive society. In practice, of course, that wasnt true, even within the military. There were race riots at home and on the battlefront. I think a lot of Italian Americans were realizing, a lot of people were realizing, theres the message and then theres whats happening on the ground. There definitely were some Italian Americans whothe discriminatory immigration laws made them uncomfortable, and they looked for ways to be fully accepted by mainstream Americans. They realized that one of the ways they could do that was to kind of separate themselves from Black Americans. Advertisement But of course, not every Italian American was like that. Vito Marcantonio, an Italian American congressman from East Harlem who served in the 1930s and 1940s, talked about how the division between races was intentional [on the part of those in power] and if they could come together they would benefit from that and be more successful overall. But he really struggled to get across that message, and he represented one of the most diverse districts in New York City. Well, hearing you talk about this time as sort of a cultural transition zone, with the effects of the GI Bill and the postwar situation changing everything, Im starting to think that this shows 1950 setting situates it as sort of a last gasp story. This is about the conflict between a group on the edge of legitimacy and a group still completely shut out. And thats an interesting dynamic. OK, one last question. Would an Italian American, in 1950, really refer to Italy as the boot? [Laughs] I have never heard of that! I dont knowa lot of Italian Americans had a lot of reverence for the home country; it seems like the boot might sound disrespectful to them. I dont know for sure, though! President Trump took to Twitter just after midnight on Monday and demanded that the Justice Department investigate Democratic House Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota for alleged 'ballot harvesting.' 'This is totally illegal,' the president tweeted on Monday morning. 'Hope that the U.S. Attorney in Minnesota has this, and other of her many misdeeds, under serious review??? 'If not, why not??? 'We will win Minnesota because of her, and law enforcement. 'Saved Minneapolis & Iron O Range!' President Trump (left) called on his own Justice Department to investigate House Rep. Ilhan Omar (right), a Democrat from Minnesota, over alleged voter fraud by her supporters 'This is totally illegal,' the president tweeted on Monday. 'Hope that the U.S. Attorney in Minnesota has this, and other of her many misdeeds, under serious review??? If not, why not???' Trump was reacting on Monday to a report from James O'Keefe of Project Veritas claiming that supporters of Omar were illegally harvesting ballots. According to O'Keefe, a Minneapolis resident, Liban Mohamed, illegally collected some 300 ballots from primarily Somali immigrants to help his brother, City Councilman Jamal Osman. Mohamed in turn accused O'Keefe on Twitter of 'fake news'. Omar is one of four Democratic congresswomen known collectively as 'The Squad' who has frequently been targeted for criticism by the president and his supporters. The others are House Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York; Rashida Tlaib of Michigan; and Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts. Last week, Trump again went after Omar at an election rally in Pennsylvania, suggesting that the U.S. isn't her country. 'She's telling us how to run our country. How did you do where you came from?' Trump said of the Somali-born Democrat, who's a U.S. citizen. 'How was your country doing?' the president added. Omar hit back at Trump's comments, even calling his rallies 'cult-like.' 'Firstly, this is my country and I am a member of the House that impeached you,' the Minnesota lawmaker tweeted. 'Secondly, I fled civil war when I was 8. An 8-year-old doesn't run a country even though you run our country like one.' Minnesota is considered a key swing state in the upcoming presidential election. According to the latest polls compiled by the news site FiveThirtyEight, Trump's Democratic opponent, Joe Biden, has a six-point lead in the state. The president on Monday was reacting to a claim by James O'Keefe's Project Veritas that supporters of Omar in Minneapolis were illegally engaged in 'ballot harvesting' O'Keefe's Project Veritas released a video claiming that Liban Mohamed, the brother of Minneapolis City Councilman Jamal Osman, illegally dropped off some 300 ballots during the recent election Project Veritas now claims that Democrats are engaged in rampant voter fraud. Democrats say Trump and his allies are looking to sow doubt in the integrity of the upcoming election by making unsubstantiated allegations of wrongdoing. Ballot harvesting, also known as 'ballot collection,' is legal in a majority of states. 'Ballot harvesting' is also known as 'ballot collection,' which is a legal practice in many states that allows third parties to collect ballots on behalf of impaired or disabled voters who are unable to physically get to polling places. In Minnesota, the law allows a third party to collect no more than three ballots. The above file photo is a 2008 election ballot in Minnesota It allows a third party to collect and deliver ballots to voters. Although widely practiced and rarely found to be abused, the rule permitting a third party to collect and return multiple ballots remains a source of partisan dispute. More than half of states allow a third party to collect ballots. And political groups and campaigns from both parties have run ballot-collection programs aimed at boosting turnout and ensuring voters who are older, homebound, disabled, or live far from US postal services can get their ballot returned. Trump and the GOP contend 'ballot harvesting' opens the door for fraud and have fought to restrict it. This has escalated as states prepare for greater reliance on absentee voting or vote-by-mail amid COVID-19. In Minnesota, the law states that a third party can return no more than three ballots. California since 2016 has allowed for someone to collect an unlimited number of ballots from voters, though it does bar someone from being paid based on how many ballots they return. This year, Republicans and Democrats have squared off in lawsuits over the third-party collection of ballots in Pennsylvania, Florida and Minnesota. In Wisconsin, a conservative law firm known as the Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty requested that election officials outlaw the process. Though that state's laws don't specifically address 'ballot harvesting,' officials said they weren't aware of any efforts to systematically collect absentee ballots in the state and did not impose a rule prohibiting it. Royal Gibraltar Police Partner with the Ministry of Equality to Celebrate National Inclusion Week National Inclusion Week falls on the week of the 28th September 2020. This is a week of celebration of diversity and aims to promote inclusion in the workplace. Taking part in Inclusion Week enables organisations to demonstrate their commitment towards inclusion. 'It is important to remove any biases, whether conscious or unconscious, towards any minority groups in the workplace. The experiences at work of people who belong to different minority groups will be quite different and one solution will not fit all. Employers need to realise that different people have different needs and employees must be recognised for their values and they need to be supported as individuals. Flexibility with the needs of individual staff members is paramount not only from an inclusion perspective, but also to maintain staff moral high. The benefits of hiring a diverse workforce are also well documented and when staff are problem solving in groups or teams better solutions are achieved.' To commemorate Inclusion Week, the Royal Gibraltar Police will be flying their RGP rainbow colour flag at New Mole House Police Station. Furthermore, the RGP LGBTQ+ Police Constable has met with the Department of Equality and discussed the different initiatives that are being carried out to promote inclusion throughout the year in their respective departments. The Minister for Equality and Justice, The Hon Samantha Sacramento MP, said National Inclusion Week should be used to reflect on different ways employers can be more inclusive, this is not something that we should forget once the week is over. This manner of inclusive thinking should be done all year round. Gibraltar is becoming more inclusive, evidence of this is out for all to see, but some mind-sets still need to change, I am certain that with raising awareness with initiatives like these and with understanding and acceptance, a more inclusive society will be achieved. A more inclusive society will certainly help build a better Gibraltar for everyone. Over the last few years, the Ministry for Equality has pioneered on numerous initiatives and there have been many milestones achieved in the progress of this journey. During the time that I have been the Minister for Justice, I have worked closely with the Commissioner of Police to further the equality and inclusion and I very much welcome his commitment to partnership with the Ministry for Equality. The Commissioner of Police, Richard Ullger said The Royal Gibraltar Police are proud to promote Inclusion week across our organisation highlighting equality, diversity and being inclusive, not only this week, but at all times and in everything we do. We are an equal opportunities employer who promote and support all individuals regardless of who they are. The raising of this flag today, shows our commitment to diversity. I am also working very closely with our Women in Policing forum within the RGP. I am pleased to be able to work in close partnership with the Ministry of Equality to promote inclusion and continue to raise awareness on all issues of equality in our society. On the occasion of International day of Sign Language, Kerala's formidable media group, Mathrubhumi, took two thoughtful and empathetic initiatives to turn the spotlight on the topic. The leading story on the front page of the newspaper was delivered in a very surprising manner, through sign language. The section also had a QR code for people to learn more about the topic. In addition to this, Mathrubhumi News channel were drawn open at 7 AM, with the presence of speech and hearing specialist Chithra Prasad who delivered the news in sign language alongside our channel presenter. Chithra also touched upon on various interesting aspects of sign language, its cultural context, structure, grammar etc. Speaking about the innovations, M V Shreyams Kumar, Managing Director, Mathrubhumi Group said Being a responsible media house, Mathrubhumi believes in empowering people from every strata of the society with the additional impact creativity brings. This is also always appreciated by our readers and advertisers alike PHILADELPHIA-- New findings suggest that late-onset Alzheimer's Disease is driven by epigenetic changes -- how and when certain genes are turned on and off -- in the brain. Results were published today in Nature Genetics. Research led by Raffaella Nativio, PhD, a former research associate of Epigenetics, Shelley Berger, PhD, a professor of Genetics, Biology and Cell and Developmental Biology and Director of the Epigenetics Institute, and Nancy Bonini, PhD, a professor of Biology and Cell and Developmental Biology, all in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, used post-mortem brain tissue to compare healthy younger and older brain cells to those with Alzheimer's Disease. The team found evidence that epigenetic regulators disable protective pathways and enable pro-disease pathways in those with the disease. "The last five years have seen great efforts to develop therapeutics to treat Alzheimer's disease, but sadly, they have failed in the clinic to treat humans suffering from this horrible disease," Berger said. "We are trying a completely different approach to reveal the critical changes in brain cells, and our findings show epigenetic changes are driving disease." Epigenetic changes alter gene expression without DNA mutation, but rather by marking proteins that package and protect DNA, called histones. Berger added, "the activity of epigenetic regulators can be inhibited by drugs, and hence we are excited that this may be an Achilles' heel of Alzheimer's that can be attacked by new therapeutics." In this study, the researchers integrated many large-scale cutting-edge approaches of RNA, protein, and epigenomic analyses of postmortem human brains to interrogate the molecular pathways involved in Alzheimer's. They found upregulation of transcription- and chromatin-related genes, including of central histone acetyltransferases for marks that open up the chromatin (marks called acetylation of lysine 27 and 9 on histone H3, or H3K27ac and H3K9ac). Proteomic screening also singled out these marks as enriched in Alzheimer's. The findings were tested functionally in a fly Drosophila model, to show that increasing these marks exacerbated Alzheimer's Disease associated effects. "Based on our findings, there is a reconfiguration of the epigenomic landscape -- that's the DNA genome plus associated proteins -- normally with age in the brain," Bonini said. "These changes fail to occur in Alzheimer's and instead other changes occur. What's remarkable is that the simple fruit fly Drosophila, in which we can express Alzheimer's associated proteins and confer an Alzheimer's effect, confirms that the specific types of changes to the epigenome we predict are associated with Alzheimer's do exaggerate the toxicity of Alzheimer's proteins." These findings suggest that Alzheimer's Disease involves a reconfiguration of the epigenomic landscape, with the marks H3K27ac and H3K9ac affecting disease pathways by disrupting transcription- and chromatin-gene feedback loops. The identification of this process highlights potential strategies to modulate these marks for early-stage disease treatment. This research built off a previous study published by the team in 2018. Like this study, they compared the epigenomic landscape of disease to both younger and elderly cognitively normal control subjects. The team described the genome-wide enrichment of another acetylation mark of acetylation of lysine 16 on histone H4 (H4K16ac). H4K16ac is a key modification in human health because it regulates cellular responses to stress and to DNA damage. The team found that, while normal aging leads to increasing H4K16ac in new positions along the genome and an increase in where it is already present, in great contrast, Alzheimer's entails losses of H4K16ac in the proximity of genes linked to aging and disease. "Overall we found in the previous study that certain acetylation marks protect the brain during normal aging, whereas, strikingly, in our new study, we found that other acetylation marks drive disease. The next step is to identify mechanisms underlying the protective and degradative pathways, which will lead to a more targeted approach for Alzheimer's Disease therapy," Nativio said. ### Additional co-authors from the University of Pennsylvania include Dr. Yemin Lan, Dr. Greg Donahue, Dr. Simon Sidoli, Ananth Srinivasan, Dr. Alexandre Amlie-Wolf, Dr. Li-San Wang, Dr. Ben Garcia, and Dr. John Trojanowski. This work received funding from the Kleberg Foundation and the National Institutes of Health. Penn Medicine is one of the world's leading academic medical centers, dedicated to the related missions of medical education, biomedical research, and excellence in patient care. Penn Medicine consists of the Raymond and Ruth Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania (founded in 1765 as the nation's first medical school) and the University of Pennsylvania Health System, which together form a $7.8 billion enterprise. The Perelman School of Medicine has been ranked among the top medical schools in the United States for more than 20 years, according to U.S. News & World Report's survey of research-oriented medical schools. The School is consistently among the nation's top recipients of funding from the National Institutes of Health, with $425 million awarded in the 2018 fiscal year. The University of Pennsylvania Health System's patient care facilities include: the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and Penn Presbyterian Medical Center--which are recognized as one of the nation's top "Honor Roll" hospitals by U.S. News & World Report--Chester County Hospital; Lancaster General Health; Penn Medicine Princeton Health; and Pennsylvania Hospital, the nation's first hospital, founded in 1751. Additional facilities and enterprises include Good Shepherd Penn Partners, Penn Home Care and Hospice Services, Lancaster Behavioral Health Hospital, and Princeton House Behavioral Health, among others. Penn Medicine is powered by a talented and dedicated workforce of more than 40,000 people. The organization also has alliances with top community health systems across both Southeastern Pennsylvania and Southern New Jersey, creating more options for patients no matter where they live. Penn Medicine is committed to improving lives and health through a variety of community-based programs and activities. In fiscal year 2018, Penn Medicine provided more than $525 million to benefit our community. Walking the streets of lower Manhattan for the first time in a long time, I was talking with a friend a few days ago. Over the course of 20 blocks or so, I would occasionally play with my face mask, to get a little extra air. Not take it off, not pull it down, but pull it outward. I suspect that when I did that, I may have exposed my nose. The point of this story is that a woman coming toward us, but still quite far away, started screaming at me. At first, I had no idea what was going on. When we were at the point when she was closer, looking at me, and pointing well, Im only so slow. I apologized. Profusely even. She had this almost primordial yelp that had to be about much more than me playing with a mask. You think this is a joke! she wailed. She added that she recently had had surgery. I shouldnt have played with my mask I know whats going on, and Im aware of peoples vulnerabilities and sensitivities. On the other hand, that outburst that continued as she walked past us had to be about way more than my infraction. My friend and I had been talking at some point in our walk about the obvious deepening darkness in the city. This is life without God, he observed after the screaming incident. Obviously neither of us had any idea what this woman believes, but this is what were drowning in: the consequences of widespread unbelief. I find myself wanting to apologize to the people I dont even know who cant conceal their miseries. If Christians werent often so busy with internal conflicts and corruption, wed be making Gods love unmistakably clear. I was recently talking with the pastor of a church in the most dangerous section of Washington, D.C. As he described the children of St. Thomas More Academy there and what they have to walk past on the way home from school, I couldnt help but see them as monstrances. In a monstrance, Catholics will adore the Body of Christ in His Eucharistic presence. These children show that same transformative light. While I pray for their protection, I pray that miracles happen as they pass by, that addicts will be liberated, that wounds will be healed. Story continues I share this because theres a lot of dismissing of thoughts and prayers in our culture. And I certainly agree: A sentiment in a tweet or a press release doesnt do much for the world. Its close to meaningless if it isnt accompanied by some real pleading with God. I recently saw the HBO series with Jude Law as the pope, in which he declares, God, we have to talk! He gets on his knees, expands his arms, and gives his prayer everything that is in him and then some. You know the Scripture about the Holy Spirit taking over? Thats what some real prayer is about. God gets us there if we give Him time. At the same time as my encounter on the city street, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith in the Vatican released a document, Samaritanus Bonus, on the care of persons in the critical and terminal phases of life. I am taken by drawn in by so many passages, including this one: Especially in hospitals and clinics committed to Christian values, it is vital to create space for relationships built on the recognition of the fragility and vulnerability of the sick person. Weakness makes us conscious of our dependence on God and invites us to respond with the respect due to our neighbor. Every individual who cares for the sick . . . has the moral responsibility to apprehend the fundamental and inalienable good that is the human person. They should adhere to the highest standards of self-respect and respect for others by embracing, safeguarding and promoting human life until natural death. At work here is a contemplative gaze that beholds in ones own existence and that of others a unique and unrepeatable wonder, received and welcomed as a gift. This is the gaze of the one who does not pretend to take possession of the reality of life but welcomes it as it is, with its difficulties and sufferings, and, guided by faith, finds in illness the readiness to abandon oneself to the Lord of life who is manifest therein. Imagine if we always looked at one another like that? And let weakness be an entryway for God? News stories on the document focused on the guidance that priests cant be giving the sacraments to people in the hopes that God will bless their assisted suicide. And while it is helpful pushback against a trend of legalizing and utilizing doctor-assisted suicide (and all the non-doctor-assisted suicide that feels worse than the coronavirus pandemic), the document is about so much more. Its about the Christian life and how Christians owe it to the world to live it with overflowing hope. Hope is contagious, and it can be quite hidden these days. This cannot be. COVID-19 and the stresses of shutdown have increased peoples anxiety. We must show hope together, people of all faiths and none, to those who are gravely suffering and on the brink or beyond of despair. There is a lot of anger in the world right now, and it will only increase as the election nears. Dont get distracted from the necessary mission of hope. Listen to the cries in the protests and the riots and the violence and the sadness and anxiety. They are from people longing for hope. Make that your campaign to show it. This column is based on one available through Andrews McMeel Universals Newspaper Enterprise Association. More from National Review Why are most economies, even those relatively successful in containing covid, still struggling to revive their growth prospects? Given the amount of expansionary fiscal spending, will a weak post-pandemic economic recovery make it difficult for these nations to go back to their pre-pandemic performance levels? These are the two critical questions facing policymakers across the globe. Why an economic recovery seems so bad and disproportionate across countries may have less of an economic explanation than one derived from a reading of the political economy, the specific problem being a deepening public distrust and an erosion of confidence in the state-citizen contract. The pandemic has caused one of the worst recessions since the Great Depression in almost all of the industrialized world. In emerging countries too, nations are struggling with contracting growth due to prolonged shutdowns, weak demand, and supply-side disruptions. This is likely to continue for many quarters. Whats particularly damaging for countries like India is the continuing upsurge in coronavirus cases. This evokes and heightens uncertainty. Low public confidence in the states ability to respond to the ongoing health emergency and its economic pitfalls appears to have made citizens extremely sceptical and afraid. Such collective distrust results in irrational" responses like a compulsive need to save more and spend less (or buy more gold) among households, a reduction of investment by firms (or avoidance of long-term commitments), and a credit wariness exercised by financial institutions. A breakdown of public trust and confidence, therefore, weakens the confidence multiplier" effect, as Robert Shiller and George Akerlof argue in Animal Spirits, published after the 2008 financial crisis. Just as increased marginal consumption, in Keynesian thinking, can induce a multiplier effect (animal spirits") to boost economic growth, a decrease in consumer confidence could have a negative multiplier effect that hurts consumption, investment and production. This affects other macroeconomic aggregates like unemployment and export performance, thereby making an economic recovery that much more difficult. The breakdown in public trust isnt a new behavioural circumstance that arose after the pandemic. Peoples trust in governments, as also private and public institutions, has been weakening since the 2008 financial crisis. The volatile nature of commodity prices (oil and gold) and peoples increased preference for gold as an investment are markers that underpin the rise of uncertain financial behaviour. Politics has worsened the situation. Conspiracy theories, a disregard of scientific reason and facts, polarized political rhetoric and fake news have proliferated to an extent that people at large find it difficult to trust anything for a sustained period. And if their faith in a government or an entire system of governance (say, democracy) keeps declining, it will only deepen populist majoritarian tendencies and widen democratic deficits. Even if a vaccine emerges as a projected way out of the covid crisis, more than 60% of people across the US may not trust and take the vaccine because of the politics around it in an election year. The growing distrust in medical experts and regulatory authorities is thus threatening to reduce the efficacy of a vaccination programme. Even at the global level, polarized, hyper-nationalistic political behaviour, and a fall in mutual trust among nations on the sharing of medical and scientific information, has raised serious questions on the equitable distribution of a vaccine once it is found. This takes us to the second question. Compared to previous financial crises (2008-09; 1996-97; 1928-29), central banks and governments launched rescue missions much earlier this time round. Never before has so much liquidity been made available in such a short span of time. The US Federal Reserve went all out to dollarize and stabilize financial markets and prevent panic on the streets of emerging and developed markets. Many governments, if not all, also injected massive doses of fiscal stimulus to keep their economies afloat. Still, it is a growing distrust that hasnt allowed the economic situation to get better. This is only going to make it difficult for future generations to repay the money borrowed now to tackle this crisis. A serious rethink is required to restore public trust and induce the multiplier of confidence among people. The onus is on those in leadership positions of science, finance and government to understand how critical it has become to develop transparent and robust rules of the road" and take decisions based on evidence that can be examined by others. In a biased (and polarized) media environment, where 24/7 news cycles spread misinformation and rhetorical lies for vested interests and political aims, concerted efforts are needed by leaders to empowerand not confusepeople with information. Trust is a scarce and volatile public good. It takes time and effort to make people understand and adopt reason and science. If nations hope to institute economic and socio-political reforms to establish a progressive order and combat climate change, this long-term exercise of building public confidence must start today. A further erosion of trust could have consequences of chilling proportions. Deepanshu Mohan is associate professor of economics at OP Jindal Global University Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. As homophobic tensions peak in Poland, diplomats of 50 countries have signed an open letter urging the Polish government to respect and protect its LGBT+ citizens. In an incredible display of global unity, the letter was signed by envoys from India, Mexico, Norway, South Africa, Ireland, Finland, Japan, Malta, Spain, New Zealand, Venezuela, Australia, Israel, Sweden, the UK and the USA, among many other countries. Their call for tolerance reminds the Polish government of its responsibility to protect all citizens from violence and discrimination, and to ensure they enjoy equal opportunities. Human rights are universal and everyone, including LGBT+ persons, are entitled to their full enjoyment, the ambassadors write. Respect for these fundamental rights obliges governments to protect all citizens from violence and discrimination and to ensure they enjoy equal opportunities. While they do not expressly mention Polands LGBT-free zones, they allude to this by citing a greater need to work towards non-discrimination, tolerance and mutual acceptance in sectors including education, health, social affairs, citizenship, public service and public documents. This is something that everyone should support, the letter ends pointedly. The ambassadors signatures are joined by representatives of several international organisations, including the United Nations and the EU itself. It comes days after the EU was handed a petition signed by more than 340,000 people demanding decisive action against the rising tide of homophobic hate in Poland. The European Parliament has stridently condemned Polands LGBT-free zones on several occasions, and funding has been withheld from some municipalities in retaliation, but it appears to have had little effect on the countrys anti-LGBT+ sentiment. Shortly after the ambassadors open letter was published, Polands deputy foreign minister, Pawel Jablonski, hit back with a tweet that denied LGBT-free zones even exist. Story continues He claimed that the Polish government fully agrees with the letters message, and that every human being enjoys an equal level of protection under Polish law, but added a reminder that the Polish constitution defines marriage as a union of a woman and a man. We also positively assess the fact that the open letter does not repeat #fakenews about alleged LGBT-free zones that do not exist in Poland, he continued. We believe that public debate should always be based on facts instead of false narratives invented by media or activists. The Centre will assess all coronavirus vaccines before signing purchase agreements with firms. The government is going to assess efficacy data of all concerned companies (working on COVID-19 vaccines) before inking a purchase contract with them and will buy vaccines at least for essential workers, an official told the Economic Times. The development follows Serum Institute of India (SII) CEO Adar Poonawalla's tweet last Saturday saying that the government would need "Rs 80,000 crore over the next one year to buy and distribute COVID-19 vaccines to everyone in India and this is going to be the next challenge the country needs to tackle." Quick question; will the government of India have 80,000 crores available, over the next one year? Because that's what @MoHFW_INDIA needs, to buy and distribute the vaccine to everyone in India. This is the next concerning challenge we need to tackle. @PMOIndia Adar Poonawalla (@adarpoonawalla) September 26, 2020 Poonawalla's statement came as governments across the world devise their plan of action (regarding COVID-19 vaccine) by procuring doses directly from companies. Also Read: COVID-19 pandemic: Global death toll to reach 20 lakh before vaccine is widely used, says WHO Meanwhile, the Centre is yet to announce any plans to purchase vaccines from companies producing them. Presently, there are four vaccine candidates in late-stage trials in the country. Explaining the rationale of his question, Poonawalla further tweeted asking the government if it will have Rs 80,000 crore at its disposal over the next one year because that's what the health ministry would require to purchase and distribute the coronavirus vaccine to everyone in India. "I ask this question, because we need to plan and guide vaccine manufacturers both in India and overseas to service the needs of our country in terms of procurement and distribution," the SII CEO said in his tweet. I ask this question, because we need to plan and guide, vaccine manufacturers both in India and overseas to service the needs of our country in terms of procurement and distribution. Adar Poonawalla (@adarpoonawalla) September 26, 2020 Zydus Cadila, Biological E, SII, and Bharat Biotech have so far invested their own capital to start the COVID-19 vaccine trial. While Biological E has joined hands with Johnson & Johnson and is also likely to get a grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, SII has already received $150 million (around Rs 1,100 crore) in grant from the Gates foundation to produce vaccines for low-and-middle-income countries. WATERLOO REGION Ontarians had a chance to deliver their water protection concerns directly to environmental representatives of all four major provincial parties on Saturday. The Wellington Water Watchers hosted a live virtual political presentation session with Progressive Conservative minister of environment, conservation and parks Jeff Yurek, Mike Schreiner, leader of Ontarios Green Party, Ian Arthur, the NDP environment critic and Lucille Collard, the Liberal environment critic. The session was held as part of the Wellington Water Watchers Watershed 2020 digital convention, Watershed 2020: Toward a Water Justice Agenda. Each representative opened with a presentation to address four predetermined themes: Inherent treaty and legal responsibilities to support First Nation water quality and quantity security, supporting clean water and watershed integrity, land use development and water protection and large scale dumping of contaminated soil. A group moderator rounded up and delivered public questions to the representatives to address in their closing remarks. Although participants brought up several concerns, priority was placed on the need to address drinking water issues in First Nations communities. All party representatives except Yurek affirmed clean water as a human right. In contrast, Yurek said, water is vital to quality of life. Party leaders expressed the need to work toward meaningful nation-to-nation engagement to address environmental issues in Ontario. Bill 76, the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act, 2019 was a key issue brought up. If passed, this bill would require the provincial government to align its laws with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. The process of decolonization and honouring Indigenous rights is part of the process of protecting water, said Schreiner. We should be guided by the Indigenous knowledge that water is sacred, and water is life. Other main issues cited by the participating viewers included the current governments labelling and cutting of environmental protections as red tape, particularly the changes to the Environmental Assessment Act, and especially the exemption of the forestry and logging industry from requiring environmental assessments. People voiced concerns that this opens nearby communities to potential mercury poisoning, as has been the case with Grassy Narrows First Nation. We have a desperate need for better protections, not less of them, said Arthur, NDP environment critic. He noted southern Ontario has significantly less forest cover than what environmental experts recommend for minimum environmental health. Not only must we protect what we still have, but we need to reverse damage already done, said Arthur. The lack of funding to conservation authorities was also brought up. In response, Minister Yurek cited an appreciation for the mingling of different view points in the provinces recent in-person and online consultations on the role of conservation authorities. Yurek said he feels that consensus can grow, and that results will be posted later this year. Yurek also committed to extending the provinces moratorium on water-taking permits until April 2021, though participants wanted the moratorium on new permits to be permanent. The events participants were also concerned about transitioning Ontario to a circular economy and protecting the Great Lakes and Lake Simcoe among other issues. A joint environmental committee including Indigenous leadership to facilitate meaningful nation to nation co-operation and governance was also proposed. Karen Rathwell, a participant in the event, summed up the feelings of the whole with her posted comment: Protecting our water should not be a partisan issue. By Trend The Armenian army is experiencing a shortage of food and medicine, Spokesman for the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry, Colonel Vagif Dargahli said, Trend reports. We have information about the shortage of medicine and food in the Armenian army, which cannot withstand even a two-day battle," he said. "Lack of medicine is due to numerous losses suffered by Armenia in recent battles. Due to insufficient number of military ambulances designed to evacuate the wounded and bodies, theyre transported by private cars and trucks, he said. Armenian armed forces launched a large-scale military attack on positions of Azerbaijani army on the front line, using large-caliber weapons, mortars and artillery on Sept. 27. Azerbaijan responded with a counter-offensive along the entire front. As a result of retaliation, Azerbajiani troops managed to liberate the territories previously occupied by Armenia: Garakhanbeyli, Garvend, Kend Horadiz, Yukhari, Ashagi Abdulrahmanli villages (Fuzuli district), Boyuk Marjanli, and Nuzgar villages (Jabrayil district). Moreover, the positions of the Armenian armed forces were destroyed in the direction of Azerbaijan's Agdere district and Murovdag, important heights were taken under control. Back in July 2020, Armenian Armed Forces violated the ceasefire in the direction of Azerbaijan's Tovuz district. As a result of Azerbaijan's retaliation, the opposing forces were silenced. The fighting continued the following days as well. Azerbaijan lost a number of military personnel members, who died fighting off the attacks of the Armenian armed forces. The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on the withdrawal of its armed forces from Nagorno Karabakh and the surrounding districts. -- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz This subscription grants access to the locked content of Spectator.sk and SME.sk for only one person through a maximum of three different devices or browsers. To continue reading the article on this device, please update the list of devices in the profile settings. Independent candidate Nicusor Dan, supported by PNL (National Liberal Party) garnered 42.75 per cent of the votes for the office of mayor of the Capital City, while the current mayor, Gabriela Firea, the candidate of PSD (Social Democratic Party), collected 38 per cent of the Bucharesters' votes, according to the partial data centralized by the Central Electoral Bureau (BEC) until 11.00 am, after counting 94.4 per cent of the votes. Third-ranked is Traian Basescu, PMP's (People Movement Party) candidate, with 11 per cent. Armenia and Azerbaijani forces kept fighting Monday over the disputed separatist region of Nagorno-Karabakh after hostilities broke out the day before, with both sides blaming each other for resuming the deadly attacks. The Azerbaijani Defense Ministry claimed that Armenian forces started shelling the town of Tartar on Monday morning, while Armenian officials said the fighting continued throughout the night and Baku resumed offensive actions" in the morning. Azerbaijan's Defense Ministry told the Interfax news agency Monday that over 550 Armenian troops have been killed, a claim that Armenian officials denied. According to Nagorno-Karabakh officials, 31 servicemen have been killed so far. Armenian Defense Ministry spokesman Artsrun Hovhannisyan said Monday over 200 people have been wounded. The heavy fighting broke out on Sunday morning in the region that lies within Azerbaijan but has been under the control of ethnic Armenian forces backed by Armenia since 1994 at the end of a separatist war. It was not immediately clear what sparked the fighting, the heaviest since clashes in July killed 16 people from both sides. Mostly mountainous Nagorno-Karabakh a region around 4,400 square kilometers (1,700 square miles) or about the size of the U.S. state of Delaware lies 50 kilometers (30 miles) from the Armenian border. Local soldiers backed by Armenia also occupy some Azerbaijani territory outside the region. By Aparajita Ghosh, TwoCircles.net Mumbai: We are surviving on food packets that are distributed on roads. We have nothing left, said Shakeela Begum. Support TwoCircles The 54 year-old is a domestic worker and lost her husband a few years back. Our essentials, clothes, furniture, electronics, everything is submerged. We are still trying to take out waters and snakes are coming out of it, the mother of two told TwoCircles.net. The untimely water discharge of Madhya Pradeshs Gosikhurd dam and added torrential downpour caused floods in several districts of Maharashtra in late August. The Vidarbha region has often witnessed droughts followed by farmer suicides in high rates. The districts of Nagpur, Bhandara, Chandrapur, Gadchiroli, Gondia remain largely affected. Abdul Haq Sheikh sells shoes for living and his business has been widely affected since lockdown. He could barely make any sales. Ever since flood has hit Bhandara, his business has come to a halt. We are five family members. Our stored grains are destroyed in flood water. The water has reached till the attic of our house, we are afraid to move back in, he said. What if the flood hits back and everything that we are trying to restore ruins again? the 26 year-old said. The rise in the water level of Vainganga River in Bhandara district has submerged many riverside homes. The families are facing hardship in maintaining social distancing and taking precautions in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic. Mohim Khan, 21, resident of Baba Mastan Shah Ward, works at a family owned general store in Bhandara district and was looking forward to his sisters marriage soon. We had stored essentials and grains for her wedding. Everything has been washed away in flood water. We are suffering heavy loss, Khan said. Due to lockdown, we were already witnessing a loss at our store. Now everything at our home is ruined too, he added. Nearly 50 families were rescued from the Baba Mastan Shah Ward and shifted to Muslim Library in the same area in early September. Abdul Hameed Khan witnessed 4 feet of water in his house the night floods came. Now that the flood has disrupted our lives, I dont know how we will manage. All of our furniture and appliances have submerged, he said. I used to earn 400-500 rupees as a mechanic before lockdown. Now I manage to earn 100 rupees a day for a living. We have no idea how we will survive this situation, he added. The residents complain of not being alerted beforehand by the district administration, causing them a heavy loss and they could not take any precautions. Kalam Khan, 33, is a labourer at a scrap dealer and has been drowned in debt since COVID-19 lockdown was imposed. I dont know how I will survive this flood. I have already taken a loan from people to run the house and now I am helpless, he said. The State government reportedly sanctioned Rs.16.48 cr relief fund for the flood affected areas in Maharashtra on 5 September. India is declared as the second worst-hit country with largest COVID-19 cases and has been parallelly battling with the devastating flood in several states, including Bihar, Chattisgarh, Assam, Kerala, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka. President Klaus Iohannis said on Monday that a new parliamentary majority is needed to impose legislative reforms quickly, indicating the election of mayors in two rounds. "Dear Romanians, we have one more step to end this wave of change. The victory in the local elections must be confirmed in the December elections, when the toxic majority that seized Parliament could be prevented by the citizens' vote from causing irreparable damage, only then will we have all the prerequisites to allow Romania to truly modernize. We need a new credible majority that will quickly impose the long-awaited and necessary legislative reforms. These include amending the law to ensure the re-election of mayors in two rounds. It is an essential step to guarantee, in the perspective of the elections in the next electoral cycle, a greater legitimacy to those who will run the cities and communes for four years," said Iohannis. Welcome to Morningstar.co.uk! You have been redirected here from Hemscott.com as we are merging our websites to provide you with a one-stop shop for all your investment research needs.To search for a security, type the name or ticker in the search box at the top of the page and select from the dropdown results.Registered Hemscott users can log in to Morningstar using the same login details. Similarly, if you are a Hemscott Premium user, you now have a Morningstar Premium account which you can access using the same login details. ISLAMABAD, Pakistan A former president of Pakistan, Asif Ali Zardari, was indicted on Monday in a money laundering case, the latest legal action against him and one that his supporters say is part of a wider trend against politicians opposed to Prime Minister Imran Khan. Mr. Zardari is the widower of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, who was assassinated in 2007. He served as president from 2008 to 2013, and is currently a member of Parliament. He is also facing a raft of court cases. He was arrested in June 2019 by anticorruption officials in a separate money laundering case and released on bail on medical grounds in December. During the court hearing on Monday, a sister of Mr. Zardari, Faryal Talpur, and 13 other people were also indicted. Mr. Zardari and his sister denied the charges. Green Rebel Marine, a new business established to service the future needs of offshore wind farms, has announced plans to create 80 new jobs. Founded by Cork native Pearse Flynn, who has invested 10 million into the project, the new jobs will be created in Crosshaven within the next 18 months. Mr. Flynn believes that Green Rebel Marine will eventually support hundreds of jobs around the coast. He said: Ireland is on the verge of a green revolution that will deliver 5 gigwatts of energy from wind not generated on land, but far out to sea. Green Rebel Marine will work alongside the operators of this new array of wind turbines to ensure they remain operational by using skilled mariners who are trained here. Green Rebel Marine also has plans to develop a centre of excellence in Crosshaven to train and develop the staff required to meet the future needs of the floating wind farm industry. He added: We have already hired some of the industrys leading scientists who will help conduct surveying in the months ahead, and our team will remain involved in these projects until they are operational and beyond. This is a new sector, and one that has incredible potential to deliver for our maritime community. The company has also acquired Crosshaven Boatyard in County Cork. The nine acre site will serve as a base for the new operation to survey, equip and service a network of planned wind farms along the Irish coast. Crosshaven Boatyard will continue its normal operations as a Boat Yard. The first vessel the Bibby Athena, which will be renamed to Roman Rebel - has already arrived into Cork. The second is scheduled to arrive later this year. Plans for offshore wind farms are at an advanced stage with a number of potential fixed and floating operators examining sites along the coast from Dundalk in County Louth, to the Cork coast and beyond. Their construction will not only increase Irelands ability to produce renewable energy, it will also create an entire new sector dedicated to servicing their operation. Mr. Flynn concluded: The cost of constructing these offshore, floating wind farms is coming down and there is a rush amongst operators to see who will be first to market. Unlike the challenges posed by such projects on land, these sea-based sites will be largely away from public view. Ireland has the potential to become a net exporter of electricity within a decade, as opposed to relying on imported fossil fuels. Green Rebel Marine marries the best of the Blue and Green Economies. We will create and sustain Irish jobs and become a global leader in this field. Source: www.businessworld.ie SAN FRANCISCO A fast-moving fire in Napa County on Sunday forced evacuations north of the town of St. Helena as large swaths of Northern California faced dangerous fire weather. The Glass fire had burned 1,200 acres about four miles northwest of downtown St. Helena, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, and was burning with a dangerous rate of spread. Crews were dispatched to the vegetation fire at 3:50 a.m., and it quickly grew to 20 acres, said Tyree Zander, public information officer with Cal Fires Napa Lake Sonoma Unit. And then it went from 20 acres to about 50 acres within an hour, hour and a half, he said. And then from 50 acres to 800 acres within a four-hour period. Crews reported no containment as of Sunday afternoon as the fire continued to grow rapidly, burning about 400 more acres. The fire was burning to the north and northeast through dry brush, running uphill as it was pushed by winds, Zander said. Its rugged, steep terrain and limited access, and a lot of it is one-way-in, one-way-out type of roads, Zander said, posing difficulties to both getting fire crews into the area and getting evacuees out. The Napa County Sheriffs Office ordered mandatory evacuations along a stretch of the storied Silverado Trail, known for its wineries. Evacuations were ordered between Pickett Road and Deer Park Road, and along all of Crystal Springs and North Fork Crystal Springs roads, according to the Sheriffs Office. Evacuation orders also were issued for College Avenue from Howell Mountain Road to White Cottage Road, all of Freisen Drive and Lommel Road and all roads west of College Avenue and Freisen Drive. Residents of neighboring areas were urged to sign up for Nixle alerts and to be prepared to evacuate if necessary. Adventist Health St. Helena hospital said it was suspending operations and evacuating its patients due to the fire. Were in close communication with fire officials and began transferring some patients early this morning as a precaution, Dr. Steven Herber, the hospitals president, said in a statement. An evacuation center was opened at Crosswalk Community Church in Napa. Emergency officials were being particularly cautious when deciding what areas to evacuate because of the hot, dry and windy weather forecast for later Sunday, which raised fears of even more rapid fire growth and unpredictable behavior. We are preparing in advance for the winds, Zander said. So were going to be more precautious when it comes to evacuations and try to get those out ahead of time, to keep things rolling earlier than later. Much of Northern California is under a red-flag warning, which means the National Weather Service is highly confident that dangerous fire weather conditions will occur. The advisory is in place until 9 p.m. PDT Monday. Meteorologists warned about strong winds coming from the north and northeast, with gusts of up to 50 mph at the highest elevations, and critically low humidity. Were expecting another round of gusty winds overnight tonight into tomorrow morning, mainly at higher elevations, so above 1,000 feet or so, Anna Schneider, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Monterey, said Sunday. But we are also expecting some gusts below that of 20 to 30 mph. The conditions are the result of an area of high pressure that is sitting off the coast and expected to shift into the Pacific Northwest on Monday, creating an offshore flow that is bringing warmer and drier air over the land, Schneider said. The fire weather warnings were issued for areas including the North Bay and East Bay Hills, as well as the Bay Areas interior valleys, the Sacramento Valley, the northern Sierra, and mountainous areas of the North Coast. The Bay Area is also under a heat advisory until 7 p.m. Monday, as Diablo winds associated with the high-pressure system strengthening over the region are expected to bring yet another severe heat wave, the weather service said. The weather system is expected to cut off the typical afternoon cooling sea breeze and marine layer as hotter air comes in from the north and east. Were still expecting hot and dry conditions today and tomorrow with that high pressure over the area, and poor relative humidity, which is not helpful for firefighting conditions, Schneider said. San Francisco and Oakland could see temperatures in the upper 80s to around 90 on Sunday, and temperatures could increase Monday, potentially reaching into the mid-90s. Areas farther inland could hit the mid-90s or low 100s on Sunday and Monday, the weather service said. California has seen more than 3.7 million acres burn so far this year a record in the states modern history, causing the deaths of at least 26 people and destroying more than 7,000 structures. Five of the six largest wildfires in Californias modern record were fires ignited this year, and theyre still burning, according to Cal Fire. The largest fire, the August Complex fire burning north of the Bay Area in and around Tehama County, has burned more than 870,000 acres and is 43% contained. One firefighter battling the August Complex fire has died. Though the fire has been burning since mid-August, new evacuation orders were issued Sunday for parts of Mendocino and Trinity counties, and new warnings were issued for part of Humboldt County. The North Complex fire, which is north of Sacramento and has resulted in 15 deaths in Butte County, is 78% contained. The North Complex fire has burned more than 300,000 acres. The Creek fire in Fresno and Madera counties, which burned through the Sierra National Forest and forced the air evacuation of hundreds of campers cut off by flames, is 39% contained after burning more than 300,000 acres. And in the Bay Area, the LNU Lightning Complex and SCU Lightning Complex fires, which respectively burned in the North Bay and east of Silicon Valley, are both 98% contained. The LNU Lightning Complex fire burned more than 363,000 acres and resulted in five deaths, and the SCU Lightning Complex fire charred more than 396,000 acres. The CZU Lightning Complex fire, which burned more than 86,000 acres in Santa Cruz and San Mateo counties and resulted in one death, is 100% contained. Rong-Gong Lin II and Alex Wigglesworth of the Los Angeles Times wrote this story. 2020 Los Angeles Times Visit the Los Angeles Times at www.latimes.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. A new documentary recounts the story of a 21-year-old British man with Asperger's syndrome who discovers he has 25 American half-brothers and sisters after he was conceived using donor sperm. Oli Benjamin, from London, was born in 1999 after his mother Jody and her female partner decided they wanted to have a child via IVF and embryo transfer. The couple had to have the procedure in the US because it was not offered at the time to lesbian couples in the UK. From an early age, Oli, whose story features in BBC show 25 Siblings And Me, was aware he had been conceived using donor sperm and when he turned 18 he signed up to a website which helps children of donors find each other. Oli Benjamin, a 21-year-old British man from London with Asperger's syndrome was born to lesbian parents using an anonymous sperm donor. In a new BBC documentary, 25 Siblings And Me, he recounts his experiences meeting his biological connections. Pictured: Olli (fifth from right) with his newly-discovered siblings after he flew to the US to meet them Oli also met with the man who donated his sperm, named Daley, 48, during his trip to the US. However, Oli said he had no interest in pursuing a relationship because the pair had nothing in common He was soon contacted by a woman, named Jordan, who said she was his half-sister. She dealt the thunderbolt that she was already aware of 25 American half-brothers and sisters after the donor, named Daley, 48, revoked his anonymity. Oli then flew to the US to meet them all but told The Sunday Times that he often clashed with his new-found relatives and decided he had 'no interest' in having a relationship with his father because the two men were 'too different'. 'Genetics are the door to relationships, but they're not relationships,' he said. Oli's mother flew to San Francisco in 1998 with her then partner who she has since separated from, after deciding they wanted children. They chose a donor from prospectuses showing photographs and detailing their personal attributes and interests. They were particularly adamant that the donor must want to remain anonymous because Jody said she did not want someone 'knocking on the door ten years later' and 'taking my child away.' Oli's story features in BBC show 25 Siblings And Me which airs next month Growing up, Oli struggled to fit in and make friends and was diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome at the age of 12. Oli found his siblings after signing the Donor Sibling Registry The condition is a developmental disorder and makes social interaction and non-verbal communication difficult. When he became an adult, Ollie opted to sign up to the Donor Sibling Registry and it was through the service that he ended up in contact with Jordan. As well as telling him about his numerous other relatives, she revealed that their father had revoked his anonymous status. Despite her incredible revelations, Oli said, 'I don't get emotional about this stuff. My Asperger's makes me a bit of a robot.' However, he was added to a Whatsapp group where he spoke to his other siblings for the first time. However, because his condition prompts him to air his strong opinions without considering what others' might think, Oli says he clashed with some of his siblings. He therefore opted to travel to the US to meet them in person. At first, he met just a few but then met up with the donor before joining the whole group in a giant meeting. Despite having high expectations, Oli said he felt overwhelmed when he met his countless siblings Oli was born in 1999 after his mother Jody (pictured) and her female partner wanted to have a child via IVF and embryo transfer but had to have the procedure in the US because it was not then offered to lesbian couples in the UK. They've since separated In the BBC documentary, each of the siblings air their own story and some reveal they were not even aware they were conceived via a sperm donor. Unlike in the UK, fertility clinics are not bound by laws governing anonymity, meaning that donors can change their status whenever they like. They do not need the consent of parents. Similarly, if they opt to remain anonymous then their identity can never be revealed. In the UK, the law was changed in 2005 to allow children to request personal information about their sperm donor. In the BBC documentary, each of the siblings airs their own story and some reveal they were not even aware they were conceived via a sperm donor. Pictured: Oli with McKenzie, one of his half-sisters One sibling, Kelly, revealed in the documentary that she discovered her father was not biologically related to her after she was given a DNA home-testing kit as a Christmas present. She found out that her cousin, aunts and uncles and parents all knew about her origins but she did not. As well as McKenzie (far right) Oli's siblings include (pictured left to right), Alysse, Emily, Kristen, Brittany, Brooklynn, Sarah, Jordan, Carolyn, Kelly, Melissa and Hannah Another sibling, Lindsay, said she only dates people over the age of 26 - the eldest of Daley's children - to make sure she doesn't accidentally date a relative. Two of the half-siblings had gone to high school together without realising. Olli found it hard to integrate into the new group and admitted he felt overwhelmed. Oli did get on with one of his siblings, named Sterling, and the older man flew to London to stay with him for a week before the pair fell out He and his siblings had fiery debates and he said he did not think they were tolerant of him being on the autistic spectrum. As for his father, Oli said their meeting was 'a bit like, 'Hi, number 20-whatever' and added that they were 'not that alike at all'. Oli did get on with one of his siblings, named Sterling, and the older man flew to London to stay with him for a week. His mother said the sight of the pair's 'brotherly bond' was amazing'. However the pair later fell out when Oli considered becoming a sperm donor himself. The siblings believed he withheld his condition, when in fact during the first round of tests he is not required to disclose it, but would have done so in subsequent rounds of testing. Oli said the resulting argument 'hurt him' for a 'very long time'. He now hopes to see his half-siblings as more like cousins and has no desire to pursue a relationship with his father. Arizona has recorded more than 217,500 coronavirus cases, the Arizona Department of Health Services reported on Monday. With 273 new cases, the statewide total is 217,510, the department posted Monday in its daily tally. The total number includes people who have recovered. The state health department said 5,624 people in Arizona have died from COVID-19. One new death was reported Monday, the state said. Across Pima County, 25,445 cases of coronavirus have now been confirmed, up 33 cases from the day before. Among the confirmed COVID-19 cases in Pima County: 3,004 people ages 65 and older. 2,795 people between 55 and 64 years old. 3,441 people between 45 and 54 years old. 11,722 people between 20 and 44 years old. 4,393 people 19 years old and younger. No age was available for 90 coronavirus patients in the county. There have been 622 known COVID-19 deaths in the Tucson area, according to the state health department on Monday. No new deaths were reported in Pima County. There have been 1,740,990 coronavirus tests given across Arizona, with 6,368 tests reported yesterday. Among the tests given statewide, 10.4% of them are showing positive for COVID-19, the state said. A week ago, 10.7% of statewide tests showed positive. New Delhi, Sep 28 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday extended an invitation to Denmark for joining India, Japan and Australia's joint effort at creating alternative supply chains to China's. In a virtual bilateral summit hosted by India, the Prime Minister told his counterpart in Denmark, Mette Frederiksen on Monday that Covid-19 has shown that it is risky for global supply chains to be highly dependent on any single source. Though Prime Minister Modi did not name Beijing, the international community following the Coronavirus pandemic has come to realise the pitfalls of over-dependence on China, the largest exporter of manufactured goods to the world. The events of the past several months have made it clear how necessary it is to work together like-minded countries like ours, which share a rules-based, transparent, humanitarian and democratic value-system, he said. "We are working together with Japan and Australia for supply-chain diversification and resilience. Other like-minded countries can also join this effort," Modi said, adding that the summit "will not only prove useful for India-Denmark relations, but will also help in building a common approach towards global challenges." Cooperation between like-minded countries in vaccine development will also help in dealing with this pandemic, Prime Minister Modi said. During this epidemic, India's pharma production capabilities have been useful to the entire world, he said, adding that his government would go by the same approach in the field of vaccine too. He said his 'Self-reliant India' campaign which is aimed at increasing India's capabilities in key economic sectors, will also serve the world. "Under this campaign we are emphasizing on all-round reforms. Companies working in India will benefit from regulatory and taxation reforms. In other areas too, the process of reforms is continuously on. Recently significant reforms have been made in the agriculture and labour sectors," he said. Both the Prime Ministers signed an MOU in intellectual property cooperation. Besides, Denmark also joined International Solar Alliance (ISA). The summit comes after a phone conversation between the two leaders, a few months ago, about the increasing cooperation between India and Denmark in many areas. Denmark has been attending the 'Vibrant Gujarat Summit' since 2009, when Modi was the chief minister of Gujarat. Denmark's Prime Minister proposed to host another India-Nordic Summit for Modi. Bilateral trade in goods and services between India and Denmark has grown by 30.49 percent, from US$ 2.82 billion in 2016 to US$ 3.68 billion in 2019. Around 200 Danish companies have invested in India in sectors such as shipping, renewable energy, environment, agriculture, food processing, smart urban development. Several major Danish companies have built new manufacturing factories under the 'Make in India' scheme. Around 25 Indian companies are present in Denmark in IT, renewable energy and engineering. Mumbai, Sep 28 : In a rare instance, the Reserve Bank of India's (RBI) Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting has been postponed and a major reason for the decision is possibly the three vacant posts of external members which the government has not filled so far. The quorum for the meeting of the MPC is four members, with each member having one vote. Three members of the panel are from the RBI, including the central bank's Governor and the rest three are external or independent members. The four-year terms of three external members of the MPC, appointed in 2016, ended last month and the vacant posts are yet to be filled by the government. On Monday, a day before the start of the penultimate policy review for 2020 was scheduled, the RBI said, in a statement, that the policy review meet has been rescheduled. "The dates of the MPC's meeting will be announced shortly," it said. Sector experts have expressed astonishment over the delay as the MPC meeting and its decision on the policy rate has been playing a key in the monetary and liquidity situation in the country amid the pandemic. Many Bay Area residents woke up to a double whammy Monday morning: scorching temperatures and smoky air. Again. Air quality in the Bay Area began to deteriorate early Monday morning, as smoke from several Northern California wildfires including the new, out-of-control Glass Fire in St. Helena pushed into the region. Air-quality regulators announced a Spare the Air Alert would run through at least Friday. The combination of wildfire smoke and high temperatures will likely choke a region already wearied by weeks of poor air quality this month. Officials urged people to stay inside. Air quality in the eastern portion of San Francisco was considered unhealthy for sensitive groups by the early afternoon, while other areas remained better off, according to data from air-quality tracking website PurpleAir. The air was worse in parts of the East and South bays. And the site warned of serious health effects from the air in Santa Rosa, Rohnert Park and surrounding areas. The Glass Fire in St. Helena, which ignited just before 4 a.m. Sunday, was responsible for much of the smoke, according to the Bay Area Air Quality Management District. Wind gusts reached 60 mph on Mount St. Helena on Sunday evening, with the winds blowing toward the southwest. The air was considered hazardous in parts of the North Bay, where multiple wildfires were burning. The sky turned a deep red in Santa Rosa, as several blazes the Glass, Shady and Boysen fires merged into one, threatening 8,500 structures across Napa and Sonoma counties. Ash fell from the sky. Dangerous fire conditions are expected to continue through Monday evening. The combination of the winds and heat are expected to exacerbate existing fires, and make it easier for new ones to ignite. Fire Tracker Follow wildfires across the state Latest updates on wildfires burning across Northern and Southern California The regional air district extended a Spare the Air Alert it had issued Sunday through Friday and urged residents in areas affected by wildfire smoke to stay indoors. The entire Bay Area recorded unhealthy levels of smog and particle pollutants as of Monday afternoon. A red flag warning has been issued for much of Northern California, stretching from the Oregon border down to San Jose and east to the Sierra foothills. The warning encompasses the August and North complex fires, hampering efforts to contain those behemoths. Chronicle staff writers Sarah Ravani and Nora Mishanec contributed to this report. Trisha Thadani is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: tthadani@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @TrishaThadani The Belarusian president snapped back with a "yellow vests" reminder. French President Emmanuel Macron said Alexander Lukashenko must step down, days after the European Union's foreign policy chief said the Belarusian strongman's so-called inauguration lacked democratic legitimacy. "What is happening in Belarus is a power crisis, an authoritarian power that cannot accept the logic of democracy and which is hanging on by force," Macron told Journal du Dimanche, according to Politico. "It is clear that Lukashenko must leave," he added. Macron told the Journal du Dimanche he had spoken to Vladimir Putin earlier this month. "I told him that Russia has a role to play, and this role can be positive if he pushes Lukashenko to respect the legitimacy of the ballot box and free political prisoners," the French president said. "That was 15 days ago, and we are not yet there," he added. Lukashenko was sworn in for a sixth presidential term in a behind-the-doors inauguration event last Wednesday morning amid protests over the vote count many believe was rigged. Read alsoRisks "immeasurable" for Ukraine: Kuleba on Lukashenko's friendship with RussiaLukashenko has responded to Macron's call, referring the French president as an "immature" politician against the background of own decades-long experience, BELTA reported. "First. As a country's president, proceeding from the principles of Mr. Macron himself (laid down in his statement a call to resign), I'd like to say that the president of France, following his own logic, should have resigned two years ago when 'yellow vests' had just taken to Paris streets. Years go by, 'vests' are still in the streets, Mr. Macron, surprisingly, is also still in office, and France has become a country where mass protests have become commonplace..." Lukashenko said. The Belarusian president even went for a personal snap at Macron, hinting that the latter might get "personal problems at home" for paying "too much attention" to Lukashenko's rival Svetlana Tikhanovskaya. Belarus election: Reactions Alexander Lukashenko has repeatedly claimed "foreign interference" in the election and external efforts to foment the protests. He spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin who had promised him comprehensive assistance upon request. On August 27, Putin suggested sending Russian security forces to suppress protests in Belarus. The European Union declared non-recognition of the Belarus election results and reached an agreement to impose sanctions against Belarusian officials in response to vote rigging and the use of violence against protesters. On September 15, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine adopted a statement on Belarus. Ukrainian lawmakers said the presidential elections in that country were unfair. They condemned repression against protesters and vowed support for sanctions to be introduced by the European Union against Belarusian officials. On September 14, Putin received Lukashenko in Russia's Sochi. During the meeting, Putin promised to lend US$1.5 billion to Belarus. After the meeting, the Kremlin announced they would recognize Lukashenko as the only legitimate president of Belarus. On September 23, Lukashenko was sworn in as President of Belarus during an inaugural ceremony in the Palace of Independence in Minsk, which was held behind closed doors with no media or international presence. Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba says Kyiv does not recognize Alexandr Lukashenko a legitimate head of Belarus following the latter's inauguration. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says Ukraine is in solidarity with the position of the European Union on the events taking place after the presidential elections in Belarus. Ambassador of Ukraine to Belarus, Ihor Kyzym, believes that the rhetoric of the Belarusian authorities toward Ukraine "does nothing good" to bilateral relations. September 28 marks the fourth anniversary of the surgical strikes against the terror groups in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (POK) carried out by India in response to the deadly attack on an army camp on Jammu and Kashmirs Uri. Prime Minister Narendra Modi reminded the country about the strikes during his monthly radio address Mann Ki Baat on September 27. Four years ago, around this time, the world witnessed the courage, bravery of our soldiers during the Surgical Strike, Modi said. Our brave soldiers had just one mission and one goal to protect at all costs, the glory and honour of Mother India. They did not care a bit for their own selves. They marched forward on their path of duty and we all witnessed how they came out victorious. They enhanced Mother Indias pride, the Prime Minister said. On the intervening night of September 27-28, 2016, Indian Armys special forces crossed the Line of Control and destroyed the terror pads in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir. The action was in response to the suicide attack carried out on an army base in Uri in north Kashmirs Baramulla district on September 18 that had killed 19 soldiers. The then Director General of Military Operations had Lt General Ranbir Singh had said that India conducted the surgical strikes on terror pads along the LoC using ground force and inflicted significant casualties. But what changed since 2016? According to Lt General (Retd) DS Hooda, who was the Northern Army Commander at that time, surgical strikes conducted under his watch, set a new Indian paradigm that helped India shed the soft-nation tag. Several strong steps have been taken in the political, diplomatic and economic fields for the good of the country, Lt General (retd) said in an article written in Sunday Guardian. To list a current relevant combination, the political actions of banning Chinese apps, economic steps of curbs on FDI and participation in tenders for business, and diplomatic confabulations with other countries to isolate China on the Ladakh border standoff, inter alia, are a good example of synergizing instruments of power towards a national endeavor. This all began with the surgical strike four years ago, he wrote. In the wake of India-China standoff at Line of Actual Control in Ladakh, India has banned over a hundred Chinese apps including a popular video game PUBG and social media platform TikTok in a way to strike back against China, though the government did not announce the link officially. In February last year, nearly two years after the September 2016 surgical strikes, India conducted an aerial strike at a terror training centre in Balakot in Pakistans Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. This was to avenge Pulwama terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir which killed 40 soldiers. Pakistan had rejected India's claim that it had conducted the surgical strikes. "The Pakistani Army gave befitting response to the Indian army. Indian Army opened up small arms fire last night on five sectors across LoC. India is doing this under a well-planned objective. If India tries to do this again, we will respond forcefully. India is doing this only to please their media and public, Pakistan Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said in a statement on September 30, 2016. But India said that by conducting such operations along LoC, it has succeeded in showing the world about the need to uproot the menace of terrorism. When India talked of terrorism 20 years back, many in the world said it was a law and order problem and didnt understand it. Now terrorists have explained terrorism to them so we dont have to, PM Modi said at a community reception at the Ritz Carlton in Tysons Corner, Virginia, USA in June 2017. The weapons which were previously displayed at a memorial for PIRA members Terror victims fear weapons formerly used by the Provisional IRA in east Tyrone, and believed to still be in circulation, may find their way into the hands of dissidents, it has been claimed. Weapons were displayed previously on the anniversaries of the deaths of two Provisionals and a loyalist bar attack, and there is no evidence they were destroyed, according to Ulster Human Rights Watch (UHRW). Jonathan Larner, an advocacy worker with UHRW, claims the PSNI has not made any effort to find or seize the weapons or ammunition, which were displayed at a memorial for PIRA members Martin McCaughey and Dessie Grew, shot dead by undercover soldiers in Co Armagh in 1990. Guns, including AKM assault rifles, were also reportedly displayed in 2011 on the 20th anniversary of the UVF attack on Boyles Bar in Cappagh, in which four people died. Larner believes the weapons may reappear at a gathering to mark the 30th anniversary in October of the deaths of McCaughey and Grew. He noted recent reports suggesting that in MI5 recordings, alleged members of the New IRA had revealed their frustration at not being able to access weapons once under the control of the Provisionals. This, he added, suggests there is un-decommissioned weaponry out there. The recording was made as part of an MI5 surveillance operation that has seen a number of people charged with terror offences. Larner said: Ten years of effort by the family of one victim to see these weapons removed from circulation has been ignored by the PSNI, with the initial request to seize the weapons made while they were still on open display in Galbally. The PSNI could not immediately respond to the allegations yesterday. Following the display of the weapons, the family of one PIRA victim complained to the Police Ombudsman, who carried out an investigation. Shockingly, the Police Ombudsman reported to the family in 2016 that police had made contact with the owner of the weapons only to confirm that they were deactivated and certified, Larner said. Police had described the terror arsenal as items in a virtual museum, with officers suggesting to the family that images of guns in the display were photoshopped. Larner claims that police, in a letter to him, denied making any contact with those believed to be holding the weapons, which leaves them having actively ignored an openly displayed haul of terror weapons and paraphernalia. Police inconsistency and inaction is hardly keeping people safe. As well as demanding action from the police, Ulster Human Rights Watch are calling upon those in possession of these guns not to bring them out on October 9 for the 30th anniversary of the McCaughey and Grew killing, and to contemplate the continued suffering inflicted on victims families by such a horrific event, Larner added. Given police inaction, we also call on the Secretary of State to consider reconstituting the Independent International Commission on Decommissioning (IICD), in line with provisions made in Paragraph 51 of the IICD Final Report of 2011, in order to ensure that all terrorist weapons, including those of the East Tyrone PIRA arsenal, are properly decommissioned. He pledged that if his country discovers a vaccine, it will be universally shared. He also stated Australia's support for COVAX, the UN initiative that hopes to have a vaccine available for universal distribution by late next year. Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said in his recorded message at this year's virtual United Nations General Assembly that any nation that develops a COVID-19 vaccine must share it with the rest of the world. "This is a global responsibility and it's a moral responsibility," Morrison said in his address Friday. Dr. Mike Ryan, WHO's emergencies head, said that number could spiral even higher if countries do not formulate and adhere to a plan to stop the spread of coronavirus that causes COVID-19. Already, there are nearly 1 million global deaths and 32.5 million worldwide infections of COVID-19, according to Johns Hopkins University statistics. Europe is experiencing a new wave of coronavirus infections, leading some governments across the continent to reimpose some restrictions on residents and businesses. On Saturday, Russia reported 7,523 new cases in the past 24 hours. The day before, Russia had recorded 7,212 new infections. Dutch Prime Minister Make Rutte called the wave of infections in his country "very worrisome and will force us to take extra measures." Rutte said he expects to announce those restrictions next week. The Czech Republic also will face new measures starting next week, Health Minister Roman Prymula said Friday, without specifying exactly what limits will be in place. Figures from the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control show the Czech Republic trailing only Spain for the highest number of new cases per capita in Europe during the past two weeks. Prymula said the countermeasures will affect gatherings of people but not harm the economy. In Spain, local Madrid authorities and the national government are clashing over the extent of the steps needed to control the outbreak of new infections in the capital region. Spanish Health Minister Salvador Illa said Friday the government wants all of Madrid and its 3.3 million residents to go under lockdown. The regional government said it will expand lockdown orders, but only partially, adding about 160,000 more people to the 850,000 who had to stay home this week unless they had an authorized reason to go out. Madrid also has cut the number of people allowed to visit shops and restaurants, and it has closed parks. The lockdown has drawn protest from those who say they are being targeted because they live in more densely populated, poorer areas that have worse infrastructure. In contrast, in the U.S. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, a Republican, announced Friday that the state will move forward with reopening plans and entering Phase 3 despite the continued spread of coronavirus. Phase 3 includes lifting restrictions, including capacity limits, on the state's bars, nightclubs and restaurants. In addition, under Phase 3, businesses that have had staffs teleworking as a result of the pandemic are allowed to resume unrestricted staffing on site, employees can resume nonessential travel, theme parks are able to return to normal operations, and gyms and fitness centers can operate at full capacity. "Every business has a right to operate... you can't just say no after six months and have people twisting in the wind," DeSantis said at a press conference in St. Petersburg. An article published Friday in The Lancet, a medical journal, says fewer than 1 in 10 Americans have developed coronavirus antibodies. That determination is a result of tests conducted on medical samples from 28,500 dialysis patients across the country. The study by Stanford University and Ascend Clinical laboratory, also uncovered that the U.S. minority population has a disproportionate amount of exposure to the virus in comparison to the country's white population. Sixteen percent of the people who live in majority Black and Hispanic communities have developed antibodies, while 11 percent of people living in majority Hispanic locations had also developed the antibodies. However, only 4 percent of people living in white communities had the antibodies. The U.S. has more than 7 million COVID-19 cases, followed by India with almost 6 million and Brazil with over 4.6 million, according to Johns Hopkins. The Civil Aviation Administration of Vietnam (CAAV) has proposed the Ministry of Transport withdraw an aviation operation license earlier granted to Bluesky Air JSC. CAAV just reviewed aviation licenses issued to local enterprises and submitted a report to the ministry. According to the report, there are four airlines in Vietnam having obtained the 'general aviation service business' license, namely Vietstar Airlines, Green Planet Airways, Vietnam Helicopters, and Hai Au Aviation. The carrier Bluesky Air won the same license almost 10 years ago, but it has yet to acquire the Air Operator Certificate (AOC) so far. As stipulated in Decree 89/2019, a business will have its license withdrawn if it fails to obtain an AOC within the following three years. In addition, CAAV has given a warning against Globaltrans Air, which has yet to win an AOC after being granted an aviation operation license in April 2018. The deadline for Globaltrans Air is April 1, 2021, CAAV said. Besides the 'general aviation service business' authorization, the ministry has granted the discrete 'air transport service business' license to five enterprises, namely Vietnam Airlines, Pacific Airlines (formerly known as Jetstar Pacific Airlines), Vietjet Air, Bamboo Airways, and Vietnam Helicopters. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Fox News anchor Chris Wallace at the third 2016 presidential debate in Las Vegas. (Getty Images) Fox News anchor Chris Wallace will be the moderator when President Trump and his Democratic opponent, former Vice President Joe Biden, face off at Case Western University in Cleveland on Sept. 29 for the first of three presidential debates. The highly anticipated event will likely approach the record of 84 million viewers who watched Trump's first meeting with Hillary Clinton in 2016. Wallace is familiar to viewers as the host of Fox News Sunday, the Washington-based public affairs program that airs on the cable news channel and the Fox broadcast network. He has long prided himself on his ability to irritate both political sides, already apparent in the run-up to the upcoming debate. Liberal pundits have complained about his choice of debate topics, which include "race and violence in our cities" and the integrity of the election two hot-button issues for the president. But Trump has attacked Wallace as well, saying the anchor is "controlled by the radical left" without presenting any evidence. Here is what you need to know about Wallace: He comes from a journalism family. Chris Wallace is the son of Mike Wallace, the hard-charging correspondent who helped launch 60 Minutes in 1968 and was a fixture on the newsmagazine for 40 years. His stepfather was Bill Leonard, a longtime executive at CBS News who served as its president from 1979 to 1982. Leonard gave a 16-year-old Chris Wallace his first job in the news business as an assistant to anchor Walter Cronkite at the 1964 Democratic National Convention. Chris Wallace was born in Chicago when his father Mike, above, worked as a TV host there. (Paul Hawthorne / Getty Images) He has worked for four TV network news divisions. Wallace was a student at Harvard University when he had a summer job at CBS News. He worked at the turbulent 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago, where his father was arrested. After a stint as a correspondent for CBS Chicago TV station WBBM, he joined NBC News in Washington where he covered the White House, briefly served as a co-anchor of Today (with Bryant Gumbel and Jane Pauley) in 1980 and moderated Meet the Press. He left in 1989 for ABC, where he was a correspondent for the news magazine PrimeTime Live. He joined Fox News in 2003. Story continues Chris Wallace, Bryant Gumbel and Jane Pauley in 1982 (NBC) He was the first Fox News anchor to moderate a presidential debate. Wallace handled the third showdown between then-candidate Trump and Clinton in 2016, earning praise from pundits on both sides and a tweet of approval from Oprah Winfrey. Wallace landed a permanent place on the presidential debate highlight reel when he got Trump to say he would not commit to accepting the results of the election. Russian President Vladimir Putin sat down with Chris Wallace in 2018. (Fox News) He has a reputation as one of the toughest interrogators in TV news. Even though his network, Fox News, is a favorite of conservative voters and Trump supporters, Wallace has maintained his reputation for being even-handed no matter who he is interviewing. I take the line that somebody said from Vince Lombardi, He doesnt discriminate he treats us all like dogs, he told the Times in 2016. Thats my view on all politicians. In a 2018 interview, Wallace asked Russian president Vladimir Putin why so many of his political opponents ended up dead. Chris Wallace and his wife were guests of George Clooney in Italy. (Associated Press) He has Hollywood connections. While many Fox News commentators often express disdain for show business liberals, Wallace and his wife, Lorraine, vacationed at actor George Clooneys Lake Como compound in northern Italy. Great food, great wine and great talk, he told Politico in 2012. The only thing that ticked me off is that he may be smarter about politics and know more about politics than I do. Former FBI director James Comey with Chris Wallace on "Fox News Sunday" in 2019. (Fox News) He is a registered Democrat. Many journalists avoid affiliating with a political party. But Wallace is registered as a Democrat in Washington, D.C., as the district's local government elections are typically decided in the party primaries. Wallace says he has cast votes for both Democratic and Republican candidates in presidential contests. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Filming has started in Belgium and Cambridge on a new crime drama starring Ben Miller. Professor T is based on the hit Belgian series of the same name, and is set against the backdrop of Cambridge University, centring around eccentric criminology professor Jasper Tempest, played by Miller, who suffers from OCD and has a tortured past. The six-part ITV drama also stars Frances de la Tour as Jaspers colourful but overbearing mother, Adelaide; Emma Naomi as Detective Inspector Lisa Donckers and Barney White as her police sidekick Dan Winters. Expand Close Frances de la Tour (Ian West/PA) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Frances de la Tour (Ian West/PA) Miller said: Professor T has it all: intriguing murders, dreaming spires, and a cast of unforgettable characters, each with their own fascinating secrets. You dont have to be a professor of criminal psychology to know the ITV audience will love it. Also joining the cast are The Salisbury Poisonings actor Andy Gathergood, Quiz star Sarah Woodward, Marcellas Ben Onwukwe, Downton Abbeys Douglas Reith and Van Der Valk actress Juliet Aubrey. The opening episode finds the professor unwillingly acting as an adviser to the police when Diana Tyson (Elizabeth Kate Back) is violently attacked on the university campus where he has tenure. Det Insp Lisa Donckers suspects that the assault is very similar to one that occurred years before and, having been a previous student of Professor Ts, she thinks he can help. The series is directed by leading Belgian director Dries Vos, produced by Robin Kerremans and Dimitri Verbeeck and executive produced by Eagle Eye production company creators Walter Iuzzolino and Jo McGrath. Video of the Day Iuzzolino said: Professor T is my all-time favourite detective a tortured genius wrestling with a mystery childhood trauma. Its a unique crime series with a core of wonderful warm characters at its heart and I am delighted to be working with our hand-picked European production team to make this for ITV and international audiences. IRELAND celebrated a double renewable energy boost with two firms announcing multi-million Euro strategic investments in the offshore wind farm sector. Green Rebel Marine (GRM), a new business established to service the future needs of offshore wind farms, confirmed it is to create 80 new jobs. The company has acquired Crosshaven Boatyard in Cork and the nine acre site will now serve as a base for its new operation to survey, equip and service a network of planned wind farms along the Irish coast. A second Cork firm, shipping company Irish Mainport Holdings, has announced its entry into the offshore wind sector with its investment in a 50 metre survey and research Ship, the Mainport Geo. The firm has also bought a share of Wicklow-based offshore services company, Alpha Marine. GRM was founded by Cork businessman Pearse Flynn. Mr Flynn has invested 10m into the project, including the purchase of two specially equipped, high tech ships to service this nascent industry. GRM said the jobs will be created in Crosshaven within the next 18 months. Their first vessel Bibby Athena, which will be renamed to Roman Rebel - has already arrived in Cork. A second vessel will arrive in late 2020. Mr Flynn hails from a fishing family in Ballycotton. "Ireland is on the verge of a green revolution that will deliver 5 Gigwatts of energy from wind not generated on land, but far out to sea," he said. "GRM will work alongside the operators of this new array of wind turbines to ensure they remain operational by using skilled mariners who are trained here. "We have already hired some of the industrys leading scientists who will help conduct surveying in the months ahead, and our team will remain involved in these projects until they are operational and beyond. This is a new sector, and one that has incredible potential to deliver for our maritime community." Mainport said it is very excited about its new venture. The firm operates three tugs in the Shannon estuary, provides a dedicated supply vessel at the Kinsale natural gas field, as well as ship agency and stevedoring operations in Cork and Limerick. Internationally, Mainport operate seismic support ships in worldwide trading, and has significant interests in fast crew boats and anchor handler ship in Malaysia and Australia. Mainport also purchased all the marine assets of SO.PRO.MAR which was the leading Italian company in providing marine services to the Mediterranean scientific research market. A new company Mainport Med, which is based in Rome, was set up during 2020 with local Italian partners. The firm's new ship, the 2015-built Mainport Geo is 50 metres long and is a state-of-the-art energy sector support vessel. She is located in the Ivory Coast at present and will be delivered to Cork shortly. Wicklow-based Alpha Marine has a long history of service to the offshore wind sector, both in Ireland and overseas. Since 2004, the company has provided tug and workboat charter, hydrographic survey, subsea repair and maintenance and most recently, environmental and geophysical survey to Irish offshore windfarms. Alpha Marine commercial director, Tim Greenwood, said it was an exciting development for the firm. "Alpha Marine is looking forward to a bright future for offshore wind in Ireland and we are naturally delighted to partner with Mainport," he said. "This strategic investment will increase our operational capability and enable us to deliver a strong Irish supply chain proposition to windfarm developers and Tier 1 and 2 contractors. "Over the last year or two we have seen an uptake in enquiries for geophysical survey so the added capability that the Mainport Geo brings us is very exciting indeed." Mainport chief executive, Dave Ronayne, said there is tremendous potential in the sector. "We are delighted with this new ship, which will be very suitable for the offshore renewable sector in Ireland," he said. "We know there is over 5bn investment planned over next few year on the east coast of Ireland by many major existing offshore wind operators such as Innogy, Parkwind, ESB, Statkraft, Fred Olsen and SSE and all these new wind farms will require surveying services. "This ship is also very suitable for the Italian scientific research markets." Martha MacCallum and Bret Baier Fox News Ahead of Tuesday night's presidential debate hosted by Fox News Sunday's Chris Wallace, two of the network's top news anchors spoke with Insider about how they're approaching the event and how they view their role in a polarized atmosphere. They also reflected on news echo chambers, with Fox News Chief Political Anchor Bret Baier saying, "Of course, people are in silos a lot of times, but the news as I do it, I'm looking at it through horse blinders. I'm looking at my hour, and Twitter is not real life." Martha MacCallum, anchor and executive editor of "The Story" and Baier's co-anchor for debate coverage, added that she thinks "cable news viewers are the most informed people in the world." Baier and MacCallum said they undergo daily coronavirus testing at the debate site at the Cleveland Clinic, but their goal remains the same: "Helping voters make a decision." Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. With Fox News Sunday's Chris Wallace hosting the first debate between President Donald Trump and Democratic nominee Joe Biden in Cleveland, Ohio, on Tuesday night, two of the network's top news anchors spoke with Insider about what to expect and how they approach their coverage. Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum also discussed how echo chambers impact the way the American public consumes news, how they've been drawn to debates from a young age, what they see as the best roles for a debate moderator and TV panel, and what they're looking out for Tuesday as Biden and Trump face off for the first time. Baier, the chief political anchor for Fox News and host of "Special Report," has been at the network since 1998, while MacCallum, anchor and executive editor of "The Story," joined the channel in 2004 and has anchored some of its most high-profile event coverage. Baier and MacCallum will helm Fox News' pre- and post-debate programming live from Cleveland, where the network has a set erected at the Cleveland Clinic debate site. Story continues This interview has been edited for length and clarity. Jake Lahut: Just to start out, I was wondering if you guys watched the debates growing up and what politics was like for each of you? Bret Baier: I was in New Jersey from age zero to 10, so it wasn't a lot of politics watching, but I moved to Atlanta, Georgia, and I became a little bit of a political junkie. I remember specifically watching the conventions and balloons dropping and being fascinated by politics overall. But as I got older, I really paid attention to debates, and the classic moments in debates the Reagan debate where he said, "I paid for this microphone," the George HW Bush debate with Clinton and Ross Perot, where he checks his watch the iconic moments that you remember. You just think back to the big debate moments and then you think forward to where we are now. The last cycle was quite something. Martha MacCallum: Some of my earliest memories actually are as a little kid watching the Watergate hearings. I come from a family that is full of political debate. We have folks on both sides in terms of their political philosophy so there was always a lot of vigorous debate at our dinner tables. I come by it naturally. I remember Lloyd Bentsen looking at Dan Quayle and saying, "Jack Kennedy, was a friend of mine. Senator, you're no Jack Kennedy." And Ronald Reagan with his moment of, "I refuse to use the advantage of my opponent's youth and inexperience" I think I just mangled that a little bit, but you remember the one. I mean, what I love in that moment I just actually saw that moment again yesterday is that [Walter] Mondale just give this good-natured laugh when [Reagan] said it. And really, it made me realize what a different era we are in now. And the tension you can cut with a knife between these two candidates. I think that with Donald Trump's arrival on the scene back in 2016, we saw this game change in a way that has not changed back. And I don't know that it ever will. Lahut: What do you think your colleague Chris Wallace brings to the debate stage? Baier: Well, he's just been in the seat before. He knows how it goes. You know, debates are different. They're not town halls, they're not Q&As. They're an effort to set the table so that the two candidates can go at each other, ideally over policy and substance. Chris does that better than most. And I've worked alongside him for many years. We've practiced and worked on primary debates together, and he's very methodical about how he goes about his job. And now he's in this cone of solitude, preparing for the questions and the blueprint that he's going to have, but he's going to do a great job. MacCallum: I think he's returning this year because he did such a great job. I went back and watched his debate from 2016 and it was fascinating. I also thought it was interesting that the first two questions out of the gate in 2016 were 'What kind of Supreme Court nominee would you pick?' and 'Would you accept the results of the election?' So it's interesting with all that has happened, a lot has come full circle and here we are again. But Chris is a hard worker and he believes in being very thorough and having all of your follow-up points and understanding the history on what each candidate has said on that topic in the past, and holding their feet to the fire on it. So I think it's a masterclass for anybody who's just starting in this business and I will enjoy watching every minute of it from our set here in Cleveland. Lahut: Has the coronavirus changed your jobs and the way you prepare for an event like this? Baier: Well, for us, it's a smaller footprint in Cleveland. It is different with coronavirus, but we've dealt with this now through big events, the Democratic National Convention, the Republican National Convention. And we're going to follow all the protocols. We get tested every day at the Cleveland Clinic. Those things are all different, but the substance of the coverage, and ideally, helping voters make a decision, I think is really the goal of not only what we're doing, but what the commission is trying to do with the debates. MacCallum: We've all adjusted, and I'm just really glad that our team has been very forward-leaning in this, and we haven't let it keep us from doing our job. We wear our masks, we wash our hands, we get tested. We do everything we can to be able to bring the story to the American people because I feel that it's really important for us to be actually on location and not, you know, in a camera booth somewhere. Lahut: What do you think about the notion or almost conventional wisdom at this point of Americans being in echo chambers when consuming their news? When it comes to your roles at Fox, are there things you try to do to counter or break through that? MacCallum: I think anybody who chooses to watch what we will do tonight and tomorrow night will if they don't normally watch Fox probably say, 'Wow, that's a pretty fair panel. That's a pretty even-handed discussion.' I know that's what we do. So I feel that anybody who thinks otherwise doesn't really watch us very closely. I know that there's a tendency at other networks to dig into this story or that story and do it all day long, and that they think is a negative for the president. We tend to cover pretty much everything. And also, I do think it's surprising that there's been so little negative coverage of Joe Biden so far. Baier: I've been doing my show for almost 12 years; I've been on the network for 23. So on the news side, of course we're trying to reach people who really want a fair look at all sides. The opinion side, those folks do a different thing they do it very well, but they come from an opinion place. So I think the opportunity is there to reach new viewers for us. And that's what we're looking at every time. But the biggest responsibility we have is to present both sides fairly, and most people who you ask say that's happening. Lahut: Do you worry about what people expect from their news in terms of just confirming their prior beliefs, particularly with how social media and newsfeed algorithms operate? Baier: Of course, people are in silos a lot of times, but the news as I do it, I'm looking at it through horse blinders. I'm looking at my hour, and Twitter is not real life. You know what I mean? It is viewers [who tweet], but they're very opinionated one way or another. And on my Twitter feed, I do respond, and Jack will say, "You're so in the tank for Trump, it's ridiculous how in the tank for Trump you are." And then Bob will say, "You are such a never Trumper. You hate Trump." And I'll say, "Jack, meet Bob. Bob, meet Jack. Let's work this thing out. I'm going to cover the news." So that's kind of where my mindset is, and we're just going to do our job. And if you build it, they will come. Lahut: What makes TV the most appealing medium for you as journalists? MacCallum: I love the accessibility of cable news in particular. I think that cable news viewers are the most informed people in the world. I think they watch all day long in many cases. I love television news, especially in the middle of a plot of a political cycle like this. I read everything else. I'm on social media. I'm looking at blogs. I have a blog called The Untold Story. So I think there's a lot of different places for us to put content right now, which is terrific. I love all different forms of news expression, but especially in an election year, there's nothing like being on camera, being with a great team of panelists and analysts and having them weigh in in real time. There's nothing like that. Baier: I just think people are tuned in. I've worked in all of them I've written in papers, I've done radio. TV, I think, is a visual medium, and people seem to gravitate to it now, but it's also digital. You know, our business is going to change eventually, and more and more it's going to be online. But right now it is a way to present stories in a shortened form, but still be able to get to the meat of the subject. Lahut: Bret, I know you make a point on air and on your Twitter page to note how you ask the Biden campaign if he can come on your show every week, but to no avail. So, if you could ask Joe Biden one question, what would it be? Baier: There's so many questions, but if you had to pick one, I'd say, come on my show. How about coming on the show? [Laughs.] I think that the important questions here are about substance of policies, or it comes down to all of this stuff about personality and how people deal with things. What matters is what is actually happening in the new administration. And I think that there's a lot to dig into about plans for the future, and that's where our focus really should be taxes, regulation, where the Obama economy was and where he sees it now. The argument on the other side is that they turned things around and it was the Trump action that changed the economy. So I'd like to kind of dig into where the future of that goes. Lahut: Martha, for a quick follow to your point on negative Biden coverage, do you think some of that might be an over-correction from 2016 with Hillary Clinton and her emails, even if unconsciously? MacCallum: I don't think you should overcorrect I think you should tell the story. There are storylines out there and they deserve to be covered. The vice president does misspeak quite often. He has a complicated medical history. That's just a fact. So I just think that you have to be open to following these storylines and asking the questions. If there's nothing there then there's nothing there, but it doesn't seem that he gets the same kind of scrutiny that the other side gets. So I just, you know, I think it's important to ask these questions and if they go somewhere, you've got to follow that lead, if they don't, you move on. Read the original article on Business Insider The World Socialist Web Site is publishing messages of support for Dr. Joseph Scalice from readers throughout the world. Dr. Scalice who has come under attack from the Philippine Stalinists for his powerful lecture, First as Tragedy, Second as Farce: Marcos, Duterte and the Communist Parties of the Philippines, which examined the support given by the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), and the various organizations that follow its political line, to authoritarian Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte in 2016. Dr. Joseph Scalice Acutely sensitive to the criticism of the CPP, its founder Jose Maria Sison, without a shred of evidence, has denounced Dr. Scalice as a paid CIA agent and an informer for Duterte. Dr. Scalice, through the establishment of the historical record about the betrayals of the CPP, has done a service to the working class in the Philippines and internationally. We urge our readers to come to the defence of Dr. Scalice, including by sending statements of support to the WSWS opposing the slanderous attack on him by the CPP and sharing his lecture widely. Jose Bolima Remillan, poet/writer from the Philippines: Joma Sisons refusal to rebut intelligently the thesis raised by Dr. Scalice proves that the greatest doctrinal nemesis of the CPP is no longer US imperialism, but the very crisis at the core of his Partys leadership. Sanjay, a student: Joseph Scalices works provide a precise historical background on one of the parts of Filipino history. As a young student, it is great to be told that such events exist without being stained by any political agenda. Josh Makalintal, student and writer from the Philippines: Joseph Scalices recent lecture on the treacherous and traitorous history of the Philippine (national-democratic) Left is highly essential, and progressive movements in those circles must reflect more on his important scholarship because unless they genuinely come to terms with such historical truth, they will continue to dig their own grave deep towards long-lasting marginalization. But sadly and predictably, Jose Maria Sisons absurd anti-intellectual attacks against Scalice reek of ignorance and denial. The militant Left deserves betterand it can do better by finally breaking away from Sison's deceptive influence. Sam, a member of the Socialist Student Movement, a group of high school students in Brisbane, Australia: The Socialist Student Movement unequivocally condemns the smear campaign of the Communist Party of the Philippines against historian and academic Joseph Scalice. In his lecture, First as Tragedy, Second as Farce, Scalice clearly outlines the failings of the CPP which stemmed from them aligning with the supposedly progressive elements of the national bourgeoisie. Their support of President Duterte, a fascist who has led a campaign of violence and oppression against the working class, is indefensible. The CPP has not only betrayed the people they claim to represent but also their own members, who thought they were fighting for a world free from capitalist exploitation. Scalice, by exposing the CPP, has done a service to the whole anti-capitalist movement and we stand in complete solidarity with him. A teacher in South Korea: I would like to state my unequivocal support for Dr. Joseph Scalice and his scholarship on the Stalinist Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) against the slanderous attacks of Jose Maria Sison and his supporters. The meticulous research Joseph has conducted is not only of significance for the working class and youth in the Philippines, but for all throughout Asia and internationally. His work thoroughly exposes the rotten roles of Stalinism and Maoism and the manner in which their proponents like Sison betrayed and subordinated workers to their respective bourgeoisiesand continue to do so today. This is a history that the working class has a right to know and must learn in order to fight for its political independence, for international socialism, and genuine workers democracy. That Sison and the Philippine Stalinists have reacted to Josephs August 26 lecture in the scurrilous and even juvenile manner they have only testifies to their fear that Josephs work will reach a broad audience. Furthermore, I have the pleasure of knowing Joseph personally, having his assistance when I was a graduate student, and I can say without hesitation that he is a man of serious political principle and devotion to the international working class. Sisons lie that Joseph is a CIA agent is an insult to the intelligence of workers and young people. I encourage all to study Josephs August 26 lecture on the CPP. Mirko, a WSWS supporter in Japan: I would like to speak up in defense of historian Joseph Scalice. I have heard his lecture last month, as well as the connected dishonest attacks on him by Joma Sison, the head of the Communist Party of the Philippines. Having taken some time to review the record of both sides, it is clear to me that any impartial and honest observer would have no choice but to see that is it Scalice who has invested time and effort to patiently analyze, document and present the CPP history, while Sison is engaged in unprincipled and self-serving mudslinging, evasions, distortions, libel and even threats. To the working class, the question of access to truthful accounting of its history, and free and principled debate concerning that history and political responsibility of various parties, factions and leaderships, is of critical importance, and not simply in an opportunist fashion, while they are the oppressed class, struggling for emancipation. It is equally, if not more important, even after that class is victorious in taking political and state power, as the only possible bulwark against betrayals by its leadership and possible degeneration. We must remember that Stalin and the clique around him initiated their attacks on Trotsky just as he was trying to establish a truthful accounting of the defeat of the German proletariat in 1923, contrasting that debacle to the experience of the Russian October revolution of 1917. But the Stalinists could not allow Trotsky to present his Lessons of October, nor debate him in a principled manner on the historical and political record. Just like Sison now, they had to resort to lies and distortions. And as Trotsky warned so early on, what starts with falsifying the historical record, inevitably slips step by step to violence and the physical extermination of principled political opponents, whom the Stalinist cannot allow to stay alive and continue reminding the working class of just what had taken place, and why. That is exactly where the slander and calumny by Joma Sison and present day Stalinists objectively lead to as well. That much is clear from the experience the working class has had with Stalinism internationally, over the past almost one century now. That is why it is vital for every class and historically conscious person to defend Scalice, and more broadly, the right by academics and the general public to access, research, present and debate this and any other subject matter freely. If we allow Scalice and others like him to be silenced and intimidated, the next steps on the slippery slope are the jackboots, the bayonets and the gulags. The DUP is supporting a move by Sir Graham Brady to give MPs a say over new national Covid-19 restrictions before they are brought into force. The SDLP and Alliance have not decided whether they will back the amendment tabled by the chairman of the 1922 Committee of Tory backbenchers. It comes as the House of Commons considers a six-month renewal of the Coronavirus Act which gave the government powers to respond to the pandemic. Read More These included moves such as closing down pubs, postponing local elections, and allowing courts to use live links. Labour, Liberal Democrat and Tory backbenchers are among those supporting Sir Graham's amendment with the signatories including DUP MPs Sammy Wilson and Ian Paisley. A DUP spokesman said the party's eight MPs would vote for the amendment, increasing pressure on Boris Johnson, who is facing a large parliamentary revolt. The SDLP's two MPs, Claire Hanna and Colum Eastwood, are still deciding how they will vote, as is Alliance's Stephen Farry. The North Down MP said: "I strongly support the six-monthly review of the UK Coronavirus legislation. There are a large number of amendments being tabled. I want to see an approach that better facilitates efficient decision-making alongside better democratic accountability and respect for civil liberties. "So far, I have signed up as a co-sponsor to the Harriet Harman amendment, but have reservations over the Brady amendment. I will be looking at it and the other alternatives over the coming days." Labour shadow justice secretary David Lammy said his party was "very sympathetic" to the amendment although he has avoided giving clear support. Ex-Commons Speaker John Bercow and former Tory Brexit Minister Steve Baker are backing the move. Mr Baker told Sky News: "How do people think that liberty dies? It dies like this with government exercising draconian powers, without parliamentary scrutiny in advance, undermining the rule of law by having a shifting blanket of rules that no-one can understand." The amendment states that ministers ensure "as far as is reasonably practicable that in the exercise of their powers to tackle the pandemic ... Parliament has an opportunity to debate and to vote upon any secondary legislation with effect in the whole of England or the whole UK before it comes into effect". Tory ministers on Monday held crisis talks with their own backbenchers in an effort to ward off the revolt over coronavirus laws. More than 50 Conservative MPs have signalled they could rebel on the matter. That would be enough to wipe out the government's Commons majority if the opposition parties support the Brady amendment. Health Secretary Matt Hancock, chief whip Mark Spencer and Commons Leader Jacob Rees-Mogg met with the backbenchers in an effort to address their concerns. Mr Baker described it as a "cordial and constructive" meeting. Mr Hancock told MPs that the government was "looking at further ways to ensure the House can be properly involved in the process in advance where possible". He said: "I strongly agree with the need for us in this House to have the appropriate level of scrutiny." But he added that the government had to retain the ability to act quickly where necessary. The Vietnamese Ministry of Information and Communications on Friday held a press conference announcing Vietnam will for the first time co-host the virtual International Telecommunications Union (ITU) Digital World 2020 event in October. Ministers of ITU member countries, along with delegates representing international agencies, foreign experts on ICT and the digital economy as well as leading tech companies are expected to attend the three-day event, which kicks off on October 20. Based on the proposal of Minister of Information and Communications Nguyen Manh Hung, the global-scale event will be held online following the effects of COVID-19. The forum will include seminars and discussions on such topics as digital technology-related development in Vietnam and a virtual exhibition attended by national pavilions of leading technology corporations and countries across the globe. The cooperation with ITU in organizing the Digital World 2020 forum and exhibition makes a significant contribution to enhancing [Vietnam]'s image [as a country] with fast and dynamic developments in telecommunications and information technology, said Phan Tam, Deputy Minister of Information and Communication. Additionally, Tam spoke highly of the opportunity that the ITU Digital World event offers to Vietnamese businesses in terms of market expansion and business interaction, which help boost Vietnams international integration. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! On Friday, President Trump signed the "Executive Order on Protecting Vulnerable Newborn and Infant Children," directing the Department of Health and Human Services to ensure that federally funded hospitals administer life-saving treatment and care to survivors of abortion. Trump announced that he would take action in a pre-recorded address at the National Catholic Prayer Breakfast on Wednesday. He promised, "to ensure that all precious babies born alive, no matter their circumstances, receive the medical care that they deserve." The announcement quickly garnered praise from the pro-life community. Trump said that to protect life "is our sacrosanct moral duty" and also that he will increase federal funding for neonatal research "to ensure that every child has the very best chance to thrive and to grow." In a statement released on Friday, Secretary of HHS Alex Azar called the order "another step by the most pro-life President in American history and ensures that we provide the same protections for innocent infants who are born premature or with disabilities that we provide for every other American." The HHS statement, as well as the White House's release on Friday, provides an outline of actions that the Secretary will be directed to carry out. The Executive Order aims "to ensure that American hospitals comply with their obligations under federal law to provide appropriate screening and medical treatment or transfer for infants, especially those born prematurely and/or with disabilities, and otherwise promote efforts to improve the survival of such infants." Critics of the order from the Planned Parenthood Action Fund and NARAL Pro-choice America claimed that Trump was targeting a nonexistent problem to appeal to pro-life voters. NARAL President Ilyse Hogue said that Trump was "exploiting disinformation about these devastating circumstances to score cheap political points" in a statement online. The Born Alive Infant Protection Act was signed by President George W. Bush in his first term, stating that infants born at any stage must receive the same protection as others. Trump's order applies that law and EMTALA, which mandates emergency medical care, to evaluate whether federally-funded programs are in compliance. The executive order argues: "Despite these laws some hospitals refuse the required medical screening examination and stabilizing treatment or otherwise do not provide potentially life-saving medical treatment to extremely premature or disabled infants, even when parents plead for such treatment...active treatment of extremely premature infants has, however, been shown to improve their survival rates." The executive order drew plenty of praise from pro-life groups, especially after House Democrats blocked the Born Alive Abortion Survivors Act earlier this year that would have levied penalties to doctors who refuse to provide life-saving care. "President Trump's executive order protects the youngest of patients and ensures that their right to life is defended to the greatest extent of the law," Carol Tobias, president of National Right to Life, told The Christian Post. "We thank President Trump for his dedication to the right to life and for working to protect all innocent human life. He is a champion for the most vulnerable among us and committed to guarding the right to life of all babies-born and unborn." Leonard Leo, president of the NCPB board of directors who introduced Trump on Wednesday, praised the president's dedication to the values of the Church. "There is a longstanding tradition of the National Catholic Prayer Breakfast to invite and host presidents of the United States who embrace the Catholic Church's teachings on the sanctity of human life. President Donald Trump has fiercely defended the culture of life in this way more than any other president in my own lifetime," Leo said. "He's done so much more to embrace policies that reflect the morals, teachings and objectives of our faith. He has breathed new life into the First Amendment's guarantees of religious liberty by protecting the conscience rights of healthcare professionals, ending discrimination against believers of all backgrounds when it comes to education, and fighting back against the movement to remove religious symbols from public spaces." "President Trump has recognized the principle of equal opportunity and justice by pressing for educational choice and reform that would benefit the least fortunate in our society. And through his efforts at judicial selection, President Trump has helped secure human dignity by appointing jurists who bolster the rule of law by enforcing constitutional limits on the power of the state," he said. In his announcement on Wednesday, Trump also highlighted the integral contributions of Catholics and "all people of faith" to the success of America as a whole. "I grew up next to a Catholic church in Queens, New York, and I saw how much incredible work the Catholic Church did for our community. These are amazing people. These are great, great people. Catholic schools give many underserved children the chance to reach their God-given potential. Catholics of all backgrounds share the love of Christ with the most vulnerable as they care for the elderly, the homeless and neighbors in need," Trump described. "Our nation is strong because of Catholics and all people of faith. We believe in the joy of family, the blessing of freedom and the dignity of work and the eternal truth that every child born and unborn, is made the holy image of God. I will always protect the vital role of religion and prayer in American society and I will always defend the sacred right to life," Trump added. Trump quoted Saint John Paul II in the address, telling people of faith: "let the good news of Christ radiate from your hearts and the peace that he alone gives remain forever in your soul. Trump concluded by thanking Catholics, saying "we are very grateful Catholicsillions of catholics across America who live by these beautiful words and bring hope and joy and light and grace to the world." Congress has forgotten: Shah on decision by Modi sarkar to install Netaji Bose statue UP Polls: Amit Shah to conduct door-to-door campaign in Kairana on Saturday In a first, Amit Shah releases district-based Good Governance Index for Jammu and Kashmir HM Amit Shah meets top officials to discuss key issues India pti-Madhuri Adnal New Delhi, Sept 28: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday held a meeting with top officials of his ministry and discussed several important and key matters, officials said. This was for the first time Shah visited his North Block office to chair a meeting after returning from the AIIMS here, where he underwent a health check-up recently. Northeast can become major centre of tourism: Amit Shah The home minister had a review meeting of the MHA with senior officials of the ministry where several important matters and key issues were discussed, a home ministry official said. However, it is not immediately known as to what key issues were discussed at the meeting. Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla and other senior officers attended the meeting. The 31 Secessionists who were arrested on Friday and airlifted to Accra have been remanded in Police custody to reappear on October 13, 2020. This was after their Lawyer Theophilus Donkor made an application for bail but this was rejected by the court. Meanwhile, the 31 persons have been charged with charges related to conspiracy to commit crime namely to attend a meeting of the prohibited organization, to participate in campaign of a prohibited organization and rioting with weapons at an Accra Circuit court. This is to afford prosecution enough time to engage in further investigations. On the wee hours of Friday, September 27, some armed men reportedly attacked the Aveyime and Mepe Police Stations in the North Tongu District of the Volta Region. They forcibly took over both stations simultaneously, overpowered the police officers on duty, broke into the armoury, and made away with all the weapons. --- MyNewsGh.com Workforce Readiness U.S. Department of Ed Workforce Prep Grants Go to 8 States William Harvey, Hampton University's president, with U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, during the announcement of winners in the Reimagine Workforce Preparation Grant Program. Source: Hampton University The U.S. Department of Education is funding efforts in eight states to provide students with opportunities to develop new skills in high-demand areas. The $126 million in grants awarded to winners of the Reimagine Workforce Preparation Grant Program came out of the Education Stabilization Fund portion of the CARES Act. Unlike traditional degree and certificate programs, which are usually designed by educators, this grant program was set up to support efforts led by state workforce development boards, working with employers, industry organizations and education and training partners, to identify workplace competencies, develop training curriculum and assessments to help workers gain those competencies, and establish a credentialing system that employers could use in hiring and promotion decisions within their organizations. Recipients included: Hampton University, which received $17.7 million to work with the Virginia Board of Workforce Development in establishing the Virginia Workforce Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center, a statewide small business incubator project. Operations will be based on Hampton's campus, but will serve clients from across the state who have been unemployed, displaced or have had their jobs have become obsolete by COVID-19. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos announced the grants during a tour of the institution last week. The University of Hawaii, which received $13.4 million to work on delivering distance education training; create a statewide microcredentials, badging and licensing system open to all residents; expand apprenticeship programs; and develop articulated career pathways with college credit options for short-term education and apprenticeships. Other state recipients included Alabama, Arkansas, California, Michigan, Nevada and New York. Awards ranged from a low of $13.3 million (Hawaii) to a high of $18.1 million (New York). States with the highest coronavirus "burden" were prioritized in the evaluation process, which was handled by a panel of independent peer reviewers. "America's workers and entrepreneurs have been among the hardest hit by the pandemic, and this administration is committed to reigniting the entrepreneurial spirit and helping Americans reenter the workforce as the economy recovers," said DeVos, in a statement. "We created this grant competition because we saw the clear need to support lifelong learners who needed a boost to get back on their feet, and I was delighted to see so many states come forward with innovative initiatives and partnerships. By breaking down barriers between education and industry and supporting local entrepreneurs and small businesses, we can help workers thrive and get America's economic engine running at full speed again." 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Trace begun at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Exceptions.pm line 129 HTML::Mason::Exceptions::rethrow_exception('Can\'t call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25.^J') called at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 160 HTML::Mason::Component::run_dynamic_sub('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x7f0486dcfae8)', 'main') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 951 HTML::Mason::Request::call_dynamic('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f0486ced958)', 'main') called at /var/cache/mason/obj/1784076917/main/smetimes/dhandler.html.obj line 17 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 138 HTML::Mason::Component::run('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x7f0486dcfae8)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1305 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1295 HTML::Mason::Request::comp(undef, undef, undef) called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 958 HTML::Mason::Request::call_next('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f0486ced958)') called at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/autohandler_template.html line 149 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 138 HTML::Mason::Component::run('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x7f0486ddefe8)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1303 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1295 HTML::Mason::Request::comp(undef, undef, undef) called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 484 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 484 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 436 HTML::Mason::Request::exec('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f0486ced958)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/ApacheHandler.pm line 165 HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler::exec('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f0486ced958)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/ApacheHandler.pm line 831 HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler::handle_request('HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f04868fc7d0)', 'Apache2::RequestRec=SCALAR(0x7f04868fcbc0)') called at (eval 487) line 8 HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler::handler('HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler', 'Apache2::RequestRec=SCALAR(0x7f04868fcbc0)') called at -e line 0 eval {...} at -e line 0 The Government has released various packages to partners in the Tourism industry and workers in other businesses as part of measures to cushion them against the hazardous effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The package, which is expected to assist businesses to bounce back, include a GHc60 million Stimulus Package to individual businesses and GHc 50 million-facility to support the Media and Creative Arts industry. The others are a GHc 3 billion facility to players in the Hospitality industry, a GHc 5 million package for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), and a GHc 4 million facility for other auxiliary operations. The Minister for Tourism and Creative Arts, Mrs Barbara Oteng-Gyesi announced the relief package at a grand durbar to climax this year's United Nations World Tourism Day (UNWTD) celebrations and exhibition at Takoradi in the Western Region. The international, of traditional rulers, the media, security services, businesses, and partners in the Tourism industry event on the theme, Tourism and Rural Development", commenced with a virtual symposium via zoom followed by a health walk, a tree planting exercise, a Sod-Cutting for Damang Arts Training Center and a musical concert at Bogoso. Mrs. Oteng-Gyesi said the Tourism sector chalked remarkable successes in the Year of Return" in 2019, but that the gains had been eroded by the COVID-19 pandemic, hence, the prudent measures taken by the government to promote tourism and preserve national and cultural heritage. According to her, Beyond the Return", the industry will bounce back with more attention being focused on the tourist potentials in rural Ghana to accelerate rural development. According to the Minister, it was refreshing and heart-warming to learn that as the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic subsides, about 200,000 visitors from the Diaspora have been billed to visit tourist sites in the country, which position's Ghana the Homeland destination in Africa for international tourism. Mrs. Oteng-Gyesi said Ghana had received the "safest tourism stamp among the comity of nations, a feat, which can boost tourism and increase the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). She noted that Western Region abounds in immense tourist potentials with special reference to the UNESCO heritage site at Nzulezo, Fort St. Anthonio among others. The Ministry she explained would improve upon sanitation at the beaches to harness tourist potentials, to improve visitors experience and improve physical ambiance at Ankasa Forest, Fort St. Anthonio at Axim and Beyin fort near Nzulenzo". She announced that the Ministry would adopt the Masquerade in Takoradi and support it to perform in December every year to drive more tourists to the Western Region. It is also the intention of the government to renovate the Takoradi Cultural Centre next year, adding, that the government in collaboration with the University of Mines and Energy (UMaT), would cut the sod for a Gold Museum project at Tarkwa by December 31 this year to preserve tangible and intangible evidence of gold. She asked MMDCEs to promote tourist sites in their various jurisdictions to ensure sustainable tourism in Ghana. The Omahene of Esikado Traditional Area, Nana Kobina Nketsia V, who chaired the durbar, described the Western Region as "a sleeping giant of Tourism in Ghana" and stressed the need to reawaken the cultural consciousness of people in the Region to locate the tourist sites and develop them. He said the Western Region abounds in a host of tourist sites and attractions, which need to be harnessed, saying, As a people, we have a unique culture such as tourism, which requires hospitality, peace, and unity as a benchmark for development. He admonished political actors and Ghanaians to ensure peace, unity and love as we go to the polls on December 07. Nana Nketsia V added that tourism could not thrive in a violent society, hence, the need to consolidate the peace and tolerance of opposing views. He reminded society to celebrate the Patriots of Ghana, festivals, forts, castles, and monuments such as museums to make them part of their heritage. He expressed worry about the pollution of river bodies by galamsey activities and urged the government to deal with both nationals or foreigners who were neck deep in galamsey menace, adding, "as our forebears left the river bodies in purity, we need to preserve it for generations yet unborn". In a speech read on behalf of the Western Regional Minister, Mr. Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah said the Western Regional Coordinating Council (WRCC) was making frantic efforts to showcase the Region as tourists destination of choice. He identified 192 coastal lines from Shama to Jomoro with forts and castles and mentioned the operationalization of the WRCC tourist centre as part of measures to promote tourism in the Region. The Acting Vice-President of the Ghana Tourism Federation (GHATOF, Mr Kwesi Eyison appealed to the government and other stakeholders to develop rural areas for tourism to thrive and create employment for the youth. Source: GNA Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The delegations will meet for the first time in five years in Egypt, under the auspices of the United Nations Security and military delegations from the two rival authorities in Libya will meet in Egypts Red Sea city of Hurghada on Monday, with the aim of reaching a mutual ground and preparing for 5+5 military committee meetings. The delegations from the Libyan National Army led by Khalifa Haftar in the East and the Government of National Accord (GNA) led by Fayez Al Sarraj in the West will meet for the first time in five years in Egypt, under the auspices of the United Nations. Libya has seen years of violence since the ouster of long-time leader Muammar Gaddafi in a NATO-backed uprising in 2011, with the GNA and the parliament in the east, elected in 2014, vying for power. A ceasefire was announced by the GNA and the Libyan parliament in separate statements in July. Egypt has been pushing for a political settlement in Libya and calling for a ceasefire, a complete withdrawal of militias and halt to foreign intervention in the country, as well as a fair distribution of wealth. In June, Egypt proposed a peace initiative dubbed the Cairo Declaration, which was based on the conclusion of the Berlin conference. It proposed a ceasefire and the election of a leadership council. A month later, the Egyptian parliament granted its approval for a potential deployment of the countrys armed forces abroad for the purposes of national security in the strategic western direction against the work of armed criminal militias and foreign terrorist elements. The decision came after President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi warned the country will not stand idle in the face of any attack on Libyas Sirte, which he earlier described as a red line for Egypts national security. Search Keywords: Short link: In a move denounced as censorship by Reporters Without Borders, the Algerian Ministry of Communications says it will "no longer authorise" the private French television channel M6 to operate in Algeria. This follows the broadcast by M6 of a "distorted" documentary on the anti-government protest movement Hirak. In a statement issued on Monday evening, the ministry described the documentary "L'Algerie, le pays de toutes les revoltes" (Algeria, country of revolt) as "giving a distorted take on Hirak" and that the film crew had used "fake authorisation" to complete their film. "This has led us to decide to no longer allow M6 to operate in Algeria, under any form whatsoever," the Ministry declared, vowing to press charges against the crew. Fake authorisation to film The 75-minute report was broadcast on Sunday on Enquete exclusive (Exclusive investigation). It featured interviews - some using hidden cameras - with three young Algerians talking about the future of their country since the Hirak popular uprising brought down long-time president Abdelaziz Bouteflika in April 2019. According to the ministry statement, the report was made by a French-Algerian journalist with the help of an Algerian fixer. The ministry found fault with the report's "insipid testimonies", "misleading images" and a "host of anecdotes with no depth". But above all, it claimed the team had not been authorised to make such a documentary. On 6 March 2020, the editorial staff of M6 requested press accreditation, according to the ministry, with a view to filming a documentary on "the enhancement of economic and tourist development in the city of Oran, as well as multiculturalism which contributes to our country's wealth". In using "fake authorisation" the filmmakers had "committed an offence" which would be "severely sanctioned" said the statement. The ministry promised to press charges against the authors of the report. One of the interviewees, a renowned Algerian YouTubeuse known as Noor, took to social media on Monday to express regret at having taken part in the documentary, criticising the channel's "lack of professionalism". #Algerie : un documentaire d'#EnqueteExclusive sur le Hirak entraine pour @M6 l'interdiction de travailler en Algerie et des menaces de sanctions penales contre ses auteurs. Cela s'appelle de la #censure et c'est un aveu de faiblesse du pouvoir. pic.twitter.com/rlIVG4Hog1 - Christophe Deloire (@cdeloire) September 22, 2020 Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Algeria Media By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. But French press freedom group Reporters Without Borders (RSF) denounced the ban on M6 and the threat of legal action against the filmmakers. "This is called censorship and it's an admission of political weakness," tweeted the head of RSF Christophe Deloire. Diplomatic spat In May 2020, a documentary on the Halak movement broadcast on France 5 public television led to a diplomatic crisis between Algiers and Paris. The film Algerie mon amour by French-Algerian Mustapha Kessous included pictures of people kissing and drinking alcohol and led to Algeria recalling its ambassador to France. The Algerian foreign ministry said in a statement at the time that while the documentary had seemed spontaneous it was in fact an "attack against the Algerian nation and its institutions, including the Armed Forces". In response, France's foreign ministry said: "All media enjoy complete editorial independence, which is protected by law in France". Algeria ranks 146th out of 180 countries on the Reporters Without Borders' world press freedom index for 2020. The Paramount Chief of Berekum Traditional Area, Nana Dr. Amankra Diawuo says he is glad the Akufo-Addo government has fulfilled a promise Vice President Bawumia made to him and the people of Berekum. Speaking at a durbar of chiefs in Berekum on Friday September 25, 2020 to cut the sod for the expansion of ongoing construction and rehabilitation of town roads in Berekum, the Berekum Manhene said, the ceremony marked the fulfillment of a request he made to Vice President Bawumia during a visit. "The Vice President paid a visit to Berekum and I made a request to him on behalf of my people. I told him about the bad nature of our town roads, and he assured me that he would take my issue up when he gets back to Accra," Nana Dr. Amankra Diawuo told the packed gathering. "Truly he took it up because some few months after he left, we heard in the media that the government has listed a number of towns to benefit from road projects and Berekum was part of it." "As we speak, contractors have started working on the asphalting of some of our roads. And recently, Hon. Twum Nuamah brought officials of Synohydro to my Palace and told me that they will also construct some if the Berekum town roads." "I am extremely happy that today, the Vice President is here in Berekum to cut the sod for this Synohydro road project in Bereku." "On behalf of the people of Berekum, I thank you very much." The Berekum Manhene added that beyond the fulfillment of its pledge to the people of Berekum, the Akufo-Addo government deserves commendation for its great initiatives for the Ghanaian people. "We all know the great things the NPP government is doing for the people of Ghana. We want to urge the government to keep doing good things to help us and the people of Ghana." While expressing his people's gratitude, the Berekum Manhene appealed to the government to establish a technical and vocational school in the area to help train people. He said during his youthful days in Germany, the Germans embarked on massive technical and vocational training after the second world war, and that helped in making Germany a renowned industrious country. He said Ghana can replicate that to compliment government's industrialisation agenda. Vice President Bawumia thanked the people of Berekum for their support and assured that the Akufo-Addo government will continue its all-inclusive agenda of spreading development to all parts of the country. For the Berekum municipality, Dr. Bawumia said the 10-kilometre Synohydro Berekum inner city roads will increase the total kilometer of roads the Akufo-Addo government is building and rehabilitating for Berekum town roads. Vice President Bawumia rounded up his tour of the Bono Region on Friday. Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video When nerve cells arent busy exchanging information, theyre supposed to keep quiet. If theyre just popping off at random, like in a noisy classroom, it obscures the signals theyre supposed to be transmitting. But in the most common genetic cause of schizophrenia, it seems that nerve cells wont shut up, Stanford University School of Medicine investigators have found. And they think they know why. One in every 3,000 people carries the genetic defect called 22q11.2 deletion syndrome, or 22q11DS. Its one of the most widespread chromosomal deletions known to occur in humans. People carrying 22q11DS are at an astonishing 30-fold risk for schizophrenia compared with the general population, dwarfing the magnitude of all other known genetic or environmental risk factors. Plus, some 30%-40% of individuals with this deletion receive a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder early in their lives. Until now, nobody understood why this deletion so profoundly elevates the risk for these conditions. But experiments performed in a study published Sept. 28 in Nature Medicine have pinpointed a change in an electrical property of cortical neurons among carriers of the deletion that may explain how they develop schizophrenia, which is characterized by hallucinations, delusions and cognitive decline. The scientists identified a single gene that appears to be largely responsible for the electrical abnormality. Instead of describing psychiatric disorders as collections of behavioral symptoms, Sergiu Pasca, MD, associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, envisions defining these psychiatric diseases in terms of their molecular underpinnings what he calls molecular psychiatry. Oncologists can learn a lot about the underlying drivers of a patients cancer by studying a tumor biopsy, Pasca said. But probing the underlying biological mechanisms driving psychiatric disorders is hard, because we dont ordinarily have access to functional brain tissue from living patients. But a new technology circumvents that difficulty. Weve been working from behavior down, he said. Here, were working from molecules up. Experimenting on balls of brain cells The Stanford scientists, collaborating with researchers from other institutions, uncovered the electrical defect in nerve cells, or neurons, by generating and manipulating tiny spherical clusters of brain cells in a dish. Each cluster contained hundreds of thousands of cells. These so-called cortical spheroids, composed of neurons and other important brain cells, were first developed by Pasca several years ago. Derived from skin cells and suspended in laboratory glassware, the spheroids self-organize to recapitulate some of the architecture of the human cerebral cortex, a brain region often associated with schizophrenia symptoms. The spheroids continue to develop for months and even years in a dish. In the study, Pasca and his colleagues generated cortical spheroids from skin cells taken from 15 different 22q11DS carriers and 15 healthy control subjects. Pasca, the Bonnie Uytengsu and Family Director of the Stanford Brain Organogenesis Program, is the studys senior author. Lead authorship is shared by Stanford graduate student Themasap Khan; Stanford postdoctoral scholar Omer Revah, DMV, PhD; and Aaron Gordon, PhD, a postdoctoral scholar at UCLA. Not all the 22q11DS donors had manifested schizophrenias hallmark symptoms. Whereas schizophrenia usually reveals itself in late adolescence or early adulthood, even asymptomatic 22q11DS carriers remain at elevated risk of developing schizophrenia throughout their lifetimes. Elon Musk, electric car maker, revealed his vision, but kept his secret under the hood! Martin Kepman Elon Musk Battery Day Elon Musk, electric car maker, revealed his vision, but kept his secret under the hood! Elon Musk, electric car maker, revealed his vision, but kept his secret under the hood! Will Manganese X Energy be a Miner for ELECTRIC GOLD? Read this article by the Battery Hill experts from NB, Canada. In virtue of all these above mentioned developments, Manganese X Energy is a good choice for Tesla and other electric car manufacturers. Martin Kepman CEO. In virtue of all these above mentioned developments, Manganese X Energy is a good choice for Tesla and other electric car manufacturers. Martin Kepman CEO. Toronto, CA, Sept. 28, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- September 22, 2020, for Tesla Battery Day. The electric car maker Elon Musk revealed his vision but kept his secret under the hood. Will Manganese X Energy be a Miner for ELECTRIC GOLD? Read this article by the Battery Hill experts from NB, Canada. Manganese X Energy miners help educate the public interested in electric cars to learn more about the vehicle's power source. Why is Elon Musk moving away from Cobalt? According to media reports, "It's rare (i.e., expensive), hard to mine and often mined unethically, so it makes sense that Tesla is looking to eliminate Cobalt from its batteries. Tesla already uses far less than many competitors, but Musk says Tesla will now stop using Cobalt all together." (themanufacturer.com). "Elon Musk, Tesla visionary, has indicated it will need 33% Manganese (Mn) in their battery. We have 30 million estimated tons of Manganese. The Battery Hill project is located in central New Brunswick and is strategically situated 12 kilometers from the US (Maine) border, near existing power transmission lines, with railway and road access that provide suitable transport to major shipping lanes on the Atlantic Ocean and Saint Lawrence Seaway. We have achieved a milestone and major Quebec Corporations related to the EV battery space have complimented Manganese X Energy on this milestone. They are very impressed that we have achieved MnSO4 99.95% sulphate purity, EV compliant as a precursor to the cathode. The precursor can then be developed for additional products such as electrolytic manganese dioxide (EMD), electrolytic manganese metal (EMM) and electrolytic manganese capacitor (EMC). Because of our mine location, we have everything inplace to become an important North American supplier for battery-grade MnSO4. Elon Musk has come to realize that Manganese is ELECTRIC GOLD."Martin Kepman, CEO at Manganese X Energy. Story continues According to the battery experts from Manganese X Energy Cobalt is considered a conflict mineral, selling at $34,000 USD per ton. Existing mines are in politically unstable countries like the Congo. There are human rights and child labor concerns, thus making a reliable supply chain difficult. Manganese (Mn) is more robust and stable than Cobalt. Battery experts agree that a shift to more ethical and cheaper battery chemistry that supplants Cobalt with Manganese for the cathode is the way to go. How will Elon Musks spotlight announcement about (Mn) impact the Manganese X Energy miner? Battery experts and miners will see this as a very positive announcement for the electric vehicle (EV) market as well as for the backup storage industry. Teslas vision to make a cheaper version of the Tesla car will add additional pressure on the car manufacturing industry to compete. Manganese X Energy has worked on the project at the Battery Hill deposit in Woodstock, NB, for more than four years; all future mining will be for Manganese carbonate. The majority of existing Manganese mines are known as oxide mines. Reduction roasting-acid leaching processes are utilized to process high-iron-content manganese oxide ore. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11771-015-2780-7 These Manganese oxide ore mines are processed by roasting into oxides and then converted into sulphates. Manganese carbonate is more easily processed than Manganese oxide because it utilizes a leaching process that converts it directly into MnSO4 (sulphate). Tesla has also acquired the rights to a lithium property in Nevada. In virtue of all these above mentioned developments, Manganese X Energy is a good choice for Tesla and other electric car manufacturers. Martin Kepman CEO. After reviewing our own data and independent geological assessments that were performed, Manganese X Energy expects to be able to supply 20,000 tons per year for EV car manufacturers looking for Nickel Manganese batteries. These studies have confirmed and validated the quality and estimated tonnage of Manganese that could be extracted from the Battery Hill property in Woodstock, New Brunswick, Ca. How is Manganese X Energy uniquely qualified to help EV battery needs? There are other mines in Europe and British Columbia (BC) that Tesla or other EV car companies could use, but none that virtually border Canada and the US. It is also accepted knowledge that Quebec wants to make a major investment in the lithium battery industry; hence, Battery Hill, New Brunswick, is easily positioned to become a source for Quebec. Furthermore, the mainstream adoption of Manganese in the EV battery chemistry sector will have other EV manufacturers knocking at the door of Manganese X Energy. In addition to lithium battery utilization in electric cars, there is a growing demand for commercial, industrial, and high-density residential. Jason Croy, an independent battery expert and physicist in Argonnes Chemical Sciences and Engineering division states: The demand for energy storage is too great for one technology to fulfill it, so were looking for environmentally friendly, safe, and inexpensive alternatives ... Manganese is a good option for that. https://www.anl.gov/article/researchers-eye-manganese-as-key-to-safer-cheaper-lithiumion-batteries Roger Dahn, chief geologist for Manganese X Energy states: Elon Musk indicated the future requirements of Manganese for Tesla by revamping the battery chemistry of the cathode to being 1/3 manganese and 2/3 nickel. Our Battery Hill Manganese property has the potential to help satisfy Teslas needs. Were excited to be commencing our drill program as previously announced (news release dated September 15, 2020) later this week. Upon completion of the program, work will be initiated for the planned preliminary economic assessment (PEA) study for the project. Other Resources: About the Battery Hill Project Manganese X Energy Corp. (TSXV: MN) (FSE: 9SC2)( OTC : MNXXF) with its head office in Montreal QC, owns 100% of the Battery Hill property project (1,228 hectares) located in New Brunswick Canada. Battery Hill is strategically situated 12 kilometers from the US (Maine) border, near existing infrastructures (power, railway and road). It encompasses all or part of five manganese-iron zones, including Iron Ore Hill, Moody Hill, Sharpe Farm, Maple Hill and Wakefield. In his masters thesis on the Woodstock area manganese occurrences, Brian Way (2012) reports that the area hosts a series of banded iron formations that collectively constitute one of the largest manganese resources in North America, approximately 194,000,000 tonnes. When sharing on social media please help us by using these hashtags: #ManganeseXEnergyisElectricGold #ManganeseXisElectricGold #ManganeseXMinerforElectricGold #ManganeseisElectricGold New Brunswick, Canada 514-802-1814 https://www.manganesexenergycorp.com Follow on Facebook News via: KISS PR Brand Story Press Release ### Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements: Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This news release contains forward-looking information including statements with respect to the future exploration performance of the Company. This forward-looking information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements of the Company, expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. These risks, as well as others, are disclosed within the Companys filing on SEDAR, which investors are encouraged to review prior to any transaction involving the securities of the Company. Forward-looking information contained herein is provided as of the date of this news release and the Company disclaims any obligation, other than as required by law, to update any forward-looking information for any reason. There can be no assurance that forward-looking information will prove to be accurate and the reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking information. We seek safe harbor. NOT FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE US OR THROUGH US NEWSWIRE SERVICES Attachments Representative image The issue of granting Scheduled Tribe (ST) status to six indigenous communities in Assam is once again in the limelight with the state assembly elections just seven months away. Currently categorised as Other Backward Classes (OBCs), these groups -- Koch-Rajbongshi, Tai Ahom, Moran, Matak, Chutia and tea tribes have long accused successive governments of betraying them and denying them of greater benefits of reservation in education, employment and legislature. Of late, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the northeastern state seems to have attached utmost urgency to the matter, something critics term as poll gimmick. The matter was among the key issues that were discussed during chief minister Sarbananda Sonowals meeting with Union home minister Amit Shah in Delhi on September 20. Earlier this month, the Assam legislative assembly had passed three bills in order to create autonomous councils for the Koch-Rajbongshis, the Morans and the Mataks in the multi-ethnic state. However, the Opposition has accused the BJP of adopting a divide-and-rule policy among the six communities that have been demanding ST status. Days before his partys landslide victory in the 2014 general elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had promised to fulfill the long-cherished demand of the six communities at a poll rally in Assam. He also slammed the then Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government for doing nothing for them in its 10 years of ruling. Tall claim as it was, the Modi government sat on the proposal until January 2019 when Assam was up in arms against the Citizenship Amendment Bill fearing it would allow more migration thereby posing a threat to the states ethnic demography. In order to calm the tempers, Union tribal affairs minister Jual Oram had introduced a bill in the Rajya Sabha to include the six communities in the ST category, but the same was not put to vote and allowed to lapse due to reasons best known to the ruling BJP. Even the Sonowal government did not make any efforts to fulfil its 2016 poll promise of granting ST status to the six ethnic groups all these years. The creation of the autonomous councils is, therefore, seen as yet another attempt by the BJP to regain trust of these communities ahead the 2021 assembly polls. The larger picture The 2011 Census put Assams tribal population at 3.3 million, constituting 12.4 per cent of total 31 million in the state. The six communities would together account for around 15 million, according to some estimates. Granting them ST status would, therefore, make Assam a tribal-majority state, which could help tackle the vexed problem of illegal immigration from neighbouring Bangladesh in the long run. The idea is to create a legislative mechanism to disenfranchise the illegal settlers spread across the state. Apart from the six communities, which have from time to time, resorted to agitations to highligh their demand, rebel group United Liberation of Front of Asom (ULFA) is also believed to have stressed on the issue. A faction of the ULFA that is currently negotiating with the Centre reportedly highlighted the threat posed by unabated influx of illegal immigrants to the states demography. In its charter of demands presented to the central government, the rebel group is understood to have sought tribal status to the six communities in order to protect the rights and the identity of the indigenous people. Needless to say, illegal immigration has been a dominant political issue in the state dating back to the six-year anti-foreigner agitation that led to the signing of the Assam Accord in 1985. Although the process to update the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in order to weed out illegal settlers was completed last year, it has failed to meet expectations of the states indigenous groups. Ethnic organisations believe significant numbers of illegal immigrants have made it to the final list that excluded 1.9 million people out of total 33 million applicants. So near, yet so far Among the six communities, the Koch-Rajbongshis seem the most aggrieved because of the 1996 fiasco. The 6.9-million strong community has been demanding ST status since the late 1960s besides a separate Kamatapur state. On January 27, 1996, it was accorded tribal status through an Ordinance, but the same was not enacted in time and the matter was hanging fire since then. According to central government norms, communities that fulfill the five criteria indication of primitive traits, distinctive culture, geographic isolation, shyness of contact with community at large and backwardness are eligible for ST status. The six communities of Assam clearly meet these requirements as evidenced from a January 2019 report by the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes that said, After careful consideration, the NCST concludes that the above six communities possess characteristics of Scheduled Tribes and qualify to be included in the list of STs of Assam. Prior to this, the Registrar General of India and the Anthropological Survey of India had also given approvals to the proposal. It, therefore, appears that successive governments have played cheap politics with the dreams and aspirations of the six communities, depriving them of their legitimate rights, all these years. And the political parties could not have done it alone without the connivance with a section of leaders from these communities. Also Read: Why MHA panels definition of Assamese people could be difficult to implement There is also apprehension that the creation of the three autonomous councils in Assam would benefit only a handful of leaders as they would occupy important posts and handle flow of funds. Many fear that the ST status issue would get sidelined as the BJP government would, in the run-up to the assembly polls, start harping on these councils and how they would benefit the benefit the people. (Jayanta Kalita is a senior journalist and author based in Delhi. He writes on issues related to Indias Northeast. Views expression are personal) 80% of Irish taxpayers say that the pandemic has stirred up real concerns about their financial future. The finding is the latest from the Taxback.com Consumer Sentiment Survey Series in which 2,500 respondents from Taxback.coms customer database, were asked about their concerns around COVID. The Taxback.com survey asked if the pandemic had made them financially fearful about their future, with 80% of those surveyed replying yes. Consumer Tax Manager with Taxback.com, Marian Ryan, commented on the findings: The longer the pandemic goes on, the greater the impact it is having on household finances and on our financial health at an individual level. That our survey finds as many as 80% of Irish taxpayers fearing their financial future due to COVID is testament to the far-reaching consequences this crisis has had on our country. She added: The CSOs report into the social impact of COVID found that 37.5% of people have been negatively financially impacted by COVID, reporting also that 45% of 18-34 year olds and 29% of 35-44 year olds felt downhearted or depressed as a result of the crisis. Ms Ryan further explained that from an economic standpoint, people will not spend if they are unsure of what the future holds. Yet, the Government know they have to encourage people to part with their money if the economy is to stay afloat. Its a vicious circle. The Taxback.com survey also found that 20% of people were most fearful about catching COVID-19 because of children returning to school, while 16% worried that socialising in pub and restaurants caused them most fear about contracting the virus. 20% of those surveyed were not fearful of catching it. The Taxback.com findings tally with research from the CSO in June, as restrictions were being eased for the first time, which indicated that 21.3% felt very uncomfortable with the idea of going to a bar or pub. Furthermore, a recent Transport Bulletin, also from the CSO, reports that while the number of passenger journeys is increasing, its still more than 50% lower than prior to the COVID crisis. Ms. Ryan concluded: Given the numbers of job losses sustained already, and the harsh economic outlook for 2021, its more important than ever to mind our money, and do what we can to buffer ourselves for an uncertain future. Source: www.businessworld.ie BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 28 By Jeila Aliyeva - Trend: Georgia exported to Turkmenistan 191,514 tons of natural or artificial mineral water and carbonated water, not containing added sugars or other sweeteners for a total amount of $169,000, the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia told Trend. Georgia exported to Turkmenistan 278,311 tons of a similar product, for a total amount of $251,000 for the same period of last year, the ministry said. Meanwhile, the export of natural or artificial mineral water and carbonated water, not containing added sugar or other sweeteners from Georgia to Turkmenistan during last year amounted to $488,000. The export of the same product to Turkmenistan amounted to 110,808 tons for a total amount of $100,000 from January through August 2018. For the whole of 2018, the amount of export of the same product to Turkmenistan from Georgia amounted to 261,141 tons, for a total amount of $235,000. Georgian ministry noted that the total amount of export of all products from Georgia to Turkmenistan from January through August 2020 amounted to $740,600, for the all 2019 - over $2 million, for the all 2018 - $982,500. In terms of the COVID-19 effect to export, the ministry noted that during COVID-19, Georgia has continued the working process with the usual regime in the agricultural sector, and this period has not affected the volumes of production in the country. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @JeilaAliyeva " " Most prisoners get at least one stay of execution. Some get several; some come at the last minute. Some come too late. Image Source/Getty Images On TV crime dramas, when a defendant is sentenced to death, deputies usually take him by the arm and escort him out of the courtroom with a shell-shocked look on his face. All that's left is a final wisecrack by a prosecutor or detective while having a celebratory scotch, and then the credits roll. We don't need to see the bad guy in an execution chamber on a gurney, with a needle in his arm. We assume that's going to happen. In real life, though, the story doesn't end so neatly. In fact, it's likely to drag on for years, even decades, as the condemned prisoner and his lawyers contest his conviction in court. Virtually all condemned U.S. inmates receive at least one stay of execution, in which a judge issues a temporary order that blocks prison authorities from carrying out the execution, usually until some legal issue is resolved [source: Finkelman]. Advertisement Justices on the U.S. Supreme Court, for example, generally issue a stay of execution when they agree to review a decision by a lower court. They also can issue a stay to one condemned prisoner when another's pending case deals with a legal issue that may affect the first prisoner's fate [source: Finkelman]. Stays of execution can add drama to a real-life case, because sometimes they are issued just days, hours or even minutes before a prisoner is to be executed. And in at least one instance, a wrong number made the stay come too late. What happened? See the next page. The Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offenses Commission (ICPC) recovered N16 billion from the Federal Ministry of Agriculture in 2020. ICPC chairperson, Bolaji Owasanoye, disclosed this at the virtual meeting of the 2nd National Summit on Anti-Corruption in the Public Sector. Mr Owasanoye said that the money was moved under suspicious circumstances below the threshold that would put it within the purview of the Accountant-General of the Federation. He said that the ministry moved the money into an offline account in the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) where utilisation will be outside the monitoring purview of GIFMIS. The theme of the summit was Together Against Corruption. The summit was organised by the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation in collaboration with ICPC to mark Nigerias Diamond Jubilee and ICPCs 20th anniversary. According to Mr Owasanoye, some of the recovered fund was paid into personal accounts, while others were used for non-official purposes. While investigation was ongoing albeit delayed due to COVID-19, the bulk of the money restrained in CBN was released in the peak of the pandemic when the ministry appealed to the commission that it needed to make palliatives to Nigerians upon Presidential directives. The commission is tracking the prescribed use of the funds up till now, he said Mr Owasanoye added that the commission discovered that payments were made to agriculture contractors for no job done or over payment for jobs done. He said some were appropriated to projects owned by private farms of senior civil servant of the ministry. One individual from the ministry now deceased, appropriated over N2.5 billion to himself and cronies. He said the ICPC was established to investigate and where necessary prosecute corruption related offences and prevent corruption, adding that in its 20 years of existence, it had treated over 20,000 petitions. Of the 20,000 petitions, Mr Owasanoye said that the commission found 5,000 worthy of investigation and prosecuted about 1,000 of such cases. He added that ICPC also within the period conducted 582 reviews comprising personnel and capital budget utilisation of Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs). In his address, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, said that the ICPC has come of age and growing in leaps and bounds. He said that fighting corruption is a core priority of President Muhammadu Buharis administration, noting that corruption posed an essential threat to Nigeria. Mr President has at home and abroad canvasses the imperative to put in place policies and measures to reduce corruption. Over the years, corruption has hindered government from attaining critical objectives and national development plans. The surest way that we as a nation can realise the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), our core national objectives is to significantly reduce corruption. Mr President has firmly underscored the need for effective action against corruption by this administration by the introduction of policies and measures to reduce corruption particularly in the public sector of our country, he said. Mr Mustapha said that the significance of tackling corruption in public service was anchored on the fact that they remained the main vehicle for formulating and implementing government programmes and policies. This, according to him, implies that public servants drive all the necessary processes for good governance. Advertisements In this wise, if the public service is marred in corrupt practices, it provides an unfettered opportunity for the private sector and other Nigerians to engage in such practices. However, if the public service abide by the required rules and regulations for conducting businesses, such opportunities are reduced if not eliminated and they will form the bulk work in dealing with corrupt practices, Mustapha said. Highlight of the event was the presentation of the 2020 Public Service Integrity and Award to Francis Erhabor, a chief superintendent of police, who is the Divisional Police Officer D Division, Itam, Akwa-Ibom. Hamza Buwai, Deputy Director Expenditure Ministry of Industry, Trades and Investment, also got the award. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the winner of Music and Essay Competition conducted by ICPC was Adeboye Opeyemi. Matilda Daniels of Topgrade Secondary School Surulere, Lagos, won the first position, Senior Secondary School category; and Favour Chikezie of Mount Crest High School Owerri, Imo, won the first position, Junior Secondary School. George Poikayil By Express News Service KASARGOD: In July, a watchman of the Milma dairy plant at Mavungal was fired from his job after he used a derogatory word to describe Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Facebook. On September 16, Hosdurg police booked the personal assistant of Kanhangad municipal chairman VV Rameshan for allegedly slandering the former chief minister Oommen Chandy on Facebook. The PA, Venugopalan, did not even write Oommen Chandy in his message. He wrote OC, and yet the police booked him. Two days later on September 18, T V Hemalatha -- a woman who runs an Akshaya Centre and who ran a gym till Monday -- approached the Bekal police station with a complaint saying two fake voice messages were doing the rounds on WhatsApp that she had eloped with a former colleague. The voice clips were forwarded along with a photograph of Hemalatha and her former colleague she had posted on Facebook. After 10 days, the Bekal police were yet to register an FIR. She is now contemplating staging a satyagraha in front of the police station for justice. Police officers said the slandering of a public figure and a private individual was treated differently by the law because of the fear of rioting in the former's case. But Hemalatha would have none of it because the messages have created a riot in her own life. "I contemplated ending my life. But when I got support from my family and society, I decided to track down the perpetrators," she said. And track down, she did. On September 17, Hemalatha's friends send her two voice clips -- one in a male voice and another in female voice -- saying she had eloped with her colleague. At first, she thought they were a prank. But soon, she started getting calls from her relatives and friends. The voice clip was shared with a photograph of Hemalatha and her colleague she posted on Facebook in February. "I had posted the photograph to wish him on his birthday," she said. The next day, she filed a complaint with Bekal police asking them to track down the perpetrators. "But the police did not inspire confidence in me," she said. So Hemalatha and her sister-in-law (brother's wife) started making calls to track the creators of the fake messages. She first called friends who forwarded the messages to her to find out where they got them. A person shared the message even in her son's office WhatsApp group. "I blasted the person for sharing the unverified message," she said. The two women called at least 50 phone numbers in two days. They would call the person who forwarded the message in a group. "They would tell that they got the message from another group. Then we contact the person in the previous group. If they refused to divulge the details we threatened to file a cyber case against them," she said. After two days, they reached a WhatsApp group called Kali Kupi Fans or Empty Bottle Fans. "It was a group for people in Cheemeni but I found that my neighbour Abhilash had created the voice message in the group," Hemalatha said. Abhilash is a driver for Milma. She and her friends confronted him and he admitted to making the voice clip. On September 20, she dragged him to Bekal police station from where she made him confess to the crime on camera. Later, she sent the videos from his phone to all the WhatsApp groups he was a member of. But she found out that the complaint she filed on September 18 was missing from the station. "So I filed another complaint on September 20. But a case has not yet been registered," she said. Her quest to find the female voice ended at a phone number registered in the Gulf. Not a police case, say officers Bekal police said that her complaint sought to know who the perpetrators were and it was duly forwarded to the Cyber Cell. "But the fact is it is a case of defamation, and she should approach the court and not a police station," said Bekal sub-inspector Ajith Kumar. Senior officers said not many people know that they could approach the jurisdictional court directly in civil matters such as defamation, and to press charges in the case of non-cognisable offenses. "In this particular case, Hemalatha was defamed in social media by misrepresenting facts. Section 66 A of the IT Act which dealt with it was scrapped by the Supreme Court. The messages do not attract Section 67 because there is nothing obscene in them," said a senior officer. It was hard to charge the perpetrators with Section 509 B (sexual harassment by electronic mode) of IPC because there was no sexual intent in the voice clip even though they cause a lot of mental agonies, he said. Section 120 (o) of the Kerala Police Act which deals with causing a nuisance through any means of communication can be applied here but it is a non-cognisable office and the police are not obliged to investigate it, said the senior officer. "But she can always approach the judicial first class magistrate for justice," he said. But when a politician is abused in social media, their supporters take out a protest march and threaten to riot, said the officers. "That gives us reason to invoke Section 153 of the IPC. Along that section, we add Section 120 (0) of the KP Act too. That's how Venugopalan was booked," said an officer of Hosdurg police. When told about this, Hemalatha said: "So they want me to create a riot to get justice". The government is planning a two-week shutdown of pubs, restaurants and bars to prevent a second surge in coronavirus deaths, according to reports. Ministers are also preparing to ban households from meeting indoors in an attempt to clamp down on cases spreading through social contact. The proposal was described as a "total social lockdown" by The Times, which claimed the new restrictions could apply to London as well as large parts of northern England. Schools, shops, factories and offices would stay open, however. A government source told the paper that the restrictions were among the options considered last week before the Cabinet decided to introduce the 10pm curfew on bars, restaurants and other hospitality venues. "The nation and the party wasn't ready for us to go any further last week," the source was quoted as saying. "Unlike the first lockdown, nobody has seen pictures of body bags in Spain or France on the TV yet, which had a very powerful effect. "Toughter measures on social interaction will have to come though. They're inevitable if you look at the numbers." Earlier this week the UK reported a record number of new coronavirus cases, 6,784 in one day, as experts warned that hospitalisations and deaths were also starting to increase again. More than a quarter of the UK population is already under local lockdown, with restrictions applying across large parts of the North West of England and Greater Manchester, the North East, West Yorkshire, West Midlands and Leicester, as well as Cardiff and Wales in Swansea and seven council areas in Scotland including Glasgow City. Neath Port Talbot, Torfaen and the Vale of Glamorgan will go into local lockdown from 6pm on Monday. Scotland has already introduced toughter restrictions which ban people from making indoor social visits to other households. However Boris Johnson is facing a rebellion by Tory backbenchers who are urging the government to give MPs a chance to vote on coronavirus measures before they come into force. MP Steve Baker warned that "liberty dies" with the government "exercising draconian powers" without parliamentary scrutiny. Its been seven weeks since Buddy the Beefalo made his escape from the loading dock of Plymouth Meats. Since his escape from the slaughterhouse, Plymouth Police Capt. Ed Benecchi has led the effort to capture the 1,000-pound bull. If Buddy is captured, he will retire to the Critter Creek Farm Sanctuary in sunny Florida. About $8,500 has been donated on a GoFundMe page that will ensure Buddy spends the rest of his life with other rescued cattle and exotic creatures. Buddy, Benecchi says, has earned his freedom. Here are the latest developments in the pursuit of Buddy: What is a beefalo? A beefalo is a cross between a bison and domestic cattle. According to the American Beefalo Association, Beefalo today is an advanced mix of domesticated cattle and 37.5 percent American Bison. This cross was chosen specifically as it has been show as the 'sweet spot' of the genetic pool, allowing all the best qualities of both animals to be present. It says, Beefalo has been shown by USDA testing to possess superior vitamin levels, higher protein, nearly 1/3 less cholesterol, 79 percent less fat, and 66 percent less calories than conventional beef. Exactly where is Buddy? Hes on an 800-acre property owned by the local water company. Buddy has been staying in the same area, moving around in a circular pattern on trails. He has survived in the woods because beefalos will eat any kind of vegetation and food and water that is abundant in the area, Benecchi said. The first image of Buddy caught on camera was in mid-August. How are they trying to catch Buddy? On Aug. 31, Plymouth police and state environmental conservation officers attempted to track Buddy down in the woods. A drone tracked him to a swamp, but officers were unable to catch Buddy. The agile Buddy ran deeper into the woods. The latest plan is the lure him into a cattle trailer stocked with all kinds of Beefalo goodies like grain, corn and hay. Theres also a few pen rails that are moved closer to the trailer. Its like fishing, Benecchi says. Youre trying to figure out when hes going to get here, you have to have the right bait and you have to be patient. Its a lot of trial and error. In the last few days, a rope system has been set up to close the gate and some new feed has been added. Hopefully, he will be in custody by the end of the week, Plymouth police posted in their Facebook page. How close has Buddy come to walking inside the trailer? A Stealth Cam has been set up near the trailer. It shows Buddy awfully close to the trailer, but he hasnt gone in. Sometimes, it seems like Buddy is teasing us. Last week, it seemed like Buddy was deciding whether to go inside. Is Buddy enjoying the food? Yes, but hes not the only one enjoying these treats in the Plymouth woods. A few unexpected visitors ... the suspects in the video have been identified for stealing Buddys food, police said An underdog story Its an underdog story. Everyone is rooting for Buddy. It would be so terrible if a hunter got him or if he got hit by a car. A lot of hard work has gone into this and we want to see Buddy live out his life. I am doing this truly out of the joy in my heart to try to help this animal. I want the story to end positively. Previous reporting by Kaitlyn Krasselt was used in this story. If the European Union does not impose sanctions on Belarusian officials, EU member states neighbouring Belarus could consider national sanctions, Polish Foreign Minister Zbigniew Rau told a news conference in Budapest on Monday. Rau added that he hoped there would be a consensus on the penalties within the EU soon. The bloc vowed weeks ago to impose penalties on Minsk over election fraud and human rights abuses. But any such decision requires unanimity of all the 27 EU member states and Cyprus has blocked the move due to a separate dispute with Turkey. Search Keywords: Short link: Agence France-Presse As the US prepares to return humans to the Moon this decade, one of the biggest dangers future astronauts will face is space radiation that can cause lasting health effects, from cataracts to cancer and neurodegenerative diseases. Though the Apollo missions of the 1960s and 1970s proved it was safe for people to spend a few days on the lunar surface, NASA did not take daily radiation measurements that would help scientists quantify just how long crews could stay. This question was resolved Friday after a Chinese-German team published in the journal Science Advances the results of an experiment carried out by China's Chang'E 4 lander in 2019. "The radiation of the Moon is between two and three times higher than what you have on the ISS (International Space Station)," co-author Robert Wimmer-Schweingruber, an astrophysicist at the University of Kiel told AFP. "So that limits your stay to approximately two months on the surface of the Moon," he added, once the radiation exposure from the roughly week-long journey there, and week back, is taken into account. There are several sources of radiation exposure: galactic cosmic rays, sporadic solar particle events (for example from solar flares), and neutrons and gamma rays from interactions between space radiation and the lunar soil. Radiation is measured using the unit sievert, which quantifies the amount absorbed by human tissues. The team found that the radiation exposure on the Moon is 1,369 microsieverts per day about 2.6 times higher than the International Space Station crew's daily dose. The reason for this is that the ISS is still partly shielded by the Earth's protective magnetic bubble, called the magnetosphere, which deflects most radiation from space. Earth's atmosphere provides additional protection for humans on the surface, but we are more exposed the higher up we go. "The radiation levels we measured on the Moon are about 200 times higher than on the surface of the Earth and five to 10 times higher than on a flight from New York to Frankfurt," added Wimmer-Schweingruber. NASA is planning to bring humans to the Moon by 2024 under the Artemis mission and has said it has plans for a long term presence that would include astronauts working and living on the surface. For Wimmer-Schweingruber there is one work-around if we want humans to spend more than two or three months: build habitats that are shielded from radiation by coating them with 80 centimeters (30 inches) of lunar soil. Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Anthony Fauci, testifies during a US Senate Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee hearing to examine Covid-19, focusing on an update on the federal response in Washington, DC, on September 23, 2020. The United States is "not in a good place" as colder months loom and the number of newly reported coronavirus cases continues to swell beyond 40,000 people every day, White House coronavirus advisor Dr. Anthony Fauci said Monday. Covid-19 cases were growing by 5% or more, based on a weekly average to smooth out daily reporting, in 26 states as of Sunday, according to a CNBC analysis of data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. Montana, South Dakota, Utah, Wisconsin and Wyoming reached record-high averages. Cases grew by nearly 9% nationwide compared with a week ago, moving just above 44,300 new cases on average as of Sunday, according to Johns Hopkins data. Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, has said for weeks that the U.S. is reporting an "unacceptably high" number of new coronavirus cases every day. The country should aim for daily new cases below 10,000, not around 40,000 as it currently stands, he said. "There are states that are starting to show an uptick in cases and even some increase in hospitalizations in some states," Fauci told the ABC program "Good Morning America" in an interview aired Monday. "And I hope not, but we very might well start seeing increases in deaths," Fauci said. He added that he's concerned about being in "a position like that as the weather starts getting cold." NEW ORLEANS, Sept. 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- For coffee lovers around the country, their admiration and appreciation for their favorite caffeinated beverage peaks every year on September 29: National Coffee Day. PJ's Coffee of New Orleans understands their passion better than anyone, and that's why the nationwide coffeehouse is rolling out a thoughtful promotion to help them celebrate the day. This year on September 29, for every bag of coffee customers purchase in store or online, PJ's Coffee will donate one bag directly to active members serving in the United States military. "National Coffee Day is one of the best days of the year for us, and we really wanted to make an impact outside our stores this year while getting our customers involved," said Reid Nolte, Vice President of Brand Strategy at PJ's Coffee of New Orleans. "By ordering a bag of coffee from PJ's on September 29, not only are you providing yourself with much-needed supply of delicious coffee, but you're also doing the same for the men and women defending our country. It's just one way we can come together to show our gratitude for these brave individuals." PJ's Coffee is constantly focused on giving back to and strengthening their relationship with military personnel both active and veteran. Most recently, the franchise became the official coffee, espresso and blended-beverage partner of the United States Military Academy in West Point thanks to a new coffeehouse in Grant Hall. Additionally, PJ's Coffee spent the entire summer installing coffeehouses following a franchise agreement with the U.S. Marine Corps. These military personnel now enjoy an array of PJ's Coffee blends in 51 mess halls and 62 brew stations across nine bases. The company is also an International Franchise Association VetFran member proudly offering qualified veterans a 20 percent discount on the initial franchise fee and famously gives away a franchise license to a lucky military veteran each year. For more information about PJ's Coffee, visit www.pjscoffee.com. Interested prospects can also learn more about this wonderful franchise opportunity by visiting www.pjsfranchise.com. ABOUT PJ'S COFFEE PJ's Coffee of New Orleans was founded in 1978 by Phyllis Jordan, a pioneer in the coffee industry. The coffeehouse was acquired by Ballard Brands in 2008 which was spearheaded by brothers Paul, Scott and Steve Ballard. The New Orleans-based coffeehouse demonstrates that better beans, superior roasting techniques, and pure passion for the art of coffee-making matter. The brand serves a wide variety of hot, iced and frozen coffee beverages using only the top one percent of Arabica beans, as well as organic tea and fresh breakfast pastries. With 42 years as an established brand, it continues to remain an authentic coffeehouse with a New Orleans spirit. PJ's Coffee has 117 locations open and operating nationally and internationally. SOURCE PJ's Coffee of New Orleans By PTI NEW DELHI: Gulf Oil Lubricants India on Monday said it has entered into a long-term strategic partnership with South Korea's S-Oil Corporation. As per the deal, the company will exclusively manufacture and market S-Oil's entire range of lubricants under the brand - S-Oil Seven - for the Indian market, Gulf Oil Lubricants India said in a statement. It added that it is the first time ever that S-Oil lubricant product will be manufactured outside of South Korea. "Our relationship with S-Oil gets even stronger with this opportunity as we will work together to launch new products and grow our market shares in India across segments, bringing in a range of technologically advanced products for Indian consumers looking for value-creating solutions," Gulf Oil MD and CEO Ravi Chawla said in a statement. He added that the S-Oil Seven range, made with leading technology, would be now made in India. "...it is the first time ever we have seen the S-OIL brand of lubricants manufactured outside of South Korea which is only possible because of our strong and long-term relationship with Gulf Oil," S-Oil Corporation Head of Global Sales HQ JH Bae said. Gulf Oil Lubricants said that the market launch of S-Oil Seven in India would happen in the third quarter of the current financial year. If you're feeling that restless itch to get out of your home, there's some good news for Texans. From boutique hotels to stunning 5-star accommodations, Houston hotels are boasting some affordable fall relaxation staycation deals. For those seeking a fun, affordable escape, both Houston Hotel ZaZa locations are offering some unique staycation deals. What has been touted as the "Camp Out at ZaZa" staycation adventure will now be called "Fall into ZaZa" at the end of September. Perhaps the best perk of that deal are the $50 lunch or dinner daily credit you'll get with this staycation. Aldi will open 100 new stores and create 4,000 jobs after profits surged by 49 per cent in a year, it has revealed. The discount supermarket plans to pump 1.3 billion of investment into the stores by the end of next year. The expansion is part of a long-term plan to grow from 894 to 1,200 locations in the UK by 2025. The funding - Aldi's biggest investment in the UK in its 30 years in the country - will go into upgrading existing stores, distribution centres and innovation across its operations, it said. The discount supermarket plans to pump 1.3 billion of investment into the stores by the end of next year (file image) The update came as Aldi reported sales increased by eight per cent to 12.28 billion in 2019. It saw pre-tax profits jump by 49 per cent to 271.5 million for the year. The retailer, which has seen sales continue to grow through the pandemic amid strong demand for groceries, committed to keeping its prices 'the lowest in the market' amid pressure on household budgets. Major grocery rivals, including Tesco and Morrisons, have lowered their prices in recent months in a bid to stem strong growth by Aldi and fellow German discounter Lidl. However, both Aldi and Lidl failed to benefit substantially from the surge in demand for online orders and home deliveries since the pandemic fully impacted the UK. Earlier this month, Aldi expanded into click and collect orders for the first time, with a store in the Midlands. In May, Aldi revealed plans to deliver groceries to homes in the UK for the first time through a partnership with Deliveroo. Giles Hurley, chief executive for Aldi UK and Ireland, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that he will be announcing an extension of Aldi's click and collect scheme into 15 more stores in the next few weeks. Giles Hurley (pictured), chief executive for Aldi UK and Ireland, confirmed Aldi had noticed more demand for products such as pasta and toilet roll as the country heads towards a second wave of coronavirus 'We've had a tie-up with deliveroo across 20 stores trialling rapid delivery of groceries to customer's homes,' he added. 'We've announced our first click and collect store which is a project I'm really excited about. 'I'm very very confident this is a model we can scale sucessfully. We started with one store but within the next weeks I hope to annouce an extension to a further 15 stores.' Mr Hurley confirmed Aldi had noticed more demand for products such as pasta and toilet roll as the country heads towards a second wave of coronavirus - but said he was confident the supermarket could keep up. 'We've got really good availability across all the products in our range but we have definitely seen a bit of an uptick in demand for certain items. The overriding message should be to customers to buy exactly what they need.' A basket of 33 everyday items at Aldi is on average 14 per cent cheaper than the Big 4 supermarkets, according to The Grocer magazine. Earlier this year, Aldi maintained its position as the UK's best-paying supermarket by increasing the minimum hourly rates for store colleagues to 9.40 nationally and 10.90 inside the M25. These rates increase to 10.41 nationally and 11.15 in London after two years. Susannah Streeter, senior investment and markets analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown, said consumers tend to hunt around for the best value supermarkets 'when times are tough' - putting Aldi at an advantage. She added: 'Supermarket chains have been the big winners during the pandemic, as people raced to stock up on lockdown supplies and Aldi's position as a value retailer, has made it more resilient at a time of deep economic uncertainty.' From April through June 2018, the New York Times published a 10-part podcast series, titled Caliphate, that featured reporter Rukmini Callimachi discussing her reporting on ISIS fighters as well as her numerous trips to Syria and Iraq. When the podcast was released, many in Canada were shocked to hear the voice of a young Canadian man who claimed to have fought for ISIS and then returned home to Canada. The man identified as Abu Huzayfah, his kunya or nom de guerre, at times sounded reflective and regretful but at other times seemed to betray his ongoing admiration for jihadism and the ISIS caliphate. Even worse, he admitted to Callimachi that he had carried out executions as a member of the group. He went on to do several more interviews with the Canadian media confessing to various terrorism offenses. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Last week, however, all of this media attention came back to haunt him. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), after a lengthy investigation into his claimed stint with ISIS, arrested Huzayfah, charging him with hoax-terrorist activity. The implication of this charge is that he made it all up and did so intentionally to generate fear within our communities and create the illusion there is a potential threat to Canadians. Whether or not this can be proved, Huzayfahs claims, and the reporting of them, have had a direct impact on the radicalization debate in Canada and elsewhere. Shortly after the podcast was released, the Canadian political establishment erupted at the prospect of an ISIS fighter cavalierly walking the streets of Toronto. The opposition Conservative Party went so far as to bring a motion in Parliament demanding that the government put forth a strategy to deal with Canadians who had traveled abroad to join or support ISIS, including women and children. In an election year, the government responded that, where possible, returnees would be prosecuted but it had zero obligation to facilitate the return of citizens detained in Syria. This was a far cry from Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus refrain during a 2015 debate on the governments right to revoke the citizenship of ISIS fighters: A Canadian, is a Canadian is a Canadian. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Reporting has also made clear that in early 2018, Canadian officials were in contact with Kurdish leadership about some sort of repatriation plan for Canadian ISIS fighters and family members in their custody after the loss of territory by ISIS, but this plan was swiftly and mysteriously shelved in May 2018, after Caliphate had begun airing. It is not an exaggeration to say that the Huzayfah casethe podcast, and also the notion that individuals who had carried out executions for ISIS could make it back to Canada and evade criminal prosecutionprofoundly influenced the policy debate about whether to repatriate the men, women, and children in Kurdish custody. To date, Canada has refused to return a single person from northeastern Syria, not even a 5-year-old orphan girl named Amira. No other liberal democracy can match Canadas abysmal record on this issue. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Despite the damage done by Huzayfahs claims, proving that he committed a crime will not be easy. First, prosecutors will need to prove a negativethat he did not do the things he claimedwhich, given Canadas far-reaching disclosure obligations, could mean having to reveal how security services confirmed the lie. Second, prosecutors will have to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Huzayfahs false comments created a reasonable apprehension of fear that death, bodily harm, or property damage would result from terrorist activity. This means his allegedly false statements about what he did in the past would cause fear about future harm. Finally, the Crown must prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Huzayfah made those statements with the intent to cause that fear. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This last requirement seems at odds with what we personally know of his actions. One of the authors of this piece (Amarasingam) has been in frequent contact with Huzayfah since December 2016, as a researcher but also as someone working on the reintegration of former extremists, and has attempted to find religious leaders and counselors with whom he could talk. These intervention providers have spent months of their time talking with Huzayfah, taking him out to lunches and coffees, providing him with reading material, encouraging him to focus on school, work, and so on. Its not entirely clear why he would go along with all of these private interventions if, as the RCMP alleges, his intent was to create public fear and anxiety. Advertisement Also, it is not clear what the public interest is in prosecuting Huzayfah for this offense now. The RCMPs statement points to the need for denunciation and deterrence: to call out the crime and keep people from making these kinds of claims in the future. Setting aside the fact that we have long known that criminal sanctions are an ineffective form of deterrence, making claims that you committed terrorism offenses to multiple reporters would seem to suggest a lack of concern for criminal consequences. Its hard to believe that the risk of facing a terrorism hoax charge would alter this calculus for others contemplating similar conduct. Advertisement Advertisement The other reason offered by the RCMP is that Huzayfahs allegedly false claims forced security services to expend time and resources to investigate his activities. Yet some of his posts on social media platforms detailing his time in Syria should have been enough to lead the RCMP to examine his conduct. The fact that investigators apparently expended a lot of resources also suggests that there was some level of credibility to his claims and concern regarding his participation with ISIS. But there is nothing in Canadian law that justifies prosecuting someone simply because officials did their job and cleared them of wrongdoing. This case also paints an ugly picture of the government of Canada. Seemingly, officials are not prepared to do the work to return and prosecute ISIS members who committed atrocities abroad, nor reintegrate innocent Canadian children, but will go the extra mile to prosecute wannabes who make them look bad. NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. In order to offset the extraordinary challenges to the American Red Cross of South Carolinas mission of responding to disasters due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Sonoco is donating $40,000 dollars to the organization. The 2020 Hurricane Season is predicted to be the busiest season on record, and as the American Red Cross of South Carolina works to prepare for disasters of any kind, this gift and partnership will help meet the needs of the communities in South Carolina. Sonoco also is supporting the Red Cross response to the historic wildfires along the West Coast. With millions of acres burned, the Red Cross of South Carolina continues to send resources to support. This donation will help the response and recovery efforts of those that continue to watch their communities burn. This has been a very difficult time for everyone in South Carolina and around the country as large disasters continue to occur, said Rod Tolbert, the regional CEO of the Red Cross of South Carolina. As we adapt to this COVID-19 environment, our team continues to work hard to respond to those in need across our state and our neighbors in other regions. Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed says his country, which contributes over 85 per cent of water resources to the Nile River, has no intention of harming Sudan and Egypt using its massive hydroelectric power project. Abiy said this in his virtual address to the 75th session of the United Nations General Assembly taking place in New York. "I want to make it abundantly clear that we have no intention to harm these countries," told 193 member states regarding the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) being built along the Nile. The PM said Ethiopia is paying close attention to concerns raised by the lower riparian countries during the ongoing Nile dispute talks brokered by the continental bloc, African Union (AU). "We are steadfast in our commitment to addressing the concerns of downstream countries and reaching a mutually beneficial outcome in the context of the AU-led process," he said. Conservation Abiy argued that the $ 4.8 billion mega dam project, which would be Africa's largest, contributes to the conservation of water resources, He said the dam will enable conservation of water resources "which would otherwise have been lost to evaporation in downstream countries" of Sudan and Egypt. "We are basically working to meet our demand for electricity from clean energy," he said, further stressing that his country cannot afford to continue keeping over 65 million of its 110 million population in the dark. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Ethiopia Infrastructure Egypt By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. He also warned of crises including desert locust outbreaks, climate change and the global Covid-19 pandemic that are posing imminent threats to the livelihoods of millions of Ethiopians. "There is no stark reminder of the need for urgent action than the devastating impact of climate change that we are witnessing in various parts of the world," noted the Nobel Peace Prize-winning Prime Minister. Flooding Addis Ababa has long been arguing that the power plant project being built near the Sudanese border will ease the severity of perennial flooding in that country. However, Sudan and Egypt fear that the project will eventually diminish their historic water share from the Nile River. As a result, they continue pressing for a final binding agreement on outstanding issues including the annual operation and filling of the dam, mainly during dry seasons. The recent unprecedented flooding in Sudan has claimed hundreds of lives, destroyed tens of thousands of homes and displaced over one million people, forcing Khartoum to declare a three-month state of emergency. Sudanese authorities have blamed heavy rains originating from neighboring Ethiopia for the flooding, which has reportedly exceeded records set in 1946 and 1988. Following the incidents, officials in Khartoum, including Sudanese Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok, have openly voiced the Gerd's importance in preventing such natural occurrences. This isnt a strange land for me, this is my world, Villa said. When I first ran, and I asked people to trust me, its difficult, because people might not have known me that well. But now, I have a proven track record in my state office. And so, to me, just a proven track record that I have with my community, and now its just spreading that message over to the part of the district where they dont know. Laurence Fox has had the words 'Freedom' and 'Space' tattooed on his hands. The actor, 42, took to Instagram on Sunday to show off the inkings, after it was revealed he plans to launch a new political party to fight the 'culture wars'. The party is said to be named Reclaim, with Laurence posing for his social media snap holding his hands together in fists. Laurence Fox has had the words 'Freedom' and 'Space' tattooed on his hands He already has a branch of 'English roses' tattooed on his arm and hand. It's thought 'freedom' and 'space' are what he intends to 'reclaim'. He uploaded the shot, alongside the caption: 'Always'. MailOnline has approached him for comment. Laurence has already raised more than 5million for the party - having gained the substantial sums from former Tory donors. He hopes to stand dozens of candidates across the UK. The actor, 42, plans to launch a new political party to fight the 'culture wars' The Lewis star says he wants to provide a movement for people who are 'tired of being told that we represent the very thing we have, in history, stood together against'. It comes as Nigel Farage has also threatened to launch an anti-lockdown party after criticising Boris Johnson's draconian measures to curb the rise in coronavirus cases. Among Fox's aims in his new party are reforming the BBC and celebrating Britain's contribution to the world, according to The Telegraph. Cash: He has already raised more than 5million for the party In the queue: The party which has not yet been approved by the Electoral Commission The party is provisionally called Reclaim and has a website named LaurenceFoxParty. He hopes to launch the party next month and the name is subject to the Electoral Commission's approval. His website states: 'Over many years it has become clear that our politicians have lost touch with the people they represent and govern. Moreover, our public institutions now work to an agenda beyond their main purpose. Goals: Among his aims are reforming the BBC, protecting free speech and celebrating Britain's contribution to the world Backing: Among the early proponents of the new party are Julia Hartley-Brewer, Darren Grimes and Toby Young who said Fox's contribution to politics was 'exciting news' 'Our modern United Kingdom was born out of the respectful inclusion of so many individual voices. It is steeped in the innate values of families and communities, diverse in the truest sense but united in the want and need to call this island home. 'The people of the United Kingdom are tired of being told that we represent the very thing we have, in history, stood together against. 'We are all privileged to be the custodians of our shared heritage. We can reclaim a respectful nation where all are included and none are ashamed to have somewhere to call home.' He added: 'I have been so encouraged by the support I have received by those wishing to add their voices to this reclamation of our values. 'Our country is now in desperate need of a new political movement which promises to make our future a shared endeavour, not a divisive one. This is now my endeavour.' Split opinion: Many on social media are divided over the news, with some celebrating an alternative to the current options in politics, while others derided Fox and his views Fox, who has been a fierce critic of the BBC, sparked controversy when he said suggestions of 'racism' over how the Duchess of Sussex was treated in some quarters was 'boring'. He also hit out at black and working class actors for complaining about the industry once they have 'five million quid in the bank'. A Westminster source said the new party is a version of UKIP for the culture wars and believes it could attract hundreds of thousands of unhappy Conservative voters. Sources close to Fox said the party does not see itself as strictly left or right wing but will be a broad church. Reclaim so far has three objectives, which include protecting free speech, reforming publicly funded institutions, and preserving and celebrating Britain's cultural history. Planning has been underway for the last two months and backers include former Tory donor Jeremy Hosking. Staff are already being recruited for the party after Fox was launched into the political arena after his performance on Question Time in January. Meanwhile, Nigel Farage has also revealed he is considering launching a new party to challenge the current lockdown measures. The Brexit Party leader heaped pressure on the Prime Minister, saying the current restrictions are a threat to freedom. Hitting back: Nigel Farage has threatened to start an anti-lockdown party as he criticises Boris Johnson's draconian measures to curb the rise in coronavirus cases He told The Times: 'We stood aside for Boris Johnson's government, now many are questioning why we bothered.' He previously lambasted the government's measures, accusing Mr Johnson of adopting an 'authoritarian' response to the crisis. The former UKIP tweeted earlier this week: 'The PM says we are a 'freedom loving country', but will fine you 10,000 and send the army in if he likes. 'This is authoritarian I don't believe his promises on testing or the competence of the government. We didn't vote for this.' Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Eisya A. Eloksari (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Tue, September 29 2020 Fifth-generation communication technology, also known as 5G, will add Rp 2.8 quadrillion (US$188 billion) to Indonesias economy by 2030, making up 9.3 percent of gross domestic product (GDP), a recent study projects. The study, conducted by the Bandung Institute of Technology's Industrial and Research Affiliation Institution (LAPI-ITB) and commissioned by telecommunications company Axiata Group and Qualcomm International, also noted that 5G could create 4.4 million jobs, and increase productivity to Rp 9.4 million GDP per capita in the next decade. However, the benefits can only be realized once the government releases spectrum for 5G from 2021 to 2023. LAPI-ITB researcher Ivan Samuels said 5G could actually contribute up to 9.5 percent to the nations 2030 GDP if the government rolled out an aggressive scenario and made 5G available by 2021. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,000/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login LAHORE, Pakistan - Pakistans anti-graft body arrested an opposition leader Monday over his alleged involvement in a money laundering case after a court rejected bail for him, a move coming just before planned protests next month by his party seeking to force Prime Minister Imran Khans resignation. Shahbaz Sharif of the Pakistan Muslim League party was arrested at court following the bail denial, said Faisal Raza Bukhari, a lawyer for the National Accountability Bureau. The anti-graft body now will question him at their jail, Bukhari said. The Pakistan Muslim League party criticized his arrest as being politically motivated. It comes a week after Shahbazs brother, Nawaz Sharif, who served three times as Pakistans prime minister, broke a nearly yearlong silence from exile in London. He vowed to oust Khan from office through the protests. Nawaz Sharif accused Khan of only reaching power with the militarys help. The latest development comes two weeks after Nawaz Sharif was declared a fugitive by a court for not returning home to face corruption cases. In a rare move, he took to Twitter to denounce the arrest of his brother, saying the arrest of his brother was linked to the oppositions next months rally against Khan. Nawaz Sharifs daughter, Maryam Nawaz, who is a leader of the Pakistan Muslim League opposition party, also slammed Shahbazs arrest at a news conference, saying such tactics could not stop the movement launched by them against Khan. Nawaz Sharif has been in London since authorities last November released him on bail so he could travel and seek medical treatment abroad. Khans government has dismissed Nawaz Sharifs allegation, saying the opposition is only united because they fear ongoing corruption cases targeting them. Pakistans military has ruled the country of 220 million people directly or indirectly for most of its history. Pakistanis went to the polls in 2008 after a military dictator Pervez Musharraf stepped down and voted for the party of former President Asif Ali Zardari, who also was indicted Monday by another court in separate corruption case. Zardari is currently on bail and is regularly attending court hearings against him. __ Associated Press writer Asim Tanveer contributed to this story from Multan, Pakistan. Read more about: WASHINGTON President Donald Trump said Sunday that confirmation of his Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett will go quickly but his Democratic rival, Joe Biden, implored the Republican-led Senate to hold off on voting on her nomination until after the Nov. 3 election to let the people decide. Speaking at a press conference at the White House, the president spotlighted Barretts Roman Catholic religion, portraying her as a victim of attacks on her faith. But its her conservative approach to the law, particularly health care access that is drawing opposition from Democrats, not her private beliefs. Its a disgrace, Trump said. He vowed she will be confirmed very quickly. Trumps announcement of Barrett for the seat held by the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is launching a high-stakes, fast-track election season fight over confirmation of a conservative judge who is expected to shift the court rightward as it reviews health care, abortion access and other hot-button issues. Biden on Sunday appealed directly to his former colleagues in the Senate to take a step back from the brink. Biden urged Senate Republicans not to fan a controversy during an already tumultuous election year for a country reeling from the coronavirus crisis, a struggling economy and protests over racial injustice. If Trump wins the election, Biden said the presidents nominee should have a vote. But Biden said he should choose the next justice if he prevails on Nov. 3. This is time to de-escalate, Biden said in Wilmington, Delaware. No justice has ever been confirmed to the Supreme Court so close to a presidential election with early voting already underway in some states. Republicans believe the fight ahead will boost voter enthusiasm for Trump and Senate Republicans at serious risk of losing their majority. Democrats warn Barretts confirmation would almost certainly undo Americans health care protections as the high court takes up a case against the Affordable Care Act in the fall. According to a national poll by The New York Times and Siena College that was released Sunday, a clear majority 56% of voters believes the winner of the Nov. 3 presidential election should fill Ginsburgs seat, versus 41% who said Trump should as the current president. Biden has said he would nominate the first Black woman to the court, but he has not released the names of his potential choices. The poll, which was conducted Sept. 22-24, had a margin of sampling error of 3.5 percentage points. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi declined to say Sunday whether Barrett, a judge on the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, is qualified to serve. But she argued that Trump was moving quickly to fill the vacancy before the court hears a challenge to the Affordable Care Act on Nov. 10. Its not about this justice. Its about any justice he would appoint right now, Pelosi said on CNNs State of the Union. Pelosi, a practicing Catholic like Barrett, sidestepped any focus on Barretts conservative religious outlook, which California Sen. Dianne Feinstein, a Democrat, brought up in Barretts Senate hearings in 2017 when Trump nominated her for the appellate bench. Pelosi said, What I am concerned about is anyone that President Trump would have appointed was there to undo the Affordable Care Act. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has said the Senate will vote on Barretts nomination in the weeks ahead. Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Lindsey Graham said confirmation hearings will begin Oct. 12. A vote is expected Oct. 29. The Senate will confirm her next month, declared Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., on CNN. With only two of the 53 Republican senators voicing opposition to a confirmation vote before the Nov. 3 election, Democrats appeared outnumbered and without recourse to block the nomination. Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., the assistant leader, said Democrats can slow down the confirmation by a matter of hours or days, but we cant stop the outcome. The president said he had considered Barrett for an opening in 2018 before he ultimately settled on Brett Kavanaugh, but he explained that she seemed like a natural fit after Ginsburgs death. If confirmed, Barretts addition would make for the sharpest ideological swing on the Supreme Court since Clarence Thomas replaced Justice Thurgood Marshall nearly three decades ago. Earlier, Trump acknowledged the confirmation ahead may not go smoothly. Trump said, Perhaps it will, perhaps it wont, in an interview shortly after the announcement with Fox News Channel that aired Sunday. Other Republican senators say a post-election confirmation vote is also possible, as the GOP will continue to control the Senate in the lame-duck period between the election and inauguration. In a memo to colleagues, Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer warned of the GOPs monomaniacal drive to confirm the nominee ahead of the election. Schumer told Senate Democrats, Our number one job is to communicate exactly what is at stake for the American people if Republicans jam through this nominee. The elimination of the Affordable Care Act is at the top of the list. Barrett has been critical of Chief Justice John Roberts 2012 opinion upholding the health care law. Ginsburg was one of five votes that saved the law on two prior court challenges. Asked about potential House maneuvers to stall the nomination, such as impeaching Attorney General William Barr, Pelosi quipped, What is the use of talking about that? She stressed that Americans should vote, vote, vote to put Democrats in charge of the White House, House and Senate. ___ Weissert reported from Wilmington, Delaware. Associated Press writers Hope Yen in Washington and Bill Barrow in Atlanta contributed to this report. Name: Danette Onofrio Party: Democrat Race: 108th House District Democrat Danette Onofrio is looking to be the next representative for the states 108th House District, which includes New Fairfield, New Milford, Sherman and Danbury. Shes running on a platform of supporting small businesses in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, providing resources to towns to provide education and keeping taxes low, as well as ensuring continued state support for schools, the local environment and infrastructure. Onofrio has 20 years of experience working for a legislative body through a public health agency, a substance abuse prevention agency and a city school district, though this would be her first elected state office position in Connecticut. She is currently a small business owner in New Fairfield where she lives with her husband. Together they blended two daughters, two sons, their spouses and three grandchildren. Madhya Pradesh government on Monday shunted out a senior IPS officer seen beating his wife in a viral video, after she allegedly caught him red-handed at the flat of a regional TV news channel's news anchor. In the video, Purushottam Sharma, a 1986 batch IPS officer, is seen thrashing his wife, while pinning her down. The order to remove Sharma from the post of Director Public Prosecution and transfer him to the state secretariat without assigning him any post was issued by the state home department Under Secretary Annu Bhalavi. "Two videos related to you went viral on social media in which prima facie you are seen engaging in immoral behaviour and domestic violence with your wife," a show-cause notice issued by Bhalavi to Sharma said. "Your actions are in violation of the All India Services rules and therefore, you are directed to give your clarification on why disciplinary action should not be taken against you for your acts," it said. The government has asked Sharma to submit his reply by 5.30 pm on Tuesday, failing which it will be construed that he doesn't have any response to file and accordingly action will be initiated against him, the order said. Earlier in the day, Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said the IPS officer had been relieved of his duties over the incident. "The officer has been relieved of his duties. Action will be taken against anyone who holds a responsible position, but indulges in illegal activities and taking law into his hands," the chief minister said. Sharma's son Parth, a deputy commissioner in the Income Tax Department, sent the video to state home minister Narottam Mishra and some senior bureaucrats, and requested that a complaint be registered against his father. Sharma, who has been married for 32 years, said if he has done anything wrong, then his son should say why was his mother living with him for so long. "My son should say why was she taking money (from me) since 12 to 15 years and going on foreign trips. After enjoying so much comfort in life, she has an obligation towards her family, to save its reputation," Sharma said. "This is a family matter, not a crime...I am not a criminal," Sharma told reporters. "My wife stalks me wherever I go. I am dealing with this," the IPS officer said, adding there is no place for fight in a family. Asked what action will be taken against Sharma, Mishra said, "If a written complaint comes to me, it will be looked into. I have also seen it (the video)." State women's commission chairperson Shobha Oza termed the incident as highly objectionable and shameful. She said the action taken by the state government against Sharma is "inappropriate" and demanded his immediate dismissal from the service and registration of a criminal case against him. Oza said the commission has summoned Sharma on October 5 and also directed the state government to provide security to his wife. Some notable quotes from Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett, a former Notre Dame law professor and current judge on the Chicago-based 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. President Donald Trump on Saturday announced he was nominating Barrett to fill the seat vacated by the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. ___ ON JUDICIAL NOMINEES However cagey a justice may be at the nomination stage, her approach to the Constitution becomes evident in the opinions she writes. It would be difficult for a modern justice to avoid revealing her position on whether the original public meaning of the Constitution controls its interpretation. 2013 article in the Texas Law Review. ___ We shouldnt be putting people on the court that share our policy preferences. We should be putting people on the court who want to apply the Constitution. 2016 speech at Jacksonville Universitys Public Policy Institute. ___ ON ABORTION If anything, the public response to controversial cases like Roe (v. Wade) reflects public rejection of the proposition that (precedent) can declare a permanent victor in a divisive constitutional struggle rather than desire that precedent remain forever unchanging. Court watchers embrace the possibility of overruling, even if they may want it to be the exception rather than the rule. 2013 article in the Texas Law Review, citing Roe v. Wade, the 1973 landmark ruling that recognized a womans right to abortion. ___ I think it is very unlikely at this point that the court is going to overturn (Roe v. Wade). The fundamental element, that the woman has a right to choose abortion, will probably stand. 2013 lecture at Notre Dame on the 40th anniversary of the Roe v. Wade ruling. ___ I dont think abortion or the right to abortion would change. I think some of the restrictions would change The question is how much freedom the court is willing to let states have in regulating abortion. 2016 remarks on how a conservative Supreme Court could alter current law on abortion, saying it wasnt likely to try and overturn Roe v. Wade. She said the questions the high court would be willing to address would be states restrictions on abortions, including how abortion clinics operate. ___ ON FAITH AND POLITICS (Catholic judges) are obliged by oath, professional commitment, and the demands of citizenship to enforce the death penalty. They are also obliged to adhere to their churchs teaching on moral matters. 1998 article co-written by Barrett in the Marquette Law Review on how some Catholic judges would feel torn on certain legal questions because of the teachings of their faith. ___ If youre asking whether I take my faith seriously and Im a faithful Catholic I am, although I would stress that my personal church affiliation or my religious belief would not bear in the discharge of my duties as a judge. Confirmation hearing in 2017 before the Senate Judiciary Committee considering her nomination to be a 7th Circuit appeals judge, after Sen. Dick Durbin asked her if she was orthodox Catholic. ___ Never. Its never appropriate for a judge to impose that judges personal convictions, whether they derive from faith or anywhere else on the law. 2017 confirmation hearing. ___ I totally reject and I have rejected throughout my entire career the proposition that, as you say, the end justifies the means or that a judge should decide cases based on a desire to reach a certain outcome. 2017 confirmation hearing. ___ I would decide cases according to rule of law, beginning to end, and in the rare circumstance that might ever arise I cant imagine one sitting here now where I felt that I had some conscientious objection to the law, I would recuse. I would never impose my own personal convictions upon the law. 2017 confirmation hearing. ___ I cant think of any cases or category of cases in which I would feel obliged to recuse on the grounds of conscience. 2017 confirmation hearing. ___ A judge may never subvert the law or twist it in any way to match the judges convictions from whatever source they derive. 2017 confirmation hearing. ___ ON PRECEDENT In the Supreme Court, (adhering to precedent) is a soft rule; the Court describes it as one of policy rather than as an inexorable command.' 2013 article in the Texas Law Review. ___ Leaving room for new majorities to overrule old ones allows changed membership to change what the Court says the Constitution means. Texas Law Review. ___ If the Courts opinions change with its membership, public confidence in the Court as an institution might decline. Its members might be seen as partisan rather than impartial and case law as fueled by power rather than reason. Texas Law Review. ___ A justice must think carefully about whether she is sure enough about her rationale for overruling to pay the cost of upsetting institutional investment in the prior approach. If she is not sure enough, the preference for continuity trumps. Texas Law Review. ___ Institutional features of Supreme Court practice permit all Justices to let some sleeping dogs lie, and so far as we are aware, no one has ever argued that a Justice is duty-bound to wake them up. 2017 article co-written by Barrett in the University of Pennsylvania Journal of Constitutional Law, arguing there often are pragmatic reasons not to attempt to overturn precedents even if a justice is convinced they were wrongly decided. A health and wellness spa aims to become a one-stop shop for Rio Rancho residents health needs. Nurse Practitioner Eric Evans opened Bosque Health and Wellness at 1400 Jackie Road in July. It has always been my dream to own my own business and work hard for myself, he said. The nurse of 13 years has worked in the emergency room and on the set of Breaking Bad, he said. Evans used to work at Ideal Image and has run two clinics in Las Vegas, Nevada. Evans said he is able to treat people for a fraction of the prices he sees elsewhere. He does not accept insurance for any of his services. Laser hair reduction is the spas most popular service, he said. The facility has a range of treatments to make anyone feel and look their best, he said. Services include: Radio-frequency micro-need-ling, an anti-aging treatment Laser hair reduction Laser skin resurfacing and tightening Hormone therapy Injectables, such as Botox and fillers IV hydration therap Weight loss therapy Primary care with same-day walk-in care for minor illnesses. More information is available at www.bosquehealthandwellness.com. University Health System is laying the groundwork for a hospital on the far West Side, one of the fastest-growing parts of San Antonio. It would be taxpayer-funded UHS second hospital. Its flagship University Hospital, with 700 beds, is in the South Texas Medical Center. Officials say theyre still early in the planning for the new facility. Yet the systems board of managers agreed Aug. 25 to spend $13.4 million for a mostly vacant 80-acre tract of land, according to meeting minutes. The greenbelt is between Culebra and Shaenfield roads, alongside Loop 1604. George Hernandez, UHS president and CEO, said the acquisition will set a foundation for future growth as the system acts on its long-term plan to build additional hospitals across the city. Michael Fisher/ San Antonio Express-News He expects to close on the purchase soon but hasnt set a timeline for design work and construction of the hospital. UHS is acquiring the land from Creamer Ltd., an affiliate of Rick Sheldon Real Estate LLC On ExpressNews.com: UT Health San Antonio to build teaching hospital, strengthen partnership with UHS On Wednesday, the citys planning commission OKd changing the designated use of a 32.2-acre section of the property from mixed use to community commercial. The citys zoning commission will vote Oct. 6 on whether to rezone the tract, which would clear UHS to build an acute care hospital with a helicopter landing pad. Two years ago, health care consulting firm Blue Cottage conducted a market analysis for the Bexar County Hospital District, the public agency that does business as UHS. The firm identified the West Side as a good candidate for a suburban hospital campus. The hospital would be in Bexar County Commissioner Justin Rodriguezs precinct. He said the far West Side has seen significant population growth in recent years, especially around Loop 1604. New school construction is one of the signs that families are flocking to the area. In a separate undertaking, UHS is working with UT Health San Antonio on the schools plan to build a teaching hospital in the Medical Center by spring 2024. On ExpressNews.com: University Health System prepares for $500 million hospital expansion The system also is building the Womens and Childrens Hospital, a 12-story tower with two new emergency departments, at its Medical Center campus. UHS officials say building another hospital would free up about 70 beds at University Hospital, allowing staff to concentrate on more complex cases and serve more patients transferred from communities throughout the region. We need to have a better geographic distribution of our hospital resources to support growth but also our existing ambulatory system, Hernandez said. Were looking at the Northeast corridor as well, and I think were going to look at the southern corridor. The timing on all those could be different. UHS shares the market with privately owned systems such as Baptist Health System, Methodist Healthcare System and Christus Santa Rosa Health System, each of which operates several hospitals in the San Antonio area. However, the citys East and South sides are home to fewer hospitals or medical clinics. Residents in those communities often travel to the downtown area for health care. SA Inc.: Get the best of business news sent directly to your inbox On the East Side, we always welcome any type of health care providers, especially right now because of this pandemic, which has exposed that there is a disparity in health care for African American and Hispanic communities, said Tuesdae Knight, president and CEO of the economic development organization San Antonio for Growth on the Eastside. Knight said she understood that UHS couldnt have too many projects in the works at the same time but that she hoped UHS had plans to build on the East Side, too. I can tell you that we are so happy that the West Side is getting this because I know that they need it, she said. Im sure that our day will come. Staff Writer Lauren Caruba contributed to this report. Laura Garcia covers the health care industry. To read more from Laura, become a subscriber. laura.garcia@express-news.net | Twitter: @Reporter_Laura Mackenzie Schnettler felt like she had an eyelash stuck in her eye. About a year ago, the 15-year-old woke up with a red and irritated left eye. It was uncomfortable, but not extremely painful yet. Mackenzie had been wearing soft contact lenses for about a year, but she changed them regularly and never forgot to take them out before bed. Two different doctors said her symptoms were due to conjunctivitis, more commonly known as pink eye. But within three days, there was pus and inflammation inside her eyeball. After a week, everything went black on her left side. Renew Houston: Get the latest wellness news delivered to your inbox Thats when Mackenzie, who lives in Brazoria, was referred to Dr. Alice Matoba, an associate professor of ophthalmology at Baylor College of Medicine, who diagnosed her with Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a bacteria that is often the cause of contact lens-related eye infections. The bacteria causes a rapidly progressing infection that damages the cornea within days, Matoba said. Mackenzies eye was heavily damaged in those first few days as the infection ate away at tissue. After two weeks on medication, her vision returned but she saw two of everything, and scars formed on her cornea. Mackenzies family knew she would eventually need a corneal transplant. But it would take months for the eyes inflammation to calm down enough for a surgery, Matoba said. Once the tissue is damaged, healing doesnt progress as quickly, Matoba said. Its best to wait until the eye has quieted down and has a chance to heal, because if you operate too soon and the eye is irritated, theres an increased risk for rejection. After taking time to regain her vision, Mackenzie returned to school in late October with double vision and headaches. Months later, when her school pivoted to remote learning because of the initial coronavirus outbreak, she found herself having to focus on a computer screen. It was a challenge, she said, but she finished all of her work. On HoustonChronicle.com: How to practice good eye hygeine in a pandemic Then, in June, Matoba performed the corneal transplant. Within one day, Mackenzies pinhole vision what she sees with the correct glasses prescription improved to 20/50. Mackenzies new cornea was donated by the family of an 11-year-old California boy named Aidan Nabor, who died in a rope-swing accident 10 days before. (Aidan) was super active. He loved to be outdoors, said Aidans father, Clint Nabor. He had done taekwondo for the past three years, and he was really excelling with that. It was almost a year since he had joined the Boy Scouts, and he was really into that. Aidan had a cat named Spike, whom he referred to solely as my son. He also loved math, riding bikes, Boy Scout camping trips and playing video games with his dad. The decision to donate Aidans corneas was an easy one to make, Nabor said, because his son was a naturally generous person. Earlier this year, Aidan donated $600 from his piggy bank to his taekwondo studio so it could remain open during the pandemic. To us, any fragments or shreds of Aidan that were able to continue on in life in a sense, that was part of him living, Nabor said. He was really giving, and we really felt were he there with us and was able to make the decision for himself, thats what he wanted. He always wanted to help people. Two months after the surgery, Mackenzie and her mother, Tiffany Warlick, met Nabor over a Zoom call facilitated by CorneaGen, the company that assessed and prepared Aidans corneal tissue before transplantation. On HoustonChronicle.com: Wash your face: tips to stay vigilant with beauty products as government mulls new safety law It meant a lot to Mackenzie to see how her experience affected Aidans family. It made them happy that their son was able to help someone regain their vision, and she felt lucky she was that someone. Nabor said getting to know Mackenzie has been truly amazing. To us, thats the gift. We are really happy for her, Nabor said. You can tell how grateful she was, and she wanted to thank us. But no thanks necessary, yknow? Before they met over Zoom, Mackenzie wrote the family a letter thanking them for Aidans donation. It was impossible to not feel the joy and excitement she felt when he read the letter, Nabor said. Theyre additional people who are going to remember my son. In that sense, his memory will live on. The more happy memories, the better. julie.garcia@chron.com twitter.com/reporterjulie Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated workers and veterans of the nuclear industry on the professional holiday as the sector celebrates 75th anniversary. Addressing the workers and former employees of the nuclear industry, Putin extended his wishes to those who laid the solid foundation of the nuclear industry during wars as well as post-war years. We are justifiably proud of our outstanding scientists, construction specialists, engineers and workers who were there at the very onset of the Soviet nuclear project, said Putin. The Russian leader hailed people involved in the nuclear industry as they created an entirely new field from scratch and within the shortest term possible. He said that the nuclear capabilities helped the erstwhile Soviet state to restore the once disrupted strategic balance. Putin stressed that any aggression with impunity became impossible and the nuclear power guaranteed peace and national security for decades to come. Read: Trump Signs Order To Restore UN Sanctions On Iran For 'role In Nuclear Escalation' Read: Saudi Arabia Has Enough Uranium Deposits For A Nuclear Weapons Programme: Report Export of nuclear goods and services According to the World Nuclear Association, Russia is moving steadily forward with plans for an expanded role of nuclear energy, including the development of new reactor technology. Kremlin has also prioritised exports of nuclear goods and services in its policy as over 20 nuclear power reactors are confirmed or planned for export construction International projects in the construction and maintenance of nuclear power units abroad are extremely important too as they promote Russias reputation as a country of high technologies and intellect, as a serious and responsible partner, Putin added. Putin said that Russia pioneered the use of nuclear energy toward peaceful goals, opening colossal horizons for the socio-economic development of the industries, social spheres and for the exploration of the Arctics area. He expressed special gratitude for those who preserved the nuclear industry in the 1990s as they continued to man their posts, sometimes without pay. I would like to thank you for your outstanding and effective work. I wish you new successes, good health, of course, and all the best to you and your families, said Putin in his concluding remarks. Read: Russia Ready To Share Information On Sputnik V, Says Putin At UNGA Debate Read: Russian Cosmonauts Refuse To Take COVID-19 Vaccine Announced By Putin Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-28 14:52:53|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close KABUL, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- Chairman of Afghanistan's High Council for National Reconciliation in Afghanistan Abdullah Abdullah left Kabul for Islamabad on Monday to exchange views on matters pertaining mutual interests including the ongoing peace process in the war-battered country, the state-run Bakhtar News Agency (BNA) reported here. During the three-day official visit, Abdullah would meet Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan, President Arif Alvi, Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani, Speaker of National Assembly Asad Qaiser and Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, BNA added. This is Abdullah's first visit to Pakistan in his capacity as the chairman of High Council for National Reconciliation. The meeting is taking place amid deadlock in the intra-Afghan talks in Qatar capital Doha. No tangible progress has seen in the intra-Afghan talks which begun on Sept. 12 in Doha at a ceremony attended by ranking officials and diplomats from several countries. Afghan government delegation at the talks insists for permanent ceasefire in the intra-Afghan dialogue but the Taliban outfit has rejected any halt in fighting ahead of reaching consensus on the future system of the country. Enditem A woman looks for land to rent on the Umojalands website in Mutare, Zimbabwe, August 30, 2020. Harare The app's creators hope it can help boost food security, in a country where more than half of irrigable land is lying idle For more than a year, Lionda Mhonda searched for a plot of land to buy in northeastern Zimbabwe, but struggled to find anything that was both affordable and came with a legitimate title deed. Then the 33-year-old farmer found out about a new app that listed not only land that was available for sale and lease, but also vital information such as legal documentation, crop history and average soil temperatures. Two months later, Mhonda became a first-time landowner with an 80-hectare (198-acre) plot - quadruple the size she was originally looking for - near Marondera, about 70km (43 miles) outside of the capital Harare. "At the time, I was looking for a plot with a long-term lease but managed to find something even better - a plot that was available on a rent-to-buy basis," she told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. "This was a marvel at a good price." More than half of Zimbabwe's irrigable land is lying idle, according to government data, but farmers say finding available land to buy or lease is a notoriously timely and expensive process. Launched in March, the Umojalands app aims to make the search for land easier and cheaper by letting farmers use their smartphones to find out everything they need to know about vacant plots around the country. "Quite a number of young people in the country have potential in commercial agriculture, but they do not have access to land," said the app's creator Tafadzwanashe Gavi, 27. "Farm seekers can now access plots anytime, anywhere using their mobile phones," he said, adding the app eliminates many of the costs that come with buying land, such as travel expenses, agent fees and due diligence costs. Hitting the market just as the search for land was made even more difficult by travel restrictions due to the coronavirus pandemic, Gavi said the web-based app has already been downloaded by more than 200 people. LAND ALLOCATION About 85% of land in Zimbabwe is used for agricultural purposes, according to the U.N.'s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). But land experts say most of that land is either underutilised or completely unused. The auditor general's report tabled in parliament in 2016 attributes the glut of unused agricultural land in Zimbabwe to mismanagement by the government and farmers, as well as poor infrastructure. In a land reform programme launched in 2002, the administration of then-President Robert Mugabe started seizing 4,500 white-owned farms and redistributing them to low-income and landless Black citizens. "Most of the beneficiaries of land reform had no known experience in farming. A good majority had not even been trained on land use, let alone basic agriculture," said Paul Zakariya, executive director of the Zimbabwe Farmers' Union. At the same time, he added, the impact of Zimbabwe's worst economic crisis in a decade combined with recurring droughts mean even experienced farmers struggle to use all of their land to its potential. Government regulations say that farmers who want to lease land from the state through the land allocation programme usually first have to identify the plot they want and make sure it is unused before applying. Umojalands co-founder Agatha Mandovha said the app helps simplify the process of finding available land - whether state-owned or from a private landowner - and removes some of the obstacles that have led many farmers to abandon the industry. "In choosing land, many factors are taken into consideration which need money and time, from soil type, weather patterns, crop history and available infrastructure to transport networks. We are addressing all that," said Mandovha, 23. To find vacant plots, Gavi said he and his team look for social media posts from people putting their land up for sale or lease, and then reach out to them. Sometimes, farmers approach him and ask to have their land listed on the app, which also records services for hiring tractors and drones for farming, he added. Anyone using the app to look for land has to first show they plan to use it to help work towards building up food security in the country. "We do not just compile details of a person who walks in randomly and says they want land. We request business proposals that include the amount of capital, the number of hectares, and the date the farming will start," Gavi said. "This will ensure that the farmer utilises the land to produce high-quality food (and) create employment for others." BOOSTING FOOD SECURITY Deputy lands minister Douglas Karoro said that innovations like the Umojalands app could help boost the productivity of Zimbabwe's underutilised land, which is high on the agenda for President Emmerson Mnangagwa's administration. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Zimbabwe ICT Land and Rural Issues By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. The southern African nation, which was once the breadbasket of the continent, will import an estimated 1.1 million tonnes of grain in the 2020/2021 marketing year to meet demand, according to the FAO. Nearly 8 million people, about half of Zimbabwe's population, are food insecure, according to the U.N.'s World Food Programme. "The president is on record making it categorically clear that all land must be fully utilised so that we end hunger in our country," Karoro said via WhatsApp. "Use of technology to identify underutilised land is most welcome." Olga Nhari, chairwoman of the Women in Agriculture Union, said the app could specifically help increase the number of women farmers around the country. She noted that three-quarters of the union's members are renting land and would benefit from being able to apply for state-allocated plots. "The technology can surely save women farmers time, effort and resources. A woman will be able to get information on where exactly to go for available land, rather than blindly visiting various farms," she said over WhatsApp. "This technology will be a big, positive step for women farmers." Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-28 22:26:50|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close -- The third central symposium on work related to Xinjiang was held on Friday and Saturday in Beijing, vowing law-based governance and long-term efforts to develop Xinjiang into a region that is united, harmonious, prosperous, and culturally advanced, with healthy ecosystems and people living and working in contentment. -- Thanks to strenuous efforts from all sides since the second symposium in 2014, major progress has been achieved in Xinjiang, laying a solid foundation for the region's long-term peace and stability. -- From 2014 to 2019, a sound economic momentum was sustained with an average annual GDP growth rate of 7.2 percent. URUMQI, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- Leo Yang, 35, describes his first long trip to northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region as "breathtakingly impressive." "The scenery is beautiful and diverse with snow mountains, grasslands and deserts, as well as convenient transport and accommodation facilities," says Yang, a consulting professional. "Most importantly, it's a safe and hospitable place." He recently took a 15-day excursion driving through the region. Aerial photo taken on Jan. 3, 2020 shows the morning scenery of the Kanas River in the Kanas scenic area in Altay, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. (Xinhua/Song Yanhua) Xinjiang is expected to impress visitors like Yang further, as the region is set to embrace more progress on various fronts after a key meeting outlined a new blueprint for Xinjiang's development. The third central symposium on work related to Xinjiang was held on Friday and Saturday in Beijing, vowing law-based governance and long-term efforts to develop Xinjiang into a region that is united, harmonious, prosperous, and culturally advanced, with healthy ecosystems and people living and working in contentment. Residents have fun in the ancient city of Kashgar, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Sept. 20, 2020. (Xinhua/Zhao Ge) SOLID FOUNDATION Thanks to strenuous efforts from all sides since the second symposium in 2014, major progress has been achieved in Xinjiang, laying a solid foundation for the region's long-term peace and stability. From 2014 to 2019, a sound economic momentum was sustained with an average annual GDP growth rate of 7.2 percent. Living standards of the local people have significantly improved with an average yearly growth of 9.1 percent in residential per capita disposable income, and more than 2.92 million out of the 3.09 million registered as impoverished people shook off poverty. Besides, the total number of people employed in Xinjiang rose from 11.35 million to 13.3 million in the period, according to a white paper on employment and labor rights in the region released by the State Council Information Office on Sept. 17. Xinjiang has created 50,000 jobs in its eastern and northern regions so far this year specifically for people from the remaining 10 poverty-stricken counties in the southern part of the region. Trucks loaded with wind turbine blades run on a road through the Sayram Lake basin in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region on April 24, 2020. (Universal Energy/Handout via Xinhua) As of 2019, the total length of Xinjiang's road network had reached 194,200 km, with an annual extension of 4,000 km since 2014. The region has also opened 111 international transportation routes with neighboring countries including Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. The autonomous region has cemented its position as a safe and stable place with no terrorist attacks reported in more than three years, thanks to concerted efforts from all sections of the society. "Life is getting increasingly better in my hometown, with more convenient access to education, electricity, tap water, internet and employment," said Rukeyamu Metisadi, a resident from Yutian County, Hotan Prefecture in southern Xinjiang. The Baiyanghe wind power field in Turpan, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region on June 27, 2019. (Xinhua/Wang Fei) BRIGHTER FUTURE The meeting called for holding high the banner of the socialist rule of law to maintain lasting social stability in Xinjiang, and reinforcing a sense of identity of the Chinese nation to strengthen ethnic unity. It also emphasized leveraging the region's geographical advantages to develop Xinjiang as a core area of the Silk Road Economic Belt and a hub of opening-up in inland and border areas, advancing industrial transformation and upgrading, and comprehensively boosting urbanization while protecting the environment. A worker directs the operation at the construction site of the Golmud-Korla Railway in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, July 18, 2020. (Xinhua/Ding Lei) "We will keep up with our hard work to build a moderately prosperous society in all respects and revitalize rural areas to create better lives for locals," said Wang Qingyong, head of the anti-poverty office in southern Xinjiang's Aketao County. Entrepreneurship is booming among young people in the region. By running an e-commerce company in Turpan that simply sells fruits, Ubaidulla Umar became a millionaire in less than four years. After graduating from Xinjiang Vocation and Technical College of Construction in 2015, Ubaidulla Umar worked for an e-commerce enterprise in central China's Changsha. Two years later, he returned to Turpan to start his own business, and established Albay E-commerce Co., Ltd., to seize the development opportunities in the region. A staff member promotes nang flatbread via online live broadcast at a food industry park in Payzawat County, Kashgar, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Sept. 12, 2020. (Xinhua/Ma Kai) His company has six live-streamers, four of whom are college graduates. It sells fruits such as apricots, cantaloupes and grapes via e-commerce platforms. So far in 2020, the turnover of the company has reached more than 8 million yuan (1.17 million U.S. dollars). Under the country's efforts in pooling talent and resources from other provincial regions to support Xinjiang's development, east China's economic hub Jiangsu has rolled out 248 projects with a total investment nearing 2 billion yuan (about 293.2 million U.S. dollars) this year and introduced over 280 projects in the region, said Zhu Bin, chief director of Jiangsu's support team in Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture. "We will roll up our sleeves to make these projects bear fruits in Xinjiang and make contributions to the bright prospects of the region," Zhu said. (Reporting by Zhang Zhongkai, Aynur, Pan Ying, Fu Xiaobo, Gu Yu, Sun Shaoxiong, Ren Yaoti, Zhou Shengbin and Zhao Ge; Video reporters: Bai Zhiqiang, Wu Xuqing, Zhao Wenping, Yan Zhaoxia and Shi Yali) By Express News Service RANCHI: Jharkhand School Education and Literacy Minister Jagarnath Mahto was admitted to the Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) in Ranchi after he tested positive for COVID-19. The minister, who underwent a COVID-19 test after he complained of cold, cough and breathing problems, was found to be positive on Monday. Mahto had hit the headlines recently for gifting cards to state toppers of the Class 10 and Class 12 examinations. The minister, who himself is completing his schooling at the moment, also promised to adopt toppers from the next year so that they can finish their studies without any hurdle. The minister was in his home constituency Bokaro from where he was rushed to RIMS by a special 108 ambulance. Friends, I am a bit unwell for the last few days and going to RIMS for treatment due to which all my programmes remains cancelled, said Mahto on his Twitter handle. Mahto is also said to have recorded a drop in oxygen level due to which he was rushed to the Trauma Centre of RIMS on Monday. BAKU, Azerbaijan, Sept. 28 Trend: The information spread by the Armenian Defense Ministrys officials about the number of losses in the Azerbaijani army is groundless and varies with reality, Trend reports referring to the Azerbaijani Ministry of Defense. As the ministry noted, such disinformation is aimed at reducing the concern of Armenias population and the chaos reigning in the Armenian army amid the successes of the Azerbaijani armed forces. According to intelligence data received by the end of the day of the operation, the Armenian army has suffered heavy casualties as a result of the battles. Twenty-two tanks and other armored vehicles of the army, 15 nos. of OSA anti-aircraft missile systems, 18 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), 8 artillery installations were destroyed. Reportedly, the death toll and the number of the wounded in the Armenian armed forces exceeded 550 people. Three ammunition depots of the Armenian army were destroyed in different directions. During the battles in the direction of Talish village, Aghdara district in the Nagorno Karabakh region, the commander of the Armenian air assault battalion, Colonel-Lieutenant Lernik Babayan was killed, and the personnel of the military unit commanded by him suffered heavy losses. Due to a large number of wounded in the Armenian army, there is a shortage of beds in military and civilian hospitals, as well as a lack of blood supply. As always, the Armenian side this time hides the real losses in its army from the public , the ministry added. The Armenian armed forces committed a large-scale provocation, subjecting the positions of the Azerbaijani army to intensive shelling from large-caliber weapons, mortars, and artillery installations of various calibers in the front-line zone on Sept. 27 at 06:00 (GMT+4). The command of the Azerbaijani Army decided to launch a counter-offensive operation of Azerbaijani troops along the entire front to suppress the combat activity of the Armenian armed forces and ensure the safety of the civilian population. Azerbaijani Defense Minister, Colonel-General Zakir Hasanov said Sept. 27, 2020, that Garakhanbeyli, Garvend, Kend Horadiz, Yukhari Abdulrahmanli villages of Fizuli district, Boyuk Marjanli, and Nuzgar villages of Jabrayil district were liberated. Moreover, the positions of the Armenian armed forces were destroyed in the direction of the Agdere district and Murovdag, important heights were taken under control by the Azerbaijani army. The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on the withdrawal of its armed forces from Nagorno Karabakh and the surrounding districts. A federal judge in Huntsville on Monday granted a request to transfer a lawsuit filed against Gov. Kay Ivey concerning the legality of the states mask order. The result of that ruling is that a hearing for a temporary restraining order sought by seven plaintiffs who last week filed the lawsuit and represented by former Chief Justice Roy Moore did not take place. U.S. District Judge Liles Burke heard brief arguments, retired to his chambers for about 30 minutes to consider the differing perspectives, returned to the bench and announced his ruling. The case, filed in the Northern District of Alabama, will be shifted to the Middle District of Alabama. The judge said he found the defendants argument persuasive. Given that Burke transferred venue, the issue of the temporary restraining order was moot. Related: Gov. Kay Ivey, Public Health Officer Scott Harris sued over mask order, other coronavirus measures Reid Harris, an attorney representing Ivey as well as co-defendant state public health officer Dr. Scott Harris, argued that the Middle District was proper venue because that is where the defendants took their action that the plaintiffs claimed caused injury. Melissa Isaak, Moores co-counsel, said that the Northern District was proper because that is where the injuries occurred. I was very disappointed in the ruling, Moore said following the hearing. It seems like it moves it back into the political sphere in Montgomery. Moore declined to be more specific about his concerns about the case being heard in the Middle District. Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall filed the motion for change of venue Sunday. His office declined to comment on Mondays ruling. In his written order, Burke said that because the orders were issued in the Middle District, that is the appropriate venue for the case to be heard. The judge quoted a 2008 Florida case that said, nothing in the record shows that Defendant took any actions in this district with respect to the challenged statutes. While Plaintiffs argue that they were adversely impacted by these statutes in this district, that fact has no bearing on the Courts analysis. The relevant inquiry for the Court rests on the activities of Defendant, and not Plaintiffs. That case, Burke noted, also maintains that the venue statute serves to protect the defendant. BHOPAL: A video of a senior IPS officer in Bhopal beating his wife has gone viral on social media. In the purported video, the police officer of Director General (DG) rank is seen dragging his wife along the ground and brutally assaulting her. Meanwhile, other staff present in his house tries to intervene and stop the police officer. According to reports, the reason for the dispute between the couple is believed to be an extra-marital affair between the senior police officer and another woman. Reports added that due to the illegitimate relationship of the police officer, there has been a dispute between the husband and wife for a long time. On the other hand, the officer said that there it has been so many years since their marriage and they have been living together. He said he had never hit his wife before and if there was such a case, it would have come up earlier. "This is a family matter and there is no crime. I can go anywhere socially and my wife stalks on me. What should I do. It is my misfortune. I am suffering despite no fault of mine," he said. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Rina Chandran (Reuters) Mon, September 28, 2020 20:04 481 e22cd4161040e111d73a5626c47c3292 2 Science & Tech refugee,refugees,heritage,virtual-reality,Pakistan,Project-Dastaan Free Growing up, Naseem Badar heard stories from her parents, uncles and aunts of how they fled for their lives from their village in northern India amidst bloody riots during the Partition and made their way to the newly created country of Pakistan. The Partition in 1947, following India's independence from British rule, triggered one of the biggest forced migrations in history, uprooting more than 12 million people and killing more than one million. For Badar, who lives in London and has never visited India, it was hard to picture her family in Roopnagar in Punjab state, until she saw a virtual reality film made by non-profit Project Dastaan, which documents accounts of Partition survivors. "They had very vivid memories of the village and their homes - a certain tree, the lake, the mosques. Project Dastaan was able to find these places and film them, and it was a very emotional experience for my family to see them again," she said. "They were traumatized by the Partition and suffered a great deal, but the film brought a smile to their faces. It is important to preserve these memories because it is a big part of their lives and of South Asia's history," she added. Badar's family is among the 75 Partition survivors that Project Dastaan - meaning story in Urdu - aims to reconnect with their childhood homes through VR and other technologies, using volunteers in India and Pakistan to track down and film places. A record 79.5 million people were displaced globally at the end of 2019, with very few able to return home, according to the United Nations' refugee agency (UNHCR). Migrants and refugees can easily become "mere statistics", so it is important to preserve their stories, said Sparsh Ahuja, founder of Project Dastaan, which is backed by Oxford University and counts among its advisors Nobel Laureate Malala Yousufzai, who herself left Pakistan after a violent attack in 2012. "History should always be documented, so that we learn from it, and prevent tragic events from repeating," said Ahuja, whose grandfather migrated to India from Pakistan as a seven-year-old. "VR is described as an "empathy machine" - it will not heal the trauma they suffered, but it is the closest they can get to returning to the homes they could never return to," he told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. Read also: I am a human like you: Syrian refugee finds home in Australia Fabric of society Virtual reality was initially tied to computer gaming when it became popular in the 1990s. But as the technology advanced, its immersive quality found many other uses, from fighting human trafficking to curbing dementia. Its application in documenting the lives of refugees includes a 2017 installation by filmmaker Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu of Mexican and Central American immigrants and refugees trying to get to the United States. Adrian Evans, a lecturer in archaeological and forensic sciences at England's University of Bradford, began to use VR while working in Jordan near the Azraq camp, which held more than 35,000 Syrian refugees, about a fifth of them children. The Building Resilience Through Heritage (BReaTHe) project uses VR to create a "digital heritage" that can boost refugee resilience and wellbeing, and help the host community better understand their hardship, he said. "VR provides a level of immersion and engagement that cannot be had from more traditional approaches," Evans said. "VR captivates individuals, takes them back to their homeland in a way that immediately brings out very personal thoughts and experiences," he added. For the younger generation who only know Syria in war, VR along with other mediums such as music, dance, food and photographs - can create a connection to their ancestral homeland, and strengthen bonds with older generations, he said. "Heritage should be valued. It is the fabric of society." Read also: Indonesian wins at UNHCRs Youth with Refugees art contest Like family Technology has supported those who have been forced from their homes because of violence, war and natural disasters in many ways. Smartphones have helped map remote areas, monitor abandoned homes from afar, and prove ownership through so-called digital trails. For Project Dastaan's volunteers, who have little to go by but an elderly survivor's account, it can be hard to locate homes. "Places have changed massively in the past 70 years, but something survives - a temple, a tree, a mosque, someone who remembers the family," said Ahuja. The places are filmed, then edited into six-minute experiences that are showed to the survivors. Projects like these are urgently needed as survivors age and their memories are lost, said Fatima Zara Ali, whose family migrated to Pakistan, then to Scotland after the Partition. "Before we know it, there will be no witnesses to recount the tales of the Partition, no one to recall how it impacted the lives of so many," said Ali, adding that her knowledge of the Partition came from her family, and not her school books. While Project Dastaan had aimed to reconnect 75 Partition witnesses with their ancestral homes before the 75th anniversary in 2022, restrictions due to the coronavirus have meant that it expects to complete about 30 virtual returns by then. Like Zarina Akram Chaudhry, who was 13 years old when she and her family fled on a crowded train from Firozpur in India's Punjab state. They witnessed horrific attacks, but Chaudhry still remembers her childhood in India fondly. "We lived in a big house, and had many Hindu neighbors. We all played together, ate together, celebrated all festivals together like a big family," said Chaudhry, speaking on a video call from her daughter's home in Lahore. "I could never go back to see the house, the village. I would like to see them again," she said. Quinsigamond Community College will offer free walk-in flu clinics twice this week beginning on Monday. The events will take place from 8 a.m .to 4 p.m. Monday and Thursday at Lot 3 on the colleges main campus at 670 West Boylston St. Free COVID-19 testing and flu shots will be available without appointments. Those attending the clinic are asked to bring their insurances cards. Flu shots are free with most insurances. "Flu symptoms can be comparable with those of COVID-19, so getting a flu vaccine is more important than ever during 2020-2021, to protect yourself and the people around you from the flu, QCC Community Public Health Specialist/Consultant Susan Johnson said in a statement. We ask that people do not attend the flu clinic if they are feeling sick, have a fever, or are exhibiting any respiratory symptoms. Beyond Monday and Thursday, QCC will continue to offer free COVID-19 testing through Oct. 31 by appointment at Lot 3. Testing is being conducted by AIDS Project Worcester, Inc., as part of Massachusetts' Stop the Spread program. Appointments for a free coronavirus test can be made by calling 508-847-0623. Related Content: Kuwait Steel (United Steel Industrial Company), one of the largest manufacturers in Kuwait, has said that its digital transformation with global technology company SAP is enabling new levels of manufacturing efficiency and productivity. Johan Henning, CIO, Kuwait Steel and SAP made the statement during the recent Digital Transformation (DX) event, which brought together Kuwaits business and technology leaders. Kuwait Steel shows how business redesign, digital transformation is supporting the company to achieve its vision in becoming a leader in the steel industry by investing in technology and driving change, said Andy Froemmel, Managing Director, SAP Kuwait. Kuwaits Vision 2035 presents major opportunities for government agencies to use e-services to improve peoples daily lives, and help people in Kuwait to save time and money.TradeArabia News Service Throwing a volley of charges against West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, governor Jagdeep Dhankhar alleged on Monday that she has breached the Constitution, turned Bengal into a police state and ordered electronic surveillance on politicians, businessmen and the media. Dhankhar, during a 90-minute speech at a media conference, also alleged that fund allocation for the Raj Bhawan has been cut to such extent that guests might be served only black tea in future. Though he had made some of these allegations in the recent past, Dhankhar went a step ahead and took the acrimonious relationship between the Raj Bhawan and the Trinamool Congress (TMC) government a notch higher. He said that by not replying to his repeated queries on several issues, the chief minister has breached the Constitution. Despotic tendencies can be seen prominently, he said. Dhankhar also shot off a long letter to Banerjee, who was in north Bengal on a three-day tour. The letter was in connection with an earlier one in which he had asked Virendra, the director general of police (DGP) to give him a report on the law and order situation. Dhankhar said the DGP did not reply but the chief minister sent him a long letter on September 26, questioning his authority. Sadly, Madam Chief Minister, you have chosen to take untenable alibi of Constitutional provisions, calling the Governor executive nominee, a mere spectator, to explain abdication of core police responsibilities by the DGP. This was least expected from you on such sensitive aspect. As Governor I am neither a post office nor a rubber stamp. I am stakeholder not in politics but surely in governance, to ensure it conforms to constitutionalism. State of affairs concerning law and order, health and finance could not have been more alarming as of now, the governor wrote in a letter to the CM. To shield those, who need to be held accountable, signals death-knell of democratic governance - a situation staring us in the face, and now for long. Surely Madam Chief Minister, this is not in consonance with your oath that ordains you to bear true faith and allegiance to the Constitution of India as by law established, Dhankhar wrote. While contention of Governors role under the Constitution can and should be debated, Madam Chief Minister, is it appropriate for the Chief Minister, answerable to her own people, to so justify her DGPs inactions and omissions ! Your defence of DGP vindicates my stand that governance in the State is on police crutches and signals public admission of this by you, the letter said. .what is amiss if the Governor wants the DGP to elaborate and explain the deteriorating law and order in the wake of political violence, political vendetta, ruthless quelling of opposition, incessant extortion by the syndicates on free run and frequent hurling of bombs. Maoism raising its head and terror outfits making state their haven add to our worries, he added. The governor requested that he be provided with facts on all police cases registered since 2016. Your favouring me with facts on all the FIRs registered since 2016 provided to the NCRB would be eye opener ! Since DGP is not imparting details of the crimes in the State, I will rely on NCRB data on the State crime, and come point by point on political violence, false cases under POSCO, NDPS, Arms Act etc. against political opponents, electronic surveillance on anyone who dares against powers that be, tolabazi (extortion), corruption cases and systematic santras (terror). I will also come point by point how and why a case was registered or not registered, with manipulated incriminations, under the dictate of powers that lack legal authority or sanction, wrote Dhankhar. Suggesting that electronic surveillance had made people feel insecure, Dhankhar wrote, People now prefer to speak on FaceTime. If they do not, then are advised to. Our state has become a FaceTime state. Does this indicate safe and secured environment? Answer is obvious- No. If not DGP, who then will answer to it? Fact is no response is forthcoming from both sides. The biggest question, Madam Chief Minister, in our State is: Whether the police are doing their duty as prescribed by the law? And, if the political executive itself is seen as forcing the police to behave like party worker, then who should decide, whether the police are right or wrong? Can the chief of the police of the state hide behind his Chief Minister for his inactions, omissions and failure to conform to law and conduct? Can or should it be allowed? Would it not be a murder of democracy? I am not in doubt - all this cannot be countenanced in a system accountable to Constitution, Dhankhar continued. The governor spoke of the alarming ground reality and urged the chief minister to travel incognito to experience it first hand. There can be no denying the explosive decline in situation of law and order in the State. Going by the recent revelations of terror modules functioning, the situation is now even beyond cliff hanging. Just for a change get into objective mode, open your window and traverse State incognito, youll find that every reflection by me is authentic mirroring of pathetically alarming ground reality, wrote the governor. Seeking a meeting with Banerjee, Dhankhar wrote, Sensitive issues, that I do not seek to put in print, for fear of sensationalism, as indicated to you, will be shared once you, conforming to constitutional prescriptions, spare time to brief me. I have as a matter of fact underplayed the glaring enormity that ridicules democratic governance. Moving to arrest the narrative, TMC leaders and ministers refuted Dhankhars statements. Dhankhar referred to Article 167 of the Constitution at the media conference, saying its provisions had been breached by the chief minister. Article 167 says the governor can seek information from the government but does not specify any deadline for the chief minister to reply. The constitution says that executive powers of the governor shall be executed through the officers of the state. The governor does not have any executive power of his own, said Saugata Roy, TMC Lok Sabha member and party spokesperson. The governor is distorting the spirit of the Constitution for his own convenience to satisfy the party in power at the Centre. He could have done the same as state president of the BJP, quipped panchayat minister Subrata Mukherjee. CPI(M) lawmaker and leader of the Left parties in the assembly, Sujan Chakraborty, however did not criticise Dhankhar. He was speaking on behalf of the people of the state, said Chakraborty. Congress legislator and leader of the opposition in the assembly, Abdul Mannan, also supported Dhankhar. Banerjee is questioning the governors authority because an autocratic leader cannot tolerate criticism, he said. By Richard J. Codey and Tom Sanzillo Senators Bob Smith and Linda Greenstein have introduced the Fossil Fuel Divestment Bill, which would divest the state pension fund from fossil fuels. The bill has been gaining support rapidly. But the New Jersey Treasury Department, which administers pension money, has opposed the bill, saying it prefers stepped-up conversations about climate change and company finances between the pension funds and oil and gas companies. The proposed legislation provides the right financial solution. The pension fund is required to invest money prudently to secure the pensions of New Jerseys public workforce. Oil and gas companies once led the world economy and contributed mightily to pension fund returns. Today, however, and for the last 10 years, the oil and gas sector has performed dead last in the world stock market. In the 1980s, the oil and gas sector accounted for 28% of the S&P 500. Today it represents just 2.5% and is the smallest sector in the investment index. Industry profits have tanked and the outlook is negative -- and this was true before the pandemic. By contrast, fossil-free portfolios have performed as well, and even better, than those with oil and gas stocks. The question is not whether to divest. The question should be: Why is the New Jersey Fund still invested in this sector that has failed for the last decade and faces a bleak future? It is unfortunate that the Department of Treasury has implied that divestment from fossil fuels would produce lower returns for the fund. More important, it is contrary to their duty to maximize returns and is borderline reckless. The 10-year return for the energy sector in the S&P 500 is negative 3.5% compared to the 12.2% return from the S&P 500. Simply put, for the last decade, the economy as a whole has grown while the fossil fuel sector has lagged, and lagged badly. The New Jersey pension funds already suffer under the weight of historically poor performance. They were recently cited as among the least well-positioned funds to weather a pandemic-like financial shock. The proposed legislation provides the right climate solution. A recent report from New Jerseys Department of Environmental Protection is a five-alarm wake-up call about the climate-related problems facing state residents. Since 1990, companies like ExxonMobil have rejected shareholder proposals on climate change and other environmental issues. In 1990, when the New York City pension funds tried to engage Exxon and most of the oil and gas industry on climate-related risks, they were recalcitrant. They remain so today. They have a demonstrated track record of cynical responses to the kind of good-faith overtures that the state Department of Treasury anticipates having with its stepped-up conversations. The Treasury Department is wasting precious resources by engaging with an industry that has a 30-year history of denying shareholder pleas. Instead of contributing to solving the climate crisis, the fossil fuel industry has failed to take responsibility and funded a disinformation campaign. Presently the industry is a weak performer with a negative financial outlook and constitutes the smallest holding of most standard indexes. The New Jersey Legislature must take charge to address the states climate crisis and the failing financial performance of fossil fuel investments by supporting divestment. A sound investment policy would divest from the oil and gas sector on both financial and climate grounds. A sound investment policy would, as the proposed legislation does, allow the pension fund to reinvest in oil and gas companies if and when they change course. The legislative process requires debate and discussion. This works best when based on facts. The climate issue and the financial complexities surrounding it requires action and leadership. The financial case for continued fossil fuel investment is non-existent. What remains is a discussion of how the fund should protect itself from investment in this declining industry and how the Legislature should protect the public from the worrisome impacts of climate change. Senate bill S330, the Fossil Fuel Divestment Bill, should be passed and implemented as soon as possible. Sen. Richard J. Codey, who has served in the state Senate since 1982, represents the 27th Legislative District, which includes parts of Essex and Morris counties. He also served as the 53rd governor of New Jersey from 2004 to 2006 and as president of the Senate from 2002 to 2010. Tom Sanzillo has 30 years of experience in public and private finance, including as a first deputy comptroller of New York State. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Heres how to submit an op-ed or Letter to the Editor. Bookmark NJ.com/Opinion. Follow us on Twitter @NJ_Opinion and on Facebook at NJ.com Opinion. Get the latest news updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. The Armenian government has introduced martial law and declared general mobilization in the country, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said on Sunday. "Now, the Armenian government has issued the resolution that declares martial law and general mobilization in the republic. The resolution takes effect from the date of its publication. I am calling the personnel attached to armed forces to show up in territorial military recruitment offices," Pashinyan wrote on Facebook. The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear a plea regarding the postponement of the UPSC civil services preliminary examination 2020. The plea filed by UPSC aspirants seeks a postponement of the prelims by two-three months due to the increasing cases of coronavirus in the country. The matter will be heard by a three-judge bench headed by Justice AM Khanwilkar. Currently, the examination is scheduled for October 4. The examinees have told the Supreme Court that holding the exams could pose a health risk to the aspirants who hail from all over the country. Around 6 lakh UPSC aspirants are expected to appear in the 7-hour offline examination. The UPSC prelims 2020 would be conducted across 72 cities. "Conducting the aforesaid examination across India at such perilous time, is nothing else but putting lives of lakhs of young students (including Petitioners herein) at utmost risk and danger of disease and death. Also, the natural calamities like flood, incessant rain, landslides etc. are likely to directly affect the life and health of the Petitioners and many similarly situated students. Hence, the impugned Revised Calendar is utterly arbitrary, unreasonable, whimsical and patently violative of the "Right to Health" and "Right to Life" of the Petitioners herein and lakhs of similarly situated students, under Article 21," the petition stated. A fresh application has also been filed on behalf of an Assistant Commandant of Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) who is scheduled to appear for the examination. The applicant has also sought postponement of the UPSC preliminary exams. The application cited discrimination among candidates from majorly affected states. The apex court had asked advocate Alakh Alok Srivastava, who is appearing for the petitioners, to serve a copy of the petition to the UPSC and the Centre. The preliminary exams were initially scheduled for May 31 but were postponed due to the pandemic. UPSC released a revised examination schedule on June 5 setting October 4 as the new date. Also read: UPSC civil service exam 2020 admit cards released; check out how to download When a planet passes in front of its star as seen from Earth, the star seems fainter for a short time. This phenomenon is called a transit. When the planet passes behind the star, the light emitted and/or reflected by the planet is obscured by the star for a short time. This phenomenon is called occultation. Credit: ESA CHEOPS keeps its promise: Observations with the space telescope have revealed details of the exoplanet WASP-189bone of the most extreme planets known. CHEOPS is a joint mission by the European Space Agency (ESA) and Switzerland, under the aegis of the University of Bern in collaboration with the University of Geneva. Eight months after the space telescope CHEOPS started its mission, the first scientific publication using data from CHEOPS has been issued. CHEOPS is the first ESA mission dedicated to characterizing known exoplanets, those orbiting stars outside the solar system. Exoplanets were first found in 1995 by two Swiss astronomers, Michel Mayor and Didier Queloz, who were last year awarded the Nobel Prize for this discovery. CHEOPS was developed as part of a partnership between ESA and Switzerland. Under the leadership of the University of Bern and ESA, a consortium of more than 100 scientists and engineers from 11 European states was involved in constructing the satellite over five years. The Science Operations Center of CHEOPS is located at the observatory of the University of Geneva. Using data from CHEOPS, scientists have recently carried out a detailed study of the exoplanet WASP-189b. The results have just been accepted for publication in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics. Willy Benz, professor of astrophysics at the University of Bern and head of the CHEOPS consortium, said, "These observations demonstrate that CHEOPS fully meets the high expectations regarding its performance." One of the most extreme planets in the universe WASP-189b, the target of the CHEOPS observations, is an exoplanet orbiting the star HD 133112, one of the hottest stars known to have a planetary system. "The WASP-189 system is 322 light years away and located in the constellation Libra (the weighing scales)," explains Monika Lendl, lead author of the study from the University of Geneva, and member of the National Center of Competence in Research PlanetS. "WASP-189b is especially interesting because it is a gas giant that orbits very close to its host star. It takes less than three days for it to circle its star, and it is 20 times closer to the star than Earth is to the Sun," Monika Lendl says. The planet is more than 1.5 times as large as Jupiter, the largest planet of the solar system. Monika Lendl further explains that planetary objects like WASP-189b are very exotic: "They have a permanent day side, which is always exposed to the light of the star, and, accordingly, a permanent night side." This means that its climate is completely different from that of the gas giants Jupiter and Saturn in our solar system. "Based on the observations using CHEOPS, we estimate the temperature of WASP-189b to be 3,200 degrees Celsius. Planets like WASP-189b are called "ultra-hot Jupiters. Iron melts at such a high temperature, and even becomes gaseous. This object is one of the most extreme planets we know so far," says Lendl. Info graphic of the WASP 189 system. Credit: ESA Highly precise brightness measurements "We cannot see the planet itself as it is too far away and too close to its host star, so we have to rely on indirect methods," explains Lendl. For this, CHEOPS uses highly precise brightness measurements: When a planet passes in front of its star as seen from Earth, the star seems fainter for a short time. This phenomenon is called a transit. Monika Lendl says: "Because the exoplanet WASP-189b is so close to its star, its dayside is so bright that we can even measure the 'missing' light when the planet passes behind its star; this is called an occultation. We have observed several such occultations of WASP-189b with CHEOPS. It appears that the planet does not reflect a lot of starlight. Instead, most of the starlight gets absorbed by the planet, heating it up and making it shine." The researchers believe that the planet is not very reflective because there are no clouds present on its dayside. "This is not surprising, as theoretical models tell us that clouds cannot form at such high temperatures," says Lendl. Willy Benz says, "We also found that the transit of the gas giant in front of its star is asymmetrical. This happens when the star possesses brighter and darker zones on its surface. Thanks to CHEOPS data, we can conclude that the star itself rotates so quickly that its shape is no longer spherical, but ellipsoidal. The star is being pulled outward at its equator." Artist's impression of CHEOPS. Credit: ESA / ATG medialab The star around which WASP-189b orbits is very different from the sun. Monika Lendl says, "The star is considerably larger and more than 2000 degrees Celsius hotter than our sun. Because it is so hot, the star appears blue and not yellow-white like the sun." Willy Benz says, "Only a handful of planets are known to orbit such hot stars, and this system is the brightest by far." As a consequence, it forms a benchmark for further studies. "We are expecting further spectacular findings on exoplanets thanks to observations with CHEOPS. The next papers are already in preparation." Explore further How Europe's CHEOPS satellite will improve the hunt for exoplanets More information: M. Lendl et al, The hot dayside and asymmetric transit of WASP-189 b seen by CHEOPS, Astronomy & Astrophysics (2020). Journal information: Astronomy & Astrophysics M. Lendl et al, The hot dayside and asymmetric transit of WASP-189 b seen by CHEOPS,(2020). DOI: 10.1051/0004-6361/202038677 NEW DELHI: The defence ministry on Monday (Sept 28) approved the procurement of arms and military equipment worth Rs 2,290 crore, including around 72,000 Sig Sauer assault rifles from the United States, officials said. The procurement proposals were approved at a meeting of the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), the defence ministry's highest decision-making body on procurement. Besides clearing the proposal to buy the rifles, other notable acquisitions approved by the DAC include procurement of smart anti-airfield weapon (SAAW) systems for the Navy and the Indian Air Force at an approximate cost of Rs 970, the officials said. Live TV "The DAC headed by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, accorded approval for various arms and equipment worth Rs 2,290 crore," the defence ministry said. The cost of procurement of the Sig Sauer assault rifles for frontline troops of the Indian Army will be Rs 780 crore, officials said. They said the DAC also accorded approval for procurement of Static HF Tans-receiver sets under the buy Indian category at a cost of Rs 540 crore. The HF radio sets will enable seamless communication for the field units of the Army and the Air Force. The military equipment is being procured at a time Indian Army is locked in a bitter border row with China in eastern Ladakh. Manjinder Singh Sirsa, leader of Shiromani Akali Dal, has alleged that he as received a threat call from Pakistan from a certain 'Mohammad Wasim', who told him to withdraw the complaint filed against Bollywood filmmaker Karan Johar. Speaking to Republic TV, Sirsa revealed that the caller alleged that a certain 'bhai' has asked him to steer clear of the drama and "stop the nonsense". He stated on asking about 'bhai's identity, the caller said, "you'll know when you get shot". Sirsa further stated that he will file another complaint at Punjabi Bagh police station to the West district DCP for probe into the phone call. He went onto declare that he will remain unaffected by such threats and will continue to work relentlessly against the drug nexus in Bollywood. He addressed the caller and said, "You will not be able to scare us into stopping our work. This is a fight for principles and against the drug mafia. No one will be able to silence us. You are wrong if you think we will stop everything after your attempt at scaring and threatening us." Watch the video above. Manjinder Sirsa filed complaint Sirsa met Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) Chief Rakesh Asthana in his office earlier this month at New Delhi, and registered a complaint against Karan Johar, Deepika Padukone, Malaika Arora, Arjun Kapoor, Shahid Kapoor, Varun Dhawan, Vicky Kaushal and others for 'consumption, possession and allowing a premise to be used for commission of offences, cognizable in nature under chapter 4 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985.' The complaint states, 'the video of the party is glaring evidence about the incident of illicit drug traffic and abuse by persons belonging to the Indian film industry.' Earlier in 2019, Sirsa had filed a complaint with Mumbai Police. Viral Video from Karan Johar's party In July last year, Karan Johar had hosted a Saturday night party, a video of which went viral. Those seen in the clip were Deepika, Malaika Arora, Arjun Kapoor, Shahid Kapoor, Mira Rajput Kapoor, Varun Dhawan, Natasha Dalal, Zoya Akhtar, Vicky Kaushal, Ayan Mukerji and Ranbir Kapoor. The Morrison government plans to spend another $40.6 million to help fund urgent repair work on historic sites around Sydney Harbour and open more of them to regular visits by the public. The funding for the Sydney Harbour Federation Trust, to be announced in next week's federal budget, comes on top of $23 million recently earmarked to safeguard and restore the trust's hundreds of military, industrial and Indigenous sites. Federal Environment Minister Sussan Ley visits the North Fort within the North Head Sanctuary on Monday. Credit:James Brickwood "The budget will not only ensure the iconic sites are preserved, it will deliver a vital lifeline to trades, specialty contractors and local businesses through direct and indirect employment, delivering hundreds of new jobs over the coming years," federal Environment Minister Sussan Ley said. "These sites are part of our history and our legacy ... we want to be able to showcase these sites," Ms Ley told the Herald during a visit to North Head on Monday, adding some of the sites required immediate repairs. Brad Parscale at a 2019 rally in Minneapolis. Stephen Maturen/Getty Images The former Trump campaign manager Brad Parscale was hospitalized Sunday after threatening to harm himself, the police in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, said. Parscale's wife called the police shortly before 4 p.m. local time. A statement by the Fort Lauderdale Police Department said officers made contact with him at his home, "developed a rapport, and safely negotiated for him to exit the home." Tim Murtaugh, the communications director for the Trump campaign, said in a statement to Business Insider that members of the campaign which Parscale remained on as a senior adviser were "ready to support him and his family in any way possible." Sign up here for our free live event Tuesday to get the inside track on the race for the White House with Business Insider's DC Bureau. The former Trump campaign manager Brad Parscale was hospitalized on Sunday after threatening to harm himself, the police in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, said. The Fort Lauderdale Police Department said in a statement to Business Insider that officers responded to Parscale's home shortly before 4 p.m. local time after his wife called the police. Parscale, who was the only person inside the home at the time, "had access to multiple firearms inside the residence and was threatening to harm himself," according to the statement. "Officers made contact with the male, developed a rapport, and safely negotiated for him to exit the home," the department said in the statement. "The male was detained without injury and transported to Broward Health Medical Center for a Baker Act." The Baker Act, otherwise known as the Florida Mental Health Act of 1971, is a Florida law meant "to provide emergency mental health services and temporary detention for people who are impaired because of their mental illness," according to the University of Florida Health website. Fort Lauderdale's Democratic mayor, Dean Trantalis, told the Sun Sentinel that he received a text message notifying him that there was a SWAT team at Parscale's home. Story continues "Politics aside, this fellow obviously suffers from emotional distress," Trantalis told the Sun Sentinel, adding: "I'm glad he didn't do any harm to himself or others I commend our SWAT team for being able to negotiate a peaceful ending to this." Parscale was ousted from his position as President Donald Trump's reelection campaign manager in July and was replaced by the then-deputy campaign manager Bill Stepien. He remained on the campaign as a senior advisor. "Brad Parscale is a member of our family and we all love him," Tim Murtaugh, the communications director for the Trump campaign, said in a statement to Business Insider. "We are ready to support him and his family in any way possible." Murtaugh also blamed Democrats and "disgruntled RINOs" for the incident. Read the original article on Business Insider Mamata Banerjee upset after not being allowed to speak during PMs meet Missionaries of Charity itself requested SBI to freeze all bank accounts: Govt Mamata Banerjee on PM Modi's virtual hospital launch: We inaugurated it last year Proposal to change rules for central deputation of IAS officers affects states' administration: Mamata to PM BJP leader says will hug Mamata Banerjee if infected by coronavirus, police complaint filed India oi-Deepika S Siliguri, Sep 28: Newly-appointed BJP national secretary Anupam Hazra has said that he would hug Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee if he is infected by the coronavirus to make her feel the pain of the families of COVID-19 patients. A police complaint was filed by the Trinamool Congress in Siliguri for the comments Hazra made at a party programme in Baruipur in South 24 Parganas on Sunday evening. "Our workers are fighting a bigger enemy than corona. They are fighting Mamata Banerjee. When they (BJP cadres) have been able to fight it out against Mamata Banerjee without a mask, they think they can also fight against COVID-19 without wearing a mask," Hazra said. "I have decided that if I get infected by the coronavirus, then I will go and hug Mamata Banerjee," he added. Hazra, a former TMC MP who joined the BJP last year, said the way the bodies of COVID-19 patients were being cremated in the state was pathetic. Cinema halls to reopen in West Bengal from October 1: Mamata Banerjee "She (Banerjee) treated victims of the disease pathetically. Their bodies were burnt with kerosene. Sons were not allowed to see the face of their parents who died of COVID-19. We don't even treat dead cats or dogs like that," he said. Senior TMC leader Saugato Roy condemned the comments and said such remarks reflect the mindset of the BJP. "Such words and statements can only come from BJP leaders. This reflects the mindset of the party. We condemn such insane statements," he said. The Trinamool Congress' Siliguri unit held a rally against Hazra and lodged a police complaint against him. "We have lodged a police complaint against Anupam Hazra. We have urged the police to take immediate action against him," a senior TMC leader from the north Bengal city said. Reacting to the police complaint, Hazra told PTI that Banerjee too has made several controversial remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Amrinder Singh joins farmers' protest, says 'Pakistan's ISI may take advantage' | Oneindia News "If my comments are demeaning, then Mamata Banerjee too had made such comments against the prime minister. Secondly, if one FIR has been filed against me, then at least 10 FIRs should be lodged against TMC leaders," he said. The state BJP leadership, however, distanced itself from Hazra's comment. "We don't support such comments. We should avoid making such remarks," a state BJP leader said. In this article SINGAPORE Airlines will need to meet a "harmonized" standard of health measures as air travel returns following the global pandemic, according to the CEO of Etihad Airways. "I can see that wellness certification will become a necessary function of how the whole of the world comes back to flying," Tony Douglas told CNBC's Hadley Gamble last week as part of the Global Aerospace Summit. For Etihad, a United Arab Emirates flag carrier, efforts to ensure "wellness" include sterilization of cabins, mandatory coronavirus tests for passengers and tracking wristbands to be worn during the compulsory 14-day quarantine. An Airbus A321 airliner of Etihad Airways that has delivered medical supplies for fighting Covid-19 from the United Arab Emirates at Grozny International Airport in Russia. Yelena Afonina | TASS | Getty Images "We'll adapt and we'll adopt and therefore, wellness certification will probably be no (different) to the way in which visas used to be issued in order to give safe passage," he said. The airline industry has been heavily affected by the Covid-19 health crisis after countries shut their borders in an attempt to slow the virus. While some air travel has resumed, the International Air Transport Association said the results have been "dismally disappointing" and have not delivered a "real bounce" to the sector. 'Internationally aligned' processes With no end in sight to the pandemic, Etihad's Douglas said airlines will have to adapt to assure passengers that it's safe to fly. "In exactly the same way with security standards after Lockerbie, after 9/11, and with the liquid bomb threats, that saw global aviation security standards harmonized everywhere, I forecast that that's what will happen with wellness as well," he said. Douglas said he was not comparing the coronavirus to terrorism, but pointing out the importance of "internationally aligned" processes. "With those terrorism examples, over time, whole baggage screening became a global, acknowledged, harmonized standard," he said. "I'm going to go out there and predict that, following Covid, there will be changes to the way in which wellness certification will come into play." Layoffs Jabhat al-Nusra currently known as Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) split from al-Qaeda in 2016. Jabhat al-Nusra's hard-line current Fateh al-Sham saw the split as a betrayal to al-Qaeda and two years later, in February 2018, pledged allegiance to al-Qaeda and formed a new jihadist group called the Guardians of Religion Organization (GRO). Some of this currents most prominent leaders are Jordanian jihadists such as Jabhat al-Nusra's Khaled al-Arouri (nicknamed Abu al-Qasim al-Urduni) and members of the Shura Council Samir Hijazi (Abu Hammam al-Shami or Faruq al-Suri), Sami al-Aridi (Abu Mahmoud al-Sham) Bilal Khreesat (Abu Khadija al-Urduni), Faraj Ahmad al-Naanaa and Abu Abdel-Karim al-Masry. In June 2019, the US Department of Defense announced that one of its drones had targeted a building in southern Aleppo where some top figures in the GRO and other factions were meeting, killing two prominent leaders of the GRO. On Aug. 31, 2019, the United States targeted a training camp used by both the GRO and Ansar al-Tawhid (affiliated with al-Qaeda), killing of a prominent leader of Ansar al-Tawhid, a Libyan nicknamed Abu Osama al-Libi. On Sept. 10, 2019, the United States included the GRO and one of its founders, Samir Hijazi, on its terrorist list. On June 14, 2020, US strikes killed Arouri, one of the organization's co-founders and its military commander. He was close to al-Qaeda's leader in Iraq, Abu Masaan al-Zarqawi, who was killed in 2006. Arouri came to Syria in 2015 and became a leader of Jabhat al-Nusra after it split from al-Qaeda. Also killed in the same strike was Bilal al-Sanaani, who was the commander of a unit within the group called the "Desert Army." The latest strikes by the US-led coalition against the GRO on Sept. 14 in Idlib killed a prominent leader known as Sayyaf al-Tunisi. Fadi Hussein, a media commentator on Islamic groups, told Al-Monitor that the United States has been targeting al-Qaeda since Jabhat al-Nusra was formed in Syria in late 2012. He noted that the United States has focused more on GRO leaders than on those of al-Qaeda-linked HTS, which is designated by the United States and the UN Security Council as a terrorist organization. Hussein added, It appears that the HTS is completely fine with the coalition's assassinations of al-Qaeda leaders, which paves the way for HTS which is essentially a branch of al-Qaeda to appear as a moderate Islamic resistance [current] that does not bear any hostility to those who killed hundreds of civilians in Deir ez-Zor and Baghouz, in reference to the US strikes against the Islamic State in March 2019. Qais al-Ahmad, nicknamed Zein al-Hamwi, is an activist from the northern Hama countryside. He told Al-Monitor, Drones did not only target the GRO but also jihadist figures wanted by the coalition, be it members of the GRO, independent individuals or trainers in camps, most of whom are non-Syrian immigrants who were previously in other jihadist fields such as Iraq and Afghanistan, referring to some of the US-led coalition operations that killed Jabhat al-Nusra figures Abu Omar Saraqib and Abu Firas al-Suri in the summer of 2016, in addition to the strikes that targeted the Khursaniyah Brigade in the village of Ras al-Hosn near the border with Turkey in 2014. Ahmad added, Meanwhile, many jihadists accused HTS or its figures of having something to do with those assassinations. In a June 24 tweet, former Jabhat al-Nusra leader Saleh Abu Muhammad al-Hamawi, or Asseraaalsham, had hinted at the HTS helping out the coalition. Ahmad continued, We are not sure whether this is true or not, especially since most targeted figures were from Jabhat al-Nusra before it split from al-Qaeda, and the HTS leadership has detailed information about their whereabouts in Idlib, which it completely controls, and most of them have been in conflict with HTS recently. Ahmad noted, The majority of those who were assassinated were important members, some of whom were trainers in the fighting camps with a very strong military ideology. I do not think that the GRO in its current form poses a threat to the United States, but the latter is trying to eliminate any jihadist ideology. A jihadist leader close to GRO who goes by Khattab al-Suri and resides in Idlib told Al-Monitor that GRO and HTS are enemies of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and Iran, not the West. The GRO never threatened US interests, nor did it take any action against the West in general and the US in particular," he said, adding, I do not know what good killing GRO leaders does for the US, since this supports the Iranian presence in Syria, [as] the GRO members are fighting Iran without threatening US interests. Some accused the HTS of facilitating these operations, and such accusations are invalid. HTS is fighting Assad, Russia and Iran, and is allying with everyone who fights or helps in the war against Assads forces and his allies. This is a simplified tale of how good intentions were cleverly hijacked by self-serving special-interest parties without publicity, and to the detriment of the public, the environment and our national security. When Senator Murkowski initially proposed an energy bill (S.2657), it was strictly about geothermal. The title was: Advanced Geothermal Innovation Leadership Act of 2019. Some of the primary reasons that this good legislation had this narrow focus were because deep-drilling geothermal (what the bill refers to as enhanced or advanced): 1) is a reliable, non-intermittent electrical energy source, 2) is projected to be genuinely cost competitive with conventional electrical energy sources (e.g. see this MIT study), 3) is our energy future (e.g. the initial bill stated that: The Department of Energy has determined that geothermal could represent a large part of the U.S. energy mix by 2050, rivaling the growth of solar, wind, and hydraulic fracturing), and 4) there is no currently financially successful deep-drilling geothermal business, so R&D is necessary to get this beneficial energy source going. These are solid reasons, but legislation doesnt get passed because it makes sense(!). Instead there needs to be political reasons to pass a bill e.g. large stakeholders who will benefit from such legislation, and who make it a priority to their representatives. As there is no strong geothermal lobby in DC, the bill languished, and was presumed to be deceased. However, devious renewable energy proponents apparently said: why don't we piggyback wind and solar onto this bill, so that we can get even more than the $100+ Billion of federal handouts (e.g. PTC) that weve already pocketed. (FYI, this is probably the first measure promoted by this new lobbying behemoth.) As a result, in March of 2020 while most of us were dealing with COVID-19, etc. they stuck wind and solar into S.2657. They not only awarded themselves the pro-posed geothermal benefits, but (since few were watching) they greatly magnified them. (See some details in the Congressional Record: search over wind as well as solar.) Of course the wind and solar lobbyists argument is just what you heard in kindergarten: if geothermal gets handouts, why not them? Well lets look at the original reasons for geothermal and see if these two sources are actually equivalent: 1) wind and solar are unreliable, intermittent electrical energy sources, 2) after decades of preferential treatment, wind and solar are not genuinely cost competitive with conventional electrical energy sources (e.g. see this study), 3) our energy future is SMRs and geothermal, not wind and solar, and 4) wind and solar are very successful businesses (e.g. here) and supposedly mature so no taxpayer funded R&D is appropriate. In other words, wind and solar are the diametric opposites of geothermal, so there are zero legitimate reasons for them to be included in S.2657. Regretfully, its worse than this. Wind and solar lobbyists have become so confident that they can easily manipulate state and federal legislators, that they decided to include major provisions beyond what were in the original geothermal bill! In addition to $600 Million in new US taxpayer handouts for wind, and $1.3 Billion for solar, this S.2657 amendment requires that: Renewable Energy Goal The Secretary and the Secretary of Agriculture, through management of public land and administration of Federal laws, shall seek to issue permits that, in total, authorize production of no less than 25 Gigawatts of electricity from wind, solar, and geothermal energy projects no later than December 31, 2025. There was no mandate in the initial geothermal bill, much less this HUGE amount. (BTW, these shysters cleverly added geothermal into this requirement, knowing full well that no consequential amount of geothermal will likely be available by 2025, so this is strictly a national wind and solar mandate the first ever!) These are some considerations that wind and solar lobbyists don't want citizens and legislators to factor in: 1 - When ALL their expenses are properly calculated and fully attributed (e.g. transmission, auxiliary support, etc., etc.), wind and solar are four to five times the cost of conventional electrical energy sources; 2 - Industrial wind energy can cause substantial environmental and eco-system liabilities; 3 - Solar panels can have toxic chemicals and carcinogenic materials (like PFAS) that can get into local aquifers, which can have very problematic health effects, 4 - Wind energy can produce more CO2 than gas by itself, so if CO2 savings are paramount, combined-cycle gas is a better choice (and is less expensive); 5 - It is well-documented that industrial wind turbines have caused a wide variety of problems to our military and national security; 6 - There are dozens of studies by independent experts that have concluded that wind turbines can cause severe health consequences to nearby citizens; 7 - Although wind is sold as a local financial boon to host communities, the reality is that a wind project can have a net negative economic impact on the community; 8 - the decommissioning and disposal of wind and solar panel waste will become an enormous environmental problem in the near future. Once these realities are fully comprehended, the obvious question is: why should the US taxpayer pay more to prop up these inferior, expensive, unreliable sources of electrical energy? As of this writing, Senator Murkowski (R) and Senator Manchin (D) are negotiating through 220+amendments. That number alone should make it very clear that there is a frenetic frenzied feeding of special-interests at the public trough as the word gets out. Yes, there is some good buried in this morass, but why does every such major measure turn out to be a faustian bargain? The idea that for the public to get some benefits, that we must also except multiple serious liabilities, is simply insane. S.2657 (and the House counterpart H.R. 4447) could be the most far-reaching, problematic national energy legislation in decades so we need to be aware of and publicly analyze every handout and concession made in what may turn out to be a 500+ page omnibus energy bill. (For another critical take on this bill (from a different perspective), please see this expert commentary.) Since the Senate is immersed in the Supreme Court issue, there will be a strong inclination to want to clear the deck of pending legislation (like this). Further, since Senator Murkowski is a swing vote on the Supreme Court matter, it is conceivable that Leader McConnell (ordinarily sensible about energy matters), will agree to look the other way while S.2657 passes, in exchange for Murkowskis Supreme Court vote. What to do? PLEASE contact your federal Senator TODAY. Send them this, and politely tell them to keep the geothermal parts of S.2657, but to extract any and all references to wind or solar, as well as all anti-fossil fuel and anti-Science measures. John Droz, Jr. is a physicist based in North Carolina. Madison Public Relations has bagged the national media communications mandate for Levista Coffee, South Indias preferred coffee brand for quality instant and filter coffee. The account was won in a multi-agency pitch and will be handled by Madison Public Relations, due to their strong expertise in the FMCG space. Levista Coffee was launched in 2017 to provide its consumers with the authentic coffee brews in an instant format. Levista coffee is made from the finest handpicked coffee beans sourced from SLN Coffees private coffee estate at Kushal Nagar, Coorg in Karnataka. SLN Coffee has been manufacturing and exporting coffee for over 6 decades. The bean, meticulously cultivated and then artfully roasted, ensures a rich and impeccable quality drink which leaves a memorable and tasteful experience. The brand that believes in fresh, rich experiences and has offerings across the instant, filter, and artisanal range of coffees, the brand pours the best quality brews made from handpicked beans. Levista is among the top regional market players on the small screen. The brand was a key sponsor for Big Boss on Star Vijay (Tamil) feat. Actor Mr. Kamal Hassan in 2019 and Big Boss on Colours TV (Kannada) feat. Actor Kichha Sudeep. The brand has also driven consumer engagement campaigns on radio partnering long term activations with 92.7 Big FM, Hello FM, among others while enjoying a strong presence among the online community. Mr. S. Shriram, Vice President, Levista Coffee said, In a short span, Levista has been able to garner a strong and loyal consumer base due to its quality and experience in consumption appeal to coffee enthusiasts. We aspire to bring the best quality coffee products to consumers across the instant, filter, and artisanal category. With our focus on growing nationally, this year, we decided to partner with Madison Public Relations to propel our marketing communications a notch higher. As most of our customers, especially coffee connoisseurs have a strong word of mouth connect, we believe that a positive and transparent communication approach is required to reach out to a larger audience. Madhu Chhibber, CEO Madison Public Relations said, Were excited to be a part of Levistas growth journey and look forward to partnering the brand for its communications mandate, helping their quality offerings reach every coffee aficionado. The Concerned Parents Association of the Ridge Church School (RCS) have petitioned the Minister of Education, Mr Matthew Opoku Prempeh over what they say is the School's flagrant disregard of the Presidents directive concerning arrangements for third term and the resumption of a new school year in January 2021. President Akufo-Addo in that directive (which was contained in the 16th COVID-19 update in August) announced the postponement of the 2019/2020 academic year for all nursery, kindergarten, primary, Junior High School (JHS) 1 and Senior High School (SHS) 1 students till January 2021. However, the Concerned Parents who are part of the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) but have concerns about the running of the school said the school in direct contravention of the Presidents directive is proceeding with promotional examinations for all students and demanding an e-learning fee of GHS 1,603.00. They say in order to force parents to pay the above-mentioned e-learning fee, the school resorted to a strategy which will require parents to collect examination questions in person at the school premises on Wednesday, September 23, 2020, after producing a receipt showing full or part payment of fees. The parents are therefore seeking the urgent intervention of the Minister to ensure that the RCS complies with the same rules as every other Ghana Education Service (GES) school, and that parents are not unduly penalised and children excluded from being promoted to the next grade in the next academic year. "The Parent Teacher Association (PTA) is acting autonomously and without consulting or seeking parents agreement prior to taking decisions on our behalf. Parents, therefore, came together to form the Concerned Parents of Ridge Church School so as to have a true representation in this matter," the petition states. "There has been no PTA meeting where parents have agreed to the charging of the current fees nor the conduct of the examination. In fact, since March 2020, there has been only one (1) virtual PTA meeting involving parents. This meeting ended abruptly, unceremoniously and without resolution of any issues. "Contrary to the directive of the Inspector General of the National Schools Inspectorate Authority (NaSIA), the school levied an arbitrary fee of GHS 1,603.00 to be paid for the 5-week long (12th August to 30th September 2020) 3rd Term (Trinity Term) without consulting parents. The Concerned Parents officially petitioned the school administration and Ridge Church Council to discuss this fee. We are sad to report that Ridge Church School has actively refused to acknowledge the petition and initiate any dialogue whatsoever in this regard. Instead, Ridge Church School has adamantly and flagrantly charted its own course, in contravention of the Ghana Education Service and Office of The President of the Republic of Ghana". Source: graphic.com.gh Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Deborah Cole and Isabelle Daniel (Agence France-Presse) Berlin, Germany Mon, September 28, 2020 13:30 481 e22cd4161040e111d73a5626c47ab387 2 World US-China,US-China-tension,Cold-War,Europe Free Europe and the United States need to face up to a "new Cold War with China" together, regardless of who wins the White House in November, Germany's point man on transatlantic ties told AFP. With just five weeks to go until the US election, the German government's coordinator for relations with the United States and Canada, Peter Beyer, insisted there were more shared interests than differences. "Europe has got to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the US to face the huge challenge of China," he said. "The new Cold War between the United States and China has already begun and will shape this century." After four years of frequent friction between Donald Trump and Angela Merkel on issues including Iran, trade, NATO and the climate, Beyer said it was no secret that Germany would find it easier to work with Joe Biden. "I'm the last person who's so naive to say 'If Biden wins, everything will be super, it's the beginning of a golden age'," he said. "The controversial issues won't go away overnight but with Biden the transatlantic friendship would become more reasonable, calculable and reliable again." 'Won't be better' On China and Iran, Americans and Europeans had "similar, sometimes identical interests," Beyer said. "That's why I'm frustrated that we can't find a common denominator right now" on issues including support for the World Health Organization amid the coronavirus pandemic, ways to rein in Iran's nuclear ambitions and tackling climate change. But he insisted that despite the high stakes of the race, Trump's re-election would not bring the implosion of the West, citing enduring close cooperation with members of Congress and many US states. "It won't all be grim if Trump two comes. But it also won't be better," he said. "Who is sitting in the White House is essential. But it can't dominate the transatlantic friendship. Washington and especially the United States aren't just the Oval Office." Beyer said decades of post-war cooperation between the allies had built a foundation of "supposedly old-fashioned values" like "freedom and democracy, peace and prosperity". "It's worth remembering Americans taught us those values and we're still thankful for them," he said. That stood in contrast to a Chinese system marked by "dictatorship, a lack of press freedom and human rights, digital surveillance, [abuse of] the Uighurs, Hong Kong, the environment..." Beyer is one of the few top members of the Christian Democrats (CDU), Merkel's party, at a foreign ministry run by the Social Democrats, junior partners in her ruling coalition. He said the CDU would have to think of those crucial factors when picking a new leader in December ahead of a general election next year at the end of Merkel's 16-year tenure. "Whoever wins will have to confront these issues." Hearts and minds He said security was just one area in which Germany would have to up its game, particularly given Trump's plans to slash the number of US troops stationed in Germany by 9,500 to 25,000. Trump cited anger with Germany for not sticking to NATO targets on defense spending and for treating the US "badly" on trade in justifying the move. "I don't think a Biden administration would completely reverse the plans, but I also doubt it would pursue them with the same vehemence," Beyer said. In either case, however, Germany must stick to its pledges to increase defense spending while working with European partners to play a bigger role on security. "We don't want to make NATO obsolete," Beyer said. "But for our own sake we have got to push defense cooperation within Europe." He said a younger generation of Germans was less interested in American pop culture or study abroad programs than he had been growing up in Cold War-era West Germany, noting that Australia, Canada and parts of Asia were now more likely to capture hearts and minds. And he admitted that Germany had occasionally neglected US ties over the past decade and bore part of the blame for any estrangement. "Polls show Germany and Germans are very popular among many Americans," Beyer said, with an eye to rekindling the relationship. "It's a place to start." WESTPORT Several signs were posted downtown with anti-police messages and calling for the death of President Donald Trump, according to police. If I had to estimate how many there were, probably somewhere in the neighborhood of 50, said Anthony Prezioso, the Westport police spokesman. Around four to six signs were posted in certain spots throughout downtown, Prezioso said. The signs were reported early Sunday morning and have since been taken down. We were made aware of it and we are actively investigating it, Prezioso said. In terms of the messaging it was anti-police and anti-Trump type of stuff. Prezioso said while police are on the alert for the usual political signage thefts during election season, he had never seen this. This is different from that, Prezioso said. Its concerning. Most of the message though is pretty vague and general. Its not necessarily overly specific. One sign read, This town is ours. Kill Trump. Fight the white. Others said, The only good cop is a dead cop. Prezioso said some signs had the symbol of the Workers Party of Korea, which is the ruling political party of the North Korean government. Although obviously a very strange addition, I cannot even begin to speculate as to why this was include on these postings, Prezioso said. The threatening signage also caused concern for some residents. I think its disrespectful, Sal Liccione, a Church lane resident and RTM member, said. Whoever it is should be prosecuted to the fullest extent. First Selectman Jim Marpe also denounced the signs. He said he recognized the emotion surrounding the upcoming election, but this could not be allowed as a way to communicate as a society. The kind of statements that were made on the signs are and always will be inappropriate to any sort of political discourse, Marpe said, adding hate had no place in town. But Prezioso said it appeared whoever posted the signage looked to find the most controversial statement to put up in large quantities to draw attention. We feel like we have the community support here, Prezioso said. We certainly work hard to earn the communitys trust and to earn that support. He said although the investigation is ongoing, hes not aware if other towns in the area are seeing similar signs pop up. These signs seem to be unique to Westport, but that could of changed since yesterday, Prezioso said. But to the best of my knowledge ... Im not aware this is an issue anywhere else or anything exactly like this is anywhere else. dj.simmons@hearstmediact.com Todays Headlines The most important news stories of the day, curated by Post editors and delivered every morning. Email address By signing up you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Joe Biden's campaign team on Sunday hit back at Donald Trump's latest call for the former vice president to be drug tested ahead Tuesday night's first election debate. Vice President Biden intends to deliver his debate answers in words. If the president thinks his best case is made in urine he can have at it, said Kate Bedingfield, Mr Bidens deputy campaign manager. The president had earlier tweeted that he would be "strongly demanding a drug test of sleepy Joe Biden" ahead of the upcoming debate, moderated by journalist Chris Wallace. Mr Trump, 74, has since late August called for himself and Mr Biden, 77, to be tested for performance enhancing stimulants ahead of the Tuesday's clash. Without providing any evidence - other than that he is "pretty good at this stuff" - Mr Trump first made the Biden drugs claim in an interview with the Washington Examiner. The president cited Mr Biden's improved performance in the final round of the Democratic primary debates against Bernie Sanders in March, as the reason why he thinks his rival may be taking drugs. Mr Biden, who reportedly does not drink alcohol, has refused to be lured into the drugs claim trap, a tactic deployed against Hilary Clinton in 2016. But it appears his campaign team could not resist. Wed expect nothing less from Donald Trump," Ms Bedingfield added in her response to the president's call, before taking a swipe at his handling of the coronavirus pandemic. "[He] pissed away the chance to protect the lives of 200K Americans when he didn't make a plan to stop COVID-19. Tuesday night's debate is the first of three televised contests in the 2020 race for the White House. With just over a month to go until election day, the meetings could play a key role in who enters the Oval Office in January. At the event in Cleveland, Ohio, the candidates will likely be quizzed on the Supreme Court, the coronavirus pandemic, the economy and the integrity of the result of the election. Mr Trump has repeatedly claimed that the only way Mr Biden can win is if the poll is "rigged". He has repeatedly claimed, with little substance, that the millions of votes cast by mail due to the pandemic could fall foul to voter fraud. Punjab, where angry farmers are protesting against the three farm bills enacted by the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), will challenge the legislation in the Supreme Court, chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh said on Monday, accusing the federal government of trying to dismantle the farming system as it exists now. Our lawyers are coming from Delhi tomorrow (on Tuesday). We will discuss how to proceed in the matter and then challenge the legislation in the Supreme Court, Captain Amarinder Singh said in Khatkar Kalan, where he staged a sit-in protest against the laws. Khatkar Kalan is the village of Shaheed Bhagat Singh and Monday marked the freedom fighters birth anniversary. Also read| Farm bills: Protesters set tractor on fire near India Gate, five arrested The three bills - the Farmers Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020, the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Service Bill, 2020, and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill, 2020 - have become acts after President Ram Nath Kovind signed them into law. Farmers, especially in Punjab and Haryana, have been protesting against the legislation, which the government says will enable them to sell their produce in any market of their choice rather than limit them to government-run mandis called agricultural produce marketing committees, or APMCs. The protestors say the Centres farm reforms could pave the way for the dismantling of the minimum support price system, leaving them at the mercy of big companies. Also read: Sonia Gandhi urges Congress-ruled states to override Centres farm laws The legislation seeks to give farmers the right to enter into a contract with agribusiness firms, processors, wholesalers, exporters and large retailers for the sale of future farming produce at pre-agreed prices. The amendment to the Essential Commodities Act will remove commodities like cereals, pulses, oilseeds, onion and potato from the list of essential items and do away with the imposition of stock holding limits. Captain Amarinder Singh said that he will request Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to join the farmers protest. Rahul Gandhi has been tweeting daily and issuing statements that the BJP {Bharatiya Janata Party} has betrayed the farmers, he said. The BJP has snatched away the constitutional powers of one state after the other. How do we run the state? BJP leaders think they will remain in power, but I want to remind them that the Akalis also thought so. People threw them out. It is a decision of the people to keep political parties in power or not, he said. Targeting the Shiromani Akali Dal, the Congress leader said, The Akalis are trying all tactics, but theyre not working because once you let people down, they dont forget. The Akali Dal has walked out of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government at the centre to protest against the farm legislation. Defending farmers for holding protests against the newly enacted laws, the CM said they had the right to do so as you are taking away their livelihood. He accused the central government of snatching the rights of states and of trying to dismantle the minimum support price, mandi system and the public distribution system (PDS) with the farm laws. Their motive is to demolish everything which farmers have got after a long struggle. From the green and white revolution till now, rights which farmers acquired, one by one all of them are being demolished with these farm laws, Singh said. MSP and mandi system will be dismantled with these farm laws and their next target is FCI {Food Corporation of India}, he said, claiming that the government also want to dismantle the public distribution system that channels subsidised foodgrains to the poor. The government has denied that either the federally fixed MSPs or the PDS will be done away with. (With agency inputs) The Centre has directed private hospitals not to use experimental therapies such as convalescent plasma or drug remdesivir routinely for treating Covid-19 patients after receiving complaints of its rampant use, particularly in tier 2 and 3 cities. An expert team in the Union ministry of health and family has looked into these complaints. Government has held consultations with big corporate hospitals on this matter. The director of All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Delhi, has also been a part of these consultations. Private hospitals have been given clear instructions to not use these investigational therapies routinely, said Union health minister Harsh Vardhan. Click here for complete coronavirus coverage All states have also been instructed to keep a check to avoid routine use of these therapies, and give only to those Covid-19 patients for whom it is intended. AllMS, Delhi, through its webinars that are meant to handhold peripheral hospitals in providing critical care have also been emphasizing on it, he said. Currently, no effective treatment is available for Covid-19, but there are certain drugs and therapies that have been approved by countrys drug regulator under investigational therapy or emergency use authorization based on the limited evidence available from research taking place globally and in India. Because of the limited data availability, investigational therapies are meant to be used only in a defined subgroup of patients. Also read: India gets a national Covid-19 registry for real-time hospital data Under health ministrys clinical management protocol for Covid-19, off-label use of plasma therapy has been included to be used in patients with moderate disease who are not improving (oxygen requirement is progressively increasing) despite use of steroids. Antiviral drug remdesivir has been approved for use under emergency use authorization in patients with moderate disease (those on oxygen). Scientists and researchers are working on many aspects of treatment options for the development of vaccination and medication to combat this life-threatening problem. Convalescent plasma from recovered COVID-19 patients contains antibodies against COVID-19 which may be beneficial to severely sick COVID-19 infected patients, and was included as an experimental therapy in the clinical management protocol for Covid-19. Same goes for the drug remdesivir, as it had also shown promise in stopping virus replication, said an official in the health ministry, in the know of things. It is to be given only in patients that fall into the given category, and not open for all Covid-19 patients. There are contraindications mentioned in the protocol that must strictly considered before putting any patient on these drugs or therapies, the official added. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON First Presidential Debate - Tuesday, 29 September 2020 Venue: Case Western Reserve University and Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, Ohio Moderator: Chris Wallace Chris Wallace, the anchor of Fox News Sunday, is a veteran political journalist, having also worked for both NBC and ABC earlier in his career, as a White House correspondent and host of Meet the Press and Nightline. With 17 years at Fox News under his belt, Wallace has covered nearly every major political event during that period and is regarded as a tough interviewer. He secured the networks first interviews with both Barack Obama and Donald Trump after they took office. Wallace earned an Emmy Award for Outstanding Live Interview for a July 2018 meeting with Russian president Vladimir Putin in which he asked him why so many of his political opponents end up dead. In the 2016 election, Wallace was a moderator of one of the Republican Party presidential primary debates, alongside Bret Baier and Megyn Kelly; and was then chosen as the third presidential debate moderator. The 19 October 2016 showdown between candidates Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton was the first time a Fox News anchor had moderated a general election debate event. Wallace received praise from both sides for his tough questioning of both candidates, with one commentator calling him among the best in the business. During the Trump presidency, while Fox News has often been mocked as state TV for its often unquestioning praise of the president during its morning and evening line-ups, Wallace has maintained his reputation as the most professional of journalists. He has questioned the administrations actions and challenged the talking points of conservative commentators during both the Brett Kavanaugh Supreme Court nomination hearings and the Impeachment of President Donald Trump. Chris Wallace calls out Trump for claims about a cognitive test he took Most recently, in one of a series of disastrous television interviews for the White House over the summer of 2020, Wallace sat down with President Trump on 19 July for a wide-ranging discussion. He was widely praised by his press contemporaries, political commentators, and on social media generally, for his live fact-checking of the president and for holding him accountable for the actions of his administration. Wallace corrected the presidents assertion, at the height of the Black Lives Matter protests, that Joe Biden wants to defund and abolish the police No, sir, he does not and challenged the inaccurate and skewed data regarding testing and mortality rates from Covid-19. He maintains that through his life he has voted for both parties, and politicians from both sides of the aisle are wary of his hard-line of questioning. A profile in The New York Times says that he is comfortable being a bit of an enigma: For every Trump loyalist who views him as a heretic, there is a liberal who wishes hed denounce colleagues like Sean Hannity. Wallace has selected six topics for the first presidential debate of 2020, each to be covered in a 15 minute-long segment: The Trump and Biden Records; The Supreme Court; Covid-19; The Economy; Race and Violence in our Cities; and The Integrity of the Election. Jersey Shore: Family Vacation star Angelina Pivarnick received a $350K settlement from New York City over repeated sexual harassment she experienced while working as a FDNY EMT between 2015-2018. In her 2019 lawsuit, the 34-year-old reality star claimed she was harassed by two superiors while working at the Rossville Station in Staten Island, according to the New York Daily News. Angelina alleged EMS Lieutenant David Rudnitzky 'groped her and begged her for sex' and asked her in front of a male colleague in 2018: 'How many guys on Jersey Shore have you f***ed?' Pictured in 2015: Jersey Shore star Angelina Pivarnick (L) received a $350K settlement from New York City over repeated sexual harassment she experienced while working as a FDNY EMT between 2015-2018 Pivarnick also claimed that Lieutenant Jonathan Schechter made 'repeated sexual advances' in the form of 'suggestive text messages that she often didn't respond to.' 'The FDNY takes allegations of sexual harassment seriously,' FDNY Law Department spokesman Nicholas Paolucci told the mag. 'Ms. Pivarnick's claim was fully investigated, and the appropriate corrective action was taken. This settlement was in the best interests of the city.' Victimized: In her 2019 lawsuit, the 34-year-old reality star claimed she was harassed by two superiors while working at the Rossville Station in Staten Island (pictured in 2015) Angelina (2-L) alleged EMS Lieutenant David Rudnitzky 'groped her and begged her for sex' and asked her in front of a male colleague in 2018: 'How many guys on Jersey Shore have you f***ed?' 'The FDNY takes allegations of sexual harassment seriously': Pivarnick also claimed that Lieutenant Jonathan Schechter made 'repeated sexual advances' in the form of 'suggestive text messages that she often didn't respond to' (pictured September 9) These days, the Lashelina owner is enjoying married life with her husband of 10 months, sanitation worker Chris Larangeira. Angelina's castmate Mike 'The Situation' Sorrentino tweeted on Thursday that filming for the fourth season of MTV's Jersey Shore: Family Vacation has already commenced. Newlyweds: These days, the Lashelina owner is enjoying married life with her husband of 10 months, sanitation worker Chris Larangeira (L, pictured June 28) New Delhi, Sep 28 : India's residential market got back to action as the lockdown restrictions eased in the third quarter of 2020. Housing sales, during the July-September quarter, jumped up 34 per cent compared to the April-June quarter, which was largely impacted by the nationwide lockdown, showed a report by JLL Research. A total of 14,415 units were sold during the quarter ended September, as against 10,753 units sold during the previous quarter. The report showed that Mumbai accounted for 29 per cent of the total sales during the period under review, while 22 per cent of sales was contributed by Delhi-NCR. Growth in sales activity was also driven by stronger demand in Chennai, Hyderabad and Pune. Ramesh Nair, CEO and Country Head, India, JLL, said: "We are feeling cautiously optimistic about the residential market, driven by sales volumes in Mumbai and Delhi. A combination of favourable factors such as low mortgage rates, attractive prices combined with developers' lucrative payment plans together reinforce the longer-term potential of the sector. For end users, the next 12 months are ideal to buy a house." "In the subsequent quarters, the translation of demand into sales will primarily hinge on enhanced consumer confidence, which, in turn, depends upon the continued implementation of progressive government policies amidst the gradual revival of the Indian economy at large," he added. Residential market activity is also being supported by renewed interest from NRIs in Q3 2020, resulting in more pent up demand in the market and increased enquiries received by developers, the report said. Diego Costa has admitted that he's placed his future in Atletico Madrid's hands this summer. The forward has been linked with a move away from the club, who have brought in Luis Suarez in his position. "I've let the club decide my future," Costa said after Sunday's win over Granada. "At no point did I want to fight to be a burden here, on the contrary. "I've made it very clear to the club. "I was listening if they were going to sell me, if there was the chance to go out on loan, I'd leave. "If they wanted to rescind my contract, I'd also have accepted that. "I spoke to the club, the boss. "I made it very clear what was happening, that I'm going to fight and keep fighting and that if injuries allow, I'm going to be here, but if there was a possibility I would leave, I'd leave. "I'm at their disposal." On the arrival of Suarez, Costa couldn't understand why Barcelona had left him leave. "We have a player like Luis who, luckily [for us], left Barcelona," Costa added. "I don't know how a team like that lets him leave. "In the end, it's very good for us. "He gives us a lot with his goals, his fighting spirit in the dressing room and his will to win and win trophies." Many have speculated about whether Diego Simeone will play Suarez and Costa together up front. "It's very good," Costa said on the prospect. "One biting and one fighting." Journalist associations set a deadline - October 1 - for the administration to take action against the accused who attacked senior journalist Kamal Shukla. Failing which, they said, they will go on an indefinite dharna from October 2 in front of the chief ministers house in Raipur. A senior journalist working with a local daily in Chhattisgarhs Bastar region, Shukla was beaten up publicly and allegedly threatened with dire consequences when he went to a police station to register a case against people who had beaten up another journalist allegedly over some news report on Saturday. Shukla has alleged Jitendra Singh Thakur, a former president of Kanker Nagar Palika; Gaffar Memon, a representative of local Congress MLA; Shadaab Khan, a corporator; local scribe Ganesh Tiwari and others roughed him up. One of the accused, said Shukla, also brandished a pistol during the attack and the accused were Congress leaders and workers. Journalists of Chhattisgarh have also demanded that the accused be booked under more stringent sections of the IPC. Journalist associations, including me, are demanding the charge of attempt to murder (section 307 ) be added in the FIR. We are also demanding that the collector and superintendent of police (SP) of Kanker district should be removed, Kamal Shukla told HT. The journalists of Chhattisgarh will gather on October 2 in Raipur and start a dharna in front of CM house, Shukla added. A memorandum was also submitted by journalists to Governor Anusuiya Uike in which the journalists sought action. Meanwhile, Sunderaj P, Inspector General of Police (Bastar range), told HT the investigation is underway. We are investigating the case from all angles, the IG said. On Sunday, Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel assured strict action against the accused. What has happened is wrong. Irrespective of party affiliations, the action has been taken against the accused persons. It is a matter of investigation whether the accused had brought a pistol. If it is found to be true, further sections (of the IPC) will be included in the case, the CM said while answering reporters on Sunday. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON BIRMINGHAM, England, Sept. 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Business and technology leaders have pointed to a range of opportunities provided by Artificial Intelligence to support the economy's revitalisation, including new efficiencies and new business models. But a lack of understanding in the boardroom, legacy technologies, and an under-skilled workforce all represent major challenges. A new report published by information hub The AI Journal, entitled AI in a Post-COVID-19 World, has revealed that 72% of leaders feel positive about the role that AI will play in the future, with the number one expectation being that it will make business processes more efficient (74%). 55% have suggested that AI will help to create new business models, and 54% expect it to enable the creation of new products and services. But respondents have pointed to a range of barriers to AI achieving its potential, led by a lack of understanding or commitment towards investing at board level - feared by 59% of respondents. The legacy processes and technologies within businesses that do not support AI (50%), and the lack of relevant skills within the workforce (48%), were also big concerns. 60% of respondents reported that their organisation currently uses AI; a further 52% are currently planning an implementation. Machine learning is the key technology of the moment - it is already being used in many companies (70%), and 63% are planning further integrations. The other key technologies pointed to by respondents were data science, predictive analytics and chatbots. Tom Allen, Founder, The AI Journal, said: "I am confident that ultimately the changes brought by AI will improve people's lives. AI can be a force for good in this new and scary world that we are stepping into. It can help us to be more efficient, it can help us to develop new products and services, and it can help us to change our business models for the better. "But there are also challenges ahead - many of the sticking points that we saw before the pandemic still remain, with the key issues being a lack of support at board level, legacy technologies, and an under-skilled workforce." AI in a Post-COVID-19 World is based on an online survey of AI experts and practitioners, and business leaders in both tech and non-tech organisations, carried out by The AI Journal during July and August 2020. Further input was sought from survey respondents and other members of the AI community in compiling the report. AI in a Post-Covid-19 World provides six solutions to the challenges faced by AI, as identified by business and technology leaders: Training and education Positive communications campaigns A focus on ethics and regulation Government support A focus on improving legacy systems A greater provision of support communities for AI developers Notes: The full findings can be read in AI in a Post-COVID-19 World. About The AI Journal The AI Journal is an information hub for all news, reports, interviews, and events about AI and emerging technology. We don't just report our take on current AI related news, we get expert opinions to give you an inside look on how these new technologies work. The AI Journal was founded in February 2020 with its readers at the centre of its content, the events that it runs, and the reports that it publishes. By being part of The AI Journal community you can expect to make more informed decisions to add greater value to your customers. Tom Allen +44 (0)77 255 621 78 Military members and veterans can get up to four free months of Apple Music through the Apple Music military discount -- but... Panto is on! This year's pantomime will go ahead at the Gaiety Theatre - that's despite border restrictions preventing the production company visiting the Island. UK-based Shone Productions Ltd has a three year contract for the annual occasion. The production company has confirmed it will use an all-Island cast and it will be directed virtually. Border restrictions currently mean actors and producers off-Island are unable to enter the Island. The Manx Government says it has reached an agreement with Shone Productions to extend their contract by one year to include the 2022 festive season. The changes mean this year's panto will be Sleeping Beauty instead of Snow White. Belarus Interior Ministry said 150 protesters were detained on Saturday and over 350 more on Sunday, when protests spanned 22 cities in the biggest challenge yet to Alexander Lukashenko, who claimed a sixth term in office in an election in August widely seen as rigged. About 100,000 demonstrators marched in the Belarusian capital of Minsk on Sunday, demanding the resignation of Mr Lukashenko, who has cracked down hard on opposition and independent news media during 26 years in power. According to the Viasna human rights group, the clampdown on the protesters this weekend was not as violent as before. Repressions get stuck when more than 100,000 people take to the streets, Viasna head Ales Bialiatski said. The authorities scare tactics dont work anymore. Hundreds of thousands of Belarusians have been protesting daily since the August 9 presidential election, which officials claim handed Mr Lukashenko a victory with 80% of the vote. Advertisement Both opposition members and some poll workers say the vote was rigged, and the United States and the European Union have condemned the election as neither free nor fair. Many European countries have refused to recognise Mr Lukashenko as the legitimate leader after his unexpected inauguration earlier this week. During the first days after the election, police used tear gas, truncheons and rubber bullets to disperse crowds. Some protesters died, many were injured and nearly 7,000 were detained. Amid international outrage over the violent suppression of the protests, Belarusian authorities switched to prosecuting top activists. Belarusian authorities have opened a criminal probe into members of the Co-ordination Council, created by the opposition to push for a peaceful transition of power, on the charges of undermining national security. Many members have been arrested or forced to leave the country. On Monday, Svetlana Alexievich, the winner of the 2015 Nobel Prize in literature and the only member of the councils executive presidium still free in Belarus, left for Germany. The council told The Associated Press that Ms Alexievich will spend a month in Germany and receive medical treatment, then she plans to travel to Italy and come back to Belarus. The council also reported that the health of Maxim Znak, another top council member who was jailed earlier this month and has been on hunger strike since September 18, took a sharp turn for the worse. It urged authorities to release Mr Znak and make quality medical treatment available to him and urged Mr Znak himself to stop the strike. Reva Feldman, the city manager of Malibu, California, presented to them the strategies her city and Los Angeles County adopted in the wake of the 2018 Woolsey Fire, which burned over 150,000 acres and led to the evacuation of over a quarter-million people. Head of Operations of Forestry Commission, Charles Owusu has called on the security agencies to lawfully deal with the Western Togoland secession group. Members of the secessionist group on Friday, September 25, 2020 blocked major roads in Volta Region, leaving passengers traveling to areas in the Region stranded. The group also attacked Police stations at Aveyime and Mepe amidst demands for the Volta Region to be an autonomous country known as "Western Togoland". They want to become a sovereign nation but their action, according to law, is treasonable. Speaking on Peace FM's 'Kokrokoo' programme, Charles Owusu called on the security agencies to exercise the laws of the land. To him, the Western Togoland secessionists have been pampered for too long and it's about time they were made to face the full rigors of the law. "The security agencies in the country must step up their game. We should let them know there are laws in the country. The law must be exercised on them; we shouldn't play around them . . . The National Security should up their game," he told host Kwami Sefa Kayi. Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Its the eve of the first presidential debate of this unprecedentedly cacophonous election season. The race was shaken up just last week by the death of liberal Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. And today, theres a new concussion. The New York Times lands the holy grail of journalism in the Trump era: a history of this larcenous Presidents personal income taxes. The searing report details malfeasance on several levels, and promises to give both moderator Chris Wallace and challenger Joe Biden lots to talk about at the first meeting of the candidates. (The debate begins at 11am AEST on Wednesday.) Donald Trump and Joe Biden are set to face off in the first of the presidential debates this week. Credit:AP Like everything else in this unusual campaign, everything we knew about debates has gone out the window. There will be no audience for the candidates to debate before. There will accordingly be no clapping or laughter, cheers or groans. President Trump has done his opponent a favour by nicknaming him "Sleepy Joe"; in debate strategy, this is known as lowering expectations, but its generally something you want to do for yourself, not your opponent. (Trump, back-pedalling, now suggests that if Biden does well in the debate it will be because he is using drugs.) In recent US political history, debate moments that affect a campaign are highly unusual and generally arent recognised at the time. Only later, for example, in 1960, did it become apparent that then vice-president Richard Nixon looked swarthy and grim next to a charming and shiny John F. Kennedy in the first modern political debates, broadcast on the newfangled thing called television. In 1980, then-candidate Ronald Reagan, whose image was that of a not-too-bright warmonger, presented an affable mien and dismissed attacks from then-president Jimmy Carter with a genial "There he goes again." MILWAUKEE, Sept. 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Ademi LLP is investigating WPX (NYSE: WPX) for possible breaches of fiduciary duty and other violations of the law in connection with the sale to Devon. Click here to learn how to join the action: http://ademilaw.com/case/wpx-energy or call Guri Ademi toll-free at 866-264-3995. There is no cost or obligation to you. Ademi LLP alleges WPX's financial outlook is improving and yet shareholders will receive only 0.5165 shares of Devon common stock for each share of WPX common stock owned. The merger agreement unreasonably limits competing bids for WPX by prohibiting solicitation of further bids, and imposing a termination penalty if WPX accepts a superior bid. WPX insiders will receive millions of dollars as part of change of control arrangements. We are investigating the conduct of WPX's board of directors, and whether they are (i) fulfilling their fiduciary duties to all shareholders, and (ii) obtaining a fair and reasonable price for WPX. If you own common stock in WPX and wish to obtain additional information, please contact Guri Ademi either at [email protected] or toll-free: 866-264-3995, or http://ademilaw.com/case/wpx-energy. We specialize in shareholder litigation involving buyouts, mergers, and individual shareholder rights throughout the country. For more information, please feel free to call us. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes. Contacts Ademi & O'Reilly, LLP Guri Ademi Toll Free: (866) 264-3995 Fax: (414) 482-8001 SOURCE Ademi LLP Some appreciate her devout faith. Others think her nomination should wait until after the presidential election. Outside a church after Sunday mass in the deep south state of Mississippi, US Catholics were split on President Donald Trump's choice of Amy Coney Barrett for the US Supreme Court. Country-wide, religious conservatives have roundly welcomed the choice of Barrett, who says her Catholic faith guides her approach to the law, to replace strident progressive Ruth Bader Ginsburg on the high court. Hoping it will aid his reelection, Trump wants the Senate to quickly approve 48-year-old Barrett before the November 3 vote, tilting the court towards the right for possibly decades. That, conservatives hope, could put the court on the path to outlawing abortion, with Barrett, who strongly opposes the procedure, the decisive vote. "Abortion is definitely one of the big issues. Some of my friends are going for Republicans because of the abortion issue," said Kathleen Feyen, 87, as she exited the Christ the King church in Jackson on Sunday. - A church on every corner - Churches of every denomination, large and small, some neatly kept with proud steeples and others under humble gables with peeling paint, hold places at nearly every street crossing in Mississippi's capital. The state is one of the most religious in the country. According to the Pew Forum, 82 percent of the three million Mississippians believe firmly in the existence of God; three-quarters pray at least once a day. And 59 percent believe abortion should be illegal in most cases. Yet it doesn't make voters here absolutely committed to backing Trump over Democratic rival Joe Biden, himself one of the roughly 20 percent of Americans who are Catholic. "I'm certainly against abortion" said Feyen, her view reflecting the official position of the Catholic Church. But "that is not the only issue" of the election, she said. She criticized Trump's administration for not helping the poor and needy. "We are killing people in many ways by not taking care of them," she said. People in the United States are dying "because they don't have medical care ... because they're left alone." - Barrett 'lives the faith' - Feyen thinks filling the seat left by Ginsburg, a champion of women's rights who died on September 18, should wait until after the election. A few steps away, a group of African-American worshippers, who would not give their names, said they hoped the Senate would block Barrett's nomination. But Derek Singleton, a black civil servant wearing an elegant green suit for Sunday's mass, took a different view. "I am a Roman Catholic, I don't believe in abortion on demand," he said, calling the practice "not morally right." Barrett is "devout," he said. "She lives the faith. And it's one thing to talk, you have to live the faith," he continued, pointing to her dedication to raising a family with seven children. Like Singleton, many African-Americans in Mississippi have conservative values, even if they generally vote for Democrats, according to historian Stephanie Rolph. By contrast, she notes, whites in the Deep South are largely Republican, but those that vote Democrat are generally more liberal than blacks. That presents a challenge for Biden as he battles Trump for voter support. Anxious not to put anyone off, the Democrat has discreetly avoided the abortion issue while criticizing Barrett's nomination. Instead, he is focusing on her expected stance against wider government-provided health care. For George Jones III, a 77-year-old black man who converted to Catholicism, it's not a question of moral values, but of mixing religion and politics. In the Catholic church, he said, they don't talk about politics in mass. "There is a constitutional requirement (of separation) between state as well as religion," he said. "I think we should have followed that." Search Keywords: Short link: Jerick Martin was a fit and healthy man when he was admitted to intensive care where he spent most of his time in an induced coma on a ventilator. Mr Martin has shared the details of his experience with the disease in order to encourage those who hear it to understand the virus does not care that you are young, fit and healthy. I caught Covid-19 and within five days of experiencing my first symptoms I was admitted to hospital, where I spent 68 days in intensive care, most of that time on a ventilator, in an induced coma. This disease does not care that you are young, fit and healthy. It does not care that you have a family who love you and who are waiting for you to come home. Anyone can catch it, and anyone can become very sick, Mr Martin said. Advertisement I know from personal experience how dangerous this virus is. I was a fit and healthy man in my thirties, working and enjoying my life with my wife and my daughter, he said. I caught Covid-19 and within five days of experiencing my first symptoms I was admitted to hospital, where I spent 68 days in intensive care, most of that time on a ventilator, in an induced coma. Organ failure Mr Martin described his experience with the disease as a traumatic one for his and his family. I was told by my doctor that I would be in the induced coma for a few days, but I actually woke up two months later. The impact of that is very frightening and it will have long-lasting effects, Mr Martin said. My wife says this was a living hell for her. She thought I was going to die, and the hospital had to ring her twice to tell her that I might not live. Being in an induced coma on a ventilator means that you are unconscious and a machine has to breathe for you. I had multi-organ failure, and my family had to cope with me being unable to respond to them, unable to hear them, surrounded by machinery and tubes in a hospital bed. Advertisement My wife says this was a living hell for her. She thought I was going to die, and the hospital had to ring her twice to tell her that I might not live. Mr Martin said though he was grateful to be alive, he was concerned about the long-term effects of the virus that he still has to contend with. Even now, my life and my health have changed. I lost three and a half stone in weight. I have diabetes, shortness of breath and hypertension. I did not have these conditions before. I am very grateful to be alive, and I would like people to realise the effect that Covid-19 can easily have on you, he said. I eventually began to recover, thanks to the staff in Beaumont Hospital and the family and friends who prayed for me, and I was able to go home. Even now, my life and my health have changed. I lost three and a half stone in weight. I have diabetes, shortness of breath and hypertension. I did not have these conditions before. Now, I need an inhaler and I am short of breath going up or down the stairs. I dont know what the longer term effects are going to be. I am asking now for everyone to be careful. Take this virus very seriously. Horror master Sam Raimi launched the scary series 50 States of Fright on Quibi in April. Its back with new episodes in time for Halloween. A Quiet Place writers Scott Beck and Bryan Woods wrote and directed Iowa: Almost There. While they were working on the episode together, Raimi even contemplated giving Beck and Woods a whole movie. 50 States of Fright: Iowa Almost There | Quibi Beck and Woods spoke with Showbiz Cheat Sheet about their episode, Iowa, starring Taissa Farmiga and Ron Livingston. New episodes of 50 States of Fright, including Iowa, are streaming this week on Quibi. Could Sam Raimi have produced the next movie from the creators of A Quiet Place? Woods recalled developing Iowa: Almost There in the office right across the hall from Raimi. The episode deals with a legend theyd heard growing up in the Midwest, and their fear of heights. Farmiga plays an engineer repairing a turbine, haunted by ghosts from her past. Taissa Farmiga | Quibi RELATED: Doctor Strange 2 Director Sam Raimi Made an Awesome Western The Quick and the Dead You Should Totally Watch One day he came into our office and hes like, I dont know, guys. Should we have done this Turbine Tower episode as an entire feature film? Woods said. We were like oh shoot, maybe we should have because short form narrative storytelling was new for us. That was part of the fun. It was part of the challenge to see if we could whittle our episode down into short bites and that was the fun of working with Quibi as well. A horror short was the point of 50 States of Fright Ultimately, Beck and Woods embraced the format of Raimis anthology series. Theyve had feature films like A Quiet Place and Haunt. This was a chance to do an episode in under 30 minutes (divided into 3 Quibis.) I think we love the idea of doing short form, whether its 50 States of Fright, or something like one of our favorite series like Black Mirror, Beck said. Its certainly a challenge to figure out how do you distill your storytelling into the most basic form? So that youre able to achieve a character arc and setup and a payoff, all within that short window. We just love the ability to throw ourselves into whatever small stories that we might have at the recess at the back of our minds. The definition of a feature film may be in flux as we spoke, Woods pointed out. L-R: Bryan Woods, Taissa Farmiga, Scott Beck | Quibi RELATED: Why Are Marvel Fans Freaking Out Over Sam Raimi Directing Doctor Strange in the Multiverss of Madness? Theres something interesting happening though in film right now where you look at theres this new feature on Shudder called Host, Woods said. Its 60 minutes, but its a feature. Its riding that line between is this a feature or a short. I dont know. Everythings kind of just stories now. Its kind of cool to watch the technology strip away the formality of what we all grew up thinking the form was. [Streaming is] tearing down the barriers between television and short films and feature films. What Scott Beck and Bryan Woods learned from Sam Raimi Raimi will always be a hero in the horror world thanks to his Evil Dead movies. Beck and Woods also praised his return to the genre with Drag Me to Hell. Raimi had blockbuster success with the Spider-Man movies too. So, Beck and Woods were impressed to see their hero still had the same filmmaker worries they had. Is it possible for something to feel dated and too soon at the same time? Watching The Comey Rule, Showtimes two-part limited series (premiering tonight) about former FBI Director Jim Comeys rocky four-year tenure straddling the Obama and Trump administrations, is in some ways like stepping into a distant period piece. In the opening minutes, we meet Comey on the morning of his job interview with Obama at the White House. Comey (played by Jeff Daniels) stares into his closet, mulling which navy suit to wear. His wife eventually picks one for him. The banality of the moment, the fat luxury of that concern What, no masks? No wildfires raging? No protesters marching and helicopters circling? is almost comical. A few scenes later, the action shifts to the Oval Office. Off-camera we hear a familiar-sounding voice, a warm baritone that slices into the consciousness like a razor. President Obama (Kingsley Ben-Adir, admirably game in the role) is on the phone, reassuring some governor or other public official somewhere out there in his America that help is on the way. Then he welcomes Comey a Republican whos previously served in the Geroge W. Bush administration with a firm handshake, eye contact, civilized conversation. Its 2013. Eight years ago. But a time that feels so close you could touch it, like its all happening on the other side of a sliding glass door. Knowing the cascade of chaos and misfortune that descends in the near future, you might have to look away from the screen. The Comey Rule is not a perfect show, but then James Comey is not a perfect guy. He seems to know as much, having confessed in his 2017 memoir, A Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies, and Leadership, on which this dramatization is based, that he can be stubborn, prideful, overconfident, and driven by ego. For anyone who left that book unable to square such self-awareness with the authors refusal to cop to his bungled handling of the Hillary Clinton email probe in which he made not one but two unprecedented public statements about the investigation in the precarious weeks preceding the 2016 election, first that her conduct, while not criminal, was extremely careless, then that the bureau would be suddenly reopening the case this historical moment wont be an easy place to revisit. Story continues The producers seem to share this ambivalence about their hero. Our narrative guide through the series, and the first character we meet, is not Comey but a weaselly Rod Rosenstein (Scoot McNairy), the Deputy Attorney General who drafted the so-called Comey memo justifying the directors firing in 2017. Off the bat, he calls Comey a showboat and a Boy Scout. Indeed, in the early going, the man comes off as a kind of pious schoolboy in custom suits (presumably the guys 6-foot-8). The script seizes on details recounted in the book: that Comey was a New Age-y boss who instructed his 37,000 FBI employees in an introductory speech to love someone its good for you. He likes to disarm people by asking them what their favorite Halloween candy is. When he gets angry, he says something frosts him. He doesnt know what a golden shower is, bless his heart. He can also be haughty, even when hes well-intentioned. Daniels plays his rectitude on a spectrum that ranges from pensive and priestly to rigidly performative. The story hits all the inflection points of the 2016 election and its aftermath: Russias hack of the DNC; Pizzagate; Attorney General Loretta Lynchs impromptu meeting with Bill Clinton on a tarmac in Phoenix; the discovery of Clinton emails on a laptop belonging to Anthony Weiner; the Steele dossier. Comey and his team are like a staggered boxer in the ring, being battered with crises. Every time they pull themselves off the canvas, theyre hit with an uppercut. Along the way, were introduced to a murderers row of actors doing their best West Wing: House of Cards alum Michael Kelly as Andrew McCabe; an underutilized Holly Hunter as Attorney General Sally Yates (she mostly gets to offer cornball platitudes about justice and government to an intern, a.k.a. the audience); William Sadler as General Michael Flynn; Breaking Bads Jonathan Banks as Director of National Intelligence James Clapper. Theres a dizzying assault of characters and national security-rocking incidents, but it all hums with the energy of a well-oiled political drama. But its when Donald Trump arrives that the series tension ratchets up and the jaw-clenching, tooth-grinding anxiety sets in. Played with a growly, lion-like intensity by the great Brendan Gleeson, Trump is a man that undoes Comeys belief in codes and norms, makes him squirm. Daniels is finest in their moments together, projecting Comeys deep discomfort with a stiff lip and a constipated expression. Where Comey is all enlightenment philosophy and intellect, Trump is an animal. Gleeson captures his rabidness, never more so than in a press conference monologue that zooms in close on his face. The twitching brows and the darting eyes, the snarling lips, the breathy delivery, the rambling self-flattery and nonsensical asides its all there. We dont need to tell you how Comey and Trumps relationship sours, or how this story ends. Its as gut-wrenching fictionalized as it was in real life. Whats perhaps more painful is being reminded that a smart, honorable man who only wanted to stop the bad guys opened the floodgates to them by believing that he was the moral compass of the FBI and even the U.S. government at large that, upon seeing a deep, dark problem bubbling up in our democracy, he alone could fix it. More from Rolling Stone See where your favorite artists and songs rank on the Rolling Stone Charts. Sign up for Rolling Stones Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Vaishali Vijaykumar By Express News Service CHENNAI: The scent of pushpanjali and parijat flowers, the rhythmic recital of dhaks accompanied by the dhunuchi dance and the synchroni sed chanting of mantras permeate the air filled with the fragrance of earthy dhoop for its that time of the year when the little Bengal in Chennai comes alive. With grand decorations, sumptuous bhog and magnificent idols of Goddess Durga, the city revels in Pujo festivities that are often considered a marker of social concourse. But, with the COVID-19 pandemic shadow over the annual celebrations, the usual joyous preparations for Pujo seem to carry a tad sombre mood. Downsizing idols Like many other seasonal businesses, the virus has robbed the artisans of their livelihood. Rinku Pal and his four men are among the many idol makers who come to Chennai during every Pujo and reside in the Madras Kali Bari Temple. A native of Kolkatas Diamond Harbour, Rinku is the third-generation of idol-makers, who rely solely on this profession to make their ends meet. Carrying forward the legacy left by his father Kishori Pal, who visited the city for Pujo since 1982, he says, We usually come four months before Durga Puja. We get busy with Vishwakarma Puja and Ganesh Chathurthi. But, things have been extremely difficult this year. We came only in September. Work is happening at a slow pace, orders are limited and we had a hard time procuring raw materials. Its been a washout year for most festivals, spelling financial disaster for Rinku and his ilk. Orders for Durga idols have trickled down from 30 to 12, and the size has shrunken from the standard five feet to two or four. We sell the idols as a complete set comprising Goddess Durga along with Lord Ganesha, Lord Kartikeya, and Goddesses Lakshmi and Saraswati. Each idol takes several hours to dry. Overall, a set takes 20 days to complete. Clay is expensive in Chennai, so we bring it from the banks of Ganga river and mix it with the red soil here to get a smooth finish. Once the idol is ready, we paint and decorate it. Each set is priced from Rs 40,000, explains Rinku. Low-key festivities Not just Rinku, other artists who look forward to Pujo for making money are equally bearing the brunt. Like the dhakis who come down from the suburbs of Kolkata to entertain people here. Durga Puja is a festival that is incomplete without the rhythmic beats of dhak, the cylindrical, barrelshaped traditional instrument. Suspended from the neck, the instrument is played with a wooden stick. The sound is said to please Goddess Durga. People dance to the beats along with dhakis dressed in colourful kurtas and starched dhotis. Dhak is an important part of all pujas. Since we dont have a clear picture of the function yet, were contemplating whether or not to bring the dhakis. Its also not possible to arrange for local players because they cannot match the beats. Its an art, explains Soumya Guha Thakurta, secretary, The Bengal Association T Nagar. Dance, drama, competitions...Pujo usually has a line-up of exciting activities for patrons. Kids perform in plays. Ladies begin rehearsals for their dance performances at respective houses months before the puja. Theatre artistes begin with their drama production. Everything has taken a backseat and recorded videos will be made available online on official social media pages of the associations for people. Bengalis love art and literature, and Pujo has been a great opportunity to showcase our talent, says Prakalapa Bhattacharya, who has been a priest for the past 20 years and is an active member of various associations. He also writes scripts and takes part in drama with his son. A safe celebration Despite the gloom, Bengalis in the city are leaving no stone unturned to welcome their Ma. Preparations have commenced in full swing by following all safety measures. We have been posting updates regarding the puja on our official Facebook pages and WhatsApp groups. The executive members are divided on the opinion as to how much one can compromise (on safety). Our members are our responsibility and every association has its set of hygiene protocols in place, asserts Jaypal Menon, secretary, DCPCA, Shollinganallur. While social distancing is antithetical to the idea of a festival, the Madras Kali Bari Temple in West Mambalam, which will be celebrating the 53rd Durga Puja, understands the repercussions if it is not followed. Well avoid many of the public rituals like sprinkling of the holy water or giving flowers to the devotees. We will follow the government-issued SOP, assures Pallab Sinha, the temple secretary. Others like Besant Nagars South Madras Cultural Association will hire a huge auditorium, as usual, even as they await government orders to plan the scale of celebrations. The Dakshini Society in Anna Nagar too is expected to follow the new norms from social distancing and crowd control to temperature check laid down by the Central and state governments, says its secretary Mukul Dasgupta. But the show must go on, they believe. A digital makeover Rituals, pujas and darshans will be broadcast on social media channels, bringing the community together even as they remain distant. The-five day celebrations, which begin with Maha Sashti on October 22 and end with Bijaya Dashami on October 26, will not lose its significance, the associations assure. A formal invitation comprising the list of events is being circulated on social media groups to its members. Sashti, Saptami, Ashtami, Nabami and Dashami. I will be performing puja on all days at The Bengali Association in T Nagar. As of now, we plan to livestream for people to take part from home with their families. They can perform their pujas on a small-scale by reciting the mantras. This will also be helpful to Bengalis living abroad, shares Prakalpa. Artisans from West Bengal preparing Durga idols ahead of the festival Ashwin Prasath The feast comes first But even a pandemic cannot take away the spirit of bonhomie that comes with bhog. To keep their members prayer and palate satiated, associations have been brainstorming ways to ensure bhog is delivered at their doorstep. Bengalis love their food, especially bhog. It is usually served to the guests in an authentic sit-down manner. This custom is said to bring people together regardless of their social strata. Usually, we bring chefs from Bengal, but this year, it will be prepared by cooks from Chennai. The modality of food delivery is not decided, says Soumya. Echoing a similar approach, the Korattur Pooja Association, Dakshini Society, South Madras Cultural Association, Madras Kali Bari Temple, DCPCA and other associations will be offering prashadam and bhog in takeaway style to keep people from gathering at the venue. The Madras Kali Bari Temple and The Bengali Association will continue their annual annadhanam for the underprivileged children. The regular food stalls will be out of the roaster, given the risks it brings in. Pandal-hoppers eagerly look forward to the food stalls serving staples ranging from egg rolls to flavoured roshogulla. The beauty is that both vegetarian and non-vegetarian food is served. These are the five days when we dont cook at home because theres a never-ending list of items wed get to try. Bengalis crave authentic cuisine, which isnt available in many restaurants. This is the only change to savour everything under one roof. Home chefs also get to make money out of it. This wouldve been a great platform for small-scale businesses, rues Prakalpa. A puja like never before Despite adopting these sensible solutions, there is much to yearn for in this years celebrations, it seems. For Sangeetha Dey, gathering at the puja, sitting and talking for hours with friends she would be meeting after months, dressing up for the occasion these are the things she would miss. I dont know how Ill be able to wear a sari and sit in front of a mobile or laptop. So maybe well visit the puja venue once or twice; we can probably just see it from outside. We can, perhaps, call a few other close friends and go to the beach, she shares. With other associations in the city having their plans, they might visit their puja too, adds the member of SMCA. Prakalpa is pleased by the increase in the number of places that have started to celebrate Durga Puja. Last year, 50 places in the city performed Pujo. Even educational institutions made it a gala affair. Our members would go on a trip around the city to different places to meetand- greet. It upholds our Bengali sentiments and evokes the nostalgia of home. The immersion of idols in Palavakkam beach is another beautiful sight one wouldnt want to miss, he reminisces. Pallab feels that beyond all these practical problems, it is the human side of the celebrations that they will miss the most this year. Durga Puja is more of a social festival than a religious one. People get to meet each other for three-four days, go out and offer their prayers together and linger just to mingle and savour the atmosphere. We have the dhak. This time, our regular dhaki is not coming. So, were trying to get somebody else. This will also be a part of the festivities. But the atmosphere that is created would be missing this time. In our temple, we would have more than 1,500 people visiting per day every year. That, we will miss. Besides, given the monetary or human losses many have suffered, not many would be in the celebratory mood either. Thats the reason they have cut down on the festivities, he shares. The overall idea is to not break the chain of having celebrated the festival for over two decades, says Mukul. We want to do this puja because we are emotionally attached to the festival. But, at the same time, safety is very important; we will not compromise anything in this regard, he concludes. Pinning their hopes on the goddess, the members plan to wait till October first week to get a clear picture with unlock 5.0 guidelines. Will mother Durga slay Coronasura? Only time will tell. (Inputs from Kannalmozhi Kabilan) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Isabelle Sciamma (Agence France-Presse) Milan, Italy Mon, September 28, 2020 14:32 481 e22cd4161040e111d73a5626c47ad86a 2 Lifestyle Milan-Fashion-Week,fashion,Milan,Italy,valentino,Etro Free Face masks may have been the standout accessory at Milan fashion week, but designers who defied the coronavirus pandemic to put on shows dispelled gloom with love letters to Italy and sunnier times. The week ended Sunday with Valentino, which had moved its catwalk from Paris this season as a show of support for an Italy devastated by the virus earlier this year. Here is a round-up of the top three Spring-Summer 2021 trends: Read also: Virtual catwalks for Armani and Prada during fashion week Italy my love Whether or not people will be permitted to travel to Italy next summer, they can be transported there through their wardrobes. Dolce&Gabbana paid homage to the designers' beloved Sicily, with a patchwork collection evoking the island's warmth and colors, while Etro was inspired by the picturesque Amalfi coast. "I started the collection during the lockdown," designer Veronica Etro said before her show. "Like everyone else, I was at home doing housework. And my mother and I restored an old record player and started listening to old Neapolitan songs, and we were bewitched by the serenity, timelessness and elegance. "Then I started thinking about a trip I made in 2019 to Ischia, Capri, Naples and Positano, and -- maybe because we were feeling so patriotic then -- I thought, okay, let's do the collection on Italy," she said. Silky caftans in sorbet colors, patterned bikini tops and straw hats suggested walks on the beach before enjoying chic aperitifs. Pucci instead headed for the island of Capri, distilling the fashion house's signature prints and '60s silhouettes -- including its famous Canzone del Mare pattern -- in pastel sheer silks and organzas. Max Mara's creative director Ian Griffiths thought not of seaside pleasures but summer in Italy's art cities and the Renaissance, with hexagonal motifs mimicking the mosaic floors of the country's cathedrals. Retrospection, reinterpretation The nationwide lockdown also appears to have prompted Italy's luxury brands to dust off their archives and reinterpret key pieces from the past. Versace led the way, with Donatella Versace building on Gianni Versace's "tresor de la mer" collection for Spring 1992, with its starfish, coral and seashell motifs. At Fendi, the collection was inspired by the finely embroidered household linen owned by designer Silvia Venturini Fendi's family. Over at Marni, coats made from up-cycled pieces from previous collections were then hand-painted with words that designer Francesco Risso collected from exchanges he had with friends and his team during lockdown. Dolce&Gabbana used remnants of fabric from previous seasons to lower the environmental impact of their show. Read also: Indonesian fashion house highlights batik at Milan Fashion Week Lockdown lazing It was an oft-heard debate of lockdown: does not leaving the house mean you can stay in your pajamas all day? Italy's designers gave an out to those reluctant to suit up: Armani proposed silk sweatpants, while Fendi paired outfits with slippers. Etro encouraged lounging in caftans and nightgowns, while Max Mara indulged slouchers with hooded sweatshirts. And Valentino provided the cherry on the home-comfort cake with a surprise collaboration with Levi's that produced a coed model of the 517 boot cut jean. Photo: The Canadian Press Amazon.com Inc. will hire 3,500 Canadians to work in spaces it is opening and expanding in British Columbia and Ontario. The e-commerce giant revealed Monday that 3,000 of the jobs will be in Vancouver, where it is growing its footprint, and another 500 will be in Toronto, home of a new Amazon workspace. Jesse Dougherty, Amazons vice-president and Vancouver site lead, said the company wanted to offer the jobs in Canada because the country has an enormous amount of tech talent Amazon is eager to tap into and accommodate at home. I look at it through the lens of how can we grow so that people don't have to leave Canada to learn and take on amazing global challenges that are of a scale that aren't typically available here? he said. The new corporate and tech jobs will include software development engineers, user experience designers, speech scientists working to make Alexa smarter, cloud computing solutions architects, and sales and marketing executives. The bulk of the jobs will be done out of the Post, a Vancouver building where Amazon will take over an extra 63,000 square metres of office space. By 2023 it will be operating across 18 floors it is leasing in the building's north tower and 17 in its south tower. Vancouver has long been seen as an attractive Canadian outpost for companies because of its proximity to the U.S. and major tech hubs including Silicon Valley and Amazons headquarters in Seattle. The company will also welcome new workers in Toronto, where it will lease 12,000 square metres over five floors at an 18 York St. building that is not far from investors on Bay Street. It hopes workers will be in the building next summer. Amazons renewed interest in its corporate and tech workforce and footprint in the country comes after focusing the bulk of its efforts in the market on its network of 16 fulfilment centres 13 already in operation and another three coming in Hamilton, Ajax and Ottawa, Ont. Those centres have faced homegrown competition from Shopify Inc., an Ottawa-based e-commerce business that has shot up the Toronto Stock Exchange to hold the title of countrys most valuable company several times this year. While it was long known for providing the back-end for companies to sell goods online, Shopify launched its own fulfilment network in 2019 and bulked up its presence in Vancouver with 1,000 hires and a new office earlier this year. Dougherty doesnt appear to be nervous about Shopify. Amazon works in lots and lots of different businesses and all of them are highly competitive and we welcome that because it inevitably creates better experiences, he said. There are other benefits to having other tech companies raise the bar in markets we work in because it educates more talent, you can move around and it creates more economic activity. Amazon has invested more than $11 billion in Canada, including infrastructure and compensation, delivered $9 billion to the countrys economy and helped create at least 67,000 jobs, he said. By Trend The armed forces of Armenia, using various types of weapons, including heavy artillery, fired on settlements, as well as military positions of Azerbaijan from several directions on September 27, 2020, which led to casualties and injuries among the civilian population and military personnel, Azerbaijani Embassy in Russia said in its statement, Trend reports. "The responsibility for the current aggravation of the situation completely falls on the military-political leadership of Armenia, whose actions caused the July events in the Tovuz districts direction, as a result of which Azerbaijani servicemen and civilians died, and the capture of the commander of a sabotage group sent to commit terrorist acts in August by the Azerbaijani military, the statement reads. According to the embassy, attempts to change the format of negotiations, the Armenian prime-ministers "Karabakh is Armenia, and that's it" statement, the "inauguration" of the head of the puppet regime in the cradle of Azerbaijani culture, the ancient city of Shusha, the decision to transfer here the so-called parliament led to the disruption of negotiations within the framework of the peace process. As the embassy further said, other reasons for the disruption were the statement of the Armenian prime minister on the establishment of "volunteer" military units, the conduct of military exercises, the destruction of the cultural and historical monuments of Azerbaijan in the occupied territories, as well as the policy of Armenia on the illegal settlement of these territories, which according to international humanitarian law is a war crime. Armenia's goal is to preserve the status quo in the occupied territories by any means, as well as to divert the attention of the country's own population from very serious social and economic problems, the embassy noted. In his appeal to the Azerbaijani people, President Ilham Aliyev stated that Azerbaijan has no military targets on the territory of Armenia, defends its territorial integrity, and openly pursues its policy. He stressed that Nagorno Karabakh is the ancestral historical Azerbaijani land and the whole world recognizes it as an integral part of Azerbaijan, the embassy also reminded. We have repeatedly declared in the media, expert and political circles that the Azerbaijani people will never accept the loss of their lands and the pearl of Karabakh Shusha, the embassy said. Unfortunately, many years of negotiations on the return of territories by peaceful means didnt lead to success and, accordingly, Azerbaijan is forced to use its legal right for self-defense in accordance with the UN Charter and make the aggressor liberate the Azerbaijani lands. Azerbaijan cannot endlessly conduct fruitless negotiations, put up with the occupation of 20 percent of its territory and the presence of a million refugees and internally displaced persons, of whom almost 300,000 were expelled from Armenia itself, the embassy pointed out. The embassy in its statement called on diaspora organizations operating in Russia to treat the current situation with understanding and to act within the framework of the adopted norms and laws of the Russian Federation. It should also be noted that within just one day we received more than 50 applications from our compatriots who expressed a desire to defend their Motherland, the embassy said. Expressing deep gratitude for the displayed patriotism, dedication, and solidarity, we inform you that the Azerbaijani army is capable of independently solving any tasks to liberate the occupied territories. The embassy expressed condolences to the families and close relatives of the killed Azerbaijani servicemen and civilians. The Armenian armed forces committed a large-scale provocation, subjecting the positions of the Azerbaijani army to intensive shelling from large-caliber weapons, mortars, and artillery installations of various calibers in the front-line zone on Sept. 27 at 06:00 (GMT+4). The command of the Azerbaijani Army decided to launch a counter-offensive operation of Azerbaijani troops along the entire front to suppress the combat activity of the Armenian armed forces and ensure the safety of the civilian population. Azerbaijani Defense Minister, Colonel-General Zakir Hasanov said Sept. 27, 2020, that Ashaghi Abdulrahmanli, Garakhanbeyli, Garvend, Kend Horadiz, Yukhari Abdulrahmanli villages of Fizuli district, Boyuk Marjanli and Nuzgar villages of Jabrayil district were liberated. Moreover, the positions of the Armenian armed forces were destroyed in the direction of the Agdere district and Murovdag, important heights were taken under control. The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on the withdrawal of its armed forces from Nagorno Karabakh and the surrounding districts. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz Plane crash in Kharkiv region: businessman Pavlo Fuks will pay UAH 100 thousand to each family of crash victims Ukrainian businessman and philanthropist Pavlo Fuks will donate 100,000 hryvnias to each family of the killed officers and cadets of the Ivan Kozhedub Kharkiv National Air Force University. He stated this in his blog on Telegram. A Ukrainian military plane carrying aviation school students crashed and burst into flames on Friday evening, September 25 near Chuhuiv, Kharkiv, while landing. There were were 7 crew members and 20 cadets of the Ivan Kozhedub Kharkiv National Air Force University on board. Among those 27 people who were on board, only one survived cadet Viacheslav Zolochevskyi. A military plane crashed last night near Chuhuiv, Kharkiv region, while landing. Officers and cadets of the Ivan Kozhedub Kharkiv National Air Force University were on board. It is impossible to imagine the grief that the relatives of the victims faced. The whole country mourns with you. I decided to support the families of those killed in a military plane crash.My representatives will contact the relatives of the victims to arrange the payment of 100,000 hryvnias to each family, Fuks wrote. Now that's something you don't see very often - or at all for that matter. The Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max tops our trending chart for a second week in a row, despite still being at least a couple of weeks away from going official. We have a new runner-up with the newly announced Samsung Galaxy S20 FE, knocking the Poco X3 NFC down to third. The Samsung Galaxy M51 retains the fourth position, while the newly announced Poco X3 (the non-NFC version) shot straight to fifth. The Samsung Galaxy A51 is seventh with flanked by the Redmi Note 9 pair - the Pro is sixth and the vanilla is down to eight. The Google Pixel 5 starred in a couple of major leaks this week and that propelled it to the top 10 ahead of its announcement on Wednesday - it finds itself in ninth. The Realme 7 Pro completes the chart, leaving no room for the Apple iPad Air, Realme C17 and Sony Xperia 5 II, which made the top 10 last week but missed out now. A Bucks County mother and daughter admitted Monday that they killed five of their family members, according to the Bucks County District Attorneys office. Shana Selena Decree, 47, and her 21-year-old daughter Dominique Kiaran Decree will serve five consecutive life sentences as part of the negotiated plea, according to a news release. They pleaded guilty but mentally ill to killing their relatives, including three children, in February 2019 in their apartment in Morrisville. Bucks County Chief Deputy District Attorney Christopher W. Rees told the media that he had never dealt with a case as heartbreaking as this." If you have kids, go hug your kids, Rees said, according to the news release. If you have parents who are still around, if you have brothers and sisters go give them a hug. If you cant give them a hug, give them a call, send then a text, send them an email. Between Feb. 23 and Feb. 25, 2019, the pair killed Shana Decrees children, NaaIrah Smith, 25, and Damon Decree Jr., 13, both of Morrisville; as well as Shana Decrees sister, Jamilla Campbell, 42, of Trenton, and Campbells 9-year-old twin daughters, Imani and Erika Allen. The bodies were discovered about 4 p.m. Feb. 25, 2019, in a bedroom inside the Robert Morris Apartments. Bucks County President Judge Wallace H. Bateman, Jr., described the case as horrific and sad at the same time. Autopsies determined Erika Allen, Imani Allen, Damon Decree and NaaIrah Smith were suffocated and Jamilla Campbell was strangled. Decree told investigators that all five victims, including the children, wanted to die. Separate mental health professionals determined Shana and Dominique Decree were guilty but mentally ill at the time of the murders. About 16 relatives attended the court hearing, with Damon Decree Sr. speaking about the impact of not only losing his son Damon Jr., but also his first-born Dominique to five life sentences. He said he will never get to watch his son grow and do the traditional activities a father does with his son. All he has, Decree Sr. said, is thoughts of what might have been. The one thing that this has brought home to me is that this is all family. Take every last moment and use every last moment to tell your family you love them, Rees said. District Attorney Matt Weintraub said Shana and Dominique Decree would have faced the death penalty were it not for their severe mental illness. As it stands, they both will spend the rest of their lives in prison cells separated from the rest of us, as punishment," Weintraub said. The case was prosecuted by Rees and Deputy District Attorney Kristin McElroy. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to Lehighvalleylive.com. Rudy Miller may be reached at rmiller@lehighvalleylive.com. If theres anything about this story that needs attention, please email him. Follow him on Twitter @RudyMillerLV. Find Easton area news on Facebook. We knew that a lot of Canadians are worried. They have no job to go back to because their sectors have been shut down by COVID-19 Im thinking about tourism, the service sector and hospitality and we know that people need to have paid sick leave so they dont go into work sick, Singh said. Aside from the crucial boost to fiscal aid programs, the Liberals legislation is requesting Parliament to grant the federal administration emergency spending powers on vaccines and other anti-pandemic policies. The bill has also earmarked $1.5 billion to be set aside for provincial training programs aimed at Canadians who are seeking new skills to improve their labour prospects in the new normal. We really were trying to be flexible from the beginning. We landed here because this is where the country is now in terms of the support workers need, said Employment Minister Carla Qualtrough. We have been working with the other parties all along through this process, so I stress urgency because were now rolling up our sleeves to get this past the finish line. According to government estimates, around 2.8 million CERB beneficiaries will be shifting to EI over the next few days. The Ministry of Finance of Ukraine on September 25 redeemed the sixth coupon on external government loan bonds (eurobonds) with maturity until 2032, the ministry has told Interfax-Ukraine. According to the Ministry of Finance, the total amount of the payment was $110.625 million. As reported, Ukraine in September 2017 placed 15-year $3 billion eurobonds, including for the amount of $1.682 billion to exchange them for or redeem the eurobonds with maturity in 2019 and 2020, which were issued as part of debt restructuring in 2015 and the payment of accrued coupon. The new eurobonds were placed at 7.375% per annum. The coupon is paid every six months on March 25 and September 25. Their repayment is scheduled in equal installments of 25% of the principal on March 25 and September 25, 2031, March 25 and September 25, 2032. Huawei chief cinancial officer Meng Wanzhou, seen in May 2020, returns to the British Columbia Supreme Court to fight extradition to the US where she is wanted for alleged bank fraud linked to Iran sanctions Chinese Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou and her lawyers return to a Canadian court on Monday to press for her release, arguing the US misled Canada about her alleged crimes to secure her detention on foreign soil. The defense, according to court filings, will say that the crux of the US charges against Meng -- that she hid Huawei's relationship with former subsidiary Skycom in Iran from HSBC bank -- is false and lacks context. "Putting such a misleading and incomplete record before this court disqualifies it from continuing these proceedings," the document said. The Chinese telecom giant's chief financial officer was arrested on a US warrant in December 2018 during a stopover in Vancouver. She is charged with bank fraud linked to violations of US sanctions against Iran, and has been fighting extradition ever since. The case, meanwhile, has added to severe strain in Sino-US ties and created an unprecedented rift between Canada and China. Nine days after Meng's arrest, China detained former Canadian diplomat Michael Kovrig and businessman Michael Spavor in what is widely viewed as retaliation over Meng. Espionage charges were filed against the pair in June, soon after Meng's first legal setback, when her bid to have the case thrown out was defeated. The past nearly two years of sporadic court appearances have so far seen Meng's attorneys trade barbs with Canadian government lawyers over access to classified documents. The defense also accused US and Canadian authorities of having conspired to gather evidence and interrogate Meng without a lawyer in the hours after she disembarked from a Hong Kong flight but before she was charged, in violation of her rights. The RCMP, they noted, provided serial numbers and technical specifications of her smartphones, tablet and laptop computer to the FBI. "The Attorney General of Canada doesn't accept there was any conspiracy to deprive Ms. Meng of her rights," Crown counsel Robert Frater shot back in July. Story continues "We do not accept there was any violation of Ms. Meng's rights," he said. - The Skycom connection - Despite the Covid-19 outbreak's disruptions of trials at the British Columbia Supreme Court, Meng's case has proceeded by teleconference -- though at a slow pace. At her last hearing in mid-August, however, her lawyers said they expected her to appear in person Monday for the first time in months. US indictments allege that Meng and the world's largest telecoms equipment manufacturer conducted business in Iran in violation of US sanctions through Skycom. The US Justice Department says the Hong Kong-registered firm was a poorly disguised Huawei front company. They note that Skycom employees had Huawei email addresses and badges, and that Skycom's leadership were Huawei employees -- including Meng, who has admitted to serving previously on its board. Huawei also at one point owned a stake in Skycom but sold its shares to another company that the US says also was controlled by Huawei. The US alleges Meng fraudulently concealed all this from HSBC, putting the bank at risk of unknowingly violating Iran sanctions. It pointed to a presentation Meng made in 2013 to an HSBC executive after the British banking group, worried over potential Iran exposure, requested an explanation. But Meng insists she was upfront with the HSBC executive at the Hong Kong tea house meeting. The 48-year-old daughter of Huawei founder Ren Zhengfei has said Skycom was merely a "business partner" in Iran and that Huawei's dealings there did not violate global standards or US law. The company has rejected as "unfounded" these and additional charges filed in February accusing Huawei of stealing technologies from US companies. US officials claim Huawei poses a security risk because of its links to China's government, while Beijing has accused Washington of seeking to crush Huawei. Meng remains under house arrest in Vancouver while the extradition case, which is due to wrap up in March or April 2021, is heard. str-amc/to Bringing Cool Stuff and Awesome Results for 20 years Fully Promoted, the worlds largest branded products and marketing services franchise, is celebrating 20 years in business. The brand launched as EmbroidMe in 2000 as a small, family-owned business known for quality embroidered apparel and branded products. The brand was quickly recognized as the pioneer in the promotional products franchise. In 2017, after years of requests to provide more products and services to help businesses grow and get more customers, the brand became Fully Promoted powered by EmbroidMe. Fully Promoted is a one-stop destination for small and medium sized businesses looking for promotional products and branded apparel. While the brand always provided a wide range of products and services, specifically known for delivering Cool Stuff and Awesome Results, with the name change came additional custom apparel and promotional products to printing services, making the brand stronger than ever. Today, the brand has grown to over 300 franchise locations in more than 11 countries worldwide and has attracted some of the brightest and creative minds in the business. Each Fully Promoted location is independently owned and operated with knowledgeable individuals who will put together the best and most effective promotional products and marketing campaigns that have reached over a million customers over its 20 years. Fully Promoted is Celebrating 20 Years in Business I have been with the brand since inception and its been amazing to see how its evolved over the years. We truly have become the experts in branding and using promotional products in thoughtful and effective ways that benefit our clients, said Mike Brugger, Fully Promoted brand President. With decades of combined experience and global coverage, we have people all of all over the world helping businesses with quality promotional products, marketing ideas and embroidered apparel across every industry. In 2019, the brand expanded further with the introduction Fully Promoted Office, providing customers more access and a host of quality services backed by the Fully Promoted name making it more convenient for customers. With hundreds of locations in the United States and 20 years of experience, we are well positioned to meet customer demand for quality promotions and decorated apparel. The fact we embroider or print at many of our locations continues our 20-year trend of industry leading service, added Brugger. Story continues Most recently, the brand launched its upgraded website to meet increased customer demand. The site allows customers to view products sold nationwide and pick them up at one of the local Fully Promoted locations. We have a promotional product consultant available at all of our locations and chances are there is a location near you said Brugger. As the site grows monthly, the Fully Promoted shopping platform will feature additional promotional products, and marketing ideas for businesses and organizations. A member of the United Franchise Group, Fully Promoted can access more than half a million promotional products. The company was formed by father and son team Roy and Ray Titus. To this day, Ray Titus continues the family legacy by holding the CEO position of United Franchise Group and consistently leading the company to reach new heights. Fully Promoted is currently seeking to partner with passionate entrepreneurs to become single or multi-unit franchisees. With a total investment as low as $85,000, Fully Promoted is a true turnkey investment with a well-developed business model. For more information on becoming a Fully Promoted franchise, visit FullyPromotedFranchise.com. About Fully Promoted Fully Promoted has 300 franchise locations across the globe. The brand operates a full-service branded products and marketing service business and is the place to attract customers. From promotional products and embroidery to expert printing services, Fully Promoted can help take businesses to the next level. Fully Promoted also offers an office-based model allowing franchisees to operate their business using a developed network of resources. To find the Fully Promoted nearest you, visit http://www.FullyPromoted.com. About United Franchise Group Led by Founder and CEO Ray Titus, United Franchise Group is home to an affiliated family of brands, including Signarama, Fully Promoted, Experimax, Jon Smith Subs, SuperGreen Solutions, Transworld Business Advisors, Accurate Franchising, Venture X, The Great Greek Mediterranean Grill, Network Lead Exchange and Resource Operations International (ROI). With over three decades in the franchising industry and more than 1,600 franchisees throughout the world, United Franchise Group offers unprecedented leadership and solid business opportunities for entrepreneurs. This advertisement is not an offer to sell a franchise. Any offer to sell this franchise will be made by a Franchisor Disclosure Document and only following registration by Embroidme.com Inc dba Fully Promoted in any state requiring registration prior to sale. In New York: This advertisement is not an offering. An offering can only be made by prospectus filed first with the Department of Law of the State of New York. Such filing does not constitute approval by the Department of Law. In California: These franchises have been registered under franchise investment law of the State of California. Such registration does not constitute approval, recommendation or endorsement by the Commissioner of business oversight nor a finding by the commissioner that the information provided herein is true, complete and not misleading. Contact Details Brittny Fuchs +1 561-812-6032 bfuchs@ufgcorp.com Company Website https://fullypromoted.com/ View source version on newsdirect.com: https://newsdirect.com/news/fully-promoted-r-is-celebrating-20-years-with-nostalgic-business-campaign-610069771.html An exceptionally rare 102.39-carat diamond may become one of the most expensive stones ever to sell at auction when it goes under the hammer in Hong Kong in October. IMAGE: An employee of Sotheby's poses with a perfect 100+ carat diamond, the second largest oval diamond of its kind to ever appear at an auction which will be auctioned by Sotheby's in Hong Kong in October. Photograph: Carlo Allegri/Reuters The stone, a 102.39-carat D Colour Flawless Oval Diamond, could fetch $10 million to $30 million (Rs 73.69 crore - Rs 221 crore). Only seven flawless white diamonds of more than 100 carats have ever been sold at auction. It is the second-largest oval diamond of its kind ever sold at auction. While Sothebys doesnt have an official estimate, comparable diamonds have sold for between $11 million and $30 million in the past, said Quig Bruning, head of Sothebys jewelry department in New York. IMAGE: About the size of an egg or a large lollipop, the diamond is going up for auction next month and is expected to fetch $10 million to $30 million. Photograph: Carlo Allegri/Reuters Cut from a 271-carat rough diamond discovered in 2018 in Ontario, Canada, the oval stone has achieved top rankings in each of the "four Cs" -- cut, colour, clarity and carat weight -- by which a diamond is judged, the auction house said. The stone, described by Sothebys as the size of a lollipop, will be sold at a live auction in Hong Kong on October 5. IMAGE: Only seven such diamonds -- known in the trade as D colour flawless or internally flawless white diamonds, over 100 carats -- have previously been sold at auction. Photograph: Carlo Allegri/Reuters While white diamonds can attract huge bids at auction, pink and blue varieties have achieved even larger sums in recent years. In 2017, a 59.60-carat pink diamond known as the Pink Star became the most expensive jewel ever to sell at auction when it went for $71.2 million at Sotheby's in Hong Kong. IMAGE: The world record for any diamond or jewel sold at auction was set in 2017 when a 59.60-carat fancy vivid pink diamond was sold for $71.2 million to a Hong Kong jewellery company. Photograph: Carlo Allegri/Reuters Two years earlier, the 12.03-carat "Blue Moon" diamond sold for $48.4 million, also through Sotheby's. Tejasvi Surya, the newly appointed national president of the BJPs youth wing, has stirred up a political storm over his remark that Bengaluru has become the epicentre of terror activities, with the opposition Congress calling for his removal. In last few years, Bengaluru, the Silicon Valley of India, has become epicentre of terror activities. It has been proved through many arrests and sleeper terror cells busted by the investigative agency in the city, Surya said on Sunday, citing the August riots in the city. Violence broke out in the city on August 11 over an offensive Facebook post, allegedly by the relative of a Congress MLA. Three persons were killed in police firing and 60 policemen were injured during the clashes at DJ Halli and KG Halli areas in the eastern part of Bengaluru. The MP, who represents Bengaluru South in Lok Sabha, said he has asked Union home minister Amit Shah to open a cell of the National Investigation Agency in the city. For a long time there was a demand that there must be a full-fledged NIA office in Karnataka, he said, pointing out that the Central agency currently has their base in Hyderabad. Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president D K Shivakumar condemned the Surya remarks, saying that Bengaluru had been known as a city of technological innovation. GDP growth has crashed. With such statements, who will come and invest in Bangalore and Karnataka? Will the PM and FM answer? The social media in-charge of JD(S) Prathap Kangal, too, hit out at Surya. Dear Bengaluru South, you elected this clown! Now sit back relax and enjoy his circus!, he tweeted. Chief minister Yediyurappa,however, extended support to the MP. He said in the sense that in Bangalore terror activities these days are more. The CM added that the government had been demanding an NIA division for the state and said that the new division would help in curbing terror activities. I congratulate the PM for agreeing to this. The Washington Post on Monday officially endorsed Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden for president, calling the former vice president exceptionally well-qualified to lead the country through the challenges ahead as chief executive. The Post editorial board emphasized Bidens character and experience, contrasting them with the narcissism of President Trump, who the paper called the worst president of modern times. Here is where Mr. Trump has done the most damage and where Mr. Biden is almost uniquely positioned for the moment. He would restore decency, honor and competence to Americas government, the editorial board wrote in an opinion article endorsing Biden. The article offered several scathing criticisms of Trump, knocking his competence as well as his integrity over his first term in office. Trump has few accomplishments in his first term and no agenda for his second, the paper argued, and the president has set a negative example that Biden would counter with decency, empathy and respect for other human beings. However, the Post acknowledged that those qualities are not sufficient because the job of president also requires toughness, governing experience and good judgment. The paper contends that Biden does indeed have what it takes, evidenced by the former vice president taking on an array of rising stars in the race for the Democratic nomination. His defeat of Democratic socialist Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont showed that the party hadnt moved as far left as some were saying, said the Post, and he selected the running mate that almost everyone agreed was the most qualified in Senator Kamala Harris of California. Bidens competence and honor are more important in this cycle than any particular stand on any particular issue, the Post stated, but added that his well of experience is not lacking either. Biden would better position the United States as a capitalist competitor to China, the editorial board wrote. He would rejoin the Paris accord on climate change and seek to revive the nuclear deal with Iran. He would reverse Mr. Trumps senseless withdrawal from the World Health Organization, and commit the United States to multilateral efforts to combat the coronavirus pandemic. Story continues With the November general election around the corner, the country continues to weather the coronavirus pandemic, which has infected 7.1 million people in the U.S. and caused more than 200,000 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University. Meanwhile, unrest in metropolitan areas across the country over racial justice presents another challenging issue for both presidential candidates during the campaign season. Trump has slammed the Washington Post as fake news and has expressed his desire for federal agencies to cancel subscriptions to the Post as well as the New York Times. More from National Review Colton Underwood from The Bachelor is dealing with plenty of personal drama thanks to his relationship with Cassie Randolph. But we cant forget about the other women on his season. Sydney Lotuaco was a dancer, and she initially caught Underwoods eye. Sadly, she was sent home and she was sent home on Bachelor in Paradise as well. Now, Lotuaco has her first boyfriend ever. And shes talking about what their relationship is like. Heres what she told Dean Unglert on his podcast, Help! I Suck at Dating. Sydney Lotuaco went through multiple breakups from The Bachelor and Bachelor in Paradise (L-R) Sydney Lotuaco and Wills Reid attend the Prostate Cancer Foundation Kicks Off Prostate Cancer Awareness Month | Harmony Gerber/Getty Images RELATED: BIP: Caelynn Miller-Keyes Says Dating Dean Unglert Makes Her So Frustrated: I Will Get Angry or Cry Lotuaco wasnt so lucky when it comes to love during her stint on reality TV. She didnt make it too far with Underwood, and she later resorted to calling him out for his subpar kissing skills. I just dont think there was a lot of passion behind the kisses he was giving us, Lotuaco told the Almost Famous podcast. She seemed to develop more of a connection with Mike Johnson while on BIP. Unfortunately, Johnson broke up with Lotuaco while on the show. I broke it off with Sydney. I felt a couple things, Johnson explained to the Bachelor Happy Hour podcast. I felt like she didnt find me sexually attractive [and] I felt like our connection was just not there whatsoever. I think that we both were trying, and I think that Sydney is a diamond, Johnson added.When I say a diamond, I mean that. She is absolutely spectacular and very, very hard to crack and thats what I mean by diamond. I call her ruby as well. But that diamond wasnt for me. Lotuaco met her current boyfriend when he slid in her DMs While Lotuaco didnt have much luck on TV, she ended up meeting her current boyfriend when he slid into her DMs. According to Cincinnati.com, Nick Wehby sent Lotuaco a message back in January 2020 and he didnt think itd get him very far. As for how Wehby knew of Lotuaco, it seems he saw her on The Bachelor and had a feeling theyd be a good match. Id be like, Shes shes awesome. Like, I would love to take her out if this was real life. But its The Bachelor, he told the publication. Once Lotuaco saw Wehbys DMs, she responded and the rest is history. They went from texting to group Zoom calls to FaceTiming. And Lotuaco eventually bought a ticket to Cincinnati, Ohio, to meet Wehby. I felt like we had already met face to face, even though we really hadnt, Wehby added. She said this is her first boyfriend ever Looking for love in the pandemic? Check your DMs. 'The Bachelor' alum Sydney Lotuaco did https://t.co/JKXlvvaoDw Enquirer (@Enquirer) August 11, 2020 While Wehby and Lotuaco seem to be going strong, Lotuaco explained to Unglert on his podcast that this is actually her first official boyfriend shes ever had. I was really focused on my career, Lotuaco explained in regards to why she never dated before. Dance was a big part of my life, it still is. So I was doing that. I was dating, just didnt really land on a lot of gems. It sounds like Lotuaco thinks Wehby could be the one, too. You know when they say its meant to be, everything kind of falls into place and its easy? Thats how this relationship kind of has been, Lotuaco added. She then stated that while their relationship was long-distance, they were making it work. Our conversations were easy, we got along really well, and it was just working. I always knew Id be a one and done kind of person, not that were there or anything, Lotuaco noted. Hopefully, Ill be a one and done. Were wishing Lotuaco and Wehby the best as they navigate dating together in 2020! Check out Showbiz Cheat Sheet on Facebook! Feeling much better now, says Manish Sisodia who is suffering from dengue and COVID-19 India oi-Madhuri Adnal New Delhi, Sep 28: Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, who was also diagnosed with dengue said that he is feeling much better now. Speaking to ANI, Sisodia said,''I am feeling much better now. If everything goes well, I will be free from the hospital in a day or two.'' Sisodia is suffering from dengue, COVID-19 & is admitted to Max hospital, Saket. Sisodia is perhaps the first prominent personality in Delhi to have contracted a "double infection" of the novel coronavirus and dengue. Manish Sisodia battling double infection of Covid-19 and dengue gets plasma therapy He is the second minister in the Arvind Kejriwal government to contract COVID-19 infection after Health Minister Satyendar Jain. The health minister had tested positive for COVID-19 in June and was hospitalised. He was later administered plasma therapy. The deputy chief minister, who had tested positive for COVID-19 on September 14, was admitted to the LNJP Hospital on Wednesday after he complained of fever and low oxygen level. Amrinder Singh joins farmers' protest, says 'Pakistan's ISI may take advantage' | Oneindia News Earlier, an official said that the minister had been put on oxygen support as per requirement and had been under constant observation at the LNJP Hospital, which is a dedicated COVID-19 facility. Sources at LNJP Hospital earlier said, "There is no standard protocol for treatment of double infection of COVID-19 and dengue, and treatment is "patient-specific". Earlier in the day, a doctor said, "The deputy CM will be administered an RT-PCR test in a couple of days." Another source said that the minister''s age, condition, co-morbidities and other factors will be taken into account for treatment of both the ailments, adding that right now, his condition is being assessed," a source said. Asked if there are any side effects of treatments in cases of a "double infection", the source, said, "any treatment can have a side effect, but the treating doctor decides the methodology for it". A dengue patient, if his or her platelet level falls dangerously below the normal level, needs external platelet infusion. Asked if the 48-year-old Aam Aadmi Party leader has any co-morbidities, a doctor, also a senior official said, "He has hypertension". Earlier in the day, in a video message, Sisodia praised the efforts made by doctors at the LNJP hospital. "I have been brought to the LNJP Hospital after a need was felt for it. But, seeing the spirit with which the doctors and other healthcare workers are serving patients, I must say, as a deputy chief minister, it is very encouraging," he said. "It is a wonderful facility here and I am very proud of them. If you need any medical attention in this coronavirus time, LNJP is ready to serve you," the minister said. Sisodia was unable to attend the one-day Delhi Assembly session on September 14 since he had tested positive for the disease. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, September 28, 2020, 17:28 [IST] A whole generation cant go to their graves without knowing important information that who were those bigwig sub-humans and acted behind the screens from both at home and abroad and did get executed those stalwarts of our political firmament by some vicious front-men. Thats the most frustrating part for all of us! by Anwar A. Khan I have keen interest as I fall in the group of citizens like many who earnestly want a new commission should be set up to enquire about the undiscovered conspirators and killers of Bangladeshs Founding Father Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, most of his family and the four national leaders. The entire black chapter of our history has led many to seek the truth who, like me, have sought, but I think it will be found the bloc of Americas Pentagon-CIA-ISI (Pakistan)-China-Bangladeshs military and civil bureaucrats as well as anti-Bangladesh liberation forces both at home and abroad had caused these havocs in August-November,1975. "Seek and ye shall find" has always been the case with us. But during the long past, what we did find was that the people walk in great darkness, mostly not caring or bothering to find out where their country was headed, firm in the belief that it would always be there for them. This is the way the largest population group has been manipulated to react, and their attitude plays right like into the hands of the secret government. The only way we can come to grips with the reality of the conspirator's success is by mentioning and discussing the secret societies, front organisations, government agencies, international businesses, and many of entities and foundations whose leading lights make up the membership of the Committee of 300-- the ULTIMATE controlling body that runs the world and has done so for at least a hundred years. The most subversive future planners drawn from the United States, France, Sweden, Britain, Switzerland and Japan that could be mustered. During the period 1968-1972, The Club of Rome became a cohesive entity of new science scientists, globalists, future planners and inter- nationalists of every stripe. As one delegate put it, "We became Joseph's Coat of Many Colors." Peccei's book "Human Quality" formed the basis of the doctrine adopted by NATO's political wing. We could kill them. We could destroy a marker, but we can't get rid of the idea of freedom Bangabandhu and his true-blue lieutenants gave us permanently. We owe to them for good. But that is not enough! The brutal murdering events at My Lai, Vietnam became public a year later. Several American army officers were brought to trial in 1971, but only Lieutenant Calley was convicted, but he was also released from prison in 1974. This is so sad that we cant bear it. Even after 75 years, the Nazi killers are being located, arrested and prosecuted to face punishment. They are getting due punishment. For people like me, and many more people in Bangladesh strongly demand behind the scene big-shot master-minds, both local and foreign, to bring them in front of public in general and inflict due punishment to set a burning example before the public eyes. Horrific scenes can be derived from those bestial slayings which got bechanced by those kingbolts from behind the curtain. Then, why not bring them to book to face justice? Bangladesh was attained in 1971 after a 9-month long bloodbath to grave the so-called two-nation theory. And it was successfully buried. It is a land of people where people of all religions must live together in peace and we fought valiantly with patriotism in 1971 for establishing that very spirit, in other words, secularism along with some other core spirits. Secularism is one of the four fundamental principles according to the original 1972 Constitution of Bangladesh. The secularism principle was removed from the constitution in 1977 by depraved military ruler Gen Zia. Islam was declared the state religion in 1988 by another devil military ruler Gen Ershad. In 2010, the Bangladesh Supreme Court restored secularism but stated Islam remained the state religion, but the state doesnt have anything to do with religion. Religion is solely the personal affair of a citizen. According to prominent journalist and notable columnist Abdul Gaffar Chaudhury, It was very clear that the motive of the killers was to destroy the foundation of a secular state - Bangladesh and to make it a medieval religious state in the model of Pakistan. He is purely aright when he writes or pronounces these words. In an article penned by eminent journalist and celebrated columnist Syed Badrul Ahsan (SBA) titled, All those men . . . on 15 August 1975 and after which appeared in the English Opinion Pages of www.bdnews.com on 15th August, 2017. In this piece, he wrote and described how Bangladesh was made one of the dark places of the earth on 15 August 1975 and after. Moshtaque, the lone Punic character of Bangabandhus cabinet adopting a despicable scheme kissed publicly on the cheek of Bangabandhu Mujib to prove his allegiance to his leader (this picture was released in the-then Newspapers). In order to cozen, he was so jerry-built that he gained ground to receive Bangabandhus fond touching on his face vide the photograph of Bangabandhus Judas in this article and the relative internet link is: https://opinion.bdnews24.com/2017/08/15/all-those-men-on-15-august-1975-and-after. SBA further stated that Forty-two years after the assassination it is time to plumb the depths of the tragedy which took hold of our collective life in that sad summer Yes, it has to be. To dig out the key foxy players both local and foreign, who acted behind the screens for all these felonious crimes, their faces must be brought to light. Rise up and salute the sun the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. He was the solitary sky-touching figure during his times of politics across the world because of his attributes of leadership. We should imitate him in all glory and dignity. If we choose to, we will not be second to him in anything. The piece truly paints the hearts of darkness of some wretched mens execrable dissembles, and posits in the body of the work. But Moshtaque and those morally reprehensible men, both at home and abroad, have no place in our lives. In fact, these ruffians place must be the outfall at a far-off grime place. The national tragedy of 1975 till 1996 was a watershed moment which divided the nation, but that was made united on a very solid solitary platform by Bangabandhu Mujib and his true-blue lieutenants on his 7th March speech in 1971 which continued till his brutal downfall on 15 August, 1975. The tragedy should not have occurred unless and until the defeated forces of 1971 were patronised designedly to serve their inauspicious purposive. We must rectify in our work and in our effort the dastardly tragedy that happened to Bangabandhu, our four national leaders and the utter damage done to the adorable secular fabric of our society. At least, we have every right to know the names of those local and foreign head honchos who playacted back end the screen veiling their unbeautiful faces! So, it is truly true when Abdul Gaffar Chaudhury (AGC) writes, After the national tragedy of 1975 till 1996 those who ruled Bangladesh were the beneficiaries of the killing of Bangabandhu and their motive was the same - to destroy a non-communal state which we attained in 1971 at supreme sacrifices of our three million martyrs. A daring covert operation was planned and successfully carried-out then by the anti-Bangladesh liberation forces, CIA and ISI AGCs recent article in The Asian Age analyses fetchingly the conspiracies affected our societal fabric prodigiously. It presents how the conspirators in deceiving people about well-known crimes which brought them benefitted. It also shows AGCs stylus in presenting how to stop them. I am also sure the hidden dictatorial power of bloc has established the conspiracy which helped them stay in power for more than two decennaries. It planned to conquer the world of Bangladesh by corruption, cheating and dividing people, and by usurping the throne of the country unlawfully. Gaffar Chaudhury has correctly detected and spotted, But the conspiracy is still alive and like a chameleon the living conspirators change their colour from time to time. These conspirators who are still active under disguise are working inside and outside of Awami League. So, to save the country and its democratic and secular foundation, these conspirators should be discovered through a neutral enquiry commission and exposed to the public so that all future conspirators are warned and the enemy of the people are discouraged not to engage in further conspiracies. It is also equally true that a conspiracy which is dangerous and aided by outside forces and continues to destroy the ideals of a state should not be tolerated and many countries have routed such conspirators. I also strongly believe if a new strong enquiry commission is soon set-up, it will be able to discover those very shocking truths of our calamitous history of 1975-1996. The CIA has a way of very publicly blowing their coverseeming to pop up wherever turmoil, strife, and political unrest materialise for their ill purposive. Despite being almost synonymous with dirty tricks, the Agency has essentially been given free rein, permitted to use whatever tactics they see fit to deal with any (real or perceived) threat to American interests, even if it thinks that the so-called American hegemony anywhere over the world may hamper. If theres one thing we know about absolute power, its that it corrupts absolutely; and if theres one thing we know about the CIA, its that the astoundingly unethical and criminal squad across the world. We gave a crushing defeat to the criminal axis of CIA-ISI-China during our glorious Liberation War in 1971 to establish Bangladesh. Abdul Gaffar Chaudhurys prominent words can be remembered here, Now it is an open secret that Pakistan intelligence and CIA were directly involved in this conspiracy. General Ziaur Rahman and Khandaker Mostaq were co-conspirators. Almost all of them are dead now. Those who are alive though old, should be brought to justice. A commission should be appointed by our present government and the commission should have wide-range power to investigate. We may not be able to bring some foreign dignitaries like Henry Kissenger and David Boster to justice. Henry Kissenger was already accused for his alleged involvement in Allende and Mujib killings. For a nation based on the idea of one standard of justice for all, this reckoning of setting-up of a new Enquiry Commission is long overdue. It is important that justice must be achieved. This is the only way people can build trust in the judicial system and contribute to establish the facts of un-civilised and savage playacts enacted during the period of 15 August, 1975 to 1996. The sheer number and gravity of crimes committed during those times. Regardless of where they are now, there is not just a moral obligation but also a legal obligation to bring the perpetrators to justice. Their acts must be accountable for their ill-actions to the public eyes. The post-1975 landscape in Bangladesh was also much more complex and the political future of the country more uncertain because of the military dictatorial regimes. Our glorious Liberation war of 1971 to found Bangladesh is our plume. Our national flag is our preen. Our national anthem is our prideful-ness. We achieved Bangladesh at the blood-bath of 3 million of our people by the lunatic Pakistani military regime and their local brutish cohorts, majorly the Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI) sub-humans. To attain Bangladesh, three hundred thousand of our mothers and sisters lost their chastity at the hands of those malefactors. We saw their baleful everlasting annihilation of the freedom-loving people of all classes and of all religions in the country. These perps forced out ten million of our people from their homes with unspeakable sufferings, made them shelter-less and forced them to take refuge inside India. All these men-made disasters were played out throughout a 9-month war in 1971. We finally gave them a crushing defeat on 16 December1971 and our beloved Bangladesh came into being as an independent and sovereign state in the world map. We are proud of the secular spirit that we earned through our glorious Liberation War in 1971. Bur an unblushing Gen Zia, on 31 August, 1976, snubbed all our glorious achievements of 1971 and he, under an unlawful ordinance freed grievous misdeed-mongers of about 11,500 collaborators, mass-murderers, rapist, who were in the jailhouse and put into trials by the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Mujib. Not only that, these criminals were rehabilitated in every circuit of our society by this chicane of so-called ruler of Bangladesh. Thus he added a chickadee having a dark crowned chapter in our history. He gave those perpetrators a very free-hand to grow and reinforce their berths like banyan-trees everywhere in our sacred land Bangladesh only for his corruptible political purposiveness. So, as a freedom fighter of the 1971 war field, I endorse Gaffar Chaudhurys judgment, A number of foreign people should come under the inspection of our proposed commission. We may not try them, because they are not under our judicial jurisdiction but we can at least expose them to the public of the world. Inside the country conspirators are hiding or are under disguise as Awami League supporters. They should be brought under enquiry and justice. Now this is the demand of the people of Bangladesh. Dr. Kamal Hossain didnt have any contribution towards the creation of Bangladesh. Bangabandhu loved him so much. He first made him as his Law Minister and then the Foreign Minister at such a young age. He was abroad, as the Foreign Minister, when his great leader Bangabandhu was sent to death. Because of his education and extra-ordinary calibre, he was then well-known to all super-powers. But did he do anything for his great leader? He could have toured and made shuttle diplomacy in countries after countries condemning the beastly slaying of Bangabandhu? Did he call any press-conference anywhere across the world seeking justice for his leader? His press-conference could have shaken the whole world, but he did nothing. Rather, he chose to remain silent. We should condemn him in the most abrasive language and his name should also come under the scope of this would-be enquiry commission. This is not the end here. After leaving Awami League, he floated a petite political party under the name and style of Gono Forum and has resorted to the world of conspirators. He has also fallen-back to the anti-Bangladesh liberation camps and an actor of behind the screen. I genuinely think that Gaffar Chaudhury is a-right when he writes, But Bangabandhu's foreign minister was in Oxford at that time. Commission should enquire why he remained silent and did not lodge a strong protest against the military junta at the Commonwealth or the United Nations. When Allende was killed his ambassador to America, Pablo Neruda vehemently lodged protest in the United Nations and to other countries. When Ceausescu of Romania was overthrown and killed, some of his ambassadors in foreign countries protested the killing strongly. But not a single ambassador of Bangabandhu along with his Foreign Minister uttered a word of protest against the killing. Commission should investigate the reason. A fiery orator, a true patriot, a great statesman - Bangabandhu Mujib was admired by all people across the country and around the world during his times. He and most of his family were sent to death so brutally in the wee hours of 15 August, 1975. Our dear four national leaders were also brush-fired by submachine guns and bayonet charged to death in the Dhaka Central jail-house at dead of night on second November, 1975. A whole generation cant go to their graves without knowing important information that who were those bigwig sub-humans and acted behind the screens from both at home and abroad and did get executed those stalwarts of our political firmament by some vicious front-men. Thats the most frustrating part for all of us! I come to this magnificent point of Abdul Gaffar Chaudhury, because my conscience leaves me no other choice. I join him in his campaign to set-up a new enquiry commission to expose the truths only because I am in deepest agreement with the noble aims. His write-up is the sentiment of my own heart, and I found myself in full accord when I read his following salient lines: The people must know how deep Ziaur Rahman's involvement in the killing of the father of the nation was and why the-then Army and Navy Chief instead of resisting the few killers surrendered to them, declared their allegiance and immediately accepted the post of ambassadors to foreign countries. It should be investigated that how many army officers were close to Ziaur Rahman and assisted him in capturing power with bloodshed. If they are alive they should be brought to justice. Bangabandhu was not just a political leader but he also offered the subcontinent a political philosophy called the 'democracy of the exploited'. A time comes when silence is betrayal. That time has come for us in relation to Bangladesh. But silence is costlier than anything else! *** The new enquiry commission is a dire needed one. And our PM Sheikh Hasina must set-up that commission without wasting any more time to unearth the real truths. Some of us who have already begun to break the silence of the night have found that the calling to speak is often a vocation of agony, but we must speak. We must speak with all the humility that is appropriate to our limited vision, but we must speak. And we must rejoice as well, for surely this is the first time in our nations history that a significant number of its people have chosen to move beyond the prophesying of smooth patriotism to the high grounds of a firm dissent based upon the mandates of conscience and the reading of history. Perhaps a new spirit is rising among us. If it is, let us trace its movement, and pray that our inner being may be sensitive to its guidance. For, we are deeply in need of a new way beyond the darkness that seemed so close around us for a long 45-year. Over the past two years, as I have moved to break the betrayal of my own silences and to speak from the burnings of my own heart, as I have called for arousing people from the destruction of Bangladesh during the times of 1975-96. In the light of such tragic incidents, I deem it of signal importance to state clearly the grievous misdoings which were carried out during those years. I come to the platform of Abdul Gaffar Chaudhury and so many other people to make a passionate plea to my beloved nation. It an attempt and the need for a collective solution to the tragedy of Bangladesh that betided in 1975-96. Perhaps a more tragic recognition of reality took place when it became clear to me that the colossal misdeeds were done far more than devastating our hopes. We cannot be silent any longer. O, yes, I say it plain, Bangladesh never was Bangladesh to me in the present-day times, and yet I swear this oath Bangladesh will be! If we continue, there will be no doubt in my mind and in the mind of the world that we have no honourable intentions in Bangladesh. The situation is one in which we must be ready to turn sharply from our present ways. In order to atone for our sins and errors in Bangladesh, we should take the initiative in bringing to light those tragic incidents. The very sad; especially involving grief, death or destruction - tragic incidents in Bangladesh is but a symptom of a far deeper malady within the spirit of Bangladesh for which it was established in 1971, and if we ignore this sobering reality, we will find ourselves organising nothing for the next generation. A true revolution of values will soon cause us to question the fairness and justice of many of our past and present policies. A genuine revolution of values means in the final analysis that our loyalties must become ecumenical rather than sectional. Every nation must now develop an overriding loyalty to mankind as a whole in order to preserve the best in their individual societies. So, I wish to utter the invaluable words of Abdul Gaffar Chowdhury, He (Bangabandhu Mujib) started a war against colonial rule, corruption and poverty in his own country. The new reactionary forces combined with foreign enemies killed Bangabandhu and tried to destroy his political philosophy. We should have a strong and neutral commission to investigate and expose the real conspirators of this killing which is a national tragedy for Bangladesh and shocked the world populace. Like my many friends in Bangladesh, I am also waiting to hear about the formation of this commission by Sheikh Hasina government under an efficient and strong-minded head. If this commission can succeed, these conspirators who are now invisible or in disguise will be exposed. Only then, the country will be able to retain its non-communal and democratic character. The oceans of history are made turbulent by the ever-rising tides of pains after 15 August, 1975. History is cluttered with the wreckage of nations and individuals that pursued this self-defeating path of so much blood-letting. Due punishment is the ultimate force that makes for the saving choice of life and good against the damning choice of death and evil. Therefore, the first hope in our inventory must be the hope that love for setting-up a new high-powered commission is going to have the last word to unearth the ill-faces of top-bananas who have still remained un-exposed in front of the public eyes. We are now faced with the fact, my friends, that tomorrow is today. We are confronted with the fierce urgency of now. In this unfolding conundrum of life and history, there is such a thing as being too late. Procrastination is still the thief of time. Life often leaves us standing bare, naked, and dejected with a lost opportunity. The tide in the affairs of men does not remain at floodit ebbs. We may cry out desperately for time to pause in her passage, but time is adamant to every plea and rushes on. Over the bleached bones and jumbled residues of numerous civilisations are written the pathetic words, Too late. There is an invisible book of life that faithfully records our vigilance or our neglect. Omar Khayyam is right when he said, The moving finger writes, and having writ moves on. We must move past indecision to action. We must find new ways to speak for punishment and justice throughout the developing world, a world that borders on our doors. If we do not act, we shall surely be dragged down the long, dark, and shameful corridors of time reserved for those who possessed power without compassion, might without morality, and strength without sight. Now let us begin. Now let us rededicate ourselves to the long and bitter, but beautiful, struggle for a new world. Shall we tell the people the struggle is too hard? Will our message be that the forces of Bangladeshs life militate against their arrival as full men, and we send our deepest regrets? Or will there be another messageof longing, of hope, of solidarity with their yearnings, of commitment to their cause, whatever the cost? The choice is ours, and though we might prefer it otherwise, we must choose in this crucial moment of human history. As that noble bard of yesteryears, James Russell Lowell, eloquently stated: Once to every man and nation comes a moment to decide, in the strife of truth and falsehood, for the good or evil side; some great cause, offering each the gloom or blight, and the choice goes by forever twixt that darkness and that light. Though the cause of evil prosper, yet this truth alone is strong. Though the glorious portions be the scaffold, and upon the throne be wrong, yet that scaffold sways the future, and behind the dim unknown resisted the good within the shadow, keeping watch above its own. And if we will only make the right choice, we will be able to transform this pending cosmic elegy into a creative psalm of peace. If we will make the right choice, we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our world into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. If we will but make the right choice, we will be able to speed up the day, all over Bangladesh and all over the world, when justice will roll down like waters, and righteousness like a mighty stream. The bacilli of the defeated forces could not be destroyed after Bangladeshs Founding Father Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahmans killing intentionally and with premeditation on 15 August in 1975 by Khondokar Mushtaqu Ahmed and his camarilla and because of skullduggeries of depraved military rulers Gen. Zia, Gen. Ershad and their compadre Begum Zia for two decades or so. Unfortunately, they have infected, among many other people in the country. Journalists like Weekly Holiday editor Enayetullah Khan, BBCs Atiqul Alam, Dainik Millats Chowdhury Mohammad Faruque must come under the scanner of this would-be enquiry commission. Equally Gen Zia even rehabilitated the front-men murderers of the Nations Founding Father and his true-blue lieutenants with lucrative government positions in Bangladeshs different diplomatic missions abroad. Gen Ershad deliberately extended his fullest support and cooperation to those murderers to float their new political party Freedom Party and got Maj (retd.) Bazlul Huda, a killer of Bangabandhu and most of his family, elected as a Member of Parliament. Their compadre Begum Zia with all her pleasances created the grand chance of electing Col Abdur Rashid, a kingpin front-man killer of the Father of the Nation, as a Member of her voter-less Parliament which was held on 15 February, 1996. So, the anti-Bangladesh liberation forces, especially Jamaat-e-Islami kingpin worst war criminals of 1971, Gen Zia, Gen Ershad, Begum Zia and their foreign mango-twigs must not escape to come under the scanner of this would-be enquiry commission. A famous patriotic song may deserve to mention with great emphasis here which shall have to be rejuvenated in Bangladesh through this would-be commission: Chotoder boroder sokoler, gariber-nishher-fakirer, amar desh shob manusher, nei hetha bhedabhed Hindu, Muslim, Buddha, Christian, nei hetha bhedabhed kuli ar kamarer, amar desh, shob manusher, shob manusher(Bangladesh is meant for all people of all classes, of all religions from poor to have-nots to beggars, my country belongs to all people; there shall be no inequality or difference in any respect; Hindu Muslim- Buddha Christian; where there shall be no disparity to and from coolies and blacksmiths; my country belongs to people of all classes; and people of all classes). (Postscript: Behind the gray stone walls of those sub-humans, both at home and abroad, there is a load of rubbish, and next to this rubbish are ill people who ravaged our glorified achievements which we attained in 1971. It is a big shock, that you cannot take. In truth, since they are collectors of miscellaneous useless objects or collect things that have been discarded by others, their places are bound to be the outfall at a far-off grime place). -The End - The writer based in Dhaka, is a bantam FF of the 1971 war field to establish Bangladesh in 1971 (was then a college student aged at 16 +). I have always been apolitical (till now). Nor do I have any affiliations with any socio-cultural or human rights organisations as yet. And I shall not do so unto my death. Burma Bangladesh Deploys Troops on Myanmars Border Bangladeshi soldiers on Myanmars border. / India Express Naypyitaw The Bangladeshi military has deployed troops in Coxs Bazar District in southeastern Bangladesh along Myanmars border, according to Myanmars security sources. The sources, who did not want to be named, reported seeing Division 10 along the border increasing in size since Sept. 25 with 155mm rocket launchers, shoulder-fired anti-aircraft missiles and anti-aircraft machine guns. Myanmars military spokesman, Major General Zaw Min Tun, said Myanmars armed forces were taking action to maintain border security without affecting bilateral military relations. Myanmars military has recently beefed up security along the border, citing increased activities by the Arakan Army (AA) and Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA). On Sept. 13, the Bangladeshi foreign ministry summoned Myanmars ambassador in Dhaka and expressed concerns about the border deployments. It also sent a complaint to the United Nations Security Council on Sept. 15. Bangladesh said in its complaint that it was concerned more refugees may flee over the border, due to the activities by ground forces and naval patrols close to the border with audible gunshots from Myanmars territory. Myanmars military only increased border patrols for security but did not deploy extra troops, Maj-Gen Zaw Min Tun said during an online press conference on Saturday. There have been increased activities by the AA and ARSA along the border in Buthidaung and Maungdaw townships. While we have stepped up security measures, [Bangladesh] has openly raised objections. And it has also filed a complaint with the UN. So we have suspicions that it has a hidden agenda, Maj-Gen Zaw Min Tun said. Myanmars Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned the Bangladeshi ambassador in Yangon to say the military operations were not intended to threaten Bangladesh but part of the normal security operations in Rakhine State. Rakhine affairs analyst U Maung Maung Soe said: Bangladesh seems to have concerns when Myanmars troops came very close. It wont say anything if Myanmars navy patrols on the Mayu River but it appears the navy patrolled on the Naf River, which marks the border. Bangladesh might be concerned that more Muslim refugees will flee due to the activities. Despite the rumors of close links between the AA and ARSA both of which operate along the Bangladeshi border no evidence has been presented, he added. The military has labeled both the AA and ARSA as terrorist organizations. The AA is currently engaged in ongoing fighting with Myanmars military in northern Rakhine. The ARSA launched a series of attacks on security outposts in northern Rakhine on Aug. 25, 2017, killing 12 security personnel. The attacks prompted the military to carry out clearance operations that forced an estimated 730,000 Rohingya into neighboring Bangladesh. Myanmar has since come under international pressure over the mass exodus of Rohingya. Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko You may also like these stories: Bangladesh Worried by Myanmar Border Deployments Rakhine Villagers Defy COVID-19 Lockdown to Flee Myanmars Military Offensive Huge Explosion at KIA Arms Depot in Northern Myanmar Every child goes through an inevitable obsessed with dinosaurs stage, but imagine if you got to hold a real-life dinosaur bone in your hand as a little one. Well, thats exactly what 7-year-old Prince George was lucky enough to do last weekend, when Sir David Attenborough paid him a visit with a jaw-dropping gift. Sir David Attenborough came to Kensington Palace bearing gifts. Photo: Twitter/KensingtonRoyal The natural historian and documentary maker was invited to host an outdoor screening of his soon-to-be-released documentary at Kensington Palace over the weekend, with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and their children in attendance. While there, Sir David gifted a 23-million-year-old shark tooth. He found the tooth from a 15m extinct shark species, with the official scientific name for the fossil listed as carcharocles megalodon which translates to big tooth. Prince George was delighted to receive an extinct shark tooth from Sir David. Photo: Twitter/KensingtonRoyal The tooth was discovered by Sir David in Malta in the 1960s. Snaps show the delighted mini-royal admiring the tooth as his baby brother Louis watches on. George got an amazing gift from Sir David [but] I think Louis has an eye on his brothers gift, one observer commented on the photos, which were shared to the Kensington Palace Twitter page. The film the group watched was Sir Davids documentary looking back over his impressive 70-year career, David Attenborough: A Life On Our Planet. RELATED: Sir David and Prince William watched the documentary in an outdoor screening. Photo: Twitter/KensingtonRoyal The 94-year-old has been an outspoken proponent for climate change action, his latest documentary focusing on the impact mankind has had on the planet and the ways we can reverse some of the damage. William and Sir David have discussed the climate crisis publicly before, with William interviewing the famed naturalist at the World Economic Forum in Davos where the pair discussed possible action what could, and should, be taken to combat climate change. Photos of the pairs reunion shared to Instagram ahead of the full images released on Sunday had already sparked debate among royal watchers. Story continues While neither man actually appeared in the initial snap which was shared to the Kensington Royal Instagram account on Saturday, they were represented by a pair of directors chairs emblazoned with their names. In the pic, Prince William, 38, and Sir Davids navy chairs are positioned next to one another, however, as several royal fans have pointed out, upon closer inspection Wills seat looks to be just a few centimetres taller. Anyone else noticed that Prince Williams chair is just slightly taller? Not sure I have ever seen this before, wrote one follower in the comments section. Click here to sign up to our daily newsletter to get all the latest news and hacks. Or if you have a story tip, email us at lifestyle.tips@verizonmedia.com. Washington, D.C.--(Newsfile Corp. - September 28, 2020) - The Securities and Exchange Commission today charged a former finance manager at Amazon.com Inc. and two family members with insider trading in advance of Amazon earnings announcements between January 2016 and July 2018. According to the SEC's complaint, Laksha Bohra worked as a senior manager in Amazon's tax department, where she prepared and reviewed calculations used to finalize numbers included in Amazon's quarterly and annual earnings that were filed with the SEC. Beginning in January 2016 and continuing through July 2018, Laksha Bohra allegedly acquired, and tipped her husband Viky Bohra with, highly confidential information about Amazon's financial performance. The complaint alleges that Viky Bohra and his father, Gotham Bohra, traded on this confidential information in 11 separate accounts maintained by different members of the Bohra family. The complaint further alleges that Laksha Bohra disregarded quarterly reminders prohibiting her from passing material nonpublic information or recommending the purchase or sale of Amazon securities. As alleged, the family reaped illicit profits of approximately $1.4 million from their unlawful trading in Amazon securities. "We allege that the Bohras repeatedly and systematically used Amazon's confidential information for their own gain," said Erin Schneider, Director of the SEC's San Francisco Regional Office. "Employees with access to confidential, potentially market-moving corporate information may not use that information to enrich themselves, their friends, or their families." The SEC's complaint, filed in federal court in Seattle, charges all three Bohras with violating antifraud provisions of the federal securities laws. All three Bohras have consented to the entry of final judgments permanently enjoining them from further violations of the charged provisions, and ordering them to pay total disgorgement of $1,428,094, total prejudgment interest of $118,406, and total penalties of $1,106,399. In a parallel action, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Washington today filed criminal charges against Viky Bohra. The SEC's investigation was conducted by Sallie Kim, with assistance from Marc Katz and Andrew Hefty, under the supervision of Monique C. Winkler of the San Francisco Regional Office. Darren Boerner of the Market Abuse Unit also assisted the investigation. The SEC appreciates the assistance of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Washington and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. By Yi Whan-woo Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif called for multilateralism over unilateralism to better combat the COVID-19 pandemic during an online meeting of 27 Eurasian and Middle Eastern countries week, according to the Embassy of Iran in Seoul. The embassy said Zarif, who also served as former permanent representative of Iran to the United Nations, asked the 27 nations all member nations of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia (CICA) to strive to strengthen cooperation in coordination with the United Nations and the World Health Organization (WHO). Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif A controversial academic accused of being transphobic will head a new women's rights initiative at Oxford University. Professor of Modern History Selina Todd is one of several people who were chosen to lead the Oxford Martin Programme on Womens Equality and Inequality, which was announced earlier this month. She has previously been criticised by LGBT campaigners for holding 'anti-trans' views and supporting Woman's Place, a group branded as a 'trans-exclusionary hate group' by the Labour Campaign for Trans Rights. In a statement published by St Hilda's College, Professor Todd said: 'We are very proud that Oxford will be home to this new research programme on women's equality and inequality. 'The idea for this initiative grew in part from a St Hilda's research initiative called "Mind the Gap", which brought together academics at all levels, including students, to discuss shared concerns in the research of inequality.' Professor of Modern History Selina Todd is one of several people who were chosen to lead the Oxford Martin Programme on Womens Equality and Inequality, which was announced earlier this month It is unclear how the Oxford Martin Programme on Womens Equality and Inequality will improve the rights of all women, including transgender women. The initiative, also led by Professor Senia Paseta, aims to 'eradicate educational and economic inequality for women around the world' by identifying 'drivers of individual upward mobility.' Professor Todd came under fire earlier this year when she joined other speakers at the 'Defend Me or Expel Me' event in London, organised by Labour Women's Declaration supporters. She was one of nine headliners who spoke out against Labour's trans rights pledges. The event followed persistent backlash from the cancellation of Professor Todd's talk at a feminist festival held at Exeter College. She was uninvited from the event, which commemorated the 50th anniversary of Ruskin College's inaugural Women's Liberation Conference, after trans-inclusive feminists pointed out her ties with Woman's Place. In a statement addressing the cancellation in March, Professor Todd said: 'I am shocked to have been no-platformed by this event, organised by Oxford International Women's Festival and hosted at Exeter College. Laurence Fox to launch new political party to fight 'culture wars' with 5million from former Tory donors Laurence Fox is launching a new political party to fight the 'culture wars' named Reclaim, and he has already raised more than 5million. The actor, 42, has received substantial sums from former Tory donors and hopes to stand dozens of candidates across the UK. The Lewis star says he wants to provide a movement for people who are 'tired of being told that we represent the very thing we have, in history, stood together against'. Among Fox's aims in his new party are reforming the BBC and celebrating Britain's contribution to the world, according to The Telegraph. The party is provisionally called Reclaim and has a website named LaurenceFoxParty. He hopes to launch the party next month and the name is subject to the Electoral Commission's approval. His website states: 'Over many years it has become clear that our politicians have lost touch with the people they represent and govern. 'Moreover, our public institutions now work to an agenda beyond their main purpose.' Advertisement 'I was asked to participate in October 2019, and I explained to the organisers that some trans activists may object to my being there. 'I was then told that trans activists had already expressed hostility towards the event because they claimed second-wave feminism is inherently trans-exclusionary.' Among those who spoke out against her exclusion was campaigner Julie Bindel, who told the organisers: 'You should hang your heads in shame for giving into this mob.' The Oxford University History Faculty also criticised the decision, saying: We cannot accept the exclusion of our respected colleague Professor Selina Todd from the event, and that means that we withdrew from the weekends celebration. 'We recognise that it is not always straightforward to balance the rights of women with the rights of trans people, but we believe that the way forward is for us all to talk to one another. Professor Todd denies holding discriminatory views against trans people. Exeter College said at the time it was not responsible for her being banned. In a lengthy statement posted on Twitter, the Oxford International Women's Festival said it was not 'responsible for requesting Professor Selina Todd not to speak'. The academic was provided security by Oxford University in January after she was informed by students of threats made against her on email threads. She said the threats, believed to have come from trans rights campaigners, left her feeling 'vulnerable'. The appointment comes amid rising condemnation of 'cancel culture', with British students now being taught it is a form of bullying and that 'no platforming' is an attack on our freedoms. As part of the Government's drive to protect freedom of speech, secondary school students will learn that people with controversial opinions should be respected. In Department for Education training manuals, teachers are instructed to tell pupils that the 'cancel culture' which has taken root at many universities where individuals call for a boycott of a person or company whose views they don't agree with, in the hope they lose their job or clients is not part of a 'tolerant and free society'. The move appears to be a direct response to incidents where mainstream speakers, including former home secretary Amber Rudd, have been blocked from speaking at universities by political opponents. The comments are part of a slide presentation in a module on 'respectful relationships', as part of the new relationships and sex education curriculum beginning this year. Education Secretary Gavin Williamson has repeatedly threatened legislation unless universities do more to protect freedom of speech on campus. In one section, the department says teachers must not suggest that 'children might be a different gender based on their personality and interests'. Professor Todd, a professor in Modern History at St Hildas College (pictured), denies holding discriminatory views against trans people It also warns schools not to work with organisations that promote the idea that 'non-conformity to gender stereotypes should be seen as synonymous with having a different gender identity'. The rules appear to be a response to increasing criticism of activist groups seen as pushing children and young people into transitioning gender, with many children saying later they regret their decision. Trans-exclusionary radical feminist: What is a TERF? The acronym has recently been applied to author JK Rowling amid an influx of accusations of transphobia. It stands for trans-exclusionary radical feminist, and was commonly used to refer to a minority of feminists who largely rejected the assertion that trans women are women. The meaning has recently expanded to refer more broadly to people with trans-exclusionary views who may have no involvement with radical feminism. Those dubbed a TERF often reject the term, or consider it a slur. Advertisement 'We are aware that topics involving gender and biological sex can be complex and sensitive,' the guidance says. 'You should not reinforce harmful stereotypes, for instance by suggesting that children might be a different gender based on their personality and interests.' Earlier this year, the Government was said to be preparing to set out new safeguards to protect female-only spaces including refuges and public lavatories to stop them being used by those with male anatomy. The details were said to be contained in a leaked paper setting out the Government's long-delayed response to a public consultation on the Gender Recognition Act. But a No 10 source said in June that the details of the response were yet to be finalised, and the Prime Minister would have the final say on the recommendations. The appointment of Professor Todd comes as JK Rowling became embroiled in yet another transphobia row last week, after she directed fans to a website selling badges and stickers saying 'transwomen are men'. The author, 55, appeared to take aim at her critics when she tweeted a photograph of herself wearing a T-shirt emblazoned with the slogan: 'This witch doesn't burn'. She followed up her message with a link to the Wild Womyn Workshop, writing: 'If you are (or know) a witch who wants one of these, don't buy from cynical chancers.' Furious critics were quick to point out that the website sells a series of other items they deemed 'transphobic', with users sharing images of badges reading 'f*** your pronouns' and 'trans activism is misogyny'. Wild Womyn Workshop, which has a category dedicated to 'gender critical' items, also sells a badge reading 'dead men don't rape' alongside stickers stating 'trans-ideology erases women.' The appointment of Professor Todd comes as JK Rowling became embroiled in yet another transphobia row last week, after she directed fans to a website selling badges and stickers saying 'transwomen are men' The author, 55, appeared to take aim at her critics, tweeting a photograph of herself wearing a T-shirt emblazoned with the slogan: 'This witch doesn't burn' In June, the Harry Potter author hit headlines after she mocked an online article using the words 'people who menstruate' instead of 'women'. She was hit by what she described as 'relentless attacks' after she wrote: 'I'm sure there used to be a word for those people. Someone help me out. Wumben? Wimpund? Woomud?' The acclaimed novelist then penned a deeply personal essay to address the controversy, revealing she was sexually assaulted in her 20s and saying she still feels the scars of 'domestic violence' in her first marriage. Rowling's remarks sparked backlash from a range of stars including actors Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Daniel Radcliffe and Eddie Redmayne. The men booked the helicopter they hijacked under their real names - GEOFFROY VAN DER HASSELT /AFP Belgian police arrested the suspects in an amateurish prison breakout in less than 24 hours because the gang booked the helicopter they hijacked to try and free one of their wives under their real names. The three men chartered the flight in Deurne, near Antwerp, on Friday on the pretext of taking aerial shots for a television programme but planned to use the helicopter to free Kristal Appelt, the wife of the main suspect. Mike Gielen, 24, from Tongeren, married Ms Appelt, 27, in prison last year. She is awaiting trial for the murder of her then boyfriend. I can confirm that my client has admitted that he wanted to release his wife from prison," said Mr Gielen's lawyer, Tom Van Overbeke. "Right now it seems like the whole thing is pretty amateurish." After taking pictures of landmarks such as the Atomium and the Lion of Waterloo, the men produced imitation guns and ordered the pilot, a 35-year-old woman, to fly to the prison. The helicopter hovered over two other prisons before arriving at Berkendael womens prison. The De Standaard newspaper reported the helicopters arrival caused panic among the prison staff but hilarity among the prisoners. The excitement was too much for Mr Gielen, who vomited up to five times. The pilot managed to convince him that it was impossible to land the helicopter in the prison courtyard. After hovering for a short while, the helicopter flew out of Brussels to a car park in the French-speaking region of Wallonia. A head count in the prison revealed that no one had escaped. The men fled in a car only to be picked up less than a day later after officers traced them from their names on the helicopter booking forms. A fourth man, Mr Gielens adoptive father, was also arrested after picking the men up and released conditionally on Sunday. Mr Gielen, who is understood to have complained about conditions in the womens prison and was unhappy at having visits curtailed by coronavirus, is cooperating with police, according to reports. The three men will appear in court next week. A 22-year-old man in the helicopter said he had no idea that his friends were planning a prison break. My client had been asked by a friend to take photos and videos. He brought a backpack full of cameras and lenses and also shot some images during the flight. He was completely unaware of a plan to release anyone from prison, said his lawyer Jonathan Bogaerts. Rep. Henry Cuellar announced Wednesday with TAMIU that the university would receive $435,020 in federal funds for their work in studying gang violence in New Jersey. According to Cuellar, the funding will allow TAMIU professors along with graduate and undergraduate researchers to participate in the study of the dynamics of guns and gang violence, which is expected to help inform policy makers and law makers in the future. He added that more money has been provided for gun violence research after the removal of a prohibition of prohibition of gun violence research. The study will be led by Dr. Jared Dmello, Assistant Professor and Project Investigator, and partnered with the University of Massachusetts at Lowell and California State University. It will take place in New Jersey because of the states notoriety for gun violence and their spillover effects from gun and gang violence from New York City. The high level of both gang and gun violence is a perfect case study to understand the connection and develop effective data driven tools. This research is really going to investigate how gangs use firearms and how this use has evolved in the span of about four decades in the state of New Jersey, Dmello said. Were really interested in how gang use of firearms specifically terrorizes communities, but that spillover effect of when it goes from a private to a public setting and how group composition impacts network violence more broadly. Dmellos lab in TAMIU is still researching gang violence for Texas, Webb County and Laredo, and how it is evolving with a focus on ethnicity instead of the connection of gun and gangs. He adds that while gender and race impacts race and gun violence, there still has not been a systematic study at the state level looking at the connection from the network perspective. The current plan is to work with policymakers and law enforcement to provide data to help reduce gang violence. TAMIU students will have the opportunity to study under Dmello and learn techniques that would include geospatial social network analysis, analytics to predict the future of networked evolution that may help them in their future academic or professional careers, Dmello said. We have brought in the last 10 or 12 years a great young group of faculty members who conduct research on problems that are not specifically surrounding Laredo or Webb County, TAMIU President Dr. Pablo Arenaz said. Arenaz adds that the research that is published by Dmello will have applications in Laredo, Dallas and across the country. The research grants are difficult to get by institutions, yet very important for them and the community TAMIU Provost, Dr. Thomas R Mitchell said. I am very interested in seeing what he finds out about how firearm violence by gangs spills over the community and victimizes community members. Mitchell said. Interestingly, hes going to do some geospatial to show the different variants that can cause gangs to resort to violence from internal power relations to their locale. It promises to be a very interesting and very complex study, so I wish him good luck with it. cocampo@lmtonline.com The United Nations on September 27 announced that the rival factions in war-torn Yemen have agreed to exchange over 1,000 prisoners. UN said that delegates from the Yemen government and the Ansar Allah, formally known as the Houthi rebels, signed an agreement on Sunday and agreed to release 1,081 conflict-related individuals from prisons across the country. Congratulations to the @ICRC team and the Parties for agreeing on the release plan. https://t.co/MhOPAK3W6V @OSE_Yemen (@OSE_Yemen) September 27, 2020 Read: Yemen: Fighting Intensifies In Al-Jawf Province, Leaving 28 Dead "Today is an important day for over a thousand families who can expect to welcome back their loved ones hopefully very soon. I thank the parties for going beyond their differences and reaching an arrangement that will benefit Yemenis. In doing so, they will fulfill their commitments made in Stockholm and put an end to the misery of many more Yemeni families who are waiting for their loved ones," said the UN Special Envoy for Yemen, Martin Griffiths. Read: Report Says Yemens Warring Sides severely Restricting Aid The United Nations is looking to capitalise on the latest development and is seeking a ceasefire between the two sides in accordance with the 2018 Stockholm Agreement. Griffiths called on the parties to build on this "very important achievement", and to move together towards a negotiated solution to bring lasting peace to Yemen. "The United Nations stands ready to support the parties, as well as the Yemeni people, in achieving that", Griffiths assured. Read: UN Warns Of Yemen Famine, No Aid From Saudis, UAE, Kuwait Yemen conflict The war in Yemen broke in 2014 after Iran-backed Houthi rebels seized the capital Sana'a and most of the country's north after dethroning President Abed Rabu Mansour Hadis government. The Yemen war intensified in early 2015 when a Saudi-led coalition joined the government's fight against Houthi rebels, instituting an aerial bombing campaign across the country, which was already suffering from the poverty at that time. Read: Yemen's Rival Sides Meet In Geneva For Prisoner Swap Talks (Image Credit: AP) The coronavirus saps men's testosterone and leaves them more susceptible to falling seriously ill as well as robbing them of their sex drive, a study suggests. Researchers in Turkey analysed levels of the sex hormone in 200 men who were in hospital after they tested positive for Covid-19. More than half (51 per cent) had developed a condition called hypogonadism, in which their bodies did not produce enough testosterone. On average, participants' levels were drained by 30 per cent post-infection to borderline unhealthy levels. Academics claimed there was a direct correlation between severe illness and lower testosterone levels. But, even among men who showed no symptoms of the virus at all, two thirds reported having a lowered sex drive a tell-tale sign of low testosterone. As well as being key in the development of sex organs and muscle growth, testosterone also helps regulate the immune responses, including fighting viral infections. Low levels have been linked to an increased risk of dying from the flu, as well as inflammation, heart disease and high blood pressure. University of Mersin scientists, behind the study, believe Covid-19 makes men more vulnerable to its nastier symptoms by hampering their immune systems. The coronavirus zaps men's testosterone levels and leaves them more susceptible to falling seriously ill, a study suggests (stock image of a man receiving a swab test for Covid-19 in France) The study, published in the journal The Aging Male, looked at 232 male patients who tested positive for coronavirus. They were divided into three groups - intensive care patients, asymptomatic patients (those with no signs of illness) and those who needed standard hospital care. Hypogonadism a condition in which the body doesnt produce enough testosterone was found in 113 (51.1 per cent) of the patients. Men with low testosterone levels are more likely to die from Avian influenza A (H7N9) Researchers from China's CDC and virology specialists studied 98 people diagnosed with H7N9. Testosterone samples were collected between 2014 and 2017 and compared to people who did not have the disease. In H7N9 infected men, testosterone levels were seen to be far lower than in their virus-negative close contacts. The virus-positive men who had low testosterone levels were also very likely to have high inflammatory cytokine levels. Low testosterone levels was also correlated with a higher chance of death after contracting the virus. The researchers write: 'This study provides evidence that low testosterone levels in H7N9 influenza infected men correlate with inflammatory cytokine/chemokine responses and lethal outcome.' Advertisement Pre-coronavirus testosterone levels were only available for 24 of the participants. But results showed these patients saw their levels drop by a third, on average, from 458 anograms per deciliter (ng/dl) to 315 ng/dl. A healthy level of testosterone is usually considered to be above 300 ng/dl. Lead author Professor Selahittin Cayan, a urologist at the university, said: 'In our study, the mean total testosterone decreased, as the severity of the Covid-19 increased. 'The mean total testosterone level was significantly lower in the ICU group than in the asymptomatic group. 'In addition, the mean total testosterone level was significantly lower in the ICU group than in the standard care group. 'Testosterone is associated with the immune system of respiratory organs, and low levels of testosterone might increase the risk of respiratory infections. 'Low testosterone is also associated with infection-related hospitalisation and all-cause mortality in male in ICU patients, so testosterone treatment may also have benefits beyond improving outcomes for Covid-19.' The researchers are now calling for all men hospitalised with Covid-19 to have their testosterone levels checked upon admission. They say testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) - a relatively risk-averse treatment for deficient men - be considered as a treatment option for the virus. Professor Cayan added: 'It could be recommended that at the time of Covid-19 diagnosis, testosterone levels are also tested. 'In men with low levels of sex hormones who test positive for Covid-19, testosterone treatment could improve their prognosis. More research is needed on this.' Professor Cayan admits the team's study was limited because it did not include a control group of patients with conditions other than Covid-19 to compare with. This was due to the restrictions placed on the hospital that they were monitoring the patients in, she said. It comes after a study in May found men with low testosterone levels who contract Covid-19 are at far greater risk of dying from the virus. Medics at the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf in Germany looked at 45 laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 patients admitted to ICU. Thirty-five were men and 10 were women, with seven patients requiring oxygen and 33 of them needing ventilation. Nine men and three women died. Hormone levels of each patient were assessed on their first day in ICU, before they had received any invasive procedures. Samples from the COVID-19 patients were tested for 12 hormones, including testosterone and dihydrotestosterone. Of the male COVID-19 patients sent to ICU at the German hospital, more than two thirds (68.6 per cent) recorded low levels of testosterone. In contrast, the majority of female patients (60 per cent) had elevated testosterone levels. Mooncakes are among many types of Vietnamese cakes successfully exported to foreign markets. browser not support iframe. Though volumes remain modest, products with traditional Vietnamese flavours have won over many fastidious customers in Europe, America, Singapore, and elsewhere, proving that prestige and quality increase popularity. This has been a driving force for domestic enterprises to confidently send more Vietnamese brands out to the world. Some 2.5 tons of red dragon fruit are used every day as ingredients in traditional mooncakes. These cakes are also being made for export to the US on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the country and Vietnam. To suit American tastes, American cheese has replaced salted egg in the cakes. Vietnamese mooncakes have also been exported to Europe, Singapore, and Thailand, among other markets. Exports this year have been quiet due to COVID-19, but producers have still received orders thanks to the novelty and uniqueness of mooncakes and prestigious brand names. Enterprises must also take the initiative, however, in researching and developing products that are suitable for international markets as well as promoting effective logistics solutions. Mooncake exports are considered to possess potential but companies also recognise there are certain difficulties in terms of market standards and barriers. Exports used to be primarily for the Vietnamese community around the world, who miss a taste of home, while a few customers simply prefer traditional Asian flavours. Though still modest, the successful export of mooncakes shows the ability of Vietnamese food companies to fully meet strict standards around the world. This will be a driving force for these companies to expand their business and send more unique and traditional products out to win over international customers./.VNA Hai Phong people queue for hours to buy mooncakes A bustling street in the northern city of Haiphong is home to many traditional mooncake shops which is attracting lots of customers over recent days. People in face masks are seen at a mall in Singapore on 27 March, 2020. (Reuters file photo) SINGAPORE The Ministry of Health (MOH) confirmed 15 new COVID-19 cases as of Monday (28 September), taking Singapores total case count to 57,715. All but two of the 15 new cases are asymptomatic and were proactively detected, said the MOH. Of them, two are cases in the community while six are imported, including a one-year-old boy and a three-year-old girl. The remaining seven cases are foreign workers living in dormitories, of which four had been identified earlier as contacts of previous cases, and had already been quarantined. Overall, seven per cent of the new cases have no established links. UPDATE: Almost all 15 new COVID cases in Singapore asymptomatic, including 1-year-old boy https://t.co/Gi27hVWalX pic.twitter.com/RIUkf9rY0j Yahoo Singapore (@YahooSG) September 28, 2020 Both cases in the community are 26-year-old male work permit holders from Malaysia. One of them, case 57847 and currently unlinked, was tested as part of the proactive screening of workers in essential services who are living outside the dorms, and had gone to work at Changi Airport. The other, case 57861, had been identified as his household contact. When contacted by MOH on 27 September after case 57847 was confirmed with COVID-19, case 57861 reported having symptoms and was immediately conveyed to a hospital for a swab, said the MOH. He subsequently tested positive for COVID-19, the ministry added. Epidemiological investigations of the unlinked case are in progress while all the identified close contacts of the case have been isolated and placed on quarantine, and will be tested at the start and end of their quarantine period, the MOH said. We will also conduct serological tests for his other household contacts to determine if he could have been infected by them, it added. Story continues The MOH noted that the number of new cases in the community has remained stable at an average of fewer than one case per day in the past two weeks. Similarly, the number of unlinked cases in the community has also remained stable at an average of fewer than one case per day in the past two weeks. Amongst the six asymptomatic imported cases, one is a permanent resident who had returned to Singapore from India on 16 September. Another three are work pass or permit holders currently employed here who arrived from France, the Philippines, and India on 16 September. The remaining two are dependants pass holders a one-year-old boy and a three-year-old girl who arrived from India on 15 September. All of them had been placed on 14-day stay-home notice upon their arrival here and were tested while serving their notice at dedicated facilities. 3 cases in dorms detected via surveillance testing Amongst the seven cases residing in dorms, four had been identified earlier as contacts of previous cases, and were tested during quarantine, said the MOH. The remaining three cases were detected through surveillance testing, such as the bi-weekly rostered routine testing of workers living in dorms, it added. Separately, the ministry announced the closure of three dorm clusters: Changi Lodge II at 80 Tanah Merah Coast Road, as well as dorms at 35 Kian Teck Way and 66 Tech Park Crescent. No cases have been linked to these dorms for the past two incubation periods, or 28 days, said the MOH. Of Singapores COVID-19 tally, 54,410 or 94.3 per cent are foreign workers living in dorms. 99% of total cases have recovered With 26 more patients discharged from hospitals or community isolation facilities on Monday, 57,393 cases or 99.4 per cent of the total have fully recovered from the infection. Most of the 36 hospitalised cases are stable or improving, while none is in critical condition in the intensive care unit. A total of 259 patients with mild symptoms or are clinically well but still test positive are isolated and cared for at community facilities. Apart from 27 patients who have died from COVID-19 complications, 15 others who tested positive for the virus were determined to have died from unrelated causes, including three whose deaths were attributed to a heart attack and another four, whose deaths were attributed to coronary heart disease. Stay in the know on-the-go: Join Yahoo Singapore's Telegram channel at http://t.me/YahooSingapore More Singapore stories: COVID-19: Parents who plan to continue masking up their children under 6 FAQ: what you need to know about going back to workplace from 28 Sept COVID-19: Migrant workers may now be quarantined by levels instead of entire blocks A 45-year-old junior scientist, working with a Delhi-based central government agency, who was kidnapped on Saturday, was rescued from a Noida hotel on Sunday evening. The police have arrested three people in connection with the kidnapping. Police officers said the matter came to light Sunday evening when the victims wife approached them. According to her, her husband had left home around 5.30pm on Saturday saying that he was going to the Noida City Centre to buy some household items. The family lives in a high-rise in Sector 77. However, he did not return. Around 10pm on Saturday, I got a call from his phone and the caller said my husband had been abducted. The caller said they wanted money in order to release my husband, said the woman in her complaint to the police. She alleged that later she received a call from a different phone number. A man and a woman could be heard talking, and they demanded a ransom of 10 lakh for my husbands release or else they would harm him, she said. Officers said the victims wife did not contact the police immediately as she was scared for her husband. However, when she could not arrange the money, the family approached the Sector 49 police station where a case of kidnapping for ransom (Section 364a of IPC) was registered. Based on instructions from the commissioner, three teams were formed immediatelythe Noida zone surveillance team, a crime branch team and one from Sector 49 police station. Within a few hours of the complaint, we traced the suspects, using the location of the phone from which the ransom calls were made, said additional DCP, zone 1, Kumar Ranvijay Singh. Police said the victim had left home in his Honda city car. After tracing the location of the phone to a hotel in Sector 41, they found the car parked nearby, officers added. We found three men inside the victims car. One of them was apprehended while the other two managed to flee. The apprehended suspect was identified as Deepak Kumar (28), who is from Haryana and worked at the hotel. Based on his directions, the victim was traced to one of the rooms in the hotel, said Singh. The police said that the victim had several injury marks on his body when they found him. Two persons, including a woman, who had held the victim hostage, were arrested from the spot, the police said. These were identified as 51-year-old Sunita Gujjar, a resident of Noidas Sector 51, and 32-year-old Rakesh Kumar, who is also from Haryana. The police said Rakesh is the owner of the hotel where the victim was allegedly being held hostage. The police said that their investigation later revealed that the victim was allegedly abducted when he had left home to visit a massage parlour that he had found online. His wife was not aware about the planned visit, officers added. The victim had looked for a massage parlour online, and found the contact number for one in Noida. He came in touch with a man in this regard and the latter asked him to meet at the City Centre on Saturday. However, when the victim reached there, he was asked to follow the man to the hotel where he was instead kept hostage, a police officer, on condition of anonymity, said. According to a press statement by the police, the victim had allegedly been lured by the woman and her associates before they asked him to meet. Police said this allegedly was the modus operandi of the gang, which has been involved in multiple extortion cases. We have found the involvement of the gang in at least two to three cases of extortion so far. The gang has been active for the past four or five years, and a search is on for their other associates. According to our initial investigation, no other women, apart from Sunita, seem to be a part of the operation, said Singh. According to sources, Sunita is associated with the womens wing of a political party, though police officers said that this is claim has not been verified yet. The police said that some electronic devices and a few documents incriminating the suspects in the operation were allegedly seized during the probe, apart from the victims car. The suspects were produced before a magistrate and later sent to jail. The police team which rescued the victim was rewarded a prize of 5 lakh from Uttar Pradesh additional chief secretary (home) Awanish Awasthi. Police said the victim was rescued the victim within a few hours of receiving the complaint. Teams had been deployed at border areas, as part of which search operations, and suspicious vehicles were checked. Nearly a dozen police personnel in civil clothes had been involved in the raid and surveillance in Sector 41 hotel, the police said. The EU renewed its threat to take legal action if the UK doesn't drop the bill, which is currently passing through Parliament. Britain entered a crucial week of post-Brexit talks with the European Union on Monday by rejecting the EU's demand that it drop plans to breach the legally binding agreement it signed on its departure from the bloc. The EU told British Prime Minister Boris Johnson to brace for a legal fight. The EU insisted that abiding by every last detail of the international treaty that regulated the UK's departure on Jan. 31 was key to maintaining trust and hopes of salvaging a rudimentary trade deal in the next few weeks. After a short meeting between the two sides in Brussels, UK Brexit planning minister Michael Gove said Britain wouldn't withdraw its Internal Market Bill, which includes clauses to override parts of the Brexit withdrawal treaty. ``Those clauses will remain in that bill'' as a safety net in case the UK and the EU don't reach a trade agreement, Gove said. The EU renewed its threat to take legal action if the UK doesn't drop the bill, which is currently passing through Parliament. ``We are considering all legal options available to us,`` European Commission Vice President Maros Sefcovic said. The rift means that talks between the two sides' trade negotiators will begin Tuesday under an ominous cloud. Britain and the 27-nation bloc have just weeks to strike a deal before a post-Brexit transition period runs out on Dec. 31. Both sides stand to lose hundreds of thousands of jobs and a big chunk of their income if they fail to find a compromise agreement. Yet Brussels and London have been digging in their heels, both vowing not to compromise on key issues. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen warned that the economies of EU countries and the UK are being ``severely hit'' by the coronavirus pandemic and that failure to strike a Brexit deal would make things worse. ``We want an agreement,'' she told reporters in Lisbon at the start of an official visit to Portugal. ``We're working hard and negotiating. I'm still convinced a deal is possible.'' Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin said Monday that his government ``is preparing its budget in three weeks' time on the basis that there will be a no-deal Brexit.'' Martin said Johnson's attempt to pass a law that violates the legally binding EU-UK divorce agreement had ``eroded trust'' and undermined confidence. If it becomes law, Johnson's Internal Market Bill will give the UK the power to disregard part of the Brexit withdrawal treaty dealing with trade to and from Northern Ireland, which shares a 300-mile (500-kilometer) border with EU member Ireland. Johnson has said he wouldn't put it past the EU to abuse the treaty to put the Northern Irish part of the UK in an economic chokehold. The EU denies this and insists the full withdrawal agreement must be respected for fear that it otherwise might reignite tensions on the island of Ireland. Britain and the EU jointly promised in the Brexit divorce agreement to ensure there are no customs posts or other obstacles on the Northern Ireland-Ireland border, no matter what the final terms of Brexit. The open border is key to the stability that underpins the 1998 Good Friday peace accord that ended decades of violence between Irish nationalists and British unionists. Sefcovic warned Monday that Britain shouldn't try to use the withdrawal agreement and its Northern Ireland provisions as ``a bargaining chip'' in trade negotiations. Johnson's law-breaching bill has also brought a warning from senior American politicians _ including House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden _ who said passing it would scupper chances of a UK-US trade deal. On Monday, the US Special Envoy to Northern Ireland, Mick Mulvaney, said there was a chance the bill could place the Norther Ireland peace agreement at risk. On a visit to Dublin, he said that was ``something we're very interested in seeing not happen.'' ``We're here to protect, defend that Good Friday Agreement that was so hard fought and won,'' he said after meeting with senior Irish politicians. Against that background, trade negotiations led by the EU's Michel Barnier and the UK's David Frost will resume Tuesday, hoping to bridge gaps on EU boats' access to UK fishing waters and the amount of support that governments are allowed to give to businesses. The EU has accused Britain of trying to retain the privileges it had as a member of the bloc without following the EU's rules. The UK says the bloc is making demands that it hasn't placed on other countries it has trade deals with, such as Canada. Still, London maintained there was some hope that a deal could be reached before or at an EU summit in mid-October, which Johnson has called the deadline for a deal. ``We expect discussions to continue in the run-up to the European Council'' on Oct. 15-16, UK government spokesman James Slack said. ``Although the last few weeks of informal talks have been positive, there remains much to be done.'' Search Keywords: Short link: First Set of Results from On-Going 8,000 Metre Drill Program VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Sept. 28, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Newcore Gold Ltd. ("Newcore" or the "Company") (TSX-V: NCAU) is pleased to announce the first set of results from the 8,000 metre drill program underway on the Company's 100% owned Enchi Gold Project ("Enchi" or the "Project"), in southwest Ghana. Drilling has successfully intersected shallow oxide gold mineralization outside of the currently defined resource area, supporting the potential for resource expansion at the Project. Enchi hosts a pit constrained National Instrument 43-101 ("NI 43-101") Inferred Mineral Resource of 52.9 million tonnes grading 0.72 g/t Au containing 1.22 million ounces gold (see Newcore news release dated September 14, 2020 (https://newcoregold.com/news/newcore-gold-announces-significant-increase-to-the-enchi-gold-project-mineral-resource-estimate/), the Company will file a NI 43-101 compliant technical report in support of the disclosure contained in that news release on or before October 29, 2020). Highlights To date, 22 drill holes have been completed of a planned 60-hole, 8,000 metre drill program, with assay results having been received for 13 drill holes Drilling at the Boin Gold Deposit ("Boin") has successfully intersected shallow oxide gold mineralization outside of the currently defined resource area. Boin remains open for expansion along strike and to depth Highlights from holes drilled at Boin include: o Hole KBRC141 intersected 1.67 grams per tonne gold ("g/t Au") over 47.0 metres ("m") from 48 m to 95 m, including 3.63 g/t Au over 10.0 m from 75 m to 85 m o Hole KBRC151 intersected 2.30 g/t Au over 11.0 m from 9 m to 20 m o Hole KBRC146 intersected 0.92 g/t Au over 32.0 m from 30 m to 62 m, including 1.78 g/t Au over 12.0 m from 42 m to 54 m Luke Alexander, President & CEO of Newcore stated, "We are extremely pleased with the first set of results from the drill program at Enchi. The initial results confirm the potential extension of shallow, oxide gold mineralization beyond the limits of the currently defined resource area. Boin remains open for potential resource expansion along strike and to depth and is the first of six areas we are targeting as part of this drill program. We look forward to proving out the district scale potential at Enchi as we receive additional results from resource expansion drilling and drill testing of new high priority gold targets across the 216 km2 property." The 13 holes highlighted in this news release targeted the Boin Gold Deposit including seven holes at Boin North stepping out along strike and down dip from previous positive drilling results, five holes at Boin Central primarily targeting down dip extensions to the gold mineralization, and one hole at Boin South designed to explore if Boin can be extended laterally and to depth. To date a total of 3,666 metres in 22 holes has been completed as part of the current drill program, with results received for 13 holes representing 1,576 metres. A total of 60 holes are planned as part of the 8,000 metre Reverse Circulation ("RC") drill program to be completed in 2020, focused on expansion of existing resource areas as well as exploration drilling at a number of high priority gold targets. Select assay results from the first 13 holes of the drill program are reported below: Table 1 - Enchi Gold Project Drill Highlights Hole ID Zone/Deposit From (m) To (m) Length (m) Au (g/t) KBRC139 Boin 1.0 17.0 16.0 0.69 KBRC141 Boin 48.0 95.0 47.0 1.67 including 49.0 58.0 9.0 2.96 and including 75.0 85.0 10.0 3.63 KBRC146 Boin 30.0 62.0 32.0 0.92 including 42.0 54.0 12.0 1.78 KBRC150A Boin 87.0 108.0 21.0 1.19 KBRC151 Boin 9.0 20.0 11.0 2.30 Notes: See detailed table for complete results Intervals reported are core lengths with true width estimated to be 75 - 85 % Length-weighted averages from uncut assays Results pending for holes KBRC138, KBRC142, KBRC145, and KBRC152 - 159 A plan map showing the drill hole locations can be viewed at: https://newcoregold.com/site/assets/files/5591/2020_09_28-ncau-nr-enchi-plan-map.pdf (https://newcoregold.com/site/assets/files/5591/2020_09_28-ncau-nr-enchi-plan-map.pdf) A complete list of the 2020 drill results to date, including hole details, can be viewed at: https://newcoregold.com/site/assets/files/5591/2020_09_28-ncau-nr-enchi-2020-drill-results-detailed-table.pdf (https://newcoregold.com/site/assets/files/5591/2020_09_28-ncau-nr-enchi-2020-drill-results-detailed-table.pdf) 2020 Enchi Drilling Program As highlighted in Newcore's news release on August 12, 2020 (https://newcoregold.com/news/newcore-gold-announces-start-of-drill-program-at-its-100-owned-enchi-gold-project-ghana/), an 8,000 metre RC drilling program is underway at Enchi. The 2020 drilling program includes approximately 60 RC drill holes testing six gold targets on the Project, focused on testing extensions of the existing resource areas while also testing a number of exploration targets outside of the Inferred Mineral Resource. Drilling is predominantly focused on step out extensions and exploration drilling at the Boin, Sewum, and Nyam Deposits. Additional drilling is planned at two zones identified outside of the resource area, Kojina Hill and Kwayehkrom, along with maiden drilling on the Nkwanta gold anomaly which has yet to be drill tested. All zones represent high priority targets based on geological, geochemical and geophysical surface work and previous trenching and drilling. Boin Gold Zone The Boin Gold Deposit is one of the primary deposits currently included in the NI 43-101 Inferred Mineral Resource Estimate at Enchi. Boin is located 15 kilometres south of the town of Enchi, with nearby roads and power and further access provided by a series of drill roads. Boin is outlined on surface by a five-kilometre-long and 0.5 to 1.0 kilometre wide gold in soil anomaly. An airborne geophysical anomaly coincident with the Boin structure extends for a further two kilometres north and five kilometres south beyond the limits of current drilling. Drill Hole Locations Table 2 - Enchi Gold Project Drill Hole Location Details Hole ID UTM East UTM North Elevation Azimuth Dip Length (m) KBRC139 518700 633234 130 120 -60 80 KBRC140 519121 633708 155 120 -60 80 KBRC141 519018 633704 156 114 -50 120 KBRC143 519395 634172 120 114 -60 108 KBRC144 519378 634178 120 120 -60 150 KBRC145 520325 635410 117 120 -60 150 KBRC146 520456 635619 124 114 -50 100 KBRC147 520424 635582 124 114 -50 102 KBRC148 520391 635546 122 114 -50 108 KBRC149 520378 635496 120 114 -50 100 KBRC150 520335 635517 125 114 -65 148 KBRC150A 520338 635514 122 114 -65 174 KBRC151 519349 634402 131 120 -60 156 COVID-19 Protocols Newcore's first priority is the health and safety of all employees, contractors, and local communities. The Company is following all Ghana guidelines and requirements related to COVID-19. The Company has implemented COVID-19 protocols for its on-going drill program consisting of the mandatory use of personal protective equipment (including facemask for all employees), maintaining social distancing, frequent hand washing, and daily temperature checks at the start of each shift. Newcore Gold Best Practice Newcore is committed to best practice standards for all exploration, sampling and drilling activities. Drilling was completed by independent drilling firm using industry standard RC and Diamond Drill equipment. Analytical quality assurance and quality control procedures include the systematic insertion of blanks, standards and duplicates into the sample strings. Samples are placed in sealed bags and shipped directly to Intertek Labs located in Tarkwa, Ghana for 50 gram gold fire assay. Qualified Person Mr. Gregory Smith, P.Geo, Vice President of Exploration of Newcore, is a Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101, and has reviewed and approved the technical data and information contained in this news release. Mr. Smith has verified the technical and scientific data disclosed herein and has conducted appropriate verification on the underlying data including confirmation of the drillhole data files against the original drillhole logs and assay certificates. About Newcore Gold Corp. Newcore Gold is advancing its Enchi Gold project located in Ghana, Africa's largest gold producer 1. The Project currently hosts an Inferred Mineral Resource of 1.2 million ounces of gold at 0.72 g/t 2. Newcore Gold offers investors a unique combination of top-tier leadership, who are aligned with shareholders through their 39% ownership, and prime district scale exploration opportunities. Enchi's 216 km2 land package covers 40 kilometres of Ghana's prolific Bibiani Shear Zone, a gold belt which hosts several 5 million-ounce gold deposits, including Kinross' Chirano mine 50 kilometers to the north. Newcore's vision is to build a responsive, creative and powerful gold enterprise that maximizes returns for shareholders. On Behalf of the Board of Directors of Newcore Gold Ltd. Luke Alexander President, CEO & Director For further information, please contact: Mal Karwowska | Vice President, Corporate Development and Investor Relations +1 604 484 4399 info@newcoregold.com (mailto:info@newcoregold.com) www.newcoregold.com (http://www.newcoregold.com) 1 Source: Production volumes for 2019 as sourced from the World Gold Council 2 Notes for Inferred Mineral Resource Estimate: CIM definition standards were followed for the resource estimate. The 2020 resource models used ordinary kriging (OK) grade estimation within a three-dimensional block model with mineralized zones defined by wireframed solids and constrained by whittle pits shell. A base cut-off grade of 0.3 g/t Au was used with a capping of gold grades at 18 g/t. A US$1,500/ounce gold price, open pit with heap leach operation was used to determine the cut-off grade of 0.3 g/t Au. Mining costs of US$2.27/mined tonne and G&A and Milling costs of US$9.84/milled tonne. The Inferred Mineral Resource Estimate is pit constrained. A density of 2.45 g/cm3 was applied. Numbers may not add due to rounding. Mineral Resources that are not mineral reserves do not have economic viability. The Company will file a NI 43-101 compliant technical report in support of the Inferred Mineral Resource Estimate contained in the Company's news release dated September 14, 2020 on or before October 29, 2020. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This news release contains certain forward-looking statements, Any statements that express or involve discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance (often, but not always, using words or phrases such as "expects" or does not expect", "is expected", anticipates" or "does not anticipate" "plans", "estimates" or "intends" or stating that certain actions, events or results " may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved) are not statements of historical fact and may be "forward-looking statements". Forward-looking statements are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties which could cause actual events or results to materially differ from those reflected in the forward-looking statements. Safe Harbor Statement under the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: Except for the statements of historical fact contained herein, the information presented constitutes "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements including but not limited to those with respect to the price of gold, potential mineralization, reserve and resource determination, exploration results, and future plans and objectives of the Company involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievement of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. 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. New Delhi, Sep 28 : A Delhi court has pulled up the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for questioning ex-CBI directors Ranjit Sinha, A.P. Singh and Alok Verma in connection with an alleged bribery case against meat exporter Moin Qureshi. In October 2018, a case was registered against then CBI Director Alok Verma and Special Director Rakesh Asthana. The complainant, Sathish Babu Sana, had alleged that he paid Rs 2 crore bribe to Asthana to be spared of any action in an investigation into the Moin Qureshi case. According to a chargesheet, Qureshi was in touch with senior officer(s) of the CBI. He would collect money from different individuals either directly or through his agents, such as Sathish Babu Sana, to influence the cases being investigated by the CBI. Special CBI Judge Sanjeev Aggarwal put forth six questions before the agency. In one of the questions, he asked why is it dragging its feet in a case involving the roles of two of its ex-directors "which may lead to an inference that it is not very keen to pursue investigations against them." The court added, "It is apparent that in this case, the role of two of its ex-directors is under scanner, i.e., A.P. Singh and Ranjit Sinha, along with alleged middleman Moin Akhtar Qureshi, which needs upfront, i.e., frank and honest investigations." The Special CBI Judge told the CBI that its image as the premier investigating agency of India is redoubtable. However, at the same time, it has to rise to the occasion to investigate the allegations against its two top ex-honchos to further enhance its eminence. In another question, the court asked whether the role of Ranjit Sinha, another ex-director of CBI alleged to be linked to Moin Qureshi, is also being investigated. It also asked why the CBI did not bring the probe in this case to a logical end by using the tried and tested methods of investigation like searches and custodial interrogation of potential suspects. The probe agency was also asked if the alleged role of another of its ex-directors, Alok Verma, was being investigated. Verma allegedly stalled or did not allow the investigations to reach their logical end during his tenure. "Why A.P. Singh has not been investigated in this case? If no definitive timeline can be given, does that mean that the investigations will go on for an indefinite period of time, so that the FIR may die its own death? Replies to all the questions in this regard are most ambivalent and evasive," the court said. The court has sought a status report from the CBI on these questions by October 27, 2020, when the matter will be heard further. Besides this, the CBI also submitted answers to nine questions the judge had asked earlier. The agency apprised the court that so far 544 documents have been collected and 63 witnesses have been examined in connection with the case. On being asked what actions have been taken against the public servants for whom Qureshi was allegedly acting as a middleman, the agency said that the investigation is being conducted and the role of such public servants is being probed. The probe agency further told the court that many CBI officers have been examined in connection with this case, including some public servants from the Income Tax Department and the Enforcement Directorate. The Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Mele Kyari, has hailed the decision of labour leaders to suspend their planned protest scheduled to commence on Monday. Mr Kyari, in a tweet on his official Twitter handle on Monday, praised the leadership of the unions for choosing the pursuit of common good. He said: Being a former union leader, I understand the difficulties of labour leadership when faced with choices between stark realities and legitimate follower expectations. The leadership chose the pursuit of common good and posterity will vindicate us all for standing with our country. Mr Kyari said the Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) had by their action demonstrated absolute faith in the country. They showed understanding on inevitability of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) deregulation and jointly charted a way forward to secure local refining sufficiency through greater stakeholder inclusiveness and transparency. We will follow through diligently, he added. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the NLC and TUC had suspended the strike at the early hours of Monday following a meeting with the federal government. Labour had called for the strike in protest against the recent hike in electricity tariffs and pump price of PMS commonly referred to as petrol. (NAN) When Dr. Shereef Elnahal walked through his New Jersey hospital in April, he couldnt believe what he was seeing. There were 300 patients being treated for COVID-19, filling hospital rooms and spilling out into the halls of the emergency room. The trauma center, once used for gunshot wounds and car crash victims, was now filled with people on ventilators. It was really like nothing weve ever seen before, said Elnahal, president and CEO of University Hospital in Newark. I have memories of walking around and I would look inside the rooms where that was possible. Almost every person was a person of color, he told NBC News. Video: Dr. Fauci warns flu seasons may accelerate spread of coronavirus Full coverage of the coronavirus outbreak Elnahals hospital is one of the more than 100 major medical centers that treat Americas most vulnerable patients: communities of color who have been disproportionately harmed by COVID-19. Data has increasingly shown that Black and Hispanic patients are more likely to be hospitalized with the virus and, in many cases, more likely to die from it. Related: Patients, doctors and experts speak out about how the "strong Black woman" stereotype and systemic racism affect Black women's access to quality health care and how we can change it. Were learning more and more that its these vulnerable communities being hit harder by the pandemic, said Beth Feldpush, senior vice president of policy and advocacy for Americas Essential Hospitals, a group representing the more than 300 hospitals that treat uninsured patients. Our hospitals are absolutely serving those hardest-hit communities. A second surge of COVID-19 this fall and winter could be catastrophic for the U.S., and its not just more sick people that doctors worry about. The very hospitals that treat lower-income patients could be forced to shut down or cut crucial services. We would absolutely be at risk of closing, Elnahal said. It would be a public health disaster for this community. Story continues The pandemic hit all U.S. hospitals with a financial triple whammy, said Aaron Wesolowski, the American Hospital Associations vice president for policy research, analytics and strategy. Costs increased dramatically, while revenues plummeted. The hospitals were forced to cover the exorbitant costs of buying extra personal protective equipment like N95 masks, as well as convert wards to treat COVID-19 patients and more uninsured patients. At the same time, they had to stop performing revenue-generating procedures like elective surgeries. By the end of 2020, hospitals across the U.S. will lose about $300 billion, according to the American Hospital Association. But for major medical centers like University Hospital in Newark, the financial hit of a second wave of COVID-19 would be especially devastating. Where there are already cracks in the system, those cracks become earthquakes, said Dr. Chris Pernell, University Hospitals chief of strategic integration and health equity officer. Thats because these safety net hospitals are nonprofit and promise care for all patients, regardless of insurance coverage. Even before the pandemic, they operated on shaky budgets. Jackson Health System in Miami, for example, only has enough cash on hand to operate for 50 days. Private hospitals typically have more than triple that amount of cash in reserve. Related: With COVID-19, fall looks a little different this year. Follow these expert tips to stay safe and healthy. 'Where else would they go?' Mark Knight, chief financial officer for Jackson Health System, said if it wasnt for an injection of federal funds, the hospital system, which serves between 1,200 and 1,300 patients a day, could have been in a dire situation. This year would have been a fiscal disaster, he said, adding that the local government serves as a backstop in case they reach a crisis point. While most safety net hospitals, including Jackson Health and University Hospital, received federal funds this year to bail them out, others like Valleywise Health in Phoenix got nothing. Chief medical officer Dr. Michael White blamed a glitch in the formula used to calculate which safety net hospitals would receive money through the CARES Act Provider Relief Fund. The health system, which serves more than 400,000 mostly Hispanic patients annually, is still trying to figure out the extent of the loss from the first COVID-19 wave. If a second one hits, White said, they may be forced to cut services. Any time you see health care services decrease, theres diminished access to care for those that are the most vulnerable and who need it most, White said. A recent study from the University of California, Berkeley, revealed that there may be racial bias in the formula the government used to distributeCARES funds to hospitals, leaving some predominantly Black and Hispanic communities shortchanged, even though they were hit harder by the pandemic. Looking at how the funding went out the door, providers serving those vulnerable communities did not get as much of the funding, Feldpush said, adding that later distributions did target certain COVID-19 hotspot hospitals. The hope is that if there is a resurgence, the federal government will step in again, but there is no guarantee. In fact, Feldpush said the Department of Health and Human Services still has another $50 billion allocated for providers that should have already been distributed. Even that wont be enough to cover the costs of a resurgence of COVID-19. In the meantime, hospitals are preparing for the second wave, stocking up on PPE despite lingering shortages and implementing lessons learned from the first surges, especially when it comes to treatment. However, for the patients who rely on these hospitals, their concerns arent about budgets and bottom lines. The hospital means everything to the community, said 49-year-old Tawanda Sheard, a University Hospital employee who has lived in the neighborhood for 25 years and was hospitalized there with COVID-19 last spring. They might not have the best insurance, but they know they can come there. Where else would they go to get treated? This article was originally published on NBCNews.com. Abuja The nationwide strike by organised labour scheduled to commence today will not happen as the unions and the federal government reached an agreement this morning on the contentious issues over the deregulation of the downstream sector of the oil industry and electricity, which led to a rise in petrol price and electricity tariffs. The meeting of the disputants which was adjourned last Thursday till today was, however, rescheduled for yesterday in a desperate bid to reach an agreement in order to avert the strike. Yesterdays meeting among the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC) and the federal government agreed on a two-week thaw for the rejig of the implementation of the policy on deregulation. Specifically, measures to alleviate the impact of the deregulation of the downstream sector of the oil industry was agreed upon, while the federal government committed to a two-week suspension of the implementation of the electricity sectors cost-reflective tariffs, which came into effect on September 1. Among the agreements reached after several hours of talks which ended in the wee hours of today were palliative measures to cushion effects of the deregulation of the downstream sector, the timeline for revamping of refineries, suspension of newly introduced reflective cost regime in the electricity tariff. In a communique signed by federal government side and labour representatives, it was agreed that based on the agreement that the strike and protest earlier scheduled for today be suspended. Consequently, the NLC and TUC agreed to suspend the planned industrial action, Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, who read the communique said. The communique said that after exhaustive deliberations on the issues raised by Labour Centres, the federal government stated: That it has fashioned out palliatives that would ameliorate the sufferings that Nigerian workers may experience as a result of the cost-reflective electricity tariff adjustments and deregulation of the downstream sector of the petroleum industry. The palliatives will be in the areas of transport, power, housing, agriculture and humanitarian support. It said after negotiations on various issues raised by all parties, the following resolutions were reached and mutually adopted: On electricity tariff, the parties agreed to set up a technical committee comprising ministries, departments, agencies (MDAs), NLC and TUC, which will work for a duration of two (2) weeks effective Monday 28th September 2020. The committee is to examine the justifications for the new policy in view of the need for the validation of the basis for the new cost reflective tariff as a result of the conflicting information from the fields, which appeared different from the data presented to justify the new policy by NERC; and metering deployment, challenges as well as a timeline for massive roll out. Members of the technical committee are Minister of State, Labour & Employment as chairman Mr Festus Keyamo (SAN); Minister of State Power, Mr. Godwin Jedy-Agba; Chairman, National Electricity Regulatory Commission, Prof. James Momoh; Special Assistant to the President on Infrastructure, Mr. Ahmad Zakari as Secretary, Dr. Onoho Ebhohimhen (NLC); Mr. Joe Ajaero (NLC); Mr. Chris Okonkwo (TUC); and a representative of DISCOS. The terms of reference (ToR) include examining the justification for the new policy on cost-reflective electricity tariff adjustments; to look at the different Electricity Distribution Company (DISCOs) and their different electricity tariff vis-a-vis NERC order and mandate; examine and advise the government on the issues that have hindered the deployment of the six million meters; and look into the NERC Act under review with a view to expanding its representation to include organized labour. The technical sub-committee is to submit its report within two (2) weeks. During the two weeks, the DISCOs shall suspend the application of the cost-reflective electricity tariff adjustments. The meeting also resolved that the following issues of concern to labour should be treated as stand-alone items: 40 per cent stake of government in the Discos and the stake of workers to be reflected in the composition of the Discos boards; an all-inclusive and independent review of the power sector operations as provided in the privatization MOU to be undertaken before the end of 2020, with Labour represented. That going forward, the moribund National Labour Advisory Council (NLAC) be inaugurated before the end of 2020 to institutionalize the process of tripartite and socio dialogue on socio-economic and major labour matters to forestall any crisis. On the downstream sector deregulation, the communique said all parties agreed on the urgency for increasing the local refining capacity of the nation to reduce the overdependence on the importation of petroleum products to ensure energy security, reduce the cost of finished products, increase employment and business opportunities for Nigerians. According to the communique, To address (1) above, NNPC is to expedite the rehabilitation of the nations four refineries located in Port Harcourt, Warri and Kaduna and to achieve 50% completion for Port Harcourt by December 2021, while timelines and delivery for Warri and Kaduna will be established by the inclusive Steering Committee. To ensure commitment and transparency to the processes and timelines of the rehabilitation exercise, the management of NNPC has offered to integrate the national leadership of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) and Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association (PENGASSAN) into the Steering Committee already established by the corporation. A Validation team comprising the representatives of the NNPC, Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI), Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC), NUPENG and PENGASSAN will be established to monitor the progress of the rehabilitation of the refineries and the pipelines/strategic depots network and advice the Steering Committee periodically. It said that post-rehabilitation, NNPC shall involve the PENGASSAN and NUPENG in the process of establishing the operational model of the nations refineries. The federal government also said that it will facilitate the delivery of licensed modular and regular refineries, the involvement of upstream companies in the petroleum refining and establishing a framework for financing in the downstream sector. NNPC is to expedite work on the Build Operate and Transfer framework for the nations pipelines and strategic depots network for efficient transportation and distribution of petroleum products to match the delivery timelines of the refineries as agreed, it said, adding: The federal government and its agencies are to ensure delivery of 1 million CNG/LPG AutoGas conversion kits, storage skids and dispensing units under the Nigeria Gas Expansion Programme by December 2021 to enable the delivery of cheaper transportation and power fuel. It said a governance structure that would include representatives of organized labour shall be established for a timely delivery. With the general intervention, the federal government agreed to cushion the impacts of the downstream sector deregulation and tariffs adjustment in the power sector. It said that a specific amount is to be unveiled in two weeks time which will be isolated from the Economic Sustainability Programme Intervention Fund and be accessed by Nigerian workers with subsequent provision for 240,000 under the auspices of NLC and TUC for participation in agricultural ventures through the CBN and the Ministry of Agriculture. The timeline will be fixed at the next meeting. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Nigeria Business Governance By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. Also, the federal government said it will facilitate the removal of tax on minimum wage as a way of cushioning the impacts of the policy on the lowest vulnerable. It agreed to also make available to organized labour 133 CNG/LPG driven mass transit buses immediately and provide to the major cities across the country on a scale-up basis, thereafter, to all states and local governments before December 2021. 10% of housing be allocated to Nigerian workers under the ongoing Ministry of Housing and Finance initiative through the NLC and TUC, it stated. In his remarks, NLC President, Mr. Ayuba Wabba, expressed the belief that the resolutions will be implemented to the letter. TUC President, Olaleye, said the strike has been suspended for two weeks for both sides to implement the resolutions. He, however, said the strike was only being suspended, adding that labour reserved the right to go back to the strike without notice if any of the resolutions is not implemented. Labour had pushed for a commitment by the government on a roadmap for revamping of the countrys refineries. On the issue of electricity tariff, both federal government and labour seem to have agreed on principle to reconsider the new tariff regime. The federal government team was led by Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Mr. Boss Mustapha, Ngige, Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammad; Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipreye Sylva; Keyamo, and Jedy-Agba. While summing up proceedings at the meeting, Mustapha thanked organized labour for its understanding. He assured it that the federal government will try to meet its own part of the bargain. The Trump administration order had sought to ban new downloads of TikTok (owned by ByteDance) from midnight (0400 GMT Monday) but would allow use of TikTok until November 12, when all usage would be blocked. The judge denied TikToks request to suspend the November 12 ban. (Photo | AFP) Washington: TikTok won a last-minute reprieve late Sunday as a US federal judge halted enforcement of a politically charged ban ordered by the Trump administration on downloads of the popular video app, hours before it was set to take effect. District Judge Carl Nichols issued a temporary injunction at the request of TikTok, which the White House has called a national security threat stemming from its Chinese parent firms links to the Beijing government. The opinion was sealed, so no reason for the decision was released in a brief order by the court in Washington. The judge may unseal portions of the order after consulting with lawyers from both sides. The Trump administration order had sought to ban new downloads of the app from midnight (0400 GMT Monday) but would allow use of TikTok until November 12, when all usage would be blocked. The judge denied TikToks request to suspend the November 12 ban. The decision represents a temporary win for TikTok, which has 100 million US users. But the court has yet to consider the merits of the legal arguments on whether the social platform should remain available to Americans. In arguments to Judge Nichols, TikTok lawyer John Hall said that TikTok is more than an app, since it functions as a modern day version of a town square. If that prohibition goes into effect at midnight, the consequences immediately are grave, Hall said. It would be no different than the government locking the doors to a public forum, roping off that town square at a time when a free exchange of ideas is necessary heading into a polarised election. TikTok lawyers also argued that a ban on the app would affect the ability of tens of thousands of potential viewers and content creators to express themselves every month and would also hurt its ability to hire new talent. In addition, Hall argued that a ban would prevent existing users from automatically receiving security updates, eroding national security. Justice Department lawyer Daniel Schwei said that Chinese companies are not purely private and are subject to intrusive laws compelling their cooperation with intelligence agencies. The Justice Department has also argued that economic regulations of this nature generally are not subject to First Amendment scrutiny. This is the most immediate national security threat, argued Schwei. It is a threat today. It is a risk today and therefore it deserves to be addressed today even while other things are ongoing and playing out. Schwei also argued that TikTok lawyers failed to prove the company would suffer irreparable business harm. The Justice Department laid out its objections to TikToks motion for a temporary injunction in a brief under seal, but it was unsealed in redacted form to protect confidential business information. The companys lawyers also argued that the ban was unnecessary because negotiations were already underway to restructure the ownership of TikTok to address national security issues raised by the administration. Trump has given tentative approval to a proposed deal in which Oracle and Walmart could initially own a combined 20% of a new US entity, TikTok Global. But Trump also said he could retract his approval if Oracle doesnt have total control of the company. The deal remains unfinalised, and the two sides have also appeared at odds over the corporate structure of TikTok Global. ByteDance said last week that it will still own 80% of the US entity after a financing round. Oracle, meanwhile, put out a statement saying that Americans will be the majority and ByteDance will have no ownership in TikTok Global. Government-owned media in China have criticised the deal as bullying and extortion. ByteDance said Thursday it has applied for a Chinese technology export license after Beijing tightened control over exports last month in an effort to gain leverage over Washingtons attempt to force an outright sale of TikTok to US owners. TikTok is also asking a federal court to declare Trumps August 6 executive order unlawful. The Chinese firm said the president doesnt have the authority to take these actions under the national security law he cited; that the ban violates TikToks First Amendment speech rights and Fifth Amendment due-process rights; and that theres no authority for the restrictions because they are not based on a national emergency. Government lawyers argued the president has a right to take national security actions, and said the ban was needed because of TikToks links to the Chinese government through its parent firm ByteDance. A government brief called ByteDance a mouthpiece for the Chinese Communist Party and said it was committed to promoting the CCPs agenda and messaging. After the judges order, the Commerce Department said in a statement it would comply with the injunction but intends to vigorously defend the (executive order)... from legal challenges. University of Richmond law school professor Carl Tobias called Sundays order a pragmatic splitting of the baby for the short term, to give a little time for them to resolve the disputes and come to a resolution. Tobias said an appeal is possible but that the legal teams may choose to try to work out a resolution to the broader legal clash with the judge. Implications for internet An amicus brief filed by Netchoice, a trade group which includes Google, Facebook and Twitter, said a ban could have important implications for the global internet. The governments actions are unprecedented in scope, the group said in its filing. A ban would also create a dangerous precedent for the open internet, the brief said. The prohibition on any use of TikTok code by US developers for any purpose is effectively a ban on the building blocks of digital free expression. The trade group said a TikTok ban may be cited by China or other countries as justification for banning or restricting the activities of US internet businesses, including US-based social media platforms. Earlier this month, Trump cited national security concerns and issued orders to ban both TikTok and the popular Chinese app WeChat, which has been put on hold in a separate court case in California. But the TikTok order stops short of a full ban until November 12, giving parent firm ByteDance time to conclude a deal to transfer ownership of the app. Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter. In a major escalation of its economic war against China, the United States, at the direction of the Pentagon, has imposed a crippling ban on the countrys leading chip maker, following earlier decisions to cut off the telecom giant Huawei from its US chip suppliers. The Commerce Department issued a letter to companies on Friday declaring that exports to Semiconductor Manufacturing International Company (SMIC) posed an unacceptable risk of being diverted to military end use and licences had to obtained before exporting technology to the company. The decision by the Commerce Department emanates from the Pentagon which earlier this month said it was working with other agencies to ascertain whether the company should be blacklisted because of alleged links with the Chinese military. The Commerce Department did not completely blacklist SMIC but the decision to require export licences is a significant step in that direction. A statement issued by the department said: In general, the Bureau of Industry and Security in the Department of Commerce is constantly monitoring and assessing any potential threats to US national security and foreign policy interests. While we cannot comment on any specific matter, BIS, with its inter-agency partners, will take appropriate action as warranted. When the Pentagons move first became known, SMIC said it was in complete shock over the news and was open to communication with US government agencies to resolve any misunderstanding. That proved to be of no avail. Responding to Fridays decision, it said: SMIC reiterates that it manufactures semiconductors and provides services solely for civilian and commercial end-users and end-uses. The company has no relationship with the Chinese military and does not manufacture for military end-users and end-uses. Chinas Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian accused the US of blatant bullying, but did not indicate whether China would take any retaliatory action. What it has done has violated international trade rules, undermined global industrial supply and value chains, and will inevitably hurt US national interests and its own image, he said. Trump launched a trade war against China in 2018, leading to the imposition of tariffs on around three quarters of all Chinese exports to the US. This was couched in terms of reducing the trade imbalances between the two countries, with Trump claiming China was ripping the US off to the tune of $500 billion a year. But the underlying objective was always to prevent China from developing high-tech industries that the US regards as an existential threat to its economic and military dominance. In the two and a half years since economic warfare was launched, this objective has emerged ever more clearly into the open. At present there are more than 275 China-based firms on the US so-called entity list, meaning they are effectively banned. The decision on SMIC, which is Chinas biggest chip maker, means supplies of US components will be choked off, crippling its further development. Roughly 50 percent of its equipment comes from American sources. Reflecting the complex international division of labour characteristic of high-tech industry, the company also supplies the US firms Qualcomm and Broadcom. Explaining the significance of the latest US move, Paul Triolo, head of tech policy analysis at the Eurasia Group, told the Financial Times: It all depends on how the US implements this. In the worst-case scenario, SMIC is completely cut off, which would severely set back Chinas ability to produce chips. This would be a tipping point for US-China relations. Nicholas Klein, a Washington lawyer specialising in international trade told Reuters: Theres been a lot of coverage on the Trump administrations action regarding TikTok, but the more significant action [is] the increasing restrictions on SMIC and other Chinese national champions like Huawei. China lags well behind the US in the development of chip technology and SMIC is regarded as one of the companies, a so-called national champion, that could start to close the gap. The US moves are aimed at ensuring this does not happen. Established in 2000, SMIC is now Chinas largest chip maker and in July raised $6.8 billion in its initial public offering (IPO), more than double its target and the largest IPO in China for 10 years. The company recently announced a joint-foundry venture with the government for the making of chips, and increased its capital expenditure budget for 2020 to $6.9 billion from $4.3 billion. The fact that the escalating measures against China are being dictated by the Pentagon and the military-intelligence establishment, rather than the Commerce Department or the office of the US Trade Representative means they are likely to intensify under a Biden administration. The most significant difference between the Democrats and Republicans is the Democrats assertion that Trump has used tariffs in a way that alienates US allies and weakens a common push against China. As the Wall Street Journal commented in the article published at the weekend: The former vice-president and Democratic challenger says he will woo allies battered by Trump trade sanctions, rethink the use of tariffs and try to create a united front against China. Speaking to the Journal, Bidens national security advisor Jake Sullivan said: Its better to be pulling together a range of like-minded economies. Thats how you get real leverage. That leverage goes far beyond trade because, as the article noted, the trade war had morphed into a technology war and has now reached deeply into areas of national security. Amid escalating military operations by the US directed against China, the present situation recalls that which developed in the lead-up to the outbreak of war between the US and Japan in 1941. In the late 1930s, the US imposed a series of sanctions against Japan over the supply of oil that led to the Japanese push into South East Asia, starting with the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Today the US is seeking to cut China off from the contemporary life-blood of the global economythe development of computer chips and other major technologieson the basis that this constitutes a threat to its national security. French First Lady Brigitte Macron was pictured smiling brightly on Monday as she joined her husband Emmanuel during a visit to Lithuania. The 67-year-old and her 42-year-old husband were visiting Lithuania's president Gitanas Nauseda and his wife Diana Nausediene in the presidential palace in Vilnius. Brigitte looked stylish in a matching blue coat and midi dress as she accepted a pen from her husband to sign the official visitor's book. French First Lady Brigitte Macron was pictured smiling brightly on Monday as she joined her husband Emmanuel during a visit to Lithuania The 67-year-old and her 42-year-old husband were visiting Lithuania's president Gitanas Nauseda and his wife Diana Nausediene in the presidential palace in Vilnius She then was pictured sitting at a prepared white and gold table to sign the book as Mr Nauseda and his wife, who also wore a blue dress, watched on and smiled. Emmanuel later affectionately rested his hand on his wife's back as they posed for a picture. They then enjoyed a group photograph with their Lithuanian opposite numbers. None of the politicians were wearing masks in the palace but did do so when the French couple arrived for their visit. Brigitte looked stylish in a matching blue coat and midi dress and was given an affectionate pat on the back by Emmanuel The couple then posed for an official photograph with their Lithuanian counterparts The VIPs wore masks as they arrived at the presidential palace in Vilnius, the country's capital The couples were flanked by mask-wearing guards as they lined up for photographs outside the palace They travelled to Lithuania on board the French President's official plane and Brigitte arrived wearing a different outfit - a velvet purple coat and a black top and trousers. Later, at the presidential palace, they were given a guard of honour by soldiers dressed in ceremonial uniforms. As he emerged from his car, Emmanuel gave his Lithuanian counterparts a polite bow. The visit came two weeks after Brigitte revealed how she felt 'helpless and scared' after the birth of her first child. She had three children with her first husband Andre-Louis Auziere after their wedding in 1974 and today she has seven grandchildren. Speaking to the French magazine Elle, Brigitte, who had her first child aged 21, admitted she felt 'helpless' when she left the maternity ward after giving birth. Emmanuel and his wife were also given a guard of honour by soldiers in ceremonial uniforms They travelled to Lithuania on board the French President's official plane and Brigitte arrived wearing a different outfit - a velvet purple coat and a black top and trousers Brigitte held her husband's hand firmly as they walked down- a prepared red carpet from the plane She said she dreaded being responsible for this child, revealing: 'I was scared not to know [what to do], I was scared something would happen to him. He spent the three first weeks screaming night and day.' She added: 'We never talk about how alone and helpless a young mother can be. 'At 21, right after the birth of my first child, I was standing in front of the hospital waiting for his father to take us home, and I wanted to make a U-turn and run to hide in the maternity ward.' After the baby spent three weeks crying 'day and night', Brigitte phoned for a doctor who assured her the baby was fine. However, she later discovered her son Sebastien suffered from a medical problem which was solved with an operation. By Express News Service BHUBANESWAR: Odisha Government claims that 40 pc beds in designated Covid hospitals (DCHs) are vacant but why are patients having a horrid time in getting admission to hospitals? Across the State, patients are running from hospital to hospital be it the Government designated ones or private facilities only to be refused admission on pretext of full admission. The delay in timely treatment of the the critically ill requiring emergency care has also led to many deaths but they are not being reported as Covid deaths. While the situation is getting worse by the day and the Government is blissful in inaction, the social media is flooded by fervent appeals and prayers by harangued Covid-19 patients and their kin seeking urgent medical care. A cursory glance at the twitter timelines of the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) and Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC) will point to the gravity of the situation where hapless citizens are pleading for help. Patients are running from hospital to hospital for beds equipped with oxygen supply, wrote a city resident Satya Praharaj on social media. He requested the State Government to issue an advisory or single point contact so that patients can contact, enquire about bed availability and accordingly get admitted. But, no action has been taken. Not only the DCHs like KIMS, SUM and Hi-tech which are running almost full, the top private hospitals in the Twin City are avoiding patients. Since many patients from outside the twin districts have occupied beds here, people in the twin cities are forced to knock on the doors of private hospitals for treatment. Though it has already been a fortnight since the State Government directed the private hospitals having 30 beds or more to designate at least 50 pc general beds and 80 pc ICU beds for Covid patients, no data is available on how many beds are available in the private facilities. Health experts opined that the Government should release hospital-wise data on availability of beds instead of district-wise so that patients can know and approach them for admission. The Health department should share occupancy and vacancy of beds in both DCHs and private hospitals every morning. Once it is done, hospitals cannot hoodwink patients and their relatives, said former president of OMSA Dr Nirakara Bhatta. Going by the numbers, Khurda district, the worst-hit, has 1,552 beds in the State run DCHs for 6,040 active cases; Cuttack has 702 beds for 4,060 active cases while Puri has 98 beds for 1,748 active patients. The Health and Family Welfare department claims 350 beds in Khurda and 368 beds in Cuttack are lying vacant indicating that most of the patients are either in private hospitals or home isolation. Similarly, of the 569 ICU beds and 195 ventilator beds in the DCHs in Khurda, 357 and 104 are occupied. In Cuttack, 168 ICU beds and 56 ventilator beds are occupied out of 278 and 73 beds respectively. So where are the beds and ICUs, if they are available? No one knows because no information is shared. Senior health officials acknowledged that beds in private hospitals are seeing high demand but added that there are adequate resources for now. There is no need to worry as ICU beds are available now. A new portal has been launched and private hospitals have been asked to update the bed status in the platform regularly, an official said. At the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, with travel restrictions in place worldwide, we launched a new series The World Through a Lens in which photojournalists help transport you, virtually, to some of our planets most beautiful and intriguing places. This week, Emile Ducke shares a collection of images from Siberia. Every night around 4 a.m., in a remote corner of Western Siberia, Olga Voroshilova and her partner, Yevgeny Sadokhin, would crouch around a crackling Soviet-era radio and repeat a seemingly random series of numbers from one outpost to the next. Within the framework of the third block "B," the trial on the case of the downed MH17 has resumed in the Netherlands. The court intends to hear the progress of the defense of one of the accused, Oleg Pulatov, after their alleged meeting in Russia. During the previous meeting, which took place on August 31, Pulatov's defense informed that there was no opportunity to hold a personal meeting with him on the territory of Russia due to the coronavirus pandemic. However, plane tickets have already been booked, and in the near future the lawyers will go to Russia to meet with their client. In addition, representatives of the relatives of the victims spoke at this meeting. Despite the fact that the duration of the previous block of hearings was announced for the period from August 31 to September 4, the court sat for only one day, after which a recess was announced. A similar warning has been issued with regard to the current hearings, the duration of which is announced until October 2. The hearings are being held in the absence of all four accused - three Russians - Pulatov, Igor Girkin (Strelkov), Sergei Dubinsky, Oleg Pulatov and Ukrainian Leonid Kharchenko. Earlier, during the trial, which took place on June 26, the prosecutor's office provided new tapes of wiretapping of the accused, in particular Kharchenko, Dubinsky and Strelkov, who confirm that Russia-occupation fighters possessed a Buk missile launcher. After MH17 was shot down, Dubinsky asks Pulatov: "Tell me, did our Buk shoot or not?" To which Pulatov replies: "Bu shot down a Boeing," and a few minutes later, Dubinsky called Girkin with a report that the Buk (missile) shot down a Boeing, and then "ours knocked the plane down with a Buk." On March 3, 2020 in the Netherlands the trial of four suspects in the downing of the Malaysian airliner MH17 began. The plane was shot down in the skies over Donbas on July 17, 2016, killing 289 people, most of them were citizens of the Netherlands. In September 2016, the Joint Investigation Group released its findings, according to which the airliner was shot down by a missile launched from a Buk air defense system, and a year ago it announced that the Buk belonged to the Russian 53rd anti-aircraft missile brigade stationed in Kursk. Our competitiveness will not come from volume or from lower prices or from excess tonnage, Goncalves said. This competitiveness will come from quality, ability to deliver on time, the ability to help our clients develop the products of the future, the ability to support their efforts to be more environmentally compliant short-term, not goes to the next decade or the next future decade and thats all we have. As my mother taught me from a very early age, theres a right way and a wrong way to do everything, and what he did putting himself at risk, putting that horse at risk, putting passing motorists at risk, for that jaunt on the Dan Ryan, was decidedly the wrong way, she said. 28 Sep 2020, 10:35 AM COVID-19 pandemic: One in every 250 people on Earth now infected With total cases standing at 32.4 million or 0.4 per cent of the world's population, every 250th person on the Earth is now infected with coronavirus. As of September 2020, the world's population stood at 7.8 billion, according to the estimates by the United Nations. The total number of deaths now stand at 983,000. Serum Institute shares, applauds PM Modi's vision: Adar Poonawalla on India's vaccine offer to world A day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his address at the UN General Assembly, assured the world that India's vaccine production and delivery capacity will be used to help humanity in the COVID-19 crisis, world's largest vaccine maker Serum Institute of India (SII) Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Adar Poonawalla said SII also shares and applauds his vision. Adar had expressed concerns around production and distribution of the coronavirus vaccine in the country. Govt looks to implement all 4 labour codes in one go by December: Gangwar The government is aiming to implement all the four labour codes in one go by December this year and complete the final stretch of labour sector reforms. Parliament in its just concluded session passed three labour code bills: the Industrial Relations Code, the Social Security Code, and the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code. Industry body CII asks RBI to relook circular on opening of current accounts Industry body CII has urged the Reserve Bank to reconsider its circular regarding opening of current accounts saying that the guidelines are likely to disrupt the servicing of clients by banks leading to inefficiencies and delays. The RBI on August 6 issued a circular imposing restrictions on opening of multiple current accounts by borrowers. Finance Ministry may provide capital support to some PSBs in third quarter The Finance Ministry is likely to provide capital support from the Rs 20,000 crore fund approved by Parliament in recently concluded session to some Public Sector Banks (PSBs) in the third quarter itself. Parliament approved Rs 20,000 crore for PSB capital infusion as part of the first batch of Supplementary Demands for Grants for 2020-21 which sought additional spending of a record Rs 2.35 lakh crore primarily to meet expenses for combating the COVID-19 pandemic. COVID-19 crisis: Bar, restaurant owners seek hike in seating capacity Owners of bars and restaurants in West Bengal have urged the state government to increase the seating capacity to 75 per cent from the existing 50 per cent to meet running expenses. Occupancy was capped at 50 per cent when restaurants and bars reopened from September 1 in view of the COVID-19 pandemic.There are around 400 restaurant-cum-bars in the metropolis. Nissan to launch several new vehicles in Chinese market over next 5 years, says CEO Makoto Uchida Nissan Motor's chief executive 7201.T said on Saturday he planned to launch a number of new vehicles in the growing Chinese market over the next five years, including electrical cars, that could help the struggling Japanese automaker return to profit. Mekong Delta authorities have suggested three route plans for construction of the Can Tho - Ca Mau expressway. (Photo courtesy of sggp.org.vn) HCM City - Authorities of several localities in the Mekong Delta have proposed three route options for building the 150-km long Can Tho Ca Mau expressway. Deputy Minister of Transport Nguyen Nhat early this week met with leaders from the southern provinces of Can Tho, Hau Giang, Soc Trang, Bac Lieu and Ca Mau to discuss the expressway proposal. At the meeting, a representative of the projects consulting unit suggested building the expressway between Can Tho city and Ca Mau province. It would have four lanes, with a maximum speed of 100km per hour. Under the plan, three route plans were proposed. While the first plan calls for an upgrade of Quan Lo Phung Hiep National Highway and construction of two more lanes in the opposite direction, the second plan requires construction of an expressway parallel to the Phung Hiep National Highway, and the third asks for a completely new route. Vice Chairman of the Can Tho City Peoples Committee Duong Tan Hien said that options one and two were consistent with Mekong Delta transport planning approved by the Prime Minister. Option two would further promote connectivity among the main cities of Hau Giang, Soc Trang and Bac Lieu provinces, which is important for economic development of the entire region. Vice Chairman of the Peoples Committee of Soc Trang province Lam Hoang Nghiep and leaders from Bac Lieu and Ca Mau provinces agreed with Hien on option two, worth 61,000 billion VND (2.6 million USD). They added that option one would potentially pose some technical problems, and option three would make it inconvenient for Soc Traang and Bac Lieu provinces to stay connected with the expressway. Earlier, Prime Minister approved building the Can Tho Ca Mau expressway between 2021 and 2025. The entire expressway would be pided into two sections, one being Can Tho Bac Lieu and another Bac Lieu Ca Mau. Speaking at the meeting, Nhat said the Ministry of Transport would collect feedback from localities and complete a report by the end of this month. A senior British MP today nominated Joe Biden for a Nobel peace prize. Labours Chris Bryant announced his move on the eve of the big presidential debate between Mr Biden and Donald Trump. He told the Standard: When others have resorted to violent solutions, he has argued that the best force is the force of argument. Because guns can stop a heart but well-placed words can change many hearts, and many hearts can change a world. Labour party member of parliament Chris Bryant / REUTERS/Olivia Harris Mr Bryant, a former shadow leader of the Commons, said Members of Parliament had a little-known right to put forward nominations to the Nobel prize nominating committee. His intervention appeared to be timed to influence American public opinion ahead of the first presidential debate between the Democrat candidate for the White House and the Republican president. Mr Trump was mired in a row over a report in the New York Times that he paid just $750 in federal income taxes in both 2016 and 2017, after years of reporting heavy losses from his business enterprises. Fighting back, he insisted he paid "many millions of dollars in taxes" and that he had many more assets than debt, but did not provide evidence or promise to release any financial statements before the Nov. 3 election. "I paid many millions of dollars in taxes but was entitled, like everyone else, to depreciation & tax credits," he wrote on Twitter. "I am extremely under leveraged - I have very little debt compared to the value of assets." A right-wing Norwegian MP recently nominated Mr Trump for the Nobel peace prize, citing his role in normalising relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates. Christian Tybring-Gjedde told Fox News: For his merit, I think he has done more trying to create peace between nations than most other peace prize nominees. Nominations for the prize are accepted from any politician serving at a national level, as well as from heads of state. There were 318 candidates for the 2020 prize which has not yet been announced. East Ridge Police have made one arrest and are looking for the gunman in a slaying on Aug. 21 at apartments on Donaldson Road. Montrell Lebron Fears, 23, a Brainerd High graduate, was killed in the incident at 914 Donaldson Road. Lonita Fields, 29, has been charged with accessory after the fact of criminal homicide. East Ridge Police received numerous calls around 8:21 a.m. about a shooting in the apartments' parking lot. Police said the man being sought for murder, who was described as a previously convicted violent felon, had exited apt. 105 with his girlfriend's two small children shortly before 8:21 a.m. They said it is believed that Fears and a black male who was with him "may have initially intended to rob" the man with the children. There was an altercation near a Toyota Camry and the man with the children fired four shots with a 9mm handgun. Two of them struck Fears. Police found two 9mm shell casings and one unfired 9mm cartridge at the parking lot near the rear of the Camry. Fears and the other man with him ran west in the parking lot, but Fears fell to the asphalt before reaching a white minivan. The other man, who was wearing blue pants and a white shirt, ran up a hill and towards the minivan that was waiting on Donaldson Road. That vehicle recklessly fled the scene at a high rate of speed going north on Donaldson Road, it was stated. Police said the shooter approached Fears' body and began removing items from his pockets. He then put some items within the driver's door and afterward was seen talking with Ms. Fields, it was stated. The man then got into Ms. Fields' dark Ford Escape SUV and was leaving the scene at the very moment that police arrived, the complaint says. Police searched the Toyota Camry and found that its keys had been left with two nearby bags of garbage, thereby preventing the man from driving away in it. There were two more 9mm shell casings found within the area around the trunk. Police said it appears that the trunk was open when shots were fired. Also found in the front passenger seat of the Camry were a wallet and cell phone belonging to Fears. Police said Ms. Fields "knowingly and willingly" drove the man and her children to their daycare following the incident. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-28 16:12:58|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close SEOUL, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- Five more U.S. soldiers in South Korea have tested positive for COVID-19 amid the lingering worry about the virus spread here, the U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) said Monday. The USFK said in a statement that five USFK service members were confirmed to be infected after arriving in South Korea between Sept. 10 and 25. Four service members arrived at Osan Air Base on U.S. government-chartered flights from the United States on Sept. 10, 23, 24 and 25. The Osan Air Base is located in Pyeongtaek, 70 km south of the national capital Seoul. One service member arrived at Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul, on a commercial flight from the United States on Sept. 11. The five soldiers have been transferred to designated isolation facilities at Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek. The total number of infections among the USFK-affiliated personnel rose to 198, according to the Yonhap news agency. Worries remain in the country over the spread of the COVID-19. In the latest tally, South Korea reported 50 more confirmed COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, raising the total tally to 23,661. "Despite the recent confirmed cases, USFK remains at a high level of readiness with less than 1 percent of its active-duty service members currently confirmed positive with COVID-19," the USFK said. Enditem HARTFORD Senate Republicans on Monday charged that politically motivated Democrats are keeping GOP lawmakers in the dark on details of this weeks special session of the General Assembly. Senate Minority Leader Len Fasano was joined by Sen. Kevin Kelly on the north steps of the State Capitol, warning that while the session will begin in the state House of Representatives on Wednesday, virtually no final drafts have been offered on a variety of subjects, including land transfers; accountability for state utilities; absentee ballot administration; and environmental issues. This special session is the poster child of how one-party rule is destroying the legislative process, Fasano, R-North Haven, said in an early afternoon news conference. First of all, we do not even have to be in special session. Everything thats on this calendar that they purport to have can either be done by executive order or can wait. Fasano said that there has been virtually no communication on the agenda and the full content of pending bills. Basically we are asked what color paper you want to have it on, Fasano quipped on the north steps of the Capitol. We want to be part of the process, said Fasano, charging that it is obvious that some of the bills are not close to finalization. Theres no direct person to talk to, Fasano said, warning that some stakeholders are not talking with others. Its who can get to the person who is the drafter to get their stuff in. Thats whats scary about these bills. One-party rule is dictating the language and public policy, without public input, without the press knowing whats going on in this building or whats going on with meetings. Kelly, R-Stratford, charged that even as the state battles the coronavirus pandemic, nothing planned for the rare, autumn special session is aimed at helping nursing homes deal with an anticipated shortage of personal protective equipment at the end of October, as well as the social isolation of residents. The legislature is also scheduled to approve a half-billion-dollars in school construction projects throughout the state. But as of Monday afternoon, Fasano said there are no final drafts of the four main bills: the transfer act to make it easier to clean brownfields; the environmental justice legislation; the energy bill; and legislation aimed at making it easier for town and city hall officials throughout the state to handle the flood of bsentee ballots expected in November. There are fundamental problems with some of these bills, and why they dont have an open dialogue is beyond my scope, Fasano said. We shouldnt be here because Gov. (Ned) Lamont can do all this by executive order. To the extent that we are here, the bills should go through the normal process of allowing the public to really see the language and for the minority ranking (legislative committee) members to weigh in and have a say so that these bills can be made better. In response to the Republican criticism, Speaker of the House Joe Aresimowicz, D-Berlin, said that the issues on the agenda cannot wait until the next General Assembly convenes in January. On one hand he wants to go back and re-debate the last session, and on the other hand in a complete 180 he wants to punt any responsibility until next year, Aresimowicz said in response to Fasanos news conference. What we have before us are some pressing issues that can't or shouldn't wait until next year that directly help residents and our communities, including utility reforms, funding for local school construction and ensuring the upcoming elections run smoothly. Senate President Pro Tempore Martin M. Looney, D-New Haven, said Monday that all the bill to be reviewed are important to the public, including the added oversight on utilities including Eversource; as well as an environmental bill that would give towns and cities overburdened by facilities like trash-to-energy plans, added due process. It appears to me kind of ironic, in wake of national Republicans violating all process norms and acting in a cynical way that Connecticut Republicans are complaining about a lack of transparency, Looney said. The current schedule for the special session includes the adoption of rules on Tuesday. The House will be on Wednesday and the Senate will convene on Thursday. The State Capitol will remain closed except to lawmakers, staff and the news media. kdixon@ctpost.com Twitter: @KenDixonCT Union cabinet minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Sunday recommended a proposal under which identified tourist sites or iconic spots will be turned into green zones where vehicles using only eco-friendly fuel will be allowed to ply. He said the proposed project will be the joint effort of the ministry of tourism and the ministry of petroleum and natural gas. Speaking at a virtual event organised by the tourism ministry on the occasion of World Tourism Day 2020, Pradhan, Minister of petroleum and natural gas, and steel, said the projects aim will be to turn such sites of tourist importance into completely green energy driven areas. The secretaries of the two ministries can jointly work on this. They can pick the iconic sites already identified by the ministry of tourism or 100 sites of tourist importance and turn them into completely green energy driven regions, he said. This should be done taking the state governments on board. We have to look towards modern technology to create sustainable fuel and ensure that we use battery operated vehicles, LNG, PNG, LPG in their vicinity rather than diesel and petrol vehicles, the minister said. Pradhan also launched another initiative called SAATHI -- System for Assessment, Awareness, and Training for the hospitality industry -- to assist the sector in their preparedness to continue operations safely and mitigate risks arising out of the Covid-19 pandemic. Hailing the initiative, Pradhan said people have spent months cooped up in their homes and might want to venture out. But there is apprehension about the pandemic and the hospitality industry must follow protocols to provide safety to tourists, he said. Addressing the event, tourism minister Prahlad Singh Patel reiterated that the ministry launched the Dekho Apna Desh (DAD) initiative in January 2020 with the objective of creating awareness among citizens about the rich heritage and culture of the country, encouraging them to travel widely within the country and enhancing tourist footfalls leading to development of the local economy and creation of jobs at the local level. During the pandemic, the ministry has been organizing a series of webinars under the overall theme of DAD, showcasing the diverse culture, heritage, destinations and tourism products of the country, he said. The minister informed that as on date 54 webinars covering different States/Union Territories have been organized as part of the initiative. Patel further said the programme will help in enhancing the overall experience of tourists, who would benefit from the knowledge of the local tourist facilitators and it will also help in creating employment opportunities even in the remotest parts of the country. Pradhan also launched a film titled Pathik, an initiative on Incredible India Tourist Facilitators Certification Programme (IITFC) and an ICPB MICE Promotional film. The objective of the promotional film is to communicate a positive message for welcoming events to India when competing destinations are already actively marketing their products. (This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text.) Follow more stories on Facebook and Twitter SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON More than half (55 percent) of business leaders attending the Yale School of Managements CEO caucus gave president Trump an F for his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. Twelve percent graded him a D, nine percent a B and six percent an A, according to a snap poll conducted by professor Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, senior associate dean for leadership studies, on Sept. 23. Eighty-four percent of the attendees at the Chief Executive Leadership Institutes event said Trumps response to the pandemic hurt their businesses. The CEOs also faulted Trump on dealings with China. More than six-in-ten (62 percent) of them said their businesses suffer from unfair competitive practices in China and seventy-eight percent said the actions of the US administration have made things worse. The business leaders plan to express their dissatisfaction with Trump at the polls as 77 percent of them plan to vote for Joe Biden. (CNN) Can you smelllllll who The Rock is endorsing? WWE legend, actor and businessman, Dwayne Johnson, officially made his first public endorsement for a presidential candidate as he announcement his support for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris on Sunday. "... as a registered Independent for years now with centrist ideologies, I do feel that Vice President Biden and Senator Harris are the best choice to lead our country, and I am endorsing them to become President, and Vice President, of our United States," Johnson said in a video posted on Twitter. He added that he has voted for both parties in the past and that this is "arguably the most critical election our country has seen in decades." The seven and a half minute announcement video included a brief interview Johnson had with Biden and Harris where he asks them how they will earn the respect from the American people when they are in The White House. Biden says he will tell the truth, be open about failures and take responsibility. Harris echoes the need for trust and truth but also says as a country we need healing right now as so many people have faced losses this year. "Progress takes courage, humanity, empathy, strength, KINDNESS & RESPECT. We must ALL VOTE," Johnson tweeted, along with a link to a website where people can register to vote and find out information on candidates. In just three hours, the video has been viewed more than 2 million times on Twitter. In June, Johnson made a powerful plea for change in leadership when he called out President Donald Trump in the wake of George Floyd's death. The actor stated in a video post on his social media channels that the US is "crippled" and "on its knees begging to be heard and pleading for change." This story was first published on CNN.com, "Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson endorses Joe Biden and Kamala Harris." Dr. Mustafa Hirji isnt surprised by the number of COVID-19 cases that have been connected to Niagara schools. Late Sunday afternoon, Niagara Catholic District School Board said in a news release that an individual at St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Elementary School in Niagara Falls has tested positive for COVID-19. As a result, students and staff were exposed to the coronavirus while this individual was infectious, the board said. On Saturday, the board said a case had been confirmed with an individual at Canadian Martyrs Catholic Elementary School in St. Catharines. In the same release, the board said an individual at Holy Cross Catholic Secondary School is another confirmed case but there is no risk of exposure to students and staff. This makes six confirmed cases tied to schools since classes started earlier this month, including three cases at Eastdale Secondary School in Welland, which is considered the site of one of five active outbreaks in the region. One in seven Niagara residents are associated with a school in some way through a student or staff member, Niagara Regions acting medical officer of health said in an interview Sunday. The fact that we have cases in Niagara, in the community in general, I think its pretty much inevitable well see some cases in schools, said Hirji, calling the school-related cases in Niagara minimal. The case at Holy Cross should not be a concern because the person carrying the virus was never in the school while able to spread infection, he said. The school community isnt really affected by it, he added. There were 77 active cases in Niagara Sunday afternoon. On Saturday, there were 14 new confirmations and on Sunday another 24. Thats a big jump from what weve seen in the last couple of weeks, said Hirji, adding the average spike during that time had been four new cases per day. He said its a result of people being social. These cases have many more contacts to whom they can spread infection, said Hirji, noting 17 of the new cases since Saturday are tied to outbreaks at a high school, a long-term care home, retirement home and in a workplace setting. The Toronto area has been seeing high numbers, but so have regions such as Halton and Hamilton closer to Niagara. Its concerning that is a trend we may see picking up here as well now, Hirji said. People aged 20 to 40 have been an area of focus in the province recently, but Hirji said the cases revealed over the weekend span most age groups. On Oct. 12, Niagarans will be enjoying Thanksgiving. Hirji said he is very worried about the holiday as it is a prime opportunity to spread the virus. Large parties with extended family should be done with a virtual component not several people at crowded dinner tables, he said. Its really something people should be celebrating as a nuclear family. A total of 1,048 cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in Niagara since the start of the pandemic, 907 of them resolved. At least 64 people have died. Getting together to work on a broken lawnmower or fix a chair can give men a chance to connect, shoulder-to-shoulder Its no secret that many older men face serious challenges when it comes to healthy social connections. Traditionally, women often maintain a familys social connections. If a man loses his wife through death or divorce, then staying connected can become a serious challenge. In the United States and the United Kingdom, nearly 1 in 3 people who are older than 65 live alone; and in the United States, half of those who are over 85 live by themselves. Loneliness has become problematic for seniors, and a variety of researchers have discovered that feeling isolated can have almost twice the impact as obesity on early death. According to John T. Cacioppo, co-author of Loneliness: Human Nature and the Need for Social Connection, the ache of loneliness can be equivalent to physical pain. Cacioppo has written that the increasing number of baby boomers who are facing retirement has created what he calls a silver tsunami. And the more challenging issue for senior males is feeling isolated, especially those who spent decades interacting with colleagues and co-workers on a daily basis. He urges retireesmale and femaleto stay in touch with their former co-workers and make it a priority to interact with friends and family members. In the UK, the impact of loneliness on health had become such a source of concern that the UK Department of Health helped sponsor The Campaign to End Loneliness. Here in the United States, we have AARP, while on the other side of the Atlantic, Age UK has initiated a variety of programs designed to alleviate isolation among seniors. In London, a charity called Open Age sponsors more than 380 activities each week, including book clubs, computer classes, current events discussion groups, and exercise. But one of the best anti-loneliness innovations is the Mens Sheds organization, which focuses on bringing older males together in a casual environment. It began in Australia in 1998 with the idea to replicate the feeling of a backyard shed, a traditional environment in which men would carry out various tasks, such as restoring furniture, fixing lawn mowers, or other basic chores. The theory behind the movement was that social interaction, recreational activities, and casual learning opportunities would reduce depression and feelings of isolation. There are now more than 300 Mens Sheds scattered throughout the United Kingdom. Woodwork seems to be the most popular activity, and the groups never have to worry about supplies because many widows donate their late husbands tools, happy knowing that they will be put to good use rather than gather dust. One interesting aspect of the Mens Sheds movement is that observers have discovered that women prefer to interact face-to-face, and men prefer to interact shoulder-to-shoulder. Spending time at a workbench or at desks placed next to one another provides this opportunity. Women enjoy direct interaction, men enjoying doing things together. Keith Pearshouse, a retired school principal in his 70s, moved from Norfolk, England, to London in 2007. He recognized that he was lonely and decided to visit the nearest Mens Shed, a 700-square-foot workshop in a local community center. He has since made new informal friendships and begun crafting small wooden objects, even though he has never worked with wood before. Mike Jenn, also in his 70s, runs the Camden Town district shed in London and is also the chair of the UK Mens Sheds Association. A retired charity worker, Jenn told The New York Times: We say, I can look after myself. I dont need to talk to anyone, and its a complete fallacy. Not communicating helps to kill us. If theres not a Mens Shed where you live, perhaps this is the perfect time to think about starting one. After all, loneliness can be fatal, and friendshipseven those that are casual, new and unstructuredcan heal. Marilyn Murray Willison has had a varied career as a six-time nonfiction author, columnist, motivational speaker, and journalist in both the UK. and the U.S. She is the author of The Self-Empowered Woman blog and the award-winning memoir One Woman, Four Decades, Eight Wishes. She can be reached at MarilynWillison.com. To find out more about Marilyn and read her past columns, please visit the Creators Syndicate webpage at Creators.com. Copyright 2020 Creators.com The Executive Office will meet representatives of Northern Ireland's universities on Tuesday to discuss their response to the Covid-19 pandemic. It comes after a number of students in Queen's University halls of residence in Belfast have been told to self-isolate after testing positive for the virus. Read More Speaking at the Assembly on Monday, First Minister Arlene Foster said the Executive Office planned to hold meetings with representatives from Queen's University and Ulster University on Tuesday. The DUP leader said she was aware of a number of Queen's students self-isolating and sent them her "best wishes". "I hope it doesn't become wider spread," Mrs Foster said. "There are many scare stories about our universities and our young people but I believe in our young people. I believe on the whole they want to do what is right and I'd appeal to them to abide by the public health guidance and the restrictions that are there." A spokesperson for Queen's confirmed on Monday morning that a "small number" of students had tested positive for the virus. "Robust protocols are also in place to minimise the risk of the virus spreading," the spokesperson added. The number of students asked to self-isolate has not been specified by the university, which runs a number of large accommodation sites in Belfast's city centre and on Malone Road. Expand Close A number of students at self-isolating at Elms Village on the Malone Road. Photo by Matt Mackey / Presseye / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp A number of students at self-isolating at Elms Village on the Malone Road. Photo by Matt Mackey / Presseye It is understood that one accommodation block at the university's Elms Village in south Belfast has been asked to self-isolate. The number of students involved has been estimated in double figures. The spokesperson said: "The University can confirm that a small number of students living in Queens accommodation have tested positive for Covid-19. "The university is working closely with the Public Health Agency and in line with their guidance all affected students or those who are considered to be at risk have been informed, asked to self-isolate and are being fully supported to do so." "It is believed that transmission of the virus is taking place in social settings." "All other students and their families should remain calm and continue to follow public health guidelines to protect themselves and others," said the spokesperson. The First Minister welcomed police intervention in the Holyland area of south Belfast after hundreds of Covid notices were handed out to young people in the area for breaking the coronavirus regulations. Both Queen's University and Ulster University has suspended students as a result of their behaviour in the area. "It's important we continue to try and work with our young people to get the message to them," Mrs Foster said. "We are continuing to work with out partners, the PSNI, local government and indeed everyone else involved in enforcement so that we can make sure that as well as having restrictions in place, there is an effective enforcement regime as well." Expand Close First Minister Arlene Foster (Liam McBurney/PA) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp First Minister Arlene Foster (Liam McBurney/PA) There have been calls for clarity over whether students should remain at their university accommodation, as fears grow about young people spreading coronavirus to their family homes. And some students have been told to isolate at several universities in England and Scotland, including about 1,700 students at Manchester Metropolitan University Many QUB and Ulster University students are taking a proportion of their courses online after the new university year commenced on September 21. Two operators of party bike tours in Belfast have criticised Stormont for causing confusion over Covid-19 guidelines. A statement from the Executive Office earlier this month allowing so-called wet pubs to open on September 23 also said that "beer bikes will not be able to operate". Several people have since taken to social media to question why the tours have continued without restrictions. When asked for clarification on the rules on Monday, the Executive Office said: "This matter remains under consideration." Read More The Belfast Telegraph understands that no regulations are currently in place to prevent beer bikes from operating under current public health advice. Drink-only pubs opened for the first time in six months last Wednesday. And a decision on whether a curfew will be imposed is expected early this week. Pubs in England and Wales now have a set closing time of 10pm. It is 11.30pm in the Republic. Jennifer Kenna is director of Wee Toast Tours and Phillip Roddy is the owner of Belfast Party Bike. Both insisted their tours were strictly following public health guidelines and criticised the Executive for a lack of communication. Ms Kenna said she believed the Executive Office had unfairly "singled out" her business with its statement, and that it had not reached out to explain what was expected. "The announcement did affect our business, we did find it to be very disappointing and upsetting that (the Executive statement) was listed in the way that it was," she said. She added that customer numbers started to climb again in August alongside the Eat Out to Help Out initiative, when many customers felt more comfortable socialising after lockdown. At present the business has limited customer numbers to six passengers per tour, around half the normal capacity. "We didn't have normal levels of business leading up to September 17, but it was getting there. Like any company we are trying to do what we can to recover and keep everyone working," she said. Asked about any concerns that beer bikes should be considered risky as Covid-19 numbers are rising, she said the company maintained a "robust" compliance procedure and risk assessment. "We are always open to feedback and to make adjustments if there are concerns raised through our enforcement agency, which is Belfast City Council," she added. Mr Roddy said attempts to get clarity after the Executive announcement had "fallen on deaf ears". "No one was telling us if we weren't allowed to work, and if so how long was it going to be. I'm getting mixed messages," he explained. "You just try and do your best. You sanitise before and after every job, you ask people to sanitise before and after they get on. "We're trying to work within the regulations the same as the pubs and the restaurants. "I understand they're busy, but it would be nice if someone from the Executive Office contacted us to tell us what they want us to do. "When they made the announcement we got lots of cancellations and you don't blame people. I'm cutting things down to six passengers on each side, which isn't full capacity, to try and work within the law." Asked about safety concerns, he said: "I would imagine it's safer sitting on a bike than in a pub or a restaurant because you're outside. "Everything's sanitised before and after every job. We also use plastic cups, which are disposed of. "If they were to shut us down for a while I would have no problem with it. But it's the not knowing which is the hard part." On Friday there was fresh criticism on licensing laws with a late announcement that the two-household rule in pubs and restaurants would be extended to outdoor areas. Read More The rule stated that no more than six people from two households are permitted together at one table, with exceptions made for children who are from either of the households. Meanwhile, Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham has called for an urgent review of the 10pm closing time for restaurants and pubs. Mr Burnham expressed concerns about people gathering in homes and supermarkets being "packed to the rafters" once pubs shut. As large crowds were filmed in Liverpool and York over the weekend, a spokesperson for the Prime Minister said there were no plans to review the policy. Mr Burnham told the BBC that the recent scenes of large gatherings were having the opposite effect of what the restrictions were trying to achieve. "I think there needs to be an urgent review of the emerging evidence from police forces across the country," he said. opinion United Nations A spate of reports on biodiversity - the Global Assessment Report on Biodiversity and Ecosystems, the Living Planet Report, the Global Forest Resources Assessment Report and the Global Biodiversity Outlook- paint a stark picture for the world's biodiversity. All point in the same direction: we are on track to lose more than a million species by mid-century, we lost 68% of all wildlife populations since 1970, we lost more than 11 million hectares of primary forest last year, and we have failed to meet almost all of the conservation targets in the decade-long Strategic Plan for Biodiversity. Failure to halt the loss of biodiversity, let alone reverse historic trends, has grave consequences for all of humanity. The livelihoods, food, water security and safety of billions of people are at risk. The stability of our climate is at risk. Half of global GDP is at risk. Buffers against the next pandemic are at risk. Indeed, the very future of humanity is at risk. Halting biodiversity loss and restoring the health of the planet requires several profound and systemic transformations. We must place nature at the heart of sustainable development. Because nature plays such as fundamental role in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, all nations must take a closer look at how to integrate the protection, restoration and sustainable management of biodiversity and ecosystems into their national climate, health, water, security and development plans. We must tackle the root causes of biodiversity loss - the unchecked economic and market forces that fail to account for nature's values. Our current economic system favors short-term gain over long-term stewardship of nature. Governments must find ways to ensure that their national expenditures align, and do not countermand, their national development goals, especially those goals that depend on healthy ecosystems. At the same time, we must ensure that corporations and finance institutions place nature at the center of financial decision-making by holding them accountable to the impacts of their decisions on the health of biodiversity and ecosystems. We must invest in nature protection and recovery. While the cost of inaction on nature is profound, the economic cost of investing in nature is not. We currently spend less than $100 billion a year on nature -- about what we spend on pet food globally. We only need an additional $700 billion annually to achieve ambitious biodiversity goals for 2030 - that's less than 1% of global GDP, and only a fraction of the $5.2 trillion that we spend on fossil fuel subsidies every year. We must increase our global ambition for immediate action on nature. We are facing a complex and interacting planetary emergency - a nature crisis, a biodiversity crisis, a health crisis and an inequality crisis all at once. To fully respond to this emergency, we need bold ambition, commitment and action at all levels, from local to global. We must commit to creating a nature-based planetary safety net, in response to our planetary emergency. One way to do that is through greening Covid-19 economic recovery and stimulus packages a step many countries have yet to take. We must transform global production and consumption. For example, global appetites for beef are responsible for as much as half of forest cover loss worldwide, while unsustainable agricultural practices are responsible for nearly a quarter of our global greenhouse gas emissions. We must increase global commitment and accountability for deforestation-free commodities, though initiatives such as the New York Declaration on Forests. We must promote, celebrate and accelerate local action on nature if we are to tackle our planetary emergency - we need an all-of-society approach. Examples such as UNDP's Equator Initiative showcase how the world is witnessing action on nature by youth, Indigenous peoples and local communities in every country and in thousands of communities. By protecting, restoring and sustainably managing biodiversity, local actors can realize direct and tangible development dividends. To support local efforts, we must also strengthen governance and rule of law, especially for the 90 percent of Indigenous peoples who lack title for their lands, and who face murder, persecution and intimidation, often by multi-national corporations. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Africa Environment Climate By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. We must raise awareness of all levels of society of the value of nature, and of the risks inherent in biodiversity loss. In September, a campaign to promote the hashtag #NatureForLife has already garnered more than 50 million views. But we must do more to raise global awareness. On the margins of the UN General Assembly, marking the 75th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations, UNDP is convening more than 40 partners to create a virtual "Nature for Life Hub," involving more than 300 speakers from every walk of life. Join us, either during or after the event, and help us strengthen global resolve to bend the curve on biodiversity loss - for nature, and for life. Follow @IPSNewsUNBureau Jamison Ervin is Manager, Nature for Development Global Programme, UNDP, New York A Mumbai court on Sunday remanded Kshitij Ravi Prasad, who was earlier hired as an executive producer by a firm of filmmaker Karan Johar, in NCB's custody till October 3 following his arrest in a drugs case linked to Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput's death. During the hearing, Kshitij Prasad's lawyer Satish Maneshinde - who is also the lawyer of Rhea Chakraborty - told the court that the accused was "harassed and blackmailed" to give a statement and invoked Karan Johar's name. 'they would let him off if...' Maneshinde, who represents not only Rhea Chakraborty but also her brother Showik, told the court that the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) officials pressurised Kshitij Prasad to name Karan Johar during the interrogation. He was also subjected to third-degree and ill-treatment, the lawyer alleged. Maneshinde then requested the court to record Prasad's statement, which it allowed. Prasad told the court that during a raid at his house the NCB did not find anything, except stale and dry cigarette butt, which they "believed to be a ganja joint", a note shared by his lawyer said. "...Kshitij was categorically informed by Sameer Wankhede in the presence of several other officers, that since he was associated with Dharma Productions, they would let him off if he implicated either Karan Johar, Somel Mishra, Rakhi, Apoorva, Neeraj or Rahil falsely alleging that they consumed drugs. Kshitij refused to comply with this despite the pressure being mounted on him as he did not know any of these people personally and did not wish to falsely implicate anyone, added the statement. Satish Maneshinde dragging Karan Johar's name into the case comes at a time where the NCB is yet to do so, in both angles it is probing - the probe linked to the Sushant Singh Rajput death case and the complaint against Karan Johar's 2019 party registered by Manjinder Singh Sirsa. The NCB, which began the probe after a drugs angle came to light in connection with Rajput's alleged suicide, has now widened its investigation and called film celebrities for questioning. READ | NCB gets 6 months to file chargesheet in Bollywood drug crackdown; no clean chit to celebs READ | Before NCB remand, here's what Rhea Chakraborty's lawyer said while appearing for Kshitij Karan Johar has quashed all claims and allegations that narcotics were consumed at one of the parties organised at the filmmaker's home, calling the allegations false and baseless. Karan Johar had also said that he doesn't know Kshitij and Anubhav who have been grilled by NCB personally, and is not responsible for what they do in their spare time. Republic TV had earlier questioned Karan Johar while he was entering Goa airport before flying to Mumbai on Sunday. He remained silent. The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) on Saturday recorded statements of actors Deepika Padukone, Shraddha Kapoor and Sara Ali Khan. NCB sources said that no clean chit has been given to any of the celebrities who were interrogated by the agency on September 26. According to top sources in the NCB, in a late-night meeting, Asthana has given a time-frame of six months to file a chargesheet in the case. Sources said that DG Asthana has given a green signal to the NCB teams to go for a crackdown on the drug nexus. READ | As Sushant Singh death mystery continues, B-Town celebs unhappy with CBI; react strongly READ | Karan Johar's 2019 Bollywood party video 'authentic & unedited'; NCB to chart next step China is cautiously increasing its role in South Asia by rejuvenating economic interests in Pakistan and forging closer ties to Afghanistan with peace talks between Afghan officials and the Taliban under way. The enhanced footprint for Beijing in the region comes amid a flurry of activity this summer centered around breathing new life into the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), an estimated $62 billion bundle of projects that forms the cornerstone of China's sweeping Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), which aims to build infrastructure, expand trade links, and deepen ties across Eurasia and Africa. "The Chinese want to do business, they don't want to be fighting wars," Ayesha Siddiqa, a research associate at London's School of Oriental and African Studies, told RFE/RL. "They want to control the region financially and benefit from that." But while China's renewed push in the region shows the parties' willingness to move forward, Beijing faces tremendous obstacles as it tries to navigate the notoriously troubled political situations in Afghanistan and Pakistan. The problems include the uncertain peace talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban in Doha and a series of corruption scandals within CPEC. Meanwhile, Chinese BRI projects increasingly find themselves to be the target of Baluch and Sindhi separatist groups in Pakistan. "This is China's neighborhood, it isn't some far-off area. So, there is a strong interest for Beijing to be involved," Rafaello Pantucci, a senior associate fellow at London's Royal United Services Institute, told RFE/RL. "But this region has long-standing issues and there is a reason why international donors aren't there. China now finds itself increasingly embroiled in these difficulties." A Busy Summer CPEC forms the backbone of China's presence in Pakistan and the recent spate of new deals marks a new phase in its development after years of delays and implementation problems that slowed down the pace of the initiative. In June and July, Beijing inked $11 billion worth of deals with Islamabad, agreeing to finance two hydropower projects in the Pakistan-administered Kashmir region and an upgrade for the country's railways -- the most expensive Chinese project to date in Pakistan. Beijing has also made moves to extend CPEC to Afghanistan, with experts saying China is looking to stabilize the country and improve its political and economic links to the country as U.S. troops look to leave Afghanistan, potentially by May 2021. In August, China began pushing Pakistan to open key border crossings with Afghanistan to allow bilateral and transit trade that remain closed due to security concerns and Kabul recently signed a $2.2 billion contract to help export Afghan pine nuts to global markets. The daily Financial Times also reported this month that Beijing has proposed "sizeable investments in energy and infrastructure projects" and offered to build a road network for the Taliban in hopes of ensuring a peaceful transition if there is a withdrawal of U.S. forces from Afghanistan. Kick-Starting The Restart While Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan's government worries about the long-term implications of becoming dependent on China, proponents hope the CPEC will give Pakistan the infrastructure boost needed to kick-start its economy at a time when Islamabad is struggling to attract international investors. In addition to a growing array of projects, CPEC will grant Beijing access to the Gwadar port in southern Pakistan, which is close to the Strait of Hormuz -- the world's most vital route for shipping oil. But the Chinese-financed project has also become embroiled in Pakistan's own tense domestic politics, with the country's influential military and civilian government jostling for control of the lucrative initiative. The Pakistani military has so far managed to wrestle greater control through the creation of the CPEC Authority last year, a government body authorized to oversee BRI projects in Pakistan. Under a proposed law put forward this month by supporters of the army, the government would cede further ground to the military, granting it wide-ranging autonomy to implement CPEC with limited oversight. According to Siddiqa, an expert on the Pakistani military, Beijing prefers to partner with the army as they are seen as more reliable and can guarantee the timely completion of projects that elected officials have failed to deliver. Moreover, Siddiqa says military control helps ease concerns within the Pakistani elite that strategic territory could be given to China under the guise of CPEC. "Contracts with China by the previous government were drawn up in a very nontransparent way and it made the military nervous," she said. "It's not just about what kind of a share the military will get, it's about how much is being conceded to Beijing." Navigating Pushback But while CPEC has new momentum and Beijing is looking to extend it to Afghanistan, the project faces new obstacles from various forces inside Pakistan. In August, a report was published alleging that Asim Saleem Bajwa, the retired general who heads the CPEC Authority and also serves as special assistant to Khan, used his influential position to help his family amass huge wealth. The report led to a backlash on social media and calls for his resignation along with a further investigation. Bajwa offered his resignation as special assistant to the prime minister -- which was later rejected by Khan -- and has stayed on as chairman of the CPEC Authority. There are several other developments inside Pakistan that could greatly slow down China's ambitions in the country. The Tehrik-e Taliban, Pakistan's leading Taliban group, which operates out of Afghanistan, has announced the reunification of various splintered factions, leading some analysts to believe that Pakistan's internal security problems could threaten BRI projects. Similarly, Baluch and Sindhi separatist groups in Pakistan announced an alliance in July aimed at attacking CPEC and Chinese interests in the country. That development is likely to increase the security costs for BRI projects in Pakistan. Baluch insurgents claiming to be aided by Sindhi separatists attacked Pakistan's stock exchange in June and, in 2018, three gunmen tried to enter the Chinese Consulate in Karachi before being killed in a shoot-out. The attack was later claimed by the Balochistan Liberation Army, a separatist group. "Sindh and Balochistan are equally affected by the 'expansionist' and 'oppressive' resolve of China," said a statement from the Baloch Raji Ajoi Sangar, a merger of several Baluch separatist groups, and the Sindudesh Revolutionary Army, another separatist organization. "Through [CPEC], China aims to subjugate Sindh and Balochistan and occupy the coasts and resources from Badin to Gwadar. "Increasingly, China risks becoming a target in the region," Abdul Basit, an expert on South Asian insurgent groups at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, told RFE/RL. "But China has the support of the Pakistani military and its own channels in the region, so these types of threats are unlikely to stop Beijing from [pursuing] its goals." Portland Rioters Hurl Firecrackers, Rocks at Officers, Weapons Recovered as Unrest Continues Portland rioters repeatedly tossed rocks, fireworks, and other objects at officers on Saturday as unrest continued to fester in the city, police said. Hundreds of demonstrators blocked traffic near a law enforcement precinct and hurled firecrackers, stones, and soda cans at officers attempting to break up the disturbance, according to a Multnomah County Sheriffs Office press release. Officers were also struck with metal ball bearings from slingshots, the release detailed. The exact number of arrests made was not disclosed by MCSO, but one arrestee by the name of Michael Colten allegedly eluded law enforcement for two blocks while in zip-tie cuffs, according to the release. Officers attempted to disengage and leave the area multiple times in an effort to de-escalate, but each time as they retreated, individuals in the crowd threw projectiles at officers and re-entered the street, the department wrote. Officers made additional arrests. Cops reportedly recovered a drone in a traffic stop, as officers warned rioters to discontinue their gathering, MCSO wrote. Law enforcement also seized a baton and a can of bear spray after arresting a demonstrator, according to the release. After largely peaceful protests throughout the day Saturday, several hundred protesters gathered in Downtown Portland around 8:30 p.m. in Lownsdale and Chapman Square Parks. Press release: https://t.co/RqeN0yIzD0 Multnomah Co Sheriff (@MultCoSO) September 27, 2020 Portland was also the site of a rally by the Proud Boys, a right-wing group, and a state of emergency was declared ahead of their Saturday visit, according to The New York Times. by Jake Dima From The Daily Caller News Foundation Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. For licensing opportunities of our original content, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Athar Parvaiz (Reuters) Srinagar, India Mon, September 28, 2020 19:08 481 e22cd4161040e111d73a5626c47c0493 2 News India,tourism,kashmir,pandemic,coronavirus Free When Kashmir went into a coronavirus lockdown in March, tourism in the Indian-administered territory had already been hobbled by eight months of tight security restrictions that New Delhi imposed after revoking the region's semi-autonomous status. Now hoteliers, taxi drivers and others relying on tourism in the region say the pandemic has compounded the financial shock to the industry and they fear it could take years to recover. The state of tourism in Kashmir is "a typical case of out of the frying pan into the fire," said Faiz Bakhshi, a prominent businessman and former secretary general of the Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCC&I). "I don't see any resumption of tourism in Kashmir until there is zero incidence of COVID-19 cases (here)," said Bakhshi, who owns the Shangrila, a hotel in Srinagar, the region's main city. Kashmir has reported about 70,000 cases of COVID-19 and at least 1,084 deaths, according to government figures. Estimates by the KCC&I show that more than 600,000 jobs have been lost since India's decision to scrap the region's special status in August last year. In that time, Kashmir's economy across all sectors has lost 400 billion Indian rupees (about $5.4 billion), KCC&I vice president Majeed Mir told the Thomson Reuters Foundation in a phone interview. While there are no reliable estimates of how many people have been made unemployed since March, Bakhshi said the pandemic has only exacerbated the situation. In a policy brief published last month, the United Nations said the pandemic could cost the global tourism industry approximately $1 trillion and threaten more than 100 million jobs. Kashmir has been disputed by India and Pakistan since the end of British colonial rule in 1947. Both countries claim it in full but rule it in part. India followed its move last year with a security lockdown in Kashmir, imposing strict restrictions on the movement and assembly of people and shutting down phone and internet communications for several months. The government said the restrictions were necessary to quell unrest in the region. Communications in Kashmir have gradually been reinstated in recent months, but mobile internet is yet to be restored fully, with only slow-speed 2G access allowed in 18 of the region's 20 districts. Ejaz Ayoub, an independent Srinagar-based economic analyst, said Kashmir's tourism business needs two basic factors in order to thrive: peace and sustainable demand. "The August 5 decision jeopardized both. And, since March this year, the pandemic has dealt a crushing blow to tourism," Ayoub said. Read also: Taj Mahal reopens even as India cases soar Empty rooms Zahoor Ahmad Trumboo said the occupancy of his Hotel Shah Abbas, overlooking the famed Dal Lake in Srinagar, has fallen by more than 90% since August last year. Before then, all 80 rooms would be booked every summer and the hotel would do good business in the winters, too, he noted, as visitors came to enjoy the lake as well as the Himalayan region's scenic mountains and glaciers. Now, the tourist industry "has no raw material," Trumboo said as he leaned back on a sofa at his hotel. "Tourists are the raw material for us. But, there have been no tourists in Kashmir for a year now." Kashmir's tourism season officially started on July 15, noted the region's director for tourism Nissar Ahmad Wani. "But, we have received only 525 tourists in the months since - an average of nine people per day," he said over the phone. In August and September 2019, more than 14,600 tourists visited Kashmir - and that was a 90% drop from the same period in 2018, before Kashmir's semi-autonomous status was revoked, according to figures from the tourism department. Along with horticulture and agriculture, tourism is an important industry for Kashmir, contributing about 7 percent of the region's gross domestic product, according to government data. While worries about security have kept many visitors away, others are put off by travel restrictions that have been put in place in the region and in their own countries to slow the spread of the virus, say industry experts. Tourists can only come into Kashmir by air, and they must adhere to COVID-19 testing at the airport and quarantine for 24 hours upon arrival, as well as keep to general social distancing and mandatory mask wearing, explained Wani. MENTAL STRESS At a tourist taxi stand in the Srinagar locality of Tang Bagh, a line of cars sits parked all day - most of the 200 taxi drivers who use the stand have left their cars there because there are no tourists to drive anywhere. Two drivers, Nazir Ahmad and Fayaz Bhat, visit the office at the taxi stand a few days a week. "We don't only come in search of work. We often chat for hours to share our problems and concerns to alleviate our mental stress," said Bhat, who has three children, including a physically-impaired son. Three years ago, Bhat took out a loan to buy his taxi, which he was paying off in instalments of 10,000 rupees ($136.00) each month before the pandemic struck. He has not been able to make a single payment since March, he lamented. "The last few months have been very tough. I had to take medicine for two months after I was diagnosed with depression," he said. Earlier this month Jammu and Kashmir Lt. Governor Manoj Sinha announced an economic relief package of 13.5 billion rupees ($183 million) to help the region's business sector recover from the financial pain of the pandemic. Mir at the KCC&I said that figure will not be enough. "One can imagine how much is needed if the government is serious about helping the business sector, including tourism, the worst hit sector by COVID-19," he said. "But, nonetheless, we appreciate that the government has started showing interest." Hotel Shah Abbas owner Trumboo said he is convinced the only way Kashmir's tourism industry will restart is with a significant "financial injection". Right now, he said, "Kashmir's tourism is not only damaged; it is dead." Topics : India tourism kashmir pandemic coronavirus Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Four hundred hospitals have been offline since Sunday after a ransomware cyberattack on Universal Health Services Inc, security experts claim. Experts and alleged staff at the firm which runs some 400 hospitals and care centers across the United States and the United Kingdom have said that it is a cyberattack but the hospitals have so far refused to confirm. The company has not yet did responded to emails seeking further details about the incident. Universal Health Services, a major hospital chain operating in the U.S. and Britain, says its computer networks were knocked offline by a 'security issue' The cybersecurity news site BleepingComputer said computer and phone systems were knocked offline at UHS facilities starting early Sunday. It quoted reports on Reddit from people identifying themselves as company employees. 'When the attack happened multiple antivirus programs were disabled by the attack and hard drives just lit up with activity,' one of the reports reads. 'After 1 min or so of this the computers logged out and shutdown. When you try to power back on the computers they automatically just shutdown. 'We have no access to anything computer based including old labs, ekg's, or radiology studies. We have no access to our PACS radiology system.' UHS hospitals in the US including Valley Hospital Las Vegas and those from California, Florida, Texas, Arizona, and Washington D.C. are left without access to computer and phone systems UHS hospitals in the US including those from California, Florida, Texas, Arizona, and Washington D.C. have been left without access to computer and phone systems. The affected hospitals are having to redirect ambulances and are relocating patients in need of surgery to other nearby hospitals. Employees were instructed to shut down all systems in order to block attackers from accessing all devices on the network. Alleged workers from the same Reddit thread say the incident was caused by a ransomware strain named Ryuk. Ryuk is a ransomware operation that has been recently quiet for months, but has returned to normal operations last week. In a brief statement posted to the company's website, UHS said it was working 'diligently with our IT security partners to restore IT operations as quickly as possible using backups. It was not clear if the issue involved a ransomware attack, which is often employed to cripple organizations by holding their data hostage. 'Our facilities are using their established back-up processes including offline documentation methods,' UHS said in a statement, adding that patient care 'continues to be delivered safely and effectively.' The company said no patient or employee data appeared to have been 'accessed, copied or otherwise compromised,' however there a high chance of the attackers stealing patient and employee data which will further increase the damage should the cause be confirmed to be a ransomware attack. This article is part of the Free Speech Project , a collaboration between Future Tense and the Tech, Law, & Security Program at American University Washington College of Law that examines the ways technology is influencing how we think about speech. On Wednesday, Sept. 30, at noon Eastern the Free Speech Project will host an hourlong online discussion about how the single global internet is splintering. For more information and to RSVP, visit the New America website. In 2014, the United States began the process of relinquishing the last vestiges of its stewardship over the internet, starting a transition of full control to an international nonprofit, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers. It was a big dealyou may remember Sen. Ted Cruz warning about the significant, irreparable damage this proposed internet giveaway could wreak not only on our nation but on free speech across the world. At the time, I thought the ICANN transition was a mistake. Now, I suspect I was wrong. Advertisement ICANN is, in effect, the keeper of the internet address bookthe Domain Name System, or DNS. Someone, after all, has to decide that microsoft.com means the big computer software company in Washington so that when you type those words into your web browser you wind up at their servers and not at the server owned by a small company marketing tiny, soft towels. And someone has to decide that in addition to top level addresses that already exist (like dot.org and dot.com), we can now start using dot.bank and dot.xxx and dot.home as valid global top level domains (gTLDs). We call this role the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority, or IANAthat is, the right and responsibility to assign names among the domains. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Historically, since the original architecture of the network was developed in the United States, that responsibility was originally given to American institutions. Indeed, initially, it was the U.S. government itself. Beginning in the 1990s, however, the U.S. government offloaded much of that responsibility to a third party when it began contracting out the IANA function to ICANN. ICANN is an American nonprofit corporation with headquarters in Southern California. It was, to summarize and simplify, created for the purpose of being able to contract to run the IANA function. And so, for roughly 15 years ICANN entered into a contract with the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, or NTIA, a component of the Department of Commerce, to manage the IANA function. (I promise I am done introducing new initialisms.) That status quo continued until 2014, when the NTIA began a process of allowing the IANA contract to lapse, thereby transitioning the entire responsibility for the IANA function to ICANN. Advertisement Advertisement When the NTIA first made this proposal, it insisted that ICANN step up to the plate and develop a more mature set of accountability measures to ensure that the IANA function would continue to operate well. Two years of difficult and interesting negotiations ensued, in which I played an active (though quite minor) role. At the end, I was left with the considered view that the transition of authority to ICANN should be delayed (or at least tested before it was finalized). My main concern was that the new structure at ICANN would leave national governments with too much power. And many of those governments were authoritarian ones that would see control of ICANN as a way of controlling flows of information to their citizens. I was concerned (and, candidly, still am) that ICANNs diffuse governance structure gives it inadequate resources to resist adverse governmental influence. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement And, so, I was of the view that the U.S. should continue to play a small role in governing ICANN. To be sure, the role was mostly symbolicbut as a symbol I thought it was a powerful one. In my opinion the U.S. government had stood as a bulwark against authoritarian influence on the network since it was created. And even though the U.S. was an imperfect nation (much of this discussion was happening in the immediate aftermath of the Snowden revelations), it had generally served as a protector of network freedom of expression. By and large, warts and all, an active U.S. role was, I thought, a net benefit to the world. You may, if you wish, see this as my own particular flavor of American exceptionalismand you may even deride it as such. But I felt comfortable in saying that American influence on the network was, on balance, more benign than injurious. Advertisement Critical to that assessment was my belief that no U.S. government would ever support an effort to restrain freedom of expression on the network. As I wrote in a different context, about a different internet authority, any President of either party should not be presumed to exercise powers granted in a dictatorial way. Advertisement Advertisement There were, of course, exceptions to this rule. (For instance, several years earlier the U.S. government had tried to dissuade ICANN from adopting a dot.xxx gTLD, as part of a puritanical pursuit.) But from my perspective, the rarity of those instances of interference actually strengthened the point. Gifted with extraordinary influence, the United States had shown significant restraint. I thought we were a force for good on the network and that the world would rue our stepping back from a leadership role. Advertisement It seems that I was wrong. Recently, the United States has moved to restrict and control the content that U.S. citizens can put on their phonesinitiating a ban of both WeChat and TikTok from web stores. While it has yet to be seen whether these bans ever take full effect (as the dispute evolves almost daily) the ultimate success or failure of the American effort is almost irrelevant. What is shocking, and dismaying, is that the effort was made at all. Advertisement Besides being relatively ineffective, the attempted bans give the lie to the premise of the U.S. as protector of network liberty. It mirrors in many relevant respects the acts of authoritarian governments who use somewhat blunter controls to restrict internet access or prohibit unwelcome contentthe means may differ but the logic is the same. Advertisement Even more to the point, the logic of the U.S. position is fundamentally at odds with Americans economic interests. Today, we ban TikTok because it is subject to Chinese control. Tomorrow (or actually yesterday) other governments look at American surveillance law and take action against Facebook and Twitter and Bing. Even worse, by banning applications from China, we are traitors to our own social values. In the fight against authoritarian governments, we soon become that which we have opposed. My error four years ago was simpleI did not anticipate this particular administration. I can only plead a lack of imagination. One can readily envision what the Clean Network initiative, which purports to be administrations comprehensive approach to safeguarding the nations assets including citizens privacy and companies most sensitive information from aggressive intrusions by malign actors, such as the Chinese Communist Party, would look like if the U.S. government still had ICANN subject to contractual control. While I thought, at the time, that the world was losing a strong protector of network freedom (and making a mistake), today one can only be glad that the transition was accomplished before the change in administrations. Future Tense is a partnership of Slate, New America, and Arizona State University that examines emerging technologies, public policy, and society. Name: Michelle McCabe Party: Democrat Race: State Senate 28th District With her run for the state Senate, Michael McCabe said she is aiming to move from advocacy to policy work. McCabe, director of the Center for Food Equity and Economic Development with the Council of Churches of Greater Bridgeport, said she oversees a number of different programs that provide economic opportunity through food for low-income area residents. She said she has also been involved in addressing food insecurity as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. My experience has been on the advocacy side, McCabe said. So, thats been my experience with municipal and state government and some federal. McCabe lives in the Stratfield neighborhood of Fairfield with her three sons one in college and two in high school. If elected, McCabe said she would invest in developing a green economy in Connecticut, which would present many opportunities such as making the state more attractive for businesses. She also said she would prioritize addressing the high cost of health care. A recent video was uploaded to Twitter showing just how Tesla's autopilot manages to maneuver through heavy rains outside. As per the video, it shows how the autopilot was reliably stable despite the heavy pouring rain. Tesla has been making headlines for being an electric vehicle company but not a lot of people know that the strong suit of this company also includes their software. Have never driven in such heavy rain before. Autopilot is absolutely amazing pic.twitter.com/jqbEjNMPka September 27, 2020 Tesla's software updates and how the system functions Just like the iOS, the Tesla models consistently updates when there are new and better features to be added to the car making new information available with every update. This upgrades also improve the whole autopilot system helping with driving assistance in shaky situations like heavy rains and etc. The autopilot feature is not technically made to be a replacement of human driving but rather an assistance as of this moment. There have been a lot of autopilot testing out there that have not been as successful as people would imagine but with Tesla, it seems that the autopilot engineering has made sure to make it safe, functional, and reliable. Tesla is trying to break the UK market Currently, Tesla is looking at a lot of expansion as they are trying to expand into the European market after dominating the US market. Although Tesla is not the top sold car in the country, the Tesla Model 3 was actually the top selling car in California during the first quarter versus both gasoline and diesel cars. On top of that, Tesla has been dominating the electric car market in the united states becoming one of the most popular electric car brands in the country. Tesla is currently constructing a Gigafactory in Europe which aims to boost their capacity to supply Europe with Tesla cars. This is also a smart move because of the UK's choice to do their part in fighting environmental change. UK's whole plan is to become completely electric when it comes to cars by the year 2035. Although this might seem a couple of years away, a whole transition could mean a huge potential market for the number one electric vehicle supplier. Read Also: Elon Musk Responds to Netizen Asking 'Why Buy a Roadster When It Will Have The Same Specs as Tesla Model S? What could this mean for Tesla in general? The transition to the use of electric vehicles includes the obsoletion of gasoline and diesel cars in general. UK is already slowly offering incentives for those who switch to electric cars while the companies that manufacture gasoline and diesel cars are also shifting their production into electric cars as well. With the new Gigafactory over in Germany, Tesla will be able to supply more cars to Europe and increase their global reach. The problem back then when Tesla was trying to penetrate the Europe market was not actually the lack of buyers, it was the lack of supply and the harsh logistics of shipping the cars and etc. Read Also: Elon Musk Flaunts Tesla's 'Design Your Model S': Don't Get It In Plaid? This article is owned by Tech Times Written by Urian Buenconsejo 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. CAIRO - Libyan rivals on Monday restarted military and security talks, aiming to reach a settlement that could help end the countys years-long conflict, the United Nations said. The U.N. support mission in Libya said in a brief statement that military and police teams from eastern and western Libya met in Egypts Red Sea resort of Hurghada. The face-to-face military talks came amid international pressure on both sides of the war and their foreign backers to avert an attack on the strategic city of Sirte, after a year-long assault on the capital, Tripoli, by forces of military commander Khalifa Hifter collapsed this summer. The U.N. mission said both sides have demonstrated a positive and proactive attitude aimed at de-escalation of the situation in central Libya. The outcome of the Egypt-based negotiations will be mainstreamed into U.N.-brokered military talks, the U.N. mission said. Oil-rich Libya was plunged into chaos when a NATO-backed uprising in 2011 toppled longtime dictator Moammar Gadhafi, who was later killed. The country has since split between rival east- and west-based administrations, each backed by armed groups and foreign governments. Hifters forces launched an offensive in April 2019 to try and capture Tripoli. But his campaign collapsed in June when the Tripoli-allied militias, with heavy Turkish support, gained the upper hand, driving his forces from the outskirts of the city and other western towns. Hifter is supported by Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Russia. Tripoli-allied militias have backing from Turkey, a bitter rival of Egypt and the UAE in a broader regional struggle, as well as from the wealthy Gulf state of Qatar. Fighting has died down in recent months, but both sides were preparing for a possible battle over Sirte, the gateway to Libyas major oil fields and export terminals, controlled by Hifter. Egypt-based military and security talks came after both sides, under heavy international pressure, agreed earlier this month on a preliminary deal that aims to guide the country toward elections within 18 months and demilitarize Sirte, which is held by Hifter. Read more about: San Miguel County Firefighters battle a brush fire along Japatul Road during the Valley Fire in Jamul, Calif., on Sept. 6, 2020. (Sandy Huffaker/AFP via Getty Images) California Governor Declares Emergency in 3 Counties Due to More Fires CalFire says Glass Fire, Zogg Fire have erupted over the weekend California Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency in several counties due to several wildfires that have burned numerous homes, thousands of acres, and prompted evacuations. Newsom declared an emergency for Los Angeles, Del Norte, and Mendocino counties, which are located in various parts of the state, according to his office. Newsom also signed an executive order to streamline recovery efforts in communities across the state impacted by devastating fires, a statement from his office said. The order extends the states prohibition on price gouging in impacted counties through March 25, 2021; extends the deadline for impacted residents to file a claim for property tax postponement; and directs several tax agencies to provide extensions to impacted residents. In addition, the order expedites debris removal and cleanup of hazardous waste resulting from the fires, and allows the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Federal Emergency Management Agency to provide mutual aid supplementing the states efforts, according to his order. It comes as, over the weekend, the fast-moving Glass Fire tore through Napa Countyknown as Californias wine countryprompting more evacuations, officials told KPIX. Flames destroyed Californias Chateau Boswell Winery near the Silverado Trail in the St. Helena area, KPIX reported. There are two other fires burning in the area: The Boysen Fire just west of St. Helena and the Shady Fire near Santa Rosa, as reported by the station. California Gov. Gavin Newsom signs Assembly Bill 2147 after he toured the North Complex Fire zone with California Secretary for Environmental Protection Jared Blumenfeld and California Secretary for Natural Resources Wade Crowfoot in Butte County outside of Oroville, Calif., on Sept. 11, 2020. (Paul Kitagaki Jr./Pool/The Sacramento Bee via AP) CalFire said in a news release on Sept. 28 that more than 8,000 wildfires have burned in California so far in 2020. Firefighters are currently battling around 27 major fires as of this weekend. Since August 15, when Californias fire activity elevated, there have been 26 fatalities and over 7,000 structures destroyed, the release stated. It added that the Zogg Fire also erupted in Shasta County, located in Northern California. A Red Flag Warning remains in effect through today throughout much of Northern California, due to gusty winds. A Red Flag Warning as well as the mountains of Southern California through the Santa Clarita Valley and down through parts of San Diego County, bringing gusty winds and low humidity, creating critical fire weather conditions. Warm and dry conditions persist across the state for the rest of the week, CalFire stated. Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) workers, led by senior party leader Abhay Chautala, took out a protest march against the newly enacted agriculture laws, from Sector 12 to mini-secretariat in Karnal on Monday. Addressing the gathering, Abhay said the Narendra Modi-led Bharatiya Janata Party government had brought these three anti-farmers laws during the pandemic to avoid protests. And now that the countrys farmers are on the streets, the government is not ready to listen to them, he said, adding, The INLD has always been with the farmers and will continue to support their fights. Chautala said the INLD will hold statewide agitations in support of the farmers until the government is forced to bring these laws are withdrawn. He also slammed the government for not procuring paddy from the farmers, who he stated, have been waiting in the mandis for the past several days. Praises Badals for snapping ties with BJP The INLD leader also praised the Shiromani Akali Dal leadership for snapping their ties with the National Democratic Alliance in the interest of farmers. He said that SADs decision is in favour of farmers and proved that former Punjab chief minsiter Parkash Singh Badal was the tallest farm leader in the country after late Chhotu Ram, Late Devi Lal and Chaudhary Charan Singh. Director of Electoral Services at the Electoral Commission (EC), Dr. Serebour Quaicoe says there's no need for political parties and Ghanaians in general to panic over some anomalies in the new voters' register. Speaking in an interview on Peace FM's morning show 'Kokrokoo', he debunked claims that these irregularities can affect the forthcoming December 7 polls. "Once everything on your ID card is correct, voting will not be affected . . . its a transfer error," he stated. Omission of names There have been reports of missing names in the new voters' register. The NPP National Chairman, Freddie Blay couldn't find his name in the register when he went to check according to John Boadu, the General Secretary of the NPP. NDC suspends campaign The Running Mate of the NDC, Prof Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang whose name was reportedly duplicated in the new register expressed dismay at reports of missing names in the voters register. Subsequently, the party's flagbearer, John Mahama has suspended his campaign and directed executives of the party to do same, to monitor the exhibiton exercise. Meanwhile, the EC has denied allegations that it has deleted some names of NDC members in the register. EC has no malice intended Dr. Serebour has meanwhile reiterated that the Commission has no intention of deliberately deleting names from the register. "Its against the law to omit any name from the register, so the EC will not take out anyones name . . . whether your ID card is duplicated or triplicated it will not prevent you from voting; you will be allowed to vote," he added. Listen to him in the video below Source: Rebecca Addo Tetteh/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 From left to right: image of a healthy backbone (control); image of an injured backbone without an implant; image of an injured backbone in which the biocompatible nanomaterial has been implanted and where the neuronal reconnection can be observed. Credit: Author: Pedro Ramos / CIC biomaGUNE Research conducted by two groups at the Center for Cooperative Research in Biomaterials CIC biomaGUNE and one at SISSA, Scuola Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati (Italy), have shown that functional materials based on carbon nanotubes facilitate the reconnecting of neuronal networks damaged as a result of spinal cord injuries. The study, published by the scientific journal PNAS (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences), constitutes a huge step forward in research geared toward recovery from injuries of this type. The research groups led by Ikerbasque Professor and Axa Chair at CIC biomaGUNE Maurizio Prato, who is a worldwide reference in carbon-based nanomaterials, and the one led by Professor Laura Ballerini at SISSA in Trieste (Italy) have experience in using nanotechnology and nanomaterials to repair neural injuries. Collaboration between the groups has shown that biomaterials based on carbon nanotubes facilitate communication between neurons, neuronal growth and the establishing of connections by means of materials of this type. "The electrical and mechanical properties of this material enable many applications unthinkable for any other materials. In particular, the interaction of excitable cells, such as nerve and heart cells, make carbon nanotubes of great relevance. The communication among cells increases when interfaced with carbon nanotubes, and it is also possible to construct mechanically stable scaffolds that sustain nerve growth," says Professor Prato. "The groups of Prato and Ballerini had previously demonstrated the formation of neuronal connections in in vitro systems in cell cultures. However, what still remained was the leap to an in vivo animal model of spinal cord lesion, the possibility of seeing whether the communications between individual neurons in fact also took place on the level of complete neuronal fibers in an in vivo model, and whether functional results were being achieved," explained Pedro Ramos, Ikerbasque professor at CIC biomaGUNE, leader of the Magnetic Resonance Imaging Unit and the third key player in the research. In this latest breakthrough the researchers managed "to demonstrate that in a set of animals with partial cutting of the spinal cord, the reconnecting of fibers is in fact gradually established by means of the inserted implant, a kind of sponge of carbon nanotubes comprising interwoven fibers. The nerves reconnect in the area where they had been damaged and, what is more, the animals regained functionality, above all in the hind legs, the most affected by the lesion. It was also demonstrated that the material is biocompatible, in other words, no immune reaction was detected," said Pedro Ramos. In his view, this significant breakthrough constitutes "a hope going forward in terms of furthering recovery from spinal cord injuries of this type, of the optic nerve, or even from some kind of traumatic injury in which neuronal connection has been lost and the mobility of a limb is affected." He adds that it will be some time before their research finds clinical application. A goal on the horizon As Ramos explained, the research was conducted "under highly controlled conditions, just like any lab study," and it is necessary to progress: "There are many aspects where work needs to be pursued in terms of the material, the conditions under which the material is implanted, the conditions under which the material has to work, etc." For example, it is crucial to thoroughly explore the micro-structural and mechanical properties of the material, or the properties that facilitate neuronal connection, thus preventing possible side effects or even the rejection of the material itself (rigidity, elasticity, sponginess, compactness, size of the pores that remain between the fibers, etc.). It is also essential to further the production methods so that they are as stable and reproducible as possible, and so that components, such as growth factors or other substances that facilitate neuronal communication, can be inserted into its structure. Furthermore, it is necessary to study the conditions that would allow clinical implanting of the materials: "It is important to see how and when they should be implanted. In the study, we inserted the implant during an acute lesion phase, so we did not have to contend with the existence of a glial scar, etc." In addition, "one would have to see whether these results are confirmed in other animal models with less neuronal plasticity." One of the main aspects of this reconnection process is "to find out whether the same connections existing before the lesion are restored or whether neuronal plasticity takes place, in other words, whether new connections that did not exist previously are established and the nervous system seeks another way of reconnecting to adapt to the new situation." In this respect, in terms of imaging, "we are making progress in the development of functional imaging techniques that enable us to see the connections between the brain and the peripheral nervous system from a functional point of view," he said. The CIC biomaGUNE researcher points out that "we are far from being able to transfer this to humans. It displays all the features of being transferrable, it has been demonstrated to work, to be effective and not to lead to any adverse reactions in animal models. Work remains to be done to achieve the goal, but we are heading in the right direction." More information: Sadaf Usmani el al., Functional rewiring across spinal injuries via biomimetic nanofiber scaffolds.Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2020). Journal information: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Sadaf Usmani el al., Functional rewiring across spinal injuries via biomimetic nanofiber scaffolds.(2020). DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2005708117 A zookeeper was seriously after being attacked by a 200kg gorilla that had entered an area that should have been locked. The incident took place on Sunday morning at the Spanish capital's Madrid Zoo Aquarium. The 46-year-old employee entered a "bounded area with a triple door" for routine feeding and cleaning at about 10.15am when the 29-year-old animal, named Malabo, attacked her, the zoo said in a statement posted on Facebook. The woman suffered a head injury, chest trauma with multiple fractures and two broken arms, according to local media reports. Videos posted on social media by Madrid emergency services showed paramedics carrying a stretcher, while ambulance and police cars were also at the scene. "The reasons why the animal was able to access the area are being investigated internally," the zoo's statement said, adding a criminal investigation led by Madrid police had also been launched. Other employees were able to "remove the animal" from the area, which is not accessible to the public, before a veterinary team anaesthetised Malabo. The gorilla, who weighs about 200kg, was subsequently moved to his enclosure and is reportedly "calm". The zoo wished the keeper, who has worked at the facility for 19 years, a speedy recovery. NEW DELHI: A sub-inspector of Delhi Police, Sandeep Dahiya, allegedly shot dead his father-in-law in Haryana's Rohtak. According to reports, the sub-inspector had gone with the intention of killing wife, with whom he is having marital discord. The couple had been living separately for some time. Live TV On Sunday night, the sub-inspector had attacked and shot at his girlfriend in Alipur area of Delhi. Both the cop and his girlfriend were in a car at the time of the incident. After committing the crime, he fled from the spot along with his service revolver. As per reports, Dahiya is posted at Delhi's Lahori Gate Police Station. He is currently on the run. Admiral Brett Giroir, MD, assistant secretary for Health, United States Department of Health and Human Services demonstrates using a self test kit as he speaks on Covid-19 testing in the Rose Garden of the White House on Sept. 28, 2020. (Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images) US to Ship 150 Million CCP Virus Tests to Reopen Schools, Economies President Donald Trump announced on Sept. 28 that the U.S. government will start distributing 150 million rapid COVID-19 tests to states this week in a bid to help governors safely reopen K12 schools and economies. Of the total, the administration is dedicating 100 million tests for schools and measures to help reopen economies. An additional 50 million tests will target the most vulnerable elderly population in nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and home health and hospice sites. This continues our critical effort to use testing to protect high-risk communities, Trump said. The administration has already shipped 2.1 million of the new tests to nursing homes, and more than 900,000 tests to assisted living facilities, Adm. Brett Giroir, the administrations lead on testing, said during the White House announcement. Long-term care facilities account for a sliver of the U.S. population but more than 40 percent of deaths from the CCP virus. The new tests, once produced and delivered, will allow the United States to more than double the 111 million tests it has already performed to screen for the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, commonly known as the novel coronavirus. There are no restrictions on how the 100 million tests meant for schools and economies can be used, but the Trump administration will urge governors to prioritize for settings that need rapid, low-tech methods of testing, such as schools, first-responder facilities, and areas where outbreaks are detected, Giroir said. The administration plans to ship 6.5 million tests from the school allotment this week. We just completed a briefing to the governors and their state health officials from the Situation Room, and we heard words like gamechanger for their states, Giroir told the president. The administration is focusing the testing resources on schools in order to promote the physical, social, and emotional development of children. The rapid tests, manufactured by Abbott Laboratories, would allow teachers, for example, to be tested on a regular basis. The tests could also be made available to parents concerned about a child who has symptoms or to schools for baseline surveillance, such as testing a small group of students every week or every month to ensure the infection levels are low. The president announced the move at a time when the United States is experiencing an elevated number of new COVID-19 cases per day and, on average, per week. Some experts have suggested the nation may face a surge of infections as the weather gets colder in the fall and winter months ahead. Trumps announcement arrived one day prior to the first presidential debate and five weeks prior to the election in November. The campaign of former Vice President Joe Biden targeted the presidents handling of the pandemic as its main line of attack. With the exception of a federal mask mandate, on which the Democrat presidential nominee has pulled back, Bidens plan for handling the outbreak differs little from what the Trump administration has already put in motion. The Trump administration previously ordered 150 million rapid tests from Abbot. The tests dont require specialty equipment to process, are about the size of a credit card, and deliver results in about 15 minutes. Broad access to testing is part of both federal and state reopening plans. After initial setbacks with a government-made test, several private sector companies developed a variety of testing solutions. The United States leads the world in the number tests performed. The nation is on track to soon have the capacity to run 3 million tests per day, on average, Giroir told Congress last week. The United States is now averaging about 920,000 tests per day, Giroir said at a press conference at the White House on Sept. 28. More than 200,000 deaths have been reported from patients testing positive for COVID-19 in the United States since the beginning of the outbreak. Trump has for months urged state and local leaders to open schools this fall. The president frequently speaks about the lockdowns and closed schools at campaign rallies. He has on more than one occasion suggested that the lockdowns are a political maneuver by the Democrats who seek to boost Bidens election chances by smothering the economy. Its a shame whats going on, Trump told a crowd of supporters in North Carolina on Sept 8. On November 4th, every one of those states will be open. Theyre doing it for political reasons. Abbotts test is an important advance because of its low cost and easy-to-use format. Until now, the vast majority of CCP virus tests had to be sent to high-grade medical laboratories for processing that typically took several days. Backlogs led to repeated delays in reporting results, especially during a summer spike in cases. But rapid, point-of-care tests such as Abbotts have their own downsides. Theyre less accurate, and positive results often need to be confirmed with higher-grade lab tests. Additionally, because the tests are often performed outside the health care system, state officials have said that many tests are going unreported. That could lead to undercounts of new cases, skewing government data for tracking the virus. What were hearing from the states is that they dont know where these tests are being done, said Dr. Jeffrey Engel of the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists in a recent interview. He said schools generally dont have the capacity or expertise to report mass testing results, which could artificially lower infection counts sent to state and federal officials. The tests from Abbott are being made in two factories, one in Illinois and one in Maine. The company is in a ramping-up phase. One day after the FDAs approval of the Abbott rapid test, the Trump administration placed an order for 150 million kits. The kits include a nasal swab Trump secured funding for by invoking the Defense Production Act, Giroir said. It will take the rest of the year to completely fill the order. After that, the administration will decide whether the government should purchase more or whether the free market can determine adequate distribution. The Associated Press contributed to this report. If we ran the risk of waiting to see if the situation improved on its own, we would also run the risk of having to impose even stronger measures in the coming days or weeks, said Mr. Veran, who on Friday rushed to Marseille, where criticism has been most vocal, to try to quell the frustration. We can consult, but we cant allow ourselves to procrastinate, he added. But some opponents of the targeted shutdown say it was imposed, with little warning, by vindictive government officials who want to punish Marseilles rebel streak, which in recent months has coalesced around the figure of Didier Raoult, an eminent microbiologist from the city. His contrarian stance including a claim, rejected by other scientists, that common drugs can cure Covid-19 has endeared him to Marseille and its political class. Officials are mounting protests and legal challenges against the new measures. One even said that the municipal police, ignoring government instructions, would not issue fines for establishments that broke the rules. Laurent Lhardit, Marseilles deputy mayor in charge of the economy and tourism, cautioned against painting the governments action and the local reaction as merely regional rivalry. This isnt a game between the O.M. and P.S.G. he said, referring to Olympique de Marseille and Paris Saint-Germain, two of Frances biggest soccer rivals. But he blamed the government for failing to take into account Marseilles particularities, including 40 percent of the population living at or below the poverty line. Any stress to the economy here has consequences that are bigger than anywhere else, Mr. Lhardit said. Karnataka Bandh, which was called by over 108 organisations against the Centre and the states recent farm related laws, is picking up pace across the state. There has been a good response to the bandh in at least 25 of total 30 districts in Karnataka. The bandh has partially affected normal public life as public transport has been hit and commercial establishments have downed the shutters in support of farmers. After their talks with Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa failed, the farmers decided to observe the bandh on Monday. They are opposing the APMC reforms act and Karnataka governments decision to allow everyone to buy agricultural land, terming them a death warrant of agrarian community. Angry farmers have blocked National Highways at many places across the state. The Bandh has also got good response in BJP stronghold of Mumbai Karnataka region. Farmers have hit the roads in Hubli, Dharwad, Bijapur, Haveri, Gadag, Bagalkote and other important towns and cities. Farmers in Hyderabad Karnataka region have also participated in the bandh. In Old Mysore region, the bandh has got a mixed response. Farmers are protesting in Mysore, Mandya, Kolar, Chikkaballapura, Tumkur, Chickmagalur, Davanagere and Shimoga against what they call a grave injustice to farmers. The organisers allege that the recent farm sector reforms are aimed at helping the corporate sector, robbing the farmers of their livelihood. Angry farmers have burnt the effigy of PM Modi and CM Yediyurappa at some places. The organisers have asked mainstream political parties not to participate in the bandh claiming it an apolitical protest to safeguard the interests of the farmers. In Dharwad, BJP and Congress supporters were sent back from the protest site. The ruling BJP in Karnataka has distanced itself from the bandh defending the farm sector reforms. The main protest is taking place in Bengaluru. The Bengaluru City Police have made elaborate security arrangements to prevent any untoward incidents. They have warned the farmers that cost will be recovered from them if they damage public properties. B Nagendra, one of the organisers, alleged that Karnataka Government is using excess force to quell their protests. According to Hyundai, that future is not distant and will replace the driving / car experience with something entirely new. Call this the day when the car becomes more than a car and paradoxically, less than a car, too. Meet your own personal butler that also happens to ferry you around.Not long ago, Hyundai unveiled the Ioniq Cabin concept, a futuristic take on the what we have come to know as the traditional car cabin. This concept puts the user at the center, but not as before, in order to help him operate the machine. Instead, this user can recline all the way back, watch content on the theater-like screen, while having his shoes waxed and his clothes ironed.Make no mistake about it, the car will be doing all these.This futuristic Cabin is possible in partnership with LG Electronics and has as highlight a massive, 77-inch (195.5-cm), flexible OLED screen on the roof. Presumably, youre supposed to watch whatever it is you usually watch fully reclined, with the sound coming out of speakers set in the headrest. Hyundai says this would create personalized sound zones, in the plural because the screen is big enough to allow simultaneous playing of different content.Because the screen is flexible and the seats themselves top-notch, you would presumably not get a stiff neck from the position.While youre thus reposing, integrated home electronics and appliances would be taking proper care of the rest of your person. The Cabin would come with such features as Clothing Care and Shoes Butler, but Hyundai stops short of describing what they could do. Based on name alone, the former would probably steam-clean and iron the outfit you have on, while the latter would make sure your shoes lived up to the overall look.A floor-cleaning robot and an overhead UV LED light would keep the cabin clean and disinfected, so youd never again have to worry about doing these things yourself.More importantly, features like these would be customizable depending on customers needs and lifestyles. Imagine a businessman or businesswoman getting these two features mentioned above, while a socialite / influencer / celebritys Ioniq would come with instant makeup application feature, blow-dry and hairstyling. Its truly a brave new world that Hyundai is envisioning.The IONIQ Concept Cabin is one of a kind and an unprecedented approach to enhancing customer experience as it can be customized for different needs and lifestyles, Wonhong Cho, Executive Vice President and Global Chief Marketing Officer of Hyundai Motor Company, says. Dedicated EVs will enable us to revolutionize the experience Hyundai delivers to its customers, empowering them to do more in and out of the vehicles.Hyundai believes some of these futuristic features will be offered with the Ioniq 5, scheduled to launch next year.It might be another while before we get the Hyundai cars to clean our clothes, shine our shoes, do our hair and brush our teeth (or whatever), but thats the path were going down on: the driving experience that removes the human element altogether and replaces it with an in-car butler. So that you will never have to lift a finger again. The NHS will be hit by a 'triple whammy' this winter, according to a report that warns the 'road to recovery will be long'. Health bosses say the system will be left creaking from a surge in Covid-19 patients, alongside a 'huge' backlog of delayed treatment, as well as 'exhausted' staff battling against reduced capacity due to infection control measures. The NHS Confederation, which represents the majority of hospital trusts, ambulance services, clinical commissioning groups and other healthcare providers in the UK, warned demand has 'outstripped' supply and that many doctors and nurses are already 'exhausted' by the pressures of this year, with no respite in sight. It called on the Government to 'grasp the nettle' and invest in a fully integrated health and care system. Its survey of 252 NHS leaders revealed nine in ten felt they did not have enough funding to hit their performance targets - or even upgrade buildings, IT and other infrastructure to improve services. They warned the pandemic has set the health service back 'by years' in their report - titled NHS Reset - and urged ministers to 'lock in' changes made in response to the crisis that cut out 'needless bureaucracy' and snipped red tape. Hospital trusts were ordered to get services back to 90 per cent of capacity by mid-October, but with staff absences due to testing problems and mounting demands as a 'double whammy' of coronavirus and flu hits A&E departments, bosses fear the ambitious goal will not be met. The NHS receives funding through its 2018-signed five-year plan - at 20.5billion annually - but hospital leaders warned this budget needs to be expanded to help the health services 'play catch up' on appointments missed due to lockdown. Boris Johnson has pledged an extra 3billion to the NHS for winter, which has been earmarked for maintaining Nightingale hospitals and increasing testing capacity. The NHS Confederation urged the Government to 'grasp the nettle' and invest in a fully integrated health and care system. (Pictured: Ward on Liverpool hospital) One in 50 NHS patients have now been waiting a year or more for planned surgery. The number of those waiting for elective ops for more than 18 weeks is at a 12-year high, with more than two million Britons now overdue NHS surgeons are only working at 50% capacity because of Covid-19 NHS surgeons are only working at around 50 per cent capacity in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, despite record numbers of people on the waiting list for routine treatment. Professor Neil Mortensen, president of the the Royal College of Surgeons, revealed surgeons 'didn't have much to do' during the lockdown, as routine operations were cancelled to make room for an expected swarm of Covid-19 patients. But they are struggling to get back to pre-coronavirus activity levels, despite barely any infected patients being in hospital. Surgeons say infection control measures and a lack of testing have left them unable to attack the backlog. Professor Mortensen told The Telegraph: 'Most surgeons would say productivity is around half what it was before.' He told the newspaper that there were obstacles in restoring services to levels seen before Covid-19, which experts say is needed to clear the backlog. Health bosses fear up to 10million patients will be left waiting for treatment by this winter. A lack of routine testing for NHS staff is hindering efforts to create 'Covid-free' zones in hospitals, he said. And doctors have previously warned social distancing in hospitals will mean fewer patients can be admitted at any given time. Advertisement The NHS Confederation says in its report many changes recently made should be locked in, including handing more control to local NHS leaders, accelerating steps to integrate health and social care, and making available sustained funding to tackle health inequalities that have been exacerbated by the virus. It also called on political leaders to be honest and realistic with the public about waiting times and treatments in A&E departments. One in 50 NHS patients have now been waiting a year or more for planned surgery treatments due to delays caused by coronavirus, NHS data reveals. It shows 83,000 patients (2.1 per cent of the total) referred for routine operations still have not been treated 52 weeks later. This includes those waiting for planned, non-urgent surgery such as hip and knee replacements, cataract surgery or kidney stone removal. The number of people waiting for operations for more than 18 weeks also hit a 12-year high, with more than two million Britons now long overdue. There are more than four million people currently waiting for elective surgery in the UK. The NHS Confederation's survey laid bare the fears at the top of the NHS, with 74 per cent of those surveyed saying they are not confident their services will meet the national targets to bring routine operation levels back to near-normal by October. Just eight per cent said they felt their current funding allowed them to deliver safe and effective services. NHS Confederation chief executive Danny Mortimer warned that the road to recovery for the NHS and social care 'will be long'. 'Despite dire predictions that it would not be able to cope, the NHS has not only managed a huge wave of Covid-19 patients but also continued to treat millions not infected with the virus,' he said. 'We have learned much and are in a better position to manage the virus than first time round, despite still not having an effective test and trace system. 'The strain will continue to be felt across the country, but we must take this opportunity to recast services for the long-term benefit of patients and local communities.' Lord Victor Adebowale, chairman of the NHS Confederation, said: 'Covid-19 has been the biggest disruptor in the NHS's history. Out of necessity, it has transformed patient services in ways previously unimagined and changes that would usually take years have been delivered in weeks. 'This is the moment for Government to grasp the nettle, be bold and invest in a health and care system not just for this winter but for the long term. A&E waiting times have also started to dip again now that more people are coming forward for treatment. Performance times improved during lockdown because most A&E departments lay bare as people were either too spooked to come in case they caught Covid-19 or didnt want to be a burden on the NHS 'It must be re-imagined in a way that lets local leaders deliver services that work for everyone in their communities. 'Above all, we need to see a radical and conscious shift in every part of the country towards tackling health inequalities. If there is one lesson from the pandemic, it is that our universal health service does not care for everyone equally.' The survey of NHS leaders found that 84 per cent believe the NHS must deliver a step change in how it cares for diverse and marginalised communities. Advertisement Two thousand people in California's Napa Valley wine growing area have been ordered to evacuate their homes, and another 3,000 have been told to prepare to, amid rapidly-spreading wildfires which have destroyed at least one winery. Chateau Boswell, a 40-year-old family-run winery near St Helena, was on fire on Sunday night, as firefighters desperately tried to put out the blaze. Napa County Office of Emergency Services said 64 wineries sit within the evacuation or evacuation warning areas, along with rural estates and remote, unincorporated communities. High winds, gusting at 55mph, were hampering attempts to put out the Glass Fire, which broke out at 3:50am on Sunday and has so far burned 2,500 acres near St. Helena. St. Helena, around 15 miles north of Napa, has been the site of prized wineries since the 1860s. The area is home to Beringer, one of California's oldest continuously operating wineries, founded by Jacob Beringer and his brother Frederick in 1875. Some wines produced in the region sell for more than $460 a bottle. Chateau Boswell was the first winery to be certified Napa Green, in recognition of their environmental protection efforts The Glass Mountain Inn is engulfed by flames after a blaze broke out in St Helena, California, on Sunday, destroying a number of homes Chateau Boswell, a 40-year-old family-run winery near St Helena was on fire on Sunday night The steeple at Chateau Boswell Winery burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area, destroying more than 2,500 acres A plane is seen dumping fire retardant chemicals on the hillsides above the vineyards of Napa Valley A Marin County firefighter is seen battling the Glass Fire in Calistoga as the flames ripped through fields and homes in the area Embers fall from a tree in St Helena as fire fighters struggled to control the blaze which has rampaged through the state A vineyard was destroyed by the horrific fire which illuminated the sky orange and decimated much of the beautiful landscape The Glass Mountain Inn was engulfed by blames, completely destroying the popular bed & breakfast in Napa Valley Fire officials look on as the Glass Fire burns closed to Viader Vineyards and Winery in Deer Park, Napa County, on Sunday The fire is still raging over 2,500 acres near the Napa Valley where many famous vineyards are located in the latest in a spate of wildfires The area is also flanked by the LNU Lightning Complex, which was sparked on August 17 and has destroyed 363,000 acres. It is now 98 per cent contained - unlike the Glass Fire, which is entirely uncontained. County emergency management officials say 743 homes and 1,857 people are within the Glass Fire evacuation zone, the Press Democrat reported. A further 1,370 homes and 3,425 people are in the larger evacuation warning zone. Some were evacuated from their homes before dawn, and evacuations continued throughout the day. Among those evacuated were 50 patients at Adventist Health St. Helena hospital in Deer Park. It was the second wildfire-related evacuation of the 151-bed hospital in a month, after a massive cluster of lightning-sparked blazes that swept several counties north of the San Francisco Bay region in August. A 48-hour red flag warning, that started at 9pm on Saturday and was expected to last until 9pm on Monday, was the basis for the hospital evacuation and extensive residential evacuations. Fourteen sheriffs deputies from Napa County went door-to-door telling people to evacuate, using high-low sirens to alert residents. The cause of the fire is being investigated and there were no immediate reports of injuries The Glass Fire burns behind Merus Wines vineyards in Napa Valley after a heatwave and dry winds created the perfect storm for the blaze to take hold Vines from the Viader Vineyards were engulfed in smoke on Sunday afternoon as the Glass Fire blazed out of control Planes dropped tonnes of red fire retardant chemicals on the Davis Estates winery near Calistoga A fountain outside the Glass Mountain Inn is illuminated by the roaring fires which are destroying the property in the background A large region of northern California was battling the raging fires as many homes were destroyed in the inferno Chateau Boswell's roof was in flames as the blaze ripped through the region in the latest terrifying wildfire The hillsides above the Davis Estates vineyard were ablaze on Sunday, and firefighters were working to protect the site The blaze erupted midway through the traditional grape-harvesting period in the Napa Valley, world renowned as one of California's premiere wine-producing regions. The area's 475 wineries account for just 4 per cent of the state's total annual grape harvest but half of the retail value of all California wines sold, according to the Napa Valley Vintners trade group. Of Napa's 16 wine-growing districts, or sub-appellations, the Howell Mountain area may have faced the greatest threat, said Lisa Covey, a spokeswoman for Hall Family Wines, which kept open during the day all its three tasting rooms in the county. Napa and other wine-growing regions have been hit by wildfires in and around the Bay area for several years. Susan Krausz, co-owner of Arkenstone Estate Vineyards in the Howell Mountain community of Angwin, said it would take days or weeks to assess the impact of the latest blaze on valley vintners. 'Most people have harvested,' she said, but added, 'Any time's a bad time for a fire.' Napa Valley has been famed for its vineyards since the 1860s and produces wines that can sell for more than $460 a bottle The blaze erupted midway through the traditional grape-harvesting period in the Napa Valley, world renowned as one of California's premiere wine-producing regions California wildfires have scorched more than 3.7 million acres in the first nine months of 2020, far exceeding any single year in state history Chris Maschauser rides an ATV to cut off a heard of goats from Mascauser Vineyards and Ranch which had been hired to eat underbrush in order to protect it from the advance of the fire Tom Kaljian, 78, a realtor who owns a house about halfway between Calistoga and St. Helena, defied evacuation orders to spend the day with his wife hosing down their home and dry brush along a fence line separating their property from the Silverado Trail, a key north-south roadway. 'We were told to get out of here, but I was trying to protect our little abode, so we stayed,' he told Reuters by telephone. After firefighters told him the house was no longer in danger, he added, 'I stopped watering at that point, and came in and took a nap.' The Glass Fire came as the Pacific Gas and Electric Company said it was temporarily halting power to transmission lines in parts of 16 counties across northern and central California to guard against greater wildfire risks in hot, windy, dry weather. The public safety power shutoffs were expected to affect about 65,000 regional homes and businesses, said PG&E, the state's largest electric utility. California wildfires have scorched more than 3.7 million acres in the first nine months of 2020, far exceeding any single year in state history, killing 26 people and destroying more than 7,000 structures. A Cal Fire fire engine drives into the Louis Stralla Water Treatment Plant during the Glass Fire The moon rises behind burning trees along the famous Silverado Trail road, home to dozens of celebrated wineries A palm tree on fire as the Glass Fire rages along the famous Silverado Trail road in the town of Deer Park Firefighters protect a residence from the encroaching Glass Fire at a vineyard in Deer Park 'We are very concerned tonight about red flag conditions,' said Janet Upton, spokeswoman for the Napa County Office of Emergency Services. She said that many of the communities were isolated and reached via narrow, winding mountain roads, which made the decision to evacuate more pressing. Upton said the dry conditions and high winds were worrying firefighters. 'There's been discussion of relative humidity in elevations in the fire area as low as 0 per cent and kiln-dried wood is at 9 per cent,' Upton said. 'That factor alone, without the winds, would drive dangerous fire behavior.' The spectacular 100-year-old Davis Estate winery, with its beautiful wooden tasting room, was considered under threat. So too was Reverie, founded 25 years ago on a lush Napa hillside. Photos posted on social media showed planes flying above the Davis Estate, dropping fire retardant chemicals to try and protect the property. Cal Fire used a DC10 plane, which was capable of dropping almost 10,000 gallons of retardant in eight seconds on each pass. Chateau Boswell was beyond help. The winery was one of a handful of privately-owned family wineries amidst the 554 wineries in the Napa Valley. On Sunday the winery was ablaze, with firefighters trying to save what they could of the ravaged buildings and vines. County emergency management officials say 743 homes and 1,857 people are within the Glass Fire evacuation zone Chateau Boswell, a winery founded 40 years ago, was engulfed by flames on Sunday afternoon The lovingly-tended grapes, producing Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc wines, went up in smoke on Sunday Your browser does not support the video tag. 28.09.2020 LISTEN The Electoral Commission(EC) says the system employed for 2020 general elections is very stringent and makes it impossible for anyone to rig. Ahead of the upcoming polls, the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) has on many occasions accused the Electoral Commission of scheming to rig the elections in favour of the ruling New Patriotic Party(NPP). But speaking on Sunday at the launch of the 2020 Agent of Peace Campaign which is an initiative of the Church of Pentecost, the Chairperson of the EC, Jean Mensa stressed that the Commission is just not capable of manipulating the elections. Though the impression is often created that the EC takes decisions on its own this is not the case. Theres a tendency for citizens to believe that the Electoral Commission can manipulate the elections. "Im here to announce that it is impossible, it behooves on political parties therefore to join hands with us to educate the citizens on the operations and activities of the Electoral Commission, she stated. on Monday said it has entered into a long-term strategic partnership with South Korea's S-Oil Corporation. As per the deal, the company will exclusively manufacture and market S-Oil's entire range of lubricants under the brand - S-Oil Seven - for the Indian market, said in a statement. It is the first time ever that S-Oil lubricant product will be manufactured outside of South Korea, it added. "Our relationship with S-Oil gets even stronger with this opportunity as we will work together to launch new products and grow our market shares in India across segments, bringing in a range of technologically advanced products for Indian consumers looking for value-creating solutions," Gulf Oil MD and CEO Ravi Chawla said in a statement. The S-Oil Seven range, made with leading technology, would be now made in India, he added. "...it is the first time ever we have seen the S-OIL brand of lubricants manufactured outside of which is only possible because of our strong and long-term relationship with Gulf Oil," S-Oil Corporation Head of Global Sales HQ J H Bae said. The market launch of S-Oil Seven in India would happen in the third quarter of the current financial year, Gulf Oil Lubricants said. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) IHOPs new IHOPPY Hour isnt about alcohol but it is offering deals that will certainly save you a buck or two. Starting Sept. 28, this will be the first-ever afternoon and evening-focused menu for IHOP. From 2 p.m. until 10 p.m., customers can choose from select entrees for $5, $3 snacks and sides and beverages for $1. Were famous for breakfast. Everybody knows our world-famous pancakes ... but oftentimes people forget about us at other dayparts, IHOP President Jay Johns told USA Today. So the last couple of years weve been working on our p.m. business. Some of the $5 meals include Chicken & Pancakes, The Classic Steakburger and Italian Cannoli Pancakes. And some of the $3 meals include Mozza Sticks, the french fries and onion rings sampler and the original french toast. We recognize that these are challenging times, and our belief is that, regardless of whats going on in the world, we all deserve a little happiness, or hoppiness as we like call it," Johns said. "By offering these fan favorite menu items at unbeatable prices seven days a week, we hope to make every day just a little hoppier. This isnt the first time IHOP has focused its attention on its later hours. In 2018, IHOP became IHOb or the International House of Burgers. Our new burgers our so good, we changed the name, the website stated. It then unveiled seven Ultimate Steakburgers on its menu. Some restaurants even changed its signs. Burgers are a quintessential, American menu item so it makes perfect sense, said Chef Nevielle Panthaky, Head of Culinary at IHOP. Many on social media werent fans of the name. But it was only planned for a temporary amount of time, the company said. It has since returned back to IHOP. There are multiple IHOP locations throughout Massachusetts, including in Springfield and near Worcester. Related Content: Jammu and Kashmir, which is also known as a heaven on earth, is all ready to host tourists again after a dry spell witnessed by the tourism industry due to coronavirus. Travel Agents Association of Kashmir (TAAK) and other prominent stakeholders of the tourism industry met at Nigeen club in Srinagar on Sunday, after almost two years for their annual general meeting (AGM), under the supervision of Sarmad Hafeez, Commissioner Secretary Tourism, Jammu and Kashmir, and Farooq A Kuthoo, the newly elected President of TAAK. The purpose of the meeting was to elect a new governing body of the association and chalk out a strategy to revive the tourism sector in the newly created Union Territory which has lost its glory. Speaking to ANI, Hafeez said that hes hopeful that the tourism industry in Jammu and Kashmir, which is the source of livelihood of many locals, will get back to its former glory soon. TAAK is one of the oldest and biggest travel agents bodies. Today we gathered here with a hope that we will start getting tourists again very soon. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, people have not been traveling for some time, but now the time has come when people will start traveling again, he said. He stated that hotels and travel agents have started getting inquiries for hotel bookings and other things. The travel agents gathered today told me that we are getting inquiries for hotel booking and other things, we are geared up and quite enthusiast to welcome tourists. We are ready to host people following all the COVID protocols, he said. Farooq Kuthoo, President, TAAK said that he is hopeful that the industry will see a boom by coming March. The message of our Prime Minister is clear, be Vocal for Local. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, people have suffered economic distress and their purchasing power has reduced. Now, they will refocus their attention to good domestic tourism destinations rather than planning international holidays, as they are less expensive. I think after March, well see a boom in the tourism sector of Jammu and Kashmir, he said. The sudden departure of tourists from the valley due to COVID-19 resulted in huge losses for tourism players including hoteliers, houseboat owners, tour and travel operators, Shikara owners, and taxi operators. Hinan Khan, and Entrepreneur, said that she is hopeful after the meeting that the tourism industry will get back on track with the help from the administration. After todays meeting, I am hopeful we will get out of the turmoil triggered due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Hopefully, well recover very soon, but we need the support of the Government to facilitate the tourists who will visit Jammu and Kashmir so that they dont face any problem, she said. A prominent tourism player in the valley, Rauf Tramboo also echoed Khans thoughts and added that the industry is ready to host tourists again. The COVID-19 pandemic has given a setback to the industry. During todays meeting, we talked about the steps necessary for the revival of tourism in Jammu and Kashmir. We are completely prepared and ready to host tourists again, he said. (This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.) Follow more stories on Facebook and Twitter SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Eurobio Scientific launches a first rapid diagnostic test for the detection of the SARS CoV-2 virus antigen Paris, September 22, 2020 6:00 pm Eurobio Scientific (FR0013240934, ALERS, PEA-PME eligible), a leading French group in in vitro medical diagnostics and life sciences, today announces the launch of a first rapid diagnostic test for the detection of the SARS CoV-2 virus antigen . This test, Sofia SARS Antigen developed by its American partner Quidel, is complementary to PCR tests which remain the performance gold standard in terms of detection of the virus responsible for COVID-19. It is already CE marked and immediately available for sale. As part of the current campaign to detect the presence of the SARS CoV-2 virus in patients, the number of tests performed in France has become of such magnitude (more than 1 million tests per week) that the delays in submitting results have lengthened considerably. Even if their virus detection performance is lower than that of PCR tests, rapid antigenic tests make it possible to carry out a rapid initial screening of asymptomatic patients. Such a process would unclog testing laboratories while maintaining the scale of the viral activity monitoring campaign. With a catalog of products among the most complete on the market, with PCR tests, including its proprietary tests EBX 041 and FluCoSyn, as well as several serological tests, Eurobio Scientific is now completing its offer for the detection of SARS CoV-2, aware of the public health and economic stake that the current wave of the COVID-19 epidemic can represent. Immunofluorescence-based unit test For many years, Eurobio Scientific has been ensuring the exclusive distribution in France of the Sofia range from Quidel. This new unit test which allows the detection of the SARS-Cov-2 antigen completes this range which already includes, among others, the antigenic detection tests for Influenza A and B. It requires a nasal swab sample, and a Sofia reader, which uses FIA (Fluorescence ImmunoAssay) technology to deliver a result in 15 minutes. Story continues These instruments are already widely available to Eurobio Scientific customers, with more than 350 readers mainly used for rapid diagnosis in hospitals across France. For Jean-Michel Carle, Chairman and CEO of Eurobio Scientific, It was particularly important for our group to complete its range of screening tests in order to meet the demands of our customers. The overcrowding of analytical laboratories required an evolution in the testing technologies that we immediately make available to them. Our offer now includes a first test already CE marked and intended for our customers equipped with the Sofia reader, mainly hospital departments requiring rapid unit tests. " Next financial meeting Half-year 2020 financial results : October 15, 2020, after stock market closes About Eurobio Scientific Eurobio Scientific is a key player in the field of specialty in vitro diagnostics. It is involved from research to manufacturing and commercialization of diagnostic tests in the fields of transplantation, immunology and infectious diseases, and sells instruments and products for research laboratories, including biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies. Through many partnerships and a strong presence in hospitals, Eurobio Scientific has established its own distribution network and a portfolio of proprietary products in the molecular biology field. The Group has approximately 148 employees and three production units based in the Paris region, in Germany and in the United States, and several affiliates based in Dorking UK, Sissach Switzerland, Bunde Germany and Utrecht in The Netherlands. For more information, please visit : www.eurobio-scientific. com The company is publicly listed on the Euronext Growth market in Paris Euronext Growth BPI Innovation, PEA-PME 150 and Next Biotech indices, Euronext European Rising Tech label. Symbol: ALERS - ISIN Code: FR0013240934 - Reuters: ALERS.PA - Bloomberg: ALERS:FP Contacts Group Eurobio Scientific Denis Fortier, General Manager Herve Duchesne de Lamotte, General Manager Tel. +33(0) 1 69 79 64 80 Calyptus Mathieu Calleux / Gregory Bosson Investors relations Tel. +33(1) 53 65 68 68 eurobio-scientific@calyptus.net Attachment After a brief reprieve from a record-breaking month of bad air quality from wildfire smoke, the Bay Area kept an uneasy eye on the sky Sunday as the Glass Fire raced across several thousand acres in Napa County and triggered evacuations, along with two other fires near St. Helena later in the evening. A Spare the Air alert was extended through Monday for the Bay Area in response to the smoke. Increasing ozone levels from a developing heat wave also contributed to the alert, which indicates unhealthy air quality is expected and bans wood burning, officials said. The air quality was worst closest to the Glass Fire in the North Bay, with some areas at unhealthy levels, said Tina Landis, spokeswoman for the Bay Area Air Quality Management District. The rest of the Bay Area generally had moderate or good air quality at midday Sunday. Due to offshore winds, the smoke is currently being transported out over the ocean and not settling in other parts of the bay, Landis said. Northern Napa County is so far the only place being affected. National Weather Service meteorologist Rick Canepa said satellite imagery showed the smoke plume was generally blowing to the southwest with no clouds around, so he said the smoke might be lofting and fanning out laterally as it moves away from the fire, instead of mixing and moving to the ground level. Noah Berger / Associated Press However, by early evening, air quality was creeping into the unhealthy for sensitive groups level in the East Bay, San Francisco and the northern Peninsula, including the coast as far south as Half Moon Bay. The air districts forecast for Monday showed air quality levels expected to be unhealthy for sensitive groups in the North Bay, inland East Bay and Santa Clara Valley, with moderate levels along the coast and central bay. Because of the heat wave, Landis said ozone pollution was likely to build up on Sunday and Monday in the East Bay and Santa Clara Valley. North winds had been expected to carry smoke from the August Complex fire in Northern California to the Bay Area, but Landis said the winds have shifted, so that is no longer a threat. That fire was one of many in California, Oregon and Washington that smothered the Bay Area with smoke and filthy air for weeks starting in mid-August, causing a record 30 Spare the Air days before finally starting to clear a week and a half ago. Temperatures through Monday in the Bay Area were expected to reach into the 90s with some areas creeping into triple digits in parts of the East Bay and North Bay, Canepa said. The temperature was expected to peak at 93 on Monday in San Francisco, and reach the 80s along the immediate coast. The National Weather Service on Saturday extended a red flag warning through 9 p.m. Monday for the North Bay, East Bay hills and interior valleys. The warning indicates critical fire weather conditions are likely due to gusty winds and low humidity. North and northeast winds of up to 50 mph are forecast at higher elevations, adding to the challenges for crews battling the Napa County fires. JOSH EDELSON / AFP via Getty Images More air quality resources: The Bay Area Air Quality Management District collects and posts searchable AQI readings from air monitors around the region. You can also sign up for air quality alerts and get information about health and safety. Airnow.gov, a partnership run by the EPA including federal, state and local air monitoring agencies, offers a one-stop source for air quality data, including interactive maps with local, national and world views. It also offers a Fire and Smoke Map with current fire conditions and air quality data including readings from the crowdsourced PurpleAir network. The Chronicles California Air Quality Map lets you zoom in to see readings in your area. It draws from the PurpleAir network and is updated every 10 minutes. This Chronicle guide explains different ways to look up the air quality in your microclimate. This explainer helps you assess when its OK to go outside if its smoky in the Bay Area, and what level of activities you can safely engage in. This explainer details the dos and dont of dealing with smoky air in your Bay Area home and car. Kellie Hwang is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: kellie.hwang@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @KellieHwang The Luxembourg Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Monday that it "will not be able to give its support" to the signing of the EU-Mercosur agreement. Luxembourg opposes the signing of the EU-Mercosur agreement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed in a parliamentary reply addressed to DP deputy Gusty Graas. The ministry is asking for "additional commitments in the fight against climate change and deforestation" from the Mercosur countries (Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay). This was a position already adopted by the French and German government. The European Union and Mercosur states reached a political agreement for a comprehensive trade agreement, increasing investment, lowering tarrifs, and promoting joint values. At the end of August, German Chancellor Angela Merkel also expressed "serious doubts" about the future of the EU-Mercosur agreement in its current form. In particular, Merkel had denounced the threat to the Amazon rainforest in Brazil. For his part, Emmanuel Macron threatened not to ratify the agreement if the Brazilian government did not take the necessary measures to protect the world's largest tropical forest. Luxembourg is therefore following the lead of neighbouring countries. The EU-Mercosur agreement was signed in the summer of 2019 but must be ratified by national parliaments to take effect. Peruvian President Martin Vizcarra and First Lady Maribel Diaz join the first online fundraising initiative "El Cancer Tambien Importa" (Cancer matters too). Photo: ANDINA/Presidency of the Republic. "Fundraising shows Peruvians' solidarity to fight a disease that causes the majority of deaths in Peru, and we do it now under special circumstances, as we face a pandemic," he said at the launch event. According to the Head of State, even though the pandemic has forced the health system to prioritize the State's action toward its COVID-19 response, the other diseases that continue to plague the population cannot be put on hold. "The most important thing is to intervene people when cancer can be managed and treated. Being the first to support this campaign is an example for all Peruvians to do the same," he expressed. Noting the union and solidarity of Peruvians, the President remarked that everyone can participate virtually this time and that there is no justification for not doing so. Mr. Vizcarra recalled that, in early September, he signed a law to ensure all children and teenagers with cancer have access to comprehensive care, but emphasized that prevention is the most important thing. The statesman thanked the League Against Cancer for the role it plays and noted that it enjoys the support of all Peruvians, including the Presidential Office, which made the first donation today, as a sign of its commitment to the fight against cancer. During the launch ceremony, the President was accompanied by First Lady Maribel Diaz, who is the League Against Cancer Ambassador. (END) VVS/RMB Representative image In the early years of the Narendra Modi government, back in 2015, the Prime Minister caused a flutter when he cautioned against perceptions created by those he referred to as five-star activists. The years since have not been easy for those in the developmental sector. On September 21, Parliament passed amendments to the Foreign Contributions (Regulation) Act, 2010 [FCRA], which governs foreign philanthropic funding into Indias Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs). The activists who have petitioned the President to not sign the legislation into law call it a death-knell for the sector, while the government claims it brings in much-needed accountability. The truth is perhaps somewhere in between. The changes include a 20 percent cap on the percentage of funding that can be applied towards administrative expenses which includes salary, travel expenditure, rent, et al; a restriction on using foreign funding to fund other organisations (even if the latter organisation is also FCRA registered), and the requirement to receive all FCRA donations only through an account specially maintained in State Bank of India, Delhi, irrespective of where the NGO is situated. Some of these changes can be explained as the need for better monitoring: when the FCRA money was being passed on by recipients to other organisations, both of them reported the same amount as foreign contribution, leading to double counting. However, the solution to that was to have better reporting mechanisms rather than curb a practice that had societal benefits. Many smaller NGOs do not have the network or the wherewithal to attract foreign donations. They would therefore rely on contributions from larger NGOs with fund-raising capabilities. Since the final recipient was also registered and compliant with the FCRA rules, no interests were actually harmed. All the same, the changes also betray the governments uneasiness with the fact that those in the developmental sector seem to be the most vociferous, and perhaps articulate, in their opposition to the government, especially when political opposition to the government has become invisible. It is a different matter that it was these same voices that stood up to earlier governments too, with the harsh 2010 Act being passed by the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government when P Chidambaram was home minister. Will Development Sector Change? Over the last decade or so, work in the social sector was becoming almost as remunerative as the for-profit sector, especially for those in senior positions. Perhaps the biggest impact of the new amendments, and quite likely, its intended target, will be that salaries will perhaps see some trimming. Of course, there could be ways of circumventing the restrictions. For example, expenditure that can be attributed to a particular project does not get classified as administrative expenses. So while a smart accountant may be able to create workarounds, it is quite likely that the NGOs are already reconsidering their cost structures. What could also be interesting is to also see the impact of the move on larger NGOs which mainly acted as a funnel to route foreign philanthropic money to grassroots organisations. Now that funds cannot be so transferred, these larger NGOs will have a much more diminished role that of connecting donors and grassroots organisations. In that scenario, would the present levels of staff and other overheads be justified? The natural response to this is to ask why the NGOs should be dependent on foreign funding to start with. Especially when it is prone to come with strings attached strings that might not be in Indias national interest. Given that Indian philanthropy is opening up, mandatory CSR and all that, should the NGOs not focus on being self-reliant? Tantalising as the argument is, it is specious. While it is reasonable to be sceptical of the bleeding heart motivation of the funders, the fact is that philanthropic funds cannot be any worse than corporate interests, which also plan to profit from India. Corporates also lobby the government for favourable policies, squeeze Indian partners and continue in the country only till it serves their stake-holders interests. Therefore, for a country which claims to welcome foreign direct, as well as institutional, investment, it is hypocritical to be any more suspicious of non-corporate funds. As for Indian philanthropy, while it is definitely on the rise, it is often limited by the whims of the government. Just take the unofficial diktat to populate the PM-CARES fund with CSR money. In addition, when corporates are only too willing to toe the government line, the NGOs can be rightly sceptical of being reliant on Indian philanthropy as they are of foreign funding. Chinese Vice Premier Sun Chunlan, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, speaks while attending a ceremony to welcome back the remains of 117 soldiers of the Chinese People's Volunteers sacrificed in the War to Resist U.S. Aggression and Aid Korea, at the Taoxian international airport in Shenyang, capital of northeast China's Liaoning Province, Sept. 27, 2020. (Xinhua/Yang Qing) SHENYANG, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Vice Premier Sun Chunlan on Sunday called for passing on and carrying forward the heroic spirit of the War to Resist U.S. Aggression and Aid Korea and striving to achieve national rejuvenation. Sun, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks while attending a ceremony to welcome back the remains of 117 soldiers of the Chinese People's Volunteers (CPV) sacrificed in the war. The ceremony was held at the Taoxian international airport in Shenyang, capital of northeast China's Liaoning Province. Noting that this year marks the 70th anniversary of the CPV's participation in the war, Sun said that the Chinese people have always kept in mind the feats of the CPV in safeguarding justice and opposing aggression. The great spirit always motivates the Chinese people to overcome difficulties and forge ahead in unity, Sun stressed, adding that China's achievement in fighting the COVID-19 epidemic is a vivid example of this spirit in the new era. Sun also called for cherishing the hard-won peaceful environment, sticking to the path of peaceful development, striving for the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and making greater contributions to safeguarding world peace and promoting common development. The remains of the 117 CPV soldiers will be buried in the CPV martyrs' cemetery in Shenyang. A burial ceremony will be held on Monday. Enditem [ Editor: ZY ] The Azerbaijani military launches a missile at the contact line of the self-proclaimed Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh, as shown in this image taken from footage released by Azerbaijan's Defense Ministry on Sept. 27, 2020. (Azerbaijan's Defense Ministry via AP) Armenia, Azerbaijan Keep up Deadly Fight for Disputed Region YEREVAN, ArmeniaArmenia and Azerbaijani forces kept fighting Monday over the disputed separatist region of Nagorno-Karabakh after hostilities broke out the day before, with both sides blaming each other for resuming the deadly attacks that reportedly also wounded scores of people. The Azerbaijani Defense Ministry claimed that Armenian forces started shelling the town of Tartar on Monday morning, while Armenian officials said the fighting continued throughout the night and Baku resumed offensive actions in the morning. Azerbaijans Defense Ministry told the Interfax news agency Monday that over 550 Armenian troops have been destroyed (including those wounded), a claim that Armenian officials denied. Azeri soldiers fire from a mortar at the contact line of the self-proclaimed Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh, on Sept. 27, 2020. (Azerbaijans Defense Ministry via AP) According to Nagorno-Karabakh officials, 59 servicemen on their side have been killed so far. On Sunday, the territorys defense ministry also reported two civilian deathsa woman and her grandson. About 200 people have been wounded in the fighting, the Armenian Defense Ministry said Monday, while Azerbaijani authorities said 26 civilians have been wounded on their side. The heavy fighting broke out on Sunday morning in the region that lies within Azerbaijan but has been under the control of ethnic Armenian forces backed by Armenia since 1994 at the end of a separatist war. Azerbaijani armored vehicles, one of which is destroyed by Armenian armed forces in the breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh, are shown in this still image from footage released on Sept. 27, 2020. (Defense Ministry of Armenia/Handout via Reuters) Mostly mountainous Nagorno-Karabakha region around 4,400 square kilometers (1,700 square miles) or about the size of the U.S. state of Delawarelies 50 kilometers (30 miles) from the Armenian border. Local soldiers backed by Armenia also occupy some Azerbaijani territory outside the region. The European Union on Monday urged both sides to halt the fighting and return to the negotiating table, following similar calls by Iran, Russia, France, and the United States. We hope and we urge everyone to everything they can in order to prevent an all-out war from breaking out, because this is the last thing the region needs, European Commission spokesman Peter Stano told reporters in Brussels. There is no military solution to this conflict. People attend a meeting to recruit military volunteers after Armenian authorities declared martial law and mobilized its male population following clashes with Azerbaijan over the breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh region in Yerevan, Armenia, on Sept. 27, 2020. (Melik Baghdasaryan/Photolure via Reuters) Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Monday that the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh is a cause for concern for Moscow and other countries. We believe that the hostilities should be immediately ended, Peskov told reporters, adding that the process of resolving the conflict between the two countries should shift into a politico-diplomatic dimension. Armenias Foreign Ministry on Monday accused Turkey, who sides with Azerbaijan in the conflict, of supporting this aggression. People watch TV in a bomb shelter in Stepanakert, the capital of the breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh region, on Sept. 28, 2020. (Foreign Ministry of Armenia/Handout via Reuters) The ministry said Turkish military experts are fighting side by side with Azerbaijan, who are using Turkish weapons, including UAVs and warplanes. The situation on the ground clearly indicates that people in Nagorno-Karabakh are fighting against a Turkish-Azerbaijani alliance, the statement read. Both Armenia and Turkey on Monday accused each other of recruiting foreign mercenaries. Omer Celik, spokesman for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogans ruling party, denied reports that Turkey had sent arms or foreign fighters to Azerbaijan. Armenia is disturbed by Turkeys solidarity with Azerbaijan and is producing lies against Turkey, Celik tweeted. People are seen in a bomb shelter in Stepanakert, the capital of the breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh region, on Sept. 28, 2020. (Foreign Ministry of Armenia/Handout via Reuters) Erdogan reiterated Turkeys support to Azerbaijan and said Armenias immediate withdrawal from the region was the only way to ensure peace and calm there. All other impositions and threats will not only be unjust and unlawful, but will continue to indulge Armenia, he said. Erdogan criticized France, the U.S., and Russiathe three chairs of the so-called Minsk group which was set up in 1992 to resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh conflictsaying they had failed to resolve the issue for 30 years. They have done their best not to solve this issue. And now they come and counsel and issue threats. They say is Turkey here, is the Turkish military here? Erdogan said. Whose lands were occupied? Azerbaijans lands Nobody asks for (Armenia) to account. Azerbaijan has been forced to take the matters into its own hands, the Turkish leader added. By Avet Demourian Narumon Bowonkitwanchai | Moment | Getty Images GUANGZHOU, China The U.S. government has reportedly imposed restrictions on exports to SMIC, China's biggest chip manufacturer, a move that threatens Beijing's push to become more self-reliant in one of the most critical areas of technology. Suppliers for certain equipment to SMIC will need to apply for an export license, according to a letter sent to companies by the U.S. Department of Commerce, reported by several media outlets. The commerce department claims there is "unacceptable risk" that equipment sold to SMIC may be diverted to "military end use." The move threatens to hit at the heart of China's plans to boost its domestic semiconductor industry, a need that has been accelerated by the trade war with the U.S. SMIC is seen as a critical part of China's ambitions and the commerce department's sanctions could hold back the company's development for several years, experts warned. "It hits right at the core of China's ability to be autonomous in technology," David Roche, president of Independent Strategy, told CNBC's "Squawk Box Asia" on Monday. The U.S. Department of Commerce was not immediately available for comment when contacted by CNBC. SMIC told CNBC that it has "no relationship with the Chinese military and does not manufacture for any military end-users or end-uses." SMIC's Shanghai-listed shares were down over 6%, while its Hong Kong shares fell over 5%. U.S. dominates supply chain Semiconductors are critical components in a whole host of consumer electronics that we use. As an increasing number of devices become "smart" and connected to the internet, they will become more and more crucial in new areas, such as automobiles. Semiconductors have an extremely complicated supply chain. It's not just about companies that manufacture the chips there are also design companies involved, as well as firms that make tools that enable manufacturing in the first place. But in this area, American, European and other Asian firms dominate. For example, TSMC and Samsung Electronics, direct rivals to SMIC, are far advanced in their manufacturing processes. When it comes to key tools in the manufacturing process, Dutch firm ASML is a critical player. The company makes a machine that uses so-called extreme ultraviolet (EUV) and is required to make the most advanced chips such as those manufactured by TSMC and Samsung. The U.S. pressured the Netherlands government to stop the sale of an ASML machine to SMIC, Reuters reported earlier this year. That shipment has not made it to China, highlighting China's reliance on foreign gear. There are barely any Chinese companies able to fill the gaps that could be left by SMIC being cut off from these pieces of equipment. "As a result, we believe expansion and node advancements of SMIC and other Chinese foundries will inevitably suffer in the next three years following a potential ban," Morningstar Equity Research, said in a note dated Sept. 18, after the Department of Defense had said it was considering putting export restrictions on SMIC. "Complete localization of semiconductor equipment is unlikely in 10 years." I think every U.S. company operating in this area in China is potentially a target, but I also think that the Chinese don't want to damage their own economy. David Roche president of Independent Strategy Not only would the U.S. sanctions hurt the chips industry in China, it would also possibly affect other Chinese companies, most notably Huawei. Earlier this year, the U.S. amended a rule which requires foreign manufacturers using U.S. chipmaking equipment to get a license before selling semiconductors to Huawei. That came into effect on Sept. 15 and has cut Huawei off from chips manufactured by TSMC which goes into its smartphones and other gear. Huawei has very few options to make up the shortfall and SMIC would have been a natural option. The problem is that SMIC cannot manufacture, on scale, the advanced chips Huawei needs for its handsets which are only made right now by TSMC and Samsung. China's 'long tech march' Elizabeth Colon, owner of Metaphrasis Language & Cultural Solutions, LLC in Chicago and NAWBO Chicago President, won the Daily Herald Business Ledger's Entrepreneurial Excellence Award. When I grew up, I became the voice for my family, especially for my two hearing-impaired sisters and for my parents who knew little English. My experiences became the reasons why I started Metaphrasis and became a language advocate. Everyone deserves a voice at the table. Metaphrasis Language & Cultural Solutions, LLC CEO Elizabeth Colon was one of several honorees honored during the Daily Herald Business Ledgers annual Entrepreneurial Excellence Awards. The virtual ceremony was held on Sept. 24. The Ledgers awards recognize and build entrepreneurship in Cook County, DuPage County, Kane County, Lake County, McHenry County and Will County. Honorees demonstrate the best traits of entrepreneurship, including willingness to take risk, drive, perseverance and business creativity. The publication recognized Colon, a Frankfort, Illinois resident and the first Latina president for the Chicago Chapter of the National Association of Business Owners (NAWBO), in the Outstanding Service to Entrepreneurs Category. This award recognizes honorees that exhibit a strong commitment to helping entrepreneurs in a variety of industries. These honorees provide entrepreneurs with the resources they need to give our community its competitive edge. Examples of candidates would be attorneys, accountants, consultants, teachers and others who work with entrepreneurs. Colon runs the Chicago-based Metaphrasis Language & Cultural Solutions, LLC an award-winning company that provides professional translation and interpreter services to its business clients. This award is a great honor for me because it demonstrates how much our business helps clients everyday with our services, she said. When I grew up, I became the voice for my family, especially for my two hearing-impaired sisters and for my parents who knew little English. My experiences became the reasons why I started Metaphrasis and became a language advocate. Everyone deserves a voice at the table. About Metaphrasis: At Metaphrasis, we provide professional translation services and interpreter services in Chicago and around the country to ensure that people are understood completely. It is not enough to simply translate the words of a document or conversation; words and phrases have meaning and context behind them that a literal translation may miss. Our interpreters and translators will understand and account for contexts and meanings for complete accuracy. Through our language translation services, we can translate important documents including legal and medical documents, websites, video and audio transcripts, Braille, sign language, and more. We can also help businesses and institutions by providing interpreters to be at their side in everyday operations, to the biggest conferences and events. For information, visit https://metaphrasislcs.com/. Heidi Klum celebrated her first outing at a restaurant in six months on Sunday, enjoying a family meal at Nobu Malibu before rounding off her perfect weekend with a beach trip. The America's Got Talent judge relaxed with her family at the oceanfront establishment, kissing her husband Tom Kaulitz, 31, on the scenic day as they ate on an outdoor porch. 'First time eating out at a restaurant in 6' months, the 47-year-old model captioned an Instagram post, adding an emoji of a face savoring food. Fun day: Heidi Klum, 47, kissed husband Tom Kaulitz, 31, as she celebrated her first outing at a restaurant in six months in an Instagram post on Sunday from Nobu Malibu, a restaurant frequented by many celebs She later took to the site sharing a post from a trip to the beach as she relaxed with the Tokio Hotel guitarist and her kids. On the outing, Heidi had her blonde locks down with bangs, and wore a black top with gold graphics of zippers, black jeans and black leather shoe boots. She accessorized with bracelets, a black leather purse and wore reflective sunglasses and a black protective mask amid the ongoing pandemic. Klum's public outing to the restaurant comes as California has slowly lifted restrictions on indoor/outdoor dining as the pandemic has lasted more than six months. Stylish: On the outing, Heidi had her blonde locks down with bangs, and wore a black top with gold graphics of zippers, black jeans and black leather shoe boots Moving forward: Klum will be headed to Berlin this fall to make her show Germany's Next Top Model The California Restaurant Association says that one out of every three restaurants in the state is planning to downsize or close as result of the economic impact of the ongoing pandemic, CBSLA reported Friday. The mom-of-four - to daughters Leni, 16, (with ex Flavio Briatore) and Lou, 10, and sons Henry, 15, Johan, 13 (with Seal) - later shared a shot from the shores of Malibu and she and her family enjoyed the sunny day in Southern California. She wrote in the caption: 'Sunday ... a beautiful day with my family,' adding emojis of hearts and aquatic symbols. She later took to the side sharing a post from a trip to the beach as she relaxed with the Tokio Hotel guitarist and her kids Busy: Klum recently finished taping another season of the NBC series America's Got Talent Gorgeous: Klum wore a long black coat as she stood on the sand in Malibu The German supermodel and Kaulitz began dating in 2018 and exchanged vows in a secret ceremony in February of 2019. Klum recently finished taping another season of the NBC series America's Got Talent, on which she appears with Simon Cowell, Sofia Vergara and Howie Mandel. Klum will be headed to Berlin this fall to make her show Germany's Next Top Model. KALKASKA, MI A pair of volunteer firefighter brothers who responded to a burning home in their personal vehicles and without firefighting equipment will be honored for their efforts that saved a womans life. Kalkaska volunteer firefighters Kevin Jenkins and Kyle Jenkins will both receive Michigan State Polices Distinguished Citizen Award and the Heroism Award from the Nothern Michigan Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution, according to an MSP news release. The awards recognize the Jenkins' actions on Oct. 2, 2019, police said. They arrived on the scene of the house fire seconds after MSP Trooper Adam Whited who was on patrol nearby, police said. The home was filled with smoke from a fire raging in one of the bedrooms. None of them had airpacks or firefighting gear. Nonetheless, the three men entered the burning house and crawled below the smoke in search of victims. They found resident Denise Schroeter, 62, unconscious on the kitchen floor and were able to pull her from the building, police said. Schroeter regained consciousness once outside. She was transported to Kalkaska Munson Hospital to be treated for smoke inhalation, police said. She was later transferred to Munson Medical Center in Traverse City. It is likely she would have died if not for the quick actions of the Jenkins brothers and Whited, police said. All three of the first responders were treated for smoke inhalation at Kalkaska Munson Hospital, police said. The selfless actions of both Kyle and Kevin Jenkins saved the life of another, said MSP Houghton Lake Post Commander First Lt. Travis House who nominated the brothers for the award. They acted without thought of their own wellbeing, and embody the character represented by the Distinguished Citizen Award. Whited will receive MSPs Bravery Award and already received the Heroism Award from the Sons of the American Revolution, police said. READ MORE: Suspects arrested after allegedly cutting 4 fingers off mans right hand Shanty Creek Resort offers 3 dates for scenic fall chairlift rides Lake Michigan drownings reach record-breaking level in 2020 Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 28) President Rodrigo Duterte is still a major factor in the ongoing speakership controversy over at the House of Representatives, a member of the chamber said Monday. I think that the major factor is the President, House Minority Leader Benny Abante said in an interview with CNN Philippines The Source, when asked of a possible external influence in the House speakership issue. I would not, in any way, try to say the influence of the son or daughter of the president, I believe that the major factor in this political change of leadership would be the president, Abante said. Duterte is taking a hands-off approach on the current leadership row between incumbent speaker Alan Peter Cayetano and slated successor Marinduque Rep. Lord Allan Velasco the lawmakers involved in the term-sharing deal he brokered at the start of the 18th Congress last year. Rumors of an alleged ouster plot against Cayetano surfaced in the past few days with lawmakers, including the speaker himself, accusing Velasco of staging a coup to take over the post. Cayetanos term is set to wrap up in October. RELATED: Velasco on House speakership controversy: My silence does not mean I am disinterested In light of these brewing issues, Malacanang had advised Congress to set aside differences in order to effectively tackle and pass the 2021 national budget on time something lawmakers are confident of achieving. Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said Duterte is leaving the House speakership squabble to members of the chamber. "Wala pong kinalaman 'yan sa kahit anong postponement of any elections, kasi nga po nasa Saligang Batas 'yan [That issue has nothing to do with calls to postpone any elections, because that is really prescribed by the Constitution]," he added. Roque reiterated during his Monday briefing that the President wishes that Cayetano and Velasco will "honor their word" when they agreed to a term sharing deal in his presence last year. The President, however, noted that he cannot do anything else if Velasco will not have enough votes to see the plan through, Roque said. On Monday, Velasco posted a photo of a scribbled note which he signed with Cayetano to seal their 2019 deal for taking turns in the Speaker's seat. Meanwhile, Roque said he has yet to confirm reports that Duterte will again sit down with the two congressmen on Tuesday to supposedly iron out the term-sharing agreement. He said the President's schedule so far contains "private meetings." READ: Velasco, Cayetano to meet with Duterte on Tuesday amid speakership row He added that he is unsure if Cayetano met with Duterte when the Speaker supposedly flew to Davao City during the weekend to meet presidential son Rep. Paolo Duterte at the height of the issue. RELATED: Congressman claims Cayetano-Duterte weekend meeting held in Manila, not Davao City Abante, for his part, said he sees no change in leadership in the next few weeks, with the lower chamber focusing on the budget deliberations. The change of leadership is more political than anything else..." the minority leader said. "I think its more important for us to really finish the budget deliberations, because that is for the people, and that is for the government. Kinakailangan na po ito (This is necessary), because in this pandemic, we need a budget. I do not think well see a change of leadership before the session ends," he added. "The very priority right now of Congress is to be able to finish the budget deliberations. Abante, along with other leaders from both the House majority and minority blocs, earlier issued a joint manifesto in support of Cayetanos continued term as speaker until 2022. Abante said he believes Cayetano has been able to navigate Congress in a very good way, and also cited the need to first focus on the budget amid the health crisis. An Phat Holdings completes consultancy programme of MoIT and Samsung Vietnam On September 24, An Phat Holdings organised the closing ceremony of the consulting programme for the improvement of Vietnamese businesses in Hai Duong. The programme was organized by the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) and Samsung Vietnam, with the closing ceremony held at Vietnam Pattern Manufacture and Precision Mechanical Co., Ltd. (VMC) a member of An Phat Holdings. VMC participated in the programme for two months (July 29-September 24), and achieved excellent results. The consulting project is the result of an MoU on supporting enterprises in Hai Duong between the MoIT and Samsung Vietnam in February. An Phat Holdings was highlighted as a major force behind the rise of the supporting industry in the province by pioneering the application of high-technology and increasing the localisation ratio of its products. The programme is implemented at five businesses, including VMC. During the two months of co-operating with Samsung, VMC implemented reforms in numerous areas, including buildingseparate lapping department, upgrading Jig Erowa, 5Sand restructuring numerous departments. After this consulting course, VMC improved its manufacturing capacity and controlling the quality, levelling up product supply standards, and controlling the moulds capacity. These achievements will create a basis for the long-term and sustainable development of An Phat Holdings and VMC in term of mould segment, one of the group's core operations. Speaking at the ceremony, Dinh Xuan Cuong, Vice chairman, CEO of An Phat Holdings expressed his appreciation of Samsung Vietnam, the MoiT, and Hai Duongs Peoples Committee for accompanying the five enterprises. He also expressed his hope that Samsung Vietnam would continue to issue supporting programmes for enterprises. Cuong also hopes that after the project there will be more cooperation between Samsung and businesses in the province, including An Phat Holdings. Also at the ceremony, Choi Jo Hoo, president of Samsung Vietnam said, VMC was the first of all enterprises joining this programme to achieve 2 levelling up of improvement in production capacity and quality control. Moulding is the root of the manufacturing industry, I hope that with the support from the Vietnamese government, VMC will continue to enhance its competitiveness as well as quality management system." In the past two years, An Phat Holdings and Samsung Vietnam have been fast partners in promoting the development of supporting industries. In 2019, two members of An Phat Holdings Hanoi Plastics and An Trung Industries also successfully completed the consulting programme, with An Trung Industries currently part of the Samsung supply chain. An Phat Holdings is the leading high-tech enterprise in Hai Duong with a system of modern factories and first-class equipment. In the supporting industry, An Phat Holdings has two enterprises in the province, An Trung Industries and VMC, with the latter projected to become a leader in the Vietnamese mould industry. New Delhi, Sep 28 : India has done away with the offset clause in government-to-government, inter-government and single vendor defence deals, a week after the country's auditor pulled up French defence giant Dassault for not meeting its contractual obligation to reinvest in India after the sale of 36 Rafale fighter aircraft to the Indian Air Force. Apurva Chandra, Special Secretary and Director General (Acquisition) said, "We have made changes in offset guidelines. From now on, there would be no offset clause in government-to-government, inter-government and single vendor defence deals." While speaking after unveiling of new Defence Acquisition Procedure (DAP) 2020 in New Delhi, Chandra said that in other deals there would be offset policy. He said that as per revision in offset guidelines the preference would be given to manufacture of complete defence products over components and various multipliers have been added to give incentivisation in discharge of offsets. On September 23, India's federal auditor pulled up Rafale-maker Dassault and its weapons producer for not fulfilling their offset commitment to transfer technology to India as part of the 2016 contract for 36 combat jets. The country's financial watchdog Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) in an audit report on Management of Defence Offsets tabled in Parliament flagged that foreign vendors made various offset commitments to qualify for the main supply contract but later were not earnest about fulfilling these commitments. The report stated, "..in the offset contract relating to 36 Medium Multi Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA), the vendors M/s Dassault Aviation and M/s MBDA initially proposed (September 2015) to discharge 30 per cent of their offset obligation by offering high technology to DRDO." DRDO wanted to obtain Technical Assistance for the indigenous development of engine (Kaveri) for the Light Combat Aircraft. "Till date the vendor has not confirmed the transfer of this technology," the CAG stated in the report. India has procured 36 Rafale combat aircraft from Dassault Aviation in a government-to-government contract. Rafale is a 4.5 generation aircraft and has latest weapons, superior sensors and fully integrated architecture. It is also an omni-role aircraft which means it can carry out at least four missions in one sortie. In 2005, India adopted the Offset Policy for defence capital purchases. This meant that for all capital purchases above Rs 300 crore made through imports, the foreign vendor was required to invest at least 30 per cent of the value of the purchase in India. This investment was to be made in the Indian defence and aerospace sector. Various avenues were available to the vendor to discharge these offset obligations. This included Foreign Direct Investment, offering of free Transfer of Technology to Indian firms, purchase of eligible products manufactured by Indian firms (exports). For the discharge of these offsets the foreign vendor had to select an Indian firm as a partner (Indian Offsets Partner or IOPs). The objective of the Offset policy was to develop the Indian defence industry so as to achieve self-reliance and reduce dependence on imports. From 2005 till March 2018, 46 offset contracts had been signed with foreign vendors, valued at Rs 66,427 crore. "Under these contracts, by December 2018, Rs 19,223 crore worth of offsets should have been discharged by the vendors. However, the offsets claimed to have been discharged by them was only Rs 11,396 crore, which was only 59 per cent of the commitment," CAG stated. Further, only 48 per cent (Rs 5,457 crore) of these offset claims submitted by the vendors were accepted by the ministry. The rest were largely rejected as they were not compliant to the contractual conditions and the Defence Procurement Procedure, the auditor flagged. I respectfully wish to convey goodwill and hearty greetings from the IMANI family. We continue to revel in your sterling steering of our august law-making body. I recall your advice to me in 2017 to ensure think tanks forge closer partnership with Parliament in order to share ideas in order to move our democracy forward. IMANI and other think tanks have yielded to your call and have time without number, consulted with select committees on relevant topics. For instance, on February 26 and March 4 2020, IMANI researchers briefed Parliamentary Committees on Finance and Agriculture, Food and Cocoa Affairs on IMANIs ground-breaking research report on exploring revenue management and producer pricing mechanism within Ghanas cocoa sector. IMANI has been invited on several occasions by the leadership of Parliament, to present Civil Societys understanding of governments budget and financial statements Now unto the main reason I am writing officially to you. It has come to our attention that current management and leadership of the University of Education, Winneba (UEW) are considering conferring on you an honorary doctorate degree award. Ordinarily, reasonable people can agree that our Speaker of Parliament deserves such honour even if glaringly superfluous, compared to the stature of those you have received in your illustrious life, so far well-lived. Sadly, I should discourage you from accepting the UEW honours, at least until the reported charges and accusations of open defiance of our courts, precociously tailored opprobrium of senior statesmen and crucially the seeming illegitimacy of the current leadership as evidenced from the protracted legal battles it is saddled with are completely dealt with. If you must need and indeed accept any new honours, they must add immense value above your current impeccable credentials- Further, any such grace to be bestowed on Rt. Honourable Speaker must not come from controversial quarters where perennial leadership struggle has been so bitter and likely to impugn professional academic integrity. I am most certain that such a decision was at best promoted by one half of the Universitys leadership while the other part could only look on forlornly. Such important academic honour to be bestowed on our academically renowned political scientist, reverend minister and above all the Speaker of our Parliament must not be mired in needless controversy. In these days of littered awards, one for our Speaker must be above idle chatter. I know in this worrying matter of UEW honourary award, you will take a decision that best serves your long-held quest for and actually lived excellence, fairness and respect for the rule of law. As it stands, the intended UEW award in your honour will dishonour you. As always, I wish you better in all your endeavours, now and in the future. Yours sincerely, Franklin Cudjoe Founding President & CEO Cell: 0263 983 084 cc: The Hon. Osei Kyei Mensah-Bonsu Majority Leader The Hon. Haruna Iddrisu Minority Leader Arizona News Phoenix, Arizona - Joined by public health and university leaders, Governor Doug Ducey Thursday announced the State of Arizona is investing $14 million additional dollars to support the efforts of Arizona State University, the University of Arizona and Northern Arizona University to contain the spread of COVID-19 and protect Arizona communities. The state is providing $8 million for additional testing, surveillance and other response efforts at all three universities, including expanding wastewater testing. In addition, Arizona is providing $6 million for the development of Arizona State Universitys groundbreaking point-of-need testing, which will allow people such as first responders, health care workers and those in congregate care settings to get COVID-19 test results within minutes. Arizonas universities continue to lead the way in responding to the pandemic and protecting our communities, said Governor Ducey. We are excited to continue working with university, public health and community leaders to expand testing and surveillance efforts and to continue identifying best practices in containing the spread of the virus. Im grateful to Presidents Crow, Robbins and Cheng for their commitment to finding creative solutions and fighting COVID-19. To date, Arizona invested more than $31 million for the universities COVID-19 response. In addition to funding announced today, Arizona provided Arizona State University $12.7 million for COVID-19 saliva-based testing. The university developed and deployed one of the first saliva-based tests in the nation. The university has also designed and deployed an online network of 3D printers to quickly produce personal protective equipment (PPE) for health care providers and hospitals in Arizona. The University of Arizona has developed one of the most accurate antibody tests in the nation. The state in April provided the university $3.5 million for 250,000 antibody tests for frontline workers, with testing now available to Arizonans ages 18 and up. The university also provided 17,000 diagnostic tests to communities in need, including 7,000 tests for Arizonas tribal nations. In addition to funding announced today, Arizona provided the University of Arizona $786,500 for funding of two Poison Control Centers to answer COVID-19 related questions and $750,000 for COVID-19 case investigations. Northern Arizona Universitys Center for Health Equity Research is working with the Coconino County Monitoring Team to help investigate and contact trace COVID-19 cases since the beginning of the pandemic. Additionally, Northern Arizonas Regents Professor Dr. Paul Keim is leading the COVID-19 Genomics Union (ACGU) a collaborative effort between Arizonas three universities and TGen to sequence, analyze and track different strains of COVID-19. The Governor was joined at todays briefing by Arizona State University President Dr. Michael Crow, University of Arizona President Dr. Bobby Robbins, Northern Arizona President Dr. Rita Cheng, Arizona Department of Health Services Director Dr. Cara Christ, and Arizona Department of Emergency and Military Affairs Director Major General Michael T. McGuire. The future of Boral's troubled US operations will be top of the agenda after the building materials giant announced the appointment of two executives from billionaire Kerry Stokes' Seven Group in a major boardroom overhaul of the embattled company. The appointments, which include Seven chief executive Ryan Stokes, ensures the support of Boral's largest shareholder. However, it also underlines the changes expected from Seven and other investors such as John Wylie's Tanarra Capital that have been advocating for the divestment of its US business which triggered the departure of chief executive Mike Kane last month. Boral recently appointed Zlatko Todorcevski as its new CEO and the company has indicated that the outcome of his review of the company's operations will be made available to investors at the October 27 shareholder meeting, if not before. Kerry and Ryan Stokes' Seven Group has taken two board seats at Boral. Credit:Melissa Adams In a statement to the ASX on Monday morning Boral announced that four new non-executive directors will join its board including the two from its largest shareholder Seven. They will replace three current Boral board members who have flagged their retirement. When it comes to eating and drinking, we are oddly snobby about so many things. Instant coffee, margarine, salad cream, paper napkins, ketchup bottles on the table all are regarded with disdain. I can still recall the disgust on one dates face when I added ice cubes to my glass of Chablis. But one thing people are extra-snooty about is the time we eat in the evening, especially when dining out. Moot the idea of an early bird dinner at 6pm to friends and you may well be greeted with horror, as if you had suggested all going to naked yoga. Claudia Connell says she could not be happier about the latest 10pm curfew and described having to wait eight hours between lunch and dinner as 'torture' The ideal middle-class restaurant eating time is 8pm or 9pm if youre feeling really European. If you can eat dinner at 6pm, then presumably you dont have an important job and arent cramming in spin classes and Pilates after work. But now, thanks to the 10pm curfew, eating at 6pm will be more commonplace and I couldnt be happier. Most people eat lunch between 1pm and 2pm (midday is the lunchtime equivalent of 6pm), so waiting eight hours until you eat again is torture. For me, it leads to snacking on sugary foods at about 4pm, to stave off hunger until I meet my friends at the local Italian at 9pm. The meal finishes at about 11.30pm, meaning its straight home to bed, your stomach still groaning from all the pasta and tiramisu. So an early bird special? Bring it on! I can eat my dinner, enjoy the company of my friends and still be home in time to watch the 9pm TV drama in my PJs. I can also down half a bottle of wine and have enough time to drink lots of water before bed. I have a feeling we will all secretly grow to love the joy of six. MOSCOW, Sept. 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- PhosAgro CEO Andrey Guryev, who is a member of the Board of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs (RUIE), took part in a round table of the RUIE Committee on Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainable Development on the subject of the development and use of Russian ESG indexes. Representatives of the Moscow Exchange, the ACRA ratings agency, Russian Agricultural Bank, VTB, Sberbank, PhosAgro, PwC and other companies took part in the event, which took place on 23 September in the form of a conference call. The Chairman of the Committee, and member of the Bureau of the RUIE Board, David Yakobashvili, opened the meeting. He noted that the subject of the independent assessment of business practices from the standpoint of the principles of social responsibility and sustainable development occupied an important place in the Committee's work. "In this regard, indices and ratings developed by tracking and assessing the ESG-related features environmental, social and governance-related aspects of companies' performance have traditionally been a focus of our attention," said Mr Yakobashvili. Andrey Guryev, First Deputy Chairman of the Committee and a member of the Bureau of the RUIE Board, noted in his statement that there were currently more than 600 ratings and indices used to assess performance in terms of sustainable development but not a single national rating focused directly on assessing a business's contribution to achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) an action plan adopted by all UN member states aimed at eradicating poverty, protecting the planet's resources and ensuring the well-being of all its inhabitants. "To track progress towards sustainable development, it is important to see the big picture at the level of the entire business community. In this context, it is necessary to create a rating to assess companies' contribution to achieving the SDGs and the maturity of their system in terms of managing sustainable development issues," stressed Mr Guryev. According to PhosAgro's CEO, a methodology is currently being developed with the involvement of experts from PwC that is expected to be submitted for discussion by a specially created working group that will include recognised experts on ESG issues. In addition, a proposal has been made to create an expert council whose work will cover all RUIE instruments related to sustainable development and will involve leading international experts, including the Chairman of the Board of Directors of PhosAgro, Xavier Rolet, who served as CEO of London Stock Exchange Group from 2009 to 2017. The creation of guidelines for assessment, as well as research, a review and the presentation of the results of the rating are slated for the period from December 2020 to January 2021. "The work that has been carried out and the discussions that have been held on strategy and approaches within the RUIE, along with the expressed interest and involvement of colleagues from Skolkovo and other experts, give us reason to be confident in the success of the initiative," concluded Mr Guryev. Mr Yakobashvili expressed support for the creation of such a rating and working group on instruments for assessing companies' performance in the area of sustainable development. Sergey Golovanev, Director of Indices and Market Data for the Moscow Exchange, highlighted in his report the role of RUIE and Moscow Exchange ESG indices in the practice of responsible investment in Russian banking structures. Maxim Khudalov, Senior Director at ACRA and Head of the Sustainable Development Risk Assessment Group, spoke about an RUIEACRA pilot project to create a corporate sustainability index: an integrated assessment of the performance of companies that would include both financial sustainability indicators and dynamics in terms of ESG indicators. Elena Feoktistova, Deputy Chairperson of the RUIE Committee, noted that the Committee would continue to expand its range of instruments for assessing companies' progress in sustainable development. "I am confident that new achievements in this area will strengthen the international reputation of Russian business. Advanced instruments for assessing the sustainability of companies' performance are now a factor that can be used to judge the investment climate in the country. This is a very useful work, which we will support," concluded Ms Feoktistova. About PhosAgro PhosAgro (www.phosagro.com) is one of the world's leading vertically integrated phosphate-based fertilizer producers in terms of production volumes of phosphate-based fertilizers and high-grade phosphate rock with a P 2 O 5 content of 39% and higher. PhosAgro's environmentally friendly fertilizers stand out for their high efficiency, and they do not lead to the contamination of soils with heavy metals. The Company is the largest phosphate-based fertilizer producer in Europe (by total combined capacity for DAP/MAP/NP/NPK/NPS), the largest producer of high-grade phosphate rock with a P 2 O 5 content of 39%, a top-three producer of MAP/DAP globally, one of the leading producers of feed phosphates (MCP) in Europe, and the only producer in Russia, and Russia's only producer of nepheline concentrate (according to the RAFP). PhosAgro's main products include phosphate rock, more than 50 grades of fertilizers, feed phosphates, ammonia, and sodium tripolyphosphate, which are used by customers in 102 countries spanning all of the world's inhabited continents. The Company's priority markets outside of Russia and the CIS are Latin America, Europe and Asia. PhosAgro's shares are traded on the Moscow Exchange, and global depositary receipts (GDRs) for shares trade on the London Stock Exchange (under the ticker PHOR). Since 1 June 2016, the Company's GDRs have been included in the MSCI Russia and MSCI Emerging Markets indexes. More information about PhosAgro can be found on the website: www.phosagro.com. SOURCE PhosAgro Venera Technologies announces partnership with KnoxMediaHub for integration of Quasar, its Native Cloud QC solution, with KnoxMediaHub cloud-based MAM & Distribution Platform Quasar now supports the seamless QC of content processed and distributed on the KnoxMediaHub platform Burbank, USA( ) Today Venera Technologies announced its partnership with Spain-based KnoxMediaHub (KMH), for the integration of its native cloud QC service, Quasar, with KMHs popular cloud-based Media Asset Management (MAM) & distribution platform, available to KMHs customers worldwide by the end of October 2020. Quasar, is the first native cloud QC service in the market, where its dynamic scalability, high level of security, and extensive QC capabilities, has set it apart in the quality control and content validation market. Its advanced features like QC of 4K content, HDR (Dolby Vision), IMF packages, Harding PSE validation along with advanced video and audio validation features has made it a favorite tool amongst media companies worldwide. KMHs extensive MAM & distribution platform features a wide range of functionalities related to the ingestion and cataloging of assets, their transformation and encoding, and preview/screening and delivery to clients. KMH runs encoding and transcoding from and to any format without limitations and with no delays, as it processes all tasks in parallel in the Cloud. We are very excited to be able to offer all the great features of our Quasar QC service to KMHs worldwide customers with the ability to validate their content seamlessly right on the KMH platform and as part of their normal workflow., said Fereidoon Khosravi, SVP of Business Development at Venera Technologies. KMH content processing and delivery are the most powerful in the global market, enabling an unprecedented level of QoS for Clients. We support the operations of multiple global media companies who have clients in the 5 continents. Inclusion of Quasar in our workflow now ensures the highest level of quality control as a seamless part of our system, providing our global customers the ease of mind about the quality of their content being stored or delivered., said Santiago Miralles, CEO of KnoxMediaHub. As more media content companies move their content to the cloud, they look for and rely on intuitive and feature-rich MAM as well as digital delivery capabilities, such as those offered by KMH. And now with seamless integration of Quasar with KMH, those customers can be assured of delivering verified high-quality content, in any format they desire. The whole system can be run from anywhere in the world with just a browser. Clients have a wealth of data on all operations reported both in real-time and in periodic reports. You may contact Venera Technologies at sales@veneratech.com or KnoxMediaHub at sales@knoxmediahub.com to arrange for a demonstration of KMH platform and its integration with Quasar. About Venera Technologies Venera Technologies provides cutting-edge file-based QC solutions to the digital media industry, tailored to the evolving requirements of its customer and the industry. Veneras Quasar, the first native cloud-based QC solution, was developed natively for the Cloud environment with features such as dynamic scalability and usage based pricing model to meet todays advanced cloud-based digital workflows, along with advanced QC functionalities. And Veneras Pulsar automated file-based QC solution for on-premise deployment, with the same QC functionalities as Quasar, is the worlds fastest File based Automated QC system that is used by some of the largest Media companies in the world, as well as a number of smaller boutique post houses and production companies. About KnoxMediaHub KnoxMediaHub was founded in 2013 by professionals with 20+ years experience in Broadcast and Digital Media, who are Connoisseurs of the usual bottlenecks and hurdles in day-to-day Media operations and whose Mission is to provide a new technology foundation that enables Media & Entertainment Companies to become leaner, more efficient with simpler, unmanned and integrated operations, and to relieve them from devoting financial resources to CAPEX while also decreasing their OPEX. This new Tech Foundation is the Cloud, and KnoxMediaHub tailors its benefits, both Technical and Financial, to the needs and Values of the M&E Industry. EU Council president tells UN that the EU has major differences with China over key values like democracy, human rights and the rule of law, which are the EUs "compass" for action. He calls on Beijing to respect the rights of Uyghurs in Xinjiang and pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong. Without an agreement on investments, the Europeans will not follow up on the strategic agenda with the Chinese. No split exists between the EU and the US. Brussels (AsiaNews) European Council President Charles Michel has launched a harsh attack against China at the United Nations General Assembly. On Friday, the leader of the European Union clearly stated that the EU does not share the values on which Chinas political-economic system is founded. We, he said, stand on the side of the fundamental values of democracy, human rights, the rule of law and cooperation. It's our compass to pursue our interests. Michel went on to stress that the EU will continue to promote respect for human rights, including those of the Uyghur minority in the Chinese province of Xinjiang. According to the UN and several observers, Beijing is systematically oppressing the provinces indigenous Turkic-speaking Muslim population. The EU Council president also reiterated that Europe will not fail to support pro-democratic protesters in Hong Kong, where international commitments guaranteeing the rule of law and democracy are being questioned by Beijing. A day earlier, in his speech to the UN, the French President Emmanuel Macron also lashed out at Beijings hegemonic behaviour. For the French leader, asking for respect for human rights is not an interference in the affairs of a sovereign state, as China claims: it means applying the principles of the United Nations. Therefore, he called for an international mission to verify what is happening in Xinjiang. The EU sees the Asian giant as a key partner in tackling common challenges such as global warming, the coronavirus pandemic and the cancellation of the debt of African countries. Despite this, the differences between the two sides seem to be taking precedence over the points of contact. Bluntly, Michel said the EU is determined to rebalance its relationship with Beijing towards greater reciprocity and fair competition. His reference is to the limitations that China imposes on European companies that want to invest and operate in its territory. Ongoing talks over major Sino-European investment agreement have not yet brought concrete results. Without such a deal, EU leaders have already warned that they will not follow up on the China-EU 2025 Strategic Agenda for Cooperation, which is designed to boost bilateral cooperation in the political, economic and security fields over the next five years. In his address, Michel also reiterated the deep connection between the European Union and the United States, noting that transatlantic ties remain solid, and that differences of opinion are part of the relationship between the two sides of the Atlantic. Some analysts believe that China is trying to exploit US-EU trade disputes to draw the EU into its own orbit. AUSTIN, Texas About half of the residents at a nursing home tested positive for COVID-19 in recent weeks. Even in the face of the outbreak, some families urge officials to let them in to care for their loved ones. It's some of the most pathetic circumstances you could put someone in right now, said Rachel Finney, whose 90-year-old grandmother tested negative for the disease in Pflugerville Health Care Center, about 15 miles north of Austin. Having a visit with family would do a lot for her state of mind. Finney is among thousands of Texans waiting for the chance to see their loved ones in person inside nursing homes for the first time in six months. Although state officials started allowing visitors inside facilities in August, the requirements that facility operators had to meet including testing staff weekly and being COVID-19-free for at least two weeks were so stringent that fewer than 10% of nursing facilities opened up. Relatives yearn to get inside Pflugerville Health Care Center to visit their older loved ones, but coronavirus restrictions clamped down on family interactions. Thursday, the state cracked the doors to all nursing homes, allowing up to two designated family members per resident to come in at any time to care for their loved ones. Some nursing home resident advocates fear the move would open the floodgates to COVID-19. Family members argued that the disease can spread even under lockdown protocols that prevent them from entering. Their loved ones (inside nursing homes) are already being exposed to people, said Mary Nichols, a North Texas resident and leader of Texas Caregivers for Compromise, a 2,900-member group advocating for family access into nursing homes. Plumbers are going in. IT techs are going in. Nursing students are going in. There are so many untested people going in, and here weve got family members willing to be tested, willing to wear personal protective equipment. A petition asking for family visitations garnered more than 25,000 signatures over a three-month period. Everybody is on edge Finney said her grandmother, who has dementia, has been having a hard time. Before the pandemic, most of her socialization came from her son and grandchildren. She had regular outings with her family and spent major holidays with them. Story continues Since her home was locked down, her dementia has worsened, and she recounts events from decades ago as if they happened yesterday, Finney said. One thing Ive noticed is that its getting harder for her to get out of her bed to the wheelchair. Shes just not getting out as much now, Finney said. No activities are happening. No music is happening. Everybody is on edge and scared for their lives. It must be a nightmare. Finney said she would follow any safety protocols including being tested, wearing personal protective equipment and conducting visitations outdoors to be able to see her grandmother beyond glimpses through a glass window. The outbreak at the center further stripped Finney of contact with her grandmother, who was moved into another room away from residents with COVID-19 and from her landline phone. Finney no longer can hand off food to staff members to give to her grandmother. Thursday, her grandmother refused to see Finney. It's just so disorienting, Finney said. She doesn't feel good pretty much all the time. Officials with the nursing home, which is operated by Indiana-based Chosen Healthcare, did not return requests for comment last week. Pflugerville Health Care Center, which has about 95 residents, according to residents families, documented 48 resident COVID-19 cases and 10 staff cases on Tuesday. For weeks, the nursing home had documented only three cases, according to the Texas Health and Human Services Commission, which oversees the states 1,200-plus nursing homes. The nursing home has seen two deaths from COVID-19, according to the latest data available from Austin Public Health. The nursing home prevents family members from visiting, so its likely that a staff member infected residents. Texas requires nursing homes to test staffers weekly to allow visitors other than caregivers. Sue Schnars embraces her daughter, Ivana, in her room at the Pflugerville Health Care Center in 2018. Sue Schnars, whose 44-year-old daughter, Ivana, tested positive for COVID-19, does not blame the staff or the nursing home for the outbreak. They have treated Ivana, who is nonverbal and in a wheelchair, with compassion, allowed Schnars to video chat with her and texted Schnars every day with updates, she said. The Texas Health and Human Services Commission should be held responsible, she said, because it decided how nursing homes should operate during the pandemic, yet the virus continues to spread inside the facilities. She said caregivers such as herself should have been allowed to enter the facility since the beginning of the pandemic because locking everyone out hasnt kept the disease at bay. The most difficult piece is not being able to see her, Schnars said. I really hold the government responsible, because we are no more at risk of bringing this into a nursing facility than the staff that go home every day. She never smiled Schnars said she has noticed a change in Ivanas demeanor in the times she has seen her through a window and the one time she took her to a doctors appointment. When I picked her up to take her to the doctor in June, she never opened her eyes. She never smiled. I had the music blaring in the van, and I was like, Ivana, we get to be together, and she never smiled, Schnars said. She does that when she's angry. She doesn't have the cognition to understand where I am, and Ive been her constant for 44 years. Schnars said that if she thinks about Ivana and her circumstances too much, she starts to cry. I'm not sleeping. If I think about it too much, my heart starts racing. But at the same time, what I keep telling myself is these people (the nursing home staff) wouldn't be there if they didn't have a calling to work with the elderly. And what they need from me more than anything right now is support, Schnars said. She looks forward to being able to visit with Ivana, do her laundry, read to her and decorate her room. State officials started allowing designated caregivers to enter nursing homes Thursday, but resident advocates did not expect all facilities to be prepared to let outsiders enter. With the short time period between release of the rule and implementation, the learning curve for preparedness can be pretty steep, said Kevin Warren, head of the Texas Health Care Association, which represents nursing homes and other long-term care facilities. Facilities must develop visitation policies, testing/training policies for visitors, additional screening requirements and data collection requirements, as well as implement visitation schedules and coordination. Other states have allowed some family members to enter facilities, including in Minnesota, Indiana, New Jersey and Massachusetts. A chair is placed next to a window at Pflugerville Health Care Center for visitors kept outside by coronavirus precautions. Many family members are eager to resume in-person visits with their loved ones. All nursing homes must allow designated family caregivers to enter nursing homes at any time. Caregivers must follow certain testing protocols and cant visit with a family member if theyve tested positive for COVID-19. Nichols and her group are on the lookout for nursing homes that might take advantage of loopholes in the state regulations to prevent visitors from entering. The benefits of allowing caregiver visits are worth the risk of COVID-19, said Patty Ducayet, the states long-term care ombudsman who advocates for resident interests. Given how cautious the state has been in reopening nursing homes, Ducayet said she doesnt expect there will be excessive visitors. She trusts the government will reduce visitations if theres an increase in cases. What efforts were made to protect people's health and safety really failed to take into account the psychological and physical effects of that separation from people who matter to residents, Ducayet said. What state officials have done with Texas nursing facilities and the essential caregiver is a very strong stance that almost gives the resident a right to this person. This article originally appeared on USATNetwork: COVID-19 and nursing homes: Families still waiting to see loved ones Dealers in stationery, uniform and other school supplies have for the past few days been upbeat that their businesses will pick up after a six-month downturn occasioned by the Covid-19 pandemic. The optimism was sparked by the announcement by Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha that schools will reopen next month. However, a spot check by the Nation at bookshops, uniform outlets, publishing firms, laboratory equipment sellers, hostels and food suppliers in Nairobi showed schools and parents were yet to start making purchases in readiness for resumption of learning in October. And in the absence of the shopping rush that usually characterises the back-to-school season, there are fears of bleak times ahead for businesses that depend on learning institutions to stay afloat. School Outfitters in Nairobi's central business district, which supplies uniform, stationery and other items to more than 400 primary and secondary schools, colleges and universities in Nairobi, Kiambu and other metropolitan counties, has hardly sold any school items since mid-March. Face masks "Things are thick. Ever since students went home, we just sat here and would be lucky to sell even face masks worth Sh100," said Mr Kaser Nazir. Even after stocking things like face masks, he added, they couldn't keep their 80 employees and had to scale down to the current 22. Even the announcement on reopening of schools hasn't helped much. "So far, we haven't received any orders; neither for uniform nor face masks," Mr Nazir said. He blames lack of clarity on the opening date and the hard economic times for inability or unwillingness by schools and parents to do back-to-school shopping. Sky Max Collection, wholesalers of uniform in Nairobi, had only received a few enquiries from retailers, with a handful of purchases. "I have only seen three customers today; one took a trouser, the other a sweater and the third something I can't remember. Parents don't seem to trust the government to open this soon," said a worker. 30 per cent discount The situation was the same at Uniform Distributors nearby, which was offering a 30 per cent discount to entice customers. A number of bookshops in the city remain closed, with those in operation doing little or no business. Mr Pardeep Rehal of Savani's Book Centre, said although they avoided laying off staff by putting everyone on a pay cut, the inevitable was about to happen. The establishment, which has more than 50 employees, normally places bulk orders towards January. "Usually, as the peak season draws near, we begin planning around November to cater for about 4,000 customers. But, as things stand now, we're likely to end up with dead stock," said Mr Rehal. Kenya Publishers Association (KPA) chairman Lawrence Njagi told the Saturday Nation that the sector is yet to feel the impact of the planned schools reopening. "We are, however, optimistic that when schools reopen in October, we will not lose as much as we had feared," he said, adding that failure to reopen schools would cost publishers a whopping Sh20 billion this year. "So far, we have lost up to Sh7 billion," he said. KPA had written to the Ministry of Education opposing a plan to force learners to repeat classes, saying such a decision would see publishers lose a lot of business. Since March, Mr Njagi revealed, publishers have been supplying school content to the Ministry of Education free of charge through the Kenya education cloud. Not everyone is complaining, though. For laptop shops, the Covid-19 pandemic brought with it booming business. Electronic gadgets Since May, many schools, colleges and universities have been asking learners to buy the electronic gadgets as a basic requirement for virtual classes. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Kenya Coronavirus Education By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. An attendant at a shop along Moi Avenue said, this month alone, they have sold more than 200 laptops. At Bata shops, the back-to-school sections remained deserted, despite offering a 50 per cent discount on their shoes. Major supermarkets are yet to advertise back-to-school offers, pointing to the probability that they aren't quite sure about the opening date. The Saturday Nation's survey also established there was little activity among suppliers of maize, beans, green grams, vegetables, soap, cooking flour and other foodstuffs to schools. Qwetu Hostels, which houses students from more than 12 universities in Nairobi, has begun advertising accommodation for students on their website. Private Schools Association chief executive Peter Ndoro has since warned that some 131 schools with 44,000 learners will not be able to open. Watch: Lorraine Kelly explains her anger over anti-lockdown protests Lorraine Kelly has branded the anti-lockdown protesters ridiculous and irresponsible and suggested ITV colleague Kate Garraway could tell them of the hell caused by the coronavirus pandemic. Speaking on Lorraine today, the presenter says the people, who took to the streets of London this weekend, would not be so quick to dismiss lockdown measures if they spoke to Garraway about husband Derek Draper, who has been in hospital since contracting the virus back in March. Speaking to the shows resident doctor, Hilary Jones, Kelly said: I was fuming at the weekend. The protests! I absolutely would love to take these people by the hand and show them the reality [of COVID-19]. Read more: Kate Garraway: Its tough not seeing Derek on our 15th wedding anniversary Wouldn't you like our Kate Garraway to have a wee word with [the protesters] and tell them about the hell she's been living through with her husband. It's absolutely ridiculous and totally irresponsible. Derek Draper and Kate Garraway. (PA) The protests occurred after a concerning rise of coronavirus cases across the UK meant further restrictions being implemented by the government in a bid to stop cases spreading. Coronavirus: what happened today Click here to sign up to the latest news and information with our daily Catch-up newsletter Though the UK has had around 430,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases and over 41,000 deaths relating to the virus, a small minority of people are disregarding the risk with a few even adamant the pandemic is a hoax. Unite for Freedom, anti-lockdown protest in Trafalgar Square- PHOTOGRAPH BY Matthew Chattle / Barcroft Studios / Future Publishing (Photo credit: Matthew Chattle/Barcroft Media via Getty Images) The resulting protest on Saturday, 26 September, saw officers clashing with demonstrators, many of whom did not adhere to social distancing regulations, after police intervened to break up a protest in Trafalgar Square. Nine police officers were injured, with two requiring hospital treatment for head injuries, while 16 people were arrested. Read more: Lorraine Kelly in tears as she signs-off from ITV show for summer break Story continues Metropolitan Police Cmdr. Ade Adelekan said: As the crowds began to swell in Trafalgar Square, it became impossible for people to maintain social distancing and keep each other safe. Likewise, there appeared to be no efforts by organisers to engage with crowds and keep those assembling safe from transmitting the virus. Watch: How is coronavirus treated? On Wednesday, September 30, at 10.00, the Interfax-Ukraine News Agency's press center will host a press conference of ex-representatives of the Servant of the People political party on the groundless dismissal of them as candidates, as well as 26 deputies to the merged territorial communities' councils in Kyiv region. Participants include former candidate for the post of head of Hostomelska merged territorial community Serhiy Vozny; self-nominated for the post of head of Kalynivska merged territorial community Volodymyr Petrenko (8/5a Reitarska Street). The press conference will be broadcast on the YouTube channel of Interfax-Ukraine. Admission of journalists requires registration on the spot. Additional information by phone: (066) 131 0896. Theres good tax news from India for the Vodafone Group not, however, related to Vodafone Idea's $7 billion AGR debt, although it does seem to have saved the parent company $3 billion. According to TeleGeographys CommsUpdate, an international arbitration tribunal at the Hague has rejected the Indian governments imposition of a $3 billion tax demand on the UKs Vodafone Group. The tax related to the companys entry to the Indian market through the acquisition of a controlling stake in the operator Hutchison Essar in 2007. This payment demand has been disputed for nearly a decade. The tax was apparently imposed retrospectively through legislation passed in 2012 to allow the Indian government to renew its demands for the tax retrospectively. The courts decision was said to be unanimous when the tribunal reportedly accepted the Vodafone Groups claim that the Indian tax department was in breach of an India-Netherlands bilateral investment treaty. The Indian government is apparently considering an appeal. According to the Indian press, however, this win for Vodafone Group is not likely to improve the situation of local joint venture Vodafone Idea and is unlikely to mean that Vodafone Group will consider fresh investment in the company. For the moment it seems likely that Vi (as Vodafone Idea is now known) may have to stick to its expected strategy of pushing up its tariffs on top of the planned raising of around $3.388 billion through a mix of equity and debt instruments in one or more tranches. That said, the same press sources also suggest that this win and recently established clarity around AGR dues payment timelines may boost investor confidence. : The Mineral Exploration Corporation Limited (MECL) started exploration of the Kolar Gold Fields (KGF) on Monday, said Union Minister for Coal and Mines "Happy to convey that exploratory drilling at Betrayaswamy block of Kolar Gold Fields commenced today, " the Union Minister tweeted. Sharing photographs on Twitter on the commencement of the activities, Joshi said the mining would help resolve Bharat Gold Mines Limited (BGML) issue over exploration in KGF that has been pending for the last 16 years. The Union Minister said the exploration started after his meeting last month with Karnataka Chief Minister on August 28. He said he had directed MECL to carry out immediate exploration in the mining lease area of BGML after the meeting. In the meeting, Yediyurappa and Joshi decided that either the high-value minerals at BGML are explored or handed over to the Industries Department to set up an industrial cluster to start large-scale economic activities there. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) (CNN) Since taking power in 2012, Chinese President Xi Jinping has helped cement China's position as a global superpower and pushed forward an aggressive foreign policy, making bolder moves in several key flashpoints across Asia. From the South China Sea to the Himalayan Sino-Indian border, and even in one of its own cities, China has doubled down on its claims of territory, and taken a harder line in response to perceived challenges. And as those disputes escalated this year with renewed and rising tensions, Xi has bulked up the military and increased its budget, with the instruction to "resolutely safeguard national sovereignty, security and development interests." Here's what you need to know about China's key flashpoints in the Asia-Pacific region. Why are countries fighting over the South China Sea? Dotted with small islands, reefs and shoals, the South China Sea is a crucial global shipping route and home to a messy territorial dispute. Who claims what: China claims it owns almost all of the 1.3 million square mile South China Sea, but at least six other governments also have overlapping territorial claims in the contested waterway: the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei and Taiwan. The United States doesn't have any claims in the waters, but has repeatedly challenged China's claims. China went ahead and built islands anyway: Since 2014, China has turned numerous obscure reefs and sandbars -- far from its shoreline -- into man-made artificial islands heavily fortified with missiles, runways and weapons systems, prompting outcry from the other governments. The US and its allies have pushed back by sailing warships through the South China Sea close to features claimed or occupied by China, in what it calls freedom of navigation operations (FONOPS). They say such patrols enforce the right of free passage in international waters; China argues these are violations of its sovereignty. But things are escalating now: The US has stepped up its challenges this year; it formally rejected China's claims as illegal, and sanctioned dozens of Chinese companies for building the artificial islands. In July, two US Navy aircraft carriers conducted joint military drills in the sea for the first time in six years -- a strong show of force. All this has sparked Chinese fury and escalated tensions; China launched a series of ballistic missiles into the sea, with state-run media warning that "China does not fear a war." Why this matters: Under international law, whoever owns the contested string of islands in the sea will have the rights to all the resources in its nearby waters like fish, oil and gas. More broadly, whoever controls this sea will also hold power over one of the world's most valuable trading routes -- it hosts one third of all global shipping. What's the deal with Taiwan? Taiwan is a self-governing democratic island of around 24 million people, which split from mainland China in 1949 after the end of a bloody civil war. China insists Taiwan is its territory: Authorities in Beijing claim full sovereignty of Taiwan, even though Taiwan has never been controlled by China's ruling Communist Party. The two sides have been governed separately for more than seven decades. For years, Beijing has attempted to impose diplomatic, trade and military pressure on Taipei, marginalizing it in the international community -- for instance, China has successfully blocked Taiwan from joining global agencies like the World Health Organization. What this means for other countries: Most countries abide by China's demand that Taiwan not be recognized as an independent nation, publicly observing Beijing's view there is "one China" -- though many governments also maintain close unofficial ties with Taiwan. Things escalated this summer: Recent months have seen a warming relationship between the US and Taiwan -- much to China's ire. Two high-profile US officials visited Taiwan in the space of two months, in a symbolic show of support by the Trump administration. In August, the US also sold 66 fighter jets to Taiwan, the biggest arms sale to the island in years. In response, China carried out a series of military drills and aircraft incursions in the waters and airspace near Taiwan -- marking a significant escalation in tensions. Chinese officials warned in September that "China firmly opposes any form of official exchanges between the United States and Taiwan." Some have also hinted at the threat of sanctions against US officials. President Xi has been clear in his ambitions to "reunify" the island with the mainland, and has refused to rule out the use of force. Recent military drills were described in Chinese state media as a "rehearsal for a Taiwan takeover" and threats of invasion have increased sharply as tensions with the US rise. Why are China and India clashing in the Himalayas? The China-India conflict is centered around a long-disputed border in the Himalayas. After fighting a bloody border war in 1962, the two countries drew up a loosely-defined demarcation line called the Line of Actual Control (LAC). But they disagree on its location: Though the LAC shows up on maps, the two nuclear powers do not agree on its precise location and both regularly accuse the other of overstepping it, or seeking to expand their territory. They have an uneasy status quo: The countries signed a series of agreements in the 1990s to try to keep the peace, including an agreement that neither side shall open fire within 2 kilometers (1.24 miles) of the LAC. But things got ugly this year: This June saw the bloodiest Sino-Indian clash in more than 40 years. Troops at the border fought with fists and stones, in a brawl that killed at least 20 Indian soldiers; China didn't acknowledge any casualties. Both sides accused the other of overstepping the border. Things heated up in September after each side accused the other's troops of firing warning shots. It's believed to be the first time shots have been fired along the border since 1975. Where things stand now: Officials are now in de-escalation talks; in late September, both sides agreed to stop sending troops to the border, and to strengthen communications. But a meaningful peacekeeping mechanism could be a long way off -- partly because of the increasingly assertive foreign policy on both sides. Why is China fighting Japan over a few tiny islands? Both China and Japan have claimed a rocky, uninhabited island chain in the East China Sea as their own. Located 1,200 miles (1,900 kilometers) southwest of Tokyo, the islands are known as the Senkaku Islands in Japan and the Diaoyu Islands in China. The islands are also claimed by Taiwan, where they are known as the Tiaoyutai islands. The overlapping claims: Both China and Taiwan say their claims to the island chain extend back to the 1400s, when it was used as a staging point for Chinese fisherman. However, Japan says it saw no trace of Chinese control of the islands during an 1885 survey, so it formally recognized them as Japanese sovereign territory in 1895. The US occupation of Japan after World War II complicated things -- but the islands were eventually returned, and Japan has administered them since the 1970s. Why this matters: The area has much-coveted resources; it holds a rich fishing ground, and recent surveys suggest that the waters around the islands may contain oil and natural gas deposits. How things escalated: China and Japan have engaged in tit-for-tat struggles for years, with the issue escalating sharply in September 2012 after the Japanese government formally purchased the islands from their private Japanese owner. This resulted in some of the largest protests seen in major Chinese cities in decades. Tensions rose again this June after a Japanese city council bill asserted that "the islands are part of Japanese territory." China, meanwhile, has flexed its military muscles; Japan announced in June that Chinese government ships have been spotted in waters near the islands every day since April. And in July, Chinese coast guard ships intruded into Japan's territorial waters multiple times, forcing the Japanese coast guard to block them from approaching Japanese fishing boats. The number of warplanes from China's People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) flying close or around Japan's southwest air zone, which includes the contested island chain, has also increased exponentially in recent years, according to Japan's Air Self Defense Force (JASDF). Where things stand now: The two countries have stepped up their rhetoric; Japan has lodged diplomatic protests, and China has accused Japan of infringing on its sovereignty. The escalation this summer has raised international alarm; under a mutual defense pact with Tokyo, the US is obligated to defend the islands as part of Japanese territory. What's going on in Hong Kong? The semi-autonomous Chinese city of Hong Kong was plunged into a political crisis in 2019 as anti-government protests brought much of the territory to a standstill. Protesters had many complaints, including alleged police brutality and limited democratic freedoms -- but at the heart of it all is the city's conflicted relationship with the central government in Beijing. Is Hong Kong part of China? Yes -- but as a former British territory, it was granted freedoms of press, speech, and assembly when it was handed back to China in 1997. Hong Kong also has its own legal and political systems, currency and trade. These freedoms stand in stark contrast to China's authoritarian leadership and strict censorship. So what's the conflict? Under the handover agreement, Hong Kong is supposed to keep its limited autonomy until 2047 -- but many Hong Kongers say China is violating that promise and encroaching on their freedoms. This fear was heightened by a controversial extradition bill last year, which kicked off the protests and was later scrapped. Meanwhile, China has criticized the movement as a threat to security and stability. Some protesters have also called for Hong Kong independence, and asked other countries for assistance, which China condemned as an unacceptable challenge to its national sovereignty. How things escalated: In June, China cracked down by imposing a national security law for Hong Kong, entirely bypassing the city's own legislature. Details of the law weren't released to the public until it had passed. China said the law, which grants Beijing sweeping new powers, is necessary to curb unrest; critics say it's a devastating blow for Hong Kong's freedoms. Where things stand now: The law has already been used to make numerous arrests; for instance, several people were arrested in September for using protest slogans, which are now criminalized. Those convicted under the law could face sentences of up to life in prison. Since it came into force, political parties have disbanded, protest signs were pulled down across the city, and Hong Kongers are fleeing to seek asylum or refuge in other countries. This story was first published on CNN.com 'China is doubling down on its territorial claims and that's causing conflict across Asia' This article will reflect on the compensation paid to Conor Flynn who has served as CEO of Kimco Realty Corporation (NYSE:KIM) since 2016. This analysis will also look to assess whether the CEO is appropriately paid, considering recent funds from operations growth and investor returns for Kimco Realty. See our latest analysis for Kimco Realty Comparing Kimco Realty Corporation's CEO Compensation With the industry At the time of writing, our data shows that Kimco Realty Corporation has a market capitalization of US$4.9b, and reported total annual CEO compensation of US$6.9m for the year to December 2019. That's a notable increase of 21% on last year. While we always look at total compensation first, our analysis shows that the salary component is less, at US$1.0m. For comparison, other companies in the same industry with market capitalizations ranging between US$4.0b and US$12b had a median total CEO compensation of US$6.3m. So it looks like Kimco Realty compensates Conor Flynn in line with the median for the industry. Moreover, Conor Flynn also holds US$6.9m worth of Kimco Realty stock directly under their own name, which reveals to us that they have a significant personal stake in the company. Component 2019 2018 Proportion (2019) Salary US$1.0m US$1.0m 14% Other US$5.9m US$4.7m 86% Total Compensation US$6.9m US$5.7m 100% Speaking on an industry level, nearly 15% of total compensation represents salary, while the remainder of 85% is other remuneration. Although there is a difference in how total compensation is set, Kimco Realty more or less reflects the market in terms of setting the salary. If non-salary compensation dominates total pay, it's an indicator that the executive's salary is tied to company performance. Kimco Realty Corporation's Growth Over the last three years, Kimco Realty Corporation has not seen its funds from operations (FFO) change much, though they have deteriorated slightly. Its revenue is down 3.4% over the previous year. Story continues A lack of FFO improvement is not good to see. And the impression is worse when you consider revenue is down year-on-year. It's hard to argue the company is firing on all cylinders, so shareholders might be averse to high CEO remuneration. Looking ahead, you might want to check this free visual report on analyst forecasts for the company's future earnings.. Has Kimco Realty Corporation Been A Good Investment? With a three year total loss of 29% for the shareholders, Kimco Realty Corporation would certainly have some dissatisfied shareholders. So shareholders would probably want the company to be lessto generous with CEO compensation. To Conclude... As we noted earlier, Kimco Realty pays its CEO in line with similar-sized companies belonging to the same industry. In the meantime, the company has reported declining FFO growth and shareholder returns over the last three years. Considering overall performance, shareholders will likely hold off support for a raise until results improve. CEO pay is simply one of the many factors that need to be considered while examining business performance. In our study, we found 5 warning signs for Kimco Realty you should be aware of, and 2 of them are a bit concerning. Important note: Kimco Realty is an exciting stock, but we understand investors may be looking for an unencumbered balance sheet and blockbuster returns. You might find something better in this list of interesting companies with high ROE and low debt. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. 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. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com. DUBLIN, Sept. 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Germany Automotive Camera Market - Growth, Trends, and Forecasts (2020 - 2025)" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The Germany Automotive Camera Market is anticipated to register a CAGR of over 13% during the forecast period (2020 - 2025). The growing demand for automobiles, increasing safety concern among customers, stringent government norms, latest innovation technology, rapid adoption of ADAS and availability of cast-effective parking cameras and sensors in aftermarket are some of the major drivers of growth of the market. However, high cost of the module has been slightly hindering the market growth. ADAS like Adaptive cruise control (ACC), Forward Collision Warning System (FCWS) and Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) requires 3 to 6 cameras to be installed on the vehicle. These cameras in an automotive cost almost 8 times the module in a mobile phone camera, making it a challenge for entry into the market. Thermal camera and multi camera systems are expected to exhibit the highest growth rate in sensing camera and application segments during the forecast period. Passengers are more likely to prefer the latest advancements in the camera technology such as 360 degrees camera that captures the image from multiple cameras and display a consolidated image on split screen. Government strict norms such as installing vehicles with advanced safety features like ADAS. European authorities make installation of Automotive Emergency Braking (AEB) and Forward Collision Avoidance/Warning System mandatory by 2020. This is likely to boost the sales of automotive cameras over the forecast period. Key Market Trends Passenger Cars to Dominate the Market Currently, the demand for the automotive camera market is rapidly increasing due to its adoption rate used in passenger cars. Also, it will continue its dominance during the forecast period. Advanced ADAS technologies like Adaptive cruise control (ACC), Forward Collision Warning System (FCWS) and Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) are hindering the market growth. The increase in this segment can also be attributed to the strict norms in Germany. Such as, the New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) norms in this country will require all the vehicles to be installed with safety features in coming years. Also, Germany is a home for many automobile manufacturers such as Audi, BMW, Volkswagen, Mercedes-Benz, and Opel have achieved economies of scale and are producing devices at a cheaper rate. Various OEMs and Aftermarket companies are now introducing parking assist systems. Thereby, the automotive cameras in passenger cars would be highly driven by the significant demand for advanced driver assistance systems like lane-departure warning (LDW) systems. Competitive Landscape The Germany Automotive Camera market is dominated by few players like Denso Corporation, Continental AG, Garmin Ltd., Robert Bosch Gmbh, and Magna International Inc. These Companies are expanding their business by offering advanced technologies, so that they can have edge over their competitors. Various initiatives, as well as product innovations done by these companies have led them to strengthen their presence in the market. Sensing Camera to Experience a Significant Growth Currently, the sensing cameras segment is experiencing a significant growth and it is projected to continue its dominance during the forecast period. The growth is attributed to the increase in safety concern of the passengers, and strict government initiatives. Sensing cameras also provide a higher level of performance than general-purpose driving cameras by maintaining quality standards as cost-effective solutions. These are intelligent safety systems with two key components: the remote sensors (using remote sensing technologies) and the processing computer. A remote sensor is a device that collects data about real-world conditions through sensors, such as radar, ultrasonic sensors, and cameras. The processing computer receives data from these cameras and sensors then make the decision and sends commands to the vehicle subsystems. With the increasing adoption of ADAS features in vehicles, the demand for cameras has been increasing significantly. Competitive Landscape The Germany Automotive Camera market is dominated by few players like Denso Corporation, Continental AG, Garmin Ltd., Robert Bosch Gmbh, and Magna International Inc. These Companies are expanding their business by offering advanced technologies, so that they can have edge over their competitors. Various initiatives, as well as product innovations done by these companies have led them to strengthen their presence in the market. Key Topics Covered: 1 INTRODUCTION 1.1 Study Assumptions 1.2 Scope of the Study 2 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 3 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 4 MARKET DYNAMICS 4.1 Market Drivers 4.2 Market Restraints 4.3 Porter's Five Forces Analysis 5 MARKET SEGMENTATION 5.1 Type 5.1.1 Viewing Camera 5.1.2 Sensing Camera 5.2 Vehicle Type 5.2.1 Passenger Cars 5.2.2 Commercial Vehicles 6 COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE 6.1 Vendor Market Share 6.2 Company Profiles 6.2.1 Denso Corporation 6.2.2 Continental AG 6.2.3 Garmin Ltd. 6.2.4 Robert Bosch Gmbh 6.2.5 Magna International Inc. 6.2.6 Valeo SA 6.2.7 Hella KGaA Hueck & Co. 6.2.8 Autoliv Inc. 6.2.9 ZF Friedrichshafen AG 6.2.10 Panasonic Corporation 6.2.11 Mobileye 7 MARKET OPPORTUNITIES AND FUTURE TRENDS For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/vac9g5 Research and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research. 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 SOURCE Research and Markets Related Links http://www.researchandmarkets.com Nelson Peltz is resigning from his strategic advisory role at Aurora Cannabis. (REUTERS/Mike Blake) Nelson Peltz has resigned as a strategic advisor to Aurora Cannabis (ACB.TO)(ACB), ending an 18-month collaboration that dashed expectations for a deal based on the billionaire investors mighty rolodex. The CEO and founding partner of New York-based Trian Fund Management LP was expected to leverage his connections to major U.S. consumer goods firms like PepsiCo (PEP) and Mondelez International (MDLZ) to strike a deal similar to booze giant Constellation Brands (STZ) major stake in Canopy Growth (WEED.TO)(CGC). Edmonton-based Aurora has undergone sweeping changes from its boardroom to its greenhouses since Peltzs role was announced last March. Under the leadership of new CEO Miguel Martin, the company has a path to the U.S. market through the acquisition of CBD distributor Reliva, where Martin served as CEO prior to the deal. A consumer packaged goods industry veteran in his own right, Martin recently unveiled a plan to shift Auroras focus towards premium cannabis in a bid to achieve profitability by the second quarter of 2021. Aurora said on Monday that 280 Park ACI Holdings LLC has resigned as senior advisor to the company, effective Sept. 25, 2020. Peltz is the principal at Park ACI Holdings. The announcement was made in a press release for Auroras upcoming virtual annual general meeting on November 12. The company and Nelson Peltz have concluded their relationship, an Aurora spokesperson told Yahoo Finance Canada in an emailed statement. This change is a direct result of Mr. Peltzs decision to pursue other commitments, and the company appreciates his valuable contributions. In March 2019, Aurora granted Peltz options to purchase 19,961,754 common shares at a price of $10.34 per share. The options vested quarterly over a four-year term. If fully exercised, Peltz would have become the second-largest shareholder in Aurora after ETF provider Vanguard Group, according to data compiled at the time by Bloomberg. Jeff Lagerquist is a senior reporter at Yahoo Finance Canada. Follow him on Twitter @jefflagerquist. Download the Yahoo Finance app, available for Apple and Android. The police in Assam have arrested 19 people in connection with a scam in recruitment of sub-inspectors in the police department and are planning to announce a cash reward for information on a retired IPS officer and a ruling BJP leader-both accused of involvement and who are on the run. We have decided to announce a cash award for anyone providing information on the duo. We can assure that no one responsible will be spared, DGP Bhaskar Jyoti Mahanta told journalists on Monday. The examination to recruit 587 SIs was cancelled in 154 exam centres across the state on September 20 after the question paper got leaked and was found circulating on Whatsapp. Nearly 64,000 applicants were scheduled to appear for the examination. Investigation during the past week has revealed that several people including IPS officer PK Dutta and Dibon Deka, a BJP leader, were involved in the scam to leak the paper as well as conduct a mock test for some of the applicants at a hotel in Guwahati a day ahead of the examination. We have issued a lookout warrant for PK Dutta to ensure that he doesnt leave the country. Assessment of the former IPS officers property is also being done. He has 4 hotels in Guwahati, 1600 bighas of land in Cachar district, an apartment complex in Dibrugarh and two flats in Mumbai among other properties, said GP Singh, ADGP (law and order). Based on this we will lodge a case with the anti-corruption department to know how he acquired these properties. We have also intimated the income tax department, enforcement directorate and department of revenue intelligence about this and asked them to probe, he added. Singh, who is overseeing the entire investigation, informed that efforts are underway to nab both Dutta and Dibon Deka and assured that they would be arrested within the next few days. We will be able to unearth the entire conspiracy only after both are arrested. Till now we know that Deka had arranged for the question paper for the mock test conducted at a Guwahati hotel. We need to establish the link between Deka and Dutta, he said. As per investigation, police have been able to establish that the leaked question paper which was circulating on Whatsapp and based on which the exam was cancelled had originated from PK Duttas mobile phone Following cancellation of the examination, the criminal investigation department (CID) had lodged a case under sections of 409 and 120B of IPC for criminal breach of trust by public servant and criminal conspiracy and 66B of IT Act and started investigations. We lodged a case on September 20 based on a complaint by Pradeep Kumar, chairman of state level police recruitment board (who has now voluntarily resigned), said Surender Kumar, IGP, criminal investigation department (CID). The CID conducted raids in Guwahati-based residences hotels and of a retired IPS officer Duttta, who is stated to have played a key role in the scam and is absconding for over a week now. We have recovered incriminating evidence related to the crime from those places including receipts of money taken from candidates, blank admission forms, 5.5 lakh, a pistol and over 1 kg gold ornaments etc., said Kumar. Simultaneously, crime branch of Guwahati police registered another case on September 20 based on information that some people were trying to take money from candidates for the post in lieu of giving them jobs. Based on investigation till now, 9 persons have been arrested till date. Six more persons have also been arrested in Nalbari district in connection with the case. Several separate investigations are underway in some other districts as well. Meanwhile, Congress MLA and leader of opposition in Assam assembly Debabrata Saikia has demanded an inquiry by a sitting judge of Gauhati High Court to probe all aspects of the scam and find out if there was any conspiracy to allow accused Dutta and Deka to abscond. Deka has not been convicted yet. If he is guilty, the law will take it own course and the party will also take action against him. The paper leak of the exam is not a scam but an anomaly, BJP chief spokesperson for Assam Rupam Goswami told journalists on Sunday. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON ABOUT THE AUTHOR Utpal Parashar Utpal is an assistant editor based in Guwahati. He covers all eight states of North-East and was previously based in Kathmandu, Dehradun and Delhi with Hindustan Times . ...view detail The health-care sector finds itself again at a political crossroads. Ahead of the U.S. election, President Donald Trump pledged to protect preexisting conditions by way of executive order even as the Republican Party tries to dismantle the Affordable Care Act through the courts. Democratic nominee Joe Biden, meanwhile, is looking to expand Medicaid and Medicare while protecting the ACA. The results of the election could have a major impact on different parts of the health-care sector, the second-largest weighting in the S&P 500, said Chantico Global CEO Gina Sanchez. Sanchez has analyzed the winners in two scenarios: a Trump victory and the GOP retaining control of the Senate; or a Biden victory and a Democratic sweep. Presuming a Republican win, "the GOP is determined to weaken the Affordable Care Act. The winners out of that are going to be the drugmakers and the insurers," Sanchez told CNBC's "Trading Nation" on Friday. "However, on the other side of the spectrum you see a Biden determination to increase equipment manufacturing, to increase testing and tracing, and sort of all of the elements that go with Covid, including novel therapies, and that would hugely benefit biotech. It would also benefit the equipment makers." Carving up the space using Sanchez's argument, a Trump and Republican win might benefit the IHE pharmaceuticals ETF and IHF health-care providers ETF. A Biden and Democratic win could benefit the IBB biotech ETF and IHI medical devices ETF. Craig Johnson, chief market technician at Piper Sandler, said that the IHI ETF should perform well heading into the election. "These stocks are the ones that are really outperforming," Johnson said during the same "Trading Nation" segment. "This index, it's at the upper end of a nice upward trending price channel. It looks like to us that we're just testing the lower end of this and we're going to continue to see great relative outperformance for the IHI." The IHI ETF, which includes stocks such as Abbott Laboratories and Thermo Fisher, has risen 10% this year, while the broader XLV health-care ETF has gained just 1%. The Eritrean government has released on bail more than 20 prisoners detained for years because of their faith, the BBC reports. Sources told the British broadcaster that the prisoners are from evangelical and Pentecostal denominations, some held at Mai Serwa prison outside the capital Asmara. Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) confirmed the news, putting the number released at 27. In 2002, Eritrea introduced a new law that forbids all churches except for Orthodox, Catholic, and Evangelical Lutheran ones. Sunni Islam is also officially recognised. The Horn of Africa nation is No. 6 on the Open Doors 2020 World Watch List of the 50 countries in which it is most difficult to live as a Christian. According to a religious freedom campaigner from Asmara but now based in North America, Hannibal Daniel, believers whod been in prison for up to 16 years have been freed on bail. A regional spokesperson for Open Doors International said that, for some time, the group had heard discussion that prisoners might be freed on bail due to the coronavirus pandemicas has happened in other countriesbut could not independently confirm the reports: If true, this could be quite significant. According to CSW sources, the group released consisted of 19 men and 8 women detained without charge or trial for 2 to 16 years. About 54 total releases were anticipated. However, CSW stated no detained church leaders were released, while a handful more were arrested in Asmara weeks before. It is a government strategy, stated CSW, quoting one of its sources. They cannot detain everybody, so they keep you for some time, hoping that you will become weak or frightened. Then they put in other people. They release and put other people in prison at the same time. The source estimates 300 Christians remain detained. The Eritrean government has not responded to BBC requests for confirmation or denial. Previously, its dismissed accusations of intolerance to religious freedom. In May 2019, a monitoring group for the UN said thousands of Christians are facing detention as religious freedom continue[s] to be denied in Eritrea and questioned why the UN was not monitoring the situation more closely. In June 2019, Reuters reported that more than 500,000 refugees worldwide have left Eritrea, up from 486,200 a year earlier. Many flee compulsory military service, but others flee political or religious persecution. That same month, the government seized all Catholic-run health clinics in the country, and arrested five Orthodox priests. These moves prompted the UN Special Rapporteur for human rights in Eritrea, Daniela Kravetz, to call on the government to uphold religious freedom for its citizens and release those who have been imprisoned for their religious beliefs. Image: World Watch Monitor In August 2019, Eritreas Orthodox patriarch, Abune Antonios, was accused of heresy and expelled by pro-government bishops of his church; he remained in detention throughout 2019. Antonios had been under house arrest since 2007, when he refused to comply with the regimes attempts to interfere with church affairs. The US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) labels Eritrea a Country of Particular Concern, stating: In 2019, religious freedom conditions in Eritrea worsened, with increasing interference in and restrictions on religious groups. In spite of the significant regional political changes and the 2018 peace agreement between Eritrea and Ethiopia, Eritrea continues to have one of the worst religious freedom records in the world, and has shown little interest in concretely improving the situation. The US State Department estimates there are between 1,200 and 3,000 prisoners held for their faith. USCIRF included some of those cases in its new Victims List. Some prisoners, such as the leader of the Full Gospel Church, have been in prison for more than 15 years. At least 150 Eritrean Christians were arrested by government officials during summer 2019, with some held in an underground prison made up of tunnels. For instance, on August 18, 2019, Eritrean security officials detained 80 Christians from Godayef, an area near Asmara airport. Four days later, on August 22, the United Nations observed its first annual commemoration of victims of religiously motivated violence. On this day, we reaffirm our unwavering support for the victims of violence based on religion and belief. And we demonstrate that support by doing all in our power to prevent such attacks and demanding that those responsible are held accountable, said UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. The Eritrean governments 2019 clampdown on evangelical Christians had begun in June 2019 when security officials arrested 70 members (among them 35 women and 10 children) of the Faith Mission Church of Christ, in Eritreas second city, Keren. These were taken to Ashufera prison, outside the city. The prison is a vast underground tunnel system, and conditions in which detainees are held are very harsh, a local source said. Its far from a main road, the source said, which means that anyone who wants to visit has to walk a minimum of 30 minutes to reach the entrance. Inmates are forced to dig additional tunnels when officers need extra space for more prisoners. After the 2019 arrests, government officials also closed the church-run school, said the local source, whose identity World Watch Monitor withheld for security reasons. The Faith Mission Church of Christ was the last church still open in the majority-Muslim city, 56 miles northwest of Asmara. Started over 60 years ago, the church once had schools and orphanages all over the country, according to CSW. The church had been waiting for registration since it submitted an application in 2002 when the government introduced the new law. This clampdown sent other Christians in Keren into hiding, the source said. While applauding the fact that people who were deprived of their liberty have regained their freedom, it is also important to recall that they were detained arbitrarily and without due process for excessive periods simply on account of their religious beliefs, said Mervyn Thomas, CSWs founding president. Moreover, these releases remain conditional, as they were secured by property deeds, leaving the guarantors vulnerable to losing their properties. Far more prisoners of conscience remain arbitrarily detained than have been released, and the fact that these releases were preceded by further arrests is indicative of an ongoing repression of the right to freedom of religion or belief, he said. CSW therefore continues to call for the immediate and unconditional release of prisoners detained arbitrarily, particularly in view of a pandemic that poses a risk to life for those still held in inhumane conditions. Additional reporting by Jeremy Weber NEW YORK, N.Y. -- Gov. Andrew Cuomo is keeping a close watch on increasing coronavirus cases in three areas in the state, including a cluster in Brooklyn, and warned Monday that the state could act on the takeover of local school districts if the circumstances justified it. All of this is subject to review by the State Department of Health and all of these activities, whether its running a restaurant or a bar or a school, are subject to the Department of Health making sure that its done safely in a way that is protecting the public health, Cuomo said during a call with reporters Monday. We have said as a benchmark, for example, statewide at 5%, we would close schools, thats a benchmark. We could act below 5% if the circumstances justified it, he said. Cuomos warning came on the heels of the New York Citys principals union on Sunday calling on Mayor Bill de Blasio to hand over control of city schools to the states Education Department. The Council of School Supervisors and Administrators (CSA) unanimously passed a vote of no confidence in de Blasio on Sunday, just days before many public schools are set to reopen for in-person instruction. De Blasio has said schools will not be able to reopen if the community transmission rate is above 3% on a seven-day rolling average, compared to the states 5% threshold. However, Cuomo said Monday that the coronavirus infection rate of the cluster in Brooklyn was 2.6%. I think New York City suggested 3%, but again, the state law governs here, Cuomo warned. But if you saw [3%, 4% or 5%] and troubling circumstances, then you could certainly act, he said. You could also act below that, if you saw what were seeing now, like this Brooklyn cluster. We have to get to the bottom of that, but the data is key and well act on the data. PRINCIPALS UNION WEIGHTS IN Cuomo said he understood the concerns of the citys principals' union and cautioned that if they are correct and there is a health concern then, yes, the state will act. So yeah, the state has jurisdiction over all these things, and weve exercised it in the past, as you know, and well do it again, Cuomo said. On Friday, de Blasio insisted the city wouldnt need to delay the start of in-person learning once again or switch to full remote learning. In-person learning for 3-K, pre-K and District 75 students began last week, while in-person learning for the remaining grade levels will return this week, starting on Tuesday. De Blasio said Friday all schools that reopened for in-person learning last week were sufficiently staffed. STAFFING ISSUES But staffing shortages have been a major setback in the citys plans for the start of in-person learning. The city was forced to push back the start of in-person learning earlier this month after school union leaders expressed concerns about the lack of staff in schools. Earlier this month, de Blasio announced the city had 4,500 teachers ready for in-person learning. However, United Federation of Teachers President Michael Mulgrew told the Daily News last week that between 6,000 and 7,000 extra teachers would be needed when middle and high schools open Thursday. On Friday, de Blasio refused to say how many more teachers would need to be hired to address the anticipated staffing shortages this week. On the New York City school reopening, we are going to be getting daily testing numbers, so well be able to tell on a day-to-day basis what is actually happening with the tests in New York City schools both for the teachers and the pupils, Cuomo said Monday. We all agree that its about educating our students, we want to get them back into school, but we want to do it safely and we all agree with that. Were looking at numbers in New York City that already pose challenges in clusters, that Brooklyn number, he said. So well get the numbers and well act prudently based on the numbers, but I get the concerns of the principals union and we will be watching the numbers very closely. FOLLOW SYDNEY KASHIWAGI ON TWITTER. Speaker of the National Assembly of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan today read the statement of the National Assembly addressed to the international community, condemning the military aggression unleashed by Azerbaijan against the Artsakh Republic on September 27, 2020. The statement reads as follows: The National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia strongly condemns the military aggression and large-scale armed attack unleashed by the Republic of Azerbaijan against the Artsakh Republic in the morning of September 27, 2020, which grossly violated the principle of resolving international disputes exclusively by peaceful means. These criminal actions by the military-political leadership of Azerbaijan, including the targeting of peaceful settlements with large-caliber weapons, indiscriminatory attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructures, as well as the previous aggression in Tavush in July 2020, constant belligerent and anti-Armenian rhetoric aimed at eviction of Armenians from Artsakh once again prove that the Azerbaijani government is a real threat to the existence of the Armenians of Artsakh, the security of the Artsakh Republic and the Republic of Armenia, the whole Armenian nation, as well as the security of the whole region. Therefore, all self-defense operations carried out by the Armenian Armed Forces are aimed at neutralizing this danger. Military actions against the civilian population - the elderly, children, women are prohibited not only by the international law, but in all civilizations, all world religions and confessions. The international community must take active measures to restrain Azerbaijani aggression as well as Turkish continuous aspirations to intervene in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict that will lead to the extreme destabilization in the region, posing a direct threat to international peace and security. Such kind of adventurism by Azerbaijan, carried out with the apparent support of Turkey, is a gross violation of international law, which must receive the targeted legal-political assessment by the international community. We urge our international partners to unequivocally condemn this aggression of authoritarian Azerbaijan against democratic Artsakh and call on international community to draw a distinction between hatred and humanity. The National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia reaffirms that the Armenian side remains committed to the peaceful settlement of the conflict within the framework of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs. At the same time, as the guarantor of the security of the Artsakh Republic, Armenia will not hesitate to take all the necessary measures to protect the security of the Artsakh Armenians as well as the expression of the will of self-determination. The statement was drafted by the three factions of the National Assembly and signed by Speaker of the National Assembly Ararat Mirzoyan, leader of the My Step faction Lilit Makunts, leader of the Bright Armenia faction Edmon Marukyan and secretary of the Prosperous Armenia faction Arman Abovyan. On September 27, the Armed Forces of Azerbaijan, in gross violation of the existing norms of international humanitarian law and the logic of the process of peaceful negotiations for a resolution of the conflict, used shells and aircraft and attacked along the entire length of the line of contact, targeting the military posts of the Defense Army and the peaceful settlements of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh). I recently wondered if we are living at the beginning of our own extinction. Texas and Louisiana were drowning. California, Oregon, Washington and Colorado burning. More than 200,000 Americans dead from COVID-19. Black people killed by police, immigrants in custody. A constitutional crisis this autumn? An inherent contradiction in an apocalypse is that if it is happening, you are powerless to stop it; at the same time, you have a moral obligation to try to stop it. There is, perhaps, no better example than the climate crisis. Climate scientists Anne Stoner and Katherine Hayhoe recently published a climate change forecast for the Houston area. According to the analysis, Houston has already experienced significant increases in temperature since 1950 because of climate change. Over the rest of the century, the region will see even longer summers, more days of 100-degree heat, hotter nights, more intense rainstorms and stronger hurricanes. A key aspect of the report is that nothing will stop the effects of climate change. Its already happening, and will continue; we can only reduce the effects. I asked Hayhoe, one of the scientists, how she talks about her projections for the future that seem so dim without discouraging people into inaction. This message should be empowering, which is that we have a choice to make, Hayhoe said. And our choice really does make a difference. Their analysis details various outcomes based on different pathways of emissions: a high emissions scenario and a low emissions scenario. The analysis details how the effects of climate change will differ if we reduce greenhouse gases in time under each. On HoustonChronicle.com: Houstons climate change forecast predicts longer summers, stronger hurricanes in city's future The way Hayhoe looks at it, reducing emissions is not for naught. In the same way that slowing the spread of a disease is not for naught, because saving more lives is inherently better than saving fewer lives. More time is better than less. Hayhoe acknowledges that the dice are loaded against us. But she still has faith in our ability to change. We can see the odds are stacked against us and keep playing to win. Even now, in 2020, while suffering feels endless, all around are rebuttals to the apocalypse. The stay-at-home orders of the pandemic have shown us how feelings of intimacy and isolation can co-exist. The George Floyd and Breonna Taylor cases have demonstrated how justice and injustices can happen in tandem. Each hurricane and wildfire proves we may drown and burn at the same time as we build and flourish. We can we must have faith in our capacity for change in the face of devastation and despair, even when it feels like a great contradiction. In May, a few months after the stay-at-home orders lifted, I began to reckon with one such contradiction: I hadnt seen my family in Colorado since January, and they really needed me. At the same time, experts were projecting the pandemic could go on for several more months, if not years. How could I both stay home and travel during the pandemic? Do my actions even matter? The most dangerous part of a crisis is believing that theres no chance of stopping it. That its all up to the system, or the elites, the Big Bad Corporations, The Left or The Right. We can lose faith in elections and maintain faith in democracy which requires us to vote. We can know that climate change is irreversible and that we still have time to prevent the worst effects which requires reducing emissions. So in May, I acknowledged the real and present danger of spreading COVID-19 across the country, but I decided to maintain faith in my personal power to prevent it. I packed up my car with a months worth of supplies and two days of food. Gloves and masks for stops at the gas station. Disinfectant wipes for surfaces. Sixteen hours later, I was in Fort Collins, Colo., where I quarantined with my family for a month before the long drive back to Houston. The idea that we dont have the power to effect change in the face of a global pandemic, global racism, a global climate crisis, is ironically what will ensure we dont. Our choices are not always about solving the massive, overwhelming problem. Sometimes, all we can do is hold ourselves accountable and not make the problem worse. In the long run, maybe that is the solution. erin.douglas@chron.com Twitter.com/erinmdouglas23 Reportage Properties is developing 10 projects that will provide about 4,000 housing units within strategic investment sites in Abu Dhabi and Dubai. The Emirati developer had recently organized a sales day at the Westin Dubai Marina Resort in Dubai, where 28 new housing units worth AED17 million across its Abu Dhabi and Dubai portfolio, were sold. Chief Commercial Officer Islam Ahmed Suleiman said the group's strong sales performance despite the challenges associated with Covid-19 pandemic, confirms the strength of the company's performance and the stability of the real estate sector in the UAE. The strong response from buyers, investors, brokerage firms and real estate marketing agencies for its projects at the Sales Day, represented clear indications of the recovery and improvement of activity in the real estate market, he added. Suleiman confirmed that it has registered solid sales at its "Rakan Tower project, being developed in cooperation with the Continental Investment in Dubailand area. RakanTower, which is set for handover by the last quarter of 2022, provides about 488 residential units. Studios prices start from Dhs280,000, one-room apartments start from Dhs390,000, and Dhs600,000 for the two-room apartment. Reportage said its Dubai projects includes Rakan Lofts 1, which includes 349 residential villas, and Rakan Lofts 2, which provides about 305 villas in addition to the "Alexis Tower" project in Downtown Jebel Ali in Dubai, which provides 378 housing Luxury units, with handover expected in the last quarter of 2022. Suleiman pointed out that Reportage has unveiled a special offer for its projects - under which buyers need to make 10% down payment followed by 1% monthly installment for 10 years. "During this period they will get to enjoy free maintenance, and also 25% discount on cash payment," he stated. Its Abu Dhabi projects include Al Raha Loft 1, which provides 178 housing units, and Al Raha Loft 2, which adds 124 residential units. Both projects,which locate in Al Raha Beach area are expected to be handed over during the first half of 2021. In Masdar City, Reportage is developing The Oasis Residence 1 project, which provides 612 apartments, and is expected to be handed over during the second quarter of 2021. Oasis Residence 2, which provides about 304 housing units, is expected to be handed over during the second quarter of 2022. There is also "The Gate" project, which provides about 463 apartments. The "Maria Vista" project is also being developed on Al Maryah Island in Abu Dhabi, and provides 786 housing units. It is scheduled to be handed over in mid2024. Last year, the company completed handing over the "Leonardo Residence" residential project in Masdar City, which provides 177 apartments.-TradeArabia News Service An Egyptian court ordered on Monday the renewed the detention of three suspects for 15 days pending investigation into what has come to be known in the media as the "Fairmont rape case." The three suspects identified as Ahmed Toulan , Amr Hussein and Khaled Hussein were initially detained pending investigation on Saturday. Toulan and the Hussein siblings, alongside other suspects, are accused of drugging and raping a woman in a suite at the Fairmont Nile City Hotel in Cairo following a dance party in February 2014. The three were extradited to Egypt by Interpol on Saturday after they were arrested in Lebanon. Lebanese authorities say that two other suspects in the case fled Lebanon before they could be apprehended. Two of the suspects in the case, which so far involves a total of nine suspects, were arrested earlier, including one suspect who was apprehended as he attempted to flee Egypt. Interpol is currently pursuing the remaining suspects, including the ex-husband of one of the main witnesses in the case who is currently believed to be in London, according to an Egyptian security source. One of the other suspects , the son of a well-known Egyptian businessman, is believed to have fled to a European country, the source said, adding that the remaining suspects had already left Egypt before the crime was reported to the prosecutor-general on 4 August. The case went viral in July on different social media platforms after an anonymous Instagram account published posts accusing a group of young men of being involved in a gang rape following a party at the hotel. Search Keywords: Short link: News Headlines Qatar Airways says gets $2.0 bln state aid after huge loss Kidneys were flown a record 10 miles across the Nevada desert by drone earlier this month, setting a record for unmanned aerial organ delivery. It comes after the first-ever successful drone delivery of an organ was completed last year, when a 44-year-old's new kidney over two miles in an unmanned drone from the Living Legacy Foundation organ distribution center to the University of Maryland Medical Center (both in Baltimore) on April 19. The latest drone organ delivery - completed by a MissionGo device - surpasses that historic flight by traveling five-times further. It was the second of two human tissue drone flights completed the same day, September 17. MissionGO and the Nevada Donor Network flew corneas two miles by drone, from one hospital to another, then flew research kidneys 10 miles from a remote airport to a town in the middle of the state's desert. The kidneys and corneas were not intended for transplant, but they arrived completely intact, and were deemed valuable to be implanted into a patient. With airlines in crisis and flights a pandemic scarcity, the flights could be an early signs that drones - not commercial flights - will be the future of organ transportation. Human kidneys for research were flown a record-setting 10 miles across the Nevada desert last week by the state's Donor Network and MissionGo 'The success of last weeks tests launches us into the future of organ transportation and will enable us to be even more successful in the coming years,' said Joe Ferreira, CEO and President of Nevada Donor Network. 'The work were doing now to maximize the gift of life and health can only be amplified with the services that MissionGO demonstrated. The future of organ donation and transplantation will be defined by innovation.' University of Maryland (UMD) doctors and engineers first worked together with MissionGo to create a custom drone that could carry an organ with perfect stability, while monitoring it and communicating with the teams on the ground. Every second counts during the transplantation process. Organs can only survive so long outside a human body. A kidney remains viable for 36 to 48 hours, while hearts or lungs can only last four to six hours. Delivery delays of a single hour, which are common, can make the difference between a viable and non-viable organ - and whether its intended recipient lives or dies. By cutting out the complications of freight and passenger planes and airports, the University of Maryland team wondered if an unmanned drone could money and precious time in the organ transplantation process. But the longer the journey, the more likely it becomes that something - rough air, or a faulty cooler - goes wrong, so proof that a longer-distance flight can go off without a hitch is crucial. For an organ transplant to be successful, so much has to be right. Donor and recipient have to have the same blood type, be around the same size and timing has to be perfect. The drone was equipped with a special, extra-stable cooler to keep the organs safe mid-air This leaves little room for error or delay. Yet, even after all of these factors are aligned, organs don't always make it to their destinations and their recipients. In fact, about 1.5 percent of organs don't get to their destinations. It's a small percentage, but it means that some 1,710 out of 114,000 people on the transplant list lose their organs to these issues. Last year, 2,700 kidneys were simply thrown away because they expired before they could be transplanted. In one frustrating incidence, a kidney slated for a a three to four hour trip from Atlanta to Baltimore was caught in transit and didn't reach its destination for 29 hours, Matthew Scassero, director of UMD's unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) programs told Dailymail.com following the team's first successful drone flight last year. Unmanned flights could help cut down on delays common when organs are transplanted on commercial flights. Delays often leave precious donor organs non-viable So he and project lead Dr Joseph Scalea wanted to try to tackle these delays using drones. The system uses the standard organ transportation box, but outfitted with a system they developed using the 'guts of a cell phone' to remotely track not just the location but the 'medical condition' of a flying organ, Scassero said. Scassero's team also designed a totally new drone to comply with Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) guidelines while incorporating multiple redundancies - back op rotors and a parachute - to come as close as possible to ensuring a traveling organ would remain viable no matter what happened. The team loaded a kidney up and flew it 2.8 miles in just under 10 minutes, from the Living Legacy Foundation organ distribution center to UMD Medical Center. 'We found it had less vibration and temperature variation than if we had put the kidney in other craft,' like ambulances or charter planes, Scassero said. A specially designed drone (pictured) flew a donated kidney over two miles in 10 minutes to be transplanted at University of Maryland in a world first last year 'It was maintained no matter what.' The organ drone made a smooth landing, and was successfully transplanted into a 44-year-old recipient who had spent the last eight years on dialysis. This maiden voyage was just a proof of concept and, but Scassero says that within two to three years it could be ready for common use for short distances. 'What we envision is a completely unmanned distribution system, where all the routes are programmed in and from the distribution center, you hit go and from that point until the drone arrives, it's all automated,' Scassero said. Now, the design has proven its mettle in the remote desert of Nevada, where flights are even fewer and further between than in relatively populous Maryland. Patients at rural hospitals face poorer odds of surviving and thriving life-threatening disease in general. Organ availability for those who might be saved by new kidneys or a new heart represents just one of many disparities between rural and urban Americans. But the drones could help to close that gap, providing transport where commercial flights aren't available to carry organs at a moment's notice. Stronger awareness and legislation for drone use are needed Two drones including one flown by a real-estate agent for promotional purposes caused five international flights to be diverted to Gimpo International Airport for landing. The five flights were one from Russia's S7 Airlines, and two cargo flights each from Asiana Airlines and American Airlines that were supposed to land at Incheon International Airport, but had to be rerouted due to the drone activity. The authorities were able to identify only one person flying the drones, which raises questions whether such "aircraft" will be manageable if they increase in number and Korea's airspace once again fills with flights once COVID-19 dies down. Drones have been promoted in the nation as one of the promising sectors of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. A related law was legislated last year and went into effect this May. There has been active use of drones recently to make deliveries to remote islands or mountainous areas, and even in fighting fires in a few localities. Flying drones for leisure is growing in popularity, and government statistics puts the number of registered drones at around 10,000. While there has been news in other countries of drones shutting down an airport runway, this is the first incident here of drones obstructing the operation of an international airport. There is a reason why drones are forbidden to fly within 9.3 kilometers of an airport's control tower: it is in order to prevent a massive accident. Small as they may be, any accident in the air can have ramifications for both aircraft and people on the ground. As for the real-estate agent, the authorities said he was allowed to return home with a warning. Currently, the maximum penalty for drone flyers who operate their devices within the 9.3-kilometer radius of a control tower is a 2 million won ($1,700) fine. We have to ask whether this is sufficient punishment against the backdrop of increasing drone traffic for those operating drones given that even the smallest mistake on their part could have major consequences. Amid the health crisis and ongoing trade tensions between major economies, Japans enterprises are looking to diversify their production lines and supply chains in multiple markets. Takeo Nakajima, chief representative of the Japan External Trade Organization spoke about the necessary steps Vietnam must take to be part of this journey. Takeo Nakajima, chief representative of the Japan External Trade Organization The Japanese government issued incentives of around 57.4 billion ($546 million) to support its businesses move away from China. How likely is it that there will be another package like this? After the initial financial incentives, with which our government supported businesses with a certain budget, it is unlikely that this will happen again. Instead, the Japanese state is aiming to support businesses in supply chain diversification by conducting surveys and giving advice to help them make the right investment decisions. What issues does Vietnam need to tackle to foster Japanese investment into the country? I think there are some points to be made here. In the medium term, Vietnam should improve on the rising labour costs and the imminent shortage of labour force in some sectors, as these are factors currently preventing some Japanese firms from expanding their production in the country. One solution could be to expand the training system for technical engineers and improve the legal framework to overcome the shortage of skilled labourers. Currently, Vietnams laws forbid overtime for some higher-skilled workers, while unskilled ones seem to work way more than initially agreed on. Moreover, Vietnam needs to improve its low localisation rate. For example, when a business needs to buy 100 products of a certain kind, often only 35 per cent can be acquired right here. Meanwhile, these rates can climb to 60 and 70 per cent in Thailand and China. With such a low localisation rate, it remains difficult for Japanese enterprises to source all needed components domestically. This, in turn, raises production costs unnecessarily. Furthermore, the country needs to guarantee the provision of high-quality electricity supply. This is especially important for manufacturing companies as power outages in the blink of an eye can cause machinery to operate incorrectly, leading to production failures and losses for the business. How can Vietnam attract more small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that want to diversify their supply chains? Apart from the already-mentioned localisation rate, Vietnam should further build up a consistent support system for overseas investors like those from Japan. To do so, policies should be directed towards businesses that are part of production chains for larger enterprises. When these huge companies take an interest in expanding their operations in Vietnam, they will entail a series of smaller satellite companies, mainly SMEs. Among these will be some of the leading Japanese SMEs who are looking to set foot into some of Vietnams many industrial parks. However, these parks currently also have some limitations that should be remedied, such as a lack of human resources and investment insecurities for foreign companies. How would you describe Japans supply chain in Vietnam now? Before the outbreak of the pandemic, 64 per cent of businesses said they would come to Vietnam to invest and produce goods for the domestic and export markets. However, currently, the pandemics development remains complicated, with the number of infections still rising. Therefore, our top priority should be to control the spread of the disease and mitigate its side effects. In the end, any firms investment plans will depend on the outcome of the fight against the pandemic. We conducted a survey in June and received heterogeneous answers from responding companies. Whereas the automotive sector generally said that a full recovery will take time, some firms operating in consumer goods were more optimistic and are expecting a faster recovery. So, where Japanese businesses currently stand depends largely on their industry, but most of Japans supply chain in Vietnam has certainly been affected by the health crisis. We highly appreciate Vietnams efforts and success in controlling the disease. So far, no Japanese company had to stop its production or cut down on its workforce. However, as exports have been stagnating, difficulties remain. We will further encourage large Japanese enterprises to expand their production lines in Vietnam to not only use the countrys advantages but also support local supply chains as well as cities and provinces. VIR Song Anh Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Defence Simon Coveney meets US Special Envoy to Northern Ireland Mick Mulvaney at Dept of Foreign Affairs, Iveagh House, Dublin this morning. Photo: Julien Behal Photography US PRESIDENT DONALD Trump's envoy to Northern Ireland, Mick Mulvaney, has said UK legislation that the EU and Irish Government believes undermines the Brexit deal is a "safety net". Mr Mulvaney said the British Government's Internal Market Bill only comes into effect if there's no trade deal between the UK and EU and both sides have a "mutual interest" in securing an agreement. He said he understands why people are questioning the British commitment to international agreements, but he doesn't believe it has undermined the US Government's confidence in the UK's ability to maintain international commitments. Read More Mr Mulvaney - formerly Mr Trump's White House Chief of Staff - was speaking as he visits Ireland for meetings with politicians on both sides of the border where Brexit and protecting the Good Friday Agreement are top of the agenda. He met with Taoiseach Micheal Martin, Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney and Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald and has further engagements in the North. The UK Government has admitted that the Bill breaks international law and the EU and Ireland have called for measures in the legislation to be withdrawn. During his meeting with Mr Mulvaney, Mr Coveney emphasised Ireland's "real concern" at the current approach of the UK Government and the importance of implementing the Withdrawal Agreement and Irish protocols in full. Mr Mulvaney met the UK's Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis last night. He said he's satisfied with Mr Lewis's argument that the Internal Market Bill is a contingency plan. "That it is a safety net and would only become relevant if there is no underlying larger EU-UK agreement." He said the Bill is still "relevant" in the absence of an EU-UK deal on their future relationship and attention on the issue is "appropriate". Amid the controversy over the Bill have been warnings from senior Democratic Party politicians about the prospect of the United States doing a trade deal with the UK if the Good Friday Agreement isn't protected. Mr Mulvaney said: "some American lawmakers would be well served to sort of take a half a step back and look at it with cool heads and realise that it is not an immediate threat to the Good Friday Agreement." He added: "It's not an immediate threat to the reinstitution of a hard border. "Could it play a role in moving in that direction? "Yes, which is why I'm here to reflect my Government's commitment to the Good Friday Agreement." Mr Mulvaney said politicians in the UK and Ireland still believe there can be a trade deal between Britain and the EU. He suggested that an extension of the Brexit transition period beyond the end of 2020 to allow more time for trade talks would only delay an agreement. "Generally speaking, I'm against extending deadlines for the sake of giving people more time to work things out. The pressure sometimes encourages people to do the right thing," he said. Mr Mulvaney said that Mr Trump and all arms of the US Government are concerned about protecting the Good Friday Agreement. He said that he believes the UK Government is "intimately familiar" with the fragility of the Peace Process in the North and he pressed Mr Coveney today on whether the EU shared an awareness of the risks of re-imposing a hard border. He said one of Mr Coveney's assistants told a Portuguese minister raised the issue of post-Brexit fishing rights and impact of Brexit on the Good Friday Agreement. The Portuguese minister said that the issue of the price of fish is "not as important as peace in Ireland." Mr Mulvaney said the British and Irish Governments "get it" when it comes to the risk to peace. "I was concerned as to whether or not the Europeans understood the importance of the Good Friday accords and the peace that it has bought. "And I think I will leave with from this visit saying that they absolutely do and that is encouraging to me." He predicted a trade deal will be struck between the EU and UK before Britain reaches a similar agreement with the United States. He said both the UK and EU realise "the stakes are too high" and "there's a mutual interest in getting something done by the end of the year." The farmer agitation is on the boil through the length and breadth of the country, its long-term consequences a lot less visible now, but one that can scarcely be underestimated. The All India Kisan Sangarsh Coordination Committee (AIKSCC), the countrys largest pan-India umbrella organisation comprising 250 farmer federations, is at the forefront of this stir. According to its convenor, VM Singh, the central government has gone ahead with legislating the farm bills without so much as talking to farmers unions and associations. ``This is an all-out attempt to put agriculture in the hands of corporates. The countrys food security cannot be handed over to multinationals and private companies, he told this writer. The government on September 20, brushing aside the demands of the opposition parties to refer to three farm bills The Farmers Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020, the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020 and the Essential Commodities (amendment) Bill, 2020 to a select committee of the House for scrutiny and examination, passed them by a voice vote despite opposition MPs asking for a division, i.e. a recorded vote which the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) clearly was not in a position to win. The Farmers Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) bill allows farmers to bypass the Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) regulated markets and will lead to the formal sector beginning to engage with the farmers directly on a long-term basis, while the Agreement on Price Assurance bill strengthens the farmers bargaining power by laying out the model terms for an agreement with a buyer of farm produce. The Essential Commodities Act was enacted decades ago to stop hoarding. States could decree stock limit for traders and prevent them from moving goods across the states. In practice, it also hit the farmers. They were not protected when prices of onions or potatoes fell but were prevented from reaping the gains when profits rose. The amendment will help farmers when prices rise. That remains the governments position. Also Read: Tractor set ablaze at Delhi's India Gate during protests against farm bills Critics say that the bills were neither referred to the concerned department-related parliamentary standing committees nor to the select committee of the Rajya Sabha, as suggested by opposition parties. Long simmering protest Farmers have been opposing the bills, even before they were taken up in the Parliament, indicating a distinct degree of public resentment. VM Singh says that the first call against these ordinances, issued in June, were given by his organisation on August 9, with the slogan `remove the corporates and save the farmers call. He believes that while the call of `One Country-One Market sounds fine in theory, it is inherently flawed in a nation where 85 percent of farmers hold no more than 2-3 acres of land. He thinks that the fragmented holdings of farmers make them ill-equipped to participate in a free market setting. There is little doubt that farming is no longer an attractive proposition. Surveys reveal that 42% of farmers want to quit because of decreasing options. Between 1970-71 and 2015-16, the number of farms more than doubled from 71 million to 145 million while the average farm more than halved from 2.28 hectares to 1.08 hectares. To buttress his argument, Singh gives the example of the maize crop this year. The bills may have been passed and made into an Act now, but the ordinances on these were promulgated on June 5, 2020, and the moment an ordinance is issued, it is a law. Thereafter, we had the maize crop coming during July and August. The minimum support price (MSP) declared by the government for maize was Rs 1,760 per quintal and this year it is Rs 1,850 per quintal. Yet, the government did not procure any grain and maize was being sold at less than Rs 1,000 per quintal ranging between Rs 700 and Rs 900 a quintal across Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Rajasthan. According to him, the new law was in place and the shackles were removed with the ordinance and the farmers could have sold in any market but no one did so because they did not have the resources or the means to transport the produce, a vast majority of them being small farmers. The rationale behind the stir Singh argues that even though the MSP was in force the government did not intervene and procure the grain. Compare this with those who would have ended up buying the entire maize produce of 285 metric tonnes at throwaway prices, while making huge gains selling in markets that fetched high prices. To Singh, this has only one meaningthose with means stand to gain. There is also controversy about MSP, with some political leaders claiming that the new bills mean the end of government procurement. The government says they cannot do away with procurement or else how will they get grains for ration shops? For Singh, however, the farmers can only benefit ``if there is a guarantee that produce will have to be bought at any price above the MSP with MSP being the true base price. According to him, it is very important that such a guarantee is enforced in the form of a legislation, as it is missing in the current farm bills. Just how seriously is the ruling party going to treat this growing farmer unrest? Even before the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, analysts had predicted that dissatisfied farmers would vote out Narendra Modi, but it did not happen that way. ``Well, the 2019 polls were won on the nationalistic platform. The farmers, who constitute most voters in this country, supported the BJP. In a typical village, one brother tills the land while the other joins the army. This support will not come again, if the government forces the unpopular laws down their throats, he asserts. Singhs warning is ominous. The momentum is building against these bills through which the Modi government is taking the farmers for a ride. We are not fools to be taken in by the governments marketing propaganda, he asserts. Ranjit Bhushan is a senior journalist based in Delhi. He also refuted the charge that Congress is instigating the farmers. ``If the Congress was that smart, it would not be sitting in the opposition. If they had fulfilled promises made to the farmers, they would not be where they are now, says Singh, warning that there is going to be no let up in the agitation ahead. A Dublin man who assaulted and threatened to kill his former partner has avoided a jail term. An appeal by the DPP against a 33-month suspended sentence, on grounds of undue leniency, was rejected by the Court of Appeal. Eddie Farnan (38) formerly of Swiftbrook Park, Tallaght, Dublin, had pleaded guilty to one count of assault on his then partner, Lisa Power, at their home on June 2, 2017 and a separate count of threatening to kill or seriously harm her. Farnan, a father of four, also pleaded guilty to a third charge of criminal damage during the same incident. In October 2019, Dublin Circuit Criminal Court fully suspended a sentence of two years and nine months imposed on Farnan. The court heard that a row broke out between the couple on June 1, 2017 after Farnan claimed Ms Power was seeing her ex-husband. Farnan spent that night in his mothers home but, when he returned the following morning, he grabbed his partner by the back of her head and dragged her through the house. At one point, he placed her hands around her neck and held her up against kitchen presses, demanding to know who owned their daughter. The daughter was in the house at the time. Ms Power told Farnan that he was the childs father and begged to be let go. However, he replied that she would not leave the house alive. During the incident, Farnan threw a kitchen chair and dolls pram at Ms Power and tried to choke her. Covering her mouth, Farnan said she would be dead in seconds. During a struggle where he dragged her to the floor, he stated it would be easy to rip her arms off or to break them. He also smashed cups in the kitchen and proceeded to hit himself in the face and bang his head off doors. Ms Power eventually managed to flee the house with her daughter and took refuge in a neighbours house. Gardai had to use pepper spray to restrain Farnan after he became verbally abusive when they called to the house to arrest him. Counsel for the DPP, Barry Ward BL, had argued the decision to fully suspend Farnans sentence was unduly lenient given all of the details of the case. However, George Burns BL, for Farnan, said Judge OConnor had suspended the sentence due to what she had described as an enormous amount of rehabilitation by Farnan. Mr Burns said the imposition of a custodial sentence some 20 months after Farnan had started his first residential programme to treat his addiction problems, and at a time when he was fully engaging with all relevant services, would involve a great hardship. The court heard Farnan had suffered from the death of two of his brothers through addiction and murder, as well as being subjected to further childhood trauma. Outlining the Court of Appeals ruling, Ms Justice Una Ni Raifeartaigh, with Mr Justice George Birmingham and Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy, said the sentencing judge was faced with a real dilemma between an appallingly violent offence and fruitful efforts by Farnan to rehabilitate himself from a life-long problem of substance misuse. Ms Justice Ni Raifeartaigh said Farnan would undoubtedly have received a substantial custodial sentence if one was to focus heavily on the gravity of the offence and on sending out a strong message that domestic violence incidents against women would be heavily punished. However, the judge said an alternative focus might find that Farnans substantial efforts to address deep-seated problems might be undone if he was sent to prison. She said Judge OConnor had been guided by a probation report which noted Farnan had made substantial progress in self-rehabilitation but could benefit from further work outside of a prison setting. Ms Justice Ni Raifeartaigh said a striking feature of the case was not only the substantial steps Farnan had taken, but the depth and complexity of the challenges he faced before he had started the process of rehabilitation. The Court of Appeal said it was difficult to understand why the DPP claimed the case warranted a custodial sentence when it had decided that Farnan should only face a charge of assault, rather than assault causing harm. It ruled that the sentencing judge was within her range of discretion to decide the mitigating factors in Farnans favour were sufficiently exceptional to warrant a non-custodial sentence, notwithstanding the brutal nature of his offences. Ms Justice Ni Raifeartaigh admitted the court had hesitated about its decision given the impact on the victim. However, she said that Judge OConnor had not trespassed into the zone of undue leniency. Michelle Buteau is 'just exhausted' but as funny as ever in her new special Welcome to Buteaupia Michelle Buteau: Welcome to Buteaupia Exclusive Clip Like most of us, Michelle Buteau has felt isolated during the 2020 pandemic. The New Jersey-bred comic and host of Netflix's The Circle just wants to vent, but since you last saw her in BET's First Wives Club reboot or Akwafina Is Nora From Queens there has been no real way to connect with her "ride-or-dies" who've known her since her talking head days on VH1. "I'm just exhausted," Buteau tells EW ahead of her Netflix special Michelle Buteau: Welcome to Buteaupia (out Tuesday). "We have learned through COVID-19 guidelines that we can connect in different ways, and I hope my material does that." Buteau shot the special on March 1 of this year at Sony Hall in New York City, a personal day for a personal special. It was her grandmother's birthday. Buteau lights up when she remembers her childhood vacations in Jamaica to visit her grandma. A dose on nostalgia for an uncertain time we're in now. "Even though COVID was like, mentioned, [before filming the special] we just had no idea. So I really do feel like my grandma was looking out for me on the other side to get that check!" Buteaupia is a journey through the mind of Buteau, a fast yet steady voyage that includes a hilarious encounter with Jennifer Lopez involving them having the same birthday and an intimate lesson in the word "swaffling" (check your local Urban Dictionary). "I always have the most fun when I'm my truest self," she says. Marcus Price/NETFLIX The special does go into some darker places, which Buteau spins into lightness with her humor. "When youre going through something so traumatic, I feel like you cant properly talk about it until you digest it and youre on the other side of it. And then you can find the funny in it. Whether its a health issue or whatever it is," she says. Buteau, even when at her silliest, takes time in her special to interrogate aspects of her life. In the exclusive clip above, she ever so slightly questions her relationship with her husband, Dutch photographer Gijs van der Most. Story continues "I'm his sassy American wife. And he's this very polite white Dutch dude. I don't understand him sometimes. I feel like he doesn't understand the nuance of an American husband," she says candidly in the clip. "I'm from Jersey, and he thinks I sound aggressive all the time. That's his thing. I'll be making breakfast and, I swear to god, I feel like he just hears DMX." Buteau dives deeper in detail on her backstory in her upcoming book, Survival of the Thickest: Essays (out Dec. 8). "Since I started talking about things like IVF, or like being married to a European and being stuck in the confines of what the American government is right now, people have said to me, I feel less alone. I feel seen. I'm just like, 'Oh, that's right. That's the power in words and connecting with people,'" Buteau explains. One connection she adamantly wants to make is with voters. "Please think outside of yourself for five minutes," she pleads. "Just think about what world you'd want to see your child grow up in. I really had to just unfriend people who were just like, 'I'm not political.' Well, it's not about you at this point." Michelle Buteau: Welcome to Buteaupia premieres on Netflix on Sept. 29. Related: New Delhi: Hailing Goods and Services Tax (GST) as a landmark step in economic reforms, the pre-Budget Economic Survey on pitched for including land and other immovable property the key source of black money creation in the indirect tax regime to help propel GDP growth to 8-10 per cent. "The GST will create a common Indian market, improve tax compliance and governance, and boost investment and growth; it is also a bold new experiment in the governance of India's cooperative federalism," the Survey said. It went on to term the constitutional bill that enabled GST as "transformational" but rued that there was not enough pressure from the states to keep the GST rates low and simple to make the indirect tax regime efficient and effective. "It appears that the GST will probably be implemented later in the fiscal year," the pre-Budget document said. "The transition to the GST is so complicated from an administrative and technology perspective that revenue collection will take some time to reach full potential." Combined with the government's commitment to compensating the states for any shortfall in their own GST collections (relative to a baseline of 14 per cent increase), the outlook must be cautious with respect to revenue collections. "The fiscal gains from implementing the GST and demonetisation, while almost certain to occur, will probably take time to be fully realised," it said. Also, concerns about ensuring low tax rates for essentials risks creating an unduly complicated structure with multiple and excessively high peak rates, thereby foregoing large services efficiency gains, it said. "Over the medium run, the implementation of the GST, follow-up to demonetisation, and enacting other structural reforms should take the economy towards its potential real GDP growth of 8 per cent to 10 per cent," the document said. The Survey said, "A GST with broad coverage to include activities that are sources of black money creation land and other immovable property should be implemented." Also, the introduction of GST offers an excellent opportunity to rationalise domestic indirect taxes so that they do not discriminate in the case of apparels against the production of clothing that uses man-made fibers, and in the case of footwear against the production of non-leather based footwear (if there is such a discrimination). "While strictly not an instrument of redistribution, even the design of the GST reveals the underlying tensions," it said, adding the political pressures from the states to keep rates low and simple resulting in an efficient and effective GST were minimal. Apart from the general desire to ensure that the future structure of rates would mimic the complicated status quo, much of the focus was on ensuring that rates on essentials were kept low and on luxuries kept sufficiently high with insufficient concern for the implied consequences for efficiency and simplification. "The lack of such pressures especially from the states was surprising since they were guaranteed compensation by the Centre," it said. "Evidently, even a dream combination of being able to trumpet low taxes without suffering revenue losses was not considered politically attractive." The subordinate services (group B) prelims exam has been scheduled for 11 October, after being postponed four times since April MPSC prelims 2020: Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC) on Monday released the MPSC 2020 admit card on its official website. Candidates who had applied for the MPSC exam can download the admit card from mpsc.gov.in. MPSC will conduct its subordinate services (group B) prelims exam on 11 October, 2020. The exam was initially scheduled to be held in April, but got rescheduled to June. After reviewing the COVID-19 situation, the exam was further pushed to 13 September. However, since NEET was also scheduled on the same day, the Commission decided to postpone the exam, with officials stating that it will not be possible to hold both exams on the same day due to the COVID-19 crisis. Over 2.5 lakh candidates are expected to appear for the MPSC prelims this year. Here's how to download the MPSC prelim exam admit card: Candidates need to first visit the official MPSC website. Once there, they need to click on the link that says "MPSC Subordinate Services (Group B) Prelims Admit Card 2020." After logging in, a new window will appear where candidates will have to click on the 'My Account Section'. Applicants will have to check the 'Competitive Exam' Tab and choose the year and the post of MPSC State Service Examination 2020, following which, the admit card will be displayed. Candidates need to download and save the PDF for a print out. Carrying the hall ticket on the day of the examination is mandatory. MPSC had released a recruitment notification for Maharashtra Subordinate Services Non-gazetted Group-B Combined Preliminary Examination 2020 in February to fill 806 vacancies. Of the total vacancies, 475 posts are for Police Sub Inspector Post, 52 for Assistant Section Officer Post and 64 for State Tax Inspector Post. Those who clear the prelims will be able to appear for the Mains. The MPSC prelims exam will have two subjects General Studies and Civil Services Aptitude Test (CSAT). The exam will be bilingual (Marathi and English) and will comprise of multiple choice questions (MCQs). Each subject will be of 200 marks and negative marking will be there. An additional portion of the English countryside amounting to 400,000 hectares will be under protection by the year 2030, according to UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, as support for nature's recovery. UK's Pledge to the UN UK's prime minister will announce this commitment at a virtual event to be sponsored by the United Nations. There will be a worldwide pledge, including the UK's, be committed by 65 leaders to reverse the losses of the environment, also by 2030. In England, 26 percent of the total land is allocated to national parks, protected areas, and other AONB's or Areas with Outstanding Natural Beauty. Boris Johnson promised the government that this land will be increased, with a total of 30% of the land to become protected areas by the said year, a decade from now. According to the government, it will work together with landowners and the governments of Northern Ireland, Wales, and Scotland, to be able to fulfill this promise all over the UK. READ: Amazon Fires in Pantanal Threaten Jaguars and Reserves Targets for Biodiversity and Nature Funding Boris Johnson is expected to sign, together with other leaders, the United Nations' Leaders' Pledge for Nature. This pledge has commitments for prioritizing the green recovery of various countries in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. It is a plan to deliver lofty biodiversity targets and put more funds for nature's renewal and rehabilitation. According to Johnson, the signatory countries should concretize their words into real action and unite in accomplishing ambitious targets and binding goals. The Need for Immediate Action Johnson is set to say that delaying is not a luxury that anyone can afford, since the loss of biodiversity is already happening. It is occurring at a frighteningly fast rate. His speech will emphasize that the consequences will be catastrophic for everyone if the loss is not stopped now. He will declare that the extinction of species is permanent so that the action of countries should be immediate. READ ALSO: EU Plans to Have 3 Billion Trees Planted by 2030, Other Strategies to 'Bring Nature Back Into Our Lives' A Welcome Development The pledge is a rare top-level commitment coming from world leaders on saving nature. There have been many climate change deals among world leaders in the past, but the commitment level for this pledge is a rarer occurrence. Need for Concrete and Action Environmentalists supported the announcement, but they also declare that the need to protect is urgent, since the Earth is covered by housing, roads, farmland, and railways. They also say that the Prime Minister should set the example as a leader. They emphasize that roughly 50% of existing UK SSSI's or Sites of Scientific Special Interest lack proper funding and are in dire condition. They also cite the delay or inaction regarding the Environment Bill's wildlife protection measures. According to campaigners, if the UK is serious about caring for nature, it should not go through with trade deals that damage wildlife and stop food imports that damaged the environment in their countries of origin. An example is beef importation from cattle raised in the Amazon rainforest. According to global conservation director of RSPB Martin Harper, UK's commitment is commendable, but should not stop on paper. He said the pledges set ten years ago did not succeed because they were not followed up with real action. The same sentiment was expressed by The Wildlife Trusts chief executive Craig Bennett. Thus, the commitment by the UK and Boris Johnson for the English countryside will come under scrutiny in the next decade. READ NEXT: New Five-Year Carbon Market Pilot Program Gives Conservation Funding for Land Trusts Check out more news and information on Conservation on Nature World News. The Air Force just wound up a major upgrade on its B-1B Lancer fleet that took eight years to complete. The service announced that it finished the Integrated Battle Station, or IBS, modification earlier this month on 60 of the 62 long-range bombers in its inventory. Two aircraft are routinely reserved for testing operations. To keep the Lancer viable in the future battlespace, the Air Force initiated IBS, likely the largest and most complicated modification the bomber will see in the near term -- in 2012. The B-1 fleet is expected to be fully retired by 2036. Read Next: Army Announces Fall Deployments to Afghanistan and Korea Roughly 120 maintainers working in shifts executed 1,050,000 hours of planned work at the Oklahoma City Air Logistics Complex at Tinker Air Force Base to give "the flight deck a whole new look," according to a service news release. "This upgrade drastically improves aircrew situational awareness with color displays, and enhanced navigation and communication systems are projected to significantly enhance B-1B mission readiness," Lt. Col. James Couch, 10th Flight Test Squadron commander, said in the release. "All aircraft outfitted with the Integrated Battle Station modification enhancements provide the four members of the aircraft with much greater 'battlefield' awareness of surrounding threats, whether those threats are air-to-air or ground-to-air, and provides a much faster capability to execute both defensive and offensive maneuvers needed in any conflict," Rodney Shepard, 567th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron director, added in the release. In 2017, the upgrade was more than half done, with 33 planes converted to the new system. The modifications targeted three developmental programs for the bomber: the central integrated test system, a fully integrated data link, and the vertical situation display upgrade, according to officials who spoke with Military.com at the time. The central integrated test system, or CITS, works as a diagnostic and recording system to give crew more information in flight, as well as diagnostic information for maintainers on the ground, Master Sgt. Brian Hudson, a B-1 avionics manager at Air Force Global Strike Command, explained during an interview in 2017. The plane is already outfitted with the Joint Range Extension Applications Protocol, known as JREAP, which extends tactical data link communications over long-distance networks. But the Fully Integrated Data Link, or FIDL, gives "the addition of Link 16, so really what FIDL [does] is to add Link 16 and integrate with beyond-line-of-site JREAP, and merge those two together and push that information onto the displays inside a cockpit," added Maj. Jeremy Stover, B-1 program element monitor and instructor weapons systems officer, in 2017. Link 16 supports digital exchange of imagery and data in near-real time with aircraft, ships and some ground vehicles. The total program cost for the IBS upgrade is estimated at $1.1 billion, officials said. "Big thanks to the team at Tinker for doing a remarkable job retooling the B-1 and getting it back in the fight," Gen. Tim Ray, the AFGSC commander, said in the release following the completion of the program. "The work the B-1 and our Airmen are doing is a great example of how we're making a huge impact on Dynamic Force Employment to support the National Defense Strategy. These modifications have revitalized the B-1 for the high-end fight, allowing our precision strike force to remain strategically predictable but operationally unpredictable." During the Air Force Association's virtual Air, Space and Cyber conference earlier this month, Ray said the readiness of the bomber fleet is improving, and its recovery and maintenance are well ahead of schedule, thanks to concentrated resources dedicated to bringing the workhorse airframe out of its previous abysmal state. "[The Lancer is] probably six or seven months ahead of where we thought it would be," he said Sept. 16. "On any given day, I probably can fly well over 20 of the B-1s," Ray said, referencing the fleet's mission-capable rate, or the ability to fly at a moment's notice to conduct operations. Within the last year, the airframe has endured frequent inspections and time compliance technical orders, or TCTOs, which often mandate modifications, comprehensive equipment inspections or installation of new equipment. The additional maintenance was necessary after the service overcommitted its only supersonic heavy payload bomber to operations in the Middle East over the last decade; the repeated deployments caused the aircraft to deteriorate more quickly than expected, Ray said last year. The Air Force wants to downsize its Lancer fleet by 17 aircraft. In its 2021 fiscal budget request, it asked lawmakers to divest bombers that need repeated structural work, which will cost the service more in upkeep than modernization efforts, officials have said. -- Oriana Pawlyk can be reached at oriana.pawlyk@military.com. Follow her on Twitter at @Oriana0214. Related: START Lanced the B-1's Nukes, But the Bomber Will Still Get New Bombs Critics of the government believe that a protracted COVID crisis and its impact on the economy might give the opposition a chance to send the government packing. In Magyar Hang, Attila Tibor Toth, a centrist analyst and a strong critic of the government suggests that the opposition could not realistically hope to win the elections in 2022, were it not for the coronavirus pandemic. Crises usually play into the hands of the opposition and represent a threat to governments, he writes. He recalls the financial crunch of 2008 which not only brought down the governing left wing but led to the landslide victory of Fidesz in 2010, and subsequently to what he calls a new regime. Now, Toth continues, the coronavirus pandemic and the economic crisis accompanying it will be just as severe a challenge to that new regime. Whats more, things will not be back to normal by 2022 and increasing unemployment, poverty as well as the pain of those who lose loved ones might stir anger against the government. The analyst remarks however that the first wave of the pandemic and the ensuing lockdown had no such political impact. In fact, the opposition narrative of sweeping misery was not credible, since people were much better off than 10 years before. In addition, the government launched some popular measures, like the moratorium on debt repayment. But the more protracted the pandemic becomes, he argues, the more difficult it will be for the government to satisfy peoples need of existential security. Nevertheless, given the relative weakness of the opposition, Toth believes crisis management by the government would have to be extremely disappointing to enable opposition forces to win the elections. In a somewhat similar vein, Jelens Zoltan Lakner looks for a historical precedent in the great depression of 1929 which brought down Count Istvan Bethlen, one of Hungarys most successful prime ministers after 10 years in government without any serious challenge. Lakner thinks crises represent a chance to governments to prove their competence and efficiency, and Prime Minister Orban has proved both over the past 10 years in tackling the red sludge catastrophe just a few months into his first term, and then the floods three years later. Those however, the commentator warns, were difficult but short-term challenges. A protracted pandemic which can only be mitigated by imposing severe restrictions on peoples activities might result in much more difficult problems, Lakner argues. The longer the crisis lasts, the less credible the governments claim that they are the only ones who can guarantee a safe and secure life to the population. All this, he admits, will not automatically bring down the government, but its rule will be more fragile over the forthcoming months than ever before, he concludes. 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 At a time when the contentious farm Bills have created a political sandstorm in the country, as many as 32 ex-bureaucrats, including former finance, banking and defence secretaries, have backed the bills, terming their passage in the as a "watershed moment". "The farm Bills passed by the is a watershed moment in the liberation of India's farming community from the shackles of the exploitative practices that slow pedalled their progress," said a statement issued by the that was informally released by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The statement went on to call the farm Bills a "definite gamechanger in the lives of Indian farmers" and termed the legislation as "far-sighted". "Major impediments which retarded the seamless growth of the farming fraternity of India are given the go by the passage of these monumental acts," said the statemnet. Those backing the farm Bills included former Finance Secretary S. Narayan, former Banking Secretary D.K. Mittal, former Defence Secretary G. Mohan Kumar and former Petroleum Secretary Saurav Chandra, among others. Putting forward a five-point argument, which included MSP and freedom to sell farm produce, the former termed the agitation by the as "objectionable". The statement came at a time when sveral political parties, including the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), Congress, DMK, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and Trinamool Congress, among others, are vehemently protesting the bills. "Despite categorical assurance from the Union Agriculture Minister that the minimum support price (MSP) mechanism shall remain as before, it is objectionable to incite the and create disaffection in their minds by wrongly suggesting that their interests are being bartered in favour of multinational concerns," the statement said. The claimed that the legislations will instead free the of their "sufferings" which are caused by "inadequate local marketing facilities, leading to their exploitation by 'middlemen'. "The farmers have nothing to lose if India is developed as one market and private parties purchase their products," the bureaucrats said. Calling the legislations "historic", the bureaucrats expressed their apprehension about a pan-India "disinformation" campaign over the issue. Citing that there have been "recent instances of untruths", the former bureaucrats said, "The general public has every reason to suspect attempts by well-known vested interests to destabilise the country and create disaffection among the minorities, students and farmers." "We strongly support the well-meaning efforts of the government in bringing succor to the farming community which has fed the nation over the years, converting India from a food deficit to a food surplus economy," they said. The three farm Bills passed by the are the Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020; The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020; and Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill, 2020. --IANS abn/arm (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) (Newser) If two Florida men weren't already aware that flashing a laser at a pilot in flight is a felony in the state, they definitely are now. Police say two men were arrested in two days last week for pointing lasers at the Volusia Sheriffs Office Air One helicopter, reports the Miami Herald. On Tuesday, 29-year-old Ryan Hutton was arrested on a boat for allegedly pointing a laser at the helicopter while it was on a burglary call, ClickOrlando reports. The pilot said the laser beam hit him in the right eye, blinding him for three to five minutes. Hutton, who was released on $5,000 bond, claimed he thought the police helicopter was a drone. story continues below The following night, 60-year-old Gregory Marr was arrested after shining a laser at the helicopter at it searched for a suspect who had fled during a traffic stop, police said in a Facebook post. The helicopter's crew directed deputies to Matt's location. He was arrested and freed on $1,500 bond. "Not only did his dangerous and stupid actions divert our search for the fleeing suspect, but shining a laser at a helicopter could have caused the helicopter to crash by blinding the pilot," police said. (Read more Florida stories.) BRUSSELS - Britain entered a crucial week of post-Brexit talks with the European Union on Monday by rejecting the EUs demand that it drop plans to breach the legally binding agreement it signed on its departure from the bloc. The EU told British Prime Minister Boris Johnson to brace for a legal fight. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 28/9/2020 (481 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. An anti Brexit protester blows a whistle as the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Michael Gove leaves the third meeting of the EU-UK Joint Committee outside EU headquarters in Brussels, Monday, Sept. 28, 2020. Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Michael Gove on Monday met with Vice-President of the European Commission in charge of Inter-institutional relations and Foresight Maros Sefcovic, while EU chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier joined by videoconference. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco) BRUSSELS - Britain entered a crucial week of post-Brexit talks with the European Union on Monday by rejecting the EUs demand that it drop plans to breach the legally binding agreement it signed on its departure from the bloc. The EU told British Prime Minister Boris Johnson to brace for a legal fight. The EU insisted that abiding by every last detail of the international treaty that regulated the U.K.'s departure on Jan. 31 was key to maintaining trust and hopes of salvaging a rudimentary trade deal in the next few weeks. After a short meeting between the two sides in Brussels, U.K. Brexit planning minister Michael Gove said Britain wouldn't withdraw its Internal Market Bill, which includes clauses to override parts of the Brexit withdrawal treaty. Those clauses will remain in that bill as a safety net in case the U.K. and the EU don't reach a trade agreement, Gove said. The EU renewed its threat to take legal action if the U.K. doesn't drop the bill, which is currently passing through Parliament. We are considering all legal options available to us," European Commission Vice-President Maros Sefcovic said. The rift means that talks between the two sides' trade negotiators will begin Tuesday under an ominous cloud. Britain and the 27-nation bloc have just weeks to strike a deal before a post-Brexit transition period runs out on Dec. 31. Both sides stand to lose hundreds of thousands of jobs and a big chunk of their income if they fail to find a compromise agreement. Yet Brussels and London have been digging in their heels, both vowing not to compromise on key issues. Vice-President of the European Commission in charge of Inter-institutional relations and Foresight, Maros Sefcovic, speaks during a media conference after the third meeting of the EU-UK Joint Committee at EU headquarters in Brussels, Monday, Sept. 28, 2020. Britain entered a crucial week of talks with the EU by immediately snubbing the EU's demand that London must fully respect the legal agreement it signed on its departure from the bloc. The EU told Prime Minister Boris Johnson to brace for a legal fight. (John Thys, Pool via AP) European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen warned that the economies of EU countries and the U.K are being severely hit by the coronavirus pandemic and that failure to strike a Brexit deal would make things worse. We want an agreement, she told reporters in Lisbon at the start of an official visit to Portugal. Were working hard and negotiating. Im still convinced a deal is possible. Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin said Monday that his government is preparing its budget in three weeks time on the basis that there will be a no-deal Brexit. Martin said Johnsons attempt to pass a law that violates the legally binding EU-U.K. divorce agreement had eroded trust and undermined confidence. If it becomes law, Johnson's Internal Market Bill will give the U.K. the power to disregard part of the Brexit withdrawal treaty dealing with trade to and from Northern Ireland, which shares a 300-mile (500-kilometre) border with EU member Ireland. Johnson has said he wouldn't put it past the EU to abuse the treaty to put the Northern Irish part of the U. K. in an economic chokehold. The EU denies this and insists the full withdrawal agreement must be respected for fear that it otherwise might reignite tensions on the island of Ireland. Britain and the EU jointly promised in the Brexit divorce agreement to ensure there are no customs posts or other obstacles on the Northern Ireland-Ireland border, no matter what the final terms of Brexit. The open border is key to the stability that underpins the 1998 Good Friday peace accord that ended decades of violence between Irish nationalists and British unionists. Sefcovic warned Monday that Britain shouldn't try to use the withdrawal agreement and its Northern Ireland provisions as a bargaining chip in trade negotiations. Johnsons law-breaching bill has also brought a warning from senior American politicians including House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden who said passing it would scupper chances of a U.K.-U.S. trade deal. On Monday, the U.S. Special Envoy to Northern Ireland, Mick Mulvaney, said there was a chance the bill could place the Norther Ireland peace agreement at risk. On a visit to Dublin, he said that was something were very interested in seeing not happen. Were here to protect, defend that Good Friday Agreement that was so hard fought and won, he said after meeting with senior Irish politicians. Against that background, trade negotiations led by the EU's Michel Barnier and the U.K.'s David Frost will resume Tuesday, hoping to bridge gaps on EU boats' access to U.K. fishing waters and the amount of support that governments are allowed to give to businesses. The EU has accused Britain of trying to retain the privileges it had as a member of the bloc without following the EU's rules. The U.K. says the bloc is making demands that it hasn't placed on other countries it has trade deals with, such as Canada. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Still, London maintained there was some hope that a deal could be reached before or at an EU summit in mid-October, which Johnson has called the deadline for a deal. We expect discussions to continue in the run-up to the European Council on Oct. 15-16, U.K. government spokesman James Slack said. Although the last few weeks of informal talks have been positive, there remains much to be done.'' ___ Jill Lawless reported from London. Barry Hatton in Lisbon, Portugal. contributed to this report. ___ Follow all developments on the EU-Britain trade talks at https://apnews.com/Brexit. Surgical strike: How India's brave army soldiers destroyed terror launchpads India oi-Ajay Joseph Raj P New Delhi, Sep 28: The Centre is celebrating the fourth anniversary of the surgical strikes on Monday. The strikes against the terror groups were carried out in response to the deadly attack on an army camp in Jammu and Kashmir's Uri in September, 2016. During his monthly radio address, Mann Ki Baat, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had reminded the nation about the strikes. "Four years ago, around this time, the world witnessed the courage, bravery and valour of our soldiers during the surgical strike. Our brave soldiers had just one mission and goal - to protect the glory and honour of mother India at any cost. They did not care for their lives, at all. They kept moving on the line of duty and we all witnessed how they returned victoriously. They made mother India proud," PM Modi had said. First-ever Maldives-India cargo ferry service will promote bilateral ties: PM Modi The Indian Army's special forces carried out the mission by crossed the Line of Control (LoC) on the night of September 27-28, 2016, and destroyed the terror pads in Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK). This was in response to the suicide attack carried out by Pakistan based terrorists on an army base in Uri north Kashmir's Baramulla district o September 18 that year. Nineteen soldiers were killed in the attack. PM Modi had said that the attackers will not go "unpunished" and that they will not be forgiven and the sacrifice of 18 jawans will not go in vain. Dubai, UK flyers contributed max Covid-19 importations in India: IIT Study Amrinder Singh joins farmers' protest, says 'Pakistan's ISI may take advantage' | Oneindia News Accoridng to reports, the army's build-up for the strikes began on September 24. The special forces squads set out for the mission armed with night-vision devices, Tavor 21 and AK-47 assault rifles, rocket-propelled grenades, shoulder-fired missiles, Heckler and Koch pistols, high explosive grenades and plastic explosives. These terror camps were meant to serve as launchpads to send terrorists into the Indian territory. Sentries at these launchpads were neutralised by snipers before the troops went in and finished the nearly five-hour-long operation. The army had said that Indian soldiers razed six launchpads to the ground and gunned down 45 terrorists at various locations. These launchpads were under surveillance for over one week before the operation. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, September 28, 2020, 8:49 [IST] Brad Parscale, speaking at a rally in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Stephen Maturen/Getty Images Police confiscated 10 guns from former Trump campaign manager Brad Parscale's home, according to a police report obtained by Business Insider. The police arrived at Parscale's Florida residence responding to a 911 call from his wife, who was found bruised and stated he threatened to attempt suicide, the report said. "When I asked how she received the bruising, Candace Parscale [sic] stated Brad Parscale hits her," one responding officer wrote in the report. Parscale was involuntarily hospitalized on Sunday following the incident. He was ousted as Trump's 2020 reelection campaign manager in July. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. Police officers have confiscated 10 guns from former Trump campaign manager Brad Parscale's Florida home, following a 911 call by his wife, Candice, who stated he pulled out a firearm and threatened to harm himself on Sunday afternoon, according to a police report obtained by Business Insider on Monday. Fort Lauderdale police arrived at the couple's $2.4 million residence in the upscale Seven Isles neighborhood where he dismissed multiple officers' orders to leave his home, per the police report. Brad eventually complied and a police officer's body cam footage shows a SWAT officer tackling the former Trump aide, who is 6-foot-8, with what the police report described as a "double leg take down." Brad was found shirtless with a beer in his hand, slurring his speech and appeared to be intoxicated, according to the report. He was taken into custody at the Broward Health Medical Center under the Baker Act, which authorizes involuntary hospitalization of those considered a threat to themselves or others for psychiatric evaluation. Candice told officers that her husband had post-traumatic stress disorder and in recent weeks had turned violent, showing them bruises on her arms and face, which she said she got days earlier during a previous altercation, according to the report. Story continues "While speaking with Candace Parscale [sic] I noticed several large sized contusions on both of her arms, her cheek and forehead," one responding officer wrote in the report. "When I asked how she received the bruising, Candace Parscale stated Brad Parscale hits her." Another officer noted that Candice had "several bruises on both of her arms as well as scratches and bruising on her face." Brad was demoted as Trump's 2020 reelection manager in July after a handful of controversies, including inflating rallygoer numbers ahead of a campaign event in Tulsa, Okla., that had low attendance. He has since stayed on the team as an adviser. "Brad Parscale is a member of our family and we all love him," Tim Murtaugh, the Trump campaign's communications director, said in a statement to Business Insider. "We are ready to support him and his family in any way possible." Murtaugh also blamed Democrats and "disgruntled RINOs" for the incident. Read the original article on Business Insider Shortly before 4 p.m., the vehicle was spotted heading south on North Michigan Avenue, making multiple traffic violations, Chicago police said. Officers attempted to stop the car, which then fled at high speed, according to police. Police did not chase the car, but soon after the driver lost control and crashed into the front of a store in the 300 block of North Michigan Avenue. Angela Merkel visited Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny while he was recovering from a suspected assassination attempt. The German Chancellor spoke to Mr Navalny at the hospital in Berlin where he is undergoing treatment for poisoning with the nerve agent Novichok. Ms Merkel's spokesman confirmed the meeting took place but refused to give further details about how long it lasted and what was said. "It was a personal visit to Navalny in hospital," added Steffen Seibert. Mr Navalny wrote on Twitter he was "very grateful to Chancellor Merkel for visiting me in hospital" but objected to reports in Germany suggesting it was a "secret". He added: "Rather, it was a private meeting and conversation with the family." The prominent dissident politician fell ill during a flight from Siberia to Moscow on 20 August and spent two days in a coma before Russian officials allowed him to be flown to Berlin. It was initially thought he was poisoned with a cup of tea he drank at Tomsk airport but his associates later said traces of novichok had been found on a bottle of water in his hotel room in the city. Recommended How the fallout from the Alexei Navalny poisoning has the Kremlin lost for words Mr Navalny spent 32 days in the Charite hospital in Berlin before being discharged last week. The poisoning was described as a "brutal, murderous attack" by vice-chancellor Olaf Scholz at a meeting of the VAP foreign press association in the German capital on Monday. Mr Scholz said international organisations had independently confirmed that Navalny was poisoned with a nerve agent from the Novichok family. Experts found the substance was similar, albeit not identical, to the poison used against Sergei Skripal and his daughter in Salisbury in 2018. "That is why we call on Russia to cooperate in the investigation," Mr Scholz added. "And of course, Europe will have to decide together on an appropriate response." Russian authorities have denied any involvement in the poisoning and have even suggested that Mr Navlany coulld have taken it himself. On Friday the Russian foreign ministry accused Germany of "megaphone diplomacy" and "a broad smear campaign baselessly accusing Russian authorities of allegedly poisoning the Russian citizen". Since the suspected assassination attempt Ms Merkel has faced calls to halt the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, which is meant to bring more Russian gas directly to Germany. However Mr Scholz said the project - a collaboration between Russia's state gas giant Gazprom and nearly 100 private companies including Shell and Uniper - would reduce Germany's dependence in the energy sector. Additional reporting by agencies A federal judge in Florida last week denied an insurers petition to dismiss a COVID-19 business-interruption lawsuit, while a federal magistrate judge in California threw out a similar claim. Both lawsuits were filed by plaintiffs whose policies excluded coverage for any damage caused by virus. The California judge said arguments that the exclusion didnt apply were nonsense, while the Florida judge found similar arguments plausible. The disparate opinions continue a split among state and federal judges across the nation as to whether business income lost because of COVID-19 closure orders is recoverable through all risk commercial property insurance policies. Federal courts in New York, Washington D.C., Texas and Michigan and a state court in Michigan have dismissed COVID-19 business-interruption lawsuits. A federal court in Kansas City, Mo., has allowed three such lawsuits to proceed, as has a state court judge in New Jersey. The latest decision comes from a lawsuit filed by Urogynecology Specialist of Florida against Sentinel Insurance Co. for breach of contract after the carrier denied the medical clinics claim for lost income during a statewide closure order. Sentinel said the policy that excluded coverage for damage caused directly or indirectly by the presence, growth, proliferation, spread, or any activity of fungi, wet rot, dry rot, bacteria or virus. U.S. District Judge Anne C. Conway, with the Middle District of Florida in Orlando, found two problems with the insurers argument. She said in an order issued Thursday that the section of the policy that referenced the virus exclusion stated that it modified certain coverage forms, but those forms werent provided to the court. More importantly perhaps, Conway said the insurer did not prove that the virus exclusion was not unambiguous. Denying coverage for losses stemming from COVID-19 does not logically align with the grouping of the virus exclusion with other pollutants such that the policy necessarily anticipated and intended to deny coverage for these kinds of business losses, her order states. Federal Magistrate Judge Jacqueline Scott Corley, on the other hand, found no ambiguity in the insurance policy that the Hartford Financial Services Group had issued to the Franklin European Wax Center in Fresno, Calif. The policy excluded any damage caused by virus. The wax center argued that it lost income because of the government closure orders, not because of the virus. Corleys order summed up her opinion about that in one word: Nonsense. The magistrate judge noted that the plaintiffs complaint states, the coronavirus is proliferating onto virtually every surface and object in, on, and around commercial premises such as that belonging to EWC Fresno, and thereby causing direct physical damage. Curiously, in another Northern California District case, a federal judge suggested that a pleading that claimed the novel coronavirus was physically on a property may have a better chance of getting a hearing. U.S. District Court Judge Jon S. Tigar on Sept. 14 granted a motion by Travelers Casualty Insurance Co. of America to dismiss a business-interruption lawsuit filed by Mudpie, a childrens store in San Francisco. But Tigar dismissed the case without prejudice, meaning Mudpie can file again after amending its pleading. Tigar wrote in his order that he was demising the lawsuit because Mudpie did not allege that any physical force had caused it to close the store and suffer a loss of income. Tigar said it is doubtful that Mudpie will be able to establish a direct physical loss of property, but granted the plaintiff leave to amend its complaint anyway. The court also recognizes, however, that the law concerning business interruption coverage linked to the COVID-19 pandemic is very much in development, the order states. Instead of amending its complaint, Mudpie on Wednesday filed an appeal with the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. Michael Levine, a policyholders attorney for Hunton Andrews Kurth in Washington D.C., said the state of play so far shows suggests that judges are looking for allegations that some tangible, physical change caused the business-income loss. The one commonality that weve seen so far, the courts are looking for some physical manifestation, he said. They are saying the closure orders alone arent enough and they are saying they want to see some allegation that COVID-19 has at least affected the property. Levine said those early dismissal orders, however, may be overturned on appeal. KYIV, Ukraine Authorities in Belarus have detained about 500 people during weekend protests against the countrys authoritarian president, who has claimed a sixth term in office in an election widely seen as rigged. Belarus Interior Ministry said Monday that 150 protesters were detained on Saturday and over 350 more on Sunday, when anti-government protests spanned 22 cities. Daily rallies have rocked Belarus for over seven weeks now, with the largest ones drawing up to 200,000 people, in the biggest challenge yet to President Alexander Lukashenkos long hard-line reign. About 100,000 demonstrators marched in the Belarusian capital of Minsk on Sunday, demanding the resignation of Lukashenko, who has cracked down hard on opposition and independent news media during 26 years in power. According to the Viasna human rights group, the clampdown on the protesters this weekend wasnt as violent as before. Repressions get stuck when more than 100,000 people take to the streets, Viasna head Ales Bialiatski said. The authorities scare tactics dont work anymore. Hundreds of thousands of Belarusians have been protesting daily since the Aug. 9 presidential election, which officials claim handed Lukashenko, a 66-year-old former state farm director, a victory with 80% of the vote. Both opposition members and some poll workers say the vote was rigged, and the United States and the European Union have condemned the election as neither free nor fair. Many European countries have refused to recognize Lukashenko as the legitimate leader after his unexpected inauguration earlier this week. French President Emmanuel Macron said in Lithuania that he would meet Tuesday with Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, Lukashenkos main election opponent who went into exile in that country after the election. Macron also said that it is important for France to reengage with Russia, although he acknowledged that the prospect of dialogue with Moscow is a sensitive issue, particularly in the Baltics. Russia and Belarus are allies, and Russian President Vladimir Putin has recognized Lukashenko as Belarus legitimate leader. During the first days after the election, police used tear gas, truncheons and rubber bullets to disperse crowds. Some protesters died, many were injured and nearly 7,000 were detained. Amid international outrage over the violent suppression of the protests, Belarusian authorities switched to prosecuting top activists. Belarusian authorities have opened a criminal probe into members of the Coordination Council, created by the opposition to push for a peaceful transition of power, on the charges of undermining national security. Many members have been arrested or forced to leave the country. On Monday, Svetlana Alexievich, the winner of the 2015 Nobel Prize in literature and the only member of the councils executive presidium still free in Belarus, left for Germany. The council told The Associated Press that Alexievich will spend a month in Germany and receive medical treatment, then she plans to travel to Italy and come back to Belarus. The council also reported Monday that the health of Maxim Znak, another top council member who was jailed earlier this month and has been on hunger strike since Sept. 18, took a sharp turn for the worse. It urged authorities to release Znak and make quality medical treatment available to him and urged Znak himself to stop the strike. ___ Daria Litvinova in Moscow and Elaine Ganley in Paris contributed to this report. 15 Mass protests took place in other cities of Belarus as well. In Homel the security forces used tear gas and a flash-noise flare gun against participants of the peaceful march. People were violently detained. The sign reads "Crazy cockroach king." HARTFORD, Conn., Sept. 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Harvard Pilgrim Health Care announced today that 120 Connecticut independent primary care practices will each receive $10,000 to assist with providing safe access to care for patients including the purchasing of necessary personal protective equipment (PPE), reconfiguring facilities to assist with physical distancing guidelines, support telehealth infrastructure, as well as other important necessary measures. Harvard Pilgrim has committed $3 million to support independent primary care practices in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Connecticut and Maine. This support is consistent with Harvard Pilgrim's mission to improve the quality and value of health care for the people and the communities it serves. The independent primary care practices Harvard Pilgrim is supporting are, on average, small and physician-owned, many with limited access to capital or other external support to assist them during the pandemic. While shortages of PPE have eased since the start of pandemic, many of these practices are forced to explore expensive avenues or use multiple vendors to purchase PPE, as the supply chain typically favors large health care systems with significant buying power. Additionally, many practices, especially those in rural communities, lack the resources and infrastructure to fully integrate telehealth into their practices. According to a study in the Annals of Internal Medicine, visits to primary care providers were declining prior to the pandemic, decreasing by close to 25% from 2008 to 2016. And a recent national survey of physician practices indicates at least 36% of primary practices are at risk of closure due to the financial implications of COVID-19. "Our financial support of these independent primary care practices is crucial, as many of our members, especially those with chronic medical conditions, utilize these practices as their only source of medical care," said Michael Carson, president and CEO of Harvard Pilgrim. "Without these practices, many patients, especially those living in rural communities, could have limited access to health care. Further, independent primary care practices are serving a critical role during the pandemic, testing patients for COVID-19, providing care for those living with the long-term effects of the virus, and in the future, administering the COVID-19 vaccine to patients when it is available." "While our office has remained available to patients throughout the pandemic; we had to change our approach. We had to shut down routine care for many months. We had to limit the number of people who come into the office and treated per day to allow for social distancing," said Dennis Kobylarz, MD, of Canaan, Connecticut. "There is the challenge of cost and locating equipment and cleaning supplies to clean all areas of the office between every patient for extra caution of COVID0-19. I had the extra burden of cost and time to implement a virtual medical platform. We are taking all needed steps to keep our office safe for our patients and staff." Harvard Pilgrim previously announced that it provided over $40 million in financial advances to support the provider community throughout the region. Additionally, Harvard Pilgrim committed $3 million to support community health centers focusing on those providing care to predominately black and brown communities, as well as centers that provide care for vulnerable populations, to support equity and equality in accessing health care, and address health disparities. About Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Harvard Pilgrim and its family of companies provide health benefit plans, programs and services to more than 3 million customers in New England and beyond. A leading not-for-profit health services company, we guide our members and the communities we serve to better health. Founded by doctors over 50 years ago, we're building on our legacy. In partnership with our expansive network of doctors and hospitals, we're improving health outcomes and lowering costs through clinical quality and innovative care management. Our commitment to the communities we serve is driven by the passion of the Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Foundation. Through its work, low- and moderate-income families are gaining greater access to fresh, affordable food a cornerstone to better health and well-being. SOURCE Harvard Pilgrim Health Care The National Chief Imam, Sheikh Osmanu Nuhu Sharubutu has cautioned Muslim youth not to be used as agents of violence during the upcoming December 7 elections. Spokesperson of the National Chief Imam, Sheikh Aremeyaw Shaibu spoke on his behalf at the launch of the Dome Kwabenya manifesto by incumbent MP Sarah Adwoa Safo. He identified the lack of pursuit of education amongst Muslim youth as the cause of their involvement in electoral violence. According to him, Muslim youth are largely exploited by political parties as tools of violence during the election period. Lack of knowledge is retrogression and deficiency. If you are enlightened, it will be very difficult to be used as a tool for violence. Majority of the Muslim youthshave become victims of manipulation. We are expected to pursue knowledge and be empowered enough to withstand political manipulations. Sheikh Sharubutu, therefore, called on them, to be vigilant and seek education in order to be useful in society. The election is approaching, and I urge the Muslim youth to be guided by the values of the religion through knowledge. Desist from acts of violence and be strong in your resolve not to be manipulated by politicians who will go any length to obtain power, he said. ---citinewsroom The URL has been copied to your clipboard The code has been copied to your clipboard. FBI documents obtained exclusively by RFE/RL hold new clues about the suspected poisoning of Russian opposition figure Vladimir Kara-Murza -- but leave questions that have yet to be answered. RFE/RL senior correspondent Mike Eckel joins host Steve Gutterman to discuss the search for information and justice. MUSKEGON, MI -- Confusion over who owns, or will own, a lot on on Apple Avenue has resulted in the property being removed from consideration for recreational marijuana businesses, at least for now. The property at 885 E. Apple Ave. had been included in a list of eight properties the Muskegon City Commission considered for inclusion in the citys marijuana district. The other seven properties have been approved, but the lot at 885 E. Apple Ave. was rejected by city commissioners last week on a 5-2 vote. That was after it was revealed the property did not have a Black owner, as some commissioners believed, and there may be legal issues involved in a pending sale. City staff had recommended approving the site for marijuana retail sales and microbusiness, which is retail sales of cannabis grown on site. Related: Several new marijuana business locations OKd in Muskegon Its address as well as that of property at 863 E. Apple Ave. -- was listed incorrectly when a public hearing was held on the required zoning amendment. That meant the hearing had to be held again, followed by a vote on Sept. 22, when only the 863 Apple property was approved. The properties were among several others that were added to the citys marijuana overlay district that previously encompassed only an area near Peck Street and Laketon Avenue where the citys existing dispensaries are located. The stated idea for the expansion was to make marijuana sales more accessible and to give Black-owned businesses an opportunity to get involved in the cannabis industry. Donald Shampine of Grand Haven identified himself at the beginning of the Sept. 22 meeting as the owner of the property at 885 E. Apple Ave. Shampine, who is white, told commissioners he had a purchase agreement from the property through a letter of intent pending the city commissions approval of the zoning change. He went on to say he had had a noncompliant tenant on the property whose actions, such as not mowing the grass or getting utilities to the property, resulted in the city taking him to court under the erroneous belief the property was vacant. Also addressing the commission at the start of the meeting were supporters of Connie Maxim Sparrow, who they said was interested in establishing a marijuana business at 885 E. Apple. Sparrow also is white. In the end, city commissioners, citing confusion and a possible legal challenge regarding the property ownership and sale, dropped 885 E. Apple from consideration. Mayor Steve Gawron and Commissioner Dan Rinsema-Sybenga were in the minority voting to go ahead with the marijuana rezoning. We didnt want to make it an option to flip the property, said Vice Mayor Eric Hood. We didnt want the owner to be in this district and just flip the property to whoever to make two or three times what the property is worth. Rather, Hood said, he was interested in trying to give African Americans a foot in the door in this business. Related: Marijuana retail expansion rejected by Muskegon planning commission Some commissioners expressed unhappiness with how properties were chosen for the expanded marijuana districts, with Commissioner Ken Johnson calling the process inappropriate spot zoning and Commissioner Michael Ramsey saying it was inadequate at best in addressing social equity in the cannabis industry. Ramsey also noted that the Muskegon planning commission had rejected the new marijuana areas. At the time the planning commission considered, and turned down, the rezoning, staff had recommended 16 properties including some downtown and in the Lakeside business district for marijuana businesses. City staff noted they had not spoken to all owners of property they had identified for marijuana business zoning, and that just because the property is zoned as such, there is no obligation for owners to use it in that manner. Also approved for marijuana businesses are properties at 796 E. Apple Ave., 981 S. Getty St. and 935 S. Getty St., where retail sales will be allowed, and marijuana microbusinesses at 639 W. Clay Ave., 623 W. Clay Ave. and at the Watermark Center, 920 Washington Ave. Previously, marijuana businesses only were allowed in two districts: a square bordered by Seaway Drive, Young Avenue, Park Street and West Hackley Avenue; and an area roughly bordered by Laketon Avenue, Park Street, Keating Avenue, Holbrook Avenue and a line just east of Peck Street. Also on MLive: Muskegon business leaders voice support for city manager amid gift card controversy Drive-thru voting in Muskegon a possibility with $433K elections grant Another expansion coming to The Deck restaurant at Muskegons beach Hyderabad: An investigation by the Hyderabad police which claimed to have busted an eight-member gang selling emergency medicines for Covid-19 at higher prices in July this year -- is under a cloud. Multiple discrepancies have been pointed out in the investigation: A Delhi-based youngster was linked to the crime without specifying charges against him in their own remand case diary; there was no specific description of the quantity of medicines seized from him, or what happened to those medicines worth about Rs 9.5 lakh in his possession; what was his role in the alleged racket; and there were differing versions of the place of his arrest. Even the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions has stepped in and asked Telangana chief secretary Somesh Kumar to examine the matter, which is understood to have been passed on to DGP M Mahendar Reddy. It was on July 14 that the Hyderabad police announced the arrest of eight men who were allegedly procuring various medicines used in Covid-19 treatment at lower prices and selling the same at higher prices in the black market. The overall seizure of medicines shown as Rs 35 lakh worth. It is unclear if the drugs, with a September expiry date, are intact or have vanished. The Delhi-based youngster in question is 21-year-old Gagan Khurana (named as accused No 6), a resident of Shahdara. Deccan Chronicle has in its possession the remand case diary, which speaks for itself, besides other documents. The facts stated in the documents simply do not square up with the police version. In the press conference held to announce the arrest, Khurana is referred to as a "very important person (in the case) who is the main black marketeer." First, the six-page remand case diary. It states that at 11 a.m on July 14, two sub-inspectors of police from the Chaderghat police station and South Zone Task Force respectively, conducted a raid outside Thumbay New Life Hospital at Chaderghat based on a tipoff. Two men were apprehended whose confessions led to the arrests of Rahul Agarwal of M/s Rahul Health Specialities (accused no. 5) and Gagan Khurana, from Narayanguda. As more accused in the case were arrested, it led to the seizure of medicines like remdesivir, Fabiflu strips, Actemra 400 mg and Actemra 80 mg among other material. The next day, that is July 15, all eight were arrested. The document then goes into details of the charges against each of the accused -- from conspiracy to how each of the accused went about purchasing and selling the drugs at higher prices. But when it comes to Khurana, there is no specific mention of his role in the racket, which raises questions as to why the investigating officer chose not to specify charges against him. Yet, it was stated that "the accused persons A1 to A8 committed an offence and are liable for punishment under sections 420, 188 IPC and section 7 of EC Act, Section 27 of Drugs and Cosmetics Act, Section 51 (b) of disaster management Act." Strangely, there is no specific mention of the quantity of medicines seized from Khurana. The document simply says the police seized Actemra 400 mg and Actemra 80 mg medicines besides two phones from him. It is only in reference to other accused that seizure of Remdesivir and Fabiflu strips is mentioned. It states that all accused were selling Remdesivir at higher rates and there is no specific mention of them also selling Actemra 400 mg, Actemra 80 mg or Fabiflu in the black market. A very generalised mention does find place in the remand diary which states that "all the accused were purchasing Remdesivir, Fabiflu, Actemra 400 mg and Actemra 80 mg at cheaper prices and selling them at higher prices." Interestingly, a GST invoice (no. 0000237) was raised by Delhi-based wholesale pharmaceutical trader M/s Asvin Life Care in favour of M/s Rahul Health Specialities which belongs to Rahul Agarwal (accused no. 5) on July 13. It lists 180 Fabiflu tablets (at a rate of 2455 and MRP 3500) worth Rs 4,41,964 and 11 Actemra 400 mg injections (at a rate of Rs 38,614 and MRP 40,545) worth Rs 4,24,757. The IGST payable was Rs 74,273 and the total bill was for Rs 9,40,996. It is learnt that Gagan Khurana was associated with Asvin Life Care as a delivery boy. He was the one entrusted with the task of delivering the material to Rahul, which as per the invoice, was a genuine transaction. But it remains a mystery if Rahul was made to place the order deliberately, while in police custody. The question that arises here is can merely delivering medicines make Khurana an accused and if so, why no investigation launched against Asvin Life care. As per Gagan Khurana"s air ticket, he boarded an Indigo (flight No. 6E 5055, PNR -- ILC7VT) from New Delhi which departed at 2140 hours and touched down at Hyderabad at 2350 hours on July 13. It is suspected that he was picked up by plainclothes policemen from the Hyderabad airport itself -- which would have been captured on the CCTVs. But the CISF officials at the airport could not provide the CCTV footage. In their reply on August 20, they said -- "As per the CCTV system at the IGI airport, maximum storage period for the purpose of retrieval of any footage of IGI airport is limited to 30 days only. Hence the CCTV footage cannot be saved/provided by this office." The police version is that he was arrested in Narayanguda. There is no mention in the remand diary of when Khurana had arrived in Hyderabad from Delhi with the medicines. There is no proof either to suggest that he went around the city and supplied the medicines to other accused. Meanwhile, all accused are out on bail. The United Kingdom will repatriate an ancient Sumerian relic after experts determined it had been stolen from Iraq, the British Museum said on Monday. The London-based institution discovered the 4,000-year-old limestone sculpture being sold in May 2019 by an online auctioneer, who had listed it as a western Asiatic Akkadian tablet from a private collection. The museum experts informed Metropolitan police that the item was actually an ancient plaque looted from a Sumerian temple dating back to around 2400 B.C. Were used to coming across tablets, pots, metalwork, seals and figurines on the art market or in seizures that have been trafficked. But its really exceptional to see something of this quality, St John Simpson, the museums senior curator, told The Guardian. The British Museum didnt say when the relic was stolen, only that it originated from a temple looted in the 1990s during the Gulf War and again in 2003 during the US-led war. This important piece was illegally removed from Iraq and discovered by authorities in the UK, the British Museum said in a statement. Temple plaques such as this are rare, and there are only around 50 examples known in existence. The British Museum said the Iraqi government had generously permitted it to go on display for two months in London before the relic is returned to Iraq. Thousands of antiquities were looted from Iraqs museums amid the chaos of the American invasion. In July 2019, the British Museum assisted in returning more than 150 stolen artifacts to Iraq and Afghanistan, including ancient Mesopotamian texts written in cuneiform. Stolen Iraqi artifacts have also made their way to the United States. In 2018, art-and-craft chain Hobby Lobby paid a $3 million fine and returned about 3,800 ancient cuneiform tablets and other treasures smuggled out of Iraq in 2010. Key indices continued hovering near the day's in mid-afternoon trade. At 14:28 IST, the barometer index, the S&P BSE Sensex, soared 568.73 points or 1.54% at 37,962.09. The Nifty 50 index rallied 163.15 points or 1.48% at 11,213.95. The broader market outperformed the benchmark indices. The S&P BSE Mid-Cap index was up 2.49% while the S&P BSE Small-Cap index surged 2.42%. The market breadth was strong. On the BSE, 1886 shares rose and 702 shares fell. A total of 179 shares were unchanged. Foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) sold shares worth Rs 2,080.21 crore, while domestic institutional investors (DIIs), were net buyers to the tune of Rs 2,070.63 crore in the Indian equity market on 25 September, provisional data showed. RBI MPC: The Reserve Bank of India announced that the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting scheduled during September 29, 30 and October 1 2020 has been rescheduled. The dates of the MPC's meeting will be announced shortly. In last meeting, the six-member MPC kept repo rate untouched at 4%; and reverse repo rate at 3.35% while maintaining the accommodative stance. Numbers to Track: In the foreign exchange market, the partially convertible rupee rose to 73.81 compared with its previous closing 73.6125. The yield on 10-year benchmark federal paper rose to 6.06% compared with previous closing of 6.038% in the previous trading session. MCX Gold futures for 5 October 2020 settlement fell 0.37% to Rs 49,475. In the commodities market, Brent crude for November 2020 settlement fell 24 cents to $41.68 a barrel. The contract lost 0.36% to settle at $41.79 in the previous trading session. COVID-19 Update: Total COVID-19 confirmed cases worldwide stood at 32,994,213 with 996,682 deaths. India reported 9,62,640 active cases of COVID-19 infection and 95,542 deaths while 50,16,520 patients have been discharged, according to the data from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India. Stocks in Spotlight: Lupin gained 1.04%. The drug major on Monday (28 September) announced the launch of Atorvastatin Calcium tablets having received an approval from the United States Food and Drug Administration (US FDA) earlier. Atorvastatin Calcium tablets USP, 10 mg, 20 mg, 40 mg, and 80 mg, is the generic equivalent of Lipitor tablets, 10 mg, 20 mg, 40 mg and 80 mg, of Pfizer Inc., and indicated to lower cholesterol in blood for adults and children over 10 years of age. Coffee Day Enterprise clarified that there is no negotiation or events taking place regarding its sale of vending machine business to Tata Consumer Products (TCPL). Coffee Day Enterprises added that the news article would not have any material impact on the company. Separately, TCPL clarified to the bourses on 25 September 2020 that the news reports are speculative in nature. The company said it does not comment on speculative news reports. It added that evaluates various opportunities on an ongoing basis. If and when any definitive decision is made by the company or any agreement is entered into which qualifies as a disclosable event, the same will be disclosed. There is currently no event/information that requires such disclosure, it said. Last week, the media reported that TCPL is looking to bid for Coffee Day Enterprises' vending machine business. The company's board has approved exploring the acquisition of the business, which Coffee Day is valuing at Rs 2,000 crore, reports added. Shares of Tata Consumer Products were down 0.59% at Rs 506.65 on BSE. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) By Jeff Tittel In a major victory in our battle against plastics, the New Jersey Legislature passed the most comprehensive plastic bill in the nation. We need S864 because plastics have become a bigger and bigger problem that affects our environment and our water. Gov. Murphy needs to sign this bill quickly before our plastic problem gets any worse. He needs to sign it as is, because any conditional veto would have to go back to the Legislature and would cause further delays. This legislation will make New Jersey a national leader in going after plastics and protecting our environment. Plastics are a scourge on our environment. This bill will help protect our rivers and streams from plastic that not only hurt the environment but endangers wildlife and public health. Without this legislation, plastics will continue to kill whales and get into our environment and into us. Microplastics have already been found near our drinking water supply, so we could literally be drinking plastic. Plastic bags have been known to clog storm drains and fill up detention basins, affecting our water quality. Animals, especially birds, get strangled and suffocated by plastic bags. Plastic can take up to 1,000 years to break down and never decomposes completely. The production of plastic bags requires petroleum and natural gas. Decomposing plastic results in minuscule pieces of plastic that can leach toxins into the soil, groundwater, and enter our food chain if eaten. The Pacific gyre or garbage patch is a growing plastic island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean where billions of pounds of garbage is floating. New Jerseys groundbreaking legislation is the first in the nation to ban paper bags as well as plastic. Paper bags actually use more energy and resources than plastic bags do. New Jersey would be the first state to allow the use of hemp bags. It also bans polystyrene and the offering of plastic straws. Polystyrene is dangerous to human health because it contains carcinogenic chemicals such as benzene and styrene, and it has been found in breast milk. It is harmful to the environment because it is not recyclable and does not degrade. Plastic straws pollute our oceans and beaches. Last year, New Jersey found that more than 80% of its trash is plastic and found an increase in plastic straw waste by 59%. The bill will go into effect 18 months after it is signed, which will give businesses and communities time to implement it. It will also save taxpayers money because of tipping fees and the costs of cleaning up storm drains and litter. People are fed up with plastic pollution filling up their storm drains and threatening their drinking water. We have been banning plastic in New Jersey town by town and city by city. With this legislation, we will now have one standard for the entire state, making it easier for everyone to follow and implement. Jeff Tittel is director of the New Jersey Sierra Club. Dark and Quiet Skies for Science and Society Online workshop 5-9 October 2020 (Registrations CLOSED) 5, 6, 7, 9 October (Zoom, 15:00-17:00 UTC/ 17:00-19:00 CEST) 8 October (Zoom, 15:00-18:00 UTC/ 17:00-20:00 CEST) Conference at Santa Cruz de La Palma, Canary Islands, Spain, October 2021 (Details to be announced) Following the online workshop and the comments received, the working groups of the Scientific Organising Committee (SOC) produced a report in January 2021. Background Since millennia the silent and ordered beauty of the night sky has inspired humankind in all its intellectual and emotional expressions: poetry, philosophy, religion and science. In particular, modern science is deeply indebted to the observation of astronomical phenomena as all its major progresses, from the theory of universal gravitation to general relativity, were stimulated and verified by careful observation of the sky. Today, technological progress, in particular artificial illumination of urban areas, has made it more and more difficult to observe the night sky in its pristine magnificence. Also, remote sites chosen to host the most sophisticated astronomical observatories because of their favourable location, are becoming gradually endangered by light pollution, radio signals interference and artificially induced climatic modifications. More recently, an additional negative impact on the observation of the night sky emerged from visual interference of the mega constellations of artificial satellites in low earth orbit. Access to the electromagnetic signals emitted by all objects in the universe is not only instrumental for understanding the cosmos and the overall progress of Science, but the visibility of the starred sky is a fundamental human heritage that must be preserved with painstaking care and love for future generations. Losing it, would disconnect us forever from the Cosmos and Nature. Objectives The United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs and Spain, jointly with the International Astronomical Union (IAU) are organizing an online workshop on the topic of "Dark and Quiet Skies for Science and Society". This online event is replacing the Conference initially foreseen in October. The Conference is postponed to 19-23 April 2021 and will be hosted by the Instituto de Astrofisica de Canarias (IAC) at Santa Cruz de La Palma, Canary Islands, Spain. In the recent past, several similar events have been organised with the aim of analysing the threat of light and radio pollution on astronomy and on the visibility of the pristine night sky. In particular, the conference organized in 2017 in La Palma, on the 10th anniversary of the "Starlight Declaration", approved a number of recommended resolutions. The online event will result in a document that describes what measures Governments and private enterprises can adopt to mitigate the negative impact of technological implementations on astronomy (e.g. urban lighting, radio broadcasting and satellite constellations' deployment) without diminishing the effectiveness of the services they offer to citizens. The final outcome document, intended to become a reference for further analysis of the situation, will be presented to the intergovernmental Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS) for consideration. The involvement of COPUOS is particularly important since it is the natural international forum where these matters should be brought to the attention of the space community. Programme Rewatch each day's full session on our UN Office for Outer Space Affairs YouTube Channel (https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLaOqa4cng0GFqc1epTy3XTInKqoLjVqlS) The online workshop was supported by NOIRLab, USA, and recorded for later viewing. The online workshop presented initial findings from 5 working groups of the Scientific Organising Committee (SOC), for discussion. Each day of the workshop focused on a different topic. Monday 5 October: protection of dark sky oases - Download all presentations from Day 1 (PDF 12MB) The creation and protection from light pollution of areas from which people can enjoy the clear visibility of the starry sky aims to solve the widest and most general incidences of light pollution. 15:00 Nathalie Ricard Welcome & Introduction Simonetta Di Pippo Welcome from UNOOSA Director Download statement (PDF 100KB) Kathy Nield (Moderator) Introductions for the Dark Skies Oases presenters John Hearnshaw An introduction to skyglow from artificial light at night John Barentine Dark Sky Oasis classifications and the International Dark Sky Places Programme Antonia Varela Perez The Starlight Foundation: the commitment with the Starlight Declaration Costis Bouroussis The evolution of light sources and luminaire technology Antonia Varela Perez The values of dark sky oases. Starlight Tourist Destinations. John Hearnshaw Recommendations DISCUSSION Q&A 17:00 End of Session Tuesday 6 October: light pollution impact on the bio-environment - Download all presentations from Day 2 (PDF 2MB) While this aspect is not directly related to astronomy, it is a consequence of the global effects of new illumination technologies. By protecting the night sky from light pollution, negative effects on the bio-environment can also be mitigated without affecting the needed illumination and provide a substantial saving in energy consumption. 15:00 Connie Walker Welcome & Introduction Pat McCarthy Welcome from NOIRLab Director James Lowenthal (Moderator) Introductions for the Bio-Environment presenters Luc Schlangen The effect of light on circadian rhythms and melatonin Mario Motta Human health effects of light at night Sibylle Shroer Effects of anthropogenic light at night on flora and fauna Annika Jagerbrand Protecting humans and ecoystems from anthropogenic light at night DISCUSSION Q&A 17:00 End of Session Wednesday 7 October: protection of existing and future astronomical observatories - Download all presentations from Day 3 (PDF 8MB) Several Countries and International Organisations have made very large financial investments in building and operating large astronomical facilities. Most of these facilities are open to astronomers of any Country. In the interest of the world community, these sites need to be protected from light pollution and from artificial local climate alterations. 15:00 Jose Miguel Rodriguez Espinosa Welcome & Introduction Rafael Rebolo Welcome from IAC Director Casiana Munoz-Tunon (Moderator) Introductions for the Optical Astronomy presenters Richard Green Dark Sky Protection for Optical Observatories Dionyz Gasparovsky Outdoor lighting recommendations and protection of observatories Martin Aube Dark sky protection measures near optical observatories DISCUSSION Q&A 17:00 End of Session Thursday 8 October: impact of satellite constellations - Download all presentations from Day 4 (PDF 19MB) The impact of the tenths of thousands of communication satellites that are being placed in LEO (Low Earth Orbit) has only recently raised the attention of the astronomical community and of the general public. Their real impact has now been carefully established on the basis of sound simulations and initial observational data. 15:00 Piero Benvenuti Welcome & Introduction Ewine van Dishoeck Welcome from IAU President Observations Oli Hainaut (Moderator) Introductions for the Observations presenters Jeremy Tregloan-Reed Results from the Universidad de Antofagasta LEO satellites Observations Team Harrison Krantz Results from the POMENIS Telescope (University of Arizona, Steward Observatory) LEO satellites Observations Team Angel Otarola Lessons Learned & Recommendations Simulations Oli Hainaut (Moderator) Introductions for Simulations presenters David Galadi Simulating the impact of large satellite constellations on optical astronomy Mitigations Sara Lucatello (Moderator) Introductions for Mitigations presenters Genoveva Micheva Introduction to Mitigations: purpose and aims Meredith Rawls and Genoveva Micheva Mitigating the impacts of satellite constellations on astronomy BREAK Recommendations Sara Lucatello (Moderator) Introductions for Recommendations presenters Patricia Cooper Industry perspectives Andrew Williams Astronomy community, industry and policymaker recommendations DISCUSSION Q&A 18:00 End of Session Friday 9 October: protection of radio astronomy - Download all presentations from Day 5 (PDF 16MB) Similar to the impact of satellite constellations on optical astronomy, radio interferences can also be geographically wide-ranging. Radio astronomy has a long history of successful international agreements on the protection of radio interests from anthropic ground-based radio broadcastings. However, the large number of additional communication satellites will make regulatory action even more important. 15:00 Casiana Munoz Tunon Welcome & Introduction Pedro Duque Welcome from Spain Minister of Science Harvey Liszt (Moderator) Introductions for the Radio Astronomy presenters Harvey Liszt Radio Astronomy As a Discipline Harvey Liszt Radio Spectrum is for everyone Liese Van Zee Regulations for spectrum for radio astronomy Federico di Vruno Risks to radio astronomy Harvey Liszt The way forward in practices and recommendations DISCUSSION Q&A Conclusions and way forward 17:00 End of Workshop Registration CLOSED Interested parties are requested to apply for the online workshop through this link. Working Language The working language will be English. Expected Participants The online workshop addresses astronomers, urban planners, and private industry involved in technology development that potentially emits light or radio signals interfering with astronomy. The Office of Outer Space Affairs strives to support gender mainstreaming in its programmes and is also committed to ensure a balanced representation from different perspectives. Applications from female applicants are particularly encouraged. Contact Information For additional information, please contact: unoosa-events@un.org Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-28 15:15:02|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- A U.S. federal judge has halted U.S. administration's TikTok ban, which shows Washington's pirate-like action under the guise of national security has little support and legal justification. Meanwhile, many U.S. companies have sued the government in the last two weeks over the imposition of tariffs on Chinese-made goods. Washington's attempt to separate the U.S. economy from China has proved to be unpopular and against market economy principles. While some U.S. politicians trumpeted a unilateral decoupling, with actions such as blocking TikTok and increasing tariffs, a complete decoupling will be almost impossible. While there has been considerable talk about U.S. companies moving production or supply chains out of China, very few companies are doing this, as data showed in a report recently released by the American Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai. The decoupling is impractical to implement, given the close connection between the two economies. Bilateral trade volume has increased by over 250 times since the early days of diplomatic ties, and two-way investment has jumped from almost zero to nearly 240 billion U.S. dollars. Over 70,000 American businesses have made investments in China with a total sales volume of 700 billion U.S. dollars, and 97 percent among them are making a profit. Instead of being a favor granted by one side to the other, economic and trade cooperation between China and the United States benefits each other. The world today is in an era of globalization. The integration of various economies is a natural product of the international division of labor. The world will never go back to the time when countries kept their markets closed to each other. China will continue to work with all countries to maintain a fair, just, open, and non-discriminatory business environment. China will promote international exchanges and cooperation in areas ranging from the economy and trade to science and technology. Burying one's head in the sand like an ostrich in the face of economic globalization or trying to fight it with Don Quixote's lance goes against the trend of history. Washington should give up obsession with its "decoupling theory" and return to the right track of openness and cooperation. Enditem News Los Angeles, California - Two active-duty United States Marines stationed at Camp Pendleton were arrested Tuesday on a federal grand jury indictment charging one Marine and three civilians with conspiring to distribute narcotics including oxycodone pills laced with fentanyl to civilians and members of the United States Marine Corps, one of whom suffered a fatal drug overdose in May. The second Marine is charged in the indictment with being an accessory after the fact. The 14-count superseding indictment charges five defendants: Jordan Nicholas McCormick, 26, of Palmdale, the lead defendant and the conspiracys alleged supplier who provided LSD, ecstasy, cocaine, and oxycodone pills laced with fentanyl to co-conspirators; Gustavo Jaciel Solis, 24, of Sylmar, who allegedly distributed McCormicks drugs to civilians and military personnel; Anthony Ruben Whisenant, 20, a lance corporal in the United States Marine Corps, who allegedly distributed narcotics to active service members, including an active-duty Marine who died after ingesting an oxycodone pill laced with fentanyl purchased from Solis; Jessica Sarah Perez, 23, of Pacoima, who allegedly distributed narcotics including fentanyl and cocaine to the conspiracys civilian customers; and Ryan Douglas White, 22, a lance corporal in the United States Marine Corps, who is charged with being an accessory after the fact for allegedly attempting to hinder law enforcements apprehension of Whisenant and Solis. Whisenant and White were taken into federal custody today and are expected to make their initial appearances this afternoon in United States District Court in Los Angeles. On August 11, Solis and Perez were indicted on fentanyl and cocaine distribution charges, and Solis was indicted on firearms-related charges. They have pleaded not guilty to these charges and their trial date is scheduled for October 27. Solis is in federal custody and Perez is free on $25,000 bond. Todays superseding indictment adds McCormick, Whisenant and White as defendants, in addition to adding charges to the original indictment. McCormick also is in federal custody. According to the indictment, the conspiracy lasted from November 2019 to September 2020 and involved multiple sales of fentanyl-laced oxycodone to an undercover buyer, often for amounts exceeding $1,000 per buy. On May 22, Solis sold 10 pills of oxycodone laced with fentanyl to an active-duty Marine who died of a drug overdose in the early morning hours of May 23, the indictment alleges. In addition to the conspiracy charge, McCormick, Solis, Whisenant and Perez face substantive charges of distribution of narcotics, including fentanyl. McCormick and Solis are also charged with possessing firearms in furtherance of drug crimes. An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. If convicted, McCormick and Solis would face a mandatory minimum of 15 years in federal prison and a statutory maximum sentence of life imprisonment. Whisenant and Perez would face a statutory maximum of 20 years in federal prison if convicted. White, if convicted, would face a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison. This matter was investigated by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the FBI, the United States Postal Inspection Service, and the Ventura County Sheriffs Office. This case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Patrick Castaneda and Assistant United States Attorneys Jenna Williams and Gregg E. Marmaro of the General Crimes Section. A new study in PNAS shows that bees share a capacity for automatic learning the complex statistical properties often experienced in natural environments. Previously this was thought to be a visual capacity only present in humans and higher-level species, and the discovery in bees with a miniature brain inspires further improvements in AI. The study also reports that bees and humans use fundamentally different computational methods for this kind of learning, which might be one of the key reasons why humans' superior learning abilities emerged. The international team led by Dr Aurore Avargue?s-Weber (University of Toulouse, France), Dr Jozsef Fiser (Central European University, Hungary) and Dr Adrian Dyer (RMIT University, Australia) used for the first time an identical test to compare automatic learning in humans and bees. They exposed humans and honeybees to the same multi-element scenes composed of a set of abstract shapes in an unrelated easy categorization task (Fig 1). In the following test phase, both species had to perform a number of tests by choosing between two novel multi-element scenes in each trial. The scenes in these tests were composed to measure whether the participants became spontaneously sensitive to various statistical properties of the visual scenes that they saw during the exposure phase without any dedicated training. Dr Avargue?s-Weber says " Learning automatically by analyzing the statistical properties of a large set of previously experienced images to identify their underlying structure is a strategy that has been demonstrated in humans and in a few higher-level species. It is also the concept behind "deep learning", which fueled the immerse recent progress in Artificial Intelligence. Our results show that this is also the strategy used by bees, which suggests the universality and efficiency of this kind of automatic statistical learning." Dr Dyer adds "People have often been amazed at wonderful navigation and recognition capabilities of honeybees, and now we know that they achieve complex tasks using a simplified version of statistical learning that is the basis of human visual problem solving, and essentially the basis of deep learning for AI." And Dr Fiser says "We were very surprised to see that, similar to humans, honeybees developed a complex internal representation of the statistics of their new visual experience, and they could use this information in subsequent tests. We were even more astonished to realize that bees and humans achieved this feat by different computational strategies. Bees never become automatically sensitive to the predictability of visual elements that is, to how much the appearance of one element predicted the appearance of another element. In contrast, humans use this information from early infancy. This is exiting because access to predictability among pieces of information has long been implicated as a key computational requirement for acquiring effectively any highly complex knowledge. Thus our study demonstrates both how far one can get with simple methods and tiny brains to solve difficult tasks, and at the same time, what is crucial for reaching the next level of learning abilities." ### Dr Aurore Avargue?s-Weber, Centre de Recherches sur la Cognition Animale (CRCA), Centre de Biologie Inte?grative (CBI), Universite? de Toulouse, France: E-mail: aurore.avargues-weber@univ-tlse3.fr Phone: +33 663 35 87 57 Dr Jozsef Fiser, Department of Cognitive Science, Center for Cognitive Computation, Central European University, Budapest Hungary: E-mail: fiserj@ceu.edu Phone: +36 30 390 4072 Dr Adrian Dyer, Bio-inspired Digital Sensing (BIDS) Lab, School of Media and Communication, RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia: E-mail: adrian.dyer@rmit.edu.au Phone: +61 413 387401 Americans over 65 were excluded from half of all US clinical trials of drugs and all trials for vaccines - including those for COVID-19 - from October of last year until June 1, 2020, new research reveals. People over 65 are the most likely to develop severe COVID-19 and die of the devastating viral infection. Yet they have been systematically left behind 50 percent of the time as scientists tried experimental therapies in trials of drugs for any condition, including those for coronavirus, like remdesivir, which might have saved the lives of thousands of older Americans. Older people were left out of 100 percent despite the fact that they will likely be the first Americans to receive a shot once one is FDA-approved - far ahead of the young people vaccines were tested in. In ordinary circumstances, older people face higher risks of complications if they are enrolled in trials of experimental drugs and vaccines, so they may be excluded. But in the unprecedented scenario of the COVID-19 pandemic, researchers at University of Massachusetts and the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai worry that the risks of giving older people treatments and shots with unknown effects may outweigh those of testing them in clinical settings. Older Americans are excluded from half of US drug trials and effectively 100% of vaccine trials, according to new research - raising concerns over safety testing of COVID-19 treatments and shots in the population that needs them most (file) 'To be sure, some exclusions are needed to protect the health and safety of older adults - such as poorly controlled comorbidities,' said senior study author Dr Sharon Inouye, director of the Brain Aging Center at Hebrew SeniorLife, at the University of Massachusetts. 'However, many [exclusions] are not well-justified, and appear to be more for expediency or convenience of the trialists.' People over 65 account for just nine percent of the global population, but more than 80 percent of COVID-19 deaths thus far have been people in this older age group. Although the first case of coronavirus in the US was not identified until late January 2020, the researchers looked at 847 trials registered to ClinicalTrials.gov from October 1, 2019 until June 1, 2020. Of the trials, 23 percent had age cut-offs. The trials primarily cited concerns that older enrollees would not comply with treatment of vaccine regimens. Others wrote they believed it would be too difficult to get informed consent from older participants. The researchers then combined the number of studies that explicitly excluded older Americans and those that had other exclusions likely to make the inaccessible to older adults. In total, 53 percent of all drug trials were likely to have very low or no enrollment of adults over 65. And 100 percent of vaccine trials were estimated to exclude older adults. As a consequence of the time period, most trials included in the study were not for COVID-19 drugs and vaccines specifically. But, 'our concern is more than theoretical,' the study authors wrote. 'Even without stated age-based exclusions, several recently published clinical trials of COVID-19 treatments had young age ranges, such as one recent study with a median age of only 40 years, meaning there would be no or few participants over age 75. 'If the older age group is excluded from vaccine trials, efforts to ensure effectiveness, titrate dosage or frequency, and assess adverse effects in the group most vulnerable to COVID-19 will not be possible.' The study does not dig deeper on the outcomes of those trials, or accuse any of the researchers of excluding older people from their studies to pad the results. But, historically, older people fare more poorly than young ones against diseases, and have more side effects - outcomes that could skew data from clinical trials negatively. It's worth noting that Moderna and Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine trials have arms specifically for testing their shots in older adults. Johnson & Johnson's is open to anyone over 18. Still, the University of Massachusetts and the Icahn School of Medicine researchers are worried that won't be true for treatments, or perhaps other vaccines, based on the data on past trials. 'We are concerned that the exclusion of older adults from clinical trials will systematically limit our ability to evaluate the efficacy, dosage, and adverse effects of COVID-19 treatments in this population,' Dr Inouye said. India on Monday accused Pakistan of harbouring terrorists and changing the demography of Pakistan Occupied Kashmir as Delhi issued a strong rebuttal to Islamabad for once again raising the issue of Jammu and Kashmir at the 75th United Nations General Assembly. Full scale training camps and launchpads of terrorists are being escalated in Pakistan Occupied parts of Indian Union Territories of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh at great expense for sustaining cross border terrorism against India, Indias first secretary to the United Nations in Geneva, Pawan Badhe said. The Indian diplomat said that while the while the world is busy combatting Covid-19 pandemic, Pakistan has hoodwinked the world to allow delisting more than 4000 proscribed terrorists to sustain its terror ecosystem. The statement comes after Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan accused India of trying to cement control in Kashmir, and called the Narendra Modi government a sponsor of hatred and prejudice against Islam. It also assumes significance since the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) will once again Pakistans case in October. Pakistan remains on the grey list. Khan had added that there could be no durable peace and stability in South Asia until the Jammu and Kashmir dispute was resolved on the basis of international legitimacy. India has responded by accusing Pakistan of trying to change the demographics of PoK via mass influx of outsiders through discriminatory domicile laws. The Indian diplomat stated that three out of four people in the region are outsiders and there are no civil, constitutional and political rights. The Indian delegation also said that while Pakistan accuses India, it continues to stifle the voice of the minorities and the people under its subjugation. The fate of religious and ethnic minorities is well known when beheading is the only option in Pakistan in exchange for freedom of religion, the statement said. Various international organizations have termed Pakistan as the killing field for minorities. The Ahmadis remains the most persecuted community in Pakistan under the aegis of the so-called Constitution of Pakistan. Hundreds of Christians are persecuted every year while maximum of them are subjected to violent deaths in Pakistan, the statement added. By Aisha Jabbarova Azerbaijans Defence Ministry announced the liberation of several advantageous high grounds around the village of Talysh in Tartar region on September 28, on the second day of clashes in the line of contact. "Units of the Azerbaijan Army, moving from the high grounds and advantageous positions liberated from the Armenian armed forces, continue the counter-attack to consolidate the achieved success," the ministry said. Armenian troops were forced to retreat from the frontiers they were trying to hold, suffering heavy losses, the ministry said. Tartar has been under fire from the Armenian armed forces units since the morning of September 28. Earlier, the ministry's leadership warned Armenia "for the last time that we will take adequate response measures against them." The Defence Ministry also said in the morning that the Units of the Azerbaijan Army continue to destroy the enemy's military equipment with precise fire. It laer reported destruction of two more tanks of Armenian Armed Forces as a result of the steps taken to prevent the active combat activity of the adversary. The Azerbaijani army yesterday liberated strategically-important Murov height and destroyed the positions of the Armenian armed forces in the direction of the Agdere district and Murovdag. Defence Minister Zakir Hasanov also said on September 27 that Azerbaijan liberated Garakhanbeyli, Garvend, Kend Horadiz, Yukhari Abdulrahmanli villages of Fizuli district, Boyuk Marjanli, and Nuzgar villages of Jabrayil district. Spokesman for the Azerbaijani Ministry of Defense, Lieutenant Colonel Anar Eyvazov said on September 27 that as a result of the counter-offensive of the Azerbaijani armed forces to suppress Armenias provocation, a lot of manpower and military equipment of the Armenian armed forces is being destroyed, The Armenian armed forces are fleeing and leaving the military equipment behind, Eyvazov said. The ministry also reported destruction of a weapon and ammunition depot belonging to the Armenian army on September 27 Armenian armed forces launched a large-scale provocation, subjecting the positions of the Azerbaijani army to intensive shelling from large-caliber weapons, mortars, and artillery installations of various calibers in the front-line zone on September 27 at 6 am. The command of the Azerbaijani Army launched a counter-offensive operation of Azerbaijani troops along the entire front to suppress the combat activity of the Armenian armed forces and ensure the safety of the civilian population. A rare albino specimen of a critically endangered camel has been recorded on film at a nature reserve in northwest Chinas Gansu province. Footage from the Annanba Wild Camel National Nature Reserve shows the camel with all-white skin alongside a dozen other brown camels drinking from a puddle. Staff at the reserve told Chinese media that the albino camel could be the first of its kind captured on camera in the world. Zhou Yongxiang, a member of staff, told Xinhua Net that the white-skinned camel is the same species as the Bactrian camel at the reserve, which normally have brown skin and fur. They said the camels white skin was visible as the animals were in the middle of their shedding season, and it is unclear if its fur will also be white once it has grown out. The Annanba reserve is located between the Kumtag Desert and the Altun Mountains, and is home to around a third of the total wild camel population in China. Bactrian camels are the only true wild camels still in existence, and are native to the steppes of Central Asia. They have two distinctive humps on their backs, instead of the single hump of their Arabian relatives. Also known as Mongolian camels, these animals are listed as critically endangered on the Red List of Threatened Species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. The director of the Auschwitz-Birkenau museum in Poland has asked Nigerias president to pardon a teenager who was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment with menial labor over a blasphemy conviction. And if that doesnt happen, he also offered to serve part of the boys sentence. He should not be subjected to the loss of the entirety of his youth, be deprived of opportunities and stigmatized physically, emotionally and educationally for the rest of his life, the director, Piotr Cywinski, wrote in an open letter regarding Omar Farouq, a 13-year-old boy who was convicted on charges that he had blasphemed Allah in an argument with a friend. Since the boys sentence was issued in August by a Shariah court in Kano, Nigerias second-largest city, the case has been condemned by human rights groups, including the United Nations, who say that it violates international agreements on child welfare. The same court also came under scrutiny on Monday when U.N. rights experts called for the release of a 22-year-old musician whom it sentenced to death over a blasphemy charge. In Omars case, his lawyer, Kola Alapinni, said on Twitter this month that he had filed an appeal against the judgment, calling it a violation of the countrys Constitution and the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child. New Delhi, Sep 28 : Days after Vikas Singh, lawyer of Sushant Singh Rajput's family, sought updates in the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) investigation, the federal agency on Monday said it was conducting the probe looking at all angles in a professional manner. CBI spokesperson R.K. Gaur said in a statement, "The CBI is conducting professional investigation related to death of Sushant in which all aspects are being looked at and no aspect has been ruled out as of date." He said, further investigation is in progress. The remarks came after Singh, addressing a press conference last week, said that the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) probe is overshadowing and hindering the investigation to bring out the real truth in Sushant's death case. Addressing a press conference on Friday , Singh had said, "Why call the whole of Bollywood? There are no seizures from these people who have been called today or tomorrow. In an NDPS case, everything depends on the quantity, the family feels it is being done to divert from the main issue (death case of Sushant)." The senior advocate further stated that media attention was being diverted from the case by calling the big stars. "CBI has not issued a single press statement regarding the probe and the direction in which the investigation is going is a little worrying for the family," Singh said. He also alleged that more than a week had passed since the CBI team probing the case landed in Delhi but they haven't met the team of doctors at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS). "Today we are completely helpless on the case as no one from the CBI is doing any press briefing. It is the lack of interest and the speed with which the case is going that is worrisome," Singh said. Claiming that one of the doctors from the AIIMS team suggested it's a murder case, Singh said, "One of the doctors in the team of AIIMS suggests it is 200% death by strangulation and not a suicide. This is after photos clicked by Sushant's sister Mitu were shared with him." "If there is a case of murder then obviously the speed, tenor of the investigation will be different. Unfortunately none of the family members were staying with Sushant and hence we don't know what exactly happened," he said. The CBI registered a case on August 6 after the notification from the Centre over the Bihar government's request. The CBI SIT team went to Mumbai on August 20, a day after the Supreme Court gave the federal agency a go through in the case. Latest updates on Sushant Singh Rajput Death Mystery In a post titled, "My favorite new investing app on earth," Brown lamented the challenges of navigating companies' investor relations pages in search of earnings call recordings and then having to keep the web browser open while listening. But Yousef's app largely solved those issues, Brown wrote, and "you should start using it today." Both numbers are growing. Yousef, 26, said the app is actively taking requests for new companies to include, and new users are adding up. Last week, Earnings Calls scored a resounding endorsement from money manager Josh Brown , a contributor to CNBC's "Halftime Report," who writes The Reformed Broker blog. So Yousef created the aptly named app Earnings Calls, which compiles audio recordings of quarterly earnings calls for more than 2,100 publicly traded companies. The app has more than 10,000 active users. "Around that time, five years ago, I had really gotten into podcasts, and so that was our goal: to make listening to earnings calls as easy as listening to podcasts," Yousef said Monday on CNBC's "The Exchange." After Hadi Yousef began to invest in stocks, he soon learned the value of listening to a company's earnings call. It didn't take long for the then-Indiana University student to realize that tracking them down for a range of companies was a challenge. The increasing attention for Earnings Calls comes after a wave of young investors began looking to buy stocks during the Covid-19 pandemic. Online brokers saw a surge of new accounts, as some investors saw the coronavirus-induced declines earlier this year as a "generational-buying moment." At the same time, questions have been raised about whether first-time investors are really well-versed in the basics of investing. Brown, who also is CEO of Ritholtz Wealth Management, stressed the value of listening to earnings calls for retail investors trying to research stocks. He wrote in his blog post that, in his opinion, they offer "the most bang for your buck in terms of time spent versus what you come away with." Yousef, who is from Evansville, Indiana, said he was in college when he began investing in the stock market. He tried to be an informed investor, searching for information about companies in hopes of learning what distinguishes a market leader from one languishing in an industry. "I would read news articles, maybe the random analyst report that I could find, and I would see references to an earnings call. At the time, I didn't really know what an earnings call was ... but eventually I kept seeing references to it enough where I eventually found one and listened to it," he said. It was immediately clear how beneficial listening to management teams can be for investors, he said, "and the world of a difference it makes when you're just trying to understand what a company is about." Yousef, who said he has always been entrepreneurially minded, said he had an early prototype for Earnings Calls around August 2016, about one year after hatching the idea. To help with the app's development, he pitched the concept to various entrepreneur contests, he told CNBC in a follow-up call, ultimately securing just over $40,000 in cash. Earnings Calls has gone through about 10 iterations to get where it is today, Yousef said. The company he founded that runs the app, Borsa Finance, has two other employees besides him, as well as an intern. "Really we've grown organically to this point, just word of mouth, one person hearing about it and sharing it with their colleague or posting it on Twitter or something like that," said Yousef. The app relies on an in-house database that includes dates of earnings reports and the times of calls, he said, and it takes work to keep that up to date. "The scheduling is a very crazy process, especially when you multiply that out for thousands of companies," he said. The recordings are uploaded to the app "within an hour ... of when the call is live," Yousef said. Last year, Yousef said they started to offer premium features within the app, allowing those who subscribe for $9.99 per month or $99.99 per year to download calls and to get notifications when they are uploaded. He said the central question for Earnings Calls going forward is, "What additional features can we build on top of this library that is only possible because we have created this library?" "In a sense, solving the issue of making it easy to listen to earnings calls has now opened up additional challenges that we can solve for," he said. CANBERRA, Australia (AP) Australias second-largest city, Melbourne, has further eased lockdown restrictions imposed after a surge in coronavirus cases, allowing most children to return to school from next month and sending more than 125,000 people back to work. Melbourne and surrounding parts of rural Victoria state were placed under strict Level 4 lockdowns on Aug. 2, shuttering schools and non-essential businesses, imposing a nighttime curfew and prohibiting public gatherings. The restrictions were scheduled to be eased Sunday if the rolling 14-day average of new infections was between 30 and 50 cases. With 12 new infections reported Saturday and 16 Sunday, the 14-day average has dropped to 22.1. That allowed Victoria state Premier Daniel Andrews to confirm the 9 p.m.- 5.a.m curfew will be lifted from 5 a.m. Monday, though residents still cannot travel more than 5 kilometers (3.1 miles) from home. Public gatherings of up to five people from a maximum of two households will be allowed. A further easing could take place on Oct. 19 if the average falls below five new cases per day. Masks remain mandatory. Andrews said there are 399 active cases in Victoria, the first time that number has fallen below 400 since June 30. Its one measure among many of the amazing performance of the Victorian community staying apart but sticking together, making sure that we defeat this second wave, Andrews said. ___ In other developments: Prime Minister Scott Morrison says the Australian budget, to be delivered Oct. 6, will be a titanic effort to return the country to economic growth amid the coronavirus pandemic. Morrison told reporters Sunday that the budget will the most unprecedented investment in Australias future. Australias gross domestic product shrank 7% in the quarter form April to June, the largest contraction since record-keeping began in 1959. That followed a 0.3% decline in the first quarter, meaning Australia was technically in recession for the first time in 30 years. Even before the coronavirus, the economy was affected by massive bushfires in January that hit small businesses, which depend on tourism. Business shutdowns forced by the pandemic cost almost 1 million jobs and resulted in a major reduction in household spending despite Morrisons government providing almost $200 billion Australian dollars ($140.5 billion) in economic stimulus. Morrison said the upcoming budget will be a titanic effort that were involved in to ensure that this country can get back on the growth path that we want to be on. That means were going to have to do some very heavy lifting in this budget and that comes at a significant cost. Treasurer Josh Frydenbeg, who will deliver the budget speech, on Thursday provided a downbeat economic outlook. Frydenberg said the economy likely will be 6% smaller by mid-2021 than forecast at the end of last year. Story continues India has registered 88,600 new confirmed coronavirus cases in the past 24 hours in a declining trend with recoveries exceeding daily infections. The Health Ministry on Sunday also reported additional 1,124 deaths for a total of 94,503. The average of new cases has fallen by around 7,000 daily in the past week after reaching a record number of 97,894 on Sept. 16. Still, India is expected to become the pandemics worst-hit country within weeks, surpassing the United States, where more than 7 million people have been infected. Sunday's surge has raised the countrys virus tally to over 5.9 million. India, however, also has the highest number of recovered patients in the world, according to Johns Hopkins University. Its recovery rate stands at about 82%. Health experts have cautioned about two major events next month: the legislative election in Bihar state, with nearly 72 million people eligible to vote, and a major religious festival season that includes huge congregations. ___ Follow APs pandemic coverage at http://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak Aldi has pledged to create another 4,000 jobs as part of its plans to open 100 stores by the end of next year. The supermarket has already hired 3,000 staff this year thanks to booming demand for food during lockdown. Aldi has also expanded its existing 1billion investment over two years to 1.3bn the largest in its 30-year history. The new stores will be opened in London and the south-east, and it will soon open its 900th shop in a former Waitrose in Sandhurst, Berkshire on the way to a target of 1,200 stores by 2025. Aldi is also expanding its online business, taking its click-and-collect trial from one store to 15 in the next few weeks. Customers can also order online via Deliveroo from 20 stores. The expansion poses a fresh challenge to the Big Four supermarkets, with the German discounter promising to undercut its bigger rivals in a Christmas price war. Experts believe consumers, many of whom face job losses and financial uncertainty as the recession bites, will look to save money on their food shop. Asda and Morrisons have slashed prices on hundreds of products, while Tesco promised to match Aldi on hundreds of cupboard staples. Aldi's UK chief executive Giles Hurley said: 'Our rivals may drop their prices but we will always respond by dropping prices further.' The budget grocer's market share has flattened in recent months leading some analysts to predict the UK has reached 'peak Aldi'. But despite being left behind as its rivals capitalised on the lockdown boom in online shopping, it still recorded 'solid' 10 per cent sales growth in the three months to September 9. Hurley said: 'It has been an absolutely extraordinary time for the supermarkets, I've never known anything like it.' Over the weekend, Dennis Quaid posted an Instagram video to address the backlash from his recent public service announcement. In the caption he writes, "no good deed goes unpoliticized" in all capital letters. The PSA in question was a taped interview with Dr. Anthony Fauci. The purpose of the PSA and interview with Fauci was about raising awareness of COVID-19 and what we can still do to prevent lives being lost to this terrible, terrible virus. It was about the importance of wearing a mask and social distancing, according to Quaid. Dennis Quaid & The Dennisance podcast: Dennis Quaid dishes on his new podcast and film favorites As reported by Dan Diamond at Politico, the health department was working on an ad campaign to "defeat despair" about the coronavirus. The campaign was a $300 million-plus effort, spearheaded by one of Donald Trump's close associates. Fans immediately assumed that the ad was an endorsement for the Trump campaign. It was in no way political, Quaid says in the video. He goes on to mention how he wasn't paid for the public service announcement. "Nothing could be further from the truth," Quaid says. The ad is set to air on November 3. The announcement also features Surgeon General Jerome Adams, and CeCe Winans. The full interview with Dr. Fauci can be found on Quaid's podcast, The Dennisance. by Nirmala Carvalho The victims were beaten, had their heads shaved, and were forced to sing Jai Shri Ram (Victory to Lord Ram). The attackers came from neighbouring villages. Police arrested four people, and are still looking for another ten. For Christian activist, extremist groups attack using false accusations and spurious evidence, favoured by radical local administrations. Delhi (AsiaNews) Using a baseless accusation of slaughtering a cow, a group of sacred crow vigilantes attacked tribal Dalit Christians in a village in the state of Jharkhand, this according to Sajan K George, president of the Global Council of Indian Christians (GCIC) The victims were beaten, had their heads shaved, and were forced to sing Jai Shri Ram (Victory to Lord Ram). The incident took place on 16 September, George told AsiaNews, but it became public only last Friday after activist and former district council member Neel Justin Beck reported it. In India, cows are considered sacred and are a sensitive issue for the Hindu majority. There are frequent violent attacks against minorities who slaughter animals for the meat; the main victims are usually Muslims, but Christians have been targeted as well. This time the attack involved seven Christians living a tribal area in Jharkhand, who were accused without proof of slaughtering an animal. Deepak Kullu, a 26-year-old tribal Christian from Bherikudar, Simdega district, about 145 km southwest of Ranchi, reports that a group of more than 25 people armed with sticks and clubs entered the village in the early hours of the morning. The attackers came from neighbouring villages, according to early reports. They first assaulted Raj Singh Kullu and verbally abused his wife Jacqueline Kullu's caste. When they were asked to explain themselves, they "started screaming and accusing us of slaughtering a cow". The group continued to attack and hit, even showing a video (most likely a fake or one that was artfully made) in which an old man from a nearby village claims to have seen the killing of animals. Forcibly dragged into the village of Mahato Tola, half a kilometre away, the victims were beaten up and forced to chant "Jai Shri Ram". The police, called by the attackers who suffered minor injuries that did not need medical attention, searched the homes of Christians but found no evidence of the crime. The following day, Jacqueline Kullu filed a complaint about the attack, which Simdega district police superintendent Shams Tabrez confirmed. Police then proceeded to arrest four people and are still seeking another ten. Tribal Christians are occasionally attacked by groups of 'cow vigilantes affiliated with the far right, on false charges and baseless evidence of slaughtering animals, Sajan K George told AsiaNews. They use the issue of cow protection as a pretext, as do local administrations" which support, either tacitly or openly, the abuses. These things have already happened in Jharkhand, where "tribal Christians have been killed by such vigilante groups. The Hinduisation of tribal people began "decades ago with the rise of right-wing political leaders, explained the Christian activist, and grew stronger with aggression, violence, and targeted attacks as well as "the denial of the rights inherent in the culture of the tribal population. In some states, there are no specific laws that punish cattle slaughter; however, with the rise of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), many punitive restrictions have been introduced. Jharkhand itself has seen several episodes of lynching of tribal people and Muslims because of groundless claims. SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty President Donald Trump Recent years of President Donald Trump's tax return details have finally seen the light of day thanks to a bombshell new report which he promptly dismissed as totally fake news." On Sunday, The New York Times published the first of several articles analyzing Trump's tax information, which he has avoided publicly releasing both before and during his time in office. He is the first president in decades not to release such records, though he defended himself by citing an ongoing audit by the IRS. (The Times said the underlying information for its reporting was provided by sources with legal access to it.) According to the expose, the self-proclaimed billionaire paid a total of $750 in federal income taxes in both 2016 and 2017 thanks to a nearly $10 million tax credit partially connected to a hotel project in Washington, D.C. Though the Times report did not cover 2018 and 2019 tax filings, the Times analyzed 18 years' worth of tax returns for Trump, 74, and his businesses going back to 2000, finding that he paid zero income taxes in 10 of those years. According to the paper, it was largely because he reported losing much more money than he made. The Times found that, according to the Trump tax info it obtained, he racks up chronic losses that he aggressively employs to avoid paying taxes despite his millions in income and assets. A Trump Organization attorney, Alan Garten, told the Times that most, if not all, of the facts appear to be inaccurate. But the paper said that the attorney, in Trumps defense, seemed to be conflating income taxes with other federal taxes to argue Trump had, in his words, paid tens of millions of dollars in personal taxes in the last 10 years. The president also received a $72.9 million tax refund from the IRS starting in 2010, according to the Times, though the veracity of that payout is at the center of an ongoing audit battle whose status is still unclear. Story continues RELATED VIDEO: Trump's Ex-Assistant Ousted After Loose-Lipped Dinner with Reporters Tells Her White House Story Trump's Ex-Assistant Ousted After Loose-Lipped Dinner with Reporters Tells Her White House Story "I think this book reads almost like my diary," Madeleine Westerhout says of the fittingly titled Off the Record Trump has been decidedly tight-lipped about the contents of his business dealings, which are anchored around the family's privately held Trump Organization. The Trumps have said that scrutiny about their money amounts to rumor-mongering and organized harassment POLITICAL WITCH HUNT!" as the president put it in a July 9 tweet. A chorus of critics, however, say that Trump has hidden his finances (including his tax returns) like no other modern president, making it impossible to know what behind-closed-door deals he's made and to whom he may be secretly indebted, including foreign businesses. The Times article contains numerous other details of how Trump has conducted his business and described his wealth over the years, such as his history of expenses claimed as deductions from his tax bill because they were the cost of doing business. The practice, which is not unusual, includes colorful Trump-specific examples such as some $70,000 in hairstyling costs during his time on NBCs The Apprentice, more than $300,000 for landscaping, linens and silver for the operation of the Mar-a-Lago Club and some $95,000 written off by Trump groups for hair and makeup from an artist preferred by his daughter Ivanka. The Times executive editor, Dean Baquet, explained that the newspaper did not include the actual tax documents in its coverage so as not to potentially give up their sources. RELATED: Donald Trump's Niece Mary Sues President, Claims He Swindled Her Out of Millions We are publishing this report because we believe citizens should understand as much as possible about their leaders and representatives their priorities, their experiences and also their finances," Baquet wrote in an editor's note. "Every president since the mid-1970s has made his tax information public. The tradition ensures that an official with the power to shake markets and change policy does not seek to benefit financially from his actions." When asked about the report during a White House press conference on Sunday, Trump wrote off the Times' piece as fake news. He also lamented that the IRS does not treat me well. It's totally fake news. Made-up, fake, he claimed. We went through the same stories, people you could've asked me the same questions four years ago. I had to litigate this and talk about it. Totally fake news." MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty President Donald Trump Actually I paid tax, and you'll see that as soon as my tax returns it's under audit, Trump told reporters. They've been under audit for a long time. The IRS does not treat me well. ... They don't treat me well; they treat me very badly. You have people in the IRS, they treat me very, very badly. But they're under audit, he again added of his tax returns. And when they're not, I would be proud to show you, but that's just fake news." (An audit would not prevent Trump from disclosing his tax records to the public.) RELATED: Trump's Former National Security Advisor Slams President for Refusal to Peaceful Transfer of Power Trumps election rival, former Vice President Joe Biden, quickly seized on the new information with an attack ad comparing Trumps taxes to firefighters and nurses. The two are set to meet in the first presidential debate on Tuesday in Cleveland at 9 p.m. ET, moderated by Fox News' Chris Wallace. The brothers and artists Steven and William Ladd have been making art together for nearly two decadeselaborately composed sculptural pieces that reflect their tactile and almost DIY approach to creativity. Yet while the Ladd Brothers, as theyve become known professionally, have clearly cultivated a following for their distinctive aesthetic, the story behind their process is just as vital and compelling. For nine years, the Ladd Brothers have worked with inmates at correctional facilitiesmost notably, New York Citys notorious Rikers Island. And the fruits of these partnershipswhich have made a marked difference in both the brothers and inmates livesare now on display at the Invisible Dog Art Center in Brooklyns brownstone-filled Cobble Hill district. Simon Courchel/The Invisible Dog The gallery is currently home to The Other Side, an exhibition on display through October 17 that is inspired by the brothers experience with the NYC Department of Corrections (DOC) and the creativity and stories resulting from this work. Our collaboration with the DOC came out of our work with a school in Brooklyn for troubled kids back in 2011, Steven Ladd explains. The experiencecomplete with ample student fights and in-school metal detectorsawakened the brothers to the complex structural challenges facing the kids and the stark reality of the school-to-prison pipeline. It was heartbreaking, remembers Ladd, literally in tears. We saw how hard it is for stigmatized people to be treated with respect. Indeed, respect and tolerance anchored the brothers relationship with their inmate collaborators at every step of the artistic process. New inmates the Ladds recruited, for instance, were given packets filled with necessary art materials along with a questionnaire to better understand their feelings around imprisonment. Simon Courchel/The Invisible Dog What one word describes incarceration for you, the brothers asked each inmate. The responses were both heartbreaking and illuminating. Victory, began one inmate, when everything that you think matters is taken from you, you realize it never mattered. Another inmate said Pain, because pain is what I caused my family by coming here. And yet another described his imprisonment as a blessingnothing is what it seems, people look at the negative, but it could have been God saving your life. Story continues The Ladds recruited from throughout the prisons they enteredmen, women, young folks, and older folks all had something to offer. And while many inmates reached the Ladds via prison staffers and facilitators, some came to us by word of mouth; they wanted to be part of this process once they realized that everyone had something to give. The process itself was fairly straightforward: The inmates worked with materials provided by the Ladds to create the often scroll-like pieces that form part of the final work. Those final works were then completed by the Ladds and installed at the gallery. Although the individual inmates remain little known, their contributions clearly reflect their experiencesmost dramatically in the exhibitions timeline, which features the inmate contributions. There are also exhibition components evoking a jail cell, a metal detector, and a surveillance booth. Since jails only house inmates for up to one year, we had a pretty transient population working with us, Ladd says. The brothers had also hoped inmates might encourage family or friends to visit the exhibition now on display, but most said it would be too painful to have loved ones visit, he continued. Although The Other Side will only be mounted for a few weeks, the Ladds are simultaneously involved in longer-lasting works that still reflect their community-focused approach to art making. In Washington, D.C., the brothers worked with some 700 locals to create Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrowa 20-foot-long scroll-based work at REACH, which is part of the recently expanded Kennedy Center campus. City Point Unveils Monumental Mural By Ladd Brothers Photo: Bryan Bedder The brothers are also part of the U.S. State Departments Art in Embassies program and are currently completing a piece for the American embassy in Asuncion, Paraguay. Ladd says he had hoped to travel to South America as part of this process, but that tripmuch like the hopes and dreams of his many inmate collaboratorsremains an uncertainty. Originally Appeared on Architectural Digest New Delhi, Sep 28 : At a time when the contentious farm Bills have created a political sandstorm in the country, as many as 32 ex-bureaucrats, including former finance, banking and defence secretaries, have backed the bills, terming their passage in the Parliament as a "watershed moment". "The farm Bills passed by the Parliament is a watershed moment in the liberation of India's farming community from the shackles of the exploitative practices that slow pedalled their progress," said a statement issued by the bureaucrats that was informally released by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The statement went on to call the farm Bills a "definite gamechanger in the lives of Indian farmers" and termed the legislation as "far-sighted". "Major impediments which retarded the seamless growth of the farming fraternity of India are given the go by the passage of these monumental acts," said the statemnet. Those backing the farm Bills included former Finance Secretary S. Narayan, former Banking Secretary D.K. Mittal, former Defence Secretary G. Mohan Kumar and former Petroleum Secretary Saurav Chandra, among others. Putting forward a five-point argument, which included MSP and freedom to sell farm produce, the former bureaucrats termed the agitation by the farmers as "objectionable". The statement came at a time when sveral political parties, including the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), Congress, DMK, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and Trinamool Congress, among others, are vehemently protesting the bills. "Despite categorical assurance from the Union Agriculture Minister that the minimum support price (MSP) mechanism shall remain as before, it is objectionable to incite the farmers and create disaffection in their minds by wrongly suggesting that their interests are being bartered in favour of multinational concerns," the statement said. The bureaucrats claimed that the legislations will instead free the farmers of their "sufferings" which are caused by "inadequate local marketing facilities, leading to their exploitation by 'middlemen'. "The farmers have nothing to lose if India is developed as one market and private parties purchase their products," the bureaucrats said. Calling the legislations "historic", the bureaucrats expressed their apprehension about a pan-India "disinformation" campaign over the issue. Citing that there have been "recent instances of untruths", the former bureaucrats said, "The general public has every reason to suspect attempts by well-known vested interests to destabilise the country and create disaffection among the minorities, students and farmers." "We strongly support the well-meaning efforts of the government in bringing succor to the farming community which has fed the nation over the years, converting India from a food deficit to a food surplus economy," they said. The three farm Bills passed by the Parliament are the Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020; The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020; and Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill, 2020. As renewed fighting between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the disputed enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh enters its second day, the question of why now is looming ever larger, amid fears of a full blown conflict in the Caucasus that could draw in Russia and Turkey. The Armenian Foreign Ministry said in a statement today that Turkey already had a direct presence on the ground and that Turkish military experts were fighting side by side with Azerbaijani forces who were using Turkish weapons and aircraft. Armenian officials have also accused Turkey of transporting thousands of Syrian mercenaries to Azerbaijan, as it has done to Libya. An aide to Azerbaijans president, Ilham Aliyev, rebutted the assertions as nonsense today. But two Syrian rebel fighters quoted by Reuters said they were deploying to Azerbaijan in coordination with Ankara and had been told by their brigade commanders that they would earn $1,500 per month. Similar descriptions of the alleged recruitment effort circulated on Twitter and were reported by The Guardian as well. Turkey has riposted with its own claims that Armenia is deploying Kurdish militants from the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party and Syrian mercenaries of its own. Azerbaijan has, in turn, accused Russia of sending large numbers of weapons to Armenia, where it maintains a base near the Turkish border in Gyumri. While none of these allegations can be verified, the emerging consensus is that Azerbaijan most likely instigated the attacks after receiving assurances of military support from Turkey. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan renewed his support for Azerbaijan today, saying that Armenia must immediately end its occupation of Azerbaijani territories. He called Armenia, a country of 2.9 million versus Turkeys estimated 84 million, the biggest threat to peace in the region. The current conflagration, he said, offered an opportunity for Azerbaijan to seize back Nagorno-Karabakh. Recent developments have provided an opportunity for all influential countries in the region to introduce realistic and fair solutions, he said. We hope that this opportunity will be utilized. More ominously, Erdogan noted that since the Minsk group of mediators led by Russia, France and the United States had failed to resolve the conflict for almost 30 years, Azerbaijan had to take matters into its own hands whether it likes it or not. Armenia has begun a general military mobilization and both countries have declared martial law. Azerbaijan has sealed its airspace to all flights except from Turkey. Dozens of people including civilians have been reported killed and hundreds wounded on both sides. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian said, We are on the brink of a full scale war in the South Caucasus. He blamed Azerbaijan and Turkey. Russia, the United States and NATO have all called for an immediate cessation of hostilities, as has Iran. Turkey and Azerbaijan are bound by strong ethnic and historical ties, which saw Turkey send weapons and military advisers to Azerbaijan in the early 1990s when the war over Nagorno-Karabakh, an Armenian-majority enclave inside Azerbaijan, was in full swing. Reflecting the public mood, the main political parties in the parliament, with the exception of the pro-Kurdish bloc, signed a joint declaration in defense of Azerbaijan today. Turkey is the main export route for Azeri oil and natural gas. Azerbaijans state oil company, SOCAR, is the biggest foreign investor in Turkey. Yet despite all the talk about being one nation, two states, the reality is more complex. Azerbaijan, though ethnically Turkic, is mostly Shiite. Turkey uses ethnicity and language while Iran uses religion to promote their agendas in Azerbaijan and then you have the Azerbaijani intelligentsia, who are all Russian speakers, said Cavid Aga, an Ankara-based analyst who monitors the conflict. The truth is that most Turks know very little about Azerbaijan, he told Al-Monitor. Culturally speaking, Anatolian Turks arguably have more in common with Christian Armenians who fled to Armenia from Turkey than they do with the Azeris in Azerbaijan. But such nuances get lost in the warmongering rhetoric spewing from Baku, Ankara and Yerevan alike. The intensity and scale of the current round of fighting does suggest advance planning by Azerbaijan to upend the status quo, cemented since 1994, when it lost Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding territories, and that favors Armenia. Laurence Broers, Caucasus program director at the London-based think tank Chatham House, noted via Twitter that the clashes could be an intentional but limited aims operation [on the part of Azerbaijan] aimed at recovering territories [and] consolidating [a] more advantageous new ceasefire, packaged as a military win. Firdevs Robinson, a London-based specialist on Turkey, the Caucasus and Central Asia, concurred. In Azerbaijan, the loss of significant part of the countrys territory has been a festering wound for decades but the pressure from the public has been growing in recent years, she told Al-Monitor. With the Minsk group largely ineffective in recent years, and the United States distracted with its presidential race, and the Europeans battling the pandemic, the timing of this latest escalation makes perfect opportunistic sense, she added. It remains to be seen just how far Azerbaijan will go and how far Turkey will back it. Pressure on Aliyev intensified when clashes erupted along Azerbaijans international border with Armenia in July, killing at least 16 people. Thousands of people took to the streets of Baku demanding the government declare war and wrest back Nagorno-Karabakh along with other lost territory. The prevailing sentiment in Azerbaijan now is that 'Turkey is behind us and told the [Azerbaijani] government: Do as you must, and that is the reason the government decided to act, Aga, the Ankara-based analyst, contended. Nagorno-Karabakh is an existential issue for Azerbaijanis across the political spectrum. They believe Turkey can help win it back and Erdogan is extremely popular in Azerbaijan. For Armenians and their brethren in the diaspora, Nagorno-Karabakh is every bit as existential if not more, as it's closely bound up with the trauma of the genocidal slaughter of more than a million of the Ottoman Empires Armenian subjects in 1915. Many wound up in Syria and now around 25,000 have sought refuge in Armenia since the start of the civil conflict there in 2011. Should the allegations of Turkish backed Sunni Syrian mercenaries being carried to Azerbaijan to fight the Armenians prove true, this would be a further cruel twist. Against this background most Armenians see themselves as not just fighting Azerbaijan but Turkey as well. President Erdogans discourse, such as his tweets that Turkey and Azerbaijan are one nation, two states and that the Turkish nation with all its capabilities, today as always, stands with its Azerbaijani brothers only serve to reinforce that dominant perception, said Khatchig Mouradian, a lecturer in Middle Eastern, South Asian and African Studies at Columbia University. Turkey has no diplomatic ties with Armenia and its borders with its eastern neighbor remain sealed in solidarity with Azerbaijan. A brief period of rapprochement saw emergence of Armenian Genocide discussion, which was long criminalized, and a flurry of bicultural activity promoted by Turkish philanthropist Osman Kavala. But hopes of a lasting thaw faded when Erdogan scrapped Swiss-brokered protocols to normalize relations with Armenia soon after they were signed in 2009. He reportedly succumbed to pressure from Azerbaijan. In doing so, he forfeited Turkeys chance to broker peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan by removing landlocked Armenias incentive to make concessions in exchange for open borders with Turkey. Kavala has been in jail since November 2017 on trumped-up terrorism charges. Hate crimes against Turkeys 60,000-strong Armenian minority are on the rise. Like many experts, however, Mouradian believes that Erdogans hawkish rhetoric on Armenia is tied to Turkeys aggressive posturing in Libya, Syria and the eastern Mediterranean, where its been forced to back down in the face of Russian countermoves and threats of sanctions from the European Union. Facing major economic challenges domestically, and forced to recoil from adventures in the Mediterranean, Erdogan is pinning hopes on some Azeri success for which he can take credit, he told Al-Monitor. Erdogans trashing of the Minsk process may well point to an even riskier gamble. A Western diplomat speaking not for attribution to Al-Monitor said that by fomenting instability in Russias hinterland, Turkey aims to create greater symmetry in its relations with Moscow to create an Astana-like process for Karabakh that will bolster its hand in its dealings with the Russians elsewhere. The diplomat was referring to the mechanism through which Turkey, Iran and Russia pursue their often clashing interests in Syria through mutual if begrudging accommodation. The prospect of freezing out France and the United States from mediation efforts should prove attractive to Moscow, or that anyway may be Ankara's calculation. Turkey may also be hoping to benefit economically by selling more military hardware to Azerbaijan and win better terms for its gas and oil imports. Nothing is that straightforward, however, warned Robinson, and Turkey could walk away empty handed. "Yet another short-sighted, half-baked military adventure, especially when it involves coming face-to-face with Russia, in its historical backyard, will be nothing like playing power games in Syria or Libya, she said. It might be useful to remember that President Aliyev is a pragmatic leader. His country has close ties with Russia and Azerbaijan buys arms from Israel. When forced to choose between the real regional power Russia and the one with ambitions to become one we can guess which direction he will take. Snowdon queuing scenes irresponsible but minister stops short of endorsing stay local travel restrictions This article is old - Published: Monday, Sep 28th, 2020 Queuing to take a selfie at the top of Snowdon is irresponsible but a Welsh Government minister stopped short of endorsing a stay local travel restriction. Economy Minister Ken Skates MS criticised the small minority of visitors to North Wales who ignored social distancing rules to join a 300 metre long queue to take pictures at the summit of Snowdon at the weekend. Thousands descended on Snowdonia this weekend with many travelling from cities in the north-west of England the epicentre of coronavirus transmission across the UK at the moment. Mr Skates addressed the queues and the large numbers of visitors to North Wales at a Covid-19 briefing in Cardiff but he would not back the reintroduction of a cross-border travel ban. He said: People have their own role in judging what they should and should not do, not just what they can and cannot do. He praised tourist businesses in the region for putting in measures to protect customers and staff but said it was a very fine balancing act maintaining economic activity and ensuring public health remains a priority. But when pushed on his view of the weekend scenes in Snowdonia, he said: Some people act irresponsibly but the vast majority of people act responsibly, not just towards their own health but the health and safety of others. Unfortunately a small minority of people can sometimes be disruptive. But we are willing to respond to the call of any public body that wishes to have more powers in order to respond to such behaviour. Weve done that when the police asked for the 10,000 fines to be introduced. Weve done it when local authorities have asked for powers so they can contain the virus by cracking down on illegal gatherings. He said it was vitally important anybody who visits Wales acts in a responsible way to prevent any transmission occurring. Mr Skates added: We will go on responding to public bodies that ask us for powers to be able to respond to irresponsible behaviour. He said the Welsh Government was due to have a meeting with North Wales local authorities over a rise in Covid-19 transmission. Dr Giri Shankar, Incident Director for the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak response at Public Health Wales, said today: The council areas of Anglesey, Carmarthenshire, Conwy, Denbighshire, and Flintshire are all areas of concern to us and we are watching the data from there carefully, but numbers of cases are increasing in all parts of Wales so there is no room for complacency in any area. We are also seeing an increase in the number of people who are seriously ill and have been admitted to hospital with COVID-19. Dr Giri Shankar added, We are concerned that much of the good work conducted over the past few months is at risk of going to waste. If the situation continues to worsen, we may find ourselves at the same levels of infection that we experienced earlier this year in March and April, and with that comes the potential for more extended restrictions to be imposed nationally. Coronavirus has not gone away. It remains the responsibility of everyone to help prevent the spread of this virus to protect older and vulnerable family members and friends. They should do this by self-isolating when asked to do so, staying two metres away from others, and by washing hands regularly. By Jez Hemming Local Democracy Reporter Former President John Mahama will today, Monday, 28 September 2020 resume his campaign tour of the Bono Region. Mr Mahama cut short his tour in that region last week over concerns with the voter register and the exhibition exercise. I am cutting short my tour of the Bono Region to return to Accra because of the increasing reports of challenges with the voter register and the exhibition process, Mr Mahama wrote on his Face timeline on Tuesday, 22 September 2020. Mr Mahama returned to Accra where he addressed press on the issues where he reiterated that neither he nor the National Democratic Congress (NDC) which he is leading into the 7 December 2020 polls, will accept the results of flawed elections. He also said the Electoral Commissions (EC) extension of the voter exhibition exercise by two days is inadequate to address the magnitude of challenges discovered vis-a-vis the provisional roll. The former President, therefore, called on the election management body to extend the period beyond the two days. The Electoral Commission has, however, said it has retrieved almost all the voter names that went missing on the newly-compiled voter roll. Mr Mahamas tour of the Bono region ends on 30 September 2020. Source: classfmonline.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 What elements in a building can inspire wellness? For architect Robyn Whitwham, its large windows, good ventilation and colourful walls that make a space come alive. These elements and more have inspired Whitwham as she designed the new hub for Stellas Place, a fast-growing mental health centre serving young people, free of charge, in downtown Toronto. The design journey has been a personal one for Whitwham, a 29-year-old Stantec architect, who falls into the same age category, 16-29, as the youth that Stellas Place helps every day. The impact Stellas Place has had on people her age, Whitwham said, was top of mind as she drafted sketches for what its new space in a former candy factory in Alexandra Park would look like. Everyone has a connection to them because everyone suffers from mental health challenges in some way, shape or form, Whitwham said. A place like that in the community has likely helped a lot of my peers. Stellas Place has been operating in Toronto since 2013, and serves about 500 youth and their families annually. Its described as a one-stop shop for young people who need mental health support: it offers counselling sessions, access to a psychiatrist, peer mentors and employment resources. But the centre quickly gained popularity and outgrew its current space, where services have been provided since 2016, said peer support worker Asante Haughton. Its tight, Haughton said of the current space. Its gotten to the point where you physically cant have all of the staff working at the same time. Operating in a small space has not only had an impact on daily operations, but Haughton added it has also made the waitlist for youth seeking services a lot longer than it should be. Its been growing, Haughton said. Our founding goal was to have a waitlist that is far shorter than any other mental health service out there. Haughton said the uptick of demand is tied to a number of reasons; one being an increase in awareness of mental health issues. Another reason is Stellas Places unique model of serving people up through age 29, while many youth services in the city cut people off at age 24 or 25. We understand that when a young person goes through mental health challenges, it interrupts the regular flow of (their education), Haughton said, and therefore interrupting their ability to find stability and access to services that can otherwise be costly. Community is also a big factor in how Stellas Place operates, Haughton said it tries to offer more than just services, but also a place to form friendships and connections with people of the same age who are experiencing similar struggles. Thats why the centres cafe, where youth could drop in for services prior to COVID-19 social-distancing restrictions, has been so integral to its operations and why expanding it was part of the guiding vision for the centres new building. With this in mind, Whitwham said she hoped to design a space that was both fun and creative, as well as one that was safe and comfortable. It was about finding the balance of creating an environment thats non-clinical, but at the same time safe and effective for what their needs are, she said. Theres also a balance sought between open space and the need for privacy for youth experiencing distress. In addition, the space incorporated much of the feedback that was given by clients Whitwham held consultations with them and staff to determine what they wanted the new building to look like. What we heard from them a lot is, We want it to feel creative, we want it to be colourful, we want it to energize you, Whitwham said. Haughton said this resulted in a modern, open-concept approach with bright colours sprinkled throughout. The spaces hanging stairs are made of glass, creating a sense of transparency and connection with everyone else in the room. The youth also ensured the space would be accessible for everyone accessing the space, Whitwham added, and emphasized the need for an elevator that serves all floors. Whitwham said the youth were also fond of the buildings unique history as a former candy factory that was built in 1926. It is why she tried to incorporate much of the original building elements in her design, like keeping its bright brick exposed and the original large windows as an homage of a bygone era of Toronto architecture. Stellas Place has budgeted $13 million for the new space on 54 Wolseley Street. Founder Donna Green said the centre launched a fundraising campaign to fund the project, and has so far raised 80 per cent of whats needed. Whitwham said construction began early this month. When its ready (slated for late 2021), Whitwham said she hopes the space evolves with the needs of its users and that youth will not be afraid to make it their own. In the next five years, my hope is that people that are using this building feel a personal connection with it, and feel that they had a hand in helping shape it and design it, Whitwham said. For Haughton and others at Stellas Place, the new building signifies the next chapter in the centres journey. What was once a small community organization, Haughton said, is now on its way to expanding its reach. The vision has always been for Stellas Place to be able to serve as many young people across our city as possible, Haughton said. In a lot of ways, we are setting a tone for what mental health service can look like. Nadine Yousif is a Toronto-based reporter for the Star covering mental health. Her reporting is funded by the Canadian government through its Local Journalism Initiative. Follow her on Twitter: @nadineyousif_ Warsameh Bulhan 22 Interested in medicine and public health, Bulhan last spring began seeking a way to help the pandemic response. Though the neuroscience major was initially just looking for a volunteer position, he found a posting for a contact tracing job with the Maine Center for Disease Control (CDC) in June. He applied and was hired, and started working full time in July. (Since the start of classes he's decreased his hours.) Helping and healing are big passions of mine, he said in a recent interview. And I've been fortunate to work with some of the most incredible people I've ever metpeople who are working day in and day out, even on weekends. Everyone is working so hard, because the pandemic doesn't stop. That's just the nature of fighting infectious disease. Bulhan is one of about a hundred people currently working for the Maine CDC's contact tracing program, although those numbers will change if the disease grows in the state, according to Maine CDC Communications Director Robert Long. As a contact tracer, Bulhan's work begins once a CDC case investigator has been in touch with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19. After discussing what kind of support the person may need to successfully quarantine, the investigator compiles a list of people they had close contact with recently. Bulhan is assigned to call some of these individuals to alert them that they may have been exposed to the virus. Because the CDC prioritizes confidentiality, he said he is not given the name of the person who may have exposed them. Since starting his work, he's reached out to hundreds of people. The biggest misconception about contact tracing is that we're tracing people, but we're really tracing the virus, Bulhan said. We're not location tracking. We reach out by phone, we provide our name, our affiliation with the CDC, and walk the individual through how a close contact is determined. Contact tracers don't ask for anyone's immigration status, social security number, or bank account information, he added. He also explains how to quarantine and how to monitor for symptoms of COVID-19. If symptoms do arise, he encourages them to contact their primary care provider and to get tested. All of these are recommendations, he stressed. It's a free country, and we can't force anyone to do anything. It is our job and our responsibility to make these recommendations for the betterment of the people and community. Additionally, Bulhan will make sure the people can survive their quarantines with enough food and medicine. If they require assistance, and with their consent, he connects them with social supports. Throughout the length of their quarantine, the contact tracing team checks on them regularly via phone, email, or text, or through the state's automatic monitoring and reporting system. The CDC allows its contact tracers to spend as much time as they need to on their calls, encouraging them to be compassionate and patient as they convey information and point people to resources like the Maine CDC website. It can be quite stressful to learn you've potentially been exposed to the virus, Bulhan said. You get a wide variety of responses from people, but the biggest thing we are trained for is being as empathetic as possible, he added. It is very helpful to tell them where we are coming from, that we just want to help, to help the individual as well as the community. Overall, people have responded well to Maine's program, according to Long. Another aspect of contact tracing is that there is a lot of anxiety and fear, so having a human being you can talk to and text with, who can answer your questionsit is a real benefit for folks, in addition to the epidemiological value. Long credited Bulhan and the other contact tracers for their efforts. The work the contact tracers do is hugely important, it is frontline work, he said. Were so appreciative and grateful for that work, as it has put Maine in a comparatively good place [regarding its relatively low COVID-19 positivity rates]. Bulhan said his job has made it more apparent to him that he wants a career focused on health and helping people. It is extremely fulfilling work, he said. There have been very few times in my life where I have had a job where it doesn't feel like a job. It doesn't feel like work, because this is an actual person I am calling and can help today, he said. The Trump administration may close its embassy in Iraq if the government does not take steps to protect it from attacks by Iranian-backed militants. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi of the plans to withdraw during a call on September 26, news agencies reported. An official announcement has not been made. The United States has accused Iranian-backed militias of launching rockets at the embassy and demanded Kadhimi crack down on them. The embassy in Baghdad, which is located in a heavily fortified zone, has grown to become one of the largest U.S. diplomatic outposts. It was unclear whether Washington would reverse its decision should Kadhimi's government step up its efforts to protect Western diplomatic and military personnel. The U.S. military leads a coalition that has been battling the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria from a Baghdad headquarters since 2014. Iranian-backed protesters stormed the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad on New Year's Eve following coalition air strikes against militia targets inside Iraq days earlier. The United States accused Iraqi security forces of allowing the protesters to pass security checkpoints. Based on reporting by AP and The Washington Post Jailed Iranian Human Rights Defender Ends Hunger Strike As Health Deteriorates 07/22/20 Source: RFE/RL Jailed Iranian human rights advocate Nasrin Sotoudeh has ended her hunger strike due to deteriorating health, her husband Reza Khandan said on social media on September 26. Sotoudeh had been on a hunger strike in Tehran's Evin prison since August 11 to protest the risk that political prisoners in Iran face amid the coronavirus pandemic. . . Reza Khandan (@RezaKhandan4) September 26, 2020 On September 19, she was taken to hospital for a serious heart condition. But four days later, she was taken back to Evin prison, triggering disbelief from UN independent experts among others. "It is unfathomable that the Iranian authorities would return Ms. Sotoudeh to prison where she is at heightened risk to COVID-19, as well as with her serious heart condition," the experts said. "We urge the authorities to immediately reverse this decision, accept her requests to recuperate at home before undergoing a heart procedure, and allow her to freely choose her own medical treatment," they added in a statement. The experts echoed Sotoudeh's call for the Iranian authorities to grant temporary release to human rights defenders, lawyers, dual and foreign nationals, prisoners of conscience, political prisoners, and all other individuals detained without sufficient legal basis during the COVID-19 pandemic. "It is unfathomable that the Iranian authorities would return Ms. Sotoudeh to prison where she is at heightened risk to #COVID19, as well as with her serious heart condition" - UN experts urge the authorities to free #NasrinSotoudeh for treatment. Read https://t.co/v8GSyeYjb6 pic.twitter.com/iqjW5UnR6c UN Special Procedures (@UN_SPExperts) September 25, 2020 The pandemic in Iran has infected nearly 440,000 and killed some 25,200, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. Sotoudeh, cowinner of the European Parliament's 2012 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought, has been surviving on water, tea, sugar, and salt, amid concerns over her health, her husband has said. Sotoudeh was arrested at her home in Tehran in June 2018. She was sentenced to a total of 38 1/2 years in prison and 148 lashes over her defense of political prisoners, including women protesting the compulsory hijab law. She must serve 12 years of her sentence to become eligible for parole. The widely respected lawyer was also jailed from 2010 to 2013 over her defense of sensitive political cases. In 2015, she protested for several weeks to be allowed to continue practicing law. Despite her imprisonment, Sotoudeh has remained outspoken. She also went on a hunger strike in March to protest prison conditions. Rita Felder, parishioner for 50 years, stands during Mass at St. Martin de Porres Catholic Church in North Philadelphia on Sunday, June 7, 2020. Sunday marked the first public Mass for the archbishop in over two months, due to the coronavirus. "I've been tired, tired, tired, of standing in front of an empty cathedral," Archbishop Nelson Perez said. Read more On Aug. 30, a Catholic priest made headlines by declaring, You cannot be Catholic and a Democrat. In a video that has since gone viral, Father James Altman, a priest in the Diocese of La Crosse, Wis., added that Catholics who support the Democratic Party need to repent, or face the fires of hell. If this were an outlier, it would not be worthy of a response. But Altmans video was reposted by hundreds of thousands on Catholic-oriented social media and earned applause from the bishop of a Texas diocese, who praised Altman for his courage. Ive hoped Philadelphia church leadership would address this controversy. Since they have not, as a Catholic and a Democrat, I feel a responsibility to respond to both the disdain for the party and the threat of eternal damnation framing Altmans sermon. Increasingly, the Democratic Party does seem hostile to members of my faith. READ MORE: Nancy Pelosi says Catholics dont hate but I do | Christine Flowers In an era where nuns are directed to supply coverage for contraceptives, and membership in the Knights of Columbus (a fraternal organization that has been around for over 100 years) is considered a character flaw by members of the U.S. Senate, its easy to see why Catholics backed President Donald Trump in 2016 by a 52%-45% margin. And support of abortion rights, an issue so ingrained in the party that Democratic National Committee Chairman Tom Perez famously declared that a womans right to choose is nonnegotiable, presents a great challenge for those of us who believe in the sanctity of all life, from conception to natural death. But where many see barriers, I see good in a party that promotes life in other areas. Recent changes in the official Catholic position on the death penalty (now deemed inadmissible in all cases), and a platform advocating for rights of the indigent, immigrants, and those with mental health and addiction issues are where Catholicism and Democratic policies come together. Criminal justice reform, long a theme of Catholic social justice, is not only central to the Democratic platform, but also to groups like Black Lives Matter (a group labeled Marxist in the Altman video). So when Altman, in his video, rails against a godless platform, he cherry-picks measures that meet a personal agenda rather than looking at a big picture that often aligns with traditional Catholic values and the teachings of Christ (feed the poor, visit the prisoner, etc.) that are touchstones of our faith. And what of abortion? For many Catholic voters, it is the make-or-break issue. For others, it is a struggle for the conscience. Fortunately, there is guidance supplied by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, in a document titled Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship. While Catholics are expressly barred from voting for a pro-choice candidate if their vote represents support for that position, they can reject an unacceptable position on such acts, yet reasonably decide to vote for the candidate for other morally grave reasons, such as their commitment to social justice. As for Altmans threatening eternal damnation, he joins a long list of doomsayers who have condemned conduct they find beyond a narrowly defined (and often erroneous) morality. Fred Phelps, on a national level with the Westboro Baptist Church, and Michael Marcavage locally with Repent America, are among many that have issued such warnings over the years. What distinguishes Altmans call, however, is that it is tied to overt politicism rather than any specific conduct. READ MORE: Catholic priest had every right to deny Joe Biden communion over abortion views | Christine Flowers The problem with Altmans proclamation (and this is the primary reason I wish local leaders would respond to the video) is that while hell, to Catholics, is a real place of suffering (and should not be discounted), such condemnation is solely in the province of our Lord, and suggestions to the contrary are outside the bounds of our theology. Altmans threat casts aside hope and mercy, central tenets of our faith. The Catechism of the Catholic Church (a guide even Altman refers to as the rulebook in his talk) makes clear that in the end we shall be judged on our love, and that this is a judgment only rendered by a God who predestines no man to hell, and wants no man to perish. Thus, Altmans threat is simply one mans spin on the tempestuous political theater that is the 2020 election, not something of an authentic religious nature. And people need to know that fact. When I cast my ballot this November, my faith will weigh heavily on my decision. But so will my age, my economic status, and my concern for the well-being of others and myself in a pandemic. While still undecided, my vote will not be based on the fear of spending eternity in hell, but rather on who represents the best hope for healing a fractured nation, while respecting our rights to practice our faith which includes looking out for others, be they the unborn, Black lives, or those on death row. Karl Miller is active in both faith and politics in Chester County. His writings have appeared in a number of resources, including America Magazine and Catholic Philly. The Minority Caucus in Parliament is demanding the Auditor-General to submit and publish the report for the 2019 financial year. In June this year, President Akufo-Addo directed the Auditor-General Daniel Dumelo to proceed on his accumulated leave. The opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) and several Civil Society Organizations described it as a ploy by the government to cover up some discrepancies. After taking over from Daniel Dumelo, the acting Auditor-General, Johnson Akuamoah Asiedu is yet to comply with the Constitution and the Audit Service Act which requires him to audit and submit to Parliament his reports on the Public Accounts of Ghana for the preceding year within six (6) after the end of the said preceding year. At a press conference in Accra today, the Minority Caucus in Parliament has raised several concerns while noting that they are particularly concerned that the delays in publishing the Auditor-Generals report for the 2019 financial year may be deliberate for the primary purpose of avoiding further embarrassment to the Government. According to Minority leader Hon. Haruna Iddrisu who addressed the press conference, they hope that the delays are not intended to cover up malfeasance on the part of the Government because this year is an election year. The group is therefore calling on the Acting Auditor-General to as a matter of urgency submit to Parliament his reports for the 2019 financial year. The Minority Caucus in Parliament, in the interest of accountability and transparency, calls on the Acting Auditor-General to do what is constitutional required of him, as a matter of urgency, submit to Parliament and subsequently publish the Reports on the Audited Accounts of Government for the 2019 Financial Year as provided for in the Constitution (Article 187 (5)) and the Audit Service Act, 2000 (Act 584), Hon. Haruna Iddrisu said at the press conference. He added, We further call on the President of the Republic to direct the Acting Auditor-General to urgently submit the said reports to Parliament for consideration and report just as he directed the Auditor-General to proceed on his statutory leave. Find full speech below: A CALL FOR THE SUBMISSION AND PUBLICATION OF REPORTS OF THE AUDITOR-GENERAL FOR 2019 FINANCIAL YEAR BY THE MINORITY CAUCUS IN PARLIAMENT PRESS BRIEFING BY THE MINORITY LEADER-HON HARUNA IDDRISU Ghana is a country governed by law, the supremacy of the 1992 Constitution must be upheld and respected. We have invited you here this morning to draw attention to a deliberate and unpardonable constitutional breach which is a consequence of Executive intrusion and interference with an independent constitutional institution, the Auditor-General Audit Service. You recall the zeal and alacrity with which the President asked the Auditor-General to proceed on leave against all good governance advice, which was predicated on our collective quest to allow the Auditor General as is the case in Ghana to fight corruption and expose financial malfeasance including misappropriation and embezzlement, which are regular features of the Auditor-General Reports in the last decade with substantial loss of state funds. The Auditor-General is enjoined by the Constitution and the Audit Service Act to audit and submit to Parliament his reports on the Public Accounts of Ghana for the preceding year within six (6) after the end of the said preceding year. Article 187(5) of the Constitution provides as follows: The Auditor-General shall, within six months after the end of the immediately preceding financial year to which of the accounts mentioned in clause (2) of this article relates, submit his report to Parliament and shall in that report, draw attention to any irregularities in the accounts audited and to any other matter which in his opinion ought to be brought to the notice of Parliament. Section 20 of the Audit Service Act, 2000 (Act 586) also provides as follows: The Auditor-General shall, within six months after the end of the immediately preceding financial year to which each of the accounts mentioned in this part relates, submit his report to Parliament and shall, in the report, draw attention to any irregularities in the accounts audited and to any other matter which in his opinion ought to be brought to the notice of Parliament. Notwithstanding the imperative of the above provisions of the Constitution and Act 586, the Auditor-General has failed to submit and publish his reports, three (3) months to the end of the financial year. It is worth noting that the Auditor-General had previously complied with the above provisions in respect of being up-to-date with his reports to Parliament. For instance, the reports of the Auditor-General for the 2018 financial year were submitted within the statutory time limit. Unfortunately, as that the time of this presser, the Auditor-General was yet to submit the reports for the 2019 financial year. It is curious yet ironic that the reports of Auditor-General fell into arrears following the directive by the President to the Auditor-General to proceed on leave. The Auditor-General had laboured to ensure that all reports are submitted to Parliament within the statutory timelines. It is, therefore, sad that the failure to submit the said reports on time to Parliament only occurred after the ill-advised and unfortunate decision of the President, directing the Auditor-General to proceed on compulsory retirement. It ought to be noted that the Auditor-General is enjoined to draw the attention of Parliament to instances where public monies are not properly accounted for or where there is deficiency through fraud, default or mistake by any person and that resources are used with due regard to economy, efficiency and effectiveness. It is the view of the Minority that the abrupt and ill-advised decision of the President, in directing the Auditor-General to proceed on his accumulated leave was not intended to gag the A-G in drawing attention to the many anomalies perpetrated by Government. The Minority Caucus is particularly concerned that these delays may be deliberate for the primary purpose of avoiding further embarrassment to the Government. It is our hope that the delays are not intended to cover up malfeasance on the part of Government because this year is an election year. The Minority Caucus in Parliament, in the interest of accountability and transparency, calls on the Acting Auditor-General to do what is constitutional required of him, as a matter of urgency, submit to Parliament and subsequently publish the Reports on the Audited Accounts of Government for the 2019 Financial Year as provided for in the Constitution (Article 187 (5)) and the Audit Service Act, 2000 (Act 584). We are, therefore, calling on the Acting Auditor-General to as a matter of urgency submit to Parliament, his reports for the 2019 financial year. We further call on the President of the Republic to direct the Acting Auditor-General to urgently submit the said reports to Parliament for consideration and report just as he directed the Auditor-General to proceed on his statutory leave. Accountability, transparency and good governance oblige all of us to ensure that the Auditor-General complies with tenets and dictates and of the constitution and the laws of Ghana. We are therefore calling on well-meaning Ghanaians to join the Minority in compelling the A-G to comply with the laws of Ghana and submit his Reports to Parliament for scrutiny. Anything short of this will amount to attempts to cover up wrong-doing by Government. Thank you Less than a month after it was revealed The Voice would be moving from Channel Nine to Channel Seven, it's been reported Mariah Carey will be replacing Delta Goodrem. According to a report by The Sydney Morning Herald on Monday, the 50-year-old superstar is in negotiations to replace the show's longest serving judge. Seven West Media chief executive James Warburton is reportedly in the final stages of 'wrapping up negotiations' with Mariah. New gig? Less than a month after it was revealed The Voice would be moving from Channel Nine to Channel, it's been reported Mariah Carey (pictured) will be replacing Delta Goodrem Meanwhile, Delta, 35, has appeared as a judge on the long-running singing series for all nine seasons, and is the show's only original judge. According to a report by The Daily Telegraph on Monday, Delta is likely to depart the show after a 'salary conflict' with Seven. It was reported that Seven felt Nine had 'spent too much on B-listers', and they are keen to replace the show's current judges with an all-star panel. Outgoing judge: According to a report by The Sydney Morning Herald on Monday, the 50-year-old superstar is in negotiations to replace Delta Goodrem (pictured) Along with changes to the judging panel, Seven is also set to replace new hosts Darren McMullen and Renee Bargh with Sonia Kruger. While it's unknown if any of the show's other three judges - Guy Sebastian, Kelly Rowland and Boy George - will return, Seven is looking at halving the show's budget from $40million to $20million. In late August, it was revealed The Voice would be moving from Channel Nine to Channel Seven, leaving its former network furious. Cast shake-up: While it's unknown if any of the show's other three judges, (L-R) Guy Sebastian, Boy George, Delta and Kelly Rowland, will return, Seven is looking at halving the show's budget from $40million to $20million 'Unfortunately due to the age of the show and declining demographic profile, The Voice had become by far the poorest financial performer on our slate,' Nine said in a media statement at the time. They added: 'We wish Seven well in their quest to revive yet another Nine show.' It won't be Mariah's first stint on a singing show, with the global superstar previously appearing as a judge on American Idol back in 2013. Making changes: Seven West Media chief executive James Warburton is reportedly in the final stages of 'wrapping up negotiations' with Mariah Interestingly, in a May 2015 interview with The Kyle & Jackie O Show, Mariah described her appearance on American Idol as 'the worst experience of my life'. 'It's so boring and so fake, I'm sorry. When I say it's fake, I mean, I have to make up things to say about everybody. Half the time, the performances are good, you'll just be like, "It was good,"' she confessed at the time. Daily Mail Australia has reached out to Channel Seven for comment. Current Affairs S ixteen of the 28 Sri Lankans who illegally entered Turks and Caicos Islands on a sloop from Haiti in October 2019, intended to apply to local authorities to grant them asylum here. Before that process, there is the designation process for refugee status that is run by United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). During a constitutional case which was recently heard by High Court Judge, Her Ladyship Tanya Lobban Jackson, attorney-at-law Tim Prudhoe in response to questions from the court, confirmed that three of the Sri Lankans already have been granted refugee status by the UNHCR. On August 20th, 2020, on a hearing of a writ of habeas corpus, Judge Lobban Jackson ordered the immediate release of five of the detainees from the Immigration Detention Centre, where they were being held without being charged, ever since they were caught on the sloop carrying 154 undocumented persons last October. Prudhoe represented the five released Sri Lankans at that hearing. Another two hearings in habeas corpus for a further 11 of Mr. Prudhoes clients were scheduled for Tuesday. August 25tth, 2020. but the day before that. all of those clients as well as the rest of the 21 Sri Lankans and one native of India in TCI detained by the Immigration Department since October 10th, 2019, were also released. They are now free, but for those intending to seek asylum there is an outstanding legal issue before the court about who will pay for the translation services so they can properly instruct legal counsel and review necessary documents in their native language for the asylum application process. Prudhoe has brought a constitutional motion on behalf of (so far) 8 of his Sri Lankan clients claiming that they are entitled to have the Turks and Caicos islands government pay for those translation services. He is arguing that as part of their application for asylum, all of them now have the same need for the translation services, adding that it is a "constitutional transgression" to deny them that service. Prudhoe also told the court that of the 21 Sri Lankans who are here, five of them want to return to their native country. The Indian man also wants to return home. Six (6) other Sri Lankans are now in Florida as witnesses against the alleged mastermind smuggler Sri Kajamukam Chelliah, also known as Mohan, who was extradited to the USA from Turks and Caicos Islands a few weeks ago. Three of the Sri Lankans already have been granted refugee status by the UNCHR and their next step will be an asylum application under Section 82 of the Immigration Ordinance. "As part of the settlement in the judicial review relating to three of the Sri Lankans treated as deportation targets, it was agreed that formal asylum applications will be filed for those three (Sri Lankans)," Prudhoe told the court. "For the current additional plaintiffs, all of them (including the original three who are one step further in the process because they have their refugee status recognised already), still have the asylum process to undertake. Because of the involvement of the UNHCR, that is a two-stage process. First, the interviews with the UNHCR representative to ascertain whether they have justified grounds for fear of return, and then, armed with the UNHCR analysis, a local asylum application can then be made in the Turks and Caicos Islands." UNITED NATIONS INVOLVED When contacted after the court proceedings, Prudhoe explained that the involvement of representatives of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees for the purposes of assessing refugee status claims reflects the status of TCI as a party to the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees. That process involves interviews by refugee specialists from the UNHCR of the applicants for designated refugee status. That is internationally recognised as being a thorough and demanding interview process. The next stage after that is a possible application for asylum under the TCI Immigration Ordinance. Prudhoe praised the approach now being taken on behalf of TCIG in terms of scope for detailed consideration of refugee status claims by experienced professionals outside of TCI. There is no disagreement that the circumstances that lead to my having to get these clients all released were extraordinary, but we are where we are, and signatory status to an international convention comes with heavy obligations. I am now not focused on the time that it took to get to this point, but instead the scope now for real progress for all concerned," he told The SUN. If asylum claims for one or more of the Sri Lankans are allowed, then the question becomes whether they stay in TCI and where, as in which country, they would be possibly be re-settled. In respect of a possible re-settlement country, The UNHCR would be involved in assisting TCIG with identifying durable solutions for those granted asylum. That could include re-settlement to a larger country or else the ability to remain in TCI, subject to the usual requirements for paid employment. We are a long, long way from the end of this process, Prudhoe warned, and although I certainly hope that we are now well past the stage of dispute in order for inalienable human rights to be recognised, if more of that is necessary in order for me to protect my clients under the law then I remain prepared for that. CONSPIRACY SMUGGLING CHARGES IN USA Meantime, the alleged smuggler, Sri Kajamukam Chelliah, also known as Mohan, has been charged in the US with conspiracy to bring aliens to the United States, and to encourage and induce aliens to enter and reside in the United States for commercial advantage and private financial gain. He is also charged with attempts to bring, and aiding and abetting the attempts to bring, aliens to the United States for commercial advantage and private financial gain. After authorities of the Turks and Caicos Islands interdicted the sloop that was travelling in TCI territorial waters, approximately six nautical miles off the coast of Providenciales, Homeland Security Investigators (HSI) interviewed the Sri Lankan passengers who had been traveling aboard the vessel. The investigation revealed that Chelliah, together with others, had made arrangements with the Sri Lankan passengers to smuggle them to Canada in exchange for monetary payments; that the intended route to Canada for approximately half the Sri Lankan passengers was through the United States; and that the trip culminating in the sloops interdiction was part of that smuggling operation. $65,000 CANADIAN DOLLARS TO GET FROM SRI LANKA TO CANADA According to documents filed in the United States District Court Southern District of Florida, on October 10th, 2019, one of the confidential witnesses said that around late 2016, he agreed to pay Chelliah approximately $65,000 Canadian dollars to transport him from Sri Lanka to Canada. Chelliah agreed to reduce that fee if the man helped him with smuggling other travelers. While in Sri Lanka, the man assisted Chelliah with various tasks, including collecting the passports of other migrants who wanted to travel to Canada and booking hotels in the Caribbean. The man heard Chelliah tell one group of travelers that they would fly to The Bahamas, take a boat to Miami, Florida, drive to Buffalo, New York, and enter Canada over land. In or around July 2019, the witness traveled to Port-au-Prince, Haiti, with three other Sri Lankans, including two other confidential witnesses. One of them stayed at a hotel in Port-au-Prince with other Sri Lankans seeking to migrate to Canada. Chelliah met the Sri Lankans at the hotel, and over subsequent months, he arranged for them to stay at, and traveled with them to, various places in Haiti. He informed the man and the other migrants of two alternative routes for traveling to Canada; they would either fly to Canada or take a boat from The Bahamas to Miami, Florida, drive to Buffalo, New York, and cross over land into Canada. THE BAHAMAS, JAMAICA, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC, CANADA, NEW YORK, PART OF SMUGGLING ROUTE Chelliah told the man that a person was waiting in The Bahamas with a boat and that they would pay the person a sum of money upon arrival in Miami. Around early October 2019, Chelliah chartered a flight to The Bahamas where a co-conspirator was waiting to take the travelers to Miami but, due to a strong storm, canceled the flight and arranged for boat travel to Turks and Caicos Islands instead. The man heard Chelliah explain again that some migrants would travel from there to The Bahamas and on to Miami with the co-conspirator, while others might fly directly to Canada. The man was aboard the sloop with Chelliah that was interdicted on October 10, 2019, before that additional travel could occur. The US court documents also revealed that in or around late 2017, another Sri Lankan arranged to pay a co-conspirator, who was a Canadian citizen and Sri Lankan native, approximately US$21,000 to get him from Sri Lanka to Canada, because he was unable to get a visa to travel to Canada. The man paid the money to the co-conspirators relative and traveled from Sri Lanka to Haiti through multiple countries, arriving in Port-au-Prince on or about January 5th, 2018. He was met by an individual who drove him to a hotel, where he stayed with other Sri Lankans who had made arrangements with the co-conspirator 2 to get to Canada. In or around late January 2018, Chelliah met the man at his hotel and provided him with a fraudulent Canadian passport that was in another persons name but contained a photograph of the man. At Chelliahs direction, the man traveled from Haiti to Kingston, Jamaica, where he was to board a plane to Canada, but he was arrested in Jamaica and ultimately detained there for more than three months. After being released, the man returned to Haiti, where he paid another individual, a female citizen of Guyana US$5,000 to smuggle him to Canada through The Bahamas, Miami, and Buffalo. That attempt resulted in the Sri Lankan man's arrest in the Dominican Republic, where he was detained for several months. After being released from Dominican custody, the Sri Lankan returned to Haiti and reached an agreement with Chelliah for to smuggle him from Haiti to Canada in exchange for the payment of $40,000 Canadian dollars upon his arrival in Canada. Chelliah told the man that he would travel by boat to The Bahamas and then by boat again to Miami, where he would need to walk a short distance to meet an individual who would drive him to Buffalo, New York, and he would then go to Canada. The court document also revealed that before leaving Haiti, another confidential witness asked Chellian to be allowed to return to Sri Lanka because one of his relatives was sick, but Chelliah got angry and physically attacked him whenever he brought up going back to Sri Lanka. On one occasion, Chelliah struck the man with a bottle on the shoulder and he eventually apologized to for saying he wanted to return to Sri Lanka. The man told US authorities that while aboard the sloop that was interdicted by TCI officials, he saw Chelliah talking to the captain of the boat during the trip. When TCI authorities interdicted the boat, he saw Chelliah tear up some paper or identification and throw, or attempt to throw, cell phones into the water. He said Chelliah laid down in the boat and said that they would put him in jail for 20 years. The confidential witness said that while in TCI detention, Chelliah sent the Sri Lankans notes and yelled at them, directing them not to say where the group had been heading. Another confidential witness, a Sri Lankan citizen, agreed to pay another co-conspirator, a citizen of Canada and native of Sri Lanka, $65,000 Canadian dollars in exchange for smuggling him from Sri Lanka to Canada. He was unable was unable to get a visa to enter Canada lawfully, so the man agreed to pay the co-conspirator after he arrived in Canada. The man left Sri Lanka in or around September 2019 and flew to Havana, Cuba, through Russia. He missed the next flight and called the co-conspirator, who said to contact an individual later identified as Chelliah. He spoke to Chelliah who made arrangements for him to fly to Haiti. Chelliah also said that two men would meet him at the airport. Upon arriving in Haiti, the man was met at the airport by two men who drove him to a house where other Sri Lankans were staying. The man met Chelliah at the house and when he about his travel route to Canada, he was told over the phone over the phone, that he would travel by sea to The Bahamas and then by sea to Miami, Florida; from there, he would be driven to a church in Buffalo, New York, where someone would escort him to Canada. Conservative Clergy of Color slams Kamala Harris for praising brilliance of Black Lives Matter founders Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Conservative Clergy of Color, a coalition of African-American pastors who say they were called to bring a new perspective to the nations conversation on race, slammed Democratic vice presidential nominee Sen. Kamala Harris on Friday for praising the brilliance of the founders of Black Lives Matter. Speaking during an interview held as part of the NAACPs national convention, which was held virtually because of the coronavirus pandemic, Harris praised Black Lives Matter co-founders founders Patrisse Cullors, Alicia Garza and Opal Tometi for their brilliance in conceiving it. History is going to show it was an inflection point in the ongoing fight for justice and to reform the criminal justice system, the California senator told CNN commentator Angela Rye. I actually believe as a former prosecutor that Black Lives Matter has been the most significant agent for change within the criminal justice system because it has been a counterforce to the force within the system that is so grounded in status quo, in its own traditions, many of which have been harmful and have been discriminatory in the way that they have been enforced." Bishop Aubrey Shines, co-founder of Conservative Clergy of Color argued that Black Lives Matter is not a group that Harris should be praising. Its extremely disheartening to see a U.S. Senator and a candidate for vice president give such high praise to a group that is trying to destroy our country," Shines said in a statement to The Christian Post. "Does Sen. Harris not watch the news? Has she not seen the businesses burning, the livelihoods that have been wrecked by this organization? People are terrified, but we have to praise the organizers because its the cool thing to do. Until recently these people made no secret about their agenda. They were loud and proud about their anti-American goals until the violence theyve instigated started affecting their favorability. The only brilliant thing I can see is how quickly BLMs website operators scrubbed their agenda to be more appealing. This is not a group that needs to be praised. More Americans are beginning to see that, and I hope Sen. Harris will too. In her comments on Friday, Harris explained that the Black Lives Matter protests should be seen as an essential component of evolution in our country. Nothing that we have achieved that has been about progress, in particular around civil rights, has come without a fight, and so I always am going to interpret these protests as an essential component of evolution in our country as an essential component or mark of a real democracy, she said. The peoples voices must be heard. Bishop Shines, Rev. M.J. Reid, Pastor Francisco Vega, and Rev. Derek McCoy came together earlier this year to form Conservative Clergy of Color because they decided that America needs to be reminded of the Providence that made it great, that Americans need to know that Judeo-Christian values and biblical truths form the foundation of our country. Employers say Kenya will have lost over a million formal jobs to Covid-19 come December this year. The Federation of Kenya Employers (FKE) said the pandemic wiped out 173,743 positions following imposition of a raft of restrictive measures to tame infections. Releasing survey findings yesterday, FKE said the 8.3 percent job losses that occurred between March to July portend more trouble if nothing is done to reverse the trend. FKE executive director Jacqueline Mugo said the government must re-open the economy to allow free movement of goods and services saying the cost of closing down the economy was more punitive than re-opening. "Rwanda has shown us that putting the right measures in place can facilitate economic recovery and reduce suffering among our people. The cost of the curfew among raft of measures now in place is costlier than the risk of more infections," she said. Currently, Kenya has an active 9pm to 4am curfew during which only transport and essential services providers are allowed to move on public roads. Pubs, restaurants, discos, theatres and cinema halls as well as public gatherings remain shut. FKE said corporation tax should be reduced with the planned one percent revenue tax expected to come into effect next January done away with. Ms Mugo said a wage subsidy fund should also be formed to help companies meet salary demands until the situation improves. Policy shift Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Kenya Business Labour By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. "If the government does not intervene in helping enterprises improve their cashflows, then a million formal sector workers are at risk of losing their current incomes (jobs) as 51 percent of enterprises we interviewed indicated having plans to downsize within the next six months," she said. Over 69 percent of those interviewed felt measures taken only worsened Covid-19 effect on their cash flows and had served to further hurt their operations. With most firms reporting diminishing revenues, FKE said labour costs and employment entitlements made 71 percent of FKE members freeze future hirings. Ms Mugo said lenders and Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) should consider a policy shift on loan repayment terms from the traditional fixed rate terms to one based on cashflow projections. "When a company's sales rise, they should pay more but when sales fall, lenders should exhibit patience with borrowers," said Ms Mugo. The current unprecedented times, she said, should also see employers, unions and worker representatives hold meetings to plan mitigative measures including salary cut commitments to help companies improve their cashflows as well as generate opportunities for hiring of youth. FKE said next week's Covid-19 conference should concentrate on formulating a recovery strategy that facilitates smooth business operations via dialogue and building of trust as well as promotion of a buy Kenya build Kenya culture, expansion of regional and Africa wide markets . India insisted on 'complete disengagement' in all its talks with China on eastern Ladakh row: Govt We will continue to deal with Chinese PLA in firm, resolute manner: Army chief A test of endurance along LAC as winter expected to take a turn for the worse India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, Sep 28: The winter is expected to take the turn for the worse after Diwali this year and the situation along the Line of Actual Control has not changed much as tensions increase between India and China. This is going to be a test of endurance and the situation along the LAC remains tense, but under control. Sources tell OneIndia that the Indian Army is ready for the long winter ahead. It would be a test of endurance, the source said while adding that India has the advantage as it has been sitting on the glaciated heights of the Saltoro ridge since 1984. The next round of military commander level talks will take place soon. Following the last round of talks, a joint statement was issued by both sides, which New Delhi has termed as positive in nature. Army readies for winter deployment along Indo-China border Meanwhile India has rushed heavy tanks heavy weaponry, ammunition, fuel, food and essential winter supplies to high-altitude areas in eastern Ladakh to maintain its combat readiness through the treacherous winter of around four months, military sources said. They said Chief of Army Staff Gen MM Naravane, aided by a group of top commanders, has been personally involved in planning and overseeing the implementation of the mammoth exercise that began in mid-July and is nearing completion. A significant number of T-90 and T-72 tanks, artillery guns and infantry combat vehicles were flown into various sensitive areas including Chushul and Demchock sectors as part of the logistics operation, the sources said. Under the operation, the Army transported large quantities of clothes, tents, food items, communication equipment, fuel, heaters and other supplies to army personnel deployed at forward posts and mountain passes at the height of over 16,000 feet. "By far it is the biggest logistics operation that has been implemented in Ladakh post Independence. Its scale is humongous," a senior military official told PTI on the condition of anonymity. Amrinder Singh joins farmers' protest, says 'Pakistan's ISI may take advantage' | Oneindia News To deal with any Chinese misadventure, India has deployed over three additional Army divisions in eastern Ladakh where the temperature fluctuates between minus five to minus 25 degrees Celsius from October to January. The sources said India imported winter clothing and gear from a couple of countries in Europe and they have already been supplied to the troops in eastern Ladakh. Here is what the Indian Armys biggest logistic operation looks like Almost all transport aircraft and helicopters of the Indian Air Force including C-130J Super Hercules and C-17 Globemaster were used to transport thousands of tonnes of food, fuel and other equipment to the region. The Indian Army has decided to maintain its current strength of troops in all key areas in eastern Ladakh in the winter months as there was no sign of early resolution of the border row with China. The Indian Air Force (IAF) has also decided to remain on high alert in the forward air bases along the Line of Actual Control (LAC). On the 90 Day Fiance spinoff series called Darcey & Stacey, the twins are dealing with the coronavirus (COVID-19) and trying to assimilate to their current circumstances. Staceys fiance, Florian Sukaj, has finally arrived in the United States to start a life with her, and there has been drama since the start. Stacey has seen images of Florian online with another woman, as well as a video of him that the same woman posted online. Despite that, Stacey decides to go through with her engagement, and subsequent marriage. However, she doesnt tell her family that shes going to get officially married during quarantine right away. Darcey Silva and Stacey Silva | Brad Barket/Getty Images for Discovery, Inc.) Stacey and Florian are in quarantine, and theyve decided to get married Although Staceys family obviously knows that shes engaged, they have no idea that the couple is planning to tie the knot during the coronavirus. They are still practicing social distancing, and Stacey and Florian have to find a new place fast, so they find a hotel suite for the meantime. They talk with the cameras, and reveal that the courthouses are closing, since theyre in lockdown for the coronavirus (COVID-19). So Florian and I decided that were going to move the wedding date up, and get married tomorrow, Stacey reveals. They chose the date, 4/20/20, and Stacey says it feels right. You know, although its not how I dreamed it to be, its just, Im ready to do it, Stacey tells Florian. Theres no need to wait any longer. Stacey doesnt tell her family right away about marrying Florian during the coronavirus RELATED: Darcey & Stacey: Florian Sukaj Walks Away From Stacey Silva and Her Friends Florian asks about Staceys family understanding, and Staceys says, I mean, yeah, thats not how I wanted it to be. I really wanted everybody to be there. Be able to celebrate the way we dreamed of, but, I feel like its better just to keep it to ourselves. And just get married, and tell them later. We dont need people in our ears trying to say its not the right time, or whyd you do it like this. Stacey says that she and Florian have worked on their trust issues, and she doesnt need to hear negative comments. I think if Darcey found out I was getting married tomorrow, she really wouldnt understand, and shed think I was rushing into it. We just want to get married in peace, and tell everybody when the time is right, Stacey tells the cameras. Stacey moves into an apartment with her fiance right near Darcey Silva, her sister, who also moves into an identical apartment that shes sharing with her boyfriend, Georgi Rusev. Stacey and Florian get married, despite a mishap at first The couple plans to get married in their apartment, and the person officiating comes to their new place. Stacey walks in with her beautiful wedding dress, and the two say their vows. Theyre pronounced wed, but when it comes time to sign the marriage certificate, they run into a problem. If you have your license, I will sign it, the man who performed the ceremony says. Its then revealed that the license was done in Middletown, Connecticut. Then the wedding has to be in Middletown, they are told by the man who officiated. We need to get to Middletown before midnight, Stacey says. They have decided on their wedding date, and they are running out of time to get officially married that day. With 30 minutes to go, they head to Staceys fathers house. We dont want to take the risk of not being able to get another marriage license, Stacey explains. The couple rushes to Staceys fathers house, and they are met there by the officiate. They say their vows for the second time outside the house in front of the door while presumably everyone else is sleeping, since its late. Luckily they are married on the date they choose just in time, with only minutes to spare. Although there was a mishap, Stacey and Florian get married without Staceys family knowing at the time. Rumours are rife that actor Ajay Devgn is all set to star in next action franchise of YRF, and he is quite eager to bring a cool grey character on the silver screen. As per the reports, Aditya Chopra wants to present Ajay Devgn in a memorable avatar. The film will be directed by Shiv Rawail. Rumours also suggest that the film is expected to mark the debut of Ananya Panday's cousin Ahaan Panday. The source close to the project told Mid-Day, "While the film marks the debut of Ananya Panday's cousin Ahaan, Ajay leads the show from the front. Taking a cue from the Dhoom franchise where the antagonists have often overshadowed the heroes, Aditya has devised a cool and savvy character with grey shades for Ajay. It will be along the lines of Hrithik Roshan and Aamir Khan's characters in Dhoom 2 [2006] and Dhoom 3 [2013] respectively. Ajay is expected to sport multiple looks, which will involve the use of prosthetics." The source further added, "Boosted by the success of the Dhoom movies, Adi has been contemplating developing another franchise for long. He knows that Ajay, with his massive fan following, will be one of the safest bets to kickstart an action series. The production house is in talks with Hollywood action director Tom Struthers, who has previously worked on The Dark Knight [2008] and Dunkirk [2017], and South Korean action director SeaYoung Oh of Snowpiercer fame for the project." It will be interesting to see Ajay Devgn in a grey character. However, we're not sure how audiences would react to Ahaan Panday's debut, considering the current situation where people are completely boycotting star kids. Well, only time will tell. Adipurush: Not Saif Ali Khan, But Ajay Devgn Was First Choice To Play Lankesh In Prabhas Starrer? Status Accelerates Ability to Bring New Products and Services to Market The National Interest Strategic Project certification ("PINES") was established by the Government of Colombia to prioritize the development of specific projects or companies that are deemed by the Government to be able to significantly increase the national economy to prioritize the development of specific projects or companies that are deemed by the Government to be able to significantly increase the national economy Khiron's PINES certification as a Colombian Pharmaceutical Producer of Global Cannabis immediately simplifies and accelerates administration and processes for the Company in executing strategic projects in Colombia and for export and for export Under the plan presented to the Government, Khiron will aim to register and introduce more than 4 SKU's in the Medical Cannabis Category and at least 10 SKU's in the Consumer Packaged Goods Category (Foods & beverages, supplements, Pets, skin care, etc.), for the domestic market of Colombia and for export of finished products and for export of finished products Certification demonstrates not only the Government of Colombia's commitment to the medical cannabis industry in Colombia , but also its support of Khiron's business plan to create value added products in the medical and CPG cannabis industry for domestic market and for export commitment to the medical cannabis industry in , but also its support of Khiron's business plan to create value added products in the medical and CPG cannabis industry for domestic market and for export Khiron is one of three companies to obtain this status, placing the Company at the forefront of the industry in Colombia TORONTO, Sept. 22, 2020 /CNW/ - Khiron Life Sciences Corp. ("Khiron" or the "Company") (TSXV: KHRN), (OTCQX: KHRNF), (Frankfurt: A2JMZC), a vertically integrated cannabis leader with core operations in Latin America and Europe, is pleased to report that the Company has received the status of National Interest Strategic Project ("PINES") by the Government of Colombia, through its Intersectoral Commission for Infrastructure and Strategic Projects ("CIIPE"). The government agency review, and subsequent certification, enables the Company to simplify authorization processes, reduce cost and accelerate time to market for its services and products for the Colombian market and for export purposes. "The PINES status provides our operations in Colombia with an accelerated path forward to bring new products and services to market. We expect that, through PINES, which is designed to efficiently move projects through the Colombian regulatory process, Khiron will be able to fast track certifications, licenses and permits related to our business, allowing us to accelerate revenue opportunities and add cost efficiencies to our process, while ensuring we continue to bring quality medical cannabis products to more patients in Colombia and globally. We applaud the Government of Colombia on the PINES initiative, which supports the growth of the Colombian economy and encourages the very best industries and businesses we have to offer," comments Alvaro Torres, Khiron CEO and director. PINES has historically focused on large, resource sector and infrastructure programs in Colombia, such as the first subway line in Bogota, where programs provide an economic boost to the economy and export capacity, significantly impact job creation, generate positive investment returns, offer operational sustainability, generates large national income or contributes to government planning goals. The declaration of the medical cannabis sector into the program, and in particular Khiron, focuses on the development of pharmaceutical products and the provision of health services with a differentiated and integrative model, demonstrating the government commitment to new industries that advance the economy, adding products that positively transform the quality of life of Colombian patients and in other countries where the Company operates, including the UK, Peru, Germany, and Mexico. Khiron benefits from the PINES certification by simplifying and accelerating the process for its projects in order to specifically advance: the inclusion of medical cannabis within the list of medications covered by the federal health system, the registration of finished products, currently including four pharmaceutical products and at least 10 CPG SKU's among others, and export of the health service delivery model to serve potential medical cannabis patients in other countries, and the development of clinical studies and data collection that support the effectiveness and safety of these products. About Khiron Life Sciences Corp. Khiron is a vertically integrated medical and CPG cannabis company with core operations in Latin America, and operational activity in Europe and North America. Khiron is the leading cannabis company in Colombia and the first company licensed in Colombia for the cultivation, production, domestic distribution, and international export of both low and high THC medical cannabis products. The Company has further presence in Peru, Mexico, Uruguay, UK, Spain and Germany, where it is positioned to begin sales of medical cannabis. Leveraging its first-mover advantage, and patient oriented approach, Khiron combines global scientific expertise, product innovation, agricultural infrastructure, wholly-owned medical clinics, and online doctor education programs to drive prescription and brand loyalty to address priority medical conditions. Its Wellbeing unit launched the first branded CBD skincare brand in Colombia, with KuidaTM now marketed in multiple jurisdictions in Latin America, the US and UK. The Company is led by Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer, Alvaro Torres, together with an experienced and diverse executive team and Board of Directors. Visit Khiron online at investors.khiron.ca and on Instagram @khironlife. Cautionary Notes Forward-Looking Statements This press release may contain certain "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. All information contained herein that is not historical in nature may constitute forward-looking information. Khiron undertakes no obligation to comment on analyses, expectations or statements made by third-parties in respect of Khiron, its securities, or financial or operating results (as applicable). Although Khiron believes that the expectations reflected in forward-looking statements in this press release are reasonable, such forward-looking statement has been based on expectations, factors and assumptions concerning future events which may prove to be inaccurate and are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, certain of which are beyond Khiron's control, including the risk factors discussed in Khiron's Annual Information Form which is available on Khiron's SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com. The forward-looking information contained in this press release is expressly qualified by this cautionary statement and is made as of the date hereof. Khiron disclaims any intention and has no obligation or responsibility, except as required by law, to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. 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 press release. SOURCE Khiron Life Sciences Corp. For further information: Investor Contact: Paola Ricardo, E: [email protected], T: +1 (786) 233-7411; Media Contact: Jon Packer, Vice President, Communications, T: +1 (416) 543-9179, E: [email protected]; Khiron Europe: Tejinder Virk, Europe President, T: +44 (0) 7912 741 995, E: [email protected] Related Links https://www.khiron.ca/en/home Estimated U.S. e-commerce sales in the second quarter rose 44.5% compared with the same period last year, as overall retail sales fell 3.6%, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. While some sales may shift back to stores, Saxena said he thinks the growth is here to stay. Gov. Greg Abbott cant catch a break these days. Texans on both sides of the aisle have been frustrated by his handling of the coronavirus pandemic. His approval rating on the subject has dropped from 61 percent in April to 38 percent in July, according to a survey by four major universities. Still, its a bit surprising to see a sitting Republican governor, re-elected by a double-digit margin in 2018, on the receiving end of a lawsuit from legislators in his own party. In a crisis, you usually see this kind of rally-around-the-flag effect, and were not, observed Emily Farris, a political scientist at Texas Christian University in Fort Worth. The Houston-based conservative activist and physician Steven Hotze, she noted, has filed several lawsuits against state and local officials since the pandemic began. These include one against Abbott in July after the governor, responding to a surge in cases following his reopening of the state in May, issued an executive order that mandated masks in businesses and most public places. But Hotzes latest lawsuit, Farris continued, has more institutional backing. The other plaintiffs include six Republican lawmakers as well as Keith Nielson and Allen West, the chairs of the Harris County and state Republican parties, respectively. It seems like theres really a deterioration between Abbott and the rest of his party, Farris said. Thats putting it mildly. The new lawsuit, filed Wednesday, takes aim at the governors July executive order extending the early-voting period by six days. Abbott has ordered early voting to start on Oct. 13, instead of Oct. 19, and continue until Oct. 30. The move seems like a sage one, given that the new coronavirus, responsible for the deaths of more than 15,000 Texans, has yet to be contained. More days of early voting will essentially help spread out the arrival of voters to the polls, in turn helping efforts to maintain social distancing and sanitizing procedures during in-person voting. And Abbotts announcement also marked a moment of welcome bipartisanship, as Republicans and Democrats continue to spar over the potential expansion of mail-in voting across the state. Texas Democratic Party chair Gilbert Hinojosa welcomed the news as a step, albeit the bare minimum. Still, those considerations are ultimately irrelevant, according to state Rep. Steve Toth, a Republican who represents part of Montgomery County and joined the lawsuit along with state Reps. Bill Zedler, Cecil Bell, Jr., Dan Flynn, and state Sens. Charles Perry and Pat Fallon. In a letter to Abbott this week, Toth declared himself a former ardent supporter. Throughout this crisis, you have shown an appalling lack of consistency, leadership, and concern for the small business owners that are the primary driver of the Texas economy, he wrote. Toth told me that Abbott simply doesnt have the authority to extend the early-voting period by fiat. This is something thats not in the purview of the governor, Toth said. The plaintiffs note in their brief that the Texas Election Code defines the early voting period as the 17th day before election day through the fourth day before election day. Abbott noted that, too, in his executive order, but invoked his powers under the Texas Disaster Act to suspend that section of the code. Toth countered that the executive order that Abbott issued in July does not give him the ability or the right to unilaterally make decisions about everything. And theres a proper way to make such changes, Toth argues: The governor should convene a special session. This should be something that the Legislature comes together on. I would love to hear both sides of the argument, the pros and the cons lets consider it. The plaintiffs have a point: the Texas Disaster Act, passed in 1975, empowers the governor to declare disasters in all or part of the state and having done so, the power to suspend certain rules and regulations that would hinder the states response to the emergency. But the breadth of the governors emergency powers isnt specified, which is troubling. Abbotts interpretation of his own powers under the Disaster Act has been expansive. Future governors may, for good or ill, take the same view of things. This is something a future Legislature should revisit, sooner rather than later, now that questions about the scope of the law have been raised. For the time being, though, were still in the midst of a pandemic. Coronavirus expert Peter Hotez, for one, has recently warned that Houston might be headed for a third peak this fall. Under such circumstances, Abbotts decision to expand the early voting period is a reasonable and eminently defensible one. The fact that the governor is being sued over such a decision is a measure of the ersatz authority hes accorded to his partys right wing by taking such an equivocal approach to public safety measures in the first place, seemingly in response to pressure from the GOP base. Texans who have been following state government closely would be hard-pressed to disagree. If Abbott isnt catching any breaks lately, he has only himself to blame. erica.grieder@chron.com SHOTLIST NAGORNY KARABAKH, UNDEFINEDSHOOTING DATE UNKNOWNSOURCE: ARMENIAN MINISTRY OF DEFENCERESTRICTIONS: NO RESALE 1. Zoom in tanks rolling and an explosion 2. Zoom in smoke, tanks rolling and an explosion 3. Zoom in explosion NAGORNY KARABAKH, UNDEFINEDSEPTEMBER 27, 2020SOURCE: AZERBAIJAN MINISTRY OF DEFENCERESTRICTIONS: NO RESALE 4. Wide shot combat vehicle of Armenian armed forces destroyed by Azerbaijan army strike 5. Wide shot smoke rising from Armenian army ammunition depot6. Wide shot smoke and flames rising from Armenian army ammunition depot NAGORNY KARABAKH, UNDEFINEDSHOOTING DATE UNKNOWNSOURCE: NKR DEFENCE ARMYRESTRICTIONS: NO RESALE 7. Wide shot charred military vehicle8. Wide shot damaged vhicles9. Tracking shot allegedly showing bodies of Azerbaijani soldiers (CONTENT WARNING: DEATH) AZERBAIJANSEPTEMBER 28, 2020SOURCE: AZERBAIJAN MINISTRY OF DEFENCERESTRICTIONS: NO RESALE 10. Wide shot purported artillery strike launch towards positions of Armenia-backed separatists11. Wide shot purported artillery strike launch towards positions of Armenia-backed separatists12. Wide shot purported artillery strike launch towards positions of Armenia-backed separatists13. Wide shot purported artillery strike launch towards positions of Armenia-backed separatists14. Aerial shot alleged separatists forces tank destroyed SEPTEMBER 28, 2020SOURCE: AZERBAIJAN MINISTRY OF DEFENCERESTRICTIONS: NO RESALE 15. Wide shot soldiers using mortar16. Wide shot soldiers using mortar17. Wide shot missile system firing18. Wide shot smoke after explosions19. Wide shot smoke after explosions ///-----------------------------------------------------------3 DEPECHES DE CONTEXTE: newseriesDeath toll rises in Karabakh clash despite calls for calm By Mariam HARUTYUNYAN with Emil GULIYEV in Baku =(Graphic+Picture+Video)= ATTENTION - UPDATES with death toll, Azerbaijani offensive, talks at UN SC, Armenia's missile threats ///Yerevan/Baku, Sept 28, 2020 (AFP) - Fierce fighting raged between Azerbaijani and Armenian forces on Monday sparking bellicose rhetoric from regional power Turkey despite international pleas for a halt in fighting between the long-time enemies.Yerevan and Baku have been locked in a territorial dispute over the ethnic Armenian region of Nagorny Karabakh for decades, with deadly fighting flaring up last July and in 2016.The region declared independence from Azerbaijan after a war in the early 1990s that claimed 30,000 lives but it is not recognised by any country -- including Armenia -- and is still considered part of Azerbaijan by the international community.On Monday evening, Azerbaijani forces launched a "massive offensive at the Karabakh frontline's southern and north-eastern sectors," said Armenia's defence ministry spokesman Artsrun Hovhannisyan.Fighting between Muslim Azerbaijan and majority-Christian Armenia could embroil regional players such as Russia, which has a military alliance with Armenia, and Turkey, which backs Azerbaijan.The office of Azerbaijan's prosecutor general said two more civilians were killed on Monday evening as Karabakh rebels shelled a village in Terter district.Karabakh's defence ministry said 27 fighters were killed on Monday, bringing their total military losses to 58. The overall death toll rose to 69 including 11 civilian deaths: nine in Azerbaijan and two on the Armenian side. Azerbaijan has not reported any military casualties, but Armenian separatist officials released footage showing burnt-out armoured vehicles and the bloodied and charred remains of soldiers in camouflage it said were Azerbaijani troops.Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on Monday ordered partial military mobilisation and General Mais Barkhudarov vowed to "fight to the last drop of blood in order to completely destroy the enemy and win". With each side blaming the other for the flare-up, world leaders have urged calm as fears rise of a full-scale conflict.At the request of Germany and France, the UN Security Council was expected Tuesday to hold emergency talks on Karabakh behind closed doors, diplomats told AFP.Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Russia was monitoring the situation closely and that the current priority was to "stop the hostilities, not to deal with who is right and who is wrong".But Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan demanded Armenia end its "occupation" of Karabakh."The time has come for the crisis in the region that started with the occupation of Nagorny Karabakh to be put to an end," Erdogan said. "Now Azerbaijan must take matters into its own hands." - Mercenaries from Syria - Armenia has accused Turkey of meddling in the conflict and sending mercenaries to back Azerbaijan.Yerevan's ambassador to Russia, Vardan Toganyan, told RIA news agency Armenia will use Russian-supplied Iskander ballistic missile systems "in case Turkey uses F-16 fighter jets" against Armenian forces.A war monitor Monday said Turkey has sent at least 300 proxies from northern Syria to join Azerbaijani forces.Turkey informed the fighters they would be tasked with "guarding border regions" in Azerbaijan in return for wages of up to $2,000, said Rami Abdul Rahman, the head of the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.The report comes after the European Union warned regional powers not to interfere in the fighting and condemned a "serious escalation" that threatens regional stability.In addition to the EU and Russia, France, Germany, Italy and the United States have urged a ceasefire.Armenian defence ministry spokeswoman Shushan Stepanyan said heavy fighting had continued early Monday and Armenian separatist forces had won back positions taken Sunday by Azerbaijan.But Baku claimed further advances.Azerbaijani forces "are striking enemy positions... and have taken several strategic positions around the village of Talysh", the defence ministry said."The enemy is retreating," it added.Armenian military officials said Azerbaijani forces were continuing to attack rebel positions using heavy artillery, while Azerbaijan's defence ministry accused separatist forces of shelling civilian targets in the town of Terter. - 'We are not afraid of war' - Baku claimed to have killed 550 separatist troops, a report denied by Armenia.The escalation has stirred an outpouring of patriotic fervour in both countries."We have been waiting for this day for so long. The fighting must not stop until we force Armenia to return our lands," Vidadi Alekperov, a 39-year-old waiter in Baku, told AFP."I'll happily go to the battlefield." In Yerevan, 67-year-old Vardan Harutyunyan said Armenia had been anticipating the attack."The (Karabakh) question can only be resolved militarily. We are not afraid of a war," he said.Armenia and Karabakh declared martial law and military mobilisation Sunday, while Azerbaijan imposed military rule and a curfew in large cities.Talks to resolve the conflict -- one of the worst to emerge from the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union -- have largely stalled since a 1994 ceasefire agreement.Analysts told AFP that international brokers needed to step up efforts to prevent an even worse escalation.France, Russia and the United States have mediated peace efforts as the "Minsk Group" but the last big push for a peace deal collapsed in 2010.bur-jbr-im/bp ------------------------------------------------------------- Karabakh flare-up risks major conflagration By Romain COLASMoscow, Sept 28, 2020 (AFP) - Heavy fighting over Azerbaijan's breakaway region of Nagorny Karabakh has raised fears of large-scale war between Azerbaijan and Armenia in a region where both Russia and Turkey wield influence.Here are the main questions raised by the latest developments in a conflict that has poisoned the Caucasus neighbours' relations since the breakup of the USSR. - What ignited the flare-up?After weeks of warrior-like rhetoric, Azerbaijan announced a major counter-offensive, calling this a response to ceasefire violations by the Armenian rebel forces controlling the region, which broke away violently from Baku and where most residents are ethnic Armenians.The separatists, who are supported politically, economically and militarily by Yerevan, say Azerbaijan is the aggressor, aiming to regain control of the region where clashes between 1988 and 1994 caused more than 30,000 deaths.Ever since then the separatist enclave, lacking international recognition, has seen sporadic clashes between troops on either side of the de facto border, while separatists have retained control.For Olesya Vartanyan of the International Crisis Group, the resurgence in clashes is mainly due to a lack of international mediation despite deadly clashes in July, not in Karabakh but along the official border between Armenia and Azerbaijan."Fighting in July caused a lot of emotion and calls for war (in both countries) that were unfortunately not contained by international mediation," she said. - How significant is the fighting?Sunday's resumption of hostilities saw a major increase in fire power, with Azerbaijan deploying aerial bombardments, tanks and artillery and claiming to have recaptured some territory."We see very coordinated actions in several places on the front line with both camps well prepared and trained," said Vartanyan."In 2016 the fighting was mainly between reconnaissance units. Now, we have full-scale engagement with heavy weaponry," said Gela Vasadze, a Tbilisi-based analyst.In what he called a "first" since the early 1990s, Armenia and Karabakh have declared martial law and military mobilisation and Azerbaijan has imposed military rule.Baku claims to have captured a strategic mountain, which if confirmed, could help it to bomb the main separatist city of Stepanakert.Vasadze however suggested that neither side has "sufficient resources" to fight a war of "this scale for a long period". - Will the conflict escalate? -For the analyst only a military incursion deep into the territory of Armenia or Azerbaijan -- rather than clashes along the frontline -- could spark direct intervention by Moscow or Ankara.Turkey could come to the aid of Baku under their military agreements. Russia is Yerevan's closest ally and they are tied together by a military alliance.Vasadze added that "direct intervention would bring little benefit to Moscow and Ankara" and threaten the two regional powerbrokers' economic ties."But Vartanyan pointed to Ankara's growing support for Baku, shown by joint war games in August, which were the largest ever organised between the two countries."In addition to arms deliveries, it is unclear what further aid Turkey would be willing to provide. There are a lot of options on the table," she said.Armenia has accused Baku of being supported by mercenaries linked to Turkish forces in Syria, particularly military specialists and drone pilots.Azerbaijan has also accused Armenia of deploying mercenaries. - Diplomatic options? -In Vartanyan's view, only the Minsk Group, the mediation body since 1992, made up of France, Russia and the United States, could calm tensions."Diplomats need to start to travel again and talk with both sides," she said.Vasadze argued, however, that "reinforced intervention" by Washington and Brussels is needed, since he believes Moscow has murky motives."Russia's aim is not to resolve the conflict but on the contrary, to periodically rekindle it, to retain its regional influence," he said.rco-am/bp ------------------------------------------------------------- leadUN Council to meet Tuesday on Nagorny Karabakh: diplomatsUnited Nations, United States, Sept 28, 2020 (AFP) - The UN Security Council is expected to hold emergency talks Tuesday behind closed doors on the ethnic Armenian region of Nagorny Karabakh, where fierce fighting has raged since the weekend, diplomats told AFP on Monday.Germany and France requested the meeting, but other European council members -- Belgium, Britain and Estonia -- support the move, the sources said. The outbreak of deadly violence in the separatist region, supported by Yerevan, comes in the middle of the annual UN General Assembly and raises fears of a war between ex-Soviet republics Azerbaijan and Armenia in the Caucasus.That could embroil regional players such as Russia, which has a military alliance with Armenia, and Turkey, which backs Azerbaijan.Increasingly deadly fighting raged Monday between Azerbaijani and Armenian forces in the region, sparking bellicose rhetoric from Turkey despite international pleas for a halt in fighting between the longtime enemies.Armenia and Azerbaijan have been locked in a territorial dispute over Nagorny Karabakh for decades, with deadly fighting flaring up earlier this year and in 2016.At least 67 people have been killed in the most recent fighting.prh/st/sst Budding business Medicinal cannabis might not be a common household drug, but it's a growing business in Australia. Since 1992, 61,000 approvals for medicinal cannabis had been granted by the Therapeutic Goods Administration through the Special Access Scheme, but most of these have occurred in the past few years. Since August last year approvals have doubled, from 2878 to 5739. Between June and July this year alone, approvals rose by 20 per cent. There have been some big changes in the past four years that have helped improve access, including the introduction of medicinal cannabis clinics, improved information for prescribers and a drop in product price. Professor McGregor said that today, medicinal cannabis costs roughly 25 per cent of what it did in 2017, or about $5 to $15 per day per patient. Workers trimming cannabis plants. The flower heads will be processed for medicinal sale, and sold as flowers or an oil product. Credit:Janie Barrett The price drop has been aided by the sheer number of products now available on the Australian market, with about 150 different medicinal flower and oil products being sold by 37 companies, which are fighting for a small number of patients. "We used to joke that there was one patient for every company in this space in Australia," Professor McGregor said. The TGA has also recently released an interim decision to downgrade certain medicinal cannabis products from Schedule 4 to Schedule 3, which would allow approved low-dose products to be sold over the counter at the pharmacy. But that decision is not final and Mr Cantelo, who started building the medicinal cannabis company in earnest about five years ago, is playing the long game. At the moment just one-quarter of their flower produce is sold to Australian patients while the rest is exported. Production is starting on its first commercial oil product, and he said there would be four of those in coming months. "Weve got four products on the market to Australian patients right now ranging from a high CBD, very low THC product right up through to a very high THC, low CBD product and two in the middle," he said. Medicinal cannabis not a panacea Most approvals were for chronic pain, a TGA spokesman said. Medicinal cannabis has also been approved for cancer pain and fibromyalgia, for managing seizures or epilepsy, to treat psychological conditions including anxiety, anorexia, insomnia or post-traumatic stress disorder, and for multiple sclerosis and other movement disorders. While the TGA spokesman said the number of approvals fluctuated from month to month, more doctors were now prescribing it. Cannabis seedlings at the secret Australian Natural Therapeutics Group facility. Credit:Janie Barrett Last year 1298 individual prescribers sent Special Access Scheme applications to the TGA. This year to date, the TGA has received applications from 1827 individuals; a 41 per cent increase. Royal Australian College of General Practitioners spokeswoman Hester Wilson said applications were increasing in part because of medicinal cannabis clinics, but GPs were increasingly seeing it as an option for longstanding patients on a case-by-case basis. "We do need to increase the evidence around when medicinal cannabis is appropriate; and that's really not clear," she said. A worker on the Australian Natural Therapeutics Group farm prunes the plants. Credit:Janie Barrett "But it is one of those situations where sometimes for us, as individual prescribers who know our patients well, that it absolutely is a choice that we can and do make in order to assist the individual patients that we're seeing." Dr Wilson, who is also an addiction specialist, said it would only be something she would prescribe if she had been having an extended conversation about it with a patient she knew well and they were both clear about the expected outcome. "They do need to be aware of the risks and the fact that we don't know what the benefits are," she said. "So I really do take a very cautious approach." Professor McGregor, who recently co-authored a paper comparing medicinal cannabis access around the world, said while there had been almost exponential growth in medicinal cannabis use, Australia had a long way to go. Professor McGregor said the federal governments own statistics from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare estimated there were 600,000 people who were self-medicating with cannabis from the black market. "[With] a liberal estimate of maybe 30,000 patients being serviced by the official scheme, then you've still got 570,000 that are unaccounted for," he said. The 12 cities where people spend the most time working and commuting. Canon Middle East (CME), a provider of imaging technologies and services, has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Ministry of Education as the official strategic partner for skills development in the UAE. The partnership delivers on the ambitions of the UAEs Vision 2021 to develop the talent of youth in the UAE by empowering them to engage new-age digital innovations and prepare them with the skills required for education and employment opportunities of the future. Dr Amna Al Dahak Al Shamsi, Assistant Undersecretary for Care and Activities Sector emphasised that through all of its partnerships, the Ministry of Education seeks to enhance students skills across various creative fields, positively impacting their journey in future. To this end, the Ministry focuses to uplift students skills and meet their different interests in-line with its goals, academic and skill enhancement plans for the students of the UAE. She also highlighted that the MoU is a result of a long-standing cooperation, as Canon had organised many programmes aiming to enhance students' skills in photography and digital production and improving their various talents, as the Ministry seeks to promote cooperation with specialised parties in-line with its initiatives for visual arts. As part of the agreement, Canon hosted a visual photography summer camp this year for 87 students from various schools to further develop their imaging skills and understanding of visual arts. The camp consisted of eight sessions and included video instruction and assignments for each student. The students work will be demonstrated through a virtual exhibition in October. In 2021, Canon will also become the Ministrys official partner for the National Clubs programme, which is an afterschool digital hub to empower and educate students on various topics including art and culture, health and fitness, STEM, life skills, and linguistics. Visual and creative arts, with an emphasis on photography and videography, are also a key component of the programme, and Canon will conduct imaging workshops for 100 students aged between 10 and 18 who are interested in photography and filmmaking. The eight-week long course will be delivered online through virtual instruction and training videos and will run across three different levels to cater to the various age groups within the National Clubs programme. Canons imaging workshops fall within Canons AKTASHIF programme which is a community-oriented initiative designed to equip young people aged 14 to 24 with the tools and techniques to unleash creative careers. The initiative provides training, mentorship and provides a focal point for YOUTH to develop their interests, strengthen their creativity and inculcate in them the spirit of entrepreneurship. Anurag Agrawal, Managing Director, Canon Middle East and Canon Turkey, said: Our collaboration with the Ministry spans a number of years and this agreement will build on the work we have done together to spark innovation and inspire students. Youth today are at a major crossroads as their educational and self-development journey is rapidly unravelling and evolving; but they are also increasingly adaptable, eager to get past hurdles, and are innovative in their approach to learning new skills. Through our workshops students will be mentored and trained using new digital technology that is essential for their education today and will prepare them for their professional careers in the future. The partnership also underlines our commitment to our corporate philosophy, Kyosei, meaning living and working together for the common good, and education is one of our key focus areas as an innovation-led, technology company, where we feel we can make a positive difference, added Agrawal. The Ministry of Education and Canon have collaborated on a series of successful initiatives which led to the signing of the partnership agreement this year. The initiatives included supporting the Ministrys Masterpieces programme by providing photography courses, equipment and giveaways for the programmes winners, and printing the winning imagery to be displayed at the La Perle show. Last year, Canon launched a competition on Womens Day within UAE public schools where four female students won pink Selfy printers and a photography master class with a Canon Ambassador. Canon also sponsored the National Science and Technology and Innovation Fair hosted by the Ministry. -- Tradearabia News Service A jet pilot had one of the most terrifying flights of his life when he momentarily passed out mid-flight due to high G-force. Alex Kowtun, from West Palm Beach in Florida, had a heart-stopping experience after he lost consciousness while flying an Aero L-39 Albatros fighter-jet trainer. Mr Kowtun had been invited for an aerobatic piloting session by Scott Farnsworth, airline captain and owner of Farnsworth Aerosports, where he performed high-speed manoeuvres. But while flying with Mr Farnsworth, the hobbyist airplane pilot momentarily blacks out due to high g-force, terrifying footage shows. In the video, Mr Kowtun loses consciousness and his head drops forwards for a few seconds while the aircraft continues to fly at high-speed. Alex Kowtun, from West Palm Beach in Florida, lost consciousness for a few seconds during a high-speed manoeuvre in an Aero L-39 Albatros fighter-jet trainer A terrifying video shows the hobbyist airplane pilot momentarily black out due to high g-force before regaining consciousness and shouting 'oh s**t' The pilot looks shocked and shouts 'oh s**t' following the terrifying moment, while Mr Farnsworth is also heard asking him 'are you back?'. Mr Farnsworth, who has flown with Mr Kowtun numerous times, laughs and says 'you said you wanted it' after the pilot regains consciousness, the footage shows. Mr Kowtun, who is also an entrepreneur, said: 'I had trained many times with Farnsworth, but for that flight I wanted to push the jet to its limits and experience how that felt full force. 'Farnsworth agreed to put me through the test of his entire airshow routine. 'The one in the video was the last manoeuvre of the routine, a very hard pull with a midfield break over the runway. 'It was the hardest-g pull of the day and I have zero memory of it, I completely passed out halfway through the turn, game over.' Mr Kowtun described the experience as 'humbling' and said it was a 'lifelong lesson' as he 'thanked god' that the other pilot was 'better prepared'. He added: 'This experience was the most memorable flight of my life, it reminded me that we are not invincible, it was an amazing ego check. 'If I had been flying the jet alone and passed out in a similar fashion, it would have been all over for me.' Mr Kowtun was flying with Scott Farnsworth, airline captain and owner of Farnsworth Aerosports, when the heart-stopping incident occurred Pilots undergo high-G training to prevent a g-induced loss of consciousness, which is caused by high levels of acceleration which move blood away from the brain The footage of the heart-stopping moment has been seen by more than three million shocked viewers since it was shared on TikTok on August 30. Farnsworth Aerosports travels with two jets and a tour bus to deliver heart-pounding performances in the sky. Aviators and astronauts undergo high-G training to prevent a g-induced loss of consciousness caused by high levels of acceleration during flight. G-forces can move blood away from the brain in high-speed manoeuvres, which can lead to pilots blacking out and can have fatal consequences. The heart rate also increases to try and provide the brain with necessary blood flow while the acceleration rises. Mr Kowtun's terrifying flying experience took place in December 2019. Explained: Out of 182 vaccines globally, how many vaccines are developed in India? India oi-Ajay Joseph Raj P New Delhi, Sep 28: Amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, India is hosting clinical trials for all the major vaccine contenders. Serum Institute of India is conducting trials for the vaccine developed by Oxford University. Drugmaker Dr Reddy's Laboratories has announced that it will distribute 100 million (10 crore) doses of Russia's Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine in India after conducting final-stage human trials and receiving regulatory clearances. Explained: Here are the new quarantine rules for these seven states due to COVID-19 outbreak Meanwhile, Bharat Biotech International Ltd is at the second-phase human trial stage and Zydus Cadila is in the process to receive approvals for conducting third-phase clinical trials. On the other side, India has asked the developers to disclose estimates of the price at which their respective vaccines can be made available. Explained: Will stubble burning higher the risk of COVID situation in northern states? "Pricing is perhaps complex because some of them (candidate vaccines) are at an early stage (of development). This information will be refined as we move along. There is no firm information. But we have asked about the price range (of the potential vaccines) from individual manufacturers," NITI Aayog member VK Paul said. Amrinder Singh joins farmers' protest, says 'Pakistan's ISI may take advantage' | Oneindia News According to reports, there are 182 vaccine candidates globally in pre-clinical or clinical trials. Of these, 36 are in clinical trials and nine in final states of human trials. In India, there are at least eight candidates being developed, two of which have entered phase II trials. But what are the vaccines that can be made available in India and at what price will they be offered? For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, September 28, 2020, 12:37 [IST] News Phoenix, Arizona - Friday marked Arizonas inaugural Sandra Day OConnor Civics Celebration Day, a day in which a majority of in-person and online classroom instruction is devoted entirely to civics. It is also the 39th anniversary of Sandra Day OConnor being sworn in as the first female Supreme Court Justice. The Governor called for this celebratory day in his State of the State Address in January to improve civics understanding and honor Justice OConnors commitment to public service and strengthening civic engagement among our nations kids. Legislation sponsored by Representative Shawnna Bolick, H.B. 2625, making the day official was signed into law by the Governor on March 24, 2020. What Schools Are Doing School districts and charter schools across the state are using fun, engaging activities to teach students about civics and highlight Sandra Day OConnors work to promote civics education for kids. Tanque Verde High School teachers are offering a wide variety of games, projects and assignments that include ways to learn about local elections, tests on civic knowledge, lessons on how to become civically engaged and much more. Madison Highland Prep teachers are explaining to students Justice Sandra Day OConnors public service to our state and nation as well as the importance of civic responsibility. They will use online tools so students can engage with the activities and learn more about civics. CASA Academy in Phoenix is utilizing a video of Sandra Day OConnor and age-appropriate discussions and activities to teach students about civics. Legacy Traditional Schools are providing students videos, lessons and activities that cover the foundations of government, civil rights, the Constitution, the branches of government and much more. Background In 2015, Governor Ducey signed the American Civics Act requiring that all Arizona students pass a basic civics test before graduating from high school. It was the first bill the Governor signed, making Arizona the first state in the country to enact such a law. Since then, 34 states have followed Arizonas lead and passed similar legislation. In 2018, Governor Ducey signed legislation creating the State Seal of Civics Literacy Program to recognize and reward students for achieving a high level of proficiency in American civics. Additionally, Governor Ducey in 2018 signed legislation creating the American Civics Education Pilot Program for grades 9-12, further establishing Arizona as a national leader in promoting civics education. Students in the program take at least one semester of an American civics course and take an assessment at the end. A 10-member Chinese team of specialist doctors has arrived in the country and will be stationed at Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals for the next 12 months. The doctors will be assisting their counterparts in Zimbabwe in fighting against the spread of Covid-19, which has ravaged the world this year, killing nearly one million people. The team of specialists doctors is the 18th medical team from China. They were welcomed at the Robert Mugabe International Airport by the Chinese Deputy Ambassador to Zimbabwe Mr Zhao Baogang and acting chief director Curative Services in the Ministry of Health and Child Care Dr Maxwell Hove. Dr Hove said relations between Zimbabwe and China in the medical field were continuing to grow. We have very strong relations with China in the medical field and as you are aware, this is the 18th medical team from China to visit Zimbabwe. The 17th team will be leaving this Friday, said Dr Hove. Captain of the medical team who is the deputy chief physician in the Radiology Department of the Zhuzhou Central Hospital, Dr Luo Weiqiang, said the team was in the country to continue assisting in the fight against Covid-19. We want to assist Zimbabwe in the fight against Covid-19 as well as explore other areas in the traditional medicine field. We will also focus on the promotion of the Chinese Traditional Medicine, he said. Among the 10 specialists is Dr Sung Shuang, a physician and traditional medicine specialist who will also be assisting at the recently launched Zimbabwe-China Traditional Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture Centre. Herald The Aurum Awards celebrate Dalhousie alumni for their outstanding achievements and contributions in research and innovation, community engagement and leadership. And this years winners check all the boxes. Read their stories to learn more about this group of outstanding alumni. Sultan Darvesh (MD88) Denise Pothier (BEng93) Doug Reid (BComm82) Robert Zed (MHSA86) Like most things in 2020, our Aurum Award celebrations didnt go as planned this past spring. As is customary, typically alumni winners have the opportunity to share their achievements with their family, friends and community. Please share your congratulatory messages with our winners on social media by using #DalAurumAwards. Dr. Sultan Darvesh (MD88) When Dr. Darvesh was a child in Tanzania, he spent a lot of time in hospital due to migraines. The pain was so intense that he made a promise to himself: if his doctors could cure him, he would go into medicine to make a difference for others. Today, Dr. Darvesh is making significant progress on that promise. As the Dalhousie Medical Research Foundations Irene MacDonald Sobey Chair in Curative Approaches to Alzheimers Disease, he is leading a team of researchers at the university in groundbreaking work that could be a gamechanger for millions of people living with the disease. He has developed a radioactive molecule that enables PET and SPECT scanning of butyrylcholinesterase, an enzyme that plays a key role in the progression of the disease. This molecule could enable diagnosis in living patientssomething previously impossibleand potentially result in new research and therapeutic approaches to reverse or make the disease more manageable. It is hard to predict that we can achieve those diagnostic and therapeutic goals, but I would not be doing this if I were not optimistic, says Dr. Darvesh, who is a professor within Dalhousie Universitys Departments of Medicine (Neurology) and Medical Neuroscience. When you see the devastation caused by Alzheimers disease, you realize failure is not an option. We are continuing to refine the molecules we developed so they give us better images of the enzyme and a better understanding of the disease itself. Dr. Darvesh has received considerable recognition for his research but being presented with an Aurum Award has particular resonance. This is my alma mater, so it means a lot to me. From my undergraduate studies in the Faculty of Medicine to the support of my department, Dalhousie has played a major role in making my work possible. Forward thinking Believing more breakthroughs are within reach, Dr. Darvesh is looking to identify more targets for the diagnosis and treatment of dementia. His lab is conducting research on Lewy body dementia and frontal temporal dementia. And he is also interested in exploring why dementia is more prevalent among women than men. The prospect of a breakthrough excites him, but so does the opportunity to train a new generation of researchers who can build on his work. If I can get them trained but also inspire the same fire in their belly that drives me, then that is the most important thing, he says. Denise Pothier (BEng93) Denise Pothier may have a background in chemical engineering, but she has truly distinguished herself in her dedication to building bridges. Not the ones that span waterways, rather the ones that forge connections between the engineering profession and underrepresented communities. That commitment is evident in Pothiers work with Stantec, where she is vice-president of practice services and Indigenous relations and serves on the companys Diversity and Inclusion Council. But it does not end there. For 20 years, she has been advancing inclusivity in the profession through her involvement with Techsploration, which encourages young women across Canada to explore STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) careers. She has also made strides in promoting diversity as chair of both Engineers Nova Scotias Women in Engineering Committee and Engineers Canadas Indigenous Advisory Committee. If we are going to find solutions for the betterment of our world, then engineering needs to better reflect our society, says Pothier. Until that happens, the profession will not reach its full potential. Motivation for change Pothiers determination to increase representation is motivated as much by her own experiences in a male-dominated profession as it is by her Acadian and Mikmaq heritage. For example, she remembers the culture shock she experienced when she moved to Halifax to study Engineering at Dalhousie and how she strived to fit in, not just putting in extra effort to overcome educational differences but also losing her accent. If I do have one regret in life, its that, Pothier says. But at the same time, if my adversities led me to where I am today, then I am grateful because now I am able to encourage women and Mikmaq youth to follow the same path. And when they succeed, they encourage others too, which means a whole network of people driving diversity and innovation. Thats an incredible thing to see and be a part of. These efforts to make a difference led Dalhousie University to honour Pothier with an Aurum Award. I was absolutely speechless, she says. To see all the amazing things our alumni are doing encourages me to continue working toward the greater good and making the world a better place. Creating opportunities for communities For Pothier, that means making a difference in many other ways, such as volunteering with Feed Nova Scotia and the Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business (CCAB). It also inspired her recent decision to step down from her long-time positions with the boards of CCAB and Techsploration, ensuring a new generation has opportunities to gain leadership experience and develop connections to succeed. Now, Pothier is looking to strengthen the economic outlook of the provinces rural communities, joining the boards of both the Nova Scotia Community College and the Centre for Ocean Ventures & Entrepreneurship to achieve that goal. Through Stantec, Ive seen the best of what communities around the world can do, and I know that we do the very same here, she says. I want to combine that knowledge and those practices to create more opportunities for our rural communities to thrive and grow. Doug Reid (BComm82) Like most chartered professional accountants, Doug Reid gives a lot of thought to numbers. That is particularly true when it comes to making a difference. Hes not just interested in how many ways he can give back but also how he can help organizations raise money and build the financial capacity necessary to future-proof them so that they continue to enrich our communities for generations. In everything I do, I recognize I am always part of a team, so the stronger the team you put together, the more successful you will be in achieving your goals, says Reid. That philosophy has produced remarkable results over the course of Reids 38-year career. He co-chaired the Engaging Excellence campaign that raised an unprecedented $10 million to unite Halifax Grammar School in one campus. As Chair of the QEII Board of Trustees, he helped launch both the QEII Home Lottery program, which has raised $80 million to date, and the Working Miracles campaign, which raised $43.5 million for innovation in health care. And as Board Chair he helped a capital campaign significantly increase the endowment fund that now adds significantly to the annual operating budget of Symphony Nova Scotia. Spirit of generosity I learned the importance of philanthropy at a young age, says Reid, an Atlantic Managing Partner with KPMG. It was ingrained in me by my parents to give to the best of my ability, whether that is time or financial resources. What Ive discovered is that giving not only enriches the community, it has enriched me. It expanded my horizons and made me more aware of social issues and the importance of diversity. Reids spirit of generosity and community involvement also extends to Dalhousie. He previously served on the Dalhousie Alumni Association and he currently sits on the Faculty of Management Advisory Board. As a member of the board, he works to support the Dean of Management to advance the mission of each of the four schools within the faculty, to act as advocates for the faculty and to provide leadership in securing funding for programs. Its a way to give back to the university that educated me and prepared me to succeed, Reid says. Helping the faculty connect with and understand the priorities of businesses ensures that the learning objectives continue to meet the needs of our economy. In honour of Reids ongoing contributions to Dalhousie and the community, the university has presented him with an Aurum Award. It was a nice surprise, says Reid. I have so much affection for the university, so being recognized by my alma mater is tremendous for me. Given Reids legacy of making a difference, it should come as no surprise that he plans to add to it. Id like to find ways to level the playing field and increase access to education for people who traditionally have not had opportunities because of economic, racial, or cultural barriers, Reid says. A more diverse and inclusive community means more people working to make it better, so thats what Id like to see. Jammu, Sep 28 : Pakistan resorted to unprovoked firing and shelling on Indian positions on Monday on the Line of Control in J&K's Rajouri district. "At about 3.50 p.m. today, Pakistan initiated unprovoked ceasefire violation by firing with small arms and shelling with mortars along the LoC in Nowshera sector of Rajouri district. "The Indian Army is retaliating befittingly," said Colonel Devender Anand, defence ministry spokesman. Since the beginning of this year, Pakistan has been violating with impunity the bilateral ceasefire agreement signed by the two countries in 1999. 24 civilians have been killed and over 100 injured in over 3,186 ceasefire violations by Pakistan on the LoC since January 2020. Cross border shelling has brought insurmountable suffering in the lives of thousands of people living in villages close to the LoC whose lives, cattle and agricultural fields stand at great peril when shells start raining from across the LoC. Tommy Lee and wife Brittany Furlan headed out on electric bikes over the weekend, seen zipping through traffic in Los Angeles. The pair chose not to wear crash helmets for their outing, both spotted in shades as they rode along. Tommy, 57, looked like his usual rocker self, in a black T-shirt and shorts, with a beanie hat, neck chains and flip-flops rounding off the look. Tommy Lee and wife Brittany Furlan headed out on electric bikes over the weekend, seen zipping through traffic in Los Angeles His wife, 33, wore a black top with a khaki jacket, mustard skirt and bright red pumps. She swept her blonde mane back from her features as she navigated the roads. The couple's lack of helmets may have raised eyebrows with onlookers; while California allows motor cycles to be driven in between traffic lanes, motorcyclists must where helmets. The law on electric cycles is foggy, however. Brittany wore a black top with a khaki jacket, mustard skirt and bright red pumps The pair chose not to wear crash helmets for their outing, both spotted in shades as they rode along In June, Tommy admitted he's now 'actually having fun being silly' after initially being 'dragged onto TikTok' by Brittany. In an interview with Today Extra, the former Motley Crue rocker explained: 'It's all my wife's fault because she has millions of followers on there. She's always doing crazy stuff!' TikTok has become the latest social media craze thanks to its viral dance challenges and comedy skits. 'Fun and silly!' In June, Tommy admitted he's now 'actually having fun being silly' after initially being 'dragged onto TikTok' by Brittany And hosts David Campbell and Belinda Russell couldn't resist pointing out that Tommy had jumped on board the TikTok bandwagon to promote his new music material. The star explained: 'You know what, Tiktok is really fun and it lets everybody like be their own director, producer of their own little clips. You see funny dances, Apple phone hacks. It's nice and silly. 'At first I thought "No, this is silly". But then it is all my wife's fault because she has millions and millions of followers on there. And she's a comedian and what have you. She is always doing crazy stuff!' TikTok fame: The former Motley Crue rocker - who is promoting his new album 'Andro' - explained: 'It's all my wife's fault because she has millions of followers on there' 'Fun is what we need right now!' After initial reservations, Tommy has now become TikTok's most unlikely new star Tommy elaborated further: 'For some reason she dragged me into it. At first I was kind of like "I don't know about all this. I am not that kind of guy." Now I am actually having fun with it!' The hitmaker is certainly getting a crash course in social media from the best, as his wife Brittany was previously the most followed female video star on the social media network Vine until November 2015. 'Yes, it is silly and it is a whole lot of fun which we need right now!' Tommy added about TikTok. Learning from the best! The hitmaker's wife Brittany was previously the most followed female video star on the social media network Vine until November 2015 Tommy and Brittany began dating in 2017, became engaged in February of 2018, and married in February of this year. He was married to Pamela from 1995-1998. They share sons Brandon, 23, and Dylan, 21. He was also married to Heather Locklear from 1986-1993, and Elaine Starchuk from 1984-1985. Mark Carpenter has been the CEO of Motorpoint Group plc (LON:MOTR) since 2013, and this article will examine the executive's compensation with respect to the overall performance of the company. This analysis will also evaluate the appropriateness of CEO compensation when taking into account the earnings and shareholder returns of the company. Check out our latest analysis for Motorpoint Group Comparing Motorpoint Group plc's CEO Compensation With the industry According to our data, Motorpoint Group plc has a market capitalization of UK244m, and paid its CEO total annual compensation worth UK410k over the year to March 2020. We note that's an increase of 43% above last year. In particular, the salary of UK274.0k, makes up a huge portion of the total compensation being paid to the CEO. For comparison, other companies in the same industry with market capitalizations ranging between UK157m and UK630m had a median total CEO compensation of UK605k. This suggests that Mark Carpenter is paid below the industry median. Furthermore, Mark Carpenter directly owns UK24m worth of shares in the company, implying that they are deeply invested in the company's success. Component 2020 2019 Proportion (2020) Salary UK274k UK254k 67% Other UK136k UK33k 33% Total Compensation UK410k UK287k 100% On an industry level, roughly 68% of total compensation represents salary and 32% is other remuneration. Although there is a difference in how total compensation is set, Motorpoint Group more or less reflects the market in terms of setting the salary. If salary dominates total compensation, it suggests that CEO compensation is leaning less towards the variable component, which is usually linked with performance. Motorpoint Group plc's Growth Motorpoint Group plc has seen its earnings per share (EPS) increase by 24% a year over the past three years. In the last year, its revenue is down 3.8%. This demonstrates that the company has been improving recently and is good news for the shareholders. The lack of revenue growth isn't ideal, but it is the bottom line that counts most in business. Moving away from current form for a second, it could be important to check this free visual depiction of what analysts expect for the future. Story continues Has Motorpoint Group plc Been A Good Investment? Boasting a total shareholder return of 116% over three years, Motorpoint Group plc has done well by shareholders. This strong performance might mean some shareholders don't mind if the CEO were to be paid more than is normal for a company of its size. In Summary... As we noted earlier, Motorpoint Group pays its CEO lower than the norm for similar-sized companies belonging to the same industry. Since EPS growth is heading in a positive direction; many would agree with our assessment that the pay is modest. Given the strong history of shareholder returns, the shareholders are probably very happy with Mark's performance. While it is important to pay attention to CEO remuneration, investors should also consider other elements of the business. That's why we did some digging and identified 1 warning sign for Motorpoint Group that you should be aware of before investing. Of course, you might find a fantastic investment by looking at a different set of stocks. So take a peek at this free list of interesting companies. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. 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. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com. Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove will hold talks in Brussels ahead of a week of negotiations to strike a post-Brexit trade deal with the EU. Mr Gove will meet European Commission vice president Maros Sefcovic to discuss the implementation of the Withdrawal Agreement after their last talks ended in acrimony. Earlier this month, Mr Sefcovic issued the UK with an ultimatum to drop controversial provisions in legislation overriding elements of that Brexit divorce deal by the end of the month or face legal action for breaking international law. Boris Johnsons Government pushed on with the UK Internal Market Bill regardless and MPs are due to debate it on Tuesday. Mr Sefcovic, who co-chairs the EU-UK joint committee with Mr Gove, is expected to address the public on Monday afternoon after the latest talks. Citizens rights and the protocols on Northern Ireland and Gibraltar are among the topics of discussion. On Tuesday, the ninth round of negotiations on a future relationship between the two sides will continue in Brussels as time ticks down to December 31, the end of the transition period in which the UK remains in the single market and follows EU rules. Talks in Brussels will come after Irish Taoiseach Micheal Martin said he is not optimistic that a trade deal will be struck. Mr Martin said there was still the potential for a deal, but warned that the controversial Bill enabling the UK to break international law had eroded trust. Just to let you know that the (Irish) government is preparing its budget in three weeks time on the basis that there will be a no-deal Brexit Taoiseach Micheal Martin He told the i newspaper in an interview to be broadcast at the Liberal Democrat conference on Monday that the legislation damaged the credibility of agreements already entered into. Asked if he believes a free trade deal is likely, he said: Im not that optimistic, if Im honest. Just to let you know that the (Irish) government is preparing its budget in three weeks time on the basis that there will be a no-deal Brexit. Thats the basis on which were preparing the budget and were warning and alerting businesses to that terrible reality. I think progress has been slow in the talks so far, I think there is still potential for a deal, I believe a deal is the sane and sensible thing to do, and I think all of us as politicians have an obligation to those we represent and in terms of Brexit that means the least damage possible to workers, to employers and to business and economy. Pizza Hut has been pulled from the brink and thousands of jobs have been saved as its creditors and landlords have agreed to its proposed restructuring plan. Under the deal, known as Company Voluntary Agreement, the chain's landlords have agreed to receive reduced rent for 215 restaurants, which will remain open, keeping 5,000 jobs safe. However the company will still go ahead with plans to shut 29 underperforming restaurants, putting some 450 jobs at risk. Rescued, for now: Pizza Hut said the CVA gave them 'a strong platform to secure the long-term future of the business' A CVA is a deal struck between a company that has run out of money and its creditors. It puts a legal ring-fence around the firm to ease pressure from its creditors, such as HMRC and landlords. Generally, it means a business is allowed to exit leases on unprofitable stores, and is gifted better terms by landlords. The CVA will only affect Pizza Hut Restaurants franchises - not its Pizza Hut Delivery business, which is operated separately. If a vote had not passed, the chain could have collapsed without extra funding a CVA can only be granted by the courts if a company can show it will face administration without the support. Pizza Hut restaurants set to shut down Basingstoke Retail Park Brighton City Centre Bury St Edmunds Cambridge, Regent Street Cardiff, Culverhouse Cross Chelmsford, Moulsham Street Croydon, North End Cumbernauld Dunstable Glasgow, Great Western Retail Park Grantham Gravesend Huddersfield, John William Street Leicester, Haymarket London, Leyton Mill London, Stratford Maidenhead Maidstone Newcastle-under-Lyme Oxford Plymouth Royal Parade Salisbury Scarborough Sheffield, High Street Sheffield, Penistone Road Stafford Thornton Cleveleys Weston-Super-Mare Worcester Weston-Super-Mare Worcester But unlike administration, CVAs are adopted by businesses that, although extremely distressed, still have a shot at survival. A Pizza Hut Restaurants spokesperson said: 'We are delighted to have reached such a constructive position in partnership with our landlords and creditors. 'We appreciate the support of everyone involved and this outcome provides us with a strong platform to secure the long-term future of the business including over 5000 jobs and over 200 restaurants. 'Our focus is now "business as usual" supporting all of our team members and continuing to provide a Covid-safe restaurant experience for our guests.' High street chains like Pizza Express, Yo! Sushi and Byron Burgers have all used CVAs during the pandemic to secure restructuring deals with major site closures. Last week, Revolution Bars revealed that it was weighing up options, including a CVA, in a bid to survive the coronavirus crisis. Retailers have also relied on the form of insolvency, including New Look, which has signed rental agreements based on sales, rather than a fixed amount. Landlords and creditors have continued to vote favourably on CVAs, preferring to secure agreements based on lower rents than risk pushing retailers or restaurant chains towards more severe insolvency processes by rejecting proposals. Pizza Hut, which was founded in the US in 1958, had put foward plans for a CVA earlier this month after saying that 'sales are not expected to fully bounce back until well into 2021' - despite a quick and safe reopening of sites. Military officers overthrew Mali's government in a coup d'etat on August 18, 2020. Among the more worrying aspects of the coup is the fact that a number of the officers involved had received foreign training , most notably from the United States. In fact, this was the second time in eight years that US-trained officers in Mali had launched a coup. To paraphrase Oscar Wilde , to lose one civilian government to a coup launched by foreign-trained officers may be regarded as a misfortune; to lose two looks like carelessness. For many commentators with a strong sense of deja vu, events in Mali reinforce suspicions of a link between US training and coups d'etat. But does US foreign military training provoke coups d'etat? The short answer is we don't know. Until we know more, we should be sceptical of the blanket claim that it does. Initial evidence , much cited by journalists, suggests a link. Researchers Jesse Dillon Savage and Jonathan Caverley find that US foreign military training roughly doubles coup risk in recipient states. They argue, plausibly, that foreign training grants recipients credibility and power within the officer corps, which they can then use to rally officers against shaky civilian governments. What commentators seldom note, however, is that this analysis is confined to just two US training programmes. Yet the US has some 34 different foreign military training programmes involving partners in almost every country in the world. Our research finds no relationship between US military training and coups, even when looking at most similar programmes to America's International Military Education and Training programme. Researchers at the RAND Corporation , a US think tank, also analysed the link between US training and military coups in Africa. They too cast doubt on the link between the two. And in a recent dissertation, post-doctoral fellow Renanah Miles Joyce finds that, on average, US training in Africa reduced military involvement in politics and human rights violations. Training and coups There are other reasons to be sceptical of the foreign-training-causes-coups hypothesis. First, it should come as no surprise that Mali's coup plotters received US training. Between 1999 and 2016, US programmes involved 2.4 million trainees in programmes that cost over $20 billion. Officers in many countries embark on the security equivalent of global training pilgrimages through a transnational circuit of academies, exercises and manoeuvres. This training is often the key to building a successful career. Consider the curriculum vitae of Mali's coup plotters. Early reports suggest that Assimi Goita, who heads Mali's junta, spent years training alongside US special forces, regularly participated in US Africa Command's multinational Flintlock exercises, attended an 18-day seminar in Florida, and studied at the American-German Marshall Centre. Read more: Mali celebrates after president's ouster -- but there are few 'good coups' His colleagues, Colonel Malick Diaw and Colonel Sadio Camara, the coup's purported architects, were allegedly training at the Higher Military College in Moscow before returning to Bamako in the days before the coup. For their part, German officials admitted that several coup plotters had been trained in France and Germany. This might, at first glance, suggest a connection between foreign training and coups. But, in our view, it simply points to the ubiquity of foreign training in many modern militaries. In addition, because training seeks to strengthen civil-military relations, it tends to occur in coup-prone countries like Mali. History suggests that coups tend to beget coups . Foreign training may not have much of an effect at all. At one end of the spectrum, large-scale foreign training in Somalia, Iraq, or Afghanistan has met with failure and frustration. Jahara Matisek, an assistant professor in the Department of Military and Strategic Studies at the US Air Force Academy, has likened these foreign-trained forces to Faberge eggs , expensive and easily broken. At the other end, many activities are limited to a handful of soldiers and last all of a few days. This makes it hard to conclude that foreign training alone triggers major changes in civil-military relations in recipient countries. Political considerations If we cannot make a general claim about the training-coup link, perhaps a link can be found in certain situations. For example, the kinds of training that are undertaken, and how training intersects with local political conditions. Some argue that training focuses too much on technical and tactical expertise to the detriment of democratic norms and military professionalism. Yet, precisely because improving civilian control of the military is a key objective, these democratic norms feature prominently in curricula. The trouble seems to be that it is difficult to transplant norms , as the US and European Union are learning to their detriment, after years of effort and tens of millions of dollars trying to reform Mali's security sector. It's also the case that norms of military professionalism are ambiguous and open to abuse. As Professor Risa Brooks argues , norms of professionalism in the US are not stopping American military personnel from involvement in politics. And Professor Sharan Grewal provides evidence that US officers' increasing politicisation rubs off on their foreign trainees. In the search for more effective security partners, the US and its allies have increasingly focused on elite units, including the special forces unit commanded by Mali's Colonel Goita. While this intensive, long-term training can transmit skills, it's also at risk of encouraging the formation of praetorian guards that threaten democratically elected civilian governments. Such training may indeed create a dangerous nucleus of discipline, competence and power at the centre of an otherwise dysfunctional state. In other cases, as in Mali's neighbour Chad, foreign training of the authoritarian regime's elite forces may help to help defend the regime against coups. We have heard a lot about foreign trainees in coups. We need to know a lot more about training in the coups that do not happen. Lee J. M. Seymour receives funding from the Social Science and Humanities Research Council of Canada. Theodore McLauchlin receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada and the Department of National Defence. By Lee J. M. Seymour, Associate Professor of Political Science, Universite de Montreal And Theodore McLauchlin, Associate Professor of Political Science, Universite de Montreal Political developments in Sudan continue to move along a positive trajectory, while planning for a UN mission to assist the transitional government is progressing, the UN Security Council heard on Friday. Ambassadors met in person in the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Chamber at UN Headquarters in New York, where they were briefed by UN political affairs chief Rosemary DiCarlo, and the head of UN Peacekeeping, Jean-Pierre Lacroix. "As the Secretary-General highlights in his report, Sudan's political transition continues to move in the right direction", said Ms. DiCarlo, speaking via video link. Developments on the political front After nearly a year of talks, the transitional Government of Sudan and two key armed movements from Darfur - the Sudan Revolutionary Front (SRF) alliance and the Sudan Liberation Movement/Minni Minnawi (SLM/MM) - initialed a peace agreement at the end of August. Signing is scheduled for 3 October, and the parties have agreed to a 39-month transitional period effective from that date. A faction from another group, the Sudan People's Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N), has also signed a declaration of principles agreement. Significant work ahead Ms. DiCarlo outlined other recent developments in Sudan, including the appointment of interim civilian governors in all 18 states, two of whom are women. She said the parties should be commended for persevering with the peace process, adding that "it's not too late" for others to join. "As we embrace the recent progress in the peace process, we are also mindful of the significant work ahead", she cautioned. "The various accords and respective peace agreements on regional issues must be moulded into a single, coherent framework. Additionally, the parties and the Government must form a joint vision on the way forward and to uphold their respective commitments." Goodwill into action For the UN's peacekeeping chief, the initialling of the agreement marked an important milestone for Darfur, where years of brutal fighting have left some 300,000 people dead and millions of others displaced, according to UN estimates. Mr. Lacroix hoped the goodwill expressed by the parties will translate into lasting change on the ground, although some "key players" have yet to join the peace process. He urged the international community to work to bring all stakeholders on board. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines International Organisations Governance Sudan By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. "Furthermore, the implementation phase which is now beginning will be just as crucial as the drafting of the agreement itself", said Mr. Lacroix, who also briefed ambassadors via video-link. Among the key provisions is a 12,000-strong joint security force for Darfur, made up of equal numbers from the Sudanese security forces and the signatory armed groups. "As forces are deployed and resources are mobilized in support of the implementation, it is essential to ensure that local Darfuri communities feel ownership of the agreement and fully participate in the implementation," he stressed. Progress on new UN mission Meanwhile, planning continues for the new UN Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in Sudan (UNITAMS), Ms. DiCarlo told the Council. UNITAMS will assist the political transition, and support implementation of peace accords in conflict areas, national-led peacebuilding efforts, and strengthening of human rights, among other tasks. "Gender issues are mainstreamed throughout the mandate of the mission, which will have dedicated gender expertise, including at the senior level, to implement our commitments to advance gender equality and the women, peace and security agenda", said Ms. DiCarlo. UNITAMS is a follow-on to the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID). The Security Council authorized the establishment of the new mission in June and the start-up team is set to deploy to Sudan next month. Boris Johnson is facing certain defeat in a vote that would prevent him imposing fresh Covid-19 restrictions behind the backs of MPs, after opposition parties joined a Tory revolt. The prime minister is expected to be forced into another U-turn, as cross-party pressure grows to rip up draconian emergency laws that, one Conservative rebel said, mean liberty dies. Up to 60 Tory MPs are now backing the move, with the scales tipping against the government when Labour and the Liberal Democrats said they were poised to do the same. Former Commons Speaker John Bercow weighed in, saying that continuing to bypass MPs in the handling of the pandemic was part of a toolkit of Trumpianism. Demanding accountability to parliament", Mr Bercow said: Ducking, diving, dodging scrutiny, of which there has been some evidence in recent times, cannot continue." Tory rebel Steve Baker, when asked if they had the numbers to defeat the government with opposition support replied: Im certain at the moment. About 50 law changes are believed to have been made under the emergency laws, which were rushed through at the start of the pandemic in March and are up for renewal on Wednesday. MPs should be sharing in the dreadful burden of decision in these circumstances and not just retrospectively being asked to approve what the government has done, Mr Baker told Sky News. How do people think that liberty dies? It dies like this, with government exercising draconian powers, without parliamentary scrutiny in advance, undermining the rule of law by having a shifting blanket of rules that no one can understand. Coronavirus: Empty streets across the world Show all 29 1 /29 Coronavirus: Empty streets across the world Coronavirus: Empty streets across the world Saudi Arabia An eerie emptiness enveloped the sacred Kaaba in Mecca's Grand Mosque, Islam's holiest site, where attendance at Friday prayers was hit by measures to protect against coronavirus AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Empty streets across the world China An empty street in Wuhan. Hubei will relax travel restrictions to allow healthy people to move within the hard-hit province AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Empty streets across the world Thailand The Legend Siam theme park, usually attracts up to 20,000, mainly Chinese customers, a day in the high season, is temporarily closed due to the lack of visitors during the coronavirus outbreak AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Empty streets across the world Italy An empty Piazza Duomo in Milan Getty Coronavirus: Empty streets across the world US Aerial photo shows the Covid-19 isolation and monitoring site, where the first patient Joey Camp is being isolated at Hard Labor Creek State Park, about 50 miles east of Atlanta Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP Coronavirus: Empty streets across the world Spain Aerial view taken of the Ipurua stadium in Eibar while the Spanish league football match SD Eibar against Real Sociedad is played behind closed doors in light of the coronavirus outbreak AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Empty streets across the world Albania An aerial view of empty Tirana's outer ring. Albania has stepped up measures to contain the spread of Covid-19 caused by the novel coronavirus and banned circulation of all cars (except ambulances and supplies) for 3 days and urged people to stay home as the number of infected people increased to 33 AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Empty streets across the world Iraq An empty cafe during a curfew imposed by Iraqi Kurdish authorities, following the outbreak of coronavirus, near the castle in the old city of Erbil Reuters Coronavirus: Empty streets across the world South Korea An aerial view shows hygiene officials riding a vehicle disinfecting public buses at a depot in Gwangju EPA Coronavirus: Empty streets across the world Belgium A woman runs though the nearly empty historic center of Antwerp AP Coronavirus: Empty streets across the world China Jingyue bridge, spanning the Yangtze river, leading to Hubei province AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Empty streets across the world Vietnam Formula One Vietnam Grand Prix race track in Hanoi AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Empty streets across the world Spain Restaurant terraces remain closed at the usually overcrowded Plaza Mayor in central Madrid AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Empty streets across the world Thailand Tourist buses parked on a lot near Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Empty streets across the world Poland An aerial view of Jagiellonian University's new campus during the 2 weeks closure of universities, schools, museums and other public facilities in Krakow Getty Coronavirus: Empty streets across the world Italy A canal and the roads next to it are seen completely empty in Venice Getty Coronavirus: Empty streets across the world Greece An aerial view taken with a drone showing the yard of an empty school at Nafplio, Peloponnese EPA Coronavirus: Empty streets across the world Saudi Arabia An aerial view shows an empty white-tiled area surrounding the Kaaba in Mecca's Grand Mosque AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Empty streets across the world Italy Rome's office district EUR, at what would have otherwise been rush hour, virtually empty after a government decree has limited circulation AP Coronavirus: Empty streets across the world Italy Galleria Vittorio Emanuele in Milan Getty Coronavirus: Empty streets across the world Thailand Legend Siam theme park in Pattaya AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Empty streets across the world Belgium Empty shelves in a supermarket in Brussels AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Empty streets across the world Iran A satellite view shows Tehran airport Maxar Technologies via Reuters Coronavirus: Empty streets across the world Italy The deserted Via Manzoni street in Milan Reuters Coronavirus: Empty streets across the world Saudi Arabia AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Empty streets across the world Italy An empty street and canal in Venice Reuters Coronavirus: Empty streets across the world Thailand An aerial photo shows unused tourist buses parked on a lot near Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Empty streets across the world China An almost empty street in Wuhan AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Empty streets across the world Poland A view of the deserted Krakowskie Przedmiescie and tahe Old Town Square in Warsaw EPA Oliver Dowden, the culture secretary, attempted to hold the line, saying it was vital that ministers had the power to move quickly in bringing necessary coronavirus rules. He confirmed that a vote on the introduction of the rule of six would be rushed forward to this week to try to calm the revolt but that falls far short of the rebels demands. The crucial amendment has been put forward by Graham Brady, the chairman of the Tory 1922 committee, and enjoys prominent backers. They include former party leader Iain Duncan Smith; Damian Green, who was effectively Theresa Mays deputy; former Brexit secretary David Davis; and Harriet Harman, Labours former deputy leader. If all the opposition parties support the rebel amendment the SNP is also expected to only 43 Tories would be needed to defeat the government. Jo Stevens, Labours culture spokesperson, said the party had sympathy with the amendment, adding: I think that the likelihood is that we would back it. Labour, which has supported all crackdowns introduced so far, could then pursue votes to exploit divisions on the Tory benches, where opposition to restrictions is growing. Mr Baker said they did not really want a rebellion, preferring to work with the government to reach agreement without embarrassing ministers. Lets have policies that enjoy our consent," he said, adding: I back Boris Johnson. I want him to succeed. A new poll on Saturday showed that Labour has overtaken the Tories for the first time since Sir Keir Starmer became leader in April, with a three-point lead. Mr Dowden said: I think it's important in a crisis like this, when things are moving very rapidly, that the government has the power to move quickly - and that is the power that the government was given through the initial legislation earlier this year. But then it is important that MPs hold us to account and vote on that, and that is exactly what is happening here. President Moon Jae-in speaks during a meeting with his senior aides at Cheong Wa Dae, Monday. Yonhap By Do Je-hae The opposition bloc and the public are becoming increasingly frustrated by President Moon Jae-in's subdued message toward Pyongyang following the suspected killing of a South Korean national by North Korean troops in the North's territorial waters. Critics say Moon, as head of state and therefore the person responsible for citizens' lives and security, should take a stronger stance toward the North instead of trying to play down the issue for fear of harming inter-Korean relations. The South Korean leader reiterated his desire to work with the North on a thorough investigation into the case during a weekly meeting with his senior aides at Cheong Wa Dae, Monday, six days after the incident. In particular, he underlined his appreciation for the apology from North Korean leader Kim Jong-un contained in a notice issued Sept. 25 by Pyongyang's United Front Department, which deals with inter-Korean relations. The notice arrived at Cheong Wa Dae just one day after President Moon, according to a statement from his office, urged the North Korean authorities to take responsibility for the killing of the South Korean maritime official who is believed to have been shot dead after crossing the maritime border between the two Koreas on Sept. 22. "The North Korean authorities quickly apologized and promised to prevent a recurrence a day after our government demanded they take responsibility. We deem it to be a clear indication of North Korea's willingness to avoid aggravating the situation and to prevent inter-Korean relations from ending up in an irreparable state," Moon said. "There is special meaning in Chairman Kim Jong-un's message to our people in which said he was very sorry. It is the first time in North Korea's history that a direct, immediate apology has been made by the country's leader. This shows that Kim recognizes the gravity of the incident and reaffirms his hope that inter-Korean relations will not fall apart." This was the first time for President Moon to publicly mention the incident. He presided over a meeting with officials in charge of national security, Sunday, after which the presidential office announced that Seoul would officially request a joint investigation with the North, saying that it "positively assessed the swift apology." But President Moon's eagerness to embrace Kim's apology is being met with criticism from the opposition and the people who see the apology as a mere tactic to avoid condemnation from the international community rather than a sincere apology for the atrocity that it committed against a South Korean national. Kim Chong-in, interim leader of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP), criticized the Moon administration's response. "It is hard to understand why the government is taking such a lenient stance on the North Korean issue," he said during a party meeting, Monday. "The government's attitude was very ambiguous when the North destroyed the inter-Korean liaison office in Gaeseong. In this case, the government is showing the same kind of behavior." In the meantime, Unification Minister Lee In-young said he regards the notice sent by North Korea's United Front Department as an official stance from its leader Kim. When an opposition lawmaker said in a National Assembly session, Monday, that the notice only stated Kim's stance indirectly, the minister said, "I regard it as official because (the department) sent it to us after writing down what Kim said." He also said the North's apology was unusual and swift, but he did not believe this was enough to make South Koreans safe, claiming there needs to be more done to resolve the issue in consideration of the victim's family. Byisingoma, Uganda "I used to see my wife as someone with a 'big head', so we would always fight over small issues and we never had peace at home," says Julius Tumwesigye, a farmer and father of two, who lives in Byisingoma, a village in the western district of Kyegegwa. His relationship with his wife changed for the better when he attended a five-day training course on preventing gender-based violence (GBV), which he says equipped him with the knowledge and skills needed to discuss problems and communicate in an understanding way. "We no longer have those quarrels and we have a happy family," he says. Mr. Tumwesigye is one of 35 male action mentors who received Spotlight Initiative-supported training in Kyegegwa. The training sessions, conducted by the NGO ACORD, engage men on the issues of GBV and sexual and reproductive health, and empower them to become a force for change within their families and communities. "Before the training, there were many issues that arose in the community that were handled by the local councils but which kept recurring," says Mr. Tumwesigye, recalling a domestic violence incident at his neighbour's house. "I wasn't concerned with such issues because I believed that my neighbours' problems affected them alone," he says. Following the training, his attitude changed. "Nowadays, I am called by couples from all over Kishagazi [parish] as well as neighbouring communities to help resolve their conflicts," says Mr. Tumwesigye. "I am even asked by community councillors to speak about sexual and gender-based violence at special community gatherings, which I would never have done in the past." Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Uganda Women By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. Through working closely with local councils, police and community activists, male action mentors address violence by supporting communities to report, manage and refer cases of GBV, as well as by calling out the attitudes that perpetuate harmful behaviour. Widespread violence against women in Uganda In Uganda, gender inequality and violence against women is widespread. According to the Uganda Demographic Health Survey (2016), 56 per cent of married women have experienced spousal violence, including physical, sexual and emotional violence. Coronavirus lockdowns have placed even more women at risk, with school closures, travel restrictions, and social and economic turmoil creating the perfect conditions for violence to thrive. In Kyegegwa, UNFPA has partnered with ACORD to address GBV, harmful practices and sexual and reproductive health. Male allies like Mr. Tumwesigye are essential to that mission. In just six months, they have reported and referred 88 cases of GBV. "I now understand that my neighbour's problem is my problem," says Mr. Tumwesigye. "This [training] has enabled me to see my family and those around us in a new light." Originally published on Spotlight Initiative. Hong Kong: Logistics subsidy to be launched The Pilot Subsidy Scheme for Third-party Logistics Service Providers will be launched on October 12, the Government announced today. Secretary for Transport & Housing Frank Chan said the trading and logistics industry is one of the four pillar industries in Hong Kong and has brought significant contributions to the citys economic development. He said the Government attaches great importance to the continuing development of the logistics industry and Hong Kong's role as the regional logistics hub, adding the application of technology enables the provision of different types of high value-added services by the logistics sector. Mr Chan pointed out the pilot scheme can provide support to the industry and enable it to enhance operational efficiency and to better meet its clients' needs. The $300 million pilot scheme will provide financial assistance to third-party logistics service providers to encourage the industry to enhance productivity through the application of technology. The subsidy will be provided on a one-to-one matching basis. The Government will cover a maximum of 50% of the total approved project cost, while the enterprise has to contribute no less than 50% of the total approved project cost. Each enterprise may obtain the subsidy for a maximum of four approved projects with the cumulative subsidy ceiling per enterprise set at $1 million. Each subsidised project should be completed within 24 months. The pilot scheme will also cover the new X-ray machines purchased between October 30, 2018, and June 30, 2021, to set up Regulated Air Cargo Screening Facilities. This will help the trade meet the new policy of the International Civil Aviation Organization. About 300 logistics enterprises will benefit from the scheme. All non-listed enterprises registered in Hong Kong under the Business Registration Ordinance with substantive business operations in the city in providing third-party logistics services related to either inbound or outbound cargo are eligible to apply. Enterprises may call 2788 6077 to contact the Hong Kong Productivity Council, the pilot schemes implementation partner, for enquiries and submission of applications. This story has been published on: 2020-09-28. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. By Akbar Mammadov Turkey has expressed its full-fledged support to Azerbaijan over Armenians latest attack along the line of contact with Azerbaijani troops. On September 27, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan described Armenia the biggest threat to peace and serenity in the region in a Twitter post. The president also commented on the Armenian attack on Azerbaijan while addressing a symposium on International Maritime Law, Eastern Mediterranean on September 28, saying that the peace in the region will be restored if Armenia halts attacks against Azerbaijan and leaves the occupied Nagorno-Karabakh, Turkish media has reported. Erdogan stressed that Azerbaijan was forced to take matters into its own hands and respond to flagrant Armenian attacks, adding that Azerbaijan has been facing attacks in the past three decades and the international community stood by as Armenia kept attacking. I condemn Armenia once again for attacking Azerbaijani lands. It is about time to end the crisis that had started with the occupation of Nagorno-Karabakh. Peace will be restored in the region if Armenia halts attacks against Azerbaijan and leaves the occupied Nagorno-Karabakh, Erdogan said. Noting that recent developments have given all countries in the region an opportunity to utilize realistic and fair solution methods, Erdogan pointed out that Turkey hopes they make the best use of this opportunity. The Turkish president also criticizing the Minsk co-chairs-the U.S, Russia and France, stressed that the Minsk trio has failed to resolve the conflict for 30 years now. He added that the Minsk co-chairs initiative has been ineffective and they have almost done everything possible not to solve the problem. Erdogan reminded that even though the international community recognizes Nagorno-Karabakh as territories of Azerbaijan, more than 1 million people have been displaced from their native lands as a result of the occupation by Armenia, none asks to account all these. He also stressed that the international community, which fails to take the necessary and sufficient stand against Armenias provocative aggression, has once again shown its double standard. The Minsk Group as well, which has been displaying a negligent attitude for nearly 30 years, is unfortunately far from adopting a solution-oriented approach. While we urge the Armenian people to protect their future against their government, which drags them into a tragedy, and against those who use it as a puppet, we call on the entire world to stand by Azerbaijan in its struggle against occupation and oppression. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Chavushoglu also voiced support to Azerbaijan during the phone conversation with Minister Ceyhun Bayramov on September 27. During the conversation, Mevlut Chavushoglu, strongly condemning the new act of aggression by Armenia and emphasized that Turkey is always next to Azerbaijan in its struggle leaning on international law and justice. Jeyhun Bayramov expressed his gratitude for always existing support of brotherly Turkey. Bayramov said that the new act of aggression by the armed forces of Armenia against Azerbaijan was a gross violation of fundamental norms and principles of international law, UN Security Council resolutions calling for the full and unconditional withdrawal of the armed forces of Armenia from the occupied territories of Azerbaijan, international humanitarian law, including the 1949 Geneva Conventions and their additional Protocols. The necessity of the withdrawal of occupying forces of Armenia from all occupied territories of Azerbaijan in order to ensure peace and security in the region was stressed. Turkish Defence Minister Hulusi Akar also condemned the occupation policy of Armenia and urged Armenia to immediately withdraw from Azerbaijans occupied territories. "Armenia must immediately halt its attacks, send back the mercenaries and terrorists it brought from abroad and withdraw from the Azerbaijan lands they have been occupying," Akar said. The Turkish defence minister also criticized bystanders who just remembered about dialogue now, asking where they were when Armenia occupied 20 per cent of the Azerbaijani territories, or when Armenians indiscriminately massacred women, children and the elderly in Khojaly and displaced millions of people from their homes. Stating that Turkey and Azerbaijan are one nation, two states, he emphasized that Turkey will stand beside its Azerbaijani siblings against Armenian attacks. Akar also pointed out that Armenia continues its occupation policy despite the United Nations resolutions and international law. He highlighted that Armenia has also recently increased its provocations and further escalated tensions in the region. --- Akbar Mammadov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @AkbarMammadov97 Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz The suspect in a July shooting has been taken into custody in Kentucky and transported to Hamilton County. Police responded to a gunshot call on July 5 at Hickory Valley Road. Once police arrived, they found the victim suffering from a single gunshot wound on the upper left chest. Police said medical personnel arrived on-scene and took the victim to Erlanger Hospital. A witness told police she heard a loud "bang," and then saw the victim. The witness said the victim told them he had been shot. Police said another witness noticed a black vehicle leaving the apartment complex shortly after the shooting. Police said an anonymous caller phoned in the next day, and said Jesse Marler, 37, was involved in the shooting. Police said they then interviewed the victim. He said Marler contacted him and then asked to borrow money. The victim said he asked Marler to meet him at the apartment complex, and the victim said the defendant arrived in a vehicle. The victim said he hopped into the vehicle and sat next to Marler in the passenger seat. The victim said Marler asked for $100, but he told him he did not have that kind of money available. The victim told police that Marler made this request several times. After this, Marler shot the victim. The victim said he forced his way out of the vehicle and the car raced away. When shown a photo lineup, the victim identified Marler as the shooter. Marler was transported from the Darren County Detention Center to the Hamilton County Jail on Sept. 23. He is charged with criminal homicide (attempt), along with other unrelated charges. LA PAZ, Bolivia - Three top Bolivian economic officials quit the Cabinet of interim President Jean Anez on Monday, creating a crisis for her administration three weeks before a presidential election. The resignation of Economy Minister Oscar Ortiz came after he opposed the presidents decision to return shares in a nationalized electricity company to its user-shareholders because it happened so close to the election. Labor Minister Oscar Mercado and Productive Development Minister Jose Abel Martinez did not state a reason for their resignations. Government Minister Arturo Murillo said earlier that Ortiz had expressed opposition on the issue of the electic company in a way that was not correct. In a news conference, Ortiz said that decision has no legal backing. I am not ready to sign just any decree. He said it was a decision that they should leave for the next administration. Anez, who had been a second-tier senator, took over the presidency in November after socialist President Evo Morales resigned amid protests alleging fraud in his attempt to win a fourth term that critics insisted was unconstitutional. Other figures in the line of presidential succession also resigned with him. But Anezs conservative administration has been weakened by the COVID-19 pandemic, economic problems, internal disputes and allegatons of corruption. Trailing in the polls, she pulled out of the Oct. 18 presidential election. The leading contenders appear to be former Economy Minister Luis Arce of Morales Movement Toward Socialism party and centrist former President Carlos Mesa, who ran against Morales last year. For the first time since March, families can now visit their loved ones indoors at nursing homes as the state relaxed its restrictions on Monday. The state Department of Public Healths new order, rescinding the restrictions on indoor visits, came following a directive from the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services, the federal Health and Human Services agency that oversees nursing homes. Gov. Ned Lamont ordered restrictions on nursing home visitation in March, amid a surge of deaths and COVID-19 infections tied to a nursing home in Kirkland, Wash. Since the pandemic began, nursing homes have set up virtual visits between residents and their families through video chat services, and began allowing outdoor visits in the late spring. Others set up window visits, where family members would come up to a ground-floor window to see a resident. But visitors have otherwise been prohibited from coming indoors except under special circumstances typically end-of-life care. The emotional toll on residents and families has been intense. Not seeing your family in a (nursing facility) is not like not seeing your child who goes off to college. There is a high probability of seeing (your) kid in the future, said Paul Liistro, managing partner of Manchester Manor Health Care Center in Manchester and Vernon Manor Health Care Center in Vernon. Patricia E. King, vice president of Healthcare Services and Continuum Integration at Masonicare, praised the decision to allow indoor visits again. We are working now to ensure it will be done safely and with the well-being of residents, their families and our staff foremost in mind, King said in a statement. We will be communicating with family members immediately on new safety procedures that will be in place when we welcome them back to visit their loved ones in person. The order comes with some restrictions. Nursing homes have had no new cases of COVID-19 in the last 14 days. Indoor visits will be suspended if a new case appears among staff or residents. Homes also must abide by infection control procedures including cleaning and disinfecting surfaces, quarantining residents who are sick from those who are healthy, and restricting visitors to the residents room or visiting area once they go inside. The visitation rules also allow other caregivers to go inside. The restrictions established in early spring had locked out social workers, volunteers and hairdressers, among others. Liistro said the announcement was expected, but scheduling, screening and cleaning visiting areas will all be challenges. It is one more variable of risk. Essentially, fewer people we see allow us to control the environment. At the end of the day, we are living with the virus, not controlling it, he said. The directive from the federal agency overseeing nursing homes claims the decision was made based on concern over the mental and emotional health of nursing home residents. While CMS guidance has focused on protecting nursing home residents from COVID-19, we recognize that physical separation from family and other loved ones has taken a physical and emotional toll on residents, the directive said. Residents may feel socially isolated, leading to increased risk for depression, anxiety and other expressions of distress. Two trade organizations representing nursing homes said the move is especially important as temperatures drop, making outdoor visits no longer feasible. Moving to add the indoor visitation option, with the care and caution that is reflective in the new rules, is very well timed, Matthew Barrett and Mag Morelli said in a joint statement. Barrett heads the Connecticut Association of Healthcare Facilities, an organization that represents for-profit nursing homes. Morelli heads LeadingAge Connecticut, an organization for non-profit homes. The challenge will now be ensuring homes have adequate supplies including protective equipment to continue indoor visits safely, said state Rep. Vincent Candelora, R-North Branford. He also expressed concerns about the long-term welfare of residents who have been isolated with limited visits from family. The isolation for nursing homes was to prevent the spread of the virus. In reality, isolation does kill our elderly population, Candelora said. In a prepared statement, the governor defended his decision to lock down nursing homes in the first place. Making the decision to limit in-person visits at nursing homes is one of the hardest things Ive had to do as governor, but amid the outbreak of this pandemic that is impacting the lives of so many people in our senior population, I knew it was the right thing to do, Lamont said. The picturesque scenery of Nui Mot Lake. (Photo: quynhontourist.vn) Binh Dinh - Endowed with intact natural scenery and a peaceful atmosphere, Nui Mot Lake in Nhon Tan commune in the central province of Binh Dinh is an ideal camping site for any nature lover. Located about 40km from Quy Nhon city, Nui Mot is one of the largest freshwater lakes in Binh Dinh province, covering more than 1,200ha. To get to the lake, tourists drive along Highway 19 to reach An Truong village in Nhon Tan commune and then turn left, driving along the concrete road for about 8km. If you drive for another 15 minutes, you will end up in a vast green grass field suitable for camping. Nui Mot Lake is surrounded by ranges of mountains and primaeval forests. The charming natural landscape with calm crystal water will give you an instant sense of peace and relaxation. Visitors can choose either a one-day visit or erect tents to spend the night and watch the sunrise by the lake the next morning. The second option is highly recommended as the experience of setting a campfire and cooking with friends or family surrounded by the natural landscape will definitely leave visitors with memories of a lifetime. However, there aren't any shops nearby so tourists should prepare necessities like food and drink. Also make sure you bring insect repellent if you plan to stay overnight, as well as fishing rods if you're a keen angler. According to Le Hong Phuoc, a local tour guide, campers should arrive and erect their tents in the afternoon, then grill food by the campfire and chat with friends in the evening, before waking up early the next morning to enjoy the stunning sunrise. The spring and early autumn are the best times to explore Nui Mot Lake when the changes of time and nature weave the unique colours of the place. In the spring, tourists will be captivated by the crystal sky and water reflecting the surrounding rows of trees. In the last days of summer and early autumn when the water is low, a winding meadow gradually emerges from the bed of the lake. The meadow is composed of three colours green, yellow and the colour of the faded grass woven together. The herds of cows leisurely graze under the shade of the lone tree in the centre of the lake, watching the sky and clouds, with all of these scenes creating a tranquil picture. In the high water season, the lake overflows with water. At this time, tourists can take a boat on the lake to explore the surrounding nature. As the lake is large, it will take about an hour to explore the whole area. Besides the lake, tourists can also visit nearby Ong Dai Cave, a historical relic associated with Vietnamese resistance wars against foreign invaders. The cave still retains its original pristineness despite going through days of bombs and storms. You can also keep walking to o Waterfall to see the majestic scenery which has witnessed many love stories of local ethnic Bahnar couples. The top of the waterfall is the perfect place to see the whole view of Nui Mot Lake below. The estimated cost for a camping trip to Nui Mot Lake is about 200,000-300,000 VND per person (8.6-13 USD), including fuel for transportation and food. Nearby Nui Mot Lake is Canh Tien village where Bahnar and Cham Hroi ethnic minority people live together. A visit to the village to participate in local activities will help visitors get immersed in local life and ethnic cultures. The local ethnic people are also hospitable and willing to lead the visitors through the jungle to collect the produce of the forest like honey or wild strawberry which they could bring home as souvenirs of a memorable getaway. SPRINGFIELD Mayoral aide and community activist Darryl Moss is the latest municipal employee whose job could be in jeopardy over alleged violations of the citys social media policy. A spokesman for Mayor Domenic J. Sarno on Monday released a statement announcing that Moss, Sarnos director of constituent services, is under investigation for posts he made to a social media account. It has been brought to my attention that Darryl Moss, one of my staff members, has allegedly violated our social media policy," Sarno said in a message to other department heads late Friday afternoon. As we have done with other similar cases, I am asking for a complete review and investigation of the matter. I will personally be involved in this review as this is a member of my staff." William Baker, a spokesman for the mayor, said Sarno directed the statement to Human Resource and Labor Relations Director Attorney William Mahoney and City Solicitor Attorney Ed Pikula. Moss has not been placed on administrative leave, Baker said, adding, If we feel that this is a necessary step, we will do so in the future." Moss did not respond to a call seeking comment. The announcement did not specify which social media posts may have run afoul of the citys policy, but Moss has been vocal on various platforms regarding the Black Lives Matter movement, police-involved shootings and other civil rights issues. In a Facebook post that appears to have since been deleted, Moss wrote This is equal to a declaration of war and grab the rifles in response to a Huffington Post story about President Donald J. Trumps defense of Kyle Rittenhouse, a Trump supporter who fatally shot two protesters in Wisconsin in late August. The investigation into Moss' post comes just over three months after former Springfield Police Detective Florissa Fuentes was fired for posting an image from a Black Lives Matter protest on her personal Instagram account. The photograph showed her niece at a demonstration in Atlanta in May, with flames burning in the background as the niece held a sign that reads: Shoot the F--- Back. A friends sign reads: Who do we call when the murderer wears the badge? Fuentes said she came under fire from her colleagues, and was eventually terminated. A member of the citys fire department, meanwhile, also fell under investigation for allegedly violating the policy. While that member of the department was not named publicly, city officials said the employee opted to retire. Sarno described those posts as insensitive and said it was directed at protesters. In 2018, Springfield Police Officer Conrad Lariviere was fired for Facebook posts mocking a protester mowed down by a driver in Charlottesville, Virginia. Hahahaha love this, maybe people shouldnt block road ways, Lariviere wrote in a Facebook comment on a news article about the crash. The city created its policy in the wake of the incident. Lariviere challenged his firing before an independent arbitrator last year, and the termination was upheld. Moss is Sarnos longest serving staffer and has consistently been the face of City Hall in the Black community. This is a developing story that will be updated as more information becomes available. Related Content: COVID-19 In Canada Ontario premier continues to plead for smaller Thanksgiving celebrations Ontario Premier Doug Ford began his remarks at a press conference on Wednesday by reminding the public to only celebrate Thanksgiving with the people in your household, something he said he will be doing this year as well. Ford did admit that as Torontos Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Eileen de Villa, continues to caution the public about COVID-19 spread in restaurants and bars, communication across provincial, municipal and federal jurisdictions could be more aligned. Am I going to destroy 7,600 businesses over 20 people? the premier said. Were going to target the people who are bad actors out there. Restoring remote access to North Dakota court documents is still a work in progress months after the state's Supreme Court suspended the new capability. Remote access went live Jan. 1, but the high court unplugged it days later after privacy complaints of personal information in filings. Court documents are publicly available at county courthouses, and clerks of court usually will email documents upon request, but they arent required to do so. A rewritten administrative rule the court adopted in 2019 enabled the remote access. A 2009 court rule requires the redaction of information such as Social Security numbers, birth dates, taxpayer identification numbers, minors names and financial accounts. Filing attorneys are responsible for redacting the information. The court in February made available template motions to redact, but its unclear how many people have filed such motions. State Court Administrator Sally Holewa said the court doesn't track the motions. It's unknown how many documents might contain unredacted personal information. The judiciary's Court Services Administration Committee is reviewing the remote access for a solution to send to the Supreme Court for consideration. Chairman and East Central District Judge Steven McCullough said the committee is considering "philosophic" aspects of remote access, such as allowing it "across the board," maintaining or restructuring the 2019 rule, licensing users for accessing certain documents, establishing fees and pondering how to address pre-2009 records that contain personal information. "Each one of them presents a series of legal, logistical, computer issues, technology issues that we need to probably look at in more detail," McCullough said. "But depending on which route we're going to start down, each one of those technological or logistical issues changes a little bit." The committee will decide how to proceed at a meeting to be held sometime this fall, he said. Subcommittees likely will be established to address specific issues. Committee member and Bismarck attorney Levi Andrist proposed seeking input from information technology experts for a solution to unredacted personal information. North Dakota's platform for online court records "really is on the cutting edge," he said. "To me ... we should do our best to harness kind of being on the forefront, and harnessing that, to me, really means maximizing public access to those records," Andrist said. McCullough said budgetary restraints appear to preclude any new technology and the staff time to accomplish that kind of solution. Holewa said the court's goal remains the same as the 2019 rule: to remove "artificial barriers" to public records. Chief Justice Jon Jensen previously said the new rule was in line with national state court groups best practices to eliminate physical barriers to records, such as driving many miles to a courthouse. Other public entities have expanded remote access amid the coronavirus pandemic, mostly out of necessity to avoid gatherings. State and local boards have held meetings via videoconference. Legislative leaders have ramped up livestreaming and remote capabilities in advance of the 2021 Legislature, which convenes in January. Court proceedings also have been held remotely. Holewa said the pandemic hasnt hastened a decision to restore remote access to court documents. We want to make sure we get it right the second time, and thats just going to take time to work out all of the details that we thought we had addressed initially and found out we hadnt, she said. The courts 2019 rule was years in the making. The proposal took public comment, some of which noted privacy concerns. The remote access lasted for about a week before its suspension. North Dakota Newspaper Association attorney Jack McDonald said he'd like to see remote access restored as soon as possible. He sees the suspension as "penalizing the public" for attorneys who don't adhere to the redaction rule. But he understands the "tough problem" at hand for the committee. McCullough said he senses an interest to solve remote access sooner rather than later. "We know that the court wants something back so it just doesn't sit in limbo forever," he said. Reach Jack Dura at 701-250-8225 or jack.dura@bismarcktribune.com. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 2 Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Cant sell it? Repurpose it! It was around 4 years ago when I bought a used, slightly beat up Asus C300 Chromebook from a friend of mine for 50. It served me well, I installed Linux on it and used it to work on some side projects while commuting. However as time passed by, I slowly forgot about it and it ended up in a box, being put away. I always thought its a shame to just let it sit there, but I dont wanted to sell it for pennies and neither I wanted to throw it out as it is a perfectly fine machine for some lightweight tasks. I always had the idea to convert it to a home server (yes, with a 7W TDP Celeron N2830 CPU), but couldnt really find a guide online that explains how to do it and neither I had the urge to do the experimenting myself, up until now. The setup 1x Asus C300 Chromebook 1x 128GB USB drive 1x vertical stand 1x GalliumOS installed In order to run a generic home server, I knew ChromeOS will just not cut it, it has to be proper Linux. The distribution didnt really matter as I was going to use Docker anyways (and docker-compose) to run all server applications in containers. Fortunately I already had experience installing GalliumOS, therefore it became my distribution of choice. GalliumOS is an Ubuntu based distro, specifically created to be running on ChromeOS devices. I had to update the firmware on my Chromebook (its a very simple, less than 10 steps process) then install the OS using a tool called chrx (another 2-3 steps). Once done, I was able to dual boot my Chromebook and got a fully operational Linux laptop. Software configuration Once I had the OS up and running, I wanted to configure it so I can use it in closed-display (clamshell) mode as leaving it running with the display open wouldnt be too practical. I knew MacBooks had these option, but I also knew you had to have an external display and keyboard/mouse connected to it in order to make it work. Luckily with Linux, the only limit is your imagination (and your coding/Google-ing skills)! Since GalliumOS is Ubuntu based as mentioned before, I was certain there are people using Ubuntu who want their system to stay awake even after they shut the display. And I was not wrong. Simply editing logind.conf and turning off all power savings and auto-sleep functions through the GUI did the job. The next thing I had to install was sshd, but thanks to this Reddit post I found out it was as simple as apt install -ing it (again, its basically a skinny version of Ubuntu). Left all settings to default, then I SSH-ed from another box. All went smooth, I logged in from the remote machine, started htop and closed the lid to see that the configuration actually works! I left the connection open for about an hour, just to be 100% sure no sleep mode will kick in, then I considered the project a success. Was much smoother than I anticipated. Servers n containers Although I would not recommend running any production workload on a Chromebook via Wifi connection, itll serve perfectly fine as my home cron/CI server, especially knowing it can run on batteries for 10 hours (allegedly), without having a UPS. Following the documentation I installed Docker with no problem whatsoever and docker-compose as well. I also plugged in a tiny 128GB USB thumb drive I found laying around on my desk, as the built in eMMC is not the most spacious storage ever made. I re-formatted the drive to ext4, then mounted and finally updated Docker to use the partition on the USB device for data storage, which includes all containers, volumes, etc. In case youre curious, please see the list of the containerised servers I used with some explanation to the whys below. Portainer Website: https://www.portainer.io/ Portainer provides a very user-friendly way to manage containers on remote boxes. Via a web interface, it provides information about resource utilisation, logs, etc. for each container. Grafana + InfluxDB + Telegraph Grafana website: https://grafana.com/ InfluxDB website: https://www.influxdata.com/ Telegraf website: https://www.influxdata.com/time-series-platform/telegraf/ I use this combo to monitor average packet loss, ping, DNS query time, CPU temperature and CPU/Memory/Disk utilisation. Jenkins CI Website: https://www.jenkins.io/ I use Jenkins for all the cron/CI jobs I have, to build/deploy and run automated tests on some of my side projects. Sonatype Nexus Website: https://www.sonatype.com/nexus/repository-oss To cut back on network utilisation, Ive set Nexus up as well as a local docker/npm/pypi cache. Future improvements Ill stop at this point as I reached my goal with this project (as always, the journey was more important than the result itself), this little device has loads of potential with its 2x USB ports, a full size HDMI port and even an audio jack. At the end of the day, I feel much better to put this neat little tech in use, and convinced myself I dont need to buy yet another RaspberryPI for a future project thatll never come. Resources used: ASUS Chromebook C300 Intel Celeron N2830 GalliumOS Installing GalliumOS chrx How can I tell Ubuntu to do nothing when I close my laptop lid? Does GalliumOS not come with ssh abilities installed? How to change the default location for docker create volume command? Belarusian Nobel Prize-winning writer Svetlana Alexievich has left the country for treatment in Germany, according to an aide and a friend. The departure of Alexievich, a prominent opposition figure, comes amid mass protests against Alyaksandr Lukashenka. Alexievich is a member of the Belarusian opposition Coordination Council's presidium that has been targeted by the authorities since protests erupted after Lukashenka was declared winner of the August 9 presidential election, which the opposition and Western countries say was rigged. Her friend Maria Voiteshonok told AFP that Alexievich had gone to Germany for planned treatment. "She will return to Belarus in a month. She is not dropping her activities as a Coordination Council member," Voiteshonok said. She added that Alexievich also planned to visit Italy, where she has been awarded a literary prize. An aide to Alexievich told Reuters that her departure was not linked to politics and she planned to return. The aide said Alexievich had traveled to Germany to receive medical treatment and for work reasons. The 72-year-old Alexievich was the only member of the council presidium to remain free in Belarus after the other six were either arrested or forced to leave the country. Hundreds of thousands of Belarusians have taken to the streets for seven weeks, calling for Lukashenka to step down and new elections to be held. Lukashenka has directed a brutal postelection crackdown in response to protests, including thousands of arrests, beatings and other mistreatment of peaceful protesters, and the expulsions of foreign journalists. He has denied accusations that the presidential election was rigged. Based on reporting by AFP and Reuters (Natural News) As the year 2020 is nearing its end, many countries are still struggling to recover while the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic continues to spread across the globe. Yet as nations scramble to provide affordable supplies to citizens, many countries remain economically dependent on China. To address this, experts have reported that Australia, India and Japan are setting up a new global supply network. The three countries are also discussing an initiative called the Supply Chain Resilience Initiative (SCRI) to dial back its reliance on China. Adapting to a post-pandemic world In an email to The Epoch Times, Satoru Nagao, a visiting fellow at Hudson Institute and an expert on India-US-Japan security cooperation, explained that SCRI was formed because of the emerging geopolitics in the post-coronavirus world. This cooperation is well-related to current U.S. policy toward China, said Nagao. He added that Washington stands to benefit if Beijing is unable to acquire the wealth it needs to expedite the modernization of its already powerful military. Not much is known about Australia, India and Japans plans for the SCRI, and those who discussed it have asked not to be identified since theyre unauthorized to speak to the media about internal discussions. An Australian official declined to confirm the talks. Meanwhile, some say that Indias government is considering the plan. The latter will soon make a decision about participating in the international initiative. Its worth noting that the talks on the SCRI are currently at the working level. However, Japan wishes to bring them to a higher level at some point. In Japan, the government is currently subsidizing some companies that rely on the Chinese supply chain to shift or expand in Japan or Southeast Asian countries. To date, about 87 firms are taking part in the program that will pay out 243.5 billion ($2.3 billion). The Quads future plans Pratik Dattani, an adviser to Bridge India, a London-based think tank, and managing director of Economic Policy Group, explained that the SCRI is a bold policy announcement and that the global community must first have an operational clarity about the initiative. Dattani, who was also the former U.K. head of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI), suggested that while India has traditionally prided itself on its non-alignment, the move to join the SCRI is a bold one that hints at future changes in the country. Dattani added that the three countries involved in the SCRI have already developed closer relationships in maritime security through the Quad (the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue) and the initiative can be considered one step in the natural evolution of the policy into the economic arena. The Quad is a strategic forum made up of the United States, Australia, India and Japan. According to experts, the coronavirus pandemic raised serious questions about Chinas credibility as a supplier, but there are other factors that were considered before the SCRI was formed. The three countries also examined their deteriorating trade and diplomatic relationships with China. Chinas global influence is linked to its wealth, along with its loans to small countries that are now in debt to China, suggested Nagao. These countries, which also have Chinese investments, are reluctant to publicly criticize Beijing, even after its violation of international rules. Because of this, America might focus on trade wars, economic sanctions, or other means to try and weaken China economically. Nagao thinks Australia, India and Japan can respond by weaning themselves off of their economic dependence on China. Its unavoidable and the three countries must plan ahead to avoid becoming passengers on a sinking ship. Xi Jinping, President of the Peoples Republic of China, made several strategic blunders this year. There was a border conflict with India in Galwan, another in Hong Kong and other areas due to aggressive tactics, shared Dattani. He said that with the whole world in a precarious situation, humility and global cooperation would have better achieved Chinas foreign policy objectives. Instead, Chinas hostile actions have quickly soured relationships with some of the largest economies in the world. Difficult, but not impossible Australia, India and Japan have already started to reduce dependency on China. However, shifting the entire supply chains order from China to others will be a hard undertaking, said experts. As Japans top trading partner, America makes up almost 20 percent of the total Japanese export. Even though China isnt a top trading partner in the country, its still considered a significant one, following the U.S. at 19 percent. (Related: Pompeo: Time for free world to stand up to China and change its behavior.) The situation is similar in India. In 2018, America finally beat China as Indias top trading partner. However, China was Indias top trading partner from 2013 to 2017. China is still one of Indias biggest trading partners. The situation is more serious in Australia. China ranks first, dominating 30 to 40 percent of the total. While Japan is second for Australia, its only one-third of China. According to Bibhu Prasad Routray, an Indian geopolitical analyst and the director of Mantraya, a Goa-based think tank, Australia, India and Japans goal to become independent will take a lot of time. In a written message, Routray detailed that this will only be possible if the participating countries can attract investors, particularly India. Unfortunately, New Delhis record hasnt always been promising due to [tax] laws, absence of reforms, lack of infrastructure, etc. that forced investors to consider other countries. For the SCRI to reach its goal, these issues must first be addressed. At the virtual meeting of the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum on Sep. 3, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi commented that the cost of supply networks shouldnt be the only factor, hinting at the questionable process of Chinese supply chains. Qualities like affordability, policy stability, reliability and trust should also be considered. Modi concluded that India has all of these qualities. Like Japan lending aid to 87 firms, India changed its rules in April 2020. Now, foreign direct investment from countries that India shares a land border with requires prior approval, commented Nagao. How will the SCRI affect China? Dattani believes the goal of the policy isnt to build a supply chain overnight but to resist Chinese aggression. Theres no denying that China is Indias largest trading partner and that switching to other countries isnt practical. News about the SCRI should be a wake-up call to China, which needs to revise some of its less benign policy decisions of recent times to restore normalcy in international relations. Dattani thinks reports about the SCRI is a coping mechanism for the three countries involved, particularly since they all feel threatened by China and collaborating gives them a better fighting chance. But not everyone is hopeful. Economic development in the Indo-Pacific could suffer great losses if the SCRI doesnt work, warns Nagao. The SCRI is only one of many efforts to break free from Chinese dominance, and the coronavirus pandemic has also crippled the economy. Now is the perfect time to improve the whole structure of the economy and supply chain. Sources include: TheEpochTimes.com JapanTimes.co.jp One of Californias largest power companies announced Saturday it plans to temporarily shut off power this weekend to residents of 16 counties and a tribe to prevent wildfires sparked by electrical equipment. Pacific Gas & Electric Co. said it will initially shut off power to about 15,000 customers in Butte, Plumas, Shasta and Tehema counties starting midnight Saturday. Power will be shut off to another 74,000 customers in 12 other counties and one tribe on Sunday evening, the company said. The customers are expected to get power back on Monday night, the company said. The companys announcement comes as Oregon residents debate the role that downed power lines played in the series of megafires that erupted Labor Day weekend, and whether more utilities here should have used a similar strategy given dry conditions and the forecast for easterly gales issued days ahead of the fires. Downed lines played a role in the destructive fires that broke out in Santiam Canyon, including lines that eyewitnesses in Gates said burned down a fire camp and the equipment that was housed there before tearing down the canyon and destroying businesses and homes along Oregon 22. Eyewitnesses in the town of Blue River also told The Oregonian/OregonLive that the start of the Holiday Farm fire along the McKenzie River was preceded by a loud explosion, perhaps from a malfunctioning transformer, and electrical lines that were sending off showers of sparks at the point where authorities have pinpointed the start of the fire. PacifiCorp, which serves customers along Oregon 22, did not institute preemptive blackouts, called public safety power outages in utility parlance. Nor did Lane Electric Cooperative, the public utility serving Blue River. The question of wildfire liability is an important one for utilities, which have been addressing it with new zeal since 2018. Thats when a downed power line owned by PG&E in Northern California ignited the Camp fire. An east wind much like the one that bellowed the ongoing megafires in Oregon drove the Camp fire downhill and through the town of Paradise, where the resulting blaze killed 84 people. Facing billions of dollars in damage claims from the fire, the company filed for bankruptcy last year and ended up pleading guilty to 84 counts of involuntary manslaughter. Since the Paradise tragedy, both consumer and investor-owned utilities in Oregon have been beefing up their wildfire preparedness plans, the latter at the direction of their regulator, the Oregon Public Utility Commission. Gov. Kate Brown put together a panel of experts last January to develop strategies to mitigate and adapt to Oregons increasing wildfire risk. In November, the council delivered a comprehensive 100-page report, including 11 recommendations for creating fire adapted communities. Recommendation No. 1, assigned the highest priority, was for the Oregon Legislature to pass a law requiring utilities to prepare risk-based wildfire standards and procedures, including the criteria for initiating preemptive power outages to avoid wildfires. Both PacifiCorp and Portland General Electric reviewed their wildfire preparedness plans at a meeting before the Oregon Public Utility Commission in June 2019. PacifiCorp identified 17% of its nearly 16,000 miles of overhead lines as Fire High Consequence Areas, though the identified areas did not include its service territory in the Santiam Canyon. PGE, which followed a methodology used in California, identified 2%, or 34 miles, of its overhead lines as Tier 3, or the riskiest lines. Those areas did not include its Mt. Hood service territory, from Brightwood to Government Camp, which were identified as Tier 2 areas. At the time, the company told commissioners it had no plans to initiate public service power outages in those areas. But on Labor Day, it did shut off power to nearly 5,000 customers in that area in light of the high winds forecast. At some point, the PUC will be involved in the investigation of the Oregon fires, and look to determine whether utilities acted in a prudent fashion to prevent them. Determining the root causes of the fires will also involve investigators from the U.S. Forest Service, the Bureau of Land Management and the Oregon Department of Forestry, depending on which agency is responsible for fire protection in the burned areas. Since the Camp fire in California, PG&E has become more proactive in communicating with customers about the need for preemptive outages and more aggressive in implementing them. The utility said Saturday that employees would check power lines for any damage during the shutoffs. The company opened up 28 community resource centers to help customers who lost power. More than 8,000 California wildfires so far this year have scorched 5,600 square miles, destroyed more than 7,000 buildings and killed 26 people. PG&E has said it is refining the process to narrow the scope and shorten the length of power cuts after being sharply criticized for intentional outages last year that affected millions of people and sometimes lasted for days. When high winds were predicted earlier this month, the utility was able to implement a shutdown that affected just 167,000 customers. The utility also began airing 30-minute radio and TV programs during the weekend to familiarize customers with its wildfire safety process. -- Ted Sickinger; tsickinger@oregonian.com; 503-2218505; @tedsickinger -- Wire service reports from The Associated Press contributed to this story. Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories. Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman said she is not being risk averse in her response to coping with the economic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and the 68-day lockdown imposed to slow its spread, which saw Indias economy come to a near-complete halt for part of the first quarter of 2020-21. She added that she has no option but to increase government spending. After all, among the four engines that support the economy, three have come to a complete standstill. It is public expenditure which has to do the heavy lifting. The governments borrowing calendar that has already been announced indicates as much, Sitharaman said. The government has already raised its gross market borrowing target for the year to Rs12 lakh crore from the Rs7.8 lakh crore announced in the Union Budget in February. Debt market analysts expect a further increase in this to Rs13 lakh crore. Also read: Open to one more stimulus if necessary, says Nirmala Sitharaman The governments relief package announced in May has been criticised for not having an adequate direct fiscal stimulus component and not doing enough to spur demand, but in an interview to HT, the finance minister said that she believes it does enough for both supply and demand. Still, she admitted, she has been receiving feedback from industry on the need for one more stimulus. One more may be needed is what we are hearing from the people who interact with us, and we are trying to see what it is that we can do. Sitharaman said, like she has several times in the past, that she is open to providing more support but declined to get into details of when this might be forthcoming. Theres no point in me hurriedly getting something out. She also refused to get into a guessing game on this years GDP. Sitharaman said that while the decline in GDP in the first quarter of 2020-21, at 23.9%, has been substantial, she does not want to conclude anything about the entire years number just yet. She added that she expects the second and third quarter of the financial year to be better. Most analysts expect the countrys GDP to shrink by at least 5% and as much as 10% in 2020-21. But things are getting better, the minister insisted, referring to conversations she has been having, with some industry representatives who are telling her that their sectors have reached pre-pandemic levels of production. Numbers bear out some of that. The latest value of the Nomura India Business Resumption Index was 82.3 on September 20, where 100 is the pre-pandemic level of business. The index has been steadily inching upward. The revival is also happening in many labour intensive areas. This is also corroborated by the fact that migrant workers from many states have started going back (to their places of work), Sitharaman said. HT reported on Monday that demand for jobs under the schemes has dipped, and surmised that this could be because some migrant workers have returned to their places of work in the cities. The minister singled out the agricultural sector (which grew 3.4% in the first quarter) as a symbol of resilience and talked up the farm reform laws passed by the government last week, even as she criticised the Opposition, and especially the Congress party, for opposing them. Responding to a question on the future of the economy, she said she is hopeful that the coronavirus will recede, and the Indian entrepreneur, small big, medium, will succeed but added that Ladakh, where the Indian and Chinese armies are in a face-off following transgressions by the latter is one imponderable. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON I never met Wayne Simpson, never said hello, and never shook hands with him when we could grip one another in friendship. Yet I saw him whenever I drove past 21st Century School in Park Forest on school days. This is where he stood on the corner of Apple Lane and Orchard Drive, decked out in his bright yellow vest and holding that red STOP sign in one hand. News Albuquerque, New Mexico - The Department of Justice Monday filed a statement of interest in a New Mexico federal court asserting that the State's COVID-19 rules limiting private schools to operating at 25% of capacity but allowing public schools to operate at 50% of capacity violate the Equal Protection Clause of the United States Constitution. The brief, filed in the U.S. District Court in Albuquerque, explains that the Supreme Court has recognized parents educational choices for their children as a fundamental right under the Constitution, and that New Mexico has no grounds for abridging that right in adopting stricter rules for private schools than for public schools. Parents have a fundamental right under the United States Constitution, without interference from the government, to select the school for their children of their choice, whether a public school, a parochial school, or a non-religious private school, said Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband for the Civil Rights Division. New Mexicos response to COVID-19 has infringed that right by adopting one rule for public schools and another for private schools, resulting in private schools remaining closed for in-person instruction, without justification. There is no pandemic exception to the Constitution and New Mexicos differential standards for private and public schools cannot stand. "I respect Governor Lujan Grishams good faith efforts to manage the COVID-19 pandemic and protect the health of New Mexicans, said John Anderson, U.S. Attorney for the District of New Mexico. But COVID-related restrictions must be applied and implemented equally and impartially, and that simply did not happen here. There is no good reason to penalize students just because they choose to attend a private school. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, New Mexico has issued various orders imposing limitations on a range of activities to reduce disease transmission. Public schools are permitted to operate at 50% of capacity, and day care centers can operate at 100% of capacity with social distancing and hygiene measures in place. Private schools, however, are limited to 25% capacity, regardless of social distancing and hygiene measures adopted. Douglas Peterson, who sends his daughter to Albuquerque Academy, a private school, filed a federal lawsuit against state officials on his and his daughters behalf after the school determined that it could not open for live instruction of its students with the 25% capacity limit, although it could accommodate all of its currently enrolled students if allowed to operate at 50% capacity. On Sep. 11, 2020, they moved for an injunction mandating equal treatment. The United States' brief explains that nearly 100 years ago, the Supreme Court held that parents decision whether to send their children to public or private school is part of parents fundamental right to direct the upbringing of their children. As such, under the Equal Protection Clause, the government has the burden to show that any differential treatment that abridges that right, even in part, must be supported by a compelling government interest, pursued through the means that are no more restrictive on that right than necessary. New Mexico has not done so here, the brief argues. The CEO of Quick Credit and Investment Micro Credit Limited, Romeo Rich-love Seshie has won the Banking and Finance category at the 40 under 40 awards 2020. Romeo before his appointment as the CEO was the Deputy Managing Director of the company. Under his leadership, he's led a transition from branches to branchless institutions operating remotely across the country with a customer base of over 50,000 and successfully employed over 400 call centre executives during the pandemic. Speaking on his award, Romeo noted that We have been in the business for years, providing jobs for hundreds, livelihood for mothers, impacted lives through our collateral-free loan, been compliant with the regulator and still standing tall even in the midst of the pandemic. This award is a sign of recognition of efforts invested and I feel special about it." He expressed appreciation to his mentor and the Board Chairman of Quick Credit and Investment Micro Investment Limited, for his unflinching support. "To my Board Chairman Mr. Richard Nii-Armah Quaye, who also won the investment category and the overall; no doubt at all, its simply a delight to work under your feet. I am thankful for believing in me and mentoring me," he said. "I dedicate this award to my hard-working staff especially my field officers, for their dedication and selflessness. This is what has brought the company this far. The bigger journey is ahead and we are ready, he added. He thanked Xodus Communications for identifying and appreciating his brand as one outstanding and worthy of this award. Mr. Seshie is an astute Finance Management personnel, motivated Professional Accountant, Auditor and Financial Analyst with over 10 years experience. He has played a key role in preparing senior management strategic plans, providing financial analysis and leadership designs, spearheaded and implemented balanced and sound strategies while ensuring financial stability. Romeo is a Chartered Accountant and a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountant Ghana (ICAG). He holds a Masters degree in Finance from Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) and has a degree in Accounting and Information Systems from Regent University College of Science and Technology. He is a Certified Credit Administrator from National Banking College, Accra, and also a Certified Tally Accounting Software Administrators from I.P.M.C. Currently, Romeo is a Finalist at Chartered Institute of Taxation, Ghana, and also a Finalist at the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA)-UK. Romeo enrolled at Central University, Ghana to pursue LLB in 2018. He went to Keta Business Secondary School at Keta in the Volta Region. The 40 under 40 awards, held at the Kempinski hotel over the weekend, is aimed at celebrating and honouring the nations accomplished young business leaders under the age 40. Entrepreneurs, CEOs, Co-founders and COOs are the prime focus for these awards . Quick Credit, is a micro-credit institution that gives loans to small and medium businesses with no collateral across the country. The company won the Innovation in Financial Inclusion Loan Service Provider at the European Global Business and Finance Award 2020. Source: Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Mural takes a visual approach to collaboration, with a focus on imagination rather than knowledge work. To do this it relies on a digital whiteboard canvas that allows colleagues and clients to share ideas and brainstorming, even when they're remote. Its an approach that has led to swift growth for the company, which launched its app in 2011 and counts IBM with tens of thousands of users among its largest customers. Buoyed by the increase in remote working during the pandemic, the Buenos Aires and San Francisco-based Mural added more than a million active users during the second quarter of the year, and tripled its revenue. On Tuesday, the company announced a $118 million Series B funding round led by venture capital firm Insight Partners, hedge fund Tiger Global, and various individual investors including former Microsoft SVP and HP COO Bill Veghte. Also involved is Slack, which has a fund aimed at investing in tools such as Mural that encourage a new way of working. (The latest investment follows from a smaller $23 million funding round in January.) CEO and co-founder Mariano Suarez-Battan spoke to Computerworld about how the company is meeting enterprise needs during the pandemic, where it hopes to go, and what its like raising capital during a period of economic uncertainty. This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity. The Finance Ministry is likely to provide capital support from the Rs 20,000 crore fund approved by Parliament in recently concluded session to some Public Sector Banks (PSBs) in the third quarter itself. Parliament approved Rs 20,000 crore for PSB capital infusion as part of the first batch of Supplementary Demands for Grants for 2020-21 which sought additional spending of a record Rs 2.35 lakh crore primarily to meet expenses for combating the COVID-19 pandemic. The fund infusion would be for meeting regulatory capital requirements if the need arises in October-December quarter, sources said. The second quarter result will give an idea as to which bank may require regulatory capital and accordingly recapitalisation bonds would be issued to them, sources said. Besides, state-owned banks already have shareholders'' approval for raising capital through a mix of equity and bonds during the current fiscal. It is to be noted that the government refrained from committing any capital in the Budget 2020-21 for PSBs, hoping that lenders will raise funds from the market depending on the requirement. In 2019-20, the government infused Rs 70,000 crore into PSBs to boost credit for a strong impetus to the economy. In the last financial year, Punjab National Bank got Rs 16,091 crore, Union Bank of India received Rs 11,768 crore while Canara Bank and Indian Bank got Rs 6,571 crore and Rs 2,534 crore, respectively. Allahabad Bank received Rs 2,153 crore, United Bank of India got Rs 1,666 crore and Andhra Bank received Rs 200 crore. These three lenders have been merged with various PSBs. Besides, Bank of Baroda got a capital infusion of Rs 7,000 crore, Indian Overseas Bank received Rs 4,360 crore and UCO Bank got Rs 2,142 crore. Punjab & Sind Bank received Rs 787 crore and Central Bank of India got Rs 3,353 crore. In addition, LIC-controlled IDBI Bank received additional capital of Rs 4,557 crore. Restaurants in the state are likely to begin their operations from the first week of October as the state government has assured hoteliers during their meeting with chief minister Uddhav Thackeray on Monday of receiving the requisite permissions. The state government has prepared a Standard Operation Procedure (SOP) for the restaurants, which is expected to be finalised in the next few days. The state government is preparing a draft SOP in consultation with various associations representing hotels and restaurants and it is expected to be finalised soon. Valsa R Nair Singh, principal secretary, tourism department, said that they have been allowed to reopen restaurants from the first week of October. The SOP is yet to be finalised, she said. Also Read: Covid-19: Maharashtra mortality rate rises over past two weeks The state government is expected to extend the ongoing lockdown by another month, though certain restrictions are expected to be lifted under Mission Begin Again. The restaurants are expected to be asked to maintain a distance of 6 feet between two tables and follow personal hygiene protocols. Hoteliers have opposed the idea of imposing a cap on the capacity to operate at. The decision will be taken once the SOP is finalised mutually. We are not against opening up activities, but in the wake of the rising number of cases, we are treading very cautiously. The restrictions have been imposed in the public interest despite huge losses of revenue to the state exchequer. It will be the responsibility of the restaurant and hotel operators to ensure safety of the customers and staff members in the wake of the pandemic, chief minister Uddhav Thackeray has been quoted in a statement issued by his office. Also Read: Mumbai likely to cross 0.2 million Covid-19 cases today The Indian Hotel and Restaurant Association (AHAR) called it a huge relief to the restaurant sector. The whole sector is in deep crisis as the takeaway business is not at all profitable. We know that the next six months will be very difficult but then we needed to start somewhere, said AHAR president Shivanand Shetty. Gurbaxish Singh Kohli, the former president of Hotel and Restaurant Association of Western India (HRAWI), echoed the sentiment. He said that social distancing and other norms will impact the whole business. We have no choice but to adhere to the norms. This reopening will generate some revenue so we can pay the staff as well as keep the business moving, said Kohli. Kohli said that 0.12 million restaurants and hotels in Mumbai and about 2.2 lakh in Maharashtra can now open their shutters. He said at national level the hotel and restaurant industry has suffered losses of about 1.90 lakh crore in last six months of lockdown. The percentage of positive tests for the coronavirus has dropped again, Gov. Tom Wolfs administration said Monday. The statewide positive test rate dropped to 3.2%, down from 3.7% last week, Wolfs office said. Its the second consecutive week the rate has dropped. In addition, fewer counties showed up in the administrations list of counties to watch for COVID-19, a weekly update produced by the state. The Wolf administration said 7 counties bear watching for the coronavirus because at least 5% of those tested were positive for COVID-19. Last week, there were 10 counties to watch in the administrations weekly report. These seven counties bear watching, according to the Wolf administration: Centre (12.0%), Northumberland (8.3%), Juniata (6.8%), Indiana (5.9%), Lebanon (5.7%), Snyder (5.2%) and York (5.2%). A few counties - including Berks and Chester - dropped off the list of counties to watch this week, while Northumberland and Snyder joined the ranks. Between Sept. 17-24, the state reported 5,070 new coronavirus cases, a 481-case decline across the state over the past week. The state recorded 5,551 new cases the previous week. Our percent positivity and incidence rate for the Commonwealth both decreased this week, a testament to all the work Pennsylvanians are doing to unite against this virus, Wolf said in a statement. We must continue our focus on taking actions to protect ourselves and others, such as wearing a mask, practicing social distancing, washing our hands and avoiding large gatherings. The Pennsylvania Department of Health continues to be concerned about an increase in the number of young adults contracting the virus, particularly those between the ages of 19 and 24. Centre County, which had the highest rate of positive tests again this week, is home to Penn State Universitys main campus. In northcentral Pennsylvania, about two-thirds of the new coronavirus cases reported in September have occurred among those 19 to 24 years old, according to the health department. Level of transmission Each week, the state updates its list gauging the level of coronavirus transmission in each county. The Wolf administration has encouraged schools to use the level of transmission as a benchmark on holding in-person classes or a mix of face-to-face instruction and remote learning. Its also designed to guide their response plans if students or staff are infected. Depending on the risk assessment, school districts are advised to close buildings for longer periods if students or staff test positive. Two counties - Centre and Northumberland - are considered to have a substantial level of community transmission. Both counties have outbreaks that have led to community spread, the Wolf administration said. In addition, 47 counties are in the moderate level of transmission, while 18 counties were in the low level of transmission, the Wolf administration said. Moderate: Adams, Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Bedford, Berks, Blair, Bradford, Bucks, Butler, Cambria, Carbon, Chester, Clearfield, Clinton, Columbia, Cumberland, Dauphin, Delaware, Erie, Fayette, Franklin, Greene, Indiana, Juniata, Lackawanna, Lancaster, Lawrence, Lebanon, Lehigh, Luzerne, Lycoming, Mercer, Mifflin, Monroe, Montgomery, Northampton, Perry, Philadelphia, Schuylkill, Snyder, Somerset, Union, Washington, Wayne, Westmoreland and York. Low: Cameron, Clarion, Crawford, Elk, Forest, Fulton, Huntingdon, Jefferson, McKean, Montour, Pike, Potter, Sullivan, Susquehanna, Tioga, Venango, Warren and Wyoming. Travel restrictions The Wolf administration has added Kentucky, Texas and Utah to its list of travel restrictions. Those visiting those states are asked to quarantine for 14 days after they return to Pennsylvania. The state has removed Louisiana from the list. Overall, the Wolf administration has 20 states on the list, including Florida, Georgia and Illinois. Personal protective equipment Wolf said Monday the state has an ample stockpile of personal protective equipment for the coming months. There are still many unknowns with this virus, and we cant control those, but we can control what we know and we know that by being ready with enough PPE, we can protect our health care workers, first responders and other essential workers and not overwhelm our health care system," Wolf said in a statement. More than 150,000 people in Pennsylvania have contracted the coronavirus and more than 8,100 deaths have been tied to COVID-19, according to the health department. On the upside, fewer people require hospital treatment for the coronavirus. About 460 coronavirus patients are being treated in hospitals, compared to about 700 in late July. At the peak in the spring, about 2,800 COVID-19 patients required hospitalization. Statewide, 82% of those who have contracted COVID-19 have recovered, according to the health department. The department considers patients to have recovered when they are 30 days past the date of infection or the onset of symptoms. More from PennLive Do you go to the grocery store comfortably? If so, voting in person is a manageable coronavirus risk, health leaders say Police and mental health: Would social workers accompanying police protect mentally ill, keep them out of jail? Stephania Okereke honoured by the federal government with new appointment The Nigerian government has honoured veteran Nollywood actress, Stephanie Okereke Linus with a special appointment as the National OPS-WASH Ambassador. The 37 year old ex-model shared the exciting news on her Instagram page writing: Good Morning Amazonians and Warlords, I have been appointed as National OPS-WASH Ambassador by the Honourable Minister of Water Resources. -Details; In his address, Engr. Adamu charged Mrs Linus to inspire behavioral change among Nigerians for people to take responsibility for their environment in her role as OPS-WASH Ambassador. While applauding her efforts with the Hygiene First campaign, he also implored her and her team to map out different activities that would encourage environmental sustainability across the nation. Also present is Dr Nicholas Igwe who is the National coordinated for OPS-WASH. The premise of OPS-WASH is based on multi-stakeholder collaboration. He thus expressed excitement for the involvement of the entertainment industry in the WASH sector in creating behavioral change. As the OPS- WASH Ambassador, Mrs Linus promised that she will use her role to challenge Nigerians to make good hygiene a culture, as well as inspire citizen participation and responsibility. This appointment comes as a public sector recognition of the Hygiene First campaign which she launched in May 2020. Picture Slide: Honourable Minster -Engr. Suleiman H. Adamu, permanent secretary Min of Water Resources and Dr Nicolas Igwe ,National Coordinator OPS-WASH. opswashCleanNigeria..endodf.. hygienefirst.. endopendefecation.. hygienefirstmynewhabit The Colorado Air Quality Control Commission approved new rules Wednesday to require emissions monitoring during early stages of operations at oil and gas sites. A requirement that imprisoned San Antonio politician Carlos Uresti pay the victims of his crimes $6.3 million in restitution has triggered a fight over the pension he earned as an elected official. The issue playing out in U.S. District Court in San Antonio is whether the federal government can garnish 25 percent of Urestis monthly annuity before what his second ex-wife receives in alimony. Its a tussle over a small amount of money less than $200 a month involving a former state senator who struggled to keep up the appearance of a jet-setting lifestyle. It included a Helotes mansion and a Porsche Panamera before it all came crashing down following his 2018 conviction. Jerry Lara /Staff file photo Yet it reveals the length prosecutors will go to try to compensate his victims. As its stands, the victims chances for a full recovery appear bleak. Even after the sale of Urestis home and law office building, the amount of restitution which others involved in the wrongdoing also are on the hook for has only been whittled down to about $5.9 million more than two years after his criminal case ended. A settlement agreement Uresti executed with the government following his conviction shows his ex-wife Lleanna Elizondo kept most of the couples community property, as well as the proceeds from items sold at an estate sale. Only a few items were designated as Urestis separate property, including a small round wooden table that was sold for $30 less than its $150 appraised value. Urestis pension appears to be one of the last remaining assets authorities can tap. Hes consented to giving up 25 percent of any wages he receives now or in the future, but he wont be released from prison until May 2029 when hes 65. Jerry Lara /Staff file photo A costly case Uresti, 57, is serving a 12-year prison sentence at a correctional facility in Louisiana for his roles in a now-defunct oil field services company that defrauded investors. A jury in 2018 found Uresti guilty of 11 felony charges, including securities fraud and and money laundering, in connection with FourWinds Logistics, a now-defunct San Antonio company that bought and sold sand used in fracking for oil production. Jerry Lara /Staff file photo The case cost Uresti his long political career, his law practice, his wealth, his marriage and his freedom. About a week after Urestis conviction, Elizondo filed a divorce petition to end their nearly six-year marriage. Uresti, though, didnt lose the government pension he earned while serving in the state legislature for 21 years at least not entirely. A state law that took effect a year before his conviction bars lawmakers convicted of certain felonies from receiving their government pension, but it didnt apply to Uresti because his FourWinds crimes werent covered by the law. Jerry Lara /Staff file photo Annuities for eligible elected state officials are based on a district judges salary of $140,000. Retirees receive 2.3 percent of that salary for each year of eligible service credit obtained. Other factors, such as military service, can increase the benefit amount. Uresti served in the Marines. Elected officials are eligible to retire and start collecting a pension with either eight years of service at age 60 or 12 years of service at age 50. Lump sum As part of his settlement with the government, Uresti elected to receive part of his pension in a lump sum and then turn it over to the government. That leaves Uresti with a monthly annuity of $5,247. However, Urestis first wife, Yolanda Uresti, receives $1,401 in alimony cutting the annuity to $3,846. The federal government asserts that its next in line, and should get 25 percent of the $3,846, or $961.56, under the terms of the settlement. So Yolanda Uresti gets the first cut, we get the second cut, and then (Ms.) Elizondo and Mr. Uresti split the remainder, Steven Seward, an assistant U.S. attorney, told U.S. Magistrate Judge Henry Bemporad during an Aug. 20 court hearing conducted via Zoom. The settlement, however, conflicts with a domestic relations order in Uresti and Elizondos divorce. The order entitles Elizondo, 44, to $647.61 a month from the pension, a figure calculated before the government garnishes its 25 percent. If Elizondo is ahead of the government, it says, then it stands to receive $799.66 a month. Thats $161.90 less than what it would get if it were ahead of her. Jerry Lara /Staff file photo On ExpressNews.com: A bankrupt frac-sand company, millions in losses, a Texas state senator and the FBI The Employees Retirement System (ERS) of Texas involvement further complicates the matter. The state agency, which manages retirement benefits, maintains that if the federal government gets the larger amount $961.56 then the agency would effectively be withholding more than 25 percent of Urestis pension as calculated in the order in the divorce case. That would violate a federal law that caps garnishments at 25 percent of disposable earnings. Last week, Bemporad sided with ERS. To the extent the United States motion requests garnishment of greater than 25% of the monthly annuity of $3,198.63 attributable to defendant Uresti, the motion must be denied, regardless of any agreement by the parties, Bemporad wrote in a recommendation. Bemporad determined that Elizondo is entitled to receive $647.61 a month from the pension as spelled out in her divorce. Bemporads recommendation now goes to Senior U.S. District Judge David Alan Ezra, who presided over Urestis criminal trial. Ezra sentenced the San Antonio Democrat to prison and ordered him to pay the $6.3 million in restitution. The judge can accept, reject or modify Bemporads recommendation. The parties also can object to Bemporads findings, though none had been filed as of Monday afternoon. Seward, the assistant U.S. attorney, declined to comment. Elizondo and the Texas attorney generals office, which represents ERS, didnt respond to an email. Lost everything For her part, Elizondo appeared frustrated by the court proceeding. She could not afford an attorney and she declined Bemporads offer to appoint her one. I lost everything, she said during the hearing. I came out of this marriage with less than I had. The government sold my clothes and everything. Seward later disputed the government sold her clothes. I really need to move on with my life, Elizondo added. This has really affected me. I know Yolanda will be paid, his first wife. And I feel I should be paid as his second wife what is fair. I am not asking for anything more than what is fair. Seward informed the judge that Elizondo signed the settlement with Uresti. We made a number of accommodations to (Ms.) Elizondo in the settlement agreement, Seward said. SA Inc.: Get the best of business news sent directly to your inbox The judge asked Urestis divorce lawyer what the convicted felons position would be on whether Elizondos portion should be taken out before or after the governments garnishment. Attorney Rashin Mazaheri answered that she believed Uresti would say Elizondos cut should come after the governments because those are the terms in the settlement. If the government prevails on its request, then Elizondo would receive nothing and Uresti would receive nearly $2,885 a month, according to an ERS court filing. However, Seward told Bemporad that Elizondo would still receive roughly $480 a month. Patrick Danner Patrick Danner covers banking, insurance, business litigation and bankruptcies. To read more from Patrick, become a subscriber. pdanner@express-news.net | Twitter: @AlamoPD Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-28 02:03:10|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close WASHINGTON, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) -- U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said on Sunday that there's a chance she and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin could reach an agreement on the next COVID-19 relief package. "I trust Secretary Mnuchin to represent something that can reach a solution and I believe we can come to an agreement," Pelosi said on CNN's "State of the Union." "What we will be putting forth is a proffer to say: Now, let us negotiate within a time frame and a dollar amount to get the job done to put money in people's pockets, to honor our heroes and to crush the virus," Pelosi said. "I think we have a chance to get something done." Pelosi noted that the public is going to have to see why the next COVID-19 relief package perhaps needs 2.4 trillion U.S. dollars because "the president's denial of the virus and just resistance to doing anything to crush it has made matters worse in so many ways." "For restaurants, for small stages around the country, again, more money needed for PPP, more money for the airlines and the rest. So, we may need more money than that," she said, referring to the Paycheck Protection Program for small businesses. House Democrats unveiled a 3-trillion-dollar relief proposal in May, which didn't gain support from Republicans. Senate Republicans put forward a 1-trillion-dollar package in late July, and failed to advance a slimmed-down proposal earlier this month. Recently, Pelosi has insisted that Democrats won't accept any package lower than 2.2 trillion dollars. At a congressional hearing on Thursday, Mnuchin said that a targeted relief package is still needed and the administration is ready to reach a bipartisan agreement. "I believe there is significant bipartisan support for legislation that supports kids and jobs particularly for extending the PPP to those hardest hit industries that need a second payment," Mnuchin said. Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell also said at the same hearing that the lack of further fiscal support would pose a downside risk to the U.S. economy, which is recovering from the COVID-19 induced recession. "While the economy has been doing better than expected, I think there's downside risk to that if there is no further fiscal support," Powell said. Enditem A housing unit in the west section of the State Correctional Institution at Phoenix in Collegeville, Pa., June 1, 2018. Pennsylvania has incarcerated more so-called juvenile lifers than any other state. Read more In 1996, 17-year-old Jorge Cintron of North Philadelphia confessed to multiple murders after learning someone else had been arrested for his crimes. Like most youth who commit serious crimes, Cintrons young life was marked by adversity. His father was a drug kingpin. Police raids at his house were such a common occurrence that Cintrons earliest memories are of his father always wearing a bulletproof vest. He began drinking at the age of 8 and tried illicit drugs for the first time at 11. At age 13, his father was incarcerated, and he was pushed into the family business. READ MORE: Should there be large-scale release of prisoners during the coronavirus pandemic? | Pro/Con Under Pennsylvania law, Cintron was sentenced to mandatory life in prison without the possibility of parole. However, following the 2012 Supreme Court ruling in Montgomery v. Louisiana that stated mandatory sentences of life-without-parole juveniles are unconstitutional, Cintron was resentenced to 30-years-to-life. Cintrons story is similar to that of many individuals who were sentenced to life-without-parole as juveniles and are now adults. Collectively known as juvenile lifers, many of these individuals could be safely considered for early release during the COVID-19 pandemic. In light of the pandemic, some parole boards and prosecutors are releasing elderly inmates and those convicted of low-level offenses to help mitigate the risks posed by the pandemic. The rationale has been that these inmates pose low risk to community safety. Research shows, however, that individuals released after having served very long sentences, including life sentences, have the lowest recidivism rates of any category of previously incarcerated individuals. Juvenile lifers are no exception: We recently conducted a study of 174 juvenile lifers who had been resentenced and released in Philadelphia. Over an average follow-up period of 21 months, only two (1.1%) were reconvicted, and both were for minor offenses. Of course, just as rehabilitation is not the only justification for incarceration, low recidivism risk may not be, in and of itself, a justification to shorten the length of a sentence. However, as we are in the throes of a national debate over releasing inmates to reduce the risk of COVID transmission, it is necessary for policymakers to be informed by the best science, which tells us individuals who committed crimes as juveniles and are now in their 40s and 50s pose a negligible risk to society. READ MORE: Generations of Philly families are incarcerated together Cintron has been incarcerated for nearly 23 years. In that time, he has earned a barbers license and his GED. He graduated from a four-year religious education program (Education for Ministry) and is a certified peer specialist for the Department of Corrections. He can be considered a model prisoner; his last documented prison misconduct was in 1999. And he already has a job lined up for him at Dannys Back to Basic Barbering. Like many other juvenile lifers who have been resentenced following Montgomery, Cintron has plans to make difference with the rest of his life. He has received recognition for his collaboration on a youth crime prevention booklet with State Rep. Leslie Acosta, and he wants to volunteer with at-risk youth to keep them from falling into criminal behavior His parole date is Sept. 5, 2026, but as COVID continues to spread in his prison, Cintron, who has preexisting conditions that make him vulnerable to contracting the virus, is fearful that he will not see that date. HELP US REPORT: Are you a health care worker, medical provider, government worker, patient, frontline worker or other expert? We want to hear from you. The Supreme Court has recognized that juveniles should not be sentenced to die in prison, but the virus has a different opinion. It is up to governors and parole boards to ensure that the virus does not have the final say. Tarika Daftary-Kapur is an associate professor of justice studies at Montclair State University. Tina Zottoli is an NYS-licensed clinical psychologist and an assistant professor of psychology at Montclair State. Dr Nathaniel Davis with the solar concentrators. Credit: Victoria University of Wellington. Credit: Victoria University of Wellington Dr. Nathaniel Davis from Te Herenga Waka-Victoria University of Wellington's School of Chemical and Physical Sciences says he and his research team are at a significant turning point in their solar power research. Dr. Davis is working on a solar "paint." The paint is designed to go on the roof of a building to help better absorb the light need to power the building using solar power. "You paint directly on to your roof and then install solar panels in the guttering," Dr. Davis says. "The paint contains luminescent molecules that absorb and emit light which guides the sunlight into the gutters and to the solar panels." Unlike the larger (and more expensive) solar panels currently available, Dr. Davis' solution will involve one coat of paint and a narrow border of solar panels approximately the width of a finger. The combination of roof paint and small panels is designed to produce enough electricity to completely power a home. An average solar panel system currently costs around $9000 in New Zealand for materials and installation. Dr. Davis says they expect the solar paint to be a very small fraction of that cost, because once painted on it will last for decades. It also won't require the installation of large, expensive solar panels, making it much more accessible to the average person. The system will also work in with any existing solar panel technology on the market. "As well as having a positive impact on climate change and protecting the environment through renewable energy, this paint will also greatly reduce the cost of home electricity use," Dr. Davis says. Dr. Davis has been working on this research for many years, exploring the concept during his honors year at the University of Sydney and then beginning to develop the work further during his Ph.D. and a research fellowship at the University of Cambridge. While studying overseas he worked on a technology called "solar concentrators," a small piece of technology set in a piece of plastic or glass that captures the sunlight and sends it sideways into solar panels. After creating these panels, Dr. Davis began looking at creating different materials to help better capture sunlight, working with the established idea that the materials needed for a concentrator could actually be applied directly to a surface like a roof or a window frame, just like a regular house paint. The idea for solar concentrators has been around since the 1970s, Dr. Davis says, but until now scientists have been unable to make it work on a commercial scale. The final challenge Dr. Davis and his team are facing is making sure the paint doesn't simply reabsorb the light before it can be directed to the solar panels. "We really are at the turning point," Dr. Davis says. "Once we reach this last hurdle, I can envision it becoming a product and seeing it on people's rooves within a couple of years." Dr. Davis will work with the University's commercialisation office, Wellington UniVentures, to turn his invention into a commercial product. He will also be working with Resene Paints to develop the product for market. Dr. Paul Geraghty, Commercialisation Manager at Wellington UniVentures says that this is an exciting area of research. "The solar paint takes a unique approach to addressing the expensive module and installation costs that drive the price of traditional solar panels up for both commercial and residential use," Dr. Geraghty explains. "Wellington UniVentures is working closely with Dr. Davis as he undertakes this work." Explore further Development of photovoltaics that can be applied like paint for real-life application A Lagos-based laboratory technician, Daniel Eniayeju, has gone missing while on the way to visit his sick father in Ibadan, Oyo State. Punch Metro learnt that the 25-year-old Osun State indigene left his place of residence on the Ago Palace Way area of Lagos State on September 11, 2020, but never got to his destination. His whereabouts have since been shrouded in mystery. Daniels uncle, Lawal Taiye, who told Punch that he heard last from the victim around 9am on the day of the incident, said all efforts to find him had so far proved abortive. He said, I spoke to him on Saturday, September 11, 2020, around 9am and he told me that he was on his way to Ibadan to see his sick father. I told him to have a safe trip. The following day, his sister called me that he had not been picking his calls, I told her to not worry that maybe it was a network issue and asked her to call him later. We got a call from his place of work in FESTAC Town on Monday that they had not seen Daniel at work and were wondering if he was okay; that was when we suspected that something might have gone wrong. I called his dad and he told me that Daniel never got to Ibadan. We have reported to several police stations in Lagos. I even went to the police headquarters at Ikeja to report the case. We have continued our search and are praying to God that he will be found alive and well. Follow Us on Facebook @LadunLiadi; Instagram @LadunLiadi; Twitter @LadunLiadi; Youtube @LadunLiadiTV for updates Crater of Diamonds State Park in Arkansas allows visitors to hand-sift 37 acres of plowed earth for the chance to take home a natural diamond - usually around a quarter of a carat and often found daily. But it's certainly not every day that a visitor lifts a 9-carat stone, as one person did earlier this month. Arkansan Kevin Kinard visited Crater of Diamonds with some friends on Labor Day to search the volcanic fields for gemstones, which he has done regularly since he was a kid, according to a news release from Arkansas State Parks. This time, the 33-year-old unearthed a shiny, dark stone about the size of a marble, which he thought might be glass. "I almost didn't have [park staff] check my finds, because I didn't think I had found anything," Kinard said in the release. But when one friend went to have her own finds checked, he followed suit with the round stone in hand. The park's Diamond Discovery Center identified Kinard's rock as a 9.07-carat diamond. "I honestly teared up when they told me," he said. "I was in complete shock!" The stone is the second-largest diamond ever found at the park, which opened in 1972 and is one of the only public diamond fields in the world. Crater of Diamonds has registered more than 240 diamonds this year, according to the news release, and sees an average of about one or two diamonds per day. Visitors often bring their own tools to search the 37-acre diamond field, but they aren't allowed to use battery or motor-powered tools. "A find like this is always thrilling for the park guest, as well as the park staff, who get to help identify the gem and share in the excitement," Stacy Hurst, secretary of the Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism, said in the release. The previous record for the second-largest diamond found at the park was a 7.44-carat brown diamond found at the park in 2017. In 2019, a Texas woman found a 3.72-carat yellow diamond at the park. The largest diamond ever found at the park is a 16.37-carat white diamond named Amarillo Starlight, which was unearthed in 1975. Lucky visitors who do find diamonds are typically asked to name the stones, and Kinard named his in honor of friends who visited the park with him on Labor Day - the Kinard Friendship Diamond. "We love to travel together and had such a great time out here," Kinard said of their trip to the park. "It was a very humbling experience." The HMS Grafton in Japan notice the ship is decorated with evergreens for the Christmas season. December 1896. Courtesy of Dougal Watson By Robert Neff Following the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-95, the British government increased its naval strength in the Far East. In early summer of 1896, one of the British navy's newest ships, the HMS Grafton, departed England for the China Station. Captain Edward Pitcairn Jones, a Tasmanian, commanded the ship but he was not the senior officer aboard that honor fell to Rear-Admiral Charles Lister Oxley, the second-in-command of the British China Station fleet. We know little about their relationship save Oxley was described as being "most eccentric altho' very friendly" and Jones who had been chastised for being drunk on duty when he was a young naval officer had a bad heart. Almost from the beginning, the HMS Grafton's voyage was plagued with mishaps. On July 3, 1896, while steaming through the Indian Ocean to Sri Lanka, the ship encountered heavy seas and the main topmast equipped with semaphore equipment and top-heavy snapped and was carried away. Fortunately, it "was soon repaired by the artisans on board." Sivoutch Bay or the nearby lake. September 1896. Courtesy of Dougal Watson Two days later, in the early afternoon, the crew was startled to discover a huge whale impaled upon the ram of the ship. Fortunately, the ship suffered no damage but the whale, estimated to be about 18 meters long, had to be cleared from the ram before the ship could continue. On August 11, the H.M.S. Grafton finally arrived at its destination, Yokohama, Japan. Apparently, after the long arduous voyage, the crew was allowed shore leave and took to exploring the Japanese port on bicycles for many of the sailors, this was their first time astride two-wheel and wreaked havoc on the population by crashing into pedestrians, rickshaws and walls. Shortly after his arrival in Japan, Oxley decided to tour the region surrounding the East Sea in the Grafton. He first traveled to Vladivostok where he was treated quite civilly by the Russian authorities and then traveled along the eastern coast of the Korean peninsula. One of the first places they visited in Korea was a remote anchorage near the Russian border known as Sivoutch Bay. Sivoutch Bay on a map, circa 1904. Robert Neff Collection Korean villagers inspecting a British naval officer near Wonsan in 1887. Robert Neff Collection On the morning of September 28, Oxley decided to take advantage of the good weather and do some bird hunting with his secretary, Henry James Troughton, 27. Bird hunting was a popular sport for British naval officers along the north-eastern coast of the Korean peninsula. This region was still comparatively uninhabited with vast tracts of wilderness and wetlands. Of course, there were dangers. Tigers and leopards roamed these desolate regions with relative impunity. but I have found no mention of any armed-Westerners being killed by these predators in Korea. Inhabited areas were also dangerous. Villagers were often alarmed at the sudden appearance of armed foreigners and would sometimes flee their homes or grudgingly humor their uninvited guests making it clear the sooner the foreigners left, the better it would be for all involved. Even when welcomed, the foreigners often found themselves the center of unwanted attention by the more curious members of the male community no part of their clothing or bodies were exempt from curious hands. Sometimes the victims of this curiosity feared they were going to be pick-pocketed, but generally the only thing taken was their personal space and dignity. There was, however, an even greater and more plausible danger of contracting smallpox, which often plagued the Korean peninsula. Oxley, however, does not seem to have been concerned. He and Troughton tramped a couple of kilometers inland to a large lake where they spied a large flock of wild geese at the opposite end. It was here that they separated Troughton trudged along the shore towards the geese while Oxley waited. A British naval officer hunting party going through a Korean village. They are concerned about contracting smallpox from the Korean villagers. Circa 1894. Robert Neff Collection After a short time, Oxley heard Troughton "fire both barrels of his gun, and, turning round, saw him throw off some of his clothes and wade into the lake to recover the birds he had hit." Oxley thought nothing of it and "sat down and waited, expecting to see him emerge from the water again in a few minutes." Troughton never reappeared. Alarmed, Oxley raced to the spot where he had last observed his secretary and found "his gun, cartridge bag, and clothes, and observed footprints where [Troughton] entered the water." Realizing his secretary was probably dead, Oxley returned to the ship "as quickly as possible, and procured men, drags &c., and had boats carried overland to the lake." The lake was dragged and it was not until the early morning of the 30 that the young man's body was discovered. "It was covered with the Union Jack, was reverently brought on board, and received by all the officers on the quarter-deck, while the ship's bells were tolled. He was buried at sea the same afternoon." A curious group of Koreans near Sivoutch Bay. September 1896. Courtesy of Dougal Watson Oxley ordered that a cross be cut into the stone near the spot where he had discovered his secretary's clothing and gear. A picture was taken as a final remembrance of the young officer who "was much esteemed by all who knew him." The HMS Grafton returned to Japan and the death of the young officer was reported to the Admiralty. It was speculated that Troughton, upon entering the water, had suffered severe cramps or possibly a fit of some sort. We will probably never know what killed the young man. Oxley remained in the Far East as second-in-command for a little over a year before going on to other assignments. He eventually retired in 1906 as a full admiral. Captain Jones ended was sent back to England with "Morbus Cordis" heart disease but soon recovered and was given other commands. He retired as a rear-admiral at the end of 1905. British naval officers and a Korean villager near Sivoutch Bay. September 1896. Courtesy of Dougal Watson The Grafton finished its tour in September 1899 and two years later was assigned to the British Pacific Station Fleet. Surprisingly, once again, the Grafton had a strange encounter with a denizen of the deep. In early 1903, while sailing from Peru to Chile, an enormous blackfish which, according to one officer, was between 10 and 13 meters long and landed on the bow. The impact killed the fish immediately. The young officer remarked in a letter home that he had never heard of such an encounter perhaps he should have checked his own ship's history. I would like to express my appreciation to Diane Nars for her assistance and to Dougal Watson whose great-great-uncle, Frank Seymour, served aboard the HMS Grafton and was kind enough to allow me to use his images for this article. If you would like to know more about the HMS Grafton's tour on the China Station see Mr. Watson's site https://atlantic-cable.com/CableStories/Seymour/people_seymour_f.html The location of Henry James Troughton's drowning. September 1896. Courtesy of Dougal Watson A worker stands on the rear platform of a bottle car full of molten steel inside the ArcelorMittal steel mill complex in Cleveland, Ohio. Cleveland-Cliffs Inc, the largest U.S. producer of iron ore pellets, said on Monday it had agreed to buy the U.S. assets of world's largest steelmaker ArcelorMittal SA for about $1.4 billion. The deal follows a push among steelmakers to consolidate and diversify their business, making it less vulnerable to swings in demand. Reuters reported on Sunday, citing sources, that ArcelorMittal was in talks to merge its U.S. operations with Cleveland-Cliffs. ArcelorMittal said last year it was aiming to offload $2 billion of assets by the middle of 2021 to reduce its debt. In December, it agreed to sell a 50% stake in its shipping business, and has also sold its stake in Brazilian steelmaker Gerdau. ArcelorMittal's U.S. business has more than 18,000 employees and 25 facilities, including mines, steelmaking facilities and finishing operations, according to the company's website. Palantir (PLTR), the secretive big-data firm co-founded by billionaire PayPal (PYPL) co-founder and Facebook (FB) investor Peter Thiel, will make its stock market debut via a direct listing on Sept. 30 with a valuation estimated at $22 billion. Much of what Palantir does and how it uses its troves of data is opaque to all but the most dedicated followers. Founded in 2004 with funding from the CIAs not-for-profit venture capital arm In-Q-Tel, Palantir is named for mystical orbs in J.R.R. Tolkiens The Lord of the Rings universe that can see both the past and present and allow users to communicate over vast distances. Thats not exactly far afield of how Palantir itself operates. It provides customized software to clients analyzing large swaths of data for purposes ranging from finding suspected criminals to improving companies manufacturing capabilities. Palantir has courted significant controversy due to its work with government agencies, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and due to Thiels support for President Donald Trump. There are also still questions as to when it will turn a profit. Like many tech unicorns that have recently gone public, Palantir has yet to turn make any money, losing $580 million in 2018 and $579 million in 2019. What is Palantir and who runs it? The logo of U.S. software company Palantir Technologies is seen in Davos, Switzerland Januar 22, 2020. REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann Palantir has two main services that analyze data: Palantir Gotham and Palantir Foundry. A customized option, Palantir Gotham is used by companies, government agencies, and law enforcement to combine information to uncover previously unseen patterns and identify relationships between sets of data ranging from social media posts and addresses to license plate numbers and personal relationships. The service then puts all of that content together in easy-to-understand charts and graphs. Meanwhile, Foundry is a ready-made option focusing on clients ranging from pharmaceutical and automotive businesses to aviation companies like Airbus, and is meant to cut down on the costs associated with Gotham, such as the need for multiple on-site engineers. Story continues Yahoo Finance newsletter. Palantir offers a variety of what it calls solutions for different types of applications, whether thats for automotive companies, the defense sector, financial compliance, insurance, intelligence operations, law enforcement, and others. The company is guided by billionaire co-founder and CEO Alex Karp. A graduate of Stanford Law School, like Thiel, Karp has run Palantir since shortly after its inception. Prior to Palantir, Karp founded the money management firm Caedmon Group. Palantir Technologies CEO Alex Karp arrives at the "Tech for Good" Summit in Paris, France May 15, 2019. REUTERS/Charles Platiau Karp has been vocal about his belief in the need for Silicon Valley companies to work with the U.S. government and law enforcement agencies. In a 2019 interview with CNBC, Karp had pointed words for firms like Google (GOOG, GOOGL) that have pulled out of contracts with the government. That is a loser position. It is not intelligible. It is not intelligible to the average person. Its academically not sustainable. And I am very happy were not on that side of the debate, he said. Wins and controversies Palantir says its software has assisted companies and government agencies in everything from the conviction of Ponzi schemer Bernie Madoff to disaster recovery to combating cyberattacks and fighting child exploitation. Theres even an apocryphal story that the firms technology was used to help locate Osama bin Laden. U.S. President-elect Donald Trump sits with PayPal co-founder and Facebook board member Peter Thiel, during a meeting with technology leaders at Trump Tower in New York U.S., December 14, 2016. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton Palantir says its technology was deployed in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence in 2018 alongside Team Rubicon, an organization of military veterans that respond to disaster areas. With the Palantirs Gotham Operations module, the group identified and responded to neighborhoods in the greatest need of assistance. Palantir also pointed to the use of its technology by the Center for Public Integrity and Georgetown Universitys Journalism Program for an investigation into the death of Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl by militants in Pakistan in 2007. The company says the software helped identify 27 individuals who took part in the kidnapping and killing of Pearl, mapping their relationships and providing answers to questions surrounding his death. The firm also claims its software helped the U.S. military track insurgents in Afghanistan planting improvised explosive devices (IEDs) by finding correlations between weather patterns, command wire IED attacks, and biometric information found on explosive devices. The company says it also provided its software to the Salt Lake City Police Department, helping officers reduce the amount of time it takes to perform complex investigations by 95%. Comparisons to The Minority Report But Palantir has also seen its share of controversy in addition to the wins it touts. The sheer amount of information its software is capable of tracking license plate numbers; Social Security numbers; social media accounts; addresses; bank records; interpersonal relationships has led to comparisons with the thought crimes police in Minority Report. Palantir has used that kind of predictive policing model in New Orleans, according to The Verge. But predictive policing is controversial, and, according to studies, can lead to greater policing of minority and low-income communities. And its not just fear of the size of its data collection. The firm has also been targeted by demonstrators and its own employees for the work it does with ICE. After denying that it worked with ICEs deportation arm, Karp told CNBC in January of 2020 that his firm's software was being used to "find people in our country who are undocumented." Previously, in July of 2019, WNYC reported that ICE agents used Palantirs Falcon mobile app during operations including raids on nearly 100 7-11 stores in the U.S. in 2019. And in May of 2020, Karp told Axios that Palantirs software has likely been used to kill people in the military realm, but wouldnt provide any greater detail as to who or how. In the past, according to Bloomberg, Palantir lost a number of partnerships with high-flying corporations including Hersheys, Coca-Cola, Home Depot, and American Express due to the tech firms high costs. Those company defections dont seem to be hurting Palantirs valuation. For all thats still unknown about Palantir, its all but certain that the firm will receive plenty of attention as it tests the public markets for the first time. Correction: An earlier version of this article stated that Palantir was making its market debut on Sept. 29. In fact, it is pricing its IPO on Sept. 29 but will begin trading on Sept. 30. An earlier version of this story ran on July 8, 2020. Got a tip? Email Daniel Howley at dhowley@yahoofinance.com over via encrypted mail at danielphowley@protonmail.com, and follow him on Twitter at @DanielHowley. More from Dan: Follow Yahoo Finance on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Flipboard, SmartNews, LinkedIn, YouTube, and reddit. The woman was transported to a local hospital, where she was treated for bruising and scratches. About 13 hours later, police were called to a separate incident at 11:36 a.m. in the 1500 block of Woods Road involving a potential breaking and entering with the intent to terrorize and harm. Officers said they were met by a woman in her early 20s at the scene, not the same individual in the first incident. The second victim said she had just returned to her apartment and was in the process of unlocking her apartment door while utilizing her cell phone, according to police. She said she noticed a young adult male a short distance behind her. As she opened the apartment door, she said the man followed her in and forcefully prevented her from closing the door. The woman said the man began to physically assault her by grabbing and striking her while attempting to take her cellphone. She fought back and was able to flee the apartment while screaming for help. A neighbor came to her aid and allowed her to use their cellphone to call 911, police said. The man fled the scene on foot. NEW HAVEN - Two men who conspired to commit a robbery, a scheme that resulted in Leeandre Benton being shot to death alongside the Farmington Canal Heritage Trail in Hamden, received sentences Monday requiring each of them to serve 12 years in prison. Robert Moye and Brennen Coleman, both 24 and New Haven residents, stood side by side in the courtroom in prison attire as they were sentenced by Superior Court Judge Gerald L. Harmon. The plea agreements had been worked out during lengthy negotiations since the two were arrested in July 2018, the year after Benton, 18, was killed. Both defendants originally were charged with felony murder but the charges were reduced to conspiracy to commit first-degree robbery after they pleaded guilty to that count and agreed not to contest any charges at a trial. Senior Assistant States Attorney Seth Garbarsky noted during the sentencing hearing that James Graham was the man who pulled the trigger. He was convicted of murder by a jury in 2019 and sentenced to serve 52 years in prison. But Garbarsky cited evidence at Grahams trial showing all three of these individuals were armed. All three confronted Mr. Benton with the intent to rob him. Garbarsky added: All three could be seen afterward on Facebook celebrating this. They seemed to take pleasure in what they did that day. Evidence used at the trial also indicated the three individuals belonged to a neighborhood group and Benton was a member of a rival group. According to testimony, Benton resisted being robbed by punching Coleman. Graham then pulled out his gun and shot Benton in the back of the head. The two defendants stood and listened while Victim Services Advocate Christie Ciancola read a statement by Bentons mother, Chiquita Cousins, who declined to come to court for the sentencing hearing. My familys life has been changed forever, Cousins said. My family is still suffering and Im sure we will never be healed. Only through Gods grace and mercy. The decision you made to plot against my son I hope haunts each of you for the rest of your lives, she told them. My king will never be able to make this world as we know it better because of that decision. She added, Im so grateful for all the authorities that put their hard effort into catching you guys. Even though you all deserve 52 years, Im grateful they were able to make 20 years of your life suffering away from your families, to be able to think about what you have done. Cousins concluded: God has the last say. May you do your sentence in remorse. Bentons stepmother Charlene Heath gave a statement in court without using notes; she cried as she spoke. I have to forgive, she said. I just cant hate. But she added: My life will never be the same. Heath described her stepson as so beautiful and a good young man. Defense attorney Glenn Conway, who represented Coleman, told Harmon the plea agreement and sentence were fair and reasonable. He also told Harmon that Coleman did not wish to make a statement. Harmon then sentenced Coleman to the previously agreed-upon sentence: 20 years, to be suspended after serving 12 years, followed by five years of probation. This was a very tragic event, Harmon said. One young life taken away and other lives being ruined to some extent. Mr. Coleman, keep that in mind. When you get out, try to be a better individual. After judicial marshals took Coleman out of the courtroom, it was Moyes turn. He was represented by New Haven Public Defender Beth A. Merkin. He was 22 at the time, Merkin said of Moye. There are disagreements on the differing levels of complicity but Mr. Graham was the most culpable. Merkin said Moye claims he was not aware of all the planning that brought the three defendants to the crime scene alongside the popular running, biking and walking trail. Hes still a young man, Merkin told Harmon. When Harmon offered Moye a chance to say anything, Moye shook his head. While Harmon imposed the identical sentence of 20 years, suspended after 12 years with five years of probation, he told Moye: You are both at a very young age. Youve got a lot of your life left. Hopefully you can turn it around. Harmon added: You hung around with the wrong people. You have to be careful who you choose as your friends. Youve got a chance to go forward with your life. Unfortunately the victim does not have that chance. Choose your friends better in the future. After court was adjourned, Heath said, Im just glad I got justice and he can finally rest. Contact Randall Beach at randall.beach@hearstmediact.com. Former NRL star and boxer Joe Williams has opened up on his battle with depression and how he tried to end his life at the age of 28. Nine years on from the attempted suicide, the former Penrith Panthers and South Sydney Rabbitohs halfback revealed it all started when he was just 13. After suffering a devastating concussion Williams spiralled into a deep depression and developed suicidal thoughts. Former NRL star and boxer Joe Williams has opened up on his battle with depression that drove him to attempt to take his own life when he was 28 Nine years on from the attempted suicide, the former Penrith Panthers and South Sydney Rabbitohs halfback has revealed it all started when he was just 13 'Since the concussion, there was a dialogue in my head that was negative and told me to end my life,' he told The Daily Telegraph. The Wiradjuri man struggled through his teenage years trying to make his way in rugby league as well as the pressures of coming of age. 'I went through the journey of living in the country, growing up Aboriginal and then moving to the city and finding alcohol and drugs and developing an addiction issue, to silence what was going through my head,' Williams said. Williams said at the time he was trying to 'figure out who he was'. 'As an Aboriginal boy, I was too white to be black and too black to be white, so I had issues with who I was as a person,' he said. The former NRL player now travels around the country spreading awareness about depression and suicide. Last year Williams accused the government of dragging their feet after the inquiry into the suicide of 14-year-old Dolly Everett. Mr Williams told the ABC he noticed immediate action was taken after Dolly, a young non-indigenous girl, died, but that 'young people are dying here, and now there is no response'. The former NRL player now travels around the country spreading awareness about depression and suicide Last year Williams accused the government of dragging their feet after the inquiry into suicide of 14-year-old Dolly Everett Mr Williams said after his own struggle with mental illness and alcohol addiction, he thinks the rhetoric needs to change to be more inclusive. He has been working in suicide prevention in rural areas of Australia since 2012, after surviving his suicide attempt. 'It's about normalising that conversation and having the conversation with kids that speaking about this stuff is actually good,' Mr Williams said. 'That's where the community and the country can come together in healing and having difficult conversations because we're losing lives here.' A new national register of suicide and self-harm data launched over the weekend is believed to be crucial in preventing more Australians from spiralling into self-harm. A nurse has had her registration cancelled by the High Court after being found guilty of professional misconduct over falsifying prescriptions under which she obtained certain medications for her own use. Despite mitigating factors including the nurses long work record, that she was going through significant personal difficulties and suffering from depression during the relevant period in 2017, and is considered unlikely to re-offend, the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland had concluded, given the seriousness of her admitted misconduct, no sanction short of cancellation of her registration would maintain public confidence in the profession, the High Court heard on Monday. High Court president Ms Justice Mary Irvine said she saw no good reason to depart from the Boards decision and would confirm it. At the request of a solicitor for the Board, the judge also made an order directing nothing may be published which might identify the nurse. The case arose after a complaint against the nurse was made to the Board by a hospitals director of nursing. That led to a Fitness to Practice Inquiry earlier this year into allegations of falsifying prescriptions, on dates in February and March 2017, purporting to be from the hospital where she worked and purporting to be from two different consultants for two different patients. She also admitted presenting the forged prescriptions at a pharmacy which, based on the prescriptions, had dispensed medications to her. As a result of the falsifications, 28 Frumil tablets, a diuretic medication, and 30 Flurazepam tablets, a long-acting benzodiazepine used to treat insomnia, were dispensed to the nurse on each occasion. The nurse did not attend and was not represented at the inquiry. She had made admissions and the Committee found her guilty of professional misconduct, amounting to infamous and disgraceful conduct, and conduct that was dishonest and amounting to a significant breach of trust, arising from the falsification findings. The Committee also found she did not suffer from a relevant medical disability, depression and/or anxiety, such as may impair her ability to practice nursing. In considering sanction, it considered the nature of the misconduct as well as the mitigating factors, including her admissions, her long record, that she was experiencing significant personal difficulties and depression at the time of the misconduct, and that she had fully cooperated with a consultant psychiatrist. It concluded the seriousness of the admitted misconduct was such that no sanction short of cancellation would maintain public confidence in the nursing profession and uphold professional standards. Having agreed with that conclusion, and in circumstances where the nurse lodged no appeal, the Board applied on Monday for the necessary confirmation order from the High Court. Oscar winner Joaquin Pheonix and his fiancee, actor Rooney Mara, have become parents to a baby boy, their first child together. The couple has named their son after Phoenixs late older brother, actor River Phoenix, who died in 1993 at the age of 23 of a drug overdose. According to US magazine, the news was shared by Russian filmmaker Victor Kossakovsky during a Q&A at the 2020 Zurich Film Festival on Sunday, post the screening of his documentary Gunda, executive produced by Pheonix. He just got a baby, by the way, his name was a beautiful son called River, so he cannot promote it now, Kossakovsky said when quizzed about the Joker star. It was confirmed in May that Mara, 35, and Phoenix, 45, are expecting their first child together. The actor had remembered his brother River during his Oscar speech. When he was 17, my brother wrote this lyric, he said, Run to the rescue with love, and peace will follow, Joaquin said at the end of his speech, giving everyone a call to action. Joaquin and Rooney Mara met in 2016 on the sets of Mary Magdalene, in which Mara played the title role alongside Phoenix as Jesus. They started dating soon after and made their red carpet debut at the closing ceremony of Cannes Film Festival 2017. Months later, Phoenix confirmed in an interview that they were living together in the Hollywood Hills. The duo got engaged last year in July. Rome Nine humanitarian experts on the chances of a real global reset by 2030 Five years ago, members of the United Nations unanimously approved a set of ambitious goals to hit by 2030 aimed at making the world a better place. The title wasn't snappy but the ambition was big. SDGs - or the 17 Sustainable Development Goals - cover everything from hunger to gender equality, climate change to eradicating poverty and protecting vanishing ecosystems. With just a decade left, the Thomson Reuters Foundation asked nine experts from very different sectors and geographies to reflect on whether the world is on track. We asked our panel if there was still a hope for success, given the world is mired in a pandemic and its economic fallout. Richard Curtis, writer-director behind hit movies 'Notting Hill' and 'Love Actually' and a U.N.-appointed advocate of SDGs: There's no denying it will be tough but we need the SDGs and what they promise more than ever. The worst thing we can do is give up. This could give be a chance to reset our economies and societies so they are more inclusive, green and leave no one behind. Paula Avila-Guillen, human rights lawyer and executive director of New York-based Women's Equality Center: As a human rights advocate, I want to be positive and hopeful. However, even before COVID-19, the world was already behind on the SDGs. Now, seeing how the pandemic has affected everyone, especially the most socio-economically vulnerable and those in marginalized communities... we are further from achieving them. Jan Egeland, secretary-general, Norwegian Refugee Council: Yes, we can! A global economy that found tens of trillions of dollars & euros to keep large and developed economies afloat during the pandemic can afford the relatively few billions needed to provide education, nutrition, shelter and clean water to the bottom billion. It is a question of political will. Karol Boudreaux, chief programme officer at global land rights organisation Landesa: Although it will be quite challenging, with sufficient dedication and resources yes, there is a chance. Philip Alston, professor, New York University School of Law and a former U.N. special rapporteur: The SDGs are impressive as a laundry list. (But) they don't really address the broader issues. A lot of the key SDGs are failing ... there's no real political momentum behind the SDGs. Eni Lestari, chairwoman, International Migrants Alliance: As a migrant, I doubt the SDG goals can be met by 2030. The SDGs promise a lot in terms of eradication of poverty, trafficking and inclusion for migrants. In reality, especially during COVID-19, we can see they are empty. Steve Killelea, founder of Global Peace Index and author of 'Peace in the Age of Chaos' There are 169 targets in the SDGs, this is a difficult number of items to address, even for the most advanced countries. (And) there is no independent body responsible for measuring progress. Future funding of the SDGs will also become an issue. How is progress going on individual goals such as food security, land rights for women and promoting peace? Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim, environmental activist, member of Chad's pastoralist Mbororo community: Our planet still needs urgent action. The ice cap and the Amazon are close to the point of no return. Many indigenous communities are on the edge of extinction. Olivier De Schutter, co-chair of the International Panel of Experts on Sustainable Food Systems (IPES-Food) & U.N. Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights: After some (minor) progress... with absolute numbers of people suffering from hunger going down from 925 million in the early 1990s to 820 million in 2018, the numbers are now going up again. Large parts of the population... are still too poor to feed themselves: however much food there is available, unless you improve purchasing power... you will fail to reduce hunger. Avila-Guillen: We had one major victory in 2017 when Chile, after a 27-year ban, decriminalised abortion under specific circumstances. We're also seeing a resurgence and amplification of the women's rights movement across Latin America. However, Latin America is still a very harsh and cruel place to be a woman. There are still women being imprisoned in El Salvador, just for having a miscarriage or a stillbirth. We still have a long fight ahead of us. Boudreaux: On land rights, and particularly women's land rights, there is still quite a long way to go. Only a minority of countries have reported against an indicator (that tracks progress). Lestari: Governments have been (looking for) opportunities to employ semi-skilled migrants on a temporary basis with less rights. The number of workers who have been sent back home in different parts of the world has been increasing in the past five years and yet governments continue to stigmatise a small number of migrant workers they keep in their countries. Killelea: (Peace) has actually declined by 2.5%... with 81 countries deteriorating and 79 improving. Additionally, there is a growing gap between the most and least peaceful countries. The underlying conditions for more major conflicts are there. The economic downturn caused by COVID-19 may cause some of these to erupt. What needs to happen in the immediate future? Curtis: Specific actions like greater investment in health and education, providing decent jobs, action on climate change. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Africa Sustainable Development By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. Everyone can play their part - consuming responsibly, choosing responsible brands, campaigning and voting for change. We have to keep our ambition and our hope - we have done amazing things before and we can do them again. Ibrahim: In this dark era, there is still hope. To combat the pandemic, we collectively demonstrated that we can act. This must be a lesson for all of us in implementing the global development goals. Egeland: Now, with the socioeconomic meltdown caused by lockdowns among tens of millions of day labourers and displaced, we are further away from the goals. So, if poor lives matter we should redouble the efforts. Avila-Guillen: Women need to have access to reproductive health and rights. Period. There is nothing else more important than every woman to be able to make decisions over their bodies. Women need to run for office and step into positions of power without fear. We need to be seated at the table. De Schutter: In the name of economic growth, we've sacrificed the ecosystems... and we've exhausted the women and men in the economy, by subjecting them to huge pressure from the globalisation of competition and the deregulation of labour markets. We must think of a different kind of development: one that does not see economic growth as a precondition for everything else. (Additional reporting by Amber Milne, Anastasia Moloney, Megan Rowling, Ellen Wulfhorst and Beh Lih Yi. Editing by Lyndsay Griffiths) James Murray and Melyssa Davies are married, PEOPLE can exclusively announce. The Impractical Jokers star, 44, wed his fiancee on Friday at the Lake House Inn in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, in front of family and friends. In attendance, of course, were the rest of the Jokers: Sal Vulcano, Brian Quinn and Joe Gatto, who served as best man and also officiated the wedding. The six months leading up to the big day were full of twists and turns, as the couple juggled their plans with ever-evolving COVID-19 restrictions. "We had four different weddings being planned simultaneously, depending on how everything worked," Murray tells PEOPLE. "We had four different wedding lists and four different plans, and one version of it was just our bridal party in our backyard, at the most extreme." "We ended up going with a compromised list, which was about a quarter of the original list that we had," he continues. "Honestly, it was a lot less stress having one quarter of the guest list. It's a lot less moving parts in that way. And thankfully we're both healthy, and our families are healthy, so it was kind a blessing in that way, having this time to live together and plan our lives together." Adds Davies, "We moved in not too long before everything happened, and having both of us home, I think, really helped decide what we wanted and what we needed more of and less of. We got to spend a lot more time in the house which I don't think would have been possible before all of this and with our puppy. She got spoiled during all of this!" RELATED: All of the Celeb Couples Who've Tied the Knot in 2020 The venue, a largely outdoor space located on Lake Nockamixon, felt like the perfect choice. It allowed the couple to hold their ceremony outside, overlooking the lake, and their cocktail hour on a sweeping balcony. The reception hall went without its removable doors and windows to allow for more airflow. Both the bridal party and the bride and groom's immediate families stayed on the property, which offers separate houses for guests. Story continues Related: The 'Impractical Jokers' and Jameela Jamil had Instant Chemistry "It's a beautiful place. They did a great job with it," Murray says. "It's very cool that we get to be with our closest friends and family, without having the need for them to be staying in hotels nearby." Masks were required, and mask and sanitizing stations were set up throughout the space. The couple also strategized smaller tables for guests, spreading people further apart and ensuring a certain amount of distance from the band. "It's been interesting," Murray says. "But all that matters is that our closest friends and family were there, and all that matters to me, truly, is that this one person was there besides me, and that she said yes." RELATED: Impractical Jokers Star James Murray Is Engaged! Inside His Sweet Proposal to Melyssa Davies Murray and Davies made sure to leave their special touch on the fun, light-hearted celebration they even rented a bouncy house. For the centerpieces, they selected pieces of old-time luggage, which each came with a wooden photo album for guests. "There's a picture of Melyssa and I on the cover and it says, 'Melyssa and James' upcoming honeymoon,'" Murray explains. "And when you flip open the album, it's 20 or 25 photos of us where we might go on our honeymoon for the next two weeks but they're all photoshopped photos. There is one real photo of where we're actually going, but the rest of them are hysterical and funny, like us on the top of Mount Everest, us at a volcano, us kayaking down the Amazon. There's a whole storyline to the photo album." "And inside each piece of luggage, there's a different antique wooden board game," Davies adds. "We're really big game people." So where is the happy couple jetting off to for their honeymoon? They're taking a two-week trip to Soneva Jani, a five-star resort in the heart of the Maldives. "You know, I never thought I would get married, I never thought I wanted to get married," Murray admits. "And I met Melyssa and it was instantly different. I knew I was going to marry her. And my whole life I've wanted to go to one place, and I had kind of resigned myself to knowing that I wouldn't go, because you wouldn't go to this place unless you were getting married." "It's spectacularly beautiful, and I've wanted to go my whole life," he says. "I never thought I would, and when I met Melyssa, I was like, holy cow, I get to go to the place of my dreams." Catch People (the TV show!) Monday through Friday. Check your local listings for exact times or stream the show every day at 7 p.m. ET/ 4 p.m. PT at People.com and PeopleTV.com. A popular boardwalk on Killaun Bog near Birr has deteriorated badly, but thankfully steps are being taken to tackle the problem. The matter was raised during the September monthly meeting of Birr Municipal District in Aras an Chontae, Tullamore. Many of you will be familiar with Killaun Bog, said Amanda Pedlow, Offaly Heritage Officer. The boardwalk across it was constructed by the woodworking class in Birr Community School and members of the local community. It was constructed before the boardwalk on Clara Bog. Unfortunately, its condition has deteriorated badly and a complete replacement is urgently needed. Ms Pedlow said she had been working with Birr Community School seeking potential sources of funding for the facility's replacement. We have received 20,000 in funding, from the Peatlands Community Engagement Fund, which means we can start the replacement works, she remarked. "It's hoped to start soon. The project is being primarily driven by the Board of Birr Community School. The plan is to replace the entire wooden walkway with new recycled plastic as a long term solution." She said the new walkway will look well, and will not need annual repair because it will be much more durable. Throw back to a few years ago walking on Killaun Bog just outside #Birr #Offaly Certainly worth a visit if in the area! pic.twitter.com/UAc4DcPKcM Stephen Callaghan (@stecallaghan01) August 3, 2020 Many of you will be familiar with the excellent photographic work of acclaimed Birr photographer Tina Claffey. Killaun Bog is a source of much inspiration for Tina and she visits it a lot. It's also visited a lot by the pupils and staff of Birr Community School as well as many people in the Birr area. The Irish Heritage School, which is based locally, plans to use the facility as well. Killaun Bog is located off the R440 Birr to Kinnitty Road, a few miles from Birr. New Delhi, Sep 28 : Consumers will now get only pure mustard oil as the Central government has banned the mixing of any other edible oil with mustard oil. The ban imposed by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) will come into force from October 1, 2020. Experts say the decision by the government will benefit consumers as well as mustard growing farmers. Rice bran oil, palm oil or any other cheap edible oil is used for adulteration. Experts point out that adulteration occurs in two ways -- first is 'blending' in which a fixed proportion is adulterated and the other is 'Adulteration' in which no specific ratio is fixed for mixing. Adulteration in edible oil is already banned while blending was allowed in a fixed proportion but now FSSAI has banned this as well. Dr PK Rai, Director, Mustard Research Directorate in Bharatpur, Rajasthan under the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), said that this decision is in the interest of consumers as well as farmers. By this decision, consumers will get only pure mustard oil while by increasing the consumption of mustard farmers will get a fair price for their produce which will encourage them to go in for mustard farming, he added. Rai said that the decision before the onset of the mustard sowing season is seen as very encouraging for the farmers and this will undoubtedly increase the acreage of mustard in the upcoming rabi sowing season. He informed that the sowing of mustard will start from October 15. However, the edible oil industry said the ban on adulteration should be strictly enforced but blending should be allowed as the manufacturer provides information about the blending ingredients on the packet. Dr BV Mehta, Executive Director of edible oil industry organization, Solvent Extractors Association of India, said the adulteration of mustard oil needs to be banned while blending should not be stopped. He said the samples taken by FSSAI were found to be heavily adulterated so this decision has been taken. Salil Jain of Mumbai, an edible oil market expert, said after this decision the price of mustard oil will be hiked due to which the demand may be impacted. At present, the wholesale price of 10 kg each of mustard oil is Rs 1,100, soya oil Rs 920 and palm oil nearly Rs 830 while the price of rice bran oil is even lesser. Experts say that by mixing cheap edible oil with mustard oil, businessmen make more profits. Sources said the adulteration of cheap edible oil with mustard oil was up to 80 per cent. However, experts point out that both consumers and farmers had to suffer because the latter did not get a fair price for their mustard crop. The FSSAI sent an email on September 24 to the Food Safety Commissioners of all states and Union Territories of the country as well as the Central Licensing Authorities in Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata and Guwahati, saying that from October 1 mixing of any other edible oil with mustard oil has been banned across the country. The Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare has set a production target of 370 lakh tonne oilseeds in the forthcoming crop year 2020-21 (July-June), of which mustard production is targeted to reach 93.36 lakh tonne. The Central government has increased the Minimum Support Price (MSP) of mustard to Rs 4,650 per quintal, an increase of Rs 225. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-28 16:26:27|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close VIENTIANE, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- Laos has conducted over 50,000 tests for the COVID-19 pandemic since January, with 23 of them being positive, according to the Lao Ministry of Health report on Monday. Deputy Director General of the Department of Communicable Diseases Control under Lao Ministry of Health, Sisavath Soutthaniraxay, told a press conference held in the Lao capital Vientiane on Monday that Laos has been carrying out tests on a daily basis to detect coronavirus infections since January, completing 51,084 in total so far. Among the people tested, 23 have been confirmed to be infected with the virus and 22 of the patients have been discharged from hospitals. On Sunday, a total of 1,884 people entered Laos through international border checkpoints. Body temperature checks showed no one had signs of fever. According to the National Taskforce Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control, it has been monitoring 3,421 people at 44 accommodation centers across the country. The Lao government has warned citizens not to neglect virus containment and prevention measures in order to ward off a second wave of the epidemic. Laos announced its first two confirmed COVID-19 cases on March 24. Enditem Even if omicron peak nears, Long Beach cases and hospitalizations will still be up for weeks, official says 'Today, the State is permanently going after politicians, but also civil society, academics and all those it is threatened by or irritated with.' Photograph: Hitesh Harisinghani/ Rediff.com IMAGE: An anti-Citizenship (Amendment) Act protest at Mumbai's historic August Kranti Maidan, December 19, 2019. Former Amnesty International India director and human rights campaigner Aakar Patel tells Prasanna D Zore/Rediff.com how the Narendra Damodardas Modi government is methodically suppressing all kinds of dissent even as it fails to strengthen the Indian economy and borders. The Bharatiya Janata Party's Surat MLA Purnesh Modi recently filed a complaint against Patel for allegedly promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, etc, and the Surat police registered an FIR against Patel under Section 153A of the Indian Penal Code. "I have done nothing wrong. I will defend myself in the case," says Patel who is one of the many staunch critics of the Modi government. What makes the Modi government strike against anybody who opposes it? Authoritarian leaders and parties do not tolerate dissent. They use the State to suppress those who are opposed to them and those who are independent. Could you give examples how the Modi government is suppressing the voices of its critics? One can see the action against individuals like Shashi Tharoor, Prannoy Roy, P Chidambaram and Raghav Bahl as both persecution and a signal to the rest. What was the case filed against you by the Surat BJP MLA? I cannot say I was surprised that the FIR was filed because its contents are factual. My defence will be the truth. How are you planning to take on this case against you? I have done nothing wrong. I will defend myself in the case and I will consult my lawyer to see if the FIR can be quashed. What is the Modi government afraid of, despite being in such an unassailable position politically, that it wants to take on activists like you? I don't know if my case is linked to the wider problem and perhaps it may not be. But it is true that there is a strong dislike of activists and this has been the consistent position of this government from the beginning. The recent legislation against the FCRA law is a continuation of this hostility towards civil society in India. Is there a method to the Modi government's actions when it comes to suppressing voices of dissent on the ground as well as the Opposition in Parliament? The Emergency saw the silencing for two years of essentially political voices and the media. Today, the State is permanently going after politicians, but also civil society, academics and all those it is threatened by or irritated with. The media doesn't need to be silenced because most of it backs the State and its majoritarian agenda. The Union government is the largest advertiser in South Asia. That's a pretty big carrot to dangle, and the government also liberally uses the stick in terms of denial of advertising, denial of license and other means of harassing media owners. How are the beneficiaries of foreign donations planning to raise money after the FCRA squeeze? What drives those NGOs who fight for social, political and economic justice for India's poor? Some NGOs who are not delivery-based will likely be able to get by easier. Those who have an end delivery (building schools or giving vaccines, etc) which require resources will find it tougher. But activists are a special type and most who are affected by this change in law will continue their work even if it is curtailed in some way. People may not know that FCRA was a law meant to exclude foreign contribution to political parties. They have slipped out of the law and instead turned it around to target NGOs. Are you happy with the way India's Opposition parties, nationally and at the state level, fighting the Modi government's iron fist policies? It would be hard to look around and see much political resistance to what is going on. Whether this is because of a lack of effort, a lack of opportunity or a lack of talent is something that needs to be examined. What ails India's Opposition? Why are they not able to come up with a united front against this government's draconian policies? There are several things. A lack of resources, an uncertainty of how to grapple with the shift in the media. At the moment, of course there is little opportunity to act on the ground because of Covid restrictions. Above all, in my view it is difficult to counter majoritarianism in the short term because there is purchase for it on the sub-continent. I think it is clear that Kashmiris have been told to stay in their place. The changes that have happened and the way in which they have been communicated make it clear that it was a message both to them and to the BJP's core supporters. This is sad because we insist Kashmiris are Indians, but treat them as if they were not. In my opinion, Muslims have become quite fearful of what this government is doing and can do. There seems to be no letting up of the majoritarian agenda at all even with the economy in crisis. What are the Modi government's failures that may cost the nation dear? On the economy, the problem is a lack of acknowledgment that the economy began to slide according to government data from January 2018. It has since deteriorated. What is not acknowledged cannot be fixed. The same lack of acknowledgement appears to be the problem at the border (the India-China military standoff in Ladakh). Socially, the damage is immense and India will take years and perhaps decades to recover from what has been done and is being done by the government. Jubilee lawmakers allied to Deputy President William Ruto have asked President Uhuru Kenyatta to dissolve Parliament over the two thirds gender rule as advised by Chief Justice David Maraga. The MPs said the President should adhere to the requirements of the Constitution he swore to uphold by dissolving Parliament and call for fresh elections. They also said they are ready to vie again for their positions. Kuria West MP Mathias Robi told Mr Kenyatta to demonstrate respect for the Constitution. "The Chief justice said we have failed to enact the gender rule so we should go home and seek a fresh mandate. The President has no option but to [follow his advice," he said, adding history will judge the President harshly if he acts contrary to the Constitution. Charles Gimose (Hamisi) said MPs are "more than ready to go home" to demonstrate they are law-abiding citizens and serve as an example to others. The MPs addressed an interdenominational prayer service in Bumula Constituency, Bungoma County, on Sunday, a function which the DP attended. 'Hustler' politics Moses Kuria (Gatundu South) asked Amani National Congress (ANC) leader Musalia Mudavadi and Ford-Kenya's Moses Wetang'ula to stop taking Kenyans into the Opposition. "We are forming the government with Ruto and we don't want the Mulembe people left behind," he said. "We want to form a government that will take care of 'hustlers' and revive the economy. We don't want to be part of the government but to form the government." Gachagua Nderitu (Mathira) castigated Francis Atwoli, secretary-general of the Central Organization of Trade Unions (Cotu), saying he doesn't represent any member of the Luhya community. While asking Luhyas to back Dr Ruto in the 2022 race for the presidency, he said, "Raila Odinga and his late father have been aspiring to become President since independence but haven't succeeded." Benjamin Washiali (Mumias East) described the DP as the "king of hustlers" and said those planning to crucify him won't succeed. "There are people planning all manner of evil against Ruto but they won't succeed because he has God and the people," he said. Former Kakamega Senator Boni Khalwale said Dr Ruto will be Kenya's fifth President. Corruption war On alleged graft at the Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (Kemsa) in the use of funds meant for the Covid-19 pandemic, Mr Washiali said those who stole money are well known and asked investigating agencies to quickly find them. "The investigations should extend to banks," he said, and called for transparency in the use of public funds in order for leaders to regain the public's trust. Mr Washiali alleged use of the Huduma Namba to rig the next General Election, a claim which Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang'i has denied, and also asked the community to back the DP. The CS also noted that database logistics and software for the National Integrated Identity Management System (NIIMS) are 100 per cent Kenyan government-funded, designed, developed, and solely managed by Kenyans. The ministry asked the public "to be wary of misinformation, disinformation and conspiracy theories propagated about Huduma Namba". Mwambu Mabonga (Bumula) said Huduma Namba data must be secured and accountability ensured. "Let the money they are planning to use for the second round of registration be assigned to our children's education as schools reopen," he said. Dan Wanyama (Webuye West) accused "certain people in the government" of planning to manipulate Huduma Namba data. "They are manipulating the data to steal votes. We will not accept a second round of registration," he said. On the graft matter, Mr Khalwale funds from the World Health Organization (WHO) that were channelled through Kemsa must be used to pay school fees because all businesses were closed. He also said schools should not reopen on October 5 and that the government should start by fully reopening the economy. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Kenya Governance By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. Ruto's remarks In his address, the DP asked Kenyans to support the 'hustler' in the next presidential election. DP Ruto accused Mr Odinga, leader of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), of calling him names for associating with the poor. The rivalry between the two has intensified with the ODM leader dismissing 'hustler' politics and saying one's background isn't a determinant of the ability to lead. "Poor people are the voters. I have to befriend them to ensure they also succeed in future," the Deputy President said. Dr Ruto further said there is a need for change from politics of division to discussions on development and unity. "Conversations must change. We are going to advance talks with the downtrodden so they can also grow," he said, adding nobody should be threatened or despised. He added that 30,000 people in Bungoma will soon benefit from a Sh2 billion electrification project. Connecticut will receive about 1 million rapid COVID-19 tests as part of the Trump administrations plan to distribute 100 million of them to states nationwide by the end of the year. In a post on Twitter, Gov. Ned Lamont said the White House informed him that Connecticut will be awarded tens of thousands of rapid coronavirus tests. He said the state will get roughly a million (tests) in total by the end of the year. Lamonts office said it did not have additional comment or details about the tests. President Donald Trump announced Monday afternoon his administration would soon send 100 million Abbott rapid point-of-care COVID-19 tests to states, with 6.5 million being shipped out this week. Trump and Vice President Mike Pence publicly urged governors to use the tests to reopen and keep open K-12 schools. But governors, who received a White House briefing on the test distribution Monday, will have the final discretion on what to do with the new tests. The allocation to each state is based on population. This is a game-changer, said Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves, who spoke at the White House with Trump Monday afternoon. We will have testing available for our K-12 teachers every single day going forward. In addition to the shipments for states, Trumps administration will send rapid tests to nursing homes, assisted living facilities, tribal health centers and historically Black colleges and universities, Trump said. In total, 150 million of the tests will be sent across the country. The test gives results in 15 minutes without a machine and can be self-administered if needed, said Adm. Brett Giroir, the administrations testing czar. He demonstrated the test by swabbing his own nose in the White House Rose Garden. Literally, it almost could not be easier, he said. Abbott point-of-care tests have been known to generate false results, prompting public health experts to advise using these as a complement to other testing. State officials indicated earlier this year that they hoped to test 1 million people monthly for the coronavirus by December. That figure, which represents roughly one-third of Connecticuts population, was included in the states testing plan filed in July with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Resources. To meet the goal of testing 1 million people each month, Connecticut would have to more than double the amount of diagnostic tests performed in August. On Monday, the state announced another 560 confirmed cases of the virus since Friday and two more COVID-19-linked death with 57,147 cases and 4,503 deaths since the pandemic hit in March. One person was discharged from the hospital, with 75 state residents still hospitalized with the coronavirus. The state performed 52,022 more tests since Friday, with 1,568,802 tests done overall. The states testing plan to get to 1 million tests a month by December would require expanding testing sites, hiring more personnel and obtaining additional equipment. The plan, required by Connecticut and others to get coronavirus testing funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention earlier this year, indicated the state intends to focus testing on educators and students at universities and schools, expand testing for nursing home residents and incarcerate individuals and bump up community testing in neighborhoods. The state has not met its target goals for serology testing among residents. There were 8,335 serology tests performed in August and 14,384 in July, data from the governors office showed. Each month, the plan showed, the states goal was 50,000 tests. The state also announced Monday that in-person visitation restrictions at nursing homes have been lifted. While many guidelines remain in place for visitors to Connecticut nursing homes, Mondays changes will allow in-person visits for the first time since March. Also on Monday, the state Department of Education started to distribute 600,000 cloth face masks to school districts across the state, obtained through the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The masks distributed Monday were for grades seven through 12 since they were adult-sized masks, the state said. A second delivery, expected to have child-sized masks, will be distributed to the younger grades. Siemens Energy chairman Christian Bruch and Ralf Thomas, CFO and board member of Siemens AG, hailed a spinoff deal comprising one of Europe's largest stock market debuts this year German industrial giant Siemens on Monday spun off its energy division, with a below-expectations valuation of 16 billion euros, in one of the largest stock market debuts in Europe this year. Shares in Siemens Energy traded at 22.01 euros ($23.27) at open, before sliding back to 21.68 euros at 0834 GMT. The valuation lagged expectations, with analysts having predicted the new company's market cap to reach between 17 billion and 24 billion euros. In March, Siemens said the energy unit had equity of about 17.3 billion euros. "As an independent company, we now have the entrepreneurial flexibility we need to help shape the global transformation of the energy markets in a sustainable and economically successful manner," said Siemens Energy's chief executive Christian Bruch. Despite the coronavirus pandemic upending business plans worldwide, Siemens pressed ahead with the spinoff first announced in May 2019. Siemens Energy, with its oil and gas, turbines, power transmission and related services businesses, joins medical devices arm Healthineers and lightbulb unit Osram on the stock market, which debuted in 2018 and 2013 respectively, as Siemens slims down to become more agile. Fleet of ships Siemens chief executive Joe Kaeser in 2017 said he wanted the company to become a "fleet of ships" rather than an awkward tanker, as it seeks to chart a course through a more challenging time for industrial companies. Other sprawling German conglomerates such as Thyssenkrupp, Bayer and Continental have similarly spun off units to face a fast-changing trade climate, digitalisation, and cheaper metal imports from China. The energy unit, which employs 91,000 people, has struggled in recent years and last year announced 2,700 job cuts worldwide. It generated revenue of 28.8 billion euros in fiscal year 2019. The conglomerate has, however, proved broadly resilient to the coronavirus pandemic, beating expectations with net profit of 539 million euros in the three months to the end of June. As part of the spinoff, Siemens will give 55 percent of shares in Siemens Energy to its current shareholders at a ratio of one Siemens Energy share for every two shares in the main company. The company's pension fund will get 9.9 percent, with the parent company holding on to 35.1 percent. After anticipating the share price to suffer a little at first, "in two to three weeks we will see the share price stabilise and towards December we will see the first fair valuation," Siemens chief financial officer Ralf Thomas told AFP. The shares had a "bumpy start" to trading, but the industry had "a promising future", Comdirect analyst Andreas Lipkow said. Siemens intends to reduce its shareholding significantly within 12 to 18 months after the completion of the spinoff, it said. Siemens Energy will own two-thirds of Spanish-based renewables arm Siemens Gamesa, as the company also pivots to more sustainable energy sources. However, Siemens Group, which aims to be carbon neutral by 2030, recently come under fire for signing a contract in December to provide rail signalling services for the Carmichael coal mine project in Australia. Luisa Neubauer, Germany's answer to Greta Thunberg and the leader of the country's Fridays for Future environmental protest, had turned down an offer to sit on the board of Siemens Energy after calling the Australia decision "disastrous". In a peculiar quirk, the spinoff will temporarily raise Germany's blue-chip stock index to 31 names from its normal 30. Siemens Energy will drop off the DAX after close. Explore further Siemens Healthineers to buy US cancer specialist for $16.4 bn 2020 AFP The Socialist Equality Group (New Zealand) will hold a public online meeting, via Zoom, on Saturday October 3 at 4:00 pm NZ time to discuss the upcoming election, the breakdown of capitalism and the socialist and internationalist perspective that the working class must adopt. The global COVID-19 pandemic, which looms over the election, has the character of a trigger event in world history: it has greatly accelerated the processes of widening social inequality, the drive by the ruling class towards dictatorship and world war. In the United States, Trump is threatening to disregard the November election result, stage a coup detat and unleash fascist violence against the working class. The unlivable conditions created by capitalism are driving millions into mass protests and strikes, further fuelled by anger over the criminal negligence of governments that has led to nearly a million coronavirus deaths worldwide. New Zealand is not in any way an exception. Contrary to the global media adulation for Labour Party Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, she leads a right-wing coalition government with the Greens and the extreme nationalist NZ First, which is overseeing soaring inequality and poverty. Workers have responded with a series of strikes including by teachers, nurses and healthcare workers, and mass protests against inaction on climate change and police killings. The governments main response to the pandemic and the economic crisis has been an unprecedented transfer of tens of billions of dollars to the rich in the form of quantitative easing, bailouts, tax concessions and wage subsidies for businesses. Billions continue to flow to the military to upgrade, expand and integrate into US-led war plans against China. Meanwhile, basic services, including hospitals, are being starved of funds, and unemployment is sky-rocketing to levels not seen in generations. To divert anger over the social crisis, the government has scapegoated immigrants. Cabinet Ministers have spewed racist filth that echoes the manifesto of the fascist terrorist who killed 51 people in Christchurchan atrocity fuelled by decades of demonisation of Muslims and other immigrants and participation by successive governments in the criminal US wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The election will resolve nothing. In their campaigns, the Labour Party and the opposition National Party, along with the minor parties, are seeking to cover up their real agenda with fraudulent platitudes about creating jobs and reviving the economy. Whoever wins, the next government will intensify the assault on workers living standards, attack democratic rights and ramp up preparations for war. Workers and young people will inevitably be driven into revolutionary struggles. But this movement must be guided by a new perspective and leadership, independent from, and opposed to, all the established parties. Its conscious aims must be the establishment of a workers government, abolition of the profit system and the fight for international socialism. The Socialist Equality Group, the New Zealand supporters of the International Committee of the Fourth International, urges workers, students, young people and readers of the WSWS to register to attend our public meeting to discuss these vitally important issues. Meeting times: New Zealand time: 4:00pm Saturday October 3 Sydney time: 1:00pm Saturday October 3 Britain: 4:00am Saturday 3 October India/Sri Lanka: 8:30am Saturday 3 October New York (EDT): 11:00pm Friday October 2 Game Of Thrones actor Hafthor Julius Bjornsson and his wife Kelsey Henson revealed on Sunday that they had welcomed their first child together. The strongman-turned-actor and his wife announced that she had given birth to a baby boy on Saturday, though they weren't ready to share their child's name. Both Hafthor and Kelsey shared some adorable photos of the newly arrived baby to their Instagram accounts to celebrate the joyous occasion. New love: Game Of Thrones actor Hafthor Julius Bjornsson and his wife Kelsey Henson revealed on Sunday that they had welcomed their first child together Kelsey shared a sweet photo of herself and her husband cuddled up with their adorable baby between them. ADVERTISEMENT Hafthor, who's best known for playing The Mountain on HBO's Game Of Thrones, looked massive as he held his son's tiny hand in his own mitt. Click here to resize this module Kelsey looked relaxed and relieved and wore a beige shirt covered in dinosaurs while sporting metal-frame cat-eye glasses. 'Our beautiful baby boy made his grand entrance into the world at 11:19 AM on September 26th 2020 after a short and intense six hours,' she wrote in the caption. '3530 grams [7.78lbs] and 52 cm [20.5in]. The birth was the most powerful, life changing, empowering thing Ive ever done in my entire life. We are all doing well and settling in at home as three!' Towering: Hafthor, who's best known for playing The Mountain on HBO's Game Of Thrones, looked massive against his petite wife and tiny son Quick delivery: 'Our beautiful baby boy made his grand entrance into the world at 11:19 AM on September 26th 2020 after a short and intense six hours, Kelsey wrote on Instagram Early morning: Hafthor wrote that he was awakened at 6 a.m. to Kelsey telling him her water had broken, though they chose to wait at their home in Iceland for a midwife to arrive Kelsey kept her update fairly concise, but her husband went into greater detail about the day leading up to the birth. He wrote that he was awakened at 6 a.m. to Kelsey telling him her water had broken, though they chose to wait at their home in Iceland for a midwife and doula to arrive. Though they initially hoped to do a home birth, the pregnancy progressed too quickly, so everyone left for a birthing center about 10 minutes away. At 11:19, following '2 hours and 19 mins of pushing,' Kelsey gave birth to the little boy. Hafthhor said the new trio arrived home in the evening, with 'both mom and baby doing super well,' and they all 'spent our first night as three together.' 'We have decided on a name and cannot wait to share it with you all soon,' he added at the end. Secret for now: 'We have decided on a name and cannot wait to share it with you all soon,' he wrote Child #2: In addition to his baby son, Hafthor already has a daughter, Theresa Lif, whom he shares with his ex-girlfriend Thelma Bjork Steimann Falling in love: The fitness star met Kelsey when she worked as a bartender in Alberta, Canada, in late 2017. They married in October 2018 and announced the pregnancy in April of this year In addition to his baby son, Hafthor already has a daughter, Theresa Lif, whom he shares with his ex-girlfriend Thelma Bjork Steimann. ADVERTISEMENT The fitness star began dating Kelsey in late 2017, when she was working as a waitress in Alberta, Canada, her home country. The two hit it off after Hafthor visited her bar while competing in a strongman competition in the area. They married in October 2018, and announced her pregnancy in April of this year. They make quite a contrast when standing next to each other, as the athlete towers at 6ft9in, whereas Kelsey is only 5ft2in. He also has weighed in at around 450lbs at various points, and he set a new deadlifting record in May of this year after he deadlifted a stunning 1,105lbs. Iconic: On Game Of Thrones, he played the massive Gregor 'The Mountain' Clegane, brother of Sandor 'The Hound' Clegane, from seasons four through eight; shown together in April 2019 On Game Of Thrones, he played Gregor 'The Mountain' Clegane, brother of Sandor 'The Hound' Clegane. The character was played by two different actors in the first two seasons of the series, but Hafthor took over the role in season four and continued until the final season, making him the one most identified with the part. Despite originally working as a waitress, Kelsey seems to have taken up her husband's passion for fitness, and she regularly shows off her own muscles on Instagram, even after announcing her pregnancy. ADVERTISEMENT A week ago, Hafthor announced on his Instagram that he was quarantining after possibly being exposed to someone who contracted the novel coronavirus, but he appeared to have gotten a negative test result and was able to be with his wife in time for the birth. Plant Protection and Regulatory Services Directorate (PPRSD) of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture in collaboration with The Europe-Africa-Caribbean-Pacific Liaison Committee (COLEACP) organised a workshop in Accra on establishing and maintaining pest free areas (PFAs) for the production and export of curry leaves in Ghana. This Workshop brought together officials from the Vegetable Producers and Exporters Association of Ghana (VEPEAG), Ministry of Trade and Industries, Ghana Export Promotion Authority and the Directorate of Crop Services of Ministry of Food and Agriculture. Other stakeholders also participated online via Zoom. .COLEACP (The Europe-Africa-Caribbean-Pacific Liaison Committee), a not-for-profit association, facilitates the flow of trade within the Africa-Caribbean-Pacific (ACP) region, and between ACP countries and the EU. For several years, COLEACP has supported the development and compliance initiatives of companies/associations in Ghana and other ACP countries active in the production, transformation and export of fresh fruits and vegetables to European markets ( www.coleacp.org/en ). The President of VEPEAG, Mr. Felix Kamassah said the association supports the establishing and maintaining pest free areas for the production and export of curry leaves in Ghana. The President said the management of harmful organism on vegetables and fruits for export is a collaborative effort between exporters and Plant Protection and Regulatory Services Directorate (PPRSD) of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture. Mr. Felix Kamassah said that We must all agree on a plan of action on pest management to safeguard the quality of crops from losses by pests and diseases. Mr. Ebenezer Aboagye, Head of Crop Pest and Disease Management Division read a welcome address on behalf of the Director PPRSD, Dr. Felicia Ansah-Amprofi (Mrs.). He explained that establishing and maintaining pest free areas for the production and export of curry leaves to European markets is a key to boost the exports of the product. In line with the regulatory changes affecting exports to the EU, Directive 2019/523 requires that export to the EU must conform with options. That is why this discussion is very important and we need to choose the best option and its management if the vector of citrus greening disease is present in Ghana he added. Mr. Aboagye indicated that the citrus greening disease which is transmitted by Asian citrus psyllid Diaphorina citri and the African citrus psyllid Trioza erytreae is widely distributed in the sub-tropics and tropics. Since the 1990s, more than 60 million citrus trees have been destroyed worldwide. Widespread losses of citrus trees have also been reported in Brazil, Indonesia, Philippines, India, Nepal and Saudi Arabia. The disease is also threatening citrus production in Florida and California in the United States since its introduction in 2005 and 2012 respectively he added. Mr. Daniel Kwagbenu, the facilitator of the workshop explained that, the objective of the gathering was to discuss the importance of Establishing and Maintaining Pest Free Areas for the Production and Export of Curry Leaves. Establishment and use of a PFA by PPRSD provides for the export of plants and plant products from the country in which the area is situated (exporting country) to another country (importing country) without the need for the application of additional phytosanitary measures when certain requirements are met he said. The Facilitator said the EU plant health regulation ((EU) 2016/2031) that came into force on December 14, 2019 has brought rigorous new rules to prevent the introduction and spread of pests and diseases in the EU Member States. Countries exporting fruit and vegetables to the EU market must take action to ensure that all consignments are in compliance. If pests are found on arrival in Europe, especially regulated pests, the EU authorities are likely to take action that has serious consequences on the export sectors. Mr. Kwagbenu indicated that in 2015 the UK placed a ban on the exports of fresh curry leaves (Murraya koenigii) from Ghana. However, the imports of dried and frozen leaves were still permitted. Its possible for exports to resume if producer countries outside the EU are officially recognized as free from citrus greening disease. Within the framework of EUs Fit for Market-Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (FFM-SPS) program, this COLEACP sponsored workshop; (a) created awareness and facilitated understanding of the principal requirements for a pest free programme as well as, (b) familiarity with and implications of the various options, namely pest free areas (PFAs), pest free places of production (PFPP), pest free production sites (PFPS) and areas of low pest prevalence ALPP). Are farmers being treated as the whipping boys for the sins of our capitalist, consumerist society? I decided to take a good look at farming practices over the centuries and see how farming has evolved to where it is today. In his 2017 book Energy and Civilisation A History, Vaclav Smil, a renowned Czech-Canadian scientist and policy analyst, goes right back to the transition of mankind from hunter-gatherer to farmer. For tens of thousands of years it was a farmers own labour, supplemented with the power of horses and oxen, that was the principal energy source available to sow and harvest crops. Smil explains that this was more or less the situation right up until about 1900, when food production still only barely exceeded mankinds requirements. The discovery of oil changed everything. Oil heralded the development of synthetic chemical fertilisers. In 1944 insecticides arrived in the form of the ill-fated DDT, and in 1945 the first commercial herbicide, 2,4-D, went on the market. On the back of these developments, global food production has quadrupled, and the global population jumped from 1.6 billion in 1900 to about 6bn in 2000. Smil quotes the late American ecologist Howard T Odum: Industrialised man no longer eats potatoes made from solar energy, he now eats potatoes partly made from oil. Unfortunately, the other side of the coin is that after just 100 years of modern farming combined with a consumer driven capitalist economy, the environment is suffering. Robert Watson, chair of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services, recently said: The health of ecosystems on which we and all other species depend is deteriorating more rapidly than ever. We are eroding the very foundations of our economies, livelihoods, food security, health and quality of life worldwide. www.thethirdpole.net/2019/05/06/global-biodiversity-is-collapsing-warn-scientists/ This raises serious questions about the wisdom of successive Irish governments farming policies over the last 70 years. During this time farmers have been brain-washed into continually increasing farm output under the guise of so-called good science. Unfortunately, while all this was happening, excellent scientific research emanating from our own National Environmental Research Centre in Johnstown Castle was generally ignored. If these environmental voices of reason were listened to, perhaps a far better and more sustainable compromise between increased output and protecting our environment could have been reached. However this raises the really important question, who is really to blame for our current environmental crisis? Is it farmers who have been constantly advised and encouraged to produce all this extra food? Or is it the extra 4.4 billion people on our planet who consume (and often waste) this extra food? Expand Close A bullock recently sold by John Heney / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp A bullock recently sold by John Heney Having just sold my first two loads of finished cattle, a clearer picture is emerging as to how things are working out for me this year. Compared to last year, the results are amazingly similar. So far about two-thirds of my Friesian cattle sold have graded O, while the same proportion had a fat score of 3= or more. So if you allow for the price difference from last year, which is about 15c/kg, the average price per animal is working out about the same. The biggest surprise I noticed was the price difference between the first two loads. The first load were a small, stocky-type bullock with plenty of flesh, while the second load were much taller Friesian cattle. Pound for pound, I have consistently found that larger, taller Friesians always fare much better. In this case they averaged just over 100/hd more than the smaller cattle. While this outcome is totally contrary to industry trends, I unashamedly intend to continue buying as many tall Friesian store cattle as possible. The cost of store replacements this year has risen by about 100, which is twice the rise in the price beef cattle are making. The only reason I can attribute to the trade remaining so firm is the current abundance of grass. But then as a very wise friend said to me recently, hasnt it always been like this?. Above is a picture of a bullock I sold recently. Even though this wasnt the heaviest bullock on the second load, he did have the best confirmation. Confirmation grade O=; fat score 3=; carcase weight 333.4kg. He was bought last November, weighing 437.5kg John Heney farms in Kilfeackle, Co Tipperary STUDENTS' unions from University of Limerick, Mary Immaculate College and Limerick Institute of Technology have teamed up to launch an awareness campaign to encourage students to stop the spread of Covid-19. The video campaign, released this Monday, features top students' union representatives from each institution, urging everyone to protect the community on- and off-campus. The campaign comes as all higher education institutions return to the classroom, albeit online, this week. FYI: The party at @studentpresULs gaff is off Yesterday marked the launch of @UL_StudentLifes COVID19 Awareness Campaign in collaboration with @MaryiSU, @LSADatLIT & @LIT_SU. COVID19 is still among us and we, young people, can be the solution. pic.twitter.com/QiIGC1vuX7 September 28, 2020 UL Student Life president, Cian Quinlan said on Twitter: "If you dont want to listen to us and continue to mingle in mass numbers make sure you know the risks and the potential impact of those around you. Yes, you will probably will survive, but theres a loved one who might not. Here in UL Student Life we are the wolf pack. However, in order to belong to it we must protect it first. Think twice about hosting a house party this week." Weve got the goods for you. From Schitts Creek sweeping the Emmys to two window washers being rescued from a 20-storey drop, here are some of the best stories about good news from thestar.com this past week. 1. Why Schitts Creek is the perfect pandemic Emmy winner Schitts Creek made history last Sunday at the Emmy Awards, sweeping the comedy category with nine awards, including trophies for stars Catherine OHara, Annie Murphy and father-son duo Eugene and Daniel Levy. As Debra Yeo writes, the show was the perfect pandemic Emmys recipient, rewarded for its optimistic take on our shared humanity as much as for the excellence of its acting and writing and directing and costume design and casting. 2. Italys Patient No. 1 joins relay race as sign of hope A 38-year-old man, whose Feb. 21 COVID-19 diagnosis was the first confirmed case of domestic transmission in Italy, took part this past weekend in a two-day race between the countrys first two coronavirus hotspots. Mattia Maestri recovered from COVID-19 after weeks in intensive care. I feel very lucky, he said at the starting line on Saturday. 3. This is just the beginning for Toronto Americas Got Talent finalist Roberta Battaglia, 11, from Toronto made it to the finale of Americas Got Talent, and sang her way into a top five spot. This is just the beginning, Battaglia, who placed fourth said. Its meant so, so much to me, Battaglia told host Terry Crews in the aftermath. Thank you for your support. I love you judges and thank you to the world! 4. She wants to bring joy to Toronto while also highlighting how Black food culture is tied to social justice. Enter Black Foodie Week Last week, Torontonians celebrated Black Foodie Week with virtual classes promoting Afro-Caribbean cooking. The goal? Getting people to eat good food and support Black-owned businesses while theyre at it. A lot of people in the hospitality industry are suffering because of COVID and we want to bring joy to the city and support these businesses in a way thats practical, said organizer Eden Hagos, a Toronto-based food writer and founder of the Black Foodie food site. We saw a shift to a lot of Black-owned restaurants appearing on lists in recent months, but if someone doesnt know what Nigerian food is or what to order, what are the chances theyd go there? 5. Black business owners win against racism in Ontario Superior Court decision The Charles family, owners of Elias Restaurant, went to court over their landlords refusal to renew their lease. The Ontario Superior Court ruled in their favour. During the trial, various statements by representatives for the landlord were indicative of racial stereotyping, wrote Justice Ed Morgan in his September 11 judgement. This case demonstrates progress and a much needed win, writes contributing columnist Amira Elghawaby. 6. School music classes were hit hard by the pandemic. This Hamilton teacher found a solution When the pandemic forced schools across Hamilton to close back in March, Wendy Young broke the bad news to her music students at Orchard Park Secondary School. No more concerts, no more field trips, no more community performances. Students would take their instruments home and practice by themselves. Final exams would be conducted via video call, marking an anticlimactic ending to the school year. But then, the teacher had a genius idea. In spite of the cancelled events, Youngs students would take up a project from the comfort of their homes: a performance of Bare Necessities, from Disneys animated classic The Jungle Book. Watch the students perform it all together here. 7. This is a start advocates welcome Trudeaus commitment to build national child-care system Child-care advocates welcomed the federal governments commitment to build a national child-care system, and theyre hopeful Wednesdays throne speech marks the beginning of a path toward achieving affordable child care across the country. This is a start, said Morna Ballantyne, executive director of Child Care Now, an advocacy organization based in Ottawa. 8. Do it for the gram: How these restaurant owners children helped them build social media buzz during COVID-19 Kimchi Korea House is one of a few Toronto restaurants that thanks to the help of the owners children or more tech-savvy young employees have found a new audience during the pandemic by going on Instagram. In some cases, it also helped bridge a language gap between the owners and English-speaking diners with posts that explain the dishes as well as give the backstory of the people who run the place. 9. Call 911! Rescuers share dramatic account of how they helped saved a dangling window washer from 20 storeys up Tony Estrela and his cousin Daniel Vieira were having lunch at Yonge and Eglinton, watching as two window washers struggled to scale up the building on their swing stage. All of a sudden, two cables snapped, sending their stage plummeting to the ground nearly 20 floors below. The terrified window washers were left dangling and clinging to their ropes. First thing I did was turn around to my cousin and said, Call 911!, Estrela said. What followed was an incredible tale of how five Good Samaritans sprang into action to rescue two window washers in midtown Toronto, during the noon-hour Thursday. 10. Lizzo triumphs in Vogue: If someone like you hasnt done it yet BE THE FIRST Grammy winner Lizzo became the first big, Black woman to be on the cover of Vogue a good-as-hell career highlight that came just a day after she lamented the Kentucky grand jurys decision in not charging any officers in the death of Breonna Taylor. I am the first big Black woman on the cover of @voguemagazine. The first Black anything feels overdue. But our time has come. To all my Black girls, if someone like you hasnt done it yet BE THE FIRST, she wrote Thursday of the fashion bibles October cover. San Antonio firefighters battled to save an East Side Burger King after grease caused the roof of the fast food restaurant to catch fire Monday, according to authorities on the scene. Crews responded to the 1800 block of WW White Road around 9:30 a.m. after multiple people called 911 to say they saw flames coming from the roof of the establishment, SAFD spokesman Woody Woodward said. (Bloomberg Opinion) -- The most shocking thing about Rio Tinto Groups demolition of a 46,000-year-old Aboriginal site in Australias remote Pilbara region is how commonplace it was. The Pilbara is source of about half of the worlds traded iron ore, worth about $65 billion a year. Its also a crucial area of world heritage, home to the worlds largest collection of art from before the last ice age a complex of thousands of sites and hundreds of thousands of individual rock carvings. Digging iron ore out of the ground and carrying it to port inevitably involves conflicts between miners and the Aboriginal traditional owners. So far, the miners have won every time. Since 2010, mining companies have applied to the Western Australian state government to carry out works 463 times, using the same 1972 Aboriginal Heritage Act that Rio Tinto relied on to lay waste to Juukan Gorge in May. As of that month, none of those proposals had been rejected. BHP Group was granted permission to destroy 40 sites just days after the demolition. Despite the resignation of three of Rio Tinto's top executives earlier this month over their handling of Juukan Gorge, the destruction itself wasnt illegal. Indeed, it was only unusual because of the measured antiquity of the site and the willingness of the Puutu Kunti Kurrama and Pinikura traditional owners to speak out. Its a farce, its non-existent rule of law, says Nolan Hunter, a member of the Bardi people and chief executive officer of the Kimberley Land Council, representing Aboriginal traditional owners northeast of the Pilbara. The laws meant to be about heritage protection. But there is no protection. Changing the 1972 Act has been a key priority of Ben Wyatt, a descendant of the Pilbaras Yamatji people whos the states first Indigenous Treasurer. Earlier this month, he published legislation to remove the most controversial aspects of the law, promising it would reset relations between traditional owners and industry and empower landowner groups. Story continues Already, though, the process is falling apart. An ongoing inquiry into Juukan Gorge has brought to the surface many of the ways in which Aboriginal groups have long been disadvantaged for instance, through gag clauses in agreements with mining companies, which prevent public criticism or objections under the heritage laws. Its not clear that these issues would be resolved by the new legislation. The Kimberley Land Council and South West Aboriginal Land and Sea Council have declared Wyatts proposed changes pointless, since despite new appeal channels the final decision would still rest with the relevant minister. That issue is fundamental. As weve written, the core of most mining disputes comes down to a zero-sum battle between miners, governments and landowners about who should receive the economic benefits from developing a pit. Income from mining royalties provides about one-fifth of Western Australias state budget, or close to one-third of the amount raised in-state after grants from the federal level are taken into account. In that context, ministers are hardly impartial observers of disputes between miners and traditional owners theyre interested parties, who can be expected to come down on the side of development, and resultant royalty revenue, at every turn. Our people dont really have a choice, because if they dont agree then the proponent can go to the minister, says Hunter. Is there really ability for people to give consent when its under these sorts of conditions? A just resolution shouldnt be impossible. As evidenced by the large number of existing agreements with mining companies, traditional owners are happy for development to go ahead provided they have a proper say in protection of their heritage and due compensation for the digging of their land. Miners images have been tarnished by what happened at Juukan Gorge; its in their best interests now to support a solution that genuinely works for all sides. The problem with the current and proposed laws is that they deny Aboriginal people a level playing field in negotiation. The agreements already in place were often made under duress. Traditional owners had no real choice but to take the deals that were offered or take nothing, as the Pilbara-based Banjima Native Title Aboriginal Corp. wrote in a submission to the Juukan Gorge inquiry last month. A better system, oddly enough, would return to the spirit of the original 1972 law. That legislation gave the final say in heritage questions to a panel of archaeologists, anthropologists and Aboriginal experts, before being amended in 1980 to give that power to the minister. Whats needed is an independent commission to decide these issues, made up of traditional owners, mining representatives, and academic experts. Its work should be done in public, and Aboriginal people should hold the majority. That could be the honest broker to settle these disputes in a way that works for all parties. A heritage system that never protects heritage isnt worthy of the name. This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners. David Fickling is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering commodities, as well as industrial and consumer companies. He has been a reporter for Bloomberg News, Dow Jones, the Wall Street Journal, the Financial Times and the Guardian. For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com/opinion Subscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source. 2020 Bloomberg L.P. President Donald Trumps ban on TikTok was temporarily blocked by a federal judge, dealing a blow to the government in its showdown with the popular Chinese-owned app it says threatens national security. US District Judge Carl Nichols granted a preliminary injunction against the ban on the widely used video-sharing network after an unusual Sunday morning hearing. The judge refused to grant an injunction against a November deadline for a sale. TikToks owner, ByteDance Ltd., had requested the hold after the president ordered TikTok out of American app stores unless the company sold a stake in its US operations to a domestic buyer. The ban, scheduled to go into effect at 11:59 p.m. in New York, would have removed TikTok from the app stores run by Apple Inc. and Googles Android, the most widely used marketplaces for downloadable apps. People who dont yet have the app wouldnt be able to get it, and those who already have it wouldnt have access to updates needed to ensure its safe and smooth operation. TikTok is used regularly by 19 million Americans. ByteDance is fighting the Trump administration in court even as it pursues its approval for the sale of a stake in the US business to Oracle Corp. and Walmart Inc. Trump has called for bans on both TikTok and WeChat, owned by Chinas Tencent Holdings Ltd., arguing that the apps could give Chinas government access to millions of Americans personal data. The bans are part of an increasingly hard line he has taken on Beijing as the election approaches. Even as the sale of TikTok is still awaiting final US approvals, two of Chinas most prominent state-backed media mouthpieces last week denounced the deal. What the United States has done to TikTok is almost the same as a gangster forcing an unreasonable and unfair business deal on a legitimate company, the state-run China Daily wrote in a Wednesday opinion piece. Hu Xijin, the influential editor-in-chief of the Party-run Global Times, tweeted that Beijing likely wouldnt approve the current agreement as it endangered Chinas national security. A lawyer for TikTok told the judge at Sundays virtual hearing that the ban was irrational given that ByteDance is in talks to strike a deal the president himself has demanded. How does it make sense to impose this app-store ban tonight when there are negotiations underway that might make it unnecessary? attorney John Hall asked. Hall said banning TikTok from US app stores would undermine security by preventing existing users from receiving weekly security updates. He argued that the government has less burdensome alternatives, such as the stake sale, to achieve its national-security aims. ByteDance says Trump is exceeding his authority with the ban. The consequences immediately are grave, Hall told the judge. It would be no different than the government locking the doors to a public forum, roping off that town square. His language echoed the ruling of a judge in California who put a hold on Trumps WeChat ban last week, citing its effect on free speech and the irreparable harm that the ban would cause to the business. Daniel Schwei, a lawyer for the Justice Department, countered that the concern here is about data security risk and leaving data vulnerable to the Chinese government. It is a threat today, it is a risk today, and therefore it deserves to be addressed today. The US government decided last week to extend its deadline to allow for more sale discussions. In a filing on Friday, the US cited FBI Director Christopher Wrays assessment that China poses the greatest long-term threat to our nations information and intellectual property. TikTok is challenging a national security determination by the president as well as the judgment of the secretary of commerce about whats necessary to mitigate those national security harms, Schwei told the judge. And I think the court owes significant deference to that. In a separate case, a federal judge in Pennsylvania on Saturday rejected a request by TikTok users to halt the ban, saying the consequences of the ban wouldnt be severe enough for the users to justify an injunction temporarily blocking the order while the litigation continues. The case is TikTok Inc. v. Trump, 20-cv-2658, US District Court, District of Columbia (Washington). THE East African Community (EAC) is joining the rest of the world in celebrating the World Tourism Day themed 'Tourism and Rural Development', being marked today, but with two-hour virtual session tomorrow. Home to some of the beautiful wildlife sites in the world, the EAC region hosts a quarter of all protected areas in Africa and some of the greatest global concentrations of large mammals in both protected and non-protected areas. The region is known for the unparalleled phenomenon of wildebeest migration that occurs annually between July and October in the Serengeti and Maasai Mara Ecosystem that traverses Kenya and Tanzania, as well as other world renowned tourist sites, such as the Ngorongoro conservation area, Amboseli National Park and Gorilla viewing in Rwanda and Uganda, among others. The EAC Deputy Secretary General in charge of the Productive and Social Sectors, Mr Christophe Bazivamo noted that the tourism sector's contribution to the GDP in the region is estimated at 9 per cent, and an average of 20 per cent of export earnings. "In regards to employment, the tourism industry contributes an average of 8 per cent to job creation in the partner states, that is about 4.2 million direct and indirect jobs in absolute terms, with a huge proportion of the jobs being generated in the rural areas. "Tourism has important backward linkages to the local economy, and therefore contributes to growth and employment in other sectors, including agriculture and manufacturing that benefits the local communities," said Mr Bazivamo. Nowhere else in the world is this year's theme more fitting than the EAC Partner States, as most of the tourism products in the region are mainly nature based, and thus found in the rural areas. The EAC region largely depends on national parks and reserves, as well as wildlife conservancies that traverse the entire region. The COVID-19 pandemic has brought about unprecedented economic disruptions that have dramatically affected the tourism sector in the region. This has had far reaching effects, especially to the rural communities that depend on tourism through loss of jobs and livelihoods. However, the EAC recognizes Tourism as one of the most resilient sectors, and is therefore prioritizing its recovery. The recovery of the sector is also expected to stimulate the recovery of allied sectors, such as agriculture and manufacturing that will also benefit rural communities. GRAND RAPIDS, MI A man was shot and killed Sunday, Sept. 27, while in a car, Grand Rapids police said. The victims name was withheld pending notification of family. The shooting happened around 9:15 p.m. near Curve Street SW and Underhill Avenue. A 911 caller reported someone had been shot. Police found the victim inside a vehicle with an apparent gunshot wound. Grand Rapids Major Case detectives are investigating. Police asked anyone with information to call investigators at 616-456-3380 or Silent Observer at (616) 774-2345 or go to www.silentobserver.org Read more: 2 dead in Southeast Grand Rapids shooting Two motorcyclists injured after colliding with deer Grant Public Schools move some students to virtual learning due to coronavirus outbreak Georgia's highest court ruled on Monday that a couple who accused a sperm bank of misrepresenting its process for screening donors and providing incorrect medical and educational history of the donor they selected can proceed with a lawsuit against the sperm bank. A Fulton County judge had dismissed all but one of the claims in the lawsuit Wendy and Janet Norman had filed in November 2017 against Xytex Corporation, and the Georgia Court of Appeals had upheld that ruling. On Monday, the Georgia Supreme Court partially reversed that ruling, sending the case back to the trial court for some of the claims to be decided. The Georgia Supreme Court has ruled that a couple could proceed with a lawsuit against the Xytax Corporation sperm bank over the misrepresentation of its process for screening donors 'It feels great and it's justice,' said Nancy Hersh, an attorney for the couple. Because the trial court dismissed the case at an early stage, the high court had to rely on 'unproven allegations' by the plaintiffs, said Ted Lavender, an attorney for Xytex. 'If this case does move forward, Xytex is confident in the actual evidence that exists to refute the allegations,' he wrote in an email. The Normans bought sperm from Xytex, and Wendy Norman gave birth to her second son in 2002. The couple's first child, a healthy boy, was born in 1998 after being conceived with sperm from another Xytex donor, according to an article published in Medium. As the couple's younger child got older, the Normans discovered he had inherited serious medical and mental health problems, some requiring multiple hospitalizations, according to the lawsuit. As a grader-schooler, the Normans' son slashed at walls with a knife, rolled around on the floor at school, threatened to harm his family and on one occasion jumped off a roof, breaking his wrists in the process. He was diagnosed with ADHD and depression, put on medications and entered treatment. At 14, the boy came to his parents, seeking to find out information about the sperm donor. After reading the extensive file provided by Xytax, the teen went online and soon stumbled upon his biological father's mugshot, along with details about his criminal record and comments revealing his battle with schizophrenia. The Normans sued Xytex, the medical director at its Atlanta location and an employee. The lawsuit seeks damages, alleging fraud, negligent misrepresentation, battery, negligence unfair business practices, false advertising, unjust enrichment and other wrongdoing. Wendy Norman (pictured) and her partner bought sperm from Xytax and she gave birth to a son in 2002. As the boy grew older, he was diagnosed with mental health problems They also sought to require Xytex to release information about the donor. The Normans chose Donor #9623, whom Xytex promoted as one of its best donors, a PhD candidate with an IQ of 160, a command of four languages, a clean mental health history and no criminal record. But they later discovered that wasn't true. The donor had lied and had actually been hospitalized repeatedly for diagnosed mental health problems, including psychotic schizophrenia, the lawsuit says. He also had been arrested for burglary and other crimes and had no college degree at the time the Normans bought his sperm, the suit says. The donor, Chris Aggeles, 43, broke his silence last month in an interview with the podcast Donor 9623, six years after his true identity was accidentally revealed by the sperm bank, sparking more than a dozen lawsuits in the US, Canada and the UK. Aggeles, who began donating sperm in 2000 at age 23, fathered a total of 36 children. Janet and Wendy Norman's sperm Donor 9623 has been identified as Chris Aggeles, 43, a schizophrenic with a criminal record (pictured above in a 2005 mugshot) Xytex argued that the Normans' lawsuit brings claims for 'wrongful birth,' which are barred under a 1990 Georgia Supreme Court ruling, that said 'we are unwilling to say that life, even life with severe impairments, may ever amount to a legal injury.' That precedent has resulted in the dismissal of other similar lawsuits filed in Georgia, though cases filed in other states have resulted in settlements, Hersh said. In Monday's unanimous opinion, Justice Nels Peterson said that stance remains unchanged, noting that the high court has repeatedly declined to allow damages in cases 'that necessarily presume that life itself can ever be an injury.' 'We reaffirm that rule today,' the opinion says. 'But that rule does not fully resolve this appeal, which is about what sort of damages the rule actually bars.' The Court of Appeals should not have broadly applied the precedent to all of the claims in the lawsuit because some of the claims for damages 'do not necessarily state their child's birth as an injury,' Peterson wrote. Aggeles, who lied about his being a PhD candidate with an IQ of 160, fathered 36 children between 2000 and 2014 For example, the opinion says, the lawsuit invoked Georgia's Fair Business Practice Act, claiming Xytex misrepresented the quality of its goods and services. Hersh said that part of the opinion is very helpful for their case. The next step, she said, will be to figure out which claims for damages fit under the high court's rulings so they can go back to the trial court to pursue them. Meanwhile, in his podcast interview last month, Aggeles apologized to the parents of the children he helped conceive for his deceptions. 'I hope that the families involved, and particularly the children involved, can find it in their hearts to forgive me,' Aggeles told host Dov Fox. 'I'm sorry for betraying their trust, it was a s***ty thing and I'm not happy about it. I feel terrible about it, I really do.' The Blue State blockade By Dr. Robert Owens It took just three years for President Donald Trump to lead America from the perpetually stagnant New Normal of the Clinton/Bush/Obama Trifecta of Failure back to the Morning in America of the Reagan era. This was nothing short of an economic miracle that began the day after Americas blue-collar billionaire won the biggest upset in our political history when the stock market took off like a rocket. In a steady assault on the Deep-State Swamp President Trump hit the delete button on more regulations in three years than every other president in our history combined. He renegotiated the give-away trade boondoggles of the Trifecta and set off an avalanche of industrial growth and the return of prodigal corporations. He rebuilt our military after eight years of neglect. He re-started our space program. He required our NATO allies to quit freeloading on the gravy train and start making meaningful contributions to their own defense. He defeated ISIS, started negotiations to end the forever war in Afghanistan, pulled out of our incursion into Syria, and created a Trump Doctrine. He alerted the world that under his administration America would only commit forces to defend our interests; no more nation-building, no more free mercenaries carrying the water for others. Of course, the Deep-State Swamp creatures didnt just sit on their hands. The perpetually re-elected civil service protected corporately selected troika of politicians, bureaucrats, and media megaphones fought tooth and nail. They used the politically corrupted ranks of the FBI and the national security forces to first try to undermine the Trump campaign. When that didnt work the Obama Administration used the waning days of their regime to set in motion an attempt to thwart and if possible overthrow the incoming Trump Administration. For three years they beat America about the ears with their fake news of supposed evidence through illegal leaks, politically motivated highly coordinated whistleblowers, and secret hearings in the underground star chamber deep in the bowls of Congress. Recent revelations brought to light through Freedom of Information exposures revealed that Pelosi, Schiff, Mueller, and the rest of the gang that couldnt shoot straight knew from day one that there was no Russian conspiracy and that even the supposed hack of Democrat computers was a red hearing. Yet the luminaries of the left were on every available outlet of the ABCCBSNBCCNNMASNBCNPRPBS Cartel indoctrinating the low information voters with their propaganda day and night. Then came the Impeachment Hoax. Facts now show the Democrats were plotting to impeach Trump before he was elected. The Washington Post started calling for impeachment on the very day Trump was inaugurated. And the disloyal opposition have also admitted they had to impeach Trump as part of their 2020 election strategy. Talk about trying to interfere in an election! They impeached the President for things that were not criminal, that were built on false testimony, inaccurate and made-up reporting, and purely out of spite. Three years of attacks such as no other politician ever has survived, and President Trump not only survived but he thrived. Then along came COVID-19 and sat down beside him. Accepting the flawed models of Fauci, Birx, and other globalists the President erred on the side of caution when it came to American lives. He gave us a textbook example of crisis management along the way. Taking over the decrepit testing system left moldering in warehouses Mr. Trump quickly led us to the most dynamic testing regimen in history, directed manufacturers to make a surplus of the masks and respirators needed. He left the mechanics of the economic shutdowns in the hands of the governors of the States as is proper in our federal system. And America ground to a halt. Unemployment skyrocketed and stimulus money flowed to who knows where out of Washington as money was created out of thin air. The stock market cratered wiping out the savings of millions. Now we are socially distanced into isolation. As a natural contrarian President Trump has always gone against the grain. He was the first world leader to shut down travel from China. And early on he began to say, We cannot let the cure be worse than the problem itself. Instinctively knowing there may be more deaths from the ramifications of stopping the greatest economy the world has ever seen than from the Social Security Flu. Now President Trump is the cheerleader for Making America Great Again Again. Certainly, there are obstacles. The Democrats who identify as journalists are spewing their disinformation and hate wall-to-wall online, on the air, and in print every day. The Democrat machine in Congress is threatening to impeach the President again and holding more hearings on conjured evidence heading towards preprogrammed conclusions. All this resistance aside the country is starting to open. The pent-up demand that follows any artificial roadblock to supply and demand will make the economy blossom. No matter how the Progressives try to get Americans addicted to free money. No matter how hard they try to turn the U.S. into a command economy sitting atop a submissive herd of regimented citizens the spirit of America cries out, Lets get back to work! What is the political damn the Democrats seek to build across the flood of people returning to normalcy? I call it the Blue State Blockade. Thirty percent of Americas economy is in California and New York. Two States long controlled by entrenched Democrat machines. Both these Progressive sink holes have spent themselves into the failed state zone of economics. The Federal Government/taxpayers spent billions supporting these two Democrat fiefdoms during the COVID pandemic. We built them hospitals they demanded and never needed, we sent them hospital ships, and military personnel to meet needs that never materialized. And now theyre demanding we bail them out of the financial difficulties they created, and which existed long before anyone ever heard of the Social Security Flu. Like all Progressives they dont just ask for help. They demand it. Theyre holding the economy hostage saying they wont open their States until they get the money. And it isnt just the Big Two. Most of the other blue States are also demanding bailouts. These cynical power brokers believe that if they can keep the economy or at least as much of it as they control shut down long enough, they can cause a Greater Depression. They long to cast President Trump as the 21st Century Hoover so they can wheel Old Joe out of the basement as the new FDR and usher in the Green New Deal. Never in the History of the world has any society quarantined healthy people. Never in the History of the world has any society voluntarily shut down its own economy. We are in uncharted territory. What will it be? Will it be a return to Trumps Morning in America or a retreat to the Trifectas Mourning in America? We need to ask ourselves, Why would any political party see the destruction of our own economy and all the resulting problems that accompany poverty as a good thing? Now we should ask, How can anyone who has any respect for the dignity of people support such a cynical policy? Perhaps we should ask ourselves these questions the next time we get to vote? In this lost world we see through a glass darkly. Its hard to make predictions, especially about the future. I know what I would like to see. Kick out the jams and let the good times roll! Lets get back to work and get something done. However, I know that the fate of nations is in Gods hands. He has given us the formula for success if were wise enough to take it. If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. Corporately thats it. Individually I know I can swear, And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. Dr. Robert Owens teaches History, Political Science, Global Studies, and Religion. He is the Historian of the Future @ http://drrobertowens.com 2020 Contact Dr. Owens drrobertowens@hotmail.com Follow Dr. Robert Owens on Facebook or Twitter @ Drrobertowens or visit Dr. Owens Amazon Page / Edited by Dr. Rosalie Owens Home GRAND RAPIDS, MI -- Several current and former elected officials in Grand Rapids are urging residents to vote no on an upcoming ballot measure to switch city elections from odd years to even years. The main criticism from the group, called Keep GR Local, is that even-year city elections will inject partisanship into races that should be focused on local issues, not party affiliation. Members of the opposition group shared their concerns Monday, Sept. 28, in a call to reporters as part of the Keep GR Local campaign kick off. The election-year flip is up for vote on the Nov. 3 general election ballot. Seats on the city commission are nonpartisan and will remain so even if the measure passes. Grand Rapids is a great city. It has a form of government that has served us well for 106 years, said former longtime Grand Rapids Mayor George Heartwell. "Were a shining light on a hill by a river. Were a city that works. Were the envy of cities all over Michigan and certainly around the United States. Why risk all that with a change that will throw city elected offices onto the partisan garbage heap. This proposal is a mistake. Related: Grand Rapids voters to decide if they want even-year elections, required runoffs Heartwell was joined by former City Commissioner Ruth Kelly, Kent County Commissioner Robert S. Womack, State Board of Education member Lupe Ramos-Montigny and Grand Rapids Chamber of Commerce Vice President Omar Cuevas in opposing the election year change. The group, Empower the Citizens, secured enough petition signatures this year to force the city commission to put the election year switch-up on the November ballot. Members have said voter turnouts in odd-year elections are much smaller than even-year elections and not representative of the citys population, including a lesser number of Black and Hispanic voters. They also say the move can save the city money. Very, very few people vote in odd years, Rina Baker, a member of the group, previously told MLive/The Grand Rapids Press. Candidates end up getting elected with 50 percent of the very small amount of people who vote. If local races are moved to even years, seats on the city commission will still be nonpartisan, meaning candidates wont be labelled Democrat, Republican or another party on the ballot. But, members of Keep GR Local say, political parties are hyperactive in even-year elections and they will increase the pressure on local candidates to accept party endorsements. Thats something Heartwell said he and others, like Kelly, have resisted in previous years to keep the race nonpartisan. Whats important about this is that it opens the door for the parties to come in and support candidates, Heartwell said. Once you have that party support, even though youre running as a nonpartisan, you get labeled, and it makes it all the more difficult to accomplish consensus on the city commission. It makes it all the more difficult to be a strong advocate when you have to work across the aisle in a divided legislature in Lansing or in Washington. If the election year flip is voted through, city commissioners with terms set to expire in 2021 would have their terms extended until 2022 to account for the new election cycle. In addition to that proposal, Empower the Citizens also was able to get on the ballot a proposal that would see that the two candidates for a single city office with the most votes in an August primary face off again in the November general election. Currently, candidates for local elections that achieve more than 50 percent of the vote in the August primary automatically get the seat without a run-off November challenge. Though not the main focus of the Monday morning press conference, Kelly spoke out against this proposal as well, saying the cost to continue campaigning after the August primary could price out some candidates. I think were also going to see costs go up so much for people like me, grassroots people, who dont have independent wealth, the former city commissioner said. I dont think theyre going to be able to run successfully. Womack, who represents a portion of the citys Southeast Side on the Kent County Board of Commissioners, said straight-ticket voting and concern for state and national races in even years might mean Grand Rapids proposals and candidates get lost in the shuffle. What happens if we shift this to line up with the state and national elections, you have more people coming out, but are they really focused on our local issues, our local proposals? Womack asked. In July 2019, Grand Rapids formed a task force of 12 residents to study the even-year election and run-off election questions, as well as some other items, such as special elections rather than appointments for commissioner vacancies and potentially expanding the city commission and ward structure. The task force presented its recommendations in February. It recommended going forward with even-year elections, required run-off elections and special elections to fill vacated election positions. There was also general but not unanimous consensus on adding a fourth ward with two representatives to the commission. Baker, along with Bonnie Burke and their group Empower the Citizens, have called since at least fall 2018 for even-year election reform. They deemed the task force a stall tactic by the city. Baker and Burke are known in the community for spearheading a petition in 2014 for a city charter amendment requiring term limits for the mayor and city commissioners. Because it was passed by voters, city commissioners and the mayor can serve no more than two four-year terms. Read more: Opening Michigan bars until 4 a.m. would be nice, but not top priority for industry Is the University of Michigan cracking under pandemic pressure? Niles man, 69, sentenced to 20 years for sex crimes involving 15-year-old girl Patients with cardiovascular disease, hypertension, diabetes, are more likely to face complications and death due to coronavirus With the COVID 19 outbreak negatively impacting healthcare access and mobility, the pandemic is exacerbating the already high burden of cardiovascular diseases in India. Doctors and healthcare experts are concerned that delayed diagnosis and interruptions in treatment are resulting in many preventable deaths and the worsening prognosis for patients. As we observe World Heart Day on 29 September, healthcare experts underlines the need for ensuring continuity of treatment for heart patients and resorting to better lifestyle management to prevent disease-related complications. Doctors say that acute and chronic cardiovascular disease care has decreased significantly due to reduced accessibility and patient fears during the pandemic. Heart disease has marginally increased by 10 to 20% compared to pre-Covid. But patients are not coming forward due to scare except in an emergency. So there is 25% decline in the number of patients reporting on time in Hospitals. More and more younger adults are getting symptomatic also. Evidently, people are postponing hospital visits until it is absolutely unavoidable. Disruptions in travel and transport have further prevented many people from smaller towns and rural areas from reaching hospitals for treatment. While there is no data or analysis to understand what is happening to these patients, it is clear that many of them have not been able to receive medical care and treatment on time. In a nutshell, patients with cardiovascular diseases, hypertension and diabetes etc are experiencing delays in diagnosis and treatment, which in turn will significantly increase the burden of heart disease and preventable deaths, said Dr. D K Jhamb, Director & HOD, Cardiology, Paras Hospitals, Gurugram. There are an estimated currently 79 million diabetes patients in India while another 200 million are hypertensive. Interruptions in diagnosis, treatment and regular check-ups for these patients can further translate into a higher cardiovascular disease burden. Delaying or interrupting chronic disease treatment may cause permanent health damage and preventable deaths. This burden will easily exceed the impact of COVID 19 impact in terms of deaths. opinion President Uhuru Kenyatta has understandably chosen to hold his peace and reflect on a course of action following Chief Justice David Maraga's advice that he should dissolve the National Assembly and the Senate following their failure to enact laws that could ensure achievement of the constitutional clause mandating that no one gender should comprise more than two-thirds majority of seats or positions in any public institution, including those two. The studious silence is in stark contrast to his angry "we shall revisit" threat to the same institution three years ago when the Supreme Court annulled the August 2017 General Election. Interesting times The President's victory was successfully challenged in that historic ruling and the relationship between the two arms of government has been rocky since. But even in silence, he must be taking keen interest in the flurry of activity in both Houses and certainly in the Attorney-General's Chambers, where the clever legal minds that advise government sit. The AG has, as expected, promised to do an advisory for the President but has also endorsed the move to challenge in court Justice Maraga's advice to the President. If the past few days are anything to go by, interesting times lie ahead. Outspoken legal minds like Senior Counsel Ahmednasir Abdullahi and Donald Kipkorir, among others, have from different perspectives dismissed the CJ's move and opined that it can be ignored. The Law Society of Kenya is arguing for its immediate execution and further petitioned the National Treasury to withhold funding to the two Houses within 21 days because they will be existing illegally if the President does not dissolve them. As Justice Weldon Korir issued his stay orders on Thursday restraining the President from sending National Assembly members and senators home, we witnessed a strange debate by the learned community about the import of the words "shall", "must" and "may" that must have left my old English teacher bemused. What is equally bewildering is that no one, especially the advisers of the President and those of the House leadership, can claim they did not see this coming. One must assume that these busybodies fluttering around in helicopters and power-draped black petrol guzzlers have read the Constitution and do know what it says, particularly on an important and emotive issue like the two-thirds gender rule. They are supposed to have known when the various petitions went to court and the declarations that the courts made then. No other recourse Justice Maraga is telling Kenyans that as far back as June 2019, he was communicating with the Speakers of both Houses about what progress they had made towards achieving the constitutional stipulate. And they must have known when the request went to the Chief Justice that there was a likelihood he was going to do what he did because he is given no other recourse. The Constitution dictates that the CJ, having satisfied himself that the Houses stand guilty of failure to deliver on that requirement, he "shall" advise the President to dissolve Parliament, and that the President "shall", in turn, do exactly that. But will he? Nothing in his background suggests that he will. While he has recently demonstrated a brutal streak when he asserted his control in both Houses by trampling over the supporters of the Deputy President, President Kenyatta has not shown an appetite for messy constitutional brawls. He tends to ignore the law and hence break it - as he has done in the refusal to swear in judges of the Court of Appeal. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Kenya Governance Legal Affairs By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. He looks the other way when his ministers ignore or break the law. "People's power" But this will be a very interesting test case indeed. Both the President and his foe-turned-ally Raila Odinga have framed the current time as a key constitutional moment - that we must change the Constitution because it is a critical governance document. It gives life to the principle of "people's power". There is no more powerful symbol of one's commitment to a value than demonstrating respect to it. For the President, it is more than just a value, it is a commitment sworn to with an invocation of God. The President then can choose to sneer at his vow and display his unprincipled self, or let Kenyans experience the true weight of the rule of law. Meanwhile, CJ Maraga leaves fearing no-one but God. US oil and gas producer Devon Energy Corp said on Monday it will buy shale-oil rival WPX Energy Inc for $2.56 billion as it looks to boost its presence in the top US oilfield. The all-stock deal comes as US shale companies have posted big losses on weak crude prices amid the Covid-19 pandemic and have struggled to raise new capital to restructure debt. But as producers seek out combinations to survive the coronavirus-induced slump in demand, deals at little or no premium are becoming the norm. Investors cheered the deal, pushing up WPX shares 17 per cent in Monday afternoon ... CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Cleveland will once again be in the national spotlight Tuesday as the city hosts the first debate of this years fierce presidential campaign. Republican President Donald Trump and Democratic former Vice President Joe Biden will do battle in a 90-minute faceoff, hosted by Case Western Reserve University and the Cleveland Clinic at the Clinics Health Education Campus. Its far from the first time Cleveland has played a consequential role in a national political event. Take a look at historical photos in the gallery above. Cleveland has a long history of hosting presidential debates going back to at least 1980, when Cleveland Music Hall was the site of the famous debate between then-Democratic President Jimmy Carter and Republican former California Gov. Ronald Reagan. The debate, with Reagans famous line There you go, again, helped clinch his victory over the incumbent. The city also hosted the 2004 vice presidential debate between then-Republican Vice President Dick Cheney and Democratic North Carolina Sen. John Edwards at Case; the 2008 Democratic primary debate between then-Illinois Sen. Barack Obama and New York Sen. Hillary Clinton at Cleveland State University; and the 2016 Republican primary debate involving a whopping 16 candidates at what was then Quicken Loans Arena. It also was the first debate to feature Trump, who went on to win Ohio and the election. The arena also was the venue that year for one of the biggest political events in Cleveland history: the Republican National Convention, where Trump formally accepted the nomination. Since then, Trump has come back to the Buckeye State numerous times, including a number of appearances in Cleveland. Other presidents also made Cleveland a stop in their travels around the country, including two visits from Abraham Lincoln. Also stopping in the city over the years: Franklin D. Roosevelt, Harry S. Truman, Dwight D. Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama. As experiences the third wave of COVID-19, it has classified 32 provinces as red zones with the capital facing the most severe outbreak. As the country faces the worst outbreak in the Middle East, 195 new deaths were reported on Sunday, taking the total death count to 25,589. On Friday, the number of daily infections escalated above 3,500 for the first time since the start of the pandemic in in February this year and the number of deaths was above 200 for the first time in almost two months, Al Jazeera reported. Health ministry spokeswoman Sima Sadat Lari during her daily COVID-19 briefing announced that 3,362 more daily infections were registered, upping the total to 446,448. Hospitals are caring for 1,377 patients at the moment, Lari said. "Do not underestimate corona," Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said in a live televised speech last week. Khamenei, along with President Hassan Rouhani has issued a direct warning for people to adhere to public health guidelines. The President linked the rising number of cases to people not following the public health guidelines following which Khamenei remarked, "The solution for this is in our own hands," urging people to follow social distancing, wear masks and wash hands regularly among other public health guidelines. Rouhani in a televised meeting of the National Task Force last week said, "We need to assume this will last throughout the year, and even next year we might have to adhere to all these public health guidelines." According to officials, has joined COVAX, a global initiative aimed at working with vaccine manufacturers to provide countries equitable access to safe and effective vaccines once they are licensed and approved, said Al Jazeera. Iran further said it will buy 20 million doses of a vaccine made by an unnamed Indian company run by an Iran-born man. "Even if we have access to a vaccine I believe we need to maintain this lifestyle," Khamenei added to his earlier statement to the televised meeting of the National Task Force. The first appearance of COVID-19 in Iran was seen in February this year, after which the country was hit by a second wave in mid-summer during which the number of cases, hospitalization, and deaths had reduced. President Rouhani on Saturday said a current proposal is under review to stop offering public services to people who refuse to wear masks and impose penalties for publicly defying the rules, without mentioning what the punishments might demand. Mandatory mask rule and potential penalties are also being considered by top officials. Iraq has announced that it will not accept any pilgrims this year to further prevent the spread of coronavirus and Iranian authorities have requested people to celebrate upcoming religious occasions at home. "We will have no religious marches this year, we will have no pilgrimages to Iraq," Rouhani asserted at the end of the second month of the Islamic calendar. Hadi Yazdani, a 38-year-old physician based in Isfahan who visits COVID-19 patients on a daily basis told Al Jazeera that it appears a partial reopening of schools and large public gatherings to observe mourning ceremonies in Muharram, the first month of the Islamic calendar, had an effect on the number of infections. However, officials claim that Muharram gatherings were held in strict adherence to public health protocols and said that there is no proof that the reopening of schools contributed to the number of cases. Yazdani, also a politician and a member of the reformist Union of Islamic Iran People Party said, "Imposing serious restrictions require a financial foothold, which has been destroyed by sanctions and mismanagement, but either way, there might even be a need for case-by-case quarantines for cities and provinces." The US imposed harsh economic sanctions on Iran with the aim of crippling its economy after unilaterally abandoning a 2015 nuclear deal signed between Iran and world powers, which has delayed Iran's access to medicine and its foreign reserves, Al Jazeera wrote. In this regard, Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif in a recent interview accused the US of "medical terrorism." "Just as we criticize Iran for not allowing Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) in the country and our city Isfahan, we criticize the US government for imposing sanctions that have prevented Iran from accessing its financial resources and helping its people," Yazdani commented. Yazdani concluded by saying, in a global pandemic there needs to be a global consensus on problem-solving. "We need to have an assurance that if a vaccine is produced, it will reach all people around the world, including our people who are under sanctions, and no country, government or company could use this as a tool to wield its power. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) By AFP BAGHDAD: Three Iraqi children and two women from the same family were killed Monday when a rocket targeting Baghdad airport, where US troops are stationed, fell instead on their home, the army said. The latest in a string of incidents targeting American interests in Iraq came after Washington threatened to close its embassy and withdraw its 3,000 troops from the country unless the rocket attacks stop. The attacks, which started around a year ago, have caused few casualties. Monday's incident was the first to claim so many civilian lives. The army said it also wounded two other children. Twitter accounts supporting US arch-enemy Iran regularly praise the attacks, but that was not the case Monday, and no group immediately claimed responsibility. Previous attacks of the same nature have been claimed by murky groups saying they are acting against the "American occupier". Experts say they include former members of pro-Iranian factions of the Hashed al-Shaabi paramilitary alliance. The Iraqi army, in its statement Monday, accused "criminal gangs and groups of outlaws" of seeking to "create chaos and terrorise people". Between October and July, at least 39 rocket attacks targeted US interests in Iraq. Almost the same number again have taken place since. Iraqi intelligence sources have blamed the attacks on a small group of hardline Iran-backed paramilitary factions The former head of one of the worlds biggest modeling agencies is facing a legal investigation in France, after four women reported claims of rape and sexual assault dating back to the 1980s and 1990s. Gerald Marie, 70, was president for 25 years of the European division of Elite Model Management, an agency that at its peak represented the likes of Naomi Campbell, Claudia Schiffer and Cindy Crawford. Now, in a complaint submitted on Sept. 21 to the Judicial Tribunal in Paris, two models have accused him of raping them, with another model and a journalist making allegations of sexual assault, in episodes that took place more than two decades ago. Carre Sutton, 51, and Jill Dodd, 60, accused Mr. Marie of raping them when they were 17 and 20, respectively. A third woman, Ebba Karlsson, 51, alleges that Mr. Marie sexually assaulted her when she was 20 during a meeting in his office at Elite in Paris in the 1990s. A fourth woman, Lisa Brinkworth, 53, says she was sexually assaulted by Mr. Marie while posing as a model and working as a journalist on a BBC modeling industry expose in 1998. The events described by the four women currently fall outside the French statute of limitations for rape and sexual assault, and some of the accusations have been public for years. But the women and their lawyer hope that Ms. Brinkworth can circumvent the time limit based on evidence that recently came to light. The other three womens accounts were included with her complaint to bolster it. Patna: Pappu Yadav-led Jan Adhikar Party (JAP) on Monday (September 28) decided to forge a poll alliance with three other political outfits including Chandrasekhar Azad's Azad Samaj Party, to fight the Bihar Assembly election. The new coalition named Progressive Democratic Alliance (PDA) also includes the Bahujan Mukti Party (BMP) and Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) of MK Faizi to fight against the NDA and other fronts in the upcoming Bihar Assembly polls. Addressing media in Patna, the national president of the Jan Adhikar Party, Pappu Yadav, said that Upendra Kushwaha's RLSP, the LJP, and Congress have been invited to join this alliance in the larger interest of the state. Live TV Slamming Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar of not doing enough to fight the coronavirus pandemic, he said the alliance has been formed put an end to 30-year misrule. He also blamed Nitish Kumar for failing utterly to extend assistance to helpless Bihari residents in Gujarat and Delhi during the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. When asked if his effort to form an alliance is aimed at emerging a kingmaker after the polls, Yadav said he just wants to serve Bihar. Chandrashekhar Azad said, "We will always be available at places where a fight for justice is going on." Last week, Asaduddin Owaisi had also forged an alliance with the Samajwadi Janata Dal (SJD) and announced to field the alliance candidates on seats in Seemanchal and other parts of Bihar. The Election Commission had earlier announced that Bihar assembly elections will be held in three phases: October 28, and November 3 and 7, while the counting of votes will take place on November 10. In the 2015 Assembly polls, JDU, RJD, and Congress had fought the elections together under the Mahagathbandhan banner, while the BJP-led NDA had fought the elections with Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) and other allies. RJD with 80 seats had emerged as the single largest party in the elections, followed by JDU (71), and BJP (53). The BJP, however, got the largest vote share (24.42 percent), followed by RJD with 18.35 percent and JDU (16.83 percent). After the polls, a rift emerged between JDU and the RJD in 2017, and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar snapped ties with RJD and rejoined the BJP-led NDA to retain power in Bihar. Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh has commented on the status of the Sudhant Singh Rajput death case, which is being currently investigated by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The actor, aged 34, was found dead in his Bandra apartment on June 14. Initially, the case was being probed by the Mumbai Police to ascertain the cause of Sushants death. But later the investigation was handed over to the CBI by the Supreme Court of India. Now, Anil has commented on the progress of the case, saying, #SushantSinghRajput case was being probed by Mumbai Police professionally but it was suddenly handed over to CBI. We too are eagerly waiting to see their finding. People ask did he die by suicide or was he murdered. Were awaiting the probes result." #SushantSinghRajput case was being probed by Mumbai Police professionally but it was suddenly handed over to CBI. We too are eagerly waiting to see their finding. People ask did he die by suicide or was he murdered. We're awaiting the probe's result: Maharashtra HM Anil Deshmukh pic.twitter.com/pQXhYJkjRY ANI (@ANI) September 28, 2020 Anil and the Maharashtra government were not in favour of a CBI probe in Sushants case initially and kept arguing that the Mumbai Police was doing their job in investigating the real cause of actors death. Currently, apart from CBI, the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) are also jointly probing the case for alleged drugs and money laundering angles. In the latest update, the NCB, which is unearthing a Bollywood-drugs nexus, has arrested 18 people so far in Mumbai and Goa. Meanwhile, CBI officials will hold a meeting with AIIMS medical board to arrive on conclusive report on whether Sushant died by suicide or theres a homicide angle to the case as well, as suspected and reported in the media. T he FTSE 100 is forecast to step up sharply this morning as improving investor sentiment in Asia leaks across into European trading. The blue chip index is expected to record a respectable 66 point increase to 5908 as its pushes back towards the key 6000 mark. Indices in France and Germany are also expected to see gains. Stocks across Asia improved this morning after weekend reports that Chinese industrial profits rose by 19.1% in August. This is a slight fall back from the 19.6% growth seen in July but the performance of the Asian nations economy is seen as something of a barometer for how countries may bounce back from the coronavirus crisis, as China was the origin of the outbreak. Oanda analyst Jeffrey Halley said: Asian stocks should consolidate their gains today, although a heavy data week, upcoming holidays, and political event risk, notably in the US, is tempering exuberance. We can expect a volatile week for much the same reasons across global equity markets in general. At this stage, it is too soon to say that the equity correction lower has run its course given the number of variables the week ahead holds. A string of public holidays across China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and South Korea later in the week is also likely to dampen trading. In the UK, the focus this week will be on crunch post-Brexit trade deal negotiations. The latest round of talks kick off tomorrow, after months of talks with no obvious progress. CMC Markets analyst David Madden said: The latest discussions have been relatively positive according to David Frost, the UKs chief negotiator. It is understood that Prime Minister Johnson wants to strike a deal, but not at any cost, so the discussions are likely to go down to the wire. Traders will also have an eye on a speech by ECB president Christine Lagarde this afternoon, as they weigh up the strength of support for struggling European economies. KitKat has just dropped the ultimate fusion of two of its fave chocolate bars - KitKat Chunky and KitKat Gold. KitKat Chunky Gold Krisp is a delicious fusion of chocolate and wafer pieces covered in caramelised white chocolate we are drooling already! Nestle Head of Marketing New Zealand, Fraser Shrimpton, said: Were always looking for the next golden taste sensation to make each Break that bit more enjoyable." "There is already a lot of love for the KitKat Gold, so by uniting it with the iconic rich chocolate and wafer hit of Chunky, we think weve hit the jackpot and cant wait to see how our Kiwi fans enjoy it. KitKat Chunky Gold Krisp is avaliable in supermarkets from today. So get amongst fam! Desperate Matt Hancock hinted at concessions last night as he faced the fury of Tory MPs over plunging the country into a new coronavirus lockdown. The Health Secretary was repeatedly assailed by MPs as he updated the Commons on the day that another raft of new rules and punishments came into force. He said restrictions will be imposed on households mixing will be placed on the North East at the request of local authorities. But senior MPs complained that the government was dodging Parliamentary scrutiny, and had not shown evidence that its curbs were 'effective' to tackle the disease. Some of the Tory rebels were invited to meet Mr Hancock and the Chief Whip yesterday and said last night that progress was being made, reported BBC News. Speaker Lindsay Hoyle is set to save Mr Johnson's blushes by refusing to call a rebel Tory amendment on coronavirus curbs this week - despite the numbers in the mutiny growing. There are claims that up to 100 are ready to line up behind an amendment tabled by Conservative backbench chief Sir Graham Brady, which would force ministers to get approval in advance before bringing in more restrictions. However, in spite of the groundswell of support, Sir Lindsay is not expected to allow a vote on the change. The government has put down a motion to renew its sweeping powers under the Coronavirus Act 2020 - which will otherwise lapse. Rebels have taken the opportunity to add wording that would make further restrictions subject to a vote by MPs. But accepting the amendment would be out of line with standard Parliamentary procedure on this kind of motion, which is to obtain a 'clean' yes or no decision from the House. Boris Johnson (pictured on a visit to a school in Ruislip today) is struggling to quell growing fury from his own MPs over Covid restrictions and the lack of parliamentary scrutiny In spite of the groundswell of support, Speaker Lindsay Hoyle (pictured right last week) is not expected to allow a vote on the amendment What is the Tory amendment at the heart of the row? The Coronavirus Act 2020 required that government holds a vote every six months on whether to continue the sweeping powers it granted. As a result, ministers have tabled a motion for Wednesday, which merely states that the measures should 'not expire'. However, Tory rebels have taken the opportunity to table an amendment pressuring the government to stage a vote on introducing any new lockdown restrictions - something that is not currently required under the law. The amendment would give approval for maintaining the powers 'provided Ministers ensure as far as is reasonably practicable that in the exercise of their powers to tackle the pandemic under the Coronavirus Act 2020 and other primary legislation, including for example Part 2A of the Public Health (Control of Disease) Act 1984, Parliament has an opportunity to debate and to vote upon any secondary legislation with effect in the whole of England or the whole United Kingdom before it comes into effect'. But Speaker Lindsay Hoyle is highly unlikely to select the amendment. Normal Commons procedure is to exclude amendments for motions of this nature, so that Parliament can give a clear expression of its will on the subject in hand. Advertisement Sir Lindsay has been keen to avoid getting involved in the rows about rule-bending that blighted John Bercow's final days in the chair, as he was seen as taking sides with Remainers. One senior MP told MailOnline Sir Graham was marching his troops to the top of the hill, but faced having to march them down again. 'It is a bit of ''Grand Old Duke of York'',' they said. 'If you (allow the vote) you are going back to what the previous Speaker did, and you will end up with the courts deciding. 'If you don't believe in it you can vote against it - a straightforward vote.' So far around 50 MPs have signed the amendment laid down by Sir Graham, chairman of the Conservative backbench 1922 committee, demanding votes before any future curbs on British 'liberty' are brought in. But ringleaders claim the true figure could be closer to 100. Labour and the Liberal Democrats are set to back the amendment, saying it is wrong that new laws are being brought in under emergency powers passed at the start of the pandemic. That would potentially be enough to overturn the government's 80-strong majority - with signs that DUP MPs are also set to endorse the change. A final decision on whether to call the amendment will not be made before Wednesday. In the Commons this afternoon, Mr Hancock was challenged by a series of Conservatives over why measures were being rushed through. He refused to commit to staging a vote before any new curbs were brought in, but said: 'I strongly agree with the need for us in this house to have the appropriate level of scrutiny. 'We have already, as the PM set out last week, put in place further measures... 'We are looking at further ways to ensure the house can be properly involved in the process, in advance where possible, and I hope to provide the house with further details soon and I will take up the invitation to have a further meeting with (Sir Graham), with whom I have already met to discuss this issue, to see what further progress can be made.' Former Cabinet minister Chris Grayling said he understood Mr Hancock must take decisions quickly. 'But when it comes to new national measures, and many of us represent areas where the incidence of the virus remains very low, in the southern part of my constituency in that district there were no cases last week,' he said. 'Before we embark upon measures that affect everyone, as opposed to firefighting in individual areas, it is really important that this House has the chance to really scrutinise and hold to account and challenge we know he wants to do the right thing, we want to help him do the right thing.' Ex chief whip Mark Harped said: 'It's not just about scrutiny, it's about the laws we're making and the ones that for example came in at midnight tonight, with 12 pages of detailed laws, lots of detail and criminal offences and duties not mentioned when they were set out in a statement last week, including duties on employers, directors and officers with serious criminal penalties, that's why we need to scrutinise the detail of the legislation before it comes into force and give our assent to it, not I'm afraid just allow him to do so by decree.' Tory Steve Baker, one of the rebel organisers, said: 'Surely it was possible in eight days to have had the debate that he has called for?' Mr Hancock replied: 'The challenge is how to do that and also be able to move at pace and I'd be very happy to talk with him along with others on how to make this happen. 'I would say however, that in respect to the laws that came into place overnight they set out, I set them out in a statement, in fact the Prime Minister set out many of them in a statement last week and so we have been clear about the policy intent and the question is how we can make sure that we deal with appropriately in the future.' Conservative former minister John Redwood said: 'This time around will there be isolation hospitals so that we can control the infection in the hospital sector better and will there be good controls to prevent seepage of people with infection back to care homes?' Matt Hancock replied in the Commons: 'The answer to both those questions is yes, we've learnt a huge amount about those and put in place improved procedures.' The revolt comes amid rumours of a growing rift between Mr Johnson and his Chancellor, Rishi Sunak, over the economic impact of coronavirus restrictions. In more worrying signs for the PM today, former minister Simon Clarke - who stepped down earlier this month for personal reasons - has issued a joint statement with other Teeside MPs warning against a ban on households mixing. They wrote that no more restrictions should be imposed on the area, and pecifically took a swipe at a measure thought to be under serious consideration by the government. 'A ban on household mixing as winter approaches would in practice condemn thousands of local people to loneliness and isolation even with mitigating measures in place,' the statement said. Yesterday, employers' group the Confederation of British Industry called upon the Prime Minister to reopen the economy 'as quickly as we can'. It comes amid growing anger over Mr Johnson's continued use of emergency powers to get restrictive Covid-19 laws through the Commons. Mr Bercow warned him against sidelining Parliament by pushing through laws without a vote or debate. And Tory MP Steve Baker, who plans to rebel against Mr Johnson if the current Speaker chooses Sir Graham's amendment for a Commons vote, said Britons were no longer living like free people due to the restrictions. More than 50 MPs including ex-minister Steve Baker (right) have signed an amendment laid down by Sir Graham Brady (pictured), chairman of the Conservative backbench 1922 committee Bercow the Brexit blocker's many moves to thwart the PM John Bercow repeatedly attracted the fury of Brexiteers in 2019 as he sided with rebel backbenchers trying to thwart a swift Brexit. January 9: He allows a rebel amendment brought by Dominic Grieve forcing then prime minister Theresa May to come back to the Commons with a revised Brexit plan if her withdrawal agreement failed to pass. The original business motion was put 'forthwith', which was previously taken to mean that it should be dealt with without a debate or chance of amendment. The amendment passed by 11 votes and the WA was heavily defeated. March 18: The Speaker blocks a third meaningful vote on Theresa May's Brexit deal. In a dramatic intervention, he ruled that the EU withdrawal agreement could not be put to a vote again without substantial changes. He gave Downing Street no notice of his announcement, which came just 24 hours before the Prime Minister was expected to ask the Commons to decide on the issue for a third time following two crushing defeats. March 18: Mr Bercow advises Remainer MPs on how they might use Parliamentary procedure to alter the Brexit deal after it is voted down a second time. He suggests they can use Standing Order 24 to sidestep the Government and push through backbench legislation. Usually SO24 motions should be neutral but he allows binding votes to introduce things like the Benn Act, blocking a No deal Brexit. August 28: Mr Bercow led a chorus of outrage over Prime Minister Boris Johnson's plan to prorogue Parliament. The Commons Speaker said he was on holiday with his family and had not been consulted about the move, which he labelled a 'constitutional outrage'. Mr Bercow said the plan to shut down Parliament from around September 11 until the state opening on October 14 was an 'offence against the democratic process'. September 25: He gloats that Boris Johnson's prorogation of Parliament had been 'expunged' by a bombshell Supreme Court ruling as he reopened Parliament. Telling MPs 'welcome back to our place of work', he spelled out that the suspension triggered by the PM earlier this month had been made void - as legally it never happened. he had vented his fury at the prorogation happening in the first place. October 21: He blocks Boris Johnson's latest bid to trigger a vote on his Brexit deal. MPs denied the PM 'in principle' approval for his deal over the weekend, instead postponing the showdown and obliging him to ask the EU for an extension. Mr Bercow insisted the 'meaningful' vote would break the Commons convention against asking MPs the same question twice in quick succession. Advertisement 'We are in an environment where you really can't know whether you're a criminal or not with this much law coming into force and changing so fast, and that is why I've said this is not a fit environment for free people,' he said. 'How do people think that liberty dies? It dies like this with government exercising draconian powers, without parliamentary scrutiny in advance.' The ex-minister told Sky News's Sophy Ridge On Sunday: 'MPs should be sharing in the dreadful burden of decision in these circumstances and not just retrospectively being asked to approve what the Government has done.' He said there were 'plenty' of MPs who would back the amendment, and that he thought it would be selected by Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle. But Downing Street is equally adamant that the vote will not be called, leaving rebels with only the nuclear option of voting against the Government's Covid-19 legislation, something they do not think the rebels will do. Health Secretary Matt Hancock has written to MPs urging them not to vote for Sir Graham's amendment if it is called, however. He wrote: 'I believe that the case for keeping these provisions remains strong... they are absolutely necessary to enable governments across the UK to mount an effective response.' Labour said it is likely to back the amendment if called, shadow culture secretary Jo Stevens said. 'We have some sympathy with the amendment that Graham Brady has tabled but we want to see something that sets out what our amendment sets out, which is more transparency and publishing the data,' she told Sky News. Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey also signalled he would vote for it. Mr Bercow told BBC Radio 4's The World This Weekend: 'Parliament has been unavoidably constrained by Covid-19 but it should not now avoidably constrain or hamper itself. 'Debate, scrutiny and votes are the lifeblood of a pluralist system.' On Saturday, about 15,000 demonstrators turned up to an anti-lockdown protest in central London. Despite the backlash, a senior government source told The Times ramping up coronavirus restrictions had not been ruled out. 'The nation and the party wasn't ready for us to go any further last week,' they said. 'There wasn't a wide enough understanding of how substantial the second wave could be. 'Unlike the first lockdown, nobody has seen pictures of body bags in Spain or France on the TV yet, which had a very powerful effect. You have to take people with you. 'Tougher measures on social interaction will have to come though. They're inevitable in some parts if you look at the numbers.' The emergency measures could be imposed in Covid-19 hotspots including Merseyside and the northeast as early as this week. Liverpool recorded 146.3 coronavirus cases per 100,000 people last week, up from 95.8 the week before, while South Tyneside recorded 137.8 cases per 100,000 last week, up from 86. London could also be placed on a total social lockdown if infection rates continue to rise, with one government figure describing the capital's fate as 'in the balance', The Times reported. Downing Street hopes to avoid a national social lockdown, with infection rates remaining low in the country's southwest and southeast outside of London. Michael Gove is thought to have lined up with Health Secretary Matt Hancock and Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden stressing the need for tougher action. But other Cabinet ministers such as Mr Sunak, Mr Eustice and Home Secretary Priti Patel favour keeping the economy more open. It comes as new local lockdowns, further restrictions and tough new fines for failing to self-isolate come into force across parts of the UK today. People across England will be legally required to self-isolate from this week if they test positive for coronavirus or are contacted by the test and trace service. If they do not they risk being hit with new fines starting at 1,000 and increasing up to 10,000 for repeat offenders or serious breaches. Police will also be checking compliance in the highest incidence areas and in high-risk groups based on 'local intelligence'. Current Affairs A new regulation which is designed to have judges and magistrates conduct trials while they are not physically in the Turks and Caicos Islands is "dangerous and undemocratic and will potentially breed widespread mistrust in the criminal justice system in these Islands", the Opposition Progressive National Party (PNP) has charged. The new law called Regulation 4(6) of the Emergency Powers (Covid-19) (Court Proceedings) Regulations 2020, states that the Court room shall include any place, whether in or outside the islands, the Judge or Magistrate elects to sit to conduct the business of the Court. " In short, it lays the legislative groundwork for the administration of the criminal justice system from outside of the Turks and Caicos Islands. Think about that for a while. Let it sink in," PNP chairman Calvin Greene said in a press statement. "The Progressive National Party is at one with the majority of Turks and Caicos Islanders who see Regulation 4(6) as more evidence of British high handedness and colonial authoritarianism at work. The Regulation is wrong, firstly, because it is directed specifically at the ongoing SIPT trial. Anyone who believes that Regulation 4(6) was intended to have general application is ignoring the evidence." The PNP statement added: "It is patently clear to even the most disinterested individual that this regulation was created to facilitate the continuation of the SIPT trial by a Judge sitting somewhere in Jamaica (perhaps in the comfort and security of his home) and controlling through Zoom or some similar platform, criminal proceedings in the Turks and Caicos Islands. The PNP press statement said the "indisputable facts" are that: (1) Judge Harrison who presides over the SIPT trial is a Jamaican national and at least 82 years of age. (2) From the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic and indeed even before the first 24 hour curfew was announced by Governor Dakin on March 25th 2020, Judge Harrison had suspended the SIPT trial and returned to his native Jamaica where he has been ever since. (3) When Regulation 4(6) was introduced, Judge Harrison was the only judge not in the country and he is today still the only judge that is out of the Turks and Caicos Islands. "The PNP believes that any legislation that is directed at a single person or a single group of persons is not only illegal, but it is dangerous and contrary to every democratic principle. This is particularly so when the legislation is intended to have retroactive application and affect a process, like the SIPT trial, that has been ongoing since 2015," Greene said. "The PNP is alarmed by this emerging pattern where laws are introduced to deal with a specific set of circumstance. The pattern began with the institution of a law that permitted criminal trials in the Supreme Court to be tried by judge alone. That law was introduced in 2010 while the country was under direct rule. Like Regulation 4(6), it was intended to facilitate the SIPT trial and in 2015 the SIPT trial became the first criminal trial in the Supreme Court to be tried by judge alone." "The powers that be, now faced with the fact that an 82-year-old judge does not wish to be away from his home and family during the pandemic, have decided that the proper and fair course is to change the law to facilitate his particular set of circumstances. They have decided to make laws that would allow the judge to effectively create a Supreme Court of the Turks and Caicos Islands in Jamaica. In which alternate universe does that seem fair? " The PNP said that Judge Harrison, like every other judge of the Supreme Court of the Turks and Caicos Islands, is employed by the Government of the Turks and Caicos Islands, is paid with tax payers monies and the party expects that "he should work within and dispense justice from within the Turks and Caicos Islands". The statement continued: "Is that too much to ask? English justice cannot be dispensed from outside of England all we ask is that we be measured with the same yardstick. What would this country be if all of the judges, none of whom are Turks and Caicos Islanders, could for whatever reason, retire to their home countries and say we will now preside over criminal trials from our homes in diverse parts of the earth. Please wire our salaries to our accounts in our home countries. There would be a tax payer revolt and rightly so. Those who appear before the Courts of these islands as accused persons and all of us who love democracy and are committed to fair processes would have to wonder by whose justice we are being judged." The PNP said that confidence in the administration of justice is a hallmark of democracy, adding that if as a "government in waiting" the party allowed Regulation 4(6) to proceed unchallenged "we would have failed our people and the cause of democracy the very cause that we were elected to champion". "In our quest to determine the constitutionality and legality of Regulation 4(6) we have sought the views of attorneys within and outside of the party and have been directed in every case to the following: 1. The Constitution of the Turks and Caicos Islands gives to the Court of Appeal alone the right to sit outside of the Turks and Caicos Islands. It does not give any similar power is given to the Supreme Court. 2. The High Court in England has no jurisdiction to sit outside of England and Wales and where the local laws in the TCI are silent on any point, the position in England and Wales applies." The PNP said it is not surprising therefore that the Defendants in the SIPT trial brought an action in the Supreme Court challenging the legality of Regulation 4(6). "In their case before the Supreme Court they made the additional argument that it would be unfair if Judge Harrison were to hear their side of the evidence by video link when for almost 5 years, the prosecution witnesses (with few exceptions) all gave live evidence from the witness box just feet away from the Judge." "Before the Supreme Court Judge who heard the initial application, Mr, Andrew Mitchell, (who together with his two juniors from the criminal trial are representing the Attorney General in the matter), conceded that the literal interpretation (whether intentional or not) of Regulation 4(6) meant that the place where the judge was physically sitting was the courtroom, even if that place was outside the islands and if that interpretation were accepted the regulation would be plainly unconstitutional." "Mr. Mitchell, however, contended before the Supreme Court that the words of Regulation 4(6) should instead be interpreted to mean that the Court would be in the TCI where the Registrar of the Court is and the judge would beam into the TCI court from wherever he happened to be." The PNP statement continued: "The difficulty with that logic is simple If the judge is not present in the TCI there can be no court for him to beam into. It is the judge and not the Registrar that constitutes the Court. The Judge is the personification of the Court. The Judge and the Court are one. To suggest, as we understand the Attorney General has done, that a judge can beam himself into a room, any room, and by so doing transform that room into a court is too science fiction to be taken seriously. When the argument was heard by the Supreme Court, Justice Lobban-Jackson rejected Mr. Mitchells argument holding that the wording of the section was plain and that the interpretation contended for by Mr. Mitchell would not suit the wording." The press statement noted that the Attorney Generals Chambers appealed this decision to the Court of Appeal which unanimously accepted Mr. Mitchells argument that the words should not be read literally and that the intention was that the court would be in TCI. "Mr. Mitchell successfully resisted an application for the disclosure of the material including correspondences that informed the drafting of the Regulation and the choice of words used. Without that information we are at a loss to understand how the Court of Appeal was able to arrive at an interpretation so at odds with the natural meaning of the words. The decision of the Court of Appeal is now being appealed to the Privy Council in London," the PNP stated. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-28 19:30:18|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close HANGZHOU, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- When the curtain of night fell and the lights came on, Mariano Fredes, an Argentine acrobat who now lives in China, started performing with a rope under the spotlight at the center of the stage, sending the audience into loud applause. Several months ago, there were no performers or visitors around, leaving the theater deserted. COVID-19 had taken its toll on performances. Mariano, together with his 56 dancer colleagues from 19 countries, works at "Longemont Paradise," a theme park located in Huzhou City, east China's Zhejiang Province. When the epidemic broke out, Mariano was overwhelmed by uncertainty and fear for being in a foreign land. However, he chose to stay in China. During quarantine, Mariano and his colleagues lived in a hotel provided by the company. To be in top physical form, they stretched themselves inside their rooms. What impressed him most was the way the company looked after them. "They provided food and water everyday," Mariano recalled. "They even offered a list of supermarket goods for us to choose." "There was no performance at all, but we received our salary. We are grateful for being taken good care of all the time," he said. "China is the country that best controlled the pandemic, and I feel blessed that I stayed." Anna Terentyeva, a dancer in the theme park, left her homeland Ukraine for China over three years ago. Several months ago, her grandmother contracted COVID-19, but fortunately recovered. "It was very scary, especially because we were far apart," said Anna. Despite the bleak situation, the foreign dancers didn't feel lonely in China. Sharing films, music and being together helped them during the hard time. "It's amazing that we struck a strong bond. Sometimes we just needed a place to share our feelings and thoughts. People were there for one another," said Anna. Many of the foreign dancers do not speak Chinese. However, they say when the lights and music come on, they can interact with the audience through their eyes. "I can see it when they get impressed or sometimes feel edgy during the show. The best moment for me is when I finish the feat in the sky and land safely, hearing the cheers and applause in the dark," said Mariano with a smile. "That is the time when I feel really connected with the Chinese audience." Enditem As the Covid-19 cases keep increasing, people across the world are desperate for a solution. While many vaccine trials are ongoing, should we treat the vaccine as a silver bullet, an exclusive solution to the pandemic? Perhaps not. Developing vaccines takes time. Historically, the worlds fastest vaccine to be developed for mumps took five years. A vaccine receives regulatory approvals after rigorous tests for efficacy and patient safety. And then, there is the challenge of inoculating billions of people in diverse countries. The little that we know about what curbs the spread of the virus forms the basis of Covid-19 safety advisories: Wearing masks, social distancing, and handwashing give us a reasonable degree of protection. Yet, as soaring case numbers indicate, there is a gap between the mass communication of Covid-19 prevention information and its uptake. We, in India, can perhaps find lessons in how we faced another challenge not so long ago. Accounting for 60% of global cases, India was once the worlds polio epicentre. We had the vaccine; however, what was lacking was mass understanding of the need to immunise children well in time. Such was the distrust among many people that in many cases, vaccinators were regularly turned away. In the face of this resistance, Indias polio vaccine campaign at the time leveraged opinion leaders and deployed a mass communication outreach to support behaviour change. The campaigns compelling appeal gave frontline health workers the social licence to go door-to-door to ensure coverage. The campaign won the trust of communities at the grassroots level, making the two polio drops for infants socially acceptable. While India was familiar with vaccines (for smallpox, cholera, typhoid, and TB, among others) early on, the polio campaign was a unique one. Along with ending polio, the campaign provided the proof that vaccinations work; and, the collective journey to a polio-free India built a trust of vaccines among citizens. This month, a special Covid-19 edition of the Edelman Trust Barometer, which covered 3,400 respondents from seven countries (India, the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, South Korea, and Singapore), found that at 83%, India has the highest receptivity rate for a government-approved, no-cost vaccine among the countries surveyed. In comparison, only 65% of all respondents in the seven countries surveyed were willing to take such a vaccine. Indias successful polio communication, exemplified by the vaccination efforts, can give us some learnings we can apply now. Considering that Covid-19 outbreaks take place at the community level, fighting the disease will also need concerted local action. According to Dr David Nabarro, World Health Organization Special Envoy for Covid-19, prioritising three universal essentials can help keep people safe: Wearing masks, hand hygiene and physical distancing. From rural hubs to urban wards, we require a mass campaign to communicate these fundamentals to every citizen through constant reiteration. The prevention campaign needs to engage large audiences. Places of congregation, like markets, offices, public transport, slums, and residential areas, must be specially targeted. Just as non-compliance with road safety rules leads to traffic fines and more, there must also be strict emphasis on compliance for the Covid-19 safety protocols. The campaign against the virus must also fight misinformation, a major risk amid an infodemic of Covid-related content. As the economy reopens, it is imperative that there is sustained dissemination of Covid-19 prevention messages using every channel of mass communication, from posters, billboards and wall-writings to radio, TV, and social media. In addition to the three essentials, communication also needs to provide clarity on how the virus spreads. The vaccine will come in due course. Until then, stringent caution, robust communication of Covid-19 safety protocols, and compliance to trusted actions are the vaccine. Rakesh Thukral is managing director, Edelman India The views expressed are personal *** President Akufo-Addo has said the Ashanti Region has been a huge beneficiary of the works of his government. The President spoke when he paid a courtesy call on Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II at the Manhyia Palace in Kumasi. The President said he has delivered his 2016 campaign promise to develop the Ashanti Region and urged the people of the region to give him an additional four years to accomplish more if they appreciate the good works of his government. The President further disclosed that the region has so far benefitted from 1,824 projects under his administration with 774 currently completed. He said: In the three-and-a-half years of the Akufo-Addo government, we have initiated 1,824 projects in the Ashanti Region. We have been able to complete 774 while 1,050 are ongoing. The President also said there are 604 projects in education, 92 in health, and 151 in the roads sector while 606 are ongoing in the water and sanitation sectors. President Akufo-Addo noted that the evidence of his works are dotted across the region. Wherever you go in the region, youll find out my handiworks are there. Akufo-Addo came to contribute to the development of the Ashanti Region and Ghana, he didnt come to deceive anyone. Even after that, we arent done. President Akufo-Addo further noted that his government has resolved to construct 111 district hospitals under the Agenda 111. Fifteen out of the 111 district hospitals will be constructed in the Ashanti Region with Asokore Mampong, Akrofrom, Bosome Freho, Adanse Asokwa as some of the districts which will benefit from the health posts. President Akufo-Addo also revealed that he will cut sod in November 2020 for works to begin on the Boankra Inland Portland located in the region. He added that the project, estimated to cost USD 330 million, has been awarded as a concession to a Korean company. For his part, Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II urged President Akufo-Addo to clearly explain to Ghanaians the development projects he is undertaking. According to the Asante monarch, this will educate Ghanaians on the good works being carried out by his government. Your good works are following you. Ashanti Region remembers your good works. Ashanti will remember. What matters is for your government to explain to the people the good works you are doing so that the people can hear about and see the good works youre doing." The Asantehene said even though chiefs do not partake in partisan politics, they vote, therefore, added that they are wise and will vote according to the good works they see. ---classfm CRB Tech Solutions is one of the top corporate training and placement organizations of Pune; that helps the students to get the best jobs. CRB Tech has helped many students to get their dream job by being the right help and guidance at the right time. It has been recognized as one of the best training and placement institutes with consistent efforts on their part in finding the right and appropriate placements for the students. With years of experience and the in-depth knowledge of the trained faculty, CRB Tech has emerged as one of the known and trusted names. Excellence in the field of training and providing the right and detailed knowledge of the various courses has helped to achieve a reputed and respectful name in the education industry. CRB Tech Reviews: If you are in a dilemma of whether to choose or not to choose CRB Tech as your partner for getting the right direction to get the right placement, then this detailed review of the institute will help you get a clear view. The decision of selecting the right institute is very important when we talk about placements in the leading companies. The decision should not be made randomly based on some unsupported statements, rather a detailed analysis should be made and experts should be asked for their feedback before zeroing any institute. This is where detailed reviews come handy. The review of CRB Tech talks about why the institute is preferred by the students, what are the strengths of the Institute and what students and experts have to say about CRB Tech? Strengths of CRB Tech: While selecting an institute for training and placements, one must be sure of what are the strengths and the strong pillars of that institute. Talking about CRB Tech, the Institute focuses on providing the students with all the necessary help that they need for preparing themselves for their bright future. One of our bright students Krishika who got placed in Appotex stated that "the placement team at CRB Tech has always been supportive for finding the job as per their skills." She further adds, "The staff is really supportive and never hesitate to explain the topics in detail for a clear understanding." Another student enrolled for.Net program with the Institute appreciates the efficiency of the HR team of CRB Tech by stating that," The HR team is well-coordinated and is always available to help students with their queries and questions." He also acknowledged the HR team for their quick response and patience. CRB Tech is also known for creating the right learning environment for the students so that they can understand the logic very easily. The friendly nature of the faculty members is a great help for the students to be very open about their doubts and questions. CRB Tech is the preferred choice of many students for giving the right shape to their careers. Why? Let's find out. CRB TechReview - Why Students Prefer? Students today are looking for perfection and they are not ready to settle for anything less than that. The students are now very particular to enquire about all their concerns issues before choosing any training institute. The students observe every minute details about the Institute and enroll themselves only when they are totally satisfied. Thus, to provide students with all their answers and to make them satisfied with the offered services, the institute must avail excellence in every domain. One of the students from the JAVA batch, VijayaShelke who has been placed in Fidel Softech Pvt. Ltd., defines, "CRB Tech institute had got the right mix of theoretical and technical knowledge that helps the student to learn the basics as well as get the detailing of the course." Adding to the statement he says, "The Institute not only helps the student with the course details but also guides and prepares them for the interview process." Other than this, the complete understanding of the Institute about the selection process of the various companies, understanding the working culture, providing with notes, teaching and helping students to adapt and adjust with the working atmosphere are some of the reasons that students listed as their reason for choosing CRB Tech for placement and training need. As an added advantage, the institute has genuine associations with many leading companies. The CRB Tech Placement Clients: Out of the vast pool of companies, CRB Tech chose to be associated with only the leading and established names. The list of some of their clients reads something like this: ternus Quality Kiosk Syntel Moid-Tek TwentyTwenty Interior Design Software Pvt. Ltd Quick Heal TCS Appotex Potnis Kitchen Equipment NeoSoft Technologies These are some of the associated companies that support CRB Tech to provide 100% placements to their students. Review Of the Placed Students: To seal the deal and confirm the trust of the students to enroll them in the Institute, let us quickly review what the placed students want to say about the Institute. The Institute is an excellent place to get the right training for the various technical courses. The friendly environment makes the students even more comfortable to sharp their brains for in-depth knowledge of the course, says one of the students who got the right placement for her career. Click the links to have a closer look at what the placed students want to share: To add to the praises of the Institute, one of the students, Anand who is presently working with Cognizant says, "CRB Tech is the best placement centers in Pune. The training and placement staff is awesome and is always ready to help the students for getting the right placements." Anand's Feedback about CRB Tech. Conclusion: To conclude the discussion it would not be wrong to say that if you are looking for the right direction for your career then choosing CRB Tech can be the right step in that direction. The US has threatened Iraq to close down its embassy in capital Baghdad unless rocket attacks against the mission stop. The threat was made recently by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, in a telephone conversations with President Barham Salih and Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi, Anadolu news agency reports. Two Iraqi officials, the agency also notes, said US has begun taking preliminary steps to close the embassy in the next few months, that the closure may occur simultaneously with the withdrawal of American troops from Iraq and that the Consulate General in Erbil will be kept open. The US embassy in the Iraqi capital has since the beginning of this year, seen an escalation in attacks by Shiite militias believed close to Iran. The attacks also have targeted Iraqi military bases housing US troops. The anti-US sentiment in the Middle East country has heightened after the January assassination of a top Iraqi Shiite commander alongside with Irans top military commander Qassim Soleimani outside Baghdad airport. The Iraqi parliament, following the assassinations, demanded the withdrawal of all US and international forces present in the country as part of the fight against terror groups, mainly the Islamic state group. At least two Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists, including the longest surviving terrorist, was killed, in an overnight encounter with security forces in Samboora area of Awantipora town in Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir. J&K DGP Dilbag Singh on Monday said the Jammu and Kashmir Police along with other security forces have got a big success in the operation. The encounter started on September 27 evening and was concluded on Monday morning by security forces and among the killed terrorists one was the longest surviving terrorist of LeT who had joined the terror outfit at the time of Hizbul Mujahideen commander. Live TV The terrorists have been identified as Ajaz Reshi and Sajad Sofi. Reshi was the top commander of LeT and also the brain behind the recruitment of local youths in terror outfit said police top cop. The DGP said, "One of the terrorists was identified as Ajaz Reshi who was the top surviving commander of Lashkar and was active since Burhan Wani (Hizbul Mujahideen poster boy). He was a terrorist supporter and over ground worker (OGW) in 2015 and then became an active member of LeT, he added. Both the terrorists were killed on Sunday itself but the bodies couldnt be retrieved as it was night and not safe for security forces to go inside the house. In the morning searches were resumed and the bodies along with arms and ammunition recovered including AK 46 and AK 56 and other explosives. The DGP further said, "Ajaz was a top commander and had carried many attacks on security forces he has remained a very dangerous terrorist, he was active since Burhan Wani and was involved in many activities that time. He was an OGW at that time and use to transport terrorists from one place to another." In 2016, an attack took place on EDI building on the highway where eight security personnel were martyred and Ajaz was the one who had transported terrorists to that building, added the DGP. Ajaz was very active in Awantipora belt and had carried many deadly attacks on security forces. The DGP said, "He joined LeT and in June 2016 an attacked happened in Pampore where 8 CRPF personal got martyred he was directly involved in that. After that in December 2016, he planned an attack in Kadlabal-Pampore belt where three Army personals got martyred, he added, that he was very active in motivating youth to join the terrorism and make them hardcore terrorists. California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a new law on Saturday, which requires the state prison to house gender inmates based on their gender identity. This could only be applicable if the state does not have "management or security concerns." The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitations houses men and women in separate facilities, according to a report. Meanwhile, transgender inmates are usually housed based on their sex assigned at birth. Advocates claimed this is dangerous, especially transgender women housed in facilities for men. The new California law that Newsom signed on Saturday says that officers must ask inmates personally during the intake process if they identify as transgender, nonbinary, or intersex. These inmates can request to be housed in a facility that has either men or women. The new law also required the state's correctional department to not deny the requests of these inmate solely because of inmates' anatomy, sexual orientation, or "a factor present" among other inmates at the facility. However, the state can deny those requests if it has "management of security concerns." If a request is rejected, the state should give the inmate a written statement of explanation. The statement should explain the decision and give the inmate an opportunity to object. Author of the said bill, Sen. Scott Wiener, said that he does not expect that exception to be used very often. "It's just a false narrative about transgender people and about transgender women in particular that they're somehow not really women and are just trying to scam their way into women's bathrooms or facilities in order to do bad things," Wiener was quoted. Wiener also said that overwhelmingly the people who are being victimized are trans people. The law also says that any time that an inmate raises concerns about their health or safety, the state must review where they are being placed. Michelle Calvin, a transgender woman incarcerated at Mule Creek State Prison, said this means a lot to her and her sisters. Calvin recently called in to a news conference about the bill. Calvin added that she has been in for 15 years. "I've been through the abuse, I've been through the disrespect of staff not addressing me for who I am because I am a woman," Calvin was quoted. In addition, the law also mandates correctional officials to address transgender inmates based on their pronouns of choice. The law also requires officers to search inmates based on the search policy of their gender identity. This is not first of the LGBT-related laws that Newsom signed. He also signed another law, authored by Wiener, requiring local public health officials to better track how diseases are affecting the LGBT community. Aside from that, Newsom also signed the bill authored by state Sen. Lena Gonzales. Gonzales' law aims to ban life and disability companies from denying coverage just because some is HIV positive. Housing inmates based on their gender identity is also being implemented in some states. Connecticut passed the same law in 2018. Rhode Island, New York and Massachusetts also place inmates in facilities based on their gender identity. Want to read more? Check these out! Save or Spend: How Americans Used the First Round of Stimulus Checks California Gov. Newsom Wants to Expand Protections for Essential Workers, Especially Latinos New Study Shows Other Strategies to Combat COVID-19 and Reduce its Symptoms Oregon Gov. Kate Brown ordered an extension of the states residential eviction ban through the end of the year, citing the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic and this months wildfires. Housing is a critical human need, and, as we enter cold and flu season during a pandemicand as many students learn remotely from homeit is absolutely critical that people not be turned out of their homes, Brown said in a statement Monday. Oregons residential eviction ban was originally issued on April 1. It had been due to expire on Wednesday, the last day of September. The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention established a nationwide eviction ban earlier this month but required renters to take steps to demonstrate they qualify. That could exclude some people from the protections. Last week, Multnomah County extended its own eviction moratorium until January 8 and said it expects Portland to take similar steps this week. All these protections are limited, though. Renters who havent paid may owe back rent and could face eviction when the moratoriums are lifted unless federal, state or local governments establish additional protections. Last month, Brown issued an executive order extending a ban on mortgage foreclosures until Dec. 31. -- Mike Rogoway | mrogoway@oregonian.com | twitter: @rogoway | 503-294-7699 Chances are if chef Gordon Ramsay comes to a town near you, it probably has something to do with food. The celebrity multi-Michelin-starred chef has been making the rounds across Michigans Upper Peninsula and theres pictures to prove it. Ramsay, who you know from such hit shows as Hells Kitchen, Kitchen Nightmares, and MasterChef, has been visiting numerous eateries in the U.P. Hes kept his visit a bit of a secret as he hasnt posted about his trip on any of his social media channels. However, some Yoopers have proudly posted photos and info on his whereabouts on social media. You never know what a day will bring. Gordon Ramsay and crew stopped by looking for a coffee today. They were touring... Posted by Jamsen's Fish Market and Bakery on Friday, September 25, 2020 Like at Jamesens Fish Market and Bakery in Copper Harbor. The family-owned market posted this photo of chef Ramsay visiting on Friday. You never know what a day will bring. Gordon Ramsay and crew stopped by looking for a coffee today, the Facebook posting said. They were touring the area. We had just closed and it was a busy day but we did have some hot coffee and cookies left for them. Some words from Gordon Ramsay were: This is truly a beautiful area. This is really good coffee. And after spending some time relaxing on the dock, This is wonderful. nbd just Gordon Ramsay chillin 10 feet away from my dad and i at suomi just now Posted by Manda Paige on Thursday, September 24, 2020 Then theres this photo thats been making the rounds from Manda Paige. Her Facebook page says shes from Houghton and thats where she says she took this pic of chef Ramsay. Nbd (no big deal) just Gordon Ramsay chillin' 10 feet away from my dad and i at Suomi just now, she wrote. Suomi Home Bakery and Restaurant is located on Huron St. in Houghton. It appears Ramsay may be shooting in the U.P. for his Nat Geo show Gordon Ramsay: Uncharted. A Reddit user posted about spotting the chef at The Fitz restaurant in Eagle River. He is filming the show Uncharted and was at a local restaurant here today called The Fitz. Its my favorite bbq place in town, the user wrote on Reddit. According to the description of the National Geographic series, the chef journeys to some of the most incredible and remote locations on Earth in search of culinary inspiration, epic adventures, and cultural experiences he will never forget." Lastly, we found another Reddit user who posted that the chef was spotted ordering food to go from Gemignanis Italian Restaurant in Hancock. He got takeout from Gemignanis Tuesday night and liked it so much he got it again yesterday, the user wrote. Copper Harbor, Houghton, Eagle River and Hancock are all located northwest of Marquette on the Keweenaw Peninsula. MORE U.P. FROM MLIVE: Pictured Rocks at sunset: How to capture one of Michigans most marvelous photo ops Planning a trip to Munising? 8 things not to miss How to find these giant U.P. sand dunes you may not know exist 25 U.P. marvels everyone should see In a job sector already marked by limited opportunities, young Tibetans seeking government work are being required to join the ruling Chinese Communist Party and to closely study the political thought of party chief Xi Jinping, sources in Tibet say. Many young college graduates in Tibet now look for stable, well-paid work in government jobs, a source in Tibet told RFAs Tibetan Service in a recent interview. But to find work like this one must be a member of the [ruling] Chinese Communist Party, RFAs source said, speaking on condition of anonymity. Therefore, many Tibetans these days are studying communism and Xis political ideology in order to have a stable job and career. There are no other options left, the source said, adding, Even to become a teacher in a school, you have to be a member of the CCP and learn the so-called Xi Jinping Thought for a New Era. Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism With Chinese Characteristics For a New Eraabbreviated simply as Xi Jinping Thoughtis a compilation of the Chinese presidents statements and doctrines on Chinese government policy and the countrys role and future in world affairs. It was adopted into the Chinese Communist Partys constitution following the 19th Party Congress in March 2018. Bookstores in Tibets regional capital Lhasa now carry large numbers of Xi Jinpings books on Chinas governance in stock, a second source in Tibet said. The Xinhua bookstore near the Potala Palace in Lhasa and many other such bookstores carry lots of books about Xi Jinpings ideology and the Communist Party, books about the history of communism, and books that say how China liberated Tibet. Its very sad that you will find only a few books about Tibet and its true history and religion, he added. The rules of Communist Party membership, a necessity now for employment and professional advancement in Tibet, are targeted primarily at destroying Tibetan national and cultural identity, Karma Tenzin, a researcher at the Dharamsala, India-based Tibet Policy Institute said. The CCP doesnt care about how educated Tibetans become or what kind of jobs they may land in the future. Their real intent is to brainwash Tibetans by forcing them to learn the ideology of the CCP and Xi Jinping, he said. Restrictions on religion Tibetan Party members, government workers, and students are now routinely denied access to monasteries and temples in many parts of Tibet, with Penpa Dhondupdirector of the Archives of the Tibet Autonomous Regionrecently fired from his post for affirming his faith in Tibetan Buddhism, sources told RFA in earlier reports. Tibets India-based exile government hit back in August at a call by Chinas President Xi Jinping to Sinicize the Tibetan people's Buddhist religion, describing the move as an attempt by Chinas ruling Communist Party to destroy Tibets unique national identity. For Tibetans, Buddhism is more important than Communism, Tibetan exile political leader Lobsang Sangay said, calling Beijings attempt to raise Chinas political system over the Tibetan peoples faith a violation of international religious freedom. Chinese police and surveillance teams now regularly monitor life in Tibetan monasteries for signs of opposition to Chinas rule, source in the region say. Authorities meanwhile interfere with Tibets traditional recognition of senior Buddhist monks and other religious leaders in order to install politically compliant figures of their own choosing. At the Central Symposium on Tibet Work in Beijing last month, Xi called for continuous efforts to enhance recognition of the great motherland, the Chinese nation, the Chinese culture, the CPC, and socialism with Chinese characteristics by people of all ethnic groups. Tibetan Buddhism should be guided in adapting to the socialist society and should be developed in the Chinese context, Xi said, according to the official Xinhua news agency. Regarded by Chinese leaders as a separatist, Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama fled Tibet into exile in India in the midst of a failed 1959 Tibetan national uprising against rule by China, which marched into the formerly independent Himalayan country in 1950. Reported by Lobsang Gelek for RFA's Tibetan Service. Translated by Tenzin Dickyi..Written in English by Richard Finney. Zibby Owens is the host of award-winning podcast, "Moms Dont Have Time to Read Books." Coastal Italy. Salem. Poland. Upstate New York. Japan. The Hamptons. These are just a few places to which this crop of October releases will transport readers. While the COVID-19 pandemic has curtailed travel, there are no limits to where beloved books can take us. So, this "trick or treat" season, grab a bag of candy corn and settle in to devour these memoirs, novels and non-fiction books by a dozen stellar authors, both old and new. Let the pages carry you out of your home and into new parts of the world, both real and imagined, and escape from this one for a little while. PHOTO: 12 must-read new books for October 2020 (Zibby Owens) Read along with us and join the conversation on our Instagram account -- GMA Book Club and #GMABookClub. October 2020 Releases Oct. 5: 'Catchlight' by Brooke Adams Law Winner of the Fairfield Book Prize, "Catchlight" is the debut novel from marketing expert Brooke Adams Law. When Lauras mom is diagnosed with Alzheimers, she and her three siblings, including her alcoholic brother, James, have to find a way to come together to cope. Oct. 6: 'Leave the World Behind' by Rumaan Alam On the longlist for the National Book Award for Fiction and already optioned by Netflix, "Leave the World Behind" examines what happens when a white family renting an Airbnb in the Hamptons is confronted by the purported Black owners on their doorstep after a mysterious blackout in New York. 'Digital Goddess: The Unfiltered Lessons of a Female Entrepreneur' by Victoria Montgomery Brown The book opens with author Victoria Montgomery Brown hopping into a taxi on her way to the police station when she finds out she is inexplicably under arrest, a ploy to tarnish her reputation by a former jealous boss. Still, Brown grapples with how to share this unexpected development with investors in her nascent, soon-to-booming start-up, Big Think. Sprinkled with lessons for business entrepreneurs and anyone struggling to manage anything -- including the household -- Brown uses her Harvard MBA intellect and Canadian sense-of-humor to impart advice, guidance and what not to do. Story continues 'Magic Lessons: The Prequel to Practical Magic' by Alice Hoffman Bestselling and legendary author of 30-plus books, Alice Hoffman is back with the prequel to her blockbuster book (and Warner Brothers film) "Practical Magic." This captivating story of Maria and Hannah Owens in the 1600s traces the development on Marias gift and her journey to Salem, all led by love. 'A Perfect 10: The Truth About Things Im Not and Never Will Be' by Heather Land Wildly popular Southern comedian Heather Land, whose 100 million-plus fans love her for her "I Aint Doin' It" viral videos and book, shares more personal stories in "A Perfect 10". A divorced (and now engaged) mom of two, Land confesses her secrets in a relatable, quirky and endearing way. 'Is This Anything?' by Jerry Seinfeld Its about time for comedy legend Jerry Seinfelds first book. Organized by decade, "Is This Anything?" showcases the progression on Seinfelds development as a comedian. Oct. 13: 'After the Rain: Gentle Reminders for Healing, Courage, and Self-Love' by Alexandra Elle An inspiring self-help/memoir story wrapped in a gold glittering package with 15 life lessons, "After the Rain" contains Alexandra Elles inspiring guidance as a Black mom, wellness expert and entrepreneur. 'The Lost Shtetl' by Max Gross A commentary on modern-day life, "The Lost Shtetl" imagines a world in which one lone Jewish village has been forgotten, until now. Written by debut author and Commercial Observer editor Max Gross, this thought-provoking book highlights the role of government, family, change and community. 'Good Night Beautiful' by Aimee Molloy The sophomore novel of New York Times bestselling author Aimee Molloy, whose first novel "The Perfect Mother," examined the cult of motherhood perfectionism, is back with another psychological thriller. This time, a New York-transplant couple head upstate where Sam opens a private practice as a therapist in their new home. His wife, Annie, eavesdrops from upstairs. One patient changes everything. Oct. 27: 'Love Your Life' by Sophie Kinsella The No. 1 internationally bestselling author Sophie Kinsella takes her heroine, Ava, to a writing retreat in Italy. Fed up with dating apps, Ava shuts down and even changes her name to regroup and falls for a man whose martial arts retreat nearby has been canceled. But when they head back to real life in London together, their new relationship is tested. With her signature hilarious dialogue and keen observational wit, Kinsella delivers an un-put-downable, enjoyable journey, yet again. 'Group: How One Therapist and a Circle of Strangers Saved My Life' by Christie Tate This highly-anticipated debut memoir from over-achieving, young lawyer Christie Tate gives readers an inside peek into the highs and lows of group therapy. Recovering form an eating disorder and battling depressing, Tate reluctantly turns to this communal form of psychotherapy. Funny, emotional, and insightful, "Group" is sure to be a breakout hit. 'Memorial: A Novel' by Bryan Washington The story of a gay couple in Texas, a Japanese American chef at a Mexican restaurant and a Black daycare teacher, "Memorial" is about relationships, love, family, travel and what it means to be happy. When one of the men heads back to Japan to tend to his dying father, leaving his mother to stay behind with his lover, hijinks ensue. This is Bryan Washington's debut novel after being named one of the National Book Foundations "5 Under 35" and the recent winner of the Young Lions Book Prize from the New York Public Library for "Lot: Stories." 'I'll Be Seeing You' by Elizabeth Berg A memoir and love story, "I'll Be Seeing You," is told from bestselling author Elizabeth Berg's vantage point as a 70-year-old woman. She writes poignantly about her aging parents and the power of connection through the years in this compelling narrative. Read along with us and join the conversation on our Instagram account -- GMA Book Club and #GMABookClub. 12 must-read new books for October 2020 originally appeared on goodmorningamerica.com Pulatov's lawyers object to appearance of their client in the Schiphol Judicial Complex, an Ukrinform correspondent in The Hague reports. According to Pulatov's lawyer Sabine Ten Doesschate, the lawyers object because their client's photos have been published in many media outlets, and he is allegedly in danger. "He also may be arrested, there is an international warrant for Pulatovs arrest. So if he arrives, he faces arrest despite the fact that he is not guilty," Ten Dusshate said. As reported, the third session of the MH17 trial started in the Netherlands on August 31. In March this year, the District Court of The Hague began the consideration of the case of the downing of flight MH17 in the sky over Donbas. On June 19, 2019, the international Joint Investigation Team named four suspects believed to be involved in the transportation and combat use of the Buk missile system, from which MH17 flight had been downed. Three of them are Russians: Igor Girkin (Strelkov), former colonel in Russia's FSB intelligence service and former so-called defense minister of the so-called "Donetsk People's Republic"; Sergey Dubinskiy, general (at the time of downing colonel) of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces and head of the so-called "Main Intelligence Directorate of the Donetsk Peoples Republic"; Oleg Pulatov, lieutenant colonel of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces. The fourth suspect is Leonid Kharchenko, a Ukrainian civilian, who fought on the side of the so-called "Donetsk People's Republic." Malaysia Airlines flight MH17, en route from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur, was shot down over conflict-hit Donbas in July 2014. There were 283 passengers and 15 crew members on board. All of them died. The JIT reported that the plane had been shot down from a Buk missile system that belongs to the 53rd Anti-Aircraft Missile Brigade of the Russian Armed Forces stationed in Kursk. ol For several hours Saturday, as the city waited with bated breath for stricter public health measures to go into effect, more than 125 Winnipeggers gathered at the Palomino Club in the Exchange District, and at least for them, at least for a night it almost seemed there was no pandemic at all. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 27/9/2020 (481 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. For several hours Saturday, as the city waited with bated breath for stricter public health measures to go into effect, more than 125 Winnipeggers gathered at the Palomino Club in the Exchange District, and at least for them, at least for a night it almost seemed there was no pandemic at all. The partiers, young and old alike, file into the club past security guards patting people down and checking temperatures at the door. A large group huddles close together at the downstairs bar, standing shoulder-to-shoulder, shouting loudly above the din of music. Almost no one wears a mask. In the men's bathroom, crowded and tight-quartered, two people whove just met introduce themselves with a handshake. Upstairs, people sway with the live music echoing from the stage, and others move in packs from the patio to their seats, to the bar and back. Outside, people place their drinks on a small table before entering the designated smoking area. Two Kokanees, two Standards, three Heinekens, two Bud Lights, and a few mixed drinks sit there, all of them open, all of them jumbled together, waiting for their owners return. "For me, its bullshit," says a man smoking a cigarette, when asked if hes worried about the novel coronavirus pandemic. He stands next to his friend, both exhaling clouds of smoke into the night, and asks for his name not be published. "I dont believe it at all I dont like (the restrictions), but most of the people are scared, so its OK for them. I dont like to wear a mask, though. Im not going to change my life." Aside from what staff say is a smaller-than-normal crowd, a ban on dancing, and a message flashing on TVs throughout the club asking patrons not to post photos to social media, signs this is a Saturday night in the middle of a global pandemic, and not just another fall weekend in Winnipeg, are few and far between. Establishments like the Palomino Club have come under greater scrutiny in recent weeks as the COVID-19 case count continues to climb, with a number of recent exposures linked to young people bar hopping in the city. On Thursday, Manitobas chief public health officer, Dr. Brent Roussin, said roughly half of recent positive cases could be linked to young people, many in their 20s, gathering at crowded restaurants, pubs, bars and clubs. Some were found to have visited more than one establishment in a night, while others went out despite being symptomatic. In one case, 36 "close contacts" were identified for a single individual. On Friday, Roussin announced "the Winnipeg metropolitan region will move to the restricted level, or orange on the pandemic response system," effective Monday. Mask use will be mandatory at all indoor public spaces, including bars and restaurants. "The indicators, certainly in the Winnipeg health region, are trending in the wrong direction. Were seeing more people developing symptoms and accessing testing. Were seeing a growing test-positivity rate and seeing higher rates of community-based transmission," Roussin said. JESSE BOILY / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES The World Famous Palomino Club in downtown Winnipeg. Even more restrictions could be coming down the pike for restaurants and bars, he added, as the province plans to consult with the industry to develop further measures to help reduce the spread of COVID-19. But not all of the bars visited by the Free Press Saturday were flouting social distancing guidelines like those gathered at the Palomino Club. At Bar Italia on Corydon Avenue the site of a recent exposure roughly 20 people gathered at tables separated by plexiglass dividers, mainly staying seated and keeping to their groups. They were served by a waitress with a mask hooked around her ears, but pulled down below her chin, who bounced from table to table slinging drinks. Down the street, at Chaise Cafe and Lounge, whose owner has been repeatedly fined for breaching public health orders during the pandemic, only a few people sat on the patio, and roughly a dozen others could be seen gathered inside through the window. Corydon Avenue, normally a popular spot for a weekend night out, was quiet Saturday, with only a slow trickle of people walking down the sidewalk, standing there smoking cigarettes, occasionally popping into one of the strips many restaurants, lounges and bars. At the Kings Head Pub in the Exchange District, the crowd was also small and social distancing guidelines were strictly observed. Staff checked photo identification at the door not just for age, but to turn away anyone from out of province and sprayed customers hands with sanitizer before allowing them inside. All of the staff members were wearing masks, and the patrons remained seated at their tables, which were spaced out throughout the bar. Across the street, 15 to 20 people could be seen at the Bijou Patio enjoying a fall night under the stars, and another group gathered in Old Market Square following a bike jam. Back at the Palomino Club, a man and woman sell hot dogs from a cart set up next to the building. The man says this is one of the slowest nights he's seen in weeks, adding it's been consistently busy during the pandemic, which has been good for business. Jen Zoratti | Next A weekly look towards a post-pandemic future delivered to your inbox every Wednesday. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. "Oh, its been busy. Last week, it was busy. Tonight, not so busy," he says, as people spill out the front door and wander off into the night. One of them, a man who did not want to give his name, says he was motivated to come out for a very simple and very human reason: an overwhelming desire for connection. "I just wanted to see people," he says, walking down the sidewalk around midnight, heading home. "And I hate people. Thats the weirdest part." ryan.thorpe@freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @rk_thorpe Christy Glovaski, Associate & Paige Scardigli, Exec. Dir Curetivity, Liz Mohr, HR Mgr. SmartEquip, Timothy Bayly, Regional Exec. Dir. St. Jude Childrens Research Hospital, Fern Pinera, CEO SmartEquip The advancements made at the St. Jude Childrens Research Hospital are a direct result of contributions from companies like SmartEquip and its generous employees. SmartEquip is pleased to announce their corporate charity partnership with St. Jude Childrens Research Hospital by kicking off an employee giving campaign to help raise critical funds to support its lifesaving mission: Finding cures. Saving Children. September has been designated Childhood Cancer Awareness Month to bring awareness to childhood cancer. Childhood cancer is the leading cause of death by disease for children under the age of 14. It is important to support meaningful charitable causes as a company, says Fernando Pinera, CEO of SmartEquip. Personally, I am inspired by St. Jude Childrens Research Hospital and their dedication to leading the way for how the world understands, treats, and defeats childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases. The advancements made at the St. Jude Childrens Research Hospital are a direct result of contributions from companies like SmartEquip and its generous employees. The companys charitable program encourages employees to participate by matching 50 cents on every dollar they raise. Employees can choose to pledge a one-time contribution or an ongoing payroll deduction to support St. Jude Childrens Research Hospital, as well as participate in company-wide volunteer opportunities and events. SmartEquip has partnered with Curetivity, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization formed to assist in the fight against pediatric cancer. Based in Darien, CT, the organization serves as their local point of contact for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital volunteer opportunities, funding campaigns and events. To date, Curetivity has raised $25 million to the foundation, naming them one of the hospitals largest non-corporate fundraising partners. (Photo taken on January 28, 2020 from left to right: Christy Glovaski, Associate at Curetivity, Paige Scardigli, Executive Director at Curetivity, Elizabeth Mohr, Human Resources Manager at SmartEquip, Timothy Bayly, Regional Executive Director of St. Jude Childrens Research Hospital, and Fernando Pinera, CEO of SmartEquip.) About St. Jude Research Hospital St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, located in Memphis, Tennessee, is one of the world's premier pediatric cancer research centers. Its mission is to find cures for children with cancer and other catastrophic diseases through research and treatment. Founded by entertainer, Danny Thomas, St. Jude Childrens Research Hospital opened on February 4, 1962. St. Jude is supported primarily by donations raised by its national fundraising and awareness organization, ALSAC, which was established by Danny expressly for the purpose of funding St. Jude. About SmartEquip SmartEquip is the leading technology standard for equipment lifecycle management, service and procurement support for the construction industry. The platform provides a multi-brand common connection and user experience for fleet owners and distributors of complex equipment. As a company, SmartEquip believes in empowering their staff to deliver the right tools to customers through accurate and open communication. It is through these core values that SmartEquip has established a respectful relationship with the industries they serve, creating a united platform that offers seamless parts procurement and customer success. SmartEquip enhances ROI for all Network participants by increasing equipment uptime, improving both technician wrench time and transaction accuracy, while reducing the total cost of equipment ownership. The SmartEquip Network currently supports more than 500 OEM brands, with over 50,000 users across more than 4,000 equipment locations globally. The Network supports over $1 billion in parts transactions annually and the company is led by veterans of construction, technology and data sciences. Founded in 2000, SmartEquip is positioned to define tomorrows dynamic and evolving equipment industry. Follow us on Twitter (http://www.twitter.com/SmartEquip) & LinkedIn (http://www.linkedin.com/company/SmartEquip) and Like us on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/SmartEquipBeReady) Walmart Inc has picked the founders of UK petrol station operator EG Group and private equity firm TDR Capital as preferred bidder for British supermarket chain Asda at a valuation of more than 6.5 billion ($8.4 billion), it has been reported. Having had its attempt to sell Asda to UK rival Sainsbury's for 7.3 billion thwarted by Britain's competition regulator last year, Walmart said in July that it had resumed talks with potential buyers of a majority stake. A deal with Mohsin and Zuber Issa, the billionaire brothers who founded EG Group nearly two decades ago, and TDR would bring Asda back under British ownership for the first time since 1999, when Walmart paid 6.7 billion for the business. A deal with Mohsin and Zuber Issa, the billionaire brothers who founded EG Group, and TDR Capital would bring Asda back under British ownership for the first time since 1999 A formal agreement, however, could be several days or weeks away, Sky News said. TDR, EG Group and Asda declined to comment. Walmart did not respond immediately to a request for comment and Mohsin and Zuber Issa could not be reached for immediate comment. The reported valuation's drop from the proposed Sainsbury's deal is likely to be because of the integration benefits that a merged Sainsbury's and Asda would have delivered. Walmart's attempt to sell Asda to UK rival Sainsbury's for 7.3 billion was thwarted by Britain's competition regulator last year While Asda's sales have increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, the chain has lagged behind the growth of main rivals Sainsbury's, Morrisons and market leader Tesco , partly because it does not yet have convenience stores in its portfolio. Local convenience stores have thrived during the coronavirus crisis as Britons shop closer to home. Asda this month announced a deal with EG Group to develop "Asda on the Move" branded convenience stores on EG petrol forecourts. Sky News said the Issa brothers and TDR want to retain Asda CEO Roger Burnley, who last month detailed how the group plans to expand its online capacity to meet pandemic-driven demand. 28.09.2020 LISTEN A police reinforcement team from the Formed Police Unit in Accra has arrested four more persons suspected to have been part of the disturbances recorded in parts of the Volta Region on Friday, September 25. The four were arrested in an ongoing operation in the area after the Aveyime and Mepe Police stations were attacked and officers on duty tortured by individuals believed to be members of the secessionist group, Homeland Study Group Foundation. The group is seeking the creation of a new country called Western Togoland. The attack which appeared to have been well thought through and coordinated led to the stealing of some guns belonging to the Police and a police car which has since been abandoned in a Bush in the Volta Region. Meanwhile, the police are assuring that they will do all in their power to bring the perpetrators to book. According to the Police, 14 AK-47 rifles and five pump-action guns were stolen by the rebellious group after they attacked the Aveyime Police Station, freeing cell inmates and locking up officers on duty at the time. A similar attack was executed on the Mepe Police station with a number of guns stolen. The group also attacked the North Tongu District Assembly and made away with a Toyota Hilux pick up vehicle belonging to the Assembly after they took the official Toyota Landcruiser pickup belonging to the Tongu Divisional Commander of Police, Dennis Fiakpui. The police are also combing through the North Tongu District in search of the remaining 13 AK-47 riffles and the five pump-action guns that are still in the hands of the rebellious group after the attack on the Aveyime Police Station. Leader of the police troupe from the Form Police Unit, DSP Johnson Bediako told Citi News his men will leave no stone unturned in ensuring that peace returns to the area. The situation is under control and the situation is calm in the area. Since the attack on the police and the District Assembly, there hasn't been any further attack on any facility since we came in. We have managed to stabilize security so far in the area. We have managed to pick about four people for interrogation based on the intelligence we gathered. But the community should be assured of stability because the police are in the area and there are no fears, he said. Advice from MP Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa who was also touring affected areas in the North Tongu Constituency called for an intensive investigation into last Fridays happenings which he said has the tendency of affecting the entire sub-region. This is beginning to metamorphose into something else which can destabilize not only the Volta Region but the whole country. Our national security which has the constitutional mandate and the President must speak up on this matter. Mr. Ablakwa also made a passionate appeal to his constituents to endeavour not to be indoctrinated by people whose sole intention is to destroy the peace Ghana is currently enjoying. Dont fall for what they are telling you. The true history of this whole Western Togoland agenda; the entire area of Tongu and Anlo are not part of it and so when they involve themselves in it, it is a very high crime they are committing." ---citinewsroom Prince Harry should be stripped of his royal title because he is currently 'exploiting' it for his personal financial gain, former Lib Dem MP Norman has claimed. Mr Baker, 63, author of What The Royal Family Don't Want You To Know, argued the Duke of Sussex, 36, should be made to live as a private individual, after a Tatler survey found two thirds of Britons think he and Meghan, 39, should be stripped of their HRH titles. Mr Baker argued Harry should not be allowed to keep his HRH title because he is no longer representing the British royal family overseas and is cashing in on his pedigree. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex drew criticism last week after they commented publicly on the US elections and urged people to register to vote. Speaking on Good Morning Britain today, Mr Baker said: 'Harry clearly is exploiting the Buckingham palace connection, if he wants to run away and do Netflix documentaries, that's fine, do it as a private individual. Royal experts have clashed over whether Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, pictured the Commonwealth Day Service, should have their titles removed Former MP and author of What The Royal Family Don't Want You To Know Norman Baker, 63, (pictured) appeared on GMB this morning to discuss the issue 'HRH means he's representing Britain abroad, but he's not. He's divorced himself from the royal family in practical terms, but not titular terms. He continued: 'If he keep his HRH title he is still eligible for public support from the taxpayer. 'For example, we're paying up to a million to pay for security personnel to wander around Frogmore cottage, we'll pay for his travel when he comes back to the UK. He added: 'Harry clearly is exploiting the Buckingham palace connection, if he wants to run away and do Netflix documentaries, that's fine, do it as a private individual.' However royal expert Ingrid Seward, editor of Majesty magazine, argued it makes no difference whether Harry had a royal title or not because he is a 'prince by blood' and will capitalise on his royal connections with or without the official HRH title. She said: 'The title was a gift of the queen on their wedding day, to one of her favourite grandchildren and to his future wife. Royal commentator Ingrid Seward, 72, also appeared and argued that taking away their titles will achieve nothing as Harry is a 'prince by blood' Norman, from Lewes in East Sussex, believes Harry is 'exploiting' his royal connections, and that he and Meghan weren't offered their 'huge deal' for their 'interesting views' 'It's really something it would be very churlish, I feel, to say they can't have anymore, everyone knows them as Harry and Megan. 'Yes I agree they're trading off their connections, but that's who they are, Harry is a prince of the blood and you can't take that away from him.' Viewers were divided over the issue, with some believing they should not keep their title. One raged: 'If they truly wanted to live in privacy as they say, then they wouldn't be preaching their cr*p constantly, however these attention seeking numpty's never really wanted anonymity " especially her" so leave them do it without the privilege of any royal title' Another agreed: 'Well.... yeah? You cant be a member of the royals, sworn to impartiality and make a damn political ad????' However others disagreed, with one writing: 'It makes no difference if Harry has a title or not, the fact is he is Royal, people are interested in them.' Another said: 'Dont slate Harry and Meghan slate Netflix for leaching of them. Good luck them'. L.A. Kirchheimer is a professional massage therapist and lifelong resident of the Chicago area, where she lives with her husband and child. She has published her new book Guided by Moonlight: an action-packed novel that keeps the pages turning until the thrilling conclusion. The adventures continue in the third book of the Charity Graves series. Keith Nova goes on a mission with his father and archnemesis to rescue his missing brother, Mark, based on a new lead. Charity Graves discovers that the last living Dusklord and true heir to the Realm of Darkness is still alive. She must travel to a habitable moon with Zerena and Hunter to find the princess before its too late. Brynn Eldershadow, queen of the Realm of Darkness, is the true threat. She openly attacks Earth to destroy Mystic Woods Funeral Home, along with its leader, Joseph Graves. Supernaturals and humans will have to set aside their animosities and find a way to band together to protect their home. Published by Page Publishing, L.A. Kirchheimers engrossing book is a compelling choice for avid science fiction and fantasy readers. Readers who wish to experience this engaging work can purchase Guided by Moonlight at bookstores everywhere, or online at the Apple iTunes store, Amazon, Google Play, or Barnes and Noble. For additional information or media inquiries, contact Page Publishing at 866-315-2708. About Page Publishing: Page Publishing is a traditional, full-service publishing house that handles all the intricacies involved in publishing its authors books, including distribution in the worlds largest retail outlets and royalty generation. Page Publishing knows that authors need to be free to create - not mired in logistics like eBook conversion, establishing wholesale accounts, insurance, shipping, taxes, and so on. Pages accomplished writers and publishing professionals allow authors to leave behind these complex and time-consuming issues to focus on their passion: writing and creating. Learn more at http://www.pagepublishing.com. Following the request of Himachal Pradesh government, Haryana chief minister, Manohar Lal has approved the draft notification to authorise Haryana Real Estate Appellate Tribunal (HREAT), Karnal, to hear appeals made against the directions or decision or order made by the Real Estate Regulatory Authority (RERA), Himachal Pradesh. An official spokesperson said that the approval of the state government has been conveyed to the Himachal Pradesh government. HREAT, Karnal, will hear appeals made against the orders of Real Estate Regulatory Authority (RERA), Himachal Pradesh, or the adjudicating officer and to perform such other functions prescribed under the Real Estate (Regulations and Development) Act, 2016, in respect of Himachal Pradesh by bearing 10% of the annual budget of HREAT, Karnal on quarterly reimbursement basis. Chornobyl Exclusion Zone tourism numbers have fallen by 70% this year due to the coronavirus pandemic. This year, 24 thousand people have visited the exclusion zone so far, corresponding to numbers of two months last year. "Despite the restrictions, there are quite a lot of foreigners. The first three months of 2020, before the coronavirus, there were about 80-85% foreigners, the rest were Ukrainians. Now, after the visiting zone was opened on June 1, we have a ratio of 40% of Ukrainians to 60% of foreigners," Maksym Shevchuk, Deputy Head of the State Agency of Ukraine on Exclusion Zone Management, told Ukrinform. According to him, the Agency is currently working with the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources on a budget request for 2021. "We hope that funding will be at the level of the beginning of this year," Shevchuk said. As reported, 124,000 tourists visited the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone in 2019. During the revision of the state budget for 2020, the Verkhovna Rada cut funding of the State Agency of Ukraine on Exclusion Zone Management in 2020 by UAH 256.2 million: from UAH 2.936 billion to UAH 2.68 billion. ol YEREVAN/BAKU: Armenian and Azeri forces exchanged fierce fire for a second day on Monday over the disputed territory of Nagorno-Karabakh, with both sides accusing each other of using heavy artillery. The clashes between Armenia and Azerbaijan, the heaviest since 2016, have reignited concern over stability in the South Caucasus region, a corridor for pipelines carrying oil and gas to world markets. Nagorno-Karabakh is inside Azerbaijan but is run by ethnic Armenians. Also Read: Armenia-Azerbaijan war: Dynamics in the Indian subcontinent Azerbaijan`s president declared a partial military mobilisation. Interfax news agency quoted an Armenian defence ministry representative as saying 200 Armenians had been wounded. Nagorno-Karabakh reported 15 more of its soldiers had been killed. It also said it had recovered some territory that it had lost control of on Sunday, and said Azerbaijan had been using heavy artillery to shell areas. Azerbaijan`s defence ministry said Armenian forces were shelling the town of Terter. Nagorno-Karabakh had said on Sunday 16 of its servicemen had been killed and more than 100 wounded after Azerbaijan launched an air and artillery attack. China and Russia urged both sides to show restraint. The clashes have prompted a flurry of diplomacy to reduce the tensions in a decades-old conflict between majority Christian Armenia and mainly Muslim Azerbaijan. Russia called for an immediate ceasefire and another regional power, Turkey, said it would support Azerbaijan, its traditional ally. Nagorno-Karabakh broke away from Azerbaijan in a conflict that broke out as the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991. Looking for a place to get away with the family? Travel website Expedia has found the five most popular destinations families are heading during this school holiday period, which saw a 45% jump in searches last week after COVID alert levels were eased. At the top of the list, Queenstown has become the #1 school holiday destination, which follows a 125% increase of Air New Zealand flights to the tourist hotspot this time last year. Auckland, Wellington and Taupo make the top two, three and fourth spots respectively, with Canterbury rounding out the top 5. This time last year, Expedia says New Zealanders were booking school holiday trips to Fiji, Bali and Australia instead. Source: Newshub KITCHENER Two people are facing charges for human trafficking offences after police responded to reports for a disturbance on Sunday. Waterloo Regional Police say officers were called to the area of Victoria Street North and learned that a female from Montreal was being trafficked. A man and a woman, both from Montreal, now face human trafficking charges. Police ask anyone with information to contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or email intel.ht@wrps.on.ca. CHICAGO - A Chicago woman charged with first-degree murder in the stabbing death of her 5-year-old daughter was ordered Monday to be held without bond after prosecutors gave chilling details provided by the childs older sister who witnessed the slaying. Prosecutors presented a proffer that included details of the last moments of Serenity Arringtons life before Simone Austin allegedly slashed her throat with a serrated knife and repeatedly stabbed her. According to prosecutors, Serenitys 8-year-old sister told detectives that she was in a bedroom in their apartment in East Garfield Park on the citys West Side when Austin told her to leave the room. The girl did so but then, looking through a hole in the door, she saw her mother pull a knife from under the pillow and attack her sister. According to the proffer, Serenity told her mother she was sorry and pleaded for her to stop. At a press briefing before the hearing, Chicago Police Superintendent David Brown said the 27-year-old Austin had refused to talk to police so it remained unclear exactly why she may have attacked her daughter. In the proffer, the older girl perhaps provided an explanation; she told detectives that her mother had been walking around the apartment holding a knife after the older girl spilled eggs on the porch. After Serenity was stabbed, according to Brown, Austin carried her out to the street and placed her on he ground and lay down next to her until firefighters arrived. The child was rushed to Stroger Hospital, where she died a short time later. According to the Cook County States Attorneys office, Austin was represented at Mondays hearing by an attorney with the countys public defenders office. A message left with the public defenders office was not immediately returned. Jamie Foxx was spotted holding hands with a mystery woman on Saturday night, while arriving to an upscale hotel in the middle of the night. As the 52-year-old actor engaged in some light PDA with a curvaceous blonde wearing ripped jeans, he toted a black backpack and removed additional items from his vehicle's trunk. The pair both wore CDC-recommended face masks, as they entered the building together in high spirits. Moving on: Jamie Foxx was spotted holding hands with a mystery woman on Saturday night, while arriving to an upscale hotel in the middle of the night While the severity of couple's relationship status is unknown, they appeared very comfortable with each other and stayed at the same hotel overnight. In the morning, the Grammy Award-winning musician made a solo exit in an all-black ensemble and white sneakers. His budding romances comes a year after parting ways with his ex-girlfriend, Katie Holmes, who he dated on and off from 2013-2019. Getting serious: As the 52-year-old actor engaged in some light PDA with a slender blonde wearing ripped jeans, he toted an overnight bag and removed items from his vehicle's trunk Night out: The pair both wore CDC-recommended face masks, as they entered the building together in high spirits Meanwhile, Holmes recently went public with her new relationship with chef, Emilio Vitolo. The duo were first spotted together on Tuesday, September 1 on a date at a Soho restaurant, where they shared laughs and smiles. The couple confirmed their romance with a hot and heavy make out session at Peasant Restaurant in Manhattan on September 6, where the actress sat on his lap while sharing passionate kisses. On-again, off-again: His budding romances comes a year after parting ways with his ex-girlfriend Katie Holmes, who he dated for the past six years; seen in 2019 DailyMail.com also revealed that Vitolo broke it off with his live-in fiancee Rachel Emmons, 24, via text when handsy photos of him and Holmes were first published, leaving the handbag designer shocked and forcing her to move back home. The two were introduced by mutual friends and their fling has intensified since the actress returned to NYC this summer after quarantining with her family in Ohio, according to a source close to the actress. The insider said Holmes had been devastated by her breakup last year with Foxx, who never seemed to give up his roving eye and was still too close for comfort with his baby mama. In the past: Holmes was reportedly upset that Foxx never giving up his roving eye and that he was still cozy with his ex-girlfriend and baby mama Kristin Grannis (pictured in 2018) Holmes is now acting 'like a teenage girl in love' because Vitolo is 'openly affectionate with her, left his fiancee to be with her and gives her something Jamie couldn't'' the source added. The insider said: 'Maybe she's just enjoying this fling because she's had such a hard six years with Jamie.' Holmes was upset by Foxx never giving up his roving eye and that he was still cozy with his ex-girlfriend and baby mama Kristin Grannis, according to the source. Happier than ever: Meanwhile, Holmes recently went public with her new relationship with chef, Emilio Vitolo They added: 'Jamie broke Katie into pieces. It took Katie a while to get over it and she had a lot of drunken nights.' A source also recently told People she 'keeps texting Emilio all day long and he loves it.' 'He can't get enough of her attention,' the insider noted, who claims Emilio is 'very charming' and 'flirty.' Bengaluru, Sep 29 : Lending support to the country-wide farmers' agitation over the controversial farm Bills passed by the Parliament, the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee on Monday submitted two separate memorandums to Governor Vajubhai Vala, seeking the repealing of the controversial laws passed by the Parliament and order a detailed inquiry in the alleged corruption scandals involving Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa. Prior to submitting the memorandums to the Governor, the Congress leaders held a symbolic protest in front of the KPCC headquarters in a bid to lend moral support to farmer groups across the country, which are agitating against these laws. Speaking on the occasion, AICC General Secretary Randeepsingh Surjewala appealed to the Karnataka government to ban and banish the anti-farmer/labour sentiments instead of banning the Karnataka bandh called by the farmers' groups in the state. "Please withdraw the law and apologise for the blatant sell out by the BJP on the Land Reforms Bill. Repeal the draconian amendments to the APMC Act," he said, adding that this would be your (Yediyurappa's) litmus test. He further said that the passage of the bills in the Parliament is a case in point that both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Yediyurappa were harmful for the farmers. "We will always be with the farmers. At present, the farmers are agitating. This anti-farmer, anti-farm labour government continues to diabolically suppress and stifle the voice of the farmers. We stand united with the farmers until the Land Reforms Bill and the APMC Act are withdrawn," he added. Surjewala also questioned how can Yeddyurappa and his turncoat cabinet sleep at night at a time when Covid-19 deaths have crossed 8,500 in the state. While speaking to reporters after submitting the memorandums to the Governor, KPCC President D.K. Shivakumar asserted that the Congress had submitted two memorandums demanding repealing of three contentious Acts passed by the Parliament. The party also demanded an inquiry by a sitting Supreme Court judge into the alleged scams involving Yediyurappa which have been unearthed by a TV sting report. Launching a scathing attack on Modi, the KPCC President alleged that the Prime Minister had opposed these reforms when he was the Gujarat Chief Minister, but his priorities seem to have changed soon after he became the PM. Meanwhile, taking a swipe at the Congress' protest, Karnataka Agriculture Minister B.C. Patil said that the party was using gullible farmers to revive itself in the state. "The Congress is dying a slow death in the people's minds. In a bid to stay relevant, they are doing this. This (farm Bills) is the Congress' programme which was announced in their 2019 Lok Sabha election manifesto. I don't understand why all of them are shedding crocodile tears in front of cameras and farmers," he said. Fresh projections suggest that Ontario's second wave of COVID-19 will peak in mid- to late October and will likely send enough patients to intensive care that hospitals will need to scale back non-emergency surgeries. The forecasts come from the COVID-19 Modelling Collaborative, a joint effort of scientists and physicians from the University of Toronto, University Health Network and Sunnybrook Hospital. Based on how quickly Ontario's infection rate has been rising in recent weeks, the model projects the province is on track to exceed 1,000 new cases per day by the middle of October, unless stricter public health measures slow the accelerating spread. The average number of new cases reported daily in Ontario is currently running four times higher than what it was at the end of August. Premier Doug Ford's government has since shrunk limits on the size of private gatherings, reduced opening hours for bars and ordered strip clubs to close. On Monday, Ontario reported an additional 700 cases of COVID-19, the most on a single day since the outbreak began in late January. The figure surpasses the previous high of 640 from April 24. On Sunday, Ontario's Ministry of Health reported 112 patients in hospital with a confirmed case of COVID-19, nearly triple the number of two weeks ago. The research team says the impact of the second wave on Ontario's hospitals will depend on the demographics of who gets infected in the coming weeks. COVID-19 ModCollab "We are at this critical moment right now where we see case numbers increase and we don't quite know yet where it's going," said Beate Sander, a scientist at the University Health Network and Canada Research Chair in economics of infectious diseases. "Right now, we have predominantly younger, healthy people (contracting COVID-19 in Ontario)," Sander said in an interview with CBC News. "But what we've seen in other jurisdictions is that it really spills over into other population groups." Story continues The team of researchers has run four scenarios for how Ontario's second wave could play out from here. The best-case scenario would mimic Ontario's first wave in March and April, when case numbers increased rapidly but were then reined in by a lockdown. Two moderate scenarios would resemble how a second wave hit jurisdictions comparable to Ontario: the Australian state of Victoria (home to Melbourne, a city of 5 million), and the U.S. state of Michigan. Evan Mitsui/CBC None of those three scenarios shows COVID-19 patients filling Ontario's hospital wards or ICUs beyond their capacity. That happens only in the modellers' worst-case scenario: a second wave as severe as the first wave that hit Italy when the pandemic began. However, in all but the best-case scenario, the researchers foresee ICU demand that exceeds the capacity required for patients undergoing scheduled surgeries. "The really high-risk cancer surgeries, for instance, won't be able to go ahead if the ICUs are overwhelmed with people who are showing up in the emergency department dying of COVID-19 associated pneumonia and respiratory failure," said Dr. Kali Barrett, a critical care physician at the University Health Network and part of the modelling research team. The researchers stress that their modelling scenarios are simply forecasts. They use data on the proportion of people who have have ended up in hospital and ICUs while positive for the coronavirus, and project those onto Ontario's current trend in new cases. The shifting demographics of who's getting infected with COVID-19 as the second wave builds makes it challenging for the researchers to forecast just how many people will need hospital treatment. "The second wave in Spain and France started in the younger populations, but it is spreading to the elderly and the people who are more at risk of ending up in the intensive care unit or in the hospitals," said Barrett in an interview with CBC News. "It is just a matter of time until this virus, if it's affecting the young populations, spreads into the elderly population," she said. "We're already starting to see that happening in Ontario." The latest figures from the province's Ministry of Health show 227 people aged 70 or older with an active confirmed case of COVID-19. That number has increased 34 per cent in the space of a week. Changes in the eligibility criteria for testing can also muddy the forecast. When testing is widespread and captures larger number of mild cases, the percentage who end up in hospital will be smaller than when testing is restricted to priority groups most likely to have the virus, as it was in Ontario in the spring. Ontario altered its "anyone can get a test" policy on Friday, so far fewer people without symptoms are now eligible for testing. WATCH | Infectious disease specialist Isaac Bogoch explains whether targeted restrictions will be enough to keep COVID-19 cases in check: ICU demand could lengthen surgical backlog Ontario has around 2,000 intensive care beds, and the province plans to add 139 in October. The province's ICU beds are typically two-thirds occupied by patients whose cases have nothing to do with COVID-19, whether it's a heart attack, car accident, or another critical illness. Since ICUs can't actually function at 100 per cent occupancy full time, the researchers calculate that Ontario has around 475 beds available for non-emergency surgery patients and COVID patients. When scheduled surgeries are running at full pace, those patients take up all but 100 of those beds. COVID-19 ModCollab Their conclusion: if more than 100 people with COVID-19 need ICU care, they'd be competing for space with scheduled surgery cases. "Then we would have to make decisions in terms of who to treat," said Sander. "Do we admit COVID patients or do we do (non-emergency) surgery?" The projections suggest if Ontario's second wave follows what happened in the Australian state of Victoria a sharp spike in new infections that drops off quickly after a strict lockdown some 350 to 400 people will need an ICU bed at peak demand in late October. If the second wave in this province plays out as Michigan's did a rise in new infections that levels off but doesn't slow down for a long time the forecast is for more than 200 patients with COVID-19 in the ICUs from late October onwards. Figures published Sunday by the Ministry of Health show 28 ICU patients with a confirmed case of COVID-19. In Ontario's first wave, the number of COVID-19 patients in ICU peaked at 264, while the number of people in hospital at one time peaked at 1,043. Non-emergency surgeries were postponed across the province. If the majority of Ontario's second wave infections come among younger healthier people as has been happening through September hospitalization rates are expected be lower than in the spring. The modellers say ICU occupancy numbers will be of more critical concern than total hospitalization numbers because Ontario's hospital system can far more easily free up general ward beds than it can make space in intensive care. That's less about the available beds and ventilators, and more about the having enough doctors and nurses capable of the specialized care that ICU patients need. "You can't just train people overnight to do this type of thing," said Sander. "You can buy a lot of beds and you can buy a lot of ventilators, but you can't get these highly qualified staff on the ground within a very short period of time." Barrett agrees that human resources are the key limiting factor, and is concerned about how the second wave could hit hospital staff and their families. "The majority of people working in hospitals are in their 30s, 40s and 50s, so many of them have children who go to school," she said. "If there is a massive outbreak amongst the younger population and school children, that's a whole sector of our health workforce that won't be able to come to work." Still have questions about COVID-19? These CBC News stories will help. Is another lockdown coming in Ontario? What do we know about the Ford government's fall plan? CBC Queen's Park reporter Mike Crawley obtained a draft copy of the plan What's the latest on where I should get tested? It's confusing, but here's an explainer complete with a flow chart What's the most recent guidance on mask use? Reporter Lauren Pelley took a look at what the experts are advising What should I do about my COVID bubble? With cases going up, even small gatherings are getting riskier Who is getting COVID-19? CBC News crunched the data from across Canada to get the clearest picture possible Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-28 22:06:37|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close URUMQI, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region has provided residents with consumer subsidies worth more than 60 million yuan (about 8.46 million U.S. dollars) to spur sales of household appliances, local authorities said. Apart from consumer subsidies, 30 million yuan worth of trade-in subsidies for home appliances and 20 million yuan subsidies for household appliances sold in rural areas were allocated for this month, according to the regional department of commerce. The financial aid sponsored by the regional government is also funded by the Xinjiang branch of Chinese retail giant Suning Holdings Group. "We will focus on subsidizing home appliance sales in rural areas of southern Xinjiang," said Han Lei, general manager of Suning's Xinjiang branch, adding that the company will offer subsidies for air conditioners, TVs, kitchen appliances, small household appliances, mobile phones and other commodities. The average subsidy for each item is 8-10 percent of the original price. Meanwhile, Xinjiang has set the forth quarter of this year as its consumption promotion season. Subsidies will be granted to sectors including catering, automobile and home appliances among others, according to the regional department of commerce. Enditem May her memory be a blessing. Military spouses are sharing the impact Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg had on their professional ambitions and personal lives. Ginsburgs husband, Martin, served in the Army Reserve, leading the couple to be stationed at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, in the 1950s. Her military affiliation and courtroom dissents made her a natural icon to military spouses who say they can relate to the justices history of facing and fighting barriers. Libby Jamison, a Navy spouse of 17 years, currently works in an attorney role for the Department of Veterans Affairs. She enrolled in law school in 2004, shortly after getting married and encountering roadblocks to employment in California. I think like a lot of us [military spouses], I had no professional network in San Diego. I didnt know a single person, so I was just throwing out my resume and hoping someone would bite. Law school had always been in the back of my mind but I wasnt sure I could ever pull it off. Since I wasnt having success getting a job, I decided to take the LSAT and apply to law school, she said. Jamison says in law school everyone knew who the justices were, but she didnt make the connection between Ginsburg and the military until a special event that included members, like Jamison, from Military Spouse JD Network (MSJDN) an organization that advocates for licensing accommodations for military spouses, including bar membership without additional examination, according to its website. MSJDN does a Supreme Court swearing in a lot of groups do that where you can take 12 folks and be admitted to the Supreme Court as an attorney. Its more symbolic because most of us arent ever going to argue in front of the Supreme Court, she explained. I did that in 2013, and so as part of that I started reading more about the court and the justices, and thats when I stumbled across the military spouse connection [with Ginsburg]. That network of lady lawyers immediately leaned on each other in the hours after learning the 87-year-old justice had passed away on Sept. 18. I think I just yelled out no in my apartment and was immediately really sad. And then text messages started pouring in from all my fellow lady lawyers and everyone was just collectively mourning, especially because we have claimed RBG as a military spouse attorney, Jamison said. In 1956, Ginsburg was one of only nine women at Harvard Law School. She then tied for top of her class at Columbia Law School three years later. Despite those accomplishments, she was rejected for a clerkship at the Supreme Court because of her gender, according to the ACLUs Womens Rights Project. Jamison says Ginsburgs ultimate success with an unconventional path is something spouses can relate to and should embrace. I have been thinking about her legacy a lot the last couple of days. At the time, the process was you graduate law school, you become an associate, you work your way up to partner. That was a normal legal career and thats not what she had. And she talked about that being a strength and how she probably would not have made it to the Supreme Court if she had gone that traditional route. I think theres a really big lesson there, especially for military spouses because we all have that non-conventional career path, no matter how hard we try. Maybe you end up on a different path than your peers, but maybe it ends up being a better path, Jamison said. The Brooklyn-born justice served more than 27 years on the Supreme Court, leaving a legacy as a tireless and resolute champion of justice, Chief Justice John Roberts, Jr. stated in a press release. Josie Beets, Army spouse and former president of MSJDN, says she will remember Ginsburg for positioning herself not just for equality but for a structural change in the way we take on roles in society. She always said its not about womens liberation, but its about men and womens liberation and this idea that in some ways men are just as locked into their roles that we as a society frame for them, as women are, Beets said. Can we be a society that allows men to be more compassionate and to have more of a role in their family, in their day-to-day lives and also be a society that allows women to excel at work without being the de facto caregiver? Beets was inspired by her mom to pursue law school and remembers watching Supreme Court hearings as a child. My mom went to law school when I was seven and my sister was three. And I remember waking up in the middle of the night and going into the dining room of my grandmothers house and my mom typing away. the other piece is I remember watching as a little girl the Anita Hill-Clarence Thomas hearings and just feeling like they were being so mean to her and that that was unfair. I learned early on the Supreme Court is important, in ways that I cant fully understand as a 10- or 11-year-old, and that women didnt always get a fair shake and I carried that with me, she said. Beets describes feeling grief stricken when she learned of Ginsburgs passing. She [Ginsburg] has opened so many doors that were just painted shut. Its always been our job to walk through them, but we just have to do it with real vigor and intentionality now. And if we dont take advantage of the lifetime of opportunities that her work gave to us, weve missed our chance, Beets said. She adds the best way for military spouses to honor Ginsburgs life is to bring someone with you. Particularly in the spouse world, whether your primary role is as the at-home caregiver for family or youre in the working world, bring someone with you. We are in new situations all the time and we are so challenged all the time, make someones challenge a little less burdensome and bring them with you whether thats to a networking event or just to lunch with a neighbor to introduce a new spouse to a community. Justice Ginsburg never closed the door behind her. She always brought others up with her and we all have the power to do that every day, Beets said. Ginsburgs journey to the highest court isnt the only thing she is being remembered for. Her decisions from the bench had a profound impact on the lives of spouses like Brian Alvarado, husband of a now-retired sailor. Alvarado says he began paying attention to Ginsburg as the fight for marriage equality was taking shape. Really 2011, 2012 those years when Prop 8 was really affecting our lives whether or not our marriage was going to be recognized thats when I really started to study whos who, he said. Proposition 8, known as Prop 8, was a California ballot proposition and a state constitutional amendment passed in the 2008 California state election that opposed same-sex marriage, according to Georgetown Law Library. The Alvarados lived in the state at the time. When you are in a relationship and youre not allowed to go about the normal process of growing the relationship, getting engaged, getting married and that whole process when you have a law in place that dictates that for you, it is a constant thought. It is a constant part of your daily thought process. Imagine that a million times more intense being in a relationship with somebody in the military where theres already this huge discrimination and generations-long policy and environment where that just wasnt allowed or wanted in the community, he said. Alvarado described it as feeling like he had no control over his life. Military spouses from same-sex relationships were prevented from moving with their partners, attending command functions or participating in normal volunteer roles. Then all of a sudden there is a beacon of hope in a lawsuit or a potential bill or whatever it is that is being presented, you know its going to be a long fight but that beacon of hope makes all of that constant anxiety and fear turn right into aggressive positivity, he said. The beacon of hope was called Obergefell v. Hodges and it came on June 26, 2015. I remember it like it was yesterday. Our phone started going off and the first thing I did was look up the actual written verbiage [of the decision]. I felt like it wasnt real and I remember in that moment reading and crying and it was like all of those years of weight of being scared of upsetting my husbands career, afraid of even going onto a military installation it felt like that light at the end of the tunnel was sitting in my living room, Alvarado said. Nine people sitting in a room hearing opposition and hearing from Jim Obergefell and then those nine people make a decision, a 5-4 decision, those five people in that moment gave me the right and privilege to live the life that I get to live now. Thats a powerful thing. She [Ruth Bader Ginsburg] changed my life forever. Alvarado added that the most effective way that he and others can continue to bless this country with the legacy of Ruth Bader Ginsburg is for everybody to fight and believe in equality for all human beings. Ruth Bader Ginsburg will be buried during a private interment service at Arlington National Cemetery, according to a Supreme Court press release. Read the original article on MilitaryFamilies.com. Keep Up with the Ins and Outs of Military Life For the latest military news and tips on military family benefits and more, subscribe to Military.com and have the information you need delivered directly to your inbox. Born May 24, 1931, Lonsdale was introduced to the cinema and a passion for life in Casablanca, Morocco, where he spent a decade of his young life with his mother and father. He said American GIs posted there during World War II gave him candy, gum and free visits to the movies they showed. He told French journalists that he was blown away by the movies and the industry became his dream. Borough Park and Midwood were islands of support for President Trump during the 2016 election, when the president won 89 percent of the vote in one local precinct. Many there view him as an ally on issues like school choice, religious freedom and support for Israel, said Avi Greenstein, chief executive of the Boro Park Jewish Community Council. Those political cross currents had made many here susceptible to conflicting information from Washington, where we see a constant downplaying of the crisis and indoor rallies where people may or not be wearing masks, Mr. Greenstein said. He added that the political rift had been deepened by what he said were the de Blasio administrations failures. For the city to make this deadline on the evening of Yom Kippur is shocking, and what is worse is community leaders found out about this on Thursday night from a press release, said Mr. Greenstein. That tells you everything you need to know about the story of Borough Park during the pandemic. Mr. Greenstein contrasted the mayors approach with a visit to his community centers offices in January by Attorney General William P. Barr, who used the appearance at the venue to announce federal hate-crime charges against a Brooklyn woman accused of assaulting three Orthodox women last December. That sent a message to the community, to the entire neighborhood, very loud and clear: Were here, were working with you, he said. But when it comes to the coronavirus, he added, the neighborhood was facing a crisis of tremendous uncertainty, a tremendous amount of misinformation and a lack of information. Yosef Rapaport, 66, a Yiddish podcaster whose brother and brother-in-law both died of Covid-19, said Mr. de Blasio needed to rebuild trust with a religious minority that has largely spurned his administration and aligned with President Trump. This community is being hit by a double whammy: the incompetence of City Hall and the ugliness that is coming from Washington, Mr. Rapaport said. There is a deep, deep mistrust among the community for the intentions of the mayor, especially when the president takes a different approach. Dr. Katz defended the citys efforts, saying that it had made over 200,000 public health robocalls to neighborhoods with significant Orthodox Jewish populations and distributed tens of thousands of masks in Borough Park, Williamsburg, Brighton Beach and Flushing. The city has also placed nearly 60 newspaper ads in community papers to get the word out among Hasidic Jews, he said, and talked to 20 synagogue leaders in Borough Park, a neighborhood with about 300 synagogues, according to Mr. Greenstein. One lingering issue in the citys relationship with Hasidic New Yorkers has been a late-night Twitter outburst by the mayor after he personally oversaw the dispersal of a rabbis funeral in Williamsburg in April. For many, it validated their fears about the citys leadership. Jacob Kornbluh, a Hasidic Jew who lives in Borough Park and writes for Jewish Insider, a national publication, summed up a perspective he often hears in the neighborhood: De Blasio became the guy singling out the Jews so we dont have to listen to him anymore. He added that when Mr. de Blasio failed to respond similarly to Black Lives Matter protests in June, it deepened peoples sense that the government was singling them out. Trump speaks their language: distrust in his own government that he leads, distrust in the media, Mr. Kornbluh said. Liam Stack is a general assignment reporter. He was previously a political reporter based in New York and a Middle East correspondent based in Cairo. @liamstack Joseph Goldstein covers health care in New York, following years of criminal justice and police reporting for the Metro desk. He also spent a year in The Times Kabul bureau, reporting on Afghanistan. @JoeKGoldstein A version of this article appears in print on Sept. 26, 2020, Section A, Page 5 of the New York edition with the headline: City Warns Orthodox Jewish Neighborhoods of a Lockdown https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/25/nyregion/coronavirus-orthodox-jewish-communities.html You have some people here who wear masks but it is true that most people do not, said Mr. Mushayev. I think some people are just not so worried about the virus anymore. If customers want me to wear a mask I wear it, but for now I have to focus on work.Borough Park and Midwood were islands of support for President Trump during the 2016 election, when the president won 89 percent of the vote in one local precinct. Many there view him as an ally on issues like school choice, religious freedom and support for Israel, said Avi Greenstein, chief executive of the Boro Park Jewish Community Council.Those political cross currents had made many here susceptible to conflicting information from Washington, where we see a constant downplaying of the crisis and indoor rallies where people may or not be wearing masks, Mr. Greenstein said.He added that the political rift had been deepened by what he said were the de Blasio administrations failures.For the city to make this deadline on the evening of Yom Kippur is shocking, and what is worse is community leaders found out about this on Thursday night from a press release, said Mr. Greenstein. That tells you everything you need to know about the story of Borough Park during the pandemic.Mr. Greenstein contrasted the mayors approach with a visit to his community centers offices in January by Attorney General William P. Barr, who used the appearance at the venue to announce federal hate-crime charges against a Brooklyn woman accused of assaulting three Orthodox women last December.That sent a message to the community, to the entire neighborhood, very loud and clear: Were here, were working with you, he said. But when it comes to the coronavirus, he added, the neighborhood was facing a crisis of tremendous uncertainty, a tremendous amount of misinformation and a lack of information.Yosef Rapaport, 66, a Yiddish podcaster whose brother and brother-in-law both died of Covid-19, said Mr. de Blasio needed to rebuild trust with a religious minority that has largely spurned his administration and aligned with President Trump.This community is being hit by a double whammy: the incompetence of City Hall and the ugliness that is coming from Washington, Mr. Rapaport said. There is a deep, deep mistrust among the community for the intentions of the mayor, especially when the president takes a different approach.Dr. Katz defended the citys efforts, saying that it had made over 200,000 public health robocalls to neighborhoods with significant Orthodox Jewish populations and distributed tens of thousands of masks in Borough Park, Williamsburg, Brighton Beach and Flushing.The city has also placed nearly 60 newspaper ads in community papers to get the word out among Hasidic Jews, he said, and talked to 20 synagogue leaders in Borough Park, a neighborhood with about 300 synagogues, according to Mr. Greenstein.One lingering issue in the citys relationship with Hasidic New Yorkers has been a late-night Twitter outburst by the mayor after he personally oversaw the dispersal of a rabbis funeral in Williamsburg in April. For many, it validated their fears about the citys leadership.Jacob Kornbluh, a Hasidic Jew who lives in Borough Park and writes for Jewish Insider, a national publication, summed up a perspective he often hears in the neighborhood: De Blasio became the guy singling out the Jews so we dont have to listen to him anymore.He added that when Mr. de Blasio failed to respond similarly to Black Lives Matter protests in June, it deepened peoples sense that the government was singling them out.Trump speaks their language: distrust in his own government that he leads, distrust in the media, Mr. Kornbluh said.Liam Stack is a general assignment reporter. He was previously a political reporter based in New York and a Middle East correspondent based in Cairo. @liamstackJoseph Goldstein covers health care in New York, following years of criminal justice and police reporting for the Metro desk. He also spent a year in The Times Kabul bureau, reporting on Afghanistan. @JoeKGoldsteinA version of this article appears in print on Sept. 26, 2020, Section A, Page 5 of the New York edition with the headline: City Warns Orthodox Jewish Neighborhoods of a Lockdown Liam Stack and Joseph GoldsteinNew York TimesSeptember 25, 2020Facing a worrying spike in coronavirus cases in Orthodox Jewish neighborhoods, New York City health officials began carrying out emergency inspections at private religious schools on Friday and threatened to impose an extraordinary lockdown in those communities that would be the first major retreat by the city on reopening since the pandemic began.Mayor Bill de Blasio ordered the Police Department and the Sheriffs Office to enforce public health guidelines in several Orthodox Jewish neighborhoods in Queens and Brooklyn, where residents often do not wear masks or engage in social distancing. But community leaders said residents have been resisting the guidelines because of hostility toward Mr. de Blasio and the growing influence of President Trump, whose views on masks and the pandemic have been widely embraced.The crackdown is occurring shortly before Yom Kippur, the holiest day on the Jewish calendar, which begins on Sunday night, and it was not immediately clear the impact that the measures might have on the ability of people to gather in synagogues. The Health Department said that if significant progress toward following guidelines did not occur by Monday, officials could issue fines, limit gatherings or force closings of businesses or schools.This may be the most precarious moment we are facing since we emerged from lockdown, Dr. Dave A. Chokshi, the citys health commissioner, said at a news conference in South Brooklyn.Officials this week released statistics showing that the positivity rate in some Orthodox Jewish neighborhoods had grown to anywhere from 3 percent to 6 percent, significantly more than the citys overall rate of between 1 percent and 2 percent. Officials are especially worried about the positivity rates in the Brooklyn neighborhoods of Borough Park, Midwood and Gravesend, which they have referred to as the Ocean Parkway Cluster.Mr. de Blasio said on Friday on The Brian Lehrer Show that the city had closed four yeshivas over violations of social distancing rules.Theres a very rigorous outreach effort in the community in English and Yiddish, the mayor said, adding, Theres a substantial number of Yiddish speakers who have been brought into the effort. Test and Trace has been hiring directly from the community. We are going to keep doing that, though. I think this is an indicator we will be fighting for a little while here.The uptick in these neighborhoods amounts to the first major coronavirus challenge for the city after months of declining or flat infection rates. The concern now is that if the outbreak spreads further in the Orthodox community, it could begin to take hold elsewhere, with even more serious consequences. If the citys overall positivity rate hits 3 percent, that would trigger a new lockdown, including the closing of public schools.In the absence of our doing the right thing, we will need to be in a lockdown-type situation as occurred in Israel, Dr. Mitchell Katz, the head of New York City Health and Hospitals, which is overseeing the citys contact tracing program said earlier this week. He was referring to the decision by the Israeli government to reinstitute restrictions because the country is facing the highest rate of new cases per capita in the world.The distrust of the authorities was on display during Fridays news conference in South Brooklyn, at Gravesend Park, which was attended by several city health officials, when one man interrupted Dr. Katz by loudly saying the city had been exaggerating the severity of the outbreak.The scene grew tense when a second man, who was not wearing a mask, approached Dr. Katz, who told him to back off or put on a mask. The man shouted that he wouldnt wear a mask and anyone who didnt like it could leave.You dont live here, he shouted. Get out of here.The man, who wouldnt give his name, soon shouted a racial slur. He also began yelling, Go to East New York, a predominately Black neighborhood in Brooklyn.Visits to Borough Park showed how the rules are often ignored. The coronavirus outbreak devastated New Yorks Orthodox Jewish community in March and April, and community leaders say hundreds have died, including influential religious leaders. But this week, there was hardly a face mask in sight, as if the pandemic had never happened.At a flower stand in Borough Park on Friday, a vendor, Boris Mushayev, tended to his merchandise as customers around him, all without masks, perused the white, red and orange blooms. Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan had a telephone conversation with German Chancellor Angela Merkel today at 20:00, as reported the Government of Armenia. The Prime Minister of Armenia presented the situation in the region. He noted that Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) has been subjected to Azerbaijani aggression and expressed strong concern over the ongoing hostilities that pose a threat to the security of Artsakh and Armenia. Pashinyan added that Turkeys activeness in the region has been unprecedented since the July incidents. Prime Minister Pashinyan called on the German Chancellor to make every effort to curb Turkeys aggressive and destructive stance and to rule out its involvement in the region. The German Chancellor expressed her deep concern over the situation. She noted that there is no alternative to a peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and underscored the need for resumption of the peace process within the framework of the OSCE Minsk Group. You can listen to the latest episode of Today in Pa at this link, or on your favorite app including Alexa, Apple, Google, Spotify and Stitcher. Episodes are available every weekday on PennLive. Subscribe/follow and rate the podcast via your favorite app. Today in Pa. Daily Podcast | Sept. 28, 2020 Philadelphias gun violence crisis worsens with two quadruple shootings over the weekend leaving at least six teenagers wounded. Meanwhile, Pennsylvanias U.S. Senators share their thoughts on President Donald Trumps replacement for Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Hunters are allowed to use night-vision and infrared technology to hunt down coyotes in Pennsylvania. A rocket is headed to the International Space Station, and you may be able to see its launch from parts of Pennsylvania. Those are the stories we cover in the latest episode of Today in Pa, a daily weekday podcast from PennLive.com and hosted by Julia Hatmaker. Today in Pa is dedicated to sharing the most important and interesting stories in the state. Todays episode refers to the following articles: If you enjoy Today in Pa, consider leaving us a review on Apple Podcasts or on Amazon. Reviews help others find the show and, besides, we like to know what you think of the program. Britain's chief negotiator David Frost (L) and EU's Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier met last week to prepare the round of talks Britain stood by its provocative bid to change the terms of its EU divorce deal on Monday, as a make-or-break week of post-Brexit trade talks began under a storm cloud. European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen insisted though that a deal was still possible following a meeting in Lisbon with Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa. The British government unveiled an "Internal Markets Bill" last month which is winding its way through parliament and would override parts of the Brexit treaty that British Prime Minister Boris Johnson struck with the European Union last year. The proposed law has infuriated the Europeans -- who have demanded that it be withdrawn or amended before a deadline of Wednesday this week. But after meeting with EU Commission vice-president Maros Sefcovic in Brussels earlier, senior British minister Michael Gove insisted it would not be changed. "Those clauses are there. They're in legislation supported by the House of Commons as a safety net if need be and those clauses will remain in that bill," Gove told reporters after the talks. - Deal still 'possible' - Von der Leyen called for "responsibility." "We want an agreement and I'm still convinced that an agreement is possible," she said. Both Britain and the 27-member bloc have seen their economies "severely hit by the pandemic, and we should do everything possible to find an agreement that is manageable, so that we do not increase the negative impact on our economies," she added. Johnson argues the "Internal Markets Bill" will provide a "safety net" against what he claimed are EU threats to impose tariffs on UK internal trade and even stop food going from mainland Britain to Northern Ireland -- although his government has admitted that in overwriting a treaty it breaks international law. For the EU, Sefkovic said that Brussels would not be the first to walk away from trade talks, but he stood by the EU threat that it would use the legal mechanisms within the exit treaty against Britain. Story continues "We maintain that the bill if adopted in its current form would constitute an extremely serious violation of the (withdrawal bill) and of international law," Sefcovic said after the talks with Gove. "We are considering all legal options available to us," he said. But Sefcovic accepted that the parallel legal battle would not torpedo the ongoing trade talks. "It would never be the EU which would cause the end of the negotiation on the future partnership," he said. - 'Big trouble' - The last scheduled round of trade talks begins on Tuesday as scores of officials meet in Brussels in talks presided by Europe's Michel Barnier and his counterpart David Frost. "This is the final formal round of negotiations but we expect discussion to continue in the run up to the European council, which is taking place on 15 to 16 October," a Downing Street spokesman said. "Significant gaps remain as the EU still needs to adopt more realistic policy positions, but we are ready to work as hard as necessary to move things forward this week." Both London and Brussels say a deal on a free trade agreement must be struck by mid-October to allow time for it to be ratified before coming into force from January 1 next year. Failure to do so would see trade conducted on World Trade Organization rules, with higher tariffs and quotas and almost certain economic chaos for Britain and Europe. Barnier and Frost met last week to prepare the round of talks, in meetings that London characterised as "constructive". But European diplomats remained cautious that a breakthrough was possible, seeing this round as a preliminary step before a final push later in October. This week "a path to a deal should be identified," an EU source said. "If we have zero movement, the process will be in big trouble." The two sides are still divided on rules for a "level-playing field" of fair competition between companies, on state aid or subsidies for EU and UK firms and on access for EU boats to British fishing waters. Diplomats are hoping for significant progress in time for a summit of EU leaders in mid-October, though expectations are that the wrangling could slip into November. arp-ar-tsc/spm/mbx Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Mon, September 28, 2020 17:10 481 e22cd4161040e111d73a5626c47b7bfc 1 Business APINDO,Asaki,employer,PHK,lay-off,marketing,purchasing-power,daya-beli Free Employers have said that companies have been struggling to market their products as Indonesia has been hit hard by the COVID-19 health crisis, which has weakened people's purchasing power in the country. Lukito Wanandi, treasurer of the Indonesian Employers Association (Apindo), said companies had tried to be efficient in dealing with COVID-19, which had turned into an economic crisis, Kompas daily newspaper has reported. There are limits for companies in applying efficiency. Like it or not, companies need to sell. We face oversupply when no one buys, Lukito, Santini Group president director, said on Sunday. Read also: Retail recovery depends on peoples purchasing power: Analysts Household spending, which accounts for more than half of GDP, fell 5.51 percent year-on-year in the second quarter, while investment, the second-largest contributor, contracted 8.61 percent, according to Statistics Indonesia (BPS). Lukito went on to say that if oversupply went longer, it could end up with companies cutting off their employees. Separately, Indonesian Ceramic Industry Association (Asaki) chairman Edy Suyanto lauded the government's decision to provide a stimulus and recovery program for the national economy, which pushed up demand in the market. The Central Bureau of Investigation has not reached any conclusion in the death case of actor Sushant Singh Rajput and all aspects are under investigation, the agency said on Monday. 'The Central Bureau of Investigation is conducting professional investigation related to death of Shri Sushant Singh Rajput in which all aspects are being looked at and no aspect has been ruled out as of date,' a CBI spokesperson said in statement. Rajput, 34, who made his silver screen debut in the critically acclaimed Kai Po Che seven years ago, was found dead in his apartment in suburban Bandra in Mumbai on June 14 this year. The CBI had taken over the probe from Bihar Police into the alleged abetment to suicide case filed by the actor's father K K Singh in Patna against Rajput's girlfriend Rhea Chakraborty and her family. Singh in his complaint to Bihar Police had alleged that Chakraborty along with her family members had misappropriated Rajput's wealth, which was denied by Chakraborty in TV interviews. Last week Singh's lawyer Vikas Singh had expressed 'helplessness' over the slow pace of the CBI probe into Rajput's death. The pace of the CBI probe into Sushant Singh Rajput's death has suddenly slowed down and all attention is being diverted to drugs-related issues with the NCB conducting "fashion parade" of Bollywood stars, the late actor's family lawyer Vikas Singh had alleged on Friday. "Today, we are helpless as we don't know which direction the case is going in. Normally, a press briefing is done by CBI. But in this case, till today, CBI has not done a press briefing on what they have found out. This is a very serious issue," Singh had alleged at a press conference. The probe agency had earlier also issued a statement calling media reports attributed to it as speculative. "Certain media reports attributed to CBI investigation are speculative and not based on facts. It is reiterated that as a matter of policy, CBI does not share details of ongoing investigation," the agency had said on September 3. "CBI spokesperson or any team member has not shared any details of investigation with media. The details being reported and attributed to CBI are not credible," it had said. NICTD would take out the $25 million bond issue if the money is needed for unexpected costs, Noland said. The loan would be repaid from money that NICTD receives from a state tax on leased rail cars, and uses for capital projects. Bengaluru, Sep 28 : A female student from Kerala set a record of sorts by bagging 18 of the 48 gold medals awarded to passouts of the National Law School of India University (NLSIU), officials said on Monday. While Yamuna Menon bagged 18 medals, 20 others who earned a BA LLB (Honours) degree shared the remaining 30. "Yamuna became the first student to win the highest number of medals (18) in the NLSIU history," an official said a day after the 28th annual convocation held virtually on Sunday here. Yamuna won medals for securing the first rank, best outgoing student, best undergraduate student, best outgoing female student, meritorious student, outstanding graduate student, and overall topper. As an IDIA (Increasing Diversity by Increasing Access to legal education) scholar from Kerala, Yamuna secured admission to the law school through the competitive Common Law Admissions Test (CLAT) with 28th rank in 2015. Hailing from Ernakulam near Kochi in the southern coastal state, Yamuna was one of the two students to get a scholarship for high ranking in the entrance test. Yamuna has since secured a seat in Trinity College at Cambridge University for postgraduation in law. Yamuna's paper on the Sumangali scheme in the Tamil Nadu textile sector was published in the Cambridge Law Review. She was also editor-in-chief of the Indian Journal of International Economic Law. "In all, 576 students graduated, including three with PhD, 40 with Master's in Public Policy, 45 in Master's in Law, 77 in BA LLB (Honours) and 411 in distance education programme," said the university in a statement. Head of Centre for the Study of Law and Governance at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) Niraja Gopal delivered the convocation address and focused on the challenges in the post-Covid world. University Vice Chancellor Sudhir Krishnaswamy said that the new education policy had set four imperatives for law schools across the country. SAN ANTONIO -- Sept. 28, 2020 -- A new study authored by Southwest Research In-stitute scientists Rodrigo Leiva and Marc Buie reveals the binary nature of a trans-Neptunian object (TNO). Leiva and Buie utilized data obtained by the Research and Education Collaborative Occultation Network (RECON), a citizen science research net-work dedicated to observing the outer solar system. The study was published this month in The Astrophysical Journal. Trans-Neptunian objects (TNOs) are small icy bodies that orbit the Sun beyond Nep-tune. Binary TNOs occur when two of these objects orbit each other while together or-biting the Sun. Leiva and Buie discovered two objects in a particularly close gravita-tional configuration. The pair was detected using a stellar occultation, which occurs when an object passes between Earth and a distant star which hides, or "occults," the star from view. Observers located in the path of the object's shadow can record the star blinking out and reappearing. The length of time that the object blocks the starlight can be used to determine its size. "In this instance, the occulted star also turned out to be a binary system. Binary stars are not unusual and binary objects are not unusual," Buie said. "But it is unusual that we had a binary TNO occulting a binary star." "What's also interesting and unusual is this object's characteristics," Leiva said. "The two components are quite close, only 350 kilometers apart. Most binary TNOs are very separated, usually 1,000 kilometers or more. This closeness makes this type of binary TNO difficult to detect with other methods, which is what RECON was designed to ac-complish." The discovery of the new TNO was made possible by RECON, a collection of 56 obser-vation stations stretching from Yuma, Arizona, to Orville, Washington. The NSF-funded project provides each station with an array of observation equipment, including 11-inch telescopes. High school teachers are trained by Leiva, Buie and Fiske Planetari-um Director Dr. John Keller to operate the stations and observe occultations so they can then teach students how to make the same observations. RECON has seen several stu-dents go on to do research related to their observations in college. "To me this project is citizen science at its best," Buie said. "They're learning as well as making observations and helping to collect data. If they didn't do this, we wouldn't learn about these objects." RECON stations are commonly placed in small communities along an ideal line, from the southern to the northern border of the United States, for observation of stellar occul-tations. Eight additional stations were established in Canada in 2018 by colleagues of Leiva and Buie. Going forward, Leiva and Buie will continue to search for previously unobserved TNOs, with the aim of discovering whether close binaries are common or unusual in our Solar System. "Most models of the Solar System indicate that binaries are very common, particularly close binaries like this one," Leiva said. "If you have an accurate measurement of how common they are, you can fine tune these models." "Our overarching aim is to know how common close binary TNOs are," Buie said. "Is this object one in a million or just like 90% of them? This is fueling our knowledge for building better models of how the Solar System formed." ### Read "Stellar Occultation by the Resonant Trans-Neptunian Object (523764) 2014 WC510 Reveals a Close Binary TNO." https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/PSJ/abb23d For more information, visit https://www.swri.org/planetary-science. Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images Naegleria fowleri Texas Gov. Greg Abbott issued a disaster declaration over the weekend after it was determined that brain-eating amoeba had been detected in a local water supply. In the declaration, which was signed Sunday, Abbott certified that Naegleria fowleri was identified in three of 11 tests in the water distribution system in Brazoria County, posing an imminent threat to public health and safety, including loss of life. Officials in Lake Jackson, which is located in Brazoria County, issued a similar declaration the previous day, after test results confirmed that Naegleria fowleri, "a rare and often fatal" amoeba had been found in three water samples. Naegleria fowleri is most commonly found in freshwater such as lakes and rivers and soil, according to the Centers for Disease and Control Prevention. It typically infects people when contaminated water enters the body through the nose. RELATED: Texas Boy, 6, Dies After Being Hospitalized with Brain-Eating Amoeba Lake Jackson was first contacted by local health officials on Sept. 8, after learning that a 6-year-old boy had been hospitalized with the rare brain-eating amoeba, the city said in a previous press release. After being diagnosed, his family was able to narrow down possible exposure sources, one of which was the Lake Jackson Civic Center Splash Pad, while the other was a house lawn hose. Although initial test results did not indicate the presence of Naegleria fowleri, on Sept. 25, a second round of tests came back as positive. The child died on Sept. 8 at Texas Children's Hospital in Houston, his mother told NBC News. A hospital spokeswoman confirmed the child's death to the outlet without discussing further details. RELATED VIDEO: Jack Osbourne Reveals How Daughters Contracted Coronavirus, Leading to 'COVID Outbreak' at Home Jack Osbourne Reveals How Daughters Contracted Coronavirus, Leading to 'COVID Outbreak' at Home Story continues Jack Osbourne's mom Sharon Osbourne previously revealed that his 2-year-old daughter Minnie had contracted COVID-19 Although the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality initially issued a Do Not Use Water Advisory to all residents served by the Brazosport Water Authority, the advisory has since been lifted in all locations although a Boil Water Notice remains in effect for Lake Jackson, which has a population of approximately 27,000. In addition to the boil advisory, which was issued late on Saturday, officials have also begun a chlorine conversion process, which will flush the entire water system, helping rid distribution pipes of organic matter and improve overall water quality, according to a press release. The boil notice will remain in place until the flushing and disinfection process is complete, which could last for as long as 60 days. Additionally, the city will also be implementing part of its Drought Contingency Plan, and is asking all city water customers to reduce outdoor water usage so that all available water resources an be devoted to flushing the system." Reminder: A Boil Water Notice is in effect for the City of Lake Jackson. Boiling the tap water makes it safe for drinking & cooking. For all other uses, citizens are urged to take these precautions. Additional Info: https://t.co/gc2EZ6mE5b pic.twitter.com/3NNqUVUwbP Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (@TCEQ) September 28, 2020 According to the CDC, Naegleria fowleri infections are rare, and most are fatal. Initial symptoms include fever, nausea, vomiting, while later symptoms that occur before death include seizures, hallucinations, and coma. Between 1962 and 2018, 145 people were infected with Naegleria fowleri, and only four survived, the CDC said. People attend a demonstration calling for defunding the police with a goal to end systemic racism within all sectors of the Canadian government, in Montreal on Aug. 29, 2020. (The Canadian Press/Graham Hughes) How the Discourse Is Being Hollowed out in Canadas Public Square Commentary Increasingly, it seems, serious thinking in the public square is becoming more unfashionable while at the same time societys problems are becoming more difficult. Public debate in Canada is being hollowed out, and by the day, the gatekeepers find more ways to limit what are permissible points of discussion. The discourse around a concept as vague as systemic racism has perhaps most demonstrated this of late. Systemic racism found its way into the recent throne speech, with pledges to commit to the struggle against it. This includes promises to address systemic racism through such measures as combating hate speech online and increasing representation on executive boards. All might sound well and good, but the problem lying at the centre of this menace that society is supposed to mobilize againstespecially when it comes to hate speechis that nobody can ever truly define it. Its nearly impossible, as it is in the eye of the beholder. Is it foundational and therefore everywhere in society? Is it only present in specific institutions? What exactly constitutes an act of systemic racism? Who knows? It could include anything from an innocuous opinion, to poverty, to an actual act of racist harassment or discrimination. Debates on systemic racism never interrogate the concept and what it means in any productive way. Since it is treated as something that just self-evidently exists, most debates result in cultish inquisitions that interrogate those who are skeptics. The late Australian political philosopher Kenneth Minogue provided a good explainer for this in his 2003 essay Christophobia and the West, in which he broke down the rigid egalitarianism that happens to be the reigning dogma of Western society. Calling it Olympianism, he described it as a secular belief system that fuses political conviction and moral superiority into a single package that resembles how religions (outside liberal states) constitute comprehensive ways of life supplying all that is necessary (in the eyes of believers) for salvation. In Olympianism, the purest form of democracy is that which rejects all forms of authority but with no commitment to taking any serious notice of what the people actually think, Minogue wrote. The purpose of society, then, is constant emancipation from authority and traditions, which requires changing through moral re-education those citizens who naturally might cling to such norms. And to protect the endless trek toward progress, democracy must be constrained within a framework of rights, to which Olympian legislation is always adding, as this helps to make certain debates off-limits and prevents any reactionary disruptions. Politically, Olympians have often sidestepped the parliamentary process and relied on the courts by always framing divisive issues in the vocabulary of rights. This has been helped by enthusiastic judges who are convinced their role is to act as heroes of the resistance against reactionary forces. To challenge any resulting conclusions on abortion and assisted death is to deny ones humanity rather than simply hold a different opinion. Practicing Christians, as a result, are cast out of the public square as their conscience compels them not to be silent on these controversial moral questions. Journalists have also moved away from their role as professionals who inform the public, and now act instead as moral educators. This is reflected increasingly in how stories are chosen and presented. It is common to see articles that merely expose thought crimes and the various ways a person or group should be considered anathema to polite society. With the struggle against systemic racism now being all the rage, any claim of racism, however small, is also amplified to show why society requires more social transformation. Last week, a news outlet reported that a university professor and anti-racist activist had her car broken into. The professor and other anti-racist activists said it could likely be attributed to white supremacism in the area due to her #DefundthePolice activism. Another professor interviewed for the report said the break-in was consistent with how white supremacists try to make people of colour and indigenous people scared of speaking out. There is little evidence for this, but it was reported on uncritically to morph a story about an unfortunate crime into a grand narrative about how our racist society forces minorities to live in constant fear. Modern Canada serves as one of the great case studies of how progressives have captured institutions over decades and imposed their ideological vision without much oppositionsomething that has only intensified in this time of wokeness. This approach will continue to polarize the country while actual issues are left unaddressed, as the discourse is skewed toward progressive goals and reaffirming the monoculture the left has created. Shane Miller is a political writer based in London, Ontario. Follow him at @Miller_Shane94. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. Northern Californias wine industry has taken a number of glancing blows from wildfires in recent years. This week brought a direct hit. The Glass Fire plowed through vast swaths of northern Napa Valley on Sunday and Monday, destroying structures at several winery properties including Tofanelli Family Vineyards 120-year-old barn and historic home in Calistoga and the stone winery of high-end estate Chateau Boswell. At least 143 Napa County wineries were within evacuation zones, according to the countys Office of Emergency Services; most owners are still waiting to survey how their vineyards fared. Nobody resided in the Tofanelli home, said owner Vince Tofanelli, but he feared many of the grapevines, planted in 1929, were destroyed. Late Sunday night, flames engulfed the winery at Chateau Boswell, which has been on the Silverado Trail for more than 40 years. We are simply heartbroken, owner Susan Boswell said via email. Chronicle staff captured video of Fairwinds Estate Winery in which buildings appeared to have been completely leveled, but no representative of the winery could be reached for comment. Hunnicutt lost a house and all of its outdoor winemaking equipment. Hourglass lost its winery and historic guest house. The Glass Fire significantly impacted the Newton winery and vineyards, said general manager Jean-Baptiste Rivail. Castello di Amorosa, Calistogas famous castle winery, lost its farmhouse, said Vice President Jim Sullivan. Although the main castle remains intact, the farmhouse contained all of the companys bottled wine, plus some fermentation tanks, the laboratory and offices. I could cry, Sullivan said of the farmhouse, which was part of a more than $40 million construction project. Everyones put so much hard work into that. Carlos Avila Gonzalez/The Chronicle By Monday evening, the Glass Fire grew to more than 36,000 acres and was still completely uncontained. Evacuation orders cleared out an expanse of northern Napa Valley, including the entire city of Calistoga and parts of St. Helena. Normally bright-green grape vines near Calistoga had been blackened and engulfed by a low, dark, orange-grey smoke Tuesday afternoon, which made the daylight end prematurely. The smoke hung low over row upon row of vines, giving the area an eerie vibe reminiscent of an apocalyptic fiction setting. On the Silverado Trail, towering trees lining the entrance to the Chateau Boswell had been scorched, their skeletons now framing the chateaus main building, which lay in ruin. Several hallowed trees were on fire behind it. It was a nightmare scenario for a year that was already looking nightmarish for the Napa Valley wine industry. Napa weathered another large fire in August the Hennessey Fire, which became part of the LNU Lightning Complex and has been dealing with the repercussions of lingering wildfire smoke, which can ruin wine grapes. A number of vintners in Napa and Sonoma counties have even said that they wont make any wine in 2020 due to smoke damage. Now, some of those vintners were confronted with the possibility of not only losing their 2020 crop but also their wineries, vineyards and homes. And with many of them evacuated, they were often not sure what exactly had happened to their properties. Jeff Smith fled from both his home in St. Helena and his Calistoga winery, Hourglass. Late on Monday afternoon he learned that his home had survived, but much of Hourglass including the main winery building, a guest house built in 1858 and an outdoor stage was rubble. How do you replace the history? Smith said. He was hopeful that the barrels of aging wine were safe inside the caves, but feared that the Douglas fir trees and olive trees, some of them 200 years old, had been killed. On Monday, Ehren Jordan was in a similar situation, wondering what had happened to Failla Wines, the acclaimed winery he founded in 1998. Hed spent most of the day Sunday at the Calistoga winery preparing: moving all of his crush equipment from the outside areas into the underground caves and stashing the business most important files safely away. Jordan noticed some fire engines up on the hill above his winery on Sunday afternoon. I said, Hey come with me, I have a 53,000-gallon water tank and a generator that backs up the fire pump use it! Jordan said. Soon, his driveway became the staging area for six fire engines. Chase DiFeliciantonio / The Chronicle When he left early Sunday evening to return to his home in Sonoma County, everything in the neighborhood was still standing, Jordan said, but it was super ominous looking. By 7 p.m., he got word that his entire 4-acre vineyard at the property had burned. A few hours later, he learned what had happened to Chateau Boswell, which is 900 feet away. Food Guide Top 25 Restaurants Where to eat in the Bay Area. Find spots near you, create a dining wishlist, and more. You walk away and you say thats it if it burns, it burns, Jordan said. Theres nothing more I can do. Just before 2 p.m. on Monday, a neighbor was able to reach Failla and confirm to Jordan that the winery had survived. Susan Boswell, who has lived at her winery property for 25 years, was awoken at 4:30 a.m. Sunday by the sound of her dog barking. As soon as she got up, she could see the flames approaching; after calling Cal Fire, she grabbed her belongings and drove away. Later that night she saw the devastating images of the winery, which had been built from hand-quarried stone in 1979. The stone facade of the building remains but it appears nothing else, Boswell said. All of my library wines were lost going back to 1979. She still didnt know the status of an 11,000-square-foot underground cave, in which all of her 2018 and 2019 wine, plus four vintages worth of sparkling wine, is aging. The situation at Sterling Vineyards, one of Napas best-known historic wineries, remained unclear. Chronicle photographer Brittany Hosea-Small captured images Monday morning that showed damage to some equipment outdoors, including large tanks, but the main winery building had been spared. Firefighters were cutting away walls at a smaller building onsite that appeared to be smoldering from inside. Hunnicutt Winery owner Justin Stephens returned to his property on Monday to find the main winery intact, but a house on the property that is used for offices and all of the winemaking equipment on the outdoor crushpad had burned. There might be some salvageability to it, Stephens said, but seeing part of the estate gone was crushing. Chase DiFeliciantonio / The Chronicle The team at Davis Estates evacuated from the Calistoga winery around 9:30 p.m. Sunday night after a 1,000-gallon propane tank exploded on the property, said owner Mike Davis. The tank was about 100 yards away from the main winery building, but everything surrounding the winery was on fire, he said. His son described it as looking like a blowtorch. Early Monday afternoon, Davis learned that the winery had survived. Im crying like a 2-year-old, he said. Chronicle staff writer Michael Williams contributed reporting. Esther Mobley is The San Francisco Chronicles wine critic. Email: emobley@sfchronicle.com Gunmen killed 11 people, including four women, early Sunday in a bar in the central Mexico state of Guanajuato. State prosecutors said the bullet-ridden bodies were found at a bar near the town of Jaral del Progreso. The area is near the border with Michoacan state, which has been a point of incursion for the Jalisco cartel, which wants to move into Guanajuato. Local media reported the four dead women may have been employed as dancers at the bar, located on the side of a highway. There was no immediate information on a possible motive in the attack, but it bore the signs of a drug gang killing. Guanajuato has been the most violent state in Mexico in recent years, but authorities had hoped the detention of a leader of a local gang on Aug. 2 would help stem the violence. The detained leader of the Santa Rosa de Lima gang, Jose Antonio Yepez Ortiz, was better known by his nickname El Marro, which means The Sledgehammer. He had long fought a bloody turf battle with the Jalisco cartel, and authorities blamed him for much of the violence in the industrial and farming state. While murders across the state dropped slightly to 339 in August from 403 in July, they may be rebounding in September as gang members fight to fill the vacuum left by Yepez Ortizs detention. (AP) CPS SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Turkish authorities have locked up 20 senior members of the countrys leftist, Kurdish-led opposition party on charges stemming from their alleged participation in protests six years ago. They were among 82 people ordered to be detained on Friday on charges stemming from days of protest in southeastern Turkey at a time when Isis was threatening to take over the Syrian border town of Kobane and the Kurds in Turkey called for mass protests. On Monday, the prosecutor sought and obtained a ruling giving him four more days to keep the members of the Peoples Democratic Party (HDP) under detention. Among those detained are a sitting mayor and four former lawmakers. The crackdown, across seven Turkish provinces, has been condemned by Turkish opposition parties, who describe it as an attempt by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to further consolidate his grip on power by marginalising leftist Kurds and strengthening his Islamist-rooted Justice and Development Partys ties to the nationalist National Movement Party. The government is putting so much pressure on the HDP because it sees and fears the fact that in the first elections the HDP will play a crucial political role for the democratic future of Turkey, the HDP said in a statement. Members of the liberal nationalist opposition Republican Peoples Party (CHP), the countrys second political organisation, and other opposition groups also condemned the detentions as a threat to Turkeys democratic aspirations. It is our duty to oppose attempts to liquidate the HDP, CHP lawmaker Baris Yarkadas was quoted as saying in local media. Democracy without the HDP is a bird with one wing. The Ankara prosecutor, which is pursuing the case, described acts of terrorism in which Kurdish-led political organisations connected to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) made several calls to the people to take to the streets and commit acts of violence via social media and news outlets, sparking rowdy demonstrations in 35 provinces. At least 42 people lost their lives and 682 people were wounded in the protests 6 and 12 October 2014, mostly HDP supporters and PKK sympathisers . Roads were barricaded, public buildings and vehicles as well citizens' residences, workplaces and vehicles of citizens were attacked with long-barreled guns, molotov cocktails, fireworks, sticks and stones, several citizens and security officers were wounded and citizens lost their lives in some cities," said the prosecutors office. HDP supporters protest against government (EPA) Pro-government voices cheered on the raids. The fact that the state did not forget the actions of such terrorists who are hidden among people at home and rehearsed an internal insurgency means that the last links of the terror within society are cut, pundit Eray Gulcuer told pro-government CNN Turk. But many questioned the timing of the raids, which concerned incidents that took place years ago, and accused the authorities of using shaky legal arguments. This is simply projecting the de-facto state of emergency towards the past, to a period even previous to the failed coup attempt, Nacho Sanchez Amor, European Parliament Rapporteur on Turkey, said in a statement. Turkish authorities seem determined to establish some kind of overall retroactive state of emergency in order to further suppress opposition and any critical voices. Since peace talks between the PKK and the Erdogan government collapsed in 2015, some 16,000 supporters and members of the HDP have been arrested, and 5,000 sent to prison, the party said. DGAP-News: Baader Bank AG / Key word(s): Conference The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. Press release: Baader Investment Conference: 2020 hybrid conference successful all round Unterschleissheim, 28 September 2020: The ninth Baader Investment Conference took place last week in Munich, Germany. Attendance was steady, with over 700 investors from 30 countries and almost 230 companies represented - clearly demonstrating that this annual event remains a leading industry platform in German-speaking countries despite the current exceptional circumstances. Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the conference was held in a hybrid format for the first time. A limited number of participants took the opportunity to attend in person, while other international investors and company representatives took part virtually, with Baader Bank also creating a framework for presentations and meetings to be held both in person and virtually. "Now in its ninth year, the Baader Investment Conference remains an established platform for interaction in the capital market", says Andreas Trosch, VP IR, Communications & Corporate Responsibility, NORMA Group SE. "It was absolutely the right decision to go ahead with the conference in its hybrid format in light of the current circumstances", says Andreas Spitzauer, Head of IR, Knorr-Bremse AG. "Social distancing and hygiene rules were strictly observed and the event gave us the opportunity to network virtually with a large number of international investors as well as meeting local investors in person". In over 3000 individual and small-group discussions as well as almost 120 forum presentations, companies - including 24 from the DAX, 20 from Austria and 43 from Switzerland - presented numerous local and international investors with a comprehensive overview of their respective business developments and took the opportunity to consolidate relationships with contacts. The second Baader Small Cap day has also been held, on Friday, 25 September. This has quickly become an established event and the corporate presentations were fully booked. Most of the companies that presented were cautiously optimistic about their future earnings potential, but stopped short of making any concrete predictions about the coming months. The recent increase in COVID-19 infection rates across Europe is the main driver of this cautious approach, but the significant variation in demand trends across different business units and regions also plays a part. Set against this backdrop, many decision-makers named protecting cash flow and maintaining a good liquidity buffer across different credit channels as their main priorities right now. One positive indicator is that most of the companies consider the medium- to long-term drivers of their business models to still be intact, and they believe that efficiency measures and capacity adjustments are likely to bring significant relief and help them to regain strong momentum. On the whole, indications from the corporate sector therefore point to a sustained but inconsistent path to economic recovery. "The number of companies presenting has increased once more and this, together with the positive response from company representatives, is proof that our investor conference leads the field in German-speaking countries", says Oliver Riedel, Member of the Board of Directors at Baader Bank. "The success of the event is also confirmed by the large number of high-profile investors from around the world who regularly attend the conference". "The huge success of the Baader Investment Conference even it its hybrid format, alongside the resounding positive feedback from both the in-person and virtual attendees, confirms not only that it is possible to take a flexible approach to events like this but also that they remain incredibly important, particularly in the midst of a pandemic", says Chairman of the Board of Directors, Nico Baader, in summary. The next Baader Investment Conference will take place from 20 to 24 September 2021 in Munich, Germany. Further details can also be found on our website at https://www.baaderinvestmentconference.com. Further information is available from: Baader Bank AG Weihenstephaner Strasse 4 85716 Unterschleissheim, Germany Florian E. Schopf Company Spokesperson Managing Director Head of Group Strategy & Communication T +49 89 5150 1013 M +49 160 718 88 26 florian.schopf@baaderbank.de https://www.baaderbank.de About Baader Bank AG: Baader Bank is the bank for the capital market. It allows its clients to access international capital markets and to invest in financial products in an effective, efficient and secure manner. The bank uses the latest innovations in the banking industry for products, processes and technology to generate added value for its clients. As a family-run, full-service bank with its headquarters in Unterschleissheim near Munich with around 400 employees, it is active in the business lines of Market Making, Capital Markets, Multi Asset Brokerage, Asset Management Services, Banking Services and Research. Further information can also be found online: Company website: https://www.baaderbank.de Twitter: https://twitter.com/Baader_Bank LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/98924/ Xing: https://www.xing.com/companies/baaderbankag?sc_o=da980_e YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDJ7PGKWwtafrPSFDI3nmsQ 28.09.2020 Dissemination of a Corporate News, transmitted by DGAP - a service of EQS Group AG. The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. The DGAP Distribution Services include Regulatory Announcements, Financial/Corporate News and Press Releases. Archive at www.dgap.de "We are proud to be selected to manage the previously brand managed property," said Joseph Bojanowski, President of PM Hotel Group. "We know and love the Renaissance brand ethos and its dedication to helping travelers navigate neighborhoods and discover hidden gems wherever they are. Together with the hotel's spectacular location in Baltimore's Inner Harbor, guests here will experience the best that Charm City has to offer." The recently renovated, full-service lifestyle hotel features 622 rooms, nearly 30,000 square feet of meeting and event space, three food and beverage outlets and a signature, waterfront restaurant called Watertable. Situated in the heart of the vibrant Inner Harbor, the Renaissance is within walking distance of Baltimore's major attractions including M&T Bank Stadium, Camden Yards and the Baltimore Convention Center. PM Hotel Group currently manages approximately 30 Marriott-affiliated hotels, including the Renaissance Philadelphia Downtown which opened in June 2018 following a dramatic, multi-million dollar renovation and rebrand. About PM Hotel Group A Top-15 hotel management company, PM Hotel Group has over two decades of experience building relationships with brands, partners and third-party hotel owners. We have participated in the development and acquisition of more than $3 billion in premium-branded and independent hotel properties across the United States. As an operator, PM Hotel Group is committed to its core values of respect- for one another, our guests and the planet. We manage with a dedication to sustainability, a tradition of teamwork and a passion for innovation and entrepreneurship. At PM Hotel Group we know that our people are our greatest resource. By focusing on our associates and the communities in which we work, we deliver strong performance for our owners. Learn more at pmhotelgroup.com MEDIA CONTACT Jennifer Diamond Haber [email protected] 202.559.1916 SOURCE PM Hotel Group INDIANAPOLIS -- A new app will allow anyone to contribute real-world data to the effort to understand COVID-19. "MaskCountTM," from Regenstrief Institute, lets users document the number of people they see wearing or not-wearing masks, all without identifying anyone. This information will be combined for display and analyzed with other COVID-19 data, such as case counts and hospitalizations, to better understand outbreaks. To access the MaskCount app and learn how to Swipe for ScienceTM go to https://www.maskcount.com. MaskCount is free and currently available as a web app in 15 languages that can run across platforms, including on Apple, Android and other smart devices. After registering, users can easily start sessions and count mask-wearing activity they see around them. Regenstrief research scientists will then analyze the observations and present the combined data online. They also plan to merge the submitted data with other information to assess the effects of public health policies and analyze whether mask-wearing is associated with other COVID-19 trends. The data will be made available via privacy-preserving dashboards to inform the public about what people are seeing near them. Public health professionals may also benefit from the data as they make decisions about public health policies. The app protects privacy by allowing users to simply and discreetly tap or swipe on their screens to capture counts of people either wearing or not wearing masks. Location data for each observation is automatically captured and sent to secure servers. Only aggregate information is displayed to the public. Importantly, the app does not allow people to take pictures or enter any identifying information about those they observe. Users can return to the app and enter the information as frequently as they choose. They can also view data from their previous sessions as well as see cumulative data on masking trends from others around them. "Masks are one of the best ways we have to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and the harm it does to people and our economies. However, mask usage has been difficult to measure," said Peter Embi, M.D., M.S., Regenstrief president and chief executive officer, Indiana University School of Medicine professor and creator and leader of the MaskCount project. "We built this app using state-of-the-art crowd-sourcing technologies that let anyone submit anonymous data to help researchers and public health professionals develop new evidence about the use and effectiveness of masks. The more people use it, the more we hope to learn and work together to help end this pandemic." Since the pandemic is global, Dr. Embi worked with an app development company based in Chile, to create the user-friendly interface and prepare the app for use across platforms and in multiple languages, to enable widespread use. ### Donations to support the app The MaskCount app from Regenstrief is intended to be an accessible resource and the data shared and collaboratively applied for the benefit of Indiana, the U.S. and around the world. Overarching goals include compiling information to be shared for research, policy, safety and anyone interested in the effects masks have on the coronavirus. To contribute to continuing development of this app, go here. About Regenstrief Institute Founded in 1969 in Indianapolis, the Regenstrief Institute is a local, national and global leader dedicated to a world where better information empowers people to end disease and realize true health. A key research partner to Indiana University, Regenstrief and its?research scientists are responsible for a growing number of major healthcare innovations and studies. Examples range from the development of global health information technology standards that enable the use and interoperability of electronic health records to improving patient-physician communications, to creating models of care that inform practice and improve the lives of patients around the globe. Regenstrief Institute is celebrating 50 years of healthcare innovation. Sam Regenstrief, a successful entrepreneur from Connersville, Indiana, founded the institute with the goal of making healthcare more efficient and accessible for everyone. His vision continues to guide the institute's research mission. About PeterEmbi, M.D., M.S. In addition to serving as the president and CEO of Regenstrief Institute, Peter Embi, M.D., M.S. is the Leonard Betley Professor of Medicine and associate dean for informatics and health services research at Indiana University School of Medicine, associate director of informatics with Indiana Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute and vice president for Learning Health Systems with Indiana University Health. The head of state noted that Ukraine should have its own production and industry and not build its economy solely on trade or the agricultural sector. President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky intends to initiate the drafting of the national car industry development strategy. During a working trip to the Zakarpattia region last week, Zelensky paid a visit to the Eurocar car manufacturing plant, his Office reports. "It is a really fundamental, modern plant. It is nice to see that such production exists in our country," Volodymyr Zelensky said. The head of state noted that Ukraine should have its own production and industry and not build its economy solely on trade or the agricultural sector. "Otherwise we will always lag behind others, and this cannot be our choice. So we will support the industry. As for the forms of such support, we need to think very carefully, to approach this issue as rationally as possible," Zelensky said. Read alsoUkraine's ZAZ launches Renault cars production for domestic marketThe president invited representatives of the automotive industry together with the Ministry of Infrastructure and the Ministry of Economic Development, Trade and Agriculture to develop a strategy for the development of the country's automotive industry. Car manufacture stats Ukraine's Ukrautoprom Association in 2018 said the manufacture of motor vehicles in Ukraine had plunged by over 98% in the past 10 years. "In March [2018], the Ukrainian plants manufactured 773 vehicles. Production facilities of the national car industry continue to function only at 2% of their capacity, while this output of motor vehicles is nearly 98.1% less than that in March a decade ago," Ukrautoprom said in a statement. From January to August 2020, a total of 2,243 motor vehicles were assembled in Ukraine, which was 47% fewer y-o-y, according to Ukrautoprom. Vehicle producers in Ukraine The largest manufacturers of cars and buses in Ukraine are UkrAVTO Corporation (Zaporizhia automobile building plant), Bogdan Corporation, Eurocar Plant, and Etalon Corporation (Chernihiv and Boryspil automobile plants). The only plant operating in 2020 the passenger car manufacture segment is Eurocar, as in 2019. Eurocar is the official manufacturer of vehicles of the Volkswagen Group in Ukraine. In 2019, Eurocar produced 6,254 vehicles. Phototreat This is a letter I hoped I would never have to write. Its about service, duty, honor and how one regards those who serve our country. It is written to suggest to my congressional representative, U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-Schuylerville, that she is misguided if she thinks she has veterans interests at heart. Within her district are thousands of soldiers who do or have selflessly served within the armed forces yet her partys leader, the man she supports so loyally, labels them as losers and suckers. These were words that came from a draft dodger whose alleged bone spurs saved him from military service. Such comments are disgraceful and unpatriotic and should be called out, if not apologized for. New Delhi: The Delhi governments transport department has started online registration for the process applying of high-security number plates, making it easier for the residents of Delhi. Now, the car owners can register for number plates by visiting the official website of Delhi's transport ministry and filling in the required credentials. Live TV For High security number plate, user needs to visit bookmyhsrp.com/index.aspx for registration. Now users will have to choose between the option of private and public transport. The owner will further have to mark the fuel type- petrol, diesel, CNG, electric, CNG cum petro and proceed with marking the vehicle category. Now in the vehicle category, you will have to choose options like car, scooter, motorcycle, auto etc. The car owner will also have to fill the brand details of their vehicle. Now you will have to choose options for states, after which you will see dealer details. The vehicle information to be filled during the process includes the registration number, registration date, engine number, chassis number. Now a new window will open, where you will have to fill in your personal details that includes his/her personal details like mobile number, address. Now you will have to feed in the details of booking of the vehicle like the day, time etc. Once you finish all the details, you will proceed to payment. On completing the process an OTP will be sent to the registered mobile number and the process will be generated. However, some dealers are also making the service available offline where customers will be charged Rs 600-1100 for the four-wheeler, Rs 300-400 for the two-wheelers. Meanwhile, the Delhi government's transport department has said that vehicles registered in Delhi before April 2019 will have to install High Security Registration Number Plate (HSRP) and color-coded fuel stickers. Currently, there are 30 lakh vehicles in the capital that need HSRP and stickers. The department said that the government is going to start a campaign soon for this. It has been reported that after the Delhi governments decision, application for HSRP has been doubled. From the erstwhile booking of 200-250 applicants, now the booking has increased to that of 3,000 applicants. Tax records obtained by The New York Times appear to show that President Trump reduced his taxable income by treating his eldest daughter, Ivanka Trump, as a consultant, then deducting this as a business expense. The Times reports that Trump Organization tax records show between 2010 and 2018, President Trump wrote off as business expenses $26 million in "consulting fees." The consultants are not listed by name, but the Times compared the tax records to financial disclosures Ivanka Trump filed when she started working at the White House in 2017 as a senior adviser to her father. Ivanka Trump reported receiving $747,622 in payments from a consulting company she co-owned the same exact amount in consulting fees the Trump Organization claimed as tax deductions for hotel projects in Hawaii and Vancouver. As an executive officer with the Trump Organization, Ivanka Trump managed the Hawaii and Vancouver hotel projects, "meaning she appears to have been treated as a consultant on the same hotel deals that she helped manage as part of her job at her father's business," the Times said. Ivanka Trump earned a salary of about $480,000 while serving as an executive with the Trump Organization, and the amount jumped up to $2 million after her father became president, the Times reports; since leaving to work in the White House, she has not received a salary from the company. The tax filings also show that Trump collected $5 million for a hotel deal in Azerbaijan and reported $1.1 million in consulting fees and made $3 million in Dubai while reporting a $630,000 consulting fee. People with direct knowledge of the deals told the Times they were not aware of any consultants or third parties who would have been paid in connection with the projects. When asked about the matter, Alan Garten, a lawyer for the Trump Organization, did not comment. The Internal Revenue Service said for consulting fees to be deducted as an expense, they must be an "ordinary and necessary" part of running a business, and the recipient must still pay income tax. More stories from theweek.com Trump literally can't afford to lose the election Trump avoids tax return questions as he brings yet another truck to the White House The bigger truth revealed by Trump's taxes Nordic leaders said on Monday they would examine evidence from a new documentary that could shatter the official explanation of how 852 people died in a 1994 ferry sinking in the Baltic Sea. Makers of the five-part documentary series, which was released for streaming on Monday, claimed to have found a hitherto unrecorded four-metre (13-foot) hole in the ship's hull. In a joint statement on Monday, Estonian, Swedish and Finnish foreign ministers announced they would 'assess the new information.' An underwater image taken from the new documentary shows a hole in the hull of the sunken ferry MS Estonia According to information presented in the documentary, the hole is four metres high and has previously been partly hidden towards the sea bed In this November 19, 1994 file photo, the bow door of the sunken passenger ferry MS Estonia is lifted up from the bottom of the sea, off Uto Island, in the Baltic Se A total of 852 people drowned when the passenger and car ferry MS Estonia sank in Finnish waters in the early hours of September 28, 1994, while en route from Tallinn to Stockholm in Europe's worst peacetime shipping disaster. In 1997, investigators concluded the disaster was caused by the bow door of the ship being wrenched open in heavy seas, allowing water to gush into the car deck. Survivors and relatives of those killed have fought for over two decades for a fuller investigation, with some claiming that the opening of the bow visor would not have caused the vessel to sink as quickly as it did. The ship went down in just one hour, leaving only 137 survivors. Candles are seen next to the names of victims during a ceremony to mark the 25th anniversary of a maritime disaster when MS Estonia, carrying 803 passengers and 186 crew, sank in the Baltic Sea, in Tallinn, Estonia, on September 28, 2019 The makers of the Discovery Networks documentary 'Estonia: The Find That Changes Everything' discovered the hole when they explored the wreckage with a remote-controlled submarine. Experts told the filmmakers that only a massive external force would be strong enough to cause the rupture, raising many questions about what really happened that night. 'I believe the truth is something other than what people have been told until now,' survivor Carl Eric Reintamm told the programme. Survivors described hearing a loud bang and Reintamm said he saw a large white object in the water next to the ferry, testimony which experts interviewed in the programme said has not been taken into account before now. In this file photo taken on September 28, 1994 resuce workers in Uto Island evacuate people injured when the MS Estonia ferry sank in the Baltic sea, killing 852 people overnight Tthe bow door of the sunken ferry MS Estonia is lifted from the bottom of the sea off Uto island on November 19, 1994, nearly two months after the ferry sank in the Baltic sea Until now the countries involved, including Estonia, Sweden and Finland, have proven extremely reluctant to re-examine the causes of the disaster. They opposed a refloating of the ship, in part because of the cost and logistics of raising the vast number of bodies trapped in the hull. The area near the Finnish island of Uto was designated a sea grave, prohibiting further exploration of the wreckage. As a result, documentary director Henrik Evertsson and another crew member were arrested following their examination of the site last September, and face up to two years' imprisonment in Sweden for violating the sanctity of the gravesite. In this file photo taken on September 29, 1994 Finnish Army recruits carrying victims of the MS Estonia ferry disaster into an amphibious landing craft for transfer from the island of Uto to the mainland However, Evertsson said it was 'absolutely essential and journalistically important' to send a camera down to the wreck. Numerous theories about the cause of the sinking have circulated for years, none of them proven as of yet. These include a collision with another vessel, either a military ship or a submarine, as well as theories that organised crime gangs were involved or that an explosion went off on the ship. President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky chaired a meeting of the National Council for Anti-Corruption Policy, at which the draft Anti-Corruption Strategy for 2020-2024 was discussed, the presidential press service said. "The anti-corruption strategy should become the foundation for combating corruption. The anti-corruption strategy is a system of measures, the implementation of which can ensure the coordination of the work of law enforcement, anti-corruption state agencies at the national and local levels," Zelensky said. He said that this strategy provides for specific measures to ensure the inevitability of punishment for acts of corruption. "Based on the results of the meeting of the National Council on Anti-Corruption Policy, the president called on the MPs to consider the bill on the foundations of State Anti-Corruption Policy for 2020-2024 as soon as possible," the press service said in the statement. According to the head of state, since 2018, Ukraine has lacked the main strategic document in the field of combating corruption, which is one of the reasons for the low efficiency of the activities of anti-corruption agencies. Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said that on September 21, the Cabinet of Ministers approved and submitted to the Verkhovna Rada the bill on the foundations of State Anti-Corruption Policy for 2020-2024, which should approve the Anti-Corruption Strategy for 2020-2024. Bill No. 4135 has already been registered in the Verkhovna Rada. "Conceptual approaches to the formation of anti-corruption policy are a combination of the principles of further improving the overall system of preventing and combating corruption and minimizing corruption in the areas of highest priority in terms of overcoming corruption, including through reforms in the economic, social, medical, educational, and law enforcement sectors. Practically, every area is covered by this strategy," the prime minister said. The strategy contains five main principles: optimizing the functions of state agencies and eliminating their duplication, digital transformation and open data, convenient and legal services, intolerance of corruption among the population, and ensuring the inevitability of punishment. The strategy identifies eight main areas that are needed: court, prosecutor's office, police; state regulation of the economy; public and private sectors of the economy; taxes and customs; construction, land, infrastructure; defense sector; healthcare, social protection; the system of preventing and combating corruption in general. Head of the National Agency for Corruption Prevention Oleksandr Novikov, who presented the draft strategy, said that the MPs must approve the relevant bill by the beginning of October, and within three months the National Agency for Corruption Prevention, together with the government, will develop an action plan to implement the strategy. "After the implementation of the document, losses from corruption will decrease by UAH 200 billion per year. This, in turn, will contribute to greater investment attraction," the presidential press service said in the statement. "In a year or two, every citizen of Ukraine will feel noticeable results from its implementation, that is, in December 2021. In general, its term is five years. By 2025, the final assessment of the Anti-Corruption Strategy is envisaged," Novikov said. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-28 00:07:57|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Wang Yang, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), addresses a reception to mark the National Day that falls on Oct. 1 in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 27, 2020. The reception was organized by the General Office of the CPPCC National Committee, the United Front Work Department of the CPC Central Committee, the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office of the State Council, the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council, the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council and the All-China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese. (Xinhua/Zhang Ling) BEIJING, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) -- China's top political advisor Wang Yang said on Sunday that China is more capable and confident of realizing national rejuvenation now than at any time in history. Wang, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, made the remarks at a reception held in the Great Hall of the People to mark the National Day on Oct. 1. The reception was attended by senior officials and more than 600 representatives from Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan and overseas Chinese communities. Addressing the reception, Wang said that, over the 71 years since the People's Republic of China was founded in 1949, the CPC has united the Chinese people of all ethnic groups and led them to unprecedented miracles of rapid economic development and long-term social stability. In the face of the raging COVID-19 epidemic, the CPC Central Committee adopted a coordinated approach to epidemic response and economic and social development, making China the first major economy to recover from the epidemic and register positive growth, Wang said. "This fully demonstrates the political strengths of the leadership of the CPC and China's socialist system," Wang noted. He stressed the need to continue to fully and faithfully implement the "one country, two systems" principle, back the implementation of the law on safeguarding national security in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR), and support the Hong Kong SAR and Macao SAR in improving their supporting legal system and enforcement mechanism for the law. Underlining that there is only one China in the world, and that people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait are Chinese, Wang said the mainland is willing to engage in exchanges and communications with all parties, groups and individuals in Taiwan on the basis of upholding the 1992 Consensus. Calling attempts to seek "Taiwan independence" a path to nowhere, Wang said any separatist schemes or activities seeking "Taiwan independence" are illegal and invalid. He stressed that overseas Chinese nationals, returned Chinese and their relatives constitute an important force in realizing national rejuvenation, pledging to support them in making new contributions. Enditem Enabling customers to design and build solutions for a variety of smart video workloads, Western Digital Corp has announced its expanded family of WD Purple storage solutions. These the industrys highest capacity 18TB surveillance HDD for DVRs, NVRs and analytics appliances, and the 1TB WD Purple SC QD101 microSD card for AI-enabled cameras. Setting the bar for smart video applications, all WD Purple drives are optimised to help reduce frame loss and pixelation, improve overall video playback and enhance streaming for 24x7 workloads from ingest to backup and long-term storage as the industry broadens the use of deep learning and analytics. From commercial buildings to municipalities, businesses are accelerating adoption of AI and deep learning to enable automation and better efficiencies that ultimately help create a safer and better experience for employees, customers and communities. Deep learning algorithms, hungry for data generated by IoT and edge ecosystems, demand higher resolution for better accuracy, increasing the need for storage capacity in cameras and NVRs. The new WD Purple drives are uniquely designed for the demands of edge and analytics security video appliances that will enable our customers to gain more insights from their visual data, said Tim Palmquist, vice president, Americas, Milestone Systems. As a leading developer of open and independent IP video surveillance platforms, we value our relationship with Western Digital and are pleased to be working together to provide data storage that can support AI and deep learning, as well as manage multiple streams as video resolutions rise. Leading the charge for the digital transformation of physical security for our customers worldwide, we count on strategic partners such as Western Digital to deliver reliable and high performing storage solutions, said Martin Renkis, general manager Global Cloud Solutions Physical Security, Johnson Controls. Every Tyco Cloud video surveillance solution runs on WD Purple today as it has for many years. As we continue to innovate with features such as cloud-based storage health monitoring and alerts, we will continue to count on Western Digital to deliver the advanced solutions our customers need. We make the world a safer place with Western Digital technology. Eric Spanneut, vice president, Client Computing and Smart Video Business at Western Digital, said: Working side-by-side with our customers and ecosystem partners gives us unique insights and focus on delivering solutions that are optimised for the most advanced security video workloads. AI is driving the need for more enhanced capabilities in drives to keep up with performance demands, especially as video resolution and the number of incoming streams increase. We are in a unique position as the combination of our software and expanding drive portfolio makes our solutions ideal for deployment into a multitude of smart video applications. In its recent report, Video Surveillance & Analytics Intelligence Service, July 2020, Omdia states that shipments of cameras enabled with deep learning algorithms will continue growing at a five-year (2019-2024) CAGR of 67%, and NVRs enabled with deep-learning analytics will grow at 37%. Meanwhile, video analytics appliances shipments are expected to grow at 43%. In addition, a 2020 Western Digital-commissioned survey of North American security system integration companies found that 76% of them see video analytics and AI as playing an ever-increasing role in their deployments. BEYOND HARDWARE Western Digitals HDD firmware optimisations and data management capabilities for its WD Purple drives play a critical role in improving system capabilities as well as managing devices across AI-enabled smart video solutions. The combination helps improve performance, reliability, durability and overall better operational efficiency and TCO for customers. Western Digitals AllFrame technology for WD Purple HDDs delivers extensive caching and streaming management techniques to help prevent data loss and keep up with ongoing stream management. Western Digital Device Analytics, a software-based solution for Western Digitals HDDs, provides monitoring and drive analysis to users, enabling them to detect problematic conditions on a drive and provides instructions for remediation before an issue occurs. WD PURPLE 18TB HDD Leading the industry in capacity for surveillance drives, the new WD Purple 18TB HDD is designed for NVRs and video analytics appliances as well as GPU-enabled devices that can deliver both real-time and post analytics applications. Offering 28% more capacity than the previous generation, the new 18TB drive has room to spare for storing video, reference images and metadata at the edge, to support more effective AI. WD Purple drives from 8TB to 18TB feature AllFrame AI technology that enables recording of up to 64 high-definition cameras, as well as an additional 32 streams for deep learning analytics. WD Purple SC QD101 1TB microSD Card: This WD Purple 1TB microSD card is designed for AI-enabled cameras, surveillance cameras and edge devices, serving as primary or back-up data storage. It is based on Western Digitals advanced 96-layer 3D Nand technology, and delivers a combination of ultra-high endurance with up to 500 P/E cycles and comes in 1TB, 512GB, 256GB, 128GB, 64GB and 32GB capacities. Rugged and durable, the WD Purple microSD card is weather resistant, humidity resistant and can withstand temperatures from -25 degrees to 85 degrees C. In compatible cameras, the card health monitor provides installers and integrators with the ability to gauge the remaining endurance and preemptively service the card if needed. AVAILABILITY The WD Purple 18TB HDD will be available in October 2020, and the WD Purple SC QD101 1TB microSD card is expected to be available in November 2020. PORTFOLIO OF OFFERINGS The new WD Purple family adds to Western Digitals growing portfolio of HDD and SSD solutions purpose-built for a variety of market needs. These include the new 16TB and 18TB WD Red Pro HDDs for SMB NAS applications (Its Here! WD Red Pro 16TB & 18TB for Growing Productivity); the enterprise-class 16TB and 18TB WD Gold HDDs; WD Gold NVMe SSDs; WD Black solutions that meet the extreme demands of gamers; as well as WD Blue and WD Green SSDs to boost the computing experience. These solutions are available at select Western Digital distributors, retailers, e-tailers, resellers, system integrators, and the Western Digital store. -- Tradearabia News Service SBI is warning customers of this ongoing scam where cyber criminals are tricking people with lottery wins. State Bank of India (SBI) has issued a warning to its customers about possible scams taking place via WhatsApp. SBI tweeted the warning listing out the ways cyber criminals may try to approach customers. In its tweet, SBI announced that cyber criminals are now targeting customers via WhatsApp calls and messages. The warning is for an ongoing scam where fraudsters are calling SBI customers and informing them about winning a lottery. Customers are then asked to contact an SBI number to find out more about the supposed lottery they won. Please be aware that SBI never calls for personal or account specific information through Email/SMS/Call/WhatsApp Calls, SBI wrote in its warning to customers. It added that theres currently no such lottery scheme or lucky customer gift offers going on, and that customers should think twice if they come across any such claims. SBI also highlighted how making one mistake will give cyber criminals access to your bank accounts. ALSO READ: Most common PayPal scams and how to avoid them Banking scams and frauds are quite common, and still continue to take place. Not just with SBI but such scams can occur with customers from just any bank. Despite warnings from banks, people still fall prey to such scams and end up losing a lot of money. The best way to stay safe is to be aware of suspicious calls that involve getting free money. Its also a good idea to call up the bank and ask about such calls to confirm if its legitimate or not. opinion New York Abby Maxman, in a response to President Donald Trumps UN General Debate remarks. Abby Maxman is President & CEO of Oxfam America President Trump took the UN stage to settle scores and shift blame as he sought to spin an alternate version of his administration's response to the pandemic. He condemned the 'one-sided' Paris Agreement as the US battles devastating wildfires, bragged about promoting peace while federal agents attack protestors in US streets, touted women's rights while slashing longstanding US support for women's health programs, and extolled his COVID-19 response as the US surpasses a death toll of 200,000. President Trump also pitched his vision of a global order driven by narrow, competing national interests - one at odds with the UN Charter agreed 75 years ago to pick up the pieces from the Second World War. The UN was founded to remind us that no matter our differences, we're all on the same side when it comes to global problems like COVID-19 and the climate crisis. When humanity is faced with challenges that ignore national borders, there are no one-sided deals. As this global pandemic has only reinforced, America can only be great - and safe - when we work with others to solve the problems facing humanity. An effective COVID-19 response must be founded on scientific evidence, cooperation, and meeting the needs of the most vulnerable in society. But President Trump prioritizes the health of the markets over people and political spin instead of scientific information, deferring to the wealthiest 1% instead of the rest of us. His lack of leadership has cost American lives and delays the much-needed recovery. While a safe and effective vaccine can be a way out of this nightmare, and researchers funded by the US government are racing to find it, making sure vaccines are available and affordable to everyone is equally important. COVID-19 anywhere is COVID-19 everywhere. The Trump administration claims to have great pride for its leadership at the UN and as an agent of peace and human rights around the globe, while simultaneously undermining some of its most vital tenets and goals. Indeed, the world listens closely, but what they have heard from the Trump administration has undermined our role as a leader and albeit flawed, proponent of peace in the world. Peace stems not from strength but from mutual respect and a shared commitment to rules that benefit everyone. Solutions to the poverty, inequality, and injustice so many are experiencing both here in the United States and around the world can only be found by working together for shared progress, not by turning inward or trying to make gains at the expense of families and communities elsewhere. We will prosper together, or suffer apart. Meanwhile, Trump in his address said: It is my profound honor to address the United Nations General Assembly. 75 years after the end of World War Two and the founding of the United Nations, we are once again engaged in a great global struggle. We have waged a fierce battle against the invisible enemy -- the China Virus -- which has claimed countless lives in 188 countries. In the United States, we launched the most aggressive mobilization since the Second World War. We rapidly produced a record supply of ventilators -- creating a surplus that allowed us to share them with friends and partners all around the globe. We pioneered life-saving treatments, reducing our fatality rate 85 percent since April. Thanks to our efforts, 3 vaccines are in the final stage of clinical trials. We are mass producing them in advance so they can be delivered immediately upon arrival. We will distribute a vaccine, we will defeat the virus, we will end the pandemic, and we will enter a new era of unprecedented prosperity, cooperation and peace. As we pursue this bright future, we must hold accountable the nation which unleashed this plague onto the world: China. In the earliest days of the virus, China locked down travel domestically while allowing flights to leave China and infect the world. China condemned my travel ban on their country, even as they cancelled domestic flights and locked citizens in their homes. The Chinese government, and the World Health Organization -- which is virtually controlled by China -- falsely declared that there was no evidence of human-to-human transmission. Later, they falsely said people without symptoms would not spread the disease. The United Nations must hold China accountable for their actions. In addition, every year China dumps millions and millions of tons of plastic and trash into the oceans, overfishes other countries' waters, destroys vast swaths of coral reef, and emits more toxic mercury into the atmosphere than any country anywhere in the world. China's carbon emissions are nearly twice what the U.S. has, and it's rising fast. By contrast, after I withdrew from the one-sided Paris Climate Accord, last year America reduced its carbon emissions by more than any country in the agreement. Those who attack America's exceptional environmental record while ignoring China's rampant pollution are not interested in the environment. They only want to punish America and I will not stand for it. If the United Nations is to be an effective organization, it must focus on the real problems of the world. This includes terrorism, the oppression of women, forced labor, drug trafficking, human and sex trafficking, religious persecution, and the ethnic cleansing of religious minorities. America will always be a leader in human rights. My administration is advancing religious liberty, opportunity for women, the decriminalization of homosexuality, combatting human trafficking, and protecting unborn children. We also know that American prosperity is the bedrock of freedom and security all over the world. In three short years, we built the greatest economy in history -- and we are quickly doing it again. Our military has increased substantially in size. We spent $2.5 trillion over the last 4 years on our military. We have the most powerful military anywhere in the world, and it's not even close. We stood up to decades of China's trade abuses. We revitalized the NATO Alliance where other countries are now paying a much more fair share. We forged historic partnerships with Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador to stop human smuggling. We are standing with the people of Cuba, Nicaragua, and Venezuela in their righteous struggle for freedom. We withdrew from the terrible Iran Nuclear Deal and imposed crippling sanctions on the world's leading state sponsor of terror. We obliterated the ISIS caliphate 100 percent, killed its founder and leader, Al-Baghdadi, and eliminated the world's top terrorist, Qasem Soleimani. This month we achieved a peace deal between Serbia and Kosovo. We reached a landmark breakthrough with two Peace Deals in the Middle East -- after decades of no progress. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Africa U.S., Canada and Africa International Organisations By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. Israel, the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain all signed a historic peace agreement at the White House, with many other Middle Eastern countries to come. They are coming fast and they know it's great for them, and it's great for the world. These groundbreaking peace deals are the dawn of the new Middle East. By taking a different approach, we have achieved different outcomes. Far superior outcomes. We took an approach and the approach worked. We intend to deliver more peace agreements shortly, and I have never been more optimistic for the future of the region. There is no blood in the sand. Those days are hopefully over. As we speak, the United States is also working to end the war in Afghanistan -- and we are bringing our troops home. America is fulfilling our destiny as peacemaker. But it is peace through strength. We are stronger now than ever before, our weapons are at an advanced level like we've never had before, like frankly we've never even thought of having before, and I only pray to God that we never have to use them. For decades, the same tired voices proposed the same failed solutions, pursuing global ambitions at the expense of their own people. But only when you take care of your own citizens, will you find a true basis for cooperation. As President, I have rejected the failed approaches of the past -- and I am proudly putting America First, just as you should be putting your countries first. That's okay, that's what you should be doing. I am supremely confident that next year, when we gather in person, we will be in the midst of one of the greatest years in our history and frankly, hopefully, in the history of the world. Follow @IPSNewsUNBureau In November 2019, Londons transport authorities said that they would not renew Ubers license to operate in the British capital after thousands of trips were made with someone other than the booked driver. One of the biggest concerns was that unauthorized drivers could upload their photographs to an authorized drivers account, allowing them to pick up passengers. London authorities had estimated that at least 14,000 journeys were made this way. The Securities and Exchange Commission charged a former finance manager at Amazon.com, Inc. and two family members with insider trading in advance of Amazon earnings announcements between January 2016 and July 2018. According to the SEC's complaint, Laksha Bohra worked as a senior manager in Amazon's tax department, where she prepared and reviewed calculations used to finalize numbers included in Amazon's quarterly and annual earnings that were filed with the SEC. Beginning in January 2016 and continuing through July 2018, Laksha Bohra allegedly acquired, and tipped her husband Viky Bohra with, highly confidential information about Amazon's financial performance. The complaint alleges that Viky Bohra and his father, Gotham Bohra, traded on this confidential information in eleven separate accounts maintained by different members of the Bohra family. The complaint further alleges that Laksha Bohra disregarded quarterly reminders prohibiting her from passing material nonpublic information or recommending the purchase or sale of Amazon securities. As alleged, the family reaped illicit profits of approximately $1.4 million from their unlawful trading in Amazon securities. The SEC's complaint, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington, charges Laksha Bohra, Viky Bohra, and Gotham Bohra with violating Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Rule 10b-5 thereunder. All three Bohras have consented to the entry of final judgments permanently enjoining them from further violations of the charged provisions, and ordering them to pay total disgorgement of $1,428,094, total prejudgment interest of $118,406, and total penalties of $1,106,399. In a parallel action, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Washington filed criminal charges against Viky Bohra. The SEC's investigation was conducted by Sallie Kim, with assistance from Marc Katz and Andrew Hefty, under the supervision of Monique C. Winkler of the San Francisco Regional Office. Darren Boerner of the Market Abuse Unit also assisted the investigation. The SEC appreciates the assistance of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Washington and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Alleged Ohio Gunman in Killing of 4-Year-Old Boy Surrenders: US Marshals A criminal complaint alleges that a 24-year-old suspect was involved in a shooting that left a 4-year-old boy dead and wounded four adults. Kimonie Bryant, 24, surrendered to the U.S. Marshals Service last week, said Tim Roddy, the mayor of Struthers, Ohio. The service later confirmed that he turned himself in. Bryant is being held with no bail in the Mahoning County Jail on aggravated murder charges. Officials told Fox News that he is accused of entering a two-story home in Struthers and opening fire in the living room. A 4-year-old boy, Rowan Sweeney, died in the shooting. Andre Stephon McCoy, 20; Yarnell Green Jr., 30; Cassandra Marsicola, 20; and the childs mother, Alexis Schneider, 22, were injured. Roddy said the two women were friends and were cooperating with investigators. One man was shot twice in the head, and the other was shot in the back, officials said. Roddy added that the attack likely wasnt random. Its just a matter of piecing everything together, he said. Police Capt. Daniel Mamula said that we had a brief conversation with Bryant, but he opted to remain silent toward the end of it, according to the Tribune Chronicle. A criminal complaint alleged that Bryant aimed his gun at the 4-year-old, firing two shots above the top of his head. His mother covered the child and told him not to shoot, reported the Youngstown Vindicator. The child tragically died in his mothers arms, Roddy said to WKBN. Before his arrest, Rowan Sweeneys father, David, issued a statement to the station. Whoever did this, man, just turn yourself in. Just be a man, dude. Just be a man. Youre sick. Youre just sick. You took my son from me. This is my baby boy. You took him because youre sick. You can live with that for the rest of your life, but this is my baby, he said. Photo: CTV News The RCMP says there is no safe and proven face covering for officers with beards, but it is working to find one for Sikh members temporarily sidelined from front-line policing. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has publicly expressed disappointment that Sikh RCMP officers find themselves on desk duty during the COVID-19 pandemic because their religiously mandated facial hair makes it difficult to properly wear a mask. In a statement today, the RCMP says while a respirator, such as an N95 mask, is not mandatory in all front-line situations, it is sometimes required to reduce risk. The national police force says it is in a unique position compared to other police services because it is subject to the Canada Labour Code and Canada Occupational Health and Safety Regulations. The RCMP says it continues to explore ways to address the mask issue. The World Sikh Organization of Canada says today that if the problem is indeed regulatory, it would expect the government to correct things, particularly given the organization raised the issue in early June. Liverpool, N.Y. A Long Branch Elementary School student in the Liverpool school district has tested positive for the coronavirus, according to a notification from Superintendent Mark Potter. The district learned the student had tested positive on Saturday, Potter said in a notice this weekend. Students at that school will switch to remote learning today, and return to in-person class tomorrow, he said. The Onondaga County Health Department is continuing contact tracing, and the district will deep clean and disinfect the building. Several school districts have recently reported students or staff testing positive for the virus last week. Fayetteville-Manlius: Seven staff members at Fayetteville Elementary in the Fayetteville-Manlius school district tested positive for Covid-19 and that school is switching to remote until Oct. 5. Skaneateles: A Skaneateles middle school student has tested positive for the coronavirus, prompting the district to close its schools to students on Friday. Jamesville-DeWitt: A student at Jamesville Elementary School tested positive for the coronavirus causing Jamesville Elementary School to close Sept. 14. Elizabeth Doran covers education, suburban government and development, breaking news and more. Got a tip, comment or story idea? Contact her anytime 315-470-3012 or email edoran@syracuse.com. The only Louisville, Kentucky, police officer indicted by a grand jury investigating the fatal shooting of Breonna Taylor pleaded not guilty to three counts of wanton endangerment at his arraignment on Monday, local media reported. Former detective Brett Hankison was indicted on Wednesday and charged with endangering Taylors neighbors with bullets he fired into an adjacent apartment during a March 13 drug raid. The other two officers involved in Taylors shooting were not charged at all. Taylor, 26, a Black emergency medical technician and aspiring nurse, was struck by six bullets moments after she and her boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, were roused from bed in the commotion of the raid. Hankison was fired from the Louisville Metro Police Department in June for his actions during the raid on Taylors apartment. He made his plea during an audio conference call before Jefferson County Circuit Court Judge Ann Bailey Smith, the Louisville Courier Journal reported. Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor State Rep. Attica Scott speaks during a news conference Friday in Louisville, Ky. Breonna Taylor's family attorney Ben Crump is calling for the Kentucky attorney general to release the transcripts from the grand jury that decided not to charge any of the officers involved in the Black woman's death. Read more LOUISVILLE, Ky. The lone Kentucky detective facing charges related to the fatal shooting of Breonna Taylor pleaded not guilty Monday. Brett Hankisons plea comes five days after a grand jury indicted him on three counts of wanton endangerment for firing into the home of Taylors neighbors. If convicted, he could face up to five years in prison on each count. Hankisons lawyer asked that his client be allowed to keep firearms for self-defense, saying Hankison, who was fired in June, has received a number of threats. The judge turned down the request. The grand jury declined to charge Hankison or the other two undercover narcotics officers who opened fire inside Taylors house with her shooting. The decision not to charge the officers set off protests in Louisville and across the country. On Monday, Louisvilles mayor lifted the curfew put in place after people refused to end their nighttime protests. Mayor Greg Fischers statement said the 9 p.m. curfew had served its purpose. We sadly saw some violence, including the shooting of two police officers, one of whom remains hospitalized, dealing with complications of his injuries. But we believe the curfew helped, by ensuring fewer people were out late in the day, Fischer said. Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said the protests were largely peaceful, with a few people taking advantage of the situation to commit violence. Let me say this, 99.99% of people that took to the streets or the sidewalks did so peacefully, raised their voices to be heard and we should listen. We should listen to the trauma and to the pain, Beshear said. Meanwhile, Kentucky state Rep. Lisa Willner, a Louisville Democrat, said Monday that shes starting to craft legislation that would narrow the scope of the states rioting statute. Her proposal, which she intends to offer in next years legislative session, would protect people from being charged with first-degree rioting if theyre present but dont engage in destructive or violent actions. Her response comes after Democratic state Rep. Attica Scott was charged with the felony last week while participating in Louisville protests for racial justice. This is not any attempt at all to weaken the current law, Willner said in a phone interview. Its just to make sure that people who are peacefully protesting, who are merely exercising their First Amendment rights, are clearly not engaging in rioting. Scott was among demonstrators who converged in downtown Louisville to express their disagreement with the grand jury decision. Many marched along Louisvilles streets chanting Breonna Taylor, say her name, and no justice, no peace. Taylor was shot multiple times after her boyfriend opened fire as officers entered her home during a narcotics raid on the night of March 13, authorities said. Taylors boyfriend said he didnt know who was coming in and fired in self-defense. One officer was wounded. A coroners report obtained Monday says Taylor was shot five times and died of multiple gunshot wounds. It says she was hit in the torso, her upper left extremity and both lower extremities. She tested negative for drugs and alcohol. Scott, the states only Black woman representative, was arrested and charged Thursday night with the felony of first-degree rioting as well as unlawful assembly and failure to disperse, which are misdemeanor offenses. Police said Scott was in a group whose members damaged buildings and set fire to a library. Scott called the charges ludicrous and said she would never be involved in setting fire to a library. She said she was arrested as she walked with her daughter to the sanctuary of a church. Kentucky law defines a riot as a public disturbance involving five or more people which by tumultuous and violent conduct creates grave danger of damage or injury to property or persons or substantially obstructs law enforcement or other government function. The law defines first-degree rioting as knowingly participating in a riot that causes injury to a person who is not rioting or causes substantial property damage. Scott said she and her daughter were driving from a protest to a church that offered refuge to people who would otherwise be caught violating the curfew when police blocked their route, so they parked and walked to the church instead. Officers then converged on them to make arrests before the curfew took effect, Scott said. LMPD swarmed us, Scott said. They started yelling, 'Circle 'em, circle em. They wouldnt let us leave to go back to our vehicle. And they wouldnt let us literally cross the street to get to the church and sanctuary. Willner said Scotts arrest raises the question of how many others have been accused of rioting in the first degree which is a felony who are facing loss of voting rights, simply by being present. We can make the language much clearer so that in order for a person to be convicted for riot in the first degree, it should be clear that they participated in the unlawful action by engaging in violent or destructive acts or by complicitly encouraging others to engage in violent or destructive acts, she said. Republicans have overwhelming majorities in both chambers of the Kentucky legislature. ___ Hudspeth Blackburn is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. Fake Suncorp Stadium seating, a petrol station and shops have been built to help train police against a "probable" terror attack in Queensland. The new counter-terrorism training centre at Wacol includes a "scenario village" fitted out with train carriages, a bus, an office block and a shopping plaza. Queenslands new counter-terrorism centre was opened on Monday. Credit:Queensland Police Service "We chose buildings where we have complex issues so they truly replicate where we have had issues in the past," Police Commissioner Katarina Carroll said. At capacity, the centre will host more than 7500 police and 600 recruits each year. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-28 00:08:17|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close KAMPALA, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) -- Thousands of Ugandans throng places of worship on Sunday after government allowed the reopening of places of worship as it eases the COVID-19 lockdown restrictions. Patrick Onyango, Kampala Metropolitan police spokesperson, told Xinhua that the police deployed officers to ensure the congregants observed the ministry of health Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and guidelines to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Onyango said the police officers helped the church security to control numbers, ensure the congregants are wearing face masks, have their body temperatures checked, and wash hands with soap, hand sanitizing and observing social distancing. "The majority of the mosques and churches have followed the SOPs set by the government. The churches are facing the challenges of (bigger) numbers," said Onyango. "They have many followers and the church cannot accommodate all of them even if they pray in shifts. We have deployed our officers in most of the churches to help control the number and indeed if we didn't deploy church leaders wouldn't be able to handle them," he said. President Yoweri Museveni last Sunday announced the reopening of places of worship with a maximum of 70 attendees and strong observance of the ministry of health guidelines to prevent the spread of COVID-19, amid a recent spike of cases. Places of worship were closed in March after the country started registering COVID-19 cases. Enditem Shares of Laurus Labs were up 6 per cent to Rs 1,408 on the BSE in the intra-day trade on Monday head of the ex-date for 1:5 stock split on Tuesday, September 29, 2020. The board of directors of Laurus Labs, at their meeting held on July 30, fixed September 30, 2020 as the 'record date' for sub-division of equity shares of the company from existing face value of Rs 10 each to face value of Rs 2 each (i.e. split of 1 equity share of Rs 10 into 5 equity shares of Rs 2 each). The company announced, on April 30, its stock split plan to make the stock more affordable for the small ... During a briefing held this evening, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) Masis Mayilyan said he had no information about the possible discussion on the hostilities in Nagorno-Karabakh at the UN. I dont have such information. Artsakhs position is the following: the only format for settlement of the conflict is under the auspices of the OSCE Minsk Group. On the contrary, Azerbaijan has always tried to move the issue to other instances, the minister stated, adding that there is no point in holding discussions beyond this format, especially since there was a time when the UN authorized the Minsk Group. Amid the countrys ongoing fight against Covid-19, scientists at the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) have discovered another virus called Cat Que Virus (CQV) which has the potential to cause disease in the country. Falling under the category of Arthropod-borne viruses and found in pigs and culex mosquitoes, CQV has been largely reported in China and Vietnam. Click here for complete coverage of the Covid-19 pandemic Scientists at the National Institute of Virology (NIV), ICMR, Pune discovered antibodies for the virus in two out of the 883 human serum samples tested across states. The testing of samples further indicated that these two people were infected with CQV at some point of time. These two samples from Karnataka were found to be positive for presence of anti-CQV IgG antibodies in 2014 and 2017. According to Livemint, ICMR scientists stated that availability of vector, primary mammalian host (swine) and confirmation of CQV from the jungle myna bird signifies the potential of this orthobunyavirus as a public health pathogen in India. The ICMR added that Anti-CQV IgG antibody positivity in human serum samples tested and the replication capability of CQV in mosquitoes indicated a possible disease causing potential of CQV in India. Due to this, scientists developed molecular and serological tests for CQV, screening of host populations and its replication kinetics in mosquitoes. Also read: Study suggests dengue fever may provide immunity against Covid-19 The replication kinetics and susceptibility experiments were conducted using three different species of mosquitoes to understand its behavior in Indian mosquitoes. The ICMR study showed that Indian mosquito breeds- Ae. aegypti, Cx. quinquefasciatus and Cx. Tritaeniorhynchus were vulnerable to CQV. CQV has been isolated and reported from mosquitoes, which is its natural host. The role of birds as a host for CQV transmission and reports of human infection with CQV are not yet documented. Domestic pigs are the primary mammalian host and antibodies against the virus have been found in swine reared locally in China. (With inputs from Livemint) SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-29 04:54:19|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BRUSSELS, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- The United Kingdom's position on the withdrawal from the European Union (EU) is far apart from what the EU can accept and the bloc "will not be shy" from taking legal action for violations of the withdrawal agreement, European Commission Vice President Maros Sefcovic said on Monday. Addressing the media after a third round of talks of the EU-UK Joint Committee, which oversees the implementation of the Brexit agreement, Sefcovic said time was pressing and a lot of work remained to be done with just less than 100 remaining days. He reiterated that the new bill presented by the British government violated its withdrawal agreement agreed with the EU and seriously damaged the trust between the both sides. Asked whether any of this trust had been restored, he replied that the trust will only be fully restored when the UK withdraws the contentious parts of the draft Internal Markets Bill, but he did not get any indication from his UK counterpart that this will happen. "Therefore, as I said, we are considering all legal options available to us," said Sefcovic. "Moving to the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland, the window of opportunity to put in place the operational measures needed for it to function is rapidly closing," Sefcovic said. "I have therefore reiterated the urgent need for the UK to accelerate its work on all aspects of the Protocol," he added. The EU official welcomed that the UK is engaging on some of the Joint Committee decisions that need to be adopted before the end of the year to fully implement the Protocol, but said "many difficult issues remain and the UK's positions are far apart from what the EU can accept." Sefcovic had previously said the UK should by the end of this month withdraw the contentious bill. With only two days left, Sefcovic affirmed that the EU will go on with negotiation in order to find solutions. "We are going to proceed with negotiations. We are going to use every single minute, if it comes to the full and proper and timely implementation of the withdrawal agreement," stressed Sefcovic. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson's Internal Market Bill addresses part of the Withdrawal Agreement -- the Northern Ireland Protocol, which looks to prevent a hard border between Britain's Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. If the bill is passed and becomes law, it would give British ministers the power to modify or "disapply" rules relating to the movement of goods between Northern Ireland and the rest of Britain, if London and Brussels are unable to strike a trade deal. Enditem Diwali 2020: Know all the legends behind the 5-day celebrations Diwali in Ayodhya: Ram Janmbhoomi gets ready for a historic celebrations; See pictures Diwali dates: When is Diwali in 2020 India oi-Briti Roy Barman Diwali falls in either October or November each year depending on the cycle of the moon. The day is observed on the 15th day of Kartik, the holiest month in the Hindu lunar calendar. In 2020, Diwali is on November 16. Detailed information of diwali dates The Diwali festival runs for five days, with the main event occuring on the third day in most places in India. 'Mask wali puja, mask wali Diwali': Govt advisory to curb COVID-19 Diwali associated with Lord Ram's return to his kingdom in Ayodhya after exile and rescuing his wife from demon king Ravan on Dussehra. In south India, the festival is observed as the defeat of Narakasura. Here its a one-day celebration, known as Deepavali, that usually falls a day before the main Diwali date but sometimes days overlap. The first day - November 12, 2020 is known as Dhanteras. "Dhan" means wealth and "teras" refers to the 13th day of a lunar fortnight on the Hindu calendar. Lord Dhanvantari, the Hindu god of medicine and an incarnation of Lord Vishnu, is said to have brought Ayurveda and the nectar of immortality to mankind on this day. The second day - November 13, 2020 is known as Naraka Chaturdasi or Chhoti Diwali (small Diwali). "Naraka" means hell and "Chaturdashi" means 14th day of a lunar fortnight on the Hindu calendar. Goddess Kali and Lord Krishna are believed to have destroyed the demon Narakasura on this day. In 2020, Naraka Chaturdasi overlaps with Amavasya and falls on the same day, on November 14. The third day- November 14, 2020 is the new moon day or Amavasya. This is the darkest day of the month which is most significant day of the Diwali festival in north and west India. Lakshmi is worshiped on this day, with a special puja performed in the evening. The south Indian Deepavali festival is also celebrated on this day in 2020. The fourth day- November 15, 2020 has various meanings across India. In north India, Govardhan Puja is celebrated as the day when Lord Krishna defeated Indra, the god of thunder and rain while in Gujarat, it's celebrated as the start of a new year. Meanwhile, in Maharashtra, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, the victory of Lord Vishnu over demon king Bali is celebrated as Bali Pratipada or Bali Padyami. The fifth day - November 16, 2020 is known as Bhai Duj. The day is dedicated to celebrating sisters, in a similar way that Raksha Bandhan is dedicated to brothers. Brothers and sisters get together and share foods to enjoy the day. "Over the last several years, we have made significant investments to deliver an exceptional offering for small businesses and their agents, including the introduction of an award-winning digital platform called Chubb Marketplace," said Mr. Lupica. "Small business will continue to be a strategic priority for Chubb and a critical part of our North America franchise." "I am so pleased to have someone of Jeff's caliber take on the responsibilities of leading this dynamic team of seasoned professionals that have paved the way for this fast-growing business," he continued. "Jeff's proven leadership and depth of experience in underwriting and understanding the needs of our distribution partners, particularly the importance of offering exceptional digital experiences, will be a key advantage in his new role." Mr. Updyke began his career with Chubb in 1991 as an Excess Casualty Underwriter. He most recently served as Chief Operating Officer of North America Field Operations, a role he has held since 2016. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from Saint Lawrence University. About Chubb Chubb is the world's largest publicly traded property and casualty insurance company. With operations in 54 countries and territories, Chubb provides commercial and personal property and casualty insurance, personal accident and supplemental health insurance, reinsurance and life insurance to a diverse group of clients. As an underwriting company, we assess, assume and manage risk with insight and discipline. We service and pay our claims fairly and promptly. The company is also defined by its extensive product and service offerings, broad distribution capabilities, exceptional financial strength and local operations globally. Parent company Chubb Limited is listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: CB) and is a component of the S&P 500 index. Chubb maintains executive offices in Zurich, New York, London, Paris and other locations, and employs approximately 33,000 people worldwide. Additional information can be found at: www.chubb.com . Chubb Insurance Company of Canada has offices in Toronto, Calgary, Montreal and Vancouver and provides its products and services through licensed insurance brokers across Canada. For additional information, visit: chubb.com/ca. SOURCE Chubb Haiti - Diplomacy : The Chancellery writes to the Dilomatic Missions on the Constitutional reform Last week, Claude Joseph the Minister of Foreign Affairs sent a long diplomatic note on constitutional reform and elections to diplomatic missions and consular posts. In this note Chancellor Joseph justifies the reasons leading to a new Constitution, in order to prevent the decisions of President Jovenel Moise under criticism from the radical opposition, from being distorted and misinterpreted. Obviously, in addition to the development of the Haitian Government's argument, this diplomatic note also seeks to strengthen the support of friendly countries both at the level of a new Constitution, and of the validation of the CEP for the next elections. Download the diplomatic note (PDF in French) : https://www.haitilibre.com/docs/note-maf-sur-reforme-constitutionnelle.pdf HL/ HaitiLibre By Rev. Alexander Santora The day after Donald Trump was inaugurated the 45th President of the United States, millions of women marched throughout the country to protest his presidency. The following day, Jan. 22, 2017, comedian Aziz Ansari was the first person of South Asian descent to host Saturday Night Live. His monologue was incisive but also hilarious as he, now in hindsight, predicted what a Trump presidency would bring. Yeah! The day after Trumps inauguration. Mmmmm. Pretty cool to know, though, hes probably at home right now watching a brown guy make fun of him though, right? He captured the moment, Crazy couple of days, man. Yesterday, Trump was inaugurated. Today, an entire gender protested against him. Wow. But he went right to the concerns that would chillingly be prescient: Trump legitimized white nationalists. Im talking about these people that, as soon as Trump won, theyre like, We dont have to pretend like were not racist anymore! We dont have to pretend anymore! We can be racist again! He went on, You know who Im talking about. Theres like this new, lower-case KKK movement that started this kind of casual white supremacy. Oh, let me put my foot in the pool and see how cold this water really is. No! No! Im talking about these people that are running around saying stuff like, Trump won! Go back to Africa! Trump won! Go back to Mexico! The height of this prejudice reached its zenith after the tragic death of George Floyd in Minneapolis last May when a police officer knelt on Floyds neck and killed him. That act for seven minutes and 46 seconds reverberated around the world and set off countless protests, some violent, as people strung together racist murders including Breonna Taylor, Daniel Prude, Ahmaud Arbery, Rayshard Brooks and the tragic shooting and paralysis of Jacob Blake. Suddenly Black Lives Matter took on an urgency that so many people of different ages and races united to assert. But instead of trying to heal and unite our country, our woefully inadequate president mined the protests to fuel his racist supporters and incited more unrest, looting, violence and more senseless murders. It was reminiscent of Charlottesville in 2017 when Trump described the white supremacists as "very fine people on both sides. Trumps pattern is to create continual, almost rapid fire, controversies that sow chaos as they swirl around his ill-chosen words that just elevate his narcissistic need for attention and being the center of discussion. Trump lies as often as he breathes. Yet he has taken control of so many of the normal safeguards that would have damaged almost any other president and has thus allowed himself to do further destruction to our government. He continues to show that he has cheated all his life: in his hotel business, on his wives and his taxes and continues to cheat the American people. He called it draining the swamp only to make the swamp even murkier as he siphons millions of dollars of government moolah into his business empire violating the emolument cause of the Constitution. The U.S. standing in the world order is diminished and our allies have become our enemies while he cozies up to our enemies calling them his friends. Sadly, he has no friends, only his sycophant White House employees, including his own son-in-law, who massage his ego to get their way. Our anti-science president moved Scientific American to endorse a presidential candidate for the first time in 175 years. And it isnt Trump, who underplayed COVID, accelerating U.S. deaths to 20 percent of the worlds virus deaths with only 5 percent of the worlds population. The GOP members of Congress have collapsed to become Trumps lapdogs even going so far as to abdicate their duty by failing to hold an impeachment trial even as evidence had mounted. They have lost all their integrity. It is obvious that Trumps embrace of the disvalues that most Americans reject has allowed the country to see how much more healing and dialogue are needed to assert the good necessary to triumph over evil. Trump did our country a service in a perverted way. By speaking hate over hope, violence over peace, division over unity, he has allowed people to express their true feelings. We now see that racism is alive and well. His denigration of immigrants has dismissed the enormous civic and economic impact that successive waves of immigrants have brought to our shores. Trump has made it acceptable to judge people by the color of their skin instead of what Martin Luther King hoped for the content of their character. Trump has laid bare the fault lines and enormous chasm that exists in our country. A new president alone will not correct it. It will take a multitude of efforts in all levels of government and all our religious, educational and corporate entities to spark dialogues and attempt to change hearts. Laws alone, as evidenced by the Civil Rights legislation in the 1960s, did not blot out prejudice. Human connection and interaction have to accelerate. Ansari concluded his monologue, I want to leave you guys with a serious thought. I know theres a lot of people that are worried right now. This is a weird time. Then he said, If youre scared about Trump and youre very worried, youre going to be OK, too. Because if you look at our countrys history, change doesnt come from presidents. Change comes from large groups of angry people. And if Day 1 is any indication, you are part of the largest group of angry people I have ever seen. And angry people will vote. Rev. Alexander Santora lives in Hoboken. He writes a faith column for The Jersey Journal. GLEN CARBON State Sens. Rachelle Crowe, D-Glen Carbon, and Christopher Belto, D-Centreville, are encouraging area residents to apply for the states Business Interruption Grant program. The senators will cohost a free webinar with the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity for businesses in central and southwestern Illinois at 2 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 30. To provide stability to the communities struggling most during the pandemic, the second round of BIG grants gives priority to downstate small businesses affected by mitigation efforts, Crowe said. I urge business owners to join the webinar to get answers to their most pressing questions about eligibility and how to apply. Registration is required. Go to https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://illinois.webex.com/mw3300/mywebex/default.do?nomenu=true&siteurl=illinois&service=6&rnd=0.7074704881217243&main_url=https*3A*2F*2Fillinois.webex.com*2Fec3300*2Feventcenter*2Fevent*2FeventAction.do*3FtheAction*3Ddetail*26*26*26EMK*3D4832534b00000004b2a05411babb5fe1c74be69955f387578cc7a61c405aa466e66a4f386144e4ca*26siteurl*3Dillinois*26confViewID*3D173095746282758859*26encryptTicket*3DSDJTSwAAAAR3bniX0MTRZyThxHcYKGCZbHkFR4Jg-iEKwxGgL8pHyQ2*26__;JSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSU!!Ivohdkk!yQLogp9H42a7e9x83gCcKPnsbwrIvhcsEz1KDEw6aawcnXJGMl-Ky1ZgT_6BpfbL$ to register. Applications for Round 2 of the BIG program were launched last week. The latest round has allocated $220 million in assistance for movie theates, performing arts venues, concert venues and other hard-hit businesses to help them stay afloat through this time of crisis and ensure they have the resources to open safely in the coming months. The intention of the second round is to provide relief for all types of small businesses, with a focus on businesses located downstate and heavily distressed industries. Of the total funding, $70 million has been set aside for businesses in economically distressed communities that have been the most vulnerable to COVID-19. Applications to the BIG program are online at https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www2.illinois.gov/dceo/SmallBizAssistance/Pages/C19DisadvantagedBusGrants.aspx__;!!Ivohdkk!yQLogp9H42a7e9x83gCcKPnsbwrIvhcsEz1KDEw6aawcnXJGMl-Ky1ZgT3Wbd74m$. Belt and Crowe urge business owners who are unable to attend the Sept. 30 webinar to visit DCEOs website to sign up for another webinar or view a prerecorded version. Amy Coney Barrett, Trumps Supreme Court nominee President Trump has nominated federal appellate judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court. Barrett testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee this week. The committee has formally set a panel to vote on her nomination for Oct. 22. Who is Amy Coney Barrett? A disciple of Justice Antonin Scalia is poised to push the Supreme Court further right What happens next: Heres how the confirmation process for Barrett will unfold Whip count: Where GOP senators stand on quickly filling Ginsburgs Supreme Court seat Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-28 22:00:38|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close A golden monkey eats bamboo shoots in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park in southwestern Uganda, Sept. 25, 2020. Tucked on the common border with Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda's Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is host to the endangered golden monkeys, a new tourist attraction. (Photo by Ronald Ssekandi/Xinhua) by Ronald Ssekandi KISORO, Uganda, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- Tucked on the common border with Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda's Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is host to the endangered golden monkeys, a new tourist attraction. Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, which is part of the Virunga Massif is where "gold meets silver," a tourism marketing catch phrase meaning a place where the golden monkeys coexist with the mountain gorilla sliverbacks. Mgahinga is also home to the endangered mountain gorillas. "Golden monkeys are special in that they have an outstanding color that is nearly to the gold color, they are unique in that you can only track them from the Virunga Massif," Joyleen Tugume, a ranger-guide at Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) told Xinhua in a recent visit to the park. UWA is a state owned conservation agency. High up the ridges of the volcanic Mount Muhabura, which is part of Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, the golden monkeys feed on largely bamboo shoots. They live in troops of about 100, led by an Alpha male, according to UWA. Uganda has one habituated troop of about 60 golden monkeys and another group of about 80 monkeys are also being habituated as the country builds new tourist attractions. Golden monkeys are endangered species. According to UWA, tourists who come to see the mountain gorillas, which are the country's main tourist attraction, can also track the golden monkeys. Before tracking the monkeys, at the park gate, standard operating procedures like hand sanitizing, face mask wearing and social distancing are practiced in a bid to prevent the possible spread of COVID-19 to the monkeys. About 300 meters before reaching the golden monkeys, visitors are hand sanitized again and urged to keep their face masks on. Visitors are also not allowed to get less than 10 meters away from the animals. Tourism is one of Uganda's major foreign exchange earners, bringing in about 1.6 billion U.S. dollars annually, according to ministry of finance figures. Although the sector has been worst hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, government is optimistic that it will pick up as the country continues to ease the lockdown restrictions. Abiaz Rwamwiri, director at Africa Wild Explorations, a tour agency told Xinhua in a recent interview that once the country's international airport opens up on Oct. 1, as planned by government, tourists may start flocking in. Rwamwiri said that there are some confirmed tours scheduled for next year. Enditem She's set to star as feminist icon Gloria Steinem in Julie Taymor's biopic The Glorias, scheduled for release on Wednesday. And Alicia Vikander proved there's no rest for the wicked as she attended Louis Vuitton's Paris Fashion Week dinner alongside model Cindy Bruna in the French capital on Monday. The actress, 31, put on a leggy display as she stepped out in an elegant outfit during the coronavirus pandemic. Catching the eye: Alicia Vikander (L) attended Louis Vuitton's Paris Fashion Week dinner alongside model Cindy Bruna (R) in the French capital on Monday Exuding glamour, the Tomb Raider star looked sensational in a frilly white blouse and a textured A-line skirt. The award-winning thespian boosted her frame in a pair of pointed LV block heels, while carrying her essentials in a sparkly mini-bag by the fashion house. Her tresses were worn in its naturally wavy style, and eyeliner, light strokes of foundation and shimmery gold eyeshadow accentuated her features. Legs for days: The actress, 31, put on a leggy display as she stepped out in an elegant outfit during the coronavirus pandemic Sensational: Exuding glamour, the Tomb Raider star looked sensational in a frilly white blouse and a textured A-line skirt Strutting her stuff: The award-winning thespian boosted her frame in a pair of pointed LV block heels, while carrying her essentials in a sparkly mini-bag by the fashion house Protection: Alicia put style and safety in the forefront as she teamed her number with a face mask while entering the event Alicia put style and safety in the forefront as she teamed her number with a protective face mask while entering the event. Catwalk queen Cindy, 26, meanwhile, nailed business chic in a clingy turtleneck bodysuit, which she dressed up with leather, wide-leg trousers. Pointed stilettoes and a small handbag rounded things off, while her bouncy curls framed her stunning face. Commanding attention: Catwalk queen Cindy, 26, meanwhile, nailed business chic in a clingy turtleneck bodysuit, which she dressed up with leather, wide-leg trousers Standing tall: Pointed stilettoes and a small handbag rounded things off, while her bouncy curls framed her stunning face Model behaviour: The Victoria's Secret posed up a storm for the cameras Paris is set to impose strict new regulations in attempt to slow the spike in coronavirus cases. New Paris regulations Bars in Paris, along with Lyon and nine other cities on 'heightened alert', to close at 10pm from tonight Ten person restriction at gatherings Number of attendees at weddings and parties limited to 30 Gyms and other indoor sporting facilities will remain closed Remains mandatory for all pedestrians to wear face masks in public areas in the capital Advertisement Emmanuel Macron's government has ordered bars in Paris, along with Lyon and nine other cities on 'heightened alert', to close at 10pm. There is also a 10-person restriction at public gatherings with attendees at weddings and parties limited to 30. Gyms and other indoor sporting facilities will also remain closed and it remains mandatory for all pedestrians to wear face masks in public areas in the capital. The move comes as the president tries to avoid imposing a full lockdown across the country with the French economy already set to shrink by 8.7 per cent this year. The French government recently announced that it would be pumping 100billion (91billion) into the economy as part of a recovery plan. Politician Macron hopes that this will help the French economy to get moving again by 2022. Paris Fashion Week, which is set to host presentations by Kenzo, Kenneth Ize and Schiaparelli, will end on October 6. Alicia's appearance came after she admitted she feels 'very lucky' she never developed an eating disorder when she trained in ballet during her younger years. Sophisticated: Lady Amelia Windsor showcased her sartorial flair in a monochrome pencil dress Better safe than sorry: The petite royal, 25, wore a white face mask, which offset her black heeled mules Star-studded: Actress Chiara Mastroianni stunned in a red midi dress (L), while fashion designer Xenia Adonts paired a patterned blouse with leather trousers (R) Quirky: Fashion writer Camille Charriere displayed her lean legs in a two-toned dress with balloon-inspired shoulder pads All black everything: Pregnant model Jeanne Damas cradled her baby bump in high-waisted trousers (L), and actress Catherine Deneuve looked demure in a classic black dress (R) In a new interview, the screen star, who mastered the performance dance from the tender age of nine, reflected on the pressures of the art form as she insisted: 'Looking at your body in a mirror seven hours a day is not healthy.' The Swedish beauty credited her stage actress mother Maria for helping her to navigate the demands she faced while growing up as a ballerina. In October's edition of ELLE magazine, Alicia said: 'Being in a leotard looking at your body in a mirror seven hours a day, six days a week and having people talk about your body in front of you and in front of other girls and boys, growing up with that is not healthy. 'I was very lucky to go through ballet school without having an eating disorder. I don't know how, I think it was my mum who talked about it to me every day.' Style savvy: Screen star Marina Fois wowed in a turtleneck jumper and a multi-coloured leather skirt Fashion-forward: German influencer Leonie Hanne turned up the heat in a PVC-inspired mini-dress, styled with gladiator heels Standing out: Journalist Alexandra Golovanoff looked edgy in a neon green blouse and a checked skirt Sleek: Vogue Paris' former editor Carine Roitfeld turned heads in a structured turquoise blazer, straight-leg trousers and a T-shirt In attendance: Monica De La Villardiere arrived to the glitzy event in a plain LBD and sheer tights Coordination: Actresses Noemie Merlant (L) and Stacy Martin (R) opted for all-black appearances The Tomb Raider star trained in ballet at the Svenska Balettskolan i Goteborg (Swedish National Ballet School) in Gothenburg from 1998 until 2004. At 15, the skilled star relocated from the country's second-largest city to train at the its upper school in Stockholm, where she lived alone in a small flat. The media personality previously detailed her time at the educational facility in an interview with the Telegraph. The actress told the publication back in 2015: 'They have a boarding school now but they didnt have back then. 'I lived in a tiny flat. It was like half a room with a tiny kitchenette. I even had a minibar because it didnt have a fridge. It was in an old house, beautiful, with wooden floors, but it was basically a big closet. Now when I see 15-year-olds I think, ''how did I do it?'' But it was worse for my mum. I felt horrible leaving her.' The Anna Karenina star was also instructed at the American Academy of Ballet in New York for one summer. On Sunday, as India crossed six million Covid-19 cases, the Union health minister Harsh Vardhan said the country is far from herd immunity. The minister cited the soon-to-be released findings of the second nationwide serological survey. The reality is that not enough Indians have built an immunological protection that could allow for going back to pre-pandemic behaviour. What is also established is that India cannot pursue a herd immunity-focussed strategy. Letting the virus run its course will overwhelm the health care system. Mumbai is believed to have faced this scenario. In Delhi, hospital beds dwindled rapidly before additional resources were mobilised. Additionally, some research suggests achieving individual immunity may not last long enough to prevent future infections, making herd immunity an even riskier gamble. Many scientists have pointed out that herd immunity is a scientific tenet that cannot be used in the context of infection-acquired protection; it is possible only through an effective vaccine. And since vaccines are at least another year away, the ministers comments are a reminder that India must keep its focus on preventive measures as it heads into the festive season. Its citizens are battling behaviour fatigue and economic compulsion and may not adhere to social distancing and compulsory face-covering. It is important to address these while keeping distractions like herd immunity aside. The landlord of New York socialite Libbie Mugrabi wants to evict her from his luxury $30,000-a-month Yorkville condo in a spat over back rent and utilities. The owner of the Park Mansion on East 82nd Street says Libbie, 40, who recently settled a bitter divorce from billionaire art collector David Mugrabi, owes at least $148,450 from April. The star, whose ex's family had the world's largest collection of Andy Warhol artworks, has been behind on her $28,800 rent plus utilities for months, allege papers filed in Manhattan civil court as seen by PageSix. The landlord of New York socialite Libbie Mugrabi (pictured) wants to evict her from his luxury $30,000-a-month Yorkville condo A source close to Libbie, who recently finalised an acrimonious divorce that was branded New York City 's 'nastiest' split, said her ex-husband David (pictured) stopped paying her bills The owner of the Park Mansion on East 82nd Street (pictured) says Libbieowes at least $148,450 from April A source close to Libbie, who recently finalised an acrimonious divorce that was branded New York City's 'nastiest' split, said her ex-husband stopped paying her bills. It is not known if David, 48, who shares two children with Libbie, was required to pay the rent since the breakup. The source said: 'The rent has not been paid. No one disputes this. 'But thanks to Gov. Cuomo, there's also a government moratorium on evictions that plays into this.' The couple is seen above in New York City in April. They had been married for 13 years before his split In August, the couple settled their divorce after Libbie demanded $100million, according to Avenue. David, the son of Israeli businessman Jose Mugrabi, filed for divorce from his wife Libbie in 2018 after 13 years together. The pair were fighting over a $72million Manhattan townhouse, his family's art collection estimated to be worth $5billion and their Hamptons home. Libbie is now said to be dating former Mighty Ducks actor turned blockchain entrepreneur and independent presidential candidate Brock Pierce. The Mugrabi's daughter poses in front of one of the family's many Andy Warhol paintings, said to be the world's largest collection of the pop artist's work She previously accused a houseguest of sleeping with her husband after the woman, David, and five other guests went skinny-dipping in the pool following a dinner party on the Fourth of July weekend in 2018. She claimed she walked in at 6am the next morning to find her husband lying naked and asleep on top of an attractive brunette beneath a painting from Richard Prince's 'After Dark' series. The houseguest, who has not been named but knew the Mugrabis from the world of art, said: 'It was fun. It was nothing sexual. As if we were teenagers.' Libbie was standing alongside her nanny, who was videotaping the confrontation on her cell phone. Mugrabi's son stands in front of Christopher Wool's much coveted 1988 piece Apocalypse Now, which last sold in 2013 at auction for a little over $26million She began to suspect the housewife was sleeping with her husband even though she insisted nothing sexual happened during the night swim. 'I honestly think she used me as a tool.. to get leverage in [her] divorce,' said the houseguest. 'She was like, 'What's your relationship [with my husband]?' 'She was putting words in my mouth, and I was really scared because she started to threaten me with my job and a community of collectors I work with.' Libbie also accused David of physically assaulting her when he caught her trying to move a $500,000 Keith Haring sculpture out of their home. 'You're taking my things!' David is alleged to have shouted at her. Libbie has accused David of physically assaulting her when he caught her trying to move a $500,000 Keith Haring sculpture (above) out of their home Libbie alleges that David pushed her to the floor. She then asked her sister, Mia Rowe, to dial 911. According to Amar, David shoved Libbie out of the apartment. He then called his estranged wife, her sister, and her friend 'gold diggers' and 'lowlifes.' At one point in court, proceedings became so heated that Libbie's attorney shouted at David: 'Cuff him and take him down to The Tombs!' A source said after the divorce was settled: 'She asked for a hundred million, and she's happy with the deal she got. 'It includes art, real estate, alimony and child support. All the goodies.' Over 370 Azerbaijani soldiers have reportedly been killed. Armenia has reported that Azerbaijan has launched a large-scale offensive in the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region. Representative of the Armenian Defense Ministry Artsrun Hovhannisyan announced this on his Facebook page. Read alsoArmenia's Defense Ministry accuses Turkey of meddling in war over Nagorno-Karabakh "The enemy has launched a new, large-scale offensive in the Araks [River] valley and [the villages of] Madaghis and Talish," he said. "The Defense Army of Artsakh (the unrecognized Nagorno-Karabakh Republic) successfully repels all attacks, inflicting significant losses on the enemy in manpower and equipment." According to him, more than 370 Azerbaijani soldiers have been killed, 22 tanks and 10 units of other equipment have been eliminated. "They have a large number of the wounded. According to the information received, seriously wounded soldiers account for 35%," he said. Escalation in Nagorno-Karabakh: Recent developments On the morning of Sunday, September 27, Armenia and Azerbaijan resumed fighting in the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region. Both countries blamed each other for shelling as a result of which they suffered casualties. Armenia and the unrecognized Nagorno-Karabakh Republic declared martial law and general mobilization. Azerbaijan, in turn, introduced martial law on September 28. Partial mobilization was announced in that country. Nagorno-Karabakh war: Past developments Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburgs death leaves an opening for the Republican president and Republican Senate to replacing a notorious pro-abortion, arch-liberal Supreme Court justice with a rock-ribbed, unflinching defender of young souls in utero. Donald Trump and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell have made plain their intention to fill the vacated seat. Nothing short of a meteorite crashing into the Capitol dome will stop the Presidents nominee from being confirmed. McConnell has herded the votes; Trump is giving no quarter to courtesies like making the pick contingent on Novembers electoral outcome. Before the country enters a conservative counterpoise to the Warren Court era, its worth considering the series of events that brought us here. Justice Ginsburg could have easily passed during a Hillary Clinton presidency, or had her successor elevated by a Chuck Schumer-led Senate. The 2020 Republican presidential candidate -- Marco Rubio, Nikki Haley, or, Elohim have mercy, an ever-hopeful Mitt Romney -- could be begging Democrats to withhold the inevitable: putting a young progressive jurist on the Supreme Court with decades of service ahead. Thats not whats happening, much to the relief of millions of potential babies. And it isnt just because a Republican occupies the White House. Its not just that Mitch McConnell kept his mulish grip on the Senate through the 2018 midterms. The election that set the propitious conjuncture of sinking a conservative shaft into the federal governments highest judiciary echelon was not in 2016, but two years earlier. The 2014 midterms -- when Republicans captured the upper chamber, taking full control of Congress and ensuring President Obamas last two years in office were lamer than a duck on crutches -- are what conceded Ruth Ginsburgs seat to a pro-life Republican. The Washington Post reporter Dave Weigel noted the significance of this oft-brushed-over-yet-climacteric election. Whenever candidates claim this is the most important election of our lifetime, my hipster rebuttal is that 2014 was. If [Republicans] dont win the Senate, Obama replaces [Justice] Scalia, lowering the stakes for 2016 and probably electing Clinton, he tweeted last year. Hypotheticals are no easy thing to prove, especially in politics. Construing correspondences between campaign cycles is, as Matthew Walther aptly put it, a mug's game. Too many counterfactuals can disrupt a simple narrative. What if Hillary actually visited Wisconsin? What if the infamous Access Hollywood tape never leaked? What if Trump heeded the advice of the Potomac smart set and relaxed his talk on illegal immigration early in the race? What if James Comey didnt shilly-shally on Clintons illegal official email use, and didnt reopen the case two weeks out from polling day? What if Anthony Weiner exerted enough self-control over his paraphiliac urges after the first time he was busted for sending bare-chested photos to minors? Any one of these events, had they transpired, could have changed the course of the election. Or maybe they wouldnt. It is, however, a rare bettors gimme that Antonin Scalias untimely death was a prime motivator behind waffling Republicans to fall in line behind a nominee who was not quite a card-carrying GOP member. Surrendering the nations final legal arbiter to an abortion-industry flack in black robes was out of the question and out of the conscience of the average Republican ballot puncher. By wrestling the reins of the Senate from the Democrats, Mitch McConnell and co. set the stage for keeping Scalias seat in limbo. The canny maneuver mustered the GOP forces enough in swing states to breach the once-indomitable blue wall, then topple it. As George Bernard Shaw said, every good drama has didacticism within it. Whats the takeaway here? Its actually an old lesson in liberal time preference. The 2014 midterms saw historically low turnout. Only about a third of the registered public voted. Barack Obama couldnt close the enthusiasm gap, despite telling supporters he was on the ballot in all but name. Democratic voters didnt see the value in keeping the Senate in their hands; the House was then John Boehner territory, with no significant legislation forthcoming. A year and a half later, that lazy calculation proved shortsighted. Democrats didnt envision why upper chamber control would matter in a Supreme Court struggle. They couldnt see beyond the immediacy of Obamas last yawn-filled term. And the White House and three Supreme Court seats ended up being the price. Elections do indeed have consequences, even when our leftist friends sit them out. The big bad of Democratic woes isnt the loyal opposition but their own myopia. Winning the 2014 midterms may have been the most significant conservative electoral victory of the last decade. And to the victors go the spoils of remaking the entire judiciary branch for a generation. Image: Pixabay Even when a business is losing money, it's possible for shareholders to make money if they buy a good business at the right price. For example, although software-as-a-service business Salesforce.com lost money for years while it grew recurring revenue, if you held shares since 2005, you'd have done very well indeed. Having said that, unprofitable companies are risky because they could potentially burn through all their cash and become distressed. So should SkinBioTherapeutics (LON:SBTX) shareholders be worried about its cash burn? In this article, we define cash burn as its annual (negative) free cash flow, which is the amount of money a company spends each year to fund its growth. The first step is to compare its cash burn with its cash reserves, to give us its 'cash runway'. Check out our latest analysis for SkinBioTherapeutics When Might SkinBioTherapeutics Run Out Of Money? You can calculate a company's cash runway by dividing the amount of cash it has by the rate at which it is spending that cash. When SkinBioTherapeutics last reported its balance sheet in December 2019, it had zero debt and cash worth UK2.5m. Importantly, its cash burn was UK1.5m over the trailing twelve months. Therefore, from December 2019 it had roughly 20 months of cash runway. While that cash runway isn't too concerning, sensible holders would be peering into the distance, and considering what happens if the company runs out of cash. The image below shows how its cash balance has been changing over the last few years. How Is SkinBioTherapeutics' Cash Burn Changing Over Time? SkinBioTherapeutics didn't record any revenue over the last year, indicating that it's an early stage company still developing its business. Nonetheless, we can still examine its cash burn trajectory as part of our assessment of its cash burn situation. Over the last year its cash burn actually increased by 30%, which suggests that management are increasing investment in future growth, but not too quickly. However, the company's true cash runway will therefore be shorter than suggested above, if spending continues to increase. While the past is always worth studying, it is the future that matters most of all. For that reason, it makes a lot of sense to take a look at our analyst forecasts for the company. Story continues How Easily Can SkinBioTherapeutics Raise Cash? Given its cash burn trajectory, SkinBioTherapeutics shareholders may wish to consider how easily it could raise more cash, despite its solid cash runway. Companies can raise capital through either debt or equity. Commonly, a business will sell new shares in itself to raise cash and drive growth. We can compare a company's cash burn to its market capitalisation to get a sense for how many new shares a company would have to issue to fund one year's operations. SkinBioTherapeutics has a market capitalisation of UK21m and burnt through UK1.5m last year, which is 7.0% of the company's market value. That's a low proportion, so we figure the company would be able to raise more cash to fund growth, with a little dilution, or even to simply borrow some money. So, Should We Worry About SkinBioTherapeutics' Cash Burn? Even though its increasing cash burn makes us a little nervous, we are compelled to mention that we thought SkinBioTherapeutics' cash burn relative to its market cap was relatively promising. While we're the kind of investors who are always a bit concerned about the risks involved with cash burning companies, the metrics we have discussed in this article leave us relatively comfortable about SkinBioTherapeutics' situation. On another note, we conducted an in-depth investigation of the company, and identified 5 warning signs for SkinBioTherapeutics (1 can't be ignored!) that you should be aware of before investing here. If you would prefer to check out another company with better fundamentals, then do not miss this free list of interesting companies, that have HIGH return on equity and low debt or this list of stocks which are all forecast to grow. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. 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. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com. A Delhi court on Monday declared the Sandesara brothers, Nitin and Chetan Sandesara, the latters wife Dipti and close associate Hitesh Kumar Patel fugitive economic offenders, allowing government agencies to confiscate their properties in India and abroad to recover the money they are alleged to have swindled. The Sandesara brothers, promoters of the Gujarat-based pharmaceutical company Sterling Biotech Ltd, who fled India sometime in 2017, are accused of swindling several banks to the tune of Rs14,500 crore by taking loans and laundering the money in other countries. The fraud is considered to be one of the biggest banking scams in recent times; it involves an amount larger than that owed by former liquor baron Vijay Mallya and diamond trader Nirav Modi. Before the Sandesaras and Patel, only Mallya and Modi, both of whom are in the UK, had been declared fugitive economic offenders. People familiar with the location of the Sandesaras said that they were last seen in Nigeria, but intelligence agencies have suggested that they could be in the United States, the United Kingdom or the United Arab Emirates. Additional sessions judge at the Patiala House Courts Dharmender Rana, while declaring Sandesaras and HItesh Patel fugitives under the Fugitive Economic Offenders Act 2018, said: I have no hesitation in observing that this court is satisfied that the ED {Enforcement Directorate} has successfully pleaded and proved that the respondents herein are fugitive economic offenders. The conduct of the respondents (Sandesaras), unambiguously, establishes on record that they have left India to avoid criminal prosecution and they are deliberately avoiding to return back to India to face the instant prosecution, the judge said in the order. Appearing for the ED, additional solicitor general S V Raju and special public prosecutor Nitesh Rana argued that the Sandesaras had fled India and were evading criminal prosecution. They said they had chosen deliberately not to return to India to face trial and were shifting their base from one country to another to escape the law. Rana informed the court that provisional arrest requests were sent to the UAE but the same has also failed to yield any results. Based on intelligence inputs, Sandesaras are presumably in Nigeria, the UK, USA or UAE. The brothers are being probed by multiple agencies, including the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Income Tax Department. In June 2019, the ED attached moveable and immovable properties worth Rs9,778 crores belonging to the Sandesaras, including four oil rigs and oil fields in Nigeria, and several ships apart from a Gulfstream aircraft and flat in London. Reacting to the order, the Sandesarass lawyer Hemant Shah said: We are perusing the order. We will avail the remedies available in the law. By Akbar Mammadov Armenia fired heavy artillery on Azerbaijans densely populated villages in the morning, killing two more civilians and injuring three others, which brought the number of killed and injured people to 7 and 30 respectively, the Prosecutor Generals Office said on September 28. The Prosecutor Generals Office said that Aliyev Mehman, born in 1975, died from shrapnel falling near the administrative building of the District Court located on Heydar Aliyev Avenue in Tartar city. Resident of Evoghlu village of Aghdam district, Pashayev Joshgun, born in 1979, was also killed as a result of Armenian shelling on the civilian infrastructure on the same day. An ambulance driver in Tartar city, Asadov Ganbar, born in 1968, the military police officer in the car Huseynov Fakhraddin Farman oglu, born in 1994, as well as another resident of Tartar city, Ibrahimov Tural Firdovsi oglu, born in 1991 also received shrapnel wounds. Furthermore, the Prosecutor Generals Office emphasized that Armenian forces have chosen densely populated areas - regional and rural centres, civil infrastructure objects - hospitals, medical centres, school buildings, kindergartens as targets. A criminal case has been initiated by Aghdam and Tartar Prosecutor's Office under Article 120.2.1 (deliberate murder committed by a group of persons, on preliminary arrangement by group of persons, by an organized group or criminal community (organization)), Article 120.2.4 (deliberate murder committed with special cruelty or in publicly dangers way), Article 120.2.7 (deliberate murder of two or more persons), Article 120.2.12 (deliberate murder on the motive of national, racial, religious hatred or enmity), Article 100.2 (conducting aggressive war), and other articles of the Criminal Code of Azerbaijan. The Prosecutor Generals Office said that Armenia subject civilians, numerous houses and objects, as well as household premises to intensive artillery fire, grossly violating its commitments under the Geneva Conventions, and neglecting the basic norms and principles of international humanitarian law. It conducts the necessary documentation and collects evidence to ensure that servicemen of the Armenian Armed Forces who have committed various crimes are prosecuted and punished in accordance with international law. It should be noted that on September 27, five members of one family in the Azerbaijani village of Gashalti, Naftalan region were killed a result of Armenian shelling. Two of the killed family members are children-Gurbanova Fidan (14-year-old) and Gurbanov Shahriyar (13-year-old), two are older people-Gurbanov Elbrus (69-year-old) and Gurbanova Shafayat (64-year-old), and a middle-aged woman Amirova Afag (39-year-old). Armenian armed forces launched a large-scale operation in the front-line zone on September 27 at 6 am, shelling the positions of the Azerbaijani army from large-calibre weapons, mortars, and artillery installations of various calibres. Azerbaijan launched a counter-offensive operation along the entire front to suppress the combat activity of the Armenian armed forces and ensure the safety of the civilian population. Azerbaijan liberated seven villages and several strategic heights during the first day of the clashes. The Azerbaijani army on September 27 liberated strategically-important Murov height and destroyed the positions of the Armenian armed forces in the direction of the Agdere district and Murovdag. Defence Minister Zakir Hasanov also said on September 27 that Azerbaijan liberated Garakhanbeyli, Garvend, Kend Horadiz, Yukhari Abdulrahmanli villages of Fizuli district, Boyuk Marjanli, and Nuzgar villages of Jabrayil district. --- Akbar Mammadov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @AkbarMammadov97 Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- A Staten Island elementary school has been recognized as a National Blue Ribbon School for 2020. PS 23, in Richmond, is among 18 New York schools to be granted this honor by the U.S. Department of Education. The schools being recognized today have achieved a standard of excellence through hard work and dedication that is rightfully being honored, New York Board of Regents Vice Chancellor T. Andrew Brown said. Through perseverance to provide welcoming environments for all students, these schools show that increasing opportunities opens the door to even greater achievement. U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos honored 367 schools across the country for 2020, with recognition based on a schools overall academic performance or progress in closing achievement gaps among student subgroups. Congratulations to this years National Blue Ribbon School awardees, said DeVos. Its a privilege to recognize the extraordinary work you do to meet students' needs and prepare them for successful careers and meaningful lives. PS 23 was recognized as an Exemplary High Performing School, which means the school is among the states highest performing schools as measured by state assessments or nationally normed tests. According to the schools profile on the U.S. Department of Education website, the dedicated staff share a vision that commits the school to excellence in accelerating learning, partnering with the community, developing people, and advancing equitable practices and instruction. This is truly a team achievement, and I wanted to congratulate you for your achievements as a teacher, staff member, parent/guardian, and student. Take a bow because it is because of you that we were bestowed this prestigious honor, said Principal Paul J. Proscia in a letter to families. The schools profile stated that it develops the whole individual by providing opportunities to grow academically and develop effective leadership skills, engage in collaboration and service within the community, have growth-oriented thinking, care for one another, and empower each other. We have a strong blend of social-emotional learning and rigorous academic standards. We empower all students, staff and community members to be self-reliant leaders who communicate clearly by infusing Dr. Coveys 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, according to PS 23s profile, which refers to Franklin Coveys Leader In Me school improvement process. The National Blue Ribbon Schools Program -- now in its 38th year -- has bestowed recognition on more than 9,000 schools. The award affirms the hard work of educators, families and communities in creating safe and welcoming schools where students master challenging and engaging content. In November, DeVos and the U.S. Department of Education will celebrate with 317 public and 50 private school honorees during a virtual awards ceremony. Im happy to congratulate the 18 New York schools being honored this year as National Blue Ribbon Schools, said New York Interim Commissioner Betty A. Rosa. The administrators and teachers from these schools help their students to excel and are helping to foster equity for all our children by closing achievement gaps. FOLLOW ANNALISE KNUDSON ON FACEBOOK AND TWITTER. The company also announced today two new appointments to the board of directors to fill pending vacancies on Oct. 1 that will result in the 12-person board achieving gender balance. Additionally, women will now lead four of the board's five standing committees. The tax-paying nonprofit, which has nearly 7,000 employees and $22 billion in annual revenues, is one of the largest companies in California to achieve gender balance on its board. Blue Shield achieved pay equity for its employees across gender and ethnicity in 2018. It has a balanced representation of women and men in leadership roles (Director and above), and it was recently selected as one of America's Best Companies for Women to Advance by Parity.org. "We are committed to making Blue Shield a place where people of all genders, races, and backgrounds feel comfortable making it their professional home," said Paul Markovich, president and CEO, Blue Shield of California. "I look forward to working with Kris in her new role as we strive to create a health care system worthy of our family and friends, and sustainably affordable. I want to thank Doug Busch, our outgoing chair, for his incredible support for more than a decade." Leslie has served on Blue Shield's board since 2013. She has a distinguished professional career, including serving as chief financial officer of DreamWorks Animation SKG, Inc., which has produced some of America's best known computer-generated, animated feature films. Leslie also serves on the board of directors for CVB Financial Corp. and Justworks, Inc., and she has served on the boards of several other public and private companies including Glassdoor Inc., Orbitz Worldwide, Inc., Pico Holdings Inc., Obagi Medical Products, and Methodist Hospital of Southern California. She succeeds Busch, a Sacramento-based business executive who has served four, three-year terms on the board, the maximum allowed under company bylaws. "We deeply appreciate Doug's service to Blue Shield's 4.4 million members, to his fellow board members and to Blue Shield's senior team. We will continue to build on his contributions and push for affordable, high quality and accessible health care for all residents of California," Leslie said. "I am inspired to serve as chair of the board of a company so committed to lead change, champion diversity, equity and inclusion and stand for what's right." Two New Board Members Busch and fellow board member Mohammad Qayoumi, Ph.D., a chief adviser to the President of Afghanistan and President Emeritus from San Jose State University, will complete their service on the board of directors on Sept. 30. Colleen Johnston and Guillermo Diaz, Jr. will join the board of directors on Oct. 1. Johnston is a retired senior executive from TD Bank Group, where she served for 10 years as chief financial officer. Diaz has served as chief information officer at Cisco and is now the CEO of Kloudspot, Inc., an artificial intelligence supported analytics platform provider. Blue Shield has received several important, recent recognitions for its diversity and inclusion efforts that include: Ranked #1 on the 2020 Diversity Inc. Top Regional Companies List for Diversity, with more than 40% of the employee base participating in employee resource groups Scored 100 out of 100 on the 2020 Disability Equality Index Blue Shield was also recognized this month as a certified Great Place to Work, with 92% of employees rating the company a great place to work overall a nearly 10% increase from last year. About Blue Shield of California Blue Shield of California strives to create a healthcare system worthy of its family and friends that is sustainably affordable. Blue Shield of California is a tax paying, nonprofit, independent member of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association with over 4 million members, 6,800 employees and more than $20 billion in annual revenues. Founded in 1939 in San Francisco and now headquartered in Oakland, Blue Shield of California and its affiliates provide health, dental, vision, Medicaid and Medicare healthcare service plans in California. The company has contributed more than $500 million to the Blue Shield of California Foundation since 2002 to have an impact on California communities. For more news about Blue Shield of California, please visit news.blueshieldca.com. Or follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, or Facebook. CONTACT: Matthew Yi Blue Shield of California 510-607-2359 [email protected] SOURCE Blue Shield of California CANBERRA, Australia Cardinal George Pell, Pope Francis former finance minister, will soon return to the Vatican during an extraordinary economic scandal for the first time since he was cleared of child abuse allegations in Australia five months ago, a church agency said Monday. Pell will fly back to Rome on Tuesday, CathNews, an information agency of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference said, citing sources close to Pell. Pells return follows Francis last week firing one of the cardinals most powerful opponents, Cardinal Angelo Becciu, over a financial scandal. Pell was regarded as the third highest-ranking Vatican official and was attempting to wrestle the Holy Sees opaque finances into order when he returned to his native Australia in 2017 to clear himself of decades-old allegations of child sex abuse. Instead, Pell became the most senior Catholic to be convicted of child sex abuse crimes. He served 13 months in prison before Australias High Court acquitted him in April of molesting two choir boys in the late 1990s when he was archbishop of Melbourne. In his first television interview after his release, Pell linked his fight against Vatican corruption with his prosecution in Australia. The interview was conducted in April by Herald-Sun newspaper columnist Andrew Bolt, a vocal champion of the cardinal who reported the news early Monday of his return to the Vatican. The Sydney Archdiocese did not respond to a request for comment on Pells travel plans, and a woman who answered the phone at the Sydney seminary where Pell lives told The Associated Press: We have no comment. In the interview, Pell said he did not have evidence of a link. But he suspected that a man who swore he had been sexually abused by Pell as a 13-year-old choirboy had been used. Pell again seemed to hint at a link in a statement last week in which he thanked and congratulated Francis for firing Becciu. I hope the cleaning of the stables continues in both the Vatican and Victoria, Pell said, referring to his home state of Victoria where he was convicted. Pell, 79, said in April he planned to return to Rome when the coronavirus pandemic allowed him to pack up his apartment. But he intended to make Sydney his home. Becciu said he was fired after Francis told him that documents from the Italian financial police alleged the 72-year-old cardinal had embezzled 100,000 euros ($116,200). Becciu, the former No. 2 in the Vaticans secretariat of state, denied any wrongdoing. Beccius name had previously been caught up in a whirlwind financial scandal involving the Holy Sees investment in a London real estate venture. But Becciu said that investment wasnt raised in his conversation on Thursday with Francis. China's first homemade unmanned focussing on high-altitude areas has successfully completed a maiden flight in a plateau region, its manufacturer said on Monday. The AR-500C prototype completed its first plateau flight at the Daocheng Yading Airport, which is the world's highest civilian airport with an elevation of 4,411 metres, the state-owned Aviation Industry Corp of (AVIC) said in a statement. This flight broke the record for the elevation at which a domestically built unmanned took off and landed, it said. During the 15-minute flight, the drone completed a series of tests including climbing, hovering, rotating and other operations manoeuvres, before steadily landing, AVIC said. This demonstrated the AR-500C's general ability to fly in all types of terrain, the company said. The maiden flight comes at a time when India and are locked in a military standoff in eastern Ladakh since early May this year. An AVIC statement in May said the AR-500C drone will be used in missions including reconnaissance and communication relay, with optional functions including electronic disruption, target indication, fire strikes, cargo delivery, and nuclear radiation and chemical contamination reconnaissance. The Sunday's test flight showed that the AR-500C can carry a payload of 80 kilograms and fly for more than five hours at an altitude of 4,411 metres, official daily Global Times reported. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Taking sample for COVID-19 test (Photo: VNA) Jakarta Indonesian media have applauded Vietnams success in curbing the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, which helps the countrys economy to expand. In a recent interview, Indonesian Ambassador to Vietnam Ibnu Hadi affirmed that the key to Vietnam's success is fast decision-making from the Government which receive support and are closely observed by all levels of society. COVID-19 has indeed hit the world economy, including Vietnam, Ibnu said, pointing out that Vietnam's economy is still growing positively. While economies across the globe contract due to the pandemic, Vietnam posted a growth of 3.82 percent in the first quarter of 2020, the diplomat stated. Even though Vietnam was hardest hit by COVID-19 outbreaks in Q2, the countrys economy increased 0.36 percent. Vietnam recently adjusted down its economic growth target to 2 - 2.5 percent this year due to the pandemic, but the forecast still remains positive compared to other countries in the region, the Ambassador said. According to Ibnu, Vietnam's economy is quite dependent on exports. But thanks to accurate evaluations and projections, the Vietnamese Government has devised measures to cushion the negative impact of COVID-19 by creating optimal conditions for exporters during the pandemic period and boosting the production of key export items such as garment, footwear and medical equipment. As a result, the economy remains resilient and enjoys positive growth which has gained admiration of various countries in the region and the world, the diplomat noted. During its second wave of infections, Vietnam also quickly rolled out preventive measures in confirmed outbreaks instead of imposing large-scale restrictions, which kept the economy running, he added. So far Vietnam had recorded 1,069 positive cases, with 35 deaths, and 999 patients have recovered. (Natural News) On Aug. 25, 17-year-old Kyle Rittenhouse shot three rioters in self-defense in Kenosha, Wisconsin. But several weeks later, social media giants like Facebook and Twitter are teaming up to silence his supporters, like John Pierce, the teens own attorney, and Mark Dice, a conservative commentator. Now, wheres the justice in that? The truth about Kyle Kyle Rittenhouse hails from Antioch, Illinois. Pictures and video interviews on the day of the incident show Rittenhouse cleaning up graffiti before the shooting and protecting a car dealership. Car dealerships were being burned and targeted in the days prior to the shootings. A glimpse at his mothers Facebook page shows photos of the teen in what looks like a police cadet uniform and a firefighters uniform. A picture shows the teenager and his mother, with the words, We Back the Blue and a heart-shaped American flag with a thin blue line flag in it. Another photo shows Rittenhouse taking part in a program for youths interested in law enforcement. The teen also allegedly joined in a cadet program through the Antioch Fire Department and the Grayslake Police Department. Reports also suggest that Rittenhouse worked as a YMCA lifeguard. In 2018, the teen started a Facebook fundraiser for Humanizing the Badge, a nonprofit, to forge stronger relationships between law enforcement officers and the communities they serve. Silencing support for Rittenhouse Rittenhouse acted in self-defense, but both social media giants Facebook and Twitter have declared the teen guilty of mass murder. However, while video and court records show that Rittenhouse shot and killed two criminals and wounded a third person, Facebook and Twitter are banning users from speaking up in defense of Rittenhouse. Social media users are also not allowed to show videos that depict the teen in a favorable light, even if they dont show the shootings. The users banned by the two social media giants include Pierce and Dice. Both Facebook and Twitter claim that Pierce and Dices posts defending Rittenhouse violate policies that forbid praising or glorifying mass murder. But this is problematic for two reasons: Lin Wood, the attorney who helped put together Rittenhouses legal team, has flatly declared the Twitter notice defamation. Wood has already threatened to sue over Twitters brief suspension of his account. Both platforms seem to have no problem letting users create or share content that glorifies actual mass-murderers like Charles Manson and Mao Tse-tung. Using his Twitter account, Pierce showed his support for Rittenhouse, tweeting, Kyle Rittenhouse will go down in American history alongside that brave unknown patriot at Lexington Green who fired The Shot Heard Round The World on April 19th, 1775. Twitter censors then limited some features on Pierces account. Wood then tweeted a screen capture of the warning Pierce received, which reads, What happened? We have determined that this account violated the Twitter rules. Specifically, for: 1. Violating our rules against glorifying violence. We prohibit content that condones or celebrates acts of violence that could promote imitation of the act. We also prohibit the glorification of mass murderers or genocides when protected categories have been the primary target or victims. Glorifying the perpetrators of such violence is also prohibited. The implications are clear: Twitter assumes that Rittenhouse is guilty of mass murder and that his victims belonged to protected categories. Unbeknownst to Twitter users, convicted sex-offenders and domestic abusers also belong to these protected categories. Meanwhile, Dice was censored for a harmless Facebook post. The same video, which is still available on Dices Twitter account, only shows Rittenhouse helping an injured woman. In a screen capture of Dices Facebook post, the commentator wrote, Newly uncovered video of Kyle Rittenhouse shows him helping an injured protester after she was struck in the foot with a projectile. Dice continued, In another video he told the cameraman that he brought a medical kit, which is the bag he was carrying. Further proving he had no malicious intent by showing up. In fact, he was there to help anyone who needed it. Facebook also deemed the post was against its standards, with a warning that began, Our standards on dangerous individuals and organizations. The Facebook warning continued, We dont allow symbols, praise or support of dangerous individuals or organizations on Facebook. We define dangerous as things like: Terrorist activity Organized hate or violence Mass or serial murder Human trafficking Criminal or harmful activity According to the Facebook warning, Dices page is at risk of being unpublished because of continued community standards violations. In response, Wood tweeted that Dices Facebook account was unjustly being censored in what is a clear instance of defamation. Unlike other users, Wood has a reputation for pursuing legal action against media companies that smear the innocent. The attorney has also threatened to sue Twitter for temporarily suspending his account. While Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act protects social-media companies from defamation lawsuits because of what users say about other users, it doesnt protect the companies from a lawsuit due to defamatory claims by its own employees. Facebooks warning for Dice suggests that Rittenhouse was responsible for a terrorist act, organized hate or violence and mass or serial murder. (Related: Mainstream media is LYING about American hero Kyle Rittenhouses act of self-defense.) Along the same vein, Twitter implied that Pierces post glorifi[ed] the perpetrator of mass murder. Wood has even revealed that despite receiving death threats, he will continue to protect Rittenhouse. In another tweet, Wood showed one of many anonymous death threats wishing harm on him and the teen. I am receiving numerous death threats against Kyle Rittenhouse. Threats are now being made against me, my family, & my colleagues. Below is one example. I want Kyle to be safe. I will not be intimidated. I am fearless. I will continue to speak truth. I will #FightBack. pic.twitter.com/SmUYrSE4uQ Lin Wood (@LLinWood) September 3, 2020 Not walking the talk Despite the move to censor people showing support for Rittenhouse, it appears that both Facebook and Twitter have no problems when users glorify mass murder. If you search both social media platforms using the names of infamous mass murderers, youll find countless users who glorify them, along with many pages or accounts doing the same. Both users and groups on Facebook and Twitter are free to show their admiration for mass murderers such as Fidel Castro, Jeffrey Dahmer, Che Guevara, Charles Manson and his Family and Mao Tse-tung. It is shocking that Facebook and Twitter dont consider these men as mass murderers while social media users are silenced for supporting Rittenhouse, who only defended himself from rioters. Visit MediaFactWatch.com for more articles shedding light on how mainstream media is silencing the truth. Sources include: TheNewAmerican.com Heavy.com MSN.com Twitter.com 1 Twitter.com 2 Twitter.com 3 One final steps stands between Katy and the approval of its 2020-21 fiscal year budget and the City Council is expected to cross that hurdle on Monday. The Katy City Council is scheduled to meet at 4 p.m. Monday, Sept. 28. Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, there will no public access to the meeting. To join the meeting via Zoom, go to www.zoom.com, click join a meeting and input meeting ID 825 1149 1903. To join via telephone caall 1-877-391-0239 and enter meeting ID 825 1149 1903. The council will hold a final public hearing on the proposed budget before voting on the budget and the associated tax rates. The 2021 proposed tax rate of $0.447168 per $100 valuation. Assuming no other deductions, the taxes on a $250,000 home would be $1,117.92. Taxes on a $1 million home would be $4,471.68. The 2020 tax rate is $0.48 per $100. Besides the budget, the council has a full slate of business in front of it, including nine resolutions. For more information go to www.cityofkaty.com. Webinar on finances The Katy Area Chamber of Commerce is hosting a webinar from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 30, focusing on building finances. Cody Huggins of Regions Bank will discuss how to re-evaluate what stresses you and what motivates you about your finances. Learn how to take charge of your money and grow more confident about your finances. The event features a pay what you can registration. Although it is presented free of charge, the chamber is asking for donation so it can continue providing services to the business community. Webinar Wednesdays are designed to keep our business community educated with topics regarding Telecommunications, Technology, Finance, Healthcare, and Human Resource. For more information go to www.katychamber.com. Chamber Chat The Fulshear-Katy Chamber of Commerce will host its weekly Chamber Chat & Boss series from 10 to 11 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 29, on Facebook. This week, the chat will be with Fulshear-Simonton Lions Club, a non-political service club based in Fulshear. For more information on the club, go to www.fulshearsimontonlionsclub.org. The next Chamber Chat & Boss series is scheduled to include Fort Bend County Sheriff Troy Nehls from 10 to 11 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 6, on Facebook. Programs appear on the Fulshear-Katy Chamber of Commerce Facebook page at www.facebook.com/FulshearKaty. For more information go to www.fulshearkaty.com. B.O.B. Bowling Tournament Registration in ongoing for the Fulshear-Katy Area Chamber of Commerces Fourth Annual B.O.B. (Battle of the Businesses) Bowling Tournament, scheduled for noon to 4 p.m. Monday, Oct. 5, at Main Event-Katy at 24401 Katy Freeway. Due to COVID-19, safety protocols have been put into place which include not having to wear a mask while bowling or eating and drinking as long as within a particular teams area. However, if leaving an assigned area, it will be necessary to wear a mask. For information on the safety protocols in place go to www.maineventsafety.com. For more information, contact the Fulshear-Katy Area Chamber of Commerce via email at FulshearKaty@gmail.com or by calling 832-600-3221. To register for the tournament go to https://tinyurl.com/yxfg3w5y. Infrastructure updates Fort Bend County Precinct 1 Commissioner Vincent Morales is scheduled to give an update on infrastructure in his area from 8 to 9 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 1, via Zoom. The update is being presented by the Fort Bend Chamber of Commerce. Individual tickets are $20 for members and $30 for prospective members. Once registered for the event, attendees will receive login information for the Zoom call. Geographically, Precinct 1 in the largest in Fort Bend County, taking up a huge portion of the southern portion of the county. To register for the event go to https://tinyurl.com/y5lz3nzg. For more information on the update contact Ryan Husid at ryan@fortbendcc.org or 281-566-2163. rkent@hcnonline.com Much is being said about US President Donald Trumps Supreme Court Judge nominee Amy Coney Barrett whom he nominated on Friday to fill up the vacancy following the death of Judge Ruth Bader Ginsberg. Barrett, 48, is currently a judge on the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals, for which she was nominated by Trump in 2017. But while the conservative Barrett has been speculated to be Trumps choice for SC for a few years now, the nomination brought a wave pf fresh chatter about Barretts textualist and conservative views as well as her mysterious religion, which many are now claiming might have inspired author Margaret Atwoods award-winning novel The Handmaids Tale". The Handmaids Tale depicts a dystopian, totalitarian society where women are treated as properties of the state (essentially as sex slaves and quite literally baby-producing machines). And since Barretts name was announced as a potential SC judge, speculation and rumours about her religion started doing the rounds. Barrett, who is known as the intellectual heir" of hardline conservative SC judge Antonin Scalia, is a part of a small Cristian group called People of Praise". Founded in 1972 by Kevin Ranaghan, The People of Praise is an ecumenical Christian fellowship that lays down certain rules and regulations for its nearly 1,700 members. Spread across the US, Canada and the Caribbeans, the parachurch organisation is open to any baptised Christians - both Catholic and Protestant. With several similarities to Catholic Charismatic Revivalism and Pentecostalism, the conservative community, much like the rest of the Catholic Church, does not allow women to assume top positions, despite allowing them the right to higher education. It also teaches that husbands are the heads of a family and that wives are controlled by the heads of the family. The Handmaid connection The reason those familiar with Atwoods The Handmaids Tale" is because women leaders" in the People of Praise (the highest position women could hold withing the sect) were formerly called handmaids". These handmaids" were incharge of imparting traditional and feminine values to women about home and family life and basically act as enforcers of gender rules which advocated indoor work, household chores, husband and child care as a womans tasks while outdoor work, heavylifting and procuring food and money were a mans. The name was adopted by the group in 1971 and was based on English translations of the Bible in which Mary, mother of Jesus Christ, was described as the handmaid of the Lord". But is People of Praise an inspiration for the 1985-written The Handmaids Tale? No. Despite sharing the same name handmaid" for women, sex slavery and forced childbirth and child abduction are not part of the People of Praises rituals and practices. Neither are the other dystopic details mentioned by Atwood. But even if the People of Praise did not directly inspire the Gilead, the cultural significance and symbolicism of the award-winning novel in the US is bound to lead to some comparisons. Critics of Trumps decision to nominate Barrett claim that Barretts religious affiliations may affect her judgments, especially when it comes to womens reproductive rights and queer rights. She has previously been known to side with the anti-abortionist movement. Social media, however, is flooded with reactions and speculation. When one person said that the prescient" Atwood had predicted the future, she said, Sorry about that". But while the current situation in the US is close to the symbolism of The Handmaids Tale, it would be incorrect to say that the novel was inspired by the People of Praise. In fact, Vox clarifies that the Handmaids Tale is actuallt inspired not by the People of Praise" but by the People of Hope", another charismatic Christian spin-off sect" that, in Atwoods own words to New York Times in 1987, described as the books inspiration. And while there is still some confusion regarding her real source of inspiration, she herself has always cited People of Hope as the inspiration to her book. In truth, in 1984 when Atwoods book was written, the US has littered with several such fringe groups that followed Charismatic interpretations and offshoots of Catholicism and used the word handmaid" to describe women as feminine, subservient, obedient servants of God. The success of Atwoods award-winning saga of a theocratic dystopia lies in the seamless intertwining of fact and fiction with existing faith systems and religious as well as socio-cultural practices and beliefs. By Dayo Johson, Dapo Akinrefon, Jimitota Onoyume, Adeola Badru,Demola Akinyemi, Olayinka Ajayi, Ola Ajayi, Shina Abubakar, James Ogunnaike & Rotimi Ojomoyela Yoruba leaders across states where there are indigenous Yoruba in Nigeria are sharply divided over the appropriateness of the agitation for Oduduwa Republic. They were particularly on different pages with promoters of the self-determination agenda, insisting that what the ethnic group needs is restructuring and not an autonomous country. Drawn from the six South-West states including Kwara and Kogi states where a sizable number of indigenous Yoruba are found, the leaders said the agitation for secession affirms that Nigeria is long due for restructuring. Prof Banji Akintoye-led Yoruba World Congress, YWC, Dr.Shina Okanlomo's Yoruba One Voice, YOV, and other affiliate Yoruba groups are spearheading the move, which seems to be gaining traction lately. The consensus among the pro-secessionists bodies is that Nigeria has failed the Yoruba nation, hence the calls for autonomy. Oduduwa Republic We only want Oduduwa Republic and that is all. To everyone accusing other tribes, please, stop it, that may bring crisis in the cause of our struggle, Akintoye said recently. Specifically, a rally has been scheduled by YOV to hold on October 1, 2020, which incidentally, is Nigeria's 60th independence anniversary. According to YOV, which described itself as the umbrella group of 300 associations of Yoruba descendants in the world, the rally was designed to draw global attention to the need to liberate Yoruba race. Already, the proposed event has attracted the sympathy of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu-led Indigenous People of Biafra, IPoB. Kanu had asked IPoB members to sit at home on October 1, in solidarity with the Yoruba self-determination rally. However, speaking to Sunday Vanguard on the development, Secretary-General, Yoruba Council of Elders, YCE, Dr. Kunle Olajide, said there is no consensus among the Yoruba on secession. Why Yoruba are angryYCE His words: I have not seen any Yoruba Oba who supports self-determination. Olubadan was the only one at that Ibadan conference and he was represented by High Chief Lakan Balogun. And Lekan Balogun only pleaded for unity and peace among the Yoruba. He did not preach self-determination. Akintoye believes he can achieve self-determination peacefully, but I don't know how he wants to go about it. He is yet to seek the consensus of the Yoruba nation. He must seek their consent. For example, Lagos State indigenes believe they are not Oduduwa. The same thing applies Awujale of Ijebuland, who claimed they, Ijebu, come from Wadai. I think the best thing he needs to do is to seek consensus of the Yoruba nation. And there are quite a significant number of Yoruba leaders who believe we can still achieve a restructured Nigeria. I do not know what they mean by autonomy. What we need as a country is truly a restructured Nigeria. Yoruba leaders have made tremendous sacrifices for the unity of this country. We do not feel the country should disintegrate evenif it is through peaceful means. More harm We need a larger forum involving all our Obas to seek their opinion if at all we consider it very necessary. The Yoruba are justifiably angry about the price they have paid for Nigeria and what we have faced unjustly. to the best of my knowledge, there are my Yoruba leaders who still believe this country can be rescued because of the benefits that will accrue to all parts. There is no part of the country that is happy with the state of the nation today. Even the North appears to be most unsafe in the country today. Unfortunately, the federal government has done more harm to the mutual bond that existed among Nigerians. Yoruba'll surviveOke A former Secretary of Afenifere in Kwara State, ChiefWole Oke, differed, saying the Yoruba deserve an independent country. Speaking with Sunday Vanguard in Ilorin, he said: We have abundant resources that can sustain us as a country. The Yoruba in this country deserve to have their country. There are so many countries across the world today that are not even up to half of our population and are doing well. I don't have any doubt in my mind about our survival as Yoruba nation. Today, the imperativeness of our exit from Nigeria is obvious, especially considering that the Fulani have taken over Nigeria. There is no other time for Yoruba to pull out of Nigeria but now Lending his voice, Publicity Secretary of Afenifere, Yinka Odumakin, said: The self-determination mood is growing stronger daily. What can stop it is to restructure Nigeria into a proper federation immediately. Self-determination not position of YorubaOkoromu On his part, elder statesman, Sen. Femi Okoromu, said: The agitation by Akintoye-led Yoruba World Congress (YWC) for autonomous federation is not the consensus of the Yoruba as a whole. There are many agitations by different groups who feel frustrated that Nigeria is not listening to their cry for restructuring. All the agitations are expressions of frustration that Nigeria is not willing to restructure. What they really want is restructuring. Autonomy for each of the regions is part of the restructuring. It is not only Yoruba that are agitating for autonomy. Everybody who wants restructuring is agitating for the autonomy of the various components of Nigeria. Call for Oduduwa Republic prematureBabatope Toeing the same line, a former Minister ofTransportation, Chief Ebenezer Babatope, said the call for the breakup of Nigeria is against the ideals of the late Yoruba leader, Chief Obafemi Awolowo. He said: Those of us including Professor Banji Akintoye know that if Baba Awolowo was alive he would never call for the break up of Nigeria. All we want is a proper definition of the federalism we operate. Those that are calling for restructuring are right. Calling for Oduduwa Republic is premature. We haven't gotten to that stage. When we get to that stage, all of us in Nigeria will agree. If we are going to have an Oduduwa republic, it will come from the elements who don't want proper federation. Secession call is invitation to chaos Farounmbi A former envoy to Philippine, Ambassador Yemi Farounmbi, described the call for Oduduwa Republic as invitation chaos. He said, First, people must agree to have Oduduwa Republic. That means they must have had a referendum or something similar. I am not aware that has been done. I am not aware if anyone was given the mandate to demand such. I am aware of people clamouring for the restructuring of Nigeria, but not the disintegration of Nigeria for the emergence of Oduduwa Republic. I am not aware that anybody has been authorised to demand an action that could lead to the massacre of our youths. I am not aware that anybody has been authorised to make a decision that could lead to python dance in Yorubaland.It is not a sensitive thing for a leader to do. What people are saying is for us to go back to a structured Nigeria where power was decentralized. If we can do that, maybe we would minimise the agitation for the disintegration of Nigeria.'' We need autonomy, not independenceEbiseni Speaking, a former governorship aspirant in Ondo State, Chief Olusola Ebiseni, said the agitations for self-determination are indications of leadership failure. He said: The clamour for a sovereign Yoruba nation, in the South-West, just like the Biafra agitation in the South-East, is what you get when the leadership of a nation remains impervious to the clamours for social change. I believe in the corporate existence of Nigeria as a federal state in which the constituent federating ethnic nationalities will have elastic autonomy to meet their peculiar needs. That will not necessarily break the union but enhance its health. Nigerians are so interwoven, so are the constituent English, Welsh, Irish and Scots of the United Kingdom and the nationalities of the former USSR. By our deliberate indifference, the present situation is beyond the agitation for restructuring even as contained in the 2014 National Conference Resolutions and the report of the El-Rufai-led APC Committee, which essentially reproduced the Confab resolutions. However, it is a good place to start and urgently. Otherwise, the unfortunate signs now appear to favour Kennedy's prediction that those who make peaceful change impossible make violent revolution inevitable. Yoruba agitation product of failed systemFadaka Former South West Publicity Secretary of PDP, Ayo Fadaka: These agitations are premised on the flawed federalism practiced in Nigeria. On Yoruba agitation, there are still some issues that must be determined by the Yoruba people. On his part, Comrade Mashood Erubami said: If Yoruba feel any sense of injustice and ask for independence, they should be given.What I don't support is the call by some people that we would get it through war. We should seek self-determination logically. We won't tolerate public disorder in the name of agitationAgbekoya Also, Agbekoya Farmers Society of Nigeria, a guild of farmers in the South-West, pledged to support Yoruba interests constitutionally. This was disclosed in a statement made available to Sunday Vanguard by Chief Kamorudeen Okikiola and Chief Olatunji Bandele, President-General and National Publicity Secretary respectively. There can be no Oduduwa without Agbekoya and there can be no Agbekoya without Oduduwa. Therefore, Agbekoya's position is that as much as we are supporting the interests of Oduduwa, we are advocating for a legal and constitutional approach that will not involve violence and disturbance of public peace. We are against any group that intends to cause public unrest and disorder, all in the name of agitation for a republic. The President General also called on the different groups in Yoruba land, notable Yoruba leaders, traditional rulers, politicians, eminent Yoruba sons and daughters to rise on this issue to secure our fatherland. We believe that Yoruba people are sophisticated, educated, and well exposed enough to fashion out ways of resolving issues affecting Yorubaland. Giving his perspective, President General of the Federation of Yoruba Consciousness and Culture, FYCC, Bashorun Adeshokan, said the call for self-determination is in order. He said: Our traditional rulers, most of them are tired of Nigeria because many of their subjects are being killed daily. Our traditional rulers can't talk. In a situation like this, we need somebody who can speak the mind of our kings and people. YWC through its leader, Professor Banji Akintoye, has provided the voice. Agitation for Oodua nation did not start yesterday, we have been on this for more than 30years. Similarly, President-General of Okun Unity Union, OUU, Chief Bamidele Ariyo, said: Yoruba as a sophisticated race, deserve a better deal in Nigeria. However, we must ensure that we are guided by the constitution of Nigeria. Urhobo territories Speaking on the inclusion of Delta State in the map of the proposed Oduduwa Republic, a former Editorial Board Chairman of Guardian Newspapers, Professor Godini Darah, said Yorubaland does not extend to the state. He said: The inclusion in the maps of the Oduduwa Republic of Urhobo territories in Warri South, Uvwie, Udu, Okpe, Sapele and Ethiope West councils is a declaration of war of aggression against Urhobo people. Yoruba or Oduduwa land does not extend to any part of Delta State. I have always alerted Yoruba leaders to this act of provocation and reckless impunity. Yet the advocates of the Oduduwa project have persisted in their imperialist plot. Appropriate Urhobo organs and institutions are prepared to defend our lands against aggressors from Oduduwa or any other part of Nigeria. Homogeneity Giving his personal view on the issue, a chieftain ofIstekiri Leaders of Thought, ILoT, Mr. Sunny Mene, said: I cannot speak for the whole of Delta State on the demand for Oduduwa Republic. However, as an Itsekiri person, I believe that what we have today is not the best for the Itsekiri nation. I am a believer in the federating units based on linguistic homogeneity as advocated by Chief Obafemi Awolowo of blessed memory. Under the United Nations Charter on rights of ethnic nationalities to self-determination, it is within the rights of the Yoruba people, as with other nations to seek self-determination. The ILoT will issue a statement tomorrow after its meeting. Vanguard September 28 : The first sale of Realme Narzo 20 started in India today via Flipkart and its official website Realme.com. The phone was launched in India along with the Realme Narzo 20A and Narzo 20 Pro last week. The handset comes in two colour optionsGlory Silver and Victory Blue. Earlier this year, Realme launched its Narzo 10 series of smartphones, which were marketed as phones for good mobile gaming performance on a budget. The new Narzo 20 offers a number of subtle upgrades over the previous series. Price in India The 4GB RAM with 64GB storage variant of Realme Narzo 20 costs Rs. 10,499 while the 4GB RAM with 128GB storage model has a price of Rs. 11,499. Besides Flipkart and Realme.com, the phone will be available through select offline stores across West Bengal, Assam, Bihar, eastern Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu. Realme Narzo 20 comes with a couple of bank offers including a 5% instant discount on ICICI Bank credit card EMI, a 5% off with Axis Bank Buzz credit card, and a 5% unlimited cashback on Flipkart Axis Bank credit card. It also offers Flipkart Warranty Assistant for a year at Rs. 99, and 2-year Discovery+ subscription at Rs. 299, up to Rs. 50 EGV when buyers opt for payments without OTP on select Visa cards, and a no-cost EMI option. Realme Narzo 20 specifications The Realme Narzo 20 runs on Android 10 with Realme UI on top. The phone features a 6.5-inch HD+ with 720 x 1,600 pixels display and a 20:9 aspect ratio. The handset comes with an octa-core MediaTek Helio G85 SoC, along with 4GB of LPDDR4x RAM, and 64GB and 128GB of onboard storage that can be expanded up to 256GB via a microSD card. Realme Narzo 20 sports a triple rear camera setup that includes a 48-megapixel primary sensor, an 8-megapixel secondary sensor, a 2-megapixel camera sensor, and for selfies, it includes an 8-megapixel camera sensor at the front. The handset comes packed with a 6,000mAh battery that supports 18W fast charging. MEDINA, Ohio -- Sudsy, spooky fun will return to the Rainforest Car Wash when it brings back its wildly popular Haunted Car Wash event for two weekends this fall. The event is set to take place Oct. 16-18 and Oct. 23-25, scaring visitors and cleaning cars at the same time. It will take place at Rainforest Car Washs Medina location only, located at 2700 Medina Road. The event first kicked off in 2019, making headlines across the country. The first time around, the Haunted Car Wash event was an unexpected success and a complete whirlwind," said Anthony Bencivenni, Rainforests district manager, in a press release. After getting that incredible degree of positive responsenot just from our local community, but also from a much broader national audiencewe knew that the event would be here to stay as a new favorite annual Rainforest tradition and a great opportunity to have some family-friendly fall fun. This year, extra days were added to the experience. The Haunted Car Wash will run from 5-10 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, and from 3-6 p.m. on Sundays. Tickets cost $20 per vehicle, and entry is free for members of the car wash. Along with spooky characters jumping out at customers during the car wash, the event will also include trick-or-treat goodie bags to take home, according to a press release. The Haunted Car Wash presents a socially distanced alternative to walk-through haunted houses, in the age of the coronavirus pandemic. This event is one of the few things you can do this Halloween that is completely safe," Bencivenni said in a press release. This year has been particularly difficult for many in our community, and in light of that, we feel its critical to provide an opportunity for our local families to enjoy special moments, have fun together, and make lasting memories. Thats really our vision for this years event: making peoples lives a little brighter. You can find more information about the Haunted Car Wash at Rainforest Car Washs Facebook page, facebook.com/rfwash. Kent Porter/The Press Democrat/AP As a series of deadly wildfires continues to ravage the West Coast, two more broke out in California on Sunday, prompting new evacuations near Napa County and Shasta County. According to Cal Fire, the Glass Fire and the Zogg Fire are now burning in Napa County and Shasta County, respectively, bringing the state's total to 27 major wildfires. The Glass Fire has so far burned 11,000 acres with zero percent containment while the Zogg Fire has burned 15,000 acres, and also remains zero percent contained. In California alone, a slew of major wildfires including the August Complex Fire, Elkhorn Fire and North Complex Fire are burning through the state. There have been more than 8,100 wildfires that have burned over 3.7 million acres since the beginning of the year, and there have been 26 fatalities since Aug. 15, Cal Fire said on Monday. RELATED: 12 Jarring Photos of the Ongoing California Wildfires More than 1,800 people have so far been forced to evacuate their homes thanks to the latest blazes, and about 7,000 people are under some form of evacuation notification, Napa County spokeswoman Janet Upton told CNN Sunday night. Jan Zakin, who lives in the evacuation zone, told KGO that she had to flee her home quickly in the night as flames from the wildfires began to surround her residence. "We woke up in the middle of the night and saw flames," Zakin told the outlet. "I was in my underwear. There was a car on fire blocking access out." Never miss a story sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories "We left with nothing, just literally with nothing," she added. "We're so lucky to be alive." Elsewhere in Napa County, properties such as the Chateau Boswell Winery and the Glass Mountain Inn Bed and Breakfast along Silverado Trail in St. Helena were both heavily damaged from the wildfires, according to videos taken by ABC7 News' Amy Hollyfield. Story continues A hospital in the area also suspended care and transferred patients elsewhere, while residents of a senior community were evacuated as well, the San Francisco Chronicle reported. RELATED: What to Know About the Deadly Wildfires Ravaging the West Coast and How You Can Help Chateau Boswell winery aftermath. This is on the Silverado Trail. The #GlassFire moved fast overnight. You can see in this video some hose lines were pulled, but this just moved too quickly for this winery to be saved. pic.twitter.com/pawOtA3NKt Amy Hollyfield (@amyhollyfield) September 28, 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn bed and breakfast in the wine country is gone. The #GlassFire destroyed it. @tvgator1 pic.twitter.com/yMOGIswQLa Amy Hollyfield (@amyhollyfield) September 28, 2020 Meanwhile, the Zogg Fire in Shasta County has prompted mandatory evacuations in several areas. Officials did not say how many homes or people were under the evacuation order due to the blaze, per CNN. To help communities facing destructive wildfires in the Western U.S., consider donating to the following organizations: The American Red Cross allows donors to direct funds to support people impacted by the fires. GlobalGivings Wildfire Relief offers emergency funding to local efforts providing essentials to wildfire victims in need. GoFundMes California Wildfire Relief Fund aims to support a range of needs by issuing grants to individuals, organizations and communities that have either been impacted themselves or are dedicated to helping." The California Fire Foundation provides emotional and financial assistance to families of fallen firefighters, firefighters and the communities they protect." by Shafique Khokhar The Archbishop organized a press conference which was also attended by religious leaders of different faiths. The Hindus of India are not ready to accept any minority and even the lower caste Hindus are not safe there. A commission should be organized which also includes the United Nations and the Pakistani consulate. Lahore (AsiaNews) - Justice for the 11 Pakistani Hindus killed in India was requested by the Pakistani Catholic Archbishop Sabastian Shaw who on 26 September organized a press conference in which religious leaders of different faiths also took part. In August, the bodies of 11 Pakistanis from a single family were found on an agricultural farm in the Indian district of Jodhpur, in the state of Rajasthan, where they worked in the village of Lodta. The family had migrated to India from Pakistan and now only one is left alive. Indian police have launched an investigation to ascertain the cause of the incident. Amarnath Randhawa from the Hindu community stated that they have recorded their demonstration in front of Indian High Commission office against this tragic incident which has revealed the true face of India. They have not sent the report of this incident mentioning about how they had been killed and what was really happened to them which has become another issue. Our community has decided that till we get the report we will sit there in front of Indian High Commission, said Randhawa. "We are happy - he added - that this conference has ensured that all of us Pakistanis, even belonging to different religions, are side by side". He argued that all those who go to other countries and India for a safe life should know they are wrong because "in Pakistan we are safe and we have freedom". Sardar Bishan Singh thanked the Archbishop for organizing this conference and strongly condemned the killing of innocent people in India. He also recalled several episodes of extremists attacks on Sikhs, Muslims (Babri Mosque, Explosion in the train) and now the killing of Pakistani Hindus. India must include a Pakistani commission in the investigation and must punish those found guilty. He also said that for the Sikh religion the land of Pakistan is holy because of Nankana Sahab, but it is also sacred for Hindus as their old temples are located there, we cannot leave. In India no one is safe: Heryana's Sikh students, Muslims and our Christian community are facing a lot of persecution, we ask for peace for all minorities in India. We assure the Hindus that we are all with the Hindu community and demand justice for them. Maulana M. Asim Makhdoom, Religious scholar of Muslims in his speech had said that we all the Muslims will fight for our Hindu community because they were not only Hindus but they were Pakistanis as well. We all the Muslims will fight for them and assure their families that we all are brothers and will not leave them at this hour of sorrow and request United Nations to intervene in this case since they care of all the humanity. If these innocent Hindus will not get Justice we all will go to Wagah Border carrying white flags and say that our Hindu brother did not get Justice and will speak against the silence of India and United Nations. Archbishop Sabastian Shaw, Archbishop of Lahore diocese in his address had said that killing of any Human Being even at any place in the world is condemnable and family who went there in India having the purpose of visiting their families and tourism keeping in mind that they are going to a safe place were wrong, their whole family have been killed which frightens us all. It is not the first incident in India, in 2002 at Adisa and Gujrat many Christians were killed and even many of them were burnt alive, the Hindus of India are not ready to accept any Minority even the low caste Hindus are not secure there. Therefore, we all belonging to different faiths are united here strongly condemn and demand Justice for our 11 Pakistani Hindus. And we appeal that they should organize a commission and include United Nations and even Pakistani consulate in India too so there is a just report keeping in mind the honor of humanity investigates the case and make sure that all the people may live in Peace Barcelona As the pandemic coincides with weather disasters, people are more vulnerable to both threats - and it's harder for aid agencies to help them Weather disasters and the COVID-19 pandemic have simultaneously hit tens of millions of people worldwide this year, making them more vulnerable to both threats and hampering emergency response, the Red Cross said on Wednesday. In a new analysis, the international humanitarian agency said about 70% of the 132 disasters linked to extreme weather in 2020 had coincided in place and time with the COVID-19 pandemic. Globally, more than 51 million people - likely an underestimate - had been recorded as directly affected by an overlap of floods, droughts or storms and the pandemic, with nearly 3,500 people killed in the weather events, it said. "The climate crisis has not stopped for COVID-19, and millions of people have suffered from the two crises colliding," Francesco Rocca, president of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), told journalists. "We have had absolutely no choice but to address both crises simultaneously," he said. While not all weather disasters have a direct link with global warming, the climate is becoming more volatile and weather more extreme as the planet heats up, he added. The report, produced with the Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre, said the pandemic was complicating efforts to evacuate people, including a need for more shelters to respect distancing and prevent infection. Aid agencies, meanwhile, face a double threat as they respond to COVID-19 outbreaks and climate disasters at the same time, beset by a reduction in frontline workers and resources. Disrupted global supply chains have also slowed the flow of relief aid and recovery equipment, the report said, and the pandemic has increased the need for financial humanitarian assistance at a time of deep global downturn. The places where the colliding threats have shown up most clearly are India and Bangladesh, where almost 40 million people were affected by the pandemic and monsoon floods or storms. COVID-19 has made it harder to move people to safe places and provide food, accommodation and other aid safely and quickly, putting those affected at even greater risk, the report said. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Coronavirus Africa Climate By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. The analysis also looked at the intersection between heatwaves and COVID-19. Nearly 432 million vulnerable people, including the elderly and infants, have struggled with the twin threat this year, including many in Europe and North America, it noted. That situation has led to a conflict of safe practices, with people enduring heatwaves advised to wear light clothing and remove restrictive coverings, for instance, even as many governments require the wearing of face masks in public. Access to cooling centres and air-conditioned buildings has also been limited during the pandemic. On the West Coast of the United States, meanwhile, more than 2 million people have had to deal with major wildfires and the pandemic together, with smoke potentially hiking the likelihood of lung infections including COVID-19, the report said. Rocca said the Red Cross welcomed a rise in the number of volunteers helping out in their communities, particularly in developed Western countries, as well as a rise in donations for the COVID-19 response. But Richard Blewitt, the IFRC's permanent observer to the United Nations, warned of a "major gap" in funding for other humanitarian crises, such as the current flooding in Sudan. Wealthy countries may also not deliver the $100 billion they had promised this year to help poorer countries tackle climate change, he added. "The massive global investment in recovering from the pandemic proves governments can act decisively and drastically in the face of imminent global threats. We urgently need this same energy on climate," said IFRC president Rocca. How your space functions and feels matters now more than ever, especially if your new norm is an everything-at-home lifestyle; work, play and living. And, by this point in the pandemic, if your space isnt optimal, youve probably exhausted all the furniture- and room-rearranging options available to you. So naturally, if you own, home improvements aimed at increasing the livability and workability of your space are probably on your mind. Whether its a long-planned or pandemic-induced renovation, heres how to do the math on it. Begin with the final market value in mind Before you start breaking up the concrete in your basement in an effort to level out the floor, youll want to compare listings and sale prices of properties that are, and are not, upgraded (for condos and townhouses, too). Some of this information can be found online, and your realtor, if you have one, can fill in the blanks of what else is happening in your neighbourhood in terms of prices. No one has a crystal ball for the real-estate market, especially during COVID-19 times, but by gathering up as much pricing data as you can, youll better determine guardrails for your renovation budget. The high-level math on renovations is this; you need to get out the money that you invested in the reno when you sell, and then some, otherwise its not worth your while. Also, you need to be able to afford to pay for the improvements. For example, if you invest $100,000 in an upgraded kitchen, bathroom and basement, but comparable listings show that youre only going to fetch $80,000 more for your property (from current value), youre effectively losing $20,000 plus the value of your efforts. On the flip side, if youre likely to fetch $150,000 more for your property, your costs are covered, and your efforts are rewarded. How much you need to reward your efforts is personal. One option is to put an hourly rate on your time, estimate how much time youll spend on the renovation, multiply the two, and thats the baseline of what your efforts are worth. Affordability is another consideration. The low-interest environment we are currently in is making home-equity lines of credit (HELOCs) the primary tool of choice for homeowners who want to renovate, but dont have the full costs saved up. The budget best-practice is that housing costs (mortgage, utilities and servicing the interest payment on your HELOC, when its used for a home renovation) should be 35 per cent or less of your take-home income. Get extremely specific about all of your renovation costs Use a Google spreadsheet to document literally every cost associated with your potential renovation. Costs can be broken out either by the stage of the project or by room; in either case, itemize everything from paint to labour to electrical work to the installation of your central air conditioning. Total it all up, cross-reference it with quotes from contractors (if youre using one) or wherever youre getting your supplies from, and add a column for actual costs versus the expected ones and a status update. This way you can use this same sheet as your checklist for the completion of various activities, too. Dont forget to include hidden fees, like if you need to rent an Airbnb for a week while the plumbing is being fixed up or the interest that you are going to pay on your HELOC if you use it to fund the renovation. How do your total costs measure up relative to the market value for a comparable listing? Are you going to be able to get your money out, and then some? Its at this point that I always recommend getting a formal opinion from a real estate professional on whether they think the investment is worth it. Trim, focus, and possibly spread it out If the total costs look terrifying to you, and like you possibly cant afford it, scale back. Smaller home improvements like painting, changing light fixtures or installing high-end countertops are much less expensive than tearing out walls, but they generally have a high rate of return. Spreading out the improvements (small or large) is another way to ease the financial burden of doing everything at once. Perhaps this year youll fix up the basement and next year youll tackle the kitchen. And, as always, the foundations of any home (furnace, roof, up-to-code electrical and eavestroughs), are well worth the cost to upkeep. Do what you can to pace yourself with these large foundational investments. My very best advice is to avoid overinvesting in your home renovation. Every home has a price, and its not set by you. You can influence it to a certain extent by modernizing the design and finishings, keeping the maintenance up, and adding greater functionality, but theres a limit to what your property will ultimately sell for when the time comes. So use market data, consider your overall affordability and create a rock-solid renovation budget, to guide your spending. A Toronto murder trial set to open Monday is being put on hold after a member of the prosecution team tested positive for COVID-19, according to sources familiar with the case. The development just as the number of people testing positive continues to surge comes as Ontarios Attorney General is attempting to restart jury trials, which were suspended across the country in March. The Star has learned four Crown attorneys are in self-isolation. Two of them, including the infected individual, are involved in a second-degree murder case scheduled to start Monday at 361 University Ave. before Superior Court Justice Faye McWatt. The sources who spoke to the Star were given anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about the case. A ministry spokesperson would only confirm on the weekend that an individual who has worked at Toronto court locations has tested positive, and has been in self-isolation since Sept. 22. Two asymptomatic people with close contact with this individual at the Old City Hall courthouse last week are also self-isolating out of an abundance of caution, the spokesperson said. The Ministry of the Attorney General gave few other details in the email, which said an individual received positive test results after visiting College Park court on Sept. 15, and the 361 University Ave. courthouse between Sept. 14 and 18 and on Sept. 22, in addition to 393 University Avenue, where prosecutors have offices. The individual was also at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre at 255 Front St. W., last Monday, Sept. 21, when more than 100 Torontonians responding to summonses participated in a special jury panel selection. The ministry is using the large off-site location to ensure physical distancing requirements can be met. The infected individual was asymptomatic, was wearing a mask and was not part of the jury panel, Attorney General spokesperson Brian Gray wrote in an email Saturday. The Star has learned the individual was a member of the prosecution team who was at the convention centre to help select a jury for the trial of Roger Foreshaw, who is charged with second-degree murder in the 2018 death of Kerry Romain in south Riverdale. Defence lawyer James Miglin, who represents Foreshaw, said he could not comment. In his email, Gray stated that memos were sent to staff, stakeholders and the members of the jury panel on Saturday advising of the situation. We consulted with Toronto Public Health and they advised that, based on their assessment they determined this case to be low risk. Gray declined to say what impact COVID-19 will have on the trial, one of several getting underway at 361 University as justice officials grapple with a growing backlog of cases. Any issues will be addressed in court, if necessary, by the presiding judicial official. As this matter is before the court it would be inappropriate to comment, Gray wrote. But sources say jurors picked last week at the convention centre will be told to return to court in two weeks. Its not clear whether the jurors will be in court Monday, or if the ministry has advised them not to make the trip. Since mid-March, courthouses across Ontario have been receiving, and continue to receive, enhanced cleaning on a regular basis, Gray said. In addition, a targeted, enhanced cleaning of the areas visited by the individual was being carried out this weekend. Tony Loparco, president of the Ontario Crown Attorneys Association, said in a statement that despite all the precautions being made to protect everyone involved in the justice system, COVID is unpredictable and we are going to see interruptions in cases as a result. Everyone is going to have to be both vigilant and also flexible. Pushing forward in uncertain situations is only going to put everyone involved at risk. While the association cannot comment on ongoing cases, if a situation arises during a proceeding where there is even the potential that someone has come in contact with another person who is COVID-positive, it is our position that everyone involved should be notified immediately, Loparco stated. The federal Department of Justice said over the summer that holding jury trials would be one of the greatest challenges facing our criminal courts as a result of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. On August 26, Dr. Joseph Scalice delivered a lecture at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore on the support given by the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), and the various organizations that follow its political line, for Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte in 2016. Scalice examined the historical and political origins of this policy of the party by exploring the historical parallels with the actions taken by the CPP and a rival party, the Partido Komunista ng Pilipinas (PKP), in the late 1960s and early 1970s, as then President Ferdinand Marcos took steps toward the imposition of military dictatorship. The response of Joma Sison, the longtime Stalinist leader of the CPP has been to launch a campaign of brazen slanders against Professor Scalice, accusing him of being a CIA agent, without a shred of evidence. Sison and his supporters are combining these lies with thinly-veiled or not-so-veiled threats of violence against Dr. Scalice and Trotskyites. In a recent reply to Sison, Dr. Scalice noted, Icepick memes were posted in the thread in response to Sison as the only response to trots. There is nothing funny about this. It is a reference to the assassination of Trotsky and the Stalinist mass murder of members of the Fourth International, the Left Opposition, and the old Bolsheviks, with literally hundreds of thousands of victims. While their historical origins are different, the function of icepick memes is politically analogous to that of swastikas. In this political context, it is appropriate and timely to recall one of the worst crimes of Stalinism in southeast Asia, the execution of Ta Thu Thau, leader of the Vietnamese Trotskyists, which took place 75 years ago this month. The Trotskyist leader was arrested September 14, 1945, then tried by a peoples court, which refused to convict him. He was then shot anyway by a Stalinist Viet Minh firing squad. The exact date of his death, while known to the Vietnamese authorities, has not been made public. This month marks the 75th anniversary of the execution of Ta Thu Thau, leader of the Vietnamese Trotskyists, carried out by a Viet Minh firing squad near the city of Quang Tri, in central Vietnam (Annam). Thau was seized on September 14, 1945, as he sought to reach Saigon in the south, the countrys largest city and the center of Trotskyist influence in the Vietnamese working class. He was put on trial before a peoples court run by the Viet Minh, the nationalist political front controlled by the Indochinese Communist Party under the leadership of Ho Chi Minh. According to some reports, the peoples court refused to convict the well-known working-class militant, a hero of the struggle against French colonialism. A Viet Minh firing squad nonetheless carried out a death sentence, reportedly on the orders of Tran Van Giau, the Stalinist leader in southern Vietnam, although it is unlikely that he took such a grave decision without consultation with the top party leaders in Hanoi. Ho Chi Minh later defended the execution, admitting that Thau was a great patriot, but declaring, All those who do not follow the line I have laid down will be broken. A mugshot of Ta Thu Thau after he was arrested during a 1930 Paris protest against French repression in Vietnam. The line which Ta Thu Thau was opposing was the decision of the Stalinist leadership in Vietnam, acting at the behest of Stalin himself, to accept and even welcome the return of French colonial forces to Vietnam, accompanied by British troops as well, after the surrender of Japan ended World War II. Under the Tehran Agreement of 1943, between Stalin, Churchill and Roosevelt, military control of the former French colony of Indo-China was to be divided between the Chinese Kuomintang, whose forces would occupy the north, and Great Britain, whose troops would be deployed into the south. At the subsequent summit at Potsdam in 1945, between Stalin, Truman and Churchillwith Clement Attlee replacing Churchill towards the endthis military partition was confirmed, with the British troops to act as the armed enforcers of the old French colonial administration, which was to be restored to power. These arrangements were undertaken by Stalin without any consideration of the struggle which had been waged by the forces led politically by Ho Chi Minh and militarily by Vo Nguyen Giap, which had waged guerrilla warfare against the Japanese occupiers and their French puppets. Ho bowed to Stalins dictates, while seeking to escape the consequences, particularly the large Kuomintang army in the north, where his Viet Minh forces had their strongest base. He sought to maneuver among the various hostile powers, China, France and Britain, rather than appealing to the working class in these countries for solidarity with the Vietnamese revolution. Ta Thu Thau and the Vietnamese Trotskyists opposed the return of the old European colonial powers and helped mobilize widespread popular protests, particularly in the south, where for more than a decade Thau and his comrades had played a prominent role in the workers movement, particularly on the docks and among rail, streetcar and other transport workers. The Vietnamese workers movement The political conditions in the workers movement of southern Vietnam between 1931 and 1936 were quite unusual, in that the Stalinist party was not following the Comintern line in relation to the forces affiliated with the Left Opposition led by Trotsky, and there was considerable contact and even joint work between the Stalinists and Trotskyists, who made common cause against the repression of the French colonial authorities. The two sides collaborated in the production of a common French-language publication, La Lutte, which was not subject to the same censorship that the French government applied to all Vietnamese-language publications. The faction of Trotskyists led by Ta Thu Thau participated in several joint election campaigns with the local representatives of the Indochinese Communist Party (ICP), the official name of the Stalinists, and Ta Thu Thau had been elected to the Saigon city council in 1935 on one such slate. (Another faction of Trotskyists opposed joint work with the Stalinists, and the political issues involved in this dispute are complex and require further analysis. Suffice it to say that under the impact of the Moscow Trials and the beginning of the political genocide against Trotskyists and Old Bolsheviks in the Soviet Union, the ICP ended all joint activity with the Vietnamese Trotskyists and the factional differences among the Trotskyists receded.) In April 1939, the Trotskyists, with Ta Thu Thau heading a Workers and Peasants Slate, defeated both the bourgeois constitutionalists and the Stalinist-backed Democratic Front in elections for the provincial council of Cochinchina, as the southern region was known under French rule. The main issue in the election was the Trotskyists opposition to a national defense levy to provide financial resources for the French military, which the Stalinists supported as part of their alignment with the Popular Front government in power at that time in France. According to the account of Ngo Van Xuyet, a leading member of the Trotskyist faction critical of Ta Thu Thau, Governor-General Joseph-Jules Brevie set aside the results of the 1939 provincial election on the grounds that the Trotskyists under the leadership of Ta Thu Thau, want to take advantage of a possible war in order to win total liberation. The Stalinists, on the other hand, are following the position of the Communist Party in France and will thus be loyal if war breaks out. This assessment preceded the Stalin-Hitler Pact of August 1939, which led both the French and Vietnamese Stalinists to shift abruptly to a militant anti-war position. On September 26, 1939, the French government adopted a law outlawing the Communist Party of France, which was applied in Indo-China to outlaw both the Stalinists and the Trotskyists. Ta Thu Thau was arrested by the French colonial authorities and imprisoned for more than five years at the penal settlement of Poulo-Condore, an island in the South China Sea. Thirty years later, this island, under its Vietnamese name, Con Son, became notorious as the site of the tiger cages in which Vietnamese liberation fighters captured by the South Vietnamese puppet government were tortured and confined under barbaric conditions. The betrayals of 1945 In March 1945, Japanese forces liquidated the French colonial regime and assumed direct rule over Indo-China. Ta Thu Thau had been released from Poulo-Condore at the end of 1944, after a five-year term. He resumed political activity, and during the summer travelled to the north, meeting with Trotskyist supporters among striking coal miners. It was on his return from this trip, halfway back to Saigon, that Thau was captured by the Stalinists in Quang Tri. In Saigon, the restoration of French colonial rule and entry of British troops touched off a general popular uprising in which the Trotskyists played a major role, forming a workers militia which was brutally suppressed by British and French forces, including a slaughter of more than 200 workers at Thi Nghe bridge on October 3, 1945. Trotskyist militants forced to flee the mass repression in the city were caught in the countryside between the Viet Minh and the restored landlord-colonialist military forces. Only a handful survived by leaving the country altogether. As the Socialist Equality Party of Sri Lanka noted in its founding document, The Historical and International Foundations of the Socialist Equality Party (Sri Lanka): As tensions sharpened in September 1945, the Stalinists disarmed the peoples committees, suppressed the provisional central committee and murdered scores of Trotskyists, including La Lutte leader Ta Thu Thau. Far from securing independence, the ICPs collaboration with the French only helped restore colonial rule in the south. The Vietnamese people were to pay a horrific price for the betrayal of the post-war revolutionary upsurge and the subsequent manoeuvring of the Stalinists with French and then American imperialism. Thirty years of war left the country devastated and millions dead. For many decades, the tragic fate of the Vietnamese Trotskyists, as well as their prominent political role in the 1930s, were little known or understood among the supporters of the Fourth International. The revisionists headed by Michel Pablo and Ernest Mandel, who held leadership positions until 1953, had dismissed both the Chinese and Vietnamese Trotskyists as refugees from a revolution. Later, in the 1960s, the Pabloites hailed the Vietnamese Stalinist leadership under Ho Chi Minh for its resistance to American imperialism during the US intervention in Vietnam, and opposed raising the question of the Vietnamese Trotskyists. But in the conflict in 1945, Ho Chi Minh revealed the nationalist orientation that is the hallmark of Stalinism. As he told his associates, he preferred to permit the reentry of French and British forces because the old colonial powers were weak and discredited, while the Chinese forces, much larger and closer, were the greater threat. He thus revealed a deep skepticism about the prospects for a successful revolution in Chinathe supposedly powerful Kuomintang armies disintegrated in barely three years and the Chinese Communist Party came to power. At the same time, reflecting the anti-Chinese prejudices of a Vietnamese nationalist, he regarded China, whether led by Mao Zedong or Chiang Kai-shek, as more to be feared by Vietnam than the European imperialists, because of its proximity and long history of conflict with its smaller southern neighbor. Ho, following the logic of Stalinism, had long rejected the fight for a worldwide socialist revolution and proceeded on a nationalist perspective, with the goal of establishing an independent Vietnam. On the basis of his nationalist raison detat, he approved the killing of the revolutionary internationalists, including Ta Thu Thau. The American intervention This reliance on nationalist maneuvers with the great powers was to prove the Achilles heel of the Vietnamese Revolution. After the great military victory of the Viet Minh in the siege of Dien Bien Phu in 1954, which ended in French surrender, the Soviet and Chinese Stalinist leaders engineered the betrayal of the Geneva Accords, in which Vietnam was effectively partitioned, with a right-wing administration set up in the south, headquartered in Saigon, with heavy American backing. The Viet Minh came to power in the north, and set up a regime in Hanoi headed by Ho Chi Minh, but in the south the new American-backed strongman Ngo Dinh Diem was installed, and he blocked the promised national elections that the Viet Minh would certainly have won, instead proclaiming a Saigon-based Republic of Vietnam, or South Vietnam, in defiance of the Geneva agreement. Guerrilla war resumed again in 1960, and the US dispatched an increasing number of military advisers, and ultimately a gigantic army exceeding 500,000 troops, using the most modern weaponry and with complete domination of the air and the sea. Throughout this period, the National Liberation Front (NLF) was unable to establish a strong popular base within the working class of southern Vietnam, especially the Saigon proletariat, where the savage Stalinist repression of the Trotskyists had left a deep and unhealed wound. While the Tet offensive demonstrated the strength of the NLF among the peasantry, there was no uprising of the urban proletariat to join forces with the guerrilla fighters against the American occupiers and their puppet regime. The war continued on an increasingly bloody basisan estimated three million Vietnamese lost their lives, along with nearly 60,000 Americansuntil the US withdrawal in 1973. The regime in South Vietnam survived another two years, before collapsing under the impact of a National Liberation Front offensive that culminated in the storied helicopter evacuation of the US embassy in Saigon in April 1975. Postwar Vietnam While the Vietnam War ended in a debacle for American imperialism, the independence of Vietnam under Stalinist rule proved to be illusory and temporary. Vietnam remained part of a global economy and a world system of nation-states dominated by imperialism. Vietnam came into conflict with neighboring Stalinist-ruled states, invading Cambodia in 1978 to put an end to the genocidal rule of the Khmer Rouge, then waging a bloody border war with the Peoples Republic of China, the Khmer Rouges main ally, in 1979. The turn by the Chinese Stalinists towards the restoration of capitalism, beginning in the 1980s, created conditions for a similar development in Vietnam. From 1986 on, under the policy of Doi Moi (renovation), the Vietnamese Communist Party oversaw the establishment, first of specialized zones for foreign capitalist enterprises, then of a full-fledged development of Vietnamese capitalism, while retaining a one-party dictatorship to suppress the working class. Today, Vietnam is fully integrated into the production chain of giant transnational corporations, Japanese, American, South Korean, as well as those based in China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. A substantial working class has developed, brutally exploited at wage levels well below those prevailing in China itself. As a nation-state, Vietnam has been courted by American imperialism and is regarded as a potential ally against China. Diplomatic relations between Hanoi and Washington were established in 1995. American warships have returned to ports like Cam Ranh Bay, their main base during the Vietnam War, and American military officials regularly consult with their Vietnamese counterparts on such issues as the Vietnamese conflict with China over various islets in the South China Sea. In 2016, US imperialism ended its four-decade-old embargo on arms sales to Vietnam, in a step which President Barack Obama hailed as a decisive step in the normalization of relations between the two countries. The WSWS wrote at the time: Vietnams evolution in the aftermath of the US war provides an historical vindicationin the negativeof Leon Trotskys Theory of Permanent Revolution. The liberation of this oppressed country from imperialist domination could, in the end, be accomplished only through a revolution of the working class, leading the oppressed masses behind it. Moreover, none of the immense economic problems confronting a war-shattered Vietnam could be resolved on the basis of nationalist policies such as those advanced by the Stalinist leadership of the Vietnamese Communist Party (VCP). In the epoch of the domination of the world capitalist economy over all national economies, socialist transformation, while beginning on the national soil, could be completed only on the international arena. The principles for which Ta Thu Thau and other Vietnamese Trotskyists gave their lives have been vindicated in decades of bitter historical experience. The opportunist maneuverings of Ho Chi Minh and his Stalinist successors have led the Vietnamese people into a blind alley. Only the building of a genuinely socialist and revolutionary movement, a Trotskyist party as a Vietnamese section of the International Committee of the Fourth International, offers a road forward. Larry Marano/Shutterstock Brad Parscale, President Donald Trump's former 2020 campaign manager Police in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, took President Donald Trump's former campaign manager Brad Parscale to a local hospital Sunday after his wife said he was armed and acting erratically and she was worried he would try to kill himself, PEOPLE confirms. The incident began Sunday afternoon when Parscale's wife flagged down a nearby realtor who was preparing to show a home in the area and the other woman then called 911, according to audio released by authorities. According to the incident reports, Parscale's wife told police that he "was drunk and they were having an arguement [sic] when Brad Parscale took possession of one of his firearms, racked the slide, loading it right in his wife's presence." She "became so afraid for her safety that she immediately fled the residence on foot with no cell phone or belongings," the incident reports state. "After leaving the residence on foot she claimed to hear a possible gun shot from within the residence, but later stated it could have been a car back firing from down the street." A friend of Parscale's who is an officer arrived on the scene and, after Parscale "was convinced to exit the residence," he was placed into custody and taken to a hospital for evaluation and treatment, according to Fort Lauderdale police. RELATED: Trump Campaign Shakeup Campaign Manager Replaced 4 Months from 2020 Election Body camera footage of his detainment shows him shirtless and holding a can in his hand as he approaches the officer, his friend, outside his home. Parscale says repeatedly that "I didn't do anything." "I'm not trying to kill myself," he tells the officer, adding, "She's lying. I'm your friend." "She started saying all this s---," he says in the body camera footage, seemingly referring to his wife. Story continues SWAT officers then quickly move in, telling Parscale to get on the ground. When he does not respond, an officer tackles him at the waist to detain him, the footage shows. "Brad was drinking a beer and was clearly intoxicated at this time," the officer who is his friend later wrote in his report. According to the incident reports, responding police felt "it was evident that" Parscale's wife "could not safely be left with [him] due to his potential for violence to her and/or himself." Authorities tell PEOPLE, however, that he was not charged with a crime and that his wife was "not cooperative" with filing charges. "Brad Parscale has been depressed and suicidal recently," police said Parscale's wife told them, according to the reports. "This has led him to consume alcohol a lot more frequently and make suicidal statements." The 911 audio shows his wife telling the dispatcher that he has been under a "lot of stress right now" and that he had been "ranting and raving about something, I don't know." In total, police say they recovered 10 guns from inside Parscale's home. Parscale was then taken to Broward Health Medical Center, Fort Lauderdale Police Department Sgt. DeAnna Greenlaw told CNN. He was taken under Florida's Baker Act, which allows for involuntary detainment of an individual in mental health crisis. Stephen Maturen/Getty Brad Parscale Bryan Woolston/Getty Brad Parscale RELATED: Who Is Donald Trump's Supreme Court Nominee? Everything to Know About Amy Coney Barrett Parscale helped lead Trump to his surprising 2016 presidential victory but was ousted from his longtime role in the campaign following Trump's poorly attended campaign rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in June and amid a months-long streak of poor poll numbers against rival Joe Biden. The former Trump campaign manager had boasted on social media ahead of the rally that more than a million tickets were requested for the event, which wound up a hallmark disappointment for the campaign after an estimated 6,200 showed up to the 19,000-seat Bank of Oklahoma Center, reportedly angering the president. Trump removed Parscale from the top job weeks later, in July, though he was permitted to stay in a senior adviser capacity. (CNN reported though that Parscale cleared out his work space and left the campaign's offices the day he was demoted.) Our thoughts are with Brad and his family as we wait for all the facts to emerge," Tim Murtaugh, a Trump campaign spokesman, told PEOPLE in a statement after initial reports of the police incident. He initially said in a statement to other news outlets that "the disgusting, personal attacks from Democrats and disgruntled RINOs [Republicans in name only] have gone too far, and they should be ashamed of themselves for what theyve done to this man and his family." Murtaugh did not respond to subsequent requests from PEOPLE after the incident reports and other information gave a fuller picture of what happened. It was unclear Monday if Parscale remained hospitalized. He could not be reached for comment. If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), text "STRENGTH" to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 or go to suicidepreventionlifeline.org. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-28 20:47:39|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- Nearly 200,000 jobs have been directly provided to college graduates from impoverished families this year to help them secure jobs, the Ministry of Education (MOE) said Monday. Taking boosting the employment of impoverished college graduates as a priority, the ministry has adopted a series of special measures this year, said Wang Hui, an official with the MOE. The ministry has continued to host job fairs for graduates from poor families and sent over 280,000 items of recruitment information through mobile phones, Wang said, adding that it also helped college graduates from impoverished families in 52 poor counties nationwide seek employment by using big data technology. Other measures, including further education training, personalized employment guidance and pairing assistance programs, were also launched by the ministry. Next, the MOE will work with the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security and other relevant departments to continuously help unemployed graduates find jobs, Wang said. To facilitate the employment of impoverished graduates, some Chinese universities and enterprises have also rolled out preferential measures. For example, the Shaanxi Normal University has launched a targeted assistance program to help graduates from impoverished families seek jobs, as well as graduates with physical disabilities and those from Hubei Province, providing employment guidance in accordance with the specific situation of each graduate, said You Xuqun, president of the university. So far, the university has granted a total of 2.4 million yuan (about 350,000 U.S. dollars) of subsidies to this year's graduates with difficulties. Meanwhile, the China Three Gorges Corporation has recruited 100 graduates from poor families as planned, providing them with a total of 1.2 million yuan of poverty allowance, said Yang Xingshi, deputy general manager of the corporation. A total of 8.74 million college students have graduated in China this year. Enditem New Delhi, Sep 28 : Asian Paints has entered the home decor category after it saw that there is no single organised home decor player capable of providing an exhaustive range of furniture, furnishings and lightings in one place. In an interview with IANS, Amit Syngle, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Asian Paints Limited, said the company endeavours to go beyond designer wallpapers, paints and kitchen and bath player, as an integrated home decor player. On the rationale for the company to enter the category, Syngle said Asian Paints has always been about the walls and has been working around that to get into the share of space within the home. "We saw that there is no single organised home decor player capable of providing an exhaustive range of furniture, furnishings and lightings in one place with a trustworthy and technology-led proposition," he said. On the target audience, he said that Asian Paints strives to have home products and services which are suited to the needs of consumers across the spectrum. "Our offerings aim to partner with consumers who are renovating their homes as well as consumers who are looking to build their home from scratch. These new product offerings, combined with the Beautiful Homes Service across nine cities, aim to cater to consumers who are looking for products and services that help them make their personal space look more beautiful with a balanced price-product quality and likable designs. These products will be offered as a refreshing range of design and decor solutions under three brands -- Nilaya, Royale and Ador," he added. On the manufacturing strategy, Syngle said these products are made by some of the most creative designers in India. "We have partnered with leading players in these segments for their manufacturing. The products meet the same rigorous quality benchmarking that makes Asian Paints products reliable and trustworthy," he added. The company has 10 Beautiful Homes Stores which offer consumers a unique technology-led experience to help them select decor products for their dream homes with the assistance of expert designers. "From providing quality products across multiple decor categories (paints, wall-coverings, kitchens, bath, furniture, furnishings, lighting, flooring etc.) to evaluating the site and offering 3D visualisation, these stores help consumers design their dream home. They partner with consumers to make it happen through an ecosystem of execution partners," Syngle said. He added that Beautiful Homes Stores are present in Delhi, Bengaluru, Cochin, Amritsar, Raipur, Nashik, Coimbatore, Tumkur, Karur and Jajpur. "We will be soon present in Hyderabad, Rohtak, Ahmedabad and Hosur as well," he said. (Sanjeev Sharma can be reached at sanjeev.s@ians.in) Were proud to share this newest volume of The Orange Book as a compilation of best practices, use cases and data to guide enterprises in their contractor management journey and create a culture of safety. ISN, the global leader in contractor management services, released The Orange Book - 2020 Edition. The annual publication uses data-driven analytics and industry best practices to provide actionable insights on how to create long-lasting improvements to contractor management programs, and ultimately, help improve workplace safety. The COVID-19 pandemic has been a world-changing event affecting communities and businesses in unprecedented ways. As enterprises outsourcing work to contractors respond to widespread change, they must revisit their operations and processes to become more capable and resilient. Our focus has always been on supporting our customers, said Brian Callahan, President and Chief Operating Officer at ISN. Now more than ever, our customers are increasingly asking us what more they can be doing to ensure a robust supply chain. Were proud to share this newest volume of The Orange Book as a compilation of best practices, use cases and data to guide enterprises in their contractor management journey and create a culture of safety. Highlights from The Orange Book - 2020 Edition include: The Changing Landscape COVID-19 caused a significant disruption to operations for businesses and their contractors and exposed many emerging risks. Prior to the pandemic, ISN developed Pandemic Preparedness protocols, which many Hiring Clients tapped into as the challenges of COVID-19 came to light. Following the restrictions in March 2020, ISN quickly pivoted to help Hiring Clients and contractors address these challenges by launching a Learning Management System (LMS) and hosting virtual Roundtables and Executive Review Meetings to support customers. The Orange Book - 2020 Edition provides a closer look at these programs and their benefits. Recipes for Success The Orange Book - 2020 Edition includes specific case studies revealing best practices from industry leaders who have found value in using ISNetworld tools in their day-to-day operations. Topics range from tracking hours and on-site incidents, to scanning for compliance, managing subcontractors, and more. These case studies provide a cookbook for other companies hoping to achieve similar success. Expanding Oversight Businesses have continued to increase their focus on growing trends in managing emerging cybersecurity, environmental, social and governance risks and in increasing efficiencies with on-site incident tracking and digital permits. The Orange Book - 2020 Edition shares an overview of some of ISNs additional tools to help Hiring Clients manage these emerging risks. These updated tools and insights allow Hiring Clients to: Review actionable data related to serious injuries and fatalities (SIFs) Report on-site incidents immediately from a mobile phone or tablet Survey both their employees and contractor workers to gain insight on perceptions of the organizations culture around safety Streamline the process of posting bids for upcoming jobs Access reporting on Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG) targets to help Hiring Clients achieve internal sustainability and ESG targets Guard against the cyber risks associated with outsourcing work to contractors Convert paper permit forms to online versions to help Hiring Clients streamline and organize permit processes To download a copy of The Orange Book - 2020 Edition, please visit http://info.isnetworld.com/theorangebook2020edition. For more information, visit http://www.isn.com. About ISN Established in 2001, ISN is the global leader in contractor and supplier information management. ISNs global platform, ISNetworld, includes data-driven products and services that help companies manage risk and strengthen relationships. ISN brings together a network of nearly 650 Hiring Clients and 75,000 active contractors across more than 85 countries to promote continual improvement in contractor management and strive for a safe work environment for everyone. Headquartered in Dallas, Texas, ISN has satellite offices in Los Angeles, Midland, New York City, Calgary, Toronto, Montreal, Mexico City, London, Sydney, Perth and Auckland. ISN takes pride in leading efforts to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of contractor management systems and in serving as a forum for sharing industry best practices among its members. For more information, visit http://www.isn.com. On the face of things, the July 2016 murder of Seth Rich had intrigue enough for a full season of House of Cards. Unknown assailants gun down the young DNC data analyst at 4 A.M. on a Washington, D.C., street and take nothing. Two weeks later, international man of mystery Julian Assange strongly suggests on Dutch TV that Rich was his source for the purloined DNC emails then roiling the Democratic Party and offers a $20,000 reward to find the killer. Three days before the November election, Assange reportedly tells liberal media analyst Ellen Ratner that Rich was indeed his source. Days after Trump's inauguration, legendary investigative journalist Sy Hersh cites an FBI report confirming Assange's claim. Later that year, DNC honcho Donna Brazile dedicates her book Hacks to Rich and wonders out loud whether the Russians had "played some part in his unsolved murder." Despite the stakes the Trump presidency hinged on the investigation's outcome there was to be no TV series about Rich's life and death, no movie, no serious books, not even a single episode of Unsolved Mysteries or 48 Hours. Incredibly, no major publication or network save for Fox News has even attempted to resolve the still unsolved murder, and Fox execs rather wish they hadn't. To understand how a story this potentially explosive could be suppressed for so long, it is necessary to understand one basic fact of Washington life: Donald Trump received just 4.1 percent of the District's vote in the 2016 election. Trump's election disrupted short-term strategies and long-term expectations in every one of the capital's major institutions, local and federal, public and private, the legal community among them. According to Hersh, Trump was a "circuit breaker," one who made a whole lot of enemies. Those enemies, as we have seen, would go to great lengths to discredit Trump and anyone associated with him. The pressure they can bring to bear on even those who want to tell the truth remains formidable. Instead of a serious investigation by either police or reporters, the Seth Rich case generated a dumpster-full of frivolous lawsuits. These suits have had the result, likely intended, of silencing those who would dare to investigate Rich's demise. All too predictably, the media have heaped abuse on the investigators and cheered on the litigators. Prominent among the private citizens who asked questions is Ed Butowsky, a Republican wealth manager from Texas. "It is horrible," he told me. "I had no idea how big the other side is, and they are completely after me." Once he started inquiring into Rich's death, said Butowsky, "everything just turned to crap." Butowsky stumbled into his role as sleuth. Through his occasional TV appearances, Butowsky met Ellen Ratner, a friend of Assange. Her late brother Michael Ratner had been one of the American lawyers for the fugitive WikiLeaks founder. On the day after the election, Ratner lobbed a grenade into an otherwise banal panel discussion at Florida's Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. "I spent three hours with Julian Assange on Saturday at the Ecuadorian Embassy in London," Ratner volunteered midway through the event. "One thing he did say was the leaks were not from, they were not from the Russians. They were an internal source from the Hillary campaign or from somebody that knew Hillary, an enemy." If the grenade had detonated, Ratner would have blown a hole in a collusion plot that centered on the presumed Russian hack of the DNC. Fortunately for the plotters, Ratner's self-involved fellow panelists skipped over her comments, and the video of the event passed into the ether all but unseen. According to a complex, multi-party defamation suit Butowsky filed in 2019, Butowsky learned of the Assange revelation from Ratner herself. She contacted him after the meeting and added the critical detail that Seth Rich was Assange's source. On December 17, Butowsky contacted Rich's parents, Joel and Mary Rich. He felt sorry for the Riches, sensing they would get no help from the D.C. Police or the FBI. In addition, as Ratner reportedly told him, Assange had requested that the parents be made aware of Seth's role, a material fact in the search for their son's killers. According to Butowsky, Joel Rich told him he knew that Seth and his older brother Aaron were involved with the DNC email leak. Joel chose not to go public lest people think his sons were "responsible for getting Trump elected." Although the Riches would later deny many of Butowsky's claims, no one disputes his offer to hire a private investigator for the Riches or their acceptance of that offer. In the ensuing days, Ratner's public silence frustrated Butowsky. On December 29, 2016, he sent an email to Ratner saying, "If the person you met with truly said what he did, is their [sic] a reason you we aren't reporting it ?" That same day, Ratner responded, "because--- it was a family meeting---- I would have to get his permission--will ask his new lawyer, my sister-in-law." Butowsky had one other lively source of information. In January 2017, he recorded a phone conversation with the profane and refreshingly candid Pulitzer Prizewinner Sy Hersh. As Hersh related, the D.C. Police called in the FBI when its cyber unit failed to open Rich's computer. The FBI's "hot s---" cyber team succeeded and filed a report. According to that report, Rich "submitted a series of juicy emails from the DNC" to the WikiLeaks drop box and asked Assange for money in exchange for more emails Eager for confirmation, Butowsky asked Hersh if he had seen the FBI report himself. Hersh admitted he had not. He explained that he had someone on the inside who had seen it, and that person, over the years, had proved "unbelievably accurate" in providing Hersh information. Although not an ardent Trump fan he donated to Obama in 2007 and initially supported Carly Fiorina in 2016 Butowsky thought the media were screwing the new president over. The apolitical Hersh agreed. "Trump's not wrong to think they all lied about him," he said. "I have a narrative of how that whole f------ [Russia collusion] thing began. It's a [CIA director John] Brennan operation. American disinformation." For the next several months, Butowsky worked behind the scenes helping Fox News try to shed light on Rich's death. On May 16, 2017, a report by Malia Zimmerman was published on the Fox News website headlined "Slain DNC staffer had contact with WikiLeaks, investigator says." A book could be written about the unraveling of the Fox story, but, in brief, Butowsky went wrong by hiring the investigator in question, former D.C. homicide detective Rod Wheeler. Wheeler's quickly proven deceptions forced Fox to retract the story. New York attorney Douglas Wigdor was the one person to sense Wheeler's real potential. "Wigdor is the central point of all this," Butowsky told me. Although his name seems to have been lifted from a Harry Potter novel, Wigdor was all business. On August 1, 2017, his law firm filed a suit on behalf of Wheeler against Butowsky, Fox News, and Zimmerman. In the suit Wheeler claimed that Zimmerman had misquoted him to "establish that Seth Rich provided WikiLeaks with the DNC emails to shift blame away from Russia." The news of the lawsuit cheered the hearts of reporters everywhere except Fox. Most in the media failed to notice that a week after suing on behalf of Wheeler, Wigdor sent a letter to British regulatory agency Ofcom, citing the Wheeler suit as a reason to block the purchase of Britain's Sky Television by Fox News's parent company, 21st Century Fox. If no one else in the media noticed, the smear artists at Media Matters certainly did. Its president, Angela Carusone, sent a lengthy letter to Ofcom confirming that Fox "exhibited tacit support for politically motivated misinformation." Butowsky argues that the Wheeler suit was a setup for Wigdor "to extort money from Fox." As I document in my book, Unmasking Obama: The Fight to Tell the True Story of a Failed Presidency, the media routinely defamed citizens from Joe the Plumber to James O'Keefe who attempted to thwart their narrative. NPR's lengthy hit piece on Butowsky is a classic in the genre. In the report produced on August 17, 2017, NPR's David Folkenflik does not so much as mention Wigdor, let alone his maneuvering against Fox News. Instead, he does a dumpster dive into Butowsky's past. His not so subtle point in this disgraceful bit of pseudo-journalism is that a man who would fudge his academic credentials, however trivially, could not be trusted to tell the truth about Seth Rich. Folkenflik adds not a whit of new information about the death of Seth Rich. He assures his audience a year after the murder that the D.C. Police "believed [Rich's] shooting was the result of a botched armed robbery." Believed? That's it? Folkenflik also fails to mention Ellen Ratner. At the expense of his own credibility, Butowsky kept his promise not to reveal her role. Ratner repaid him. In March 2018, two weeks after Joel and Mary Rich sued Butowsky, et al. for "emotional distress," Ratner wrote an article for WorldNetDaily titled "I love my conservative friends!" She specifically cites Butowsky, "the man involved in the Seth Rich controversy." Ratner adds coyly, "Some say he had the secrets of the Democratic National Committee, and some think he was just murdered." On August 2, 2018, a federal judge in Manhattan dismissed the suits brought both by the Riches and by Wheeler. Judge George Daniels was particularly cool to Wheeler, ruling that he failed to prove he had been misquoted and "had also given his tacit consent to the article's publication." Aaron Rich has sued Butowsky as well. Fed up with the harassment, Butowsky fired back with his own suit in March 2019. In July 2019, Michael Isikoff of Yahoo News released a six-part podcast called "Conspiracyland," in which the former claimed that "Russian intelligence agents" planted the story that Rich was the source of the leaked emails. This laughably lopsided podcast deserves a deconstruction of its own. Isikoff, it should be remembered, was the reporter first designated to spread the Christopher Steele nonsense. Yet three years after that embarrassment, Isikoff was still treating Intelligence Community reports about Russian mischief as though they were gospel. The critical revelation in the Isikoff story is that Ratner denies telling Butowsky about Seth Rich. In what sounds like a staged phone call, Ms. Ratner did protest too much. "I had never heard of this character," she tells Isikoff about Rich. This was an extraordinary claim for any journalist to have made, let alone a friend of Assange. Ratner spoke to Butowsky four months after Rich's well publicized murder. Once he learned of Ratner's denial, Butowsky amended his suit to include her involvement in the affair. He also shared publicly the postElection Day video of Ratner's panel discussion as well as audio evidence confirming Ratner as his source. The major media wanted to know none of this. A Google search of "Ratner Butowsky" leads to no publication higher on the media food chain than Rolling Stone. Andy Kroll's August 2020 article, "Killing the Truth," takes up where Isikoff left off. In this exhaustive waste of time and energy, Kroll cherry-picks his way through the available evidence and essentially accuses Butowsky of concocting everything he ever said about Ratner or Joel Rich, an accusation that shocked anew the long since jaded Texan. As to Seth Rich himself, all that Kroll can tell his readers is that his murder was "just an attempted robbery gone wrong," the lone fatality among "the rash of armed muggings" in his neighborhood that summer. A botched robbery it may have been, but four years after Rich's death, the skeptic has to ask: couldn't Kroll or Isikoff or any major media reporter interview at least one of the other mugging victims? Couldn't they at least look for fresh forensic evidence? Couldn't they put aside their Fox-phobia for a moment and at least fake an interest in finding the killers of the unfortunate Seth Rich? Or, better still, couldn't someone in the Intelligence Community anyone ask Julian Assange what he really knows? Jack Cashill's new book, Unmasking Obama, is now widely available. To learn more see www.Cashill.com. Liberation theology, process theology, radical feminism, Mariolatry, etc. have all been condemned by the Church, but the Catholic charismatic renewal (CCR) has been accepted. The charismatic movement in its Catholic wing has not been condemned by the Church. I have seen statements by the pope and people such as Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, in support of it. Many orthodox Catholics, however, seem to be suspicious of it, often on the grounds of it being a Protestantizing influence. Or they consider it subversive of the Mass or distinctive Catholic piety or Catholic obedience, etc. I attend charismatic Masses occasionally. Ive also attended healing Masses. To my knowledge, they have not been condemned by the Church. The movement also has implications for ecumenism which are very positive, in my opinion. Ive heard that charismatic seminarians comprise a great percentage of up-and-coming priests, and that they are solidly orthodox as a group. There are excesses among individuals, of course (as in, e.g., some alleged Marian apparitions). I have always strongly critiqued these, both as a Protestant and as a Catholic, but I dont regard the CCR as contrary to orthodoxy at all. God intends His spiritual gifts to be perpetual. He certainly still heals. The degree and frequency of miracles may not be what we saw in the apostolic period, but they still occur. Mother Angelicas healing was a well-known recent example. I would be interested to see those Catholics who are skeptical of the Catholic charismatic movement, produce an official Church document which either discourages or condemns Catholic involvement. And if there is no such document, and if the movement is so pernicious, why has the Church not condemned it, I would ask? Church teaching is clear on all the disputed issues. When it comes to the charismatic movement, however, we find no such condemnations. If it were wrong, certainly they would be there, since everything else imaginable (i.e., with regard to theology) has been discussed in official Church documents. The burden of proof lies with the skeptics: to produce the magisterial proclamations that discourage the charismatic movement. Lacking those, I think the anti-charismatic critique too often falls back upon mere prejudice, misunderstanding, and most importantly a wrongheaded equating of excess with essence, or, proverbially, throwing the baby out with the bath water. If we have no Church teaching to back up our skepticism, we are relying upon private judgment and going by our own opinion and emotions rather than the mind of the Church. Critics of the CCR speak of a hunger for spiritual phenomena. This is excess, and would be condemned by any thoughtful, educated charismatic. But here again excess is equated with essence, and that is where such observations are fundamentally flawed and fallacious. Any charismatic would admit excess and over-enthusiasm in the movement, among some. I contend that excess is to be altogether expected as part of the human condition. Our Lord Jesus, in the parable of the wheat and tares informs us that flat-out unbelievers would be mixed in with true believers in the Church, let alone mere imbalances and corruptions of true, sincere believers. The Apostle Paul dealt with problems such as incest in the primal church at Corinth, and had to rebuke the first pope, Peter, for his hypocritical behavior at one point. Welcome to the human race! That being the case, why should folks be so hard on charismatics, simply because they have some problems? If one is going to be this judgmental, they should at least do so across the board and that is where the excess argument also breaks down, because it proves too much. All Catholic sub-groups (indeed all Catholics whatever) would have to be condemned, if they had to withstand the undue scrutiny of being equated with their flaws and shortcomings and growing pains. Errors among those in the CCR may, for example, flow from inadequate catechesis or the espousal of liberal theological notions. Its not necessarily the case that they derived from the CCR itself. There is a certain sort of nominal, liberal Catholicism and/or the wrong, false kind of warm fuzzy, E Fluvius Fluffyhead indifferentist sort of ecumenism. Perhaps in past years that sort of thought tended to get mixed in with Catholic charismatic circles. People saw it as an excuse and opportunity to lean towards Protestant thought in several areas. But that was because they didnt know their faith in the first place. They didnt realize that everything in the realm of spiritual gifts, experience, the Holy Spirit, prayer, etc. was perfectly in accord with good Catholic theology and spirituality, and had been for hundreds of years. I think of, for example, Thomas a Kempis The Imitation of Christ, which even evangelical Christian bookstores love to carry on their shelves. In like fashion, a Catholic in, say, 1975, who wanted to study the Bible with other Christians, would have looked around for a Catholic Bible study, found none, and so went to one of the myriad Protestant Bible studies. Does this prove that the Catholic Church is against the Bible? Of course not. But it does indicate that Protestants understood the value of Bible study far better than most Catholics they were actually being better Catholics than Catholics were, with regard to that one aspect. The reverse would hold in matters of sacred tradition and sacramentalism: elements of Christianity that many many evangelical Protestants have largely or wholly ignored. We shouldnt be so hard on the particular shortcomings and faults of charismatics, over against their actual doctrinal beliefs, as set forth by the leaders of the movement. The tendency of Catholics to become Protestantized is far more complex than a simple boogeyman of charismatics. Correlation doesnt always equal cause. But I think this was far more true 15-20 years ago than it is today. Why? Because today charismatics (like many other Catholics) are learning their faith, and learning how to defend it, much more than they have in the recent past. *** No charismatic with half a wit (Catholic or Protestant) I know would deny the existence of counterfeit gifts or manifestations. In fact, they are far more aware of them than non-charismatics, in my experience, for the simple fact that they are interested in (and study) spiritual experience in the first place. We discern spiritual manifestations from experience, Christian maturity, and spiritual intuition, just as any Christian feels that God talks to them on occasion, or leads them in a certain direction. Why should we apply a more stringent discipline to charismatics only, rather than to all Christians who feel led by the Holy Spirit or God the Father in prayer, etc.? If we maintain that no Christian can ever know for sure that God is leading them, then we have a major problem, and this would extend to all the great saints, and any others who have claimed some experience. No sensible charismatic would say that all spiritual manifestations come from God. Some are simply self-generated, and not particularly divine or demonic. Its a familiar non-charismatic complaint (both Protestant and Catholic) that charismatics create a two-tier state of affairs in which those who dont have the experiences or particular gifts are made to feel like outsiders or second-class Christians. This happens a lot, and is very unfortunate, but I would say, nevertheless, that it isnt the essence of the outlook, but rather, only a sadly common corruption of it. Some Protestant pentecostal theologies, however, indeed institutionalize this, with their warped theology of the baptism of the Holy Spirit, in its implications regarding those who dont receive it. Ive heard Protestant charismatics claim that Billy Graham was not filled with the Holy Spirit because he isnt a charismatic. Thats sheer nonsense, and arrogant and just plain silly to boot. I never believed in the second work of grace as a Protestant, nor that everyone should speak in tongues (clear from 1 Cor 12:1-11, 27-31). I never signed on as a member of the Assemblies of God [which I attended from 1982-1986] because I didnt accept their belief in the enduement of power, evidenced by tongues. I thought that was ludicrous and unbiblical (per the above verses). One might observe that some anti-charismatics tend to be excessively un-emotional, and allow religion to become too much of the head, and mere legalism, and not enough heart. This certainly happens a lot. I say the Church is once again both/and on this matter: we are to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. This involves emotions and passion and sometimes visible expression, and charismatics have a good understanding of that, nothwithstanding the excesses. St. Thomas Aquinas was a mystic and Marian and eucharistic devotee in addition to an extraordinary perhaps unparalleled mind. He understood the balance. Catholic charismatics are under the authority of their priests and Church teaching, and they are among the numbers of the orthodox in the Church, not the liberals and dissenters and nominal hordes. Spiritual experiences may be verified or approved, sure, but in the final analysis they are personal and subjective. Thats why the Church doesnt impose an obligation to believe in private revelations (such as Marian apparitions). Its often assumed that Catholic charismatics as a group are lone rangers who are not in touch with the spiritual direction of Church or pastor, or even directives of the prayer group they may be in. This is ludicrous. It might apply much more to Protestant charismatics, as private judgment is the Protestant principle to start with, but it is far too extreme of a judgment to apply to Catholic charismatics as their essence. One mustnt over-argue a point: it will backfire because it is reduced to absurdity in application. Excesses are real, and the pope is vigilant to address those. This is natural. But it seems to me that if the movement is essentially non-Catholic in theory and spirit and practice, then wouldnt Pope John Paul II would boldly point that out? This is a man who is not afraid to tell anyone anything they need to hear: be it Communists or Family Planners or our illustrious President. Yet he is supposedly scared to speak the truth to charismatics?! I just dont get it. The pope says the movement is one of the many fruits of Vatican Council II and that it stimulated an extraordinary flourishing of groups and movements especially sensitive to the Holy Spirit. It is his job, on the other hand, to seek to prevent excesses and errors which can readily be observed. I have critiqued them for 16 years now, and once got excommunicated from a charismatic congregation in part because of my critiques denounced from the pulpit! I would assert that authentic Catholic charismatic theology and practice is wholly in accord with Catholic Tradition. Whatever is true in Protestantism is already derived from Catholicism. *** As for tongues, some babbling is just that. What else would one expect in a large group of people, concerning a subjective experience? I dont see that as compelling grounds for outright rejection. Tongues are, after all, a biblical phenomena. We have to incorporate them somewhere in our thinking, if were serious about being biblical and apostolic. The Baptists take the position that they have ceased altogether. But on what basis? Some of the arguments for cessationism that I have seen (even from otherwise respectable scholars) are laughable and ludicrous. The subjective aspect is a two-edged sword. Critics of the CCR ask why charismatic distinctives have not been incorporated into the Mass. We know (unarguably) that both tongues and prophecy are biblical and legitimate charisms. Furthermore, there are many legitimate Catholic forms of spirituality (and yes, worship) which are present outside the Mass. Marian apparitions; indeed all private revelations, visions, most miracles, etc., immediately come to mind as examples, as well as various devotional exercises such as the Stations of the Cross, the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius, retreats, Novenas, fasts, the Rosary, the liturgy of the hours, Eucharistic processions and adoration, etc. Bible study in its standard discussion format and extended prayer meetings are not part of the Mass, either. Yet who would deny that all of these are beneficially and piously practiced by Catholics? Obviously, the Mass is not all-inclusive. Tongues and prophecy have not been institutionalized within the Mass itself, but that doesnt rule them out altogether, any more than any of the above practices are impermissible. I sometimes see Catholics reciting the Rosary all through Mass (as I understand used to be common). This is as contrary to the active participation in the Mass which Vatican II stresses (and possibly distracting to others), as is someone praying in tongues at Mass. But if charismatic worship is not consistent with the mind of the Church, that brings us back to the question of why the Church hasnt so pronounced. We have, rather, enthusiastic endorsement, it seems to me. There are times of reflection and silence, and of congregational singing during the Mass. Soft-spoken worship in tongues doesnt subvert the Mass, in my opinion, especially if the priest presiding is agreeable to it. We should rejoice that these Catholics are engaging in heartfelt worship, and enjoying the presence of God so much. Thats far better than the millions of dead, nominal Catholics who frequent our pews. Even if we ourselves dont care for the charismatic style of worship, I think we can at least rejoice in the fact that the average charismatic Catholic has a tangible enthusiasm for God and a pious joy in His presence. *** Charismatics are neither schismatic nor heretical. They arent schismatic because they havent left the Church. Individual ones have, but then so have several million other sorts of Catholics. Catholics leave the Church for many reasons (all, I think, illegitimate and inadequate in the final analysis, of course). Its asserted that charismatic worship is dangerous because it introduces Protestant forms of thought, worship, and theology. Charismatic theology is either orthodox or heretical. If the former, these sorts of objections collapse, except for the correcting of abuses, which all agree with, anyway. If the latter, then I continue to assert that it is exceedingly strange and implausible that the Church hasnt condemned the false theology, as it has condemned all other false and heretical beliefs I can think of. Its said that charismatics have too much desire for experiences, emotions, and miracles. But perhaps many of them simply had a spiritual experience (without particularly seeking it), and figured out that that was part of the spiritual life, benefited from it, grew closer to God as a result of it, felt more inner joy, and hence pursued it further, and joined with those who could relate to such experiences. In this instance, the hunger would be more so for God than for the experience. The experience is thus a means to an end, as it should be. As long as no dichotomy is made, and experience isnt made the end of the spiritual life, but on the contrary a means to God, I see no wrong in it, and nothing contrary to Catholic spirituality. Or perhaps they desired a closer relationship with God, more fellowship, more corporate prayer. None of these have to do directly with experience or the gifts, but charismatics stress, and do well in these areas. I must say that speaking of my own odyssey these sorts of things drew me closer to Catholicism (in baby steps at that point), not further from it. One charismatic prayer meeting I attended showed me that Catholics loved the Lord as much as my fellow evangelicals. It was the papal encyclical on Mary on the back table which made me feel that Catholics were lacking in true theology. Ditto for the music of John Michael Talbot, who is a charismatic, Im pretty sure. So commonality doesnt always lead one away from the Church, but often to it. One can walk both ways on a bridge. None of the above aspects are contrary to Catholicism, so they fill an ecumenical function, among other things. They are elements which evangelicals and Catholics hold in common; charismatics have a better understanding of this, and so it becomes a manifestation of the Church which appeals to Protestants who will usually notice the distinctives of Catholicism and oftentimes be put off by those. Furthermore, I would say that charismatics excel at emphasizing the feelings and emotions and passions, which are altogether proper when we ponder what God has done for us. One could seek that deeper walk with God which all Christians ought to pursue, without necessarily having or seeking spiritual experiences. Again, charismatics are more spontaneous in emotional expressions of worship and praise. I see that (within proper bounds and propriety) as exciting and encouraging, and quite in accord with the true spirit of Vatican II and the Bible itself (read many of the Psalms, where this is patently obvious). In any event, there are several reasons for being attracted to charismatic Catholicism other than an imbalanced hunger or enthusiasm in the derogatory sense. Catholic charismatics place an emphasis on the spiritual gifts, and feeling and emotion, but its not that they feel themselves spiritually superior simply in doing that. This is no different in essence or purpose from any number of Catholic movements. Dominicans dont claim to have a lock on reason and logic, nor Missionaries of Charity on love and care of the poor, nor Trappists on silent contemplation, nor Franciscans on simplicity and childlike faith, nor Jesuits on teaching and evangelistic skill and zeal, etc. Rightly understood, charismatics would not say that non-charismatics didnt have the Spirit. If they did, this would clearly be non-Catholic teaching (especially with regard to confirmation). But they could say they had something to offer by way of understanding and experience, and I see nothing wrong with that, if there is no heresy. All of us are prone to spiritual pride. It would be grossly unfair to pin that on charismatics more so than other sorts of Catholics. They dont see the chrisms or gifts as extraordinary, so much as ordinary. In others words, everyone should possess one or more spiritual gifts. Therefore, if a Catholic or any other Christian seems to give no place to the Holy Spirit and spiritual gifts, it is he who is abnormal or deficient in spirituality, rather than the charismatic being extraordinary or unusual. Its all in ones perspective, and in the Bible St. Paul is pretty clear about this, it seems to me. There are many gifts, and I believe most biblical scholars feel that the New Testament listings are not exhaustive. Paul clearly teaches us that every Christian possesses one or more (1 Cor 12:6-7, 11, 31; 14:1). Paul also talks about being filled with the Spirit, as an ongoing process (cf. Eph 5:18; Greek sense: filled continually). The point isnt will power or self-exertion, but being open to the Holy Spirit and what He desires to give to us. There are many gifts. Many charismatics will say that tongues is the least of the gifts (note, e.g., 1 Cor 14:18-19). As I understand it, tongues do not come from within, as a natural phenomena, but from without: from the Holy Spirits prompting (I believe Rom 8:26 might be cited in this vein). It isnt a matter of getting yourself to do it, at least not when properly understood. That may occur in some unsophisticated Protestant pentecostal circles, but I think its lousy theology, and coercive to boot. I dont think that most Catholic charismatics believe that the gift of tongues is for everyone (1 Cor 12:11, 30). This is why I have never felt inferior or second-class in the least (as one who has never spoken in tongues), and I have moved in many charismatic circles. I also am pretty sure that much (not sure how much) of what passes for tongues is merely peoples self-willed utterances. Otherwise, I dont think it would be so nearly universal among charismatics. There is an argument that can be made about the existence of a prayer tongue apart from the gifts, and Ive made it myself. Each person can only examine themselves as to whether their own tongues-speaking is from the Spirit or psychologically or emotionally driven, from the will: mere self-produced babbling. I think most Catholic charismatics would say they want to feel closer to God, and to have the power in the Christian life which He desires them to have, in order to overcome sin, the world, the flesh, and the devil. Nothing wrong with that, that I can see. Im much more troubled by lukewarm, liberal, compromised, ignorant, uncharitable, fornicating or contracepting or greedy Catholics than by charismatics who love the Lord with all their heart, but who may get excessive in doctrine or deed on occasion. *** Analogously, how often do we hear about supposed Mariolatry and paganism and worshiping of idols from our anti-Catholic friends? They think (in fact, are thoroughly convinced) that such things are of the essence of Catholicism, dont they? They define us right out of Christianity because of it. But we know better. And non-believers in general are always quick to point out Christian hypocrisy as an alleged disproof of Christianity. But we know better than that, too. No one (sensibly) gives up their belief simply because there are always hypocrites and spiritual ignoramuses to be found. Many people leave denominations or church groups because of hypocrisy and sin in its history or members, but I have never taken that to be a valid reason, unless such sin was institutionalized in that group. By the same token, the Psalms would have to be ditched because David was a first-degree murderer and adulterer; Pauls epistles tossed because he killed Christians; the disciples (including Matthew and John) suspect because Judas (chosen by Jesus Himself) was among their number. This is our Bible and apostolic Tradition. I dont see charismatics running down the traditional Mass and all the perfectly good and valid forms and customs and traditions which go with it. I love the Latin Mass myself, yet I also like charismatic Masses on occasion. I dont see that they are mutually exclusive any more than different liturgical rites in the Church are. The Church is big enough to include all these things. This is part of its glory. One Mass may have Gregorian Chant, another spontaneous praises and contemporary worship music. As long as the Mass isnt subverted, the important thing is to worship God from the heart and soul and mind, in whatever form this takes place (worship in silence is wonderful, too). There are cultural differences (beyond the charisms issue) which are legitimately incorporated into the Mass. Lousy and embarrassed congregational singing is very much a result of Anglo-Saxon reticence and tempering of overt emotions. I know all about this: I grew up Methodist. We see the difference even in black Catholic churches. Whos to say what is more spiritual? Silence and solemnity are great, but so are expressed passion and heartfelt emotion, when appropriate. I want excellent aesthetics in church, too, whether we are talking about traditional church music or contemporary. Speaking for myself, I want to become whatever God wants me to be, whatever He calls me to. As I believe in the existence of all the spiritual gifts, I will accept whichever one the Spirit sees fit to grant to me. Thus far, I believe I have the gift of discernment and am a (lay) teacher in the Church. *** The CCR is analogous to the ecumenical movement, which has only really flourished and been emphasized in the Catholic Church since Pope Pius XII (for about 50 years). This was not a major emphasis by the Church prior to that time, and there were good reasons for that. Various heresies, Protestantism, etc., constituted competing truth claims to the Church, and hence the Church assumed a defensive / Catholic Reformation stance for several hundred years. Yet the kernel of ecumenism and a less strict interpretation of no salvation outside the Church was there at least since St. Augustine and the struggle with the Donatists, when it was decided by the Church that Donatists re-entering the Catholic Church need not be re-baptized. In other words, baptism administered outside the Church proper was considered valid. Protestant trinitarian baptisms are viewed in the same way. This was the seed of the earnest ecumenism we see today: baptismal character and regeneration across many Christian denominational lines. Quasi-schismatic Catholics today (and many legitimate traditionalists) claim that ecumenism is un-Catholic, indifferentist, modernist, etc. ad nauseam, because it has been supposedly only recently devised. But this isnt true: development can occur in spurts and starts. Such Catholics make the same point about the Catholic stance on religious liberty, saying that it contradicts former Catholic dogma, and was an invention of Vatican II. The same reasoning holds with regard to religious liberty. So just as ecumenism has only recently come into the foreground in Catholic thought and practice, without explicit precedent, yet not without seeds throughout Church history (and explicit sanction of infallible Vatican II); in like fashion, so can the charismatic renewal flourish suddenly in our own time: seemingly something very new, yet with much scriptural justification and enough continuance throughout Church history to legitimize it (not to mention the original Pentecost itself). I think we would have a very difficult time finding any other practice or belief system that is consistently spoken of in such glowing terms by popes and bishops, yet is somehow inherently un-Catholic and quasi-Gnostic, as one prominent critic seems to believe. I think that whole scenario stretches credulity beyond the breaking point. On the other hand, if critics of the CCR can simply admit that there are excesses (even many), but that the movement is a good and Catholic thing at bottom, all these difficulties disappear. Between the two choices, there is no contest. If the popes (and bishops) had either not spoken on this, or in a much different, more reticent tone, then the critics might have a case, and I would be quite glad to follow their lead, but as it stands, I cant agree. *** Related Reading * * * * * * * *** (originally a very long debate in 1998; edited down to my words only, on 8-2-18) Photo credit: Day of Pentecost (c. 1620), by Juan Bautista Mayno (1581-1649) [public domain / Wikimedia Commons] *** Bachelor in Paradise star Kirralee 'Kiki' Morris' ex-boyfriend has pleaded guilty to pinning her to a couch by her throat and slapping her across the face. Jeremy Peter Banks, 31, finally admitted to the shocking act of domestic violence after more than two years of legal wrangling. The salesman appeared to have dodged justice months after the May 5, 2018 attack as the charges were dropped because Morris, 32, didn't show up to court. But when police found text messages of Banks manipulating her into pulling out of the case, he was slapped with more charges. Jeremy Banks (pictured left) pleaded guilty to choking and slapping his ex-girlfriend, Bachelor In Paradise star Kirralee 'Kiki' Morris on May 5, 2018 Morris (pictured) woke to her boyfriend standing over her yelling and brandishing a mobile phone, a police statement of facts seen by Daily Mail Australia details The incident occurred when the couple, who had been dating for 18 months, were drinking with friends at their flat in Manly, on Sydney's northern beaches, when Morris said she felt sick and went to bed. At about 5am she woke to her boyfriend standing over her yelling and brandishing a mobile phone, a police statement of facts seen by Daily Mail Australia details. Morris was still groggy from the cold and flu tablets she took before bed, but told police she remembered Banks grabbing her. He then pulled or dragged her across the room and slammed her on to a couch where he held her by the throat, pinned her with his leg, and screamed in her face. The former glamour model could barely breathe, let alone scream, so she tried to bang on the floor with her foot to raise the alarm - but it was no use. 'Shut the f**k up... answer the question,' Banks yelled, and slapped her across the face as he kept her pinned down. Morris, who first rose to fame on The Bachelor in 2016, told police she may have hit Banks in self defence as she flailed her arms, but wasn't sure. Eventually she was able to break free and ran outside yelling 'help me, call the police, call the police' into the arms of a neighbour, who rushed her inside. Morris shot to fame on The Bachelor in 2016, before starring on Bachelor in Paradise this year Morris suffered a bloodied lip, bruising around her eye, a grazed left cheek, and redness to her elbows. Still visibly distressed, Morris told police what happened in a videotaped interview. Banks was arrested at the flat and initially started talking to detectives until he was shown Morris' interview, and immediately hired a lawyer. He was charged with assault causing bodily harm and common assault, and given bail ahead of a hearing on July 24, 2018. However, the charges were thrown out by Magistrate Christopher Longley because Morris failed to appear in court. Banks' lawyers successfully argued it would be unfair to admit the video interview because Morris could not be cross-examined in court. However, on April 8, 2019, the NSW Director of Public Prosecutions appealed to the Supreme Court and got the evidence reinstated and a new trial ordered. A law was passed in 2014 that allowed video interviews to be admitted in domestic violence cases so victims wouldn't have to face their alleged attackers in court. Banks appeared to dodged justice months after the May 5, 2018, attack as the charges were dropped when Morris, 32, didn't show up to court - but it caught up with him later Banks pulled or dragged her across the room and slammed on to a couch where he held her by the throat, pinned her with his leg, and screamed in her face Justice Mark Ierace agreed the magistrate was mistaken in throwing out the evidence due to this law. A month later, Banks was also charged with preventing a potential witness from attending court proceedings. Detectives then received a trove of texts and Google Hangouts messages between the former couple in which Banks pressured Morris to drop the case. The relentless effort began immediately after Banks was released from custody and continued until two weeks before the trial. 'I'm in f**king jail... You sent me to f**king jail I have to go to court you testified against me how the f**k could you do this to me?' he wrote. Despite there being a restraining order against Banks contacting Morris, the two texted each other daily. Despite there being a restraining order against Banks contacting Morris (pictured), the two texted each other daily Banks texted the reality star begging her to drop the case 'I'm trying to ensure I can get the best outcome I can with your help it can probably be the best possible outcome,' Banks wrote on May 7. 'I have two prior assault charges so prison is an option and I'm sure you can see it in your heart to look at the bigger picture here.' In a subsequent text that day, Banks first brings up the suggestion that she not turn up to court so he can get off the charges. 'I will speak to my lawyer today and see what is my best course of action and let you know if you could see it in your heart to help me with a reference or not turning up to court I would be forever grateful,' he wrote. Banks ramped up the pressure on May 10, begging for 'a little cooperation' that would have 'no repercussions' for her. 'If you ever loved me or you have any care or love for me whatsoever you would at least try to cooperate in the least amount to ensure I don't have to ruin the rest of my life,' he wrote. In an extraordinary series of Google Hangouts messages on May 15, Banks made a grovelling apology for the assault in the hope Morris would help him In Google Hangouts messages on May 15, Banks apologised for the assault in the hope Morris would help him. 'I'm sorry, for dragging you out of bed Kiki and I'm sorry I saw what I saw in your phone and sorry for everything OK,' he wrote. 'I've apologised 1000 times for that... I dragged you out of bed because of what I saw, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you and you know it. But I'm sorry, OK.' Switching back to text again on June 1, Banks asked Morris if the police had contacted her and asked her to attend court. 'I also want your help with this situation because again from the bottom of your heart, everything aside, kiki do you want me to go to jail?' he added on June 5. 'It's as black and white as that.' By June 10, the police were hounding Morris to serve her with a subpoena to testify in the case the following month. 'I just want to cry. This is horrible. My sister yelled at me. Mum is abusing me,' she wrote to Banks. Banks told Morris he feared he would be sentenced to jail over the incident Banks appeared to suggest his relationship with the reality star would survive the court case He replied: 'Yelling at you for what abusing you for what?' to which Morris wrote: 'For having the police chasing me for protecting you.' Banks launched into an angry tirade claiming the police would chase her anyway and her family should be supporting him. 'So what they would prefer to see me go to jail and have a f**ked record?' he wrote, before implying their relationship would survive the case. 'Imagine if when we have kids and thats on my record what they would think, it will be over in a couple of weeks think of our future, the police certainly dont give a f**k about us or our future.' Banks on July 2 offered to get Morris a new phone number so she could avoid police getting access to her messages, but she said she needed her current one for job applications. The last text in the police facts showed Banks passing on a letter or similar from his lawyer telling police to cease contact. 'Can you pass that on to your family. All they have to do is they dont want to be contacted again about this matter. And it will stop,' he wrote. Police wrote in the statement of facts that the texts were a clear attempt to scuttle the assault case. '[They] were a deliberate attempt to manipulate the victim into avoiding police and persuading her not to attend court to give evidence,' police wrote. 'He specifically requested her co-operation and referenced their relationship continuing after the court matter resolved in his favour. 'He spoke of making up for past mistakes in their relationship after the court matter was over and done with and offered to propose to her to prove his commitment. 'This message in particular was sent in the context of the accused asking for help with this situation asking the victim she wanted the accused to go to jail.' Faced with overwhelming evidence, Banks pleaded guilty to assault causing bodily harm in Sydney Downing Centre Local Court last Thursday. He also pleaded to preventing a potential witness from attending court proceedings, while the common assault charge was dropped. Banks will next face court on October 22 to begin sentencing. Kiki Morris appeared on Richie Strahan's season of the Bachelor in 2016 - and started dating Jeremy Banks shortly after filming wrapped He was also charged on May 8, 2019, with breaking the original restraining order, for which was convicted in August 2019 but appealed to the District Court. His appeal was denied on June 16 and he was handed a 12-month community correction order beginning that day. A new restraining order prevents Banks from contacting Morris except through her lawyer, or from going within 200m of her home or workplace. Standard bans on him assaulting, threatening, stalking, harassing, or intimidating her also apply. Morris was a contestant on the 2016 season of The Bachelor, unsuccessfully competing for Richie Strahan's heart. She earlier modelled for Playboy, Zoo Weekly, and Ralph, and was a Miss Bondi runner-up in 2011. Morris had a second chance at love on Bachelor in Paradise earlier this year, where she shacked up with Ciarran Stott - but the relationship ended soon after the show. In her second visit to Wisconsin to stump for her husband and presidential nominee Joe Biden, Jill Biden rallied voters in the Democratic bastion of Madison an area Democrats hope can boost voter turnout in what many expect to be another close election. Monday marked Bidens second visit to Wisconsin this month. She and husband Joe traveled to Kenosha and Wauwatosa on Sept. 3 following the police shooting of Jacob Blake. Madison, Im so grateful to be here with you in person after so many virtual Zooms to your state in the last few months, Biden said to a crowd of about 150 people standing outside Madisons Daisy Cafe & Cupcakery on Atwood Avenue. While most attendees wore masks, some in the crowd stood closer together than health officials have recommended. Following her visit to Madison, Biden departed for another event in Waukesha County, an area where conservatives have held a strong advantage over the last several years. While the Bidens who canceled plans to attend a scaled-back Democratic National Convention in Milwaukee last month due to COVID-19 have made limited trips to the battleground state so far this year, President Donald Trump and his administration have made multiple campaign stops. Trump will once again return to the state Saturday to hold events in La Crosse and Green Bay. Saturday will mark Trumps sixth trip to Wisconsin as he looks for a repeat of 2016, when he defeated Hillary Clinton by fewer than 23,000 votes. President Trump has Wisconsins back, and as a result, Badger State voters will back him at the ballot box in November, said Anna Kelly, spokeswoman for the Trump campaign. With the Nov. 3 election five weeks away, state elections officials anticipate as many as 2 million people will cast absentee ballots due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As of Monday, nearly 1.14 million absentee ballots had been sent out statewide and more than 238,000 have been returned, according to the Wisconsin Elections Commission. More than 52,000 ballots had been returned in Dane County. I know youre already engaged or you probably wouldnt be out here this afternoon, Jill Biden said Monday. I know youre busy and youre probably stretched so thin, but Im asking you to do more because this election is too important to sit on the sidelines. All of us have to do what we can until Election Day. This is it, there are no do-overs. This is the last shot to wake up on Nov. 4 and feel that hope. As the election nears, sparring continues to ramp up between Republicans and Democrats over the election primarily regarding absentee voting. We know that our energy has to be focused on a voter turnout plan because (Republicans are) going to try to do everything they can to try to suppress the vote, as they always do, and our response to that is even more organizing, Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes said Monday. They know that the higher the turnout, the less likely it will be that they win. Thats why we have to make sure we get every eligible voter out to the polls. Extension halted On Sunday, a federal appeals court temporarily halted a six-day extension for counting absentee ballots. Currently, ballots are due by 8 p.m. on Election Day. The appeal follows a lower court judges decision to side with Democrats to extend the deadline until Nov. 9 to allow more time to count what is anticipated to be a historic high number of absentee ballots. U.S. District Judge William Conley, who ruled on Sept. 21 to extend the deadline, said the influx of ballots would be three times more absentee ballots than in any other previous election and could overwhelm both election officials and the postal service. If the decision had stood, it could have delayed knowing the winner of Wisconsin for days. Recent developments On Thursday, a conservative group called Wisconsin Voters Alliance sought to block more than $6.3 million in private federal election grants designated for five Wisconsin cities. Madison was granted $1.3 million through the program. The lawsuit claims that funds announced this summer by the nonprofit Center for Tech and Civic Life constitute bribery to boost voting in liberal communities. The suit also claims that only the state, and not cities, has the legal authority to accept and use private election grants. And on Friday, state GOP leaders Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald, R-Juneau, and Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, sent a cease-and-desist letter to the Madison City Clerks Office questioning the legality of a ballot collection event, which kicked off Saturday in Madison parks and continues next Saturday. Despite the threat, city officials said the event is legal, and it proceeded as planned. President Donald Trump will once again return to Wisconsin on Saturday to hold events in La Crosse and Green Bay. That will mark Trumps sixth trip to a state that he won in 2016 by fewer than 23,000 votes. Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Amid the ongoing clashes between Azerbaijan and Armenia, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Sunday (local time) said that he is concerned with the fresh resumption of hostilities between the two countries. The Secretary-General strongly calls on the sides to immediately stop fighting, de-escalate tensions and return to meaningful negotiations without delay, Guterress spokesman said in a statement. At least 23 people were killed and over 100 sustained injuries on Sunday (local time) as heavy clashes broke out between Armenian and Azerbaijani forces over the disputed separatist region of Nagorno-Karabakh, Al Jazeera reported. Meanwhile, US State Department Spokesperson Morgan Ortagus condemned the clashes between the two countries and said: The US is alarmed by reports of military action along the Line of Contact between Armenia and Azerbaijan. We extend our condolences to the families of those killed and injured. We remain committed to helping the sides achieve a peaceful settlement. According to Al Jazeera, Armenia has declared martial law and ordered its military to mobilise after a major flare-up in violence with Azerbaijan broke out over the disputed region. Sputnik quoted presidential aide Hikmet Hajiyev as saying that Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev has approved the introduction of martial law in several regions of the country with a curfew set to go into effect on September 28. Meanwhile, both have blamed each other for the escalation that led to casualties. Armenia accused the neighbour Azerbaijan of hurting civilian settlements in Nagorno-Karabakh -- which is recognised as a part of Azerbaijan internationally but controlled by Armenian forces. Azerbaijan launched what it described as a counteroffensive, while the self-proclaimed Republic of Artsakh accused Azerbaijani forces of opening fire against civilians and civilian infrastructure in its capital of Stepanakert. (ANI) A pair of art-related events, the Magic Mural Tour and Parking Lot Picasso, came to downtown Rochester for Art Month on Saturday. September is Art Month in downtown Rochester, sponsored by Genesys Credit Union. Both events were open to the public, where artists of all ages could compete and express themselves, and the public could enjoy their artwork. These events were also hosted in conjunction with Rochester Downtown Development Authoritys (DDAs) Taste of Fall, which runs through Monday, October 19. Over 20 participating downtown businesses will have special fall-inspired entrees, drinks and desserts, with information about the event available at the Downtown Collaboration Studio or at downtownrochestermi.com. For example, the DDA announced on Facebook on Saturday its Taste of Fall Flavor of the Day, a malty, German-style, Oktoberfest lager with low to moderate hop bitterness, medium body and and orangish-amber coloring from Rochester Mills Beer Company. And, on Sunday, the announced Flavor of the Day was a pumpkin crumble, with a white chocolate center, glaze drizzle and homemade whipped cream, from Tonias Victorian Rose Tea Room & More. The Magic Mural Tour, which runs September 8-30, features artwork by 14 different local artists, which are displayed outside and scattered throughout town. A map of the different artworks is available on the DDAs website where the event is announced, and includes locations such as the Royal Park Hotel, the DDAs office, Paint Creek Center for the Arts (PCCA), a downtown Rochester nonprofit art center and gallery, and several stores along Main Street. The DDA, in conjunction with PCCA, is also hosting a Peoples Choice Contest on Facebook to pick the best mural. Other artwork is also being included in different categories. It has posted pictures of each mural and the photo with the most likes will be crowned the Peoples Choice Winner for this year, with the contest running Wednesday, September 23, thru Monday, September 28. Titles for the artworks include Rochester Is, by Michelle Tessoff, and Home Sweet Home, by Amie Mommersteeg. The downtown murals are a product of the downtown association or Rochester (DDA) and they made September Art Month, Nicole Bush, PCCA Education Coordinator, in charge of programs and social media, said. They have come up with Taste of (Fall) where even the restaurants can participate and the (Magic) Mural Tour is part of that. Hosted by PCCA and also part of Art Month, Parking Lot Picasso is a chalk-drawing event where artists filled a maximum of 40 parking spaces of the Rochester Grain Elevator (formerly the Griggs Brothers Grain Elevator) parking lot, on the corner of University and East Streets, with their chalk drawings. Participants were asked to submit their chalk parking space design online on the PCCAs website by September 16, to be approved by September 21. PCCA then assigned each participant a parking space and provided them with chalk to complete their designs, with artists having to pick up their supplies from the PCCA before the event to decorate their spots within the selected time frame. Artists then decorated their parking spot on the mornings of Friday and Saturday, September 25 and 26. Due to the pandemic, participants were required to bring and wear face masks, despite the event being outdoors, while within six feet of any individuals outside of their households. Parking Lot Picasso is a project to bring some community art and put joy into local peoples lives. And, it gives them ownership of their city, Bush said. Each chalked parking space was entered into the DDAs and PCCAs Peoples Choice Contest on Facebook, with voting ending Sunday at 2:30 p.m. There are first, second and third place prizes, which include award ribbons and free PCCA workshops. Vanessa Wacek, a Troy resident, participated in Saturdays Paint Creek Picasso event. When asked how she got involved in the event, Waceks mom said she got an email about it. Shes (Waceks) taking classes at Paint Creek and we got an email about it, Waceks mom said. Were very excited. For more information on Art Month, the Taste of Fall and the Magic Mural Tour, visit the DDAs website, go to events and click on Whats Happening, or see the DDAs Facebook page. Or, for more information on the PCCA and Parking Lot Picasso, visit the PCCAs website or find them on social media on Facebook or Twitter at @PaintCreekArts. See photos of the event and read more here: A U.S. district judge has dismissed New Mexico's privacy lawsuit against Google, saying the tech giant adequately meets federal guidance on complying with the Children's Online Privacy Act. Why it matters: As a federal antitrust case looms, Google has also been fighting off legal challenges in various U.S. states as well as across the Atlantic. This victory means there's one less investigation to deal with for now. Context: In February, New Mexico attorney general Hector Balderas accused Google in a lawsuit of illegally amassing schoolchildren's personal data through G Suite Education products that the tech giant lets kids use for free. Eighty million teachers and students around the globe use G Suite education products. Balderas alleged that Google collected kids' geolocation information, contact lists, browsing history and voice recordings on Google and YouTube without parental consent. What they're saying: Judge Nancy Freudenthal wrote that Google appears to be meeting the Federal Trade Commission's standards under COPPA, including by letting schools stand in for parents to authorize the collection of kids' data. We are pleased with the ruling. We are committed to partnering with schools to protect students' privacy," said Jose Castaneda, a Google spokesperson. "The law is clear that Google must protect our childrens privacy, and we strongly disagree with the Courts ruling and will continue to litigate to protect child privacy rights," Balderas said in a statement. Read the full order: Teenagers are about twice as likely to become infected with the coronavirus as younger children, according to an analysis released Monday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The report is based on a review of 277,285 cases among children aged 5 to 17 whose illness was diagnosed from March to September. The findings come as 56 million children in the country resume schooling amid contentious debates about their safety. Scientists are scrambling to understand how often children are infected and how often they transmit the virus, but the findings have been inconsistent. Much of the national debate has centered on children in primary schools. But the new study adds to a body of evidence suggesting that older teenagers, in high school and college, are more likely to be infected and more likely to transmit the coronavirus than are children under age 10, said Dr. Muge Cevik, an infectious disease expert at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland. The World Customs Organization organized, with the support of the Customs Cooperation Fund of China, a national workshop on Customs valuation for the benefit of Panama Customs to effectively implement the WTO Customs Valuation Agreement. The workshop was held virtually from 8 - 10 September 2020 and was co-facilitated by two WCO Accredited experts from Brazil and Uruguay. Twenty-two selected participants located in different regions of the country and representing different technical units of Panama Customs took part in this three day workshop. Most participants are responsible for applying the Agreement during the document verification and clearance phases. During the workshop, several key concepts of the WTO Customs Valuation Agreement were covered including the latest related developments and the use of post clearance audit for Customs valuation control. The workshop comprehended different sessions with theory and practical cases. The topics covered in the programme comprised the structure and the different valuation methods of the Agreement including the transaction value, related party, direct-indirect payments, Article 8 adjustments, the use of Customs databases as a risk assessment tool and relevant instruments approved by the TCCV. Police patrolling Glasgow's Sauchiehall Street on Friday night - James Chapelard Police Scotland responded to "at least" 300 house parties on the first weekend of Nicola Sturgeon's nationwide ban on indoor visits to other households, it was disclosed yesterday. Officers issued at least 101 fixed penalty notices, made 14 arrests and forced entry on three occasions while responding to complaints of parties and gatherings taking place. The disclosure prompted Nicola Sturgeon to plead with Scots to follow coronavirus restrictions, while her Justice Secretary said he was "astounded" at the flouting of the rules. Police analysis suggested that only around one in 10 house parties have been linked to students, with illegal gatherings being held across the country in every community and age group. Official figures also showed a surge in hospital admissions with the number of patients more than doubling in the past fortnight. Scotland saw a single-day record of 714 cases last week. Ms Sturgeon announced a further 222 Covid-19 cases over the previous 24 hours, but emphasised this was likely to be under-reported due to a "weekend effect". She last week introduced a nationwide ban on indoor visits to other households and 10pm for all bars and restaurants to limit the spread of Covid-19. We know the vast majority of people - including students - are complying with the rules but I am astounded at the minority of ppl that are wilfully breaking the rules and having house parties despite knowing the danger they are putting themselves & others in. Reckless. https://t.co/rerTSHiIrr Humza Yousaf (@HumzaYousaf) September 28, 2020 Chief Constable Iain Livingstone said there could be no excuse for arranging, attending, or hosting a house party, which was now against the law. He said: Where officers encounter blatant, willful, or persistent breaches, we will take decisive action to enforce the law. Story continues Police have the power to enter properties and break up house parties with more than 15 people present. Anyone breaking the rules faces a fixed penalty of 60, which can increase to 960 for repeat offenders. While the vast majority of people were clearly respecting the new rules, she said even relatively small indoor gatherings could become super spreader events. Ms Sturgeon added: Anybody who is flagrantly breaching very clear rules against house parties should really take a look at themselves, because we know house parties are one of the risk factors that cause. House gatherings perhaps is a better description because I think when you say house party people think of events with dozens of people there this could be a smaller number of people with different households mixing. She said the figures had to be "seen in the context" of Scotland's 5.4 million population and "house gatherings" were a better description for the events than parties as they involved guests that "span the age spectrum". Our Chief @CC_Livingstone thanked the vast majority of the public for co-operating with new restrictions over the weekend but reiterated concern about house parties. Officers responded to at least 300, issuing 101 fixed penalties and making 14 arrests https://t.co/0HguZ1sinK Police Scotland (@policescotland) September 28, 2020 Humza Yousaf, the Scottish Justice Secretary, tweeted: "We know the vast majority of people - including students - are complying with the rules but I am astounded at the minority of ppl that are wilfully breaking the rules and having house parties despite knowing the danger they are putting themselves & others in. Reckless." There were 122 people in Scottish hospitals with the virus yesterday, up by 17 on the previous day. This total included 16 in intensive care, up by four. But less than a fortnight previously, on September 15, only 48 people were in hospital of which six were in intensive care. Ms Sturgeon warned that the sharp increase in admissions should dispel any complacency about the deadly nature of the virus. Photo credit: VALERIE MACON - Getty Images From Esquire Joaquin Phoenix and Rooney Mara have reportedly got some big news to celebrate. Director Victor Kossakovsky announced that the Joker star had become a dad at the Zurich Film Festival while promoting Gunda, on which Joaquin serves as an executive producer. Explaining his absence, Victor said: "He just got a baby, by the way, his name was... a beautiful son called River, so he cannot promote [the film] right now." Photo credit: Randy Shropshire - Getty Images River was the name of Joaquin's older brother, who passed away in 1993 at the age of 23 following a drug overdose outside a nightclub. While accepting his Oscar for Best Actor at this year's Academy Awards, the actor honoured his brother in his speech. "When he was 17, my brother [River] wrote this lyric. He said, 'Run to the rescue with love and peace will follow.'" Photo credit: Nancy R. Schiff - Getty Images Other members of the Phoenix family have also paid tribute to the late Stand by Me actor when naming their children. His sister Liberty Phoenix named her son Rio, the Spanish translation of River, and Summer Phoenix called her son Indiana, after the actor's role in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. Joaquin and Rooney, who confirmed their engagement in May 2019, first met in 2013 while working on the film Her. They later reunited on the movie Mary Magdalene three years later, which is when they started dating. Photo credit: VALERIE MACON - Getty Images Opening up about their relationship, the 45-year-old told Vanity Fair about first meeting Mara. "She's the only girl I ever looked up on the internet," he said. "We were just friends, email friends. I'd never done that. Never looked up a girl online." Like this article? Sign up to our newsletter to get more delivered straight to your inbox. SIGN UP Need some positivity right now? Subscribe to Esquire now for a hit of style, fitness, culture and advice from the experts SUBSCRIBE You Might Also Like OTTAWA The federal Liberals are setting the stage for thousands of legal disputes over whether farmers and rural municipalities should pay to upgrade rail crossings across the Prairies and assume millions in legal liabilities. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 28/9/2020 (481 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. OTTAWA The federal Liberals are setting the stage for thousands of legal disputes over whether farmers and rural municipalities should pay to upgrade rail crossings across the Prairies and assume millions in legal liabilities. "Costs that were previously the responsibility of the railways are now being offloaded onto farmers," said Bill Nicholson, who farms canola near Riding Mountain National Park in Manitoba. The Trudeau government is refusing growing calls to extend a Harper-era regulation to upgrade safety measures at rail crossings, instead saying a tribunal can sort out disputes. In 2014, the Grade Crossings Regulations pushed Transport Canada to start compelling municipalities and companies to install bells, lights or gates at crossings the regulator deemed to be of highest use and risk. The regulations aim to lower the risk of trains colliding with motor vehicles and pedestrians at crossings, which happens disproportionately in the Prairies. According to the Transportation Safety Board, there have been an average of 17 crossing accidents per year over the past decade in Manitoba. Upgrades are supposed to be complete by November 2021. Railways ramped up efforts this spring, issuing letters asking farmers and municipalities to agree they, not the railways, own the crossings and thus must pay thousands of dollars. Nicholsons farm, in the RM of Yellowhead, sits adjacent to Highway 16, to which a CP Rail line runs parallel. The railway has estimated upgrading both crossings on Nicholsons property will cost a combined $5,000, and require enough insurance for $5 million in liability (the cost of which he still cant figure out). On top that, the railway expects a $350 annual fee, plus tax, for Nicholson to use each crossing. The March letters sought an answer within a month, and asked if CP should instead remove the crossings. CP wrote Nicholson would need to provide evidence if he feels the railway owns the crossing, instead of him. The Trudeau government is refusing growing calls to extend a Harper-era regulation to upgrade safety measures at rail crossings, instead saying a tribunal can sort out disputes over whether farmers and rural municipalities should pay to upgrade rail crossings across the Prairies and assume millions in legal liabilities. (Bruce Bumstead/Brandon Sun files) Ottawa and the railways say the letters are part of a "shared responsibility" over safety, which sounds ridiculous to Nicholson. "This shared responsibility seems to be 100 per cent of the costs borne by the landowner, and none of the control over what costs or maintenance is done; that all remains in the hands of the railways," he said. The Association of Manitoba Municipalities and Keystone Agricultural Producers have both pleaded with Ottawa to extend the timeline for these regulations. They argue the railways and Transport Canada havent done enough consultation, and local contractors should have a shot at installing the safety upgrades. "We feel theres been inadequate communication, and frustrations have developed out of that," said AMM president Ralph Groening. "It has nothing to do with a lack of support for rail safety." The federal government has echoed the railways for weeks, saying all parties need to work out a solution together. With no word on extending the deadline, Groening believes Ottawa is ignoring issues in Western Canada. Transport Minister Marc Garneaus office said he couldnt give an interview on the matter Thursday or Friday. Instead, his department said the Canadian Transportation Agency, an arms-length tribunal, can help sort out who owns the property in question and who should pay. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. "Starting in 2015, Transport Canada took measures to ensure road authorities, private crossing owners and railway companies have the information needed to comply with the regulations and to understand what funding is available," wrote department spokeswoman Cybelle Morin. Groening said he has never come across evidence of that in his role as reeve of the RM of Morris, and he finds it baffling Ottawa wants thousands of tribunal cases heard. "Were not resisting; its not a matter of challenging the required upgrades. Thats not the issue, so the agency should play no role in it," he said. Groening is encouraged Ottawa has offered funding to help pay for the upgrades, for up to $6,000 per crossing. But he said the coronavirus pandemic makes it challenging for municipalities to find the money, or the time to figure out its responsibilities. The government has cited COVID-19 to delay other years-long initiatives, such as pay-equity regulations and responding to the report on missing and murdered Indigenous women. dylan.robertson@freepress.mb.ca Voters in Romania were casting ballots Sunday in municipal elections, which are being viewed as a test of how the next general election on Dec. 6 will unfold for the countrys minority-led government. About 19 million registered voters were choosing local officials, council presidents and mayors to fill more than 43,000 positions across the European Union nation. The election should reveal the strength of the center-right National Liberal Party, or NLP, which has controlled Romanias minority government since the fall from power last year of the Social Democrat Party, known as PSD. The left-leaning PSD remains the strongest party in Romanias parliament, despite losing its governing majority. It has been in power until last October when its government, led by Prime Minister Viorica Dancila, lost a confidence vote in the parliament amid massive popular protests at home and heavy criticism from Brussels over its attacks on the judiciary and widespread graft. Next, in the countrys presidential election last November, Dancila suffered a crushing defeat to the NLPs former leader. Klaus Iohannis. However, the PSD has recently appeared to be winning back some of the lost popular support as the minority government has been struggling to contain the economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic by curbing social spending. Even before the pandemic, Romania has been plagued by widespread poverty with over 25% of population living on less than $5.50 a day. In August, its state budget deficit reached 4.7% of gross domestic product compared to 1.71% in the same period of last year. Still, last week, the PSD managed to push through the parliament a motion to raise all state pensions by 40%, ignoring the warnings by the countrys central bank that it was unfeasible. The most closely-watched race Sunday will be for the next mayor of the capital, Bucharest, between the incumbent, Gabriela Firea of the PSD, and NLP challenger Nicusor Dan. After casting her ballot in the capital, Firea appeared to tout her partys populist message. We all need investment in infrastructure, in fighting pollution, in hospitals schools, she said. For his part, upon voting, Dan implied Fiera was a part of the PSDs corruption-prone network, or, as he said: the octopus of self-serving relatives, friends and friends of friends. They were unable to solve the hot water supply problems in Bucharest, not to even mention the problems with traffic congestion and pollution, he added. In the town of Sulina, the easternmost point of the country about 360 kilometers (225 miles) northeast of Bucharest, many voters said they wanted to see their community governed by a party that will put ordinary peoples interests first. We vote for a better town, wishing for cleaner streets, no stray dogs, cows and horses in the street and no more garbage in town, Sulina resident Eugenia Radu said. The picturesque town in the Danube Delta, whose once mighty fishing industry has almost collapsed in recent years, currently has a PSD mayor. We are hoping for better and giving them a chance, said Paula Rugina, another Sulina voter. If nothing good happens (after the election), we will vote against them the next time." Like other countries in Europe, Romania has been registering a spike in the number of new coronavirus cases over the last couple of weeks. To date, it has confirmed more than 122,500 virus cases, with over 4,700 deaths. By PTI KOLKATA: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee left for Siliguri on Monday to hold administrative review meetings with officials of five districts in the northern part of the state, a senior official said. Banerjee had last conducted a review meeting with officials of Malda district in March. The meetings were halted due to the COVID-19 situation in the state. She is likely to hold the administrative review meetings at Uttarkanya, the branch secretariat in Siliguri. The chief minister is likely to hold the meetings with officials of Alipurduar and Jalpaiguri districts on Tuesday and Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Coochbehar districts on Wednesday, he said. COVID-19 protocol will be strictly followed during the meetings, the official said, adding Banerjee is scheduled to return to Kolkata on Thursday. Liu Xiaoming, China's ambassador to London - Reuters China's ambassador to London has told Britain that it will suffer "setbacks" in its relationship with Beijing if it continues to raise issues about human rights. The warning came after a junior Foreign Office minister took Beijing to task at a Chinese embassy function on Monday, held to mark the 71st anniversary of the People's Republic. In his remarks, James Duddridge said that while Britain wanted to retain good relations with China, it was also concerned about Beijing's erosion of democracy in Hong Kong and its treatment of the Muslim Uighur minority in Xinjiang. Mr Duddridges comments drew a cool response from Liu Xiaoming, the Chinese ambassador, who is understood to have replied pointedly that as Hong Kong was no longer under British rule, Beijing was not obliged to listen to British concerns. Mr Liu added that China's policies in Xinjiang, where the government has been accused of putting up to two million people into "re-education" camps, were designed to combat terrorism. Unless Britain and China observed a policy of "non-interference" in each other's internal politics, he continued, their relationship "would suffer setbacks or even retrogression." Mr Liu, 64, who has been China's envoy to London since 2010, is one of a new generation of Chinese diplomats who have eschewed the low profile traditionally favoured by their predecessors. Earlier this year, he hinted that some Chinese companies might pull out of Britain after the government reversed its decision to allow telecoms giant Huawei a key role in the 5G network. Last year, he also criticised the then Foreign Secretary, Jeremy Hunt, over his support for pro-democracy demonstrators in Hong Kong, saying the protests were "a matter about breaking laws". His robust reply to Mr Duddridge's comments, which were made during an online gathering of guests, will be seen as a further indication of how relations between London and Beijing have cooled. Traditionally, routine diplomatic functions are not seen as forums where political differences are aired. Story continues Other Chinese ambassadors have already taken up a much more aggressive tack than Mr Liu, developing what become known as "wolf-warrior" diplomacy - a new, assertive dialogue to remind the world that China is now a superpower. Named after a Chinese film in which Beijing's troops defeat US enemies in Africa and Asia, the "wolf warrior" tactic was pioneered by Zhao Lijian, until last year China's envoy to Pakistan. In July last year, he got in a vicious Twitter spat with Susan Rice, a former advisor to Barack Obama, about China's treatment of Uighur Muslims, in which he suggested America improve its own record on race relations. It culminated in Ms Rice urging the Chinese government to recall him to Beijing. Covid-19 will not delay state-run Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd BPCL's plan to bring to India the much-awaited natural gasnatural gas from its Rovuma basin in Mozambique by 2024, said company officials today. BPCL through its upstream arm, Bharat Petro Resources Ltd (BPRL) holds 10% stake in the Rovuma Basin and plans to bring in 1 million metric tonnes per annum (mmtpa) of gas from the fields to India. Financial closure for project completed "Financial closure for the project has been completed. Work is in progress. There are some disturbances on account of covid-19 but our partners have said the schedule for the first energy cargo for 2024 is still on," said Venugopal, Director Finance, BPCL while addressing a post annual general meeting conference. Total E&P Mozambique Area 1 Limitada, a wholly owned step-down subsidiary of Total S.A. is the Operator with 26.5% PI and the other consortium partners are Mitsui E&P Mozambique Area 1 Limited (20%), ENH Rovuma Area Um, S.A. (15%), ONGC Videsh Rovuma Limited (10%), Beas Rovuma Energy Mozambique Limited (10%) and PTTEP Mozambique Area 1 Limited (8.5%). On 15th July, Area 1 partnership finalized senior debt financing of $14.9 Billion to advance the 2-Train LNG project. The senior debt comprises of a mix of Export Credit Agencies (ECA) Direct Loans, ECA Covered Facilities, Commercial Bank facilities, and a loan facility with one multilateral development institution. The total cost is estimated at $24.1 billion and is to be funded through a combination of debt ($15.8 billion), equity ($7.4 billion) and cash flow from operations ($0.8 billion). BPCL has signed a sales and purchase agreement with Mozambique LNG1 Company to bring the gas to India. Indian firms hold a total of 30% stake in Area-1, which has around 75 trillion cubic feet of recoverable gas resource. ONGC Videsh Ltd (OVL), the overseas investment arm of state-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corp (ONGC), holds 16% stake in Area-1, while Oil India Ltd holds 4% stake. Total is the operator of the project with 26.5% stake while Mitsui of Japan at 20%. PTT Exploration of Thailand holds 8.5% and Mozambiques oil and gas company, ENH the remaining 15% stake in the project. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Never miss a story! Stay connected and informed with Mint. Download our App Now!! Topics 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. First there was the pandemic, then came the infodemic a term the head of the World Health Organization defines as the spread of false information about COVID-19. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 28/9/2020 (481 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Opinion First there was the pandemic, then came the "infodemic" a term the head of the World Health Organization defines as the spread of false information about COVID-19. The most dangerous conspiracy theories about the coronavirus are now part of the QAnon phenomenon. For months now, actors in QAnon have downplayed the severity of the crisis, amplified medical disinformation and have been originators of hoaxes. The QAnon movement started in 2017, after someone using an anonymous account known only as Q posted wild conspiracy theories about U.S. President Donald Trump on the internet forum 4chan. QAnon conspiracy theorists believe a deep-state cabal of global elites is responsible for all the evil in the world. They also believe those same elites are seeking to bring down Trump, whom they see as the worlds only hope to defeat the deep state. QAnon has now brought the same conspiracy mentality to the coronavirus crisis. As a researcher of online movements like QAnon, I use a combination of data science and digital ethnography to research how extremist movements use technology to create propaganda, recruit members to ideological causes, inspire acts of violence or impact democratic institutions. Bottom-up approach A central component of QAnon is the crowdsourcing of narratives. This bottom-up approach provides a fluid and ever changing ideology. My analysis of Twitter shows from January to March, there was a 21 per cent increase (a total of 7,683,414 posts) in hashtags used by the QAnon community. This means the misinformation they spread has the capacity to reach a wider audience. For instance, QAnon community influencers on Twitter promoted Miracle Mineral Supplement as a way of preventing COVID-19. The toxic product was sold by the Texas-based Genesis II Church of Health and Healing for US$45. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration had previously issued a warning about the dangerous and potentially life threatening side effects of the supplement. In January, QAnon was amplifying narratives on 8kun (the internet forum formally known as 8chan), Facebook and Telegram (an encrypted instant messaging plaform) about a false theory that Asians were more susceptible to the coronavirus and that white people were immune to COVID-19. Not only are there racist undertones associated with this disinformation, it minimizes the threat posed by the virus. Downplayed threat From February until the second week of March, QAnon followed the lead of Trump in downplaying the threat of the virus and calling it a hoax. They believed the virus was a deep-state plot to damage the presidents chance at re-election. The QAnon community said those warning about the pandemic threat were trying to detract from U.S. domestic politics, stop Trump rallies and remove all the economic gains they contended had occurred during the Trump presidency. After the WHO upgraded COVID-19 to pandemic status and the U.S. announced it was closing its borders to most people from Europe for 30 days, QAnon changed the narrative again. Suddenly, QAnon thought the pandemic was something to celebrate because it was a cover for the Trump administrations secret plan to arrest deep state agents. Evangelicals within the the QAnon movement viewed the pandemic as the promised coming of the Kingdom of God on Earth. David Hayes, who is better known as the Praying Medic and an influencer in the QAnon community with 300,000 YouTube subscribers, said in a March 14 livestream that there was no reason to be concerned about COVID-19. Hayes reassured his viewers that they may not be affected by the disease because this was "spiritual warfare" only those who have not been chosen by God will be affected by the disease. The person known as Q, who spawned the QAnon movement, didnt post anything online about COVID-19 until March 23. Up until then, all of the medical disinformation, hoaxes and downplaying of the pandemic had been sourced from QAnon influencers and community. Public health threat In his first post on the topic of COVID-19, Q pushed a conspiracy theory with racial undertones about COVID-19 being a Chinese bioweapon and that the virus release was a joint venture between China and the Democrats to stop Trumps re-election by destroying the economy. The QAnon conspiracies have created an environment of complacency among its followers who arent taking the risks posed by the virus seriously. Stay informed The latest updates on the novel coronavirus and COVID-19 delivered to your inbox every weeknight. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Florida pastor Rodney Howard-Browne, who has given credence to QAnon in the past and has preached that the coronavirus was planned by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, was arrested after holding Sunday services and disregarding federal, state and county orders to limit gatherings to less than 10 people. His conspiratorial beliefs led to his negligent actions, which put hundreds of people from his congregation at risk. In another instance, right-wing media figures were spreading an "empty hospital" conspiracy, downplaying the pandemic and its death toll. A QAnon account originally launched the #FilmYourHospital hashtag. This was amplified by QAnon influencers such as former California congressional candidate DeAnna Lorraine Tesoriero and QAnon influencer Liz Crokin. This hoax was then picked up by mainstream right-wing media figures promoting COVID trutherism to a wider audience. The FBI once called conspiracy theories spread by QAnon and others a "potential domestic terrorism threat." Its time to call the infodemic a public-health threat. Marc-Andre Argentino is a PhD candidate (individualized program) and 2020-2021 Public Scholar at Concordia University. This article was first published at The Conversation Canada: theconversation.com/ca. The Duchess and Duke of Cambridge, with Charlotte, George and Louis as they meet Sir David Attenborough Naturalist Sir David Attenborough has given Prince George a fascinating memento to mark their meeting at Kensington Palace - a fossilised giant shark's tooth. The young prince was photographed looking intrigued as he handled the fossilised tooth from an extinct Carcharocles megalodon - one of the most feared predators to have swum in the seas. Sir David presented his gift after he attended a private viewing of his new environmental documentary with the Duke of Cambridge - held in the palace's grounds. William and the veteran broadcaster watched A Life On Our Planet, a revealing and powerful first-hand account in which Sir David reflects on both the defining moments of his life as a naturalist and the devastating changes he has witnessed. Socially distanced in the open air, the Duke of Cambridge and Sir David were offered directors' chairs with their names printed on the back - but in a change of plan they sat in each other's seats. The 94-year-old broadcaster chatted to William, Kate and their three children George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis after the screening on Thursday. William interviewed Sir David at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, last year, and during the discussion the broadcaster warned that humanity needed to act so that they did not "annihilate part of the natural world". With a shared passion for protecting the natural world, the men continue to support each other in their mission to tackle some of the biggest environmental challenges the planet faces. This includes working together on William's Earthshot Prize, an ambitious global environment project announced last December to combat climate issues. Further details about the prize are expected in the coming weeks. The giant shark tooth given to George was found by Sir David during a family holiday to Malta in the late 1960s. It was embedded in the island's soft yellow limestone, which was laid down during the Miocene period some 23 million years ago. David Attenborough: A Life On Our Planet, produced by WWF and Silverback Films, premieres in cinemas on Monday and will launch on Netflix on October 4. By PTI ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has reported nine coronavirus deaths and 566 new cases in the last 24 hours, according to official data on Monday. With the updated figures, the COVID-19 death toll stand at 6,466 in the country and the total number of cases has increased to 310,841, according to the Ministry of National Health Services. So far, 296,022 COVID-19 patients have fully recovered, while 451 people are in critical condition, the ministry said. Sindh has reported the most cases at 136,017, followed by Punjab 99,219, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 37,701, Islamabad 16,470, Balochistan 15,092, Gilgit-Baltistan 3,681 and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir 2,661. In total, 3,449,541 coronavirus detection tests have been conducted in the country, including 28,887 in the last 24 hours. Pakistan's Sindh province reopened educational institutions on Monday. All provinces of Pakistan, except Sindh, had reopened high schools, colleges and universities on September 15. Middle school classes were started on September 23. Primary schools will reopen on September 30. Sindh had refused to reopen schools for standard VI to VIII students from September 23, citing lack of preparedness to implement the standard operating procedures. As per the health protocols, 20 students or less can be seated in a classroom. The students have been divided into groups and will attend schools on alternate days. Masks are mandatory for teachers and students. The institutions will ensure availability of hand-washing facilities and sanitizers at the entry gates. Sindh Education Minister Saeed Ghani has asked parents and students to follow the health guidelines. He has warned strict action against erring private and public education institutions. All educational institutions in Pakistan were closed on March 16 after the outbreak of the coronavirus. All annual examinations were cancelled. UPCC president Ajay Kumar Lallu and other party workers were held while staging protest against the new farm laws in the state capital on Monday, a party leader said. Led by the UPCC president, workers from all over the state converged at the Parivartan Chowk here and staged a protest against the "anti-farm" laws, party's media convenor Lalan Kumar said. While trying to move towards the Raj Bhawan, party workers and its chief were held, Kumar said. There are reports from some districts that party workers, who were on their way to Lucknow to take part in the programme, were detained and not allowed to proceed, Lalan claimed. The workers raised slogans against the new laws and said party would force the government to take them back, Lalan said. President Ram Nath Kovind on Sunday gave assent to three contentious farm bills passed in Parliament last week that have triggered farmers' protest in some states. These three farm bills are: The Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020, The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020 and The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill 2020. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Conservative Leader and Leader of the Opposition Erin O'Toole speaks to members of the National Caucus in Ottawa on Sept. 9, 2020. (The Canadian Press/Adrian Wyld) OToole, Blanchet Set to Give Their Formal Replies to Throne Speech Today Conservative Leader Erin OToole and Bloc Quebecois Leader Yves-Francois Blanchet are set to give their formal replies to the throne speech today after being absent from the House of Commons last week due to COVID-19. Both leaders, who are expected to take their seats in the House today, were unable to attend the throne speech in person and voiced their disagreement from isolation on Sept. 23 after having tested positive for the virus. Post-pandemic, and with high unemployment, we need jobs for Canadians. We dont need just fine words, OToole said, going on to criticize the throne speech for falling short in such areas as approving saliva tests for COVID-19, helping small business, Western alienation, and foreign policy. Soon after the speech, Blanchet tweeted: Ottawa has not listened to the urgent and legitimate demands of Quebec and the provinces. The Green Party was the only party to voice support immediately after the throne speech, as it included proposals for zero emission plans, the planting of trees, child-care reforms, and pharmacare. Deputy Conservative Leader Candice Bergen attended the speech and responded along with Gerard Deltell, House Leader of the Official Opposition, after the nearly hour-long throne speech ended on Sept. 23. We are not happy with the speech. We dont believe its what Canadians need, Bergen said. NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh was on the fence regarding supporting the speech, saying his main concerns were related to the ending of the Canadian Emergency Recovery Benefit (CERB) and that there was no mention of paid sick leave in the throne speech. On Sept. 25, however, Singh announced at a press conference that a deal had been reached with the Liberals regarding adding paid sick leave to Bill C-2. Bill C-2 will be tabled in the House of Commons today and if the changes reflect what was agreed to, Singh said he intends to support the bill and also the throne speech. Bill C-2 includes: A Canada Recovery Benefit of $500 per week for up to 26 weeks for people who are not eligible for employment insurance, or those who are self-employed but have lost their income due to the pandemic A Canada Recovery Sickness Benefit of $500 per week up to two weeks for workers who fall sick or must self-isolate due to COVID-19 A Canada Recovery Caregiving Benefit of $500 per week for up to 26 weeks for Canadians who arent able to work because they must care for a child or dependent due to closure of schools, care facilities, and daycares caused by COVID-19. File Photo WILTON A Wethersfield man was arrested Sept. 17 on a warrant issued by Norwalk Superior Court. A police investigation dating back to January when a woman began experiencing incidents of harassment via spoofed and anonymous phone numbers. Scott Crimins, 42, of Center Street, is accused of continuing this activity for several months and, according to police, he began to harass other people that were related to his original victim. Advertisement Coronavirus cases in the United States are currently averaging 40,000 per day as infections increase in 21 states and health experts warn Americans not to become complacent as the weather gets colder. The average number of COVID-19 cases per day has hovered at the 40,000 mark for just over a week now. There was an uptick in national infections in mid-September, which health experts have partly attributed to Labor Day weekend gatherings and the reopening of some schools. Prior to the increase, cases had been trending downwards nationally since July when about 70,000 infections were being reported daily. There were nearly 37,000 cases reported nationwide on Sunday. Deaths now appear to be plateauing nationally after declining steadily since mid-September. The average number of Americans dying per day is at just over 740, which is down from the peak 2,000 deaths being reported per day back in April. The US recorded 266 deaths nationwide on Sunday. There is often a lag in weekend reporting, which accounts for low numbers at the beginning of each week. The average number of COVID-19 cases per day has hovered at the 40,000 mark for just over a week now. There were nearly 37,000 cases reported nationwide on Sunday The average number of Americans dying per day is at just over 740. The US recorded 266 deaths nationwide on Sunday. There is often a lag in weekend reporting, which accounts for low numbers at the beginning of each week Infections are currently rising in 21 states, most in the Midwest, and the percentage of tests coming back positive for COVID-19 is topping 25 percent in some of those states. Cases are surging in states including: North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin, Utah, Iowa, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Montana, Kansas, Nebraska, Idaho, Wyoming, Minnesota and Kentucky. Eighteen states appear to be holding steady with COVID-19 cases and 11 - including Arizona, Louisiana, Tennessee, Georgia and Florida - have seen declines in the past week compared to the previous seven days. North Dakota's positive test rate has averaged 30 percent over the past seven days compared with the prior week, according to the analysis using testing data from The COVID Tracking Project. The positivity rate has risen to 26 percent in South Dakota, up from 17 percent the previous week. Minnesota and Montana are averaging 7 percent of tests coming back positive, but Montana's positivity rate spiked on Sunday to 20 percent. The World Health Organization considers rates above 5 percent concerning because it suggests there are more cases in the community that have not yet been uncovered. Several states such as New York, Massachusetts, Vermont and Maine have positive test rates of around 1 percent. In the last week, five Midwest states have reported record one-day rises in new infections - Minnesota, Montana, South Dakota, Wisconsin and Wyoming. In the last week, several Midwest states have reported record one-day rises in new infections including Minnesota, Montana, South Dakota, Wisconsin, North Dakota and Wyoming Wisconsin set records for new cases twice last week and is now reporting more new infections each day than Florida. South Dakota set records for new cases three times last week. While a recent increase in testing might explain some of the increase in cases, hospitalizations have also surged in the Midwest and are not influenced by the number of tests performed. Meanwhile, New York state's COVID-19 infection rate has now risen to 1.5 percent on Sunday - the highest it has been in months More than 1,000 New Yorkers tested positive for COVID-19 in a single day on Friday, marking the first time since June 5 the state has seen a daily number that high. It prompted Gov Andrew Cuomo to warn New Yorkers not to get complacent about the virus. 'It's vital that New Yorkers continue to practice the basic behaviors that drive our ability to fight Covid-19 as we move into the fall and flu season,' Cuomo said. 'Wearing masks, socially distancing and washing hands make a critical difference, as does the deliberate enforcement of state guidance by local governments.' The number of positive tests reported daily in the state has been steadily inching up in recent weeks, a trend possibly related to increasing numbers of businesses reopening, college campuses reopening and children returning to school. The new positive-case number came out of nearly 100,000 tests, compared to about 60,000 tests daily in June. New York is in a far better situation than in April, when the number of positive tests per day routinely topped 9,000. In New York City, health officials have sounded alarms about a rising number of cases in certain neighborhoods in Brooklyn and Queens where many private religious schools opened for in-person instruction in early September, warning that those communities could see severe restrictions on public gatherings reinstated if current trends continue. Cases are surging in states including: North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin, Utah, Iowa, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Montana, Kansas, Nebraska, Idaho, Wyoming, Minnesota and Kentucky It comes as public health officials, including Dr Anthony Fauci, warned Americans not to become complacent as the colder weather kicks in. He said the current average number of cases per day was concerning ahead the fall. 'We're not in a good place. As we get into the fall and the winter you really want the level of spread to be lower,' he told Good Morning America. He called Florida's reopening of bars and restaurants at full capacity over the weekend 'very concerning'. 'Well that is very concerning to me, I mean, we have always said that, myself and Dr Deborah Birx, who is the coordinator of the task force, that that is something we really need to be careful about,' he said. 'When you're dealing with community spread, and you have the kind of congregate setting where people get together, particularly without masks, you're really asking for trouble. Now's the time actually to double down a bit, and I don't mean close. 'When I say that, people get concerned that we're talking about shutting down. We're not talking about shutting anything down, we're talking about common sense type of public health measures that we've been talking about all along.' Dr Chris Murray, director of the University of Washington's Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, told CNN there could be an explosion of new cases starting next month as people move indoors with the cold weather. Currently, the forecast predicts the US death toll will reach 371,500 by the end of the year but could be reduced to 275,000 if the majority of Americans wear masks. The Ghana Navy and Air Force have foiled an attempted pirate attack on an oil tanker off the coast of Takoradi. The oil tanker vessel, MT Hafnia Phoenix, escaped the pirate attack some 72 nautical miles off the coast of Takoradi last Tuesday after undertaking a manoeuvre to outwit an armed gang of pirates. The Denmark-flagged vessel, which was sailing from Lome in Togo to Abidjan in Cote dIvoire, was attacked by the group of about 10 and riding in a skiff (river craft) carrying a ladder known to be an essential tool that enables easy access into hijacking of vessels in sail. Briefing the Daily Graphic, the Chief of Naval Staff, Rear Admiral Seth Amoama, said the pirates escaped narrowly as the navy and Air Force staged a joint operation to counter them. He said although the military aircraft used for the exercise was able to locate the tanker vessel, the attackers managed to escape. There was also another attempted attack last Saturday on a tuna vessel, Agnes 1, within Ghanas Exclusive Economic Zone. The Chief of Naval Staff said the navy and its stakeholders would step up their operations to ensure that the threat was dealt with within the zone. He expressed confidence that a retooling project being undertaken by the government aided by the adoption of technology would enable the navy and its stakeholders to meet operational requirements of surveillance and detection, particularly when the criminals often changed their modus operandi. MMCC Report A report on the incident from the Multinational Maritime Coordination Centre (MMCC) Zone F office indicated that after the failed pirating attempt, the relevant stakeholder agencies intensified beach combing operations along the coast to locate the suspected pirate skiff, while vessels at sea were informed to remain vigilant and look out for suspicious skiff/craft movements. The Togolese and Ivorian authorities were also informed of the incident since indications were that the attackers could be seen at open sea or anchorages of the two countries. The MMCC Zone F wishes to assure the international community and the maritime industry that the Ghana Navy and navies across Zone F and E are closely monitoring the situation at sea and are on high alert, while extra measures have been taken to prevent pirates from gaining a foothold, especially in Zone F, the report indicated. Modus operandi Rear Admiral Amoama said the piracy business had become a lucrative venture where criminal gangs operated very far from land of about 150 to 200 nautical miles with the assistance of mother ships a large ship from which smaller craft is launched for an operation. The suspicion is that the skiff might have been aided by a mother ship as the facilitator to launch the botched attack, considering that they lacked the capacity to travel very long distance from land to the sea to carry out their attack and quickly return back to the vessel to avoid being detected, Real Admiral Amoama said. He said while vessels of 300 tonnes were required by international regulations to have an Automatic Identification System installed on board to help track their movement from any maritime operation centre, persons engaged in the piracy business often switched off their identification systems to avoid being tracked, saying it had become a major concern for stakeholders in the region. To be able to effectively reduce the attacks, the navy and its collaborators, he said, would require satellite imagery technology which was able to identify and track vessels, as well as patterns of illegal activities on sea and along the coasts. This technology is, however, very expensive, and countries within the Gulf of Guinea have not been able to make any investments in them yet it is in use in some developed countries, the Chief of Naval Staff stated. Ransom Rear Admiral Amoama said ransom negotiations had become the norm as kidnapping had become an attractive cooperative venture for pirates. Pirates, he stressed, often demanded nearly $50,000 minimum in ransom per crew member kidnapped, and this, he said, was affecting Ghanas fishing industry which recorded two separate attacks in June and August 2020, with two Koreans presently being held captive in the Niger Delta as the Korean Embassy in Ghana continued to negotiate for their release. Source: graphic.com.gh Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Jebel Ali Free Zone (Jafza), a leading business and logistics hub in the UAE, has entered into a strategic agreement with Etihad Export Credit Insurance Company (ECI), the UAEs Federal export credit company, to support local businesses, advance exports, and drive the UAE economy during the current economic climate. The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed virtually by Mohammed Al Muallem, CEO & Managing Director, DP World, UAE Region and CEO of Jafza and Massimo Falcioni, CEO of ECI and was witnessed by senior officials. As per the MoU, ECI will provide export insurance services to companies licensed by Jafza. It is a result of the shared objectives of Jafza and ECI to solidify the UAE economy globally and strengthen the UAEs position as the preferred global hub for exports, a statement said. The pact also aims to drive the expansion and diversification of the UAE economy, as well as ease financial pressure, it added. Through this collaboration, the two entities will conduct seminars and workshops to inform members about the benefits of trade protection solutions, with a focus on trade credit insurance, surety bonding and trade finance solutions provided by Etihad Credit Insurance. They also intend to assist and sustain members exploring export to foreign countries and sectors, also providing country risk reports in international trade activities. Underscoring the importance of this strategic agreement in helping these companies gain a competitive advantage in the global markets, Mohammed Al Muallem, CEO & Managing Director, DP World, UAE Region and CEO of Jafza said: Our agreement with ECI is significant as it will help boost the export of UAE goods, works, services and the foreign investments of UAE companies. This move will increase cash flow, enable world trade and contribute towards long-term growth. We aim to provide support to companies licensed by Jafza, and assist them to navigate these uncertain times. Owing to the current economic climate due to the global pandemic, we believe that partnerships like these will reinforce business relations and help us safeguard the interests of businesses and investors. Eventually, our ultimate goal is to ensure our customers success and we hope this alliance will be a fruitful one as we continue to grow together to create a better future for everyone. Meanwhile, Massimo Falcioni, CEO of ECI said: We are honoured to be able to assist local businesses via this strategic agreement. We are confident that our innovative products will enhance trade and ensure that the UAE remains a leader in the export market despite the current challenging global conditions. ECI remains keen to boost diversification and ensure that the UAE economy thrives in a post-oil era, and our tailored solutions offer protection from risks and business continuity during such unprecedented times. ECI was established with a mandate to advance the global competitiveness of UAE exporters. ECI supports UAE firms through its bespoke financial products that guarantee the provision of protection and a competitive advantage in the international market. For one, ECI provides protection against non-payment from buyers who have gone insolventcovering losses from clients that have failed to fulfill their payment obligations. It also provides additional funding capacity through its strategic partnerships with local and international banks. These institutions will offer loans to UAE businesses, guaranteed by ECI, to secure the funding of the supply chain. Lastly, businesses can also take advantage of ECIs global network of over 360 million businesses worldwide, as it provides a list of suppliers across the globe who can open new markets as well as be potential customers and suppliers for its products and services.-TradeArabia News Service He is the evergreen popstar known for his enduring pop hits and dashing looks. And Cliff Richard looked delighted as he announced his newest album, Music... The Air That I Breathe, which will be released next month in honour of his 80th birthday. The Lord's Prayer hitmaker, 79, turns 80 on October 14, with the new album due to be released two weeks later on October 30. Icon: Cliff Richard looked delighted as he announced his newest album, Music... The Air That I Breathe, which will be released next month in honour of his 80th birthday As well as his milestone birthday, the album - his 46th studio album - will also mark six decades since the star shot to fame with his debut album, Cliff Sings, in 1959. The 12 track album will feature two new songs 'Falling For You' and 'PS Please' as well as new interpretations of songs originally by Sir Cliff's favourite artists including The Beatles' 'Here Comes The Sun' and The Bee Gees' 'Too Much Heaven'. The legend also collaborates with Bonnie Tyler, The Bellamy Brothers, Sheila Walsh, The Piano Guys and Albert Hammond on the track that inspired the album title The Air That I Breathe. Sir Cliff said: 'Looking back, I remember thinking that I wouldn't make it to 50 and here I am at 80, and what's even better than that is I have a new album! 46th album: The Lord's Prayer hitmaker, 79, turns 80 on October 14, with the new album due to be released two weeks later on October 30 'Music... The Air That I Breathe' which features, not just me, but friends I admire who duetted with me on some of the tracks. 'I loved recording it and hope you will enjoy listening to it.' Along with Sir Cliff's brand-new album, his new book 'The Dreamer: An Autobiography' is to be published on October 29. The star recently teased his new calendar, his 42nd released in his career. In recent years he has outsold all of his younger rivals except One Direction. New chapter: In November 2018, Richard unveiled his album Rise Up, which was the first time he had released new music in 14 years and it reached number four in the UK charts In 2013, he sparked an outcry from fans when he hinted he was set to end his calendar boy days. He said: 'I think the reason why the rumours got out that I'm not going to do any more is probably because it's true. No, not completely. You have hit the nail on the head how many shapes can I pull with this body?' The star is the third best-selling artist in the UK singles history with Elvis Presley in first place and the Beatles in second, with record sales of 250million worldwide. In April, Cliff accused radio stations of snubbing his music for younger stars. The singing legend, who has been in the industry more than 60-years, has demanded that he should be given a 'priority chance' due to his long career. He said that without radio support he is forced to go on tour but this is proving difficult as his 'long-term fans' are dying. The star has asked that his songs be played more regularly so younger listeners can discover him. Richard told the Greatest Music of All Time podcast: 'Why will people download a record of mine if they don't know it's out?' He added: 'Those of us who have proven ourselves over and over and over again should be given a priority chance [on radio], even if it's to say 'We are going to play this record once a day for two weeks'. 'Without radio, there is nothing we can do other than go on tour, which is not only tiring, it gets less efficient as time goes by, the audiences get smaller. We are all dying. Long-term fans may not be with us any more.' In November 2018, Richard unveiled his album Rise Up, which was the first time he had released new music in 14 years and it reached number four in the UK charts. Yesterday, the New York Times reporters Russ Buettner, Susanne Craig, and Mike McIntireand if you recognize the byline youll know where this sentence is headedpublished a mammoth story based on recent tax returns that President Trump filed with the Internal Revenue Service, records that the Times obtained from sources with legal access. The paper reported that Trump paid just $750 in federal income tax in both 2016 and 2017even less than Richard Nixon paid in 1970, when the public uproar was such that it set the precedent for presidential candidates (though not Trump) to publish their returns. In ten of the fifteen years prior to 2016, Trump paid no federal income tax at all, a result, in large part, of his persistent business losses. There are many other details in the storyfrom Trumps ongoing IRS audit to his nearly-due debts to his conflicts of interest abroadand, tantalizingly, the Times says there are more to come. That could mean an October surprise, which yesterdays story technically wasnt. Somehow, its still only September. As my Columbia colleague Emily Bell pointed out last night, as well as not landing in October, the Timess story was not exactly surprising. Its topline conclusionthat ultimately, Mr. Trump has been more successful playing a business mogul than being one in real lifeis well-known, thanks, in no small part, to the past work of Buettner and Craig; last year, after they reported on Trumps tax returns from 1985 to 1994 (during which period his businesses reported more than $1 billion in losses), I wrote that more recent records would surely come to light soon, and that when they did, the Times, rather than Congressional Democrats, would likely be responsible. (It should be noted that the story isnt yet totally up-to-date: the trove that the Times just obtained does not include Trumps personal returns for 2018 or 2019.) Still, as Bell also noted, the Timess latest story paints a comprehensively damning (and constitutionally dangerous) pictureshining an important, if not shocking, light on a subject of enduring fascination thats been at the heart of Congressional wrangling, court fights, and years of TV punditry. Given the byzantine complexity of tax reporting, the Times deserves credit, too, for the clarity of its presentationas BuzzFeeds Ryan Mac noted, the story is thorough and dense for those looking to parse details, but theres one punchline detail that folks will remember for a long time: $750. New from CJR: Ohios Whitest Home Newspaper Claritybacked up by meticulous detailmatters immensely in an information ecosystem defined by murk and mistrust. At a news conference yesterday, Trumpafter dwelling for a while on murk past (Hunter Biden, the impeachment hoax) and present (his disinformation campaign around mail-in voting)sought to weaponize those dark forces against the Timess story, characterizing it as fake news and a predictable mainstream-media smear. Right-wing media figures funneled his cocktail of denial and deflection, including by seizing on the Timess reporting, high up in its story, that Trumps returns do not reveal any previously unreported connections to Russia. (This, of course, is not a vindication: as the story notes further down, the records mostly lack the specificity thatd be needed to elucidate the Trump-Russia nexus.) Many right-wingers argued simply that the Timess reporting wont change many votes come November, in light of the entrenched polarization in the country. Many Trump supporters are locked in the Fox bubble where this will be handled with kid gloves, CNNs Oliver Darcy wrote, explaining the dynamic, and they have been conditioned to believe that [the] NYT is an arm of the Democratic machine. Its tempting to conclude that Trump likely wont face consequences for his tax avoidance; his evasion of accountability has been a defining story of his political career, including when it comes to his finances. In October 2016, Buettner, Craig, David Barstow, and Megan Twohey reported scandalous details from Trumps 1995 state tax returns, three pages of which were anonymously mailed to Craig. We all know what happened next. We should resist such cynicism, though. For starters, we have no idea what electoral impact the Timess latest story may have, and we shouldnt pretend that we do. Secondly, the electoral impact is beside the point: the story matters immensely for the historical record. As Kyle Pope, CJRs editor and publisher, wrote in 2018, on the heels of another Buettner, Craig, and Barstow blockbuster that would go on to win a Pulitzer, such reporting is useful because it transcends the headlines of the day, focusing on an elemental, fundamental aspect of Trump and his presidency. It is an example of journalism as long game, Pope wrote, a sport that more of us need to be playing. His observations feel, if anything, even more resonant todayat a moment when the headlines of the day come so thick and fast that perspective gets drowned out, and journalism as long game may as well mean trying to remember stuff that happened last week. Sign up for CJR 's daily email Below, more on the Timess story: The stakes?: While the electoral impact of the Timess story may be secondary, it is, in one key respect, urgently pegged to the election. In recent days and weeks, Trump has threatened openly and repeatedly not to accept the result if he doesnt like it. In evaluating those threats, its usefulas ever with Trumpto follow the money. Yesterday, Michael R. Bromwich, a former inspector general at the Justice Department, argued, based on the Timess story, that, should Trump lose, he faces federal and state prosecution for bank fraud, tax fraud, wire fraud, and mail fraud, as does his entire family, and will no longer be protected by the architecture of the state. Watch this space. While the electoral impact of the Timess story may be secondary, it is, in one key respect, urgently pegged to the election. In recent days and weeks, Trump has threatened openly and repeatedly not to accept the result if he doesnt like it. In evaluating those threats, its usefulas ever with Trumpto follow the money. Yesterday, Michael R. Bromwich, a former inspector general at the Justice Department, argued, based on the Timess story, that, should Trump lose, he faces federal and state prosecution for bank fraud, tax fraud, wire fraud, and mail fraud, as does his entire family, and will no longer be protected by the architecture of the state. Watch this space. Hold the front page: The tax story consumes more than half of the front page of todays print edition of the Times (under a full-width, two-line banner headline) and continues for several pages inside. Dean Baquet, the papers executive editor, wrote a note to accompany the story, explaining that the Times wont be releasing the tax records themselves in order to protect the anonymity of its sources, and defending the decision to publish. Some will raise questions about publishing the presidents personal tax information, Baquet wrote. But the Supreme Court has repeatedly ruled that the First Amendment allows the press to publish newsworthy information that was legally obtained by reporters even when those in power fight to keep it hidden. The tax story consumes more than half of the front page of todays print edition of the Times (under a full-width, two-line banner headline) and continues for several pages inside. Dean Baquet, the papers executive editor, wrote a note to accompany the story, explaining that the Times wont be releasing the tax records themselves in order to protect the anonymity of its sources, and defending the decision to publish. Some will raise questions about publishing the presidents personal tax information, Baquet wrote. But the Supreme Court has repeatedly ruled that the First Amendment allows the press to publish newsworthy information that was legally obtained by reporters even when those in power fight to keep it hidden. Further listening: In April 2019, Pope sat down with Craig, whod just been awarded a Pulitzer for her 2018 reporting on Trumps finances, for an episode of CJRs podcast, The Kicker. (Pope and Craig previously worked together at the Wall Street Journal.) Pope asked Craig about criticisms of that story coming from both the right and the left, including that the Times delayed publication. (It didnt). It took us forever to do the story, Craig said. Im not sure, no matter when we ran it, it would have got much more oxygen. Other notable stories: ICYMI: The Breonna Taylor decision, violence, and power Has America ever needed a media watchdog more than now? Help us by joining CJR today Jon Allsop is a freelance journalist whose work has appeared in the New York Review of Books, Foreign Policy, and The Nation, among other outlets. He writes CJRs newsletter The Media Today. Find him on Twitter @Jon_Allsop. Trump has revealed how he's using former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani and his former 2016 primary rival, Chris Christie, to prepare for the first debate with Democratic challenger Joe Biden. 'We had a little debate prep before we came here,' Trump told reporters as Giuliani and Christie looked on in the press briefing room at the White House. 'We're doing it. These two gentlemen have been helping,' Trump said before adding that both men were 'about five times smarter than' Biden. Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, left, and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, right, are helping President Trump prepare for the presidential upcoming debates Trump aides and allies, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal strategy, said heading into the weekend that Trump had not been involved in formal preparations. The president offered mixed messages Sunday as he revealed Giuliani and Christie had been prepping him, essentially combining to play the role of Biden. But Trump downplayed the sessions. 'Sometimes you can go too much in that stuff,' Trump said, noting that he defeated Hillary Clinton four years ago despite her extensive debate preparation. The president added that he takes far more questions from the White House press corps than Biden takes from the reporters covering his campaign, arguing those sessions with reporters are a form of debate prep. Trump offered a preview of his approach when mused that Biden's previous debate performances were influenced by medication although he offered no evidence. First in a tweet and later at the White House, Trump said he would demand that Biden take a drug test and that he would take one as well. Trump's message seemed to be an attempt at both tripping up Biden and preemptively offering an explanation to his supporters if the Democratic nominee has a strong performance. Image Notice Image Notice Joe Biden has apparently been training in a more formal manner and hosting mock debates with a senior advisor Biden, in Delaware on Sunday, laughed and declined to comment when asked about Trump's baseless assertions. Privately some aides and allies are worried that Trump's lack of formal preparation will lead him to fall into the same hubris trap as other incumbents in their first general election debate. Obama, for example, famously struggled in his first matchup against Republican Mitt Romney in 2012. But other Trump backers are confident that the president is ready to handle any tough questions or pushback from Biden. 'The debates matter,' said Lara Trump, a senior adviser to the campaign and the president's daughter-in-law. 'Donald Trump certainly did a great job on the debates (in 2016) and I think this will be no different.' Lara Trump also seemed to simultaneously raise and lower expectations for Biden. 'Joe Biden spent a lot of time in his basement to study up. He's been in this game for 47 years. I assume he'll do OK,' she said. 'Quite frankly, the bar has been lowered so much for Joe Biden that if he stays awake for the whole thing it's like maybe he won.' Image Notice 'We're doing it. These two gentlemen have been helping,' Trump said before adding that both men were 'about five times smarter than' Biden. Image Notice Trump made the revelation at a short White House press conference on Sunday The mixed messages were in line with those of Trump's allies who spent much of the year raising questions about Biden's physical and mental strength, while in recent days trying to cast him as a strong and experienced debater facing a relative neophyte in Trump. Trump and Biden are scheduled to meet on the debate stage for the first time Tuesday night at Case Western Reserve University and the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio. The 90-minute event, moderated by Fox News host Chris Wallace, is the first of three scheduled presidential debates. Vice President Mike Pence and California Sen. Kamala Harris, Biden's running mate, will debate in October. For some, the debates represent the most important moments in the 2020 campaign's closing days, a rare opportunity for millions of voters to compare the candidates' policies and personalities side-by-side on prime-time television. Trump has been trailing Biden in the polls for the entire year, a reality that gives the president an urgent incentive to change the direction of the contest on national television if he can. Others, including those close to Biden's campaign, do not expect the debates to fundamentally change the race no matter what happens, given the pandemic and the economy. They also point to high-profile debates in past elections that were thought to be game-changing moments at the time but that ultimately had little lasting effect. Biden's campaign has been holding mock debate sessions featuring Bob Bauer, pictured, a senior Biden adviser and former White House general counsel, playing the role of Trump While Biden's team believes the significance of the debate may be exaggerated, the Democratic nominee has been aggressively preparing to take on the president. Biden's campaign has been holding mock debate sessions featuring Bob Bauer, a senior Biden adviser and former White House general counsel, playing the role of Trump, according to a person with direct knowledge of the preparations who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal strategy. Bauer has not actually donned a Trump costume in line with Trump stand-ins from previous years, but he is representing his style and expected strategy. 'Im sure the president will throw everything he can at (Biden). My guess is that they're preparing for that - bombarding him with insults and weird digressions,' said Jay Carney, a former aide to Biden and President Barack Obama. Those with knowledge of Biden's preparations suggest he will not take the fight to Trump if he can avoid it. But on Saturday, at least, he was on the attack when he discussed his strategy on MSNBC. 'I'm prepared to go out and make my case as to why I think he's failed and why I think the answers I have to proceed will help the American people, the American economy and make us safer internationally,' Biden said, arguing that Trump won't convince voters with broadsides because 'the people know the president is a liar.' He also compared Trump to Adolf Hitler's propaganda minister, Joseph Goebbels, saying, 'He's sort of like Goebbels. You say the lie long enough, keep repeating, repeating, repeating, it becomes common knowledge.' While Biden has said he will try to be a fact checker of sorts on stage, the Democrat is being advised to avoid direct confrontations and instead redirect the conversation to more familiar campaign themes of unity and issues that matter most to voters: the economy, health care and the pandemic. 'Arguing over facts, litigating whether what he's saying is accurate, that is not winning to Biden,' said Jen Psaki, a former Obama aide who is close to Bidens team. 'This is an opportunity to speak directly to the American people. His objective should be to speak directly to them, but not be pulled in by Trump. That is hard.' Terry McAuliffe, the former Virginia governor and onetime national Democratic chair, said Biden must fashion a succinct, debate-stage version of his message since the spring: Draw a straight line from Trump's personal deficiencies to his handling of the pandemic, its economic fallout and the national reckoning on race and then explain why a Biden presidency would be different. 'Trump's just looking for a Hail Mary here,' McAuliffe said. 'He knows he's in trouble.' By Akbar Mammadov Armenian forces have been intensively firing at Azerbaijans Tartar city, purposefully targetting civilians and facilities in the city since morning of September 28, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry reported today. The ministry stressed that Armenia demonstrates its use of terrorist means against civilians and once again grossly violates international humanitarian law by firing on civilians in the city of Tartar. Responding to the new act of aggression by Armenia, the Azerbaijani Armed Forces, carrying out counter-offensive measures, declare that they do not wage war against civilians, women and children, and carry out counter-attacks within the framework of international humanitarian law. The ministry emphasized that Armenia's actions demonstrate that this country uses all means, including war crimes, to achieve new plans of aggression. We call on the international community to strongly condemn the war crimes committed by Armenia purposefully targeting civilians, the ministry said. Armenian armed forces launched a large-scale operation in the front-line zone on September 27 at 6 am, shelling the positions of the Azerbaijani army from large-caliber weapons, mortars, and artillery installations of various calibers. Azerbaijan launched a counter-offensive operation along the entire front to suppress the combat activity of the Armenian armed forces and ensure the safety of the civilian population. Azerbaijan liberated seven villages and several strategic heights durnig the first day of the clashes. --- Akbar Mammadov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @AkbarMammadov97 Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz Made-in-Vietnam test kits used at the country's airports can detect pathogenic viruses at the time of testing and confirm whether the passengers are infected or not. Vietnam's test kits have been ordered by more than 20 countries. Photo: VNA Vietnams Ministry of Health has decided to use domestically-made COVID-19 test kits for screening incoming passengers as the country reopens international air routes, VnExpress reported, citing Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen Truong Son. Since September 15, Vietnam has resumed flights to China, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Cambodia and Laos. It is estimated that Vietnam would monthly welcome 20,000 passengers who must quarantined and tested at least twice. The test kits used at Vietnam's airports can detect pathogenic viruses at the time of testing and confirm whether the passengers are infected or not. Currently, Vietnams biggest supplier is Viet A Technologies JSC that can make 100,000 kits per day and quintuple its capacity if necessary. The company supplied 90% of coronavirus test kits in Vietnams latest two waves of COVID-19 outbreak. Viet A Technologies' Deputy General Director Vu Dinh Hiep said that the company is stockpiling more than one million test kits in anticipation of increasing demand for coronavirus testing. Hiep affirmed that the company will provide enough test kits for PCR laboratories at airports in Vietnam. It takes some 2-3 hours to give test results. Besides Viet A Technologies, other three units that are researching coronavirus test kits are Medicon, Sao Thai Duong and the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology. Director of Medicon Dao Dinh Khoi said that his company is urgently researching and producing quick antigen detection kits to ensure quality of coronavirus testing at the airports. The test kits produced by Medicon has the same sensitivity and specificity with the PCR method. The cost is expected to be about US$3.5 per kit, 30% cheaper than the imported ones. Currently, the kits are still in pre-clinical research before being launched to the market, according to Khoi. "No later than October will Medicon start registering this type of test kit," Khoi said, adding that Medicon has prepared raw materials to produce the first 500,000 test kits when it is licensed. The company can produce between 50,000 and 100,000 test kits per day. Deputy General Director of Sao Thai Duong JSC Nguyen Thi Huong Lien said that her company is also researching the test kits of Realtime-LAMP. This type of fast antigen test has the same specificity and sensitivity as the PCR test but requires shorter time, taking advantage of the available machines and equipment of the preventive medicine centers, thus the testing capacity can be be raised by 9-12 times. Vietnam, despite its lower middle-income status, has been able to produce coronavirus test kits because of its broad experience with researching and treating tropical and infectious diseases. In mid-April, Vietnams test kits attained approval from both the WHO and the UK, which gives the kits a laissez-passer to the vast European market. The quality of Vietnams test kits has been evaluated to be on par with that of WHO kits. As locally made products, they offer other advantages including specificity, stability, and compatibility with multiple types of testing equipment. Vietnam is one of five nations to have the kits ready for export and has received orders from 20 nations. The first batches of test kits will be shipped to Iran, Finland, Malaysia and Ukraine, according to the Ho Chi Minh City Customs Office. Hanoitimes Anh Kiet Aged Care Quality and Safety Commissioner Janet Anderson has defended the regulator's failure to take compliance action against a single provider despite thousands of complaints during the pandemic. Ms Anderson, whose agency received 2000 complaints in the three months to June - including 340 about infection control - said the commission aimed to "resolve" issues rather than "punish" providers. Aged Care Quality and Safety Commissioner Janet Anderson. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen "It is not intentionally and functionally a punitive approach that we take," the commissioner told a COVID-19 Senate inquiry hearing on Tuesday afternoon. "In most cases the provider, with a new and better understanding of the issues of concern, is willing to address it," she said, adding that in such cases there was "no need to take further action." Regulatory action was not "the only tool in our toolkit" when responding to complaints, Ms Anderson said, with only the most "serious" cases warranting a stronger approach. "We would reach for a compliance enforcement tool in the event that we would find significant non-compliance against the quality standards," she said. Such cases typically involved residents who were "immediately at severe risk of harm", she said. Ms Anderson said the consequences of a sanction for an aged care provider "can be very, very pronounced", ranging from being forced to appoint an independent advisor and not take on any new residents until proven compliant, to a "notice to agree to certain matters" - an agreement that, if rejected, could result in the provider losing their accreditation. The "ongoing risks to frail older Australians" in the pandemic were "keeping the entire aged care system, including the commission, on high alert", she said. Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi is likely to lead a protest in Punjab this week in support of farmers agitating against the government over three farm laws passed by Parliament last week, people familiar with the development said. Gandhi is also expected to address a rally, the date and venue of which is being finalised, a Congress leader said. After Punjab, he may join the protesting farmers in Haryana. But we are not sure if the BJP government in Haryana will allow him to enter the state, said the leader quoted above. The protest rally is part of the Congress partys ongoing two-month-long nationwide agitation programme against the government over the three farm laws. Also Read: PM Modi reaches out to farmers amid anger The Farmers Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020, the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020 and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill, 2020 were cleared by both the Houses of Parliament last week, triggering widespread protests, especially in Punjab and Haryana. President Ram Nath Kovind on Sunday gave his assent to the three contentious bills, despite the Opposition urging him to return them and only sign once they were passed after proper rules and procedures were followed. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has termed the laws a watershed moment in the history of Indian agriculture, which will empower millions of farmers. In his monthly Mann Ki Baat broadcast on Sunday, he said a large number of farmers have benefited since fruits and vegetables were brought out of the Agricultural Produce Marketing Committees (APMC) Act in some states a few years ago, and asserted that grain-producing peasants will now have the same freedom. Also Read: Great to see Akali Dal holding flag of farmers rights aloft: Farooq Abdullah on NDA exit However, the move saw the exit of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), one of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)s oldest allies, from the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). Its Union minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal also resigned from the Modi government. Gandhi, after returning on Tuesday from the United States where he had accompanied his mother and Congress president Sonia Gandhi for a routine health check-up, did not attend the proceedings or join the Oppositions protests in Parliament on the last day of the monsoon session on Wednesday in view of the protocols being followed during the Covid-19 pandemic. However, he has been repeatedly raising the issue on the social networking site, Twitter. In a video message as part of the Congress partys Speak up for Farmers campaign on Saturday, Gandhi told farmers that they were being persistently attacked. First demonetisation, then GST, then you were not given a single rupee at the time of coronavirus, attempt was being made to kill you (farmers), you are being made a slave of corporates, and now these three deadly bills, he said. We are standing with you (farmers) and together we will stop these bills. I want to say to the governmentyou have made a very big mistake. If farmers hit the streets, it will result in tremendous damage. Dont waste time, withdraw these laws immediately and give guarantee on MSP (minimum support price) to farmers, Gandhi said. On Thursday, the Congress launched its mass movement against the government over anti-farmer, anti-poor and black laws. The party has also decided to collect two crore signatures from protesting farmers against the proposed legislations. By announcing nearly two months of protests, the principle Opposition party is seeking to regain some of the political space it has lost over the years by targeting the farmers of the country. India has about 146 million farmer, going by operational land holdings, according to an agriculture census of 2015-16. The Congress is also seeing the issue as a 2015 moment when Sonia Gandhi played a key role in bringing 14 Opposition parties together against the proposed land acquisition bill that forced the BJP-led government to withdraw the controversial ordinance and shelve the idea of bringing a new legislation to replace the 2013 Act. As part of the programme, the Congress will hold several press conferences across the country. On Monday, senior leaders from states will walk to the respective Raj Bhavans and submit a memorandum on the farms bills to governors to be handed over to the President. On October 2, the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi and former Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri, the Congress will observe Kisan-Mazdoor Bachao Divas (Save Farmers and Farm Labourers Day). There will be protests and demonstrations in every district across the country demanding the immediate withdrawal of the laws. On October 10, state-level conferences will be held, and from October 2 to October 31, the party will collect signatures from 20 million farmers from all parts of the country. On November 14, the birth anniversary of Indias first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, a memorandum, along with signatures of 20 million farmers, will be submitted to the President. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON WASHINGTON and KINSHASA, Congo, Sept. 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The United Nations Development Programme has announced that Vie Sauvage ("Wildlife"), an organization dedicated to protecting bonobos and biodiversity in the Congo rainforest, has won the 2020 Equator Prize. The Equator Prize celebrates local indigenous peoples' initiatives that advance innovative nature-based solutions for conservation and sustainable development. Vie Sauvage is one of ten winners out of almost 600 applicants from around the world. Women of Vie Sauvage celebrate at the Kokolopori Bonobo Reserve, a community-managed protected area in the heart of the Congo rainforest. The indigenous Mongandu people respect bonobos as our kin, maintaining ancestral traditions passed down through stories and song. Frans Lanting Distinguished by their peaceful, matriarchal society and free-loving nature, bonobos are humankind's closest great ape relatives, sharing almost 99% of our DNA. The Kokolopori Bonobo Reserve provides safe haven for these endangered great apes, found only in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Christian Ziegler, National Geographic The Equator Prize 2020 winners will be recognized through a virtual award ceremony on September 29 , the culmination of a four-day UN "Nature For Life" event. This inspiring celebration will highlight all ten winning organizations and feature remarks by a host of luminaries, including renowned primatologist Dr. Jane Goodall and Sting. Vie Sauvage was profiled for the Equator Prize in this short video produced by One Earth. Founded in 1999, Vie Sauvage collaborated with their international partner, the Bonobo Conservation Initiative ( www.bonobo.org ), to pioneer a community-led approach that addresses conservation and humanitarian needs simultaneously. Their efforts have led to the development of the Bonobo Peace Forest, a network of reserves spanning a vast area of vital rainforest in the Democratic Republic of Congo. "We like to say 'Salisa bonobo mpe bonobo bakosalisa yo' which means help bonobos and bonobos will help you," said Albert Lotana Lokasola, founder and president of Vie Sauvage. Vie Sauvage spearheaded the creation of the Kokolopori Bonobo Reserve, a 4,875 km2 protected area that serves as a pilot and model for the Bonobo Peace Forest. Vie Sauvage manages the reserve and provides the lifesaving field teams who protect bonobos, an endangered species of great ape. The organization also directs community projects for agriculture, health, and education. Vie Sauvage has inspired other local communities to launch their own conservation initiatives, expanding their integrated, holistic approach beyond Kokolopori. "It is a great pleasure for me and my community to be honoured with the Equator Prize," said Lokasola. "It is an opportunity to strengthen and disseminate our conservation modelone rooted in our culture and traditionsat a regional level throughout the Bonobo Peace Forest, using Kokolopori Bonobo Reserve as an anchor site. This award will help support the new generation of forest stewards of Kokolopori, educating them in how to use their traditional knowledge to foster rainforest conservation." Sally Jewell Coxe, founder and president of the Bonobo Conservation Initiative, said, "Together with Vie Sauvage, we are committed to decolonizing conservation. Indigenous leadership is fundamental to effective and long-lasting solutions. We are proud to partner with Vie Sauvage on creating a vision for a sustainable future and bringing it to life." CONTACT: Rebecca Bossen McHugh 919-592-9560 [email protected] SOURCE Bonobo Conservation Initiative Related Links http://www.bonobo.org A growing number of Democrats have announced that they are declining to meet with Barrett, including Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (N.Y.), who said Sunday that a meeting is beside the point because I believe, first, that the whole process has been illegitimate, and, second, because she has already stated that she is for overturning the ACA. Riyadh: The G20 leaders summit will be held virtually on Nov. 21-22, Saudi Arabia said on Monday, as the COVID-19 pandemic thwarted Riyadh's hopes of hosting the gathering in the kingdom to boost its international standing. Saudi Arabia, the world's top oil exporter and a leading U.S. ally, took over the G20 presidency at a time of heavy global criticism of its human rights record after the 2018 murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi and of the Yemen war. Riyadh has sought to turn attention to reforms launched by de facto ruler Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to open up the kingdom and diversify its economy. King Salman, who had surgery in July, will chair the November summit, a G20 Saudi secretariat statement said. Saudi leaders had hailed the kingdom's G20 presidency as proof of its leading role in the global economy, but the majority of the meetings have been held virtually due the novel coronavirus. The summit will focus on "protecting lives and restoring growth, by addressing vulnerabilities uncovered during the pandemic and by laying down foundations for a better future," the statement said. The Group of 20 major economies have this year contributed over $21 billion to support measures such as the production and distribution of vaccines to fight the coronavirus outbreak. They have injected $11 trillion to stem the economic impact of the pandemic and launched a debt suspension initiative for the world's poorest countries aimed at deferring some $14 billion in debt payments due this year. Ahead of hosting the G20 summit, Saudi Arabia jailed eight people for between seven and 20 years for Khashoggi's killing in the kingdom's Istanbul consulate. Saudi officials denied Prince Mohammed played a role, but in 2019 he indicated some personal accountability, saying "it happened under my watch". Riyadh has also been trying to exit the costly conflict in Yemen, where a Saudi-led coalition has been battling the Iran-aligned Houthi group for over five years in what is widely seen in the region as a proxy war between Saudi Arabia and Iran. This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Never miss a story! Stay connected and informed with Mint. Download our App Now!! Topics Iran is forging oil export documents so it can pass its oil on the market as non-Iranian crude, thus skirting the U.S. sanctions on its oil industry and exports, according to Irans top oil official. What we export is not under Irans name. The documents are changed over and over, as well as specifications, various media reported Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Zanganeh as quoted as saying in parliament by the website of the state-held National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC). Since the U.S. imposed sanctions on Irans oil industry and exports in May 2018, the Islamic Republic has been using various tactics to ship crude abroad without being detected, including by tankers switching off transponders or documents stating the oil does not originate from Iran. The reported comments from Zanganeh is an open admission by Iran that it is using every method available to increase its exports by hiding the origin of its oil. So far in September, Iran is estimated to have exported nearly 1.5 million barrels per day (bpd) of crude oil and condensate, TankerTrackers told Reuters last week, in what would be the highest level of Iranian exports in a year and a half and double the observed exports in August. Related: The World's Most Expensive Crudes Get Expensive Again Two other tanker-tracking firms have also seen an increase in Iranian oil exports so far in September, although not as much as TankerTrackers.com has found, according to Reuters. Zanganeh also said last week that America has waged a war against Iran with no blood, referring to the sanctions on Irans oil. Iran continues to export oil in defiance of the U.S. sanctions, and it seems to have recently increased its oil exports despite the fact that official figures still put the shipments at very low levels. China, for example, the worlds largest oil importer, is likely receiving much more oil from Iran than the official figures report, according to various reports, media investigations, and tanker-tracking firms. In August, Iran was exporting a lot more crude oil than U.S. figures suggest, data from TankerTrackers.com revealed, as reported by NBC News. By Josh Owens for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: SAN FRANCISCO Firefighters and officials at Californias largest utility company braced for hot, dry and windy weather in northern and central areas of the state this weekend that may fan the flames of several major wildfires or ignite new ones. Pacific Gas & Electric warned Friday it may cut power from Sunday morning to Monday, potentially affecting 97,000 customers in 16 counties, during which forecasters said a ridge of high pressure will raise temperatures and generate gusts flowing from the interior to the coast. PG&E initially warned that approximately 21,000 customers in three counties would lose power beginning Saturday evening but expanded the potential shutoff when the forecast changed. The utility is tracking the weather to determine if it would be necessary to shut off power to areas where gusts could damage the companys equipment or hurl debris into lines that can ignite flammable vegetation. When heavy winds were predicted earlier this month, PG&E cut power to about 167,000 homes and businesses in central and Northern California in a more targeted approach after being criticized last year for acting too broadly when it blacked out 2 million customers to prevent fires. PG&E equipment has sparked past large wildfires, including the 2018 fire that destroyed much of the Sierra foothills town of Paradise and killed 85 people. Firefighters battling the states largest wildfire braced for the change in weather by constructing fuel breaks on Friday to keep the flames from reaching a marijuana-growing enclave where authorities said many of the locals have refused to evacuate and abandon their maturing crops. The wildfire called the August Complex is nearing the small communities of Post Mountain and Trinity Pines, about 200 miles (322 kilometers) northwest of Sacramento, the Los Angeles Times reported. Law enforcement officers went door to door warning of the encroaching fire danger but could not force residents to evacuate, Trinity County Sheriffs Department Deputy Nate Trujillo said. Its mainly growers, Trujillo said. And a lot of them, they dont want to leave because that is their livelihood. As many as 1,000 people remained in Post Mountain and Trinity Pines, authorities and local residents estimated Thursday. Numerous studies in recent years have linked bigger U.S. wildfires to global warming from the burning of coal, oil and gas, especially because climate change has made California much drier. A drier California means plants are more flammable. The U.S. Forest Services Pacific Southwest Region announced Friday that it is extending the closure of all nine national forests in California due to concerns including fire conditions and critical limitations on firefighting resources. The threatened marijuana growing area is in the Emerald Triangle, a three-county corner of Northern California that by some estimates is the nations largest cannabis-producing region. People familiar with Trinity Pines said the community has up to 40 legal farms, with more than 10 times that number in hidden, illegal growing areas. Growers are wary of leaving the plants vulnerable to flames or thieves. Each farm has crops worth half a million dollars or more and many are within days or weeks of harvest. One estimate put the value of the areas legal marijuana crop at about $20 million. There (are) millions of dollars, millions and millions of dollars of marijuana out there, Trujillo said. Some of those plants are 16 feet (5 meters) tall, and they are all in the budding stages of growth right now. Gunfire in the region is common. A recent night brought what locals dubbed the roll call of cannabis cultivators shooting rounds from pistols and automatic weapons as warnings to outsiders, said Post Mountain volunteer Fire Chief Astrid Dobo, who also manages legal cannabis farms. Hundreds of migrant workers typically pour into the area this time of year to help trim and harvest the plants, but its uncertain whether that population dwindled due to the coronavirus pandemic, said Julia Rubinic, a member of the Trinity County Agriculture Alliance, which represents licensed cannabis growers. Mike McMillan, spokesman for the federal incident command team managing the northern section of the August Complex, said fire officials plan to deliver a clear message that we are not going to die to save people. That is not our job. We are going to knock door to door and tell them once again, McMillan said. However, if they choose to stay and if the fire situation becomes, as we say, very dynamic and very dangerous . we are not going to risk our lives. A firefighter was killed and another was injured on Aug. 31 while working on the fire. Diana Jones, a volunteer firefighter from Texas, was among 26 people who have died since more than two dozen major wildfires broke out across the state last month. A memorial service was held Friday for a veteran firefighter, Charles Morton, 39, a squad boss with the Big Bear Interagency Hotshot Crew who died Sept. 17 while battling the El Dorado Fire in the San Bernardino National Forest east of Los Angeles. I know that Charlie was a very skilled, in fact extraordinary, firefighter and a fire leader, U.S. Forest Service Chief Vicki Christiansen told the gathering at The Rock Church in San Bernardino. He committed himself, often for weeks and months on end, to protecting lives, communities and natural resources all around this country in service to fellow Americans. The Butte County Sheriffs Office on Friday released the identity of another of the 15 people killed in a rampaging forest fire earlier this month. The remains of Linda Longenbach, 71, of Berry Creek, were found on Sept. 10 in a roadway about 10 feet from an ATV, close to the body of a man previously identified as Paul Winer, 68. A relative told investigators the victims were aware of the fire and chose not to evacuate. Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. By Trend The counter-offensive operation of Azerbaijani armed forces, carried out to suppress the offensive of the Armenian occupiers, continues successfully, the commander of the military division, Major General Mais Barkhudarov said, Trend reports. "The soldiers of the Azerbaijani army are carrying out tasks to liberate our lands from occupation. The personnel of the military division under my command will fight until complete victory," said Barkhudarov. Armenian armed forces launched a large-scale military attack on positions of Azerbaijani army on the frontline, using large-caliber weapons, mortars and artillery on Sept. 27. Azerbaijan responded with a counter-offensive along the entire front. As a result of the retaliation, Azerbajiani troops managed to liberate the territories previously occupied by Armenia: Garakhanbeyli, Garvend, Kend Horadiz, Yukhari Abdulrahmanli villages (Fuzuli district), Boyuk Marjanli, and Nuzgar villages (Jabrayil district). Moreover, the positions of the Armenian armed forces were destroyed in the direction of Azerbaijan's Agdere district and Murovdag, important heights were taken under control. Back in July 2020, Armenian Armed Forces violated the ceasefire in the direction of Azerbaijan's Tovuz district. As a result of Azerbaijan's retaliation, the opposing forces were silenced. The fighting continued the following days as well. Azerbaijan lost a number of military personnel members, who died fighting off the attacks of the Armenian armed forces. The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on the withdrawal of its armed forces from Nagorno Karabakh and the surrounding districts. -- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz Sir David Attenborough has revealed that he found the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's children 'charming' after meeting them last week. The 94-year-old naturalist was photographed with Prince George, seven, Princess Charlotte, five, and Prince Louis, two, along with their mother Kate, 38, after enjoying a private viewing of his newest documentary A Life On Our Planet with Prince William, 38. After meeting in the grounds of Kensington Palace, Sir David told The Times that it was a 'very nice domestic occasion'. The broadcaster even gifted Prince George a fossilised giant shark's tooth after discovering the young royal was a 'massive fan'. Sir David Attenborough has revealed that he found the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's children 'charming' after meeting them last week (pictured) 'When I was his age, I remember being given fossils by a grown-up, so I thought I would do the same, Sir David said. '[George asked] What it was? How big it was? And so on. He was certainly very interested. He seemed to like it. He is very interested in fossils. She [Charlotte] was too. All three seemed charming.' The children are thought to have bombarded Prince William and Kate to meet Sir David - with the Duchess previously admitting that they're 'massive fans' of the conservationist. Prince George was photographed looking intrigued as he handled the fossilised tooth from an extinct Carcharocles megalodon - one of the most feared predators to have swum in the seas. The broadcaster even gifted Prince George a fossilised giant shark's tooth after discovering the young royal was a 'massive fan'. Pictured, the royal holding it while sitting next to Prince William and Prince Louis The giant shark tooth was found by Sir David during a family holiday to Malta in the late 1960s. WHAT WAS THE CARCHAROCLES MEGALODON? Jaws may have terrified you at the cinema, but the iconic great white would have been dwarfed by Carcharocles megalodon, the largest shark in the history of the planet. The giant creatures lived between 23million and 2.6million years ago and scientists are divided over how and why the species perished. The predator grew up to an incredible 59 feet (18 metres) long, and it used its giant teeth, that could grow up to 7.1 inches (18cm) to feed on smaller marine mammals. In the past, climate changes have generally been blamed for its disappearance, while some research also suggested the giant shark became extinct because the diversity of its prey decreased and new predators appeared as competitors. Advertisement It was embedded in the island's soft yellow limestone, which was laid down during the Miocene period some 23million years ago. William and the veteran broadcaster watched A Life On Our Planet, a revealing and powerful first-hand account in which Sir David reflects on both the defining moments of his life as a naturalist and the devastating changes he has witnessed. Socially distanced in the open air, the Duke of Cambridge and Sir David were offered directors' chairs with their names printed on the back - but in a change of plan they sat in each other's seats. The 94-year-old broadcaster chatted to William, Kate and their three children George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis after the screening on Thursday. William interviewed Sir David at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, last year, and during the discussion the broadcaster warned that humanity needed to act so that they did not 'annihilate part of the natural world'. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge also previously met the conservationist in September 2019 at Birkenhead, for the naming ceremony of the polar research ship the RRS Sir David Attenborough. The encounter appears in the upcoming ITV documentary, Prince William: A Planet For Us All. In a new clip to promote the royal's programme - which shows his passion for the planet and search for ways to restore the environment for the next generation - Prince William is seen greeting the broadcaster by saying: 'Heres a recognised face,' while Kate admits that George, Charlotte and Louis are disappointed to not be in attendance. William and the veteran broadcaster (pictured) watched A Life On Our Planet, a revealing and powerful first-hand account in which Sir David reflects on both the defining moments of his life as a naturalist and the devastating changes he has witnessed The duchess, who revealed in lockdown that her eldest son was often watching David Attenborough's Blue Planet, says: 'The children were very upset that we were coming to see you and they werent coming. Theyre massive fans of yours.' With a shared passion for protecting the natural world, William and Sir David continue to support each other in their mission to tackle some of the biggest environmental challenges the planet faces. This includes working together on William's Earthshot Prize, an ambitious global environment project announced last December to combat climate issues. Further details about the prize are expected in the coming weeks. A container vessel X-Press Godavari, at anchorage off Sandheads in West Bengal has reported a fire onboard. The last port of call of this vessel was Kelang, Malaysia and she was headed for Kolkata. The ship has 15 crew on board. The Indian Coast Guard has mobilized three vessels to the location and one Dornier aircraft is airborne for surveillance and assessment. The vessel which has reported a fire is 150m long cargo carrier, holding containers. Container on fire in stationed in the middle of the ship. ICG ship Amogh and CG Dornier have been pressed into service to contain the raging inferono. ICGS Amrit Kaur and Varad also proceeding to area. People who do not purchase a TV licence will no longer be faced with a potential jail sentence with the government set to decriminalise the offence. At present, those caught not paying for a TV licence face a fine of up to 1,000 which, if ignored, can lead to a prison sentence. Under new plans the penalty for not paying for a TV licence will be changed to fines that will be enforceable in civil courts, The Times reports. The Government is set to change the law next month to decriminalise non-payment of the TV licence fee in favour of a civil court-enforceable fine The BBC will be allowed to take those evaders that are caught watching TV without a licence to county courts and use bailiffs to collect the fines. Decriminalisation will make non-payment of the licence fee a 'civil debt' and will be compared to someone not paying their utility bills. The changes could be introduced as early as next month and one Government source told The Times that decriminalisation was a 'done deal'. However, they also said that they needed to ensure that the new penalty put in place was not more severe than what is already in place. Non-payments of a TV licence will also affect a person's credit score under the new Government plans What do you need a TV licence for? Current law dictates that a household needs to purchase a TV licence in order to watch or record any television as it is being shown live. A licence is also needed if shows are watched live on online TV or streaming services. You are also only allowed to watch shows on BBC iPlayer if you own a TV licence. However, you are still allowed to watch films and shows on services such as Netflix, YouTube, Amazon Prime as well as DVDs and Blu-rays. Non-BBC catch up services such as ITV Player and Channel 4 on-demand can also be enjoyed without a TV licence as long as live television is not watched through them. Advertisement 'We need to tread carefully,' they said. Non-payments of a TV licence will also affect a person's credit score under the new Government plans. The new plans were developed following a consultation and will be presented to MPs but any replacement penalty will also be subject to a consultation before being passed through Parliament as a bill. While contributing to the consultation, the BBC said: 'Action taken by bailiffs is by its very nature intrusive ... TV Licensing does not use them to recover arrears.' In 2018, 129,446 people in England were prosecuted for not owning a TV licence but only five of these cases resulted in a jail sentence. Earlier this week, the Mail on Sunday reported that the BBC had been facing a TV licence rebellion from pensioners who were refusing to pay the fee. Before this year, over-75s received free TV licences, but in June the BBC confirmed that the scheme was to end, following a two-month extension because of the coronavirus pandemic. As a result, an extra three million households were faced with a 157.50 fee and only those who received the Pension Credit would remain exempt from paying the fee. Meanwhile, former Daily Mail editor Paul Dacre has been approached by Boris Johnson to become Chairman of Ofcom, in the latest example of Downing Street's determination to shake up the Left-wing establishment. The Mail on Sunday claims Dacre, 71, who edited the Daily Mail for 26 years until 2018, was asked to consider the role over drinks at Number 10 earlier this year. Lord Burns, the current Ofcom Chairman is set to step down later this year after agreeing to end his tenure short, rather than seeing out his four-year term which was due to end in 2022. During ongoing conversations with Downing Street, Mr Dacre said that he was interested, subject to 'assurances' about 'freedom and independence'. Former Daily Mail editor Paul Dacre (pictured) has been approached by Boris Johnson to become Chairman of Ofcom In an Asbury Park apartment last month, just eight minutes after police responded to a 911 call about a fight, Hasani Best asked officers to find another person to speak with him. The 39-year-old was upset, armed with a knife and had dealt with the cops before. Get somebody else, Best said to the officers, according to police body camera footage released by the state attorney generals office last week. Well make a call, get somebody else out here, an officer said to Asbury Park police Sgt. Sean DeShader, who had his gun drawn outside Bests room. Friends of Canada-India along with seven other organisations, on September 27, held a demonstration against China in front of Chinese Consulate Office in Vancouver. While condemning Beijing for the 'irresponsible actions and dictatorship approach, the protesters demanded the release of two detained Canadians in China. The demonstrations were also held in a bid to resist CCP, to oppose Chinas new Hong Kong national security law, and to free Hong Kong, Tibet and Indian part. Maninder Gill of Friends of Canada-India said, The law threatens freedom of the press, freedom of speech and freedom of assembly. According to ANI, more than 500 people gathered on Sunday afternoon to participate in the protest. While the demonstrators raised slogans against Beijing, they also followed all the guidelines by the BC Ministry of Health due to the unprecedented coronavirus pandemic. READ: Huawei CFO Case Back In Canadian Court On Monday Apart from Friends of Canada-India, seven other organisations that participated in the protests included Canada Tibet Committee and the Tibetan Community, Friends of Canada India Organization, Vancouver Society of Freedom, Democracy and Human Rights for China, Vancouver Hong Kong Political Activists, Vancouverites concerned about Hong Kong, Vancouver Society in Support of Democratic Movement (VSSDM) and Vancouver Uyghur Association. All the eight groups demanded the release of two detained Canadians caught in a diplomatic standoff over Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou. The senior executive for Chinese communications giant Huawei Technologies was arrested in Vancouvers airport in late 2018. Her arrest infuriated Beijing as they see her case as a political move designed to prevent Chinas rise. READ: Canada Mounties Charge Man With Falsely Claiming Terrorism Tensions between Canada-China Mengs arrest soured relations between Canada and China and in apparent retaliation, Beijing detained former Canadian diplomat Michael Kovrig and Canadian entrepreneur Michael Spavor. In addition, China also placed restrictions on various Canadian exports to China, including canola oilseed. On the other hand, amid the rising tensions, earlier this month, Canada also announced its step back from trade negotiations with China due to several disagreements on a various range of topics. Canada has decided to take a step back and analyse its future policy with Beijing through the "lens of China of 2020". This sudden departure from trade negotiations with China signals a policy shift in Canada, bringing it more in line with countries like the United States, Australia and some European Union countries. (Inputs & Image: ANI) READ: Canada PM Justine Trudeau Announces $800 Million Deal With AstraZeneca Of COVID-19 Vaccine READ: Trudeau Warns Canada Has Hit 2nd Wave Of COVID-19 GRANT, Fla., Sept. 28, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via NetworkWire Kaival Brands Innovations Group, Inc. (OTCQB: KAVL) (Kaival Brands, the Company, or we), a company focused on growing and incubating innovative and profitable products into mature, dominant brands, is proud to announce its entry into a Patent Contribution Agreement (the Agreement), in which the Company will acquire exclusive rights to an international patent portfolio concerning full customization of certain isomeric properties of synthetic nicotine. Kaival Brands is also pleased to announce the formation of a new wholly-owned subsidiary, Kaival Labs, Inc., a Delaware corporation (Kaival Labs), that will own and develop the patent. The U.S. patent and international patent applications protect the utilization and creation of controlled preparations of synthetic nicotine that are greater than 99.5% pure with specific ratios of (R, S, and R-S)-isomers for cessation purposes. As such, the product will meet the purity requirements described for nicotine in the United States of Americas USP monograph. Niraj Patel, CEO of Kaival Brands, sees incredible potential with the nicotine cessation patents and stated, "The science behind these patents has discovered that within the nicotine molecule the S-isomers control the addictive properties, whereas the R-isomers control the beneficial qualities of the nicotine that a user enjoys. The exclusivity is that the patents allow us to control the specific ratios of each isomer in the final synthetic nicotine molecule we produce for cessation products. We can now create completely unique products for smoking cessation and nicotine addiction therapy that remain effective and satisfying for the user, but are free from nicotines addictive traits. Pursuant to the Agreement, Kaival Labs will own the patented science to create a pure, yet non-addictive synthetic nicotine for the development and production of smoking cessation and nicotine replacement therapy products. Tobacco-Free Nicotine (TFN) is a certified clean, pure, non-tobacco-derived synthetic nicotine, and a key ingredient in numerous products like nicotine patches, lozenges, gums, e-cigarettes, e-liquids and more, Patel added. Kaival Brands will acquire the patent and international patent applications for a total purchase price of $3 million from Next Generation Labs, LLC, (NGL) the only specialized manufacturer of the patented TFN brand synthetic nicotine in the United States. NGL is to be paid upon two events: (i) a portion of the purchase price will be paid upon the completion of the Companys future public offering of its common stock; and (ii) the remaining portion of the purchase price will be paid upon the successful creation of any commercialized product utilizing the patents. Billions of smokers and tobacco users worldwide are looking for an answer and real solution to their nicotine addiction problems. Imagine patent-protected products, either approved pharmaceutically or made available over-the-counter, that offer a way to truly ease a user off their addictive cravings for nicotine without losing any of their accustomed benefits along the way. We are excited to develop these innovative patents and bring effective, enjoyable smoking cessation products to an expanding market, helping all nicotine users lead healthier and higher-quality lives, expressed Patel. According to a Global Smoking Cessation Market Analysis 2019, the smoking cessation market is projected to reach $63.99 billion by 2026, growing at a CAGR of 16.9% during 2018 to 2026. The study defines smoking cessation as the process of discontinuing tobacco smoking and includes products such as chewing gum, inhalers, lozenges, patches, sprays, and sublingual tablets and therapies such as nicotine replacement therapy (NRT), non-NRT therapy and e-cigarettes. Kaival Brands Innovations Group, Inc. (OTCQB: KAVL) is a fast-growing company focused on generating wealth by seeking to incubate innovative products into mature and dominant brands in their respective markets. Our vision is to develop internally, acquire or own, and exclusively distribute these profitable brands with recognizable innovation and superior quality. Learn more now at www.kaivalbrands.com. Kaival Labs, Inc., the latest addition to Kaival Brands Innovations Group, Inc., is a wholly-owned subsidiary. Kaival Brands believes Kaival Labs will pioneer the movement in creating a future that is free from nicotine addiction, become an additional advocate with Kaival Brands against underage smoking, and will play an essential role in transitioning millions of smokers worldwide to a tobacco-free life. To learn more about Kaival Labs, its advocacies, and how isomer-specific synthetic nicotine can help curb nicotine addiction, visit www.kaivallabs.com. Forward-Looking Statements This press release includes statements that constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of federal securities laws, which are statements other than historical facts that frequently use words such as anticipate, believe, continue, could, estimate, expect, forecast, intend, may, plan, position, should, strategy, target, will and similar words. All forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this press release. Although we believe that the plans, intentions, and expectations reflected in or suggested by the forward-looking statements are reasonable, there is no assurance that these plans, intentions, or expectations will be achieved. Therefore, actual outcomes and results could materially differ from what is expressed, implied, or forecasted in such statements. This release contains certain forward-looking statements based on current plans and expectations and is subject to various risks and uncertainties. Our business may be influenced by many factors that are difficult to predict, involve uncertainties that may materially affect results, and are often beyond our control. Factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include, but are not limited to, the duration and scope of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and the impact on the demand for the products we distribute; the actions governments, businesses, and individuals take in response to the pandemic, including mandatory business closures and restrictions on onsite commercial interactions; the impact of the pandemic and actions taken in response to the pandemic on global and regional economies and economic activity; the pace of recovery when the COVID-19 pandemic subsides; general economic uncertainty in key global markets and a worsening of global economic conditions or low levels of economic growth; the effects of steps that we could take to reduce operating costs; our inability to generate and sustain profitable sales growth; circumstances or developments that may make us unable to implement or realize anticipated benefits, or that may increase the costs, of our current and planned business initiatives; and those factors detailed by us in our public filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission . All forward-looking statements included in this press release are expressly qualified in their entirety by such cautionary statements. Except as required under the federal securities laws and the Securities and Exchange Commissions rules and regulations, we do not have any intention or obligation to update any forward-looking statements publicly, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. For more information, please contact 833-4-KAIVAL or email us at investors@kaivalbrands.com. Corporate Communications: InvestorBrandNetwork (IBN) Los Angeles, California www.InvestorBrandNetwork.com 310.299.1717 Office Editor@InvestorBrandNetwork.com Contact name: Eric Mosser Phone number: 833-4-KAIVAL Email address: investors@kaivalbrands.com Coronavirus cases are surging in Montenegro just weeks after tens of thousands took to the streets in protest against the nations election results. As a daunting second wave sweeps across Europe, the small Balkans nation has seen cases almost double in the space of three weeks and coincides with widespread protests several weeks ago. While outbreaks across the UK, Spain and a host of other European countries dominate the news, Montenegro now has the highest seven-day average for the number of new cases per 100,000 residents, of countries with more than 500,000 residents. The nation, which in May declared itself coronavirus-free, is only second to Armenia in Europe in terms of cases per capita since the pandemic began, with 1,561 cases per 100,000 people. An uptick in cases, which began around the start of the month, has now resulted in cases surging and comes after a groundbreaking election led to protests in direct defiance of Covid restrictions. Self-described patriots wave flags during a post-election rally in Podgorica on September 6. Source: Getty Supporters of President Milo Djukanovic and his Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS) have staged raillies in support of Montenegro's sovereignty. Source: Getty On August 30, the Democratic Party of Socialists lost the national election, ending 30 years of control for the party, sparking mass protests despite the warnings of dire repercussions from health authorities. Three opposition coalitions claimed a slender victory with 41 of 81 seats in parliament, yet there links to Serbia, including the use of Serbian national symbols in their election celebrations, sparked anger from nationalists. Montenegro remains deeply divided over its ties with Serbia with some advocating closer ties with Belgrade and others opposing any pro-Serb alliance. Montenegro's daily cases have surged in the weeks after the protests. Source: Worldometers Shocking photos from the beginning of September show protesters crammed into public spaces in the capital of Podgorica, with little social distancing and mask wearing. Crowds waved Montenegrin national flags and chanted: This is not Serbia... We do not give away Montenegro. Story continues On September 7, defeated Prime Minister Dusko Markovic threw his support behind the protests, tweeting: Long live Montenegro. The head of Montenegros Institute for Public Health, Boban Mugosa, warned protesters to adhere to restrictions as cases began to soar. Thousands of Montenegrin nationalists loyal to President Milo Djukanovic gather in the royal city of Cetinje outside the Cetinje Monastery on September 3. Source: Getty With mass gatherings continuing, we will have an upward trend of infections and I am afraid that it will get bigger and bigger, he pleaded. I ask everyone to refrain from mass gatherings, to respect ourselves and our own and to protect the community and health. Montenegro health officials are now desperately trying to curtail the spread of the virus, implementing new restrictions on hospitality venues in the capital, local newspaper Pobjeda reported. Restrictions include a venue curfew until 10pm and table capacities of two. Yet the hospitality industry has hit back, refuting claims the industry is a driver of infection and have lambasted the government for failing to provide evidence and an explanation for the illogical decision. Dramatic change in fortune for Montenegro The surge in cases is in stark contrast to the nations position in May, when it declared itself coronavirus-free. The tourism industry promoted the country as the first free of the virus, hoping to attract visitors after a significant hit to the economy. Montenegro welcomed international visitors back to the country at the start of June after a month of zero cases, only for the virus to return two weeks later. Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and download the Yahoo News app from the App Store or Google Play. The U.S. is not in a good place in containing the spread of coronavirus ahead of the colder months, Dr. Anthony Fauci said on Monday. There are states that are starting to show an uptick in cases and even some increase in hospitalizations in some states, Fauci, the nations top infectious disease expert, told ABCs Good Morning America. We very well might start seeing an increase in deaths. Fauci warned that when it starts to get colder, people will spend more time indoors, where the virus can remain in the air for longer periods of time, particularly in poorly ventilated buildings. As we get into the fall and winter, you really want the level of community spread to be as low as possible, Fauci said. Twenty-two states are now seeing elevated levels of the COVID infection, with many setting daily records over the past week, according to a New York Times analysis. North Dakota, one of the few states without a mask mandate, now has the highest number of COVID cases per capita, with 363 cases for every 100,000 people, according to Newsweek. Cases in the U.S. have increased by roughly 9% last week compared to the prior week, according to CNBC, and the country is averaging 44,300 new cases as of Sunday. Cases are also increasing in Massachusetts, where there have been an average of 443 daily cases over the past week a 37% from the average two weeks earlier, according to the Times. On Monday, changes to the states regulations governing restaurant seating took effect, allowing up to 10 people per table. Guidelines previously limited restaurants' seating to no more than six people per table. The cities of Worcester and Boston, which are seeing elevated case numbers, have both decided to keep restaurant restrictions in place and have seating remain at six people per table. Faucis warning comes as global COVID-19 deaths approach 1 million, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. Related Content: Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) monitors urge Armenia and Azerbaijan to immediately de-escalate the situation and return to the negotiating table "We are extremely concerned by the outbreak of military hostilities between Armenia and Azerbaijan and its escalation, which put regional stability at risk. We deeply regret the losses of civilian and military lives reported by both parties, said the PACE monitoring co-rapporteurs for Armenia, Boriana Aberg (Sweden, EPP/CD) and Kimmo Kiljunen (Finland, SOC), and those for Azerbaijan, Stefan Schennach (Austria, SOC) and Sir Roger Gale (United Kingdom, EC/DA), in a joint statement. We urge both parties to immediately cease armed hostilities, to de-escalate the situation and to return to the negotiating table in the Minsk Group format. In addition, we urge all other Council of Europe member States to refrain from any actions or discourse that could contribute to the tension and instability in this volatile region. We reiterate that there is no alternative to a peaceful solution to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, they added. As we did in our joint statement in July 2020, when clashes took place along the Armenian-Azerbaijani border, we underscore the explicit obligation incumbent on member States of the Council of Europe that they should resolve the conflicts between them by peaceful means only, they said. The Assembly stands ready to contribute, at the parliamentary level, to creating an environment conducive to peaceful negotiations within the Minsk Group format, they concluded. Accra, September 2020: Ghanas efforts to build a self-reliant economy, the countrys digitisation drive, and the sectors of the economy ripe for investment are among the topical issues explored by Mahamudu Bawumia, the Vice-President of Ghana, in an in-depth video interview (vidcast) he gave to Oxford Business Group (OBG)s Souhir Mzali, the global research and advisory companys Regional Editor for Africa. Bawumia said that the arrival of the Covid-19 pandemic had provided a timely opportunity for Ghana to build on the policy framework already in place, which aimed to encourage the expansion of domestic industries and reduce imports. He gave the example of PPE production, which he said had been allocated to local textile industries and produced a fantastic response. In a sense, COVID, in some paradoxical way, has jump-started our Ghana Beyond Aid mission, he said. It has allowed us to be more self-reliant and we have now, by way of policy, through this whole experience said government procurement should be very much directed, when possible to the local industries. Were seeing a good response and that is going to drive our policy going forward. The full interview is available to view at https://oxfordbusinessgroup.com/blog/souhir-mzali/obg-talks/what-are-drivers-economic-recovery-ghana-post-covid19 Bawumia told OBG that Ghanas progress in digitalisation had also proved beneficial when the coronavirus hit, facilitating the implementation of innovative public health solutions that even included the use of drones, while also providing citizens with access to key government services online and allowing many of them to work from home. Digital solutions have been extremely helpful in tracing, in testing, in delivery of samples for testing and in communications, he said. The whole process reinforced our commitment to the digitisation process. The vice-president said Ghana offered myriad opportunities for investment in a variety of sectors, which ranged from agriculture an area likely to be of particular interest, given the current focus on food security to industry, financial services and digital services. We also believe that Ghana should leverage its position as the headquarters of the African Continental Free Trade Area to become a regional hub, he said. Were building an economy that is going to leverage all these investments to become a hub for many services. The talk with Bawumia is OBGs latest vidcast, a go-to research tool in which high-profile representatives from the public and private sectors answer pertinent questions on topical issues relating to the economic development of emerging economies and their investment opportunities. The company is also currently producing a range of country-specific Covid-19 Economic Impact Assessment articles and interviews. Click here to subscribe to Oxford Business Groups latest content: http://www.oxfordbusinessgroup.com/country-reports AVON LAKE, Ohio - Businesses are able to breathe a sigh of relief because of new legislation signed by Gov. Mike DeWine on Sept. 14. The bill signed gives individuals, schools, health care providers, businesses and other entities civil immunity from lawsuits stemming from the exposure, transmission or contraction of Covid-19, as long organizations are not blatantly disregarding the health and safety guidelines, according to the governors office. The new legislation, Ohio House Bill 606, will take effect in 90 days and run through September 2021 for a 12-month protection period. Some companies were concerned they could face lawsuits if an outbreak of the COVID-19 virus occurred within their businesses. The lawsuits could prove to be a last straw to businesses that have already been decimated by restrictions already put in place to stem the spread of the virus. The bill was widely backed by business groups throughout the Ohio, including the Ohio Chamber of Commerce, Ohio Hotel & Lodging Association and Ohio Business Roundtable, according to the governors office. Ohio businesses stepped up when asked to help with this pandemic crisis and we are pleased the Senate and House, along with the governor, have acted to help protect jobs and our economy, said Andrew Doehrel, president and CEO of the state chamber of commerce. Ohio is not the only state to pass this type of legislation. States included are: Connecticut, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Utah and Wyoming. Avon Lake has enjoyed healthy business growth in recent years. Economic Development Director in Avon Lake, Ted Esborn, said, Avon Lakes small businesses have not said much to me about this kind of liability or the immunity this action gives them. They seem to be focused more on cash flow and continually adapting to the circumstances. Esborn said large businesses have not had much to say either. But because they have more employees, they are more comforted by this immunity, he said. Hopefully this protection removes one particular worry and allows these companies to better address the myriad of other worries they have at this time. Mr Martin was speaking at the launch of a national leaflet drop of the Governments Living with Covid-19 plan, which will be delivered to every home in the country over the coming days. Mr Martin called on the people of Ireland, especially younger people, to follow public health guidelines, as today saw a further 390 cases of the virus confirmed. The next two weeks are critical and I am calling on everyone to bring extra focus to the task for the next fortnight. This is a dangerous and deadly virus that kills. Many of those that it doesnt kill, it leaves seriously ill, regardless of age, Mr Martin said. Keep it safe and keep it close to hand. This document will keep you fully informed on what any change to your county or citys risk status will mean for you. Advertisement Every citizen in the country has the power to change the trajectory of this illness. I believe it is very important to ensure that they are as fully informed as possible. Thats one of the reasons why I am pleased to be launching this leaflet. With An Posts help, every home the country will have full visibility of the plan for how we are going to come through this together. I would encourage every household to treat this document as they would treat any other important piece of literature that comes into their home. Keep it safe and keep it close to hand. This document will keep you fully informed on what any change to your county or citys risk status will mean for you. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Moments prior to a multi-vehicle crash and foot pursuit by NYPD officers in a commercial section of West Brighton on Sunday afternoon, police said the suspect attempted to steal an ATM machine from a local bank. Police arrested William Hickman, 25, of Taylor Street in West Brighton, on charges that include fourth-degree grand larceny, reckless endangerment, leaving the scene of an accident and obstructing governmental administration, a spokeswoman for the NYPD said Monday. Hickman is accused of driving a Land Rover into the ATM area at a Bank of America on the 2100 block of Forest Avenue in Mariners Harbor, then, unsuccessfully trying to remove the machine. Police said he fled the scene in the same vehicle. A few minutes later, at about 12:20 p.m., officers attempted to conduct a vehicle stop, but Hickman refused to comply and continued east on Forest Avenue in West Brighton, police said. Several witnesses described watching the SUV then crash into a white sedan driven by a young woman, near the intersection of Forest and Greenleaf avenues. Hickman then fled on foot, and attempted to enter another vehicle while a person was inside, the NYPD spokeswoman said. Witnesses said they watched as plainclothes officers chased the suspect on foot. He ultimately was detained at a nearby intersection. One man -- who was driving behind the woman who was struck -- said he stayed at the scene for about 30 minutes, tending to the woman and helping direct traffic. It took a lot of us by surprise, and the guy was literally centimeters from the side of my car, said Michael Thayer, 34, of St. George. I spent the majority of yesterday visualizing the scene over and over." A police pursuit of a man suspected of an attempted ATM heist ended with a multi-vehicle crash near the intersection of Forest and Greenleaf avenues Sunday. (Google Maps) Multiple witnesses said the female driver was crying and emotionally shaken, but didnt appear to be seriously injured. I dont think she was hurt as much as she was scared and obviously traumatized by what happened," Thayer said. The scene unfolded in front of parishioners on their way into afternoon Mass at Blessed Sacrament R.C. Church on Forest Avenue, and workers at a nearby restaurant and deli across the street from the chapel. It was unbelievable, in broad daylight, said a man who works nearby. The chaotic, police-related incident was one of several in recent weeks that have occurred across the North Shore on public streets, and in front of multiple witnesses. On the evening of Sept. 12, a 23-year-old man was stabbed during an altercation on the 200 block of Port Richmond Avenue in front of shop owners and diners in the area. A police investigation remained ongoing, as of Monday. On the afternoon Sept. 14, a 21-year-old man was shot and killed on a busy stretch of Richmond Terrace in Mariners Harbor. Investigators have since released surveillance images of a man sought for questioning in the shooting. Fire extinguishers made in Georgia for local and European markets As a guest, what should you bring to a dinner party? Paata Tchumburidze has a very original suggestion: a bottle of quality Georgian wine and a fire extinguisher, manufactured in Georgia. His rationale is clear once you learn he runs a company importing and now producing fire safety products, supported by the EBRD and the European Union. Paata founded EL+ back in 2005 and started importing fire safety apparatus, including sprinklers, hydrants and fire alarms, from around the world. With two shops in the capital Tbilisi and the seaside city of Batumi, the company serves both public institutions and private companies, including Georgias Parliament, hotels, malls and residential complexes. The business was doing well but, as the famous saying goes, Magic happens when you step out of your comfort zone. EL+ management decided to give producing fire extinguishers in Georgia a try themselves not an easy task but not an impossible one, once you have the right friends and partners by your side. Partnership for growth It all started with the introduction of a quality management system after the EBRD matched the company with a local consultant to improve HR and financial management, with support from the EU. At the same time, the company set into motion its long-term dream of manufacturing fire extinguishers Made in Georgia. With a loan from the EBRD under the EU4Business-EBRD Credit Line, EL+ was able to purchase the necessary machinery to kick off production. All equipment follows European standards thus making this investment eligible for a 15 per cent cash back incentive, provided by the EU. The art of production Making fire extinguishers is no easy task, as the EL+ team explains. It must follow rigorous procedures from cutting steel into perfectly equal-sized tubes to welding, and from checking cylinders to testing the products under air pressure. The process is lengthy and very demanding, but one can sense that every single EL+ employee loves his or her job and feels great responsibility. The company can now also produce fire-resistant doors, fire extinguisher boxes and other related accessories for homes and offices. In the history of independent Georgia, we are the first company to produce fire extinguishers that are Made in Georgia and other apparatus needed in case of fire. It is hard not to feel proud, and our production is very timely in light of our governments firm grip on upholding strict fire safety regulations, says Paata. From Georgia to Europe fire extinguishers for everyone! Paata firmly believes in the importance of spreading knowledge about fire management: Fire safety rules should be taught at our schools. We try to contribute whenever we can, for instance through training sessions for interested parties where we teach how to handle a fire extinguisher. It is quite easy to hold, open and use it, and thats why we think a fire extinguisher makes a very nice present for everyone. In spite of global pandemic, the company has already started production in full swing. And their plans are grand. From the outset, our focus was on European quality. All specifications and standards are of the highest grade. After establishing our share of the local market, we aim to expand to the European one, concludes Paata. London, Sep 28 : Amid the Covid-19 pandemic, researchers have found that a routine test used to monitor patients' breathing may be unreliable and may put them at risk. Incorrect results can mean clinical staff fail to spot how unwell a patient with respiratory problems is becoming, they said. According to the study, published in the journal ERJ Open Research, this widely used method, which counts breaths over a 30-second period, fails to take account of people's irregular breathing patterns. "The lack of accuracy in measurement of respiration rate could have an impact on a patient's treatment," said study author Gordon Drummond from the University of Edinburgh in the UK. "We think accuracy would be improved by increasing the time of measurement to two minutes and using specialist equipment to measure respiratory rate," Drummond added. For the findings, the research team focused on what is referred to as the respiratory rate, which is the measurement of the number of breaths a person takes in one minute. The rate is measured in all patients who arrive in hospital feeling unwell, as part of what is known as a warning score chart. Most clinical staff believe that counting breaths taken over a 30-second period will give a reasonable measure of the respiratory rate, the researchers say. As breathing is not always regular, however, there can be a variation in the respiratory rate when measuring it over a short time period. The team analysed recordings of breathing in 25 hospital patients to determine how wide this variation can be. Each recording was made for between 30 minutes and an hour in patients with illnesses that included respiratory, cardiac, neurological and urinary conditions. Researchers sampled the recordings at random, many times, in the same way the clinical staff might measure the breathing rate. It was found that there was a large variation in the respiration rate for each patient - more than half of the measurements differed by more than three breaths per minute. "This change may sound small but, in 40 per cent of cases, the incorrect rate would have meant the warning score chart was wrong," the researchers stressed. The practice - key to assessing risk in many Covid-19 cases - could be improved by increasing the time of measurement to two minutes, the study noted. Two suspected armed robbers, already standing trial for robbing a boutique, have been hauled before court in a new case for allegedly stealing a motorbike valued GH4,100 at New Achimota in Accra. Shamsu Alhassan and Mumuni Iddrissu have been charged with conspiracy to commit crime and robbery. They are alleged to have threatened to stab their latest victim with a pair of scissors during the robbery. A third person, 23-year-old spare parts dealer, Ibrahim Mohammed, has been charged for allegedly buying the stolen motorbike at a cost of GH1,800. The three pleaded not guilty to the charges, and were remanded to reappear on October 8, 2020, at the Accra Circuit Court, presided over by Ms Afia Owusu Appiah. Facts The prosecutor, Chief Inspector Gulliver Tenkorang, said the complainant, Kassi Edward Kadio, was a resident of New Achimota, while Iddrisu and Alhassan also resided at Sukura in Accra. He said at about 4 p.m. on July 12, 2020, Kadio was riding his Royal motorbike with registration number M-18-GW 6497 from the direction of Accra towards New Achimota. He said on reaching a section of the road near Petroleum Flats, Iddrisu and Alhassan, who were on another motorcycle, spotted Kadio ahead. He said the two crossed Kadios motorbike, causing him to fall. Alhassan then alighted and pulled a pair of scissors to stab Kadio, and despite mustering courage by throwing a stone at his assailant, the robbers succeeded. Chief Inspector Tenkorang said an eyewitness filmed the robbery act from a distance. Motorbike sale He said after the act, Iddrisu and Alhassan sold the motorbike to Mohammed, the spare parts dealer, at his shop at Agbogbloshie. On August 2, 2020, the prosecutor said, Alhassan was arrested during a robbery at a pharmacy at Dansoman. He said Alhassan mentioned Iddrisu as his accomplice, and Iddrisu was also picked up. The prosecutor explained that a careful look at video showed that it was Iddrisu and Alhassan who robbed Kadio of his motorbike. Police investigations also led to the arrest of Mohammed who allegedly buys the robbery booties of Iddrisu and Alhassan. Source: graphic.com.gh Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Chandigarh: Haryanas main opposition Congress held a protest against the agriculture-related new laws outside the partys state headquarters here on Monday, with its leaders claiming these legislations will make Atma Nirbhar farmers dependent" and leave them at the mercy of big corporates. The Congress workers also raised slogans against the BJP-led governments at the Centre and in Haryana. Carrying placards, some of which read Annadata ki suno pukar, bandh karo atyachar (Listen to farmers, end their oppression)", the party workers demanded that the black laws", which are anti-farmers", be withdrawn. A separate protest was also held by the Chandigarh unit of the Congress, which led by its president Pradeep Chhabra, took out a tractor rally to protest against the draconian farm bills". A delegation comprising Haryana Congress president Kumari Selja, former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, partys state affairs incharge Vivek Bansal, other senior leaders including Kiran Choudhary and Capt Ajay Singh Yadav submitted a memorandum on the farm-related laws issue to Governor Satyadeo Narain Arya which was addressed to the President. Earlier, a meeting was held at the Congress state headquarters here in which senior leaders including Selja, Bansal, Choudhary, Ajay Singh Yadav and others addressed the party workers. After the meeting, the procession of party leaders and workers led by Kumari Selja, who were to march towards the Raj Bhawan, was stopped by the Chandigarh police at a short distance from the Congress office and only six leaders were allowed to proceed to present the memorandum to the Governor. A number of workers who tried to march were rounded up by the police and taken into preventive custody before being released later. The Congress is protesting against the new farm laws across the country. After submitting the memorandum, Hooda, the Leader of Opposition in the Haryana Assembly, said, We have demanded these black laws should be scrapped or amendments should be brought making a provision which will guarantee that farmers will get the minimum support price for crops outside the mandis as well". A provision should be made that anyone who purchases below MSP will invite punishment as per law," he said. Congress MLA Varun Chaudhary said these laws will make Atmanirbhar (self-reliant) farmers dependent on big corporates, ultimately leading to exploitation at their hands once they are at their mercy". Addressing the party workers, Selja said the Congress took a strong stand right from the day when these ordinances were brought in. She said farmers of Haryana and Punjab meet the food needs of the country, but the BJP-led government through these laws wants to dismantle" the mandi system and the MSP mechanism. They passed these three bills in the Parliament in an unconstitutional manner without listening to the voice of the Opposition. They ignored the concerns of farmers, who are still out on roads in protest against these black laws," Selja alleged. Selja said the abolition of APMC Act in Bihar in 2007 has led to a disastrous" situation and the farmers have been reduced to labourers and most of them are going to other states to work as farm-hands, yet the government did not learn from this experience". She said the Congress stands shoulder-to-shoulder with the farmers and will continue to raise their voice. Addressing the meeting, Bansal exhorted the party rank and file to stand as one to lodge a strong protest against the three black Acts" while Kiran Chaudhary dubbed these farm bills as death warrants for farmers". The Congress Chandigarh unit, which demanded that these laws should be withdrawn, also submitted to Punjab Governor and Chandigarh Administrator V P Singh Badnore a memorandum on the issue addressed to the President. Chhabra alleged that the BJP-led government at the Centre had taken a number of anti-people" decisions and now they have targeted the farmers, who are the backbone of our country". He claimed these laws favour the big corporates and are against the interests of farmers, especially small and medium farmers". The memorandum submitted by the Haryana Congress quoted the countrys first prime minister, Jawahar Lal Nehru, who had once said, Everything else can wait, but not agriculture". The three black Acts will endanger the existence of the farmers, labourers and Arhitiyas (Commission agents)," the memorandum said. Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor Google will end free access to paid features in both Google Meet and G Suite both for Education and standard on September 30. The changes include a wealth of feature removals, following months of free access first offered in April. And the changes cover the gamut, as highlighted in recent reports. The change that will impact most users, in terms of free account features, are those to Google Meet rather than G Suite. Summarily, Google is set to remove access to unlimited time for virtual meet-ups. After September 30, free versions of the app and web service video calling app will be limited. Specifically, to just an hour. It doesnt appear as though Google is changing participant limits. Users should still be able to include up to 100 in a meeting. The search giant has also added a ton of new free features over the past several months. So this may not be too big a loss after all. Advertisement What changes are coming to free features in G Suite & G Suite for Education? In terms of changes outside of Google Meet, for G Suite and G Suite for Education, access to those advanced features is being pulled too. Now, there are a lot more features being removed on this front, given that this is Googles Enterprise suite of tools. First, Google is ending free access to meetings with up to 250-participants. As with Google Meet, that will be limited back down to 100-participants. Live-streams with up to 100,000 people on a single domain are going away too. And, finally, Google is removing the ability to record meetings to Google Drive. To continue accessing those features, users or their organizations will need to pay $25 per month. Thats a per-user cost. Advertisement As with the changes to Google Meet, this shouldnt impact too many users too negatively. Particularly since the features were being offered in response to Coronavirus and primarily pertained to educational institutions. There are very few institutions that will require quite such a robust array of features. So where do you go now? With the incoming changes, it may be time for users to find an alternative set of tools. There is a wealth of free and affordable alternatives for video chats, for example. And some of those, such as Microsoft Teams, readily integrates with a full ecosystem of G Suite-like features and tools. All of which are centered around Microsofts widely-used Office apps and software. California Gov. Gavin Newsom moved Wednesday to end issuing new hydraulic fracturing permits by 2024, a delay criticized by many environmental groups but characterized as legally and politically realistic by another. He can suspend fracking now, but he is punting to the Legislature, Consumer Watchdog advocate Liza Tucker said. Kassie Siegel, director of the Center for Biological Diversitys Climate Law Institute, was equally critical, saying that the governor cant claim climate leadership while handing out permits to oil companies to drill and frack. Greenpeace USAs Caroline Henderson said Newsoms track record on fossil fuels has only gotten worse, while Food & Water Action California director Alexandra Nagy said his announcement amounts to lofty words and predictions, but no meaningful action. The Democratic governor signed an executive order to stop sales of new gasoline-powered passenger cars and trucks by 2035 while also announcing that he will ask the Legislature next year to end new fracking permits by 2024. The environmental groups say he also already has the legal authority to end fracking, which they say threatens water supplies and public health while allowing for the continued use of fossil fuels that lead to global warming. The technique allows energy companies to extract oil and gas from shale rock deep underground by injecting high-pressure mixtures of water, sand or gravel and chemicals into rock. Siegels nonprofit conservation organization on Monday notified Newsom that it intends to sue his administration to stop what it says is the illegal permitting of 1,500 oil and gas wells just this year without the proper environmental reviews. The group cited a ProPublica and Palm Springs Desert Sun investigation that found oil companies have reaped millions of dollars from selling the oil leaked from illegal spills with little punishment from state regulators they say are far too cozy with the petroleum industry. California Independent Petroleum Association chief executive officer Rock Zierman meanwhile said the move will put thousands of people out of work, increase energy costs, and boost the use of foreign oil. The industry, he said, could help Newsoms climate goals by removing carbon from the atmosphere, resulting in negative emissions. California Republican Party Chairwoman Jessica Millan Patterson also slammed the governor for endangering hundreds of thousands of high-paying oil and gas industry jobs. Newsom defended his administrations regulation of the industry while insisting he cant end fracking permits unilaterally. We simply dont have that authority. Thats why we need the Legislature to approve it, he said. Newsom said less than 2% of the states petroleum production comes from fracking. But he acknowledged that it also is symbolic and touted his phase-out deadline as a bold and big step. He said other regulations are under review that could include the sort of oil-drilling buffer zones that environmental groups said Newsom should immediately impose around homes and schools. Newsoms executive order requires state agencies to come up with a plan by July to transition away from fossil fuels, a timetable that Consumer Watchdogs Tucker called a half loaf at best. And Newsom contended that his administration has been very aggressive in terms of our enforcement when it comes to oil spills, including more aggressive oversight and new leadership at the California Geologic Energy Management Division. But he ordered the regulators to strictly enforce cleanup rules for abandoned wells. Newsom also argued that encouraging zero-emission vehicles to replace the internal combustion engine will create many new green jobs, promising to make sure those that are impacted by this transition are included in the new economic opportunities. Sierra Club California director Kathryn Phillips said her organization is among those that believe the governor already has the authority to end fracking, but she acknowledged that Newsoms attorneys disagree. If Newsoms lawyers are right, obtaining the authority from lawmakers in 2021 and phasing out fracking by 2024, is probably about as fast as he can go. On the one hand, its not fast enough. On the other hand, what hes committed to is more than what any previous governor has committed to, Phillips said. This governor is now saying hes going to work with the Legislature to get the power to ban fracking. Thats a good thing. Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics California Trends Legislation Energy Oil Gas Pollution And as it turns out, the whole thing started in early September following a Google update, though right now its not yet clear if the culprit is a new version of the Google Messages app or the Android Auto.A few weeks ago, users reported a similar bug, complaining that text notifications were no longer issued when Android Auto was running on the screens in their cars. At that point, however, these users said that simply downgrading to a previous version of Android Auto , such as 5.5, fixed the whole thing, pretty much because build 5.6 was the one causing the problem.But users reporting these issues on the search giants forums now claim that the text notifications are also broken on non-Google phones where the Messages app isnt installed, including Samsung and OnePlus models.I am having the same issue with my Note 10 plus. I have tried all the resets and changes. Any additional ideas would be appreciated, one user explains . I'm also having the same issue. Had the issue with my Samsung S10 and it's also happening with my new OnePlus 8 Pro, someone else adds.Judging from the date of these reports, the issue appeared pretty much at the same time with the ones we linked above, so theoretically, worth trying would be a simple downgrade to Android Auto 5.5. If text notifications then start working correctly, then the culprit is obviously the latest version of the app.Google is projected to release a new Android Auto update in the coming days, so itll be interesting to see if the text notification bug is gone. At this point, however, no word has been said on whats going to be fixed in this new Android Auto release, despite Google actually promising several important improvements in the upcoming updates. India's total recoveries have crossed the landmark milestone of 50 lakh today (50,16,520), noted a latest update from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare today. With a very high number of COVID patients recovering every single day, India's steady trend of posting high level of daily recoveries continues. 74,893 recoveries have been registered in the last 24 hours in the country. India has witnessed a very high level of more than 90,000 recoveries every day in the recent past. The total recovered Cases have outpaced active cases by more than 5 times. With the exponential increase in the recoveries, there is close to 100% increase in recovered cases in one month. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Regal movie theater at the Irvine Spectrum Center in Irvine, Calif., on Sept. 25, 2020. (Jamie Joseph/The Epoch Times) Irvine Spectrums Regal Cinema Gets Shining New Remodel IRVINE, Calif.Though movie theaters took a hit to business while shut down this year, Regal Cinemas used the time to complete some major renovations. The Regal theater at the Irvine Spectrum Center completed a total remodel just in time for the reopening of movie theaters in Orange County, California, earlier this month. I love to walk into the lobby; it feels like Im walking into a movie set, so it makes me feel like a celebrity, Cathii Van Riper, a marketing coordinator for Regal Cinemas, told The Epoch Times. The lobby is lit up with LEDs and digital signage. It features a new bar, Italian coffee shop, and a smoothie shop. Its an entire renovation, so everything that you see is absolutely different from what it was before, Van Riper said. A.R. Mays Construction worked on the remodel, and according to its website, the project at Regal Irvine Spectrum included a 2,240-square-foot addition to the lobby; refurbishing 28,000 square feet of existing space, including lobby, restrooms, and concession; remodeling 64,000-square-feet of auditorium space; and a remodel of an 11,000-square-foot projector room, including construction of 3,800 square feet of projector platforms. This movie theater has always been iconic, general manager Jacob Pasqualetto told The Epoch Times. If you type in Irvine Spectrum on Google, theres always images of people getting proposed to, he said. Now its gone from classic to futuristic, and he said the new theater is beyond comparison to the old one. Being shut down due to COVID-19 eliminated some challenges in the remodeling process, he said. Van Riper said the auditoriums are now equipped with laser projectors, enhanced sound, and luxurious Italian-made seats. VIP auditoriums include reclining chairs and full in-seat dining service. The theater also has an updated IMAX theater with motion chairs and special effects to create, for example, the feeling of being in wind or rain. Its like a simulator ride. A hallway illuminated by blue LEDs leads to the IMAX theater at Regal Irvine Spectrum, in Irvine, Calif., on Sept. 25, 2020. (Jamie Joseph/The Epoch Times) The hallway to the IMAX auditorium is lit only by blue LEDs, and it kind of reminds you of when you go down Star Tours [Disneyland ride] and youre going down that windy road and this is the anticipation of I cant wait to get to the front of the line for this ride, Van Riper said. Thats one of my favorite features right now here; thats what it feels like to me, she said. Theres also a ScreenX auditorium with panoramic screens. After each movie, staff spray each row with a sanitizer mist that has a one minute kill time, Pasqualetto said. Seats are also wiped down. A worker sprays a virus-killing mist over seats in the ScreenX auditorium, with panoramic view, at the Regal theater in the Irvine Spectrum Center in Irvine, Calif., on Sept. 25, 2020. (Jamie Joseph/The Epoch Times) Ticket purchasing is contactless, and theaters have been limited to 25 percent capacity under the countys red tier status. Masks are required for both employees and customers. Our number one concern is making sure that our guests in our place feel safe when theyre here. So when you have our app you can buy your tickets right there on the app. You can also buy your concessions on the app as well, Van Riper said. There are social distancing reminders everywhere. We also have our hand sanitizing stations. Since the remodeling, ticket prices for regular screenings have not increased at this location, but auditoriums with added featuressuch as the panoramic screen in ScreenXwill have an additional cost. Regal, part of the Cineworld Group, operates one of the largest theater chains in the country with 7,128 screens and 539 theater locations in 42 states. Regal has recently renovated theaters nationwide. While its common to approach a New York apartment hunt with a long wish list, Taruna Chandok had just one requirement for her first apartment in the city: The only criterion was near the hospital, said Dr. Chandok, 45, who started a residency in internal medicine at the BronxCare Hospital Center in July. Residency is busy you dont get time to think about everything else, she said. When I am home, I am reading about my patients. You cannot stop reading and learning. Dr. Chandok practiced medicine for four years in India before marrying another doctor and moving to Massachusetts. But to work as a doctor in the United States, she would need to take qualifying exams and complete a residency here hurdles that, with two young children and several seriously ill extended family members, she was not able to start tackling until a few years ago. I was running around to doctors appointments, making sure everyone had their medications, grocery shopping, laundry, the kids were very young and, on top of it, people being ill, she said. I was so busy. I never thought about myself. Lucknow, Sep 28 : Two days after a civil suit was filed in a Mathura court, seeking ownership of the entire 13.37 acres of Krishna Janambhoomi land in the temple town and removal of the Shahi Idgah Masjid, politics has begun in right earnest on the issue. Former BJP MP and founder of Bajrang Dal, Vinay Katiyar, welcomed the civil suit and said that a massive movement like the one for Ayodhya should be built to 'liberate' the Krishna Janambhoomi. "It has been our resolve to free the three shrines at Ayodhya, Mathura and Kashi. Now that the way for Ram temple has been cleared, we will work towards liberating the Krishna Janambhoomi. It would be better if Muslims voluntarily give up their claim on the land which is the birthplace of Lord Krishna," he said. BJP MP Harnath Singh Yadav echoed similar sentiments and said that Muslim should give up their claim on the Krishna Janambhoomi because Islam does not permit worship on any land that has been forcibly occupied. Iqbal Ansari, the plaintiff in the Babri title suit case, meanwhile, said, that there should be an end to this kind of politics and Hindus and Muslims should now be allowed to live together in peace and harmony. "There are some with vested interest who want to keep fueling the Hindu-Muslim feud but this is not in the interest of the nation. The Ayodhya dispute is over and Muslims have gracefully accepted the court verdict. There is no need to rake up other issues," he said. Senior counsel for the Sunni Waqf Board in the Ayodhya dispute, Zafaryab Jilani said that such issues were being deliberately raked up for political gains. "A compromise had already been made on the issue in 1951 but a fresh suit has been filed in court to revive the dispute. If this is not politics, then what is?" he asked. It may be recalled that the suit was filed by the 'Bhagwan Sri Krishna Virajman at Katra Keshav Dev Khewat, Mauja Mathura Bazaar City' through the 'next friend' Ranjana Agnihotri and six other devotees. Agnihotri, a Lucknow-based lawyer, had represented the Hindu Mahasabha in the Ram Janambhoomi-Babri Masjid title suit in various courts, including the Supreme Court. Despite the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991, being in place, the civil suit was filed in the Mathura court. The Act bars courts from entertaining litigation that would alter the status quo of a religious place as it existed in 1947. However, the Act had exempted the litigation over the ownership of the disputed Ram Janambhoomi-Babri Masjid land. It may be noted that when the Supreme Court, in November 2019, had pronounced its verdict for the construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya, one of the parties was Sri Ram Lalla Virajman, who had filed a civil suit in Ayodhya in 1989 through his 'next friend' Triloki Nath Pandey. The fresh suit filed by Sri Krishna Virajman through Agnihotri said, "UP Sunni Waqf Board, Trust Masjid Idgah or any member of Muslim community have no interest or right in the property of Katra Keshav Dev over an area measuring 13.37 acres and entire land vests in the deity Bhagwan Sri Krishna Virajman." "This suit is being filed for removal of encroachment and superstructure illegally raised by committee of management of alleged Trust Masjid Idgah with the consent of Sunni Central Board of Waqf on land Khewat No.255 at Katra Keshav Dev, city Mathura belonging to deity Srikrishna Virajman," said Agnihotri. The site in Mathura is believed to be the birthplace of Lord Krishna. Along with Ram Janmabhoomi in Ayodhya and Kashi Vishwanath temple in Varanasi, it's one of the three sites which Hindu outfits, including the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) want to be restored to Hindus. The main litigant, advocate Ranjana Agnihotri, told reporters that her petition had already been admitted by the Mathura court. Over the provisions of Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991, which may be a stumbling block in the adjudication of the suit, Agnihotri said she was confident that the said Act would not be a problem in the adjudication of the suit filed by her. "I have drafted the suit after studying the provisions of the 1991 Act and it will not hamper my case. As it is, my petition has already been admitted by the court," she added. He was very generous. On a scientific level, he would give ideas to people and was not trying to take credit he probably took credit less than he deserved, his friend Rene-Jean Essiambre, a Bell Labs physicist, said in a phone interview. It may have been a reason why he didnt win the Nobel Prize earlier. Everybody who worked with him was receiving high-quality and wonderful ideas, which is not that common when you do high-level science. People have a tendency to keep their ideas close to them. Foreign and domestic actors looking to influence the 2020 election are trying to trick real reporters into amplifying fake storylines. This tactic differs from 2016, when bad actors used fake accounts and bots to amplify disinformation to the population directly. Why it matters: The new strategy, reminiscent of spy operations during the Cold War, is much harder for big tech platforms to police and prevent. "Journalists have always been a target for those seeking to spread disinformation because media coverage is among the fastest ways to mainstream a narrative," says Graham Brookie, the director and managing editor of the Digital Forensic Research Lab within the Atlantic Council. "Its efficient, less traceable, and provides a facade of credibility in laundering a false narrative than distributing it yourself and hoping people take to it." Driving the news: Facebook on Thursday said it uncovered and took down three coordinated misinformation campaigns originating from Russia. The campaigns focused on creating "fictitious or seemingly independent media entities and personas to engage unwitting individuals to amplify their content," the tech giant said. They drove users to other websites controlled by those operations. Earlier this month, Facebook said it took down a Russian-backed coordinated misinformation campaign that used a fake publication called PeaceData, which hired unwitting freelancers including Americans to write fake articles with the intention of having them get picked up and amplified by established news media. How it works: Often, these meddling operations will themselves write fake stories that can be fed to real media outlets, or hire freelancers to do so. Those stories are picked up by smaller media outlets first including outlets posing as little-known local news sources that are harder to vet. including outlets posing as little-known local news sources that are harder to vet. The goal is to then trick a bigger national news outlet into picking up on one of the storylines for wider dissemination. into picking up on one of the storylines for wider dissemination. "[T]hese operations directly try to exploit competitive pressures across the media ecosystem," tweeted Nathaniel Gleicher, Facebook's head of cybersecurity policy, addressing the news. "Hack and leak" campaigns, where bad actors strategically pilfer sensitive materials and then release them to influence public debate, are becoming more prevalent leading up to the election, and are a part of the overall strategy to target journalists. This week, Washington Post executive editor Marty Baron issued a set of guidelines to help prepare his newsroom for a hack-and-leak scenario in this election. The guidelines warn journalists against rushing to publish something, even if other outlets are doing so, because it could be possible that the other outlets have also been manipulated into reporting something false. Gleicher said in a post this week that hack and leak campaigns are "one of the threats were particularly focused on and concerned about ahead of the November elections in the U.S." Be smart: "An example from the world of foreign influence operations: The hack and leak operation by Russia in 2016 was more effective in dominating national discourse than the coordinated activity on social media that amplified it," says Brookie. "We've seen the same strategy using different tactics from the U.S. in 2016, #MacronLeaks in 2017, material targeting the U.S. and Europe dubbed Operation Secondary Infektion in 2018, and most recently freelance journalists inadvertently working Russian state-backed outlet PeaceData in 2020." Tech platforms are racing to get ahead of the problem, but that's hard when misinformation is spread unwittingly by real journalists with good intent. The issue is not easily identified and prevented using machine learning or other automated processes. Twitter on Thursday confirmed that it's testing a feature that would prompt users when they retweet an article that they haven't opened on Twitter to read it before circulating it. Facebook has pushed to be more transparent with its peers, policymakers, security officials, the media and users about influence operations targeting journalists. Earlier this year, the company started publishing monthly coordinated inauthentic behavior reports detailing takedowns. The big picture: Efforts to target and trick reputable journalists and news outlets not only sow confusion amid an already challenging election, but undermine long term confidence in journalism as an institution. The issue, tech companies agree, will require a cross-industry response to tackle one that includes coordination between law enforcement officials, the media community, tech companies and other researchers. Facebook, Twitter, Google, Reddit, Microsoft and other tech giants have been meeting monthly with government agencies to trade notes. Bottom line: "Media are the front-line targets," tweeted Renee DiResta, research manager at the Stanford Internet Observatory Pathway for Radford University - Artis College and Science Technology (CSAT) major students for admission to the MEng program in computer science and applications (CSA) Radford University CSAT undergraduate majors naturally meet the basic course requirements and can apply for the CSA MEng in the junior year for admission to the program. If accepted they can also begin courses their senior year and transfer up to 12 credit hours (level permitted: up to six approved 4xx level credit hours and 5xx level courses from the approved course list). Pathway for Radford University non-CSAT majors students for admission to the MEng program in computer science and applications (CSA) Radford University non-CSAT majors also may be eligible to apply in their junior year and be accepted into the RU/VT Accelerated UG/G CSA MEng program by completing a set of introductory computer science courses. To be successful for admission, Radford University and Virginia Tech recommend that Radford University non-CSAT major undergraduate students complete the following courses by the second semester of their junior year and maintain an overall minimum GPA of 3.0. These course pathways include the following scenarios. Newly-crowned US Open champion Dominic Thiem must confront his emotions and a testing first-round opponent at Roland Garros on Monday as Rafael Nadal and Serena Williams begin their assault on Grand Slam records. Thiem, the runner-up to Nadal here the past two years, captured his maiden Slam in New York and will try to become the only man in the Open era to win his first two majors at successive tournaments. He has been dealt a challenging draw though, with 2014 US Open Marin Cilic -- who Thiem beat on his title run at Flushing Meadows -- first up on the French Open clay. "It's now a tournament coming up where I did great the last four years, where I really want to do great as well this year," said Thiem. "I'll see how I handle all the emotions, also all the physical challenges which happen in New York," he added. "In the past I was not that great playing the tournaments after big titles like Indian Wells last year or Vienna. "I've always played not that great the following week. I try to do it different here in Paris, try to be on top of my game from Monday on." World number two Nadal embarks on what he has described as his "most difficult ever Roland Garros" in his quest to match Roger Federer's record 20 major titles. The Spaniard, who won the first of his 12 French Open titles in 2005, arrives short of preparation and unhappy with the French Open's choice of new balls. "The conditions here are probably the most difficult conditions for me ever at Roland Garros for so many different facts," said Nadal. "The ball is completely different. It is super slow, heavy. It's also very cold, slow conditions." Nadal has been beaten just twice in 95 matches at the tournament but now must adjust to the unusual autumnal chill following the coronavirus crisis that pushed the event back from its traditional May-June time slot. The competition began Sunday amid steady drizzle in temperatures struggling to reach 10 degrees (50F), conditions branded "ridiculous" by US Open finalist Victoria Azarenka. Story continues - Rain holds up play again - Play on Monday was delayed by more persistent rain. Twice Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova defeated Oceane Dodin 6-3, 7-5 in the only match to start on time under the new roof on Court Philippe Chatrier. The heavier atmosphere could negate some of Nadal's lethal topspin as he heads into the event without a clay title under his belt for the first time. The second seed is not pleased the French Open has switched to a new ball supplier and even believes it could pose physical problems for the players. "I really believe that the organisation needs to take a look at that for the next couple of years, for the health of the players, too, because the ball is super heavy and becomes dangerous for the elbow and for the shoulders," said Nadal. However a first-time meeting with Egor Gerasimov, the world number 83 from Belarus, is unlikely to trouble him. In the women's draw, Williams launches another attempt to clinch an elusive 24th Grand Slam title on her least successful surface. She has not gone beyond the last 16 in Paris since her defeat to Garbine Muguruza in the 2016 final. The former world number one skipped Rome after sustaining an Achilles injury in her US Open semi-final loss but is confident of making a challenge for a fourth Roland Garros crown. "I wouldn't be playing if I didn't think I could perform," said Williams, who turned 39 on Saturday. "I'm not at 100% physically. But I don't know any athlete that ever plays physically when they're feeling perfect. That's just something I think as athletes we have to play with." Williams takes on American Kristie Ahn in a repeat of their US Open first-round tie, and is playing at Roland Garros for the 18th time, having made her debut in 1998. Her last major came at the 2017 Australian Open while pregnant. Since giving birth to baby Olympia, she has reached four finals in nine attempts without being able to land an elusive 24th Slam to equal Margaret Court. Overall prize money at this year's event is down 11 percent at 14,491,000 euros, but players beaten in the first round will receive 60,000 euros -- a 30 percent increase compared to 2019. mw/dj As a champion stunt and trick dog, her registered name is Flopdoodle Chloe Bean. But at home, shes just Chloe. And she does way more than just roll over. If someone sneezes, she brings a tissue. She can take a bow. She can stack rings on a tower. But when Christina Jones and her daughter Hannah first saw the terrier two years ago, there wasnt a hint of the champion she would eventually become. Curled up inside a kennel at Animal Care Services, the small dog was emaciated, weak and weighed just 3 pounds. When they took her outside, she clung to Hannah while Jones called her husband, Air Force Maj. Gary Jones, to tell him they wanted to adopt the timid dog. After work, Maj. Jones went to see the stray, found by an ACS officer wandering the streets, covered in fleas. Chloe is an American Kennel Club Trick Dog champion. She knows more than 100 tricks and commands and has trick titles that include novice, intermediate, advanced and elite performer. She is a trick dog champion and stunt dog champion with Do More With Your Dog, where she has racked up several titles. Bob Owen, Staff-photographer / San Antonio Express-News Chloe is a little of this, a little of that and a whole lot of amazing! ACS spokeswoman Lisa Norwood said. Shes the perfect example of how special shelter dogs are and while were thrilled with her accomplishments, we cant say were surprised. Shelter dogs rock! She also has a YouTube page, Flopdoodle Chloe Bean - Trick Dog Champion and an Instagram page, @chloe_trick_dog_champion, that features a six-minute skit where Jones and Chloe act out her life through tricks. Shes also on Facebook at @chloetrickdogchampion (The Flopdoodle Chloe Bean - Trick Dog Champion). Jones said many of the tricks she taught Chloe she learned on YouTube. Chloes competitive form was no where in sight in November 2018 when she was still on the mend. The Jones family worried about the dog Maj. Jones called a flopdoodle because one ear flopped over. But within weeks, the dogs weight picked up. She now weighs 11 pounds. At obedience class, she picked up basic commands so quickly that the instructor said, this dog needs to do agility. According to the American Kennel Club, dog agility is where a handler directs their dog through a pre-set obstacle course within a certain time limit. Jones took her to a trainer, and Chloe placed first in jumping in her class. The trainer suggested Jones enroll her in a trick program. There, Chloe mastered complex maneuvers with ease. Bob Owen, Staff-photographer / San Antonio Express-News I showed her once and as soon as she gets what I have, she does it again, Hannah, 11, recalled the trainer telling them. Jones said the tricks provide Chloe with exercise and brain stimulation. It helps create a very significant bond between the owner and the pet, said Jones , 37. A lot of dogs, particularly working breeds, need something to do or they tend to become destructive or have anxiety issues. Chloe shares their Northeast Side home with Melody the Parrot, who screeches and practices musical scales, and a 16-year-old Golden Retriever named Annie. The dining room, which doubles as Jones office, is lined with Chloes ribbons and awards. When the pandemic hit, they went from performing live in front of judges at a training facility to virtual performances in the dining room, where the terriers props are scattered about. Their newest endeavor is lifting peoples spirits with Canines for Christ San Antonio. Their first mission was visiting workers at the citys 911 call center. Chloe filmed a commercial for the organizations upcoming 5K race. Dr. Dee Yates, a certified professional dog trainer, said she has to repeat commands to most dogs several times, but Chloe picked up the tricks right away. Her own dog, Revel, a Papillon, has several titles, including trick performer, agility and rally titles. Bob Owen, Staff-photographer / San Antonio Express-News The retired psychologist said Jones was determined to take Chloe as far as she could in trick classes. And Chloe was eager to please. She really wanted to please her owner, Yates said. She was just excited to do it. She was one of the smartest dogs, if not the smartest dog I have ever seen. Vincent T. Davis is a reporter in the Greater San Antonio and Bexar County area. To read more from Vincent, become a subscriber. vtdavis@express-news.net | Twitter: @vincentdavis YEREVAN: Fighting between Armenia and Azerbaijan Armenia and Azerbaijan escalated sharply on Monday in and around the mountain territory of Nagorno-Karabakh and at least 30 people were killed in the second day of heavy clashes. Forces of the two ex-Soviet neighbours pounded each other with rockets and artillery in the fiercest explosion of the decades-old conflict in more than a quarter of a century. Any move to all-out war could drag in major regional powers Russia and Turkey. Moscow has a defence alliance with Armenia, while Ankara backs its ethnic Turkic kin in Azerbaijan. "We haven`t seen anything like this since the ceasefire to the war in the 1990s. The fighting is taking place along all sections of the front line," said Olesya Vartanyan, senior analyst for the South Caucasus region at Crisis Group. She said the increased deployment of rockets and artillery brought a higher risk of civilian casualties that could make the escalation hard to stop by diplomatic means. "If there are mass casualties it will be extremely difficult to contain this fighting and we will definitely see a full-fledged war that will have a potential intervention of Turkey or Russia or both of them," Vartanyan said. Majority Christian Armenia and mainly Muslim Azerbaijan first clashed in the 1980s over Nagorno-Karabakh, a breakaway region that is inside Azerbaijan but mostly populated and run by ethnic Armenians. The fighting has revived concern over stability in the South Caucasus, a corridor for pipelines carrying oil and gas to world markets. Angela Frangyan, a filmmaker living in the Nagorno-Karabakh capital Stepanakert, said residents had taken cover in bomb shelters and constant shelling could be heard. All shops were closed and hardly anyone was in the streets, she said. Turkey`s President Tayyip Erdogan demanded Armenia immediately quit Azeri lands and said it was time to end the Nagorno-Karabakh crisis. Armenia`s parliament condemned what it said was a "full-scale military attack" by Azerbaijan on Nagorno-Karabakh. It said Azerbaijan was receiving Turkey`s help, and Ankara`s involvement could risk destabilising the region. Azerbaijan denied Turkey was taking part in the fighting. Authorities in Nagorno-Karabakh said that 28 of its soldiers had been killed in fighting with Azeri forces on Monday, after saying on Sunday 16 of its servicemen had been killed and over 100 wounded when Azerbaijan attacked. Nagorno-Karabakh also said it had recovered some territory that it had lost control of on Sunday. An Armenian defence ministry representative said 200 Armenians were wounded, Interfax reported. The general prosecutor`s office in Azerbaijan said two Azeri civilians were killed on Monday after five civilians were killed on Sunday, and 30 civilians had been wounded. Interfax news agency quoted the press secretary of Azerbaijan`s defence ministry, Anar Evyazov, as saying the Azeri military occupied several strategically important heights near the village of Talish in Karabakh. "Missile, artillery and airstrikes are being applied to the enemy`s positions, which forces the enemy to surrender the held positions," he said, adding that several important strategic heights around Talish village had been taken. Evyazov also said Lernik Babayan, commander of the Armenian military`s airborne assault battalion, had been killed near Talish. It was not immediately possible to verify the report. The clashes have spurred a flurry of diplomacy. China urged both sides to show restraint. Russia called for an immediate ceasefire and Turkey said it would support Azerbaijan. Under international law, Nagorno-Karabakh is recognised as part of Azerbaijan. But the ethnic Armenians who make up the vast majority of the population reject Azeri rule. They have run their own affairs, with support from Armenia, since Nagorno-Karabakh broke away from Azerbaijan in a conflict that erupted as the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991. Although a ceasefire was agreed in 1994, Azerbaijan and Armenia frequently accuse each other of attacks around Nagorno-Karabakh and along the separate Azeri-Armenian frontier. ISTANBUL - Another trial over the 2018 murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi may be held in Turkey. A few days before the second anniversary on October 2 of his murder in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, six more suspects have been indicted by the prosecutor general in Istanbul, local media quoted sources from the judiciary as saying. For two of them, including the Saudi former deputy consul, the prosecution has asked for life sentences with aggravating circumstances for "premeditated homicide committed with cruelty". For the other four employees of the diplomatic office, the prosecution has asked for sentences of up to 5 years in jail each for hiding evidence. A trial began in Istanbul in July against 20 alleged members of the ''death squad'' behind the murder of the Washington Post op-ed writer. Among those charged, some in absentia, are two men very close to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman: former media advisor Saud al-Qahtani and the second top man in Saudi intelligence, Ahmed al-Assiri. About 20 days ago, an appeals trial ended in Saudi Arabia against 8 people, who were handed sentences of between 7 and 20 years in jail. The sentence was called a ''travesty of justice'' by many international observers including the UN rapporteur on the case, Agnes Callamard. The National Democratic Congress (NDC) Deputy Campaign Manager, Alex Segbefia, has suggested that signposts and posters of the Volta separatists, Homeland Study Group Foundation (HSGF) be destroyed. This is to bridge the gap created by these persons who have tagged themselves as 'Western Togolanders' in the Volta region. He further entreated the national security to up their game by gathering intelligence to avert a repeat of the chaotic scene that erupted Friday. The security should be up and doing because this should not have happened without their knowledge. I think that all the posters and billboards that relateto Western Togoland should be pulled down because there is even a question mark as to what is Western Togoland, which part of the North in the Volta region come under Western Togoland? Mr Segbefia stated on Citi TVs Big Issue show Saturday. I just think that for now, Ghana is Ghana, there should be no poster or billboard that relates to any other country or secessionist group, he reiterated. Mr. Segbefia advised that government finds the source of funding of the secessionists to immediately halt their activities before the subject gets out of hand. Earlier this month, several signposts belonging to the HSGF were erected in some parts of the Eastern region. The boards had the inscription Welcome to Western Togoland and You are Welcome to Western Togoland depending on the route travellers were plying. 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 New Delhi : An Ordinance under which old denomination notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 will cease to be liabilities of the Reserve Bank of India was tabled in both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. Ordinances on The Enemy Property (Amendment and Validation) 2016 and the Payment of Wages (Amendment), promulgated on December 22 and 28 of last year, respectively, were also tabled in both the Houses on the first day of the Budget session. The Specified Bank Notes (Cessation of Liabilities) Ordinance, 2016, promulgated on December 30 last year, in pursuance to the announcement by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on November 8 to scrap notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1000, was tabled in the Lok Sabha by Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs S S Ahluwalia. He tabled the other two ordinances as well. In the Rajya Sabha, the three ordinances were tabled by Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi. The Ordinance on bank notes provides that the specified old currency of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 will cease to be liabilities of the RBI from December 31, 2016 onwards. Further, these notes will no longer be guaranteed by the central government. These notes were demonetised on November 8, 2016 through a notification issued under the RBI Act, 1934. The notification had allowed these notes to be deposited in banks or post offices by December 30, 2016. In the Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju also laid a statement on behalf of Home Minister Rajnath Singh explaining the circumstances that necessitated the promulgation of The Enemy Property (Amendment and Validation) 2016 on December 22, last year. The ordinance on Wages had been promulgated on December 28, last year. The ordinances were tabled after President Pranab Mukherjees address to joint sitting of both Houses. For all the Latest Business News, Economy News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. The BeAware Bahrain app will begin providing a real time Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test certificate service for travelers from Bahrain to other countries, said Information & eGovernment Authority (iGA) Chief Executive Mohammed Ali Al Qaed. Launched in cooperation with relevant authorities, the new service will be included in the latest app update. The issuance of the certificates via the app is in line with new travel procedures, and the certificates will be unified across public and private hospitals in the kingdom. Al Qaed highlighted that a certificate can only be issued for the latest test that applicants have undergone, provided that the results are negative and that no more than a month has passed since they were conducted. Al Qaed noted that the PCR certificate is considered an official and valid certificate "issued by" Bahrain, which does not require any further approvals from specialist entities. Travellers from the kingdom can apply for the certificate immediately after receiving their test results, which will appear on the app within 24 hours from the date of the test. They can then select the latest test, hit the Print PDF option or display the QR Code. Al Qaed further noted that travelers from Bahrain can display their valid certificates at entry points upon arrival but must put into consideration the official time frame for accepting the results at the destination countries. Individuals should retake the test in case they have exceeded that duration as per the regulations of those countries. Al Qaed emphasized the importance of printing PCR certificates to present the document to authorities at entry points. Once a traveler arrives at the entry point, concerned authorities will inspect the validity of the certificate by scanning its QR Code, and then receiving digital information from the National Health Information System (i-SEHA) which will display the test results. The iGA has urged all individuals to download the BeAware Bahrain app by visiting the eGovernment Apps Store www.bahrain.bh/apps, and register on the app, which is available for iOS and Android. All comments and enquiries can be submitted via the national suggestions and complaints system, Tawasul, or by calling the National Contact Center on 444, iGA said. TradeArabia News Service Nestled in the mountains of Eastern China, Shandong Province is the world's sixth-most populous sub national entity. It is the birthplace of Confucius, a religious centre that has nourished Chinese Buddhism and Taoism, as well as a modern tech and economic hub. It is also China's vanguard of poverty alleviation, fulfilling the task of eradicating absolute poverty in 2018, two years ahead of China's national anti-poverty plan. For the past few decades, millions of poor families in Shandong who have been lifted out of poverty are now enjoying a humble yet happy life. Once sorrow-laden, their faces are now filled with content smiles. Like the famous Russian writer Fodor Dostoevsky said: "if you wish to glimpse inside a human soul and get to know a man, don't bother analysing his ways of being silent, of talking, of weeping; you will get better results if you just watch him laugh." To explore stories behind Shandong's poverty alleviation efforts, we have encountered several locals who were once living in poverty, now wearing genuine smiles, sharing their happiness with us all. New path to a better life Young performers showcase a traditional marital ceremony to visitors.(People's Daily Online/Kou Jie) Wandering in Bamboo Spring Village , Linyi city of Shandong Province, visitors can hardly imagine that this beautiful holiday resort was once a poverty-stricken backwater. The 400-year-old village is famous for its magnificent bamboo forests and limpid springs, yet its remoteness and barren lands have led to abject poverty, with its residents only earning a yearly income of less than 4,000 yuan (about $570) over a decade ago. The situation started to change in 2007, when the local authorities decided to transform the village into a holiday resort and cultural tourism site, creating cultural and creative centres, as well as shopping streets in ancient style to attract tourists. After years of development, the booming tourism industry has provided job opportunities to 640 villagers, with their yearly income increasing tenfold in a decade. Over 8 million tourists have visited the village in the past 10 years, while 160 shops have been established, helping local farmers to sell their products. "After retirement, I became a staff member of the village resort, weaving bamboo artwork for the visitors. Every month, I can earn at least 2,000 yuan extra without leaving my doorway," said former local official Gao Shouhui. As its economy grows steadily, young villagers who once left home for job opportunities have returned home, with some setting up their own shops to sell local specialities, and others creating performance companies, demonstrating local marital ceremonies to the visitors. Overcoming poverty, Sun Siliang now has his own design shop and costume store online. (People's Daily Online/Kou Jie) Sunzhuang Village in Heze, Shandong Province, is another example of a successful transformation in eradicating poverty. Among its 760 registered households, 560 have opened their own online costume stores, offering job opportunities to over 1,800 residents. In 2019, the village's annual income reached over 200 million yuan (over 29 million USD). Forty-five-year-old Sun SiLiang has benefited from the rising costume industry. Having two kids and a wife with kidney diseases, Sun's family was once poverty-stricken. Despite his great effort to work several jobs, his annual income was only 7,000 yuan. "I was pretty devastated, it seems to me that no matter how hard I work, I can never get out of poverty. My wife's illness makes our family even poorer; I didn't know what I should do," Sun shared. Learning of his situation, local authorities decided to provide him with an interest-free loan to start his own online costume store, as well as cover 95 percent of his wife's medical bills. Sun's life started to get better, with his annual income exceeding 100,000 yuan (over $14,600) in 2019. "I have confidence in my business now. I am also exploring new opportunities by designing my own costumes," said Sun proudly. An owner of an agritainment center in Heze, Shandong Province with her baby. (People's Daily Online/Li Qiaochu) Currently, there are 307 villages like Sunzhuang Village in Heze, with over 180,000 online stores and 51 online business industrial zones, online businesses have provided 480,000 job opportunities to poor residents. In the first half of 2020, Heze's online business income reached over 204.3 billion yuan. Twilight years in comfort Song Chuanrong feels content with her current life. (People's Daily Online/Li Qiaochu) Surrounded by inaccessible mountains, Liuxinzhuang village was once the poorest region in Linyi, Shandong Province. Song Chuanrong, 94, has spent all her years in this small village, along with another 554 residents. "When my first son was 12 years old, my husband died because of poverty. I had to raise all the kids on my own, as well as work on a farm day and night. I don't even know how I survived those years," said Song. Due to the geographical isolation, agriculture was the only pillar of the local economy. Lacking sufficient modern farming tools and fertilizer in the past, the harvest could hardly sustain the locals, let alone could selling products for extra income. With the help of advanced technologies and governmental investment, eco-tourism resorts, Chinese rose plantations and vineyards have been built in the village, attracting tourists and enterprises across the nation, enriching the local residents. "My son has a peanut farm now, and my family is getting richer and richer," said Song, who is now living in a refurbished apartment provided by the local government. Inside Song's new residence, a board containing information about Shandong's poverty alleviation policies, as well as a QR code looks staggeringly bold. By scanning the QR code, social and health workers who take care of Song can leave their assistance records in a computer system, which is supervised by both the local authorities and the public. Song's personal information, including her state of health is also included in the QR code, making it easier for her to visit family doctors. "I like my new house, and our life is getting better and better," she shared. Li Quanxue and his wife live in an elderly center created for poor elderly. (People's Daily Online/Li Qiaochu) Forty-six kilometres away from Song's residence, 79-year-old Li Quanxue and his wife have been living in an apartment for the elderly in Dai Village for eight years. Built by local authorities, the apartments are free for elderly people who are over 60 years old. The village committee also provides free annual health checks for all of the residents, covering 80 to 90 percent of their medical bills. The poor elderly can now enjoy their twilight years without worrying about anything. (People's Daily Online/Li Qiaochu) "When it comes to national holidays and festivals, the local authorities also provide us with gifts including food and commodity. Each week, volunteers will come to help us clean our apartment," said Li. Currently, 192 elderly couples have moved into the apartments who are now enjoying their twilight years. Most expenses are covered by local authorities, as the village is now cultivating new industries including animal farming and tourism, which has significantly boosted the local economy, creating more revenue for all of the residents. "Years ago, we had no money and were underfed, poverty had taken all our hopes away. Now we can finally enjoy a happy life, without worrying about anything, life here cannot be better," said Li. It all began with a 1958 song called Get A Haircut, which gave him his first hit. Merritt came out of Christchurch with a fine, gravelly voice that led credibility to everything he sang and when he and his Meteors, one of many sets of what would be like-minded musicians (one formation of which had played on the early hits by countrywoman Dinah Lee) crossed the Tasman at the end of 1964 and began dishing out r&b, rocknroll, Merseybeat, surfpop and an unrelenting dance beat, the floors filled. By 1965 they were touring nationally with the Rolling Stones and Searchers and cutting a run of fiery singles for EMI Shake, I Cant Help Myself and Fannie Mae. We were always lucky with Max Merritt. This Kiwi wonder introduced those eager ears opening in those frantic days, to the seductive soar of soul. He had grit, passion, flair and an extraordinary level of professionalism. He seemed to have known or lived the soul scenarios he sang about. He was the man among the boys, in more ways than one. Simply, he was the real deal ... and he always has been. That he could also write a textured love song as perfect as Slippin Away was a bonus. For all its plucky raw energy and undeniable charm, what we heard in the 50s and 60s in Australia, from our own, came from somewhere else from the top half of the world. It was diligently reworked and refashioned and if we were very lucky it was imbued with something unique, something truly worthwhile that gave it its own dimension. From 1965 to 1967 Max Merritt & the Meteors were absolutely the live band on the eastern seaboard, the ultimate discotheque kings. Entranced fans would follow them from gig to gig, hooked on Merritts peerless funk. He had refined his passion for soul music after being turned on to Otis Reddings Dictionary of Soul album, particularly the track Try A Little Tenderness. It was the sound and style hed been looking for his niche. It was such a sensation that there seemed to be only one place for it out of here. Max Merritt in the 60s. Credit:Glenn A Baker archive They were part of the pop scene of the day, even competing in the all-important Hoadleys National Battle of the Sounds. Though pitching themselves there to screaming hordes Merritt and his men offered themselves as nothing more than the soul merchants they were with Merritt close-cropped in a world of hirsute rockers, surrounded by portly, white-bearded elderly jazz drummer Stewie Speer, along with a bassist described as having the appearance of a rough long-haired version of Rolf Harris and a beatnik brass man. You could only love them for their sound and at venues like the Whisky Au Go Go in Sydney, frequented by Vietnam soldiers on R&R, thats all that mattered. Young players sat at their feet to learn how it was done. After clawing their way back from an appalling road accident, which left Merritt with only one eye, the outfit recorded what is rightfully hailed as the first truly great Australian rock album. The bristling excellence of 1969s Max Merritt & the Meteors album on RCA and the national hit Hey, Western Union Man, delivered on all the promise that had been there throughout the decade. It is still to be marvelled at. He even had a hit with his radio ad Live Levis. Just as we marvel at the tenacity that saw the Meteors move base to England, almost five years after their original intention, and essentially start all over again, playing to homesick antipodeans in a Willesden pub, opening for Slade and the Moody Blues, and eventually generating such a groundswell that they became the first signing to the British arm of Arista Records, personally recruited by Clive Davis, the man whod signed Joplin, Santana, Springsteen and Aerosmith. Gate to the palace of the Emir of Zazzau. A new emir is being awaited for Zazzau emirate seven days after the stool became vacant. The Kaduna state government will not work with the report submitted to it by the Zazzau Emirate kingmakers recommending three princes for the vacant position of the emir of Zazzau, sources familiar with the matter have told PREMIUM TIMES. The latest decision has brought back Ahmed Bamalli, a man believed to be Governor Nasir El-Rufai's favorite of the contenders, back in contention. PREMIUM TIMES gathered from informed sources that the government has decided to set aside the report over allegations of inducement of some kingmakers. The intense race for the influential throne began six days ago following the demise of the long-reigning Zazzau emir, Shehu Idris, who died on last Sunday. Mr Idris, who died at 84 ascended to the throne in 1975. This newspaper reported that as of the beginning of the week four princes from three ruling houses were in the forefront in the race for the coveted throne. Those said to be in the frontline were Iyan Zazzau, Bashir Aminu; Magajin Garin Zazzau, Ahmed Bamalli; Yeriman Zazzau, Munir Ja'afaru and the Turakin Zazzau, Aminu Idris. This newspaper reported on Friday that the kingmakers recommended three of the contenders based on a grading and voting system agreed and executed by the five kingmakers. Mr Bamali was not recommended by the kingmakers because he was not among the three top scorers. Mr Aminu was graded highest by the kingmakers with 89 per cent grade and 3 votes while Mr Ja'afaru came second with 87 per cent and one vote. The son of late Emir Idris, Aminu Idris, was graded 53 perfect with one vote, putting him in the third position. Mr Bamalli was eliminated from the contest. In the report sighted by PREMIUM TIMES, no reason was given for the kingmaker's low grading of Mr Bamalli but palace sources said the kingmakers rated him low because his father did not occupy the Zazzau throne. Scandal uncovered Kaduna Government sources who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue confirmed to this newspaper that the government is now accusing some of the kingmakers of receiving bribe and compromising themselves during the selection process. ADVERTISEMENT One of the contenders is alleged to have induced some of the kingmakers for favorable result. This, according to our sources, is why Mr El-Rufai has now decided to set aside the report submitted by the kingmakers. The sources said the kingmakers suspected to have been involved in the scandal have confessed to the inducement. That claim could not be independently verified by PREMIUM TIMES. "The inducement was huge and government has gotten evidence of the transaction," one source said. "It is the view of the government that the money-for-vote scandal has tainted the outcome of the nominations." A new method In place of the kingmakers' report, PREMIUM TIMES gathered, the state government has decided to give consideration to all interested contenders. Already, the government has forwarded the names of all the princes who indicated interest, 11 in total, to security agencies in the state for screening. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Nigeria Governance By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. "The Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters is also writing confidential report on all the 11 persons. This would be attached to the security report and submitted to the governor for his decision," an insider familiar with the process told this newspaper late Saturday. When contacted, the spokesperson for the Kaduna Government, Muyiwa Adekeye, declined comments on our findings, saying he had not been briefed on the development. "All I can tell you is that the processes of selection are on and you can trust the governor to do the right thing," he said. Mr El-Rufai had on Thursday wrote on Facebook that he was awaiting the reports from the commissioner as well as the security agency responsible for security vetting. "I await the recommendations of the Commissioner responsible for chieftaincy matters after due security clearance of the aspirants," he wrote. Credit: CC0 Public Domain Another baby orca has been born to J pod, the Center for Whale Research confirmed Friday morning. It's the second calf born this month for the endangered southern resident orcas that frequent Puget Sound. "We confirm that there is a new calf in J pod and the mother is J41," Ken Balcomb, the founding director of the center, wrote in a text message to The Seattle Times on Friday morning. "We have to await the whales' return to determine its health condition and hopefully determine its success. It is important to note that the observation was in Canada and we could not be there due to covid restrictions." Center observer Mark Malleson caught up with the whales near Sheringham, British Columbia, Balcomb wrote. The whales were very spread out, foraging, and could not be located before dark. J35, the orca also known as Tahlequah, gave birth to a male calf on Sept. 4. Mother and baby were seen this week romping and feeding. Tahlequah raised worldwide concern in 2018 when her calf died shortly after birth and she carried it for 17 days and more than 1,000 miles. This is the fourth birth to the southern residents since 2019. In such a small population, every calf is celebrated. There are now 74 southern residents in the J, K, and L pods. The orcas face three main threats to their survival: boat noise and vessel disturbance; pollution; and lack of food, especially chinook salmon. The birth of the latest baby was witnessed by professional naturalists Talia Goodyear and Leah Vanderwiel, along with customers aboard the Orca Spirit Adventures vessel Pacific Explorer, according to a news release from the Pacific Whale Watch Association, which represents commercial tour operators on both sides of the U.S.-Canada border. According to Goodyear: "We spotted who we soon identified to be J41 just southwest of Race Rocks. She appeared to be alone at the time and stayed very close to the surface for a few minutes. After going under for several minutes, she reappeared, and this time it looked like she was pushing something with her rostrum. She surfaced like this 3 or 4 times." It took them a little while to figure out what was going on. Was this tragic news? A repeat of mother orca Tahlequah pushing a dead calf? Was it a transient or Bigg's killer whale tackling a seal? They soon realized the mother orca was helping the baby by holding it up on her head to get its first few breaths, "...at which point the little one started surfacing on its own," according to Vanderwiel. "It appeared to be a rambunctious little bundle of baby ... "It was an emotional time as we processed what was happening in front of us. It took a few minutes to realize what was actually happening, but then it was pure excitement realizing that it was a birth and the baby was very alive and boisterous." The second birth to J pod in just a few weeks' time is "certainly cause for celebration," said Deborah Giles, biologist for the University of Washington's Center for Conservation Biology. She leads research on the orcas' scat, which is a gold mine of information on their health. Reproduction in the southern resident pods is limited by lack of food, especially chinook salmon, according to research detailed in a 2017 paper. Now is the time for the region to work to make sure there is enough chinook for the southern residents, including the lactating and expecting mothers, Giles said. It is not just the total number of chinook that matter. The whales need big chinook. The fish also need to be in the orcas' feeding range, where they have learned through generations uncounted to successfully target chinook. That includes the Salish Sea, the transboundary waters between the U.S. and Canada, and the mouth of the Columbia, where the southern residents return again and again for succulent spring chinook. "They need those big ones, those three-, four-, and five-year-old chinook," Giles said. "For recovery, these whales need high-quality, abundant salmon throughout their range, and throughout the year. Those lipid-rich, spring-run chinook they preferentially loop the mouth of the Columbia for are vital for this population of whales." As the world watched Tahlequah carry her dead calf around the Salish Sea in 2018, and saw her relative J50 waste away, many people were galvanized to fight for the orcas that are so special to Puget Sound - the only orcas that in winter cruise all the way into the waters of downtown Seattle. Giles said she hopes the positive news of these recent births can inspire people to redouble their efforts on behalf of the southern residents: "This is just exactly what we need in 2020." 2020 The Seattle Times Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Luanda The World Bank (WB) new director for Angola, Jean-Chistophe Carret, is due to arrive in the country Monday for a four-day visit, Angop learned today from its office. He will hold meetings with several government bodies from the economic and social sector, as well as technicians from implementation units of projects funded by the World Bank (WB). Of French nationality, Jean-Chistophe Carret replaces Abdoulaye Seck, who until 30 July of this year had performed this function. He joined the WB in 2005 as a natural resources economist in the environment and social development department of the African region. He has served, among other duties, as representative in Laos and the Central African Republic. Recently, according to the document to which Angop had access, he was director of the World Bank for the Democratic Republics of Congo (DRC), Republic of Congo, Central African Republic (CAR) and Burundi. In order to provide more appropriate support to the countries of the region, since 1 July, the WB's portfolio management structure in Africa has been divided into two sub-regions and their vice-presidencies. 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To order presentation-ready copies of Toronto Star content for distribution to colleagues, clients or customers, or inquire about permissions/licensing, please go to: www.TorontoStarReprints.com ANALYSIS: An Expression of Interest System for Ontario immigration would better serve the high volume of applicants Why Ontario needs an EOI system for immigration ANALYSIS: An Expression of Interest System for Ontario immigration would better serve the high volume of applicants Why Ontario needs an EOI system for immigration ANALYSIS: An Expression of Interest System for Ontario immigration would better serve the high volume of applicants Why Ontario needs an EOI system for immigration ANALYSIS: An Expression of Interest System for Ontario immigration would better serve the high volume of applicants Shelby Thevenot Aa Accessibility Font Style Serif Sans Font Size A A If Ontarios newly proposed immigration system gets the green light it will abolish the current rush-seating model. The Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) recently put forward a proposal to change some of its programs to an Expression of Interest (EOI) system. The new system would use scoring criteria to target the applicants who are best suited to meet the provinces labour market needs. Currently, the Ontario PNPs that are not aligned with Express Entry work on a first-come-first-served system. Registration opens until all the available spots are filled up, which can take just 25 minutes. In the past, the OINP would notify people of when the registration window would be and hopeful applicants would have to have multiple browsers open on multiple computers to get into the system. Technical difficulties would occur meaning the OINP would have to have a contingency plan for people who lost their spot due to circumstances beyond their control. An OINP representative told CIC News that an EOI system would allow them to manage intake and the high demand for the program, avoiding uncertainty associated with stream openings and the current first-come-first-served model. Ontario was the most popular destination for immigrants in 2019. Its PNP alone brought in 13,731 immigrants to Ontario last year, consisting of 7,391 principal applicants and their families. Just over half of these applicants went through Express Entry-linked categories, but the other 49 per cent went through the base streams that do not yet have an EOI model. Find out if you are eligible for Canadian immigration These are the immigration categories that Ontario is considering building an EOI system for: The EOI system only applies to workers seeking permanent residence, and would not affect Canadian employers abilities to recruit temporary foreign workers, the OINP told CIC News via email. It would allow the OINP to conduct either a general draw or a targeted draw of certain registrants. The OINP already does this through its Express-Entry-aligned Human Capital Priorities Stream. The goal is to allow the OINP to respond to the provinces labour market needs by filling gaps in the labour market with foreign talent. The OINP notes that the existing measures remain in place to ensure Canadians still have a chance to apply for available jobs. Prospective applicants would be given a score based on their EOI profile. Points would be allocated based on various factors such as education and language abilities. Ontario would then issue invitations for top-scoring applicants to apply for a provincial nomination. The OINP also says an EOI system would allow the province to manage OINP intake in a way that prioritizes the most suitable applicants. Many provinces already have an EOI system to manage immigration applications including Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, Quebec, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and B.C. The federal governments Express Entry system also uses a points-based system for inviting immigrants, and has been hailed by the OECD as a role model for immigration systems in other countries. The public is available to submit comments on the new proposed system until October 23. The OINP says it intends to launch its EOI system in early 2021. Find out if you are eligible for Canadian immigration 2020 CIC News All Rights Reserved STOCKHOLM, Sept. 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Essity AB's Board of Directors is proposing a dividend of SEK 6.25 per share and that the dividend proposal be addressed at an Extraordinary General Meeting on October 28, 2020. During the spring, the Board of Directors withdrew its original dividend proposal. This was a consequence of the great uncertainty surrounding COVID-19. Despite Essity's highly robust income statement and balance sheet for 2019, there were grounds to exercise particular caution. Essity has remained strong with a continued healthy cash flow in 2020. The company has a strong balance sheet and financial flexibility. The company has not utilized the government's furlough scheme. Essity will convene an Extraordinary General Meeting to be held on October 28, 2020. Under the current circumstances, the Meeting will use a format with advance voting, in accordance with the temporary legislation authorized by the Swedish Parliament, whereby votes are submitted to the company prior to the Meeting. NB This information is such that Essity Aktiebolag (publ) is obligated 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 below, at 18:30 CET on September 28, 2020. Karl Stoltz, Media Relations manager, +46 8 788 51 55 CONTACT: For further information, please contact: Per Lorentz, Vice President Corporate Communications, +46 8 788 52 51, [email protected] Johan Karlsson, Vice President Investor Relations, +46 8 788 51 30, [email protected] This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com https://news.cision.com/essity/r/essity-proposes-dividend-of-sek-6-25,c3204403 The following files are available for download: https://mb.cision.com/Main/15798/3204403/1311951.pdf Essity proposes dividend of SEK 6.25 SOURCE Essity "First and foremost, I would like to extend an apology on behalf of the District and the Board of School Directors to the student who was involved and to his family. They did not ask for this incident to occur, nor do they deserve the negative attention that it has brought." - school board President Tina Stoll Niv Ashkenazi, talking to students about the Violins of Hope project last November at Patrick Henry Middle School in Granada Hills. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times) Joan-Kristen Gray sat on the scuffed floor of the dance studio, squeezed tightly between her classmates, watching intently as fellow eighth-grader Sasha Arzhelik improvised a hip-hop dance to the plaintive sounds of guest artist Niv Ashkenazi playing an antique violin. It was late November of last year at Patrick Henry Middle School in Granada Hills, and Joan-Kristen was experiencing the benefits of pre-pandemic life: in-person arts education, live music and dance, and socialization without distance. The lesson that day didnt involve learning a new dance routine or perfecting form. Instead, the class witnessed a presentation of the Violins of Hope, a collection of stringed instruments that survived the Holocaust and were later restored by Israeli violin-makers Amnon and Avshalom Weinstein. Joan-Kristen's class erupted in applause at the end of the Violins of Hope presentation. Thank you Sasha and Niv, that dance was beautiful, said Anthony Cantrell, the director of arts education at the Younes and Soraya Nazarian Center for the Performing Arts at Cal State Northridge. And the best part is, you are all invited to the Soraya in March to see Niv and others play a full concert on these special instruments. We cant wait to see you again then. Brought to Southern California by the Soraya and other partnering organizations, the violins were supposed to have appeared in concerts with the Los Angeles Jewish Symphony, Rotterdam Philharmonic and Jerusalem Quartet in late March and early April this year. Like so many musical events, those concerts never happened. As COVID-19 swept across the United States, the performances were first postponed, then eventually canceled. The message these violins carry with them is suddenly tenfold important, Soraya Executive Director Thor Steingraber said in March, just days after dozens of the historic violins arrived at the venue. Thats why making the decision [to cancel] these concerts while it was clearly the right thing to do was so heartbreaking. Story continues Ashkenazi, a Los Angeles native who studied with Itzhak Perlman at Juilliard, said one of the main reasons he is a Violin of Hope ambassador is that the instruments provide a voice for the voiceless. We do have many testimonies from survivors, which is so important, and we must keep those stories alive, the violinist said. But there are millions more who didnt survive. We dont know their exact stories. To me this represents those people. One of the main tenets of Violins of Hope is allowing silenced voices to be heard again. The Violins of Hope, photographed on the COVID-quieted Soraya auditorium in Northridge. (Ricki Quinn / The Soraya) Many of the instruments in the Violins of Hope collection made their way to the Weinstein violin shop in Tel Aviv via refugees after World War II. Before the war, they were the prized possessions of klezmer musicians, orchestra members and wealthy Jewish families. After the war, many of the instruments represented all that was left of a familys legacy. Some had survived Nazi concentration camps, where their owners were forced to play for Nazi officers during parties or to perform for prisoners as they were marched to death chambers. Many of the violins were handcrafted in early 20th-century Germany and feature exquisite carvings of the Star of the David. Beautiful to hear played or just to admire visually, they were scheduled to go on exhibit at the Holocaust Museum Los Angeles, formerly Los Angeles Museum of the Holocaust, following the Soraya concerts. Instead, like so many travelers, the Violins of Hope found themselves in limbo and were forced to quarantine. With the concerts initially postponed, the Soraya needed a safe place to store the invaluable instruments. And so, instead of being performed on and displayed, the violins were packed up and placed underneath the Sorayas main stage. They remained there until last week, hiding in secrecy, protected from theft or vandalism. Now, as the pandemic continues with no clear end in sight, the violins have been flown back to Tel Aviv. Last week, before they were packed up for the journey home, Ashkenazi and two other violinists, Janice Markham and Lindsay Deutsch, had a brief chance to play the priceless instruments at the Soraya. There was no audience in the 1,700-seat hall, but the violins' voices were heard nevertheless. Niv Ashkenazi plays one of the Violins of Hope at the Soraya in Northridge. (Ricki Quinn / The Soraya) Lindsay Deutsch plays one of the Violins of Hope before they are packed up and flown back to Tel Aviv. (Ricki Quinn / The Soraya) That audience-less concert proved a poignant and disappointing end to a year-long educational and community initiative by the Soraya. The fact that 60 Holocaust violins, handcrafted in early 20th century Europe, [spent months in] hiding on our campus in Los Angeles this year, I think about it all the time, Steingraber said. Its just so unlikely, and so heartbreaking. While Joan-Kristen and so many other students and community members lost the opportunity to hear the Violins of Hope in concert this year, Steingraber hopes that at some point the violins will make their way back to Southern California. For now, though, the Soraya team is finding solace in the fact that before the pandemic hit, they were able to take one of the violins to more than 40 area schools. A detail of a Star of David on the back of a Violins of Hope instrument. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times) After other students have gone to lunch, Joan-Kristen Gray stays to speak with Niv Ashkenazi during a Violins of Hope program at Patrick Henry Middle School in Granada Hills last November. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times) At the end of the Patrick Henry Middle School presentation last November, Joan-Kristen rushed up to Ashkenazi to ask him questions about the violin he played and get a closer look at the abalone shell Star of David inlaid on its back. I know this sounds obvious, she said, but I didnt really know that the Nazis killed that many people. Of course I knew they were after us Black people, but Id never learned so much about Jewish people and the Holocaust before today. Like, why would you hate someone just because of their beliefs about God? Watching her classmate dance while Ashkenazi played violin "really opened my eyes, Joan-Kristen said, explaining how the Violins of Hope helped her understand the importance of stamping out hateful ideologies before they spread. Its not like reading about it in a history book," she said. "The violin told a real story that really happened. For the record: 10:33 PM, Sep. 28, 2020: In an earlier version of this article, photos taken inside the Soraya in Northridge were credited to Luis Luque. They should have been credited to Ricki Quinn/The Soraya. WASHINGTON - Ahead of the first debate between President Donald Trump and his Democratic challenger Joe Biden, each campaign is promising a stark contrast in policy, personality and preparation. Trump has decided to skip formal preparation, though he said Sunday that former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani and his former 2016 primary rival, Chris Christie, are helping him. We had a little debate prep before we came here, Trump told reporters as Giuliani and Christie looked on in the press briefing room at the White House. And while Bidens team believes the significance of the debate may be exaggerated, the Democratic nominee has been aggressively preparing to take on the president. Bidens campaign has been holding mock debate sessions featuring Bob Bauer, a senior Biden adviser and former White House general counsel, playing the role of Trump, according to a person with direct knowledge of the preparations who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal strategy. Bauer has not actually donned a Trump costume in line with Trump stand-ins from previous years, but he is representing his style and expected strategy. Im sure the president will throw everything he can at (Biden). My guess is that theyre preparing for that bombarding him with insults and weird digressions, said Jay Carney, a former aide to Biden and President Barack Obama. Trump and Biden are scheduled to meet on the debate stage for the first time Tuesday night at Case Western Reserve University and the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio. The 90-minute event, moderated by Fox News host Chris Wallace, is the first of three scheduled presidential debates. Vice-President Mike Pence and California Sen. Kamala Harris, Bidens running mate, will debate in October. For some, the debates represent the most important moments in the 2020 campaigns closing days, a rare opportunity for millions of voters to compare the candidates policies and personalities side-by-side on prime-time television. Trump has been trailing Biden in the polls for the entire year, a reality that gives the president an urgent incentive to change the direction of the contest on national television if he can. Others, including those close to Bidens campaign, do not expect the debates to fundamentally change the race no matter what happens, given the pandemic and the economy. They also point to high-profile debates in past elections that were thought to be game-changing moments at the time but that ultimately had little lasting effect. Those with knowledge of Bidens preparations suggest he will not take the fight to Trump if he can avoid it. But on Saturday, at least, he was on the attack when he discussed his strategy on MSNBC. Im prepared to go out and make my case as to why I think hes failed and why I think the answers I have to proceed will help the American people, the American economy and make us safer internationally, Biden said, arguing that Trump wont convince voters with broadsides because the people know the president is a liar. He also compared Trump to Adolf Hitlers propaganda minister, Joseph Goebbels, saying, Hes sort of like Goebbels. You say the lie long enough, keep repeating, repeating, repeating, it becomes common knowledge. While Biden has said he will try to be a fact checker of sorts on stage, the Democrat is being advised to avoid direct confrontations and instead redirect the conversation to more familiar campaign themes of unity and issues that matter most to voters: the economy, health care and the pandemic. Arguing over facts, litigating whether what hes saying is accurate, that is not winning to Biden, said Jen Psaki, a former Obama aide who is close to Bidens team. This is an opportunity to speak directly to the American people. His objective should be to speak directly to them, but not be pulled in by Trump. That is hard. Trump aides and allies, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal strategy, said heading into the weekend that Trump had not been in formal preparations. The president offered mixed messages Sunday with his confirmation that Giuliani and Christie were prepping him, essentially combining to play the role of Biden. Yet Trump downplayed the sessions. Sometimes you can go too much in that stuff, Trump said, noting that he defeated Hillary Clinton four years ago despite her extensive debate preparation. The president added that he takes far more questions from the White House press corps than Biden takes from the reporters covering his campaign, arguing those sessions with reporters are a form of debate prep. Trump offered a preview of his approach when mused that Bidens previous debate performances were influenced by medication. Hes offered no evidence. First in a tweet and later at the White House, Trump said he would demand that Biden take a drug test and that he would take one as well. Trumps message seemed to be an attempt at both tripping up Biden and preemptively offering an explanation to his supporters if the Democratic nominee has a strong performance. Biden, in Delaware on Sunday, laughed and declined to comment when asked about Trumps baseless assertions. Privately some aides and allies are worried that Trumps lack of formal preparation will lead him to fall into the same hubris trap as other incumbents in their first general election debate. Obama, for example, famously struggled in his first matchup against Republican Mitt Romney in 2012. But other Trump backers are confident that the president is ready to handle any tough questions or pushback from Biden. The debates matter, said Lara Trump, a senior adviser to the campaign and the presidents daughter-in-law. Donald Trump certainly did a great job on the debates (in 2016) and I think this will be no different. Lara Trump also seemed to simultaneously raise and lower expectations for Biden. Joe Biden spent a lot of time in his basement to study up. Hes been in this game for 47 years. I assume hell do OK, she said. Quite frankly, the bar has been lowered so much for Joe Biden that if he stays awake for the whole thing its like maybe he won. The mixed messages were in line with those of Trumps allies who spent much of the year raising questions about Bidens physical and mental strength, while in recent days trying to cast him as a strong and experienced debater facing a relative neophyte in Trump. A former reality show star, the president is keenly aware of the power and pitfalls of live television. Aides say that he is acutely mindful of the power of moments to define how a debate is perceived and that he intends to make his share of them happen. Terry McAuliffe, the former Virginia governor and onetime national Democratic chair, said Biden must fashion a succinct, debate-stage version of his message since the spring: Draw a straight line from Trumps personal deficiencies to his handling of the pandemic, its economic fallout and the national reckoning on race and then explain why a Biden presidency would be different. Trumps just looking for a Hail Mary here, McAuliffe said. He knows hes in trouble. ___ Peoples reported from New York. Barrow reported from Atlanta. When South Africa went into a total coronavirus lockdown in March, Grace had no choice but to let four employees of her peanut distribution business go. I have managed to retain only one of them, says the 43-year-old entrepreneur, a refugee from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Thats how badly my business has been affected. Like others working in the countrys informal sector, Graces vulnerability was laid bare by the COVID-19 pandemic. Also hit by the slowdown was Michelle, 41, who had thrived as an entrepreneur since fleeing conflict in the DRC in 2009, opening a portfolio of businesses in Pretoria, South Africa. But after the anti-COVID measures closed schools and required people to stay home, she had to shutter her catering and decor services businesses. She is now struggling to keep her remaining business open. I am fighting hard to keep my salon and spa going, says Michelle, who supports two daughters. The fallout from the coronavirus response has impacted refugees and their hosts alike in South Africa, where about half of people live in poverty and about a third are unemployed. I am fighting hard to keep my salon and spa going. Before the pandemic, Michelle had successfully built up her catering and beauty businesses, even moving them to the leafy suburbs of the capitals east, after honing her entrepreneurial skills through a business programme, funded by the UN Refugee Agency, UNHCR. South Africa hosts 266,700 refugees and asylum-seekers, almost all of whom live and work in towns and cities across the country. Congolese refugee Grace, 43, carries bags of roasted peanuts at her business in Pretoria, South Africa. UNHCR/Helene Caux Trays of roasted peanuts on display at Congolese refugee Grace's business in Pretoria, South Africa. UNHCR/Helene Caux Congolese refugee Michelle, stands in her beauty salon in Pretoria, South Africa. UNHCR/Helene Caux Congolese refugee Michelle, gives a customer a manicure at her beauty salon in Pretoria, South Africa. UNHCR/Helene Caux Refugee women who run small enterprises alongside established businesses are just as vulnerable as their camp-based counterparts in the region. We have advocated strongly with the government for the inclusion of refugees in the countrys national safety nets, says Laura Buffoni, a senior protection officer based at UNHCRs regional office in South Africa. UNHCR has also provided support to some 36,800 people during lockdown with assistance from food, cash and vouchers to legal advice and counselling since lockdown began. Buffoni added that some refugees have received the government's COVID-19 'social relief of distress' grant for a period of six months. The grant is a temporary provision of assistance intended for people who are unable to meet their families most basic needs. Refugees frequently overcome huge obstacles to reach safety and often draw strength from the support of their hosts. That spirit of resilience and unity is helping them now, says Pretty Ncube, the Director of the ACTION Support Centre, a non-profit in Gauteng that invests in conflict resolution. While the pandemic has exposed inequality and extreme poverty, it has also brought out the ubuntu in many women, she explains, referring to the South African term that encourages everyone to support one other, regardless of nationality or status. She adds that refugees, like South Africas vulnerable, are also in need of the social relief of distress grant. To address the stark reality of a lack of income during the lockdown, she helped to establish the African Solidarity Campaign, a community-based body made up of refugees and South Africans. Through the little that the members are able to collect, they try to counter the effects of COVID-19 by providing for the needs of women, children and the elderly, she says. For the first time in a long time, I see light at the end of the tunnel. A shift in lockdown policy has also helped, after President Cyril Ramaphosa announced that the country would move to a more socio-economically friendly lockdown level from September 21. For the first time in a long time, I see light at the end of the tunnel, says Grace, adding that more informal traders, school children and pedestrians are slowly returning to buy her peanuts. Meanwhile, ever the entrepreneur, Michelle is advertising her business online, promoting free manicure and pedicure packages to regain clients and is determined to firm up her business. She has also seen an opportunity for more business as the long days of winter turn to spring. Women will be wearing open-toe sandals now that the weather is warmer, she says. This is an opportunity to branch out. We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Go to form Anxious to meet the needs of the corporate elite, the Victorian state Labor government yesterday began lifting coronavirus safety measures faster than previously proposed. Not only were partial industrial restrictions and primary school closures ended more quickly than planned. Future dates for lifting most of the remaining precautions were cast aside, so that reopenings will occur more quickly, within weeks, if COVID-19 case numbers decline. Premier Daniel Andrews explicitly couched the acceleration in terms of the number of employees who will return to industrial workplaces, thus falling further into line with the return to work campaign mounted for weeks by big business, the media and the federal Liberal-National government. Andrews giving a public COVID-19 briefing last month (Screenshot from ABC News broadcast) Many restrictions will remain on households, but worksites, schools, childcare centres and universities will be reopened more quickly in order to get workers fully back into factories, warehouses and construction sites. The contrast is revealing. Workplaces, which Andrews previously admitted accounted for 80 percent of infections since May, will reopen faster than family visits will be allowed. Labors repressive 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfewwhich had no public health justificationwill be lifted, but new $5,000 fines will apply to breaching rules on public gatherings. Risky workplaces are involved. From today, in the capital Melbourne, workforce capacity will go up to 80 percent for meat processing, 90 percent for poultry processing and 80 percent for seafood processing. All staffing limits will be lifted for warehouses and supermarkets. This profit-driven rush to reopen workplaces raises the danger of another disastrous infection wave, adding to the nearly 800 deaths that have resulted in Victoria from the last accelerated lifting of safety measures nationally in MayJune. With primary schools told to return to face-to-face teaching by October 12, school teachers and students will be placed on the front line of this danger, along with the health and aged care workers and nursing home residents who have already paid the heaviest price for the pandemic in Australia, as they have internationally. Around the world, the pandemic is worsening. The premature lifting of workplace restrictions is leading to record daily confirmed cases, such as 16,000 in France on Thursday, 6,600 in Britain and more than 1,000 in New York on Saturday as the US death toll from the virus passed 200,000. Globally, the return to work drive has taken the death toll to one million. Lockdowns, although limited, have helped reduce Australias confirmed infections since a peak of over 700 new cases daily in June, but community transmission is still occurring, as are deaths. There were 24 new cases nationally yesterday, with 16 in Victoria and 7 in Western Australia. The WA cases came from a visiting cargo ship, highlighting the impossibility of walling the country off from the pandemic. While welcoming yesterdays Victorian announcements as a first step, business leaders and the federal government of Prime Minister Scott Morrison are demanding an even faster ending of workplace restrictions. Despite opinion polls in Victoria and nationally showing strong support for continued lockdown precautions, they seized on Andrews announcement to ramp up the pressure for a rapid full economic re-opening. Easing restrictions in Victoria in a COVID-safe way is vitally important so that more Victorians can get back to work and resume their normal lives, Morrison said in a joint media statement yesterday with Treasurer Josh Frydenberg and Health Minister Greg Hunt. Todays announcement is a small but important step in that direction. For all the empty references to COVID-safe, this means prioritising corporate profits over human health and lives. In a typical expression of this offensive, Australian Retailers Association chief executive Paul Zahra criticised Victorias new schedule as too slow. Zahra said he was deeply concerned non-essential retail would remain closed until at least mid-October. That is simply too close to Christmas trading to allow viable retail activity, he said. Echoing such demands, Andrews said his government would take its next step toward lifting restrictions as early as October 19, with an aim for a COVID-normal Christmas. Andrews emphasised that 127,000 workers would immediately return to various worksites, including building projects, meatworks, supermarkets, food distribution, food processing, manufacturing and some solo outdoor employeesabout 30,000 more than initially planned. To facilitate this process, primary school students would return to schools from October 12, earlier than previously proposed, as well as prep to grade 2, special and final-year students, and childcare centres could open for all children. Yet, according to a summary provided by Andrews, modelling has indicated that opening workplaces too soon would be dangerous. He said: The Burnet Institute found that opening up too quickly would result in a 41 percent chance of a third wave within four weeks. Regarding schools, the government claimed to be acting on new findings from the Murdoch Childrens Research Institute that children aged under 10 were less infectious than older children. Reportedly, the research found that when young children had been infected and gone to school, outbreaks were very uncommon. More than 150 schools in Victoria have had to shut at some point this year due to a positive case, and at least 373 students and 139 staff have been infected with COVID-19. But Andrews said the study concluded that schools were more likely to be a multiplier of existing community transmission rather than a driver of the epidemic. Even on that basis, teachers and other school workers, as well as students and their families, are to be exposed to great risks. Returning all primary students to classrooms was unlikely to change the trajectory of case numbers significantly by Christmas, the Murdoch Institute report said, but there were dangers arising from household transmission and increased movement, including by adults during pick-up and drop-off. The government is counting on the education trade unions to suppress the opposition of educators that eventually forced the closure of schools in June. On its Facebook page, the Australian Education Union (AEU), which covers school staff, told its members yesterday: We are continuing discussions with DET [Department of Education] around the details and will be in touch with members with more information soon. In reality the union is working closely with the government to stifle resistance. AEU Victorian branch president Meredith Peace told the media that the October 12 return was a positive sign the education system was slowly returning to normal. Premier Andrews cleared the political deck for yesterdays acceleration announcement by forcing the resignation of the states health minister, Jenny Mikakos. Last Friday, he publicly blamed her for the use of untrained and ill-equipped private security guards at hotel quarantine sites for returning overseas travellers. Mikakos was made the scapegoat for the catastrophic failures of the Andrews and Morrison governments to provide adequate personal protection equipment (PPE) and staff in hospitals and nursing homes, mass testing, contact tracing and quarantine facilities. In their joint statement yesterday, the three federal ministers centrally responsible for the premature reopening of the economy in JuneMorrison, Frydenberg and Huntprofessed to be deeply concerned for the mental health of Victorians due to the length of the states lockdown. They then alluded to their actual concern. They said the federal government had already paid more than $27 billion to Victorians throughout the pandemic and expected to pay out an additional $16.8 billion in the December and March quarters. This same government began slashing these JobKeeper wage subsidies and JobSeeker unemployment payments last Friday, seeking to give destitute workers no choice but to accept unsafe conditions and lower wages as part of the financial elites return to work offensive. This concerted drive to reopen all workplaces amid the global pandemic and the most serious economic and social breakdown since the 1930s Great Depression will trigger critical class struggles, posing the necessity for the working class to take control of society and reorganise it totally along socialist lines. Apparently, nothing is sacred with Meghan Markle and her man-on-the-string, Prince Harry. After telling us how privacy-obsessed they were, with Harry weeping sob stories about his mom and the papparazzi, and even suing some media companies for their intrusions, as well as leaving their high-vis rented mansion in the Hollywood Hills for more sedate (but pricier) Montecito, they've now decided to go full frontal, back for the cameras, making themselves the stars of some reality TV. No kidding, it's a project with Netflix cameras following them around. Seems they like themselves those cameras. According to the Daily Mail: The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are said to have agreed to star in a fly-on-the-wall Netflix reality series with cameras following them for three months. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are hoping to 'give people a glimpse into their lives and see all the charity work they do', according to a source. It comes after the royal couple signed a 112million Netflix deal to make TV series, films and children's shows for the streaming service. They're letting it all hang out. No privacy whatsoever, one wonders if the cameras will film them in marital fights or making trips to the bathroom. Which sure as heck is anathema to Harry's grandma, the U.K.'s Queen Elizabeth, who is already showing signs of displeasure with the self-aggrandizing pair. Royalty, after all, is all about maintaining some kind of distance, projecting some kind of mystique. The Kim Kardashian thing, which demonstrated that there was big money in going full frontal, talented or not, is not exactly a royal practice. In fact, it's something they hate insanely. Not for this pair. They're busy branding themselves and selling themselves by letting the cameras follow them around and film everything they do. They claim it's because they want to show off their charity, and like Playboy photo shoots of old, it's going to be all so very tasteful. According to the Mail: A source told The Sun: 'They may have had all these lofty ideas about producing epics highlighting environmental causes and the poverty gap, but Netflix obviously want their pound of flesh. 'It will all be very tasteful, and not Katie Price and Peter Andre-style reality TV, but they want to give people a glimpse into their lives and see all the charity work they do.' Memo to Harry and Meghan: If you want charity to count, you're supposed to do it when no one is looking. It's such a fraud. They claimed they wanted privacy, and they claimed they wanted to just produce tasteful Netflix videos on environmental, social justice and other rich-man's causes from behind the scenes, but actually, they've decided to sell themselves. The queen was aghast at their original plans to sell tourist tschotchkas through their vulgarly named sussexroyal site, and put a stop to it. Now they're selling themselves instead as the product to the public. One can just imagine how that goes over back in London. Over here, all one can think of this fame-and-camera obsessed pair is 'vulgar, vulgar, vulgar.' Image credit: Entertainment Tonight screen shot, via shareable YouTube. Image enhanced with FotoSketcher. NIXcreative, a Dallas-based social media and brand marketing agency, announces the expansion of its marketing capabilities to include public relations and strategic communications. To oversee the new service offerings, NIXcreative has appointed Laila Dar as its Vice President of Public Relations. In this new role, Dar will manage the agencys PR arm and develop comprehensive public relations strategies for clients in the retail, commercial real estate, CPG and lifestyle industries. This includes media relations, communications strategy, digital PR and influencer marketing services that will further support clients marketing plans. Founded by Jordan Nix in 2018, NIXcreative serves as a full-service marketing agency for local, national and international brands across a wide variety of industries. By focusing on holistic marketing strategies, the agency helps both startups and established companies reach their ultimate marketing goals through social media, content creation, email marketing, influencer relations, brand marketing and reputation management. As the VP of Public Relations, Laila Dar brings to the agency her invaluable strategic communication skills and extensive network, which have secured top-tier client results such as press features in Forbes, The New York Times, Dallas Morning News and more. At NIXcreative, our passion has always been brand marketing. We know that social and digital media are crucial for brand success, but there is an important marketing piece that weve been missing: public relations. We are thrilled to bring Laila Dar on to oversee our new public relations offerings, as her experience and expertise will add an additional value to our clients marketing strategies, said Jordan Nix, Founder & CEO of NIXcreative. I discovered NIXcreative earlier this year, as their impressive social media work is well known in the Dallas community. Teamwork, transparency and strategic thinking are at the core of everything they do, so I already knew that our values and vision would align well. I look forward to this opportunity to continue the success and top-tier results that NIXcreative achieves for its clients, now through public relations and strategic communications, added Laila Dar, Vice President of Public Relations at NIXcreative. ABOUT NIXCREATIVE: Dallas-based, woman-owned, marketing-minded. Founded in 2018 by Jordan Nix, NIXcreative is a boutique social media, public relations and brand marketing agency catering to brands in the commercial real estate, retail, CPG, lifestyle and startup industries. Our passion is social media, our obsession is design, and our forte is connecting brands with their target audience. To learn more about NIXcreative, visit http://www.nixcreative.co or @nixcreative. People have been out panning in the streams and burns and glens for centuries, and there have always been nuggets found, and every year or two, someone pops up with a massive nugget of gold, said Richard Gray, chief executive of Scotgold Resources, which is developing the Cononish mine near Tyndrum. But its down to the likes of us to get this particular deposit well defined. SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO (dpa-AFX) - Genentech, the U.S. unit of Swiss drug maker Roche Group (RHHBY), reported Monday positive 2-year data from Part 1 of the pivotal FIREFISH study of Evrysdi (risdiplam) in infants aged 2-7 months with symptomatic Type 1 spinal muscular atrophy or SMA. The company noted that the 2-year results in infants treated with the therapeutic dose of Evrysdi (17/21) showed that they continued to improve and achieve motor milestones. SMA is a severe, progressive neuromuscular disease that can be fatal, and is the major genetic cause of infant mortality. In the trial, the exploratory analysis showed that an estimated 88% of infants were alive and required no permanent ventilation at two years. In addition, at two years, 59% of infants were able to sit without support for at least 5 seconds, 65 percent had maintained upright head control, 29% could turn themselves over and 30% were able to stand either supporting weight or with support. The most serious adverse event that occurred in 24% of infants was pneumonia. Levi Garraway, chief medical officer and head of Global Product Development, said, 'We are highly encouraged by the results we are seeing in the second year of treatment with Evrysdi. ...we look forward to continued assessments of both survival and motor function during long-term follow up for this first-of-its-kind treatment.' The data were presented at the virtual 25th International Annual Congress of the World Muscle Society. Evrysdi is being studied in more than 450 people as part of a broad and robust clinical trial program in SMA. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Evrysdi for the treatment of SMA in adults and children 2 months of age and older. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Kostenloser Wertpapierhandel auf Smartbroker.de In the biggest drug bust in Assam till date, the police have seized 5 kg of smuggled heroin valued at Rs 25 crore. One person has been arrested in connection with the incident. This is the single biggest seizure of illicit heroin in Assam. The value of the contraband is nearly Rs 25 cr. The recovery is part of our ongoing drive against illegal drugs launched in June this year, Director General of Police Bhaskar Jyoti Mahanta told journalists on Monday. The heroin was seized on Sunday night by police in Karbi Anglong district on the Assam-Nagaland border from a truck which was on its way to Guwahati from Imphal in Manipur. One person, Ismail Ali, a resident of Jogighopa in Bongaigaon district of Assam, has been arrested for his involvement in smuggling the contraband. The seizure shows that our drive against drive is yielding results. The quality of the seized heroin is stated to be of very high grade. I commend the people involved in the seizure, said Mahanta. This is the fourth seizure of heroin by Karbi Anglong police since August. On August 5, police seized 649 gm of heroin valued at nearly Rs 20 lakh. On September 1, 936 gm of heroin valued at Rs 6.5 cr was seized and on September 15 police seized 1 kilo 40 gm of heroin and arrested three persons SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Labour unions in Nigeria have suspended their planned nationwide protest and strike over the recent increase in electricity tariff and petrol price in the country. The Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) had earlier scheduled September 28 for a nationwide rally to protest the hikes. PREMIUM TIMES reported that the strike was suspended after a late-night meeting with a federal government team at the presidential villa in Abuja. However, both parties resolved to review their decision in two weeks to see if their agreement with the government is fulfilled. The suspension of the strike and protest was announced by the minister of labour and employment, Chris Ngige, and contained in a communique signed by all the parties involved in the meeting. PREMIUM TIMES reported the increase in electricity tariff from about N30.23 to about N62.33 per kWh, while the price of petrol was increased from about N145 to about N161 per litre. Speaking after the meeting, NLC president, Ayuba Wabba said the unions agreed to suspend the strike after deliberating on the issues and a committee has been set up find a lasting solution to the problems Both the government and organised labour have looked into the issue of fuel price hike and we have discussed the state of our refineries and how to achieve sustainable refineries. We also reviewed the process of privatisation and other issues, such as clear palliatives that were needed to be extended to our members and Nigerians to cushion the effect of these policies, he said. Mr Wabba said the decision of the organised labour, as represented at the meeting, is to suspend the action. We are going to convey our Central Working Committee meeting to present the communique to them. Reasons One of the reasons the unions suspended the strike, according to the communique, is that a specific sum of money will be unveiled by the Federal Government in two weeks time, which can be accessed by Nigerian workers under the auspices of NLC and TUC. This is for participation in agricultural ventures through the CBN and the Ministry of Agriculture. The timeline will be fixed at the next meeting, the communique reads. Secondly, all parties agreed to set up a technical committee comprising ministries, departments, agencies, NLC, and TUC, which will work for a duration of two weeks effective from Monday, September. 28 to resolve the issue of electricity tariff reforms. Thirdly, all parties agreed that electricity distribution companies (DisCos) should suspend the new electricity tariff for two weeks while the discussion continues. Fourthly, the government promised to facilitate the removal of tax on minimum wage as a way of cushioning the impact of the policy on the lowest earners. The federal government also promised the unions that 10 per cent of the ongoing Ministry of Housing and Finance initiative on housing will be allocated to Nigerian workers under the NLC and TUC. All parties also agreed on the need to expand the local refining capacity of the nation to reduce the overdependence on the importation of petroleum products. The federal government and its agencies to ensure delivery of one million CNG/LPG AutoGas conversion kits, storage skids and dispensing units under Nigeria Gas Expansion Programme by December 2021 to enable the delivery of cheaper transportation and power fuel. A governance structure that will include representatives of organised labour shall be established for timely delivery, the communique reads in part. The U.S. flag flies at half-staff outside of the U.S. Supreme Court in memory of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, in Washington on Sept. 19, 2020. (Jose Luis Magana/AFP via Getty Images) Packing Supreme Court an Empty Threat, Unlikely to Happen: Former FEC Member The Democrats call to add more justices to the Supreme Court is but an empty threat, said Hans von Spakovsky, a Republican lawyer and former member of the Federal Election Commission. With President Donald Trump and the Republican-dominated Senate poised to nominate and confirm a conservative Supreme Court Justice to fill the vacancy left by liberal icon Ruth Bader Ginsburg, some Democrats have revived the radical idea of expanding the size of the high court. Von Spakovsky said the Democrat court packing is unlikely to happen. The Constitution does not specify how many justices are on the U.S. Supreme Courtthats set by statutebut it has been nine justices now for a very, very long time, said von Spakovsky during an interview on Epoch Times Crossroads, when asked about the possible attempt by Democrats to pack the Supreme Court. The only way the Democrats could somehow retaliate is if they control the House, the Senate, and the White House, von Spakovsky told host Joshua Philipp. And thats the only way they could pass a law doing that. I dont think thats going to happen in the next election, even though the next election is somewhat unpredictable, he continued. But again, I think its a bad idea, because it really shows that they want the court to act in a political manner, that they believe that their nominees will basically further their partisan political views, rather than applying the Constitution and the statutes passed by Congress as theyre written. The reason the fights over the justices have become so intense, according to von Spakovsky, is that the Supreme Court has overstepped its constitutional mandate to act as a super Congress that legislates from the bench, and one of those who pushed the change was Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Von Spakovsky also dismissed the threat of a second impeachment by Democrats to stop Trumps Supreme Court nomination, calling it absurd to impeach a president for exercising his constitutional authority. If Democrats think that would not make them look bad with the American people, I think theyre mistaken, he said. The number of Supreme Court justices was set at six when George Washington, the first U.S. President, signed the Judiciary Act of 1789 into law. It was briefly changed to 10 during the Civil War under Abraham Lincoln. In 1869, the Republican-controlled Congress passed another judiciary act to set the number back to nine, which has remained untouched for more than 150 years. TROY The record-breaking pace of homicides here and across the Hudson River in Albany has police examining whether the remnants of two rival gangs are renewing the street violence they were known for starting years ago, law enforcement officials familiar with the recent investigations said. The 15 homicides in Albany and the 13 killings in Troy, while not all gang-related, have investigators looking at the old feud between the Young Gunnerz of Troy and the Uptown gang in Albany, authorities said. The Young Gunnerz popped back into the equation with the Sept. 13 drive-by fatal shooting of 11-year-old Ayshawn Davis in front of 2266 Old Sixth Ave. in the heart of the gangs old turf that was a center of heroin and cocaine dealing, sources said. The popular childs death has renewed attention on the burgeoning street violence. Ayshawns burial service was held Monday in St. Patricks Cemetery in Troy. Its been quiet for the last five years in the Old Sixth Avenue section of Troy after a state Organized Crime Task Force cracked the Young Gunnerz apart in 2015 and its alleged leader, Daquan Murray, was sent to state prison for a 10-year prison term. The state Attorney Generals Office led Operation Trojan Horse that targeted the Young Gunnerz and resulted in 21 arrests. Authorities said the gang was the major supplier of cocaine, heroin and illegal prescription drugs in Troy. The remaining gang associates are not well organized, according to sources who asked not to be named due to the ongoing nature of the investigations. They said it is difficult to cite specific evidence that organized gang activity is fueling most of the recent violence. The law enforcement sources in Albany and Rensselaer counties did say that those in question are not necessarily living in what would be viewed as Albany's West Hill neighborhood, where the Uptown gang was once based, or the Young Gunnerzs Old Sixth Avenue haunts. Rather, suspects involved in recent shootings in Troy now can be found living across the river in the cities of Cohoes and Watervliet. Jahquay Brown, 20, of 324 Saratoga St., Cohoes, was charged Thursday with second-degree murder in the killing of Ayshawn. Law enforcement sources confirmed that a second suspect is wanted. Nominate your favorite people and places now Its the 25th anniversary of our Best of the Capital Region readers survey. Nominate your favorite people, places and businesses between Jan. 21 and Feb. 4. Brown was scheduled for a preliminary hearing in Troy City Court Tuesday, but a Rensselaer County grand jury is expected to take action. Brown asked for protection when he was sent to the Rensselaer County Jail without bail following his arraignment last week. Police sources said Brown has been in Cohoes for four years and comes from Albany. The sources said Browns head was grazed by a bullet a year ago in an Albany shooting that sent him to the hospital for a few days. It's difficult to ascertain the impact of gang influence in the latest shootings in the Capital Region's cities due to there being a lack of in-depth studies of the issue, said Alice Green, the executive director of the Center for Law and Justice and chair of the Albany County Zero Youth Detention Task Force. "We don't have any hard evidence of what's going on. We don' t know what is causing the problem," Green said. There is the influence of systemic racism that is causing the socio-economic problems that result in poverty, inadequate housing and not enough basic services in the cities' poorest neighborhoods, Green said. There has only been a skimming of the issues along the surface in Troy and Albany while a deep, thorough study of the issues is what is needed to begin to deal with the problems that are at the root of the violence plaguing these neighborhoods, Green said. A civil society organisation, Save Democracy Coalition (SDC), has called on the authorities in the United States, United Kingdom and countries in the European Union (EU) to extend their travel visa ban to Nigerian judges found to have compromised the integrity of the ballot through miscarriage of justice in election petitions they presided over. The coalition, in a statement in Abuja yesterday, said the recent visa ban imposed by the US and UK on some politicians for their roles in electoral violence can only achieve the desired results if such sanctions are extended to errant judges who commit judicial rape in the handling of election petitions brought before them. The statement, signed by the National Coordinator of SDC, Mr. James Ifeoluwa, observed that restricting the visa ban to perpetrators of political violence alone would not check the ugly trend, stressing that such unscrupulous political actors might still achieve their sinister ends, with the aid of compromised judges. The group also canvased the extension of the ban to compromised electoral officials who connive with politicians or political parties to falsify election results for pecuniary gains. The SDC said: "We welcome the recent travel visa ban imposed by the US and the UK on Nigerian politicians found complicit in the electoral violence that occurred in some states in the 2019 general elections and during the electioneering campaign in the run up to the September 19 Edo State governorship election. "However, we are of the opinion that the visa ban can only achieve the desired effect if the same measure is extended to judicial officers who collaborate with unscrupulous politicians to compromise the integrity of the ballot through controversial judgments in election petition cases. "Similarly, electoral officials who collude with politicians or political parties to falsify election results in favour of the highest bidders, should also be included in the visa ban wherever and whenever they are identified. "Our position is predicated on the obvious fact that these desperate and unscrupulous politicians will shift focus to judicial officers and electoral officials in their nefarious activities if the ban is not extended to these two key stakeholders in the electoral process. "We choose to refrain from citing specific cases of glaring miscarriage of justice in certain judgments delivered in some election petition cases arising from disputes in the 2019 elections. "It is public knowledge that a number of perceived cases of judicial rascality were unleashed by certain judges in Election Petition Tribunals, Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court. "In such cases, the judges awarded victory to losers as they delivered judgments devoid of justice. Recriminations arising from such biased decisions may have fizzled out but the offensive stench therefrom still pervades the wider public space". The coalition appealed to the international community, particularly the US, the UK and the EU, to identify with the Nigerian people in their quest to ensure that their votes count at every election. The group expressed the firm belief that the political leadership in Nigeria can only be made accountable to the people if the entire electoral process is credible and the integrity of the ballot is preserved. "This can only be achieved if the various stakeholders in the electoral process in Nigeria are held accountable for their actions in the course of discharging their duties during elections. "It is needless to say that irresponsible leadership on the part of elected public office holders at all levels is a direct consequence of flawed electoral process that disconnects such leaders from the voters," the coalition said. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Nigeria Corruption By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. The United States and the United Kingdom, had, last week, announced visa ban on certain Nigerian politicians for the alleged roles in the violence that characterised the governorship elections in Kogi and Bayelsa states. Also, some other politicians got slammed with the ban for their alleged role in the violence that erupted during during electioneering campaign ahead of the September 19, 2020 Edo state governorship election. The UK, which announced its visa ban on the affected politicians, barely 24 hours after the US made its own, had threatened to seize identified assets of errant politicians in the UK and to also ensure their prosecution if need be. IHOP has introduced an afternoon and evening-focused value menu with the launch of IHOPPY Hour from 2 to 10 p.m. daily at some of its dining rooms. The prices of popular menu items have been set at entrees for $5 ($6 in some markets), $3 snacks and sides, and beverages for $1 or $1.50. We created IHOPPY Hour as a way to provide folks with affordable opportunities to pancake together under our blue roof even more often, said Jay Johns, president at IHOP, in a news release. We recognize that these are challenging times, and our belief is that, regardless of whats going on in the world, we all deserve a little happiness, or hoppiness as we like call it. By offering these fan favorite menu items at unbeatable prices seven days a week, we hope to make every day just a little hoppier. The full menu lineup includes: Everyday $5 or $6 meals Chicken and pancakes : Four all-natural, buttermilk crispy chicken breast strips and three buttermilk pancakes. The classic steakburger : Black Angus beef Steakburger with American cheese, lettuce, tomato, red onion, pickles and IHOP sauce. Served on a buttery, grilled Brioche bun with a side of French fries, onion rings, or two buttermilk pancakes. Buttermilk crispy chicken sandwich : All-natural, buttermilk crispy chicken breast, American cheese, hickory-smoked bacon, lettuce, tomato, red onion, pickles and signature IHOP sauce on a buttery, gilled Brioche bun. Served with a side of French fries, onion rings, or two buttermilk pancakes. Quick 2-egg breakfast: Two eggs your way, hash browns, two bacon strips or two pork sausage links and toast. Ham and cheese omelette: Diced ham, shredded Monterey Jack and cheddar cheeses, and white cheese sauce. Served with three buttermilk pancakes. Classic breakfast sandwich: Scrambled eggs, bacon and American cheese on a buttery, grilled Brioche bun. Served with a side of hash browns, French fries, or two buttermilk pancakes. Italian cannoli pancakes: Two buttermilk pancakes rolled and filled with sweet Ricotta cream and chocolate pieces, topped with crunchy cannoli pieces, chocolate chips and whipped topping. Everyday $3 deals Mozza sticks: Six crispy Mozzarella cheese sticks served with marinara. French fries and onion rings sampler: A generous helping of onion rings and French fries served with IHOP sauce. Original French toast: Four triangles topped with whipped butter and dusted with powdered sugar. IHOP said it has added enhanced health and safety protocols in accordance with CDC, FDA, and state and local guidelines. Not all restaurants are open for dine-in service. To confirm if your IHOP restaurant is open for dine-in service, call your local restaurant. READ MORE From Harper's BAZAAR All eyes were on Nicole Poturalski as she sashayed down the runway during Milan Fashion Week - and not just because of her slinky knit dress. Poturalski is the new girlfriend of Brad Pitt and although the couple haven't confirmed their romance, they've been spotted travelling the world together in recent months. So the model's surprise appearance at the Hugo Boss spring/summer 2020 show was guaranteed to cause a stir. Poturalski is best known for her editorial work, rather than walking at fashion week, and was understandably excited to share the news on Instagram, posting several images from the show to thank the German fashion house and say she was "still dreaming about this perfect show". The 27-year-old looked striking in a long black dress with long sleeves and slits at the sides, a mint green buckle bracelet, and flat sandals. Her hair was slicked into a side parting while her make up was minimal. Poturalski and Pitt were first spotted together in August 2019 at the Berlin premiere of Pitt's movie, Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood, according to People. They were then seen at a Kanye West concert in November 2019. More recently, the pair were photographed arriving in the South of France on a private jet to visit the actor's sprawling chateau. Poturalski shared an Instagram post back in February referring to a mysterious "love", prompting many to speculate that the couple have been dating for several months. Another post in March referenced her "better half". Photo credit: Daniele Venturelli - Getty Images You Might Also Like 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. Story by MARYCLAIRE DALE, Associated Press PHILADELPHIA (AP) A federal judge in Philadelphia joined others Monday in ordering the U.S. Postal Service to halt recent cuts that critics say are causing mail delays and threatening the integrity of the presidential election. U.S. District Judge Gerald A. McHugh Jr. said six states and the District of Columbia presented compelling evidence from the Postal Service itself that shows a pronounced increase in mail delays across the country since July. In a pandemic, states are even more reliant on the mail, especially when it comes to administering elections, McHugh wrote in granting a preliminary injunction. Lawyers for the Postal Service say new Postmaster General Louis DeJoy never ordered a slowdown or overtime ban. However, they conceded in court last week that local postal managers may have interpreted the guidance from Washington that way. Because of that lack of clarity, McHugh said, a national injunction that echoes the others that were issued was necessary. State officials had told McHugh that on-time delivery of first-class mail fell 10% from July to August, aggravating and even endangering customers who rely on mail delivery for food, medications and other essentials. The case before McHugh was filed by attorneys general in Pennsylvania, California, Delaware, Maine, Massachusetts, North Carolina and the District of Columbia. Federal judges in Washington state and New York issued similar orders this month. Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro hailed the decision in a statement. This is a major victory and confirms for every senior who has not received their timely shipment of prescription drugs and every voter who needs the reliable delivery of their mail-in ballots that Postmaster General DeJoy was making false promises, Shapiro said in a statement. The Postal Service cannot make random, negative changes that affect Pennsylvanians' daily lives, and the court is helping to ensure that everyone has full faith in the Postal Service at this critical time. More from PennLive Delivery of prescriptions delayed by as much as a week, Casey, Warren probe into postal service finds Tom Ridge says its time to vote country over party, endorses Joe Biden (Alliance News) - Irish Taoiseach Micheal Martin has said he is "not optimistic" that Britain will strike a post-Brexit trade deal with the EU. Martin said there was still the "potential for a deal", but warned that the UK government's controversial legislation which enables the UK to break international law had "eroded trust". He told the i newspaper in an interview to be broadcast at the Liberal Democrat conference on Monday that the UK Internal Market Bill "damaged the credibility" of agreements already entered into. Asked if he believes a free trade agreement is likely, he said: "I'm not that optimistic, if I'm honest. Just to let you know that the [Irish] government is preparing its budget in three weeks' time on the basis that there will be a no-deal Brexit. That's the basis on which we're preparing the budget and we're warning and alerting businesses to that terrible reality." "I think progress has been slow in the talks so far, I think there is still potential for a deal, I believe a deal is the sane and sensible thing to do, and I think all of us as politicians have an obligation to those we represent a and in terms of Brexit that means the least damage possible to workers, to employers and to business and economy," he added. The ninth round of trade deal negotiations between the UK and EU will begin on Tuesday in Brussels, but the time left to reach a deal is dwindling. There are fewer than 100 days until the transition period, in which the UK remains in the single market and continues to follow EU law, ends on December 31. By Harriet Line, PA Deputy Political Editor source: PA Copyright 2020 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved. Wellington: Travel between New Zealand and some states of Australia is possible before the end of the year, New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said on Monday. Plans for a travel "bubble" between Australia and New Zealand has been in discussions for months as both nations slowed the spread of the coronavirus, but they were disrupted after a resurgence of COVID-19 in Melbourne, Australia, followed by a second wave of infections in Auckland. New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. Credit:Getty Images With the virus largely contained in New Zealand, and as cases continue to decline in Australian regions, talks of a travel bubble with some states have been revived. When asked by state broadcaster TVNZ whether New Zealanders would be able to travel to at least some Australian regions before Christmas, Ardern said: "It is possible." Billy Calzada /San Antonio Express-News San Antonio police are searching for a man in connection with a stabbing on the River Walk early Sunday morning. Police said an 18-year-old woman was walking along the river with a man around 12:30 a.m., when another man approached them from behind and cut the woman on her left shoulder. The attack was unprovoked and the two didn't know the man who injured the woman, police said. What just happened? TikTok has been granted a temporary reprieve against a ban that would have seen it removed from US Android and iOS stores. The app filed for a preliminary injunction last week, following a similar successful move by WeChat. Judge Carl Nichols of United States District Court for the District of Columbia temporarily blocked the TikTok ban shortly before it was due to come into effect on September 27. While this would have removed TikTok from Google's and Apple's stores, the app would have continued to work on devices where it was previously downloaded. The company argued that such a move would be a violation of the First and Fifth Amendments. "We're pleased that the court agreed with our legal arguments and issued an injunction preventing the implementation of the TikTok app ban," it said in a statement. Judge Nichols declined to stop the broader set of restrictions coming into effect on November 12 that will stop American companies from doing business with TikTok, effectively killing the app in the US. Hours before Judge Nichols' decision, a group of TikTok influencers who have almost 7 million followers between them had their legal move to stop the ban rejected by a court in Pennsylvania. Doug Marland, Cosette Rinab, and Alec Chambers argued that access to the app was essential to their livelihoods. Earlier this month, WeChat's ban was temporarily blocked following a petition from a group of users, citing "serious questions" about whether it was a first amendment violation. TikTok says that the Trump administration has agreed in principle to its deal with Oracle and Walmart that would create a new, US-based company called TikTok Global, with the app hosted from US servers. But coming to an agreement that satisfies both Washington's security concerns and Beijing's demands isn't proving easy. ByteDance claims it will retain 80 percent ownership, while Oracle says ByteDance will have "no ownership" of the new company. ST. JOHNS, N.L. - Delays related to software problems and to the COVID-19 pandemic are pushing up the cost of the Muskrat Falls hydroelectric project by hundreds of millions of dollars. Province-owned Nalcor Energy said today in a news release the project needs another $75 million in capital due to pandemic-related days. Nalcor adds that because of those delays and of issues with software, the company has to pay roughly $300 million in additional debt-financing costs. The company says COVID-19-related costs to the project were around $150 million, half of which was covered with funds in the capital budget. Nalcor announced last week Muskrat Falls had reached a milestone after electricity began flowing for the first time from a power-generating unit. The company says it will take roughly one more year than anticipated for the project to achieve full power. This report by The Canadian Press was first published on Sept. 28, 2020. Yes they die, but honestly this is just nothing, a drop in the ocean because we have over 84,000 elephants in Zimbabwe, which is overpopulation already, he said. But this is a disease that we should work seriously to make sure that we unearth and identify properly so that corrective measures are taken, said Mangwanya. Lucknow: TV actor Anupam Shyam Ojha, who wooed the audience with his stellar performance in "Mann Kee Awaaz Pratigya" has expressed his gratitude to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for providing financial assistance for his medical treatment when he was facing a financial crunch. The actor, a resident of Pratapgarh, has been undergoing treatment for kidney ailment in Mumbai and the Chief Minister had provided him an assistance of Rs 20 lakh, to bear the cost of treatment. In an emotional letter, the actor said that he would like to meet Adityanath and personally thank him when he recovers. The actor also congratulated the Chief Minister for announcing the construction of a Film City in the state. Texas pastor, wife killed in head-on collision; couples 3 children survive Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment A church in Texas is mourning the death of their pastor and his wife after a head-on crash in southeastern New Mexico. Their three children, who were injured in the accident, are beginning life without their mom and dad. Kenny Comstock, executive pastor of Crossroads Church in Odessa, his wife Melissa and their three children 6-year-old Natalie, 4-year-old Camden and 1-year-old Carver were in a multi-vehicle accident in the state of New Mexico, the church wrote on its Facebook page, confirming the death of the pastor and his wife. There is no easy way to deliver news like this... I am broken-hearted to inform you that Kenny and Melissa did not survive the accident. Their children Natalie and Carver, both survived with some scrapes and bruises. Camden, sustained head injuries, underwent surgery, and is expected to make a full recovery, wrote Lead Pastor Jeremiah Ramer. In moments like this we turn to the Word of God and 2 Corinthians 1:3-4, The Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles. Please pray for God's comfort for Kenny and Melissa's families as they mourn the loss of their son and daughter, brother, and sister. Continue to pray for their children, who are beginning life without their mom and dad We will walk this difficult road together in the Lord. More than 800 people commented on the churchs announcement on Facebook, offering prayers and paying tribute to the late pastor. The couple was on their way to Ruidoso Thursday evening. The New Mexico State Police said a 47-year-old Albuquerque man was traveling east on U.S. 380 when he crossed the center line and struck the Comstocks Ford pickup head-on, according to San Angelo LIVE. Pastor Comstock was pronounced dead at the scene, while his wife succumbed to her injuries at an area hospital. Police said alcohol may not have been the reason for the crash and that seat belts were properly used by the Comstock family, according to Albuquerque Journal. On Sunday, former lead pastor Griff Jones said he had gone to the wreckage site with Comstock's relatives. Jones had met with the late pastor just that morning for coffee. "It is a miracle that those three babies were not harmed much worse," Jones said. "People ask wheres the loving God in this situation? Same place He was when He saw His son killed (on the cross)." While it will take a long time for the church family to heal from the tragedy, Jones assured, "You need to know that God is love. He is a refuge and He cares very deeply." I was a young lawyer struggling to make it' in the world. Our first child was about 6 months old and my wife was determined our baby should be baptised. Hatched, matched & dispatched We were married (matched) 3 years before. At our funerals well be dispatched. Weve both been baptised (hatched). Now it was our babys turn. As I recall 44 years later, Jans then belief (unbiblical and no longer held) was the apparent Catholic teaching that if an infant was not baptised within 6 weeks of birth and died, it would not go straight to heaven. She wanted our daughter protected against that possibility. I agreed to what I nevertheless thought was religious mumbo jumbo. It wasnt for me. I preferred the logic and excitement, the cut-and-thrust of the courtroom. I wanted the real deal, the drama and argument where logic, the force of a well-reasoned argument and the careful choice and use of words would eventually bring thrilling victory for the client. Why does Christianity appeal to lawyers? Not all lawyers of course but from later extensive reading I noticed that over the centuries many famous judges and practising lawyers had been attracted to it. I learned that to be an effective advocate one must anticipate and consider the opponents likely argument(s), to know both sides. I eventually concluded that the grounds supporting Christianity are mature and an intelligent fit with the staggering complexity of reality (including planetary), are ideology-free and are more reasonably persuasive than is the groping stop:start unscientific wishful-thinking of evolution about which it is admitted there is no evidence. Only bias, assumption, inference and misinterpretation. One of the fundamental rules of natural justice is the requirement to hear the other side. Failure to observe this is often found in general life but fortunately is elemental in our legal system. Imagine this scenario. Your day in court Youve made an appointment and attended your solicitors office after that fateful car accident. Youre nervous. This is going to cost you. Your butcher says lawyers have sharp pencils when it comes to drafting their bill. You and your solicitor go over the facts numerous times. The big day arrives. Your wife has engaged baby sitters and youre off to court. You wait. Nerves intensify. You wait and wait. At last your matter is called. The prosecutor calls the crowns witnesses. The judge listens and takes notes. Theyve finished and its your turn. But the judge rules in favour of the prosecution, finds you guilty, enters a conviction and fines you thousands of dollars. You now have a record. But what about my side? This one-sided scenario might happen in China, parts of Africa or the Middle East where the rule of law (well-defined publicly proclaimed laws and a respected independent judiciary) may not apply, but that rule of natural justice does apply everywhere in Australia. Litigants, including governments, obey (and may appeal) court rulings. Contrary to popular belief the brilliance of cross-examination, being vital to the search for truth, was not invented by British lawyers. God proclaimed it in about the 10th century B.C. The first to present his case seems right till another comes forward and questions him. (Proverbs chapter 18 verse 17). It records truth I had read many eyewitness accounts of real-life happenings. As I read the New Testament gospel records and the Old Testament history it became clear I was reading truth. Recorded there warts and all is the whole spectrum of human emotions and behaviour that we become more aware of with age. Does not long life bring understanding? (Job chapter 12 verse 12). God did not sugarcoat any distasteful aspect of human nature. It was the good, the bad and the ugly. Because human nature hasnt changed one jot the Bible is as relevant today as the day it was written. The lifelong effect on me of my wife wanting our baby baptised? I became convinced beyond reasonable doubt about the truth of what I now eagerly read. Beyond reasonable doubt is the standard of proof borne by the prosecution in a criminal trial such that after all the evidence is in any doubt still entertained is unreasonable. Two key verses: The message they heard was of no value to them because they did not combine it with faith, (Hebrews chapter 4 verse 2) and: How shall we escape if we ignore such a great salvation? (Hebrews chapter 2 verse 3). Escape what? (1) the corruption of the world caused by evil desires. (2 Peter chapter 1 verse 4). Satans unwitting prey: despise Gods authority. (2 Peter 2:10), (2) the trap of the devil. (2 Timothy chapter 2 verse 26). God desires that all who oppose or, through indifference and complacency simply wont intellectually engage with us, will finally acknowledge the truth of Satans trap, his unsuspecting victims not even realising it exists until its too late, and (3) Gods condemnation. Jesus challenged His opponents: How will you escape being condemned to hell? (Matthew chapter 23 verse 33). At one time I too ignored Him. Because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of Gods wrath (Romans chapter 2 verse 5), you being His: enemy in your mind (Colossians chapter 1 verse 21). To our lovely (atheistic) friends God does not exist. No need to consider His reality or standards, enquire about, seek, respect, honour or fear. Just a blank look. Spiritually dead, a corpse. How to escape? Through His promises everyone can escape by: knowing Jesus. (2 Peter chapter 2 verse 20). Dont: turn away from Him who warns us from heaven. (Hebrews chapter 12 verse 25). Its time to awaken. Aims to raise awareness of the impact of hydrocephalus and COVID-19 especially in older adults. Brain surgery is the only treatment for the over 1 million people living with hydrocephalus in the United States. Brain surgery is the only treatment for the over 1 million people living with hydrocephalus in the United States. Bethesda, MD, Sept. 28, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- What if brain surgery was the only way to stay alive? For the over 1 million Americans living with hydrocephalus, the leading cause of brain surgery in children, it is. Thats why the U.S. House of Representatives has recognized September as Hydrocephalus Awareness Month. Hydrocephalus is a chronic neurological condition that has no cure and can only be treated with brain surgery. Many people with hydrocephalus suffer from other co-occurring conditions, particularly seniors who have Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus. This puts them at a higher risk for severe illness from COVID-19. Congressmen Chris Smith (R-NJ) and Lloyd Doggett (D-TX), who are co-chairs of the Congressional Pediatric and Adult Hydrocephalus Caucus, have long been champions for this cause, sponsoring and supporting Congressional resolutions for Hydrocephalus Awareness Month over the past few years. This month, Representatives Ron Kind (D-WI), Abigail Spanberger (D-VA) and Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) joined the Caucus. The Caucus has been instrumental in helping the hydrocephalus community advocate for substantive changes for patients, opening doors to new research opportunities that could result in alternative treatment options, forms of prevention, and a cure. Several states and cities have passed Hydrocephalus Awareness Month proclamations, including Pennsylvania, North Carolina, South Carolina, Indiana, Columbia, S.C., Colorado, North Carolina, Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, and Bergen County, N.J. Throughout September, people across the country are raising awareness by sharing facts about the condition on social media and by participating in the virtual WALK to End Hydrocephalus. Hydrocephalus is as common as Down syndrome, yet there isnt wide recognition of the disorder and government funding for hydrocephalus research pales in comparison to other neurological conditions like Parkinsons or MS, said Diana Gray, President and CEO of the Hydrocephalus Association. We applaud Congress and members of the Congressional Hydrocephalus Caucus for helping to increase public recognition of this condition, which affects people of all ages and from all walks of life. Story continues Each year, one in every 770 babies develops hydrocephalus, a complex, life-threatening condition marked by excess accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid on the brain. However, anyone at any time can develop hydrocephalus from a brain injury, tumor, or infection, and some people over 60 develop Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus, which is often, misdiagnosed as Alzheimers, dementia or Parkinsons. Some two-thirds of our current and former military service members suffering from moderate to severe traumatic brain injuries are at risk of developing hydrocephalus. The primary treatment for hydrocephalus is the insertion of a device called a shunt a small tube and a connected valve into the brain to drain the excess cerebrospinal fluid to another part of the body. Shunts save lives, but frequently malfunction, become infected, or blocked. It is not uncommon for a person with hydrocephalus to have ten or more shunt-related brain surgeries throughout their lifetime, and some individuals will undergo more than 100 surgical procedures. Each surgery brings with it the risk of unknown long-term cognitive and health effects, and hydrocephalus can be fatal. About the Hydrocephalus Association Founded in 1983 by the parents of children with hydrocephalus, the Hydrocephalus Association (HA) is the nations largest and most widely respected organization dedicated to hydrocephalus. HA began funding research in 2009 and has since granted over $11 million to research, making it the largest non-profit and non-governmental funder of hydrocephalus research in the United States. The Hydrocephalus Association's mission is to find a cure for hydrocephalus and improve the lives of those impacted by the condition. Attachment CONTACT: Natalia Martinez Hydrocephalus Association (240) 483-4875 natalia@hydroassoc.org Realme is teasing a new smartphone that will launch in India soon. This is going to be the third smartphone in the Realme 7 series, which makes us speculate that it might be the Realme 7i that debuted in Indonesia a few days back. However, a leak from an Indian source goes in the opposite direction. According to the leak, the teased smartphone will be called Realme 7 Pro SE instead. Tipster Mukul Sharma, who goes by @stufflistings on Twitter, has suggested the upcoming Realme smartphone will be the Realme 7 Pro SE. This is an out of the blue speculation but seems sensible. Realme has a good record of renaming phones for different markets, which means that the Realme 7i might be coming to India as Realme 7 Pro SE. Realme 7i was also spotted on the brand's support page, so it is a little dicey right now whether Realme 7 Pro SE is a brand new phone or just a rebadge. We also have the image to go by about what the Realme 7 Pro SE looks like. The device looks similar to the Realme 7i, at least as far as the back camera design goes. There will be a quad-camera setup on the Realme 7 Pro SE. It features the Aurora Green colour, much like how the Realme 7i does. Besides what Realme has officially teased, the arrival of Realme 7i seems certain, even if it does so in a different identity. For now, we have this limited information about the Realme 7 Pro SE while more details are awaited. The tipster also leaked one too many AIoT products from Realme that might see the light of day in India soon. They include Realme Buds Wireless Pro, the 55-inch 4K SLED smart TV, a Realme Soundbar, Realme Buds Air Pro, and Realme Watch S. Of all these products, the Realme 55-inch Android TV is already of a part of teasers the company is putting out. It will be interesting to see a load of devices from Realme launching in India soon and how they will tackle the dominance of Xiaomi in India. By Express News Service NEW DELHI: The flames of farmers protest reached the national capital on Monday as Youth Congress activists set a tractor on fire near India Gate. Six people, including the Punjab unit president of the Youth Congress, were arrested by the Delhi Police. According to the police, around 20 people carried a tractor on a truck to Rajpath-Man Singh Road crossing, unloaded it and set it on fire. According to police sources, the Punjab Youth Congress activists entered the Lutyens zone in the capital along with a Punjab Police gipsy. Fire officials were informed about the incident at 7.42 am and two fire tenders were rushed to the spot. The blaze was doused and tractor was removed soon, police added.Youth Congress media in-charge Rahul Rao said activists of its Punjab unit demonstrated at India Gate on the birth anniversary of revolutionary freedom fighter Bhagat Singh. ALSO READ | Dharmendra Pradhan slams Congress over setting tractor on fire in Delhi's India Gate On #BhagatSinghs birth anniversary Youth Congress set ablaze a tractor in protest against govts anti farmer bills, the Youth Congress tweeted.Deputy Commissioner of Police (New Delhi) Eish Singhal said a car used in the act has been taken into police custody. #WATCH: Punjab Youth Congress workers stage a protest against the farm laws near India Gate in Delhi. A tractor was also set ablaze. pic.twitter.com/iA5z6WLGXR ANI (@ANI) September 28, 2020 In this matter an FIR has been registered under public property law and 6 persons have been arrested so far. Police has also seized two vehicles in this matter, they said. ALSO READ | Congress will pay heavy price for taking anti-farmer stand, says Kiren Rijiju over India Gate incident An FIR has been registered case under various sections including non-bailable section of Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act at the Tilak Marg police station. Section 188 IPC, Disaster Management Act, Epidemic Diseases Act and various other sections of IPC have been invoked too, the police said. The incident comes amid protests by farmers and opposition across the country over the contentious farm legislations passed in Parliament last week. VIRGINIA When several of the Cass County Food Pantry board members asked Joanne Anderson two years ago what she was going to do with a seemingly endless semi-trailer load of food that had just been delivered, her answer was simple. You just watch me! Anderson said. The 82-year-old Anderson has been the director of the Virginia-based food pantry for 30 years, overseeing the collection of all sorts of food items and their once-monthly distribution to Cass County residents in need. A couple of years ago in October our shelves were empty, and theres nothing more disheartening than to come in and see nothing in here, Anderson said. Our board talked about it, and someone suggested trying to get a semi load of food. We talked to the people at Sav-A-Lot in Beardstown and the manager did some figuring. He said that we could get 45,000 pounds of food for $30,000. A plea was put out on the Cass County Food Pantry Facebook page, which raised more than the needed $30,000 by the deadline. More Information If you have a suggestion about someone who should be profiled, send their name and any contact information available to communitynews@myjournalcourier.com. See More Collapse There are still pallets on the food bank floor from that truckload delivery two years ago, but theyll be used to stack new food acquisitions because the need for food hasnt diminished during the ongoing COVID pandemic. We get food or cash donations that we use to buy food. People and businesses donate, JBS sometimes is good about donating meat, Anderson said. We always have our hand out, so anybody that wants to donate certainly can. The food pantry building at 210 S. Main St. in Virginia has both a walk-in freezer and a walk-in cooler, both of which were obtained through grants, which allows them to add perishable items to their monthly food distribution. Nobody knows what they are going to get when they come on the fourth Monday of every month for the distribution, Anderson said. Septembers distribution includes a tray with 12 cans of fruit and vegetables, plus a bigger box with things such as paper goods, cereal, juice, soup, canned and boxed meals, cake mix, salad dressing, condiments, pasta, tuna, meal extender mixes, dessert mixes, eggs, ground beef, pork loin, chicken leg quarters, hot dogs, and chips. It depends on how people cook, but when I figure what we are going to put in the box, I try to plan so they could make it last a month if they have to, Anderson said. Before COVID-19, food pantry patrons would come in the front door and form a line, sign in at the desk, pick up their pre-packed boxes from a large table and then go out the back door. Now, because of pandemic restrictions, patrons come to the back door, present their referral papers, then go back to their cars and wait until its their turn to come inside. Everybody has to come here and pick it up themselves. They have to live in Cass County and meet the income guidelines, Anderson said. We take their word for it. Theres always a few that kind of spoil it, but we just have to figure they will have to answer to God someday. Anderson didnt have volunteer food pantry management as a career goal when she was younger. She and her late husband farmed in rural Virginia and Anderson, just helped on the farm, I raised a family out in the country, everything that a farm wife would do. Anderson was introduced to the Virginia Food Pantry, sponsored by the Virginia Ministerial Alliance, when its rotation through local churches ended up at Grace Lutheran, where she was a member. Our pastor was very interested in it because he knew what it was like to have to go hungry when he was growing up, Anderson said. He said that nobody should have to do that. The Grace Lutheran member who was older than I am now wanted to retire from his food pantry duties and the pastor asked Anderson if she would take things over at the church. Anderson and the pastor helped to get the food pantry linked up with the Springfield food bank and government commodity items, and then expanded its mission to serve all of Cass County, which soon proved more than a single church could handle. The newly named Cass County Food Pantry rented part of an old hotel building on the Virginia square, but soon outgrew that location. Thats when Anderson approached local chiropractor Doc Holliday more than 10 years ago about a building he owned on South Main Street. Holliday wanted to donate the building to the cause, something the food pantry couldnt do because of its not for profit status, so Holliday sold it to the pantry for a pittance, Anderson said. Anderson said she always feels good when food or cash donations come in, but her best feelings come on distribution days when shes able to keep dozens of families from going hungry. Many stories stick in her mind from Andersons 30 years of food pantry work, but the one she remembers in particular involved an elderly Cass County couple. When they got home to Beardstown the husband called me and said honey, Ive got to bring that box back. And when I asked why, he said we make $20 more than the guidelines say we can make. And I said no, youre going to keep that box, Anderson said. Its people like that who really make it worthwhile. There are a lot of honest people out there who are just having a tough time. The Cass County Food Pantry takes donations of any non-expired food items or the cash to buy those items. The pantry receives funding from the United Way in Beardstown and the Prairieland United Way in Jacksonville. Anderson is a volunteer, as is her 11-member board of directors and the more than 50 people who show up monthly to help pack food boxes. It makes me feel very good, Anderson said. I figure I was put here for a reason and thats what God wants me to do. The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, has told President Akufo-Addo that, going into the 7th December presidential and parliamentary elections, his record in office will speak for him. Otumfuo Osei Tutu II made this known on Monday, 28th September 2020, when President Akufo-Addo paid a courtesy call on him at the Manhyia Palace, at the commencement of a 3-day working visit of the Ashanti Region. Addressing a durbar held in honour of the President, the Asantehene thanked the President for his continuous visit to Manhyia, both as an opposition leader before the 2016 elections and as President of the Republic. To this end, he stated that Your good works in office will speak for you going forward into the election. We, in Asanteman, remember, we do not forget. Asanteman will, therefore, remember your good works on election day. All I can offer you is prayers and blessings. Even though Chiefs and traditional rulers are not to engage in partisan politics vote, the Asante noted that we vote. We will vote based on the good works of the candidate. Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, thus, urged President Akufo-Addo to direct his communicators and information dissemination machinery to tell Ghanaians exactly what his Government has done and what is being done in their respective communities, in the run-up to the December elections. 1,824 projects in Asanteman On his part, President Akufo-Addo thanked the Asantehene and Asanteman for the warm accorded him and his delegation on their arrival at Manhyia. He explained that the purpose of his visit is officially to introduce himself, once again, to Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, as the New Patriotic Party's presidential candidate ahead of the December elections, and to seek his blessings for the contest. The President also used the opportunity to introduce all of the party's forty-seven (47) parliamentary candidates from the Ashanti Region, and appealed for the support of the Asantehene and Asanteman so the party can annex the three remaining constituencies, Asawase, Ejura Sekyedumase, and Sekyere Afram Plains, which eluded the party in the December 2016 polls. Touching on his record in office, President Akufo-Addo told the Asantehene that development, under his tenure of office, has been distributed equitably to all parts of the country. In the Ashanti Region, for example, the President indicated that a total of 1,824 projects are being undertaken, out of which 774 have been completed and 1,050 are still ongoing. He told the Asantehene that there are 604 projects in the education sector, 92 in health, 151 road projects, 606 in the water and sanitation sector, 1 in aviation and 1 in the ports sector. The Boankra inland Port Project, which has been on the drawing board for several decades, according to President Akufo-Addo, is set to receive parliamentary approval in November, with the $330 million funding needed for its construction already secured by Government. This move is contrary to Illinois commitment to creating jobs, protecting consumers and expanding clean energy. Today a coalition of solar and environmental groups filed an emergency motion with the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) to prevent utility company Ameren from devastating rooftop solar in southern and central Illinois. Last week Ameren told the Commission it intends to eliminate fair compensation for the solar energy homeowners and families produce. Ameren would slash the credits solar customers receive for excess clean energy, a foundational policy known as net metering, as soon as October 1. The abrupt move would cost the average residential solar customer hundreds of dollars per year, wiping out savings on energy bills and putting solar projects out of reach for many consumers, the coalition said in its motion. Ending the policy early impacts every new solar customer in Ameren territory as well as hundreds that have already committed to install solar but now wont receive the full savings they signed up for. Amerens move would disrupt the solar group purchasing programs currently being sponsored by municipalities and advocacy groups in Champaign-Urbana, Carbondale and several Metro East counties that were expected to drive numerous residents to purchase new solar systems during the month of October. By suddenly reducing the value of rooftop solar, Ameren is also threatening jobs at Illinois independent solar businesses, which have already seen 3,500 jobs disappear this year alone due to a lack of funding in the states clean energy program and the impacts of COVID19. This move is contrary to Illinois commitment to creating jobs, protecting consumers and expanding clean energy, said Nakhia Morrissette, central region director and counsel for Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA). Were calling on the ICC to fix it urgently before we lose more solar jobs. Our employees and customers will be directly hurt if Ameren is allowed to pull the rug out from under our market, said Shannon Fulton, VP of Development for StraightUp Solar in Bloomington, IL. I hope the Commission understands that this is a threat to jobs and consumers pocketbooks in the middle of an economic crisis. We need them to take immediate action. The emergency filing was submitted to the ICC by the Solar Energy Industries Association, Illinois Solar Energy Association, Coalition for Community Solar Access, Environmental Law & Policy Center, Natural Resources Defense Council, and Vote Solar. Were calling on the Commission to act quickly and decisively to protect the states cornerstone net metering policy while it continues to develop new policies to fairly compensate rooftop solar for the value it provides to the grid, said Brad Klein, senior attorney at the Environmental Law & Policy Center, who helped prepare the legal filing. Right now, Illinois families in Ameren territory are unable to make a confident calculation of the value of investing in rooftop solar, stalling the industry and stymying consumer choice, said John Delurey, Midwest director at Vote Solar. The consequences are especially dire for low-income families, who would no longer have access to the solar cost savings from the Illinois Solar for All program. Welcome to your week's recap, let's get started. The Google Pixel 5 was fully detailed. It will be unveiled on September 30 with a Snapdragon 765G and 8GB of RAM, a 6-inch 1080p OLED with 90Hz refresh rate, 128GB of storage and two cameras on the rear - a regular and an ultrawide (no telephoto this time). It's rumored to cost 629. Samsung unveiled and released the Galaxy S20 FE with a starting price of just 633/$700. It has a 6.5-inch 120Hz Super AMOLED display, a Snapdragon 865 and a 4,500mAh battery with 25W wired and 15W wireless charging. The triple camera has 12MP regular, 8MP 3x telephoto and 12MP ultrawide units, making up for a very tempting feature set. Next up is the OnePLus 8T, which got its own set of teasers and leaks. It will have a 6.55-inch 120Hz OLED screen, Snapdragon 865+ chipset and a 48MP+16MP+5MP+2MP (regular, ultrawide, macro, depth) camera array. A 4,500mAh battery with 65W charging sound great, but the starting price of 799 is an increase over the 7T. Poco announced its X3 in India, while Realme unveiled three phones for the local market - Narzo 20, Narzo 20A and the Narzo 20 Pro. We also learned that Xiaomi will unveil the Mi 10T, Mi 10T Pro and Mi 10T Lite on September 30. The Mi 10T Lite will come with the just-announced Snapdragon 750G chipset, while the Mi 10T Pro will come with a 144Hz IPS LCD and 108MP camera. Those were the highlights of last week, you can find the list of our most read stories below. And stick with us for the next week! Google Pixel 5 full specs leak The not-quite-flagship smartphone will be made official on September 30. Smallest upcoming phone from Apple to be called iPhone 12 aminia Apple will be releasing four iPhone 12 models and we might have an idea to what each one will be called. OnePlus 8T price leaks, you won't like it Is it really surprising that it's going to be more expensive than its predecessor? Nokia 2.4 and 3.4 debut as Nokia 8.3 5G goes global The 2.4 and 3.4 are bringing more processing power than their predecessors keeping the budget small. The 8.3 was announced in March. Snapdragon 750G unveiled with mmWave 5G support, AI noise suppression The AI can mute the sound of jackhammers and sirens so you can call from noisy environments and no one will know it. Samsung Galaxy S21 spotted at Geekbench - it's not using the Exynos 1000 Unconfirmed reports claimed that the Exynos 1000 will be faster than the Snapdragon 875, however the S21+ uses a different Exynos chip. Huawei Nova 8 series appears in TENAA listings The Nova series is expected to launch sometime in the coming months. Results from Trinity Health Of New Englands clinical trial involving the use of donor convalescent blood plasma to treat those with advanced cases of coronavirus disease 2019 suggests the treatment is safe, with potential for positive clinical outcomes for those infected. Our results suggest that convalescent plasma is safe and has the potential for positive impact on clinical outcomes including recovery and survival if given to patients early in the course of COVID-19, said Dr. Latha Dulipsingh, one of the trials investigators, in a statement. Dulipsingh is director of the Center for Diabetes and Endocrinology Center within the regional system as well as chair of its review board. The Hartford-based system, part of multi-state Trinity Health, received approval in April from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to launch its own clinical trial studying the safety and efficacy of administering blood plasma from patients who have recovered from COVID-19 to patients considered severely or critically with it. Participating hospitals included Massachusetts-based Mercy Medical Center in Springfield as well as Connecticut-based St. Francis Hospital and Medical Center in Hartford, St. Marys in Waterbury and Johnson Memorial in Stafford Springs, all part of the regional system whose parent organization is in Michigan. Dulipsingh and Dr. Danyal Ibrahim, who serves as the regional systems chief quality officer, designed the trial, served as its investigators and published the results in an article currently featured on the Infectious Diseases and Therapy Journal website. Ibrahim noted in a statement that publication of the trial results allows "us to share our experience with convalescent plasma at a time when the conversation about safety and efficacy of this therapy remains alive and well in the U.S. and worldwide. There is currently no approved treatment for the respiratory disease, which has spread globally and killed nearly 1 million people since the virus, SARS-CoV-2, that causes it was first detected late last year in China which has begun immunizing its population with a novel vaccine. Trinitys study involved 38 patients who were referred by their health care provider and who were either severely ill with COVID-19, that is, experiencing some difficulty breathing and showing lower levels of oxygen in their blood, or critically ill, with symptoms like respiratory failure. Their mean age was 63, and 53% were male; 34%, black; 34%, Hispanic, and 32%, white. According to the report, patients who received convalescent plasma early in the progression of their disease, that is, at the severe stage, had significantly lower hospital mortality - 13% versus 55% - and shorter hospital stays - 15.4 versus 33 days - compared to patients treated at the critical stage in the presence of acute respiratory distress syndrome. Other factors said to be significantly associated with good clinical outcomes in the trial included shorter durations between symptoms onset and convalescent plasma administration and hospital admission and administration of convalescent plasma. Results from Trinitys study are said similar to other such trials, but, according to the published report, the strategy differed in that patients were given two units of convalescent plasma with high amounts of antibodies to attack the virus. The combination of using two units of convalescent plasma and high anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody titer, the report says, could have accounted for their relatively large therapeutic effect relative to other studies." It notes, Our patients received convalescent plasma with at least 1:320 titer of total anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody, with majority of them receiving two consecutive units of 200 milliters. Of the 38 patients that received convalescent plasma, only one patient experienced a transient transfusion reaction, according to the report. Study results led the investigators to speculate that convalescent plasma given earlier in the disease course, and with adequate anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies arrested the progression to irreversible complications like acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) or organ failure. It reported that only four patients (25%) in the severe illness group developed ARDS, with three of them needing invasive ventilation support following convalescent plasma therapy. Two of the three recovered and were discharged. According to the report, 61% of those in the trial were from Connecticut, with 37 percent from Hartford County, and 21%, New Haven County. Forty percent were said to be from Hampden County in Massachusetts. More than 68% had been diagnosed with hypertension and nearly half with diabetes mellitus; overall, 31.5% had three or more co-occurring chronic diseases. Related: Why do you live in Montanan? This simple question might generate a surprising number of answers. However, I doubt we would hear much about low taxes or balmy winter weather, because we dont have them. Instead, an appreciation of the states wildlife, wild places, and outdoor recreational opportunities would likely head the list. All of us who fall into that demographic need to realize the importance of this Novembers election. Due to the unique political climate of the times, the presidential contest will likely receive most of the attention. However, a number of races unique to Montana will likely have more immediate impact on our lives, none more so than the race for the governorship, in which differences in the candidates views on issues crucial to our outdoor heritage could not be clearer. No one can control the location of their birthplace, and everyone not lucky enough to be born in Montana has a right to locate here, including East Coast billionaire Greg Gianforte. Most such new arrivals soon learn some appreciation for local values, a process with which Gianforte seems to have exceptional difficulty. He got off to a terrible start in 2009 by filing a lawsuit against the Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks, seeking to invalidate a previously negotiated public easement allowing access to the East Gallatin River across his land. He followed through by selecting as his running mate Kristen Juras, an attorney who has written extensively about landowners right to exclude access to public lands and waters. In the interval, Gianfortes position on these issues has grown muddled by green-washing, a dishonest process by which politicians with a long history of opposition to public access and similar issues suddenly become their champions. This tactic is especially likely in states like ours, where hunters and anglers form such a large voting bloc. Gianforte now touts his vote in favor of full funding of the Land and Water Conservation Actonce it was clear that this bill was going to pass and after he voted against it once and refused to co-sponsor it at the request of his constituents. Coupled with his support for virulent public land opponent William Pendley (recently removed from office after becoming a political liability) as Bureau of Land Management head and his statements supporting privatization of Montana public land, its not hard to tell where his heart really lies. His opponent, Mike Cooney, offers a stark contrast. During four decades of experience in state government, he has consistently supported programs of vital importance to Montana sportsmen and women, such as Habitat Montana, the Block Management program, the Public Lands Access Act, the Montana Stream Access law, and the Department of Natural Resources and Conservation. Cooney did not support these policies overnight with an eye to an upcoming election. He has championed these positions from the time he was first elected to the Montana legislature throughout his term as Lieutenant Governor. No matter whether they hunt, fish, or enjoy the outdoors by other means, Montanans who value these freedoms are facing a period of exceptional challenge. So, ask yourself another simple question. Would you be comfortable with Greg Gianforte supervising the State Land Board or determining the fate of our stream access law? Neither would I. Thats why Im voting for Mike Cooney and encouraging friends to do the same. Don Thomas of Lewistown writes about the outdoors for numerous national publications. You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 5 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 1 Angry 0 Just ahead of a nationwide stir against the Imran Khan government, Pakistan opposition leader Shahbaz Sharif was arrested in Lahore on Monday by the countrys anti-corruption watchdog in a money laundering case after the Lahore High Court rejected his bail plea. The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) president was arrested by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) from the court premises after a two-judge bench rejected his interim bail plea. The bench was hearing Shahbazs bail petition in a case on assets beyond income and money laundering. A two-member bench heard detailed arguments on Sharifs bail plea. The NAB prosecutor had challenged the plea and told the court that Sharifs arrest was required because he is to be interrogated. NAB prosecutor Faisal Bukhari told the court that the womenfolk in Shehbazs family were issued a questionnaire but no one replied to them. He further claimed that no reason was provided for the purchasing of flats in London, an issue at the heart of the case. The opposition leaders counsel Azam Nazir Tarar, argued against arresting his client. Tarar asked why NAB wanted to arrest Shahbaz under the charges despite the bureau completing its investigation and filing a reference in the case. PML-N vice president Maryam Nawaz tweeted that the PML-N president was arrested only because he refused to play in the hands of those who wanted to use him against his elder brother, Nawaz Sharif, her father and ousted former prime minister who is undergoing treatment in London. The development comes just ahead of the planned protests next month by PML-N to demand the resignation of Prime Minister Imran Khan. The government last week filed the money laundering case against 69-year-old Shahbaz, who served as chief minister of Punjab province from 2008 to 2018, and his family. Adviser to the Prime Minister on Interior and Accountability Shahzad Akbar last week alleged that Shahbaz and his sons - Hamza and Salman - were involved in money laundering through fake accounts. Akbar said the financial monitoring unit had detected 177 suspicious transactions of Shahbaz family after which NAB started a probe. He alleged that crores of rupees were laundered through employees of the companies owned by Shahbaz and his children. Akbar accused Shahbaz and Hamza of taking kickbacks and commissions in return for party tickets and projects to favourites. Before his arrest, Shahbaz told the media that Prime Minister Khan wanted to have him arrested. It is the unholy alliance of Imran Khan and NAB that wanted to put me behind bars, Shahbaz said. Pakistan Peoples Party Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari condemned Shahbazs arrest, saying that Prime Minister Khan was worried after the opposition parties launched an alliance, Pakistan Democratic Movement, to oust his government. The Opposition was anticipating strong reaction from the government following Nawaz Sharifs attack on the military in the multi-party conference over a week ago. Sharif, while addressing the conference via video link from London, had talked about the Armys involvement in politics, saying in the country there is a state above the state. The Opposition is anticipating more arrests. The NAB has already issued a call up notice to JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman who is also leading the joint oppositions campaign against the government in income beyond means case. (With inputs from Agencies) MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexican authorities have issued dozens of arrest warrants for police and soldiers whom they believe may have participated in the 2014 disappearance of 43 Mexican college students, head of the investigation said on Saturday. Omar Gomez, head of the special prosecutor's office for the case, told a new conference in Mexico City the warrants had been issued for the "material and intellectual authors" of the crime, including military members, and federal and municipal police. The announcement came during a news conference at the National Palace in Mexico City on the sixth anniversary of the students' kidnapping. During the event, Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador and Mexico's Undersecretary of Human Rights Alejandro Encinas held fabrics embroidered by relatives of the victims, many of whom attended the ceremony holding large pictures of the disappeared students. Saturday marks the first time in the case Mexican authorities have announced arrest warrants for military personnel. Reuters reported earlier in the week that arrest warrants were imminent. The Mexican military did not respond to initial requests for comment. The students from the Ayotzinapa Rural Teachers' College disappeared on September 26, 2014, in the state of Guerrero. The remains of only two of the students have been positively identified so far. The unsolved kidnapping of the young men who were training to be teachers convulsed the country, sparking massive protests in 2014 and garnering international condemnation as one of the darkest examples of the governments longstanding difficulty preventing violence or convicting those responsible. In June, authorities announced the apprehension of the leader of a Guerrero gang accused of involvement in the disappearance, and arrest warrants for Guerrero officials in connection with the case. Family members of the victims have long accused Mexican authorities, including the military, of complicity in the students' disappearance. "The military participated," Maria Martinez Zeferino, the mother of one of the disappeared students, said during Saturday's news conference. (Reporting by Liz Diaz and Adriana Barrera, writing by Laura Gottesdiener; editing by Diane Craft) Shaul Zislin, the coastal businessman known for conceiving of the Hangout Music Fest, said Monday that hes confident his enterprises will rebound from damage done by Hurricane Sally. But it wont be overnight. As of Monday, Zislins Surf Style clothing and souvenir stores along the Alabama coast are closed. So are the five restaurants comprising the Hangout Hospitality Group: The Hangout itself, the epicenter of the decade-old fest, plus the Sunliner Diner and Picnic Beach in Gulf Shores and The Gulf in Orange Beach and Fort Walton Beach, Fla. Of those, only The Gulf in Fort Walton Beach had announced an imminent reopening date (Sept. 30). We think that its not going to be a matter of days, weve got weeks ahead of us, Zislin said Monday. The net result to us as a hospitality group on the beach is that all our locations are affected. Zislin said The Hangout had lost major portions of its roof, along with rooftop equipment, resulting in water intrusion. The Hangout is pretty robust, he said of the buildings structure. Its kind of built for this. Even so there was extensive damage to things such as sound and lighting equipment and merchandise, he said. We lost all our offices, he said of the hospitality group. 100% of our administrative offices are gone. Like many others, Zislin says it could have been worse. First and foremost, he said, hes glad no employees were hurt. The evolution of the storm, with its surge in strength and its last-minute turn to the east, took a lot of people by surprise. What an incredible blessing it has been to serve our community the last several days! Our team served almost 2,000... Posted by The Hangout on Saturday, September 19, 2020 In the immediate aftermath, The Hangout offered free meals, water and charging stations to the community for several days. Zislin said hes been encouraged by the way people pulled together and supported each other. This is a very resilient community, he said. Since then, he said, the Hangout Hospitality has been trying to support its employees as they navigate insurance and other aspects of storm recovery. And hes been being deliberate about assessing the needs of his businesses. In a situation like this, the last think you want to do is rush into, how soon can we open? he said. Hasty repairs could end up masking deeper problems. I truly believe every one of our businesses will come out stronger, Zislin said. We are looking forward to being able to employ a lot of people sooner rather than later. The good news, for fans of the Hangout Fest, is that the beach itself looks good from Zislins viewpoint. He said he couldnt speak for the city of Gulf Shores, which would make determinations about public infrastructure damage and whether beach replenishment was needed. But he praised the city both for its cleanup work since the storm, and for long-term work since Hurricane Ivan to promote dune development and other efforts to protect the beach. I think it worked like charm, he said. The festival, produced by New Orleans-based Winter Circle Productions, the regional office of AEG Presents, was not held because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Organizers announced in April that it was being postponed until its 2021 date, May 21-23. The Rajasthan Police on Monday confirmed that two persons have died and another two were injured in police firing used to control violence that rocked Dungarpur in the last four days. "Two people died and two sustained critical injuries in the violence which erupted on the Udaipur-Ahmedabad national highway in the last four days. Additional police forces and rapid action force has been deputed in Dungarpur since Sunday night," said Director General Police (DGP) Bhupendra Singh here. Police had to open fire to control the situation on Saturday and to protect public property and lives of people in which two died and two were injured. The injured are out of danger, he said. He said a total of 24 cases have been registered and action is being taken against the accused. Two companies of Rapid Action Force (RAF) and six companies of Rajasthan Armed Constabulary (RAC) have been deputed. Officials are keeping an eye on all major developments and efforts are on to retain peace in the area. Last week, thousands of applicants who appeared for teachers' examination took to streets, pelted stones and torched vehicles on the NH8. They demanded the filling up of over 1,000 vacant posts reserved for the general category be filled by ST candidates. The highway was blocked for about 10 kilometres since Thursday evening. Many police vehicles were torched and several policemen were injured in the violence. US Campuses in China Face Restricted Freedom, GAO Says The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) wields significant influence over academic and personal freedoms at branches of American universities in China, according to a recent report by the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO). Researchers at the GAO looked at the 12 American universities in China that were authorized to grant degrees at the time the study was done in 2015 and 2016, and found that the majority of those U.S. educational institutions operate in an environment thats restrictive of academic freedom and freedom of expression. Joe Carney, assistant director of GAO, told a virtual audience at the East-West Center on Sept. 8, One area of particular interest under-girded our work: How can U.S. universities operate in China, when they cant provide the freedoms of the U.S. academic environment? Experiences of Students, Faculty, and Administrators The U.S. researchers spoke to around 200 people, including students, faculty, and administrators. There was variance among all the institutions in the degree of freedoms that were recognized in each college. Some had books in their libraries that covered subjects that the Chinese government strictly censors, including the CCP-led massacre of students and civilians in and around Tiananmen Square in 1989, and critical discussions of Taiwan and its relationship to the mainland. However, only five of the universities had uncensored internet access, and could pull up Facebook, the GAO found. The other seven, or 58 percent, had internet restrictions of one form or another. GAO also found people who said they were advised by an administrator or teacher to not talk about certain subjects, or politics. In fact, GAO stated, there was enough of that which we heard that we could say there was some sort of challenge for students and teachers to express themselves freely. An even more insidious finding was the finding that administrators, faculty, and students in more than half of the universities GAO reported examples of self-censorship. For example, an administrator at one university noted that he believed it was advisable, as a guest of China, to refrain from insulting China. Some of the Chinese students who were interviewed by the GAO spoke of their concerns over the degree to which they could freely express themselves in class. Chinese students, GAO reported, may believe some other Chinese students in the classroom are monitors who will report back to the government and the CCP what their fellow students are saying. The degree to which academic freedom is expressed and protected may have something to do with the legal structures that define their rights. Three of the 12 American universities had large, sprawling campuses built for them by the CCP, according to researchers. Those campuses had the kind of student life that you might expect at an American university, including student clubs and events. Those three universities are also the only ones that have independent legal status in China, giving them, for example, the right to own property. The other nine, however, were adjacent to or nested inside of existing Chinese universities. Those are the American university branches in China that had some characteristics such as restricted internet access, not allowing student groups, or keeping in one case a low profile in the community and restricting visitor access. Agreements Nine of the 12 universities gave GAO copies of their agreements with the Chinese partner who facilitated their entry into China. GAO also reviewed policy documents and faculty and student handbooks from several of the universities. GAO found that most [documents] had some sort of protection for academic freedom. In some cases, the language included terms such as unlimited freedoms of expression, and guarantee the right to pursue academic areas of interest. Some, however, have no such language, and some had language that would indicate an acknowledgment of a restriction. Others tread lightly around certain subjects, government researchers found. American universities paired with university partners in China and reviewed by the GAO include Carnegie Mellon University, Duke University, University of Michigan, Johns Hopkins University, Rutgers University, University of Pittsburgh, New York University, Missouri State University, Kean University, New York Institute of Technology, Fort Hays State University, and Northwood University. Those 12 universities dont include the more than 200 American institutions of higher learning that have non-degree-granting programs in China in conjunction with Chinese universities. Such programs include semester-abroad and other short-term study collaborations. After years of wondering when it might be Portlands turn to host a Top Chef season, the time has finally come. Season 18 of the Emmy-winning Bravo series will be based in Portland, bringing attention to the celebrated local food scene at a time when the restaurant industry is struggling to deal with unprecedented challenges brought on by the coronavirus pandemic. Were happy to be here, says Tom Colicchio, head judge on the culinary competition series. Portland, Colicchio says, is a great food city, and the products here are great, theres great wine in the valley, amazing fish on the coast, and great cheese produced here. If youre a fan of farm-to-table cooking, its all here. In addition to Portland, Season 18 of Top Chef is scheduled to visit the Hood River Fruit Loop, the Columbia River Gorge, the area known as the Mt. Hood Territory, Tillamook Bay, the Tualatin Valley and Willamette Valley wine country. Doneen Arquines, Top Chef showrunner and an executive producer, says that plans for the show to do a season based in Portland have been percolating for a few years. The Top Chef formula, in which professional cooks and chefs from around the country compete in a series of challenges, has seemed a natural fit for Portlands food-centric, restaurant-friendly culture. I think Portlanders wanted us to come here for a while, and weve been wanting to come here for a while, but the timing never worked out, Arquines says. It was something we had been striving for. When the timing did work out, it coincided with a pandemic that has hit restaurants hard, limiting indoor dining and forcing many restaurants to shift to takeout business as a means to survive. We had been talking with Portland before coronavirus was a thing, Arquines says. None of us thought, when we first started, that it would be quite as a big a deal as it is, or that it would still be happening in September. With the pandemic showing no signs of abating, Top Chef has found ways to adapt, following CDC guidelines, state and city safety regulations, and safety policies from NBCUniversal, the parent company of the Bravo channel. Weve created this production bubble, Arquines says, and it seems to be working so far. Well-known Portland chef Gregory Gourdet is a "Top Chef" veteran and returned to compete in Season 17's "All Stars" season. (Photo: Nicole Weingart/Bravo)Nicole Weingart/Bravo The Portland season will bring back some familiar faces, such as host Padma Lakshmi, and Gail Simmons, who will join Colicchio at the judges' table. With pandemic guidelines making it difficult to bring large groups of diners together, this year features a first, a rotating judging and dining panel. Among the panelists are such Top Chef veterans as Richard Blais, Carrie Baird, Nina Compton, Tiffany Derry, Melissa King, Kristen Kish, Edward Lee, Kwame Onwuachi, Amar Santana, Dale Talde, Brooke Williamson, and Portland chef Gregory Gourdet. Gourdet, who finished second in the Boston-based Top Chef Season 12, returned to compete in the All Stars Season 17, which premiered in March. Coming in the early days of the COVID-19 crisis, the All Stars season was both a much-needed escape from increasingly alarming news, and, with its spirit of professional, friendly competition and refreshing lack of theatrics, a demonstration of what sets Top Chef apart from many other TV reality shows. Even as this new Top Chef season is filming in the city where he lives, Gourdet hasnt been able to relax at his home. Instead, he, along with other cast and crew, are staying in their bubble, at a Portland hotel. Its a big bubble, and we have pods in the bubble, Gourdet says. We get tested every two days. Gourdet says that after competing twice on Top Chef, being in a judging role offers a different sort of experience. I love competing, I love the adrenaline, I love the stress, I love pushing yourself to the limit, says Gourdet. I definitely enjoy being a judge, but Im a little bit jealous of the cheftestants, because they get to compete. "Top Chef" head judge Tom Colicchio hadn't been to Portland before arriving to film Season 18 of the culinary competition. (Photo: Nicole Weingart/Bravo)Nicole Weingart/Bravo Colicchio, a chef and the owner of Crafted Hospitality, which operates several restaurants, says the new Top Chef season will look a little different. We cant do the big events anymore, and those were always a lot of fun," he says. "But were doing stuff outdoors, at local vineyards, local farms, and things like that. In terms of filming in pandemic conditions, Colicchio says, Were pretty locked down. Even though were in a bubble, on the set were still in masks, and social distancing. The only time were not in masks is when the chefs are cooking. So far, its been pretty seamless. Colicchio, who hadnt been to Portland before arriving for this Top Chef season, says hes enjoying being in the Rose City. My wifes home with the kids, dealing with schooling, so I brought my puppy with me," Colicchio says. "I go out to walk her, and everybody has a mask on. I love it. Arquines says production began in early September and is expected to continue through mid-to-late October. About 40 local crew people are working with the production, she says, And were also working with local restaurants, businesses, farmers, and all of that. Chef Gregory Gourdet presents a dish he created during Season 17 of "Top Chef." Also pictured, from left, are Tom Colicchio, Stephanie Izard and Padma Lakshmi. (Photo: Nicole Weingart/Bravo)Nicole Weingart/Bravo Filming while observing COVID-19 safety measures has been, Arquines says, a little bit trickier than ordinary production. Were needing to be at locations longer, because we need to sanitize, and make sure that everything is safe and clean," she says. "Were taking things a little bit slower than we have in the past. We can be in locations when theyre closed, so people that arent tested arent around. The kitchen is going to be larger and wider to allow for more social distancing for our crews, and the chefs. Our judges' table is much larger, to keep more distance from everybody. And dont look for the chefs to be racing around a crowded Whole Foods store, loading up their carts with ingredients. Were still working with Whole Foods, Arquines says. But were doing curbside pickup. When restaurants are suffering, getting exposure on Top Chef may be a a boost for the local food economy. Typically, whenever we shoot in a city or a state, they usually get fans that show up and want to see restaurants that were featured, Colicchio says. I think thats really going to help when things open up again. I think Portland and Oregon will see a nice bump. The official announcement of the Portland season, made in partnership with Travel Portland, Travel Oregon and the Oregon Film office, includes a quote from Todd Davidson, CEO at Travel Oregon. Oregons unique food and drink industry is a significant driver of visitation; in fact, studies show that 61% of travelers to the state say culinary-related excursions were the impetus for their trip, Davidson says in the press release. 'Top Chef' will place an important spotlight on Oregons products, places and people," Davidson adds, "ultimately inspiring visitation and generating economic impact at local and state levels. Arquines agrees. In contrast to some TV talent competitions, many Top Chef contestants see much more real world impact from being on the show, Arquines says. A lot of these chefs become hometown heroes and the places where they work are sought out by tourists. Gregory Gourdet is a very good example of that. So many people who come to Portland want to eat at his restaurant, because he was on the show. Gourdet, former executive chef at Departure, has been working on a plan to open his own restaurant, Kann, with food inspired by the cuisine of Haiti, his familys homeland. He originally hoped to open the restaurant this year, but is now looking at 2021. While hes happy to see Top Chef filming in Portland, Gourdet agrees that the timing of it has presented challenges. Theyve slowly been working on bringing the show here for a few years, and it finally comes to town, and its the worst year in the history of the modern world, as Gourdet says. Both Colicchio and Gourdet are among the food industry professionals who have been involved in the Independent Restaurant Coalition, an advocacy group formed to help restaurants affected by COVID-19. The group has been asking Congress to support a bill that would establish a $120 billion fund to help independent restaurants cover costs and pay employees. The RESTAURANTS Act, as its known, was originally introduced by Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) in June, and has won the support of 200 bipartisan co-sponsors in the U.S. House of Representatives. The act, Colicchio says, will give a lifeline to every restaurant in the country if it passes. Because of the pandemic, he says, Most restaurants are doing about 20 to 30 percent of the typical business they do. Restaurants that have been able to set up tables outdoors will face more obstacles once the weather changes and it starts to get cooler, Colicchio says. As much as I want to see restaurants open up, Colicchio says, safety is the number one concern. At a time when the Rose Citys image has taken a beating -- thanks to President Donald Trump attacking Portland as a hive of violent protests, and to wildfires that devastated parts of the state -- Gourdet is looking forward to Top Chef offering a more positive portrait of Oregon. Portland has been in the news so much this year, Im really excited to show America part of our city and part of our state, Gourdet says. Local chefs will be highlighted, and ingredients will be highlighted. Im really honored to be part of it. We are still one of the best food towns in the country, we still have gorgeous landscapes, and thats really the Oregon I know. The new Top Chef season wont premiere until sometime in 2021. Gourdet says hed like to see the Portland season play a role in helping the city, and its food scene, rebound. I hope we can be in the process of rebuilding by the time the show airs, says Gourdet. I think Portlands in a very heavy place, and its a long winter coming. But I think we all need to stay as focused as possible on how we get back on our feet. (Want to catch up on Top Chef?: Stream episodes you may have missed, on Hulu, Hulu + Live TV or fuboTV) More of our coverage: Portlands Gregory Gourdet says being on Top Chef helps us remember what restaurant culture used to be like In Hulus timely Taste the Nation, Padma Lakshmi explores how immigrants helped create American cuisine Subscribe to our What to Watch newsletter. Email: -- Kristi Turnquist kturnquist@oregonian.com 503-221-8227 @Kristiturnquist The Global Aerospace Summit 2020 kicks off today (September 28) in a virtual format where industry leaders from across the globe will analyse how the aerospace and aviation industries can quickly recover. Hosted by Mubadala Investment Company and EDGE, the two-day Summit will focus on where efforts must be made to support the regeneration of those sectors and what new prospects are ascending from the new reality the world is facing. On day one of the Summit, there will be a number of keynote addresses from government and industry leaders. These include Mohammed Ahmad Al Bowardi, Minister of State for Defence Affairs, United Arab Emirates; Sarah bint Yousef Al Amiri, Minister of State for Advanced Technology and Chairwoman, UAE Space Agency and Ahmad Al-Ohali, Governor of Saudi Arabias General Authority for Military Industries (GAMI). Badr Al-Olama, Chairman of the Global Aerospace Summit Advisory Board, and Head of Aerospace, Mubadala said: This has been a challenging year for the aerospace industry. But while there have been significant headwinds, we have also seen the acceleration in the adoption of Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies to support the sector. The Global Aerospace Summit is a timely reminder that our sector - more than most - is part of a wider, interconnected global industry built on partnership and collaboration. By sharing ideas and experiences we can overcome the challenges to realize the tremendous opportunities ahead. Mubadala and our Aerospace companies like Strata, Sanad and Yahsat are honoured to play our part in this conversation and share our vision for a dynamic sector built on continued investments in technology, disruptive business models and people. Khalid Al Breiki, President Mission Support, EDGE, said: EDGE is proud to host the fifth edition of the Global Aerospace Summit. The platform will enable us to leverage and strengthen our synergies and partnerships with some of the worlds leading aerospace and aviation players, as we seek to highlight the role that advanced technology plays, and will continue to play, in revolutionising the way the sector operates. Tony Douglas, Group Chief Executive Officer, Etihad Aviation Group, said: This pandemic will come to an end thats a fact and aviation will return to growth thats also a fact. The unknown variable is when. When markets reopen, adaptability will be key and Etihad will be ready. The Global Aerospace Summit is an excellent forum for industry leaders to connect and I am convinced that the benefits that will arise from working together will be crucial, as we collaborate to get the world back on its feet, and our industry flying again, safely into the future. The international thought leadership forum has been organised by Streamline Marketing Group and Tarsus F&E. TradeArabia News Service County teen authors Ramadan book EDWARDSVILLE Not many ninth-graders can say they have published a book, but Mariam Quaizar has... Southwestern names honor rolls PIASA Southwestern High School has named high honor and honor rolls for Semester 1. High honor... Hundreds attend pro-life rally in Springfield SPRINGFIELD Riverbend residents and students on Friday joined about 700 people from across the... A man has finally been taken into custody for violently abusing his child after authorities gave him virtually free rein for three years. "Whatever my father got his hands on, he would beat me with it, Nguyen Huu Hung, 9, who lives in the northern Hung Yen Province, says. "They would mostly be his bamboo smoking pipe, belts or umbrellas. There were times when he forced me to take off my clothes and stand in the sun, make me lie in the sewer in the dark, cut my fingers, or make me eat raw lolot leaves." "During those times, I could see that he was not completely sober. It was as if he was on drugs." Hung has lived with the violence perpetrated by Nguyen Huu Long, 35, for nearly three years now. On Thursday he returned to school after recovering from several injuries, but he is still fearful. He withdraws from strangers, and he is haunted by dreams of being taken away by his father for more beatings. 9-year-old Nguyen Huu Hung in the arms of his maternal grandmother, Nguyen Thi Hanh, 73, in Hung Yen Province in northern Vietnam, September 2020. Photo by VnExpress/Pham Du. Hung lived with his maternal grandmother since he was three months old. Once he turned six, his father took him to live with his girlfriend and her child in Ham Tu Commune, Khoai Chau District, just a kilometer away from his grandmothers. Hung says he was always afraid of his father and only wanted to live with his grandmother. Long also often forced Hung to do an adults work like cooking, cleaning the house, doing laundry, and taking care of the familys shop. He would frequently beat the child for no reason and then threaten him not to tell anyone. Longs girlfriend and child left the house in early August, and the beatings and abuse became more severe. The grandmother, Nguyen Thi Hanh, 73, says Hungs parents often got into trouble with the law for drug trafficking. Both have been to jail, and Hungs mother had two children with another man. Long came out of prison in 2017 and took Hung back from Hanh. She knew about the physical abuse Long inflicted on her grandson and tried to take custody of Hung, but he refused. She was even forbidden from visiting her grandson or giving him food. One day in August she realized Hung was suffering from more and more severe beatings, and informed authorities. But Long only received a slap on the wrist and was warned not to repeat his offense. On September 12 Hung showed up in school with bruises all over his body and face, and his teacher informed Hanh about it and told her to report the matter to the police. From that day the beatings became more frequent and Hung was even forbidden from going to school. Long received repeated warnings from the authorities. Hanh tried to intervene, but Long threatened to kill her. When Hungs teacher called his home, Long threw his sons books out. A representative of Ham Tu Commune said: "We summoned Long and made him sign papers promising to no longer abuse his son. The beatings resumed a few days later, and so we forwarded the complaint to the district police department." An investigation found that through the night of September 16, Long beat his son to the point where his head and entire body became swollen and bruised. Long was arrested, and he confessed to assaulting the child. Nguyen Huu Long, 35, who has been violently abusing his son Nguyen Huu Hung, now 9, since 2017, is arrested by the Hung Yen Province police on September 23. Photo courtesy of the police. Hung has since been placed in his grandmothers custody. Hanh lives in a dilapidated house in Xuan Dinh village and is in a difficult financial situation, but promises she will never part with her grandson again. Le Thi Thu, deputy headmistress of the Ham Tu Primary School, where Hung studies, says the boy is only 1.2 m tall and weighs only 18 kg. During his four years in the school, teachers only contacted his grandmother for matters concerning him. They knew about Hungs family situation but failed to take actions early. "Many times, after we saw bruises on Hungs body, we informed his grandmother. But after his injuries worsened recently the school decided to report directly to the police," Thu said. She is remorseful she was not able to stop the abuse earlier. More than 8,700 children were abused between 2015 and 2019 in Vietnam, with over 850 subjected to physical violence, according to a National Assembly report in May. Most of it happened at the hands of family members, neighbors or acquaintances, it said. Randi Zuckerberg will talk about new era creative innovations at the forum in Kiev V International Forum Kyiv Smart City Forum 2020 will host an American entrepreneur, investor, founder and CEO of Zuckerberg Media, Randi Zuckerberg, who discuss reveal the topic of innovation in modern realities. What innovations do you apply to make your business successful. What strategies are followed by US companies to succeed in new realities. How to create an environment for creative industries successful development. Growth of creative economy, new trends in the context of current challenges. The introduction of new technologies become especially relevant when the world is facing threat of COVID-19 pandemic. Business is forced to go digital, change operational management. More and more entrepreneurs - both manufacturers and service professionals - are offering virtual models to replace traditional operations. International experts believe the "golden age" is coming for start-ups in innovative technologies which understand the needs and interests of modern people. Randi Zuckerberg is recognized as one of the world's leading experts on technology and emerging business trends. She will speak at the Ukrainian forum for the first time. Domestic entrepreneurs and startups have a unique opportunity to listen to Mark Zuckerberg's sister in real time. It will be interesting and useful not only for novice businessmen, but also for experienced entrepreneurs who want to improve their skills, increase productivity and learn about new global trends. As a reminder, the forum will also feature speakers from the most technologically advanced countries in the world - the Netherlands, Singapore, Spain, England, Germany and the USA. World experts will present real cases and recommendations on technologies that help businesses adapt during unforeseen situations. Title partner - Visa. Innovative partner - Vodafone. Technology partner - ELKO/Lenovo. Partners: Cisco, ERC, IT Integrator, HPE, Asbis, Logitech, Caparol Ukraine, FDI, Ideas First. For readers of the Interfax website, a 20% discount on the promo code UNF2020. Additional information on the forum website: https://forum.kyivsmartcity.com/en Big Bend National Park enters the next stage of its phased-reopening on Tuesday. Backcountry camping, overnight float trips on the Rio Grande and almost all hiking trails will open to visitors. The group size limit for the famed West Texas park remains at eight people. READ ALSO: 'Observe the posted speed limits': Bear cub at Big Bend National Park struck and killed by car To use any backcountry campsite in the Chisos Mountains or in the desert visitors must obtain a permit through www.recreation.gov. The Chisos Basin Campground, recently named the best in Texas, reopened to campers earlier this month. On Tuesday, the Rio Grande will open for day and overnight float trips, both private and commercial, within the park. The Santa Elena Canyon will also welcome visitors once again. All hiking trails, except for those in the Hot Springs Historic District, are set to reopen as well. Big Bend National Park shut down all overnight camping in March amid the coronavirus pandemic. The park tried a phased re-opening in June before closing again on July 1 after a COVID-19 case in the park residential community. Officials with Equine Guelph are making AGCO licence holders aware that they are eligible to take a free Fire & Emergency Preparedness online short course, which is valued at $85. The course will start next Monday (Oct. 5) and will run through October 13. Learn the best practices to prevent fires in your barns/facilities and how to be prepared for emergency situations. The offering is a practical, common-sense, one-week course, and no prior online learning experience is required. The course is free to the first 100 AGCO licence holders that register. For complete information and to register, click here. Practice Preparedness and Prevention Resources on Barn Fire Prevention from Equine Guelph Waiting until the wildfire approaches dangerously close is no time to draw up a disaster preparedness plan. Learning the hazards of storing hay is too late after the barn is reduced to ashes and all is lost. It is not a scenario that one fathoms will ever happen to them, until it does. Equine Guelphs October healthcare tool of the month is the free, interactive Barn Fire Prevention tool. This is a great place to start before signing up for the invaluable HorsePortal.ca Fire & Emergency Preparedness one-week short online course set to begin Oct 5, 2020. Returning expert guest speaker Rebecca Gimenez-Husted will be available all week to provide insight and answer all your burning questions. Gimenez has travelled the world providing training in Technical Large Animal Rescue Techniques (TLAER website) and has published numerous critiques, techniques and journal articles on the topic. Rebecca edited the only textbook available to the fire service and veterinarians on technical rescue of large animals. As a volunteer firefighter in Gray, GA, Rebecca is doing R&D work with University of Edinburgh (UK), EKU (KY) and several veterinary schools. A past Logistics Officer for FEMAs Veterinary Medical Assistance Team (VMAT -2), decorated combat veteran and a Major in the US Army Reserves (retired); Rebecca offers a wealth of information and is active in various organizations related to disaster preparedness. In one of the many videos included in the Fire & Emergency Preparedness course Gimenez answers if horses really will run back into a burning building. The Fire & Emergency Preparedness course has a strong focus on prevention but also contains an abundance of information that can ensures if the unthinkable happens you are in a position to do everything to improve the odds of a successful outcome. Fire fighter Riley McGilloway of Halton Hills Fire Department describes how even the smallest details like location of feed tubs and buckets can improve your barns fire safety. This course was eye-opening and very informative. I learned about the realities of barn fire detection and response, and the importance of doing due diligence in planning and prevention. The best way to deal with a barn fire is to prevent it from occurring in the first place, and this course provides a wealth of information that will help you to accomplish the goal of a fire-safe facility. Every horse owner can do something to make their horses space safer. Every horse owner/enthusiast can benefit from the information in this course. - Cathy Vogelweid, DVM (Columbia, Missouri, USA) For more information on Fire & Emergency Preparedness visit Equine Guelphs Barn Fire Prevention tool and sign up for the one-week online short course, Oct. 5 13 at TheHorsePortal.ca. (With files from Equine Guelph) Shares in steel giant ArcelorMittal soared more than seven per cent on the Paris stock exchange on Monday after the firm said it would merge its US operations with producer Cleveland-Cliffs for $1.4 billion. ArcelorMittal, hit by a second-quarter slump in steel demand owing to coronavirus lockdowns, added 7.04 per cent to 11.04 euros in early trading although it remains down 29.4 per cent on the year as a whole. The firm, headquartered in Luxembourg, said in a statement that Cleveland-Cliffs would acquire 100 per cent of ArcelorMittal USA for a combination of one third cash and two thirds stock. Also Read: ArcelorMittal in talks to merge US assets with Cleveland-Cliffs The deal will make Cleveland-Cliffs North America's largest flat-rolled steel producer in North America, with combined shipments as at 2019 of some 17 million net tons. The agreement also sees Cleveland-Cliffs assume ArcelorMittal USA's net liabilities of approximately $0.5 billion and pensions and other employment benefit liabilities which Cleveland-Cliffs values at $1.5 billion, the firm said in a statement. It added the accord would bring estimated annual cost synergies of $150 million. "This transaction is a unique opportunity for ArcelorMittal to unlock significant value for shareholders while retaining exposure to the North American economy through our high-quality NAFTA assets alongside a participation in what will be a stronger, better integrated, US business," said chairman and CEO Lakshmi Mittal. Chennai: The Chennai Air Customs officials seized two parcels that contained a total of 165 MDMA (ecstasy pills), worth Rs 5 lakh, that arrived at the Foreign Post Office from the Netherlands. The postal parcels were intercepted on suspicion of containing narcotic substances. The first parcel contained 105 MDMA tablets with PP marking commonly known as Philipp Plein. The parcel was addressed to an individual in Chennai city, but the address was found to be incomplete. 60 MDMA Blue Punisher pills embossed with skull mark were recovered from the second parcel. These tablets contain around 300mg of MDMA which is a very high dose. The parcel arrived from Zwolle, a city in the north-eastern Netherlands and was addressed to a person in Tirupur district. According to officials, searches revealed that the recipient address was of a textile company, with a fake consignee name. A total of 165 MDMA tablets were seized under the NDPS Act, 1985. MDMA (3-4 methylenedioxymethamphetamine) is a synthetic, psychoactive drug with a chemical structure similar to the stimulant methamphetamine and the hallucinogen mescaline. MDMA is an illegal drug that acts as both a stimulant and psychedelic, producing an energizing effect, as well as distortions in time and perception and enhanced enjoyment from tactile experiences. It is known commonly as Ecstasy and Molly. MDMA can produce stimulant effects such as an enhanced sense of pleasure and self-confidence and increased energy. Its psychedelic effects include feelings of peacefulness, acceptance, and empathy. It is an addictive drug with abuse potential. California firefighters battled destructive new wildfires in wine country north of Monday as strong winds fanned flames in the already badly scorched state. The new fires erupted Sunday in the famed Napa-Sonoma wine region and in far Northern California's Shasta County, forcing hasty evacuations of neighbourhoods. Flames engulfed the distinctive Chateau Boswell Winery north of St. Helena, The Black Rock Inn in the small community of St. Helena and multiple homes in the city of Santa Rosa, the Chronicle reported. Residents of a senior home were among those evacuated. The Adventist Health St. Helena hospital suspended care and transferred all patients elsewhere, according to a statement on its website. The wine country inferno began with the Glass Fire at 3:50 a.m. Sunday and two subsequent fires merged with it, burning 17 square miles (44 square kilometers) as of early Monday, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or Cal Fire. More than 8,500 homes and other buildings were threatened. The wine country has been scarred by terrible fires in recent years, including the 2017 Tubbs Fire that killed 22 people and destroyed more than 5,600 homes and other buildings. Numerous studies in recent years have linked bigger wildfires in America to global warming from the burning of coal, oil and gas, especially because climate change has made California much drier. A drier California means plants are more flammable. Evacuations were also ordered in Shasta County as the Zogg Fire spread over 23 square miles (59 square kilometers) . Residences are widely scattered in the forested area, about 10 miles (16 kilometers) southwest of the city of Redding in a region torched just two years ago by the massive and deadly Carr Fire infamously remembered for producing a huge tornado-like fire whirl. The causes of the new fires were under investigation. The fires erupted as a giant ridge of high pressure settled over the West, producing powerful gusts blowing from the interior toward the coast while slashing humidity levels and raising temperatures, making vegetation ready to burn. During the weekend, Pacific Gas & Electric turned off electricity to targeted areas where the winds raised the potential for arcing or other power equipment damage that could spark new fires. The utility's equipment has caused previous disasters, including the 2018 Camp Fire that devastated the Sierra Nevada foothills town of Paradise and killed 85 people. So far this year, more than 8,100 have scorched 5,780 square miles (14,970 square kilometers), destroyed more than 7,000 buildings and killed 26 people. Most of the losses occurred after a frenzy of dry lightning strikes in mid-August ignited a massive outbreak of fires. Fire worries were also developing Monday across Southern California although it was unclear how strong predicted Santa Ana winds would be. Heat and extreme dryness were expected to be problematic nonetheless. Conditions were also hot, dry and windy in parts of Arizona, where the Sears Fire in Tonto National Forest north of Phoenix has grown to more than 14 square miles (36 square kilometers) since it erupted Friday afternoon. Authorities reported zero containment. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The US Administration warned the Iraqi authorities about its readiness to shut down its embassy, should Baghdad fail to stop the missile strikes that threaten the American side, the Wall Street Journal reported Sunday, Trend reports citing TASS. According to the WSJ sources among the US officials, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo conveyed this information to the Iraqi President Barham Salih and the Prime Minister Mustafa al Kadhimi during an earlier phone call. The US Administration has already began "preliminary step" that will make it possible to shut down the embassy within two or three months, with preservation of a consulate in Erbil. An Iraqi official cited by the WSJ also speculated that Washington might withdraw its forces from the country, as well. One man has single-handedly revived Republican hopes of holding their own in the state Senate this November. No, it is not President Donald Trump, whose law and order campaign message GOP candidates are emulating. If electoral salvation is coming, it may be through a $1 million donation from longtime conservative donor Ronald Lauder. The massive contribution is funding new online ads, produced by a Virginia-registered super PAC called Safer Together New York, that accuse eight Democratic state Senate incumbents of contributing to declining lawlessness in New York City because of their support of criminal justice reforms. The jury is still out on whether new limits on cash bail and changes to discovery laws have in fact caused any rise in the city crime rate, which still remains at historic lows despite an uptick in shooting deaths. Issues of policing and pre-trial detention, however, appear to be beside the point from the perspective of Lauder. The former U.S. ambassador under President Ronald Reagen and billionaire businessman is best known for his role as the president of the World Jewish Congress. Until now, he has focused much of his state-level efforts on supporting congressional Republicans like Reps. Lee Zeldin and Elise Stefanik and former Rep. John Faso, who were reliable supporters of the right-wing government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. State legislative politics has become a major focus for Lauder only now that Democrats are a two seats short of a two-thirds majority in the state Senate. That would allow Albany Democrats to fully control congressional redistricting in New York through a new approach that requires a party to have at least one-third of the seats in either legislative chamber to have a say in the process. In short, his focus may still be on protecting Israel allies in the House just through a more indirect means. Whether this is Lauders true motivation in getting behind state GOP efforts is not clear, but Democrats are taking it as a sign that he is aiming to help Republican congressional candidates down the road. "I personally think its for redistricting," said one Democratic consultant. Lauder not respond to a request for comment. The New York City native is the 76-year-old grandson of European immigrants and has noted how he too might have been a victim of the Holocaust if his family had not immigrated to America, so he takes anti-Semitism personally. Much of his work on this front has been fairly apolitical from a U.S. standpoint, with Lauder using his platform at the World Jewish Congress to condemn anti-Semitic comments by world leaders and other high-profile individuals. The heir to the Estee Lauder fortune, however, announced in December 2019 that he would spend $25 million on a sweeping effort to target elected leaders who had records of making controversial comments about Jewish people or Israel. If its a city councilman, or its a U.S. senator, or presidential candidate, well know about it, he told The New York Times at the time. The effort reportedly would be managed by Tusk Strategies, a consulting firm with links to former Mayor Michael Bloomberg. Democratic pollster Doug Schoen and longtime Republican consultant Nelson Warfielder were also reportedly involved, according to the Times. In 2018, Lauder was a big funder of online ads targeting Rep. Antonio Delgado, who expressed reservations about West Bank settlements, during a campaign against Rep. John Faso that helped flip the chamber to Democrats. Lauder has also given to two other New York GOP lawmakers Rep. Lee Zeldin and Elise Stefanik who have been vocal supporters of President Donald Trumps embrace of conservative policies towards Israel like moving the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem. Electing more Republicans to support Trump, or preventing Palestinian-friendly Democrats from replacing them, would help ensure the federal government continues to support Israeli policy towards the West Bank and Gaza Strip moving forward. These factors have gone a long ways towards making Lauder comfortable with Trump, a fellow Manhattan billionaire, despite a history of controversial comments about Jewish people. In Albany, Lauders apparent efforts to influence congressional redistricting mean he is not making any new friends with state Democrats who control the state Legislature. For most people that could pose future problems with political advocacy at the state level, but Lauder can lean a longtime relationship with Gov. Andrew Cuomo to make sure his state-level efforts are considered. The Lauders have cultivated ties to the governor. That has included donating 10,000 bottles of hand sanitizer to the state effort to confront the pandemic this spring as well as funding for free flights for volunteer health care workers coming from out of state. The family business pitched in when the governor was looking for corporate sponsorships of the beleaguered New York City subway system. Lauder and the governor also appeared together during Cuomos January 2020 trip to Israel, and the two men highlighted ongoing concerns about the rising number of attacks against Jews in New York City. Some of these incidents were blamed on the new limits on cash bail that Democratic lawmakers approved through the budget process with Cuomos approval in the 2019 state budget. The governor and state lawmakers eventually revised those reforms and approved additional efforts to combat anti-Semitism moving forward. In his latest push, however, Lauder is being selective in which Democrats to go after over bail reform. State Sen. Anna Kaplan, who is Jewish, is not among the Democrats targeted by his recent spending, even though she arguably had as much (or as little) to do with the criminal justice reforms as any of her fellow Long Island Democrats. Lauders biggest bets this election cycle appear to be that $1 million going to Safer Together New York and the $25 million he announced last year to challenge political candidates based on their purported anti-Semitic stances. It makes sense to think that the two efforts are related. Correction: An earlier version of this post incorrectly stated that Ronald Lauder is the son of European immigrants who escaped the Holocaust. He is the grandson of European immigrants and has noted how he too might have been a victim of the Holocaust if his family had not immigrated to America. Bengaluru, Sep 28 : Launching a counter attack on Karnataka Congress leaders, Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa on Monday accused the Congress of using gullible farmers to oppose the farmer friendly Acts enacted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Speaking to reporters here, Yediyurappa asserted that he would never allow farmers to be deceived by anyone, including the Congress. "I had invited them (farmer leaders) for talks, which failed due to Congress' machinations. I am not sitting here just to enjoy power, but to help the farmers. These bills will change their lives forever," he said. Seemingly upset with farmers raising slogans against the CM and terming him as "son of corporates and not son of the soil", Yediyurappa asserted that he is not the one to stick to power by cheating the farmers, and would be happy to vacate his seat the moment he realises that farmers are being cheated by his actions. "Let the farmers come to me and talk. I will not allow them to be cheated at any cost. Let them protest today and let them vent out their anger. But after their anger against me recedes, let them come to me, I will explain to them the benefits of these acts," he said. Reiterating that the farm Bills would help eliminate middlemen from the agri-business, Yediyurappa appealed that the farmers should give him at least eight months to a year's time to realise the benefits or ill-effects of these bills. He alleged that farmers across the country are being misguided by the Congress. "The Congress has been the biggest cheater in this aspect. Their own manifesto in 2019 had spoken about this Act, and once we came to power, we brought the same Act, which has become an indigestible fact for them. They are instigating and misleading the farmer community across the country," he said. Yediyurappa added that Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala is new to the state, and should first get familiar with the issues here. "It would better on his part to remain silent on our party's internal matters, as he should be more worried about the internal bickering of the Congress in Karnataka," he said. The Kwabenya Police have arrested two estate agents for attempting to defraud a lady under the pretext of renting a house to her. The suspects, Mohammed Surag aged 29, and Yaw Darko, 26, are in police custody assisting in investigations. Tonaton app Briefing the Daily Graphic, the Public Relations Officer of the Accra Regional Police Command, DSP Mrs Afia Tenge, said the lady reported to the police that she saw photos of some apartments and contact number on Tonaton, advertising the accommodation for rent. The lady said because she was in dire need of accommodation, she called the number and the person who picked up the call claimed to be an estate agent and confirmed he had put out those pictures of the apartments for rent with the intention of attracting prospective tenants. Finding the apartments decent, she expressed interest and followed up on it and her enquiries led her to the two suspects who both claimed to be landlord and agent respectively, DSP Tenge said. She said while Mohammed acted as the landlord, Yaw Darko, acted as the estate agent. Apartments DSP Tenge said the landlord and agent arranged for a meeting with the complainant and on the agreed date, September 18, 2020, they both led her to East Legon and showed some apartments to her going for GHc1,000.00 per month for two years. The lady after negotiations gave them a cheque with a face value of GHc12,000.00 for them to cash. Having received the cheque, the suspects then presented it to the bank the same day, but they were told the said amount could only be transferred to their accounts, the Police PRO further indicated. Physical cash Unsuccessful to cash the cheque, DSP Tenge said the suspects then called the complainant that they owed their banks so they could not transfer the money into their bank accounts and, therefore, requested for physical cash instead. The complainant, suspecting the two men to be fraudsters, informed the Police who subsequently followed up and effected their arrest. The suspects admitted to the offence in their respective caution statements. Other victims The PRO said the police believed that the two had defrauded a number of people under similar pretext. She, therefore, called on the public, especially those who had fallen victim to the activities of the agents to contact the Kwabenya Police Station. Source: graphic.com.gh Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Manchester drinks company Ten Locks launches with spirits focus A new Manchester-based drinks company is aiming to make a splash in the UK spirits market. Ten Locks, which officially launched in August, aims to curate a portfolio of arouond 20 premium drinks brands for the on and off-trade. Brands already welcomed on board include Nusa Cana Rum, Applewood Gin and West Cork Irish Whiskey. The company's name pays homage to the location of its sister company, Kingsland Drinks, which is based on the banks of the Manchester Ship Canal. Ten Locks aims to fill its portfolio with innovative, "purpose-led" brands which share its ethical and sustainable ethos. For example, Nusa Cana makes its Indonesian-inspired rums from recycled sugar cane pulp; Australia's Applewood Gin uses only sustainably farmed botanicals; and West Cork Irish Whiskey is credited with creating one of the fastest stills in the world with its "Rocket". Becky Davies, head of Ten Locks, said: "Through these first spirits, the portfolio is starting to speak for itself - brands of quality, distinction and purpose. They bring new tastes, fresh perspectives and a true sense of excitement to the UK drinks industry. With their clear propositions we know each brand has a commercially relevant place in the market and will quench the thirst of consumers seeking brands that demonstrate authenticity, credibility and quality, while taking measures to ensure and improve elements of sustainability and ethical practices." Davies adds: "Much like the expertise, dedication to innovation and determination required to build the Manchester Ship Canal, we're moving forward with energy, pace and a desire to create something unrivalled among our competitor set." Ten Locks will continue to develop its portfolio over the coming months with agency brands and a range of new and emerging brands. The portfolio will be available to the on and off-trade from October. 28 September 2020 - Bethany Whymark FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) President Donald Trumps former campaign manager Brad Parscale has been hospitalized after he threatened to harm himself, according to Florida police and campaign officials. Police officers talked Parscale out of his Fort Lauderdale home after his wife called police to say that he had multiple firearms and was threatening to hurt himself when he was hospitalized Sunday under the states Baker Act. That act allows anyone deemed to be a threat to themselves or others to be detained for 72 hours for psychiatric evaluation. Under the state's Red Flag Law, officials could ask a judge to bar Parscale from possessing any weapons for up to a year. Brad Parscale is a member of our family and we love him, said Trump campaign communications director Tim Murtaugh. We are ready to support him and his family in any way possible. VOTER GUIDE: Everything you need to know ahead of Election Day Parscale was demoted from the campaign manager's post in July but remained part of the campaign, helping run its digital operation. A former Texan who made a stunning rise from working as a web developer for a San Antonio bookstore in the early 2000s, Parscale had become a celebrity to Trump supporters and would frequently pose for photos and sign autographs ahead of campaign rallies. But Trump had begun to sour on him earlier this year as Parscale attracted a wave of media attention that included focus on his seemingly glitzy lifestyle on the Florida coast that kept him far from campaign headquarters in Virginia. Over the summer, he hyped a million ticket requests for the presidents comeback rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, that ended up drawing just 6,000 people. A furious Trump was left staring at a sea of empty seats and, weeks later, promoted Bill Stepien to campaign manager. TEXAS TAKE: Catch the political news you need every weekday Parscale was originally hired to run Trumps 2016 campaign by Jared Kushner, the presidents powerful son-in-law. While the Republican National Committee owns most of the campaigns data, voter modeling and outreach tools, Parscale ran most of the microtargeted online advertising that Trump aides believe was key to his victory four years ago an endeavor he dubbed Project Alamo. Parscale returned to San Antonio earlier this month as part of a statewide bus tour alongside Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick. Lemire reported from New York. By the time the first absentee ballots for the 2016 presidential election were ready to be mailed, Michigans local election clerks had received 587,618 requests for those ballots. This year? The number is 2,391,055 -- a four-fold increase. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Danish counterpart Mette Frederiksen will hold a virtual summit on Monday to strengthen the bilateral relations between the two countries, the Ministry of External Affairs said. According to a statement issued by the ministry, an MoU in the field of intellectual property cooperation between the two countries will be signed on the occasion. Another major outcome will be the joining of the International Solar Alliance (ISA) by Denmark. The virtual bilateral summit will give an opportunity to the two leaders to comprehensively review the broad framework of the bilateral relationship in the context of the time-tested friendly ties between the two countries and give broad political direction for a strengthened and deepened collaborative partnership on key issues of mutual interest, the statement said. Also read: PM Modi, Rajapaksa meet: India extends $15mn to promote Buddhist ties, discusses bilateral currency swap and trade In Denmark, around 25 Indian companies are operating in IT, renewable energy and engineering sectors. Nearly 5,000 Indian professionals are working in major Danish companies, while 20 Indian IT companies are operating in Denmark for decades, according to official data procured by news agency PTI. Denmark has been an important development partner, contributing to Indias White Revolution and growth of wind energy, the news agency said. Bilateral trade between the countries has also grown by 30.49 per cent between 2016 and 2019 as the trade volume rose from USD 2.82 billion to USD 3.68 billion, PTI said. Carrying the tradition of bilateral cooperation forward, major Danish companies such as Grundfos, Danfoss, Vestas, LM Wind, Novozymes, Rockwool, Haldor Topsoe, etc. have set up manufacturing facilities in India under the Make in India scheme, it added. According to PTI, India and Denmark are also cooperating in fighting climate change by exporting wind turbines. Danish companies like Babcock&Wilcox have set waste-to-energy facilities in Punjab and Haryana to fight air pollution. Meanwhile, Danish companies RAMBOLL & COWI are engaged in engineering and design for the trans-harbour sea-link in Mumbai which will link Mumbai with Navi Mumbai. (with PTI inputs) Students across Massachusetts are learning in vastly different ways, including virtual, hybrid and in person learning. But a new study looking at 15 key metrics reports that Massachusetts is one of the safest states for schools to reopen for in person learning. WalletHub ranked Massachusetts as fourth in the country for the safest state to reopen schools. The 15 key metrics the study looked at are: Child COVID-19 Cases per 100,000 Children Child COVID-19 Deaths per 100,000 Children COVID-19 Cases in the Last Seven Days per 100,000 Residents Public Mask Usage. This metric measures the presence or absence of state action requiring residents to wear a face mask in public. Share of K-12 Public School Students Transported Through School Transportation Average Public-School Class Size Pupil-Teacher Ratio Share of Seniors Living with School-Age Children Share of Children Living in Crowded Housing Overall Likelihood of COVID-19 Infections Comprehensive School Reopening Guidance. This metric scores how many of the 12 criteria considered are addressed in the respective states school reopening policies. WalletHubs Best & Worst States for Childrens Health Care WalletHubs States with the Best Health Infrastructure for Coronavirus Student-to-School-Nurse Ratio Total Current Spending on Elementary & Secondary Schools per Pupil Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker has also been emphasizing the importance of reopening schools in certain areas. There were 16 low-risk COVID communities recently identified in Massachusetts that could safely reopen. Those districts, including East Longmeadow, West Springfield and Gardner, received a letter about it from the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. But not all of the schools have announced a reopening plan. Getting kids back to the classroom, obviously, is something that we believe is critically important to our success and to our kids' success going forward, said Baker at a press conference last week. Its very important for people and communities to look at three weeks worth of data, which is four weeks worth of information before they make decisions about changing their plans with respect to schools. Still, the WalletHub study comes at a time when Massachusetts schools going back in person are reporting positive cases of coronavirus. Twenty students in Auburn were potentially exposed to a bus monitor who tested positive for COVID-19. Another 30 students at Attleboro High School had to quarantine after a student who tested positive attended the first day of classes. And earlier this month Pope Francis Preparatory School returned to remote learning for at least two weeks after a student tested positive for COVID-19. In its rankings, WalletHub found multiple aspects that Massachusetts ranked in the top 10. Although, it didnt rank highly in all categories, ranking as low as 26 in some aspects. 1st for lowest number of child COVID-19 deaths per 100,000 children 4th for student-to-school-nurse ratio 5th for share of children living in crowded housing 7th for number of COVID-19 cases in the last seven days per 100,000 residents 8th for average public-school class size 9th for pupil-teacher ratio 11th for overall likelihood of COVID-19 infections 19th for child COVID-19 cases per 100,000 children 26th for share of K-12 public school students transported through school transportation Vermont and Maine ranked as number one and two in the country for safest states to reopen schools. Mississippi was ranked as the least safest to reopen. Related Content: Image: AP/Evan Vucci Bradley Parscale, the former campaign manager for President Donald Trump's re-election campaign, was hospitalized Sunday after his wife told police he was threatening to harm himself, ABC News reported. The Fort Lauderdale, Florida, police department confirmed in a statement that a man identified as Parscale was detained after they received a report from his wife. "Officers made contact with the male, developed a rapport, and safely negotiated for him to exit the home," the department said in a statement. They did not directly identify him as Trump's former campaign manager, but a property deed identifies the co-owner of the property as Candice Parscale, the same name as the wife of the former campaign manager. On the scene, police spoke with Parscale's wife, who advised them her husband "was armed, had access to multiple firearms inside the residence and was threatening to harm himself," the statement said. Parscale was demoted from leading Trump's re-election bid in July, after the president was lagging behind former Vice President Joe Biden in the polls. He drew blame internally for a botched Tulsa, Oklahoma, rally in June that drew an underwhelming crowd, and led to a subsequent coronavirus outbreak. "Brad Parscale is a member of our family and we all love him. We are ready to support him and his family in any way possible," said Tim Murtagh, a Trump campaign spokesman, in a statement, without specifically confirming the incident. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, while commenting on the contentious farm bills, said that Narendra Tomar, Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, had held broad-ranging consultation with all stakeholders including the Opposition before tabling the Bills in Parliament. Sitharaman also accused the Opposition parties of doing disservice and asked them what part of the Act was hurting" them. When the protests are going on look also at the places where the protests are being held what exactly are you protesting for? Which part of the Act is hurting you? Hurting the farmers, how pray? I challenge these people ask us that one question, where we wont be able to answer you, she told The Indian Express. The Finance Minister added that she was not surprised but disappointed, given the extent to which consultations over the issue had taken place. She said the discussions were held not just with the stakeholders, but the agriculture minister had asked for the views of the MPs as well as the farmers. Tomarji went through the whole rigour, she added. Sitharaman also accused the Congress party of shifting the goalpost by suggesting that the Minimum Support Price (MSP) regime and government procurement be hardwired by putting it in the Act. Now, you put APMC dismantling in your manifesto, you didnt say then that MSP will be hardwired Why now? she was quoted as saying by the publication. On asked about the rush to clear these laws and why the Centre did not choose to re-promulgate the Ordinance and refer the Bills to a Select Committee, Sitharaman said that there is no end to the debate. It is not in the merit of the matter, she added. Parliament had recently passed the Farmers Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020, the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020 and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill, 2020, amid massive uproar from opposition parties. On Sunday, President Ram Nath Kovind gave his approval to three contentious farm bills, even as protests by opposition and farmer groups continued. Farmers have expressed apprehension that the Centres farm reforms would pave the way for the dismantling of the minimum support price system and they would be at the mercy" of big corporates. The farmers said they would continue their fight till the three farm bills were revoked. The Centre, however, defended the passage of the farm bills and accused the opposition parties including Congress of doing politics. The weekly rate of new bookings for hotels in Ireland has plummeted by 67% following the introduction of revised restrictions published in the Government's Living with Covid plan. The survey, which was carried out by the Irish Hotel Federation, found that occupancy rates for October are 23% and 12% for November, based on bookings placed so far. A top French appeals court is to rule Wednesday on whether alleged Rwandan genocide financier Felicien Kabuga will stand trial in France or face a UN tribunal in Tanzania. Kabuga, who is 84 according to officials but claims to be 87, was arrested in May at his home outside Paris after 25 years on the run. The 1994 Rwanda genocide of some 800,000 people by Hutu extremists targeted rival Tutsis as well as also moderate Hutus. Once one of Rwanda's richest men, Kabuga is alleged to have funnelled money to militia groups as chairman of the national defence fund. He is also accused of setting up the Interahamwe militia that carried out massacres as well as the Radio-Television Libre des Mille Collines whose broadcasts incited people to murder. A French court ruled in June that Kabuga should stand trial at the Mechanism for International Criminal Tribunals (MICT) based in Arusha, Tanzania. But his lawyers appealed, citing frail health and fears the UN tribunal in Africa would be biased. During a hearing at France's supreme court for criminal cases, the Cour de Cassation, Kabuga's lawyer Louis Bore also argued that his client could not receive proper medical treatment in Tanzania. Kabuga has diabetes, high blood pressure and leukoaraiosis, an incurable illness that erodes physical and cognitive abilities, Bore said. Kabuga was moved from his cell at the end of last week for "medical reasons," several sources told AFP. If the appeals court endorses his transfer, Kabuga would have one month to appear before the MICT, which took over the duties of the UN's International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) when it formally closed in 2015. The ICTR handed down dozens of prison sentences over the years on genocide and other charges, including life sentences. It also acquitted some suspects. Kabuga was indicted by the tribunal in 1997 on seven counts, including genocide. He denies all the charges. Kabuga's lawyers say he is too ill to stand trial in Tanzania. By Benoit PEYRUCQ (AFP/File) Rwanda has said it wants to see Kabuga tried by its own courts, but transferring jurisdiction away from the UN tribunal in Tanzania would require a decision by the UN Security Council, according to Serge Brammertz, a prosecutor for the MICT. Rwanda itself carried out 22 executions of people convicted for their role in the conflict before abolishing the death penalty in 2007, a move that facilitated the extradition of suspects from other countries to Rwanda. Between 2005 and 2012, some 12,000 popular tribunals know as "gacaca" tried close to two million people, convicting two-thirds of them. European courts have also tried and sentenced Rwandan genocide suspects, notably Belgium and France. edy-burs/jh/js/ach The time taken to sell the average house in Leitrim has fallen by two weeks in the past quarter, a national property survey has found. The REA Average House Price Survey found that the average time taken to sell across the county fell over the past three months from seven weeks to five. As people move away from urban hubs and incorporate new working from home lifestyles, the price of the average three-bed semi-detached house in the county has risen by 0.4% over the past 12 months to 124,000. In Carrick-on-Shannon, prices rose by 0.6% over the past 12 months to 158,000. Time taken to sell fell by a week in the area this quarter to four weeks. The working from home trend is really affecting the property market over the last few weeks, said Joe Brady of REA Brady, Carrick-on-Shannon. You can travel on train from Carrick to Dublin on the train in two hours, so people can live in Carrick and travel up to Dublin one or two days per week. People want bigger houses with space, and four beds are popular. Carrigallen prices remained at 90,000 over the past 12 months, with time taken to sell falling by a fortnight this quarter to six weeks. The market is excellent, and demand is coming from first time buyers, the council and investors, said James Spring, REA Peter Donohoe, Carrigallen. There is an increase in enquiries for rental and sales from Dublin and the commuter belt for holiday homes and setups that accommodate working from home. The REA Average House Price Survey concentrates on the actual sale price of Ireland's typical stock home, the three-bed semi, giving an accurate picture of the second-hand property market in towns and cities countrywide. The average three bed semi nationally is now reaching sale agreed after seven weeks across the country a significant fall from the ten-week average in June. Despite fears of a downturn in the market during the Covid-19 crisis, the price of a three-bedroomed semi-detached house across the country rose by 0.6% over the past three months to 236,046, an annual increase of 0.4%. Reflecting the beginnings of a flight to rural locations, prices in the rest of the countrys towns rose by almost 1% in 12 weeks to 163,345. The price of a three-bedroomed semi-detached house in Dublin City rose by 0.5% to 429,333 during the past three months, an annual increase of 0.2%. Commuter counties fared less well than Dublin, with three bed semis averaging 247,667, a 0.3% rise on the Q2 figure of 246,944. Tourists in Prambanan, one of the tourist attractions of Yogyakarta in Indonesia. a study has shown that temperature and humidity can affect tourism in the Asian country. Credit: Tom Walker from Pixabay Every one percent increase in temperature and relative humidity in Indonesia is associated with a decrease in international tourist arrivals by 1.37 percent and 0.59 percent, respectively, according to a new study. Globally, climate change has impacted tourism, a sector important to the economies of several countries, according to the study published September in the Journal of Cleaner Production. The study was based on data collected from Indonesian provinces favored most by international tourists traveled during 2008-2018. "These findings [will help] develop novel insights for climate change adaptation for policymakers and the tourism industry in Indonesia as well as in other warm destinations," the researchers wrote in the study. In 2019, 16.11 million international tourists from various countries, including Australia and China, visited Indonesia, according to the official data, a figure slightly higher than in 2018 (15.81 million). With respect to foreign arrivals in prominent Indonesian tourist spots, the data suggests that in 2019 (as compared with 2018), Jakarta had a 14.05 percent decrease in the number of international tourists. However, Indonesia's Bali island, famed for its beaches, Hindu temples, and terraced rice fields, showed a minor (3.55 percent) increase in international tourist numbers. Xinzhu Zheng, an author of the study and assistant professor at the School of Economics and Management, China University of Petroleum, Beijing, tells SciDev.Net that the negative correlation between temperature, humidity and tourist arrival is possible because higher temperature worsens climate comfort in an island country with tropical weather. According to Zheng, this finding does not stand up to cross-country comparison. "In other words, a country with temperature and humidity rise might observe a negative impact of climate change on [tourist] numbers but it doesn't mean[that] a country with hotter and wetter weather gets fewer tourists than other countries." Cross-country comparison, is affected by many factors, says Zheng. "For instance, although Thailand is hotter and more humid than Indonesia, its distinct features on its national attractiveness and geographical location may be the most prominent factors contributing to the number of international tourists." "The study is significant in that it reinforces the debate on the adverse impact of anthropogenic-driven [caused by humans] global warming on one of the most sensitive economic sectors, the tourism industry [if we are to go by the latest findings]," says Kaitano Dube, an ecotourism management lecturer at the Vaal University of Technology, Gauteng, South Africa. He tells SciDev.Net that close attention needs to be paid on the impact of global warming on tourism market at various destinations. According to Arsum Pathak, a graduate teaching associate at the School of Geosciences, University of South Florida, US, these findings are crucial as it show that shifts in tourism patterns can be caused even by incremental changes in temperature and humidity. "With global temperatures likely to increase even with best-case scenarios, climate change is no longer a distant risk for tourism businesses in island countries," she tells SciDev.Net. Explore further Bali bans foreign tourists for rest of 2020 over virus More information: Jimmy Susanto et al. The Impacts of Climate Variables and Climate-related Extreme Events on Island Country's Tourism: Evidence from Indonesia, Journal of Cleaner Production (2020). Journal information: Journal of Cleaner Production Jimmy Susanto et al. The Impacts of Climate Variables and Climate-related Extreme Events on Island Country's Tourism: Evidence from Indonesia,(2020). DOI: 10.1016/j.jclepro.2020.124204 Provided by SciDev.Net Many individual borrowers who went for moratorium due to the covid-19-induced liquidity crunch in the country may not opt for loan restructuring. Some of them are now able to repay loans while others took the moratorium fearing a financial crunch even though they didnt face salary cuts or job losses. Many banks, including the State Bank of India (SBI) and Federal Bank, have indicated that they do not expect a large number of borrowers to opt for the restructuring of loans. As of now (21 September) not many customers have approached our branches for loan restructuring. Of our total book, only 9% had availed of moratorium and, of these, some have subsequently started repaying their EMIs," said C. S. Setty, managing director-retail and digital banking, SBI, in a recent conference. A Federal Bank official expects the same. We dont think there will be many retail borrowers looking for restructuring, as some of those who availed of the moratorium have started repaying their loans," said Babu K .A. , senior vice-president and headloan collection and recovery, Federal Bank. According to a survey from Paisabazaar, an online marketplace for financial products, 40% of the customers who took moratorium said that they can afford to pay their EMIs now. The company had surveyed 8,616 individuals, who have a debt outstanding of 1 lakh or more. Of those who took the moratorium, 23% said that they had no negative impact on their income during the six-month period. They took the moratorium to preserve cash for an uncertain future. Interestingly, of those who suffered 100% income loss, 23% did not opt for the moratorium. This could be due to a large amount of savings and funds or lower EMIs that they could afford despite the income disruption," according to the report. According to the report, some of the borrowers who availed the moratorium may want to avail restructuring, but it may not be available to them. The loan recast is only available to those who can prove that their income has taken a hit due to covid-19. The Reserve Bank of India had issued guidelines for loan restructuringResolution Framework for Covid-19-related Stress. Under these guidelines, the regulator has said that the bank should be diligent about customers who are receiving loan restructuring. Many banks are, therefore, asking customers to provide salary slips, bank statements and other documents to prove that they had suffered income loss before sanctioning their loan recast. It is at the discretion of the bank to approve or reject the restructuring application. If you can repay the loan despite the pay cut, dont opt to restructure your loan. You will not only need to pay a fee to avail it, but your loan burden will also increase significantly. The interest that lenders will not charge you during the restructuring period (up to two years) will be added to the principal amount, and the financial institution will charge additional interest on it. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Never miss a story! Stay connected and informed with Mint. Download our App Now!! Topics While pubs and restaurants are now legally required to shut at 10 p.m., there is still one place where a select few thirsty Britons can get a late-night drink -- the Houses of Parliament. Westminsters bars are exempt from new coronavirus regulations and can keep serving politicians and their staff alcohol after the curfew, the Times newspaper reported on Monday. Across London, and the country, people are now forced out of pubs on to the streets at 10 p.m. sparking scenes of crowded outdoor revelry that appear to defeat the point of the new rules, which is to promote social distancing. The official reason why Parliaments bars are exempt is because they are classed as workplace canteens, according to the Times. But the loophole may enhance the feeling of many Britons that theres one rule for government officials, and another for the rest of the country -- a sentiment thats persisted since Boris Johnsons top aide, Dominic Cummings, drove the length of England during lockdown in order to get childcare support for his four-year-old son. A House of Commons spokeswoman confirmed the exemption, but said staff follow social-distancing rules and regulations on cleaning to prevent transmission of the disease, according to the paper. Its Sunday morning. I sit by the gas fireplace snuggled up in a warm blanket, relishing the quiet. Before long, the rest of the family will stir, and well have a choice to make: Get ready to go to church? Livestream the service at home? Watch it later? Or skip it altogether? Some of these options have emerged in 2020, thanks to the global pandemic. After 6 months of worship at home with church on Zoom or YouTube, rhythms that used to be automatic are no longer a given. In our county of rural Alberta, Canada, we currently have zero cases of COVID19. Province-wide, K-12 students are back in class, and churches are allowed to meet again. Still, many precautions are in place. Attending church is more complicated now. Some churches require pre-registration, masks, and hand sanitizer. Most have chairs spaced apart or pews blocked off to ensure social distancing. Some wont let you sing. Many have cancelled programming for children. And frankly, with no handshakes and no visiting in the lobbyin one door and out anotherwhy bother going? During the stay-at-home orders, many churches stepped up to the challenge of livestreaming services, investing in equipment and training to foster a sense of continuity. Churches that did this well are facing a new challenge: making the case to return to in-person services. One rural pastor told me that his low-budget, inexperienced attempt at connecting digitally with his congregation has had a happy result: no one is clamoring for him to continue online services! They are all eager to come back to church. Another pastor told me that re-starting his church was proving harder than starting it in the first place. Frankly, our church has done an excellent job of digitizing services, and our leaders have decided to continue livestreaming now that were meeting in person. This is partly for the sake of those who cannot yet safely gather because they are immuno-compromised, partly for those who are sick or in quarantine, partly to reach a wider audience beyond our small town, and partly because we cant all fit into the building Sunday mornings with the chairs six feet apart. Let me first say that if your state or county is prohibiting services, then by all means, stay home. Your government leaders are doing their best to keep you safe. This will not last forever. Eventually the restrictions will lift. When that day comes . . . why shatter the peace of the weekend by going through all of the COVID19 rigmarole, exchanging distant greetings, and singing muffled songs? Why not just tune in at home? This pandemic has foisted an even bigger question on all of uswhat is the point of church anyway? Can it be done online as well as in person? And if so, then why go back at all? Depending on your church tradition, an obvious answer may present itself: communion. If you are Anglican, Episcopalian, Catholic, or Lutheran, you have gone without communion for 6 months or longer. Even for Baptists, crackers and juice at home are not quite the same. Likely, you feel the ache of its absence and you are eager to return. Communion is one important dimension of gathering for Christian worship that YouTube cannot replicate. It points toward a broader issue: embodiment. Almost 500 years ago, the Heidelberg Catechism described the Christian experience in a way that anticipates our modern dilemma. It begins with a question: What is your only comfort in life and death? I am not my own, but belong body and soul, both in life and in death, to my faithful Savior Jesus Christ (Heidelberg Catechism, Question & Answer 1). My body belongs to Jesus. By extension, I also belong to his means of grace in the world, the church. Of course there is much more to being the church (and following Jesus) than attending a weekly service, but gathered worship is one significant aspect of being part of the church. When I choose not to attend, something is missing. My absence diminishes what Christ can accomplish in and through the church, while my presence is a tangible means of participation in the kingdom. Ultimately, its not about what I get out of it. The church cannot fully accomplish her purposes in the world when I withhold my presence. Physical participation matters. The writers of the Heidelberg Catechism could scarcely have anticipated the options we have to worship from home. Still, they insist that we belong to Jesus body and soul. They acknowledge the importance of embodied worship. Something happens when we are physically present together that is simply not possible when we log in online. According to James K. A. Smith in his excellent book, You Are What You Love(Brazos, 2016), our physical participation has consequences that may be imperceptible now, but these add up to something significant. Our habitual acts shape our loves. Our loves shape who we become. Smith says that in order to cultivate virtue we must immerse ourselves in practices that inscribe them in our heart over time. He insists, counterformative Christian worship doesnt just dispense information; rather, it is a Christ-centered imagination station where we regularly undergo a ritual cleansing of the symbolic universes we absorb elsewhere. Christian worship doesnt just teach us how to think; it teaches us how to love, and it does so by inviting us into the biblical story and implanting that story in our bones (You Are What You Love, 85). With this in mind, here are four reasons I am choosing to attend church in person again, now that it is allowed where I live: 1. Weekly fellowship in a church body orients my loves. Each week my heart is re-calibrated in tiny ways that keep me facing Jesus rather than drifting in another direction. This is true even if I dont feel particularly inspired or challenged on a given week. Church is not a vending machine, designed to meet my immediate needs. It is a field that, when cultivated year after year, will produce spiritual nourishment. The fact that I dont walk out every Sunday with a full belly does not mean it is pointless to go. Little by little, week after week, I tend this field until it yields an abundant harvest. 2. Weekly fellowship in a church body reminds me that following Jesus means joining God's family. When I signed on as a Christian, it was not a transaction designed primarily to secure my eternal destiny. Becoming a Christian means becoming part of God's family and changing how I live here and now. Spending week after week with these people, sharing this experience, eventually adds up to a network of caring relationships. It doesnt happen overnight (remember, its a field, not a vending machine), but as we do life together, we lend support to each other on our faith journeys. Simply watching from home positions me as a solitary consumer rather than an active participant. While digital worship has been a gift to keep us connected during this strange season, it is not a sustainable way to cultivate the community of faith. 3. Weekly fellowship in a church body enables me to participate in Gods work of grace in others. My effort to show up encourages my leaders, upholding their ministry. Any pastor who has tried preaching to a camera knows that it is not the same. My presence supports the work of my pastor and worship leader to study, plan, and prepare. It lends energy and solidarity to their message. My presence also affirms the value of corporate worship for all those in attendance. My smile and my wave from six feet away and my voice lifted in praise (behind my pandemic mask) manifest the Spirits presence to others who have come. This is what it means to be the image of God. Our identity as Gods image is expressed physicallyan embodied reminder of the presence and rule of God. We represent the unseen God to one another. I am not my own. I am a member of something bigger than myselfChrists body on earth. For those who have been isolated at home and traumatized by the incessant trials of this difficult year, my physical presence may be a lifeline. Caring eye contact may lend strength for another week. 4. Weekly fellowship in a church body is a means of declaring allegiance to the kingdom of God. On the outside, the church may not seem like much. It may seem weak. But the church is a visible witness to the unseen reality of Gods kingdom. Being present each week testifies to this. It acknowledges that Gods invisible kingdom is more substantial and more lasting than the other concrete institutions in my community. It will outlast the postal service, local businesses, schools, and politicians and their offices. It will outlast the pandemic and the hurricanes and the wildfires and the ugly inequalities in our world. My participation ensures this. It testifies to that greater and lasting kingdom. So, for these and other reasons, I go. I hope that as soon as you are able, you will go, too. Our circumstances may still be less than ideal, but the long-term benefits of embodied worship far outweigh the hassles. Whether I feel excited about it or not (and usually I do!), the church is my family, and I cannot be who I am meant to be without it. The Riverside fire, which prompted widespread evacuations in Clackamas County during Oregons recent run of massive blazes, is now 37% contained, authorities say. Over three inches of rain has fallen on the fire area over the past week, fire officials said Sunday. Amid Mondays sunny, dry and breezy conditions, no significant growth of the 138,029-acre fire was expected. Gov. Kate Brown toured the fire area Monday, her latest trip to areas burned during Oregons recent spate of large wildfires. Fire officials said during the tour that people should expect to see smoke from the blaze this week. The officials dont expect significant fire growth, however. Most large Oregon wildfires, including the Riverside blaze, did not grow from Sunday to Monday, according to figures released by the National Interagency Coordination Center. The Slater fire in northern California and Josephine County was the only large blaze to advance during that time, growing about 250 acres. That fire is 38% contained. Oregons largest wildfire, the 204,340-acre Lionshead blaze west of Warm Springs, is 34% contained. The Holiday Farm fire in Lane County is 50% contained, and the Beachie Creek blaze in Marion County is 58% contained. The Archie Creek and Thielsen fires in southern Oregon are both 69% contained. Dave Killen of The Oregonian/OregonLive staff contributed to this report. jryan@oregonian.com; 503-221-8005; @Jimryan015 Mumbai, Sep 28 : In a huge embarrassment to the ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi, it has now emerged that the Maharashtra government had implemented the contentious farm Ordinances way back in August - even before the bills on it were passed by Parliament last week and protests erupted all over the country. In a notification on Aug. 10, issued by Director of Marketing, Satish Soni, all the Agriculture Produce & Livestock Market Committees (APMCs) and District Agriculture Cooperatives were ordered to "strictly implement" the three Ordinances on the proposed laws, in the state. These are: The Farmers Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion & Facilitation) Ordinance 2020, The Farmers (Empowerment & Protection) Assurance and Farm Service Ordinance 2020, and The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Ordinance 2020, of June 5, 2020 - all now laws. Despite the MVA allies Shiv Sena-Nationalist Congress Party-Congress strongly opposing the new laws, the state government had gone ahead even before the Centre issued any rules, guidelines or framework on these Ordinances and six weeks before the bills were cleared by Parliament amid a ruckus. When contacted, Soni confirmed issuing the notification, but declined to comment further in view of the political fracas on it currently, which willy nilly makes Maharashtra the first state in the country to implement the new laws. Marketing Minister Balasaheb Shamra Patil of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) appeared evasive when asked for his reactions. "The order was issued, but now the situation is different after Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar's recent statement..." Patil told IANS without elaborating. Surprisingly, over six weeks after the implementation in the state, Ajit Pawar appeared blissfully unaware of the developments when he indicated that the farm bills may not be implemented by the state. The Deputy CM told mediapersons in Pune on Sep. 26 - while farmers all over the state and country protested - that the government would consult experts before taking any 'final decision'. The situation suddenly became mortifying for the Congress as party chief and Revenue Minister Balasaheb Thorat planned to take out a protest march to Raj Bhavan this afternoon (Sep. 28). A top official from the Marketing Department revealed that the decision to issue the notification came after instructions from the Union Agriculture Secretary Sanjay Agrawal who asked the states to do so immediately. "The matter was sent to the Law Department which examined and said we had no option but to implement it, after which it was cleared by the concerned minister (Patil)," said the IAS officer, requesting anonymity. Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray's Advisor, Kishore Tiwari, Chairman of Vasantrao Naik Sheti Swavalamban Mission (MoS rank), was aghast and questioned at whose behest the bureaucracy issued the orders when many other states like Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, West Bengal, Kerala, Odisha, Telangana, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan are opposing it. "The concerned department head must be sacked for keeping the CM, DCM in the dark... It smells of a deep conspiracy against the state government and the MVA allies must immediately discuss measures to ensure farmers' confidence is not shaken," Tiwari told IANS. Official sources say it is intriguing how the leaders of the three parties - Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress - seem ignorant of the Aug. 10 notification though the official stand is to oppose the laws given the furore among peasants all over. Leaders of these parties pointed out how the farm laws divided even the Bharatiya Janata Party-led NDA with the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) quitting the central alliance, and the angry mood of the peasantry has sent panic waves even among BJP-ruled states. On Sunday, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut and NCP President Sharad Pawar had welcomed the Punjab-based SAD's decision to quit the NDA and stand "firmly behind the farmers", though the story in their own backyard Maharashtra was murky. The latest development is expected to send shockwaves among the state's farmers, ignite fresh friction within the MVA but spell glad tidings for the Opposition state BJP. (Quaid Najmi can be contacted at: q.najmi@ians.in) -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text The villages of Azerbaijans Fizuli, Jabrayil, Tartar, and Aghdam districts were subjected to artillery fire by the Armenian armed forces at 6:00 (GMT+4), Azerbaijani Defense Minister Zakir Hasanov said while addressing the meeting of the Security Council on Sept. 27. "There are wounded and killed among civilians, houses and infrastructure were destructed, the minister added. The front line of military units was bombarded. At the same time, the concentration of the Armenian armed forces from Aghdam, Fizuli, Jabrayil districts, and their preparation for the offensive was observed. Taking into account the operational situation, first of all, a report was made to the president. Taking into account the operational situation, the Azerbaijani army carried out a counter-offensive operation, as a result of which the Armenian armed forces defense line was broken through, Hasanov added. I was informed that seven villages, namely, Garakhanbeyli, Nuzgar, Yukhari Abdurrahmanli, Boyuk Marjanli, Kend Horadiz, Garvend, were liberated, the minister added. The Azerbaijani army is carrying out a successful counter-offensive operation in other directions, and the Armenian armed forces, suffering big losses, are retreating. I would like to stress that the attacks of the Azerbaijani army are carried out both on the front line and further location of the Armenian armed forces, the minister said. The most modern weapons are used and we do not see strong resistance from Armenia. The Armenian armed forces are retreating." --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz Hamilton police are investigating a shooting on the Mountain on Sunday night in which a 26-year-old victim showed up at hospital on his own. Police were called around 9:30 p.m. on Sept. 27 to Garth Street and Limeridge Road West for reports of multiple gunshots. Police said a shooting had taken place. A short time later, a 26-year-old man arrived in hospital with a gunshot injury. Police describe the injury as not life-threatening. Police said his vehicle which has been seized had evidence confirming a shooting. They said the shooting was targeted. Hamilton shootings in 2020 Anyone with information, including any surveillance video, is asked to call Det. Const. Jared Millington at 905 546-8966 or Det. Sgt. Marco DelConte at 905-546-3851. To remain anonymous contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or crimestoppershamilton.com. Nearly 500 New York police officers have suffered horrific injuries in riots and protests this summer. Cops have been shot at, hit with bricks, bottles and Molotov cocktails, hit by cars and stabbed amid a spate of unrest. Department data shows at least 472 officers have been injured when responding to protests since May 28, with 319 requiring hospital treatment. NYPD Lt. Richard Mack, who was attacked by a group of protesters in June, is among nearly 500 New York police officers who have been injured in riots and protests this summer Patrick Lynch, the head of the Police Benevolent Association, told The Washington Examiner: 'The chaos that politicians are encouraging on the streets is putting cops in the hospital. 'It is not just the nearly 500 cops who have been hit with bricks and bottles or otherwise injured during supposedly 'peaceful' protests. 'Hundreds more are being injured because criminals are emboldened to fight cops the moment we step on the scene. They know our hands are tied.' A lieutenant is covered in blood on Brooklyn Bridge after clashes with Black Lives Matter protesters The 472 injured cops add to the total 7,528 NYPD line-of-duty injuries so far in 2020, up 47 per cent from 5,133 last year The 472 injured cops add to the total 7,528 NYPD line-of-duty injuries so far in 2020, up 47 per cent from 5,133 last year. In one of the more distressing incidents, NYPD Lt. Richard Mack was attacked by protesters on Brooklyn Bridge in July, needing emergency eye surgery after receiving a number of blows to the head. Meanwhile Sgt. William Maher was struck by a hit-and-run driver when attending a looting in The Bronx in June. NYPD Chief of Department Terence Monahan is pictured bandaging his injured fingers after an attack New York City Police Department Sgt. Joseph Imperatrice, who founded Blue Lives Matter NYC, told the New York Post: 'The average person doesn't hear about the daily assaults and injuries to police officers. 'Officers are hurt every single day whether in regards to being assigned to routine patrol or a riot location.' The sergeant has even witnessed some of the violent attacks, seeing protesters throw rocks and bricks at officers on the front line. SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Inkling , a global leader in modern digital learning solutions, today announced that it has joined forces with OpenSesame , the global elearning innovator, to streamline access to more than 20,000 modern elearning courses. The partnership enables users to easily access the world's top publishers through OpenSesame and easily import them into the Inkling Learning Pathways system. "Both Inkling and OpenSesame share strong relationships with common clients in key markets like retail, life sciences, healthcare and technology," said Inkling CEO Jeff Carr. "Together, we can offer even greater flexibility to our customers by providing access to an extensive catalog of excellent off-the-shelf elearning courses curated by OpenSesame, managed and delivered through our end-to-end modern learning platform and our Inkling Learning Pathways application." Inkling Learning Pathways is a mobile-first solution that enables users to complete structured courses at their own pace, and easily reference material later when needed. Employees can take courses anytime, anywhere, and on any device, and quickly obtain trainer sign offs to track completions and show competency. The platform also helps managers measure results and track individual and team progress. "Inkling has built a strong reputation for custom content authoring and distribution. Now, with OpenSesame, leading organizations can quickly and easily select from more than 20,000 courses in our comprehensive catalog to add to Inkling Learning Pathways," said Tom Turnbull, vice president, Partnerships at OpenSesame. "Together, we're bringing our customers' modern-day learning dreams alive." OpenSesame offers the most comprehensive catalog of elearning courses from the world's top publishers. The company has partnered with Inkling to curate the top 25 courses in each key vertical, and delivers modern learning resources for compliance, onboarding, leadership training and more. These unique bundles are only available through the Inkling and OpenSesame partnership. Clients will also have the option of choosing larger curated bundles and an unlimited access option if they choose. Inkling and OpenSesame will collaborate on pipeline opportunities and sales, and participate together at industry events. OpenSesame recently sponsored the Inkling Illuminate user conference, a virtual event that was held September 14-17, 2020. About Inkling Inkling is a leading, global, modern learning platform designed for today's learners and today's work. The company delivers your most critical knowledge to your people in the flow of work, anytime, anywhere and on any device. With easy content authoring, simplified learning paths, a modern learning experience and meaningful insights, Inkling's modern operational learning platform delivers learning flawlessly and with simplicity. Leading brands trust Inkling to help them efficiently onboard employees, ensure continued performance enablement, and successfully execute corporate initiatives while providing new levels of visibility into critical operating metrics. Founded in 2009 Inkling is based in San Francisco, Calif. For more information about Inkling, visit www.inkling.com . About OpenSesame OpenSesame helps develop the world's most productive and admired workforces. With the most comprehensive catalog of elearning courses from the world's top publishers, we are here to help you every step of the way, from finding courses, mapping them to your core competencies, syncing them with your LMS to increasing utilization and improving your L&D programs. Not only will you have the flexibility of multiple purchasing options from OpenSesame, you'll find it simple to use and administer your elearning courses. To learn more, visit www.opensesame.com . SOURCE Inkling Related Links https://www.opensesame.com Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 28) Batangas Gov. Hermilando Mandanas said the reported increase in the number of COVID-19 cases in the province was due to its enhanced testing capacity. Ang pagtaas ng confirmed cases dito ay hindi lamang nagpapakita na dumadami, dahil kailangan rin nating isaisip na dumdami ito dahil dumadami rin ang aming testing, Mandanas told CNN Philippines News.PH on Monday. [Translation: The increase in confirmed cases here does not only mean more infections, because we also need to keep in mind that it is also due to enhanced testing.] Mandanas revealed they now have two operating laboratories in the province. The governor said to control the spread of the virus, especially in households, they recently prohibited home quarantine. Asymptomatic individuals are instead brought to hotels where they are isolated and treated, with the approval of the person or his or her guardian. If not applicable, the patients house should follow the right safety precautions for home quarantine, like proper ventilation and a separate room and toilet. Batangas now has 7,187 COVID-19 infections, the fourth province in CALABARZON with the most number of cases. Laguna tops the region's list with 15,879. CALABARZON meanwhile has 52,276 cases, ranking second among regions with the most number of infections after Metro Manila with 160,796, latest data from the Department of Health show. Amid pandemic, Union health minister Harsh Vardhan assures COVID-19 will be under control by Diwali India oi-Ajay Joseph Raj P New Delhi, Sep 28: Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan had recently expressed confidence that the country's COVID-19 count will be "under control" by Diwali this year. Inaugurating the 'Nation First' webinar series, organised by the Anathkumar Foundation, the health minister pointed out that the country was much ahead in tackling the pandemic. In a press release, Harsh Vardha said, "The COVID-19 will significantly come under control by the Deepavali this year. The leaders and common people effectively worked together to fight the pandemic. He inaugurated Nation first webinar series organised by Ananth Kumar Foundation." Italy's 1st COVID-19 patient takes part in race in memory of victims He further went on to say that the health officials had held a meeting much before the first COVID-19 case was reported in India. "Later on, Prime Minister Narendra Modi formed a committee led by me which has already met 22 times. There was only one laboratory in June by February, which has now been increased to 1,583 nationwide. Out of this, more than 1,000 are government labs. The country is conducting about 1 million tests per day which is way ahead of the target," the health minister said. No Ram Leela in Ayodhya this year amid coronavirus pandemic He observed that compared to earlier there is no scarcity of PPE kits, ventilators, and N95 masks now Amrinder Singh joins farmers' protest, says 'Pakistan's ISI may take advantage' | Oneindia News "The scarcity of PPE kits, ventilators, and N 95 masks is no more now. Every day, five lakh PPE kits are produced in the country while 10 manufacturers are producing N95 masks. 25 producers are manufacturing ventilators," he added. Harsh Vardhan said that vaccine trials are in full swing, with three clinical trials and four pre-clinical trials underway. "We are expecting vaccines to be ready by the end of the year. It is because of the farsightedness of Prime Minister Narendra Modi that we could reach until here," he added. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, September 28, 2020, 11:17 [IST] WATERLOO REGION In mid-September, residents of Waterloo Region and much of the east coast of Canada received a stark reminder of the catastrophic consequences of climate change. For several days, the smoky haze of the California and Oregon wildfires hung in the local air, despite this region being more than 4,000 kilometres away from the raging blazes that destroyed millions of acres of forest, killed dozens of people and caused billions of dollars in damage. Forest fires are normal this time of year, but researchers say these fires were amplified by climate change and will only worsen unless humanity curbs its carbon emissions. Here in Waterloo Region, despite the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and its associated health and economic impacts, many argue that now is the ideal time for this country to put the national economy on a greener, more sustainable path. Why now? Canada and the rest of the world has suffered enormous economic and social consequences as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Businesses have been temporarily shuttered to help slow the spread of the virus and many have gone out of business altogether. The federal and provincial governments have spent billions over the past six months to keep the economy afloat and to help people pay their bills as millions have lost their jobs. The national deficit is projected to be more than $340 billion this year, or about 16 per cent of total GDP. Its the countrys largest economic shortfall since the Second World War. With our lives in disarray and the economy on such unstable ground, it could be argued that now is not the time to shift away from oil and gas. After all, Canadas energy sector employed more than 280,000 people and indirectly supported about 550,000 jobs as of 2018. It also contributed about $108 billion to national GDP. Yet others believe that now is precisely the time for that shift to occur. People have changed a lot of things in the last number of months, and weve proven that when were motivated stuff can happen, said Ellen Russell, an associate professor at Wilfrid Laurier University with expertise in public policy, the political economy, social justice and the environment. Weve shifted to virtual work, businesses have pivoted to stay afloat and entirely new companies have sprung up to supply critical products such as face masks, hand sanitizer and ventilators. All levels of government have also stepped in to help fund critical research. The pandemic has shown that rapid transformation is possible (and) weve proven that when push comes to shove, a lot can change, Russell said. Priyanka Lloyd views the need to shift to a green economy a little more starkly. The reality is we have to, because the climate crisis will still be there even when we deal with this health crisis, said Lloyd, executive director of Waterloo-based Green Economy Canada, an organization working to accelerate the transition of Canadian business to a low-carbon economy by establishing hubs of local experts across Canada. This is the perfect time to include a green recovery. The green economy is already a major employer and contributor to the Canadian economy; as of 2017, 298,000 Canadians were employed in the clean energy sector, generating around $57 billion. Clean Energy Canada, a green energy advocacy group at Simon Fraser University, estimates the clean energy sector could add 160,000 new jobs by the end of this decade, while 50,000 will be lost in fossil fuels over that same period. And a survey of 3,000 Canadians at the end of August conducted by the Environics Institute found 54 per cent of respondents believe investing more in clean energy technologies and environmentally friendly businesses can make it possible to combine a faster economic recovery with action on climate change. Only five per cent said the economy works fine in its current form. What is a green economy? Its one thing to say Canada needs to develop a greener and more sustainable economy, but what does that actually look like? The Green Party of Canadas 2019 election platform provides some insight, stating a green economy includes a focus on renewable energy over fossil fuels and increased food security that values local food. A green economy is one that makes environmental sustainability, human well-being and business success synonymous, said Lloyd. It recognizes businesses need to take into account the impact they have on their community and the environment. Last weeks federal throne speech outlined four foundational approaches the governing Liberals will take to help Canada emerge from the pandemic. One of those is to create a stronger, more resilient nation by creating jobs and long-term competitiveness within the green economy. The speech repeated an earlier government promise to use nature-based solutions to fight climate change, including planting two billion trees, to continue to put a price on carbon, and to modernize the Canadian Environmental Protection Act. It mentioned a Clean Power Fund and more investment in renewable energy and other technological solutions. Innovation will almost certainly play a key role in the transition and Waterloo Region could emerge as an important player in a future green economy. This area is home to approximately 50 small- and medium-sized clean tech companies, ranging from firms that develop more sustainable and energy-efficient building materials to a company that makes soap and shower products with virtually zero packaging. Evercloak has set its sights on a problem that is poised to only grow as the planet warms the cooling of homes and offices. Company CEO Evelyn Allen said air cooling is expected to account for up to a third of global energy demand by 2050. The warmer the Earth gets, the more well be reaching to switch on the A/C. Its a really vicious cycle, Allen said. Her company is developing a proprietary membrane that can be installed in new air conditioning units or retrofitted into older ones to reduce energy use. One of the ways air conditioners work is by removing humidity in the air through condensation, but its an energy-intensive process, Allen said. Evercloak claims its technology can remove humidity from the air without having to condense it first, which can improve efficiency by 50 per cent or more. The company expects to scale up to manufacturing by 2022. Allen said the federal government should focus on helping small companies like hers get to market faster by providing early seed funding when private investors may not be willing to put their own money on the line. That early stage, pre-seed funding is important for a lot of green tech companies. They need more resources to get to the validation stage. Not everyone agrees. Tracy Snodden, an associate professor in the Lazaridis School of Business and Economics at Wilfrid Laurier University, is an expert in carbon pricing, federal and provincial fiscal relationships and intergovernmental grants. She believes the federal carbon tax should be a major plank for the governments plan, not green tech subsidies. Introduced in 2019, the nationwide price on carbon started at $20 per tonne of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) and will increase by $10 per tonne annually to $50 per tonne in 2022 for provinces that dont implement their own price on carbon. You can change peoples behaviours and influence technological investment decisions and research and development decisions by creating a price signal making it worthwhile to pursue those investments, Snodden said. This is done by raising the price of carbon to make it more expensive to use fossil fuels, which in turn makes alternative green technologies more competitive from an economic standpoint. Theyre used all around the world and have been shown to help reduce emissions. Canada continues to invest in oil and gas projects, including Fridays announcement of $320 million to support the offshore oil industry in Newfoundland and Labrador. The federal government also notably purchased the Trans Mountain pipeline from Kinder Morgan for $4.5 billion in 2018 to ensure an expansion gets built. The throne speech stated Canada cannot transition without the know-how of the energy sector, and the government will support manufacturing, natural resource, and energy sectors as they work to transform to meet a net zero future, creating good-paying and long-lasting jobs. Canada is among the top 15 global emitters of greenhouse gases and one of the worst per capita emitters in the world. But all nations, especially major emitters, must work together to do their share, Snodden said. Its important to recognize this problem will need to be tackled on the global stage. Experts say the world is running out of time to address climate change as we move closer to irreversible tipping points that could lead to runaway global warming, including the destruction of the rainforest and the disintegration of glacial ice sheets at the north and south poles that help regulate global temperatures. Images of the burning forests on the west coast hit home for Allen, a mother of two children aged 9 and 11, and reaffirmed her commitment to develop technology to try and avert the crisis. When I see those things in the news it reinforces my urgency, she said. James Jackson is a Waterloo Region-based reporter focusing on business and technology for the Record. Reach him via email: jjackson@therecord.com Read more about: Krachi West MP Helen Ntoso 28.09.2020 LISTEN Krachi West MP Helen Ntoso has accused the ruling NPP government of deliberately using the Western Togoland secessionist group to create insecurity in the Volta Region so as to justify deployment of troops to the opposition stronghold in the lead-up to the 7 December polls to intimidate supporters of the biggest opposition party from voting. The Volta Region is the World Bank of the NDC, so, if things of this nature are going on, then it means the government wants certain things to happen in the region to use it as a justification to say there is no peace in the Volta Region and deploy military personnel there to put fear in the locals so as not to turn up to vote in the 7 December polls just as they did during the voter registration exercise, she alleged in an interview with Kwabena Prah Jr on Accra100.5FMs morning show Ghana Yensom. The former Volta Regional Minister is not the first person to raise such suspicions about Fridays attempt by the Togolanders to take over the region by blocking all entry and exit points, taking over two police stations, taking officers hostage and stealing weapons from the armouries, as part of their push for independence. Her colleague MP for South Tongu, Mr Kobina Mensah Woyome, claimed one of the secessionists told him on the phone that they had the support of Volta Regional Minister Dr Archibald Letsa. Mr Woyome said he had called the Tongu divisional police commander's phone, who had apparently been taken hostage by the militants, and one of them answered it and said the regional minister was their patron. Speaking in an interview with Class News Volta regional correspondent Albert Kuzor, Mr Woyome said: What is happening now, looking at the scheme in which it has occurred, the coordinated nature of the whole activity here, Mepe, Atimpoku, I hear Afiefe and several other places at a go, at the same time, and the attacks on the police in this manner, it baffles me a bit. I dont think the security will go to sleep and just relax and not be able to be on top and ahead of anything like this. Because, the way it happened, it means they might have sat, planned or deliberately, people who ought to act, didnt act; people who must be acting and preventing them from happening simply just didnt want to do and, so, for big names to be coming up like this, whether true or not true, which calls for some investigation anyway, it leaves so much to be desired and too many question marks. The South Tongu MP condemned the action of the group and the people behind its actions. Does it have some political undertone? Is it because the hearsay is that this is the stronghold of the opposition party and, so, lets cause some confusion and disaffection so, maybe, people dont go to the polls? Is that the plan? Its just unfortunate, Mr Woyome said. Now, people are hurt, but Im aware that even a woman was shot at and, so, theyve picked up her belongings including her ID card to chase her to the hospital to go and look out for her and see how shes faring. You can see bloodstains on the ground and all that; that for me is uncalled for, it must not be happening. Were in a country that I know that we have a very good security system in place but unfortunately, the way its going, its leaving too many question marks on our minds. The government must sit up, he noted. Mr Woyome further called for investigations into the matter. Should we say that we cannot trust in our security system anymore? That we should be here and somebody comes to attack us and goes free without picking intelligence and preventing it from happening. It leaves too many questions unanswered on our minds and I think that is a serious matter, its not like the group is not known There are better ways to go about this thing, not necessarily the blocking of roads, even if you should block the roads, I dont think you should go to the extent of attacking police stations to the extent of shooting law enforcement agents, and then hurting them, and as a result, being attacked in response. All these things are needless, we need to get into this matter, he said. ---classfmonline At least 39 in 100 Nigerians say they would prefer to own an international degree from universities in the United Kingdom. This is according to a poll by Daily Trust asking respondents where they would most prefer to have an international degree. The poll provided respondents with four countries: U.K, U.S, Germany and Canada. Where would you most prefer to get an international degree? -- Daily Trust (@daily_trust) September 22, 2020 While 30.2% of these respondents said they would prefer an international degree from universities in Canada, 18.4% have chosen to have theirs from the United States of America. And 12% say they would prefer to obtain theirs from universities in Germany. Why study abroad? Most students prefer to study abroad due to a number of factors. One of the main reason students say they pursued an international degree is the opportunity it avails them to see the world . By studying abroad, students will experience a brand-new country with incredible new outlooks, customs and activities. Another reason is the chance to experience different styles of education. By enrolling in a study abroad program, you will be opportune to see a new side to your major you've not been exposed to while in Nigeria. Studying abroad also avails students the opportunity to horn their language skills, learn new languages, know more about other people's culture etc. Studying abroad is also without having strikes every now and then compared to Nigeria where University lecturers are striking due to unmet demands. Why would you like to study abroad? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section via our social media handles @daily_trust. A boy who suffered life-changing injuries when he was thrown from the Tate Modern viewing platform can now stand unaided, family members have said. The child, who was on holiday in London at the time of the incident, has now moved into a new recovery centre in his native France to continue his rehabilitation. His progress comes more than a year after he was hurled from a 10th-storey balcony by teenager Jonty Bravery,18, who is serving a 15-year prison sentence for attempted murder. In a statement updating well-wishers about the seven-year-old victims progress, the boys family described how his condition has improved in recent months. Jonty Bravery pleaded guilty at the Old Bailey to attempted murder over the incident at the Tate Modern / PA They said: We are already seeing new progress: he can at last stand on his legs without any help or support! Furthermore, his memory is gradually improving: he can now remember activities he has done the same day or the day before! Regarding food, he now eats almost alone (after everything has been cut out and prepared for him) and, in a suitable glass, he begins to drink slightly thickened liquids! Its very important progress. The family said the boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, spends his weekdays at the rehabilitation centre and stays with his family at the weekends. The statement added: At the moment, we are still far from home, but we have come close enough that our sons friends can come and visit him more often, as well as our family. The lockdown had isolated us so much: it was really, really hard. We strongly believe in this new centre. A fundraising page for the victim has raised more than 250,000 towards his care. Ukraine reopened its borders to international visitors at 00:01 a.m. on September 28, the Ukrainian State Border Guard Service said. "A decree which also set out restrictions on foreigners' entry continues to be valid. This is Government Decree No. 641. At the same time, it imposed a ban on foreigners' entry to the territory of our country precisely from August 28 and until 00:01 a.m. on September 28. Thus, as a matter of fact, this norm that banned foreigners from entering our country ceased to be in effect overnight. From now on, foreigners are allowed to enter our country," State Border Guard Service spokesman Andriy Demchenko told Interfax-Ukraine on Monday. Border guards are acting in compliance with the law that regulates passage across the state border of Ukraine, i.e. the law "On Border Control", and in compliance with the government's decree on foreign citizens' exit and entry to Ukraine, he said. There are currently no separate requirements for foreigners to self-isolate or have travel medical insurance when coming to Ukraine, he said. "This norm has ceased to be in effect. Therefore, there are presently no separate requirements that the government would have imposed on foreigners who enter Ukraine during the quarantine," Demchenko said. As reported earlier, Ukraine banned foreign citizens from entering its territory from 00:01 a.m. on August 28 and until 00:01 a.m. on September 28. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Monday the United States will use its diplomatic and military influence in the region to try to ease a volatile dispute between NATO allies Greece and Turkey over energy rights in the eastern Mediterranean. Pompeo began a five-day regional tour Monday in the northern Greek city of Thessaloniki, days after Greece and Turkey committed to restarting a diplomatic dialogue on the dispute that triggered a dangerous military build-up and fears of military conflict in the disputed maritime area over the summer. The United States and Greece shared views on the eastern Mediterranean and reaffirmed their belief that maritime delimitation issues should be resolved peacefully, the two countries said in a joint statement after Pompeo met with Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias. The two countries, it said, reiterated their dedication to enhancing their close cooperation as NATO allies, using all appropriate means at their disposal, in order to safeguard stability and security in the wider region. Relations between Greece and neighbouring Turkey deteriorated sharply this year over disputed maritime boundaries and exploration rights in the eastern Mediterranean. Turkey sent a research vessel, accompanied by warships, to prospect for energy resources in an area Greece claims is on its own continental shelf and where it claims exclusive economic rights. Athens sent warships of its own to the area. European Union members later this week are to discuss imposing sanctions on Turkey for its actions. Pompeo had discussed the situation in the eastern Mediterranean late Sunday with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg as he headed to Greece. Pompeos regional tour will also include Italy, the Vatican, and Croatia. Later Monday, he will depart to the Greek island of Crete where he is scheduled to meet with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and visit a US naval base at Souda Bay. Last October, Pompeo visited Athens and signed a revised defense cooperation agreement with Greece that provided for increasing joint US-Greece and NATO activity at three locations in Greece as well as infrastructure and other improvements at Souda Bay. Amid the tension with Turkey, Greece has announced major arms purchases, including fighter jets from France, as well as warships, helicopters, and weapons systems. Pompeo is the first US Secretary of State to visit Greeces second-largest city of Thessaloniki. Security was tight in the port city, with the venue of Pompeos meeting with Dendias changing from the originally planned location, a local ministry, to a hotel for security reasons, authorities said. A protest against his visit was planned for Monday evening. During his visit to Thessaloniki, Pompeo is to sign a bilateral science and technology agreement, as well as host energy sector business leaders for a discussion to highlight energy diversification and infrastructure projects in Greece. He will also join members of the citys Jewish community to commemorate Yom Kippur. No date has yet been set for the start of the Greek-Turkish exploratory talks. Salem State University students who partied amid the ongoing COVID pandemic are now facing disciplinary actions. The group of students threw an off-campus party with dozens of people attending, according to university and city officials. The party resulted in two people under arrest and more than $1,200 worth of damage to a playground at Pickman Park in Salem. Of the two people arrested in connection with the party, only one is a student at Salem State University. In addition to violating rules regarding large gatherings, there was also conduct involved in both incidents that led to arrests, read a joint statement from Salem Mayor Kim Driscoll and Salem State University President John Keenan on Saturday. In each case, the Salem Police Department and city officials are working closely with Salem State Police and university officials to identify as many responsible parties as possible and ensure they face the appropriate consequences, both on- and off-campus. The owner of the home on Becket Street, where over 50 people gathered Friday, has been cited by the Salem Police Department for keeping a disorderly house, according to Driscoll and Keenan. One individual, that is not affiliated to the university, was arrested for disorderly conduct and resisting arrest. The mayor and college president said that students who are identified as having attended the gathering will face additional disciplinary consequences from the university. They added that regardless, all those who attended the party need to get tested for coronavirus in an effort to curb any potential outbreak. In partnership with the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, the city offers free COVID testing at Salem High School as part of the Stop the Spread initiative set up by the state. University police were notified of a second incident at Pickman Park. Police from the university informed the citys police department and a university student was arrested and charged for burning personal property and vandalism to playground equipment resulting in more than $1,200 of damage. The investigation and identification of other people present, as well as their involvement, is still ongoing. We are issuing this joint statement to keep community members informed about these activities and to assure you that City and university leaders take seriously the public health concerns such incidents raise, read the joint statement. Those responsible in both instances will be held accountable to the greatest extent possible under the law and under the universitys disciplinary policies. On Saturday, state data reported that 819 Salem residents have tested positive for the coronavirus since the start of the outbreak, with 160 cases currently active. Forty Salem residents have died from the virus. Officials began sharing the community-level data as part of a state-led initiative to stem the spread of COVID-19. Those stats, the rate of infection per 100,000 residents, as well the positive test rate, positive test results by age group and contact tracing analysis help to inform the states response to communities harder hit by the virus. Another incident on Friday saw students in Milton throwing a party that saw between 50 to 100 teenagers gather and have subsequently put the new hybrid learning program at risk. We as a district do not condone this type of behavior, and it goes against everything we have been asking the community to do to help ensure that our schools stay open in a hybrid model during this global pandemic, read the letter signed by Superintendent James Jette and Milton High School Principal Karen Cahill. The school in Milton could not confirm if any of their students attended the party but the fact it took place in Milton is still concerning. As of Sunday, at least 128,426 Massachusetts residents have tested positive for coronavirus, according to the state DPH. The statewide death toll now stands at 9,191; when including probable cases, that figure rises to 9,404. Related Content: leaders and workers, including its president Anil Kumar, were detained by police on Monday during a protest against farm bills at Rajghat. Kumar said a protest march from Rajghat to Raj Niwas was also scheduled but police detained party leaders and workers before it could begin. "We wanted to submit a memorandum to the Lt governor against the farm bills passed by Parliament but we were detained by the police. The will not rest till the Modi government withdraws its anti-farmer bills," he said. According to a senior police officer, several workers were detained. The detained protesters were taken to a stadium in Hari Nagar, Congress leader Parvez Alam said. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Just nine orders for commercial aircraft were placed globally last month, making it the worst August ever. The figure represented a 59 per cent drop on a year ago, industry body ADS said, and a 92 per cent drop on 2018. In pieces: The figure represented a 59 per cent drop on a year ago and a 92 per cent drop on 2018 It underlines the scale of the crisis facing the aerospace industry as the pandemic heavily dents levels of air travel and hits demand for new aircraft. Since March, only 123 orders have been placed. ADS boss Paul Everitt warned that 110,000 British jobs depend on the industry and urged the Government to do more to open up air travel again. He said: 'A full restart is the only way to ensure the future of the UK's aerospace sector.' Fall is in the air, along with a distinct smell of panic among Democrats and the media. Leaves are turning yellow and orange as presidential opinion polls are slowly but inexorably shifting favorably toward President Trump, turning the electoral map a brighter shade of red to match the leaves. There is a chill in the morning air, especially among deep state corruptocrats waiting for the next report or indictment from the few in Washington D.C. committed to the rule of law. The Chinese virus has been an effective club against Trump making America great again during the past year The first case arrived in Seattle, coincidentally or not, on the same day Jerry Nadler waddled with fellow Democrats from the House to the Senate delivering articles of impeachment. Initially we heard about Wuhan virus deaths, Fox News ran a death tally as a side bar on the television screen just as business cable news provides a real time tally of the Dow average. As deaths peaked and declined, the DNC media pivoted to case counts, ignoring deaths and hospitalizations. We later found out that deaths were over counted, with health authorities making no distinction between dying with or from COVID. George Floyd would be classified as a COVID death since he tested positive at autopsy, despite his true cause of death being a fentanyl overdose. Gunshot deaths and alcohol poisonings were counted as Chinese virus deaths simply because of a positive test. The CDC recently revealed that only 6 percent of COVID deaths were solely from the virus, without confounding comorbidities that may have contributed to but not necessarily caused death. Now it is case counts, every positive test hysterically trumpeted by the media in doomsday fashion. A positive case is more than simply a positive test, just as a single elevated blood sugar reading does not make one diabetic. In the movie Casablanca, a kiss was just a kiss. In contrast, in the world of public health, a case is not just a case. There are criteria for what constitutes a case, called the case definition. The CDC definition is a bit complicated and includes clinical criteria, meaning symptoms of cough, shortness of breath, and pneumonia. Laboratory criteria means a positive FDA approved test using a molecular amplification detection test. Epidemiologic criteria mean close contact with an infected individual or travel to a viral hot spot. But a positive antigen test alone does not mean a probable case. Instead what is needed is, Presumptive laboratory evidence AND either clinical criteria OR epidemiologic evidence. Notice the AND, meaning not simply a positive test. Additionally, the PCR test for the Chinese flu is quite sensitive based on amplification cycles, as I explain here. The test is so sensitive that it can detect just a few dead viral particles, which have no clinical significance. Most of these test positive cases are not contagious or symptomatic, according to the New York Times. When PCR testing is amplified to the extreme, it is like having a burglar alarm so sensitive that a rabbit running across your lawn sets it off. Yes, it is an intrusion but not of any significance. A flu virus that has been in this country for the better part of a year is ubiquitous with many individuals exposed at some point. After exposure, the virus replicates, but not enough to cause any symptoms, much less serious illness. Dead viral fragments may stick around deep within the nasal cavity for months, triggering a positive test, and what the media now describes as a case. After initial cases in March and April we had a second surge in the summer reportedly due to Trump rallies, but conveniently not related to the protests and riots in most major U.S. cities since Memorial Day. Those cases have petered out but as the election nears and a new Supreme Court Justice, the Notorious ACB is around the corner, the media and the left need a new narrative to scare the population and augment the push for mail in ballots. On schedule, it is time for a third wave. My hometown Denver Post ran this headline, Polis warns of third wave as Colorado sees acceleration of COVID-19 spread across all age groups. Is it a surge in sick individuals ready to overwhelm the healthcare system with ventilator shortages and patients dying in emergency room hallways as we were promised last April? No instead it is a significant outbreak among college students, mostly at CU Boulder, one of the top party schools in America. YouTube screen grab Are these real cases of the Wuhan flu or simply positive tests? Are they filling Boulders hospitals and ICU beds? The article answers this far below the scary headline, Hospitalizations for COVID-19, however, remain stable in Colorado. For university students, the age 18-29 group, the rate of COVID hospitalization is less than half the rate for the overall population and more then ten-fold less than that of their grandparents. According to the CDC, in an overlapping age group of age 15-24, there have been only 333 deaths involving, but not necessarily caused by, COVID compared to 20,786 all cause deaths. Clearly this third wave is a surge in positive cases in otherwise young and healthy individuals, hype rather than a justification for CU Boulder Switching to remote learning for at least 2 weeks amid COVID-19 surge. In other worse, a casedemic rather than a pandemic. As Gateway Pundit reported, 48,299 cases of the Wuhan flu at 37 universities in the U.S. resulted in only two hospitalizations and zero deaths. For those under 20 years old, The likelihood of dying from COVID in Indiana is a 1.7-in-a-million chance, far lower than being killed in ones lifetime by lightning or by a dog." Rather than keeping test positive students on campus and learning, few if any getting sick, letting the school campus develop herd immunity, many will return home to potentially infect their more vulnerable parents, grandparents, and communities. Great idea. Hysteria has replaced reason among Democrats and their media allies. Then again if they had common sense, they would not have attempted to impeach a popular president, or nominate a senile presidential candidate, decades past his prime, which was marginal at best. As all else has failed to derail Trumps reelection, why not hype the virus again with surges and death counts that are meaningless for a pandemic that peaked in mid-April. Lets call it a casedemic instead. This can at least clog the fake news cycle until Senate Democrats accuse Amy Coney Barrett of running rape trains in high school. Brian C. Joondeph, M.D., is a Denver-based physician and freelance writer whose pieces have appeared in American Thinker, Daily Caller, Rasmussen Reports, and other publications. Follow him on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Parler, and QuodVerum. Good morning ladies and gentlemen of the press. We have gathered you here to add our voice to the numerous calls for the Government of Ghana to withdraw the $150 charge for the COVID-19 test at Kotoka International Airport (KIA) We the members of this group think this is the time the government should show appreciation to Ghanaians abroad for our contributions to the growth of the Ghanaian economy by withdrawing the $150 virus fee. We are aware that some countries are charging as little as $20 or $30 for the same test and they have offered reasonable reasons why they are even charging. In Ghana, the only reason given is that it is not the government who is charging but some private individuals. As we speak to you, we dont know who those private individuals are. We were informed that in a nation-wide telecast to the nation, the President said Ghanaians abroad are happy to be paying the $150 fee. We are aware this President has been misled on several issues and we are not surprised that he has been misled on this one too. We are disappointed that this government in particular wants to steal from Ghanaians at any given opportunity. Examples are these $ 150 charges for COVID-19 test and GHC 0.30 charge for Ghanaians to check their names on the voters' register. These are charges the government should be able to afford for its citizens. This government has mandated that everyone coming to Ghana should have a clean health report indicating that the person tested negative to the virus 72 hours before their flight. We want the government to know that, that test is not free. So paying double for the same test, we think amounts to stealing. We are hoping that for once, the government will treat its citizens abroad fairly and with respect. We dont want to believe that the inability by the Electoral Commission to implement ROPAL affected the decision by the government. But ROPAL or no ROPAL, we should be given the same treatment as Ghanaians who, one way or the other change the destiny of the country. We dont want to politicize this but looking at the way this government is given free stuff and increasing allowances to some Ghanaians, we can say if the ROPAL had been implemented, we too, would have gotten this test for free. This is where we think, this government is not treating her citizens abroad fairly and with respect. Please Mr. President, withdraw the $150 virus test fee at KIA. Thank you very much for coming. Signed: Dr. Lawrence Appiah (President) 1 703 400 1621 TSX/NYSE/PSE: MFC SEHK: 945 BOSTON, Sept. 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ - John Hancock Investment Management, a company of Manulife Investment Management, announced that its inaugural suite of John Hancock ETFs was launched five years ago today. The firm's ETF offering, subadvised by Dimensional Fund Advisors, has since expanded to 15 funds that include U.S. and international equity portfolios and a range of sector-specific products. The original suite of ETFs, celebrating five-year track records, includes the following six funds: John Hancock Multifactor Large Cap ETF (JHML) John Hancock Multifactor Mid Cap ETF (JHMM) John Hancock Multifactor Technology ETF (JHMT) John Hancock Multifactor Healthcare ETF (JHMH) John Hancock Multifactor Financials ETF (JHMF) John Hancock Multifactor Consumer Discretionary ETF (JHMC) "With more than $4 billion in assets under management, we are grateful to the financial professionals and their clients who have embraced the John Hancock ETF suite and are utilizing the funds in portfolios," said Andrew Arnott, CEO, John Hancock Investment Management and Head of Wealth and Asset Management, Manulife Investment Management, United States and Europe. "We remain committed to providing value in a robust multimanager offering to our clients and to innovating our product structure in response to clients' needs." "We are excited to have reached this milestone for our original suite of multifactor ETFs," said Steve Deroian, Head of Asset Allocation Models and ETF Product, John Hancock Investment Management. "From the launch of these ETFs, through the recent market events and the impact of COVID -19, investors have reason to think about the multifactor offering as a way to enhance or complement core equity portfolios. Our approach offers a diversified set of strategies that may help avoid concentrations in large-cap and growth stocks and help solve for portfolio-construction challenges that exist today." To find more information about John Hancock Investment Management, and to compare these funds with others in their categories, please visit: https://www.jhinvestments.com/login Clients should carefully consider a fund's investment objectives, risks, charges, and expenses before investing. To request a prospectus or summary prospectus with this and other important information, call us at 800-225-6020, or visit us at jhinvestments.com. Investing involves risks, including the potential loss of principal. John Hancock ETFs are distributed by Foreside Fund Services, LLC in the United States, and are subadvised by Dimensional Fund Advisors LP in all markets. Foreside is not affiliated with John Hancock Investment Management Distributors LLC or Dimensional Fund Advisors LP. ETF shares are bought and sold through exchange trading at market price (not NAV), and are not individually redeemed from the fund. Shares may trade at a premium or discount to their NAV in the secondary market. Brokerage commissions will reduce returns. About John Hancock Investment Management John Hancock has helped individuals and institutions build and protect wealth since 1862. Today, we're one of the strongest and most-recognized financial brands. John Hancock Investment Management, a company of Manulife Investment Management, serves investors globally through a unique multimanager approach: We search the world to find proven portfolio teams with specialized expertise for every strategy we offer, then we apply robust investment oversight to ensure they continue to meet our uncompromising standards and serve the best interests of our shareholders. Our approach to asset management has led to a diverse set of investments deeply rooted in investor needs, along with strong risk-adjusted returns across asset classes. About Manulife Investment Management Manulife Investment Management is the global wealth and asset management segment of Manulife Financial Corporation. We draw on more than a century of financial stewardship and the full resources of our parent company to serve individuals, institutions, and retirement plan members worldwide. Headquartered in Toronto, our leading capabilities in public and private markets are strengthened by an investment footprint that spans 17 countries and territories. We complement these capabilities by providing access to a network of unaffiliated asset managers from around the world. We're committed to investing responsibly across our businesses. We develop innovative global frameworks for sustainable investing, collaboratively engage with companies in our securities portfolios, and maintain a high standard of stewardship where we own and operate assets, and we believe in supporting financial well-being through our workplace retirement plans. Today, plan sponsors around the world rely on our retirement plan administration and investment expertise to help their employees plan for, save for, and live a better retirement. As of June 30, 2020, Manulife Investment Management had CAD$900 billion (US$660 billion) in assets under management and administration. Not all offerings are available in all jurisdictions. For additional information, please visit manulifeim.com. SOURCE John Hancock Investment Management Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Tri Indah Oktavianti (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Mon, September 28, 2020 14:31 481 e22cd4161040e111d73a5626c47ad799 1 World Papua,Foreign-Affairs-Ministry,Foreign-Ministry,diplomat,UN,United-Nations,#Papua,human-rights,human-rights-abuse,vanuatu,West-Papua,sovereignty Free Indonesia has lashed out at the Republic of Vanuatu over what Indonesian representatives say are its continuing efforts to raise artificial human rights concerns in Papua. At the 75th session of the United Nations General Assembly on Saturday, Diplomat Silvany Austin Pasaribu said Vanuatu had an excessive and unhealthy obsession with how Indonesia acted and governed in its easternmost provinces and said Vanuatus actions were shameful and in opposition to the fundamental principles of the UN charter. You are not the representatives of the people of Papua, and stop fantasizing about being one, she said while representing Indonesia during the right of reply to a statement made by Vanuatu. Papuans are Indonesians. All of us play an important role in the development of Indonesia, including on the island of Papua. Previously, in an address during the general debate session, Bob Loughman the Prime Minister of the Republic of Vanuatu had called on the Indonesian government to address alleged human rights abuses against the indigenous people of Papua. He said that last year, leaders of the Pacific Islands Forum had respectfully called on the Indonesian government to allow the UN Human Rights Office to visit Papua. He said there had been little progress on the matter. I, therefore, call on the Indonesian government to please hear the previous call of the pacific leaders, he added. Read also: After a year of Papuan antiracism rallies, discrimination remains an everyday occurrence In her response, Silvany highlighted the principle of noninterference in the domestic affairs of other countries, which she claimed was the fundamental principle of the UN charter. She also called on the Vanuatu government to respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of other countries. Indonesia will defend itself from any advocacy of separatism under the guise of artificial human rights concerns. Papua and West Papua have been irrevocable parts of Indonesia since 1945. [...] It is final, irreversible and permanent, she added. She said Vanuatu had yet to ratify the International Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Racial Discrimination; the International Covenant of Economic, Social and Cultural rights; and was not party to the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment. We call on the government of Vanuatu to please fulfill your human rights responsibilities to your people and to the world, Silvany added. The diplomat said accusations of human rights abuses in Papua were common on international stages. live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More Lakshmi Vilas Bank (LVB) is now, for all practical purposes, a headless institution. After its CEO was ousted by shareholders at the bank's AGM last week, three directors are in charge of daily operations following an RBI directive. The market chatter is that the Reserve Bank may step in to put its representatives on LVB board or to push for an immediate merger. On September 25, shareholders of the Chennai-Headquartered bank witnessed some high drama-filled, unprecedented developments at its annual general meeting (AGM). The appointment or re-appointment of all seven directors, including the Managing Director and CEO, S Sundar, was rejected by anguished shareholders along with that of the statutory auditors. The outcome of the AGM (first reported by Moneycontrol ) was unprecedented in many ways. It is rare that shareholders oust an RBI-approved CEO in a bank, along with more than half the directors on the board, and the auditors as well for good measure. One of the institutional investors Moneycontrol spoke to raised concerns about promoters indulging in the banks operations and failure to adhere to good corporate governance norms. What we see in smaller, community-driven, private banks is promoters dominating the show. That isnt desirable for a banking institution handling public money, said an investor requesting anonymity. As news of the management's ouster hit the headlines, Lakshmi Vilas swung into damage control. It sought the central banks approval to form a committee of directors (CoD) to take charge. The approval came on Sunday. Two institutional investors in the bank, who spoke to Moneycontrol on Monday, said the Lakshmi Vilas Bank will be in serious trouble until at least Rs1,500 crore of immediate capital comes in, either from potential acquirer Clix or someone else. There is no money. Only if Rs 1,500 crore comes soon, the bank can resume its normal business operations and return to normalcy, said one of the investors. A second investor said they expect the RBI to step in at the earliest either by pushing for a merger or to put its people on the banks board. A three-people committee can only be a temporary arrangement. The CEOs position is vacant. Majority of the board members are ousted. Such a bank, if left that way, will be a permanent headache. That warrants urgent RBI action to calm down the investors and depositors including us, said the investor. What are the possibilities ahead? One, the central bank can speed up the Clix-LV deal. In the past, RBI has forced mergers of weak banking institutions with stronger candidates. ICICI Bank-Bank of Rajasthan is an example. RBI shouldnt have much problems in approving the LVB-Clix Capital deal, said Anand Dama, analyst at Emkay Global. The situation of LVB is similar to that of Yes Bank, although less severe in terms of systemic impact. The number one option for the RBI is to get the LVB-Clix capital deal done at the earliest. If that doesnt work out, it can think of approaching other banks, said Dama. On 15 September, LVB told exchanges that the two companies have substantially completed the mutual due diligence for a merger. Both companies are now on to the next stage of discussions. There needs to be a formal application made to the RBI for the merger. Investors are hopeful because the deal has progressed past the due diligence. Clix Capital, founded by Pramod Bhasin, who previously headed BPO company Genpact, has deep pockets and boasts a track record in financial services that is sufficient enough to impress the regulator. Clix Capital offers various types of loans. Bhasin acquired the business in 2016 from GE Capital. Private equity firm AION Capital Partners is a significant shareholder in the company. Two, the central bank can temporarily put its representatives on the LVB Board to oversee the day-to-day functions till a solution emerges. The news of the AGM vote-out has raised eyebrows of investors, and shareholders. The question of whether the LVB-Clix deal will go through in the backdrop of the latest developments dominates the minds of investors. The bank had earlier tried to merge with Indiabulls, which didnt get the RBIs nod. There were also informal talks with another NBFC. That, too, fell flat. There is huge uncertainty with respect to the future of the bank. Since there is already a merger deal being discussed with Clix, in the interest of shareholders and depositors, the RBI should first give them a definite time-frame to complete the deal, say a binding agreement of note more than 15 days, said J N Gupta, former Sebi ED and founder of SES, a proxy advisory firm. If this fails, RBI should take a decision on what to do next, Gupta said. Worrying financials LVB has been incurring losses for the past 10 quarters and the RBI initiated Prompt Corrective Action (PCA) in September 2019, which inter alia prescribes the bank to bring in additional capital, restrict further lending to corporates, reduce NPAs, and improve the Provision Coverage Ratio to 70 percent. The distressed finances require the bank to take effective steps to augment its capital base in 2020-21. We were informed that the bank routinely evaluates its capital raising options, the auditors said. According to the March quarter figures, LVB has a capital adequacy ratio (CAR) a measure of the financial stability of a lender of just 1.12 percent as on March 31, as against the RBI requirement of 8 percent. Similarly, the Tier I and II components of CAR stood at a negative 0.88 percent and 2 percent, respectively. Gross non-performing assets (NPAs), or bad loans, as on March 31, stood at 25.39 percent compared with 23.27 percent a year ago. In the March-quarter results notes, under the head 'material uncertainty related to going concern', the banks auditors had outlined the severe financial situation the company is going through and indicated that any chances of survival depend on capital infusion. Bank assures liquidity The bank has, however, assured the public that it has enough liquidity. Its liquidity position continues to remain strong and it has a fully functional board, the bank said in a release on Sunday. Certain news items have appeared, expressing concerns about governance of the bank. Based on voting results of the 93rd Annual General Meeting reappointment of seven directors was not approved. However, the bank continues to have a fully functional Board of Directors including three independent directors, LVB said. The bank's liquidity position as on date is comfortable, with liquidity coverage ratio (LCR) of around 262 percent against a minimum 100 percent required by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), the lender said, adding that the management continues to enforce direct and indirect cost reduction measures. Provision coverage ratio (PCR) remains healthy at 72.6 percent as against the minimum 70 percent prescribed under RBI's Prompt Corrective Action (PCA) framework. But these numbers are of little help to ease the concerns of investors and depositors after what happened in the last AGM, and given the financial track record of the bank. A merger with a strong entity is the only workable option for LVB at this stage, analysts said. Unlike Indiabulls, Clix doesnt have much exposure into risky assets. The regulator should be fine with this merger, said Dama of Emkay Global. He experimented with a tiny transparent glass sphere through which the photons of the laser could pass, and found that he was indeed able to push it around. But unexpectedly the sphere gravitated toward the center of the beam, where it became trapped. The reason had to do with one of the immutable laws of physics: the conservation of momentum. As the photons passed through the sphere and were deflected by it, the sphere moved in the opposite direction of the deflected photons. Since there were more photons at the center of the beam, the sphere was driven toward the center. Dr. Ashkin realized that by using two beams pointed at each other, it would be possible to trap tiny objects and move them around. A landmark article about his discovery was published in Physical Review Letters in 1970. Dr. Ashkin continued to research the subject along with his colleagues at Bell Labs, and in 1980 he came up with a way to use optical traps to measure the charge of an electron. Then, in 1986, he and several colleagues, notably Steven Chu, achieved the first practical application of optical tweezers when they sent a laser through a lens to manipulate microscopic objects. Their results were published in another paper in Physical Review Letters. Dr. Chu began using the tweezers to cool and trap atoms, a breakthrough for which he was awarded a one-third share of the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1997. Dr. Ashkin, it was clear, was irked that the Nobel committee had not recognized his foundational work in awarding the prize. But he had already begun to use the tweezers for a different purpose: trapping live organisms and biological material. Maiduguri Barely 48 hours when some members of dreaded Boko Haram ambushed convoy of Governor Babagana Umara Zulum along Cross Kauwa-Baga road in Borno state leaving over 30 people dead including 10 policemen and 4 soldiers, another set of insurgents laid ambush along Monguno- Maiduguri axis and attacked the returning convoy on Sunday evening. Monguno is north and about 80km drive to Maiduguri, the town hosted thousands of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) mostly from Marte, Baga, Kukawa, Dikwa and other surrounding Local Government Areas. Sources said, the attack led to the shooting of a back tyre of the vehicle/bus conveying Journalists attached to the governor, but the driver manuveared and drove the vehicle on the flat wheel to escape the scene. Although, details were sketchy at press time, one of the occupants/Journalist in the affected bus who did not want his name mentioned confirmed to our correspondent that the convoy ran into another Boko Haram ambush about 50km away to Maiduguri. Unfortunately, the Journalist cell phone lines went off due to poor network, but investigation revealed that no casualty recorded in the latest Sunday ambush. Vanguard VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Sept. 28, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Candente Gold Corp. (TSXV:CDG) ("Candente Gold and/or the Company) is pleased to advise that the Company has signed the Definitive Agreement (in keeping with the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed April 28th, 2020) with Magellan Acquisition Corp. (Magellan) which gives Candente Gold the right to earn up to a 100% interest in the San Dieguito de Arriba beneficiation plant (SDA Plant) and take over their rights to a lease agreement on the El Dorado Property, both located in Nayarit State, Mexico. SDA Plant The SDA plant consists of a flotation plant which also includes a precious metals leach circuit - Merrill Crowe system and associated assets, licenses and agreements. The plant has a ten year operating history at 100 tonnes per day but can be expanded to process mined material at a rate of up to 200 tonnes per day. Historically its operation has been based on sales of flotation concentrates to smelters, and payment for precious metals content. The plant lies within the rich Sierra Madre Occidental mineralized belt, which historically has yielded millions of ounces (oz) of precious metals and offers multiple high grade gold and silver epithermal vein opportunities. The mill was operational from 2007 (by Minerales Vane S.A. de C.V.) until April 2017, processing material from various operations in the region on a both a profit sharing and toll basis. The toll materials were tested prior to processing to estimate recoveries and concentrate grades. Typical reported recoveries were in the range 85 to 92% for gold and 72 to 77% for silver. The mill operated as recently as February 2019 for processing of a bulk sample of approximately 600 tonnes. Due Diligence uncovered the requirements for usual wear and tear maintenance estimated at $95,000 to restore the mill to functional condition in order to receive and run a 1,000 tonne bulk sample from El Dorado. The Company has initiated discussions for potential lines of credit facilities with offtake groups. Story continues El Dorado Gold-Silver Project The El Dorado Gold-Silver Project is located in the Pacific Coastal Plain, State of Nayarit, within a district of epithermal vein systems which is known to host high grade gold and silver in several veins. The El Dorado vein trend is the principal vein system within the property covering an area of 5 km x 3.5 km in size. Veining follows a general northeasterly strike dipping steeply to the NW. A continuous reef outcrop forms a ridge 1.5 kilometers (km) in length. Additional discontinuous outcrops both to the NE and SW indicate a strike length of 3.5 km. The El Dorado vein system has a history of small-scale mining from two veins. Mining in the area has been documented during the periods of: 1900 to 1927; 1965 to 1975; 1975 to 1983; and 1985 to 1990, often producing direct-to-smelter grade material. Most recently, from 1985 to 1990, material from three levels to a depth of 30 meters (m) below the surface was shipped to the "El Venado" processing plant located near Ruiz, Nayarit, for toll treatment to produce a flotation concentrate. Historical metallurgical balance sheets from this plant indicate the grade of the material was in the order of 5 grams per tonne (g/t) gold and 70 g/t silver. Prospero Silver Corp. explored the El Dorado property between 2010 and 2011, through a series of comprehensive exploration programs which included historical data reviews, geological mapping, geochemical sampling, trenching and drilling. A total of 4,950 m were drilled in 28 diamond core holes to an average depth of 150 m, over a strike length of 440 m. The drilling intersected multiple steeply-dipping silicified mineralized zones extending from near-surface to the 150 metre drilled depth. Significant results reported by Prospero on Dec 10, 2010 (https://pr.globenewswire.com/FileDownloader/DownloadFile?source=ml&fileGuid=83e6aacd-f015-48bc-af52-1e3f95cf6d9b) included 16.17 meters grading 4.03 g/t gold, 204 g/t silver, 4.0% lead, and 1.75% zinc; and 2.32 meters grading 6.04 g/t gold and 140 g/t silver. The range of widths and grades of the holes within the central portion of the Hundido historical mine area were reported to range from 1.45 meters to 11.22 meters (true widths). The Companys Qualified Persons have not verified Prosperos drilling results as due to COVID travel restrictions, they have not yet been able to examine the drill core nor assay data and are therefore relying on data provided in News Releases filed on Sedar by Prospero in 2010 and 2011 and verified by their Qualified Persons. Prospero also reported that the mineralized zone is 400 meters long and extends up to 180 meters at depth. Within the mineralized zone Prospero intersected grades ranging from 3.0 to 40.0 g/t Au and 57 to 500 g/t Ag over true widths that range from 0.52 meters to 11.2 meters. To the Companys knowledge, a NI 43-101 compliant mineral resource estimate has not been completed for the El Dorado property, however in July 2011, Prospero conducted an in-house historical resource estimate based on their drilling described above as well as a review of summary cross sections, limited production documentation and other mine records, as well as results from samples of mine dumps, underground sampling (46 by Fresnillo) and 283 surface outcrop samples collected by both Prospero and previous explorers and exploiters. Candente Gold believes that Prosperos Qualified Person (QP) is very well qualified and that the parameters used to arrive at the historical resource estimate are relevant and reliable, however the categories used in the estimate do not appear to be compliant with CIM Definition Standards. The Companys QP cannot verify that a qualified person has done sufficient work to classify the historical estimates as current mineral resources and therefore the Company is not treating the historical estimates as current mineral resources. Historical reviews of the potential tonnes and the potential grades quoted below are conceptual in nature. Prosperos historical resource estimate was calculated using polygonal resources in 10 blocks based on intersections from 10 holes covering/in the Hundido and Intermedia Veins, using a tonnage dilution factor of 25% and a specific gravity of 2.8. Metal equivalencies were based on a gold price of US$1,000 per ounce (oz) and a silver value of US$20 per ounce. Prosperos historical estimate for the Hundido and Intermedia Veins is 190,000 tonnes grading 7.0 g/t gold and 173 g/t silver containing a historical resource of 40,926 oz gold and 1,014,030 oz silver. The grades and tonnages attributable to each vein are as follows: HISTORICAL ESTIMATE / MINERALIZATION INDICATED BY DRILLING Vein True Width m Tonnes Gold Equivalent g/t Hundido 2.3 89,000 7.01 Intermedia 8.3 91,000 15.17 Notes: 1. Polygonal resources based on intersections from 10 holes. 2. Tonnage reduced by 25% to allow for mining dilution and recovery loss. 3. Does not constitute Reserves under SEC Industry Guide 7 nor Resources under current CIM Definition Standards Based on all of the existing exploration data and previous historical resource estimates to date the Company believes that a Conceptual Exploration Target within 150 metres of surface has potential for: 110,000 to 200,000 tonnes of material grading from 4.4 to 9.8 g/t gold and 113 to 239 g/t silver containing between 22,500 and 41,000 oz gold and 500,000 to 1,000,000 oz silver, with secondary credits from lead and zinc. This in-situ conceptual estimate of the potential tonnes and grade is contained in unmined portions of the veins as previously delineated. It does not include vertical extensions of the veins below 150 m nor along strike where the veins have been mapped for 3.5 km nor additional exploration potential. The potential quantity and grade described above is conceptual in nature, that 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 following longitudinal section by Prospero shows the drilling pattern along the El Dorado veinin the area of the Hundido and El Dorado mines, along with summary drill hole intersection grades and widths used in the historical resource estimation. (Prospero News Release dated June 22, 2011) (https://pr.globenewswire.com/FileDownloader/DownloadFile?source=ml&fileGuid=8153e87a-3b93-4a6b-b4af-b0a9c50c0e5b) Significant data compilation, re-drilling, re-sampling and data verification may be required by a Qualified Person for the Company before the intersection widths and grades can be verified to be compliant with current NI 43-101 standards. The Companys QP has not done sufficient work to verify the above-mentioned intersections. In addition to the data described above, exploration potential outside of the area of historical mining and Prosperos drilling is believed to be excellent based on the 3.5 km strike length of the vein structures as indicated by vein outcroppings, argillic alteration and silicification. Along this trend, potential exists for both high-grade veins and lower-grade bulk tonnage stockwork zones that have been observed to extend over tens of meters in width in both the hanging wall and footwall of the El Dorado vein system (Magellan Gold Corporation, Form 10-K Annual Report US SEC dated Dec 31, 2018, File No. 333-174287) (https://pr.globenewswire.com/FileDownloader/DownloadFile?source=ml&fileGuid=f7eae2de-c9e8-4748-9f41-78d2cd4ca914). Both the northeasterly striking as well as east-west striking splits of the main structure exhibit structural complexity and potential for multi-meter wide precious metal mineralization. Anomalous base metal assays (100's to 1000's of parts per million lead, zinc and copper) are ubiquitous as evidenced by the common occurrence of visible galena, sphalerite and chalcopyrite in outcrop and dumps. El Dorado lies 50 km south of the SDA Plant, 70 km north-northwest of Tepic, the state capital, and 180 km southeast of Mazatlan, Sinaloa. The project has excellent road and rail infrastructure. Terms of the Agreement Candente Gold has the Option to earn up to a 100% interest in the Plant and assume the Lease Agreement to the El Dorado Property by making staged payments in shares totalling a value of US$1.425 million over 30 months as well as $5,000 on signing the MOU and 5,000,000 shares on signing the Definitive Agreement and obtaining TSXV approval. Share values are to be calculated using a 30 day VWAP. The Company also has the option to earn a partial interest in the plant and pay Magellan Acquisitions a fee for usage based on percentage owned. (See News Release No. 077 dated April 28th, 2020 for more details) Candente Gold also has the right to assume the rights and obligations of a Lease Agreement Magellan Acquisitions had with the owner of the El Dorado Ingenieros Mineros, S.A. de C.V. (IMSA). Candente Gold has the right to explore and exploit form the El Dorado property while IMSA retains a negotiable NSR of 3.5% and is obligated to either perform US$20,000 of work on the property in 2020 and $25,000 in 2021 or make payments of US$5,000 per quarter. About Candente Gold Candente Gold has launched a comprehensive growth strategy to build a cash flowing business platform and gaining access to properties with near surface exploration potential while maintaining El Oro as its flagship asset and an integral part of the overall growth strategy. The acquisition of the SDA Plant and the El Dorado historic mines signifies an important first step. The Company is currently evaluating other properties that are complimentary to the SDA plant and El Dorado Property. The recently announced profit-sharing agreement on the Cocula Property in Jalisco affords Candente the opportunity to establish a second production center in Western Mexico. Whereas the target properties to provide feed for the SDA plant are dominantly underground targets, the Cocula Property hosts near surface, gold-silver-lead which may be amenable to open pit mining and either leaching or flotation, bringing an element of diversification the Western Mexico operations. El Oro is a district scale gold project encompassing a well-known prolific high-grade gold dominant silver epithermal vein system in Mexico. The project covers 20 veins with past production and more than 57 veins in total, from which approximately 6.4 million ounces of gold and 74 million ounces of silver were reported to have been produced from just two of these veins (Ref. Mexico Geological Service Bulletin No. 37, Mining of the El Oro and Tlapujahua Districts. 1920, T. Flores*) Modern understanding of epithermal vein systems indicates that several of the El Oro districts veins hold excellent discovery potential, particularly below and adjacent to the historic workings of the San Rafael Vein, which was mined to an average depth of only 200 metres. Joanne Freeze, P.Geo., President, CEO and Director and Matthew Melnyk, CPG., Director Operations and Director, are Qualified Persons as defined by National Instrument 43-101 for the project discussed above. Ms. Freeze and Mr. Melnyk have reviewed and approved the contents of this release. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Forward-looking Information This news release may contain forward-looking information (as such term is defined under Canadian securities laws) including but not limited to information regarding references to historical resource estimates, the potential for discovery on the El Dorado Property and in the El Oro district and other statements that are not historical facts. While such forward-looking information is expressed by Candente Gold in good faith and believed by Candente Gold to have a reasonable basis, they address future events and conditions and are therefore subject to inherent risks and uncertainties including those set out in Candente Golds MD&A. Factors that cause the actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking information include, without limitation, gold prices, results of exploration and development activities, regulatory changes, defects in title, availability of materials and equipment, timeliness of government approvals, potential environmental issues, availability of capital and financing and general economic, market or business conditions. Candente Gold expressly disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except in accordance with applicable securities laws. On behalf of the Board of Candente Gold Corp. Joanne Freeze P.Geo. President, CEO and Director For further information please contact: Joanne Freeze President & CEO Tel: + 1 (604) 689-1957 info@candentegold.com NR 085 In the run-up to the summit of the G20 countries in November 2020 to be held in Riyadh (Saudi Arabia), the science academies of these countries have presented their joint statement "Foresight: Science for Navigating Critical Transitions". The paper was handed over to the Saudi Arabian G20 presidency on Saturday. In their statement, the academies of science emphasize the necessity to consider global challenges in all their complexity and cross-linkage and emphasize the contribution of science to the management of upheavals. The coronavirus pandemic has revealed a lack of foresight and weak points in the areas of health care, economy, social services, and education. The statement was prepared in virtual meetings of the science academies with participation of members of the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina. "The joint statement of the S20 academies draws on insights gained from the current coronavirus pandemic and provides valuable impulses from the international scientific community for all participants of the G20 summit," states Gerald Haug, President of the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina. "Seeing a general referral for employing market-oriented approaches to further sustainability and reducing dependence on fossil fuels is a success. This is a good starting point for prospective international consultations, in which we will advocate a global CO? minimum price. Without this vital instrument, we are bound to miss the two-degree target," Haug continued, commenting on the scientific recommendations of the G20 summit. According to the statement, science can help master global challenges and manage change and upheaval with more ease. In the core fields of health, sustainability, and digitization, it is necessary to act with foresight in order to recognize impending risks early on, take countermeasures and exploit the existing potential for international cooperation. The academies recommend in the field of health, among other things, an international cooperation framework for monitoring emerging diseases and coping with pandemics, research funding for precision medicine in order to make improvements and provide broader accessibility, and strategies for dealing with demographic change. Regarding sustainability and reducing the dependency on fossil fuels, the academies recommend the promotion of renewable energies, including sustainable energy systems, storage technologies, and market-oriented approaches. On digitization, the academies recommend, among other things, measures to provide access to digital technologies and the internet for everyone while at the same time maintain privacy protection and ensure the security of digital networks and devices. ### Recommendations in full are available for download at: http://www.leopoldina.org/en/s20 The Group of Twenty (G20) summit of heads of state and government scheduled to take place in Riyadh in November brings the leaders of the twenty most important industrialized and emerging countries together. It will be the fourth time that science contributes with their "Science20" dialogue forum, created specifically for this purpose. Scientific consultation of the G20 summits had its premiere in 2017 as part of the German G20 presidency. Under the leadership of the Leopoldina, the national science academies of the G20 countries had drawn up recommendations for improved global healthcare at that time. For more than ten years, the G7 summits have also been accompanied by the academies of science. Further information on the G7 and G20 processes and the consultation provided by the academies of science can be found at: http://www.leopoldina.org/en/de/international/g7-and-g20-policy-advice/ The relevant hashtag is #G20Academies. About the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina As the German National Academy of Sciences, the Leopoldina provides independent science-based policy advice on matters relevant to society. To this end, the Academy develops interdisciplinary statements based on scientific findings. In these publications, options for action are outlined; making decisions, however, is the responsibility of democratically legitimized politicians. The experts who prepare the statements work in a voluntary and unbiased manner. The Leopoldina represents the German scientific community in the international academy dialogue. This includes advising the annual summits of Heads of State and Government of the G7 and G20 countries. With 1,600 members from more than 30 countries, the Leopoldina combines expertise from almost all research areas. Founded in 1652, it was appointed the National Academy of Sciences of Germany in 2008. The Leopoldina is committed to the common good. COLLEGE PARK, Md. - A Maryland county has agreed to a $20 million settlement with the family of a man who was handcuffed in a patrol car when a police officer shot and killed him, a county official said Monday. The Prince Georges County police officer who killed William Green in January was arrested on charges including second-degree murder and has a trial scheduled for next year. Michael Owen Jr., who was a 10-year veteran of the police department, has been jailed since his arrest. Green, 43, of Washington, D.C., was unarmed with his hands cuffed behind his back when Owen shot him six times, County Executive Angela Alsobrooks said during a news conference Monday. She noted that Owen was the first police officer in the countys history to be charged with murder for a killing while on duty. I am deeply sorry for your loss, Alsobrooks told Greens mother, who was joined at the news conference by Greens adult daughter and son. There is no appropriate price tag to accompany a loss like that one, but we believe that the actions taken that night against Mr. Green and ultimately taken against his family warrant this settlement, Alsobrooks said. Greens daughter, Shelly Green, said her life has been flipped completely upside down by his killing. She said the family will use the settlement proceeds to preserve her fathers legacy and combat the evil of police brutality. Words cannot express the pain, sorrow and emptiness that we feel, she said. I hardly sleep at night because thats when I think of my daddy the most. Family attorney William Billy Murphy described the settlement as historic and said it reflects the senseless nature of the killing. In my 50 years, I have never seen a case this brutal, this senselessly brutal, this depraved he said. Murphy said Alsobrooks, the countys former top prosecutor, inherited a police department with a history of corruption and racism. Alsobrooks recently formed a task force to identify ways to possibly reform police departments hiring, training and use-of-force policies. Owen is Black, and so was Green. In this case, the takeaway is that the Black life of Mr. Green truly mattered and the Black lives of his mother and two children truly matter, Murphy said. Investigators did not find any evidence of a fight between Owen and Green before the officer fatally shot him Jan. 27, a police report said. That finding contradicted statements on the night of the shooting by a police department spokeswoman, who told reporters that two independent witnesses said they saw or heard a struggle of some sort coming from the patrol car before they heard loud bangs. Owen had handcuffed Green behind his back after responding to a traffic accident and finding him sleeping in his vehicle, apparently under the influence of an unknown substance, the report said. Owen then put Green in the front passenger seat of the patrol car, which did not have a partition between the front and back seats. Officers are permitted to transport arrested suspects in the front when their patrol cars lack partitions, police said. A prosecutor, Renee Joy, said in January that Green complied with officers commands when he was taken out of the car and handcuffed. Joy said Green posed absolutely no threat. Investigators did not find any weapons in Greens possession or in his vehicle. During a news conference shortly after Greens shooting, police department spokeswoman Christina Cotterman said two witnesses told police they either saw or heard a struggle before the shooting. Cotterman also said officers smelled PCP and believed the man was under the influence of that drug. However, the countys police chief later said PCP did not appear to have been involved and that no account of a struggle in the cruiser could be corroborated. The shooting was not caught on body-camera video because the officer did not have one, police said. Owens trial is scheduled to start on March 22, 2021. Prince Georges County has nearly 1 million residents and its police department is Marylands fourth largest law-enforcement agency, with more than 1,500 officers covering a wide swath of the Washington, D.C., suburbs. Earlier this month, The Washington Post reported that the police departments early-warning system flagged Owen months before he shot Green. Owen triggered the system by using force twice in quick succession last summer, but his supervisors had not been formally notified until January and did not act before Owen killed Green, the newspaper reported. Owen was involved in at least two other shootings. In 2011, he fatally shot a man who pointed a gun at him after Owen left an event at police headquarters, the department said. Owen was placed on administrative leave after that killing. In 2009, Owen was off-duty when someone tried to rob him outside his home, the Post reported. Police officials said the would-be robber fired, but Owen was not hit and returned fire. The assailant fled, according to police. JEE Advanced exam was conducted in two shifts on 27 September across 1,001 exam centres The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi has released the question papers for the JEE Advanced 2020. Candidates who appeared in the JEE Advanced 2020, can download the question papers of both paper 1 and paper 2 by visiting the official website of the exam at jeeadv.ac.in. The JEE Advanced question papers are available to download in PDF format. IIT-D has released the papers a day after it conducted the entrance test. JEE Advanced exam was conducted in two shifts on 27 September across 1,001 exam centres, reported Jagran Josh. The report noted that 96 percent of the total registered candidates appeared for the exam. The question papers had multiple choice questions with separate three sections for physics, chemistry and mathematics in each of the papers. A total of 54 questions were asked in total, with 18 questions from each subject. Candidates who manage to get shortlisted in the JEE advanced exam will be eligible to participate in the JoSSA counselling and seat allocation process. This exam is conducted to admit students in the 23 Institutes of Technology. Here is the direct link to download the PDF version of the JEE advanced 2020 question papers. Candidates need to click on the link next to the subject in each paper to get access to their desired question paper. These will prove important for current as well as future examinees. Current candidates will be able to assess their answers better and future students will get an idea about the pattern of questions and the difficulty level. According to a report in NDTV, the question paper had six integer type questions and six multi-correct answer type questions. Both of these questions carried negative marking. The third type was the numerical value type questions. These six problems could be answered up to decimals without negative marking. The report added that category-wise All India Ranks (AIR) of qualified JEE Advanced 2020 candidate are going to be declared on the official website on 5 October at 10 am. Mithun Chakraborty was worried for his family as the the 'only earning member' during the pandemic The head of the World Health Organization says it and partners have agreed to a plan to roll out 120 million rapid diagnostic tests for the coronavirus to help lower- and middle-income countries make up ground in a testing gap with richer countries even if its not fully funded yet. At $5 apiece, the cost of the antigen-based rapid diagnostic test for which WHO issued an emergency-use listing last week, the program initially requires $600 million. It is supposed to get started as early as next month to provide better access in areas where its harder to get the PCR tests that are used often in many wealthier nations. The rapid tests look for antigens, or proteins found on the surface of the virus. They are generally considered less accurate, though much faster, than higher-grade genetic tests, known as PCR tests. Those tests require processing with specialty lab equipment and chemicals. Typically that turnaround takes several days to deliver results to patients. Click here for complete coverage of the Covid-19 pandemic WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus hailed the program as good news in the fight against Covid-19. These tests provide reliable results in approximately 15 to 30 minutes, rather than hours or days, at a lower price with less sophisticated equipment, he told a news conference in Geneva. This will enable the expansion of testing, particularly in hard-to-reach areas that do not have lab facilities or enough trained health workers to carry out PCR tests. We have an agreement, we have seed funding and now we need the full amount of funds to buy these tests, he said, without specifying. The girl rushed into the bedroom and desperately tried to stop the attack by pulling her mom by the hair, then ran from the home in East Garfield Park shouting that her mother had killed her 5-year-old sister, according to prosecutors. A container vessel X-Press Godavari ship has caught fire and Indian Coast Guard ships and aircraft have been deployed for the firefighting operation on September 28. Indian Coast Guard ship Amogh and Dornier aircraft have commenced firefighting operations as ICGS Amrit Kaur and Varad are proceeding to the area for further assistance. "A container is smouldering on vessel Express Godavari," Kolkata Port Chairman Vinit Kumar said. The 155-metre long vessel carrying 506 containers and 15 crew members including four Indians caught fire as it anchored at the Sandheads off the West Bengal coast. Officials said that a container is smouldering on vessel X-Press Godavari and Coast Guard has been moved for immediate assistance. The Sandheads in the Bay of Bengal, nearly 130 km from Haldia, is a stretch of open sea where vessels anchor before being allowed to dock at the port. SavingLives #SAR #ICG ships and aircraft swiftly deployed for #FireFighting operation onboard Container Ship X-Press Godavari. 155 mtr vessel anchored off Sandheads #Haldia carrying 506 containers & 15 crew including 04 Indian @DefenceMinIndia @shipmin_india pic.twitter.com/WI8HYz98Mz Indian Coast Guard (@IndiaCoastGuard) September 28, 2020 Read: Gujarat: Coast Guard Rescues 12 Crew Members Of Sinking Cargo Ship Read: Greece Faces Rare Mediterranean Storm With Hurricane Ianos Hitting Central Coast Rescue mission off Gujarat coast On September 27, Coast Guard rescued 12 crew members of a cargo vessel sinking in the Arabian Sea off the Gujarat coast. The Coast Guard received information of flooding onboard the vessel MSV Krishna Sudama around 10 nautical miles off the Okha coast. The vessel had started sailing from Mundra in Gujarat for Djibouti, carrying rice and sugar to the African nation. "Search and rescue was immediately commenced wherein Coast Guard Ship C-411 sailed from Okha, C-161 was diverted from off Mundra, and MV Southern Robin in the vicinity of the area was diverted to render assistance," the Coast Guard said in a statement. Read: Italy: Explosions And Massive Fire At Coastal City Of Ancona; No Casualties Yet Read: UN Migration Agency Reports Over 20 Fatalities In Shipwreck Off Libya Coast (Image: Twitter / @IndiaCoastGuard) By Trend In connection with the invocation of martial law on the territory of Azerbaijan, the Heydar Aliyev International Airport temporarily switches to a limited mode of operation, Trend reports with reference to the Press Service of Heydar Aliyev International Airport. Thus, all flights of Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) on Baku-Nakhchivan-Baku route (scheduled to be performed until September 30 inclusive) have been suspended. Also AZAL flights on the Baku-London-Baku route scheduled for October 1, and Baku-Berlin-Baku route scheduled for October 2 were canceled. Passengers of the canceled AZAL flights can choose either to exchange their tickets for other dates without paying a fine, or to get a refund. In addition, FlyDubai canceled its flights on the Dubai-Baku-Dubai route scheduled for September 29, October 1 and 3; Aeroflot canceled its Moscow-Baku-Moscow flights scheduled for October 1 and 4, and Belavia canceled its Minsk-Baku-Minsk flights scheduled for October 2 and 4. For more information, passengers of these canceled flights can contact their respective airlines. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz New Delhi, Sep 28 : ArcelorMittal has signed a definitive agreement to sell 100 per cent stake in ArcelorMittal USA to Cleveland-Cliffs Inc for around $1.4 billion in both cash and stock. ArcelorMittal, in a statement on Monday, said that around one third of the consideration is in upfront cash -- $505 million and the remaining two-third of the consideration is in the form of equity. Further, Cleveland-Cliffs will assume the liabilities of ArcelorMittal USA, including net liabilities of approximately $0.5 billion and pensions and other post-employment benefit liabilities which Cleveland-Cliffs values at $1.5 billion. Cleveland-Cliffs said in a statement that it will acquire ArcelorMittal USA on a cash-free and debt-free basis, with a combination of 78.2 million shares of Cleveland-Cliffs common stock, non-voting preferred stock with an approximate aggregate value of $373 million, and $505 million in cash. With the transaction, ArcelorMittal USA has achieved "favourable" valuation due to the high synergistic potential of the combined company, the ArcelorMittal statement said. Lakshmi Mittal, Chairman and CEO of ArcelorMittal, said: "This transaction is a unique opportunity for ArcelorMittal to unlock significant value for shareholders while retaining exposure to the North American economy through our high-quality NAFTA assets alongside a participation in what will be a stronger, better integrated, US business." "I would like to thank all employees of ArcelorMittal USA for their hard work in ensuring the business maintained its reputation as a trusted, quality supplier of steels for American manufacturing. I am confident you will have a bright future with Cleveland-Cliffs," he said. Aditya Mittal, President and CFO, ArcelorMittal, said that the transaction also completes the steel major's $2 billion asset portfolio optimisation target and enables it to return cash to the shareholders. Lourenco Goncalves, President and CEO of Cleveland-Cliffs, said: "Steel-making is a business where production volume, operational diversification, dilution of fixed costs, and technical expertise matter above all else, and this transaction achieves all of these. ArcelorMittal is a world class organisation that we have long admired as our customer and our partner, and we know for a fact that they have taken good care of their US assets." New Delhi India rejected on Monday Pakistans criticism of the human rights situation in the country and called on Islamabad to do more to tackle issues such as the persecution of minorities, enforced disappearances and influx of outsiders in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Exercising its right of reply at a discussion in Geneva on situations requiring the attention of the UN Human Rights Council, India also pointed to Pakistan continuing to be a safe harbour for terrorists and said more training camps and launch-pads for terrorists had come up in PoK. None of Pakistans vile accusations against India could stifle the voice of the minorities and the people under its subjugation. The fate of religious and ethnic minorities is well known when beheading is the only option in Pakistan in exchange for freedom of religion, India said in its response delivered by Pawan Badhe, first secretary in the permanent mission in Geneva. It should be a matter of concern for the Council that Pakistan has been continuously misusing this august forum for malicious propaganda against my country, he added. Different international organisations had described Pakistan as the killing field for minorities and the Ahmadi community continues to be the most persecuted community in Pakistan. Hundreds of Christians are persecuted every year while maximum of them are subjected to violent deaths in Pakistan, Badhe said. Pakistan had also institutionalised enforced disappearance as a tool of subjugation against dissent and criticism against individuals and the entire society, the Indian response said. Children as young as 12 years old in Balochistan, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Sindh are normally abducted and trained to be suicide bombers. In a chilling reminder to what Pakistan is capable of, ministers of Pakistan proudly call for another full-scale genocide against [the Baloch people] to resolve the political crisis in Balochistan, it added. Badhe also said Pakistans deceit and hypocrisy is reflected in the orchestrated mass influx of outsiders to the Pakistan-occupied parts of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh through discriminatory domicile laws. Its baffling that there are three outsiders for every four [people] in the Pakistan occupied parts of Indian union territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. While civil, political and constitutional rights are non-existent in Pakistan occupied parts of Indian union territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, deliberate economic policies have also subjugated them to a life of extreme poverty, he said. At the same, full scale training camps and launch pads of terrorists are being escalated in Pakistan occupied parts of Indian union territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh at great expense for sustaining cross-border terrorism against India. Its not without reason that Pakistan remains a safe harbour for terrorists. While the world is busy combating the Covid-19 pandemic, Pakistan hoodwinks the world to allow delisting more than 4,000 proscribed terrorists to sustain its terror ecosystem, he added. The Indian repose said nothing can change the fact that the entire territory of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh is an integral part of India, and Pakistan should see the reality and stop coveting territories of other countries. Statistics and data from international organisations have demonstrated that Pakistan is a minefield for journalists and human rights defenders, who are often subjected to murder, harassment and assault, the response further said. The Council of Indigenous Business Associations (CIBA), has appealed to Parliament to pass the new Rent Bill, 2020, to replace the existing, moribund Rent Act of Ghana (Act 220), which was passed in 1963 before the current Parliament is dissolved. The association said the passage of the bill would make it more responsive to the current needs and circumstances of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in Ghana. The proposed bill would allow for more enforcement and to deal with the whole issue of rent advance payment and its associated problems. That is killing a lot of our members. Imagine a business starter having to mobilise funds to hire a property for years be it shop or residential accommodation. That will mean more than half the amount will go into the rent, CIBA stated in a media release issued in Accra. CIBA also argued that the new Bill, if passed into law, would significantly reduce the burden of exorbitant rent advance on the working class, especially those in the urban areas such as Accra, Kumasi, Takoradi and Tamale among others. The association has been advocating the passage of a new Rent Law since 2012, with support from the BUSAC Fund and its donor partners, DANIDA and USAID, all aimed at ensuring that its members get the needed support to grow their businesses to be able to contribute to national development. According to CIBA, the revised Rent Act, 220, states that a landlord who demands payment in advance of: a. more than a months rent in a monthly or shortest tenancy, or b. more than one years rent in a tenancy which exceeds six months ..as a condition of a grant, renewal or continuation of tenancy commits an offence and is liable on summary conviction to a fine of not more than 10 penalty units. Yet, landlords demand contrary to the law. Also, due to the influx of foreigners in the retail sector, they are ready to pay any amount for rent to the disadvantage of the local businesses, CIBA said. We envisage a new rent regime that is very friendly to the circumstances of MSMEs across the country being strictly enforced by the relevant state institutions in eliminating all the illegalities currently being perpetrated in the housing sector against tenants and releasing significant pressure on the working capital of MSMEs in the country to thrive, it emphasised. Other challenges The association expressed concerned that some critical issues remain unresolved between government and the Association of Landlords (AoL). These include the call by government for a minimum rent advance of not more than three months, as against the minimum of one year (12 months) proposed by the AoL, the lack of clarity on the duration of subsequent renewals of tenancy agreements and the proposed need for separate set of rules and framework for tenancy for tenants of government buildings and those of private properties. Proposal The rest are a proposal by government to give the Rent Control Department, the sole mandate to prepare tenancy agreements that will be deemed as the only valid and legally enforceable undertakings between landlords and tenants under Ghanaian statutes, and to also give the department, the legal authority to adjudicate and provide final rulings on all rent-related issues and to deny the privilege of contesting such judgements in any other court of law in the country. Until now, no further action has been taken to resolve the impasse and move the process forward. CIBA believes strongly that if it does not act now, this process might just die a natural death, it stated. The association noted that the Rent Control Department was working under an old law passed in 1963 although so much had changed, thus the urgent need to pass the new Bill. The department should be resourced to be able to bite. It must be well positioned so they can adjudicate and take their own decisions and not always refer cases to court or else passing the law will be one of those fine ones and not bite, it said. CIBA is also advocating a strong institution to see to its implementation. Source: graphic.com.gh Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Dr Anthony Fauci has warned the United States in 'not in a good place' regarding rising COVID-19 infections ahead of the fall as he described Florida's decision to reopen bars and restaurants a full capacity 'very concerning'. Fauci warned Americans not to become complacent as the colder weather kicks in and said the current 40,000 average number of cases per day was worrying. 'We're not in a good place,' he told ABC's Good Morning America on Monday. 'As we get into the fall and the winter, you really want the level of community spread to be as low as you possibility get it. 'There's certainly parts of the country that are doing well but there are states that are starting to show uptick in cases and even some increases in hospitalizations in some states. Dr Anthony Fauci warned Americans not to become complacent as the colder weather kicked in and said the current 40,000 average number of cases per day was concerning That is very concerning to me. Dr. Anthony Fauci says now the time is to double down, not ease restrictions, in regards to Floridas decision to open up bars and restaurants. https://t.co/MijCNMRWTN pic.twitter.com/kZ2WbZsObk Good Morning America (@GMA) September 28, 2020 'I hope not, but, we very well might start seeing increases in deaths. 'You don't want to be in a position like that as the weather starts getting cold. So we really need to intensify the public health measures that we talk about all the time.' When asked about Florida Governor Rick DeSantis' decision to reopen bars and restaurants at full capacity over the weekend, Fauci said it was 'very concerning'. 'Well that is very concerning to me, I mean, we have always said that, myself and Dr Deborah Birx, who is the coordinator of the task force, that that is something we really need to be careful about,' he said. 'When you're dealing with community spread, and you have the kind of congregate setting where people get together, particularly without masks, you're really asking for trouble. Now's the time actually to double down a bit, and I don't mean close. When asked about Florida Governor Rick DeSantis' decision to reopen bars and restaurants at full capacity over the weekend, Fauci said it was 'very concerning'. Pictured above is a bar in Fort Lauderdale, Florida Fauci said reopening bars was 'asking for trouble' because it allowed people to congregate together 'When I say that, people get concerned that we're talking about shutting down. We're not talking about shutting anything down, we're talking about common sense type of public health measures that we've been talking about all along.' When pressed on what he thinks could cause a second shutdown amid the pandemic, Fauci said he didn't want to 'go there'. 'Obviously, if things really explode you'd have to consider that. But we want to do everything we possibly can to avoid an absolute shutdown,' he said. Currently, the average number of COVID-19 cases per day is at 40,000. There was an uptick in national infections in mid-September, which health experts have partly attributed to Labor Day weekend gatherings and the reopening of some schools. Prior to the increase, cases had been trending downwards nationally since July when about 70,000 infections were being reported daily. Deaths now appear to be plateauing nationally after declining steadily since mid-September. The average number of Americans dying per day is at just over 740, which is down from the peak 2,000 deaths being reported per day back in April. Angela Merkel and Boris Johnson among those who signed Pledge For Nature There is 'planetary emergency' requiring 'urgent and immediate global action' Measures include a pledge to re-double efforts to slow down deforestation Leaders from 64 countries have signed a 10-point Pledge For Nature, outlining steps to combat climate change by helping the world 'live in harmony with nature' by 2050. Emmanuel Macron, Angela Merkel and Boris Johnson are among the figure heads who signed the document stating the world is in a 'state of planetary emergency' requiring 'urgent and immediate global action'. ADVERTISEMENT The measures include a pledge to re-double efforts to slow down deforestation, eliminate unregulated and unsustainable fishing practices and stop plastic being dumped into the ocean by 2050. Emmanuel Macron (pictured) and Angela Merkel are among the figure heads who signed a 10-point Pledge For Nature Angela Merkel (pictured) signed the document stating the world is in a 'state of planetary emergency' requiring 'urgent and immediate global action' Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau (left) also signed the pledge Prime Minister of New Zealand Jacinda Ardern What are the 10-points in the Pledge For Nature signed by 64 world leaders Climate change and the environment is at the heart both of our Covid-19 recovery strategies and investments and of our pursuit of national and international development and cooperation Commitment to ambitious and transformational post-2020 global biodiversity framework Tackle biodiversity loss, land, freshwater and ocean degradation, deforestation, desertification, pollution and climate change Transition to sustainable production and consumption as well as sustainable food systems Pledge to raise ambition and aligning domestic climate policies with the Paris Agreement Commit to ending environmental crimes Commit to mainstreaming biodiversity into relevant policies - including food production, agriculture and fisheries Commitment to 'One-Health' approach in all relevant policies and decision-making processes that addresses health and environmental sustainability in an integrated fashion Strengthen all financial and non-financial means of implementation, to transform and reform our economic and financial sectors and to achieve the wellbeing of people and safeguard the planet through various methods - including incentivizing the financial system Commit that our approach to the design and implementation of policy will be science-based, will recognize the crucial role of traditional and indigenous knowledge as well as science and research in the fight against ecosystem degradation. It will also engage the whole of society Credit: Leaders' Pledge for Nature It marks a week of international action to combat climate change, as 116 world leaders are set to hold a virtual UN biodiversity summit in New York on Wednesday. ADVERTISEMENT And later today, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will sign a new United Nations (UN) pledge to help save the planet. The pledge will protect an area the size of the Lake District and South Downs in a bid to boost the countrys natural beauty. The Leader's Pledge for Nature - which was also signed by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Prime Minister of New Zealand Jacinda Ardern - said leaders aim to 'end a united signal to step up global ambition for biodiversity'. They also aim 'to commit to matching our collective ambition for nature, climate and people with the scale of the crisis at hand'. It reads: 'We reaffirm our commitment to international cooperation and multilateralism, based on unity, solidarity and trust among countries, peoples and generations, as the only way for the world to effectively respond to current and future global environmental crises. 'We are in a state of planetary emergency: the interdependent crises of biodiversity loss and ecosystem degradation and climate change - driven in large part by unsustainable production and consumption - require urgent and immediate global action. 'Science clearly shows that biodiversity loss, land and ocean degradation, pollution, resource depletion and climate change are accelerating at an unprecedented rate. 'This acceleration is causing irreversible harm to our life support systems and aggravating poverty and inequalities as well as hunger and malnutrition. 'Unless halted and reversed with immediate effect, it will cause significant damage to global economic, social and political resilience and stability and will render achieving the Sustainable Development Goals impossible.' ADVERTISEMENT At a speech set to be made later today at a UN event, Prime Minster Boris Johnson will warn that immediate action is needed to save wildlife and habitats which are disappearing at a frightening rate. He will add: We cannot afford dither and delay because biodiversity loss is happening today. 'Left unchecked, the consequences will be catastrophic for us all. Extinction is forever so our action must be immediate. The measures include a pledge to re-double efforts to slow down deforestation, eliminate unregulated and unsustainable fishing practices and stop plastic being dumped into the ocean by 2050 (file image) The area's size would be equivalent to the South Downs and Lake District combine Mr Johnson is making his promise to safeguard an extra 400,000 hectares of land in the next decade during a virtual event held by the United Nations. The commitment will boost the amount of protected land, which includes national parks and areas of outstanding natural beauty, from 26 per cent of England to 30 per cent by 2030. That is equivalent to the size of the Lake District and South Downs National Parks combined. The Prime Minister will also say: We must turn these words into action and use them to build momentum, to agree ambitious goals and binding targets. We must act now, right now. 'As the environment is a devolved matter, Westminster will work with the governments of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland plus landowners to protect more land across the UK. Mr Johnson will commit to his promise by signing the Leaders Pledge for Nature at the UN event. He will be joined by Emmanuel Macron, Angela Merkel, Justin Trudeau, Jacinda Ardern, who are among 64 leaders from five continents to sign the pledge. It includes a 10-point pledge, formulated by the governments and the European Union, to counteract the damage to ecosystems that underpin human health and wellbeing. As part of it, governments will pledge more money will be spent on the environment and ensuring nature is a priority. The commitments include a renewed effort to reduce deforestation, the elimination of subsidies that harm the environment and the transition to sustainable food production. The new area earmarked for protected status is equivalent to the size of the Lake District and South Downs National Parks combined. Pictured: South Downs (file photo) The commitment will boost the amount of protected land, which includes national parks and areas of outstanding natural beauty, from 26 per cent of England to 30 per cent by 2030. Pictured: North York Moors National Park (file photo) Click here to resize this module Martin Harper, RSPB director of global conservation, said the 30 per cent commitment could be a huge step towards addressing the crisis our wildlife is facing. But he added: Targets on paper wont be enough. Those set a decade ago failed because they werent backed up by action. This is why the 30 by 30 promise must now be put into domestic law, as part of a suite of goals to restore the abundance and diversity of our wildlife, in every country in the UK. ADVERTISEMENT Craig Bennett, of The Wildlife Trusts, welcomed Mr Johnsons pledge as a good start. Police in Samburu have arrested 10 people on suspicion of being in the country illegally. The suspects, who are from Ethiopia, were arrested in Barsaloi, Samburu North on Saturday. Police said the suspects were seized after the two vehicles they were travelling in were intercepted in a bushy area at around 2am. Samburu Central Sub-county deputy police boss Abdikadir Malicha said the suspects were traveling along the Barsaloi-Maralal road when they were arrested. Mr Malicha said the suspects did not have travel documents or permits to be in the country. All the suspects are being held at Maralal Police Station in Samburu Central. Mr Malicha said the suspects will be charged in court for being in the country illegally. (Natural News) A newly proposed bill by Indiana State Representative Jim Banks seeks to ban protesters who have been convicted of serious crimes while rioting from receiving federal unemployment assistance. Banks bill, which is known as the Support Peaceful Protest Act, will see protesters who are convicted of crimes like vandalism, looting and violence become ineligible for unemployment benefits. They would also be held financially liable for federal policing and other similar expenses related to their crime. In a press release, Banks commented: Antifa thugs are descending on suffering communities, disrupting peaceful protests and leaving violence, looting and vandalism in their wake. They turned Milwaukee, Seattle and Portland into warzones, and now theyre moving the chaos to Kenosha, Wisconsin. Who knows which community is next? He said he was inspired to introduce the bill after protesters harassed an elderly couple who are his constituents while they left President Trumps Republican nomination acceptance speech at the White House last week. Banks tweeted an image of the couple being taunted by a masked man, accusing House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of not doing enough to stop this type of behavior. Banks, who was deployed to Afghanistan as part of the U.S. Navy Reserve, added that many rioters have the time to commit this violence because they are unemployed and receive government benefits, including the higher federal benefits that are aimed at people who lost their jobs during the pandemic. He added that while peaceful protests are part of being American, hurting other people and damaging federal property is unacceptable. Due to enhanced federal benefits, taxpayers are giving wages to jobless rioters that are destroying our communities. We need to cut them off from their funding and make them feel the full financial consequences of their actions, he stated. Hundreds of millions of dollars in protest-related damages This plan may never make it out of the House, but it would be a good start. However, more needs to be done about the groups behind the protests, like antifa and Black Lives Matter, and those who are funding them. There is no question that the ongoing protests are costing American cities significant amounts of money. In Minneapolis, for example, the costs related to protests are on track to exceed $500 million, Fox News reported recently. This is on top of the $12.7 million expense for National Guard deployment. It will cost at least $10 million for the city to rebuild the Third Police Precinct, plus another $289,000 to replace 911 equipment, $225,000 for cleanup, and $1 million in overtime for police, firefighters and other public employees. The city has seen at least $55 million in looting and property damage, and the rebuilding costs for damages inflicted to more than 400 businesses could cost hundreds of millions of dollars. In addition, more than 150 Minneapolis police officers are dealing with injuries and post-traumatic stress and could be receiving disability, which will be yet another expense we can thank rioters and looters for causing. Meanwhile, these months of mayhem in Portland, Oregon, have already cost the city $23 million in damages as well as lost revenue for businesses, including $4.8 million in damages to businesses, $7 million for police overtime for protests, and $300,000 in damage to public buildings. However, that figure is from early July and has likely risen dramatically since then as violent thugs continue to wreak havoc on the city. New York City is also dealing with huge protest-related bills, which come as the city was already struggling to manage costs related to the coronavirus crisis. The protests have cost the city $115 million so far, plus $179 million in overtime. More than 300 officers have been injured and more than 300 police cars have been vandalized; the cost of damages related to those vehicles is just shy of $1 million. These protests are taking a huge toll on the nation financially and emotionally, and rioters absolutely need to be held accountable for the destruction they are causing. Sources for this article include: Breitbart.com WLKY.com FoxNews.com MOUNT PLEASANT The Racine County Economic Development Corp. and several partner organizations are welcoming ND Packaging, a subsidiary of ND Paper, Inc., to the Village of Mount Pleasant. Last year, ND Paper purchased a 350,000-square-foot warehouse and distribution facility for $15.5 million, with an additional investment of over $30 million for renovations and equipment. We chose Racine County not only because of their established reputation of being a welcoming business community, but also because of the people on the local level and the relationships established, said ND Packaging General Manager John Parent. We are excited for the future of the company in this region and the ability to create employment opportunities for the people here. Located 2.5 miles from I-94, the new paper packaging facility is in an excellent logistical location. In August, the company began seeking to fill up to 40 jobs. Parent mentioned the company recently held a job fair, where many of those positions were filled, however, the company will still need more. We are excited that ND Packaging is bringing more investment and jobs to Racine County, said Racine County Executive Jonathan Delagrave. We look forward to working with the company to ensure its success for years to come. Milwaukee 7, Southeast Wisconsins regional economic development organization, was instrumental in attracting ND Packaging to the area. We are thrilled ND Packaging has chosen southeastern Wisconsin for this significant investment, said Rebecca Goodmanson, manager of corporate attraction and expansion at Milwaukee 7. ND Packaging is precisely the kind of company that we want and are well-positioned to support. The companys decision to invest and create jobs here highlights the attractiveness of our economic assets, particularly our high quality and plentiful workforce. The Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation, the states lead economic development organization, is providing tax incentives to the project based on capital investment and job creation. Wisconsin is recognized as the national leader in paper production, said Missy Hughes, WEDC Secretary and CEO. The investments ND Paper has made in Wisconsin, first at the plant in Biron and now at ND Packaging, demonstrate that our state offers unparalleled opportunities for innovation in an industry that is vital to our economy. In 2018, ND Paper first entered Wisconsin when the company invested $189 million into the Catalyst Paper Mill in Biron. The Mount Pleasant location will complement the Biron plant by manufacturing corrugated boxes. We have an amazing location, a talented and diverse workforce and a community that encourages business growth and development, said David DeGroot, Mount Pleasant Village Board president. This is a great opportunity for our community and the State, and I look forward to seeing ND Packaging grow here. Over the past month, production machinery has been shipped to and installed in the Mount Pleasant plant. With local leadership, equipment and a quality workforce established, the company expects to start production by the fourth quarter of 2020. Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 The current escalation in Nagorno-Karabakh is primarily related to Azerbaijan's desire to take revenge for the events of July when Baku tried to regain some of its ground lost previously, but its attempt ultimately failed. The current escalation in Nagorno-Karabakh has been building up for at least several months Also, Turkey's initiative can be traced within the framework of its regional strategy to strengthen own negotiating positions in the Caucasus. And first of all, this concerns relations with Russia. Besides, Turkey seeks to enter the processes around the Caucasus as one of the stakeholders. That is, Ankara seeks to move up from the status of just one of the regional participants, which Azerbaijan claimed, to a level of power that should be reckoned with when Cucasus issues are considered, as well as to strengthen the Turkey-Azerbaijan-Iran axis, which has existed for several years already. The current escalation in Nagorno-Karabakh has been building up for at least several months. Such a full-scale offensive, which we saw on the part of Azerbaijan, could never happen ad-hoc. In addition, it is quite obvious that the information support on the part of the Turkish media had been agreed in advance: Turkish journalists arrived at the scene a few days before the start of the operation, set up their broadcasting points, prepared their stories, and started their extensive coverage from the ground. As for Turkey's role, it supports Azerbaijan not only verbally but also in practice. What was the formal reason for this aggravation? Has Armenia launched a shelling as the Azeri side claims? It is now impossible to verify the claim. As for Turkey's role, it supports Azerbaijan not only verbally but also in practice. For example, the drones Azerbaijan has already employed in the latest escalation are Turkish-made. It is not clear exactly, who operates them Azerbaijani or Turkish officers but there are some reports that it's actually the Turks. Also, there is information that Turkish aircraft may be involved, because an F-16 wing has been deployed in Nakhichevan since the Turkish-Azerbaijani exercises, held in July-August this year. The fighters, along with armored vehicles and an unlimited contingent, never left Nakhichevan. That's precisely from where rumors stem of Turkey's possible direct intervention in the conflict with its regular troops if the situation at the front line turns not too favorable for Azerbaijan. Everything will depend on how the hostilities will develop So far, it is difficult to say exactly what role Turkey takes up in the conflict, whether it will intervene directly or prefer to remain the main patron behind-the-scenes, providing military-technical and material assistance to Azerbaijan. Or will it actually deploy to the front line part of its spec-ops forces that engaged in Syria and Libya, playing a key role in these countries. Everything will depend on how the hostilities will develop. It will become clear in the next couple of days, how successful the so-called Azerbaijani blitzkrieg turns out to be, or will the Azerbaijanis be stuck in the zone. If they do get stuck, it is possible that Turkey will intervene to shift the balance of power in favor of Azerbaijan until a point where they decide to consolidate the new status quo and go for negotiations. Negotiations are inevitable. Turkey has an important goal: to change the balance of power in its favor, as well as in favor of Azerbaijan, to consolidate the new reality through negotiations, and, as far as I can judge, through direct talks with Russia. Erdogan, in a statement made on the day of the escalation, seriously criticized the OSCE Minsk Group, which, in fact, bears on its shoulders all ceasefire agreements in Nagorno-Karabakh and, in fact, the entire format of negotiations around the region. Judging by Erdogan's statement, he is not inclined to address the OSCE Minsk Group. He intends to consolidate his political success in cooperation with Moscow in a bilateral format, as it was in Syria, as he tried to do in Libya. Further, Russia's behavior will depend on Turkey's position Russia is also already reacting to what is happening in Nagorno-Karabakh. For example, a rather harsh statement came yesterday, where Moscow called on the parties to cease fire and sit down at the negotiating table. Further, Russia's behavior will depend on Turkey's position. Yesterday there was a call from Lavrov to Cavusoglu in Ankara I think it was a reconnaissance move to probe the degree of Turkey's involvement in the conflict: how directly they are engaged and what role do they take up. Moscow is now on a stretch, and will proceed from Turkey's moves in Nagorno-Karabakh So Russia is waiting and watching what Turkey will do. If there is a direct intervention on the part of Turkey, Russia will face a dilemma: they will either have to defend they ally Armenia, with which they are bound by the relevant treaties (which could worsen relations between Turkey and Russia), or step aside and thus spoil the modality of relations with Armenia, which has existed for over 30 years. Moscow is now on a stretch, and will proceed from Turkey's moves in Nagorno-Karabakh. It's interesting to note that Russia is in no rush to support Armenia. For example, there were no calls to Yerevan either yesterday or today. It was Pashinyan who reached out to Putin by phone. This is a very indicative nuance confirming what many have said before: Moscow has a difficult relationship with Pashinyan. In Russia, they treat him with suspicion as they don't consider him as "their guy." After all, initially, Pashinyan was not Russia's henchman, therefore Moscow can't see him through. This demonstrative disregard ("call us yourself") is precisely the indication of this attitude. This is worth noting since it shows the peculiarities of modern Russian-Armenian relations. Anyway, the current round of crisis in Nagorno-Karabakh may lead to a change in the status quo that has persisted in the region for years. This is the largest fighting since 2016, with hundreds already killed in action on both sides. However, it is too early to claim this is the largest exacerbation since 1994. Both sides are now determined to win It all depends on further developments whether hostilities will cover new territories, whether the situation will spread from Nagorno-Karabakh to the state border between Armenia and Azerbaijan, and whether external forces (Turkey or Russia) will be involved in conflict... If all of this happens, the conflict will drag on and will take shape as a regional international one. In this case, it will ultimately end up with an altered political modality in the Caucasus. Thus, all older mechanisms and agreements will become void. Both sides are now determined to win. This is evidenced by the public rhetoric of both Armenian and Azerbaijani authorities. In yesterday's address to the nation by Ilham Aliyev, the president said Azerbaijan intends to regain Nagorno-Karabakh because this is primordially Azerbaijani land. That is, the task has been set to gain full control of Nagorno-Karabakh. Armenia voiced some quite harsh statements, too. Pashinyan said Armenia could move to recognize the independence of Nagorno-Karabakh in response to Azerbaijan's actions. The current escalation in Nagorno-Karabakh will continue for several weeks, maybe months All these steps, if implemented, will further prolong the conflict. Everything could boil down to the conflict becoming even more complex and uncompromising because both parties are already moving along this path: imposing martial law and declaring mobilization suggests that this won't end quickly. I suggest the current escalation in Nagorno-Karabakh will continue for several weeks, maybe months. And then everything will depend on what will happen on the ground and on the position of external forces. It is now obvious that Turkey and Russia will be the key external players in this conflict. Perhaps, also Iran... So far, Tehran has taken its traditional stance it has offered mediation between Baku and Yerevan. However, no one is interested in mediation now, since there is no talk of a truce at all. All other EU powers, except France, which has major interests in Armenia, took a detached position. The United States has not yet shown much interest in the latest developments. So it seems it will be Russia and Turkey who will ultimately face off. Ilia Kusa is an expert on international politics and Middle East at the Ukrainian Institute for the Future - Arnav Nambiar is working toward making life easy for people living with disabilities in Ghana - He organized a charity event in Accra which saw many top personalities in attendance - Arnav Nambiar runs his foundation with some friends who are in the same age bracket Our manifesto: This is what YEN.com.gh believes in Arnav Nambiar, a 17-year-old student of Lincoln Community and founder of Limitless Foundation, has shown the way by doing his best to support persons living with disabilities in Ghana. As a result of his thoughtfulness, Arnav in collaboration with his foundation, held a charity event at the Accra Polo Club to see out his vision. Arnav's aim of hosting the event was to raise funds to support Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) in the country. Meet the resilient 17-year-old student raising funds for Persons With Disabilities (PWD's) Source: Instagram A tournament was therefore quickly organised between members of the Accra Polo Club who split themselves into: Limitless Black team and limitless black team. After the tournament came to an end, the winners were given plaques and souvenirs. The Minister of Gender, Mrs Cynthia Mamle Morrison, the General Manager of Kempinski Hotel Gold Coast City, Mr Manish Nambiar, the FDA Boss, Ms Delese Mimi Darko were among the top personalities that were at the event. Mrs Cynthia Mamle Morrison applauded Arnav for always supporting PWDs and also organising the tournament. The honorable minister encouraged PWDs not to feel inferior but get themselves involved with societal activities when the opportunity arises. She went on to pledge governments support to PWDs in the country, stating it will continue to provide job opportunities for them. The Founder of Limitless, Arnav Nambiar, expressed excitement over the event, stating that the amount raised was good enough and therefore would go a long way to support the needs of the PWDs. Being a victim of road accident in 2018, he explained his experience motivated him to support PWDs. Limitless Ghana is a registered non-profit Foundation, founded in 2018 by Arnav Nambiar, a 17-year-old student of Lincoln Community School. Its members are Analise Awuah Darko,14-year-old student of Ghana International school and Raj Thakwani, also a 14-year-old student of Delhi Public School. The main objective of Limitless Ghana is to create awareness about persons living with disabilities in Ghana and raise funds to support their needs. Limitless Foundation partners with the National Paralympic Committee (NPC) and stands to engage with all disability-based organizations. Meanwhile, the founder of the New Africa Foundation, Freedom Jacob Caesar, has donated a 2-Bedroom fully furnished home to 95-year-old Ghanaian WWII veteran, Private Joseph Hammond. In a video sighted by YEN.com.gh on Zionfelix's Instagram page, Freedom Jacob Caesar was seen presenting the house to Private Joseph Hammond. After receiving the house, Private Joseph Hammond indicated that Freedom's kind gesture was the biggest surprise he has received in his 95 years on earth. Have national and human interest issues to discuss? Know someone who is extremely talented and needs recognition? Your stories and photos are always welcome. Get interactive via our Facebook page. Source: YEN.com.gh TUSCALOOSA, Ala., Sept. 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- After many months of rigorous development, and dedication from its team at PCR-Dx Diagnostic, they are pleased to announce the launch of their brand-new website, https://pcr-dx.com. This brand-new website provides its clients, medical professionals like physicians and practitioners, and patients with cutting-edge, all-inclusive PCR diagnostic services. The goal at PCR-Dx Diagnostic is to enable these medical professionals to accurately diagnose diseases in their patients through the provision of PCR-Dx's molecular diagnostic services. For more information on specific testing, and to see how PCR-Dx can improve patient care for your clinic, contact us today or visit us online at www.pcr-dx.com "We are excited about our new website launch and the robust information it provides for medical professionals, physicians, practitioners, and partners to better understand why Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) is best-in-class molecular testing method," said Dr. Anthony Luyai of PCR-Dx Diagnostic. "We believe that our brand-new site will connect medical professionals with fast and accurate test results that will decrease the wait time for patients to receive actionable diagnosis." Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) is a breakthrough molecular diagnostic testing technique that identifies a targeted genetic sequence (think cancer genes, bacteria, fungus and virus) present in any given sample. This technique amplifies (makes more copies of) the targeted genetic material in the sample through a complex series of heating and cooling cycles. At the completion, the cycles analyses are done to determine amplifications. If any amplification is detected in the sample, a call is made for positive identification of the pathogen in question. If no amplification is detected, then it means that the target sequence is not present in the sample; yielding a negative result. Due to the rise of Covid-19, PCR has experienced exponential growth among medical professionals as foot traffic has tripled for many practitioners. PCR is currently the most sensitive testing methodology compared to others including antigen and antibody rapid testing. The diagnostic value of PCR is significant for detection of current Covid-19 infections. The PCR-Dx Diagnostic facility features the latest cutting-edge testing equipment. The PCR-Dx Diagnostic founding partners have over 70 years of combined experience in both laboratory and healthcare services. PCR-Dx Diagnostic is built on these powers of business principles: patients first, empower the physician, and triple-check the work. The brand-new PCR-Dx Diagnostic website will act as a hub of information where visitors will find news articles, emerging developments happening throughout the PCR industry, and events. The new website will keep visitors in the loop and up-to-date on all things PCR. Site users are encouraged to explore the website and sign up for direct emails from PCR-Dx Diagnostic at https://pcr-dx.com For media or press inquiries, please contact media relations liaison Claudia Tran at [email protected] About PCR-Dx Diagnostic At PCR-Dx Diagnostic, our mission is to provide our physician and practitioner clients and their patients with cutting-edge, all-inclusive PCR-based diagnostic services. For more information on specific testing, and to see how PCR-Dx can improve patient care for your clinic, contact us today or visit us online at www.pcr-dx.com Related Images pcr-dx-diagnostic.jpg PCR-Dx Diagnostic For more information on specific testing, and to see how PCR-Dx can improve patient care for your clinic, contact us today or visit us online at www.pcr-dx.com Related Links Website SOURCE PCR-Dx Diagnostic Related Links https://pcr-dx.com Credit: CC0 Public Domain The vast majority of exercise bloggers are not qualified to give the advice they're giving, according to a University of Alberta study that suggests this lack of certification could contribute to misinformation and unhealthy behavior, especially since the pandemic has pushed many online for guidance with their fitness goals. "We looked at some of the most popular fitness and exercise blogs in the world to see what kind of content is being posted, who the authors are and how they're representing themselves in the online environment," said Elaine Ori, a Ph.D. candidate in the Faculty of Kinesiology, Sport, and Recreation who conducted the study as part of her Ph.D., studying with Tanya Berry, Canada Research Chair in Physical Activity Promotion. "What we found was the majority of the writers don't really tell us who they are, or what they know, just that they are 'fitness professionals,' and that's about it." For the original study, Ori examined 194 popular English-language fitness and exercise blogs, with a focus on blog authors. Ori found that only 16.4 percent of bloggers reported having fitness or exercise certifications although 57 percent reported being fitness professionals. Further, Ori said she could only find evidence of post-secondary education in a related field like kinesiology for 11 bloggers. "There are a lot of people portraying themselves as exercise professionals in the online environment, but they're quite ambiguous about what that means," she said. "They're taking advantage of the state of the exercise and fitness industry, which is generally unregulated." She said the lack of regulation means people can take a weekend course and call themselves exercise professionals alongside those with graduate degrees in the exercise sciences. "This brings the content into question, because we don't know what kind of advice they're giving people, and whether it's dangerous or helpful," she said. In a pair of followup studies, Ori asked participants their opinion about the credibility, believability and trustworthiness of the content, and whether they would be willing to act on the information being portrayed. In one instance, Ori, who is also a clinical exercise physiologist, selected an article from a top blog specifically because it contained a combination of correct and incorrect exercise information. She showed half the participants the original article and the other half a corrected version. At a subconscious level, the participants believed the articles about the same, she said. However, when they were asked outright which one they believed more, they said they believed the original, incorrect article a little bit more. "Most of them said they do believe the information, or at least some of it, but weren't necessarily committing wholly to it," said Ori. "Rather, they might believe this information but only to get them going or as a starting point to look up other ideas and exercise modalities." To that end, Ori said there is no doubt exercise blogs can be great sources of community support, especially for people who don't have that social support in their regular lives. They also can be helpful resources for people who are already excited to learn about regional or local events, opportunities and new trends in fitness. However, she warned that people should be careful about unknowingly undertaking some of the exercises prescribed on the blogsespecially if they sensationalize results, such as blogs that contain headlines in the same vein as "5 easy exercises to get your best summer body." Specifically, Ori said far too much exercise-blog content talks about exercise for fat or weight loss, muscle size increase for men and muscle toning for women. "It could be argued that this is a way to relate to a broader audience. But as fitness professionals, we want to steer away from that," she said. "If people are only uptaking exercise for those appearance ideals, they may be disappointed when they don't achieve those ideals as quickly as they're told they can, and they might shrug off exercise." Instead, she said the message needs to be that there's much more benefit to exercise than just how you look, like better stress management, improved sleep quality and reduction of risk for chronic disease, to name a few. "We also want to make sure people understand that health and fitness is not one-size-fits-all," she said. She added some information in blogs can be based on current trends, but those trends might be damaging for someone new to exercise. Ori pointed to the CrossFit fitness fad that took gyms by storm a decade ago but also ended in injury for many. "If people aren't aware that certain modalities take time to build up to, and get injured after they jump in wholeheartedly, we're back at square one with people who aren't participating in exercise," she said. And though blogs aren't thought of as an important source of information in the exercise sciences, Ori said previous research shows they generally serve as a primary source of information. Her studies have also shown that as many as 90 percent of exercise bloggers use social media platforms to promote their content. "These so-called fitness experts are using their blogs to function as an encyclopedia for their personal social media platforms," she said. "Their reach is a lot bigger than people think." Explore further Use of fitness trackers may spur exercise in older adults with MS More information: Who do they think they are? A quantitative content analysis of exercise bloggers and their blogs. Exercise Psychology. www.scapps.org/jems/index.php/1/article/view/2452 Who do they think they are? A quantitative content analysis of exercise bloggers and their blogs. Thank you for reading! Please purchase a subscription to read our premium content. If you have a subscription, please log in or sign up for an account on our website to continue. Sir David Attenborough met with Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and children Said Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis were all 'charming' Gifted Prince George a fossilised giant shark's tooth to mark their first meeting Sir David Attenborough has revealed that he found the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's children 'charming' after meeting them last week. The 94-year-old naturalist was photographed with Prince George, seven, Princess Charlotte, five, and Prince Louis, two, along with their mother Kate, 38, after enjoying a private viewing of his newest documentary A Life On Our Planet with Prince William, 38. ADVERTISEMENT After meeting in the grounds of Kensington Palace, Sir David told The Times that it was a 'very nice domestic occasion'. The broadcaster even gifted Prince George a fossilised giant shark's tooth after discovering the young royal was a 'massive fan'. Kate managed to perfectly coordinate her entire family's attire, with the Cambridges wearing an array of blue outfits as they met with Sir David Attenborough on Thursday (pictured) 'When I was his age, I remember being given fossils by a grown-up, so I thought I would do the same, Sir David said. '[George asked] What it was? How big it was? And so on. He was certainly very interested. He seemed to like it. He is very interested in fossils. She [Charlotte] was too. All three seemed charming.' Click here to resize this module The children are thought to have bombarded Prince William and Kate to meet Sir David - with the Duchess previously admitting that they're 'massive fans' of the conservationist. Prince George was photographed looking intrigued as he handled the fossilised tooth from an extinct Carcharocles megalodon - one of the most feared predators to have swum in the seas. Prince George's (pictured left with Prince William and Prince Louis) interest in the natural world was apparent in recent photographs of the Cambridge family with Sir David Attenborough The giant shark tooth was found by Sir David during a family holiday to Malta in the late 1960s. WHAT WAS THE CARCHAROCLES MEGALODON? Jaws may have terrified you at the cinema, but the iconic great white would have been dwarfed by Carcharocles megalodon, the largest shark in the history of the planet. The giant creatures lived between 23million and 2.6million years ago and scientists are divided over how and why the species perished. The predator grew up to an incredible 59 feet (18 metres) long, and it used its giant teeth, that could grow up to 7.1 inches (18cm) to feed on smaller marine mammals. In the past, climate changes have generally been blamed for its disappearance, while some research also suggested the giant shark became extinct because the diversity of its prey decreased and new predators appeared as competitors. It was embedded in the island's soft yellow limestone, which was laid down during the Miocene period some 23million years ago. William and the veteran broadcaster watched A Life On Our Planet, a revealing and powerful first-hand account in which Sir David reflects on both the defining moments of his life as a naturalist and the devastating changes he has witnessed. ADVERTISEMENT Socially distanced in the open air, the Duke of Cambridge and Sir David were offered directors' chairs with their names printed on the back - but in a change of plan they sat in each other's seats. The 94-year-old broadcaster chatted to William, Kate and their three children George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis after the screening on Thursday. William interviewed Sir David at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, last year, and during the discussion the broadcaster warned that humanity needed to act so that they did not 'annihilate part of the natural world'. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge also previously met the conservationist in September 2019 at Birkenhead, for the naming ceremony of the polar research ship the RRS Sir David Attenborough. The encounter appears in the upcoming ITV documentary, Prince William: A Planet For Us All. In a new clip to promote the royal's programme - which shows his passion for the planet and search for ways to restore the environment for the next generation - Prince William is seen greeting the broadcaster by saying: 'Heres a recognised face,' while Kate admits that George, Charlotte and Louis are disappointed to not be in attendance. William and the veteran broadcaster (pictured) watched A Life On Our Planet, a revealing and powerful first-hand account in which Sir David reflects on both the defining moments of his life as a naturalist and the devastating changes he has witnessed The duchess, who revealed in lockdown that her eldest son was often watching David Attenborough's Blue Planet, says: 'The children were very upset that we were coming to see you and they werent coming. Theyre massive fans of yours.' With a shared passion for protecting the natural world, William and Sir David continue to support each other in their mission to tackle some of the biggest environmental challenges the planet faces. ADVERTISEMENT This includes working together on William's Earthshot Prize, an ambitious global environment project announced last December to combat climate issues. Further details about the prize are expected in the coming weeks. (TNS) Hours after Philando Castile was shot and killed by a St. Anthony, Minn., police officer in 2016, during another heated presidential election, a mysterious Facebook page began to run ads promoting a protest called Justice for Philando Castile.Black Lives Matter activists in Minneapolis knew nothing about it. Soon they learned that the website associated with the Facebook page Dont Shoot was registered to a seemingly false name and address.A year later, U.S. intelligence analysts released a report saying the Russian government had sought to interfere in the 2016 presidential election using social media. Subsequent law enforcement and media investigations uncovered a sham organization called Blacktivist a troll operation run from St. Petersburg, Russia, led by a Kremlin-linked group known as the Internet Research Agency (IRA).Four years later, fears that foreign actors might be trying to exploit social divisions are again preoccupying election officials in Minnesota, a known target of Russian meddling in 2016. A dramatic rise in mail-in voting, a pandemic and inflamed tensions around racism and policing issues playing out in real time in Minnesota are ripe for exploitation by adversaries seeking to interfere in the November election, lawmakers and experts are warning.In some ways, the run-up to the 2020 election is mirroring that of 2016: a bitter presidential election stoking partisan divides; the death of a Black man in Minnesota police custody fueling nationwide unrest; and a torrent of misinformation and disinformation online trying to take advantage of it all.But federal intelligence officials, analysts and state election administrators expect disinformation to play an even greater role in this years election than in 2016, when Russia waged a vast campaign to meddle in the election. Russian hackers tried to penetrate all 50 states election systems that year. They are now instead expected to focus more on sowing division and discord through intentionally false posts online.The ground is more ripe now, everything has been heightened and we are more polarized, said Brett Schafer, media and digital disinformation fellow for the Alliance for Securing Democracy. We are more divided, which of course makes us more vulnerable. I think we are in a worse space than we were in 2016.U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., called disinformation campaigns much more insidious and much easier to do than trying to hack into voting systems.Where they just kind of go on either side: they go on either side of pipeline battles, they go on either side of gun battles, Klobuchar said in an interview. They do it so that people get mad at each other and that they do really blatant things discouraging people from voting in different ways.This month, Klobuchar and U.S. Sen. Tina Smith, D-Minn., joined 14 Democratic Senate colleagues in a letter to social media and tech executives urging more action to stop voting-related misinformation and disinformation. The senators warned that disinformation still thrives online, noting a 2019 report that politically relevant disinformation reached more than 158 million Americans. Researchers have said that despite better efforts to curb the spread of disinformation on online platforms, more is reaching users ahead of this election than before the 2016 vote.Four years ago, the aim was to spark both real-world and online clashes by posting content on opposite sides of the racial divide. A Senate Intelligence Committee report on Russias interference in the 2016 election concluded that no single group of Americans was targeted by IRA information operatives more than African-Americans.This year Facebook, Instagram and Twitter have already removed numerous fake accounts linked to Russias Internet Research Agency that were promoting stories about race.Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon still receives classified federal intelligence briefings and is expecting at least one more before Election Day.Spreading knowingly false information about election procedures and policies, pitting groups against one another on social media and other platforms, Simon said. That, we know, is a threat vector that involves more than just one foreign government.Simons office is also soon pushing out a public awareness campaign about voting options for the general election. Early voting began in the state on Sept. 18.Minnesota is playing a more central role in the 2020 presidential race than it did in 2016, as President Donald Trump has vowed to flip the state for the first time in nearly 50 years. Even then, however, a new volume of the Senate Intelligence Committee Report on Russian activities described how former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort shared Minnesota polling data and discussed the state with a Russian intelligence officer, describing the state as one of four key battlegrounds.Panayiota Kendeou, a University of Minnesota educational psychology professor who studies misinformation, said the way Minnesotans consume and share information will determine a lot about how the election plays out in the state.This is going to sound a little bit extreme, but if we could get everyone off social media until the election that would ideal, Kendeou said. The information ecosystem right now is lacking curation and gatekeepers.FBI Director Christopher Wray has told Congress that Russia is still working to influence the election and wants to denigrate Democratic challenger Joe Biden, much as it did Hillary Clinton in 2016, because the Kremlin sees him as anti-Russian. Last week, Wray told a Senate committee that the election cycles overlap with the COVID-19 pandemic provides ample opportunity for hostile foreign actors to carry out disinformation campaigns to mislead, sow discord, and, ultimately, undermine confidence in our democratic institutions and values.Schafers top concern is that foreign or domestic actors are seeding the ground to use disinformation to question the legitimacy of the presidential election, particularly if it is close or if results are not immediately known.In a Sept. 3 briefing to federal and state law enforcement, the Department of Homeland Security warned that Russia would likely continue to amplify criticism of vote-by-mail and other changes to voting processes amid the pandemic to try to undermine public trust capitalizing on a political debate that has already seen multiple legal challenges in Minnesota.This public discussion represents a target for foreign malign influence operations that seeks to undermine faith in the electoral process by spreading disinformation about the accuracy of voter data for expanded vote-by-mail, the bulletin read.Simon is counting on increased awareness of how to vote early and why this years election may not look the same as any other. Experts such as Schafer believe social media companies are better positioned to spot and remove fake accounts before, rather than after, the election.But Emily Vraga, a health communication professor at the University of Minnesotas Hubbard School of Journalism and Mass Communication, is urging Minnesotans to be more vigilant online and take extra time verifying sources of information, particularly content that provokes extreme emotion.I think the reason we need to be especially concerned and to remind ourselves to do the work is that we are in the homestretch [before the election] and this has been an incredibly difficult year on so many fronts, Vraga said. We are all tired and the work Im proposing is actual work to take the time to double-check and work is exhausting. Google Maps A man who crossed into oncoming traffic while driving on a far East Side street died Monday died after a head-on collision with a VIA Metropolitan Transit bus, according to San Antonio police. Police identified the man as as Jasper Richardson. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-28 19:00:13|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Aerial photo taken on July 31, 2018 shows a sand-fixing forest in Dalad Banner of Ordos of north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. Kubuqi Desert, located in the Ordos plateau, has an area of about 18,600 square kilometers. Once being totally barren and was called the "sea of death", the desert, however, now has a green area of more than 3,200 square kilometers thanks to the efforts of local people, enterprises and government. In 2014, The United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) announced that Kubuqi Desert is an ecological economy demonstration zone, showing the experience and wisdom of Chinese people in the action. (Xinhua/Peng Yuan) MEXICO CITY, Sept. 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- In order to preserve the memory and historical heritage of Mexico, the Excelsior newspaper of Grupo Imagen Multimedia (GIM), became the first news outlet to sign a collaboration agreement with 'Memorica. Mexico, make memory, is the initiative of the National Coordination of Historical and Cultural Remembrance of Mexico, to integrate its archive composed of magazines, publications, photographs, documents, notebooks, manuscripts, recordings and films that date from March 18, 1917. The signing was carried out in the facilities of the Lerdo de Tejada library, where the work that "El Periodico de la vida Nacional", headed by Olegario Vazquez Aldir, has carried out over the years, in favor of the construction of the country's democracy, through journalism. "Excelsior is a newspaper with more than 100 years of existence, with a vast archive that has more than 37 thousand 600 editions of the newspaper of national life, but also has the editions of " Revista de Revistas "," Plural ", de "Jueves de Excelsior" and other publications, as well as a huge number of photographs, " said Pascal Beltran Rios, editorial director of Excelsior. The signing of this agreement closes the proposal that emerged on June 28, 2019, during a meeting between the researcher Beatriz Gutierrez Muller, president of the Honorary Council for Historical and Cultural Remembrance of Mexico, and the lawyer Olegario Vazquez Aldir, this in the Historical Archive of Excelsior, where he detonated the idea of said collaboration. The newspaper that Olegario Vazquez Aldir heads today has written part of the history of Mexico in its pages, first under the name of Revista de Magazines, founded in January 1910, and later as a newspaper, founded in 1917. For more than 100 years it has been witness and narrator through its pages, of events that have left a deep mark in the history of Mexican society. It should be noted that the digital platform has international certifications, so it is expected to serve as a bridge to generate cultural exchanges, driven by the digital age. The historical collection of Excelsior will be available from next week at memoricamexico.gob.mx. SOURCE Olegario Vazquez Aldir Mekedatu padayatra: After Karnataka HC chides Cong, Siddaramaiah says permission not taken for protest 'Sack him': DK Shivakumar counters Tejasvi Surya's Bengaluru terror hub remark India oi-Deepika S Bengaluru, Sep 28: Bengaluru, a global city is known for Technology and Innovation, BJP MP terming it as an epicenter of terror is highly condemnable, said the opposition Congress on Monday. Taking to twitter KPCC Chief DK Shivakumar posted "BJP MP Tejasvi Surya calling Bengaluru, a global city known for Technology and Innovation, as an epicenter of terror is highly condemnable." "GDP growth has crashed and with such statements, which investor will come to Bengaluru & Karnataka? Will PM Narendra Modi and FM Nirmala Sitharaman answer?" he asked. "The BJP should sack him. He is killing Bengaluru. It is a shame or the BJP", DK Shivakumar was quoted saying by NDTV. Bengaluru has become an epicentre of terror activities, BJP MP Tejasvi Surya claimed on Sunday and said he had requested Union Home Minister Amit Shah to set up a permanent division of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in the city. Bengaluru has become epicentre of terror activities: BJP MP Tejasvi Surya His tweet has drawn attacks on social media, with many pointing out that Karnataka is ruled by the BJP, the opposition Congress has said the BJP should sack the new youth leader. A day after becoming the president of the BJP''s youth wing, Surya said many terror modules have been busted in Bengaluru, the Silicon Valley of India, in the recent past. The terrorist groups want to use the city as an "incubation centre" for terror activities. Amrinder Singh joins farmers' protest, says 'Pakistan's ISI may take advantage' | Oneindia News Surya said he had met Shah at the latter's residence two days ago and emphasised the need to have a well-equipped and sufficiently staffed NIA office to mitigate terror-related activities in Karnataka. "The Home Minister has assured that he will direct officials to establish a permanent station house manned by an officer of the rank of the SP at the earliest," Surya said. "In last few years, Bengaluru, the Silicon Valley of India, has become epicentre of terror activities. It has been proved through many arrests and sleeper terror cells busted by the investigative agency in the city," Surya, who represents Bengaluru South in Lok Sabha, told reporters here. "It is a matter of grave concern that NIA investigations into the DJ Halli and KG Halli mob violence in August have indicated that many terrorist organisations are using Bengaluru as their incubation centre for carrying out anti-India activities," he said. Over 3,000 people went on a rampage on August 11 torching the residences of Congress MLA R Akhanda Srinivasa Murthy, his sister Jayanthi and DJ Halli and KG Halli police stations in Bengaluru. The violence broke out over an alleged inflammatory social media post by the nephew of the Congress MLA. Shenandoah, IA (51601) Today Overcast. Temps nearly steady in the mid to upper 30s. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Mostly cloudy skies this evening will become partly cloudy after midnight. Low 19F. SW winds shifting to NNW at 10 to 20 mph. The lawyer for the 31 individuals who were arrested and charged on suspicion that they engaged in the disturbances believed to have been undertaken by the Homeland Study Group Foundation, Theophilus Donkor has stressed that his clients are innocent. They were on Monday, September 28, 2020, charged on three counts of conspiracy to commit crime of rioting, substantive offence of rioting and being at an unlawful place. In an interview on Eyewitness News, Mr. Donkor said the 31 individuals have no affiliation with any secessionist group. They have nothing to do with any secessionist group in the Volta Region. No one has recruited them into any secessionist group. These are innocent Ghanaians who were going about their lawful duties. Some of them are Nigerians, others were travelling from Ashaiman to Accra, others from the Volta Region to Accra, when they were arrested. The time they were arrested is very important. The police got to the scene at the time the real perpetrators had fled, so these people just happened to have been at the wrong place at the wrong time. Nothing incriminating was found on any of them, these ones cannot even hurt a fly, he insisted. Ghanaians on Friday, September 25, 2020, witnessed reports that the group had blocked some major roads leading into the Volta Region. They mounted roadblocks on the JuapongAccra, and SogakopeAccra main roads. The roadblocks were subsequently cleared as security agencies took control of the highways and strategic installations within the region. Homeland Study Group Foundation wants the Volta Region and sections of the northern part of Ghana to be an autonomous country known as Western Togoland. The group has made a number of attempts to push for the secession of the Volta Region from Ghana for the creation of a Western Togoland. The group even declared independence for the Western Togoland on May 9, 2019. Thirty of them were arrested in Juapong in the Eastern Region and one other was arrested at Akuse in the Volta Region. The list includes 30 males and one female aged between 16 and 70 years. Source: citinewsroom.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 Firefighters in New York arrived to extinguish a fire in Brooklyn on Thursday and came across approximately $1 million dollars that fell from the resident's ceiling, according to CBS New York. A source from the New York City Fire Department told the New York Post that the money "just kept falling out." A source told the newspaper the money may have came from a life insurance policy from the resident's deceased spouse. Visit Insider's homepage for more stories. $100 bill notes. Xinhua/Liu Jie via Getty Images First responders in New York reportedly found up to $1 million in cash while trying to extinguish a fire this week, according to CBS New York. According to the outlet, firefighters arrived at a home at around 2 a.m. on Thursday to douse a fire on the first floor. The home was located at East 57th Street and Avenue L in Brooklyn, CBS New York reported. But to reach the flames, firefighters had to cut through the ceiling. That's when bundles upon bundles of foil- and plastic-wrapped cash started falling from above, according to the New York Post. A source from the New York City Fire Department told the outlet the money "just kept falling out." "It was in bundles. It wasn't like in one solid brick. It just kept falling out," the source told the outlet. According to the outlet, the stash could be worth approximately $1 million, but the actual value is currently unknown. It may have been obtained by the woman who lived in the home from her late husband's life insurance policy, The New York Post reported. According to CBS New York, the money was not burned in the fire. One person was transported to a local hospital and officials launched an investigation on how the fire started, the outlet reported. Read the original article on Insider In the wake of the killing of African American George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer who knelt on Floyds neck to subdue him, a Black Lives Matter Movement is sweeping cities across the country called defund the police. The movement is not what it sounds like. Defund the police defined in simple terms means taking funding away from police forces to invest or reallocate funding into social programs, housing, education and economic development and job growth to address the real causes of crime. The city and the county have essentially combined geographically. Both the Albuquerque Police Department and the Bernalillo County Sheriffs Office have way too much overlap, with taxpayers in the city paying for essentially two law enforcement agencies. Disbanding entire police departments has happened before in U.S. cities. In 2012, with crime rampant in Camden, New Jersey, the city disbanded its entire police department and replaced it with a new force that covered Camden County. Abolishing the Albuquerque Police Department (APD) and the Bernalillo County Sheriffs Office (BCSO) is long overdue both should be defunded with functions consolidated. APD employs 980 full-time sworn police and has total staffing upward of 1,400, with an annual budget of $207,877,000. BCSO employs 300 sworn deputies and 121 civilian staff for a total of 421 with an annual budget of $57,539,000. There is precedent. The New Mexico Legislature created the Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority, taking assets from the city and county and creating a governing authority. Both APD and BCSO can be defunded by the Legislature with the creation of Albuquerque-Bernalillo County Police Authority (ABBCO Police Authority). The New Mexico Legislature can enact enabling legislation that would include a constitutional amendment abolishing the office of sheriff for class A counties, those with populations exceeding 500,000, and mandating the creation of ABQ-County law enforcement authority. A permanent dedicated funding source consisting of a combination of gross receipts tax and property tax taken from municipal and county existing taxing authority would be transferred or authorized by the Legislature to the authority. If the Legislature wont consolidate APD and BCSO, the Bernalillo County Commission and the City Council need to with the negotiation of a memorandum of understanding or a consolidation contract. Such an action is ripe for implementation because of, and would take advantage of, the defund-the-police movement. The city and county law enforcement budgets would be combined, with deductions in budgets for duplication of services. Assets, personnel, office space, area commands, emergency operations dispatching and academy training would be combined with a negotiated MOU. Savings from consolidating APD and BCSO budgets would be identified, and those funds reallocated to social programs, housing, education and job creation programs. Personnel policies, rules, regulations, standard operating procedure and internal affairs function would be developed for the authority. Most importantly, uniform police standard operating procedures and constitutional policing training and practices would be implemented, such as mandatory use of lapel cameras and de-escalations tactics. A police authority would be created with a civilian governing board of five members: the mayor, City Council president, Bernalillo County Commission chairperson, Bernalillo County manager and the chief or presiding judge of the Second Judicial District Court, all who would serve no more than two four-year staggered terms. A Police Authority commissioner would be appointed by the civilian governing board. ABBCO commissioner would be a contracted position who could only be terminated for cause as defined in the contract with compensation established by the governing board. The commissioner would have the identical or combined authority as the APD chief and Bernalillo County sheriff to run and operate the authority. Consolidation of both law enforcement authorities is long overdue. Both law enforcement agencies can and should be combined and streamlined into one Albuquerque and Bernalillo County regional law enforcement authority or an ABBCO Police Authority. Chinas insects and other invertebrates are spoilt for choice with the countrys array of deserts, rainforests, mountains and tropical coastlines. The winning photographs of the Wild China Biodiversity Photography Contest hosted by Wild China Film present the countrys sweeping lands and rare plants from unexpected perspectives. Here is a pick of the crop Jan 21, 2022 06:20 PM BAKU, Azerbaijan, Sept. 28 By Klavdiya Romakayeva - Trend: The European Union has allocated more than 2 million for the implementation of a project aimed at supporting an effective, prompt and coordinated response to COVID-19 in Uzbekistan, Trend reports referring to the press service of the Delegation of the European Union to Azerbaijan. The funds will also be used to provide personal protective equipment for employees of medical institutions who do not work with patients with coronavirus infection. The project, which will be implemented by the country office of the World Health Organization, is primarily focused on providing medical workers and personnel who are in direct contact with patients in medical institutions, with personal protective equipment, the statement said. In Uzbekistan, all available personal protective equipment is used for work related to the identification, triage, testing, isolation, and treatment of COVID-19 cases. In this regard, healthcare professionals dealing with patients who do not belong to the category of patients with suspected or confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19 are left without means of protection, for example, in maternity hospitals, clinics for tuberculosis and HIV patients, dentistry, polyclinics. The procurement of WHO-recommended personal protective equipment, not only for healthcare providers dealing with COVID-19 patients but also for workers in other healthcare services and facilities, is essential to reduce the spread of COVID-19, said the statement. It was also noted in the statement that the project will help strengthen infection prevention and control measures by purchasing sufficient high-quality personal protective equipment for Uzbekistans health workers over the next two years. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @romakayeva TOKYO and CAMBRIDGE, England, Sept. 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Sosei Group Corporation ("the Company") (TSE: 4565) has been notified by Pfizer that the first subject in a clinical trial has been dosed with a new drug candidate nominated from the multi-target drug discovery collaboration between the two companies. Achievement of this milestone triggers a payment of $5 million to Sosei Heptares. This candidate was nominated for advancement by Pfizer in June 2019 generating a $3 million milestone payment at that time. Pfizer nominated three distinct clinical candidates from the collaboration with Sosei Heptares during 2019, two of which have now subsequently entered clinical trials. The collaboration has leveraged Sosei Heptares' unique StaR technology and Structure-based Drug Design (SBDD) capabilities to design oral small molecules that modulate different G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) targets across multiple disease areas of interest to Pfizer. This candidate is the eighth GPCR-targeted drug candidate to enter clinical trials originating from Sosei Heptares' StaR technology and structure-based drug design (SBDD) platform. Dr. Rob Cooke, Chief Technology Officer of Sosei Heptares, said: "The start of this new clinical trial is another great example of the productivity of our StaR technology and structure-based drug design approach. It also highlights our ability to work collaboratively and successfully with leading pharma companies, applying cutting-edge complementary capabilities to discover and develop completely new drug candidates with potential to treat major diseases. We are extremely pleased with the progress being made in our long-term partnership with Pfizer." About the Agreement with Pfizer Sosei Heptares and Pfizer entered a multi-target drug discovery collaboration in November 2015 to research and develop potential new medicines directed at up to ten GPCR targets across multiple therapeutic areas. Many of these targets have clinical or biological validation as key points for therapeutic intervention potentially targeting a range of diseases but have proven difficult to address with conventional discovery approaches because of inherent technical challenges. To address these challenges, Sosei Heptares and Pfizer scientists worked closely together to leverage their respective complementary expertise in enabling GPCR-focused structure-based drug design (SBDD) and development initially directed to the GPCR targets selected by Pfizer. Pfizer is responsible for developing and commercializing any potential therapeutic agents (small molecules or biologics) for each target and will have exclusive global rights to any potential resulting agents. Sosei Heptares has delivered multiple stabilized receptors (StaR proteins), X-ray structures and biophysical data on certain programs, triggering multiple significant milestone payments from Pfizer resulting from the nomination of new clinical candidates and entry into clinical trials. Further possible milestones payments are contemplated under the agreement, with potential for royalties also payable provided the criteria under the agreement are satisfied. Pfizer also made a $33 million equity investment in Sosei Heptares in 2015. In the future, Pfizer and Sosei Heptares anticipate publication of select research findings from their collaboration. About Sosei Heptares We are an international biopharmaceutical group focused on the discovery and early development of new medicines originating from our proprietary GPCR-targeted StaR technology and structure-based drug design platform capabilities. We are advancing a broad and deep pipeline of novel medicines across multiple therapeutic areas, including neurology, immunology, gastroenterology and inflammatory diseases. We have established partnerships with some of the world's leading pharmaceutical companies, including AbbVie, AstraZeneca, Genentech (Roche), Novartis, Pfizer and Takeda and additionally with multiple emerging technology companies. Sosei Heptares is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan with corporate and R&D facilities in Cambridge, UK. "Sosei Heptares" is the corporate brand and trademark of Sosei Group Corporation, which is listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange (ticker: 4565). Sosei, Heptares, the logo and StaR are trademarks of Sosei Group companies. For more information, please visit https://www.soseiheptares.com/ LinkedIn: @soseiheptaresco | Twitter: @soseiheptaresco | YouTube: @soseiheptaresco Forward-looking statements This press release contains forward-looking statements, including statements about the discovery, development and commercialization of products. Various risks may cause Sosei Group Corporation's actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements, including: adverse results in clinical development programs; failure to obtain patent protection for inventions; commercial limitations imposed by patents owned or controlled by third parties; dependence upon strategic alliance partners to develop and commercialize products and services; difficulties or delays in obtaining regulatory approvals to market products and services resulting from development efforts; the requirement for substantial funding to conduct research and development and to expand commercialization activities; and product initiatives by competitors. As a result of these factors, prospective investors are cautioned not to rely on any forward-looking statements. We disclaim any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Enquiries: Sosei Heptares Shinichiro Nishishita VP Investor Relations, Head of Regulatory Disclosures +81 (0)3 5210 3399 [email protected] Citigate Dewe Rogerson Yas Fukuda Japanese Media +81 (0)3 4360 9234 [email protected] Mark Swallow David Dible International Media +44 (0)20 7638 9571 [email protected] SOURCE Sosei Heptares (Newser) Rick Gates, a key Trump campaign adviser in the run-up to the 2016 election, has a book coming out next month, and in it he makes a claim that, if true and if it had come to fruition, would've meant we'd be saying "Vice President Ivanka Trump" today. That's because Donald Trump mulled having his oldest daughter as his running mate, Gates writes in Wicked Game: An Insider's Story on How Trump Won, Mueller Failed and America Lost, per Bloomberg, which saw an advance copy. Gates details a June 2016 meeting in which Trump weighed in with the surprise idea. "I think it should be Ivanka," Trump reportedly said. "What about Ivanka as my VP?" Although Ivanka Trump, who was then 34 and had never been elected to office, "looked surprised," Trump continued: "She's bright, she's smart, she's beautiful, and the people would love her!" story continues below Gates notes that the room got quiet after Trump's suggestion, and that the candidate repeatedly brought up the idea over the next few weeks. Ivanka Trump herself eventually quashed it, and her father settled on Mike Pence, writes Gates, who didn't view Trump's idea as a possible nepotism play, but rather as a sign of "Trump's commitment to family, loyalty, and ensuring those around him support his agenda and not their own," per the Washington Post. Gateswho was convicted last year for tax and lobbying crimes tied to his consulting work in Ukrainewrites that Condoleezza Rice and then-Tennessee Sen. Bob Corker were also under consideration for the VP slot, but both took themselves out of the running. No word yet from Trump or the White House on the veracity of Gates' claims. (Read more Ivanka Trump stories.) - Lulu Hassan was so taken by her husband's wisdom she wanted the whole world to know - The happy wife praised Rashid Abdalla and reminded him of how he had a way with words - She assured him he had a bright future ahead of him PAY ATTENTION: Click 'See First' under 'Follow' Tab to see Tuko.co.ke news on your FB Feed True love never dies. Each day Lulu Hassan lays her eyes on the man of her dreams, she feels luckier than the day before. READ ALSO: Diana Marua gifts pregnant nanny costly phone, baby clothes during last day at work Lulu Hassan believed in her husband's talent. Photo: Lulu Hassan Source: Instagram READ ALSO: Mzungu TikToker sings along to Kikuyu star Samidoh's Murata wa Ngai The mother of three went on social media to express just how much she was drawn to her husband Rashid Abdalla's wits and wisdom. The Swahili presenter shared a timeless picture of herself smiling next to the king of her heart in a lovely Instagram post. She attached a hearty caption that referred to her twin soul as her brother and friend who never ceased to amaze her. READ ALSO: Maria hunk Khula Budi aka Trevor excitedly asks for marriage advice weeks after wedding READ ALSO: Brighton vs Man United: Why Red Devils were awarded penalty even after final whistle Lulu told Rashid he was a smart cookie who always had a way with his words. The doting wife reminded her better half he had a bright future ahead of him and he was a rare gem she cherished so much. "Kaka, I salute you today! You have got the gift of the gab. A rare gem that has a promising future," the news anchor wrote. READ ALSO: Watu 244 wapya waambukizwa COVID-19, wawili waangamia huku 40 wakipona In other related news, the mother of three who has turned modesty into her mantra taught her female followers how to stay sassy even when covered up. The curvaceous mum who often dresses in trendy and long skirts switched up her wardrobe and stepped out in a pair of brownish pants. They hugged her firmly at the hips and waist and flowed at the bottom. PAY ATTENTION: Help us change more lives, join TUKO.co.kes Patreon programme - https://www.patreon.com/tuko My car broke my family - Kenneth Saota | Tuko TV Source: TUKO.co.ke Blaming school administrations for out-of-control muck-up plans is only part of the answer. The worrying born to rule attitudes of some families who send their boys or girls to privileged schools are also prevalent. Thus, these schools are really stretched in handling student behaviour learnt from dads, and sometimes mums, that find badly directed boys will be boys attitudes quite normal. Courtesy, sympathy and respect for parents, seniors, community leaders, the homeless and the poor are qualities that seem to have disappeared. School authorities can only do so much. Behaviour in off-school life needs serious concentration for improvement. As a similarly privileged school student, I encountered such guidance from my family and I hope it has worked. Rectification with action in concert from schools and families is urgently needed. - William Tuck, Mosman Amid the furore created by the Shore school list of atrocities, one significant factor emerges: the sense of insensitivity and entitlement. This is not a new phenomenon and it is not confined to students of private schools. It progresses to university colleges, where atrocities have long been standard, to corporate boardrooms and political parties, and even to the High Court, where the behaviour of a recent member was called into question. School culture may be a good place to start, but the problem is far more widespread. - Max Redmayne, Russell Lea Its a choice koalas or the Nats John Barilaros actions in relation to koalas in the state of NSW are beyond contempt (Barilaro ignored plea to stop logging koala habitat, September 28). What type of man would brazenly seek to destroy the habitat of vulnerable native animals which have existed on this continent for millions of years? A complete disgrace. - John Berry, Cammeray So many people around the world donated money for wildlife recovery efforts after our devastating bushfires. How would they feel if they knew that those efforts are being actively sabotaged by the NSW government? It seems that we have to decide between the survival of koalas and the National Party in NSW. We cant have both. - Tony Judge, Woolgoolga Greed the conqueror Ross Gittins takes an interesting trip down an economists memory lane (Budget warning: more rent-seeking wont create jobs, September 28). He reaches conclusions on the roles of government, lobbyists, the marketplace and industrial relations, together with a summary of how economic thinking has evolved. Such a review would be expected to give us some satisfaction that becoming more aware has paved the way to progress, yet we are left with a sense of disappointment. Perhaps this unease is due to frustration with government rules or the lack of enforcement by our legal system and bodies such as ASIC and the ATO. However, there is no known system that can provide the answers to the main inhibitor: human nature. We may have to accept this and turn to the other two Es, education and ethics, to enable more contentment and lessself-interest, materialism and greed. Harry Polley, Dural The trickle down is one the econobabble is not mentioning. Tax concessions ended the trickle and created unemployment and the greed is good society. It also produced the shadow zombie companies that produce no wealth but instead receive the nations wealth. Expect more of the same in the budget. - Reg Wilding, Wollongong Maturity not about age The editorial on muck-up day (Young minds must still know right, September 28) appealed to the slowly maturing teenage brain. This so-called slowly maturing teenage brain is yet one more burden for men aged between 18 and 25 to deal with, and is imposed as normative by experts. This brain can operate in mistaken assumptions. It could be part of a social and economic matrix that conspires to extend childhood into the mid-20s: a false prolongation. Its prevalent in the university world, where second degrees and further certification are touted as mandatory and men and women are students forever. Men are now adults at law by 18 and once celebrated maturity at 21 or were conscripted at 20. Marriage, if it happened, often did so well before 25. An 18-year-old mind, well-formed and well-educated and well-socialised and well-parented may be perfectly capable of running an adult and responsible form of life. That expectation is reasonable even if the hardware of the brain has a way to go or a few gigs to add. Bigger brains with more neuronal mapping can still be full of mucked up criminality or poorly formed ethics. - Ivan Head, Burradoo Illustration: Matt Golding Credit: German idea a gas Danke schon, Germany, for identifying that Australia is extremely well-positioned to produce very large quantities of hydrogen at very low cost ... with no greenhouse gas emissions (Germany eyes Australian hydrogen to get rid of coal, September 28). Would someone please tell our greenhouse-gas loving Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction, Angus Taylor? - Brian Hastings, West Ryde Sounds like a great idea we export renewable energy which helps the planet by reducing another countrys carbon footprint. Or is it just a re-run of what happened with gas, where our thirst for export dollars leaves us with no supply for ourselves, or what is left over is only available at an inflated price? - Doug Walker, Baulkham Hills Tobacco still a killer Good news about COVID-19, Health Minister Hazzard (A very good day as state has no cases, September 28). Now will you take a breath to legislate and reduce the annual toll from tobacco more than 6000 deaths. License sellers and license smokers, and protect workers, babies, everyone from the deadly toxins in second-hand tobacco smoke. - Margaret Hogge, North Curl Curl Mining loss our gain The story Coal miners face $17b hit to exports (September 28) mentions that most coal mines in the Hunter Valley have had mining operations suspended for at least a fortnight. Thats not good news for mining workers and for our economy but its probably good news for other workers in that area, in vineyards and horse breeding stables and farms. They will probably not be hearing mining noise, or encountering dust, while theres no mining being done. And people who havent been visiting the Hunter Valley region for quite a while, to avoid that noise and dust, might now go there during these school holidays, and spend time and money in hotels and restaurants and help the local economy there. - Brett James, Baulkham Hills The coal miners blame COVID-19 for the industry downturn and say they have a large overhang which they have to burn through. Disregarding the unintended irony, one can see they just dont get it. Another reason given in the article is that Asian power companies are switching from coal to gas. Forget it, gentlemen, its over. As the Monty Python boys said of the Norwegian blue, so we can say of the coal industry: it is a dead parrot. No amount of propping up will make it seem alive. - Chris Moe, Bensville Dead horse sangers Today at my local grocery, I overheard two staff discussing the absence of one of my favourite sandwich fillers: Devon sausage. I asked if this was another case of toilet paper-like hoarding and was assured it was a supply chain matter only, as the item was sourced from Victorian producers and the meatworks closures had affected supplies. Guess I will have to revert to that other old 50s second favourite, tomato sauce sandwiches. - Ken Osborne, Bowraville Reality of war According to Trevor Somerville (Letters, September 28), ... its doubtful they [soldiers] spend much time studying the morality, philosophy and ethics of war. Surely, Trevor, that is a poly-oxymoron. There is no morality or ethics or philosophy to war. War is waged for profit and/or power, nothing else. - Shane Nunan, Finley The ATO has issued a reminder to JobKeeper bosses. Images: Getty Businesses and workers receiving the JobKeeper subsidy will see reduced payments from Monday, with employers now reminded of one additional step they need to take to remain eligible. Around 3.5 million workers will be affected by the JobKeeper changes, with the system now splitting into two tiers of payments. However, the new payment system will also see some new workers receive the subsidy, the Australian Tax Office (ATO) said, provided they were employed by 1 July. To be eligible for subsidies prior to 3 August 2020, employees need to have been employed by 1 March. But to be eligible for payments after 3 August, employees only need to have been on the books from 1 July. What do businesses receiving JobKeeper need to do? There are some key dates to keep in mind, and simple steps employers can take now, so they are ready for the changes, but please remember that not everything needs to be done from next week, said ATO deputy commissioner James OHalloran. Although you do not need to re-enrol in JobKeeper, you do need to notify us of your eligible employees and what rate you are paying them as part of your normal payday reporting in October. This can easily be done through Single Touch Payroll. Additionally, employers will need to nominate any new employees if they are applying for a JobKeeper subsidy for those workers for the first time. Dates bosses need to know about JobKeeper 28 September 2020: JobKeeper is split into two tiers of payments, based on hours employees worked. Those who worked more than 20 hours per week will receive the Tier 1 payment, while those who work fewer hours will receive the Tier 2 payment. JobKeeper fortnights Tier 1 rate Tier 2 rate 28 September 2020 3 January 2021 $1200 $750 1 - 14 October : Businesses need to complete their October JobKeeper monthly business declaration to receive the subsidies for payments made in September. 1-31 October : Businesses need to prepare and submit the details of their business actual turnover decline to the ATo. Up to 31 October : Businesses need to meet the wage conditions for all eligible employees for the JobKeeper fortnights starting 28 September and 12 October. 1 November onwards: Businesses need to complete their monthly business declaration and confirm the the payment tier theyre passing along to workers. 4 January 2021: Payments reduce again. JobKeeper fortnights Tier 1 rate Tier 2 rate 4 January 2021 28 March 2021 $1000 $650 Make your money work with Yahoo Finances daily newsletter. Sign up here and stay on top of the latest money, news and tech news. Follow Yahoo Finance Australia on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn. Fianna Fail's Willie O'Dea has condemned the 2pc pay rise due to be paid to TDs from this Thursday. The rise comes at the same time that some people's Covid-19 welfare payments are being cut. Mr O'Dea and other key Fianna Fail deputies have urged the Public Expenditure Minister, their party colleague Michael McGrath, not to implement the cuts. The Limerick city TD said the cutbacks were now a big issue in preparations for the Budget which is due to be presented a fortnight from tomorrow, on October 13. Read More "We should be cultivating social solidarity - but you can't do that if you are implementing really damaging cuts to people already on low incomes," Mr O'Dea told the Irish Independent. Read More But Mr McGrath appeared unmoved by the stance being taken by Mr O'Dea, the former agriculture minister Barry Cowen, and dissident TD Jim O'Callaghan. "I have to balance all the demands and be fair to all sectors, including other welfare recipients like people who were unemployed before Covid-19 and others such as carers," Mr McGrath told RTE. Mr O'Dea has written to the minister making the case against cuts to the Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) on grounds of fairness. Expand Close Barry Cowen is one of a number of FF TDs opposing cuts to PUP / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Barry Cowen is one of a number of FF TDs opposing cuts to PUP But he also argued that maintaining the payments was important for keeping Fianna Fail's identity in government. In a comment article for this newspaper today, Mr O'Dea has also condemned the 2pc pay rise that increased a TD's salary from 96,000 to 98,000. Mr O'Dea said he will not take the pay rise and revealed that he had refused an earlier increase too. Separately, Laois-Offaly TD Barry Cowen's letter to Mr McGrath also criticised the failure of the Coalition to act on a raft of health measures promised in the Programme for Government agreed last June. Dublin Bay South TD Jim O'Callaghan said it was wrong of the Government to close businesses as a Covid-19 prevention measure without offering adequate income support. Dublin Central Green Party TD Neasa Hourigan also spoke out against the PUP cuts. But it is not clear how many of her parliamentary party colleagues will take the same view. At the same time, student leaders have warned against PUP cuts being applied to them as the payments to students are not a huge cost to the taxpayer. Speaking to the Irish Independent, the president of NUI Galway students' union, Padraic Toomey, said it would not be fair to target students and cut off their Covid-19 welfare payments. Some 22pc had previously been in receipt of the PUP, so a high number of students had already been cut from the payments as they had found jobs again when premises reopened. Targeting He said that the low number of students in receipt of it in Galway was not a huge cost to the Exchequer. "It's probably going to those most in need, who did lose their jobs, or are waiting for places to reopen," he said. "As we know, the nightclub industry has still not reopened and a lot of students are employed there, so to be targeting them is just unfair. "Until the full economy is opened up, including the night life, they can't be culling the payment when it is there to be used as a means to keep people going, who are relying on it. "The cost of education hasn't gone down. It has only gone up in the last few years. It is not cheap to be a student and to be targeting students, it just shows a lack of compassion," Mr Toomey added. Emmanuel Macron 's government has ordered bars in Paris, Lyon and nine other cities to close at 10pm Bars, gyms, weddings and other social gatherings will all be impacted by the new regulations It comes as France yesterday recorded 14,412 new confirmed infections of coronavirus and 39 deaths New Paris regulations Bars in Paris, along with Lyon and nine other cities on 'heightened alert', to close at 10pm from tonight Ten person restriction at gatherings Number of attendees at weddings and parties limited to 30 Gyms and other indoor sporting facilities will remain closed Remains mandatory for all pedestrians to wear face masks in public areas in the capital Paris is set to impose strict new regulations in attempt to slow the spike in coronavirus cases. ADVERTISEMENT Emmanuel Macron's government has ordered bars in Paris, along with Lyon and nine other cities on 'heightened alert', to close at 10pm from tonight. There is also a 10-person restriction at public gatherings with attendees at weddings and parties limited to 30. Gyms and other indoor sporting facilities will also remain closed and it remains mandatory for all pedestrians to wear face masks in public areas in the capital. The move comes as Macron tries to avoid imposing a full lockdown across the country with the French economy already set to shrink by 8.7 per cent this year. The French government recently announced that it would be pumping 100billion (91billion) into the economy as part of a recovery plan. Macron hopes that this will help the French economy to get moving again by 2022. France yesterday recorded 14,412 confirmed cases of coronavirus and 39 deaths. The new measures introduced in Paris come as France is seeing a squeeze on its hospitals. Medics in the capital, along with Marseille, have been forced to postpone scheduled surgeries to free up space. Patients are still facing backlogs caused by the lockdown in March and April - and more than 6,000 coronavirus patients are now being treated in French hospitals. And at least 10 per cent of French intensive care beds are now occupied with COVID patients. Paris is set to enter a strict second lockdown in attempt to slow the spike in coronavirus cases. Pictured: Parisians drinking outside at a bar last night before the restrictions bare introduced The strict measures have continued across France including in Marseille where bars and restaurants have been ordered to close for a week. Local business owners and officials have protested against the closure order after the announcement was made last week. ADVERTISEMENT They accused the central government in Paris of singling out their rival Mediterranean city for punishment. Marseille Mayor Michele Rubirola said that she had not been consulted about the decision to enforce a second lockdown in the area - which left her 'astonished and angry'. 'The Marseille town hall was not consulted. Nothing in the health situation justifies these announcements,' she wrote on Twitter. She added: 'I won't allow the people of Marseille to become the victims of political decisions that no-one understands.' Click here to resize this module Benoit Payan, Marseille's first deputy mayor, also criticised the restrictions and asked the French government for a 10-day reprieve to show that the city's own measures were working. He said: 'Once again our territory is being sanctioned, punished, singled out. Our city has been put in virtual confinement without anyone having been consulted. 'The statements [from the government] are irrational. Marseille deserves better than being beaten down, or of serving as an example.' Renaud Muselier, president of the regional council that includes Marseille, added that the closures amounted to a 'collective punishment'. He took to Twitter and said: 'This decision is unilateral, ill-conceived and unfair.' But Mr Veran responded to the criticism by stating that the measures had been put in place to protect public health. He also claimed that city officials were given notice of the announcement in advance. The strict measures have continued across France including in Marseille where bars and restaurants have been ordered to close for a week. Pictured: Restaurant owner packs away chairs in Marseille Marseille Mayor Michele Rubirola said that she had not been consulted about the decision to enforce a second lockdown in the area - which left her 'astonished and angry'. Pictured: Diners eating out for a final time yesterday ahead of the new rules The new regulations in Paris have striking resemblance to those introduced across the UK by Boris Johnson. The Prime Minister's 'Rule of Six' limit on the number of people socialising has now been in place for two weeks. ADVERTISEMENT Face masks have also been mandatory on public areas including shops and public transport. Tough new fines for failing to self-isolate for any one with symptoms for coronavirus also come into force across parts of the UK today. People across England will be legally required to self-isolate from this week if they test positive for coronavirus or are contacted by the test and trace service. If they do not they risk being hit with new fines starting at 1,000 and increasing up to 10,000 for repeat offenders or serious breaches. The new measures have striking resemblance to those introduced across the UK by Boris Johnson. Pictured: Crowd of people spill out into the street in Bristol after the 10pm curfew early closing of pubs and bars The Prime Minister's 'Rule of Six' limit on the number of people socialising has now been in place for two weeks. Pictured: Police trying to clear the streets near Leicester Square after crowds were forced to leave bars and restaurants at 10pm The government has also introduced an identical 10pm curfew on pubs and restaurants. But it was recently claimed that the curfew did more harm than good. Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham has demanded an urgent review of the measure, saying it had merely resulted in people gathering in shops and homes. 'I received reports that the supermarkets were absolutely packed out to the rafters with people gathering,' he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme. 'I think there needs to be an urgent review of the emerging evidence from police forces across the country. My gut feeling is that this curfew is doing more harm than good. 'It creates an incentive for people to gather in the street or more probably to gather in the home. That is the opposite of what local restrictions here are trying to do.' The UK yesterday confirmed 6,041 new infections and 35 deaths in 24 hours. It comes as the leader of Madrid has rejected calls for a new lockdown in the Spanish capital despite a mounting crisis in the city which is seeing thousands of new coronavirus cases per day. Isabel Diaz Ayuso said 'the solution is not a total confinement' and demanded more help from the Spanish government as new restrictions were imposed on parks, shops and restaurants in another eight districts today. It comes as Madrid's regional president Isabel Diaz Ayuso (pictured) has rejected calls for the city to go back into lockdown despite a surge in coronavirus cases Ayuso, who has previously argued that 'people get run over every day but that doesn't mean we ban cars', is opposing tougher restrictions despite calls for new measures from Spain's health minister. Protesters hit the streets outside Madrid's regional parliament on Sunday with hundreds of people demanding an end to the restrictions and complaining of discrimination against poorer areas of the city. Madrid piled up nearly 18,000 new cases last week alone and more than 40 per cent of its intensive care beds are now filled up with virus patients, raising fears of a return to the dark days of March and April. Spain as a whole is recording more than 10,000 cases per day and an average of 350 people are going into hospital every 24 hours. The worsening second wave has led the Spanish government to predict a worse economic slump in 2020 than previously predicted. Official forecasts will be revised from a contraction of 9.3 per cent to between 10 and 11 per cent, local media said on Sunday. The budget deficit is also likely to be worse than the 10.3 per cent of GDP which was announced as a target in May. The Spanish economy contracted a record 17.8 per cent in the second quarter compared with the previous quarter and 21.5 per cent compared with the same quarter a year earlier. Early indicators in August showed the recovery initiated in July slowed down during the summer as the second wave began to mount. In Madrid, more than one in five tests are now coming back positive - easily the highest rate in Spain. The city with its surrounding region is at the epicentre of the second wave of infections, with Catalonia urging its people not to travel to Madrid. ADVERTISEMENT Madrid had 455 people in intensive care as of last Friday, filling up 40.1 per cent of ICU beds, while 25.4 per cent of all hospital capacity is being used for Covid-19 patients. Union sources said that routes affected include those from Cork, Limerick and Galway to Dublin BUS Eireann is set to close inter-city Expressway routes between Cork, Limerick, Galway and Dublin due to the impact of Covid-19. The company said in a statement that services between Dublin and Cork, Dublin and Galway and Dublin and Limerick will end, probably early next year, and its Dublin to Belfast service suspended indefinitely. It said it is consolidating services and beginning plans for expansion of city and commuter services. A Bus Eireann spokesperson said the Dublin/Belfast service is still running and will do for the next few months. It will then be suspended indefinitely and kept under review, she said. No cessation dates are decided but the changes are likely early next year. This is because current commercial bus operator emergency supports to the Cork, Limerick and Galway routes will expire then. The X51 service from Galway to Limerick and the X1 service Dublin to Belfast have not been in receipt of emergency funding and services will formally cease on these routes over the next few months, said the commercial semi-state company. It said this measure is being taken in response to significant medium-term challenges posed by Covid19 in order to safeguard Expressways remaining 14 national routes and meet demand required on other city and commuter services. The company said the decision was taken at a board meeting today following considerable analysis and review over the last few months. We have an opportunity through the July stimulus measures for public transport to increase our Bus Eireann city services in Cork, Galway and Limerick, as well other services as in Louth and Meath under contract to the NTA, said Chief Executive Officer, Stephen Kent. This expansion will require more than 100 drivers which we can fully deliver by consolidating our Expressway network and taking a decision to withdraw from a small number of Expressway routes which would otherwise incur unsustainable losses and thereby avoid job losses in a very difficult trading environment. Chief commercial officer Eleanor Farrell said it will communicate any changes clearly with customers and will work closely with the National Transport Authority on timing. A more sustainable footing allows us to make important investments into our overall network and these decisions will allow us to continue improving our customer experience, providing a platform for future growth, despite current Covid-19 challenges, she said. Siptu officials condemned the decision to discontinue the routes, which they described as vital. Sector organiser, John Murphy, said the decision was short sighted, flawed and a kick in the teeth for workers and passengers. He called for an immediate intervention by Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Eamon Ryan, to reverse the decision. The blame for this lies squarely with the National Transport Authority which has, over the years, flooded the market with privately held operating licenses and strangled the national carrier, he said. Bus Eireann, unlike other operators, has continued to supply much needed services during the current Covid-19 crisis and the NTA needs to recognise this and provide funding so that these services continue to provide safe and accessible transport for all its passengers. The NTA is responsible for ensuring connectivity of public transport across the country and the fact that some, but not all, of these routes have been given access to emergency funding during the Covid-19 pandemic clearly shows this was necessary, he said. This funding will cease soon and Bus Eireann cannot continue to operate these services on a loss making basis. He said the needs to commit to funding all essential public transport services in the interests of passengers, staff and the wider community. While Bus Eireann has assured Siptu representatives that this decision will not impact negatively on the job security of our members it will, if left unchallenged, severely disrupt passengers and connectivity, he added. The National Bus and Railworkers Union called on the government to support the retention of services following the boards decision. The issuing of these licences meant that capacity outstripped demand on a number of those inter-urban corridors, Cork, Limerick and Galway into Dublin being cases in point, said general secretary Dermot OLeary. The politicians, particularly those that represent the constituencies which will be impacted by this decision to cull routes, should ponder on the fact that Bus Eireann, and Bus Eireann alone, in the vast majority of areas across Ireland, was the only bus service left standing during the Covid-19 induced lockdown, from March through to July. Without such services, large parts of Ireland would have been cut-off, essential workers would not have had public transport availability to attend vital workplaces, such as hospitals, doctors surgeries, pharmacies and retail. The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has dropped inquiry on Vodafone Idea Limited (VIL), now Vi, after the telco discarded its claims of priority 4G network with its RedX plan. Vodafone Idea filed the revised plan with the regulator withdrawing claims of the 4G priority network, which the TRAI had called misleading. In a letter addressed to the regulator, Vodafone Idea urged the Trai to close its inquiry into RedX, claiming that it was hopeful that the telco had satisfactorily addressed the regulator's concerns around the RedX postpaid tariff plan, ET noted. "The Authority, considering Vodafone Idea's request, has decided not to proceed with its investigation and any further inquiry into RedX in the backdrop of the discontinuance of (the telco's earlier) claim of the Priority 4G network feature with faster speeds," the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) said in a letter, seen by ET. "It has been further stated that VIL believes the same would address the concerns of the authority and based on the same, VIL requested the authority to grant closure to the pending enquiry," the regulator said. Previously, Vodafone Idea promised its customers priority 4G network with its premium plans. The regulator had termed the plans as misleading and questioned if it would be fair to regular customers. The Vodafone RedX individual plan now costs Rs 1099 per month and offers benefits like unlimited data and unlimited calls. The plan also gives OTT benefits like subscription to Netflix on TV and mobile and Amazon Prime for a year among other benefits. September 28, 2020 - A less-invasive treatment technique called hemi-gland cryoablation (HGCryo) - destroying the areas of the prostate where cancers are located by freezing them - provides a high rate of effective prostate cancer control, according to a new study published in The Journal of Urology, Official Journal of the American Urological Association (AUA). The journal is published in the Lippincott portfolio by Wolters Kluwer. "Freedom from cancer, as documented by biopsy, was found in 82 percent of men who underwent HGCryo, at their 18 month follow-up," according to the research by Ryan Chuang, MD, and colleagues at the University of California, Los Angeles. The importance of utilizing modern magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-guided prostate biopsy in monitoring the effectiveness of HGCryo is also emphasized as part of this study. 'Hemi-Gland Cryoablation' Eliminates Clinically Significant Cancer in Most Patients In the HGCryo procedure, using an advanced ultrasound/MRI fusion system, needles are precisely placed in and around the area of the prostate where the cancer is located. Argon gas is then injected to create extremely cold temperatures, destroying the cancer and surrounding area. According to the study, 61 men with clinically significant prostate cancer (grade 2 or higher) involving one side of the prostate gland, underwent HGCryo. Cryotherapy was performed using general anesthesia; patients were discharged on the same day as the procedure. The results were assessed through follow-up imaging procedures and MRI-guided biopsies. Biopsies were performed at 6 months in all patients; 27 patients underwent an additional biopsy after reaching 18 months' follow-up. At both times, biopsies showed no evidence of clinically significant prostate cancer in 82 percent of patients. In men who had areas of prostate cancer detected at follow-up, repeated HGCryo or other treatments were effective. The study assessed three different biopsy approaches for monitoring the outcomes of HGCryo therapy: tracking of prior cancer-positive sites, biopsy targeting of MRI-visible lesions, and systematic biopsy of the entire prostate using a template. "While tracking biopsy was the most sensitive, all three methods were required for maximum cancer detection," Dr. Chuang and coauthors write. HGCryo provided notable cancer control even in six patients with more advanced prostate cancers (grade 3 or 4). None of the patients died from their cancer, and none developed metastatic prostate cancer. Postoperative complications of HGCryo were "generally mild and short-lived." There were no serious complications, including urinary incontinence - a common complication after prostate cancer surgery. One patient developed erectile dysfunction , which was successfully treated with medication. Cryotherapy is an FDA-approved treatment for prostate cancer and is increasingly popular as a less-invasive alternative to surgery. However, there has been limited evidence on its long-term effectiveness in controlling prostate cancer. Most studies of prostate cryoablation were performed before the availability of modern multiparametric MRI scanning of the prostate, which can provide "a targeted path to precise biopsy and focal treatment" in most men with prostate cancer. As with other types of partial gland ablation (PGA) for treatment of prostate cancer, the findings highlight the importance of follow-up biopsy as "the most important criterion for success" in evaluating the results of HGCryo. Dr. Chuang and colleagues conclude, "As utilization of MRI-guided biopsy increases, with resulting improved accuracy of prostate tissue characterization, numbers of candidates for PGA are expected to rise." ### Click here to read "Hemigland Cryoablation of Clinically Significant Prostate Cancer: Intermediate-Term Followup via Magnetic Resonance Imaging Guided Biopsy." DOI: 10.1097/JU.0000000000001133 ### About The Journal of Urology The Official Journal of the American Urological Association (AUA), and the most widely read and highly cited journal in the field, The Journal of Urology brings solid coverage of the clinically relevant content needed to stay at the forefront of the dynamic field of urology. This premier journal presents investigative studies on critical areas of research and practice, survey articles providing brief editorial comments on the best and most important urology literature worldwide and practice-oriented reports on significant clinical observations. The Journal of Urology covers the wide scope of urology, including pediatric urology, urologic cancers, renal transplantation, male infertility, urinary tract stones, female urology and neurourology. About the American Urological Association Founded in 1902 and headquartered near Baltimore, Maryland, the American Urological Association is a leading advocate for the specialty of urology, and has more than 23,000 members throughout the world. The AUA is a premier urologic association, providing invaluable support to the urologic community as it pursues its mission of fostering the highest standards of urologic care through education, research and the formulation of health care policy. To learn more about the AUA visit: http://www.auanet.org. About Wolters Kluwer Wolters Kluwer (WKL) is a global leader in professional information, software solutions, and services for the clinicians, nurses, accountants, lawyers, and tax, finance, audit, risk, compliance, and regulatory sectors. We help our customers make critical decisions every day by providing expert solutions that combine deep domain knowledge with advanced technology and services. Wolters Kluwer reported 2019 annual revenues of 4.6 billion. The group serves customers in over 180 countries, maintains operations in over 40 countries, and employs approximately 19,000 people worldwide. The company is headquartered in Alphen aan den Rijn, the Netherlands. Wolters Kluwer provides trusted clinical technology and evidence-based solutions that engage clinicians, patients, researchers and students with advanced clinical decision support, learning and research and clinical intelligence. For more information about our solutions, visit https://www.wolterskluwer.com/en/health and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter @WKHealth. For more information, visit http://www.wolterskluwer.com, follow us on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube. An engineer hopes to bring managerial skills to Alvin ISDs board of trustees, while the incumbent he is running against for Position 7 emphasized her skill at building consensus and being a good steward of district finances. Floyd Hodges Jr., an engineering manager for a Houston construction engineering firm, is challenging six-year incumbent and board vice president Vivian Scheibel in the Nov. 3 election. Both recently were interviewed during an online election forum hosted by the Pearland Chamber of Commerce in partnership with the Alvin-Manvel Area Chamber of Commerce. The event can be viewed here. The election occurs amid explosive growth in the district, which has been adding approximately 1,000 students each year, resulting in rezoning and new campuses. The district has an enrollment of 27,000 over 250 square miles. Scheibel and Hodges, both parents of Alvin ISD students, touched on a variety of issues they hope to address if elected, including effectively managing campus construction and renovation needs to provide equitable facilities for all students as the district continues to grow at a fast clip. Hodges, 40, who has a degree in computer engineering, touted his professional background. He has two daughters attending elementary school in Alvin ISD and another who will enter kindergarten next year. Through his job, he said hes comfortable managing multiple projects many with multimillion dollar budgets similar to what hed be tasked with handling on the Alvin ISD board. Scheibel, a 53-year-old tech professional, called herself an engaged and visible trustee who is skilled at consensus-building, curious about and open to new ideas and fiscally responsible with the districts money. Her son is a senior in Shadow Creek High School. She noted that the district recently was awarded a superior rating from the Financial Integrity Rating System of Texas for the 2018=19 school year. Addressing the districts rapid growth pace, she said its important to make sure schools dont become crowded lest those campuses risk undeserving students and potentially negatively impacting their ability to succeed. We need to prepare for a projected 10,000 (more students) in the next 10 years, she said. Hodges said he participated in the districts most recent rezoning effort, which was undertaken last spring. He said the experience was eye-opening. Rezoning showed me there was a hole in representation on the district level as far as the board goes, he said. There are large parts of the district that dont have anyone representing them on the board, especially in the southwestern part of the county. I want to (represent) those who dont have a voice. Both candidates discussed the importance of a focus on students mental health. Scheibel lauded Alvins Lets Talk platform, which allows students or parents to relay concerns around the clock and be directed to the appropriate person. The district allows for anonymous reporting of bullying incidents, as well. The Lets Talk webpage can be reached at https://bityl.co/3i1M. Scheibel said mental health is a huge topic for the board and its members support investments in campus counseling services as well as annual and ongoing training for all campus administrators in areas of investigating allegations of bullying and bullying mitigation. We are serving the whole student and that means academic and emotional support, she said. Hodges agreed, and said particular attention has to be paid while students navigate the coronavirus pandemic. Kids are dealing with unprecedented fears and concerns and a broad range of other issues that could cause behavioral problems in the classroom, he said. In light of the pandemic, the forum moderators brought up distance learning and the challenges surrounding it. Hodges said hes a firm believer in what a remote educational platform can offer students, particularly when it means they have the opportunity to learn in ways they wouldnt otherwise. However, he said Alvin ISD must be mindful of how to keep kids engaged and progressing in a virtual environment. (Another challenge) is making sure (remote instruction) matches that of the face-to-face (instruction), he said, adding board trustees must recognize this new challenge is not only difficult for students but teachers as well. While we focus on the kids we need to be making sure we focus on the teachers and their needs, he said. Scheibel said the pandemic has added another layer of challenge to the district, which she said can be addressed through effective two-way communication with parents. She said a healthy school-parent collaboration is key to nurturing and educating kids. My goal is that (our students) be offered an education to prepare them to be highly achieving, career-oriented, community-minded, successful citizens, she said. For more information about Hodges, visit hodgesforalvin.com. To contact or read more about Scheibel, check out her Facebook page, Vivian Scheibel for Alvin ISD School Board. She has appeared on countless magazine covers including everything from fashion bible American Vogue to Hugh Hefner's Playboy. But Kim Kardashian is trying something a little different for her latest cover appearance, which has been shot by her husband, rapper Kanye West, at his home in Wyoming. Kim, 39, stars in the latest edition of UK-based fashion title Another Magazine, stripping down to her underwear, for a collaboration-of-sorts with her designer friend Michele Lamy, 76, as they model each other's designs. She's in fashion: Kim Kardashian strips down to her underwear in sexy magazine cover shot by husband Kanye West... as she collaborates with designer pal Michele Lamy In the arty spread, Lamy wears Kim's latest SKIMS range and her own jewellery, while Kim models Lamy's HUNROD jewellery and her own underwear - presumably SKIMS. While Kim's photo-session was shot in Wyoming by her husband Kanye, Michele was shot by renowned photographer Rick Owens in Paris. Michele and texted each other in July this year about the shoot, guided by photographer Paul Kooiker, where the pair appear to have a brief, jovial discussion about working together. 'Good morning Kim ... impatient to see us in AnOther pages ... but also looking at them I want movement, dancing, perhaps a video in the making with a song ... a duet!' Michele begins. While Kim responds: 'OMG so u think we can??? I sound awful haha.' The accompanying article then details how the pair first met seven years ago, and explains how the shoot portrays 'two women in isolation' at a time of 'greatest uncertainty.' Home away from home: The pictures were believed to be taken at Kanye West's $14 million ranch in Wyoming some time this summer (the pair pictured at the ranch above this year) Digs: Kanye's $14million ranch in Cody, Wyoming, where the at-home shoot is said to have taken place The piece appears to describe Kim as being 'pensive and venerable' in the shots taken by her husband in Wyoming, while Michele is called 'restless fit' as she is clearly moving around in every frame. Dutch photographer Kooiker is said to have given precise instructions to Kanye and the other photographer, on how to shoot Kim for the series of portraits. It is not clear when the photos were taken, but Kim has been spotted in Wyoming numerous times this year, where her husband owns a $14 million ranch. Kanye has been spending most of his time at the ranch to work on his unlikely bid for presidency, while Kim has stayed largely in Los Angeles to continue with her many business operations, including her SKIMS underwear range. North Penn School District parents take board to task over mask-taping incident Britain's rising coronavirus infection rate may actually speed up vaccine trials and move the world one step closer to eradicating the disease, scientists say. The UK is now well and truly in the midst of a second wave, with 6,000 new cases every day and hospital admissions doubling every week. Britons have been told they will need to live with tough new lockdown restrictions for another six months, with ministers banking on a jab being ready by then. Oxford University's front-runner vaccine candidate was supposed to be rolled out this autumn but trials came to a standstill when infection rates petered out over summer. Studies had to be moved abroad to the likes of Brazil, the US and South Africa - where coronavirus was still rife - to test if the jab can prevent infection. In order to prove beyond doubt a vaccine works, scientists need to inoculate tens of thousands of people then send them back into the community and wait for some to get infected. This has been a sticking point for the Oxford team because there was barely any Covid-19 transmission for months in the UK. But experts have told MailOnline the one 'silver lining' to Britain's climbing Covid-19 rates is that it could speed up this process. It comes amid concerns that Britain will not be able to vaccinate the entire country until at least 2022 because of logistical concerns at various stages in the supply chain. Everyone over the age of 80 and NHS staff will be second in line, updated guidance from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation states Professor Paul Hunter, a medical expert and epidemiologist at the University of East Anglia, told MailOnline higher transmission in Britain 'should indeed speed things up somewhat'. Early trials of Oxford University's jab have yielded promising results, with tests showing the vaccine is safe to use in humans and appears to provoke an immune response. But data that proves it protects people is not expected until later this year. Care home residents and staff will be first to get a Covid-19 vaccine ahead of NHS staff and all over-80s Care home residents and staff will be the first to get a Covid-19 vaccine when one is approved, according to fresh government advice. Everyone over the age of 80 and NHS staff will be second in line, updated guidance from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation states. The body, which consists of 20 top scientists, advises ministers on all vaccines. It admitted its guidance for any UK Covid-19 vaccination scheme is likely to change in the future. Matt Hancock previously pledged that Britons with underlying conditions would be near the front of the queue for any jab. But millions living with heart disease or other ailments that raise their risk of dying of Covid-19 won't be vaccinated until everyone over the age of 65 is inoculated, according to the new guidance. WHO WILL GET A COVID-19 JAB FIRST? Under the proposed ranking by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, the vaccines will be rolled out in the following order: older adults' resident in a care home and care home workers all those 80 years of age and over and health and social care workers all those 75 years of age and over all those 70 years of age and over all those 65 years of age and over high-risk adults under 65 years of age with underlying health woes moderate-risk adults under 65 years of age with underlying health woes all those 60 years of age and over all those 55 years of age and over all those 50 years of age and over rest of the population (priority to be determined) Advertisement To prove without doubt that it protects people from infection, vaccines need to go through rigorous phase three trials. In these tests, the vaccine is being given to tens of thousands of people in real-world environments to see if it stops them from catching Covid-19 in the community. The Oxford scientists behind the jab had to move their studies abroad over the summer to South Africa and Brazil where Covid-19 is still rife to speed up the trials. There were not enough people catching the virus in the UK to be able to reliably test whether the jab was working - but this may not be the case over winter when experts anticipate a large scale resurgence of Covid-19. However, Professor Ian Jones, a virologist at the University of Reading, told MailOnline that it was dangerous to put a positive spin on Britain's spiralling outbreak. He said the stance risks a 'the more, the merrier' view, 'which would not be advisable' because it may encourage people not to abide by lockdown rules. Professor Jones added: 'The only positive spin currently would be that numbers appear to be following Spain/France as they did the first time around and as we are about two weeks behind them we have time to try and slow the spread if we can get realistic measures right.' It comes as another drug giant launched the final-stage trial of its coronavirus jab. Novavax will test its double-dose vaccine - which the UK government has already bought 60million doses of - on 10,000 volunteers in the UK. They will be held across the country including in Greater Manchester, London, Glasgow and Belfast. Sixty million doses of the vaccine have been secured by the Government, to be manufactured in Stockton-on-Tees, Co Durham, if it is successful. The Government has also already pre-ordered 100million doses of Oxford's vaccine. Health Secretary Matt Hancock has pledged to deliver the shot to the most vulnerable - including the very elderly - by early next year, if it's not possible by the end of 2020. Mr Hancock has suggested there could be a 'mass roll-out' within the first half of 2021. But today experts expressed concerns that this could be delayed for two years due to supply chain issues. The UK is said to be short on glass vials - used to store the vaccine - and refrigerated lorries used to transport doses around the country without spoiling them. Philip Ashton, chief exec of logistics group 7Bridges - which is working on the delivery of the Oxford vaccine - told iNews: 'I am not aware that the Government has spoken to the Oxford Vaccine Group (OVG) about the logistics of getting a vaccine to the entire population yet. 'We may not get the mass vaccination on the timeline we think. It is doable if the Government commences the planning right now. 'We can expect frontline workers and high-risk populations to be vaccinated by the end of next year, but vaccinating the entire population is a real challenge.' The logistics expert said he believes the UK is short of 'cold chain' trucks used to transport the vaccine. Oxford's vaccine needs to be kept at exactly between 2C and 8C during transportation or it risks going off. 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The MP for Leicester East, who is accused of carrying out the offence between September 2018 and April 26 this year, will appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on November 11. But Webbe said today: 'I am innocent of any wrongdoing and look forward to proving this in court. I will be vigorously defending myself against these claims.' The 55-year-old Leicester-born politician has represented her constituency since being elected in December 2019. Webbe was charged after the Metropolitan Police passed a file of evidence to the Crown Prosecution Service. The force did not give details of the alleged victim but said the accusation was made on April 25 this year and related to an alleged offence in London. Jenny Hopkins from the CPS said: 'The CPS has today decided that Claudia Webbe, MP for Leicester East, should be charged with an offence of harassment against one female. Leicester East MP Claudia Webbe is pictured with former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn 'The CPS made the decision after receiving a file of evidence from the Metropolitan Police. Criminal proceedings against Ms Webbe are now active and she has the right to a fair trial. 'It is extremely important that there should be no reporting, commentary or sharing of information online which could in any way prejudice these proceedings.' Webbe hit the headlines in July when she threw her mobile phone to the floor of the House of Commons in frustration after it started ringing while she was speaking. The De Montfort University graduate entered the Commons after the December general election, winning the seat formerly held by Keith Vaz. Labour veteran Mr Vaz retired from Parliament in the wake of a scandal after receiving a six-month Commons suspension for causing 'significant damage' to the reputation of the House. This came after the standards committee found he expressed a willingness to purchase cocaine for others during an encounter with male sex workers. Webbe won the constituency with a majority over the Conservatives of 6,019, down from Mr Vaz's majority of 22,428 in 2017. She is on the left of the party and has been a vocal supporter of former leader Jeremy Corbyn. Before Leicester, she was a councillor in Islington, North London, between 2010 and 2018 and was a member of Labour's ruling National Executive Committee. Earlier in her career, she was a political adviser to then-London mayor Ken Livingstone. Labour is yet to comment over whether the party will suspend the whip from Webbe following the announcement by the CPS. NEWTOWN - A longshot plan by nine Sandy Hook families to challenge Remingtons bankruptcy sale next week is not the first time odds have been against them in their six-year battle to hold the gunmaker liable for Connecticuts worst crime. Since the day families filed the wrongful death lawsuit against the maker of the AR-15-style rifle used in the 2012 massacre of 20 first-graders and six educators at Sandy Hook School, the families underdog status against the firearms giant has been partly why their case has kept a high profile. After victories in Connecticut Supreme Court and U.S. Supreme Court, however, the families made headlines because their longshot lawsuit was looking more like a landmark lawsuit. But now Remington is a shell of its former self - seeking bankruptcy protection for the second time in as many years - and the Sandy Hook families are fighting against time to salvage their gains in trial court to uncover the gunmakers marketing data. The families are concerned that a quick sale will leave no funding to allow for (lawsuit) claims to be liquidated and/or proceed against applicable coverage, amounting to a substantial windfall to insurers and potentially leaving millions in collectable funds on the table, the families lawyers argued recently in federal bankruptcy court in Alabama. At stake for the nations oldest gunmaker is an urgent need for cash to stay in business, according to Remingtons court papers. The plan is to sell its $65 million ammunition division as soon as possible. One of the bidders is Fairfield-based arms maker Sturm Ruger. The Sandy Hook families object to the sale because Remington left them off a list of the companys top 40 creditors who would be paid once a bankruptcy agreement is complete. It wasnt an accident, Remington lawyers said in an Aug. 14 court response to the Sandy Hook families. [T]he budget for (Remingtons) use of cash collateral, which was heavily negotiated between (Remington) and their prepetition senior secured lenders, is not sufficient to include other creditors, Remingtons lawyers wrote. That sets the stage for a sale hearing on Tuesday in Alabama, where lawyers for the Sandy Hook families will argue that Remington enjoyed substantial profits from the booming firearms market during the first six months of 2020, and is only seeking an accelerated sale in bankruptcy court to run from its lawsuits. The families will use testimony and evidence lawyers requested from Remington last week, after the judge ordered Remington to turn over insurance and financial information from the last two years to the families attorneys. As the families have repeatedly stated, they believe (Remington is) pursuing a sale process that has been intentionally designed to repay their prepetition secured debt by selling substantially all of their assets free and clear of certain prepetition liabilities, such as tort, wrongful death and other product liability claims, while providing for the assumption of all or substantially all of (Remingtons) ordinary course operating liabilities, the families attorney, Tazewell T. Shepard IV, wrote to the bankruptcy court judge on Sept. 1. [T]his may constitute an abuse of process that would warrant, at a minimum, denial of the sale. Remington attorneys in Alabama and Connecticut did not return calls for comment on Friday. In court papers, Remington argues that the Sandy Hook families challenge is premature, because the winning bidder and the terms of the sale are not yet known. The families lawyers in Alabama and Connecticut declined to comment about the hearing on Tuesday. In court papers, the families attorneys said they are committed to pursuing their claims, and will pursue (Remingtons) estates and all available insurance coverage, whether or not the sale is approved. rryser@newstimes.com 203-731-3342 Iran has reminded Syria that the help they provided to the regime is not free and that payment is expected reports Alsouria Net. Maj. Gen. Yahya Rahim Safavi, aide and military advisor to Supreme Leader of Iran, Ali Khamenei, announced that Iran had signed contracts with the Assad regime in exchange for the support provided by Tehran to Assad. Safavi said, according to Iranian Mehr News Agency, on Sunday, that Iran, helps every Muslim and non-Muslim country that asks us for help, but we take money in exchange. We provided gasoline to Venezuela and got gold bars, and we brought gold to Iran by plane to make sure nothing happened to it. Weve received cash dollars every time we helped the Iraqis, he added. Regarding Syria, Safavi asserted, We signed contracts with the Syrians in exchange for things, noting that the Russians benefit from Syria more than Iran does. The Iranian official did not disclose the details of the contracts, and the Assad government did not comment on the latest Iranian statements. Iran, which supports the Assad regime, has worked in recent years to conclude economic and military agreements with the regimes government, which analysts considered a way to amass gains in return for that support, as the regime began to pay up in exchange for Russia and Irans intervention, which at the time turned the balance in its favor. Safavis statement was not the first of its kind. Several statements by Iranian officials talking about the value of the support provided by Tehran to the Assad regime preceded it. Member of the Iranian parliament, Hashmatullah Falahat Bishah, said last March that, Iran must bring back the money of its people, which was spent in Syria, adding that Tehran gave between 20 and 30 billion dollars to the Assad regime, and these funds must be recovered and given to the people [of Iran]. Over the past years, Tehran signed economic contracts and agreements with the Assad regime in various sectors, most notably in the electrical sectors and building mills. On Jan. 30, 2018, Iran signed a long-term economic cooperation agreement with the Assad government, in various economic fields. The long-term cooperation project includes several economic sectors, most notably the banking, finance, construction, and reconstruction sector, as well as providing privileges to Iranian companies in the rebuilding of Syria and investing in its lands. 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. A Google map showing Khartoum and Omdurman, with the White Nile on the left and the Blue Nile on the right. analysis Over the past few weeks, floods - following exceptionally heavy rains - have hit Sudan. Many parts of the country have been affected though it has been particularly destructive in Khartoum, the capital city. In and around the city, flooding of the Nile River has killed almost one hundred people, destroyed more than 1,000 houses and the incidence of water-borne diseases is now also rising. Along the Nile River in Sudan, floods are not unusual and destructive events have been recorded, for instance in 1946 and 1988. But, over recent years, the levels of the Nile River have risen considerably. The Blue Nile - one of the river's main tributaries - reached record levels several metres above its mean flooding level established since measurements started in 1912. My colleagues and I recently published a paper which examined the relationship between Khartoum's development and the dynamics of the Nile Rivers. We found that flooding can be destructive in Khartoum because of how the city has grown. With a population of about 5.8 million people, Khartoum is one of the largest cities in Africa. It's located in central Sudan, just south of where the Blue and White Nile rivers - the river Nile's main tributaries - meet. Opposite Khartoum, on the western side of the Nile, is Omdurman. Together they make up "Greater Khartoum". We found that, over thousands of years, the progressive migration of the Blue Nile river and seasonal floods of the Nile rivers created a fertile plain and continuously provided water for irrigation. This encouraged people to expand cultivation in the area and settle there. Because of this, greater Khartoum grew without a proper urban plan. As a result, the city lacks an efficient sewer system and the most recent residential and industrial areas grew along the banks of the Nile rivers, which used to be farm land. These areas are the most vulnerable to flooding. Extreme flood events may become more common in future because of changes in the weather, which are resulting in a wetter climate over the headwaters of the Nile and more water reaching the river and its tributaries. Mega-rivers (as the Nile) and mega-cities (as Greater Khartoum) can co-exist, but good land practice is paramount. Urban flood management includes building of defences or artificial levees along river banks. It also means building must be avoided along areas of seasonal flooding. This however will require actions at the local and national levels. And government agencies must work closely with river basin organisations, such as the Nile River Basin Initiative. Lack of planning Several types of flooding, caused by the Nile rivers, occur in central Sudan. There are seasonal floods which occur each year between July and September when the Blue Nile, fed by heavy rains on the Ethiopian Highlands, reaches its peak discharge. These floods created the agricultural zone along the Nile. Unusual flooding is typically the result of prolonged and heavier than usual rain which occurs in the Blue Nile's headwater in Ethiopia. The high Blue Nile levels act like a natural dam, partially preventing the free passage of waters of the White Nile. This in turn raises the White Nile's levels, flooding the areas south of Khartoum. These exceptional floods, along with the absence of a proper urban plan, are what lead to destructive flooding. During our research, we found that several urban plans were historically proposed for Khartoum, but due to a fragile economy, ineffective government institutions, and environmental issues not one of them was successfully adopted. In addition, planning was difficult because of the rate of development in the Greater Khartoum area - a large number of buildings and people appeared in a short period of time. Growth of a city Khartoum's uncontrolled urban sprawl started in the second half to last century under the military regime (1969 - 1985), when the spur of farming in the region increased the number of inhabitants. Between 1989 and 1999 the mainland around Khartoum used to be farmland. But the rapid growth of the city increased pressure on fertile areas and led to the conversion of arable land to building land. The city, which started on the outskirts of the flood plain, continued to grow in the 2000s, leading to development in the desert region surrounding the Nile River. This led to the spread of Omdurman and Khartoum North into previously unsettled areas. In the same period, the transformation of cultivable land to residential and industrial use accelerated. This was mostly around the Tuti Island and Khartoum North, along the main Nile River. This is the area that suffers from major flood damage today. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Sudan Urban Issues Oceans By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. What needs to happen now To address this, researchers are using geospatial data to establish the susceptibility of each part of Khartoum to floods. This will offer a tool that can be used to monitor the Nile River, reduce the risk of hazard, and thus mitigate the negative effects of flooding. Maps, like these, will illustrate the sensitivity of Greater Khartoum to the risk of floods and model the Nile river's discharge, pointing to potential future risks. A comprehensive scheme using this data and integrating risk reduction to urban expansion and population increase is essential moving forward. This will require competent coordination between the relevant authorities to make it work. We must keep in mind that floods, as much as other 'natural disaster', become destructive only when human intervention in the natural environment is not sustainable and not based on the study of geological process. Andrea Zerboni, Associate professor, University of Milan US President Donald Trump on Sunday refuted the claims that he did not pay income tax in 10 of the last 15 years. He called those claims fake and made up and said that it would be clear when with his tax returns. Calling it fake news, US President Donald Trump on Sunday (local time) refuted the claims that he did not pay income tax in 10 of the last 15 years. Speaking during a press briefing, Trump said that was fake news, it was totally fake news, made up and fake. He said that actually, he paid the tax, and that would be seen as soon as his tax returns. He said, Its under audit, they have been under audit for a long time. Earlier, The New York Times had reported that Trump had received USD 427.4m through 2018 from his reality television programme and other endorsement and licensing deals but did not pay any income tax in 10 of the last 15 years. Citing tax return data, it was further reported that he had paid USD 750 in federal income tax in both 2016 and 2017. Also read: Order in house must for division: Deputy Chairman issues clarification over rule-breaking in Rajya Sabha Also read: Sharad Pawar meets Maharashtra CM a day after Raut-Fadnavis meeting Responding to The New York Times report, the US President said: The New York Times wants to create a little bit of a story. They are doing anything they can. On Sunday, US Federal Judge suspended President Donald Trumps ban on TikTok downloads. According to a report by The Wall Street Journal, a federal judge halted the Trump administrations ban of downloads of the video-sharing app TikTok, hours before it was supposed to go into effect late Sunday night (local time). Earlier, the US Commerce Department had said it is postponing the planned block of new TikTok downloads until September 27. Also read: Amid protests, President Kovind gives assent to 3 farm bills passed by Parliament President Donald Trump has railed against social media companies for their efforts to curb misinformation, which he views an attempt to silence conservative voices. The grapple over free speech on the internet could include South Carolina's top law enforcement official. S.C. Attorney General Alan Wilson was one of nine Republican AGs from around the country to meet with Trump last week in Washington. The president called for "concrete legal steps" to keep social media companies like Twitter and Facebook from "hidden efforts to manipulate the spread of information." Trump bristled at Twitter's decision to put a label of "glorifying violence" on a tweet he posted in May about George Floyd protests. He typed "when the looting starts, the shooting starts." Twitter has rolled out a variety of fact-checking features this year responding to concerns that its platform allows falsehoods to spread unchecked. Some Republican leaders say those efforts have gone too far. U.S. Attorney General Bill Barr said Wednesday that social media giants have too much control over what speech should be allowed, and he noted that existing laws don't stop states from launching their own investigations into the platforms. It's not clear what actions might be on the table for Wilson and the GOP attorneys general from the other eight states. A spokesman for his office declined to comment on any possible litigation, saying only Wilson "thinks it's something that needs to be looked at." Wilson spoke to the Washington Post, saying, The concern we have is the large amount of anecdotal evidence that supports the idea some of these private companies may be treating certain groups differently. It wouldn't be the first time Wilson has signed on to litigation targeting a social media company: He also backs an antitrust probe into Facebook launched late last year. TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras: Gunmen riding on a motorcycle shot to death a journalist in Honduras who had worked in radio and television before starting his own social media information channel. A relative said Monday that journalist Luis Almendares was getting out of his car to visit a store when the attackers drove up and shot him to death before fleeing. The attack took place Sunday in the city of Comayagua. Still alive, Almendares began taping the scene of the attack with his cellphone. He died later at a hospital in Tegucigalpa, the capital. Almendares worked for Radio Globo and TV Azteca in the past. Known for his hard-hitting style, he frequently accused the police and the government of wrongdoing. Relatives said he had reported receiving death threats in the past. The Honduran association of journalists says 87 media workers had been killed in the country since 2001. Only about seven of those killings have resulted in prosecutions. In July, a television reporter and a cameraman were shot to death in La Ceiba, a town on Honduras northern Caribbean coast that has been wracked by gang violence in the past. The president of the Honduran association of journalists, Dagoberto Rodrguez, said the group had decided to stop participating in a government protection program. There are currently 44 journalists receiving protection because they have experienced threats or harassment. We have decided to withdraw, until there is some real action on solving the deaths of journalists and the system is reformed, Rodrguez said. We do not want the cases in the program to be so bureaucratic, and we want a real budget to protect threatened journalists, because the funding now only serves to pay for (program) employees. Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor Smart devices such as the voice-activated computer assistant Alexa could be star witnesses in court cases, the Director of Public Prosecutions said yesterday. Max Hill QC revealed evidence gathered on internet-connected devices such as smart doorbells, GPS technology and digital assistants including Amazons Alexa-driven Echo, Google Home or Apples Siri is playing a new role in criminal trials. The Crown Prosecution Service chief said dashcam footage and car GPS systems were already proving central in prosecutions including murder cases. Smart devices such as the voice-activated computer assistant Alexa could be star witnesses in court cases, the Director of Public Prosecutions said yesterday [File photo] He told the Westminster Policy Forum that the so-called internet of things would transform criminal investigations by silently recording the movements of suspects, victims and perpetrators. Mr Hill said: As little as 15 years ago criminal investigations and subsequent prosecutions were likely to focus on the crime scene for evidence backed up by eye witness testimonies and door-to-door enquiries. The digital devices which are becoming part of the fabric of everyday life, like smartphones, social media and even things like Alexa, can actively provide key evidence to pinpoint whereabouts, provide footage of an incident or a timeline. Alexa has already been used as a line of enquiry in a murder case in the US. The opportunities and threats presented by the digital age [are] a constantly evolving challenge for all parts of the criminal justice system. Max Hill QC (pictured) revealed evidence gathered on internet-connected devices such as smart doorbells, GPS technology and digital assistants including Amazons Alexa-driven Echo, Google Home or Apples Siri is playing a new role in criminal trials Mr Hill gave the example of a GPS system in a Land Rover Discovery becoming instrumental in a murder case. Retired lecturer Gerald Corrigan, 74, was hit with a crossbow arrow as he adjusted a satellite dish at his home on Anglesey, north Wales, in April last year. Killer Terence Whall tried to cover his tracks by setting fire to a Land Rover he had used. But the vehicles on-board data recording was stored back at Jaguar Land Rover. When police obtained the data, it revealed Whall had used the car for reconnaissance and travelled to the crime scene, opening the boot for 39 seconds to remove the crossbow before he carried out the shooting. Civil liberty groups raised concerns at the comments, however. They said the prospect of police requesting personal devices and data from web-connected gadgets was worrying given the CPS and police had to scrap controversial digital consent forms asking rape victims to hand over mobile phones. President Donald Trump's nominee to the Supreme Court, Amy Coney Barrett, will begin meeting with senators this week as Republicans push ahead with a rapid Senate confirmation process ahead of November's presidential election over the objections of Democrats. Barrett will meet Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham on Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. EDT (2130 GMT) at the US Capitol, Graham's office said. She will meet with several other committee Republicans earlier in the day. Trump on Saturday announced Barrett, 48, as his selection to replace liberal Justice Ruth ... In Ghana, there are two major political parties in which Ghanaians are interested and eager to know who can lead them to better their lives even though there are other political parties. Recently, the two major political parties released what they will do for Ghanaians when voted for but it seems a particular manifesto of one political party is being appropriated by another political party. The National Democratic Congress (NDC) whetted the appetite of Ghanaians with their promises and that has caused the incumbent government to fulfil some promises made in the Peoples manifesto of the NDC. The promises of both political parties are known to all Ghanaians. STRANEK-Africa has come to realise some promises made by one major political party are being appropriated by another political party. The scrapping of the law banning the importation of salvaged vehicles is captured in the Peoples manifesto but the ruling political party has appropriated it. According to the Peoples Manifesto, the Customs (Amendment) Act, 2020 (Act 1014) will be reviewed in order to scrap the law banning the importation of salvaged vehicles. The reason the Peoples Manifesto gives is, it will save the local automotive industry, especially Suame Magazine and Abossey Okai from collapse. On 17th September, 2020, government through the Ghana Institute of Freight Forwarders (GIFF) said, the government has decided to suspend the implementation of the law banning the importation of salvaged vehicles and those older than 10 years into Ghana. The Customs Amendment Act, 2020 which was passed by Parliament in March 2020 was supposed to take effect on November 1, 2020 but government decided to suspend it due to how vehicle importers welcomed the promise in the Peoples Manifesto. The reversal of Compulsory Teachers Licensure Examination as well as National Service for teachers stated in the Peoples Manifesto is also a promise appropriated by government. Even though the Public Relations Officer of the National Teaching Council, Dennis Osei-Owusu has said the exam was postponed to the 1st and 2nd October due to changes in the timetable of continuing students of Colleges of Education, it might be possible that the political pressure from the Peoples Manifesto is another factor to the suspension. Abolishing the double-track system in the next NDC government per the Peoples manifesto has caused the New Patriotic Party government to assure Ghanaians of plans to abolish the double-track system at the Senior High School level. On 11th September, 2020, the Deputy Minister of Education in charge of Pre-tertiary Education, Dr Osei Yaw Adutwum indicated the government has put in place prudent and strategic measures to abolish the double track system in the next four years by investing in infrastructure in the affected schools. In the Peoples manifesto, it was posited that in their next government, the use of commercial motorcycles known as Okada as well as tricycles will be legalised and the industry will be regulated to make it safer by training the riders and ensuring the riders observe necessary safety precautions including mandating them to provide helmets for their passengers. On 9th September, 2020, the Transport Minister, Kwasi Ofori Asiamah indicated the New Patriotic Party government has begun stakeholder consultation to decide on whether to review the law banning the commercial use of motorcycles or implement it. On 16th September, 2020, the Vice President of the Republic of Ghana, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, announced that the Akufo-Addo government will not legalize Okada business but will provide a better alternative for the Okada riders. The better alternative according to the Vice President of Ghana is to give the riders an opportunity to lease vehicles and pay over time. The fact that the issue of legalisation of Okada has become a matter of discussion and has caused the incumbent government to think on its feet in order to mitigate the rate at which the appetite of the good people of Ghana has been whetted by providing a better alternative, is akin to appropriation of a promise stated in the Peoples Manifesto. The Peoples Manifesto says within one year in their tenure of office of the NDC, holders of zero-coupon bonds issued over five years will be paid cash. Government appropriated the promise hence a notice was made that all customers of the collapsed micro finance, savings and loans companies will effective Wednesday, September 16, 2020 receive cash instead of the earlier promised government backed bonds. This followed the decision to convert all the government backed non-interest bearing commercial paper into cash at no discount in respect of the payments to affected depositors of the collapsed companies. The promise to establish a specially tailored pension scheme for the informal sector and incorporate a provision for unemployment benefits for workers such as farmers, drivers, fishermen, traders, market women and artisans has been guaranteed in the Peoples manifesto. On September 26, 2020, the Vice President of the Republic of Ghana, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia revealed at a meeting of players in the cocoa industry in Accra to mark the 20th anniversary ceremony of Olam Ghana Cocoa, an agro-commodity company, government is considering instituting a pension scheme for ageing cocoa farmers. He moreover said government is working with the National Pensions Regulatory Authority (NPRA) to introduce pension scheme for cocoa farmers and that work is far advanced since they are expecting another round of presentation by the NPRA before it is submitted to Cabinet for approval. This can also be seen as an appropriation of a promise stated in the Peoples Manifesto. The plan of the next NDC government when given the nod, is to enact unemployment benefit and intervention Act to cater for workers during times of acute economic disruptions. On September 16, 2020, the Minister of Employment and Labour Relations, Mr. Ignatius Baffour Awuah revealed at a press briefing in Accra, that government has instituted a Tripartite Technical Committee that will come out soon with modalities for implementing the National Unemployment Insurance Scheme. He furthermore said, the scheme when operational will focus on providing direct income support to workers who will lose their jobs or suffer pay cuts in the event of a social or economic crisis. Can this also be an appropriation captured in the Peoples manifesto? What is the rush by the government that the promises which were not mentioned in their manifesto, is now being fulfilled? This is a real challenge to the biggest opposition party. It is up to Ghanaians to take the bull by the horn and decide whom they will cast their vote for. We are all involved in building our nation. Signed. Nii Tettey Tetteh Executive Director +233 559 042 914 Emmanuel Osei Director of Policy and Political Affairs +47 412 45 303 We are still cautious of the number of people indoors because we also have employees of our own, she said. If they can keep outdoor patios for the winter, if they can allow that, that would be great. Its a lot more safe like that. We can serve more people in a much safer way. The last 48 hours have seen Nagorno-Karabakh, a tiny Armenian-backed enclave inside Azerbaijan, become the focus of some of the fiercest military exchanges on the planet. Those inside and around the territory have witnessed an almost complete theatre of war. The fighting, which broke out after an apparent Azerbaijani attack on Armenian positions on Sunday morning, has employed air power, heavy artillery, mortars and tanks. Both sides have reported dead and wounded among military and civilian populations from dozens through to the mid-hundreds, depending on the reports. Videos showed shells sticking into the ground from guided rockets, tanks bursting into flames, and dozens of charred bodies. There were also reports of Grad missiles, a notoriously indiscriminate rocket system, being used near to civilian populations. For those further afield, the skirmishes might appear somewhat less than significant. The conflict between the former Soviet brethren is, after all, a long-running one. The latest round of hostilities is far from unexpected or even the first this year. But with both sides digging in, the potential for a longer and catastrophic war seems obvious. And this time around, the fighting also has much broader geopolitical dimensions. Turkeys role in apparently pushing the conflict is the major new factor at play. The regional superpower has long taken the side of Azerbaijan in the conflict that is certainly not new. But contacts have increased since the last flare-up in July, with evidence suggesting the support has taken on a much clearer military dimension. In recent months, Ankara has supplied Baku with sophisticated drones and smart munitions. These were employed to devastating effect in the last 48 hours. There are also credible reports of several hundred mercenary fighters, recruited by Turkey in Syria, being deployed in the region. Turkish president Recep Erdogan has been forthright in his public support for the Azerbaijani military operation. On Monday, he said peace would only return to the region when Armenia ... leaves the occupied Azerbaijani territories. He added it was time to put an end to the crisis beginning with the occupation of Nagorno-Karabkh. Yerevan has been equally forthright in its condemnation of what it described as genocidal Turkish-Azerbaijani alliances. The Turkish belligerence contrasts strongly with the neutral positions of other traditional power brokers in the region. The United States, which enjoys friendly nations with leaders in both Baku and Yerevan, has mostly retreated from the region as it concentrates on elections in November. Were looking at it very strongly ... Well see if we can stop it, was all the president, Donald Trump, could manage on Sunday evening. Perhaps more remarkably, Moscow has also kept its distance, limiting interventions to diplomacy and pro forma calls for a ceasefire. On paper, Russia remains a military guarantor of Armenia, long considered its closest ally in the Caucasus. But it also enjoys extremely close economic and military links to the richer, oil nation of Azerbaijan. Trust between Moscow and Yerevan has meanwhile become strained since the revolution of 2018, which saw former journalist Nikol Pashinyan rise to the presidency to the reluctant acquiescence of those in Moscow. A view of Nagorny Karabakh's main city of Stepanakert (AFP via Getty) There is a sense that the Kremlin is offended by what happened in 2018, says the political analyst and Carnegie fellow Arkady Dubnov. They want Armenia to know who is boss. On Monday, presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Vladimir Putin was monitoring the situation very closely. Russia was likely to continue to sit it out, Dubnov suggests. It will watch until it becomes clear who will win, the expert said. Iran, the other major regional power, which borders both countries, appeared spooked by the outbreak of fighting. It has strong relations with Yerevan and recently eased tense ties with Azerbaijan. On Sunday, Irans foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif called for an end to hostilities and offered to mediate between the two countries as shells from the fighting struck several villages in the countrys northwest. We cannot tolerate military clashes continuing on our borders and we have been putting all our efforts towards achieving peace in the region, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Saeed Khatibzadeh was quoted as saying. Fighting for Nagorno-Karabakh has gone on for more than a century, but its origins in the modern era can be traced to the late Soviet period. Armenian forces claimed the region around the time of the USSRs collapse. The bloody war that followed over from 1992 to 1994 cost 20,000 lives. The conflict has festered continuously since then, driving a wedge between Armenia and Azerbaijan and whipping up fervent nationalism in both countries. Russia, Turkey, Israel and other countries have meanwhile fuelled the standoff by selling the two sides increasingly advanced weaponry. Turkeys boisterousnew presence in the conflict adds a new dimension, and is unlikely to be welcomed by Russia. At a minimum it complicates an already ambiguous and volatile relationship. A nightmare scenario theoretically possible via treaty obligations would be a direct standoff between Moscow and Ankara. A more likely and immediate threat is the prospect of serious escalation on the ground between Armenia and Azerbaijan, with civilians on both sides falling under the fire of increasingly heavy artillery. A full, protracted war could have devastating repercussions. The conflict zone encompasses a region of the world crowded with gas and oil pipelines and other energy infrastructure, including a nuclear power plant in Armenia. The scary thing is it isnt clear how either side can walk away with a narrative of victory, says Thomas de Waal, author of the definitive history of the conflict. Both sides were heavily militarised, he said, and supported by increasingly emotional populations. The Azerbajanis want more liberated territory, while the Armenians want a harsher response to the aggressor. I hope Im wrong, but Im afraid it is only a matter of time before an apartment block is hit, he said. Armenian and Azeri forces exchanged fierce fire for a second day on Monday over the disputed territory of Nagorno-Karabakh, with both sides accusing each other of using heavy artillery. The clashes between Armenia and Azerbaijan, the heaviest since 2016, have reignited concern over stability in the South Caucasus region, a corridor for pipelines carrying oil and gas to world markets. Nagorno-Karabakh is inside Azerbaijan but is run by ethnic Armenians. Azerbaijan's president declared a partial military mobilization. Interfax news agency quoted an Armenian defence ministry representative as saying 200 Armenians had been wounded. Nagorno-Karabakh reported 15 more of its soldiers had been killed. It also said it had recovered some territory that it had lost control of on Sunday, and said Azerbaijan had been using heavy artillery to shell areas. Azerbaijan's defense ministry said Armenian forces were shelling the town of Terter. Nagorno-Karabakh had said on Sunday 16 of its servicemen had been killed and more than 100 wounded after Azerbaijan launched an air and artillery attack. China and Russia urged both sides to show restraint. The clashes have prompted a flurry of diplomacy to reduce the tensions in a decades-old conflict between majority Christian Armenia and mainly Muslim Azerbaijan. Russia called for an immediate ceasefire and another regional power, Turkey, said it would support Azerbaijan, its traditional ally. Nagorno-Karabakh broke away from Azerbaijan in a conflict that broke out as the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991. Within the next few weeks, most of us must decide not just who to vote for, but how we want to cast our ballots in the 2020 elections: Vote by mail, in keeping with Pennsylvanias shiny, new 2019 election reforms; or do it the old-fashioned way and schlepp down to the fire hall, church, township building, library, you-name-it, and cast a vote in person. The choice was made more than a casual one by this years coronavirus pandemic that, as of this spring, had many people more than a little nervous about participating in such public-facing activities. In the June 2 primary, which played out during the first wave of the pandemic, about 1.46 million Pennsylvanians cast ballots through the expanded vote-by-mail process, representing 50.6 percent of the states total turnout for that election. Lots more people have already chosen vote-by-mail for the fall. The Department of State had logged 2,167,000 applications for mail-in ballots as of Sept. 24. Thats about one-fourth of all of Pennsylvanias registered voters with more than four weeks to go until the Oct. 27 deadline to apply. But we know many more of you are still trying to figure out which way to vote, especially as coronavirus is still with us, and the two major parties continue to arm-wrestle in the courts over every perceived advantage from vote-by-mail issues like: Is Nov. 3 a received by, or postmark deadline?; or Can ballots be disqualified if the secrecy envelope isnt used? So PennLive figured this would be a good time to check in with a de facto public health panel about how risky in-person voting, now with six months of coronavirus experience behind us, may be this fall. Their consensus? If your underlying health is good, and you take the proper precautions to protect yourself, theres very little to fear about showing up at a polling place. I would say that it would be about the same as the grocery store, although you might expect to be in line for a bit longer. So maybe its more like the grocery store at five-thirty p.m. after everyones gotten off work, said Krys Johnson, a professor at Temple Universitys School of Public Health. It shouldnt be any more dangerous than standing in the five thirty grocery line. That comes with a couple relatively easy but still essential, flashing-light, alarm-sounding caveats, she and others agree. Individuals will need to wear a mask, everyones thats there should wear a mask. People will need to be distanced. There will need to be good cleaning," said Dr. Catharine Paules, an infectious diseases specialist at Penn State Health. So theres a lot that goes into that, and youre sort of trusting not only that the polling places will take those precautions, but also that the other voters and people that are attending will wear their masks and things like that. But if those things do fall into place, "its a fairly low to moderate risk, Paules said. *** County officials reached for this story said they have been diligently working to make polling places as safe as possible for the Nov. 3 election. That includes: Laying out polling places for social distancing, both at voting stations and any queuing area leading to them. Frequent disinfecting of all high-touch surfaces, from touch-screens on the voting machines themselves, to, where paper ballots are in use, the black sharpies or other writing utensils used to mark ballots. Provision of hand sanitizer for everyone who wants it. Notably, none of the election directors reached for this story said they have been made aware of any individual poll workers who contracted COVID, and attributed it to their election day duties this spring. Were following all the CDC guidelines just like we did in the primary, so masks and gloves and hand sanitizer. We have alcohol wipes that our poll workers will be wiping down the voting machines with and all frequently touched surfaces. Were going to have protective shields, so like when you walk up to the poll books, therell be - just like you see in the grocery store now - the plexiglas shield between the voter and the poll worker," said Bethany Salzarulo, director of elections at Cumberand County. So all the same precautions we took in the primary and then a couple of extra things like I said, with the shields, Salzarulo said. In York County, where voters will use shared black Sharpies to mark up paper ballots - they dry fast for scanning purposes - poll workers are being asked to periodically douse the pens in cleaning solution and wipe down the socially-distanced ballot marking stations, said Director of Elections Steve Ulrich. Local precautions notwithstanding, health authorities stress the best precautions will always be the ones the voter takes him or herself. Heres what they said you can do to protect yourself. Keep in mind, these answers were given in mid-to-late September, when Pennsylvania was seeing about 790 new confirmed cases per day. Mask up. And then, pay attention to the people around you Much as they might like to, election officials can not turn away registered voters who appear to vote without face coverings. One person in a polling place without a mask is not a big risk, said Dr. John Goldman, an infectious disease specialist at UPMC Pinnacle in Harrisburg. Half the people being there without a mask becomes a risk. Some practical advice: Goldman said that if he went to the polls and found himself sandwiched in between two voters who arent wearing, Im changing my position in line to make sure Im at least six feet away from them. Another thing you can control? Hand hygiene. There are basically two types of voting machines in use in Pennsylvania now: those that use touch-screen surfaces for voters to punch in their votes; and paper ballot systems where the voter marks a ballot and then feeds it into a scanning device for counting. Johnson and Paules said those risks are about the same, assuming that poll workers are attentive to keeping the equipment clean. The majority of spread has been via aerosols or, like close contact (within six feet, for periods of 10 minutes or longer), Johnson noted. Its not really from viral particles on actual objects like the screen or the pen. But heres where one can do a great deal to control their own risks. Paules, from Penn State Health, said one of the First Commandments of this election season should be making a point of washing your hands before and after. "Make sure that if you touch anything at all, youre washing your hands or using a hand sanitizer and really prioritizing that good hand hygiene when you go to the voting locations, she said. Avoid the rush. Another risk mitigator could be timing. If you want to try to avoid lines, see if you can make it to the polls during the middle of the working day when voters tend to trickle in and theres often no waiting to get to a machine. Avoid the 7 a.m.-to-9 a.m. hours when many day-shifters are trying to get it done, lunch-time, or the 5 p.m. hour when the many of the rest of the commuters drop in. Goldman went so far as to suggest that older residents or people with underlying medical conditions that raise the risks associated with COVID-19 only go during off-hours. And while were talking about lines, Yorks Ulrich and Lycoming County Elections Director Forrest Lehman noted that socially-distanced queuing may mean people are forced to wait outside for a period of time, so voters may want to dress appropriately for the weather, too. Even these suggestions arent for everyone. Certainly anyone who is in the midst of battling COVID-19 should avoid the polls, Goldman said. And for that sub-set of people who are already avoiding grocery stores and other public spaces because they are at high risk of complications from COVID due to advanced age or other medical conditions, Paules said, they probably should follow suit with voting and explore the other options that are available. Temples Johnson said that would include anyone who has underlying respiratory conditions like asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or cancer patients who are undergoing chemotherapy treatments that has weakened immune systems. But for most of us, these authorities say, voting in person is among the safer public things you can do in the pandemic. I would say it would be low- to mid-level risk, because everybody should be keeping their mask on. I mean, whenever youre in a restaurant, people have a reason to take that off. Whenever youre voting, you have no excuse not to have your mask on your face," Johnson said. Of the things you can go out and do with other people around, its probably going to be one of the safer things, because people arent even bringing their coffee with them to sip on, Johnson said. "Its just theyre coming in, theyre getting their ballot, theyre casting their ballot and putting their sticker on, and headed out the door. *** Polling place voting seemed to be last years model in the spring, as everyone was learning to avoid the coronavirus and many Pennsylvanians were enthralled by that shiny new toy: the chance to vote by mail. Gov. Tom Wolf and his Health Secretary, Dr. Rachel Levine, frequently promoted the new system as a way to stop the spread. Even now, the administration is encouraging mail voting as a safe, secure and accessible option for anyone who is concerned about going to the polling place during a pandemic. But counties across the state have invested in new, highly-reliable voting machines, and the in-person phase of the spring primary went off with no major irregularities, according to the Department of States post-election report. Above all, this is an ultimate know yourself moment. How comfortable are you with even a low risk? There is risk associated with going to anywhere in public, and people should assess their own individual risk in that context, Paules said. But, if everything was done in line with the guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and the (state) Department of Health, then I think this can be done fairly safely. Nothing is going to be no risk. But it could be done fairly safely, and theres no reason that most people, if they chose to, couldnt go there safely and vote." Johnson still sees your grocery shopping habits as a good, simple guidepost. Basically, if you still feel comfortable going to the grocery store during the five thirty time, then you should be fine going to vote in person," Johnson said. "But if that makes you uneasy, then you should opt for the mail-in option. The second-ranking Democrat in the Senate has admitted that they are powerless to stop the confirmation of Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court, unless Republicans change their mind and side with them. Sen. Dick Durbin, who has been on the Senate Judiciary Committee since 1997, told ABC News on Sunday morning that Barrett's confirmation was all-but guaranteed. 'We can slow it down perhaps a matter of hours, maybe days at the most,' he told George Stephanopoulos on This Week. 'But we can't stop the outcome.' Dick Durbin appeared on ABC's This Week on Sunday morning to discuss the Supreme Court Durbin admitted the appointment of Amy Coney Barrett, pictured Saturday, was hard to stop Barrett, 48, was nominated by Donald Trump on Saturday to fill the Supreme Court seat left vacant following the death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Democrats have furiously challenged her appointment, arguing that a Supreme Court seat should not be filled in an election year. Trump and Mitch McConnell, the Senate leader, are determined to press ahead with the conservative appointment. Lindsey Graham, the chair of the Judiciary Committee, said on Sunday that the vote to confirm Barrett will be held on October 22. Some Democratic senators are already claiming they will not meet with Barrett as her nomination moves to the Senate floor next month, claiming her 'extreme' views are not suited for the Supreme Court. Three senators, Kirsten Gillibrand (left), Mazie Hirono (center) and Richard Blumenthal (right), said Sunday that they will not show up for Amy Coney Barrett as her confirmation moves to the Senate floor next month 'I will not meet with Judge Amy Coney Barrett,' Senator Kirsten Gillibrand said in a tweet Sunday afternoon. 'This nomination process is illegitimate.' The New York Democrat added: 'I refuse to participate in the further degradation of our democracy and our judiciary.' Democratic Senators Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut and Mazie Hirono of Hawaii joined in Gillibrand's sentiment earlier in the day Sunday. 'I will oppose the confirmation of Judge Amy Coney Barrett, as I would any nominee proposed as part of this illegitimate sham process, barely one month before an election as Americans are already casting their votes,' said Blumenthal. 'Americans deserve a voice in this hugely consequential decision. 'Judge Barrett's views would harm real lives - real people - in real ways, from children with pre-existing conditions to women who just want to be able to decide when & how to have a family,' he continued. 'I'm fighting for them.' Protestors demonstrate outside the U.S. Supreme Court on Sunday Barrett, 48, is set to replace Ruth Bader Ginsburg who died last week aged 86 Blumenthal and Hirono agreed that Barrett was chosen by Trump because of her 'commitment to striking down the Affordable Care Act' and 'overturning Roe v. Wade.' 'I will not support the nomination of Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court for the following reasons: She will vote to strike down the Affordable Care Act after being rushed on the Supreme Court in time to hear the case on November 10,' Hirono tweeted. 'Millions of Americans will lose their health care catastrophic in the middle of a pandemic.' She shared her second reason as part of her Twitter thread Sunday: 'She has a long history of being anti-choice and an explicit willingness to reverse SC precedent endangering the protections of Roe v Wade. A woman's right to control her own body is at stake.' Durbin, however, said he would meet with Barrett, and rejected calls to boycott her confirmation hearings. Durbin said he did not support calls to boycott Barrett's hearings, which will begin in October 'I've met with every Supreme Court nominee since I've been in the Senate,' he told Stephanopoulos. 'I will extend that courtesy, if she requests it, for at least a socially distanced, safe meeting, perhaps over the phone. 'I want to be respectful. We disagree on some things. And in terms of participating in the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, I'll be there to do my job.' Durbin also dismissed concerns about legitimizing Barrett's confirmation process. 'We're talking about someone who will be on the highest court in the land for the remainder of her life, and I take that seriously,' he said. The 75-year-old senator, representing Illinois, said he wants to ask Barrett 'point-blank' about her position on ending the Affordable Care Act. He also said he supports calls to reform the nominating process, and potentially add more justices to the nine-person court. Asked about Trump's wish to have a conservative court in place in case of a contested election result, Durbin said he backed calls for Barrett to promise to recuse herself, were that to happen. 'I certainly wish she would, it would help matters,' he said. 'And it would evidence the fact that she wants to be fair in addressing this.' Durbin refused, however, to back Hillary Clinton's calls for Joe Biden to not concede the election. Clinton said last month: 'Joe Biden should not concede under any circumstances because I think this is going to drag out, and eventually I do believe he will win if we don't give an inch and if we are as focused and relentless as the other side is.' Durbin said he disagreed with her point of view. 'I respect her, I like her. But I think she's just flat-out wrong,' Durbin said. 'The election itself is going to be announced, the winner will be announced at some point. 'If we are going to maintain a democracy, peaceful transition through an election is the only way to do it. 'Whoever the winner is, if it is clear and legal, that should be announced and the other party should concede.' Diageo, the world's largest spirits maker, said on Monday it has made a strong start to its fiscal year 2021, with many countries easing their COVID-19 restrictions and its U.S. business performing ahead of expectations. "Our outlook for the first half of fiscal '21 has improved since the year-end, reflecting the good start to the year, particularly for our US business," CEO Ivan Menezes said in a statement ahead of the company's annual general meeting. The company's shares jumped 6%. Alcoholic drink makers have been hurt by the closure of bars and restaurants during the coronavirus pandemic. Sales have been helped by some reopening of venues and strong demand from people drinking at home. The company's U.S. business - which represents about 45% of group profits, according to Barclays analysts, is performing ahead of expectations, helped by "resilient" demand and people increasingly choosing spirits over wine or beer. It's "an encouraging start to the year," Barclays said. Diageo cited the risk of additional restrictions in Europe, where infection rates are rising, and noted that in China, while bars and restaurants are recovering, large banquets - once a mainstay of Chinese spirits consumption - are returning more slowly. Travel retail continues to be severely impacted, it said. The maker of Johnnie Walker whisky and Smirnoff vodka said it continues to expect sequential improvement in organic net sales and operating profit compared to the second half of fiscal 2020, which ended on June 30. However, year on year, it expects lower sales and margins compared to the first half of fiscal 2020. In August, Diageo reported an 8.4% drop in organic sales for the year, its worst performance in more than a decade. (Reuters) Source: www.businessworld.ie The body which represents NHS hospital trusts says the test and trace systems in England isn't ready for the enormous demands of winter. NHS Providers is calling for testing capacity to be quadrupled within three months, a dramatic improvement on turnaround times and a clear plan for regular testing of health workers, according to the BBC. Chris Hopson, chief executive of NHS Providers, said: 'If NHS Test and Trace is under pressure now, it's likely to face even greater pressures this winter. 'We'll all, understandably, want the reassurance of a test if we have a cold, flu or a bug with coronavirus-like symptoms. 'NHS Test and Trace therefore has a major task on its hand to expand capacity, expand the number of testing sites, expand the number of tests being processed for the next day, and expand its ability to deal with local outbreaks. 'Whilst there are top level plans in place to do this, we need more detail and the NHS trusts that we represent want to know what contribution they will need to make.' Yesterday health secretary Matt Hancock hailed the Government's test and trace app a success, claiming more than 10 million people had already downloaded it since Thursday. But the app has been plagued with problems since it launched with the latest fiasco seeing up to 70,000 users blocked from logging their test results. Matt Hancock's new coronavirus tracing app, which the health secretary has hailed as a huge success, has been hit by multiple flaws and bugs this weekend which have left users confused Mr Hopson said test and trace 'has become as important a public service as treating heart attacks, catching criminals and fighting fires'. He told BBC Breakfast that going into winter, the country would need 'probably four times as many tests as we've currently got'. The app relies on Bluetooth to determine if someone has been within two metres of an infectious person for 15 minutes, but other Bluetooth devices can interfere with the signal, generating a 'false positive'. To compound the problems, it has also transpired that the app doesn't work on millions of older smartphones. It also requires a code to register a completed test but it is only given if the test returns as positive. Those with a negative test are only able to register their result if they booked directly through the app - a bug the Government says has been fixed over the weekend. But users continue to report flaws with the system which users say are confusing. Maddie, from London, told BBC Radio 4: 'I had a notification on my phone saying 'possible Covid exposure' so obviously as soon as I saw that I clicked it and it took me straight into the app. 'So I was clicking all the different sections in the app and nothing was coming up with any kind of alert that I'd been exposed to Covid. 'It was just really confusing and then I didn't really know what to do.' Maddie added that because it seemed like an 'error' she went about her day as usual. David Bonsall, senior researcher at Oxford University and a government adviser on the app said: 'There are notifications that are pushed to the phone from the core bit of software that's provided by Google. 'So the contact tracing function of the app is working in the background and there's some notifications that are just telling you that the app is working. 'To be absolutely clear, any notification to isolate will be absolutely crystal clear within the app. 'If you don't have something within the app telling you to do something then you don't need to worry.' The app relies on Bluetooth to determine if someone has been within two metres of an infectious person for 15 minutes, but other Bluetooth devices can interfere with the signal The Health Secretary said on social media it was an 'absolutely fantastic' response so far, and urged more people to download it. It comes as NHS Test and Trace whistle-blowers told BBC Panorama that they were bored and frustrated and that the system for tracing people who've tested positive for coronavirus and their contacts does not appear to be working. Healthcare professional and NHS Test and Trace whistle-blower Alex Lee says that she only spoke to one person with coronavirus during her four months with the system, after it went live. Another whistle-blower, Tobin Stonelake, employed to call the close contacts of positive cases, told Panorama he had made no successful contact tracing calls during the 10 weeks he was working for the service: 'It's demoralising and it doesn't make you feel good about what's going on with Covid-19.' Alex Lee, who worked for the BBC four years ago, and is also the on-screen reporter for tonight's film BBC Panorama: 'Test and Trace Exposed', says: 'I'm pretty ashamed to say to people, this is what I'm doing, because the whole point of me setting out to do this was to make a turnaround, to make a contribution. 'I feel like I've achieved a big fat zero.' She was hired as a clinical contact caseworker to call people who'd tested positive, tell them to self-isolate and obtain the details of their close contacts. She filmed herself on a mobile phone to show how little work she had to do. She can be seen on her computer, wearing a telephone headset ready to call cases and clicking a button labelled 'start tracing' signalling that she is available. Whistle-blower, Tobin Stonelake, employed to call close contacts of positive cases, told Panorama he made no successful contact tracing calls during the 10 weeks he worked there Alex Lee, who worked for the BBC four years ago, told the Panorama special on test and trace that she was 'pretty ashamed' of what she was doing when she worked for the system She also records computer glitches and system errors that either prevented her from logging on or following up some cases. When reporting issues to team leaders, she was told that they were widespread, affecting others too. Latest Government figures show that just over one in five people who've tested positive for coronavirus aren't being reached by NHS Test and Trace, the system for England that went live last May. It includes health protection teams who continue to trace cases and their contacts in complex settings like hospitals and care homes. Panorama also filmed with Leicester City Council. Officials there believe that England's first local lockdown which followed a spike in infections, could have been avoided had local authorities been plugged into the national system earlier. Sir Peter Soulsby, the Labour Mayor of Leicester said: 'If they had been feeding through to us where the positive tests were coming from...We could have intervened at a much, much earlier stage. The mayor of Leicester Sir Peter Soulsby says they could have intervened in outbreak sooner had test and trace been working 'And there [would have] been no question whatsoever of having to take any special measures, lockdown or other in Leicester.' The details of people who have tested positive are now shared with local authorities, but only when NHS Test and Trace has been unable to contact them first. Panorama filmed teams in Leicester cross referencing information they received from Test and Trace, with their own databases to help improve the likelihood of tracing a positive case and persuading them to self-isolate. A spokesperson for the Department of Health and Social Care said: 'NHS Test and Trace is one of the largest testing and contact tracing systems in the world. 'The service is working hard to break chains of transmission, with almost half a million people who may otherwise have unknowingly spreading coronavirus contacted and told to isolate. 'We're working with Directors of Public Health and have more than doubled the size of local health protection teams to increase local contact tracing and stop outbreaks. 'We are also providing tests at an unprecedented scale over 225,000 a day on average over the last week and expanding capacity further to provide 500,000 tests a day by the end of October.' The DHSC also told Panorama any technical issues which emerged with the establishment of the new service have been resolved quickly and it says whilst it keeps staffing levels under constant review, it is right to have capacity in the system as the infection rate and thus call handler requirement can increase at an exponential rate on short timescales. Last week, it was revealed that only one in five Britons with symptoms of Covid-19 are self-isolating. King's College London scientists, working alongside academics from Public Health England, quizzed 30,000 people living in the UK about how they have acted during the Covid-19 pandemic. Results showed intention to self isolate was high at 70 per cent. But of those who actually reported tell-tale signs of Covid-19 in the last seven days, only 18.2 per cent stayed at home for the duration of their symptoms Similar results were seen for those who had been asked to self isolate by NHS workers. Some 65 per cent said they would quarantine if contacted by Test and Trace but only 10.9 per cent actually did Results showed just 18.2 per cent of respondents admitted to actually quarantining themselves for 14 days, when they had a cough, fever or lost their sense of taste or smell. And the figures were even lower for Britons who had been tracked down and asked to self-isolate by NHS Test and Trace. Just 10.9 per cent of the volunteers confessed to adhering to the guidance. Experts behind the study claimed younger people, men, key workers and those from deprived backgrounds were most likely to break the rules. Their paper, which was first published last week, suggested ministers should up the financial payments given to those asked to quarantine at home. From today, police will carry out spot checks and act on tip-offs to enforce strict new Covid-19 self-isolation rules. People ordered to quarantine after they or a contact test positive for the virus face a knock on the door from officers to check they are not leaving their home. From today, people across England are required by law to quarantine for ten days if they test positive for Covid-19 or are contacted by NHS Test and Trace. Those who do not self-isolate or employers who force staff to turn up to work will be hit with fines of up to 10,000. The police will be used to 'check compliance' with the rules and will investigate claims by informers that a person who should be in quarantine is flouting the requirement. Officers will 'investigate and prosecute high-profile and egregious cases of non-compliance', and 'act on instances where third parties have identified others who have tested positive, but are not self-isolating'. The rules state that if someone receives a positive test result, they are required by law to self-isolate for ten days after they first displayed symptoms, or ten days after the date of the test if they did not have symptoms. Other members of their household must self-isolate for 14 days after the onset of symptoms, or after the date of the positive test. India has decided in favour of the weaponised MQ-9B Sky Guardian drone from the US and to upgrade its existing Israeli Heron fleet with satellite communication capability in an attempt to enhance its range as well as surveillance capabilities in the midst of the Ladakh military standoff with China. At the same time, the face-off between the Indian Army and Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) has spurred the Indian private sector and the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) to start manufacturing short-range tactical drones as well as anti-drone systems to boost border defences. The three services have come to a conclusion that India should opt for a weaponised drone rather than the 22 reconnaissance and surveillance Sea Guardian drones approved in 2017 by the US administration for supply to India, according to authoritative government officials with knowledge of the matter. The MQ-9B, manufactured by General Atomics, has a 40-hour endurance with a maximum altitude of 40,000 feet and payload or weapon carrying capacity of over 2.5 tonne, including air-to-surface missiles and laser-guided bombs. We are in negotiations with the Trump administration, which is willing to provide India with the latest armed drone technology. In this, it is the prohibitive cost of the system that is a hurdle, not the Trump administration, said a South Block official who requested anonymity. Also read| Brahmos, Akash and Nirbhay: India rolls out its missiles to counter Chinese threat Besides, India has asked Israel to upgrade its existing Heron medium-altitude, long-endurance surveillance drone by upgrading its communication links. Presently, due to lack of a satellite link in the Heron, two such unmanned aerial drones have to be flown in tandem with a time gap so that information is relayed back to base through the second drone in case of long-range surveillance. The upgrade involves fitting the Heron drone with a satellite package so that the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) links with the satellite above and information is sent on a real-time basis. The upgrade will allow the Heron to conduct long-range surveillance without the fear of losing contact with the base or go into no contact zone. The Heron upgrade program was approved by the defence ministry last month. Also read: Indian Army ready for winter endurance test at 5,800 metres on Finger 4 of Pangong Tso against PLA The drone revolution in the Indian military has come after it was felt that India had no answer to Chinese armed drone and surveillance drone capabilities, with the PLA deploying the unmanned devices in significant capacities in the Ladakh theatre apart from sensors and surveillance cameras that provide advance warning on moves by the adversary. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Sabah Barisan Nasional chief Bung Moktar Radin (in white) declared that Gabungan Rakyat Sabah has garnered the simple majority of 37 to form the next state government. (Photo: The Star/ Asia News Network) Kuala Lumpur - Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassins alliance has won the elections in the eastern state of Sabah. According to official results announced on September 27 morning, Muhyiddins Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) alliance won 38 of the 73 seats up for grabs in the September 26 election, narrowly taking control of the previously opposition-held state. Rival Parti Warisan Sabah and its allies, which was the incumbent Sabah government, won 32 seats. The Sabah victory would help strengthen Muhyiddin's bid in defending his premiership against Datuk Seri Anwar, who said on September 23 that he has the numbers to form the next federal government. However, Muhyiddin affirmed that he is still the legal prime minister of Malaysia, the position he has held since March. Muhyiddin, in a statement after the results were announced, said the victory showed that voters trusted GRS, and asked his alliance to fulfil its promises. According to analysts, while the Sabah election outcome does not directly affect the balance of power at the national level, it was a key test of Muhyiddins popularity. Doctors of the north municipal corporation-run Hindu Rao Hospital, a Covid-19 designated facility, are on a pen-down strike for three hours every day since the past week over the long delay in the payment of salaries. According to the hospitals Residents Doctors Association (RDA), they were last paid on June 15 after they moved court over delayed wages. The doctors have warned that if they are not paid their dues by this month, they may have to stall work or go on a full-fledged strike from next month. We have been working through the pandemic without being paid regularly for our job. It was the 105th day that we reported to work without having been paid our dues. Despite the high courts directions, salaries have again not been paid for three months, said Dr Abhimanyu Sardana, president of the RDA. The doctors do not attend to non-emergency patients and make reports between 9 am and 12 pm in the day to register their protest. On Monday, a doctor on Covid duty wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) overalls stood with a placard that read Doctors on covid duty : Unpaid Day-105. The doctors had approached the Delhi High Court in May over the non-payment of dues, after which salaries were paid till June. Sardana said if the scenario continues, they will be forced to hold an indefinite protest. The doctors association had written to the hospital administration on September 23. The association on Monday also wrote to the north corporation commissioner and the political representatives on the pending dues. Nursing staff, paramedics and safai karamcharis of the north body-run Kasturba Hospital were also on a partial strike until Monday over the non-payment of dues. Teachers of both the north and east corporations had also been staging demonstrations over the past 26 days against delayed salaries. North corporation mayor Jai Prakash on Monday met the protesting staffers of Kasturba Hospital and requested them to withdraw the agitation, seeking two months to resolve the issue. The protesting employees withdrew their strike after I requested them to allow me time till November 30 to resolve the issue of their salaries. I have approached the Centre to help us with funds, as the corporation is suffering from a severe financial crunch. We will request the Delhi government once again to release our funds or else we will have to file a PIL regarding non-disbursal of funds due to the civic body under the basic tax assessment (BTA) head, said Prakash. The Delhi government spokesperson did not respond to requests for a comment. Prakash alleged that during the pandemic, the Delhi government cut funds due to the corporation under the basic tax assessment head by 57%. Every government department or municipal body has been hit badly by the pandemic. However, such a drastic cut in the BTA, which has to be given by the state government, has been done only for the municipal corporation. In case of other government departments, the BTA has been cut only by 18%-19%. We are due to get 425 crore from the government under BTA, said Prakash. The mayor said that to boost its revenue, the civic body will start an awareness campaign for the amnesty scheme launched to collect pending property tax from unauthorised regularised colonies. East corporation mayor Nirmal Jain submitted a proposal in the House meeting on Monday, asking Delhi government to release funds due to it. We are due to get a total of 1,050 crore from the Delhi government in the current financial year. We have been unable to pay our staff because of not having any funds, Jain said. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON CSE: VYGR OTCQB: VYGVF Borse Frankfurt: UCD2 Company Anticipates Quarter-over-Quarter Revenue Growth of almost 200% for Fiscal First Quarter 2021 NEW YORK, Sept. 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ - Voyager Digital Ltd. ("Voyager" or the "Company") (CSE: VYGR) (OTCQB: VYGVF) (FRA: UCD2), a publicly traded, licensed crypto-asset broker that provides investors with a turnkey solution to trade crypto assets, today announced the addition of its 50th digital asset and 10th Decentralized Finance Token, Decentraland MANA, to its commission-free crypto trading platform. Voyager will continue to list more digital assets, especially focused on DeFi tokens, to offer customers the most robust destination to buy, hold and earn cryptocurrency in a simple and easy to use interface. Voyager recently listed and supports transfers for leading DeFi projects, Uniswap (UNI), UMA (UMA), yearn.finance (YFI), Band Protocol (Band), Kyber Network (KNC) and Polkadot (DOT), and has plans to continue adding tokens to the platform to accelerate DeFi growth. "We're proud to reach this important milestone of now supporting 50 digital assets, which we believe is the broadest selection of digital assets on one platform available to consumers," said Steve Ehrlich, Co-Founder and CEO of Voyager Digital. "Voyager now also offers interest with no lockups or minimums on 17 coins, cementing Voyager as the premiere crypto destination in the U.S., and soon to be international. As we continue to enhance our platform, we are seeing significant adoption by new and existing users. This is evidenced by our strong trading metrics and revenue growth, with the fiscal quarter's anticipated revenues expected to exceed $2 million as previously announced, representing a 200% increase from the previous quarter. With our strong business momentum and recent capital raise, we are well positioned to continue our exponential growth." Voyager is focused on adding decentralized projects to the platform as the decentralized ecosystem gains attraction. The Ethos Wallet, soon to be renamed the Voyager Wallet, will become an integral part of the Voyager ecosystem. Voyager recently announced its intention to expand into Canada and will continue to expand its offering by bringing more traditional products to the platform in the future. Mr. Ehrlich added, "Voyager is the number one place for customers to access the Decentralized Finance Ecosystem on an agency basis as we do not proprietary trade against our customers. Our purpose is to deliver consumers the best possible experience with the largest breath of coins and product globally." For more information on Voyager Digital, please visit https://www.investvoyager.com . The Voyager App is available for Android and iPhone . About Voyager Digital Ltd. Voyager Digital Ltd. is a crypto-asset broker that provides retail and institutional investors with a turnkey solution to trade crypto assets. Voyager offers customers best execution and safe custody on a wide choice of popular crypto-assets. Voyager was founded by established Wall Street and Silicon Valley entrepreneurs who teamed to bring a better, more transparent and cost-efficient alternative for trading crypto-assets to the marketplace. Please visit us at https://www.investvoyager.com for more information and to review the latest Corporate Presentation. 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. No securities regulatory authority has either approved or disapproved of the contents of this press release. This news release contains "forward-looking statements" that are based on expectations, estimates, projections and interpretations as at the date of this news release. Forward-looking statements are frequently characterized by words such as "plan", "expect", "project", "seek", "intend", "believe", "anticipate", "estimate", "suggest", "indicate" and other similar words or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur, and include, without limitation, statements regarding the use of proceeds of the Financing and Concurrent Financing, the expected timing for obtaining a Final Receipt and receipt of all requisite regulatory approvals, the ability to raise the funds to finance the Company's ongoing business activities and expected financial performance and customer growth. Such forward looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such risks and other factors may include, but are not limited to, the ability to obtain all requisite regulatory approvals including the approval of the Exchange and those of the securities regulatory authorities in respect of a (final) short form prospectus, the ability to apply the proceeds as intended, the results of business operations; the ability of the Company to acquire further customers; timing and availability of external financing on acceptable terms and those risk factors outlined in the Company's Management Discussion and Analysis as filed on SEDAR. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking information except in accordance with applicable securities laws. SOURCE Voyager Digital (Canada) Ltd. Islamabad, Sep 28 : Ramesh Kumar Vankwani, patron-in-chief of the Pakistan Hindu Council (PHC), has called on the Imran Kha government to help them take the case of killing of 11 Pakistani Hindus in the Indian city of Jodhpur to the International Court of Justice (ICJ). Addressing a press conference after a two-day protest sit-in in Islamabad outside the Indian High Commission (IHC), Vankwani said: "I would soon move the ICj against India for the killing." The Hindu community in Pakistan along with the members of the victims' families had staged the sit-in protest, rejecting Indian claims of what they called suspected mass suicide. The protesters concluded the sit-in with a demand of taking the matter to the ICJ. "During the protest, we submitted a resolution to the Indian High Commission demanding that India involve Pakistan for ensuring a fair and transparent investigation into the Jodhpur tragedy," said Vankwani. "The resolution also urged India to revoke the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), a controversial and discriminatory law allowing non-Muslims residing in states surrounding India and opportunity to get the Indian citizenship on a fast-track. "The killing of 11 Pakistani Hindus in Jodhpur has exposed the CAA. This killing raises the question whether it is a real act to grant citizens or one to fool people," he added. On August 9, the 11 Pakistani Hindus were found dead under mysterious circumstances in Jodhpur, Rajasthan state. Shrimati Mukhi, a surviving member of the deceased family, also addressed the media and blamed that the Indian authorities did not even allow her relatives to see the dead bodies of her kin. "We demand that India provide proofs that my family committed suicide. I will not stop protesting until I receive justice." Vankwani also said that he had declined the invitation to attend the groundbreaking ceremony of the Ram temple in Ayodhya. "I declined the offer and said that I too worship Ram but I have never heard about a place of Allah's worship being razed to the ground and a place for Ram's worship being built on top," he said. Chennai, Sep 28 : With Lord Venkataramana Swamy at Thanthonimalai near Karur being the first shareholder, he will not let down the Lakshmi Vilas Bank (LVB), said K.R.Pradeep one of the promoters. "The shareholder folio number 1 is in the name of the Lord Venkataramana Swamy the presiding deity at the famed temple in Thanthonimalai (in Tamil Thanthondrimalai -- mountain that appeared on its own)," Pradeep told IANS. He said, the Lord will protect the bank and will not let it go down. Pradeep was one of the seven Directors of the bank who was voted out by shareholders in the annual general meeting held on September 25, 2020. A chartered accountant by profession, Pradeep based in Bangalore said the LVB came into existence in 1926 as an Indian answer to the Imperial Bank of India that was set up by the Britishers in 1921. The LVB was founded by a group of seven businessmen in Karur under the leadership of V.S.N. Ramalinga Chettiar. The mission was to cater to the financial needs of the people in and around the textile city of Tamil Nadu, Karur involved in various trading businesses, industries and agriculture. According to Pradeep, the bank catered to small regional businessmen and such banks will always go through a cycle, he added. In 2014 the bank moved its corporate office to Chennai. With huge losses, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in 2019 brought LVB under the Prompt and Corrective Action (PCR) fold. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-29 03:53:42|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Tunisian President Kais Saied (R) meets with visiting Algerian Foreign Minister Sabri Boukadoum in Tunis, Tunisia, on Sept. 28, 2020. Tunisian President Kais Saied received on Monday visiting Algerian Foreign Minister Sabri Boukadoum, said a statement released by the presidency. (Tunisian Presidency/Handout via Xinhua) TUNIS, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- Tunisian President Kais Saied received on Monday visiting Algerian Foreign Minister Sabri Boukadoum, said a statement released by the presidency. "During the meeting, the head of state pledged to further develop the relations between the two countries to reach the expected level," said the statement. Saied also insisted on the need to identify new mechanisms in order to boost cooperation in the service of the "two brotherly peoples." For his part, the Algerian minister highlighted the stong relations that unite the two countries, reaffirming his country's will to strengthen bilateral cooperation. The two officials also discussed the latest developments in Libya. "It was agreed that the solution to the Libyan crisis should be based on the agreement of all its factions away from any foreign interference in order to preserve the security, unity and sovereignty of Libya," said the presidency. Enditem The European Investment Bank (EIB) and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) will allocate $420 million for the Dolynska-Mykolaiv-Kolosivka railway section electrification project. "Our goal is to develop the number of electrified sections as this is more cost-effective, environmentally friendly and safer," Minister of Infrastructure of Ukraine Vladyslav Kryklii said at a meeting with business representatives on September 28, an Ukrinform correspondent reports. The electrification project is very important as these tracks lead to Ukrainian ports, the minister added. The project is expected to be completed by 2023. As Kryklii reminded, the Ministry of Infrastructure together with the International Finance Corporation (IFC) are currently preparing seven railway stations in Kharkiv, Kyiv, Chop, Dnipro, Khmelnytsky, and Vinnytsia cities for concession. It is planned that a total of UAH 3.8 million in investments will be attracted within the project, concession payments of UAH 60.8 million will be made, and taxes worth UAH 17.4 million will be paid to the budget. The minister noted that the concessionaires would have to reconstruct and modernize the stations, create new railway infrastructure, and improve the quality of services. ol By AFP WASHINGTON: The Washington Post endorsed Joe Biden for US president on Monday, calling the veteran Democrat a leader of "decency, honor and competence" who stands in stark contrast to incumbent Donald Trump. The leading paper in the nation's capital joins other recent notable Biden endorsements, including Pennsylvania's Republican ex-governor Tom Ridge, senator John McCain's widow and the actor Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. Many Americans might be willing to vote for nearly anyone "in order to expel the worst president of modern times," the Post's editorial board wrote, citing Trump's bungled coronavirus pandemic response and attacks on democratic norms. "Fortunately, to oust President Trump in 2020, voters do not have to lower their standards." Former vice president Biden, they said, "is exceptionally well-qualified, by character and experience, to meet the daunting challenges that the nation will face over the coming four years." The Post has been no friend to Republican Trump, who has repeatedly denounced the newspaper and its rivals as "fake news." The daily has savaged Trump policy and launched a Fact Checker's database identifying 20,000 false or misleading Trump statements, and its editorial board last year declared there was "more than enough proof" to impeach him. While Trump has done "damage" to American democracy, the board said Monday, a deeply empathetic and experienced Biden "would restore decency, honor and competence to America's government." The endorsement comes one day before Biden and Trump square off in Ohio in their first of three presidential debates. Pennsylvania's Ridge, who after the 9/11 attacks became the nation's first homeland security chief, announced Sunday he will be voting for a Democratic presidential candidate for the first time. "I've never thought that loud, obnoxious, and simpleminded solutions to complex problems are the kind of qualities we want in a president," Ridge wrote in the Philadelphia Inquirer. Cindy McCain, widow of the 2008 Republican nominee, announced her endorsement of Biden last week, saying "my husband John lived by a code: country first." Johnson, a Hollywood A-lister and former champion wrestler, released a video showing him telling Biden and his running mate, Senator Kamala Harris, that he was backing their campaign. Toronto police have identified the 24-year-old man shot and killed Sunday night in Etobicoke. Josephate Tyran Martelly, of Toronto, died after being shot at about 7:30 p.m. in the hallway of a townhouse complex in the Kipling Avenue and Mount Olive Drive area. He was pronounced dead at the scene. A 21-year-old man was also shot and rushed to hospital with serious injuries, police said. No suspect information was released. Officers are asking anyone with information to contact police at (416) 808-7400, or to leave an anonymous tip to Crime Stoppers at (416) 222-8477. It was one of a series of shootings in the city Sunday night. Just before 9 p.m., a man was shot in the upper back in a drive-by shooting at Jane Street and Shoreham Drive. Police were looking for two suspects in brown Ford, four-door sedan. And at about 11:30 p.m., responded to a drive-by shooting in the Finch Avenue West and Ardwick Boulevard area. There were no injuries but police found a vehicle with bullet holes. Police were looking for a black Dodge Durango. Kevin Jiang is a breaking news reporter, working out of the Star's radio room in Toronto. Reach him via email: kjiang@thestar.ca India and Denmark on Monday elevated their relations to a green strategic partnership that will focus on expanding economic ties, green growth and cooperation on global challenges such as climate change. The decision was made during Prime Minister Narendra Modis first virtual summit with a counterpart from a European Union nation, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen. The two leaders also agreed to expand their cooperation on ways to combat Covid-19 and future pandemics, including the development of vaccines. However, the issue of Danish national Kim Davy, the main accused in the 1995 Purulia arms drop case which had taken India-Denmark ties to an all-time low in 2012 also figured in the meeting and both sides agreed that concerned officials will work for an early resolution of the matter. In his opening remarks at the meeting, Modi said the events of the past few months have highlighted the necessity of like-minded countries such as India and Denmark, which share a rules-based and democratic value system, to work together. The Covid-19 pandemic has also shown it is risky for global supply chains to rely heavily on any single source, he said. We are working together with Japan and Australia for diversification and resilience of supply chains. Other like-minded countries can join this effort, Modi said, speaking in Hindi. A joint statement said the new green strategic partnership will build on an existing Joint Commission for Cooperation, created in 2009, for cooperation in politics, economics and commerce, science and technology, energy, environment and education. It will also complement existing joint working groups on renewable energy, urban development, agriculture, innovation, shipping, labour mobility and digitisation. Joint secretary (Central Europe) Neeta Bhushan told reporters that the partnership is expected to lead to joint ventures and technology transfers, and help expand cooperation in renewable energy, environment, circular economy, water and waste management and air pollution. A time-bound action plan would be drawn up with specific targets for the next few years, she said. Danish companies with niche technologies and expertise have offered to help India in meeting its air pollution control targets, including in the key area of tackling the problem of burning crop stubble, she added. Asked whether the matter of Kim Davy had figured in the meeting, Bhushan said the extradition of the main accused in the Purulia arms drop case was mentioned and the two sides agreed that the concerned officials will be in touch with each other and both sides will work for the early resolution of the issue. In 2012, India had scaled down diplomatic ties with Denmark to signal its displeasure with the refusal of Danish officials to appeal in the Supreme Court against a lower courts order barring Davys extradition. The two countries finally put their ties back on an even keel in 2018, when they decided to separate the Davy issue from the overall relationship. With more than 140 Danish companies having a presence in India, Modi proposed the creation of India-Denmark energy parks in areas with large numbers of Danish firms and a India-Denmark skill institute to train Indian manpower. Frederiksen, who was invited to visit India by Modi, offered to host the second India-Nordic summit in Copenhagen. With India and Denmark joining hands together today, I am confident that we [will be] able to overcome both the situation when it comes to Covid-19 [and] climate change, she said. The joint statement said the two sides also agreed to hold regular consultations on climate change and renewable energy and to cooperate in water efficiency and water loss, with the Jal Shakti ministry and the Danish Environmental Protection Agency and Danish environment ministry being tasked to develop a work plan for 2021-23. Not Participating In Bigg Boss Tamil 4- Lakshmi Menon Confirming that she is not a part of the upcoming season of the show, Lakshmi took to her Instagram story and wrote, "Not participating in Bigg Boss." Well, a lot of speculations have been doing the rounds about several celebs' inclusion in the show including Ramya Pandian, Shivani Narayanan and Yaashika Aannand. Lakshmi Menon: Wont Wash Plates And Clean Toilets Of Others For Camera Calling Bigg Boss Tamil 4 a sh*t show', the Vedalam actress further added that she doesn't want to clean plates and toilets of others on camera in the name of a show. She wrote, "I am not participating in Bigg Boss show, I am not going to be washing plates and cleaning toilets of others for now and never and also fighting on camera in the name of a show. I hope hereafter nobody comes up with speculations of me going to some sh*t show." Lakshmis Message On Negative Comments For Her Sh*t Show Story Well, her statement on the Kamal Haasan show didn't go down well with some netizens who slammed her with negative comments. Strongly standing by her statements about the show, Lakshmi Menon said that it is completely her right to have an opinion and a choice as she said, "So, many people sent me negative messages after seeing my story. I just want to clarify that you are nobody to question me. It is my right to have an opinion and a choice. Some people might like the show, some might not. I, for that matter, do not like the show due to various reasons. I wash my own plates and clean my toilet at my house. It's just that I don't want to do that in front of a camera." Bigg Boss Tamil 4 Bigg Boss Tamil 4 hosted by Ulaganayagan will premiere on October 4, 2020 (Sunday) from 6 pm. The usual episodes of the show will have a telecast on Vijay Television from Monday to Friday at 9.30 pm, that will take the audience through the daily activities and tasks of the contestants. Kamal will be joining them during the weekend episodes- Saturday and Sunday at 9 pm, wherein he will have a chit-chat with the contestants. Dale Kotengo is a Kenyan born artist/painter who started his career in the Kenyan theater platform after studying graphics design in collage. He started off as a stage manager in theater right after school and worked his way to set designing in 5 years. The film industry then came knocking where he started off as a props master, moved on to set design and construction, Art Directing and eventually Production Design. He had dedicated a total of 15 years in film and theater when he decided to leave to go back to working on his painting. Mentored by his artist mother since age 13 year to 19 years, he felt it was about time he went back to his humble beginnings and tell his own stories this time. Mostly working with Acrylics on canvas, he sometimes does pieces on mixed and heavily capitalizes on Afrocentric Themes and Surrealism Expressionism. Dale spoke to KenyanVibe about his artistic journey: What have been the highlights of your career so far? In design, it was managing the largest Christmas setup in East and Central Africa for 2017 at Two Rivers Mall working for The Village Creative. In film, it was Art Directing for Coke Studio season 4 and 5, meeting over 40 international artists in person including Jason Derulo and Trey Songz. What is the inspiration behind your art? Love. Supernatural, divine, unconditional love. What is the price range for your art pieces? In Kenyan currency, between 20k and 300k depending on the size and intensity of work invested in a given piece Whats the highest price any of the pieces has ever gone for? I will not mention the figure but it was bought by a client from Germany who saw my work on Facebook. So would you say most of your clients are abroad? No, in regard to that I would describe my client share as 50/50. The other 50 being the Kenyan market. How have you managed to monetize your gift? Art is a future investment. You never quite know when the big bucks will come knocking as a reward for your creation, but you continue creating and look for ways of getting your work out there. This is through social media and alternative platforms. How would you describe your journey as an artist this far? Born out of passion, my journey began when I was 13 years old. I was mentored by my mum. She is an amazing artist just so you know. After high school, I studied graphic design and for about 20 years I focused on building set designs as a career. I started off by doing set design for theatre for 5 years, then transitioned to designing sets for film for 15 years and then finally decided to take a break from it all and focus on paint art. As far as the business side of things go, how is this industry in Kenya? Truthfully speaking, Kenyans appreciate art but the purchasing power, especially for high-end pieces, is lacking. So how do you manage to pay your bills? Before the COVID-19 pandemic hit, I was doing well doubling up as an interior designer. I got a lot of gigs on a referral basis. Basically I have an eye for creative design, that has worked well for me over the years and provides other channels of opportunity. How does an upcoming artist brand themselves so that they are able to make their work gain recognition? Pick a path, pick a genre. Find a style that works for you; charcoal drawing, pencil drawing, etc. Often times, it takes a while for one to confidently pick what works best for them and thats okay. The second thing would be to pick a subject politics and governance, family, religion e.t.c. then do it to the best of your ability. Start putting your work out there, even if you feel as if it is not as excellent as you would want it to be. Some curators might come looking for you based on what you put out on social media. The craft will be perfected in time and with consistency. What has been the most rewarding part of your journey? Spiritual fulfillment. I get to do something that matters to me. I also enjoy flexibility when it comes to managing my time. More photos, courtesy of @dale_kotengo/Instagram. Dialogue is impossible with lying authorities like the authorities of Azerbaijan. This is what President of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) Arayik Haroutyunyan said during a press conference today. According to him, Azerbaijan has prepared for this war for a very long time. Azerbaijan worked for months to be able to damage and neutralize the directions of our communication. All specialists would say that this is not a matter of days. The fact that the lying and cheating authorities of Azerbaijan declare that the Armenian side allegedly launched the attack and Azerbaijan countered, goes to show once again who we are dealing with. We are dealing with a government that lies to the whole world, and the whole world knows about that, he said. Haroutyunyan emphasized that the neutralized military equipment of the adversary is for offense, and the technical devices downed by the adversary are for defense, but the Azerbaijani side is trying to prove that the Armenian side launched an attack. We are battling the joint Turkish-Azerbaijani forces, and this is a general plan. This is not only about Artsakh, and all us Armenians need to know this, he said. Saturday was Mesothelioma Awareness Day. Don't worry Montana is agonizingly aware of the almost 100 percent fatal cancer caused by one thing only exposure to asbestos. Indeed, the issue of asbestos, the still-legal killer of millions in America, is personal for Montanans. Veterans constitute 10 percent of our population, and a shocking number of them were exposed to asbestos in the course of serving our country. Many other hard-working Montanans have been exposed to the deadly fibers as a consequence of their longstanding presence in construction materials and auto parts. Add to that the fact that the tremolite asbestos in vermiculite ore mined for nearly a century in the state caused countless deaths worldwide. Nowhere was the impact so great as in Montana, where hard-working miners unknowingly exposed their wives and children, and airborne dispersal of tons of the fibers left one of the most beautiful places on the planet Lincoln County, including Libby and Troy literally gasping for breath and mourning death after death. So yes, we're certainly aware of mesothelioma, in addition to asbestosis, lung cancer and other asbestos-caused cancers. But the breaking news here is not a calendar observance. What many Montanans do not yet realize is that a bill to ban asbestos is finally reaching the floor of the House of Representatives this Tuesday. The Alan Reinstein Ban Asbestos Now Act, or ARBAN in the vernacular of acronym, was forwarded by a resounding and bipartisan 47-1 vote of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, and richly merits the up-or-down vote it will finally receive in the House this week. The time for legislative maneuvering and the escaping of accountability for this environmental hazard, which has been banned by more than 65 countries worldwide, has passed. Now, House members will have a chance to go on record as either supporting putting a stop to this carnage, or turning a blind eye to it. "This bill will stop hundreds of metric tons of asbestos from entering the United States each year and will protect Americans from the daily threat ... found in homes, schools, workplaces and on consumer shelves," said Linda Reinstein, president of the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization. Reinstein is an eloquent advocate for this bill, but the victims of this disease, like her husband Alan, like the hundreds of Libby asbestos victims, are the loudest voices of all. We urge Rep. Greg Gianforte to do the right thing, vote for ARBAN, and send it to the Senate, where his Republican colleague Steve Daines has already expressed support for it and Democrat Jon Tester's support has been a matter of record for years. It's time to get this done, for Montana and for the rest of the country. The Billings Gazette Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 While Lalu Prasad Yadav, patriarch of Rashtriya Janta Dal (RJD) is still in Jail, HAM-S chief and Dalit leader Jitan Ram Manjhi has joined NDA again. The RLSP no longer has cordial relations in mahagathbandhan and the Nitish Kumar-BJP alliance is in full force. And yet, the upcoming assembly elections in Bihar will not be an easy battle for anyone. This analysis is not based on the outcome of 2015 elections where mahagathbandhan had swept the election. It is based on the analysis of 2010 assembly poll results in which the BJP-JDU combine swept the polls with winning 206 out of the total 243 seats. Not many are aware that despite winning 85 per cent of the assembly seats in 2010, the total vote share of the BJP-JDU combine was less than 40 per cent. The BJP secured 39.56 per cent votes in 102 seats it contested by winning 91 of them, whereas JDU secured 38.77 per cent votes on 141 seats by winning 115 seats. Usually, for winning three-fourth seats in any assembly, the winning combine crosses 45 per cent vote share and, in the bipolar contest, even crosses 50 per cent votes. With less than 40 per cent votes, the thumping majority was possible because besides the RJD-LJP combine, both Congress and BSP contested on almost all seats. A close study of the above figures reveals that Had the Congress not contested on all seats and was part of alliance of RJD LJP like 2004 Lok Sabha or 2005 assembly elections, the BJP-JDU combine would not have secured this big a sweep by winning 85 per cent seats. Even the CPI/CPM, whose vote share could never go to a combine which the BJP had, would have the capacity to alter result in many of 86 seats where they polled around 7 per cent votes. The NCP also played spoiler and secured 1.82 per cent votes in 171 seats it contested. On a conservative assumption that all votes secured by any party would not necessarily get transferred to any combine, a substantial share of these votes around 8 per cent could very well have been transferred to the RJD-led combine. In that scenario, the BJP-JDU combine would certainly not have won 206 seats. The results of some of the seats also confirmed the said logic. This was the result in 2010 when the charm of Nitish Kumar was on the peak and so was the dislike for Lalu Yadav. Now, with 15 long years of anti-incumbency, Nitish himself is not so popular and cannot be considered as a vote catcher as before. His reputation with minorities and core socialist voters has also gone down. The BJP has realised this aspect and that is why it is seeking an equal share of seats in the alliance. In the past, the JDU contested on 141 seats and BJP had only 102. Given that this time RJD/INC/JMM/CPI/CPM are likely to contest in alliance which would compensate for the loss of LJP not being there. The RLSP is likely to remain a part of mahagathbandhan whereas the LJPs continuation with NDA is no longer certain. The Bihar elections are an open game which could go in anybodys favour and the contest would be held seat by seat, district by district and region by region. A protester holds a placard reading "Veran (Health Minister) killed me" during a demonstration by bars and restaurants owners in Marseille - NICOLAS TUCAT /AFP Protesters angered by the closure of bars and restaurants in Marseille blocked traffic on Monday as the conservative president of the region launched legal action in a bid to overturn the latest coronavirus restrictions. Restaurateurs and bar owners fearing for their livelihoods took to the streets on the first day of the two-week closure, aimed at stemming an alarming increase in Covid-19 infections. Local officials say the government in Paris decided the measure against their advice. Renaud Muselier, the centre-Right president of the Provence-Alpes-Cote dAzur region, joined local business leaders in filing a class action lawsuit challenging the restriction, which applies to Marseille and nearby Aix-en-Provence. Mr Muselier says the measure is an unfair collective punishment while restaurants in other French cities are allowed to remain open. Marseille and Aix, together home to 1.9 million people, have been placed on maximum alert, one step before a return to total lockdown. Eleven other French cities, including Paris and Lyon, are on heightened alert, which means they are subject to less strict rules and bars must close from 10pm starting on Monday. Samia Ghali, Marseilles deputy mayor, has openly defied the government order, saying local police will not impose fines on bars and restaurants that stay open. But most remained shuttered on the first day of the ban as Elisabeth Borne, the employment minister, warned that those who disobey will face penalties. Mr Muselier stressed that he did not want restaurateurs and bar owners to take the law into their own hands. I reject civil disobedience: if we challenge a rule, we do so while abiding by the rules. Its the law that will decide, he said. The French government is resisting growing pressure from health experts for a second national lockdown as it seeks to limit disruption to peoples lives. Leading French doctors have called for drastic measures to avert a second wave which they believe could overwhelm the health service and be more damaging than the first. One of Italy's leading experts on the coronavirus urged France to declare a lockdown because of its rapidly rising number of cases. Walter Ricciardi, an adviser to the Italian health ministry on the pandemic, told La Stampa newspaper on Monday: "Intensive care units in Nice and Marseilles are starting to move patients to Paris. This, along with the growing number of infections, cannot but lead to a lockdown. However, a leading French epidemiologist questioned the effectiveness of lockdown. I compare it to freezing a piece of rotting meat. You halt the problem while its in the freezer, then it starts rotting again when you take it out, Catherine Hill told BFM TV. Thats what weve seen with infections increasing again after lockdown. Theyre being spread by asymptomatic carriers of the virus and the only way to deal with this is mass testing, so we can isolate them. Students at universities hit by coronavirus should seek tuition fee refunds if the quality of their course slips, the higher education watchdog said last night. At least 40 universities have recorded virus cases around one in four leaving thousands of students locked down in halls. They have complained of disgusting conditions as they are essentially sealed off from the outside world. The situation has caused growing anger over the prospect of no face-to-face learning despite fees of up to 9,250 per year. The Office for Students (OfS) regulator has now urged students who feel the quality of their education has been affected to complain, warning universities not to take a blanket policy against refunds. Chief executive Nicola Dandridge said: Students have a right to good quality higher education whether that is taught online, in-person or a mixture of the two. Students at universities hit by coronavirus should seek tuition fee refunds if the quality of their course slips, the higher education watchdog said last night. They have complained of disgusting conditions as they are essentially sealed off from the outside world. Where they feel this is not happening they can raise concerns with their university, escalating complaints to the Office of the Independent Adjudicator where a resolution cannot be found. They can also inform the OfS, and we can and will investigate if we believe that universities have not taken all reasonable steps to protect standards or where quality is slipping for groups of students. She added: In considering whether to make partial tuition fee refunds, we would expect a university to consider the circumstances for each student rather than to adopt a blanket policy that refunds are not available. Schools should be the last places to close in any future lockdowns, say children's watchdog Schools should be the last places to be closed in any future lockdowns, the childrens watchdog said yesterday. It was wrong to allow pubs and stores such as pet shops to open early in the summer while children were kept at home, Childrens Commissioner Anne Longfield, pictured, said. She called on ministers to see that schools are the last to close and first to reopen if there are further lockdowns. The pressure from Miss Longfield, the Governments observer of how children are being treated, comes amid widening concern over the prospect that millions of children will again be deprived of education if infections continue to rise and lockdowns are reimposed. It follows research indicating that children are 40 per cent less likely than adults to contract Covid-19. Professor Russell Viner, of University College London, said: The key thing about this research is that it supports keeping schools open. Schools need to be open and be almost the last places to close. As part of learning to live with this virus, we need to be keeping schools open. Advertisement Mrs Dandridge insisted universities must be clear about how to access food and virus tests during outbreaks. Ahead of the academic year, students were promised a high-quality, full and exciting university experience but scenes of chaos have emerged on some campuses. National Union of Students president Larissa Kennedy blasted the disgusting conditions some students are living in and questioned the legality of their confinement. She told ITVs Good Morning Britain certain students were short of food and asked whether it has been legal to keep them cooped up in that way without that access to the things that they need. Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU), where 1,700 students are isolating, yesterday said they would be refunded more than a weeks rent and provided a basic food package. Many students complained they felt like they were in a prison camp with guards preventing them from leaving and officials ordering them to take down SOS-style posters hung in windows. One said: Im a bit worried that I paid 6,000 when I could have just done it online, lived at home and then moved in in my second year. University vice-chancellor Professor Malcolm Press said a significant amount of money would be handed back, on top of food, to ensure students felt protected and cared for. Glasgow University has also offered isolating students a refund of one months rent, along with a 50 payment for food following an outbreak there. The refunds could open the floodgates for claims at universities across the UK. Universities UK, which represents institutions, said blanket refunds were unaffordable because of the amount spent preparing for the academic year during the pandemic. A spokesman said: Universities have spent much more compared with a normal year on Covid-19 safety measures, enhanced digital learning platforms and putting additional student learning support and catch-up study in place. In this very difficult year, universities are aiming to provide a high-quality and engaging educational experience for their students, while prioritising their physical and mental wellbeing. Some opposition MPs backed calls by the lecturers union, the UCU, demanding all universities switch to online teaching. Over the summer, universities were fearful of financial chaos if students stayed away and in June promised them significant in-person teaching and a wide range of social activities. Ahead of the academic year, students were promised a high-quality, full and exciting university experience but scenes of chaos have emerged on some campuses. Pictured: Two students locked down at a halls of residence in Manchester But UCU leader Dr Jo Grady said encouraging students to move into halls despite the danger looked like a cynical effort to extract accommodation fees and then worry about what to do. She added: We believe a summer spent selling a university experience to prospective students that couldnt be delivered would have been better spent following the science and preparing properly for this inevitable crisis. Labour MP Siobhain McDonagh said students looked like they were being used as cash cows, adding: Surely these problems could have been anticipated before term started? She told the BBC: Students like to have fun, like to go out in freshers week thats not news to anyone is it? Downing Street said it expected students would be allowed to return home for Christmas after Scotland also softened its guidance after an outcry north of the border. Meanwhile, Exeter University is asking students who live in the city not to meet indoors with anyone who is not part of their household. It said there had been a continued rise in student Covid-19 cases. The university said the move does not mean students cannot go out and listed a number of exceptions, including study, work or in an emergency situation where people are in danger. Over the summer, universities were fearful of financial chaos if students stayed away and in June promised them significant in-person teaching and a wide range of social activities. Pictured: A student puts a 'Help Us' made out of sticky notes on their window Last night universities minister Michelle Donelan warned institutions they must give as much clarity to students as possible on the tuition they will be receiving and should ensure that guidance on Covid-19 testing and welfare and emergency resources is readily available. Meanwhile, lawyers are looking into securing damages for false imprisonment on behalf of nine students who claim that they were placed under an illegal lockdown. It came after Manchester City Council instructed the 1,700 MMU students to self-isolate with some describing how security guards refused to let them leave the campus. Over the weekend, human rights lawyers suggested the students had a case for claiming false imprisonment, as a change in the law enabling self-isolation to be enforced did not take effect until yesterday. Merseyside-based Levins Solicitors confirmed that it was taking action on behalf of students trapped in halls. The firms Jon Heath said it was a really important principle. Another 10 crew from an international cargo ship moored off Western Australia's north-west coast are expected to test positive to coronavirus, amid growing fears the outbreak could spread to the mainland. Nine crew members from iron ore bulk carrier Patricia Oldendorff moored nine nautical miles off Port Hedland have tested positive in recent days, with cases expected to climb on Monday. Seven infected crew remain on board while 12 crew were transferred to a makeshift hotel quarantine facility in Port Hedland, sparking fears the virus may spread through the port and mining town and into nearby Indigenous communities. Health minister Roger Cook said the local community should not be worried, despite admitting a day earlier there was a risk of a massive outbreak similar to Melbourne's second wave if it can't be contained. Twelve crew from the Patricia Oldendorff were transported to the mainland on the weekend 'We have the situation under firm management,' Mr Cook told reporters on Sunday. 'All the positive cases are well and truly locked down in that facility. 'The perimeter of the area fenced off, so there's no way in the world we would allow the disease to get out.' Around 20 Filipino nationals and the captain were on board the virus-riddled ship when it anchored on September 16. Of the 12 crew brought ashore and taken to the Hedland Hotel on Friday, two have tested positive while the other 10 are expected to return positive results on Monday. Police and private security guards are patrolling the fenced off quarantined hotel on the mainland, which has prompted questions in the wake of failures of private security in Victoria. Some of the infected crew are holed up in quarantine at the fenced off Hedland Hotel (pictured), sparking community fears of an outbreak Port Hedland is one of the busiest shipping ports in the world. 'We are a port town, we're the largest bulk export port in the world so it's a significant issue for us,' Port Hedland chief Executive Carl Askew told Nine News. 'We're very keen to see business keep going but obviously those health concerns need to be managed and managed well.' The Australian Medical Association also fears the local remote hospital may be unprepared if infected crew members need hospital treatment. 'At this stage we know they haven't been given adequate personal protection equipment and we're leaning on the government to try and make that happen very soon,' WA president Andrew Miller said. Arrangements are being made for a replacement skeleton crew to arrive from Perth along with a deep clean of the ship. The rapid response team is being led by experienced doctor Tudor Codreanu, who also managed COVID-19 outbreaks on board the Artania cruise liner and Al-Kuwait livestock ship earlier this year. 'We are still working on the best way to remove the infected crew from the ship and clean it while maintaining the essential operation to keep the ship running,' Mr Cook said. Many of the infected crew transferred from the ship into hotel quarantine are expected to test positive on Monday Around 20 Filipino nationals and the captain were on board the virus-riddled ship (pictured) moored off Port Hedland since September 16. The ship left the Philippines on September 5 with a fresh crew, indicating the virus came from that country. WA has so far recorded 676 cases of COVID-19 since the pandemic began and nine deaths. It currently has 16 active cases. WASHINGTON - Pennsylvania's Republican legislative leaders asked the U.S. Supreme Court on Monday to stop a decision by the state's high court to count mail-in ballots received up to three days after Election Day. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled in Democrats' favor on a number of mail-voting rules: permitting voters to turn in ballots at drop boxes in addition to using the U.S. Postal Service; allowing ballots to be returned up to three days after Election Day; and blocking a Republican effort to allow partisan poll watchers to be stationed in counties where they do not live. Republicans asked the U.S. Supreme Court to weigh in only on the ruling pushing back the deadline for mail ballots to arrive. The state court said such ballots must be counted if they are postmarked by Nov. 3 - and even if they are not, "unless a preponderance of the evidence" shows that the ballots were mailed after Election Day. It is one of many legal battles being waged across the country regarding voting rules before the Nov. 3 election. But Pennsylvania has particular significance because it is crucial to President Donald Trump's reelection fortunes. He defeated Hillary Clinton there in 2016 by 44,000 votes, or less than 1%. "In a year where there is a very real possibility that the final presidential election result hinges on Pennsylvania, the new rules imposed by the decision of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania (a body elected in partisan elections) could destroy the American public's confidence in the electoral system as a whole," said the stay request filed by the Republican leaders. The request was filed with Justice Samuel Alito, who oversees the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit in Philadelphia. It is likely to be referred by him to the entire court. The justices usually are reluctant to intervene in legal battles over voting close to an election. The court often defers to state courts over such matters. It is the first election-related case to be filed since the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. She wrote a dissent in April, when the court voted 5 to 4 to stop some of the accommodations federal judges had allowed for Wisconsin primary voters because of the pandemic. "The concerns advanced by the court and the applicants pale in comparison to the risk that tens of thousands of voters will be disenfranchised," she wrote for her liberal colleagues. "Ensuring an opportunity for the people of Wisconsin to exercise their votes should be our paramount concern." Even in that case, though, the conservative majority allowed Wisconsin officials to count ballots received after the day of the primary if it was clear that they had been mailed by then. Pennsylvania lawmakers said the decision of its state court extends Election Day beyond what is called for in the Constitution and takes away the power of legislatures to set election rules. The changes are tied to challenges of the pandemic, they said, but "the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania's own special master found that COVID-19 is not likely to disrupt the November General Election ballot receipt deadline." The U.S. Supreme Court is likely to call for a response from the Democrats who filed suit in Pennsylvania before acting on the request. - - - The Washington Post's Amy Gardner contributed to this report. Development key foundation for region's long-term social stability, president says President Xi Jinping has underlined the importance of upholding lasting peace and stability in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, saying development is the crucial foundation for the region's long-term social stability. Xi, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remark at a two-day central symposium on work related to Xinjiang, which concluded on Saturday in Beijing. It was the third such symposium since 2010, with the previous one taking place in 2014. Xi demanded law-based governance over Xinjiang and long-term efforts to develop it into a region that is united, harmonious, prosperous, culturally advanced and environmentally friendly, with its people enjoying their life and work. He stressed the need to fully implement the Party's policies and strategies on governing Xinjiang in the new era, which include promoting high-quality growth in the region, improving people's livelihoods and maintaining stability in the region through ethnic solidarity. Saying that people of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang are members of the great family of the Chinese nation, Xi called for constantly strengthening ethnic unity. Education on the identity of the Chinese nation should be strengthened among the general public so that they will develop a correct understanding of the country, history, ethnicity, culture and religion, he added. In terms of Xinjiang's economic development, he said the region should leverage its geographical advantages to develop as a core area of the Silk Road Economic Belt and align itself with the nation's opening-up strategy. Xi urged efforts to consolidate the foundation and increase the efficiency of the industrial sector in Xinjiang, advance industrial transformation and upgrading, and boost urbanization in an all-around way while protecting the environment. He also underscored the need to coordinate prevention and control of the COVID-19 pandemic with social and economic development in Xinjiang with a focus on poverty elimination and the promotion of employment. Xinjiang has recently seen unprecedented socioeconomic development, with its people becoming better off. Since the last central symposium on work related to Xinjiang in 2014, the country has been strengthening support to the region both from the central government and other regions to help it develop its economy, employment, education, healthcare and other sectors. Its gross domestic product has increased from less than 920 billion yuan ($135 billion) in 2014 to 1.36 trillion yuan by 2019, with an average annual increase of 7.2 percent. Abdulyokem Roz, a villager from Ayagemangan in Shufu county, was a tractor driver six years ago. He made a living by helping others to plow farmland and harvest crops, and his family's annual income was about 10,000 yuan. When Xi was on an inspection tour in Xinjiang in April 2014, he visited Abdulyokem's home. "He just wanted to see if the country's policies to improve people's livelihoods had truly taken effect," Abdulyokem said about Xi's visit. 1 2 SELBYVILLE, Del., Sept. 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Based on Global Market Insights Inc., report, the ceramic coating market was estimated at $9.3 billion in 2019 and is slated to surpass $13.6 billion by 2026, registering a CAGR of 8.1% from 2020 to 2026. The report provides an in-depth analysis of the market estimations as well as size, top investment avenues, drivers & opportunities, wavering industry trends, key winning strategies, and competitive scenarios. Global Market Insights Inc. The increasing demand for corrosion-resistant and high-temperature coatings and the booming automotive industry especially in Europe and Asia-Pacific will influence the market growth positively. Furthermore, the rising aerospace industry and growing investment in the automotive sector mainly in the U.S. and European countries are further propelling the ceramic coating market share. In addition, rising product penetration across emerging economies like South Africa, Brazil, Indonesia, China, and India is anticipated to drive overall market growth over the coming years. Request Sample Report: https://www.gminsights.com/request-sample/detail/2204 In terms of technology, among others, the thermal spray segment is considered the largest segment and will account for nearly 58% of the global industry share by the end of the forecast time period. This growth is ascribed to the increasing use of thermal spray due to its various advantages like protection against corrosion and increased wear resistance. Impact of the coronavirus pandemic: The COVID-19 outbreak has had a major impact on the global economy and the manufacturing and industrial sector as a whole. Governments across the globe had imposed nationwide lockdowns and stringent social distancing measures, making it difficult for the workforce to make their presence felt. Sudden shutdowns of manufacturing plants and temporary halts in the production units have also had a negative impact on the ceramic coating market. However, once the situation is under control, the ceramic coatings industry is likely to bounce back. Key reasons for ceramic coatings market growth: High demand for oxide type coating. Growing adoption of ceramic coatings from the healthcare industry. Increasing applications in the automotive industry. 2026 estimates anticipate the 'transportation & automotive' application segment showing appreciative growth: In terms of application, the transportation & automotive segment will account for nearly 38% of the global industry share by the end of the analysis timeline. Rapid industrialization has increased the product demand across the automotive industry largely in emerging economies, thereby boosting ceramic coating market growth. Moreover, the surging automotive production across developing economies like Brazil, Japan, China, and India, is projected to increase the adoption of ceramic coatings. North America and Asia-Pacific to witness remunerative growth: North America is expected to witness substantial growth and will account for over 23% of the global industry share by the end of the forecast time period. The well-established aerospace industry across the U.S. has been responsible for driving the product demand. In addition, the increasing need for ceramic coatings for protecting car exteriors from UV rays will contribute towards ceramic coating market sales. The ceramic coatings market in Asia-Pacific is anticipated to witness substantial growth over the coming years. In 2019, the region dominated the overall market share owing to the increasing demand for ceramic coatings across the industrial goods and the automotive sectors. In addition, favorable government policies and regulations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions are further encouraging the electric vehicles demand, thereby increasing the consumption of ceramic coatings across the region. Request customization of this report: https://www.gminsights.com/roc/2204 Leading market players: Prominent market players analyzed in the ceramic coating industry report include Nasiol Nano Coatings, Saint-Gobain S. A., Cetek Ceramic Technologies Ltd., Ultramet, Bodycote PLC, and APS Materials, Inc. among others. They have incorporated several strategies including partnership, expansion, collaboration, joint ventures, and others to heighten their stand in the industry. Related Reports: Ceramic Filters Market Future Business Strategies and Revenue Impact Analysis - 2026 Ceramic Tiles Market Future Business Strategies and Competitive Analysis - 2025 About Global Market Insights, Inc. Global Market Insights, Inc., headquartered in Delaware, U.S., is a global market research and consulting service provider. Offering syndicated and custom research reports, growth consulting, and business intelligence services, Global Market Insights, Inc. aims to help clients with penetrative insights and actionable market data that aid in strategic decision making. GMIPulse, our business analytics platform offers an online, interactive option of exploring our proprietary industry research data in an easy-to-use and dynamic manner. Clients get to explore market intelligence across 11 top-level categories and hundreds of industry segments within them, covering regional, company level and cross-sectional statistics that make our offering a stand-out for decision-makers. Contact Us: Arun Hegde Corporate Sales, USA Global Market Insights, Inc. Phone: 1-302-846-7766 Toll Free: 1-888-689-0688 Email: [email protected] Web: https://www.gminsights.com Related Images ceramic-coating-market-statistics.jpg Ceramic Coating Market Statistics - 2026 Related Links Soy Chemicals Market Forecast - 2024 Tempered Glass Market Outlook - 2025 SOURCE Global Market Insights Inc. Related Links https://www.gminsights.com New MaskCountTM app allows citizen scientists to contribute to effort to contain COVID-19 INDIANAPOLIS -- A new app will allow anyone to contribute real-world data to the effort to understand COVID-19. "MaskCountTM," from Regenstrief Institute, lets users document the number of people they see wearing or not-wearing masks, all without identifying anyone. This information will be combined for display and analyzed with other COVID-19 data, such as case counts and hospitalizations, to better understand outbreaks. To access the MaskCount app and learn how to Swipe for ScienceTM go to https:/ / www. maskcount. com . MaskCount is free and currently available as a web app in 15 languages that can run across platforms, including on Apple, Android and other smart devices. After registering, users can easily start sessions and count mask-wearing activity they see around them. Regenstrief research scientists will then analyze the observations and present the combined data online. They also plan to merge the submitted data with other information to assess the effects of public health policies and analyze whether mask-wearing is associated with other COVID-19 trends. The data will be made available via privacy-preserving dashboards to inform the public about what people are seeing near them. Public health professionals may also benefit from the data as they make decisions about public health policies. The app protects privacy by allowing users to simply and discreetly tap or swipe on their screens to capture counts of people either wearing or not wearing masks. Location data for each observation is automatically captured and sent to secure servers. Only aggregate information is displayed to the public. Importantly, the app does not allow people to take pictures or enter any identifying information about those they observe. Users can return to the app and enter the information as frequently as they choose. They can also view data from their previous sessions as well as see cumulative data on masking trends from others around them. "Masks are one of the best ways we have to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and the harm it does to people and our economies. However, mask usage has been difficult to measure," said Peter Embi, M.D., M.S., Regenstrief president and chief executive officer, Indiana University School of Medicine professor and creator and leader of the MaskCount project. "We built this app using state-of-the-art crowd-sourcing technologies that let anyone submit anonymous data to help researchers and public health professionals develop new evidence about the use and effectiveness of masks. The more people use it, the more we hope to learn and work together to help end this pandemic." Since the pandemic is global, Dr. Embi worked with an app development company based in Chile, to create the user-friendly interface and prepare the app for use across platforms and in multiple languages, to enable widespread use. ### Donations to support the app The MaskCount app from Regenstrief is intended to be an accessible resource and the data shared and collaboratively applied for the benefit of Indiana, the U.S. and around the world. Overarching goals include compiling information to be shared for research, policy, safety and anyone interested in the effects masks have on the coronavirus. To contribute to continuing development of this app, go here. About Regenstrief Institute Founded in 1969 in Indianapolis, the Regenstrief Institute is a local, national and global leader dedicated to a world where better information empowers people to end disease and realize true health. A key research partner to Indiana University, Regenstrief and its?research scientists are responsible for a growing number of major healthcare innovations and studies. Examples range from the development of global health information technology standards that enable the use and interoperability of electronic health records to improving patient-physician communications, to creating models of care that inform practice and improve the lives of patients around the globe. Regenstrief Institute is celebrating 50 years of healthcare innovation. Sam Regenstrief, a successful entrepreneur from Connersville, Indiana, founded the institute with the goal of making healthcare more efficient and accessible for everyone. His vision continues to guide the institute's research mission. About PeterEmbi, M.D., M.S. In addition to serving as the president and CEO of Regenstrief Institute, Peter Embi, M.D., M.S. is the Leonard Betley Professor of Medicine and associate dean for informatics and health services research at Indiana University School of Medicine, associate director of informatics with Indiana Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute and vice president for Learning Health Systems with Indiana University Health. This story has been published on: 2020-09-28. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. New Delhi: India's confirmed coronavirus tally has reached 6 million, keeping the country second to the United States in number of reported cases. The Health Ministry reported on Monday 82,170 new coronavirus cases in the past 24 hours, driving the overall total to 6,074,703. At least 1039 deaths were recorded in the same period, taking total fatalities up to 95,542. A nine-year-old boy, left, prays during the cremation ceremony for his father who died of COVID-19 in Gauhati, India. Credit:AP New infections in India are currently being reported faster than anywhere else in the world. The world's second-most populous country is expected to become the pandemic's worst-hit country in coming weeks, surpassing the US, where more than 7.1 million infections have been reported. In the past week, nearly one in every three new infections reported in the world and one in every five reported coronavirus deaths were in India, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. Harrisburg police are conducing an investigation into the spray-painted vandalism on a Black Lives Matter mural over the weekend. Police say the vandalism occurred sometime Saturday night or Sunday morning on the 1600 block of N. 3rd St. The mural had been painted on the side of the Harrisburg Improv Theatre last month. Sunday morning, artist Mike Fitzgerald said he learned that the mural had been vandalized with spray paint over night. In red, there was a stenciled outline of the United States. Below it in blue letters was the phrase Not Stolen. Conquered and patriotfront.us. Patriot Front is identified by the Southern Poverty Law Center as a white nationalist hate group. Volunteers gathered Sunday afternoon to repair the damage. Police are still investigating. Anyone with information should call the Harrisburg police, 717-558-690, or submit a tip on Crime Watch. UPSC 2020: Impossible to postpone exams, Supreme Court told India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, Sep 28: The UPSC has told the Supreme Court that it is impossible to defer the civil services exams any further. The court has sought an affidavit from the UPSC by tomorrow. The postponement is being sought in the wake of the pandemic. The plea has been filed by the UPSC civil service aspirants, who are seeking postponement of the exams scheduled to be held from October 4. The petitioners said that holding the exams at such a time would pose a great risk to health and safety of the candidates. UPSC prelims 2020 exam will not be postponed says Supreme Court Amrinder Singh joins farmers' protest, says 'Pakistan's ISI may take advantage' | Oneindia News Without issuing notice, a bench of Justices A M Khanwilkar and Sanjiv Khanna agreed to hear the matter and granted liberty to the petitioner to serve advance copy of the petition on the Standing Counsel for the Union Public Service Commission as well as on the Standing Counsel for the Central Agency representing Union of India through email/online. The plea filed by Vasireddy Govardhana Sai Prakash and others submitted that the decision of the UPSC to conduct the exam in accordance with the impugned Revised Calendar, violates the rights of the petitioners and those similarly situated, under Article 19 (1) (g) of the Constitution to practice their chosen profession/occupation of serving the public. The plea has been filed by 20 UPSC aspirants against conducting of the Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination on October 4. According to the plea this seven hours long Offline exam, will be taken by approximately six lakh aspirants at test centres in 72 cities across the country. Conducting the aforesaid examination across India at such perilous time, is nothing else but putting lives of lakhs of young students (including Petitioners herein) at utmost risk and danger of disease and death. Also, the natural calamities like flood, incessant rain, landslides etc. are likely to directly affect the life and health of the Petitioners and many similarly situated students. "Hence, the impugned Revised Calendar is utterly arbitrary, unreasonable, whimsical and patently violative of the 'Right to Health' and 'Right to Life' of the Petitioners herein and lakhs of similarly situated students, under Article 21," the petition stated. The plea said the Civil Services Exam, being a recruitment examination, is altogether different from an academic examination and in the event of its postponement, there would not be any question of delay or loss of any academic session. It said that due to non-availability of exam centres in their hometowns, many aspirants are facing "unimaginable" hardship due to non-availability of or unsafe health conditions in, the PG accommodation/ hostels/ hotels etc., where they are forced to stay with their family members, once they are travelling to an outstation Examination Centre. "It is pertinent to mention here that despite alarming spurt in COVID-19 pandemic, UPSC did not increase the number of Examination Centres, resulting into a situation where many candidates from rural areas will be forced to travel for around 300-400 Kilometres, in order to reach to their Examination Centres and there will be high probability of such aspirants, getting affected while using public transportation for such travel," the plea said. Australian banking giant the National Australia Bank (NAB) has been blocking tens of millions of cybercriminal attacks per month, the companys chief executive has revealed as a new consumer survey confirms Australians are more worried about privacy when choosing a digital service than reliability, convenience, and price. Some of the attacks are very severe, NAB CEO Ross McEwan said during an online panel discussion about the future of business post the COVID-19 pandemic. They wont just be happening to us as a bank, he said. They are happening right across the board, and we need to be incredibly vigilantand, more important, working together. [ Keep up on the latest thought leadership, insights, how-to, and analysis on IT through CSO Onlines newsletters. ] Collaboration needs to extend across industries, he said, noting that the NAB is one of nearly two dozen banks, energy, and other major firms working with Telstra and the Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC) on the Cleaner Pipes initiativewhich was recently complemented by an initiative to block SMS spoofing. Theres a major piece of work that needs to be done together to stop these activity players coming into the country, and to stop them at [the] source, McEwan said. Many financial firms are not meeting consumers privacy expectations The initial public offering (IPO) of UTI Asset Management Company (AMC) will open for subscription on September 29 and end on October 1. Price band stands for the issue stands at Rs 552 - Rs 554 per share UTI AMC that manages 178 domestic mutual fund schemes, comprising equity, hybrid, income, liquid, and money market funds, filed draft papers with Sebi in December 2019 and received markets regulator Sebi's go-ahead in July 2020. The IPO is an offer for sale of 3,89,87,081 equity shares, or 30.75 per cent stake by the company's existing investors to raise Rs 2,152-2,160 crore. Investors can bid for a minimum of 27 equity shares or in multiples thereof. This means that one will have to shell out at least Rs 14,904 to bid for the issue. In order to reduce promoter's share from 100% to 69.2%, the IPO will see existing shareholders, State Bank of India (SBI), Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC), Punjab National Bank (PNB), Bank of Baroda (BoB) and T Rowe Price International selling 3.9 crore shares or 18.2% stake each to pare their stake in the AMC, as per regulatory requirements. The proceeds from IPO sale of UTI AMC will go to existing shareholders SBI, LIC, BoB. Under Sebi's mutual fund regulations, a shareholder or a sponsor owning at least 10 per cent stake in an AMC is not allowed to have 10 per cent or more stake in another mutual fund house operating in the country. The OFS also includes a reservation of up to 2,00,000 equity shares (constituting up to 0.16 per cent of the post-offer paid-up equity share capital) for purchase by eligible employees. Kotak Mahindra Capital Company, Axis Capital, Citigroup Global Markets India, DSP Merrill Lynch, ICICI Securities, JM Financial and SBI Capital Markets are the book running lead managers to the offer. As of September 30, 2019, the company had the largest share of monthly average AUM. This will be the third AMC to get listed on the stock exchanges after Nippon Life India Asset Management and HDFC AMC. The shares of the company are proposed to be listed on BSE and NSE. Jaikishan Parmar- Sr. Equity Research Analyst, Angel Broking said,"UTI AMC's operational profitability is lower vs. listed peers primarily owing to higher cost. With the growth in AUM, we expect the cost to grow at a slower speed, which will benefit operating leverage and will help the company to improve EBITDA margins. At the upper end of the IPO price band, it is offered at 25.4x its FY20 earnings and 5.25% of Q1FY21 QAAUM, demanding 7,024cr market cap, which we believe is reasonable. Further, listed peers like HDFC AMC trades at 35x FY20 earnings and Nippon AMC trades at 37x FY20 earnings. Additionally, HDFC and Nippon AMC trade at 12.56% and 8.55% of Q1FY21 QAAUM, respectively. Considering attractive valuation, huge growth potential of MF industry, asset-light business and higher dividend payout ratio, we are positive on this IPO and rate it as SUBSCRIBE." LKP Securities in its note said," At higher price band (Rs554), the stock is valued at 25.7(x)FY20 Earnings. Comparing with peers like HDFC AMC and Nippon AMC which are trading at 35.2(x) and 35.0(x)FY20 Earnings respectively due to higher ROE. We still believe that UTI AMC is lucrative and we recommend to SUBSCRIBE." Nirali Shah, Senior Research Analyst, Samco Securities said,"UTI has received a mandate to manage 55% of EPFO in 2019 which has significantly boosted its AUM. This AMC has delivered decent returns and profit margins in the past few years with a Mcap to Equity QAAUM of 18% compared to HDFC AMC's 29%. Additionally, this year itself it granted ESOPs at Rs. 728/share while its price band is at Rs. 552-554/share which means it leaves more money on the table for investors for listing gains." Jet Airways share hits upper circuit of 5%, here's why Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders IPO opens Sept 29; key things to know NTPC share price rises 4% after CLSA retains buy call with target of Rs 140 Computer Age Management Services IPO: How to check allotment status 28.09.2020 LISTEN Kenya is one of the leading banking markets in the East Africa region, with more than 40 registered banks, 14 money remittance providers and over 200 deposit-taking licensed Savings and Credit Cooperative Organisations. Its therefore fair to say that brand loyalty is very sought after in this super competitive banking sector. According to Asoko Insight, levels of financial inclusion in Kenya continue to grow, with 83% of the population having access to formal financial services in 2019, up from 75% in 2016. Mobile banking is the primary form of access with 31.6 million active users. Traditionally, most of the countrys banking sector relied heavily on physical mail to communicate with their customer base, but this sector has seen a significant uptake of digital channels over the past five years, mainly driven by customer demand. Despite stiff competition from non-banking organisations, banks have benefited from the development of digital services that enable mobile transfers, payments and some lending services at a lower cost compared to transactions that occur in branches. However, as mobile phones and platforms such as SMS become ubiquitous across the country with a penetration rate of almost 100% banks are increasingly asking for additional digital channels to communicate with their customers. Customer demand This need is almost exclusively driven by customers who want to communicate with banks the same way as they do with friends and family. Banks are embracing chat applications like WhatsApp due to its extensive uptake across the continent, and others such as Viber and Telegram. Over the past decade, Kenya has also established itself as a global leader in mobile money services, which has spurred the development of a completely USSD-driven mobile money platform that is accessible via a feature phone. To a certain extent, we can say that the mobile money segment is now also contributing to the digital transformation that is happening in the banking industry. As Internet and smartphone penetration continue to increase, we are seeing a transition from a completely USSD-driven mobile money wallet to a platform that is available on various chat apps. As these channels become ubiquitous, especially WhatsApp, we can expect a complete move away from USSD-driven mobile wallets to one that can be accessed through various other digital channels. Thus, adopting an omnichannel customer engagement approach can create a distinct competitive advantage for banks. For banks that have embraced an omnichannel strategy, compared to those that have not, the most significant difference is in their ability to attract customers and build brand loyalty, as they drive customer engagement at every touchpoint. Targeted communication An omnichannel customer engagement approach also allows banks to segment their customer base and do targeted communication, on communication platforms that each customer segment is most comfortable with. Since the choice of communication platforms is driven by customers, there is no one-size-fits-all communication channel that banks in Kenya are adopting. Older traditional banks are still slow to embrace digital transformation, while new financial institutions, which are more technology savvy, are banking the younger generation and are using a variety of channels. Within the next five years, with increased Internet penetration and smartphones costing less, we expect to see more of the countrys banks moving to chat apps for enhanced customer engagement. However, the banking sector is also heavily regulated in Kenya, which means that as much as banks are quick to adopt technology, there are a host of laws and regulations that they have to comply with. UPDATE 10.29AM: The minister in charge of managed isolation facilities says the escape of a man from a fourth-floor window is not a failure of security. Security has been bolstered at a managed isolation facility in Auckland after a man escaped from a fourth floor window by tying sheets together to make a rope. Security staff discovered the sheets at the Ramada Hotel in Federal St yesterday morning at 8.20am and the man appeared at the front gate at 8.24am. It is not know how long he had been out but health authorities say the COVID-19 risk is low. He has had two negative tests after returning from Australia on a deportation flight on 16 September. The minister in charge of managed isolation facilities, Megan Woods, told Morning Report the escape showed the person was determined. "There were several sheets that were tied together, the window was forced open and the individual escaped from a fourth-floor window. This was an individual that was very determined to get out. "This isn't something we anticipated, someone scaling down four stories of a building using tied-together sheets, but as always we are reviewing the situation and any changes that need to be made to make sure this doesn't happen in the future will be made." She says authorities are still trying to conclude for how long the man was out of the facility. "At 8.20am it was found yesterday morning that the sheets were dangling from the fourth-floor window, obviously questioning of the individual has been taking place, review of CCTV footage both of the hotel and the area has been reviewed. "What we have been able to ascertain is it doesn't seem he has visited any businesses in the local area, but those investigations are ongoing. Woods says the man is back at the facility. He is on day 12 of his stay and has yet to complete the balance of his isolation stay. "I understand he is being held again on the fourth floor but there's been someone stationed outside the window." "Forcing open a window and scaling down four stories of a building with tied-together sheets, I don't think is a failure of security when what we're talking about is quarantine and isolation facilities in a hotel. Bear in mind this is not a prison." -RNZ EARLIER A man deported from Australia is believed to have tied sheets together to abscond from the fourth floor of a managed isolation facility on Monday morning. Head of Managed Isolation and Quarantine, Air Commodore Darryn Webb, says an investigation is underway following the incident at the Ramada Federal Street managed isolation facility. Security staff located a number of sheets tied together hanging from a window of a fourth floor room at about 8.20am on Monday, says Webb. Initial indications is that the man used them to escape. A few minutes later, while the matter was being investigated, the man appeared at the front gate. "He was immediately taken into custody by police and he currently remains at the facility under questioning. So far, we have been unable to establish what time the man absconded the facility." Webb says police enquiries are underway, including a review of CCTV footage to establish the man's movements outside the facility. Security had been reviewed and immediate improvements made, says Webb. Health officials say the public health risk has been assessed as low. The man returned from Australia on a deportation flight on September 16, and tested negative following his day 3 and day 12 tests. He is on day 12 of his stay. Officials say he had been asymptomatic throughout his stay. While his movements are still being determined, officials had so far not established any businesses or properties entered by the abscondee. No deportees returning from Australia have tested positive for COVID-19. There have been over 55,000 people through managed isolation and quarantine and only nine incidents involving 13 people absconding from managed isolation. Webb says these incidents were rare and treated "extremely seriously". -RNZ New Zealand Prime Minister Ardern addresses the media after a debate in Auckland WELLINGTON (Reuters) - New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said on Monday that she will negotiate to extend the operations of Rio Tinto's aluminum smelter in the country by 3-5 years if she is returned to power in the Oct. 17 election. New Zealand Aluminum Smelter's (NZAS) planned closure is a hot election topic as it puts thousands of jobs at risk, and would hit the bottom line of top power producers, at a time when the country is reeling from the economic impact of coronavirus. The world's biggest iron ore miner has said it was closing the plant by August 2021 due to high costs and a challenging market. "We are seeking to extend the life of the smelter between 3 to 5 years...," Ardern said at a news conference in Invercargill in Southland, the country's southernmost region where she is on a campaigning tour. "By providing an extended time frame for the closure of the smelter we protect jobs now and give the community time to consider and plan for future opportunities...," she said. NZAS consumes about 5,000 gigawatt hours of electricity a year, roughly 12% of the country's power. The smelter employs around 1,000 people directly and creates another 1,600 indirect jobs in the Southland region. Ardern said if her ruling Labour Party-led government is returned to power it would work with Rio Tinto and state-owned electricity transmitter Transpower to reach a fair price for transmission costs over the closure period, to lessen the impact on power prices for other consumers. The government could provide support to Transpower to enable reduced transmission charges, the ruling Labour party said in a statement announcing details. "We are always open to continuing conversations that would see fairer costs established for the smelter," Rio Tinto's Managing Director of Pacific Operations Kellie Parker said in an emailed statement after Ardern's announcement. Story continues Rio has been threatening to shutter the smelter for years as it demanded further subsidies from the government. Ardern said there would be no further direct subsidies from the government. Shares of power firms were top gainers on the stock market as investors cheered news that the smelter operations may be extended. Shares of Meridian Energy Ltd were up 6.6%, Contact Energy Ltd was higher 6.1% and Mercury NZ Ltd soared to 7.4% on the New Zealand bourse. "Were very pleased with this news as it demonstrates broad-based political support for an orderly transition to a post-Tiwai world," Contact Energy CEO Mike Fuge said in a statement. Ardern, 40, is poised to retain power at next month's election, a widely watched poll showed on Sunday, although a recent COVID-19 outbreak has dented her support slightly. Ardern's rival, the opposition National Party leader Judith Collins, has also promised to keep the smelter open by facilitating talks between Rio, power companies and Transpower if she won the polls. (Reporting by Praveen Menon ans Sonali Paul; Editing by Kim Coghill and Michael Perry) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Inforial (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta, Indonesia Tue, September 29, 2020 06:00 480 e22cd4161040e111d73a5626c47cf321 4 Inforial Free The COVID-19 pandemic has propelled us into a future where technology plays an even bigger role in our daily lives. Interestingly, the incorporation of these technologies into how hospitals view their patients may reintroduce old, trusted practices into modern patient care. Accessibility to quality healthcare remains a major issue in Indonesia. For many, the logistics associated with reaching hospitals and clinics are a daily struggle. Aside from those needing care for their own medical needs, many Indonesians are primary caregivers for family members who may be elderly, disabled, or suffer from chronic illnesses. Often, these persons must take entire days off from work for hospital visits. Simultaneously, doctors are faced with the reality that many persons are unable to receive initial treatment, or fail to show up for follow-up treatment, due to time, energy, and financial constraints. This means many people remain untreated or receive insufficient care. The latest lockdown in Jakarta due to the COVID-19 pandemic is having another dire impact on healthcare provision. Hospital groups have to contend with public opinion that it is unsafe to visit hospitals out of fear of contracting the coronavirus. In doing so, many people arent receiving the treatment they need. Thankfully, the answer to the issues faced by both medical service providers and recipients may be found in history and technology. In the 1930s, house calls by doctors or nurses represented 40 percent of all patient care. By the 1980s, it was only 0.6 percent. The reasons for this drastic drop are plentiful, but center on beliefs that medical treatment must occur in the confines of a fixed establishment where medical resources are at the caretakers disposal. However, research at the University of California has shown that a more holistic care model, where home care is incorporated and even plays a pivotal role in patient treatment, may lead to lower rates of readmission and higher quality of life for the patient. Increasingly, prominent voices in medical circles believe in the value of innovative telemedicine and home care models. Dr. Roy Panusunan, an internationally acclaimed Indonesian physician, says that telemedicine and app-based healthcare holds great promise for the future of patient support. He adds that Our patients will ultimately reap the benefits of the various stakeholders [including hospitals and health-tech firms] recognizing the value of collaboration to create a tech-integrated health care system. A holistic approach to patient care, appreciating the necessity of looking after patients in their homes, is almost as old as medicine itself. In Ancient Greece, Asclepius and Hippocrates focused medical practice on the need for harmony between the individual, his social and natural environment. After all, most patients leave hospitals and spend most of their time at home. The solutions to the challenges faced by people struggling with access to healthcare may well come from health-tech companies like aido health. Through its partnerships with leading healthcare providers in Indonesia, such as Siloam Hospitals, Bethsaida Hospitals and NK Health, aido health unites excellent medical services into a single, easy-to-use app. The app gives users access to video teleconsultations and homecare services with leading Indonesian doctors, nurses and physiotherapists. Even President Joko Widodo has expressed his support for the health-tech industry, stating in a recent cabinet meeting that medical consultations through telemedicine should be enhanced so that contact between doctors and patients can be limited. Optimistic about the government's support and noting the importance of incorporating health-tech solutions into the services of health facilities, Jyoti Nagrani, aido healths VP of Operations and Partnerships says aido health acts as a digital bridge to encourage holistic medical care. We connect leading hospitals, clinics and medical practitioners with the homes of patients and their families. The Gerontological Society of America has found that telemedicine and homecare in various forms can improve the care of the elderly, disabled and chronically ill. Specifically, as it pertains to better diabetic management, better care of dementia patients, better wound care and blood pressure control. Meanwhile, the Kaiser Permanente research institute has found that video-based consultations between doctors and patients were overwhelmingly well-received by patients, as it led to cost-saving, reduced stress and greater comfort. By choosing the telemedicine and homecare services of aido health, patients dont have to worry about the stresses of visiting hospitals. The video teleconsultations offered by doctors on the app can provide services to patients within the comfort of their homes and simplify doctor-patient communication. Furthermore, homecare services from physiotherapists and nurses mean vulnerable people need not be exposed to the fears they may have over visits outside of their homes. While doctors are open to the benefits it has for the patients and their families, theyre also seeing a marked difference in the quality of their interactions with patients. The aido health app strengthens the communications and information channels between medical staff and patients, for the betterment of the care relationship. Medical professionals can interact far more effectively through the app with their patients. So too, through home visits, nurses and therapists have a better understanding of the day-to-day reality of their patients. Theyre able to see and make recommendations to patients and their families on how to set up their homes for optimal care. Through aido health, homecare is brought back into the homes of patients. This return to a holistic, integrated care model with clear communication channels may prove to be beneficial for everyone involved. If youre interested in finding out more about health-tech solutions for patient care or partnering with aido health, visit www.aido.id or reach out via e-mail at support@aido.id. FILE PHOTO: The sun sets behind a crude oil pump jack on a drill pad in the Permian Basin in Loving County By Laila Kearney NEW YORK (Reuters) - Oil prices rose 1% on Monday as global equities rallied on hopes for another U.S. stimulus package, but rising virus cases fed concerns about fuel demand and kept oil futures from moving higher. Brent crude settled at $42.43 a barrel, up 51 cents, or 1.22%. U.S. West Texas Intermediate settled at $40.60 a barrel, rising 35 cents, or 0.87%. "In my opinion, the most likely event capable of moving the crude oil market to the next level would be the passing of a coronavirus stimulus package," said Bob Yawger, director of energy futures at Mizuho. Oil followed Wall Street higher as American political talks continued for another COVID-19 relief bill after U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Sunday said she thought a deal could be reached with the White House. A weaker U.S. dollar, which moves inversely with oil prices, also helped crude futures. <.DXY> Still, the global health crisis, which has slashed global fuel consumption, kept oil prices from pushing much higher. "The speed with which the virus is spreading is the main concern for both health officials and financial investors," said PVM analyst Tamas Varga. Some Midwest U.S. states have seen a 25% jump in positive COVID-19 test rates, and the number of new infections nationwide has grown to 46,000 on average each day compared with 35,000 daily two weeks ago. Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak said the global oil market had been stable for the past few months, but warned of the risks of a second wave of COVID-19 cases. Despite efforts by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies to limit output, more crude is being exported from OPEC producers Iran and Libya. OPEC Secretary General Mohammad Barkindo said on Sunday that commercial oil inventories in OECD countries should stand only slightly above the five-year average in the first quarter of 2021, then fall for the rest of the year. Meanwhile, one of the heaviest clashes between Armenia and Azerbaijan since 2016 broke out over the weekend, reigniting concern about stability in the South Caucasus, a corridor for pipelines carrying oil and gas to world markets. (Additional reporting by Noah Browning and Florence Tan; editing by David Gregorio and Mark Potter) Katsina The Nigerian Army yesterday said its troops of Operation Sahel Sanity have arrested six suspected bandits at Dan AJi forest in Yar Mallamai village of Kankara Local Government Area of Katsina State. The operatives of the anti-banditry operation also massacred one notorious bandit at Dayau village in Kaura Namoda LGA of Zamfara State after a serious gun duel with the marauders who invaded the village. The acting Director of Defence Media Operations, Brig. General Bernard Onyeuko, who stated this in a statement issued to journalists at the Special Army Super Camp IV Faskari, Katsina, said the miscreants were nabbed after an ambush by the troops. Operation Sahel Sanity was launched by the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt-General Tukur Buratai, on July 6, 2020, to support Operation Hadarin Daji in tackling banditry, kidnapping, cattle rustling and incessant killings bedeviling the North-west zone He said: "Following a reliable information about movement of unknown persons suspected to be bandits on six motorcycles at Dan Aji forest around Yar Mallamai in Kankara LGA in Katsina State, troops immediately mobilised and laid ambush in the area and consequently arrested the six suspects." The Defence acting spokesman added that the Nigerian soldiers apprehended two bandits and recovered two mobile phones, one knife and cannabis sativa at Yankara market and Angwan Boka in Faskari LGA of the state. The suspects, Haruna Hassan, and Kabiru Abdullahi, according to Onyeuko, are members of a bandit group launching mayhem on communities in Faskari and other neighbouring local government areas of the state. He, however, said the troops of Operation Sahel Sanity deployed in Dan Ali village, acting on credible intelligence, arrested nine suspected bandits collaborators at Sabon Garin Dan Ali in Danmusa LGA of the state. Onyeuko explained that on September 19, 2020, troops deployed in Dandume, while acting on credible information, thwarted what he said could have been a massive attack on locals by bandits in the area. He said: "The troops, which received timely information on the movement of the suspects with several motorcycles, swiftly mobilised to the area and engage the marauding criminals in a firefight. The superior firepower of the troops forced the suspects to withdraw in disarray with several of the bandits sustaining gunshot wounds as traces of blood were seen on their escape route during exploitation." Li Jingxian, deputy director of the Commendation and Memorial Department of the Ministry of Veterans Affairs BEIJING, Sept. 28 -- The handover ceremony of the 7th batch of remains of Chinese Peoples Volunteers (CPV) martyrs was held in Inchon, South Korea on the morning of September 27. The plane carrying 117 CPV martyrs remains took off and headed back to China after the ceremony. Li Jingxian, deputy director of the Commendation and Memorial Department of the Ministry of Veterans Affairs, said in an interview that this year coincides with the 70th anniversary of the CPVs going abroad and fighting the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea. The ceremonies of handover, return and burial of the CPV martyrs remains are an important part of a series of commemorative activities. This time, a total of 117 remains of CPV martyrs were returned from South Korea. The number of remains is the second largest following the first batch of 437 remains of CPV martyrs in 2014. During the preparation process, the two countries worked hard to overcome difficulties caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The relevant military and local departments in China have also made close cooperation to ensure the smooth implementation of the handover and return of CPV martyrs remains. Besides, this is the first time that Chinas homemade Y-20 transport aircraft has been entrusted with the mission of transporting the remains of CPV martyrs, which demonstrated the great importance attached by the Chinese government. The six previous returns of the remains of CPV martyrs all happened on the eves of the Tomb Sweeping Festival. Due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the ceremony of welcoming back CPV martyrs remains this year was finally scheduled on the eve of September 30, the Martyrs Day. "Finding relatives of the martyrs" would be one of the most important tasks after welcoming back the martyrs remains. According to statistics, there have been more than 197,000 confirmed CPV martyrs. Since 2014, China has welcomed back the remains of 599 CPV martyrs in six batches with the highest level of etiquette. However, many of them cannot be identified, even their family members have no knowledge that they have returned home with their remains. Nowadays, great progress has been made in the search for relatives of CPV martyrs. Li introduced that scientific research institutions are entrusted to collect DNA information on the returned remains, and thousands of items left by CPV martyrs are counted and sorted out, with electronic files being established. Besides, the Ministry of Veterans Affairs has launched a martyrs remains search and identification center to provide professional support for the search and excavation, identification and protection, and historical data research of martyrs remains including CPV martyrs. Li emphasized that the DNA database will continue to be perfected for the identification of CPV martyrs remains and finding of their families. The unearthed relics of CPV martyrs will be kept safely, and collection and exhibition of CPV martyrs' relics have also been scheduled for the better remembering of the martyrs and history, Li added. New Delhi, Sep 28 : The BSE has signed an MoU with YES BANK to empower the SME segment through awareness and knowledge-sharing programmes by the two entities. BSE and YES BANK will conduct knowledge events for SMEs, export promotion of SME scale companies, in addition to providing banking and financial solutions. This MoU shall further entail services pertaining to development and imparting industry-specific and related knowledge-based information, while the bank will also offer customised services and products to the listed SME members of the platform and advisory solutions to EXIM potential listed SMEs. Ajay Thakur, Head, BSE SME & Startups, said: "BSE is the largest SME Platform which will provide such clients of YES Bank a platform to raise equity funds for their growth." "Together, we aim to empower SMEs to become more competitive and fast-track their growth through solutions that address their business challenges," Rajan Pental, Global Head, Retail Banking, YES BANK, said. Abdullah Abdullah, Afghanistans top official in peace talks with the Taliban, met top officials in Pakistan on Monday as he began a three-day trip during which he will meet Prime Minister Imran Khan and the countrys military leadership. The chairman of Afghan High Council for National Reconciliation was received by top government officials on arriving in Islamabad. We discussed the #PeaceProcess, the intra-Afghan talks in Doha, & strengthening bilateral relations, he tweeted after a meeting with Pakistan foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi. In his meeting with Qureshi, Abdullah appreciated Pakistans efforts in taking the peace process ahead. Quershi told the visiting delegation that Pakistan, as a shared responsibility, has been playing the role of facilitator in the Afghan peace process and that the US-Taliban peace agreement and later the intra-Afghan dialogue held in Doha have raised the prospects of durable peace in Afghanistan. The Pakistani minister told the delegation that the Afghan leadership should seize this historic opportunity and undertake serious efforts to take the Afghan peace process to a logical conclusion. We will also have to keep an eye on the spoilers who do not want peace and stability in the region, said Qureshi, adding Pakistan desires dignified return of millions of Afghan refugees to their homeland. Abdullah is expected to meet with President Arif Alvi, army chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa, the speaker of the National Assembly and the chairman of the Senate. He is accompanied by a high-level delegation including prominent members of the council. A statement by the Pakistan foreign office said Abdullah will deliver a keynote address at the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad and interact with the media. This is Abdullahs first visit to Pakistan in his capacity as Chairman of the High Council for National Reconciliation. The visit will provide an opportunity for wide-ranging exchange of views on the Afghan peace process and strengthening of Pakistan-Afghanistan bilateral relations and people-to-people interaction, the ministry statement noted. It said that Pakistan attaches high importance to its fraternal ties with Afghanistan, rooted deep in shared history, faith, culture, values and traditions. Pakistan fully supports all efforts for peace, stability and prosperity of the Afghan people. The visit of Abdullah will contribute to further strengthening amity, brotherhood and close cooperation between the two countries, it said. The council represents the Afghan government in historic peace negotiations with the Taliban which began in Qatar on September 12. Those talks represent the most serious effort yet at ending decades of war in Afghanistan that followed the 2001 US-led invasion that toppled its Taliban government, which then hosting al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden who planned the September 11 attacks. The Afghan-Taliban talks come after a deal signed in February between the US and the Taliban. That deal aims to allow the US to withdraw from Afghanistan and end the longest military engagement in American history. Many Taliban leaders have lived in Pakistan since the 1980s. In those years they were part of the Afghan mujahedeen, allies of the US in ending the 10-year occupation of the country by the Soviet Union. Pakistan has denied giving sanctuary to Taliban members following their ouster in 2001. However, both Washington and Kabul routinely accuse Islamabad of giving them a safe haven, citing the Taliban long ties with Pakistans powerful Inter-Services Intelligence agency. Khan publicly has said his government facilitated the talks. He said now it was now up to the Afghans to seize this opportunity. Pakistans border areas in the northwest served as a base for the Pakistani Taliban and other militants until a few years ago, when the army said it cleared the region of insurgents. But occasional attacks have continued. (With inputs from Agencies) New Delhi, Sep 28 : The Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) extended, till December 31, 2020, the timelines for several relaxations on compliance norms and schemes rolled out to provide relief and support to companies amid the pandemic. Post the decisions, the Companies Fresh Start Scheme, 2020 will be valid till December 31, from September 30 and the board meetings of companies can be held through video conference or other audio visual mechanism till the end of this year. "The Ministry of Corporate Affairs has extended the duration of several schemes till 31.12.2020 in view of the continued disruption caused due to the COVID-19 pandemic in certain parts of the country and to provide greater Ease of Doing Business," the office of Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said in a tweet. The ministry had introduced the Companies Fresh Start Scheme, 2020, valid from April 1, 2020 to September 2020, to enable companies to make good their previous defaults. This scheme has now been extended till December 31, 2020. Another scheme introduced amid the pandemic LLP Settlement Scheme, 2020, was valid from April 1, 2020 to June 13, 2020 and was later extended till September 30, 2020. This scheme too has been further extended to December 31, 2020 to enable LLPs to make good their previous defaults. "The Scheme for relaxation of time for filing forms related to creation or modification of charges under the Companies Act, 2013 and the time for conducting EGMs through Video Conference or Other Audio Visual Means also stand extended till 31.12.2020," said another tweet by Sitharaman's office. The MCA has also extended the time within which independent directors of companies have to register themselves on the data bank maintained by the IICA from September 30, 2020 to December 31, 2020. A genetic study has identified neuronal abnormalities in the electrical activity of cortical cells derived from people with a rare genetic disorder called 22q11.2 deletion syndrome. The overexpression of a specific gene and exposure to several antipsychotic drugs helped restore normal cellular functioning. The study, funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and published in Nature Medicine, sheds light on factors that may contribute to the development of mental illnesses in 22q11.2 deletion syndrome and may help identify possible targets for treatment development. 22q11.2 deletion syndrome is a genetic disorder caused by the deletion of a piece of genetic material at location q11.2 on chromosome 22. People with 22q11.2 deletion syndrome can experience heart abnormalities, poor immune functioning, abnormal palate development, skeletal differences, and developmental delays. In addition, this deletion confers a 20-30% risk for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and an up to 30-fold increase in risk for psychosis. 22q11.2 deletion syndrome is the most common genetic copy number variant found in those with ASD, and up to a quarter of people with this genetic syndrome develop a schizophrenia spectrum disorder. "This is the largest study of its type in terms of the number of patients who donated cells, and it is significant for its focus on a key genetic risk factor for mental illnesses," said David Panchision, Ph.D., chief of the Developmental Neurobiology Program at the NIH's National Institute of Mental Health. "Importantly, this study shows consistent, specific patient-control differences in neuronal function and a potential mechanistic target for developing new therapies for treating this disorder." While some effects of this genetic syndrome, such as cardiovascular and immune concerns, can be successfully managed, the associated psychiatric effects have been more challenging to address. This is partly because the underlying cellular deficits in the central nervous system that contribute to mental illnesses in this syndrome are not well understood. While recent studies of 22q11.2 deletion syndrome in rodent models have provided some important insights into possible brain circuit-level abnormalities associated with the syndrome, more needs to be understood about the neuronal pathways in humans. To investigate the neural pathways associated with mental illnesses in those with 22q11.2 deletion syndrome, Sergiu Pasca, M.D., associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Stanford University, Stanford, California, along with a team of researchers from several other universities and institutes, created induced pluripotent stems cells -- cells derived from adult skin cells reprogramed into an immature stem-cell-like state -- from 15 people with 22q11.2 deletion and 15 people without the syndrome. The researchers used these cells to create, in a dish, three-dimensional brain organoids that recapitulate key features of the developing human cerebral cortex. "What is exciting is that these 3D cellular models of the brain self-organize and, if guided to resemble the cerebral cortex, for instance, contain functional glutamatergic neurons of deep and superficial layers and non-reactive astrocytes and can be maintained for years in culture. So, there is a lot of excitement about the potential of these patient-derived models to study neuropsychiatric disease," said Dr. Pasca. The researchers analyzed gene expression in the organoids across 100 days of development. They found changes in the expression of genes linked to neuronal excitability in the organoids that were created using cells from individuals with 22q11.2 deletion syndrome. These changes prompted the researchers to take a closer look at the properties associated with electrical signaling and communication in these neurons. One way neurons communicate is electrically, through controlled changes in the positive or negative charge of the cell membrane. This electrical charge is created when ions, such as calcium, move into or out of the cell through small channels in the cell's membrane. The researchers imaged thousands of cells and recorded the electrical activity of hundreds of neurons derived from individuals with 22q11.2 deletion syndrome and found abnormalities in the way calcium was moved into and out of the cells that were related to a defect in the resting electrical potential of the cell membrane. A gene called DGCR8 is part of the genetic material deleted in 22q11.2 deletion syndrome, and it has been previously associated with neuronal abnormalities in rodent models of this syndrome. The researchers found that heterozygous loss of this gene was sufficient to induce the changes in excitability they had observed in 22q11.2-derived neurons and that overexpression of DGCR8 led to partial restoration of normal cellular functioning. In addition, treating 22q11.2 deletion syndrome neurons with one of three antipsychotic drugs (raclopride, sulpiride, or olanzapine) restored the observed deficits in resting membrane potential of the neurons within minutes. "We were surprised to see that loss in control neurons and restoration in patient neurons of the DGCR8 gene can induce and, respectively, restore the excitability, membrane potential, and calcium defects," said Pasca. "Moving forward, this gene or the downstream microRNA(s) or the ion channel/transporter they regulate may represent novel therapeutic avenues in 22q11.2 deletion syndrome." ### Reference: Khan, T. A., Revah, O., Gordon, A., Yoon, S., Krawisz, A. K., Goold, C., Sun, Y., Kim, C., Tian, Y., Li, M., Schaepe, J. M., Ikeda, K., Amin, N. D., Sakai, N., Yazawa, M., Kushan, L., Nishino, S., Porteus, M. H., Rapoport, J. L. ... Pasca, S. (2020). Neuronal defects in a human cellular model of 22q11.2 deletion syndrome. Nature Medicine. doi: 10.1038/s41591-020-1043-9 About the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH): The mission of the NIMH is to transform the understanding and treatment of mental illnesses through basic and clinical research, paving the way for prevention, recovery and cure. For more information, visit the NIMH website. About the National Institutes of Health (NIH): NIH, the nation's medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit the NIH website. NIH...Turning Discovery Into Health Chandigarh, Sep 28 : Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Monday vowed to fight the "malicious" new agriculture Acts constitutionally and legally, asserting that he will do whatever it takes to protect the farmers from the "nefarious designs" of the Central government. Addressing the media, he said he would be consulting lawyers to work out the legal course of action for challenging the "unconstitutional" laws in the Supreme Court. Agitation and legal recourse will have to be undertaken simultaneously to fight these new laws and force the Union government to rethink its decision, he said. Asserting that he does not want Punjab's youth and farmers to take to arms to fight for their right to live, Amarinder Singh warned that these new laws will endanger the security of the border state of Punjab, as Pakistan's ISI was always on the lookout for opportunities to foment trouble. Punjab has lost 35,000 lives to terrorism in senseless violence in the past and with the unrest among the farmers spreading to other states, the entire nation would be exposed to the ISI threat, he said, adding Pakistan-backed forces will try to feed on the anger in India. Pointing out that 150 terrorists had been nabbed in Punjab in recent months and a huge amount of arms and ammunition seized, the Chief Minister said he would not let anyone disturb the state's peaceful atmosphere, which the new legislations had the potential to do. Congress General Secretary in charge of Punjab, Harish Rawat, who was accompanying the Chief Minister, announced a signature campaign beginning October 2 to collect two crore signatures of farmers against the new farm Laws. These will be submitted to the President on November 14 to coincide with Jawaharlal Nehru's birth anniversary, he said, adding "kisan sammelans" would also be organised to take the fight to its logical conclusion. Describing Amarinder Singh as the protector of farmers, Rawat said the farming community was pinning its hopes on the Chief Minister to lead them in this war against the "black laws" promulgated by the Centre. He took a dig at the Akalis, saying they had remained silent for a long time and were now coming to take credit for the fight for farmers' rights. Slamming the step-motherly treatment meted out on Punjabis and Punjab's farmers to make big corporates like the Adanis happy, Amarinder Singh asked: "Will the Adanis subsidise food for poor Indians?" These laws will spell the death knell for the PDS system, apart from ruining Punjab and its farmers, he added. Terming the new legislations as a total violation of the nation's federal structure, the Chief Minister described the enactment of the farm Bills as "a black day" for Punjab. The manner in which the laws were brought in through the ordinances route and then pushed through Parliament without discussion was deplorable, he said, asserting that contrary to the lies being spread by the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Shiromani Akali Dal, the Punjab government was never once apprised of the move to bring in such ordinances. Some of the ballots were said to be missing envelopes, and it was not clear whether they could be counted. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court recently sided with the Trump campaign in a lawsuit seeking to reject all ballots that arrived without the requisite secrecy envelope, which are known as naked ballots. The president and his allies rolled out the information about the ballots throughout the day on Thursday, in a highly unusual public relations campaign. It began when Mr. Trump gave an interview to Brian Kilmeade of Fox News radio in the morning, complaining about mail-in voting and sharing details that appeared to match the inquiry in Pennsylvania. These ballots are a horror show, the president said. They found six ballots in an office yesterday, in a garbage can. They were Trump ballots, eight ballots in an office yesterday, in a certain state. And they had Trump written on it, and they were thrown in a garbage can. This is what is going to happen, this is what is going to happen, and we are investigating that. Its a terrible thing that is going on with these ballots who is sending them? A little more than an hour later, the F.B.I. director, Christopher A. Wray, undercut the presidents narrative during congressional testimony. Mr. Wray told lawmakers that the bureau had not uncovered a coordinated national voter fraud effort. Early that afternoon, the White House again emphasized the missing ballots. At a news briefing, Kayleigh McEnany, the press secretary, confirmed that discarded Trump ballots had been found in Pennsylvania. The owners of 12 restaurants and bars sued the governor of West Virginia on Wednesday for indefinitely closing establishments in student-heavy Monongalia County due to the coronavirus. Gov. Jim Justice ordered bars closed there on Sept. 2 after pictures were posted online of college students in Morgantown packing bars without masks. He defended his decision on Wednesday and said the county may soon be able to reopen further if cases keep going down. In the lawsuit filed in federal court, the bar owners argue the governors executive orders related to pandemic restrictions are unenforceable. In addition to Justice, the suit also names the city of Morgantown and its interim city manager and the head of the West Virginia Alcohol Beverage Control Administration Commissioner as defendants. I made the decision to shut back down. And Im proud of that decision, and Im not backing up on that decision in any way, Justice said at a Wednesday news conference. At the time in early September, West Virginia University officials said they were dismayed their students had crowded bars and caused the governor to shut them down just two days after allowing them to reopen. Meanwhile, the university announced on Wednesday it will resume in-person undergraduate classes in Morgantown next Monday. The school took all courses online on Sept. 8 after a spike in cases from Labor Day weekend. The data drove our decision and I am so delighted all indications are we can safely return to in-person instruction, university president Gordon Gee said in a statement. Monongalia County improved from red to orange on the states color-coded coronavirus map the same day as the schools announcement. There are currently no more counties in red on the map, the most severe category of virus spread that means there are 25 or more cases per 100,000 people. Eight counties are marked orange, where in-person instruction is not allowed for K-12 schools. Officials have reported more than 14,500 cases of COVID-19 in the state and at least 319 deaths have been caused by the virus. Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Lawsuits COVID-19 Virginia LAS VEGAS, Sept. 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Verv , a global holistic health and wellness app focused on the interconnections between physical activity, nutrition, sleep and mindfulness, today announced a free three-month subscription to its app available for all U.S. college students on the iOS platform. For other users, a 3-month Premium subscription costs $29.99. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, 39%* of students in college experienced a significant mental health issue and experts predict this number will increase while Boston University reports** the depression rate has tripled among U.S. adults. As students return to campus with increased stress and anxiety, Verv understands the critical need to support this group. New college users will get full access to a range of workouts, guided meditations, recipes including budget-friendly snack ideas, relaxing sounds for studying or sleeping, and more. The offer has no hidden fees or strings attached, and doesn't require any billing information. To start the free 3-month subscription, students just need to submit their college email address at www.verv.com/students and they will get an email with activation instructions. "It's part of Verv's brand values to give back to the community and we're focused on helping people maintain a healthier lifestyle and combat stress and anxiety due to current events," said CEO Luba Pashkovskaya. "Our hope is that hundreds of thousands of young adults take advantage of this free offer and join our community." Verv app highlights include: A wide variety of workouts including everything from yoga and running to interval workouts, resistance band fitness, dance fitness and more 400 vegan, keto and other recipes and meal planning tips More than 40 meditations 1,000 workout music playlists 100 ASMR, sleep stories and sounds Available on App store and coming soon to Android Verv is a top-rated app and all content is created by professionals with deep experience in fitness and technology. App downloads continue to increase at an unprecedented pace, emphasizing the want and need for quality health and wellness programming during this uncertain time. "Now is the time to put your well-being first. Even just a few minutes a day can have a profound impact on your college experience and life," said Verv's Wellness Expert, Dr. Dominique Gummelt, who is also the Director of University Wellness at Andrews University. Visit www.verv.com/students for more information or follow us on Facebook , Instagram , Twitter and YouTube . About Verv Verv is a global holistic health and wellness app focused on the interconnections between physical activity, nutrition, sleep and mindfulness. While many other apps are focused on physical fitness only, Verv users get additional guidance related to other areas of their health and lifestyle. The Verv app customizes wellness programs via an onboarding quiz and continuous analysis of user behavior to create better and faster results. Whether you're a fitness fanatic, nutrition novice or master meditator, Verv's approach can help anyone achieve results in a healthy and holistic way. Monthly, 3-month or one-year subscriptions are available on Apple iOS . Visit www.Verv.com for more information or follow us on Facebook , Instagram , Twitter and YouTube . Media Contact Kim Mackenzie Hollywood Agency for Verv [email protected] (781) 749-0077 x24 *Source: Active Minds **Source: Boston University SOURCE Verv Related Links http://www.Verv.com Mumbai, Sep 28 : The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) on Monday refuted the claims made by some that Kshitij Prasad, former executive producer associated with Dharma Productions, was humiliated and tormented by the agency sleuths, and termed the claims as "mischievous" and "completely untrue". In a statement, the NCB said that a news item has been purportedly released by Satish Maneshinde, the advocate for Kshitij, who was arrested by the Mumbai zonal unit of NCB on Saturday. It said the news item alleged that Kshitij was humiliated and tormented by the officers of the Mumbai zonal unit of the NCB. "It is very unambiguously stated here that the above news item in circulation is mischievous and completely untrue. NCB arrested Kshitij as some incriminating evidences were recovered from him," the agency said. The NCB statement came after Kshitij's lawyer Satish Maneshinde alleged that his client was pressurised to name Karan Johar during the interrogation. The statement said that after the involvement of Kshitij in offences under the NDPS Act was revealed, he was placed under arrest after following the due process of law. "His lawyer and his family (mother) were informed as per the procedure. He was also allowed to meet his father-in-law and his wife at the NCB office," it said. The NCB also said that as Kshitij was not cooperating with the investigation, it was brought to the notice of the court with a request to grant NCB his custody on Sunday when he was produced for remand after medical check-up. Kshitij has been sent to NCB custody till October 3. The agency further said that the court has observed in its order that no physical "ill treatment" has been handed out to accused. The NCB has registered a caee on the request of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) after it found some alleged chats of late Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput's girlfriend Rhea Chakraborty, her brother Showik and Sushant's house manager Samuel Miranda discussing drugs. Rhea, Showik, Miranda, Sushant's personal staff Dipesh Sawant, and 16 other people have been arrested by the NCB in connection with the case. The NCB has also recorded the statement of Bollywood divas Deepika Padukone, Shraddha Kapoor, Sara Ali Khan and Rakul Preet Singh, fashion designer Simone Khambatta, Deepika's former manager Karishma Prakash and several others in conncetion with the case. Sushant was found dead on June 14 at his Bandra flat. Besides the NCB, the CBI and the ED are also probing the death of the actor. Latest updates on Sushant Singh Rajput Death Mystery Such a united front wouldnt just be symbolic. If you had the platforms together making a statement of their values, then when they take action, it creates a permission structure for reticent platform executives to make difficult decisions quickly, David Kaye, former United Nations special rapporteur on freedom of opinion and expression, told the editorial board. Such a move would also be a strong public signal of the gravity of the moment. Theres precedent for this type of collaboration. In 2016, Facebook, Twitter, Google and Microsoft came together to combat extremist content. The companies created a shared database using unique digital fingerprints to flag videos, pictures and memes promoting terrorist activity and ideologies. Domestic political disinformation poses different challenges than terrorist threats, but both are urgent matters of national security. A public, transparent effort from the platforms would offer additional accountability for those spreading disinformation in the weeks and months after the election. Be very clear and publish a database the public can access, Mr. Kaye urged the platforms. Say, These are the accounts we took action against. Heres why. It doesnt need to be a legal opinion, just a list. If there are privacy concerns, they can redact names. There are very few tools now for parsing how messages spread across social media. Three days after the 2016 election Facebook purchased the best one, a tool called Crowdtangle, which tracks online engagements with social media posts. It is the best available method to understand what is popular on the platform, though Facebook argues that tracking engagement is not a reliable indicator for how many people saw a post. At this pivotal moment for American democracy, Facebook owes it to the American public to provide metrics to evaluate that claim. Facebook, Twitter and Google will most likely argue that theyre doing plenty of this work behind the scenes. In a recent interview, Nick Clegg, Facebooks head of global affairs, said the company was war-gaming election night scenarios. There are some break-glass options available to us if there really is an extremely chaotic and, worse still, violent set of circumstances, he said. But Mr. Clegg stopped short of offering specifics. Such vagaries are worrisome, especially since Mr. Clegg admitted that any high-stakes decisions will fall to a team of top executives like Mr. Clegg and Facebooks chief operating officer, Sheryl Sandberg, with the chief executive, Mark Zuckerberg, holding the right to overrule positions. These platforms have consolidated power to control the flow of information to billions of people. The power to judge which content is harmful to democracy on election night rests with a handful of tech executives. That Mr. Zuckerberg, the ultimate arbiter at Facebook, is accountable to no one, including his companys board, is even more alarming. The US warning to the Iraqi government to take action against the militias in the country has shaken up the political scene. There have been a series of statements and a flurry of diplomatic exchanges in response to the message from US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to Iraqi President Barham Salih that all attacks on foreign missions and troops must stop, or else the United States would consider closing its embassy and targeting all militias involved in attacks against the United States. In an urgent meeting called by Salih Sept. 27, and attended by Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi, parliament Speaker Mohammed al-Halbusi and President of the Supreme Judicial Council Judge Faiq Zaidan, the attacks on foreign missions and the urgent need to protect them from further assaults were discussed. Following the US warning, head of the Popular Mobilization Units (PMU) Falih al-Fayadh and head of the PMU-affiliated Fatah bloc Hadi al-Amiri, among many other Iraqi politicians, have condemned the attacks against foreign missions and troops. Leader of the Sadrist movement Muqtada al-Sadr asked Kadhimi to form a security committee to draw up a plan for stopping the attacks and overseeing this process. Kadhimi and Halbusi both welcomed Sadr's proposal in separate statements. Meanwhile, Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein traveled to Tehran to discuss the recent developments with Ali Shamkhani, secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, in addition to his counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif and President Hassan Rouhani. Although the Iranians' public response was tough, asking the Iraqi government to force out the Americans from Iraq as a punishment for the assassination of Iran's top commander Qasem Soleimani, the Iranian government sent a delegation of high-ranking military representatives, headed by Gen. Qadir Nedhami, deputy chief of staff of the armed forces for international affairs, to Baghdad. Thus it seems that Iran is interested in reaching a security agreement with Iraq that allows the latter to rein in its outlawed militias. However, Iranians have not taken any serious actions in this regard. On Sept. 25, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei wrote on Twitter, "Imam Hassan (peace be upon him) avoided entering a military war with the enemy and he stopped the military war with him to start his political war, his cultural war, his media war and his Islamic war." This message is considered a preparation for entering negotiations with the United States, which solving the militias issue in Iraq might be a part of it. The PMU are now under heavy pressure from all directions, to push the organization to distance itself from the outlawed militias that are using the PMU as a cover for their attacks against foreign missions and troops. These efforts have been already successful it seems, as the factions within the PMU have been divided sharply and the outlawed militias are feeling the pressure for the first time, complaining about "betrayal." Kataib Hezbollah and other militias slammed Pompeo for issuing a warning to Iraq and criticized Iraqi politicians and their friends among the PMU who took action against attacking foreign missions and troops following the US warning. Ashab al-Kahf, which is one of the recently formed factions, concluded its statement, received by Al-Monitor, with this complaint: Our God, the folks have let us down and betrayed us and left us on the battlefield alone. The militias announced that they are continuing their attacks against the United States. Qais Khazalis Asaib Ahl al-Haq said in a statement that they are not considering the US Embassy as a diplomatic mission, as it has turned into a military base of an occupying force. However, he said attacking the US Embassy is not beneficial at this time, but also forming an investigation committee for those attacks that took place only encourages the United States to prolong its stay in Iraq. Muqtada Sadr had asked to form the committee mentioned by Khazali. On Sept. 13, top Shiite cleric Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani asked the Iraqi government to impose its full control on the militias and confiscate any type of illegal weapons outside of the state. Shiite political parties including Ammar al-Hakims Hikma bloc and Haidar al-Abadis Nasr coalition have supported the government's efforts to control the militias, withdraw the illegal arms and stop attacks against foreign missions and troops. Sunni and Kurdish political forces have been clear in opposing the decision to expel foreign forces from Iraq during this sensitive time and have been supporting Kadhimi in his campaign against the outlawed militias. In the same vein, the four pro-Sistani factions within the PMU have been trying hard to leave the PMU and join one of the official forces of the state. In the latest effort, a delegation from the Abbas Combat Division, which is one of the pro-Sistani factions, led by Maytham al-Zaidi visited the headquarters of the Counter-Terrorism Service and met with its commander Abdul Wahhab al-Saidi. Under these circumstances, it is very important to exploit the current situation in a way that marginalizes the militias and unite all internal and external efforts in putting them under the control of the state, and stopping them from dragging Iraq into more instability and isolating the country from the international community, especially now that Iraq needs support to survive the economic and security challenges. Closing the US embassy in Baghdad would turn the tables against the prime minister and his allies who have been making steady progress in containing the militias. Press Release September 28, 2020 New guidelines for govt to buy directly from farmers will address hunger: Pangilinan THE new guidelines for government to buy directly from Filipino farmers and fisherfolk will raise the income of local food producers and address hunger in the country, Senator Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan said Monday. "Kung merong magandang bunga ang pandemya at pagtumal ng ekonomiya dahil dito ay nakikilala na ng marami ang kahalagahan ng mga magsasaka at mangingisda," he said. Pangilinan, a farmer himself, welcomes the new guidelines issued by the Government Procurement Policy Board (GPPB) putting preference for domestic bidders and small businesses when possible to ensure rapid procurement under Republic Act (RA) 11494, or the Bayanihan to Recover As One Act (Bayanihan II). The GPPB issued Resolution No. 18-2020 dated September 16 and released over the weekend, directing government procuring entities to "exert all efforts to secure the most advantageous price", and reminding them to buy agricultural and fisheries products directly from farmers and fisherfolk. "Kapag bumili nang direkta ang mga sangay ng pamahalaan sa ating mga magsasaka at mangingisda, hindi lang tataas ang kita nila, maiibsan din ang gutom ng marami nating kababayan," Pangilinan said. The latest Social Weather Stations survey showed the hunger incidence at new record high of 30.7 percent or equivalent to over 7 million families. "It is unacceptable that millions are going hungry when we have our local farmers who produce nutritious and affordable harvests," said Pangilinan, who has consistently urged the direct purchase from farmers and fisherfolk. Citing the Department of Agriculture, Pangilinan said that during the various types of quarantines, local government units have bought some P6 billion worth of crops and catch for their ayuda and feeding programs. Direct purchase is a key feature of Pangilinan's Sagip Saka Law enacted last year. LGUs like North Cotabato and a village in Arayat, Pampanga have been among those who used the Sagip Saka template during the pandemic. "Buying local and buying direct from farmers will result in greater access to lower food prices for the consumers, and at the same time higher incomes for the Filipino agricultural workers, who remain among the poorest sectors in the country," said Pangilinan, who at a budget hearing last week also urged the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to directly purchase from farmers and fisherfolk for their food-related programs. The senator said all stakeholders, including private companies and civic organizations, must continuously work together in providing the necessary intervention in production, marketing and transport of local food products to make them accessible to the wider market. "We should persist with initiatives that will shore up our farmers' and fisherfolk's produce and income even beyond the pandemic," Pangilinan said. LAGUNA BEACH, Calif., Sept. 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- As previously announced, Sales2Job Academy, Inc. DBA Virtanza ("Virtanza") had its first closing under its $1.0 Million preferred stock offering on September 18, 2020. In aggregate and including the conversion of existing convertible and SAFE notes totaling $300,000, the closing aggregated $895,000. In order to accommodate additional interest in the transaction, Virtanza's Board of Directors has added a second closing and increased the preferred from $1.0 Million to $1.25 Million. "Sales is everything," says Founder & CEO of Virtanza, Debbie Holzkamp. After three decades of experience managing sales teams with Fortune 500 and national companies to achieve more than $1 billion in sales, she set about to develop curriculum and a delivery platform to solve for the long-standing dilemma of training salespeople to fill the hundreds of thousands of open sales positions on any given day. In so doing, Holzkamp brought together a highly experienced management and advisory team of sales, marketing, content and technology development, and education professionals to scale the business model and build significant traction in the education technology space. "The interest from the investment community has been very encouraging," says COO, Michael Pratt, whose own background includes two decades of working with start-ups and venture-financed companies. "In fact, we have over-subscribed in this initial round. Investors see our early success, even in this uncertain economy, and are confident in our ability to execute the plan at hand." To date, Virtanza has successfully introduced its professional sales curriculum recommended for ACE CREDIT to eleven marque universities and colleges across the nation, including multiple Top 10 Public National Universities. Plugged seamlessly into the individual school's Learning Management System (LMS) and delivered in virtual, synchronous classrooms, the Professional Sales Ready Certificate is currently offered in for-credit and Continuing Ed formats to diverse audiences of undergraduate and adult learners across the U.S. Curricula focused on Professional Sales Management, One and Two, will launch with multiple schools in coming months, as will a specialized sales program featuring all three curricula. A Sales Tech Bootcamp and On-Demand materials have also been well received by school leaders, and an Employer Portal scheduled to debut in Q1 2021 will accomplish the team's immediate vision of partnering with universities and employers to deliver high-impact, experiential training to a new generation of sales professionals to fill the hundreds of thousands of open sales positions. Virtanza can be found online at www.virtanza.com. About Virtanza Headquartered in Orange County, California, Virtanza white labels professional sales training in virtual, synchronous classrooms to universities and colleges. Products include the company's anchor program, Virtanza Professional Sales Ready Certificate, recommended by ACE CREDIT, as well as Professional Sales Management One and Two programs, Sales Bootcamps, and On-Demand materials. In early 2021, Virtanza will introduce its proprietary Employer Portal to complete the connection of highly trained sales professionals to open sales roles across the U.S. For more information, please visit www.virtanza.com. Media Contact: Natalie Petersen, [email protected], 310-658-7385 SOURCE Virtanza Related Links http://www.virtanza.com The Delhi BJP on Monday launched a campaign to reach out to in the capital and dispel misconceptions about the farm reform laws, as protests erupted in neighbouring states against them. Leader of Opposition in Delhi BJP, Ramvir Singh Bidhuri held a meeting with from 22 villages at Tajpur village in South Delhi, and said the Congress and other parties were "spreading rumours" that minimum support price (MSP) will be abolished. "The truth is, in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's regime, agriculture production has registered huge increase, the MSP has also been substantially increased and the government has made record procurement of foodgrains from farmers," Bidhuri said. He said the three farm reform laws will pave way for doubling income. "It will also increase agricultural production through new technology and payment of agricultural produce of farmers will be guaranteed within three days. "If any farmer gives his land on contract, then the buyer will bear the losses, if any to the crops, and arrange necessary inputs," he said. Delhi BJP president Adesh Gupta said opposition parties were "misguiding" farmers to serve their vested interests and the two-week long Delhi BJP campaign will dispel rumours spread by them. Delhi BJP general secretary and convener of the campaign Kuljeet Chahal said many meetings will be held with farmers of 365 villages by senior leaders, including party MPs and MLAs in Delhi. The decision to start the campaign was taken at a meeting of senior Delhi BJP leaders on Sunday, he said. "The campaign will primarily create awareness about the three farm Bills that were passed and later approved by the President. However, the condition of farmers in Delhi under the Arvind Kejriwal government and how it has failed to meet its promises with them, will also be discussed in these meetings," he said. Chahal, who himself addressed a meeting with farmers at Majra Dabas village, said the campaign will also reach out to urbanised villages in Delhi whose issues like compensation, land acquisition and civic amenities are yet to be settled. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Chronicles Fire Updates page documents the latest events in wildfires across the Bay Area and the state of California. This is an archive of the page covering the period from Sept. 27 to Oct. 8, 2020. The Chronicles Fire Map and Tracker provides updates on fires burning throughout California, including these huge lightning-sparked blazes in Northern California: The Chronicles PG&E Outage Map provides real-time locations of where the power is out. The San Francisco Chronicles ongoing coverage is available to subscribers. Subscribe now for full access and to support our work. Latest updates from Oct. 8: 9:50 a.m. Firefighters stop Glass Fire spread: Cal Fire officials said in a video briefing Thursday that containment lines around the Glass Fire have grown and the forward spread has been stopped. The 67,420-acre Wine Country fire was contained in all areas but the northern edge of the fire in the Napa Valley, where crews aggressively battled flames, said Jeff Ohs, a Cal Fire battalion chief. Teams were working to reopen Highway 29 into Lake County, he said. 8:23 a.m. Sonoma County grapples with future: Lingering trauma from the deadly Tubbs firestorm three years ago has bled into the devastation of this years still-burning Glass Fire as Sonoma County and Santa Rosa officials look to shape the countys future, using about $245 million received through PG&Es massive bankruptcy settlement this year. Read The Chronicles story here. 8:03 a.m. August Complex fires still growing, as is containment: Firefighters increased control of the massive August Complex blaze burning across seven Northern California counties overnight, but the flames continued to spread. The fire grew by more than 3,000 acres overnight but containment increased to 70% from 65%. The fire is the largest in state history and the first to burn through more than 1 million acres. Now Playing: Wildfires are once again ravaging Northern California's Wine Country. The Glass Fire threatens communities in Sonoma and Napa counties, including Santa Rosa, that suffered destruction from blazes in 2017. Video: San Francisco Chronicle 7:40 a.m. No growth for Glass Fire: Firefighters held the Glass Fire in check overnight in Napa and Sonoma Counties, Cal Fire officials said. The fire was still at 67,420 acres as of Thursday morning. Containment grew by 4%, to 66% overnight. 7:55 a.m. Creek Fire grows overnight: The Creek Fire in Fresno County and the Sierra grew to nearly 331,000 acres, Cal Fire reported Thursday morning, an increase of nearly 2,300 acres in a 12-hour period. The fire was 49% contained Thursday morning. 7:39 a.m. Hopes for rain in North Bay all but vanished: Cool temperatures have arrived in the Bay Area but that first substantial rain that many hoped for isnt likely to come this weekend, or for the foreseeable future. National Weather Service forecasts call for the weather system to steer north toward Oregon with a chance of light rain in the northern edge of the state. Bay Area arent expected to rise above the 70s in inland areas, as much as 30 degrees cooler in some places than last week. Read the story here. 7:11 a.m. Zogg Fire now 90% contained: The Zogg Fire burning in Shasta County is now 90% contained, Cal Fire said Thursday. Containment of the fire, which has killed four people, has been steady for days. The blaze is 56,338 acres in size. Updates from Wednesday, Oct. 7: 6:49 p.m. Investigation opened into illegal private firefighting on Glass Fire: Cal Fires law enforcement division is investigating allegations that a group of private firefighters set illegal backfires to protect properties threatened by the Glass Fire, a Cal Fire spokesman said Wednesday evening. The spokesman would not say where in Wine Country the private firefighters were apprehended, but confirmed that the incident occurred over the weekend. Private firefighters are authorized to remove flammable objects and carry out preventive measures. They are not authorized to use fire, Cal Fire said. The investigation is ongoing. 6:35 p.m. CO poisoning victim released from hospital: A firefighter who was hospitalized for carbon monoxide poisoning has been released from a Santa Rosa hospital and returned to fire duty, a Cal Fire spokesman said Wednesday evening. The firefighter was hospitalized Tuesday morning after 16 firefighters were exposed to the odorless gas at their sleeping quarters while off duty from the Glass Fire. Carbon monoxide is released in the fumes of active wildfires and can cause sudden illness when it builds up in a persons bloodstream, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 4:50 p.m. Supply and support stations open in Santa Rosa for people impacted by Glass Fire: Santa Rosa residents impacted by the Glass Fire can now pick up re-entry safety materials and information at supply and support stations before returning to their homes, city officials said on Twitter. Residents of burned areas can obtain materials such as masks, gloves, hand sanitizer, hand wipes, water bottles, goggles, shoe covers and a bucket. For more information and locations go online. 3:55 p.m. Evacuation warnings rescinded in Calistoga for Glass Fire: Evacuation warnings have been lifted in Calistoga, effective immediately, said Cal Fires Sonoma-Lake-Napa Unit. All roads within Calistoga city limits are open, officials said. 3:45 p.m. Evacuation warnings rescinded in St. Helena for Glass Fire: Evacuation warnings have been rescinded in St. Helena, effective immediately, said Cal Fires Sonoma-Lake-Napa Unit. All roads within St. Helena city limits are open, officials said. 3:42 p.m. Evacuation orders changed to warnings in parts of Napa County: Evacuation orders were reduced to evacuation warnings in portions of Napa County for the Glass Fire, according to Cal Fires Sonoma-Lake-Napa Unit. 3:05 p.m. Evacuation orders downgraded to warnings in parts of Sonoma County: Glass Fire evacuation orders were downgraded to warnings in portions of Sonoma County around Highway 12 and Calistoga Road, sheriffs officials said. (Full details in this nixie.) 12:53 p.m: Glass Fire controlled in Sonoma County: The western zone of the Glass Fire, predominantly Sonoma County, is completely encircled by containment lines and the heat of the fire has cooled, said Battalion Chief Sean Norman. For us, that signifies that the line is in, its held, its contained and controlled, he said. That clears the way for utility crews, hazard cleanup and infrastructure work and means residents will soon be allowed to return to the area, he said. 12:52 Fire chief: Glass Fire no longer a threat to St. Helena: St. Helena Fire Chief John Sorenson said Wednesday that the Glass Fire, now 58% contained, no longer poses a threat to the city. Sorenson called it a miracle that only three houses were destroyed by the fire. Centers to aid returning evacuees have been set up at the St. Helena First Presbyterian Church, 1428 Spring St., and in Angwin at the volunteer fire station at 275 College Ave. 12:32 p.m. Yuba County fire quickly contained: Firefighters rapidly contained the small Fields Fire, a small, 56-acre blaze sparked Wednesday near Marigold in Yuba County. Cal Fire reported the blaze was 100% contained just hours after the firefight began. 12:27 p.m. Newsom calls for California to conserve land, coasts to capture carbon: Gov. Gavin Newsom said Wednesday that he would sign an executive order setting a target to conserve 30% of the states land and coastal water by 2030 joining dozens of nations in a global pact to preserve biodiversity and prevent species loss. The governor will also direct his administration to develop strategies to capture carbon from the atmosphere and store in the states natural and working lands such as forests, farms, wetlands and coasts. Read The Chronicles full story here. 12:01 p.m. Biggest fire in state history keeps growing: The August Complex Fire, the largest conflagration in California history, is now at 1,011,493 acres in size, Cal Fire said Wednesday. After burning for nearly a month the fire started on Sept. 10 the August Complex is now 60% contained. 8:28 a.m. Hope fades for fire-dampening rainfall in Napa, Sonoma counties: The Bay Areas hopes for weekend rains to help snuff the Glass Fire and dampen the parched hills seem to be evaporating. Rain could still fall, probably north of the Golden Gate, on Saturday, according to the National Weather Service, but a Friday storm will head far north and miss the Bay Area. Saturdays storm could deliver a tenth of an inch of precipitation. Read The Chronicles full story here. 8:05 a.m. I just cant deal with this anymore: Wine Country residents grapple with a fiery future: As devastating wildfires pummel the North Bay for three of the past four years, some residents wonder how much more trauma they can take and whether they should continue living in a region altered by climate change. Smoky air, planned power outages and fire threats only compound the high living costs in the region, many said. Read The Chronicles full story here. 7:24 a.m. Glass Fire grows slightly: The Glass Fire in Napa and Sonoma counties grew by just 150 acres overnight, Cal Fire said Wednesday morning, bringing the blaze to 67,200 acres in size. Containment grew by 4%, to 58% in the span of about 12 hours. The fire has destroyed more than 620 homes and damaged still more. More than 20,000 structures of various kinds remain under threat. 7:00 a.m. New fire sparks in Yuba County: The Fields Fire, a 50-acre blaze off of Gold Field Road and Hammonton Road, northeast of Marigold, is now burning in Yuba County, Cal Fire said. Little additional information was immiediately available, other than the fact that the fire began burning Wednesday. 6:49 a.m. Zogg Fire containment grows: Firefighters were able to grow containment lines around the Zogg Fire in Shasta County overnight, after another evening in which the blaze didnt grow at all. Containment increased 2%, to 86%, overnight. The fire remained at 56,305 acres, according to Cal Fire. Updates from Tuesday, Oct. 6: 7 p.m. Glass Fire grows to 67,050 acres: The Glass Fire, which is burning in Napa and Sonoma counties, has burned 67,050 acres and was 54% contained as of Tuesday evening, Cal Fires Sonoma-Lake-Napa Unit said. Officials said 2,522 firefighters were battling the blaze along with 341 engines, 40 water tenders, 20 helicopters and 26 dozers. 6:10 p.m. Containment of Zogg Fire grows to 84%: The Zogg Fire, which is burning in Shasta County, has burned 56,305 acres and was 84% contained as of Tuesday evening, Cal Fires Shasta Trinity Unit said. Officials said 1,275 firefighters were battling the blaze along with 160 engines, 42 water tenders, six helicopters and 16 dozers. 5:45 p.m. Fire officials warn embers can travel up to a mile from active fires: Officials with the Southern Marin Fire District tweeted that flying embers can be carried up to a mile from the actual fire and damage or destroy structures. In the tweet, fire officials compared two photos of an unnamed school that was damaged by the Glass Fire. Prepare your home now before a wildfire starts by creating 4 types of defensible zones, fire officials said. 3:20 p.m. The awww factor arrives with scared kitty: A Glass Fire damage inspector rescued a scared kitten from under a truck, Cal Fire tweeted Tuesday. Cal Fire called it a puurrfect save and said the tortoise shell kitten will be taken to an animal shelter to locate its family. 3:17 p.m. Crews secure canyon as North Complex approaches full containment: Crews ignited portions of steep terrain by hand Tuesday in an effort to contain flames in Feather River Canyon east of Highway 70, the final uncontained area of the North Complex, fire officials said. The fires were 86% contained as of Tuesday afternoon. Firefighters continued to patrol for hot spots near control lines, where extremely dry timber and strong canyon winds have slowed efforts to contain the 318,724-acre blaze. The two-month old fire killed fifteen people and destroyed more than 2,450 structures across Plumas and Butte counties. 3:10 p.m. Evacuation orders lifted for some in Sonoma County: Glass Fire evacuation orders have been lifted in some portions of Sonoma County, county sheriffs officials said. Full details are here. 2:20 p.m. One firefighter sent to hospital for possible CO poisoning: One of 16 firefighters potentially poisoned by carbon monoxide was taken to a local hospital for evaluation, Cal Fire officials said Tuesday afternoon. The exposure occurred at location outside the fire area, and early reports listed it at the Santa Rosa Fairgrounds, which serves as the command center for the Glass Fire. After evaluation 15 firefighters were sent back to the fire lines, Cal Fire reported. 12:19 p.m. Potential CO poisoning at Glass Fire: Several firefighters were evaluated for possible carbon monoxide poisoning Tuesday morning after they were exposed to the odorless gas while fighting the Glass Fire, a Cal Fire spokesman said. They were being evaluated by medical personnel; their conditions were unknown, the spokesman said. It was unclear how many were exposed. Carbon monoxide is released in the fumes of active wildfires and can cause sudden illness when it builds up in a persons bloodstream, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Read the story here. 12:03 p.m. Even a little rain could help, Cal Fire says: The prospect of a small amount of rain, perhaps a quarter of an inch, is in the forecast for the Glass Fire area Friday and Saturday. Cal Fire Battalion Chief Sean Norman said it wont be enough to extinguish the fire, but also shouldnt be enough to trigger dangerous debris flows in areas scarred by the flames. Overall, it would be extremely beneficial to us, he said. 11:48 a.m. Returning evacuees need to watch out for wildlife: Firefighters battling the Glass Fire are seeing a lot of displaced wildlife, more mountain lions than in my entire life in the past few days alone, Cal Fire Battalion Chief Sean Norman said Tuesday. He advised people returning to evacuation zones to be prepared as you repopulate that you are sharing the area with wildlife that has had their environments shrunk down and their livelihoods have been impacted just like everyone elses. 11:40 a.m. Lake County still fire-free: The Glass Fire hasnt been contained on its northern front but firefighters managed to keep it out of Lake County, Battalion Chief Sean Norman said in a video news briefing Tuesday morning. Fire lines held overnight and the flames did not move to the north. For all the people in Lake County, this is really good news, he said. 9:20 a.m. Creek Fire grew by 4,000 acres overnight: The Creek Fire in the Central Sierra continued to burn after forcing new evacuations Monday in the Florence Lake area. It grew by about 4,000 acres overnight, and remained 49% contained, burning in Fresno and Madera counties on both sides of the San Joaquin River near Mammoth Pool, Shaver Lake, Big Creek and Huntington Lake. After igniting on Labor Day weekend, it forced people to flee popular recreation areas, with the National Guard rescuing scores by helicopter. 8:59 a.m. August Fire continues to grow: The August Complex Fire, which surpassed 1 million acres on Monday, continues to grow across seven Northern California counties. The largest fire in state history has ripped through 1,006,140 acres and is 58% contained. Cal Fire officials report that the firefighters are battling steep, rough terrain and dangerously low humidity levels, which are unprecedented for this area. 7:31 a.m. Glass Fire growth slowed overnight: Firefighters increased containment of the destructive Glass Fire to 50% overnight and held the acreage to 66,840, according to Cal Fire figures released Tuesday morning. Warm overnight temperatures and low humidity continued to fuel the fire, burning in Napa and Sonoma counties, overnight, according to a Cal Fire report. 7:08 a.m. Rainfall could be a reprieve but wont snuff Glass Fire: The hot, dry weather will begin to fade away Wednesday and Thursday and could bring some precipitation on Friday and Saturday but not enough to extinguish the Glass Fire in Wine Country, meteorologists said. And certainly not sufficient to spell the end of the hellish 2020 fire season. Temperatures will drop 5 to 10 degrees and humidity will climb Thursday and Friday and rain could arrive Friday, said Matt Mehle, a National Weather Service meteorologist, delivering maybe 1/4 to 1/2 of an inch of rain in the North Bay and higher amounts further north. But warm, dry weather is expected to return next week. Its not a season-ending event but it could be a season-slowing event, he said. It should provide a reprieve for firefighters in this part of the state. 6:45 a.m. No growth for Zogg Fire overnight: Cal Fire reported that the Zogg Fire burning in Shasta County did not grow overnight, and remained at 56,305 acres in size as of Tuesday morning. Containment grew from 80% to 82% overnight, according to fire officials. Updates from Monday, Oct. 5: 7:30 p.m. Glass Fire now 41% contained: It was another day of progress fighting the Glass Fire, with Cal Fire reporting 41% containment of the blaze that has grown to 66,840 acres across Napa and Sonoma counties. At least 553 single-family homes have been destroyed, and 21,785 structures remain threatened. 7:15 p.m. August Fire grows slightly: The massive August Fire, which stretches across seven counties in Northern California, grew by another 1,000 acres during the day on Monday. It is at 1,003,387 acres. The West Zone which includes portions of Mendocino, Humboldt and Lake counties is now 60% contained, Cal Fire reported in its nightly update. 6:45 p.m. Glass Fire the priority for the state, says Cal Fire chief: With 2,774 fire-fighting personnel making use of 408 fire engines to fight the Glass Fire, we are the priority for the state here, division chief Ben Nicholls of Cal Fire said Monday during Sonoma Countys daily update on the sprawling two-county blaze. And while the fire remains just 30% contained as of Monday morning, Nicholls expressed confidence that we have turned the corner on the fire as a whole. 6:30 p.m. Zogg Fire is 80% contained: The Zogg Fire has burned 56,305 acres in Shasta County and is 80% contained, according to a Cal Fire update Monday evening. Fire officials warned, though, that fuels remain very receptive to ignition due to the hot and dry temperatures over the past two months. More than 1,700 responders are fighting the blaze, which has destroyed more than 200 buildings. 5:00 p.m. Air quality worsens in parts of Bay Area: After dramatic improvement over the weekend, air quality deteriorated in some parts of the Bay Area on Monday as smoke again drifted in from the Glass Fire burning in the North Bay. On Monday afternoon, the only areas with good air quality were along the coast. In the central Bay Area, conditions were moderate, and farther east, they turned unhealthier. The North Bay also had a mix of moderate and unhealthy air. Read more. 2:46 p.m. Rain forecast is hopeful news, or is it?: The Bay Area is welcoming predictions that rain might fall by the end of the week but whether it can snuff out record-busting fires that have scorched more than 4 million acres is another matter. The anticipated wet weather may help firefighters short term, but is likely not late enough in the season to have a long-term impact. Read the story here. 12:43 p.m. Newsom confirms over 4 million acres burned in California in 2020: Gov. Gavin Newsom said Monday that the fact wildfires have burned more than 4 million California acres this year shows the deadliness of climate change. The fires have led to 31 deaths and destroyed 9,000 structures. If thats not a proof-point testament of climate change, I dont know what is, Newsom told a news briefing. He said progress on the Glass Fire is one of the states top priorities. 10:29 a.m. New evacuations ordered in Sierra due to Creek Fire: New evacuation orders are in effect in areas around Florence Lake, as firefighters anticipate the 322,089-acre Creek Fire to spread in deep-seated fuel, Cal Fire said Monday.On the fires north side, flames were expected to burn up into the rocks with potential movement into the wilderness and Lion Fire burn. The fire was 48% contained not 62% as had been reported Sunday due to a data input error, according to Cal Fire. The Sierra National Forest is fully closed through Nov. 1. 9:23 a.m. Winery devastation revealed through camera lens: Horrific photos reveal the beating that wineries took at the wims of the rampaging Glass Fire in Napa and Sonoma counties. At least 17 have been damaged, several reduced to ashy piles of rubble. See the photos here. 8:02 a.m. North Complex terrain poses challenge to containment: The North Complex fires were 83% contained as of Monday as aerial crews surveyed the 318,724-acre blaze. Drone and helicopter crews may ignite fire in the steepest areas in an effort to halt flames spread through Plumas National Forest, where steep terrain and old fuels have challenged firefighters, fire officials said Monday. 7:55 a.m. Glass Fire now 30% contained: Firefighters grew containment lines around the Glass Fire in Napa and Sonoma counties by 4% overnight. The blaze is now 30% contained and 65,580 acres in size. The fire grew by fewer than 700 acres overnight, Cal Fire said. 7:46 a.m. August Fire driven by overnight winds: Firefighters attacked the massive August fire from the air and ground as it vigorously burned with wind-driven torching, overnight, Cal Fire reported Monday morning. Firefighters continued to persevere as smoke and embers pushed back towards crews working on containment lines and structure protection. The blaze, which started in and around Mendocino National Forest, has destroyed 21 structures, and 31 minor structures. Crews anticipated another hot, dry day Monday with challenging conditions in heavy timber and steep, rugged terrain. 7:36 a.m. August Fire tops 1 million acres: The monster August Fire raging in Mendocino, Lake and Trinity counties, thats smashed all records as Californias biggest wildfire ever, now has now reached a stunning milestone: its scorched 1,002,097 acres, Cal Fire reported Monday morning. Read The Chronicles story here. 7:23 a.m. Glass Fire forecast: A patchy, dense fog prevailed over the Bay Area coastline Monday morning enough to ground airplanes at SFO, but not deep enough to bring moisture to Wine Country hills where the Glass Fire rages on, National Weather Service meteorologists said. Dry, south-blowing winds buffeted the North Bay at sunrise Monday, enough to ferry smoke to Santa Rosa, though not likely to affect San Francisco air quality, meteorologists said. 6:52 a.m. Wildfire smoke to drift to Bay Area Tuesday: Smoke from the regions wildfires will have the greatest impact across the North Bay and potentially the East Bay during the next 36 hours, the National Weather Services Bay Area division tweeted Monday. The smoke is not expected to be quite as dense as it was last week, however. Air quality across much of the Bay Area Monday morning was rated as good. 6:38 a.m. Destruction from Glass Fire surges: The number of single family homes destroyed or damaged by the Glass Fire nearly doubled Sunday, as fire officials surveyed the areas most affected by the 64,900-acre blaze. In Sonoma County, 235 homes were destroyed and 73 damaged as of Sunday evening, a 42% increase over tallies taken in the morning. In Napa County, 252 homes were destroyed and 64 damaged, a 33% increase over the course of the day. Cal Fire is set to release new tallies Monday morning as officials get a clearer picture of the damage to residential properties. 6:31 a.m. Zogg Fire now 76% contained: The Zogg Fire burning in Shasta County is now 56,305 acres in size and is 76% contained, Cal Fire said Monday. The fire grew little overnight, allowing firefighters to increase containment by 6%. Updates from Sunday, Oct. 4: 8:10 p.m. Looting not a problem in Napa County: Undersheriff John Crawford, who spoke at a Sunday evening press conference about the Glass Fire, took the microphone just after Sonoma County Sheriff Mark Essick announced that county had arrested eight people on suspicion of intent to loot in evacuation zones. Looting has never really been a problem in Napa, Crawford said. Weve been through fires, earthquakes and floods. But weve historically been very blessed. That said, he added, we will be asking you to explain your presence in an evacuation zone. 8:01 p.m. Fire recovery help from Santa Rosa and Sonoma County: Santa Rosa and Sonoma County are opening a Local Assistance Center (LAC) Monday as a one-stop shop for residents affected by the fire who need to connect with services. The states Office of Emergency Services is a partner in the plan. For more information, visit SRCity.org/LAC. 7:36 p.m. Warnings for residents of southern Lake County: The Lake County Sheriffs Department issued a warning Sunday for residents to be prepared to evacuate, as the Glass Fire approaches the county line bordering Napa and Sonoma counties. For the specific areas under warning, see the sheriffs alert here. To sign up for alerts on your phone, text your zip code to 888777. 7:16 p.m. Sonoma County Sheriff arrests eight suspected looters: Sheriffs deputies arrested eight people who made their way into a Glass Fire evacuation area since the fire broke out a week ago but were unable to say why they were there. We determined that they were looking for crimes of opportunity, county Sheriff Mark Essick said at a news conference on the status of the massive wildfire. They were up to no good. 7:02 p.m. Glass Fire now 26% contained: Containment of the nearly 65,000-acre Glass Fire burning in Sonoma and Napa counties is now at 26%, but it will be weeks before its fully contained and controlled, Calfire said Were feeling good about our lines, a Calfire team leader said. But were not done with this fire. 7:10 p.m. August Complex fires near 1 million acres: The massive set of fires, burning across Mendocino, Humboldt, Trinity, Tehama, Lake, Colusa and Glenn counties, has grown to 993,191 acres and is 54% contained, Cal Fire said. 3:46 p.m. Some evacuation orders now warnings in parts of Santa Rosa, other areas of Sonoma County: Residents in certain areas affected by the Glass Fire may return home, said Calfire and local law enforcement. In Santa Rosa, those areas include Oakmont South and some areas of Oakmont North and Stonebridge. Check here for the exceptions, which are still under evacuation order. Elsewhere in Sonoma County, residents in certain areas of Kenwood and Porter Creek Road may return. For those zones, check here. 3:27 p.m. Evacuation orders reduced to warnings in Calistoga, other areas: Cal Fire will allow residents to return to Calistoga and a number of other areas affected by the Glass Fire. Evacuation warnings remain in effect for those areas, however, and evacuation orders remain in place in other areas of the fire. Click here for details. 2:05 p.m. Evacuation orders lifted in San Mateo County: The deadly CZU Lightning Complex, which burned 86,509 acres across San Mateo and Santa Cruz counties and killed a Santa Cruz County man, is contained and evacuation orders have been lifted for San Mateo County, Cal Fire reported. Lightning ignited the fire Aug. 16 and it blazed for 37 days, destroying 1,490 buildings. Firefighters contained it Sept. 22, but had not yet controlled it. 11:11 a.m. When blazes spark, Fire Twitter warns and informs: Each year when fires flare up, so does a loose-knit Twitter community of scientists, amateur radio operators and journalists. Fire scientists post threads about the dynamics of fire tornadoes, foresters answer questions about land management, and radio operators track wildfires through scanner chatter and a network of publicly accessible wildfire cameras. In many cases, they are vital sources of information in fire zones. Ryan Kost reports the full story here. 10:58 a.m. Astonishing milestone for California wildfires: Deadly wildfires burning this year in the state eclipsed 4 million acres (6,250 square miles) Sunday more than double the previous record. About two months remain in the fire season. The old mark set two years ago was 1.67 million acres. The 4 million mark is unfathomable. It boggles the mind, and it takes your breath away, said Scott McLean, a Cal Fire spokesman. An area larger than Connecticut has been scorched. 10:13 a.m. New evacuations in northern Napa County: Officials ordered evacuations Sunday for several areas in northern Napa County, bordered on the west by Highway 29 at the Robert Louis Stevenson trailhead, north by Livermore Road, east by Aetna Mine Road and the existing evacuation orders to the south. Officials have closed Pope Valley Road between Pope Valley Cross Road and Aetna Springs Road and Highway 29 between the Lake County line and Deer Park Road. Residents must leave the area immediately. 10:11 a.m. Heroic story of evacuation at senior home: As an Oakmont Gardens couple both nearly 100 fled from the Glass Fire, an administrator at the Santa Rosa home dodged checkpoints to go toward the fire and help. Nanette Asimov reports the story here. 9:55 a.m. Glass Fire burning away from Calistoga: The Glass Fire was burning east, away from the town of Calistoga on Sunday morning, a Cal Fire spokesman said. Firefighters have dozers along the towns eastern border to reinforce fire lines in the area, but the fire is not pushing toward Calistoga, currently, said Cal Fire spokesman Chris Valenzuela. 9:37 a.m. Creek Fire grows by 1,753 acres overnight: The Creek Fire burning in Fresno and Madero counties reached 315,413 acres overnight Sunday. Containment rose to 62%. The blaze is burning on both sides of the San Joaquin River near Mammoth Pool, Shaver Lake and Huntington Lake. 7:50 a.m. August Complex fire shows little growth overnight: The August Complex fire showed nearly no growth overnight, Cal Fire said early Sunday. The fire is burning 985,304 acres in seven Northern California counties and is 51% contained. Cal Fire said it expects to fully contain the wildfire by Wednesday. 7:25 a.m. Glass Fire 17% contained: The Glass Fire is burning 63,885 acres in Napa and Sonoma counties and is 17% contained, Cal Fire said early Sunday. Strong, dry winds and above-average temperatures in the North Bay are fueling the fire, the agency said. The blaze has destroyed nearly 300 homes. 7:01 a.m. Zogg Fire containment rises to 68%: Thats up slightly from 66% on Saturday night. The fire has burned 56,305 acres. 6:49 a.m. Glass Fire has now damaged 17 Napa Valley wineries as world-famous region remains under grave threat: One week after the Glass Fire began its violent path through northern Napa Valley, one thing is certain. This is the most destructive fire Americas most famous wine region has ever faced. Chronicle wine writer Esther Mobley has the story. 6:05 a.m. Winds diminish on Mount St. Helena: After peaking around midnight with gusts of up to 31 miles per hour, wind speeds on Mount St. Helena, near the fire zone, have fallen to 4 mph, with gusts of up to 12 mph. A red flag warning for the fire zone expired at 6 a.m. Updates from Saturday: 9:30 p.m. Winds rise on Mt. St. Helena: Wind speeds were rising in Mt. St. Helena on Saturday night, with 18 mph winds gusting up to 29 mph at 9:20 p.m., according to data collected by the National Weather Service at a station on the mountain. 8:38 p.m. Firefighters monitoring weather next weekend: Cal Fire Battalion Chief Mark Brunton said one model for next weekend suggests a potential for some dry lightning, which he said is not a good thing for us to hear, but it is on the outside possibility and that will be closely monitored as we get closer to that event this weekend. He said another, separate model suggests there could be precipitation, but warned that even an inch of rain would not be enough. If we do get some precipitation, will it be a game changer to really change things? At best maybe for a day or two, but its not gonna change it enough where itll completely put the fire out or take us out of fire danger, Brunton said. All its gonna take is a day of just some dry, north winds and that will erase any of that moisture that we get. 8:15 p.m. Glass Fire assistance center to open in Santa Rosa: Sonoma County residents impacted by the Glass fire can visit a new local assistance center opening on Monday at Maria Carrillo High School in Santa Rosa, according to Rep. Mike Thompson, D-St. Helena. The center will be open from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Monday, and then Tuesday, October 6 through Saturday, October 10 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. 7:55 p.m. Cal Fire to host virtual community meeting for Glass Fire: A community meeting for the Glass Fire will be livestreamed on the Cal Fires Sonoma-Lake-Napa Unit Facebook page at 6 p.m. Sunday. 7:52 p.m. Sonoma County opening Glass Fire help center: The county is opening a Local Assistance Center on Monday, Oct. 5 at Maria Carrillo High School in Santa Rosa. It will be open on Monday from 1 to 7 p.m. and then Tuesday, Oct. 6 through Saturday, Oct. 10 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. 7:35 p.m. Helicopters drop nearly 200,000 gallons of water on Glass Fire: Roughly 22 helicopters dropped close to 200,000 gallons of water on the Glass Fire on Saturday, said Battalion Chief Mark Brunton in a video update. Brunton said the helicopters, along with four or five large air tankers, were pounding the area throughout the day on Saturday, which has helped slow the progress in the Division Hotel area of the blaze. 7:30 p.m. Highway 12 corridor looking really good, Cal Fire said: The Highway 12 corridor is looking really good, said Battalion Chief Mark Brunton said in video update. Brunton said utility crews have been working in the area, which he said will help in repopulation efforts once the area is reopened to residents. The road remains closed. 7:25 p.m. Glass Fire moving into Bothe State Park, Cal Fire says: Battalion Chief Mark Brunton said in video update that some fire is moving into Bothe State Park in Napa Valley, citing increased fire activity due to the wind and the dry conditions. Brunton said there are a lot of resources in that area, such as helicopters, ground crews and other sources battling the fire within the state park. 7:20 p.m. Angwin looking really good, Cal Fire battalion chief says: Battalion Chief Mark Brunton said in video update that Angwin is looking really good, still. Brunton said there are good control lines and a lot of resources in the area, making Cal Fire crews very comfortable with that protection against the Glass Fire. 7:15 p.m. Glass Fire containment rises to 15%: The Glass Fire is 15% contained and 63,450 acres, up from 10% contained and 62,360 acres this morning, Cal Fire said. 6:53 p.m. August Complex fires grow to 984,804 acres: The massive fire complex, which is burning across multiple counties (Mendocino, Humboldt, Trinity, Tehama, Lake, Colusa & Glenn County), has reached 51% containment, Cal Fire said. A red flag warning is in effect in the area for Saturday night. 6:40 p.m. Containment of Zogg Fire grows to 66%, Cal Fire says: The Zogg Fire, which is burning in Shasta County, has burned 56,305 acres and was 66% contained as of Saturday evening, Cal Fire said. Thats up from 57% Saturday morning, with no fire growth. Officials said 1,767 firefighters were battling the blaze along with 196 engines, 55 water tenders, 14 helicopters and 24 dozers. 5:38 p.m. FEMA firefighting assistance available for Glass Fire: FEMA granted a Fire Management Assistance on Sept. 28 to cover up to 75% of eligible firefighting costs for the Glass Fire, but no federal disaster has been declared, which means victims are not yet eligible for aid. Congressman Mike Thompson, a Democrat from St. Helena, said Saturday thats not able to happen until currently ongoing assessments of the damage are completed, submitted, and reviewed to see if they meet criteria. 5:27 p.m. Napa County fire chief warns residents fire season is now year round event: The reality of living in California now, fire season is a year round event and folks need to really start planning and building that into their mindset, Napa County Fire Chief Geoff Belyea said during a Facebook live video Saturday afternoon. He urged residents to get go bags ready with important documents, clear defensible space, leaves from gutters, and stacked firewood from beside homes, and know at least two evacuation routes out of their neighborhoods. 5:26 p.m. Glass Fire grows in Palisades: The main fire growth Saturday was in the Palisades area just west of Highway 29, Napa County Fire Chief Geoff Belyea said. The good news is that firefighters have been successful in fighting the fire off from Angwin. The fire also hasnt advanced north toward Calistoga or on the southern end on the east side of Silverado Trail. Crews are making progress constructing fire lines on the west side of Highway 29 between Spring Mountain Road and Whitehall Lane, but the terrain is very treacherous and the work slow-going, Belyea said. 5:25 p.m. Cal Fire video aircraft video shows smoky conditions near Bothe-Napa Valley State Park: Video taken from an aircraft flying near Bothe-Napa Valley State Park shows thick clouds of smoke rising from the Glass Fire, according to video shared by Cal Fires Sonoma-Lake-Napa Unit Saturday afternoon. Cal Fire officials said the Glass Fire has been very active. 5:23 p.m. Middletown residents may see smoke, flames: The Glass Fire has not crossed into Lake County, Cal Fire officials said Saturday afternoon, but residents of Middletown, a Lake County city thats no stranger to wildfires, may see smoke and flames. No evacuation orders or warnings have been issued for Lake County but residents are advised to remain vigilant. The Glass Fire is burning near Highway 29 in northern Napa County near the Lake County line. 5:08 p.m. Santa Rosa releases damage map: The city of Santa Rosa has released an interactive online map that shows damage to properties in the city by the Glass Fire. The fire ripped through eastern Santa Rosa Sunday and Monday. The map allows people to enter addresses and see the extent of damage to property . 5:10 p.m. Nearly four million acres burned across California: Shawna Jones, unit chief for the Sonoma Lake Napa unit of Cal Fire, said that 3.9 million acres statewide have burned this year, killing 31 people. Around 17,000 firefighters are actively fighting fires, with 2,500 assigned to the Glass Fire. Seven additional states are helping. 4:56 p.m. Wind gusts of up to 35 m.p.h. expected in the fire zone: Winds are expected to continue from the northwest at 15-25mph, with 25-35mph gusts, the National Weather Service tweeted. 4:30 p.m. Red-flag warning reissued in North Bay: The National Weather Service has reissued a red flag warning for the North Bay mountains effective immediately and continuing through 6 a.m. Sunday. An earlier warning had been allowed to expire at 6 a.m Saturday but clearing smoke allowed hot dry conditions to develop and for gusty northwest winds to return, the weather service said. The reissued warning is a disappointment for firefighters who had been hoping for cooler temperatures and light winds overnight. 3:23 p.m. Some Santa Rosa evacuation warnings lifted: Click here for details. 3:15 p.m. Tankers return to Glass Fire: Three large air tankers, including a 747, returned to the Wine Country skies Saturday afternoon to join the fight against the Glass Fire. Smoky skies had prevented Cal Fire from using fixed-wing aircraft the past couple of days, but clearer skies allowed their return, said Donna Sager, a spokeswoman for Cal Fire. The tankers were dropping huge loads of bright orange fire retardant and joined a fleet of helicopters dumping buckets or water or retardant. 2:09 p.m. Not a lot of destruction or damage in St. Helena: Janet Upton, a spokeswoman for Napa County Emergency Operations Center, said the Glass Fire didnt burn into downtown and there was not a lot of impact in terms of destruction or damage. Cal Fire is still conducting its investigation to tally an official count. Overnight fire activity into Saturday was moderate due to lack of developing winds and the blaze didnt move down the hillside toward Highway 29 or hit Bale Grist Mill, a city press release said. Priority areas Saturday include Aetna Springs, Angwin, Pope Valley, and Robert Luis Stevenson area near Mount St. Helena. 1:28 p.m. City of Calistoga warns of increased fire activity: The city under evacuation orders warned residents in a Nixle alert Saturday afternoon that significant fire activity had picked up in some areas, particularly along Highway 29/Lake County Highway just south of the Lake County Line and in Diamond Mountain/Kortum Canyon area near the Sonoma County Line. Air quality is at hazardous levels. The fire has destroyed 173 single family residences and 264 commercial properties in Napa County, none within Calistoga city limits. 1:26 p.m. Sonoma County Sheriff does not expect to lift evacuations today: After conversations with Cal Fire, the sheriffs office does not expect to lift any evacuation orders Saturday, according to a Facebook post. The Glass Fire had destroyed 120 single family homes, four multi-family residences, and eight commercial buildings in the county. 1:20 p.m. Evacuations eased in parts of San Mateo County: Cal Fire downgraded evacuation orders to warnings in three areas in San Mateo County affected by the CZU Lightning Complex fire, which is now fully contained. 12:44 p.m. Angwin well-protected, Cal Fire says: The Glass Fire remains dangerously close to the city of Angwin, which has been totally evacuated for days, but Cal Fire Battalion Chief Mark Brunton said firefighters are confident that the city, home to Pacific Union and a hospital, is well protected, surrounded by fire lines and staffed with a number of fire crews. Its also home to a base where helicopters load up with retardant to dump on the Glass Fire. This is a very important community to the Napa Valley, he said in a recorded video briefing Saturday. 12:40 p.m. Firefighters injured in Zogg Fire: On Friday evening, two inmate firefighters were injured fighting the Zogg Fire in Shasta County and transported to a local hospital. One firefighter was released and one remains hospitalized, Cal Fire reported Saturday. 12:30 p.m. Clearer skies, marine layer could aid Glass Fire firefight: Cal Fire officials hope that light winds this afternoon could help clear the skies enough to allow the use of more aircraft in the battle against the Glass Fire. Thick, gray smoke hanging in the hills, canyons and valleys has limited the use of helicopters and especially air tankers that dump water and fire retardant on the fire. Weather forecasts for a marine layer to enter the Glass Fire zone up to 1,000 feet in elevation Saturday night is also giving firefighters hope, Cal Fire spokesman Chris Valenzuela said. Hopefully we can make some real progress tonight, he said Saturday afternoon. 12:18 a.m. Conditions around Calistoga improving: Firefighters continue to battle the Glass Fire but Cal Fire Battalion Chief Mark Brunton said Saturday afternoon that Calistoga is looking at lot better with fire crews establishing more control lines in the area. Winds did whip up embers in some areas overnight but firefighters were able to keep spot fires from spreading. 12:01 p.m. Zogg Fire progress continues: Firefighters continue to make progress on the Zogg Fire burning west of Redding in Shasta County. The fire, has blackened 56,305 acres and destroyed 179 buildings, including homes and businesses like the iconic Ono Store, but is now 57% contained. Fire officials have lifted some evacuation orders and Whiskeytown Reservoir, no longer being used by firefighting helicopters to scoop up huge buckets of water, has reopened to boating and recreation. 11:40 a.m. People who fled Creek Fire can retrieve belongings: Dozens of people who fled the Creek Fire when it roared into a popular recreation area during the Labor Day weekend will be allowed to make reservations to return to campgrounds and cabins to retrieve belongings they left behind, Sierra National Forest officials said Saturday. The fire, which has charred 312,063 acres is 51% contained. It raced into the popular Mammoth Pool area on Sept. 4, displacing hundreds of people, forcing hundreds to flee through flames by foot or car. Scores also had to be rescued by military helicopter. 11:37 a.m. Rescued mountain lion cub has a name: The injured and orphaned mountain lion cub rescued by a Cal Fire firefighter from the Zogg Fire and being treated at the Oakland Zoo has gained a name and an appetite, zoo officials reported. The four- to six-week- old male cub has been dubbed Capt. Cal, the name of the Cal Fire mascot. Hes being treated for burns to his feet and seems to be regaining his appetite, according to zoo veterinarians. 7:55 a.m. Latest on Creek Fire in Fresno, Madera counties: The Creek fire is now 312,063 acres in size and 49% contained, according to Cal Fire. 7:46 a.m. Deadly Zogg Fire grows, but so does containment: The Zogg Fire in Shasta and Tehama counties grew slightly overnight, to 56,305 acres, Cal Fire reported Saturday morning. The fire, which has killed four people, is now 57% contained. Air tankers from across the state are dousing the fire, as conditions allow, Cal Fire said. 7:32 a.m. August Complex now 979,386 acres: The August Complex fire the largest blaze in California history is now 979,386 acres in size, Cal Fire reported Saturday morning, and is 51% contained. There are still more than 11,000 structures threatened by the massive fire, which is burning across swaths of Mendocino, Humboldt, Trinity, Tehama, Lake, Colusa and Glenn counties. 7:18 a.m. Glass Fire grows overnight: The Glass fire in Napa and Sonoma counties grew by just over 1,200 acres overnight, standing at 62,360 acres as of Saturday morning, according to Cal Fire. Firefighters were able to slightly grow their containment of the fire from 8% to 10% in that time. 6:00 a.m. Red flag warning expires: A red flag warning, signifying significant fire risk fo the North Bay Mountains, East Bay hills, the Diablo Range mountains and the Santa Cruz Mountains expired Saturday morning, according to the National Weather Service. With a few exceptions, forecasted winds that worried firefighters never materialized. Another brief burst of northwest winds may impact the Glass Fire later Saturday afternoon and evening, but should be localized to gusts in the 25-30 mph range, the NWS said. 5:52 a.m. When blazes spark, Fire Twitter heats up: Each year when fires flare up across California and the West, so does a small, loose-knit Twitter community of scientists, amateur radio operators and journalists. Theyre all using social media to satisfy a growing demand for real-time information, analysis and discussion as wildly destructive fire seasons become the horrifying norm, and the information they provide is a part of the critical link between firefighters, the media and the public. Read the full story here. 5:26 a.m. Heroic story of senior home evacuation during early hours of Glass Fire: With her heart pounding, Jamie Gralund pressed her foot to the gas and blew through the police checkpoint, trying to help evacuate seniors from Oakmont Gardens in Santa Rosa. Read the full story here. 12:25 a.m. Winds calm in Glass Fire zone: Winds have remained calm so far in the Bay Area with the exception of Mt. Tamalpais and the Altamont Pass, which have seen red-flag level wind gusts of 18-25 mph, according to the National Weather Service. 12:18 a.m. Firefighters battling several spot fires: Firefighters have been battling several spot fires in the Glass Fire zone, including fire off of Ink Grade Road near Angwin, according to scanner reports. Updates from Friday, Oct. 2: 7:30 p.m. Glass Fire still rages, but containment rises slightly: The blaze that began Sunday has now burned 61,150 acres in Napa and Sonoma counties, up from roughly 59,000 acres on Thursday evening, according to a Cal Fire report Friday evening. It is 8% contained, compared to 5% at the end of Thursday. There are 2,611 personnel involved in the efforts as well as 21 helicopters for water drops and 74 bulldozers to make fire lines. The conflagration has now destroyed 293 single family homes, and more than 28,000 structures are still threatened. 7:05 p.m. Cal Fire shares photo of Glass Fire the night it started: Cal Fires Sonoma-Lake-Napa Unit shared on Twitter a photo showing flames in the hills above a vineyard off of Crystal Springs Road in Napa County just after 7 p.m. the day the blaze broke out, Cal Fire said. 6:48 p.m. Cal Fire invites people to call Glass Fire Information Center with questions: Cal Fires Sonoma-Lake-Napa Unit invited people on Twitter to call the Glass Fires Information Call Center to get their questions answered about the blaze. Callers can reach the call center at 707-967-4207, or call 211. 6:50 p.m. More progress against Zogg Fire: Cal Fire reported another day of progress in battling the Zogg Fire near Redding that killed four people after breaking out Sunday afternoon. It grew by only 150 acres during the day, bring the total burned land to 56,168 acres, and it now is 56% contained up from 39% on Thursday evening. There have been 170 structures destroyed, and 101 structures remained threatened. 6:30 p.m. Fire conditions in Sonoma County mostly stable: Though the Glass Fire continues to threaten large stretches of Napa County, the west flank in Sonoma County on Friday was calm, county officials told a press briefing. But 16,542 people remain under evacuation orders, many of them residents of eastern Santa Rosa. Christina Rivera, the Emergency Operations Director, said the county also has more than 400 animals in its care: 200 horses, 123 chickens, 68 goats, 12 quail and two llamas. We are taking care of everyone, even the precious pets that we have, Rivera said. 6:21 p.m. Fire-scorched California land approaches 4 million acres this year: Cal Fire reports that since the beginning of the year, more than 8,200 wildfires have burned well over 3.9 million acres in California. MOre than 53,000 residents now are evacuated across the state. Fatalities statewide increased this week to 31 after another victim of the LNU Lightning Complex succumbed to their injuries, Cal Fire reported. 3:55 p.m. Most evacuated Santa Rosa residents can return home: Cal Fire has lessened evacuation orders to evacuation warnings for all parts of the city of Santa Rosa that were not actually burned. However, the notice from the state agency on Friday afternoon warns returning residents to stay vigilant on current fire conditions. 3:30 p.m. Napa wineries in evacuation or warning zones number 215: There are now 215 wineries in Napa County under mandatory evacuation or evacuation warning, according to Napa County public information officer Janet Upton, an increase of 72 since Monday. So far, 17 wine properties have registered significant damage by the Glass Fire. 3:15 p.m. Sonoma County evacuation orders lifted: Several areas that were under evacuation orders along the west edge of the Glass Fire have been improved to evacuation warning status. They include areas east and south of Santa Rosa, south of Annadel State Park and in the ridges east of Windsor. A full list is here. 2:55 p.m. Glass Fire conditions remain near critical: Although high winds that triggered a Bay Area red flag warning did not materialize Thursday evening, breezy conditions and hot temperatures through Saturday could hasten the spread of the Glass Fire along its north and east flanks in Napa County, Cal Fire meteorologist Tom Bird said Friday afternoon.We still continue with elevated to near-critical fire conditions today and into tonight, Bird said in a briefing on the Cal Fire Facebook page. Sunday may bring better conditions, he said, with winds from the west carrying a little more moisture and cooling the temperatures. 2:30 p.m. People trying to get past fire barricades: Santa Rosa police are having trouble dissuading evacuees from trying to get back into evacuated areas to check on their houses as well as people hoping to take a look at the devastation in burned areas, Police Chief Ray Navarro said. He said his department had made no looting or robbery arrests in evacuated areas, but added, If you dont live in the area, please dont come to look. Sonoma County Sheriff Mark Essick said his department has added 50 additional deputies to patrol evacuated zones for looters. 2:24 p.m. Air quality in Napa hazardous: Air quality at a Napa Valley College monitoring station reached levels rated hazardous between 10 and 11 a.m. Friday before dropping back slightly to very unhealthy in the following hour. Air quality across the rest of the Bay Area was at unhealthy levels due to smoke. 2 p.m. Cal Fire watching out for winery workers: Despite the nearby flames, and expected winds that could drive the Glass Fire through the Highway 29 corridor, many winery workers are still on the job during the critical harvest season. While thats understandable, its another concern for Cal Fire, Battalion Chief Mark Brunton said at a Friday media briefing. Theres a lot of industry working in the area, he said, and its their safety as well as the fire that has firefighters attention. 1:35 p.m. CHP says this is not a weekend to tour Wine Country: The CHP commander in Wine Country, Aristotle Wolfe, said people have done a good job staying away from road closures and barricades during the Glass Fire. But he worries about weekend travelers heading to wineries or a favorite park or restaurant, getting firefighters way and snarling traffic, especially on Highway 29 and Silverado Trail, both of which have roadblocks. These are routes people are used to traveling, he said. This is just not a good weekend for it. 12:28 p.m. Record heat, wind, climate are not the only wildfire quagmires: Californias fiery, record-breaking wildfire crisis could quickly become a political one too, as state leaders scramble to contain a worsening problem with myriad solutions, none of them easy, with disagreement about next steps. Climate change is not the only issue: the state will need to grapple with its overgrown forests and misguided development patterns. Read The Chronicles rundown of how the path to solutions looks. 10:38 a.m. Oakland Zoo treating mountain lion cub from Zogg Fire: Oakland Zoo vets are treating an orphaned mountain lion cub rescued by a firefighter from the Zogg Fire in Shasta County. The male cub, four to six weeks old, suffered burns to his paws, whiskers completely singed off and severely irritated eyes. With medication and a special milk formula, he was acting feisty, a promising sign, according to the zoos Dr. Alex Herman. Because mountain lion cubs usually stay with their mothers for two years, he wont be released into the wild once hes recovered, zoo officials said. 9:25 a.m. Store once owned by assemblywomans family burns: Among the 159 buildings destroyed by the Zogg Fire in Shasta County was the Ono Store, a classic general store in the town of Ono, west of Redding, near where the fire ignited on Sunday. It was owned by Bruce and Sherry Wicks, parents of Assemblywoman Buffy Wicks, D-Berkeley, in the 1970s, she tweeted. She called it a gem of a general store...a restaurant, bar, grocery, weather reporting service, & library during that time. It was wiped out when the fire blasted through Monday. 8:50 a.m. Firefighters continue to gain on Zogg Fire: The Zogg Fire, burning west of Redding in Shasta County, has killed four people and destroyed 159 buildings as it tore through 56,018 acres since it ignited Sunday. But over the past two nights, firefighters have made significant progress surrounding the fire with containment lines. As of Friday morning, it was 46% contained. 8:46 a.m. August Complex Fire continues to grow: Already by far the largest fire in California history, the massive August Complex stretching across parts of five Northern California counties continued to grow overnight, surpassing 970,000 acres. The fire, started by lightning on Sept. 10 in Mendocino County, was 51% contained as of Friday morning. The conflagration is burning in timber land and steep, rugged terrain, and remains very active, according to Cal Fire officials. 8:39 a.m. Bay Area heat advisory until 8 p.m.: The Bay Area heat advisory remains until Friday at 8 p.m. Santa Rosa and other valley towns in the North Bay were expected to hit 101, while temperatures in the mid-80s were forecast for Oakland and San Francisco, and triple-digit mercury for inland areas including Gilroy, Livermore and Concord. But National Weather Service meteorologists predict cooler temperatures throughout the weekend and into next week. 8:14 a.m. Strong winds feed Glass Fire: Sustained winds and gusts of up to 45 mph were expected to buffet the Bay Areas highest elevations Friday, according to the National Weather Service. Winds were expected to be strongest between 1 p.m. and 10 p.m., which could complicate efforts to contain Glass Fire. Fuels are incredibly dry. Theres an active fire. Any increase in winds is not a good recipe, said Weather Service meteorologist Ryan Walbrun. 7:45 a.m. Glass Fire still barely contained: Despite lighter than expected winds overnight, the Glass Fire continued to grow, according to Cal Fire officials. The fire has now consumed 60,148 acres, growing by about 2,000 acres overnight, and is now 6% contained. A total of 220 houses have been leveled in Napa and Sonoma counties along with dozens of other structures. About 29,000 buildings are still threatened. 6:47 a.m. Zogg Fire containment rises to 46%: That is an increase from 39% containment Thursday night. The fire, which is in Shasta and Tehama counties, has burned 56,018 acres, Cal Fire said, up slightly from 55,803 on Thursday night. It has destroyed 159 structures and taken four lives. 6:09 a.m. Spare the Air alert in effect through Tuesday: Smoke and smog will continue to impact the Bay Area, prompting officials to extend a Spare the Air alert through Tuesday. 5:59 a.m. Heat continues, winds may pick up this afternoon: The National Weather Services Bay Area arm reports that very warm to hot and dry conditions will persist over the region through Friday, and that will bring critical fire weather conditions over the higher terrain, especially where ongoing fires continue. In addition, while winds have been relatively quiet, the weather service expects a pulse of stronger NW later this afternoon and this evening. 5:39 a.m. Air quality remains poor: Fine-particle measurements across the Bay Area ranged from unhealthy for sensitive groups to very unhealthy early Friday morning, with the worst reading in the very unhealthy category at 3 a.m. in Napa. Official air quality data lags real-time by a few hours. 5:19 a.m. Wind gusts on Mt. St. Helena remain low: Despite fears of risky fire weather, the winds on Mt. St. Helena which is in the Glass Fire area remained in the single digits overnight. Shortly after 5 a.m., wind speeds were 6 miles per hour, gusting to 8 miles per hour. 2:30 a.m. Firefighters battle grass fire in Solano County: Firefighters with Fairfield and Solano County fire departments were battling a grass fire near Business Center Drive and Suisun Parkway, a Fairfield emergency dispatcher told The Chronicle. The fire was reported just before 2 a.m. There was no threat to structures, and there were no reports of injuries. Dispatch said forward progress of the fire had stopped before 2:30 a.m. Friday. The cause of the fire was immediately unknown. 1:45 a.m. Crews respond to house fire near Calistoga: Firefighters were responding to a report of a two-story house fire at 1320 Tucker Road. The home was fully involved and residents had evacuated safely, according to scanner reports. 9:30 Massive August Complex fire grows: Already the largest fire in state history by far, the August Complex of blazes that stretch across portions of five northern counties consumed another 500 acres on Thursday, bringing the total to 956,084. Containment remains at 47%, according to a Cal Fire report Thursday evening. Relatively speaking it was a pretty good day it could have been a lot worse because of winds and parched landscapes, said Capt. A.J. Lester of Cal Fire. But 500 acres in itself is pretty big. Updates from Thursday, Oct. 1 8 p.m. Firefighters working to save home just off Highway 29 near Calistoga: Firefighters were working to save a home just off Highway 29, just north of Old Lawley Toll Road, as flames were creeping up behind the residence on Thursday night. The Chronicles Michael Williams captured the scene on video. 7:30 p.m.: Glass Fire nears 60,000 acres, just 5% contained: The Glass Fire grew to 58,880 acres as of Thursday evening, according to a Cal Fire update, an increase from Wednesday evening of 7,500 acres. It also has destroyed a total of 220 homes in Napa and Sonoma counties up from 143 on Wednesday and 28,835 are threatened. The fire situation on Thursday is especially perilous in Napa County, where several small communities remain under evacuation orders, but Sonoma County officials at a press conference Thursday evening said that the threats to Santa Rosa have receded. 7:35 p.m. Glass Fire burning near Angwin: Cal Fire spokesman Scott McLean told The Chronicle that while the Glass Fire was actively burning around Angwin, there is nothing in town proper. McLean said that the Glass Fire is close, dont get me wrong, (but) it is not in town destroying structures. McLean said Angwin, Calistoga and the area near Highway 29 have proved challenging areas for firefighters on the ground. With the weather conditions, they are busting it, trying to make sure that theyre prepared and continue to be so, and get some lines in. Its been a hard one, getting around it, McLean said. 7 p.m. Zogg Fire now 39% contained: Firefighters had a very successful day in their efforts to rein in the Zogg Fire near Redding, according to Cal Fire. The blaze that began on Sept. 27 consumed 55,803 acres as of Thursday evening, what the agency describes as a minimal growth in size, and the 39% containment is up from the 26% reported earlier in the day. There continue to be numerous road closings, however; 153 structures have been destroyed, and another 1,548 are still threatened. 5 p.m. We all feel sucker-punched, says Napa supervisor: The Napa County Board of Supervisors held a special meeting Thursday afternoon to ratify a state of emergency and public health emergency that officials declared on Monday after the Glass Fire erupted. Supervisor Belia Ramos urged residents to stay strong: We all feel sucker-punched right now. Its not going to be easy, we know that, but were going to make our way out of these difficult times. 4:09 p.m. The strange saga of the Napa Valley Museum: On Sept. 24, the museum opened an online exhibition of wildfire photography by Tim Carl, a native of St. Helena and a current Calistoga resident. Four days later, the photographer and the museums executive director both evacuated their homes as the Glass Fire spread. One took shelter in the museum itself. Read the story here. 4:08 p.m. Firefighters battle edge of Glass Fire: About four miles north of Calistoga, fire crews overlooked flames in a steep ravine below a home. Hand crews had already cleared fire lines and a California National Guard helicopter repeatedly looped around dropping water on the fire. Winds were fairly calm in the remote hills. 3:35 p.m. Luck runs out for Napa vineyard area: Few areas of Napa Valley have evaded wildfire over the last few years, but Spring Mountain was lucky. Luck ran out, however, for this vineyard-dotted mountain above St. Helena in Napas western flanks, as the Glass Fire has swept across the region: Spring Mountain became Napas latest battleground. Read the latest here. 3:27 p.m. Napa County goofs on alert, creating confusion: An unknown number of Bay Area residents even in non-fire zones received erroneous emergency alerts Thursday warning of imminent fire danger. Residents of Solano, Marin and Napa counties, and perhaps others, received messages meant just for a small number of Napa County residents threatened by the Glass Fire. The blunder was traced to a glitch in the Napa County warning system. Read more here. 3:17 p.m. Highway 29 closed in Lake County: Caltrans has closed Highway 29 at Bradford Road about a mile north of the Napa/Lake county line because of the nearby Glass Fire. No specific time is projected to reopen it. Cal Fire officials have said the fire is not yet burning in Lake County but is threatening to enter the county near Highway 29. 3:05 p.m. Flex Alert in effect: With high temperatures across the state, electric grid officials are asking Californians to save power until 10 p.m. Thursday. Read more here. 2:40 p.m. Santa Rosa fire chief: Early evacuations, awareness led to no deaths: So far, no fatalities have been reported in the Glass Fire, Santa Rosa Fire Chief Anthony Gossner said Thursday. He credited the communitys awareness and evacuations that took place almost immediately after the fires started on Sunday. We are a battle-hardened community, he said. 2:30 p.m. Cal Fire director says fire lines are long enough to reach New York: Firefighters battling Californias hellish series of blazes have put down enough fire containment lines to stretch from San Diego to New York City, Cal Fire Director Thom Porter said Thursday. As of Thursday afternoon, 23 major fires were burning in the state and firefighters from several states, and from the National Guard, Canada, Mexico and Israel are fighting the fires. 2:07 p.m. Fight against Glass Fire includes Lake County: The fight against the Glass Fire now includes Lake County, Billy See, a Cal Fire assistant chief, said Thursday. Even though the fire is not burning inside the county, which has experienced several large fires in the past five years, it could still cross the county lines. Crews are working inside Lake County to prevent that from happening, he said at an afternoon press briefing. 2 p.m. In search of the Glass Fire ignition: On the Fifth & Mission podcast take a walk up steep North Fork Crystal Springs Road with reporter Matthias Gafni. He describes the scorched landscape near the Dancing Bear Ranch Vineyard, part of Cakebread Cellars, where Cal Fire has been focusing investigation on finding what started the Glass Fire. Click here to listen. 1:40 p.m. Firefighting teams now include 2,200 military: Some 2,200 military personnel are helping to fight Californias 23 active wildfires, California National Guard Adjutant General David Baldwin said Thursday afternoon. Seven helicopters, a surveillance plane and drone aircraft from the military are being used to map the fires and drop water and retardant, he said at a press conference in Santa Rosa. 1:50 p.m. Raindrops maybe could come: Californians suffering a hellish wildfire season just got a sliver of hope: Meteorologists say we could start to see measurable rain as soon as a week from now. Forecast models show about a 50% likelihood that the Bay Area will receive above normal precipitation from Oct. 8-14, according to the National Weather Service. Read the details here. 1:22 p.m. Californians told to conserve energy 3-10 p.m.: Californians are being urged to prevent rolling blackouts by conserving electricity as excessive heat and smoke strain the electric grid. The operator of the power grid covering most of the state, issued a call to save electricity for 3-10 p.m. Thursday. People should set air conditioners at 78 degrees or higher and turn off unnecessary appliances to reduce demand. Read the story here. 1:11 p.m. New evacuations in Napa County: Authorities have issued a mandatory evacuation order for Whitehall Lane to the Bella Oaks area near Rutherford in Napa County. It covers the area south of the end of South Whitehall Lane and north of the end of Bella Oaks Lane, west to the Sonoma County line and including addresses greater than the 500 block on Wall Road. An evacuation warning was issued for areas from Bella Lane to Oakville Grade. 12:51 p.m. Blaze threatens Angwin and Pope Valley: Cal Fire said Thursday that active fire was pushing Glass Fire flames toward the communities of Angwin and Pope Valley. We have a lot of resources in and around Angwin, said Battalion Chief Mark Bruntwin, but overall resources are short. 12:37 p.m. Newsom tours Glass Fire: Gov. Gavin Newsom, touring destruction left by the voracious Glass Fire raging across Napa and Sonoma counties, said Thursday on Twitter: Heartbreaking to see the devastation that this fire has caused. Immensely grateful for the firefighters and first responders that have tirelessly fought to keep this community safe. 12:25 p.m. Highway 29 in Napa has some fire: Cal Fire said Thursday the Highway 29 corridor through the Napa vineyard zone has had some flames and fire threat. Grape harvesting is allowed to continue as its a crucial time for the industry, said Chief Mark Brunton. We are going to be watching that closely. 12:20 p.m. Glass Fire at outskirts of Calistoga: Firefighters on Thursday worked to slow the Glass Fire at the outskirts of Calistoga as it threatened the town, Cal Fire Battalion Chief Mark Brunton said Thursday. The blaze had not reached city limits, he said, and firefighters were doing active structure defense. Concern centered on winds coming from the northwest with potential to push into the Highway 29 corridor, he said. In the rural Palisades area near St. Helena, rough, steep terrain and combustible vegetation was making it difficult for firefighters to make headway and cut off its northward advancement toward Lake County. 11:51 a.m. Marin County says fire-danger alert not intended for county: Marin County officials on Thursday told residents not to worry if they received an extreme fire danger message, as it was not intended for them: Weve received word that @CountyofNapa sent out an extreme fire danger message via the Wireless Emergency Alert system. This was not intended for Marin County residents; there are NO evacuations in effect for #MarinCounty, the countys official Twitter page tweeted. 11:30 a.m. Cal Fire at small fire on Oakville Grade Road: Cal Fire have responded to a small fire on Oakville Grade Road west of Yountville, several miles south of where the Glass Fire is active, spokesman Dominik Schwab confirmed. He was unable to provide more details but a source at the scene told The Chronicle that the flames were extinguished, crews were mopping up and a Cal Fire investigator was trying to determine the cause. 10:45 a.m. Fires wreak havoc on internet, cell connectivity: The destructive Glass Fire has damaged vulnerable internet and cell phone infrastructure, the latest to highlight the urgent need for more resilient connections as Northern California fires increasintly topple utility poles, wreck optic cables and cut off power all while evacuation orders and other emergency communications depend on online communication. Read the story here. 10:08 a.m. Newsom to tour Glass Fire zone: Gov. Gavin Newsom was scheduled to tour the Glass Fire zone late Thursday morning as firefighters braced for threatening fire conditions with high dry winds and hot temperatures. The governors press office did not disclose the precise location, but said he would be onsite at 11:30 a.m. 10:05 a.m. LNU and SCU complex fires fully contained: The LNU and SCU complex fires, sparked by lightning on Aug. 16, have finally been fully contained. Cal Fire officials announced the elusive 100% containment figure Thursday morning. The fires, the LNU in the North Bay and the SCU in the East Bay and Central Valley, burned through more than 760,000 acres, killed five people and destroyed 1,700 structures. 9:14 a.m. Heat advisory stay inside: The National Weather Service has issued a heat advisory for Thursday, predicting punishing temperatures, rising well above 100 in the fire zones and other inland areas. Bay Area temperatures were warmer than usual before dawn, with little if any fog along the coast, and were expected to climb to the low 90s in San Francisco and along the bay to around 100 in Napa and inland East Bay cities like Livermore and Brentwood. The Weather Service urged people to stay inside, stay hydrated and avoid extended periods of strenuous exercise. Read the story here. 9:03 a.m. How to help firefighters and victims: Numerous relief groups are providing aid to firefighters and residents suffering in the wake of record-smashing wildfires in Northern California. The Chronicle provides a list of options on how you can help. 8:22 a.m. Glass Fire 5% contained: The Glass Fire burning in Napa and Sonoma counties was 5% contained Thursday morning, Cal Fire said, a 3% improvement overnight. The fire, which has displaced tens of thousands and destroyed more than 100 homes, has grown to nearly 57,000 acres in size. 8:15 a.m. Extreme fire hazards in August Complex: Firefighters in the northern section of the record-breaking August Complex fires in Trinity and Humboldt County have reported zero visibility due to dense smoke, Cal Fire reported Thursday. The seven-county blaze has grown to 955,513 acres and was 47% contained as of Thursday morning. . Highly combustible vegetation, falling trees, downed powerlines and exploding fuel tanks are among the hazards, Cal Fire said. 8:05 a.m. Icky air Thursday: Air quality for much of the Bay Area was expected to worsen Thursday as smoke from the Glass Fire in Napa and Sonoma counties blows south, driven by winds that could gust up to 30 mph later in the day. A Spare the Air alert which has persisted for much of the week is in effect until at least Friday. Read the story with details about air quality throughout the area. 7:32 a.m. Battered Butte County struggles to house the displaced: Housing and homeless advocates say that the pandemic and wildfires have combined to overwhelm a hardscrabble county that was already struggling with a housing crisis, with hundreds of families living in cars, lean-tos and tents, and cramming into apartments. The North Complex fires have left hundreds of families homeless as the county still is recovering from the 2018 Camp Fire that flattened the town of Paradise. Read the story here. 7:14 a.m. Wildfires elevate housing needs: The CZU fires last month spurred evacuation of 1 in 5 Santa Cruz County residents, some 60,000 people, and destroyed nearly 1,000 homes. In a troubling warning for North Bay wildfire regions, the blaze affected some of the countys most affordable housing, adding pressure on an already costly market amid a statewide housing crisis. Read the details here. 6:54 a.m. Thursdays red flag warning expands: The National Weather Service expanded the territory included in its red flag warning, which takes effect Thursday afternoon, to include the East Bay hills and the Santa Cruz mountains. The initial warning, issued Wednesday, includes the North Bay mountains and the region around the Glass Fire. The warning will take effect 1 p.m. Thursday and last at least until 6 p.m. Friday as forecasts predict gusty winds, high temperatures and low humidity conditions that could fan the flames of the Glass Fire. 6:48 a.m. Evacuation warning lifted for Paradise: Reduced fire activity and improving weather conditions prompted the agencies responding to the North Complex fire to lift the evacuation warning hanging over the town of Paradise Wednesday afternoon. 6:34 a.m. Zogg Fire 26% contained: Firefighters reported substantial progress against the Zogg Fire in Shasta and Tehama counties, with containment growing from 9% to 26% overnight. The fire itself grew minimally by just 257 acres according to a Cal Fire report Thursday morning. The fire, which has killed four people and destroyed 147 structures, is now 55,303 acres in size. Updates from Wednesday, Sept. 30: 7:20 p.m. Glass Fire grows to 51,266 acres acres: The Glass Fire has burned 51,266 acres and was 2% contained as of Wednesday evening, Cal Fire said. The fire has destroyed 36 single-family residences in Sonoma County and 107 in Napa County, and is threatening another 26,290 structures, Cal Fire said. Officials said 2,108 firefighters are battling the blaze along with 37 water tenders, 22 helicopters and 81 dozers. 7:05 p.m. More evacuation orders, warnings in portions of Napa County for Glass Fire: The Glass Fire is prompting new evacuation orders and warnings for portions of Napa County, Cal Fires Sonoma-Lake-Napa Unit said on Twitter Wednesday evening. 6:50 p.m. States grid operator asks customers to cut energy use on Thursday afternoon, evening: The California Independent System Operator called for a Flex Alert for 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. Thursday in anticipation of triple-digit heat, according to Pacific Gas & Electric Co. officials. Conserving energy is a way to make sure that the supply of power stays ahead of demand,. PG&E officials said. With high temperatures in the forecast, the grid operator is predicting an increase in electricity demand, primarily from air conditioning use, PG&E officials said. Reduced capacity, along with fire activity and heat, has led to a potential shortage of energy supply tomorrow evening, CAISO says. 3:40 p.m. All of St. Helena now under either evacuation order or warning: St. Helena Police Chief Chris Hartley told The Chronicle that the north and western ends of the city limit specifically the parts of the city that are up against the hillside are under an evacuation order, which is probably only about a quarter of our city limits. Hartley said: The other three-quarters are under an evacuation warning. The majority of the city is under an evacuation warning only. 3:38 p.m. Fires bring internet outages: Wildfires can take out internet and cell-phone infrastructure, causing residents fleeing the flames more problems as they miss emergency alerts. Heres why Northern California networks arent more resilient to the regions increasingly threatening fires. 3:22 p.m. Nearly 4 million acres have burned in state this year: More than 8,100 wildfires have ripped across well over 3.9 million California acres this fire season, according to Cal Fire, pushing toward the 4-million-acre milestone. Thats twice the 2018 record of 1.98 million acres burned. With the blazes have come 29 deaths, and destruction of more than 7,200 structures as of Wednesday. 3:15 pm. Body found in Shasta County: Cal Fire said the body of the Zogg fires fourth victim was discovered amid the ashes in Shasta County. The fire, near Redding, has burned 50,000 acres remained out of control, with 146 structures lost. More than 1,500 homes and other buildings remained threatened, officials said Wednesday. 3:10 p.m. Glass fire a huge challenge: The Glass fire has made its main push into east Santa Rosa, where nothing has burned in 80 years, creating tinderbox conditions after a dry winter, as more than 2,000 crew members battle the blaze. It isnt taking much for fires to establish there, Cal Fire Chief Mark Brunton said Wednesday. Even without the wind, its still a huge challenge. Read the story here. 2:55 p.m. Camp Pendleton evacuations: Fire officials ordered residents to evacuate Camp Pendleton (San Diego County) on Wednesday after a brush fire started on the east side of the Marine Corps base. Base officials said on social media Wednesday that the De Luz housing area and surrounding buildings were being evacuated and suggested that evacuees go to Paige Field House. 2:12 p.m. Five arrested in evacuation zones: Five people were arrested for being inside Glass Fire evacuation zones without approval, Sonoma County Sheriff Mark Essick said Wednesday, but no looting was reported. Those people had no lawful business being there, but we suspect they were looking for crimes of opportunity, he said. Santa Rosa also had no reports of looters in the city. Sheriffs deputies and police officers are patrolling evacuated areas. 1:39 p.m. Zogg Fire claims 4th victim: The Zogg Fire tearing though nearly 52,000 acres of Shasta County has killed a fourth person, according to Cal Fire. The conditions surrounding the persons death were not immediately clear. 1:24 p.m. How did Glass Fire start?: Cal Fire officials believe the Glass Fire blaze started Sunday in the 200 block of North Fork Crystal Springs Road, off Silverado Trail, east of Larkmead Lane. The cause is not confirmed. The smaller Shady Fire, one of two that merged with the Glass Fire on Monday, is believed to have ignited from wind that blew sparks or embers from the Glass Fire, but that also is not confirmed, officials said. Read the story. 12:47 p.m. Glass Fire burning near Robert Louis Stevenson State Park: Cal Fire reported that the Glass Fire is now burning in the Palisades adjacent to Robert Louis Stevenson State Park in Napa County. A tweet from Cal Fires Sonoma-Lake-Napa Unit included a video of the fire ripping up a mountainside, its furious clouds billowing rapidly above the ridgline. 11:47 a.m. Glass Fire threatening 22,500 structures: The Glass Fire has destroyed 80 homes but 22,500 structures are still threatened, Cal Fire said Wednesday. At a briefing, officials voiced concern that a deadly combination of intense heat, very low humidity and stronger winds may test containment lines. The blaze remained 2% contained Wednesday morning. 11:35 a.m. Red Flag fire warning for Thursday: The National Weather Service announced a Red Flag fire-danger warning for the North Bay mountains and areas around the Glass Fire starting at 1 p.m. Thursday. While not expecting the same critical fire conditionsof earlier this week, forecasters expect critically dry and breezy conditions in the area. 11:25 a.m. Refusing to evacuate to save a building: As the Grass Fire bore down on Pope Valley and evacuations were ordered, a group of residents refused to leave, staying to protect the 1915 Pope Valley Garage which they said had never closed its doors. Read The Chronicles story on how they rationalized defying fire and law enforcement officials insistence that such actions are dangerous and put the lives of residents and firefighters at risk. 11:17 a.m. Thursday will bring Bay Area winds, heat: The Bay Area is about to get slammed again with dry, gusting winds and hot temperatures on Thursday, meteorologists said. Dry winds with gusts over 25 mph are expected in the North Bay mountains, creating conditions likely to spread the Glass Fire, and lasting into the weekend. Unusually high temperatures, reaching well past 100 in the North Bay and other inland areas, are expected on Thursday. Read the story here. 10:59 a.m. New Glass Fire evacuations: The Glass Fire is forcing new evacuations even as some people return to their homes. People living northwest of Calistoga were ordered to evacuate early Wednesday morning. While the fire is still largely uncontrolled, evacuees from the Skyhawk neighborhood in east Santa Rosa were allowed to return home Tuesday night and some evacuation orders were reduced to warnings. Read the latest details here. 10:47 a.m. Firefighters forced to use shelter: Two firefighters, trapped by wind-driven flames, were able to escape injury after they deployed their fire shelter, Cal Fire officials said Wednesday. The firefighters, in an undisclosed area of Napa County, deployed the tent-like structure at about 11:45 p.m. Sunday. They were uninjured, Cal Fire reported, but a number of fire transportation vehicles were damaged by the flames. 9:19 a.m. Bay Area firefighters in thick of fire fury: The Alameda County Fire Department tweeted that its crews and East Bay teams have been helping out with protection of structures and livestock in the Calistoga-St. Helena area, passing live fire enroute and faced with extreme weather and fire behavior. The department posted a dramatic video of the fury theyve seen. 8:53 a.m. How global warming and fires converged: The Chronicle has created insightful interactive maps showing how the climate crisis has spiraled out of control, with extreme drought, diminished tree cover, torrential rains that fed underbrush fuel, and hot weather conditions joining forces to inflame the record-setting wildfires of recent years. Check out the compelling map project here. 7:57 a.m. Glass Fire continues to spread: In hot, dry conditions, the Glass Fire burning through Sonoma and Napa counties grew by about 2,000 acres overnight. It has consumed 48,440 acres and was 2% contained as of Wednesday morning, Cal Fire reported. A total of 115 structures, including 80 homes and a number of winery buildings, have been destroyed and more than 22,000 are threatened. 7:35 a.m. Zogg Fire 7% contained but growing: Firefighters began to establish containment lines overnight Wednesday on the Zogg Fire, which is burning in grass, oak and chapparal west of Redding in Shasta and Tehama counties. The fire, which grew by about 2,000 acres to 51,955 acres, was 7% contained as of Wednesday morning, after 0% containment Tuesday night. The fire near the towns of Ono and Igo has destroyed 146 structures. 7:14 a.m. Diablo winds lurk, with prospect of worse fires:The fierce fires that have consumed Northern California over the past few weeks could grow exponentially worse as dry, seasonal gusts called Diablo winds kick up in October, weather experts say. Similar to the Santa Ana winds in Southern California, they typically arrive when the state is at its most vulnerable, The Chronicles Aidin Vaziri reports. 5:39 a.m. Video shows devastation along Sonoma-Napa border: The Sonoma County Sheriffs Office posted a video Tuesday night of the fire damage along St. Helena Road on the border of Napa and Sonoma counties. The footage showed downed utility poles and charred landscapes in an area that the sheriffs office said has been one of the most active fire zones in Sonoma County as the 46,600-acre Glass Fire rages on. 5:24 a.m. Air quality at unhealthy levels for much of Bay Area: A Spare the Air alert remained in effect Wednesday morning as air quality was rated unhealthy for much of the Bay Area, with high levels of pollutants detected in North and East Bay skies, according to the Bay Area Air Quality Management District. Areas south of the Glass Fire, from Petaluma, Vallejo and Concord all the way to Livermore are expected to see poor air quality throughout the week. Air-quality regulators said a Spare the Air Alert would run through at least Friday. 5:10 a.m. Fire conditions predicted in mountainous Napa, Sonoma counties: Wind gusts are expected to reach up to 30 mph at the highest elevations in the North Bay mountains this week, which could spark more fires in an area already under siege by the 46,600-acre Glass Fire, according to the National Weather Service. The prospect of strong winds coupled with low humidity has meteorologists worried. The agency issued a fire watch for much of northern Sonoma and Napa counties that begins Thursday at 1 p.m. and runs through Saturday evening, though wind gusts are expected to continue through the weekend. Updates from Tuesday, Sept. 29: 8:55 p.m. Weather Service issues fire weather watches for Glass, Dolan fires: The National Weather Services Bay Area office issued fire weather watches for the Glass and Dolan fires, saying that while upcoming weather wont be nearly as strong as this past weekend for the Glass Fire but still critical with hot temps, low humidity, dry fuels and breezy winds. The Weather Service has not yet called for a red flag warning, which is one step above a fire weather watch. 8:30 p.m. Weather Service doesnt expect red flag warning but heat will be intense: The National Weather Service said it had no plans to issue a red-flag warning but some intense heat is coming to the fire zone. Temperatures were expected to hover mainly in the low- to mid-90s on Wednesday before jumping up to over 100 degrees on Thursday, said David King, a meteorologist for the weather service. Officials in Sonoma County earlier said they believed a red-flag warning was possible in the fire zone in the coming days, with one Cal Fire chief putting the odds at 50-50, largely because of expected high temperatures and dangerously low humidity levels. 8:05 p.m. Newsom responds to Trumps debate comments on forest fires: California Gov. Gavin Newsom quote-retweeted CLIMATE CHANGE IS REAL of a PolitiFact tweet fact-checking President Trumps comments about the cause of forest fires. During the first presidential debate on Tuesday night, Trump claimed without evidence that forest fires are caused by poor forest management. PolitiFact, an independent fact-checker part of Poynter Institute, tweeted, Donald Trump blames the forest fires on forest management. False. Californias stronger winds, higher temperatures and drier conditions driven by climate change are also making the fires worse. 7:15 p.m. Evacuation order issued for portions of Napa County for Glass Fire: Cal Fire said a previous evacuation warning has been upgraded to an evacuation order for all areas west of SR 29/128 (Foothill Boulevard) to the county line, between Diamond Mountain Road and Petrified Forest Road. 7:10 p.m. Glass Fire grows to 46,600 acres: The Glass Fire has burned 46,600 acres and was 2% contained as of Tuesday evening, Cal Fire said. Officials said 2,099 firefighters were battling the blaze along with 261 engines, 31 water tenders, 16 helicopters, and 71 dozers. 5:32 p.m. Hood Mountain park burns again: The Glass Fire has burned nearly all of Hood Mountain Regional Park east of Santa Rosa, according to Sonoma County Supervisor Susan Gorin. The park also burned in the 2017 Nuns Fire. Gorin warned that the picturesque viewshed along Highway 12 outside Santa Rosa will take a very long time to recover. 5:20 p.m. More road closures in and near Calistoga: Officials with Napa County Office of Emergency Services announced more road closures related to the ongoing Glass Fire including: Highway 29 at Tubbs Lane in all directions; Highway 128 at Petrified Forest Road in all directions; Highway 29 at Deer Park Road in all directions. 5:13 p.m. Glass Fire still 0% contained, firefighters expect worse weather to come: The Glass Fire is 42,360 acres and 0% contained and has burned 113 buildings, officials said at a Sonoma County news conference. Among those buildings, 28 were homes in Sonoma County and 52 were homes in Napa County. Firefighters are racing to gain as much ground as possible as they expect another red-flag warning amid triple digit temperatures, fast wind and low humidity forecast Wednesday and Thursday. Theres a lot that can still burn, Santa Rosa Fire Chief Tony Gossner said. 4:24 p.m. Three days in, Glass Fire is already wreaking more havoc on Napas wine industry than fires did in 2017: Critic Esther Mobley has been surveying the damage in the region, and so far, at least 12 wineries have had structural damage. In 2017, that number was just six. That doesnt include other potential issues that will take time to reveal, such as smoke and water damage or longterm health issues for vines. 3:57 p.m. A St. Helena hospital evacuated twice in five weeks due to California wildfires: The fast-growing Glass Fire, which erupted Sunday near St. Helena, forced the citys only hospital to evacuate more than 50 patients by helicopter and ambulance. It was the second time in five weeks Adventist Health St. Helena had to close and relocate all patients and staff due to encroaching flames. Read the whole story here. 3:30 p.m. Meadowood owners say theyll rebuild: Just hours after learning their famed Restaurant at Meadowood had been completely gutted when the Glass Fire tore through the property, the owners of the St. Helena resort are committed to rebuilding, according to a statement from managing director David Pearson. Read the story here. 3:01 p.m. More than 80,000 evacuated in Napa, Sonoma counties: Officials have ordered more than 80,000 people to leave their homes due to danger from the fast-spreading Glass Fire. That includes 35,556 in Santa Rosa, 33,870 in unincorporated Sonoma County and 10,917 in Napa County, according to emergency officials. 2:02 p.m. Gusty winds, hot weather could return: Gusting winds and hotter-than-usual temperatures could return to the Bay Area Wednesday night through Friday, the National Weather Service said Tuesday, but should be less severe than weather last weekend that sparked the Glass Fires three origin blazes. Gusty winds will likely be limited to North Bay mountains and East Bay hills. Temperatures could reach into the mid- to upper 80s in downtown San Francisco on Thursday and Friday. 1:40 p.m. Sonoma County sheriff acknowledges fire fatigue: Sonoma County Sheriff Mark Essick urged residents in a Tuesday media advisory to heed evacuation orders despite fire fatigue. We are nearing the three-year mark of the Tubbs Fire and this is the fourth major fire in our county since 2017, he said, urging residents to stay vigilant and be ready to evacuate if ordered. This fire is still unpredictable. You should be packed up and ready to go. 12:36 p.m. At least two more wineries on Spring Mountain damaged: Spring Mountain Vineyard, known in part as a location in the 80s drama Falcon Crest, has serious damage to its vineyards. Sherwin Family Vineyards, started by Steve and Linda Sherwin in 1996, also burned. 12:30 p.m. Internet restored temporarily to Calistoga: A Comcast official confirmed that the company in cooperation with public safety worked overnight to temporarily restore internet access to the Calistoga area Tuesday morning. Residents, however, were ordered to evacuate. Fire Tracker Follow wildfires across the state Latest updates on wildfires burning across Northern and Southern California 12:23 p.m. Missing people in Glass Fire found: Cal Fire officials said Tuesday their No. 1 priority was to keep the 42,560-acre Glass Fire away from highly populated areas around Santa Rosa and Pope Valley. Several people who had been missing were found by Tuesday morning, Santa Rosa Police Chief Rainer Navarro said at a press conference. No firefighter injuries were reported in the fire. 11:39 a.m. 140-year-old Burgess Cellars winery destroyed: The Burgess Cellars CEO Carlton McCoy confirmed Tuesday that wildfire has demolished the original Burgess Cellars winery and a barrel warehouse. The tasting room and house remain intact. 11:30 a.m. Glass Fire unpredictable and fast-moving: Cal Fire officials said Tuesday they have split the 42,000-acre Glass Fire into two management zones. Eastern zone crews established control lines around Angwin in Napa County, and while Angwin escaped damage the flames left significant damage in Deer Park. The fire was active on the Highway 12 corridor and the Sugarloaf Ridge State Park in the western zone Tuesday. Sonoma County Sheriff Mark Essick urged residents to follow evacuation orders, calling the fire unpredictable and fast-moving. 11:19 a.m. Whiskeytown National Recreation Area partially closed: The south side of Whiskeytown National Recreation Area is closed due to proximity to the Zogg Fire thats burning across Shasta County. The closure includes Brandy Creek Beach, campground and marina; and campgrounds and trails along Paige Bar Road and South Shore Drive. Water recreation is barred, while firefighting aircraft draw water from the lake. Cal Fire maps show wildfire in some of the same areas the 2018 Carr Fire torched in the 42,000-acre recreation area west of Redding. 11:08 a.m. New evacuation orders issued in Napa County: Cal Fire and Napa County sheriffs officials have extended a mandatory evacuation order to everyone in the Angwin area as well as people south of Chiles-Pope Valley Road, east of Ink Grade Road and west of Pope Valley Cross Road. The order cites an immediate threat to life and says the area is closed to public access. 10:57 a.m. Rombauer Vineyards is safe despite rumors: Calistogas Rombauer Vineyards winery was in close proximity to wineries like Chateau Boswell, which experienced significant damage from the Glass Fire prompting questions and rumors around its demise. But Rombauers structures are safe, and its Chardonnay was picked well before the fires start this harvest season, the company said. 10:50 a.m. Massive August Complex surges dramatically: The August Complex fires grew by more than 60,000 acres in the past 24 hours as the record-breaking blaze spread to 938,044 acres, a Cal Fire spokesman said Tuesday morning. The surge was driven by powerful wind gusts that drove the flames further into the northern and western fire zones, near Ruth Lake in Trinity County and Covelo in Mendocino County, the spokesman said. Crews established solid containment lines on southern portion of the complex, but worked to contain the growth on the northern portion Tuesday. The fire remained 43% contained. 10:35 a.m. Napa restaurant owners reeling in Glass Fire devastation: The Glass Fire has broughts scenes all too familiar to the restaurant industry in Wine Country like the mid-meal evacuation of a dinner party hosted by owners fine-dining restaurant Single Thread at a Forestville winery. Restaurants are canceling reservations due to smoke and ash, and some are losing hope that 2020 will bring with it an eventual return to normalcy. Read the story here. 10:15 a.m. Metallica gives $250,000 to wildfire relief: Metallica announced it has donated $250,000 to five wildfire relief funds through its All Within My Hands foundation. It is the fourth consecutive year the multiplatinum-selling Bay Area rock group has donated to wildfire funds of the California Community Foundation, Oregon Community Foundation, Community Foundation Santa Cruz County, North Valley Community Foundation and Community Foundation of North Central Washington. 9:56 a.m. Glass Fire tripled in size in one day: Pushed by high winds on Monday, the Glass Fire had destroyed 113 structures by Tuesday morning, including homes and all or parts of several iconic wineries as it raced across Wine Country, Cal Fire reported. The blaze grew to more than 42,000 acres by Tuesday morning. 9:49 a.m. Calistoga quiets down: Calistoga was quiet Tuesday morning with a small but active fire burning along Highway 128 and the Silverado Trail, which flanks the small town known for mud baths and wineries. Fire crews were stationed along Highway 128, and on Silverado Trail where small fire patches were visible burning down the ridge, stopping at the edges of vineyards. 9:45 a.m. Fire burns outside Redding: Deadly wildfires raging uncontrolled Tuesday morning burned outside of Redding as well as in Wine Country, with flames also forcing evacuations in Paradise areas that have grown uncomfor After about 15 years, Chattanooga and the surrounding area will once again have a school fair for local parents to learn more about local independent schools. The fair will be held on Sunday, Oct. 18, from 4-6 p.m. and interested, local families will be invited to come to Collegedale Commons and meet admissions staff and pick up school info packets. Unlike the education fairs of the past, this event will focus on and specialize in independent schools. Local charter schools have been invited as well. All local, independent schools are invited to attend. It will focus on a footprint of Hamilton and Bradley Counties, as well as north Georgia and Dalton. School Solutions of Chattanooga believes the time is now to bring this event back - but much better, said officials. This new event aims to re-establish these types of promotional events for private schools in the Chattanooga area and as a result of that long-term goal, SSC is asking that all local independent schools support this effort to re-introduce this event into the community mindset. SSC officials said they hope to see as many independent schools there as possible and want a strong showing and it is hosting another similar event in the spring and adding in summer camps along with admissions. The local market may favor a late-season admissions push and this single spring event would allow for schools to make a "late pass" for interested families, together at one event, especially since many schools add students in the spring and early summer as well as promoting summer camps. "The Tennessee Valley Independent School Fall Fair, will be a safe event that will honor social distancing and mask wearing guidelines," said Will Newberry. "It is primarily an outside event that will use open-air pavilions at The Collegedale Commons which is one of Chattanooga's newest, public event venues located near Ooltewah and East Brainerd on the west side of Collegedale. In addition to Hamilton County, we will target marketing in north Georgia, Dalton and Cleveland. We are staying very spread out and socially distanced with the setup." This event aims to engage families who are on the fence and curious about private school. After feedback from parents, SSC is going with a two-hour event on a Sunday afternoon that officials hope will avoid many regularly scheduled activities. "We will do our very best to stay focused on parents seeking school options and we will work to address concerns about affordability with information presentations on financial aid and affordability," said Mr. Newberry. "We will also have a Directors' Welcome with each attending admission director saying hello and sharing some brief comments about their school to the attendees. We want parents to attend who are curious about private schools and who may have questions. The Directors' Welcome and the Affordability Sessions will hopefully both be very helpful to attending parents." For more information email info@SchoolSolutionsCHA.com. Maine-Endwell high school teacher Rachel Murat is the 2020 New York State Teacher of the Year. New York City high school teacher Alhassan Susso is the 2019 New York State Teacher of the Year. Cicero-North Syracuse high school teacher Amy Hysick is the 2017 New York State Teacher of the Year. Schenectady elementary school teacher Katie Ferguson is the 2012 New York State Teacher of the Year. Of all the words in a teachers vocabulary, there are two words you wont hear: We cant. You dont have to be a former state Teacher of the Year like each of us to be a doer. In teaching, it comes with the territory to be asked to do just a little bit more. Can we integrate new technologies into our classrooms? We can. Can we pick up an extra class because one of our colleagues is taking a leave of absence? We can. Can we switch to remote learning over the course of just a few days in the middle of a global pandemic? Turns out we can do that, too. Can we handle all of the challenges associated with a potential 20 percent reduction in state aid for our schools? Can we handle the potential loss of thousands of teachers, cafeteria staff, bus drivers, school counselors and school psychologists across New York? Can we look our students in the eye and honestly tell them that theyll get on just fine without enriching electives and extracurriculars? Were glad you asked. Were all well aware of the impact that the coronavirus pandemic has had on daily life across the state and how devastating the financial crisis our country is mired in has been for many of our neighbors, our colleagues and our students. When the state started warning of potential 20 percent cuts for education earlier in the year to help make up a significant budget gap, we hoped that the federal government would deliver additional stimulus funding that would help keep us afloat at a time of significantly increased needs in our schools. Now the state says it wont decide whether to make spending cuts until November. Thats relief to hear in the short term, but were still being met head on with the possibility, or in the worst cases the reality, of district-level cuts. In Katies district, Schenectady, the normally hectic start to the school year has taken a chaotic twist, and not just because hundreds have lost their jobs because of budget cuts including 10 percent of the districts teachers. Taking schools offline, as the cost-saving measure was described, sent five extra students who normally attend a different school into Katies classroom. This led to frustration and concern among parents and last-minute changes for students who already are being asked to deal with having their normal education upended. Catastrophic, devastating, emotional, take your pick for what word to use to describe what are some of the worst cuts in the state because it has been all of the above. Alhassan, Amy, Rachel and their colleagues luckily havent seen the hundreds of layoffs Katie has. But that doesnt mean the outlook is bright. In New York City, the Department of Education has warned that thousands of Alhassans colleagues could be laid off if the state does withhold 20 percent of the funding that theyre due and thats in schools that already are grappling with staffing shortages. Amy worries that in her district, North Syracuse, the result of cuts would be significant layoffs and the elimination of elective courses and extracurricular activities that are designed with the education of the whole child in mind. The districts cash reserves wouldnt make up for 20 percent cuts. These local cuts would be a certainty, not just a fear. In Maine-Endwell, where Rachel teaches, there is worry that reductions in state funding will necessitate full remote learning for much of the year and furloughs or layoffs of 35% percent of staff. In turn, that would cause problems like sky-high caseloads for social workers and school psychologists. Saying the outlook is bleak would be an understatement. We join the chorus of voices calling for a two-step solution to the hurt were already seeing and that we know is only just around the corner for so many. Congress must not delay any longer in delivering real not skinny relief for public services like education. That state must also act on any one of a number of options it has to help start closing this budget gap, including raising taxes on the ultrawealthy, using reserves or potentially borrowing. Asking whether we and more importantly, our students can make do with 20 percent less is the wrong way to look at this situation. Instead, we ask our elected officials in Washington and Albany, can you set politics aside and take these steps to stop the utter decimation of a public education system that is central to every community across this state and nation? Before you answer, take it from four teachers: We cant shouldnt be part of your vocabulary. How to submit letters and commentary to Syracuse.com During a working trip to Donetsk region, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky held a meeting on the work of the Trilateral Contact Group at the Mayorske checkpoint. The meeting was attended by Head of the Office of the President Andriy Yermak, his Deputy Roman Mashovets, First Deputy Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council Ruslan Demchenko, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Ruslan Khomchak, Minister of Defense Andriy Taran, Head of the Chief Directorate of Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense Kyrylo Budanov, Head of the State Border Guard Service Serhiy Deineko, Director of the Sixth Territorial Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Andriy Plakhotniuk, parliamentarian, Deputy Head of the Ukrainian Delegation to the TCG Oleksandr Merezhko, other representatives of Ukraine in the TCG, as well as representatives of the OSCE SMM, the press service of the President's Office reported on Saturday. "The parties discussed the implementation of the agreements reached in Paris during the meeting of the leaders of the Normandy Four last December, as well as the problems that hinder the implementation of these agreements. It was noted that the regime of comprehensive and permanent ceasefire is an undeniable success on the way to peace in Donbas," the message reads. "Indeed, we observe minimization of losses. Today, the silence mode has been maintained for the 62nd day. I want to thank, first of all, our military for endurance, to thank the command of the Armed Forces and the JFO, the Commander-in-Chief - for the right approach to the army, to every officer, to every soldier. And for the understanding, which made this first step towards peace in Donbas possible," the President of Ukraine said. The OSCE SMM representative in Kramatorsk said the monitoring mission had recorded significantly fewer violations since July 27, when a permanent and comprehensive ceasefire had come into force. "In seven weeks since the introduction of additional measures for a permanent and comprehensive ceasefire, from July 27 to September 16, 1,052 violations were recorded. For comparison, in five weeks before that, we recorded 18,027 violations," the OSCE representative said, adding that only one civilian was injured during the two months of the regime of silence - on the first day of its operation. "The silence regime has been in force for two months. Despite single and aimless shots, the regime is adhered to. We have grounds to believe that the 'silence' will continue," Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Ruslan Khomchak noted. During a meeting, the parties discussed the progress in the issue of mirror disengagement of forces and assets in four agreed areas, as well as in the issue of demining of Donbas territory. "Pursuant to the agreements reached in Paris, demining was carried out at 12 sites previously agreed. The water and gas supply facilities needed by the population have been demined. On the side controlled by Ukraine, the number of people wounded by mines has significantly decreased," commander of the JFO Volodymyr Kravchenko said. The issue of possible opening of more checkpoints in Donbas was also discussed. In order to speed up the negotiation process to achieve greater results in all these issues and faster implementation of the agreements of the leaders of the Normandy Four, Head of the Office of the President Andriy Yermak invited TCG participants to meet more often. "I would like to ask the representatives of the Trilateral Contact Group to start working every week, despite the approach of winter. There is no point in delaying the negotiation process," he said. A few days before her fifth-grade science fair, Ariangela Kozik awoke to the overwhelming scent of poultry past its due. It was exactly what the young scientist had been hoping for. Whew, she recalled thinking at the time. There is definitely something growing in here. She rushed into her kitchen, where a neat stack of glass Petri dishes awaited her, each filled with a gelatinous brown disk made of beef broth and sugar. Atop many of the cow-based concoctions was a smattering of what looked like shiny, cream-colored pimples. Each was a fast-ballooning colony, teeming with millions and millions of bacteria, including several from the swab of raw chicken juice she had dabbed on three days before. Dr. Kozik, then just 11, had set up an experiment to determine what brand of dish soap was best at killing bacteria. (The answer: Joy dishwashing liquid.) But her results yielded an even bigger reward: a lifelong love of microbes, exquisitely small organisms with an outsize impact on the world. It felt like I had just discovered a new form of life, said Dr. Kozik, who is now a researcher at the University of Michigan, where she studies microbes that live in human lungs. It was so cool. West Bengal Chief Minister left for Siliguri on Monday to hold administrative review meetings with officials of five districts in the northern part of the state, a senior official said. Banerjee had last conducted a review meeting with officials of Malda district in March. The meetings were halted due to the COVID-19 situation in the state. She is likely to hold the administrative review meetings at Uttarkanya, the branch secretariat in Siliguri. The chief minister is likely to hold the meetings with officials of Alipurduar and Jalpaiguri districts on Tuesday and Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Coochbehar districts on Wednesday, he said. COVID-19 protocol will be strictly followed during the meetings, the official said, adding Banerjee is scheduled to return to Kolkata on Thursday. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) LONDON EU and U.K. officials are about to start what's meant to be the final round of Brexit trade negotiations before a self-imposed deadline of Oct. 15. Talks have been stalled over competition rules and fishing quotas for months now, but British officials have signaled there may have been some "positive" developments in the last few days. "The question is really whether or not they can come up with some agreement on (a) level playing field," Kallum Pickering, a chief U.K. economist at Berenberg, told CNBC's "Squawk Box Europe." "I don't think a deal is going to be lost on fisheries," he added. The U.K. and the EU have been working toward new trade arrangements since March after the former exited the bloc in January. However, Britain stated that talks would only run until December after which the current zero-tariff regime will come to an end. In order to get parliamentary approval for any new trade regime before that deadline, both sides have said they would need to seal a deal in October. John McCollum wants to dethrone the "kingmaker." The 35-year-old Charleston businessman and Navy veteran is running as the Republican challenger in South Carolina's 6th District race against Rep. Jim Clyburn, the 14-term congressman and House Majority Whip in Congress. McCollum said he has always respected Clyburn. But when people started referring to the congressman as the "kingmaker" for securing Joe Biden's presidential nomination with a timely endorsement in the South Carolina Democratic primary, that's when the Republican was inspired to challenge the longtime politician. "I do not feel like the House of Representatives isn't a place for tenured leadership," McCollum said. "I didn't like the reference to a 'kingmaker.' It's anti-American and it's a throwback to the old world. It's not Jim Clyburn's seat, it's the people's seat." McCollum admits he's a longshot to win. Democrats have held the large and mostly rural Black majority district since 1983. Clyburn, now 80 years old, has held the seat that covers the Midlands to Charleston for 27 years. McCollum, meanwhile, has never held public office, but believes fresh leadership is important. He said he wouldn't be running if Democratic up-and-comers like CNN contributor Bakari Sellers, state Sen. Marlon Kimpson or state Rep. Marvin Pendarvis ran against the incumbent. "Are they waiting for a blessing from the current congressman himself?" McCollum said. "Why aren't they running to challenge Mr. Clyburn." McCollum was born and raised in Leavenworth, Kan., and came to Charleston in 2010, when he was stationed at the Naval Weapon Station as a young ensign. After leaving the service, he became a congressional staffer for former governor and Rep. Mark Sanford. McCollum lives with his wife and children in the Westside neighborhood in downtown Charleston. He works as a salesman for BoomTown, a tech firm in Charleston. He is also the creator of the Chuck Wagon, a portable beach cart inspired by family trips to Sullivan's Island. McCollum's main platform is taking advantage of the federal opportunity zone law passed by Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., to benefit poverty-stricken areas. Clyburn has been a critic of the legislation, calling it "a tax credit for rich investors with limited benefits for low-income communities." The Navy veteran thinks he's the best person to take advantage of that legislation, and he wants to target hundreds of suppliers to major manufacturers in South Carolina, such as Boeing, Volvo and BMW, and convince them to make rural towns their new headquarters. Sign up for updates! Get the latest political news from The Post and Courier in your inbox. Email Sign Up! McCollum said he's looked up to Clyburn as a "Civil Rights icon" who has accomplished a lot for South Carolina. But McCollum said he was disappointed when the House majority whip's office declined to schedule a debate with him. Clyburn's office said the congressman declined "due to scheduling conflicts with votes in Washington." Clyburn has been spending most of his time campaigning for Biden and has been helping with his strategy in Washington, D.C. This year, our country is at an inflection point, and this election is the most consequential that weve had in my lifetime," Clyburn said. "Thats why when Im not in D.C. for votes, Ive been participating in virtual events for the Biden campaign. I am talking with voters in South Carolina and across the country about the importance of registering to vote, making a plan to vote and voting early and in person." Clyburn also said his recent accomplishments include closing the so-called Charleston loophole on gun buys, though it hasn't gotten through the Senate. He also cites shaping Congress' legislative agenda and advocating for universal broadband access as reasons why voters should elect him again. Every two years the residents of the 6th Congressional District have the opportunity to decide if they approve of the work that I am doing," Clyburn said. "I am humbled by the support they have demonstrated for the representation I have provided to them. I hope to be re-elected and continue fighting for the issues that affect 6th District residents." Last month, Clyburn spoke at the virtual Democratic National Convention by livestream from Charleston, where he made the case for a Biden presidency. Clyburn has nearly $1.5 million in cash on hand, according to the latest Federal Election Commission figures. So far, there is no filing for McCollum. He said he has mostly been asking people to tell friends about his campaign instead of donating money. "I am facing long odds," he said. "I'm either stupid, crazy or a genius. And I've got a one in three chance of being a genius." The Kebbi Government on Monday said it vaccinated no fewer than 17,200 dogs against rabies. Aminu Dandiga, the Commissioner for Animal Health, Husbandry and Fisheries, made this known during an event organised by the states chapter of Nigerian Veterinary Medical Association (NVMA) to celebrate the 2020 World Rabies Day in Birnin Kebbi. The commissioner explained that Kebbi has an estimated dog population of over 40,000, out of which, 43 per cent have been vaccinated. He added that 87 persons were exposed to rabies disease and 79 had received post-exposure prophylaxis in 2019. Mr Dandiga said the state government, through the Ministry of Animal Health, Husbandry and Fisheries had been at the forefront of the fight against livestock diseases. The most dreaded disease is rabies, especially as the state came under high attacks by high incidences of dog bites, some of which cases upon investigation, were found to be positive for rabies, he said. He commended the governor, Atiku Bagudu, for timely intervention and release of funds for rabies and anthrax control and containment, among others. I wish to also commend the efforts of our veterinarians, particularly the leadership and members of the NVMA, for blazing the trail innovatively. I thank them for ensuring that government policies and programmes, as related to the ministry, are given the necessary support to succeed, he said. Aishatu Abubakar-Baku, National President of Veterinary Council of Nigeria (VCN), said that thousands of people and animals were dying daily around the world from rabies, in spite of the fact that such deaths were 100 per cent preventable through vaccines. According to her, the disease is most critical in developing and resource deficient countries in Asia and Africa, including Nigeria. She attributed the worsening situation of the disease in those countries to the lack of a well-structured, resource supported, organised and effective rabies vaccination programme, as well as the low-level of awareness and international collaboration on the disease control efforts. She said as veterinarians, this years world celebration reminds us of the need to work toward ending rabies in the next 10 years (2030), through increased awareness in our communities. If anything, reckless expansion of the states power both in the economy and broader society has become the norm since then. One hopes that this becomes a moment when Indian politicians of all hues will come together to say, Yes, we bungled. We should never have amended the tax law retrospectively to go after Vodafone. It cost us more in prestige than we could hope to win. By Trend The Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict must be resolved exclusively by political and diplomatic means, Deputy Chairman of the Security Council of the Russian Federation Dmitry Medvedev wrote on his Facebook page, Trend reports with reference to TASS. It is necessary to use all available opportunities, including those in a bilateral format to overcome the crisis, deputy chairman added. "Tension in the zone of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict has once again led to bloodshed and death of people. The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict cannot be solved by force. The conflict must be resolved only by political and diplomatic means, Medvedev stressed. I was convinced of this personally more than once when I acted as a mediator from the Russian Federation during the negotiations with the leadership of the two countries. "Now all the parties should calm down, deputy chairman stressed. First of all, it is necessary to stop whipping up passions, get rid of belligerent rhetoric, and jointly stop the military component of the conflict. Otherwise, catastrophic consequences for the region cannot be avoided." "Today, all opportunities should be used to find the solutions to overcome the crisis, namely, the co-chairmanship mechanism within the OSCE Minsk Group, the bilateral format taking into account that Armenia and Azerbaijan are our neighbors and close partners," deputy chairman added. -- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 28) The United States extended fresh funding aid worth $213 million (10.5 billion) to the Philippines, it announced Monday. The US Agency for International Development (USAID) said the new five-year bilateral deal with the Department of Finance is seen to boost economic development and growth by targeting increased investment and trade towards the country. In a statement, the additional grant is seen to fund new programs and initiatives for inclusive and market-driven growth, an improved business environment, and expanded economic opportunities with the help of the private sector. Specifically, the aid agency wants more support to help small businesses survive and innovate, as well as to spur the digital economy by upgrading information and communications technology access for both businesses and consumers. The funding support comes in the middle of the global COVID-19 crisis, which drove most economies into recession. The Philippine economy shrank by 9 percent in the first semester and led to job losses which peaked at 7.3 million in April. USAID said it also wanted to strengthen civil society groups and spur "data-driven decision making." These are expected to create more jobs and ensure "broad-based" development. The bilateral deal is one of four new USAID partnerships this year, worth a total of 32.7 billion in the next five years. Total funding support has reached 228.8 billion in the past two decades, the USAID said. Other grants include funding for the Department of Health to improve health services, a partnership with the National Economic Development Authority for sustainability and disaster response efforts, and improved access to schooling with the Department of Education. "Additionally, USAID will continue to support Philippine government objectives by improving public sector transparency and accountability, advancing the rule of law and the justice system, and boosting local governments responsiveness to Filipinos needs," it added. RELATED: Foreign lawmakers back proposal to end US funding to AFP, PNP pending reform Do people know the meaning of civility? Look it up. Our country has been taking a fast decline in civility. Its been years that Ive seen this happening. Im over 60, and Ive noticed the decline of our civilization as we knew it going back to where it started a deep decline. We are no longer treating each other with respect. In fact, now you demand respect when you dont deserve respect. People will go out and cause mayhem in neighborhoods and cities to get what they want. Thats not the way to do it, people. You have taken our civilization back to square one. Its the young people and the liberals who think they know it all. Well, guess what, you dont. I want to live in peace, and you no longer make that happen. You can have this world. You can have it if this is the way you want to live. Former Louisville Metro Police Officer Brett Hankison is pictured in a booking photo. (Shelby County Detention Center)By BILL HUTCHINSON and STEPHANIE WASH, ABC News (LOUISVILLE, Ken.) -- The ballistics report from the Kentucky State Police on the Breonna Taylor shooting could not determine that Taylor's boyfriend shot one of the officers who unleashed a barrage of 32 bullets into her apartment, contradicting statements made by the state attorney general, according to records obtained by ABC News. In an interview with ABC News, Steve Romines, one of the attorneys for Kenneth Walker, said "the Kentucky State Police's own ballistics report could not determine that Kenny's shot is who hit Officer [Jonathan] Mattingly." A Jefferson County grand jury decided not to indict Louisville Metro Police Sgt. Mattingly, Officer Myles Cosgrove and former police officer Brett Hankison in the death of Taylor based primarily on the fact that Walker fired the first shot in the fatal confrontation. Hankison was indicted on three felony counts of wanton endangerment for firing shots into Taylor's apartment that penetrated a wall of the residence of a white family next door to Taylor's apartment. But Cosgrove and Mattingly, who each fired multiple times into Taylor's darkened apartment, were found justified in their use of deadly force because Walker fired the first shot at them when they forced open Taylor's front door to serve a search warrant, according to Kentucky State Attorney General Daniel Cameron. Walker, 27, a licensed gun owner, was initially charged with attempted murder and assault following the March incident, but those charges were dropped. Walker has since filed a civil lawsuit against the Louisville police department, claiming they never knocked or announced themselves before they forced open Taylor's door. Walker claimed he fired a warning shot because he initially thought the police officers, who were in plain clothes, were intruders. Walker's civil suit also raises the possibility that Mattingly was wounded by friendly fire from one of the other officers. Walker's attorneys filed a court motion on Saturday, asking that the grand jury transcript and the full report on the investigation by the Metro Police's Public Integrity Unit be made public to "promote 'the ends of justice' and the search for the truth." The motion argues the material is important in Walker's freedom from further arrest and prosecution in the shooting. The motion claims that Walker "was fully justified in his reaction" to the officers barging into Taylor's apartment. During a news conference following the grand jury's announcement on Wednesday, Cameron was emphatic in his statement that the bullet fired by Walker, who was armed with a licensed 9mm handgun, struck Mattingly. "Kenneth Walker fired the shot that hit Sgt. Mattingly and there's no evidence to support that Sgt. Mattingly was hit by friendly fire from other officers," Cameron said. "Mr. Walker admitted that he fired one shot and was the first to shoot." But a portion of the Kentucky State Police ballistic report obtained by ABC News indicates that the one shot fired by Walker "was neither identified nor eliminated as having been fired" from his weapon "due to the limited markings of comparative value." Cameron, however, said that because Walker fired the first shot, Cosgrove and Mattingly were justified in returning fire to protect themselves. "This justification bars us from pursuing charges in Ms. Breonna Taylor's death," Cameron said. The attorney general's office did not immediately reply to ABC News' request for comment on the ballistics report. Attorneys for Taylor's family have called the grand jury proceedings a "sham" and are demanding that Cameron release the transcript of the entire hearing to see what evidence prosecutors from Cameron's office presented to the panel. The attorneys allege that prosecutors presented scant evidence, if any, that pertained to Taylor's death, and cited at least 11 witnesses who dispute Cameron's claim that the investigation showed the officers knocked on Taylor's door and announced themselves before using a battering ram to force the door open. Cameron claimed that statements from the officers that they knocked and announced their presence before entering Taylor's apartment "were corroborated by an independent witness, who was near in proximity to apartment 4," which was Taylor's unit. But Walker's attorneys say the witness changed his story. They told ABC News that a week after the shooting, the individual, who has not been publicly identified, claimed the officers did not identify themselves as police, yet two months later he said they did. Vice News published an alleged recording of the witness telling an investigator on March 21 that "nobody identified themselves." ABC has not independently verified the audio. Taylor, a 26-year-old Black woman and a certified emergency medical technician, was shot in her apartment around 1 a.m. on March 13 when the officers executed what a judge approved as a "no-knock" warrant based on a sworn affidavit from a detective that an ex-boyfriend of Taylor's was sending packages of drugs to her apartment through the U.S. Postal Service. No drugs were found in Taylor's apartment and lawyers for Taylor's family allege the warrant was secured with an affidavit that contained lies. The warrant required the police to verify with postal inspectors that the ex-boyfriend was receiving packages at Taylor's address. But lawyers for Taylor's family say the Louisville Postal Inspector denied that his office inspected packages sent to Taylor's home as part of a drug-trafficking investigation. Cameron said his office did not investigate how the warrant was obtained. He said federal investigators are probing that aspect of the shooting. It remains unclear if any evidence was presented to the grand jury about the warrant except that police were at Taylor's apartment to serve one. Taylor, dressed in her nightclothes, was shot six times by bullets fired by Cosgrove and Mattingly, Cameron said. He said Cosgrove, Mattingly and Hankison fired a total of 32 shots into Taylor's apartment. Cameron said none of the 10 bullets fired by Hankison, who shot through a sliding glass patio door that had the blinds drawn, hit Taylor. The attorney general said an FBI ballistics analysis determined that the one fatal shot that hit Taylor came from Cosgrove's 40-caliber weapon. He said the Kentucky State Police ballistics analysis did not identify which of the three officers fired the fatal shot. That's why the FBI Crime Lab was asked to conduct an analysis to see if it reached the same results. Cameron said the special prosecutor's unit that investigated the shooting "looked at both reports to determine if there were major differences in the procedures used by each lab that would have led the FBI to identify who fired the fatal shot. Both law enforcement agencies used similar equipment and analysis, but issued different findings." Cameron would not say if the same duel analysis was conducted to determine where the shot that hit Mattingly came from. He would only say that the officers who fired into Taylor's apartment all had 40-caliber weapons and that Walker's gun was a 9mm pistol. Fred Moore, another attorney for Walker told ABC News that LMPD records show Hankison had a 9mm and two 40-caliber service weapons. Moore said it's been difficult to determine which weapons Hankison was armed with during the shooting because he disappeared and was unaccompanied for several hours after the incident. Romines added, "At that point in time, they didn't even know, and still don't know to this day, that Kenny's shot hit Officer Mattingly." Cameron has declined to answer further questions about the case, saying, "I'm prohibited from making comments that could sway public opinion or heighten public condemnation of those involved in the case." "As long as the case is making its way through our legal system, I can only speak in general terms about our independent investigation and findings," Cameron said last week. "As the prosecutors, I am prohibited by the Kentucky rules of professional conduct from making public comments that could in any way prejudice this case as it moves forward." Copyright 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved. Cork is one of four counties now under consideration for additional lockdown measures following the country's highest daily Covid figures since April. Health minister Stephen Donnelly confirmed additional restrictions could be announced this week for Cork, Wicklow, Galway, and Louth. His announcement comes as a worrying 430 new cases of Covid-19 were reported on Sunday, with the country continuing to battle the early stages of a second wave. The total number of new cases over the weekend was 678, with five deaths reported on Saturday. Of the 430 cases announced yesterday, 212 are in Dublin, 54 in Cork, 23 in Donegal, with the rest spread across a number of counties. Some 72% of the cases have been found in people under 45 years of age. Read More Airport passengers may be tested before leaving Ireland, says Eamon Ryan There has now been a total of 34,990 confirmed cases of Covid-19 in Ireland. Acting chief medical officer Dr Ronan Glynn has pleaded with people to re-double their efforts. "As we start into this new week, I am asking every household across the country to sit together and make a plan to reduce the number of people you meet this week," he said. We have absolutely no room for complacency. If every person, family, workplace, and organisation does not play their part, the situation will continue to deteriorate. "For people who live in Donegal and Dublin, remember Government advice is to work from home unless it is essential to attend in person. "For people living in these and all other counties, assume that Covid-19 is circulating in your community, and act accordingly." Mr Donnelly said that although Cork, Wicklow, Galway, and Louth have cases steadily rising, he does not foresee any announcement on new restrictions being made before Thursday when the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) are due to meet. Donegal and Dublin have both been ordered into increased local restrictions due to their rising cases, and it is widely expected other counties will follow suit. "There are four counties which I think will be looked at very carefully. They are Cork, Galway, Louth and my own county of Wicklow," Mr Donnelly told RTE's This Week. "But right now, there are no plans for NPHET to meet earlier, to make any recommendations to Government at this time. "They meet every Thursday, that may change, but right now they have no plans to meet [before then]. Read More French hospitals delay operations to cope with Covid surge "What happens in each case is the National Public Health Emergency team look at a wide variety of measures. "They look at not just 14-day rates, but the seven-day rates. They look at where is it coming from, and is it rising quickly? Is it a small number of cases where we've deployed public health to the ground? So we leave it to the experts to come back, they look at a wide range of things. Mr Donnelly said he was "cautiously optimistic" about Dublin, but stressed that the seven-day rate must come down before restrictions are eased. "I have no doubt that people in Dublin have heard this loud and clear," he said. "In the vast majority of cases, people are doing exactly what they need to do just by limiting their interactions." Green list Meanwhile, the Government's updated travel 'green list' from the Department of Foreign Affairs will come into effect today, with further limits on international tourism. Germany, Poland, Iceland, and Lithuania have been removed. Passengers arriving into Ireland from those countries will now be advised to restrict their movements for 14 days, with the Government now advising against non-essential travel to those destinations from Ireland. The previous 'green list' included seven countries, but has since been reduced to four as the virus continues to spread across the world. The remaining countries left on the list are Cyprus, Finland, Latvia, and Liechtenstein. Liechtenstein does not have an airport. Vollmer Peak, the highest point on a ridge adjacent to the Berkeley Hills, is named for August Vollmer, the City of Berkeleys first police chief. Berkeley honored the chief with the tribute in 1940. Now the city wants to strip the landmark of its namesake. Earlier this month, the City Council urged the East Bay Regional Park District to rechristen the peak, which lies within park borders. Vollmer has been called the father of modern law enforcement. He pioneered criminal justice as an academic field, and his reforms and innovations were adopted by many other departments across the country. But, like many historical figures, he had a dark side. A heroic act propelled Vollmer into police work at a young age. He was working his mail route when he noticed a flatcar that had broken loose from a rail siding on Shattuck Avenue. He leapt onto the car and pulled its brake only seconds before it could crash into the crowded Berkeley Station platform and the trains stopped there. The act of bravery led to a successful run for town marshal. In the early 1900s, the Boy Marshal smashed gambling rings and opium dens, cracked down on prostitution and hunted international criminals. He coordinated the emergency housing and care in Berkeley for 20,000 refugees left homeless by the Great 1906 San Francisco Earthquake. After being appointed Berkeleys chief of police in 1909, he overhauled the departments primitive record systems and installed call boxes across the city to improve police response times. He was the first to put patrolmen on bicycles and later in cars and on motorcycles. He incorporated technological advancements in fingerprinting, lie detectors, crime labs and radio communication into the department. According to the biography August Vollmer: The Father of American Policing by Willard M. Oliver, some of Vollmers officers complained about having to work with a Negro after the department hired its first Black policeman in 1919. The chief told them to leave their badges on his desk on their way out. Vollmers vision of how a community should be policed stands out as particularly exemplary, even if few departments embrace his attitudes today. He once explained it to a group of officers, according to his protege O.W. Wilson (per Oliver): You prevent people from doing wrong; thats the mission of a policeman. Ill admire you more if in the first year you dont make a single arrest. Im not judging you on arrests. Im judging you on how many people you keep from doing something wrong. Remember, youre almost a father confessor; youre to listen to people, youre to advise them. Vollmer thought force should only be used in self-defense and deadly force only as a last resort. During his career he was shot at, knifed and bludgeoned; only once did he find it necessary to shoot a man to death. He treated lawbreakers with respect and protected those in police custody from abuse. Unlike most chiefs of his era, he banned his officers from the third degree torture to induce confessions. After Pearl Harbor, he lobbied for humane treatment of Japanese immigrants and Japanese-Americans interred in prison camps. Thats the good Vollmer tough but compassionate, morally upright, driven to innovate and improve, a staunch defender of the law but protective of basic human rights. But theres another side. Vollmer studied eugenic theories and thought they should be part of the criminology curriculum he established at UC Berkeley in 1916. Courses taught how heredity and racial degeneration contributed to crime. In one essay, he writes about what could be done to prevent defectives from producing their kind, which he felt would reduce the crime rate. He joined the American Eugenics Society in 1924. Drawing from his experience while serving in the Philippines during the Spanish-American War, Vollmer organized mobile units to respond to robberies as if they were insurgent strikes. He applied military tactics to police work and believed that they could be highly effective against crooks and the enemies of society. While Vollmer would be unlikely to support the current trend of paramilitarization of police forces, he nonetheless had a hand in seeding it. A letter from Berkeley City Council to the East Bay Regional Park District argues that Vollmer perpetuated racism through his participation in eugenics societies and the inclusion of eugenics and other racist philosophies in his criminology schools curriculum. EBRPD spokesman Dave Mason said in an email to SFGATE that Vollmer Peak was named to honor Chief Vollmers service as a founding member and longtime board director of the park district, not because of his accomplishments in the field of police work. The Park District has an extensive protocol process for the naming and renaming of parks and trails, which includes research using historical archives, the local parks land use plan, and public engagement and transparency, including the Park Advisory Committee and formal Board review and action," Mason wrote. "Once the City of Berkeley request is received, the Park District will schedule it for discussion at an upcoming Board meeting or subcommittee meeting, and determine whether potential renaming is of interest. While commonly thought to be in the Berkeley Hills, the 1,906-foot peak is actually part of the adjacent San Pablo Ridge near Tilden Park in Orinda. It was formerly called Bald Peak. Mike Moffitt is an SFGATE Reporter. Email: moffitt@sfgate.com. Twitter: @Mike_at_SFGate Enterprises from a number of EU member countries have already made efforts to take full advantage of the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) and make moves into the Vietnamese market. An Italy- invested Piaggio motorcycle assembly line in Vinh Phuc province Stimulating flows of trade and investment In contrast to a decline in imports from major markets such as the Republic of Korea (RoK), which reached US$28.7 billion, down by 8.3%, and ASEAN at US$19.4 billion, down 9.2%, the past eight months has seen the EU increase imports from the nation, with a value of US$ 9.5 billion, an annual rise of 4.7%. Most notably, the implementation of the EVFTA from August 1 has served to stimulate trade and investment flows, with EU businesses taking advantage of the benefits of the trade pact to enjoy a range of economic upsides. The prolonged impact of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) has served to hinder trips by EU firms to the country. Due to there being no clear end to the epidemic, investment and trade connection activities have been occurring in a variety of ways, with as many as 100 Dutch businesses launching a range of online investment and trade activities with Vietnamese enterprises during the first week of September. Joost Vrancken Peeters, chairman of the Netherlands-Vietnam Chamber of Commerce (NVCC), said that the European country attaches great importance to the Vietnamese market, as reflected by the capital amount invested into the Vietnamese market over the years. As a means of making the most of the EVFTA, the Netherlands has conducted research on shifting investment and the diversification of supply sources. These are considered to be the main drivers and obstacles of Dutch enterprises when investing in the nation as they strive to find ways in which to overcome issues to open up investment activities. Among the 27 EU member states already involved in investment activities locally, the Netherlands takes the lead in terms of registered capital. Indeed, by the end of 2019 the European nation had 344 projects worth a total of US$10.05 billion, making up 39.43% of the total EU investment capital in the Southeast Asian nation. Furthermore, the Netherlands is also the EU's second largest trading partner in Vietnam, with bilateral trade in 2018 reaching US$7.8 billion, behind only Germany In addition to the involvement of Dutch firms, Bulgaria also has a modest trade and investment relationship with the country and is actively seeking to increase commitments in line with the EVFTA. Yana Topalova, the Bulgarian Deputy Minister of Economics, said that trade is very important for the Eastern European nation due to Vietnam significantly increasing its influence in the region as well as worldwide. Bulgarian businesses want to exploit the EVFTA to build strong trade ties from value chain creation. The Bulgarian Ministry of Economics and Government will continue to give incentives to Vietnamese businesses who invest in and have trade links with Bulgaria, said Deputy Minister Topalova. Vietnam seen as bridge to connect with ASEAN Whilst EU firms seek to exploit the Vietnamese market due to fresh opportunities to promote investment and trade exchange through the EVFTA, many EU businesses also consider the country as a destination for investment connections to Southeast Asia. According to experts, with the scale and development potential of EU countries, coupled with the establishment of the ASEAN Economic Community in late 2015, the country has the opportunity to become a transshipment area that connects commercial and investment activities of the EU in the region. Nguyen Hai Minh, Vice President of the European Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam (EuroCham), affirmed the sectors that EU enterprises are paying special attention to. Many are utilising the EVFTA to promote exports whilst accelerating the implementation of investment projects in the nation due to EU businesses using relevant business and trade activities to build a bridge with ASEAN partners. In the long run, the trend of increasing Vietnamese exports to the EU will certainly continue, because once the market is opened, additional European firms will seek to invest in the country, therefore leading to more businesses from third countries seeking to invest in the Southeast Asian nation. At present, there is a list of enterprises exporting agricultural products from France, Belgium, and Poland, all of which are completing procedures in a bid to enter the Vietnamese market, although the tax reduction schedule for some items goes up to 10 years. In line with commitments set out in the EVFTA, the country has immediately eliminated tariffs on 48.5% of tariff lines, accounting for 64.5% of imports from the EU. After seven years, 91.8% of tariff lines, equivalent to 97.1% of export turnover from the EU, will be abolished by the nation. After 10 years, the tariff removal will be approximately 98.3% of tariff lines, equivalent to 99.8% of import turnover. Currently, a number of craft associations in EU nations are carrying out support activities aimed at helping firms shorten the time of procedure finalisation, gain licenses to export goods to Vietnam, whilst also taking advantage of incentives for products that have a roadmap for early tax reduction. In terms of the agricultural sector, EU businesses are focusing on selling agricultural products, beef, and grains, all of which are in high demand in the country.VOV A young woman who accused a police officer of breaking her arm during a routine arrest is suing for damages. Madison Holt, 22, claims she was dragged from a home in Taranganba, west of Rockhampton in Queensland, to be questioned over a stolen cell phone in February 2019. She claimed she was being restrained by detective Alex Nesic Detective Sergeant Craig Strohfeldt when Nesic allegedly punched the top of her left arm. She alleged she heard a 'loud cracking noise' and began yelling that her arm was broken. In a claim filed in Brisbane District Court, Ms Holt alleged police used unreasonable force during the arrest because they didn't have reasonable grounds to suspect she had broken the law, the Courier Mail reported. Madison Holt, 22, (pictured) claims she was dragged from a home in Taranganba, west of Rockhampton in Queensland, to be questioned over a stolen cell phone in February 2019 Ms Holt was rushed to Rockhampton Hospital and treated for a fractured arm (pictured, her x-ray) Ms Holt is seeking an unspecified amount in compensation for losing her liberty between 4pm and 4.10pm on the day of the incident, claiming she suffered pain, mental distress and anguish. She claims the two detectives were 'overzealous, intrusive, unwarranted and manifestly excessive'. Ms Holt has previously claimed she yelled 'I'm not resisting' three times during the arrest. She claims she was 'grabbed roughly' by the officers and forced to bend over some railings as one of the detectives held her arms behind her back. She alleges the detective then punched her in the arm. Ms Holt claims she then heard a loud crack and began yelling that her arm was broken. Ms Holt (pictured) claims she was 'grabbed roughly' by the officers and forced to bend over some railings as one of the detectives held her arms behind her back '(He) was saying 'f***, f***, f***,'' and yelled at Detective (name withheld) 'stop, I've broken her arm'. She was rushed to Rockhampton Hospital and treated for a fractured arm. Ms Holt was not been charged for any crimes. She had called for the two detectives to face charges for the arrest but following an internal investigation by the Queensland Police Service it was decided neither would face charges. Two inbred lion cubs in a Bulgarian zoo are victims of systemic neglect of animal welfare in the countrys zoos, according to an animal-rescue charity. Simba and Kossara, who are less than three months old, were the result of breeding between a brother and sister and were abandoned by their mother when she was unable to care for them. They were discovered very weak, curled up in a small box, just days after being born. After being moved to another inappropriate zoo, the pair are now still suffering in a small enclosure with a concrete floor, according to the charity Four Paws. Inbreeding and poor conditions are rife at zoos in Bulgaria, which operate in breach of minimum standards set by the EU, its claimed. The country is believed to have 24 lions and 15 tigers in captivity, of which only a handful are being looked after properly, the animal-welfare organisation says. Bulgarias state zoos, built during the Soviet era, are underfunded and decaying, and the government is accused of granting zoo permits without checking whether EU standards of care for animals and conservation are met - illegal under EU rules. Simba and Kossara were born in cramped conditions at a zoo in early July, but after being discovered in a critical state, they were moved to a clinic in Sofia, and from there to a second zoo. Four Paws said its offer to rehome the animals at a sanctuary in the Netherlands had been repeatedly ignored. Barbara van Genne, of the organisation, said: They are among the most recent victims of the authorities negligence. The cubs have been taken from one inappropriate enclosure to another, and neither is equipped for their species-appropriate long-time care. The Bulgarian authorities continue to grant permits without ensuring that appropriate standards are met and adhered to, meaning that these cubs and countless other animals are bound to endure endless cycles of cruelty. The responsible ministry must close all facilities that do not fulfil the requirements of the animals in their care. And Bulgaria must once and for all stop legalising inappropriate facilities. In recent years, Bulgarian zoos have been accused repeatedly of breeding and keeping lion cubs in cruel conditions. Last year, two cubs died shortly after they were born in the city of Haskovo. Two others are kept in a small cage in the same zoo, which, its feared, may not have room for them when they grow up. In February 2018, the charity rescued two other inbred cubs from a zoo accused of previously maltreating and inbreeding lions. The Independent has asked the Bulgarian government for its response. Recently, Torontos city clerk claimed switching to a ranked ballot system for the 2022 municipal election is impossible due to COVID-19, and suggested postponing until 2026. This is unexpected and disappointing news. Currently, Torontos elections use the first-past-the-post system: the candidate with the most votes wins, even without a majority. Imagine children voting for a snack on a hot summer day: chocolate ice cream, vanilla ice cream or oatmeal raisin cookies. If 60 per cent prefer ice cream of any flavour, but the vote is split 30/30 between chocolate and vanilla, tough luck the minority 40 per cent that preferred cookies had more votes than either ice cream flavour. More kids would be happy with ice cream of either flavour, but their vote was split, and the least preferred option was selected. It would be better if they could rank their choices: I prefer vanilla; if not, chocolate; lastly, a cookie. Ranked ballots can mean fairer elections, and a more diverse, representative city council. When London, Ont., implemented ranked ballots in 2018, more young people, Black people, women and the first openly gay person were elected to council. For me, a young, brown-skinned man, waiting six more years to see someone like myself on council is utterly disappointing. Our 26-person city council has sixteen white men. There are eight women, of whom two are East Asian, the rest white. Is this a council that truly represents Toronto? Are more than eight in ten Torontonians white? Surely more than a third of Torontonians are women. Does our one Black councillor adequately reflect our strong Caribbean and South Asian communities? City Clerk Ulli S. Watkiss claims COVID-19 has made it impossible to implement ranked ballots any sooner than six years from now. In reality, had ranked ballots already been implemented, we might have mitigated COVID-19s worst effects. Racialized people make up 83 per cent of Torontos COVID-19 cases. Over half of cases impact low-income residents. How many on council count themselves as racialized? How many were formerly low-income? A city council that better reflected residents priorities could have had measures in place that avoided the worst of COVID-19. A robust, uncrowded transit network. Abundant affordable housing. Improved access to childcare. A city government that would pressure the province to better fund public health, education or paid sick days. The City Clerks Office has dealt with shocks before. When the Ontario government abruptly changed the election rules in 2018, they shifted to a 25-ward election in just weeks normally a years-long process. The public sector has pivoted quickly to address the pandemic. Our healthcare workers, transportation operators and teachers have all adapted to rapidly changing conditions. Now, the city clerk must step up, pandemic or not, to support our democracy. This Wednesday, city council can reaffirm its commitment to ranked ballots by 2022 by voting to have City Clerk Ulli S. Watkiss continue working toward that goal. Our citys future, including our ability to withstand the next pandemic, will hinge on Torontonians getting a better ballot by the next election. This is Naked Capitalism fundraising week. 1012 donors have already invested in our efforts to combat corruption and predatory conduct, particularly in the financial realm. Please join us and participate via our donation page, which shows how to give via check, credit card, debit card, or PayPal. Read about why were doing this fundraiser, what weve accomplished in the last year, and our current goal, thanking our guest writers By Jeffrey Clemens, Associate Professor in the Department of Economics, University of California at San Diego and Stan Veuger, Resident Scholar, American Enterprise Institute. Originally published at VoxEU. The COVID-19 shock has significant negative consequences for the finances of US state and local governments, especially since they are bound by balanced-budget requirements. Estimates of (expected) revenue shortfalls are therefore an important input in the allocation of federal funds to offset the pandemics effects on state and local government revenues. This column uses Congressional Budget Office projections of consumption and personal income to forecast sales and income tax bases and revenue for all of the states. Based on May and July projections, it estimates a total shortfall of $106 billion and $105 billion, respectively. The COVID-19 pandemic has placed tremendous strain on the budgets of governments everywhere, both on the revenue and the spending side. In late July, this led EU national leaders to agree on a 750 billion Recovery Fund to support member states with limited fiscal capacity (Beetsma et al. 2020). It has also given rise to calls for significant support by G20 members to emerging economies (e.g. Berglof et al. 2020). The crux of the budgetary challenge is straightforward: when there is less economic activity, there is less tax revenue. Figure 1 illustrates the extent to which the Congressional Budget Office, the producer of the primary macroeconomic outlook forecasts that are relevant to US federal budgeting, believes COVID-19 will reduce the coming years economic output. As of July, CBOs forecast for nominal GDP throughout 2021 was $21.7 trillion. This falls 8% below its pre-pandemic, January forecast of $23.6 trillion. Figure 1 Updates to CBOs macroeconomic forecasts: GDP Source: Congressional Budget Office January, May, and July Economic Outlook (CBO 2020a, 2020). The Unenviable Position of State and Local Governments This negative shock has significant consequences for the finances of state and local governments as well as the federal government. In the US, fiscal institutions are such that while the federal government can borrow freely in times of crisis subject only to market discipline, state and local governments are bound by balanced-budget requirements and in most cases have access to only limited rainy-day funds (Clemens and Miran 2012, Driessen 2020, Zhao 2016). Local governments also face legal restrictions on their ability to raise tax revenue (Shoag et al. 2019). This creates a natural role for the federal government in avoiding heavily procyclical fiscal policy at the subnational level. The federal government transfers substantial resources to state governments for purposes including but not limited to health care for the disadvantaged, education finance, and transportation projects. Some of these funding streams act as fiscal stabilisers without intervention. The Medicaid programme, for example, is Americas main source of funding for the provision of health care services to low-income individuals. In a downturn, more people become eligible for the programme, which triggers additional funds for the states which operate the programme. This reflects the fact that the federal contribution to state Medicaid programmes is structured as a matching grant. Matching grants inject a measure of fiscal stabilisation to state budgets. They are not, however, structured to offset unexpected revenue shortfalls. While federal policymakers have earmarked additional stabilisation funds to aid in financing pandemic-driven expenditure needs, Congress remains deadlocked over the provision of funds to offset the pandemics effects on state and local government revenues (Clemens and Veuger 2020a,b). Estimates of (expected) revenue shortfalls are an important input for this decision-making process. Estimating state and local government revenue shortfalls Several recent analyses have taken two contrasting approaches to estimating the revenue shortfalls facing state and local governments. An approach that enjoys some popularity is to estimate the historical relationship between state unemployment rates and revenues, and to base estimates of future revenue on prognosticated unemployment rates (Fiedler et al. 2019). Relying on an April forecast and unemployment data released in May, Bartik (2020) followed this approach to produce an estimated revenue shortfall of $568 billion for state and local governments combined for the fiscal year that runs from 2020Q3 through 2021Q2. McNichol and Leachman (2020) relied on essentially the same approach, but using forecasts from July, to estimate a revenue shortfall of $290 billion for state governments alone for the same period. An extension of McNichol and Leachmans approach to include local government revenue shortfalls would yield an estimate of $432 billion. These numbers are significantly greater than those produced by an approach that relies directly on forecasts of macroeconomic aggregates that are more direct proxies for major tax bases. This is the approach we have relied on in our own work (Clemens and Veuger 2020a, 2020b), and it is also the approach implemented by Whitaker (2020a, 2020b). In Clemens and Veuger (2020a), we use May CBO projections of consumption and personal income to forecast sales and income tax bases and revenue for all of the states. We estimate a total shortfall of $106 billion from those specific revenue sources for the 2021 fiscal year. We update these estimates in Clemens and Veuger (2020b), using a July update to CBOs projections, and arrive at a similar number of $105 billion. These estimates are shown in Table 1. Table 1 Estimated shocks to state sales and income tax revenues aggregated across all states Source: Congressional Budget Office January, May, and July Economic Outlook (CBO 2020a, CBO 2020b, CBO 2020c). Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances (United States Census 2017). Assumed elasticities based on Holcombe and Sobel (1997), Kodryzcki (2014), Anderson and Shimul (2018), Walczak (2019), and Kaeding (2017). We next make two assumptions to arrive at an estimate of the total revenue shortfall facing state and local governments. First, we assume that other state revenue, such as hospital charges and tuition fees, will evolve as sales tax revenue will. This leads us to estimate a total state government revenue shortfall of $169 billion for the 2021 fiscal year. We then rely on the ratio between state and local government revenue shortfalls in Whitakers (2020b) slow recovery scenario. Applying this ratio leads us to estimate a grand total revenue shortfall of $236 billion for state and local governments combined. Note that local government revenues are relatively stable thanks to the (relative) stability of property tax revenue (Lutz et al. 2011). What Explains the Gap Between Our Approach and Estimates Based on Unemployment Rates? Much of the gap between our estimates and estimates that rely on unemployment rates can be explained by fluctuations in forecasts and the dramatic difference between unemployment forecasts and the path the unemployment rate has recently followed. Specifically, realised unemployment rates and updated unemployment forecasts have been far lower than the forecasts used in the estimates discussed above. If the unemployment rate were to remain at its most recent reading through the second quarter of 2021, Bartiks (2020) methodology would imply a $325 billion shortfall for the current fiscal year. This is not too far from our estimate. Notably, the $325 billion estimate assumes a constant unemployment rate over the remainder of the current fiscal year, which is likely pessimistic. Further, employment losses have been heavily concentrated among lower-income workers. These factors increase our confidence that the unemployment-based estimate of $325 billion remains at the higher end of plausible outcomes. This assessment is consistent with the independent assessment of Whitaker (2020b), whose pessimistic and intermediate estimates put the shortfall at $350 billion and $171 billion, respectively. Implications for Policy The current fiscal years revenue shortfalls are a key input to assessing the amount of aid the federal government might beneficially send to state and local governments. They are not the only input, however, and it would be a mistake to equate estimates of revenue shortfalls with optimal federal grants. Other relevant inputs to consider include the aid made available through existing legislation, the full set of crisis-related spending needs, and the duration of the support Congress intends to provide. Regarding the duration of support, it is sobering to consider that CBOs most recent forecast for 2030 implies that nominal GDP will be 4% below its January forecast for 2030. A portion of the short-run shortfall may thus be better interpreted as a long-run decline in economic output. State and local governments will eventually need to budget accordingly. In addition, policymakers ought to consider the role state and local rainy-day funds and resilient budgeting practices more generally can and should play. They also need to recognise that heterogeneity in budgetary problems across states and localities should make one want to err on the side of providing larger grants across the board to make sure that the hardest-hit places do not have to make overly onerous cuts. The alternative of basing grants on observed or proclaimed distress seems hard to implement without raising significant fairness and moral hazard concerns. References available at the original. (CNN) Tesla CEO Elon Musk doesn't seem to approve of Microsoft's deal with OpenAI the research company he co-founded in 2015. The Tesla and Space X founder criticized Microsoft in a tweet following news that the company acquired an exclusive license for GPT-3, a language model created by OpenAI, that generates human-like text. "This does seem like the opposite of open. OpenAI is essentially captured by Microsoft," Musk tweeted on Thursday. OpenAI, which was initially launched as a non-profit research company, was co-founded by Musk and included a heavy-hitting list of donors including Peter Thiel and Microsoft. The company's goal is "to advance digital intelligence in the way that is most likely to benefit humanity as a whole, unconstrained by a need to generate financial return." Microsoft's Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer Kevin Scott announced the move in a blog post Tuesday, saying it will allow the company to "leverage its technical innovations to develop and deliver advanced AI solutions for our customers," and "create new solutions that harness the amazing power of advanced natural language generation." Scott noted in the company's blog post that GPT-3 would still be accessible via OpenAI's application programming interface platform (API). But Musk isn't buying it and neither are other Twitter users, who feel the collaboration contradicts OpenAI's aim of making its work accessible to all. In February 2018, Musk stepped down as chairman of the company to "eliminate a potential future conflict" due to Tesla's boosted efforts in AI development. It's unclear how much exclusivity OpenAI's licensing deal will grant Microsoft with GPT-3. AI's battle of the billionaires Despite Musk's own investments in artificial intelligence, the billionaire has also been one of its most vocal critics. Musk called AI an "existential threat" to humanity in 2017 and has also participated in a few billionaire feuds on the topic over the years. He notably called Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg's understanding of AI "limited." He's also feuded with Microsoft founder Bill Gates. Gates holds an opposing view to Musk who has made warnings of a future when he says the global race for AI technology will result in World War III. "The so-called control problem that Elon is worried about isn't something that people should feel is imminent," Gates said in a joint interview with Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella for the WSJ. Magazine. "This is a case where Elon and I disagree. We shouldn't panic about it. Nor should we blithely ignore the fact that eventually that problem could emerge. This story was first published on CNN.com 'Elon Musk criticizes OpenAI exclusively licensing GPT-3 to Microsoft' Congress-ruled states to consider enacting their own laws to bypass New Delhi Police detain farmers and Congress Party supporters during a protest against the newly passed agri-bills, in Gandhinagar, Monday, Sept. 28, 2020. (PTI) New Delhi: The Congress Monday asked states under its rule to enact legislations to bypass the three Central farm-related laws that have triggered protests by farmers in some parts of the country. The Congress is strongly opposed to the three Central legislations which were signed into laws by president Ram Nath Kovind on Sunday. "Congress president has advised Congress-ruled states to explore the possibilities to pass laws in their respective states under Article 254(2) of the Constitution which allows the state legislatures to pass a law to negate the Anti-Agriculture Central laws encroaching upon State's jurisdiction under the Constitution," the party said in a statement. Some states, especially the Congress-ruled Punjab, are witnessing protests by farmers against the new Central laws. "This (states passing laws negating Central legislations) would enable the states to bypass the unacceptable anti-farmers' provisions in the three draconian Agricultural law including the abolition of MSP and disruption of APMCs in Congress ruled states," the party said. "This would also alleviate the farmers from the grave injustice done by the Modi Government and BJP," the statement issued by AICC general secretary KC Venugopal said. Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said the rules under Article 2454(2) allow a state legislature to enforce laws "repugnant to the parliament law" and that former finance minister Arun Jaitley had advised states to use it to bypass the Land Acquisition Law passed by the previous UPA regime. "As FM Arun Jaitley got states to resort to Article 254(2) of the Constitution to override provisions of 2013 Land Acquisition law, a law he'd fully supported as LoP in Rajya Sabha. "States should now follow the same advice to undo the damage caused by the Farm Bills that have become Acts," Ramesh said in a tweet. President Kovind on Sunday gave assent to the three contentious farm bills passed in Parliament last week. These laws have triggered farmers' protest especially in Punjab and Haryana. These three farm bills are: The Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020, The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020 and The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill 2020. Parliament cleared the bills in the Monsoon Session. The laws are aimed at liberalising the agriculture sector and allowing farmers to sell their produce anywhere in the country they want at a better price. The Opposition led by the Congress is critical of the manner in which these bills were passed in Parliament. They have alleged the bills were cleared "unconstitutionally" in a "complete disregard" to Parliamentary norms. The Congress also proposes to challenge them in court. Soha Ali Khan, an Oxford graduate in Economics, understands the balance sheet of her life perfectly. Thats why she invests the most in family bonds. She understands the huge dividends that love pays. Playing mom to daughter Inaaya Naumi Kemmu is her key role. Lockdown or otherwise. In fact, the home isolation has brought her undiluted time with husband Kunal Kemmu and Inaaya. Amidst playing the enthusiastic homemaker, Sohas also been involved gainfully on social media doing endorsements and podcasts. The best tribute to time is making the most of it. Soha seems to have understood that truth How has the lockdown affected you? Im not someone who goes out a lot. But not being able to go out for work is extreme. I was about to start shooting a series in Rajasthan, which has got stalled. My daughter cant attend school. We dont have staff at home. Also, as a family we cant meet. But technology is wonderful. It keeps us connected though nothing makes up for physical interaction. Whats your daily routine like? I wake up around 7.30 am, when Inaaya comes into my room. Her nanny gives Inaaya her breakfast while I put together the things we need for virtual school. From 9 am onwards, I do school with her. The school sends us power-point presentations of stories, art activities and other things. At 10.30 am its snack time for Inaaya. Then she goes off to play downstairs. I have a bath. I make the necessary calls regarding work. Kunal tries out new things in the kitchen. After lunch, Inaaya takes a nap. Between 4.30- 6.30 pm, its work time for me. Then I do online yoga or exercise. We stay on the 15th floor. So I run up and down the stairs for 15 minutes. In the evening, Inaaya plays on the terrace. After that its bath and dinner for her. Her bedtime is a long drawn one. We tell her stories. After shes asleep, I catch an OTT series. Kunal and I have dinner together. Then were like husband and wife. Through the day, Im predominantly a mother. Are you working from home? Im foremost an actor. But now Im doing one-minute videos, which promote a brand or an idea on social media. Ive also been doing podcasts. Weve been raising money for Goonj, which is working for migrant workers now. Im also involved with The Mommy Network, a platform for mothers in the city. Social media keeps me fruitfully engaged. Tell us something about Kunals cooking. Im lucky. Kunal cooks all the time. He enjoys eating too. He cooks Rogan josh, Hyderabadi eggs, Japanese souffle He keeps introducing Inaaya to new and healthy food. Like he made Japanese omelette without masala. So also, the light pulav. Whats the secret of your happy marriage? The fact that we genuinely enjoy each others company. Theres a genuine connection and love there. Of course, like any other couple we argue and fight a lot. But at the end of the day, I want to share everything with him whether its an amazing show Ive watched, something to do with Inaaya or something yummy that I could be eating. My days not complete, it doesnt feel right, if Ive not shared it with him. Its not that he doesnt get on my nerves. Its not that hes perfect. Nor am I. The secret is, somewhere deep down, we want to be together more than we dont want to be. How is he as a father? Hes extremely good with children. I take care of the discipline. He does the entertaining, which is also exhausting. Hes spontaneous in creating stories, dancing, playing, doing gymnastics. He does fun and crazy stuff with Inaaya. Also, hes a responsible parent. I can attend a Zoom call, shoot a video or do an interactive video because of Kunal. I lock myself in a room and do it because hes with her. Are you a strict parent? Im particular about bed time and nap time. No matter what, at 8 pm, the lights in Inaayas room are off. She has to stop playing. We just tell her stories. Im particular about her meals. Then shes not cranky. Now shes two-and-a-half-year-old and her own person. Is she given the phone? Earlier, wed come home and put our phones away. Abhi sab kaam phone pe ho raha hai. We need the phone all the time. I have to take photographs and videos for my work. Inaaya has a toy phone and an iPad. Shes allowed to play with it for 20 minutes in the first half of the day and 20 minutes in the second half. There are some educational and interactive apps, which she enjoys. Are you particular about not exposing Inaaya to the paparazzi? I understand the paparazzi is part of our lives. People are interested in the children of actors. So when she goes out for a birthday party and especially when shes playing with Taimur, photographers do take their pictures. The worry is that we want them to have an innocent childhood and not a documented one with flashing cameras all the time. You want them to grow up normally. When they grow older, they may not want to share their friends and girlfriends/boyfriends with the world. Its not fair to them just because their parents chose to be public figures. Is Inaaya missing Taimur? She really is. Shes missing all her friends. They chat on FaceTime. We put on music. Taimur dances in his house; she dances in hers. She knows theres a virus out there because of which people are falling ill. Hence, we cant go outside and meet Taimur. She calls him Taimur Bhai and she looks up to him. What qualities of your parents you wish youd possess? I want to possess my fathers (the late Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi) sense of patience and composure. I never saw him lose his temper. When you lose your temper, its loss of self-control. It reflects on you, no matter how much youre instigated by circumstance or people. I dont want to be someone, who yells and insults people. I want to behave with dignity. I want my mothers (Sharmila Tagore) sense of curiosity. Shes interested in life, travel and reading. Even during the quarantine, shes signed up for a course in Greek mythology. Finally, what has the lockdown taught you? Not to take things for granted and spend time with loved ones. We never know when time will run out or theyll be taken away from us. I want to convince my mother to move to Mumbai. Her living alone in Delhi is not right. It made me value my relationship with Kunal. There will be good days and bad days. This is a time to cut everyone slack and to focus on improving yourself. An American man who lives in Thailand was unhappy that a resort hotel wanted to charge him a $15 corkage fee for bringing his own bottle of gin to the restaurant. He argued with a manager and then later did what has become second nature for disgruntled tourists: He posted negative reviews of the resort online. The hotel, the Sea View Koh Chang resort on the island of Koh Chang, was equally unhappy with the guest and what it saw as his one-man campaign to damage its reputation. Unable to reach him or halt his posts on TripAdvisor, the resort filed a complaint with the Thai police under the countrys harsh defamation law. As a result, the guest, Wesley Barnes, was arrested this month and spent a weekend in jail. If convicted of criminal defamation, he faces up to two years in prison. If the Sea View was hoping to win back its good name, seeking help from the police backfired, badly. Mr. Barness arrest has set off condemnation online, negative news stories and a burst of bad reviews for the resort. A hotel manager said the resort was receiving death threats from foreigners. What are you doing? In those books which you read, have I ever heard that women were introduced into this kind of disputation? This almost awkwardly direct question comes from Augustines mother, Monica, when she finds out he is recording her comments for his book On Order. She is not so much honored as dismayed by the censure her inclusion may bring him. In response, Augustine concedes that some may dismiss him for including the voice of a woman in his writings. But he doesnt give a whit for such critics, he says; such proud and ignorant men should attend more to the substance and less to the dress of what they read. Though he expects some superficially minded people will look down on him for including a womans ideas, Augustine incorporates Monicas contributions because her ideas are so good. He wants her to be a part of the discussion because her spiritual inclinations and intellectual chops make her indispensable. He writes of his mother, By long intimacy and diligent attention I had by this time discerned her acumen and burning desire for things divine her mind had been revealed to me as so rare that nothing seemed more adapted for true philosophy. Accordingly, I had determined to do my best that she be not absent from our conversation. And so, through Augustines account, we gain a precious glimpse of this brilliant mother of the church. Of the few early Christian women commonly known today, Monica, along with her near-contemporary Macrina, are perhaps the most familiar. But despite the records we have of their extraordinary spiritual and intellectual gifts, they are not commonly known for their own abilities. Instead, these fourth-century mothers of the church are famous by association. Monicas prodigal son, Augustine, became the father of the Western church. Gregory of Nyssa and Basil, Macrinas younger brothers, have been long known with their friend Gregory of Nazianzus as the Cappadocian Fathers. These men who made Monica and Macrina famous shaped the theological imagination of the entire Christian tradition, giving classic formulation to doctrines we now consider basic: the Trinity, grace, and the Holy Spirit. Like Eunice to Timothy and Miriam to Moses, Monica and Macrina are great women of the faith who enabled the ministries of great men. Submission to the spiritual leadership, teaching, and admonition of Monica and Macrina, which continued well into the adulthood of both Augustine and Gregory, made these church fathers the giants they were. But what can we say about Monica and Macrina as faithful biblical interpreters in their own rights? In both cases, a lesser-known yet foundational aspect of their legacy, as depicted in the texts that come down to us, is their own work as students and teachers of Gods Word. Monica: Hearing and Speaking the Word Augustine characterizes his mother as a woman who prized and pursued Scripture in her everyday life. In a comic interlude in his early philosophical dialogue On Order, he recounts how one of his pupils had recently learned a chant of Psalm 80:19. The young man just couldnt stop singing it. He sang it in the morning; he repeated it all day long. He even kept singing it, as Augustine put it delicately, when he had gone out for the needs of nature. At this, Monica put her foot down, Augustine tells us, precisely because the place was unbecoming for chant. The young man rejoined, jestingly: As if, should some enemy confine me here, God would not hear my voice! To our modern sensibilities, Monicas reproof may seem prim, even prudish. But this little anecdote, meant to amuse, makes a lighthearted gesture toward the enormous weight Monica accords to Scripture. She wants worship and the Bible to have a place of honor in the lives of those around her. Article continues below In addition to respecting Scripture, Monica hungered for it. Augustine, addressing God in Confessions, tells us of Monicas eagerness to hear Gods Word: taking no part in vain gossip and old wives chatter, [she wanted] to hear you in your words and to speak to you in her prayers. Monica confided her deepest hopes and longings to her Maker, pouring out her tears before him as she prayed daily, year in and year out, for the salvation of her son. But she also wanted to listen to God on his own terms. Monica heard Gods Word through regular Christian worship, attending church twice a day. The Word preached by her well-known pastor, Ambrose, riveted her, and she would zealously run to Church to hang on [his] lips, to the fount of water bubbling up to eternal life (John 4:14). Given her social status, it is also likely that Monica, unlike many women in the ancient world, was literate and was able to follow up on messages she had heard in church with reading at home. Monicas engagement with the Word in worship was frequent, consistent, and life-sustaining. Monicas attentive listening to Scripture equipped her to speak the truth of Gods Word into the life of her beloved son Augustine. He recounts how imbibing the name of Christ along with his mothers milk whetted a deep subconscious appetite for the Word. Though when he first read the Bible for himself he found it primitive, its pull was elemental. In the end, Augustine could not resist it. When her son reached adolescence, Monica again proved to be the vehicle of Gods Word. Seeing him consumed by the heat of his teenage lusts, she tried to restrain him. At the time, Augustine dismissed her advice as womanish. But he later came to see that her admonitions were the very voice of God. Looking back ruefully, he prayed, I believed you were silent, and that it was only she who was speaking, when you were speaking to me through her. Monica continued to speak Gods Word into the life of Augustine in his adulthood, as recorded in another early dialogue, The Happy Life. At the end, Augustine suggests that the happy life is knowing the triune God. On cue, Monica concludes with an allusion to 1 Corinthians 13:13: This is without doubt the happy life, and that life is perfect toward which we can, we must presume, be quickly brought through solid faith, lively hope, and burning love. Now an adult and a committed Christian himself, Augustine gratefully receives these biblically inspired words of Monica, letting them stand as the final statement of substance to the larger group of Christian men assembled for the conversation and to the many readers the work will have in his own generation and beyond. Macrina: Scripture as the Starting Point Just as Monica was a teacher taught by God for Augustine, Gregory of Nyssa refers repeatedly to his elder sister Macrina simply as the teacher. The dialogue On the Soul and the Resurrection, in which Gregory poses critical questions while Macrina defends the Christian faith, gives us a window into how Macrina used Scripture. Born into a prosperous family, Macrina likely enjoyed a good education in addition to basic literacy. In On the Soul and the Resurrection, she brings her innate and learned intellectual capacities to bear with a sophistication and skill on par with her brothers and other thought leaders of the period. Indeed, such was her wisdom that her brothers constantly looked up to her. Article continues below The book begins with high emotion. Gregory has set out to visit his sister to convey the sad news of their brother Basils death. But when Gregory first lays eyes on Macrina, he is shocked to see that she herself is not long for this world. After giving Gregory time to express his sorrow, Macrina reproached me with the apostolic saying, that we should not grieve concerning those who are asleep, because this emotion belongs only to those who have no hope. These words from 1 Thessalonians 4:13 are Macrinas first in the work. Her use of Scripture to intervene in a family crisis is just one of the many ways she draws on the Bible as a teacher of theology. Macrina uses Scripture to set boundaries. In her words, we always use the holy Scripture as the canon and rule of all our doctrine. So we must necessarily look towards this standard and accept only that which is congruent with the sense of the writings. Yet, as Macrina shows, these constraints make possible constructive and critical engagement with extra-biblical viewpoints. In the dialogue, she engages a wide variety of philosophical ideas, rejecting some and accepting others. The Bible is the benchmark that enables this differentiation. Macrina lets Scripture show her where to direct her theological energy. She sees Paul as introducing a key distinction: The apostle says that he has believed this much, that the age itself was fashioned by the divine will, and whatever has come to be within it but the how he has left unexamined. We can know that some things are true, because Scripture tells us so, without understanding how they are true. Macrina uses this distinction to avoid getting bogged down in insoluble intellectual puzzles so she can focus on the issues God has called and equipped her to address. Macrina also draws on Scripture to inform beliefs content. She does so on the level of individual verses, determining, for example, on the basis of Genesis 1:28 that reason should control the emotions since human beings were, in her words, commanded to rule over all the irrational creatures. She also draws on the broader biblical narrative, for instance arguing based on various biblical exemplars (Daniel, Phinehas, Moses) that emotions are neither bad nor good in themselves but are up to us to use wisely. And like many other early Christian thinkers, Macrina uses Scripture to interpret Scripture. In a particularly beautiful passage, she weaves together a wide range of biblical metaphors to imagine what it might mean when Paul describes God as all in all (1 Cor. 15:28). Someday, she says, God will be our everything: a place for the saints, a house, a garment, nourishment, drink, light, wealth, dominion, and every concept and name of the things which contribute to the good life for us. He who becomes all will also be in all. Finally, Macrina is serenely confident about the truth of Scripture. We can rest secure in what the Bible says without arguing for it at every turn. At one point, Gregory expresses concerns about those who reject the existence or creative power of God: If they dont even accept the reality of God, how should we convince them of the Resurrection? Macrinas answer: We shouldnt even try. She said, It would be more fitting to keep silent concerning these matters, and not to consider the foolish and impious propositions worthy of an answer, especially since one of the divine sayings forbids us to answer the fool according to his folly [Prov. 26:45]. He is undoubtedly a fool who, in the words of the prophet, says that there is no God [Ps. 14:1]. It is not that Macrina doesnt care about such people. Her point is that Scripture liberates us to keep our peace in the face of their critiques; we need not be defensive. Article continues below Instead of forcing the Bible to fit objections it was never designed to address, Macrina begins with Scripture, letting it speak on its own terms: I think that we should first run briefly through what is set forth in various places by the divine Scripture concerning this doctrine. She then draws on a variety of passages to establish a solid basis for the Resurrection (Ps. 103; Ezek. 37:114; and 1 Cor. 15:5153, in addition to the Gospels). Only after discussing biblical evidence in favor of it does she hear Gregory out on the objections. And even at that point, she emphasizes Scripture: First we must understand what the aim is of the doctrine about the resurrection, why this is declared by the holy revelation, and why we believe it. In offering her final assessment, Macrina does not mince words. Truly we should recognize the superfluity and ineptitude of the objections, as we plumb the depths of the apostles wisdom. We see the shallowness of these arguments, Macrina contends, by immersing ourselves in the profundity of Scripture. Loving Scripture, Loving God At one point in On the Soul and the Resurrection, Macrina draws on a text Monica had also invoked at the end of The Happy Life: 1 Corinthians 13. The purpose of human life, Macrina suggests, is an endless increase in love because Gods beauty is unlimited: But when the thing hoped for comes, all the others grow quiet while the operation of love remains, not finding anything to take its place. For both Monica and Macrina, Scripture provides a script for everyday life: singing a Psalm of praise to God, raising a child, recognizing intellectual limits, learning from others while holding fast to the truth, grieving a loved one who is dying. But for both women, the Bible is more, in the end, than a practical how-to manual. It directs us to the stirring beauty of our Creator and the ultimate, glorious purpose of our lives that gives meaning to every minor concern: It teaches delight in God. Han-luen Kantzer Komline teaches church history and theology at Western Theological Seminary in Holland, Michigan. She is the author of Augustine on the Will: A Theological Account. This article is part of Why Women Love the Bible, CTs special issue spotlighting womens voices on the topic of Scripture engagement. You can download a free pdf of the issue or order print copies for yourself at MoreCT.com/special-issue. [ This article is also available in Portugues, , and . ] Have something to add about this? See something we missed? Share your feedback here. DALLAS, Sept. 28, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Evoque Data Center Solutions (www.evoquedcs.com), one of the worlds 20 largest data center firms with presence across four continents, today announced the appointment of Tom Marx as the companys Chief Revenue Officer. Marx has built a career as a global sales leader, with more than a quarter-century of experience at top-tier companies such as CenturyLink, Level 3 Communications, XO Communications and Bank of America. In those roles, he grew and managed organizations that produced more than $1 billion in annual sales. He also oversaw alliances with national and global service providers, emerging carriers, and cloud managed providers. In addition, Marx led a team of more than 200 sales, sales engineering, sales support, and customer care staff. Looking across the competitive landscape for enterprise colocation, Evoque already has a strong global footprint, coupled with exceptional operational stability at its base, Marx said. Todays clients want more than just the availability of space and power. A winning marketplace equation requires investing to add more capabilities while improving customer success. Evoque is making that commitment, and I am honored to be joining the leadership team to help move Evoque forward. Marx will report to Andy Stewart, Evoques president and chief executive officer. Tom has a proven record leading large sales organizations and rapidly growing revenues and delivering results, Stewart said. After joining Evoque, I said my mission was to grow the company and double its size over the next few years. Tom is an executive who will help us achieve that goal, assembling a team that can expand our client base, push into new industry segments, and identify additional opportunities for growth. About Evoque Data Center Solutions Evoque Data Center Solutions, headquartered in Dallas, Texas, is one of the worlds 20 largest data center firms. It is a colocation services company that owns and operates 31 data centers across four continents, 11 countries and 25 markets. Evoque Data Center Solutions offers clients a secure space in a highly available and redundant environment. The company supports a diversified base of colocation customers across multiple segments, including utilities, transport, energy, communications, healthcare, and technologies. For more information, visit https://www.evoquedcs.com/. Evoque Data Center Solutions is a portfolio company of Brookfield Infrastructure Partners, a leading global infrastructure asset manager that owns and operates high-quality, long-life assets in the utilities, transport, energy and data infrastructure sectors across North and South America, Asia Pacific and Europe. For more information: Steve Friedberg 484.550.2900 sfriedberg@evoquedcs.com Parishioners have voted to remove a memorial stone commemorating a slave trader from their church following complaints from anti-racism campaigners. The controversial 5ft tall plaque inside St Peter's Church in Dorchester, Dorset, praises the 'bravery' and 'humanity' of 18th century plantation owner John Gordon, who suppressed a slave rebellion in Jamaica - which saw almost 500 killed. The church's 15 committee members have now voted for it to be moved to a museum following objections from Black Lives Matter groups, who said it 'glorified' racism. Other options considered were for it to be left in place with accompanying material giving its historical context or moved to a less prominent spot in the church. The parishioners' decision will need to be ratified by the church following a 'consultation' process before the plaque can be taken down. The controversial 5ft tall plaque inside St Peter's Church in Dorchester, Dorset, praises the 'bravery' and 'humanity' of 18th century plantation owner John Gordon The church's 15 committee members have now voted for it to be moved to a museum following objections from Black Lives Matter groups, who said it 'glorified' racism Church warden Val Potter (pictured) said: 'We were already in conversation with the Dorset County Museum about the possibility of them taking it and displaying it in a setting which could do justice to the full story' They have asked for temporary plaque cover to be made in the meantime. JOHN GORDON: THE 18th CENTURY PLANTATION OWNER PRAISED FOR HIS 'BRAVERY' AND 'HUMANITY' John Gordon was born in Sutherland, Scotland, in 1728. He was a lawyer for the Ellis family in the 1750s and, jointly with another attorney, took over administration of the Greencastle and Newry Plantations in Jamaica which produced sugar, rum and molasses. He used that position to establish his own business as a plantation owner, possibly buying or leasing land from John Ellis. In 1760 slaves staged a rebellion over their ill-treatment, leading to one of the most brutal suppressions of its time. Gordon returned to Britain and died in Dorchester in October 1774, aged 46. The plaque in his honour is on the wall opposite the south door entrance to the 15th century church and is quite prominent, with a carved urn on top and the family coat of arms below. The plaque reads: 'He was signally instrumental in quelling a dangerous rebellion in that island (Jamaica), in the year of 1760. 'A large body of n*****s whom his bravery had repulsed, finally yielding to their confidence in his humanity.' Accounts from the time suggest the aftermath was anything but humane. Some rebels were killed on the spot while others were taken prisoner and then executed in gruesome ways. Advertisement Church warden Val Potter said: 'At the Parochial Church Council meeting, the members were presented with three options. 'These were to leave the memorial in place with accompanying material and possibly cover the offensive word, to move it to a less conspicuous place in the church or to move it to the museum. 'There was the opportunity to contribute to the discussion and everyone who spoke considered the third option the most appropriate. 'The decision must now go through all the legal processes of the church equivalent of the planning process. 'The officers are known to be sympathetic to the decision and hope to make the process as smooth as possible but it must give the opportunity for a wide range of consultation. 'We were already in conversation with the Dorset County Museum about the possibility of them taking it and displaying it in a setting which could do justice to the full story.' The church have had complaints about the plaque before but the recent Black Lives Matter campaign 'pushed it up the priority list'. Mrs Potter said earlier this year: 'We are very grateful to the Black Lives Matter campaign for raising the urgency of the issue, we've been thinking about what to do about it for some time. 'The only negative comments we get in our visitors box are about this memorial. The movement has pushed it up the priority list. 'We welcome people's strong opinions and are grateful to people making their protest verbally, the last thing we want is anybody taking physical action against it. 'Everyone is saying this is a horrendous side of our history but it's a story we need to acknowledge and tell.' Stand Up to Racism Dorset also complained about the plaque saying it glorified racism and should not be on display there. They 'congratulated' the church for its decision to take it down. David Rhodes, of Stand Up To Racism Dorset, said: 'We congratulate the church council for this decision, and especially the efforts of the church warden in steering a course through the church decision-making process. Mrs Potter said earlier this year: 'We are very grateful to the Black Lives Matter campaign for raising the urgency of the issue, we've been thinking about what to do about it for some time' Mrs Potter said: 'The only negative comments we get in our visitors box are about this memorial. The movement has pushed it up the priority list' 'We believe that the council has made the right decision. It is good that the church is taking steps to acknowledge our 'shameful past'. 'The Gordon Plaque commends and celebrates the actions of John Gordon in suppressing a rebellion by enslaved people fighting for their freedom in Jamaica in 1760. 'It is a celebration of white supremacy and racism.' The church has connections with author Thomas Hardy who helped redefine the eastern end of the building when he worked as an architect in the town. There is also a statue of writer and poet William Barnes outside the building as he was also the parish vicar. New Delhi: The national selection committee headed by MSK Prasad on Tuesday picked the 15-member squad for the one-off Test match against Bangladesh. Mukund has made the cut, while Parthiv Patel has been dropped from the team, that will take on Bangladesh in a match to be held in Hyderabad. Ajinkya Rahane made a return as after being ruled out of the final two Tests against England with a fracture in his right index finger. He featured in the recently concluded One-Day International series against England. Offspinner Jayant Yadav, who had missed the final Test against England in Chennai due to a hamstring injury, has recovered to make it back to the side. Back to selection, Tamil Nadu southpaw Mukund is the additional member of the side with Wriddhiman Saha regaining his rightful place as the No. 1 wicket-keeper in Tests, replacing Parthiv Patel. Mukund has been a steady scorer with over 700 runs in Ranji Trophy for Tamil Nadu and will return to the national team dressing room after twin tours of West Indies and England in 2011. Vijay, who had injured his shoulder during the final Test, was later withdrawn from the Tamil Nadu squad for their Ranji Trophy quarterfinal clash. After regaining fitness, he played in the inter-state T20 tournament and retained his spot in the Test squad. The squad: Virat Kohli, Murali Vijay, KL Rahul, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, K Nair, Wriddhiman Saha, R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Jayant Yadav, Umesh Yadav, Ishant Sharma, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Amit Mishra, Abhinav Mukund, Hardik Pandya National Rifle Association members listen to speakers during the NRA's annual Meetings and Exhibits at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston, Texas, on May 4, 2013. (Johnny Hanson/Houston Chronicle via AP) Gun Rights Groups Express Support for Barrett as Supreme Court Nominee Several gun rights organizations have lauded President Donald Trumps choice of Judge Amy Coney Barrett to fill the vacancy in the Supreme Court while urging the Senate to act swiftly to confirm her. Gun owners and advocates are seeing Barretts nomination as hope for a major Supreme Court ruling to clarify the application of the Second Amendment after the court dismissed a New York case on the issue and declined to review several others this term. In April, the justices in a 63 vote dismissed a dispute challenging New York Citys gun transportation restrictions because they ruled the controversy was no longer live after the city repealed those rules. The justices also declined to hear a series of new cases that presented the court an opportunity to clarify the application of the Second Amendment. This prompted Justice Clarence Thomas, who was joined by Justice Brett Kavanaugh, to express frustration at his fellow justices for prolonging our decade-long failure to protect the Second Amendment. The National Rifle Association (NRA), the nations largest Second Amendment advocacy group, said in a statement that it fully supports Trumps nominee, citing Barretts record. Judge Barretts record demonstrates a steadfast commitment to the fundamental rights enshrined in our Constitution. With this nomination, President Trump continues his record of nominating qualified, fair-minded federal judges who respect the Bill of Rightsincluding the Second Amendmentto our nations highest court, the NRA wrote. Similarly, the Virginia-based Gun Owners of America also expressed hope over the protection of the Second Amendment through Barretts nomination. From a Second Amendment perspective, Judge Amy Coney Barrett appears to be a strong choice. She has indicated a willingness to examine and apply the Second Amendment as written, by looking at its text and using history as a guide, instead of engaging in the judge-empowering interest balancing that has run rampant in the lower courts, the group wrote in a statement. Gun owners will relish seeing a new addition to the Supreme Court who is ready to hold lower courts accountable for failing to uphold the Constitution and for refusing to follow the Heller and McDonald precedents, they added, referring to two major gun rights cases decided in the last two decades. In the 2008 landmark decision District of Columbia v. Heller (pdf), the Supreme Court protects an individuals right to keep and bear arms for traditionally lawful purposes such as self-defense. Meanwhile, in the 2010 McDonald v. Chicago (pdf) case, the justices ruled that that right is enforceable at the state level as well. The National Association for Gun Rights (NAGR) is calling on the Senate to immediately confirm Barrett, saying that they believe she is an excellent Justice who would defend our gun rights from the constant attacks by the far left. During her tenure as a lawyer and Appellate Court Judge, Amy Coney Barrett has displayed the tenacity it will take to defend our most sacred liberties at the highest level, NAGR President Dudley Brown said in a statement. There is no need to wait around until after the election. The Senate Judiciary Committee should make quick work of moving Judge Barretts nomination to the floor, and any Senator who respects the Constitution and our gun rights should vote yes to confirm Judge Barrett without reservation, he added. Barrett indicated that she is supportive of expansive gun rights in a dissent she authored in 2019. The case, Kanter v. Barr, challenged a federal law that took gun rights away from nonviolent felons. A businessman who had pleaded guilty to mail fraud argued that the law violated his Second Amendment right to bear arms. The 21 majority, both appointed by Republican President Ronald Reagan, said the federal law and a similar Wisconsin one were constitutional. In her dissent, Barrett said that since the countrys founding, legislatures have taken gun rights away from people who were considered dangerous. History is consistent with common sense: it demonstrates that legislatures have the power to prohibit dangerous people from possessing guns, she wrote. But that power extends only to people who are dangerous. She added that while the federal and state governments have a strong interest in protecting the public from gun violence, they had failed to show that the business owner owning a gun would pose a risk. The Second Amendment confers an individual right, intimately connected with the natural right of self-defense, and not limited to civic participation, she said. Cops were called into to break up 300 house parties across Scotland over the weekend. Police Scotland handed out 101 fines and made 14 arrests while responding to complaints of house parties between Friday night and Sunday. Police were also deployed across Scotland to help councils ensure pubs and clubs closed at 10pm. It comes amid widespread criticism of the government's coronavirus curfew, which Tory MPs have branded a 'sick experiment'. Scores of drinkers were spotted gathering in crowds across the UK at the weekend after the 10pm closure times. Officers from Police Scotland were called into to break up 300 house parties across Scotland over the weekend Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, pictured here at a Covid-19 press conference, said earlier this month that the country was at a 'key moment' in the battle against the virus The figures come amid reports that a total social lockdown for parts of the UK, including London (pictured) could be on the cards if Covid infection rates do not fall Public Health England showed that the majority of outbreaks of coughs and chest infections - some of which were likely Covid-19 - happened in schools and care homes in the week to September 20. Just three per cent were reported from bars and restaurants Boris Johnson's 10pm curfew 'isn't enough', claims SAGE advisor A government scientist has slammed the proposed 10pm curfew before it is announced, claiming it will not be enough to curb the spread of the virus. Professor Calum Semple, from the University of Liverpool and a member of SAGE, said the measures will 'have to go further' to turn around the advance of the disease. Speaking to BBC Radio 4 he said: 'We're likely to see increased restrictions on the hospitality sector, I think. In time, it will probably have to go further than a 10pm curfew and table service only.' He said new measures needed include keeping people away from the office, stopping mixing in households, and a move to online classes for sixth form colleges and universities. Decrying the Rule of Six, he said: 'I think the Rule of Six has been tried, it's not had time to kick in yet, but based on the numbers I'm seeing, it doesn't go far enough. 'So, I do think we will be restricting inter-mingling between households. 'The epidemiologists and scientists that I work with, and I'm not just talking about the ones on SAGE, I'd say there's hardly a cigarette paper's thickness between what we feel about this. 'The time to act is now, we are in a serious situation, and the numbers that are rising are tracking the current worst case scenario. 'So, there is significant anxiety among the science community and health community.' Explaining the situation at his local hospital in Wirral, Liverpool, he said there were already several cases in intensive care. 'We're seeing a rise in hospital admissions,' he said. 'I can tell you our hospital on the Wirral has several cases in the intensive care unit. 'A study that I run which looks at hospital cases in England, Scotland and Wales is seeing a rapid rise in case admissions and, interestingly, we're actually seeing a rise in people between the age of 20 and 40, particularly women, which we didn't see previously. 'And that suggests that it's community exposure in hospitality settings and care settings, which we didn't see before, probably because people under the age of 50 are less invested in social distancing.' Sir Patrick Vallance and Professor Chris Whitty warned in an address yesterday that without decisive action the UK's outbreak of coronavirus could spiral out of control. Advertisement An impromptu party reportedly took place in London's Oxford Circus, while groups descended on the Harbourside area of Bristol and in city centres including Leeds and Newcastle. Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham said the government's drinking deadline was merely shifting the partying into homes. Boris Johnson is facing a rising tide of anger over his handling of the crisis as the draconian restrictions appeared to backfire spectacularly. Downing Street hit back at the criticism as news emerged the government is considering a total social lockdown for parts of the country. This would force pubs, restaurants and bars to shut for at least two weeks to curb the spread of the virus. But there is no guarantee that the new measures would be effective as figures show the hospitality industry was to blame for only 3% of all coronavirus outbreaks last week. The figures from Public Health England - updated every Friday - show just 22 of 532 outbreaks of acute respiratory infections were reported in food outlets in England between September 14 and 20. The tough restrictions are forcing revellers underground, with many holding illegal gatherings to snub the lockdown. In Scotland this weekend officers had to force their way into homes on three occasions, and said parties are being held across the country in 'every community and age group'. Chief Constable Iain Livingston said: 'There is no doubt that house parties or house gatherings are not permitted and there can be no excuse for arranging, attending, or hosting a house party. 'It is against the law. 'Where officers encounter blatant, wilful, or persistent breaches, we will take decisive action to enforce the law.' Cops were also deployed to help councils ensure pubs and clubs closed at 10pm. Police Scotland said there were 'very few issues' and no premises closed by police. The news comes after Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon warned the country must 'step up' its efforts to stop the spread of coronavirus earlier this month. In a public address she said Scotland was at a 'key moment' in the battle against the disease after a recent surge in case numbers. Ms Sturgeon also said the increase in cases was largely being driven by younger people 'interacting more' as she cautioned if such behaviour continues the virus 'will eventually seep into older and more vulnerable groups'. The Chief Constable added: 'Highly restrictive measures on our lives, freedoms, and daily routines are in place as, collectively, we respond to this public health emergency. 'Policing is here to support people and to help everyone to do the right thing, to prevent the spread of the virus. 'Officers will use good sense and exercise the discretion that is integral to the office of Constable, to work with citizens to support the implementation of these new rules. 'The experience of the last six months is that the great majority of people are taking personal responsibility to do the right thing because they know that at this time physical distancing is the significant intervention that can be made to save lives. 'I am grateful for the support and co-operation of the public and the licensed trade which continued over the weekend. 'I also want to again underline my admiration and compassion for young people and students who have responded so well to the pandemic at this crucial time of their lives.' The contribution of expert scientific advice to governments around the world during the pandemic has been quite variable depending on how intelligently and intently these governments have listened their own experts. Failure to listen or accept expert advice at critical tipping points of the pandemic has contributed to disastrous rates of deaths in some western countries. The expert response to this pandemic (like most global challenges) demands interdisciplinary contributions from experts from many fields of science and medicine: virologists, public health specialists, intensive care specialists, epidemiologists, medical statisticians, modelling mathematicians and so forth. New Zealand is internationally recognised to be among the more successful of countries in minimising the impact of the pandemic and our government has consistently consulted and listened to its experts. The scientific advice provided in Sweden assumed that the population would voluntarily embrace the normal pandemic precautions, but this did not happen in practice. If New Zealand had adopted the soft precautions of Sweden, rather than go early, go hard and had experienced a similar pro rata death rate per million to Sweden, New Zealand would most likely have had about 120 times as many deaths as we have experienced so far about 3000 compared to 25. Like Sweden, most of these New Zealand deaths would have been in aged-care facilities and among our older communities. Other governments like the US and the UK, despite having some of the most respected experts as advisors, were slow to take the pandemic seriously at the early stages (just like the flu). Many US states reopened their economies prematurely, again contrary to expert advice, and so they have experienced sharp uncontrolled increases in case numbers and deaths. Poor management of the crisis and the failure to follow expert advice (as reflected in the Oxford University Stringency Index) has contributed to the high death rate (200,000 and climbing) in the US. The US Government has substantial investments in various vaccine projects and appears to be hoping that this will, in due course, rescue the disastrous situation. Strangely, given the expert advice to the contrary, the wearing of masks has become a political issue in the US. This is despite the obvious fact that fibrous textile masks are an easily understood filtering mechanism. Most people understand that different forms of fibrous filters remove bacteria from tank water or dust particles from air. This is similar to textile mask fibres blocking the transmission of the Covid-19 virus embedded in mucus droplets transmitted by sneezing or speaking etc. Governments in some Asian countries such as Taiwan, Vietnam, China and Malaysia have, in many ways, shown leadership based on their expertise acquired while dealing with previous pandemics. They are among the leaders in practical measures to defeat the Covid-19 challenge (all have less than five deaths per million) and they are now likely to lead the economic recovery as well. Emeritus Professor Ralph Cooney r.cooney@auckland.ac.nz She let him use her mailing address because he had no real place of his own. She allowed him to drive her car. When he went to jail, she bailed him out. Its the kind of thing too many young women think theyre supposed to do for their man. BAKU, Azerbaijan, Sept. 28 Trend: The Armenian side spreads fake information on social networks, Assistant to the President of Azerbaijan, Head of the Foreign Affairs Policy Department of the Presidential Administration of Azerbaijan, Hikmat Hajiyev said, Trend reports. The Armenians spread misinformation that the Azerbaijani General Mais Barkhudarov was allegedly taken, prisoner. All this is aimed at preventing the development of internal chaos in this country. The information disseminated by Armenia has no real grounds, added Hajiyev. The Armenian armed forces committed a large-scale provocation, subjecting the positions of the Azerbaijani army to intensive shelling from large-caliber weapons, mortars, and artillery installations of various calibers in the front-line zone on Sept. 27 at 06:00 (GMT+4). The command of the Azerbaijani Army decided to launch a counter-offensive operation of Azerbaijani troops along the entire front to suppress the combat activity of the Armenian armed forces and ensure the safety of the civilian population. Ashagi Abdurrahmanli, Garakhanbeyli, Garvend, Kend Horadiz, Yukhari Abdulrahmanli villages of Fizuli district, Boyuk Marjanli, and Nuzgar villages of Jabrayil district were liberated. Moreover, the positions of the Armenian armed forces were destroyed in the direction of the Agdere district and Murovdag, important heights were taken under control. The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on the withdrawal of its armed forces from Nagorno Karabakh and the surrounding districts. South Australian Premier Steven Marshall stands behind Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison speaks to the media during a visit to the Osborne Naval Shipyard on September 26, 2020 in Adelaide, Australia. (Kelly Barnes/Getty Images) Tech Giant to Establish Adelaide Hub, Creating More Jobs in South Australia Up to 2,000 new jobs could be created in South Australia (SA) with the decision by technology and services giant Accenture to set up a hub in Adelaide. The Adelaide hub will collaborate with Accenture hubs in Sydney, Melbourne, Perth and Canberra, as well as overseas operations, on advanced technologies, artificial intelligence and cybersecurity. SA Premier Steven Marshall said it was expected to inject around $1 billion into his states economy with the creation of up to 2000 jobs over five years. This is a jobs bonanza for South Australia at a time when we need it most, said Premier Steven Marshall. The decision by Accenture to invest here is proof that South Australia is a major drawcard to international companies across high-tech and high-growth sectors. Adelaides Lot Fourteen precinct is already home to the Australian Space Agency, the SmartSat Cooperative Research Centre, MIT Living Lab, the Australian Institute of Machine Learning and the Australian Cyber Collaboration Centre. Bob Easton, chairman of Accenture Australia and New Zealand, said Adelaide was the ideal location for the latest hub. By Paul Osborne HOUSTON and COLUMBIA, Md., Sept. 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Scientists have offered new insights into the origin of diamonds in ureilites (a group of stony meteorites). These diamonds most likely formed by rapid shock transformation from graphite (the common low-pressure form of pure carbon) during one or more major impacts into the ureilite parent asteroid in the early solar system. Previously, researchers have proposed that diamonds in ureilites formed like those on Earth deep in the mantle of the planet, where the high pressures needed to form diamond (a very dense, hard form of pure carbon), are created by the weight of overlying rock. If diamonds in ureilites formed this way, then the original parent body on which they formed must have been a large protoplanet at least the size of Mars or Mercury. However, new research conducted by Prof. Fabrizio Nestola (University of Padova, Italy), Dr. Cyrena Goodrich (Universities Space Research Association at the Lunar and Planetary Institute) and their colleagues show there is no evidence requiring formation under the high static pressures and long growth time conditions of a planet's deep interior. The team investigated diamonds in three ureilite samples using electron microscopy, micro X-ray diffraction, and Raman (laser) spectroscopy. Their investigations revealed both large (up to 100 micrometers in size) and small (nanometers in size) grains of diamond, along with metallic iron and graphite, in the carbon-rich regions located among the silicate mineral grains in these samples. "We discovered the largest single-crystal diamond ever observed in a ureilite," says Dr. Cyrena Goodrich. "Importantly, the ureilites that we investigated have all been highly shocked, based on the evidence from their silicate minerals, which strongly suggests that both large and small diamonds in these rocks formed from original graphite via shock processes." The origin of diamonds in ureilites has important implications for models of planetary formation in the early solar system. Present day asteroids, from which most meteorites originate, are very small compared to the planets. However, planetary formation models predict that planets formed as a result of the accumulation of Moon- to Mars-sized planetary embryos (protoplanets). Advocates of the high static pressure hypothesis for the origin of ureilite diamonds argue that the ureilite parent body was one of these embryos. However, Nestola and co-authors demonstrate that the presence of diamonds in ureilites does not require a Mars-sized parent body. Previously it was thought that micrometer-sized diamonds were too large to have formed in the short time periods (e.g., microseconds) during which peak pressures are maintained in impact events. However, Nestola et al. calculated that peak shock pressures could last for 4-5 seconds during a major impact such as that inferred for the ureilite parent body. This is sufficient for formation of 100 micrometer-sized diamonds when catalyzed by the presence of metal, a process commonly used in production of diamonds in industry. Since metal is ubiquitously associated with the carbon phases in ureilites, catalyzed formation of large diamonds from original graphite under shock compression is very likely. Dr. Goodrich further notes, "Our findings are important because they not only indicate a shock origin for the diamonds in ureilites, as discussed by many previous researchers, they also refute arguments that have been made for the large parent body hypothesis. This type of scientific debate and testing of hypotheses is an essential part of making progress in science." Related Resources: Nestola F., Goodrich C. A., Morana M., Barbaro A., Jakubek R. S., Christ O, Brenker F. E., Domeneghetti C. M., Dalconi M. C,, Alvaro M., Fioretti A. M., Litasov K. D., Fries M. D., Leoni M., Casati N. P. M., Jenniskens P., and Shaddad M. H. (2020) Impact shock origin of diamonds in ureilite meteorites. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, September 28, 2020. About USRA Founded in 1969, under the auspices of the National Academy of Sciences at the request of the U.S. Government, the Universities Space Research Association (USRA) is a nonprofit corporation chartered to advance space-related science, technology and engineering. USRA operates scientific institutes and facilities, and conducts other major research and educational programs, under Federal funding. USRA engages the university community and employs in-house scientific leadership, innovative research and development, and project management expertise. More information about USRA is available at www.usra.edu. About LPI The Lunar and Planetary Institute (LPI), operated by Universities Space Research Association, was established during the Apollo program to foster international collaboration and to serve as a repository for information gathered during the early years of the space program. Today, the LPI is an intellectual leader in lunar and planetary science. The Institute serves as a scientific forum attracting world-class visiting scientists, postdoctoral fellows, students, and resident experts; supports and serves the research community through newsletters, meetings, and other activities; collects and disseminates planetary data while facilitating the community's access to NASA science; and engages and excites, and educates the public about space science and invests in the development of future generations of explorers. The research carried out at the LPI supports NASA's efforts to explore the solar system. More information about LPI is available at www.lpi.usra.edu. PR Contact: Suraiya Farukhi, Ph.D. [email protected] 410-740-6224; 443-812-6945 Julie Tygielski, [email protected] Technical Contact: Dr. Cyrena A. Goodrich, [email protected] SOURCE Universities Space Research Association Related Links http://www.usra.edu KAZAKHSTAN - JULY 7, 2016: US astronaut Kathleen Rubins (NASA), a member of the main crew of ISS Expedition 48/49, in a space suit ahead of the launch of a Soyuz FG rocket carrying the Soyuz MS-01 spacecraft to the International Space Station. Marina Lystseva/TASS (Photo by Marina Lystseva\TASS via Getty Images) On Nov. 3, Kate Rubins will be orbiting a cool 200 miles above Earth, but that's not preventing her from voting in the presidential election. The 41-year-old NASA astronaut is planning to cast her ballot from the International Space Station this year after embarking on a six-month mission that departs in mid-October. "I think it's really important for everybody to vote," she told The Associated Press. "If we can do it from space, then I believe folks can do it from the ground, too." "If we can [vote] from space, then I believe folks can do it from the ground, too." Rubins's vote will operate similarly to an absentee ballot, but instead of being delivered via the United States Postal Service, it'll be cast electronically and forwarded from Mission Control to the county clerk for tabulation. She and other American astronauts are permitted to vote from space thanks to 1997 legislation that passed in Texas, where most astronauts hold residence. The same year the law went into effect, David Wolf became the first astronaut to vote from orbit, and years later, Rubins cast her 2016 election ballot from the space station while on her first NASA mission, during which she studied DNA sequencing. "It's critical to participate in our democracy," she said. "We consider it an honor to be able to vote from space." Related: Election 2020: Beyond the Ballot Election 2020: Beyond the Ballot See? Take it from Rubins - there are really no excuses for not participating in the upcoming election. Be sure to check your registration status here, and make a concrete voting plan ahead of time, whether you're casting your ballot in person or via mail. Court Stops TikTok App Ban, For Now A judge has blocked an order from the Trump administration that would have banned TikTok from being downloaded from the Apple and Android app stores in the U.S. as of Sunday night. Judge Carl Nichols of United States District Court for the District of Columbia did not, however, rule to block a broader ban set to hit Nov. 12th which will effectively make TikTok unusable. TikTok said in a statement: Were pleased that the court agreed with our legal arguments and issued an injunction preventing the implementation of the TikTok app ban. We will continue defending our rights for the benefit of our community and employees. At the same time, we will also maintain our ongoing dialogue with the government to turn our proposal, which the President gave his preliminary approval to last weekend, into an agreement. A deal to create a new U.S.-based company TikTok Global could still save the popular social video app if owner ByteDance plus Oracle and Walmart can finalize an ownership structure that satisfies both U.S. and Chinese authorities. Share on: Minister Coveney meets with US Special Envoy to Northern Ireland News This morning, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Simon Coveney, T.D., met with US Special Envoy to Northern Ireland, Mick Mulvaney. Following the meeting, the Minister said: I was very glad of the opportunity to meet with Special Envoy Mulvaney today. We discussed a number of important issues, including the welcome return to operation of the power-sharing institutions in Northern Ireland earlier this year, the important work that has now resumed on a North-South basis, and the challenges arising in the context of Covid-19 and of Brexit. I emphasised our real concern at the current approach of the UK Government and the vital importance of the full implementation of the Withdrawal Agreement and the Protocol on Ireland / Northern Ireland, for the protection of the Good Friday Agreement and the achievements of the peace process. Those achievements were made possible by the sustained engagement of successive US Administrations and Special Envoys, and friends of Ireland across the United States. I appreciate the deep personal commitment that Mick has shown in continuing these vital conversations and contacts which underpin this engagement. I look forward to my visit to Washington DC this week where I will continue these conversations with our friends in Congress and in the Administration. I am particularly looking forward to meeting Speaker Pelosi and Congressman Richie Neal, who are valued advocates for the protection of the peace process and the Good Friday Agreement. | Next Item Image credit: Cartier According to Bain & Company (The Global Diamond Report 2019), the global jewellery market in 2019 was estimated at approximately $330 bn. Diamond jewellery sales are estimated at $80 bn, and its luxury segment accounts for about 10% (~$8 bn) of the sum. For comparison, the luxury watch market is at $39 bn over the same period, leather goods at $57 bn, and the apparel market at $64 bn (Luxury Goods Worldwide Market Study, Fall-Winter 2019). The fashion market accounts for about a quarter of the total luxury goods market. According to the experts from the McKinsey agency (A multifaceted future: The jewelry industry in 2020), the jewellery market should develop following the luxury apparel market and go through the following stages on its way: Internationalization of brands While in the 1980s, the companies producing luxury (and not only luxury) clothing sold it in certain countries, but almost all of them have entered the international level by now. For example, the share of Hugo Boss brand sales outside Germany has grown from 50% in the 1990s up to 80% in the 2010s. The main jewellery market is currently provided by large national retail brands (such as Chow Tai Fook in China or Christ in Germany) as well as by small and medium-sized businesses. Ten largest jewellery groups account for only 12% of the global market, and only two of them - Cartier and Tiffany & Co. - are in the Interbrand rating of the top 100 global brands. Jewellery branding In the wristwatch market, the branded goods accounted for about 60% of sales, while the share of branded jewellery is only 20% of the total volume. However, it has doubled since 2003. The main consumers of the branded jewellery are affluent buyers from the emerging markets, for whom the well-known brands are a way to show off their material status. According to experts at McKinsey, while in the past, the branded jewellery growth was provided by such world-renowned brands as Cartier and Tiffany & Co. as well as some new market players (Pandora and David Yurman), in the future, the main role will be played by the companies producing luxury clothing and leather accessories like Dior, Hermes and Louis Vuitton that also offer their jewellery collections. At the same time, it should be noted that, unlike clothes, accessories and even watches, the brands of which are often immediately seen (Louis Vuitton bags, Burberry trench coats, Rolex watches, etc.), the jewellery brands are not so obvious. In addition, diamond jewellery is normally not for daily wear (except for the engagement rings, the number of which - ideally - does not exceed one in a woman's life), but involves social events, which limits the chances of consumers to show their status. Reconfiguring Sales Methods According to Bain & Company, online sales account for almost 12% of the luxury goods market (~$33 bn in 2019). At the same time, most of the online sales market is provided by trade in the accessories (43% of the online luxury goods sales), apparel (27%) and cosmetics (19%), while watches and jewellery goods combined account for 11%. According to the researchers at McKinsey, the share of the jewellery sales in the nearest future is unlikely to exceed 10%, since it is extremely important for a buyer to carefully consider and touch a jewellery piece when choosing it. At the same time, many customers use online platforms before going shopping to make it easier to take a decision at the store. Jewellery sellers are expected to benefit most from the expansion of mono-brand boutique chains as well as carefully selected multi-brand stores. Expanding the circle of consumers Recently, one can observe a mixture of luxury and non-branded goods. The current trend towards smart consumption is one of the reasons for this. So, celebrities can walk on the red carpet wearing luxurious diamond jewellery and a mass market dress and vice versa. The so-called Swarovski phenomenon plays an important role, that is, when fashion jewellery is sold at the prices comparable to the cost of items made of precious metals and stones, while being in great demand. In view of these trends, jewellers may consider launching their new product lines at affordable prices and providing an opportunity for younger or less affluent consumers to purchase brand jewellery items. Many companies producing luxury clothing and accessories have such affordable price lines - Just Cavalli by Roberto Cavalli, See by Chloe by Chloe, etc. Alternatively, jewellery manufacturers can operate exclusively in the high-end segment convincing their customers through advertising and high-level servicing at their stores that offering low-end jewellery pieces lowers the value of the goods they offer, thereby reducing the elitism of the consumers, and this is a way Harry Winston does. Focusing on the fast fashion The so-called fast-fashion originated in the mid-1990s has captured not only the mass market, but also some high-end brands (Diesel, Juicy Couture) releasing several collections a year. For the luxury segment jewellers offering maximum two collections annually, such rates are too fast, which is not the case with the fashion jewellery or inexpensive jewellery manufacturers using semi-precious and synthetic stones. According to McKinsey analysts, the innovative jewellery brands would act like the fast-fashion companies by responding quickly to the changing trends and making their production cycle shorter. The main burden will be on the shoulders of designers. Interestingly, according to the Bain & Company study conducted back in 2016 (The Global Diamond Report 2016), the buyers in the USA and China had chosen the design as the most important characteristic of the diamond jewellery goods (along with a stone size, colour, clarity, price, jewellery brand, etc.). Whatever changes the jewellery industry undergoes, the promotion remains the main engine of the diamond jewellery trade. After all, it was the advertising slogan A Diamond is Forever launched in 1947 that became the driver of the rapid growth of the diamond jewellery market, and it was recognized as the most successful marketing slogan in the history. It was so excellent that has remained unsurpassed for almost three quarters of a century. In the 1990s-2000s, the advertising campaigns under the slogans For your past, present and future and Celebrate Her were held, but they were not very successful. In 2016, the Diamond Producers Association (DPA) launched an advertising campaign Real is Rare, Real is a Diamond, which was aimed primarily at the so-called millennials, or the Generation Y consumers, born between 1980 and 1994. The millennials are now the main consumers of the diamond jewellery. At the same time, as the 2016 Bain & Company study shows, there are no significant differences between the preferences of the millennials and non-millennials (the so-called Generation X born from 1965 to 1979, and earlier generations), and the existing differences mostly lie in choosing a way of purchasing their jewellery pieces. The only exceptions are the US millennials preferring electronic gadgets to diamond jewellery as a gift, in contrast to the non-millennials who put smartphones and other gadgets in fourth place on their lists of preferred gifts. Probably, this is why, the advertising slogan for the millennials contains almost the same values that inspired the Generation X consumers - the authenticity, rarity, eternity. However, this may change in the future. According to the 2019 Bain & Company study, by 2030, the millennials will still have most of the income, but in addition, the income of the new Generation Z born between 1995 and 2015 will significantly increase. This is the so-called Internet generation that is much different from the previous ones. This generation has its own culture, values, and it requires a unique approach. Therefore, the main task of the jewellery marketers is to develop a fundamentally new strategy aimed at popularizing diamonds among these - still very young - people in the future. In many ways, it depends on them what they would prefer - an up-to-date electronic gadget, a fashionable handbag, a cruise liner ticket or ... Eternity. Anastasia Smolnikova for Rough&Polished Menzies New Guinea policy condemned by waterside workers This article originally appeared in Tribune September, 1964. The Federal Council of the Waterside Workers Federation (WWF) has expressed disgust at the action of the Menzies Government in cutting the salaries of Indigenous employees in the Papua-New Guinea public service by forty to forty-five per cent. Australian and Papua-New Guinea workers have a common bond of opposition to the same government and same employers, the Federation said. The Menzies governments action was described as gross discrimination against the Indigenous workers on the basis of colour and race and an expression of blatant colonialism. Full support was expressed for the protest action taken by New Guinea trainee teachers and the Federation demanded immediate repeal of the wage-slashing ordinance by the Australian government. The Federation said that the governments wage-cutting makes a mockery of the assurances given to the United Nations and UN Trusteeship Council that government policies are non-racist and directed at the rapid advancement of the Native people. The WWF said that native lands are being increasingly alienated and Australian big business is getting a stronger foothold at the expense of the Papua-New Guinea people. Australian responsibility It is a particular responsibility of Australian trade unionists, who have had a great experience in combating the anti-democratic and anti-worker policies of the Menzies Government to assist our brothers and sisters in Papua-New Guinea to rapidly establish effective trade union organisation; to raise their living standards and win through to full and independent nationhood. We offer the full assistance of the Federation to the Papua-New Guinea workers and invite them to inform us of any practical form they suggest this assistance can take. Further support The Federal Conference of the Building Workers Industrial Union (BWIU) this month called on the Australian Council of Trade Unions to mobilise the strongest possible action in support of the Papua-New Guinea workers opposition to the savage wage cut. In a protest sent to the Australian Government, the BWIU demanded that the decision be immediately revoked. The Papua-New Guinea Workers Association has also been advised of the unions support for their struggles. In Sydney last week the NSW management committee of the Postal Workers Union condemned the Menzies government for slashing these pay rates. The committee declared its total opposition to racial discrimination in Public Service salary rates and proposed that contact be made with union organisation in New Guinea to assist in the campaign against this injustice. Initiatives in Arts and Culture and De Beers recently co-hosted a webinar on the worth of gold and diamonds. The webinar, which was moderated by Mickey Alam Khan, the founder and editor of Luxury Daily, featured Jeffrey Christian, founder and managing director of CPM Group; Kyle Roderick, an author; Pat Dambe, De Beers vice president of corporate affairs and government relations and Catherine Sarr, a jewellery designer and founder of Almasika Fine Jewellery. Rough & Polisheds Mathew Nyaungwa attended the webinar and below are some excerpts: (Mickey Alam Khan) What are your thoughts on diamonds as a store of value and how they compare to gold? (Jeffrey Christian) There is a big difference between diamonds and semi-precious stones and gold, et ceteraGold and diamonds both do very well as a store of value except in extremely unsettled political times. So if you want to protect yourself from the vagaries of the economy and the political system, having some of your wealth in gold and diamonds is very good. Where the relationship breaks-down is when you have a civil war or a revolution. Because gold is fungible, if you need gold to buy your way out of the country or out of trouble, you can take an ounce of gold to someone who will buy it and virtually anybody will buy it. They will say this is not pure gold, say ok I know it costs a $1.25 to refine impure gold into good delivery form, so knock the $1.25 from the $2000and am on my way. However, the value of diamonds is determined by a guy with an eye loupe and in that crisis moment he knows that you need cash to get out of the country, so that diamond that you paid $10 000 for, that was really worth $10 000 five years ago might be worth $1000 when it comes to time to sell in that kind of an emergence. So diamonds make sense as an investment like gold except in those extreme situations. Now in terms of the current diamond value, we have seen an explosion in diamond production and we have seen a massive change in consumer attitude on luxury goods. I think those two factors have led to a deterioration in diamond prices on the current basis. I do think that is probably a cyclical factor and I do think that diamonds still make sense as an investment except in those circumstances. (Mickey Alam Khan) Which would apply to gold too if they know that you are vulnerable. We are assuming that everybody is going to pay fair rates for that gold. Its interesting, I was at Christies Auction a few months ago when you could gather around people and the auctioneer told me something very interesting. They were auctioning this 50-carat diamond and there were some high carat diamonds there (as well). He said one thing to remember is that the best investments in diamonds are under 2 carats because that is very easy to dispose of in an emergency as you pointed out, but the more the carats, the less the ability to sell those diamonds (Jeffrey Christian) There are many people who can afford one or two carat diamond and not a lot of people can afford a 50 carat diamond. (Mickey Alam Khan) Exactly, so thats the point. Now we have Kyle who knows a lot about jewellery, she is the author of a book called the Bejeweld. In your book you observed that luxurious ethical jewelleries were indistinguishable from other bejeweled ornaments. Your whole book is about ethical jewellery, how do you define ethical jewellery and who are some of the jewellers that you feel their work embody this ethical component? (Kyle Roderick) First of all the point that I want to make at the outset is that its visually indistinguishable from other types of jewellery, but ethical jewellery is an umbrella term for jewellery that has one or more of several distinct facts related to its origin and production. So to begin with, we have the case of ethical diamonds, we have many mines that exist that are complete transparent in how they source, mine and how they conduct environmental remediation. Lets say they back fill a mine once a certain area has been mined out, they fill it up with land so that people can go ahead and use that land instead of leaving a scar in the earth. So there is that side of ethical jewellery, mining companies that are extremely responsible environmentally to the point where they wont even mine on land that they know there are diamonds because they want to preserve wildlife corridors and routes such is the case in Canada with the Diavik mines, those people are very careful to respect the wildlife corridors. Then there are companies like De Beers, they for instance have many different initiatives like the Forevermark, they are leaders because they have traceable stones so that is an ethical stone because they have a lot of paperwork going all the way to the mine that it originates from. Another type of ethical jewellery is fair mine gold or fair trade gold, which is an assurance system put in place to monitor the environmental impact of the mining and also the safety standards, etc. The community enrichment that results from the gold mining and so these mines that satisfy those heavy rigorous standards they get certified as creating a superior product because their environment is safer, its not poisoning communities, so thats another type of ethical jewellery. Yet another is the type of jewellery that is a social enterprise system. Its sold as a way of funding communities that make the jewellery and the people who are actually producing it nonprofits. Its a business model that is there to enrich communities to give them a sustainable source of income. You see that with pearl farms in the sea and so on. Those are the main types. (Mickey Alam Khan) Is the demand for ethical jewellery coming from consumers or it is being led by the marketers? (Kyle Roderick) I wish I could quantify how much marketers are driving this. I cant do it in terms of percentages but what I can say is that the companies that are most interested in creating relationships with people of all generations and different socio-economic levels, are realising that we have a great opportunity right now to communicate to people. Either diamonds or coloured stones or gold it is really a good product because it makes sense for the planet, for the communities that mine it and for the shoppers and jewellery lovers who either buy it or gift itThe studies show that even people in Asia pacific region are willing to pay slightly higher prices if they know that they are getting a piece of jewellery that has documentation, sustainably produced and people who produced it were paid fairly (Mickey Alam Khan) De Beers can take credit for pioneering the engagement ring as we know it today. How as a leading producer of diamonds do you describe the role of diamonds and what it represents? (Pat Dambe) One of the ethos at De Beers is the heart, everything is done with the heart across our producing countries. We believe that the value of a diamond is directly entwined with critical factors. Firstly, when we talk about how a diamond is mined our view is that no diamond is worth a life. We ensure that each diamond is mined, safely and transparently. And the most importantly in a way that upholds the things that Kyle was talking about human rights, environmental consideration and is mined with the highest industry standards. Secondly, its important that we talk about the difference a diamond can make to a community and I really want to get into that. I am from Botswana so I am passionate about the impact that diamonds have had in one of the leading countries in the world in terms of producing diamonds. So I speak from a heart and I worked, I believe, for a company that really focuses on the communities in which we reside and demonstrates that every single day through our people, our systems and our operations. As one of our key business imperatives we invest in one of the communities in which we reside. Our focus is investing beyond diamonds and I want to give you an examples of these. These are real, we invest in job creation, its so important that we create that socio-economic impact in the communities that we are in. We invest in women and girls through our UN-Women partnership. Imagine how important it is that we follow the protocols and standards that are strictly set by UN-Women. Particularly focused on accelerating women-owned micro-enterprises. We also invest in our employees and they take that role in terms of our values, they give their time in the communities in the initiative that we have. We fund several sustainable programmes that are focused in our producing countries, youth entrepreneurship, particularly in Africa as you know we have a huge population of young people in Africa. So youth entrepreneurship is primary to our investment in terms of sustainability. With that comes capacity building both in our industry in terms of skills development and in research outside the industry. We invest significantly in NGOs in this very challenging time of COVID-19, gender-based violence is evident in a lot of our communities and is growing. Supporting some of these NGOs is so important to us (Mickey Alam Khan) How do you make sure that other jewellery brands communicate the values properly? Are we communicating the values to men the way we are communicating to women? (Pat Dambe) The consumer today is so discerning, they are conscious about what they buy and the brands they associate themselves with and believe in terms of sustainable and ethical purchases, so values are important to us at De Beers, its in our ethos. Safety first, show we care, shaping the world, built trust and of course being passionateif you look within our ecosystems at De Beers as well as the countries we are operating in, every journey of the diamond from mine to finger is crucial for a consumer in terms of transparency and provenance. I really like to get into the idea of what provenance means because I think it means different things to different people. I just want to highlight how we take provenance. From our perspective its about the how, the what and the who. The how in terms of the practices, which is really about our values, how we practice our responsible sourcing. But the what is so important in terms of authenticity. The who is definitely the consumer, our stakeholders and the community so I think that this guarantee a sense of value creation and liquidity on that process and also guarantees our process in terms of upholding of ethical practices and the SDGs as we know them. (Mickey Alam Khan) What are the values that back the creation of your jewellery and the way you market it? Start by telling us what made you go into this, I know you have a background in jewellery, in gold and diamonds, but to launch own your own is fairly bold, especially in an industry full of giants. (Catherine Sarr) I want to answer your question by [focusing] on the name Almasika. Almasi means diamond in Swahili, a language spoken in East Africa. Sika, means gold in several languages spoken in West Africa and I have been deliberate in choosing some words that have the same meaning in different cultures because that search for commonality is what is at the heart of Almasika. Its linked to my personal story, I was born in Paris and lived 10 years in London and then from there I lived in Abu Dabi and now I live in Chicago, but in that journey across the world, what I have kept is that all the people that I met, from all walks of life, I have managed to connect with them. I have managed to see what we have in common and really I realized that we have much more that unites us than that separates us and that is the essence of Almasika. In designing its translated by finding all the forms, symbols and stories that are common to many cultures. Of course the consumers and the people who buy Almasika are attracted by the jewellery but what I have noticed is that the moment I started to express that mission you will be surprised to know that thats what really attracts people and they felt really strongly and passionate about it. We talked about the design, the material and the source and for me, design takes a critical part. With the name like Almasika, gold and diamonds, I narrowed my scope, so I work with gold and diamonds for now, but the design is critical because in todays context I really believe that not one culture should supersede other cultures. I felt that we have a voice and am passionate about that universality (Mickey Alam Khan) How has Covid-19 changed things? (Catherine Sarr) Covid-19 meant that jewellery buyers are very considerate about their choices, this is something because of how we started. We always have had customers who wanted more from their jewellery. The story side, cultural and sometimes spiritual element was very important. So in terms of who we sell to and who we speak to hasnt really changed. Its more about the many people that are coming to us right now who are looking at what we have been doing from the first day. Mathew Nyaungwa, Editor in Chief of the African Bureau, Rough&Polished New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his virtual summit with Denmark's PM Mette Frederiksen on Monday (September 28, 2020) called for diversification of global supply chain and without taking China's name highlighted how risky it has been to be depended on a "single source". He said, "COVID-19 has shown us, that global supply chain can't be dependent on a single source and it has been risky". PM Modi added, "We are working with Australia and Japan for diversification of the supply chain. Other link minded nations can join us." Global supply has been China-led, something which has been a cause of worry. Earlier this month, India, Australia and Japan announced a supply chain resilience initiative which called for enhancing the resilience of supply chains in the Indo-Pacific region. PM Modi opined, "The events of the past few months have made it clear that for like-minded countries like us, who share a rules-based, transparent, humanitarian and democratic value-system need to work together." On coronavirus crisis, he called for collaboration in the like-minded country and said India will leverage its pharma advantage for the benefit of the world. Denmark's PM Mette Frederiksen said, "the summit is a milestone for our bilateral relations, on an important and forward-looking agreement on the green strategic partnership". India and Denmark have also agreed on 2nd India Nordic countries summit. The first such summit took place in 2018 in Stockholm. This is the 4th virtual meet of Indian PM due to the pandemic. He has already met the leaders of Australia, EU and Sri Lanka. By PTI JAIPUR: Congress leader Sachin Pilot hit out at the Centre over the new farm laws on Monday and accused it of betraying farmers at a challenging time. The former deputy chief minister of Rajasthan said the farm bills had deliberately been brought at a time when the economy is collapsing and farmers are suffering losses. "Recently passed farm bills are being opposed in the entire country. The constituents of the NDA are opposing these too. Congress decided to fight alongside farmers from all over the country. Now, we will take it further, but I believe that the central government has betrayed the farmers in a challenging time," Pilot told reporters here. "The Akali Dal is the oldest ally of the NDA and is opposing the laws. When you could not explain the laws to the Akali Dal MP, what would you explain to the farmers," the Congress leader asked. President Ram Nath Kovind on Sunday gave assent to three contentious farm bills passed in Parliament last week that have triggered farmers' protest in some states. These three farm bills are: The Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020, The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020 and The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill, 2020. Pilot said the Congress believed there should be investments in agriculture and that farmers should get better prices for their produce. However, he added, starting a new system and ending the existing mandi system will lead to a few industrialists monopolising the sector. "The new laws are being opposed all over the country. Congress party will oppose these laws till the end. We are not going to leave any stone unturned to get justice for the farmers," Pilot said. French primary school teacher and tattoo enthusiast Sylvain Helaine, known as Freaky Hoody, poses during a photo session in Palaiseau, a south of Paris suburb, on September 22, 2020. A heavily tattooed French schoolteacher said he was prevented from teaching kindergarten after a parent complained his appearance scared their child. Sylvain Helaine, 35, said the parent of a 3-year-old student at the Docteur Morere Elementary School in Palaiseau complained their son had nightmares after seeing him. Although the boy was not in his class, Helaine said he was removed from the classroom for two months and then prohibited from teaching children under the age of 6 years old. "I think it's just disgusting," he told USA TODAY. "They didnt even try to convince the parent that I was a good teacher and that I had a lot of experience ... I felt betrayed by them and Im a bit sad." The local education authority confirmed to Reuters that an agreement was reached to move Helaine because of his appearance. Related: Can you actually cover up a tattoo? Helaine said he's been teaching for more than 12 years and that he's only had a few comments from parents. He first decided to change his appearance while working in London when he was 27 because he felt he wouldn't be judged. He had his tongue and the whites of his eyes surgically blackened and got his first "layer" of tattoos over the course of three and half years. "For me its only one tattoo, one body suit," he said. "It's constantly evolving." Helaine, who also does acting, modeling and comedy in his spare time, said he was 10 years old when he knew he wanted to be a teacher and hopes to keep doing it. "Primary school teacher is a job that you want to be forever," he said. " I just want people to judge me for my work." Follow N'dea Yancey-Bragg on Twitter: @NdeaYanceyBragg This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Teacher says he's barred from teaching kindergarten because of tattoos E lections are, in essence, a contest between competing visions of the future. Fortunately for Londoners, the Conservative candidate certainly has one. Unfortunately, the future he envisions is the fictional San Francisco depicted in the 1982 science-fiction film Blade Runner, with workers facing random tests at their offices and the names of train stations auctioned off to the highest bidder. The vision of Sadiq Khan, who barring the biggest shock in British political history will be re-elected as Mayor in May, is not science fiction, but regrettably, it is historical: a world in which Londons nation and world-leading industries have not been crippled, bankrupted or shut by coronavirus. The Mayors political success as with Boris Johnson before him is in appealing to a rich seam of political chauvinism, to the (palpably correct) view that this is the greatest city on earth, and that its greatness lies in its openness, innovation and diversity. His ever-present tagline of London is Open might have all the political subtlety of a brick, but it is no less effective for all that. The problem, of course, is that London isnt open. Its world-beating theatres, concert halls which attract not only audiences from around the world but the greatest actors and musicians in the English-speaking world have been forced to close their doors, and might ultimately be forced to keep them that way. Its public transport system which, not only thanks to its quality but also due to its innovative governance structure is the envy of many cities around the planet faces a funding crunch the like of which has never been seen. And if the shift away from working in offices proves to be permanent, that will create many winners around the country, with people having far greater freedom over where they live and work. But it will, at least in the medium term, be a traumatic and destabilising moment for our great cities and for London in particular. Having been outflanked by Rory Stewart, the former independent candidate for the mayoralty, who alone among high-profile British politicians called for the United Kingdom to go into lockdown long before it was fashionable, Khan has become one of the loudest advocates for a health-first approach to tackling the pandemic. Thats the right call, because there is no way past the economic crisis without tackling the health crisis: only getting to a point where the NHS and test-and-trace infrastructure can safely test, trace and isolate new cases will allow the economy to recover fully. But it comes at a major cost for London. There is no way past the economic crisis without tackling the health crisis but it comes at a major cost Even if a vaccine or, more likely, a leap forward in palliative treatment means that we can bring the era of social distancing to a rapid end, the massive debts that London has incurred thanks to the cost of lockdown have changed our relationship with the rest of the country, at least for the short-term. To recover, London will no longer be a net contributor to the nations coffers: its finances will need at the least a bailout, perhaps a prolonged period of subsidy. That suits this Downing Street down to the ground. Their vision of local government means local to Downing Street: their preferred method of governing is centralisation, whether directly or indirectly. Their first preference, as they showed in their first bailout of the capital, will be to use any attempt to refinance Transport for London as a way to reduce the Mayors autonomy: a regression to the failed experiment of the Nineties, when London became the only major city in the world without its own city-wide devolved government, and a far cry from David Camerons sensible decision to expand elected mayors to Englands other great cities. What is Khans vision for London both now and for the future? To date what we have heard is lock down and wear masks. He has not tackled the economic carnage that is hitting London and he is showing little support for business. Khans great political skill is his ability to make Londoners feel good about themselves and the city they live in. But without a vision of the future climbing out of this pandemic he is failing. Downing Streets private belief is that, beyond stroking the egos of the capitals voters, there is nothing that the Mayor can do or say that a small centralised cabal of people in Whitehall cant do better. If City Hall cant offer more than lock down, wear a mask, then he may end up discovering that the future he is presiding over is one without a mayor. Khan needs to have a plan for what he would do differently from Whitehall and stick up for his voters against the government. Simply railing against interference from Westminster is not working. Stephen Bush is political editor of the New Statesman Harry and Meghan could create a Netflix documentary with sensational home footage recorded during their departure from the Royal Family, it was claimed last night. The couple are believed to have told bosses at the US streaming giant about the trove of homemade material before they signed a deal earlier this month said to be worth 100million dollars (77.9million), insiders said. Their representatives are thought to have pitched the footage, including personal videos recorded as they stepped back from royal life, during negotiations with Netflix. The claim was made after the couple denied reports that they had agreed to make a fly-on-the-wall reality series for Netflix. There are suggestions the pair realised that if they wanted to make their own worthy documentaries and still receive a big price-tag from Netflix, then they needed another project which could offer more commercial value. Harry and Meghan (picutred) could create a Netflix documentary with sensational home footage recorded during their departure from the Royal Family, it was claimed last night Sussexes' US election intervention 'violated' terms of 'Megxit' deal with the Queen, say senior aides Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's US election intervention 'violated' the terms of the 'Megxit' deal the couple have the Queen, according to senior royal aides. Their comments could further risk their links to the monarchy, with sources claiming that senior courtiers are discussing how to further distance London royals from the couple. In their message, Harry and Meghan called on American voters to 'reject hate speech, misinformation and online negativity' in 'the most important election of our life.' Their comments, which came in a Time 100 video to go with the publication of this year's list of the most influential people, have been widely interpreted to be a swipe at U.S. president Donald Trump. The list does not include the royal couple. Members of the royal family are supposed to be politically neutral, and under the Sandringham accord - agreed in March when the pair quit their royal duties - the Sussexes vowed that 'everything they do will uphold the values of Her Majesty'. However, according to The Sunday Times, royal aides have said that the couple's comments last week have broken their promise from earlier this year. 'The [royal] family are all wringing their hands, thinking: where is this going and does this abide by the deal to uphold the values of the Queen? The feeling is it's a violation of the agreement,' one source told the newspaper. Advertisement But home video footage of their fractious departure from the royal fold could prove to be explosive if the pair bare their souls about their disillusionment with life in the monarchy. There is also speculation that the footage could cover the introduction of their son Archie into the family. Insiders said any material of this kind would provide a unique insight into their lives and would probably do very well with audiences. It is not clear if any programme of this kind would be presented by the pair or topped up with interviews with them. Harry, 36 and Meghan, 39, are already known to be developing an innovative nature docu-series and an animated series about inspiring women through their deal with Netflix. They have also been linked with potential shows about the environment and poverty. Yesterday Harry and Meghan denied reports that they were going to make their own fly-on-the-wall reality series for the streaming company. While a spokesman for the Sussexes denied they were taking part in a reality show, the suggestion they could personally feature in a documentary series made by their new production company had not been ruled out. It came after The Sun reported that they were going to use film from their first year in America for the documentary. It added they would be followed for three months. According to a source Netflix wanted their pound of flesh as part of the deal. They added the programme would be very tasteful and would show people all the charity work the couple do. Royal sources had expressed genuine concern if claims about the fly-on-the-wall nature of the programme were true. Harry had given his grandmother, the Queen, reassurances earlier this year that the work he and Meghan planned to undertake would not embarrass the family or nakedly trade on his royal links. There has been speculation about whether the pairs lucrative deal with the US media company would see them appearing in front of the camera. Harry and Meghan have set up their own production company and have begun hiring staff. Yesterday Harry and Meghan (pictured with William and Kate last year) denied reports that they were going to make their own fly-on-the-wall reality series for the streaming company While a spokesman for the Sussexes (pictured here with son Archie) denied they were taking part in a reality show, the suggestion they could personally feature in a documentary series made by their new production company had not been ruled out This comes about six months after they quit Britain and stepped down as working royals with the intention of becoming financially independent. They reportedly spent $15 million (11.7 million) on a mansion in the celebrity area of Santa Barbara in California in June, with a 10 million dollar (7.8 million) mortgage. At the time of the Netflix announcement Harry and Meghan had said: Through our work with diverse communities and their environments, to shining a light on people and causes around the world, our focus will be on creating content that informs but also gives hope. A Netflix spokesman said: The couple already have several projects in development, including an innovative nature docu-series and an animated series that celebrates inspiring women but we are not disclosing any of the programming slate at this time. (Newser) A former police sergeant in Georgia pleaded guilty Monday to the murder of a paramedic he was having an affair with and sentenced to life in prison. The Ledger-Enquirer reports former Columbus officer William Bill Talley III pleaded guilty to felony murder, aggravated assault, and using a gun to commit a crime in the 2019 shooting death of paramedic Kelly Levinsohn. Charges of malice murder and violating his oath of office as a police offer against Talley were dropped as part of a plea bargain. Tally could be paroled after 30 years in prison. The gun charge would add five years of probation to his sentence after any release. The plea and sentence followed 90 minutes of testimony from relatives of Talley and Levinsohn, the AP reports. story continues below Witnesses testifying remotely described their grief at Levinsohn's death, as well as the pain caused by Talley's actions, which witnesses said were fueled in part by depression, alcoholism, and a desire to kill himself. Talley and Levinsohn were having an affair that Talleys wife Rebecca Talley knew about, yet she continued to support him, according to testimony. Talley shot Levinsohn in the head before driving the paramedic's truck to Harris County, where he wrecked it off Interstate 185 and threatened to kill himself, holding officers at bay. Talley eventually surrendered. Records show that officers were called to Levinsohn's home in 2018 when Talley threatened to kill himself. He was suspended for one day for violating rules on alcohol consumption, but was later deemed fit for duty and returned to work. (Read more Georgia stories.) Joel Sickler, who heads the Justice Advocacy Group, said it was highly likely that Assange could be sent to the supermax facility in Colorado. The prison has been dubbed the Alcatraz of the Rockies. London: The dissident Chinese contemporary artist Ai Weiwei staged a silent protest outside London's Old Bailey court on Monday against the possible extradition of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange to the United States, where he is wanted on an array of espionage charges. The court, meanwhile, heard that Assange, if convicted in the US, could end up spending the rest of his life imprisoned in the federal supermax prison in Florence, Colorado. The facility is home to Unabomber Ted Kaczynski, Mexican drug lord Joaquin El Chapo Guzman, 1993 World Trade Center mastermind Ramzi Yousef and Zacarias Moussaoui, the only man ever convicted in a US court for a role in the 11 September attacks. Ai, who visited Assange at the Ecuadorian Embassy in London where he was holed up for seven years and subsequently at Britain's Belmarsh high security prison, said the authorities have a responsibility to protect the freedom of the press. He is prepared to fight, but this is not fair to him," he said. Free him, let him be a free man. US prosecutors have indicted the 49-year-old Assange on 17 espionage charges and one charge of computer misuse over WikiLeaks publication of secret American military documents a decade ago. The charges carry a maximum sentence of 175 years in prison. As well as arguing that the extradition would pose a threat to Assanges life, his defense team say that Assange is a journalist and entitled to First Amendment protections for the publication of leaked documents that exposed US military wrongdoing in Iraq and Afghanistan. He truly represents a core value of why we are free, because we have freedom of the press," Ai said. We need a lot of protesting, and it can take any form. Im an artist, if I cannot use my art, its very limited, then Id rather just be silent. Assanges father, John Shipton, was also protesting outside the court. Ai Weiwei is an artist of gigantic international standing, he stands alongside Julian to give the fight international meaning, he said. Ai, 63, is one of the worlds most successful artists, famous around the world for his installations of bicycles and sunflower seeds. In his native China, he was alternately encouraged, tolerated and harassed, spending time in detention and being barred for years from leaving the country. He was arrested at Beijings airport in April 2011 and held for 81 days without explanation during a wider crackdown on dissent. He is now based in Berlin and in the UK. On Monday, the court heard from two witnesses who said Assange would face intolerable conditions if extradited. It is widely mooted that Assange would be moved to the pre-trial facilities at Alexandria Detention Center in Virginia if extradited. Other recent high-profile federal defendants there include President Donald Trump's 2016 campaign chairman Paul Manafort and Chelsea Manning, the former intelligence analyst who leaked a trove of documents to WikiLeaks and who tried to take her own life earlier this year at the facility. Yancey Ellis, a Virginia-based lawyer who has had clients at the facility, said Assange would likely be put into an administrative segregation unit for months or even years that would be akin to solitary confinement. And Joel Sickler, who heads the Justice Advocacy Group, said Assange would face no meaningful interaction in pre-trial confinement in a cell the size of "a parking space. Sickler, who has decades of experience in the field of the US prison system, also said Assange would face the real risk of special administrative measures, or SAMs, being imposed on him by the US attorney-general if convicted. The imposition of such measures could further curtail Assange's links and communications to the outside world as well as his movements within prison. Sickler said it was highly likely that Assange could be sent to the supermax facility in Colorado. The prison, also known as ADX, is so secure, remote and austere it has been dubbed the Alcatraz of the Rockies. Should Mr. Assange be sent to ADX he will almost certainly spend all his time in ADX in solitary," Sickler said in written testimony to the court. While conditions at a penitentiary are severe, nothing compares to the near permanent solitary life of an inmate at ADX. Assanges lawyers have argued that their client could very well try to kill himself if extradited to the US, while those acting on behalf of the US government have sought to show that his mental state is not as bad as claimed and that he wouldnt be subjected to improper conditions. Assange's extradition hearing, which was delayed by the coronavirus pandemic, is due to end this week. The movement that Hunan joins into the framework of Free Trade Zone will contribute for the coordinated development in Central China. Relying on their advantageous locations, cities as Yueyang, Changsha and Chenzhou, have grown up to be the corridor for international cooperation, investment and trade, according to the Department of Commerce of Hunan Province. It is aimed to build Hunan a world-class manufacturing cluster and a pilot zone for China-Africa economic and trade cooperation. Owing to the ancient Silk Road and the proposal of Belt and Road Initiative, Hunan has come with a good foundation for economic trade cooperation with Africa, as they share a high degree of industrial fit and strong market complementarity. Hunan has been leading the way in economic and trade cooperation with Africa at the level of provinces, cities and autonomous regions. In 2019, Hunan not only successfully hosted the first China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo, but also won the permanent residence of it. By hosting the Expo, Hunan will be able to attract more investments and cooperations. Based on the competitive industries, including equipment manufacturing, energy and electricity, infrastructure and agricultural processing, Hunan is designed to build logistics channels to Africa and explore Hunan mode for China's local economic and trade cooperation with Africa. In 2019, the total import and export value of Hunan exceeded 430 billion yuan for the first time, reaching a record high. The growth rate of foreign trade was 41.2%, ranking first in the country. Among which, the trade volume to the countries and regions along the Belt and Road Initiative grew by 54%, and the import and export volume reached 124.8 billion yuan. Supported by the existing competitive industries, such as construction machinery (SANY and ZOOMLION), railway transportation equipment (CRRC) and intelligent equipment (SUNWARD), Hunan sped up the construction of innovation platform and industrial Internet, and joined the international competition of high-end equipment manufacturing and maintenance, so as to form new advantages of participating in global industrial division competition and cooperation. This is not only in line with the needs of China's sustainable development, but also in line with the world's fourth industrial revolution featuring returning to the manufacturing industry through intellectualization. SOURCE The Department of Commerce of Hunan Province A Quebec author acquitted last week of child pornography charges in connection with passages in a horror novel says he and fiction writers across the country can breathe again. Its as if a huge weight has just come off my shoulders ... I felt emotions that I hadnt felt for a long time, said Yvan Godbout. He was charged last year with producing child pornography over sections of his 2017 book Hansel et Gretel that include scenes of sexual abuse of the brother and sister as children. On Thursday, Quebec Superior Court Justice Marc-Andre Blanchard ruled that certain articles of Canadas child pornography laws cast too wide a net, targeting works of literature that dont endorse or promote pedophilia. Authors and creators will be able to breathe a little more and not feel like they have the sword of Damocles hanging over them, Godbout said in a phone interview. Despite the relief, he said the anxiety of the past year-and-a-half still clings to him and his family, along with the attendant social stigma and financial toll. I have lost contacts ... friends, said Godbout, who is in his early 50s. He recalled the day of his 6 a.m. arrest in his bedroom in Quebec City in March 2019 as a total shock to him and his partner. I was completely naked. I had to go to the washroom, still nude, and the police stayed in the bathroom with me. It was a kind of nightmare. Godbout opted to sleep in the basement for two to three months afterward, unable to relive the trauma that played itself over in his head when he entered the bedroom. His editor Francois Doucet, who was acquitted of charges of distributing child pornography, said the court victory was bittersweet. Its completely abhorrent to be accused without proof, said Doucet, 63. He has received death threats by email and social media. Initially one of his sons was mistaken for Doucet and arrested and handcuffed when his father was out of the country, Doucet said. I have another of my sons who tried to kill himself. The publishing house Doucet founded in 1992, Editions AdA, has collapsed, causing enormous financial difficulties. Supermarkets took out my books. We produced 350 books a year ... but we had to sell our land, our buildings, he said. More than 40 employees lost their jobs. I wonder how much the federal and provincial prosecutors have read the Marquis de Sade, he said. Editions AdA published Godbouts novel as part of its series Contes interdits Forbidden Tales which recasts classic fairy tales as horror stories. Godbout had argued that the author of a fictional horror novel that neither advocates nor counsels pedophilia should not see his freedom of expression restricted through criminal charges that carry a devastating social stigma. He also argued that there is no evidence to show that such written works of fiction cause any harm to children. At trial, Quebecs attorney general acknowledged a violation of Godbouts freedom of expression but argued it was justified in order to protect societys youngest and most vulnerable. All material depicting sexual acts with children is harmful, it was argued. In a 55-page decision, Blanchard largely sided with Godbout. While sexual material involving minors is clearly harmful, the court believes we must distinguish between material that exposes a tangible reality, videos or photos or even drawings, from literary fiction, he wrote. Blanchard noted the law was broadened in 2005 to include not just material that advocates for or encourages pedophilia, but any description of sexual acts with children, as long as the description is a dominant characteristic of the work of fiction and is done with a sexual purpose. By that definition, the judge noted, some victims of sexual assault could not legally speak out about their experiences. Blanchard said the expanded law effectively rendered illegal an overly wide swath of literature, unduly limiting freedom of expression. The province has 30 days to appeal the decision. Godbout said he plans to start repairing his life before thinking about exercising his artistic freedom or seeking damages. For the moment, Im going to focus on my family and me, he said. I was injured, but there is incredible and almost irreparable damage to my loved ones. Read more about: A community outreach worker at a Melbourne safe-injecting clinic has been jailed for drug trafficking. Matthew Honey's job was to encourage drug users to give up their habit, but he was spreading the drug himself. He was ordered on Monday to spend 12 months behind bars after admitting he was trafficking heroin in Richmond in September and October last year. Drug support worker Matthew Honey, 50, (pictured) was convicted of dealing heroin to vulnerable addicts outside Melbourne's controversial safe injecting room But Honey appealed the sentence immediately and was freed on bail. The 50-year-old has been a heroin user since his 20s. Honey was employed by the clinic as a 'peer worker' to educate drug users about how to use safely, to avoid overdose and encourage addicts to use the safe injecting clinic rather than public places or privately. He was trained and regularly called to revive people who had overdosed in the street. 'You were distressed as you had attended an inordinate number of overdoses, several involving deaths of people known to you,' magistrate Kieran Gilligan said. But he also used his position to traffic drugs to people he knew around the centre, outside a primary school and near his home, which was only a short distance away. Honey had been a long-time heroin user himself who had gone clean, but then relapsed six months prior to his offending. He used his work phone to organise a network of heroin users to sell to. Using the code name 'Mum', a woman would supply Honey and a co-offender heroin to be sold each day. Phone records, along with CCTV and evidence from an undercover police officer, exposed his offending. 'In my view, your offending involved a gross breach of trust because of your employment at the centre and that aggravates your offending,' Magistrate Gilligan said, as quoted in the Herald Sun. Pictured: Syringes left discarded in North Richmond. The suburb has its own bespoke safe injecting room where drug users can shoot up under supervision 'Your conduct completely undermined and subverted the purposes of the establishment of the facility.' The court heard he suffered PTSD and had also been subjected to abuse by 'some sort of local residents' vigilante group'. Mr Gilligan also noted Honey has previous convictions for violence and dishonesty. He has been jailed in the past. His lawyer had asked for a community order, but the magistrate said he had five previous chances at orders and breached four of them. As part of his bail, Honey must stay off drugs, report daily to police, and cannot go within 50m of the safe injecting room. Harley Facades project manager Ben Bailey admitted ordering substitute insulation for Grenfell Tower to avoid a four-day delay in the buildings refurbishment, the Grenfell inquiry heard. Harley Facades was one of the main subcontractors in the refurbishment of the Towerapplying the flammable cladding which turned it into a death trap and 72 fatalities. An example of the type of cladding used on the Grenfell Tower is displayed during a news conference in Philadelphia, Tuesday, June 11, 2019. A lawsuit filed in the United States says faulty building materials helped spread a fire at London's Grenfell Tower in 2017. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke) Bailey was just 25 when his father, Harley managing director Ray Bailey, appointed him project manager. He ordered another product after supplier SIG had mistakenly sold an order of Celotex RS5000 intended for Grenfell to another buyer. When informed of the delay, Bailey wrote, Are you joking? Is K15 held in stock at the same thickness? An email order for Kingspan Kooltherm K15 is shown being sent a few minutes later. Bailey claimed the timing of the emails was faulty, insisting he spent an hour discussing the matter with his technical team who advised him it was a similar product after examining the K15 certificate. However, the certificate states the product had only been tested for use with a cement fibre cladding, rather than the combustible aluminium cladding material (ACM) that would be utilised on Grenfell. It said Kingspan should be contacted if the insulation was used on buildings over 18 metres. Richard Millett QC, noting that the delay covered only four working days, asked Bailey, Was the delay so critical that you had to change insulation? He replied that the delay might have brought difficulties, Because you could have teams of fixers not doing anything because there isnt any material... Rydon [lead contractor] was also putting pressure on subcontractors to stick to programme. Bailey admitted failing to inform the client, Kensington and Chelsea Tenant Management Organisation (KCTMO), who ran the Tower on behalf of Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea London council (RBKC), or architect Studio E of the change. This violated the contracts clause requiring the clients permission for any substitution. Subsequent emails from Celotex asked Harley if they could use Grenfell Tower as a case study for their insulation, characterised by Millett as the building acting as a guinea pig. Bailey claimed he had harboured a misconception that materials rated Class 0 could be used for high rises. He admitted he had no qualifications or training in industry codes of practice for design, in building regulations, in the installation of windows and cladding, and in fire safety. He also denied knowing the contractual obligations regarding substitution and said he hadnt read the contract rendering Harley responsible to see that cladding met official guidelines on fire performance. As with all Harley witnesses, he claimed compliance with regulations was the responsibility of the architects, and that his role just dealt with running the work programme. Under questioning, he admitted that some days he failed to inspect work on the site, agreeing that workers were left to get on with their job unsupervised. His inspection of barrier installation was described as ad hoc, and he missed an entire face of the building. He reported being shocked by sloppy workmanship that he found after the fire. Bailey was shown a photograph of the Siderise horizontal cavity barrier. It had been installed both vertically and back-to-front. A yet more damaging admission came when the inquiry reviewed a dispute between Harley and building officers at RBKC in March 2015 about whether fire stripping or cavity barriers were required. Bailey emailed manufacturer Siderise to provide a quote and designs in case the council decided to meet the requirement for a two-hour delay of flames. Siderise technical development director Chris Mort responded, adding, Also, on the second page of the attachment I have highlighted the weak link so to speak in terms of fire. The page shows an orange circle around the bracket at the top of the windows, with the words written in capital letters: WEAK LINK FOR FIRE. Mort then advised shifting the cavity barrier down to the top of the windows. But the RBKC building control officer decided against the two-hour requirement, and Morts warning was ignored. Mort told the inquiry explained that he was highlighting that there was nothing to stop fire in an internal compartment moving to an external cavity It was a clear error and I felt I should highlight it. Bailey admitted that he found Approved Document B of the building regulations concerning fire, confusing. Finally, Millett asked him, Are you able to explain how Harley, as a specialist cladding contractor, and youas the project manager overseeing the installationso lacked expertise in the placement of cavity barriers that you had to seek advice from the manufacturer? After repeating that he was not in a technical role, Bailey answered no after the question was repeated. The role of cladding manufacturer Arconic (then known as Alcoa) was examined last Wednesday. An email from Richard Geater of rival manufacturer 3A claimed his company was undercut by Arconic because 3A was offering the more expensive FR fire-rated core rather than the more combustible PE (polythene) cladding. The inquiry heard testimony that a mock-up of the cladding on the refurbishment used FR rather than the PE with which it was later constructed. Arconic had long been aware of polythenes poor performance in fire tests, especially when cut into cassette shapes. Technical manager Claude Wehrle wrote in 2011, For the moment, even if we know that PE material in cassette has a bad behaviour exposed to fire, we can still work with national regulations who are not as restrictive. In 2015, he observed that PE is dangerous on facades, and everything should be transferred to FR as a matter of urgency, but said this conclusion was technical and anti-commercial. The inquiry heard that Geof Blades, sales director of CEP Architectural Facade, admitted ignorance that an FR version of the panel existed. Despite being asked to give quotes on a VM Zinc product, he based his offers on an Arconic Reynobond PE product painted to look like zinc. He claimed he introduced it rather than recommended it and insisted he didnt approach other companies because it was a courtesy since the two companies had been discussing the project. Blades said he was not consciously aware that the polythene core of the panel was plastic and combustible. He agreed with Millett that his failure to realise that Reynobond 55 also came as an FR was something of a missed opportunity. Andrew McQuatt, project manager for the consultant Max Fordham, was questioned last Thursday. He explained he had selected the insulation product as best suited for a thermal efficiency target that was double the standard in guidance for refurbishments. Described at the time as over the top and a bit aspirational, McQuatt called the insulation his top priority. He chose Celotex FR5000 because he was unable to log onto Kingspans website. He wrote Studio E lead architect Bruce Sounes in August 2012 that it is the only type of product that will give us the required performance. He hadnt carried out even the most basic checks on its fire performance, saying he saw it used on so many projects, he assumed it was safe. Three years after a complaint was filed, a report by the Metropolitan Polices directorate of professional standards absolved police surveillance helicopters of fanning the flames or misleading Grenfell residents to believe they would be rescued by rooftop landings. A 999 call on the night of the fire asked, Can the helicopter take us, please? They were told, OK. We are trying to get you. Another caller was told, There is one there, OK, all right, the fire brigade are on their way now, making their way. The polices investigation concluded, At no point were they told or led to believe by police, that there may be a helicopter or rooftop rescue Despite some examples of unclear responses, no emergency call centre operator told any callers that helicopters would rescue them. Nabil Choucair, who lost six family members in the fire and initiated the complaint, observed, The police didnt do enough to make clear the helicopters were not there to rescue them, especially since they were equipped with loudhailers. It is sadly similar to how the buck is being passed at the public inquiry. During Prime Ministers Questions last week, Labour MP Florence Eshalomi pointed out that the unsafe cladding on high-rise buildings had still not been replaced, trapping leaseholders in unsafe flats, unable to sell or remortgage their properties. Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who imposed fire service cuts as London Mayor, replied, I think it is disgraceful, and both ACM and HPL [high-pressure laminate] cladding should, in my view, come off as fast as possible and we are investing massively to achieve that as fast as we can. Despite 200 million promised in May 2019 and a further 1 billion in May 2020still nowhere near enoughhundreds of high-rises are a threat to the lives of those who live in them. The inquiry has no powers of prosecution and hasin alliance with the Toriesensured that those giving testimony from the corporations are immune from future prosecution. The Socialist Equality Party calls on Grenfell survivors and the bereaved to end cooperation with it and demand the immediate arrest and criminal prosecution of the guilty parties. For further information visit and join the Grenfell Fire Forum Facebook page. A federal judge yesterday postponed his final ruling in the patent infringement lawsuit a Yale professor won against Apple, giving the company more time to dispute a $625 million penalty. In an order issued Tuesday, U.S. District Court Judge Leonard Davis spelled out a schedule that gives Apple and Mirror Worlds until the end of November to submit additional post-trial arguments. "All post-verdict relief shall be sought in these motions," Davis wrote in his order. "The Court will not consider any additional motions or briefing after entering the final judgment." Last week, a Tyler, Texas jury awarded privately-held Mirror Worlds $625.5 million in damages, saying that Apple willfully violated three of the firm's patents. The patents apply to Apple's iPhone, iPod, iPad and Mac OS X, according to earlier court documents, and focus on interface designs including Apple's "CoverFlow" -- a 3D graphical interface used in iTunes and the iPhone -- and its Time Machine data backup and restore software. On Sunday, Apple asked Davis to delay his final ruling on the verdict, claiming that the award amounted to "triple dipping" because the jury penalized Apple $208.5 million for each of the three patent violations. Apple had asked for a one-day trial to decide the issue, or failing that, the right to submit additional briefs to Davis. On Tuesday, Davis rejected the idea of a short second trial, and said Apple's emergency motion of Sunday was "moot" because of his order demanding more briefs. Davis said he would allow motions under Rule 50 and Rule 59, two procedural rules in federal cases that give judges leeway to reject a jury's decision or call for a new trial. Mirror Worlds was founded by David Gelernter, a Yale University computer science professor. He is also the author of the 1992 book Mirror Worlds: or the Day Software Puts the Universe in a Shoebox and the 1997 book Drawing Life. The latter is Gelernter's account of surviving the explosion of a mail bomb sent by the Unabomber, who killed three and injured 23 others over a two-decade campaign of bombings. In 1998, Theodore "Ted" Kaczynski pleaded guilty to government charges stemming from the crimes, and is currently servicing a life sentence in a Colorado federal prison. Earlier this week, Gelernter declined to comment on the case, citing the unresolved issues. Apple has not replied to a request for comment. Gregg Keizer covers Microsoft, security issues, Apple, Web browsers and general technology breaking news for Computerworld. Follow Gregg on Twitter at @gkeizer or subscribe to Gregg's RSS feed . His e-mail address is gkeizer@computerworld.com. What happens when your landlord is selling your rental? Here are your rights. Read more This article is part of our guide to tenants rights in Philadelphia. Got a question? Ask us using the form at the bottom of this article. For many renters, its among the worst-case scenarios: Your landlord notifies you that the property youre renting has been put up for sale. Of course, landlords have the right to sell their property. But just because your house or apartment is going on the market doesnt necessarily mean youre out on the street right away. As with other landlord-tenant issues, its a process. So, what happens when your landlord sells your rental, and what does that mean for your lease? Here is what you need to know: What does your lease say? The first thing you should do is read your lease, says Mike Carroll, a senior attorney with Community Legal Services of Philadelphias housing unit. There, you may find a lease termination due to sale clause though its somewhat rare. In a majority of cases, the lease is silent about what happens in a sale, Carroll says. But if it is there, it will explain what happens if the property is sold, including how much notice youll get before you have to move out. Typically, it will be between 30 and 90 days. While other places like Seattle and Portland, Ore. sometimes require that landlords pay tenants to help them relocate in the event of a sale, Pennsylvania does not. And, unlike in cities like Baltimore, landlords here dont have to give tenants a chance to buy the place first, which is known as the right of first refusal. But, as Carroll notes, some leases may contain those provisions, so make sure you check your agreement first. Whatever the lease says, though, its important to understand that you cant break your lease just because your rental is for sale, Carroll says. So, unless your lease says otherwise, you should keep paying your rent up until you move out in order to avoid an eviction. Your landlord has to abide by the terms of the lease, including giving you the required notice for showings, appraisals, or repairs. What if the lease doesnt cover sales? If your lease is silent about what happens if your rental is being sold, what happens next is primarily determined by the Pennsylvania Landlord and Tenant Act of 1951. It says that the new owners of a rented property shall be liable to the same duties as the person from whom the title was acquired. So what does that mean? Well, in short, your lease still stands even if the property is under new ownership. You just have a new landlord who can collect rent and is obligated to make repairs. The general rule is that if you bought a place with a tenant in it, you bought the lease, Carroll says. It doesnt end unless in your lease you made a provision for it to end. Everything applies to the new owner as it would to the old owner. But that doesnt mean you shouldnt expect any complications. The new owners, Carroll notes, could pursue an eviction if they have the legal grounds to do so if you havent paid rent, or you are breaking some other term in the lease. Or they could choose to not renew the lease at the end of its current term. Either way, though, they will need to give you the proper notice, and follow the other terms set out in your lease. READ MORE: How to do everything better right now: A collection of our most useful stories Is it different if its a foreclosure? In a word, yes. But it depends on the reason for the foreclosure. If the foreclosure is because your landlord didnt pay the mortgage, youre protected by the federal Protecting Tenants at Foreclosure Act. The law, according to the Federal Reserve, is designed to ensure that tenants facing eviction from a foreclosed property have adequate time to find alternative housing. How much time will you be allowed to stay? At least 90 days after a sheriff sale. But many tenants will be able to stay until the end of their lease term, Carroll says. The only exception is if the new owners plan to occupy the house themselves, in which case you will get 90 days' notice before they can begin to evict you. If the foreclosure is because your landlord didnt pay their taxes, it can be a little muddier. The Pennsylvania Municipal Claims and Tax Liens Act plays a role in those situations, Carroll says, because it gives the owner of a property up to nine months after a tax sale to pay the taxes they owe and get their property back. During those nine months, he says, the new owner may be unable to throw you out. Whether its a small-time landlord or a big developer, they have nine months during which they dont have the title to the place, and arguably they cannot evict the person who is in there, he says. I believe it would apply to tenants. But its a complicated subject. If you need legal advice, you can contact the Philly Tenant Hotline at 267-443-2500, or Community Legal Services at 215-981-3700. READ MORE: Your rights as a tenant: Check out our tenants' rights guide. Expert sources: Mike Carroll, J.D., senior attorney with Community Legal Services of Philadelphias housing unit. The Philadelphia Inquirer is one of more than 20 news organizations producing Broke in Philly, a collaborative reporting project on solutions to poverty and the citys push toward economic justice. See all of our reporting at brokeinphilly.org. Turkmenistan celebrated the 29th anniversary of independence. The military parade and festive procession in Ashgabat were the chief events of the celebration with participation of President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov. Columns of various branches the Armed Forces of Turkmenistan and units of the law enforcement agencies marched past the central stand, saluting the head of state, government officials, leaders of the national parliament, heads of military and law enforcement agencies, public associations and honorary elders. The military parade demonstrated the defensive power of the country, professionalism and skills of Turkmen soldiers guarding independent Turkmenistan. The display of the combat aviation capacity was the crown event of the military parade. Spectators applauded a group of combat helicopters and aircrafts flying over the central stand. The military parade finished with the exhibition performance by a separate battalion of the guard of honor of the Ministry of Defense of Turkmenistan and the orchestra of the Turkmenistans Armed Forces in front of the central stand. The military parade was followed by a festive procession of representatives of various sectors of the national economy of Turkmenistan, demonstrating the country's achievements in the socio-economic and cultural spheres. Festivities in honor of Independence Day of Turkmenistan continued in the evening with a concert by Turkmen pop stars and famous folklore ensembles at the Song and Music Center Ashgabat. The celebration concluded with fireworks in honor of the 29th anniversary of Turkmenistans independence. TURKMENISTAN.RU, 2022 33 people test Covid-19 positive at SAI Bengaluru, 16 of them hockey players Development trajectory: PM to interact with DMs of various districts today Nasal spray can reduce COVID-19 growth by up to 96%: Study India oi-Briti Roy Barman New Delhi, Sep 28: Australian biotech company Ena Respiratory has said a nasal spray that it is developing to improve human immune system to fight common cold and flu significantly reduced coronavirus growth in a recent study on animals. INNA-051 reduced COVID-19 viral replication by up to 96 per cent in ferrets, the company said. UK study finds loss of smell most reliable indicator of COVID-19 The study was led by British government agency Public Health England. The study on ferrets showed the product dubbed INNA-051, which could be used complementary to vaccines, lowered the levels of the virus that causes coronavirus. the company said. Notably, the company has raised $8.24 million for the development of the spray. Investors include venture capital firm Brandon Capital Ltd, the Australian federal government, pension funds and biotech giant CSL Ltd. Several companies across the world are in the pursuit of developing a coronavirus vaccine. The countries are in hope to develop a vaccine but there seem some obstacles in its way. As vaccine developing usually takes 10years on average, specialists say, developing vaccines in hurry make it more worse. Amrinder Singh joins farmers' protest, says 'Pakistan's ISI may take advantage' | Oneindia News Time taken to develop notable vaccines: Average vaccine develpoment 10.7 years Polio (1948-1955)- 7 years Measles (1954-1963)- 9 years Chickenpox (1954-1988)- 34 years Mumps (1963-1967)- 4 years HPV (1991-2006)- 15 years HIV (1983) 37 years and counting Australia has entered into agreements with some drug companies investing billions to secure potential vaccines for COVID-19, which has killed over 9,92,000 people worldwide. COLUMBIA, Mo. -- When Saathvik Kannan's father, a faculty member at the University of Missouri, saw his friend, Kamlendra Singh, a research professor at MU, on television being interviewed for his research identifying possible treatments for COVID-19, he called Singh to congratulate him on his work. After learning that his friend's son, Saathvik, had experience with and a passion for computer programming, Singh invited the 8th grader, who was a student at West Middle School in Columbia, Missouri, at the time, to collaborate with researchers at MU to identify mutations in the virus causing COVID-19. Kannan teamed up with Singh and Austin Spratt, an MU undergraduate student studying mathematics, and together they analyzed protein sequences for COVID-19 samples from all over the world. They identified 3 specific mutations, D614G, P323L and C241U, that were co-existing in every single case of COVID-19 in the United States, which could suggest why the virus seems to be so infectious in the United States. Their newest unpublished research indicates that resurgent COVID-19 viruses in European countries also have all three of the identified mutations in nearly all European cases. The findings define the dynamics of COVID-19 evolution, and they can be useful for developers of COVID-19 treatments or vaccines to help them consider which mutations in the virus are necessary to target. "By painting a more complete picture of what mutations are occurring in the virus, we can provide specific information to assist those developing treatments and vaccines for the disease," said Singh, the project supervisor, professor in the MU College of Veterinary Medicine, Bond Life Sciences Center investigator, and assistant director of the Molecular Interactions Core. "Our overall objective is to better understand what is causing the virus to be spreading so rapidly and efficiently, and our research has shown there may be multiple mutations involved that need to be considered when developing antiviral drugs or vaccines." Singh mentored Kannan and Spratt by allowing these students to use their computer programming skills to advance scientific research aimed at addressing the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. By identifying patterns in the various sequences of COVID-19 virus samples from all over the world, the students were able to paint a clearer picture of co-evolving mutations occurring inside the virus that is causing it to spread. "The antiviral drugs that are currently being made to treat COVID-19 are developed based off the current model for the virus," said Spratt. "But as these mutations are co-evolving and causing the virus' structure to change, the model becomes less accurate and so the current antiviral drugs may become less effective on the mutated versions of the virus. Therefore, by getting a clearer picture of how the virus' structure is evolving, we can create better models of the virus so better antiviral drugs and vaccines can be developed." Now a freshman at Hickman High School, Kannan is proud of the team's work and grateful for the opportunity to be involved in such impactful research. "I have always had a passion for computer science and data analytics," Kannan said. "It also feels good to provide my community with information that might help the situation in the future." ### "Infectivity of SARS-CoV-2: There is something more than D614G?" was recently published in the Journal of Neuroimmune Pharmacology. Funding for this research was provided by the Bond Life Sciences Center's Early Concept Grant and the Swedish Research Council at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden. Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (L) listens while former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani speaks during a briefing at the White House in Washington on Sept. 27, 2020. (Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images) Trump Says Rudy Giuliani, Chris Christie Are Helping Him Prepare for Debate President Donald Trump said that he is prepping for Tuesdays presidential debate with the help of his personal attorney Rudy Giuliani and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie. We had a little debate prep before we came here, Trump told reporters during a White House press briefing on Sunday, gesturing to Giuliani and Christie, who were seated on the side of the room. Were doing it. These two gentlemen have been helping. Both men have been acting as former Vice President Joe Biden during those preparatory sessions, Trump said, adding that the two helpers are about five times smarter than his Democratic challenger. Trump moved on to say that taking questions from White House reporters over the years gives him an advantage over Biden when it comes to the upcoming debate. He also highlighted the presss apparently unbalanced treatment of the presidential candidates, saying its disgraceful and embarrassing that only what he described as soft questions are given to Biden. Play some of those clips, Trump said, referring to Bidens interview with MSNBC anchor Stephanie Ruhle last week. Play some of those answers, thosethe answers thatwhere he wasnt able to give an answer, and shes pushing him. President Donald Trump speaks during a news conference in the White House on Sept. 27, 2020. (Joshua Roberts/Getty Images) Meanwhile, Biden suggested over the weekend that he would be more aggressive on the debate stage. Im prepared to go out and make my case as to why I think hes failed and why I think the answers I have to proceed will help the American people, the American economy, and make us safer internationally, he said during an MSNBC interview, before comparing Trump to Joseph Goebbels, Nazi Germanys propaganda mastermind. He doesnt know how to debate the facts because hes not that smart, Biden added. The first of three debates between Trump and Biden is scheduled to take place Tuesday in Cleveland, Ohio. Case Western Reserve University and the Cleveland Clinic will jointly host the debate after the University of Notre Dame dropped out due to public health concerns. The 90-minute forum will be moderated by Fox News anchor Chris Wallace, who had shared the debate topics with the Commission on Presidential Debates. Topics for the first presidential debate will include the candidates records, the Supreme Court, the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus pandemic, the economy, race and violence across U.S. cities, and election integrity. Specific questions will not be shared with either the commission or the candidates. 23WALKS, a story of love and companionship, comes to the Regal Cinema in Henley today (Friday). On their first walk in a north London park, strangers Dave (Dave Johns) and Fern (Alison Steadman) clash because she thinks his German shepherd is aggressive and might hurt her Yorkie. Dave is instantly embarrassed and makes a big play of keeping his dog on the leash when they next meet and their relationship blossoms. Soon they are visiting each others houses and becoming closer. Both are guilty of keeping secrets and they break up or, as Dave puts it, go a bit doolally and he finds himself worrying about other things. 23 Walks (rated 12A) is a familiar story perhaps but it is refreshing to see some of the problems experienced played out by an older couple. Indeed, Fern and Daves intimacy is shown and discussed explicitly. But the real joy of this love story is in the mundane, the quiet pain of those yearning for companionship and friendship. Also showing this week is La Haine (15), which is set in the aftermath of a riot. Three friends Vinz (Vincent Cassell), Hubert (Hubert Kounde) and Said (Said Taghmaoui) navigate both law enforcement and the escalating urban discontent within the confines of the Parisian housing project they call home. As tensions increase and the threat of violence looms, the trio find themselves drifting towards an increasingly dangerous destiny. Also showing is Tenet (12A), Bill & Ted Face The Music (PG) and Memories of Murder (15). The House speaker sent a letter to her Democratic colleagues and reminded them of the possibility, rare as it is. The Speaker of the House is preparing for the possibility that the House of Representatives will ultimately decide the presidential election. If neither candidate wins the Electoral College, each states delegation would get a single vote, which is decided by an internal tally of each lawmaker in that designation. That means that the presidency could be decided by the party that has more delegates in the chamber. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi delivers remarks during a memorial service for Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg as she lies in state in Statuary Hall of the U.S. Capitol Saturday. Ginsburg is the first woman to lie in state at the Capitol. (Photo by Erin Schaff-Pool/Getty Images) According to POLITICO, Nancy Pelosi sent a letter to House Democrats and reminded them of the possibility of this scenario, which hasnt happened since 1876. The Constitution says that a candidate must receive a majority of the state delegations to win, Pelosi wrote. We must achieve that majority of delegations or keep the Republicans from doing so. Read More: Pelosi: New COVID-19 relief package coming soon Republicans presently control 26 delegations over Democrats 22, with Pennsylvania tied and Michigan a 7-6 plurality for Democrats, and a 14th seat held by independent Justin Amash, also of Michigan. According to the report, Pelosi has expressed worries about this rare possibility for weeks. The concern will mean that Democrats will be spending time trying to turn particularly vulnerable House races in traditionally red states to blue. Resources are expected to be deployed to contests in Montana and Alaska. Read More: NY Times: Trump paid $750 in US income taxes in 2016, 2017 President Donald Trump has also started mentioning this prospect at his rallies. And I dont want to end up in the Supreme Court and I dont want to go back to Congress either, even though we have an advantage if we go back to Congress. Does everyone understand that? Trump said at a rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday. I think its 26 to 22 or something because its counted one vote per state, he continued, so we actually have an advantage. Oh, theyre going to be thrilled to hear that. Story continues Novembers election has already had a number of twists and turns; this scenario is simply another possibility for which Congress is preparing. The only way to avoid sending the presidential election results to the Supreme Court or to Congress is by an uncontested Electoral College win, which would be determined by a high voter turnout. Have you subscribed to theGrios Dear Culture podcast? Download our newest episodes now! The post Pelosi prepping House to decide election if needed: report appeared first on TheGrio. Typified by powerful esters, aromatic complexity and plenty of ripe-fruit funk, Jamaican rum is a world away from the bottles youll find in the speed rail of your local. Led by cocktail historian David Wondrich, we dive headfirst into the intricacies of Jamaican rum production, from retort still distillation to the fabled muck pit Barbados may be considered the birthplace of rum, but Jamaica can be credited for refining the production process. In fact, unlike pretty much every other rum-making country, Jamaica actually has legislation surrounding its production practices, which date back centuries and defines the liquids distinct, often pungent flavour profile. Jamaican rum always has this ripe fruit note, says Alexandre Gabriel, owner and master blender at the West Indies Rum Distillery in Barbados. Ripe banana, fresh pineapple, mango elements that are very specific. The way Jamaican rum is fermented and is produced will create these specific elements, a very strong personality, usually a great intensity. Currently, Jamaica is home to five distilleries Appleton Estate, Hampden Estate, Worthy Park Estate, Long Pond and Clarendon which all form part of the Jamaica Spirit Pool, an organisation dedicated to safeguarding Jamaican rum. We run through five things you may or may not know about this diverse and incredibly unique spirits category Pot still Pot-still rums tend to be heavy and robust, with plenty of funk (or hogo, if youre local). This is because they retain more congeners flavourful products of fermentation such as esters and aldehydes than modern column stills, which filter these unique compounds out to make a purer, lighter spirit. There are more pot stills in Jamaica than any other Caribbean island, and indeed, some Jamaican distilleries produce their entire range using this type of still. In terms of distillation capacity, Long Pond Distillers currently has five double retort pot stills, three 3,500 gallon John Door pot stills and two Blairs pot stills, explains Kevin Barnett, plant manager at the Trelawny-based distillery. One of these is a 3,500 gallon Blair pot still installed in 1965, the other is a 1,500 gallon Blair pot still installed in 1975. Their column still, he says, was taken out of operation in 2010. Double retort stills One of the biggest limitations surrounding pot still distilling is that a single run will rarely take the ABV high enough, so two (or more) are required. However, double distillation is slow, not to mention expensive. Retort stills are a way of more efficiently running a pot still, while still getting that pot still flavour, Wondrich explains. Theyre fascinating and really not used outside of the Caribbean. Retort stills involve essentially hooking multiple pot stills together. In traditional pot stills, the lyne arm is connected directly to the condenser. In a retort pot still, the lyne arm leads to another (retort) pot still. Each retort is filled with what we call low wine and high wine, explains Flovia Riley, Production Manager at Clarendon Distillery. The high wine at 80% alcohol and the low wine at 40% alcohol. This is used to enrich the vapour that is coming over and to strengthen the final product, which comes out at about 85%. Esters While ethyl acetate is the most dominant ester found in Jamaican rum, your average bottle contains hundreds of different ester varieties, which are formed in the fermented wash. To create the wash at Clarendon Distillery, molasses is diluted with water from boreholes in close proximity to the distillery, mixed with a yeast strain called saccharomyces cerevisiae, and fermented for between 36 and 40 hours, explains master blender Robert Gordon. This fermentation style is used to produce our column still rums and our light pot still rums, he explains. [For] our heavy pot fermentation, however, in addition to the diluted molasses we add wild yeast from the cane foliage, and this is also boosted using a cane acid medium. The longer the fermentation period, the more esters will form. The more esters there are, the heavier and more complex the resulting rum will be. Muck pits Muck pits can also contribute to the flavour-forming compounds in the wash. Its essentially a vat into which rum distillers add dunder, the leftover liquid in the still after distillation. Anything leftover during the distilling process would end up in a little hole in the ground, where [distillers] might let it fester and ferment and bubble away, explains Wondrich. If they needed a little extra flavour, theyd put some into their rum. In the 1890s, when Germany changed its tariff laws, suddenly it became too expensive for Germany to import huge amounts of Jamaican rum. So the Jamaican distillers went to their muck pits and made the craziest, most concentrated, most aromatic rum the world has ever seen so that you could just put a little of that in and it would still taste like rum. Muck pits were especially prevalent in the 19th century, and often contained various odds and ends like fruit, molasses and (so the stories go) even dead bats and rotting goat heads. They are still used today, thankfully minus the dead animals. The team at Long Pond Distillers use dunder to increase the acidity of their heavy wash fermentation. Its a key component to producing the high esters and aromas that is so typical of Long Pond rums, explains production superintendent Craig Nicholson. We use our muck pits to incorporate very complex organic acids into our heavy wash fermentation, which assists in adding the very rich flavours and components that you can find in our marks. Marks Rum marks sometimes spelt marques refer to the different types of new make made at each distillery. All Jamaican rum distilleries make a variety of distillates, ranging from light, low-ester rums to punchy, flavourful liquids. Each batch has a designated mark, which is registered with the Jamaica Spirit Pool. The rum marks are really the heritage of the distillery, says Gabriel. If you think about Long Pond, you think about the STC. Youre thinking about Clarendon, youre thinking of the MMW. So, what do the initials stand for? They refer either to the creator [of the rum] or the distillery they were purchased from for example, the VRW that belongs to Long Pond refers to Vale Royal Wedderburn, which is a style of concentration. Long Pond Distillers produce a wide range of world-renowned marks, ranging from 15,000 to 16,000 esters, adds Barnett. These are generally from two fermentation areas, he says, a light pot still fermentation area that is used to produce light pot still rum, and a heavy wash fermentation area, which is in the process of being rebuilt after a devastating fire ripped through the vat house in 2018, destroying over 100 wooden vats that were used to produce higher esters. Until the vat house is complete, Long Pond is unable to produce its full range of marks. The URL has been copied to your clipboard The code has been copied to your clipboard. Heavy fighting between Armenian and Azerbaijani forces in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone entered a second day on September 28 amid international calls for restraint. Nagorno-Karabakh has long experienced periodic border skirmishes along the so-called Line of Contact that separates Armenian and Azerbaijani forces on the front line of Europe's longest-running conflict. Dozens dead as world leaders urge halt to Azerbaijan-Armenia clashes Armenian volunteers ready to go to the frontline in Nagorny Karabakh gathered in Yerevan on Sunday At least 24 people have died after deadly clashes between arch foes Armenia and Azerbaijan, as the latest violence in the decades-long territorial dispute sparked international calls Sunday to halt the fighting. The worst skirmishes since 2016 have raised the spectre of a fresh war between the ex-Soviet rivals, locked since the early 1990s in a stalemate over the Armenia-backed breakaway region of Nagorny Karabakh. Seventeen Armenian separatist fighters were killed and more than 100 wounded in the fighting, Karabakh President Arayik Harutyunyan said, conceding that his forces had "lost positions". Both sides also reported civilian casualties. "We are tired of Azerbaijan's threats, we will fight to the death to resolve the problem once and for all," Artak Bagdasaryan, 36, told AFP in Yerevan, adding that he was waiting to be conscripted into the army. Karabakh separatists said one Armenian woman and a child were killed, while Baku said that an Azerbaijani family of five died in shelling launched by Armenian separatists. Azerbaijan claimed it captured a strategic mountain in Karabakh that helps control transport links between Yerevan and the enclave. Armenian defence ministry spokesman Artsrun Hovhannisyan in turn said Karabakh rebel forces killed "some 200 Azerbaijani troops and destroyed 30 enemy artillery units and 20 drones". - 'Full-scale war' - Fighting between Muslim Azerbaijan and majority-Christian Armenia threatened to embroil regional players Russia and Turkey, with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan calling on global powers to prevent Ankara's involvement. "We are on the brink of a full-scale war in the South Caucasus," Pashinyan warned. France, Germany, Italy, and the European Union swiftly urged an "immediate ceasefire", while Pope Francis prayed for peace. French President Emmanuel Macron expressed his "deep concern" on Sunday, and "strongly called for an immediate end to hostilities". Story continues UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he was also "extremely concerned" and urged the sides to stop fighting and return to talks. The US State Department said it had contacted the two countries and called on them to "use the existing direct communication links between them to avoid further escalation". Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed the military flareup with Pashinyan and called for "an end to hostilities". But Azerbaijan's ally Turkey blamed Yerevan for the flare-up and promised Baku its "full support". "The Turkish people will support our Azerbaijani brothers with all our means as always," Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan tweeted. Karabakh President Harutyunyan said Turkey was providing mercenaries and warplanes to the fight, suggesting, "the war has already... (gone) beyond the limits of a Karabakh-Azerbaijan conflict." Azerbaijan accused Armenian forces of violating a ceasefire, saying it had launched a counter-offensive to "ensure the safety of the population", using tanks, artillery missiles, combat aviation and drones. - Curfew, martial law - In a televised address to the nation earlier Sunday, Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev vowed victory over Armenian forces. "Our cause is just and we will win," he said, echoing a famous quote from Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin's address at the outbreak of World War II in Russia. "Karabakh is Azerbaijan." Both Armenia and Karabakh declared martial law and military mobilisation. Azerbaijan imposed military rule and a curfew in large cities. Armenia said that Azerbaijan attacked civilian settlements in Nagorny Karabakh including the main city Stepanakert. Azerbaijan's foreign ministry said there were reports of dead and wounded. "Extensive damage has been inflicted on many homes and civilian infrastructure," it said. Ethnic Armenian separatists seized the Nagorny Karabakh region from Baku in a 1990s war that claimed 30,000 lives. Talks to resolve one of the worst conflicts to emerge from the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union have been largely stalled since a 1994 ceasefire agreement. France, Russia and the United States have mediated peace efforts as the "Minsk Group" but the last big push for a peace deal collapsed in 2010. - Frontline bombing - "We are a step away from a large-scale war," Olesya Vartanyan of the International Crisis Group told AFP. "One of the main reasons for the current escalation is a lack of any proactive international mediation... for weeks." On Sunday morning, Azerbaijan started bombing along Karabakh's frontline including civilian targets and in Stepanakert, Karabakh's presidency said. The rebel defence ministry said its troops shot down four Azerbaijani helicopters and 15 drones, while Baku denied the claim. In July, heavy clashes along the two countries' shared border -- hundreds of kilometres from Karabakh -- claimed the lives of at least 17 soldiers from both sides. During the worst recent Karabakh clashes in April 2016, around 110 people were killed. bur-im/jbr/har/rbu/qan Aisha Jabbarova President Ilham Aliyev and French leader Emmanuel Macron had a phone conversation on September 27 to discuss the recent escalation of tension on the line of contact between Azerbaijani and Armenian troops. In the phone call initiated by the French president, Macron expressed his countrys concern over the developments and stressed the importance of resolving the conflict through negotiations. Aliyev noted that the Armenian leadership was consciously disrupting the process of negotiations. The statement of the Armenian leadership that "Nagorno-Karabakh is Armenia" dealt a serious blow to the talks, while his statement "Azerbaijan should negotiate with Nagorno-Karabakh" is an attempt to change the format of the talks, which is also unacceptable, as stated by the leadership of the Minsk Group, Aliyev said. President Aliyev said that the Azerbaijani Armed Forces are conducting successful counter-offensives in response to the ongoing Armenian military provocation that started on September 27. He noted that Azerbaijani civilians and servicemen were killed as a result of heavy artillery fire on the positions of the armed forces and settlements along the frontline. Aliyev stressed that the political and military leadership of Armenia bears responsibility for the further development of events related to the military provocation of Armenia. During the telephone conversation, the sides agreed to establish contacts through diplomatic channels. Armenian armed forces launched a large-scale operation in the front-line zone on September 27 at 6 am, shelling the positions of the Azerbaijani army from large-caliber weapons, mortars, and artillery installations of various calibers. Azerbaijan launched a counter-offensive operation along the entire front to suppress the combat activity of the Armenian armed forces and ensure the safety of the civilian population. Azerbaijan liberated seven villages and several strategic heights durnig the first day of the clashes. -- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz PORTLAND, Ore., Sept. 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Allied Market Research published a report, titled, "Hydroxychloroquine Market by Product Type (Tablet and Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients), Distribution Channel (Hospital Pharmacy, Online Pharmacy, Specialty Drug Store, and Retail Pharmacy), and Disease (Malaria, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Lupus Erythematosus, Coronavirus, and Others): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 20202027." According to the report, the global hydroxychloroquine industry generated $1.9 billion in 2019, and is expected to generate $4.6 billion by 2027, witnessing a CAGR of 7.9% from 2020 to 2027. Prime determinants of growth Increase in demand for HCQ as a potential treatment option amidst the Covid-19 pandemic and surge in cases of malaria drive the growth of the global hydroxychloroquine market. However, ban in several countries due to lack of study data and fatal side-effects of the medicine hinder the market growth. On the other hand, repurposing of HCQ as an anti-cancer drug creates new opportunities in the coming years. Request PDF Brochure: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-sample/7502 Covid-19 Scenario The demand for hydroxychloroquine increased ten times due to its potential in the treatment of Covid-19 infected patients. However, there are conflicts about its effectiveness. India , being the largest producer of this drug, imparted ban on export activities to fulfill the increasing demand across the countries as the Covid-19 cases rise. The Indian Council of Medical Research released guidelines to use HCQ in the prophylaxis of Covid-19. , being the largest producer of this drug, imparted ban on export activities to fulfill the increasing demand across the countries as the Covid-19 cases rise. The Indian Council of Medical Research released guidelines to use HCQ in the prophylaxis of Covid-19. A huge number of clinical trials have been started across the world to determine the efficacy and safety of HCQ in the treatment and prevention of the coronavirus infection. Researchers are waiting the final results. The API segment to maintain its leadership status during the forecast period Based on product type, the API segment accounted for the highest market share in 2019, contributing to more than half of the global hydroxychloroquine market, and is estimated to maintain its leadership status during the forecast period. This is due to its efficacy in diagnosis, prevention, cure, treatment, and mitigation purposes. However, the tablet segment is projected to manifest the fastest CAGR of 8.4% from 2020 to 2027, owing to ease in availability and cost-effectiveness. Get Detailed COVID-19 Impact Analysis on the Hydroxychloroquine Market @ https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-for-customization/7502?reqfor=covid The malaria segment to maintain its highest contribution throughout the forecast period Based on disease, the malaria segment held more than two-fifths of the total market share of the global hydroxychloroquine market in 2019, and is estimated to maintain its highest contribution throughout the forecast period. Moreover, this segment is expected to witness the fastest CAGR of 29.8% from 2020 to 2027. This is attributed to rise in prevalence of malaria in the African region and widespread usage as an anti-malarial drug. The report also analyzes segments including rheumatoid arthritis, lupus erythematosus, coronavirus, and others. Asia-Pacific to offer lucrative opportunities, North America to grow steadily Based on region, Asia-Pacific held the largest market share of more than four-fifths of the global hydroxychloroquine market in 2019, and is expected to maintain its lead position during the forecast period. Moreover, this region is expected to register the highest CAGR of 8.2% from 2020 to 2027. This is due to presence of major market players in countries such as India and China and increase in demand for the medication with high incidence of malaria in South-east Asian countries. However, North America would grow at a CAGR of 4.4% during the forecast period. Market players grabbing the largest pie Cadila Healthcare Ltd. Hikma Pharmaceuticals PLC Ipca Laboratories Ltd. Mylan N.V. Novartis AG Pfizer Inc. Sanofi S.A. Taj Pharmaceuticals Ltd. Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. Torrent Pharmaceuticals Ltd. Zydus Cadila Interested in Procuring this Report? Visit Here: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/hydroxychloroquine-market/purchase-options Avenue Basic Plan | Library Access | 1 Year Subscription | Sign up for Avenue subscription to access more than 12,000+ company profiles and 2,000+ niche industry market research reports at $699 per month, per seat. For a year, the client needs to purchase minimum 2 seat plan. Avenue Library Subscription | Request for 14 days free trial of before buying: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/avenue/trial/starter Get more information: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/library-access Similar Reports: High Purity Alumina Market: Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2020-2026 Salicylic Acid Market: Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 20202027 Furfural Market: Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 20202027 Ethylene Vinyl Acetate Resins Market: Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 20192026 About Us: Allied Market Research (AMR) is a full-service market research and business-consulting wing of Allied Analytics LLP, based in Portland, Oregon. AMR 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. AMR introduces its online premium subscription-based library Avenue, designed specifically to offer cost-effective, one-stop solution for enterprises, investors, and universities. With Avenue, subscribers can avail an entire repository of reports on more than 2,000 niche industries and more than 12,000 company profiles. Moreover, users can get an online access to quantitative and qualitative data in PDF and Excel formats along with analyst support, customization, and updated versions of reports. Contact: David Correa 5933 NE Win Sivers Drive#205 Portland OR 97220United States Toll Free: 1-800-792-5285 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 SOURCE Allied Market Research The Kano State Hisbah Board has arrested 15 teenagers over alleged involvement in immoral acts in Kano City. Malam Lawal Ibrahim, Public Relations Officer of the board said this in a statement on Sunday in Kano. Ibrahim said the suspects were apprehended on Sept. 20, around midnight at a club known as Al-Khairat in Hotoro in Nassarawa Local Government Area (LGA) of the state. He said that the arrest was based on a tip-off by some people. "Among the suspects 10 are females, while five are males aged between 18 and 22. "Our men went there around 12:38 a.m., and arrested 15 suspects," he said. The PRO added that the suspects were properly screened. "We found out all that of them are first-timers and called their parents and handed them over to them with caution," he said. Ibrahim said that most of the suspects were from broken homes and advised parents to ensure proper upbringing of their children to enable them grow up as responsible citizens. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that immoral acts are banned under Sharia law operating in Kano State. [NAN] Vanguard News Nigeria. Bank of America Corporation (the "Corporation") filed a Current Report on Form 8-K (the "Form 8-K") with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") on September 28, 2020, announcing that its Board of Directors (the "Board") periodically reviews the Board's and Corporation's governance documents, including the Corporation's Bylaws, as amended on September 12, 2019 (the "Bylaws"). On September 23, 2020, the Board approved and adopted amendments to the Bylaws. The amendments to the Bylaws were effective as of the date approved by the Board. The Bylaws amendments relate to certain governance practices, including the following: Clarification that the Corporation's stockholders may grant and deliver proxies in accordance with Delaware General Corporation Law provisions allowing electronic signatures (Article III. Stockholders, Section 8. Proxies) Clarification that, except for the election of directors or chairman of a meeting, an action on a matter is approved if the votes cast favoring an action exceed the votes cast opposing the action, unless the matter otherwise requires a greater number of affirmative votes for approval ( Article III. Stockholders, Section 9. Voting of Shares Revisions to provide that the number of persons a stockholder may nominate for election as a director at the Corporation's annual or a special meeting of stockholders shall not exceed the number of directors to be elected at such meeting ( Article III. Stockholders, Section 12. Notice of Stockholder Business and Nominations, Subsections (b) and (f)) Revisions to the Emergency Bylaws provisions to affirmatively state that such bylaws shall be operative during an epidemic or pandemic and whether or not a quorum of the Board or a standing committee can be established, and provide that the Board may take actions it determines to be practical and necessary in an emergency (Article X. Emergency Bylaws, Section 1. Emergency Bylaws) The amendments also include certain other technical and conforming revisions and clarifications. The foregoing summary is qualified in its entirety by reference to the Bylaws of Bank of America Corporation, as Amended and Restated by the Board of Directors on September 23, 2020, a copy of which (marked to show changes from the prior version) is attached as Exhibit 3.1 to the Form 8-K. Bank of America Corporation makes available all of its SEC filings on its website: http://investor.bankofamerica.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=71595&p=irol-irhome. The SEC maintains a website that contains reports, proxy statements and other information regarding issuers that file electronically with the SEC. These materials may be obtained electronically by accessing the SEC's website at http://www.sec.gov. A copy of the document will also be available on the National Storage Mechanism's website at: https://data.fca.org.uk/#/nsm/nationalstoragemechanism. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200928005762/en/ Contacts: Amanda D. Daniel, North Carolina Certified Paralegal, Bank of America, Office +1 980.388.5923 We've previously noted that so-called "local control" was killed mostly by way of Council dude Eric Bunch double talking his BLM allies. Now, once again, activists call out the mayor with the help of public radio: Take a listen: By John Burton As the 2020 U.S. presidential elections approach, it is extraordinary to see how the Trump administration has transformed America's relations with the Korean Peninsula over the past four years. Since 1948, when Korea regained its independence, the U.S. has traditionally been a steadfast defense ally of South Korea while it has cautiously kept North Korea at arm's length and often treated the country with contempt. In many ways, President Trump has turned America's relations with the two Koreas topsy-turvy. Trump has apparently established genuine personal rapport with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, according to Bob Woodward's new book, "Rage." You are my friend and always will be," Trump told Kim at one point, while Kim spoke of a "deep and special friendship between us." Meanwhile Trump keeps criticizing South Korea for growing rich on "terrible" trade deals with the U.S. and for not paying its "fair share" of defense costs to support U.S. troops in the country, even threatening to withdraw them. Whether Trump wins or loses in the Nov. 3 election, the next U.S. government in 2021 will confront a "new normal" when it comes to the Korean Peninsula as a result of Trump's actions. This provides an opportunity for Joe Biden, if he is elected president, to move away from the "strategic patience" approach, which amounted to a policy of containment without much engagement that was adopted by the administration of President Barack Obama, when Biden was vice president. Biden instead should build on the engagement policy that has been forged by Trump. First of all, Biden should maintain the direct lines of dialogue with Kim that were established by Trump. The personal diplomacy of Trump promised the creation of a framework for negotiating with Kim, the only person who really matters in North Korea. The Trump-Kim meetings have paid dividends. North Korea has agreed to suspend its nuclear and long-range missile tests despite Trump not easing sanctions. Moreover, the meetings show that Kim is rational and not crazy or suicidal, which often served as a pretext among U.S. hardliners for justifying a preventive military strike on North Korea. U.S. relations with South Korea are also likely to improve under Biden which could improve the chances that President Moon Jae-in might once again play a useful intermediary role. Pyongyang has watched as Trump has denigrated Seoul over the past few years, which has led it to spurning Moon's outreach efforts. If Biden shows more respect to Moon, so will North Korea. But Biden must also bring U.S. policy closer to that advocated by Moon. One of Trump's problems in reaching a deal with Kim was that he was surrounded by hardline advisers, including U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and former National Security Adviser John Bolton. Biden also has hardline advisers on Korea in his foreign policy stable, but he must adopt a more progressive focus. Although the denuclearization of North Korea remains Washington's ultimate goal, it cannot be achieved if continued economic sanctions remain the only policy tool. Rather, the U.S. should nudge North Korea to become a more normal state. It could promise to lift some international sanctions if Pyongyang agreed to a verifiable freeze on nuclear weapons and missile production. The U.S. could also scale back what North Korea considers "hostile acts" in order to reduce tensions. Trump has already reduced joint U.S.-Korean military exercises, although Kim was "very upset" that some continued because he considered them "provocative," according to Woodward's book. Biden should play on the fact that North Korea and the U.S. share some of the same strategic concerns, namely the growing power of China in Northeast Asia. Woodward reports, for example, that Pompeo concluded North Korea wanted U.S. troops to remain stationed in South Korea because they served as a restraint on China. A Biden administration could also strongly support humanitarian assistance in North Korea by U.N. agencies, which Pyongyang favors as a source of such aid instead of the U.S., South Korea and other countries. U.N. programs in North Korea are severely underfunded and greater U.S. financial support to them would be non-threatening and help win the trust of the government in Pyongyang. The United States should adopt a similar behind-the-scenes approach in other areas related to North Korea. It should encourage countries such as Vietnam, Mongolia and Singapore to offer their advice on gradual economic reforms, perhaps again through U.N. agencies, since all three are seen as economic models by Pyongyang. For all his faults, Trump has shown out-of-the-box thinking when it comes to North Korea, marking a departure from traditional foreign policy. Biden should do the same. John Burton (johnburtonft@yahoo.com), a former Korea correspondent for the Financial Times, is a Washington, D.C.-based journalist and consultant. McCabe Will Testify Before Senate Committee, Sen. Graham Says Former Deputy FBI Director Andrew McCabe has agreed to testify before a Senate committee regarding the bureaus probe into Russian election meddling and the campaign of President Donald Trump, according to Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.). Graham, who chairs the Senate Committee on the Judiciary, said in remarks to Fox News on Sunday that McCabe has agreed to appear before the panel on Oct. 6, adding that further revelations are expected regarding the FBIs alleged mishandling of the probe of Russian interference in the 2016 election, which later morphed into an investigation of the Trump campaign. Theres a day of reckoning coming. Just stay tuned, and theres more coming. Theres something else coming, more damning than this, believe it or not, Graham told Fox News, amid recent fallout from the infamous Steele dossier, which played a key role in the FBIs probe into debunked allegations of a criminal conspiracy between the Trump campaign and Russia to swing the 2016 election. Documents released by the Justice Department show that most of the unverified claims in the dossier were supplied by a Washington-based Russian national who himself was investigated for allegedly being a Kremlin spy. While aware of the counterintelligence concerns about Steeles source, the FBI failed to disclose that to the FISA court as part of an application to surveil former Trump campaign foreign policy adviser Carter Page. To me, failure of the FBI to inform the court that the Primary Sub-source was suspected of being a Russian agent is a breach of every duty owed by law enforcement to the judicial system, Graham said in a statement. The South Carolina Republican also told Fox News that he is seeking testimony from FBI agent William Barnett, who served on former special counsel Robert Muellers team. Barnett, who was assigned to the investigation of retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, told FBI and Justice Department investigators in a Sept. 17 interview (pdf) that he wanted to be taken off the case, saying that the prosecution of Flynn reflected an attitude of get Trump. The case against Flynn was opaque, lacking much detail of specific evidence of any crimes, Barnett said, adding that the case theory was supposition on supposition. Word of McCabes agreeing to testify comes after former FBI Director James Comey said he would, without subpoena, appear before the Judiciary Committee, with his testimony expected Wednesday. Graham, in announcing Comeys willingness to appear before the committee, said, he will be respectfully treated, but asked hard questions. The South Carolina senator also told Fox News at the time that he requested Mueller to appear before the committee, but he declined. Graham said he would seek Muellers testimony after the former special counsel wrote an op-ed in the Washington Post defending his offices prosecution of Trump associate Roger Stone, whose sentence the president commuted. I feel compelled to respond both to broad claims that our investigation was illegitimate and our motives were improper, and to specific claims that Roger Stone was a victim of our office. The Russia investigation was of paramount importance. Stone was prosecuted and convicted because he committed federal crimes. He remains a convicted felon, and rightly so, Mueller wrote. Democrats on the judiciary committee requested Muellers testimony, arguing that if Republicans are probing the FBIs investigation into the Trump campaign, which morphed into Muellers probe, the former special counsel should be given the opportunity to defend his work. Apparently Mr. Mueller is willingand also capableof defending the Mueller investigation through an oped in the Washington Post, Graham wrote in a July 12 tweet. Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee have previously requested Mr. Mueller appear before the Senate Judiciary Committee to testify about his investigation. That request will be granted. The Senate Judiciary Committee, which is chaired by Graham, is one of two Republican-led Senate committees looking into the FBIs probe. Democrats have denounced both probes as partisan efforts targeting Trumps political foes. A suspected Maoist was killed in an encounter with security forces in Bijapur district of Bastar division on Monday. According to the police, the Maoist is yet to be identified and the body has been taken to the district headquarters. Inspector General of Police, Bastar range, Sunderaj P, told HT that the team of District Reserve Guard and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) were in the jungles of Gangaloor when the incident took place. We had specific inputs about the gathering of Maoists in the jungle hence a team was sent there. At around 9.30 am the encounter started between Maoists and security forces and continued for about 30 minutes Pedapal and Pidiya villages, the IG said. After the encounter was over, the body of a Maoist was recovered from the spot. Combing operations in the forest is still on and more details are awaited, the IG said. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON MEDINA, Ohio, Sept. 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Rainforest Car Wash is preparing to host its second annual Haunted Car Wash at its Medina location starting on October 16th. Unlimited members and single wash customers who participate will each enjoy a carefully curated experiential haunted car wash and receive a generous trick-or-treat bag to take home. Last year Rainforest Car Wash garnered national media attention with their first-ever Haunted Car Wash, which caused the wash to go viral on the internet. The event, featured on CNN and Good Morning America among other news programs, accumulated over 40 million views on TikTok, Facebook, and other prominent social media platforms. "The first time around, the Haunted Car Wash event was an unexpected success and a complete whirlwind. After getting that incredible degree of positive responsenot just from our local community, but also from a much broader national audiencewe knew that the event would be here to stay as a new favorite annual Rainforest tradition and a great opportunity to have some family-friendly fall fun," said Anthony Bencivenni, Rainforest's District Manager. Rainforest has gone above and beyond to ensure this year's event will be bigger and better than last year's, adding two additional days to their event schedule. The Haunted Car Wash will be open from October 16th 18th and from October 23rd 25th. Friday and Saturday event hours will run from 5 p.m. 10 p.m., while Sunday event hours will run from 3 p.m. 6 p.m. Admission is $20 per vehicle for nonmembers and free for Unlimited members. This year, the focus of the Haunted Car Wash is on providing an uplifting, immersive experience for participants in the midst of what has been, for many, an exceptionally stressful year. "This event is one of the few things you can do this Halloween that is completely safe. Each participant will get to escape from the day-to-day for a little while to enjoy the event from the comfort of their vehicle. This year has been particularly difficult for many in our community, and in light of that, we feel it's critical to provide an opportunity for our local families to enjoy special moments, have fun together, and make lasting memories. That's really our vision for this year's event: making people's lives a little brighter," said Bencivenni. Rainforest Car Wash is an experiential rainforest-themed car wash that serves Ohio with four convenient wash locations in the greater Cleveland, Ohio area. The wash is committed to helping people achieve a better clean, an escape from the day-to-day, and a family-friendly jungle adventure, delivering an exceptional clean and an unforgettable experience for every customer. To learn more about the Haunted Car Wash or about Rainforest Car Wash, visit Rfwash.com/haunted. SOURCE Rainforest Car Wash Related Links https://rfwash.com Sushant Singh Rajput Death Anniversary: A Timeline of the of events that have transpired so far At least 6 members of Sushant Singh Rajputs family killed in road accident in Bihar 'No aspect ruled out': CBI on Sushant Singh Rajput case India oi-Deepika S New Delhi, Sep 28: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Monday denied any delay in Sushant Singh Rajput case and said that the investigation into the actor's demise is on and that no aspect has been ruled out as of date. "The Central Bureau of Investigation is conducting professional investigation related to death of Shri Sushant Singh Rajput in which all aspects are being looked at and no aspect has been ruled out as of date," the statement read. The development comes after Sushant's family and lawyer recently questioned the central agency's investigation into the actor's death, saying that the probe was drifting away in a different direction. "Today, we are helpless as we don't know which direction the case is going in. Normally a press briefing is done by CBI. But in this case, till today, CBI has not done a press briefing on what they have found out. This is a very serious issue," Singh alleged at a press conference. Amrinder Singh joins farmers' protest, says 'Pakistan's ISI may take advantage' | Oneindia News CBI shifts focus from Sushant Singh Rajput case to Moin Akhtar Quershi case He also claimed that a doctor, who is part of AIIMS team, had told him "long back" that Rajput's photos -- sent by the lawyer himself -- indicated that it was allegedly death by strangulation, not suicide. As far as the narcotics angle is concerned, the senior advocate further claimed that such a case can be made only if certain quantity of drugs is seized from someone. Singh further alleged that Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) is conducting a "fashion parade" of Bollywood stars to divert media attention. "An offence can not be proved until some quantity of contraband is recovered. The only case made out is that of casual consumer and proving anyone guilty is almost impossible," he told reporters. Singh had earlier in the day taken to Twitter saying he was getting "frustrated" by the delay in CBI taking a decision in the case. "Getting frustrated by the delay in CBI taking a decision to convert abetment to suicide to Murder of SSR (Sushant Singh Rajput). "The Doctor who is part of AIIMS team had told me long back that the photos sent by me indicated 200 per cent that it's death by strangulation and not suicide," Singh tweeted. Rajput, 34, was found hanging in his apartment in suburban Bandra on June 14 following which the Mumbai Police had lodged an Accidental Death Report (ADR). On July 25, Rajput's father K K Singh lodged a complaint in the matter with Patna police against Sushant's actor-friend Rhea Chakraborty, her parents Indrajit and Sandhya, her brother Showik, the late actor's then-manager Shruti Modi and his house manager Samuel Miranda. He accused them of cheating and abetting his son's suicide. He also claimed that the accused persons had siphoned off Rs 15 crore from his son's bank accounts. Based on this allegation, the Enforcement Directorate is probing money laundering charges. The FIR lodged by Patna police was later transferred to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), while the NCB is probing drugs angle in the case. Shepard Smith is returning to television with a new show on CNBC this week, nearly one year after he abruptly quit Fox News. He begins a general interest nightly newscast Wednesday at 7pm EST called The News with Shepard Smith, putting him back in the time slot he loved before Fox moved him to the afternoon seven years ago. The 56-year-old newsman, a Fox News original who joined that network at its start in 1996, says he's relishing the fresh start after spending 23 years at his old base. 'It's not an easy thing to start from scratch,' Smith said. 'There's no muscle memory at CNBC in terms of doing a general newscast. We're creating all of that. And that's fun. It was fun creating in 1996, and it's fun creating in 2020.' Smith left Fox News in October 2019 following a spat with conservative host Tucker Carlson. During his time there he also faced repeated taunts from Donald Trump as he was one of the network's few critics of the president. Broadcast journalist Shepard Smith, 56, is returning to television with a new show on CNBC this week called The News with Shepard Smith, nearly one year after he abruptly quit Fox News Smith said that unlike the Fox News model, his new show won't focus on analysis, pundits and opinions - in fact his new show has a strict 'no pundits' rule. 'We're going to come out and do just the news,' he said. 'We're not planning to do any analysis in our news hour. We're going to have journalists, reporters, sound and video. We're going to have newsmakers and experts ... but no pundits. We're going to leave the opinion to others. It's exactly what I've been wanting to do. It's what I've been working at for 30 years,' he added. Now it's up to his Fox News followers to migrate with him to the new network. The Twitter page for the upcoming show describes it as 'Non-partisan coverage of the days most important stories'. In a commercial for the show Smith says: 'Whats crucial is accuracy in context and with perspective... I came to CNBC to report the news, without bias, without opinion, its my belief that the facts will the day.' Smith will work out of a new studio that's been built for him at CNBC's New Jersey headquarters by three crews that kept construction going 24 hours a day over eight weeks. He begins a general interest nightly newscast Wednesday at 7pm EST, putting him back in the time slot he loved before Fox moved him to the afternoon seven years ago Smith pictured during his photoshoot for his new TV program in July Mark your calendar. Don't miss the premiere of The News with Shepard Smith! Sept. 30 at 7 p.m. ET on @cnbc. https://t.co/sUcW9AKhYU pic.twitter.com/GwEncBZTCL The News with Shepard Smith (@thenewsoncnbc) August 24, 2020 Smith left more questions than answers upon his exit from Fox News in October 2019. 'I built a career at Fox News and I have some deep friendships, ones that I'm going to keep forever,' he said. 'But simply, I just felt it was the right time to leave. I asked them if I could and they eventually allowed me to do that.' He abruptly left his television home two weeks after a clash with conservative host Tucker Carlson. Carlson had brought on a guest on his show who said Fox's Andrew Napolitano was a 'fool' for analysis offered on Smith's show. Smith said on the air that Carlson's attack was repugnant and Carlson later mocked him for it. Smith had also felt pressure in the public eye and was repeatedly taunted by President Donald Trump for his 'liberal' coverage. As Smith progressed in his career at Fox he found himself veering away from his peers' style of work at the network where opinion is king. 'It's not an easy thing to start from scratch,' Smith said. 'There's no muscle memory at CNBC in terms of doing a general newscast. We're creating all of that. And that's fun. It was fun creating in 1996, and it's fun creating in 2020.' Pictured above in the Fox News room Eventually in 2013 he was pulled from the evening schedule, where the biggest cable news audiences reside, which also served as an early sign that the network was tipping more towards opinion. It was announced that he would be on call to anchor in prime-time during big stories, but there proved little interest in pre-empting the stars. His 3pm newscast was influential, even if unpopular with many core Fox viewers, and the network's willingness to pay its personalities well no doubt eased hurt feelings. At Fox, 'their business model is working very well for them,' he said. 'Their opinion people state their opinions and they draw big audiences. I have no problem with that.' When asked about his final exit, Smith said that 'I had felt like it was time for a new challenge for a long time. Nothing about any talent, any on-air people at that place, pushed me out the door.' When asked about Smith's departure by DailyMail.com, President Trump said: 'Is he leaving because of bad ratings? Is he leaving because of me?' Smith, a Mississippi native, said he enjoyed some down time after his departure from Fox News, with a couple of vacations. Smith has been quarantined on Long Island since March with his partner Gio Gaziano and their dog Lucia. Smith has been quarantined on Long Island since March with his partner Gio Gaziano and their dog Lucia. Pictured together above in 2015 In his down time he also took meetings with media suitors. 'He's smart as a whip, agile, super curious and an amazing broadcaster,' said news consultant Michael Clemente, Smith's former boss at Fox News and a longtime ABC News executive. 'He's in the same league as Peter Jennings. He's probably got better chops than just about everyone who is out there, and he's not a product of New York. He's not from Los Angeles. He's from the core of the country.' Every few years when Smith approached the end of a contract, CNBC Chairman Mark Hoffman would check in with Smith's agent, Larry Kramer. This year the three men met in a nearly empty Manhattan restaurant just before the COVID shutdown. With CNN, MSNBC and the broadcast networks courting Smith, CNBC was considered an underdog, at best. 'My feeling was that it was not an obvious, conventional move for him,' Hoffman said. 'But at the same time I felt we had a concept we had been thinking about for a number of years that just might fit his interests. It just so happened that it was, item for item, exactly what Shep was looking for.' Since leaving Fox News, Smith had been courting offers from CNN, MSNBC and CNBC. Final negotiations with CNBC were made over Zoom as the network seeks to start an evening newscast to bridge the hard stock news of the day into the lighter evening programs. Smith pictured in March 2014 CNBC offers financial news during the day and general interest programs that appeal to an affluent audience at night, things like Shark Tank, Jay Leno's Garage and Secret Lives of the Super Rich. The network needed something to serve as a bridge between the day and night identities, and thought a smart, straight newscast could do the trick, he said. 'We really clicked at that first meeting,' Hoffman said. 'It was one of those easy conversations. It wasn't a sales pitch. We didn't talk about what we wanted him to do. I just talked about what we wanted to do. We had a nice chemistry and our interests seemed to be aligned. I would say he left the meeting intrigued and then it moved from there.' That was their last face-to-face meeting. Negotiations were done via Zoom. Smith said he heard great ideas from other networks. 'It's just that this one fit better,' he said. Being part of the larger NBC News family would hold potential future options for Smith, as well as providing journalists whose work could be included in his new CNBC show. Otherwise, CNBC offers the closest thing to a clean slate you can find in television news. Fox News Channel is averaging 2.7 million viewers in the 7pm time slot this year. MSNBC has 1.7 million and CNN has 1.5 million, the Nielsen company said. At the same time on CNBC, Shark Tank has been averaging 153,000 viewers. While it could take a while to build up an audience, Smith is entering the evening newscast slot at a good time as audiences have spiked for the 6.30pm newscasts on ABC, CBS and NBC this year, likely due to the pandemic and protests. ISLAMABAD: Senior Afghan peace official Abdullah Abdullah arrived in Pakistan on Monday for meetings in a country seen as vital to the success of Afghan talks aimed at ending decades of war. During his three-day visit to Islamabad, Abdullah, a former foreign minister and chairman of Afghanistan`s High Council for National Reconciliation will meet Prime Minister Imran Khan as well as Pakistan`s foreign minister. Relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan have long been rocky. Afghanistan and its international allies have for years accused Pakistan of backing Taliban insurgents as a way to limit the influence of old rival India in Afghanistan. Pakistan denies that and in turn accuses Afghanistan of letting anti-Pakistan militants plot attacks from Afghan soil, which Afghanistan denies. "Pakistan fully supports all efforts for peace," its foreign ministry spokesman said in a statement. "The visit of Dr Abdullah Abdullah will contribute to further strengthening amity, brotherhood and close cooperation." The United States has acknowledged Pakistan`s help in fostering Afghan peace efforts including in encouraging the Taliban to negotiate. The U.S. special representative for Afghanistan, Zalmay Khalilzad, said last week the United States and its allies were looking at an agreement between Afghanistan and Pakistan so that neither side`s territory would be used to attack the other. Khalilzad was the architect of a February pact between the United States and the Taliban allowing U.S. troops to withdraw from Afghanistan in exchange for Taliban guarantees on international terrorism. But Prime Minister Khan, in an opinion piece in the Washington Post on Saturday, expressed concern that Afghanistan could again be used as a haven for international militant groups and warned that a "hasty international withdrawal from Afghanistan would be unwise". There have also been concerns that the Afghan peace process could increase militancy in Pakistan as fighters now in Afghanistan seek refuge on the Pakistani side of the border. Afghan and Taliban negotiators have been meeting in Doha since September 12 hoping to agree on a ceasefire and a power-sharing deal. But they have been bogged down on principles and procedures for talks even before discussing their agenda. A young female university student has relived the horrific ordeal of being attacked by three men while she was walking on a city street all because she was wearing a skirt. The woman, who has been identified only as Elisabeth, was walking home on September 18 in the French city of Strasbourg when she was approached by three men in their 20s. One of the three men said to me, look at this w**** in a skirt, the 22-year-old revealed to local publication France Bleu. I allow myself to answer sorry. There, they answer me: you shut up b**** and you lower your eyes. Two each grab me by one arm and the third punches me in the face. And then, the three flee. The young woman suffered a black eye in the attack and claimed despite there being 15 witnesses, nobody reacted during or after the attack. She was however grateful she didnt suffer worse injuries and refused to let the incident change her behaviour. Elisabeth claims she was attacked by three men for wearing a skirt. Source: France Bleu/Twitter We must not let ourselves be defeated and now be afraid to go out, be afraid to put on a skirt, she said. She described street harassment, which has been illegal since 2018, as really violent, dirty and perverse. Minister speaks out again misogynistic attack French interior minister Marlene Schiappa told France Bleu the skirt is not responsible for the attack. A woman is never hit because she wears a skirt. A woman is hit because there are people who are misogynistic, sexist, violent, and who free themselves from any law and any rule of civility by striking them, she said. When youre a student and you have to think about the outfit you have to wear and the message it sends, its an overwhelming mental load. According to France Bleu, another two women were attacked on Wednesday in the city of Mulhouse. Police said the 18-year-old offender told the women their outfits were too short and slapped one of them in the face. As the second woman intervened, she was pushed back and taken by the throat. Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and download the Yahoo News app from the App Store or Google Play. Three Christians were arrested in Moscow City, Idaho for not wearing masks and not social distancing while taking part in an outdoor worship service. Two others at the worship service were issued citations for also not wearing masks. Moscow Police Chief James Fry told reporters that some 150 to 200 attended the church event. According to the citys Amended Public Health Emergency Order, attendees at any public gathering must maintain a 6-foot physical distance or wear a mask. The order is in effect until January. Violators of the order are subject to a misdemeanor charge, which carries a maximum punishment of six months in jail and a $1,000 fine. Fry said police have been very lenient on enforcing the order and officers have tried to work with groups on the policy. Christ Church hosts a Psalm sing or hymn event about once a month. We were going to appear there at quarter to five, sing three psalms or hymns, then the doxology, and then out, said Ben Zornes, a pastor at the church who helped organize the outdoor event. The songs were Psalm 20, Psalm 124, and Amazing Grace. When we arrived, the police were waiting for us. One of them informed me that people either had to social distance or wear a mask or otherwise face a citation. Another church representative said on the churchs Facebook page that the crowd was reminded of the city policy, but within the first 15 minutes of worship, police arrested three and issued citations to two others. Gabriel Rench, a church deacon and Republican candidate for a county commissioner seat, was one of the three who were arrested, according to Moscow-Pullman Daily News. I think [officials] wanted to make an issue out of it, Rench told a local news station. They wanted to flex their muscles because we had already done psalm sings in the past and they wanted to make an example of us. We werent warned no warnings, no nothing, and so we were just taking our constitutional liberties to do what were allowed to do under the Constitution worship. Photo courtesy: Getty Images/Stevan Ovicigor Amanda Casanova is a writer living in Dallas, Texas. She has covered news for ChristianHeadlines.com since 2014. She has also contributed to The Houston Chronicle, U.S. News and World Report and IBelieve.com. She blogs at The Migraine Runner. Ramesh Chand Srivastava was 15 years old when his fathers sudden death changed his life forever. Chands brother-in-law took him from Pachdevra village in Prayagraj (earlier known as Allahabad) to Mumbai and gave him a job at his garment factory. Srivastava, who is 46 now, had to return to his village from the city of dreams for the first time in over three decades after the government enforced a national lockdown in March to curb the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic. For Srivastava, Mumbai was home, and he makes it a point to mention that his Aadhaar card has ... Urban, a London, UK-based provider of an on-demand wellness app, raised 5.9m on crowdfunding website Seedrs. This is Seedrs third largest raise this year, and with over 800 investors. London based investors BNF Capital contributed 4m to the campaign. The company intends to use the funds to offer more services and expand into new cities. Founded in 2014 by Jack Tang and Giles Williams, Urban provides an on-demand app for at-home massage and beauty (when measures allow), personal training, yoga, mindfulness and more. The company now offers over 50 in person and online wellness services, delivered by independent professionals in London, Paris, Manchester and Birmingham. FinSMEs 28/09/2020 NEW YORK, Sept 28 More than 20 Heads of State and Government and 6 Ministers committed to a Leaders Pledge for Nature at the Nature for Life Hub, Day 3 the Global Ambition Day. With signatories from 70 nations across five continents, including those represented at the event, the Leaders Pledge for Nature commits to ten urgent actions to put nature on a path to recovery by 2030. This official pledging ceremony aimed at bringing a powerful collective political signal to the UN Biodiversity Summit scheduled two days later, prioritizing nature, climate and people to face the current planetary emergency. The ten actions at the center of the pledge include building clear political will through a transformational new global biodiversity framework, putting nature at the heart of COVID recovery, addressing climate change, and strengthening financial and non-financial support for implementation. As of the 28th of September 2020, Monday morning here in New York City, the number is now 70 governments including the European Union having signed up for this pledge, stated UNDP Administrator Achim Steiner. Citizens across the world [are] perhaps beginning to believe that leadership in politics and business and civil society [are] finally taking that challenge of looking after the nature of our planet more seriously. But very often, Indigenous peoples are the forgotten stewards of biodiversity, they are part of this global effort, and they must be an integral and active part of the solution. The event broadcast live today featured an Open Leaders Conversation between H.E. Mr. Carlos Alvarado Quesada, President of the Republic of Costa Rica and H.E. Ms. Erna Solberg, Prime Minister of Norway, Mr. Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada, and Mr. Carlos Manuel Rodriguez, CEO and Chairperson of the Global Environment Facility, moderated by UNDP Administrator Achim Steiner. The virtual event also featured UN eminent leaders, leaders from business, youth, finance, cities, faith, indigenous people and civil society, an actress and inspiring videos. During the event, global leaders stressed the COVID-19 pandemic as a critical reset for humanity, emphasizing the urgent need to change course in the next ten years. H.E. Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada called on the nine other largest countries in the world to join Canada in their commitment to the Leaders Pledge. H.E. Ms. Erna Solberg, Prime Minister of Norway, proposed a coalition of business and governments to meet the one-billion-dollar annual finance gap needed to end tropical deforestation this decade. Representatives from major funding agencies, private sector, and UN agencies echoed these calls to action, stressing the need for collaboration across sectors. With the pledges, with the commitment for action now, clearly the post-2020 framework will equally be transformative, innovative, action-oriented, as expected, stated Elizabeth Mrema, Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity. The announcement of the Leaders Pledge builds momentum towards the UN Biodiversity Summit, which will take place on 30 September under the theme of Urgent action on biodiversity for sustainable development. The Nature for Life Hub continues its final day of programming on Tuesday, 29 September for Local Action Day. The ultimate sessions will include UNDPs flagship Equator Prize, celebrating local action for nature, climate and a green recovery from COVID-19. For more information or media queries : Sangita Khadka, Communications Specialist, UNDP New York | email: sangita.khadka@undp.org | Tel: +1 212 906 5043 By Ayya Lmahamad Azerbaijan continues construction works on the improvement of water supply in the country. Thus, 38-kilometer section of the main water pipeline has already been constructed. Currently, preparations are underway for the construction of a 1.5 kilometer section of the pipeline to the Neftchala municipal network as well as the section across the Kura river. According to the project, a special structure will be installed at the crossing of the pipeline with the Kura river. For this purpose, reinforced concrete supports with a height of 28 meters will be installed on both banks of the river, which will be placed on the berth. In addition, the main line will be laid on the overpass. It should be noted that hydraulic tests have been started at the 17th kilometer of the finished pipeline. Likewise, the construction of the main water pipeline is expected to be completed in November this year. After full hydraulic test, washing and disinfection of the pipeline, drinking water will be supplied to the municipal network of Neftchala. Additionally, a reservoir with a capacity of 7,500 cubic meters is being constructed in the area of Salyan to supply water to Neftchala in gravity flow mode. To date, more than 60 percent of the work on construction of storage facilities has been completed. It should be noted that in the government session on July 23, President Ilham Aliyev urged the government to take measures to eliminate the water shortage problem in the country. Furthermore, on July 28, Ilham Aliyev signed the Order on additional measures to ensure the efficient use of water resources in the country. In addition, President Ilham Aliyev has approved the "Action Plan for 2020-2022 on ensuring efficient use of water resources". Azerbaijans water reserves are estimated at 30.9 billion cubic meters, out of which 33 percent are local inland waters and 66 percent are transboundary rivers. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz Babil Khan, the son of late actor Irrfan Khan, penned an emotional note in his memory. Babil said that he would give everything just to feel Irrfans presence: My spinal cord will rotate and my soul can implode, in a search to feel you close. He also added a prayer for the farmers, who are currently protesting against the controversial farm bills recently passed by the Parliament. Im working Baba. You pushed through demons, up in your feelings, no one gets it, no? Id give every cell in my presence to remember your skin, My spinal cord will rotate and my soul can implode, in a search to feel you close, I wish I would have known how it feels to end, so I can begin, he wrote. Why are you surprised? Its the job of the Politician to choose to lie, and when Im bleeding, I know, sleep is just death being shy. I pray for you, our farmers, in our self-illusiveness we thought we were better, I hope we can surrender. I hope we find a way. I miss you India. (No political comments please, this is not a political expression), he added. Babil has been sharing memories with Irrfan and recently shared a throwback photo of the two of them and wrote, I slept for 14 hours and I didnt want to wake up cause I was dreaming about you. Waking up is the worst, I hate realising everyday that youre gone. You didnt say anything, we just laughed. (Hes playing the OG bounce). Also read | Suchitra Krishnamoorthi on Bollywood drugs investigation: Aghast that no men were named and called for NCB probe Earlier this month, Babil faced a backlash for throwing his weight behind filmmaker Anurag Kashyap, who has been accused of sexual assault by an actor. Addressing trolls who said that Irrfan would be ashamed of him, he wrote, I have felt a sense of liberation from your hate because I realised, you really dont have anything to do but hate and form a quick judgemental opinion about an actual human being . So really man, for haters that claim they know my father, or know my father better than me like oh your father would be so ashamed of you, shut you mouth, me and baba were the bestest friends dont try to teach me what my father would have done just cause you can without knowing his true beliefs. If youre an Irrfan Khan fan, come prove it me, show me his fascinations with Tarkovsky and Bergmann and then we shall probably start a conversation of how much you think you know my father. He was beyond you my friend, he added. Follow @htshowbiz for more In the Wild West of lore, news arrived by messenger on horseback. In the wild frontier of the 21st century, the horseback deliverers are gone, but the idea of news as mere messages lives on. Every journalist keeps a constantly updated list of overused words and phrases. My submission in honour of World News Day 2020 is messages in all its various forms, and particularly the oft-asked media question: what is your message? On many occasions, this is a question justifiably intended to get to the point, to get the interviewee to stop beating around the bush. But my concern is how this whole news-as-message concept is feeding public cynicism not just in the message, but in the medium too. If we are only looking for messages, we may be missing the news, and if this years global pandemic has taught us anything, it is that we need news more than we have in a long time. Messages are what we are sent; news helps us figure out what to do with that information. Wear a mask is a message. Masks have been found to stop the spread of COVID-19 is news. People arent wearing masks enough to contain the virus is bad news. Messages dont always contain all the facts we need; real news does. Messages sometimes gloss over the difficult details; news in its best form does not. Donald Trump and others have been trying to persuade citizens they cant trust the news, but whats certainly less trustworthy is messaging we see on the public stage. It was Sonia Furstenau, the newly elected leader of the British Columbia Green Party, who first made me aware of how the scourge of messaging had infiltrated political conversation. She was speaking in late 2018 at a B.C. rally for democratic reform, and I was sent the video clip of her remarks because she made some references to political marketing. Furstenau talked about how a fellow politician had recently complimented her on her messaging and she recoiled at the word. Im sorry, its not messaging. Its what I actually, truly believe, Furstenau said. Her point is that a message from a politician is not the same as a belief, a conviction or even a proper answer. Messages are what you get after you put your beliefs into a tidy package for public consumption; like an advertising slogan or a branding logo. Once you hear a politician like Furstenau make this distinction, you cant unhear it. Suddenly you realize how often we are using messaging as a synonym for actual, real answers from our political types. And you wonder whether you are helping seal the impression that all political dialogue is simply an empty, message-trading bazaar. I am sure Im guilty of it; I even caught myself asking a cabinet minister just the other day about messaging in a time of COVID. But I have been trying to correct myself when tempted to ask politicians about their messages, because it feels now like waving the white flag to the message-management industry. Too often the tell-me-your-message questions boil down to: I know Im never going to get a real answer from you, so let me ask you instead what youve packaged for me to take away from this conversation. News-gatherers, admittedly, can be exasperating to the purveyors of messages. Former prime minister Stephen Harper declared early in his tenure that he intended to bypass the media as much as possible and that he would look for other ways to get the message out. That declaration revealed a fundamental misunderstanding of journalisms purpose. Its not there just to get out messages, but to sort through the flood of them for information the public needs. Politicians dont really need the news to get their messages out, but they do need people to believe in the news, especially during a public-health crisis when knowing whats actually happening in your community or your country has real-life consequences. No one trying to decide whether to send their kids to school or how to preserve their livelihood in a pandemic is going to be satisfied with a mere message. They need news they can trust. If we were still living in the age of messengers on horseback, we would be in the midst of a stampede. Everyone has tools now to transmit messages, on social media, on the streets, or on their phones. The answer to that ubiquitous question what is your message? is everywhere. News is exactly whats needed to punch through that galloping rampage of messaging. News is what happens when we get off the message track. Your loan app could soon join the list of China-based mobile apps banned in India. According to reports, the government is in the process of scrutinizing several fintechs that have links to China. This development comes after India banned 177 Chinese apps, including TikTok, after border clashes with China in June resulted in the death of 20 Indian soldiers. The concerns around the apps currently under the lens are related to suspected data breaches. Since fintech and lending apps access sensitive information, including your account details, this could mean putting both your money and privacy at risk. Since the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) announced the loan moratorium, app-based lenders have also come under the fire for using coercive recovery techniques. Borrowers reported that some lenders were misusing the permissions granted at the time of downloading and installing the app to access their personal data and contacts, and threatening to call their friends and family. Pravin Kalaiselvan, chairman of Mumbai-based user rights campaign group called Save Them India Foundation, said that a PIL had been filed in the Supreme Court asking for a probe of 212 apps with direct or indirect links to China. In some cases, the app might now be directly owned by a Chinese corporation, but investments are redirected through another channel. A few such apps are also on the list," he said. The primary complaint is that such apps ask to access everything from contacts to microphone on your phone when you install them, and then utilize the data for loan recovery. But this also means that the app has unauthorized access to a lot of sensitive data that might be misused. There is a high possibility of certain apps getting banned even if customers have outstanding loans, since sensitive data is at stake," Kalaiselvan said. But what happens if an app you have an outstanding loan with gets banned overnight? According to Sameer Aggarwal, founder and CEO, RevFin, a digital lending fintech, in order to operate in India, these fintechs have to establish partnerships with non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) in the back end to disburse loans. Several Chinese fintech apps generally provide short-term (7-21 days) loan facilities with small ticket sizes (below 20,000), but these loans are generally fully secured by the Chinese fintechs, so there is no credit or fraud risk involved for the NBFCs. If some of these apps are no longer allowed to operate, since most of the loans are short-term, they are likely to be recovered before the fintechs stop operation. If they are not, they will be repaid by the Chinese fintech," he said, adding that for borrowers, there will be little concern from a credit score perspective. If you do foresee any issues related to debt collectors or credit score after an app gets banned, find out which NBFC the app in question is backed by and get in touch with the company, because effectively, it is the NBFC that has disbursed the loan. Loans can be paid back directly to the NBFC of the fintech is no longer operational to mitigate any issues. If borrowers still face any issues, they can write to the financial ombudsman appointed by the Reserve Bank of India," Aggarwal said. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Never miss a story! Stay connected and informed with Mint. Download our App Now!! Topics Ghanas efforts to build a self-reliant economy, the countrys digitisation drive and the sectors of the economy ripe for investment are among the topical issues explored by Mahamudu Bawumia, the Vice-President of Ghana, in an in-depth video interview (vidcast) he gave to Oxford Business Group (OBG)s Souhir Mzali, the global research and advisory companys Regional Editor for Africa. Bawumia said that the arrival of the Covid-19 pandemic had provided a timely opportunity for Ghana to build on the policy framework already in place, which aimed to encourage the expansion of domestic industries and reduce imports. He gave the example of PPE production, which he said had been allocated to local textile industries and produced a fantastic response. In a sense, Covid, in some paradoxical way, has jump-started our Ghana Beyond Aid mission, he said. It has allowed us to be more self-reliant and we have now, by way of policy, through this whole experience said government procurement should be very much directed, when possible to the local industries. Were seeing a good response and that is going to drive our policy going forward. The full interview is available to view at https://oxfordbusinessgroup.com/blog/souhir-mzali/obg-talks/what-are-drivers-economic-recovery-ghana-post-covid19 Bawumia told OBG that Ghanas progress in digitalisation had also proved beneficial when the coronavirus hit, facilitating the implementation of innovative public health solutions that even included the use of drones, while also providing citizens with access to key government services online and allowing many of them to work from home. Digital solutions have been extremely helpful in tracing, in testing, in delivery of samples for testing and in communications, he said. The whole process reinforced our commitment to the digitisation process. The vice-president said Ghana offered myriad opportunities for investment in a variety of sectors, which ranged from agriculture an area likely to be of particular interest, given the current focus on food security to industry, financial services and digital services. We also believe that Ghana should leverage its position as the headquarters of the African Continental Free Trade Area to become a regional hub, he said. Were building an economy that is going to leverage all these investments to become a hub for many services. The talk with Bawumia is OBGs latest vidcast, a go-to research tool in which high-profile representatives from the public and private sectors answer pertinent questions on topical issues relating to the economic development of emerging economies and their investment opportunities. The company is also currently producing a range of country-specific Covid-19 Economic Impact Assessment articles and interviews. Source: Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Voters in The Woodlands can learn more about nine candidates for three township Board of Director seats during two online forums this week, both hosted by The Woodlands Area Chamber of Commerce. The two forums are slated to be shown online via the chamber Facebook page on Wednesday and Thursday. Related: Election 2020 News & Notes: Woodlands board candidates get endorsements The event is one of the few this election season with the candidates squaring off in a forum setting,albeit virtual and broadcast on Facebook. On Wednesday, six candidates are slated to be on hand for the event at 4 p.m. On Thursday, three candidates will discuss issues, also beginning at 4 p.m. The candidates will be inside the chamber office in a socially distancing setting with no member of the public present. On Wednesday, the six candidates for the Position 2 and 4 seats will be hosted starting at 4 p.m.. There will be no fee to view the event however those who want to watch are required to log-in to a Facebook account to view the live feed. Because the lone candidate for the Position 3 seat is not being challenged, there will be no discussion with incumbent John A. Brown. The candidates for Position 2 seat who are slated to attend include incumbent Jason J. Nelson, who was appointed to the seat on April 16, and challengers Jimmie Dotson, Luis Louis Granados and Thomas Chumbley. Dotson is the first Black candidate in township history and both Granados and Chumbley lost election bids in 2019 to then-incumbent Ann Snyder. After the Position 2 discussion, the candidates for the Position 4 seat will be featured. Those two hopefuls are incumbent Bruce Rieser and challenger The Rev. Daniel Hannon. Rieser is seeking his third two-year term in office while Hannon brings 28 years of experience at one of the townships largest churches to the race. At 4 p.m., Thursday, the two candidates for the Position 1 seat will discuss local issues. Incumbent Gordy Bunch, staunchly in favor of incorporation, and challengers Dr. Jerry D. Smith, a local psychologist. A third candidate, Ron Keichline, who lost the 2018 Montgomery County Precinct 2 commissioners seat race to Charlie Riley, announced on his campaign Facebook that he was suspending his campaign and not seeking office. It is not known if he intended to participate in the forum. On Oct. 6, also at 4 p.m., the candidates for the Conroe Independent School District Board of Trustees will be hosted in a similar online forum. jeff.forward@chron.com The state reported 11,921 new cases of Covid-19 on Monday, taking its tally to 13,51,153, of which 265,033 are active cases. This is the first time in September that Maharashtra has recorded below 12, 000 new cases in a day. The state also reported 180 fatalities on Monday, which is also its lowest since August 31. The Covid death toll now stands at 35,751. On Monday, the number of recoveries from Covid-19 19,932 was more than the new reported cases reported. The states tally of recoveries is 10,49,947 and the recovery rate is 77.71%. Of the 180 fatalities reported on Monday, 98 are from the last 48 hours and 45 are from last week. The remaining 37 deaths are from the period before last week. Maharashtras case fatality rate (CFR) is now at 2.65%. The state reported 56,735 samples tested in the past 24-hour period. While Maharashtras overall positivity rate (percentage of positive cases compared to total number of tests) stands at 20.4%, the positivity rate for Monday was 21.01%. According to health department officials, the states positivity rate has been falling consistently. The week-on-week positivity rate is also witnessing a slowing. However, it is too early to call it a trend. Last week (September 20-27), the positivity rate averaged at 19.21%, while the previous week (September 13-19), it was 24.43%, said an official requesting anonymity. Dr Pradeep Awate, state surveillance officer, said active cases are on a decline in 17 of the states 35 districts, including Mumbai, Raigad, Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg, Pune Satara, Sangli, Ahmednagar, Jalgaon, Nandurbar, Dhule, Beed, Nagpur and Bhandara. Our testing average has gone up in September to 90,000 tests daily. In August, it was 60,000. Usually on weekends due to manpower crunch or other factors, tests are fewer, said Awate. The number of active cases dropped to 265,033 on Monday from over 300,000. Meanwhile, the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) contributed nearly 35% of the states Covid total on Monday. Navi Mumbai reported 392 new cases and five deaths, while Thane city reported 304 new cases and 12 deaths. Thane (rural) saw 236 new cases. Kalyan Dombivli reported 293 new cases. Mira-Bhayander and Panvel city saw 218 and 200 new cases respectively. Vasai-Virar saw 140 new cases. Pune city reported 799 new cases and six fatalities, while Pimpri-Chinchwad reported 505 new cases and five deaths. Pune (rural) had 606 new cases and eight deaths. Nagpur city saw 578 new cases and one death. Nagpur (rural) reported 200 new cases. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Azerbaijani Defence Ministry claimed that Armenian forces started shelling the town of Tartar on Monday morning, while Armenian officials said the fighting continued throughout the night and Baku resumed offensive actions in the morning. Azerbaijans Defence Ministry told the Interfax news agency that more than 550 Armenian troops have been destroyed (including those wounded), a claim that Armenian officials denied. According to Nagorno-Karabakh officials, 58 servicemen have been killed so far. On Sunday, the territorys defence ministry also reported two civilian deaths a woman and her grandson. Some 200 people have been wounded in the fighting, the Armenian Defence Ministry said on Monday, while Azerbaijani authorities said nine civilians had been killed and 32 wounded on their side. The heavy fighting broke out on Sunday morning in the region that lies within Azerbaijan but has been under the control of ethnic Armenian forces backed by Armenia since 1994 at the end of a separatist war. Advertisement It was not immediately clear what sparked the fighting, the heaviest since clashes in July killed 16 people from both sides. Mostly mountainous Nagorno-Karabakh a region around 1,700 square miles lies 30 miles from the Armenian border. Local soldiers backed by Armenia also occupy some Azerbaijani territory outside the region. The European Union has urged both sides to halt the fighting and return to the negotiating table, following similar calls by Iran, Russia, France and the United States. We hope and we urge everyone to do everything they can in order to prevent an all-out war from breaking out, because this is the last thing the region needs, European Commission spokesman Peter Stano told reporters in Brussels. There is no military solution to this conflict. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh is a cause for concern for Moscow and other countries. We believe that the hostilities should be immediately ended, Mr Peskov told reporters, adding that the process of resolving the conflict between the two countries should shift into a politico-diplomatic dimension. Armenias Foreign Ministry has accused Turkey, who sides with Azerbaijan in the conflict, of supporting this aggression. The ministry said Turkish military experts are fighting side by side with Azerbaijan, who are using Turkish weapons, including UAVs and warplanes. The situation on the ground clearly indicates that people in Nagorno-Karabakh are fighting against a Turkish-Azerbaijani alliance, the statement read. Both Armenia and Turkey have accused each other of recruiting foreign mercenaries. Mustapha Ussif, the Executive Director of the National Service Scheme has called on residents of the six constituencies in the North East Region to all show gratitude by voting for the New Patriotic Party (NPP). He said the Mamprugu Kingdom for many years, had been pursuing a region which was only granted by this NPP government, and he believed it was a sign of good faith and prioritizing the needs of Ghanaians. Mr Ussif who is the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Parliamentary Candidate for the Yagaba/Kubori Constituecy in the region, was speaking at the inauguration and handing over of a new party office he constructed. He appealed to party executives and supporters to vote massively for the NPP come December 7 in appreciation for the creation of the region and the significant development projects. Mr Ussif called on all party faithful to join the campaign teams in campaigning massively for President Akufo-Addo to continue working four more years adding that the constituents have now seen the difference I made within my tenure as an MP compared to the 12 years of my opponent. The NSS Executive Secretary said the people Yagba/Kubori were yearning for change for a better representative, who would prioritize their welfare, adding, "My records as a one term MP far outweighs that of my opponent, which can never be disputed." He said his working experience as Deputy Executive Secretary with Mr Ussif at the NSS indicate his desire to leave a mark was unmatched, adding, "He transform NSS and revived all its projects within a short time in office and has what it takes to be a Minister if voted as the Member of Parliament in the next NPP government." Mr Henry Nana Boakye, the NPP National Youth Organizer, charged the campaign teams to exhibit absolute dedication and commitment towards winning the December 7 elections. The delegation paid a courtesy call on Yizei Rana, Naa Balingu Iddrisu Bukari of Yizeisi Traditional Council where, Mr Boakye was was enskined as the "Naachina Saha Naa" Youth Chief of Luck. Naa Bukari thanked the delegation for the visit and gave them his blessings to hold a rally. He also thank the NPP government for the numerous interventions in the community such as the provision of water, the three classroom block, the extension of the maternity wards at the health centre and construction of a public toilet for the community all within three and half years in power, adding, "My people will be ungrateful if they dont reward such a hardworking government for such projects. Speakers at the rally called on the supporters to to spread the gospel of the government and Mr Ussif. Some group of defectors from the National Democratic Congress were introduced to the crowd and officially ushered into the NPP. Mr Mustapha Ussif won the seat for the NPP in 2012 and lost in 2016 to his predecessor, Mr Ibrahim Abdul Rauf Tanko, a loss which he largely attributed to his inability to match his predecessors resources as the Chairman of the Hajj Pilgrims Affairs of Ghana. Source: GNA Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Biden campaign has launched an initiative to reach out to the Sikh community in the US and vowed to address the unique challenges, including xenophobia, being faced by the minority religious group in the country. The Biden campaign, which launched the 'Sikh Americans for Biden', said it has plans for protecting Sikh-American youths in schools. Sikh-Americans experience bullying at rates twice the national average and have reported a spike in these encounters since 2017, the campaign said in a press release on Sunday. "The Biden campaign plans to highlight the specific plans and policies that Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden has outlined in his platform to address the unique challenges that the Sikh American community faces with regards to racism, xenophobia and discrimination," it said. Kiran Kaur Gill, a prominent civil rights activist and member of the Sikh American National Leadership Council, alleged that President Donald Trump has not only turned a blind eye to bullying and discrimination, but has also encouraged it. The Sikh American National Leadership Council is an advisory council to the Sikh Americans for Biden. With Biden as the US president, Sikh-Americans can feel safer in schools and on the streets, Gill said in a statement. "(Former) vice president Biden has a track record of taking stances against hate, discrimination and bullying, and his leadership on these issues matter to our community," she said. The Biden campaign has said that if voted to power, the Biden administration would allocate additional federal funding for anti-bullying initiatives. According to civil rights activist Valarie Kaur, "This election is unlike any other. Everything our Sikh ancestors fought for a world of dignity, equality, and justice is at stake." "A Biden presidency would give us a chance to save our democracy, heal the earth, and begin to birth a world where we see no stranger'. That's why I am proud to join Sikhs for Biden and do everything in power to get out the vote. Our lives depend on it," she said in a statement issued by the South Asians for Biden on Sunday. Japjee Singh, an anti-bullying advocate, detailed the horrific bullying that took place at his high school in Georgia. In 2013, when he was 17-year-old, Singh was repeatedly targeted with verbal and physical harassment because of his Sikh faith. He was called a "terrorist" and fellow students used to target him for wearing turban. Singh's bullying case led to the first US Department of Justice school bullying settlement on behalf of a Sikh student. "A lot of the systems in place prevent victims of bullying from being heard and validated. Often these victims are perceived as the aggressors; they are not. Biden is committed to change these systems, so we can provide survivors of bullying with the support that they need," Singh said. In a joint statement, Josh Dickson, the National Faith Engagement Director for the Biden campaign, and Seema Sadanandan, a Policy Advisor for the campaign, said Biden has committed to a number of initiatives that garner strong support from the Sikh-American community. "For example, a Biden administration would allocate additional funding to the Department of Justice and the Department of Education for anti-bullying initiatives. Biden has also cited specific plans to re-establish the Obama-Biden White House AAPI Bullying Prevention Task Force, which would partner with community organisations, including Sikh non-profits," they said. NEW DELHI: The civil services exam scheduled on October 4 cannot be postponed over the coronavirus crisis, the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) told the Supreme Court on Monday (September 28). The top court was hearing a request seeking the postponement of civil services exam. The UPSC exam was earlier scheduled on May 31, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it was rescheduled for October 4. Live TV A bench headed by Justice AM Khanwilkar asked the Commission to file an affidavit stating its stand by September 29 and posted the matter for further hearing on Wednesday (Sept 30). The apex court was hearing a plea filed by a group of UPSC aspirants seeking postponement of the upcoming Civil Services (prelims) Exam 2020. During the hearing, advocate Naresh Kaushik appearing for the UPSC submitted before the bench that it's completely impossible to postpone the exam. "The matter was considered and deferment was done, but it was realised that deferment would completely hurt the process of the exam. It was supposed to be held on September 30. Thereafter, it was deferred to October 4. Deferment would nullify the objective of conducting the exam for four arms of government," Kaushik submitted. The bench then asked Kaushik to file a short affidavit listing down the logistical reasons for not postponing the exam. The petition has sought postponement of the Civil Services Exam for two to three months in view of the flood, incessant rains in several parts of the country.The COVID-19 curve may also flatten and the State governments, who are otherwise admittedly unprepared as of today, get more time to prepare themselves for implementation of Standard Operating Procedure (SOPs) of the Exam, the plea said. The plea, filed by a group of 20 UPSC aspirants through advocate Alakh Alok Srivastava, submitted that this seven-hour long offline exam will be taken by approximately six lakh aspirants at test centres in 72 cities across India is likely to become a big source of further spread of the COVID-19 across the country. It submitted that for fear of the risk of illness or death, some aspirants may not be able to take the examination. "The revised calendar for UPSC exams suffers from class-based discrimination and violates Article 14 of the Constitution, inasmuch as students belonging to the middle class and/or lower middle class will not be able to afford transport, accommodation, or other expenses to take the examination amid a pandemic," the plea said seeking quashing of the revised calendar. Furthermore, it said that the calendar violates Article 16 of the Constitution as it deprives many of the aspirants of equal opportunity in public employment. "Quash the Revised Calendar, 2020, issued by the UPSC, whereby it has been decided to conduct the Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination, 2020, on October 4, despite alarming spurt of COVID-19 pandemic and natural calamities in our country, for being violative of Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution of India," the plea said. A 30-year-old Mexican man allegedly reported his own mother to the authorities for kicking him out of the house, because he didnt want to get a job or at least help with chores. Last Wednesday, Mexican media reported the case of one Christian Uriel, a 30-year-old man who denounced his own mother and aunt to the before the Mexican Prosecutors Office, accusing them of assault and harassments. The young man claimed that he was beaten out of the house by the two women, who also threw water on him. What he failed to tell the authorities was that he had been living at his mothers house for months, free of charge, without contributing to the family budget or even helping out with chores. Photo: Erik McClean/Unsplash Christians mother explained that he had come to live with her at the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, just after losing his job. She was happy to help him, but after four months of him just sitting on the couch and playing video games all day, her maternal instinct started to whither. To make matters worse, the 30-year-old man didnt help with anything and expected everything to be served to him. As Mexico started recovering after the lockdown and businesses started re-opening, the woman asked her son to look for a job, so he could contribute to the family budget, but he completely ignored her and continued on as a couch potato. Photo: Olya Adamovich/Pixabay The woman admitted that in an act of desperation she called her sister and together they threw Christian out of the house, pouring water on him and hitting him with brooms. Mexican newspaper El Comercio reported that Christian Uriel complained that he was offended that his mother threw him out and by the way she did it and thats why he filed a complaint against her. The court has yet to make a ruling in this case. Zohra Sehgal, who is being celebrated with a Google Doodle, was an iconic Indian actress who won international recognition during a career spanning six decades. She is perhaps best remembered in the UK for her appearances in British TV classics Doctor Who and The Jewel in the Crown as well as her role in the 2002 film Bend it Like Beckham. However her talent was apparent from the 1940s when one of her first films, Neecha Nagar (Lowly City), won the Palme d'Or prize at the Cannes Film Festival. Ms Sehgal went on to receive some of India's highest awards including the Padma Shri, the Kalidas Samman, and the Padma Vibhusha. She was born Sahibzadi Zohra Begum Mumtaz-ullah Khan in 1912 in Sahranpur in what was then British India. After attending ballet school in Germany and touring the world with Indian dance pioneer Uday Shankar, she returned home to focus on acting as a member of the Indian Peoples Theatre Association in 1945. She moved to London on a drama scholarship in 1962 and made her TV debut in a BBC adaptation of the Kipling story The Rescue of Pluffles. Doctor Who followed in 1965, although the episode in which she appeared is believed lost. Ms Sehgal continued to act well into her 90s and died in Delhi in 2014, aged 102. The Google Doodle, which appeared to mark the day on which Neecha Nagar was released in 1946, was created by artist Parvati Pillai. Ms Pillai said: "Zohra Sehgal is admired across generations for her acting and loveable personality. "She overcame social and cultural stereotypes with her sheer tenacity and infectious passion from a very young age. "She is an inspiration not just for women everywhere, but for anyone who wants to follow their own path! Zohra Sehgal lived her life to the fullest. In todays challenging times, it is important to be optimistic and keep smiling!" Amy Coney Barrett Amy Coney Barrett University of Notre Dame When Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg passed away a week ago, commentators were quick to lament the implications of her empty Supreme Court seat for abortion rights and gender equality. But there's another concern: our overheating planet. On Saturday, Trump is expected to nominate Seventh Circuit Judge Amy Coney Barrett for Ginsburg's old spot. And some worry that a 6-3 conservative supermajority might mean that any policy to protect our planet from climate change will be struck down before it even gets started. https://twitter.com/drvox/status/1308138123625283584 "Environmentalists are facing a real minefield ahead," said Robert Percival, director of the environmental law program at the University of Maryland. "I have just been so depressed." First, some facts: The Supreme Court can't just go around striking down legislation and a president's executive orders left and right, but the court can make it much more difficult to implement laws or limit greenhouse gas emissions by interpreting law narrowly, refusing to defer to agencies like the Environmental Protection Agency, and otherwise restricting presidential and Congressional power. And now, with the potential for more conservative justices on the court than anytime in recent history, the odds that government actions survive Supreme Court scrutiny appear lower than ever. Barrett is a staunch conservative and and popular on the religious right. Not much is known about her environmental record, but if she follows in the footsteps of Trump's earlier appointments, she would join the conservative wing of the court in undermining existing environmental laws and blocking others. Here are two ways a super-conservative court with Barrett could sideline climate progress. And one potential path to success. No standing in court One of the most important issues in environmental law is whether groups cities, states, and even young children have the right to sue the government to take action on climate change. To have "standing" to sue, plaintiffs have to be able to prove a) that they have suffered some sort of harm; b) that injury is traceable to the action (or inaction) of the defendant; and c) that the result of the lawsuit would somehow rectify the damage done. Story continues That poses a few problems for taking on the giant, global problem of climate change, A court tilted so far to the right might say that since climate change affects everyone, and global CO2 emissions are hard to track and trace to particular defendants, a single state or city doesn't have standing to sue. Moreover, since no single action can truly "solve" climate change, conservative justices could argue that any lawsuit wouldn't rectify the harm caused again, demolishing plaintiffs' standing. "I call it the Goldilocks theory of standing," said Percival. "If the harms aren't big enough, then you can't sue; but if the harms are so big, then you can't sue because it affects everyone!" Some justices on the court, like John Roberts and Clarence Thomas, are already skeptical of whether groups have the right to sue the government over climate change. In Massachusetts v. EPA, a 2007 Supreme Court case in which 12 states and several cities called on the agency to regulate greenhouse gas emissions, a 5-4 majority found that the plaintiffs did have standing but only two of the justices in that majority are still serving on the court. Chief Justice John Roberts, currently the Court's swing vote, wrote a scathing dissent, arguing that global warming was "harmful to humanity at large" and that EPA regulation of greenhouse gases was unlikely to make a dent in the problem. If Barrett and other conservative justices follow in Roberts' footsteps, the outcome could be catastrophic. "Litigation brought by states and by environmental groups is very important for instance, in holding Trump's feet to the fire," said Michael Gerrard, a professor of law at Columbia University. If these groups don't have the right to sue, then a hostile White House could gut more environmental laws and continue to ignore climate change with nothing standing in its way. Blocking executive action Back in 2014, foiled by Congress in his attempts to pass a sweeping climate change law, President Barack Obama turned to the EPA. The agency proposed the Clean Power Plan, which would have cut greenhouse gas emissions from the country's power plants by 30 percent in 15 years. It should have worked: The EPA's right to regulate greenhouse gas emissions had been confirmed in Massachusetts v. EPA. But the Clean Power Plan got held up in the courts, as over two dozen (mostly red) states sued to block it. The Supreme Court, in a highly unusual move, supported those states halting the enforcement of the plan while the lawsuit worked its way through the courts, and effectively hamstringing the regulation until the end of President Obama's term. (President Trump later replaced the rule entirely.) A super-conservative court with Barrett on board would likely give any executive action to take on climate change similar treatment, ruling that large-scale regulations on greenhouse gas emissions is a step too far under the EPA's authority. That could pose a huge problem for the Democrat's presidential nominee, Joe Biden, who has promised to make the climate a centerpiece of his term if elected. Biden has pledged to get America's electricity grid running purely on clean energy by 2035 basically triple the ambition of Obama's plan. If Democrats don't take control of the Senate (a toss-up at the moment), he would have to try to muscle regulation through the EPA. And that probably wouldn't end well. It's up to Congress There's at least one path to sweeping, Green New Deal-esque climate action. The best-case scenario for climate action starts with Congress actually passing a bill, Gerrard said. "Most of the litigation about climate change law that gets to the Supreme Court is on interpreting ambiguous statutes," he said. But if Congress and the president adopt climate legislation and leave little room for interpretation that won't leave much space for the Supreme Court to strike it down. Even that comes with caveats. According to Percival there's a growing movement among conservative justices for expanding what is known as the "non-delegation doctrine," in which laws can be struck down if they seem to hand too much power to executive agencies. That means that if, say, Congress passes a law regulating greenhouse gas emissions but leaves it up to the EPA to parse out some of the details the court could quash it. "You could see the court basically striking down some major environmental statutes," Percival said. So if the Biden administration gets a clean energy law through Congress, it would have to be extremely detailed and avoid leaving too much for agencies to decide; otherwise, it likely wouldn't survive a challenge that winds up in front of the Supreme Court. Gerrard is still hopeful that, given the right conditions, legislation that passes the Senate and the House could hold up even under superconservative court scrutiny. "If the laws are clear and unambiguous and specific enough," he said, "Congress ties the hands of the courts." Related Articles Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 28) The Provincial Prosecutor's Office of Occidental Mindoro has dismissed the complaint filed by the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) against a Hong Kong-flagged bulk carrier and its crew involved in a collision with a Filipino fishing vessel. The tragic sea incident in June left 14 Filipinos missing up to this day following an extensive search and rescue operations. This was confirmed on Sunday by PCG spokesperson Armand Balilo. He said the settlement between the owners of M/V Vienna Wood and Filipino fishing boat Liberty 5 and the affected families may have played a role in the prosecutor's decision. The parties reached a legal settlement in August, but they refused to disclose the exact compensation amount granted to the families and owner of Liberty 5. "Mukhang 'yung settlement ng company at mga relatives is a big factor," he told CNN Philippines. "Pati 'yung case ng PCG na separate naman, nasama sa dismissal. We clearly manifested sa prov prosecutor na we will continue our case right after the settlement." [Translation: It seems like the settlement between the company and relatives played a big factor. The PCG case, which is separate from the settlement, was included in the dismissal even if we told the prosecutor that we will pursue the case despite the settlement. ] Balilo said the Chinese crew were allowed to leave the country last Sept. 17. The Coast Guard filed a complaint for reckless imprudence resulting in multiple homicide and damage to property in early July against four of Vienna Woods crew. On June 27, M/V Vienna Wood collided five times with Fishing Vessel Liberty 5 off Mamburao in Occidental Mindoro, leaving 14 Filipinos including 12 crew members and two passengers of Liberty 5 missing up to today. Vienna Wood was sailing to Subic while Liberty 5 was en route to Navotas at the time of the tragedy. Based on the initial investigation, the PCG said the collision at around 10:20 p.m. on June 27 was not deliberate. But the foreign crew members were found to have committed negligence, sending a distress call via email three hours after the incident. Delhi recorded 1,984 fresh Covid-19 cases on Monday, as the infection count mounted to over 273,000 lakh in the city, while the death toll rose to 5,272 with 37 new fatalities, according to a health department bulletin. The relatively low count of fresh cases came out of the 36,302 tests done the previous day. The active Covid-19 case count on Monday stood at 27,123, down from 29,228 the previous day, according to the latest bulletin issued by the Delhi health department. The death toll from Covid-19 in Delhi stood at 5,235 on Sunday. The Monday bulletin said the fresh cases pushed the Covid-19 tally to 273,098 in Delhi. BUENOS AIRES, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) -- Argentina's Chinese-built and financed Cauchari Solar Park, the largest of its kind in Latin America, officially launched commercial operations over the weekend, injecting power into the national power grid. Built by China Power Construction and the Shanghai Electric Power Construction Company, the solar park is located in the town of Cauchari in the northwestern province of Jujuy, at an altitude of about 4,200 meters above sea level. The project, authorized by Argentina's Wholesale Electric Market Management Company, supplies the grid with a total of 300 megawatts of electricity and has useful life of approximately 20 years. The park is divided into three areas -- Cauchari I, II and III, each generating 100 megawatts of power -- and covers approximately 600 hectares installed with 1.2 million photovoltaic panels, in addition to a 345-kilovolt booster station. According to Tu Shuiping, general manager of PowerChina Argentina, about 1,500 jobs have been created during the construction of the park, which, once completed, will continue to provide employment opportunities in operation and maintenance, as well as to spur the development of the mining and smelting industries. The park's launch is expected to generate about 50 million U.S. dollars in revenue for the province of Jujuy, help promote local economic development, raise standards of living in an area with limited access to energy, and contribute to the development of clean energy sources in Argentina. Construction of the plant began in April 2018, after China and Argentina signed a cooperation agreement within the framework of the first Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation. Enditem [ Editor: ZY ] District Judge Carl Nichols has issued a temporary injunction at the request of TikTok. The Trump administration order had sought to ban new downloads of TikTok (owned by ByteDance) from midnight (0400 GMT Monday) but would allow use of TikTok until November 12, when all usage would be blocked. The judge denied TikToks request to suspend the November 12 ban. (Photo | AFP) Washington: TikTok won a last-minute reprieve late Sunday as a US federal judge halted enforcement of a politically charged ban ordered by the Trump administration on downloads of the popular video app, hours before it was set to take effect. District Judge Carl Nichols issued a temporary injunction at the request of TikTok, which the White House has called a national security threat stemming from its Chinese parent firms links to the Beijing government. The opinion was sealed, so no reason for the decision was released in a brief order by the court in Washington. The judge may unseal portions of the order after consulting with lawyers from both sides. The Trump administration order had sought to ban new downloads of the app from midnight (0400 GMT Monday) but would allow use of TikTok until November 12, when all usage would be blocked. The judge denied TikToks request to suspend the November 12 ban. The decision represents a temporary win for TikTok, which has 100 million US users. But the court has yet to consider the merits of the legal arguments on whether the social platform should remain available to Americans. In arguments to Judge Nichols, TikTok lawyer John Hall said that TikTok is more than an app, since it functions as a modern day version of a town square. If that prohibition goes into effect at midnight, the consequences immediately are grave, Hall said. It would be no different than the government locking the doors to a public forum, roping off that town square at a time when a free exchange of ideas is necessary heading into a polarised election. TikTok lawyers also argued that a ban on the app would affect the ability of tens of thousands of potential viewers and content creators to express themselves every month and would also hurt its ability to hire new talent. In addition, Hall argued that a ban would prevent existing users from automatically receiving security updates, eroding national security. Justice Department lawyer Daniel Schwei said that Chinese companies are not purely private and are subject to intrusive laws compelling their cooperation with intelligence agencies. The Justice Department has also argued that economic regulations of this nature generally are not subject to First Amendment scrutiny. This is the most immediate national security threat, argued Schwei. It is a threat today. It is a risk today and therefore it deserves to be addressed today even while other things are ongoing and playing out. Schwei also argued that TikTok lawyers failed to prove the company would suffer irreparable business harm. The Justice Department laid out its objections to TikToks motion for a temporary injunction in a brief under seal, but it was unsealed in redacted form to protect confidential business information. The companys lawyers also argued that the ban was unnecessary because negotiations were already underway to restructure the ownership of TikTok to address national security issues raised by the administration. Trump has given tentative approval to a proposed deal in which Oracle and Walmart could initially own a combined 20% of a new US entity, TikTok Global. But Trump also said he could retract his approval if Oracle doesnt have total control of the company. The deal remains unfinalised, and the two sides have also appeared at odds over the corporate structure of TikTok Global. ByteDance said last week that it will still own 80% of the US entity after a financing round. Oracle, meanwhile, put out a statement saying that Americans will be the majority and ByteDance will have no ownership in TikTok Global. Government-owned media in China have criticised the deal as bullying and extortion. ByteDance said Thursday it has applied for a Chinese technology export license after Beijing tightened control over exports last month in an effort to gain leverage over Washingtons attempt to force an outright sale of TikTok to US owners. TikTok is also asking a federal court to declare Trumps August 6 executive order unlawful. The Chinese firm said the president doesnt have the authority to take these actions under the national security law he cited; that the ban violates TikToks First Amendment speech rights and Fifth Amendment due-process rights; and that theres no authority for the restrictions because they are not based on a national emergency. Government lawyers argued the president has a right to take national security actions, and said the ban was needed because of TikToks links to the Chinese government through its parent firm ByteDance. A government brief called ByteDance a mouthpiece for the Chinese Communist Party and said it was committed to promoting the CCPs agenda and messaging. After the judges order, the Commerce Department said in a statement it would comply with the injunction but intends to vigorously defend the (executive order)... from legal challenges. University of Richmond law school professor Carl Tobias called Sundays order a pragmatic splitting of the baby for the short term, to give a little time for them to resolve the disputes and come to a resolution. Tobias said an appeal is possible but that the legal teams may choose to try to work out a resolution to the broader legal clash with the judge. Implications for internet An amicus brief filed by Netchoice, a trade group which includes Google, Facebook and Twitter, said a ban could have important implications for the global internet. The governments actions are unprecedented in scope, the group said in its filing. A ban would also create a dangerous precedent for the open internet, the brief said. The prohibition on any use of TikTok code by US developers for any purpose is effectively a ban on the building blocks of digital free expression. The trade group said a TikTok ban may be cited by China or other countries as justification for banning or restricting the activities of US internet businesses, including US-based social media platforms. Earlier this month, Trump cited national security concerns and issued orders to ban both TikTok and the popular Chinese app WeChat, which has been put on hold in a separate court case in California. But the TikTok order stops short of a full ban until November 12, giving parent firm ByteDance time to conclude a deal to transfer ownership of the app. Union Minister Ramdas Athawale on Monday asked the Shiv Sena to reunite with the BJP to form government in Maharashtra and also suggested a power-sharing formula between the two saffron parties. Speaking to reporters here, Athawale said Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray should remain chief minister for one year and then the coveted post should go to BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis for the remaining three years (of current assembly term). Athawale also said that NCP chief Sharad Pawar should join the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in the event of the Shiv Sena not forging ties with the BJP. The Union Minister, a BJP ally, made the remarks in the wake of the meeting between Fadnavis and Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut at a city hotel on Saturday that had sparked abuzz in political circles. However, Fadnavis, a former chief minister, had later maintained that the meeting with Raut was in connection with an interview for Shiv Sena mouthpiece Saamana. Raut is also executive editor of the Marathi daily. Long-standing allies Shiv Sena and the BJP had severed ties after the 2019 Maharashtra Assembly polls over sharing the chief ministerial post for two-and-half years on a rotational basis. The Shiv Sena had then joined hands with ideological rivals NCP and the Congress and formed the present Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government with Thackeray as its head in November last year. It is my proposal that the Shiv Sena reunites withthe BJP. Thackeray should become the chief minister for a year and Fadnavis for the rest of the three years. The Shiv Sena should be given one or two portfolios in Delhi (central government), too. The Shiv Sena should not stick in the NCP and Congress labyrinth and come with us, he added. Athawale added that Pawar should join the NDA if the Shiv Sena is unwilling to be a part of the BJP-led coalition. The NCP patriarch may get "a big post" in the future if he joins the NDA, the Rajya Sabha MP said. . Actor Mouni Roy has been shelling out travel goals with her regular photos and videos from her Maldives vacation. Recently, she took to social media and thanked the resort for surprising her with a birthday cake and flowers. The actor shared a clip while expressing gratitude through her official Instagram handle. Here is Mouni Roys recent birthday video on the video-sharing platform that you must check out right away. Read on: Mouni Roy receives a birthday surprise while on vacation Mouni Roy took to Instagram and shared a short video of herself through her official account on September 28, 2020, Monday. She thanked the resort for surprising her with a cake, several cupcakes, and blossoms as she woke up in the morning. It features the actor sitting at a table filled with the mentioned things. She has donned a blue bralette and teamed it with a matching wraparound skirt. Over her outfit, Mouni Roy has worn a floral-designed net top featuring bell-shaped sleeves. For a rounded off look, the actor has opted for minimal makeup and no accessories. Moreover, she tied her hair in a low tidy bun. In the caption accompanying her social media post, Mouni Roy wrote, Thank you for the lovely birthday morning & the day that ll follow... so grateful. She also dropped a black heart, star-eyed smiley, fish, plant and a green-heart emoticon alongside the description. Additionally, the actor has tagged the resort name, and a global reputation management company to express gratitude. Check out Mouni Roys recent birthday video on Instagram. Also read: Mouni Roy Shares A Thrilling Clip From Her Latest Film 'London Confidential' Also read: Sidharth Malhotra Urges His Fans To Watch THIS Movie On Netflix Responses to Mouni Roy's birthday post Within an hour of sharing the social media post, Mouni Roy garnered more than 1, 40, 000 likes and over 2100 comments on the video-sharing platform. Numerous fans, followers, and fellow celebrities wished her on this occasion. Many among them called her cute, beautiful, gorgeous, and pretty. On the other hand, various people expressed their excitement with a series of emoticons such as heart-shaped smileys, hearts, rose, blossoms, fire, thumbs up, kisses, and hugs, to name a few. Here are some of the responses to Mouni Roys recent birthday post on Instagram that you must check out. Also read: Mouni Roy Is 'Alice In A Teacup' In Her Recent Resort Photos; See Pictures Also read: Unseen Pic Of The Day: Lata Mangeshkar's Nostalgic Family Photo From 1979 In finance, the concept of a big bath posits that companies dump bad news into one reporting period to get it done with, and to make later periods look relatively strong. With President Donald Trump keen to blame China for so many of Americas woes, and there being no guarantee that a Joe Biden presidency would be as aggressive toward Beijing, leadership in the Commerce, State and Defense departments may be seizing the moment. Six innovative small businesses in Wisconsin will receive $100,000 each through a partnership of the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. and the University of Wisconsin Systems Center for Technology Commercialization. The SBIR Advance grants are awarded to businesses that have received federal funding from the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) or Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs to develop high-tech innovations. Innovation is one of the key ingredients for supporting our future economic potential and a critical piece of emerging from the challenges caused by COVID-19, WEDC vice president of entrepreneurship and innovation Aaron Hagar said in a news release. SBIR Advance helps those businesses innovative enough to capture highly competitive federal funding to convert their research into new products and businesses growth. The businesses can use their grants to complete projects from the SBIR or STTR programs and to commercialize their innovations. The recipients are: Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Ivany Atina Arbi (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Mon, September 28, 2020 15:34 481 e22cd4161040e111d73a5626c47b076d 1 World COVID-19-vaccine,Sinovac,BioFarma,BPOM,Foreign-Affairs-Ministry Free Indonesia's Food and Drug Monitoring Agency (BPOM) is set to visit the facility of Chinas pharmaceutical company Sinovac in Beijing to assure the quality of a COVID-19 candidate vaccine currently being developed by the latter, Foreign Affairs Minister Retno LP Marsudi has revealed. Its part of our efforts to carefully prepare COVID-19 vaccination in Indonesia, Retno said through a teleconference on Monday. The country has secured priority access to the vaccine bulk produced by Sinovac, and will start to receive it in November. State-owned pharmaceutical firm Biofarma will then process the bulk, an aqueous form of the purified antigens, into smaller doses of ready-to-use vaccines in its facility in Bandung, West Java. Both companies have closely coordinated in developing the candidate vaccine, dubbed CoronaVac. They launched last month a late-stage human trial for the candidate vaccine involving at least 1,620 Indonesian citizens. Read also: Global coronavirus death toll passes one million Sinovac visited Bio Farmas facility in Bandung last week to check out the clinical trial results, Minister Retno further said, adding that the results turned out to be good and there were no serious side effects. In its mid-stage clinical trial involving 600 participants in China, the candidate vaccine did not cause any serious side effects and the rate of fever was relatively low compared to other COVID-19 candidate vaccines, Reuters reported previously. Sinovac has to test its vaccine abroad because China is no longer a suitable site for late-stage trials due to the low number of new infection cases. CoronaVac has also undergone a late-stage trial in Brazil expected to involve 9,000 people. BAKU, Azerbaijan, Sept. 28 Trend: Operations along the line of contact began with attacks on civilians, Assistant to the President of Azerbaijan, Head of the Foreign Affairs Policy Department of the Presidential Administration Hikmat Hajiyev said, Trend reports on September 28. Hajiyev made the remark at a press-conference of the Azerbaijani Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The presidents assistant said that the international community was informed about this. Regional tension, starting after the events in Azerbaijans Tovuz district, is followed by the provocations of Armenia's political leadership. Having launched a counteroffensive, Azerbaijan suppressed firing points of Armenian armed forces. Having got into a difficult situation, the Armenian army took aim at the civilian population of Azerbaijan. On September 27, as a result of artillery shelling by Armenians, five members of one family were killed in Azerbaijans Naftalan city. On September 28, following the shelling by Armenians, a textile shop in Tartar district where women work was damaged. Moreover, a police department in Tartar and a town for internally displaced persons were also shelled, Hajiyev noted. Tourists take a sightseeing train in a field of pink grass (muhlenbergia capillaris) at Shenquangu scenic area in Changshun county of Southwest China's Guizhou province, Sept 2, 2020. [Photo/Xinhua] China's tourism recovery continues to gather speed, with destinations closer to home, road trips and private customized tours becoming main choices for tourists, according to a Sunday report from Xinhua. The upcoming eight-day holiday, with Mid-Autumn Festival falling on the same day of National Day on Oct 1, should see short-distance country tours and homestay tours getting popular, the report said. The number of homestay bookings across the country is anticipated to achieve about 80 percent of the same period last year, according to data from homestay platform Tujia. People are paying more attention to safety and privacy in traveling due to the pandemic, and there has been a significant growth in homestay bookings for single-family country houses suitable for family trips. The market also has seen mainly local customers in the post-pandemic era, and current unit price has increased by about 60 percent compared to last year. Group tours are happening mainly in smaller sets with a maximum of 20 people, said Feng Ruobin, a general manager assistant at Aoyou, an online booking agency operated by the China Youth Travel Service. Nearly half of tourists chose to travel with relatives or friends in private groups rather than with strangers, the report said. More private and customized tours are being booked this year, with private tours accounting for over 70 percent of overall group tours in the upcoming holiday. At present, the number of people booking private tours for the holiday has surged 122 percent year-on-year, according to data from online travel agency Ctrip. More than 60 percent of holiday travel is expected to be road trips, according to the country's Ministry of Culture and Tourism, with Northwest China's Qinghai province and Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, Southwest China's Tibet autonomous region and Yunnan province and North China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region being popular destinations. The holiday has also witnessed a surge in car rental bookings. In Ctrip's National Day holiday orders, over 50 percent of users chose the company's car rental service for the first time, said Sun Weili, a senior manager of public affairs from Ctrip. The leader of Madrid has rejected calls for a new lockdown in the Spanish capital despite the city seeing thousands of new coronavirus cases per day. Isabel Diaz Ayuso said 'the solution is not a total confinement' and demanded more help from the Spanish government as new restrictions were imposed on parks, shops and restaurants in another eight districts today. Ayuso, who has previously argued that 'people get run over every day but that doesn't mean we ban cars', is opposing tougher restrictions despite calls for new measures from Spain's health minister. Protesters hit the streets outside Madrid's regional parliament on Sunday with hundreds of people demanding an end to the restrictions and complaining of discrimination against poorer areas of the city. Madrid piled up nearly 18,000 new cases last week alone and more than 40 per cent of its intensive care beds are now filled up with virus patients, raising fears of a return to the dark days of March and April. Spain as a whole is recording more than 10,000 cases per day and an average of 350 people are going into hospital every 24 hours, but deaths remain well below levels at the peak of the pandemic. One hundred and five deaths were announced on Friday, the most recent day data available, compared to 844 on the worst day of the outbreak in March. With infections rising across Europe: Bars in Paris and other 'danger zones' in France will shut at 10pm today, public gatherings will be limited to 10 people, and masks will be compulsory outdoors; Angela Merkel warned that Germany could reach nearly 20,000 cases per day by Christmas if current trends continue; The first cruise ship to return to Greece since the lockdown saw 12 of its crew members test positive; Brussels is also shutting bars and cafes early - amid warnings that half of Belgium's 12,000 bars may not survive the crisis; Russia announced more than 8,000 daily cases for the first time in 104 days with older people ordered to stay at home in Moscow. Coronavirus-related hospital admissions have risen in Spain amid the second wave of infections, although not yet to the peak seen in the spring Death rate remains low: Spain's coronavirus fatalities are now araound 100 a day - still well below a maximum of 844 on the worst day of the March peak Madrid's regional president Isabel Diaz Ayuso (pictured) has rejected calls for the city to go back into lockdown despite a surge in coronavirus cases Lockdown part deux: Paris bars close early while public gatherings are capped at 10 Paris is set to impose strict new regulations in attempt to slow the spike in coronavirus cases. Emmanuel Macron's government has ordered bars in Paris, along with Lyon and nine other cities on 'heightened alert', to close at 10pm from tonight. There is also a 10-person restriction at public gatherings with attendees at weddings and parties limited to 30. Gyms and other indoor sporting facilities will also remain closed and it remains mandatory for all pedestrians to wear face masks in public areas in the capital. The move comes as Macron tries to avoid imposing a full lockdown across the country with the French economy already set to shrink by 8.7 per cent this year. New rules have sprung up across France including in Marseille where bars and restaurants have been ordered to close for a week. Local business owners and officials protested against the closure order after the announcement was made last week. It comes as France yesterday recorded 11,123 confirmed cases of coronavirus and 27 deaths. The new measures introduced in Paris also come as France is seeing a squeeze on hospital capacity. Medics in the capital, along with Marseille, have been forced to postpone scheduled surgeries to free up space. Patients are still facing backlogs caused by the lockdown in March and April - and more than 6,000 coronavirus patients are now being treated in French hospitals. And at least 10 per cent of French intensive care beds are now occupied with COVID patients. The French government recently announced that it would be pumping 100billion (91billion) into the economy as part of a recovery plan. Advertisement The worsening second wave has led the Spanish government to predict a worse economic slump in 2020 than previously predicted. Official forecasts will be revised from a contraction of 9.3 per cent to between 10 and 11 per cent, local media said on Sunday. The budget deficit is also likely to be worse than the 10.3 per cent of GDP which was announced as a target in May. The Spanish economy contracted a record 17.8 per cent in the second quarter compared with the previous quarter and 21.5 per cent compared with the same quarter a year earlier. Early indicators in August showed the recovery initiated in July slowed down during the summer as the second wave began to mount. In Madrid, more than one in five tests are now coming back positive - easily the highest rate in Spain. Madrid's infection rate of 722 cases per 100,000 in the last 14 days is also the highest in Spain, compared to a national figure of 282. The city with its surrounding region is at the epicentre of the second wave of infections, with Catalonia urging its people not to travel to Madrid. Madrid had 455 people in intensive care as of last Friday, filling up 40.1 per cent of ICU beds, while 25.4 per cent of all hospital capacity is being used for Covid-19 patients. In Spain as a whole, the figures are 17.2 per cent of intensive care beds and 8.1 per cent of hospital beds. France is also seeing a squeeze on hospitals, with medics in Paris and Marseille forced to postpone scheduled surgeries to free up space. Patients are still facing backlogs caused by the lockdown in March and April, and more than 6,000 coronavirus patients are now being treated in French hospitals. Restaurants and bars are closing for a week in Marseille, causing anger from business owners who say they were 'starting to get back on our feet'. Two Nobel Prize-winning economists proposed suggested at the weekend that France go into lockdown for the first three weeks of December to allow families to get together safely for the end-of-year holidays and 'save Christmas.' In response, health minister Olivier Veran told French television that 'We do not want to confine the country again'. France is now seeing an average of more than 12,000 cases per day, up from 4,000 only a month ago, and hospital deaths have increased to an average of nearly 50 per day. Elsewhere, German chancellor Angela Merkel is deeply worried about rising cases because 'we can see from some of our European friends where that could lead'. Merkel told party colleagues that daily cases could leap to nearly 20,000 per day from their current level of around 1,800 if trends continue. The chancellor's warning came a day before she is due to hold a video conference with the premiers of Germany's 16 states on the next measures to take to keep infections down. 'The development of infection numbers is of great concern to us,' her spokesman Steffen Seibert said today. Germany's death toll has also inched up with an average of 11 fatalities per day in the last week, the highest level since June. Meanwhile in Belgium, authorities in Brussels are ordering bars and cafes to close at 11pm and other businesses selling food at 10pm. According to the Belgian cafes federation, half of the country's 12,000 bars may not survive the coronavirus crisis. Spain is suffering the worst resurgence in Covid-19 cases in Western Europe, followed by France, but the UK's top medical experts have warned that Britain could follow them Spain and France have also seen their death tolls increase following the rebound in cases MADRID CASES: Infections in the Spanish capital have soared in recent weeks as the country suffers the worst 'second wave' in Europe Since last Monday, 850,000 people in 37 mainly low-income districts in southern Madrid have been confined to their neighbourhoods. They are unable to leave except for work, school or medical reasons - although they are able to move freely within their own areas. Parks in the affected neighbourhoods are closed and restaurants and other businesses must shut at 10 pm in a country with a tradition of eating late. From today, the regional government of Madrid is extending the restrictions to eight more districts home to another 167,000 people. Hundreds of people in the district of Vallecas, one of the neighbourhoods under partial lockdown since last week, to protest against the restrictions on Sunday. 'It's not lockdown, it's segregation!' the crowd chanted as they briefly blocked a road in front of the assembly. 'They don't confine the rich,' was among one of the signs on display at the protest, which drew groups of young people, retired couples and young parents. Similar smaller demonstrations were held in other parts of the city, including at the seat of Madrid's regional government in the Puerta del Sol square. 'It makes no sense that you can go to work in a wealthier area but can't go have a drink,' said Marcos Ruiz Guijarro, an electrician. 'Infections are rising everywhere, the rules should be the same for everyone,' said the 27-year-old, who travels to the centre of Madrid every day for work. Some experts doubt whether the measures will be successful, because more than 85 per cent of workers affected by the new rules commute to zones with no restrictions to work, according to a study by the Polytechnic University of Madrid. Many demonstrators complained that the regional government was failing to improve public healthcare or doing anything to reduce overcrowding in the transport system, where they said the virus could easily spread. Police clash with protesters during demonstrations against the lockdown measures in Madrid on Sunday The protesters clapped in unison while calling for the resignation of regional leader Ayuso, who is under fire for saying that the 'lifestyle' in the affected neighbourhoods was partly to blame for the rise in cases. The regional government says it has targeted areas where the contagion rate is above 1,000 cases per 100,000 people. But national health minister Salvador Illa has called for Madrid to extend restrictions to the entire city, as well surrounding areas with more than 500 cases per 100,000. He warned that hospitals in the region of around 6.6million people are already overrun with coronavirus cases, and it should prepare for some 'hard weeks' ahead. On Sunday he once again urged the regional government of Madrid to 'review the measures it announced and follow the recommendations of scientists and health experts'. Since the central government ended its state of emergency on June 21, responsibility for managing the pandemic has been transferred to Spain's 17 autonomous regions. Antonio Zapatero, deputy health chief of the Madrid region, said that more time was needed to see if the current restrictions are having any effect. 'What we do, we do it based on technical criteria,' Zapatero said, adding that 'If decisions need to be taken, Madrid will take them.' Spain's lockdown in the first wave was one of the toughest in the world, with exercise not regarded as a valid excuse for leaving the house. Maybe there's some irony in a British immigrant preaching pro-democracy revolution in America, but these are strange times. The death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, John Oliver said on Sunday's Last Week Tonight, "was distressing enough" before President Trump rushed to fill the Supreme Court seat vacated by "a liberal icon with an extremely conservative justice who's being called 'the female Antonin Scalia,'" Amy Coney Barrett, 48. "Look, this has been a very dark week for a lot of people," Oliver said. "The Supreme Court is about to lurch to the right for the foreseeable future. And if things seem hopeless right now, it's because to be completely honest they basically are." "The fact is, when Barrett is confirmed, a president who lost the popular vote will have picked a quarter of the federal judiciary and a third of the Supreme Court, and his choices will have been rubber-stamped by a Senate Republican majority representing 15 million fewer people than the Democratic minority," Oliver said. "And if that sounds absurd to you, it's because it clearly is, especially when those courts have allowed Republicans to set wildly unpopular policy that wouldn't actually pass muster with voters." So what can be done? If the Democrats manage to win the White House and Congress, they need to go "bold" and enact "significant structural change," Oliver said. That's risky "expanding the court is a bit like doing yoga naked one way to dampen your enthusiasm for the idea is to picture Donald Trump doing it, too," he said but "it is past time for big change." Eliminating the Electoral College and granting statehood to Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico, he argued, "would actually make our system more democratic." "The unavoidable truth here is that the system is already rigged, and its rigged in a way that has allowed a party without popular support to drastically reshape an entire branch of government for the foreseeable future by appealing almost exclusively to white voters in some of the least populous regions of the country," Oliver said. "That is not a mandate, and it's not democracy, it's a f---ing travesty. We're at the end of a generational battle, and the heartbreaking thing is, we lost." Story continues "But the next battle has to start right now," he said, and "we must be willing to fight tirelessly and with every tool and tactic at our disposal." Watch below. More stories from theweek.com Trump literally can't afford to lose the election Trump avoids tax return questions as he brings yet another truck to the White House The bigger truth revealed by Trump's taxes In a phone conversation with his counterparts, Irans Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif tried to calm tensions on the countrys northwestern border between Armenia and Azerbaijan. In separate phone calls with Armenias Foreign Minister Armen Sarkissian Zohrab Mnatsakanyan and Azerbaijans Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov Maharram, Zarif called for calm and offered Irans help in deescalating tensions between the two countries. The two sides have been fighting once again in the Nagorno-Karabakh region, with each side accusing the other of reigniting tensions in the region. Irans Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh warned the region cannot tolerate more violence. He said Iran has called for an immediate cease-fire, and he encouraged negotiations between the two sides, adding that Iran will offer assistance in facilitating dialogue. "A military solution is not a durable solution for this decadeslong conflict, he said. Ghasem Rezaei, deputy commander of the Law Enforcement Force of the Islamic Republic of Iran, said Iran has been in communication with the border guards of both countries after mortar fire landed inside Irans borders. Rezaei said Iran has warned both sides about the escalating tensions and encouraged them to solve the crisis through dialogue. In other news, Iran is still dealing with the coronavirus with daily deaths spiking once again. There have been 190 confirmed deaths in the country due to the coronavirus in the last 24 hours. Almost all of Irans provinces are under what authorities have labeled a red zone. Regions under this label are required to take extra measures and follow more strict health guidelines. Irans Health Minister Saeed Namaki spoke today about Irans encounter with the coronavirus. He said Iran first became aware of a virus in late January that they all believed would have ramifications for the world. He said they recommended Iran close its borders with China, but others laughed them off. After China, Iran was one of the early countries to be hit severely with the coronavirus due mostly to its high rate of travel and business with China. According to Namaki, the suggestion to close their borders with China was rejected because those who opposed it said that, due to sanctions, Iran must continue trade with the few partners it has left. Unable to shut down flights from China, Namaki described Irans efforts under the first wave of the coronavirus as building trenches in order to lessen the blow. Namaki also said that in the early days of the coronavirus, media outlets opposed to Irans government meaning Persian-language outlets in Europe and North America attacked Irans response to the coronavirus until their own countries were hit hard with the virus as well. Namaki said he would no longer complain publicly about how dealing with the coronavirus was handled, but he said they would continue to do their best because the virus could impact the country more severely. French prosecutors are probing allegations of rape, including of a minor, made against the former European boss of the Elite Models agency. Gerald Marie de Castellac, the ex-husband of supermodel Linda Evangelista, has been hit with allegations of 'rape and sexual assault, as well as rape and sexual assault of a minor' and is being investigated by a specialist child protection unit. The probe follows a complaint from a former BBC journalist Lisa Brinkworth and claims of abuse by three ex-models, the Paris prosecutor's office said. French prosecutors are probing allegations of rape, including of a minor, made against Gerald Marie de Castellac (left and right with his ex-wife Linda Evangelista) The investigation will be based on criminal complaints lodged by women for alleged assaults between 1980 and 1988. Under the statute of limitations, it is probably too long ago to be brought before a court now. This is one of the issues that must be determined by the investigation, which in France does not necessarily result in trial. Ms Brinkworth claimed that in October 1998, when she was posing as a model while doing an investigation, Marie sexually assaulted her in a nightclub, pushing his genitals against her abdomen. She was working undercover on a documentary into allegations of inappropriate sexual behaviour towards models - many of them underage - in certain agencies. Carre Sutton (formerly Carre Otis) (left) has accused him of 'countless' rapes that happened in 1986, when she was 17. Jill Dodd (right) says she was raped in 1980, when she was 19 Brinkworth has said she was traumatised by the event, but was prevented from coming forward by an agreement between the BBC and Elite in 2001 following a defamation suit. Her lawyers hope this restriction on her speaking out can be a basis for bypassing the statute of limitations. Brinkworth's complaint is accompanied by claims from three former models of alleged rape by Marie in Paris when they were teenagers or young women. Carre Sutton (formerly Carre Otis) has accused him of 'countless' rapes that happened in 1986, when she was 17, Ebba Karlsson of an incident in 1990, when she was 20 or 21, and Jill Dodd in 1980, when she was 19. These alleged crimes may also be beyond the statute of limitations, which restricts the amount of time after an alleged offence that legal proceedings can be launched. Another woman, Ebba Karlsson (left), 51, claims the 70-year-old sexually assaulted her at his office in Paris in the same period. Letters sent to the Tribunal Judiciaire in Paris show BBC journalist Lisa Brinkworth (right) also claimed she was assaulted by Marie when she was undercover there in 1998 Marie's lawyer could not be reached for comment on Monday. Over the weekend, the former modelling boss 'categorically' denied the claims to The Sunday Times. The BBC also did not reply to a request for comment. Brinkworth's lawyer Anne-Claire Lejeune welcomed Monday's announcement by the Paris prosecutors. 'This investigation will, I hope, give others the courage to speak up. This is an encouraging first step and a relief for the victims,' she said. COGNAC, France, Sept. 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Hennessy is pleased to unveil a masterpiece decanter designed by world-renowned architect Frank Gehry in celebration of the 150th anniversary of Hennessy X.O. Using his signature sculptural style to reinterpret Hennessy X.O's iconic bottle, the prolific creator marries gold and glass to extol the rich legacy of the Hennessy Maison. The end result ushers in a fitting new era for the Extra Old Cognac with a striking design that encapsulates Frank Gehry's trademark unconventional aesthetic with Hennessy's daring sensibilities. To discover Hennessy X.O is to discover an unexpected sensorial experience. This ethos is exemplified with an exclusive, limited run of 150 extraordinary numbered decanters, imprinted with Frank Gehry's signature. A wider release of limited-edition Hennessy X.O bottles also created by Frank Gehry, will launch in markets worldwide to further celebrate this exceptional collaboration. 150 years after its creation, at the 2020 harvest season, Hennessy X.O commissioned a remarkable World Odyssey, unveiling Frank Gehry's creation to the world on September 25th on the same day as the epic, ephemeral daytime firework event by artist Cai Guo-Qiang over Cognac's Charente River. The centerpiece of Hennessy X.O's 150th anniversary World Odyssey program the event was shared globally via livestreama first for both Cai Guo-Qiang and the Maison. During this time of global transformation and togetherness, these two friends and creative masterminds express their dual vision for a hopeful future as they respond to and amplify Hennessy Maison's universal values of joy, optimism, and resilience. Speaking on the collaboration Frank Gehry said, "It was an honor to be asked to celebrate this milestone for Hennessy X.O. While I was excited, it was also daunting because a bottle of cognac is already a work of artone you can smell, taste, and feelit doesn't need embellishment as it's already there. We are showing how we can be creative within that language. There's such a powerful history and a serious emotional commitment from the people that make this product. It has a resonance that's interesting to tie into and become a part of." To learn more and view a film on the 150th Anniversary Masterpiece by Frank Gehry, visit https://www.hennessy.com/en-int/collaborations/hennessy-xo-x-frank-gehry To view Cai Guo-Qiang's firework celebration of Hennessy's 'A World Odyssey' and learn more, visit Hennessy.com/en-int/stories/cai-guo-qiang-live-event A SHIMMERING BEACON OF MASTER CRAFTSMANSHIP Frank Gehry's boundless designs (including The Guggenheim Bilbao, Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, and The Fondation Louis Vuitton in Paris to name a few) never stop pushing the theme of movementthe ground bends, walls lean, lines defy gravity, and the impossible is not only imagined but executed with pure emotion and visual poetry. Frank Gehry has created the Hennessy X.O masterpiece with the same philosophy, passion, and curiosity as he does when designing his architectural masterpieces. Just as he always respects the surrounding environment of his work, Frank Gehry deeply considered the rich customs, composition, and art of distillation of the storied Hennessy X.O Cognac, as well as taking into account the savoir faire heritage of the Hennessy Maison. AN EVOCATIVE APPROACH Drawing inspiration from the rich Hennessy X.O blend, and the vital soil, twisting vines, and the glistening Charente River that runs through the Hennessy Maison, Frank Gehry has created a true sensorial masterpiece. The iconic Hennessy X.O bottle is enveloped in a crinkled sleeve of 24 carat gold-dipped bronze, evoking the radiant movement of water as it reflects the light. The sculptural decanter is encased by a fractured glass glorifier, which further amplifies the inspiration of water and light. "I wanted to bring it to life, and so I took inspiration from its birthplace and used this crumpling effect of the material that gives it a feeling of movement," Gehry adds. "The materials I've chosen catch the light and make this a really beautiful object on its own, but then you realize it is a bottle of Hennessy X.O." The thought-provoking and challenging design was executed with the work of artisans who created the second skin of Hennessy X.O. Just like the master blenders, who pass on their expertise, the artisans perpetuate an art form and the gift of secret craftmanship. Each stage that went into bringing Gehry's idea to life, required care, attention, high standards and patience. A UNIQUE AND UNPREDICTABLE TOUCH To further the experience of the decanter, Frank Gehry has created a luminous and beautifully understated fusil made of brass and gold. The device keenly reflects the Hennessy cellar master's ritual to extract the extra old cognac. Further keeping with the element of surprise and contrast, the decanter, glorifier and fusil are packaged in a protective case that is in itself a design object, imprinted with Frank Gehry's signature and made of compressed cardboardan homage to a series of corrugated cardboard furniture Frank Gehry designed in the 1970s. ABOUT THE 150th ANNIVERSARY OF HENNESSY X.O In 1870, Maurice Hennessy, a 4th-generation member of the Hennessy family, asked the Cellar Master Emile Fillioux to create a special cognac for his family and friends, using long-aged eaux-de-vie to perfect the blend. They called it "X.O" for "Extra Old". Hennessy X.O became the first House blend to attain international renown, to the point that the X.O classification became a gauge of uncompromising quality. In 1947, Gerald de Geoffre - Maurice Hennessy's great-grandson - created its iconic carafe, a shape inspired by an upturned cluster of grapes. Today, Hennessy X.O remains as true as it was when Maurice Hennessy first shared it with his inner circle. A timeless symbol with a powerful and balanced structure, it carries the promise of an extremely long finish: each drop an invitation to embark on an odyssey of the senses through seven tasting notes. In 2020, Hennessy X.O celebrates its 150th birthday by honoring its history while looking to the future. To mark the occasion during these unprecedented times of renewal, Hennessy Maison will continue the World Odyssey in a remarkable way, by supporting the global community through charity initiatives. The odyssey continues with a shared vision of community and connection as we move forward together with perseverance and promise. ABOUT HENNESSY The leader in Cognac, the Maison Hennessy has shone around the world with its exceptional blends for more than 250 years. Built on founder Richard Hennessy's spirit of conquest, the brand is present in more than 160 countries. Based in the heart of the Charente region, Hennessy is also a steadfast pillar of the regional economy, the standard-bearer for a sector rich in expertise. The House's success and longevity are rooted in the excellence of its cognacs, each of which is born of a unique process of transmission from generation to generation. The first spirits house to be certified ISO 14001, Hennessy unites its capacity for innovation and the support of all of its partners to protect this exceptional area. As the crown jewel of the LVMH Group, Hennessy is a major contributor to French international trade, with 99% of production sold in export, and a worldwide ambassador for the French art de vivre. Hennessy is imported and distributed in the U.S. by Moet Hennessy USA. Hennessy offers a full range: Hennessy V.S, Hennessy V.S.O.P Privilege, Hennessy Black, Hennessy X.O, Hennessy Prive, Hennessy Paradis, Hennessy Paradis Imperial and Richard Hennessy. Imported Cognac Hennessy 40% Alc./Vol. (80), 2020 Imported by Moet Hennessy USA, Inc., New York, NY [1] The materials available in each country may vary due to local regulation on alcohol advertising PLEASE DRINK RESPONSIBLY - NOT INTENDED FOR USE IN FRANCE Will Davis, will.davis@6degrees.group, 212-463-7245 Video - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1281116/Frank_Ghery_XO_Collaboration.mp4 Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1281119/Hennessy_XO.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1281120/Hennesy_Logo.jpg SOURCE Hennessy Evening Standard Brentford will be looking to get out of their recent slump as they take on Wolves in the Premier League this afternoon, coming off a midweek result that will be hard to take. Obviously, to expect a newly-promoted side to go out and match Manchester United with all of their resources would be ridiculous on first glance but the manner in which Thomas Franks side dominated in the first-half left the Dane ruining their second-half showing. Wolves, however, are unlikely to be anywhere near as bad as United were at times. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-28 19:16:04|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close YANGON, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar authorities seized 2,016,000 stimulants in Bago region, according to a release from the Central Committee for Drug Abuse Control (CCDAC) on Monday. Acting on a tip-off, the joint anti-narcotic police made a seizure in Padaung township on Saturday. Stimulants worth over 3 billion kyats (over 2.3 million U.S. dollars) were confiscated from a truck along with one suspect being arrested. The township police filed a case against the suspect and further investigation will be conducted under the country's Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Law, the release said. On Sunday, a total of 450,000 stimulants worth 450 million kyats (343,511 U.S. dollars) were seized in Hopong township of Shan state. According to a latest release issued by the President's Office, a total of 1,351 drug-related cases were registered across Myanmar while 2,065 people were charged in connection with the cases as of Sept. 26 this year, since the formation of the Drug Activity Special Complaint Department on June 26, 2018. Enditem Brad Parscale, the former-campaign manager to President Donald Trump speaks to supporters during a panel discussion, in San Antonio on Oct. 15, 2019. (Eric Gay/AP Photo) Former Trump Campaign Manager Brad Parscale Hospitalized Following Self-Harm Threats President Donald Trumps former campaign manager, Brad Parscale, was hospitalized Sunday after he allegedly threatened to harm himself at his home in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, according to reports. Police on Sunday afternoon responded to a 911 call from Parscales wife, who said her husband was barricaded in their home, had access to multiple firearms, and was threatening to take his own life, Local 10 reported. The Fort Lauderdale police department issued a statement Sunday confirming that a man identified as Parscale was detained after they received a report from his wife. When officers arrived on scene, they made contact with the reportee (wife of armed subject) who advised her husband was armed, had access to multiple firearms inside the residence and was threatening to harm himself, Fort Lauderdale police said in a statement. Officers made contact with the male, developed a rapport, and safely negotiated for him to exit the home, the department said in a statement, without directly identifying Parscale as Trumps former campaign manager. A property deed however identifies the co-owner of the Fort Lauderdale home as Candice Parscale, the same name as the wife of the 44-year-old. Neighbors also told Local 10 that the property belonged to the pair. Police said he was taken to Broward Health Medical Center where he was placed under Floridas Baker Act, which grants police the authority to detain an individual who poses a potential threat to themselves or to others for 72 hours for psychiatric evaluation. In July, just four months before the presidential election, Trump replaced Parscale as campaign manager, elevating Bill Stepien. Parscale remained as a senior advisor in the campaign. He came under fire after a June rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, drew less-than-expected crowds. It is not clear if shots were fired Sunday, but police determined that no one else was in the home at the time. The Epoch Times has contacted the Fort Lauderdale police department for comment. Brad Parscale is a member of our family and we all love him, Trump campaign spokesman Tim Murtaugh said in a statement, without confirming the incident, adding that he blames disgusting, personal attacks from Democrats and disgruntled RINOs that have gone too far. They should be ashamed of themselves for what theyve done to this man and his family, he said. Reuters contributed to this report. The owners of the Rose and Thistle bar at Puerto de Duquesa in Sabinillas have hit their 10,000-euro fundraising target to help local good causes. Simon and Sarah Dearing, who have owned the pub for two and a half years, started the Friday night charity quizzes last October and set themselves the five-figure goal. In under a year they have reached the target, and Sarah says that they managed to do so even with a three-month closure during Spain's lockdown. Over the 11 months they've been holding events, the couple have raised money for The Royal British Legion, Heart Animal Rescue, the Bobby Moore cancer fund, SOS Los Barrios dog pound, Adana, Samaritans, the Charitable Society of St George, Pat's Rescue Retreat, Sotogrande Charitable Cat Society, Gatos de Manilva, Acorn, Friends for Cancer and Luisana kid's charity. Sarah told SUR in English that they plan to carry on with the quizzes for charities, as well as organising a further seasonal fundraiser for the children of Sabinillas through the Charitable Society of St George. "This is a Christmas gift appeal so every child gets presents at Christmas," the business owner explained. WILMINGTON, Del., Sept. 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- For the past two years, It's Time a dedicated campaign promoting the endless offerings, pride and diverse people of Wilmington has showcased the best of this progressive city. With the toll of COVID-19 impacting the local economy specifically the small business and hospitality sectors the It's Time council is relaunching this crucial campaign to jumpstart the economy. The call to action is clear IT'S TIME Wilmington is OPEN for business. Wilmington It's Time Wilmington, Delaware's largest city, feeds off the energy and connections of good people, the economic impact of entrepreneurial businesses and the potential of what's next. The city, with its prime Northeast location, is open to new experiences, believes in continuous learning from others and celebrates diversity and change. "Reintroducing It's Time is fundamental to who we are as a city which is comprised of wonderfully interesting people with equally interesting stories to tell," said Wilmington Mayor Mike Purzycki. "The It's Time campaign is how we share our City's progressive profile with our own residents as well as with the nation and the world. And, even though we are coping with a pandemic that has changed life for most of us, we still need to infuse our local small businesses, hospitality, retailers, and restaurants with compassion, care and support because Wilmington is OPEN for business. While we continue to take extensive public health precautions to stay ahead of the pandemic, let's safely enjoy the City for all it has to offer, because we will get through this and be stronger when it's over." Kicking off today, It's Time relaunches in an environment ripe and ready for virtual and digital distribution: New regional digital media advertisements bit.ly/ItsTimeCommercials Newly designed campaign websites wilmington.love and WilmToday.com Intensive Social Media Marketing through YouTube , Facebook , Instagram , Twitter Neighborhood Campaigns run by It's Time campaign personality and local ambassadors. These begin in the Riverfront district with first socially-distanced community event taking place at Constitution Yards October 10 at 1:00pm . The second introduction of the campaign remains true to the original platform, offering an outlet to tell the powerful stories of Wilmington's diverse people, places and happenings. Simultaneously, the revitalized campaign celebrates what's new and how the city has adapted and is committed to making a difference. "Watching our resilient, diverse community navigate this global crisis has demonstrated what's best about our city," says Ben Cordova, operator of I.M. Coffee, a local craft coffee shop located in the base of the iconic I.M. Pei building in downtown Wilmington. "We have remained open since the onset of the pandemic in March and the local response has been overwhelmingly grateful. Now it's time to share this pride and passion beyond our diverse community, showcasing nationally what Wilmington, Delaware has to offer. We hope you will support this vital cause. Wilmington welcomes everyone to join us." The campaign is funded by the private sector, managed by Tapp Network. www.Wilmington.Love; www.WilmToday.com ; It's Time YouTube Media Contact: Katie Zamarra [email protected] 917-379-5422 SOURCE Wilmington It's Time Amy Coney Barrett has a reasonably clear path to the Supreme Court, and top Republicans reportedly know it. President Trump formally nominated the 7th Circuit Court judge to replace Ruth Bader Ginsburg on Saturday. And with Republicans firmly in the Senate majority, Trump and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) are "so confident" in Barrett's confirmation that they're already dreaming up her appeals court replacement, Axios reports. Republican senators nearly universally said they'd like to vote on Trump's Ginsburg replacement even before he announced it would be Barrett. Just Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) definitively said they would rather not consider a nominee, citing the 2016 precedent in which Republicans refused to consider former President Barack Obama's election year nominee. But two senators won't be enough to keep Barrett off the bench before Election Day. If Barrett is quickly confirmed after her mid-October hearings, it's possible Republicans could quickly shove her 7th Circuit replacement through the Senate as well. That would be "the cherry on top" of conservatives' Supreme Court victory, and "one that McConnell won't pass up," a GOP Senate aide told Axios. McConnell and Republicans are reportedly considering nominating Kate Todd, a White House lawyer who was also on Trump's Supreme Court shortlist, to fill Barrett's slot. Todd is "a favorite of White House counsel Pat Cipollone," Axios writes, though an administration official said no one is formally in consideration for the appeals court yet. More stories from theweek.com Trump literally can't afford to lose the election Trump reportedly made tens of millions in the Great Recession by partnering with multilevel marketing companies 'Sully' Sullenberger savages Trump's 'lethal lies and incompetence' in new Lincoln Project ad US President Donald Trump attends meeting in the Oval Office on June 24, 2020. Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images President Donald Trump on Sunday tweeted that it will be "a big WIN" for the US if the Supreme Court strikes down the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare. "Obamacare will be replaced with a MUCH better, and FAR cheaper, alternative if it is terminated in the Supreme Court," he wrote, less than a day after nominating Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court. Democrats condemned Trump's message with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer tweeting that the president had all but admitted that he plans to invalidate Obamacare. "She will be the vote that takes away health care for millions of Americans, including 130 million people and counting with pre-existing conditions," Democratic Senator Debbie Stabenow told Fox News about Barrett. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. President Donald Trump tweeted on Sunday that it will be a victory for the United States if the Supreme Court dismantles the Affordable Care Act. "Obamacare will be replaced with a MUCH better, and FAR cheaper, alternative if it is terminated in the Supreme Court. Would be a big WIN for the USA!" he wrote. This comes less than a day after the president nominated Judge Amy Coney Barrett to fill the Supreme Court seat left vacant after Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a liberal icon, died on Sept. 18. Barrett, a deeply conservative judge, has in the past spoken out against the Affordable Care Act also known as Obamacare which was signed into law by President Barack Obama. In 2017, she criticized Chief Justice John Roberts, writing that he "pushed the Affordable Care Act beyond its plausible meaning to save the statute." She continued: "He construed the penalty imposed on those without health insurance as a tax, which permitted him to sustain the statute as a valid exercise of the taxing power; had he treated the payment as the statute did as a penalty he would have had to invalidate the statute as lying beyond Congress's commerce power." Story continues Trump's tweet on Sunday drew widespread backlash from Democrats. "It's no mystery about what's happening here: President Trump is trying to throw out the Affordable Care Act," Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden said. "He's been trying to do it for the last four years. The Republican Party has been trying to eliminate it for a decade." Biden rebuked Trump for trying to push through the nomination and installation of a Supreme Court justice while a presidential election is underway. "It defies every precedent, every expectation of a nation where the people ... are sovereign and the rule of law reigns," he said. Republicans blocked President Barack Obama's Supreme Court nomination of Judge Merrick Garland for eight months in 2016, Biden said, adding, "Now, all of a sudden, this administration believes they've found a loophole in the tragedy of Justice Ginsburg's death ... All that does matter is that they see an opportunity to overturn the Affordable Care Act." Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer seconded the sentiment. "President Trump just admitted his nominee will strike down the Affordable Care Act," he wrote on Twitter. Schumer also held a news conference where he said, "A vote for Coney Barrett is a vote to strip away healthcare from over a hundred million Americans." The New York senators also told reporters that he doesn't plan to meet Barrett "because I believe, first, that the whole process has been illegitimate and, second, because she has already stated that she is for overturning the ACA." Meanwhile, in an interview with CNN's Jake Tapper, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said that Barrett's confirmation will deal a devastating blow to American people with preexisting medical conditions. "What I am concerned about is anyone that President Trump would have appointed is there to undo the Affordable Care Act. That is why he's in such a hurry," Pelosi said. On "Fox News Sunday," Sen. Debbie Stabenow, a Democrat from Michigan, said that Barrett's stance on the Affordable Care Act is evident and has the potential to strip millions of necessary health insurance in the midst of a pandemic, the Hill reported. "It's very clear from her writings, multiple writings, that she will be the vote that takes away health care for millions of Americans, including 130 million people and counting with pre-existing conditions, and of course those are going up every day because of the health pandemic," Stabenow said. Sen. Cory Booker, of New Jersey, expressed concern on NBC's "Meet the Press" because "what ... President Trump's nominee has put up is that she will tear down the Affordable Care Act," he said, according to the Hill. Booker added: "This is part of his litmus test, and, unfortunately, Americans are about to see a Supreme Court that's going to turn against a law that has provided really basic protections that the majority of Americans really want, so this is about high stakes." And Rep. Frank Pallone, also of New Jersey, tweeted that Trump and Barrett are poised "to destroy our health care." Rep. Frank Pallone (@FrankPallone) September 27, 2020 Senate Republicans plan to begin Barrett's confirmation proceedings on Oct. 12, with the goal of having her on the bench by Election Day on Nov. 3. A week later, on Nov. 10, the Supreme Court is scheduled to consider a challenge to the constitutionality of Obamacare. Read the original article on Business Insider BAKU, Azerbaijan, Sept. 28 Trend: Two Azerbaijani schoolchildren were killed as a result of the attack of the Armenian armed forces on September 28, Trend reports referring to the Azerbaijani Ministry of Education. Yesterday, following the shelling of Azerbaijani settlements by Armenian armed forces in Naftalan city, an entire family was killed. Two of the familys members - Shahriyar Gurbanov (born in 2007) and his cousin Fidan Gurbanova (born in 2006) were pupils of the Gashalti and Garagoyunlu village school named after Z. Rustamova, the message said. Armenian armed forces launched a large-scale military attack on positions of Azerbaijani army on the frontline, using large-caliber weapons, mortars and artillery on Sept. 27. Azerbaijan responded with a counter-offensive along the entire front. As a result of the retaliation, Azerbaijani troops managed to liberate the territories previously occupied by Armenia: Garakhanbeyli, Garvend, Kend Horadiz, Yukhari Abdulrahmanli villages (Fuzuli district), Boyuk Marjanli, and Nuzgar villages (Jabrayil district). Moreover, the positions of the Armenian armed forces were destroyed in the direction of Azerbaijan's Agdere district and Murovdag, important heights were taken under control. Back in July 2020, Armenian Armed Forces violated the ceasefire in the direction of Azerbaijan's Tovuz district. As as result of Azerbaijan's retaliation, the opposing forces were silenced. The fighting continued the following days as well. Azerbaijan lost a number of military personnel members, who died fighting off the attacks of the Armenian armed forces. The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on the withdrawal of its armed forces from Nagorno Karabakh and the surrounding districts. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- After considerable research, Applebees and its thousands of workers in the region will gear up for indoor dining come Sept. 30 in New York City. Apple-Metro co-owner Zane Tankel recently stopped at the Expressway Plaza location in Bulls Head to give a tour of how the eatin' good in the neighborhood outfit will present itself to the public. Zane Tankel of Apple-Metro Inc. Somalia's parliament on Saturday approved the electoral model reached last week by President Mohamed Farmaajo and leaders from the five federal states, paving the way for an indirect election. Some 255 MPs from both Houses of the federal parliament had gathered in Mogadishu to discuss whether to endorse an agreement reached a week ago, which guaranteed a delegate voting system in the coming elections. The agreement was approved with 252 MPs voting for it while one voted against it. Two legislators abstained. It means that Somalia's next elections will retain some bits used in the 2016 elections. Each of the 275 MPs will be elected by 101 delegates nominated jointly by the clan elders and the electoral body. This means the elections will involve 27,775 delegates picked from across the five federal states. There will also be representation from Somaliland, which continues to seek total independence from Somalia. On September 17, President Farmaajo reached the deal with leaders from Jubaland, Hirshabelle, Galmudug, South West and Puntland states, ending a year of animosity that had threatened to plunge the country back into chaos. But the deal is a shortfall from the original target of holding universal suffrage. Realities caused by insecurity, lack of proper legal regime, financial constraints and pressure from donors like the US played a part in the compromise. Still, some politicians felt the wrangling between leaders wasted precious time to agree on a compromise. "From day one, we knew the way Farmaajo was approaching the issue was wrong. He said he wanted one-person-one vote while on the other hand, he was fighting key stakeholders including federal state leaders and political parties," said Ilyas Ali Hassan, the chairman of the Somali Senate Committee on National Resources and foreign secretary of opposition Himilio-Qaran Party. "We welcome the fact that he realised he was wrong, at least, now that today we have an agreement. Today's approval of the deal effectively puts the country in an electioneering mood. Everyone must now campaign for their seat." The new elections will be held on December 27 where MPs will be elected. The President is expected to be elected by February 7 although there could be a definite extension depending on logistics. A Texas sheriff who starred on the controversial reality show Live PD was arrested Monday on evidence tampering charges in the case of a Black man who died in police custody. Williamson County Sheriff Robert Chody is accused of destroying or concealing audio and video footage that showed his deputies pursuing and using force on Javier Ambler, 40, in March 2019, according to an indictment. The footage was captured by Live PD cameras on the night that Ambler, a former postal worker and the father of two, died following a 22-minute car chase by Williamson County deputies. Amblers death and the questions over the destroyed "Live PD" footage ignited a controversy that led to the cancellation of the hit A&E show in June. Javier Ambler (via Facebook) Former Williamson County general counsel Jason Nassour is also accused of destroying the recordings with intent to impair their ability as evidence in the investigation of Amblers death. Chody and Nassour were indicted on a felony evidence tampering charge and released on a $10,000 bond, officials said. Both men are facing between two and 10 years in prison if convicted. The charges were brought following a months-long joint investigation involving the Austin Police Department and the district attorney offices in Williamson and Travis counties. A total of 19 witnesses were brought before the grand jury, said Williamson County District Attorney Shawn Dick. "We spent several months putting all this together and presenting a large number of witnesses to the grand jury," Dick said. A defiant Chody, speaking to the media after he was released on bond, claimed the charges were politically-motivated. Were here because it's a month before the election - my election," he said. I find it shocking and disgusting that our district attorney uses his office for his political agenda." The facts are very clear and let me be very clear," Chody added. "I did not tamper with evidence. Story continues Chody's lawyer, Gerry Morris, called the indictment "100% baloney." "Sheriff Chody gave no order, no direction, instituted no policy, had nothing to do with the destruction of any 'Live PD' videos, period," said Morris. "There is not a single shred of evidence that says otherwise." Representatives for A&E did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Amblers final moments were captured on police body cameras, but prosecutors had sought the Live PD footage because it likely offered the clearest view of the fatal confrontation. Deputies began pursuing Ambler for allegedly failing to dim his headlights to oncoming traffic. The car chase ended in Austin where Ambler was restrained and tased at least three times. Before losing consciousness, Ambler told the officers he had a heart condition and said he couldnt breathe. Ambler died of congestive heart failure and hypertensive cardiovascular disease associated with morbid obesity, in combination with forcible restraint, according to a custodial death report filed with the Texas Attorney Generals Office. The manner of death was ruled a homicide. An internal Williamson County investigation cleared the deputies involved in the encounter of wrongdoing. But the deputies, James Johnson and Zach Camden, remain under investigation by Austin police and Travis County prosecutors. Travis County District Attorney Margaret Moore said a grand jury will be empaneled in Travis County in October to begin hearing evidence related to the destruction of evidence there. The grand jury will hear evidence related to Amblers death beginning next year, she said. New Delhi: Close to 15-20 unidentified people belonging to the Punjab Youth Congress gathered at the India Gate on Monday morning and set a tractor on fire. The workers, who were protesting reportedly against the farm bills brought by the Centre, which recently received the assent of President Ram Nath Kovind, had brought the tractor to the site on a truck. The group of people gathered at the spot raised slogans like "Shaheed-e-Azam Bhagat Singh Amar rahe" (Long live Shaheed Bhagat Singh), and "Kisaan-Virodhi, Narendra Modi" (Anti-farmers, Narendra Modi). They also raised slogans in support of Punjab Youth Congress, Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi and MP Rahul Gandhi. The fire on the tractor was later doused and it was removed from the spot by the policemen. Meanwhile, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), New Delhi, Eish Singhal, said that legal action is being taken in the matter and the police are trying to ascertain the identity of the individuals. "15 to 20 persons had gathered around 7.15-7.30 am and tried to set a tractor on fire. The fire has been doused off and tractor removed. Legal action is being taken in the matter, identity of the persons involved is being ascertained," Singhal said. Further details are awaited. With the approaching fall of 2020, numerous US colleges made ready to welcome back their students after one missed semester. Many rapidly switched to online classes once an outbreak occurred on campus. Thus, many scientists have begun to question whether in-person instruction should be resumed until the pandemic is well on its way out. A new report published in the preprint server medRxiv* in September 2020 shows the close relationship between the re-opening of colleges, especially those drawing students from high-incidence areas, and those offering in-person instruction, and the significant increase in the incidence of COVID-19 among students and the community. Does Reopening Cause More Cases? The current lack of experimental support for this conclusion motivated the current study to look at the occurrence of spillovers from colleges into the surrounding community. The researchers tested the assumption that colleges serving students from high-incidence areas would have higher increases in campus COVID-19 incidence. The highest increase would be in colleges where in-person classes had begun. Mapping schools and counties. Top panel: US map with counties and schools. Bottom panel School classifications Increased Visitors in the Week Before Classes Started The researchers sampled all 779 US counties with college campuses for a total of about 1,400 campuses, between July 15th to September 13th, 2020. They found that in the week just before classes began, there was a surge in the number of devices on campus, which continued after the start of classes. The number of devices went up by 47% in the two weeks after classes began compared to the preceding two weeks. For colleges that had in-person classes, the increase was about 56% compared to 33% for those that offered online classes. Therefore, college re-opening was linked to a rise in incidence by an extra 17 cases per 1,000,000 people. The rise is mainly associated with those that offer in-person classes, at 24 more cases per 1,000,000 people. Institutions that offered only online classes were not found to be associated with any higher risk. Extra Cases with Out-of-County Exposure Any campus in which the exposure to infection in students from other counties was increased by 10% was associated with ~12 extra cases per 1,000,000 people. Incorporating other interactions due to in-person instruction, this 10% increase in exposure to people from outside the county is linked to an additional 14 cases per 1,000,000 in counties where the first school began with in-person classes. In other counties, there was no such observed association. Using Other Measures When other measures were used, such as the number of new cases over the previous three days in order to rule out a weekend-related surge in cases, new cases over a week and the daily reproduction number, Rt, re-opening is found to be the parameter consistently associated with increased viral transmission. The association with the mode of instruction is no longer significant at this point. Again, when the county-related transmission rates are adjusted for population size, there was no significant difference whichever mode of instruction was used. However, with this adjustment, re-opening was also no longer associated with the re-opening of colleges. High-Incidence Home Counties Linked to Higher Cases in College Counties Still, colleges that served students from high-incidence areas continued to be associated with a higher county incidence of COVID-19 after re-opening. When the number of hours of in-person instruction were factored in for greater detail, they found that the number of new cases is related to the proportion of in-person teaching. Thus, those that had only online or only in-person teaching were predicted to have fewer visitors than those with mostly in-person or with hybrid models of instruction. The study thus indicates a significant increase in the number of cellular devices visiting the campus in the week before classes start, whichever mode of instruction is used. Secondly, in-person instruction significantly boosts daily new case numbers in the county where the college is located. Moreover, if the county of origin of the student has a high daily incidence, it significantly affects the daily new case number of the county where the college is located. This agrees with the finding that the Rt of the county rises steadily in about 2 weeks from the increase in mobility associated with re-opening. Is the Increased Incidence due to Imported Cases? The researchers admit their inability to assess imported cases due to student arrivals on campus from those occurring due to local or community transmission in the county where the college is located. Asymptomatic cases arriving on campus can be captured only by widespread testing on campus. Nonetheless, it is unlikely that most cases are due to students with COVID-19 arriving at college in large numbers, as this would lead to an increase in cases in the first week of re-opening (based on the assumption that a person tests positive 9 days from infection, on average). This is not borne out by the increase in cases, therefore the Rt, in the second week of classes. The researchers did not assess the spillover infections in the communities around the campuses since these will take a more extended period to manifest. This would also require more incidence data to be acquired from college campuses. However, the findings indicate the urgency of further evaluating the level of efficacy of countermeasures taken by colleges so far, especially in response to the rapid increase in cases following re-opening. Implications and Future Directions The paper thus suggests that college campus re-opening is associated with 3,200 extra cases of COVID-19 every day in the US. This is based on the assumption that these results embrace both new cases on campus and those at home. The authors describe their conclusions to be critical in devising appropriate public health strategies to deal with the transmission in the special context of colleges as they consider additional strategies to mitigate disease burden and decrease transmission. Such measures should include paying more attention not just to those communities surrounding the college but those from which the colleges students are drawn. *Important Notice medRxiv publishes preliminary scientific reports that are not peer-reviewed and, therefore, should not be regarded as conclusive, guide clinical practice/health-related behavior, or treated as established information. Erlanger Health System announced the addition of Robert J. Maloney, Jr. as chief operating officer. Before arriving at the Chattanooga-based non-profit health system, Mr. Maloney served as chief operating officer at Mercy Health Anderson in Cincinnati, Ohio, part of the Bon Secours Mercy Health (BSMH) hospital system. During his tenure at the 282 bed hospital, Mr. Maloney achieved numerous accomplishments including leading a 65% year-over-year rehab admissions increase and decreasing overall hospital expenses by $3.7 million in a single year utilizing the improvement team concept. I am extremely pleased to welcome Rob after an exhaustive and thorough search process, said Erlanger President and CEO Dr. William Jackson. We took our time and endeavored to find a candidate with the right experience, drive and fit for Erlanger. Rob understands the value of our communitys essential non-profit hospital system, and he knows the indispensable role our associates have in driving our mission. Prior to joining BSMH, Mr. Maloney was chief operating officer at Frankfort Regional Medical Center in Frankfort, Ky. Previously, he served as vice president of operations for Hospital Corporation of Americas LewisGale Medical Center in Salem, Va., and also served in multiple leadership and operational positions in home health, rehabilitation facilities and hospitals. Mr. Maloney brings over 20 years experience in organizational leadership and strategic planning. Mr. Maloney earned his bachelor of science in Exercise Science and Doctor of Physical Therapy from Slippery Rock University in Slippery Rock, Pa. He then went on to earn his Masters of Business Administration from Troy State University in Troy, Al. Confusion over isolation: In Delhi, confusion over institutional isolation of those older than 60 and with comorbidities has persisted. In at least two districts, Delhi government norms allowing for patients to be home quarantined depending on a doctors assessment have not been followed. On September 21, Southwest Delhi passed an order stating that all such patients will have to be admitted to Covid Care Centres or Covid Health Centres. This was later withdrawn on Sunday. West Delhi is also following the same template, although authorities say no written orders have been given. ... For now, all we can tell you is that Hyundai is offering the sporty 2021 Elantra N Line to all driving enthusiasts out there, while TCR customer teams will also have the chance to experiment with the new Elantra N TCR before the end of the year.Until then, the company decided to showcase the latest arrival in the TCR-specification package lineup while development is still ongoing. The South Korean automaker has first showcased the Elantra N TCR next to its standard road-going models during the 2021 Beijing Motor show, but the truth is the new racer has been honing its skills in a different part of the world for a while now.The automaker has been involved in trials at racetracks around Europe for months, with the development prototypes of the Elantra N TCR already accumulating over 5,000 km (3,100+ miles) of testing. The model joins the successful Customer Racing-developed range of track-ready Hyundai cars, with the new Elantra N TCR looking just as aggressive as its i30 N TCR and Veloster N TCR brethren.Both sprint and endurance versions are being tested and developed back to back, and the aerodynamic track machine is fully compliant with the current TCR regulations. This means the model gets a 2.0-liter turbocharged mill (developed from a new base engine used in standard Hyundai models) to send its power to the front wheels via the six-speed, paddle-shift-controlled transmission we already know from the rest of the TCR lineup.While the company has not provided any other technical specifications, there is reason to hope the engineers and designers from Hyundai N will see the work done by their colleagues from the Customer Racing outfit and equally take full advantage of the Elantras stable, high-performance chassis and sedan body shape to give us the eagerly-awaited Elantra N as soon as possible. The "historic" relationship between the US and India can be further be strengthened with increased cooperation in the and food processing sector, Arkansas State Governor Asa Hutchinson has said. Participating in the webinar 'India- Arkansas Partnership: Food Processing, Logistics and Manufacturing', Governor Hutchinson said trade opportunities in Arkansas and India, and collaboration in them would be beneficial for both economies. "We have laid an incredible foundation for the future. And that foundation is based on our commitment to democracy, our mutual love for entrepreneurship, business and trade," Hutchinson said on Wednesday. Apart from Hutchinson, Secretary Food Processing Industries, India, Pushpa Subrahmanyam and Consul General of India in Houston Aseem R Mahajan participated in the webinar hosted by the Government of India. The governor recalled his visit to India in October 2019. "We met several companies during our "Incredible India visit", ranging from textile to steel to technology," he said. "With being our number one economic driver, food processing is natural for us, followed by the steel industry. We have major steel mills like Big River Steel, Nucor-Yamato Steel Company," he said. "The aerospace and defense industry is another major part of our economy. Lockheed Martin, Dassault Falcon, Aerojet Rocketdyne, Raytheon Missile Systems, General Dynamics, and Big companies like Tyson and Walmart that have significant investment and partnership in India are located here," he said. Hutchison also mentioned the "vibrant and significant Indian-American community in Arkansas who contribute in all major fields, especially medicine, education." Consul General Mahajan said, "We deeply value Governor Hutchinson's support to strengthen economic ties, as a result of which eight major Indian companies have invested over USD 392 million in Arkansas creating around 1,700 jobs in areas like information technology, manufacturing and engineering. The objective of today's webinar is to highlight the immense potential and opportunities for companies in both countries to invest and build fruitful partnerships for mutual benefit." Providing an overview of the food processing industry in India, Secretary Subrahmanyam said, "Food processing is considered one among the champion sectors in India with policy shifts including measures to remove bottlenecks, fast track investments by fiscal measures and a better facilitating environment.""Today is a watershed moment in the Food processing industry, we are launching a second wave of liberalisation in the country, the sector is liberated from regulations, liberalising the marketing ecosystem, enabling contract farming in India and removing sealing on storage for agriculture commodities," she said. The Indian government last week introduced three bill -- The Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce Bill, 2020, The Farmers Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020, and The Essential Commodities Bill 2020 -- saying they will revolutionise the country's farming sector. The bills permit the sale of agricultural produce outside the mandis regulated by the Agricultural Produce Marketing Committees, provides guidelines for contract farming and deregulates the production, supply, distribution of food items like cereals, pulses, potatoes, onion and edible oilseeds. "A factor attracting investments into India is its enormous food surplus, offering potential for processing this surplus and developing new products through fortified mechanisms, better technology and better nutritional attributes," she said. "The Government of India has financial subsidies to set up manufacturing units in the country, a dedicated fund provided through the Ministry to promote agriculture in rural areas and concessions for investment in this sector. Also promotes huge infrastructure for plug and play units to come up, such as mega-food parks and mini-food parks. We hope that investments from Arkansas and the US will deepen further and enable us to forge stronger collaborative roles with the help of the Food Processing Ministry," Subrahmanyam said. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Ancient Adelie penguin colony revealed by snowmelt at Cape Irizar, Ross Sea, Antarctica Researcher Steven Emslie encountered a puzzle at Cape Irizar, a rocky cape located just south of the Drygalski Ice Tongue on the Scott Coast, Ross Sea. He found both ancient and what appeared to be fresh remains of Adelie penguins, mostly of chicks, which frequently die and accumulate at these colonies. However, the "fresh" remains were puzzling, he says, because there are no records of an active penguin colony at this site since the first explorers (Robert Falcon Scott) in 1901-1903 came to the Ross Sea. Emslie found abundant penguin chick bones scattered on the surface, along with guano stains, implying recent use of the site, but that wasn't possible, says Emslie. Some of the bones were complete chick carcasses with feathers, now falling apart from decay as at a modern colony, as well as intact mummies. Emslie and his colleagues collected some of these surface remains for further analysis and radiocarbon dating to try and figure out what was going on there. The team found old pebble mounds scattered about the cape. These mounds are former nesting sites of Adelie penguins because they use pebbles to build their nests. When they abandon a site, the pebbles become scattered and stand out on the landscape, since they are all about the same size. "We excavated into three of these mounds, using methods similar to archaeologists, to recover preserved tissues of penguin bone, feather, and eggshell, as well as hard parts of prey from the guano (fish bones, otoliths). The soil was very dry and dusty, just as I've found at other very old sites I've worked on in the Ross Sea, and also had abundant penguin remains in them. Overall, our sampling recovered a mixture of old and what appeared to be recent penguin remains implying multiple periods of occupation and abandonment of this cape over thousands of years. In all the years I have been doing this research in Antarctica, I've never seen a site quite like this." The analyses reported in Emslie's recent paper published in Geology indicate at least three occupation periods of the cape by breeding penguins, with the last one ending at about 800 years ago. When that occupation ended, either due to increasing snow cover over the cape or other factors (the Little Ice Age was beginning about then too), the "fresh" remains on the surface were covered in snow and ice and preserved intact until recent exposure from snowmelt. Global warming has increased the annual temperature in the Ross Sea by 1.5-2.0 C since the 1980s, and satellite imagery over the past decade shows the cape gradually emerging from under the snow. Thus, says Emslie, "This recent snowmelt revealing long-preserved remains that were frozen and buried until now is the best explanation for the jumble of penguin remains of different ages that we found there." ### This research was funded by the National Science Foundation and the U.S. Antarctic Program. It included collaboration and support from the Italian Antarctic Program and personnel at Mario Zucchelli Station. PAPER ABSTRACT The Ross Sea (Antarctica) is one of the most productive marine ecosystems in the Southern Ocean and supports nearly one million breeding pairs of Adelie penguins (Pygoscelis adeliae) annually. There also is a well-preserved record of abandoned penguin colonies that date from before the Last Glacial Maximum (>45,000 14C yr B.P.) through the Holocene. Cape Irizar is a rocky cape located just south of the Drygalski Ice Tongue on the Scott Coast. In January 2016, several abandoned Adelie penguin sites and abundant surface remains of penguin bones, feathers, and carcasses that appeared to be fresh were being exposed by melting snow and were sampled for radiocarbon analysis. The results indicate the "fresh" remains are actually ancient and that three periods of occupation by Adelie penguins are represented beginning ca. 5000 calibrated calendar (cal.) yr B.P., with the last occupation ending by ca. 800 cal. yr B.P. The presence of fresh-appearing remains on the surface that are actually ancient in age suggests that only recently has snowmelt exposed previously frozen carcasses and other remains for the first time in ~800 yr, allowing them to decay and appear fresh. Recent warming trends and historical satellite imagery (Landsat) showing decreasing snow cover on the cape since 2013 support this hypothesis. Increased 13C values of penguin bone collagen further indicate a period of enhanced marine productivity during the penguin "optimum," a warm period at 4000-2000 cal. yr B.P., perhaps related to an expansion of the Terra Nova Bay polynya with calving events of the Drygalski Ice Tongue. CONTACT: Steven Emslie, emslies@uncw.edu, University of North Carolina Wilmington, Biology and Marine Biology, Wilmington, North Carolina, USA URL: https:/ / pubs. geoscienceworld. org/ gsa/ geology/ article/ doi/ 10. 1130/ G48230. 1/ 590932/ Ancient-Adelie-penguin-colony-revealed-by-snowmelt GEOLOGY articles are online at http://geology. geoscienceworld. org/ content/ early/ recent . Representatives of the media may obtain complimentary articles by contacting Kea Giles at the e-mail address above. Please discuss articles of interest with the authors before publishing stories on their work, and please make reference to GEOLOGY in articles published. Non-media requests for articles may be directed to GSA Sales and Service, gsaservice@geosociety.org. https:/ / www. geosociety. org This story has been published on: 2020-09-28. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Local politicians said the move was disproportionate to the risk and would devastate the local economy. The government order came last week after it placed Marseille and its surroundings on the Mediterranean on the maximum alert level for the spread of the virus. On Monday (September 28), dozens of protesters carried banners criticising the government order and a few restaurants in the city's Old Port remained open. While police vehicles were stationed outside the row of restaurants, none were forced to shut. The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has condemned the attack on the convoy of the Borno State governor, Babagana Zulum, by insurgents during which at least15 security operatives attached to the governor were killed. In a statement signed by its spokesperson, Kola Ologbondiyan, Sunday, the party said the repeated attack on the governor and the rising wave of terrorist attacks reinforce the necessity of rejigging the nations security apparatchik. The party said the incident corroborated Mr Zulums insistence that the security architecture in the North-East axis is being compromised. Mr Zulums convoy was attacked by suspected Boko Haram insurgents in an evening ambush in the Monguno-Maiduguri axis. The attacks came barely 48 hours after the group ambushed the governors convoy along Cross Kauwa-Baga road in the state. President Muhammadu Buhari on Saturday condemned the attack on Mr Zulums convoy, describing it as an orchestrated sabotage against the long-planned return of displaced persons to their local communities. However, there had been earlier attacks on Mr Zulums convoy. On July 29, Boko Haram operatives had attacked his convoy near the town of Baga. READ ALSO: Our party is alarmed by the frightening situation where insurgents now have the temerity of repeated attacks on the armed convoy of a state governor, which highlights the nightmare being witnessed by ordinary compatriots, as soft targets, in various troubled areas across our dear nation. The PDP restates our call to President Muhammadu Buhari to heed the call by well-meaning Nigerians, including the two chambers of the National Assembly, to immediately rejig the nations security apparatchik by replacing his Service Chiefs with fresh hands to effectively confront the security challenges facing our nation. Our party commiserates with Governor Zulum as well as the families of the victims of these incessant attacks and urged the governor not to be deterred. The PDP also saluted the troops fighting in the fronts and urged Nigerians to remain prayerful and alert in this trying time. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 28) Vice President Leni Robredo has questioned China's hand in the 2022 elections in the Philippines following the hordes of China-based fake social media accounts found boosting personalities, specifically the presidential daughter, for the upcoming polls. "Anong ginagawa ng China sa domestic affairs natin? Ito, kailangan tayo dito matakot. Kasi bakit? Ano ang interes ninyo sa eleksyon?" she said in her weekly radio show on Sunday. "Pinapakita ba na iyong interes niyo dahil ito din iyong pagpo-protect sa sarili nyong interests?" [Translation: What is China doing in our domestic affairs. We need to be scared and alarmed because we have to ask what is their stake in our elections? Are they protecting their own interests?] Last week, the social media giant shut down over 180 bogus Facebook and Instagram accounts and pages originating in China for foreign or government interference in the Philippines. Facebook said these accounts, based in the Fujian province of China, targeted Filipinos by posting fervent support for the possible 2022 presidential campaign of Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio the daughter of incumbent President Rodrigo Duterte. Manila and Beijing continue to enjoy warmer ties during the presidential term of Duterte, who has held back on enforcing the arbitral award for the sake of better bilateral ties with China. Only recently has he spoken up firmly against the "undermining" of the 2016 ruling on South China Sea. The Vice President, who has been a constant victim of fake news on Facebook, warned the social media interference may signal bigger problems for the country's sovereignty. "Nakakatakot ito kasi may kinalaman ito sa soberanya natin. Kasi anong interes ng foreign body na makialam at manira ng mga tao dito sa atin?" she asked. [Translation: This is worrisome because this is related to our sovereignty? What do they have to gain by interfering and criticizing Philippine personalities?] She warned of its dangers as some social media users easily believe the misinformation posted online. YOUVE probably never heard of the Irish Association of Investment Managers (IAIM) but they are not an inconsequential representative group for Big Finance in Ireland. The groups website says they are actively involved in policy development in Ireland and have built up valuable long-term relationships with regulators, policy makers and other stakeholders. Its board boasts members from international financial powerhouses such as Morgan Stanley, State Street, the Blackstone Group and KBI Global Investors. A veritable whos who of Irelands top investment bankers. Read More And this very lobby group has just signed off on the appointment of a beef farmer-cum- Fine Gael politician as their chief executive. But they didnt sign Michael DArcy for his agriculture insights or his knowledge of electoral politics in Co Wexford. Rather, the clincher was the three years he spent working in the Department of Finance as Minister of State for Financial Services and Insurance. No doubt, Mr DArcy will be a valuable asset given his insights and access to the corridors of power. However, he will be constrained in what he can do for the coming year. In fact, the entire representative body will be as they have both pledged not to do any lobbying for the next 12 months to ensure Mr DArcy is not found in breach of the Lobbying Act. The act prohibits any office holder from becoming a lobbyist or joining a lobbying group for at least a year after they resign. The Standards in Public Office Commission (Sipo) can make exceptions and waive the so-called cooling off period in certain circumstances but Mr DArcy didnt even seek this. So a group that says it exists to represent the members and the investment management industry in Ireland to relevant corporate, political, regulatory, media and other stakeholders wont do any representing for a year to ensure Mr DArcy can be hired. The outgoing Fine Gael senator will be familiar with his new colleagues as the organisation lobbied him personally not long after he took office in late 2017. On the day they met they discussed stamp duty on property and exit taxes on investment products. According to the Lobbying Register there were no other formal meetings between the minister and the group. Mr DArcy did make an interesting contribution in the Seanad last Friday which will have impressed his new employers. It was on the second stage of the Investment Limited Partnerships (Amendment) Bill 2020. Its quite a niche piece of legislation which is aimed at creating more investment opportunities and fewer liabilities for the Irish financial services market. Mr DArcy praised the financial services sector as a big employer and said the new legislation needed to be passed if Ireland is to become a truly global leader. He said the legislation would open up a trillion euro market and insisted we badly need to get a bite of that. You can be sure many of IAIMs members will be seeking a bite of that opportunity. Southern Miss Symphony Orchestra Opens 101st Season Mon, 09/28/2020 - 11:14am | By: Mike Lopinto The University of Southern Mississippi (USM) Symphony Orchestra will present its opening night concert of the 2020-21 season on Oct. 8 at 7:30 p.m. in a live streaming event from Bennett Auditorium on the Hattiesburg campus. The program will be a celebration of the 250th anniversary of the birth year of Ludwig van Beethoven, arguably the greatest symphonic composer in the history of western music. While not open to a public audience, the concert will be streamed free-of-charge on the School of Musics You Tube channel at youtube.com/usmmusic1. The program will feature performances of three of Beethovens early works. The Symphony will open the concert with the Overture to Egmont. This programmatic overture is based on Geothes tragedy of the same title. Then, faculty artist Dr. Ellen Elder joins them to perform the Piano Concerto No. 2 in Bb major, a work known for its beautiful lyricism and fanciful melodies. The evening closes with the Symphony No. 1 in C major. This lovely work is reminiscent of the late symphonies of Mozart, but hints to the genius of Beethoven that is to come in his later symphonic works. Dr. Michael Miles, interim director of orchestral activities at Southern Miss, notes that the Covid-19 pandemic has presented the Orchestra with some challenges as it starts the year. We have had to make a number of adjustments to our regular programming in order to meet the various Covid protocols that are in place to keep everyone safe, said Miles. We have had to reduce the size of the orchestra in order to observe social distancing on the stage, so that means performing only chamber orchestra works this year. We also are not performing for public audiences, so we are hoping everyone can still enjoy our performance by watching the live stream of the concert at home. The USM Symphony Orchestra is a study in international relations as students from across the globe come together for one purpose music. It is one of the major ensembles and gems in the School of Music, offering an intense performance schedule covering classical to pop musical styles and drawing both students and guest artists from around the globe. The Symphony Orchestra truly is "Bringing the world to Mississippi." For more information, please visit usm.edu/symphony or call 601.266.4001. Kolkata, Sep 28 : Activities pertaining to the fencing off of the Poush Mela ground by the Visva Bharati in Shantiniketan finally began on Monday as the authorities started erecting the boundary wall around the fair ground. The decision was taken on the basis of an instruction given by the four-member committee of the Calcutta High Court on Sunday after a meeting with the district administration and the university authorities. Earlier, the Calcutta High Court had taken suo motu cognisance of the Visva Bharati incident and formed a four-member committee to find a solution to the ongoing tension over the central university's campus. The four-member committee, headed by Justice Sanjib Bandopadhyay, have three other members -- justice Arijit Bandopadhyay, advocate general Kishor Dutta and additional solicitor general Y.J. Dastur. The district police will look after the security and law and order issue if anything untoward happens over the fencing off drive. Sources said the concrete wall will be two-and-a-half feet high around the entire fair ground with iron fencing on top. An incident took place last month when a large number of local people, backed by the state's ruling Trinamool Congress leaders, went on rampage protesting against the construction of the boundary wall at the Poush Mela ground that belongs to Visva Bharati authorities in West Bengal's Birbhum district. Tension had erupted as the Visva Bharati authorities decided to fence off the ground by erecting a boundary wall and started the construction work. Hundreds of irate locals, under the banner of Save Poush Mela Committee, had barged into the fair ground, damaged university properties and vandalised temporary shelters. Irate people were seen breaking plastic chairs and other structures that were installed there on a temporary basis. They had also dismantled one of the varsity gates using a JCB pay-loader machine. According to varsity sources, the Visva Bharati authorities decided to scrap Poush Mela for its 'bitter experience' with the local traders in the last two years while organising the fair. There have been tussles between the authorities and local traders and artisans in the past for making the latter comply with the National Green Tribunal (NGT) guidelines. US-based Lummus Technology, a leader in process technologies, has been awarded a contract for technology licensing, process design package, training and advisory services, and proprietary catalyst and equipment supply by Duqm Refinery and Petrochemical Industries Company LLC (DRPIC). Our customers benefit from our comprehensive technology portfolio, as we provide them with multiple technologies for one project, combining and integrating these technologies, proprietary equipment, catalyst and services, said Leon de Bruyn, President and Chief Executive Officer of Lummus Technology. This helps our customers reduce their capital and operating costs and assures them that they are working with an aligned project team that minimizes interfaces. The contract is for the planned new petrochemical complex in Oman with multiple units, including the largest NGL-MAXSM natural gas liquids (NGL) extraction units licensed by Lummus to Oman Oil Facilities Development Company, a wholly owned subsidiary of OQ. The refinery will have a capacity of 48 mmscmd, one of the worlds largest ethylene units with 1,600 kta ethylene capacity, a butadiene extraction unit with 161 kta butadiene capacity, and a CDMtbe unit (145 kta of MTBE) and 1-Butene separation (51 kta of 1-butene capacity) licensed to DRPIC. The arrangements also include the supply of Lummus proprietary catalyst and SRT (Short Residence Time) cracking heaters to the Duqm Petrochemicals Project. The units are part of the Duqm Petrochemicals Project, which is the second stage of DRPICs integrated refinery and petrochemical complex, and will be located at Duqm on the Arabian Sea coast of Oman, approximately 600 km south of Muscat. DRPIC is a joint venture between OQ S.A.O.C (OQ) and Kuwait Petroleum Europe B.V.- TradeArabia News Service 3 1 of 3 National Weather Service Show More Show Less 2 of 3 National Weather Service Show More Show Less 3 of 3 Temperatures are expected to warm up later this week after a cool front arrived in the San Antonio area Monday, the National Weather Service said. According to meteorologists with the NWS, Monday will likely be the coolest day of the week with an expected high of 79. Tuesday will feel similar but slightly warmer at 82 degrees. Later in the week, however, temps will be 88 on Wednesday and 90 on Thursday. The Amtrak station, 18015 Park Ave., has been closed since early August, so passengers are being shuttled to the railroads Kankakee station while work is underway. It is one of the stops on Amtraks Illini and Saluki lines to downstate cities including Champaign-Urbana, Effingham and Carbondale, as well as the famous City of New Orleans route. Bucharest General Mayor Gabriela Firea stated on Monday that it would have been almost impossible for her to exercise a second term, given that the majority in the General Council of Bucharest is held by the National Liberal Party (PNL) and the Save Romania Union (USR) - the Freedom, Unity and Solidarity Party (PLUS) - the right - wing alliance. "I think that, in the end, with all the suffering of the moment, it is better that this is the case. Probably, had I received a second term from Bucharesters, it would have been almost impossible to exercise, due to the fact that I would not have had support in the General Council and any project I would have proposed would have been blocked," Gabriela Firea declared in a video message posted, on Monday, on Facebook. In her opinion, several factors led to her election result. "The right-wing has united, we have three parties - PNL, USR and PLUS - that supported the same candidate (...) In the center-left area this coagulation of forces was not successful, they were divided - and through no fault of my own - and that is precisely why people who could have lend a hand so that my team could continue their projects (...) did everything they could - those people from the center and center-left - so that they could hit me, side by side with my adversaries. If I accept certain criticisms more easily from my enemies, (...) when those in your family stab you, often in the back (...), it's more painful," Gabriela Firea said. She also stated that since she arrived at the City Hall and until now she has unlocked many projects and that, despite the invectives, the "unworthy and dirty" campaign of the last period, even there was an attempt to "tear her down", the projects carried out cannot be dismantled, among which she mentioned the 'Victor Gomoiu' Children's Hospital, the Foisor Hospital, the first stage of the Ciurel Bridge, the widening of the Glucose Factory. Gabriela Firea expressed her hope that the future team from the City Hall will complete objectives such as the Metropolitan Hospital, Doamna Ghica Passage, Cora Pantelimon park&ride. She said that she came to the Capital City Hall on Monday to hand over the documents that were in the office, as she wants to leave everything in order. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Monday said that it has not ruled out any angles in its probe into the death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput, and all aspects are still being investigated. The Central Bureau of Investigation is conducting professional investigation related to death of Shri Sushant Singh Rajput in which all aspects are being looked at and no aspect has been ruled out as of date, CBI spokesperson RK Gaur said, days after Rajputs family expressed displeasure over the pace of the probe. Last week, Rajputs lawyer said that the central agencys investigation was drifting in a different direction, with more focus on drug-related offences rather than the actors death, suspected to be a suicide onset of the police probe. All attention is being diverted towards the drugs case. Today, we are helpless as we dont know which direction the case is going in. Till today, CBI has not done a press briefing on what they have found out, Vikas Singh, Rajputs lawyer said. The 34-year-old actor was found dead in his apartment in Mumbais Bandra on June 14. Rajputs father, KK Singh, lodged a complaint with Patna police against Rhea Chakraborty, her parents and her brother, Showik, on June 25. The case was later transferred to CBI. The case is also being investigated by two other central agencies -- Enforcement Directorate (ED) and Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB). While ED is looking into allegations of money laundering, NCB is probing a drug link in the case. NCB arrested Rhea Chakraborty on September 8 for allegedly procuring drugs for Rajput. Earlier this month, CBI issued another statement saying that the reports regarding the probe, attributed to its officers, were speculative. Certain media reports attributed to CBI investigation are speculative and not based on facts. It is reiterated that as a matter of policy, CBI does not share details of ongoing investigation, the agency had said on September 3. CBI spokesperson or any team member has not shared any details of investigation with media. The details being reported and attributed to CBI are not credible, it had said. TGen launches Vidium Animal Health PHOENIX, Ariz. -- Sept. (28), 2020 -- After more than a decade of pioneering the study of naturally occurring cancer in pet dogs, the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen), an affiliate of City of Hope, announced today the commercial launch of Vidium Animal Health, providing genomic-based precision-medicine to veterinary oncologists and pet parents. As a veterinarian, Vidium President Dr. David Haworth has seen first-hand the pain and concern that veterinarians and pet parents experience when a dog is diagnosed with cancer. "Vidium is built around the human-animal bond, and the fact that the majority of pet owners feel their pet is part of their family," Dr. Haworth said. "When a pet is diagnosed with cancer, it can be a really scary time for everyone, so we want to offer the very best information, and hope, that science can offer." To increase a pets' chance of survival, Vidium created SearchLight DNA, a test designed specifically to identify any of the nearly 120 known cancer-associated genetic mutations in dogs, and use the molecular profile of misbehaving genes to help guide diagnosis and treatment. Vidium Founder and Chief Science Officer Dr. Will Hendricks, an Assistant Professor in TGen's Integrated Cancer Genomics Division, has spent much of the past decade dedicated to the pursuit of comparative oncology, the study of naturally occurring cancers in animals to better understand human cancers and vice versa. "It's clearly a two-way street, with both humans and dogs benefiting from the exchange," he said. As a prime example, Dr. Hendricks points to a landmark 2019 study conducted by TGen and The Ohio State University, which found that -- like many women who develop a particular type of breast cancer -- the same gene, HER2, also appears to play an important role in lung cancer in many dogs. "Vidium was born from our finding that the genetic underpinnings of canine cancers reflected the same fundamental science that allowed us to apply precision medicine toward treating human cancers," Dr. Hendricks said. "Cancer gene mutations that have clinical importance in canine oncology are abundant, and with SearchLight DNA our goal is to equip veterinarians with the best information possible to help guide the clinical management of the dogs in their care." Katie Banovich, Vidium's Director of Operations, said the absence of genomic technology in the care of pets is a tremendous void that Vidium hopes to fill, but only with the participation of veterinarians and pet parents. "Through application of multi-disciplinary genomic science, we want to position Vidium as a partner in the veterinary care team," Banovich said. "We want to be a guide. We want to work with veterinarians." SearchLight DNA reports will be customized with technical language designed for clinicians and easier-to-understand lay language for pet parents that fully communicates the details of their pet's condition. While Vidium's efforts will initially be put toward canine cancer, its goal is to expand its genomic analysis to the treatment of other diseases, and other animals. Beyond assisting with the diagnosis, prognosis and treatment of dogs with cancer, Vidium will play a continuing role in the discovery of new associations between gene mutations, specific types of cancers in specific breeds of dogs, and clinical outcomes. "We are going to play an active role in changing the landscape of veterinary care, both through expanding our understanding of genetic biomarkers, and by facilitating access to targeted therapeutics that may make a difference in specific genetic settings," Dr. Hendricks said. ### Vidium Animal Health is a subsidiary of TGen. Learn more at: vidiumah.com. About TGen, an affiliate of City of Hope Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) is a Phoenix, Arizona-based nonprofit organization dedicated to conducting groundbreaking research with life-changing results. TGen is affiliated with City of Hope, a world-renowned independent research and treatment center for cancer, diabetes and other life-threatening diseases: CityofHope.org. This precision medicine affiliation enables both institutes to complement each other in research and patient care, with City of Hope providing a significant clinical setting to advance scientific discoveries made by TGen. TGen is focused on helping patients with neurological disorders, cancer, diabetes and infectious diseases through cutting-edge translational research (the process of rapidly moving research toward patient benefit). TGen physicians and scientists work to unravel the genetic components of both common and complex rare diseases in adults and children. Working with collaborators in the scientific and medical communities worldwide, TGen makes a substantial contribution to help our patients through efficiency and effectiveness of the translational process. For more information, visit: tgen.org. Follow TGen on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter @TGen. Media Contact: Steve Yozwiak TGen Senior Science Writer 602-343-8704 syozwiak@tgen.org This story has been published on: 2020-09-28. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Credit: CC0 Public Domain In an article published in Nature Genetics, researchers confirm that about 14% of all cases of cerebral palsy, a disabling brain disorder for which there are no cures, may be linked to a patient's genes and suggest that many of those genes control how brain circuits become wired during early development. This conclusion is based on the largest genetic study of cerebral palsy ever conducted. The results led to recommended changes in the treatment of at least three patients, highlighting the importance of understanding the role genes play in the disorder. The work was largely funded by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), part of the National Institutes of Health. "Our results provide the strongest evidence to date that a significant portion of cerebral palsy cases can be linked to rare genetic mutations, and in doing so identified several key genetic pathways involved," said Michael Kruer, M.D., a neurogeneticist at Phoenix Children's Hospital and the University of Arizona College of MedicinePhoenix and a senior author of the article. "We hope this will give patients living with cerebral palsy and their loved ones a better understanding of the disorder and doctors a clearer roadmap for diagnosing and treating them." Cerebral palsy affects approximately one in 323 children in the United States. Signs of the disorder appear early in childhood resulting in a wide range of permanently disabling problems with movement and posture, including spasticity, muscle weakness, and abnormal gait. Nearly 40% of patients need some assistance with walking. In addition, many patients may also suffer epileptic seizures, blindness, hearing and speech problems, scoliosis, and intellectual disabilities. Since its first official description in 1862, scientists have hotly debated whether cerebral palsy is caused by problems at birth. For instance, it is known that babies born prematurely or who experience a lack of blood flow or oxygen during birth have a greater chance of suffering from the disorder. Later though, researchers concluded that a majority (85-90%) of all cases are congenital, or born with the disease, and some studies had suggested that cerebral palsy could be inherited. Despite this, the causes of many children's cases had remained elusive. Then in 2004, scientists discovered the first genetic mutation known to cause cerebral palsy. Since then several more mutations have been identified and depending on how an experiment was performed, scientists have estimated that anywhere from 2 to 30% of all cases may be linked to a misspelling in a patient's DNA. In this study, the researchers provided support for a previous estimate and highlighted which genes may play a critical role in the disorder. "Cerebral palsy is one of neurology's oldest unresolved mysteries. The results from this study show how advances in genomic research provide scientists with the hard evidence they need to unravel the causes behind this and other debilitating neurological disorders," said Jim Koenig, Ph.D., program director at NINDS. The study was led by Sheng Chih (Peter) Jin, Ph.D., assistant professor of genetics at Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, and Sara A. Lewis, Ph.D., a post-doc in the lab Dr. Kruer leads. The researchers searched for what are known as "de novo," or spontaneous, mutations in the genes of 250 families from the United States, China, and Australia through a collaboration made possible by the International Cerebral Palsy Genomics Consortium. These rare mutations are thought to happen when cells accidentally make mistakes copying their DNA as they multiply and divide. An advanced technique, called whole exome sequencing, was used to read out and compare the exact codes of each gene inscribed in the chromosomes of the patients with that of their parents. Any new differences represented de novo mutations that either happened while a parent's sperm or egg cell multiplied or after conception. Initially the researchers found that the cerebral palsy patients had higher levels of potentially harmful de novo mutations than their parents. Many of these mutations appeared to be concentrated in genes that are highly sensitive to the slightest changes in the DNA letter code. In fact, they estimated that about 11.9% of the cases could be explained by damaging de novo mutations. This was especially true for the idiopathic cases which had no known cause and represented the majority (62.8%) of cases in the study. Approximately another 2% of the cases appeared to be linked to recessive, or weaker, versions of genes. This raised the estimate of cases that could be linked to genetic problems from 11.9% to 14%, as has been previously reported. Moreover, the results led to recommendations for more tailored treatments of three patients. "The hope of human genome research is that it will help doctors find the best, most personalized, matches between treatments and diseases. These results suggest that this may be possible for some patients with cerebral palsy," said Chris Wellington, program director in the Division of Genome Sciences at the NIH's National Institute of Human Genome Research, which also provided support for the study. When the researchers looked more closely at the results, they found that eight genes had two or more damaging de novo mutations. Four of these genes, labeled RHOB, FBXO31, DHX32, and ALK, were newly implicated in CP while the other four had been identified in previous studies. The researchers were especially surprised by the RHOB and FBXO31 results. Two cases in the study had the same spontaneous mutation in RHOB. Likewise, two other cases had the same de novo mutation in FBXO31. "The odds of this randomly happening are incredibly low. This suggests that these genes are highly linked to cerebral palsy," said Dr. Jin. The researchers also looked at the genes behind other brain development disorders and found that about 28% of the cerebral palsy genes identified in this study have been linked to intellectual disability, 11% to epilepsy and 6.3% to autism spectrum disorders. In contrast, the researchers found no significant overlap between cerebral palsy genes and those involved with the neurodegenerative disorder Alzheimer's disease which attacks the brain later in life. "Our results support the idea that cerebral palsy is not one narrow disease but a spectrum of overlapping neurodevelopmental problems," said Dr. Lewis. Further analysis of the results suggested that many of the genes they found in this study, including six of the eight genes that had two or more de novo mutations, control the wiring of neural circuits during early development. Specifically, these genes are known to be involved in either the construction of protein scaffolds that line the perimeters of neural circuits or in the growth and extension of neurons as they wire up. Experiments on fruit flies, formally known as Drosophila melanogaster, supported this idea. To do this, the researchers mutated fly versions of the wiring genes they identified in the cerebral palsy patients. They found that mutations in 71% of these genes caused flies to have problems with movement, including walking, turning, and balancing. The results suggested that these genes play a critical role in movement. They estimated that there was only a 3% chance these problems would happen if they had blindly mutated any gene in the fly genome. "Treatments for cerebral palsy patients have not changed for decades," said Dr. Kruer. "In the future, we plan to explore how these results can be used to change that." Explore further Cerebral palsy it can be in your genes More information: Sheng Chih Jin et al, Mutations disrupting neuritogenesis genes confer risk for cerebral palsy, Nature Genetics (2020). Journal information: Nature Genetics Sheng Chih Jin et al, Mutations disrupting neuritogenesis genes confer risk for cerebral palsy,(2020). DOI: 10.1038/s41588-020-0695-1 Industry and education advocates are pushing the federal government to commit to a multi-billion dollar skills package in next week's budget, saying a whole generation of workers is at risk if Australians cannot get the appropriate training employers need as the country recovers from recession. Unemployed Australians thinking about where to find work in an economy reshaped by the pandemic should look to healthcare, construction and manufacturing or boosting their digital skills, a PwC analysis of the boom areas in a post-COVID world has found. Stan Obirek, 59, has an IT background but after being made redundant has retrained in cybersecurity. Credit:Nick Moir "Without that, this whole generation really is significantly at risk - and it's not just school leavers, it's university graduates," the head of workforce development for the Ai Group, Megan Lilly, said. The federal government in July unveiled a $500 million JobTrainer scheme, matched by the states, to pay for free or low cost short courses. It also set up a $1.5 billion apprentice and trainee wage subsidy program. The international collaborative team of Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology (TUAT) in Japan, Indian Institute of Technology Ropar (IIT Ropar) in India, and Osaka University in Japan has discovered for the first time a topological change of viscous fingering (one of classical interfacial hydrodynamics), which is driven by "a partially miscibility," where the two liquids do not mix completely with finite solubility. This topological change originates from a phase separation and the spontaneous motion driven by it. It is a phenomenon that cannot be seen with completely mixed (fully miscible) system with infinite solubility or immiscible system with no solubility. The researchers published their results in the Journal of Fluid Mechanics on Jun 30th, 2020. When a less viscous fluid displaces a more viscous fluid in porous media, the interface between the two fluids becomes hydrodynamically unstable and deforms in a finger shape. This phenomenon is technically called "Viscous fingering (VF)". Since the 1950s, the VF has been studied as one fluid dynamics issue. Then, it is now widely known that the properties can be classified according to weather the two fluids are fully miscible or immiscible. The viscous fingering dynamics helps to understand the process of fluid displacement in porous media in reactions and separation in chemical processes, as well as in enhanced-oil-recovery and CO 2 sequestration. "It has long been pointed out that viscous fingering in partially miscible fluids occurs in underground processes with high-pressure conditions, such as oil recovery and CO 2 storage. However, such viscous fingering has been theoretically studied in the last few years," said Dr. Nagatsu, one of the corresponding authors on the paper and Associate Professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering at Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology (TUAT). "Experimental studies of such VF have not been done at all. One of the reasons is that fluid mechanics researchers did not use experimental conditions that were partially miscible at room temperature and atmospheric pressure." The research team succeeded in changing the miscibility of the system to fully miscible, immiscible, and partially miscible with little change in the viscosities at room temperature and atmospheric pressure. They used an aqueous two-phase system consisting of polyethylene-glycol (PEG), sodium-sulfate (Na2SO4), and water (see Figure), which were described in the same research team's paper published in 2019. Here, in the partially miscible system, a pure PEG solution and a pure Na2SO4 solution dissolve each other with finite solubility, and as a result, the phase is separated into a PEG-rich phase (phase L) and a Na2SO4-rich phase (phase H) (see Figure). They have carried out experiments by using this solution system in which a less-viscous liquid displaces a more-viscous one in a Hele-Shaw cell (see Figure) which is a model mimics flow in porous media. "Our team found that topological change is observed in the case where the two liquids are partially miscible (see Figure and Movie). This is the first instance of topological change in viscous fingering although various changes in the pattern due to various physicochemical effects, so far, have been reported when the two fluids are fully miscible or immiscible. We clearly showed this topological change originates from a phase separation occurring between the two fluids and the spontaneous motion driven by it," Nagatsu explains. "Our result overturns the common understanding of more than 60 years in VF research which began in the 1950s that the characteristics of VF are divided into immiscible and fully miscible cases and it demonstrates the existence and importance of the partially miscible case, which becomes the third classification category. This will open a new cross-disciplinary research area involving hydrodynamics and chemical thermodynamics. Also, the displacement with partial miscibility in a porous medium takes places in the oil recovery process from the formation and the CO 2 injection process into the formation. Thus, our finding is expected to create new control methodology of those processes by utilizing the partial miscibility," adds Nagatsu. ### This work was supported by PRESTO-JST (No. 25103004 "Phase Interfaces for Highly Efficient Energy Utilization") and JSPS Invitation Fellowships for Research in Japan (No. S15063 and No. L19548). For more information about the Nagatsu laboratory, please visit http://web.tuat.ac.jp/~nagatsu/en/index.html Original publication: Phase separation effects on a partially miscible viscous fingering dynamics Ryuta X. Suzuki,* Yuichiro Nagatsu, Manoranjan Mishra, and Takahiko Ban Journal of Fluid Mechanics 898 A11 https://doi.org/10.1017/jfm.2020.406 About Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology (TUAT): TUAT is a distinguished university in Japan dedicated to science and technology. TUAT focuses on agriculture and engineering that form the foundation of industry, and promotes education and research fields that incorporate them. Boasting a history of over 140 years since our founding in 1874, TUAT continues to boldly take on new challenges and steadily promote fields. With high ethics, TUAT fulfills social responsibility in the capacity of transmitting science and technology information towards the construction of a sustainable society where both human beings and nature can thrive in a symbiotic relationship. For more information, please visit http://www.tuat.ac.jp/en/. About Osaka University: Osaka University was founded in 1931 as one of the seven imperial universities of Japan and is now one of Japan's leading comprehensive universities with a broad disciplinary spectrum. This strength is coupled with a singular drive for innovation that extends throughout the scientific process, from fundamental research to the creation of applied technology with positive economic impacts. Its commitment to innovation has been recognized in Japan and around the world, being named Japan's most innovative university in 2015 (Reuters 2015 Top 100) and one of the most innovative institutions in the world in 2017 (Innovative Universities and the Nature Index Innovation 2017). Now, Osaka University is leveraging its role as a Designated National University Corporation selected by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology to contribute to innovation for human welfare, sustainable development of society, and social transformation. Website: https://resou.osaka-u.ac.jp/en/top About Indian Institute of Technology Ropar (IIT Ropar): Indian Institute of Technology Ropar (IIT Ropar) is a premier engineering, science, and technology institute in India established in 2008 by the Ministry of Education, Govt. of India (formerly: Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD), Govt. of India). IIT Ropar has initiated research on socially relevant problems like water and air pollution, affordable point-of-care healthcare technologies, and artificial intelligence applied to solve future engineering challenges. IIT Ropar has made active research collaborations with the likes of MIT, SUNY, Cardiff University, Cambridge University to name a few. Department of Science of Technology (DST), Govt of India, has established a Technology Innovation Hub (TIH) in the application domain of Agriculture & Water, named as Agriculture and Water Technology Development Hub (AWaDH), at IIT Ropar in the framework of National Mission on Interdisciplinary Cyber-Physical Systems (NM-ICPS). The high standard of research has ensured that year-after-year IIT Ropar has the best research performance amongst newer IITs, in India and in world rankings like the QS Asia rankings (205th) and Times Higher Education World University rankings (301-350). The institute has made significant research investment in Industry 4.0 in partnership with the Government of Taiwan by setting up the Indo-Taiwan Joint Research Centre on Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, a one of its kind in India. For more information, please visit http://www.iitrpr.ac.in Contact: Yuichiro Nagatsu, Ph.D. Associate Professor, Department of Chemical Engineering, TUAT, Japan nagatsu@cc.tuat.ac.jp Takahiko Ban, Ph.D. Associate Professor, Graduate School of Engineering Science, Osaka University, Japan ban@cheng.es.osaka-u.ac.jp Manoranjan Mishra, Ph.D. Associate Professor, Department of Mathematics, Indian Institute of Technology Ropar, India manoranjan@iitrpr.ac.in By Express News Service CHANDIGARH/KHATKAR KALAN: Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh on Monday said that agitation and legal recourse will have to be undertaken simultaneously to force the Centre to rethink its decision. The Congress in Punjab would seek Rahul Gandhis support in leading a nationwide struggle against these legislations, the CM said. Amarinder sat on a dharna at Khatkar Kalan, the birthplace of Bhagat Singh, in protest against the new farm legislations. He said he will be consulting with lawyers to work out the legal course of action for challenging the unconstitutional laws in the Supreme Court. Terming the new legislations "a total violation of the nations federal structure," the Chief Minister described the enactment of the farm bills as a black day for Punjab. Amarinder made it clear that the verbal assurances of the Centre on MSP could not be trusted. When they can break constitutional guarantees who can trust their verbal assurance, he remarked, questioning why MSP had not been made a constitutional right of the farmers in these Acts. Asserting that he does not want Punjabs youth and farmers to take to arms to fight for their right to live, Amarinder warned that these new laws will endanger the security of the border state, as Pakistans ISI was always on the lookout for opportunities to foment trouble. He slammed the "step-motherly" treatment meted out to Punjabs farmers to make big corporates such as the Adanis happy. "Will the Adanis subsidise food for poor Indians? These laws will spell the death-knell for the PDS system, apart from ruining Punjab and its farmers, he added. ALSO READ | Kerala Congress MP moves Supreme Court against newly enacted farm law Amarinder said those sitting at the Centre clearly knew nothing about agriculture. The farm laws are a bid to destroy the time-tested farmer-Arhtiya relations. The small farmers, whom his government had been trying to help over the past 3.5 years and who constitute more than 70% of the farming community, would be the worst-affected, he added. In response to a question, he made it clear that the Punjab Congress manifesto spoke about widening the scope of the APMC Act and setting up hundreds of new Mandis/Yards to enable easy access to farmers. He stressed the need for all to rise above politics to fight the Centres dangerous laws unitedly. The fight at present was between the farmers and the central government. In fact, all the powers of the states were being usurped by the Centre. We have nothing left except excise from liquor sales during the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic and all that Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman would say is that its an act of God, he quipped. "Centre was asking why farmers in Punjab were protesting. What else should they do? Distribute ladoos? Punjabs farmers had not only fed the nation through the years but also made India self-sufficient in food grains," said the Chief Minister, adding that with the funds flow to the Mandi Board also getting affected by these laws. The development work in villages will also come to a standstill. AICC general secretary in-charge of Punjab affairs, Harish Rawat, who was accompanying Amarinder Singh, announced a signature campaign beginning on Gandhi Jayanti (October 2) to collect two crore signatures of farmers against the new farm laws. These will be submitted to the President on November 14 to coincide with Jawaharlal Nehrus birth anniversary, he said, adding that Kisan Sammelans would also be organized to take the fight to its logical conclusion. A landmark Offaly pub has announced that it will be keeping its doors shut to the public for the foreseeable future. Dempsey's in Cadamstown is an attractive and popular premises in the middle of the picturesque village and is favoured by hillwalkers as well as locals. It's also a good spot for top class trad music sessions. However, that is all now sadly coming to an end as its owner Jim Dempsey feels he can no longer continue with the enterprise. Jim was a popular landlord because he was an affable, genial person and locals are saying he and his enterprise will be sorely missed. Jim announced the news on Facebook. It's with a heavy heart that I am writing this message, he said. Just letting everyone know that the pub will remain closed for the foreseeable future. I want to thank each and everyone of our customers who supported us over the years. We have some great memories to look back on. God bless you all. From all in Dempsey's. Dempsey's is an historic pub which might have been operating as a public house since the 1600s. It has certainly been operating as a public house since the mid 19th Century when Jim's great-great-grandfather, Thomas, moved to Cadamstown from Ballivor in Meath. Thomas had been working as a foreman on the canals but married Bridget Ryan and settled in Cadamstown. Bridget was running a boarding house and pub in the premises which is now Dempsey's, something which the Ryans had been doing for generations, perhaps as far back as the 1600s. Jim has been running the pub since 1999 but now feels that the challenges are too great to continue doing so. Its closure will mean that there isn't a pub in the village. Deputy Carol Nolan, who is a native of Cadamstown, told the Tribune that this is a very sad day. "In Cadamstown we are a small village," she said, "we are a close-knit community, and the closure of Dempsey's will be felt deeply. The pub has many good memories for the people of the area. Its sad closure represents yet another episode in the decline of rural Ireland." She said the Dempsey family is very well known and well respected in the area, and she wished Jim the best for his future. HOLLYWOOD, Calif., Sept. 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Sooyii, the story of the one of the first pandemics that swept North America and decimated Native American tribes across the Western American territories, has wrapped principal filming and is currently in post-production. Sooyii features an entirely Blackfeet cast and is filmed in the original language (with subtitles), making it one of the few movies to truly celebrate authentic Native American history. Blackfeet Reservation Sooyii is developed in cooperation with the Blackfeet Tribe of Montana, supported by several Blackfeet producers and crew members. The story is narrated through the eyes of a young Blackfeet warrior who struggles with the disease, brought by Europeans, as it ravages the villages where he grew up, forever changing his world. Like the current pandemic, the outbreak served as both a unifying and polarizing force. The protagonist struggles with tribal identity and embraces those he perceives as enemies, in a battle with a bigger, invisible antagonist. "Sooyii is a story lost in time, presented as a representation of a forgotten pandemic, and one that reminds us that what we are dealing with truly is ancient history," says Pat "Judge" Hall, Producer and Locations Wrangler for Creatures. "We were incredibly fortunate to receive the cooperation of the Blackfeet Nation, enabling the shooting of a movie about a pandemic during an actual pandemic. The people of the Blackfeet Nation wanted this story to be shared with the world as a way of understanding how the first group of Americans coped with their pandemic," says Hungarian born director and writer Kristian Kery. Cast: Stormee Kipp, Cheyenne Gordon, Danny Edmo, Emmette Dusty Bull, Michael Momberg, Doug Fitzgerald, Camden Croff, Smiley Deboo, Jesse Desrosier. For more information: www.sooyiimovie.com IMDb: Sooyii Facebook: @sooyiimovie Claire Richards: [email protected] (312) 576-8593 SOURCE Blackfeet Reservation Ric Sepulveda, Lead of Technology & Engineer at VIRSIG, LLC., has recently earned Certified System Engineer ICAM PACS (CSEIP) certification, the professional benchmark where proven expertise in smart card industry knowledge and applications experience is critical. This is the General Services Administration (GSA) approved accreditation for Identity, Credential, and Access Management for Physical Access Control Systems with the Smart Card Alliance. The CSEIP program provides advanced training for system engineers to align with U.S. Federal government-wide specifications. VIRSIG is a national technology company focused on secure networks, video surveillance, detection, and access control solutions. Rics CSEIP credential demonstrates how committed team VIRSIG is to supporting its clients with innovative, globally compliant systems, said Brian Valenza, VIRSIGs CEO. CSEIP certification allows VIRSIG to provide service on critical high-security physical access control systems. This includes those regulated under FIPS 201-2, the Federal standard specifying Personal Identity Verification (PIV) requirements for Federal employees, contractors, and other enterprise users. FIPS came about as a result of a Presidential directive to strengthen national security. Day to day Ric oversees VIRSIGs development, integration and service of complex high-speed computer networks, access control hardware and software, and leading-edge video management systems. His formal background includes technology integration and system administration in multiple verticals. He holds several advanced I.T. certifications and maintains a government security clearance. As Ric explained, The FIPS standard ensures access control smart cards are encoded through a chain-of-trust, utilizing cryptographic algorithms to ensure authentication of individuals. In accordance with this standard, these credentials ensure identity proofing, vetting, and authoritatively binding the identity of a human credential holder to an authenticator (who you are, what you know, what you have). Such cards are used at U.S. facilities across the globe including military installations, medical centers, and government buildingsincluding the Pentagon and the White House. In a statement, Glenn Taylor, VIRSIGs Executive Director mentioned, As technology evolves, the government has been seeking flexible solutions to meet changing technology needs and shift the focus from managing the lifecycle of physical credentials to the lifecycle of identities. The CSEIP certification has become the de facto standard prerequisite for both security manufacturers and system integrators. Over recent years, the Federal government has been making significant investments in technology infrastructure and scalable technology platforms to be better positioned to maintain the safety and well-being of the Federal workforce and the American public while supporting the continued delivery of vital mission services. This includes aggressively embracing technology to support their mission delivery processes, which VIRSIG is pleased to be part of. VIRSIG is professionally licensed and operates across the United States. It is a certified Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) which is also Minority-Owned (Native American). The company is registered in the GSAs System for Award Management (SAM) as a Small Disadvantaged Business (SDB). TORONTO - A large majority of Canadians are reluctant to do business with companies that suffer a data breach, according to a new study released Monday by KPMG.. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 28/9/2020 (481 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Lights on an internet switch are lit up as with users in an office in Ottawa, on February 10, 2011. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld TORONTO - A large majority of Canadians are reluctant to do business with companies that suffer a data breach, according to a new study released Monday by KPMG.. The report also says about one-quarter of the people surveyed for the report have had their login credentials stolen from a trusted site. The consulting firm's report is based on responses from 2,004 people surveyed online by the consulting firm between Sept. 15 and 18. KPMG conducted the poll about a month after the federal government revealed in August that thousands of stolen usernames and passwords had been used to apply for services. The Treasury Board of Canada has since announced that it uncovered suspicious activities on more than 48,000 Canada Revenue Agency accounts following cyberattacks that occurred in July and August. Among other things, the CRA managed access to federal financial support programs related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Online access was temporarily suspended but resumed by Aug. 19. Although KPMG didn't mention any specific incident, it did say cybersecurity threats had become more of a problem because the COVID-19 pandemic fuelled greater use of online accounts for working, shopping and connecting with other people. Hartaj Nijjar, a KPMG partner and national leader of its cybersecurity practice, said that organizations should take a harder look at the systems and protocols. "Cyber criminals are ruthless. Theyre after your identity, login credentials, money, and sensitive information, he said in a statement The KPMG poll, which comes ahead of a government-led national public awareness campaign, found evidence that data breaches can alienate customers. KPMG says 84 per cent of respondents would consider taking their business elsewhere if a company failed to keep their data safe. It also says 90 per cent of them said they were "leery" about sharing their personal or financial information with any organization that's had a data breach. Online polls can't be assigned a margin of error because they're not considered truly random. Ready, Pet, Go! Leesa Dahl looks at everything to do with our furry, fuzzy, feathered, fishy (and more!) pet friends. Arrives in your inbox each Monday. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. However, 54 per cent of the poll's respondents said they shop online more than they ever did pre-COVID-19. An equal number said they have received a lot more suspicious emails in the last six months. And, while 25 per cent of respondents overall said they'd had their login credentials stolen from a trusted site that was hacked, some subgroups were more susceptible than others. For instance, KPMG said 34 per cent of respondents aged 18 to 34 had suffered from stolen credentials. -- with files from CP reporter Jim Bronskill in Ottawa This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 28, 2020 ANKARA, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) -- The uncertainty caused by the coronavirus pandemic has affected mental health worldwide. In Turkey, citizens try to cope with their daily struggles through online therapy. Mental health professionals developed materials for parents and their children, burdened by high levels of stress and anxiety during lockdown restrictions, which ended in June, and made them available free of charge on the internet. Furthermore, they broadcasted live on social media in an effort to prevent misinformation from less reliable sources, helping people, including the elderly with chronic diseases, to solve these problems as well as offering advice on how they should continue their lives under lockdown. In order to avoid people having to attend hospital in person, telepsychiatry services were offered to people who required such intervention. Ayberk, a struggling musician from capital Ankara who requested to be anonymous, explained to Xinhua that he felt "terrified" by the possibility that he could be intubated in an hospital and eventually "become part of the statistic" if he died due to the COVID-19 outbreak. "Since I live with my mother, who is 70, I was very anxious during and after the lockdown. I was already slightly hypochondriac before and it got much worse, causing insomnia and other discomforts," he said. "I found some relief with online psychotherapy sessions administered by a group of psychologists that friends had recommended," he remarked. Tens of thousands of Turkish people have also contacted a newly created World Health Organization-backed helpline which supports those affected by mental health issues in the wake of COVID-19. "This support line was established to help people cope with stress caused by changes to their lives because of the COVID-19. It also assists individuals with chronic mental illnesses," said Esra Alatas, head of the Mental Health Department at Turkey's Ministry of Health. According to the ministry, the service reaches all of Turkey's 81 provinces and has provided more than 80,000 consultations to health workers and citizens since its launch in March. "We are able to treat patients for their physical effects of the coronavirus, but the disease has a clear visible impact on those who are already prone to mental issues," Gule Cinar, an Ankara-based doctor, told Xinhua. The specialist of infectious diseases indicated that even if the virus can be ultimately cured, patients develop different forms of anxiety disorders that would impact their daily lives and need therapies, which are not always available. "Some citizens are not aware because they did not experience it. But when you do, there are both biological and psychological impacts of the disease," Cinar stressed. The COVID-19 pandemic has caused stress, anxiety and worry to many individuals, arising both from the disease itself and from measures such as social distancing, the Turkish Psychiatrist Association said. Common causes of psychological stress during pandemics include fear of falling ill and dying, avoiding healthcare due to fear of being infected, fear of losing work and livelihoods, and depression, it noted in a report. Meanwhile, the work of volunteer therapists from a Turkish association was recently included in the leading academic journal Springer for their research on online therapy. The eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) method used by the Turkish EMDR Association Trauma Healing Group helps healthcare workers on the frontline in the fight against the outbreak, their families and civil servants overseeing the struggle. Emre Konuk, director of the group, told state-run Anadolu Agency that disasters and pandemics inflict massive damage but their program helps people gain experience in how to reduce suffering. "The pandemic changed the way we work ... the online method enabled us to reach out to people all across the country," Konuk said. Enditem [ Editor: ZY ] Fine Gael Senator Michael D'Arcy is resigning his seat in the Seanad to head up a lobby group for financial investment companies. Mr D'Arcy was Minister of State in the Department of Finance with responsibility for Financial Services and Insurance before he lost his Dail seat in the election. In a statement, the Wexford TD announced he is to become chief executive of the Irish Association of Investment Managers (IAIM). Mr D'Arcy said after a "period of reflection over the Summer" he decided to take a "step back from politics and public life" and tendered his resignation to Fine Gael leader and Tanaiste Leo Varadkar. I have had the privilege of representing the people of Wexford since 2003 and I sincerely thank them for giving me the opportunity to work with and for them," he said "I have made my fullest contribution to public life and now wish to start a new career which I can confirm will be with the Irish Association of Investment Managers. I will continue to be a proud supporter of Fine Gael and our party leader. I have no doubt that they will provide strong leadership and I wish my party colleagues success in the challenging times ahead," he added. Mr Varadkar said he is "sorry to lose" Mr D'Arcy from the Fine Gael party but said he could understand why he made the decision. I would have loved to have seen Michael return to the Dail as a TD and a Minister after the next election but understand that after 20 years in public life he wants to start a new chapter of his life. He will always be welcome should he decide to run for election again," he said. He will be sorely missed in the Oireachtas, and also in the party where he has made many friends and which he has served so faithfully. His new employers are fortunate to recruit someone of his calibre. This decision will create a vacancy in the Seanad on the agricultural panel. The party has initiated the process of selecting our candidate to contest the by-election that will now arise," he added. Standards in Public Office legislation ban officer holders from taking up lobbying roles for at least a year after they resign their position. However, they are permitted to apply for an exemption from this rule. It is unclear at present if Mr D'Arcy was granted an exemption so he could take up the role. A Fine Gael source said Mr D'Arcy plans to take up the role immediately after he informed Mr Varadkar last night. The Standards in Public Office Commission (Sipo) said they cannot comment on "individual compliance matters". However, Sipo said officer holders can apply to the Commission to waive or reduce the cooling off period they are required to adhere to when leaving office. "In considering whether to grant a request to waive/reduce the cooling-off period, the Commission considers a number of factors with regard to the public interest," a spokesperson said. "Office holders are required to 'avoid any real or apparent conflict of interest with the office they formerly occupied', and 'should act in a way which ensures it could not be reasonably concluded that an office holder was influenced by the hope or expectation of future employment with the firm or organisation concerned or that an unfair advantage would be conferred in a new appointment by virtue of, for example, access to official information the office holder previously enjoyed,'" she added. WASHINGTON The confirmation of Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court quietly but hastily got underway in the Senate on Monday, as more than a dozen senators prepared to quiz her in private meetings and their staffs began a deep scrub of her record on and off the bench. The flurry of activity, barely 36 hours after President Trump announced Judge Barretts nomination, is the latest sign that Republicans plan to move with speed unseen in other recent confirmation fights to ensure the seat vacated by the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is filled before Election Day, giving conservatives a 6 to 3 majority. The White House planned to send paperwork to the Senate formally nominating Judge Barrett, a Notre Dame law professor and appeals court judge in Chicago, on Tuesday, when lawmakers reconvene after the Jewish high holidays. She was also scheduled to begin courtesy visits to Senators Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the majority leader who championed her selection; Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, the chairman of the Judiciary Committee; and many Republicans on the panel. Some top Democrats, still steaming over Republicans rush to fill the seat so close to an election, turned down offers to meet, laying the first bricks in a wall of opposition to the nomination they plan to erect in the coming weeks. Others pledged to use the meetings to begin pressing Judge Barrett to explain her views on politically divisive issues that could come before the court, like abortion rights, gay rights, the Affordable Care Act and affirmative action. LOUISVILLE, Ky. - A Kentucky man who authorities accuse of requesting $30,000 to shoot police officers in Louisville in a social media video while he was brandishing a gun has been arrested. According to a criminal complaint, Cortez Lamont Edwards, of Louisville, made the statements Wednesday on a Facebook Live video, the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Western District of Kentucky said in a statement. Authorities said Edwards, 29, was requesting the money to shoot officers who were in the street in front of his residence during a disturbance. Federal and local authorities executed a search warrant on Edwards home on Sunday and found him sleeping on a couch. The statement said authorities also found a gun on that couch, and a toddler in the house. An investigation revealed that Edwards was a convicted felon, and he has been charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm. It is not clear if Edwards had an attorney who could comment. Louisville needs healing and safety for its citizens, not armed felons seeking bids to shoot police, U.S. Attorney Russell Coleman said in the statement. Louisville police thanked authorities on Twitter after Edwards arrest was announced, saying the actions of this person were unacceptable! If convicted, Edwards could face up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Two officers were shot and wounded Wednesday night during the demonstrations in Louisville expressing anger over the killings of Black people at the hands of police. Other cities across the U.S. have also seen protests after a Kentucky grand jury brought no charges against Louisville police for Breonna Taylors death. Taylor, a Black emergency medical worker, died when she was shot multiple times by white officers who entered her home during a narcotics investigation in March. If this werent disturbing enough, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention wants to send the puppies back to Jordan. Never mind what fate may await them at the hands of those who shipped them with what the CDC says was fraudulent paperwork. The puppies would go back on the same airline, Royal Jordanian Airlines, that has been issued citations for animal neglect in this case. The CDC says the dogs have to be deported because they didnt meet U.S. requirements for rabies vaccinations. BEIJING, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- China supports the important role of the United Nations in the global fight against COVID-19 and stands ready to enhance communication and coordination with the UN system, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Monday. Wang made the remarks in a phone conversation with Volkan Bozkir, president of the 75th session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA). He congratulated Bozkir on assuming presidency of the 75th session of the UNGA, saying that as the year 2020 marks the 75th anniversary of the UN's founding, this year's UNGA session carries special significance. Chinese President Xi Jinping attended high-level meetings of the UN via videoconference earlier and delivered important speeches, Wang said, noting that in his remarks, the Chinese president advocated multilateralism, safeguarded the UN's core position, called for strengthening and improving global governance to build a community with a shared future for mankind, and offered China's solutions to various traditional and nontraditional challenges. Facing the new impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, all countries should stand in greater solidarity to form a global anti-epidemic force, the Chinese foreign minister said. China supports the UN in playing an important role to achieve this goal and is willing to strengthen communication and coordination with the UN system, jointly oppose any actions that politicize the pandemic and label the virus and stick to the right direction of international anti-COVID-19 cooperation, Wang said. China appreciates the fact that Bozkir prioritizes the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development as this meets the common desire of the vast majority of countries, in particular the developing countries, Wang said. Poverty reduction and alleviation are the most important goals of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, Wang said, hoping that sustainable development will be given a bigger priority on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the UN's founding. Now the world has entered the era of connectivity, Wang said, unilateralism, protectionism and isolationism have no way out in the global village and cannot last either. A big country does not mean more power, but more responsibility, he said. The Chinese foreign minister noted that China, as a permanent member of the UN Security Council, will firmly support the international system with the UN at its core and firmly hold the international order based on international law. Bozkir said that, as the current chair of the UNGA, he will focus on pushing forward the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development towards its goals, be dedicated to eliminating poverty and helping countries in need, especially small and medium-sized countries. Strengthening and safeguarding multilateralism is a priority of the UNGA, and China is an advocate and important cooperation partner of multilateralism, Bozkir said, adding that he is expecting to strengthen coordination with China in this regard. Winnipeg continues to grow as a COVID-19 hot spot with 92 new cases identified in the city by public health officials over the weekend. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 28/9/2020 (481 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. This 2020 electron microscope image made available by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases shows a Novel Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 particle isolated from a patient, in a laboratory in Fort Detrick, Md. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-NIAID/NIH via AP Winnipeg continues to grow as a COVID-19 hot spot with 92 new cases identified in the city by public health officials over the weekend. Today marks the first day Winnipeg and the surrounding municipalities are returning to more public health orders and restrictions, mandated under the provinces pandemic response system as Winnipeg is escalated to a code orange designation. The move was announced Friday by the provinces chief provincial public health officer, Dr. Brent Roussin, along with the decision to mandate masks in indoor public spaces, and limit indoor and outdoor gatherings to 10 people. "We need to ensure we are making careful choices about who we are spending time with, the nature of that time, as well as the amount of people," Roussin said Friday. Fifty-one new cases were identified across the province Sunday, with 36 of them identified in the capital. Eight cases were found in the InterlakeEastern health region, four in the Southern Health region, two in the Northern Health region, and a single case in the Prairie Mountain Health region. Of the 65 new cases Saturday, 56 were in Winnipeg. Public health officials also notified the public Sunday of another two possible COVID-19 exposures at Winnipeg schools. An individual attended Ecole Precieux-Sang (209 Kenny St.) while possibly infectious on Sept. 18. The same day, health officials say another individual who was possibly infectious attended Sisler High School. Officials said the risk of exposure in both cases is low and noted the infections were not acquired at the school. Anyone identified as a close contact will be contacted and provided further instructions regarding self-isolation and testing, officials said in letters to parents. St. Johns-Ravenscourt School and John W. Gunn Middle School were added to the list of possible school-related exposures on Saturday. In both instances, transmission of the virus to the infected individual did not occur at the school. An outbreak was declared at the Heritage Lodge Long Term Care Home on Portage Avenue in Winnipeg over the weekend. The outbreak moves the facility to a red (or critical) restriction level in the provinces pandemic response system. According to the system, red indicates "the virus is being transmitted at levels that public health and the health system cannot manage" and that "extensive community transmission is occurring." More widely, Winnipegs code orange status and regulations will be in place for a minimum of 28 days. While Roussin did not mandate the closure of restaurants and bars last week, he did leave open the possibility of new restrictions being implemented this week to try and stymie the citywide outbreak. Roussin has identified bars as being a part of the problem. He said in one instance a single individual who went to several bars had possibly infected as many as 36 other people. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. "We know that even though there are a number of young individuals acquiring the virus in the Winnipeg region, no ones risk is truly their own," Roussin said last week. "These individuals will bring it back home to perhaps younger siblings, to older grandparents or older contacts or people who are more high risk." Roussin is also concerned about the growth of the test positivity rate (the fraction of tests that come back positive) which on Sunday was 2.2 per cent. It was 2.3 Saturday and as high as 2.6 per cent last week. Winnipeg and Manitoba are far from the only places in the country struggling with a second wave of novel coronavirus cases. On Sunday Ontario reported 491 new COVID-19 cases, the highest daily jump seen since early May. with files from The Canadian Press sarah.lawrynuik@freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @SarahLawrynuik By Akbar Mammadov President Ilham Aliyev has signed an order on introducing partial mobilization across Azerbaijan, the presidents website said on September 28. The order will enter into force today. ccording to the order, the State Service for Mobilization and Conscription of Azerbaijan must ensure the conscription of military officials for mobilization and the implementation of measures arising from the military-transport duty in accordance with the approved plans. It should be noted that earlier, on September 27, Azerbaijan declared martial law that includes a curfew in several cities between 09:00 pm and 06:00 am. President Ilham Aliyev signed a relevant decree on martial law on September 27 after Armenia launched an attack on Azerbaijans army positions and civilians along the entire line of contact. According to the decree, the martial law was declared due to Armenias regular military provocations and due to the occupation of Azerbaijans Nagorno-Karabakh region and the surrounding districts. During the martial law, curfew shall be introduced from 21:00 to 06:00 in Baku, Ganja, Sumgayit, Yevlakh, Mingachevir, Naftalan, Absheron, Jabrayil, Fuzuli, Aghjabadi, Beylagan, Aghdam, Barda, Tartar, Goranboy, Goygol, Dashkasan, Gadabay, Tovuz, Shamkir, Gazakh and Aghstafa. The curfew prohibits persons from being on the street and in other public places without special permits and identity documents. It also implies the application of a special entry-exit regime and taking measures to restrict the movement of vehicles. Seven Azerbaijani villages and strategic positions and the Murov peak in the Murov mountain were liberated in the Azerbaijani armys counter-strike on September 27. --- Akbar Mammadov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @AkbarMammadov97 Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz Finding a good insurance company can be quite difficult. Nevertheless, drivers who know what to do and where to look can easily find a reliable insurance provider that can satisfy their needs, said Russell Rabichev, Marketing Director of Internet Marketing Company. Compare-autoinsurance.org has launched a new blog post that explains how drivers can find a reliable car insurance company. For more info and free auto insurance quotes, visit https://compare-autoinsurance.org/tips-to-find-a-good-car-insurance-carrier/ Drivers looking for car insurance should ensure that they are also choosing a reliable insurance company. While drivers need a reliable vehicle, they also need a reliable insurer. A reliable insurance company will be able to provide the services the policyholder pays for it. Finding a reliable car insurance company is not an easy task. While looking for a reliable car insurance company, drivers should consider the next tips: Avoid being scammed. Before looking for insurance, drivers can avoid being scammed by checking several sites that report scamming attempts and scams. Insurance providers that want to sell policies in a state are required to have a license. Drivers can check the local Department of Insurance website in order to find out what insurance companies are licensed to sell policies in their areas. Search for financially strong providers. Insurance carriers that are financially strong will have no problems to pay the claims made by their customers. Some independent rating agencies can help drivers find out which insurer is financially strong. A.M. Best, Moodys, Fitch, and Standard & Poors are known for the accuracy of their ratings. Pick an insurer that has a high customer satisfaction rating. Every year J.D. Power is releasing a US auto insurance study. J.D. Power is rating the car insurance companies on this list based on interaction, policy offerings, price, billing process, and policy information, and claims. Choose an insurance company that has few complaints. Drivers can visit the Better Business Bureau site to find the complaint ratios of insurance companies. Insurance providers are rated from A+ to F. For additional info, money-saving tips and free car insurance quotes, visit https://compare-autoinsurance.org/ Compare-autoinsurance.org is an online provider of life, home, health, and auto insurance quotes. This website is unique because it does not simply stick to one kind of insurance provider, but brings the clients the best deals from many different online insurance carriers. In this way, clients have access to offers from multiple carriers all in one place: this website. On this site, customers have access to quotes for insurance plans from various agencies, such as local or nationwide agencies, brand names insurance companies, etc. Secretary-General of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Vladimir Norov has issued the following statement on the escalation in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone: The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation is extremely concerned with the developments in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone. We hope that the opposing parties will soon step back from using force and begin negotiations based on the principle of peaceful resolution of disputes for the sake of ensuring security and stability in the region. We confirm our readiness to further expand multilateral and multi-sectoral cooperation with Azerbaijan and Armenia as our partners in the SCO dialogue in the context of strengthening mutual trust, friendship and neighbourly relations across Eurasia. Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain Google will halt election advertising after the polls officially close for the U.S. presidential election, a move designed to limit false messages about the outcome of the contest. The largest internet company said advertisers will not be able to run ads referencing candidates, the election or its outcome, according to an email viewed by Bloomberg News. The policy, which is designed to block all ads related to the election, also applies to YouTube, the biggest online video service. Google also said advertisers should expect to wait at least two days for political ads to be approved in the lead up to the election. With its new policy, the company is treating the election as a "sensitive event," such as natural disasters, where it prohibits ads that may capitalize on tragedies. Axios reported the change earlier. "Given the likelihood of delayed election results this year, when polls close on November 3, we will pause ads referencing the 2020 election, the candidates or its outcome," a Google spokeswoman said in a statement. "This is a temporary measure, and we'll notify advertisers when this policy is lifted." Tech platforms are rushing to rewrite policies to ensure that campaign ads do not mislead voters. Facebook Inc. will block campaigns from submitting new ads in the week leading up to Election Day. Twitter Inc. has banned all political ads. President Donald Trump accused Twitter and Facebook of political bias after their decisions. In contrast, Google's decision on Friday didn't produce immediate outrage. "I don't buy many fireworks on the 5th of July," said Will Ritter, founder of Poolhouse, a digital ad firm that works with Republicans. Since May of 2018, Google has sold more than $432 million of political ads, according to the company's database. Earlier this year, the Trump campaign bid successfully to run ads on YouTube's homepage leading up the election, Bloomberg News reported. 2020 Bloomberg News Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Labour MP Claudia Webbe has insisted she is innocent of any wrongdoing after the Crown Prosecution Service announced she has been charged with an offence of harassment. The representative for Leicester East, who was elected at the 2019 December general election, is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates Court on 11 November. It is understood that she has been suspended from the Labour Party, and from the party whip in the House of Commons, pending the outcome of the case. In a statement, Jenny Hopkins of the CPS, said: "The CPS has today decided that Claudia Webbe, MP for Leicester East, should be charged with an offence of harassment against one female. "The CPS made the decision after receiving a file of evidence from the Metropolitan Police. "Criminal proceedings against Ms Webbe are now active and she has the right to a fair trial. It is extremely important that there should be no reporting, commentary or sharing of information online which could in any way prejudice these proceedings." The CPS said Ms Webb, 55, faces once count of harassment between 1 September 2018 and 26 April 2020. Responding to the decision, the Labour MP said: I am innocent of any wrongdoing and look forward to proving this in court. I will be vigorously defending myself against these claims. Ms Webbe, formerly an Islington councillor and member of Labours National Executive Committee (NEC), became an MP just last year after the long-standing MP Keith Vaz resigned his seat at the winter election. She won 50.8 per cent of the vote share in December, but Labours considerable majority in the constituency was slashed from over 22,000 in 2017 to just 6,000 votes last year. Ms Webbe also unsuccessfully ran to be Labours candidate in the Lewisham East by-election in 2018 and prior to that was a policy adviser to the former mayor of London, Ken Livingstone. A Labour Party spokesperson said: "It would not be appropriate to comment on an ongoing case." Private schools have little or no reporting requirements for coronavirus, but in many locations they are the only ones to open. These private schools are an opportunity to learn about what might happen when public schools open in these areas, but only if we have data. This fragmentation means there is no centralized location to look for the context we need. But it also provides opportunities: Since there is so much individual decision-making, there is enormous variation across the country in school reopening plans. This variation provides an opportunity to learn about the effectiveness of different reopening strategies. But, again, only if we have the data. We are starting to get the data in, and its available in a public dashboard, here. Our Qualtrics team is analyzing it, but it can also be analyzed directly, by anyone. We have data from about 400,000 children in more than 700 schools across 48 states, while the total K-12 population in the United States is about 56 million. So we have a way to go. About 123,000 of those children are in person on an average day, along with 47,000 staff members. And we have information on Covid-19 cases, at least in the first weeks of school. So far, the numbers are small. In our data, as of Sunday, confirmed case rates in students are 0.073 percent and, in staff, 0.14 percent. That means, in a school of 1,350 students youd expect one case every two weeks and, in a staff of 100, one case about every 14 weeks. These numbers are about three times as high if we include suspected cases. The top-line numbers are usually what people ask about first, but by starting with the context we can look at all sorts of additional information. For example: In some school districts, staff are working in person and students are not in person. Staff suspected and confirmed case rates in these schools look similar to schools that have students in person (although all are low), which suggests that staff may be spreading the coronavirus to each other, or these cases may be the result of general community spread. Another simple finding: Private schools in our data have lower infection rates, which seems to reflect, at least in part, their demographics and the fact that they do more mitigation. Data with more context can also reveal the relative frequency of coronavirus prevention policies (masks are the most common, while routine staff testing is very uncommon) and give information on the use of different learning models. 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With polls less than two years away, it is easy to see why political parties dare not risk the anger of farmers The three agriculture-related laws which on Sunday received the assent of President Ram Nath Kovind have sparked protests from farmers in many parts of the country. Perhaps nowhere have the agitations been fiercer than in the state of Punjab. All major political parties in the state, except the BJP, have now unanimously condemned the laws. Even the BJP's former ally Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), which initially supported the legislative changes, now stands firmly against them, and even left the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) over the issue. In fact, the SAD went so far as to demand that Chief Minister Amarinder Singh declare the entire state as a 'Principal Market Yard' in order to nullify the effect of the law limiting the powers of the Agriculture Produce Marketing Committees (APMCs). The SAD leaving the NDA, combined with the rise of the AAP in Punjab, has complicated the political equation. An article in The Print noted that the Akali Dal could benefit enormously from the move in the 2022 Assembly election. In recent years, it had been on the backfoot over allegations that it did not take action over the desecration of the Guru Granth Sahib in 2015. "The Akalis were facing an existential crisis and this is their last ditch bid to revive themselves, the article in The Print quoted professor Ashutosh Kumar, Department of Political Science, Panjab University, Chandigarh, as saying. With polls less than two years away, it is easy to see why political parties dare not risk the anger of farmers. Over the past few days, cultivators blocked several roads, held a rail roko agitation and organised tractor rallies over the three laws. On Friday, the agitation even forced buses run by the State-owned Pepsu Road Transport to go off the roads on Friday. While the government has accused the Opposition of misleading farmers, the protesters have strenuously denied such claims. An NDTV report quoted Sarwan Singh Pandher, Punjab state secretary of Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Samiti as saying, "Prime Minister Narendra Modi is blaming the Opposition for instigating us. This is not correct. We have read the ordinances (now laws). The corporates have pushed prime minister Modi to introduce these changes. We are getting support from farmers across the country; this is a very big people's movement." Why are Punjab cultivators particularly angry? In order to understand why many farmers are concerned about the legal changes, one needs to first understand what the laws state. The three laws that have now been passed by the Parliament are the Farmers Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020, and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020. While the first law allows farmers to sell their produce outside the Agriculture Produce Marketing Committee (APMC), the second one provides a framework allowing farmers to enter into contract farming. The third law allows traders to stock food articles freely without the fear of being prosecuted for hoarding. One of the fears of the farmers is that the laws may be the first step towards the dismantling of the minimum support price (MSP) regime. As agricultural expert Ajay Vir Jakhar noted in an interview, cultivators in Punjab and Haryana stand to gain more from the present MSP system, which is why it is more of a concern in these states. An article in Down To Earth magazine noted that the network of mandis in Punjab includes 153 principal yards, 284 sub-yards and 1,443 purchase centres. It is for this reason that most political parties in Punjab are rallying behind protesting farmers. Here is how political parties in Punjab apart from the BJP have responded to the laws that have recently been passed: Congress Punjab chief minister and Congress leader Captain Amarinder Singh has strongly resisted the legislations, and is participating in a dharna today. The protest is at Khatkar Kalan, the ancestral village of Bhagat Singh on the freedom fighter's birth anniversary. Amarinder, in an op-ed for Indian Express, said the laws "hide more than they reveal." He wrote, "They give the poor small and marginal farmers of India (constituting over 85 percent of Indias farmers) no assurance of protection of their interests, their livelihoods, and their future. They make no mention whatsoever of the Minimum Support Price (MSP) regime, which is the lifeline of these poor farmers and their key to survival, as also the survival of the nations agriculture sector." The Punjab chief minister has also said that the state government will approach the Supreme Court to challenge the laws. Earlier this month, some Congress MPs from Punjab also burnt copies of the laws brought in by the government inside the Parliament Complex. Akali Dal The Shiromani Akali Dal had initially voiced support for the legal changes when they were introduced as Ordinances. Party leader Sukhbir Singh Badal, sharing his correspondence with Union Agriculture Minister Narender Singh Tomar with the media, had claimed that the three ordinances were not a threat to the Minimum Support Price system. He had said he received categorical clarification from Prime Minister Narendra Modi that the MSP system will continue to be a priority. He had also slammed Congress for trying to 'mislead the farmers' about the ordinances. However, Akali Dal changed its stance when the extent of opposition among farmers became clear. On 17 September, Harsimrat Kaur Badal resigned from the Union Cabinet in protest against the laws. She said that her resignation symbolises her "party's vision, its glorious legacy and its commitment to go to any extent to safeguard the interests of farmers". On 26 September, the Akali Dal, one of the oldest constituents of the NDA, quit the alliance, becoming the third major party to walk out of the BJP-led coalition in the last couple of years. Aam Aadmi Party Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) strongly opposed the laws when they were being discussed in Parliament, with party MP Sanjay Singh being one of the eight MPs suspended for 'misbehaviour'. Last week, AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal said, "There are obvious problems and loopholes in the Bills. Farmers across the country are protesting and you cannot say they all have been misled. Moreover, the way the voting (on the Bills) was done in Rajya Sabha is questionable and condemnable." The AAP, which is the main Opposition party in Punjab, had supported the 25 September "bandh" call given by various farmers' outfits against the legal changes. Last week, a party delegation led by AAP MLA Harpal Singh Cheema and in-charge of Punjab affairs Jarnail Singh handed Punjab governor VP Singh Badnore a memorandum to give President Ram Nath Kovind, which urged him to withhold his assent. With inputs from PTI PHOENIX Firefighters were working Monday to get a grip on a wind-whipped wildfire north of Phoenix that has destroyed several structures including at four homes and 10 outbuildings. The blaze, which was first reported Friday afternoon in the Tonto National Forest, grew to more than 22 square miles (57 square kilometers) by Monday night with 15% containment after crews did some burnout operations. Fire officials said the wildfire, burning in grass and brush, grew by 5 square miles (13 square kilometers) from Sunday night. Its cause remains under investigation. Some residents who evacuated were leaving summer homes. Crews continue to set backfires to help protect structures and other assets near Cave Creek. Firefighters are focused on suppressing flames on the fires northern side. They have already done some burn-out operations on the south side. Those in the area can expect to see more smoke and fire activity. Crews are also dealing with a forecasted high of more than 100 degrees, dry heat and winds more than 10 mph. No injuries have been reported, but Forest Service officials said the Humboldt Lookout and FAA communication equipment remain threatened. The wildfire also forced the shutdown of access to Bartlett Lake, a popular recreation spot. Ontarios health minister said the government will tackle the excessive use of nerve blocks billed to the provincial health system, a problem the premier called shocking. A Star investigation published Monday revealed some Ontario doctors unparalleled use of the controversial injections to treat chronic pain, prompting responses from both Christine Elliott and Doug Ford at Queens Park. I know there have been some situations where there have been an excessive use of the number of nerve blocks, and that is something we are absolutely going to follow up on, Elliott said. We want to make sure that every cent that goes into health care is going to be used for the proper purposes and for the people who really need the help, she added. The Star found top-billing pain doctors capitalize on Ontarios lax limits on nerve blocks, giving patients weekly injections despite medical guidelines saying the procedure should be done no more than once every three months. The Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP) has paid out more than $420 million for these kinds of nerve blocks since 2011 despite a scarcity of evidence to show regular, repeat injections are an effective way to treat chronic pain. The Star revealed that one doctor, Hany Demian, billed OHIP for giving a single patient 1,999 nerve blocks over three years, contributing to the nearly $8.4 million hes billed for the injections since 2014. He did not respond to requests for comment. In fiscal year 2017/18 alone, Demian billed the province for doing more than 38,300 nerve block procedures. To put that in perspective, the government of British Columbia says all of its doctors combined did only 55,595 nerve block and epidural procedures that same year. It was shocking when I read the story, Premier Ford commented. It really brought light on whats going on in some cases. Elliott said the government has been working with the Ontario Medical Association (OMA) and the joint government-OMA Appropriateness Working Group to restrict or delist medical services deemed low-value or unnecessary. These kinds of nerve blocks are among the treatments being discussed, she said. The working groups deliberations were paused earlier this year because of the pandemic. Negotiations between the government and OMA for a new fee contract are scheduled to begin in October. The billings are not the doctors take-home pay and do not take into account the often-hefty overhead costs for physicians equipment, staff salaries and rent. After past attempts to rein in nerve block billings failed, the province in 2018 proposed capping the number of blocks a person can get to 16 a year from the current limit of eight per patient, per day. The government says the cap could save OHIP more than $50 million a year. However, doctors at pain clinics warned the new restrictions would put many of them out of business, leaving vulnerable patients unable to access an important treatment for chronic pain a debilitating condition that impacts one in five Canadians. The chronic pain section of the OMA, which operates as a union for doctors, told the Star it wants to work with the government to help in their goals of finding savings, while also ensuring patient care isnt negatively affected. The OMA pain section said it has countered with its own proposal that advocates for procedural limits, appropriateness of patient visits along with fee code modernization, but did not provide specific details, saying it had signed a non-disclosure agreement with the government. In light of (the Stars) story, we have re-submitted the proposal for the Ministrys consideration and hope they can review and approve as soon as possible so we can fix any problems there may be, the statement said. The section strongly condemns anyone who may bill inappropriately and we have presented the government with a proposal that we believe will ensure that doesnt happen, the statement said. Two former OMA presidents added their voices to the chorus of people calling for reforms, saying the problem of ballooning nerve block billings has dragged on for too long. Its past time that we overhaul the way chronic, nonmalignant pain is treated. We need an evidence-informed model that puts patients needs at the centre, said Dr. Scott Wooder. Dr. Doug Weir said the issue came up during contract negotiations in 2004, 2008 and 2012. But the problem cannot simply be solved at the bargaining table by adjusting the fee schedule, Weir said. He said the government has not had the political will to properly fund the treatment of chronic pain. At the same time some pain docs make money on injections, there is still inadequate funding for chronic pain clinics that offer a range of services including (those of) other health professionals, he said, referring to social workers, psychologists and physiotherapists. Multiple Canadian and U.S. pain experts said they were appalled by the high use of repeated nerve blocks by some Ontario physicians, saying it is not in line with medical training and appears to be motivated by financial incentives to maximize billings. Dr. Ganesh Ram, medical director of the InMedic pain clinic chain and vice-chair of the OMAs pain section, said clinics like his focus on people with conditions such as fibromyalgia, which often encompasses their whole body. It stands to reason that these patients require a higher number of peripheral nerve blocks, he said. As there is no cure for chronic pain these procedures are continued based on individual patients requirements. Ram said empirical evidence for pain management procedures is generally limited, and while there is some evidence to suggest benefits of peripheral nerve blocks, it is not considered gold standard. The OMAs chronic pain section said its difficult to study chronic pain and that it wants to work with the government to ensure more studies are done. Theresa Boyle is a Toronto-based reporter covering health for the Star. Reach her at tboyle@thestar.ca . Follow her on Twitter: @theresaboyle Read more about: As of Sept. 20, the local chapter has raised $28,284 of its $70,000 goal, but given everything that has happened, volunteers are still grateful to have received that kind of support, Epps said. It has just been a tough year for everyone, so people have done what they have been able to do. Sometimes you have instances where people want to give, and honestly they just tell us they cant this year. They will support us in the future, but they cant this year, and we totally understand, she said. Still, not having the big walks has been difficult, because Relay means so much to so many different people, Epps said. She is a member of Team Ebony, which was formed in 2014 in Powhatan in honor of her niece Ebony Johnson, who died in 2016 at age 35. There was already a corresponding team in Gwinnett County, Georgia, where Johnson lived. She visited family and fell in love with Powhatan and asked relatives here to start their own team to join the cause. When someone you love is diagnosed with cancer, sometimes it is difficult to know what to say or do, Epps said. But when you can come out and walk a track or light a luminaria in someones honor, it is another way to demonstrate you care. RENSSELAER Airlines and Amtrak are preparing for deep cutbacks in capacity and staffing as federal programs to support continuing operations expire. At Amtrak, as many as 2,050 jobs are to be eliminated. U.S. airlines, meanwhile, plan to cut as many as 35,000 positions. What has this meant for the traveler? At Albany International Airport, the average number of daily flights fell from nearly 45 in January to just 21.4 this month. The available seats fell to 63,168 for the current month from 141,803 back in January. Despite the looming layoffs, local airport officials may hope the worst is behind them. "We have not been notified of any staffing or service reductions as of Oct. 1st," airport spokesman Doug Myers said Monday. But passenger volumes nationwide are down 70 percent, and nearly 1,800 aircraft, nearly 30 percent of the fleet, are idle, according to the trade group Airlines For America. Amtrak, meanwhile, is slowly rebuilding service out of Albany, from six round-trips to New York City in the spring as the Covid 19 pandemic was peaking to 10 round-trips currently, said Bruce Becker, former president of the Empire State Passengers Association, a rail advocacy group. Before the pandemic, Amtrak typically operated 13 round trips. Some of the curtailments are beyond Amtrak's control. Canada closed the border with the United States as the pandemic in this country spread, and two international services, the Adirondack to Montreal and the Maple Leaf to Toronto, now operate no farther north than Albany and Niagara Falls, respectively. Meanwhile, Vermont officials feared that the Ethan Allen service originating in New York City would pose a similar threat. That train continues to go no farther north than Albany. Airlines and Amtrak have tried a number of approaches to ensure passenger safety and encourage them to travel. United last Thursday said it would start offering Covid-19 rapid tests to passengers en route to Hawaii from San Francisco beginning Oct. 15, as a way for them to meet quarantine entry requirements. Passengers could also use a self-collected mail-in rapid test before their trip. The airline said this effort was a pilot program that could be expanded to other popular global destinations. Amtrak, meanwhile, has begun touting its bedrooms and roomettes as a way for passengers to social distance themselves. The Lake Shore Limited is the only train through the Capital Region that offers such a feature. When airline and Amtrak assistance were being discussed last spring, Congress may have thought the economy would be recovering by now. But the virus continues to spread. Currently, visitors from 33 states, plus Guam and Puerto Rico, face a 14-day quarantine after arriving in New York state. eanderson@timesunion.com Appointment 28 September 2020 Virginie Rouault has 10+ years experience in the travel and hospitality industry specializing in Business Travel. She has combined experiences within hotel chains such as Louvre Hotels Group and a TMCs like Egencia which helped her to develop a 360 vision of the corporate travel. Virginie is currently heading the Sales Team at citizenM, a new breed of hotel disrupting the traditional hotel model to give modern travelers what they want. Virginie is leading a reamote team of sales and account managers for United Kingdom, Netherlands, France, Switzerland and the Nordics, looking after 14 hotels. Virginie Rouault's appointment to WHTT is further the organisation's mission to support, inspire and promote women and underrepresented groups within the hospitality and travel technology industry. With international tourist arrivals projected to plunge by 60 to 80 percent in 2020, there are as many 120 million jobs at risks. WHTT mission to enable professional growth for women and underrepresented groups via education, mentorship and career development. WHTT believes that by inspiring communities to enter the industry and organizations to leverage and retain in the sector, will create more diverse and inclusive leadership. Virginie will take WHTT's mission to the next level by taking the global strategy and applying it locally. Here are todays top news, analysis and opinion. Know all about the latest news and other news updates from Hindustan Times. Centre drops offset clause in govt-to-govt deal in new weapons buying policy This overrides the offset policy that required foreign vendors to invest in the country to boost indigenous capabilities at least 30% (it could go up to 50%) of the value of all contracts worth more than Rs 300 crore awarded to them. Read more Sonia Gandhi urges Congress-ruled states to override Centres farm laws The opposition party is citing the BJP governments move in 2015 when it asked party-ruled states to bring their own laws to override the land acquisition act of 2013 passed during the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) tenure for boosting infrastructure development. Read more Chandrababu Naidu told to move out of riverfront Amaravati bungalow, served notice For the second consecutive year, the residence of Telugu Desam Party president and former Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu on the Krishna riverfront at Vundavalli in Amaravati is facing a submergence threat due to heavy inflow into the river from upstream. Read more IPL 2020: Hes a captain in the making - KXIP co-owner Ness Wadias huge praise for star performer Kings XI Punjab captain KL Rahul showcased his talent with the bat when he hammered an unbeaten 132 runs in 69 balls against Royal Challengers Bangalore last week. Read more Nokia 5.3 review: This phone has a lot of catching up to do Nokia 5.3 is the latest offering from HMD Global in India. But the phone faces stiff competition from its growing rivals. Read more Jeff Daniels interview: The Comey Rule star discusses if the show can sway the US elections, spell doom for Donald Trump Jeff Daniels, who plays former FBI director James Comey in the miniseries The Comey Rule, discusses if the show can have an impact on the mind of American voters ahead of the US presidential elections. Read more Will Covid-19 pandemic normal become just plain normal? One feature of the Covid-19 Era is how much the standard ways of seeing and doing things have been remixed and turned upside down. The obvious question is then whether people will decide to make these new arrangements permanent or return to the old. Read more SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON PARAMOUNT, Calif., Sept. 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The City of Paramount, California, and Paramount Unified School District (PUSD) partner with PAPER to provide access to unlimited, 24/7 online tutoring to all students in grades 4-12. The partnership fills the need for equitable, round-the-clock learning support for PUSD students. "The city and the school district have a history of working together in groundbreaking ways. We both serve the same community, after all," said City Manager John Moreno, regarding the city's decision to help PUSD bring in Paper. At PUSD, a 95% free & reduced lunch rate and an elevated rate of ELLs meant a pronounced need for at-home learning support. On Paper's online platform, students get multilingual live help and essay review for all subjects from trained, qualified tutors. Moreover, teachers and administrators get full access to student activity on the platform, which helps target their instruction. Superintendent Dr. Ruth Perez stated, "The feedback we receive from parents often indicates that their students need more personalized support. Paper meets this need perfectly." Assistant Superintendent Dr. Ryan Smith, leading the district's educational services, realized the value of providing anytime, anywhere support. With countless distractions, frustrations, and responsibilities facing students at home, Dr. Smith said that "providing support to our students whenever they need it 24/7 in both English and Spanish, is a true game-changer for us all." Read Dr. Ryan Smith's tweet here. By helping deliver unlimited access to Paper for PUSD students this year, Paramount city officials will help close the divide between those who can afford private tutoring and those who cannot. "Paper is proud to partner with a community like Paramount. They squarely share our vision and mission that every child should have the opportunity to reach their academic potential. To see the community come together so quickly is inspiring and highlights the strength of relationships between our schools and municipalities within which they operate," said Philip Cutler, Chief Executive Officer of Paper. "As part of the profound value we place on education, and in light of our long and sturdy partnership with the district, the city lent whatever support we could to this program without hesitation," Mayor Peggy Lemons said. There was an acknowledgment by city officials that the school district had already made impressive strides in managing the current crisis, and they were committed to help take that further. PUSD Governing Board President, Vivian Hansen, also went on to explain the long term value that Paper brings to PUSD students and families: "This service will be a valuable resource for all of our students during distance learning, and when we return to in-person learning." "The school district has reacted to this ever-changing landscape swiftly, and with creativity. Connecting with Paper for these extensive tutoring services is another sign of how PUSD is offering what our students need to meet the current challenges," the Mayor added. Such partnerships have helped schools deliver crucial resources this year, such as devices, WiFi , library services , and publicly televised lessons . The support provided by the City Council to Paramount USD to adopt Paper is yet another example of how critical partnerships are in providing equitable, scalable resources to communities. Learn more about how Paper is complementing districts' 2020-21 plans here . About PAPER Founded in 2014, Paper is an Educational Support System (ESS) providing students with 24/7 live help & essay review, and teachers with real-time feedback and intervention tools. Paper partners with districts across North America to close the achievement gap and support educational equity. Further information about Paramount USD is available here. For further information, please contact: Jacob Geller Director of Partnerships PAPER 1-438-523-2350 [email protected] SOURCE Paper Education Company Inc. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Editorial Board (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Mon, September 28, 2020 08:16 481 e22cd4161040e111d73a5626c4796d5d 1 Editorial healthcare,Indonesia,COVID-19,COVID-19-in-Indonesia,Jokowi Free Indonesia continues to book record daily highs in new COVID-19 cases and shows no signs of slowing down. With infection far from under control, the government has said it is committed to flattening the curve, but does not have a clear strategy for testing, tracing and treating, as is advised by the World Health Organization. President Joko Jokowi Widodo said on Saturday that Indonesias number of cases remained lower than India and the United States, but failed to mention that the scale of testing in Indonesia lags behind these two countries. Jokowi also seems to be satisfied with Indonesias COVID-19 recovery rate of 73.5 percent, while the WHO says its best to ensure there are no infections at all because the long-term health implications of having been infected remain uncertain. Read also: Govt consistent in prioritizing health in handling COVID-19, Jokowi says In any case, the robust development of the healthcare system should be a top priority. Such investment will not only help to contain COVID-19, but will help the country achieve its long-term vision and centennial goal of becoming a developed country by 2045. Economic development requires a healthy society. Still, the healthcare system is yet to see drastic improvements in this time of desperate need. In fact, a large chunk of the healthcare funds in the governments COVID-19 budget remain undisbursed. As of Sept. 16, roughly six months into the pandemic, only 21 percent of the health budget had been spent. The government seems to be betting on a vaccine to speed up the economic recovery. Insya Allah (God willing) in January well start vaccination so things can go back to normal, Jokowi said. However, the distribution of vaccines is likely to take time considering the countrys limited healthcare capacity and geographic challenges. Former finance minister Chatib Basri said for 25 million Indonesians to get the vaccine in a year, the government would need to vaccinate around 68,000 people a day. That compares with todays COVID-19 testing capacity of less than 40,000 per day. So, who will get the vaccine first? This raises the question of equality, as does the economic recovery. The big question is, what kind of economy will emerge out of the pandemic? The answer rests on what priorities are taken today. The greatest priority should be given to the most vulnerable segments of society, the sick and the poor. This is why health care and the social safety net need to be the ultimate priorities. Read also: Jokowi must directly handle COVID-19 measures, epidemiologist says Nearly 66 percent of the social safety net budget for mitigating the economic impacts of COVID-19 had been disbursed as of September, while 47.5 percent of the budget for assisting micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) had been disbursed as well. There are, however, concerns about the quality of the programs, as the country has yet to establish an integrated social safety net and reliable MSME database. This raises the risk of what economists call a Kshaped recovery, in which the economy improves unevenly, creating polarization. Boosting healthcare spending and improving social safety programs will help to prevent the exacerbation of inequality and produce a more inclusive economic recovery. Improvements to health care and the social safety net must be the top priority not just in words, but in practice. Buckingham Palace is bracing for more explosive revelations with the publication of a tell-all book promising to reveal the truth behind the events of the Sandringham summit. The infamous summit, attended by the Queen, Prince Harry, Prince William, and Prince Charles took place in January and saw the royals bash out the details of Megxit. Now, a new book promises to lay bare the events of the talks as well as revealing the truth of the relationship between Harry and William. Battle of Brothers: William, Harry and the Inside Story of a Family in Tumult is written by British historian Robert Lacey, whose previous works have included biographies of the Queen, Sir Walter Raleigh and Eileen Ford. As well as his work as an author, he is also known for consulting on Netflix's hit royal series The Crown. The book will give an 'inside look' into the princes relationship, starting from childhood up to the present day. The new book promises to lay bare the events of the Sandringham talks as well as revealing the truth of the relationship between Harry and William Battle of Brothers: William, Harry and the Inside Story of a Family in Tumult is written by British historian Robert Lacey It will apparently lay bare details of William's misgivings towards the speed of Harry and Meghan Markle's relationship, as well as his feelings on Megxit, which saw the Sussexes quit the royal family. The book is also expected to include the Queen's 'angry' response towards Harry and Meghan's decision. It will be published on October 15. It comes after the release of the explosive Finding Freedom biography which charted Harry and Meghan's relationship and their struggles within the royal family. The controversial book, written by Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand, has raised eyebrows for its gushing praise and intimate knowledge of the Duke, 35, and the Duchess of Sussex, 39 - but the Duke and Duchess of Sussex claim they were not interviewed and did not contribute to the book. The biography offers a window into Meghan and Harry's lives during their time as senior royals, and is full of details on their shock exit from the royal family. It addresses the alleged rift between brothers Harry and William, as well as the relationship between their wives. Scobie said that while they did not interview the couple, 'many' friends gave them insights - providing 'a lens to the couple through their friends and their circle of aides'. The royal commentator gave several high-profile interviews to publicise the book in the week since its release. It will apparently lay bare details of William's misgivings towards the speed of Harry and Meghan Markle's relationship, as well as his feelings on Megxit It comes after the release of Finding Freedom. The biography (pictured) offers a window into Meghan and Harry's lives during their time as senior royals, and is full of details on their shock exit from the royal family But royal expert Katie Nicholl said the authors may be the 'only winners' from the publication of Finding Freedom. Writing in Vanity Fair, she asked if the book was 'worth it for Harry and Meghan' before adding: 'The irony of Finding Freedom is that, locked down in their rented mansion in LA, the Sussexes have less freedom than they did when they lived in Windsor.' The book had reached number one on Amazon's Top 10 New York bestseller in 24 hours list on the day of its release for pre-order. Meanwhile in July, 14 days before its release, the biography also topped the media giant's bestsellers list as royal fans rushed to pre-order their copy. In other news, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are said to have agreed to star in a fly-on-the-wall Netflix reality series with cameras following them for three months. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle attend the Commonwealth Day Service 2020 on March 9, 2020 in London Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are hoping to 'give people a glimpse into their lives and see all the charity work they do', according to a source. It comes after the royal couple signed a 112million Netflix deal to make TV series, films and children's shows for the streaming service. A source told The Sun: 'They may have had all these lofty ideas about producing epics highlighting environmental causes and the poverty gap, but Netflix obviously want their pound of flesh. 'It will all be very tasteful, and not Katie Price and Peter Andre-style reality TV, but they want to give people a glimpse into their lives and see all the charity work they do.' According to the source, much of the series will be about their philanthropic work rather than what they get up to behind closed doors. But they added: 'It will still be a fascinating insight and Meghan hopes viewers will get to see the real her.' Ingrid Seward, Editor of Majesty magazine, said the couple were 'hypocritical' for agreeing to the reality series after they left the UK for the US for greater privacy. It is extraordinary. This is exactly what they said they wouldn't do,' she said. The security forces on Monday arrested a Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorist, who had recently joined the proscribed terror outfit, in Pulwama district Jammu and Kashmir. Incriminating material of the LeT has been recovered from him. The Awantipora Police along with 50 Rashtriya Rifles (RR) and 185 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) arrested Faisal Ahmad Dar, a resident of Khankah Bagh Pampore in Pampore area near Konibal village crossing in Awantipora. According to the police, he went missing since September 11 to join the terrorist ranks of LeT. A police statement read, "The said terrorist went missing from 11th September to join the terrorist ranks of Laishker-e-Toiba and was active in Anantnag, Awantipora and Pampore areas." Dar uploaded an audio clip on social media on September 13 wherein he claimed to have joined terrorist ranks and requested his parents not to look for or search for him. An FIR under relevant sections of law was registered at Pampore Police Station. A U.S. judge has temporarily blocked a Trump administration order to ban new downloads of the popular video-sharing app TikTok. The order would have barred Apple and Google from offering TikTok in their app stores beginning Monday. TikTok is owned by ByteDance, a Chinese company. U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols issued the order late Sunday in Washington. His order did not block additional TikTok restrictions set to take effect on November 12. Those include technical and business measures needed for the app to work correctly. The U.S. Department of Commerce said in a statement it would obey the judges order. The statement did not say whether the government planned to appeal the decision. The Commerce Department defended the TikTok order, as well as an executive order by Trump demanding that ByteDance stop its U.S. operations. The Trump administration has said it considers TikTok a national security threat because it collects personal information on 100 million Americans who use the app. The administration says that information could be taken by the Chinese government. The judges action came as negotiations were already happening on a deal for TikTok to enter a partnership with U.S. companies. That deal involves Walmart Inc and Oracle, which both would take stakes in TikTok Global, a new company. It would permit the two companies to supervise U.S. operations of TikTok Global. President Trump has said he would favor the deal. But some central terms of the agreement including who will have majority ownership - remain in dispute. ByteDance has also said any deal will need to be approved by China. The Chinese government has changed its list of technologies that may be affected by export bans. Those changes give China power over any TikTok deal. Chinese state media have said they see no reason for China to approve the deal. They describe it as bullying and extortion. TikTok praised the judges order and said it would continue its talks with the U.S. government to turn our proposalinto an agreement. John E. Hall is a lawyer for TikTok. He argued before Sundays ruling that the attempted ban was unprecedented and unreasonable. He asked how the ban made sense when a negotiated agreement could make it unnecessary. Hall called the Trump administrations ban punitive and said it was just trying to hurt the company. There is simply no urgency here, he said. Representatives for Chinese state media welcomed the judges ruling. Hu Xijin operates the Chinese daily newspaper Global Times. On Monday, he said on Twitter, I think it is in line with morality, justice and common sense. A Justice Department statement said the judges action gets in the way of a formal national security judgment of the president. It added that the ruling continues to let ByteDance collect sensitive and valuable information from users. Im Alice Bryant. Reuters news agency reported this story. Alice Bryant adapted it for Learning English. Bryan Lynn was the editor. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story app n. a mobile phone program that performs a special function district n. an area established by a government for official government business injunction n. an order from a court of law that says something must be done or must not be done stake n. an interest or share in a business unprecedented adj. not done or experienced before punitive adj. intended to punish someone or something bullying n. the act of frightening, hurting, or threatening a smaller or weaker person extortion n. the crime of getting money from someone by the use of force or threats Social Innovation Monitor (SIM), an international research team based at Politecnico di Torino university, in collaboration with the Spanish Startups As-sociation, has published the first report on the impact of incuba-tors/accelerators in Spain. The research team has leveraged the successful pub-lication of similar reports in Italy for three years and the support of Instilla, Ex-perientia and the Social Innovation Teams (SIT). The Public Report presents the geographical distribution of incuba-tors/accelerators in Spain, analyses the legal nature and the different types of incubators/accelerators and gives an overview of the services provided and the differences between the different incubation/acceleration programs. Moreover, it highlights characteristics and challenges faced by incubators/accelerators who support entrepreneurial teams and organizations with significant social and/or environmental impact. According to the research, there are 215 incubators and accelerators in Spain, with an estimated number of employees of 1376. On average these incubators receive 121,1 applications per year and their main source of income is "Rental of business space". For Spanish incubators and accelerators, the most important services are mana-gerial support and managerial training, provision of physical spaces and access to finance. The startups with a significant social and environmental impact most supported by Spanish incubators and accelerators are those in the Social Tour-ism and Responsible Consumption. Spain is not the only country analyzed by the Social Innovation Monitor (SIM) re-search team. In the coming weeks, SIM will publish for the first time, a Report aggregating data on incubators/accelerators in France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK. As underlined by Professor Paolo Landoni of the Politecnico di Torino, Scientific Director of the Research, "We are pleased to have managed to carry out this re-search in five European countries in such a difficult period. We are grateful to the incubators and accelerators who participated and to our international part-ners. We are convinced that incubators and accelerators play a fundamental role in the European entrepreneurial ecosystem and it is important to create and compare their activities in Europe. " Carlos Mateo, President of Spanish Startups Association remarks that "It's very important for the Association to know the current state of the different accel-eration and incubation models and to have a first complete picture of this reali-ty in Spain. From the Association we believe that we need to improve infor-mation and knowledge about the ecosystem in order to improve it among all agents. We are also very satisfied to have partnered with a prestigious and spe-cialized team such as the Group of Research of the Politecnico di Torino". ### The Report on European incubators/accelerators and the Full Reports of France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the UK will be available soon. All Reports will be available in English. A webinar to present the European data will be announced in the coming weeks. The Report is available at this link: https://socialinnovationmonitor.com/en/spain-incubators/ A drug outreach worker who trafficked heroin near Melbourne's first supervised injecting centre has appealed against a one-year jail term imposed by a magistrate and will remain on bail until his appeal. Matthew Honey was involved in almost 100 transactions around the Richmond facility in September and October last year when it was his job to educate and support heroin users to use the centre. Matthew Honey outside a court hearing late last year. Credit:Justin McManus Honey, 50, was jailed on Monday for 12 months in Melbourne Magistrates Court when magistrate Kieran Gilligan found his offending was a "gross breach of trust" that undermined the centre's work. But the father of two immediately appealed against the length of the sentence and was granted bail to appear before a County Court judge. The judge can uphold the magistrate's sentence, reduce the length or increase it. Nomadix Introduces Voice-Activated and Contactless Technology Solutions for Hotels The Page has moved to: http://www.tmcnet.com/channels/virtual-pbx/articles/446700-angie-hospitality-introduces-voice-activated-contactless-technology-solutions.htm The late broadcaster Paul Harvey had a signature introduction to his commentary, "and here's the rest of the story." He would relate the interesting backstories of news that were generally about celebrities or news events but not widely known. He passed away in 2009, and with the exception of a few die-hard journalists, the Fourth Estate continues to leave out the pertinent facts of controversies that would completely change the narrative. So consider this column my attempt to fill in the news gap of the most volatile incidents that have inspired incendiary and totally unwarranted responses: the deaths of Michael Brown, George Floyd, Jacob Blake, and Breonna Taylor. Michael Brown What we know: The Black Lives Matter or BLM movement was started around 2013 in response to the George Zimmerman acquittal in the murder of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin. The movement exploded after 18-year-old Michael Brown was killed in Ferguson, Missouri in 2014 and the ensuing riots and looting destroyed many businesses. Brown's friend Dorian Johnson falsely stated that Brown had his hands up when he was shot by the white police officer. Soon, millionaire athletes were wearing T-shirts reading "hands up, don't shoot," and they started and continue funding this movement. And here's the rest of the story. Police officer Darren Wilson was not indicted by the grand jury because the forensic evidence proved that he shot Brown in self defense. Michael Brown's DNA was found on Wilson's gun and his thigh. All the so-called witnesses who claimed that Brown had his hands up finally admitted they hadn't even seen the incident. The forensic evidence and legitimate witnesses backed Wilson's statement. Nevertheless, the narrative of "Hand's Up, Don't Shoot" persists today with low-info "woke" protesters. George Floyd YouTube screen grab. What we know: A viral video of a white police officer, Derek Chauvin, kneeling on George Floyd's neck while he shouted, "I can't breathe" instigated violent protests in Minnesota this May. Four police officers were fired, and Chauvin was charged with second-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. The three officers in the scene who just stood by and watched were also charged with aiding and abetting. After Floyd's death, widespread violent protests were held against the use of excessive force by police officers against black suspects and lack of police accountability. Protests began in Minneapolis the day after his death and developed in cities throughout all 50 U.S. states and internationally. Antifa and BLM used the incident to wage war against the police and government agencies using that one video to spur hostilities. And here's the rest of the story. When the full police body cam footage was released, the narrative changed significantly, and in a fair trial, once the autopsy evidence is released, it will be very hard to convict the policeman of anything other than excessive force. Medical personnel familiar with the effects of drug overdoses insist that Floyd was exhibiting a typical panic response for one dying of a drug overdose. Although official autopsies deem his death a homicide by "cardiopulmonary arrest complicating law enforcement subdual, restraint, and neck compression," the actual toxicology report found fatal doses of: 1.Fentanyl 11 ng/mL; 2. Norfentanyl 5.6 ng/mL; 3. 4-ANPP 0.65 ng/mL;4. Methamphetamine 19 ng/mL; 5. 11-Hydroxy Delta-9 THC 1.2 ng/mL; Delta-9 Carboxy THC 42 ng/mL; Delta-9 THC 2.9 ng/mL. Oh and he also tested positive for covid 19. In addition, the county medical autopsy review stated that it "revealed no physical findings that support a diagnosis of traumatic asphyxia or strangulation." Jacob Blake What we know: Democrat V.P. candidate Senator Kamala Harris cited Blake's bravery for fighting through his pain while he was in the hospital after being shot several times by a white cop on August 23, 2020. Protests followed the shooting, leading Kenosha County to declare a state of emergency overnight on August 24 after police vehicles were damaged and the local courthouse vandalized. Because he was shot in the back, the left-wing media is milking this story while ignoring why Blake was involved with the Kenosha, Wisconsin police at all. And here's the real story. Jacob Blake had broken into a sleeping woman's house, sexually assaulted her, and stolen her debit card and car keys. The woman was his former girlfriend who had an order of protection against him, which he had violated. The police called out were there at the request of a black woman, a victim of sexual assault, and they had the outstanding warrant for Blake, who resisted arrest so vigorously that he was still fighting the cops after being tasered twice. He was repeatedly told to drop the knife and was shot as he attempted to possibly reach for a weapon inside a car. Once again, the limited video of the shooting went viral, but the truth of Blake's background has been muted in the MSM in favor of portraying him as a victim of police brutality. Breonna Taylor Here's what we know about the Taylor murder: On March 13, 2020, Louisville Metro Police Department officers shot and killed Breonna Taylor in her apartment during an after-midnight raid that did not result in any illegal substances found. Despite possessing a no-knock warrant, according to a disinterested witness, police did knock and announce themselves. Police fired on Taylor after her boyfriend Kenneth Walker fired the first shot; Walker said he fired his gun due to not knowing the intruders were police. Walker was charged with attempted murder of a police officer but the charge was dismissed in May 2020. And here's my take on the rest of this sad story. After researching the details of the previous individuals involved with police shootings, I found that their illegal activities were what generated police action. This was not the case with Breonna Taylor, a 26-year-old emergency room technician, whose only crime seemed to be previously dating a man who was being sought by police for drug dealing and her name and address were on a bank account of his used for drug money and on an infamous no-knock warrant. She was an innocent victim of a shoddy police raid and her family received a $12 million settlement from the police. On Wednesday, a grand jury failed to indict the police officers involved with the raid and the only charges brought against an officer involved was 'wanton endangerment 'for firing into the apartment causing bullets to enter another apartment. After the grand jury no slay decision, protests turned violent and two police officers were wounded. The Kentucky, Attorney General, Daniel Cameron, made the following statement: "Do we really want the truth, or do we want a truth that fits our narrative? Do we want the facts, or are we content to blindly accept our own version of events ?,,,, There will be celebrities, influencers and activists who, having never lived in Kentucky, will try to tell us how to feel suggesting they understand the facts of this case that they know our community and the Commonwealth better than we do." I strongly advise readers to read his entire statement which explains in detail why two officers were not charged by the grand jury. BLM terrorists are not interested in the truth, but the Breonna Taylor case is not unique. There have been numerous cases of innocent residents being attacked in their homes due to no-knock warrants and that is the real case for reform. These warrants were originally approved to prevent criminals from destroying evidence like drugs or money. What is more important, loss of evidence or loss of innocent life? There is no need for tactical swat teams attacking private residence like they are cartel hideouts. These are the forces that need vigorous retraining and more strenuous vetting by judges of each individual case. If there is any positive result from Breonna's tragic death, it will be the complete end of reckless issuance of no-knock warrants. A Canadian man whose remarkable story as a fighter with the Islamic State in Syria was turned into a New York Times podcast has been charged with 'a hoax regarding terrorist activity'. Shehroze Chaudhry, a 25-year-old from Burlington, Ontario, claimed he traveled to Syria in 2016 to join the terrorist group ISIS and committed acts of terrorism. His story was the focus of Caliphate, a podcast launched in 2018, for which Rukmini Callimachi was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize, and won a Peabody Award. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police announced on Friday that they had arrested Chaudhry, who went by the name Abu Huzayfah in the podcast, and described in harrowing detail his role in executions. 'Hoaxes can generate fear within our communities and create the illusion there is a potential threat to Canadians, while we have determined otherwise,' said Superintendent Christopher deGale, the Officer in Charge of the RCMP O Division's Integrated National Security Enforcement Team. Shehroze Chaudhry, 25, from Burlington, Ontario, has been charged with a terrorism hoax Charges against Chaudhry were announced on Friday by Canadian police 'As a result, the RCMP takes these allegations very seriously, particularly when individuals, by their actions, cause the police to enter into investigations in which human and financial resources are invested and diverted from other ongoing priorities.' Chaudhry will appear in court on November 16. His account, as told to Callimachi, was incredibly graphic, in particular as he describes killing a man in an 'orange jumpsuit.' He says: 'The blood was just it was warm, and it sprayed everywhere....I had to stab him multiple times. And then we put him up on a cross. And I had to leave the dagger in his heart.' His story of traveling to Syria in 2016 was turned in to a 2018 podcast by the New York Times Chaudhry is accused of lying about his involvement in terrorism and spreading fear Yet Chaudhry also spoke to Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and told a different story, which the CBC detailed in a May 2018 article headlined: 'Did former Canadian ISIS member lie to the New York Times or to CBC News?' Nazim Baksh, a CBC News producer, said: 'We asked him repeatedly, did you do anything, did you kill, did you execute, did you participate? '"No," he said, "I was a low-level police officer."' Five days after the CBC report, the New York Times published the sixth episode of Caliphate, in which Callimachi and her colleagues revealed they had found a problem with Abu Huzayfah's timeline, and that his version of when he was in Syria did not stand up to scrutiny. The Times also managed to secure a photo of Abu Huzayfah on the banks of the Euphrates River in Syria, an indication that he had indeed made the trip. Danielle Rhoades Ha, a Times spokeswoman, said in a statement that the podcast detailed questions about his story. 'The uncertainty about Abu Huzayfah's story is central to every episode of Caliphate that featured him,' she said. 'The episode tells listeners what our journalists knew for sure and what was still unknown.' Callimachi tweeted that his arrest was 'big news'. Callimachi tweeted on Friday that Chaudhry's arrest was 'big news' She said she was always surprised he had not been arrested before Callimachi also said that he was now stuck in 'checkmate' 'The narrative tension of our podcast Caliphate is the question of whether his account is true,' she said. 'In Chapter 6 we explain the conflicting strands of his story, and what we can and cant confirm. 'Among my enduring questions - the question that we ended the podcast with - is the puzzle of why the Canadian government never charged him? I could never get a straight answer from the RCMP or CSIS. 'The fact that he was radicalized and pro-ISIS is all over his social media.' She concluded that Chaudhry was now in 'checkmate'. 'The hoax charge forces a checkmate: Huzayfah can prove he wasnt lying by ... giving them whatever evidence they need to prove that hes a former terrorist - evidence they lacked to charge him with terrorism the first time around.' Too many children are being tested for coronavirus because of an 'understandable' but 'misplaced' fear over outbreaks in schools, a leading paediatrician has claimed. Professor Russell Viner, from University College London, demanded schools should instead remain fully open in the face of a second wave and cease their 'flip-flopping' between closures and openings which are 'harming' the education of youngsters. He was speaking after his recently published study revealed those under 20 are 44 per cent less likely to be infected with the virus than adults. This means, he argues, that schools are at lower risk of the viral outbreaks. Previous research has also unmasked the risk of children dying from the disease is far less than one per cent, compared to a rate closer to 10 per cent in those aged over 65. Government data shows around 626,500 youngsters were swabbed between 28 May and the end of August, almost double the number of 70 to 79-year-olds tested, at 364,000, and those aged over 80, at 350,000 tests completed. The UK's 'world-leading' testing system has lurched from crisis to crisis in recent weeks, as demand for swabs went through the roof when children returned to the classroom and parents went back to their offices. The NHS has warned this morning that the beleaguered system 'is not up to the task' of managing an expected further spike in demand over winter. The Government is carrying out around 245,000 tests a day at present, but Boris Johnson has promised to get this figure to 500,000 by the end of October. Industry leaders have already warned they are 'a few weeks' behind this deadline due to delays getting vital equipment. Officials are still light-years away from the 'Operation Moonshot' target of 10million tests a day. Professor Russell Viner, from University College London, said schools should stop 'flip-flopping' between opening and closing due to the reduced risk to children A study has found children are 40 per cent less likely to catch the virus than adults (stock) Hundreds of pupils sent home due to Covid-19 outbreaks in schools Dozens of schools across England and Wales have reported cases of the virus, resulting in staff and children being sent home. The Department for Education revealed last week that four per cent of Britain's 30,000 state schools were 'not fully open' due to coronavirus outbreaks. This compared to one per cent seven days ago. A school visited by Boris Johnson on August 26 - Castle Rock High School in Coalville, Leicestershire - was one of many that put a number of pupils in self-isolation 'as a precaution' after a staff member tested positive. During his visit, Mr Johnson said that 'continuing to be out of school' was the biggest risk to children. Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said it was 'impossible' to eliminate the risks of transmission in school or the wider community. He added: 'It is therefore likely that disruption will continue over the coming weeks and months'. Advertisement Professor Viner warned The Guardian that the UK is being 'overcautious' by testing so many children. 'There is clearly limited capacity in testing at the moment,' he said. 'We need to be thinking: "Are we testing too many children?" because of our understandable but probably unscientific and misplaced concerns about children being infected in schools.' He added: 'We need to stop some of the flip-flopping of schools opening and closing and recognise that we are probably testing too many children. 'In the event of seemingly inevitable future waves of Covid-19, there is likely to be further pressures to close schools.' The Department for Education revealed last week that four per cent of state schools are 'not fully open' due to coronavirus outbreaks, where whole year groups have been sent home after one pupil in them tested positive for the virus. This compared with one per cent seven days before. There were 20 schools in the country that were completely shuttered last week. Professor Viner's study, published in leading medical journal JAMA Pediatrics last Friday, pulled together data from studies on 41,640 children and young people around the world up to the age of 20. It found that primary school children had the lowest rates of infection, while the oldest group, aged 17 or 18 to 20, had similar infection rates to adults. He stressed the study focused on children's ability to catch the virus only. Their ability to spread it will be the subject of a separate study. Other studies have shown children are just as likely to catch Covid-19 but barely suffer any symptoms. Children under 12 had 60 per cent lower odds of becoming infected with Covid-19 compared to adults, if someone in their home had already been infected. The paper says: 'There is weak evidence that children and adolescents play a lesser role than adults in transmission of SARS-CoV-2 at population level. This study provides no information on the infectivity of children.' NHS Providers warned this morning that the UK's testing system is not up to the task, saying its capacity must be quadrupled within three months with dramatic turn arounds in testing times if it is to meet winter demand. Chris Hopson, chief executive of NHS Providers, said: 'If NHS Test and Trace is under pressure now, it's likely to face even greater pressures this winter. 'We'll all, understandably, want the reassurance of a test if we have a cold, flu or a bug with coronavirus-like symptoms. Matt Hancock's new coronavirus tracing app, which the health secretary has hailed as a huge success, has been hit by multiple flaws and bugs this weekend which have left users confused 'NHS Test and Trace therefore has a major task on its hands to expand capacity, expand the number of testing sites, expand the number of tests being processed for the next day, and expand its ability to deal with local outbreaks. 'While there are top level plans in place to do this, we need more detail and the NHS trusts that we represent want to know what contribution they will need to make.' Mr Hopson said test and trace 'has become as important a public service as treating heart attacks, catching criminals and fighting fires'. He told BBC Breakfast that going into winter, the country would need 'probably four times as many tests as we've currently got'. In response to the Government's inability to keep up with demand, Matt Hancock launched a coronavirus tests priority list last week. It places those in acute clinical care or those due to receive it at the top, followed by care home workers and residents, and NHS staff, including GPs and pharmacists. Fourth are those in outbreak management and surveillance studies, fifth are teachers, while last in line is the general public. Crowds of revellers in Soho, London, after pubs and restaurants were subject to a 10pm curfew to combat the rise in coronavirus cases in England. (PA) The governments 10pm curfew on pubs and restaurants has been slated by experts who say the rule could do more harm than good and that the coronavirus doesnt care what time it is. Closing venues at 10pm has three sets of predictable consequences which are counterproductive in stopping the spread of the coronavirus, according to Sage expert Professor Susan Michie FMedSci, Director of UCL Centre for Behaviour Change. Ejecting people at the same time onto the streets could lead to crowds on public transport, people socialising beyond curfew, potentially in other peoples homes, she said. Professor Michie also pointed out that if nights are ending earlier, people may compensate by starting to drink earlier and drinking more rapidly towards the end, leading to more disinhibition and therefore less distancing between people. Watch: What are the fines for breaching self-isolation? Find out here Experts have criticised the government curfew and asked what the merits are of kicking people out of pubs to crowd onto streets and public transport. (PA) People queuing outside Compton News convenience store in Soho. Greater Manchester Mayor said that he received reports of people buying alcohol and going to drink it in homes, which is more dangerous. (PA) These consequences of the curfew undermine the gains saved by shortening the latter part of the evening and may even be counterproductive, she said. The measure is another example of a restriction brought in without a coherent strategy and without sufficient consultation with relevant experts and communities. Her comments come as footage and images show revellers pouring into city centre streets and crowding into stations at around 10pm after restaurants and pubs were forced to kick them out. The curfew was brought in in a new roster of measures to stop the spread of the virus. But many experts have questioned the sense behind the curfew and pub industry chiefs are now calling on ministers to give venues more flexibility and to be able to stagger exits. Dr Simon Clarke, Associate Professor in Cellular Microbiology at the University of Reading, said: The scenes across the country are quite unsurprising. Forcing pubs and restaurants to close simultaneously at 10pm pushes people out onto the street and public transport, potentially condensing crowds together. Story continues The virus doesnt care what time it is. Transmission will occur from infected people if they are close enough to others to spread droplets, at 10pm, 10am or any time in between. If the point of the curfew was to encourage people not to go crazy in late-night venues, that's fine, but if it is encouraging 1970s-style pub closing time mauls, the virus could say, thank you very much. Read more: Scottish police break up 300 house parties during university lockdown chaos Professor Robert Dingwall, Professor of Sociology, Nottingham Trent University questioned whether the curfew has had any measurable impact. There is precious little evidence that any of the social interventions in those areas have worked. This, of course, raises the question of why the government is doubling down in ways that will provoke further conflict between police and citizens and inflict yet more misery in pursuit of the impossible dream of total control. Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham, pictured at a mass service in July, called for an urgent review of the 10pm curfew saying it created an incentive for people to gather in homes. (PA) Earlier on Monday, Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham called for an urgent review of the 10pm curfew saying it created an incentive for people to gather in homes. He said that he received reports that people were queuing up outside shops to buy more alcohol. My gut feeling is that this curfew is doing more harm than good. It creates an incentive for people to gather in the street or more probably to gather in the home. Read more: Pubs, restaurants and cafes contributed to a fifth of COVID-19 infections That is the opposite of what our local restrictions here are trying to do. I dont think this has been fully thought through. He suggested one option could be to impose a 9pm curfew on alcohol sales in shops to prevent the rush to off-licences after the pubs close. Health minister Helen Whately said the Government was keeping an open mind about the new coronavirus regulations which came into force in England on Thursday. Ms Whately said ministers are seeking to learn from experience but that the Government had had to act in response to the rising infection rates. It is clearly early days. We have just changed this rule last week, she told the Today programme. Watch: Care Minister Helen Whately We dont want tighter restrictions Read more: Third wave of coronavirus 'entirely possible', government adviser warns We keep an open mind on what is the best way to go about it. The steps that we have taken, particularly with the 10pm curfew, is something that we have done in some places during the course of the summer where we saw localised outbreaks and hospitality being part of the picture. We are constantly learning and seeing what has the most impact but we clearly need to take a step because of what we have seen with the rates going up across the country. Coronavirus: what happened today Click here to sign up to the latest news and information with our daily Catch-up newsletter A new stimulus package amounting to about $2.4 trillion is being prepared, and it will include a second round of stimulus checks or direct payments for Americans. Since the first stimulus package was signed into law, further talks on relief aid have stalled, but this new proposal aims to restart discussions on the stimulus package discussion. The $2.4 stimulus package is about $1 trillion less than their Democrats' previous proposal. This is already their fifth pandemic aid plan. As CNBC described, the proposed bill will include enhanced unemployment insurance and direct payments to Americans. It will also have Paycheck Protection Program small-business long funding and aid to airlines, among others. As noted by Bitcoin, U.S. lawmakers have been working towards another stimulus relief package. But both sides of the aisle have not come to an agreement on how much more aid is needed to combat the economic crisis. Talks fell apart last month, and Americans have been awaiting its restart. House Democrats have repeatedly pushed White House negotiators to boost their $1.3 trillion offer by another trillion dollars. Both sides refused to meet halfway, leading to an obvious stalemate until one side gives in. Both Democrats and Republicans have failed to agree on the pandemic relief package. This is even after a $600 per week supplemental unemployment benefit, an eviction moratorium, and a window on PPP applications. An aid package worth more than $3 trillion was passed by House Democrats in May. Earlier this month, Democrats blocked a $500 billion plan from Senate Republicans. "We are still striving for an agreement," House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said in a meeting, a source said. The source added that Pelosi will formalize the request by voting on it on the House floor "if necessary." Vote Could Come This Week According to Politico, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi directed Democratic committee chairs to draft the bill. A vote on the bill can be held at Congress as soon as this week, but Democrats have not yet decided on a plan. House Ways and Means Committee Chair Richard Neal confirmed that the chamber may hold a vote before it leaves for recess. "I think the contours are already there," he told reporters. When he was asked about the smaller stimulus package, he said "I think it's now about time frame and things like that." When asked by reporters last Thursday, Pelosi did not outline any of her plans regarding the package. But she said she hopes to hear from Republicans soon. She assured there will be more details on the Democrats' next steps soon as well. "We'll see what we're going to do. But we're ready for a negotiation," she said. A senior Democratic aide said Pelosi asked committee leaders to start on the draft bill back in August, but they were asked to update it this week. As talks on the bill continue, a stopgap bill was reached by House Democrats and Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin last week. This bill can avoid a government shutdown and will keep on funding the government through December 11. If the stopgap bill were not put in place, a government shutdown could take place by October 1. There could be a government shutdown by October 1 if the bill is not passed. Check these out! House Strikes Deal on Stopgap to Avoid Government Shutdown Trump's Call for 'Much Higher Numbers' for Stimulus Undercuts Republican Strategy Pelosi Commits to Keep House in Session Until COVID-19 Relief Deal Is Reached Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-28 22:35:55|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Photo released by Pakistan's Press Information Department (PID) on Sept. 28, 2020 shows Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi (R) greeting with Chairman of the High Council for National Reconciliation (HCNR) of Afghanistan Abdullah Abdullah at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Islamabad, capital of Pakistan. Qureshi on Monday met with Abdullah and discussed the Afghan peace process and bilateral ties, according to the Foreign Ministry of Pakistan. (PID/Handout via Xinhua) ISLAMABAD, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Monday met with visiting Chairman of the High Council for National Reconciliation (HCNR) of Afghanistan Abdullah Abdullah and discussed the Afghan peace process and bilateral ties, according to the Foreign Ministry of Pakistan. Abdullah arrived in Pakistan Monday morning on a three-day official visit for talks with senior Pakistani civil and military leaders. Abdullah tweeted after the meeting with Qureshi that both sides discussed the Afghan peace process, the intra-Afghan talks in Qatar and strengthening of bilateral relations. The Pakistani foreign ministry said in a statement that Qureshi reaffirmed Pakistan's steadfast support to the peace process and said that Pakistan had always maintained there is no military solution to the Afghan conflict and encouraged all parties to reach a political solution through an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned process. Qureshi welcomed the start of the intra-Afghan negotiations and said that it was now up to the Afghan leadership to seize this historic opportunity to bring an end to the decades' long conflict and secure an inclusive, broad-based and comprehensive political settlement, according to the statement. On bilateral ties, Qureshi expressed the hope that the visit will open a new chapter in bilateral relations. Abdullah is scheduled to meet Pakistani President Arif Alvi, Prime Minister Imran Khan and other officials during his visit. Enditem New Delhi, Sep 28(UNI) Describing the farm sector bills as 'a death sentence to Indian farmers', Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday accused the government of crushing the voice of farmers in and outside Parliament. Referring to a news report that Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh statement on Sunday that there was no violation of rules in passage of the farm sector bills in the Upper House was contrary to the actual facts, Mr Gandhi said, 'The agriculture laws are a death sentence to our farmers. Their voice is crushed in Parliament and outside. Here is proof that democracy in India is dead.' In a statement to the media on Sunday, the Deputy Chairman said that there was no violation of rules during the passage of the farm sector bills in the Rajya Sabha last Sunday . In his statement, in response to the allegation by the Opposition that division was not allowed on the motion by the Opposition to refer the bills to a Select committee of the Rajya Sabha, the Deputy Chairman said that the member who had moved the resolution was not on his seat when the motion was taken up. 'The statutory resolution disapproving the ordinance and the amendment for the reference of the bill to select committee moved by Mr K K Ragesh were rejected by a voice vote at 1.07 p.m as Mr Ragesh was in the Well of the house and not on his seat in the gallery at that point of time. This can be seen from the video as after calling him to move his resolution and amendment, I looked at the gallery, but he was not there,' the Deputy Chairman had said in a statement to the media on Sunday. Responding to the allegation that the a division on amendment moved by Tiruchi Shiva for reference of the bill to select committee was not allowed despite the member being on his seat, the Deputy Chairman said he could not call for a division as there was lack of order in the house at that time. 'It is true that Mr Tiruchi Shiva demanded a division on his amendment for reference of his bill to select committee from his seat at 1.10 p.m. You will see from the same video that around 1.09 p.m, one member was tearing the rule book and throwing on me. Besides I was surrounded by some hostile members, who were trying to snatch papers from me. You will appreciate, that as per rules and practice, in order to have a division, two things are essential. Firstly there should be a demand for division and equally important that there should be order in the house,' the Deputy chairman said. UNI AR SB 1202 Bob Passmore, a 40-year San Francisco city planner who was instrumental in applying and enforcing the zoning code during an era when a new downtown master plan was devised, died Sept. 15 at his home in Napa. The cause of death was Crohns disease, said Carolyn Passmore, his wife of 56 years. He was 86. From May 1960 until July 1999, Passmore worked for the city and was charged with the often impossible balancing act of bringing builders and developers who wanted to keep the city growing into agreement with preservationists and neighborhood activists who wanted to preserve the essential charm of San Francisco. Passmore held the official title of zoning administrator for 21 years, including during the 1980s, which was a time of accelerating change to the downtown landscape as office development was shifted from the Financial District north of Market Street to the new hub South of Market. During his tenure, the Tenderloin was rezoned and Mission Bay got its start, while the historic quadrants of Chinatown and North Beach were protected. Anyone who can be in charge of administrating the zoning code for that long and serve so many mayors has to have what Bob had, which was a high level of integrity, said retired Planning Director Dean Macris. He was an absolute master in applying the code in the fairest possible manner, and in a space-tight city like San Francisco, that is an extremely important job. A city planner is not an elected or appointed official. The high-profile decisions are made by the seven appointed planning commissioners who are selected by the mayor and the president of the Board of Supervisors. They serve four-year terms and come and go. Passmore was a civil servant and he stayed and stayed, as both his beard and the citys planning codes grew and grew. When he joined the Planning Department in 1960, the planning code was less than a quarter-inch thick. By the time he retired, 3 inches of thickness had been added to it. Meanwhile, the general plan, or master plan, had grown to 2 feet in thickness. Bob was the ultimate referee in how you apply the words of a document that is well over 1,000 pages, Macris said. Zoning administrator is a job built for criticism from both sides, and Passmore got it. He was often criticized for favoring development. Hes the right name, a fellow planner once quipped. Hell pass more projects. Upon his retirement in 1999, Passmore was saluted by the San Francisco Examiners esteemed urban planning writer Gerald Adams in an article titled The Man with the Plan. Hes the tall fellow with the white beard. Poker-faced and mostly silent, he sat near San Francisco planning commissioners at their weekly sessions and spoke only when spoken to. But when he opened his mouth, it was the voice of an oracle. Depending on the words that Robert Passmore chose to deliver from that seat, towers could rise, new houses gain an extra bedroom, backyards could shrink, and apartments could be transformed into hotel rooms. He was a man of impenetrable integrity and proof of that is he was respected by developers. Or not. Robert Walter Passmore was born Oct. 15, 1933, in State College, Pa., where he grew up. His father was a high school principal who died young and his mother was incapacitated, leaving Robert to be raised by his paternal grandmother. One of his main interests was scouting, and he earned the rank of Eagle in the Boy Scouts. He worked all forms of odd jobs to pay his way through Penn State University, where he graduated with a degree in architecture. Passmore then came to UC Berkeley as a graduate student in urban and regional planning. He earned his masters degree and went straight to work for the city and county of San Francisco in 1960. In November 1963, Passmore returned to State College to sell the home where he grew up. On a blind date, he met Carolyn Hazlett, from rival school the University of Pittsburgh. They overcame that difference and were married after a four-month courtship and both returned to San Francisco. They bought a home on Cumberland Street near Dolores Park and lived there for 50 years, while raising three sons Walter, Matthew and Steven. Both Walter and Matthew are adopted. Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts. He was a child of the Depression, and one of the values that his grandmother instilled in him was this ethic of hard work, and I think that lasted his entire life, said Walter Passmore, an urban forester for the city of Palo Alto. One of his small acts of rebellion was a beard, which he used to joke about as cover for his lack of a chin. That was the extent of his style consciousness. Passmore was known to wear hand-me-downs from co-workers. It did not matter to him if they were out of style. Though he worked in a strictly urban environment, he was a backpacker and could handle a two-man canoe. He became involved in Troop 14 of the Boy Scouts of America, and guided all three of his sons through Eagle status, an eight-year commitment. He just had tons of energy, said his wife. When the Loma Prieta earthquake hit in 1989, the Passmore home lost a total of one dish. The Passmores fared worse after leaving the city and buying a home in Napa in 2014. That earthquake cost them two brick chimneys. By that time, Passmore was mainly retired but still worked as a consultant. He slowly whittled his hours down down from 60 a week for the city to maybe five hours a week before he finally retired on his 80th birthday. Survivors include his wife, Carolyn of Napa, and sons Walter of Redwood City, Matthew of Berkeley and Steven of Napa. Sam Whiting is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: swhiting@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @samwhitingsf WYNYARD, UK, Sept. 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Venator Materials PLC (NYSE: VNTR) ("Venator") today announced that Louisiana Pigment Company, L.P. ("LPC"), its joint venture titanium dioxide production facility located in Lake Charles, Louisiana, has resumed production in increasing phases following the end of supplier outages caused by Hurricane Laura, which had led the facility to temporarily cease production. Physical damage to the site was minor, and the site is expected to be fully operational on or about October 1. Venator expects the EBITDA impact of the outage to be up to $10 million in the third quarter. Simon Turner, President and CEO of Venator, stated, "I am pleased with the rapid response by the management team and associates at the LPC facility to safely resume production as soon as energy and raw material supply were restored." In a further update, he also commented, "We are continuing to cooperate in the preparation of regulatory filings required for SK Capital to acquire Huntsman's equity stake in Venator. The transaction by which SK Capital will acquire Huntsman's stake in Venator received prior approval by the nonconflicted independent members of our board, and we look forward to the expected closing of that transaction near year end." About Venator Venator is a global manufacturer and marketer of chemical products that comprise a broad range of pigments and additives that bring color and vibrancy to buildings, protect and extend product life, and reduce energy consumption. We market our products globally to a diversified group of industrial customers through two segments: Titanium Dioxide, which consists of our TiO 2 business, and Performance Additives, which consists of our functional additives, color pigments, timber treatment and water treatment businesses. We operate 24 facilities, employ approximately 4,000 associates worldwide and sell our products in more than 110 countries. Cautionary Statement Concerning Forward-Looking Statements Certain statements contained in this press release constitute "forward looking statements" within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward looking statements represent Venator's expectations or beliefs concerning future events, and it is possible that the expected results described in this press release will not be achieved. These forward looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors, many of which are outside of Venator's control, that could cause actual results to differ materially from the results discussed in the forward looking statements, including the impacts and duration of the global outbreak of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 pandemic on the global economy and all aspects of our business, including our employees, customers, suppliers, partners, results of operations, financial condition and liquidity, global economic conditions, our ability to maintain sufficient working capital, our ability to access capital markets on favorable terms, changes to our plans or strategies due to any changes to our Board or management following any significant change in ownership of a controlling interest in our shares, our ability to transfer technology and manufacturing capacity from our Pori, Finland manufacturing facility to other sites in our manufacturing network, the costs associated with such transfer and the closure of our Pori facility, our ability to realize financial and operational benefits from our business improvement plans and initiatives, impacts on TiO 2 markets and the broader global economy from the imposition of tariffs by the U.S. and other countries, changes in raw material and energy prices, or interruptions in raw materials and energy, industry production capacity and operating rates, the supply demand balance for our products and that of competing products, pricing pressures, technological developments, legal claims by or against us, changes in government regulations, including increased manufacturing, labeling and waste disposal regulations and the classification of TiO 2 as a carcinogen in the EU, geopolitical events, cyberattacks and public health crises such as coronavirus. Any forward looking statement speaks only as of the date on which it is made, and, except as required by law, Venator does not undertake any obligation to update or revise any forward looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. New factors emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for Venator to predict all such factors. When considering these forward looking statements, you should keep in mind the risk factors and other cautionary statements in Venator's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019 filed with the SEC and in its Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Current Reports on Form 8-K. The risk factors and other factors noted therein could cause its actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward looking statement. SOURCE Venator Materials PLC Related Links http://www.venatorcorp.com In a new twist to the Bollywood drug probe, the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has been accused of coercing a former Dharma Production employee to implicate Karan Johar. Former Dharma executive producer Kshitij Prasad's lawyer Satish Maneshinde said that Prasad was officially pressurised to name Karan Johar during the interrogation. Prasad was produced before the Metropolitan Magistrate court through video conference. He has been remanded into police custody till October 3. The lawyer said that Prasad was harassed and blackmailed to make a statement apart from third degree treatment. In the statement before the court, Prasad said that one NCB official Sameer Wankhede told him in the presence of other officials that "since he was associated with Dharma Productions, they would let him off if he implicated either Karan Johar, Somel Mishra, Rakhi, Apoorva, Neeraj or Rahil falsely alleging that they consumed drugs". Prasad said he refused to do so. According to Maneshinde, Prasad received a call on September 24 from an NCB officer informing him that they wanted to search his house. They then proceeded to seal his house and wanted to record his statement. When Prasad returned to Mumbai from Delhi the next day, he entered the house in the presence of the NCB team. They found nothing but old cigarette butts in the balcony, which the NCB insisted on being ganja joint. "The NCB team began insisting it was a ganja joint even though there was nothing to suggest that and even drew up a panchnama to that effect despite his protests. Upon his wife's insistence, the word 'believed' to be a ganja joint was inserted in the panchnama," said the statement. Also read: Bollywood drugs case: Mobile phones of Deepika Padukone, Sara Ali Khan, others seized by NCB Kshitij Prasad was then taken to the NCB office along with two of his friends Isha and Anubhav. While he was made to sit from 11:30 am to 6:30 pm with no information, his friends were told that if they gave statements against him, they would be let go, according to the statement. They were subsequently let go. Prasad's interrogation began at 6:45 pm and he was faced with one Sanket. The statement said that Sanket appeared very friendly and comfortable with the NCB officials. Sanket was asked if he knew Prasad but he said no. "Kshitij was immediately asked by Sameer Wankhede (Zonal Director of NCB) to leave the room and when he was called back 5 minutes later, Sanket suddenly proclaimed that he knew Kshitij and could recognise him from his WhatsApp picture. Kshitij has never met Sanket and did not recognise him," added the statement. NCB officer Wankhede began recording Prasad's statements and various false claims were inserted despite his protests, according to the allegations. Prasad continuously inquired if he was placed under arrest and asked to speak to his lawyer and family. No clarity was provided to him, said the statement. Prasad was informed at 11pm that he would have to spend the night at the NCB office. They told him that he was not under arrest but was made to stay there as his statement was not complete. Also read: Bollywood drugs case: NCB officials tell Deepika Padukone not to play 'emotional card', seize phone "The next morning when his statement recording resumed, Kshitij was categorically informed by Sameer Wankhede in the presence of several other officers, that since he was associated with Dharma Productions, they would let him off if he implicated either Karan Johar, Somel Mishra, Rakhi, Apoorva, Neeraj or Rahil falsely alleging that they consumed drugs. Kshitij refused to comply with this despite the pressure being mounted on him as he did not know any of these people personally and did not wish to falsely implicate anyone," added the statement. Upon the refusal, Wankhede sought to "teach him a lesson" and made Prasad sit on the floor next to the chair. He put this show next to Prasad's face and said that was his true 'aukad', as per the allegations. Sanket and other officials laughed at the scene. "The incident severely traumatised Kshitij, who had never been in this kind of situation before. After over 48 hours in such custody, he was extremely fatigued and shaken," said Satish Maneshinde. Also read: Deepika Padukone drug probe: What's Kwan, the talent agency at the eye of the storm Wankhede then told Prasad that if he wanted to place a call he could sign a statement that's already prepared and can then retract later. If he did not sign, Prasad would not get any access to his lawyer or family, stated the allegations. "At the end of nearly 50 hours of interrogation, humiliation and torment, Kshitij is his desperation to speak to his lawyer or family, unwillingly and under threat signed the statement," added Maneshinde. The lawyer argued that NCB is bent upon falsely implicating Karan Johar and some officials of Dharma Productions. Johar denied the allegations and said that Prasad worked in a contract basis and that he can't be held responsible for what people do in their personal life. Also read: Majinder Singh Sirsa files complaint against Karan Johar, Deepika Padukone, others for organising 'drug party' The Norwegian Nobel Committee may choose to award this year's peace price to journalists fighting against misinformation. The top pick for the 2020 prize is the Committee to Protect Journalists, the Peace Research Institute Oslo -- an independent academic institution that ranks possible winners -- said on Monday. Reporters Without Borders was also mentioned as a contender, as were individual outlets such as Russia's Novaya Gazeta, PRIO's director Henrik Urdal told reporters. Press freedom and journalists have regularly emerged as potential favorites for the peace prize in previous years. But in 2020, the absence of a clear-cut favorite and the rise of "fake news" as a serious challenge to democracies could finally tip the scales in favor of journalism, Urdal said. This year's Peace Prize will be announced Oct. 9. "During conflict, it's extremely important that journalism contributes to provide information about what's happening," Urdal said. "There is a broader topic which is becoming ever more present and clear, and it's the larger issue of fake news and misinformation campaigns, not only in theaters of war." Such a prize would also be an implicit challenge to U.S. President Donald Trump, Urdal said. PRIO has Sudan activist Alaa Salah in second place and Russian opposition figure Alexey Navalny -- who was recently poisoned -- in third position on its list, Urdal said. Asle Sveen, a Norwegian historian who's written books about the peace prize and who participated in the meeting with foreign journalists in Oslo on Monday, also pointed to Reporters Without Borders, and has teenage climate activist Greta Thunberg as his second pick. Urdal and Sveen handicap the candidates ahead of the award, and they've had some success in predicting previous winners. They aren't involved in the committee's selection process. Members of government, lawmakers and academics from all over the world can put forward candidates for the prize. A total of 318 names were sent in for this year's award. In 2019, the winner was Ethiopia's Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, and past laureates include the European Union and U.S. President Barack Obama. Trump has been nominated before, and was recently named for the second time by a Norwegian right-wing, anti-immigration lawmaker for the 2021 prize. Urdal and Sveen, like bookmakers, see Trump as an outlier. "Trump is more likely to get the Nobel Prize in Literature for his tweets than the Nobel Peace Prize," Urdal said. The Silence of the Alarms How plant managers are playing with fire. When flames took hold at the Kader Toy factory in Thailand in May 1993, it heralded the start of the worlds worst industrial fire, killing 188 workers and seriously injuring 500 more. The investigation into the tragedy found the failure of the fire alarm as the principle cause. Despite disasters like this, an alarming number of obsolete systems remain in situ putting industrial sites and employees at risk. Every industrial or manufacturing plant should have an up-to-date alarm monitoring system because even the slightest changes in temperature, flow or environment can damage the production process and lead to costly downtime. Chemical processing, for example, requires critically controlled temperature and humidity levels, so the slightest variation can result in defective products or outputs, damage to equipment and can crucially halt production all together. Having a fully functional, operational alarm monitoring system is therefore essential, no matter the industry. Despite the importance of fire prevention, between 80 and 90 per cent of alarm systems fitted in industrial facilities in the UK today are obsolete a worrying statistic given that malfunction can cost millions. With the stakes so high its hard to comprehend why plant owners take the risk and continue production with alarm systems that arent fit for purpose. Clear and Simple The late 1960s and 70s saw a huge increase in the installation of hard-wired, panel based, annunciator systems. The panels featured a series of color-coded warning lights showing the systems overall status, as well as monitoring specific conditions from different points across a site. Any condition changes were relayed back to the central control panel, triggering a warning light to alert the plant operator of any issues requiring immediate action. At the end of the 80s and early 90s industrial plant managers began moving away from hard-wired alarms in favor of PC based SCADA systems. In contrast to traditional annunciators that were considered old fashioned and took up too much room, computer-based systems offered a contemporary, compact alternative. Manufacturers could now connect multiple communication points without having to install miles of cabling and it essentially didnt require huge capital investment. It was during this time that many alarm manufacturers, including Babcock, Century and Highland Electronics either went out of business or were taken over. What The Study Did: Outcomes of in-hospital cardiac arrest among patients with COVID-19 are examined in this case series. Authors: Corey Mayer, D.O., M.B.A., of the William Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, Michigan, is the corresponding author. To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media website at this link https://media.jamanetwork.com/ (doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2020.4796) Editor's Note: Please see the article for additional information, including other authors, author contributions and affiliations, conflict of interest and financial disclosures, and funding and support. ### The full study is linked to this news release. Embed this link to provide your readers free access to the full-text article This link will be live at the embargo time https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/10.1001/jamainternmed.2020.4796?guestAccessKey=90dbcd50-3282-4ca3-abdd-3bbb8177ac97&utm_source=For_The_Media&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=ftm_links&utm_content=tfl&utm_term=092820 A U.S. judge in Washington temporarily blocked a Trump administration order that was set to bar Apple Inc and Alphabet Inc's Google from offering Chinese-owned short video-sharing app TikTok for download at 11:59 p.m. on Sunday. U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols, a nominee of President Donald Trump, who joined the court last year, said in a brief order he was issuing a preliminary injunction to prevent the TikTok app store ban from taking effect. Nichols declined "at this time" to block other Commerce Department restrictions set to take effect on Nov. 12 that TikTok has warned would have the impact of making the app unusable in the United States. Nichols' detailed written opinion is expected to be released as soon as Monday. John E. Hall, a lawyer for TikTok, had argued during a 90-minute Sunday morning hearing that the ban was "unprecedented" and "irrational." "How does it make sense to impose this app store ban tonight when there are negotiations under way that might make it unnecessary?" Hall asked during the hearing. "This is just punitive. This is just a blunt way to whack the company. ... There is simply no urgency here." U.S. officials have expressed national security concerns that personal data collected on 100 million Americans who use the app could be obtained by Chinas Communist Party government. ByteDance said on Sept. 20 it made a preliminary deal for Walmart Inc and Oracle Corp to take stakes in a new company, TikTok Global, that would oversee U.S. operations. Negotiations continue over the terms of the agreement and to resolve concerns from Washington and Beijing. The deal is still to be reviewed by the U.S. government's Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS). The Justice Department said a preliminary injunction allowing Americans to continue downloading the TikTok app would be "interfering with a formal national security judgment of the president; altering the landscape with respect to ongoing CFIUS negotiations; and continuing to allow sensitive and valuable user information to flow to ByteDance with respect to all new users." On Sept. 19, the Commerce Department delayed the ban to give the companies an additional week to finalize a deal. TikTok argues the restrictions, amid rising U.S.-China tensions under the Trump administration, "were not motivated by a genuine national security concern, but rather by political considerations relating to the upcoming general election." Another U.S. judge, in Pennsylvania, on Saturday rejected a bid by three TikTok content creators to block the ban, while a judge in California has blocked a similar order from taking effect on Tencent Holdings' WeChat app. Thiruvananthapuram, Sep 28 : Four years after his arrest on charges of entering into a conspiracy to carry out terrorist attacks in India, a special court here on Monday awarded life imprisonment to Islamic State (IS) terrorist Subahani Haja Mohideen, who was in the war zone in Iraq. Subahani Haja Mohideen (35) belonged to the Al-Hindi module of the Islamic State. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) had arrested him on October 5, 2016 after the seizure of incriminating material from his house in Tirunelveli district in Tamil Nadu, which indicated his travel to the theatre of conflict in West Asia. The special NIA court in Ernakulam sentenced Mohideen to life imprisonment besides slapping a fine of R 2.10 lakh. The court had on last Friday convicted him for criminal conspiracy under various sections of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. The NIA had registered the case on October 1, 2016 based on credible information that certain youth had entered into a conspiracy and were making preparations to carry out terrorist attacks in India to further the objectives of proscribed terror outfit Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). The NIA had carried out searches at Mohideen's residence on October 3, 2016 and recovered incriminating material indicating his travel to West Asia. Forensic examination of the clothes used by Mohideen during his stay with the Islamic State and the forensic medical examination of his body established that he was in the war zone in Iraq, the NIA said. "It was also established that Subahani Haja Moideen, after returning to India on September 21, 2015, had attempted to procure explosive chemicals from Sivakasi in Tamil Nadu, based on instructions from his handlers in Islamic State, to carry out terrorist attacks in India on behalf of ISIS or." The probe also revealed that Mohideen had exited Chennai and reached Turkey on April 8, 2015. He had then illegally crossed over to Iraq through the land border and joined the Islamic State using the name Abu Jasmine Al-Hindi. After undergoing religious and arms training with the Islamic State in Iraq, he was deployed with the outfit's military formation Umar Ibnu Khatab Khatiba, headed by French national Abu Suleiman Al-Francisi, who was later killed. Mohideen was also associated with Pakistani national Mohammed Usman Ghani. Ghani was subsequently arrested and is now incarcerated in France for his involvement in the November 13 Paris terror attacks of 2015. When nerve cells aren't busy exchanging information, they're supposed to keep quiet. If they're just popping off at random, like in a noisy classroom, it obscures the signals they're supposed to be transmitting. But in the most common genetic cause of schizophrenia, it seems that nerve cells won't shut up, Stanford University School of Medicine investigators have found. And they think they know why. One in every 3,000 people carries the genetic defect called 22q11.2 deletion syndrome, or 22q11DS. It's one of the most widespread chromosomal deletions known to occur in humans. People carrying 22q11DS are at an astonishing 30-fold risk for schizophrenia compared with the general population, dwarfing the magnitude of all other known genetic or environmental risk factors. Plus, some 30%-40% of individuals with this deletion receive a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder early in their lives. Until now, nobody understood why this deletion so profoundly elevates the risk for these conditions. But experiments performed in a study to be published Sept. 28 in Nature Medicine have pinpointed a change in an electrical property of cortical neurons among carriers of the deletion that may explain how they develop schizophrenia, which is characterized by hallucinations, delusions and cognitive decline. The scientists identified a single gene that appears to be largely responsible for the electrical abnormality. Instead of describing psychiatric disorders as collections of behavioral symptoms, Sergiu Pasca, MD, associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, envisions defining these psychiatric diseases in terms of their molecular underpinnings -- what he calls molecular psychiatry. "Oncologists can learn a lot about the underlying drivers of a patient's cancer by studying a tumor biopsy," Pasca said. "But probing the underlying biological mechanisms driving psychiatric disorders is hard, because we don't ordinarily have access to functional brain tissue from living patients." But a new technology circumvents that difficulty. "We've been working from behavior down," he said. "Here, we're working from molecules up." Experimenting on balls of brain cells The Stanford scientists, collaborating with researchers from other institutions, uncovered the electrical defect in nerve cells, or neurons, by generating and manipulating tiny spherical clusters of brain cells in a dish. Each cluster contained hundreds of thousands of cells. These so-called cortical spheroids, composed of neurons and other important brain cells, were first developed by Pasca several years ago. Derived from skin cells and suspended in laboratory glassware, the spheroids self-organize to recapitulate some of the architecture of the human cerebral cortex, a brain region often associated with schizophrenia symptoms. The spheroids continue to develop for months and even years in a dish. In the study, Pasca and his colleagues generated cortical spheroids from skin cells taken from 15 different 22q11DS carriers and 15 healthy control subjects. Pasca, the Bonnie Uytengsu and Family Director of the Stanford Brain Organogenesis Program, is the study's senior author. Lead authorship is shared by Stanford graduate student Themasap Khan; Stanford postdoctoral scholar Omer Revah, DMV, PhD; and Aaron Gordon, PhD, a postdoctoral scholar at UCLA. Not all the 22q11DS donors had manifested schizophrenia's hallmark symptoms. Whereas schizophrenia usually reveals itself in late adolescence or early adulthood, even asymptomatic 22q11DS carriers remain at elevated risk of developing schizophrenia throughout their lifetimes. The neurons generated from every 22q11DS carrier in the study demonstrated a consistently less-than-normal voltage difference between the inner-facing and outer-facing sides of the cell membranes when the cells weren't firing. A quiescent neuron's cross-membrane voltage difference is called its resting membrane potential; it keeps the neuron poised to fire while preventing it from firing at random. Cortical neurons derived from people with 22q11DS were more excitable, the study found. This is likely because of their abnormal resting membrane potential, Pasca said. The 22q11DS-derived neurons spontaneously fired four times as frequently as neurons derived from people in the control group. This altered resting membrane potential also led to abnormalities in calcium signaling in the 22q11DS neurons. Treating these neurons with any of three different antipsychotic drugs effectively reversed the defects in resting membrane potential and calcium signaling, and prevented these neurons from being so excitable. The researchers also studied a gene called DGCR8, which has been suspected of being tied to schizophrenia. DGCR8 is one of scores of genes normally residing along a stretch of chromosomal DNA that's deleted in a person with 22q11DS. Knocking down DGCR8's activity levels in the control neurons reproduced the weakened resting membrane potential and associated malfunctions seen in the 22q11DS neurons. Boosting the activity of the gene through genetic manipulation or by applying antipsychotic drugs to 22q11DS neurons largely restored that potential. "DGCR8 is probably the main player in the cellular defects we observed," Pasca said. Some of these defects are probably also present in some other forms of schizophrenia, he added. "We can't test hallucinations in a dish," Pasca said. "But the fact that the cellular malfunctions we identified in a dish were reversed by drugs that relieve symptoms in people with schizophrenia suggests that these cellular malfunctions could be related to the disorder's behavioral manifestations." There are undoubtedly many types of schizophrenia, he said. "But clinically, 22q11DS-related schizophrenia isn't very different from other forms of schizophrenia. Some of the mechanisms we've identified here may turn out to apply to those more genetically or environmentally complex types of schizophrenia." ### Pasca is a member of Stanford Bio-X, the Stanford Maternal & Child Health Research Institute, and Stanford Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute, and is a faculty fellow of Stanford ChEM-H. Other Stanford co-authors of the study are former medical student Anna Krawisz, MD; former postdoctoral scholars Carleton Goold, PhD, Yishan Sun, PhD, and Masayuki Yazawa, PhD; former undergraduate student Julia Schaepe; former visiting researcher Kazuya Ikeda, MD; postdoctoral medical fellow Neal Amin, MD, PhD; postdoctoral scholar Min-Yin Li, PhD; basic life research scientist Noriaki Sakai, DVM, PhD; Seiji Nishino, MD, PhD, professor emeritus of psychiatry and behavioral sciences; Matthew Porteus, MD, professor of pediatrics; Jonathan Bernstein, MD, associate professor of pediatrics; Ruth O'Hara, PhD, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences; Joachim Hallmayer, MD, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences; and John Huguenard, PhD, professor of neurology. Researchers at UCLA; Yonsei University College of Medicine in Seoul, South Korea; the National Institute of Mental Health; and the Novartis Institutes for Medical Research also contributed to the study. The work was funded by the National Institutes of Health (grants R01MH107800, R01MH100900, R01MH085953, R37MH060233 and R01MH094714); the Behavioral and Brain Research Foundation; the New York Stem Cell Foundation; the MQ Foundation; the Stanford Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute's Brain Rejuvenation Project; the Stanford Human Brain Organogenesis Program; the Uytengsu Family Research Fund; the Kwan Research Fund; the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine; the National Research Foundation of Korea; the National Science Foundation; the Feldman Gift Fund; the Maternal and Child Health Research Institute; the Autism Science Foundation; a Stanford Medicine Dean's Fellowship; the Howard Hughes Medical Institute; Stanford Bio-X; and the Ministry of Science, ICT & Future Planning in Korea. The Stanford University School of Medicine consistently ranks among the nation's top medical schools, integrating research, medical education, patient care and community service. For more news about the school, please visit http://med.stanford.edu/school.html. The medical school is part of Stanford Medicine, which includes Stanford Health Care and Stanford Children's Health. For information about all three, please visit http://med.stanford.edu. MELBOURNE, Fla., Sept. 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The Preeclampsia Foundation is urgently calling for the development of biomarker tests for simple, rapid, and accurate diagnosis and prediction of preeclampsia, a life-threatening hypertensive disorder of pregnancy. This call to action recognizes the roles of various stakeholders and builds upon the work the Foundation and other forward thinkers have accomplished, bringing biomarkers closer to reality here in the United States. Support better testing for preeclampsia, sign our petition at https://www.ipetitions.com/petition/no-time-to-wait-women-need-accurate-preeclampsia Key milestones in preeclampsia screening and diagnostic biomarker development Biomarkers are powerful laboratory tools that can be used to detect or predict pathology, often before signs and symptoms are present. These unique biological products are found throughout the body and may be quantifiable by a simple blood, urine, or even a saliva test at various points in pregnancy. There are several important benefits to introducing biomarkers: 1) Screening pregnant women for pre-symptomatic disease to enable interventional research studies, accelerating progress toward therapeutic drugs or biologics; 2) Determining disease severity and risk stratifying women to improve surveillance and management, such as timing of delivery; and 3) Reducing costs associated with short and long term medical care by eliminating unnecessary testing, surveillance, and unnecessary iatrogenic births. "Sadly, healthcare providers have limited tools to diagnose preeclampsia," says Eleni Tsigas, CEO. "Blood pressure, proteinuria, maternal symptoms, and basic blood chemistries are highly variable, nonspecific and poorly predictive of outcomes. Limited diagnostic tools mean babies are delivered prematurely when perhaps they didn't need to be. On the opposite side of the spectrum are mothers whose care should have been managed more aggressively. This syndrome is complex. If we are going to improve the care and treatment of preeclampsia, providers need more sophisticated tools." Advocating for biomarkers is not new for the Foundation, which held its first biomarker consortium in 2012, bringing together key stakeholders to advance the field, identifying barriers as well as strategies to overcome them. Today, the Foundation calls upon leaders in research, industry, regulatory bodies, policy makers, professional societies, and eventually payers to engage and address this call to action, removing barriers and accelerating the development and adoption of biomarkers to improve screening and diagnosis of hypertensive and placental disorders of pregnancy. Read the entire statement here: www.preeclampsia.org/biomarkers and join the call to action by signing a petition here: https://www.ipetitions.com/petition/no-time-to-wait-women-need-accurate-preeclampsia. About Preeclampsia Preeclampsia, a hypertensive disorder of pregnancy, affects about 1 in every 12 U.S. pregnancies. It is a leading cause of premature birth and maternal and infant death, taking the lives of 70,000 women and 500,000 babies worldwide each year. The estimated cost of preeclampsia in the United States was $2.18 billion dollars in 2012, three times more than a normal pregnancy. The incidence of preeclampsia especially in its most severe form has been increasing, with unacceptable racial and ethnic disparities. It occurs sometime after the twentieth week of pregnancy and up to six weeks postpartum. Many of the signs and symptoms can be mistaken for normal discomforts of pregnancy. About the Preeclampsia Foundation The Preeclampsia Foundation is a U.S.-based 501(c)(3) patient advocacy organization established in 2000 to improve the outcomes of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy by educating, supporting, and engaging the community, improving healthcare practices, and finding a cure. We envision a world where preeclampsia and related hypertensive disorders of pregnancy no longer threaten the lives of mothers and their babies. Visit www.preeclampsia.org. Contact: Valerie Holloway 321.421.6957 [email protected] SOURCE Preeclampsia Foundation Related Links http://www.preeclampsia.org KYODO NEWS - Sep 28, 2020 - 23:28 | All, Japan, Coronavirus Japan will consider easing a rule on eating at movie theaters, economic revitalization minister Yasutoshi Nishimura said Monday, in an additional relaxation amid a recent decline in the number of novel coronavirus infections. While movie theaters in Japan have been allowed to sell all their seats since Sept. 19, eating is only allowed if audiences are limited to 50 percent of auditorium capacity to prevent infection. Movie theater operators had asked the government to ease the restriction, Nishimura, who is in charge of responding to the pandemic, told a press conference. While the government has determined that it is safe to consume beverages in movie theaters, Nishimura said people need to take off face masks for longer periods to eat. He added the government will make a decision based on scientific data to determine whether it is safe to relax the rule. The move comes as Tokyo confirmed 78 new infections, down from 144 on Sunday and 270 on Saturday. The capital is the hardest-hit area among the country's 47 prefectures and reported 59 cases -- its lowest daily figure in about three months -- last Wednesday. On Monday, a total of 301 cases were reported nationwide, bringing the cumulative total to 83,214, including about 700 cases from the Diamond Princess, a cruise ship that was quarantined in Yokohama in February. While the number of infections in the country has been on a downward trend since mid-August, an advisory group for the health ministry warned last week that the pace of decline has been slowing recently. BY THE NUMBERS Dow futures were pointing to a strong gain at Monday's open, which would add to Friday's 359-point, or 1.3%, advance for the 30-stock average as tech shares bounced. The S&P 500 was up 1.6%. The Nasdaq was the real winner Friday, up nearly 2.3%. Monday could see less trading volume than normal due to the Yom Kippur holiday. (CNBC) The Dow and S&P 500 were lower for the fourth straight week. But the Nasdaq broke a three-week losing streak. With three days left in September, all three benchmarks were pacing for their first monthly losses since March, which saw the market plunge to coronavirus lows on March 23. (CNBC) However, timing is everything in investing; for the third quarter, the Dow, S&P 500 and Nasdaq recorded strong gains, and the Dow and S&P 500 were each up about 50% since that late-March Covid-19 bottom while the Nasdaq was up nearly 65% over the same time period. (CNBC) Virgin Galactic (SPCE) shares popped 13% after Bank of America and Susquehanna initiated coverage of the spaceflight company with "buy" and "positive" ratings, respectively. Susquehanna said it sees Virgin Galactic "as an innovator of space technology with a truly unique offering." (CNBC) IN THE NEWS TODAY STOCKS TO WATCH Air Serbia is increasing operations to a number of destinations in the coming period as countries begin lifting entry requirements for Serbian citizens. The airline is boosting flights to Switzerland, Cyprus, Turkey and the United States, with frequencies in some cases outstripping pre-pandemic levels. Services to Ljubljana are also likely to grow in the coming weeks after the Slovenian government placed Serbia on its green list today, lifting all entry requirements. Air Serbia will be adding extra frequencies between Belgrade and Zurich for a total of nineteen per week, equaling the number of rotations to those operated last summer. Similarly, its competitor, Swiss, is also increasing its frequencies on the route to twelve per week. Just days after the Cypriot government lifted entry requirements for Serbian citizens, Air Serbia is doubling its operations to Larnaca to four per week. In response, Wizz Air has brought forward the resumption of its flights between Belgrade and the Cypriot city, which will now be restored on October 15 rather than October 28. Last week, the Serbian carrier increased its frequencies to Istanbul from five to seven weekly, outstripping pre-pandemic levels, and will maintain five weekly flights to New York in October, up from two per week the same month last year. The airline recently announced it would also extend charter flights to Turkey into October and to Egypt throughout November due to strong demand. Air Serbia has previously said that its recovery will largely depend on ongoing entry restrictions and requirements for Serbian nationals. The challenge for us at the moment are the closed borders and travel restrictions in our main markets in Western Europe, which greatly restricts the movement of people, and so our flights, too, the carriers Head of Trade and Corporate Sales, Bosko Rupic, said. Borders to most European Union member states are currently closed to most Serbian citizens, with the block to discuss the possibility of reopening them at a meeting this week. However, some EU member states have eased or removed all travel restrictions over the past month, including Bulgaria, Cyprus, Slovenia, Slovakia, Lithuania and Italy. Patricia Warner, one of the nations last OSS female spies who once worked undercover as a flamenco dancer, died Saturday in her Lincoln, Massachusetts home surrounded by family. She was 99. I always told her she was the last leaf on the tree, one of her sons Chris Warner, said. She was a spy for the Office of Strategic Services, the precursor to the Central Intelligence Agency, serving in Washington, D.C., London and Madrid during World War II. As the Boston Herald wrote last year in a profile, Patricia joined the OSS after her first husband, Harvard grad Robert Fowler III, was killed in the Pacific early in the war. He was an officer in the Navy, credited with torpedoing the second Japanese cruiser of the war. I can still remember the last time I saw him. It was at the elevator outside our sixth-floor apartment on 151 East 83rd Street in New York City. I followed him outside and we kissed goodbye and he was off to the Pacific, Patricia said this summer. Hes the last person I see every night, she added. That was a real love affair doomed from the start. I knew he was going into the most dangerous place in the world then. I always hoped hed get home. But he didnt. It was 1942 and she would have their son alone back home months later. After the war, she married Charles Warner a college professor and veteran who died in 2008 and they had five children. But as a young widow, she did the unexpected she joined the OSS after the Navy said they didnt take widows. She was 22 and quickly found herself serving overseas. Ill never forget the day we landed in Madrid. We touched down right next to enemy planes. They were dark and black with swastikas on them. It was pretty scary, Patricia said. This reporter kept in touch with Patricia, almost weekly, since her story appeared in the Herald in a series titled: Heroes of a Generation: World War II stories. She kept safe during the coronavirus pandemic, but time just caught up to her. The panic during the pandemic, she said recently, is similar to the war due to what there is to know and what you dont know. Last weekend Patricia squeezed this reporters hand to thank me one last time for telling her story. The honor was all mine. She told of going undercover as a flamenco dancer in bars in Madrid before D-Day and just letting go and dancing; of attending bull fights in that city to recruit supporters; of being stalked by an enemy spy; and, helping a frightened Allied pilot escape back to England. She spoke often of her spy partner and other women of the OSS who risked their lives to do their part during the war. This is the end of a historic era in American intelligence, Charles Pinck, head of the OSS society, said Sunday of Patricias death. These women never sought public acclaim. They were told to keep it all secret. Patricia Warner became an expert on anorexia and was named one of former President George H.W. Bushs Thousand Points of Light for founding the Anorexia Nervosa Aid Society. She joined the Civil Rights movement, once getting arrested in Selma. She was also awarded the Congressional Gold Medal in May for her OSS exploits. She was heroic, resilient, gracious and fantastic, her daughter-in-law, Sue Warner, said Sunday. I was so lucky to have known her. Its a sentiment shared by all. I was well trained, Patricia said, I had the eye of a spy. 2020 the Boston Herald Visit the Boston Herald at www.bostonherald.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Videos Sorry, there are no recent results for popular videos. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Mon, September 28, 2020 16:02 481 e22cd4161040e111d73a5626c47b1efa 1 National COVID-19-vaccine,COVID-19-vaccines,coronavirus,Jokowi,COVID-19,covid-19-Indonesia Free President Joko Jokowi Widodo has ordered the national COVID-19 and economic recovery committee to come up with a final plan for nationwide coronavirus vaccination within the next two weeks. I demand that a detailed plan be ready within two weeks. [It should comprise] the commencement date, the location, who will perform [the vaccination] and who will be vaccinated, Jokowi said during the opening of a Cabinet meeting on Monday. He asserted the importance of creating a comprehensive plan as soon as possible. So that whenever a vaccine is ready, we can directly carry out [vaccination] in the field." Indonesia is currently in the process of clinical trials for a potential coronavirus vaccine developed by Chinese biopharmaceutical company Sinovac Biotech in partnership with its Indonesian state-owned peer Bio Farma. The late-stage human trials involving some 1,620 volunteers were launched in August. Read also: Six months on, health experts covet greater voice in pandemic response The Indonesian Military (TNI) has expressed its commitment to support the government regarding the medical equipment and vaccine distributions. I have met with [regional] chiefs of forces in many regions and asked them to be ready to continue the humanitarian operation, including duties to distribute vaccines to all regions nationwide, TNI commander Air Chief Marshal Hadi Tjahjanto said on Sunday as quoted by tempo.co All military equipment from the Navy and Air Force would be available for the distribution of medical logistics nationwide, he added. The distribution of personal protective gear for doctors and medical workers nationwide in March was also carried out by the TNI, national COVID-19 task force chief Doni Monardo said. (trn) An old tractor was set on fire on Monday morning by a group of people to oppose the recently passed agriculture-related bills. Opposition parties and farmers have been protesting against these bills on a national level. The controversial bills were approved by the President on Sunday evening. Amid nationwide protests against the contentious Farm Bills, angered protesters on Monday torched an old tractor near India Gate in New Delhi. Fortunately, the police and firemen were able to extinguish the fire and the tractor has been moved. On Sunday morning, around 15-20 suspects rounded up at the site and lit up the tractor. The police has arrested 5 people in connection with the same and is now trying to identify and arrest the vandals. The cops have stated that the protesters shouted slogans in favour of the Congress party. The Farm bills that were passed in Parliament have resulted in much controversy and demonstrations throughout the country. These agriculture-related bills have led to nationwide protests by farmers and opposition parties as they allege, these bills will reduce the bargaining capacity of farmers and will end the Minimum Support Price regime. Also read: RS Dy Chairman sets the record straight on reports of rule breaking in RS while passing Farm bills #UPDATE: Five people residents of Punjab detained in connection with the protest and burning of a tractor near India Gate in Delhi. Legal action initiated. https://t.co/IMtkZge2l7 ANI (@ANI) September 28, 2020 Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha and Hasiru Sene, & other organisations protest in front of Sir Puttanna Chetty Town Hall in Bengaluru. Farmers' organisations have called statewide bandh today, against #FarmBills (now laws), land reform ordinances, amendments to APMC & labour laws pic.twitter.com/ViaTkMe93w ANI (@ANI) September 28, 2020 Also read: Sharad Pawar meets Maharashtra CM a day after Raut-Fadnavis meeting Many protests have been held by farmers in the country, more so in Haryana and Punjab, two of Indias biggest crop producer states. In the backdrop of these protests, Amrinder Singh, the Chief Minister of Punjab will be participating in a protest at freedom fighter Bhagat Singhs native village of Khatkar Kalan. The Punjab Youth Congress had hosted a live-stream displaying the mornings demonstrations at India Gate on its Facebook account. Sources suggest that members of the Punjab Youth Congress had earlier attempted to set a tractor on fire in Ambala, Haryana as well on September 20. On September 27, farmers from Punjab held a sit-in on the railway track from Amritsar to Delhi. The Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee has been leading this protest. Farmers in Karnataka have been demanding a bandh or shutdown of the entire state because of the Farming Bills. Congress, which has been firmly opposing these bills, is also in favour of the bandh. Also read: Amid protests, President Kovind gives assent to 3 farm bills passed by Parliament Tamil Nadu: Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) President MK Stalin takes part in a protest against #FarmBills (now laws) in Keezhambi village of Kanchipuram. pic.twitter.com/dsJhOnfTrR ANI (@ANI) September 28, 2020 Dr Fauci on what to expect this winter (POOL/AFP via Getty Images) The leading infectious disease expert in the United States has warned the country was not in a good place when it comes to the novel coronavirus pandemic, a stark warning ahead of the coming flu season and winter months. Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease (NIAID) and member of the White House coronavirus response task force, said in a new interview that many parts of the country need to significantly increase their efforts to combat Covid-19 to avoid a potentially catastrophic reemergence of the novel virus responsible for more than 200,000 deaths nationwide. As we get into the fall and the winter, you really want the level of community spread to be as low as you possibility get it, Dr Fauci said in an interview with ABC News Good Morning America on Monday. While the expert noted there were certainly parts of the country that are doing well, he added: There are states that are starting to show uptick in cases and even some increases in hospitalizations in some states. I hope not but, we very well might start seeing increases in deaths, Dr Fauci warned. You don't want to be in a position like that as the weather starts getting cold. The doctor was speaking to the news outlet about the need to intensify the public health measures recommended by the CDC and other scientific institutions to curb the spread of infections as several states across the country were reporting a rise in Covid-19 cases. In Florida, for example, reports have shown a slight uptick throughout September among college-aged residents of the state. Meanwhile, Governor Ron DeSantis announced Florida would be lifting all restrictions against restaurants and businesses as part of an effort to revive the economy. I think this will be very, very important to the industry, the Republican governor told reporters at a press conference during the weekend about his decision to lift restrictions on restaurants. Story continues We're prepared if we see an increase," he added. "We're not closing anything moving forward. We have the tools in place." Dr Fauci spoke about the states decision to end its coronavirus restrictions, calling the move very concerning and adding: Thats something that we really need to be careful about. When you're dealing with community spread and you have the kind of congregate setting where people get together particularly without masks, you're really asking for trouble," he said. "Now's the time actually to double down a bit." However, Dr Fauci made clear in the interview that he was not calling for a total shutdown of the economy similar to what happened in March, saying: We're not talking about shutting anything down. We're talking about common sense type of public health measures that we've been talking about all along. He added: Obviously, if things really explode you'd have to consider that. But we want to do everything we possibly can to avoid an absolute shutdown." Read more Florida to fully lift coronavirus restrictions in restaurants and bars, despite bump in cases LONDON, Sept. 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Redscan, the Managed Detection and Response and Penetration Testing specialist, today announced the availability of its services on G-Cloud 12 the latest iteration of the UK Government's cloud procurement platform. The Redscan services listed are ThreatDetect Managed Detection and Response as well as CREST-accredited Penetration Testing and IT Health Checks. These services are designed to enable organisations to reliably secure their infrastructure and assets as well as rapidly detect and respond to threats. Ever-increasing attacks on providers of critical services mean that cyber security is of huge concern across the public sector. An increase in remote working has only increased overall risk and complexity a challenge that Redscan's security experts, technology and threat intelligence are proven to help organisations address. "Events over the last six months only remind us of the value of the public sector and the importance of ensuring that organisations within it have access to the support they need to defend against the threats they face daily," said Mark Nicholls, Redscan CTO. "By making our services available via G-Cloud 12, we aim to ensure security and IT teams can easily call upon additional expertise to protect cloud workloads and users, plus detect and respond to attacks before they cause damage. "Our offensive security expertise, cloud-native technology, and experience of working with organisations across the public and private sectors means we are a security partner that can be trusted to keep pace and deliver security outcomes that matter." ThreatDetect Managed Detection and Response (Category cloud hosting) ThreatDetect is an outcome-focused MDR service that supplies the support, insight and automated actions organisations need to rapidly detect and respond to current and emerging cyber threats across networks, endpoints and cloud environments 24/7/365. Integrating experienced cyber security operations centre experts, a cloud-native technology stack and real-time curated cyberoffensive intelligence from internal and external sources, ThreatDetect operates as an extension of clients' in-house teams to expand threat visibility and coverage plus contain, disrupt and eliminate threats at the earliest stages of attack. Redscan is a recognised as a Representative Vendor in Gartner, Inc.'s 2020 Market Guide for Managed Detection and Response Services [1] and ThreatDetect is described as the 'one to choose in the UK' by Bloor Research [2]. On average, customers rate the service over 9/10 for overall satisfaction [3]. CREST Penetration Testing and IT Health Checks (Category cloud support) CREST Penetration Testing and IT Health Checks helps organisations to identify and address deep-lying security vulnerabilities across networks, systems and applications. Redscan's team of security consultants are experienced at conducting all aspects of testing, including those required to be completed for compliance with the PCIS DSS and ISO 27001. Internal and external testing of services within the Public Services Network (PSN), a requirement of IT Health Checks (ITHC), is also offered. In 2020, Redscan received an award for 'Best Penetration Testing Service' at the Teiss Awards 2020. [1] Gartner Market Guide for Managed Detection and Response Services, Toby Bussa, Kelly Kavanagh, Pete Shoard, John Collins, Craig Lawson, Mitchell Schneider, 26 August 2020 [2] Bloor Research MDR Market Guide, Fran Howarth, March 2020 [3] Redscan Customer Survey 2019 About Redscan Redscan is an award-winning provider of managed security services, specialising in Managed Detection and Response, Penetration Testing and Red Teaming. Possessing a deep knowledge of offensive security, Redscan's experts are among the most qualified in the industry, working as an extension of clients' in-house resources to expose and address vulnerabilities plus swiftly identify, contain and shut down breaches. By understanding how attackers operate and leveraging cutting-edge tools and threat intelligence, Redscan's cyber security professionals can be trusted to provide the insight and support needed to successfully mitigate information security risk and achieve compliance standards. SOURCE Redscan ANN ARBOR, MI - The number of coronavirus cases at the University of Michigan have increased for the third consecutive week, thanks largely to outside testing. The universitys COVID-19 dashboard shows UM had 153 cases identified last week - its highest weekly number of confirmed coronavirus cases - with 97 of those cases confirmed by outside testing. Of those positive cases, 141 were students, the dashboard indicated, with just 12 cases confirmed for non-students. Last week, UM updated its COVID-19 dashboard to reflect testing that occurred outside the university, with the results showing there were 116 confirmed COVID-19 cases between Sept. 13-19, which was the previous high total for the university. UM posted the update saying it was aware of the increase in positive cases and that the Washtenaw County Health Department is managing the off-campus cases and providing contact tracing. Since the start of the fall semester, UM has increased its testing efforts, with 3,387 tests conducted last week, resulting in a testing positivity rate of 1.7%. Testing last week was down slightly, however, from the 3,687 tests conducted the week before. Currently there are 19 students in isolation with a positive COVID-19 test, while another 83 are in quarantine for exposure and are awaiting test results. Since the coronavirus pandemic began, 488 individuals have tested positive for COVID-19, according to the data. READ MORE: After update, University of Michigan coronavirus dashboard shows more than 100 positive cases in last 2 weeks 221 University of Michigan students test negative for coronavirus after cluster at South Quad Is the University of Michigan cracking under pandemic pressure? Jennifer Arcuri, 35, said Mr Johnson was a 'puppet on a string' in new interview The tech entrepreneur said the PM was no longer trusted, but was not evil Her relationship with Mr Johnson was once probed by the police watchdog It found no wrongdoing after Ms Arcuri and Mr Johnson were linked A review said there 'may have been an intimate relationship' between them Boris Johnson's former close friend Jennifer Arcuri spectacularly turned on the PM today branding him 'nothing short of a dictator' and 'the worst kind of leader'. The technology entrepreneur, 35, likened him to a 'puppet on a string' but stopped short of total condemnation, admitting 'I dont believe he is evil'. ADVERTISEMENT But she added 'Nobody trusts a word coming out of his mouth' and said that his time in top office had been shame after shame. And in what could be the most hurtful comment for Mr Johnson, she lined up Chancellor Rishi Sunak as his replacement. Ms Arcuri's intervention comes as something of a surprise given her friendship with the PM was once probed by the police watchdog. The review established there was a 'close association' between the pair and there 'may have been an intimate relationship', but they had done nothing wrong. Ms Arcuri said today he had crippled the UK, adding: 'There is absolutely no reason to lockdown this country again. This is nothing short of a dictator, and he is the worst kind of leader because nobody trusts a word coming out of his mouth. Boris Johnson and Jennifer Arcuri at the Innotech Hacking and data conference in 2014 And even if he did have the best intentions for the country, nobody believes it. Everything he has done since he has taken office has been one sham after another, despite the fact that I know that man means good. Click here to resize this module I dont know what the hell is going on but he is not calling the shots, he is not the person in charge. So we cant blame him necessarily because there is an army around him feeding him fake experts, this is completely political. Chancellor Rishi Sunak When Boris met Jennifer: PM's 'intimate' relationship with tech adviser Arcuri October 2011: Johnson first meets Arcuri at a gathering of venture capitalists in central London, while he is Mayor of the capital city. April 2012: He is a keynote speaker at the first networking event in 2012 for Arcuri's firm. He visited her flat several times, where she has a dancing pole, during his tenure as Mayor between 2008 and 2016. September 2013: At a Conservative Party conference in Manchester she photographed Johnson speaking, posting it online with the caption: 'The laughter in the room makes this whole week worth it.' November 2014: Arcuri is delegate on Johnson's trade mission to Singapore and Malaysia. February 2015: Arcuri is seen at events during Johnson's trade trip to New York. November 2015: Arcuri joins the London Mayor on a trade trip to Tel Aviv in Israel at his request. May 2016: Johnson steps down as Mayor. June 2018: Arcuri moves to California. September 2019: Allegations about Johnson's friendship with Arcuri break in a piece from The Sunday Times. Mr Johnson denies any wrongdoing. September 24, 2019: London Assembly members give the PM a two-week deadline to provide 'details and a timeline of all contact with Jennifer Arcuri' during his time as Mayor of London. October 19, 2019: The London Assembly pauses its probe into the pair's relationship after a request from the IOPC. December 2019: Arcuri said she did not want to 'be pressured into admitting' to anything about her links to the PM during a GMB interview. May 21, 2020: The IOPC announced there was no evidence for it to launch a criminal investigation into allegations Mr Johnson may have committed an offence of misconduct in public office, with the London Assembly to resume its own investigation. It is a completely contrived narrative, the agenda is so blatant anybody with half a brain can see that this is not about health. ADVERTISEMENT You dont stick people in their house and deprive them of sunshine and human interaction and their families and tell them you know whats best for them. its disgusting. And especially when the Cummings thing came, I think when that episode happened the whole thing fell apart, any integrity or anything respectable about that government completely disintegrated. I dont believe he (Mr Johnson) is evil, I know his heart. So I just believe he is a puppet on a string. Ms Arcuri said she has a network of mutual friends with the PM, many of whom allegedly disagree with his handling of the pandemic. The author and former model, currently residing in LA, stresses the fact more people are dying from cancer, suicide and heart disease than coronavirus. She said someone close to her was in remission from cancer at the start of the pandemic, but during lockdown - while she couldnt see a doctor - the disease has spread through their body. Ms Arcuri said: She added: Your people have suffered all year and you are going to deny them Christmas, especially when their loved ones are dying? I cannot return to a country that is run by a dictator, what is he doing? I know the man personally, this goes against everything he stands for, freedoms, libertarian freedom, he said the country was free. I am seeing now this desperate coward. I hate calling the man that I cared so deeply for a coward but he is. I dont know who this man is, but its not Boris Johnson ADVERTISEMENT And I have discussed at length with many people who know him, like we have mutual friends and they all agree with me. We are all sitting here going what the hell? These masks are a joke. On whether the popular Chancellor Sunak could succeed Johnson as MP, she added: Sure, I think Rishi could do a great job if it came down to it. I dont know him personally but just watching from afar, if there was somebody who could come into power and lead the nation and bring back the spirits of the people so we are not creating a nanny state of non-working people, and not shaming them for going to the pub one minute and telling them to eat out. Jennifer Arcuri poses for a photograph in her hotel suite on November 19 last year The nation needs to feel inspired again because they have been fed nothing but a sh**show of chaos all year. A Government spokesman said: Our strategy is clear - to suppress the virus while protecting the economy and education. Throughout the pandemic, the Government has taken advice from a wide range of scientific and medical experts to inform necessary policy and measures to protect lives. The NHS has been working very hard through these challenging times and urgent treatment has remained an absolute priority. It is vital all those who need medical care come forwards and seek help. ADVERTISEMENT We have always been clear that we keep all measures under constant review and will take swift action where necessary.' Here are the key takeaways from Fastmarkets International Aluminium Conference that took place from Monday September 21-Wednesday September 23. Low-carbon aluminium Low-carbon aluminium is a huge talking point in the market right now and the conference dedicated a day to sustainability. Sustainability directors from Rio Tinto, Norsk Hydro, UC Rusal and Alcoa participated in a panel discussion discussing the growing demand from downstream consumers for transparency throughout the aluminium production supply chain. They said that creating transparency and credibility in the green aluminium sector will be a key factor in expanding the market for sustainably produced metal. Ali Al Baqali, chief executive of Aluminium Bahrain, also warned delegates about the need for being rational while the market begins to embrace low-carbon aluminium. And En+ Group executive chairman Lord Gregory Barker said creating a definition for low-carbon aluminium would be an important step in helping to develop broader market engagement in sustainable production. New low-carbon initiatives The focus on low-carbon aluminium led to the announcement of a number of new sustainable initiatives at the conference. Alcoa chief executive officer Roy Harvey announced exclusively at the conference that Alcoa is launching the first ever low-carbon alumina brand, EcoSource. Harvey explained that EcoSource is produced with no more than 0.6 tonnes of CO2 equivalent (CO2e) per tonne of alumina. Meanwhile, China Hongqiao announced that it will complete phase one of its hydro-powered aluminium smelter in southwestern Chinas Yunnan province by the end of the first quarter of next year. LMEs sustainability drive The London Metal Exchange was also in focus; its sustainability discussion paper consultation ended just after the conference on September 24. The exchanges new package of sustainability proposals should aid the discovery process of low-carbon aluminium pricing, CEO Matthew Chamberlain said. While Lord Barker of En+ Group called on the LME to eventually make its new spot trading platform mandatory to drive a new asset class for low-carbon aluminium and to improve transparent, sustainability-based trading. But I think its going to be a challenge to come up with something thats really credible if we end up with something that is just voluntary, that isnt as rigorous in terms of transparency. I think you could have a lot of disappointed punters out there, Barker said. Covid-19 issues The Covid-19 pandemic bolstered aluminium demand from the packaging sector, while the automotive and construction sectors are now recovering after taking the biggest hits during the pandemics peak, CEOs of major aluminium producers said during a panel discussion at the conference. Alcoas Harvey said he now sees a snap back from the difficult second quarter, where in the United States, the temporary shutdown of the automotive supply chain had crippled demand. But his optimism was tinged with caution given the uncertainty of this pandemic. Major aluminium producers operating in some of the countries most affected by Covid-19 took decisive actions early on to protect workers and maintain operations, top executives also assured delegates. When Norsk Hydro CEO Hilde Merete Aasheim learned of the pandemic in China, she quickly took down the company's extrusion plants in the country. But she soon realized the coronavirus was not contained in China and swiftly engineered health and safety guidelines for its other locations. Alf Barrios, CEO of Rio Tinto Aluminium, explained that the now-ended US tariff on Canadian aluminium and the effect of Covid-19 on the market as a whole made an already challenging 2020 for the aluminium industry even tougher. Raw materials There was also lots of discussion around aluminium raw materials at the conference. Noranda chief Thomas Robb told delegates that global alumina prices are expected to remain rangebound over the next quarter unless there are significant changes to the supply and demand picture. John Thuestad, executive vice president of bauxite and alumina at Norsk Hydro added that alumina prices had not been significantly affected by the recent reduced capacity at the Alunorte refinery because of the current oversupply in the alumina market. Further upstream, factors including an improving oil price and increased demand will support a recovery in the cif China bauxite price in the second half of this year, Fastmarkets aluminium analyst Yang Cao told the conference. But he told market participants to keep a close eye on the effect of a weakening domestic China alumina price on the bauxite market. Jaipur, Sep 28 : At a time when politicians across parties are raking up the issue of the contentious farm Bills, a farmer from Rajasthan, who heads 11 districts of the state as a member of the Bharatiya Kisaan Sangh, shares his worries without bringing in politics on the issue. Speaking to IANS, Sanwarmal, explained all three Bills in detail. He says, "In the first Bill namely, the Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, there is no mention of the MSP clause which has left all farmers doubtful. They are worried, thinking, that what will happen if MSP goes away. Although the government says that MSP is still there, but the Bill should have mentioned about the same. The deletion of this one line is the mother of all disputes in this Bill." "Secondly, if a farmer and buyer engage in any dispute, then the farmer has to go to SDM as per the new Bill. Now, there are thousands of matters already pending in SDMs' offices in Rajasthan and farmers are tired of making rounds of the SDM office. The hearing in their matter is held only twice or thrice in the year. Now you can realise what will be the plight of the farmers if they have to go to SDM for small disputes which keep happening in their trade," he said. "Imagine, if a big corporate group buys farmers' produce and goes out of the state without making payment, what will the farmer do. Although the Bill makes a provision of making payment in three days, the process is unclear and confusing. Basically, the payment should be made immediately after the crops are produced to avoid frequent tensions," Sanwarmal added. Under the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill, buyers have been asked to buy unlimited stock of essential commodities which were earlier left limited in the quantity. Now, imagine if there is a huge stock of essential commodities, they can bring in two situations, either their prices will fall or they will go up after black-marketing and hoarding, he added. Initially, the limit to buy essential commodities should have been increased, then its results could have been evaluated and then the final decision should have been taken, Sanwarmal says. Under the third Bill - namely the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020, provision of contract farming has been introduced. Such a practice is seen in developed countries like America with smaller population. However, in a country like India, there are bigger families where 10 to 12 members of each family are engaged in farming in a village. Imagine if a company comes to a field of small farmers, it will hire its own men to till the farm. Where will the family members go who were farming on the fields. Without work, they will turn into criminals and crime will increase in proportion with unemployment, he adds. These family members will either become servants of their masters or else they will go out searching for newer avenues. In such conditions, if a family disengages in farming for a few years, then it is difficult for them to get back into agriculture. Then their fields may be taken up by corporates leaving nothing for them, said Sanwarmal. Meanwhile, on Monday, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and PCC chief Govind Singh Dotasara met Governor Kalraj Mishra and submitted a memorandum demanding the rollback of the much-disputed Bills. On the same day, Congress MLA and former Deputy CM Sachin Pilot said that agriculture is a state subject, however, the Centre is not talking to state governments and has brought an ordinance straight away. "It has been brought under emergency. However, what is the emergency in this matter?" he asked. Sanjay Madhav, spokesperson, Akhil Bharatiya Kisaan Sangharsh Samiti, Rajasthan said, "Agriculture basically is a state subject, however, surprisingly, no advice has been taken from any state government before bringing such ordinances and amendments. In these Covid-19 times, what was the urgency of bringing such ordinance?" he asked. However, Satish Poonia, state BJP chief, told IANS, "Farmers have heaved a sigh of relief with the passing of these Bills. You will be surprised to know that middlemen were fixing marriages in farmers' families depending on their produce. If the farmers wanted a higher amount of their produce, they used to lure them to marry their sons or daughters with their relatives and the poor farmers had no say in this malpractice," he added. A Maryland man has been sentenced to one year in jail and fined $5,000 for throwing two large parties in violation of the states ban on gatherings of more than 10 people. The man, Shawn Marshall Myers, 42, was convicted on Friday of two counts of failure to comply with an emergency order, the Charles County States Attorneys Office said in a statement. Judge W. Louis Hennessy of Charles County District Court, who heard the case without a jury, sentenced Mr. Myers to the maximum penalty on one of the counts. He will be on unsupervised probation for three years after his release, prosecutors said. The trial and sentencing came six months after Gov. Larry Hogan declared a state of emergency and put in place wide-ranging social distancing guidelines to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus. A 47-year-old man was duped of 8.5 lakh in his quest to acquire a franchise in Pune, of a well-known American fast-food chain. A complaint in the matter was lodged by Namdev Bhapkar (47), a resident of Khadki. The transactions were done between September 7 and September 14 through online banking. He is a businessman and was looking to purchase a franchise of the chain. In the process, he received a call , said police inspector (crime) Shafil Pathan of Khadki police station who is investigating the case. The accused called the person and offered to help acquire the franchise, for which, the person demanded 8,55,600, which the complainant paid. However, the complainant soon realised that he had been duped. A case under Section 420 (cheating) of Indian Penal Code along with Sections 66(c) and 66(d) of the Information Technology Act has been registered at Khadki police station. MUMBAI : The coronavirus pandemic has thwarted many projects, but megastar Amitabh Bachchan and the team of the show "Kaun Banega Crorepati" (KBC) knew they would make it happen: with double the precautions and spirit. Shortly after recovering from COVID-19, Bachchan, 77, started filming the 12th season of the popular game show in August. To adapt to the social distancing norms, the "KBC" set and the show's format underwent an overall change. According to showrunner Sujata Sanghamitra, for the first time in 20 years, the show is hosting no live audience and hence, the lifeline 'audience poll' has been replaced by video-a-friend to align with how "the country is looking at each other through screens now". "The set designing changed as we have only eight fastest finger first contestants, reduced from the usual 10 so that social distancing is maintained. "We have companions of the contestants, but they are also seated far apart. The design of the hot seat and the contestants chair have also changed, there's more gap now," Sanghamitra told PTI. One of the highlights of the show has been the camaraderie between Bachchan and the contestants, who often ask for a hug or a handshake from the screen icon. Even though the shooting guidelines demand minimal physical contact, the team has come up with an alternative for not letting social distancing norms affect the content. "The contestants won't be able to hug him, but Bachchan sir will be doing an 'elbow hi'. The conversations remain the same. Physical distance hasn't disturbed the content," the showrunner said. The "KBC" set in the Film City here now has a bigger control room with partitions in between. The cafeteria too has a glass partition on every table and the team ensures that at no point is any place crowded. Bachchan's teleprompter room, where he reads the script, has a glass wall, with the actor on one side and the scriptwriter on the other. Prior to the pandemic, the set would have two entry-exit points, which have now been increased to four-five. There is a separate entry and exit point for Bachchan and the contestants. Even the crew steers clear of these areas. "There are sanitisation tunnels, doctors who check temperatures and oxygen levels, and a database of everyone on the set is maintained. A heavy load of sanitisation happens at least four-five times a day. "A team sanitises the set during every break. We even have a set monitor to keep a check on how people are wearing the masks," Arunshesh Kumar, "KBC" technical director, told PTI. To meet social distancing norms, the show has cut down its key crew of 300 to 175. "Now, if the audience is not part of the process, the whole backend team, which is there for the audience, is currently on stand-by. Because of social distancing norms, most carry food from home. "Though we have a pantry and a caterer, the number of people who eat there is less. Those are the departments where we tried to control the manpower," Kumar added. While Bachchan blogged about his experience of visiting a set for the first time since the coronavirus-induced lockdown in March forced shut film and TV shoots, the show was a result of months of brainstorming. Kumar said the team started planning the latest season around first week of March but hit a roadblock once the lockdown was announced. Between April-June, the team had four plans, including taking "KBC" completely digital. "An international season of the show had the host and audience from their homes. They did it via a video app. That was also in the planning, but thankfully as things progressed, even the government allowed shoots to start," he said. One of the first steps towards putting the show on floors was to make its selection process completely digital. From application, examination to the final interview, everything was done through Internet. The process of getting the selected contestants to Mumbai started much in advance, with them taking the COVID-19 test twice. "They do a COVID-19 test before they leave for Mumbai, by the time they reach, we have their reports. They are then isolated and quarantined in a hotel. "They go through one more round of COVID-19 tests and only if they pass that, are they allowed to come on sets. They have zero physical interactions with the crew or amongst each other," Kumar said. The cautious approach also extends to Bachchan's styling on the show. While the fabric of the actor's outfits earlier used to be imported from Italy and stitched in the city, things are now different. "So whatever is existing in India, in the stock, that's safe for us because it cuts transition time and its handling through multiple people," Priya Patil, Bachchan's stylist, told PTI. The stylist, who has been a part of "KBC" for nearly five years, said costumes too now take a longer time to get stitched because many artisans, who went back to their native villages because of the lockdown, have not returned. "The manpower has gone down. If it took a day to make something, it now takes two." Patil said Bachchan wears his outfits only after they are sanitised. "When the fabrics come in, I design everything. Once it's ready, everything is sanitised and only then sir wears it. No one touches them. On set, I wear a PPE kit and there's only one other person from my team on the floor with me," Patil said. While many had believed that Bachchan's COVID-19 diagnosis in July would delay the show, Sanghamitra said the actor was more than willing to resume the shoot after his recovery. "He wasn't hesitant at all. When I was making the schedule, I was hesitant to call him because he had just come back from the hospital. But he called me asking about the rehearsals. He has been extremely cool about it." "KBC" is set to air from Monday on Sony TV. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. New Delhi: The CBI has not reached any conclusion in the death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput and all aspects are under investigation, the agency said on Monday. The Central Bureau of Investigation is conducting professional investigation related to death of Shri Sushant Singh Rajput in which all aspects are being looked at and no aspect has been ruled out as of date," a CBI spokesperson said in statement. Rajput, 34, who made his silver screen debut in the critically acclaimed Kai Po Che" seven years ago, was found dead in his apartment in suburban Bandra in Mumbai on June 14 this year. The CBI had taken over the probe from Bihar Police into the alleged abetment to suicide case filed by the actors father K K Singh in Patna against Rajputs girlfriend Rhea Chakraborty and her family. Singh in his complaint to Bihar Police had alleged that Chakraborty along with her family members had misappropriated Rajputs wealth, which was denied by Chakraborty in TV interviews. Last week Singhs lawyer Vikas Singh had expressed helplessness" over the slow pace of the CBI probe into Rajputs death. The pace of the CBI probe into Sushant Singh Rajputs death has suddenly slowed down and all attention is being diverted to drugs-related issues with the NCB conducting fashion parade" of Bollywood stars, the late actors family lawyer Vikas Singh had alleged on Friday. Today, we are helpless as we dont know which direction the case is going in. Normally, a press briefing is done by CBI. But in this case, till today, CBI has not done a press briefing on what they have found out. This is a very serious issue," Singh had alleged at a press conference. The probe agency had earlier also issued a statement calling media reports attributed to it as speculative. Certain media reports attributed to CBI investigation are speculative and not based on facts. It is reiterated that as a matter of policy, CBI does not share details of ongoing investigation," the agency had said on September 3 CBI spokesperson or any team member has not shared any details of investigation with media. The details being reported and attributed to CBI are not credible," it had said. By PTI LOS ANGELES: "Game of Thrones" actor Hafthor Bjornsson and his wife Kelsey Henson have become parents to their first child together. The strongman-turned-actor, who played Gregor ''The Mountain'' Clegane in the hit HBO fantasy series, and Henson took to their respective Instagram accounts to share the news of their baby boy's arrival. "Our beautiful baby boy made his grand entrance into the world at 11:19 AM on September 26th 2020 after a short and intense six hours," Henson wrote alongside a series of photographs of the new born. ALSO READ | 'Game of Thrones' co-actors Kit Harington, Rose Leslie expecting first child together "After an extremely hard 2 hours and 19 mins of pushing our healthy, strong, beautiful boy arrived weighing (7 pounds 7 oz, 20.4 inches long)," Bjornsson said. The actor also shares daughter, Theresa Lif, with his ex-girlfriend Thelma Bjork Steimann. Bjornsson and Henson announced in April that they were expecting their first child together. The couple tied the knot in 2018 in the actor's native Iceland. i had NO idea she had been in so many things! lol her ability to remember and have stories for each role is rly sweet. i always associate her most w/ donnie darko Reply Thread Link She was in Speed, too. She played passenger named Helen. She tried to get off the bus but the dude blew up the step and she fell underneath. Reply Thread Link omg that dumbass lady!!!!! Reply Parent Thread Link those dumb ass cops who encouraged her though! Reply Parent Thread Link I came here to mention Speed as well. She was so infuriating in that movie. My friend and I used to always frantically quote her line "What about the rest of us? What about the rest of us?!?!" Reply Parent Thread Expand Link That's where I know her from! Thanks Reply Parent Thread Link i was gonna say, how dare they leave out Speed!! Reply Parent Thread Link This is literally the role I think of whenever I see her lmao Reply Parent Thread Link fucking helen got me so mad lmao Reply Parent Thread Link I just rewatched the episode of Justified that she's in. She's always a delight. She seems like such a sweetheart. Edited at 2020-09-28 06:37 pm (UTC) Reply Thread Link To me shes Donnie Darko lady Im also shocked that she is the homeless lady on friends. I never made that connection Reply Thread Link Her role in Angel is so good and creepy! Reply Thread Link OMG she IS in everything! She was really nasty in Little Miss Sunshine. "I want that little ragamuffin off the stage!" Reply Thread Link I always randomly think of well sieg heil, miss jenny craig from wonderfalls Reply Thread Link She's definitely had a long and steady career, does her particular type of roles very well, and she's memorable. In the 'you may not always remember her name but you will remember her' way. Pretty great, in my opinion. Edited at 2020-09-28 06:39 pm (UTC) Reply Thread Link Exactly. she's been in so much, yet she makes all of her supporting roles quite memorable. I have quite an affection for her! Reply Parent Thread Link Ive seen her in serval things lol. She was in Chucky 2 too Reply Thread Link yes! the teacher! lmao Reply Parent Thread Link omg THIS is why she's so familiar to me. that scene in the closet where Chucky fell down from the shelves FUCKED me up bc I liked to play in my mom's closet and it had a very similar shelf up top so I stopped going in there lol Reply Parent Thread Link I started noticing her in things after seeing her in that! Reply Parent Thread Link i feel like that would be the dream - popping up in so many things, but without all of the press/mayhem that comes from being super famous. good for her. Edited at 2020-09-28 06:41 pm (UTC) Reply Thread Link Jack Black has talked about this. He thought he was going to be lifetime character actor who got the funny fat guy roles, and he was OK with that because it's good, steady work. Reply Parent Thread Link Wasn't she Dwight's girlfriend and former nanny in The Office? Reply Thread Link I think this is definitely one of the Top 10 Office episodes for me! Reply Parent Thread Expand Link https://theoffice.fandom.com/wiki/Melvina I was just about to comment! It is not on her IMDB but i checked and it was her! She is at the corner of the table eating beets at Jan's dinner party LMFAO: Reply Parent Thread Link Was waiting for someone to bring up she was his babysitter, didn't have an email address, and Dwight dropped her off at the bus station instead of driving her home. Reply Parent Thread Link Oh wait what?! Ive marathoned Dexter over the years but cant remember her on there.. Reply Thread Link I just checked, and she appeared on S7, E3. I don't remember her being it in either, but then again, I don't remember much about the last few seasons of Dexter (probably for the best). Reply Parent Thread Link i love her wonderfalls/pushing daisies crossover glad she's getting some love Reply Thread Link The first role I ever saw of hers was Child's Play 2, so whenever I see her pop up in something, my mind instantly goes to Miss Kettlewell getting an air pump to the chest and beat to death with a yardstick. Reply Thread Link The air pump to the chest was really traumatic to me as a kid lmao I thought that was so awful Reply Parent Thread Link OMG, I know this "twitter user" irl! She is a comedian, her name is Milly Tamarez. Please follow her, she's hilarious! Reply Thread Link A court in Kochi on Monday awarded life imprisonment to a man who was convicted for intentionally and knowingly joining Islamic State and later proceeding to Iraq to further the activities of the dreaded terror group. The special National Investigation Agency court also imposed a fine of Rs 2,10,000 on Subahani Haja Moideen, a Keralite, who was arrested by the NIA in 2016 following a crackdown in Tamil Nadu with the help of central security agencies and other state police. The court on Friday had found him guilty under IPC Sections 120(B) (Criminal Conspiracy), Section 125 (waging war against Asiatic power in alliance with the Government of India) and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, Section 20 (Punishment for being member of terrorist gang or organisation). The court had also convicted him under UAPA Section 38 (Offence relating to membership of a terrorist organisation) and 39 (Offence relating to support given to a terrorist organisation). However, Moideen was found not guilty for an offence under IPC section 122 (Collecting arms, etc, with intention of waging war against the Government of India). The convict was sentenced to undergo imprisonment for life under section 20 of the UAPA. Pronouncing the quantum of punishment, the court said that the act of the convict is a blot on the cultural conscience of the state. "It is also a blow to its pride as one of the most progressive societies in the nation," NIA court judge P Krishna Kumar said. "It is a painful realisation that youthful people are indoctrinated by such extremist ideologies and they are even prepared to renounce the eternal tie with their mother country, seemingly on their wishful thought that they could embrace their own paradise in that attempt. "Let us hope that Subahani Haja, once duly reformed, will tell them that the best rule of paradise must be the rule of law preserved by the Constitution of India," the court said. According to the chargesheet filed by the National Investigation Agency, Moideen, hailing from Idukki district, intentionally and knowingly became an Islamic State member in April 2015. To further the activities of Islamic State, he proceeded to Iraq during April-September 2015, joined the terrorist organisation and waged war against the Government of Iraq, an Asiatic Power in alliance with the Government of India, the NIA had said in its charge sheet. The case was registered by NIA in October, 2016, based on credible information that certain youths had entered into a conspiracy and were making preparations to carry out terrorist attacks in India in order to further the objectives of proscribed terrorist organization Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS)/Daish. On October 3, 2016, searches were conducted at the house of Moideen in Tirunelveli district of Tamil Nadu, which led to seizure of material indicating his travel to the theatre of conflict in West Asia and he was arrested on October 5. Subsequent investigation revealed that he had exited India in April 2015 and joined the Islamic State in Iraq, where he had fought for the terrorist organisation. In September 2015, he returned to India and continued activities in support of the terrorist organisation. He had also attempted to procure explosive material from Sivakasi in Tamil Nadu to make IEDs,according to the NIA. SCHOOLS reopen today under a new normal which requires both teachers and learners to strictly adhere to Covid-19 prevention regulations as directed by the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education Standard Operation Procedures (SOP). There was a hive of activity in Bulawayo and other parts of the country yesterday as boarders gathered at different pick up points to board buses to their respective schools ahead of the opening today. Last Friday President Mnangagwa emphasised the need for schools to strictly adhere to set down regulations so that they minimise exposure to Covid-19. By 8AM yesterday, scores of pupils had gathered at the usual pick up points such as the Large City Hall car park while other buses picked pupils along George Silundika Street. The pupils had their tempeatures checked and were sanitised before boarding the buses in line with the Ministrys SOP. In Matabeleland North, schools like Mabhikwa High School in Lupane and Mosi-oa-Tunya High School in Victoria Falls that were used as quarantine centres were fumigated ahead of the opening. In the Midlands province boarders started arriving at schools such as Regina Mundi, Thornhill, Fletcher and Chaplin High yesterday afternoon. Authorities in Matabeleland South said last Friday that they were ready for the opening of schools. Some parents and their children could be seen making last minute shopping in Bulawayo on their way to board buses. A few parents said they decided to drive their children to different boarding schools because buses provided were not adequate and therefore too full. Schools are opening for the first time since March when they were prematurely closed as part of Government measures to curb the spread of Covid-19. Only the Zimbabwe School Examinations Council (Zimsec) sitting classes which are Grade Seven, Form Four and Form Six are opening today following Cabinet approval for a three phased reopening of schools. Grade Six, Form Three and Form Five classes are expected to open on October 26 with the rest of the pupils reopening on November 9. Cambridge sitting examination classes opened on September 14. It was an emotional farewell between parents/guardians and the children as the pupils returned to school. Parents expressed concern around the safety of learners away from home. They also expressed uncertainty over the level of preparedness of schools to strictly adhere to Covid-19 preventive measures. The story was however different for pupils who were excited to return to school after the long break of nearly six months. The pupils said they were knowledgeable about the threats posed by Covid-19 to their health and its impact on their education. One of the parents Mr Lawrence Mlopo said it was prudent for children to return to school as staying at home does not guarantee immunity from the Covid-19 pandemic. My only concern is the issue of teachers reporting for work because we have heard rumours that they have declared incapacitation. Schools will reopen but our fear is that teachers might either not report for work or they report for work but do not teach. In terms of preparedness, I think pupils were reading for the exams at home and the two months will therefore be enough to prepare for the exams, he said. Another parent Mrs Sibongile Ncube said it has to take the whole community to ensure that children are safe in school. This virus is real but we have no option because our children have to continue with their education. We have to let our children go to school because education is their future. We surrender the rest to God to protect our children while hoping that on their part they strictly adhere to safety guidelines. We also hope that Government has ensured that all necessary measures have been put in place to allow for the safe reopening of schools. Schools, we want to believe, have adequate sanitisers, face masks and enough classrooms and desks to allow for social distancing, said Mrs Ncube. Some of the parents said they were finding it difficult to raise the high fees demanded by schools given that many of them were affected by Covid-19 economic disruptions. They said they were still recovering from the impact of Covid-19 hence it has been hard for them to raise the required fees. Some of the schools are demanding about US$350 or equivalent in local currency. This is not easy money to come by. Right now, Ive just sent my child to school but I really dont have the money for her fees, said the parent who declined to be named. Some pupils said the two months to prepare for the exams was not enough but they will strive to do their best. They said the fortunate ones were those whose parents had money to pay for private lessons during lockdown. A Form Four pupil at Mtshabezi High School Sandisiwe Dube said as pupils they will do their best to adhere to health guidelines provided by schools because they know that the pandemic has killed many people around the globe. I wasnt prepared for schools reopening but the reality is that the schools are opening tomorrow and we have to adjust. We have to write the final examinations although we have not been in school for a long time. We will try our best and we hope even our examiners will take into consideration that this has not been a normal learning year, said Sandisiwe. Her counterpart Awakhiwe Ncube assured his parents that he will excel in the exams despite the disruption caused by Covid-19. It pains me that we have not been in school for a long time and have not completed our syllabi. I took extra lessons during the holiday and I am confident I covered a lot of ground. I will definitely pass five or more subjects come examination day, said Awakhiwe. The deputy Minister of Primary and Secondary Education, Edgar Moyo, said the $600 million that Treasury released has been utilised to capacitate schools for reopening. Its all systems go for the reopening of primary and secondary schools across the country. We went around the country as a Ministry last week and schools with needs were identified and assisted. The National Pharmaceutical Company (Natpharm) has also been delivering prescribed Personal Protective Equipment to ensure all the schools meet the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Ministry of Health and Child Care, Covid-19 prevention regulations, said Deputy Minister Moyo. He assured teachers that the issue of their salaries was being addressed as Government is committed to pay a living wage to its employees. Government is sincere about addressing the salaries of teachers and the rest of civil servants. The cushioning allowances deposited into their accounts can take them through while salary negotiations continue. It is in this spirit that we believe that teachers will report for duty tomorrow (today), he said. According to the SOP school administrators, teachers, learners and ancillary staff are banned from hugging, handshakes and sharing of desks. They are compelled to wear face masks, sanitise hands, have temperature checked and wash hands regularly as part of measures to prevent contracting Covid-19. Under SOP, break and lunch times will be staggered to avoid crowding while sporting activities are banned. Pupils and teachers that are not feeling well are not be allowed in class while those with underlying illnesses should notify authorities. Under the new normal, classrooms will be trimmed to a maximum of 35 learners to address congestion issues and Government is in the process of recruiting an additional 6 000 teachers to attend to the increased workload as a result of smaller classes . Schools that were used as quarantine centres have been fumigated ahead of schools opening today. Chronicle 28.09.2020 LISTEN Introduction I have just read on social media that the main choice for the people of Ghana in Election 2020 has come down to one between a thief and an armed robber, and some people, in fact, thousands of Ghanaians, including university professors and their students, traditional rulers, oral historians and local opinion leaders, among others, have bought into this national tragedy, while other well-meaning Ghanaians have resigned themselves to it? My oh my! What happened to the spirit of Obumankoma, Odapagyan and Oson of the Fantis, Nana Yaa Asantewaa of Asante, Nii Kwabena Bonnie of Ga Dangme, King Nortsie of Eweland and others? What happened to the spirit of the Veranda Boys of Independence Now? Ironically, video clips that are making the rounds on social media also show that the youth of Ghana, including members of the infamous Unemployed Graduate Association of Ghana, Head Porters Associations, among others, are happily and actively singing the praises of Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves, while others root for Jesse James and his 200 robbers. What has gone wrong with us as a nation? Even Ghanaians who live outside the country, people who live in societies where law and order work, also seem to have accepted this noxious idea of either voting for a thief or an armed robber. Manifestos The major issues facing Ghana today include the national economy which has been saddled with such a colossal amount of loans over the past ten years, low quality education, a poor health delivery system, endemic corruption, low productivity, the destructive practice of galamsey and national indiscipline. One would have thought that these would form the backbone of the manifestos of political parties, or the so-called dominant parties that are vying for the peoples votes. Listening to their presentations and reading through the summaries of their manifestos, the two main parties of the ruling New Patriotic Party and National Democratic Congress, simply tinker with these major issues. Instead they have gone back to their usual promise heaven and give them hell spree. Wherever possible, they have promised new infrastructural development interchanges and highways, railways and dual carriage ways areas where the thickest cream can be skimmed off project budgets. Mahama as leader of the NDC has promised to return all seized mining concessions to their original owners, meaning his teeming army of brothers and sisters. The President, Nana Akufo-Addo, is promising more efficient government, meaning his grandchildren are now old enough to be roped into government swelling his government to 400-plus officials, advisers and hangers-on. At the last count, Ghanas debt stock today is such that apparently, a whopping 75% of all receipts, including grants-in-aid, is spent on loan servicing, leaving a meagre 25% for national development, much of which is stolen anyway. This is not sustainable. It has to change. Over the past twenty-eight years of the Fourth Republic, there have been scandalous deals like Embreer Aircraft purchase, GYEEDA, SADA, Galamsey, Ameri Power, Aker Energy, Kelni GVG Contract, Sole Sourced Street Lighting Project, the Government Bond Issue and many more, that should have sent the people of Ghana protesting in the streets of the land. Because the people have been generally apathetic to the rape of the nation, these parties, in a typical scratch my back I scratch yours vein, have ignored these damning issues in their manifestos- see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil. With the commissioning of toilets, street markets and a few shadowy projects like an airport in Cape Coast thrown in, the people seem to have forgotten their woes of the past ten years and resigned themselves to the fatalism of oibara ba a saa. No, it doesnt have to be so. Ghana definitely deserves better than a choice between a thief and an armed robber! There is a better option There is a better option. Having read through the available manifestos of a few of the independent Presidential aspirants, I am convinced that there is a better option for the people of Ghana than the mediocrity of the past twenty-eight years. There is one particular candidate who advocates for skills-based education for all Ghanaian children. Under this scheme, every Ghanaian child no matter where he or she is born, would have acquired three or more skills by age 18, whether they opt for vocational, technical or social sciences education. That way, if at the terminal point of a persons education he or she does not find a job in the formal sector, he or she can always set up something on their own, instead of joining groups like association of unemployed graduates and other such demeaning organisations. That is the model in most Central and Eastern European countries. In that case, there will be no need for young people to fall prey to devious political patronage and other shady deals. He also has a firm promise to punish wrongdoing in society. With no party apparatus to beholden to, this is the surest way to clean up Ghanaian society. Some people believe that it will not be possible to dethrone the NPP-NDC duopoly in 2020. A little reading of our history shows that that notion is false. When Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah left the UGCC and formed the convention Peoples Party (CPP) in 1949, the people of the Gold Coast faced a similar, probably more daunting choice. On one side was the capricious colonial government that had set up the Ghana Cocoa Marketing Board as part of an exploitative scheme (Malaysian Rubber Board, Jamaican Sugar Board, etc), around the colonies, for use to pay off Britains war debts. On the other side was the group of elitist pseudo-politicians that was advocating for independence in the shortest possible time, while they sent their children away, so they would come back in good time to replace the colonial administrators. Kwame Nkrumahs task was even more herculean. However, he took the challenges that faced him as opportunities and was therefore, undaunted. With the support of disenchanted ex-servicemen, he went round the country recruiting the young, unemployed, farmers, fishermen, artisans, and all those that had been on the side-lines of the elitist society, the Veranda Boys, as they were called, for positive action. In a matter of months after breaking away from the United Gold Coast Convention, he had built a formidable election winning apparatus that would go on to clock several astounding electoral victories in the next seven years, beginning with legislative assembly elections landslide just two years later. It can be done! We have the benefit of social media, Kwame Nkrumah didnt. There was no television. Only a few hundred people had access to BBC radio news. We have the teeming youth, the IT-savvy 18-year olds, Kwame Nkrumah didnt. The voting age was 25, it is now 18. The youth can help spread the message like wildfire, if they understand what is at stake. Some of our parents and grandparents of today may just be old enough to remember 1951, or at least the joy of FREEEE-DOOOOMMMM in 1957. They will remember the joy of receiving a Cocoa Marketing Board Scholarship in the post without having to pay anything to anybody or even travel out of the village. The village postmaster or headteacher of the local middle school brought the letter to your parents after school and the whole village rejoiced with your family. We can go back to those days again. All we need to do is to tell these leeches that we have had enough of their shenanigans. We do not have another twenty-eight years to toy with, especially for those below age forty-five. Galamsey for instance, with its willy-nilly spread of toxic mercury and arsenic into the nations farmlands, surface and groundwater systems, is not only killing our citizens prematurely, it is gradually creating a major water scarcity in our country and unless it is stopped, in about ten years from now, people will have to travel long distances to fetch a bucket of water, as happens in certain countries in Africa and around the developing world. None of the two main parties will ever stop it, they are neck deep in it. It is selfishness and sheer lack of empathy for the mass of the people of Ghana. We should remember that many of them have their children and grandchildren living outside Ghana. They have their medical care, retirement and pensions all planned and taken care of. It is up to you and I to take care of ours. Dont let them continue to ride roughshod over you. This is the year of change and must be now, not in the shortest possible time! Conclusion Some Ghanaians seem to have given up on our dear Motherland and have accepted the notion that Ghanas Election 2020 is a choice between a thief and an armed robber, Ali Baba and Jesse James with their bands of thieving understudies. It does not have to be so. There are definite, choices, not among those have-beens that are now playing harlotry. There are fresh faces, people who have never in anyway been tainted by the filthy politics of the past. Check their backgrounds, CVs and manifestos. Where they have been in the past twenty-eight years, and what they have been doing. What have they done for Ghana and their local communities? Who are their backers and what are the implications for the future of Ghana? Ghana definitely deserves better. Paraphrasing Euphraim Amus famous, Yen ara asaase ni, our forebears played their part in 1951. It is our turn in 2020. What shall we do? Once to every man and nation, comes the moment to decide. We can do it, let us join hands and go at it together. Twooooooooo Bueiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii. One of Australia's biggest residential developers has revealed how the COVID-19 pandemic has forever changed what people want in a house. With an increasing number of people working from home, Stockland is now catering for home buyers who are far less interested in being near the city centre. Stockland's general manager of community sales, Stephanie Mackenzie, said Australia's outer suburbs and regional areas needed to cater for the new legions of workers who didn't need to leave their area every day. One of Australia's biggest residential developers has revealed how the COVID-19 pandemic has forever changed what people want in a home. With an increasing number of people working from home, Stockland is now catering for home buyers who are far less interested in being near the city centre. Pictured is Bokarina Beach north of Caloundra on Queensland's Sunshine Coast 'We're definitely seeing patterns emerging where we're rethinking whether or not we need to live as close to work as what we did,' she told Daily Mail Australia. How COVID-19 has changed housing Space is increasingly more important than being near the city Home owners want a dedicated study with good technological connectivity that can easily be converted back to a bedroom Professionals working from home in suburbs and regions want cosmopolitan cafes, restaurants near them Advertisement A Stockland poll of more than 1,199 people in August found 38 per cent of potential home buyers were more interested in space than being close to the city. In January, before the first case of COVID-19 came to Australia, just 19 per cent of people told a similar Stockland survey space was more important than proximity to the city. Major changes in work arrangements has made a separate study room a priority for 40 per cent of respondents. Ms Mackenzie said the house of the future for families would have a dedicated study room that could easily be converted back into a bedroom. 'We will start to see multipurpose rooms where you have the flexibility,' she said. 'There's definitely a need for greater light, greater connectivity within the home - the ability to connect but also disconnect space. 'If you're thinking about a family that has mum and dad both working, children at school, everybody needs space.' One in ten people are also considering moving for lifestyle reasons. Houses and apartments near the city centre are traditionally more expensive than homes further away but demographers and economists are expecting new working-from-home arrangements to change this. A Stockland poll of more than 1,199 people in August found 38 per cent of potential home buyers were more interested in space than being close to the city. In January, before the first case of COVID-19 came to Australia, just 19 per cent of people told a similar Stockland survey space was more important than proximity to the city. Pictured is Sydney's Town Hall station in September 2019 Stockland, which also owns suburban shopping malls, is expecting professionals working from home instead of the city to demand cosmopolitan cafes and restaurants in their suburbs. 'We're wanting the convenience of the services that we have in the inner city that we've been accustomed to,' Ms Mackenzie said. 'There's a real shift of Australians wanting that convenience brought to them.' High immigration levels before the pandemic saw a surge in Sydney house prices. Major changes in work arrangements has made a separate study a priority for 40 per cent of respondents. One in ten people are also considering moving for lifestyle reasons This in turn led to an influx of investors buying houses in the outer suburbs in the hope of making strong capital gains. An August 2020 paper by property researchers Mustapha Bangura, from Western Sydney University, and Chyi Lin Lee from the University of New South Wales noted a house price bubble was more likely in western Sydney than any other part of greater Sydney. They concluded there was 'strong evidence of explosive price bubbles in Western Sydney, while there is no comparable evidence for the other regions of Sydney' based on rents failing to keep pace with capital growth in these suburbs. The Committee for Melbourne says the COVID-19 health crisis has been poorly managed in Victoria and issued a call to arms to protect Melbourne's position as "one of the world's great global cities". The organisation, which brings together 150 members from business, academic and community circles, is urging the state's political, business and cultural leaders to emulate the response to the state's last recession 30 years ago. Committee for Melbourne chief executive Martine Letts. Credit:Justin McManus In the early 1990s, an unlikely coalition of political, union and business figures came together to plan Melbourne and Victorias recovery from recession. The disparate figures included brewing titan John Elliott, then-premier Joan Kirner, businessman and then-Victorian Liberal Party treasurer Graeme Samuel, trucking boss Lindsay Fox and former ACTU secretary Bill Kelty. Aditya Chopra has unveiled a new, special logo of Yash Raj Films that marks the starting of the big 50 year celebrations of the countrys biggest production house! The new logo captures the glorious journey of YRF which is the countrys first and only integrated studio. The legacy company, in the nostalgic logo, captures the history of YRF that has worked with the biggest superstars of the last 50 years and entertained audiences with the biggest blockbusters in the history of Indian cinema. Aditya Chopra revealed the special logo today, the 88th birth anniversary of his iconic father, late Yash Chopra. In a heartwarming note that was released earlier by Aditya to kick start the 50 year celebrations, he had said, In 1970, my father Yash Chopra, left the security and comfort of his brother Mr. BR Chopra and formed his own company. Till then, he was a salaried employee of BR Films and didnt own anything of his own. He did not know how to run a business and did not even have the basic knowledge of what goes into making a company. All he had was a strong belief in his talent and hardwork and a dream to be self-reliant. That conviction of a creative man backing nothing but himself and his art, gave birth to Yash Raj Films. Akshaye Widhani, Senior Vice President- Finance, Business Affairs & YRF Studios says, This special logo captures nostalgia, remarkable moments from YRFs history and its journey in cinema and also gives a glimpse of YRFs contribution to the Indian film industry and audiences through its blockbuster films that has shaped pop culture for India and Indians. This special logo is also our tribute to all the superstars, across five decades, who have been gracious enough to creatively collaborate with us and help us give India milestone films that have written history and set new benchmarks in Indian cinema. Today is an incredibly special day, not just for us at YRF but also for the industry at large, and we would like to thank everyone for their love and support towards our brand over these 50 years of our humble existence. As his institution prepared for a mid-semester reopening that larger and smaller schools alike wont try, Westfield State University interim President Roy Saigo was asked why he thought his school could pull it off. Our students are better, the interim president said with a deadpan expression. Then came the grin that punctuates much of Saigos presentation technique humor with a point. We cant predict the future, but we have prepared as well as we possibly can, said Saigo, referring to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Saigo believes infection prevention protocols, isolation facilities and cooperation with Westfield city health and government officials make the Tuesday campus reopening doable and safe. When Saigo announced last month that the campus would remain closed for 27 days beyond its original Sept. 2 target date, a healthy sector of the public likely took a believe-it-when-we-see-it approach. Some local colleges went ahead with protocol-laced reopenings, but by mid-August several others had backed off earlier plans to bring students back and all of those schools targeted spring semester as the earliest possible new date. With a total enrollment of 5,500 and just under 5,000 undergraduates, Westfield State does not face the immensity of challenges encountered by the University of Massachusetts Amherst. UMass planned to greet half of its 14,000 residential students for the fall, only to reverse course and keep dorms closed amid health concerns. Several colleges half the size of Westfield State are targeting spring at best. And some that have already reopened have run into problems, almost right out of the gate. Northeastern University banished 11 students for breaking COVID-19 rules. Middlebury College in Vermont sent 22 students home for violations. The biggest outbreak came at Providence College, where at least 166 positive cases forced the issuance of a stay-at-home order amid calls by Rhode Island legislators that the college remain remote for the entire academic year. Reluctantly pushing back reopening, but not delaying it until the second semester, will be the first visible test of Saigos vision for the university. This is not an inherited decision but his own, and while its based on medical input and qualified advice, it does come with an element of trust. But the 80-year-old Saigo, who has presided over three other institutions and made a recent career of rehabilitating colleges on an interim basis, is familiar with Westfield State, his first East Coast assignment. He often refers to its 1838 founding by Horace Mann widely considered the father of American public education as the first public American college that was open regardless of race, gender or economic status. If people who think the private institutions in Massachusetts will carry us, theyre wrong, Saigo said. Heaping praise on the value and reputations of the regions private schools, which he said have helped put the state way ahead of the country in education, he still said the keys to a better future are regional public schools and community colleges. With that renewal must come an open-minded approach to almost every aspect of college operation, from finance to curriculum, he said. Unless (higher education institutions) start doing things differently, many of them, especially liberal arts colleges in the Northeast, wont survive, he said Thursday. Were turning the whole administrative process upside down, he said. Westfield State faces a $7.5 million budget shortfall, and Saigo has tasked a 24-member committee to review how to tackle it. Saigo said housing accounts for 30% of university income, but thats not why hes reopening the campus after a delay of four weeks instead of four months. He said Westfield State officials have watched COVID-19 testing procedures improve, while observing other schools' best practices for a safe campus. Hes allowed those institutions to be canaries in the coal mine, he said with a smile. That 94% of Westfield State students are Massachusetts residents works to the schools advantage. Saigo has also begun healing the rift between faculty and the presidents office. Retired President Ramon Torrecilha had a rocky relationship with professors, though he was hailed as a visionary by board of trustees Chairman Kevin Queenin. Saigo said his relationship with Queenin is excellent, but he said he still told the chairman the atmosphere needed improvement. I told him that students dont come to a university because of the president. They come because of the faculty, Saigo said. On Tuesday, they will come on campus. Their interim presidents ours are better remark was said with tongue firmly in cheek, but he does hope and believe that Westfield States students will be good enough to make it work. Farmers organisations continued protests even as President Ram Nath Kovind gave assent to all the three contentious farm bills passed by the Parliament on 20 September Protests against the newly-implemented farm laws passed by the Parliament and Karnataka Assembly intensified as a tractor was set on fire near Delhis India Gate on Monday. Five people, all residents of Punjab, were detained in connection with the incident. "About 15-20 people had gathered around 7.15-7.30 am and tried to set a tractor on fire. The fire has been doused off and tractor was removed. Legal action is being taken in the matter," Deputy Commissioner of Police (New Delhi) Eish Singhal said #WATCH: Punjab Youth Congress workers stage a protest against the farm laws near India Gate in Delhi. A tractor was also set ablaze. pic.twitter.com/iA5z6WLGXR ANI (@ANI) September 28, 2020 Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is likely to lend support to the protests by farmers by leading an agitation in Punjab and will also address a rally, the date and time of which is being finalised, a senior party leader told Hindustan Times. He may also join protesting farmers in Haryana if the Manohar Lal Khattar-led BJP government allows him to enter the state. Punjab chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh began a sit-in protest at Khatkar Kalan, the ancestral village of freedom fighter Shaheed Bhagat Singh, on his birth anniversary. This is Singhs first protest against the farm bills, where he is expected to announce more plans to protest the farm legislations. Meanwhile, Congress MP TN Prathapan said he will move the Supreme Court on Monday and submit a petition challenging The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020. A dusk-to-dawn bandh call is being followed in Karnataka on Monday by various farmers' organisations, pro-Kannada outfits besides the Opposition parties Congress and the JD(S), protesting the amendments to the APMC and land reforms acts made by the BS Yediyurappa government. Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha and Hasiru Sene, & other organisations protest in front of Sir Puttanna Chetty Town Hall in Bengaluru. Farmers' organisations have called statewide bandh today, against #FarmBills (now laws), land reform ordinances, amendments to APMC & labour laws pic.twitter.com/ViaTkMe93w ANI (@ANI) September 28, 2020 Warning of stern action against any forcible enforcement of the bandh has been issued by the state government, PTI reported. In Bengaluru, a protest march has been planned from Town Hall to Mysore Bank Circle against the "anti-farmer" legislations, they said. While services of goods transporters, taxi, autorickshaw drivers and private buses may be impacted, Deputy Chief Minister Laxman Savadi, who is also the in-charge of the transport department, has clarified that services of all the four state road transport corporations and even the Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation will be available, and the police have been requested to provide additional security. Farmers organisations continued protests on Sunday even as President Ram Nath Kovind gave assent to all the three contentious farm bills passed by the Parliament on 20 September, a move which had invited the Oppositions ire, fuelling a walkout in the Rajya Sabha and the resignation of BJP ally Shiromani Akali Dals lone Cabinet minister Harsimrat Kaur Badals resignation. Leaders of 18 parties had urged him not to sign the farm bills. The move also led to SADs exit from the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA). If Pain & Protests of 3 cr punjabis fail to melt the rigid stance of GoI, it's no longer the #NDA envisioned by Vajpayee ji & Badal sahab. An alliance that turns a deaf ear to its oldest ally & a blind eye to pleas of those who feed the nation is no longer in the interest of Pb. https://t.co/OqU6at00Jx Harsimrat Kaur Badal (@HarsimratBadal_) September 26, 2020 Farmers associated with Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee squatted on the Amritsar-Delhi railway track on 27 September, continuing their rail blockade which had started on Wednesday. People from nearby villages brought cooked food and other items for the demonstrators, while community kitchens were set up by local gurudwaras at the protest site. The committees general secretary Sarwan Singh Pandher demanded that all the sitting 13 MPs from Punjab resign from their seats with immediate effect in support of the farmers demands, adding that BJP leaders would not be allowed to enter the villages of Punjab. The protests will be observed till 29 September. On Thursday, the Congress launched its mass movement against the government over anti-farmer, anti-poor and black laws, announcing nearly two months of protests. Apart from holding several press conference across the country over the two months, senior Congress leaders from states will walk to the respective Raj Bhavans on Monday and submit a memorandum on the farm bills to governors to be handed over to the President. On 2 October, the Congress will observe Kisan-Mazdoor Bachao Divas (Save Farmers and Farm Labourers Day). On 10 October, state-level conferences will be held and from 2 to 31 October, the party will collect signatures from two crore farmers from across the country. On 14 November, the birth anniversary of Indias first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru, a memorandum, along with signatures of the farmers, will be submitted to the president. The Trinamool Congress came out in support of the Shiromani Akali Dal for quitting the NDA. Rajya Sabha MP Derek O Brien tweeted, We support Sukhbir Singh Badal and Akali Dals stand with the farmers. Fighting for farmers is part of Trinamool DNA. In 2006, Mamata Banerjee risked her life on a historic 26 day fast for farmers rights. We oppose #FarmBills2020 as they endanger States role, MSP, PDS and procurement. The Farmers Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, seeks to give freedom to farmers to sell their produce outside of the notified Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) market yards. The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020, will give farmers the right to enter into a contract with agribusiness firms, processors, wholesalers, exporters, or large retailers for the sale of future farming produce at a pre-agreed price. The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020, will remove commodities like cereals, pulses, oilseeds, onion, and potato from the list of essential commodities and will do away with the imposition of stock holding limits. Despite the stiff opposition from the opposition parties, especially Congress, the Yediyurappa administration was successful in getting the Karnataka Agricultural Produce Marketing (Regulation and Development) (Amendment) Bill and the Karnataka Land Reforms (Second Amendment) Bill passed in the Legislative Assembly on Saturday. While the amendments to land reform act liberalise farmland ownership, the APMC amendment bill curtails the powers of local APMCs and allows private individuals to start agricultural trading, if they hold a permanent account number (PAN). Alcohol will not be sold in parliaments bars and restaurants after the 10pm curfew following criticism over an exemption from the coronavirus rules. Earlier, it emerged bars on the House of Commons estate were not subject to restrictions introduced last week for hospitality venues in England as they are designated workplace canteens. Under the new rules, workplace canteens may remain open where there is no practical alternative for staff at that workplace to obtain food. However, after a considerable backlash, a parliamentary spokesman said: Alcohol will not be sold after 10pm anywhere on the parliamentary estate. Responding to the decision to close the loophole on the Commons estate, Labours deputy leader Angela Rayner said: Good, if we ask others to follow the regulations then we must also follow them, its basic stuff really. In a previous statement, the House of Commons authorities said the new regulations did not apply to the catering outlets providing a workplace service for over 3,100 people working on the estate. They said the Members Dining Room, Adjournment, Smoking Room, Terrace Pavilion, Pugin Room and Members Tea Room fall under this category, as they provide a food and bar service. We continue to follow social distancing and cleaning measures as a Covid-secure workplace in order to reduce the transmission of the disease through social distancing signage, one-way systems, socially distanced seating arrangements, contactless payments, marshalling and additional cleaning. Parliament has a dedicated team to support the test-and-trace teams across the UK, acting as a central point of contact in the event of any suspected or confirmed cases, where an individual has been working on the estate, they added. It comes as ministers face urgent calls to review the 10pm curfew introduced by Boris Johnson last week after images of drinkers crowding on streets in cities across the country were posted on social media. Andy Burnham, the mayor of Greater Manchester, insisted the restrictions hadnt been fully thought through, adding: My personal feeling is the curfew is probably doing more harm than good. The government needs to give some urgent consideration to this. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin (Agence France-Presse) Geneva, Switzerland Mon, September 28, 2020 08:34 481 e22cd4161040e111d73a5626c479a34e 2 Business minimum-wage,Geneva,switzerland,COVID-19,poverty,inequality,wealth-gap Free Geneva voters on Sunday came out in support of introducing a minimum wage, guaranteeing every worker in one of the world's priciest cities at least US$25 an hour. Switzerland as a whole has no minimum wage, and voters in 2014 turned down a chance to adopt one at a national level. Geneva voters themselves have twice previously rejected calls to introduce a minimum wage in the city. But on Sunday the winds appeared to have changed as the coronavirus pandemic has deepened the wealth gap, with 58 percent of voters in the canton coming out in favor of the unions-backed initiative. The result made Geneva the third of Switzerland's 26 cantons to set a minimum hourly earnings rate after Jura and Neuchatel. The initiative, which had the support of all the left-leaning parties, had been presented as a remedy to poverty and precariousness, which have become increasingly visible in wealthy Geneva since the coronavirus crisis began. Long lines of people waiting for handouts of food and other necessities have become a common sight in the city. The unions behind the initiative argued that it was impossible in Geneva to live in dignity making less than 23 Swiss francs ($25, 21 euros) an hour, or 4,086 francs a month for a full-time 41-hour work week. Rent for a typical two-bedroom apartment is at least 3,000 francs, and a coffee costs four or five francs. Geneva's minimum wage vote was just one of many national, regional and local issues on the ballot Sunday as part of Switzerland's famous direct democratic system. At a national level, voters appeared poised to make history on another social issue by approving paternity leave for the first time in the country long renowned for its traditional approach to family models and gender roles. That referendum to grant new fathers two weeks paid leave looked set to pass with nearly 57 percent of the vote at the national level, according to partial results, while full results in Geneva showed the canton backing the measure by over 79 percent. Kathmandu, Sep 28 : Despite threats due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, at least 22,000 Nepalis have left for India in the last four weeks via the Nepalgunj border point for work in the neigbouring country, according to a media report. SI Bishnu Giri at Jamunaha Area Police Office, Nepalgunj, said the workers left for India as the prolonged lockdown and Covid-19 fears had made it difficult for them to sustain their livelihood, The Himalayan Times reported on Sunday. According to SI Giri, a total of 76,048 migrant workers had returned to Nepal via the Nepalgunj border point till September 15. Around 40,000 Indian nationals returned home during the same time via the border point. Giri said that Nepalis holding ration cards had started going back to India. He said they had been allowed to enter and exit the country via the border for treatment, medicine procurement and for meeting patients. "We have allowed people's movement on the Nepal-India border on the basis of recommendation letter and identity card," The Himalayan Times quoted Giri as saying. After Indian security personnel tightened the entry of Nepalis at the Nepalgunj border point, many people without Indian identity cards started going to India via Kailali's Trinagar border point. People from Dang, Banke, Bardiya, Jajarkot, Surkhet, Dailekh, Jumla, Salyan, Rukum and Kalikot go to India for work. Boko Haram terrorists on Sunday attacked Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulums convoy again as he was returning from Baga to Maiduguri. According to reports, Zulum had departed Baga around 10:30am, as suspected Boko Haram terrorists were said to have opened fire on his convoy. It was gathered that military operatives engaged the terrorists in shootout and successfully escorted Zulum out of Baga to Maiduguri. Less than 48 hours ago, Boko Haram had laid ambush and attacked state government officials and security operatives who were going to Baga to meet the governor. Eighteen people including police officers, soldiers, Civilian JTF and others were killed in the ambush. The governor returned to Maiduguri after receiving 1000 returnees and staying two nights in Baga Follow Us on Facebook @LadunLiadi; Instagram @LadunLiadi; Twitter @LadunLiadi; Youtube @LadunLiadiTV for updates Updated at 12:29 The Government is expected to decide at the end of the week whether additional restrictions are required across four more counties after a spike in Covid-19 cases on Sunday night, according to the Irish Times. In terms of additional restrictions for other counties, public health teams are closely monitoring the situation in Cork, Wicklow, Galway and Louth. TheIrish Times reports that senior Government sources have described the figures as very worrying and have expressed concerns about the growing pressure on capacity in the health service. It comes as the acting chief medical officer has warned the situation with Covid-19 will continue to deteriorate unless everyone plays their part to stop the spread of the virus. Dr Ronan Glynn says there is 'no room left for complacency' and has appealed for people to reduce their contacts over the coming weeks. Advertisement 430 more people have tested positive for coronavirus -- with yesterday's figure the highest since April. 212 were in Dublin and 23 in Donegal, but doctors have voiced concerns about Cork, where there were 54 cases, and Galway which had 23. President of the Infectious Diseases Society, professor Sam McConkey, says something has to change, or deaths will start to rise: "Our actions are not really suitable at this point for controlling Covid-19, the way we have been behaving the last two months is not sustainable. "We have enjoyed it and we have seen a relaxation around restrictions for businesses, but it is unsustainable to continue that." He said as long as there is a rise in trajectory of the virus, it will lead to younger people getting sick from Covid-19 and then spreading it to the elderly. That will in turn lead to hospitalisation and ICU admissiona as well as deaths, according to Professor McConkey. Continued rise Elsewhere across the country yesterday there were 16 new cases in Louth, 15 in Monaghan, 12 in Clare, 12 in Meath, nine in Cavan, eight in Roscommon, seven in Wicklow, six in Limerick, five in Kildare and five in Tipperary. The remaining 23 cases were spread across nine other counties. Speaking yesterday, Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly said there are no plans for the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) to call an emergency meeting this week, however he warned that could change. There are four counties which are being looked at very carefully and they are Cork, Galway, Louth and Wicklow." With caution being thrown to the wind during protest rallies related to new farms Acts, Chandigarh administrator VP Singh Badnore on Monday instructed police to take strict action against those violating Covid-19 safety protocols. In the review meeting held on Monday, Badnore directed the director general of police to ensure that there is no spread of coronavirus due to the gathering of a large number of people at such political demonstrations. Opposition parties have scaled up protests in the city after the Presidential accent to the bills, with the Congress holding one of Monday. Its Chandigarh unit president, Pardeep Chhabra, led a foot march and tractor rally towards the Punjab Raj Bhawan to submit a memorandum to Badnore against the new legislations. Chhabra said: Every time, the BJP has come to power, it has passed draconian laws against the interests of government employees and youth, and now it has targeted farmers, who are the backbone of India. Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain When Saathvik Kannan's father, a faculty member at the University of Missouri, saw his friend, Kamlendra Singh, a research professor at MU, on television being interviewed for his research identifying possible treatments for COVID-19, he called Singh to congratulate him on his work. After learning that his friend's son, Saathvik, had experience with and a passion for computer programming, Singh invited the 8th grader, who was a student at West Middle School in Columbia, Missouri, at the time, to collaborate with researchers at MU to identify mutations in the virus causing COVID-19. Kannan teamed up with Singh and Austin Spratt, an MU undergraduate student studying mathematics, and together they analyzed protein sequences for COVID-19 samples from all over the world. They identified 3 specific mutations, D614G, P323L and C241U, that were co-existing in every single case of COVID-19 in the United States, which could suggest why the virus seems to be so infectious in the United States. Their newest unpublished research indicates that resurgent COVID-19 viruses in European countries also have all three of the identified mutations in nearly all European cases. The findings define the dynamics of COVID-19 evolution, and they can be useful for developers of COVID-19 treatments or vaccines to help them consider which mutations in the virus are necessary to target. "By painting a more complete picture of what mutations are occurring in the virus, we can provide specific information to assist those developing treatments and vaccines for the disease," said Singh, the project supervisor, professor in the MU College of Veterinary Medicine, Bond Life Sciences Center investigator, and assistant director of the Molecular Interactions Core. "Our overall objective is to better understand what is causing the virus to be spreading so rapidly and efficiently, and our research has shown there may be multiple mutations involved that need to be considered when developing antiviral drugs or vaccines." Singh mentored Kannan and Spratt by allowing these students to use their computer programming skills to advance scientific research aimed at addressing the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. By identifying patterns in the various sequences of COVID-19 virus samples from all over the world, the students were able to paint a clearer picture of co-evolving mutations occurring inside the virus that is causing it to spread. "The antiviral drugs that are currently being made to treat COVID-19 are developed based off the current model for the virus," said Spratt. "But as these mutations are co-evolving and causing the virus' structure to change, the model becomes less accurate and so the current antiviral drugs may become less effective on the mutated versions of the virus. Therefore, by getting a clearer picture of how the virus' structure is evolving, we can create better models of the virus so better antiviral drugs and vaccines can be developed." Now a freshman at Hickman High School, Kannan is proud of the team's work and grateful for the opportunity to be involved in such impactful research. "I have always had a passion for computer science and data analytics," Kannan said. "It also feels good to provide my community with information that might help the situation in the future." Explore further Follow the latest news on the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak More information: Saathvik R. Kannan et al, Infectivity of SARS-CoV-2: there Is Something More than D614G?, Journal of Neuroimmune Pharmacology (2020). Saathvik R. Kannan et al, Infectivity of SARS-CoV-2: there Is Something More than D614G?,(2020). DOI: 10.1007/s11481-020-09954-3 Joao Felix expressed his delight at how Atletico Madrid started their LaLiga Santander campaign against Granada. The Portuguese forward scored one and assisted another in the 6-1 victory as he looks to make a step up with his performances compared to last season. "I'm working like I did last season," Joao Felix said at full time. "I'm doing what I have to do and I'm enjoying myself, so I'm happy." Luis Suarez scored twice on his Atletico debut after coming on as a substitute in the second half. "The more quality players we have, the better," Joao Felix added. "We're all working and the arrival of Luis Suarez is good for the team and the club." 28.09.2020 LISTEN The Information Minister, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, has disclosed that security agencies are working hard to arrest the financiers of the secessionist group, Homeland Study Group Foundation. The group has deployed several means to have Volta, Oti, parts of the Northern and Upper East Regions declared an independent country called Western Togoland. Last week, members of the group blocked a number of entry routes into Volta Region but there were defeated by Ghanas security agencies. Speaking at a press briefing on Sunday, September 27, 2020, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah stated that the government has already gathered intelligence on these financiers and wants the security services to round them up. Yes we know where the funding is coming from and the various agencies are moving in as part of a comprehensive program to deal with this whole phenomenon. And we are also moving in to deal with their sources of funding and persons who we believe are associated with the funding of this group, he said. Mr. Nkrumah also said that the security agencies have been able to calm situations down and are making efforts to contain the threats coming from the secessionist group. He said, Key actors who have been identified as ultimately responsible for these events are also on the watchlist of the security agencies and are actually wanted at this point in time. In the coming days, the security agencies would be publishing some photos and revealing identities of persons involved, the Information Minister added. Background The Homeland Study Group Foundation (HSGF) led by 85-year-old Komi Kudzordzi, on November 16, 2019, declared independence for the imaginary country they called Western Togoland, after a group meeting was held in Ho. Some of the members were subsequently arrested in different parts of the country but were granted bail. After they recently blocked roads leading into Volta Region, about 31 members of the secessionist group have been arrested and have been airlifted to Accra. Thirty of them were arrested in Juapong in the Eastern Region and one other was arrested at Akuse in the Volta Region after their alleged involvement in the blockade of some entry points by road to the Volta Region. --- Credit: CC0 Public Domain Sleep disturbances are often reported by postmenopausal women. A new study reports just how prevalent those sleep problems are and that women who endured trauma as children or adults are more likely to suffer poor-quality sleep. Study results will be presented during the 2020 virtual Annual Meeting of The North American Menopause Society (NAMS), which opens on September 28. This study coming out of the University of Pittsburgh used actigraphy, a noninvasive method of monitoring human rest/activity cycles, and measured sleep twice over 5 years. The study involved 166 women aged 40 to 60 years at baseline and primarily tested whether trauma exposure during childhood or adulthood resulted in persistently poor sleep quality in midlife. Although previous studies have demonstrated a similar link, they were largely based on self-reporting of sleep problems at one time point. Of the participants in the study, 44% reported childhood trauma, and 60% reported experiencing trauma as an adult. The most common sleep-related problems documented within the group were actigraphy-measured short sleep duration (61%) and waking after the onset of sleep (WASO; 60%), as well as self-reported poor sleep quality (33%). Researchers noted that childhood trauma was most related to persistently poor WASO, whereas adult trauma was most associated with poor sleep quality. Neither type of trauma was related to persistently poor sleep duration. "This study provides further support that poor sleep is common in midlife women," said Dr. Karen Jakubowski, a postdoctoral scholar in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Pittsburgh and a lead author of the study. "In addition, it highlights the adverse sleep sequelae of trauma exposure in midlife women, demonstrating that childhood and adult trauma are related to poor objective sleep continuity and subjective sleep quality, independent of sleep risk factors and depressive symptoms." Dr. Jakubowski will be presenting the results of her study, "Trauma and sleep problems over midlife in women," during the 2020 NAMS Virtual Annual Meeting. "Sleep quality is such an important part of a woman's overall quality of life, affecting her health as well as her cognitive functioning," says Dr. Stephanie Faubion, NAMS medical director. "That's why it's important for healthcare providers to be aware of all the factors that can affect a woman's ability to sleep, including a history of trauma." Explore further Getting a good night's sleep complicated by menopause Fifteen ambassadors presented themselves last week to Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. One of them was Israels new envoy to the country, Amira Oron. A lot has been written in recent years about the saga surrounding the appointment of Israels ambassador to Cairo. For almost two years, the embassy to one of Israels most important security partners functioned without a chief. The arrival of Oron is a signal to Cairo that Jerusalem does value the two countries bilateral relations. Orons arrival also has another meaning: that security should not the only sphere of cooperation between the two countries. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu tried unsuccessfully over the past two years to appoint one of his associates, former Communications Minister Ayoub Kara to the job. With Oron as ambassador, the message is clear: Rather than the security establishment maintaining a cold peace, Israels relations with Egypt should include all the traditional aspects of diplomacy, including trade, culture, academia, civil society and science. Former Ambassador to Egypt Haim Koren wrote an article last week, claiming that the social media era has opened new opportunities for the two peoples to build cultural bridges. He explained that a shared Mediterranean identity offers a great foundation for relations. Both he and the ambassador who preceded Oron, David Govrin, had labored relentlessly in that direction with substantial results. With the formation of the unity government last April, Israel has now a full-time foreign minister who is driven by political ambitions. But Orons arrival and the new energy in the ministry are not the only elements in the equation. Israeli diplomats note after many years of cold peace, Cairo seems more interested in expanding bilateral ties. The field of energy is a perfect example. On Sept. 22, Cairo hosted a videoconference of the Eastern Mediterranean Gas Forum. The forum was established two years ago by Israels Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz and Egyptian Energy Minister Tarek el-Molla as an informal grouping of seven Mediterranean countries after Israel and Egypt discovered offshore natural gas fields. The Sept. 22 conference marked the forum's establishment as a recognized international and intergovernmental body, with France, the European Union and the United States requesting non-member observer status. For Oron, the elevation of the gas forum makes an excellent basis for stronger bilateral cooperation in different fields. She arrives to Egypt at a significant diplomatic moment for Israel just after the signing of the normalization agreement with the United Arab Emirates and a similar declaration with Bahrain. For many years, Egypt and Jordan are still the only Arab countries to have signed treaties with Israel. Both treaties referred to the Palestinian issue but were not conditioned on on advancing it. The Sept. 15 ceremony at the White House has changed this situation significantly. On Sept. 2, two weeks before the ceremony, Netanyahu spoke with Sisi to update him on these developments. In the call, Sisi voiced his support for "any steps that would bring peace to the Middle East. Israeli news outlets hailed Sisis support. However, Sisi also warned Israel against sidelining the Palestinian issue, stressing that any diplomatic moves should preserve the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, allow for the establishment of their independent state and provide security for Israel. A senior Israeli diplomat told Al-Monitor that the diplomatic community considers Sisi more committed to the Palestinian issue than the Gulf countries. He said as much in his Sept. 22 speech to the UN General Assembly. Still, other Arab countries joining the peace camp makes it easier for Sisi to explain his cooperation with Israel to his own constituency. The Israeli diplomat noted that the ball is now in Israels court. To preserve and expand its relations with Egypt, Jerusalem must make it clear that ties with Cairo are a priority. As such, Israeli goodwill gestures toward the Palestinians will need to be made soon. Over the past few weeks, a senior Egyptian intelligence delegation has been shuttling between Tel Aviv and Gaza to advance understandings between Israel and Hamas. Egypt has a vested interest in Israel avoiding conflagration with Hamas and in calming the Gaza Strip. If reached, such an agreement would also add credibility to Sisis ties with Israel. (Natural News) Back in August, the shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin, by police officers started a slew of violent protests by both Antifa and Black Lives Matter (BLM) rioters. Several weeks have passed and so-called peaceful BLM protesters have now scared away their old supporters while Joe Biden has yet to offer concrete resolutions for the continued riots throughout the country. Looting and property destruction disguised as protests After the shooting of Blake, daytime protests eventually turned into nighttime looting and arson. Violence continues in states such as Portland and these incidents are becoming a problem for Democrats, especially since the voting season is fast approaching. But citizens now realize that rage-fueled anarchy remains ineffective compared to orderly and reform-based policy. Surprisingly, mainstream media is trying to pretend like these violent protests are nothing to worry about. Viewers will remember Omar Jimenez, a CNN correspondent, who reported live from Kenosha in front of burning businesses while a chyron described the scene as fiery but mostly peaceful protests. Readers, take note: This narrative of buildings burn at peaceful protest is proof of Orwellian doublethink. It shows that mainstream media is only interested in sensationalizing arson and shootings, context be damned. Citizens turned off by Antifa and BLM riots Ill-advised Democrats may think that the national BLM protests would be a favorable issue for 2020, but crime and violence are making more noise compared to peaceful protests. Even CNNs Don Lemon has lamented that the rioting is showing up in the polling and in focus groups. Lemon added that the rioting must end since its the only thing right now that is sticking. While there is no proof about these polls and focus groups, other reports support it. The Civiqs tracking poll sheds light on the dynamics at play. Net approval for the BLM movement reached its highest point on June 3, but it has fallen sharply since. The decline was noticeable after only about a week or so following George Floyds shooting in Minneapolis, when riots started in major cities in the country. Among whites, net approval for BLM is already negative and on a downward trend. Democrats and Republicans had different views on the matter, as expected. However, data from white Independents point to a significant decline in BLM support, which was at a net 24 percent in early June to only net three percent recently, a number which lower than before Floyd was killed. (Related: Antifa and BLM rioters destroy Oakland to the chants of Death to America.) The clamor to defund the police has lost traction as a political issue, not that it had any in the first place. While some cities reduced cut police budgets and reallocated funds to social programs, the positive buzz about the matter has vanished on the national level. While Biden doesnt support defunding, he doesnt have any problem implying that President Trump supports it even if the latter doesnt. The move may be motivated by poor polling on the issue among African Americans, along with Trumps unwavering support from police unions. Upon checking, the defund the police mural painted on 16th Street near the White House in June, which leftists cheered loudly on various social media platforms, vanished without fanfare early in August. How does Biden plan to resolve the riots? Theres no shortage of bad press for BLM supporters, from both well-known personalities and regular citizens alike. On Aug. 20, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot received flak when she insisted that a heavy police presence around her block during Chicagos disturbances was needed since her family has a right in our home to live in peace, suggesting that regular citizens in Chicago didnt. The details of the matter were kept under wraps, such as how much the extra security detail cost taxpayers, how often officers are on the block, or whether officers were being transferred from other parts of the city. John Catanzara, Fraternal Order of Police President, didnt shy away from criticizing Lightfoots added security. He noted, Maybe she should move into a high-rise downtown where you can put like 20 officers at the front of the building if need be. Lightfoots request follows a report about the police department instructing officers to arrest protesters on the block where she lives if they refuse to disperse when ordered to do so. She defended the move, saying that she consulted mayors in other cities about problems theyve encountered. Lightfoot, who allegedly supports peaceful protests around the city, said, Seeing the kind of things they have done to them and their families, Im not going to let that happen. She concluded, Thats not what my wife and my child signed up for. Its not what my neighbors signed up for. We have a right in our home to live in peace. The directive issued to officers last June marks the first time that police are implementing an ordinance that bans all neighborhood demonstrations, even peaceful ones. On Aug. 24, a viral video showed mostly white demonstrators bullying a white woman outside a restaurant in Washingtons gentrified Adams Morgan district. Lauren Victor, who was minding her own business, was heckled for not doing as the rioters asked. Her companion can be seen giving in as the rioters loudly told others to raise their fists in a black power salute. Even Democratic Mayor Muriel Bowser warned that the performative antics did not have anything to do with demands for social justice. Bowser told restaurants to call the police if it happens again. Victor, an urban planner who was eating with a female companion, shared that she felt as if she was under attack, adding, In the moment, it didnt feel right. Victor wasnt scared, and she even defended the rioters by saying she didnt think they would hurt her. The alarming video proves otherwise. Victor concluded, Im very much with them. Ive been marching with them for weeks and weeks and weeks. Who can say for sure if she feels the same after the harrowing incident? A similar thing happened at at least one other DC restaurant on the same night, where rioters also bullied a young white couple. Racial riots and the law and order mantle Commentators have liked this election season to 1968, when Richard Nixon seized the law and order mantle after that summers racial riots. Even Vice President Hubert Humphrey tried to tackle the issue. However, after Humphrey gave a speech in mid-October where he promised to address street violence, he instead alienated civil rights leaders like Julian Bond, Rep. John Conyers and Coretta Scott King. Biden seems to be attempting the same tactic, but hes about to bite off more than he can chew because of several factors, like the much greater strength of minority groups and progressives in the contemporary Democratic party. However, Biden must first address a white electorate that was already less engaged with the civil rights cause and is eventually withdrawing its support for the movement. While the riots are continuing across the country, only President Trump has a concrete answer: Sending the FBI and U.S. Marshals to assist in Kenosha. To win the upcoming elections, Biden must present a concrete solution to increasing crime rates and rioting across the country. Sources include: USAToday.com Civiqs.com ABCNews.go.com NYPost.com A New Zealand man has filmed the moment he snowboarded through the streets after an unexpected dumping of snow. Footage showed Tom Woodward taking his board for a ride from the driveway of his Fernhill home in Queenstown, on Monday. Mr Woodward needed some milk and thought snowboarding to the shop would be quicker than walking. He continued to snowboard down the street, past parked cars that were covered in snow. Footage showed Tom Woodward taking his board for a ride from the driveway of his Fernhill, Queenstown, home on Monday Icy particles clung to his clothes and during one patch Mr Woodward almost fell over. Mr Woodward even has a close brush with an oncoming car attempting to brave the snow. 'As I went down the hill I snowboarded past crashed cars and a stuck bus with police there helping them,' Mr Woodward told Daily Mail Australia. 'There was so much snow and it was so fun that I climbed up some other roads and snowboarded them too.' Mr Woodward initially had plans to go to The Remarkables skifield, but the facility was closed due to the strong winds. When he saw snow up to 30cm at 8am, he knew he had to still take advantage of the show. He made it close to town but due to warmer roads the snowfall wasn't as thick. Mr Woodward needed some milk and thought snowboarding to the shop would be quicker than walking The South Island should expect some heavy showers on Monday, with thunderstorms in coastal areas from Waikato to Kapiti (pictured, man and woman with a snowman) New Zealand has been hit with an icy blast that dropped temperatures in towns such as Queenstown to 4C and Dunedin to 5C New Zealand has been hit with an icy blast that dropped temperatures in towns such as Queenstown to 4C and Dunedin to 5C. The South Island should expect some heavy showers on Monday, with thunderstorms in coastal areas from Waikato to Kapiti. Snow will continue to fall in areas such as Nelson, Marlborough and Canterbury, as well as Buller and Westland. Severe northwest gale-force winds are expect to reach the lower North Island on Tuesday. Mmathapelo Makgabutlane, MetService meteorologist, said: 'Heavy Snow is likely today in the far south and remains a possibility into tomorrow for the lower South Island. 'By Tuesday, daytime temperatures in the far south just crack the mid-single digits. Gore and Invercargill see their lowest maximum temperatures since July at 3C and 4C respectively.' Tom Woodward's snow adventures can be found on his Instagram. Snow will continue to fall in areas such as Nelson, Marlborough and Canterbury, as well as Buller and Westland Praise for vigilance and good behaviour of citizens in Wrexham for keeping coronavirus spread low as concerns increase in North Wales This article is old - Published: Monday, Sep 28th, 2020 Wrexhams earlier experiences during the pandemic have been help up as positive example to the people of Wales ahead of high level meetings with North Wales council leaders about issues surfacing in the region. Currently there are four areas in north Wales Flintshire, Conwy, Anglesey and Denbighshire which are on the Welsh Government watch list for potential tighter coronavirus restrictions. However at todays Welsh Government briefing Ken Skates, Economy, Transport and North Wales Minister, highlighted how Wrexham managed to drive down the infection rate during a spike in cases over the summer. Following an outbreak connected to the Rowan Foods factory on the Wrexham Industrial Estate and at the hospital, mobile testing units were introduced in Caia Park and Hightown to find out if coronavirus was widespread within the community. However after several days and over 1,400 tests, transmission was found to be significantly lower than had been initially feared. Today Mr Skates, who is also Member of the Senedd for the Clwyd South constituency, paid tribute to the work carried out in Wrexham during that time. He said: Clearly, infection rates are not as high in most parts of North Wales and actually, if you look at one particular local authority area, Wrexham, back in August, there was much talk locally, of the possibility of a local lockdown. But because of the Test, Trace and Protect regime that was put in place, because of the hard work of public bodies working together, and it has to be said because of the vigilance and good behaviour of citizens in Wrexham County Borough, we saw levels fall dramatically. We are hoping that in the north we will see a similar reduction in figures so it would enable us to avoid local lockdowns or a regional lockdown. Obviously, some parts of North Wales are registering higher numbers than other areas but there is no doubt based on what Im hearing from local authority leaders in the north that while, people are concerned about Coronavirus people are acting responsibly, everybody responding to the need to act in a way that prevents a further spread of the virus. We will be discussing this here this issue with local leaders in the North of Wales before reaching any decision on whether local lockdowns are required in any of the six local authority areas. We asked the Minister about the rise in positive proportion rates in Denbighshire and Flintshire, which match similar figures to areas that have now been locked down in South Wales, and for further detail on the situation in the North. The Minister replied, The data shifts quite swiftly from one day to the next. Our understanding is that in many instances across Wales and across the UK, particularly earlier in the autumn period, transmissions were taking place largely in domestic dwellings, rather than in in restaurants or pubs, or cafes. We were finding the transmission was taking place because people were gathering in pretty significant numbers within homes. Weve been pressing people not to do that. We introduced the maximum 10,000 fines for illegal gatherings as a consequence of the police asking us to introduce that particular measure, to drive down the the possibilities of domestic gatherings, adding to transmission rates. As Ive said repeatedly, its absolutely vital that people behave in a responsible way, that they adhere to the rules, regulations, the guidance, and that they think about their own health and safety. They think about health and safety of their families and their entire community. Below are the two latest data dumps from Public Health Wales, first showing the latest figures issued today and the second being the seven day rolling period for the 19th-25 of September. Dr Giri Shankar, Incident Director for the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak response at Public Health Wales, said today: The council areas of Anglesey, Carmarthenshire, Conwy, Denbighshire, and Flintshire are all areas of concern to us and we are watching the data from there carefully, but numbers of cases are increasing in all parts of Wales so there is no room for complacency in any area. We are also seeing an increase in the number of people who are seriously ill and have been admitted to hospital with COVID-19. Dr Giri Shankar added, We are concerned that much of the good work conducted over the past few months is at risk of going to waste. If the situation continues to worsen, we may find ourselves at the same levels of infection that we experienced earlier this year in March and April, and with that comes the potential for more extended restrictions to be imposed nationally. Coronavirus has not gone away. It remains the responsibility of everyone to help prevent the spread of this virus to protect older and vulnerable family members and friends. They should do this by self-isolating when asked to do so, staying two metres away from others, and by washing hands regularly. September 28 : While Sushant Singh Rajputs family lawyer Vikas Singh expressed concern over the delay in the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe, the forensic team of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), which was examining the cause of the late actors death has also come under the lens. With the meeting between the AIIMS forensic team and the CBI team in Delhi got postponed due to unknown reasons, the AIIMS teams has not yet submitted its final report to the CBI. Vikas Singh as well as Rajya Sabha MP Subramanian Swamy have raised question about the delay in the probe report and why no FIR has been filed yet by the agency. Amidst this situation, netizens started trending #AIIMSBeFairWithSSRReport on Twitter to demand justice for the late actor. Sushants US-based sister, Shweta Singh Kirti, took to her Twitter handle today and thanked Sushants fans for supporting the demand for justice for Sushant. Shweta shared a screenshot of the hashtag that is trending on Twitter. Trending #AIIMSBeFairWithSSRReport she wrote. Earlier, Vikas Singh tweeted saying that the family is getting frustrated by the delay in the CBI taking a decision to convert abetment to suicide case to murder of Sushant. He further wrote that a doctor of the AIIMS team had told him long back that Sushants photos sent by him indicated 200% that it is death by strangulation. Subramanian Swamy has also been quite vocal about his support for the Sushant Singh Rajput death case. He also expressed unhappiness and questioned the CBI probe slowing down. Swamy took to his Twitter and wrote that it is about time that the CBI registers an FIR in the case. They are bound to do so under the law given the information obtained so far, he added. Swamys tweet read, It is troubling for SSR fans to see various investigations are treading too cautiously for the satisfaction of those who want early justice for Sushant. I think it about time CBI registers an FIR u/s 302 since it is bound to do so under law given the information obtained so far. It is troubling for SSR fans to see various investigations are treading too cautiously for the satisfaction of those who want early justice for Sushant. I think it about time CBI registers an FIR u/s 302 since it is bound to do so under law given the information obtained so far Subramanian Swamy (@Swamy39) September 27, 2020 Latest updates on Sushant Singh Rajput Death Mystery 4 highlights from the final night of FRC's 2020 Values Voter Summit Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment One of the nations largest Christian conservative advocacy organizations Family Research Council hosted its annual Values Voter Summit last week, a four-day digital summit that featured remarks from President Donald Trump as well as other notable politicians, religious leaders and celebrities. Speakers addressed issues related to abortion, religious liberty, gender identity, the U.S. Supreme Court and the need for prayer as the country faces multiple challenges including a pandemic and social unrest. Because of the coronavirus pandemic, the Values Voter Summit, an annual conference usually held at a Washington, D.C. hotel and attended by hundreds of social conservatives from across the nation, was virtual this year. Earlier in the week, Sen. Josh Hawley spoke on the possibility conservatives have to reverse decades of disappointing Supreme Court rulings with the current vacancy in the wake of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburgs death. On Tuesday, a panel of experts spoke about the consequences of American societys embrace of transgender ideology. On Wednesday, Southern Baptist leader Al Mohler, head of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, warned that politicians are using the coronavirus pandemic as a pretense to enact policies demonstrating an overt hostility toward churches. The following pages focus on four highlights from Friday, the final night of the 2020 Values Voter Summit. Donald Trump's former campaign manager Brad Parscale - AP President Donald Trump's former campaign manager Brad Parscale was hospitalised on Sunday after he threatened to harm himself, according to Florida police and campaign officials. Police officers talked Mr Parscale out of his Fort Lauderdale home after his wife called police to say that he had multiple firearms and was threatening to hurt himself. Police Sgt. DeAnna Greenlaw said Mr Parscale was hospitalised under the state's Baker Act, which allows anyone deemed to be a threat to themselves or others to be detained for 72 hours for psychiatric evaluation. "Brad Parscale is a member of our family and we love him," said Trump campaign communications director Tim Murtaugh. "We are ready to support him and his family in any way possible." Mr Parscale was demoted from the campaign manager's post in July but remained part of the campaign, helping run its digital operation. Standing 6'8" and with a distinctive beard, Mr Parscale had become a celebrity to Trump supporters and would frequently pose for photos and sign autographs ahead of campaign rallies. But Mr Trump had begun to sour on him earlier this year as Mr Parscale attracted a wave of media attention that included focus on his seemingly glitzy lifestyle on the Florida coast that kept him far from campaign headquarters in Virginia. Over the summer, he hyped a million ticket requests for the president's comeback rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, that ended up drawing just 6,000 people. A furious Mr Trump was left staring at a sea of empty seats and, weeks later, promoted Bill Stepien to campaign manager. Mr Parscale was originally hired to run Mr Trump's 2016 campaign by Jared Kushner, the president's powerful son-in-law. While the Republican National Committee owns most of the campaign's data, voter modeling and outreach tools, Mr Parscale ran most of the microtargeted online advertising that Trump aides believe was key to his victory four years ago. Under the state's Red Flag Law, officials could ask a judge to bar Mr Parscale from possessing any weapons for up to a year. SPRINGFIELD The New York Times' exhaustive report into President Donald J. Trumps troubled finances and a looming tax audit that could cost him more than $100 million asks the same question U.S. Rep. Richard E. Neal wants to see answered. We want the IRS to tell us how they audit a presidential tax form, Neal, D-Springfield, said Monday in the wake of the Times expose. I think this helps our case. Neal is chairman of the House Committee on Ways and Means, which filed a lawsuit in July 2019 to compel the Internal Revenue Service to turn over six years of the presidents tax returns. The case is now before Trump-appointed federal Judge Trevor McFadden in Washington. Neal said there is some speculation that McFadden is waiting for a decision in a case involving former White House counsel Don McGahn. In separate litigation, congressional Democrats are seeking to force McGahn to testify about alleged wrongdoings by Trump. For Neal, it is a question of congressional oversight into the workings of the executive branch and a question that was moot during past presidencies because every man to hold the office since the disgraced Richard Nixon voluntarily released taxes as they campaigned. Gerald Ford, who took office after Nixons resignation and never campaigned for the office, did not release his returns. We want the public to know, as well as ourselves, actually how does the IRS go about auditing a presents tax forms, Neal said. Any president. Among the attention-grabbing details is the fact that Trump paid just $750 a year in federal taxes in 2016 and 2017. Neal said hes also concerned by the $72.9 million tax refund Trump claimed and received in 2010. On Sunday, the Times reported why Trump might have avoided the disclosure and why hes fighting not only Neal and his committee in court but also state prosecutors in New York City. According to the newspaper, Trump has $421 million in loans and other debts, with much of it coming over the next four years. Thats a matter that the president has with his creditors, Neal said. But there does seem to be a consistent pattern of leveraging borrow more and more. And you have to make those payments. Neal took criticism for not suing Trump earlier to get the tax returns. The suit was filed only after months of unsuccessful wrangling with Trump and the administration. For months Neal was reluctant to discuss the matter at all, saying hed been told by legal counsel to watch his words carefully so as not to give the impression that the legal case was a political ploy. Neal said it isnt political, arguing that its about oversight of a presidential administration and that it goes back at least to Article I of the U.S. Constitution and, he said, even back to the Magna Carta. We want to establish a precedent that presidential tax forms are subject to congressional review, Neal said. This was not going to be done in haste to satisfy an election cycle. In fact, if we indicated that if this was being done to satisfy an election cycle, the federal judiciary would not have looked kindly on it." Neal said he expects the case to go to the United States Supreme Court, and that the litigation will go on even if former Vice President Joe Biden defeats Trump in November. Neals prediction about the case going to the Supreme Court, which he has made before, raises questions about the court and its makeup. With the death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Trump has nominated Amy Coney Barrett as the next justice. Neal wouldnt speculate as to whether the tax matter should come up at Barretts confirmation hearings. But Neal pointed out that Trump appointees Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh voted with the majority and against the president this summer when a preliminary procedural part of the tax question went to the Supreme Court, and both Neal and the New York prosecutors won. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-28 20:03:00|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close TEHRAN, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- The total number of COVID-19 cases confirmed in Iran reached 449,960 on Monday, after an overnight registration of 3,512 infections, the Iranian Ministry of Health and Medical Education announced. Sima Sadat Lari, spokeswoman for the ministry, said at her daily briefing that 1,514 new patients required hospitalization in the past 24 hours, as quoted by official news agency IRNA. Between Sunday and Monday, 190 deaths were registered over the novel coronavirus, taking the death toll in Iran to 25,779, according to Sadat Lari. Currently, 4,068 COVID-19 patients remain in critical condition in intensive care units in Iran, while 376,531 patients have recovered and been discharged from hospitals, she added. As of Monday, 3,959,783 laboratory tests for COVID-19 have been carried out in the country, the spokeswoman said. The risk of infection is high in 26 out of 31 Iranian provinces, while four others are on alert over the spread of the disease. Iran announced its first cases of COVID-19 on Feb. 19. Iran and China have offered mutual help in combating the COVID-19 pandemic. In mid-February, at the early stage of the coronavirus outbreak in China, Iran lit up the Tehran Azadi (Liberty) Tower to show its solidarity with China, and donated 3 million masks to China. In return, China delivered several shipments of medical supplies to Iran. On Feb. 29, a five-member Chinese medical team visited Iran for a month-long mission to help Iran fight the pandemic. Enditem By Trend A lot of citizens have recently applied to the State Service for Mobilization and Conscription to participate in the battles for Azerbaijans territorial integrity, Azerbaijani First Deputy Chief of the Service, Major General Zaur Abdullayev said. Abdullayev made the remark at the press-conference, Trend reports on Sept. 28. "This shows that the Azerbaijani citizens will participate in mobilization with great enthusiasm," major general said. The Azerbaijani president signed a decree on partial mobilization on Sept. 28. Armenian armed forces launched a large-scale military attack on positions of the Azerbaijani army on the front line, using large-caliber weapons, mortars, and artillery on Sept. 27. Azerbaijan responded with a counter-offensive along the entire front. As a result of retaliation, Azerbaijani troops managed to liberate the territories previously occupied by Armenia: Garakhanbeyli, Garvend, Kend Horadiz, Yukhari, Ashagi Abdulrahmanli villages (Fuzuli district), Boyuk Marjanli, and Nuzgar villages (Jabrayil district). Moreover, the positions of the Armenian armed forces were destroyed in the direction of Azerbaijan's Agdere district and Murovdag, important heights were taken under control. Back in July 2020, the Armenian Armed Forces violated the ceasefire in the direction of Azerbaijan's Tovuz district. As a result of Azerbaijan's retaliation, the opposing forces were silenced. The fighting continued the following days as well. Azerbaijan lost a number of military personnel members, who died fighting off the attacks of the Armenian armed forces. The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on the withdrawal of its armed forces from Nagorno Karabakh and the surrounding districts. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz A Kansas mother-of-five and four of her children were killed after crashing into a semitrailer loaded with grain that officials say ran a stop sign in southwest Sedgwick County last week. Jessica Noel, 32, of Viola, was driving her white Ford Expedition on 263rd Street shortly before 5pm when authorities say the driver of the grain truck failed to stop at a stop sign while headed east on 71 Street South. The Sedgwick County Sheriff's Office said the Expedition struck the trailer, causing the family's SUV to split into two pieces. Scroll down for video Jessica Noel, 32, and four of her five children (three of them pictured above) were killed in a crash with a semi-trailer in Kansas on Friday Noel was returning from grocery shopping when officials say the truck carrying a load of grain ran a stop sign and smashed into the woman's SUV Noel's white Ford Expedition split into two parts, killing the woman and three of her children, including a four-month-old baby, on impact Noel and three of her children, identified as Anaiah Williams, 10, Jeffrey Williams, four, and four-month-old Hank Williams all died at the scene. Another child, 23-month-old Mack Williams, succumbed to his injuries at the hospital. The driver of the semi-trailer walked away from the crash without any injuries. As of Monday morning, he has not been charged in connection to the deadly crash. Noel's husband learned of the tragedy when he rushed to the scene of the crash near their home. 'My heart and my family are broken over the loss of my sister-in-law and my four nieces and nephews,' Noel's brother-in-law said in a statement to KSN. 'There are just no words.Thank you to ever who has reached out by email, text, or otherwise. We are taking it one day at a time.' Meanwhile, Noel's niece has launched a GoFundMe campaign to help her husband, Jeffrey Williams, and their sole surviving 10-year-old child. According to the description of the fundraiser, on Friday afternoon, Jessica Noel, known to her loved ones as Tess, had loaded four of her children into her SUV and headed to a grocery store. This image shows damage to the rear of Noel's SUV after the deadly crash Noel's husband rushed to the scene after getting a call from a friend about an accident near their home When her husband came home from work and found that his wife and children were not there, he became concerned. A short time later, he got a call from a friend alerting him to an accident that had occurred not far from their home. Williams rushed to the intersection of 263rd Street and 71 Street South, and learned of the deadly crash that killed four of the five occupants of his wife's SUV. He was then directed to Wesley Medical Center, where his youngest child was clinging to life. 'Twenty-three-month-old Mack fought hard but succumbed to his injuries on September 26th, 2020,' read the description. As of Monday, the campaign has drawn more than $60,000 worth of donations to help the grieving husband with his family's medical and funeral expenses. Three Marine Corps families are taking on their landlords at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, alleging that the private companies that run base housing failed to provide safe residences or respond to complaints of mold, mildew, water intrusion, roaches and maintenance problems. In a class-action lawsuit filed Sept. 18 in the U.S. District Court of Eastern North Carolina, attorneys for the families said their clients lived in "unacceptable, unsanitary, unsafe, unhealthy and intolerable conditions" in base housing. Read Next: Aint Gonna Happen! Politicians Vow to Fight Like Hell to Protect Parris Island from Closure The suit charges that the companies -- Atlantic Marine Corps Communities, a division of the Australian-based firm Lend Lease, partnered with Winn Management -- "placed profits over tenants" by ignoring requests for repairs or making superficial fixes without addressing the root problems. "These three brave service member families are not just suing for themselves," lead attorney Joel Rhine said in a release. "They are trying to get relief for their friends and neighbors too. Military families deserve security and dignity in their homes." The families of First Sgt. Scott Johnson and Staff Sgt. Garrett Burn lived in the bases Knox Landing development, where they battled mold resulting from water leaks into their homes through lighting fixtures, electrical sockets, window frames and the heating and air conditioning system. The wet, moldy conditions worsened after the base was struck by Hurricane Florence in September 2018, causing more than $3.6 billion in damage. The third family, Cpl. William Lewis and his wife Lakin, moved into a roach-infested home in Tarawa Terrace with a nonfunctioning air conditioning system, according to the suit. Rather than accept complaints from the Lewises, the housing office told the couple that the roaches and high temperatures inside their house were consequences of their actions -- that they didn't maintain a clean home or must have left windows or doors open. "These were baseless attempts to shift blame away from the landlord and exhaust the tenant," the suit alleges. The lawsuit is similar to a class action brought by three soldiers at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, against their housing provider, Corvias, alleging that the company knowingly leased homes with moisture problems that threatened the health and safety of the troops' families. That suit seeks in excess of $5 million in damages. The Camp Lejeune suit does not list an amount; instead, it seeks a jury trial and an amount in damages to be determined at trial. The Camp Lejeune and Fort Bragg suits are the latest in a series of legal complaints filed against the companies that operate military housing across the U.S. Lend Lease faces suit from nine military families at Fort Hood, Texas, while Corvias has been sued by 10 families at Fort Meade, Maryland, over mold, faulty wiring, moisture intrusion and other dangerous living conditions. A jury awarded a Marine Corps family $2 million last year for damages related to mold in their home in San Diego, leased to them by Lincoln Military Housing, but a California judge ruled the amount "excessive" and ordered a new trial. The family of Staff Sgt. Matthew Charvat has appealed. A Marine family was awarded $350,000 in 2016 for damages related to mold in their Lincoln Military Housing-managed home in Norfolk, Virginia. Issues with privatized housing at Defense Department installations came to a head in early 2019 as numerous families pressed for relief from unhealthy and unsafe conditions in their homes, including lead contamination, faulty construction and pest infestations. In response to a congressional mandate, the DoD developed a bill of rights for tenants that increases their access to landlords and maintenance staff and accelerates the process for requesting maintenance or repairs. The tenant bill of rights also aims to protect tenants from reprisal or retaliation for reporting problems with their housing, stating that no tenant will be subjected to career interference, increased rent, decreased services, harassment or eviction. It also gives them access to a tenant representative or military legal assistance attorney for resolving disputes and filing claims. But it stops short of ensuring that families have access to a home's maintenance records, a standard process for dispute resolution or the ability to withhold rent until disputes are resolved. Pentagon officials said they needed to work with the companies to develop the policies for providing the remaining set of rights and have made "significant progress," according to a memo sent to tenants June 1. A spokesperson for Atlantic Marine Corps Communities said the companies are reviewing the complaint. "As is true in any instance, we have strict protocols in place to ensure any concerns are assessed and remediated appropriately and expeditiously," the company representative said in an email to Military.com. "Our residents safety, health, and wellbeing are our top priority. As such, we stand by our strong track record, providing quality homes for service members and their families. "Due to the pendency of this matter, we are unable to provide any further details or comment at this time." -- Patricia Kime can be reached at Patricia.Kime@Monster.com. Follow her on Twitter @patriciakime. Related: While Visiting Norfolk, Jill Biden Promises her Husband Will Listen to Military Families Former Bihar DGP Gupteswar Pandey, who made headlines for his 'aukaat' remark on actor Rhea Chakraborty, joined the Nitish Kumar-led JD(U) on September 27 amid indications he would contest the Bihar assembly election 2020 beginning in October. The former top cop came into limelight for his role in Bihar Police's investigation in the death case of Sushant Singh Rajput. Pandey joined the party in the presence of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who is also the JD(U) president, less than a week after taking voluntary retirement from service. Pandey's application for VRS was accepted by Governor Fagu Chauhan on September 21, five months before the 1987 batch IPS officer was to superannuate, and in a rare gesture, a three-month cooling-off period applicable to bureaucrats was waived in his case. Live TV His much-anticipated induction took place a day after he met Kumar and insisted there was nothing political in their conversation. The 1987 batch IPS officer had strongly defended Kumar on the issue of institution of a CBI probe into the mysterious death of Sushant Singh Rajput, the Patna-born talented filmstar. The voluble officer had reminded actor Rhea Chakraborty, Rajput's girlfriend and the main accused in the abetment to suicide case being probed by the CBI, of her 'aukaat' (status) to question Nitish Kumar, when she suggested that there was politics behind the Bihar government's decision to push for a CBI probe. Bihar ke mukhyamantri pe comment karne ki aukaat Rhea Chakraborty ki nahi hai (Rhea Chakraborty does not have the status to comment on Bihar Chief Minister), he had remarked. Pandey had said that he was asked to join the party by Nitish Kumar which he accepted. "I was called by the CM himself and asked to join the party and whatever the party asks me to do, I will do. I don't understand politics. I am a simple person who has spent his time working for the downtrodden section of society," he said. "I have a long, loving association with Nitish Kumar. He personally called me and offered party membership. I have a public profile and connect with people...People love me. But I don't know anything about politics. I will do what I am asked to do," he added. When asked about his possibility of contesting the upcoming assembly polls, Pandey replied, This is not a decision I have to take. I shall work as a disciplined soldier of the party. Whatever role the party leadership deems fit for me, I will be happy to play. When reporters persisted with the query, Nitish Kumars close aide Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan Singh interjected, remarking in jocular vein "he has not yet submitted his biodata. Let him evince interest (in contesting the polls). Due consideration will be given". Known for speaking his mind notwithstanding the constraints that came with the rules governing civil servants, Pandey was in the headlines while the governments of Maharashtra and Bihar were engaged in a tug of war over the investigation in Rajput's death case. The Bihar DGP had publicly denounced the Mumbai municipal authorities for quarantining IPS officer Vinay Tiwari, who had landed in the western metropolis for heading the investigation after an FIR was lodged by Rajput's father, accusing Rhea Chakraborty and some others of abetting the actor's suicide. The Shiv Sena, which heads the ruling coalition in Maharashtra, had accused Pandey of acting as a political pawn of the ruling dispensation in Bihar ahead of the assembly elections. Shiv Sena spokesman Sanjay Raut on the former DGP's VRS said, he was running a political agenda with his statements on the Mumbai case and now he is going to receive his award. Maharashtra Home minister and NCP leader Anil Deshmukh had said that Pandey's quitting the job confirmed his doubts that in Rajput's death case he was making comments not as a DGP but as a BJP leader. Pandey has earlier brushed aside criticism from the Shiv Sena, saying "they keep saying many things, I don't give much credence to it." Meanwhile, Pandey, who had famously resigned in 2009 to contest the Lok Sabha polls but returned to his job after his resignation was not accepted by the state government, got a thumbs up from the BJP. Union minister Giriraj Singh told reporters in his Lok Sabha constituency Begusarai that Pandey has always been hugely popular with the masses. "If he contests an election, he will win hands down, no matter whether he fights from Begusarai or anywhere else in Bihar, he said. Pandey has spent a significant part of his career in districts like Begusarai and Muzaffarpur. News agency PTI sources in the JD(U), however, say he could be fielded from an assembly segment in Buxar, which has a sizeable population of Brahmins and is also the home district of Pandey. However, NDA sources said RLSP chief Upendra Kushwaha, who is trying hard to regain entry into the BJP-led coalition, was also reportedly keen on contesting the seat which has a high concentration of Koeri voters. The EC announced the date for the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections on Friday. The 243-member legislative assembly will be held in three phases -- the first phase on October 28, the second on November 3, and the third on November 7, while the counting of votes and results declaration will be held on November 10. By Trend Armenia, having violated the ceasefire regime, began another military aggression on September 27 and fired on the positions of the Azerbaijani army, settlements on the line of contact from large-caliber weapons and artillery installations, the press service of the Baku International Multiculturalism Center told Trend. Armenia, who suffered severe losses following the counter-offensive operations by Azerbaijan, resorted to another political and ideological provocation it is spreading vile disinformation that representatives of various ethnic groups of Azerbaijan were forcibly involved in military operations. Were also well aware that the indestructible relations of friendship and brotherhood between peoples living in Azerbaijan for centuries, their solidarity in the name of a single and indivisible Motherland, always arouses envy and irritation in racist Armenia, which with its absurd claims has turned into a mono-ethnic state. After all, the greatest wealth of our country - Azerbaijan - is ethnic diversity, historical unity, and brotherhood of all peoples living here. As at the beginning of the conflict, the national army of Azerbaijan has hundreds and thousands of representatives of the peoples living in Azerbaijan - soldiers and officers. It is well known that terrorist Armenia and its patrons from the first days of the conflict tried to spoil relations between the peoples of Azerbaijan, to create artificial conflicts on ethnic and religious grounds, and are continuing subversive activities in this direction even now. However, all their vile and immoral innuendo, today, as always, fail. Armenia's provocative attempts to create additional sources of tension for our state further strengthen our ranks and the bonds of brotherhood that bind us together. Armenias positioning itself as a friend and protector of the peoples living in Azerbaijan is nothing more than hypocrisy, the center noted. We strongly condemn another slanderous campaign of Armenia and reiterate that the aggressor and puppet Armenia must realize that all the peoples of Azerbaijan have never been left out of the sacred struggle for the restoration of the territorial integrity of our country, the liberation of our lands, the return of internally displaced persons to the land of their great-grandfathers - historical Azerbaijani land, the press service said. We dont ask about ethnicity when we rejoice at the success of Azerbaijani soldiers in the war zones and weep for our martyrs. We sincerely believe and are confident that soon the brave and valiant army of Azerbaijan will raise our tricolor flag in Shusha and Khankandi, avenge our martyrs and make us happy with a great victory over Armenia. It doesn't matter what nation the Azerbaijani soldier belongs to, what language he speaks, and what religion he professes. Azerbaijan is our country and our state. Every centimeter of its land is sacred and dear to the peoples of Azerbaijan. Victory is ours! said the statement. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz University Health System is looking to buy two office buildings to keep up with its quickly expanding workforce. Officials hope to secure a $28 million deal for the buildings, located in University Park, a 3.2-million-square-foot business park near DeZavala Road and I-10. About 1,000 of UHSs 8,600 employees hold non-clinical positions and currently work in seven office buildings around San Antonio. UHS leases most of those facilities, an annual expense of $2.3 million. The acquisition is expected to start saving the system money in two years and will have a positive bottom-line impact in its third year, according to UHS documents. University Health System has grown significantly in terms of locations, services and staff over the past decade as weve seen demand for services dramatically increase at University Hospital and across our large network of primary care and specialty care locations, spokeswoman Leni Kirkman said in a statement on Friday. On ExpressNews.com: University Health System scoops up land on Loop 1604 for future hospital In 2010, UHS employed 4,600, almost half as many people as it currently employs. The taxpayer-funded hospital operator also brings in much more revenue. Ten years ago, UHS brought in $894 million in revenue, and this year expects to record $2.1 billion. Kirkman said non-clinical employees work at University Hospital, the historic Robert B. Green hospital building and a business center on I-10 that the system purchased in 2006. When UHS outgrew these locations, it began leasing space around town, including offices in Corporate Square, Chisholm Building, Highpoint Tower and University Park. The last of the leases expires in 2024. Google UHS expects to close on the purchase of the two buildings by Dec. 31, but would still need to finish out the office space. Board documents show renovations, electrical and computer wiring changes and cubicle furniture will cost roughly $10.6 million, which would bring the total project cost to $38.6 million. The buildings owner is Clarion Lion Properties Fund, an international real estate investment firm, which bought the pair of properties for $26.8 million in 2014. Previous tenants include USAA, which used more than 75 percent of the space, and a call center. Google Neighboring businesses include biomedical and health care companies, including Acelityand UnitedHealth Group. SA Inc.: Get the best of business news sent directly to your inbox Kirkman said the work groups that frequently interact include payroll and human resources, which can be located adjacently. At the start of the pandemic, we quickly made accommodations to staff with temporary solutions like splitting shifts and enabling work from home, she said. These buildings provide a long-term solution as they will be configured to ensure staff have adequate space and barriers to reduce viral transmission. Laura Garcia covers the health care industry. To read more from Laura, become a subscriber. laura.garcia@express-news.net | Twitter: @Reporter_Laura Haiti - Environment : Inauguration of the 4th Plant Propagation Center On Saturday September 26, President Jovenel Moise, in the presence among others of Prime Minister Joseph Jouthe and ministers Pierre Josue Agenor Cadet (Education), Abner Septembre (Environment), Ronald Gerard D'Mezard (Youth) and Louis Gonzague Edner Day (Diaspora MHAVE) inaugurated the 4th Forest and Fruity Plant Propagation Center located in the 3rd Aubert section of Port-de-Paix (North-West Dept.) Covering an area of 4.5 ha, this 4th Center [out of 6 https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-24034-icihaiti-environment-towards-the-construction-of-the-7th-plant-propagation-center.html ] reinforces the system put in place by the State for the production of seedlings but also for research, training and community capacity building and innovation in environmental management. This Center launched at the end of October 2017 https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-22550-icihaiti-agriculture-laying-of-the-first-stone-of-the-4th-plant-propagation-center.html , like the 3 others already inaugurated: Camp Perrin (South department, arrondissement of Cayes) https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-21531-haiti-environment-launch-of-a-central-nursery-in-camp-perrin.html ; Fond des Negres (Nippes department) https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-21931-haiti-agriculture-laying-the-foundation-stone-of-the-plant-propagation-center.html and in Marfranc (Department of Grand'Anse) https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-22274-haiti-agriculture-third-plant-propagation-center.html , will help fight against deforestation, protect the environment and produce fruit for human consumption. This new infrastructure will also contribute to the continuation of the activities of the Reforestation Project through schools in the Northwest. Recall that by the next academic year in November, environmental education will be definitively launched with its component concerning the reforestation project at school and the civic note to be awarded for the citizen actions of the pupil and which will be an integral part of his report card. See also : https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-24034-icihaiti-environment-towards-the-construction-of-the-7th-plant-propagation-center.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-22274-haiti-agriculture-third-plant-propagation-center.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-21931-haiti-agriculture-laying-the-foundation-stone-of-the-plant-propagation-center.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-21531-haiti-environment-launch-of-a-central-nursery-in-camp-perrin.html HL/ HaitiLibre Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-28 22:39:31|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Alicia Barcena, executive secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, receives an exclusive interview with Xinhua at the commission's headquarters in Santiago, capital of Chile, Oct. 18, 2017.(Xinhua/Jorge Villegas) The initiative's emphasis on cooperation and joint action to spur global development is in line with the principles of the UN, which has made headway in fighting hunger, promoting peace and human rights, and mediating to save lives in hundreds of conflicts and disasters, said Barcena. SANTIAGO, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- The inclusion of Latin American and Caribbean countries in China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative is an example of multilateral cooperation for shared benefits against the backdrop of rising unilateralism, a senior United Nations official said recently. The initiative proposed in 2013 by Chinese President Xi Jinping has been key to achieving more balanced and inclusive global cooperation, Alicia Barcena, executive secretary of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), said in an interview on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the UN's founding. The initiative's emphasis on cooperation and joint action to spur global development is in line with the principles of the UN, which has made headway in fighting hunger, promoting peace and human rights, and mediating to save lives in hundreds of conflicts and disasters, said Barcena. Over the course of 75 years, the UN "has made progress in international cooperation, but not enough," she said. The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed "very prominent fragilities, and a very divided and fractured world, where we are experiencing perhaps one of the toughest moments in relation to multilateralism and cooperation," said Barcena. That is why Xi's recent remarks at the UN General Assembly, in which he "made a strong call for multilateralism, dialogue and cooperation," were so opportune, she said. What's more, many of the concrete announcements made by China, including establishing a UN Global Geospatial Knowledge and Innovation Center and an International Research Center of Big Data, are "all aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals" promoted by the UN towards the year 2030, the executive secretary said. In addition, China will offer 50 million U.S. dollars to the UN's COVID-19 Global Humanitarian Response Plan and extend the China-UN Peace and Development Trust Fund by five years. Barcena said the Latin American region has seen China's interest in expanding investments to more areas, and "that is very important for us," she noted. The recovery of China's economic dynamism will have positive repercussions on Latin American economies, given China's "fundamental" importance as a regional trade partner, she said. According to Gerry Rice, spokesman of International Monetary Fund, considering the better-than-expected economic data from China and other advanced economies, the global economic outlook is less dire than three months ago. To date, 19 Latin American and Caribbean countries have signed memorandums of understanding for the joint construction of the Belt and Road Initiative with China. Founded in 1948, the ECLAC is a UN regional commission tasked to encourage economic cooperation in the region and promote ties with countries in other regions. Six months after the virus erupted in our area, its persistence has frustrated early hopes that shutdowns and other measures would have mostly contained it by now. The region has fared better than much of the country in battling the disease. But it has failed to drive down infections as much as the Northeast and many foreign countries. NAMPA Lactalis American Group is hiring and they want to give new hires at the companys Nampa cheese factory a $500 bonus. As reported by the Statesman earlier this month, Lactalis is spending $1.7 million on an expansion that will bring 75 new jobs to the cheese factory . The company has 45 different positions in Nampa posted on its jobs website. Theres everything from packaging mozzarella and string cheese to serving as a production planner or production manager to driving a forklift or working as a foreman. For a full list of openings, text CHEESE to 72345. Lactalis will hold a job fair from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 30, in the parking lot at the Ford Idaho Center, 16114 N. Idaho Center Blvd. in Nampa. Job seekers are asked to bring a resume and be prepared for an on-site interview. The company said in a press release that job offers could be made on the spot. The $500 bonus applies to anyone who submits an application in September and is hired before the end of October. The bonus will be paid after 90 days of employment. The Nampa plant, which employs more than 750 people, produces a variety of cheeses under the Galbani brand. Earlier this month, French-owned Lactalis, the worlds largest dairy company, announced its buying the natural cheese business of Kraft Heinz. The $3.2 billion sale includes such brands as Cracker Barrel and Breakstone. Included in the sale are Kraft Heinzs natural, grated, cultured and specialty cheese businesses in the U.S., its grated cheese business in Canada and its entire international cheese business. Kraft Heinz already sold its natural cheese business in Canada last year for $1.2 billion. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 2 Sad 0 Angry 0 A non-profit making social organisation, Bharat Vikas Parishad (BVP), has contributed Rs 2.11 crore to the through Union Minister Jitendra Singh, according to a statement issued by the Personnel Ministry on Monday. Acknowledging the contribution, Singh said, Prime Minister Narendra Modi enjoys a very high degree of faith, trust and credibility among the people and that is why whenever he gives a call for any cause, it spontaneously transforms into a mass movement. "We saw this when he gave a call for Swachh Bharat Mission and building of toilets, for surrendering gas subsidy or observing early lockdown and other guidelines in view of the coronavirus pandemic," he said. Singh, the Minister of State for Personnel, lauded the prime minister's "vision and foresight which inspired the setting up of an exclusive fund under the name 'PM CARES Fund'". "Within a short span of time, the response has been so overwhelming that on the one hand, philanthropists and big business houses come forward to make contributions, and on the other hand small children have contributed whatever savings they had from their pocket money," he was quoted as saying in the statement. The Union minister lauded Bharat Vikas Parishad as a social organisation, which has served with commitment and dedication over the last nearly six decades. Whenever there was a crisis, whether it was flood or drought, a war situation or natural calamity, Bharat Vikas Parishad has been in the forefront to serve the society, he added. Singh appreciated the countrywide programme undertaken by Bharat Vikas Parishad during the coronavirus pandemic to provide free ration, sanitisers, masks and medicines to the needy. He said the contribution made by them to the will also help those in dire need of support and assistance at this difficult time. The Bharat Vikas Parishad was represented by its President Gajender Singh Sandhu, Vice President Mahesh Babu Gupta, General Secretary (Org) Suresh Jain, General Secretary Shyam Sharma, National Treasurer Sampat Khurdia and National Coordinator Ajay Dutta, among others. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) President is fighting to fill a Supreme Court vacancy, howling with unsubstantiated claims of voter fraud and warning that violent mobs are infiltrating the suburbs. But on a recent morning along Arbor Street, a peaceful tree-lined road with stately brick Colonials and Tudors near Winston-Salem, the women who are the targets of Trump's messages were confronting much more tangible threats. As conservative activists canvassed the neighbourhood, one young mother, a baby in her arms, shouted through a closed window that she was in quarantine. Across the street, another was focused on teaching her children their daily lessons at the kitchen table. And a few doors down, 49-year-old Christina Donnell, an independent who voted for Trump four years ago, said through a black face mask that Trump's terrible handling of the pandemic and divisive leadership more broadly are her chief concerns. It's embarrassing to the country," Donnell, a lawyer who previously lived in Washington, said of Trump's leadership. He's an embarrassing role model. In one of the nation's most consequential swing states, Trump's push to inject new dynamics into the final weeks of the 2020 election is being overshadowed by the frightening realities of everyday life during a pandemic. Trump and his allies hope the escalating Supreme Court nomination fight will help unify a fractured Republican Party that has lost its grip on college-educated suburban voters, particularly white women. But for many, the coronavirus and the related economic challenges are much more pressing issues. Trump's challenge is acute here in North Carolina, a state that his senior aides describe as a must-win." A loss in the state, which Democrats have carried only once at the presidential level in the last 30 years, would make Trump's path to a second term incredibly difficult and signal dire challenges elsewhere on the electoral map. Public polling, backed by private discussions with strategists from both Trump's and Democrat Joe Biden's campaigns, indicate that North Carolina remains a true tossup five weeks before Election Day. And lest there be any doubt about Trump's concerns about his standing here, he has travelled to North Carolina every week for the last five weeks, second only to Pennsylvania. Trump's standing will also help decide races for governor and senator, a set of competitive contests that has drawn more political advertising dollars to North Carolina than any other state in the nation. More than USD 246 million has been spent or reserved to communicate with North Carolina voters online and on television about the presidential and Senate contests so far, according to the media tracking firm Kantar-CMAG. Florida follows with USD 236 million and then Arizona with USD 223 million. Trump has also dispatched Vice President Mike Pence to North Carolina twice over the last five weeks in addition to four visits by Trump's children. The president's daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, a North Carolina native, led a Women for Trump event in the rural eastern part of the state last week to help energize the president's base. She was scheduled to visit again on Monday. "This is a must-win state for whoever is to become the next president," Lara Trump said in an interview. She said the Supreme Court debate might help motivate each side's base, including some fence sitters who may not have voted at all. But she pointed to a more serious concern for suburban women. As far as suburban women are concerned, they want safety and security. They've seen what has happened to so many of our Democrat-run cities across America," Lara Trump said. "It is absolutely frightening to see the chaos, the destruction, the violence. After her comments, she led an event for roughly 200 people in which the pandemic was not mentioned at all on stage or by several voters who asked questions. The Supreme Court came up only once. The conversation was far more focused on the prospect of voter fraud, an issue President Trump has raised repeatedly as polls show him trailing, though experts report there is no significant evidence of such fraud. As in other swing states, Democrats' closing message has been focused on health care, especially the Trump administration's ongoing court fight to overturn former President Barack Obama's health care law and the protections for those with preexisting conditions that are part of it. Biden's team has largely relied on advertising to communicate its message, however, because the candidate himself has not been a regular presence in North Carolina or anywhere during the pandemic. Biden made his first trip as the Democratic nominee to the state last week. His running mate, Kamala Harris, is scheduled to make her first appearance on Monday at a Raleigh event focused on health care. He needs to pick up his game some, said former North Carolina Gov. Jim Hunt, a Biden ally, calling on Biden's campaign to intensify in-person canvassing. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) In this screengrab Vice Presidential Candidate Kamala Harris participates in Supercharge: Women All In in United States on Sept. 26, 2020. (Getty Images/Getty Images for Supermajority) Kamala Harris Leads by Seeming to Follow the Crowds Music Commentary Sen. Kamala Harris, who quite possibly will be the next but one president of the United States, recently brought ridicule on herself when she answered Tupac Shakur to an interviewer who asked her to name her favorite living rapper. Even I, who know as much about rap as the average Bushman of the Kalahari, know that Tupac Shakur was murdered a long time ago, 24 years to be exact. That he was murdered was not, I believe, entirely unconnected with the way that he had lived. Harriss answer to the question spoke both well and badly of her, and of society in general. It spoke well of her because it clearly indicated that she had no interest whatever in this vile genre. No person of minimally civilized sensibility can take other than a sociological interest in rap, though no doubt there is much in that sense to be learned from it. Still, a busy and important politician such as she cannot devote herself to every possible source of enlightenment about her own society, and at least she did not exhibit the debased and degraded taste that a genuine interest in or knowledge of rap might otherwise have indicated. Good for her. On the debit side, however, is the fact that she felt it necessary to pretend an interest. Her answer was both cowardly and dishonest. She could and should have said, I know nothing of rap, I take no interest in it, and then reprehended lines from her supposed favorite, Tupac Shakur, such as the following (though by no means the worst of the genre as it developed subsequently): I make rhyme pay, others make crime pay, Whatever it takes to live and stand cause nobody elsell give a damn. So we live like caged beasts Waitin for the day to let the rage free. Still me, till they kill me I love it when they fear me. If she had added that a culture such as one that produces rap, and that rap helps to reproduce, is not one to lift a population from its degradation (which I suspect is her true opinion, coming as she does from a hard-striving and achieving family), then I would have respected her. Instead, preferring votes to truth, she tried to flatter her listeners by claiming to share their tastes. In these days of pullulating communication, it is not imitation that is the highest form of flattery but pretense to identical taste. As the French socialist of the mid-19th century, Ledru-Rollin, put it, I have to follow people because I am their leader. Speaking Power to Truth Of course, she is not alone in her pusillanimity. In Britain, for example, all prominent politicians, even allegedly conservative ones, express a liking or admiration for the work of such musical giants as NWA. They fear that to express a preference for Chopin over The Clash would be electoral suicide, and since the whole meaning of their lives is the attainment of power, or at least of office, they are prepared to say anything to attain it. They speak power to truth. I am not sure whether they are right in their calculations. On this question, at least, I keep an open mind. I also keep an open mind on the question of whether, when they claim to like the music that they do claim to like, it is worse if they are telling the truth or lying. Sometimes I veer to one side of the question and sometimes to the other. It is bad for politicians to lie, of course, but it is as bad if what ought to be a lie is actually the truth. Can anyone listen to this stuff, that is to say sit in a chair and do nothing else? The very idea seems preposterous. At best, it is music to beat up women to, at worst to shoot a roomful of people containing the person who disrespected you by glancing at your woman while claiming that you are oppressed. Fascistic Uniformity The connection between music and behavior first became apparent to me in the prison in which I worked as a doctor. A prison officer, of Jamaican origin, had discovered that if he played baroque music the prisoners in his wing of the prison became calm and amenable; if he allowed them to play rap, they became agitated and aggressive. A similar discovery was made by a policeman in a nearby police station, to which I would sometimes be called to see a mad axeman. This policeman inclined to Brahms rather than to baroque, but with similar effect. I once wrote an article for a Belgian newspaper in which I said that pop music was one of the principal causes of crime. Of course, it was slightly tongue-in-cheek, but many people are capable only of the most literal-mindedness, and thought that I was propounding a law of criminology. Nothing I have ever written has aroused anything like the fury that did this article. Young people wrote in to say that they would never read the newspaper againwithin a few years, they werent going to do so anywayand that I was all but an enemy of the people. From this I concluded that I was right and they knew, or at least suspected, that I was. Another time, I wrote (I forget the exact context) that rock concerts struck me as fascist rallies of libertinism. I did not suggest that they should be banned, only that they were aesthetically unpleasing and destroyed the participants critical faculties. The ardent freedom-loving members of the audience wanted nothing more than to abandon their individuality in a hot bath of noisy, fascistic uniformity. I wrote this for a French literary magazine, whose entire staff rose up and told they editor that they would resign if he printed what Id written. I do not think they would have done so on any other subject. In the preface to the second edition of Brave New World, Aldous Huxley said that an authoritarian regime could easily be installed by granting the population infinite access to drugs and sex. I think he might have added rock n roll. Thats what people really care about. Theodore Dalrymple is a retired doctor. He is contributing editor of the City Journal of New York and the author of 30 books, including Life at the Bottom. His latest book is Embargo and Other Stories. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. MONTREALA staff member at a private long-term care home in suburban Montreal where dozens of residents died during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic has tested positive for the disease, the local health agency said Sunday as Quebec reported its highest single-day total of COVID-19 cases since May. Helene Bergeron-Gamache, a spokeswoman for the CIUSSS-Ouest-de-lIle-de-Montreal, said the agency was informed Saturday morning that a staff member at Residence Herron tested positive for COVID-19. Eleven residents who had been in contact with that person have been tested for COVID-19 and are now self-isolating in their rooms, Bergeron-Gamache said in an email. Three other staff members who were in contact with the infected person have also been tested and are in self-isolation as they wait for their test results, she said. Thirty-eight people died at Residence Herron between March 26 and April 16, according to a Quebec government report released Wednesday. The report detailed the chaos that followed the discovery of the first case at the facility on March 26, and its devastating effects on a residence described as ill-prepared to confront a pandemic. In late March, regional health authorities found only three employees on site to care for 133 residents, some of whom were wearing overflowing diapers and suffering from dehydration. Quebec reported 896 new cases of COVID-19 on Sunday, the provinces highest single-day tally in months, and Health Minister Christian Dube said the increase in cases is primarily due to community transmission. Were asking to limit contacts over the next weeks, Dube wrote on Twitter after the number was announced. Health officials also reported four additional deaths attributed to the coronavirus: two in the past 24 hours, and two that took place between Sept. 20-25. The province has now recorded a total of 71,901 COVID-19 cases and 5,825 deaths. Another COVID-19 outbreak was reported this weekend at a long-term care home in Laval, Que., north of Montreal. Judith Goudreau, a spokeswoman for the local health agency CISSS Laval, said Sunday that 11 residents and seven staff members at Centre dhebergement Idola-Saint-Jean had tested positive. Goudreau said the residents who tested positive have been moved into a red zone on the ground floor of the facility, which has a capacity of 25 beds. Visits to the facility have been suspended, Goudreau said in an email, and all employees and residents will be tested for COVID-19. Quebec authorities also said Sunday that hospitalizations went down by one over the past 24 hours for a total of 216. Of those, 41 people are in intensive care a drop of four from the previous day. Officials said 27,380 COVID-19 tests were conducted on Sept. 25, the last date for which the testing data is available. Read more about: The Associated Press A group of prominent Facebook critics, including one of the social networks early investors and a journalist facing jail time in the Philippines, are launching their version of an oversight board to rival the companys own. The group says Facebook is taking too long to set up its oversight panel, which they argue is too limited in its scope and autonomy. The critics, who include early investor Roger McNamee, Filipino journalist Maria Ressa and Shoshana Zuboff, author of Surveillance Capitalism, are warning that Facebook is already being used to undermine the integrity of the US presidential election and are calling for proper independent scrutiny of the company. The group, however, has no authority over Facebook and it is not an actual board. Rather, the group says it was started to sound the alarm about Facebooks role in the coming election. The announcement Friday comes a day after Facebook said its own, quasi-independent oversight board, which has faced numerous delays since the company announced its creation in 2018, will launch in October. Facebooks own panel is intended to rule on thorny content issues, such as when Facebook or Instagram posts constitute hate speech. It will be empowered to make binding rulings on whether posts or ads violate the companys rules. Any other findings it makes will be considered guidance by Facebook. Its 20 members, which will eventually grow to 40, include a former prime minister of Denmark, the former editor-in-chief of the Guardian newspaper, along with legal scholars, human rights experts and journalists, such as Tawakkol Karmanm, a Nobel Laureate and journalist from Yemen, and Julie Owono, a digital rights advocate. The first four board members were directly chosen by Facebook. Those four then worked with Facebook to select additional members. Facebook also pays the board members salaries. The critic-launched group, meanwhile, also includes Toomas Henrik Ilves, a former president of Estonia, Derrick Johnson, the president of the NAACP, Rashad Robinson, the president Color of Change and Reed Galen, co-founder of the Lincoln Project. Theres also Ressa, CEO of the news site Rappler, whos been critical of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte and was convicted of libel and sentenced to jail in June in a decision called a major blow to press freedom in the country. She has been an outspoken critic of Facebook, and said in August that the tech platforms have created a system where lies laced with anger and hate spread faster than facts. Guardian journalist and Facebook critic Carole Cadwalladr, who helped set up the group, said its goal is to provide platform to amplify the voices that need to be counterbalancing Facebooks denials and disclaimers. Its very noticeable that Facebooks oversight board didnt ask anybody who has been loudly critical of the platform, she said. In a statement Thursday, Facebook said it ran a year-long global consultation to set up the Oversight Board as a long-lasting institution that will provide binding, independent oversight over some of our hardest content decisions. The members, the company added, were selected for their deep experience in a diverse range of issues. This new effort is mostly longtime critics creating a new channel for existing criticisms. The Fox Corp. these days reminds me a bit of America: The elites have lost control, and partisan noise drowns out almost everything. But there are pockets where traditionalists cling to fading norms. One of those pockets is a new office on the third floor of Foxs headquarters on the Avenue of the Americas in Manhattan, known by employees as the nerdquarium. Thats where a prickly, bespectacled 65-year-old named Arnon Mishkin and his staff of data-crunching wonks will come to work on Election Day. And this Nov. 3, Mishkin may be the last bulwark against the most frightening prophecies of electoral insanity. Mishkin runs Fox News decision desk, the team responsible for telling Fox viewers also known as Donald Trumps base who won the election. The team and its sister polling unit are among the few endeavors at Fox that have proved immune to the presidents takeover of the network. Mishkin is a straight shooter a registered Democrat who told me he voted for Hillary Clinton in 2016, and is paid as a consultant, not as a Fox employee. There will be no one putting their finger on the scale in either direction, he told me with matter-of-fact confidence in an interview Friday from his Upper West Side home. Election night is shaping up as a dangerous, high-pressure moment for the country and for television journalists, who traditionally play an outsize role in telling Americans who won our decentralized, locally run national elections. President Donald Trump spent last week working overtime to cast doubt on the validity of the coming election. But at no place is the tension higher than at Fox, which has served as platform, megaphone and cheerleading squad for Trump and his counterfactual claims for the better part of four years. And on the night when the stakes are highest, it is up to the unassuming Mishkin, more than any other individual, to represent reality. Were going to come under enormous pressure, another top Fox figure told me of election night. The nightmare scenario goes like this: Its a close race, and Trump leads in the early vote count in Pennsylvania, and needs just that state to win the election. Tens of thousands of votes are still untallied, and the counting may take weeks but Trump has already declared that hes been reelected. Hes demanding that Fox do the same, making calls to Fox Corp.s co-chairman, Rupert Murdoch, or working back channels to the executive who effectively runs the network, Viet Dinh. Trumps most loyal acolytes at Fox, prime-time hosts Sean Hannity and Laura Ingraham, are backing the presidents claim on the air. And Fox faces the temptation it often succumbs to: offering its audience the alternate reality it wants. Theres real concern about the choice Fox is going to make given its own history, said Vanita Gupta, president and chief executive officer of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, which is among the groups pushing journalists to take their time in covering the vote counts. Are they going to be a state media organ and sabotage our democracy in the process, or are they going to show up as media that is going to be thoughtful and careful about prematurely calling results before all the ballots are counted? A Slate headline last week put it bluntly: The Fox News Decision Desk Controls the Fate of American Democracy. I spoke last week with Mishkin and other current and former Fox News employees about whether that nightmare situation could play out. Somewhat to my surprise, many said that while they expect Mishkin to have to compete with Hannity and others who will echo Trumps claims, Foxs bizarre and chaotic internal politics will probably protect him and the decision desk from any actual interference. The problem for a meddling president is this: If you want to speak to Fox News whom do you call? Outsiders often view Rupert Murdochs right-wing media empire as a well-oiled machine, but it is, in truth, a shambolic, shoot-from-the-hip organization. These days, it seems more like the creaky court of an aging monarch than a high-powered or efficient corporation. Its been unclear who is in charge at Fox since the networks founder, Roger Ailes, resigned in disgrace in 2016. Is it Murdoch, 89, who has been weathering the pandemic in his country manor in Oxfordshire and who is often asleep by prime time in the United States? Or his son Lachlan, the networks chief executive? A better bet may be Dinh, the little-known but influential insider who runs Fox News parent company for the younger Murdoch. Or perhaps the networks chief executive, Suzanne Scott, although Fox insiders say she has long since given up on trying to control her on-air talent? Mishkin, for his part, operates independently with an eight-man (they are all men) team of statisticians, political scientists, pollsters and journalists. When I asked him whom he reports to, he fell silent and then tried to remember who approves his expenses. The weird thing is the decision desk doesnt really report to anyone, a person familiar with the operation told me, on the condition of anonymity so as not to be seen as undermining Foxs attempts to present itself as a normal news organization. Mishkin said that executives in Foxs control room can kick the tires when he makes a call. (Mishkins team not only declares a winner of the presidential contest, it calls the results in individual states based on live vote tallies and data analysis.) Foxs senior executive vice president of corporate communications, Irena Briganti, who participated in my call with Mishkin, said the decision desk is part of the news division. Mishkin and Foxs chief pollster, Dana Blanton, are part of the wonky, reality-based community of election nerds who populate similar decision desks and polling operations across the media. Mishkin and Blanton have also led the charge to create an alternative to traditional exit polls, the large surveys of voters conducted before and on Election Day called VoteCast, in partnership with The Associated Press. The emergence of Twitter has made much of their work transparent to anyone who wants to follow their abstruse if enthusiastic Election Day debates about historical voting patters in key precincts in Waukesha County, Wisconsin. And it is clear that Foxs operation is well-regarded by its peers. Arnon and all the people working on their data are really scrupulous, and I think they do a very good job, says Ariel Edwards-Levy, the HuffPosts polling editor. Mishkin came to Fox in 1998 with an elite resume Andover, Yale University, Harvard Business School and a background in political polling. He got his start working for the New York political consultant David Garth, who helped elect mayors Edward I. Koch and Rudy Giuliani and advised a local developer named Donald Trump. Garth also worked for Mayor Tom Bradley of Los Angeles in his failed race for governor of California in 1982. That election gave birth to the idea of a Bradley effect, in which white voters lie to pollsters about their intention to support a Black candidate, concealing their racial prejudice and overstating the candidates standing. Not everyone believes that happened to Bradley, but Mishkin said he learned back then that voters disguise their feelings to pollsters. Sometimes they describe themselves as undecided rather than acknowledging that they are backing a socially undesirable candidate which, he said, helps explain why polls failed to predict Trumps victory in 2016. Mishkin kept his Fox role more or less secret for years because he didnt want it to interfere with his partnership at Boston Consulting Group, where he advised media companies like Forbes and The Associated Press on internet marketing and strategy. He quietly took over at Fox when his friend and predecessor, John Ellis, George W. Bushs first cousin, stepped aside after the messy 2000 election. Many of Mishkins friends and business partners told me they had no idea he was even at Fox until election night 2012, when an unexpected and memorable drama unfolded on air: Karl Rove, a Fox commentator, was emphatically objecting to the decision desks call that Barack Obama would win Ohio, and thus, be reelected. As Rove fulminated, an anchor, Megyn Kelly, walked off the set, cameras in tow, down a long corridor to Mishkins operation, and demanded to know if he was confident in his call. An unwavering if not-quite-camera-ready Mishkin, his hands in his pockets, calmly pronounced himself 99.95% certain that Obama had won. Fox stuck with his call and with reality. It was like Clark Kent and Superman I didnt know he was central to that until Megyn walked down the hall, said Jim Kennedy, senior vice president for strategy and enterprise development at The Associated Press, who has worked with Mishkin as a consultant for years. Thats when I realized thats Arnon. Mishkin was running the desk with equal confidence in the summer of 2016, when, a former colleague said, he and his team were dismissive of Trumps chances. Eric Bolling, then a Fox Business host who would visit their nerdquarium to argue Trumps case, complained that the nerds werent taking the possibility of a Trump victory seriously enough, the former colleague said. Mishkin said that, to the contrary, he took Trumps prospects so seriously that one of his daughters told him that he was beginning to sound like the innumerate Trump booster Bill Mitchell. This time around, Mishkin has been skeptical of Trumps chances on social media and in occasional Fox appearances, echoing Blantons polls. One of his friends told me that hes expressed frustration that Fox wont put those views on the air. When I asked him about that, he switched to consultant-speak. As media companies become more and more reliant on subscription revenue, they evolve to telling the readers what they want to hear, and I think thats true of frankly every journalistic organization in America, he said. Mishkin told me nobody at Fox ever asked him whom he voted for in 2016. Now the question is whether the network will let him do his job when it really matters, on election night. Last time around, 12 million viewers tuned in. Kelly, who is now the host of an independent podcast, said she was confident he would. That night, youre going to be able to trust whos out there because its run by the journalists at Fox News, Kelly said. If that doesnt give you total confidence, Mishkins friends say his unbending personal qualities ought to. This is a man who, after asking for a show of hands from his team, confidently faced down Rove. It wouldnt matter whos running Fox or what Donald Trump wants, said his business partner and a Yale connection, Samuel O.J. Spivy. What Arnon is interested in is who is the winner. A former Westboro Baptist Church member left Louis Theroux viewers 'in tears' last night after admitting being cut off from her family has become 'more painful' since she became a mother. Megan Phelps-Roper, now 34, from Kansas, left the notorious church in 2012, after 27 years of controversial preaching, which included picketing the funerals of American soldiers and publicly celebrating when strangers were diagnosed with cancer. Appearing in BBC2's Louis Theroux: Life on the Edge last night, Megan spoke of the 'pain' she feels being ostracised from her family and how, after becoming a mother herself, it has become even more difficult to think of her own mum, Shirley Phelps-Roper. Viewers were left in floods of tears over the emotional programme, with some saying: 'Meghan saved herself by leaving her family environment. You only get one mother and it is extremely sad that she cannot reconcile with hers. I get it.' Former member of the Westboro Baptist Church, Megan Phelps-Roper, now 34, appeared on BBC2's Louis Theroux: Life on the Edge last night and said becoming a mother had made her own estrangement from her family more painful Another wrote: 'Tonight's episode was heartbreaking on so many levels. Louis handles all these really difficult subjects so carefully.' One added: 'I always thought the presence of Louis Theroux and his questions had a huge impact on the younger members of Westboro, more than they could say. 'Maybe even contributed to their leaving.' One said: 'Thorough enjoyed #LifeOnTheEdge. I found myself getting rather emotional about each of the revisited stories, but not in an uncomfortable way. Emotion you can give way to without any shame.' The documentary maker first met Megan along with her siblings when he visited the church in 2007 to make his programme The Most Hated Family In America During the programme, Louis said that when Megan left the church in 2013, she got in touch with him. He explained they had stayed in contact over email and have since become friends. Speaking with the presenter over Zoom, Megan opened up about her struggles since leaving the church and her estrangement from her family, saying: 'It changes over time, the way the pain feels. 'It changes because Im changing. Im older, I am a mum I have these memories of my mum coming up all the time now. Many of those watching at home were left in tears over the emotional segment on the programme 'Sometimes itll make me happy and sometimes itll make me cry. She said: 'Shes my mum, it never goes away its not the past its now and that is incredibly painful no matter how long its been.' Westboro Baptist Church has made international news many times for its strong views against homosexuality. It was founded by the late Fred Phelps who, according to the church, had 13 children, 54 grandchildren. Louis said he has remained in touch with Megan since they first met in 2007, and revealed since she left the church they have become friends Megan, who left the controversial organisation in 2013, said she remains 'in pain' over her estrangement from her family and mother Made up mostly by the Kansas-based Phelps family, the religious group blames most tragedies - from the death of American soldiers to the recent massacre of 20 children and six adults at Sandy Hook Elementary School - on what they call a 'pro-gay' agenda in America. Theroux first encountered the group - known for its inflammatory homophobic hate speech - for his 2007 documentary The Most Hated Family In America, and again for a follow-up in 2011 in America's Most Hated Family In Crisis. The original documentary saw members holding placards with the words God Hates Fags, Fags Doom Nations and Thank God for Dead Soldiers', at the funerals of U.S. personnel killed in Iraq and Afghanistan, and publicly celebrating when a stranger contracts cancer. In 2013, Megan announced that she and her sister Grace, now 26, had left the controversial Westboro Baptist Church. Megan spoke of the 'pain' she feels being ostracised from her family and how after becoming a mother herself, how difficult it can be to think of her own mum, Shirley Phelps-Roper (pictured right) Writing on medium.com at the time, she said: 'Up until now, our names have been synonymous with God Hates Fags. 'We know that weve done and said things that hurt people. Inflicting pain on others wasnt the goal, but it was one of the outcomes. We wish it werent so, and regret that hurt. We know that we dearly love our family. They now consider us betrayers, and we are cut off from their lives, but we know they are well-intentioned. We will never not love them. Her Ted talk I Grew Up in the Westboro Church Heres Why I Left, in which she details the shift in her perspective that caused her to leave the church, has been viewed over nine million times online. Theroux first encountered the group - known for its inflammatory homophobic hate speech - for his 2007 documentary The Most Hated Family In America Megan was just five when she joined her family in daily pickets: 'I'd stand on a street corner in the heavy Kansas humidity, said Megan in the Ted Talk. 'I was surrounded by a few dozen relatives with my tiny fists clutching a sign I couldn't read yet, gays are worthy of death. This was the beginning.' Megan ran the churchs social media presence, posting on Twitter up to 150 times a day from her phone. After joining Twitter, Megan found users were genuinely curious about her beliefs, and she began meeting people she argued with on Twitter while picketing around the US. She said: 'The line between friend and foe was becoming blurred, we started to see each other as human beings'. Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday (September 28) appointed Alapan Bandyopadhyay as the new chief secretary of the state, replacing Rajiva Sinha who has been shifted to West Bengal Industrial Development Corporation. Making the announcement, Mamata Banerjee said, "I am pleased to announce that Alapan Bandyopadhyay, now Additional Chief Secretary (Home and Information) has been appointed as the new Chief Secretary of West Bengal.'' I'm pleased to announce that Alapan Bandyopadhyay, now Addnl Chief Secy (Home & Information) is appointed as the new Chief Secretary of WB. H K Dwivedi, hitherto Finance Secy, will be new Home Secy & Manoj Pant takes charge of Finance w.e.f. 1st Oct. Best wishes to entire team. Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) September 28, 2020 Taking to Twitter, she said, "I would also like to announce that outgoing Chief Secretary of West Bengal Shri Rajiva Sinha, has now been appointed the Chairman of West Bengal Industrial Development Corporation for a period of 3 years with effect from October 1." Live TV Apart from this, Banerjee also announced a couple of other changes at the bureaucratic level in the state. The changes include the appointment of HK Dwivedi as new Home Secretary and Manoj Pant was given charge of Finance. "HK Dwivedi, hitherto Finance Secretary, will be new Home Secretary and Manoj Pant takes charge of Finance with effect from October 1. Best wishes to the entire team," she said. FICTION Honeybee Craig Silvey Allen & Unwin, $32.99 Craig Silvey's 2009 blockbuster novel, Jasper Jones, sold more than half a million copies worldwide, spawning a play, a movie and a generation of schoolchildren who sharpened their moral compass on it. Now, after a decade's wait, comes his new novel, Honeybee. It opens on a desolate overpass in suburban Perth, where two strangers have come to end their lives. The story is told from the point of view of 14-year-old Sam Watson, who has been traumatised and brutalised by the world. Vic, an ageing widower, defers his own death in order to save Sam from jumping, sparking a tentative alliance and a story about the redeeming power of friendship. It is a particularly sensitive moment for a cis author such as Craig Silvey to publish a work romanticising the plight of a trans person. Credit:Daniel James Grant We follow the growing intimacy between Sam and Vic, and unravel the past that drove them to attempt suicide. We learn that Vic remains scarred from his part in the Vietnam War, and is still in mourning for his wife. He has had little to live for, until he meets Sam. eyfoto /iStockBY: ERIN SCHUMAKER, ABC NEWS (MIAMI) Florida residents will no longer be fined for not wearing face masks and COVID-19 restrictions on all businesses in the state, including restaurants and bars, have been lifted in an effort to help the state's economy, according to Gov. Ron DeSantis. "Every business has the right to operate," DeSantis said at news conference Friday. "Some of the locals can do reasonable regulations. But you can't just say no. Local governments can put their own restrictions in place as long as they don't limit restaurant seating to less than 50% occupancy. Local officials will be required to justify restrictions that limit a restaurant's occupancy to less than 100% capacity. Florida logged nearly 2,000 new COVID-19 cases on Sunday and the state's total number of cases tops 700,000. In addition to infections, at least 14,037 residents have died of the virus, according to the state health department. A report released by the state health department Monday found that the state's positivity rate ranged from 5.33% to 7.54% over the past two weeks, which is higher than the threshold recommended by health experts. A high positivity rate can be a sign that a state is only testing its sickest patients and failing to cast a net wide enough to accurately capture community transmission, according to Johns Hopkins University. The World Health Organization recommends that governments get their positivity testing threshold below 5%. Despite the state's fluctuating positivity rate, DeSantis has said Florida plans to move forward with hosting "a full Super Bowl" in Tampa in February. Copyright 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved. Court allows COVID-19 positive student to take exam in isolation India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, Sep 28: A candidate believed to be a COVID-19 positive patient was allowed by the Supreme Court to take the law entrance exam in an isolation room at the exam centre. The student from Madhya Pradesh did not want to miss the exam and had gone to to the Supreme Court seeking recourse. The SC was told by the organisers that every exam centre has isolation rooms for coronavirus positive students. Based on this assurance, the Supreme Court said that the candidate could sit in a separate room after showing the court order. Coronavirus: Centre issues SOPs for conducting exams during pandemic A Bench comprising Justices Ashok Bhushan, R Subhash Reddy and Shah clarified that order was limited to this case and had no bearing on any other student. Amrinder Singh joins farmers' protest, says 'Pakistan's ISI may take advantage' | Oneindia News The petition said the sudden change in the stand of the Consortium of the National Law Universities has deprived the applicant of his fundamental right under Article 14 of the Constitution to be treated as an equal and be given the opportunity to appear in the examination... when otherwise he was well entitled to like any other student. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, September 28, 2020, 13:37 [IST] The Chairperson of the Electoral Commission (EC), Mrs Jean Mensa has assured that she will not rig the December polls for any political party. According to her, her Christian values prevents her from rigging the election in favour of a particular party. As a Christian, I am a firm believer in the principles that Christ stands for, Justice, Peace and Truth, I am committed to ensuring that these principles are reflected in everything that both I and the Commission do, I am committed to being fair to conducting my activities without fear or favour, she said. Mrs Mensa gave the assurance at the launch of the 2020 Agent of Peace Campaign by the Church of Pentecost in Accra on Sunday. She said she will do her utmost best to maintain the credibility of Ghanas Election Management Body has achieved over the years. I commit to work and undertake my duties to ensure that it is the will of the people which is the will of God that stands, as an agent of peace I commit to truth and not to alter the will of God. The onus is on me to abide by this principle and God being my guide and helper I am confident that I will not let him and the people of Ghana down in Jesus name, Mrs Mensa said. The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has accused the EC of scheming with the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) to rig the December polls and called for more scrutiny from observes and the international community. The most recent contention in the electoral process has been the alleged deletion of names from the voter register in NDC strongholds. This led to the flagbearer of the party, Former President John Mahama cutting short his campaign tour of the Bono region last Tuesday. Reacting to the allegations, Mrs Mensa said the election results cannot be manipulate under her watch. She added that political parties and other relevant bodies are constantly engaged in all processes leading to the conduct of elections, hence leaving no room for manipulation. Source: Graphic.com.gh Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video TODAY, Tanzania joins the world to mark World Tourism Day (WTD), which is celebrated each year on September 27 since 1980. This date was chosen in 1970, when the Statutes of the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) were adopted. This year's theme is "Tourism and Rural Development", which fits well our very purpose as a country and nation. It's a day of profound significance due to the number of national parks, game reserves and protected areas and the fauna and flora - tourist attractions - and the World Heritage Sites (WHS) we should take more pride in. WHS are places of importance to cultural or natural heritage as stipulated in the Unesco World Heritage Convention, established in 1972. Tanzania ratified it (became a party to the Convention) on August 2, 1977, thus making its historical sites eligible for inclusion on the list. To date, according to Unesco, Tanzania has seven Unesco World Heritage Sites. They are Kondoa Rock-Art Sites, Ruins of Kilwa Kisiwani and Ruins of Songo Mnara and Stone Town of Zanzibar. Others are Kilimanjaro National Park, Selous Game Reserve, Serengeti National Park and Ngorongoro Conservation Area. There are also five sites on the tentative list - that is an inventory of those properties Tanzania (as a States Party) intends to consider for nomination. These are Oldonyo Murwak, Gombe National Park, Jozani- Chwaka Bay Conservation Area, Eastern Arc Mountains Forests of Tanzania and the Central Slave and Ivory Trade Route. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Tanzania Travel By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. So, we have reasons to be proud of WTD as stakeholders who are marketing tourist attractions in various ways, including using Tanzanian embassies in various parts of the world. Given the number of tourist attractions we have and others which are yet to be unveiled, we are in a better position to command not only regional, but also world recognition. The purpose of WTD is to raise public awareness on the role of tourism within the international community and to demonstrate how it affects social, cultural, political and economic values worldwide. At local level, it means to market our sector of tourism and the tourist attractions we have to the world so that we continue attracting visitors to come to our country and see what we have and at the same time earn foreign currency and boost the economy. It will also attract investors in various sectors of the economy. Although the coronavirus pandemic has claimed thousands of lives and devastated both developed and developing economies across the world, since June this year President John Magufuli assured visitors that Tanzania was safe from the coronavirus pandemic and that socioeconomic activities must resume and since then the country has been receiving tourists from various countries across the world and local, regional and international flights have resumed. So, as we mark WTD, let us keep in mind that we have the duty to promote tourism and rural development. In this way, we will share with the world the natural heritage we have and cherish. Union Law Minister on Monday said of the country will now become self-sufficient with the new agriculture laws. "With the new agricultural laws, every farmer will now become self-sufficient. The number of crops purchased by the government from has increased. For example, the government did not buy the moong crop in 2013-14. At the same time, in 2019-20, 1.66 lakh MT of moong was purchased by the Modi government," the minister tweeted. President Ram Nath Kovind on Sunday gave his assent to three farm bills passed by the Parliament in the recently-concluded monsoon session. With this, all three bills have now become Acts -- The Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Service Act, 2020 and The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020. The three Bills were passed by Parliament amid vehement protest by the Opposition parties. The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) had on Saturday quit the Democratic Alliance over the farm Bills issue. Prime Minister Narendra Modi tried to allay the fears of the farmers, saying that the country's agriculture sector has recently unshackled itself, in a reference to the agriculture reform Bills passed recently by the Parliament. Stating that the farmers and the farm sector need to be strong to lay a strong foundation of "Aatmanirbhar Bharat", the Prime Minister said, "One who is grounded stays firm even during the biggest storms. During these tough times of corona, our farm sector, our farmers are a living example of this. Even during this crisis, our agricultural sector has again shown its prowess. Our farmers, farm sector, villages, are the foundation of 'Atmanirbhar Bharat'. If they are strong, the foundation of 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' will be strong." Farmers have been expressing apprehensions that the Centre's farm reforms would pave a way for the dismantling of the minimum support price system, leaving them at the "mercy" of big companies. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Rapid tests: They do more and cost less, its that simple, Sept. 21 Finally, I see a very logic appraisal of the need for a test that tells people whether or not they are infectious to others. I have been telling that to friends and acquaintances for months, but it became much more urgent when governments decided to open up schools and other public places. The PCR test will continue to be needed to monitor the spread of the coronavirus as it is unrivalled in accuracy. Yet, it does not necessarily tell us if a positive test means the person is contagious as it could detect just fragments of a dead virus no longer, or not yet, capable of spreading to others. This, combined with its high cost and delayed results, make it prohibitive in many cases. In contrast, the antibody test is quick and cheap. It tells us that there is enough of a virus to be capable of spreading to others. It does not require health care people to administer and can be easily done at home. We should make every effort to press the federal government to speed up its approval and make it available at all pharmacies so that children can be tested at home before attending school and everyone that has doubts about spreading the virus to others can be eased of their worries. They still need to wear masks for further protection, but society would greatly benefit from a readily available cheap antibody test. After all, the greatest thread of this particular virus is its odd ability of being spread by asymptomatic people. We should have put a stop to that before opening up schools and other venues, but it is never too late to start. Margarida Krause, Guelph I was having mild COVID-19 symptoms and was advised to get tested by Telehealth Ontario. I went to the Sunnybrook testing site and was told that the wait time is three hours and I may not make it to the front before they close at 7 p.m. The next day, I drove to the Etobicoke drive-through testing site just after it opened. I was told the wait would be four to five hours. I happen to know from my daughter that lives in Calgary that you can get tested there in a matter of minutes at any pharmacy, and get the results in 24 hours. Ontario really seems to have dropped the ball and I am very concerned about where it is heading. People less persistent then myself are just leaving the testing sites and potentially spreading the virus. Lydia Weiss, Toronto Toronto COVID-19 test centres see big lineups, and some people turned away, as many residents return to work and school, Sept. 12 Im not sure why getting a COVID-19 test and receiving the results takes such a long time. The government has had six months to work this out. My son and daughter in-law have been working from home with much difficulty with a two year old; they were relieved when daycare opened back up. The problem now is when a child gets a cold, they are removed from the daycare and require a negative COVID-19 test to get back in. Daycares are a petri dish for germs. Needing a test appears to be a practice that will be ongoing. As well, family members who catch the cold from the toddler wont be able to go back to work without a test or two weeks absence from work. This is going to be hard on the economy, never mind the stress of it all. There were long wait times at the beginning of this pandemic which is understandable, but six months in it seems inexcusable. Vivien C. Buckley, Burlington Rapid, cheap, simple, on-site testing could reduce COVID-19 spread, saving lives, businesses and money. Daily testing at schools would keep them from becoming incubators of infection. It would also keep hospitals and long-term care residences running smoothly and safely without the current harsh restrictions that delay operations and cause serious hardship to seniors. These tests already exist. They are being used elsewhere. Why not here? Why not now? Howard Goodman, Toronto Once again during this pandemic, the public is being unnecessarily confused because two bodies of expert knowledge specialists in medicine and specialists in testing have arrived at contradictory conclusions about the usefulness of the paper antigen test. However, lest people falsely conclude that this is proof science doesnt work, in fact it verifies the efficacy of applying specialized scientific knowledge to solve real world problems. It is time for the medical specialists, who initially were resistant to simple solutions such as masking to stop spreading COVID-19, to acknowledge that perhaps their resistance to rapid testing to identify the infected is misconceived and thus counterproductive. Society cant afford their mixed-up procedural prejudices any more. Delaying the utilization of paper testing is a deadly mistake. Clearly, the specialized science of detection is a very different problem to solve than the medical knowledge of treating the disease. Testing to detect is a matter of overcoming probability most efficiently. Right now, growing our knowledge of whom is infected among us is a priority. Thats why we must listen to the statistical mangers of the uncertainty in testing. Their true detective expert advice recommends that we spit and test immediately. This paper antigen testing is necessary and sufficient for the moment. Consequently, lets act science-wise and prioritize the order of operations to deal with this pandemic. First, we must follow the instructions of those specialists in testing, such as professional statistical manager Joshua Gans, who justifies the reliability of using the antigen paper test, with good reasons. Also, they are cheap to mass produce and distribute to the public which scale up considerably our identification to mitigate this pandemic. Then we can pay attention to the medical specialists to treat the infected. More specialized scientific knowledge applied in the right sequence is always best. Tony DAndrea, Toronto Mayor John Tory promises to bring the hammer down as COVID-19 infections rise in Toronto, Sept. 21 It is time to get tougher, to bring the hammer down, says Mayor John Tory regarding the enforcement of COVID-19 bylaws. However, just a few lines later in this same article, we learn that no new bylaw officers, police officers or public health officers will be assigned to carry out or wield the mayors proverbial hammer. Meanwhile, I watched a maskless woman climb aboard a streetcar, then fire her middle finger at the overly kind public address announcement that asked her to please wear a mask while riding the TTC. Without enforcement, please and hammer have little effect on a virus that keeps killing, and killing and killing. The province has announced that its providing free Wi-Fi for GO Transit passengers on all buses and about half the trains starting Monday. Passengers aboard all of the fleets 420 buses and roughly half of their 979 trains will have access to free Wi-Fi, the province said in a release Monday. Riders will have access to 10 MB of data over a four-hour period every trip. If they sign on with registered Presto accounts, this limit is bumped up to 50 MB, the province. The plan had been in the works since September 2019. During the initial announcement, associate Transportation Minister Kinga Surma said the five-year wireless internet contract would cost $65 million, in partnership with Icomera Canada Inc. More than 80 per cent of GO customers named Wi-Fi as their most desired amenity, Minister of Transportation Caroline Mulroney said in the release. This initiative will make an important difference as it will help people work more efficiently, finish school projects or get important news and updates from family and friends. Wi-Fi installation on the rest of the trains is expected to be finished by early 2021. In July, the TTC announced that it was also looking into providing free Wi-Fi on their buses and streetcars. The study would include surface-level transportation on routes servicing post secondary institutions and neighbourhood improvement areas, where there is less economic opportunity. Wi-Fi has been available in all TTC subway stations since 2018. Kevin Jiang is a breaking news reporter, working out of the Star's radio room in Toronto. Reach him via email: kjiang@thestar.ca Cindy McCain the widow of Republican Sen. John McCain will advise Democrat Joe Biden s presidential transition team as it prepares for him to take office if he wins in November, the team announced Monday. McCain is the second Republican on the 16-member transition advisory board, joining Bob McDonald, the former Procter & Gamble Co. chief executive who headed the Department of Veterans Affairs under President Barack Obama. Biden has reached out extensively to Republicans disaffected with President Donald Trump. McCain, whose husband was the 2008 GOP presidential nominee, last week endorsed Biden and urged other conservative women to follow suit, saying, Biden is by far the best candidate in the race. As required by law, Biden's transition team is preparing for a smooth transfer of power should Biden win the presidency. The teams typically line up candidates for key appointments and prepare policies to implement early in the new president's administration. Biden's team says it is focused especially on the pandemic and its economic fallout. Ted Kaufman, one of five co-chairs of Biden's transition team, cited McCain's experience in business and philanthropy and her advocacy for women and children. This transition is like no other, preparing amid the backdrop of a global health crisis and struggling economy," Kaufman, a longtime Biden aide who was appointed to fill his Senate seat when he was elected vice president, said in a statement. Biden's transition team this month signed a lease for office space with Trump's General Services Administration. Formal federal support for presidential transition teams was first put into practice in 2012 in an effort to ensure presidential candidates are prepared to assume the White House should they win the election. "Zombie fires" and burning of fire-resistant vegetation are new features driving Arctic fires--with strong consequences for the global climate--warn international fire scientists in a commentary published in Nature Geoscience. The 2020 Arctic wildfire season began two months early and was unprecedented in scope. "It's not just the amount of burned area that is alarming," said Dr. Merritt Turetsky, a coauthor of the study who is a fire and permafrost ecologist at the University of Colorado Boulder. "There are other trends we noticed in the satellite data that tell us how the Arctic fire regime is changing and what this spells for our climate future." The scientists contend that input and expertise of Indigenous and other local and communities is essential to understanding and managing this global issue. The commentary identifies two new features of recent Arctic fires. The first is the prevalence of holdover fires, also called zombie fires. Fire from a previous growing season can smolder in carbon-rich peat underground over the winter, then re-ignite on the surface as soon as the weather warms in spring. "We know little about the consequences of holdover fires in the Arctic," noted Turetsky, "except that they represent momentum in the climate system and can mean that severe fires in one year set the stage for more burning the next summer." The second feature is the new occurrence of fire in fire-resistant landscapes. As tundra in the far north becomes hotter and drier under the influence of a warmer climate, vegetation types not typically thought of as fuels are starting to catch fire: dwarf shrubs, sedges, grass, moss, even surface peats. Wet landscapes like bogs, fens, and marshes are also becoming vulnerable to burning. The team has been tracking fire activity in the Russian Arctic in real time using a variety of satellite and remote sensing tools. While wildfires on permafrost in Siberia south of the Arctic are not uncommon, the team found that 2019 and 2020 stood out as extreme in the satellite record for burning that occurred well above the Arctic Circle, a region not normally known to support large wildfires. As a result, said lead author Dr. Jessica McCarty, a geographer and fire scientist at Miami University, "Arctic fires are burning earlier and farther north, in landscapes previously thought to be fire resistant." The consequences of this new fire regime could be significant for the Arctic landscape and peoples and for the global climate. More than half of the fires detected in Siberia this year were north of the Arctic Circle on permafrost with a high percentage of ground ice. This type of permafrost locks in enormous amounts of carbon from ancient biomass. Climate models don't account for the rapid thaw of these environments and resulting release of greenhouse gases, including methane. On a more local level, abrupt thawing of ice-rich permafrost in wildfires causes subsidence, floods, pits and craters, and can submerge large areas under lakes and wetlands. As well as disrupting the lives and livelihoods of Arctic residents, these features are associated with more greenhouse gases moving from where they are trapped in soils into the atmosphere. These extensive changes have severe consequences for global climate. "Nearly all of this year's fires inside the Arctic Circle have occurred on continuous permafrost, with over half of these burning on ancient carbon-rich peat soils," said Dr. Thomas Smith, a fire scientist at the London School of Economics and Political Science and a coauthor of the study. "The record high temperatures and associated fires have the potential to turn this important carbon sink into a carbon source, driving further global heating." The severity of the 2020 Arctic fires emphasizes an urgent need to better understand a switch in Arctic fire regimes. New tools and approaches are required to measure how fires start and measure fire extent. Modeling tools and remote sensing data can help, but only if paired with local, specialized knowledge about where legacy carbon stored in peats or permafrost is vulnerable to burning and how environments change after wildfires. The commentary cautions that this issue is so important to the climate system that it must be taken up as an issue of global importance. It outlines a path forward for not only understanding the role of changing fire in the Arctic but to ensure that research stays focused on local community and policy needs. "We need global cooperation, investment, and action in monitoring fires, including learning from Indigenous and local communities how fire is traditionally used," said McCarty. "We need new permafrost- and peat-sensitive approaches to wildland fire fighting to save the Arctic--there's no time to lose." ### NTT Communications Corporation (NTT Com), the ICT solutions and international communications business within the NTT Group (TOKYO:9432), announced today that beginning October 1 it will collaborate with the International Data Spaces Association (IDSA)1 in a demonstration test as the first phase of contributing to the development of a secure, global data-management platform2 that assures interoperability between data platforms built and managed in countries worldwide. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200927005006/en/ The test environment image (Graphic: Business Wire) The test environment for sharing highly confidential data securely will include IDS Connectors3, the core technology of GAIA-X4, a federated data infrastructure for Europe, and NTT Coms Things Cloud IoT platform and Smart Data Platform (SDPF)5, the later incorporating Data Trust6 policies. The demonstration, in addition to assessing the practicality and operability of a new structure for appropriately controlling the access rights of each data based on related laws and contracts, will shed new light on the requirements, etc. of platforms designed for international data management. The results are expected to lead to the establishment of global data management platforms that smoothly link local data platforms in countries across the globe. In the demonstration, a test environment will be built to test various cases of international data sharing, such as remote monitoring of machines overseas, etc., to verify the practicality and operability of data sharing. Initially, in collaboration with the NTT Software Innovation Center,7 IDS Connector and SDPF will be deployed in a test environment in Japan to test system interoperability and the management of specific data-usage rights. The test environment in Japan will then be connected to IDSAs test environment in Germany and a separate test environment at the Swiss nonprofit Switzerland Innovation Park Biel/Bienne8 to test the systems practicality and operability in controlling data access rights internationally via NTT Coms networks. Thereafter, NTT Com will proceed with further verification and testing by applying the current tests findings in a test operation environment (test bed), aiming to verify the interoperability of various hardware and software using the IDS Connector. The new global data management platform will be jointly developed by Japanese and overseas companies and organizations. At the same time, NTT Com will determine concrete requirements for the platform together with various organizations and companies active in Japan and overseas, including the Robot Revolution & Industrial IoT Initiative.9 Going forward, NTT Com hopes to support the formulation of basic specifications through public-private-academic collaboration. Ultimately, NTT Com aims to contribute to the realization of a smart world by developing and providing a platform for broad sharing and usage of data in wide-ranging fields worldwide. Technologies for IoT, artificial intelligence and data utilization are increasingly being applied in diverse fields, including manufacturing, logistics, transportation, medical care, energy, cities and government. To facilitate advanced, multipurposed data use, systems are needed to ensure the safe, reliable exchange of data among industries, businesses and countries. Simultaneously, the rights of data providers and users must be protected and observed by managing when, where, who, why and under what conditions specific data can be used. Currently, legal systems and technologies are being developed worldwide to create such data infrastructure. Eventually, data exchange in international business may require compliance with data-infrastructure specifications according to the laws and regulations of relevant countries. 1 The International Data Spaces Association (IDSA), originating in Europe, has defined a reference architecture and a formal standard to be used for creating and operating virtual data spaces. The International Data Spaces (IDS) Architecture is based on commonly accepted data governance models facilitating secure exchange and easy linkage of data within business ecosystems. IDSA counts over 120 member organizations from 21 countries. 2 Global data-management platform is a function for mutually linking data platforms across borders so that each country can internationally distribute data safely, fairly and appropriately while protecting national assets and human rights. 3 IDS Connector provided by IDSA is the core element of a data ecosystem designed to facilitate the secure exchange of data between trusted parties. Deployed in the GAIA-X infrastructure as well as in clouds, on edge computers or on devices, etc. that send and receive data, it provides settings for managing access to specific data based on laws and contracts. 4 GAIA-X is an initiative announced by the German and French governments in October 2019 to build decentralized data infrastructure for data sharing and utilization protected by European data laws. 5 Smart Data Platform (SDPF) is NTT Coms next-generation platform that offers comprehensive, one-stop functions for corporate digital transformation (DX). 6 DATA Trust is a registered trademark of Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation (NTT). 7 The NTT Software Innovation Center is an NTT laboratory engaged in researching and developing IT infrastructure technologies, such as DX acceleration, software infrastructure, AI infrastructure and next-generation computers, that are becoming important infrastructure. 8 Switzerland Innovation Park Biel/Bienne is a Swiss private nonprofit organization that carries out and supports primarily industry-oriented applied research and development. 9 The Robot Revolution & Industrial IoT Initiative is a private organization established in 2015 at the initiative of the Japanese government to facilitate the use of industrial IoT, robots, etc. NTT Com has been active as the secretariat of the Global Data Management Platform Sub-Working group since October 2019. About NTT Communications NTT Communications solves the world's technology challenges by helping enterprises overcome complexity and risk in their ICT environments with managed IT infrastructure solutions. These solutions are backed by our worldwide infrastructure, including industry leading, global tier-1 public and private networks reaching over 190 countries/regions, and more than 500,000m2 of the world's most advanced data center facilities. Our global professional services teams provide consultation and architecture for the resiliency and security required for your business success, and our scale and global capabilities in technology world are unsurpassed. Combined with NTT Ltd., NTT Data, and NTT DOCOMO, we are NTT Group. Chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday appealed to residents welfare associations (RWA) in the national capital to endorse the 10 Hafte 10 Baje 10 Minute (10 weeks, 10 o clock, 10 minutes) campaign against dengue and other vector-borne diseases. I appeal to all RWAs to talk to people in their neighbourhoods and motivate them to join the campaign. We have to join hands in the fight against dengue. We have to stop the breeding of mosquitoes and protect our families, and all Delhi residents, from dengue, the chief minister said in a statement. The campaign urges the public to inspect their homes for any possible sources of stagnant water, which may lead to the breeding of Aedes mosquitoes, which spread diseases. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government launched the programme last year in a bid to rein in the number of dengue cases and deaths. Several senior AAP leaders, MPs, MLAs, councillors, as well as party volunteers joined the campaign, sharing their pictures on social media. Saurabh Gandhi, secretary of United Residents of Delhi (URD), an umbrella body of RWAs in the city, said, WhatsApp groups maintained by RWA groups have played a significant role in anti-dengue, anti-malaria campaigns. We shall continue with our efforts on this front. Please allow ads as they help fund our trusted local news content. Kindly add us to your ad blocker whitelist. If you want further access to Ireland's best local journalism, consider contributing and/or subscribing to our free daily Newsletter . Support our mission and join our community now. A jailed crime boss serving 20 years for a machine gun trafficking plot has been awarded compensation after his designer shoes got lost in the post. Miekeil Dixon-Nash's 1,500 blue Christian Louboutin were lost when they were posted to him while he was serving time at HMP Swaleside in Kent. A pair of golden Nike Air Max 97 trainers were also lost after they were posted to the prison. The gangster, 30, claimed more than 4,500 in loses - which included the price of the 1,500 trainers, as well as for the time he was 'deprived' of wearing the shoes, The Sun reports. Hearing the case, judge Caroline Wilkinson, at Central London County Court, accepted he owned the trainers and they were sent in. But she awarded Dixon-Nash 144 for the Louboutins and 95 for the Nikes - because he could not prove they were new. According to the Sun, which reports that the case may have cost taxpayers thousands of pounds, the judge said: 'I accept that he did own a pair of Christian Louboutin trainers and that he owned these trainers at the time they were sent into the prison. Unfortunately [they were] not returned to him. Miekeil Dixon-Nash's 1,500 blue Christian Louboutin were lost when they were posted to him while he was serving time at HMP Swaleside in Kent 'He is therefore liable to be compensated for the loss of value to him of those trainers.' Dixon-Nash was jailed along with his mother Claudette Dixon, 47, for a total of 34 years in 2018. The pair and a 17-year-old boy were arrested following a shoot out in north London a year earlier. Detectives investigating the shoot-out found a Colt 45, which was used in the incident and was linked to Dixon-Nash and the boy. The boy's DNA was then found on a Mac 10 submachine gun in Dixons house, in Waltham Cross, Herts. CCTV captured Dixon-Nash present at the fight and the 17-year-old picking up evidence afterwards. Phone evidence revealed Dixon-Nash and the 17-year-old arranging a pistol linked to the shootings to be handed over to an associate which was captured on CCTV. All three denied conspiracy to supply firearms but were convicted at Wood Green Crown Court. Dixon-Nash was jailed for 20 years, Dixon for 14 years, and the 17-year-old was sentenced to eight years in a young offenders institute. A self-proclaimed white nationalist who rose to prominence during a deadly 2017 rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, was found guilty Monday by a federal jury of threatening to rape the wife of a man who was part of a racist group he felt was harassing and bullying him. Christopher Cantwell, a 39-year-old New Hampshire resident and radio host, was found guilty of extortion and threatening to injure property or reputation but not guilty of cyberstalking related to a series of threats he made toward a Missouri man over the Telegram messaging app. The jury deliberated for a few hours following the four-day trial. Cantwell faces up to 22 years in prison and will be sentenced Jan. 4. He will remain in Strafford County jail. Were pleased that justice has been done and were glad to have been vindicated, Assistant U.S. Attorney John Davis said after the verdict. Davis said he hoped there would be a deterrent value in the conviction that might resonate among everyone on the internet and the white nationalist world and other worlds where really abhorrent things are said. You do have a right to free speech and there is a First Amendment, he said. But when you violate the regulate norms that apply you cant threaten someone as part of an extortion attempt it isnt going to matter even if it is in the white nationalist internet world. Cantwell, dressed in a shirt and tie and wearing a mask, did not appear to show any visible reaction to the verdict. His defence team declined to comment. Authorities say Cantwell used the Telegram messaging app to convey a threat last year that he would rape the mans wife if he didnt give up information about the leader of a white supremacist group of which the man was a member, authorities said. The Associated Press is not naming the man to protect the identify of his wife. He was arrested in January on federal charges and had pleaded not guilty. Cantwell is also accused of threatening to expose the mans identity and warning you will lose everything you have if he didnt provide the personal details about the leader of the Bowl Patrol. The groups name was inspired by the haircut of Dylann Roof, who was sentenced to death for fatally shooting nine Black church members during a Bible study session in Charleston, South Carolina. Cantwell followed through on another threat to report the Missouri man, who has several children, to the states child division for drug use and racist views. But an agency official testified at the trial that it did not feel the complaint justified further investigation. Cantwells attorney, Eric Wolpin, on Friday acknowledged in his closing remarks that his clients language was obscene and over the top. But he said it never rose to the level of an actual threat, nor was it tied to anything of value. He portrayed Cantwell as angry over harassment and bullying from the Bowl Patrol. Members disrupted his radio show for months with pranks and defaced his website with pornography and violent content, Wolpin said. Cantwell previously pleaded guilty to assault in 2018 after he was accused of using pepper spray during a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville in 2017. He didnt serve additional jail time but was barred from Virginia for five years. This was the second federal jury trial to be held in the District of New Hampshire, since proceedings were delayed by the coronavirus pandemic. All participants wore masks and practiced social distancing and microphones were disinfected between witnesses. Cantwell, who has hosted self-produced radio shows, also has history of posting threatening messages over social media. Last year, attorneys who filed a federal civil rights lawsuit in connection with the Charlottesville rally asked a judge to order Cantwell to stop making unlawful threats against the plaintiffs and their lead attorney. Cantwell is one two dozen groups and individual defendants in that case that is expected to go to trial in April. Today marks an important step toward accountability for Cantwells long history of violence and bigotry, said Amy Spitalnick, the executive director of the civil rights group Integrity First for America which is funding the lawsuit. The co-chair of the Save Romania Union - Party of Liberty, Unity and Solidarity Alliance (USR-PLUS Alliance), Vlad Voiculescu, who is to become the deputy mayor of Bucharest after the validation of his mandate as general councilor, told the future district mayors from other parties who will be validated in their positions that the "debauchery is over, the stealing from public money is over," and those responsible for corruption in the General City Hall and the district halls will have to answer. "To those mayors from other parties who, in all probability, thus, may keep their seats, Mr. Negoita (district 3), Mr. Baluta (district 4), possibly Mr. Piedone (district 5), I tell that the party's over, the debauchery is over. Even if they will manage to form majorities, which I do not desire and I do not desire for Bucharesters, in the Local Council, they will have just one General City Hall and, in general, they will not have the partners that they had in the sad times of the PSD [Social Democratic Party]. The debauchery is over, stealing from public money is over. If they know they are corrupt, they'd better leave by themselves. There will be no case in which a corruption case, found in one of the hospitals, in one of the schools, in one of the kindergartens, in any other institution of the Bucharest City Hall and my assumption is that also in the district halls and the promise is that, at the very least, in districts 1, 2 and 6, any corruption case will go straight to the Prosecutor's Office," said Vlad Voiculescu, on Monday, in a press conference. "Gabriela Firea for spending the money of Bucharesters for a masked electoral campaign at several TV stations and several radios, from the City Hall's money, until the last day of campaigning, even after the Electoral Bureau said clearly it's illegal, will have to answer for it, from a patrimonial point of view too. Because the money of Bucharesters were thrown out the window (...) and they must be returned," said Voiculescu. In context, he told the partners in the Bucharest branch of the National Liberal Party that they have in the USR-PLUS representatives "a loyal partner", as long as the local governance principles discussed with them will be kept. "To those in the hospitals, the physicians who, maybe, were lied to that state hospitals are to privatized or closed or their performance will be hindered in any way, I tell them to not listen to these things. I tell them it's not the case, they have nothing to fear, on the contrary, we will encourage performance at every level, regardless of the political preferences of a medical doctor, of a nurse, of a hospital manager, whether disclosed or not. I am interested in performance and the way in which we can serve the citizen and that's all," Voiculescu also said. Indias defence acquisition council (DAC) on Monday cleared the decks for the purchase of military hardware worth 2,290 crore, including assault rifles for frontline troops from the United States and the smart anti-airfield weapon, a defence ministry spokesperson said. The Indian Army is laying the groundwork to buy an additional 72,000 Sig Sauer assault rifles from the US, officials said. These rifles will cost 780 crore, the spokesperson said. This proposed purchase follows an order for 72,400 assault rifles placed with the US last year. India signed the previous order worth 700 crore in early 2019 and the deliveries of all the rifles have been completed. The DAC, headed by defence minister Rajnath Singh, also cleared the purchase of the smart anti-airfield weapon at a cost of 970 crore to add to the firepower of the navy and the air force, the ministry said in a statement. The DAC approved procurement of static HF transceiver setsThe HF radio sets will enable seamless communication for the field units of army and air force and are being procured at an approximate cost of 540 crore, it added. The Sig Sauer rifles are being bought to meet the armys requirement of a total of eight lakh assault rifles. The new assault rifles will gradually replace the flaw-ridden 5.56mm INSAS (Indian Small Arms System) rifles inducted around 22 years ago. The remaining requirements of the army will be met through a Make in India project for the local production of AK-203 assault rifles at Amethis Korwa, and this procurement is in its final stage. Press Release September 28, 2020 Transcript Highlights of interpellations on CREATE Bill (Day 2) September 28, 2020 Sponsor: Senator Pia S. Cayetano (Chair, Senate Ways and Means Committee) PART 1: SEN. BONG GO'S INTERPELLATION Sen. Bong Go: Mr. President, will the good sponsor yield for a few questions? Sen. Pia: It is considered a priority measure of the President. And for that reason, the urgency is upon us because we would like the immediate reduction of the corporate income tax from 30 to 25 percent, which is now embodied in CREATE. It was not like this in the first version, which is CITIRA. We would like that immediately available to all the businesses. So that is the reason we need to pass it so that by next year, it can already be availed of. As his honor knows, we have recalibrated the benefits under CITIRA to immediately address part of the impacts of COVID, and that is the reduction of income tax, because that is something that is welcomed by every and all businessmen. To also include, if we had stuck with the CITIRA version, the provision extended to businesses that are registered and currently receiving incentives, that sunset provision would have been much shorter. So, we again recognize the impact of the pandemic, and we give a more generous, longer sunset provision for those who are currently availing of incentives. And when their incentives are over, and that is 4-9 years from now, there is some misunderstanding that it is totally over for them. No, they are allowed to reapply. That is also something I want to emphasize. So the sooner we pass it, the sooner they can continue with their current incentives, and the sooner the transition to new incentives provided by CREATE. I just also like to emphasize that there are.. The vast majority of the companies will benefit from CREATE because it lowers the CIT. For those, it's a very small number compared to registered companies not receiving incentives. Those who receive incentives, they will continue to be profitable [inaudible] that is made by our administration. Thank you. Mr. President, the Corporate Income Tax and Incentives Reform Act, CITIRA, or the CREATE bill was certified as urgent by President Duterte on March 9, 2020. It was mentioned as a State of the Nation priority this year and in previous years. What are the benefits of prioritizing the pass of CREATE as early as September? How does it benefit the existing businesses? Sen. Go: Thank you, good sponsor. One of my advocacy programs is the Balik Probinsya, Bagong Pag-asa Program. That's job opportunities in the countryside, and address overpopulation, traffic congestion, and pollution in Metro Manila. Can the good sponsor share how it can complement this program? Sen. Pia: Mr. President, we are happy to do that. I also am an advocate of Balik Probinsya. As the chair of your Committee on Sustainable Development Goals, Innovation, and Futures Thinking, SDG 11 is creating sustainable cities and communities. And we can only do that if we try to decongest our metropolitan areas. So CREATE was especially drafted, and I would like to emphasize that I really push for provisions that would generally identify areas and give incentives to the probinsyas, the areas outside metropolitan areas. So the thing with CREATE is it's also targeting [inaudible] areas. This will be very specific in our strategic investment priority plan or SIPP. There are 4 proposed classifications of geographic location. Of course, there's NCR and the metropolitan areas. The provinces or cities contiguous to the first, which is NCR and metropolitan areas. And then provinces and cities not contiguous to... And then I insisted on another category, which is less developed areas to really identify these areas that would really benefit from incentives there. So, Mr. President, to summarize, regardless of what kind of industry is going to be invested in, the location will always matter. Less developed areas will always get incentives in the bigger type of incentives, balik probinsya, Mr. President. Sen. Go: Thank you, good sponsor. The grant of tax incentives must be more target to the provinces because investors can invest outside of Manila and be more available in the countryside. Sa tuwing kinakausap ko ang mga biktima ng sunog at tinatanong ko sila kung gusto nila bumalik sa probinsya, marami pong nagtataas ng kamay pero nagdadalawang isip po sila dahil hindi sila sigurado kung may makukuha ba silang trabaho sa probinsya. Kailangan iencourage ang investors to put up businesses sa probinsya para dumami ang trabaho, dumami ang negosyo, plantasyon, factory, at iba pangkabuhayan ng mga Pilipino sa probinsya. Those who say that because of CREATE, firms will leave the country and jobs will be lost. Is this true? Because of passage of CREATE, incentives that have been granted already will be taken away. Mawawala na po. Can you please explain this and how it will affect our investors? Sen. Pia: I am happy to explain that because that is really part of defending it, to really ensure the business effect of CREATE. So, there are two main components of CREATE. One is reduction of CIT, which will be from 30 to 25 percent, and the second part is the rationalization of incentives. With the reduction of CIT, the estimate of DOLE is that we will create 1.23 million jobs over the years. So this is very important because we cannot discuss the rationalization of incentives separate from the reduction of CIT. These two go together because if you discuss one without the other, obviously, it is one-sided. So we have to see the bigger [picture]. CREATE is expected to create 1.23 million jobs, coming from DOLE. And I'd like to point out that our data shows foreign direct investments from 2010-2017 continued to increase in a very sharp increase between 2015-2017. Meanwhile, the number of those firms seeking incentives with PEZA went down. So how do you reconcile this? FDI and yet registration with PEZA goes down. I think the logical explanation is that foreign investors continued to choose to invest in the Philippines with or without incentives, because they continued to invest and that is data that we have that the investment kept on going up, even for companies that do not seek incentives. Moreover, it is important to also point out that yes, we are concerned and we have carved out the incentives for those firms that seek incentives. But let's also not lose sight of the fact that our MSMEs continued to grow between 2015 to [inaudible]. It kept on increasing from roughly 896,000 registered MSMEs... I won't go through all the numbers, but close to 1 million by 2018. So business continued. MSMEs, small businesses, which is really the bulk of businesses, continued to grow during this time. Finally, I'd also like to add, because the question of his honor is how does it affect the economy and what do we say to investors. We'd like to believe that by providing a good business environment by the strong [inaudible] that we do have, businesses will continue to invest in our country. The World Bank Global Investment Competitiveness Report for 2019-2020 indicated that incentives are not often a deal breaker for foreign investments. So importante pa rin siya, I would like to say, pero hindi siya deal breaker. And that comes from no less than the World Bank Global Investment Competitiveness Report. We also have received a lot of statements of support from various business organizations, including Business Club chapters, various chapters of Philippine Chamber of Commerce, and so on. Sen. Go: Thank you. Dapat po siguraduhin natin na walang mawawalan ng trabaho at hindi umalis ang mga investors habang nilalabanan natin ang COVID-19. Kailangan natin ng New Normal kung saan haharapin natin itong krisis sa ekonomiya, sa pang-araw-araw na buhay. In terms of lowering the corporate income tax, how will it affect sectors and industries severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly po 'yung MSMEs, Mr. President? Sen. Pia:The record tells us that the vast majority of registered are in the bracket of MSMEs, 90-plus percent of them are MSMEs. So when we lower CIT, then sila talaga, it's for them. The bulk of these beneficiaries would really be the MSMEs. Nagsisikap talaga, nag-uumpisa ng trabaho all over the country. Yung mas mababa lang ang kapital, sila talaga ang [inaudible]. To be specific, itong pagpasa natin ng CREATE, aside from the lowering of the CIT, the other component nga is the rationalizing of incentives. And what happens after CREATE, we will have incentives that are targeted, time-bound, transparent, performance-based, and with these kinds of targeted investments, it becomes more [inaudible] for the country because we will be able to focus on industries that add value, that target our sustainable development goals, that innovate and create jobs. And we also specifically want to attract investments that will stimulate domestic industries and promote research and development. So very targeted po ang CREATE. Kapag hindi natin ito pinasa, ang nangyayari po is pasok lang nang pasok ang investments and wala tayong targeted industries, and we do not even know what are the clear benefits we receive by giving up the taxes for those industries. Sen. Go: Thank you, Madam Sponsor. Kailangan po talaga nating alalayan ang mga sektor at mga industriyang naapektuhan ng pandemyang ito. Importante po ito para mapagaan ang mga pinapasan ng mga negosyo at mga empleyado nila. I want to commend and congratulate the good sponsor. Sen. Pia: May data din tayo na matutuwa ang ating Senator from Davao. Ninety-nine percent of businesses are MSMEs as I mentioned, and they employ around 65 percent of our workers. So kapag tinulungan natin ang MSMEs, 65 percent of our workforce, natutulungan din. Kapag bumaba ang income nila, ang CIT, they can use that extra money to innovate, to build on their capital, to improve on their labor force, and so on and so forth. I just wanted to add that because may nabanggit ang gentleman from Davao about employees, kung ano ang benefits. Sila rin ho ang makikinabang. Sen. Go: Thank you, Madam Sponsor. I want to commend and congratulate the good sponsor for pushing this important measure. And I urge my colleagues to support its immediate passage. Thank you, Mr. President. # PART 2: SEN. CAYETANO'S RESPONSE TO SEN. RALPH RECTO'S POINTS FROM LAST WEEK'S INTERPELLATION Sen. Pia: Mr. President, before we continue with the interpellation of Sen. Ralph, I would like to respond to some of the questions that he raised... May I just put on record some responses to the questions of the gentleman from Batangas last week. The statement made by the gentleman was, why are we changing the incentives of these [inaudible] these people who have been in our country for a long time? I'd like to respond in this way. Investors make a decision as a business endeavor, not for charity. But regardless, what CREATE aims to provide is a set of standards to ensure that there is accountability on the part of investors so that we can account for the investments that are made. If they will not pay the same tax as the rest, then they must show the benefit we derive from it. Because we need to see if there are jobs generated, investments made, and so on and so forth. I'd like to present an analogy to my colleagues. Let's use the 4Ps. For roughly P1,600 a month, or P20,000 a year, we grant the 4Ps to families on very strict conditions. They [inaudible] their children to school 85% of the time, they must bring them to clinics for regular preventive health checkups, vaccination, deworming, and so on and so forth. So we put conditions on these people for a mere P20,000 a year. But we have been, and we give freely P140 million on the average to every firm without any conditions attached. That is, Mr. President, the status of the incentives that we are giving. That is the analogy I would like us all to digest, because that is what CREATE simply intends to achieve, rationalizing and accountability of incentives. So we now proceed with another question. The currently registered businesses will be disincentivized because they will be hit hard based on the GIE rate currently at 5% to 10%. The 5% GIE is admittedly very low and very generous to begin with. And please note that this is in lieu of all other taxes and this is not time-bound, and it is without performance conditions. So, that is what they are all currently using right now, availing of. It is not very difficult for us to... It is not being ungenerous or selfish on us to impose [inaudible] GIE, in exchange for performance-based industries. And this will only apply after 4 years at the earliest, 4-9 years. This is a new provision under CREATE. We recognize that some firms would need support to start their businesses, but precisely, the support by way of incentives we would be giving should be time-bound and performance-based. In 2017, 1,169 firms have been enjoying the 5% GIE for more than a decade; 291 firms have been enjoying the special tax rates for more than 20 years. If we continue to provide these incentives in perpetuity, that amounts to P50 trillion in present value. Incentivized firms will remain profitable even under a 10% GIE and they will still pay just around half of regular firms - meaning to say, regular firms without incentives - are paying. In addition, our electronics and BPO sector will remain competitive compared to Vietnam and India. In conversations with businesses, investors make investment decisions based on fundamental criteria which include support infrastructure, ease of doing business, market size, competition, and supply chain among others. Incentives are considered icing on top of the cake. This is corroborated by the World Bank Global Investment Competitiveness Report for 2019-2020, which indicated that incentives are not often a deal breaker for foreign investments. Next argument, our gentleman from Batangas said that people will lose jobs since the investors will no longer be interested in investing. Mr. President, I'd like to point out that CREATE has two main components, and you cannot take one without the other. We cannot talk about the rationalization of tax incentives in isolation. We must also remember that there is an immediate and substantial reduction in CIT that will encourage investments and result in the retention and creation even of new jobs. In fact, DOLE estimates that an additional 1.23 million jobs will be created. And in addition to the lowering of the CIT rate, CREATE also offers performance-based incentives including 150% deduction on labor expense, up to 200% deduction on training expense, up to 150% deduction on domestic input expense, and so on and so forth. Also, the proposed measure will serve the long-term objective of creating high-value jobs. We deserve the best. Why should we not create that environment that would encourage these high-value jobs? An example given is the watch industry. We have BPOs that are putting together watches. But upon scrutiny, it turns out, something as simple as the leather strap only is the value added by the business registered in the Philippines. Mr. President, my question is, hanggang strap na lang ba tayo? When you look at this and break it down, the bulk of the components were all imported. Compared to a handicraft industry na wala man lang natatanggap na incentives, pero lahat local, yung pinanggalingan ng materials, local lahat, and yet that industry will not receive any incentives and yet the example I gave would be receiving industries. And that is what CREATE intends to do, to be able to scrutinize, to be able to determine what is the value added so that we go up the value chain. The DOF performed simulation based on a sample of 1,332 firms using 2017 financial statements and found that 99% of companies currently receiving incentives continue to be profitable even under CREATE. And to add, there are non-fiscal support being given which I can give in detail if there is any senator who is interested later on. The next argument is that the BPO industry will struggle if we increase their special tax rate incentive that they are currently receiving. Industry consultations revealed that the usual payback for BPO investment ranges from 18 to 24 months. Therefore, somebody who has been here for 3 years bawi na po sila. For 6 years, double bawi and profitable na profitable sila. So in the transition period that we are giving them, they will be able to generate 2-6 times the amount of their investment on top of what they have [inaudible] in the past. The DOF compared the profit margins of BPOs, our BPOs, compared it to India and found that even under the 10% GIE, Philippine BPOs remain very competitive. The DOF also simulated the incentives provided under CREATE on 1,332 firms and found that all 366 BPOs included in the study are expected to remain profitable and generate competitive industry returns. Finally, on the argument that enhanced deductions are tailor-fit only for footloose industries like the garment industry, we would like to clarify and emphasize that enhanced deduction [inaudible] and will be a benefit to any registered business enterprise if they opt to do so, it doesn't matter what industry theta re in. in fact, when we had meetings with Lufthansa. They told us that they would most likely benefit from the enhanced deduction. Enhanced deduction may be even more beneficial to companies that truly perform. His honor mentioned that we have to be careful because the BPO industries are also "under attack" because of AI, changes in technology. And that is something I am very conscious of. My studies on futures thinking in the Committee on SDGs, Innovation, and Futures Thinking tell us that we must be prepared. But we do not prepare by just giving incentives or continuing incentives that do not have the built in structure to monitor and make it performance-based. We prepare by using strategic thinking and prepare for the different futures, and that includes improving the skills of our workforce. And that is enhanced deduction that companies may avail of; training and upgrading their skills is part of the enhanced deduction. Moreover, it includes research and development, local input, power and reinvestment. All of these will contribute to the economic prosperity of the investors. And I actually have one last point on the grandfathering rule. I clarify that existing companies will benefit from the grandfather rule. This means there is a special sunset provision made just [inaudible]. And siguro by now, alam na alam niyo na ho lahat, it's 4-9 years depending on how long they have been here. What we cannot extend is the continuing 5% GIE forever. I asked for a copy of a contract that says we promise 5% forever. I have not been shown any. What I have are application forms that provide conditions and then [inaudible] applications are granted. [Inaudible] forever granted yun. So I would surmise that a businessman, a decent businessman or lawyer would know that this is subject to change, not without warning, as we are doing now, that I think would not be fair. But the fact that the power to grant and reduce taxes will remain with Congress, we can do that. Tanggap naman po nila ang power natin na yun. What is important is we give them reasonable time, which we believe that the 4-9 years is that reasonable time. And this would already enable them to make the proper adjustments. So I think I leave it at that. # On the rare occasions that small cities host thousands of visitors, the residents work to put their best foot forward. In Jacksonville in 1900, the city was up to the challenge. On May 3-4 of that year, thousands of Civil War veterans from around the state converged on Jacksonville as part of the annual convention of the Illinois Department of the Grand Army of the Republic. By all accounts, Jacksonville left a decidedly positive impression. The Grand Army of the Republic was the foremost Civil War veterans organization, created to help former soldiers commemorate their service. Founded in Decatur in 1866, the Grand Army of the Republic quickly became both a social movement and a formidable political force. Each state had its own department, composed of local posts that were frequently named in honor of national or local heroes. Illinois was the first state to establish its department, and the position of state commander was a political plum. Membership in Illinois peaked at 32,984 in 1891, and although deaths and dropouts were becoming an issue, there were 558 Grand Army of the Republic posts and 22,787 members when the state convention came to Jacksonville in 1900. The annual conventions were held in various cities statewide, mostly larger than Jacksonville, whose population in that day hovered around 15,000. The event was actually a conglomeration of four conventions. The Womens Relief Corps, the womens auxiliary group of the Grand Army of the Republic, also gathered in Jacksonville, as did the Sons of Veterans. Also on hand was the Ladies of the Grand Army of the Republic, a relatively new club holding only its 11th annual convention. In addition, surviving members of the 6th Illinois Cavalry, which rode on the fabled raid of Jacksonville resident Benjamin Grierson, held a reunion on May 2, the 37th anniversary of their arrival in Baton Rouge to conclude the raid. They were joined by some veterans of another unit on the raid, the 7th Illinois Cavalry, in a visit to Grierson at his home on West State Street. The multiple conventions attracted crowds estimated at anywhere from 15,000 to 50,000, including six wearers of the gray. The Jacksonville Weekly Courier (a forerunner of todays Journal-Courier) declared, it is certainly a sign of a reunited country when the heroes of the armies mingle together. The crowd braved cool, rainy weather throughout the event. An honored guest during the gathering was Adm. George Dewey, the hero of the smashing naval victory at Manila Bay during the Spanish-American War two years before. He arrived in Jacksonville by private train to a booming seventeen-gun salute by naval reserves from Quincy. The headline events were the encampments, where business was conducted, as well as the camp fires, featuring music and speeches, which were held at the State School for the Blind, the opera house, and the armory. A subhead in the Weekly Courier blared that the keys of the city have been turned over to the veterans. The convention was highlighted by a parade of veterans and dignitaries that started on East State, which the Weekly Courier reported was packed and jammed in all directions, especially with those wanting a glimpse of Admiral Dewey. The procession then wound its way west to College Avenue, then to Webster and West State before passing a viewing stand at the courthouse, where the great sea captain was stationed. Jacksonville earned rave reviews for its hospitality. The Weekly Courier reported that those who have attended the encampments for the past five years say this meeting was one of the best with more delegates than the encampment has ever had and more enthusiasm. Still, the paper also noted that pickpockets were at work in the crowd and one man suffered injuries after he was knocked down by a carriage. The city council also was unhappy that no carriages came to take them to the parade on Dewey Day, leading some alderman to be hotter than ever. Elsewhere, a reception committee from St. Louis, where Dewey was heading from Jacksonville, faced gaunt starvation in trying to find a place where they could lunch in a city crowded as it had never been crowded before. The 1890s were the glory years for the Grand Army of the Republic. As veterans began to age, membership began to decline. From a national peak of 409,489 members in 1890, membership dropped by half to under 200,000 in 1912. The 1921 convention reported 93,171 members. When the Grand Army of the Republic and its allied organizations came back to Jacksonville on June 6-8, 1933, statewide membership had dwindled to 625, and only 45 veterans were in attendance. But the city gave a loving reception, and a number of organizations purchased a full-page ad in the Journal-Courier to welcome the visitors. Local enthusiasm was especially high in a half-hour motor parade that included drum corps, bands, vividly decorated floats, and marching groups. The Journal-Courier reported that five veterans, nearly seventy years removed from the war, braved the heat of the hot pavements to march during the procession. The rest followed in eighteen cars. Jacksonville hosted the Grand Army of the Republic and its fellow groups for a third and final time on June 6-8, 1939, when a mere 11 veterans were on hand. There were only 89 Grand Army of the Republic members statewide. This time the local reception, while warm, was more of an afterthought. The Journal-Courier estimated that the gatherings brought about 600 people to the city, including Lt. Gov. John Stelle, who addressed the campfire at Newton Bateman High School. The parade, featuring the veterans and seventy members of the Ladies of the Grand Army of the Republic, was only five blocks long. The oldest of the veterans was Edwin McAllister of Griggsville, a member of the 73rd Illinois, who was 99. The final Grand Army of the Republic national convention was held in Indianapolis in 1949, attended by six members. The last member was Albert Woolson, a drummer boy in the 1st Minnesota Heavy Artillery, who died in 1956 at age 107. An unaccompanied toddler was found wandering the streets of Hull on Saturday afternoon. The little boy, believed to be around two years old, was found walking along Spring Bank and Hutt Street by a passer-by, according to a report in Hull Live. The man, who was walking with his son, called Humberside Police after realising that the toddler was unaccompanied. He then waited with the small boy until the officers arrived. Video footage captured at the scene shows police arriving to take care of the young child and look for his relatives. It is understood his family has since been located. The boy had left a house in the local area and was found by a passerby shortly after, Hull Live understands. In the video, the police officer is seen holding out a hand to the toddler before picking him up. The young boy begins to cry when he is asked where his house and his mother is. The officer then puts the toddler in a police van as they try to work out where he lives, an unedited version of the clip seen by the same outlet shows. A spokesperson for Humberside Police said: Officers were called to assist a small child who was found alone on Spring Bank, Hull, at around 1.30pm on Saturday 26 September. The child was shaken but unharmed and was returned to their family safe and well. (Photo : TechTimes) (Photo : Dr. Li-Meng Yan via Twitter) One of 2020s most massive scandal is none other than Chinese whistleblower Dr. Li-Meng Yan, and her findings and testimony against Wuhan and the mainland Chinese government to develop the highly-mutative respiratory virus, SARS-CoV 2, known as COVID-19. Dr. Yan's recent interview shows a strong emphasis on China's accountability and the vaccine development of 2020. Again, Dr. Li-Meng Yan holds a privileged interview now for the CNN News 18, an Indian-based English language newscast that tackled the China-made virus, COVID-19. The interview went around the Novel Coronavirus as a highly-mutative virus that is difficult to stop, even at this age. The interview was posted on YouTube from G Translators, a Chinese channel that mainly tackles news and information video clips. The interview was posted on September 24, showing Dr. Li-Meng Yan in a remote video conference call. Dr. Yan still stands firm on her findings and beliefs that the coronavirus is manmade from Wuhan's Level Lab Four. Dr. Li-Meng Yan recently rose to fame after her revelations, heavily-backed with scientific research, surfaces online. Despite the issue's threats and sensitivity, Dr. Li-Meng Yan unearthed the controversy that heavily accuses the Chinese government. This led the scientist to flee her home country and hide in the United States for safety. Twitter recently banned Dr. Li-Meng Yan after posting her findings through a tweet, just less than 48 hours after the account's creation. The Chinese whistleblower also has mixed receptions and beliefs as different experts doubt the research, while some believe and stand with Dr. Yan to blame the Chinese government. ALSO READ: How NHS COVID-19 App Works: Find Out How To Download, Activate, and Explore The Features Dr. Li-Meng Yan's Interview: Don't Expect a Magic Vaccine The YouTube video that interviewed Dr. Li-Meng Yan showed the scientist's fierce mistrust and rage towards China to create and release a bioweapon that is crippling the world. Google's statistics show more than 996 thousand COVID deaths in the world, with 33 million active cases. Dr. Li-Meng Yan was asked whether China has its vaccine readily available as the virus was released, suggesting that it is a safeguard to protect its people from the disease. Here, Dr. Li-Meng Yan said not to expect a 'magic vaccine' and that the world should not trust the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in terms of the immunity shots. Dr. Yan emphasized more that the Chinese Communist Party, the sole governing political party in the People's Republic of China, is the responsible one for COVID-19. Dr. Li-Meng Yan subsequently implied no one should trust the connection of CCP and that 'Made in China' vaccines. China Should be Held Accountable: Dr. Li-Meng Yan's Resolve The Chinese whistleblower is determined to blame China and make it pay for the damages it caused the world in terms of public health and economics. COVID-19's toll has taken a lot from the world, from time to physical and mental health, to losing several business ventures and the economic downfall. Accountability is the sole cry of Dr. Li-Meng Yan for China, urging the country to answer for its actions and face the consequences of releasing COVID-19 from Wuhan's Biolab. China remains silent regarding the issue, denying the possibility of COVID-19 being made intentionally, and even prohibiting a thorough investigation in the country. ALSO READ: COVID-19 Update: Trained Dogs Sniff Virus 94% to 100% Accuracy; Finland Airport Tries This Test This article is owned by Tech Times Written by Isaiah Alonzo 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. OPEC turns 60 at 'critical moment' for virus-hit oil, source: opec.org Founded on September 14, 1960, by Iraq, Iran, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Venezuela who sought to control crude oil output, OPEC currently comprises 13 members including nations from Africa and Latin America. The 60th anniversary "comes at a critical moment in its history", UniCredit analyst Edoardo Campanella said in reference to the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries. "Its ability to steer the oil market in its favour has never been put in question to the extent it is now," he noted. - 'Relevant role' - The Vienna-based institution convenes for regular meetings to assess the state of supply and demand in the marketplace, and its pronouncements can still spark major price swings. That ability has dimmed in recent years however, prompting it to join forces with ten non-OPEC producers including Russia to curb their collective output. OPEC+ essentially wanted to counter surging energy supplies from shale rock in the United States and help clear a stubborn supply glut on world markets. Today, OPEC pumps about one third of global oil -- but OPEC+ accounts for almost 50 percent, giving it greater clout. Carlo Alberto de Casa, trader at Activtrades, insisted that the cartel retains a "relevant" function in the market, dismissing talk the organisation was a "has-been". "They are slightly less influential compared to the past, also due to production of non-OPEC countries and new extraction techniques. But I still see a role for OPEC," he told AFP. This despite the larger OPEC+ in March failing to agree on a new strategy -- with Russia refusing cartel kingpin Saudi Arabia's request to cut their collective output and combat a virus-fuelled slump in crude demand. In response, top global exporter Saudi slashed its prices and raised output to preserve market share in the face of Russian opposition. The Saudi-Russian price war, in tandem with the worsening Covid-19 pandemic, sent oil prices off a cliff -- and even caused New York's light sweet crude contract to briefly turn negative in April -- meaning producers paid buyers to take the oil off their hands. After the unprecedented market crash, OPEC+ in May slashed up to a fifth of its output -- a move that triggered a sharp rebound in crude prices to current levels around $40 per barrel. Added to the supply backdrop, the United States, now the world's biggest oil producer, curbed the pace of costly shale extraction. Rystad Energy analyst Paola Rodriguez-Masiu, while noting that OPEC has lost market share in recent years, said the cartel still has an important role to play because it possesses the largest amount of accessible crude. This meant that extracting its oil resulted in fewer carbon emissions, she said. "I would argue that OPEC would become more and more important" in the future, she concluded. Eskom is now allowed to source over 11,800MW from Independent Power Producers (IPPs), but this will not solve South Africas immediate electricity problems. This is the view of energy expert Chris Yelland, who spoke to ENCA about the Department of Energys new determination for the Energy Regulation Act. The new determination, which was published last week, allows Eskom to tap renewable, gas, and coal producers to address South Africas growing power demands. 6,800 megawatts from renewable wind and solar sources; 3,000 megawatts from gas sources; 1,500 megawatts from coal sources; and 513 megawatts from storage. In his weekly mail to the nation, President Cyril Ramaphosa said the procurement of power from IPPs forms part of the governments plan to address the problem of load-shedding in South Africa. He added that the plan also includes the procurement of renewable electricity generation and additional provision for self-generation. While the new procurement is encouraging news, Yelland warned that this will not solve South Africas problems in the short term. This new capacity will most probably only come on stream in three to four years time because of the long procurement process, he said. He highlighted that the new capacity will still need to go out tender as part of a bidding process, followed by financial closure and construction. Therefore, although it will address electricity shortages in the long term, this latest development will not solve load-shedding in the coming years. Load-shedding expected to continue for years In September, Eskom said it expects power constraints to persist for at least the next year, adding that load shedding may extend into 2022 depending on the pressure on the system. Other experts, however, expect the situation to be much worse than what Eskom is predicting. Research by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) warned that South Africa should brace itself for exponential increases to load-shedding until 2022. Not only will load-shedding continue over the next few years it will get significantly worse, said Dr Jarrad Wright and Joanne Calitz of the CSIR. Energy expert Ted Blom, in turn, said South Africa could be stuck with load-shedding until at least 2025 due to Eskoms continued problems. He expects load-shedding to get worse over the next year as there are still turf wars and corruption taking place inside Eskom, resulting in inadequate maintenance and major shortfalls in the quality of the maintenance. The only way to stop load-shedding Yelland previously said the only way to stop load-shedding is to replace poor-performing coal-fired power stations with the reliable and low-cost wind, solar PV, battery storage, and gas-to-power generation. What the country needs is 6,000MW of new generation capacity in the next two to three years, Yelland said. Unless South Africa launches courageous and bold decision policy initiatives, load-shedding is here to stay. He said these policy initiatives must be aimed at replacing the old and poor performing coal-fired power stations with new generation capacity. Yelland added that this new capacity procurement will not come from Eskom, which is why legislative and policy changes are needed. Energy policy and investment specialist Anton Eberhard concurred with Yelland, saying alternatives to Eskom are needed to build capacity. He said because of Eskoms unsustainable debt levels, it has no possibility of raising new finance for new generation capacity. That is why we need to see alternatives. That is why we need to accelerate IPPs on a utility-scale to free up the market, Eberhard said. Extreme heat, wildfires, unbreathable air: Californians are experiencing what seem like surreal times. Just when we thought it could not get any stranger, we woke to eerie orange skies on Sept. 9. This sense of science fiction tops months of COVID anxiety from danger lurking in everyday encounters, and from the economic hardship all around. Add to this litany of anxieties the looming November elections. Californians want and need strong leadership now. This crisis is Gov. Gavin Newsoms Winston Churchill moment. Churchill mustered extraordinary courage against all odds during extreme danger. He assured frightened people that surrender was not an option and that a positive path forward was possible, though major sacrifices would be required. Churchill held to this path with unswerving determination. Sensing this historic moment, on Wednesday, Newsom issued an executive order requiring all new cars and light trucks sold in California to be zero emission by 2035. He put California squarely in the lead on climate as the first state in the nation to set a deadline for transitioning away from gas-powered vehicles, joining over a dozen countries that have taken similar actions. With transportation as the single largest source of global warming pollutants in California and nationwide, the governors order is a major step forward. And as the biggest car market in the United States, California wields significant influence on other car markets across the country and the world. But even such a bold step does not rise to the scale demanded by the most current science and rapidly worsening climate reality. Already this year in California, wildfires have burned more than 3.6 million acres, nearly twice the historic high set in 2018 during the entire fire season. The climate crisis requires much more action, much sooner. Newsom said he will issue additional executive orders over the weeks ahead. The next critical step is to accelerate Californias existing goals to achieve 80% below 1990 levels of emissions and net-negative emissions (sequestration greater than emissions and the start of drawdown) by 2030. The governor has already set the stage for moving up climate targets, declaring that the climate emergency is here now, that 2045s too late, and across the entire spectrum, our goals are inadequate. Establishing science-based goals is only a start. To secure a climate-safe future, California must enact by no later than 2025 the full range of policies and programs that will dramatically cut greenhouse gas emissions, start drawdown, and secure resilient communities for everyone. These policies must be grounded on the dual principles of a just transition for fossil fuel workers as we rapidly move to a clean energy economy, and climate justice for lower-income communities, primarily communities of color, who are disproportionately harmed by fossil fuel production and use. A comprehensive suite of solutions is needed to achieve net-negative emissions by 2030. The required policies and programs fall into four areas incorporating the principles above: 1) accelerate the phase-out of fossil fuel development, production and use; 2) implement nature-based carbon sequestration practices at scale on natural and working lands; 3) invest in community resilience for all; and, 4) institute progressive funding strategies to generate the estimated $12 billion to $20 billion per year needed for speed and scale climate action. The good news is that the economics for such boldness work in Californias favor. One estimate pegs the benefits of investing $80 billion for climate action in California at about 725,000 jobs. In contrast, the economic, ecological and human toll of delay and half-measures is staggering. California wildfires in 2019 cost an estimated $80 billion in insured and uninsured losses, money that could have been invested instead in fire safety, enhanced landscape management, job creation and more. We have a choice: Invest now or pay significantly more later by orders of magnitude. Californias wildfires make this point painfully clear. What does the governor risk in taking bold action? He must confront the mighty fossil fuel juggernaut that exerts its influence throughout the state. In 2019, the Western States Petroleum Association, the largest and most powerful corporate lobby in California, spent $8.8 million on lobbying, more than any other entity. Indeed, the action required to rapidly transition our fossil fuel economy into a climate-friendly, equitable and healthy one, is fraught with political risk. Courage is required for history-making leadership that puts a stop to our current climate crash course and holds us to the path that will yield a vibrant, climate-safe future. Gov. Newsom can and must be the Winston Churchill of our times for Californians, our country and the world. Now is his moment. Ann Hancock is co-founder and chief strategist for The Climate Center, a California-based nonprofit working to enact the bold policies required by science to reverse the climate crisis through Climate-Safe California. Monday 05 September, 2016 Reliable information reaching Biafra writers desk has it that the life of Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indi... CARY, N.C. and BANGKOK and PHUKET, Thailand and BALI, Indonesia, Sept. 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Scholars Of Sustenance (SOS), a North Carolina based food rescue charity operating in Asia was created exactly to serve the world by capturing edible food going to waste, inspect and serve it safely and quickly to those in need. The combined benefits of reducing methane gasses from landfills and feeding needy people good nutrition became the perfect combination, as SOS rescued tons of edible excess foods from going to waste. Lifting surplus food from one logistics system into another safe distribution system became SOS Food Rescue Optimization, redistributing huge amounts of nutrition for the needy in Thailand and Indonesia so far. Indonesia is the second biggest food wasting nation in the world. More than 65% of all waste going to landfills in Thailand is from food. It is shameful that so many are in need while others waste precious resources thus SOS decided to do something about it four years ago. Since then over 7 million SOS meals have safely been rescued and served by SOS staff and cooling-trucks. COVID threw everything into chaos and the hospitality industry lost jobs in every area. Especially in tourism dependent islands like Phuket and Bali the shut-down hit hard, and hunger spread widely. SOS saw the peoples' urgent need for solid nutrition to maintain strong immune systems. Building SOS Rescue Kitchens with an amazing effort by staff and volunteers cooking healthy meals for the needy, SOS has already cooked and served over a quarter million meals in the last 4 months during COVID. SOS works with governments, food donors and others to find the true needy, a moving target during the crisis. "Partially leaving our environmental mission of saving excess food from going to waste was important, but now we have to simply feed as many people as possible as fast as possible," added Bo H. Holmgreen, Founder of SOS. "Adapting to this new world, our staffs and trucks now impact more people than ever before, we create hope where sadness prevails, and we are not about to relax our efforts anytime soon as hotels and restaurants start operating again, SOS will return to its main mission of rescuing surplus foods!" These results are not cheap, thus SOS has launched the "Feeding2020" campaign for donations. While kick-started by private donations to get volume to the sustenance, SOS is growing fast with local community support. SOS aims to achieve "25 in 25" a full 25 million nutritious meals served in 2025". Mr. Holmgreen added: "This is the time to work hard with our partners to help communities hurting from the crisis. We now cook and serve thousands of nutritious meals every day to those in need, but in a dignified way we do this for the land, the people, and the spirit." FEEDING2020: please donate https://www.scholarsofsustenance.org/support-sos www.scholarsofsustenance.org www.facebook.com/scholarsofsustenancefoundation/ SOURCE Scholars of Sustenance Related Links https://www.scholarsofsustenance.org Thought Leaders Dr. Talib Dbouk Professor Dimitris Drikakis University of Nicosia Dr. Talib Dbouk and Professor Dimitris Drikakis speak to News-Medical about their research efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic, and how evaporation is essential for coronavirus transmission in the winter. What provoked your research into the transmission of viruses, and in particular, that of the coronavirus? As researchers, our mission is to investigate and better understand the flow physics and transmission dynamics of viruses. What mainly provoked our research is our interest to contribute to stopping the rapid spread of the deadly coronavirus, which has been causing the death of hundreds of thousands of people around the globe unexpectedly and has had significant financial implications. Image Credit: GEMINI PRO STUDIO/Shutterstock.com Why are winter virus infections more common than those in the summer months? We found from our research results that there exists a combination of factors affecting virus transmission. It is related to the wind speed, air temperature, and relative humidity. During the winter season, especially in cold winter countries like North and Central Europe, North America, and Russia, people spend most of their time indoors. The indoor environment usually has a specific microclimate, e.g. heated to an average temperature between 23C and 25 C, and the relative humidity can reach up to 65% or more. During the summer, people have more of a tendency to go outside, and there is no heating indoors, but air-conditioning leads to relatively low humidity values. During the summer, air temperature can go above 30 C, and the relative humidity can decrease below 50% in some places. Our research showed that the viability of coronavirus is higher at low air temperature values below or equal to 25C, and at high relative humidity values greater than or equal to 65%. This explains clearly why winter virus infections are more common than those during the summer months. Moreover, we also illustrated the role of wind speed (that is usually higher during winter months) contributes more to the virus transmission rate. Image Credit: Marina Zezelina/Shutterstock.com Why has research into the importance of airborne droplet transmission been scarce? Indeed, we have conducted a comprehensive literature survey and surprisingly found that research focusing on the importance of airborne droplet transmission has been scarce. Several factors might explain this, mainly: Previously, researchers focused on more traditional biological aspects of the virus and gave secondary importance (or none at all) to factors such as the airborne transmission, fluid dynamics, and heat transfer. The fact that the last pandemic of COVID-19 was very deadly and is causing both deaths and financial losses has prompted researchers like us to investigate aspects of virus transmission that are not understood at all. In the past, the lack of advanced computational fluid dynamics methods and expensive computing hardware to perform complex fluid dynamics and heat transfer simulations also hindered progress in the area of simulation of fluid dynamics and heat transfer. There was significant progress in the above areas in the past decade or so. This now helps perform detailed simulation studies. Can you describe how you carried out your research into coronavirus viability? We developed an advanced CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) numerical platform that allows the prediction of coronavirus concentration variation in contaminated airborne saliva droplets (after being expelled into the air). The computational models developed in the framework of this research allow the quantification of the coronavirus viability as a function of air temperature, relative humidity, and the surrounding wind speed or air circulation in indoor and outdoor environments. What did you discover from your research? We discovered that the viability of coronavirus depends on the combination of the air temperature, the wind speed, and the relative humidity. How is the coronavirus transmitted by evaporation? The coronavirus is transmitted through airborne contaminated saliva droplets that contain a specific concentration of virus particles. The virus particle carriers which are the saliva droplets, when expelled from an infected person, fly in the air. While traveling in the air, they witness the evaporation process, which can be linked to the coronavirus viability. Image Credit: Aliaksandra Post/Shutterstock.com How will your research help further our understanding of coronavirus transmission? Our research through the newly developed CFD simulation platform allows future critical investigations such as to defining better social distancing safety distance and rules that should be dynamic, and not fixed. The above depends on the indoor and outdoor conditions, e.g. related to the surrounding environment temperature, its relative humidity, and its air circulation rate amongst others. Do you believe that factors such as wind speed and humidity should be considered when evaluating social distancing guidelines? Of course, because the safety distance and rules significantly depend on the indoor and outdoor conditions (e.g. related to the surrounding environment temperature, its relative humidity, and its air circulation rate amongst others). What can people do to protect themselves from increased virus survival and transmission rates in the upcoming winter months? For people do to protect themselves from increased virus survival and transmission rates in the upcoming winter months, we advise: a- To respect the social distance, at least 2 meters if no air circulation is present, and in case of air or wind speeds, this social distance should be up to 6 meters depending on the wind speed. We have published another detailed study on this subject: https://aip.scitation.org/doi/10.1063/5.0011960 b- Avoid conditions of high relative humidity, especially indoor c- Avoid places of low temperature. d- Avoid crowded places e- Wear protective face masks, especially in situations where there is unavoidable close contact with other people. See our previous study on face masks: https://aip.scitation.org/doi/10.1063/5.0015044 f- Avoid forced air convection or forced air circulation in closed indoor places. g- Apply natural ventilation and air circulation indoors Image Credit: Kzenon/Shutterstock.com What are the next steps in your research? Our next steps include investigation of other physical mechanisms and their interaction with virus transmission such as air pollution. Where can readers find more information? About Dr. Talib Dbouk Dr. Talib Dbouk is a senior researcher at the Defence and Security Research Institute of the University of Nicosia, Cyprus. Before that, he held different academic and research positions in France as Associate Professor at Mines-Telecom Institute, and Post-doc researcher at CEMEF Mines-ParisTech and the French Center of Atomic Energy (CEA). He holds an HDR (in French: Habilitation a Diriger des Recherches) from the University of Polytechnique Hauts-de-France (Nov. 2019) and a Ph.D. degree in Physics from the University of Nice-Sophia Antipolis, France (Dec. 2011). His research is multidisciplinary in the domains of computational physics and engineering science and emerging technologies. His research includes software development and advanced computational tools for topology and shape optimization, multidisciplinary design optimization, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and heat transfer, and rheology of complex fluids, amongst others. He has received from the french Foam-U association an award in 2017 for the best Ph.D. thesis on a computational code developed within an open-source CFD platform. His research work and impact are manifested through many published research articles in high impact-peer review journals. So far, he has supervised and graduated many Ph.D. and MSc students who now hold different positions in academia and industries around the world. He is a reviewer for many high impact scientific journals and an editorial member board of two. During the last decade, he has been developing, coordinating, and leading several advanced R&D and innovative projects in collaboration with both national and international partners from both industry and academia. He has been developing highly advanced scientific computation codes for different multi-scale and multi-physics applications. About Professor Dimitris Drikakis Prof. Dimitris Drikakis is the Vice President for Global Partnerships and Executive Director, Research and Innovation at the University of Nicosia, Cyprus. He has a joint professors appointment in the School of Sciences and Engineering, and Medical School. Before that, he held academic and executive posts as Professor, Executive Dean (Strathclyde University), and Head of Aerospace Sciences and Engineering Physics Departments (Cranfield University) in the UK university sector for 24 years; he has also held senior academic/research posts in Germany and France. His research is multidisciplinary and covers topics of engineering science and emerging technologies, including fluid mechanics, acoustics, materials, computational science, machine learning, computational intelligence, and nanotechnologies with applications to aerospace and defense, biomedical, and energy sectors. He has received the William Penney Fellowship Award by the UKs Atomic Establishment in recognition of his contributions to multicomponent flows, and the Innovator of the Year Award (2014) by the UKs Innovation Institute for a new generation carbon capture nanotechnology. He has co-authored two books and has published 430 papers in journals and conference proceedings. He has graduated 45 Ph.D. students who now hold positions in academia and industries around the world. He has also been an Assoc. Editor in many scientific journals. He has also served on the Fluid Dynamics Technical Committee of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics; Board of Directors of the European Aeronautics Science Network; European Research Council (Engineering Deputy Chair); UKs Oil and Gas Technology Centre (OGTC), as a Chair of the academic panel. Known for its white sandy beaches, great weather, and diverse culture, Miami is one of America's premier vacation destinations. It also has a robust real estate industry and is one of Florida's best real estate markets and the rest of the country. According to a Zillow report in 2017, Miami was America's fourth most valuable housing market, behind Los Angeles, New York, and Washington. One person who is well-versed in Miami's real estate is Diego Alexis Gonzalez Gomez, an entrepreneur who has investments in the Miami real estate industry. At the young age of 26, he is already a famous face in Miami. We met with him for an interview to find out more about Miami's real estate scene. Diego Alexis Gonzalez Gomez First of all, welcome to the interview. Thank you for having me. Could you give us a bit of your background? I am a Florida International University graduate I graduated this summer, having majored in Digital Media. As an entrepreneur, I take many risks, but I ensure that I give my all in everything I do. I am a firm believer in surrounding yourself with people of a positive mindset and following your intuition. This has worked for me and helped me successfully reach where I am now. Why Miami, and not anywhere else in Florida? There are many beautiful spots in Florida, but Miami easily takes the cake. The pristine beaches, Latin American cuisine, the pulsing nightlife, and the year-long warm weather are enough reasons for anyone to want to settle here. It is also attractive to investors because its real estate has proven to be consistent Miami's real estate has consistently appreciated at a rate above the national average in the last ten years. Now that you have mentioned the appreciation rate, what is the ROI for landlords and investors in real estate? The potential return on any investment is pretty much the most crucial consideration I, as an entrepreneur, make when choosing what to invest in. Miami's ROI in real estate rarely disappoints. There is a massive demand for housing due to a considerable part of the population preferring to rent. Many investors buy single-family homes and renovate them into multiple rental units, which are always in demand. This translates to good ROIs for landlords and investors. Story continues Has the tourism industry impacted Miami's real estate? Being one of Florida's premier tourist destinations, Miami receives millions of tourists each year in 2018 alone, more than 23 million tourists visited the city, contributing $18 billion to its economy. Savvy investors and entrepreneurs who have invested in vacation homes, hotels, and luxury rental villas earn millions each year from the tourists. As a real estate investor, do you have any tips for anyone who would want to invest in Miami? Yes, I definitely have some tips from my experience here. In as much as it is a lucrative business, you should not invest blindly. Research the market and know everything you can on your target market. Have enough investment capital since it is not a cheap venture. Finally, plan on how you are going to manage your property. Most investors hire a good property manager to handle most aspects of the property. Investing in the Miami real estate can be a worthwhile venture, and Diego shows us why you should consider Florida's cultural and financial center when choosing where to invest in. Turkish Airlines resumes flights to Tehran after six months halt 07/22/20 Source: Tehran Times Following months of ups and downs, Turkey's flag carrier Turkish Airlines resumed its flights to Tehran on Saturday after six months of suspension over the COVID-19 pandemic. Although according to the schedule, 31 flights per week were to be carried out to Tehran, Shiraz, Tabriz, Isfahan, and Mashhad, now there will be only seven flights per week between Tehran and Istanbul, Alireza Majzubi, an official at Tehran's Imam Khomeini International Airport announced on Saturday. Majzubi also noted that the outbound passengers need to hold a health certificate with a negative coronavirus PCR test result, otherwise the boarding pass won't be issued for them. In late August, Turkish Airlines extended the suspension of its flights to Iran until October 1, reneging on its previous announcement for resuming flights to Tehran and four other cities of Tabriz, Shiraz, Mashhad, and Isfahan as of September 1. Although Turkey resumed flights to many countries in June and July after few months of suspension over the COVID-19 pandemic, it kept its common borders with Iran closed, while these repeated delays in the reopening Iran-Turkey borders have damaged the tourism ties between the two countries. As Turkey is a country through which many trips of Iranians living abroad and foreign nationals to Iran are made, the flight suspensions prevented several businessmen and students from continuing their activities and even left patients who want to go abroad for further treatment helpless. The pandemic has taken a huge toll on Iran's civil aviation sector with reports showing that airlines lost hundreds of millions of dollars because of flight cancellations during the busy New Year travel season in late March. There is probably a lazy stereotype among Europeans that Americans treat 'Europe' as if it's a country. The joke usually goes something like, (donning a terrible US accent): Are you from EUROPE? In reality, the informed American probably knows as much about the diverse group of countries, languages and cultures that make up our continent as the average European. However, people have been posting on reddit to reaffirm our stereotypes of American tourists as ignorantly-fascinated with what they'd call homogenous 'European' culture. Reddit users were asked... Americans who visited Europe, what was your biggest WTF moment? ...and they delivered: Some of the very best things seem to evolve almost by chance, and one of those things involves a great big mess at the foot of Lookout Mountain. The John C. Wilson Park, where the old waterslide used to be on Cummings Highway, is a lovely spot, but a nearby ravine, overgrown with invasives, brush and decades of trash, detracted from it. And were not talking about a few cigarette butts and a plastic water bottle or two. Before this particular spot was the home of the Super Water Slide, (touted as the longest in the world), it housed a motel called Big Rock Court, notorious for gambling, police raids and shootouts. The beautiful large boulder nearby (hence the name) was painted in large white letters advertising the motel. Although this spot was unsavory, other nearby properties were equally unappealing. The Scenic Adult Motel and a neglected trailer were neighbors. The history of this particular property is important too important to be junked up. Or at least John C. Wilson, publisher of chattanoogan.com, thought so. Mr. Wilson knew that the historic Federal Road, the first road through this area, was built in 1805 near the property. Due to his foresight, energy and organization, the Lookout Mountain Conservancy was established to protect Lookout Mountains scenic, historic and ecological resources for both current and future generations. And although the organization was successful in cleaning out the old junk car lot where the John C. Wilson Park is, it needed help with the overwhelming amount of overgrowth and trash. The LMC applied for a grant with the Tennessee-American Water Company, and as a result, was paired with volunteers from nearby Howard High School. Although the park and the school are close in proximity, they are far apart in many ways. Most of the volunteer students from Howard had never ventured to the other side of Broad Street. In exchange for free lunches and excused absences from school, this group of volunteers grappled with invasive privet and gigantic kudzu roots, cleaning up about a centurys worth of trash, as well. Everything from car parts to refrigerators was hauled out, including almost 700 tires. What started as a chance to leave school eight years ago and work on a finite project cleaning up a trashy gully at the John C. Wilson Park turned into an ongoing mutualistic relationship. The LMC now employs a powerful workforce made of students who attend Howard. And the interns benefit from much more than an hourly wage. Besides working in a safe environment under supervision, the interns are mentored, learning about nature, conservation, teamwork and trust. Both social and profession skills are emphasized and reiterated each week the Howard students show up to work, and the effects of these skills are evident at school. According to LMC director Robin Carlton, both grades and attendance consistently improve after the LMC internship, and secondary education is on the horizon for most interns, a first in the family for many. Our engagement with The Howard School students and their families has opened [my] eyes to a future that embraces ALL of us just where we are," said Ms. Carlton on lookoutmountainconservancy.org. "Over the years I have heard countless stories from our interns reflecting the social injustices, economic disparity, racial divides, and restrained mobility. It has forced [the LMC board] to look at the brutal ugliness and have uncomfortable conversations about reality. The board and staff of Lookout Mountain Conservancy made a commitment eight years ago to stand by our neighbors and to fight for what is just and fair as human beings. And we can help. Check out the Lookout Mountain Conservancy on Facebook, and join the fun for the drive-through LMC Shrimp Boil that benefits the Howard Interns, aka Howard Rock Stars. * * * (Ferris Robinson is the author of two children's books, "The Queen Who Banished Bugs" and "The Queen Who Accidentally Banished Birds," in her pollinator series, with "Call Me Arthropod" coming soon. "Making Arrangements" is her first novel, and "Dogs and Love - Stories of Fidelity" is a collection of true tales about man's best friend. Her website is ferrisrobinson.com. She is the editor of The Lookout Mountain Mirror and The Signal Mountain Mirror. Ferris can be reached at ferrisrobinson@gmail.com ) New Delhi, Sep 28 : The Supreme Court on Monday sought response from the UPSC as to why the Civil Services (Preliminary) examinations, scheduled on October 4, should not be postponed in the backdrop of the Covid-19 pandemic and heavy rain and floods in several parts of the country. A bench comprising Justices A.M. Khanwilkar, B.R. Gavai and Krishna Murari asked the Union Public Service Commission counsel to file an affidavit by Tuesday. The UPSC counsel objected to the plea for the deferment of the exams, as it would upset the schedule of the exams. After a brief hearing on the matter, the bench asked the UPSC counsel to bring on record the reasons for not postponing the exams. The bench will continue to hear the matter on Wednesday. The plea, filed by Vasireddy Govardhana Sai Prakash and others through advocate Alakh Alok Srivastava, sought that the Civil Services exam should be postponed for two to three months, as Covid-19 cases have been peaking currently and the curve may flatten in this time period. The petitioners also cited incessant rains disrupting daily life in many parts of the country. In the earlier hearing on the matter, the top court had said: "Liberty is granted to serve advance copy on the Standing Counsel for the Union Public Service Commission as well as on the Standing Counsel for the Central Agency representing Union of India through email/online." The plea contended that the exam, being a recruitment examination, is altogether different from an academic examination and thus in the event of its postponement, there would not be any question of delay or loss of any academic session. "In the instant case, about 6 lakh aspirants (including the petitioners herein) are likely to appear in the captioned Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination, which is a seven hours offline examination, in very few centres at 72 cities across India. "Meanwhile, Covid-19 cases are increasing in India at an alarming rate of more than 80,000 cases per day," said the plea. The plea argued that the worst affected by the conducting the Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination 2020, on October 4, will be the students belonging to the middle class or lower middle class. "The privileged may still appear in these exams, without worrying about transport, accommodation, or other expenses. However, the under-privileged students will be forced to suffer utmost injustice and deprivations," the petitioners contended. The plea said the decision of the UPSC to conduct the exam, in this current scenario, violates the rights of the petitioners and those similarly situated, under Article 19 (1) (g) of the Constitution. NEW YORK A federal judge on Sunday postponed a Trump administration order that would have banned the popular video sharing app TikTok from U.S. smartphone app stores around midnight. A more comprehensive ban remains scheduled for November, about a week after the presidential election. The judge, Carl Nichols of the U.S District Court for the District of Columbia, did not agree to postpone the later ban. The ruling followed an emergency hearing Sunday morning in which lawyers for TikTok argued that the administrations app-store ban would infringe on First Amendment rights and do irreparable harm to the business. Earlier this year, President Donald Trump declared that TikTok, owned by Chinese company ByteDance, was a threat to national security and that it must either sell its U.S. operations to American companies or be barred from the country. TikTok is still scrambling to firm up a deal tentatively struck a week ago in which it would partner with Oracle, a huge database-software company, and Walmart in an effort to win the blessing of both the Chinese and American governments. In the meantime, it is fighting to keep the app available in the U.S. TikTok said in a statement that it was pleased with the court ruling and continues to work to turn its deal proposal into an actual agreement. The Commerce Department, which is responsible for the specific orders banning TikTok, said it will comply with the judges order but intends to vigorously defend the administrations efforts against the app. Judge Nichols did not explain his reasoning publicly, and instead filed his judicial opinion under seal. Initially both the U.S. governments brief in the case and the entire Sunday morning hearing were also due to be sealed from the public, although the court later relented. In arguments to Judge Nichols, TikTok lawyer John Hall said that TikTok is more than an app, since it functions as a modern day version of a town square. If that prohibition goes into effect at midnight, the consequences immediately are grave,' Hall said. It would be no different than the government locking the doors to a public forum, roping off that town square at a time when a free exchange of ideas is necessary heading into a polarized election. TikTok lawyers also argued that a ban on the app would affect the ability of tens of thousands of potential viewers and content creators to express themselves every month and would also hurt its ability to hire new talent. In addition, Hall argued that a ban would prevent existing users from automatically receiving security updates, eroding national security. Justice Department lawyer Daniel Schwei said that Chinese companies are not purely private and are subject to intrusive laws compelling their cooperation with intelligence agencies. The Justice Department has also argued that economic regulations of this nature generally are not subject to First Amendment scrutiny. This is the most immediate national security threat, argued Schwei. It is a threat today. It is a risk today and therefore it deserves to be addressed today even while other things are ongoing and playing out. Schwei also argued that TikTok lawyers failed to prove the company would suffer irreparable business harm. The Justice Department laid out its objections to TikToks motion for a temporary injunction in a brief under seal, but it was unsealed in redacted form to protect confidential business information. Trump set the process in motion with executive orders in August that declared TikTok and another Chinese app, WeChat, threats to national security. The White House says the video service is a security risk because the personal information of its millions of U.S. users could be handed over to Chinese authorities. Trump has given tentative approval to a proposed deal in which Oracle and Walmart could initially own a combined 20% of a new U.S. entity, TikTok Global. But Trump also said he could retract his approval if Oracle doesnt have total control of the company; the president did not explain what he meant by that. The deal remains unfinalized, and the two sides have also appeared at odds over the corporate structure of TikTok Global. ByteDance said last week that it will still own 80% of the U.S. entity after a financing round. Oracle, meanwhile, put out a statement saying that Americans will be the majority and ByteDance will have no ownership in TikTok Global. Government-owned media in China have criticized the deal as bullying and extortion. ByteDance said Thursday it has applied for a Chinese technology export license after Beijing tightened control over exports last month in an effort to gain leverage over Washingtons attempt to force an outright sale of TikTok to U.S. owners. Chinas foreign ministry has said the government will take necessary measures to safeguard its companies but gave no indication what steps it can take to affect TikToks fate in the United States. TikTok is also asking a federal court to declare Trumps Aug. 6 executive order unlawful. The Chinese firm said the president doesnt have the authority to take these actions under the national-security law he cited; that the ban violates TikToks First Amendment speech rights and Fifth Amendment due-process rights; and that theres no authority for the restrictions because they are not based on a national emergency. MEXICO CITY - There were mass cremations of bodies; entire families died and the inhabitants of the city, afraid to pull their bodies out, simply collapsed their homes on top of them to bury them on the spot. The scene, beyond even the current coronavirus pandemic, was a scourge brought 500 years ago by Spanish conquistadores and their servants that exploded in Mexico City in September 1520. Smallpox and other newly introduced diseases went on to kill tens of millions of Indigenous people in the Americas who had no resistance to the European illnesses. The viruses later spread to South America, and helped lead to the downfall and overthrow of empires like the Aztecs and Incas. And its lessons remain largely forgotten today. Hernan Cortes and his band of a few hundred Spaniards had been kicked out of the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan, todays Mexico City, on June 30, 1520, by angry residents after the conquistadores took the emperor Moctezuma captive and he died. But the Spaniards left behind Indigenous and African slaves they had brought with them from Cuba. Some of them were already infected with smallpox, and amid the harsh conditions in the capital Cortes and his allies blockaded the city after the June defeat. Historian Miguel Leon Portilla in his book The Vision of the Conquered cites chroniclers who described it as a great plague ... a huge destroyer of people. Cuitlahuac, Moctezumas successor, died of the disease in 1520. The Aztecs, or Mexicas as they were known, tried long-trusted remedies to combat the unknown disease. Like the coronavirus pandemic, that did not necessarily work out well. They tried medicinal steam baths known as temezcales, a sort of sweat lodge, but because people were packed so tightly into the enclosed stone and mud chambers, the baths served only to propagate the disease more efficiently. It was a massive group contagion, said medical historian Sandra Guevara, Cortes and his men would reenter and conquer the disease-ravaged city a year later in August 1521. By then, due to smallpox, battles and food shortages caused by the conquistadores blockade, there were so many rotting corpses in the street that Cortes briefly decided to move the Spaniards new capital to a town further south to avoid the pestilent smell. Outside the Aztec capital, those Indigenous people who remained dealt with the first smallpox epidemic and later plagues by that and other diseases wound up killing most of the pre-Hispanic population by doing what they continued to do for centuries: retreat into hard-to-reach areas and try to block themselves off from the outside world. During the coronavirus pandemic, many Indigenous communities retreated to the centuries-old ways, setting up roadblocks to prevent outsiders from entering their villages. We are living through today something like what they (our ancestors) might have felt, Guevara said. Apart from failed cures and almost medieval strategies, it remains unclear how much humanity has learned from one of the greatest mass die-offs due to epidemics. In the case of smallpox, humanity won the battle: the disease gave rise to the first successful vaccine in 1796, and the World Health Organization declared the disease eradicated outside laboratories in 1980. But such victories bred arrogance, experts say. In the last 50 years, a certain arrogance has prevailed in the medical community, thinking that we had brought all the infectious diseases under control, said Jose Esparza, a professor of medicine at the University of Maryland Institute of Human Virology. This pandemic has given us a big surprise. Humanity has learned lessons from diseases, Guevara notes. Cholera taught us the importance of clean water and sanitation; AIDS changed sexual behaviour. The important thing is how we deal with it, said Guevara. We have to learn that humanity cannot control everything. Read more about: While the organizers of Austin-based music festival South-by-Southwest, havent ruled out an in-person event for next year, it is hedging bets with a digital version of the acclaimed event. SXSW, one of the first major arts festivals shuttered by the pandemic last March, has announced it will go online from March 16 to March 21, 2021. The event will include conference keynotes and sessions, screenings, showcases, networking, and exhibitions. Performance spots will be granted first to artists who were previously scheduled for the 2020 event. For more information, visit the festival site at sxsw.com. Shop for concert tickets here: StubHub, SeatGeek, Ticketmaster. President Cyril Ramaphosa has detailed the governments plan to address the problem of load-shedding in South Africa. In his weekly mail to the nation, he referred to the procurement of power from independent power producers (IPPs) as well as the procurement of renewable electricity generation and additional provision for self-generation as cornerstones of the governments plan to eliminate load-shedding. Every South African knows how important electricity is in our lives. When it is available no one thinks about it, Ramaphosa said. But when we have load shedding everything just goes wrong in our lives at home, in our work environment and practically in every facet of our lives. He acknowledged the precarious nature of the countrys national electricity grid, stating that Eskoms coal-fired power generation infrastructure is ageing and vulnerable to breakdowns. Reliable and affordable electricity is the lifeblood of the economy, he said, adding that South Africa is still heavily dependent on fossil fuels for electricity generation. The plan to stop load-shedding Ramaphosa said it is vital to increase the countrys power generation capacity, referring to the recently gazetted determinations that will allow for more than 11,800MW of power to be procured from IPPs. This signals governments clear intention to move ahead with one of the key reforms that are needed to unlock the growth of our economy and attract much-needed investment, he said. This new energy will be procured from diverse sources, including solar, wind, gas, coal, and storage. He said new generation projects that can be connected to the grid as soon as possible will be prioritised and the next step will be to initiate procurement bidding windows, including opening Bid Window 5 of the renewable energy IPP programme. Self-generation licensing requirements for facilities under 1MW have been removed, and to date 156 self-generation facilities under 1MW have been registered. For facilities that can generate above 1 megawatt, the National Energy Regulator of South Africa is improving its licensing processes to improve turnaround time, he said. Further work is being undertaken to reform the regulatory environment to ensure that we make fuller use of the great potential in this country for self-generation among commercial and industrial users. He said that new regulations will soon be gazetted which will allow municipalities to buy their own electricity from IPPs. Huge step forward in energy policy reform Ramaphosa noted that a reform of the countrys energy policy is needed to improve national electricity availability, and referred to the stabilisation of Eskom as an important factor in this reform. In this regard, we are working to restore Eskoms operational capabilities and restructure Eskom to fundamentally change the way in which we generate and transmit electricity in our country, he said. We are making progress in overcoming the challenges that Eskom has been facing over a number of years. He said that the energy policy reform the government is working on is aimed at reducing the impact of electricity interruptions on businesses and promoting investment. The latest developments I have highlighted in this letter represent a huge, fundamental step forward in the implementation of our ambitious energy plan, Ramaphosa said. The procurement of power from independent producers will significantly increase investment in the sector, particularly in renewables and gas. This will attract greater investment in energy and create much-needed jobs, and spur business development and localisation, he said. Now read: Labour unions call for Eskom board and executives to resign Thermo Fisher Scientific Offers the Opportunity to Ask at the Applied Biosystems Genetic Analysis Virtual Conference, September 29 & 30, 2020. Serving as an opportunity to engage with fellow scientists in various genetic analysis fields, the Applied Biosystems Genetic Analysis virtual conference is being held virtually September 2930, 2020, on the LabRoots platform, starting at 6am PDT, 9am EDT, 2pm BST, 3pm CEST, 4pm EEST. Across the two days, a line-up of more than 30 leading researchers and scientists will share expertise on a wide variety of topics including, COVID-19 testing, infectious disease research as well as SARS-CoV-2, clinical oncology and cancer research, reproductive health and inherited disease research, polygenic risk scores and population health, pharmacogenomics, agrigenomics, and animal health. Key education points for attendees (with credits awarded) will include: Learn about TaqPath COVID-19 testing solutions, the impact flu season may have, and how Applied Biosystems are helping back to life efforts. Learn from clinical oncology and cancer research experts about the importance of chromosomal microarrays, MSI analysis, and immuno-oncology research. Learn what it takes to achieve widespread adoption of polygenic risk scores in the clinic. In addition to the talks and poster sessions, this event is an opportunity to ask questions surrounding genetic analysis research. There will be an Ask an Expert networking lounge, instrument demonstration hall, and exhibit hall showcasing Applied Biosystems research technologies such as real-time PCR, Sanger sequencing, microarray analysis, and others. Geoffrey Cassell, PhD, Senior Market Development Manager at Thermo Fisher commented, We are really excited to connect with other scientists during this time, and to offer this engaging opportunity to our customers. To view the full agenda and to register for the event, click here. About Thermo Fisher Scientific Thermo Fisher Scientifics mission is to enable our customers to make the world healthier, cleaner and safer. Whether our customers are accelerating life sciences research, solving complex analytical challenges, improving patient diagnostics and therapies or increasing productivity in their laboratories, we are here to support them. Our global team of more than 75,000 colleagues delivers an unrivalled combination of innovative technologies, purchasing convenience and pharmaceutical services through our industry-leading brands, including Thermo Scientific, Applied Biosystems, Invitrogen, Fisher Scientific, Unity Lab Services and Patheon. About LabRoots LabRoots is the leading scientific social networking website, as well as a primary source for scientific trending news, premier educational virtual events/webinars and more. Contributing to the advancement of science through content-sharing capabilities, LabRoots is a powerful advocate in amplifying global networks and communities. Founded in 2008, LabRoots emphasizes digital innovation in scientific collaboration and learning. Offering articles and webcasts that go beyond the mundane and explore the latest discoveries in the world of science, LabRoots users can stay atop their field by gaining Continuing Education Credits from a wide range of topics through their participation in the webinars and virtual events. San Francisco: Northern California's wine country was on fire again on Monday as strong winds fanned flames in the already badly scorched region, forcing thousands of people to flee their homes in the dark of night. Residents of the Oakmont Gardens assisted living home in Santa Rosa boarded brightly lit city buses overnight, some wearing bathrobes and using walkers. They wore masks to protect against the coronavirus as orange flames marked the dark sky. Residents of the Oakmont Gardens senior home were evacuated late at night. Credit:AP Flames also engulfed the Chateau Boswell Winery north of St Helena. The Adventist Health St Helena hospital suspended care and transferred all patients elsewhere, according to a statement on its website. "We just don't have words," state Senator Mike McGuire, a Democrat who represents Healdsburg, told KTVU-2 in Oakland. "It's an incredibly trying and emotional time right now." The ballistics report from the Kentucky State Police on the Breonna Taylor shooting could not determine that Taylor's boyfriend shot one of the officers who unleashed a barrage of 32 bullets into her apartment, contradicting statements made by the state attorney general, according to records obtained by ABC News. In an interview with ABC News, Steve Romines, one of the attorneys for Kenneth Walker, said "the Kentucky State Police's own ballistics report could not determine that Kenny's shot is who hit Officer [Jonathan] Mattingly." A Jefferson County grand jury decided not to indict Louisville Metro Police Sgt. Mattingly, Officer Myles Cosgrove and former police officer Brett Hankison in the death of Taylor based primarily on the fact that Walker fired the first shot in the fatal confrontation. Hankison was indicted on three felony counts of wanton endangerment for firing shots into Taylor's apartment that penetrated a wall of the residence of a white family next door to Taylor's apartment. But Cosgrove and Mattingly, who each fired multiple times into Taylor's darkened apartment, were found justified in their use of deadly force because Walker fired the first shot at them when they forced open Taylor's front door to serve a search warrant, according to Kentucky State Attorney General Daniel Cameron. PHOTO: Former Louisville Metro Police Officer Brett Hankison is pictured in a booking photo released by the Shelby County Detention Center in Kentucky on Sept. 23, 2020. (Shelby County Detention Center) Walker, 27, a licensed gun owner, was initially charged with attempted murder and assault following the March incident, but those charges were dropped. Walker has since filed a civil lawsuit against the Louisville police department, claiming they never knocked or announced themselves before they forced open Taylor's door. Walker claimed he fired a warning shot because he initially thought the police officers, who were in plain clothes, were intruders. Walker's civil suit also raises the possibility that Mattingly was wounded by friendly fire from one of the other officers. Walker's attorneys filed a court motion on Saturday, asking that the grand jury transcript and the full report on the investigation by the Metro Police's Public Integrity Unit be made public to "promote 'the ends of justice' and the search for the truth." The motion argues the material is important in Walker's freedom from further arrest and prosecution in the shooting. Story continues The motion claims that Walker "was fully justified in his reaction" to the officers barging into Taylor's apartment. During a news conference following the grand jury's announcement on Wednesday, Cameron was emphatic in his statement that the bullet fired by Walker, who was armed with a licensed 9mm handgun, struck Mattingly. "Kenneth Walker fired the shot that hit Sgt. Mattingly and there's no evidence to support that Sgt. Mattingly was hit by friendly fire from other officers," Cameron said. "Mr. Walker admitted that he fired one shot and was the first to shoot." But a portion of the Kentucky State Police ballistic report obtained by ABC News indicates that the one shot fired by Walker "was neither identified nor eliminated as having been fired" from his weapon "due to the limited markings of comparative value." Cameron, however, said that because Walker fired the first shot, Cosgrove and Mattingly were justified in returning fire to protect themselves. "This justification bars us from pursuing charges in Ms. Breonna Taylor's death," Cameron said. The attorney general's office did not immediately reply to ABC News' request for comment on the ballistics report. Attorneys for Taylor's family have called the grand jury proceedings a "sham" and are demanding that Cameron release the transcript of the entire hearing to see what evidence prosecutors from Cameron's office presented to the panel. The attorneys allege that prosecutors presented scant evidence, if any, that pertained to Taylor's death, and cited at least eleven witnesses who dispute Cameron's claim that the investigation showed the officers knocked on Taylor's door and announced themselves before using a battering ram to force the door open. Cameron claimed that statements from the officers that they knocked and announced their presence before entering Taylor's apartment "were corroborated by an independent witness, who was near in proximity to apartment 4," which was Taylor's unit. But Walker's attorneys say the witness changed his story. They told ABC News that a week after the shooting, the individual, who has not been publicly identified, claimed the officers did not identify themselves as police, yet two months later he said they did. Vice News published an alleged recording of the witness telling an investigator on March 21 that "nobody identified themselves." ABC has not independently verified the audio. Taylor, a 26-year-old Black woman and a certified emergency medical technician, was shot in her apartment around 1 a.m. on March 13 when the officers executed what a judge approved as a "no-knock" warrant based on a sworn affidavit from a detective that an ex-boyfriend of Taylor's was sending packages of drugs to her apartment through the U.S. Postal Service. No drugs were found in Taylor's apartment and lawyers for Taylor's family allege the warrant was secured with an affidavit that contained lies. The warrant required the police to verify with postal inspectors that the ex-boyfriend was receiving packages at Taylor's address. But lawyers for Taylor's family say the Louisville Postal Inspector denied that his office inspected packages sent to Taylor's home as part of a drug-trafficking investigation. MORE: Breonna Taylor's family demands release of transcripts from grand jury proceeding Cameron said his office did not investigate how the warrant was obtained. He said federal investigators are probing that aspect of the shooting. It remains unclear if any evidence was presented to the grand jury about the warrant except that police were at Taylor's apartment to serve one. Taylor, dressed in her nightclothes, was shot six times by bullets fired by Cosgrove and Mattingly, Cameron said. He said Cosgrove, Mattingly and Hankison fired a total of 32 shots into Taylor's apartment. Cameron said none of the 10 bullets fired by Hankison, who shot through a sliding glass patio door that had the blinds drawn, hit Taylor. MORE: Timeline: Inside the investigation of Breonna Taylor's killing and its aftermath The attorney general said an FBI ballistics analysis determined that the one fatal shot that hit Taylor came from Cosgrove's 40-caliber weapon. He said the Kentucky State Police ballistics analysis did not identify which of the three officers fired the fatal shot. That's why the FBI Crime Lab was asked to conduct an analysis to see if it reached the same results. MORE: Breonna Taylor protests in Louisville: Unlawful assembly declared on 2nd night of demonstrations Cameron said the special prosecutor's unit that investigated the shooting "looked at both reports to determine if there were major differences in the procedures used by each lab that would have led the FBI to identify who fired the fatal shot. Both law enforcement agencies used similar equipment and analysis, but issued different findings." Cameron would not say if the same duel analysis was conducted to determine where the shot that hit Mattingly came from. He would only say that the officers who fired into Taylor's apartment all had 40-caliber weapons and that Walker's gun was a 9mm pistol. Fred Moore, another attorney for Walker told ABC News that LMPD records show Hankison had a 9mm and two 40-caliber service weapons. Moore said it's been difficult to determine which weapons Hankison was armed with during the shooting because he disappeared and was unaccompanied for several hours after the incident. Romines added, "At that point in time, they didn't even know, and still don't know to this day, that Kenny's shot hit Officer Mattingly." Cameron has declined to answer further questions about the case, saying, "I'm prohibited from making comments that could sway public opinion or heighten public condemnation of those involved in the case." "As long as the case is making its way through our legal system, I can only speak in general terms about our independent investigation and findings," Cameron said last week. "As the prosecutor, I am prohibited by the Kentucky rules of professional conduct from making public comments that could in any way prejudice this case as it moves forward." Ballistics report raises questions in Breonna Taylor shooting originally appeared on abcnews.go.com Were you aware that earthquakes are sometimes associated with luminescence, called earthquake lightning? This phenomenon had been documented throughout history, such as between 1965 and 1967, the Matsushiro earthquake swarm caused the surrounding mountain to flicker with light multiple times. In 1993 when an earthquake caused a tsunami off the coast in Southwest Hokkaido which caused 5 boats resting at shore to instantly ignite and burn. Various models have been proposed to explain earthquake lightnings, and it seems as though various factors contribute to such light emissions. Professor Emeritus Yuji Enomoto of Shinshu University, first author of the study Laboratory investigation of earthquake lightning due to landslide does not think these incidents can be explained in a unified way using a single model. Therefore, the study focused on luminescence phenomenon caused by landslides. The team picked out various types of rock that form mountains representative of land across Japan; granite, pyroclastic rocks, rhyolite, limestone and serpentinite. What he found was that different rocks have different reasons for luminescence and some rocks such as serpentinite does not emit light at all. Granite is known to exhibit remarkable photoemission due to the piezo-induced effect of the quartz within. There have been witness accounts of earthquake lightning in areas without granite. The researchers looked at descriptions of earthquake lightning in the Japan Historical Earthquake Archives. At least 5 of the 55 accounts of earthquake lightnings were due to landslides since 869 A.D. You can probably imagine how light can be emitted when rocks collide violently. However, the luminescence of rocks is instantaneous and faint. For this reason, ultra-sensitive, high-speed, high resolution cameras and spectroscopes were required for the study. Fortunately, excellent cameras with an ISO sensitivity of 25,600 was available in the market at relatively low prices. For ultra-sensitive spectrum analysis, a device suitable for the purpose was commercially available but too expensive. Fortunately, the research team was able to borrow one from Konica Minolta, and the difficulty of continuing research was solved. Please view the attached video to see the method of the experiment, and different visual observations of the types of light emitted. There are many cases in which electromagnetic anomalies associated with earthquakes have been documented while the cause remains a mystery. Even though it is a rare phenomenon, Professor Emeritus Enomoto feels an obligation as a Geo-tribologist to elucidate such phenomena. He hopes understanding such phenomena will lead to the advancement of earthquake prediction and promote active disaster prevention. During the 2011 magnitude 9.0 Tohoku-Oki Earthquake, the number of electrons in the ionosphere suddenly increased above the epicenter of the earthquake about 10 minutes after the earthquake struck. Professor Emeritus Enomoto has studied this incident and proposed the lithosphere-hydrosphere-atmosphere-ionosphere coupling model in terms of current generation of charged mists. He is currently working to elucidate why in 1995, during the Hyogo-ken Nanbu Earthquake, the sky in the West which ordinarily remains dark became brighter than usual, and the color changed from bluish purple, white, then red. This is a difficult task. Professor Enomoto hopes to put together a research-outreach book that explains these incidents so that they can be understood by a wider audience. ### About 9% of people nationwide have been infected with the coronavirus, according to a new study led by Stanford School of Medicine investigators. This is the largest study to date to confirm that we are nowhere near herd immunity, said Julie Parsonnet, MD, professor of medicine and of epidemiology and population health, referring to the point at which a large part of the population becomes immune to a specific disease. Scientists estimate that 60%-70% of the population must have antibodies to the coronavirus before COVID-19, the disease the virus causes, fades, said Parsonnet, a co-author of the study. The findings were based on antibody levels from a cross section of patients on dialysis in July. The study also found significantly higher rates of infection among Black and Hispanic people and among people living in densely populated areas. With this survey, we were able to provide a very rich picture of the first wave of the COVID-19 outbreak in the U.S. that can hopefully help inform strategies to curb the epidemic moving forward by targeting vulnerable populations, said Shuchi Anand, MD, lead author of the study, which was published Sept. 25 in The Lancet. Glenn Chertow, MD, professor of medicine and chief of the division of nephrology, is the senior author. Density a large contributing factor The research was conducted by analyzing blood samples from more than 28,000 patients on dialysis across 46 states. The results indicate that population density may be the largest contributing factor to infection rates, Anand said. Antibodies are produced by the bodys immune system in response to an infection and can be measured in the blood for months and even years after someone is no longer infected. Antibody testing is essential for monitoring the pandemic, Parsonnet said. The advantage over swab testing is that it gives you more of a historical view. Its still uncertain how long antibodies remain in the blood of individuals after theyve had COVID-19, but estimates range from at least two months to much longer period of time, she said. Serology testing, which measures antibody levels in the blood, is commonly used to test for the occurrence of widespread illness, Parsonnet said. Stanford researchers chose to conduct this testing on dialysis patients for multiple reasons, among them the ready availability of leftover blood plasma samples from the large population of these patients who get monthly laboratory blood tests. Not only is this patient population representative of the U.S. population, but they are one of the few groups of people who can be repeatedly tested, Anand said. This is a potential strategy for ongoing SARS-CoV-2 antibody testing and surveillance. Since end-stage kidney disease is a Medicare-qualifying condition, these patients dont face many of the financial barriers to care that limit testing among the general population, Anand said. Unlike other studies that have aimed to determine the presence of antibodies to SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, these estimates are unaffected by whether people feel well or unwell, worried or not worried, or have access to testing or not, Chertow said. Testing 28,503 blood samples from patients on dialysis, the researchers found that 2,292 had antibodies to COVID-19, a prevalence of 8 percent in the sampling population, and 9.3 percent when standardized to the U.S. adult population. This study also showed a higher prevalence of undiagnosed cases consistent with other studies, Anand said. Other serologic surveys of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in the United States have been restricted to hotspots or underrepresented high-risk, vulnerable populations, and faced challenges to timely repetition and longitudinal follow-up, limiting their utility for surveillance, the study said. Wide variation in prevalence The Stanford study showed a wide variation in prevalence by neighborhood, ethnicity, income level and population density. Results showed disproportionally high antibody levels in Hispanic and Black populations (16.3%) compared with the white population (4.8%). And living in densely populated areas translated to a 10-fold higher risk of getting the disease than living in low-density areas. The study also showed a remarkable variation by state, with early pandemic hotspots showing significantly higher rates than their neighboring states. The study determined that 33.6% of the population of New York had antibodies, whereas that figure was 17.5% in Illinois. In Pennsylvania, it was 6.4%, and in California, it was only 3.8% There are limitations to relying on the dialysis population as a representative sampling for the nation, such as a higher proportion of those at increased risk of COVID-19 due to comorbidities. On the other hand, these patients are more often unemployed with less exposure to large groups. With repeated testing, these variations will become clearer, Anand said. This is a practical approach, Anand said. It may not be completely precise, but it is internally consistent. This could greatly help health agencies plan for how best to distribute resources and plan for vaccine distribution. Other Stanford authors are Maria Montez-Rath, PhD, biostatistician and senior research engineer; biostatistician Jialin Han. Paul Beyer, CEO of Ascend Clinical, co-conceived the project with Chertow. Other members of the Ascend clinical leadership also contributed to the work, carrying out the rapid and high-throughput testing of plasma. The study was funded by Ascend Clinical Laboratories. The Stanford researchers were funded by grants from the National Institutes of Health (grants 5K23DK101826 and NIDDK K24 DK085446) and by the Stanford Department of Medicine. The government has refuted claims that there was intelligence failure on its part in containing last Fridays attack in some parts of the Volta Region by the separatist group, Homeland Study Group Foundation (HSGF). Rather, the government says the security agencies swift response to the intelligence gathered by them led to the prevention of attacks on sensitive installations in the Volta Region. The Minister of Information, Mr Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, at a press briefing in Accra on Sunday, September 27, said, I can tell you as a matter of fact that there was no intelligence failure Indeed, the direst aspect of what the intelligence suggested these persons wanted to do was contained by the security agencies. To the effect that they had intentions to, for example, blow up and burn the whole market, attack sensitive installations like the Akosombo dam, Akuse dam and the Adomi Bridge, the first response was to ensure that these installations were secured, he said. He, therefore, commended the securities agencies for doing a good job. They picked up the intelligence and analysed to a point when they determined it as actionable and actually took action to prevent the direst part of the intelligence, he said. The HSGF on Friday mounted roadblocks on the JuapongAccra and SogakopeAccra main roads. The group, led by 83-year-old Charles Kormi Kudzordzi, has been championing an agenda to declare parts of the Volta and the Oti regions a sovereign state, with the name Western Togoland. On November 16, 2019, the leader, with about 100 people in attendance at Moleme in Ho, unlawfully declared the Volta Region as a sovereign state of Western Togoland. 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 If history is any indicator, Fox News will handily sweep cable competitors CNN and MSNBC in total average viewers for Tuesday nights presidential debate, the first between Republican incumbent President Donald Trump and Democratic nominee Joe Biden. The winner in the key demo of viewers between 25 and 54, however, might be CNN, which won the advertiser-coveted age demo two of the last three cycles. In 2008, according to Nielsen Media Research, 8.211 million total average viewers watched Fox News as Democratic nominee Barack Obama took on his senatorial colleague Republican John McCain. CNN was close behind with 7.140 total average viewers for the 9 p.m. ET face-off, while MSNBC trailed behind with 3.922 million. CNN was the winner that year in the demo, however: It had an average of 3.272 demo viewers. Fox News pulled in an average of 2.612 million viewers from 25 to 54 and MSNBC grabbed 1.691 million, on average. Also Read: CNN's Poppy Harlow Shuts Down Trump Spokesperson Who Tries to Deflect Tax Inquiry: 'I Ask the Questions' (Video) In 2012, incumbent Obama squared off with former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney, and Fox News beat its total and demo 2008 numbers, as did MSNBC. CNN... Read original story Why Fox News Should Dominate Cable News Ratings for 1st Presidential Debate At TheWrap New Zealand to Upgrade Trade via Belt and Road, Chinese State Media Reports New Zealand and China will upgrade its free trade agreement (FTA) within the framework of the controversial Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), according to a report by Chinese Global Television Network (CGTN) on Sept. 25. Gao Feng, a spokesperson from the Chinese Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM), reportedly announced the news at the virtual ChinaNew Zealand Joint Committee of Trade and Economy meeting on Sept. 23. The upgrade aims to deepen cooperation in infrastructure, agriculture, and tourism, Gao said. CGTN reported that New Zealand and China would also maintain communication on research, medicine, and vaccine development. New Zealand and China concluded negotiations for the upgraded FTA in November 2019. It is yet to be passed by the New Zealand government and currently is at the stage where submissions from the public are being heard. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern speaks to media during a press conference at Parliament in Wellington, New Zealand, on June 17, 2020. (Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images) In 2017 the former New Zealand government signed a Memorandum of Arrangement (MOA) with the Chinese regime to develop a plan for New Zealand to join the BRI within 18 months. The MOA was delayed when the former government lost the election. However, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern noted in a speech in April 2019 that she discussed the Belt and Road Initiative with Li Keqiang, Chinas premier, during her state visit to the communist nation in 2019. At the same time, David Parker, the minister for trade and export growth, attended the Belt and Road Forum hosted by CCP leader Xi Jinping in Beijing in April 2019. After attending the conference, Parker said: The Belt and Road Forum provided a further opportunity for China and New Zealand to discuss possible avenues and opportunities for effective, transparent cooperation under a Belt and Road work plan. US Warns Five Eyes Allies Against BRI U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo declared in May that the United States would disconnect from any partner that it saw as putting at risk its national interestsincluding by signing up to the BRI. In an interview on SkyNews, Pompeo warned Australia and its Five Eyes allies to look very closely at BRI agreements. Theres often money loaned at concessional rates or conditions placed in the debt documents or government concessions that have to be made to the Chinese Communist Party to get those Belt and Road Initiative projects built. Those present real riskreal risk to the people in that region, a real risk to your country, Pompeo said. Currently, a representative from the New Zealand Ministry for Foreign Affairs and Trade confirmed to The Epoch Times on Sept. 29 that New Zealand officials are still continuing to talk to their Chinese counterparts about the BRI and how it could benefit New Zealand especially around cooperation on international trade and environment initiatives. A debate is raging in some Christian circles about a perceived lack of a biblical basis for youth ministry. Some are blaming youth work for the much-reported departure of young adults from the church following high school. Proponents of the anti-youth ministry movement contend that there is no support in the Bible for an age-divided church. These voices argue that because churches have segregated the various generations into ministry silos (including childrens ministry, young ministry, and college-age ministry), there is a lack of inter-generational connections in the church, which has resulted in a mass exodus of emerging adults from the church. The Next Generation Principle in Scripture However, interwoven throughout the narrative of Scripture is a rather obvious principle. Each generation is expected to reproduce their faith in the lives of the succeeding generation. There are numerous personal illustrations of this next generation principle in the Bible. Here are a few examples. 1. Moses ministry in the life of Joshua. The story of Moses is certainly one of the most compelling leadership accounts in the Bible. Moses may have been one of the greatest leaders the world has ever known. Yet, he was a man with all-too-human flaws and weaknesses one of which became the Achilles Heel that kept him from entering the promised land (Deuteronomy 32:51-52). One of Moses greatest accomplishments may have been his positive response to Gods instruction to train Joshua to be his successor as the next leader of Israel (Numbers 27:12-23). The Old Testament narrative describes how Moses willingly trained young Joshua to lead during the next stage of Israels history. This story is a great illustration of how God wanted His people to reproduce their faith in the lives of the next generation. The full narrative of the nation of Israel also contains a negative example of how Joshua personally failed in his own implementation of what Moses had taught him about leadership. The account is found in Judges 2:7-10. Gods Word makes a point to tell readers that the people served the Lord all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua. But the story takes a disappointing turn in verse 10, When all that generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation arose after them who did not know the Lord nor the work which He has done for Israel. Joshua failed to do what Moses had done with him. He did not invest his life in someone younger to take his place. 2. Gods command to Israel. Another example of this principle is found in a similar account of Gods clear instruction to Israel in Deuteronomy 6. In this passage, the Word of God emphasizes the Shema, a twice-daily prayer that helped the Jewish people understand and remember the role that their relationship with God should have in their lives. Hear O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one! You shall love the Lord your God will all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength (Deuteronomy 6:4). Obviously, the main focus of this chapter is for parents, especially fathers (Deuteronomy 6:2), to teach these words diligently to their children (Deuteronomy 6:6) as life happened. Godly parents were expected to make their love for God such a priority that it would permeate every aspect of their lives and that life itself should be considered as a teaching opportunity to communicate these truths to their children. There is one other emphasis in Deuteronomy 6 that deserves attention. Notice that this chapter (verses 3 and 4, Hear, O Israel.), and the entire book of Deuteronomy (Deuteronomy 1:1, These are the words which Moses spoke to all Israel) is written to the nation of Israel as a whole. Youth worker and author, Mike McGarry makes an important point in his book, A Biblical Theology of Youth Ministry, Parents were given the primary calling to impress the commands of Scripture on their childrens minds and hearts, but this was never meant for parents alone All the generations of Israel were expected to come together in order to raise up the younger generations for covenantal faithfulness. The Jewish people were obviously a part of a community of what God was doing. Parents were never expected to carry the total burden of teaching and training their children alone. The community as a whole was actively involved in the process of communicating Gods truth to the next generation. 3. Elijahs ministry in the life of Elisha. Another Old Testament example of this principle is found in the story of Elijah and his follower, Elisha. 1 Kings 19 gives the account of God telling Elijah to anoint Elisha to be a prophet in his place (1 Kings 19:16). There is a very revealing statement in verse 21 of that chapter. (Elisha) followed Elijah, and became his servant. Elisha was expected to learn from Elijah by staying close to him and by watching how Elijah lived and ministered. Elijah obeyed the Lord and committed himself to training someone younger who could carry on his work after he was taken by the Lord up into heaven (2 Kings 2:11). 4. Christs ministry with His disciples. Christ Himself also vividly demonstrated this principle in his ministry with His disciples. There is biblical evidence that suggests that the majority of Jesus followers were young men at the time of His training ministry with them. There may have been only two of His disciples who were grownups at the time. One would be the Apostle Peter, whom the Bible tells us was married (Matthew 8:14-15). The other would be Matthew who was already employed as a tax collector (Matthew 9:9-12) when he was called to follow Jesus. It is obvious from reading the gospels that Jesus focused His earthly ministry on training the next generation. He called them to walk away from their families to be discipled by someone other than their parents. This group of students was mostly young men who were called and trained by Christ to carry on His ministry on Earth after He returned to heaven. 5. Pauls ministry with younger men. The Bible also contains several examples of how the Apostle Paul invested his life in the lives of younger men. Two notable examples jump out of the pages of the New Testament. The first was John Mark who was obviously a young man when he was chosen to accompany Paul (and Barnabas) on the very first missions trip ever (This account is found in Acts 12-13). The other was Timothy, a young man from a humanly dysfunctional family, who was also recruited by Paul to go along with him on another missionary endeavor. (This story is located in Acts 16:1-8). These two young men are introduced in Scripture alongside their parents, and yet they too were discipled by someone else. Its interesting to also note in Scripture that Paul expected his personal students to keep this pattern of discipling the next generation going. 2 Timothy 2:2 puts it this way, The things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. In this letter to his disciple, Paul made his instructions quite clear. Timothy too was to invest his life in the lives of the next generation and to intentionally train other younger men to carry on this strategy as well. Other Biblical Principles to Consider The Bible also contains some important educational principles that apply to this question. Passages such as 1 Corinthians 13:11, (When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things) that give credence to an age-segregated teaching ministry. It only makes sense to realize that children learn at a different level than do adults. Another key passage that provides important instruction for church ministries is Ephesians 4:14-16, that we should not longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into the head Christ. Its clear from this text that the church has a biblical responsibility to help children grow up spiritually by providing instruction from called and qualified pastor/teachers (Ephesians 4:11). Later, in this same Epistle, the Apostle Paul turns his attention to parents, especially fathers, by challenging them to bring up their own children in the training and admonition of the Lord. These two God-ordained institutions (the church and Christian parents) are to be actively involved in the process of helping children grow in spiritual maturity. Here too, the vitally important process of raising children for the Lord was never intended to fall on parents only. The New Testament presents the training functions that a community of believers in the local church can have as well. Practical Applications for Today The Bible presents this important principle. Each generation is expected to reproduce their faith in the lives of future generations. Of course, this mandate applies to Christian parents who have the primary responsibility of raising children to grow up in spiritual maturity. However, parents were not expected in Scripture to shoulder this responsibility all alone. Believers have historically been a part of a community of other godly people, some of whom who have the God-given calling and privilege to teach and disciple the next generation to actively live for the Lord and to serve Him. Christian parents must take their responsibility to raise their children in the training and admonition of the Lord very seriously, but they do not have to do it by themselves. Gods community today, the local church, has other godly adults who can be used by God to assist in the discipling process of the next generation. Thats what youth ministry is all about. Photo Credit: iStock/Getty Images Plus/jacoblund Mel Walker is the president of Vision For Youth, Inc., an international network of youth ministry, and he is currently in the process of raising financial support to serve with VFY on a full-time basis. Mel has been actively involved in various aspects of youth ministry for over 45 years. He is also an author, speaker, and consultant with churches. Mel has written 13 books on various subjects relating to youth ministry. More information about his speaking and writing ministry can be found at www.YouthMinistryQuestions.com. Mel & Peggy Walker are the parents of 3 adult childrenall of whom are in vocational ministry. You can follow him on Twitter: @vfyouth. Chinese leader Xi Jinping delivers a speech during the opening session of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Oct. 18, 2017. (Etienne Oliveau/Getty Images) Debunking the Lies of the Chinese Communist Party Commentary At the General Debate of the 75th Session of the United Nations General Assembly via videoconference, Chinese leader Xi Jinping said that China will honor its commitment of providing $2 billion of international assistance and provide another $50 million to the U.N. COVID-19 Global Humanitarian Response Plan. He also claimed, We will never seek hegemony, expansion, or sphere of influence. We have no intention to fight either a cold war or a hot war with any country. We will continue to narrow differences and resolve disputes with others through dialogue and negotiation. Xi stressed, We do not seek to develop only ourselves or engage in a zero-sum game. We will not pursue development behind closed doors. This kind of soft talk can be persuasive, and some people might even believe what he said. But I think few people will listen, particularly those who insist people lie but sometimes tell the truth. After all, with the U.S.-China trade war, the implementation of the Hong Kong version of the national security law that totally destroyed Hong Kongs one country, two systems, and the spread of COVID-19, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has clearly demonstrated its false, evil, and fighting nature. As stated in The Epoch Times editorial series, the Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party, Believing the words of the Communist Partyno matter what the issue may bewill cost ones life. We have seen this happen repeatedly and the worlds people must not be naive. Xi Jinpings remarks sound familiar. On April 10, 1974, former CCP leader Deng Xiaoping said at the U.N. General Assembly: China is not a superpower, nor will she ever seek to be one. If one day China should change her color and turn into a superpower, if she too should play the tyrant in the world, and everywhere subject others to her bullying, aggression and exploitation, the people of the world should identify her as social-imperialism, expose it, oppose it and work together with the Chinese people to overthrow it. Coincidentally, when Hong Kong returned to China in 1997, Deng promised a high degree of autonomy in Hong Kong for 50 years, including judicial independence, freedom of the press, liberty, and the rule of law. However, the situation changed only 23 years later, and it was destroyed in the hands of the current regime. Xi repeated what Deng said 46 years ago, but in fact the world has already been quietly occupied by the CCP, which is bullying, invading, and exploiting all over the world. Two Spanish journalists have spent two years traveling to 25 countries and conducting more than 500 interviews, uncovering the corruption of Communist Chinas quiet occupation of the world. They documented their findings in their book, Chinas Silent Army. The authors found that China is plundering the earths natural resources and taking advantage of the worlds peoplefrom Turkmenistans natural gas, Dubais shopping malls to Congos mines. Products and manpower from China are changing the global business model. Chinese merchants not only occupied the most prosperous main street in Dhaka, the capital of Senegal, but also took over Burmas forests and jade mines. In Peru, a miner who worked for a Chinese state-owned company said: We feel like we are living in a Chinese colony. Chinese companies have also brought Chinese laborers into Africa, abused overseas workers, damaged the environment in various places, and even colluded with the greedy political dignitaries of various countries to take advantage of them, according to the Spanish journalists. For more than a decade, Chinas economy has grown by exploiting labor and paying low wages. Ultra-cheap sweatshop goods caused global deflation. It has also caused dissatisfaction in foreign countries, with boycotts, retaliations, and even riots. The burning of Chinese shoes in Elche, the capital of Spains footwear industry, in September 2004 is a notable example. Some overseas Chinese business owners in Spain imported a large number of cheap footwear products from China and opened shoe factories and warehouse-style wholesale and retail stores in Elche. A good pair of Chinese shoes was shipped to Spain for only five euros, while the lowest price of Spanish-made shoes was eight euros. The price difference of three euros gave Chinese shoes a huge advantage in the Spanish market. At that time, there were dozens of Chinese shoe shops in Elche, which forced Spanish shoe factories to close down one after another. Not only Spain, but even the worlds number one economic power, the United States, has felt the threat of Chinas low-priced products. The book Death by China: Confronting the DragonA Global Call to Action by White House adviser Peter Navarro and expert Greg Autry describes how Chinas economic rise is threatening the U.S. economy. The book points out that the CCP uses all possible weaponsprotectionism, currency manipulation, cyber-attacks, and espionageto launch attacks on every front. In the United States, some Chinese products, including toxic food and toys, and contaminated drugs, have caused serious harm or even killed consumers. At the same time, large U.S. companies formed alliances with Chinese state-owned enterprises, destroying American manufacturing. Confronting the Chinese regime has been a top priority for the Trump administration. The ultimate goal is to awaken the whole world to oppose the CCP and work with the Chinese to defeat the CCP. It has now reached a critical point. How can we continue to believe in the lies of the CCP, and not rush to form an alliance under the leadership of the United States to overthrow the CCP regime and save the world from destruction? Wu Huilin, Ph.D., a former National Taiwan University Economics professor, is a visiting scholar at Chicago University Economics Department, a researcher at Chung-Hua Institution for Economic Research, professor at Shih Hsin University and professor at the Graduate Institute of Technological & Vocational Education at National Taipei University of Technology. He authored The Surface and Truth of Chinas Economic Reform, and published over 100 scholarly articles and current affairs commentaries. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. MARLBOROUGH A group of 10 firefighters from Connecticut and Massachusetts has returned home after spending the last several weeks helping to battle wildfires in northern California. The contingent left Connecticut on Sept. 4 and initially worked with the Hoopa Tribe on the Hoopa Valley Reservation, which is located in the northwestern part of the state. They later helped with the response to the Red Salmon Complex blaze, which had encompassed more than 172 square miles (446 square kilometers) as of Tuesday in the nearby Shasta-Trinity National Forest. Some of the firefighters appeared Saturday at the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protections Eastern District Headquarters. The group includes four full-time DEEP employees, one full-time employee from Rhode Islands Department of Environmental Management, and five private individuals who were hired temporarily by the federal government. Nine are from Connecticut and one is from Massachusetts. Rich Scalora, the crew boss, told reporters the firefighters often worked 2 p.m. to 2 a.m. swing shifts performing burnout operations or putting fire on the ground to help control the blaze and stop the wildfire from advancing. Scalora said the time spent in California was a rewarding and valuable learning experience, albeit a challenging one. We didnt see the sun the whole time we were out there. It was completely smoke-obscured, he said. We were seeing smoke all day, every day. When youre sleeping in your tent, theres smoke. Unfortunately, thats just California this time of year. Connecticuts environmental protection agency maintains a roster of agency staff whove been certified to fight forest or wildfires. They must complete a rigorous training program and participate in an annual physical test, as well as refresher training. Its part of a reciprocal aid program run by the U.S. Forest Service, which makes trained personnel available from other states to help Connecticut in case theres a fire emergency or other natural disaster. The states expenses associated with the deployments are fully reimbursed by the U.S. Forest Service. This was the second group of Connecticut Interstate Fire Crew firefighters that Connecticut has sent this season. A previous group of 10 was deployed in late July to assist with wildfire response in the Modoc National Forest area in northeastern California. Two full-time DEEP staff members were part of that group. ZAMBOANGA CITY Eight villages in the southern Philippine province of Sulu are now free from the influence of the pro-ISIS group Abu Sayyaf... Fear of further lockdowns has sparked the return of people panic-buying loo rolls and supermarket rationing. But if you come down with Covid-19 and can't get to the shops, a toilet roll isn't going to help tackle your symptoms or make you more comfortable. Here, CAROLINE JONES asks the health experts what supplies we should be stocking up on in addition to a decent thermometer just in case . . . People have been rushing to panic-buy loo rolls at supermarkets once again as coronavirus cases continue to rise PARACETAMOL A standard box of 24 paracetamol tablets is a necessary basic for dealing with fevers and pain, says Dr Nisa Aslam, a GP in London. A standard box of 24 paracetamol tablets is a necessary basic for dealing with fevers and pain It's not clear exactly how the pills work, but with a fever they're thought to affect the area of the brain that regulates body temperature. With pain they block the production of chemicals called prostaglandins, which are responsible for sending pain messages to the brain. Massive demand in March, when Covid cases were increasing fast, led to a shortage across the UK. 'If you can't find any, cold and flu combination tablets or remedies that you make up into a liquid, such as Lemsip, also contain paracetamol,' says Dr Aslam. But she warns: 'Be aware that they often contain caffeine and decongestants, so may not be suitable for everyone, especially those with heart conditions.' O.R.S. Hydration Tablets (4.32, boots.com) REHYDRATION TABS 'The fever caused by Covid-19 can make your body lose more fluid than usual through sweating, as can diarrhoea and vomiting,' says Dr Aslam. 'Drink plenty of water or diluted squash or you could try a rehydration drink.' O.R.S. Hydration Tablets (4.32, boots.com) can be dissolved into a glass of water and contain electrolytes vital salts such as sodium and potassium which keep the muscles and nervous system functioning properly plus sugar for energy, which the body loses when dehydrated. MENTHOL CHEST BALM Rubbing a menthol balm such as Vicks VapoRub (4.35, boots.com) on your chest can help soothe an inflamed airway A persistent dry cough is a common symptom of Covid-19. Rubbing a menthol balm such as Vicks VapoRub (4.35, boots.com) on your chest or back and inhaling it can help soothe an inflamed airway, reducing discomfort and coughs, says Dr Aslam. LEMON AND HONEY Mixing hot water with lemon juice and a little honey can help ease the symptoms of a dry cough Mixtures containing glycerol or sucrose in particular will ease the dry cough that is associated with the coronavirus. If you don't have cough syrup at home, mix hot water with lemon juice and a little honey. Dr Aslam says: 'Like the glycerol in cough syrup, honey's viscous nature coats and soothes the inflamed tissue in the throat.' A PULSE OXIMETER A pulse oximeter, a device that clips on to the end of your finger, can check for low blood oxygen levels Low blood oxygen levels are a sign that Covid-19 symptoms are worsening you can check this with a pulse oximeter, a device that clips on to the end of your finger. Available from some High Street chemists or online from around 20, devices for home use are a good idea for those with existing lung conditions, suggests Dr Gero Baiarda, an NHS GP in Windsor. 'A normal reading is 95 per cent or higher: if your resting reading is much lower or quickly drops away from normal, you should seek medical attention,' he says. REGULAR MEDICATION Having ample supplies of regular medication you may need for conditions such as high blood pressure is beneficial 'Have ample supplies of regular medication you need for conditions such as high blood pressure or type 2 diabetes,' says Sultan Dajani, a pharmacist based in Eastleigh, Hampshire. If you have asthma, check your prescribed inhaler hasn't expired, adds Dr Aslam. 'If you get Covid, it's likely you'll need to use your blue inhaler [which contains salbutamol, a drug that relaxes the muscles in the airway] a lot more, so order a repeat prescription just in case.' If you're confined to your house, ask if your local pharmacy can deliver your prescriptions to your door. THE BASICS Buying extra manual toothbrushes or electric toothbrush heads (left) and using single-use paper towels in your bathroom is also recommended It's worth buying extra manual toothbrushes or toothbrush heads in case someone gets sick at home. 'The coronavirus could spread from sharing toothbrushes, or brushes being kept too close together, so store each person's separately,' says Dr Aslam. 'If someone gets infected, you should throw away their toothbrush and replace it.' The hand towel in your bathroom can also harbour virus particles, adds Dr Baiarda. 'Single-use paper towels are the best way to dry your hands at this time.' You'll also need a good-quality hand cream for skin that is cracked and dry after repeated washing. A SUPPORT NETWORK If you live alone, check online for local Facebook help groups, or register with the free neighbourhood network nextdoor.com 'Make a list of people who can fetch regular prescriptions and food if you're sick and housebound and chat it over with them now,' advises Dr Amber Woodcock, a specialist in acute medicine at Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. If you live alone, check online for local Facebook help groups, or register with the free neighbourhood network nextdoor.com to find information about coronavirus volunteers in your area. LOS ANGELES, Sept. 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The Lexani Motorcars G-77 Sky Master, a 33 ft. hyper-luxury transporter, both revolutionized mobile offices, and brought new levels of prestige to traveling by road. The company recently debuted the first ever tour video of the vehicle's stunning interior, and it's truly something to behold. Every inch of the over-the-top rolling fortress has been retrofitted with the Southern California brand's craftsmanship, and state-of-the-art electronic appointments. Business Insider's Tim Levin quipped, "Its interior looks like a luxurious private jet!" He's not wrong. The Sky Master opens to a spacious and dramatic touring cabin with six custom power Italian leather seats boasting footrests, heating, massage options, and LM's signature airline-style tray tables. A thundering Bose home theater sound system, coupled with a 65" Curved Ultra HD TV built-into the front cabin partition, assures an unforgettable viewing experience. Beyond the stately captain's quarters is a kitchenette, restroom, and private VIP boardroom which astonishingly transforms from an all-in-one business station, into a comfortable rest area, with the touch of a button. Apple iPads, Mac Mini computers for video conferencing, and a 360-security monitoring system have been flawlessly integrated into the vehicle's user-controlled Control4 system. Not bad for being built on a blacked out and understated Ford F-550 platform. Kevin Cuenca recently took viewers inside the mega bus for the first time for an in depth walkthrough on the brand's youtube channel: VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7EknKp-LZec&t=4s VIP touring cabin amenities: Custom plush luxury seating for up to 6 VIPs - Custom Italian leather seating with recline, power footrests, heat, massage, and ventilation. Custom retractable airline writing tables at each sitting position Electronic privacy partition with 65" curved 4K Samsung Ultra HD TV Sony Blu-ray DVD player Apple TV Control4 Touchscreen system for audio and visual Heavy duty VIP cabin air conditioning system Bose Acoustimass home theater sound system with sub woofer GPS full-time monitoring screen 360 security monitoring system Individual overhead reading lights Ambient LED dimmable ceiling lights VIP ceramic window tint Electronic window blinds Custom luxury refreshment cabinets 24K Gold accents Mac computer keyboard and trackpad Intercom system Multiple USB and 12V charging stations Kitchenette amenities: Retractable Nespresso coffee maker Norcold mini fridge Microwave oven Prep surface with cutting board Restroom amenities: VIP Washbasin Ceramic toilet Crema Marfil marble floor Vanishing Vanity Mirror with TV 44 gallon capacity clear water tank Boardroom amenities: Plush leather bench seating for 4 converts to sleeping surface Dual Samsung 49" LED TVs Control4 Touchscreen system for audio and visual Sony Blu-ray DVD player Multiple storage cabinets All-in-one business station for Scan, Fax, & Print 24" Security monitoring screen Drivers cabin features: Clear and black water monitoring screen VIDEO BY: EKKOMEDIA.com Contact: Phone # (844) 453-9264 Email info@lexanimotorcars.com WWF/PA Wire Sir David Attenborough and Prince William Prince William and Sir David Attenborough are bringing the movies to them! Earlier this week, the 94-year-old naturalist and TV host joined the Duke of Cambridge, 38, at Kensington Palace, where the two enjoyed a private outdoor screening of Attenborough's upcoming film, David Attenborough: A Life On Our Planet. In a nod to their bond, new photos show William sitting in a director's chair with Attenborough's name on it, while the naturalist opts for a chair marked with the royal's moniker. The film, which is described as Attenborough's "most personal project to date," showcases "some of the most defining moments of his career as a naturalist and the devastating changes he has seen," according to a press release. RELATED: Prince William Says Fatherhood Gives Him 'New Purpose' to Fight for the Natural World GIAN EHRENZELLER/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock Prince William and David Attenborough Like Attenborough who has long documented the importance of the natural world William has also created a documentary focused on conservation efforts as well. Titled Prince William: A Planet For Us All, the documentary tracks his conservation battle and what he calls "my search for ways to protect the natural world." William spent part of the last two years making the film, which will air in the U.K. next month. In a clip from the documentary, William is seen traveling across the world and talking with Attenborough, and opening up about how fatherhood has given him a "new sense of purpose." Now Ive got George, Charlotte and now Louis in my life, your outlook does change. You want to hand over to the next generation, the wildlife, in a much better condition," he says in the clip. Kate Middleton also makes an appearance in the documentary, telling Attenborough, "The children were very upset that we were coming to see you and they werent coming. They are massive fans." Story continues RELATED: Prince William Plays Journalist at World Economic Forum: 'Its Nice to Turn the Tables for Once' GIAN EHRENZELLER/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock Prince William and Sir David Attenborough Back in 2019, William took his concern for the environment and mental health to a global stage and saw what it is like to be on the other side of an interview when he spoke with Attenborough in Davos, Switzerland, for the World Economic Forum. At the start of the interview, William said: Its a personal treat for me to be sitting asking you the questions. Its nice to turn the tables for once. Attenborough, who also narrates the Netflix nature documentary Our Planet, spoke about the importance of protecting the environment. Can't get enough of PEOPLE's Royals coverage? Sign up for our free Royals newsletter to get the latest updates on Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle and more! "We can wreck the natural world with ease. We can wreck the natural world without even noticing. But, in doing so, we wreck ourselves," he said. "I ask this room to care for the natural world." Attenborough added, "There is more power in this room than any gathering anywhere. The people here need to do something about the natural world." Corey Lewandowski, Donald Trump's campaign manager for the 2016 presidential election and current senior adviser to the 2020 campaign, and political activist David Bossie, Trump's former deputy campaign manager, have shared an excerpt of their new book Trump: America First exclusively with DailyMail.com readers. The close advisors to the president share their accounts of their time with Trump from 'the front lines of his battle to keep America great' and inside 'the rough-and-tumble world of Trump's West Wing'. A passage of the book includes details of how Lewandowski nearly came to blows with Trump's former White House Chief of Staff John Kelly outside the Oval Office - until Lewandowski brought up Rob Porter. Porter, who was dating Hope Hicks, would eventually resign from his position as White House Staff Secretary after DailyMail.com revealed accusations of domestic violence from his two ex wives. Around noon on February 21, 2018, Corey Lewandowski was sitting in a restaurant near the White House. He was having a cup of coffee with then White House communications director Hope Hicks, whom he had known since the earliest days of the 2016 campaign. Corey was initially supposed to meet Hope at the White House mess located in the basement of the West Wing. That had been the plan, at least, until John Kelly stepped in. Earlier that morning, Hope called Corey to let him know that the White House chief of staff had restricted his access to the building. Corey Lewandowski and political activist David Bossie, Trump's former deputy campaign manager, have shared an exclusive excerpt of their new book Trump: America First exclusively with DailyMail.com. A passage of the book includes details of how Lewandowski nearly comes to blows with Trump's former White House Chief of Staff John Kelly outside the Oval Office Lewandowski claims that 'gate-keeper' Kelly was annoyed by his close relationship with President Trump and restricted his access to the White House 'From now on, if you want to come into the White House, you have to call me first,' Kelly told Lewandowski in an exasperated tone Kelly, as you might remember, made it his mission to wall the president off from any outside influences, including friends and trusted advisors like us. He was supposed to be 'the adult in the room,' remember? We all know how that worked out. Last we heard, he was getting booed off the stage at some paid speech in New Jersey. In the middle of his meeting with Hope, Corey's phone rang. It was Zach Fuentes, John Kelly's deputy, asking Corey if he would be available that afternoon to meet with the chief of staff. After being informed his access to the White House had been restricted, Corey was more than happy to have the chance to speak to Kelly one-on-one. Corey Lewandowski and political activist David Bossie, Trump's former deputy campaign manager, will have their new book released on Tuesday At 4.30pm, Corey was seated at the large conference table at the far side of the chief of staff's office. Before Kelly even entered the room, Corey could feel the hostility. Initially, he thought General Kelly wanted to speak with him about a recently publicized meeting that had taken place in the Oval Office a few months back. At that meeting, which included White House political director Bill Stepien, counselor to the president Kellyanne Conway, 2020 campaign manager Brad Parscale, Hope Hicks, and John Kelly, Corey excoriated the White House's political operation. He told them they were woefully behind where they should be and weren't ready for what was to come in the midterm elections. Corey had rightly predicted that a Democrat wave was about to crash over the House of Representatives. Combined with the mass exodus of Republican retirements from Congress, the caucus would be a shadow of its former self. There was no way it would be able to protect the president, let alone help him advance his 'America First' agenda. Once the Republicans lost the House, Corey told them, impeachment wouldn't be far behind. Though his predictions were spot on, his analysis didn't make him any friends that day. The chief of staff, however, wasn't concerned with that meeting in the Oval Office. What bothered John Kelly was Corey's close relationship with President Trump. 'From now on, if you want to come into the White House, you have to call me first,' he said in an exasperated tone. 'That's bulls**t,' Corey said to himself, but he didn't show his emotions to General Kelly. He mentioned something to the effect of it not being a good use of his time because it wasn't. Lewandowski (left) and Bossie (right) share their accounts of their time with Trump from 'the front lines of his battle to keep America great' and inside 'the rough-and-tumble world of Trump's West Wing' With all that the White House chief had to do, it seemed crazy to Corey that John was going to try to be some sort of gatekeeper as well. But Corey knew it would be the wrong move to engage John while he seemed so angry. It wasn't the appropriate time or place . . . for now. Corey tried to ease the tension by reminding the general that they both had the same goal: making sure the president is successful. 'Don't kid yourself,' Kelly said, 'My goal is to save my country.' If you've ever had a moment when, all at once, your opinion changed, you'll understand how Corey felt. Here was the White House chief of staff telling him that he didn't care if the president of the United States was successfulthat he didn't care if the president delivered for the American people or not. Though shocking, Kelly's words weren't all that big of a surprise. Kelly had no qualms about showing his allegiance to the Deep State. According to media reports, after the president fired FBI Director James Comey in May 2017, Kelly called the disgraced head of the FBI and apologized for the president. Then he said he would resign from his post as secretary of homeland security if the director wanted him to. The general, it seemed, had different priorities from those of his commander in chief. If there had been tension in the room before, Kelly's affirmation of indifference pushed it to the next level. Just then, however, Kelly's phone rang; the president wanted to see him in the Oval Office. Tension diffusedfor now. As they passed each other in front of the Resolute Desk, Kelly said to Corey under his breath, 'F**king a**hole.' When Corey asked him what his problem was, Kelly started ranting about Corey 'getting rich' off the Trump super PAC. Kelly didn't appreciate that the president had defended Corey right in front of him, without even thinking twice. Pictured: Trump on February 21, 2018 Corey left the office and walked upstairs to visit his old campaign colleague Don McGahn, then the White House counsel, before coming back down to say hello to Dan Scavino, whose office is located just outside the Oval Office. But on his way to see Dan, he noticed that the door to the Oval Office was open. Madeleine Westerhout, at the time the president's personal assistant, told him that the president was free to see him if he would like. As Corey walked in, Kelly began to walk out. As they passed each other in front of the Resolute Desk, Kelly said to Corey under his breath, 'F**king a**hole.' When Corey asked him what his problem was, Kelly started ranting about Corey 'getting rich' off the Trump super PAC. Getting rich? If anything, Corey was leaking money. He'd already run up a few hundred thousand dollars in fees fighting off the phony Mueller investigation just for being loyal to the president. The president looked at Kelly and shook his head slowly. 'What's wrong with you, John? Corey isn't getting rich,' he said, referring to Corey's $10,000-a-month salary from the super PAC. Kelly didn't appreciate that; as a matter of fact, it only enraged him further. The president had defended Corey right in front of him, without even thinking twice. John stormed out of the Oval Office but stalked Corey in the outer Oval, lurking angrily like a petulant child. As Corey and the president began to talk, Madeleine informed the president he had a phone call. It was Christopher Wray, the FBI director. Porter, who was dating Hope Hicks, would eventually resign from his position as White House Staff Secretary after DailyMail.com revealed accusations of domestic violence from his two ex wives. Pictured: Porter and Hicks in November 2017 Corey respectfully excused himself to give the president privacy, and as he stepped out of the Oval Office, he heard Kelly say to someone out of his sight, 'When he gets out of there, throw him out of my f**king building.' 'Hey, John,' Corey said, 'last I checked this, isn't your building. It's the White House.' Tension exploded. Kelly turned and came running back into the outer Oval Office with his Secret Service protection in tow. He grabbed Corey with both hands and pushed him up against the Oval Office's outside wall. While pushing his hands away, Corey told him to get his f**king hands off of him or he'd call the DC police and have him arrested for assault. 'Or we can just go outside and finish it out there,' Corey said. 'Up to you, John.' Corey grew up in Lowell, Massachusetts. Going 'outside' with someone was his default setting. Corey pointed to Hope's unoccupied officean alternative option after Kelly's expression said all it needed to in rejecting his offer to step outside. Kelly followed Corey through the open door, and as he closed the door behind him, Corey reminded him that he was in no position to make accusations. 'What are you talking about?' John barked. 'Two words,' Corey said. 'Rob Porter.' EDITOR'S NOTE: Lewandowski was referring to Kellys vociferous defense of White House staffer Rob Porter and the fact that the chief of staff had been aware of the alleged spousal abuse all along. Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain A million Madrid residents were under partial lockdown Monday as the region moved to slow the spread of new infections, drawing fire from the Spanish government for not going far enough. The city and the surrounding region is at the epicentre of a second wave of coronavirus that is sweeping Spain, which has claimed more than 31,000 lives and infected over 700,000 in the highest infection rate in the European Union. Since midnight, the new measures impose mobility restrictions on another 167,000 people who can only leave their neighbourhoods for work, school or medical reasons. But they are not confined to their homes and can move freely within their district. Police were conducting random checks to ensure compliance with the new rules, which now apply to nearly one in six of the region's 6.6 million residents. An initial confinement order affecting 850,000 people was rolled out a week ago, largely affecting working-class areas in the city's southern suburbs where on Sunday hundreds turned out in protest over what they see as discrimination. Since the central government ended its state of emergency on June 21, responsibility for public healthcare and managing the pandemic has been transferred to Spain's 17 autonomous regions. But the central government is deeply unhappy with the regional government's handling of the crisis in Madrid, epicentre of the outbreak in Spain, urging its leaders to adopt more drastic measures and threatening to step in if they refuse. "Working with the government, the region's responsibility is to contain the expansion of COVID infections," Foreign Minister Arancha Gonzalez Laya told Antena 3 television on Monday. Over the past week, Spain has registered the highest number of new cases within the EU with a rate of nearly 300 per 100,000 inhabitantsbut in the Madrid region, the figure is currently more than 700 per 100,000. Explore further Follow the latest news on the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak 2020 AFP By Akbar Mammadov The Azerbaijani Army has destroyed two more tanks belonging to Armenia in counter-attack on the line of contact, the Defence Ministry reported on September 28 at 13:05. The ministry shared the video showing the destruction of the tanks. The ministry said that a large number of Armenian troops, military facilities and military equipment have destroyed in various directions of the front in the clashes that started on September 27. The ministry stressed that the Azerbaijani Armys counter-offensive operations to liberate the occupied lands are continuing and the fighting spirit and morale of the personnel of our army are high. Earlier in the morning, the ministry reported that the Azerbaijani army liberated strategic heights in Tartars Talysh village. It said that Armenian troops were forced to retreat suffering heavy losses. Armenian forces have been intensively firing at Tartar city since morning, purposefully targetting civilians, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry reported. On September 28, the Prosecutor General's Office reported that 30 civilians have been hospitalized with various injuries and 7 civilians including two children - were killed by the Armenian shelling on the civilian infrastructure. The Azerbaijani army on September 27 liberated strategically-important Murov height and destroyed the positions of the Armenian armed forces in the direction of the Agdere district and Murovdag. Defence Minister Zakir Hasanov also said on September 27 that Azerbaijan liberated Garakhanbeyli, Garvend, Kend Horadiz, Yukhari Abdulrahmanli villages of Fizuli district, Boyuk Marjanli, and Nuzgar villages of Jabrayil district. Armenian armed forces launched a large-scale operation in the front-line zone on September 27 at 6 am, shelling the positions of the Azerbaijani army from large-calibre weapons, mortars, and artillery installations of various calibres. Azerbaijan launched a counter-offensive operation along the entire front to suppress the combat activity of the Armenian armed forces and ensure the safety of the civilian population. Azerbaijan liberated seven villages and several strategic heights during the first day of the clashes. --- Akbar Mammadov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @AkbarMammadov97 Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz A gene interaction network Berkeley Lab and DTU have been great partners during the development of our platform, and we are now we are well-positioned to close the design-build-test-learn loop in a commercial setting with the use of our advanced enterprise platform - Eduardo Abeliuk PhD A collaboration between the Technical University of Denmark, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, and TeselaGen Biotechnology, Inc. has shown that mechanistic and machine learning models can complement each other and can be combined to enable accurate genotype-to-phenotype predictions, and increase the productivity of important bioproducts produced by industrial organisms. The collaboration has recently published their results in Nature Communications. "By combining genome-scale modeling to pinpoint engineering targets, with efficient library construction of metabolic pathway designs, and high-throughput screening, we have trained diverse machine learning algorithms. In collaboration with the Berkeley Lab and TeselaGen, here at DTU we then used these machine learning models to generate new design recommendations. This approach enabled us to successfully forward engineer the aromatic amino acid metabolism in yeast, with the new recommended designs ultimately improving titer and productivity by up to 74% and 43%, respectively, compared to the best designs used for algorithm training," said Michael Krogh Jensen, PhD, Co-Principal Investigator at The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability. Hector Garcia Martin, PhD, Quantitative Metabolic Modeling Director at the Joint BioEnergy Institute and Staff Scientist at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory said, "Our collaboration with DTU and TeselaGen has shown how advanced analytics and machine learning can effectively guide bioengineering to optimize the production of biochemical compounds. The combination of machine learning, synthetic biology, and automation stands to revolutionize bioengineering and allow for applications we cannot even imagine now. "Berkeley Lab and DTU have been great partners during the development of our platform, and we are now we are well-positioned to close the design-build-test-learn loop in a commercial setting with the use of our advanced enterprise platform, said Eduardo Abeliuk, PhD, CEO of TeselaGen. Bio-based product development at a fraction of the traditional cost is the goal, and machine learning is becoming an essential tool for both understanding and engineering living systems," added Michael Fero, PhD, COO of TeselaGen. The Technical University of Denmark - DTU - has licensed TeselaGens cloud-based platform to increase its capabilities and speed up the design-build-test-learn processes across R&D efforts led by Dr. Michael Krogh Jensens group. Link to publication: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-020-17910-1 About DTU The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability (DTU Biosustain) at the Technical University of Denmark is focused on developing new knowledge and technologies to help facilitate the transformation from the existing oil-based chemical industry to a more sustainable bio-based society in which chemicals are produced biologically. About TeselaGen TeselaGen is building an artificial intelligence-powered enterprise platform for designing, building, testing, and optimizing biological systems. TeselaGen's cloud-based platform bridges the gap between good ideas and the realization of valuable products like vaccines, biologic medicines, and sustainably sourced chemicals. TeselaGen is privately held and is based in the software hub of San Francisco, CA. The company has received early recognition in the form of four US National Science Foundation funding awards, a US Department of Energy funding award, CORFO awards, and a Bio-IT World Best Practices Award. TeselaGen uses its proprietary Synthetic Evolution technology for efficient rapid prototyping and editing of recombinant molecules. Follow TeselaGen on Twitter and LinkedIn, and learn more at teselagen.com. Nkhotakota Minister of Youth and Sports, Ulemu Msungama has asked contractors who will construct four Technical Colleges across the country to do quality work. He was speaking in Nkhotakota on Wednesday when he handed over a site where a modern Mbandira Technical College would be constructed. The Minister observed that some contractors do not attach the importance of quality work when constructing structures which result in poor workmanship. He warned that the Tonse Alliance government would not tolerate such malpractices adding that he wants the college designs on paper to match the structure when completed. Msungama underscored the need for them to acquire technical skills for them to create employment. He added that, "The Tonse Alliance government Policy of 1 million jobs for the youths per year can be achieved when the youths attain technical skills to become entrepreneurs and in turn employ others." "Government will support the youth graduating from the Technical Colleges with startup capital," Msungama said. He said the disbursement of business loans for the youth and women would start soon and asked those waiting for the programme not to despair. Nkhotakota District Council Chair, Sam Chunga hailed government for the multi-million kwacha Technical College project, observing youths would benefit through acquiring technical skills. He asked the contractor to consider hiring people from Nkhotakota for non-technical work in the project. Member of Parliament for the area, Brainax Kaise encouraged chiefs to own the project and warned those who would be hired against theft. The construction project which is expected to start on October 1, 2020 is expected to run for eight months and is estimated to cost K528, 570, 824.09 The African Development Bank (AfDB) and Malawi government is supporting the construction of the project in Nkhotakota together with similar ones in Karonga at Ngala, Phalombe at Naminjiwa and Neno at Neno Youth Development Centre. Total project cost for the four technical colleges is estimated to cost US$3,500 Approximately K 2 billion. Appeal over investigators actions as to incident with Navalny rejected flickr.com/ quirischa 12:19 28/09/2020 MOSCOW, September 28 (RAPSI) The Moscow City Court on Monday dismissed an appeal filed by lawyer Vyacheslav Gimadi against a lower courts ruling over alleged inaction of investigator as to incident with Alexey Navalny, the courts press service told RAPSI. On September 4, the Basmanny District Court of Moscow found no acts of omission of Russias Investigative Committee failing to open a criminal case over an incident involving Alexey Navalny. Lawyers for Navalnys foundation claimed it had been a while since they had notified investigators of the incident. Lawyer Vyacheslav Gimadi has filed an application over attempted murder of the blogger. The application was forwarded to the Siberian Federal District transport police. In late August, investigators of the Siberian Federal District transport police started a pre-investigation check over hospitalization of Navalny in Omsk on August 20. As part of the probe, the police searched a hotel room where Navalny stayed and examined objects and sites on his route. Over 100 items which may be evidence were seized; video records were analyzed. More than 20 criminal examinations are conducted including medical forensic, biological and physical and chemical evaluations. By today, no potent or narcotic substances were found, the police statement reads. On August 20, a plane departed from Tomsk to Moscow with Navalny onboard urgently landed in Omsk after the blogger became heartily sick. He was taken to a hospital in coma. Later, he was transported to Berlin. Russian medics said no poison was found in the bloggers body. Protecting the health of our patients and healthcare staff in Slovakia during COVID: Benefits of the STEMI Communication Platform Healthcare Tech Outlook | Friday, September 25, 2020 Tweet The whole world is currently going through a situation for which it was not prepared, one which threatens our health and lives, and cripples the economy. From the first recorded case in December 2019 up to September 2020, 30+ million people had become infected and almost 1 million deaths were confirmed. This number could be very different from reality. Differences in testing across countries may also mean that there are underestimates in identifying the condition of infected patients, and the reality may be even worse. Healthcare workers who are exposed to the virus in the front line are the group at most risk. Whether they are doctors, nurses or medical staff, the consequences of direct contact with COVID-19 can have not only staffing but also economic consequences. There are thousands of health professionals worldwide who, due to a lack of information, have been exposed to a possible infection, ended up in preventive quarantine, or even paid the highest price. At Stemi Global, we decided that we needed to address this situation. The main aim of our application remains, of course, the same. To provide rapid professional assistance to patients with suspected heart attacks, strokes, or serious injuries. We have implemented a new function into our STEMI communication platform that will help EMS crews identify the risk from patients suspected of COVID-19 infection, and where hospitalization is needed due to the COVID-19 infection itself or another acute condition (heart attack, stroke, injury), to prepare healthcare staff at the hospital for their arrival. THERE ARE TWO POSSIBILITIES IN PRACTICE: IN THE FIRST CASE the EMS crew is sent by the operations centre to a person with a suspected COVID 19 infection. In this case, the EMS crew uses the appropriate equipment to prevent themselves becoming infected. Purely for example, preparation of the ambulance, staff, patient transport and subsequent disinfection takes up to 5 hours, so information about suspected infection is really very important for medical staff. Unfortunately, there are also situations where the emergency medical service crew does not have this information in advance and the reason for going to the patient is non-specific symptoms - e.g. headache. The EMS crew suspects COVID 19 infection only on the basis of circumstances found - e.g. fever, the presence of a person with a travel history in the household and so on. This is a difficult situation, as in this case the EMS crew did not primarily use special protective equipment. If the patient's condition requires hospitalization, the destination is usually the COVID department, where the staff are permanently protected and work in red zone mode. IN THE SECOND CASE the emergency medical service crew is sent to a case with a suspected myocardial infarction, stroke, or serious injury - a condition where every minute counts and patients must be transported urgently to a specialized department. If, based on the circumstances of these patients and on the basis of a special checklist in the STEMI application, the rescuer suspects a simultaneous COVID infection (a combined case), this is an exceptional situation as specialized department staff are not routinely protected against COVID19 infection, and working with such a patient could lead to the quarantining of a large group of key healthcare workers. With the help of the early warning system in both cases, the STEMI platform will ensure that hospital staff are informed about the arrival of a patient with a suspected COVID infection. The hospital staff also see the COVID card (checklist) filled in by the EMS crew member, the location of the ambulance on the map in advance, and direct telephone contact with the emergency medical staff is also possible. Particularly in this latter case, the time gained enables adequate training and protection of the staff of a specialized hospital centre to be ensured. SUCCESSES IN PRACTICE: With the STEMI communication platform, we managed to identify more than 20 cases in Slovakia from April to September this year, where symptoms of Covid-19 infection were identified in conjunction with a suspected heart attack or stroke. This information was sent in advance to health professionals in the specialized centres. In this way we helped to protect the staff in the individual hospital wards and ensure smooth running and at the same time as providing patients with adequate professional care. With the second wave of COVID, the figures keep rising. Since 2017, STEMI Global has been providing the STEMI communication platform for the whole of Slovakia Republic - for all emergency medical crews, cardiocentres, neurocentres and neurointervention centres, on the basis of a contract with Slovakias national operations centre. The COVID functionality was temporarily integrated from April 2020 as a free extension. The TRAUMA module has been highly effective and tested in practice so far only as part of a pilot project in Kosice. The national rollout is hoped to take place in 2021. Would you like to learn about the STEMI Communication Platform more ? Visit www.stemiglobal.com She's been forced to delay her nuptials due to the COVID-19 pandemic. But Anthea Turner still cut a stylish figure as she headed to the shops on London's King's Road with her fiance Mark Armstrong, 55, on Saturday. The presenter, 60, went makeup free in a cosy nude jacket and ripped jeans as she headed home with her purchases. Casual: Anthea Turner, 60, cut a stylish figure as she headed to the shops on London's King's Road with her fiance Mark Armstrong, 55, on Saturday Anthea showed off her chic fashion sense by opting for a stylish nude coat along with blue ripped jeans. The former GMTV host displayed her flawless complexion by going makeup free for the outing. Both Anthea and Mark had clearly indulged in some retail therapy, as they headed home laden with shopping bags. Anthea and Mark were scheduled to tie the knot this month in Italy, but were forced to postpone their nuptials due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Out and about: The presenter went makeup free in a cosy nude jacket and ripped jeans as she headed home with her purchases Anthea told HELLO!: 'Mark and I had planned to go out and look at venues in March and then set a date for September. 'Mark is from Italy, his family are from Milan, so it seemed the perfect place for us. 'It will be next year now. I am not even in any angst about it. When we do it, it will be small and cute, just with our close friends and family.' The TV veteran was previously married to ex-husband Grant Bovey for 13 years, but the couple split after he cheated on her with a woman half her age in 2013. Anthea's first marriage was to her manager, former DJ Peter Powell, in 1990, with the couple splitting up eight years later. On finally finding The One, the media personality gushed about her man of 13 months, who had planned a trip to Rome for her 60th birthday: 'Mark is the absolute love of my life, we adore each other. 'He makes me smile every day and we are excited about our life together. Sometimes, when you are a bit older and you have lived, something tells you this is so right, you just know. 'People might say why do you have to get married, or why would you want to. It is because I do believe in marriage, and I can't think of a nicer person to be with for the rest of my life. 'I've always said I would get married again, I knew I would meet someone, that I would not be on my own. I definitely never put up the shutters to finding love again, with 'keep away' tattooed on my forehead.' A Sinn Fein Stormont minister has stood by his party colleague Gerry Kelly over a tweet which has been described as glorifying IRA terrorism. Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis was among those who blasted a tweet by Mr Kelly over the weekend marking the anniversary of a mass breakout from the Maze prison as disgraceful and shameful. Mr Kelly, now a Sinn Fein MLA, was one of 38 IRA prisoners who escaped from the Maze in 1983. Prison officer James Ferris died of a heart attack after being stabbed while attempting to stop the breakout. This is disgraceful. Such shameful and gratuitous incitement makes it harder for all communities in Northern Ireland to move forward. It is right to expect so much more from elected representatives. https://t.co/0XUQxuaKAe Brandon Lewis (@BrandonLewis) September 26, 2020 The North Belfast MLA described the breakout as one of Big Bobs best ops, referring to senior republican Bobby Storey, adding I had the privilege of the front passenger seat. Well someone had to check we were taking the right route out!!. On Monday, Mr Kelly asked a question of the Executive Office of work towards designing an anti-sectarianism pledge for each MLA to commit to. DUP MLA Jonathan Buckley put to Junior Minister Declan Kearney (Sinn Fein), who was responding to Mr Kellys question, that his party colleague was involved in crass hypocrisy. Mr Kelly not only glorified but gloated in a terrorist escape at the Maze does he accept that this stands in stark contrast towards building a united community, Mr Buckley said. This is a shameful action from a member of the Northern Ireland Policing Board. Would he like to give a lead by indicating his party will now eschew such glorification of terrorism? Jim Allister TUV leader Jim Allister put to Mr Kearney that Sinn Fein should put an end to tweeting the glorification of terrorism. Would he like to give a lead by indicating his party will now eschew such glorification of terrorism or will we be subjected to more of the same, Mr Allister said. Mr Kearney responded: We all have narratives around our past, the conflict that weve lived through the last hundred years. Those narratives are in conflict with each other. We need, particularly in the context of this mandate of renewed power sharing, to come together on the basis of respecting different narratives, to agree to disagree. Expand Close Stormont Junior Minister Declan Kearney (Liam McBurney/PA) PA / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Stormont Junior Minister Declan Kearney (Liam McBurney/PA) We will not agree on the past but we can do our level best collectively, inclusively to try and build a united future for everyone in this society. Mr Kearney also warned that the centenary of the formation of Northern Ireland next year throws up the prospect of a very very contested year where we disagree vehemently in relation to what happened in the past. But perhaps one of the things that we should actually try and do next year is rather than descend into the vortex of continually and relentlessly fighting over issues of the past that we look towards the centenary of partition as an opportunity to develop a new dialogue and discourse within our society about how in fact we can build for the future. ATHENS, Greece (AP) Greece said Wednesday that it still expects the European Union to approve sanctions against Turkey despite the two NATO members agreeing to restart talks on maritime boundaries, energy rights and other long-standing disputes. The leaders of the EU's 27 nations are expected to review proposals for imposing sanctions on Turkey at their next summit, which was originally scheduled for this week but has been postponed until Oct. 1-2. Greece is an EU member, but not Turkey. Greek government spokesman Stelios Petsas said he expects the national leaders to adopt some proposals, but he told state-run ERT television: The question is how those sanctions will be activated in the case of Turkeys non-compliance, because we are not used to seeing the (EU) operating on a very fast track. Greece and Turkey engaged in a tense military standoff in the eastern Mediterranean Sea earlier this month after Ankara dispatched a warship-escorted research vessel to survey for potential undersea gas and oil deposits in an area over which the Greek government insists it has sole jurisdiction. Both countries pulled back and agreed to engage in exploratory discussions after the Turkish ship returned to port, although Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the move was only temporary. In a telephone call with EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Wednesday, Erdogan affirmed his government's readiness to resume talks with Greece, and his support for a negotiated end to the dispute. According to a statement from Erdogan's office, he also expressed hope that Greece would not waste this opportunity afforded to diplomacy as it did previously." Turkey was angered after Greece signed a maritime boundary agreement with Egypt in the summer while Turkish and Greek delegations were holding talks to de-escalate tensions. The issue has been complicated by a related spat between Turkey and war-divided Cyprus. The east Mediterranean island nation insists that the EU slaps sanctions on Turkey for continuing unlawful" prospecting in waters where it claims exclusive economic rights. Story continues Cyprus is holding up EU sanctions against Belarus officials suspected of election fraud or being involved in a security crackdown until the bloc honors a deal that EU foreign ministers struck last month on imposing similar measures on Turkey. Cyprus Foreign Minister Nikos Christodoulides said his government would support even tougher sanctions against Belarus officials. But he said it makes no sense to delay sanctions against Turkey when it continues to violate an EU member's sovereign rights. Turkey doesn't recognize Cyprus as a state and says it's within its rights to prospect in waters that it claims lie over its continental shelf. Meanwhile, a Cypriot government statement said Von der Leyen told President Nikos Anastasiades in a telephone call on Wednesday that the EU would be forced to take measures" if Turkey doesn't end its illegal actions" and if there is no de-escalation of tensions. Formal negotiations between Turkey and Greece were suspended four years ago. No date has been set for the exploratory talks planned to take place in Istanbul. Germany, which currently holds the EU's rotating presidency, led intense diplomatic efforts to end the dispute. From our point of view, it is, of course, important that these talks begin soon and further confidence is built up, Steffen Seibert, a spokesman for German Chancellor Angela Merkel, told reporters in Berlin on Wednesday. Greece and Turkey have been holding separate, military-level talks at NATO aimed at preventing an armed confrontation between the two allies in the eastern Mediterranean. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said good progress had been made in Brussels. These are technical military talks. They complement the diplomatic efforts led by Germany to resolve the underlying dispute, Stoltenberg said. The German efforts have led to an agreement yesterday to hold exploratory talks, which I welcome. Deputy Communications Director of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), Mame Yaa Aboagye says the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) wants to frustrate the Electoral Commission of Ghana. According to her, actions by the NDC prove the party is on a mission to discredit the work of the EC boss, Jean Mensa. I can see a deliberate attempt to frustrate and suppress the EC Boss because that has been their agenda all this while. NDCs National Chairman emphatically stated that they are going to do everything possible to frustrate the work of Madam Jean Mensa. NDC is too fake and a hypocrite because if not, why will they hail the work of Professor Naana Opoku Agyeman but try extra hard to frustrate another woman just to discredit her work? They should bow down their heads in shame for such a shambolic behavior, she stated. Stressing, she noted that the NDC, during their tenure of office in 2012, also witnessed the same problem while compiling a new voters register for the 2016 elections saying; "the NDC is just making a case over nothing, lets ignore them". She also commended the EC for successfully compiling and exhibiting a new voters register in a short period and further urged Ghanaians to continue to repose their confidence in the Electoral Commission. Source: peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video 13 County Lines arrests made after warrants executed across North Wales This article is old - Published: Monday, Sep 28th, 2020 13 people have been arrested after warrants were executed across North Wales as part of the National Intensification week to tackle County Lines criminality. Officers from North Wales Police worked with other forces from across the region along with the Regional Organised Crime Unit, targeting County Lines drug dealers whilst others engaged with vulnerable victims. Over the course of the week the search warrants were executed at addresses in Wrexham, Flintshire, Conwy, Denbighshire, Gwynedd and Anglesey under the Misuse of Drugs Act. This resulted in numerous arrests and seizures of illicit drugs, weapons including a replica firearm and knuckle duster, numerous mobile phones and cash which is believed to have been obtained from criminal activity. In addition, officers deployed into hotspot areas and targeted individuals involved in County Lines drug dealing and exploitation undertaking stop searches and high visibility disruption tactics. Officers also targeted the road network using our Roads Policing, the Interceptor Teams and saw Police Dogs deployed in 3 local hostels in the search for illegal drugs. Working with partner agencies police say they were able to identify over 40 vulnerable individuals demonstrating that our primary role is to safeguard and protect those that are at risk of being victims of criminal exploitation. County lines drug dealers target children and vulnerable adults. They are recruited and then moved into other areas and told to stay in hotels, empty flats or with local drug users where they are forced to deal drugs by the dealers who are often sited in other areas of the country. Over the course of the week the arrests made caused disruption to a number of County Lines across North Wales and the North West region. Assistant Chief Constable Sacha Hatchet said: The week-long operation has been a massive undertaking and Id like to thank and pay tribute to all those officers involved, including our colleagues from across the region. Over the last few months local communities will have seen our determination to address their concerns by making successful arrests. Operation Tide recently saw 18 people being sentenced for a total of 146 years. This is a continuation of that process and another example of our listening to, and acting on concerns raised by our communities. County lines hurt the most vulnerable and bring violence and misery to our streets but I would like to reassure the public that North Wales should not be seen as a soft target by criminal gangs and we will continue to take swift, robust enforcement action. Distribution of controlled drugs will not be tolerated and we will continue to take action to disrupt this activity. Keeping our communities safe remains our top priority. We will persistently target those who bring drugs into our communities from outside North Wales in line with the force policy of directly targeting serious and organised crime. However, we cant tackle this problem alone and key to all our work, and that of our partners, is intelligence. I would like to thank the communities for their information and cooperation throughout this operation. I cannot emphasise enough the importance of the community sharing their concerns with us. We are determined to make North Wales the safest place in the UK and we will strive to make our communities safer and pass a strong message to these criminals that we will not tolerate it here. For those that feel they are affected by County Lines or for Parents and families who have concerns for their children or loved ones then there are numerous free resources with help and advice online. One such resource is The Childrens Society www.childrenssociety.org.uk who can offer specialist advice and signposting. If you have any concerns information can be passed to police via the web live chat or by phoning 101. Alternatively call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111. The big shareholder groups in CNFinance Holdings Limited (NYSE:CNF) have power over the company. Institutions will often hold stock in bigger companies, and we expect to see insiders owning a noticeable percentage of the smaller ones. Companies that have been privatized tend to have low insider ownership. CNFinance Holdings is a smaller company with a market capitalization of US$213m, so it may still be flying under the radar of many institutional investors. Our analysis of the ownership of the company, below, shows that institutions own shares in the company. We can zoom in on the different ownership groups, to learn more about CNFinance Holdings. See our latest analysis for CNFinance Holdings What Does The Institutional Ownership Tell Us About CNFinance Holdings? Many institutions measure their performance against an index that approximates the local market. So they usually pay more attention to companies that are included in major indices. We can see that CNFinance Holdings does have institutional investors; and they hold a good portion of the company's stock. 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 CNFinance Holdings' earnings history below. Of course, the future is what really matters. CNFinance Holdings is not owned by hedge funds. Looking at our data, we can see that the largest shareholder is New China Capital Management, LLC with 34% of shares outstanding. For context, the second largest shareholder holds about 18% of the shares outstanding, followed by an ownership of 18% by the third-largest shareholder. To make our study more interesting, we found that the top 2 shareholders have a majority ownership in the company, meaning that they are powerful enough to influence the decisions of the company. Story continues While studying institutional ownership for a company can add value to your research, it is also a good practice to research analyst recommendations to get a deeper understand of a stock's expected performance. There is a little analyst coverage of the stock, but not much. So there is room for it to gain more coverage. Insider Ownership Of CNFinance Holdings The definition of company insiders can be subjective and does vary between jurisdictions. Our data reflects individual insiders, capturing board members at the very least. Management ultimately answers to the board. However, it is not uncommon for managers to be executive board members, especially if they are a founder or the CEO. I generally consider insider ownership to be a good thing. However, on some occasions it makes it more difficult for other shareholders to hold the board accountable for decisions. Our data cannot confirm that board members are holding shares personally. Given we are not picking up on insider ownership, we may have missing data. Therefore, it would be interesting to assess the CEO compensation and tenure, here. General Public Ownership The general public, with a 29% stake in the company, will not easily be ignored. While this group can't necessarily call the shots, it can certainly have a real influence on how the company is run. Private Equity Ownership With a stake of 34%, private equity firms could influence the CNFinance Holdings board. Sometimes we see private equity stick around for the long term, but generally speaking they have a shorter investment horizon and -- as the name suggests -- don't invest in public companies much. After some time they may look to sell and redeploy capital elsewhere. Private Company Ownership We can see that Private Companies own 18%, of the shares on issue. It might be worth looking deeper into this. If related parties, such as insiders, have an interest in one of these private companies, that should be disclosed in the annual report. Private companies may also have a strategic interest in the company. Next Steps: While it is well worth considering the different groups that own a company, there are other factors that are even more important. To that end, you should learn about the 3 warning signs we've spotted with CNFinance Holdings (including 1 which is makes us a bit uncomfortable) . But ultimately it is the future, not the past, that will determine how well the owners of this business will do. Therefore we think it advisable to take a look at this free report showing whether analysts are predicting a brighter future. NB: Figures in this article are calculated using data from the last twelve months, which refer to the 12-month period ending on the last date of the month the financial statement is dated. This may not be consistent with full year annual report figures. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. 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. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com. French President Emmanuel Macron has expressed his disappointment after Lebanons leaders failed to form a new government in the wake of the Beirut port blast last month. The political and economic crisis deepened after the prime minister designate stepped down on Saturday. Speaking on Sunday at a press conference, French President Emmanuel Macron declared he was "ashamed" of Lebanons political leaders and described their lack of progress on forming a new government a "collective betrayal". "I see that the Lebanese authorities and political forces chose to favour their partisan and individual interests to the detriment of the general interest of the country," he said. This comes after Prime minister-designate Mustapha Adib's resigned on Saturday, ending efforts to form a reformist government. The previous Lebanese government had resigned amid widespread anger over the explosion in Beirut on 4 August that killed 190 people, injured thousands and damaged large parts of the capital. Lebanon's former ambassador to Germany, Adib, who had Macron's full support, was nominated to lead on 31 August. In early September, during a visit to Lebanon by Macron, political parties had pledged, to form within two weeks a cabinet of independent ministers tasked with rehabilitating the country's economy. Macron has visited the former French protectorate twice since the blast, meeting Hezbollah representatives during his last trip as he sought to bring all political sides behind a roadmap to lift the country out of crisis. In August, he chaired a video conference that saw world leaders pledge more than 250 million euros ($295 million) for the country. Macron said none of the leaders of Lebanon -- where in the wake of the 1975-1990 civil war power is traditionally shared between Shiites, Sunnis and Christians -- had been up to the task. "All of them bet on the worst case scenario for the sake of saving themselves, the interests of their family or their clan," he said. Story continues Conflict over finance portfolio "I therefore have decided to take note of this collective betrayal and the refusal of Lebanese officials to engage in good faith." Under the Lebanese constitution, the president must now hold further talks to nominate another prime minister to form a government, but it is a process that risks dragging out and even failing. Adib's efforts were hampered by the claims of two Shiite formations, the Iran-backed Hezbollah movement, and its ally Amal, led by parliament speaker Nabih Berri, who demanded the finance portfolio. According to observers, the Shiite allies dug in their heels after recent US sanctions were imposed on a minister of the Amal party and two companies affiliated with Hezbollah. In a warning to Hezbollah, Macron said the group "must show that it respects all the Lebanese -- and in recent days, it has clearly shown the opposite." Call for credible commitments The Beirut port blast served to amplify a crisis which had been rumbling along for decades. Anti-government demonstrators have staged mass rallies over the past year, calling for a complete overhaul of the political system. After Lebanon defaulted for the first time on its sovereign debt in March, it turned to the International Monetary Fund, but those talks soon stalled. Macron also said that he would consider withholding financial aid or imposing sanctions on the ruling elite if there were no real change within the next three months. He called for credible commitments from party leaders, including a timetable for implementing reforms and parliamentary elections within six to 12 months. The three-judge bench of the Supreme Court today posted the matter of postponement of UPSC Prelims exams 2020 till Wednesday. Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) had told the Supreme Court that it's impossible to defer Civil Services exams any further. UPSC was asked by Supreme Court to file an affidavit by tomorrow. Supreme Court was hearing a plea filed by UPSC aspirants, seeking postponement of upcoming Civil Services (prelims) Exam'20. During the hearing, advocate Naresh Kaushik appearing for the UPSC submitted before the bench that it's completely impossible to postpone the exam. "The matter was considered and deferment was done, but it was realised that deferment would completely hurt the process of the exam. It was supposed to be held on September 30. Thereafter, it was deferred to October 4. Deferment would nullify the objective of conducting the exam for four arms of government," Kaushik submitted. The bench headed by Justice AM Khanwilkar asked the Commission to file an affidavit stating its stand by tomorrow and posted the matter for further hearing on Wednesday. The apex court was hearing a plea filed by a group of UPSC aspirants seeking postponement of the upcoming Civil Services (prelims) Exam 2020. Without issuing notice, a bench of Justices A M Khanwilkar and Sanjiv Khanna agreed to hear the matter and granted liberty to the petitioner to serve advance copy of the petition on the Standing Counsel for the Union Public Service Commission as well as on the Standing Counsel for the Central Agency representing Union of India through email/online. On September 24 after the hearing, advocate Alakh Alok Srivastava, appearing for the petitioners, had told media that notices have been issued to respondents for their response. Later in the day, the order was uploaded on the apex court website which made it clear that the judges have only agreed to hear the matter without issuing any notice. The order said "liberty is granted to to serve advance copy on the Standing Counsel for the Union Public Service Commission as well as on the Standing Counsel for the Central Agency representing Union of India through email/online. Let the matter be listed on September 28." The petitioners had sought postponement of the Civil Services Exam for two to three months, so that the flood/ incessant rains go away and COVID-19 curve flattens. The plea filed by Vasireddy Govardhana Sai Prakash and others submitted that the decision of the UPSC to conduct the exam in accordance with the impugned Revised Calendar, violates the rights of the petitioners and those similarly situated, under Article 19 (1) (g) of the Constitution to practice their chosen profession/occupation of serving the public. The plea has been filed by 20 UPSC aspirants against conducting of the Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination on October 4. According to the plea this seven hours long Offline exam, will be taken by approximately six lakh aspirants at test centres in 72 cities across the country. Conducting the aforesaid examination across India at such perilous time, is nothing else but putting lives of lakhs of young students (including Petitioners herein) at utmost risk and danger of disease and death. Also, the natural calamities like flood, incessant rain, landslides etc. are likely to directly affect the life and health of the Petitioners and many similarly situated students. Hence, the impugned Revised Calendar is utterly arbitrary, unreasonable, whimsical and patently violative of the Right to Health" and Right to Life" of the Petitioners herein and lakhs of similarly situated students, under Article 21," the petition stated. The plea said the Civil Services Exam, being a recruitment examination, is altogether different from an academic examination and in the event of its postponement, there would not be any question of delay or loss of any academic session. It said that due to non-availability of exam centres in their hometowns, many aspirants are facing unimaginable" hardship due to non-availability of or unsafe health conditions in, the PG accommodation/ hostels/ hotels etc., where they are forced to stay with their family members, once they are travelling to an outstation Examination Centre. It is pertinent to mention here that despite alarming spurt in COVID-19 pandemic, UPSC did not increase the number of Examination Centres, resulting into a situation where many candidates from rural areas will be forced to travel for around 300-400 Kilometres, in order to reach to their Examination Centres and there will be high probability of such aspirants, getting affected while using public transportation for such travel," the plea said. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Never miss a story! Stay connected and informed with Mint. Download our App Now!! Topics OTTAWA and TRADITIONAL TERRITORY OF THE ALGONQUIN PEOPLES, ON, Sept. 28, 2020 /CNW/ - Since the beginning of the pandemic, action has been taken at all levels to protect the most vulnerable and support those who need it most. Collective measures have been taken by women's groups, homeless shelters, and mental health organizations, and assistance with food delivery has been organized by community-based organizations across this country. This work and their leadership has been making a fundamental difference. Today, on behalf of the Honourable Marc Miller, Minister of Indigenous Services, the Honourable Jim Carr, Member of Parliament for Winnipeg South Centre announced the 32 Indigenous organizations in the province of Alberta who received approximately $11.8 million in funding through the Indigenous Community Support Fund's off-reserve and urban stream to address the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The funding will aid with food security, mental health support services, homelessness, and required emergency supplies to ensure the health and safety of Indigenous Peoples. The Ben Calf Robe Society, based in Treaty 6, received $150,000 in funding to support Indigenous children and youth in meeting their ongoing educational needs through a holistic approach including supportive social and cultural services and programs. They are committed to helping individuals who are struggling to meet their basic needs during the pandemic by providing food, clothing, personal protective equipment, resources for shelters and means of transportation to help people arrive home safely. The Native Counselling Services of Alberta received $221,200 in funding to assist Indigenous Peoples in accessing critical physical, mental and emotional supports, as well as food security through the delivery of food hampers and personal protective equipment. The organization also provides transportation to access services safely and effectively. As part of the Indigenous Community Support Fund, the Government of Canada is distributing a total of $90 million to Indigenous organizations and communities providing services to Indigenous Peoples living in urban areas, to support essential services to the most vulnerable and to prevent and respond to potential COVID-19 outbreaks. On August 12, the Government of Canada announced an additional $305 million for the Indigenous Community Support Fund. This most recent announcement brings the Indigenous Community Support Fund to $685 million in total funding. It will be distributed through a combination of allocations directly to First Nations, Inuit and Metis leadership, and needs-based funding, which will be application driven and extend to Indigenous communities and organizations serving First Nations living off-reserve and Indigenous Peoples living in urban centres. The organizations within Alberta are among approximately 260 Indigenous organizations supported to date by the Indigenous Community Support Fund to help address the critical needs of Indigenous Peoples living in urban centers across the country impacted by the pandemic. Quotes "Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, we've seen incredible action taken by organizations supporting First Nations People living off reserve and Indigenous Peoples in urban areas. This announcement will allow Ben Calf Robe Society, Native Counselling Services of Alberta, and the other 30 organizations in Alberta receiving funding, to continue to provide the essential services required to ensure the health and safety of their community members during this difficult time. I am humbled by your work and thankful for all that you do." The Honourable Jim Carr Prime Minister's special representative for the Prairies and Member of Parliament for Winnipeg South Centre "Community-based organizations here in Alberta and across the country have organized on-the-ground responses that have made a real difference. From providing food supports, to Elder and youth programs, or critical training and information sharing in a virtual environment they've been there. We are humbled by all their work and thankful for all that they do." Pam Damoff Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Indigenous Services and Member of Parliament for Oakville NorthBurlington "The support the Ben Calf Robe Society has received has allowed our organization to assist our Indigenous community. We have heard from many people how grateful they are to receive additional supports during this pandemic. We will continue to support our children, youth and families to the best of our ability during these challenging times." Claudette DeWitt, Executive Director Ben Calf Robe Society "Because of uncertainty and fluidity we appreciate the flexibility the funding from Indigenous Services Canada has provided allowing us to meet the changing and evolving needs of the urban Indigenous communities in Grande Prairie, St Paul, Calgary, Lethbridge and Edmonton. This ranges from food security to information technology, transportation to social activity kits and connections to cultural materials and supports. We will also look to provide support around the new behaviours that are expected in a time of COVID anxiety and COVID fatigue to name a few." Dr. Allen Benson, Chief Executive Officer Native Counselling Services of Alberta Quick facts This support is part of over $2.2 billion that has been committed in specific support to Indigenous and northern communities and organizations in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. that has been committed in specific support to Indigenous and northern communities and organizations in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Project funding for the Indigenous Community Support Fund urban and off-reserve stream was selected through a national Call for Proposals process. First Nations, Inuit and Metis also have access to other support measures available to Canadian individuals, businesses and industries, through the Government of Canada's COVID-19 Economic Response Plan. Associated links Indigenous Community Support Fund: Urban and off-reserve Indigenous organizations and communities Indigenous Community Support Fund Canada's COVID-19 Economic Response Plan Stay connected Join the conversation about Indigenous Peoples in Canada: Twitter: @GCIndigenous Facebook: @GCIndigenous Instagram: @gcindigenous Facebook: @GCIndigenousHealth Twitter: @Min_IndServ You can subscribe to receive our news releases and speeches via RSS feeds. For more information or to subscribe, visit www.isc.gc.ca/RSS. SOURCE Indigenous Services Canada For further information: For more information, media may contact: Adrienne Vaupshas, Press Secretary, Office of the Honourable Marc Miller, Minister of Indigenous Services, [email protected]; Media Relations, Indigenous Services Canada, 819-953-1160, [email protected] Related Links https://www.aadnc-aandc.gc.ca Bihar gangster-turned-politician Anand Mohans wife Lovely and son Chetan joined Rashtriya Janta Dal (RJD) on Monday in Patna. Mohan is serving life sentence in connection with murder of Gopalganj District Magistrate G Krishnaiah in 1994. Local reports stated that after joining RJD, Lovely said that she along with her son will try to give best to the party and would discharge the responsibilities conferred upon them with utmost sincerity". Lovely had a few months ago met senior leaders of the JD(U) that led to speculations that she may join the ruling party. Lovelys husband Anand Mohan Singh, who was the leader of the then Bihar Peoples Party (BPP), was accused of inciting a mob accompanying the cortege of a BPP leader to lynch Krishnaiah on December 5,1994. The BPP is now defunct. The officer was pulled out of a car, beaten up mercilessly and then shot dead. Singh, a former MP from Sheohar, was awarded death sentence under Sections 302 (murder) and 109 (abetment of offence) of the Indian Penal Code by Additional District and Sessions Judge R S Rai had on October 3,2007. However, the Patna High Court in its December 2008 verdict had commuted Singhs death penalty to life sentence, against which he had moved the apex court. But the Supreme Court upheld the conviction and life imprisonment of ex-MP. Victoria is on track to meet government targets for reopening the state, epidemiologists say, but they warn reopening too soon would increase the chances of a third wave. The state recorded just five new cases on Monday, while the 14-day average fell to 20.9, the trigger for the government's step-two reopening target. Doherty Institute epidemiology director Professor Jodie McVernon said Victorians should be congratulated for their efforts in bringing down the daily rate. "We are definitely where we would wish to be having put these measures in place, she said. Tents with floral arrangements have been installed outside various buildings on the Sacred Heart University campus to serve as a test of sense of smell, one of the many obvious symptoms of COVID-19. The university said it installed 10 scent tents across campus, as it continues to ramp up testing having tested 25 percent of its on-campus residential population last week. These scent tents are not only aesthetically pleasing, but they provide a way to test if your sense of smell is intact, university officials said. Loss of sense of smell and taste can be early symptoms of the coronavirus, so take time to stop and smell the roses. Sacred Hart University said it tested nearly 775 full-time undergraduate students last week. This week, the university expects to test 1,300 which is 25 percent of the entire undergraduate population. Next week, the university intends to test more than 50 percent of its student population, with 2,800 tests expected to be performed. The university does random and targeted testing, and boasts of an extremely aggressive contact tracing program to help identify potential positive cases. University officials said they are working with Yales medical school to introduce a saliva-based coronavirus test, expected to significantly reduce wait-time for results and testing costs, to Sacred Heart University in the coming days. On Sept. 25, Sacred Heart officials said since Sept. 23, an additional seven students on campus tested positive for the virus, and another 15 among off-campus students primarily linked to two off-campuses houses. During that same time frame, 12 students recovered and were released from isolation. Sacred Heart said its students who have tested positive for the virus remain asymptomatic or are experiencing very mild symptoms. The University of Connecticut reported an additional positive case of the coronavirus on its Storr campus on Monday, putting the campus total at 55 current positive or suspected positive on-campus cases. The new case was reported in a resident of the quarantined Belden Hall, the university said. There were no new off-campus cases reported Monday, leaving the total number of virus cases among off-campus students at 68 since the schools first phase of testing ended on Sept. 13, the university said. Seven faculty, staff and affiliates which includes employees working at a UConn campus at least part of the time and employees of affiliated on-campus enterprises including dining and bookstore workers have tested positive for the virus at UConn. There have been 211 students who were positive or symptomatic have recovered and left isolation. UConn said it continues to test students in large numbers as part of its ongoing effort to identify, contain and treat cases. Trinity College in Hartford, which reported 15 new cases during the week of Sept. 14, reported four new cases last week. Connecticut College in New London reported one new coronavirus case in an employee and performed 3,427 tests last week. The week prior, the university performed 3,464 tests and reported one case of the virus in a student. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-28 15:18:06|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close MANILA, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- The Philippine government troops clashed early Monday with leftist guerrillas in Masbate province south of Manila, leaving three rebels dead, a military spokesman said. Dennis Cana, the spokesman of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Southern Luzon Command, said the fighting erupted around 5:35 a.m. local time after troops encountered an undetermined number of New People's Army (NPA) rebels in a village in Masbate province, an island province south of Manila. No government soldiers were killed or wounded in the firefight that lasted about 15 minutes, Cana said, adding that the rest of the NPA rebels fled. Cana added the troops recovered a rifle, two shotguns, an anti-personnel mine, and several documents from the clash site. Jonathan Zata, the chief of AFP public affairs office, said on Sunday that since January this year the country's security forces killed a total of 169 NPA fighters and arrested 218. The NPA rebels have been fighting the Philippine government since 1969. On and off talks to end the decades-old insurgency that have killed thousands stalled again last year. Enditem - The new quarantine classifications in the Philippines for October 1-31 were finally announced - It was President Rodrigo Duterte who made the announcement through his recent address to the nation - The chief executive said that Lanao del Sur will be under Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine - Six areas are also placed under General Community Quarantine for the abovementioned period PAY ATTENTION: Click "See First" under the "Following" tab to see KAMI news on your News Feed President Rodrigo Duterte announced late Monday the new quarantine classifications in the Philippines for October 1 to 31. KAMI learned that the province of Lanao del Sur, including Marawi City, will be placed under Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine due to the rising number of COVID-19 cases. Filipino frontliner against COVID-19 (Courtesy of Getty Images) Source: Getty Images PAY ATTENTION: Enjoyed reading our story? Download KAMI's news app on Google Play now and stay up-to-date with major Filipino news! Six areas, meanwhile, are placed under General Community Quarantine. These are NCR, Batangas, Tacloban City, Iloilo City, Bacolod, and Iligan City. According to the chief executive, the rest of the country should follow protocols set for the Modified General Community Quarantine. On September 28, the Philippines logged 3,073 new confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus disease. The total is now 307,288. The total number of recoveries as of this writing is 252,665. However, the death toll climbed to 5,381 after the DOH tallied 37 new fatalities yesterday. PAY ATTENTION: Shop with KAMI! The best offers and discounts on the market, product reviews and feedback The novel coronavirus disease continues to make negative impact on the lives of people around the world. More than 33 million people have been infected. Recently, an infectious disease expert in Italy claimed that the virus is already getting weaker and it may just disappear without the need for a vaccine. It was also reported that a Miss Universe Philippines candidate has tested positive for the dreadful virus. Please like and share our Facebook posts to support KAMI team! Dont hesitate to comment and share your opinion about our stories either. We love reading about your thoughts! Source: KAMI.com.gh MOSCOW, Sept. 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), Russia's sovereign wealth fund, announces the delivery of the first batch of the Russian vaccine against coronavirus, Sputnik V, to the Republic of Belarus. The Sputnik V vaccine is based on a human adenoviral vectors platform which is the only one in the world that has proven long-term safety and effectiveness. Vaccination of volunteers in Belarus will begin on October 1 as part of double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trials of the Sputnik V vaccine. RDIF is funding these clinical trials in Belarus with the participation of 100 people who will have the opportunity to be vaccinated against coronavirus with a vaccine developed by the Gamaleya National Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology of the Ministry of Health of Russia. Belarus has become the first country to start clinical trials of the Sputnik V vaccine after its registration in Russia. Clinical trials will be carried out in eight medical institutions selected as research centers in Belarus. Two Belarusian clinics have already received the first batches of the Sputnik V vaccine. On August 11, the Sputnik V vaccine developed by the Gamaleya National Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology was registered by the Ministry of Health of Russia and became the world's first registered vaccine against COVID-19 based on the human adenoviral vectors platform. Detailed information on the Sputnik V vaccine, the technological platform of human adenoviral vectors, and other details are available at sputnikvaccine.com On September 4, a research paper on the results of Phase I and Phase II clinical trials of the Sputnik V vaccine was published in The Lancet, one of the leading international medical journals, demonstrating no serious adverse effects and a stable immune response in 100% of participants. Post-registration clinical trials of the Sputnik V vaccine involving 40,000 volunteers are currently ongoing. More than 60,000 volunteers have applied to take part in post-registration trials. The first results of these trials are expected to be published in October-November 2020. Kirill Dmitriev, CEO of the Russian Direct Investment Fund, said: "Belarus has become the first country to take part in foreign clinical trials of the Sputnik V vaccine, and will be among the first countries to receive an effective and safe vaccine to combat coronavirus. Similar clinical trials of the Sputnik V vaccine are planned in a number of other countries, including Brazil, India, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates. The human adenoviral vectors platform, which underlies the Russian vaccine, is safe for health and has been tested for decades in more than 250 clinical studies. At the same time, Western vaccine manufacturers are relying on experimental and underexplored technologies that have not been tested in the long term, and face obstacles in their clinical trials that delay the introduction of vaccines into civil circulation and negatively affect efforts to combat coronavirus." More than 50 countries in CIS, Europe, Asia, Middle East and Latin America have applied for Sputnik V. RDIF has previously announced supply agreements with Mexico for 32 million doses, with Brazil for up to 50 million doses, with India - 100 million doses and with Uzbekistan for up to 35 million doses. Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) is Russia's sovereign wealth fund established in 2011 to make equity co-investments, primarily in Russia, alongside reputable international financial and strategic investors. RDIF acts as a catalyst for direct investment in the Russian economy. RDIF's management company is based in Moscow. Currently, RDIF has experience of the successful joint implementation of more than 80 projects with foreign partners totaling more than RUB1.9 tn and covering 95% of the regions of the Russian Federation. RDIF portfolio companies employ more than 800,000 people and generate revenues which equate to more than 6% of Russia's GDP. RDIF has established joint strategic partnerships with leading international co-investors from more than 18 countries that total more than $40 bn. Further information can be found at www.rdif.ru Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1140939/Russian_Direct_Investment_Fund_Logo.jpg Unfortunately, there are casualties and the parties are using heavy weapons as well, Sergei Naryshkin, the chief of Russias Foreign Intelligence Service, told reporters in Moscow. We see that this issue can be resolved only with political-diplomatic methods, and Russia will always seek peace in every possible way, Naryshkin said, according to the RIA Novosti news agency. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov telephoned his Armenian and Azerbaijani counterparts hours after the outbreak of heavy fighting around Karabakh early on Sunday. He called for a quick end to the fighting involving thousands of troops, tanks, heavy artillery and attack drones. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian also discussed the most serious escalation of the Karabakh conflict in years -- and possibly decades -- in a phone call. Putins spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, urged the conflicting parties on Monday to display maximum restraint and avoid a further undesirable escalation of the situation. The TASS news agency quoted him as saying that Putin will also speak with Azerbaijans President Ilham Aliyev if need be. Russia, which has close political, military and economic ties with Armenia, has not blamed any of the parties for the hostilities. The United States and the European Union have reacted to the Karabakh fighting in a similar fashion. U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun also spoke with Armenias and Azerbaijans foreign ministers by phone. According to the U.S. State Department, he urged both sides to cease hostilities immediately and avoid actions that further raise tensions on the ground. U.S. President Donald Trump said later on Sunday that Washington is closely monitoring the developments in the Karabakh conflict zone. We have a lot of good relationships in that area, Trump told reporters. Well see if we can stop [the hostilities.] Nigeria will look to privatize its state oil firm Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) under a draft new petroleum law currently in Parliament for discussion, Reuters reported on Monday, quoting the bill it has seen. Nigerias Senate and the House of Representatives have to pass the bill, which has been years in the making, in order to become law. According to two sources who spoke to Reuters, Nigerias President Muhammadu Buhari has already sent the bill to the Nigerian Senate. Under the draft law, Nigeria would operate NNPC as a commercial entity that will not have access to state funds, Reuters reported. Nigeria, currently Africas biggest oil producer and exporter, has been preparing a draft petroleum bill for two decades, looking to amend the royalty regime and the production-sharing regime of its oil and gas reserves. Apart from the privatization of NNPC, the bill will also amend the newly changed offshore royalties and raise the threshold of the price-based royalty to above $50 a barrel from $35 per barrel, Reuters reports. Related: Oil Bulls Return As OPEC+ Reassures Markets At the end of last year, Nigeria introduced a combined production and price-based royalty system to replace the existing production-based royalty system, which varies according to areas of operations, KPMG commented on the amendments. Nigeria introduced a baseline royalty of 10 percent for crude oil and condensates produced in the deep offshore of more than 200 meters (656 feet) in depth and 7.5 percent for the Frontier and Inland Basin. The price-based royalty applies when the price of oil exceeds $20 a barrel. Earlier this month, NNPCs group managing director Mele Kyari said that the company was in talks to hand over the majority stakes in Nigerias four refineries, which are all in dire need of an upgrade. Nigeria has four refineries, two in Port Harcourt, and one each in Warri and Kaduna, but all refineries in Africas largest oil producer are very old and in need of refurbishment. Over the past five years, utilization rates at those refineries haven't exceeded 30 percent. By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Cardinal George Pell is Pope Francis' former finance minister - AP Cardinal George Pell, Pope Francis' former finance minister, will soon return to the Vatican during an extraordinary economic scandal for the first time since he was cleared of child abuse allegations in Australia five months ago, a newspaper reported Monday. Pell will fly back to Rome on Tuesday, Herald-Sun newspaper columnist Andrew Bolt wrote. The report by a vocal champion of the cardinal did not cite a source for the cardinal's plans. The Associated Press attempted to contact Pell where he lives in a Sydney seminary for confirmation and was told by a woman who answered the phone: "We have no comment." The Sydney Archdiocese did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Pell's travel plans. Pell's reported return follows Francis last week firing one of the cardinal's most powerful opponents, Cardinal Angelo Becciu, over a financial scandal. Pell was regarded as the third highest-ranking Vatican official and was attempting to wrestle the Holy See's opaque finances into order when he returned to his native Australia in 2017 to clear himself of decades-old allegations of child sex abuse. Instead, Pell became the most senior Catholic to be convicted of child sex abuse crimes. He served 13 months in prison before Australia's High Court acquitted him in April of molesting two choir boys in the late 1990s when he was archbishop of Melbourne. In his first television interview after his release, conducted by Bolt in April, Pell linked his fight against Vatican corruption with his prosecution in Australia. Pell said he did not have evidence of a link. But he suspected that a man who swore he had been sexually abused by Pell as a 13-year-old choirboy had been "used." Pell again seemed to hint at a link in a statement last week in which he "thanked and congratulated" Francis for firing Becciu. "I hope the cleaning of the stables continues in both the Vatican and Victoria," Pell said, referring to his home state of Victoria where he was convicted. Story continues Pell, 79, said in April he planned to return to Rome when the coronavirus pandemic allowed him to pack up his apartment. But he intended to make Sydney his home. Becciu said he was fired after Francis told him that documents from the Italian financial police alleged the 72-year-old cardinal had embezzled 100,000 euros ($116,200). Becciu, the former No. 2 in the Vatican's secretariat of state, denied any wrongdoing. Becciu's name had previously been caught up in a whirlwind financial scandal involving the Holy See's investment in a London real estate venture. But Becciu said that investment wasn't raised in his conversation on Thursday with Francis. ARMONK, N.Y., Sept. 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Call for Code Founding Partner IBM (NYSE: IBM) and Creator David Clark Cause today announced the top five worldwide finalists for the 2020 Call for Code Global Challenge. Call for Code unites hundreds of thousands of developers to create and deploy applications powered by open source technology that can tackle some of the world's biggest challenges. This year, developers around the globe were asked to create solutions to help communities fight back against climate change and COVID-19. Agrolly Business Buddy OffShip Safe Queue SchoolListIt Now in its third year, the Call for Code global competition has generated more than fifteen thousand solutions built using a combination of open source-powered products and technologies, including Red Hat OpenShift, IBM Cloud, IBM Watson, IBM Blockchain, data from The Weather Company, and APIs from ecosystem partners like HERE Technologies and IntelePeer. Since its launch in 2018, this movement has grown to more than 400,000 developers and problem solvers across 179 nations, reflecting the reality that challenges like climate change and COVID-19 demand solutions that work on the local level, but also have the ability to scale and help any community, anywhere. "This year of crisis underscores the need for the world's developers and business leaders to apply the power of hybrid cloud, AI and open source technology to address society's most pressing issues," said Bob Lord, Senior Vice President, Cognitive Applications, Blockchain, and Ecosystems, IBM. "For the third year in a row, the developer community has answered the Call for Code in overwhelming numbers, creating extraordinary solutions powered by open source technology. As a leader in open source with a long history of driving tech for good, it is incredibly gratifying for us at IBM to see how the broader tech community continues to come together, unified in purpose to make a tangible difference in the lives of so many." Call for Code Global Top Five These five finalists were chosen from an elite group of top solutions from each region of the world: Agrolly ( Asia Pacific ) - This solution was built by a distributed team of developers hailing from Brazil , India , Mongolia , and Taiwan , who met at Pace University . Agrolly is designed to support and connect small farmers around the world but particularly in emerging countries, where farms are suffering from reduced crop yields due to climate change. By combining weather forecasts with crop requirements published by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, the platform provides tailored information for each farmer by location, crop type, and the stage of growth. The solution aims to fill information gaps so farmers can learn from one another, make more informed decisions, obtain financing, and improve their economic outcomes. Agrolly is currently available as an app in the Google store free of charge, and is powered by IBM Cloud Object Storage, IBM Watson Studio, and IBM Watson Assistant. VIDEO This solution was built by a distributed team of developers hailing from , , , and , who met at . Agrolly is designed to support and connect small farmers around the world but particularly in emerging countries, where farms are suffering from reduced crop yields due to climate change. By combining weather forecasts with crop requirements published by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, the platform provides tailored information for each farmer by location, crop type, and the stage of growth. The solution aims to fill information gaps so farmers can learn from one another, make more informed decisions, obtain financing, and improve their economic outcomes. Agrolly is currently available as an app in the Google store free of charge, and is powered by IBM Cloud Object Storage, IBM Watson Studio, and IBM Watson Assistant. VIDEO Business Buddy ( Asia Pacific ) - Created by a team of students in Australia at the University of Sydney , Business Buddy aims to provide a one-stop-shop that delivers personalized and responsive updates to small businesses to help them weather the financial impacts of COVID-19. Powered by IBM Watson Assistant, IBM Cloud Foundry, and IBM Cloudant, the solution helps determine businesses' eligibility for support from governmental programs, and guides them through the application process via an easy-access portal. VIDEO Created by a team of students in at the , Business Buddy aims to provide a one-stop-shop that delivers personalized and responsive updates to small businesses to help them weather the financial impacts of COVID-19. Powered by IBM Watson Assistant, IBM Cloud Foundry, and IBM Cloudant, the solution helps determine businesses' eligibility for support from governmental programs, and guides them through the application process via an easy-access portal. VIDEO OffShip ( North America ) - OffShip was created by a team of developers in Canada from Morgan Stanley. OffShip is an easy-to-use browser plugin that educates consumers on the effect their online purchases have on the environment. It does this by providing an estimate of the carbon dioxide footprint of each purchase they consider which in turn helps them consider alternatives or purchase and donate carbon offset credits seamlessly. This solution is hosted in the IBM Cloud. VIDEO OffShip was created by a team of developers in from Morgan Stanley. OffShip is an easy-to-use browser plugin that educates consumers on the effect their online purchases have on the environment. It does this by providing an estimate of the carbon dioxide footprint of each purchase they consider which in turn helps them consider alternatives or purchase and donate carbon offset credits seamlessly. This solution is hosted in the IBM Cloud. VIDEO Safe Queue ( North America ) - Safe Queue, created by a single developer in Los Angeles , is a community-driven mobile app that is intended to replace physical lines at shopping centers, small businesses, and polling places with on-demand virtual lines, to support a safe way to manage entry during COVID-19. Safe Queue was recognized as part of Call for Code's accelerated COVID-19 track in May, and since then has been further developed, tested, and deployed with small businesses across the country. Safe Queue uses GPS location data to create a virtual queue of those within 1000 feet of a location, allowing employees to control the queue digitally, and validating entry with a randomly generated QR code for each customer. This solution builds on IBM Cloud Foundry for web app hosting, HERE technologies for geolocation, Twillio for SMS messaging, and IBM Cloudant to store data. VIDEO Safe Queue, created by a single developer in , is a community-driven mobile app that is intended to replace physical lines at shopping centers, small businesses, and polling places with on-demand virtual lines, to support a safe way to manage entry during COVID-19. Safe Queue was recognized as part of Call for Code's accelerated COVID-19 track in May, and since then has been further developed, tested, and deployed with small businesses across the country. Safe Queue uses GPS location data to create a virtual queue of those within 1000 feet of a location, allowing employees to control the queue digitally, and validating entry with a randomly generated QR code for each customer. This solution builds on IBM Cloud Foundry for web app hosting, HERE technologies for geolocation, Twillio for SMS messaging, and IBM Cloudant to store data. VIDEO SchoolListIt ( North America ) - Created by a working mother of three children in North Carolina , SchoolListIt is designed to help families successfully manage schoolwork during the especially challenging circumstances surrounding COVID-19. SchoolListIt compiles information from the wide array of learning apps that teachers use, and makes it easy for students or guardians to understand at a glance what assignments are due and when, while also building a digital community for parents. The solution uses IBM Watson Text to Speech. VIDEO Each year, the Call for Code Global Prize winner receives $200,000 and hands-on support from IBM, The Linux Foundation, and other partners to expand the open source community around their solution and to deploy their solution in areas of need. This year's grand prize winner will be selected by an elite group of judges, including some of the most eminent leaders in human rights, disaster risk reduction, business, and technology. Path to Deployment The IBM Service Corps and technical experts helped incubate and deploy the previous two Global Challenge winning solutions. Last year's Call for Code Global Challenge winning team, Prometeo, created a wearable device that measures carbon monoxide, smoke concentration, humidity, and temperature to monitor firefighter safety in real-time as well as to help improve their health outcomes in the long-term. The solution was incubated and completed its first wildfire field test earlier this year during a controlled burn with the Grups de Reforc d'Actuacions Forestals (GRAF) and the Grup d'Emergencies Mediques (GEM) dels Bombers de la Generalitat de Catalunya near Barcelona, Spain. Prometeo was developed by a team comprising a veteran firefighter, an emergency medical nurse, and three developers. Project Owl, the winning solution from Call for Code 2018, provides an offline communication infrastructure that gives first responders a simple interface for managing all aspects of a disaster. The physical "clusterduck" network is made of hubs that create a mesh network that can send speech-based communications using conversational systems to a central application. Together with the IBM Service Corps, Project Owl has been piloted across Puerto Rico, focusing on areas that were hit hard by hurricanes. Both projects, as well as others, continue to be incubated through the Call for Code deployment pipeline. Call for Code University Edition This year, IBM partnered with the Clinton Global Initiative University (CGI U) to launch a dedicated University Edition within Call for Code. Together, IBM and CGI U reached more than 53,000 students around the world to help create solutions to fight COVID-19 and climate change. The 2020 Call for Code Challenge University finalists are: Kairos App (Latin America); Lupe (Europe); Pandemap (Asia Pacific); Plant-it (North America); and Rechargd (Asia Pacific). Solutions in the University Edition are competing for a grand prize of $10,000. The grand prize-winning team and runner-up will also receive the opportunity to interview for a potential role at IBM. "This year, we launched the dedicated University Edition within the Call for Code Global Challenge so university students around the world could apply their learnings from the classroom, life experiences and imagination to tackling climate change and COVID-19 in sustainable, equitable and innovative ways," said Chelsea Clinton, Vice Chair, Clinton Foundation. "These finalist solutions are outstanding, and we look forward to announcing a winner on October 13th." Growing Ecosystem Call for Code's growth and success is a product of the unique ecosystem that IBM and David Clark Cause have convened to unite the technology development community with humanitarian organizations ensuring that solutions are robust, efficient, innovative, and easy-to-use. This community includes the United Nations Human Rights Office, The Linux Foundation, United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, Clinton Foundation and Clinton Global Initiative University, Cloud Native Computing Foundation, Verizon, Persistent Systems, Arrow Electronics, HERE Technologies, Ingram Micro, IntelePeer, Consumer Technology Association Foundation, World Bank, Caribbean Girls Hack, Kode With Klossy, World Institute on Disability, and many more. "We are facing a time of unprecedented crisis," said Laurent Sauveur, Chief, External Relations, UN Human Rights "While the COVID-19 pandemic puts lives and livelihoods at immediate risk, climate change is an existential threat for humanity. By triggering global engagement, initiatives like Call for Code open up the potential for developers and problem solvers around the world to put their skills to use to create inclusive and effective response solutions that can be deployed quickly yet have long-term impact." The grand prize and University Edition winners will be announced on October 13 via a digital event, the 2020 Call for Code Awards: A Global Celebration of Tech for Good. About Call for Code Global Challenge Developers have revolutionized the way people live and interact with virtually everyone and everything. Where most people see challenges, developers see possibilities. That's why David Clark Cause created Call for Code in 2018, and launched it alongside Founding Partner IBM and their partner UN Human rights. This five-year, $30 million global initiative is a rallying cry to developers to use their mastery of the latest technologies to drive positive and long-lasting change across the world through code. Call for Code global winning solutions are further developed, incubated, and deployed as sustainable open source projects to ensure they can drive positive change. MEDIA CONTACTS Deirdre Leahy [email protected] 845.863.4552 Chris Blake [email protected] 415.613.1120 SOURCE IBM Vihiga Governor Wilber Ottichilo spoke to the Star about his experience and track record as county boss. You have been a governor for three years now, what has been your experience? Being a governor is a very difficult job. Sometimes I regret why I became a governor. The pressure is too much and expectations from voters very high. The pressure is so intense that you cannot have time for your family. When you get home in the evening, youre so tired that you dont want to talk to anybody. The worst thing is the mobile phone. People will keep calling and you cant switch it off because you never know when an emergency will occur. You dont know whether the President can call you. And if you put it off, the voters will see you as avoiding them and there will be a backlash. As the governor you are in charge of billions, isnt it a nice feeling? The notion among the people is that you control billions and you have the means to do all they want. Everything is loaded on you. Even when other people make mistakes, its the governor who is blamed as a thief. We need a law to make government officers take responsibility for their actions. What would you say is the worst moment you have had as a governor? My worst moment was in January this year when MCAs came up with a motion to impeach me. Our relationship had been good and I couldnt understand why they brought it up. I later found out that one of my prospective competitors was sponsoring them. He was worried that at the rate I was moving with development projects, it would not be easy to dislodge me in 2022. I had to work to make sure that the motion did not go through. I used my experience to mollify them and they withdrew the motion. What is your best moment as a governor? The best moment, I would say, was the day of my installation as governor. I had a lot of expectations and was ready to move. I wanted to occupy the office like yesterday. But when I got into office I encountered a big challenge. In July 2018, I declined MCAs demand that money be budgeted for wards. They ganged up and vilified me everywhere. The ward reps projected me as a very bad person with no conscience. I finally convinced them that I was their governor and there was a need for us to work together. I can tell you that 2018-19 is the year I performed best as a governor. What other challenges have you faced? The biggest challenge was lack of an organised government system. As you remember, I found a vehicle without fuel. The culture here was like youre running a matatu or a jua kali business despite the fact that a government must be organised and follow regulations. Working with people who have a culture of laxity becomes a big problem and is still the biggest problem I face today. I have staff who are permanent and pensionable but do not have the culture of work. What is their culture? It is a culture of what can I get from the system rather than how can I improve the system? This culture was built in such a way that even the people outside believe that they should get something from you. Most of the staff were not suited for the jobs they were given. What is your relationship with the county assembly? When I came in, I had a bumpy relationship with the MCAs because they wanted money to be sent to wards so they were able to control processes there. I rejected that demand and it gave me a hard time with them. I thank God because we finally closed ranks and started serving the people as a team and we can see the results. What is the county wage bill like? We inherited more than 3,500 staff yet the ideal establishment for the county on the higher side is 2,000 workers. The Transition Authority recommended that we should have 1,400 staff. It means that most of the money we receive is used on salaries and pending bills. Your government has faced audit queries, whats your take? We have so many audit queries because of lack of qualified staff in critical departments. Those in office believed in using shortcuts. Right now, we are struggling to correct the mess by carrying out an audit to rid the payroll of ghost employees and then redeploy the genuine staff. Have you been affected by late release of funds by Treasury? The erratic disbursement of funds from the National Treasury has slowed operations and development in the county. As I sit here, we have not received funds for the first quarter of this financial year yet its ending. We have our budgets but we can not do anything because we are given money for salaries and some essential operations only. How are you handling pending bills? I inherited pending bills of Sh1.8 billion. When the President directed that all pending bills be paid, I refused because I felt there was no value for the money. Auditors came in and audited the bills and sanctioned payment. Last year, we paid Sh500 million and were going to pay another Sh600 million and this is money that was meant for development. Then again with the new formula Vihiga is going to lose Sh361 million. We are only given money for salaries and little operations. What we have cannot do anything. I dont know what type of auditing they did because most of the bills they recommended that we pay were questionable and there was no value for money. I had refused to pay but that couldnt work because the Treasury tied release of our funds on the payment and therefore I had to agree with the Treasury on a payment schedule. Health is one of the fully devolved functions. What is the state of health services in the county? When I took office, health services in Vihiga were in shambles and the first thing was to fix the sector since its critical. There were no drugs in hospitals, which were in a sorry state. The Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (Kemsa) had stopped supplying drugs because of a Sh75 million debt. I had to engage the agency to agree on how to pay the debt before they resumed supplies to us. There was no money and I had to do a supplementary budget to raise funds to renovate the referral hospital, which is the hub of medical services in the county, and fix the medical equipment supplied by the national government which were lying idle years after they were supplied. What have you achieved in the health sector? In the last three years, we have made positive strides in health as a county. We have installed a CT scan, built an amenity ward where people who want to have specialised treatment can seek services, installed dental equipment in all the five subcounties, established an oncology clinic where cancer can be tested and a cardiac clinic. A hospital plaza is ongoing but stalled when we started paying pending bills. The county has recruited health workers and posted them to facilities. We have increased the number of medical staff from the 800 we inherited to 1, 400 currently and have established a blood bank that will serve not only Vihiga but other Western counties. What about Ottichilocare? When I came in, the maternal indicators were poor and I startedOttichilocare, an idea I borrowed from Kakamega county where a maternal programme dubbed Oparanya was doing very well. The programme is meant to encourage pregnant women to attend antenatal and postnatal clinics and deliver in facilities to improve child survival rates. Previously, we had 627 deaths per 100,000 births in the county which we have reduced to 120 per 100,000 births. You also asked fathers to play a bigger role in maternal care? Ottichilocare was linked with another project, Baba Anzilisha funded by Nutrition International, which involved the fathers in maternal healthcare because they are decision-makers. This created an opportunity for engagement of the Community Health Volunteers to help in tracking the expectant mothers and enroll them. Mothers receive Sh1,000 stipend on visitation for their transport and purchase of required foods like fruits. What is the food security situation in Vihiga? My administration has embarked on programmes aimed at transforming agriculture from subsistence farming to agribusiness because of the growing population that puts more pressure on the shrinking land sizes. Since I became governor, Vihiga is now self-sufficient in terms of food. Theres no hunger in Vihiga even during this Covid-19 period. When I took office, I started by identifying value chains that would firm up the agribusiness model. They include dairy, poultry, fish, indigenous vegetables and banana farming, all of which have since got funding through the World Bank under the NARIC project. What steps have you taken to improve the dairy industry? In 2018-19, we gave farmers 75 dairy animals and in 2019-20 we have given another 75 cows. Our ultimate goal is to give up to 1,000 milk cows to farmers who will act as contact persons. We are working with the Vihiga Dairy Cooperative Society, which we have equipped with generators and motorcycles to collect the milk they are processing into yoghurt. We have identified a donor from Germany who is working with the cooperative to help us procure machines by end of the year. We can then package the milk and expand the value addition chain in the sector. We have Sh130 million to expand the dairy value chain in the next four years Any hope for fish and poultry farming? I had started the Mwitoko fish farm when I was MP but the former regime abandoned it. When I came in as governor, I resuscitated it. We have now spent Sh32 million for building a hatchery, which produces fingerlings for about 1,200 farmers. As a county, we are now able to supply fingerlings to the entire Western region. We want to privatise it to make it sustainable so that the county government does the training as the production is handled by investors in a semi-autonomous way. We have given out one million chicks to farmer groups interested in poultry farming. You have been talking of boosting indigenous vegetable farming, what have you done? Farmers interested in production of indigenous vegetables were supplied with certified seeds and given technical assistance and thereafter linked with the Ministry of Social Services. To support these initiatives under the NARIC projects, were going to build a Sh80 million market as a hub for traditional vegetables. Construction of a cold room at Walodeya to assist vegetable farmers preserve their produce and reduce post-harvest losses is ongoing. We are also putting up another cold room at Esibuye in Luanda subcounty. Are tea, coffee and avocado farming being factored in? We have given out 50,000 tea seedlings and another 50,000 coffee seedlings to selected farmers in the last three years. Were working in partnership with Mudete tea factory which is operating under capacity. We have procured a coffee machine for farmers in Hamisi to enable them process their coffee with ease. We are also promoting avocado farming. To increase food production, we decided to give vulnerable farmers subsidised farm inputs like fertiliser and certified seeds. In 2018-19 we supplied 28,000 farmers and in 2019-20 we gave to 32,000 farmers inputs. We have entered into a partnership with the One Acre Fund so that those who miss out on the county government subsidies can access them from the fund. These programmes have reduced the cost of a 90kg bag of maize from Sh4,000 to Sh2,000. Unemployment remains a major challenge in the country. What is your administration doing to solve the problem in your county? We established the trade and enterprise fund and sensitised the youth on the importance of taking loans and entering into business to create income and lower the level of unemployment. Apart from the Kazi Mtaani programme by the national government, we have come up with a programme where youths and women will maintain roads throughout the year instead of paying contractors. We are going to spend Sh50 million this year on youth empowerment. I have been pushing for the granite factory since I was an MP. We have given 10 acres for the factory as requested by the national government and the feasibility study was done last year and revealed granite has huge potential. The government has advertised an international tender and once an investor is identified, the factory is going to be a game-changer. I believe once the factory is established the levels of unemployment will ease and boost the economy. What can you say is the state of education in your county? I am passionate about education because an educated community is a community that can fend for itself and find solutions to their problems. All over the world, any country that has developed did so not because they had gold or diamond but because it has an educated human capacity. We have to build capacity from the ECDE because this is what will determine whether the child is successful or not. When I took office as governor, ECDE centres were still being run like a charities where the teachers were hardly paid. The previous government had only built eight centres. In 2018-19, we built 75 and hired and deployed teachers. We have increased the pay from Sh5,000 to Sh10,000 for those with certificates and from Sh 7,000 to Sh15,000 for those with a diploma and retrained the tutors to align them to the CBC, besides providing adequate learning materials. This year were employing 800 teachers on permanent and pensionable terms. What about vocational training? All the 27 vocational training colleges were not registered. In 2018-19, we registered 27 and in 2019-20 we have registered four. When we came in, the enrollment in the county was 1,700 and the number has increased to 5,700. We have introduced specialisation in the TVETs where clusters have been created to deal with specific fields. Some of the instructors had not been paid salaries for over two years. We are hiring 130 instructors and decided to do capitation where any child joining the centres receives bursaries. We have set aside Sh1 million for every ward. We have also done away with the requirements for uniform as long as those attending are decently dressed. Leaders from 64 countries have signed a 10-point Pledge For Nature, outlining steps to combat climate change by helping the world 'live in harmony with nature' by 2050. Emmanuel Macron, Angela Merkel and Boris Johnson are among the figure heads who signed the document stating the world is in a 'state of planetary emergency' requiring 'urgent and immediate global action'. The measures include a pledge to re-double efforts to slow down deforestation, eliminate unregulated and unsustainable fishing practices and stop plastic being dumped into the ocean by 2050. Emmanuel Macron (left) and Angela Merkel (right) are among the figure heads who signed a 10-point Pledge For Nature And later today, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will sign a new United Nations (UN) pledge to help save the planet Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau (left) and Prime Minister of New Zealand Jacinda Ardern (right) also signed the pledge What are the 10-points in the Pledge For Nature signed by 64 world leaders Climate change and the environment is at the heart both of our Covid-19 recovery strategies and investments and of our pursuit of national and international development and cooperation Commitment to ambitious and transformational post-2020 global biodiversity framework Tackle biodiversity loss, land, freshwater and ocean degradation, deforestation, desertification, pollution and climate change Transition to sustainable production and consumption as well as sustainable food systems Pledge to raise ambition and aligning domestic climate policies with the Paris Agreement Commit to ending environmental crimes Commit to mainstreaming biodiversity into relevant policies - including food production, agriculture and fisheries Commitment to 'One-Health' approach in all relevant policies and decision-making processes that addresses health and environmental sustainability in an integrated fashion Strengthen all financial and non-financial means of implementation, to transform and reform our economic and financial sectors and to achieve the wellbeing of people and safeguard the planet through various methods - including incentivizing the financial system Commit that our approach to the design and implementation of policy will be science-based, will recognize the crucial role of traditional and indigenous knowledge as well as science and research in the fight against ecosystem degradation. It will also engage the whole of society Credit: Leaders' Pledge for Nature Advertisement It marks a week of international action to combat climate change, as 116 world leaders are set to hold a virtual UN biodiversity summit in New York on Wednesday. And later today, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will sign a new United Nations (UN) pledge to help save the planet. The pledge will protect an area the size of the Lake District and South Downs in a bid to boost the countrys natural beauty. The Leader's Pledge for Nature - which was also signed by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Prime Minister of New Zealand Jacinda Ardern - said leaders aim to 'end a united signal to step up global ambition for biodiversity'. They also aim 'to commit to matching our collective ambition for nature, climate and people with the scale of the crisis at hand'. It reads: 'We reaffirm our commitment to international cooperation and multilateralism, based on unity, solidarity and trust among countries, peoples and generations, as the only way for the world to effectively respond to current and future global environmental crises. 'We are in a state of planetary emergency: the interdependent crises of biodiversity loss and ecosystem degradation and climate change - driven in large part by unsustainable production and consumption - require urgent and immediate global action. 'Science clearly shows that biodiversity loss, land and ocean degradation, pollution, resource depletion and climate change are accelerating at an unprecedented rate. 'This acceleration is causing irreversible harm to our life support systems and aggravating poverty and inequalities as well as hunger and malnutrition. 'Unless halted and reversed with immediate effect, it will cause significant damage to global economic, social and political resilience and stability and will render achieving the Sustainable Development Goals impossible.' At a speech set to be made later today at a UN event, Prime Minster Boris Johnson will warn that immediate action is needed to save wildlife and habitats which are disappearing at a frightening rate. He will add: We cannot afford dither and delay because biodiversity loss is happening today. 'Left unchecked, the consequences will be catastrophic for us all. Extinction is forever so our action must be immediate. The measures include a pledge to re-double efforts to slow down deforestation, eliminate unregulated and unsustainable fishing practices and stop plastic being dumped into the ocean by 2050 (file image) The area's size would be equivalent to the South Downs and Lake District combine Mr Johnson is making his promise to safeguard an extra 400,000 hectares of land in the next decade during a virtual event held by the United Nations. The commitment will boost the amount of protected land, which includes national parks and areas of outstanding natural beauty, from 26 per cent of England to 30 per cent by 2030. That is equivalent to the size of the Lake District and South Downs National Parks combined. The Prime Minister will also say: We must turn these words into action and use them to build momentum, to agree ambitious goals and binding targets. We must act now, right now. 'As the environment is a devolved matter, Westminster will work with the governments of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland plus landowners to protect more land across the UK. Mr Johnson will commit to his promise by signing the Leaders Pledge for Nature at the UN event. He will be joined by Emmanuel Macron, Angela Merkel, Justin Trudeau, Jacinda Ardern, who are among 64 leaders from five continents to sign the pledge. It includes a 10-point pledge, formulated by the governments and the European Union, to counteract the damage to ecosystems that underpin human health and wellbeing. As part of it, governments will pledge more money will be spent on the environment and ensuring nature is a priority. The commitments include a renewed effort to reduce deforestation, the elimination of subsidies that harm the environment and the transition to sustainable food production. The new area earmarked for protected status is equivalent to the size of the Lake District and South Downs National Parks combined. Pictured: South Downs (file photo) The commitment will boost the amount of protected land, which includes national parks and areas of outstanding natural beauty, from 26 per cent of England to 30 per cent by 2030. Pictured: North York Moors National Park (file photo) Martin Harper, RSPB director of global conservation, said the 30 per cent commitment could be a huge step towards addressing the crisis our wildlife is facing. But he added: Targets on paper wont be enough. Those set a decade ago failed because they werent backed up by action. This is why the 30 by 30 promise must now be put into domestic law, as part of a suite of goals to restore the abundance and diversity of our wildlife, in every country in the UK. Craig Bennett, of The Wildlife Trusts, welcomed Mr Johnsons pledge as a good start. Long-haul carrier Qatar Airways on Sunday reported revenue losses of $1.9 billion for the past year, blaming the coronavirus pandemic, its liquidation of shares in Air Italy and the ongoing boycott of Doha by four Arab nations for the drop. The state-owned carrier also blamed new accounting rules for further adding to losses for the past fiscal year, which ended March 31. "If not for the exceptional circumstances of fiscal year 2020, our results would have been better than the year before," Qatar Airways CEO Akbar al-Baker said in a statement. It also restated its losses for the previous year in the financial report Sunday, putting it at close to $1.3 billion as opposed to the $639 million it earlier reported. It lost $69 million in 2018. The coronavirus pandemic halted global aviation for months, which only has begun to pick back up. Qatar also has been targeted by Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates in a boycott since June 2017. That boycott continues today, despite efforts by other Gulf Arab nations and the US to reconcile the countries involved in the political dispute. Actor Sushant Singh Rajputs niece, Mallika, has shared a message she received from the actor last year, on her birthday. In the message, Sushant apologises for not being able to call her because of bad reception. Mallika took to Instagram stories to share the screengrab over the weekend. Happy birthday my baby, Im so sorry, stuck in a place with no reception, trying to call you. You are a Rockstar already and it will get only bigger from here. Sushants contact details have been saved under Gulshan Mama. The actor died on June 14, at the age of 34, in what has been called a suicide by the Mumbai Police. However, a new investigation conducted by the Central Bureau of Investigation is currently underway. The actors father has accused Rhea Chakraborty, who was dating Sushant at the time of his death, of abetment to suicide. Recently, Vikas Singh, the lawyer representing Sushants father, said hed been told by an AIIMS doctor that Sushant was strangled to death. Today, we are helpless as we dont know in which direction the case is going. Till today, CBI has not done a press briefing on what they have found out. I am not happy with the speed at which the case is going, he had said in a recent press conference, according to ANI. Also read: Sushant Singh Rajputs family is feeling helpless at death investigation being sidetracked: lawyer Vikas Singh Mallika has shared several old pictures of herself with Sushant in the weeks since his death. She has also stood firmly by her family in their ongoing legal battle against Rhea. I cant even begin to imagine what it would feel like to be drugged without your knowledge, be told youre crazy when it takes effect, and keep you in that loop for months. It would take a lot cruelty to continuously play with someone like that, shed written in a tweet, implying that Sushant had been drugged by Rhea. Reacting to actor Lakshmi Manchus comments about Rheas vilification by the media, Mallika had written in a tweet, Im surprised that right now, some people are suddenly remembering what pain of a family and standing up for a colleague means. Follow @htshowbiz for more SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Actor Mandar Chandwadkar, who plays the role of Atmaram Bhide in Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah, informed that his Instagram account got hacked. Actress Palak Sindhwani, who plays Bhides daughter Sonu in the show, shared Mandars video on her Instagram, **URGENT ANNOUNCEMENT** Hello everyone, This is to inform you that Im not operating my Instagram id since last 4 days , I.e., @realmandarchandwadkar so if anybody is receiving messages from my id, consider that its been hacked, please spread the word! Ill inform you once Ill get access to my Instagram id, till then take care, Ill update you all soon," the actress wrote alongside the video. In the video, Mandar shares that he has been facing an issue and wasnt able to access Instagram since past 4 days. He then realised that it must have been hacked. The actor further stated that once his account is reinstated, he will post another video from his account and till then fans shouldnt fall prey to fake messages. Meanwhile, the makers of Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah are planning to get Dayabens character back on the show before Navratri or before Diwali. Actress Disha Vakani, who played Dayaben, went on a maternity leave in September 2017, and since then everyone is waiting for her to return on the show. Copyright 2020 Albuquerque Journal New Mexico has borrowed more than $50 million from the federal government to continue funding unemployment programs since its state trust fund ran out of money earlier this month. With that total likely to increase in coming months, the state is looking at its options for paying that money back before costs start accumulating. Workforce Solutions Secretary Bill McCamley said the state is considering a variety of options if the federal government doesnt provide a bailout for states, including raising the wage cap on payroll taxes. These are just ideas, and nothing concrete has been floated yet, McCamley said. In the short term, the administration emphasized, nothing would change for New Mexicans receiving unemployment. I think New Mexicans need to understand that were paying attention; were going to preserve these benefits for individuals on unemployment, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham said during a press conference Thursday. Before the COVID-19 pandemic reached New Mexico, the states unemployment trust fund had a balance of $465 million. But the spread of the virus and associated business shutdowns caused unemployment to skyrocket. McCamley told the Journal that DWS has paid out more than $2.32 billion through various unemployment programs since March 15. By comparison, the department paid out just under $138 million for the entirety of 2019. The fund ran dry Sept. 8. Earlier in the summer, the state requested up to $285 million from the U.S. Department of Labor to fund unemployment programs for August, September and October. As of Friday morning, New Mexico had borrowed $51.4 million of that possible $285 million. McCamley said he believed the state wouldnt need to borrow the full amount, saying that would be a worst-case scenario. McCamley did not estimate how much the state might need to borrow in the future, but he said the amount will depend on how effective the state is at preventing the spread of the virus and how many claimants transfer from state to federal unemployment in the coming weeks. McCamley said the state program provides unemployed New Mexicans with up to 26 weeks of benefits before theyre asked to switch over to a separate federal program that provides 13 weeks of benefits. That timing means many New Mexicans who lost their jobs at the start of the pandemic will begin to transfer over to the federal system in the next several weeks. At that point, the state will no longer have to borrow to pay their benefits. We expect a fairly high volume of standard claimants over the next four to five weeks to switch over to that program, McCamley said. The state also has some time to figure out its approach to repaying its loans. These loans will be interest-free through the end of the year under federal law, and McCamley said the state has until fall 2022 before federal unemployment insurance taxes begin to increase. We would obviously want to have something figured out by then, he said. Lujan Grisham said she is hopeful the federal government will be open to providing financial support for states in this situation. If not, McCamley said, the administration, legislators and business leaders would work together on a solution. In the meantime, he said, the focus should be on preventing the spread of the virus. The more the virus increases, the less we can get people off unemployment, McCamley said. The US has met with tribal leaders and increased its military presence, Russia and Syria have launched attacks against ISIS and a car bomb his Ras al-Ayn. Catch up on everything that happened over the weekend. 1. A US State Department delegation held a meeting on Friday with tribal leaders from Raqqa and Tabqa, to emphasis ongoing US support for Kurdish-led areas. The delegation, North Press reported, said that US planned for future projects in order to support the stability of the area, and that their partnership with Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) was on-going. 2. The US-led International Coalition has recently increased its air presence over the northeastern region of Syria, Al-Masdar reported. US military convoys in Hassakeh Governorate have been increasingly accompanied by their military helicopters, especially in areas where the Russian forces are present. This comes weeks after the US military was involved in a vehicular accident along one of Hassakehs roads. 3. Russian and Syrian warplanes carried out a series of heavy attacks over central Syria on Friday, targeting several dens belonging to the Islamic State (ISIS). According to Al-Masdar, the Syrian army and National Defense Forces militias continued their patrols in the vast desert region between Homs, Raqqa and Deir ez-Zor, as they searched for ISIS terrorists throughout the Badiya al-Sham region. 4. In appreciation of their efforts and creativity, President Bashar al-Assad offered a financial reward to the Banias refinerys cadres of engineers, technicians and workers who were able to complete, in a record time, the maintenance operations of the refinery. The workers managed to complete the overhaul without the need to import a single spare part from abroad and without resorting to any foreign company, in light of a suffocating siege that prevents Syria from purchasing of spare parts and prohibits international companies from dealing with it. 5. Iran Foreign Ministrys Assistant Ali Asghar Khaji and UN Special Envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen discussed over the phone efforts to solve the crisis in Syria. According to SANA, they discussed means of pushing forward the political process and continuation of the work of Constitutional Committee with the aim of reaching a solution to the crisis in Syria ,in the framework of respecting Syrias national sovereignty and territorial integrity. 6. Seven civilians, including two children, were killed, and 11 were injured in a car bomb explosion at the southern entrance of Ras al-Ayn. Local sources told SANA that the car bomb, was parked near a dump for scrap. The vehicle exploded in the border town of Ras al-Ayn, which was taken by the Syrian rebels in 2019 from the Kurdish-led YPG militia. Two of those killed, Reuters reported, were children, residents said. This article was 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. Twenty five years after 19-year-old Tara Calico disappeared on a hot pink Huffy bike down N.M. 47 in Belen, local and federal agents are re-opening the well-known case. The case had previously been handled by Valencia County sheriffs deputies, but now a six-person task force that includes agents from federal Homeland Security Investigations, the New Mexico State Police Department, the Valencia County Sheriffs Office, the Albuquerque Police Department and the Bernalillo County Sheriffs Office will re-investigate Calicos disappearance. We have tried to make it clear to the families that are involved in our cold cases that we continued to have resolve to bring justice to their loved ones for the crimes that theyve suffered in their families, Bernalillo County Sheriff Dan Houston said during a Wednesday news conference. Houston said he started talking to Valencia County Sheriff Louis Burkhard about re-opening it one year ago. Houston said his interest was sparked when he bumped into Calicos stepsister Michele Doel while jogging during lunch Downtown. They had never met before, but struck up a conversation, and soon started talking about the case. From there, Houston worked with Burkhard to create the force. We felt that we should take a good close look at all of the evidence thats been gathered over the years, and hopefully well come up with something that will assist us, Burkhard said. I dont think theres anything thats come about just recently in regards to this case, but were going to take a look at everything that is there. We dont know if shes alive, but thats certainly a possibility. The task force, which includes a criminal research assistant from Homeland Security Investigations, will use the federal facility at Mesa del Sol to look at old evidence some of which has already been transported to the facility with new tools. Technology has changed a lot in the past 25 years, and were going to be able to do a lot of things now that we werent capable of doing at that time, and thats true of all our cases, but especially this one, Houston said. Very few leads have surfaced in the Calico case in 25 years. Multiple witnesses said they saw a light-colored pickup truck following Calico on her bike on N.M. 47. Officials at the news conference and in a flier being distributed about the case said the incident happened on old Highway 6, which they said is the same road. Witnesses said Calico was listening to a cassette and didnt appear to notice anyone following her. The bike was never found, but searchers did find the bike tracks, the Boston cassette and pieces of the cassette player. A Polaroid photo of an unidentified female found in a Port St. Joe, Fla., convenience store parking lot in 1989 gave Calicos mother, Patty Doel, new hope, but the FBI couldnt confirm it was Calico. I think the issue with this particular case is that, as old as it is, we have absolutely no clue as to what happened to Tara, Houston said. BCSO Chief Deputy Greg Rees said Valencia County doesnt have a cold case unit, and despite their best efforts, more detectives could help solve it. Thats why its a group effort, Rees said. Were keeping our personnel on track with our cases, but this is dedicating one of our detectives to this effort. And Houston said collaboration is the key to solving the case. We know that when we work together, the losers are the criminals, he said. Tips can be reported at (855) 542-0952 and coldcasetaskforce.com. Copyright 2020 Albuquerque Journal Taos Countys House District 42 has long been a Democratic stronghold, largely due to Roberto Bobby Gonzales holding the seat for more than a quarter of a century. But Gonzales is gone, moving over to the senate. Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham appointed him to the senate position following the death of Sen. Carlos Cisneros last September. Gonzaless seat, in turn, was filled by Taos Mayor Dan Barrone picked by the Taos County Commission but Barrone, also a Democrat, has opted out of defending the seat, leaving House District 42 up for grabs. Kristina Ortez is the Democratic Partys nominee. She beat out Questa mayor and Taos County Commissioner Mark Gallegos in the primary with 60% of the vote. Linda Calhoun won the Republican Partys primary, besting Paul Anthony Martinez with 54% of the vote. Calhoun, 65, has been mayor of Red River for the past 14 years. Being a mayor is so much fun, said Calhoun, a Texas native who has called Red River home since she graduated from West Texas A&M University more than 40 years ago. Its not as partisan and we can focus on the community and get things done. Calhoun said she would take that nonpartisan approach to the Roundhouse, if shes elected. Everyone elected to the state legislature on Nov. 3 needs to do that, especially given the stresses caused by the coronavirus outbreak, she said. Now, with our budget deficit, the state of the economy and unemployment, we all have to step back and say that weve got to be New Mexicans and not worry about partisanship, she said. Ortez, 46, has been involved in politics for some time, working as an environmental advocate. But she hadnt run for office before the primary election. She decided to run after a group of women encouraged her to do so. It was a big leap, for sure, said Ortez, who has been executive director of the Taos Land Trust for the past six years. I have long been interested in politics and have been a conservation advocate, pushing legislation around public lands and acequias. My focus has been on the community aspect of community engagement. Ortez first put herself out there as a candidate when she applied to fill Cisneross senate seat. Though she was the choice of the Los Alamos and Santa Fe county commissions, Gov. Lujan Grisham picked state Rep. Gonzales to fill the seat instead. She also threw her hat into the ring for the same seat shes now seeking, but the Taos County Commission went with Mayor Barrone. Born and raised in the central San Joaquin Valley of California, Ortez went on to earn a degree from Harvard. After a life-changing trip to Indonesia that set her on the path of conservation advocacy, Ortez and her then-husband moved to New Mexico in 2008. She earned a masters degree in public administration from UNM and worked for the Sierra Club and then Somos, a literary foundation, before going to work for the Taos Land Trust. My focus has been on bringing people together in a way that allows us to find the best solution, she said. Calhoun says her experience sets her apart from her opponent. She had served on the New Mexico Municipal League, including time as president, and is vice-chair of the New Mexico Mayors Caucus. She was also one of just two Republicans chosen by Lujan Grisham to serve on her transition team. I think its very important that people understand that I have a lot of good Democrats that support me, and that goes to show Im nonpartisan and can work with both sides, she said. Under the current political climate, its important to have that leadership and experience. Ortez says her experience, education and expertise make her the best choice. We need someone who can analyze data and understand trends and I was trained to do that in the masters program I took at UNM. Its critically important when youre taking on problems in Santa Fe to develop something that is actionable, she said. According to the most recent campaign finance reports from July, Ortez had raised more than $43,000 and had about $18,000 left to spend, while Calhoun had raised more than $14,000 and had about $10,000 left to spend. Michael Cohen, President Trumps longtime former personal attorney, has a theory. He believes the president is terrified of receiving a large bill from the Internal Revenue Service. His biggest fear is he will end up with a massive tax bill, fraud penalties, fines, and possibly even tax fraud, Cohen said in an interview with Yahoo News on Monday, the morning after the New York Times published a report detailing how Trump, a self-described billionaire, paid zero dollars in income taxes for more than 10 years. Michael Cohen, former attorney to President Trump, says the president's biggest fear is a huge tax bill from the IRS. (Matt McClain/The Washington Post via Getty Images) The article, which was based on tax return data obtained by the Times, also revealed that Trump paid only $750 in income taxes both in 2016, as he ran for office, and in 2017, after he became president. According to the newspaper, the documents showed Trump used losses at his various businesses and expenses, including personal hair care, to justify taking massive tax deductions. Trumps taxes have long been the subject of intense speculation, since he is the first president since Richard Nixon to be elected without making some of his tax returns public. Cohen, who was also an executive at the Trump Organization, the presidents eponymous real estate company, attributed that reluctance to share the data to a fear of legal consequences. Donald Trumps financial records are the Rosetta stone for understanding the depth of his corruption and crimes, Cohen said in the interview. The more it is unraveled, the more he will unravel. Its the reason hes fought so hard to keep it under wraps. In the past, Trump has blamed this on an ongoing IRS audit, which he has claimed prevents him from disclosing the returns. The presidents own IRS commissioner confirmed last year that there is no rule stopping Trump from releasing his returns while he is under audit. The Times article confirmed that a $72.9 million tax refund Trump received after claiming losses is under audit, meaning that an adverse ruling could lead to him receiving a tax bill of over $100 million. The Timess reporting also raised questions about Trumps ability to pay any major penalties, since he has more than $300 million in loans coming due within the next four years. Story continues While the Times report has sparked a renewed conversation about Trumps taxes, Cohen has been raising alarms about the real estate magnates finances since the pair had a falling out in 2018 during a legal drama that ensued following investigations into the president and his campaign. Cohen has also gone further than the Times article, alleging that Trumps tax avoidance was clearly against the law. The president's taxes are subject to intense, renewed scrutiny after a New York Times report on Sunday. (Chris Kleponis/Polaris/Bloomberg via Getty Images) In his book Disloyal, which was published earlier this month, Cohen said Trump almost certainly illegally evaded income taxes. Cohen also recounted a scene in which the pair were in Trumps Manhattan office tower and the future president showed off a $10 million tax refund check he received from the IRS. Can you believe how fucking stupid the IRS is? Trump said, according to Cohen, adding, Who would give me a refund of 10 fucking million dollars? Cohen told Yahoo News that moment made him certain Trump had engaged in illegal conduct with respect to his taxes. To me, it didnt make any sense, Cohen said of the refund. Theres no doubt that he had to have committed some sort of a fraud. Cohen, whose book accuses Trump of habitually engaging in unethical business practices at his real estate company, also said tax fraud would fit the presidents modus operandi. Nothing that goes on at the Trump Organization is done straight up. Theres always some form of a shady angle, he said. White House deputy press secretary Judd Deere responded to Cohens claims by questioning his credibility. Michael Cohen is a disgraced liar who has no idea what hes talking about, Deere wrote in an email to Yahoo News. Trump Organization spokesperson Kimberly Benza similarly dismissed Cohen as unreliable. If you are interested in reporting the truth we would suggest you find a source other than Michael Cohen, Benza wrote. On Twitter, Trump denied that he engaged in any impropriety in a series of messages posted on Monday morning. The Fake News Media, just like Election time 2016, is bringing up my Taxes & all sorts of other nonsense with illegally obtained information & only bad intent. I paid many millions of dollars in taxes but was entitled, like everyone else, to depreciation & tax credits, he wrote. The Fake News Media, just like Election time 2016, is bringing up my Taxes & all sorts of other nonsense with illegally obtained information & only bad intent. I paid many millions of dollars in taxes but was entitled, like everyone else, to depreciation & tax credits..... Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 28, 2020 The details on Trumps tax payments also go to the heart of his image as a billionaire real estate mogul that has been central to his fame and political career. In 2015, as he announced his presidential campaign, Trump distributed a single-page laminated document that claimed he was worth about $8.7 billion. About a month later, his campaign released a statement claiming his net worth was actually in excess of TEN BILLION DOLLARS. Experts and outside observers have long questioned Trumps claims about his wealth. Cohen suggested Trumps reluctance to release his financial documents also stemmed from a desire to falsely keep up appearances. Donald Trumps entire image and self-worth is based on his inflated, actual net worth, Cohen said. Cohen was a staunch Trump loyalist for over a decade. He first made allegations about the presidents finances and behavior after he began cooperating with prosecutors in 2018 while being investigated for his role in payments that were made to women who alleged they had affairs with Trump, as well as issues related to his own taxes. Cohen ultimately pleaded guilty to multiple charges including criminal tax evasion and served about a year of a three-year sentence in federal prison before being released to home confinement in May due to the coronavirus. He indicated he finds it ironic that he was imprisoned over his own tax issues. While he paid $750, I paid millions in taxes, and yet, somehow, Im the one who ended up in jail, he said. Cohen was briefly returned to prison in July after prison officials claimed he had violated the terms of his home confinement. For his part, Cohen described his reimprisonment as an effort to silence him, since it came shortly after he announced his plan to publish a book. He was ultimately released after about two weeks when Manhattan Federal Judge Alvin Hellerstein ruled that the move to place him back in prison was a retaliatory effort to stop the book. Earlier this month, Cohen also launched a podcast, Mea Culpa, in which he has detailed his experiences working for Trump and concerns about the presidents lies and personal madness. "Mea Culpa" with Michael Cohen. (meaculpapodcast.com) Along with his book and the podcast, Cohen made serious allegations about Trumps finances in testimony before Congress in February 2019. During that hearing, he testified that Trump fraudulently adjusted the values of his properties to receive favorable treatment from lenders and tax authorities. That testimony led New York state Attorney General Letitia James to open a wide-ranging investigation into Trumps real estate company that is ongoing. Last month, Yahoo News reported that two sources familiar with the situation confirmed that the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Southern District of New York was conducting an investigation into Trumps real estate business, with a specific focus on questionable practices related to the valuation of his properties last year. A spokesperson for that office has declined to comment on whether that federal probe is ongoing. Cohens claims about Trump have not been limited to financial matters. He has also raised the possibility that, as he wrote in his book, Trump will not leave office easily. The president has repeatedly joked about pursuing an unconstitutional third term. He has also cast baseless doubts on the integrity of the coming election. And on Sept. 23, Trump refused to commit to a peaceful transfer of power when he was asked to do so by a reporter at the White House. In his conversation with Yahoo, Cohen predicted that Trump wont leave office without a fight and suggested this was due to his concerns about looming legal woes and potential tax bills. There will never be a peaceful transition of power, Cohen predicted. _____ Read more from Yahoo News: More than five in 10 Kenyans working in the manufacturing sector earn less than the recommended minimum wage of Sh13,572 per month, a new report shows, even as families' grapple with Covid-19 economic hardships. The findings by Open Society show that 51 percent of staff are paid between Sh500-600 per day, representing Sh12,000 monthly. "Forty two percent of the respondents said they work hard eight to nine hours a day, with two 10-15 minute breaks and get no compensation for the extra hours," the report said. Only 29 said they got personal protection equipments (PPE) with 71 not getting them. "and where it is provided, they are made to pay for it." "Only 40 percent of the casual workers we spoke to had any form of basic insurance cover. This, coupled with the other issues highlighted, adds to the undue pressure and discomfort that the workers have to live through," the report said. Endanger their livelihoods The data was collected at Industrial Area's Enterprise Road. Whereas 95 percent of male complained of discrimination, only five percent of women did the same. "The few women respondents expressed concerns about sexism, sexual harassment and the heavy manual nature of work that makes it difficult for them to work in the sector," it adds. The report reveals that many companies contravene the Kenya Employment Act (CAP 226), which compel employees to hire casuals permanently if they have worked for a firm for an extended period of time. "All of the workers we interviewed are aware of the Central Organisation for Trade Unions, but they had no idea what it does for them - even though some of them claimed that a deduction made on their pay goes to the union. "In fact, most of the workers deemed themselves not to be unionised because unions could endanger their livelihood," it adds. Silver diamine fluoride can be painted on teeth to stop decayeven if it is occurring under existing dental work Dental hygienist Jennifer Geiselhofer often cleans the teeth of senior patients who cant easily get to a dentists office. But until recently, if she found a cavity, there was little she could do. I cant drill. I cant pull teeth, said Geiselhofer, whose mobile clinic is called Dental at Your Door. Id recommend they see a dentist, but that was often out of the question because of mobility challenges. So, visit after visit, I would come back and there would be more decay. But now, Geiselhofer has a weapon to obliterate a cavity with a few brushstrokes. Silver diamine fluoride is a liquid that can be painted on teeth to stop decay. Fast, low-cost, and pain-free, the treatment is rapidly gaining momentum nationwide as the cavity treatment of choice for patients who cant easily get a filling, such as the very young or the very old. It has been life-changing for my patients, said Geiselhofer, who has been using the treatment for about 18 months. Geiselhofer hasnt been able to go into nursing homes during the COVID-19 pandemic, but she uses the liquid on the older adults she visits in private homes. She also uses it to treat the cavities of patients in homeless shelters, jails, and Head Start programsnow wearing greater protective gear, including gloves, a surgical mask, an N95 mask, and a face shield. The topical medication is an especially good option for seniors, dental industry experts say, because dental care has remained a major gap in health insurance coverage despite poor dental hygiene being linked to heart disease and other health problems such as diabetes and pneumonia. Medicare doesnt cover most dental care, and patients on a fixed income often cant afford treatment. But because of the effectiveness and low cost of silver diamine fluoride, more state Medicaid programs now cover itand older adults who pay out-of-pocket can afford it outright. Silver diamine fluoride has been used in other countries for decades, and studies have proved it safe. Its biggest downside is that it permanently turns the decayed area blacka turnoff, in particular, for people with decay on a front tooth. Dental providers say the black spots can be covered by tooth-colored material for an extra cost. For older adults, Geiselhofer said, a dark spot is a small price to pay for a treatment that stops cavities quickly, with no drilling, needle prick, or trip to the dentist required. Oral Care a Problem for Older Adults Silver diamine fluoride was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 2014 for reducing tooth sensitivity. But its off-label use to treat cavities was quickly adopted. It made headlines as a trauma-free treatment for tooth decay in children under age 5. Pediatric dentists have embraced it as a solution for kids who cant sit still for treatment and whose parents want to avoid general anesthesia. But today, with more older Americans keeping their natural teeth than in decades past, the treatment is also serving as a boon for a different generation. Because of insurance gaps and the prohibitive cost of most dental treatments, many seniors miss out on preventive care to stave off dental decay, putting them at risk for dental disease that can trigger serious health problems. About 27 percent of Americans age 65 and older have untreated cavities, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Residents in long-term care facilities are at especially high risk, studies show. Medications cause their mouths to dry, promoting decay. They also may have cognitive issues that make it difficult to practice good oral care. And many are either too frail for traditional dental treatment or too weak to be transported. Dental Hygienists Lead the Way Take 87-year-old Ron Hanscom, for example. A patient of Geiselhofers, hes been in a Denver nursing home since having a stroke six years ago, and needs a mechanical lift to get into and out of his wheelchair. On a visit to Hanscoms nursing home earlier this year, before the pandemic, Geiselhofer spotted a cavity under one of his crowns. After checking in with his dentist, she used a small brush to paint on the silver treatment. Its a good thing she had the silver, because I couldnt get to a dentists officeno way, Hanscom said. She did it right in my room. Across the country, dental hygienists provide much of the care to patients like Hanscom who otherwise might never see a dentist. They also see patients in homeless shelters, schools, jails, and low-cost medical clinics. Since the pandemic hit, Geiselhofer said she has received a flood of requests for in-home care from seniors who are too nervous to go into a dentists office, but she has turned them down because she is too busy caring for underserved populations. Many states allow hygienists to work directly with patients in public health settings without a dentists supervision, and Colorado is one of a few that allows them to set up a completely independent practice. Because the silver treatment is relatively new in this country and can leave a stain, the Colorado state legislature passed a law in 2018 that says hygienists must have an agreement with a supervising dentist to apply it. The law also requires them to get special training on how to use the liquid, which at least 700 hygienists from across the state have completed. Other states, including Maryland and Virginia, have no special requirements for applying the cavity treatment but require some supervision by a dentist, said Matt Crespin, president of the American Dental Hygienists Association. In those places, hygienists apply it under the same rules that govern the application of other fluoride products. Preventing New Cavities, Too Studies show silver diamine fluoride stops decay in 60 percent to 70 percent of cases with one application. A second application six months later boosts the treatments long-term effectiveness to more than 90 percent. In addition to killing cavity-causing bacteria, the treatment hardens tooth structure, desensitizes the tooth, and even stops new cavities from forming. Applying the liquid on the exposed root surfaces of older adults once a year is a simple, inexpensive, and effective way to prevent cavities, a 2018 study concluded. One of the most important benefits of the application on older patients is that the liquid can reach decay that forms under existing dental work such as crowns and bridges, said dental hygienist Michelle Vacha, founder of Community Dental Health, which runs clinics in Colorado Springs and Pueblo, Colorado. Previously, a dentist would have had to remove the crown, drill out the cavity and make a new crowna traumatic, time-consuming procedure with a typical cost of $1,000 or more, Vacha said. Unable to afford the cost, many patients would instead have the tooth pulled. The paint-on liquid is significantly cheaper than traditional treatment. Estimates vary, but a private dentist may charge $10 to $75 for one application, compared with $150 to $200 for a filling. Hygienists often have lower fees. At Vachas community clinics, the cost is $10 a tooth. About half of state Medicaid programs now reimburse for the treatment, said Steve Pardue, scientific officer of Elevate Oral Care that distributes Advantage Arrest, the main brand of the topical medication used nationally. Reimbursement rates range from $5 to $75 per application. More private insurersabout 20 percent to 30 percent of themhave also started covering it, Pardue said. Coming Soon to a Dentist Near You? A small but growing number of mainstream dentists have begun to offer the treatment to all patients, not just the youngest and oldest. Its a good option for those who have anxiety about dental work or concerns about cost, said Dr. Janet Yellowitz, director of geriatric and special care dentistry at the University of Maryland School of Dentistry. A 2017 survey by the American Dental Association found that almost 8 in 10 dentists had never used the treatment. The ADA doesnt have more recent statistics, but ADA spokesperson Matthew Messina said anecdotal reports indicate usage is increasing dramatically. Yellowitz noted that dentists still have a financial incentive to drill and fill. She has made presentations highlighting the benefits of the silver solution at national conferences. Were trying to get everyone to use it, she said. Its a slow process because were asking dentists who have been trained for their whole careers to do things one way to completely change their mentality. Its like asking them to go to another country and drive on the other side of the road. Michelle Crouch is an award-winning journalist with more than 20 years of experience, she writes about health, personal finance, parenting, and more for magazines, websites, and corporate clients. This article was originally published on Kaiser Health News. KHN is a national health policy news service. It is an editorially independent program of the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, which is not affiliated with Kaiser Permanente. SEATTLE, Sept. 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- AFWERX , the catalyst for fostering innovation within the U.S. Air Force, announced USNC-Tech as one of the select companies participating in the AFWERX Space Challenge initiative at EngageSpace , a two-day virtual event on September 29 and 30. "The solutions submitted for these space challenges represent the bleeding edge of space innovation," stated Brennan Townley, AFWERX Challenge Collaboration Lead. "We're excited to highlight these innovators and connect them with opportunities across the space ecosystem." USNC-Tech is developing a suite of commercial atomic batteries (CABs) which can enable sustained operation for years or even decades. CABs can supply power in locations without access to sunlight, during solar storms, or in harsh environments such as the Van Allen Belts. These batteries can be used for milliwatt to kilowatt applications such as thermal heat, electricity, or passive x-rays for remote sensing. USNC-Tech's patent-pending manufacturing process is designed to reduce the cost of radioisotope power by a factor of 100 compared to traditional Pu-238 radioisotopes and comply with new regulatory standards being established by the FAA. "We want to be the AA battery of the future," states Dr. Christopher Morrison, CAB project leader at USNC-Tech. "CAB batteries possess one million times the energy density of a chemical battery and can be deployed in the most challenging environments." The DoD Commercial Space Partnerships Challenge strives to identify cutting-edge commercial satellite technology and uncover new payload ideas, designs, and prototypes. The EngageSpace event will feature highly-engaging opportunities to connect, educate, and innovate with other like-minded attendees, industry leaders, individual innovators, academia, and investors, as well as military and government leaders. The entire event is designed to transform and accelerate the industry and enable government buyers to pursue the most promising innovative solutions to the most pressing and threatening Space scenarios. Register for the EngageSpace event by visiting https://engage.space About USNC-Tech USNC-Tech is a technology company dedicated to identifying and enabling the commercial development of advanced nuclear technology for terrestrial and space-based applications. The company believes that nuclear power is essential for humans to live and work in space as well as to meet Earth's clean energy goals. USNC-Tech is actively inventing technology to enable this future. Formed in 2019, USNC-Tech is an independently-operated and managed subsidiary of Ultra Safe Nuclear Corporation, based in Seattle, Wash. ABOUT AFWERX Established in 2017, AFWERX is a product of the U.S. Air Force, directly envisioned by former Secretary of the Air Force Heather Wilson. Her vision of AFWERX to solve some of the toughest challenges that the Air Force faces through innovation and collaboration amongst our nation's top subject matter experts. AFWERX serves as a catalyst to unleash new approaches for the warfighter through a growing ecosystem of innovators. AFWERX and the U.S. Air Force are committed to exploring viable solutions and partnerships to further strengthen the Air Force, which could lead to additional prototyping, R&D, and follow-on production contracts. Media Contact: [email protected] SOURCE Ultra Safe Nuclear Corporation-Technologies Related Links https://www.usnc-tech.com Navy veteran forms nonprofit to help female veterans Carrissa Lynn served in the Navy and Navy Reserves for 10 years. [CONTRIBUTED PHOTO] Carrissa Lynn, a U.S. Navy veteran and Blue Ridge Community College Human Services Technology major, is starting her own non-profit, called The Homestead NC, designed to help women leaving the military transition smoothly to civilian life. The 34-year-old is originally from Ocala, Florida, and moved to Hendersonville with her parents when she was in middle school. She attended Hendersonville Middle School before attending boarding school in Oneida, Kentucky, for her high school years. Lynn joined the military on March 28, 2010, when she was 24. Throughout her service, she was stationed in New Orleans, where she was first attached to a Strike Fighter Squadron, then transitioned to an Intelligence command before moving on to Jacksonville, Florida, where she was attached to Coastal Riverine Squadron 10, a command responsible for land and sea security around the globe. Exiting active duty in 2017, Lynn then served in the U.S. Navy Reserves until 2019. Upon her return to normal life, however, Lynn was thrust into an unfamiliar world with very little local resources available for her kind female veterans. This hardship forced her to face the reality for many female veterans, that far too many women leaving service have to face alone, which often means little to no resources catered to transition services for women. The military changed my way of thinking, so just getting out of the military mindset and into civilian society has been a challenge the entire time, Lynn said. There is a plethora of programs for men for problems like this, but not for women. She attributes this issue to the fact that women didnt make up as large a percentage of troops as they do today, so resources for these veterans are still catching up. Her non-profit will consist of a 12-week transition program for female veterans of all backgrounds, races, sexualities, etc. For any veteran that needs to stay longer, Lynn said the Homestead will be able to accommodate them for up to 24 months. Although the Homestead will provide mens programs as well, housing for men will not be offered. Prior to the Homestead being built, however, Lynn plans to open what she calls the Outpost, which will serve as a community center for veterans and non-veterans to gather together for a variety of interests and needs. One aspect of the Outpost will be offering classes, such as practical courses like changing a tire and will be offered at little to no cost to the community. I would like the Outpost to be a place of gathering, helping and creating," she said. "A space where bridges are built within the community connecting cultures and strengthening families. I want everyone to feel welcome and I plan to be able to accommodate most everyones needs. The Homestead will provide a safe space for all participants, offering a secure sanctuary for those seeking it. Providing a safe space is exactly what the SafeLight program in downtown Hendersonville is known for. This program offers victims of child abuse, domestic abuse and sexual assault a safe location to live and even provides community programs like job training. The cornerstone of Safelights job training is the Dandelion, a local cafe which helps participants gain job experience and strengthen interpersonal skills. The Dandelion is also where Lynn volunteers her time. The Outpost is going to be like the Dandelion place where people can gather without fear of judgment or scrutiny and relax, hang out, sign up for classes and much more, Lynn added. The Outpost and Homestead will also both offer networking opportunities for veterans, who may not have a long list of confidants with similar backgrounds. Despite a growing community interest in the Homestead, Lynn explained she wouldnt have had the courage to start her own non-profit if not for her military career. Some virtues Lynns service taught her include perseverance, the importance of never quitting and realizing how much untapped willpower humans have when put in stressful situations. You may be facing an impossible situation in a civilian setting, but in the military impossible or not its getting done one way or another. So you are trained to apply what youve learned to your normal everyday life as well, Lynn added. As a Human Services Technology major at Blue Ridge, Lynn is excited to work in a field shes passionate about and to help her community. Blue Ridges Human Services Technology program perfectly aligns with the impact I want to make with the Homestead, she said. She praised the College for its accommodating approach to students, and for always being flexible and going the extra step when working with veterans. At the moment, only a few final pieces of the puzzle remain to start construction on the Homestead, such as acquiring a large enough portion of land to build on. However, the outlook is positive, and Lynn already reports having several board members enthusiastic about the project. Local businesses are also learning about the program, and Lynn is seeing new community partners signing on to help with the Homesteads growth. Fundraising will start in December 2020, if all goes according to plan. Lynn hopes to have the Outpost opened by Spring 2021, with the Homesteads construction started by the end of 2021. * * * * * For more information, contact Lynn at 828-702-3335 or theHomesteadNC@icloud.com. To learn more about Blue Ridge Community Colleges veteran services, contact Crystal Smith at (828) 694-1815 or cc_smith@Blueridge.edu. This Monday marks World News Day, a global campaign organised to highlight the critical role of journalism and professional newsrooms in helping citizens make sense of the world. All over the world today, newspapers are using their pages, editorials, digital and social media platforms to highlight why journalism matters. Local Ireland, the representative association for Irish local news publishers including the Limerick Leader and www.limerickleader.ie, is urging the government to support the vital role of public interest journalism in the democratic process and safeguard citizens from fake news and the spread of misinformation. In recent years there have been numerous examples of outstanding public interest journalism produced by Irish news journalists that have affected real change in society - from recent investigative journalism which uncovered wrongdoing or illegal activity, to campaigning journalism which achieved tangible results to the reporting of issues or stories which change the public discourse and narrative. But quality journalism requires funding and in the current media landscape, publishers are struggling to monetise content adequately while international technology giants, who do not invest in content creation, absorb a disproportionate share of advertising revenue on the back of content created by news publishers. Covid-19 has highlighted the critical importance of trustworthy news sources in an era of misinformation and disinformation. We are proud that Irish news publishers have been to the forefront in keeping the public accurately informed since the crisis began. Our journalists have worked hard to consistently deliver accurate, fact-checked information and news analysis to the Irish people, while dangerous falsehoods spread like wildfire on social media, said David Ryan, President of Local Ireland. The organisation says urgent reform is needed to rebalance the platform-publisher relationship and restore competition to the digital advertising market to secure a sustainable future for news publishers. To that end, Local Ireland is calling on the government to do the following. *Complete the long-overdue Review of the Defamation Act and reform Irelands draconian defamation laws *Tackle the dominance of tech platforms in the digital advertising market. Urgent pro-competitive reform to rebalance the platform-publisher relationship and restore competition to the digital advertising market is needed to secure a sustainable future for news publishers *Reduce VAT to 5% on newspapers and digital news products and to ultimately reduce VAT to 0% as is the case in Britain and other EU countries. "Without a vibrant local and national news publishing industry, going forward, who will report on the courts, the Oireachtas, council meetings, local and national sporting events, raise awareness of important societal issues and campaign for change? - Google? Facebook?," asked David Ryan. Srinagar, Sep 28 : A civilian was shot dead by suspected terrorists in South Kashmir's Shopian district on Monday evening, officials said. The police said that senior officers have reached the spot after receiving information about a terror crime incident in Nildora area of Shopian where terrorists had fired upon one civilian. "Preliminary investigation revealed that terrorists had fired upon one civilian at his residence in Nildora area of Shopian. He has been identified as Sabzar Ahmad Naiko, son of Abdul Rashid, a resident of Nildora Shopian. The injured civilian was taken to a nearby hospital where he succumbed to his injuries," the police said. The police have registered a case in this regard under relevant sections of the law. The area has been cordoned off and a search operation is underway. September 28, 2020 Unless youve been living under a rock or in a distant cave for the last decade or two there is a very good chance that youve heard of cryptocurrency. Heck, you might even own some. Maybe youve mined a bit or know a neighbor thats used some. Whatever the situation is, there is good chance that youve been touch by cryptocurrency, or at the very least, youve heard of the technology. You might not know everything there is to know about it, but you likely understand that it is a digital currency that is used just like other currency. The only major difference is that it is a complete digital currency, meaning that there is no paper or physical trace associated with the currency. Everything is traded, sold, and bought digitally. Sounds pretty simple, right? At the very heart of the technology it is pretty simple, so how could such a simple technology have the power to change the world? Faster And More Cost-Effective Bank Transfers When it comes right down to it, the methods that the financial institutions use today could be considered somewhat archaic. It literally takes anywhere from one to two weeks to transfer money from one institution to another. Heck, have you ever tried to buy something from a different country? You dont even want to know what the process takes. While buying goods and services from other countries might not be a major concern for many average Joes, it is a fairly common practice for business owners. Regardless, it is a pain-staking process that takes too long and come attached with high fees. This is something that cryptocurrency can eliminate entirely. A cryptocurrency exchange is instant. As soon as you transfer the money, it is received, converted, and verified on the other end in just a matter of seconds. This makes global transactions easier and faster than ever. Couple this with the fact that the fees for the process are much less stringent, and it makes you wonder why people havent been taking advantage of this technology long before now. Global Remittances Helping Less Privileged Countries Speaking of long transfer times and extortionate banking fees, this is something that immigrants are all too familiar with. A lot of immigrants that come over to the United States end up sending hundreds to thousands of dollars back home each year to their families. While doing so, they not only dace immense scrutiny, but they face even higher transfer rates and fees. Once again, this is something that cryptocurrency can eliminate. While there will still be fees and charges associated with such transfers, they will be much lower than what immigrants would face with traditional banking intuitions. Not only this, but cryptocurrency technology will make the process all that much easier by allowing users to make such transfers via a mobile phone or other digital device. All in all, this means more money ends back in less privileged countries, where it can actually be used to do some good. Safer Transactions There is no denying that the current financial system is pretty secure. However, there are always risks associated with transferring money. Risks of fraud or risks of losing your money completely. Believe it or not, this is something that cryptocurrency technology could eliminate. You might be wondering how? Well, cryptocurrency uses what is known as blockchain technology to transfer the digital currency. It is basically just like a big digital ledger that keeps track of every transaction. And, all transactions are public so they can be viewed by anyone. However, the major difference is that they cannot be altered. This is why many retailers and online casinos are now using the technology. Youll find that some casino even offer a casino bonus in this form. This ledger can be viewed, but it can by no means be altered, making it virtually impossible to hack or manipulate. Of course, all the technology behind this is much more complicated and sophisticated than this, but at the end of the day, this digitally encrypted ledger makes it virtually impossible to manipulate cryptocurrency transfers. Doing Wonders For E-Commerce When it comes to safer and faster digital transactions, there is no single industry that stands to benefit more from both of these than the e-commerce industry. E-commerce is already growing in popularity and will continue to grow even more now that COVID is forcing more and more people to shop online, but cryptocurrency could completely change the industry. In fact, it already has for those companies that have been utilizing the technology. A lot of people are reserved about making global online purchases. Cryptocurrency could do its part by mitigating the risks. Youd never have to worry about the money getting there because it would be instant, making it easier and safer to verify transactions. This is something that would be beneficial for both retailer and consumer. BALTIMORE, Sept. 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Last week, Minute Suites announced the grand opening of their Baltimore-Washington Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI) location in Concourse C. The location opens on Thursday, October 1st. The company offers private, in-terminal suites to travelers trying to escape the crowds between flights. The new Baltimore location includes five suites all named after historic sites in the area. The private rooms include a daybed, TV, workstation, free WiFi, and several other amenities. The BWI location is one of the many Minute Suites the company has been working to open since the start of 2020. "We have been planning BWI for some time and we are thrilled to see it launch," Dan Solomon, Co-founder and Director of Development said. "Our service has been highly sought after for years, and now it is in even higher demand." Minute Suites is one of the cleanest places in the airport and the only spot you can unmask, relax, and naturally social distance yourself during a long layover. The company was founded by doctors and healthcare professionals looking to give wary travelers a clean and safe retreat during long waits between flights. Travelers can book a room for a minimum of one hour and a maximum stay of eight-hours depending on their individual needs. A number of locations also offer a bathroom with a 30-minute shower service. Minute Suites has operations in the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, Charlotte Douglas International Airport, and Philadelphia International Airport. To book a reservations in advance, visit www.minutesuites.com/reservations. About Minute Suites: In 2008, Minute Suites, LLC was founded as a healthier way for people to travel. Minute Suites is the first company in North America to provide private suites inside security at airports where travelers can nap, relax or work. The development of this unique passenger service has resulted in many industry awards, including the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport's Shop of the Month and Shining Star Awards, Philadelphia International Airport's Edgie Award for Best New Store Opening, and Airport Council International Award for Best New Consumer Service, and the United States Department of Defense Patriotic Employer Awards. For more information, visit www.minutesuites.com. DOWNLOAD MINUTE SUITES LOGO Media Contact: Chris Glass, Chief Operating Officer [email protected], 309.716.5141 SOURCE Minute Suites Related Links www.minutesuites.com She was very beautiful Im speaking of her spirit and I went up to her and introduced myself and from that moment, I was caught in the beautiful aura of Holly," Ryan said. "She went out of her way to find people and she listened to her friends and she would do things for friends and open doors for people and stand up for them. This image is an artist's impression of the trans-Neptunian object that two Southwest Research Institute scientists recently discovered is a binary object. Credit: Southwest Research Institute A new study authored by Southwest Research Institute scientists Rodrigo Leiva and Marc Buie reveals the binary nature of a trans-Neptunian object (TNO). Leiva and Buie utilized data obtained by the Research and Education Collaborative Occultation Network (RECON), a citizen science research net-work dedicated to observing the outer solar system. The study was published this month in The Astrophysical Journal. Trans-Neptunian objects (TNOs) are small icy bodies that orbit the Sun beyond Neptune. Binary TNOs occur when two of these objects orbit each other while together orbiting the Sun. Leiva and Buie discovered two objects in a particularly close gravitational configuration. The pair was detected using a stellar occultation, which occurs when an object passes between Earth and a distant star which hides, or "occults," the star from view. Observers located in the path of the object's shadow can record the star blinking out and reappearing. The length of time that the object blocks the starlight can be used to determine its size. "In this instance, the occulted star also turned out to be a binary system. Binary stars are not unusual and binary objects are not unusual," Buie said. "But it is unusual that we had a binary TNO occulting a binary star." "What's also interesting and unusual is this object's characteristics," Leiva said. "The two components are quite close, only 350 kilometers apart. Most binary TNOs are very separated, usually 1,000 kilometers or more. This closeness makes this type of binary TNO difficult to detect with other methods, which is what RECON was designed to accomplish." The discovery of the new TNO was made possible by RECON, a collection of 56 observation stations stretching from Yuma, Arizona, to Orville, Washington. The NSF-funded project provides each station with an array of observation equipment, including 11-inch telescopes. High school teachers are trained by Leiva, Buie and Fiske Planetarium Director Dr. John Keller to operate the stations and observe occultations so they can then teach students how to make the same observations. RECON has seen several students go on to do research related to their observations in college. "To me this project is citizen science at its best," Buie said. "They're learning as well as making observations and helping to collect data. If they didn't do this, we wouldn't learn about these objects." RECON stations are commonly placed in small communities along an ideal line, from the southern to the northern border of the United States, for observation of stellar occultations. Eight additional stations were established in Canada in 2018 by colleagues of Leiva and Buie. Going forward, Leiva and Buie will continue to search for previously unobserved TNOs, with the aim of discovering whether close binaries are common or unusual in our Solar System. "Most models of the Solar System indicate that binaries are very common, particularly close binaries like this one," Leiva said. "If you have an accurate measurement of how common they are, you can fine tune these models." "Our overarching aim is to know how common close binary TNOs are," Buie said. "Is this object one in a million or just like 90% of them? This is fueling our knowledge for building better models of how the Solar System formed." More information: Rodrigo Leiva et al, Stellar Occultation by the Resonant Trans-Neptunian Object (523764) 2014 WC510 Reveals a Close Binary TNO, The Planetary Science Journal (2020). Journal information: Astrophysical Journal Rodrigo Leiva et al, Stellar Occultation by the Resonant Trans-Neptunian Object (523764) 2014 WC510 Reveals a Close Binary TNO,(2020). DOI: 10.3847/PSJ/abb23d In Order Make a Comment You need to login. X 0 20 Help Keep Us Soaring We need your help! Our subscription base has slowly been dwindling. We need your help in reversing that trend. We would like to add 20 new subscribers this month. Each month we count on your subscriptions or contributions. You can support us in the following ways: BUFFALO, N.Y. - A woman charged with making threats against President Donald Trump by mailing a package containing ricin to the White House was ordered held without bail Monday by a judge in Buffalo who cited a very strong case against her based on an indictment in Washington, D.C. Pascale Ferrier, 53, of a Montreal suburb, was arrested a week ago as she tried to enter the U.S. through a border crossing between Fort Erie, Ontario, and Buffalo. Her lawyer entered a not-guilty plea on her behalf Monday. U.S. Magistrate Judge H. Kenneth Schroeder Jr. cited a long history of assassinations and attempted assassinations of U.S. presidents since the killing of President Abraham Lincoln in finding that Ferrier was an ongoing threat to the president and others. He also read from a letter that prosecutors allege Ferrier wrote to Trump and included in the ricin-laden container, in which she allegedly threatened to find a more dangerous poison or to use her gun to stop him from his presidential campaign. It would appear to me the government has a very strong case, especially assuming the legal validity of the alleged admissions at the time of her arrest, Schroeder said of the woman, who has French and Canadian citizenship. He ordered her transfer to Washington to face the one-count indictment. The envelope containing the toxic substance and the threatening letter was addressed to the White House but was intercepted at a mail sorting facility Sept. 18. No one was harmed. Besides the letters threats was a command to Trump to give up and remove our application for this election, authorities said. The FBI discovered that six additional similar letters appeared to have been received in Texas a few days earlier, according to a criminal complaint. Her lawyer, Fonda Dawn Kubiak, argued that she should be granted bail. As Ms. Ferrier sits here today, she is presumed innocent, Kubiak said. She called her client highly educated with the equivalent of a masters degree in engineering in France and who was employed by an aircraft engineering company. Kubiak said Ferrier could reside with her son in Quebec or possibly with family members in Texas. Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Lynch said Ferrier was trying to enter the United States last week when an officer approached and asked if she was OK. No, Im wanted by the FBI for the ricin envelope, he quoted her as responding. He said authorities handcuffed her and searched her vehicle, in which they found a semiautomatic handgun loaded with seven rounds of ammunition, nearly 300 rounds of other ammunition, pepper spray, a knife and a stun gun. She was loaded for bear, Judge, the prosecutor said. He said that ricin had been located at her apartment outside Montreal and that she was likely to face additional charges in Washington, Texas and Buffalo. Numerous Welsh farms have installed low-powered smart sensors that exploit wireless technology, helping capture important data for their businesses. LoRaWAN (Low Power Long Range Wide Area Access Network) radio frequency is not new it is used globally in a multitude of situations. It is especially beneficial in rural areas where communications infrastructure can fall short but it hasnt been used extensively in Wales until now. The Welsh government's Farming Connect scheme is funding the installation of LoRaWAN gateway devices on eighteen farms across Wales. The gateways have a small antenna that can be attached on farm buildings on livestock, poultry and dairy farms. These can connect to a myriad of sensors which collect data and relay it to dashboards on mobile phones and other devices, making analysis straight-forward. Once the system is set up, farmers can use this data to inform and justify decision-making within their businesses. An example is a farm in Wern, near Welshpool, where sensors have been placed both inside and outside free-range hen housing. This will be used to monitor humidity, temperature and light levels as well as concentrations of ammonia and carbon dioxide. The sensors will allow farmer Osian Williams to maintain optimum conditions for his 32,000-bird flock. They are also linked to automatic misters which are prompted to spray non-infective bacteria at set times or when data collected from the sensors identifies spikes, to combat challenges from infective organisms. Wern is one of 18 farms, which make up the Farming Connect demonstration site network, where sensors have or will be installed. Sensors have been developed in conjunction with ag-tech companies and farmers to be a specific match for the project themes and the data collection requirements of these. Dewi Hughes, Farming Connect Technical Development Manager, said: We want to know if, and how, this technology can benefit the farming industry, so that the Welsh farming industry can lead the way on new technological developments. "We are also mindful that this project could benefit the whole of rural Wales. Each gateway has a significant geographical reach so farmers and others in the rural economy, beyond the demonstration sites, have the opportunity to explore and experiment with it, he added. Matthew Macdonald-Wallace, a specialist in LoRaWAN technology, has worked with Farming Connect to install the gateways. He said the possibilities the technology gives farmers were far ranging: Because these sensors are low power they can run on 2 AA batteries for up to 10 years. "It means they can be deployed across the farm, perhaps in soils or crops to pinpoint the best time to plant crops and they can be left there for years to capture and relay data to the farmer." Dr Rob Shepherd of EvoMetric is providing the technical services. He explained that rural communications was 'always a challenge'. "This long-range technology will also allow farms within range of the demonstration sites to trial sensors and apps and get early access to new developments within agriculture and technology." The findings from the projects that the data is informing will be disseminated to the wider farming industry in the future, Farming Connect said. A judge in Washington, DC late on Sunday temporarily blocked a controversial order by the Trump administration that was set to bar downloads of the popular Chinese-owned short video app TikTok. District Judge Carl Nichols, a nominee of President Donald Trump who joined the court last year, said he was issuing a temporary injunction at the request of TikTok, which the White House has accused of being a threat to national security. Nichols declined at this time to block other Commerce Department restrictions set to take effect on November 12 that TikTok has said will make the app unusable in the United States. Nichols detailed written opinion is expected to be released as soon as Monday. John E Hall, a lawyer for TikTok, had argued during a 90-minute Sunday morning hearing that the ban was unprecedented and irrational. How does it make sense to impose this app store ban tonight when there are negotiations under way that might make it unnecessary? Hall asked during the hearing. This is just punitive. This is just a blunt way to whack the company There is simply no urgency here. Follow Us on Facebook @LadunLiadi; Instagram @LadunLiadi; Twitter @LadunLiadi; Youtube @LadunLiadiTV for updates A United Airlines Airbus A319 airplane waits to take off alongside private jets at John Wayne Airport in Santa Ana, Calif., on Feb. 16, 2012. (Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images) John Wayne Airport Ranked Among Nations Best by J.D. Power Orange Countys John Wayne Airport was ranked in a tie for No. 2 among large airports in North America for traveler satisfaction, in data analytics company J.D. Powers annual survey. The ranking continues a strong run for JWA since being added to the large category in 2017. The airport took the top spot in the large airport rankings in both 2017 and 2018. The 2020 North American Airport Satisfaction Study was conducted from August 2019 through July 2020 and took into account over 26,000 completed surveys. Dallas Love Field ranked first in the division with a score of 844, while JWA followed closely behind in a tie for second with Tampa International Airport. Both had a score of 837. The survey covered both departure and arrival experiences among U.S. and Canadian residents who had traveled through at least one U.S. or Canadian airport during the past 30 days. The study, in its 15th year and released on Sept. 23, grouped airports by size. John Wayne Airport (JWA) was ranked in the large division, which includes those with 10 million to 32.9 million passengers per year. Other categories included mega airports, with more than 33 million passengers each year, which was won by Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, and medium airports with from 4.5 million to 10 million annual passengers, for which Indianapolis International Airport took the top spot. Deanne Thompson, manager of public affairs for JWA, said the Orange County airport did well with customers because it is committed to providing a superior guest experience. During the first few months of the survey, guests ranked us highly based on convenience, cleanliness, and an overall exceptional experience, Thompson told The Epoch Times. During the past few months, guests responded to our efforts to provide a cleaner and safer travel experience. J.D. Power noted that overall customer satisfaction within North American airports had grown sharply during the COVID-19 pandemicreaching a record highbut attributed the rise to less crowding within airport terminals. Due to the pandemic, travelers are able to quickly pass through security checkpoints, baggage claims, food services, and other retail experiences without waiting in long lines. The survey noted that only 40 percent as many travelers were found in airports over Labor Day weekend compared to the same weekend in 2019. The survey measured overall traveler satisfaction in six different factors, including, in order of importance, terminal facilities, airport arrival and departure, baggage claim, security check, check-in, and food, beverage, and retail services. A 9-foot-tall statue of John Wayne stands at John Wayne Airport in Orange County, Calif., on June 26, 2020. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times) While JWA continues to perform well in terms of traveler satisfaction, the number of passengers has dropped significantly and the airport has been deeply affected by the pandemic, Thompson said. According to the Orange County Business Councils annual Community Indicators Report, the JWA passenger count fell from over 750,000 in February to just over 25,000 in April. Traffic is down about 70 percent compared to year-over-year passenger volume, Thompson said. The numbers, however, are a significant improvement from April of this year, when traffic was down 97 percent. We expect to see this trend continue, with passenger traffic steadily building over the next several months, she said. On Sept. 28, the airport announced that August passenger traffic had dropped nearly 72 percent when compared with August 2019, to just over 266,000 people for the month. Commercial aircraft operations dropped just over 50 percent in August compared with the same month a year ago. Overall passenger traffic at the airport year-to-date through August is down around 62 percent from the same period in 2019, according to the news release, dropping from over 7 million passengers in 2019 to around 2.7 million this year. To help mitigate lost revenue, JWA received $45 million in April from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act, which provided billions of dollars in relief for airports struggling during the pandemic. JWA was also granted $1.2 million from the Federal Aviation Commission to install airfield guidance signs, runway lighting, and navigational aids, according to a Sept. 1 announcement. To encourage returning passengers, the airport has set up a new photo-based Aging as Art exhibit for guests to view as they travel through the terminals. The photographs depicting the diversity, dignity, and realities of the aging experience are the work of amateur and professional photographers, Thompson said. The exhibit features winning entries from a juried competition held by the Council on Aging, and is available for viewing in the Vi Smith Concourse Gallery. The curated display, which depicts each photographers unique interpretation of the aging experience, will remain in place until March 2021. According to a CAG report tabled in Parliament last week, a South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) museum, proposed by India in 2005 to reflect the living tradition of member nations, is yet to be operational. It said that the government has already spent over Rs 18 crore on the project. The CAG has rapped the Ministry of External Affairs for not being able to complete the museum in time. According to the report, India proposed the establishment of a SAARC Museum of Textiles and Handicrafts to preserve designs in various crafts and related traditions, train artisans and craftspersons, foster design skills, hold promotional events and undertake research in the XIII South Asian Association for Regional Co-operation (SAARC) Summit held at Dhaka in November 2005. It was further decided (February 2007) during the first Inter-Governmental Meeting of SAARC that the Museum would be established in India and subsequently, in its second meeting, Dilli Haat, Pitampura, was selected (November 2008) as the permanent venue of the Museum. 'The project is still not complete' The Foreign Affairs Ministry leased the space for the museum from Delhi Tourism and Transportation Development Corporation (DTTDC) in November 2009 and paid rent of Rs 15.59 crore for two exhibition halls in January 2010. Indias share of maintenance charges was Rs 4.74 crore for the subsequent 13 years. The financial implication of the project was Rs 25.18 crore. The Comptroller and Auditor General said the design of the museum was circulated to all SAARC member nations -- Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Maldives and Nepal. READ | Sushant Singh Rajput's friend & ex-staff plan hunger strike from Oct 2 over 'delay' by CBI READ | China stooge goes gaga as US' TikTok ban halted; asked 'will Chinese court unban Google?' According to the CAG report, the museum was expected to be operational from March 31, 2015. Though the Museum Project was to be completed by 30 March 2015 and made operational by 31 March 2015, the project is still not complete and operational as of December 2019, CAG said. In reply, MEA in 2019, stated that Civil and electrical works at the SAARC Museum of Textile and Handicrafts, Pitampura, Dilli Haat is complete. An amount of Rs 1.41 crore was released on 13 March 2019 to undertake the interior works. However, the tendering process for the works has been put on hold as HHEC informed that they are not in a position to take the responsibility of management and future operations of the Museum after completion of the interior works as the administrative Ministry i.e. Ministry of Textiles is contemplating the closure of the PSU. In the absence of a clear roadmap for the future of the Museum, it was thought not prudent to go ahead with the interior works. The matter was referred to the Ministry of Textiles to come up with some alternative management plan. The Ministry of Textiles has invited MEA for a full-fledged discussion on the matter and further course of action. deficient systemic approach in monitoring of the project by MEA resulted in non-completion of the project of establishment of SAARC Museum which was envisaged as a vibrant centre reflecting the living tradition of the SAARC and to provide a catalyst approach to the SAARC preferential trading agreement process despite incurring an expenditure of Rs 18.47 crore and a delay of over 10 years, CAG said. READ | Kangana Ranaut responds to Trump seeking drug test for Biden; makes point about 'slurs' READ | NCB gets 6 months to file chargesheet in Bollywood drug crackdown; no clean chit to celebs Ondo State Governor, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, SAN, has said the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari had put the country on a path of growth and greatness. The governor said this while addressing journalists shortly after a thanksgiving service at Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministry (MFM), Southwest 4 Region, Akure, in commemoration of the country's 60th Independence anniversary on Sunday. Also read: How Sanwo-Olu rescued man on suicide mission over N500, 000 debt during Sallah According to him, Buhari had established democratic principles in addition to making a lot of fiscal policies. Gov Akeredolu urged Nigerians to continue to celebrate the country's anniversary every year, and pray that everything will be good "because the country is on the path to greatness". "How many presidents in this country have lost a state and welcomed the governor that won against their party? "This is a sign of leadership and the path the country should toe. Look at the path we are following, the leadership that Buhari has offered this country," he said. The governor also urged Nigerians to be prepared to make the sacrifices needed and to move with the country for greatness. Earlier, the General Overseer, MFM, Pastor Daniel Olukoya in his sermon on thanksgiving, urged Nigerians not to forget what God had done for them and the country as a whole. Olukoya, who was represented by a Senior Regional Overseer of MFM, Samuel Yuli, said every human being breathing must praise God "because, with life, there is hope". "As long as we have breath, let us praise God. We are all here today praising him because we have life. "When the Bible says to bless the Lord, it means we must praise and worship him in spirit, soul and body," the clergyman stated. "You cannot see your spirit, soul or the various organs in your body which function simultaneously to keep us alive. "It is a good thing to always remember that we are in God's presence," he said. Vanguard News AUSTIN, Texas, Sept. 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Hiller Measurements, a test system design and manufacturing firm, today announced the company was awarded a $66,300,000 combined firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, multiple award contract for the Marine Corps Automatic Test Systems program, alongside two other companies. The contract will be used for the design and development of test program sets (TPS) and automatic test systems (ATS). This news follows the opening of Hiller Measurements 41,000 ft2 manufacturing facility in Dripping Springs, Texas, which allows the company to design, manufacture, and support the development of large-scale mission-critical test systems, assemblies, and instrumentation. Automated Test Equipment (ATE) and TPS Hardware Development Expertise Known for delivering quality at speed, Hiller Measurements designs mission-critical test instrumentation, assemblies, and systems with the agility and economy of a nimble organization and the measurement science capabilities of a large test and measurement company. "Functional test is imperative for mission-critical applications, but it also poses a significant risk to overall program success in terms of quality, time to market, and program cost," said Jeff Olsen, President of Hiller Measurements. "We take a flexible, risk-mitigated approach to ATE design with lean production and concurrent engineering that keep project development moving forward quickly." As an expert in test solution development, Hiller Measurements specialties include high-performance, modular systems with customized instrumentation, chassis, PXIe solutions, and P-XLe solutions that can meet even the most complex test requirements. Expanded Manufacturing with Significant Delivery Capabilities Hiiller Measurements recently expanded manufacturing capabilities with a 41,000 ft2 manufacturing facility in Dripping Springs, Texas. The facility allows Hiller the opportunity to expand its production capacity with more Hiller Manufacturing Flow Control lines and deliver any volume of ATE and related equipment with consistency, speed, and predictability. Hiller Measurements is ITAR, NIST 800-171, and ISO 9001-2015 compliant. To learn more about Hiller Measurements, visit hillermeas.com. About Hiller Measurements Based in Dripping Springs, Texas, Hiller Measurements designs mission-critical measurement instrumentation, assemblies, and test systems for growing industries including aero/defense, telecommunication, and power storage. Built from a core of test engineering design talent with decades of partnership in delivering mission-critical test equipment, Hiller Measurement teams provide complete, outsourced test design, manufacturing, and support teams to meet the testing demands of key developments in aerospace, RF, 5G, and supercapacitors. Hiller Measurements customers enjoy the value of a dedicated test development team and the quality of a Tier 1 integrator without the fixed expense of staffing or the red tape of a large firm. Contact: Morgan Norris [email protected] SOURCE Hiller Measurements Related Links http://hillermeas.com Mr Xi gave a rare public address on the situation in Xinjiang Province - NICOLAS ASFOURI /AFP Xi Jinping, the leader of Chinas Communist Party, said policies in the countrys Xinjiang region were completely correct despite growing international backlash over the governments alleged human rights abuses against the Uighur Muslim minority in the province. "It is necessary to educate residents of Xinjiang on their understanding of the Chinese nation and to guide all ethnic groups on establishing a correct perspective on the country, history and nationality, Mr Xi said, according to remarks reported in Chinese state media. We must also continue the direction of Sinicising Islam to achieve the healthy development of religion, he said at a two-day Communist Party conference on Xinjiang this weekend. These are Mr Xis most public comments to date in support of Chinas policies to bring Xinjiangs primarily Muslim ethnic minority population mostly Uighurs but also Kazakhs, Kyrgyzs and Hui under control. The Chinese government has long struggled to quiet the tensions that have stewed in the region for decades, at times leading to deadly attacks authorities attributed to Uighur separatists. But Beijings mass re-education campaign faces increasing global criticism over alleged human rights abuses. The United Nations estimates that one million people in Xinjiang have been thrown into mass internment camps. Police arresting protesters at a rally in support of Uighurs' human rights in Hong Kong - LUCY NICHOLSON /REUTERS Former detainees have told the Telegraph of horrific torture and treatment inside the camps, including being beaten, shackled and electrocuted with cattle prods. Some were thrown in solitary confinement while others suffered lasting physical injuries. They also recounted political indoctrination being forced to pledge allegiance to the Communist Party and to study its doctrines. Across Xinjiang, Chinese authorities have rolled out digital surveillance and targeted the regions culture, banning beards and headscarves, pressured not to fast during Islamic holidays such as Ramadan, and tearing down mosques and graveyards, a valued part of Uighur tradition. Story continues Recent research based largely on satellite imagery by the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, a think tank, found that Chinese authorities had razed or damaged about two-thirds of the mosques in Xinjiang while also continuing to expand mass detention camps. But even as harrowing details continue to emerge, Chinese government officials have continued to offer full-throated defences of its activities in Xinjiang. Mr Xis remarks this weekend also indicated that Chinas policies to assimilate ethnic minority groups in Xinjiang werent ending anytime soon, going so far as to claim that residents happiness levels were on the rise. On the whole, Xinjiang has presented a favourable situation of social stability and people living and working in harmony, he said. The facts provide ample proof that our countrys ethnic policy is successful. L orraine Kelly sent an emphatic message to anti-lockdown protesters on her breakfast show this morning, saying they should speak to Kate Garraway about her harrowing experience. The television host was speaking to Dr Hilary Jones about the anti-lockdown protest which took place in Trafalgar Square on Saturday, during which police clashed with maskless demonstrators stating they "do not consent" to coronavirus restrictions. Kelly called for common sense as she blasted the protesters for their behaviour. Wouldnt you like Kate Garraway to have a word with them and tell them about the hell shes been living through with her husband? Kelly said. Trafalgar Square anti-lockdown protests 1 /21 Trafalgar Square anti-lockdown protests Trafalgar Square protest People take part in a 'We Do Not Consent' rally at Trafalgar Square in London, organised by Stop New Normal PA Trafalgar Square protest Police move in to disperse protesters in Trafalgar Square AFP via Getty Images Getty Images Getty Images Getty Images PA Trafalgar Square protest A woman falls as police move in to disperse protesters AFP via Getty Images Trafalgar Square protest British 'conspiracy theorist' David Icke, speaks at a gathering of protesters in Trafalgar Square AFP via Getty Images Trafalgar Square protest British 'conspiracy theorist' David Icke, speaks at a gathering of protesters in Trafalgar Square AFP via Getty Images Trafalgar Square protest A woman falls as police move in to disperse protesters AFP via Getty Images Trafalgar Square protest Protesters waved placards and signs AFP via Getty Images Trafalgar Square protest None appeared to be wearing masks and social distancing rules appeared to be ignored AFP via Getty Images Trafalgar Square protest A protester (R) gestures to a member of the media (L) as he complains about the wearing of a mask AFP via Getty Images Trafalgar Square protest Piers Corbyn, the brother of former Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn, at the rally PA Trafalgar Square protest Conspiracy theorist David Icke at the event PA Trafalgar Square protest A protester holds up an anti-Bill Gates placard AFP via Getty Images Absolutely ridiculous and totally irresponsible. Garraways husband Derek Draper has been seriously ill with Covid-19, with Garraway revealing on Friday that Draper has had a tough week. Draper, 53, was hospitalised with coronavirus back in March, and was put into a clinically induced coma. PA While he no longer has the virus, he remains in a low state of consciousness. Garraway says she has been warned that Draper, who she shares two children with, may remain in this condition for some time. Responding to Kelly, Jones mentioned a 29-year-old man they had spoken to who is in intensive care with Covid-19, being supported by a ventilator. He never thought this would happen to him, hes 29, said Jones. Young people are affected by this, babies are affected by this, not commonly, but the more prevalent it becomes in our society, the more number of people well see filling up intensive care units again. Discarded with no help Absolutely discarded and left to fend with no help. Thank you, I paid you, I worked for you, I paid taxes and this is how you treat me? These words from a 25-year-old Indian visa work expressed the feelings of thousands of visa workers let down by the federal government. Completely forgotten. They dont care about us. Were just cash cows waiting to be milked, a twenty-seven-year-old Argentinian working holiday-maker said. I have been living in this country for more than six years and I was treated like unwanted goods, a Chinese temporary migrant noted. These damning comments are just a few of many that ran in a similar vein in response to a survey carried out by the Migrant Worker Justice Initiative, University New South Wales Law, and University of Technology Sydney with financial support from the United Workers Union. Their report, As if we werent humans: The abandonment of temporary migrants in Australia during COVID-19, is based on the responses from 6,105 temporary migrants. Eighty-three per cent (5,047) of the respondents held student visas. Others included holders of working holiday, temporary graduate, and temporary skills shortage visas. While participants in the survey were nationals of 120 countries, the largest groups were from China (20 per cent) and India (19 per cent) followed by Nepal (7 per cent) and Colombia (5 per cent). One in five of respondents were living with their children in Australia. The overwhelming majority were on student visas and live in NSW and Victoria, where the lock-downs have been the most severe. They were mostly employed as casuals in sectors such as hospitality and retail before the lock-downs were introduced. These sectors were amongst the hardest hit by government measures. Seventy per cent of respondents who were working before 1st March lost their jobs or most of their hours or shifts. Almost a third of those who had relied on income from their families for support said their families could no longer afford it because of COVID-19. In all, there were one million such visa holders. They were excluded from JobSeeker and JobKeeper by a heartless government, left without an income, without government support of any sort. Dehumanisation Hundreds of respondents commented on a speech by Prime Minister Scott Morrison when asked how they felt about the governments treatment of them. They were referring to a speech made in April 2020, when Morrison told visa holders who could not support themselves financially: if you are a visitor in this country, it is time [] to make your way home. The report found there is Long-lasting distress, anger and sense of dehumanisation caused by instruction to make your way home. The following comment by a 25-year-old Canadian Working Holiday Maker sums up the sentiments of many respondents: I think it is shameful that the government relies so heavily on foreign labour and temporary visa holders for the economy to function, to pick their fruits and veg, etc. but the moment these people present an economic burden rather than benefit, absolutely no support is made available. It feels tremendously exploitative, especially as those on temporary visas are more likely to be taken advantage of by employers as it is. A Russian Masters student said: We paid taxes. We did all dirty work Australians dont want to do and what about us? [] It is nice to have invisible cheap workers that will be silently committing to work when you and your family can stay at home or work from home and get government support and dont lose any money. Racism Telling temporary migrants to go back home smacks of racism. The government has fuelled anti-China sentiments with its call for an international inquiry into the origins of the Coronavirus. The unstated message is that it is a Chinese or Wuhan virus, a racist and dishonest label that US President Trump uses. Nationals MP George Christensen added salt to the wounds, openly sending a racist and xenophobic message claiming that COVID-19 came from a Wuhan laboratory and telling shock jock Alan Jones that China needed to pay reparations. Such utterances and the ongoing government and media vilification of China are taking their toll. Many respondents reported that when walking on the street, shopping, travelling on public transport, etc., they had been subjected to slurs such as Ch--k virus, Asian virus, or go back to China. It is not just the Chinese visa holders but others of Asian appearance who have been experiencing such appalling treatment. The image of Australia as a multicultural nation that is famous for welcoming internationals has been shattered. The hypocrisy of the PM did not go unnoticed telling citizens that we are all in this together but at the same time telling migrants to go back home in a pandemic! On a more positive note, a number of respondents expressed appreciation towards their educational institutions and to the many Australian people who did provide assistance. As for leaving Australia, Morrison knows that is not possible. There are essentially no flights out and borders at the other end are closed. What few flights there are, are unaffordable. And why should students and others who have invested so heavily in Australia abandon their studies? It is also cruel to suggest that refugees return to the country they fled from. They cannot do so safely. Students have paid thousands of dollars on non-refundable university tuition fees and visas; others locked in to rental contracts. Mounting debts, domestic violence, and mental illness are other issues compounding the situation. Australia has obligations under international law towards their wellbeing. One third of those surveyed had sought emergency help to meet essential needs such as food, rent, transport, electricity, phone and internet, to see a doctor or purchase medications. One in seven of the international students, during the period since 1st March, have been effectively homeless and almost half have feared becoming homeless. The overwhelming majority fear that the situation will only become worse. Long-term damage The governments cruel treatment of these guests in our country who contribute in so many ways, not just to our economy, will not be quickly forgotten. The image of Australia, as a beautiful, accepting, multicultural country has been shattered. Many of the international students will return to their home countries to become academics, business leaders and politicians. What sort of message will they take with them when they return to countries such as Nepal, Colombia, Vietnam, Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, South Korea, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, as well as China and India? It was clear from many of the comments that they will not be encouraging others to come here to study. The governments lack of humanity, and its focus on milking the cash cow, may come back to haunt Australia. It is completely short-sighted to say the least. It is not too late to include these temporary migrants under JobSeeker and JobKeeper which many would have qualified for. As a 27-year-old Sri Lankan Masters student said: We might not be citizens but we are still people. Subscriber content preview SEATTLE An apartment building at 5231 39th Ave. S. has sold for almost $4.9 million, according to King County records. The seller was Big Buy LLC, which acquired the property under a different name in 2012 for almost $2.6 million. . . . Armenian and Azeri forces exchanged fierce fire for the second day on Monday morning, with both sides accusing each other of using heavy artillery. On Day 1 of the clashes, at least 23 lives were claimed and today, at least 15 more troops have been said to be killed. AFP One of the world's oldest conflicts, a territorial dispute between two nations who used to be part of the Soviet Union, has re-erupted, with the fiercest battle since 2016. In July too, border clashes killed at least 16 people, prompting the largest demonstration in years in the Azerbaijani capital Baku, where there were calls for the region's recapture. A little history... Christian majority Armenia and Muslim majority Azerbaijan have been fighting over the breakaway territory of Nagorno-Karabakh for decades, which is a remnant of Soviet legacy. The area is internationally recognised to fall inside Azerbaijan but majority of population is ethnic Armenian, hence it is controlled by them, When it broke away in the early 1990s, tens of thousands died in fighting. Ever since, the conflict in the Caucasus Mountains has remained unresolved for more than three decades, with periodic bouts of fighting. The start of the fight Armenia's defence ministry said an attack on civilian settlements in Nagorno-Karabakh, including the regional capital Stepanakert, began on Sunday morning. The separatist authorities in Nagorno-Karabakh said 18 people were killed - 16 of their troops, a woman and a child - and 100 wounded. Azerbaijan said five members of the same family were killed by Armenian shelling. With both the rivals blaming each other, Armenia's government declared martial law and total military mobilisation, shortly after a similar announcement by the authorities inside Nagorno-Karabakh. Martial law is an emergency measure under which the military takes over the authority and functions of the civilian government. "Get ready to defend our sacred homeland," Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said after accusing Azerbaijan of "planned aggression". Warning that the region was on the brink of a "large-scale war", he urged the international community to unite to prevent any further destabilisation. Armenia said it had shot down two helicopters and three drones, and destroyed three tanks during Sunday's clashes. Azerbaijan's defence ministry confirmed the loss of one helicopter but said the crew had survived, and reported that 12 Armenian air defence systems had been destroyed. It denied other losses reported by Armenia. Ties with India India has good ties with both Armenia and Azerbaijan. The North-South international transport corridor goes from Mumbai to Chabahar via Azerbaijan to Moscow, something crucial for India's connectivity plans. Infact, in 2018, the then Indian External affairs minister Sushma Swaraj had visited Fire Temple in Baku. The temple was once used by Hindu and Zoroastrian communities, probably by visiting merchants from India as a place of worship. As far as Armenia is concerned, it backs India on some key several fronts including Kashmir issue at the UN. The leaders of both the nations have also met to discuss expanding India-Armenia cooperation in aspects relating to technology, pharmaceuticals and agro-based industries." The New Patriotic Party (NPP) must strive to bring all stakeholders on board in the partys quest to retain power in the December General Election, Mr. Freddie Blay, the National Chairman, has advised. The onus lies on us, especially the leadership to open up and involve all NPP members in the electioneering campaign, he noted, stressing that the party should shun complacency in all its forms. Ensuring massive victory in the presidential and parliamentary elections, according to the National Chairman, required selflessness, dedication, and commitment. Mr. Blay, who was addressing the party faithful at the Ashanti Regional Campaign Launch of the NPP in Kumasi, asked the party activists to close their ranks and work together to realize the partys mission. We should work harder at all levels of the partys hierarchy because the ruling NPP has many good things to offer Ghanaians for their prosperity, he stated. The programme was also used to introduce all the 44 NPP Parliamentary Candidates in the Region. Mr. Blay entreated the Parliamentary Candidates to continuously explain the partys manifesto to the electorate, to enable them to make informed decisions regarding the party they should vote for in the elections. He advised party supporters at the constituency level to bury their differences and rally solidly behind the various Parliamentary Candidates as well as President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo for a resounding victory. Mr. Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, Regional Chairman of the NPP, enumerated some achievements of the party over the last three years, saying the socio-economic initiatives by the government ought to be continued. Source: GNA Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Authorities in Belarus have detained about 500 people during weekend protests against the countrys authoritarian president, who has claimed a sixth term in office in an election widely seen as rigged. Belarus interior ministry said Monday that 150 protesters were detained on Saturday and over 350 more on Sunday, when anti-government protests spanned 22 cities in the biggest challenge yet to President Alexander Lukashenkos long reign. About 100,000 demonstrators marched in the Belarusian capital of Minsk on Sunday, demanding the resignation of Lukashenko, who has cracked down hard on opposition and independent news media during 26 years in power. According to the Viasna human rights group, the clampdown on the protesters this weekend wasnt as violent as before. Repressions get stuck when more than 100,000 people take to the streets, Viasna head Ales Bialiatski said. The authorities scare tactics dont work anymore. Hundreds of thousands of Belarusians have been protesting daily since the Aug. 9 presidential election, which officials claim handed Lukashenko, a 66-year-old former state farm director, a victory with 80% of the vote. Both opposition members and some poll workers say the vote was rigged, and the United States and the European Union have condemned the election as neither free nor fair. Many European countries have refused to recognize Lukashenko as the legitimate leader after his unexpected inauguration earlier this week. During the first days after the election, police used tear gas, truncheons and rubber bullets to disperse crowds. Some protesters died, many were injured and nearly 7,000 were detained. Amid international outrage over the violent suppression of the protests, Belarusian authorities switched to prosecuting top activists. Belarusian authorities have opened a criminal probe into members of the Coordination Council, created by the opposition to push for a peaceful transition of power, on the charges of undermining national security. Many members have been arrested or forced to leave the country. On Monday, Svetlana Alexievich, the winner of the 2015 Nobel Prize in literature and the only member of the councils executive presidium still free in Belarus, left for Germany. The council told The Associated Press that Alexievich will spend a month in Germany and receive medical treatment, then she plans to travel to Italy and come back to Belarus. The council also reported Monday that the health of Maxim Znak, another top council member who was jailed earlier this month and has been on hunger strike since Sept. 18, took a sharp turn for the worse. It urged authorities to release Znak and make quality medical treatment available to him and urged Znak himself to stop the strike. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-29 05:14:54|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close CAIRO, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases approached 450,000 in Iran on Monday. Meanwhile, Chinese and Egyptian officials hailed the pioneer role of China in the fight against the pandemic. Iran, the hardest-hit country in the Middle East region, reported 3,512 new cases, bringing the total number of infections to 449,960. Between Sunday and Monday, 190 deaths were registered over the novel coronavirus, taking the death toll in Iran to 25,779. A total of 376,531 coronavirus patients have recovered, with 4,068 still in critical condition. China has made remarkable achievements in accelerating prevention and control of the COVID-19 pandemic and, at the same time, promoted economic and social development, said Chinese Ambassador to Egypt Liao Liqiang. Egyptian Health Minister Hala Zayed said that China and Egypt are highly cooperating, and both governments have been providing immediate mutual support, to help in facing this ongoing crisis. In the meantime, 4,116 new COVID-19 cases were detected in Iraq during the past 24 hours, bringing the total nationwide infections to 353,566. The death toll from the coronavirus in Iraq rose to 9,052 after 62 fatalities were added, while the total recoveries increased to 284,784 as 4,111 more patients recovered. Saudi Arabia announced 455 new cases and 29 more deaths, raising the tally of confirmed cases to 333,648 and the death toll to 4,712. The kingdom also reported 841 more recovered patients, taking the total recoveries to 317,846. The total number of COVID-19 cases in Turkey climbed by 1,412 to 315,845, Turkish Health Minister Fahrettin Koca tweeted. The death toll from the coronavirus in the country rose to 8,062 after 65 new fatalities were added in the past 24 hours, Koca said, adding that the total recoveries increased to 277,052. In Qatar, 227 new cases of coronavirus infections were detected, increasing the total number to 125,311, including 214 deaths and 122,209 recoveries. In Israel, 2,239 new COVID-19 cases were recorded, taking the tally of coronavirus infections to 233,265. The death toll of the virus in Israel increased to 1,507 while the recoveries rose to 165,191. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday that Israel should be prepared to treat twice the number of current seriously ill COVID-19 patients, as the virus outbreak showed no sign of slowing. In Morocco, the tally of COVID-19 cases rose to 119,107 after 1,422 new cases were added, which included 2,113 fatalities and 97,468 recoveries. Kuwait reported 437 new cases, bringing the country's total number of infections to 103,981, of whom 605 have died and 95,511 recovered. Oman's Ministry of Health announced 607 new cases of infections, raising the total number of coronavirus cases in the country to 98,057, including 924 deaths and 88,234 recoveries. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) announced 626 new cases, raising the total confirmed cases in the country to 92,095. The tally of recoveries in the UAE rose to 81,462 after 918 more patients have recovered from the virus and the death toll reached 413 with one more death. Palestine reported 503 new coronavirus cases, taking the tally of infections in the Palestinian territories to 49,695, including 39,386 recoveries and 353 deaths. In Lebanon, the number of COVID-19 infections increased by 1,018 to 37,272, while the death toll went up by four to 351. Libya on Monday reported 849 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total confirmed cases in the country so far to 33,213 with 18,518 recoveries and 527 deaths. Tunisia has started on the day implementing a series of new preventive measures to limit the spread of COVID-19, including banning Chairs in cafes and obeying social distancing protocol in restaurants. In addition, guests for wedding parties are reduced by 30 percent in terms of reception capacity, and the wearing of masks becomes compulsory in public and private means of transport. Tunisia's total number of confirmed coronavirus cases has reached 16,114, including 214 deaths. In Jordan, 734 new COVID-19 cases were recorded, increasing the tally of cases to 9,226 with 51 deaths and 4,359 recoveries. Enditem As the intensive search for dead wild boar continues in the Brandenburg region of Germany, the official number of confirmed African swine fever (ASF) cases has risen to 35. The Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL) said the virus was confirmed by the National Reference Laboratory, the Friedrich Loeffler Institute (FLI), in three more wild boar at the weekend. One was found in the core area set up around the initial outbreaks and two in the wider endangered area. Previously, the infected wild boar had been found in two hotspot areas Spree-Neisse, where the original case confirmed on September 10 was found, and near the town of Neuzelle in the OderSpree, about 7.5 km away. There have still been no cases recorded in domestic pigs. The Brandenburg region is throwing everything into to finding and testing dead animals in the locality. Helicopters with thermal imaging cameras and drones are being deployed alongside trained search teams and dog teams, with hunters reportedly being paid up to 150 for finding dead animals. The core area was quickly fenced off, following confirmation of the initial case, and Brandenburg also wants to build a permanent fence on the Polish border, according to German pig industry organisation ISN. The first case was found just 6km from the Polish border and 30km from the nearest case in Poland, where cases continue to be found in wild boar and domestic pigs. Brandenburgs consumer protection minister Ursula Nonnemacher said last week that the plan was initially for a fixed fence in the Spree-Neisse district, with state funds are also planned so that permanent fences can also be built to the north, ISN reported. ISN also reports that Brandenburgs state crisis team for controlling ASF has relaxed the ban on activity on farmland, such as harvesting, in the core zone. In a decree from Friday, the veterinary and food control offices allowed the use of agricultural and forestry areas uniformly and gradually, provided that no wild boars are startled and no carcasses get into the harvest so that the animal disease is not spread, ISN said. The agricultural and forestry areas will first need to be completely searched for dead or sick wild boar. Get Our E-Newsletter - Pig World's best stories in your in-box twice a week See e-newsletter example Will be used in accordance with our Privacy Policy An overall view of the Robert Morris Apartments in Morrisville, Pa. on Feb. 26, 2019. Shana S. Decree, 45, and her daughter Dominique Decree, 19, were charged with five counts each of homicide and one count of conspiracy in the deaths of five family members whose bodies were found inside a unit of the apartment building. Read more More than 18 months after they were found lying in a cramped apartment amid the bodies of their relatives, a Bucks County mother and daughter on Monday pleaded guilty but mentally ill to first-degree murder in a deal that will imprison them for life but spare them the possibility of the death penalty. Capping a bizarre saga, Shana and Dominique Decree entered their pleas in the Doylestown courtroom of President Judge Wallace H. Bateman, who told the two the harm they caused was "unimaginable. This is horrible and tragic, because I do believe the two of you have expressed remorse, Bateman told the Decrees as he sentenced each to five consecutive terms of life in prison. Unfortunately, that doesnt bring them back. You cant say, sorry,' and expect people to move on with their lives. READ MORE: Inside a cramped Bucks County apartment, 5 family members dead in murder-suicide pact, survivors say Addressing both Bateman and their relatives in the courtroom, both women offered tearful apologies. The hardest thing for me to do is decide who to say Im sorry to first, Shana Decree said. To my family, I am sorry for taking away these beautiful souls in such a horrible manner." Dominique Decree, through heavy sobs, said her actions will haunt her for the rest of her life. Im so sorry for everything that happened, and I truly dont understand why it happened, she said. A case worker from Bucks County Children and Youth Services paid a visit to the Decree familys apartment in Morrisville on Feb. 25, 2019. Inside the basement dwelling, the worker found the bodies of Shana Decrees children NaaIrah Smith, 25, and Damon Decree Jr., 13, as well as Shanas sister, Jamilla Campbell, 42, of Trenton, and Campbells twin daughters, Imani and Erika Allen, both 9. READ MORE: Bucks murder-suicide plan: Read the charging documents for Shana Decree, Dominique Decree Shana Decree, 47, and Dominique Decree, 21, were lying unresponsive in a bedroom, and were taken to a nearby hospital. During later interviews with police, the two gave conflicting stories of what had transpired in the apartment, which had been thrown into disarray, apparently after a prolonged struggle. The basic details, however, remained the same: Everyone in the apartment, including Campbells young daughters, wanted to die and had been talking about suicide, the two told police. Autopsies conducted on the victims revealed that all but Campbell had been asphyxiated. The eldest victim had died from strangulation, according to the county coroner. During Mondays hearing, Deputy District Attorney Christopher Rees said the killings took place over the course of three days. After the two suspects were arrested, court-appointed psychologists and psychiatrists concluded both suffer from severe mental illness, including schizoid personality disorder, major depressive disorder, and PTSD. Both had sought mental health treatment throughout their lives, with varying success Dominique started as young as 5, according to her attorney, John J. Fioravanti Jr. At the time of the killings, Shana Decree had grown more isolated and was suffering from delusions, said her lawyer, Christa Dunleavy. She believed the world was ending and there were demons in her house, and she had to obey them." Her family tried to help her, Dunleavy said, but the delusions were too strong. Since the killings, both suspects have expressed horror and remorse at what they had done, their attorneys said. Rees and prosecutors agreed, leading to the plea deal. Dealing with this case does not invoke the kind of righteous anger you would think of when you become a prosecutor, Rees said after the hearing. "We did not fight to right wrongs on this case; theres no way we could right these wrongs. What we tried to find was the closest we could to justice, and I hope and pray we got pretty close. READ MORE: Family found dead in Morrisville grew isolated, spoke of demons in weeks before grisly discovery Family members of the defendants who attended Mondays hearing expressed both sorrow and anger. Damon Decree Sr., the father of Dominique and Damon Jr., spoke of the pain of losing two children, pain that he said drove him to attempt suicide. The bottom line is, I didnt do the number-one job a parent has: I didnt keep him safe," he said of Damon. I may not have been the best dad, but no one deserves this. Ronald Smith, father of NaaIrah, similarly shared his grief and frustration through a statement read by Rees in court. In it, he wrote of his daughters plans to marry and his anticipation of that day. As you can see, she didnt get to do this, because her mother and sister had other plans, Smith said. They treacherously took five beautiful lives off the face of the Earth. Prince George's County has agreed to pay the family of a man fatally shot by a police officer $20 million in what is believed to be among the nation's largest one-time settlements involving someone killed by law enforcement. The county settled with the family of 43-year-old William Green, who authorities say was shot six times with his hands cuffed behind his back in the front seat of a police cruiser by Cpl. Michael A. Owen Jr. Owen was arrested the day after the Jan. 27 shooting and has been suspended without pay. He is awaiting trial on charges of second-degree murder. The agreement was reached between the administration of Prince George's County Executive Democrat Angela Alsobrooks and longtime Baltimore-based attorney William "Billy" Murphy. "I agree with County Executive Alsobrooks that this historic settlement shows that the Black life of William Green and the Black lives of his grieving mother, son and daughter truly matter," Murphy said. "Black lives matter." At a news conference Monday, Alsobrooks said the settlement represented the county "accepting responsibility" for mistakes made in Green's death. "Police are given by this community an awesome and tremendously difficult responsibility of protecting life," she said. "They are also likewise given an authority that is not shared by anyone else in this community - and that is the authority to take life . . . When that trust is abused, it is necessary to take swift and decisive action." The Green family settlement follows other payments in the wake of homicides involving on-duty police officers. This month, Louisville agreed to pay $12 million to the family of Breonna Taylor after she was fatally shot by police who raided the 26-year-old woman's home. The death was one of several police killings of Black people that have fueled protests nationwide. In 2015, Murphy secured a $6.4 million settlement with the city of Baltimore after the death of 25-year-old Freddie Gray in police custody. The $20 million settlement is one of the biggest involving an African American killed by an on-duty officer in the United States, Murphy said. Those involved with the case said the hefty settlement was driven largely by the unprecedented details of the shooting, previously reported by The Washington Post, including red flags the department missed related to Owen's history using force and claims seeking workers' compensation for psychological difficulties. Alsobrooks said the $20 million will come from the county's budget and had to be first approved by the county's budget director. "This is not the way we want to spend tax dollars, which is why we are doing everything we can to make sure it never happens again," Alsobrooks said. During the news conference in the county government office building in Largo, members of Green's family joined Murphy, Alsobrooks and other officials. Shelly Green, Green's daughter, said that while the settlement would never bring her father back, the family planned to use part of it to combat police brutality. Green's cousin Nikki Owens said the family was still grieving. "This doesn't bring justice," she said of the settlement. "This doesn't bring peace." On the evening Green was killed, police received a 911 call about a man driving a Buick who had struck several vehicles starting in Silver Hill, Md. They found Green in the car nearby in Temple Hills. Owen got Green out of the car, cuffed Green's hands behind his back and placed him in the cruiser to wait for a drug recognition expert, according to police records and interviews. Owen is accused of firing seven shots a few minutes later, six of which hit Green, still handcuffed in the front seat. Green, a father of two who worked as a Megabus luggage loader, was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital. The next day, Owen was arrested and charged in Green's death. Owen is the county's first police officer charged with murder while on duty, Alsobrooks said. Owen, who was not wearing a police-issued body camera at the time of the shooting, told authorities that he had feared for his life because Green reached for his firearm. Prosecutors say there is no evidence that Green posed a serious threat. On Monday, Owen's attorney Thomas Mooney called the prosecutor's decision to charge his client a "knee-jerk" reaction based on "unsubstantiated or discounted facts and hastily misguided assumptions." Mooney said Owen looked forward to his trial, "where all the facts will be finally revealed and brought to light and justice will prevail." Owen remains jailed until trial. An investigation by The Washington Post showed that the county police department's early warning system flagged Owen for using force twice in quick succession the summer before Green's killing. But his supervisors were not formally notified until January, The Post found, and they did not take action ahead of Green's killing. Owen's supervisors were unaware that he had sought workers' compensation for psychological difficulties stemming from a fatal shooting early in his career, department officials said, even though Owen was supposed to notify them. Green was at least the second person killed by Owen. On Dec. 17, 2011, Owen fatally shot 35-year-old Rodney Deron Edwards after Owen saw Edwards lying in a front yard in Landover, according to police. When Owen tried to investigate, Edwards pulled a gun, according to Owen's written report. Owen shot Edwards. Edwards's family disputed the account, although a loaded handgun was found at the scene. It is unclear whether Owen was involved in another fatal shooting. He filed a state workers' compensation claim as a result of the fatal shooting of a suspect in 2010. But police have said that they have no record of Owen being involved in a fatal shooting on that date. Owen began seeing a psychiatrist as a result of that shooting, workers' compensation records show. Alsobrooks said officials have closed the loophole that allowed Owen to receive workers' compensation for post-traumatic stress disorder without his bosses knowing at the same time as he continued working - a lapse detailed in The Post's investigation. She added that she created a police reform group dedicated to making significant recommendations to the department and that she will be engaged in discussions at the state level this winter. Retired Prince George's County Circuit Court Judge Steven Platt, who served as the mediator in the case, said both sides recognized the facts of the case were "uniformly bad" - and in fact worse than many higher profile shootings and instances of police brutality that have occurred elsewhere in the country. Citing The Post investigation, Platt said warning signs about Owen missed by the department, were partly drove the settlement. Murphy added that had the case gone to trial, the results could have been "catastrophic" for the county. But he said the family did not want to wait years for a trial to unfold, so a settlement was in the best interests of both parties. Alsobrooks will issue a letter to the Green family "expressing regret the incident occurred," as part of the settlement, and she will allow the family to address the police reform work group, the county said. The Green settlement matches the amount the city of Minneapolis paid the family of Justine Ruszczyk last year after one of its officers at the time, Mohamed Noor, fatally shot the 40-year-old, unarmed White woman when she approached his car while he responded to her 911 call. Noor's attorneys argued at trial last year that he had fired his weapon to protect his frightened partner after hearing a noise and seeing a person by the driver-side window raising an arm. A jury later found Noor guilty of third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. A judge sentenced him to more than 12 years in prison. Owen's criminal trial is currently set for March. - - - The Washington Post's Steve Thompson contributed to this report. A Lee County man is being held on more than $2 million bond, accused of sexually abusing and sexually torturing young children. The Lee County Sheriffs Office and the FBI have charged 31-year-old Brandon Thomas Hart with a total of 40 crimes ranging from sodomy to voyeurism to sexual torture, Sheriff Jay Jones announced Monday. Authorities last week charged the Smiths Station man with 21 crimes for victims ranging in age from 2 to 14 one count of first-degree sex abuse, two counts of sex abuse of a child, four counts of sodomy, one count of sexual torture, seven counts of possession of child pornography and six counts of producing pornography involving a minor. Hart was arrested on those charges Sept. 22. The investigation continued, Jones said, and led to 19 new charges against Hart: one count of first-degree rape, one of first-degree sex abuse, one count of sex abuse of a child under the age of 12, two counts of sexual torture, three counts of first-degree voyeurism, five counts of first-degree sodomy and six counts of production of child pornography. Court records from Harts first round of charges show that lawmen carried out a search warrant at his home on Sept. 22 during an investigation into the dissemination of child pornography. During the investigation, records state, Hart admitted to sexually abusing at least two children under the age of 16 and said he had taken photos and videos of them in sexually provocative ways. "Digital evidence confirmed that Hart had sodomized, sexually abused and sexually tortured the children along with producing, disseminating and possessing multiple sexually explicit photos and videos of underage children. Authorities said they are not yet releasing the number of victims they have discovered. Hart is being held in the Lee County Jail with bonds totaling $2.114 million. The sheriff said the investigation is ongoing and more charges are expected. This arrest was the result of an intensive investigative effort conducted jointly between the Lee County Sheriffs Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Jones said. The investigation continues, and the primary focus will always be to assist and protect the victims involved in these crimes. Anyone with information is asked to call the Lee County Sheriffs Office at 334-749-5651 or Central Alabama Crime Stoppers at 334-215-STOP (7867). A man is being sued by an island resort in Thailand and could face up to two years in prison after he wrote a negative TripAdvisor review. Domestic tourism is still happening in Thailand, where coronavirus numbers are relatively low, with locals and expats heading to near-empty resorts - including Koh Chang island, famed for its sandy beaches and turquoise waters. But a recent visit to the Sea View Resort on the island landed US man, Wesley Barnes, in trouble after he wrote unflattering online reviews about his holiday. "The Sea View Resort owner filed a complaint that the defendant had posted unfair reviews on his hotel on the Tripadvisor website," Colonel Thanapon Taemsara of Koh Chang police said. A man could face jail time after he left a negative review on TripAdvisor about a hotel in Thailand. Source: Getty He said Barnes was accused of causing "damage to the reputation of the hotel", and of quarrelling with staff over not paying a corkage fee for alcohol brought to the hotel. Barnes, who works in Thailand, was arrested by immigration police and returned to Koh Chang where he was briefly detained and then freed on bail. According to the Tripadvisor review Barnes posted in July, he encountered "unfriendly staff" who "act like they don't want anyone here". The Sea View Resort said legal action was only taken because Barnes had penned multiple reviews on different sites over the past few weeks. At least one was posted in June on Tripadvisor accusing the hotel of "modern day slavery" - which the site removed after a week for violating its guidelines. The man accused the resort of "modern day slavery", but his review was removed for TripAdvisor. Source: Getty "We chose to file a complaint to serve as a deterrent, as we understood he may continue to write negative reviews week after week for the foreseeable future," the hotel said, adding that staff had attempted to contact Barnes before filing the complaint. Barnes did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Thailand's notorious anti-defamation laws have long drawn scrutiny from human rights and press freedom groups, who say powerful players use it as a weapon to stifle free expression. The maximum sentence is two years in prison, along with a 200,000 baht (AUD$8,740) fine. Story continues Earlier this year, a Thai journalist was sentenced to two years in prison for posting a tweet referencing a dispute over working conditions at a chicken farm owned by the Thammakaset company. Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and download the Yahoo News app from the App Store or Google Play. (Newser) In what the CBC declares "a legal procedure so rare Statistics Canada doesn't even track the numbers," a Canadian couple had their marriage annulled because of the husband's inability to maintain an erection. A British Columbia Supreme Court justice granted the annulment sought by a BC woman for religious reasons; the woman claimed her husband, whom she wed in August 2018, was impotent and they were never able to consummate the marriage. The judge noted in her ruling that in past centuries, couples were forced to prove such a claim in front of "a jury of medical professionals and others," but in this case, she accepted affidavits from the couple testifying to their trouble copulating. story continues below A family and estate lawyer who blogged about the case notes that annulments, which render a marriage void as if it never happened, are "so rare." "I think people have this misconception that if you're married for only a quickie in Vegas, you can just get an annulment," she says, but in reality "it's far easier to get an uncontested divorce." As for the BC case, the man blamed his wife for their lack of intercourse, claiming he has sex regularly with his new girlfriend, but said girlfriend did not testify in the case. The couple had not attempted to have sex until after they were married, the Vancouver Sun reports. (Read more annulment stories.) After 33 years in exile, El Sadig Mohamed gave up the easy life in Canada to return to help rebuild Sudan as it emerges from three decades of autocratic rule. "After the revolution... I thought it's the right time to come back... despite the luxury people enjoy in the West," said Mohamed, who now heads the Sudanese Mineral Resources Company's health and environment department. "It's my country and I have to do it." The SMRC supervises exploration, production and taxation of Sudan's mining sector, notably its star asset, the gold mines. Ousted president Omar al-Bashir ruled the country with an iron fist for 30 years until his overthrow in April 2019 after months of youth-led street demonstrations. "The Bashir regime, for 30 years, destroyed everything," said the 55-year-old civil engineer and ex-University of Calgary professor, who came home in November, six month's after Bashir was toppled. "I believe it is my duty to take part in... building a new Sudan." Sudanese civil engineer El Sadig Mohamed lived in exile in Canada for decades, but he returned to help his country rebuild after ex-president Omar al-Bashir was ousted. By ASHRAF SHAZLY (AFP) The expert help is needed. Sudan's economy is in crisis, laid low by long years of civil war under Bashir's rule, US sanctions and the 2011 secession of the oil-rich south. SMRC's director general, Mubarak Ardol, was in exile for eight years. His home in Sudan's southern Nuba Mountains was attacked by government forces, and Ardol had led rebel forces against them. 'Proud' He fled to Uganda in 2011. Former Sudanese rebel commander Mubarak Ardol returned from exile in Uganda to Khartoum after the old regime was toppled in 2019. By ASHRAF SHAZLY (AFP) "I thought the regime would not last long. We worked with all our might to overthrow the regime," said 38-year-old Ardol. "I felt certain I would return home very soon." So when Bashir was forced out, Ardol returned from Kampala as quickly as he could. "I came back immediately," he said. "I was the head of the first armed group which arrived in Khartoum on May 10, 2019." He was appointed by Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok -- a fellow returnee, who has made striking peace with the rebels who fought Bashir a priority. Ardol aims to boost the revenues of SMRC, the African country's top moneymaker. "We far exceeded our targets," he said. Among the hundreds of exiles streaming in from around the world since last year, Mohammed Abdulhamid said he is "happy and proud" to have come back to take the reins at the state news agency SUNA. "We knew it was a big challenge... I'm back home because I wanted to return, because I feel I can be a part of what is happening," said the 64-year-old journalist, in the agency's Khartoum offices. 'Very diplomatic' Abdulhamid lived in Yemen before moving to the Netherlands where he launched Arabic-language radio and television broadcasts. Mohammed Abdulhamid left Sudan decades ago but is "happy and proud" to have returned, and now heads the state news agency SUNA. By ASHRAF SHAZLY (AFP) "It was not a matter of money... I used to earn around $3,000 a month... Now I earn 80,000 Sudanese pounds, which is $180," he said. "I am proud of what I am doing, and I never regretted my decision." But the return of exiles from the US, Britain and the Gulf to fill government posts and succeed figures in Bashir's Islamist regime at the head of state enterprises has not been universally welcomed. "They've come to reap the rewards of victory, but it was us who suffered," grumbled Amine Bashir, a 32-year-old entrepreneur and activist. Adeeb Youssef, a Darfur provincial governor who lived six years in the United States after having served time in jail and escaped assassination, had advice for both sides in the new Sudan. Sudan's ousted president Omar al-Bashir as well as several former top officals are on trial in Khartoum for a 1989 coup that brought him to power. By ASHRAF SHAZLY (AFP) "This kind of jealousy doesn't help," said Youssef. "People who've lived abroad can bring this experience and knowledge... they see problems and issues in Sudan better than people who lived here." Mohamed said that returnees have to be "very diplomatic". "Until now they have welcomed us. But if they see anyone acting arrogant, they take it badly," he said. "The challenge for people coming from outside is that they are used to working in a system where everything is organised." However, they follow a series of sorties earlier this month by Chinese warplanes into Taiwans airspace at the northern end of the South China Sea. Beijing said those were intended as a warning to the self-governing island that China claims as its own territory to be brought under its control by force if deemed necessary. AHMAD AL-RUBAYE/Getty ISTANBUL, TurkeyOn Sunday afternoon, a video depicting a large convoy of Islamist Syrian rebel fighters yelling enthusiastically as they drove off to war circulated widely on Arabic social media. Fighters in the packed trucks, driving quickly past the group of children filming with their phones, could be heard yelling Allahu Akbar! and, Our leader, 'til the end of time, is our master, Muhammad! However, what shocked those watching the video werent the shouts of the Syrian fighters but rather those of the children filming, who yelled back at the soldiers in a language unfamiliar to most Syrians following their countrys nine-year war. Thats not Kurdish, right? said one user in an online group where the video emerged. If they were Kurds, you think theyd be cheering them on? responded another with a laugh out loud emoji. Over the next several hours, rumors swirled that the video was shot in Azerbaijan, a small Turkic-speaking nation lodged between Iran and Russia, and that the Syrian rebel fighters had been sent there to prop up the Azeri government in its war against neighboring Armenia that had begun that day. According to high-ranking Syrian rebel sources that spoke to The Daily Beast, these rumors are true. The fighters that appeared in the circulated video were part of a group of 1,000 Syrian rebel soldiers sent in two batches from Turkey on September 22 and 24. 500 Hamza Brigade fighters were flown last Tuesday from southern Turkey to the Azeri airbase at Sumqayit [30 kilometers north of the Azeri capital of Baku], according to a source within the Syrian National Army (SNA) rebel outfit who requested anonymity. Two days later, on Thursday, another 500 fighters from the Sultan Murad brigades rebel faction were similarly flown out to Azerbaijan. These claims were echoed by the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), a Syrian opposition body that monitors human rights violations in the country. SOHR sources suggest more batches of Syrian rebel fighters are preparing to be deployed to Azerbaijan. Story continues The Hamza and Sultan Murad brigades are known within Syrian rebel circles as factions that enjoy especially close relations with Turkey, the last remaining patron of the Syrian opposition. Sayf Balud, commander of the Hamza brigades, however, is also known for his checkered past, in particular, as a former commander within the radical jihadist group ISIS. An ethnic Syrian Turkman from the town of Bizaa in Aleppo citys northern countryside, Balud originally joined the Abu Bakr Sadiq brigades, a moderate rebel faction near his hometown that received widespread support from Gulf states in the early years of the conflict. However, coming from a small, relatively unknown family, Balud failed to climb the ranks of Syrias rebel movement as quickly as he would have liked, and as others from more prominent backgrounds regularly did. By early 2013, Balud had joined ISIS, whose ranks were staffed mostly by foreigners who couldn't have cared less about the social status of their Syrian recruits. Second Division, Third Legion In July 2013, Balud appeared in an ISIS propaganda video shot in the border town of Tal Abyad after the group successfully captured the city from the Kurdish Peoples Protection Units (YPG). In the video, Sayf appears next to an Egyptian foreign fighter addressing a room full of two dozen captured YPG soldiers, who were assembled before an ISIS camera crew to officially repent for having joined an armed faction that ISIS leadership described as being at war with God. Over the next several years, Baluds star continued to rise, as the commander attained a level of status within ISIS that would have been unattainable in other rebel groups. Despite the large-scale defeat of ISIS across northern Syria at the hands of the YPG in 2016 and 2017, the cunning commander was able to leverage his history of fighting against Kurds to re-invent himself as a valuable client for another foreign patron: Turkey. By January 2018, when Turkish backed rebel forces launched Operation Olive Branch to take over the Kurdish canton of Afrin located in Syrias uppermost northwest corner, Balud regularly appeared in the groups propaganda videos as the official commander of the newly formed Hamza brigades. His status as an ethnic Turkman, a small minority within Syria whose likeness to their Turkish kinsmen across the border has pushed Ankara to grant many coveted privileges such as Turkish citizenship and sensitive leadership positions, further endeared Balud to his new patrons. According to SNA sources, Syrian rebel units now being sent to Azerbaijan by Turkey are almost exclusively led by ethnic Syrian Turkmen. Sayf Balud is a Turkman. The Sultan Murad brigades commander, Fahim Aissa, is a Syrian Turkman, like Balud. Turkey only trusts factions led by Syrian Turkman to carry out these missions. These are sensitive for Turkey politically, and they dont trust Syrian Arabs to lead them. Turkeys intervention in Azerbaijan is indeed sensitive. After a four-year lull in fighting between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh, fighting between the two countries erupted anew on Sunday in fighting that killed two-dozen fighters. Historically the Nagorno-Karabakh region has been internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan. But in 1991 Armenian factions within the region declared themselves independent. Three years of war over the disputed territory ended in 1994 with a Russian brokered ceasefire. The newly declared Nagorno-Karabakh republic was soon occupied by Armenia, which has since maintained de facto control of the area. With the exception of four days of fighting in April 2016, Sundays clashes were the first major instance of renewed combat between both countries over the status of the area. Both sides accuse the other of having initiated the fighting on Sunday. Clashes continue, with dozens more casualties reported. Fighting alongside the Azeri regular forces were 1,000 Syrian rebel fighters, among them former jihadists led by ex-ISIS commander Sayf Balud. All About the Oil Turkey's move to send Syrian rebels to face-off against Armenia, a longtime rival of Turkey, is just the latest in a long string of neo-Ottoman foreign adventures undertaken by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan over the last 6 months. Ankara has deployed both its armed forces and Syrian proxies to crack down on Kurdish PKK and YPG forces in northern Syria and Iraqi Kurdistan throughout 2020. Turkey has also intervened in western Libya and waters throughout the eastern Mediterranean where its navy has threatened NATO allies France and Greece in an attempt to strongarm both countries and lay claim to gas reserves located within Greece's maritime borders. In Azerbaijan, Turkey is looking to demonstrate loyalty and prop up an oil-rich regime with which it has maintained close military ties since the 1994 ceasefire. Since 2005, they have launched numerous lucrative oil and gas initiatives including a pipeline that exports 1.2 million barrels of Azeri oil per day to the European Union (EU), earning Turkey upwards of $200 million in annual transit fees. In 2006, this cooperation expanded following the launch of the South Caucasus natural gas pipeline that annually exports 8.8 billion cubic meters of much needed Azeri gas to the Turkish market, a net importer of energy. In 2011, Turkey began work on an expansive natural gas production network called the Trans Anatolian Pipeline, which is projected to export 31 billion cubic meters of Azeri gas to the EU by 2026. Turkish shareholders, who own a 30 percent stake in the project, stand to make huge profits. Turkeys push to transform Azerbaijan into a lucrative oil and gas export hub is also motivated by Ankaras desire to come out from under Russias shadow. Turkey depends on Russia for 40 percent of its fossil fuels, a reliance that has forced Ankara to treat Russia as a friendly nation despite the fact that the two countries share almost no common interests. The Southern Gas Corridor, a term referring to the various pipelines emerging out of Azerbaijan, has been heavily cheered on by the EU, which also wants to break its dependence on Russian gas. No surprise then that Russia is on the other side in the ongoing dispute between Azerbaijan and Armenia over Nagorno-Karabakh. Nagorno-Karabakh is now the third theater where Russia and Turkey find themselves supporting opposite sides in an active Middle East conflict zone. In Syria, Russian support for dictator Bashar al-Assad and Turkeys support for the countrys rebels such as Sayf Bulad and others led to direct conflict between both countries armies earlier this year, resulting in the death of dozens of Turkish soldiers. In Libya, the situation is reversed, with Turkey supporting Libyas government and Russia supporting Khalifa Haftar, a renegade general and rebel leader who has sought to seize control of Libyas lucrative oil sector and capture the capital of Tripoli. In both conflicts, Sayf Bulad and the Hamza brigades have proven extremely useful to Turkey. Thousands of the groups fighters, including Sayf Bulad, were deployed to Libya last summer to help repel a major assault launched by Russian-backed Khalifa Haftar and in the bargain reclaim territory previously captured by the general. The Turkish backed authority in Tripoli is now safely guarded against external threats, while Turkish companies are set to gain lucrative contracts in Libyas oil and gas and reconstruction sectors. Within this context of great power struggles, Syria's rebels, once idealistic and seeking to liberate their country from dictator Bashar al-Assad, have found themselves reduced to pawns compelled to serve as mercenaries and shock troops used by Turkey to advance its foreign policy in a world where Ankara finds itself increasingly isolated. In doing so, they find themselves led by and mixed with fighters from the most vicious jihadist group the world has ever seen. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now! Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more. The EU Committee of Permanent Representatives approved on Monday without a debate the proposal to broaden the list of blacklisted persons and entities suspected by the European Union of undermining the sovereignty and independence of Ukraine. According to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty correspondent Rikard Jozwiak, the restrictions are related to the construction of the Kerch bridge. "EU ambassadors have green lighted sanctions against 2 people and 4 companies responsible for the construction of the Kerch bridge. Will be formalized later this week," he said. According to Jozwiak, the Council of the European Union will make a related formal decision this week. In partnership with the National WWII Museum, this Living series spotlights homefront scenes from World War II. Newly designed or built ships need to pass a series of tests before they are accepted into military service. The FP-135, the first 170-foot cargo vessel built by Higgins Industries, was photographed undergoing an inclination test in the Industrial Canal. Officially the Inner Harbor Navigation Canal, the waterway cuts through New Orleans East to connect Lake Pontchartrain to the Mississippi River. Inclination tests provide information on the stability and center of gravity of a ship by applying weights to certain locations and recording how much the draft or angle of tilt changes. In the photo, the ships crane is being used to pull down against a heavy block, forcing the vessel to tilt to the port. FP ships, later changed to FS, were small freighters used to carry supplies and personnel between bases on islands or in shallow waterways. In March 1943, Louisiana boat builder Andrew Higgins signed a contract with the U.S. Army to build 100 of the 170-foot ships. Always seeking more efficient ways to build, Higgins created a moving assembly line and added it to his Industrial Canal plant. Higgins built, tested and delivered all 100 ships in record time. During World War II, development on the Industrial Canal exploded, but it was not as built up as it is today. Behind FP-135, on the tree-lined opposite bank, are a large number of Higgins-built Landing Craft Mechanized awaiting delivery. At the pier next to FP-135 is a Higgins-built Patrol Torpedo boat, seen before being fit-out and delivered to the U.S. Navy. New Delhi: India on Monday raised the issue of extradition of Kim Davy or Niels Holck with Denmark during the virtual summit between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Denmark's PM Mette Frederiksen. Kim Davy is the key conspirator of 1995 arms drop in Purulia district of West Bengal. Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Joint Secretary (Central Europe) Neeta Bhushan said, "It was agreed that concerned officials from both sides will be in touch with each other. Both sides will work for the early resolution of the issue." In 2012, India had decided to scale down ties with Denmark after a lower court in the country refused extradition of Kim Davy and the government refused to go for a further appeal. In 2018, speaking to Zee Media in Stockholm the then prime minister of Denmark Lars Lokke Rasmussen had said, "These issues...we deal in the legal track. When I was PM in 2011, my minister of justice took the decision to extradite him. But it was rejected by our courts. But now our director of general prosecution is looking into this. On political tract we will restart joint commission." Denmark's Ministry of Justice in 2016 through the ministry of foreign affairs of Denmark made a formal request for extradition of Kim Davy. Health care prices continue to rise precipitously despite the Coronavirus Recession, cutting into profits and paychecks, offering a powerful reminder that the nations chronic economic problem remains unsolved. Hospital services make up 44 percent of health care costs in the United States, and the prices hospitals negotiate with private insurance companies keep rising compared to the rates paid by Medicare, the government health care program for the elderly. In Texas, private insurers paid 252 percent more than Medicare for the same medical services in 2018, according to a study by the Rand Corp., a Santa Monica, Calif.-based analysis and consulting firm. Thats 20 percentage points higher than the difference in 2016, according to the latest data available. A hospitals ability to charge self-insured employers and insurance companies higher rates is why hospitals spend so much on billboards and in newspaper advertising. The last thing they want is more patients on Medicare or Medicaid, the federal-state partnership covering the impoverished and disabled. TOMLINSONS TAKE: Texas and its leaders failed the COVID-19 test Rand took the extra step of breaking the data down by individual facility, revealing that hospitals located in wealthy suburbs charge much more than downtown hospitals, even if both are owned by the same system. For example, Memorial Hermann Northeast in Humble charges 294 percent of Medicare rates, while Memorial Hermann Memorial City charges 205 percent. In San Antonio, Methodist Hospital charges 235 percent of Medicare rates, while an hour up Interstate-35, South Austin Medical Center charges 332 percent, even though both are part of HCA Healthcare. Because hospitals keep negotiated rates secret, most business owners have no idea that prices can vary widely. If they did, they might negotiate a better deal. Many employers lack fundamental information about the health care prices that are negotiated on their behalf, which hamstrings their ability to be prudent purchasers of health care benefits, the Rand authors warned. Most employers will want to include Memorial Hermann and HCA Healthcare in their network. But they might not know that directing their employees to seek treatment a few miles down the road could save 50 percent on their bill. Moving patient volume to lower-priced hospitals that offer better value is an opportunity for employers, their employees, and society to reduce health care spending, and also helps the market to reward the most efficient hospitals, the report adds. Employers should also demand better from their insurance company or plan administrator. Because those companies often get paid a percentage of the total health care bill, they are not motivated to negotiate lower prices. Walmart famously brought down health care costs and provided its employees with better care through its Center of Excellence program. The company discovered that by negotiating a volume deal with the best hospitals for serious cases, it saved money by flying employees to those facilities rather than pay the local hospital. Employers need to be realistic, though. Hospitals, doctors and pharmaceutical companies have long complained that they lose money on Medicare patients and need to charge private insurance higher rates to make an overall profit. The reimbursement rates for Medicaid, which are set by state legislatures, are even lower, which is why Medicaid enrollees have a hard time finding a facility. Then there are the uninsured people treated in emergency rooms who never pay any portion of their bills, dragging down hospital profits. We have socialized medicine in this country; weve just hidden it behind an opaque market. Those of us with employer-sponsored plans are subsidizing health care for the poor, elderly and uninsured. Were only paying for it in the most inefficient way possible. TOMLINSONS TAKE: Insurers pressuring hospitals and doctors to lower health care waste The Affordable Care Act tried to incrementally improve the health care market by requiring all Americans to have health insurance and access to primary care doctors. Routine checkups keep people healthier and often preempt expensive hospital procedures. Obamacare, though, fell apart when the U.S. Supreme Court threw out mandatory Medicaid expansion. As one of the few states left that did not expand Medicaid, Texas has the highest uninsured rate in the nation at 19.7 percent. Layoffs due to COVID-19 are making matters worse, which means private insurance rates will spike to pay for the care of the newly unemployed. If the Supreme Court throws out the rest of Obamacare next year, hospitals will charge those with private insurance even more. Higher rates mean higher premiums, lower profits and fewer raises. Employers should expect better prices from hospitals when they renegotiate health care contracts, but in the long run, they should also demand a fairer, more equitable health care system so that the market does not punish businesses for supplying health insurance to their employees. Tomlinson writes commentary about business, economics and policy. twitter.com/cltomlinson chris.tomlinson@chron.com GRAND RAPIDS, MI A 69-year-old Niles man was sentenced to 20 years in prison for transporting a 15-year-old girl across state lines with the intent of engaging in sexual acts with her. Lloyd Daniel Bate was sentenced Sept. 25 in federal court in Grand Rapids by U.S. District Judge Janet T. Neff on one count of transportation of a minor with the intent that the minor engage in criminal sexual activity, as well as one count of possession of child pornography, according to court records. Bate, who pleaded guilty to the two charges in March, was sentenced to 15 years in prison on the child pornography charge, to be served concurrently with the other charge. Related: Niles man indicted on child porn charges, illegal transportation of minor Bate, according to court documents, admitted to transporting the minor from Indiana to his home in Michigan multiple times between June and November 2019. He purchased items from Victorias Secret for her, paid her money in exchange for photos and coerced her into using drugs. He admitted to taking photos and videos of her removing her clothing and while naked, stated he knew her age and admitted to showing her photos and videos of other minors. Bate, according to court documents, also possessed child pornography that involved small children having intimate encounters with babies. The defendant reached a plea agreement with the court in March. In agreeing to plead guilty to the aforementioned charges, Bate had charges of distribution of child pornography and attempted sexual exploitation of a child dismissed. Also on MLive: Lake Michigan drownings reach record-breaking level in 2020 Suspects arrested after allegedly cutting 4 fingers off mans right hand Northern Michigan brothers honored for saving woman from burning home BOGOTA, Colombia: One of Colombias most wanted paramilitary leaders was flown back to his home country on Monday after spending 12 years in U.S. prisons for drug trafficking. Rodrigo Tovar, also known as Jorge 40, arrived on a deportation flight, National Commissioner for Peace Miguel Ceballos said. He is being held by immigration officials and the police Ceballos wrote on Twitter. And he will have to answer for the crimes he has committed. Once a local government official in his hometown of Valledupar, Tovar became one of Colombias most feared paramilitary leaders in the first decade of this century, when right wing militias fought leftist guerrillas for control of large swathes of the country. He joined peace negotiations conducted by the administration of Alvaro Uribe, which led to the disarmament of thousands of paramilitary fighters in 2006. But Tovar was extradited to the U.S. on drug trafficking charges two years later along with a handful of former paramilitary leaders. Tovar accepted charging coca growers a fee for operating in his territories, but denied having direct involvement in trafficking. Colombian prosecutors have accused Tovar of masterminding several mass killings in rural Colombia, including an incident in the town of El Salado, where 60 civilians were killed and dismembered by paramilitary fighters who accused them of backing a guerrilla group. Tovar faces 35 arrest orders in Colombia and hundreds of investigation for alleged war crimes. His former mentor and associate, Salvatore Mancuso, is fighting deportation to Colombia after also serving a drug trafficking sentence in the U.S. Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor Texas Gov. Greg Abbott speaks at a press conference at the Texas State Capitol in Austin, Texas, on May 18, 2020. (Lynda M. Gonzalez/Pool/Getty Images) Texas Governor Declares Disaster After Brain-Eating Amoeba Found in Citys Water The governor of Texas declared a disaster after a brain-eating amoeba that killed a 6-year-old boy was found in a citys water supply. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Sunday declared a disaster (pdf) in Brazoria County and said that of 11 water tests conducted in the county, three found N. fowleri, the brain-eating amoeba. That is now posing an imminent threat to public health and safety, including loss of life, he said. A proclamation certifying the presence of Naegleria fowleri, which can cause a rare and devastating infection of the brain called primary amebic meningoencephalitis, was identified in the water supply in Brazoria County; and declaring a state of disaster, his order said. TCEQ and city officials are actively working on a plan to flush and disinfect the water system. Until the flushing and disinfecting process is complete, the city remains under the boil notice, the Texas Commission of Environmental Quality said in a news release on Sept. 26. During this period of disinfection and flushing, boiling the tap water makes it safe for drinking and cooking. The city subsequently issued a disaster declaration in response to the development, CBS News reported. The City of Lake Jackson, County of Brazoria, Texas, is facing significant threats to life, health and property due to contaminated drinking water, the city said in its emergency request to Abbott. The impact of this threat is severe. The potential damages include: sickness and death. The boy, Josiah McIntyre, got sick about a month ago, suffering from headaches, vomiting, and a fever, his grandparents told the Houston Chronicle. They later said doctors diagnosed him with the brain-eating amoeba infection. We just want people to be aware that its out there, his grandmother, Natalie McIntyre, said on Sept. 26. If youve been exposed or possibly exposed and you experience those symptoms, get to a hospital and let somebody know. He was an active little boy, Josiahs mother, Maria Castillo, told KTRK-TV. He was a really good big brother. He just loved and cared about a lot of people. His relatives said he was tested for COVID-19, strep throat, and other diseases, according to the Chronicle. Residents of Lake Jackson were told by the agency to boil their water before using it after the organism was found in their water system. A previous warning that extended to other areas in Brazoria County called on residents to not use tap water at all but that warning was later lifted. The boil advisory is in effect for Lake Jackson. Subscriber content preview ANCHORAGE (AP) Alaska environmental regulators are seeking additional money for the state's oil spill response fund amid a review of requirements for petroleum producers and shippers. Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Jason Brune has advocated for the state administration and Legislature to commit more money to the Spill Prevention and Response (SPAR) fund, The Alaska Journal of Commerce reported Wednesday. . . . But among both subgroups, Mr. Trump lagged his 2016 benchmarks. He led with white voters without four-year degrees by 14 points; in 2016, he won these voters by 32 points, according to exit polls. Among rural voters, he held a 26-point lead; four years ago he won rural Pennsylvania voters by 37 points. The first presidential debate on Tuesday night gives Mr. Trump an opportunity to shake up the race, and the poll suggested some Biden supporters are in a defensive crouch. Voters were closely divided on whom they expected to win the debate: 39 percent named Mr. Biden and 41 percent said Mr. Trump. Nearly three out of four voters who identified as Democrats expected a Biden win, with 9 percent expecting Mr. Trump to prevail and 17 percent unsure. Voters who identify as Republicans are slightly more confident that Mr. Trump will win. Im nervous that Biden will fumble words or not be clear and get attacked, because Trump is a bully and Biden is not, said Maryann Lemerise, 55, a Philadelphian who has rearranged her work schedule to make phone calls for Mr. Biden. Laura Gallagher, 59, a pharmacy worker in the Lehigh Valley who is a strong Trump supporter, is looking forward to the debate. I think its going to be a joke, she said, because I dont think the Democratic candidate is going to be able to do it. I dont think he has it in him. A third voter, Michael Sullivan, 54, who cast a ballot for the Green Party in 2016, is undecided and is looking to the debate to settle his choice. He said he would decide based on how the candidates handle themselves. Mr. Biden is like your grandfather, that youre worried hell hurt himself if you dont take his license away, he said. He wants to hear Mr. Trump respond to questions with a valid answer, not a deflection, adding, Then I might think of voting for him. An optical fibre sensor (about 150 microns in diameter) is inserted into a cylindrical cell (18650 format). By placing the optical fibre directly into the center of the cell, the sensor can monitor internal temperature and pressure with unprecedented accuracy. Credit: College de France - Benjamin Campech, RS2E. Battery technology can sometimes be unstable and volatile, two characteristics that impair its safety and reliability. Actively monitoring the chemical and thermal state of battery cells over time could help to detect changes that may cause incidents or malfunctions, giving users the chance to intervene before a problem arises. Researchers at College de France and Hong Kong Polytechnic University have recently designed a Na(Li)-ion battery that can monitor its own chemical and thermal state via a series of optical sensors integrated in its cells. This unique self-monitoring battery, presented in a paper published in Nature Energy, could provide greater safety and a more sustained efficiency compared to conventional battery technologies. "The idea for our recent study came to me about three or four years ago, when I wrote a prospective in Nature Materials titled 'Sustainability and in situ monitoring in battery development,'" Jean-Marie Tarascon, one of the researchers who carried out the study, told TechXplore. "While reviewing previous studies, I realized that the ratio between the performance and cost of Li-ion batteries has improved so much over the past few years (i.e., recently developed Li-ion battery technology performs really well and is affordable). As this ratio is already more than satisfactory, I decided to focus my future research on trying to improve the reliability and safety of batteries, rather than on the development of alternative aqueous or non-aqueous battery chemistries." While conducting some of his previous research, Tarascon started considering the possibility of developing an "intelligent" battery with sensing and self-healing capabilities. His hypothesis was that deviating from classical battery technology designs and introducing a sensing component within a battery could ultimately enhance its lifetime or provide a second "life," decreasing the technology's overall carbon footprint. An optical fibre sensor (about 150 microns in diameter) is inserted into a cylindrical cell (18650 format). By placing the optical fibre directly into the center of the cell, the sensor can monitor internal temperature and pressure with unprecedented accuracy. Credit: College de France - Benjamin Campech, RS2E. To create this battery, Tarascon and his colleagues integrated optical fiber Bragg grating sensors into commercial 18650 Na(Li)-ion cells. These sensors act as a wavelength-selective mirror, as the information they collect is essentially a reflected wavelength peak. The position of this peak changes in real time due to temperature and/or pressure variations in the sensor's surroundings. The unique battery design introduced by the researchers enables the real-time tracking of chemical and thermal events occurring inside a battery. Tarascon and his colleagues are also among the first to successfully measure the heat generated inside a cell without using microcalorimetry, but instead via a series of sensors. "What is truly new here is our new approach to decouple the temperature and pressure signals by combining a microstructured optical fiber and a normal optical fiber," Tarascon said. "The key advantages of our approach include its feasibility to decode battery chemical and thermal events with great reliability and accuracy." Dr Jiaqiang HUANG (right) and Dr Laura Albero BLANQUER of College de France are the first author and second author of the collaborative study respectively. Credit: College de France - Benjamin Campech, RS2E. Tarascon and his colleagues demonstrated the feasibility of measuring heat generation and transfers occurring inside a battery with extremely high accuracy. These are two critical parameters for the development of efficient and reliable cooling/heating systems. Therefore, their work could pave the way to the development of more advanced battery management systems (BMS) that better protect batteries from overheating. The design also enables the retrieval of vital chemical information from inside a cell. This information could enhance the current understanding of parasitic reactions that affect the functioning of battery technologies, such as the formation and composition of the solid electrolyte interphase (SEI). "These interfaces ultimately shape the cell's lifetime," Tarascon said. "The protocols to form them are closely guarded trade secrets among manufacturers. As such, our way of simply monitoring the formation of these interphases by FBG's, besides being totally new, is a critical asset for the battery industry because the SEI formation is a crucial and expensive step prior putting the cells into the market." (From the left) Dr Steven BOLES, Associate Professor, Department of Electrical Engineering, PolyU; Prof. Hwa-yaw TAM, Chair Professor of Photonics and Head of Department of Electrical Engineering, PolyU; and Dr Julien BONEFACINO, Postdoctoral Researcher of PolyU. Credit: The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. The study opens up exciting and unprecedented opportunities within the field of battery development, both at an academic and industrial level. In the future, their design could serve as an example for other teams worldwide, leading to the development of safer and more reliable batteries. "We are presently implementing the use of FBGs to the exploration of other battery chemistries so as to decipher/identify parasitic reactions contributing to the SEI formation at various temperatures and state of charges," Tarascon said. "Application-wise, we are also working on adapting the FBG sensors to the targeted battery environment in terms of manufacturing constraints, together with identifying the proper transfer functions and modeling tools to wisely use the sensing information read-out at the cell so as to develop sophisticated BMS." Explore further Scientists get a sneak peek of a key process in battery 'life' More information: Jiaqiang Huang et al. Operando decoding of chemical and thermal events in commercial Na(Li)-ion cells via optical sensors, Nature Energy (2020). Jiaqiang Huang et al. Operando decoding of chemical and thermal events in commercial Na(Li)-ion cells via optical sensors,(2020). DOI: 10.1038/s41560-020-0665-y C. P. Grey et al. Sustainability and in situ monitoring in battery development, Nature Materials (2016). DOI: 10.1038/nmat4777 Journal information: Nature Energy , Nature Materials 2020 Science X Network I said goodbye to my wife on FaceTime. The two of us were strict about wearing face masks, washing and sanitizing our hands, and physical distancing. Yet the insidiousness of the coronavirus somehow let it infect both of us anyway. I'll never know how, where and when we contracted it. She had a pedicure three days before her first symptom and an MRI at an imaging center one day after that, always wearing a mask. We attended a funeral where she spoke the afternoon before manifesting her first symptom, but we were not in proximity to anyone and no one else who attended is known to have had the virus. On Aug. 9, Audrey complained of her legs hurting. The condition disappeared later in the day, and her activities were normal. The following morning, she awoke unable to move her legs. After seven hours in the ER, I drove her home. None of the professionals who looked after her mentioned the possibility of covid-19. Instead, after taking MRIs, they suspected a flare-up of multiple sclerosis. That night, I experienced chills, body ache and a headache. Those symptoms disappeared by the following afternoon. We both tested for the virus on Aug. 12. Our son came from Indianapolis to be with us in case we had more physical problems. (After 18 days at our home, he tested negative.) The following morning, Audrey was confused and unable to move her legs again. When the EMTs quizzed her, the only question she could answer was the name of the U.S. president. "Trump," she mumbled. (She was not a fan.) Admitted to the hospital with a suspicion of the coronavirus, Audrey was moved to isolation in the ICU within two days. Her body's demand for oxygen from outside sources was growing. Mentally, she was sharp. On Aug. 16, she asked whether our son, visiting daughter and granddaughter, and I would share a dinner of ribs. I thought she was joking, but the charge nurse assured me it was all right, as long as we withheld the wine Audrey had requested. A meal of ribs, baked potato and salad was taken to the hospital. Audrey texted a photo of her enjoying the food. She was happy. Good mothers always worry about their children. The morning of Aug. 17, Audrey texted that I should make certain our son had a specific food item for his birthday that day. In the afternoon, she sent a selfie with her oxygen device and said health staff were pleased with her oxygen level. A physician left a voice message on my cellphone, "Just know that the missus is doing okay." But less than 12 hours later, at 3 a.m., Aug. 18, I received a call that Audrey's condition had changed drastically. The caller asked whether I supported her living-will declaration of no artificial means to keep her alive if all it did was prolong the inevitable? I did. Despite steroids, antibiotics, the drug Remdesivir and an experimental convalescent plasma therapy, covid-19 won. Just after midnight, Aug. 19, Audrey Jane Beckley, 77 - role model to all with the debilitating disease; community, university and church volunteer; and wonderful wife of nearly 56 years, loving grandmother and great-grandmother - died. Audrey had the first symptoms of MS at age 25. The disease would eventually limit the mobility of her right leg. She used a cane and retractable walking/hiking poles. Her can-do attitude was remarkable to the end. But the virus filled her lungs with pneumonia. Sepsis and arterial fibrillation developed and mixed with the effects of MS to end her life. Many covid-19 patients die alone, without family by their sides. Audrey did. But I will always be thankful for the ever-present nurse who held a cellphone that allowed me to talk to her on the day she was dying. I was able to convey my gratitude for our marriage, our children and our wonderful life together since the evening we met as students in 1964 at Indiana University. I assured her the children and I would be fine and she should be at peace. She was unable to respond, but the nurse was convinced Audrey heard every word. Throughout all of this, the viral monster was depleting my own body of strength. Covid-19 combined with sleeplessness, a total lack of appetite and the stress of Audrey's ordeal to leave me nearly lifeless. Through the care of my children and an eventual return to sleep and food, I am regaining strength daily. My symptoms have long since disappeared, but I still must exercise daily to combat some lung damage that has left me easily winded. What is the lesson of two lives shockingly upended? I cannot persuade those who refuse to follow all recommended common-sense health precautions. Some people still believe the world is flat. But I appeal to everyone else. Please wear the recommended face coverings, physical distance and never ever touch your faces without washing or sanitizing your hands. Those practices may not have spared my family, but they can still protect others. Despite the national government's ongoing inaction, or what state and local governments have been trying to do, it is up to each of us to do everything we can to stop the pandemic. Let's stop killing one another. We don't need more needless deaths like that of Audrey Jane Beckley. - - - Beckley is a member of the Indiana Broadcast Pioneers Hall of Fame, where he has served as president, and a past vice president of the Indianapolis Press Club. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 28) - The Senate has approved on second reading a bill which would establish a coconut farmers and industry trust fund or coconut levy fund. President Rodrigo Duterte vetoed last year the coconut levy fund citing the need for stronger safeguards in the disbursement of funds. Under Senate Bill No. 1396, the trust fund will be maintained for 99 years under the Coconut Farmers and Industry Development Plan, and will be used for the benefit of coconut farmers and development of the industry. The plan shall also include strategic and inclusive training programs dedicated for coconut farmers based on a comprehensive review of existing training programs, read the bill. Programs relating to planting, replanting, fertilization, research, and development, market promotion, farm-to-market roads, and direct lending, shall be funded through regular appropriations. The Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) will manage and approve the disbursements of the trust fund. The proposed measure provides that all government agencies holding coco levy funds and/or assets shall transfer monies to the trust fund within five years. Upon the enactment of this act, the Bureau of the Treasury shall transfer P5-billion to the trust fund. The bill also states that the amount in the trust fund for disposition by the PCA and the Development Plan shall not be lower than P5-billion. Furthermore, the bill also seeks to amend the composition of the PCA Board with the secretary of the Department of Agriculture as chairperson and the secretary of Department of Finance as vice chairperson. The PCA Board would also include the secretaries of Department of Budget and Management, Department of Science and Technology, and the Department of Trade and Industry. Three members from the coconut farmers sector, one each from Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao, would also be included in the PCA Board. BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 28 By Jeila Aliyeva - Trend: The Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation praised further development of the Russian-Turkmen inter-parliamentary dialogue, Trend reports with reference to the Turkmenportal information portal. This was stated by the Chairman of the Federation Council Valentina Matviyenko to the head of Turkmen Mejlis (Parliament) Gulshat Mammadova. Matvienko highly appreciated Turkmenistan's participation in the events of the CIS Interparliamentary Assembly, the report said. "The Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation supports further development of inter-parliamentary dialogue with Turkmen colleagues on a wide range of issues and looks forward to enhancing joint work, an important role in which is assigned to parliamentary friendship groups," Matvienko said. In addition, she noted that the accession of the Mejlis of Turkmenistan as a full member of the inter-Parliamentary Union in 2017 had great importance for expanding joint activities. As reported, Turkmenistan and Russia are preparing to sign an economic cooperation program for 2020-2022. The above-mentioned program will determine priority areas of cooperation in such areas as energy, transport, construction, and agriculture. Cooperation with the country's regions is important for the development of trade and economic relations between the two countries. In particular, they stressed the high level of cooperation with such Russian regions as the Astrakhan region, the Republic of Tatarstan, St. Petersburg, and a number of others. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @JeilaAliyeva Rakesh Jhunjhunwala-held Bilcare share has delivered over 100% returns to investors since the beginning of this year. The ace investor and his wife owned 19.97 lakh shares in the stock of pharmaceutical packaging research solutions firm for the quarter ended June 2020. While Jhunjhunwala owned 17.35 lakh shares in the firm, his wife Rekha Jhunjhunwala held 2.62 lakh shares during the period. Bilcare share has gained 102.7% since the beginning of this year. On December 31, 2019, the share of pharmaceutical packaging research solutions firm closed at Rs 19.75 on BSE. The stock was trading at Rs 39.65 today delivering more than double the returns in 2020. The rise in stock can be attributed to the improvement in financial performance of the firm. In Q1 of current fiscal, the firm's net loss narrowed to Rs 16.34 against Rs 86.77 crore on BSE clocking an erosion of 81.17% in the firm's loss. However, net sales fell 80% to Rs 138.80 crore in Q1 against sales of Rs 700.84 crore in the first quarter of previous fiscal. Operating profit excluding other income rose 19,566% in Q1 against a rise of 100.6% in March quarter. This stock held by Rakesh Jhunjhunwala tripled in six months In Q4 of last fiscal, net sales fell 85% to Rs 120.17 crore against Rs 796 crore sales in Q4 of 2018-19. However, net profit gained 256% to Rs 76.57 crore in Q4 against loss of Rs 49 crore in Q4 of 2018-19. Till date, share price of Bilcare Ltd has gained 70% in the last one year. Beyond the period of one year, the share has traded in red. The stock has lost 18% in one year and fallen 12.55% in five years. In 10 years, the share has lost 94%. Jhunjhunwala earned Rs 5.6 crore per day with this stock for 111 sessions On the other hand, share price of its peer, Jindal Poly Films has lost 8% in ten years and gained 4% in five years. On an year-to-date basis, the Jindal Poly Films stock has risen 104.46%. Stock price of another competitor Cosmo Films has gained 190.25% in 10 years, 128% in five years and 89.32% in one year. The share has risen 3.69% in a week, 0.99% in one month, and 78% since the beginning of this year. The stock ended 3.03% lower at Rs 40.05 on BSE. Market cap of Bilcare fell to Rs 94.30 crore on BSE. The stock opened with a loss of 4.96% at Rs 39.25 also its intra day low today. It stands higher than 200 day moving averages but lower than 5 day, 20 day, 50 day and 100 day moving averages. Jhunjhunwala sees a fresh bull market despite pandemic effect; bets big on realty, infra, IT sectors Bilcare Limited is engaged in offering pharmaceutical packaging research solutions. The company's portfolio of products and services include articles of plastics and polymer; aluminium and aluminium products, and global clinical services. The company's manufacturing plant is located at Pune. It has operations in India, Singapore, Germany and the US. Rakesh Jhunjhunwala earned Rs 2.71 crore per day with this stock for 100 sessions After the coronavirus forced Jordan to close its border crossing with Syria for more than a month, the government announced its reopening to truck traffic on Sunday. Jordan closed all of its land crossings to travelers in March, keeping the borders open only for trade. But after truck drivers entering Jordan from Syria were blamed for an uptick in COVID-19 cases, the Jordanian government sealed off the Jaber-Nassib crossing entirely in mid-August. The Jaber-Nassib crossing is a key transit point for goods flowing from Lebanon and Syria to Gulf countries. The president of the Jordanian Truck Owners Association, Mohammad al Daoud, told Reuters the closure caused millions of dollars in losses. The crossing opened Sunday under new social distancing and health protocols for drivers, the director of Roads Department at the Ministry of Public Works and Housing told Jordanian outlet Roya News. On Monday, Syrian state news agency SANA quoted a Syrian transportation official as saying that 65 trucks carrying fruits and vegetables had entered Jordan. The crossing reopened as Jordan grapples with a surge of new COVID-19 cases. In one of its highest yet case counts, Jordans Ministry of Health announced 734 new coronavirus infections and six deaths on Monday. The country of 10 million has registered more than 9,000 cases since March. Earlier this month, the United Nations refugee agency confirmed the virus was detected for the first time among Syrians living in Jordans underserved and overcrowded refugee camps. Having imposed some of the worlds harshest coronavirus restrictions in March, Jordan has fared better than its neighbors. Officials have said they hope to avoid reimposing the nationwide lockdown and military-enforced, round-the-clock curfew, which kept the virus in check but strained Jordan's fragile economy. To mitigate the spread of the virus, the Jordanian government closed mosques, churches and restaurants in mid-September and switched most classrooms to online learning. Officials also suspended hospital visits and banned weddings, funerals and other social gatherings of more than 20 people. PARIS - Leaders of countries once subjugated to Western powers sent a pointed message at this years U.N. General Assembly: For those who think the word colonialism evokes a long-ago, no-longer-relevant era, think again. Several leaders raised this years global protests inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement in the United States and renewed demands for reparations for the slave trade, calling them just one step in a still-unfinished reckoning with crimes of former empires. The onetime French colony of New Caledonia -- still run by Paris, more than 10,000 miles and 10 time zones away is voting Sunday on whether to break free. A Congolese activist is going on trial Wednesday in France after recently trying to take back African art plundered from colonies and now showcased in European museums. The global movement for racial justice and equality is not a passing phenomenon, said Paul Kagame of Rwanda, once colonized by Germany and Belgium. What is required is action that builds public trust in the equal dignity of all citizens, as demonstrated in the treatment of those who have historically been most marginalized, and who continue to suffer mistreatment disproportionately. Both past and present are infusing discussions about the state of the worlds nations at the General Assembly, which wraps up Tuesday, and where leaders of ex-colonies get equal time with ex-colonizers at the planets most important diplomatic event. Sierre Leones vice-president gave world nations a 10-year deadline to wrap up the colonial era, once and for all. Vanuatu in the South Pacific and Mauritius in the Indian Ocean were among those who used the U.N. event to press territorial disputes left over from colonial times. And the leader of Caribbean ex-British colony Antigua and Barbuda said its time for creditor countries many of whom built empires thanks to slave labour and exploiting colonies resources to forgive poor-country debt amid 2020s global economic crisis. Since the birth of the United Nations 75 years ago, its ranks have mushroomed from 51 members to 193, as territory after territory shed old-world rulers and proclaimed independence. But the scars and prejudices of colonialism slice deep. The nature of relations between Africa and countries with a colonial past should be re-imagined, to transform the painful history of colonization into opportunities, said Evariste Ndayishimiye of Burundi, once run by Germany and then Belgium. But he stressed: We should not forget the spirit of the conquests to enslave Africa and the strong resistance of the people of Africa to defend themselves against invasion, or to liberate themselves from the colonial yoke that mowed down millions of human lives in Africa and left injuries and wounds that struggle to heal. Instead of big-power bullying and small powers pleading for outside help, Vice-President Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh of ex-British colony Sierra Leone called for a new era of mutual respect and partnership instead. If we are to remain true to the fundamental principles of the United Nations that is fit for purpose, then it becomes absolutely necessary to relegate the chapter of colonialism to history within the period 2021-2030, he said. Some former colonial powers touched upon that part of their past, but none expressly renounced it in this years speeches to the U.N. EU Council President Charles Michel, whose native Belgium has faced protests and soul-searching this year over the 19th century king who colonized swaths of Africa, said: Our two continents have never been so interdependent, for better or for worse. French President Emmanuel Macron, who has refused to take down statues of colonial leaders, described their era as the second wave of globalization: It was globalization through trade, the first openings, but also the routes of slavery, exploitation, the development of some, the enslavement of others, the first population displacements and a reorganization of our world in the light of these dominions. Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte simply noted the European and Caribbean parts of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, but left it at that. The United States complicated history came in for criticism too, notably from rivals Cuba, Venezuela and Iran. Cubas Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla championed Caribbean nations efforts to demand reparations for the horrors of slavery and the slave trade, in a world where racial discrimination and the repression against Afro-descendant communities have been on the rise. Multiple leaders mentioned territorial disputes that stem from colonial times spats that occupy a big part of the docket at the U.N.s international courts. The prime minister of Mauritius spoke in front of a map that included the Britain-controlled Chagos Archipelago as part of its territory. Pravind Jugnauth argued that the decolonization of Mauritius remains incomplete, and urged the U.N. to intervene. The leader of Micronesia colonized in turns by Spain, Germany and Japan, and now dependent on the U.S. for its defence and financial support described his South Pacific archipelago as a product of multilateralism thats still working toward self-sufficiency 33 years after becoming a free state. This years pandemic has sharpened a feeling of economic and historic injustice, as rich countries shut borders, scale back aid, stockpile medical supplies and impose export restrictions. Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves of St. Vincent and the Grenadines decried the legacies of underdevelopment left in the wake of European settler colonialism, native genocide, the enslavement of Africans and warned that the disastrous economic implications of a global COVID-19 recession threaten to stymie our advances. Barbados made news this month seeking to drop Britains Queen Elizabeth II as its head of state, and Prime Minister Mia Mottley in her speech marking the U.N.s 75th anniversary noted that at its founding, The vast majority of development states had no seat and no say. ... Fundamental decisions about the global security, economic and financial order were taken on their behalf, on our behalf, but not necessarily in our best interests, by the colonial powers of the day. - Associated Press writers Cara Anna in Johannesburg and Ted Anthony contributed. Read more about: The risk of a nuclear confrontation between the United States and China is growing, as Beijing acquires new weapons allowing it to potentially strike its adversaries first. As both countries enter into a new period of intense strategic competition, there is a small risk of deliberate nuclear use and a bigger risk of either the US or China inadvertently using nuclear weapons against the other. Military vehicles carrying DF-26 ballistic missiles drive past Tiananmen Gate during a military parade in Beijing to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II. Credit:AP This could occur if one of the countries degrades the other's nuclear arsenal using conventional weapons, whether by accident or collateral damage, causing that nation to respond with nuclear weapons. A new report by the United States Studies Centre says a US conventional strike or cyber attack disabling China's ability to launch conventional ballistic missiles could accidentally damage its nuclear missiles. Beijing could then see this attack as a prelude to disarming its nuclear weapons, and choose to use them first before they were further degraded. Kelly Ripa's daughter Lola is worried that her mother might do something crazy on her 50th birthday which falls on Friday. The 19-year-old student texted her morning show star mom that she better not to strip naked like Gwyneth Paltrow did to celebrate turning 48 on Sunday. 'You've been warned,' was all the brunette beauty told Kelly. Watch out mommy! Kelly Ripa's daughter Lola is worried that her mother might do something crazy on her 50th birthday which falls on Friday Don't follow in these GOOPy footsteps: The 19-year-old texted her morning show star mom that she better not to strip naked like Gwyneth Paltrow did to celebrate turning 48 on Sunday Ripa was the one who posted a screen shot of their text conversation to Instagram. After Lola said mom had been warned, Kelly shot back: 'Oh lord. Honey. Do u what u want. Just know that I have a birthday also and an Instagram.' Then dad Mark Consuelos popped into the conversation by saying, 'Lord.' Ripa and Mark together have daughter Lola as well as sons Joaquin, 17, and Michael, 23. Paltrow shared a jaw-dropping snap of herself posing completely naked in a lush backyard on Sunday. Oh lord! Ripa was the one who posted a screen shot of their text conversation to Instagram. After Lola said mom had been warned, Kelly shot back: 'Oh lord. Honey. Do u what u want. Just know that I have a birthday also and an Instagram.' Little Lola: Over the weekend Kelly called Lola a 'powerhouse' and thanked her While the snap delighted countless fans, there was one Instagram user who was not amused - and that was her teenage daughter Apple Martin, 16. 'MOM', Apple hilariously commented. The stunning snap captured Gwyneth posing with her body partially angled towards the camera. Gwyneth was quick to respond to her teenager - and in the best way possible - commenting three crying laughing emojis in response. In the snap, the Goop maven strategically protected her modesty with her crossed arms and bent leg, yet did nothing to hide her envy-inducing toned stomach. Not cool, Mom! While the snap delighted countless fans, there was one Instagram user who was not amused - and that was her teenage daughter Apple Martin, 16 Living her best life: Gwyneth had no time for Apple's prudish response and commented back with three crying laughing emojis The Shakespeare In Love actress looked carefree as she smiled beneath the sunshine with her blonde locks worn down into loose, effortless waves. In the caption, Gwyneth thanked everyone for their birthday wishes while also plugging her lifestyle brand Goop. 'In nothing but my birthday suit today... thank you all so much for the birthday wishes and thank you to @goop 's insanely amazing brand new body butter for making me think I can still get my kit off. #goopgenes' she captioned the snap. Last week Ripa and Consuelos provided scholarships to 20 homeless students in New York City. The Live With Kelly And Ryan host and her husband have paid for laptops and scholarships worth $2,000 each for a total of 20 of the most vulnerable students who are headed to college in New York, according to People magazine. Kelly and Mark's donation is being done in partnership with the Win foundation in New York, which 'provides safe housing and critical services to help homeless women and their children rebuild their lives and break the cycle of homelessness'. Helping others: Last week Kelly and Mark have provided scholarships to 20 homeless students in New York City. Seen in 2015 In a statement, Kelly said: 'Mark and I are so excited to help these students in whatever small way we can. 'Starting college is a pivotal moment for so many and being a part of this time is really special for our family. 'We know each of these scholarship recipients has a bright future ahead and we can't wait to see what amazing things they accomplish!' Several of the students who received laptops and scholarships are currently living in housing provided by the Win foundation, and didn't have access to a computer - which has been a vital tool to complete remote learning amid the coronavirus pandemic - before the donation. Caring family: The Live With Kelly And Ryan host and her husband have paid for laptops and scholarships worth $2,000 each for a total of 20 of the most vulnerable students who are headed to college in New York, according to People magazine. Seen in 2015 Kelly added in her statement: 'We were watching our kids, with all of their technology, and Mark and I said, "Learning remotely is so difficult how are they possibly doing this at Win?" 'Sure enough, they didn't have the Wi-Fi, tablets or other things they needed.' For those receiving the scholarships, the good deed has been life-changing. One recipient, named Michael Jones, said: 'Despite the fires that are currently ripping through the West Coast, I am still determined to attend Portland State University and major in Creative Writing there. 'The scholarship from Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos is a major help to my college career and will help me purchase books, dorm essentials and other necessities, which will put me in a strong position toward success in my freshman year.' While Mikayala Garay added: 'As a student at SUNY Morrisville studying equine science to one day become a vet, I take classes off-campus at nearby stables. I'll use this money to buy books and to save up for a car to get to and from my classes off-campus.' Overstay fines to start Tuesday, says Phuket Immigration PHUKET: Any foreigners filing their applications with Phuket Immirgation to extend their stay today (Sept 28) will not be fined for overstay, following the visa amnesty expiring on Saturday (Sept 26), Phuket Immigration has confirmed. COVID-19Coronavirustourismimmigration By The Phuket News Monday 28 September 2020, 12:37PM In total, some 200 foreigners arrived at the Phuket Immigration Office in Phuket Town on Saturday (Sept 26), the last day of the visa amnesty, to file their applications to extend their stay in Thailand. Photo: Phuket Immigration In total, some 200 foreigners arrived at the Phuket Immigration Office in Phuket Town on Saturday (Sept 26), the last day of the visa amnesty, to file their applications to extend their stay in Thailand. Photo: Phuket Immigration In total, some 200 foreigners arrived at the Phuket Immigration Office in Phuket Town on Saturday (Sept 26), the last day of the visa amnesty, to file their applications to extend their stay in Thailand. Photo: Phuket Immigration In total, some 200 foreigners arrived at the Phuket Immigration Office in Phuket Town on Saturday (Sept 26), the last day of the visa amnesty, to file their applications to extend their stay in Thailand. Photo: Phuket Immigration UPDATE: The Prime Ministers Office confirmed late Monday (Sept 28) that the visa amnesty had been extended through to October 31. See story here. However, any foreigners who arrive at the office tomorrow (Sept 29) or later to file their applications will be fined B500 a day for overstay, Lt Col Worapol Panpetch, Inspector at Phuket Immigration, told The Phuket News this morning. About 200 foreigners arrived at the Phuket Immigration Office in Phuket Town to file their applications on Saturday, Lt Col Worapol said. They started to arrive before at 8:30am, and the last application was received at 4:30pm, he explained. Any foreigners who did not have all the documents required in order to file their application still had their applications accepted on Saturday, Lt Col Worapol said. We just told them to bring the missing documents to our office later, he said. While applications were received during daylight hours, officers at Phuket Immirgation worked through to 9pm to make sure they were all processed before they went home, Lt Col Worapol noted. Phuket Immigration over the past week has been overwhelmed as foreigners scrambled to file their last-minute applications. As of last Monday (Sept 21), in total 1,641 foreigners on tourist or long-stay visas still had yet to file their applications to extend their stay in Thailand. Regardless, some 40 foreigners registered as staying in Phuket still have yet to present themselves at Phuket Immigration, Lt Col Worapol explained. If they do not come here today, they will be fined, he said. Even if the foreigners present themselves tomorrow, the B500 a day fine will be applied from Saturday, Lt Col Worapol explained. So even if they come tomorrow, they will be fined B1,500, he said. I hope they do come today, he added. Any foreigners who still have yet to file their applications to extend their stay, please come today. The Nokia 7.3 missed its alleged September release date, but that rumor was right about one thing the Nokia 9.3 PureView isnt ready yet. New information has surfaced through unofficial channels, saying that HMD will finish testing and will begin mass production of the next batch of Nokia phones in September or October. This will lead up to a major launch in November the Nokia 9.3 and 7.3 will be there, whether the Nokia 6.3 will join them is uncertain. The Nokia 9.3 PureView should be a proper flagship with a Snapdragon 865 chipset, 120Hz OLED display, 108MP main and 64MP secondary sensors, with ZEISS optics all around. The phone should be capable of 8K video capture and will supposedly have bespoke ZEISS effects. Nokia 7.3 (renders by @OnLeaks) The Nokia 7.3 will be a 5G-connected mid-ranger powered by the Snapdragon 690 chipset. It will have a high refresh rate screen (90Hz or 120Hz) and a quad camera with ZEISS optics (48MP main, 12MP ultrawide and two 2MP modules). Renders published by @OnLeaks show a punch hole selfie camera (24MP), rear-mounted fingerprint reader, USB-C port and a 3.5mm headphone jack. The phone is expected to have a 4,000 mAh battery with 18W fast charging. The Nokia 6.3, if its ready in time, will be a 4G alternative to the 7.3. It will probably use a Snapdragon 670 or 675 chipset with a bit less RAM, odds are against a high refresh rate screen. The phone should keep the quad-camera with ZEISS lenses, however. Retailers are reportedly expecting HMD to launch the new Nokia models in November or December, barring any more roadblocks. Source Prince George may have to return an ancient shark tooth back to Malta. The young royal was gifted the fossil last week by Sir David Attenborough during a private outdoor screening of the naturalists latest documentary, David Attenborough: A Life on Our Planet. As the tooth was discovered by Sir Attenborough in Malta during the sixties, the country (which was formerly a British colony) is staking its claim as the rightful owner. There are some artifacts that are important to Maltese natural heritagewhich ended up abroad and deserve to be retrieved, explains Dr. Jose A. Herrera, Maltese Member of Parliament and Culture Minister, to The Times of Malta. We rightly give a lot of attention to historical and artistic artifacts. However, it is not always the case with our natural history. I am determined to direct a change in this attitude. When David met George (and William, Kate, Charlotte, Louis). Sir David Attenborough was a guest at Kensington Palace where he & Prince William watched Attenboroughs new film: A Life On Our Planet He gave a 23million year old shark tooth to Prince George (as you do) pic.twitter.com/HnBUuijQwk Chris Ship (@chrisshipitv) September 26, 2020 The shark tooth fossil once belonged to a megalodon, a shark that has been theorized to grow from anywhere between 60 and 80 feet long. Their teeth were three times the size of todays great white sharks, making the name Carcharocles megalodonor giant toothvery appropriate. Scarily enough, a 2014 study from the University of Zurich says theres a one percent chance these big boys could still be swimming around the ocean somewhere. The megalodon tooth now in Prince Georges possession is thought to be approximately 23 million years old. Insider notes how The Times of Malta cites Maltas Cultural Heritage Act of 2002, which labels fossils as cultural heritage, to make a legitimate claim for the return of the tooth. Dr. Herrera has confirmed he is working to get the ball rolling on having the fossil returned, although details of said return have yet to be released. During the coronavirus pandemic, the SATs are: A) Extra stressful B) Socially distant C) Making inequality worse D) All of the above The answer is clearly D according to our colleague Emma Goldberg, who took the SAT this weekend, and talked to students who struggled to find a test center and cope with new social restrictions, on top of the normal anxiety that comes with a test that can decide your future. Normally, youd have this foreboding sense that comes from taking a test in a room with 100 other students, said Nikola Kasarskis, 17. Now, instead, you have this foreboding sense of taking the test in a room with someone who might have a deadly virus. I dont know whats worse. In the spring, the College Board, which produces the SAT, abruptly abandoned plans for an online, at-home option. In-person testing is still disrupted: Four out of every 10 testing centers, mostly in the Northeast and California, are closed. And testing centers in major metro areas are often packed while those in suburban and rural areas generally have spots available a split that exacerbates the inequities inherent in admissions testing. Clearly, this year, students whose families can afford to send them vast distances to take the test are doing so, Emma said. Those who cant afford to do so are sometimes unable to take the test. Its another indicator of the deep inequities that are endemic to standardized testing and the admissions system. Top 10 Series: Antiphospholipid Syndrome and Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) 1. What is antiphospholipid syndrome (APS)? Antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is a systemic autoimmune condition, in which individuals make antibodies that target their own body cells. These antibodies, known as antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL), cause blood clots, miscarriages, and other complications such as low platelet counts. A diagnosis of APS requires both clinical symptoms and positive antibodies. A person may test positive for aPL without any clinical symptoms but may not develop APS. A severe manifestation of APS is called catastrophic antiphospholipid syndrome (CAPS), which can develop in less than 1% of APS patients. Catastrophic antiphospholipid syndrome occurs when multiple blood clots form rapidly over the course of days, usually associated with microcirculation involvement, and cause damage to multiple organs in the body, commonly the brain, lungs, and kidneys. 2. What is COVID-19? Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a systemic infectious disease caused by a strain of coronavirus known as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). It caused a worldwide pandemic that began with its initial outbreak in Wuhan, China in December 2019. Individuals with the disease can have no symptoms, or they may develop symptoms ranging from mild cough to severe respiratory disease that requires breathing support from a ventilator. Common symptoms include fever, cough, shortness of breath and muscle/joint pain. Other potential symptoms include diarrhea and loss of taste or smell. 3. Is there an association between COVID-19 and blood clots? Emerging evidence suggests COVID-19 is associated with blood clots. Based on reviews of the medical literature, hospitalized patients with COVID-19 have higher than expected frequency of vein clots (for example, deep vein thrombosis), and lung vessel clots (pulmonary embolism). Other clots in small blood vessels (these clots are known as "microthrombi") have also been found in COVID-19 patients. (See below for details.) 4. What are the overlapping clinical features of COVID-19 and APS? COVID-19 was initially thought to be primarily a respiratory infection. However, published studies, including autopsy reports of COVID-19 patients, suggest that the disease may cause other symptoms due to inflammation and damage of the lining of small vessels. This leads to small blood clots (microthrombi) in various organs. Similarly, in APS, blood clots are formed when the aPL bind to the vessel walls, causing inflammation and subsequent blood clots. Microthrombi affecting multiple organs can develop in APS, and are part of the CAPS spectrum as discussed above. 5. Is there an association between COVID-19 and antiphospholipid antibodies? The mechanism of blood clot formation in patients with COVID-19 remains yet to be fully elucidated. COVID-19 infection results in a systemic inflammatory response causing molecules, including cytokines, to act on certain white blood cells (monocytes/macrophages) and the lining of blood vessels (endothelial cells), leading to clot formation, loss of blood flow, and eventual organ damage. Several studies have examined aPL as contributing factors in patients who are seriously ill from COVID-19 and requiring admission to the intensive care unit. Lupus anticoagulant (LA) one of the main aPL tests is occasionally positive in these critically ill patients with COVID-19. However, these results are difficult to interpret as the LA test may be affected by inflammation due to COVID-19 or be falsely positive by routine use of blood thinners in the hospital. The other two main tests that detect aPL anticardiolipin (aCL) and anti-Beta-2-glycoprotein-I (a2GPI) antibodies are less likely to be clinically significantly positive in this group of severely ill COVID-19 patients. Thus, the positive aPL tests observed in COVID-19 patients may be falsely positive among those patients experiencing systemic inflammation or be transiently positive due to COVID-19 infection. This is the case when false positives for aPL have been observed in patients who had other infections (such as hepatitis B and C, HIV and syphilis). Studies that can demonstrate whether positive aPL tests remain persistently positive in COVID-19 patients will help us better understand what associations there may be between COVID-19 and aPL. 6. Is there increased risk of severe symptoms in COVID-19 patients with newly positive antiphospholipid antibody tests? There is mixed evidence for whether a newly positive aPL result may be associated with increased risk of clots in COVID-19 patients. In one study from Belgium of critically ill COVID-19 patients, aPL were observed but did not appear to increase the risk of clotting complications. On the other hand, another study from the US suggests that test results showing a new, positive aPL are in fact associated with increased clots. Further studies are needed to understand the role of aPL in COVID-19, and whether their emergence during a COVID-19 infection worsens a patients prognosis. 7. Is there increased risk of severe COVID-19 symptoms in patients with history of APS or positive antiphospholipid antibodies? Risk of severe COVID-19 appears to be related to age and comorbidities such as high blood pressure, obesity and diabetes (among others). Studies are still investigating whether COVID-19 risk or severity is related to rheumatic diseases. In patients with rheumatologic conditions, the use of systemic glucocorticoid medications (steroids, such as prednisone) has been associated with higher risk for hospitalization for COVID-19. For this reason, it is recommended that patients use the lowest possible dose of steroids to control rheumatic disease. To our knowledge, no studies have been published which focus on the risk of severe COVID-19 symptoms in patients with a history of APS or positive aPL tests. Compared to general population, persistently aPL-positive patients are at a higher risk for blood clots during hospitalization. Thus, in case of COVID-19-related hospitalization, it is important for persistently aPL-positive patients (independent of their history of blood clots) to discuss the blood clot prevention strategies with their physicians. 8. Should COVID-19 patients with newly positive antiphospholipid antibodies get follow-up testing for antiphospholipid antibodies? Low levels of aPL, which can occur during infections, are usually transient (temporary). Very limited published data support the transient nature of these antibodies, as some COVID-19 patients with positive aPL were tested negative at one month. To help guide medical decision making, patients should get retested for aPL after 12 weeks if the initial set of aPL tests was positive. 9. Should COVID-19 patients with positive antiphospholipid antibodies be on blood thinner treatments? As discussed above, there is mixed data on the association between new aPL positivity in COVID-19 patients and clotting risk. However, hospitalized COVID-19 patients have an increased frequency of blood clots and should be at least on preventive-dose blood thinners. The role of continued blood thinners after hospital discharge is still under investigation, though it is generally recommended in patients with high risk for clotting. The benefit of blood thinners in non-hospitalized COVID-19 patients is uncertain. 10. What precautions should APS patients take to prevent COVID-19? Patients with APS should follow all standard precautions including social distancing, wearing masks when outside of the home, frequent hand washing, and avoiding contact with sick individuals. At this time, there are no specific treatments recommended for COVID-19 precaution in patients with APS. Recommendations may be provided on a case-by-case basis by physicians. References Abdel-wahab N, Talathi S, Lopez-olivo MA, Suarez-almazor ME. Risk of developing antiphospholipid antibodies following viral infection: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Lupus. 2018;27(4):572-583. Bikdeli B, Madhavan MV, Jimenez D, et al. COVID-19 and Thrombotic or Thromboembolic Disease: Implications for Prevention, Antithrombotic Therapy, and Follow-up. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2020. Bowles L, Platton S, Yartey N, et al. Lupus Anticoagulant and Abnormal Coagulation Tests in Patients with Covid-19. N Engl J Med. 2020;383(3):288-290. Devreese KMJ, Linskens EA, Benoit D, Peperstraete H. Antiphospholipid antibodies in patients with COVID-19: A relevant observation?. J Thromb Haemost. 2020. Galeano-valle F, Oblitas CM, Ferreiro-mazon MM, et al. Antiphospholipid antibodies are not elevated in patients with severe COVID-19 pneumonia and venous thromboembolism. Thromb Res. 2020;192:113-115. Gianfrancesco M, Yazdany J, Robinson PC. Epidemiology and outcomes of novel coronavirus 2019 in patients with immune-mediated inflammatory diseases. Curr Opin Rheumatol. 2020;32(5):434-440. Gkrouzman E, Barbhaiya M, Erkan D, Lockshin MD. A Reality Check on Antiphospholipid Antibodies in COVID-19-Associated Coagulopathy. Arthritis Rheumatol. 2020 Jul 31. doi: 10.1002/art.41472. Marietta M, Coluccio V, Luppi M. COVID-19, coagulopathy and venous thromboembolism: more questions than answers. Intern Emerg Med. 2020; Merrill JT, Erkan D, Winakur J, James JA. Emerging evidence of a COVID-19 thrombotic syndrome has treatment implications [published online ahead of print, 2020 Jul 30]. Nat Rev Rheumatol. 2020;1-9. doi:10.1038/s41584-020-0474-5 Mikuls TR, Johnson SR, Fraenkel L, et al. American College of Rheumatology Guidance for the Management of Rheumatic Disease in Adult Patients During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Version 2. Arthritis Rheumatol. 2020; Mondal R, Lahiri D, Deb S, et al. COVID-19: Are we dealing with a multisystem vasculopathy in disguise of a viral infection?. J Thromb Thrombolysis. 2020. Reyes gil M, Barouqa M, Szymanski J, Gonzalez-lugo JD, Rahman S, Billett HH. Assessment of Lupus Anticoagulant Positivity in Patients With Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). JAMA Netw Open. 2020;3(8):e2017539. Schmidt-tanguy A, Voswinkel J, Henrion D, et al. Antithrombotic effects of hydroxychloroquine in primary antiphospholipid syndrome patients. J Thromb Haemost. 2013;11(10):1927-9. Spyropoulos AC, Levy JH, Ageno W, et al. Scientific and Standardization Committee communication: Clinical guidance on the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of venous thromboembolism in hospitalized patients with COVID-19. J Thromb Haemost. 2020;18(8):1859-1865. Terpos E, Ntanasis-stathopoulos I, Elalamy I, et al. Hematological findings and complications of COVID-19. Am J Hematol. 2020;95(7):834-847. Virginie Siguret, Sebastian Voicu, Marie Neuwirth, Maxime Delrue, Etienne Gayat, Alain Stepanian, and Bruno Megarbane. Are antiphospholipid antibodies associated with thrombotic complications in critically ill COVID-19 patients? Thromb Res. 2020 Nov; 195: 7476. Published online 2020 Jul 8. doi: 10.1016/j.thromres.2020.07.016. Authors GREENWICH Middle school students at Greenwich Catholic have returned to the building after two weeks in quarantine. Two classes at the private school were sent home Sept. 11, after school officials confirmed a seventh-grade student had tested positive for COVID-19. The other seventh-graders, as well as the eighth-graders and the siblings of the affected students, were forced to quarantine until Monday, school officials said. In total, about 90 Greenwich Catholic students participated in distance learning over the two-week period, school officials said. The decision to send those students home from September 14-25 was made out of an abundance of caution, and we have had no other positive cases, Noelle Debes, the schools director of advancement, said Monday. As the school year progresses, the GCS administration, in cooperation with local health authorities, will continue making decisions in the best interests of our students, teachers, staff, and the community at large. Greenwich Catholic Principal Patrice Kopas explained at the time that all of the middle school needed to quarantine because they are considered a cohort, since they travel within and share the same classrooms throughout the day. After learning of the positive coronavirus case, Kopas said the school consulted with the Greenwich Department of Health, Greenwich Public Schools and the superintendent for the Diocese of Bridgeport, which operates the preK through eighth grade school. The school building was thoroughly cleaned, too, officials said. The school, located on North Street, reopened Sept. 2 with in-person classes for all grade levels. Enrollment at the school is capped at 360. At the time of the positive case, Kopas urged parents interested in distance learning to contact school administrators. Debes could not be immediately reached on Monday for information on whether students have opted for distance learning. However, Monday morning she touted the schools remote services provided to students in quarantine in the previous two weeks. During their time at home, those students were engaged in our robust distance learning program, which allows for consistent and live instruction with their teachers, Debes said. justin.papp@scni.com; @justinjpapp1; 203-842-2586 This is the tense moment an armed robbery suspect is arrested by police during a raid on his home. Career criminal Christy Cartman, 36, was targeted by officers from Norfolk Constabulary in a raid filmed for tonight's episode of Channel 5 documentary Police: Suspect No.1. Cameras followed detectives Dan Hedges and Tim Lamb as they investigate a series of armed robberies carried out in June 2019, including one incident where a couple were threatened with a shotgun by two men who stole their car. The series reveals how officers have to build a case against their suspects in order to bring them to justice. The episode starts with a telephone recording from one of Cartman's victims reporting how her Mini had been stolen at knifepoint. Police: Suspect No.1, on at 9pm tonight on Channel 5, follows Norfolk detectives Dan Hedges and Tim Lamb as they investigate a series of armed robberies that occurred in June 2019 (pictured: police officers raiding the home of suspect Christy Cartman) Christy Cartman (pictured) was arrested on suspicion of having taken part int he two armed robberies. However, the team needs to gather indisputable evidence in order to prove he's committed the crime The police recover a shotgun at Cartman's property. They later find it is linked to another robbery, which happened two weeks prior She tells how a man 'got into the passenger street with a knife' before she was thrown out of her car. Three hours later another victim phones the police to report how she had been threatened at home by a gun-toting car thief. The woman explains how criminals had forced open the front door and fired a shotgun into the house before smashing the glass out of the door and stealing the keys for her VW Passat. 'They got a firearm, they've taken my car, they smashed the front door, there's glass everywhere,' she says, crying down the phone. 'They fired it into the house, 22 years I've live here, nothing like that's ever happened.' Alam, a criminal from London who settled in Norfolk and known to police for drug and firearm possession, is arrested just 100m away shortly afterwards and was found to be in possession of the first victim's bank card. Hedges and Lamb, along with DI Chris Burgess, work quickly to investigate Alam's possible link to the crime and try to find his partner in crime. 'You do worry that if you don't work hard and fast you won't get that evidence,' DS Hedges explains. 'You now that person is out and about and could cause untold harm to others whilst you are carrying on this investigation.' Rashal Alam and Christy Cartman were caught on CCTV close to the location of the first carjacking incident The suspect is tasered (pictured) during the arrest because he refuses to comply with the instructions of firearms officers present at the scene. In addition, at this time the team still hasn't recovered the shotgun used in the aggravated burglary Christy (pictured) refuses to cooperate during his first police interview, and only replies 'no comment to all questions' They soon suspect that the second man responsible for the crime is 'career criminal' Cartman, who is well known to the police and has a history of robbery and burglary. An off-duty police officer spotted Cartman and Alam close to the scene of the first crime. Based on this new information, the police raid Cartman's house, where he is tasered because he refuses to comply with the instructions of firearms officers present at the scene. During a search of his property officers also find a shotgun hidden behind a water tank in his attic. Police explain their job is now to search for evidence that connects their suspects to the crimes. DI Burgess says: 'We're looking for evidence that connects people to vehicles or locations, but we actually don't know what. It can be something left behind, CCTV, it could be anything. A picture taken by a farmer who saw the two suspicious men in the second stolen car shows Alam in the passenger seat. Cartman is hiding his face 'The first interviews are going to be crucial. It's going to be a very important part in where this case goes.' He explains that his officers will try to get a reaction out of Cartman by multiplying questions. He explains: 'If they see a particular area that the suspect is finding difficult and clearly uncomfortable because we're hitting a nail he didn't want us to hit, then I would expect them to keep on harrowing' During his initial interview, Cartman does not cooperate and instead replies to every question with 'no comment.' The officers explains that because they still have little forensic evidence at this point, it is in Cartman's favour to say as little as possible. Because the suspected criminal does not give himself away, it is down to the forensic evidence to prove he committed the crime. They also start to suspect Cartman might be involved in other crimes in the area, and manage to confirm his shotgun was stolen during a previous home robbery. However it is not enough to prove a link. 'You can't say he's physically handled that gun and that is our link,' DS Hedges explains. The pressure is on for the team to find more evidence against Cartman. 'For detectives, there's nothing more frustrating that when someone you know has committed a crime, walks because they don't have enough evidence,' DI Burgess says. However evidence found on a balaclava in the second car proves Cartman's undoing. After three months of investigation the team is able to say that DNA belonging to the suspected armed robber was found on the balaclava. Specs of glass belonging to the front door that was smashed during the second armed robbery was also found on the piece of clothing. DC Tim Lamb (left) and DS Dan Hedges investigate the crimes. They look at forensic evidence, CCTV footage and eye-witnesses accounts for information DI Burgess briefs the team on the case. The investigation into Cartman lasts three months, where they have to gather every bit of forensic evidence they can The detectives head to HMP Wayland, where Cartman is on remand for lesser charges. He admits to owning a balaclava, which he says he wears when he goes fishing at night. However, he can't find an explanation for the shards of glass the team found on the balaclava. The team explains the evidence against Cartman is now too strong to be denied. 'It's a great feeling knowing you got all the cards. He's not gonna come back with anything,' DI Burgess says. Alam of Norwich, was convicted of possession of a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence, aggravated burglary and taking a car without authority in March. He also admitted assaulting an emergency worker and racially aggravated threatening behaviour and was given an extended sentence of 10 years custody and five years extended licence. Cartman, of Norwich, was jailed for nine years with an extended three-year licence after he admitted possession of a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence, aggravated burglary and taking a car without consent. He also admitted the car-jacking of a Mini. Police: Suspect No.1 airs tonight at 9pm on Channel 5. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Bahrain signed Sept. 15 an agreement to normalize relations with Israel at the White House, under the auspices of US President Donald Trump, who hailed it as the dawn of a new Middle East. During the signing ceremony, UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan said that the fruits of this deal will be reflected in the entire region. One of the immediate outputs of the normalization accord is an agreement signed between the Dubai state-owned DP World and Israels DoverTower to develop Israeli ports and free zones, and to open a direct shipping line between the Red Sea port of Eilat and Dubais Jebel Ali Port. DoverTower is owned by Israeli businessman Shlomi Fogel, who is also a partner in the Eilat port. During a Sept. 16 joint press conference with Fogel, DP World Chairman and CEO Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem said that the partnership aims to build commercial lines between the two Middle East countries and other countries, to facilitate and optimize business in the region. Fogel said that this new cooperation will affect the movement of trade and the global economy, stressing that the two companies will cooperate to establish a joint venture for the port of Haifa. This step seems to represent a major challenge for Egypts Suez Canal, through which some 10% of the global trade volume passes. Egypt plans to increase this capacity to 12% by 2023. This appears to be challenging now with a new competition in the navigation passage connecting the Red Sea and the Mediterranean Sea. With regard to expected negative effects of the economic partnership between the UAE and Israel, Wael Kaddoura, a maritime transport expert and former member of the Board of Directors of the Suez Canal Authority (SCA), told Al-Monitor, Most of the exports of the Gulf countries are petroleum products. A shipping line connecting the port of Eilat in the Red Sea and the port of Ashkelon in the Mediterranean would create competition [for Egypt] in the transportation of oil from the Gulf to Europe without the need to pass through the Suez Canal, which is seen as the first challenge. Noteworthy, 17% of the canals revenues come from oil tankers. Kaddoura said that the railway linking the Eilat port on the Red Sea and the port of Ashdod on the Mediterranean is seen as an inland hub port. He explained that according to the normalization agreement, this railway would be extended to the east to the Arab Gulf states via Jordan, with the aim of transporting goods coming from Europe and the United States via Israel without the need to pass through the Suez Canal. This would be the second challenge to the canal, he added. The third challenge, according to Kaddoura, is that Israel has become a strong competitor to Egypt in the export of natural gas in the region. Before exporting gas, however, Israel resorts to Egypt for its liquefaction plants. With the normalization deal with the UAE and the ensuing agreements, liquefaction plants will be built in Israel to export gas to Europe, he noted. Kaddoura also stressed the conflict of interest between Jebel Ali Port and Egypts Ain Sokhna Port, both of which are under the management of Dubais DP World company. Yet the Egyptian Ain Sokhna Port did not achieve its desired goal to provide logistics and industrial services linked to the global maritime movement, he said. The Suez Canal, which is 193 kilometers (120 miles) long, is one of the main sources of foreign currency for Egypt. It is the shortest and fastest waterway given its geographical location for travel and goods transport between Asia and Europe. SCA spokesman George Safwat told Al-Monitor, The SCA is studying the impact of [the normalization agreement] on the navigation movement in the canal. Nothing is clear yet because the potential projects have yet to materialize on the ground. The SCA will issue a statement as soon as it has a clearer vision of the situation. He said, The SCA has solutions that make it a strong competitor, namely in terms of marketing and pricing plans. During the coronavirus crisis, the canal saw an increase in the number of ships and vessels passing through it, and an increase in the volume of goods. This was due to the marketing campaigns that are designed for each specific period of time and were presented directly to the shipping agencies, Safwat said. According to Safwat, maritime traffic in the Suez Canal increased by 4.7%, to reach 9,545 ships, in the first half of 2020, compared to 9,114 ships passing through the canal in the same period in 2019. Safwat noted that the volume of cargo increased by 0.6% in the first half of 2020, reaching a total of 587.6 million tons, compared to 584.1 million tons in the same period in 2019. International companies prefer transporting their goods through shipping agencies owning ships with less carbon dioxide emissions, which is in the interest of the Suez Canal. This includes IKEA International that prefers passing through the Suez Canal instead of the Cape of Good Hope. This has kept the canal so far at the forefront of the navigation business, and would place it in a strong competitive position, he added. Yaman al-Hamaki, professor of economics at Ain Shams University, told Al-Monitor that the economic partnership agreement between the UAE and Israel will adversely affect the navigation movement in the Suez Canal and the circulation of goods at Ain Sokhna Port. This is a plausible scenario unless Egypt tries to discuss its port position with DP World in light of a new port under its management in a different country, she said. Egypt should play the common economic interests and mutual benefits cards in approaching the UAE lest the Suez Canal and Ain Sokhna Port lose their ability to compete, especially since the UAE is among the top five importing countries of Egyptian goods, Hamaki explained. She concluded, Israel always seeks to maximize its gains at the expense of others. This is why it is imperative for Egypt to start consolidating its economic ties with the UAE and other countries. A migrant sits in his tent at One Stop Center for Migrants, near the border with Hungary in Subotica, Serbia, on Sept. 25, 2020. (Marko Djurica/Reuters) Migrants Pitch Tents in Serbia, Prepare to Cross Into EU States SUBOTICA, SerbiaDozens of migrants from the Middle East and Africa have set up tents outside Subotica, a town in northern Serbia, with a view to sneaking over the nearby border with Hungary and on to Western Europe. According to the Asylum Protection Center, there are around 1,000 migrants in the northern province of Vojvodina waiting to try to cross into neighboring countries including Romania and Hungary en route to wealthier parts of the continent. A further 1,000 or so were in Belgrade, many of them living in the open air in parks or on river banks before they also moved north towards the border. We have 150 migrants entering the country from the south every day, said Rados Djurovic, executive director of the center. Samir, from Morocco, said he had tried to cross the border with Croatia to travel on to Germany, but was stopped by police and military patrols. Now he is outside the camp in Subotica waiting to cross to Hungary. We are staying here, we have nothing, we are waiting, and I pray all the time that I will make it to (Western) Europe some time, he told Reuters. He and others had pitched tents in the grounds of a government-run refugee camp, where men sat in groups eating walnuts, talking, or looking at their smartphones. Migrants queued up for bread being distributed by volunteers, but few, if any, wore masks despite the coronavirus pandemic. Svetlana Palic, spokeswoman for the governments commissionaire for refugees, said overall migrant numbers in Serbia were some 30 percent higher than the same time last year. She did not say why, but strict policies in Hungary to control the number of migrants entering its territory as well as patrols in Croatia mean some are stuck in Serbias north. Last week the European Union launched a contentious plan to overhaul migration rules that have long divided the bloc, including an element that would de facto oblige each state to host some refugees. Eastern nations Poland and Hungary are strongly opposed to such measures. Serbia was a focal point for migrants in 2015, when more than a million people from the Middle East and Asia made it to the EUs shores. Samirs friend Adil Faris said: I know the border is closed and that it is not easy, but we will find a way. By Fedja Grulovic By Trend An action in support of Azerbaijan is being held in Georgia, Guram Markhulia, President of the "Caucasus International Center for the Study of Geohistory and Geopolitics" told Trend. According to him, representatives of the Georgian public, professors declared their support for the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan. The action is also attended by Azerbaijanis and media representatives. The action is being held following Armenia's recent military attack on Azerbaijan. "In Yerevan, the Armenians are trying in vain to make the Georgian and Azerbaijani peoples quarrel. Georgia and Azerbaijan are geopolitical allies. We are developing, Tbilisi and Baku have joint projects, and Yerevan is stewing in its own juice. It will be so until Armenia will understand that enmity with neighbors, territorial claims to neighbors are always to the detriment of the aggressor country itself," Markhulia said. Armenian armed forces launched a large-scale military attack on positions of Azerbaijani army on the front line, using large-caliber weapons, mortars and artillery on Sept. 27. Azerbaijan responded with a counter-offensive along the entire front. As a result of retaliation, Azerbajiani troops managed to liberate the territories previously occupied by Armenia: Garakhanbeyli, Garvend, Kend Horadiz, Yukhari Abdulrahmanli villages (Fuzuli district), Boyuk Marjanli, and Nuzgar villages (Jabrayil district). Moreover, the positions of the Armenian armed forces were destroyed in the direction of Azerbaijan's Agdere district and Murovdag, important heights were taken under control. The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on the withdrawal of its armed forces from Nagorno Karabakh and the surrounding districts. -- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz Chronicle A 60-foot tree limb fell on a group of picnickers in Burlingame Saturday, killing one person and seriously injuring two others, officials said. The massive branch fell in Washington Park, which is located near downtown Burlingame. Two people were hospitalized with significant injuries, Burlingame officials said in a Facebook post. Premier Daniel Andrews has insisted he is confident that senior bureaucrats briefed government ministers on the response to the coronavirus crisis but refused to reveal what assurances he had sought in light of the damning hotel quarantine inquiry. Mr Andrews defended three department secretaries who the inquiry heard may not have adequately raised serious issues over the hotel quarantine program with their ministers. The Premier said he was satisfied Department of Premier and Cabinet secretary Chris Eccles, Health Department chief Kym Peake and Jobs Department secretary Simon Phemister should remain in their roles until the inquiry hands down its findings in November. "I won't spend 1 hours here every day detailing for you every conversation I have [and] I have sought assurances," Mr Andrews said. Gunmen suspected to be herdsmen have kidnapped Rev. Fr. Jude Onyebadi from his farm on the Isele-Uku/Issele-Mkpetime Road in the Aniocha North Local Government Area of Delta State. The victim, a Catholic priest, was kidnapped on his farm about two years ago and released a few days after. Fr. Onyebadi, who is the resident priest at the Saints Peter & Paul Catholic Church, Issele-Azagba, a neighbouring village, was said to have been taken into the bush alongside three of his workers. Punch Metro gathered that the four victims were kidnapped around 7pm on Saturday but the three workers were set free after five hours, while the priest was being held incommunicado. Community sources told Punch correspondent that a search party organised by the family members, in conjunction with local vigilante groups, had not achieved the desired result. He said, The local government vigilante groups are still combing the bush as of Sunday afternoon to rescue the priest. Since Saturday night, the abductors have not established any contact with the family or the Catholic Diocese of Issele-Uku to state their demands. The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, DSP Onome Onovwakpoyeya, confirmed the abduction of the priest on Sunday. The command has already activated its rescue operation with the intention of freeing the cleric unhurt and possibly apprehending the culprits, Onovwakpoyeya said. Follow Us on Facebook @LadunLiadi; Instagram @LadunLiadi; Twitter @LadunLiadi; Youtube @LadunLiadiTV for updates U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to reporters during a news conference inside the James S. Brady Briefing Room at the White House September 27, 2020 in Washington, U.S. Ken Cedeno | Reuters Apparently, losing millions of dollars can work in your favor if you're President Donald Trump and can hire a team of professionals to help you strategize. The president's various businesses lost hundreds of millions of dollars over the last 20 years, allowing him to sharply lower his federal tax obligation, according to The New York Times. The billionaire president paid just $750 in federal income taxes in 2016, the year he won the presidency, and $750 in 2017, the Times found, in examining the president's tax documents. CNBC has not seen the tax returns and cannot verify the validity of newspaper's conclusions. The president tweeted in response on Monday that he "paid many millions of dollars in taxes but was entitled, like everyone else, to depreciation & tax credits." Trump's attorney, Jay Sekulow, did not immediately respond to an email request for comment. Though a federal income tax return doesn't necessarily tell the full story of a person's financial condition financial statements and other documents would back that up the report sparked a wave of outrage on social media on Monday. Accountants said what we might be seeing is some very aggressive tax planning at work. "Ultimately it's possible we find more information and it might be he's doing more than dubious things, but it's possible that this is the end result of some good attorneys, smart CPAs and a messy tax code," said Jeffrey Levine, CPA and director of advanced planning at Buckingham Wealth Partners in Long Island, N.Y. Here are two strategies that may have helped Trump reduce his tax bill. Net operating losses Losing money pays in some circumstances. In Trump's case, he racked up close to $1 billion in losses back in the early 1990s and used that to save on taxes until 2005, The Times found. He also declared $1.4 billion in losses from his core businesses for 2008 and 2009. These are known in accounting parlance as a net operating loss or NOL. This strategy allows business owners who are facing losses in a given year use the red ink to help offset income and lower taxes -- in future years. "Let's say you had $50 of losses in July and $100 of income in January of the following year," said Erica York, an economist with the Center for Federal Tax Policy at the Tax Foundation. "You wouldn't be taxed in the first year due to those losses, but you'd be taxed on the $100 the next year," she said. "The NOL allows the business to carry forward the $50 loss," she said. The point of the NOL is to help smooth a business's taxable income over time. "The NOL is a business loss that gets passed through to the owner of the business," Levine said. "You're a sole proprietor or an owner in a partnership and you're passing through a loss? That's an ordinary income loss." More from Personal Finance: What Trump's payroll tax plan may mean for Social Security's future What a Biden win could mean for your Social Security benefits Claiming Social Security retirement benefits? Don't let these myths trip you up The law surrounding NOLs has undergone some changes recently. Taxpayers were once limited to a 20-year carry forward period, and they could apply the loss up to two years preceding the year in which their business had lost money. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which took effect in 2018, overhauled these rules. Business owners can now carry the loss forward indefinitely, but they are limited to 80% of taxable income. The law also barred companies from carrying losses backward into prior years. However, the CARES Act, passed earlier this year, gave business owners a reprieve: Taxpayers can carry back losses from 2018, 2019 and 2020 for five years. The coronavirus relief act also suspends the 80% rule on taxable income limit on loss carry forwards for three years. When it comes to losses from real estate, how much income you can offset depends on your level of involvement with the business. You have to actively participate in real estate to maximize those losses. The tax code has a test with two conditions: First, more than half of the professional service that you perform in a trade or business are in real estate in which you materially participate. Second, you must perform more than 750 hours of service during the year. "There is a whole set of laws designed to prevent people from using losses to offset other sources of income unless you make your living in the real estate world," said Tony Nitti, CPA and partner in RubinBrown's tax services group in Denver. Depreciation discounts TRENTON Four city cops admitted using force on an unarmed Pennsylvania man who died in custody this year, records show. Stephen Dolceamore, 29, was killed during an encounter with Trenton Police on April 3 outside St. Francis Medical Center. I cant breathe, Dolceamore said on body camera footage released by the AGs office this month while officers struggled to gain control of him. Officers remained on top of Dolceamore for at least three minutes after getting him handcuffed, the videos showed. After rolling him onto his back, officers hit Doleamore with Narcan as he appeared to be turning purple, body camera footage showed. He was later pronounced dead. The AGs office shared autopsy findings with Dolceamores family but have not responded to a public records request for the report. The mans cousin, Gina Rambo, told The Trentonian that she saw parallels between Dolceamores death and what happened to George Floyd in Minneapolis, which led to widespread protests and rioting. Dolceamores death in the capital city did not generate the same level of outrage. I cried in hysterics, watching my cousin. My husband had to calm me down. And when George Floyd died, I cried, too, Rambo said. If I was there, I would have probably jumped in the face of the police and told them to get off, to let [my cousin] breathe. I would have done more than they did for George Floyd. I would have physically, actually stepped in. The end result occurred because of the polices actions. The AGs Office said a grand jury will decide whether to indict the officers on criminal charges over the deadly encounter. It didnt identify the cops involved or say when the case would go before grand jurors. According to use-of-force reports obtained by The Trentonian, the four officers who used force on Dolceamore are Sgt. Anthony Manzo, Robert Furman III, Joseph McCarthy and Vishan Singh. The Trentonian previously identified Manzo as one of the officers involved in the struggle based on body-camera footage but had to wait for police records to determine the other officers depicted grappling with Dolceamore. Trenton did not give up the police records without a fight, as The Trentonian, which was represented by attorney C.J. Griffin, sued to compel their release. The AGs office said it waited until its investigation into Dolceamores death was substantially complete before releasing footage earlier this month from three officers body-worn cameras of the struggle. Manzo, the most senior cop with 33 years on the force, either wasnt equipped with a body camera or didnt activate it during the struggle. Officials said only that they did not have BWC for Manzo. The three other officers who used force on Dolceamore had a combined nine years of experience with TPD, records show. Manzo has been off since undergoing knee surgery and hasnt responded to phone calls or text messages seeking comment. Emergency audio obtained by the newspaper showed officers were dispatched to the 300 block of Chambers Street after a man called 911 to report that a shirtless white man with tattoos later identified as Dolceamore was in the middle of the street trying to halt traffic. Hes crazy. Something is very wrong, the man told the dispatcher. Dolceamore was in distress when officers arrived. Bystander videos showed him running through the hospital parking lot as an officer cornered him near a fence. The officer ordered Dolceamore to the ground. Dolceamore showed his hands, as if he was going to give himself up, then shouted for help and ran around the officer, who gave chase. The video cut to Dolceamore on all fours, with a cop grabbing the back of his neck and pushing down his head. In his report, three-year officer Furman wrote that he used a compliance hold to subdue Dolceamore, who was resisting and posed a physical threat to cops. Manzo said in his force report that he employed a compliance hold and maced Dolceamore, which was captured by the bystander videos. Come on, dude. It aint that hard, Manzo told the man at one point while he was on the ground. Later, Manzo asked Dolceamore, What did you take? suggesting the cop thought Dolcemore was hopped up on drugs. McCarthy admitted using the most force on the Pennsylvania man, according to his report, deploying a compliance hold, macing and striking Dolceamore with hands and fists. Singh also put Dolceamore in a compliance hold and hit him with hands and fists, according to his UFR. US Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden has expressed concern over the flare-up of tensions in Nagorno-Karabakh [(Artsakh)], Business Standard reported. "I am deeply concerned by the outbreak of hostilities in Nagorno-Karabakh and call for urgent de-escalation, restoring the ceasefire, and a resumption of negotiations between Armenia and Azerbaijan," Biden said in a Sunday statement. He warned that the escalation of hostilities could lead to a larger regional conflict and called for third parties not to get involved while the Minsk Group tries to get the conflicting sides to the negotiating table. "The Trump administration also needs to step up its diplomatic efforts, together with fellow OSCE [Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe] Minsk Group co-chairs France and Russia, to seek a peaceful resolution and to support confidence-building measures, Biden said. U niversity students are facing the prospect of potentially having to remain confined to their halls of residence at Christmas in a bid to stem the spread of coronavirus. The government is under pressure to ensure young people are able to return home over the festive period, but fears of Covid-19 outbreaks on campuses have meant ministers have refused to offer such a guarantee. Thousands of students are currently self-isolating in their rooms following a surge in cases at institutions including Glasgow, Manchester Metropolitan and Edinburgh Napier. Labour has asked Education Secretary Gavin Williamson to ensure that every student has access to testing to allow a safe journey home for Christmas. But on Tuesday, the Education Secretary said students may be required to self-isolate at the end of the current university term in order to safely return home to be with their families over the festive period. So, here's what you need to know: Thousands of students are currently self-isolating in their rooms following a surge in cases at institutions including Glasgow, Manchester Metropolitan and Edinburgh Napier / Alamy Live News Will students be able to return home for Christmas? As it stands, it is isn't clear if students will be able to return to their homes during the festive period. On Tuesday, Mr Williamson said students may be required to self-isolate at the end of the current university term in order to safely return home to be with their families at Christmas. The Education Secretary told MPs it was essential that measures were put in place to ensure students could be with their loved ones during the festive period while minimising the risk of transmission of Covid-19. Speaking in the House of Commons, he said: Where there are specific circumstances that warrant it, there may be a requirement for some students to self-isolate at the end of term and we will be working with the sector to ensure this will be possible, including ending in-person learning if that is deemed to be necessary. Mr Williamson said guidance on the issue would shortly be published by his department. His comments came after care minister Helen Whately said on Monday she absolutely hopes that students will be able to see their families over the Christimas holidays, but implied there was a chance they may have to stay at university instead if the spread of coronavirus is not brought under control. Asked if students will be able to go home for Christmas, Ms Whately told Sky News: I absolutely hope so. I know that as a student at the moment particularly if you are in a university where there is an outbreak and youre being told to self-isolate that is not the student experience you were looking forward to. Pressed on whether they will have to stay in halls over Christmas, she added: Youve heard the secretary of state, he wont rule anything out. But what we want is to see people being able to spend time with their families. She continued: Matt Hancock said you cant rule that out. But we absolutely dont want to. Christmas is months ahead so lets do the right thing over the weeks and months ahead. Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden had earlier said it would only be possible for young people to visit their family at the end of term if the country follows existing guidance. Mr Dowden told Sky Newss Sophy Ridge On Sunday he "very much" wanted students to "be able to go home at Christmas". "If we all pull together and observe these new rules, we follow the guidance, then we will be able to get to a point where that should be possible," he said. NUS boss Larissa Kennedy says students are 'trapped' in 'disgusting conditions' at universities Conservative Party co-chairman Amanda Milling later said there were no plans to keep students in university over Christmas, and accused Labour of deliberately creating unnecessary stress for young people to score political points. Shadow public health minister Alex Norris hit back, saying the Government was yet again sowing the seeds of chaos and incompetence denying plans to keep students at university over Christmas at the same time the Culture Secretary was refusing to rule it out. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has previously said universities have been given a "clear request" not to send students home in the event of a Covid-19 outbreak on campuses "so as to avoid spreading the virus across the country". What are the current rules for students? Students on campuses across the country have been warned not to attend large freshers week parties due to the ban on social gatherings of more than six people in England. In many institutions, seminars and tutorials are due to be taught in-person with a range of social distancing measures while freshers week activities and large lectures are mainly virtual. But Mr Johnson is now being urged to ensure online tuition at universities becomes the norm amid concern over the impact of Covid-19 lockdowns on students. In a letter to the PM, the University and College Union (UCU) accused some institutions of adopting a stubborn position over requiring in-person teaching because they depended on rent from student accommodation. Manchester students unable to leave halls In her letter to Mr Johnson, Jo Grady, UCU general secretary, said the union which represents academics and university staff was not prepared to take chances with the health of students, our members and the communities they serve. It is clear that remote learning should be the default for campus life while we are in this precarious position with the virus, she said. However, what we are seeing on the ground is university employers hiding behind the Governments current sectoral guidance, with all the ambiguities associated with the term blended learning. She added: Whilst other sectors are being encouraged by the Government to work from home to help control the spread of the virus, universities are requiring staff to travel across their local regions to work on-site and in-person with any number of students. Considering the known risks associated with in-person teaching and students living in close quarters, why did the Government not insist on minimising in-person teaching and students travelling to universities? We have concerns that universities are taking this stubborn position because they depend on rents from student accommodation and because your own Government refuses to step in and underwrite universities lost income for the duration of the pandemic to ensure they are not negatively impacted and jobs are not lost. Ms Grady also said students should be allowed to leave their accommodation and return home without fear of financial penalty. We cannot have students forced to quarantine in halls of residence with no familiar support network, or staff forced to carry out work on site that could be conducted more safely from home, she said. On Tuesday, Mr Williamson said universities have been asked to provide additional help and practical support to students, with universities ensuring those isolating are properly cared for and can access food, medical and cleaning supplies if needed. He said universities were well prepared to handle any Covid-19 outbreaks should they arise, adding: Where students choose to stay in their university accommodation over Christmas, universities should continue making sure theyre safe and well looked after. Mr Williamson said students were expected to follow the same coronavirus guidance as local communities and that he did not believe there should be moves to inflict stricter measures on students or expect higher standards of behaviour from them than we would from any other sector of society. The Education Secretary also said a shift to online learning could be applied in specific cases to enable students return home at the end of term. But we envisage that to be a very small number of universities, he said. But shadow education secretary Kate Green warned that if Mr Williamson did not get a grip on the crisis the current situation faced by students self-isolating could repeat itself across the country. Students will be unable to continue their studies, families will be concerned for their wellbeings and universities will face serious financial difficulties, she said. Former Taoiseach Enda Kenny has encouraged anybody struggling with a bereavement to contact the Irish Hospice helpline for help. Kenny is an ambassador for the helpline which aims to release the well of grief thats in there. Speaking on RTE Radio 1, Kenny said: There is someone crying in bed now and someone crying at a table as were speaking because they have lost someone. Were encouraging people to ring the Irish Hospice helpline if they are feeling this way. Its a conversation, its talking and listening. Its pressing that button to release the well of grief thats in there. He continued: For some people it is very difficult to deal with that. Some people in the Ireland of long ago and in the Ireland of today carry that in silence and in isolation. They disregard themselves and they dont sleep properly or eat properly or look after themselves in the way they should. This line is to help them to move in a different direction and to give support and advice. He also acknowledged that the Covid-19 pandemic is a silent, deadly, serial killer, made worse by the fact that people cant bereave in the way that they usually would. Mr Kenny was keen to stress that the helpline was for everybody and for grief of all kinds, not just Covid-19 deaths. This is for adults, and it doesnt have to be a Covid death. Its for everybody. If you know of someone that has lost a loved one, spouse, friend and may be in need of help, we would encourage them to coax and encourage them to open that well for someone, who for whatever reason just cant deal with it. My wife Fionnuala said this morning that women talk more openly about these problems than men do and suffering in silence brings on depression and as Niamh Fitzpatrick said in her book; it is a second tragedy on top of the first one. All of this is encapsulated in the human tear. That comes from emotion and loss, and love and grief. It is a good thing to cry and not a sign of weakness to make a call for help. This helpline is there to help. Its a wonderful thing to rid a person of grief, he said. If you need support, call the freephone number 1800 80 70 77 to speak to a trained member of the Irish Hospice Foundation or the HSE. As she gets ready for another night serving carefully-crafted cocktails infused with herbs, citrus and spices, Marlene Thorne wonders how much longer her bar will be allowed to stay open. A return to Stage 2 of Ontarios COVID-19 restrictions meaning no indoor dining and drinking is all but inevitable, Thorne believes, given the record-setting number of new cases across the province, and the handful of bars and restaurants that arent following the rules. I think its only a matter of time, said Thorne, who runs The Junctions literary-themed Famous Last Words bar. Monday morning, the Ontario Hospital Association urged the province to return to Stage 2 in the Greater Toronto Area, and Ottawa, as the number of new COVID cases in the province hit 700, the highest ever. By afternoon, the City of Toronto trimmed the number of people allowed to sit at a bar or restaurant table from 10 to six. While Thornes only been serving customers on her small, temporary patio, shed been considering opening up indoors as the weather cools down. Shes frustrated she might not even get that chance. Most of her ire is reserved for places such as the King Street bars and restaurants shut down by the City of Toronto last week for breaking COVID-related restrictions. So many of us have been going above and beyond to be responsible and to keep people safe. Its frustrating and scary to see places just packing people in, without masks. Im glad theyre cracking down, said Thorne. Irresponsible and dangerous places are ruining it for everyone else. If the numbers keep going up like that, I dont think the province is going to have any choice but to put things back to Stage 2. Greg Hoy, who left his bartending job at a downtown nightspot recently because he was concerned about overcrowding, is also angered by the rule breakers. Some bar owners and staff are enriching themselves at the expense of other peoples livelihoods and safety, said Hoy. Its a few bad apples ruining it for everybody else. I understand people wanting to earn more money, but a couple hundred dollars in tips for yourself and youre ruining it for the rest of the industry? Come on, said Hoy, who worked at a downtown bar that wasnt shut down by the city. Still, he was concerned about what he saw. They didnt have enough staff to deal with the amount of people they had coming in. I left because it felt unsafe, said Hoy. Like many hospitality-industry workers, Hoy is also concerned about a new wave of restrictions just as some government-support programs, including the Canada Emergency Response Benefit, wind down. People think its going to be worse than last time, because CERBs running out, said Hoy. At a Monday press conference, Ontarios chief medical officer of health, Dr. David William said cracking down on restaurants and bars is justified by the evidence. Weve been seeing three, four, five outbreaks a day from those types of places, said Williams, flanked by Ontario Premier Doug Ford and Health Minister Christine Elliott. Elliott said the government is trying to do everything it can to avoid another shutdown but warned that containing the pandemic is what matters most. We dont want to move back a stage unless we absolutely have to. But if we have to, we will, said Elliott. For Thorne, a shutdown or even a return to Stage 2 would mean the end of many independent bars and restaurants like hers. And that, she said, would be a loss not just for her, but for the cultural life of the city. Frankly, Im not sure how places are going to survive. The kinds of places that give this neighbourhood and this city their character, theyre disappearing, said Thorne. Friendly interactions with Chinese people reduced COVID-19 prejudice People with a history of positive social interactions with Chinese people were less likely to support discriminatory anti-Chinese policies as Covid-19 reached the UK - according to new research from the University of East Anglia. Researchers studied how UK residents felt towards the Chinese community as Covid-19 reached our shores, and how these feelings might relate to British support for anti-Chinese policies. They found that people who had positive experiences of contact with the Chinese community, such as having Chinese friends or colleagues, were least likely to support discriminatory policies. But those who had the less experience of positive contact, or more negative contact experiences were more likely to be fearful towards the Chinese community. Dr Charles Seger from UEA's School of Psychology said: "When we started this research project, there were 50,000 confirmed cases of Covid-19 in China. The virus had begun to spread worldwide with 1,200 cases across 26 countries including nine in the UK. "The British Foreign and Commonwealth Office had advised against all but essential travel to mainland China but most British lives at that point were uninterrupted. Nevertheless, opinion polls suggested that one in three Brits already saw the virus as a personal threat and the British press were reporting a rise in hate crimes towards Chinese people. "We know that interactions between people from different ethnic, cultural and social backgrounds is key to reducing prejudice and discrimination, and that positive interactions are effective in reducing prejudice towards a broad range of stigmatized outgroups. "We wanted to find out whether past experiences of social contact with Chinese people might predict how fearful or angry British people felt towards Chinese people and how these feelings might relate to British support for anti-Chinese policies, like forcing all Chinese restaurants to close." The research team carried out a survey of 340 non-Asian UK residents aged between 18 and 75 in February 2020. The participants were asked questions about their attitudes towards Chinese people as well as a range of other social groups such as Americans, Polish and Spanish - in order to measure prejudice. They were also asked about what emotions they felt towards Chinese people - such as anger or fear - as well as how often they had had positive and negative interactions with Chinese people. Finally, the participants were asked about whether they supported nine policy measures the UK government could take to stop the spread of coronavirus. Five of these measures targeted restricting the activities of Chinese people in the UK such as enforcing a quarantine of all Chinese nationals in the UK and closing all Chinese restaurants. Lead researcher Lisa Alston, also from UEA's School of Psychology, said: "We found that past positive social interactions played a protective role, predicting less support for discriminatory policies. This effect of contact was explained by lower fear towards Chinese people. "On the other hand, people with less experience of positive interactions with Chinese people, or previous bad social experiences, were more supportive of anti-Chinese policies. "These findings highlight the important role, even in a pandemic, that social contact and our emotions play in our attitudes towards people from different cultures," she added. ### 'Can past intergroup contact shape support for policies in a pandemic? Processes predicting endorsement of discriminatory Chinese restrictions during the COVID-19 crisis' is published in the journal Group Processes & Intergroup Relations on September 28, 2020. This story has been published on: 2020-09-28. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. SPRINGFIELD Bishop Thomas John Paprocki on Monday arguing against government-imposed shutdowns, saying the extraordinary measures to mitigate COVID-19 should be avoided in the future. Illinois is still in Phase 4 of Gov. J.B. Pritzkers COVID-19 mitigation plan he unilarieraly implemented in May. That was after more than six weeks of a stay-at-home order that allowed only businesses the governor deemed essential to be open to the public, like grocery stores, hardware stores and even cannabis dispensaries. In that time, more than 1.4 million people filed for unemployment in Illinois with tens of thousands filing for first time benefits each week. Paprocki made arguments against locking things down because of a virus in the bioethics journal Ethics & Medicine this month. On Monday, he told a Springfield radio station his thinking is derived from Pope Pius XII differentiating between ordinary and extraordinary measures in end-of-life care. Yes we should do the ordinary things for protecting life, but we dont have to do the extraordinary things that are being mandated, he said. What we did in the last six months was really extraordinary, in shutting everything down, putting people out of work, telling them to stay home, dont go to school, dont go to church. He equated the extraordinary steps Pritzker took earlier this year that closed businesses, schools and churches to taking everyone off the road to save from vehicular deaths. We should shut our highways, but we dont do that, Paprocki said. But we dont do that because its extraordinary, we have to go to work, we have to go to school so we drive our cars but we take ordinary precautions, we use seatbelts, we have airbags, we follow the rules of the road. During Pritzkers stay-at-home orders, parishioners spiritual health was harmed as were young students development, Paprocki told WMAY. Not only that, he said lockdowns could be unconstitutional. No governor can say, Im suspending that right until this virus goes away, so I think there are real concerns here, avoiding any hyperbole or anything like that, of criticism, Paprocki said. But I think theres some real legal and constitutional concerns of what Gov. Pritzker is doing. The bishop wants people to take away the message that its acceptable to follow guidelines to keep people healthy, but citizens should question government mandates that limit peoples civil liberties, such as attending church. Messages seeking reaction from the governors office were not returned. SHOPIAN: An employee of the Block Development Council (BDC) was critically injured after he was attacked by terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir's Shopian district. According to reports, the youth, identified as Sabzar Ahmed Naikoo, was fired at by terrorists at Nildoora village in Shopian district. Live TV He has been rushed to the hospital for treatment. Further details are awaiting. Srinagar, Sep 28 : The Jammu and Kashmir RTI Movement on Monday demanded that State Information Commission (SIC) be constituted as RTI appellants were facing immense difficulties in filing 2nd appeals under RTI Act 2005 before the Central Information Commission (CIC) New Delhi. Activists of the RTI Movement assembled in Srinagar's City centre on Monday on the occasion of International Information Access Day. Chairman RTI Movement, Raja Muzaffar Bhat told mediapersons that after applicability of the Central RTI Act 2005 in J&K, people are feeling disempowered as there is no appeal mechanism available and people have to file appeals in New Delhi which is a hectic and cumbersome task especially for illiterate people and disadvantaged communities. "After extending the RTI Act 2005 to J&K, we got deprived of the State Information Commission (SIC) like many other commissions, as Union Territories (UTs) are not entitled to have a separate Information Commission. "Second appeals under RTI Act 2005 are now filed before th Central Information Commission (CIC) New Delhi. All the pending appeals in J&K State Information Commission (JKSIC) have been transferred to CIC New Delhi, but in the last 1 year not even a single appeal filed by members of RTI Movement members has been listed for hearing, this was not the case in past. "Aggrieved would get justice from JKSIC within a few months only as the state commission was supposed to dispose of RTI appeals within 60 to 120 days only". Muzaffar said that the 2015 Modi Government launched Digital India campaign with an aim to ensure the Government's services are made available to citizens electronically by improving online infrastructure. "During the last 6 months people have had less access to Govt offices in view of the Covid-19 pandemic. "This was the best time to receive RTI applications through electronic mode and provide reply through email, but the J&K Government has miserably failed to create an effective digital interface vis a vis Right to Information Act (RTI)", he added. The special investigation team (SIT) probing the 2015 police firing incidents has named former director general of police (DGP) Sumedh Singh Saini and suspended inspector general of police (IGP) Paramraj Singh Umranangal as accused in the first information report (FIR) in the Behbal Kalan case registered at Bajakhana police station. A senior member of the SIT said, During investigation, it was found that Saini and Umranangal were involved in the Behbal Kalan firing conspiracy, so they have been nominated as accused in the FIR. Though they have been accused of criminal conspiracy, they wont be arrested immediately as the Punjab and Haryana high court has asked the SIT to give them a seven-day notice before initiating action against them in the police firing cases. The SIT is likely to issue notices to Saini and Umaranangal soon. The development comes weeks after a policeman, the prime accused in the firing incident, turned approver. On September 15, a Faridkot court allowed the SITs application seeking pardon to inspector Pardeep Singh, the then reader to former Moga senior superintendent of police (SSP) Charanjit Singh Sharma. On September 10, SIT member IGP Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh had told the Faridkot court that then DGP Saini and suspended IGP Umranangal were the main conspirators in the Behbal Kalan firing incident. However, hearing the plea of another accused, a former Kotkapura station house officer Gurdeep Singh Pandher, the high court last week directed the SIT not to submit any supplementary chargesheet in the Behbal Kalan firing case till the next hearing on October 3. Pandher has alleged in the petition that Kunwar Vijay Pratap is biased against him and he has been threatened on his instance. The high court sought a reply from the state government that if it would be willing to substitute IG Kunwar Vijay Pratap with another officer to be part of the SIT constituted to investigate the Behbal Kalan incident. Gurjeet Singh of Sarawan village and Krishan Bhagwan Singh of Niamiwala village had died in the police firing on October 14, 2015, while protesting against the desecration of Guru Granth Sahib. Besides, many people were seriously injured in the incident. Umranangal, who was the then Ludhiana police commissioner, is also an accused in the Kotkapura police firing incident of October 14, 2015. Taylor Baldwin Kiland and Peter Fretwell are the coauthors of "Lessons from the Hanoi Hilton: Six Characteristics of High-Performance Teams" (Naval Institute Press, 2017). "I was on track to get into the astronaut program," recalls Everett Alvarez Jr. about his early career as a Navy fighter pilot in the 1960s. At that time, Hispanic fighter pilots were rare in the U.S. military; being an astronaut would have been unprecedented. Then, fate dealt Alvarez a wild card. Sent on an early combat mission over North Vietnam, he was shot down on Aug. 5, 1964, and became the first American prisoner of war held in the infamous "Hanoi Hilton." He spent the next eight-and-a-half years there. For six months, he was alone in the old French prison in North Vietnam's capital city. Confined to his cell, Alvarez learned to "Embrace the suck." This military term hadn't yet been coined, but Alvarez and the growing group of POWs practiced its essence: "This is really bad, so let's make the best of it we can." In other words, lean into the pain. As Dr. Nate Zinsser, director of the U.S. Military Academy's Performance Psychology Program, characterizes it, "It's the idea of being emotionally comfortable while being physically uncomfortable." We cannot control everything that happens to us. But we can control how we react to it. We can choose to reframe it and actually learn something from the pain. Alvarez tapped into his life experiences to endure. Raised in a household with an alcoholic and abusive father, he found, "I had learned to live with myself. When you grow up in a turbulent household, you have to learn to shut things out." His maternal grandmother and both of his parents had modeled strength and tenacity in overcoming severe poverty, and Alvarez drew on those memories: "Family stories of the adversities they faced had shaped my character and gave me backbone." Embracing the suck also meant unlearning the mantra of "men don't cry." Combating boredom, frustration and uncertainty, Alvarez discovered that tearfully acknowledging his feelings allowed him to then focus his energy on what he could control. "You compartmentalize. You draw a mental frame around the things you cannot control. Those things you push outside yourself," he said. Focusing on what you can control includes actively looking for ways to put the unexpected problem to work for you. "What do you want to gain from this experience?" is a good question to ask yourself, says neuropsychologist Dr. Jeffrey Moore, the former executive director of the Robert E. Mitchell Center for POW Studies at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida. Moore asserts the Vietnam War POWs are "poster children" for finding purpose in prolonged adversity. Moore spent decades studying the Hanoi Hilton POWs, and their ability to compartmentalize the challenges of their daily existence was key to their resilience. "They became experts at not letting the experience frame them," he said. Instead, they created productive goals for their experience. They found ways not just to survive, but to thrive. One of them designed a house in his head, which he in fact built when he returned home. Several learned new languages, taught to them by their fellow POWs. One ran around his cell in circles for hours at a time, not out of frustration, but to return to health and fitness after ejection injuries. Moore says that, in a crisis, there is value in pausing to ask, "What meaning can I find in this?" Zinsser echoes that approach, teaching West Point cadets to ask, "How can this make me stronger?" Research at the Mitchell Center also found optimism was a key to POW resilience. Optimists tend to display several mental responses when they encounter difficulty: "This is not personal against me, this is not forever, and this will not destroy my future." Pessimists tend to think the opposite: "This may be my fault, this may never end, and this may destroy my life." Still, Alvarez found that letting go of some dreams was part of embracing the suck. "Optimism is important, but you have to balance it with reality. I realized after a while that, whenever I got out of there, I was no longer on track for the astronaut program." So he turned to the question of "What else am I going to do with my career, my life?" He began to think about what he was going to learn from his years as a POW. He also began to focus on giving -- teaching younger aviators that they, too, could endure adversity for years, if necessary. Zinsser recalled a passage from Victor Frankl's "Man's Search for Meaning": "We who lived in concentration camps can remember the men who walked through the huts comforting others, giving away their last piece of bread." We can develop our own resilience when we reach out to others in need, especially our neighbors who have been sick, have lost a job or lost a family member. Frankl identified this as "sufficient proof that everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms -- to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way." When Alvarez returned home in 1973, he had spent a quarter of his life in prison. And although his wife had divorced him while he was held captive, he found love again, remarried and raised two sons -- a lawyer and a doctor. The grandson of poor Mexican immigrants, Alvarez went on to achieve the American dream. He remained in public service for every president from Reagan to Obama and became a serial entrepreneur, building several multimillion-dollar businesses. What is unusual about Everett Alvarez's story is that his experience is not unique among his colleagues in captivity. Most of the POWs returned home physically and mentally intact, despite being the longest-held group of POWs in our nation's history. Most of them later pursued highly successful careers in leadership positions and public office, and few of them have exhibited long-term post-traumatic stress disorder. Indeed, their lifetime average of PTSD is 4%. One final self-reminder helps in learning to embrace the suck. The next generation of Americans will learn from us, one way or another, in watching how we handle the cards that life deals us. Alvarez recalls a moment in a grocery store a few years after he returned home from the Hanoi Hilton. His young son Bryan was about four years old, sitting in front of him in the shopping cart. "He waited until I was in the middle of the checkout line, and then he loudly asked, 'Daddy, when you were in prison, what did you eat?' People started looking around at us. The more I tried to quiet him, the louder he got. 'Daddy, remember when you were in prison? What did you eat? Bugs, right?'" Of course, Alvarez's important memories are not about what he ate. He took a life-disrupting experience and made the most of it. Instead of investing energy in his own bad feelings, he embraced the suck and turned his eight-and-a-half years as a POW into an opportunity to create a better, stronger version of himself. -- The opinions expressed in this op-ed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Military.com. If you would like to submit your own commentary, please send your article to opinions@military.com for consideration. The Unlock 5.0 guidelines also assume significance because they are expected to be applicable throughout October when the festival season begins The Union home ministry's Unlock 5.0 guidelines are expected soon, with the Unlock 4.0 phase ending on 30 September. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had recently advised states to focus on micro-containment zones to control COVID-19 and allow economic activities in other areas. Therefore, there is a possibility that the upcoming guidelines will further reduce restrictions on various activities. The Unlock 5.0 guidelines also assume significance as they are expected to be applicable throughout October when the festival season begins. The festivals of Navratri, Durga Puja and Dussehra are in October, and businesses are expected to pick up during this time. Following are the sectors on which guidelines are expected during the Unlock 5.0 phase: Tourism In the past two months, some tourist sites have been allowed to open, with some restrictions. For instance, in July, the Taj Mahal was allowed to open, with restrictions such as social distancing and a limit of 5,000 visitors at a time. Recently, the Uttarakhand government allowed tourists to enter the state without having to go into institutional quarantine, as noted in a Hindustan Times report. The Sikkim government has also allowed hotels and homestays to restart operations from 10 October. With tourism being among the worst-hit sectors of the economy, there is a possibility that some relaxations could be granted for this sector. Cinema halls As of now, the home ministry has only allowed open-air theatres to resume operations. However, on Saturday, the West Bengal government said that it will allow cinema halls to reopen and also allow music and dance performances from 1 October. However, it remains to be seen what the guidelines of the Centre are on allowing cinema halls to reopen. Academic activities As part of the Unlock 4.0 guidelines, schools were allowed to partially reopen for students from Classes 9 to 12 from 21 September. However, the schools were allowed to remain open for students only on a voluntary basis to enable them to take guidance form their teachers. The health ministry, in its SOPs for schools, has stated that a seating arrangement has to be made to ensure a distance of 6 feet between chairs, desks etc and the teaching faculty have to ensure that they themselves and students wear masks throughout the conduct of the teaching/guidance activities. Therefore, there is a possibility that further relaxations may be given for academic activities in the upcoming guidelines. What did the Unlock 4.0 guidelines say? In the Unlock 4.0 phase, metro trains were allowed to resume services from 7 September in a graded manner, while political, social and religious congregations of up to 100 people were permitted from 21 September. The Ministry of Home Affairs had also said in a directive that state governments cannot impose any local lockdown outside the containment zones without prior consultation with the Central Government. William Perry Pendley, acting director of the Bureau of Land Management, speaks to the media on the Grizzly Creek Fire in Eagle, Colo., on Aug. 14, 2020. (Chris Dillmann/Vail Daily via AP) Federal Judge Orders Removal of Trumps Public Lands Chief A federal judge in Montana ruled that a top Trump administration official has been illegally exercising authority because he hasnt been confirmed by the Senate. William Pendley has been the Bureau of Land Managements deputy director for policy and programs since July 2019, but hes been exercising the authority of the director, according to the Department of Interior. Pendley isnt able to serve in that position any longer, Judge Brian Morris of the U.S. District Court for the District of Montana, an Obama nominee, ruled on Sept. 25. Morris determined that President Donald Trump was effectively evading stipulations in the Federal Vacancies Reform Act of 1998 that outline how temporary appointments work by keeping Pendley in position for so long. The President cannot shelter unconstitutional temporary appointments for the duration of his presidency through a matryoshka doll of delegated authorities, Morris wrote in a 34-page ruling. Pendley was empowered to be acting Bureau of Land Management (BLM) director through a series of amendments that delegated all functions, duties, and responsibilities of the head of the agency to him, according to the judge. The amendments stated that Pendley wasnt to perform functions or duties required by law to be carried out by a Senate-confirmed official. Pendley served as acting director from July 29, 2019, to June 5. The amendments and a subsequent memo both represent unlawful attempts to avoid the constitutional requirements of the reform act, Morris said. Montana Gov. Steve Bullock speaks at the Iowa State Fair in Des Moines, Iowa, on Aug. 8, 2019. (Brian Snyder/Reuters) The White House didnt immediately respond to a request by The Epoch Times for comment. A spokesman for the Interior Department told news outlets that the agency would appeal the ruling, calling it an outrageous decision that is well outside the bounds of the law. Trump nominated Pendley over the summer to be vetted by the Senate for the director of BLM position, but the nomination was later withdrawn after strong pushback by Democrats. The White House at the time of the nomination said Pendley has worked to increase recreational opportunities on and access to our Nations public lands, heighten concern for the impact of wild horses and burros on public lands, and increase awareness of the Bureaus multiple-use mission. Interior Secretary David Bernhardt had said Pendley was doing a great job, including acquiring more than 25,000 acres of public land for expanded recreational access. Following the withdrawal, Democrats urged Bernhardt to remove Pendley from his position. Sen. Tom Udall (D-N.M.), ranking member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies, praised the judges ruling, saying Pendley has no businessand no authorityleading the Bureau of Land Management, and Secretary Bernhardt should have known better. Any decision Pendley made in his capacity as acting director must be subject to legal scrutiny, Udall said. Vice Chair of the House Natural Resources Committee Deb Haaland (D-N.M.) said the ruling confirms what we have been saying for months, and I will be following carefully to ensure the decisions Pendley made while he was unlawfully the head of the Bureau are effectively reversed, and that our country gets a Director of the Bureau of Land Management will [sic] take their duty to protect our public lands for everyone. The lawsuit that led to the ruling was filed by Montana Gov. Steve Bullock, a Democrat who is running for the U.S. Senate after a failed presidential run. Todays ruling is a win for the Constitution, the rule of law, and our public lands, Bullock said in a social media statement. Montanans can rest easy knowing that National Public Lands Day will begin with William Perry Pendley packing his desk and vacating the Directors Office. A vital discovery by Trinity College researchers in a form of cancer common in children, has led to the announcement that the Boston-based biopharmaceutical company C4 Therapeutics plan to begin clinical trials in 2021. The original discovery in synovial sarcoma; a form of soft tissue cancer that is common in children, was made in 2018, and the recent clinical trials announcement is being made by Trinity researchers to mark Childhood Cancer Awareness Month (September) and the start of Cancer Week Ireland today (Monday, 28th September 2020). The research, led by Dr Gerard Brien discovered an 'Achilles heel' in synovial tumours, which provided an opportunity to develop new treatment approaches. Better treatments for these tumours are essential since around 60% of patients diagnosed with synovial sarcoma die from their disease. A figure that hasn't improved for years. Dr. Brien's research team focuses on difficult to treat childhood cancers, like synovial sarcoma. Many childhood cancers have been under studied compared to more common adult diseases, such as prostate or breast cancer. This means that our ability to treat many childhood diseases has not improved at the same rate seen in common adult cancers. As a result, patient survival rates in many of these cancers have not seen significant improvements for years and even decades. Dr. Brien, who trained in childhood cancer research at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York and Harvard Medical School in Boston, explains that recent technological advances are transforming our ability to understand cancer. His lab uses cutting edge genomics technologies to study cancer cells. Dr. Brien and his team are making important new discoveries about cancer biology allowing them to understand the 'nuts and bolts' of a cancer cell. In turn his team are using these insights to figure out ways to disrupt cancer biology In other words; develop new treatment approaches to tackle these cancers. The team discovered that the BRD9 gene is essential for synovial sarcoma tumour growth. Having found this, his team wanted to develop new drugs to target BRD9 - a gene that we know very little about other than it is essential for the growth of synovial sarcoma tumours. The team was successful in these efforts, developing drugs that tricked cancer cells into shutting off BRD9 and blocking the growth of synovial sarcoma tumours in pre-clinical testing. Motivated by these discoveries a Boston based biopharmaceutical company C4 Therapeutics has pursued BRD9 targeting in synovial sarcoma and recently announced plans to start a clinical trial in 2021. Dr. Gerard Brien, Senior Research Fellow, Department of Genetics, Trinity College said: " It is incredibly motivating to see our work reaching patients so quickly as it often takes many years for laboratory-based research findings to have any tangible impact on patients. This is a super exciting time and we're all crossing our fingers these trials are successful." Dr. Brien is continuing to discover new ways to tackle difficult to treat childhood cancers. In research supported by Science Foundation Ireland and the Irish Cancer Society he has found several new drug targets and is testing new approaches to treat several different childhood cancers. He said: "We're pretty excited by what we've found so far. We've made some important discoveries and have several new approaches in testing. The new Trinity St. James Cancer Institute is essential to integrate the laboratory and clinical sides of cancer research in Ireland. I certainly hope that building collaborative relationships within TSJCI will provide a basis for establishing future clinical trials here in Ireland." ### Independent candidate Nicusor Dan, supported by the PNL (National Liberal Party) and USR PLUS Alliance (Save Romania Union - Liberty, Unity and Solidarity Party), won 42.78 pct of the votes for the office of Bucharest General Mayor, while the current mayor, Gabriela Firea, the PSD (Social Democratic Party) candidate took 37.99 pct, according to the partial figures released by the Central Electoral Office (BEC) centralized by 14:00 hrs, after the counting of about 95.29 pct of the votes. In third place is Traian Basescu, the PMP (People's Movement Party) candidate, former president of Romania (2005 - 2014, ed. n.) with 10.98 pct SAN FRANCISCO Northern Californias wine country was on fire again Monday as strong winds fanned flames in the already scorched region, destroying homes and prompting orders for nearly 70,000 people to evacuated. Meanwhile, three people died in a separate fire further north in the state. In Sonoma County, residents of the Oakmont Gardens senior living facility in Santa Rosa boarded brightly lit city buses in the darkness overnight, some wearing bathrobes and using walkers. They wore masks to protect against the coronavirus as orange flames marked the dark sky. The fire threat forced Adventist Health St. Helena hospital to suspend care and transfer all patients elsewhere. The fires that began Sunday in the famed Napa-Sonoma wine country about 45 miles (72 kilometers) north of San Francisco came as the region nears the third anniversary of deadly wildfires that erupted in 2017, including one that killed 22 people. Just a month ago, many of those same residents were evacuated from the path of a lightning-sparked fire that became the fourth-largest in state history. Our firefighters have not had much of a break, and these residents have not had much of a break, said Daniel Berlant, assistant deputy director with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, known as Cal Fire. Sonoma County Supervisor Susan Gorin evacuated her property in the Oakmont community of Santa Rosa at about 1 a.m. She is rebuilding a home damaged in the 2017 fires. Gorin said she saw three neighboring houses in flames as she fled early Monday. Were experienced with that, she said of the fires. Once you lose a house and represent thousands of folks whove lost homes, you become pretty fatalistic that this is a new way of life and, depressingly, a normal way of life, the megafires that are spreading throughout the West. More than 68,000 people in Sonoma and Napa counties have been evacuated in the latest inferno, one of nearly 30 fire clusters burning across the state, said Cal Fire Division Chief Ben Nichols. In Napa County, the entire town of Calistoga, population around 5,000, was ordered to evacuate Monday evening. Many more residents have been warned that they might have to flee, even though winds eased significantly Monday afternoon, giving firefighters an opportunity to make some progress, he said. The smoky skies that were under are a sign that theres not a lot of air movement out there moving the smoke around, Nichols said at an evening briefing. Not good for air quality, and folks outside exercising, but great for us to work on containing this fire and working on putting it out. The Glass Fire broke out before 4 a.m. Sunday and merged with two other fires to scorch more than 56 square miles (145 square kilometers) as of Monday. There was no containment. Officials did not have an estimate of the number of homes destroyed or burned, but the blaze engulfed the Chateau Boswell Winery in St. Helena and at least one five-star resort. Logan Hertel of Santa Rosa used a garden hose to fight flames at a neighbors house in the Skyhawk neighborhood until firefighters could relieve him. Seems like they got enough on their hands already. So I wanted to step in and put out the fire, Hertel said. Dominic Wiggens, who lives in the same neighborhood, evacuated but returned later Monday. His home was still standing, but many others were gone. Its so sad, he said. Pacific Gas & Electric was inspecting its equipment as it sought to restore power to more than 100,000 customers who had it turned off in advance of gusty winds and in areas with active fire zones. The utilitys equipment has caused previous disasters, including the 2018 Camp Fire that killed 85 people and devastated the town of Paradise in the Sierra Nevada foothills. By Monday night, the utility said it had restored electricity to essentially all of those customers. However, PG&E said about 24,000 people remained without power in areas affected by two fires in Napa, Sonoma, Shasta and Tehama counties. More than 1,200 people were also evacuated in Shasta County for the Zogg Fire, spread over 23 square miles (59 square kilometers) by Monday. Shasta County Sheriff Eric Magrini said three people died as a result of the fire, though he gave no details. Its with a sad heart that I come before you today, he said, urging residents to heed advice to leave. When you get that order, evacuate immediately. Do not wait. Residences are widely scattered in the forested area in the far northern part of the state. The region was torched just two years ago by the deadly Carr Fire infamously remembered for producing a huge tornado-like fire whirl. The causes of the new fires were under investigation. Mark Ghilarducci, director of the Governors Office of Emergency Services, said 2020 has been challenging. The silver lining to it is that people who live in California become more prepared, theyre more aware, they know these events take place and were seeing a citizenry that does get it and is working hard to be prepared, he said. Numerous studies in recent years have linked bigger wildfires in America to climate change from the burning of coal, oil and gas. Scientists say climate change has made California much drier, meaning trees and other plants are more flammable. The latest fires erupted as a giant ridge of high pressure settled over the West, producing powerful gusts blowing from the interior toward the coast while slashing humidity levels and raising temperatures. So far in this years historic fire season, more than 8,100 California wildfires have now killed 29 people, scorched 5,780 square miles (14,970 square kilometers), and destroyed more than 7,000 buildings. Most of the losses occurred after a frenzy of dry lightning strikes in mid-August ignited a massive outbreak of fires. Fire worries were developing across Southern California, although it was unclear how strong the predicted Santa Ana winds would become. Heat and extreme dryness were also expected to create problems. Conditions were also hot, dry and windy in parts of Arizona, where the Sears Fire in Tonto National Forest north of Phoenix has grown to more than 14 square miles (36 square kilometers) since it erupted Friday. Authorities reported zero containment. ___ Associated Press reporters Christopher Weber and John Antczak in Los Angeles, Juliet Williams in San Francisco and Haven Daley in Santa Rosa, California contributed to this report. Subscriber content preview SEATTLE The Winslow Place Apartments, at 3809 Winslow Place N., sold for almost $8.1 million, according to King County records. The seller was Winslow Place Apts LLC, which acquired the property under a different name in 1991 for $1.6 million. . . . Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Mariam Harutyunyan and Emil Guliyev (Agence France-Presse) Yerevan, Armenia/Baku, Azerbaijan Mon, September 28, 2020 08:45 481 e22cd4161040e111d73a5626c479b13f 2 World Armenia,Azerbaijan,clash Free Arch foes Armenia and Azerbaijan on Sunday accused each other of initiating deadly clashes that claimed at least 23 lives over a decades-long territorial dispute and threatened to draw in regional powers Russia and Turkey. The worst clashes since 2016 have raised the specter of a fresh war between long-standing rivals Azerbaijan and Armenia which have been locked for decades in a territorial dispute over the Armenia-backed breakaway region of Nagorny Karabakh. Sixteen Armenian separatist fighters were killed and more than 100 wounded in fighting, rebel officials said. Both sides also reported civilian casualties. "We are tired of Azerbaijans threats, we will fight to the death to resolve the problem once and for all," Artak Bagdasaryan, 36, told AFP in Yerevan, adding that he was waiting to be conscripted into the army. Karabakh separatists said one Armenian woman and a child were killed, while Baku said that an Azerbaijani family of five died in shelling launched by Armenian separatists. Armenian defense ministry spokesman Artsrun Hovhannisyan claimed Karabakh rebel forces killed "some 200 Azerbaijani troops and destroyed 30 enemy artillery units and 20 drones". Azerbaijan said it has captured a strategic mountain in Karabakh that helps control transport communications between Yerevan and the enclave. A major confrontation between Muslim Azerbaijan and majority Christian Armenia threatened to embroil regional players Moscow and Ankara and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan called on global powers to prevent Turkey from getting involved in the conflict. 'Sacred homeland' "We are on the brink of a full-scale war in the South Caucasus," Pashinyan warned. Azerbaijan's "authoritarian regime has once again declared war on the Armenian people", he added. France, Germany, Italy, and the EU swiftly urged an "immediate ceasefire," while Pope Francis prayed for peace. Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed the military flareup with Pashinyan and called for "an end to hostilities". "The Russian side expressed serious concern over the resumption of large-scale clashes," the Kremlin said. But Azerbaijan's ally Turkey blamed Yerevan for the flare-up and promised Baku its "full support". "The Turkish people will support our Azerbaijani brothers with all our means as always," Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan tweeted. Azerbaijan accused Armenian forces of violating a ceasefire, saying it had launched a counter-offensive to "ensure the safety of the population", using tanks, artillery missiles, combat aviation and drones. In a televised address to the nation earlier Sunday, Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev vowed victory over Armenian forces. "Our cause is just and we will win," he said, echoing a famous quote from Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin's address at the outbreak of World War II in Russia. "Karabakh is Azerbaijan," he said. 'War is resuming' Both Armenia and Karabakh declared martial law and military mobilization. Azerbaijan imposed military rule and a curfew in large cities. "Get ready to defend our sacred homeland," Pashinyan said on Facebook. Armenia said that Azerbaijan attacked civilian settlements in Nagorny Karabakh including the main city Stepanakert. Pashinyan's wife, Anna Hakobyan, said that she had travelled to a hospital in Stepanakert to be with her Karabakh "brothers and sisters". Azerbaijan's foreign ministry said there were reports of dead and wounded. "Extensive damage has been inflicted on many homes and civilian infrastructure," it said. Ethnic Armenian separatists seized the Nagorny Karabakh region from Baku in a 1990s war that claimed 30,000 lives. Talks to resolve one of the worst conflicts to emerge from the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union have been largely stalled since a 1994 ceasefire agreement. France, Russia and the United States have mediated peace efforts as the "Minsk Group" but the last big push for a peace deal collapsed in 2010. Political observers said global powers should intensify talks to stop the conflict. "We are a step away from a large-scale war," Olesya Vartanyan of the International Crisis Group told AFP. "One of the main reasons for the current escalation is a lack of any proactive international mediation between the sides for weeks," she added. "War is resuming. Time for Russia, France and US, individually and jointly, to stop it," tweeted Dmitry Trenin, director of the Carnegie Moscow Centre. 'Turkish mercenaries' Karabakh separatist leader, Arayik Harutyunyan, accused Ankara of sending mercenaries to Azerbaijan. On Sunday morning, Azerbaijan started "active bombing" along Karabakh's frontline including civilian targets and in Stepanakert, Karabakh's presidency said. The rebel defense ministry said its troops shot down four Azerbaijani helicopters and 15 drones, while Baku denied the claim. In July, heavy clashes along the two countries' shared border -- hundreds of kilometers from Karabakh -- claimed the lives of at least 17 soldiers from both sides. Raising the stakes, Azerbaijan at the time threatened to strike Armenia's atomic power station if Yerevan attacked strategic facilities. During the worst recent clashes in April 2016, around 110 people were killed. Topics : Armenia Azerbaijan clash Newly-appointed Bharatiya Janata Party national secretary Anupam Hazra has said that he would hug Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee if he is infected with the coronavirus to make her feel the pain of the families of COVID-19 patients. IMAGE: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee wears a face mask during a meeting in Kolkata. Photograph: Ashok Bhaumik/PTI Photo A police complaint was filed by the Trinamool Congress in Siliguri for the comments Hazra made at a party programme in Baruipur in South 24 Parganas on Sunday evening. "Our workers are fighting a bigger enemy than corona. They are fighting Mamata Banerjee. When they (BJP cadres) have been able to fight it out against Mamata Banerjee without a mask, they think they can also fight against COVID-19 without wearing a mask," Hazra said. "I have decided that if I get infected with the coronavirus, then I will go and hug Mamata Banerjee," he added. Hazra, a former Trinamool Congress MP who joined the BJP last year, said the way the bodies of COVID-19 patients were being cremated in the state was pathetic. "She (Banerjee) treated victims of the disease pathetically. Their bodies were burnt with kerosene. Sons were not allowed to see the face of their parents who died of COVID-19. We don't even treat dead cats or dogs like that," he said. Senior TMC leader Saugato Roy condemned the comments and said such remarks reflect the mindset of the BJP. "Such words and statements can only come from BJP leaders. This reflects the mindset of the party. We condemn such insane statements," he said. The Trinamool Congress's Siliguri unit held a rally against Hazra and lodged a police complaint against him. "We have lodged a police complaint against Anupam Hazra. We have urged the police to take immediate action against him," a senior TMC leader from the north Bengal city said. Reacting to the police complaint, Hazra told PTI that Banerjee too has made several controversial remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "If my comments are demeaning, then Mamata Banerjee too had made such comments against the prime minister. Secondly, if one FIR has been filed against me, then at least 10 FIRs should be lodged against TMC leaders," he said. The state BJP leadership, however, distanced itself from Hazra's comment. "We don't support such comments. We should avoid making such remarks," a state BJP leader said. DOYLESTOWN, Pa. - A mother and her adult daughter were sentenced Monday to life in prison in the slayings of five close relatives, including three children, outside Philadelphia last year. Shana Decree, 47, and Dominique Decree, 21, were sentenced in Bucks County Court after entering guilty but mentally ill pleas to five counts of first-degree murder. President Judge Wallace Bateman told the two that they had caused unimaginable harm, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported. This is horrible and tragic, because I do believe the two of you have expressed remorse, Bateman said Monday as he sentenced the defendants. Unfortunately, that doesnt bring them back. You cant say, Sorry and expect people to move on with their lives. Both women offered tearful apologies to the court and other relatives in the courtroom. The hardest thing for me to do is decide who to say Im sorry to first, Shana Decree said. To my family, I am sorry for taking away these beautiful souls in such a horrible manner. Dominique Decree sobbed as she said her actions will haunt her for the rest of her life. Im so sorry for everything that happened, and I truly dont understand why it happened, she said. A children and youth services case worker who went to the Morrisville apartment in February 2019 found the bodies of Shana Decrees children, NaaIrah Smith, 25, and Damon Decree Jr., 13, both of Morrisville; Shana Decrees sister Jamilla Campbell, 42, of Trenton, New Jersey; and Campbells 9-year-old twin daughters, Imani and Erika Allen. Campbell had been strangled and the others had been suffocated, the coroners office said. Police said the defendants were found disoriented inside the apartment, where furniture had been turned over, drywall was cracked and glass lay around. Authorities said they later gave conflicting stories of what had occurred but said everyone in the unit wanted to die. Deputy District Attorney Christopher Rees said Monday that the killings took place over the course of three days. Court-appointed psychologists and psychiatrists concluded that both defendants had severe mental illness, including schizoid personality disorder, major depressive disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder. Both had sought mental health treatment, and Dominiques attorney John Fioravanti Jr. said his client started from age 5. Shana Decrees attorney, Christa Dunleavy, said her client was isolated and delusional at the time of the killings, believing the world was ending and there were demons in her house, and she had to obey them. Her family tried to help her, Dunleavy said, But the delusions were too strong. Attorneys for both defendants said their clients had expressed horror and remorse following the killings. District Attorney Matt Weintraub said in a statement that if not for their severe mental illness, both defendants would face the death penalty, but instead they will spend the rest of their lives in prison cells separated from the rest of us. By murdering Erica, Imani, Damon, Naairah, and Jamilla, theyve decimated entire generations of their own family, Weintraub said. It tests my faith in humanity and in God. But I have to believe in both. The alternative is so much worse. President Trump is calling for an investigation into a report of alleged illegal ballot harvesting by Representative Ilhan Omars supporters in Minneapolis. Trump called on the U.S. attorney in Minnesota to investigate claims made by Project Veritas, an investigative reporting project led by conservative activist James OKeefe, which reported on Sunday that supporters of the Minnesota Democrat were illegally collecting blank ballots and posting boastful videos of their collections to social media. This is totally illegal. Hope that the U.S. Attorney in Minnesota has this, and other of her many misdeeds, under serious review??? If not, why not??? We will win Minnesota because of her, and law enforcement. Saved Minneapolis & Iron O Range! Trump said in a tweet early Monday. The president and other Republicans have been outspoken against ballot harvesting, a practice in which a third party collects ballots from voters homes to drop off at polling stations. The third-party harvesters are sometimes paid for their work and can be volunteers or campaign staff. In a majority of states that allow ballot harvesting, laws limit the number of ballots that can be collected by a single person in Minnesota, it is illegal to harvest more than three ballots. A video shared by Project Veritas late Sunday shows Liban Mohamed, the brother of Minneapolis City Council member Jamal Osman, surrounded by a number of ballots as he brags about his ballot harvesting work. Just today we got 300 for Jamal Osman, Mohamed says in the video that was first posted on Snapchat on July 1, according to the report. I have 300 ballots in my car right now. Numbers dont lie. You can see my car is full. All these here are absentee ballots. Look, all these are for Jamal Osman. Minneapolis residents detailed large-scale ballot harvesting operations in apartment complexes across the city as part of a cash-for-ballots scheme to gather absentee ballots illegally from Somali immigrants, according to the report. Omar Jamal, an official with the local Ramsey County Sheriffs Office, and other unidentified sources alleged that progressive Squad member Ilhan Omars supporters were collecting the ballots. Story continues I think [Mohamed] was [working for] both Ilhan Omar and Jamal [Osman], but I think he was more with Ilhan Omar, Jamal said. Its an open secret, he said. She will do anything that she can do to get elected and she has hundreds of people on the streets doing that. Mohamed accused Project Veritas of editing the video to misrepresent his comments. The group uses undercover reporters and its report relies on anonymous sources, making it difficult for outside groups to confirm the claims. Project Veritas has previously come under fire for the accuracy and ethics of its reporting, including during a botched attempt to show bias at the Washington Post. While Minnesota is a battleground state, with several House seats and a Senate race that could flip, Omars district, one of the most liberal in the country, is unlikely to switch. Omar had a strong lead in her primary and is likely to win against her Republican opponent by a wide margin. More from National Review COLUMBUS, Ohio The Ohio Republican Party has pulled an ad that falsely attacked state Rep. Phil Robinson for being sued over an unpaid debt from 1999 after Robinson pointed out the lawsuit actually involved a different person with the same name. The ad launched on Facebook on Friday, according to the social media sites political ad tracker. Along with a picture of Robinson, a Democrat from Solon elected in 2018, it read Phil Robinson cant manage his own finances Can we trust him with ours? It included a link to a website thats since been taken down. But the site showed information about a 1999 case filed in Cleveland Municipal Court against someone named Phil Robinson. An Ohio Republican Party ad attacking state Rep. Phil Robinson. The attack is false -- it references a lawsuit involving a different person named Phil Robinson. It was a different Phil Robinson. Robinson, the state representative, said he was 18, had just graduated high school and didnt even have a credit card when the lawsuit was filed. Even if it was him, he said its bad form to attack someone over financial issues during the current tough economic times. After noticing it on Saturday, he issued a press release calling on the state GOP to apologize and take it down. He said he hasnt heard from anyone, although he noticed the ads were removed. They didnt even do the research. They were trying to use that to score cheap political points, and its really defamation of character, Robinson said in an interview. Evan Machan, a spokesman for the Ohio Republican Party, said research for the ad was performed by an outside firm. He acknowledged the lawsuit was filed against a different person. Upon finding this out, we directed our digital vendor to immediately take down the ads, he said. Shay Hawkins, the Republican candidate challenging Robinson in the November election, said he learned about the ad when someone at the Ohio GOP called him to apologize for what had happened. He said if anything, he would have attacked Robinson over another issue. I wouldnt attack him on a supposed debt from 20 years ago. That wouldnt be something I would even think to do, or that I would even support doing, Hawkins said. The race for Ohios 6th House District includes Brecksville, Broadview Heights, Chagrin Falls, Independence, Mayfield and Solon, and is among this years key races in the suburbs, a battleground given President Donald Trumps relative weakness in these normally Republican-leaning districts. Robinson, executive with the nonprofit City Year Inc., became the first Democrat to be elected to represent the district in decades in 2018. His opponent, Hawkins, is a lawyer and former congressional aide, most recently working for Republican South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott. The recent arrest of Republican former Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder has become an issue in the race. Robinson was among the Democrats who helped elect Householder speaker, choosing him over a rival candidate and helping break a Republican stalemate. Democratic legislators have defended the deal, saying they chose the best of two bad options that gave them a greater seat at the table in Columbus. But Robinson also voted against House Bill 6, Householders signature piece of legislation that, federal prosecutors have alleged in charging documents, Householder agreed to pass in exchange for $60 million in bribes, in the form of political spending from FirstEnergy and its affiliates. Hawkins has attacked Robinson for accepting $1,000 from FirstEnergys PAC, which Robinson donated to charity in July. And the Ohio Democratic Party, trying to tie the scandal to all Republican candidates, in a recent mailer attacked Hawkins over the Householder scandal, even though Hawkins wasnt in office when Householder was elected. MIAMI, Sept. 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Brain wellness and addiction expert Professor Dr. Bankole Johnson has released the first of his trilogy of books, entitled "Six Rings." The series is interested in analyzing the complexities of the brain, and how to maintain it in optimum health through compelling narratives that are as engaging as they are educational. The first book is available on Amazon in Kindle, paperback and audiobook forms, in both English and Spanish. Link to purchase here . Dr. Bankole Johnson As a whole, "Six Rings" portrays Johnson's PREPARE method, an integrated treatment approach to optimizing brain function and treating addiction. The PREPARE method is powerfully organized yet individualized and intimately intertwined to maximize the treatment benefit of each patient. In "Six Rings," Johnson's vast knowledge of the brain comes to life through allegorical stories that are composites of his past experiences and fictionalized characters, providing insights that aid in the understanding of how psychological and physiological factors affect its health and optimum performance. In the first book, the reader meets Bastian Jackson, a whip-smart, deeply intuitive doctor with an incisive mind that questions the different mental ailments that assail humans. Bastian wrestles with his own perspectives, working out how this impacts others, and uses it for the benefit of his clients. It's a foothold into the process of brain recovery following the excessive use of substances, which unfolds in the second book. Throughout "Six Rings," illustrations, paintings, and music are used to set the tone for each chapter, and to inject mood and atmosphere into the allegorical stories. "Six Rings" is an attempt to bridge the gap between an educated lay and professional audience in the understanding of brain wellness, how to maintain it, and the perturbations that can occur with excessive alcohol and substance use. Through engaging storytelling, the books invite the reader, ever deeper, into an understanding of neuroscience, brain wellness, and addictive behaviors. Johnson hopes that readers will enjoy the stories and that they evoke a curiosity to learn more, and above all, understand the rich complexity of optimizing the brain and treating diseases that can afflict it. For more information visit sixringsbooks.com . Media Contact Allison Baer 305-864-3434 [email protected] SOURCE Dr. Bankole Johnson The Trump administration has signalled it could close its diplomatic mission in Baghdad if measures are not taken to control rogue armed elements responsible for a recent spate of attacks against US and other interests in the country, Iraqi and US officials said Monday. A US official said the warning was clear and given to both Iraqs president and prime minister but that it was not an imminent ultimatum. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about diplomatic discussions. There should be no confusion among Iraqi leaders about how seriously the US takes the threat to its personnel and property, the official said. The threat to evacuate the US Embassy in the Iraqi capital, which stoked concerns on the part of Iraqi officials of a diplomatic crisis, was first delivered to President Barham Saleh on Tuesday in a phone call with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. Pompeo said that if the US presence continues to be targeted, measures would be taken to close the embassy and a strong and violent response would follow against the groups responsible for the attacks, according to three Iraqi officials with knowledge of the call. On Saturday, Pompeo went a step further, telling Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi that the US will initiate plans to withdraw from the embassy. The Iraqi officials spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations. An official announcement has not been made by the Americans. In a tangible sign of a strain in US-Iraq relations, the State Department shortened an Iran sanctions waiver deadline by 60 days last week. The previous waiver, crucial for Iraq to import badly needed Iranian gas to meet power demands, gave the government 120 days. Without the waiver, Iraq would suffer crippling sanctions barring it access to US dollars. Despite comments from US officials that a deadline on closing the embassy is not in place, Iraqi officials appeared to be under the impression they have until the waiver expires in two months time to take action. America will observe what measures the government of Iraq takes within two months, one senior Iraqi official said. During this time, al-Kadhimis administration must halt the targeting of foreign missions, military installations and logistics convoys destined for the US-led coalition or else, aggressive action would follow, the official said. Iraqs leadership is feeling the heat. Al-Kadhimi, Saleh and Parliament Speaker Mohamed al-Halbousi held a meeting late Sunday in which all three leaders said they supported measures to bring arms under the authority of the state and to prevent the targeting of diplomatic missions. So far, Iraqi authorities have redistributed some security forces inside the Green Zone. The Iraqi officials also said two factors might determine whether Iraqs leadership can walk back from an impending diplomatic crisis: Security fallout from protests planned in the coming weeks to mark one year since mass anti-government demonstrations began, and domestic politics inside the US ahead of the November federal election. We expect large crowds, said one official of the protests. And we expect it will impact American thinking. Two Western diplomats said they had been informed that the US has started the process of closing its sprawling facility inside the heavily fortified Green Zone, but could not provide details. The US Embassy declined to comment. Closing the facility is expected to be a complex and time-consuming process. The embassy was already functioning at minimum levels since March due to the coronavirus and ongoing security threats. Diplomats were told the US had already started the process of closing but would re-evaluate while progressing, one Western official said, suggesting the decision was reversible if security inside the Green Zone improved. The State Department declined to comment on the calls between Pompeo and Iraqs leadership, but said the US will not tolerate threats, in a statement. We have made the point before that the actions of lawless Iran-backed militias remains the single biggest deterrent to stability in Iraq. It is unacceptable for Iran-backed groups to launch rockets at our embassy, attack American and other diplomats, and threaten law and order in Iraq, it added. Meanwhile, attacks targeting convoys continue. On Monday, a roadside bomb targeted a convoy carrying materials destined for US forces southwest of Baghdad, two Iraqi security officials said. It was the third attack in 24 hours, with IED attacks in Babylon and Dhi Qar provinces targeting similar convoys. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations. Donald J. Trump paid $750 in federal income taxes the year he won the presidency. In his first year in the White House, he paid another $750. He had paid no income taxes at all in 10 of the previous 15 years largely because he reported losing much more money than he made. As the president wages a re-election campaign that polls say he is in danger of losing, his finances are under stress, beset by losses and hundreds of millions of dollars in debt coming due that he has personally guaranteed. Also hanging over him is a decade-long audit battle with the Internal Revenue Service over the legitimacy of a $72.9 million tax refund that he claimed, and received, after declaring huge losses. An adverse ruling could cost him more than $100 million. The tax returns that Mr. Trump has long fought to keep private tell a story fundamentally different from the one he has sold to the American public. His reports to the I.R.S. portray a businessman who takes in hundreds of millions of dollars a year yet racks up chronic losses that he aggressively employs to avoid paying taxes. Now, with his financial challenges mounting, the records show that he depends more and more on making money from businesses that put him in potential and often direct conflict of interest with his job as president. (New York Times) Featured stories Former Trump campaign manager Brad Parscale. (Chris Carlson, Associated Press file photo)AP Trumps refusal to respect the vote shatters all the historically ingrained expectations about American democracy (Washington Post) Former Trump campaign manager Brad Parscale hospitalized after threatening to harm himself: Police (ABC News) Third U.S. judge bars Postal Service delivery cuts before November presidential election (Washington Post) Pelosi begins mustering Democrats for possible House decision on presidency (Politico) Democrats lament Amy Coney Barrett pick but say we cant stop the outcome (NBC News) National news New York Mayor Bill de Blasio talks during a news conference outside the Mosaic Pre-K Center on the first day of school last week in New York.Mark Lennihan | AP Photo Positive COVID-19 test rates top 25% in some U.S. Midwest states (Reuters) New York City warns of alarming COVID hotspots as school leaders lose faith in the mayor (CBS News) Ballistics report doesnt support Kentucky AGs claim that Breonna Taylors boyfriend shot cop (Louisville Courier Journal) Judge gives temporary reprieve to TikTok, allows U.S. downloads to continue (cleveland.com) Private section of border wall allegedly is failing (CBS News) 2 new California wildfires burn nearly 10,000 acres in a day and force evacuations (CNN) Texas governor issues disaster declaration over brain-eating amoeba found in Lake Jackson water supply (CBS News) California to house transgender inmates by gender identity, require officers to use chosen pronouns (Associated Press) World news World news eaders urge UK government to avoid no-deal Brexit (The Guardian) Switzerland referendum: Voters reject end to free movement with EU (BBC) Clashes break out between Armenia and Azerbaijan over disputed region (CNN) American faces two years in prison for posting unflattering TripAdvisor review of Thailand island resort (The Telegraph) Melbourne lifts curfew after nearly two months of lockdown as coronavirus cases fall (CNN) Belarus: Mass arrests and tear gas on seventh weekend of protests (BBC) Macron ashamed of Lebanons political leaders amid crisis (Washington Post) Chinas Xi says happiness in Xinjiang on the rise, will keep teaching correct outlook (Reuters) Carbon monoxide kills 16 in coal mine in southwest China (Associated Press) A legal definition of academic freedom that some universities say will make it harder for them to discipline racist or sexist academics will be included in the Morrison government's proposed university funding laws in exchange for One Nation's support for the bill. The measure is one of several commitments One Nation say they have extracted from the government, which will need three crossbench votes to get its reforms through the Senate as early as next week. Senator Pauline Hanson said the government had agreed to One Nation's demand to legislate a definition of academic freedom as part of its higher education reforms. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen Senator Pauline Hanson said One Nation's two Senate votes were also contingent upon the government reinstating a 10 per cent discount for students who pay their fees upfront, and reinstating a seven-year limit for full-time students to receive HECS-HELP before they have to pay full fees. One Nation has fostered a close relationship with academic Peter Ridd, who was sacked by James Cook University in 2018 following his public criticism of colleagues' research on the impact of global warming on the Great Barrier Reef. The Kerala higher education department on Monday started the process of admission based on the second allotment list. Students can check the details of their allotment online on the official website The Kerala Department of Higher Secondary Education (HSCAP) has on Monday released the second allotment list for admission to Plus One Classes in government and aided schools in the state. The process of admission will start today. Students can check the details of their allotment online on the official website - hscap.kerala.gov.in. According to a report by Hindustan Times, admission on the basis of the second allotment list will be open till 6 October. The HSCAP Kerala first allotment list was released on 13 September and admission was held between 14 and 19 September. A report by The Times of India said that candidates who have not got the allotment in the second list can update and apply for supplementary allotment. The notification for supplementary allotment and details of vacancy will be released on 7 October. Candidates whose names are there in the second allotment list will have to carry their original certificates for verification to respective schools. The date, time, and other details will be mentioned in the candidate login. After the first allotment result, the total vacant seats stood at 57,878. The admission process is being carried out online this year to contain the spread of COVID-19. How to check HSCAP Kerala Second Allotment list 2020: Step 1: Visit HSCAP official website - hscap.kerala.gov.in Step 2: Click on the candidate login link Step 3: Key in the user name, password, and district to log in Step 4: The HSCAP Kerala Second Allotment list will be displayed on your screen Step 5: Save and take a printout. The Delhi High Court on Monday issued notices to the Union government and others on a petition for court directions to authorities concerned to initiate immediate steps to prevent stubble-burning in Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh amid the coronavirus pandemic. A Division Bench of Chief Justice DN Patel and Justice Prateek Jalan issued notices for reply and posted the matter for further hearing on October 22. The petitioner's counsel told the court that stubble-burning in neighbouring states had led to significant increase of about 40-50% in air pollution in the region. "Now, the situation is different and something has to be done on a warfooting as the pandemic is directly connected to the lungs and air pollution will pose a greater threat," the petitioner said. The stubble-burning will lead to a massive increase in the number of emergency cases in the current pandemic situation, the petitioner contended. The said application has been moved in an ongoing 2015 matter related to air pollution. The plea filed by Sudhir Mishra through advocate Petal Chandhok and advocate Ritwika Nanda also submitted that there was an increase of 6 per cent in stubble-burning incidents in the last one week. A US federal judge has temporarily blocked President Donald Trump's administration's ban on the Chinese short video-making app, TikTok just hours before it was scheduled to go into effect, according to media reports. On Sunday, Judge Carl Nichols of the US District Court for the District of Columbia, halted the ban after TikTok's attorneys argued that Trump's ban infringes on rights to free speech and due process, reports The Hill news website. The ban would have forced the removal of TikTok from smartphone app stores and end app-updates, meaning no new users could download it and would eventually become non-functional. Responding to the verdict, TikTok on Monday said it was pleased with the decision, and vowed to keep defending its rights, the BBC reported. "We're pleased that the court agreed with our legal arguments and issued an injunction preventing the implementation of the TikTok app ban," the statement said. Earlier this month, the Commerce Department had announced that TikTok downloads would be banned from September 20, and further restrictions would go into effect November 12, reports CNN. Following the development, the Department said late Sunday that it would comply with the injunction, but adding that its order was "fully consistent with the law and promotes legitimate national security interests". It added that the US government intends to "vigorously defend" its order. Sunday's order came a week after a judge had temporarily halted Trump's executive order to ban WeChat, a Chinese messaging, social-media and mobile-payment app. This ban was to go into effect on September 20. On August 6, Trump had issued the executive order banning US transactions via WeChat. To fight for the legal rights of all WeChat users in the country, USWUA, an NGO, sued the administration for the ban. The lawsuit opened in court on September 17. By Trend The policy of the Armenian authorities doesnt bring peace in the region and doesnt contribute to the elimination of the status quo in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Ukrainian MP Volodymyr Kreidenko told Trend. Armenia strives to artificially change the ethnic composition of the population in the occupied lands of Azerbaijan. Such a policy of the Armenian authorities, no doubt, does not bring the establishment of peace in the region closer and does not contribute to the elimination of the status quo, Kreidenko said. Commenting on the information about the presence of the Armenian ASALA terrorist organization in the occupied Azerbaijani territories, Kreidenko stressed that this raises very serious concerns. The situation also shows that the government of Armenia, in the name of strengthening control over the occupied Azerbaijani territories, doesnt even shy from using services of terrorist organizations. The current situation clearly indicates that Armenia doesnt intend to stop the escalation of the conflict in the region in the near future and take at least some steps for a peaceful settlement, he stressed. Armenian armed forces launched a large-scale military attack on positions of Azerbaijani army on the front line, using large-caliber weapons, mortars and artillery on Sept. 27. Azerbaijan responded with a counter-offensive along the entire front. As a result of retaliation, Azerbajiani troops managed to liberate the territories previously occupied by Armenia: Garakhanbeyli, Garvend, Kend Horadiz, Yukhari, Ashagi Abdulrahmanli villages (Fuzuli district), Boyuk Marjanli, and Nuzgar villages (Jabrayil district). Moreover, the positions of the Armenian armed forces were destroyed in the direction of Azerbaijan's Agdere district and Murovdag, important heights were taken under control. Back in July 2020, Armenian Armed Forces violated the ceasefire in the direction of Azerbaijan's Tovuz district. As a result of Azerbaijan's retaliation, the opposing forces were silenced. The fighting continued the following days as well. Azerbaijan lost a number of military personnel members, who died fighting off the attacks of the Armenian armed forces. The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on the withdrawal of its armed forces from Nagorno Karabakh and the surrounding districts. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz Pakistans anti-graft body arrested an opposition leader Monday over his alleged involvement in a money laundering case after a court rejected bail for him, a move coming just before planned protests next month by his party seeking to force Prime Minister Imran Khan s resignation. Shahbaz Sharif of the Pakistan Muslim League party was arrested at court following the bail denial, said Faisal Raza Bukhari, a lawyer for the National Accountability Bureau. The anti-graft body now will question Sharif at their jail, Bukhari said. The Pakistan Muslim League party criticized his arrest as being politically motivated. It comes a week after Shahbaz Sharif's brother, Nawaz Sharif, who served thrice as Pakistan's prime minister, broke a nearly yearlong silence from exile in London, vowing to oust Khan from office through the protests. Nawaz Sharif accused Khan of only reaching power with the military's help. Khans government has dismissed Sharif's allegation, saying the opposition is only united because they fear ongoing corruption cases targeting them. Pakistans military has ruled the country of 220 million people directly or indirectly for most of its history. Pakistanis went to the polls in 2008 after a military dictator Pervez Musharraf stepped down and voted for the party of former President Asif Ali Zardari who also was indicted Monday by another court in separate corruption case. Zardari is currently on bail and is regularly attending court hearings against him. Careers at MPG Messenger Publishing Group has openings for people who know how to work. To apply for any of these positions email your resume and references to Jobs@MPG8.com Advertising Sales We are looking for Rock Star advertising salespeople. This position is for someone who does well with both outside sales appointments and can sell via telephone. We have strong products in a great market. We will train the right person because our program is easy to learn. If you understand the importance of commitment you can be successful here. You will be required to present a sales presentation to management as skills testing. Customer Service/Inside Sales We are looking for a Customer Service pro. Must have sales and service experience, great telephone presence, flexible schedule, be proficient with Excel, Quickbooks and the Internet. Position follows up with incoming sales calls, with classified advertising, online advertising, circulations sales and legal advertising clients to verify orders and information, and offers general customer service to advertising clients. Testing for this position will be required. Web Advertising Sales We are seeking a sales representative to focus on sales for our many websites. If you have a strong sales background and are "net savvy" this could be a great part-time position for you. Social Media Coordinator We are seeking a sharp social media pro to help coordinate our online efforts on a daily basis. The right candidate would already possess solid knowledge of social media and customer service. You must be able to work in a fast-paced news environment and be a total team player. Testing for the position will be required. This is a part-time evening position. Graphic Artist-Layout Support person needed to assist with graphics and layout. Must be proficient in various programs including Adobe Creative Suite, Photoshop, InDesign, etc. Design ads and perform layout duties at MPG offices. Newspaper or magazine publishing preferred. Steady schedule in a fast-paced news media environment. Testing for this position will be required. Editorial Ever wanted to write for your local newspaper? We are looking for people who would love to cover events and issues in your home town. Contracted/payment per each submitted story. If you have strong writing skills you could earn this extra income. Delivery Home delivery and single copy/newsststand routes available in most of our delivery areas. SINGAPORE India's ban of the popular short-video sharing app TikTok has left a vacuum that local start-ups are moving in to fill. One of those start-ups is ShareChat, a Twitter-backed Indian social media platform that caters to users in 15 regional languages. Citing national security concerns, New Delhi announced the ban on TikTok, which is owned by Beijing-based ByteDance, in late June. Just days later, ShareChat launched its own short-video platform, Moj. "We've been very, very opportunistic because we figured that this is a large vacuum, it's a large opportunity of short-video market, and therefore, we launched on that product," Ankush Sachdeva, co-founder and CEO of ShareChat, said on CNBC's "Street Signs Asia" on Monday. "I still believe there is a large appetite for short video content and if we can provide a really good experience, that essentially translates to a really good AI (artificial intelligence)-backed feed, there is a large market to be captured," he added. TikTok had more than 200 million users in India. After it was banned, Indian start-ups in the short-video sharing space reported a surge in users. Moj now has more than 80 million monthly active users who spend on average 34 minutes on the platform, the company said. ShareChat said last week it raised $40 million in pre-Series E funds from a variety of investors. They include Pawan Munjal, CEO and chairman of Hero Motorcorp, an Indian manufacturer of scooters and motorcycles, who invested in a personal capacity. Other investors included Twitter, venture capital firms SAIF Partners and Lightspeed India, as well as investment firm India Quotient. ShareChat's total funding to-date is at $264 million. Honda has held the world premiere of the Honda SUV e:concept at the 2020 Beijing International Automotive Exhibition (Auto China 2020). The Honda SUV e:concept is a concept model indicating the direction of a future mass-production model of the Honda brands first electric vehicle (EV) to be introduced in China. Auto China 2020 began in Beijing, China. Also highlighted at the Honda automobile booth are a wide variety of mass-production models, primarily electrified vehicles including the CR-V PHEV which will be the first Honda vehicle introduced in China equipped with a plug-in hybrid system. The Honda automobile booth also includes a technology presentation booth which exhibits Honda?s omnidirectional ADAS(1), the next-generation advanced safety and driver-assistive system. Honda is planning to begin demonstration testing of this omnidirectional ADAS in China before the end of this year. Working toward the fulfillment of its global 2030 Vision, Honda will further accelerate the realisation of a carbon-free and collision-free society by embodying concepts of the future technologies. HONDA SUV E:CONCEPT Honda SUV e:concept is a concept model which indicates the direction of a future mass-production model of the Honda brands first EV to be introduced in China. Honda is striving to develop a mass-production EV model which will offer a value based on mobility experiences that remain fresh and FUN for customers. To this end, the new EV model will be equipped with omnidirectional ADAS, the next-generation Honda SENSING safety and driver-assistive system with improved recognition, predication and decision-making performance, as well as the next-generation Honda CONNECT, which features an AI assistant interface, smartphone link and wireless updates made possible by advanced connectivity. CR-V PHEV CR-V PHEV will become the first Honda vehicle in China equipped with a plug-in hybrid system. This model is scheduled to go on sale in January 2021. The plug-in hybrid system for this model was developed based on Hondas original 2-motor hybrid system, SPORT HYBRID i-MMD, with further improved efficiency of the battery and converter system. This system realises the "most EV-like feel" in virtually all areas for everyday driving, including driving performance, responsiveness, and quietness. OMNIDIRECTIONAL ADAS Omnidirectional ADAS is the next-generation and advanced form of Honda SENSING, with improved recognition, prediction, and decision-making performance. This improvement was made possible by widening the front camera angle and adopting a 360-degree radar, which enabled the system to detect the vehicle peripheral environment more accurately. This system will be able to assist safe driving in more complex and diverse driving conditions on highways and surface roads. Honda is striving for the early realisation of a collision-free society based on its approach of providing "Safety for Everyone" sharing the road, which seeks to help realise a society where everyone can stay safe and avoid getting involved in a traffic accident. As a step forward to this goal, Honda is planning to begin demonstration testing of its omnidirectional ADAS in China before the end of this year. -- Tradearabia News Service WEST SPRINGFIELD The Eastern States Exposition has laid off three of its 30 full-time employees and all 21 of its part-timers and further cuts are feared as the coronavirus pandemic canceled this years Big E fair and other events. Some employees have already been told Nov. 1 is their last day. As you know: no fair, no income, said Eugene Cassidy, president and CEO of the Eastern States Exposition. Starting this summer the organizations employees, including Cassidy, took pay cuts. Most saw cuts of 10%, 7.5% or 5% depending on their income. The Big E also plans to borrow millions of dollars and has begun soliciting donations from among its board of trustees. Those trustees represent business and agricultural interests from throughout New England. We are doing our part to sustain what is a really important public asset for the community, Cassidy said Monday, on what would have been the start of the final week of the fairs 2020 run. Instead, Cassidy under pressure from the state and from West Springfield officials, and under the specter of state travel restrictions and caps on building occupancy canceled the 2020 fair. And Cassidy said hes increasingly worried that COVID-19 will scuttle the massive Eastec industrial trade show, set for the Eastern States grounds in May 2021. Eastec put on by outside promoters in every odd-numbered year means more than $100,000 in revenue to the Exposition alone, he said. 5/14/2019 -West Springfield- The Society of Manufacturing Engineers, is hosting the Eastec manufacturing trade show at the Eastern States Exposition. This is Jack Ford of the Lindco Co, in West Springfield, demonstrating the latest in grinding oil. (Don Treeger / The Republican) Cassidy reiterated his call for state officials to clarify as soon as they can what the building occupancy and travel restrictions will be for Eastec. Or that event will go elsewhere," he said. And if it does, I bet anything it will not come back. Eastec in West Springfield remains on the calendar of its sponsors, Michigan-based SME. The fair, though, is the major loss. It generates 85% of the Eastern State Expositions gross revenue each year, roughly $21 million. The Big E also creates an economic impact for the region of about $750 million. Many people are hired to work for the 17 days, and thousands of vendors sell goods and services during the event. More than 1.5 million people visit the fair every year, and the Big E set a record in 2019 when 1,629,527 people attended. In place of the fair, The Big E is hosting a drive-thru food event on its grounds and is working with Student Prince and the Fort restaurant in downtown Springfield and The Log Cabin in Holyoke on food events But Cassidy said those events wont make up for the loss of the fair. Marginal, he said. Obviously people are really supportive of the food drive-thru. Ive gotten lots of real fun supportive messages from people who attended. In terms of revenue to the Eastern States its a very modest return." But the events allow the Big E to put food vendors to work. I need them in 2021. I cant afford any of them to go out of business, Cassidy said. The same way he needs his workers and hopes to call folks back in 2021 especially if the Eastec show is a go. Weve got to be functioning for that, he said. Hell also need staffers to put on the 2021 fair. For much of the summer, the Big Es full-time staff kept busy doing maintenance work and building projects around the grounds. Painting and repair work was obvious when the Big E grounds were used as a coronavirus testing site. 4/8/2020 -West Springfield- Officials work to set up a state Covid-19 testing site on the grounds of the Eastern States Exposition that is slated to open for testing of first responders on Thursday, April 9. (Don Treeger / The Republican) I have to plan to have a fair in 2021, Cassidy said Monday. I have to have people back in order to do that. Last week, fair officials announced Brad Paisley will play The Big E Arena in 2021. Unlike other state fairs around the county, the Big E is not a state agency. We dont get tax subsidies. The taxpayers are not involved in running the fairgrounds, Cassidy said. Also, as of now promoters still plan all the other spring trade shows like the camping and RV show, the home show and others. Related content: US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo met with Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias in Thessaloniki on Monday, kicking off the first leg of a five-day trip to Europe which includes visits to Italy, the Vatican and Croatia. The talks focused on tension in the eastern Mediterranean between NATO allies Greece and Turkey. Frequently testy relations between Athens and Ankara have deteriorated sharply this year, particularly over maritime boundaries and exploration rights. Turkey sent a research vessel, accompanied by warships, to prospect for energy resources in an area Greece claims is on its own continental shelf and where it claims exclusive economic rights. Athens sent warships of its own to the area. This is the first visit by a US secretary of state to Thessaloniki, Greece's second largest city. Security was tight in the port city, with the venue of Pompeo's meeting with Dendias changing from the originally planned location, a local ministry, to a hotel for security reasons, authorities said. A protest against his visit was planned for Monday evening. Pompeo was expected to sign a bilateral science and technology agreement, as well as host energy sector business leaders for a discussion to highlight energy diversification and infrastructure projects in Greece. He will also join members of the citys Jewish community to commemorate Yom Kippur. Pompeo will depart later Monday to Crete to visit the Souda Bay naval base, and is expected to meet with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis. The federal ethics commissioner has dismissed Conservatives claims that staff associated with the Prime Ministers Office has violated the Conflict of Interest Act. In their initial letter to Commissioner Mario Dion earlier this month, Conservative MPs Pierre Poilievre and Michael Barrett called for an investigation on Katie Telford, the prime ministers chief of staff, and Michael McNair, who recently advised PM Justin Trudeau on the governments COVID-19 response. Poilievre and Barrett said that Telfords spouse, Rob Silver, allegedly contacted staff in the PMO and former Finance Minister Bill Morneaus office in an attempt to make mortgage finance company MCAP in which Silver serves as a senior executive eligible for the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy program. The services of two doctors, who worked at the jumbo facility in Pune, were terminated on Sunday after a colleague accused them of sexual harassment. A case has been registered against the two doctors at Shivajinagar police station after the complainant approached the police. We have received a complaint and we have spoken to the complainant, said police inspector (crime) Manisha Zende of Shivajinagar police station, but she refused to share any further details about the case. When asked about the incident, Rubal Agarwal, additional commissioner of Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) asked for the questions to be directed towards the management of the hospital and not her. An official from the administration of the hospital, requesting anonymity, said, The services of the two doctors have been terminated and the complainant has also requested for her services to be put on hold. We will speak with her at length on Monday and understand the situation better. They were friends who lived in the same hotel, worked similar hours, and ate at the same canteen. These all are young 24-25 year old doctors. The doctors were from a local private hospital and were employed at the Jumbo facility on the payroll of Best Services, according to the official. Two doctors were terminated yesterday (Saturday) immediately after we learned about the incident. An internal inquiry has been initiated in the case. We have spoken to the Dean. We have spoken to their colleagues as well. We will know more in a couple of days about the real culprits, said Tejinder Singh, managing director, Best Services. Senior Madhya Pradesh cop beats wife; Relieved of duties after viral video India oi-Deepika S Bhopal, Sep 28: Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Monday said a senior state IPS officer has been relieved of duties, after a video showing him assaulting his wife went viral on social media. In the video, Madhya Pradesh Director General of Police (Prosecution) Purushottam Sharma is seen thrashing his wife, while the latter is seen resisting the assault. "The officer has been relieved of his duties. Action will be taken against anyone who holds a responsible position, but indulges in illegal activities and taking law into his hands," the chief minister said. There is no official confirmation to reports that the IPS officer was caught red-handed by his wife of 32 years at a woman's house, after which he assaulted her. Sharma's son Parth, a deputy commissioner in the Income Tax Department, sent the video to state Home Minister Narottam Mishra and some senior bureaucrats, and requested that a complaint be registered against his father. Young woman approaches Bhopal court after her father 'cheats' in a game of Ludo Sharma, who has been married for 32 years, told PTI that if he has done anything wrong, then his son should say why was his mother living with him for so long. Amrinder Singh joins farmers' protest, says 'Pakistan's ISI may take advantage' | Oneindia News "My son should say why was she taking money (from me) since 1215 years and going on foreign trips. After enjoying so much comfort in life, she has an obligation towards her family, to save its reputation," Sharma said. Party General Secretary and President Nguyen Phu Trong speaks at the 11th Party Congress of the Vietnam Peoples Army (Photo: VNA) Party General Secretary and President Nguyen Phu Trong, who is the Secretary of the Central Military Commission, attended and delivered a speech at the event which has drawn 450 delegates representing over 26,000 Party members in the VPA. The congress was also attended by Politburo members including Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan, Party Central Committee members; along with a number of former Party, State and NA leaders. Opening the congress, General Ngo Xuan Lich, Politubro member, Deputy Secretary of the Central Military Commission and Defence Minister, said that all tasks and goals set in the resolution of the 10th VPA Party Congress have been completed or overfulfilled. The Party organization of the VPA has maintained its purity and strength while upholding its leadership over all aspects of the armed forces, he said. Amidst the complicated developments in the regional and world situation, all officers and soldiers have stayed united with high consensus, demonstrated absolute loyalty to the Party, State and people, and stayed ready to receive and complete all assigned missions, firmly safeguarded the national independence, sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity as well as a peaceful and stable environment for the national construction and development, said Gen. Lich. He noted that the 11th Party Congress of the VPA is an important event, at which participants will review the five-year implementation of the resolution issued in the previous congress, while sketching out orientations, goals and tasks to conduct defence-military tasks and Party building in the next five years. They will also assess the performance of leaders of the 10th Central Military Commission, while giving opinions on important draft documents of the 13th National Party Congress and select delegates to the 13th National Party Congress. In the morning session, delegates listened to a political report of the Central Military Commission in the 2015-2020 period delivered by General Luong Cuong, Secretary of the Party Central Committee and member of the Standing Board of the Central Military Commission and Chairman of the General Department of Politics, before discussing the report./. Covid-19 case detected by rapid swab test at Milan Linate airport. A traveller who was scheduled to board Alitalia's Covid-Free flight from Milan Linate to Rome at 10.00 on 28 September tested positive for covid-19 after taking the airport's rapid swab test, reports Italian news agency ANSA. The passenger, who had arrived in time to undergo the test before his flight to Fiumicino in the capital, was found to be asymptomatic and sent home to isolate. Passengers on the Covid-Free flights between Rome and Milan can only board if they test negative for covid-19, either availing of the airport's free swab test - which offers results in 30 minutes - or showing certified proof that they have tested negative following a swab test within the previous 72 hours. The experimental scheme which affects two of Alitalia's seven daily flights between the two cities, was introduced on 16 September and is active until 16 October, in an attempt to kick-start an aviation industry left reeling by the coronavirus crisis. Photo ANSA TAIPEI, Sept 28, 2020 - (Media OutReach) - The Tang Prize Foundation joined forces with Taiwan's National Taiwan University, National Tsing Hua University, National Cheng Kung University, National Chengchi University, the Experimental Biology of the US, Association for Asian Studies, and the Jane Goodall Institute to stage four Tang Prize Masters' Forums on sustainable development, biopharmaceutical science, Sinology and the rule of law on September 21 and 22. Latest and former Tang Prize recipients, together with leading experts in Taiwan, conversed with one another and interacted with audiences via videoconferencing to explore issues concerning ecological conservation, climate change, autoimmune diseases, treatments for COVID-19, identity crisis facing the Chinese overseas, the value of Chinese studies, a pluralist approach to Sinology, as well as human rights and environmental justice. Two days and four edifying conferences saw the laureates offering great insight without reservation, and the audiences asking thought-provoking questions without hesitation. The forum videos are available at https://reurl.cc/yg6Rv8.To kick start the whole series, the first forum on the rule of law, titled "Exploring the Role of Non-Governmental Organizations in the Contemporary Civil Society," featured three 2020 awardees, based in Bangladesh, Colombia, and Lebanon respectively, former Tang Prize laureates, as well as representatives of NGOs and advocates of social and environmental justice from Taiwan, who got together to shed light on NGOs' responsibilities and challenges, helping the audience examine this topic from the perspectives of people living in different parts of the world. While the latest winners, to fulfil NGOs' duties, have all vowed to stand up for ordinary people, advocate necessary political reform, defend environmental justice and improve judicial independence, they also expressed concerns about common obstacles many NGOs encounter, such as shortage of funding and governments' attempts to curtail their capacity.At the second forum, titled "Ecological Conservation and Sustainable Development of Human Society: the Impact of COVID-19," past and present recipients of the Tang Prize in Sustainable Development reminded us that though the pandemic "can affect rich or poor alike, it's having a more profound effect on the poor." Unfortunately, we have ourselves to blame for the current health crisis because we disrespected the natural world. Should we continue down this path and disregard the fact that "climate change increases the range of pathogens and the threat of infectious disease," it is very likely that disasters like COVID-19 will occur again. Moreover, we should not ignore the painful reality that the wealthiest 1 billion people are accountable for more than 50 percent of climate pollution, but it is the poorest 3 billion who have borne the brunt of climate disruption. These laureates urged us to recognize the importance of global interdependence and to see protecting our Mother Earth as our collective responsibility. Failing to tackle these problems collaboratively could mean "more global warming in the pipeline."Titled "Targeting the Hyperactive Immune System, from Autoimmune Disease to Cytokine Storms," the forum on biopharmaceutical science was the third one in this series. In response to a pandemic that shows no sign of abating, Tang Prize recipients not only shared information about the ongoing clinical trials but also offered opinions about possible combination therapies for COVID-19. On the topic of how to regulate the immune system, the speakers stressed the importance of biological individuality, while comparing the delicate balance between releasing and inhibiting our immune cells to that between yin and yang to illustrate the point that the optimal results of cancer treatment can be obtained only when this balance is achieved. Asked to give some advice to young students sitting in the auditorium, all the laureates encouraged them to commit themselves to basic research and to stick to the project they choose. Don't be deterred by setbacks and don't give up easily, because they never know what nature has in store for them.The final forum, "The High Road to Pluralist Sinology," began with a speech from Prof. Wang Gungwu, the latest laureate in Sinology and doyen of Chinese overseas studies, in which he systematically analyzed the development of Sinology and elaborated on how it has always intertwined with the conflicts between Eastern and Western civilizations and with the vicissitudes of modern China. As a subject, Sinology was not only enriched by the various cultural and political forces it was exposed to but also nourished by ideas of different academic disciplines that were incorporated into it, especially the methodologies used in social science. However, Prof. Wang alerted contemporary scholars to the sensitive and difficult tasks they will be engaged in on this high road to pluralist Sinology. To take on these challenges, he asserted, "remains an unshirkable responsibility" for them.The Tang Prize Foundation endeavors to make the world a better place and to foster universal values for a new era. To accomplish this mission, the Foundation organized these forums and invited its laurates to share their inspiring stories and their deep wisdom, in the hope that at the time when COVID-19 continues to rage across the globe and plunged every aspect of our life into chaos, be it social, economic or environmental, the advice offered by these masters can help people develop inter-disciplinary thinking and forward-looking vision so as to overcome the present difficulties together.About Tang PrizeDr. Samuel Yin, chairman of Ruentex Group, founded the Tang Prize in December of 2012 as an extension of the supreme value his family placed on education. Harkening back to the golden age of the Tang Dynasty in Chinese history, the Tang Prize seeks to be an inspiring force for people working in all corners of the world. For more information on the Tang Prize and its laureates, please visit www.tang-prize.orgSource: Tang Prize FoundationCopyright 2020 ACN Newswire . All rights reserved. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- As the New York City school year gets underway amid the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, families are scrambling with remote classrooms and more -- all while juggling work and daily responsibilities. For Jessica Caserta, a single mother of six children, the first few days of remote learning has been both challenging and hectic. Comedian Chris Rock appears to be back on the dating scene. The actor was seen enjoying an al fresco dinner date with actress Carmen Ejogo in the West Village neighborhood of New York City on Saturday evening. The 55-year-old SNL vet and the 46-year-old Avengers actress seemed to be hitting it off as they indulged in animated conversation over white wine while hardly taking their eyes off each other. Getting close: Chris Rock appears to be back on the dating scene. The actor was seen enjoying a dinner date with actress Carmen Ejogo in the West Village of New York on Saturday They have a connection: The 55-year-old SNL vet and the 46-year-old Avengers actress seem to be hitting off At one point the two leaned in close to each other as they held hands. She wore a casual white top and loose black pants for the occasion while Chis kept it casual as well in green cargo pants and a black T-shirt. This is the first time the lovebirds have been photographed together. Rock split from actress Megalyn Echikunwoke in March of this year after dating for four years. And in 2014 he separated from wife of four years Malaak Compton-Rock; their divorce was finalized in 2016. Can't keep my eyes off of you: They indulge in animated conversation over white wine while hardly taking their eyes off each other Pretty lady: Carmen wore her hair down with light makeup on as she sat at the small wood table I like you! At one point the two leaned in close to each other as they held hands The Kensington native was married to Tricky in 1998 and she was wed to actor Jeffrey Wright from 2000 to 2014 after meeting on the set of Boycott. Their children are Juno and Elijah Wright. She began her career as host of the Saturday Disney morning show from 1993 to 1995. Carmen is best known for her work on The Avengers, Love's Labour's Lost and What's the Worst That Could Happen. Her last big hit was True Detective and her next project is Your Honor. This comes just a week after he said he had been diagnosed with nonverbal learning disorder. Dressed down: She wore a casual white top and loose black pants for the occasion while Chis kept it casual as well in green cargo pants and a black T-shirt The early days of a new romance for the two? This is the first time the lovebirds have been photographed together The comedian has revealed to The Hollywood Reporter that he struggles to understand non-verbal signals made in conversations, which he says is great for comedy and writing jokes but not more 'one-on-one relationships'. 'And all I understand are the words. By the way, all of those things are really great for writing jokes - they're just not great for one-on-one relationships. And I'd always just chalked it up to being famous,' said the funny man, adding he has seven hours of therapy a week. 'Any time someone would respond to me in a negative way, I'd think, 'Whatever, they're responding to something that has to do with who they think I am.' Now, I'm realizing it was me. A lot of it was me.' He has been in therapy to learn how to communicate: This comes just a week after he said he had been diagnosed with nonverbal learning disorder His struggle: The comedian has revealed he struggles to understand non-verbal signals made in conversations, which he says is great for comedy and writing jokes but not more 'one-on-one relationships' Rock underwent 'nine hours of tests' to uncover his Non-Verbal Learning Disorder (NVLD). He had to sit through 'a battery of tests' before doctors could confidently diagnose him. He said: '[I took] a battery of tests, like nine hours of tests. They came back and said, "You don't have Asperger's, but you have something very close to it, and it's called NVLD, Non-Verbal Learning Disorder." 'One of the things is, I have a hard time picking up social cues. Like when I talk to people, I hear the words, but if you're mad at me, if you're feeling a certain way, I might have a hard time picking that up.' A lovely lady in lavender: Ejogo attends the premiere of Fantastic Beasts And Where to Find Them in New York in 2016 On screen: Here the star is seen in character for Fantastic Beasts And Where to Find Them Chris also explained that receiving the diagnosis has helped him 'relax', as he used to suffer with anxiety because he knew something was wrong with him but couldn't pinpoint what it was. Speaking during an appearance on The View, he added: 'I used to have a squirrel-like energy you can't sneak up on a squirrel, it's always alert, he's scared all the time. And that's gone. I'm much more relaxed now.' Chris also admitted to HR he has never really 'dealt' with his childhood trauma. He added: 'I'm not belittling today's youth, but I wish somebody had sent me a bad text when I was a kid. These m************ were trying to kill me ... I thought I was actually dealing with it, and the reality is I never dealt with it. 'The reality was the pain and the fear that brought me, I was experiencing it every day.' Chris has also been learning to swim during lockdown. Hard for him: The star said the disorder was 'great for writing jokes - they're just not great for one-on-one relationships'; seen in 2019 with Megalyn Echikunwoke whom he split with earlier this year His former wife: In 2014 he split from wife of four years Malaak Compton-Rock; their divorce was finalized in 2016. Seen in 2010 He shared: 'Do you know how f****** hard it is for a grown-up to learn how to swim? You've got to not be scared to die. 'The other day, this guy says to me, 'OK, you're going to dive into the deep end and swim to the other side,' and I'm like, 'Are you f****** crazy? 'But then I dove into the deep end and I swam to the other side, and it's a metaphor for what I've been trying to do during this time.' With COVID-19 cases witnessinga spike in Kerala over the past few weeks, the Left government has decided to impose strict restrictions on gatherings besides taking action against shop owners who fail to implement the health protocol, including socialdistancing. After reporting over 7,000 fresh COVID-19 cases for two consecutive days, Kerala on Monday reported 4,538 new positive cases taking the infection count in the state to 1,78,922 andcurrently, there are 57,879 patients under treatment in the state. "COVID-19 is rapidly spreading in our State and we had a record increase in the number of new cases in the last week.The situation is serious as the positive cases in the state are seen doubling on an average of every 20 days. We have held a high-level meeting of officials today to discuss the situation," Chief Minister told the media here. He said strict action will be taken against those not following social distancing. "Wearing masks is mandatory and those who dont wear masks in public will be strictly penalised. Shop owners will have to ensure they comply with the COVID-19 health protocol and action will be taken against shop owners also if norms are violated. The restrictions of 50 people for marriage functions and 20 for funerals should be strictly followed," the chief minister said. Vijayan also said gazetted officers in government service will be assigned with special powers to help in supervising Covid related work in all local bodies. "An all-party meeting will be held tomorrow to discuss the current situation in the State, and also to request their cooperation and support in containing the outbreak. I cannot predict the outcome of tomorrow's meeting today," Vijayan said when asked whether a lockdown will be imposed in the state. Further decisions on curbs will be taken after the meeting, he added. On Sunday, health minister K K Shailaja had said it would be difficult for the state to impose a complete shutdown in the state as it will affect the livelihood of the people. She, however, said "if the situation becomes worse like thatof the USA or Brazil, and thousands lose their life, then we will haveno other option." The minister also warned youngsters to be more careful as 28 per cent of deaths reported in the state was under60 years. Vijayan today said the case per million in Kerala has gone up to 5,143 whereas the average is 5,852. "However, we have managed to controlthe case fatality rate in the state.The average is 1.6 per cent but in Kerala it's 0.4 per cent.This is because of the better healthcare facility and care in the state. As the number of cases are increasing, the fatalities are also rising.In order to control the number of deaths, we need to control the spread of the virus," Vijayan said. The Opposition Congress-led United Democratic Front on Monday declared that owing to the rise in the number of COVID-19 cases in the state, it has halted mass protests, which Kerala has been witnessing for the past few weeks, against the Left government. The chief minister had earlier lashed out at the Opposition for organising "irresponsible" protests violating all COVID-19 health protocol. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) She said she had never heard of some of the practices the former members detailed to the AP, such as micromanaging finances or handing over paychecks. She grew emotional when she recounted the sacrifices people in the group make for each other as part of their covenant, like the case of a man known for helping his fellow members move, who was in turn cared for by group members as he died. Light propagates through the atomic cloud shown in the center and then falls onto the SiN membrane shown on the left. As a result of interaction with light the precession of atomic spins and vibration of the membrane become quantum correlated. This is the essence of entanglement between the atoms and the membrane. Credit: Niels Bohr Institute A team of researchers at the Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen, have succeeded in entangling two very different quantum objects. The result has several potential applications in ultra-precise sensing and quantum communication and is now published in Nature Physics. Entanglement is the basis for quantum communication and quantum sensing. It can be understood as a quantum link between two objects which makes them behave as a single quantum object. Researchers succeeded in making entanglement between a mechanical oscillatora vibrating dielectric membraneand a cloud of atoms, each acting as a tiny magnet, or what physicists call "spin." These very different entities were possible to entangle by connecting them with photons, particles of light. Atoms can be useful in processing quantum information and the membraneor mechanical quantum systems in generalcan be useful for storage of quantum information. Professor Eugene Polzik, who led the effort, states that: "With this new technique, we are on route to pushing the boundaries of the possibilities of entanglement. The bigger the objects, the further apart they are, the more disparate they are, the more interesting entanglement becomes from both fundamental and applied perspectives. With the new result, entanglement between very different objects has become possible." To understand entanglement, sticking to the example of spins entangled with a mechanical membrane, imagine the position of the vibrating membrane and the tilt of the total spin of all atoms, akin to a spinning top. If both objects move randomly, but if observed moving right or left at the same time, that is called a correlation. Such correlated motion is normally limited to the so-called zero-point motionthe residual, uncorrelated motion of all matter that occurs even at absolute zero temperature. This limits knowledge about any of the systems. In their experiment, Eugene Polzik's team entangled the systems, which means that they move in a correlated way with a precision better than the zero-point motion. "Quantum mechanics is like a double-edged swordit gives us wonderful new technologies, but also limits precision of measurements which would seem just easy from a classical point of view," says a team member, Micha Parniak. Entangled systems can remain perfectly correlated even if they are at a distance from each othera feature that has puzzled researchers from the very birth of quantum mechanics more than 100 years ago. Ph.D. student Christoffer stfeldt explains further: "Imagine the different ways of realizing quantum states as a kind of zoo of different realities or situations with very different qualities and potentials. If, for example, we wish to build a device of some sort, in order to exploit the different qualities they all possess and in which they perform different functions and solve a different task, it will be necessary to invent a language they are all able to speak. The quantum states need to be able to communicate, for us to use the full potential of the device. That's what this entanglement between two elements in the zoo has shown we are now capable of." A specific example of perspectives of entangling different quantum objects is quantum sensing. Different objects possess sensitivity to different external forces. For example, mechanical oscillators are used as accelerometers and force sensors, whereas atomic spins are used in magnetometers. When only one of the two different entangled objects is subject to external perturbation, entanglement allows it to be measured with a sensitivity not limited by the object's zero-point fluctuations. There is a fairly immediate possibility for application of the technique in sensing both for tiny oscillators and big ones. One of the biggest scientific pieces of news in recent years was the first detection of gravity waves, made by the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO). LIGO senses and measures extremely faint waves caused by astronomical events in deep space, such as black hole mergers or neutron star mergers. The waves can be observed because they shake the mirrors of the interferometer. But even LIGO's sensitivity is limited by quantum mechanics because the mirrors of the laser interferometer are also shaken by the zero-point fluctuations. Those fluctuations lead to noise preventing observation of the tiny motion of the mirrors caused by gravitational waves. It is, in principle, possible to generate entanglement of the LIGO mirrors with an atomic cloud and thus cancel the zero-point noise of the mirrors in the same way as it does for the membrane noise in the present experiment. The perfect correlation between the mirrors and the atomic spins due to their entanglement can be used in such sensors to virtually erase uncertainty. It simply requires taking information from one system and applying the knowledge to the other. In such a way, one could learn both about the position and the momentum of LIGO's mirrors at the same time, entering a so-called quantum-mechanics-free subspace and taking a step towards limitless precision of measurements of motion. A model experiment demonstrating this principle is on the way at Eugene Polzik's laboratory. Explore further Squeezed light makes Virgo's mirrors jitter More information: Rodrigo A. Thomas et al. Entanglement between distant macroscopic mechanical and spin systems, Nature Physics (2020). Journal information: Nature Physics Rodrigo A. Thomas et al. Entanglement between distant macroscopic mechanical and spin systems,(2020). DOI: 10.1038/s41567-020-1031-5 Monday, September 28, 2020 Is racism in the DNA of white people, and is it a permanent part of American society? Critical race theorists argue that American society is structured to give white people undeserved advantages over people of color. They say people who look like me (Black) are victims. We are supposedly powerless to free ourselves from systemic racism, institutional structures, and cultural stereotypes that keep us in bondage. Systemic racism permeates every facet of our lives, including institutions and laws. The only hope is for whites to become woke, or conscious, of their racism and commit themselves to becoming antiracist. So, where did we get these ideas that now undergird the diversity, equity, and inclusion industry that rests on top of existing affirmative action programs that have been around since the mid-1960s? Critical race theory is a derivative of German Philosopher Max Horkheimers critical theory. Critical theory has both broad and narrow meanings depending on whether the discussion is about philosophy or the history of the social sciences. The critical race theory impacting our lives comes from cultural Marxism, which developed as a theory to explain the failure of Karl Marxs economic Marxism. Economic Marxism predicted an uprising of oppressed workers, known as the proletariat, who would overthrow the bourgeois owners of the modes of production. They would then establish a socialist system in which the government owned the means of production. Socialism would create a utopian and egalitarian society where individuals would thrive. Eventually, socialism would be replaced by communism, and the state would eventually wither away. According to Engels, the withering away of the state happens like this: When at last it becomes the real representative of the whole society, it renders itself unnecessary. As soon as there is no longer any social class to be held in subjection, as soon as class rule, and the individual struggle for existence based upon our present anarchy in production are removed, nothing more remains to be repressed, and a special repressive force, a state, is no-longer necessary. Antonio Gramsis concept of cultural hegemony and Horkheimers critical theory have provided the ideological underpinnings for the destruction of western civilization and its contributions to the world. This destructive worldview has characterized Christianity, the traditional family, the rule of law, norms about sexual restraint, and law and order as sources of oppression and cultural domination. Critical race theory, our topic, is much like Marxs class warfare between workers and owners. It divides society along racial lines, where whites are the oppressors and people of color the oppressed victims. A corollary to critical race theory is Intersectionality. This says there are multiple overlapping sources of oppression that make racial and ethnic minorities, gays and lesbians, and economically disadvantaged groups more susceptible to discrimination. Legal scholars Derrick Bell, Kimberle Crenshaw, and Richard Delgado developed critical race theory. To understand this theory, it is helpful to look at how it operates and creates its own truth. We have already mentioned its assumption that racism is a permanent part of our society affecting political, social, and economic structures. Whiteness is viewed as property that carries with it a right of possession, exclusion, and right of use. White people, these theorists claim, can redeem themselves by admitting their own racism and divesting themselves of their whiteness. Additionally, whites can divest themselves by becoming consciously anti-racist. This means that they must actively search for and combat real and perceived manifestations of white privilege or white racism expressed by other whites. There are no objective truths or scientific facts that cannot be refuted by the personal narratives of a person of color, whose lived experiences as part of a marginalized group has more moral authority and weight than any protests or statements of members of the dominant culture. In this sense, whites simply dont have a voice. According to the Oxford reference, the dominant culture is one whose values, language, and ways of behaving are imposed on a subordinate culture or cultures through economic or political power. Critical race theory rejects classical liberalism and the ideal of a colorblind society or a neutrality in law. It argues that white people passed civil rights laws to benefit themselves and that any changes supposedly to benefit minorities only happens if there is an interest convergence that benefits whites. The tactics of critical race theorists include shaming, destruction of property, violence, and denial of science and facts in favor of emotional outbreaks and chaos. Today we see this played out most prominently in the actions of groups such as Black Lives Matter and Antifa, which are filled with ruthless social justice warriors. Critical race theory, once confined mostly to university campuses, has departed from the campuses and been embedded into corporations; governmental agencies at the state, local, and federal levels; churches; and other institutions. It is a sociological pandemic aimed at disrupting America. This is not good for our society. It is a departure from principled constitutional and statutory protections that have long been a part of Americas system of justice. Attacking whites because of their skin color is a violation of the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment and the language and nondiscrimination intent of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Destruction of public property and the harassment and shaming of white people because of their skin color should be offensive to all Americans. If America is to be America, we must return to our national motto e pluribus Unum (out of many, one). We should not allow failed Marxist/Communist theories that have resulted in the deaths of millions of people worldwide to destroy America, even if it is disguised as a noble pursuit of social justice. What we need is justice for all and a return to our nations Judeo-Christian roots. Article published on The Tennessee Star Report Continue Reading A display for facial recognition and artificial intelligence is seen on monitors at Huawei's Bantian campus in Shenzhen, China, on April 26, 2019. (Kevin Frayer/Getty Images) Leaked Documents Show How Chinese Regime Monitors Dissidents With Facial Recognition Tech In mainland China, facial recognition-enhanced surveillance cameras and other equipment are ubiquitous in cities and towns. The technology is installed inside stores, cafeterias, and banks for making payments or to access office buildings and airports. Internal Chinese government documents have revealed more details about authorities plans to monitor citizens on a large scaleincluding dissidents. The Epoch Times obtained documents issued by the work leadership group for public security video monitoring construction and networking in Liuhe district, Nanjing city, Jiangsu Province. In 2017, the government of Nanjing city implemented facial recognition technology to initiate three defenses, meaning high-resolution surveillance cameras would be installed near province- and city-level highways; district-level roads; and core governmental zones, transportation hubs, hospitals, squares, and communities. Pedestrians should be videotaped every 10, 20, and 30 minutes, according to the document. Implementation Plan of Upgrading Security Video Technology and Protection Management, Liuhe District, Nanjing City, 2017. Provided to The Epoch Times In its implementation plan, the claim of public security technology and protection management is actually meant to slate out a nation-wide monitoring system for the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). In July 2020, the police in Wuhai city, Inner Mongolia, released a summary report of achievements they made in the local Sharp Eyes projecta surveillance program targeted at rural areas covering counties, towns, and villages. The initiative was first conceived in 2008 in a Chinese Communist Party document on plans to revive the countryside. As with the 20 million Skynet cameras that are already in place throughout Chinas urban areas, the Sharp Eyes Project is pegged as a public safety measure to help fight crime more effectively. According to the report, the project successfully recognized 1,158 photos of various local key targets. The system identified more than 60 targets for its local Domestic Security and more than 10 people accused of crimes. Chinas Domestic Security Bureau offices make up a secret police force tasked with neutralizing individuals that the Communist Party deems to be political threats. Wuhai police summary report about the local Sharp Eyes Project, July, 2020. (Provided to The Epoch Times) Such key targets are typically dissidents, such as petitioners who seek to address their complaints to authorities, religious minorities, and rights activists. In a Jan. 14, 2019 report by Bitter Winter, a magazine on religious liberty and human rights in China, locals in Xian city, Shaanxi Province said: The CCP is already monitoring us in our homes, what privacy do we have left? Its like weve all got ropes around our necks and are being led on leashes. Were all living under a microscope, and its terrifying. 13 ways you can pay less taxes, too According to a New York Times bombshell, President Donald Trump paid just $750 in federal income taxes in both 2016 and 2017, and paid the IRS no income tax in 10 of the previous 15 years. "FAKE NEWS!" the president tweeted early Monday morning, hours after the news broke. But during a debate with Hillary Clinton in 2016, Trump didn't deny paying no federal income tax some years. He said that made him "smart." You may not be able to reduce your tax bill to $0, but chances are there are steps you can take to pay less taxes, without running the risk you'll be audited. Here are some of the easiest ways you can cut your tax bill, for 2020 and for many years to come. 1. Contribute to a 401(k), 403(b) or 457 retirement plan designer491 / Shutterstock A great way to start saving on your taxes is to make contributions to a pretax retirement account through work, like a 401(k), a 403(b) or a 457 plan. Putting money into one of those accounts will help reduce your taxable income which will then reduce the amount owed to the IRS. For 2020, the maximum contribution limit for the plans is $19,500, and anyone 50 or older can make an additional catch-up contribution of $6,500. Employers typically sponsor 401(k), 403(b), and 457 plans, but if youre self-employed you can open your own 401(k) with even higher contribution limits. For 2020, you can put in $57,000 if you're under 50, and $63,500 if you're 50 or older. Need help with your retirement strategy? It's easier than ever to get financial planning advice, which is even available online now. 2. Contribute to an IRA Making contributions to an individual retirement account (IRA) is another good option if you want to reduce the amount you pay in taxes. There are two main types of IRAs: traditional IRAs and Roth IRAs. Contributions to traditional IRAs are tax-deductible if you meet certain criteria. You need to be earning income, which can include rental income but not investment income. And, there are limits on what you can contribute and deduct: $6,000 if you're younger than 50, $7,000 if you're 50 or older. Those are the limits for the 2020 tax year. Story continues If you have a 401(k) or other retirement plan through work, you may not be eligible to deduct contributions to a traditional IRA if your income tops IRS thresholds. Roth IRA contributions are not tax-deductible, but if youre 59 or older, withdrawals from those accounts are tax-free. If you don't have an IRA, there's an app that makes starting one a cinch using just your spare change. 3. See if youre eligible for the earned income tax credit Kzenon / Shutterstock The earned income tax credit (EITC) is a benefit for working families and individuals who earn a low to moderate annual income, usually between $41,000 and $56,000. If you qualify, you could save thousands of dollars this tax season, depending on your marital status and how many kids you have. For the 2020 tax year that is, the taxes you'll pay in 2021 the maximum amount of the credit is: $6,660 with three or more qualifying children. $5,920 with two qualifying children. $3,584 with one qualifying child. $538 with no qualifying children. The earned income tax credit is what's known as a refundable tax credit, and the larger your family, the more money youll get back. You might even score a refund that exceeds what you paid in taxes. If youve got a big family, the EITC is definitely worth looking into. 4. Take out a mortgage Buying a home is a monumental life decision, but if youve been thinking about taking the plunge into homeownership by taking out a mortgage, it might help you save a bundle on your taxes. If you itemize deductions, both mortgage interest and property taxes can be written off, and interest on home equity loans or lines of credit also can be deducted if the loan is used to acquire or improve your home. You can deduct all of the interest you pay on a mortgage of up to $750,000, or up to $375,000 if youre married and file separately from your spouse. Its also possible to deduct up to $10,000 of your state and local taxes, including property tax. That limit decreases to $5,000 for married couples who file separately. 5. Leverage your student loan Jacob Lund / Shutterstock Still paying off student loans? You might be able to leverage that debt into tax savings. You can deduct up to $2,500 in interest paid on student loans each year, as long as you earn less than $70,000. If your modified adjusted gross income (your taxable income with some deductions added back) is between $70,000 and $85,000 or $140,000 and $170,000 if you file jointly with your spouse you're currently eligible for just a partial deduction. If your modified adjusted gross income exceeds $85,000 for a single return or $170,000 for a joint return, or if youre married and you and your spouse file separately no matter your income you wont be able to claim any student loan deduction. 6. Save for your kids' (or your own) college tuition Putting away money for your kids' tuition is not only a smart parenting move, but it also can help you get a decent tax break if you do it through a 529 college savings plan. While you cant deduct 529 contributions on your federal income taxes, money put into a state-sponsored 529 plan may be deductible from your state taxes, depending on where you live. More than 30 states currently allow deductions for 529 contributions, so check out this handy map to see if yours is one of them. Even if you dont have kids of your own, you can open a 529 plan for a grandchild, niece or nephew, or even a family friend. You also can open a 529 for yourself if you think you might want to go back to school at some point. 7. Write off medical expenses takasu / Shutterstock If you had any major medical expenses in the past year, you may be able to turn them into savings on your taxes. Any qualified medical or dental expenses that are more than 7.5% of your adjusted gross income for the 2020 tax year can be deducted. That means if you have $50,000 in taxable income this year, then anything beyond $3,750 in qualified medical expenses is deductible. So if you have $10,000 in unreimbursed health care costs, you'll be able to write off $6,250 of that. In order to claim this deduction youll need to itemize, and it may not make sense to do so if your itemized deductions add up to less than the standard deduction which is much larger than it used to be. If you buy your own health insurance and are used to dealing with hefty out-of-pocket costs, it may be time to shop for a new plan. 8. Add to a flexible spending account If your employer offers a flexible spending account (FSA) as part of your benefits package, contributing to it can help save some money on your taxes. A FSA is a special tax-free account you can put money into to cover out-of-pocket health care expenses things like prescription medications, medical supplies, or care for a disabled relative. The money you put into an FSA is taken out of your paycheck pretax, which lowers your taxable income and your tax bill. The contribution limit is $2,750 for the 2020 tax year. Although many FSAs are structured so you lose unspent funds at the end of the year, some employers may let you carry over up to $500 to the following year. Its a good idea to look into what your companys FSA policy before deciding how much to contribute. 9. Add to a health savings account Michail Petrov / Shutterstock Making contributions to a health savings account (HSA) is an easy way to reduce your taxable income if your employer offers a health plan with a high deductible. HSAs are tax-exempt accounts that can be used to pay health care expenses. As long as your medical expenses qualify, your HSA contributions are tax-deductible, and withdrawals from your account are tax-free. If your company health plan has a deductible of $1,400 or more for an individual or $2,800 or more for a family, youre likely eligible to contribute to a health savings account. For 2020 you can contribute up to $3,550 to a self-only HSA, and $7,100 to a family account. 10. Keep your donation receipts Chances are good that if you made a donation to an IRS-recognized charity in the past year, you can claim it on your taxes so make sure to save those receipts. Donations of cash, checks, payroll deductions, and clothing and other goods all are deductible. For cash donations under $250, youll need a bank record such as a canceled check or a credit card statement showing the charitys name, the date, and the amount you contributed. Cash donations of $250 or more will require a written acknowledgment from the organization that includes its name, the amount contributed, and a confirmation that you received no goods or services in exchange for your gift. Property donations valued at less than $250 require a receipt, and those donations valued at more than $250 require a written acknowledgment from the organization. If your property donation is worth more than $5,000, youll need both a written acknowledgment from the organization and an appraisal of the item. 11. Take advantage of self-employment deductions Vasin Lee / Shutterstock If youre self-employed or have a side hustle in addition to your regular job, you'll want to explore the many tax benefits available when you work for yourself. Perhaps the biggest is the home office deduction, which allows you to write off the percentage of your living space you use to operate your business. In 2013 the IRS instituted a simplified option for claiming the home office deduction: You can deduct $5 for every square foot of your home that you use for business, up to a maximum of 300 square feet. Other things you may be eligible to deduct if youre self-employed include internet charges, website fees, office supplies, and business-related travel expenses. Note that if youre self-employed, you must pay Social Security and Medicare taxes of 15.3% on your net earnings up to $137,700 in 2020. But you can deduct half of your Social Security tax on your 1040 form. 12. Choose whether to deduct state sales taxes or state income taxes You can deduct state and local sales taxes or you can deduct state and local income taxes but you cant deduct both. Depending on which state you live in, the choice may be an easy one. If you reside in one of the nine states without an income tax, then youre obviously going to take a state sales tax deduction. Likewise, if you live in one of the five states that dont have a statewide sales tax Alaska, Delaware, Montana, New Hampshire, and Oregon youll no doubt be deducting your state income tax. But if your home state has both sales taxes and income taxes, youll need to calculate which one makes the most sense to deduct. Youll probably want to take the sales tax deduction if you made big purchases over the last year. But if you got a new job or big raise that pushed you into a higher tax bracket, the income tax deduction is likely a better bet. The deduction you picked last year might not be the better choice now, so its worth taking time each tax season to decide which makes the most sense. 13. Get expert help with your taxes pattarawat / Shutterstock You have no shortage of opportunities to save money on your taxes. The best way to ensure that youre paying the lowest amount possible is to hire a tax expert. Some tax software providers, including H&R Block, can hook you up with a tax pro if you'd prefer to work with one. Especially if youre self-employed, a tax expert can help you navigate the complicated ins and outs of filing your taxes and identify any potential deductions you may be missing. Getting professional help with your taxes not only will save you the stress of doing them on your own, but it could save you a nice chunk of change. Who doesnt want that? India and China have recently decided to stop deploying more troops to the contested border to avoid any escalation in the tense situation there. But both nations are still not able to end the stalemate over the withdrawal of large numbers of troops they already deployed over the past four-and-a-half months since the border stand-off started. In an interview with Network18 Group Consulting Editor Praveen Swami, Dr Zhao Tong, a senior fellow in nuclear policy at the Carnegie-Tsinghua Centre, Beijing, of the Carnegie International Endowment for Peace, talks about the little-discussed nuclear-weapons dimensions of the Ladakh crisis. Dr Tong specialises in strategic security issues, including nuclear weapons policy, deterrence, missile defence, hypersonic weapons, and regional nuclear crises. Edited excerpts from the interview: Praveen Swami: So my first question to you Dr. Zhao is there is now an agreed five-point framework between the foreign ministers of the two countries for ending the crisis in Ladakh, or at least scaling down the crisis. There have been military-to-military talks on this subject. What is your feeling? Is this the end of the story, or are there elements of this crisis that will be with us for many years to come? Zhao Tong: I'm not very optimistic. I'm afraid this tension might continue into the foreseeable future, not least because of the domestic political environment in both countries. Both countries are ruled by strongmen, and they encourage nationalistic sentiment in their general public. In the Chinese case, President Xi Jinping openly promoted the fighting spirit to his party cadres, and his general public. It's really hard for Chinese military officers and civilian officials to make necessary conditions to really de-escalate and settle the dispute. So that's one concern. Listen | China wants to appear as the winner in the standoff with India, combined attack with Pakistan is not a possibility The other is there is generally a high level of self-confidence in China that China can sustain this highly costly military mobilisation in the border region. India is less capable of doing so. India is facing a huge pandemic; domestically, the situation is very bad. So if China maintains its position, India will have to concede on its own. And there is this view that China possesses an obvious military and economic superiority over India. So India is a good place where China could teach a lesson and show to the world that China has a strong political will to defend its legitimate national interest. It will set a good example for all other countries near China. So given all these domestic incentives, I think we are likely to see a very prolonged bilateral confrontation. Q: Now, a prolonged sort of confrontation between deployed forces of two nuclear powers like this is relatively rare. There's nothing really in the Cold War experience that teaches us how this might play out. In both capitals, though, there seems to be a great deal of confidence that even a limited conventional conflict will not escalate into a conflict where strategic weapons are used. In your view, is that confidence misplaced? Or is it correct? A: I think its misplaced. It's true that both countries understand that neither side has an interest to fight a serious all-out war or nuclear war. Both countries have no-first-use nuclear policy. But ironically, the confidence in their no-first-use and moderate nuclear policies also make them so confident that their nuclear deterrence, mutual deterrence relationship is so stable, that is it is safe to fight at the conventional level so that inadvertently encourages conventional level of military adventurism. And again, I think near the border region, Chinese traditional wisdom means it is impossible to have a huge large scale conventional war because the terrain is so tough, it's impossible to mobilise a huge number of troops. But I think with the improvements of military capabilities, the improvement of infrastructures, today, it has been proven the case that both countries can actually deploy large forces across the border. So the chances for a massive conventional war cannot be ruled out. And if indeed the two countries fight a conventional war, I think there are many pathways to a higher level of military conflict, many pathways to escalation, some intentional some inadvertent. And both countries, for example, possess dual-capable military assets. China has a nuclear theatre range missiles that are deployed near the border that have -- some of them are nuclear-capable some of them conventional capable and you may not be able to tell them apart by their external appearances, because they are based on the same model. So if India mistakenly takes out some of China's nuclear-capable missiles, how would China decide to respond conventionally or nuclear? So all these technical ambiguities also contribute to the risk of inadvertent escalation. And even if there is no nuclear escalation, if the two countries fighting high intensity, high casualty conventional war, I'm not sure that the political leaders in both countries would really absorb the casualties and decided to de-escalate. China used to believe that it can tolerate a high casualty, because that's the Chinese traditional thinking, but Chinese confidence has never been tested in a real crisis. And now as China becomes a more modernised country, people's living standards rise, I wonder if today Chinese political leadership can really tolerate a high casualty conflict without escalating further. The fact that China decided to conceal the number of its casualties of the June 15, Galwan Valley clash, I think, points to Chinese concern that a high casualty conflict would force Chinese leaders to further escalate, so they decided to conceal the number of casualties. Q: My final question, Dr. Zhao. We live in a continent where there are already four nuclear weapons powers that is, five if you count Israel, six, if you count Russia to be a part of Asia, and possibly a few more looming over the horizon; Japan, which is a screwdriver to twist away from nuclear capability, some say South Korea, maybe tomorrow even Iran or Saudi Arabia? How does the Chinese leadership understand a continent that is increasingly facing problems of nuclear proliferation? Is this perceived as a real threat for which action will be needed? Or is this something that contributes to stability as every country acquires deterrence and deters its neighbours from going to war? I think Chinese leaders are increasingly worried about proliferation risks in the world, and especially in the Asia-Pacific region. China long suspects that Japan has a hedging strategy by accumulating sensitive enrichment and reprocessing technologies so that it could assemble workable nuclear weapons very soon, if necessary, in the future. South Korea has some enrichment and reprocessing capabilities, even though not doing it at an industrial scale. And even countries like Australia are having domestic debates about whether they need indigenous nuclear weapons. And China is very much worried about the domino effect of additional countries acquiring nuclear weapons, and prompting other countries to consider more seriously about their nuclear weapons and so on and so forth. But I think China faces a dilemma, which is it doesn't have -- it faces other obstacles that make China unable to reduce the risks of proliferation by other countries. In the case of Northeast Asia, for example, China understands very well that North Korea's nuclear weapons are going to encourage South Korea and Japan to go nuclear. But China feels it cannot impose too much pressure on North Korea for various reasons. And China doesn't have the influence to really resolve and achieve complete denuclearisation of North Korea in a foreseeable future. And China doesn't know how it can reduce the threat perception of countries like Japan and Australia towards China. China feels you know, all these countries are paranoid, right? There's nothing wrong that China did that should make them be fearful of China. Its their own problem that caused them overly concerned about China. So it requires more self-reflection, I think for China to make effective measures aimed at reducing their concerns. But we need more international dialogue and exchanges to build better mutual understandings before that can happen. Q: I know you're a scholar, and politicians don't like listening to scholars. But if President Xi Jinping was to ask for your advice tomorrow, wouldn't you tell him as an expert that look with this degree of instability on Japan's eastern seaboard, with many countries now even scrambling to seek nuclear status potentially, surely a conflict with countries like India or on China's Southeast Asian -- Southern Southeast Asia rim actually contributes to Chinese vulnerability and that China would be well-placed seeking a diplomatic resolution rather than military confrontation? What would in your view be correct advice? A: I think that's exactly the risk that China is facing today, opening up too many fronts and fighting too many countries at the same time. But I think, in China, the view is -- it is not China that picked the fight. China is simply responding to provocations by other countries. In the Indian-China case, the Chinese experts community generally thinks that it's India that initiated the problem by making Kashmir part of Union Territory in August last year. And India military is basically adopting the salami-slicing tactics to gradually take over Chinese territory little by little. I think the problem here is there is not much news report about the situation on the border. The two countries, societies and the two countries expert communities are decoupling from each other in the sense that they listen to different news, and they don't absorb the same information. And therefore, of course, they develop very divergent understandings and perspectives, even on factual issues. So it's really urgent that we need to clarify the facts first, and try to develop a balanced understanding of facts and that requires more engagement, more communication, more balanced news reporting, et cetera. And I think that's the first step towards real de-escalation between the two countries border disputes. China took a major stride forward on climate last Tuesday. President Xi Jinping, addressing the annual meeting of the United Nations General Assembly, for the first time committed China to a hard target for future greenhouse gas emissions. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 28/9/2020 (481 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Opinion China took a major stride forward on climate last Tuesday. President Xi Jinping, addressing the annual meeting of the United Nations General Assembly, for the first time committed China to a hard target for future greenhouse gas emissions. By 2060, he promised, his country will be carbon neutral ("net-zero"). After that, China will put no more carbon dioxide gas into the atmosphere than it takes out. There was only scattered applause, because only one person per country could be in the General Assembly chamber due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the leaders sent recorded speeches. Still, China has never accepted a hard target of any kind in the past, so it was a welcome step. Xi also promised that Chinas CO2 emissions would actually stop rising by 2030, only 10 years from now. It was especially welcome after the bombast and abuse of U.S. President Donald Trumps speech. (Trump will pull the United States out of the global climate agreement on Nov. 4 if he wins the presidential election, and maybe even if he loses.) Yet joy over the news from China was hardly unconfined. Most world leaders understand that Xis promises, while long overdue, nevertheless mean the world will miss the goal of holding the rise in average global temperature to 1.5 C. That was the "aspirational" target agreed at the Paris climate summit in 2015, but it was never very likely in reality. Average global temperature is already +1.1 C higher, and to hold it to +1.5 C would have required the human race to start cutting its total emissions by seven per cent annually this year. In fact, emissions are still rising (not all Chinas fault), and theres no chance that they will start heading down soon (mostly Chinas fault). The United States is a mature industrial power with relatively high emissions (15 per cent of world emissions), but they are dropping slowly despite Trumps efforts to revive the coal industry. China is a rapidly industrializing country that already accounts for the largest share of global CO2 emissions (28 per cent), and it is still growing them rapidly. What Xis 2030 promise actually meant was that Chinas emissions will go on growing for another 10 years. So wave goodbye to the hope of holding the temperature rise to 1.5 C, and say hello to bigger storms, more wildfires, worse droughts, and killer heatwaves in some places. Thats now certain, but other possibilities include a largely ice-free Arctic Ocean in summer at least once in the next 10 years, and perhaps the irreversible destabilization of the West Antarctic ice sheet (major sea level rise). Xis other promise carbon neutral by 2060 is even worse news. "Net-zero by 2050" is the consensus long-term goal shared by every major country except the United States. Xi is moving Chinas goal-posts down by 10 years. That virtually guarantees that the world will also miss the goal of "well below +2 C." Going through +2 C higher average global temperature means that some tropical and sub-tropical areas will become lethally hot outdoors in the summertime for weeks at a time. Famines will spread, refugees will start to move by the millions, borders will slam shut, and wars become likely. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. A torrent of glacial meltwater may disrupt ocean currents like the Gulf Stream, causing abrupt climate changes on land as well. The floods and hurricanes, droughts and wildfires will intensify. And there is a risk, real but hard to quantify, that enough tipping points will be triggered to send the global climate off on a self-sustaining and irreversible transformation to a much hotter "new normal." Xi is not really the villain of the piece. He leads a regime whose only claims on the Chinese publics support are nationalism and rising living standards: the ideology is long dead. He knows that if living standards stall, nationalism alone may not be enough to save Communist rule, so he dares not slow the economic growth even to avoid a climate disaster. But every global leader faces the same dilemma to a greater or lesser extent, and thats why we are where we are. We understand the problem, we know how to fix it, but we cant make our political systems move fast enough. So the human race is heading for a very hard choice 10 or 15 years from now. It will be clear that we cannot cut our emissions enough in the remaining time to avoid going through +2 C. We will have to choose between risking a potentially irreversible calamity by staying on our present course, or making perhaps equally risky technological interventions in the atmosphere to hold the heat down temporarily while we continue to work on eliminating our emissions. Theoretical research on such technologies is already underway. As time goes on, you will be hearing a lot more about Stratospheric Aerosol Injection, Marine Cloud Brightening and the like. Gwynne Dyers latest book is Growing Pains: The Future of Democracy (and Work). Advertisement A businessman has taken on the ultimate renovation challenge after he purchased a Napoleonic fort in a bid to transform it into a party pad. Mike Conner, 48, snapped up Thorne Island near Milford Haven in Pembrokeshire, Wales, for 555,000 in May 2017. The island, which comes with its own 100-man fort, was originally constructed in the 1850s to protect the busy port of Milford Haven from French naval attacks. However, with it's days of battle behind it, Thorne Island and its fort had been left lying empty for 17 years before Conner bought them. Mike Conner, 48, (pictured) snapped up Thorne Island (pictured) near Milford Haven in Pembrokeshire, Wales, for 555,000 in May 2017 The island, which comes with its own 100-man fort, was originally constructed in the 1850s to protect the busy port of Milford Haven from French naval attacks The island has a rooftop bar and courtyard (pictured) with hidden speakers that play music Conner said that he has no budget for the renovation works which will transform the former defensive location into a party island. He also doesn't know how much he has spent so far but that the costs were 'off the scale' Conner has big plans for the former defensive construct, with renovation works already underway to transform the fort into a party destination. He said that he knew he wanted to buy the island the moment that he first saw it on a YouTube video. 'I saw it and it was just, "Bam", I wanted to buy it,' he said. 'I don't have a timescale to finish, I don't have a budget, I just want to enjoy doing the project.' A few of the rooms in the former fort have already received a makeover, including a rooftop bar which has already played host to parties. Proud owner: Mike Conner stands next to a Thorne Island sign. He has spent most of the summer on the island working to bring it back to life Stunning: A bird's eye view of Thorne Island and its Napoleonic fort which Mike Conner purchased for 555,000 in May 2017 The dad-of-three has spent much of his summer at the fort with wife Natasha and their children as he worked to renovate some of the bedrooms Inside the property, Mike has created a welcoming lounge area which features a large brick chimney breast There are plenty of places to sit and relax inside the former fort which had originally been built in the 1850s to house 100 soldiers The dad-of-three has spent much of his summer at the fort with wife Natasha and their children though he doesn't plan on living there permanently and will rent out all of the rooms when the renovation project has been completed. A huge living space can be found inside with a vaulted ceilings and a sprawling open-plan kitchen. The former soldiers' garrison has been replaced by wood-burning stoves, mezzanine bedrooms with spiral staircases and plush new bathrooms. Conner said he was shocked that nobody else wanted the property. He said: 'I think how have I ended up with it. Why didn't anyone else want to buy it?' Bathrooms on Thorne Island (pictured before the extensive renovations took place) boast an impressive view of the Dale coastline A few of the rooms in the former fort have already received a makeover, including a rooftop bar which has already played host to parties. Pictured: A former bedroom before the refurbishment Thorne Island (pictured before the renovations) and its fort had been lying empty for 17 years before Mike Conner purchased them in 2017 However, there are a few challenges that he faces due to the remote nature and even has to ask visitors to take rubbish with them as they leave. He said: 'We usually ask people to take a bag of rubbish with them when they leave. Everything has to be taken off the island. 'There aren't any council services here. No one comes to pick up your bins.' Conner described the cost of the ongoing renovations as 'off the scale' and said that 'it's massive, it's complicated, and everything's a bit different.' The Fort Lauderdale police department released body camera footage showing former Trump campaign manager, Brad Parscale, being tackled and arrested outside his home on Sunday evening. His wife, Candice Parscale, told the police that Brad loaded a firearm and threatened to hurt himself. The video shows Parscale being tackled by officers after he eventually emerged from his home, shirtless and holding a beer. Responding officers, who observed bruises on Candice's face and body, seized 10 firearms from the couple's home, according to a police report obtained by Business Insider. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. Fort Lauderdale police on Monday released body camera footage showing President Donald Trump's former campaign manager, Brad Parscale, being tackled and arrested outside his home on Sunday. His wife, Candice Parscale, called the police on Sunday, saying her husband had loaded a firearm and threatened to hurt himself, according to a police report obtained by Business Insider. Related: Trump campaign takes thousands from neo-Nazi leader After a prolonged standoff, Brad was taken into custody and hospitalized under Florida's Baker Act, which allows individuals to be involuntarily hospitalized if they're believed to pose a threat to themselves or others. The three-minute video shows Candice standing outside the couple's house in a bathing suit and wrapped in a towel, telling Officer Timothy Skaggs that she fled the house in fear and later heard what sounded like a gunshot come from inside the home. "He's acting crazy, so I went outside to the backyard and let him just chill out," she said in the video. "And he was just going irate. And he came out of his office, cocked a gun, went back and I was like, 'OK, this is f---ed up,' and so I went to the front yard." Skaggs spoke with Brad on the phone, urging him to "come outside with no weapons," according to the body cam video. Brad initially refused to do so. Later in the video, Brad, who is about 6-foot-8, came out of his house, shirtless and carrying a beer. He approached another officer who he's reportedly friendly with and said, "Listen, I'm not trying to kill myself. She's lying. I'm your friend." Story continues Shortly after, several other officers approached Brad, repeatedly telling him to "get on the ground." When he made no immediate moves to do so, two officers tackled him with what the police report described as a "double leg take down." Brad repeatedly said, "I didn't do anything," as the officers rolled him onto his stomach, handcuffed him, and helped him back to his feet. Candice told officers that her husband had post-traumatic stress disorder and had been violent and threatened to harm himself in recent weeks, per the police report. Law enforcement seized 10 firearms two shotguns, a .22 caliber revolver, five handguns, and two rifles from the Parscale residence, according to the report. Police also reported that Candice had several bruises on her face and body, which she said were the result of her husband assaulting her days before. She did not report that assault at the time. "While speaking with Candace Parscale [sic] I noticed several large sized contusions on both of her arms, her cheek and forehead," Detective Steven Smith wrote in a report on the incident. "When I asked how she received the bruising, Candace Parscale stated Brad Parscale hits her." Police reported that Brad smelled of alcohol. He is undergoing a psychiatric evaluation at Broward Health Medical Center and has not been charged with any crimes. Brad was removed from his position as Trump's reelection campaign manager in July, reportedly over campaign spending concerns, and was replaced by then-deputy campaign manager Bill Stepien. He's stayed on the team as an advisor. If you or someone you know is struggling with depression or has had thoughts of harming themselves or taking their own life, get help. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (1-800-273-8255) provides 24/7, free, confidential support for people in distress, as well as best practices for professionals and resources to aid in prevention and crisis situations. Read the original article on Business Insider Food Lion Expanding To-Go Services Food Lion To-Go Food Lion To-Go now in more locations Food Lion To-Go now in more locations SALISBURY, N.C., Sept. 28, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- How would you like to save time on one of your weekly to-dos? Now you can, with Food Lion To-Go. Food Lion is adding additional Food Lion To-Go grocery pick up services at 31 new stores in Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina and South Carolina beginning September 28, 2020. Customers can use the Food Lion To-Go website or the Food Lion To-Go app to confirm availability and place orders. The first ten Food Lion To-Go orders placed on September 28, 2020 at the 31 new stores will also receive a FREE new Food Lion reusable bag with their order. Expanding this convenient service to additional Food Lion stores is more important than ever, said Evan Harding, director of digital and e-commerce marketing at Food Lion. We want to give local neighbors the option to shop through the channel they prefer, in-store or online, while still ensuring they have access to the freshest groceries at affordable prices. The company continues to expand this new service across its local towns and cities, highlighting its commitment to making grocery shopping easy, fresh and affordable. With the click of a button, Food Lion To-Go allows customers to experience the same low prices and fresh food items without having to ever enter a store. The convenient service allows customers to place an order and pick up their groceries on the same day. Additionally, by linking their personal MVP card to their account, Food Lion customers can use digital coupons and redeem their Shop & Earn MVP rewards program savings. Customers can also see their accumulated Shop & Earn rewards on their checkout screen and view which clipped digital coupons will be applied to their order. This is in addition to their MVP discounts, in-store promotions and weekly savings specials. How Food Lion To-Go Works: Visit shop.foodlion.com or open the Food Lion To-Go app. Enter your zip code and select the closest participating store. Add fresh groceries and everyday essentials to your virtual cart. Choose a pickup window (same day or up to seven days in advance) and check out. A To-Go shopper picks, packs and stores the order until you arrive, then loads it in your car. Story continues Food Lion To-Go is available seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. About Food Lion Food Lion, based in Salisbury, N.C., since 1957, has more than 1,000 stores in 10 Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic states and employs more than 77,000 associates. By leveraging its longstanding heritage of low prices and convenient locations, Food Lion is working to own the easiest full shop grocery experience in the Southeast, anchored by a strong commitment to affordability, freshness and the communities it serves. Through Food Lion Feeds, the company has donated more than 500 million meals to individuals and families since 2014, and has committed to donate 1 billion more meals by 2025. Food Lion is a company of Ahold Delhaize USA, the U.S. division of Zaandam-based Ahold Delhaize. For more information, visit www.foodlion.com. CONTACTS: Kelly Powell 704-310-3886 Kelly.Powell@foodlion.com A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/1bac4000-8700-43df-b573-b93418e0f657 Colton sustained himself by breaking into people's homes, starting by just seeking out food and a bath. His police nickname came from the footprints he'd leave in his bare feet, easily recognizable since the late teenager now stood six-foot-five. It built an image for him as a sort of Huck Finn, though he did graduate from slipping into homes and stealing ice cream to getting on people's computers and ordering expensive stuff online. Stuff like night vision goggles and premium bear mace -- Colton wasn't screwing around when it came to being a survivalist. One time, he broke into a vet's and left money, saying to use it for the animals. Possibly, he got the money from the time in 2009 when he robbed a bank. Continue Reading Below Advertisement Then he moved on to stealing vehicles. He stole Fords and Cadillacs (in the end, he wouldn't be charged for these; we guess he never took them far). He stole a 34-foot boat and sailed to Oregon. And he stole airplanes -- five different airplanes. One of these, he flew during the Vancouver Olympics, and after bringing it to ground, he celebrated by breaking into an organic grocery, leaving a chalk outline of his bare feet and a note reading "c yah." You might well ask how this troubled youth had ever got around to flying lessons. He hadn't. Apparently, he'd taught himself using Microsoft Flight Simulator, but he didn't teach himself all that well, because he ended up crashing every single plane he stole ... and yet he walked away from the wreckage unharmed each time. Sir James/Wiki Commons Sir James/Wiki Commons These planes are made of plywood and designed to splinter on impact. Continue Reading Below Advertisement The final time he stole a plane, he had moved from Washington to Indiana, and he flew the Cessna he hot-wired all the way to the Bahamas. He crash-landed it in the water around Great Abaco island. He stole a boat, stole a second more discrete boat, and made his way to a resort. A guard spotted him and disabled the boat, so he stole yet another boat and headed back into the water as police gave chase in speedboats of their own. They stopped him by shooting his engine out. By Trend Turkey is always close to fraternal Azerbaijan, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said, Trend reports on Sept. 28. Those who have not done anything to resolve the conflict during 30 years are now making statements, the president added. Some claim that the Turkish army participates in military actions, helping Azerbaijan with weapons." Armenian armed forces launched a large-scale military attack on positions of Azerbaijani army on the front line, using large-caliber weapons, mortars and artillery on Sept. 27. Azerbaijan responded with a counter-offensive along the entire front. As a result of retaliation, Azerbajiani troops managed to liberate the territories previously occupied by Armenia: Garakhanbeyli, Garvend, Kend Horadiz, Yukhari, Ashagi Abdulrahmanli villages (Fuzuli district), Boyuk Marjanli, and Nuzgar villages (Jabrayil district). Moreover, the positions of the Armenian armed forces were destroyed in the direction of Azerbaijan's Agdere district and Murovdag, important heights were taken under control. Back in July 2020, Armenian Armed Forces violated the ceasefire in the direction of Azerbaijan's Tovuz district. As a result of Azerbaijan's retaliation, the opposing forces were silenced. The fighting continued the following days as well. Azerbaijan lost a number of military personnel members, who died fighting off the attacks of the Armenian armed forces. The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on the withdrawal of its armed forces from Nagorno Karabakh and the surrounding districts. Rep. John Katko and Dana Balter say they have agreed to meet in three public debates in the final weeks of their campaigns for the 24th Congressional District seat. Voters will be able to watch Katko, R-Camillus, and Balter, a Syracuse Democrat, in hour-long debates on television or streamed online. None of the debates will have live audiences because of the coronavirus pandemic. Heres the schedule: A syracuse.com debate will air at noon Oct. 19. The live debate from the syracuse.com newsroom will be available for viewing through Facebook Live and on syracuse.com. A televised debate will air 7 p.m. Oct. 20 on CNY Central, Channels 3, 5 and 6 in Syracuse. A televised debate will air Oct. 25 on WSYR-TV, Channel 9, in Syracuse. The broadcast time on Oct. 25 has not been determined. Balter agreed to participate in six debates before the start of New Yorks 10-day early voting period at the polls on Oct. 24. But Katko turned down three of the requests from Spectrum News, WRVO-FM and Cayuga Community College, both campaigns confirmed. A spokeswoman for Katko said he will take part in the three debates and nine virtual public forums in October, leaving little time to schedule more events. The 24th Congressional District covers all of Onondaga, Cayuga and Wayne counties, and the western half of Oswego County, including the cities of Fulton and Oswego. MORE ON THE 2020 ELECTION Where John Katko and Dana Balter stand on police reform Where John Katko and Dana Balter stand on health care Katko rebukes Trump for suggesting he might not accept election results Tired of TV ads for Congress? Central New Yorkers see more than anyone in nation Judge blocks Dana Balter from third-party ballot line Biden endorses Balter. Katko tries to use former VP against her Got a tip, comment or story idea? Contact Mark Weiner anytime by: Email | Twitter | Facebook | 571-970-3751 A man convicted of leading a plot to behead blogger Pamela Geller on behalf of the Islamic State group will serve even longer behind bars after he was sentenced for a second time Monday and ordered to 30 years in prison. David Daoud Wright was originally sentenced to 28 years in prison in 2017 but was ordered to be sentenced again by a different Boston federal court judge after an appeals court last year overturned one of his convictions. Wright remains convicted of conspiracy to commit acts of terrorism transcending national boundaries and other crimes. Wright, whos from Everett, just north of Boston, has already served about five years for conspiring to kill Geller, who organized a 2015 Prophet Muhammad cartoon contest that year in Garland, Texas, that ended in gunfire, with two Muslim gunmen shot to death by police. The beheading plot against Geller was never carried out. Days later, Wrights uncle, Ussamah Rahim, told Wright in a phone call that he couldnt wait to attack Geller and decided instead to go after those boys in blue. Hours later, Rahim was approached by officers in a Boston parking lot and was fatally shot after he pulled out a knife and moved toward them, officials say. Prosecutors had once again urged the judge to send Wright away for life, calling him in court documents extremely dangerous and a serious threat to the United States. Wrights lawyers had asked for a sentence of 14 years. They argued in their brief to the judge that, among other things, the coronavirus pandemic puts his life at risk behind bars. They said Wright continues to renounce ISIS and radicalism and seeks to educate others about the destructiveness of radicalism. An email seeking comment was sent to an attorney for Wright after the hearing. Wright took the stand at his trial and insisted he never really wanted to hurt anyone. He told jurors that he didnt actually support the terror group and said his conversations about violence were just trash talk fueled by a desperate desire for attention. The 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals last year tossed his conviction of the charge of conspiracy to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization. Another man charged in the case, Nicholas Rovinski, of Warwick, Rhode Island, was released from prison last month after a judge reduced his sentence to time served due to the pandemic. Rovinski, who testified against Wright at his trial, was previously supposed to be released in 2028, but his lawyers argued that the 29-year-olds medical conditions, including cerebral palsy and hypertension, made him particularly vulnerable to serious illness from the virus. Rovinski was ordered to spent the next 10 years in home confinement with electronic monitoring, with the first six months in strict home confinement. The worst skirmishes in four years have raised fresh clashes between the ex-Soviet rivals, locked in a stalemate over the region of Nagorny Karabakh since the early 1990s Yerevan, Armenia: At least 24 people have died after deadly clashes between arch-foes Armenia and Azerbaijan, as the latest violence in the decades-long territorial dispute sparked international calls Sunday to halt the fighting. The worst skirmishes since 2016 have raised fresh clashes between the ex-Soviet rivals, locked since the early 1990s in a stalemate over the Armenia-backed breakaway region of Nagorny Karabakh. Seventeen Armenian separatist fighters were killed and more than 100 wounded in the fighting, Karabakh President Arayik Harutyunyan said, conceding that his forces had "lost positions". Both sides also reported civilian casualties. "We are tired of Azerbaijan's threats, we will fight to the death to resolve the problem once and for all," Artak Bagdasaryan, 36, told AFP in Yerevan, adding that he was waiting to be conscripted into the army. Karabakh separatists said one Armenian woman and a child were killed, while Baku said that an Azerbaijani family of five died in shelling launched by Armenian separatists. Azerbaijan claimed it captured a strategic mountain in Karabakh that helps control transport links between Yerevan and the enclave. Armenian defence ministry spokesman Artsrun Hovhannisyan, in turn, said Karabakh rebel forces killed "some 200 Azerbaijani troops and destroyed 30 enemy artillery units and 20 drones". 'Full-scale war' Fighting between Muslim Azerbaijan and majority-Christian Armenia threatened to embroil regional players Russia and Turkey, with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan calling on global powers to prevent Ankara's involvement. "We are on the brink of a full-scale war in the South Caucasus," Pashinyan warned. France, Germany, Italy, and the European Union swiftly urged an "immediate ceasefire", while Pope Francis prayed for peace. French President Emmanuel Macron expressed his "deep concern" on Sunday, and "strongly called for an immediate end to hostilities". UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he was also "extremely concerned" and urged the sides to stop fighting and return to talks. The US State Department said it had contacted the two countries and called on them to "use the existing direct communication links between them to avoid further escalation". Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed the military flareup with Pashinyan and called for "an end to hostilities". But Azerbaijan's ally Turkey blamed Yerevan for the flare-up and promised Baku its "full support". "The Turkish people will support our Azerbaijani brothers with all our means as always," Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan tweeted. Karabakh President Harutyunyan said Turkey was providing mercenaries and warplanes to the fight, suggesting, "the war has already... (gone) beyond the limits of a Karabakh-Azerbaijan conflict." Azerbaijan accused Armenian forces of violating a ceasefire, saying it had launched a counter-offensive to "ensure the safety of the population", using tanks, artillery missiles, combat aviation and drones. Curfew, martial law In a televised address to the nation earlier Sunday, Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev vowed victory over Armenian forces. "Our cause is just and we will win," he said, echoing a famous quote from Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin's address at the outbreak of World War II in Russia. "Karabakh is Azerbaijan." Both Armenia and Karabakh declared martial law and military mobilisation. Azerbaijan imposed military rule and a curfew in large cities. Armenia said that Azerbaijan attacked civilian settlements in Nagorny Karabakh including the main city Stepanakert. Azerbaijan's foreign ministry said there were reports of dead and wounded. "Extensive damage has been inflicted on many homes and civilian infrastructure," it said. Ethnic Armenian separatists seized the Nagorny Karabakh region from Baku in a 1990s war that claimed 30,000 lives. Talks to resolve one of the worst conflicts to emerge from the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union have been largely stalled since a 1994 ceasefire agreement. France, Russia and the United States have mediated peace efforts as the "Minsk Group" but the last big push for a peace deal collapsed in 2010. Frontline bombing "We are a step away from a large-scale war," Olesya Vartanyan of the International Crisis Group told AFP. "One of the main reasons for the current escalation is a lack of any proactive international mediation... for weeks." On Sunday morning, Azerbaijan started bombing along Karabakh's frontline including civilian targets and in Stepanakert, Karabakh's presidency said. The rebel defence ministry said its troops shot down four Azerbaijani helicopters and 15 drones, while Baku denied the claim. In July, heavy clashes along the two countries' shared border hundreds of kilometres from Karabakh claimed the lives of at least 17 soldiers from both sides. During the worst recent Karabakh clashes in April 2016, around 110 people were killed. Young farmers took to their tractors and protested against the planned closure of a popular agricultural college in Cumbria. Farmers from clubs all over the county took to the roads on Saturday 20 September to support Newton Rigg College, in Penrith, which is earmarked for closure. Over eighty tractors turned up at the event, with some displaying the banner Protect our Farming Future, Save Newton Rigg College. The tractors commenced from the towns of Broughton, Drigg and Longtown, and finished in Newton Reigny. Newton Rigg's owners, Askham Bryan College, confirmed in May that it will no longer deliver educational provision from the site beyond July 2021 because it was financially unviable. Since that announcement, several interested parties have approached with proposals for its future use. But Neil Curr, the county chair of Cumbria YFC, told local news website In Cumbria that the loss of the college would have a 'great impact' on the future of young people. We currently have more than 1,500 members, many of whom attend or were planning on attending the college, making use of not only the farming and agricultural courses, but also forestry, agricultural engineering, animal care." He added: "Without Newton Rigg College, the future and quality of farming within the county is at great risk The MP for Penrith and the Border, Dr Neil Hudson said it was was 'humbling and heartening' to join with the young farmers on the tractor run. "They have shown loudly and clearly what this vital Cumbrian college means both to them and our UK farming future. We will keep working hard to try to save Newton Rigg. Newton Rigg was established in 1896 to serve the needs of agricultural and rural industries in Cumbria. Since incorporation in 1992, it has been owned or governed by four different corporations including two universities. Around 117 staff and 888 learners are based at the campus. They include 667 further education students, the majority of whom are enrolled on one-year programmes, and 221 apprentices. Lucille Ball became a living legend through her iconic series I Love Lucy. Spotlighting the husband-and-wife characters Ricky and Lucy Ricardo, real-life spouses Desi Arnaz and Ball created comedy gold for six successful seasons. Vivian Vance proved to be an invaluable partner in Balls antics as her bestie Ethel Mertz and later in their series The Lucy Show. Though Vance was considered indispensable to Ball, the two came to an impasse when it was time for contract negotiations. Lucille Ball and Vivian Vance of I Love Lucy | CBS Photo Archive/Getty Images From I Love Lucy to The Lucy Show The dynamic duo decided to hit the small screen together for another go-round in the comedy series The Lucy Show. Running from 1962 to 1968, the show once again spotlighted the mayhem of the two BFFs. When it was time for the fourth season to start filming, Vance hesitated on continuing her role. I dont want anything to happen to my marriage, Vance said, according to the book Desilu: The Story of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz by Coyne Steven Sanders and Tom Gilbert. The actor lived in Connecticut with her fourth husband and was commuting at the time. All this flying back and forth is difficult. I get up, go to the studio, go home, and fall into bed. Its lonely. Making $8,000 per episode at the time, Vance saw her co-stars position as owner of Desilu Productions as more worth the effort. RELATED: I Love Lucy: Scripts for This Storyline Had To Be Approved by a Minister, Priest or Rabbi If I were Lucy, Id do what shes doing, but I dont own a studio, Vance explained. I just own a beautiful farmhouse and yard filled with flowers that need attention, and Id like to be there. Vivian Vance wanted more money and input According to Sanders and Gilberts book, Vance was asking for close to a half a million dollars to return for another season of The Lucy Show. She also wanted to direct, write, and produce. Co-star Gale Gordon recalled Ball being on board with the idea for fear of losing Vance. Lucy cried in private talking to me because she depended on Vivian, Gordon revealed. She told me she could never do a show without Vivian. Lucy told me that, just prior to the break, Vivian was asking for more money than Lucy was willing to accept. It broke Lucys heart, really. Bernie Weitzman, Vice President of Business Affairs for Desilu Productions, shared that Ball felt an unbreakable bond with Vance that she was unwilling to risk. At first, Ball was set to agree to her co-stars requests. Lucy said, I want Vivian to stay. Its very important to me,' Weitzman said. Shes very helpful to me, consoles me, we have a great friendship. And she was the last of the old guard. [Lucy] had been very emotionally involved with her. Lucille Ball decides to do the show sans Vivian Vance When Weitzman met with Vances agent to negotiate, he was presented with some terms that seemed over the top. He gave me some numbers that were out of sight, what she wanted to do and the control she wanted on the show, Weitzman explained. I said, Thats unreasonable. Theres no way we could live with that. He said, Vivian doesnt care about doing the show. Shes married, shes happy, so if you want her to do the show, if Lucy wants her to do the show, these are her demands.' When Weitzman brought the conditions to Ball, she decided that Vances requirements were too great to accommodate. Lucy says, Thats outrageous. I cant believe it,' he recalled. I told her, You gotta decide if Vivian Vance is Lucille Ball Thats the decision you have to make, because she wants to own the show. Lucy made the decision that she was going to do the show without her. Cast of The Lucy Show: Jimmy Gerrett, Candy Moore, Lucille Ball, Dick Martin, Vivian Vance, and Ralph Hart | CBS Photo Archive RELATED: I Love Lucy: Lucille Ball Had an Unusual Reaction After Reading About Desi Arnazs Infidelity Though they stopped working together, Ball and Vance maintained their friendship over the years. Ball later gave praise to her co-star and commented on her aversion to her most famous moniker. She hated being called Ethel, Ball said of Vance. But she was a great show doctor and a wonderful right arm. When she got married and moved East and quit the show, I never really did recover. The Assad regime has again, targeted a wealthy loyalist and seized their assets, claiming that he has violated tax rules reports Eldorar Al-Shamiya. The Assad regime dealt a heavy blow to Syrian businessperson, Saeb Nahas, known for his loyalty and categorical support for the regime in its war against the Syrians. Pro-government media reported a decision that was signed by the regimes Ministry of Finance to seize all movable and immovable assets of Nahas and his son, Muhammad. The ready-made argument, as is the case in similar situations, is the fact that Nahas was evading fines and taxes owed to the public treasury, according to pro-regime pages. According to the same sources, Nahas, a resident of Damascus and the owner of dozens of large and small companies, has a net worth exceeding 100 million dollars, across a number of European countries and Syria. The Assad regime accuses Nahas of several charges, the most important of which is the violation of import rules by smuggling goods worth 4 million dollars, and evading 2 million dollars in tax money. The sources pointed out that the seizing process included the Amrit Resort in Mashta al-Helou, car rental offices, real estate projects, an airline company, an office of his modern car company in al-Kiswah in the Damascus countryside, and various real estate. This comes days after the regimes Ministry of Finance seized the movable and immovable assets of businessperson Hani Azzouz, also known for his loyalty to the regime. The Assad regime is starting a new phase of oppression affecting merchants and businesspeople, in order to deal with its economic crisis, so Azzouz and Nahas were not the first. The regime had previously subjected those closest to it to harsh treatment, namely Rami Makhlouf, who had been a supporter of the regime for the past two decades. 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. Fred Perry has announced it will stop selling of one of its iconic polo shirts after it was adopted as the unofficial uniform of a far-right group. The famous fashion brand will no long ship its black and yellow PB tops to both Canada and North America. The move is a response to the 65 polo shirt being adopted by far-right group 'Proud Boys', whose members are regularly seen wearing the tops at its marches and demonstrations. The British clothes maker said it was 'incredibly frustrating' that the far-right group, who believe white men and western values are 'under siege', had been 'appropriated' by the Proud Boys. In a statement, the brand said: 'Fred Perry does not support and is in no way affiliated with the Proud Boys. Fred Perry has announced it will stop selling of one of its iconic polo shirts after it was adopted as the unofficial uniform of far-right group the Proud Boys (pictured: Members wearing the polo shirts) The famous fashion brand will no long ship its black and yellow PB tops to both Canada and North America. Pictured: The official website has already changed to reflect the announcement The British clothes maker said it in a statement (part of which is pictured here) was 'incredibly frustrating' that the far-right group, who believe white men and western values are 'under siege', had been 'appropriated' by the Proud Boys 'It is incredibly frustrating that this group has appropriated our Black/Yellow/Yellow twin tipped shirt and subverted our Laurel Wreath to their own ends. Who are the Proud Boys and why have they adopted Fred Perry as their uniform? The Proud Boys are a right-wing group founded in 2016 by Canadian writer and political commentator Gavin McInnes, co-founder of Vice Magazine. The group have been labelled a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Centre in America. However Mr McInnes, who has distanced himself from the group in 2018, previously rejected this classification, claiming that the group is 'not an extremist group and [does] not have ties with white nationalists'. Instead the group claim they are merely spreading an 'anti-political correctness' and 'anti-white guilt' agenda. Members have adopted black and yellow Fred Perry polo shirts, particularly ones with 'PB' on them, which match the initials of the group, as their unofficial uniform. The group have rallied in Portland, Oregon, several times in recent years and draw large crowds who show up to oppose their presence in the liberal city. In the most recent one, around 1,000 people gathered at the Proud Boys rally in Delta Park, on Saturday. The Proud Boys clashed with Facebook earlier this year, when the social media giant announced it had removed nearly 900 accounts linked to two far-right groups whose members may have been plotting to send armed agitators to George Floyd protests. The social media giant removed accounts connected to Proud Boys and American Guard, both of which it considers to be hate groups. The social media company, which also owns Instagram, said they removed 358 Facebook accounts and 172 Instagram accounts connected to Proud Boys. Advertisement 'The Fred Perry shirt is a piece of British subcultural uniform, adopted by various groups of people who recognise their own values in what it stands for. 'We are proud of its lineage and what the Laurel Wreath has represented for over 65 years: inclusivity, diversity and independence.' The statement added: 'The association [with Proud Boys] is something we must do our best to end. 'We therefore made the decision to stop selling the Black/Yellow/Yellow twin tipped shirt in the US from September 2019, and we will not sell it there or in Canada again until were satisfied that its association with the Proud Boys has ended. 'To be absolutely clear, if you see any Proud Boys materials or products featuring our Laurel Wreath or any Black/Yellow/Yellow related items, they have absolutely nothing to do with us, and we are working with our lawyers to pursue any unlawful use of our brand.' The latest statement comes after the brand's chairman John Flynn spoke out about the association in 2017, saying the groups ideals were 'counter to our beliefs'. The Proud Boys, founded in 2016, have been labelled a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Centre in America. However the group's founder, Canadian writer and political commentator Gavin McInnes, co-founder of Vice Magazine, rejected this classification, claiming that the group is 'not an extremist group and [does] not have ties with white nationalists'. Instead the group claim they are merely spreading an 'anti-political correctness' and 'anti-white guilt' agenda. Mr McInnes officially distanced himself from the group in 2018, stepping down as chairman. The group have rallied in Portland, Oregon, several times in recent years and draw large crowds who show up to oppose their presence in the liberal city. In the most recent one, around 1,000 people gathered at the Proud Boys rally in Delta Park on Saturday, while a group of 500 left-wing counter-protesters massed at nearby Peninsula Park, leading to fears of clashes. However police say the groups largely dispersed without serious violence - though they are investigating claims of an assault made by a person documenting the rally. Supporters at a rally in August last year were pictured displaying stickers which read, 'Antifa Hunting Group', in reference to the self-described anti-facism group. Proud Boys members also reportedly appeared at the Unite the Right white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia. The group have rallied in Portland, Oregon, several times in recent years and draw large crowds who show up to oppose their presence in the liberal city The group have rallied in Portland, Oregon, several times in recent years and draw large crowds who show up to oppose their presence in the liberal city Fred Perry: The clothing brand started by a tennis icon which became synonymous with 'Mod' culture Founded by Wimbledon champion Fred Perry, the fashion label, which bears his name, has been adopted by various British subcultures since its creation. The brand originally started with tennis shirts which were launched at the 1952 Wimbledon tournament to immediate success. The clothes maker later added coloured version for table tennis - where white clothing is not allowed. These polo shirts became popular with the Mod subculture during the 1960s. Mods eventually splintered off into different groups, including a more working class-focused subculture known as the skinheads. The skinheads originally denounced fascism and many described themselves as apolitical - rather focusing on class and music tastes. However, the group divided in the 1970s as a small number of its members swung to the far right. The clothing brand is still to this day synonymous with Mod culture - along with other cultural icons such as the Lambretta scooter and power rock bands such as The Who. Advertisement The Proud Boys clashed with Facebook earlier this year, when the social media giant announced it had removed nearly 900 accounts linked to two far-right groups whose members may have been plotting to send armed agitators to George Floyd protests. The social media giant removed accounts connected to Proud Boys and American Guard, both of which it considers to be hate groups. The social media company, which also owns Instagram, said they removed 358 Facebook accounts and 172 Instagram accounts connected to Proud Boys. They also removed 406 Facebook accounts and 164 Instagram accounts connected to American Guard. 'In both cases, we saw accounts from both organizations discussing attending protests in various US states with plans to carry weapons but we did not find indications in their on-platform content they planned to actively commit violence,' the company said. The use of Fred Perry by the Proud Boys is not the first time the fashion brand has been adopted by groups. The fashion brand, founded by Wimbledon champion Fred Perry in 1952, has been adopted by various British subcultures since its creation. It has long been associated with the Skinheads, who originally denounced fascism. However, the group divided in the 1970s as a small number of its members swung to the far right. The decision to release its recent statement on Proud Boys was praised by many on Twitter, including one user, who tweeted: 'I will be wearing a Fred Perry today - love the mod, ska culture - the fashion, music etc. 'Let's get back to the days where the iconic polo was for all subcultures and not associated with racism.' However others disagreed. One Twitter user said: 'I've been a customer for decades and this is such a silly, meaningless statement. 'Yes the PBs are rather uncouth but they certainly are not racist. 'The polo has been worn by other groups who did have sketchy associations and it didn't damage the brand. Neither will this.' There may be some significant new features headed to Chrome Android in the future, based on a recent blog post from Google. The post is intended to highlight how Chrome is the best browser for iOS. It also lays out exactly how to set Chrome as the default browser in iOS 14 in iPhone Settings, under Chrome, theres an option to set it as the default browser. The company highlights a few well-known recent updates to Chrome that are also available on Android. For example, it lines up Chromes password storage and safety check features. And it also highlights personalization and discovery features such as the Articles for You segment on the new tab UI and integrated Google Translate. Recently added features such as the ability to send a page from Chrome to any other signed-in and syncing device are talked up as well. But the biggest revelation may be in the features Google is touting specifically for iOS. Advertisement What features has Google confirmed with its Chrome blog post? Of course, easy organization of tabs and pages is among Google Chromes most prominent features on Android. Or on any other OS. But, as hinted above, it isnt just previously released features Google is touting here. Apples iOS appears to be getting a head start on mobile-first features. To begin with, Google indicates that its adding the ability to create a QR code for pages. Thats meant to be shared with friends since Chrome can already send pages between devices on a single account. With that QR code, users can send their websites to anybody. A scan of that code will send them to the desired page. Conversely, Google is also taking in a feature that allows users to drag and drop links from Chrome. Specifically, to drag and drop them into another open app, as long as those apps are open in split-screen view. Further out, the search giant says that may include drag and drop sharing between two tabs. Thats because its presently working on a feature to open Chrome two tabs in split-view. Advertisement Finally, Google says it is adding one of its most requested features to date. A download manager. That will act as a folder for storing downloaded files saved via Chrome. When will these come to Android? As of this writing, Google hasnt indicated when or if any of these features will make their way to Chrome for Android. But at least a few of them have already been spotted in the Chromium Gerrit code repository. So it should just be a matter of time. Especially now that theyre available for real-world use on Apple devices. NEWS PROVIDED BY Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights Sept. 28, 2020 NEW YORK, Sept. 28, 2020 /Christian Newswire/ -- Catholic League president Bill Donohue comments on who is trashing Amy Coney Barrett's Catholicism: As I predicted last week, Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett would be spared another round of anti-Catholic commentary by senate Democrats. From what was said over the weekend, my assessment was correct. Indeed, Rep. Nancy Pelosi affirmed that it "doesn't matter what her faith is." Sen. Dick Durbin, who made anti-Catholic remarks when Barrett was being considered for an appellate post in 2017, said this time around, "I'm going to be extremely careful." It is clear that the Democrats got burned for their bigotry three years ago and are not prepared to go down that road again, at least not in an ostentatious way (look for oblique attacks on her faith). That does not mean, however, that their surrogates in the media and activist organizations will restrain themselves. In fact, they are on the loose again. Organizations that are either expressly atheistic or are wholly secular are, of course, ripping Barrett's Catholicism. American Atheists and Americans United for Separation of Church and State issued news releases arguing that Barrett's commitment to religious liberty means she will discriminate against LGBTQ people. Freedom From Religion Foundation contends that Barrett would "complete the Christian Nationalist takeover of the high court for more than a generation." Similarly, the American Humanist Association maintains that Barrett would be the sixth Catholic on the Supreme Court, a red flag; her reported membership in a charismatic Christian group was deemed "particularly concerning." The Daily Kos ran two articles hammering Barrett. One called her a "religious extremist," and the other said she is "primed and ready to substitute the Church's particular teaching [on abortion] as the only true religious position on the matter." (Notice abortion was not framed as a biological issue.) Left-wing activist Katie Hill, who runs a political action committee, said questions about Barrett's religion are fair game: we need to know if she "will impose her faith on the American people." (The way secularists impose their beliefs in education?) Elizabeth Bruenig used her New York Times column to state that Barrett's nomination has "renewed attention to a fundamental conflict, centuries underway, between Catholicism and the American ethos." (This is a polite way of wondering if practicing Catholics--in the 21st century--can be good Americans.) Mother Jones ran a piece that was long on innuendo and short on facts calling attention to Barrett's alleged membership in a Christian charismatic group. Bill Maher sounded the alarms saying Barrett was "really, really Catholic." Imagine someone saying Ruth Bader Ginsburg was "really, really Jewish"--everyone would know what that means. MSNBC's Joy Reid was more forthright on this issue, leading Megyn Kelly to condemn her "bigoted attacks on Catholics." Ron Charles of the Washington Post, and Lindy Ki, a Biden delegate, raised questions about Barrett's respect for separation of church and state (they have it backwardsrespect for the autonomy of religious organizations is the pressing issue). First prize goes to David Atkins of the Washington Monthly. "In reality, there is no anti-Catholic bias against Barrett from the left." Looks like the secular dogma lives loudly within him. The Trump campaign was doing more than blowing political smoke when it said that Biden should end his silence about the anti-Catholic attacks on Barrett. He should. If a Muslim Supreme Court nominee were the target of bigotry stemming from Republicans or conservatives, he would surely condemn it. I am happy to say that I have been contacted by New York City Councilman and Pentecostal minister Reuben Diaz Sr., and Rabbi Aryeh Spero, both of whom have pledged to condemn anti-Catholics. Too bad Biden, a professed Catholic, can't do the same. However, if he did, he would have to start by condemning his running mate. By Trend I strongly condemn Armenian aggression against Azerbaijan which is a clear violation of international law and resolutions of United Nations Security Council, Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Countries 2004-2014, Member of the Nizami Ganjavi International Center, told Trend. I call on the international community to stand by the righteous party, show solidarity and express sympathy with the victims of this aggression. Hereby, I wish Gods mercy upon Azerbaijani martyrs who lost their lives, wish a speedy recovery to the wounded and convey my condolences to the brotherly Azerbaijan people, he said. The Armenian armed forces committed a large-scale provocation, subjecting the positions of the Azerbaijani army to intensive shelling from large-caliber weapons, mortars, and artillery installations of various calibers in the front-line zone on Sept. 27 at 06:00 (GMT+4). The command of the Azerbaijani Army decided to launch a counter-offensive operation of Azerbaijani troops along the entire front to suppress the combat activity of the Armenian armed forces and ensure the safety of the civilian population. Azerbaijani Defense Minister, Colonel-General Zakir Hasanov said Sept. 27, 2020 that Garakhanbeyli, Garvend, Kend Horadiz, Yukhari Abdulrahmanli villages of Fizuli district, Boyuk Marjanli, and Nuzgar villages of Jabrayil district were liberated. Moreover, the positions of the Armenian armed forces were destroyed in the direction of the Agdere district and Murovdag, important heights were taken under control. The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on the withdrawal of its armed forces from Nagorno Karabakh and the surrounding districts. -- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz While legal battle over the 2020 Census deadline drags on in federal courts, census officials and advocates say the U.S. Census Bureau is making it harder for them to pinpoint what Massachusetts neighborhoods still need to be counted. State officials, researchers and advocates across the country say they dont have a clear picture of who is being counted because the U.S. Census Bureau has declined to share localized data on the status of residents who didnt fill out the census, which happens every 10 years and is used to allocate federal funding and political representation. Data on self-response rates are available by state, county, city and even census tract. Yet the U.S. Census Bureau has only publicly released statewide estimates on who has been counted through visits from census workers as part of the Nonresponse Followup (NRFU) operation. Without that data, organizers of phone banks, census drives and other events cant easily identify what areas of the state are at risk of being underrepresented in the count. The federal judges ruling that the 2020 Census must continue until its original deadline, Oct. 31, did not include an order or recommendations on data sharing that could help state liaisons and advocates track down undercounted pockets of the state, Secretary of the Commonwealth William Galvin said. It instructed the bureau to continue the process, but it did not necessarily address how theyre going to do that, which remains a concern to me, said Galvin, the states census liaison. They continue to claim theyre reaching these incredible percentages theyre getting with door-knocking efforts and NRFU numbers. Galvin is skeptical of those numbers. As of Monday, the U.S. Census Bureau says 98.7% of Massachusetts' roughly 6.9 million residents are enumerated. According to the agency, 68.8% of residents filled out the census on their own and another 29.8% of residents have been accounted for through door-knocking efforts under the NRFU operation. But theres no way to verify that close to 30% of residents who havent already completed the 2020 Census have gotten visits from census workers, opened the door when they knocked and agreed to fill out the forms. During negotiations with the U.S. Census Bureau, Galvin said he has learned what cities have been identified as the communities at risk of being undercounted. Those are Brockton, Boston, Fall River, Lawrence, Lynn, New Bedford and Worcester. But the data is not publicly available and the agency did not specify which census tracts or neighborhoods in these cities had lower participation rates, Galvin said. What they have given us in response to our question is general data about what communities, what cities and towns are having issues, but that doesnt help us too much, he said. That varies in various communities. If you tell me theres a problem in Worcester, great. Where? The rush to count U.S. District Judge Lucy Kohs ruling late Thursday sided with attorneys for civil rights group and local governments suing the Trump administration after the deadline was moved up from Oct. 31 to Sept. 30, stopping the count a month early. Attorneys representing the federal government said they would likely appeal, the Associated Press reported. Kohl said a shortened schedule could lead to inaccuracies, which would skew how federal funding and congressional seats are divvied up. Anna Tse, a Malden resident who volunteers for the Asian Community Development Corporations census phone banks, finds herself often explaining to Bay State residents she calls whats at stake if they dont fill out these forms. They will ask me, What this has to do with me? How might I benefit from this, helping the government? I say, no, this is actually helping you and your community,' said Tse, who speaks English, Cantonese, Mandarin and some Russian. Tse and the teams at the ACDC are just one of dozens of phone banks, social media campaigns and other fundraisers organized by nonprofits in Massachusetts to try to boost census participation before the count ends, whether thats this month or the next one. Eva Millona, executive director of the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy coalition, is co-chair of the states Complete Count Committee. She said despite the legal battles and executive actions concerning the census mid-count, the networks of nonprofits that partner with MIRA are spending the last two weeks of the month focusing on census outreach efforts. Its extremely, extremely concerning, for us, the allocation of political power in Congress and our state, she said. More than 1.6 million residents in Massachusetts speak a language other than English at home, according to 2019 census data. Nearly half were Spanish, and more than 600,000 spoke other Indo-European languages, which could refer to anything from Indo-Iranian to Greek to Albanian. Close to 300,000 reported speaking an Asian or Pacific Island language. Tses experience with multiple languages means she can answer those questions for people who might have otherwise hung up when a volunteer called promoting the census in English. If she is directed to a resident who is labeled as a Mandarin speaker or Cantonese speaker, she can explain shes not a scammer, shes not dialing the wrong number and go on to answer their questions in hopes of getting them to complete the census. Some people actually never received the census, Tse said she learns during her calls, targeting those who havent responded yet. She offers to guide those residents to the right webpage so they can fill out the forms. Others she called toward the start of the phone banking initially said they didnt get Census but, through follow-up calls, she learns they have been visited by a census worker and since filled out the forms. But Tse has no way of knowing if census workers have already reached people on her call list until she checks with them herself. Our system and the government system arent talking to each other," she said. The lack of localized data concerns Galvin, but he said his office focused on the task in front of them: figuring out which areas of the communities flagged by the U.S. Census Bureau are the source of the undercount. Galvin visited the Immigrants' Assistance Center in New Bedford with Mayor Jon Mitchell earlier this month to promote the census, especially among Portuguese- and Spanish-speaking residents who may have shied away from the forms. He told MassLive he is coordinating with community groups in other cities to boost participation before the count ends. If we ever needed a realization or didnt have the realization of the importance of federal money, its come in this pandemic, Galvin said, noting hospitals, public schools and state agencies have received federal funding to help offset some of the costs from the COVID-19 response. Youre not going to have that money," he added. Youll have less of it if you dont have the people counted. Related Content: The six-month follow-up medical observation for China's first batch of COVID-19 vaccine volunteers ends on the weekend, as the volunteers complete the final blood sample collection to see antibody levels. The research team is planning to give volunteers a second dose on a voluntary basis to boost their immunity against the novel coronavirus, the Global Times learned from the research team. Other Chinese vaccine candidates entering the late-stage trials all require at least two doses to maximize immune response. China's earliest group of 108 volunteers started to get their injections on March 17 in Wuhan for Phase I clinical trials of the Recombinant Novel Coronavirus Vaccine (Ad5-nCoV), co-developed by Tianjin-based biotechnology company CanSino Biologics Inc and military infectious diseases expert Chen Wei. "We took about 35 millimeters of blood samples this morning. The second dose may be given in the following two days. I did not experience any adverse reactions, no colds, no fevers, over the past six months," Zhu Aobing, 28, one of the first group of volunteers, told the Global Times on Saturday. The vaccine candidate is originally designed for single-dose injection, estimated to stay effective for two years and should be stored at a temperature of 2-8 degrees Celsius. But now the research team intends to extend it to two doses in order to bring better protection to volunteers, a researcher participating in the clinical trials in Wuhan told the Global Times on Saturday. If an extra dose of the vaccine is given, the team will start a new six-month period of medical follow-up observations. No severe adverse effects from Ad5-nCoV have been discovered so far, Zhu Tao, CanSino's chief scientific officer, said over the last weekend at a conference. The vaccine's effectiveness has been called into question due to tests showing low antibodies in previously published Phase 1 and 2 trial data. However, Zhu said that the neutralizing antibody of the vaccine may have been seriously underestimated, and that a single dose of it can achieve the equivalent immunity effect of two doses of inactivated vaccine. He also stressed that different testing methods can seriously affect antibody testing data. The data show that the Ad5-nCoV vaccine is no less effective than the same-typed Ad26 vaccine already approved in Russia, Zhu added. Other three Chinese-developed vaccine candidates also take two doses of injection including two inactivated vaccines developed by China National Pharmaceutical Group Sinopharm in Beijing, and another inactivated one developed by Sinovac Biotech Ltd. A 28-day interval between two doses is a normal scheme, while a 14-day interval is acceptable under emergency situations, Yin Weidong, CEO of Sinovac Biotech Ltd, told the media. Whether a third dose is necessary is still under observation now, but the team has already designed a third dose in its Phase II clinical trials and will report the results soon, said Yin. He suggested not to worry too much about a decrease in antibody level over time because the extra shot can consolidate the immune effects. Chinese vaccine companies have signed cooperation agreements with institutions in several countries to promote final-stage clinical trials, Wu Yuanbin, director-general of science and technology for social development with the Ministry of Science and Technology, said at a briefing held by the State Council Information Office of China on Friday. Sinopharm's two inactivated vaccines have entered Phase III clinical trials in the Middle East, with more than 35,000 people vaccinated and no serious adverse reactions. Sinovac Ltd is smoothly running its Phase III clinical trials for its inactivated vaccine in South American and Southeast Asian countries. Volunteers for the late-stage trials of the Ad5-nCoV are also starting injections in a few countries in Eurasia, Wu briefed. The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, has assured the President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, that, going into the 7th December presidential and parliamentary elections, his record in office will speak for him. Otumfuo Osei Tutu II made this known on Monday, 28th September 2020, when President Akufo-Addo paid a courtesy call on the Asantehene at the Manhyia Palace, at the commencement of a 3-day working visit of the Ashanti Region. Addressing a durbar held in honour of the President, the Asantehene thanked the President for his continuous visit to Manhyia, both as leader of the opposition before the 2016 elections and as President of the Republic. To this end, he stated that Your good works in office will speak for you going forward into the election. We, in Asanteman, remember, we do not forget. Asanteman will, therefore, remember your good works on election day. All I can offer you is prayers and blessings. Even though Chiefs and traditional rulers are not to engage in partisan politics vote, the Asante noted that we vote. We will vote based on the good works of the candidate. Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, thus, urged President Akufo-Addo to direct his communicators and information dissemination machinery to tell Ghanaians exactly what his Government has done and what is being done in their respective communities, in the run-up to the December elections. 1,824 projects in Asanteman On his part, President Akufo-Addo thanked the Asantehene and Asanteman for the warm accorded him and his delegation on their arrival at Manhyia. He explained that the purpose of his visit is officially to introduce himself, once again, to Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, as the New Patriotic Partys presidential candidate ahead of the December elections, and to seek his blessings for the contest. The President also used the opportunity to introduce all of the partys forty-seven (47) parliamentary candidates from the Ashanti Region, and appealed for the support of the Asantehene and Asanteman so the party can annex the three remaining constituencies, Asawase, Ejura Sekyedumase, and Sekyere Afram Plains, which eluded the party in the December 2016 polls. Touching on his record in office, President Akufo-Addo told the Asantehene that development, under his tenure of office, has been distributed equitably to all parts of the country. In the Ashanti Region, for example, the President indicated that a total of 1,824 projects are being undertaken, out of which 774 have been completed and 1,050 are still ongoing. He told the Asantehene that there are 604 projects in the education sector, 92 in health, 151 road projects, 606 in the water and sanitation sector, 1 in aviation and 1 in the ports sector. The Boankra inland Port Project, which has been on the drawing board for several decades, according to President Akufo-Addo, is set to receive parliamentary approval in November, with the $330 million funding needed for its construction already secured by Government. Source: Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Uttarakhand forest officials have failed to track two elephants from Nepal a fortnight after they ventured into the states Udham Singh (US) Nagar. Forest officials said they have spotted the animals pugmarks several times but have not been able to track them because of the tall bushes. Last year also, two rogue elephants from Nepal had created panic in border areas of Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand. After straying from Nepal on June 27 last year into Uttarakhands Khatima area in US Nagar district and later into Uttar Pradesh, the tuskers killed five people, causing panic in the bordering districts like Rampur, Pilibhit, Bareilly, Moradabad and US Nagar. This time, two elephants from Shuklafata sanctuary in western Nepal came to the bordering areas of US Nagar nearly two weeks ago. Villagers spotted them and informed us. Our teams have been trying to track them to ensure they dont enter villages and endanger human lives or damage crops or properties, said Babu Lal, sub-divisional officer (SDO), forest, Khatima. Lal said it is not clear whether these two elephants are the same tuskers as those of the last year. Ultimately, they were tranquilised before being shifted from Bilaspur area of Rampur to Khatima, he said. Last year, forest officials from India and Nepal had met in Pilibhit Tiger Reserve to discuss how effective measures could be taken to monitor and check the entry of elephants from Nepal into the bordering areas of Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh, where they have been damaging crops and killing or injuring people. The SDO said their main concern is to track them and not let them come near the villages. These elephants from Nepal have become a mystery for forest officials here. Despite patrolling by teams of forest officials, they havent succeeded in locating the animals yet. Only their pugmarks have been spotted, not the elephants, he said. Lal said, Their location, Nakhatal area of forest, is close to the Nepal border and a traditional elephant corridor. The area is rich in terms of fodder and water. High bushes in the forest due to rainy season are creating a hindrance in spotting them. Jeevan Chandra Joshi, conservator of forest (CCF), western circle, and Nitish Mani Tripathi, divisional forest officer (DFO), Terai-East, also visited the area last week to take stock of the situation. Our concern is that they should not enter villages and attack people. We have instructed our officials to trace them and keep a watch on their movement round-the-clock, said Tripathi. AG Ansari, a Ramnagar-based wildlife expert, said, Nakhatal connects the elephant corridor in Uttarakhand to Nepal. These elephants from Nepal keep moving in this corridor. Due to the dense growth of bushes these days, it is a bit challenging to locate them, he said. The family of a man shot to death by a Maryland police officer has reached a $20 million-dollar settlement with Prince Georges County, announced county officials Monday. The settlement, which appears to be among the highest ever paid in a single police shooting death, comes 9 months after Cpl. Michael Owen shot William Green, 43, six times in the back while he was handcuffed in the front seat of a police cruiser following his January 27 arrest. County Executive Angela Alsobrooks announced the historic settlement Monday morning at a press conference alongside the family of Green, and their attorney William H. Billy Murphy. To be clear there is no price of a son, a father, an uncle, a brother. There is no appropriate price tag to accompany a loss like that one, said Alsobrooks, but we believe the actions taken that night against Mr. Green and ultimately taken against his family warrant this settlement. The settlement echoes that in the case of Breonna Taylor, whose survivors this month agreed to a $12 million settlement from the Louisville, Ky., police for the March 13 police shootout that killed the 26-year-old in her home. The night of Greens death, Owen and one other officer were investigating traffic accidents in Silver Hill, Md., when Green was found in the nearby Temple Hills asleep in his car. Thought to be a suspect in the traffic accidents, Green was arrested and placed in the front seat of the police vehicle where Owen ultimately shot him six times while his hands were handcuffed behind his back. Owen was not wearing a body camera during the incident. William Green. (Brenda Michaele Green via AP) Hours following the shooting, police said there was reason to believe Green was under the influence of PCP and that there were independent witnesses who could verify a struggle in the vehicle before the shooting. The next day, police recanted both claims. Preliminarily, our media relations representatives last night spoke to the possibility of PCP being involved, former Prince George's County Police Chief Hank Stawinksi said in a news conference the morning after Greens death. That does not appear to be the case. Stawinski also said the assertion about independent witnesses was not corroborated. Story continues That same day, Owen, who in 2011 fatally shot another man while on duty, was arrested and charged with second-degree murder, voluntary and involuntary manslaughter, first-degree assault and use of a firearm in the commission of a crime of violence. He was denied bail and awaits trial. This was the first time in Prince Georges history that we ever charged an officer for murder in the line of duty, Alsobrooks said Monday. During Monday's announcement, Greens family wore shirts that bore his face. For our family, honestly this doesnt bring resolution, this doesnt bring justice, this doesnt bring peace, this really doesnt make anything better for us, said William Greens niece, Nicky Owens. This settlement was necessary for us to move on and move past this, but we still have a criminal trial to get through, and we still have a grieving process to continue. On 23 November, Boris Johnson announced that although the nationwide lockdown in England would be ending on 2 December, the country would be readopting the tiered system of regional lockdowns first used in October. This means that even in the lowest (or most relaxed tier) - tier 1 - people should continue to work from home where possible rather than going into the office, as had been promoted over the summer with campaigns encouraging workers to return. On Monday the prime minister said that this instruction could last till March/April as rates of Covid-19 persist and the UK combats the dual winter problems of flu and coronavirus. For some people this might be a welcome relief that they dont have to commute, but for others it might raise concerns about higher costs of being at home 24/7 during the winter months; the increase in electricity and heating bills that will entail. If these measures do last till spring that would be 12 months of working from home for many people forced out of workplaces on 23 March 2020. So is there a way of making this time more cost effective? As well as not shelling out for public transport or take away lunches, being at home could bring tax benefits too. Can I get money to cover my expenses? HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) says you might be able to claim for tax relief while working from home if you use your own money for things that you must buy for your job and, crucially, you only use these things for work purposes. It says: This includes the cost of things such as heating and lighting the room you work in, or the cost of business telephone calls. But you cannot claim for things that you use for both private and business use, for example, rent or broadband access. You have to keep a record of what you are spending to claim this back at a later date. If you cant be bothered to keep records of everything (it will be quite labour intensive trying to prove what is for work and what is personal) then you can opt for a flat rate of 6 per week reimbursement instead. From 6 April 2020, HMRC says you can claim a base rate up to 6 a week (26 a month) of additional costs without having to provide any paperwork. That doesn't mean you save 6 a week - you only save the tax you would have paid on that. So it works out as 1.20 a week (62 a year) for a basic rate taxpayer, or 2.40 a week (104 a year) for someone paying the higher rate of tax. Which? says: This is worth it for ease, but perhaps not worth it if youre certain youre having to spend more than 6 a week to work from home. Of course you can go ahead and claim more than 6 if your costs are higher but it will take more work and diligence in keeping evidence. How do you claim? Money Saving Expert says there are two ways you can claim the flat rate. The first is that your employer can pay you 6 a week extra tax-free. But right now with many firms struggling asking may be bad timing, it says. Instead you can claim the 6 per week as a deduction on your taxable income. If your employer won't pay expenses for your extra costs due to necessary working from home, but you have them, then you can ask for the amount to be deducted from your taxable income, it says. If you normally do a self-assessment form, you can claim when you submit that. If you do not, it will involve making a claim online through the Government Gateway - or with a P87 postal form. You claim retrospectively on expenses you have already incurred so if you can wait until the start of next year it might be easier to do them in one sitting rather than in many instalments. Once you had applied your tax code will be adjusted so you pay less tax over the year, rather than getting a lump sum back in your bank account. You can also claim on anything prior to the pandemic but be warned the previous tax years the rate is 4 a week (18 a month). So you will get less than for this financial year. Are there exemptions that stop you applying? The government website says you do not qualify for relief if youve agreed with your employer to work at home voluntarily or you choose to work at homebut HMRC confirmed to The Independent the pandemic does not come under this qualification. Working from home during the pandemic doesn't count as voluntary. If people are working from home because of Covid-19 then they can claim, said a spokesperson. You cannot claim a tax relief if your employer either gives you all the money back you have spent, or you just want an alternative to something your employer has provided. For example. They have given you a laptop but you want a different type or model. You must also have paid tax in the year to qualify for relief. This is because youll get tax relief based on what youve spent and the rate at which you pay tax. For example, if you spent 60 and pay 20 per cent tax rate, you can claim 12 back from the government. You also qualify even if you only work at home part time. When The Independent tried to start a claim the website asked the following questions: Are you claiming for yourself or someone else? Are you claiming for after April 2016? Did you pay tax in the years you are claiming for? Do you complete self assessment forms? Are you claiming expenses of more than 2,500 in a single tax year? Has your employer paid back your expenses? Are you claiming for more than five different jobs? It then confirmed you are eligible to claim these job expenses online. The next step is to create a Government Gateway user ID and password. You can create a user ID if you do not already have one. It usually takes about 10 minutes. It works best if you have your National Insurance number and a recent payslip or P60 or a valid UK passport to hand. You can find the application here. The scene across the street from the Roanoke Police Office headquarters on Sunday was familiar. Chants of no justice, no peace rang out. Signs with such slogans as Racism is not born. Its taught appeared. The name on protesters lips was different this time. Say her name, a leader shouted. Breonna Taylor, the crowd responded. News of an indictment last week related to Taylors March killing in a Louisville, Kentucky, police raid brought the group members from No Justice No Peace Roanoke downtown. About 75 people, including volunteer first amendment observers from the National Lawyers Guild and a group of people on guard for violent counterprotests, were present, wearing masks to safeguard against COVID-19. The afternoon demonstration was loud and peaceful. Through its first hour, there was no police presence outside, and no officers observing from the buildings roof, as they had during previous protests this year. A grand jury in Louisville last week indicted a former city police officer on a wanton endangerment charge. The grand jury declined to indict two other officers who fired shots in the early morning raid that killed Taylor, 26, a Black woman and medical worker, and no charge was delivered in her death. The raid was related to a case against Taylors ex-boyfriend, who did not live with her and was miles away at the time, according to multiple published accounts. No Justice No Peace Roanoke formed after city protests in the wake of George Floyds homicide in May, under the knee of a Minneapolis police officer. The groups lead organizer, Tatiana Durant, said that Roanoke police response to the protests sparked organization. On the afternoon of May 30 and early morning of May 31, city officers used pepper or OC (Oleoresin capsicum) spray four times and fired pepper balls at the ground eight times on Campbell and Salem avenues, a police spokeswoman told The Roanoke Times after those protests. We decided that we needed the same policies, and reformation and abolition here as residents in other jurisdictions are seeking, Durant said. The group, on its Facebook page, states that its work against systemic racism includes calls to abolish the punitive justice system in Roanoke City alongside the investment in restorative justice. The group is studying on its own and discussing with community leaders how that would work, Durant said. What were all about is re-imagining public safety as a community, they said. We realize that abolition cant happen tomorrow, but we do need to work together as a community, and with community leaders and with the current public safety officers to re-imagine a form of public safety that is not from a racist institution and also directly serves our individual communities. Shortly after the protests planned 1 p.m. start, Durant spoke to the crowd, advising it among other things to not interact with any counterprotesters. Durant described what they said were the circumstances of Taylors death on March 13. During that description, they repeated an inaccuracy that has made the rounds on social media and even some news accounts, including the assertion that Taylor was killed while she was asleep in her bed. Taylors boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, however, has said that both were roused from bed by commotion at her door and were unaware police were on the other side of the door, according to multiple published fact-checking accounts, including from the Courier-Journal, in Louisville. Her ex, Jamarcus Glover, has said that Taylor was not involved in his drug trade, the Courier-Journal reported. Durant said that she was unaware of Walkers statement. I heard the same story that was going around that she was killed in her sleep, Durant said. But I think regardless, she was an innocent person who was murdered, so it doesnt really matter what her state of waking was. She was completely innocent and she should still be here today. In fact, Louisville police had no charges filed against her and did not consider her a suspect, according to the Courier-Journal. Furthermore, though Walker had admitted firing at police, a Kentucky State Police ballistics report did not support the state attorney generals assertion that Walkers fire struck a police sergeant who suffered a thigh wound in the incident. No Justice No Peace Roanoke has more action planned, though it wont necessarily be protesting daily, they said. Yes, we come out and protest, they said. But our main activity right now is having meetings with community leaders, as well as researchers who are researching policies, researching ways to replace the current system as well as just doing surveys to understand what Roanoke actually needs in terms of public safety. Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Questo comunicato e stato pubblicato piu di 1 anno fa. Le informazioni su questa pagina potrebbero non essere attendibili. The global warehouse racking market size is expected to reach USD 10.5 billion by 2025, ascending at a CAGR of 3.6% over the forecast period, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. Optimized utilization of warehouse space and structural storage of objects in racking systems is expected to propel their demand. High load-bearing capacity and rigidity of rack structures are expected to be the key factors propelling their demand in heavy duty applications. These systems are commercially available in various structures, patterns, and designs, thus are gaining high consumer traction. Racking offers easy handling of materials and optimized way of product selection, thus are popular in large-scale storage facilities. Forklifts and conveyer mechanisms are used in racks to provide access to every object stored in racking structure. Systematic storage of stock in warehouse and easy accessibility provided by racks are considered beneficial for applications such as retail and food & beverage. These systems are widely used in large warehouses where heavy, fragile, and ductile objects are stored. Developments in the industry have introduced enhanced racking with improved durability and lifespan of pallets used in the systems. Prominent players in the warehouse racking industry are focusing on providing installation and maintenance services to the customers. The market is characterized by multinational and a large number of domestic players engaged in production and distribution of racking systems. Major players in the market include Daifuku Co., Ltd.; AK Material Handling Systems; Hannibal Industries, Inc.; and Mecalux, S.A. To request a sample copy or view summary of this report, click the link below: https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/warehouse-racking-market Further key findings from the report suggest: Selective pallet system is expected to grow at the fastest CAGR of 4.2% over the forecast period owing to provision of easy accessibility to materials and less complicated structural rack design In 2018, retail applications for warehouse system dominated the market with a share of over 30% and is anticipated to progress with the highest CAGR over the forecast period on account of increasing e-commerce applications In Europe, the revenue for drive-in racking system in 2018 stood at USD 228.3 million and is likely to grow over the forecast period with growing acceptance of modern technology automation in racking systems in the region North America registered the largest warehouse racking market for warehouse racking in 2018 owing to well-established distribution networks for retail, food & beverage, and automotive applications in the region In 2019, Michelin North America, Inc. announced its operations of a new three million square feet distribution and warehouse, wherein the company installed racking systems and forklifts to smoothen the operations. Grand View Research has segmented the global warehouse racking market on the basis of product, application, and region: Warehouse Racking Product Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2014 - 2025) Selective Pallet Drive-In Push Back Pallet Flow Cantilever Others Warehouse Racking Application Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2014 - 2025) Automotive Food & Beverage Retail Packaging Manufacturing Others Warehouse Racking Regional Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2014 - 2025) North America US. Canada Mexico Europe UK. Germany Spain Italy Russia Asia Pacific China Japan India Central & South America (CSA) Brazil Middle East & Africa (MEA) Saudi Arabia About Grand View Research Grand View Research, Inc. is a U.S. based market research and consulting company, registered in the State of California and headquartered in San Francisco. The company provides syndicated research reports, customized research reports, and consulting services. To help clients make informed business decisions, we offer market intelligence studies ensuring relevant and fact-based research across a range of industries, from technology to chemicals, materials and healthcare. Loan moratorium: SC gives Centre one week on new plan India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, Sep 28: The Supreme Court has allowed the government another week to come up with a plan on loan moratorium. The court had asked the government to submit its plan on September 28. The hearing has now been deferred to October 5. The Centre told the court that a decision is likely in the next couple of days over charging of interest by banks on instalments, which were deferred during the moratorium period in view of the pandemic. A bench of Justices Ashok Bhushan, Sanjay Kishan Kaul and M R Shah had said that these are challenging times and it is a serious issue as on one hand moratorium is granted and on other hand interest is charged on loans. Loan moratorium: Aspect of interest cant be ignored, please be fair, SC tells Centre The bench was hearing a plea, filed by Gajendra Sharma, in which he has sought a direction to declare the portion of RBI's March 27 notification "as ultra vires to the extent it charges interest on the loan amount during the moratorium period, which create hardship to the petitioner being borrower and creates hindrance and obstruction in 'right to life' guaranteed by Article 21 of the Constitution of India". Amrinder Singh joins farmers' protest, says 'Pakistan's ISI may take advantage' | Oneindia News Sharma, a resident of Agra, has also sought a direction to the government and the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to provide relief in re-payment of loan by not charging interest during the moratorium period. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, September 28, 2020, 13:19 [IST] One more crucial week Yes, its yet another crucial week for Brexit. Three days of talks resume in Brussels tomorrow. Today, UK Brexit minister, Michael Gove was in the EU capital for talks with EU Commission vice-president, Maros Sefcovic of Slovakia. If there was any kind of progress it was a very well-kept secret. Vice-president Sefcovic renewed the call for London to withdraw legislation which breaks the EU-UK Withdrawal Agreement which has international legal status. Mr Gove said he would do no such thing and is keeping a clause in the bill, currently going through the London parliament, which alters the post-Brexit status of Northern Ireland. He defended the measure as a safety net to protect the integrity of the United Kingdom in the event of a no-deal Brexit. Read More Vice-president Sefcovic repeated the EUs threat of legal action if the measure is not withdrawn by September 30. It is not as empty a threat as would first appear it could make things quite awkward for London. But its no quick fix. Deadlines and end lines This Brexit carry-on has had more deadlines than most other political cruxes going right back to June 23, 2016, when UK voters opted in a referendum to leave the EU. But even this long procession of postponements appears close to the end. UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has refused to avail of an EU offer of an extension to a standstill trading transition period of anything up to two years to allow more considered negotiations. Mr Johnson wants to follow last Januarys political Brexit with a full trade Brexit on December 31. Realistically a deal would have to be wrapped up by the end of next month to allow member states and the European Parliament ratify it. Mr Johnson has further hardened that deadline by saying his government will walk away from talks if an agreement is not reached before an EU leaders summit on October 14 and 15. But this week, EU chief negotiator, Michel Barnier, rubbished that October 14 deadline, saying they were really talking end of October. Brussels diplomats believe haggling could drag into November. But we are still only talking weeks and that end line deadline is now very real. Read More Still talks go on The one flicker of hope is that the talks are continuing. The sticking points remain the same: Brussels wants a level playing field before it can concede free-trade access to the single market for UK goods and services. A level playing field means keeping close to EU standards on labour law, environmental rules, and state aids to business. The UK say that defeats the whole principle of leaving the EU in the first place. They are also slow to allow EU fishing boats post-Brexit access to UK waters. But some Brussels officials familiar with the process say there is still some hope of a late breakthrough. It would very probably mean a minimalist trade deal. Taoiseach Micheal Martin has said the Budget, due in two weeks time is being framed to prepare for a no-deal Brexit. But were not finished yet. The EU today dropped a threat to quit post-Brexit trade talks with Britain in a row over the Withdrawal Agreement, handing a boost to hopes that a deal can be done. European Commission vice president Maros Sefcovic warned the UK it should not try to use Boris Johnson's threat to break international law as a 'bargaining chip' after meeting Michael Gove in Brussels. But while threatening the UK with legal action over legislation that would undo the Brexit Deal signed by Boris Johnson last year, he stopped short of suggesting the EU could quit the talks if it is not dropped. There is growing clamor for a deal on both sides amid fears about the economic impact of failing to agree terms, on top of the havoc being wrought by the coronavirus pandemic. After Mr Gove told reporters the UK would not abandon the Internal Market Bill, which contains provisions that would affect Northern Ireland if no deal was achieved, Mr Sefcovic indicated that official discussions due to restart in London tomorrow would continue. In comments which could be seen to weak the EU's bargaining position he said: It will never be the EU which would cause the end of the negotiation of a future partnership between the EU and the UK. Boris Johnson's Government has admitted that parts of the IMB legislation would break international law by over-riding part of the WA, which he signed last year. And Cabinet Office Minister Mr Gove said today the contentious clauses would remain, despite a threat from Brussels to take legal action and opposition from senior Tories including Theresa May. Mr Gove told reporters today: 'We want to make sure that the Withdrawal Agreement is implemented in full. 'But those clauses are there, they're in legislation, supported by the House of Commons, as a safety net, if need be. And those clauses will remain in that bill.' While Mr Govesaid the talks were 'constructive', he clashed with Mr Sefcovic yet again over the Internal Market Bill (IMB), which is going through Parliament The Cabinet Office Minister (right) held talks with European Commission vice president Maros Sefcovic (left) in Brussels today Reports yesterday suggested that both the UK and Brussels were prepared to give ground to avoid the double negative economic impact of coronavirus and No Deal at the end of the year. However, Downing Street today said these reports were 'enthusiastic' and suggested the two sides remained some way apart. The final round of formal talks takes place this week, but Number 10 expects informal discussions to continue ahead of the October 15-16 summit of European Union leaders which Boris Johnson has made his deadline for an agreement. The Prime Minister's official spokesman said: 'Although the last few weeks of informal talks have been relatively positive, there remains much to be done. 'The fundamentals of our position have not changed.' Mr Sefcovic insisted this afternoon that the IMB would override parts of the Withdrawal Agreement that protected the peace process in Northern Ireland. Asked if there could be legal action, he added: 'Once again, I reminded the UK Government today that the Withdrawal Agreement contains a number of mechanisms and legal remedies to address the violation of the legal obligations contained in the text. 'And I underscored that the EU will not be shy in using it. 'When we will do it, how we will do it - proceed, you will have to give us a little bit of time and we will inform you in due course.' Sticky wicket? Reports yesterday suggested that both Mr Johnson's (pictured today in Uxbridge) Government and Brussels are giving ground to avoid the double negative economic impact of coronavirus and No Deal at the end of the year Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove will go to Brussels today for more discussions with the European Commission to discuss the implementation of the Withdrawal Agreement after their last talks ended in acrimony There had been hopes that talks this week between Lord Frost and Michel Barnier could be signal the beginning of an agreement forming. Should talks go well, it was said they hoped to enter 'the tunnel', in which final details of the deal will be hammered out in total secrecy over two weeks. This would mean that a final agreement would be in place just after the next EU summit in Brussels in mid-October. However, doubts still linger in Brussels, with EU leaders and diplomats accusing London of lacking 'credible' ideas to break the deadlock. Earlier this month, Mr Sefcovic issued the UK with an ultimatum to drop the controversial provisions in the legislation by the end of September or face legal action for breaking international law. Boris Johnson's Government pushed on with the IMB regardless and MPs are due to debate it on Tuesday. Citizens' rights and the protocols on Northern Ireland and Gibraltar were among the topics of discussion between Mr Give and his EU counterpart. It came after Irish Taoiseach Micheal Martin said he is 'not optimistic' that a trade deal will be struck. Mr Martin said there was still the 'potential for a deal', but warned that the controversial Bill enabling the UK to break international law had 'eroded trust'. He told the i newspaper in an interview to be broadcast at the Liberal Democrat conference on Monday that the legislation 'damaged the credibility' of agreements already entered into. Asked if he believes a free trade deal is likely, he said: 'I'm not that optimistic, if I'm honest. Just to let you know that the (Irish) government is preparing its budget in three weeks' time on the basis that there will be a no-deal Brexit. 'That's the basis on which we're preparing the budget and we're warning and alerting businesses to that terrible reality. 'I think progress has been slow in the talks so far, I think there is still potential for a deal, I believe a deal is the sane and sensible thing to do, and I think all of us as politicians have an obligation to those we represent - and in terms of Brexit that means the least damage possible to workers, to employers and to business and economy.' Brexit trade talks could enter their final stages this week after Lord Frost (pictured), the UK's negotiator, and the EU made key concessions EU's Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier (pictured) and Lord Frost are said to be preparing to finalise details by the end of this week Boris Johnson is believed to want a Brexit deal and is coming under pressure to secure one from Cabinet members. Mr Gove, who is in charge of No Deal planning, is said to be 'terrified' of the effects of a combination of a second coronavirus wave and a failure to reach a trade deal, the Sunday Times reported. Both sides are said to have made concessions that give those involved hope a deal may be reached. Brussels is said to have watered down its demands for checks on the movement of goods between Great Britain and Northern Ireland. In return, the UK would agree to adhere to some 'baseline rules' over the use of state aid to prop up British businesses. This would mean that Mr Johnson would be able to say the UK was not fully aligned to EU rules as Brussels has been demanding. Both sides will then agree a dispute mechanism. While No 10 officials have warned against the idea that a deal is done, members of Lord Frost's team are reported to have privately said: 'There will be a deal.' In a statement, Lord Frost said: 'An agreement is still very much possible, but equally very far from certain. 'The last two weeks of informal talks have been relatively positive, but there remains much to be done and time is short.' Boris Johnson (pictured) is believed to want a Brexit deal and is coming under pressure to secure one from Cabinet members He added that the UK had insisted from the start that it wants a standard free trade agreement like Canada's, but said the EU's position had 'not been so straightforward'. However, the signals from the EU were less positive yesterday, with the Irish premier Micheal Martin saying he was 'not that optimistic' about the prospect of a deal. He told the i newspaper: 'The Internal Market Bill has eroded trust, it has damaged the credibility of agreements that have been entered into, namely the Withdrawal Agreement and Northern Ireland protocol.' One senior EU diplomat added: 'The UK is very much spinning that they want a tunnel to explore possible ideas and avenues to strike a deal. The problem is right now there are not any that are credible. 'There is going to be a need of intensification of negotiations at some point. But we need to trust we won't be betrayed by the other side.' Another diplomat said: 'On one hand, you could see all this positive talk coming from the British government as an indication that they are serious about getting a deal. 'On the other hand, they could be just preparing the ground for some kind of blame game in the event we don't find an agreement.' It came as the head of the Confederation of British Industry, Carolyn Fairburn, said there was 'real concern' about the chance of No Deal at the end of the transition period. She said a CBI poll showed half of firms have gone backwards with their preparations as cash reserves and stockpiles have been run down. UPDATE: Grand Rapids police say the victims injuries appear to be non-life-threatening. GRAND RAPIDS, MI A man was shot in the stomach Monday, Sept. 28, on the citys Southeast Side, Grand Rapids police said. It was not known if the victims injuries are life-threatening, Sgt. John Wittkowski said. The shooting was reported at 9:41 a.m. on Diamond Avenue SE and Logan Street. The victim was walking down the street when a vehicle pulled up. Shots were fired from the vehicle. The victim, whose age was not immediately available, was taken to Spectrum Health Butterworth Hospital. Police are on scene. The shooting follows the deaths of three people, in two shootings, since Friday, Sept. 25. Police have responded to 26 homicides so far this year. Last year, there were 18 for the entire year with nine the previous year. Read more: Man shot and killed in car on Southwest Side 2 dead in Southeast Grand Rapids shooting Grand Rapids police flood streets with officers to target violence, and just to talk Brad Parscale, who managed President Donald Trump's campaign for nearly 2 1/2 years until he was demoted in July, was hospitalized for his own safety after threatening suicide while holding a handgun during a confrontation with his wife at his Florida home, local police said Monday. Parscale's wife, Candice, called authorities shortly before 4 p.m. Sunday to report that he had loaded a gun in front of her, prompting her to flee the house out of fear for her safety. She told police that Parscale was still inside the house with multiple guns, that he had made several threats of suicide and that she feared he might attempt to take his own life. Parscale was ultimately transported to Broward Health Medical Center under the Baker Act, a Florida law that allows authorities to detain a person they think poses a danger to themselves. Fort Lauderdale Police Department reports from the incident reveal a grim and troubling picture of Trump's former campaign manager. His wife said Parscale had been drinking heavily, had been physically abusive toward her, and had been stressed and making suicidal comments for weeks. She also told police that he "suffers from PTSD," or post-traumatic stress disorder, without elaborating. Police removed 10 firearms from the home: five handguns, two rifles, two shotguns and a small revolver, according the report. Several of the officers who responded to the incident wrote in their reports that Candice Parscale exhibited physical signs of what she said was previous abuse by her husband. One officer wrote that she "had several bruises on both of her arms as well as scratches and bruising on her face," and another wrote that they noticed "several large sized contusions on both of her arms, her cheek and forehead." One of the officers wrote that when asked how she received the bruising, Candice Parscale "stated Brad Parscale hits her." Washington Post photo by Jabin Botsford "When asked if he made these markings today, she claimed he did not," reads the report. "I continued to ask if Brad Parscale physically assaulted her in anyway today and she said no, but he did forcibly smack her phone out of her hand when she was attempting to call Brad Parscale's father." According to the reports, she described Parscale loading one of his guns directly in front of her, which prompted her to leave the house and take refuge outside. She "became so afraid for her safety that she immediately fled the residence on foot with no cellphone or belongings," reads the report. In an audio recording released by the police, Terry Behal - a real estate agent who was showing a house in the neighborhood when Candice Parscale flagged her down for help - can also be heard noticing her bruises. "What are those bruises? Oh no, did he do that?" Behal asks, at the end of the police recording. "Oh my gosh. Your arm - both your arms. Has he been hurting you?" Sunday's altercation marks the culmination of a turbulent tenure for Brad Parscale in Trump's orbit. In February 2018, Trump announced that Parscale, who had worked on his 2016 campaign as digital director, would serve as his 2020 campaign manager. But in July of this year, Parscale was demoted following accusations of profligate spending and anger from Trump over a June rally in Tulsa, Okla. Trump was expecting a large crowd, but just 6,000 supporters materialized amid concerns over attending an indoor rally during the coronavirus pandemic. Parscale, who had publicly claimed that the Tulsa event had more than 1 million RSVPs, took much of the blame for the botched rally. Documents later showed that he and the campaign had pitched the president on a number of smaller and outdoor venues, including a proposed drive-in rally. His key mistake, advisers said, was promising Trump such a large crowd and saying so publicly. Parscale ultimately stayed on the campaign as a senior adviser helping with digital efforts and other tasks. Parscale was angry over being demoted by Jared Kushner - Trump's son-in-law and senior adviser, with whom he had been close - rather than by the president himself, according to people familiar with the situation, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to reveal internal discussions. But Parscale had spoken to Trump in recent weeks and had returned to the campaign's Arlington, Va., headquarters for meetings. He also had helped put together some of the videos for the Republican National Convention last month. He felt under attack in recent weeks, Parscale told others, because of news stories about questionable spending and financial problems in the campaign. Trump advisers said they had grown concerned about Parscale in the days following his ouster as campaign manager, three people familiar with the matter said, but had felt he was doing fine in recent weeks. Parscale, who was still employed by the campaign as of Monday, did not respond to requests for comment. His wife also could not be reached for comment. Trump campaign spokesman Tim Murtaugh offered a statement Monday supportive of Parscale: "Our thoughts are with Brad and his family as we wait for all the facts to emerge." In a different statement Sunday, Murtaugh also offered support to Parscale, whom he called "a member of our family." But after the president had been briefed on the incident, Murtaugh updated his initial statement, using Parscale's personal situation as a cudgel to attack Trump's political rivals. "The disgusting, personal attacks from Democrats and disgruntled RINOs have gone too far, and they should be ashamed of themselves for what they've done to this man and his family," Murtaugh said in his statement, referring to Republicans in Name Only, or RINOs, a dismissive term for Republicans who do not support the party's policies or candidates. The incident involving Parscale is the latest in a long list of interactions with law enforcement officials by current and former Trump staffers. Paul Manafort, Trump's former 2016 campaign chairman, is serving a seven-year prison sentence. He was indicted in June 2018 by special counsel Robert Mueller for witness tampering and was later convicted of bank and tax fraud charges as well. Manafort's 2016 campaign deputy, Rick Gates, who helped with Trump's presidential transition, was also ensnared in Mueller's Russia investigation, pleading guilty in early 2018 to conspiracy against the United States, as well as to lying to federal investigators. Stephen Bannon, Trump's former chief strategist who also served as his 2016 campaign chief in the final months of that campaign, was charged in August with defrauding donors as a part of a campaign to raise money for the president's wall on the nation's southern border. In an interview, Behal said she doesn't know the Parscales but was showing a house in their neighborhood and was just across the street from their home waiting for a client when Candice Parscale knocked on her car window to ask for help, saying, "I think my husband just killed himself." Behal said Candice Parscale nearly collapsed when she tried to help her into the car. She "had nothing on her - no keys, no phone," Behal said, so they used Behal's phone to call 911. The police reports describe Brad Parscale as "clearly intoxicated," and a video released by the police shows him, shirtless, holding a beer as he exits his house to come down his driveway to talk to the officers. As he stands in his driveway starting to explain his version of events to an officer, another officer can be heard telling him several times to "get on the ground," before tackling him and detaining him with handcuffs. In the video, Parscale does not seem to resist. In the interview, Behal added that while she and Candice Parscale waited in her car for the authorities to arrive, Candice told her that Brad "has been very upset lately because he just lost his job." - - - The Washington Post's Lori Rozsa in Fort Lauderdale contributed to this report. Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey has filed a lawsuit against a Massachusetts law firm, alleging it accepted tens of thousands of dollars in illegal kickbacks from a pharmacy in exchange for referring hundreds of its personal injury clients to the pharmacy. In a complaint filed in Suffolk Superior Court, Healey contended that Keches Law Group P.C. violated the states consumer protection law by accepting more than $90,000 in kickbacks from Injured Workers Pharmacy (IWP) in exchange for referring at least 800 clients to the pharmacy. Healey alleges in the complaint that Keches Law Group did not disclose its financial interest in the referrals or obtain its clients informed consent, according to a press release issued by Healeys office. Lawyers in Massachusetts are expected to follow the law, Healey said in the release. Clients should feel confident that they are getting unbiased advice from their lawyers, not being steered towards providers that are secretly paying for referrals. The Massachusetts Attorney Generals Office began investigating Keches Law Group in connection with an investigation into IWPs dispensing practices. The investigation into IWP resulted in an $11 million consent judgment to resolve claims that the pharmacy violated Massachusetts consumer protection law by failing to implement adequate safeguards against unlawful and dangerous controlled substance dispensing and by paying kickbacks for new patient referrals, the release stated. According to Healeys complaint, Keches entered a one-year marketing agreement with IWP in March 2017 that alleged IWP would pay Keches $4,000 per month to link to IWPs website and promote IWPs pharmacy services. But internal emails showed the actual purpose of the monthly payments was to compensate Keches for referring at least 40 of its clients to IWP each month. The complaint further contends that Keches and IWP agreed to a second unwritten arrangement in January 2018, in which IWP agreed to pay for Keches social events in exchange for referrals. IWP paid for Keches social events costing more than $74,000, including an X1 racing event, a yacht outing and a nearly $24,000 holiday luncheon, the complaint alleges, adding that Keches referrals under the 2017 and 2018 agreements generated more than $1.2 million in revenue for IWP. The AGs lawsuit seeks an order from the court permanently enjoining Keches from further violations of the consumer protection law, together with consumer restitution, civil penalties and attorneys fees and costs. Keches Law Group (KLG) is surprised and disappointed that the Attorney Generals Office (AGO) has brought a civil Chapter 93A claim based on the firms short-term marketing arrangement with an online pharmacy, said Thomas F. Maffei of Sherin and Lodgen LLP, counsel to KLG, in an emailed statement. KLG cooperated with the AGOs unrelated investigation of that pharmacy and immediately terminated its commercial relationship. There was no quid pro quo, and to their knowledge no client was harmed. KLG denies that its conduct was unfair or deceptive in any way and disputes the AGOs [Attorney Generals Office] characterization of the facts. For 35 years, KLG has fought to protect the rights and interests of thousands of injured Massachusetts workers and accident victims. KLG will continue to do so while it defends this claim. This matter is being handled by Senior Enforcement Counsel Gillian Feiner, Special Assistant Attorney General Matthew Lashof-Sullivan and Paralegal Philipp Nowak of the AGs Health Care and Fair Competition Bureau, with assistance from Assistant Attorney General David Kim of the AGs Administrative Law Division. Topics Lawsuits Massachusetts Raccoons are terrorizing San Francisco's Golden Gate Park because they have become used to humans feeding them. Many visitors to the popular park have complained of being attacked and mobbed by the creatures which are normally nocturnal and skittish. Heather Buren was recently walking her dog in the public grounds when she was surrounded by a horde of aggressive raccoons, hissing and lunging at her. Raccoons are terrorizing San Francisco's Golden Gate Park because they have become used to humans feeding them She told KPIX-TV: 'One of the raccoons started coming out of the bridge and started coming at us. 'I was able to take this [dog leash] and I started swinging, and so there were three of them aggressively surrounding us I was yelling at them, they were not backing down.' Local resident Sylvia Ramirez says the emboldened animals living in redwood trees in her backyard now come down and go under her deck, something they have never done before. Many visitors to the popular park have complained of being attacked and mobbed by the creatures which are normally nocturnal and skittish Heather Buren was recently walking her dog in the public grounds when she was surrounded by a horde of aggressive raccoons She also recalled a raccoon coming right up to her in the middle of the day while she was walking on a trail recently. A viral video last week also showed a father and son coming across a gang of 14 raccoons in the park. Marc Estoque and his son Ever were walking their dog Zeus on a trail when they spotted the large group looking inquisitive. A viral video last week also showed a father and son coming across a gang of 14 raccoons in the park Marc Estoque and his son Ever were walking their dog Zeus on a trail when they spotted the large group looking inquisitive The animals appear to have a standoff with Zeus, with the dog's owners warning it not to get too close A coyote was also seen hiding in the bushes near the group of animals during their outing A coyote was also hiding in the bushes near the group of animals. San Francisco Animal Care and Control Executive Director Virginia Donohue says people are to blame for the animals' behaviour. She believes the constant feeding has taken away the raccoons' natural fear of humans. Park rangers in Golden Gate Park have increased patrols and warned visitors not to feed wildlife. San Francisco Animal Care and Control Executive Director Virginia Donohue says people are to blame for the animals' behaviour Park rangers in Golden Gate Park have increased patrols and warned visitors not to feed wildlife There was a rise in the number of raccoon sightings in the area three years ago and now they appear to becoming bolder Donohue said: 'People think they're helping the raccoon. They feed the raccoon, but if the raccoon gets to be too aggressive, eventually the parks will have to trap them, and once they're trapped they have to be euthanized because you can't relocate them.' San Francisco City College professor and urban wildlife expert Matthew Schweitzer told SFist that raccoons gather in packs to beg for food and often become aggressive. There was a rise in the number of raccoon sightings in the area three years ago and now they appear to becoming bolder. Fewer cars and people due to the coronavirus pandemic means the animals could be even more prevalent at the moment and taking over the park. / Associated Press SACRAMENTO Gov. Gavin Newsom encouraged Californians to do their part to prevent a potential twindemic of the coronavirus and the flu this fall by getting his flu shot in the middle of a live-streamed news conference Monday. After providing his regular updates on the wildfires ravaging the state and the latest figures on new coronavirus cases, Newsom reminded viewers that flu seasons just around the corner. Then he stripped off his jacket and walked over to a doctor who had been waiting off-camera with the vaccine. By Trend The UN Security Council must immediately stop Armenia, which is implementing a policy of terror at the state level, which, unfortunately, is supported by a number of countries, well-known Lebanese lawyer, an expert on foreign policy and international law, board member of the International Association of Human Rights Defenders, Tarek Chandeb wrote on his official Facebook page, Trend reports. Chandeb said that the Armenian authorities and the people of Armenia must understand that peace will not come in the region until Armenia liberates the occupied Azerbaijani lands. Everyone knows that Karabakh is the original Azerbaijani land and only Armenia is responsible for the escalation of the conflict in the region, the Lebanese lawyer said. Chandeb also congratulated the people of Azerbaijan on successful military operations within the counter-offensive operation. The Armenian armed forces committed a large-scale provocation, subjecting the positions of the Azerbaijani army to intensive shelling from large-caliber weapons, mortars, and artillery installations of various calibers in the front-line zone on Sept. 27 at 06:00 (GMT+4). The command of the Azerbaijani Army decided to launch a counter-offensive operation of Azerbaijani troops along the entire front to suppress the combat activity of the Armenian armed forces and ensure the safety of the civilian population. Ashagi Abdurrahmanli, Garakhanbeyli, Garvend, Kend Horadiz, Yukhari Abdulrahmanli villages of Fizuli district, Boyuk Marjanli, and Nuzgar villages of Jabrayil district were liberated. Moreover, the positions of the Armenian armed forces were destroyed in the direction of the Agdere district and Murovdag, important heights were taken under control. The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on the withdrawal of its armed forces from Nagorno Karabakh and the surrounding districts. -- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz NEW YORK, Sept. 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- MacKay Shields LLC ("MacKay"), a global asset manager focused on fixed income and equity investing, today announced the appointment of Janelle Woodward, CFA, as President. Reporting to Jeffrey Phlegar, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Ms. Woodward will work with Mr. Phlegar in overseeing the firm's seven autonomous investment teams and will partner with the head of global distribution to further address growing demand for custom investment solutions. Additionally, she will lead the firm's Diversity and Inclusion initiatives. Ms. Woodward will succeed Lucille Protas, who announced in January her plan to retire. "I could not be more proud of the tremendous growth MacKay has achieved over the past decade: we have expanded our investment teams, grown our assets, and broadened our footprint to serve clients in the U.S., Europe, Asia and Australia. In order to further support this growth and our global client base, we are thrilled to welcome Janelle to MacKay," said Jeffrey Phlegar, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of MacKay Shields. "Janelle is a seasoned asset management executive with deep expertise in the global fixed income market," added Phlegar. "Her investment acumen combined with her prior experience developing and implementing business strategy will no doubt serve as a great complement to MacKay's existing portfolio management group, which will remain unchanged. We continue to pride ourselves on the long-standing investment autonomy of our investment teams as we deliver investment excellence to our clients across the globe." Ms. Woodward joins MacKay after spending more than a decade at BMO Global Asset Management, where she most recently served as Global Head of Fixed Income. Ms. Woodward also served as President and Portfolio Manager of Taplin, Canida & Habacht, LLC (TCH), an independently regulated subsidiary of BMO focused on fixed income strategies and has been an executive sponsor and advocate for diversity and inclusion initiatives within BMO and across the financial services industry. Ms. Woodward holds an M.B.A. from Kellogg School of Management of Northwestern University, a B.S. in business systems from Taylor University and is a CFA charter holder. "I'm excited to join MacKay, a distinguished leader in investing, at a time when the asset management industry is rapidly changing and clients across the globe are increasingly seeking new solutions to investment challenges," said Ms. Woodward. "I look forward to partnering with each of MacKay's investment teams as well as the global distribution team to continue to strive to deliver the exceptional performance and service our clients expect, while identifying additional ways to align best-in-class capabilities with an evolving industry need." About MacKay Shields LLC MacKay Shields LLC ("MacKay")*, a New York Life Investments Company, is a global asset management firm with $144 billion in assets under management, as of August 31, 2020. MacKay manages fixed income and equity strategies for high-net worth individuals, institutional clients, and mutual funds with offices in New York City, Princeton, Los Angeles, London and Dublin. For more information visit www.mackayshields.com and connect with us on LinkedIn and Twitter. *MacKay Shields is a wholly owned subsidiary of New York Life Investment Management Holdings LLC, which is wholly owned by New York Life Insurance Company. About New York Life Investments With $600 billion in Assets Under Management* as of June 30, 2020, New York Life Investments* is comprised of the affiliated global asset management businesses of its parent company, New York Life Insurance Company (New York Life), and offers clients access to specialized, independent investment teams through its family of affiliated boutiques. New York Life Investments remains committed to clients through a combination of the diverse perspectives of its boutiques and a long-lasting focus on sustainable relationships. " * New York Life Investments" is both a service mark, and the common trade name of certain investment advisors affiliated with New York Life Insurance Company. About New York Life New York Life Insurance Company (www.newyorklife.com), a Fortune 100 company founded in 1845, is the largest mutual life insurance company in the United States** and one of the largest life insurers in the world. Headquartered in New York City, New York Life's family of companies offers life insurance, retirement income, investments and long-term care insurance. New York Life has the highest financial strength ratings currently awarded to any U.S. life insurer from all four of the major credit rating agencies***. *AUM includes assets of Investment Advisors affiliated with New York Life Insurance Company as of June 30, 2020. AUM for Candriam and Ausbil is reported at the spot rate. **Based on revenue as reported by "Fortune 500 ranked within Industries, Insurance: Life, Health (Mutual)," Fortune magazine, 5/18/20. For methodology, please see http://fortune.com/fortune500/. ***Individual independent rating agency commentary as of 9/12/19: A.M. Best (A++), Fitch (AAA), Moody's Investors Service (Aaa), Standard & Poor's (AA+). For additional information, please contact: Allison Scott Kate Sylvester New York Life Sloane & Company (212) 576-4517 (212) 486-9500 [email protected] [email protected] SOURCE MacKay Shields LLC Related Links http://www.mackayshields.com Opposition parties across India gear up to challenge new legislations in the courts and streets Charred remains of a tractor that was set on fire near India Gate during a protest against the new farm laws, in New Delhi, Monday, Sept 28, 2020. (PTI) New Delhi/Lucknow/Chennai: Stepping up the pressure, the Congress along with other opposition parties and farmer organisations held demonstrations against the new farm laws across the country on Monday, with some protesters torching a tractor at the India Gate in the heart of Lutyens' Delhi. Farmers in Punjab continued their rail roko agitation for the fifth consecutive day and announced that the protest against the three farm bills will be extended till October 2. The protesters under the banner of Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee have been squatting on rail tracks since September 24 at Jalandhar, Amritsar, Tanda, Mukerian and Ferozepur. The Congress invoked Bhagat Singh, whose birth anniversary was celebrated today, during the protests, and Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh took part in a sit-in at the ancestral village of the freedom fighter. The chief minister said his government would approach the Supreme Court over the farm laws and warned that Pakistan's ISI could exploit the anger over the new legislations to foment trouble in the border state. Protests were also held in Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Telangana, Gujarat, Goa, Odisha and Tamil Nadu, where the DMK and its allies, including the Congress, hit the streets. DMK chief M K Stalin said his party was ready to challenge the new laws in court. Kerala was readying to approach the Supreme Court against the laws and Tamil Nadu government should follow suit and if this does not happen, "we (DMK) as an opposition party are ready to go to court on behalf of farmers and the people," Stalin said, while addressing protesters in Kancheepuram district. Congress MP from Thrissur, Kerala, T N Prathapan moved the Supreme Court on Monday challenging the constitutional validity of various provisions of the Farmers' (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020, one of the three contentious farm laws notified by the government. MDMK chief Vaiko, Tamil Nadu Congress Committee president K S Alagiri, DMK leaders T R Baalu and Dayanidhi Maran were among those who took part in the protests held at separate locations. Demonstrations were held in Chennai, Coimbatore, Madurai, Tiruchirappalli and Tirunelveli among other places across the state. Five people claiming to be members of the Punjab Youth Congress were detained after they unloaded a tractor from a truck in the high-security area at Rajpath, a few hundred metres from the President House and the Parliament, in the national capital and set it on fire at around 7 am. "On #BhagatSingh's birth anniversary Youth Congress set ablaze a tractor in protest against the govt's anti farmer bills," the Indian Youth Congress tweeted. The BJP lashed out at the Congress over the incident, saying it has "shamed" the country with its "drama" aimed at garnering publicity and "misleading" farmers. BJP general secretary Bhupender Yadav dubbed the Congress as "anti-farmers", saying farmers venerate their farm equipment and will not set tractors on fire. Nearly 100 Gujarat Congress workers, including state party president Amit Chavda and MLAs Baldevji Thakor and C J Chavda, were detained in Gandhinagar during protests. In Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee (UPCC) president Ajay Kumar Lallu and other party workers were held during the protest. Hundreds of Congress workers marched in Kolkata carrying haystacks on their shoulders and submitted a memorandum to West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar, urging him to "intervene and ensure" that the laws were immediately repealed. The party said similar protests were carried in other states by PCC Presidents, MLAs, MPs, and party office bearers and leaders who marched to the residence of the governors. The Opposition led by the Congress has alleged that the laws will make the farmers vulnerable to exploitation and will lead to the scrapping of the Minimum Support Price (MSP) system. They are also critical of the manner in which these bills were passed in Parliament. The Centre has maintained that the laws would beneficial to the farmers as they would have the freedom to choose the buyers for their produce and get remunerative price. Also, it has stressed that the MSP system will stay. Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar said the Congress has been trying to do politics in the name of farmers, and it has been unmasked. Chief Minister Amarinder Singh said he would fight the Centre's malicious new agriculture Acts constitutionally and legally, asserting that he will do whatever it takes to protect the farmers. "I have said we will take this matter forward. The President has passed these bills and now we will take this matter to the Supreme Court," Singh said after paying tributes to Bhagat Singh on his 113th birth anniversary at his ancestral place Khatkar Kalan in SBS Nagar district. "There has been peace in Punjab but when you try to take away someone's food, then won't he be angry. He becomes the target for ISI. That is why I am saying whatever they have done is anti-national, he later told reporters. He said "with the unrest among the farmers spreading to other states, the entire nation would be exposed to the ISI threat". The AICC general secretary in charge of Punjab affairs, Harish Rawat, announced a signature campaign beginning October 2 to collect two crore signatures of farmers against the new farm laws and these will be submitted to the President of India on November 14. In Lucknow, police stopped members of the Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party's students wing as they tried to march towards the chief minister's residence. Haryana Congress held a protest outside the party's state headquarters in Chandigarh, alleging the laws will make farmers "dependent" and leave them at the mercy of big corporates. A delegation comprising Haryana Congress chief Kumari Selja, former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, party's state affairs incharge Vivek Bansal, other senior leaders submitted a memorandum to Governor Satyadeo Narain Arya which was addressed to the President. Telangana Congress leaders and the new AICC in-charge for party affairs in Telangana Manickam Tagore were taken into custody when they tried to proceed to the Raj Bhavan from an adjacent government guest house. They were released by police later. President Ram Nath Kovind has given assent to the three farm bills -- The Farmers'' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020, The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020 and The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill, 2020. Meanwhile, farmer organisations backed by a number of other social and political outfits on Monday staged protests across Karnataka against amendments to the Karnataka Land Reforms Act and the Agricultural Produce Marketing Committee Act passed by the Karnataka Assembly. The call for a bandh given by the Karnataka Raitha Sangha (Karnataka Farmers' Association) and other farmer organisations was supported by the Congress, JD(S), Karnataka Rakshana Vedike (KRV) and the Left parties. The Karnataka Bandh on Monday called by a clutch of farmers, labour, Left, pro-Kannada and Dalit organizations spearheaded by the Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha and supported by the main opposition party Congress as well as others like SDPI evoked mixed response in the state. Thousands of farmers marched in the state capital Bengaluru and around 300 of them were detained including KRRS leaders Kodihalli Chandrashekar and Kurburu Shanthkumar, Congress leaders including leader of opposition Siddaramaiah, KPCC President DK Shivakumar, national spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala and other leaders who were protesting near the Congress office in the city. The protesters were asking for the withdrawal of changes in the land reforms act - permitting non-agriculturists to buy farm land - and amendments in the APMC Act which now permits farmers to sell their produce to anybody of their choice. They are also demanding that changes made in the Essential Commodities Amendment Bill be withdrawn. ALSO READ | Karnataka bandh: KSRTC buses ply in Mangaluru despite bandh called by farmers Siddaramaiah speaking at the protest said that the proposed changes were the death knell to the farming community. I challenge the CM to resign and let there be polls on these issues and we will see what the outcome will be, he said. KPCC president DK Shivakumar demanded that the three black laws be withdrawn or repealed. Later, a Congress delegation also submitted a memorandum to the Governor on this issue. Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa addressing a press conference reiterated that the farm bills passed in the just concluded assembly session were in the interests of the farmers. As a farmers son, I will never do anything against their interests. The Opposition is trying to misguide the farmers and it is a conspiracy. Even now anybody buying irrigated agricultural land cannot use it for any other purpose. They cannot buy land of SC/ST or small farmers. Yediyurappa also said that allowing farmers to sell their produce to anybody of their choice rather than only through APMCs was an achievement after a 25-30 year struggle. Stating that he was open to discussion with farmer leaders he said results of the changes made could be seen in the next six months. The CM also said that he would tour the entire state to explain the benefits of the farm bills. Across various districts too, several farmers, Congress, SDPI and Karnataka Rakshana Vedike activists were detained when they obstructed traffic including in Mysore, Hassan, Kodagu, Gulbarga and a few other places but later let off. The bandh evoked poor response in coastal and northern parts of the state which have been battered by heavy rainfall. Also bus and other essential services, commercial establishments, government and private offices functioned normally in most places across the state. Congress and farmer organisations though have said that they will continue the protests till their demands are met. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON EDMONTON - An online survey of Albertans who have reached out for help during the COVID-19 crisis suggests the pandemic is taking a toll on mental health, with increased signs of obsessive behaviour, stress and depression. We did not expect people to be experiencing this level of anxiety, depression or stress, said Vincent Agyapong, a professor of psychiatry at the University of Alberta and co-author of a newly published paper. Agyapongs research has focused on the lingering mental-health effects of public traumas such as the Fort McMurray wildfire. He and his colleagues have been asked by provincial and private agencies to help design a public mental-health response to COVID-19. The paper, published in Environmental Research and Public Health, is an attempt to assess those needs. We thought it would be useful to collect baseline data, Agyapong said. In late March, the researchers contacted about 33,000 Albertans who subscribed to Text4Hope a government initiative that sends out a daily supportive text message written by mental health professionals. They asked subscribers to complete a survey that contained standard measures of anxiety, depression and obsessive behaviour. About 6,000 people responded. The survey, funded by a group of Alberta charitable health foundations, found that about 60 per cent of respondents had become worried about dirt, germs and viruses since the COVID-19 outbreak. About 54 per cent had begun washing their hands very often or in a special way that could be considered a symptom of obsessive compulsive disorder. Nearly 50 per cent were considered probable candidates for anxiety disorders and more than 40 per cent were likely to be clinically depressed. Almost 85 per cent of respondents reported moderate to high stress. The results were consistent between men and women. Symptoms and anxiety levels tended to increase with age and education levels. Agyapong is cautious about the results. The survey sample isnt representative of the Alberta population. And some level of stress and unusual behaviour is understandable when people are losing their jobs and seeing society shut down around them. But something is going on, he said. Its not diagnostic, but it is indicative, said Agyapong. It doesnt necessarily mean (the results) arent representative of whats going on. Although research suggests about one-quarter of the general population will show some obsessive compulsive symptoms at some point in life, the incidence of the actual condition is only about two per cent much lower than the figure in Agyapongs survey. Agyapong points out his findings are consistent with studies done in other countries such as China. He said simple measures can help even the daily reassurance provided by Text4Hope. Preliminary results suggest that in six weeks, anxiety levels in subscribers fell by 20 per cent. It may not work for everybody, but if you can get it to work for even half of those who are struggling, then it means that you dont need more (expensive) resources at a population level, Agyapong said. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 26, 2020 Read more about: UPDATED Tuesday, Sept. 29: Authorities have identified the 32-year-old man killed in a fire early Saturday morning as Christopher D. Schoenwald of Vancouver. His cause and manner of death are pending. *** A 32-year-old man was killed in a fire early Saturday morning at a former Motel 6 in east Vancouver that is being used as a quarantine and isolation site for people exposed to COVID-19, as well as a temporary homeless shelter. The name of the victim was not immediately released. The fire remains under investigation pending autopsy results that are expected Sunday, according to Vancouver Fire Marshal Heidi Scarpelli. Vancouver Fire Department crews were dispatched at 1:42 a.m. for a commercial structure fire at 221 N.E. Chkalov Drive. Firefighters arrived within four minutes and found flames coming from one room, department spokesman and firefighter Joe Hudson said. Crews established an attack line and called for a second alarm due to the size of the building, Hudson said. The fire was brought under control in about 20 minutes. The Vancouver Police Department responded to assist with traffic and crowd control, Hudson said. Two people had been in the fire-affected room. The other person was uninjured, Scarpelli said. No firefighters were injured. Scarpelli said the facility did not have a sprinkler fire suppression system. Multiple rooms were affected, and the Red Cross responded to help anyone who was displaced. Hudson said no one needed the assistance, as residents could move to other rooms. The fire caused an estimated $126,000 worth of damage between the property and lost contents, Scarpelli said. Jessica Prokop, The Columbian The Bold and the Beautiful has a newcomer that is enjoying life on and off of the camera. Tanner Novlan joined the long-running soap opera when it came back from the forced break due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Off-camera, however, Novlan has a different role that he loves and cherishes. He married Vampire Diaries star Kayla Ewell in 2015, and due to the pandemic, the two are co-stars for the time going forward. (L-R) Kayla Ewell and Tanner Novlan | Greg Doherty/Getty Images Who is Tanner Novlan, and what is his role? Novlan has been working in show business for about a decade. Far from a household name, the actor has played several small roles in television shows and across some of the biggest shows on air. From Bones to Modern Family, fans of television might recognize the young actor for his guest work. His most recent show before The Bold and the Beautiful was a three-episode arc on the CW series Roswell, New Mexico, according to IMDb. The soap opera turn is easily his most prominent role yet, however. On the popular soap opera, Novlan plays the character, Dr. John Finnegan. Finnegan is the current love interest for series staple Steffy Forrester. For a passionate bunch like soap opera fans, Novlan is the type of attractive young actor thats become a staple on the show. However, getting such a substantial role in a medium as unique as soap operas, Novlan has to roll with the punches and make sure that hes ready for a soap operas grueling schedule and the added pressure of staying safe while doing so. Hes not new to the acting part. However, for some of the shows more intimate moments, he has to play it close to home to ensure both him and his co-stars safety. A different kind of acting RELATED: The Bold and the Beautiful: Dr. Finnegans Motives Might Be Darker Than It Seems Novlan isnt even the biggest name in his household. In 2015, he was better known as the husband of Vampire Diaries star Kayla Ewell. The pair met when both were up-and-comers in show business, and five years later, Novlan popped the question in a way that was both sweet and surprising. Ewell spoke on this to People magazine. It was my birthday, and I got a phone call to do a music video, Ewell told People. I was with my girlfriend at lunch and she was like, Its your birthday and you got a phone call out of the blue to do this music video? I think you should do it! I joke with Tanner that he was the best birthday present that I ever got. However, keeping things top secret at the time took a little bit of creativity for the soap opera star. Kayla is a tough one to surprise, Novlan told the magazine. I told the captain over the phone, We have to do it right away because the nerves are going! He said, Why dont I take a picture of you in front of the sunset, so she went up and I got my sweater which had the ring in it.' The pair have been happily married for five years. It recently came in handy for Novlans day job, too. Art imitating life As hard as it may seem, productions that are filming during the pandemic are taking every measure to ensure the safety of everyone involved. This requires a bit of creativity. Writer Bradley Bell spoke to The Hollywood Reporter about how the soap opera makers are doing their part to keep the set as safe as it can be. One of these methods involves bringing in the actors true-life partners, like Ewell and Novlan, to shoot any love scenes, kissing scenes, or other scenes that require physical contact. Time will tell whether Novlan is a fixture on the show or another character in the revolving door that is The Bold and the Beautiful. For the time being, his character is a hit. Thankfully, he has someone to play it safe with while bolstering his career, too. CLEVELAND, Ohio A bill to bail out Ohios two nuclear power plants has led to one of the states biggest scandals ... and its unclear if the plants really needed the money. You can listen online here. Thats because the current owner of the two power plants, Energy Harbor, refuses to say if the plants are profitable. Cleveland.com editor Chris Quinn says many people are now wondering if the $1.3 billion bailout was even necessary. The battle over voting continues in the courts, with a federal judge sidestepping a ruling on whether to place multiple drop boxes in counties across the state. And Cleveland will be in the national spotlight this week when President Trump and challenger Joe Biden meet for their first debate. Hear these stories and more in todays podcast. The podcast is a summary of cleveland.coms morning newsletter The Wake Up. You can receive The Wake Up through email at 5:30 a.m. each weekday by subscribing here. You can get our podcasts delivered directly to your phone, and we have an Apple podcasts channel exclusively for this podcast. Subscribe here. Do you get your podcasts on Spotify? Find us here. If you use Stitcher, we are here. RadioPublic is another popular podcast vehicle, and we are here. On Google Podcasts, we are here. On PodParadise, find us here. Dubai-based airline Emirates has announced it will restart services to Entebbe, Uganda (1 October) and Muscat, Oman (2 October), bringing the total number of cities served by the airline to 94. Emirates will operate to Entebbe with three weekly flights on Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays. The addition of Entebbe expands Emirates' African network to 20 destinations, enabling customers to safely and easily connect to destinations across Europe, the Far East, the Americas, the Middle East and West Asia with one convenient stop in Dubai. Emirates flight EK 729 will depart Dubai at 1030hrs, arriving in Entebbe at 1500hrs. The return flight, EK 730, will depart Entebbe at 1700hrs, arriving in Dubai at 2325hrs. Flights from Dubai to Muscat will operate twice a week on Sundays and Fridays. Emirates flight EK 866 will depart Dubai at 0215hrs, arriving in Muscat at 0330hrs. The return flight, EK 867, will depart Muscat at 0440hrs, arriving in Dubai at 0555hrs. Services to both cities will be operated by the Boeing 777- 300ER. Tickets can be booked on emirates.com, the Emirates App, Emirates sales offices, via travel agents as well as online travel agents. Customers can stop over or travel to Dubai as the city has re-opened for international business and leisure visitors. Ensuring the safety of travellers, visitors, and the community, Covid-19 PCR tests are mandatory for all inbound and transit passengers arriving to Dubai (and the UAE), including UAE citizens, residents and tourists, irrespective of the country they are coming from. Emirates' booking policies offer customers flexibility and confidence to plan their travel. Customers who purchase an Emirates ticket by 30 September 2020 for travel on or before 30 March 2021, can enjoy generous rebooking terms and options, if they have to change their travel plans due to unexpected flight or travel restrictions relating to Covid-19, or when they book a Flex or Flex plus fare. Emirates customers who require a Covid-19 PCR test certificate prior to departure from Dubai, can avail of special rates at the American Hospital and their satellite clinics across Dubai by simply presenting their ticket or boarding pass. Home or office testing is also available, with results in 48 hours. Emirates has committed to cover Covid-19 related medical expenses, free of cost, should they be diagnosed with Covid-19 during their travel while they are away from home. This cover is immediately effective for customers flying on Emirates until 31 December 2020, and is valid for 31 days from the moment they fly the first sector of their journey. This means Emirates customers can continue to benefit from the added assurance of this cover, even if they travel onwards to another city after arriving at their Emirates destination. Emirates has implemented a comprehensive set of measures at every step of the customer journey to ensure the safety of its customers and employees on the ground and in the air, including the distribution of complimentary hygiene kits containing masks, gloves, hand sanitiser and antibacterial wipes to all customers. TradeArabia News Service Workers assemble vehicles in a smart factory of Chang'an Kuayue Automobile Co., Ltd. in Wanzhou District, southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, Sept. 23, 2020. In recent years, Wanzhou District has stepped up measures to make the local manufacturing industry smarter. Factories have become more efficient with the introduction of industrial robots and cloud platforms. (Xinhua/Wang Quanchao) 4 1 [ Editor: ZY ] For a better experience on our website and avoid any trouble, we strongly recommand to activate Javascript ( click here ). Hello and welcome to Journal des Palaces You are a communication or the PR manager? Click here You are an applicant? Check out our questions and answers here ! A burglary suspect dressed only in his underwear hit a sheriff's deputy in the face with a Bible while screaming 'I condemn you' and then defecated on himself after he was taken into custody, authorities say. Robert Otis Hoskins, 39, was arrested following the confrontation with a Marion County Sheriff's deputy in Ocala, Florida last week. Authorities had been called to the area following reports Hoskins had broken into his neighbor's home and stolen some clothes. When deputies arrived, they said they encountered Hoskins dressed only in his underwear outside his home. Robert Otis Hoskins, 39, was arrested after striking a Marion County Sheriff's deputy with a Bible in Ocala, Florida last week Hoskins has been charged with burglary, larceny, resisting, battery on a law enforcement officer and criminal mischief The Bible struck the deputy in the face and jaw. Hoskins screamed 'I condemn you' as he struck the deputy, the arrest affidavit says. Bodycam footage from another deputy and obtained by the Smoking Gun captured the moment Hoskins lunged at the officer with the Bible. Authorities used a taser to subdue Hoskins during a brief struggle before taking him into custody. After being arrested, officers say Hoskins defecated on himself. He then told officers that God had told him to break into his neighbor's home so he could free the neighbor's juvenile daughter. His wife told the arresting officers that Hoskins had a drug problem, according to the affidavit. Hoskins tried to break free from custody as he was being taken to the Marion County jail. He has been charged with burglary, larceny, resisting, battery on a law enforcement officer and criminal mischief. He is being held in lieu of $13,000 bond. A Victorian plumber who left another man wheelchair-bound after passing out from drug-induced fatigue while driving a truck has been jailed. Benjamin Black's truck was carrying a load of more than 19 tonnes when he blacked out, ran a red light and collided with six vehicles in December 2017. Black, 33, injured seven people and returned a positive result for methylamphetamine following the crash at Sydney Road, Fawkner in Melbourne's north. Michael Yates, a 32-year-old bricklayer who was returning from work, suffered 'catastrophic' injuries, Judge Kevin Doyle told the Victorian County Court on Monday. A Victorian plumber who left another man wheelchair-bound after passing out from drug-induced fatigue while driving a truck has been jailed (stock image of a plumber) Mr Yates is now wheelchair bound, he said, as well as being dependent on daily care from his sister to help him eat, clean and groom himself. As Judge Doyle handed Black a total sentence of two years and four months in prison, he said Mr Yates had been 'irreparably damaged' by the injuries and that he, as well as his mother and sister, would never be the same. He said there was no medical cause for the driver's blackout. Michael Yates, a 32-year-old bricklayer who was returning from work, suffered 'catastrophic' injuries, Judge Kevin Doyle told the Victorian County Court (pictured) on Monday Instead, the judge accepted it was likely triggered by rebound fatigue from drugs he had consumed several days before getting behind the wheel. 'To fall asleep at the wheel of a truck during peak hour involves the near inevitability of serious injury,' Judge Doyle told the court on Monday. 'This is not a case of momentary inattention - your driving with those drugs in your system was the cause of the collision.' Black, who pleaded guilty and was convicted of two counts of dangerous driving causing serious injury, will be eligible for parole after one year and two months. The round also saw investment from Taiwan's National Development Fund, BE Capital, Taiwan Surface Mounting Technology Corp (TSMT), NCTU Angel Club, Might Electronic, and existing investors Verge HealthTech Fund and Darwin Venture. iWEECARE's flagship product Temp Pal, a remote wearable thermometer initially developed to assist in pregnancy planning and baby care has received medical certification in Europe, Singapore, Thailand, and Taiwan. In light of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic and the key role that body temperature plays in early detection and prevention, Temp Pal has been rapidly adopted in hospitals and for home quarantine management. The Temp Pal has already been deployed in Mainland China, Ireland, Japan, Thailand, and Taiwan as an effective solution to mitigate the risk of infection and reduce the burden on health systems by reducing the physical contact between caregivers and their patients. The funds will be used to accelerate marketing activities to address the demand for remote patient monitoring technologies in the United States and China. iWEECARE's co-founder and CEO, Glen Tseng said, "Temp Pal received an overwhelming amount of inquiries for coronavirus use from the US and China earlier this year. The new funding will be used in accelerating our global footprint to satisfy the demands from these markets and ultimately improve patient safety and outcomes." "We are positive about iWEECARE's business, that's why we started investing in the promising healthtech startup from last June," said Jackie Yang, TransLink Capital co-founder. "Under the COVID-19 pandemic and shift to remote patient monitoring, we see huge potential for iWEECARE to expand globally. We hope the new investment can help the brand to develop and establish an international presence." Arthur Chen, the Executive Director of BE Capital at Taiwan Tech Arena (TTA), a healthcare-focused venture capital firm in Taiwan, said, "We received positive feedback from clinicians of Show Chwan Memorial Hospital and are confident Temp Pal can be a world-class product." "iWEECARE's remote thermometer has received good press during the COVID-19 pandemic with its capabilities to detect, monitor, and record patients' real-time temperature. Our investment is to help iWEECARE expand its footprint in the global remote healthcare market," said Churchill Chen, CEO, NCTU Angel Club. Might Electronics is an electronics service provider and with the investment has become iWEECARE's manufacturing partner. Ray Tai, the CEO of Might Electronics said "We're happy to engage iWEECARE's growth with the investment and become the startup's manufacture partner by satisfying ISO 13485 Medical Devices Quality management systems standards. We will soon expand Temp Pal's shipment and help more people all over the world." About iWEECARE Founded in Taiwan, iWEECARE innovates healthcare technology with Taiwan's strengths in technology and healthcare. Its first product, Temp Pal, offers the world's smallest and convenient solution to continuous temperature monitoring. The company is globally funded by investors from Silicon Valley, Singapore, and Taiwan. It has now expanded its footprint in Europe and Asia. For more information, please visit iweecare.com Social Media Link Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/iWEECARE/ SOURCE Taiwan Tech Arena Armenias Union of Veterans of the Liberation Battle expresses its deep concern over the situation on the border and has issued the following statement: The bloodthirsty regime of the Aliyevs has been aspiring for war for years by carrying out reckless acts from time to time. However, as always, brave Armenians have been victorious, and they will be victorious this time as well. This war will be the end of bloodshed and the beginning of peace for the sake of the peaceful future of the Armenian people. The Union of Veterans supports Armenian soldiers and is waiting for the instruction of the Ministry of Defense to leave for Artsakh to defend THE HOMELAND. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-28 21:27:48|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Navigator Lin Hongpin observes a ship docking in Yangpu, south China's Hainan Province, Sept. 25, 2020. A qualified dock navigator has to be familiar with local hydrological environment and navigate ships to dock smoothly. Currently, a total of 22 navigators work at five different docks in Hainan. In spite of uncertain working hours and various weather conditions, they managed the burden both physically and mentally. During the past months in 2020, navigators have guided ships for over 4,200 times to ensure the smooth operation of the docks. (Xinhua/Pu Xiaoxu) The Series A funds will be used to build out BioShin in China and advance the Biohaven clinical portfolio in the Asia-Pacific region, including the imminent start of the NURTEC ODT (rimegepant) Phase 3 study for the acute treatment of migraine in China and Korea. BioShin also plans to initiate sites in China to participate in the global registrational trial of troriluzole in Spinocerebellar Ataxia (SCA). BioShin expects to begin both Asia-Pacific studies in the fourth quarter of 2020. BioShin has rights to the Biohaven portfolio for the entire Asia-Pacific region excluding Japan. After the transaction, Biohaven remains the majority shareholder of BioShin. Donnie McGrath MD, President and Executive Chairman of BioShin, stated, "This investment marks an important partnership between Biohaven and these leading investors to advance Biohaven's innovative product candidates to patients in the Asia-Pacific region. BioShin now has the funding to independently advance the lead pipeline assets without relying upon Biohaven to fund these efforts in Asia-Pacific. Migraine, neurologic and neuropsychiatric diseases represent a significant medical and social burden in the Asia-Pacific region, and we are pleased to be joined by several renowned investors who support our shared vision of advancing the Biohaven portfolio in the region." David Wang, MD, PhD, Partner at OrbiMed Asia, commented, "We are excited about the potential of Biohaven's product portfolio in China and the broader Asia region. We look forward to seeing continued progress by Donnie, Karl and the rest of the impressive team Biohaven has put together to help patients here in Asia." Karl Lintel has been appointed as Chief Executive Officer of BioShin, from his current role of Chief Operating Officer. Previous to BioShin, Lintel served as the President and General Manager China of Bristol-Myers Squibb from 2014 to 2018 and VP/General Manager of BMS Middle East and Africa from 2010 to 2014. From 1989 to 2010, he worked in a variety of roles within Pfizer Inc. across Asia, the Middle East, Europe and Global headquarters. BioShin also announces its Board of Directors to include Donnie McGrath, Chief of Corporate Strategy and Business Development at Biohaven, to serve as the Executive Chairman, joined by Vlad Coric (CEO of Biohaven) and David Wang MD, PhD (Partner, OrbiMed). Cooley LLP acted as counsel for the Series A investors. Locke Lord LLP acted as counsel for Biohaven. About BioShin BioShin Limited, a privately-held biopharmaceutical company with offices in Shanghai, is advancing the Biohaven clinical portfolio in the Asia-Pacific region. BioShin holds rights to the Biohaven portfolio for all of the Asia-Pacific Region, including Australia and New Zealand, excluding Japan. Biohaven is a majority shareholder in BioShin. About Biohaven Biohaven is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company with a portfolio of innovative, late-stage product candidates targeting neurological diseases, including rare disorders. Biohaven has combined internal development and research with intellectual property licensed from companies and institutions including Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, AstraZeneca AB, Yale University, Catalent, Rutgers and ALS Biopharma LLC and. Our progress is fueled by an entrepreneurial organizational structure and an impressive range of experience in drug development along with the confident support of top-tier biopharma investors. Currently, Biohaven's lead development programs include multiple compounds across its CGRP receptor antagonist and glutamate modulator platforms. Biohaven's common shares are listed on the New York Stock Exchange and traded under the ticker symbol BHVN. More information about Biohaven is available at www.biohavenpharma.com Forward-Looking Statements This news release includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The use of certain words, including "believe", "continue", "may", "will" and similar expressions, are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements involve substantial risks and uncertainties, including statements that are based on the current expectations and assumptions of Biohaven's or BioShin's management about rimegepant, zavegepant, or any of its glutamate products. Factors that could affect these forward-looking statements include those related to: Biohaven's ability to effectively commercialize rimegepant, or any other product, in the Asia Pacific region, delays or problems in the supply or manufacture of product, complying with applicable U.S. regulatory requirements or requirements in the Asia Pacific region, the expected timing, commencement and outcomes of Biohaven's planned and ongoing clinical trials, the timing of planned interactions and filings with the FDA or regulatory authorities in the Asia Pacific region, the timing and outcome of expected regulatory filings, the potential commercialization of Biohaven's product candidates, the potential for Biohaven's product candidates to be first in class or best in class therapies and the effectiveness and safety of Biohaven's product candidates. Various important factors could cause actual results or events to differ materially from those that may be expressed or implied by our forward-looking statements. Additional important factors to be considered in connection with forward-looking statements are described in the "Risk Factors" section of Biohaven's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 26, 2020 and Biohaven's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2020 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on August 10, 2020. The forward-looking statements are made as of this date and Biohaven does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. BioShin Contact: Donnie McGrath Executive Chairman and President, BioShin [email protected] Karl Lintel CEO, BioShin [email protected] Media Contact: CHINA - Zoey Wang General Manager, BioShin [email protected] SOURCE Biohaven Pharmaceutical Holding Company Ltd. Related Links http://www.biohavenpharma.com George Brannigan shreds Verbier: Bryn Atkinson - Don't Tell Anyone I'm On A 29er: The Process X - It's So Sick: Lucas Rey-Sierro Shreds Bromont: MTB Street: Dusk 'til Dawn: Going Nowhere - Degrees: PAWtners in Crime: Williams Lake - Hailey Elise & Micayla Gatto: Brage Vestavik - B-Rage: Clocked Out - Trevor Attridge: Dennis Enarson - Right Here: Dennis Enarson - Caps Lock: Dennis Enarson - Last Chance: The History of Skateboarding's Favourite Camera: The Tony Alva Story - Jeff Grossos Loveletters to Skateboarding: Perspectives - Ingrid Backstrom: Our Planet - Frozen World: Yeti Presents - The Ridge Of Dreams: Public Trust Feature Film - The Fight for Americas Public Lands: One of Brannigans favourite bike parks, Verbier, is perfect to complement his riding style. Gaps, flat out trails, berms to rip, it doesnt get much better. You cant not enjoy watching some quality shredding!Filmed, Edited, & Music by Bryn Atkinson.BREAKING NEWS! The Process X has been spotted out in the wild. We tap into field reporters Miranda Miller and Connor Fearon to get their impressions of the bike, what life was like before X, and where they see themselves in the future.After countless hours of building, Lucas Rey-Sierro shreds Bromont Bike Park's newly revamped 52 trail.Shredding in Germany.Rider: Thoma Luettgen. Video: Simon Dube.This short film was an attempt to get some of the ideas out of my head that occupy so much of my thought process on "regular" rides. Changing up the angle on some old classics. To avoid wasting anymore of anyone's time, whilst I pissed about on esoteric line choices, I decided to go self filmed again.A film about shredding the hometrails together with my best friend on four paws. Video: Impact Media. Rider: Laura Zeitschel. Dog: Anton.Hailey and Micayla sampling some classic Williams Lake gems.A crazy new MTB freeride line built in Norway at Trysil Bike Arena by Brage Vestavik.Trevor is a Norco Ambassador and all-around shredder based in Victoria, BC. Hes the kind of guy who will put in a full day at his 9-to-5, then crush out laps until sunset on the gnarliest trails in the area day in, day out. We managed to catch up with him and see what his favourite evening loop looks like. Its hard to argue with him, a solo ride finishing with a lake dip is the perfect way to decompress.Back in June of 2019 Dennis Enarson set out to make the part of a lifetime; something he and the BMX community would be proud of. The goal was to capture BMX riding that lives on throughout time. He spent 8 months hammering away at his goal. This part was 90% complete before Covid hit and shut down plans for filmmaker, Rich Forne, to come out from Spain to San Diego to get Dennis last few bangers. Instead the two finished editing the part from other sides of the world. Anyone that knows BMX already knows Dennis explosive energy and zero regard for gravity makes him one of the most savage humans on a bike. And yet nothing could prepare you for the heaviness of Right Here. This is one of the gnarliest parts you're ever going see.Dennis has been hard at work on his Caps Lock video for over a year and a half and wanted to try and outdo his Last Chance video part. He went all in to do just that. Dennis brings tech, big gaps, grinds, and air tricks to the next level on street.Enarson's banger last part from our 2011 Last Chance DVD.After seeing one too many of our written articles get turned into Youtube articles by rats left and right, weve decided to try our own video essay style content. To start off this new experiment, we wanted to take one of our favourite old articles, an investigation into all things VX1000 originally written by Nic Dobija-Nootens for our second book, Jenkem Vol. 2, and bring it to life for even our most illiterate followers. We tapped a dude with a good voice, Alex Coles, to help us visualize and narrate the reporting, and the end result, (while still a little vloggy to keep the kiddies interested) is a good first step toward our total domination of the YouTube blogosphere.One of the key figures in the early evolution of skateboarding from a wholesome, contest based "sport" into the freewheeling art form that it is today was Tony Alva. Tony is now 63 years old, the oldest professional skateboarder in the world, is considered by many to be the godfather of modern day skateboarding. Alvas brand of aggression and bravado in the 70s set the stage for the way skateboarding would be forever defined. Vans The Tony Alva Story chronicles T.A.s humble beginnings on the streets of Santa Monica to his rise to superstardom as part of the legendary Z-Boys, his inevitable drug-induced implosion and his ultimate rise from the ashes to accept his rightful place as a beacon of hope and inspiration for generations of skateboarders the world over. Written & Directed by Rick Charnoski & Coan "Buddy" Nichols/Six Stair Productions. Starring: Tony Alva, Jeff Grosso, Wynn Miller, Steve Olson, Shepard Fairy, Gus Van Sant, Josh Brolin, Jeff Ament, Glen E Friedman, Robert Trujillo, Brad Bowman, Pete Zehnder, Jeff Ho, Stacey Peralta, Elijah Berle and more.Are you a mother or a skier? Professional skier Ingrid Backstrom struggled with this question when having kids and balancing a career. By pursuing both, she learned that it is only you who can define who you are.Experience our planet's natural beauty and examine how climate change impacts all living creatures in this ambitious documentary of spectacular scope. In this episode: On the unforgiving frontier of climate change, polar bears, walruses, seals and penguins find their icy Edens in peril.This isnt the ski movie youre expecting. There are no epic face shots or gnarly cliff drops. Not even one single, perfect line down a pristine backcountry face. But when you mix the far-fetched dream of two lifelong friends with the unpredictable nature of Alaska, the unexpected is exactly what you get. When permit issues throw Zack and Zack a curveball, theyre forced to make a decision that could put them in trouble with the law, permanently alter their relationship, or both.A feature-length documentary about Americas system of public lands and the fight to protect them. Despite support from voters across the political spectrum, our public lands face unprecedented threats from extractive industries and the politicians in their pockets. Part love letter, part political expose, Public Trust investigates how we arrived at this precarious moment through three heated conflictsa national monument in the Utah desert, a mine in the Boundary Waters and oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refugeand makes a case for their continued protection.Photo: Lars Scharl Former California Mayor Talks About How China Courted Him Commentary The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has aimed to gain favor with local-level U.S. officials as part of a long-term plan to gain influence in the United States, says China-focused human rights advocate Dr. Chen Wen. One such official is former Mayor of Costa Mesa, California, Jim Righeimer. Righeimer told The Epoch Times that when he was first elected to office as a city councilmember, he started receiving free China Daily newspapers. China Daily is one of the mouthpiece newspapers, run by the Chinese government, Chen told The Epoch Times in a joint interview with Righeimer. The articles in the paper were, of course, overwhelmingly positive about the Party and how everything is running in China under that regime, Righeimer said. Chinese officials invited him on an all-expenses-paid trip to China. He went, with the purpose of seeking out a sister city for Costa Mesa, but paid his own way. He was groomed there to have a very limited, positive view of Communist China, he said. Chen, who grew up in China amid the Great Cultural Revolutionwhich killed millions, targeting intellectuals and class enemies, and nearly wiped out Chinas historical culturehas become an activist raising awareness about the ills of the CCP. She works with Amnesty International and has given over 200 presentations on Chinese culture, history, and human rights in Southern California. She said Righeimers experience is a fairly common one for U.S. officials and that the CCP uses Western media and other channels to influence the perception of the regime abroad. China Daily When I was on the city council in Costa Mesa, and I first got elected, the first thing I see in my mailbox over there is the China Daily News, Righeimer said. The first time that I got it was literally the first day I was in office. All the other councilmembers also got their free China Daily paper, he said. Chen said China Daily has also paid for inserts, called China Watch, in over 30 mainstream newspapers, including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, and the Los Angeles Times. This propaganda tactic has been well-documented. The Hoover Institution at Stanford University reported in 2018 that rough estimates from newspaper executives indicate that China Daily pays $250,000 for each insert in major US dailies. Often, its hard to tell that China Watchs material is an ad, the report stated. It also detailed the influence the CCP tries to gain over local U.S. officials: American mayors, county executives, and governors travel to China often and host an unending stream of Chinese visitors. The age of innocent engagement is over, and this is now true for American local officials as well as for representatives of the US federal government. Because most PRC [Peoples Republic of China] attempts to influence American opinion and practices occur at the local level. The NGO Reporters Without Borders published a report last year titled Chinas Pursuit of a New World Media Order. It details the massive investments the CCP has made in developing media capable of reaching an international public. In the spirit of the Beijing regime, journalists are not intended to be a counter-power but rather to serve the propaganda of the states, said the organizations secretary general, Christophe Deloire, in an introduction to the report. He urged people to resist. The CCPs Three Warfares military doctrine includes psychological warfare, legal warfare, and media warfare. Righeimer said of China Daily, It just kind of softens you up. It gives you a positive [feeling]. As Americans, we want to think of China as being good and positive. All the Chinese people that you know in the United States, you get along with them, theyre all fine, but theres a distinction between the Chinese people and the Chinese party. Trip to China When Righeimer went to China, he said they have people there constantly, from breakfast to dinner. You start to notice theres some restrictions on what you can do. When you go to China, the hotel actually is responsible for you. So you fill out a form, you give them a copy of your passport, and they have to know where youre at, he said. Chen said, Basically, you enter a bubble. You only see whatever they allow you to see. Righeimer visited a 10-story shopping mall in Beijing and met the owner. He asked him questions about how he went about developing the mall: How do you build it, how do you get the financing? He didnt know anything, Righeimer said. A guy that knows nothing about real estate owns a $300 million building in the middle of Beijing. After visiting the owners office and talking with him longer, Righeimer got the impression that this property and its development was gifted to him by the CCP in exchange for work he did to procure jet technology from around the world for the regime. Land in China is state-owned and merely leased to people, who may own the structures on top of it but not the land itself. His gift from the Chinese Communist Party was the land lease on this property, Righeimer said. Chen said, When you think about how the Chinese Communist Party works, its more precise to compare it with mafia. Everything is run like a mafia, Chen said. Such an exchange of favors is common, she said. It amazed Righeimer, who has experience in U.S. real estate, that everything works on leases in China. In the United States, that level of uncertainty is unusual: What if the landowner chooses not to renew the lease? Lease renewals have created uncertainty in China as well; the length of leases and fees for renewal have been topics of concern for years. True China Chen makes a clear distinction between the CCP and the Chinese people, though in China people are taught to think of the two as one and the same. [As students] in China, we were taughtsince we were babiesthat Communist Party saved your life. Communist Party will save people all over the world. And you have to respect the Communist Party more than you respect your parents, she said. We were always told whenever your parents say something against the Communist Party, you should report them to the police, because the Party is closer to you than your parents. I never heard about anything different until I came to the U.S. Dr. Chen Wen, a biologist by trade, is a public speaker and human rights advocate for people in China. (Courtesy of Chen Wen) Chen has been in the United States for 26 years now and has come to understand the difference between the CCP and China itself, or the Chinese people. We are people inheriting 5,000 years of culture and history from China. And Chinese Communist Party took over China about 70 years ago, and ruled China. And we Chinese people, we have been heavily brainwashed, Chen said. Human Rights She spoke of prisoners of conscience, including practitioners of the spiritual discipline Falun Gong, as well as Christians and Uyghurs. The Communist Party has been taking their organs for transplant, Chen said. Here in the U.S., people typically wait for yearswere talking about three to seven yearswaiting for kidney transplant or heart transplant, because you wait until someone dies from a car accident who has the same blood-type match, Chen said. But then you can go to China, and they can find donors within 24 hours because they have millions of Falun Gong, Christians, and Uyghurs in prison. And once they were detained, they immediately go through blood-type tests, and then they can find donors immediately from their big database. When a U.S. official is invited to China, Chen said, that official wont be shown the detention centers where Falun Gong practitioners are held, where theyre shown propaganda films all day aiming to have them renounce their faith, where theyre deprived of food and sleep, where they arent allowed to talk or use the bathroom. When Americans are naive about all these human rights abuses in China, when they are naive about the true nature of Communist Party, they will say, Whats wrong with communism? Im fine with letting communism come to the U.S., Chen said. Have Your Eyes Open We are talking about a war with China with brainwashing Americans, Chen said. If a stranger from China came to tell you how bad the Communist Party is, the human rights, you may say, I dont know you; I dont trust what you said. You have a credibility issue. But it makes a huge difference if your neighbor comes to tell you, Ive been to China. It was great. You believe that. Also, it makes sense for them to court local-level officials she said, because Today youre just a mayor. Maybe tomorrow you will run for Congress. They can really shape the future of policy. She has also heard of educators invited to lecture in China. They come back thinking the people there really support the CCP. But, she said, its because those students attending the lectures have been hand-picked. Their comments and questions are scripted. Righeimers message to U.S. officials is, [You have] got to have your eyes open. People arent sending you newspapers just to be friendly; theres a reason behind it. California Insider is an Epoch Times show available on YouTube. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has infected over 33 million people globally and killed almost a million since it first surfaced in China last December. Scientists have been in a race to develop a vaccine against the virus. Some of the promising vaccines are already in the third phase of trial. However, the World Health Organisation (WHO) had said widespread vaccinations against COVID-19 are not expected until mid-2021. While these researches are ongoing, Nigeria has recorded over 58,000 confirmed cases of the virus with 1,116 deaths as of Saturday. The World Contraception Day was also marked on September 26 to improve awareness about contraception and to enable young people make informed choices on their sexual and reproductive health. Here are some of the stories which made headlines last week. Nigerias death toll rises Three more people have died from COVID-19 complications, taking the total number of deaths from the virus to 1,116. Despite the toll of over a thousand deaths from COVID-19 complications, many of the countrys 36 states do not have teams of trained staff for handling COVID-19 burials, according to the latest Health Preparedness Index for states published by SBM, a leading intelligence platform. Meanwhile, Nigeria also recorded 136 coronavirus infections on Saturday, bringing the total number of infections in the country to 58,198, according to Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC). African countries record over 35,000 deaths from COVID-19 More than 35,000 people have died from coronavirus complications in Africa since Egypt became the first country in the continent to confirm a coronavirus case about seven months ago, data from the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) revealed on Saturday. About 1,437,339 infections have been found in the continent of over a billion people thus far. Tobacco-Induced Heart Disease Kills 1.9 million people yearly WHO At least 1.9 million people die from tobacco-induced heart disease yearly, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said on Tuesday. The international agency made this known in a joint statement with the World Heart Federation and the University of Newcastle, Australia ahead of the World Heart Day, marked on September 29. The statement indicates that smokeless tobacco is responsible for around 200,000 deaths from coronary heart disease per year. 10% of Nigerias COVID-19 cases below age 19 Minister The Minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire, says records show that 10 per cent of all positive COVID-19 cases treated are below the age of 19 years. Mr Ehanire made this disclosure at the daily briefing of the PTF on COVID-19 on Monday in Abuja. NAFDAC To Prosecute Health Workers Promoting Breast Milk Substitutes The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) says it will prosecute any health worker caught promoting Breast Milk Substitute (BMS) and other infant formula in health centres. Nantim Mullah, Deputy Director, NAFDAC, Kaduna Zonal Office, gave the warning in Kaduna on Thursday, at a one-day sensitisation meeting on the International Code of BMS and National Regulations on infant formula. Coronavirus: Nigeria shuts two isolation centres due to lack of patients Authorities in Abuja have shut two of the four isolation centres that cater for coronavirus patients in the Nigerian capital. COVID-19 isolation centres located inside Karu and Asokoro general hospitals are now closed following the reduction in the number of patients. Only the treatment centres in Idu and THISDAY Dome will now hold COVID-19 patients in Abuja. FG inaugurates Infectious Disease Centre in Abuja The Federal Government on Friday inaugurated the first Infectious Disease Centre (IDC), in the Federal Capital Territory, and handed it over to the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital (UATH). Speaking at the inauguration of the 40-bed centre in Gwagwalada, Abuja, the Minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire, said that the centre would improve Nigerias capacity to respond to all infectious diseases. Advertisements WCD: Cultural, religious factors hindering reproductive health in Nigeria Group As Nigeria joins the rest of the world to commemorate the 2020 World Contraception Day (WCD), an international organisation has said cultural and religious barriers are major factors hindering progress in sexual and reproductive health in the country. The Head, Marketing and Communications, Marie Stopes International Organisation Nigeria (MSION), Ogechi Onuoha, said this at a virtual media conference on Friday. The conference was organised by MISON in conjunction with Love Matters Naija as part of activities to mark the 2020 WCD. COVID-19: FG receives 3 Smart Walk-Through Booths for sample collection The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has received three Smart Walk-Through Booths for COVID -19 sample collection, Chikwe Ihekweazu, Director-General of the centre has said. Ihekweazu said the booths were donated by the Government of the Republic of Korea through the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA). COVID-19 threatens progress in women, childrens health UN Report The coronavirus pandemic threatens to turn back the clock on a decade of progress in women and childrens health, according to a United Nations (UN) report released on Friday. The report highlights significant advances made since the launch of the UNs Every Woman Every Child movement 10 years ago, including more than one billion children being vaccinated, and deaths of under-fives reaching an all-time low in 2019. Coronavirus: Four of Nigerias 36 states without a single infection, death in over 20 days For the past 10 weeks, Nigeria seems to be riding firmly along a plateau in its coronavirus epidemiological curve. At least four of the countrys 36 states have officially gone over 20 days without recording a single COVID-19 infection or a death attributable to the virus. This is according to the coronavirus situation report published by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) on Friday. Pennsylvanias former Republican Gov. Tom Ridge came forward on Sunday to announce Joe Biden will be getting his vote in the November election. Its the first time the former U.S. Homeland Security secretary said he will have ever voted for a Democrat for president but he said in this election, Its time to put country over party. Ridge elaborated on his views in a Monday morning interview with PennLive. He denounced Trumps lack of truthfulness with the American public about the pandemic. And when Trump suggested that a rigged election is the only way hell lose his re-election bid, Ridge said, That was it for me. Ridge, one of the states most well-regarded Republicans, breaks from his partys presidential nominee in what some have dubbed the most important election of our lifetime." And Pennsylvania is one of the critical battleground states in the election. His endorsement of Biden drew this response from Trumps campaign spokeswoman Rachel Lee: Tom Ridge endorsing a Democrat is not news but expected at this point. Pennsylvania voters care more about rebooting the economy and protecting their jobs, which is what President Donald Trump is doing. The following are excerpts from the conversation with Ridge, who has taken a leadership role in working with bipartisan groups this year defending the integrity of the nations election process, particularly as it relates to mailed ballots. Q. Why did you decide to let Joe Biden be the first Democratic presidential candidate that gets your vote? A. Ridge reminded that even before the 2016 election, he saw flaws in Trumps character and leadership skills that led him not to support him back then and four years have done nothing to change his mind. Anybody that has actually experienced America but doesnt appreciate the diversity of racial and ethnic diversity and opinion, those are flaws, Ridge said. "Unfortunately, all of my instincts and conclusions pre his election have been validated by his conduct, his approach, leadership in the past four years. So now is the time to do it. " Q. What prompted you to speak out now? A. So now is the time to do it. Were 30 days out from the election, Ridge said. The two things that bothered me probably more than anything else at this time for my president I didnt vote for him but hes still my president for him, to ignore the reality of the pandemic when he knew better and not to take the measures, not to trust Americans, and not to our humanity and not to trust our courage, not to trust our ability to deal with the truth. Instead of rallying our best instincts, rallying our humanity, rallying the better angel of our nature he chose to play politics with the pandemic. Ridge added, Trumps "audacious and unpresidential notion or statement that the only way he can lose is if the election is rigged flies in the face of history and suggesting that absentee ballots should not be counted, that was it for me. That was it. Thats over the top, over the top. Q. Beyond making your support for Joe Biden public, do you intend to help his campaign out in other ways? A. No, I thought about it. Theres a couple reasons. My words are in the public domain so they are his to use if he sees fit, if he thinks they have any relevance in his campaign, Ridge said. Beyond that, he said he is working with several bipartisan groups who are responding to the environment of uncertainty and anxiety that Trump has raised about the fairness and accuracy of this election. So the answer to that question is no, Ridge said. My plate is full working with my colleagues on the other side of the aisle to make sure every vote is counted and that Americans accept the verdict, period. Lawfully and peacefully. Q. Whats your reaction to President Trumps refusal to commit to honoring the election results, win or lose? A. Ridge referenced a statement Trump made during his rally on Saturday at Harrisburg International Airport when he said, The only way [Biden] can win Pennsylvania, frankly, is to cheat at the ballot box. Ridge said, For the president of the United States to stand in front of some of my fellow Pennsylvanians and suggest the Republicans and Democrats at the local level who have been counting ballots fairly for the past multiple decades that somehow they wont be fair, that somehow they wont do the job weve asked them to do, that somehow they will poison the election because of fraudulent actions is as insulting as it could possibly be. Whats more, he said having the president and his wife and most of his Cabinet cast their ballots by absentee ballot is not only insulting, Its hypocritical and its outrageous. Ridge said for the president to create the anxiety about the election and say nobodys absentee should be counted except mine. Well, thats a double standard I think. Its hypocritical. Its unpresidential. Q. What do you find most troubling about the New York Times story about what they reported the presidents tax records reveal? A. Ridge first chided Trump for saying back in 2015 that he would release his tax records but to this day, hasnt. So much for truthfulness. That has never been a strong suit for this guy, he said Beyond that, Ridge said the New York Times article reveals Trumps total disconnect from the heart of America. He doesnt understand our diversity. He doesnt understand these are the challenges people face to put food on the table and pay a few bucks in taxes. He just doesnt get it. But its not surprising. Why would he be truthful about taxes. It speaks to me of a lack of truthfulness, a lack of empathy, lack of transparency. But thats Donald Trump. Q. As a Vietnam War veteran, what was your reaction to The Atlantic story which reported he called people who fought for this country losers and suckers? A. The man has never worn a uniform. He dismisses military leadership. He thinks hes smarter than the generals and the admirals. He thinks POWs arent courageous. And he thinks men and women who have gone to war, many of them lost their lives, others have come back disabled, what did he call them? Ridge said. Again, these are so unbecoming and outrageous of the commander-in-chief of the strongest military in the world but not surprising given the fact that he probably did everything he could to make sure he didnt wear a uniform. Q. How do you think it sits with men and women serving in military? A. I just know that a lot of my friends regardless of their political beliefs find his remarks about their service beyond contemptible and pretty despicable, particularly from a man who figured out a way to avoid wearing a uniform, Ridge said. I dont know if itll affect their vote or not. I think its going to affect some veterans. Ridge paused a moment and then reflected on those he served with during his own military service. He said, I know names on the [Vietnam Veterans Memorial] Wall and they werent stupid. They werent fools. They were patriots. And shame on Donald Trump. Thats what I think. Thats what I think. Q. President Trumps campaign advertisement says American will be safer under his leadership. Given your perspective as the former U.S. Homeland Security secretary, do you think it will? A. We cant be safe when we disconnect ourselves from the rest of the world because the world is interconnected, Ridge said. Whether Donald Trump believes it or not. We cant be safe if we distance ourselves and denigrate traditional allies who have helped us build at least recently a relatively stable planet because of our mutual military capabilities and an international economic system that has benefitted the United States beyond even our wildest dreams. And we cant be safe when the president favors despots and dictators over democratic leaders. Q. Why would you believe America will be safer under a Biden presidency? A. Ridge shared his view of a commander-in-chief as one who appreciates the experience, insight and point of view from his intelligence community, his military leadership and his foreign policy advisers. He has to have credibility with other democratic leaders around the world who while we may disagree with them fundamentally, we never disparage them because were stronger together than we are isolated from them. Further, he said the commander-in-chief needs to appreciate the sacrifice of the military, which Biden has through his own sons service. So you pull that together and I see a president who listens carefully to the military and intelligence leadership, who is .. .respected by democratic allies and listens to them and appreciates in a more personal way the sacrifice and courage of our military, Ridge said. You put those together along with his common sense and his decency and I think almost by definition were safer Day One. Q. But you acknowledge that you are not in lock-step with all of Joe Bidens policy decisions, right? A. Ridge said absolutely not, particularly if Bidens first inkling is to spend more and put the nation deeper in debt. But he said he believes Biden understands the constitution, respects the rule of law, understands the institution of government, the role of the Supreme Court, and will have respect for those who disagree with him. I remember full well him saying to Hillary Clinton in response when she said Republicans are our enemies. He said, No, no no. They are opponents. And you know what, at the end of the day, differences of opinion are absolutely essential to a democracy. Despots and dictators dont tolerate dissent. We in American do as we work our way sometimes clumsily toward a solution to a problem. I think hes got the experience, the mental capacity and an appreciation of how we can do things together and how we can do them better than its been done. Q. How do you think President Trump has handled the pandemic? A. Ridge said he failed miserably. He said he could have gone to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention wearing a mask, surrounded himself with Republican and Democratic leaders, and talked about how Americans need to rally together to do five or six basic things. Do you think the attitude in this country and the outcome as weve gone over 200,000 deaths would have been different? Ridge said. My answer is a resounding yes. Its all about leadership at times of crisis. Joe Biden would have done a better job, period," Ridge said. "And hes a more decent human being. Hes got more empathy. Hes got more humanity. Q. What do you think President Trump will say about you supporting his opponent after calling you a Republican in Name Only, or RINO, after you criticized him for bringing federal agents into Portland, Oregon, to try to quell the protests and rioters? A. Ive tried to be respectful of him, Ridge said. I remind him of the First Amendment. I remind him democracy thrives on dissent. Differences of opinion is at the heart of who we are as a country. Ridge went on to say if Trump is so sensitive that the comments of yours truly irritates him that much that may be one more reason hes not worthy of the job because if he cant handle dissent." "If he cant handle differences of opinion, that he cant respect those who write about it, the press, or those who speak such as yours truly then you probably shouldnt be president. If you live in an ivory tower maybe youre not used to that stuff. If you live in the White House, you better get used to it because thats part of democracy. Jan Murphy may be reached at jmurphy@pennlive.com. Follow her on Twitter at @JanMurphy. NEW YORK, Sept. 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The Global Workload Scheduling & Automation Market size is expected to reach $3.6 billion by 2026, rising at a market growth of 10.1% CAGR during the forecast period. Workload Scheduling and Automation software is a tool that is useful for automating IT processes and rationalization of workflows. With the help of this software, developers can automate and integrate processes of business and IT, it facilitates standalone tasks spread through server environments. Moreover, the need for manual scripting and manage cross-system dependencies are almost eliminated by the adoption of Workload Scheduling and Automation software and it correlates changes with workflows whenever needed. This allows IT to speed up the application delivery processes and hence shorten the time to market. Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05975435/?utm_source=PRN Nowadays, applications developers are facing a fast and dynamic environment, therefore they need to deal with a host of diverse operating systems as well as business applications. In these heterogeneous environments, managing batch activity requires manual scripting which is an error-prone and time-consuming process. The major driver for the Workload Scheduling and Automation software market is the current need for automation in order to eliminate the manual scripting process. Though, due to the lack of a stable internal workload process in many companies, they are facing challenges in offloading the processes to the software. This is considered as a major challenge for the companies adopting for Workload Scheduling and Automation Software. Workload scheduling and automation are beneficial in automating, controlling, monitoring workflows, or jobs in an organizational IT environment. It is also helpful in implementing the background IT jobs more efficiently and thereby it restructure the IT infrastructure with other business purposes and diminish the total cost of ownership as well as enhance the organizational performance. Retailers in the market are proposing workload automation and integrated batch solution that complements the designed system. It also helps companies with administrative automated scheduling and monitoring functions to developing their batch operations. At the same time vendors are serving enterprises to raise their business agility as it helps in combining batch scheduling processes across varied and platforms, and IT environments by delivering the solutions under a managed services model. Based on Deployment Type, the market is segmented into On-premise and Cloud. Based on Organization Size, the market is segmented into Large Enterprises and Small & Medium Enterprises. Based on End User, the market is segmented into Retail, BFSI, Government & Public Sector, Manufacturing, Healthcare & Life Sciences, Telecom & IT and Others. Based on Regions, the market is segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Latin America, Middle East & Africa. The major strategies followed by the market participants are Acquisitions and Product Launches. Based on the Analysis presented in the Cardinal matrix; IBM Corporation, Oracle Corporation, and BMC Software, Inc. are the forerunners in the Workload Scheduling & Automation Market. Companies such as Broadcom, Inc., Hitachi, Ltd., and Stonebranch, Inc., Dell Technologies, Inc. (VMware, Inc.), ASG Technologies Group, Inc., Advanced Systems Concepts, Inc., and HCL Technologies Limited are some of the key innovators in the market. The market research report covers the analysis of key stake holders of the market. Key companies profiled in the report include IBM Corporation, BMC Software, Inc., Broadcom, Inc., HCL Technologies Ltd. (HCL Enterprises), Hitachi, Ltd., Oracle Corporation, Dell Technologies, Inc. (VMware, Inc.), Stonebranch, Inc., Advanced Systems Concepts, Inc., and ASG Technologies Group, Inc. Strategies deployed in Workload Scheduling & Automation Market Partnerships, Collaborations, and Agreements: Jun-2020: Oracle collaborated with UiPath, a leading enterprise Robotic Process Automation (RPA) software company. The collaboration combined powerful RPA with Oracle Cloud Infrastructure and business applications. This collaboration enabled customers to streamline critical workflows and complex processes and to focus on strategic tasks that require a human touch. By driving productivity and accelerating digital transformation, customers can now use end-to-end automation that eliminates manual errors and reduce operational costs. Sep-2019: Oracle signed partnership agreement with Blue Prism, an RPA provider. The partnership was focused on launching integrations aimed at the improved delivery of RPA, AI, Machine Learning (ML) technology for business-critical enterprise applications. The supplier has stated that the RPA provider's integration with Oracle's solutions is expected to facilitate the creation of a Digital Workforce, a platform for the optimization of workload. Mar-2019: ASG Technologies signed an agreement with Menta Group as their new business ally for Chile and Peru. The resale agreement covers the entire ASG solutions portfolio, including Content Management, Data Intelligence, GDPR, and Workload Automation. Acquisition and Mergers: Jul-2020: IBM completed the acquisition of WDG Automation, a Brazilian software provider specializing in robotic process automation (RPA). The acquisition helped the company in expanding into the AI-infused automation market. Jan-2019: Hitachi Solutions America took over Capax Global, LLC, a leading provider of cloud and data platform solutions based on the Microsoft application platform. This acquisition provided Hitachi Solutions with deep capabilities across cloud-native application development, data platform modernization, big data, machine learning, and advanced analytics along with modern workplace and managed services solutions. Jan-2018: CA Technologies acquired Automic Holding GmbH, the business automation software firm. The acquisition provided cloud-enabled automation and orchestration capabilities across the portfolio and increased its reach into the European market. Mar-2017: Stonebranch announced the acquisition of Daring Star Ltd., an international company that provides integration services for telecommunication businesses around the world. The acquisition provided key skills in the delivery and development of complex IT solutions that enabled companies to efficiently transform their business into the era of Digitalization using Stonebranch's Universal Automation Center. Product Launches and Product Expansions: Jul-2020: ASG Technologies launched the latest version of its workload automation and orchestration solution, ASG-Enterprise Orchestrator 4.1.3. This solution advances ASG's commitment to arm IT infrastructure & operations leaders and teams to design, implement, schedule, and automate business services running on IT applications and infrastructure. Jan-2020: Hitachi Vantara released the entry-level storage system, Hitachi Virtual Storage Platform G130, for the Indian market. VSP G130 is an extension of the hybrid-flash VSP G series systems that supports smaller data center modernization initiatives. VSP G130 aims to provide agile data infrastructure with minimal costs for SMBs, remote or branch offices that need local backup capabilities, direct-attached storage (DAS) environments, and simplified virtual server deployments. Oct-2019: Hitachi Vantara introduced a powerful next-generation storage and infrastructure foundation with a new scale-out, scale-up architecture for any workload at any scale. The solution includes Hitachi Virtual Storage Platform (VSP) 5000 series, the company's latest and the world's fastest1 enterprise-class storage array, along with the new Hitachi Ops Center management software and updated Hitachi Storage Virtualization Operating System. Together, these technologies can accelerate data center workloads and deliver future-proof IT with a new, innovative architecture that is the ideal foundation for modernizing data center, cloud, and DataOps environments. Apr-2019: VMware announced advancements across its integrated VMware vRealize cloud management platform. These advancements aimed to help IT enable developers and IT admins to quickly build and deliver applications in hybrid cloud environments with more secure and consistent operations. The new product releases include vRealize Operations 7.5, vRealize Network Insight 4.1, vRealize Automation 7.6, and vRealize Suite Lifecycle Manager 2.1. These products combined to provide expanded self-driving operations and enhanced programmable provisioning capabilities across private and hybrid clouds. Nov-2018: Advanced Systems Concepts unveiled Version 12 of its industry-leading Enterprise IT Automation software solution, ActiveBatch. ActiveBatch Version 12 has new automation capabilities for improved workload performance, seamless scalability, and enhanced analytics and visibility. ActiveBatch V12 introduced Heuristic Queue Allocation (HQA), which enabled for seamless scalability by bringing the power of Machine Learning to IT Automation. Oct-2018: CA Technologies released the new AIOps-driven platform. This platform aimed to enable IT teams to automate and eliminate key tasks. The CA AIOps-driven platform has been correlating and analyzing IT operational data and digital delivery chains, leveraging new, innovation AI, machine learning, and automation capabilities. Jun-2018: Stonebranch launched a new collaboration platform, Stonebranch Marketplace. This platform accelerated the exchange and development of add-ons and integrations to drive IT automation for enterprises. The Stonebranch Marketplace enabled users to contribute and access new add-ons and integrations easily via the web while sharing and interacting with the broader Stonebranch community. Mar-2018: CA Technologies unveiled the CA Workload Automation AE (Autosys), the workload engine, with new features and integration with the CA Automic One Automation platform. It provides support for AWS and Azure Database services, delivering a more reliable connection to these remote services. Scope of the Study Market Segmentation: By Deployment Type On-premise Cloud By Organization Size On-premise Cloud By End User Retail BFSI Government & Public Sector Manufacturing Healthcare & Life Sciences Telecom & IT Others By Geography North America o US o Canada o Mexico o Rest of North America Europe o Germany o UK o France o Russia o Spain o Italy o Rest of Europe Asia Pacific o China o Japan o India o South Korea o Singapore o Malaysia o Rest of Asia Pacific LAMEA o Brazil o Argentina o UAE o Saudi Arabia o South Africa o Nigeria o Rest of LAMEA Companies Profiled IBM Corporation BMC Software, Inc. Broadcom, Inc. HCL Technologies Ltd. (HCL Enterprises) Hitachi, Ltd. Oracle Corporation Dell Technologies, Inc. (VMware, Inc.) Stonebranch, Inc. Advanced Systems Concepts, Inc. ASG Technologies Group, Inc. Unique Offerings Exhaustive coverage Highest number of market tables and figures Subscription based model available Guaranteed best price Assured post sales research support with 10% customization free Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05975435/?utm_source=PRN About Reportlinker ReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place. Contact Clare: [email protected] US: (339)-368-6001 Intl: +1 339-368-6001 SOURCE Reportlinker Related Links www.reportlinker.com Guwahati, Sep 28 : Syeda Anwara Taimur, the only woman Chief Minister of Assam, died in Australia after a prolonged illness on Monday. She was 84. Family sources in Guwahati said that Taimur, Chief Minister from December 6, 1980 to June 30, 1981, was residing in Australia with her son for the past few years. A teacher of economics in Debicharan Barua Girls College in Jorhat before joining politics, she had an illustrious career spanning over four decades. Elected to the Assam Assembly four times - 1972, 1978, 1983, and 1991 - as nominee of the Congress, she also served as state Public Works Department (PWD) minister from 1983 to 1985. In 1988, she was nominated to the Rajya Sabha. In 2011, the veteran leader left the Congress and joined the All India United Democratic Front. She figured in the headlines after her name was found missing from the NRC (National Register of Citizens) list in 2018. Taimur's death has been widely mourned cutting across party lines. Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, in a tweet, said: "Saddened by the sudden demise of former Chief Minister of Assam, Syeda Anwara Taimur. Praying for the departed soul, I offer my heartfelt condolences to her family members and well-wishers." Mahila Congress President and party spokesperson Sushmita Dev, in a tweet, said: "Deeply saddened to know about the sudden demise of Assam's first woman Chief Minister Smt Syeda Anwara Taimur ji. Syeda ji had a long public career serving the people of Assam for four terms as MLA. Prayers for the departed soul. My deepest condolences to friends and family." A Mayfair based hedge fund manager has denied putting hand up woman's skirt in alleged sex assault more than two decades ago. Crispin Odey, 61, is accused of an offence against a female bank employee in her 20s at a Chelsea address. Mr Odey, the founder of investment firm Odey Asset Management, appeared in the dock at Westminster Magistrates Court wearing a grey suit, blue shirt and pink tie. He spoke to confirm his name, address, and date of birth. He then pleaded not guilty to a single charge of indecent assault. Prosecutor Aaron McCalister told the court that the alleged victim was assaulted after going to an address in Swan Walk, Chelsea following a work meeting. Crispin Odey leaving Westminster Magistrates' Court, London, with his wife Nichola Pease (Nigel Howard) / NIGEL HOWARD He told the court: This assault is said to have taken place by the defendant of a complainant who was a junior employee of a bank... The defendant said he would change out [of his suit] and returned in a dressing gown... He launched himself at her putting his hand up her skirt or dress. The alleged incident took place at Mr Odeys address in Swan Walk on July 13 1998, the court heard. Chairman of the magistrates bench Richard Duncalf adjourned the case for a a two day trial on 17 and 18 February at Hendon Magistrates Court. A statement issued on behalf of Mr Odey after todays hearing said: I am pleased that the magistrates have agreed to hear this historic matter quickly. I look forward to having the facts heard And maintain the allegation is untrue. Oxford educated Mr Odey set up his company in 1991 and is one of the UKs richest hedge fund managers. Chimoio, Mozambique Isaura*, 11, was walking home from school one day with her friends when a man pulled her into the bush and raped her. Terrified, her friends ran for help and called her family. When the family arrived, Isaura was badly injured. They took her to hospital, alerted the community leader, the police and LeMuSiCa - a Spotlight Initiative-supported organization that runs one of the few women's shelters in the country, in Manica Province. The family reported the incident at the government-run Family and Minors Victims of Violence Assistance Office, where an arrest warrant for the aggressor was issued. He was promptly found and detained. Shelter and Counselling Despite recovering physically, Isaura was deeply traumatized. She was afraid of others and would only speak with Cecilia Ernesto, a LeMuSiCa social worker. Given the gravity of her situation, Isaura's family agreed to let her stay at LeMuSiCa's shelter, where she received counselling and met other girls recovering from violence. Meanwhile, Ms. Ernesto kept contact with Isaura's family, informing them about the laws that punish rapists and protect women and girls from violence. She explained the consequences of letting the aggressor go unpunished, such as Isaura's trauma worsening, setting a bad example, or worse yet - the man could reoffend. In Mozambique and other countries, there are contradictions between the law and customary practices that perpetuate a culture of silence around violence. In cases of rape, it is common for the survivor's family to seek a settlement with the aggressor - sometimes with the help of a local leader - without involving the authorities. According to the latest Demographic and Health Survey in Mozambique (DHS 2011), more than 37 per cent of Mozambican women suffer physical and sexual violence during their lives. Underreporting remains a huge issue in Mozambique, as it does around the world. Global data suggests only four in ten women who experience violence seek help of any sort, and of these, only one in ten appeals to the police. Helping families navigate customary and formal law Thanks to Ms. Ernesto's encouragement over eight months, Isaura's family agreed not to withdraw the charges and to let formal justice run its course. "We convinced the family to not accept money or give in to threats by the aggressor's family", said Achia Camal, LeMuSiCa's coordinator. Isaura's rapist was sentenced to 19 years of prison by the Manica Provincial Court, setting a strong example to other offenders and boosting survivors' trust in the justice system. Despite this outcome, a lot remains to be done for girls and women experiencing violence across the country. The Spotlight Initiative continues to support the Government of Mozambique, training service providers from the health, social protection, police and justice sectors to assist survivors with greater sensitivity, ensuring they receive quality, life-saving care and legal support. At the same time, the programme supports the justice system to establish gender-based violence response units across its institutions, ensuring that more perpetrators are punished, and survivors assisted and protected. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Mozambique Legal Affairs Human Rights By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. Isaura is still living at the shelter and has been re-enrolled in school. During monthly visits to her family, she is taking part in her community, and will return once she feels ready. LeMuSiCa is part of the Consortium Against Sexual Violence, a partnership of seven women's organizations working to prevent sexual and gender-based violence under the Spotlight Initiative. LeMuSiCa brings hope to women and children survivors of violence in Manica province, by providing them with shelter and psychosocial support. Together with local organization LUARTE, LeMuSiCa also sensitizes families, communities and local leaders to motivate them to report cases of violence, helping them navigate the justice system. Reporting by Achia Camal and Laura Lambo. Photo: UNICEF/Ricardo Franco *Name has been changed to protext survivor's privacy. Victoire Tomegah Dogbe, 60, named the first ever female prime minister to head the government in Togo Togo's President Faure Gnassingbe on Monday named the first ever female prime minister to head the government in the West African nation. Victoire Tomegah Dogbe, 60, replaces Komi Selom Klassou, who resigned on Friday. A close ally of the president, she has served as his chief-of-staff since 2009. Togo had been due for a government reshuffle since Gnassingbe was reelected in February for a fourth term in office, but the changes were delayed by the coronavirus pandemic. The president's election win, which came after a constitutional change allowing him to run, extended more than a half-century of dynastic rule by the Gnassingbe family over the former French colony. The victory was disputed by the main opposition challenger, who has faced official harassment in the wake of the vote. The president has led the country of eight million people since taking over in 2005 following the death of his father Gnassingbe Eyadema, who ruled for 38 years. Togo's economy has been hit by the pandemic as the authorities have imposed restrictions to limit the spread of the virus. Search Keywords: Short link: The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has urged the Local Administrative Entities Development Agency (LODA) to curb delays in paying wages as well as direct support to the vulnerable people beneficiaries of Vision Umurenge Programme (VUP). This was during a public hearing on Wednesday, September 23, in which PAC was listening to explanations of LODA senior managers for the public funds mismanagement cases revealed by the Auditor General's 2018/19 report. VUP is an integrated local development program to accelerate poverty eradication, rural growth, and social protection. The direct support guidelines issued by LODA in July 2018 states that the payments shall be made directly to beneficiaries' accounts opened in formal financial institutions such as banks or SACCOs. Payments will be made every month and not later than 10 calendar days of the following month. The AG's report noted that VUP direct support funds amounting to more than Rwf1.2 billion delayed to reach beneficiaries for a period ranging from 2 to 190 days in sixteen (16) districts. This issue, the report indicated, was mainly attributed to delays in updating beneficiaries' lists, and may negatively impact the beneficiaries' welfare. Also, the report exposed delays in the payment of more than Rwf1.4 billion in wages to VUP classic public works beneficiaries in eighteen (18) districts. The delays ranged from 2 to 128 days. This contradicts the guidelines issued by LODA on July 20, 2018, which state that classic public works wages shall be paid not later than 15 calendar days after the end of each 10 day working cycle. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Rwanda By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. The delay is caused by the long time it takes to prepare, verify and consolidate payrolls for beneficiaries for the projects executed in different sectors, adding that it negatively impacts their wellbeing. "This issue has been persistent for long. The delay in providing the VUP funds to vulnerable people when there are funds allocated for that purpose is not understandable. We need a guarantee that this problem won't happen again," said MP Beline Uwineza. LODA Director-General, Claudine Marie Solange Nyinawagaga, affirmed the commitment to address such issues, indicating that paying VUP wages on time increased from 57 per cent in 2018/19 to 90 per cent in 2019/20. "Such a development means that that is something we have put emphasis on," she said. She said that the Ministry of Local Government has been holding districts accountable in weekly meetings whereby the status of each district on such an aspect is indicated, something that has made leaders focus attention to it. She explained that the Agency embraced the use of a management information system whereby information including the lists of the beneficiaries - payroll is entered into its database to expedite the process. Ulrika Jonsson has admitted her daughter Bo was 'terrified' before Britain went into lockdown and is taking risks by going to university. The TV presenter's daughter, 20, who has a compromised immune system and an underlying cardiac condition, has begun her second year of university amid the ongoing pandemic. Speaking on Monday's episode of Good Morning Britain, Ulrika, 53, said: 'At the beginning of Lockdown, Bo was terrified and went into lockdown a week before the nation went into lockdown. Health: Ulrika Jonsson, 53, has admitted her daughter Bo, 20, was 'terrified' before Britain went into lockdown and is taking risks by going to university 'As time went by I became increasingly concerned about her mental health because she was basically locked up in her room. She had contact with her friends on FaceTime but that social thing they thrive on became a concern for me.' The Swedish star explained that Bo is now doing a combination of in-person lectures and virtual work at university and feels more confident than she did at the beginning of lockdown. She said: 'After three months, she decided when she was allowed, to bubble with another family and her present situation is that the college is doing a mix of lectures and virtual. 'She also does a lot of placements and those are constantly under review. I think Bos approach now is, strangely, a lot more relaxed than she was initially. She feels like shes had a taste of normal life and is having to take some risks.' Family: Bo, who has a compromised immune system and an underlying cardiac condition, has begun her second year of university amid the ongoing pandemic Ulrika also gave her thoughts on Sweden's response to the coronavirus, who unlike the UK and many other countries, never had a full-scale lockdown. She said: 'Being Swedish, the Swedes have not had anything imposed on them. Theyve been asked to do things and as theyre community minded, they tend to do what theyre told. 'Theyve kept the country going and there are no real massive impositions. My nephew has been in school throughout, my sister has stayed working. I think they feel proud of the way their government has dealt with the situation.' It comes after Ulrika admitted earlier this month that she 'sobbed every night' when her son Cameron first went to university. Ulrika said: 'I think Bos approach now is strangely, a lot more relaxed than she was initially. She feels like shes had a taste of normal life and is having to take some risks' Sharing snaps of her 25-year-old, who she shares with ex-husband John Turnbull, she reflected on when he left home seven years earlier, and the TV presenter said she was 'not good at letting go'. She wrote: 'For all those parents going through the same right now: it does eventually get better. And then they come home penniless, hungover and qualified as plonkers (and in Goldenballs case, Film Director). 'But the changing shape of the family isnt always an easy transition. 2 out of 4 of mine are gone.' She went on: 'Now my youngest wonders why I cling on to him for dear life when he walks to school every morning, dragging me along the ground, behind him....' Looking back: It comes after Ulrika admitted earlier this month that she 'sobbed every night' when her son Cameron, 25, first went to university 'Im just not good at letting go of things I thought I owned but are apparently just on loan, s all (sic).' Her post comes after she praised her 'brilliant' daughter Martha for passing her GCSEs last month, after the government's U-turn meant results could be based on teachers' estimated grades following the cancellation of exams amid the pandemic. The TV star shares Bo with hotel manager Marcus Kempen, and Malcolm, 12, with advertising executive Brian Monet. Up to two dozen people in Britain could be deliberately infected with a weakened form of coronavirus as part of a trial to develop a vaccine against Covid-19. New York-based company Codagenix plans to begin experiments of its vaccine in London by the end of the year. The jab will be of a type called a live attenuated vaccine, meaning people will be given a genetically-modified version of the coronavirus that is weaker than the real thing but still infectious. Live attenuated vaccines such as the MMR jab work by stimulating the immune system in the same way that real Covid-19 would, but by relying on viruses unable to cause severe illness. Codagenix says its vaccine was successful after a single dose in animal trials and is designed to produce immunity against various parts of the coronavirus, rather than just the 'spike protein' on the outside that many others have focused on. This could mean it would still work even if the virus mutated. Using a live virus may enable medics to create a type of immunity that is similar to what the body would make naturally. The trials will be held in the same facility as 'challenge trials' in which people who have been vaccinated are deliberately exposed to the virus to test the jabs. Codagenix has previously been reported to be joining the experiment. Details of exactly how the trial of the live attenuated vaccines will be structured have not yet been announced. Live attenuated vaccines work by stimulating the immune system in the same way that real Covid-19 would, but by relying on viruses unable to cause severe illness (stock image) The version of the coronavirus used in Codagenix's vaccine is thought to multiply at around a thousandth of the rate of the wild virus (Pictured: The viruses in petri dishes, with the wild one on the left seen to be multiplying faster) The vaccine is likely to be trialled at a 24-bed clinic in Whitechapel, East London, where participants will be quarantined, The Times reports. The hVIVO clinic will also host 'challenge trials' of coronavirus vaccines, in which people who have had the jabs will be deliberately infected. Although it is unclear whether Codagenix will take part in this, medical news website BioWorld reported in July that the company was planning to do so. The company is understood to still be seeking approval from the UK's drugs regulator to go ahead with its tests. Codagenix's vaccine will work by using a slowed-down version of the coronavirus and injecting it into participants. Covid-19's ability to cause infection and serious disease relies on the virus multiplying rapidly inside the body before the immune system can stop it. As it does this it can take over the lungs and blood vessels and cause the body to scramble to get rid of it, causing the tell-tale symptoms of fever and coughing, which are the immune system's attempts to cook or expel the viruses. Codagenix's weakened form of the virus, however, can only multiply about one thousandth as fast as the wild strain (0.1 per cent of the speed). The company developed the weaker virus by changing its genetic code using a computer programme so that it looks exactly like the wild virus. Normally the coronavirus uses easy-to-decode sections of genes which allow it to hijack living cells and use them to multiply itself. The modified virus, however, takes significantly longer to achieve the same result. This means it cannot get a head-start on the immune system and the body should be able to destroy it and form a memory of how to destroy it before it can cause illness. Robert Coleman, the company's CEO, told The Times: 'We recode a portion of the virus's genome so that its slowly translated by the human host. 'Its like giving American high-school students Shakespearean English theyll read it, but theyll have a hard time.' Codagenix intends to make its vaccine one that will be administered by a nasal spray, as the flu jab is given to children. Zenon Mayorga walks among bushes and Joshua trees covered in fire retardant in Juniper Hills on Saturday after the Bobcat fire burned a number of homes in the area. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) Extreme fire danger is likely for parts of Southern California this week as a new firestorm besieged parts of Northern California. The National Weather Service issued a red flag warning for the mountains of Los Angeles and Ventura counties and the Santa Clarita Valley, noting the conditions could last for several days. The warning includes the potential for "rapid fire growth and extreme fire behavior if ignition occurs," as well as the threat of smoke plumes and heat-related illnesses. But it's the combination of variables that is the greatest concern as a new heat wave bears down on the region: The forecast calls for gusty Santa Ana winds up to 40 mph, humidity levels in the teens and single digits, and temperatures in the valleys as high as 100 degrees by Wednesday, and in the 90s in some coastal areas. It's what's known as "fire weather." A heat advisory will be in effect from 10 a.m. Tuesday to 8 p.m. Thursday throughout much of the region, and the National Weather Service is urging residents to take extra precautions when spending time outside. "Drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out of the sun and check up on relatives and neighbors," officials said. The forecast comes on the heels of a record-setting summer, when high temperatures seared their way into the hottest August on record in California. In August, Death Valley saw some of the hottest days ever recorded on Earth. Woodland Hills climbed to 121 degrees on Sept. 6 an all-time high for Los Angeles County. We are expecting some hot temperatures this week, said Mike Wofford, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Oxnard. Youll notice it warmer today, but especially tomorrow, and Wednesday and Thursday, which will probably be the hottest days. Wofford said a late September heat wave isnt unusual. September can often be our warmest time of year, he said, noting that Sunday was the 10-year anniversary of the hottest day in downtown L.A.: 113 degrees. Story continues But the weather can still spell disaster. In Northern California, residents of Napa and Sonoma counties were evacuated Sunday evening when powerful Diablo winds ignited another series of wildfires . Evacuation orders were also issued in Butte and Shasta counties, where the fast-moving Zogg fire is now growing. Red-flag warnings will remain in effect for much of the northern portion of the state through at least 8 p.m. Monday. In Los Angeles County, a new brush fire, the Martindale fire, broke out Monday afternoon in Bouquet Canyon, about 15 miles northeast of Santa Clarita. Buffeted by strong winds and fed by thick, very dry brush, the blaze spread to 300 acres in about an hour, prompting evacuations of about a dozen homes south of Bouquet Reservoir. Wildfires burning throughout the state are also contributing to poor air quality. A smoke advisory has been extended through Monday in Los Angeles County, where the South Coast Air Quality Management District said the nearby Bobcat fire in the Angeles National Forest is still producing smoke. Fire crews turned a corner on the massive blaze after weeks of slow-going progress, but containment numbers dropped 3 percentage points on Monday from 65% to 62% as the winds picked up. "Increased activity is anticipated within containment lines near Mt. Wilson and Mt. Lewis as the wind speeds increase and relative humidity decreases," the U.S. Forest Service said. The fire, which ignited Sept. 6 and has repeatedly threatened Mt. Wilson, has burned more than 114,000 acres and destroyed dozens of structures, most of them in the Antelope Valley. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. A day after President Ram Nath Kovind signed the Agriculture Bill's and made them laws, the Punjab Youth Congress workers on Monday set ablaze a tractor in the high security India Gate area to protest against the contentious legislation. About 10-15 Punjab Youth Congress activists arrived in the national capital in a truck to protest against the controversial farm laws around 7.15 a.m. on the birth anniversary of revolutionary Bhagat Singh. The activists offloaded a tractor from the truck and set it on fire. "If the deaf are to hear, the sound has to be very loud: Bhagat Singh," the IYC quoted the martyr in a tweet. "In honour of the memory of Shaheed Bhagat Singh, Punjab Youth Congress protested against the BJP government's apathetic treatment of farmers by lighting a tractor at India Gate. Wake the sleeping govt. Inquilab Zindabad." It also attached a video of the act that was carried out metres away from the Rashtrapati Bhawan. Delhi Police is trying to identify the people involved using the CCTV footage. Delhi BJP media cell chief Neelkant Bakshi said that he will be filing an FIR against the Youth Congress workers. He alleged that the Youth Congress workers brought the tractor and set it on fire to spread violence. "They are trying to spread riots in the country and I will be filing an FIR to stop this conspiracy," Bakshi added. Mumbai: Maharashtra Higher and Technical Education Minister Uday Samant on Monday held a meeting on demands raised by non-teaching staff of non-agriculture universities and colleges. The staffers have been demanding implementation of the Seventh Pay Commission. The minister urged them to withdraw the stir as the state government was positive about their demands. A meeting was held today to discuss pending issues of non-teaching staffers of non-agriculture universities and colleges. The government is positive about their demands and they need not stage protest henceforth. Requested them to withdraw the protest keeping in mind interest of students," he tweeted. Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor The former boss of a medical charity claims that her employer, Lord Winston, sacked her after she raised concerns over alleged wrongdoing, a tribunal has heard. Dyan Sterling, former chief executive officer of the Genesis Research Trust, is suing IVF pioneer Lord Winston after he announced plans at a board meeting to make her redundant. The decision came just six hours after she had warned that the charity was in danger of breaking the law. Sterling claims that charity trustees based at Imperial College London were reluctant to declare conflicts of interest after being handed 2.3million in donations. Dyan Sterling, former chief executive officer of the Genesis Research Trust, is suing IVF pioneer Lord Winston (pictured) after he announced plans at a board meeting to make her redundant The former CEO, who earned 50,000 more than the next highest-earning employee, claims she was being 'punished' for whistleblowing. However, Professor Lord Winston denies the allegation and says the redundancy was part of a cost cutting plan to secure the future of the charity. The central London Employment tribunal was told that the charity was looking at a 500,000 shortfall in funding and needed to make cuts. In a witness statement Lord Winston said at a meeting with the Trustees he noted the charity had been losing money for some time. Ms Sterling had failed to resolve the situation over the last two years, the Covid-19 pandemic was exacerbating the situation and the gift was unlikely to materially reduce the ongoing deficit. A London tribunal heard that in spring this year, Lord Winston's charity successfully bid for funds from the Angela Pattman Scholarship Fund. The fund supplies scholarships for undergraduate medical students at Imperial College London. However, the Genesis Research Trust, which funds research into reproductive health such as miscarriage, stillbirth and premature birth, only funded postgraduate research and had no history of working with undergraduates. The trust was founded in 1978 and Lord Winston has been chairman since 1988. Fearing that Imperial College London might sue for the funds because they were better entitled to it, the trustees considered sending the money directly to the college. On July 13, responding to the potential move, Sterling sent Lord Winston a letter saying that the trustees would potentially breach charity law if they went ahead with their plan and that there were serious compliance issues. She insisted on an independent review and that the Charity Commission be involved, but six hours later Lord Winston submitted a proposal for a board meeting to make Sterling redundant. Sterling requested the meeting be postponed but it went ahead without her and no minutes were taken for the meeting. Lord Winston refused an internal investigation after Sterling complained and he said her allegations were 'without foundation or merit'. When Sterling raised a second grievance she received no response. One of the Trustees, Mrs Linda Loftus, conducted a redundancy consultation meeting on 30 July 2020, the preliminary hearing was told. She was then dismissed by email last month without a final redundancy consultation meeting which left staff with no boss to approve management issues such as payments or holidays. The central London Employment tribunal (pictured) was told that the charity was looking at a 500,000 shortfall in funding and needed to make cuts The trust provided her with no notice period, and she was not asked to undertake a handover, there was no leaving-do and none of the trustees said goodbye to her. Ms Sterling said none of the circumstances surrounding her departure were consistent with a normal redundancy process. Office manager Stephen Button sent her e-mails in which he stated: 'I'm sorry to say that Robert Winston asked for the closure of your account last week. 'I'm also even sorrier to say that he has made it quite plain I'm not able to discuss anything with you in the current situation. I'm not able to answer any questions unless directed by the Trustees.' Ms Sterling said it was clearly at odds with the contention she was simply being made redundant as the Charity was being restructured. The charity says it was facing a financial crisis which had been ongoing for years. The redundancy exercise was genuine and Ms Sterling was by far the most expensive employee. It was in their interests to dismiss her quickly before she had two years' qualifying service and could bring a claim for unfair dismissal. Explaining the redundancy, Lord Winston said: 'This means the Trust would heavily reduce its staff, administration and expenses by cutting down on external activities and events, where possible, and having less involved fundraising and publicity drives.' To date Ms Sterling is the only employee to have been dismissed by the charity. Ms Sterling is claiming unfair dismissal, automatic unfair dismissal as a result of making a protected disclosure and of protected disclosure detriment against both the charity and Lord Winston. In a preliminary hearing, the tribunal concluded that it was likely Ms Sterling had been 'singled out' but evidence also suggests there was a 'genuine redundancy situation' prior to her dismissal. A judgement from the tribunal's hearing read: 'Professor Lord Winston contends that Ms Sterling was dismissed for the potentially fair reason of redundancy. 'Ms Sterling claims that the redundancy was a sham, and that she was not dismissed by reason of redundancy but because of her alleged disclosure.' A London tribunal is due to make a final ruling at an upcoming four-day hearing. The House of Representative is working on a new and refined proposal for another stimulus package, according to reports on Thursday. The proposal drops over $1 trillion from their previous formal bill. Many Americans are expecting to what will be included and what will be dropped. House Democrats are prioritizing enhanced unemployment insurance and second stimulus checks in their new coronavirus relief bill. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi reportedly ordered high-ranking lawmakers to create a new legislation for a stimulus package. The said relief package is being aimed to have a price cap of $2.4 trillion. Reports said that the said bill will contain programs that most American individuals are most concerned with. These programs are unemployment aid, Paycheck Protection Program, and second stimulus checks. Second stimulus checks were one of the few areas that Republicans and Democrats previously agreed on their negotiations. However, unemployment aid remains a sticking point. In addition, some critics believe that there can still be some deductions to be done from the bill. Second stimulus checks are likely to be worth up to $1, 200 based on income, as what was seen from the previous proposals in both the House and the Senate. Any taxpayer with an annual gross income of $75,000 or less on their most recent tax return would get the full amount. It would also decrease incrementally from there. The huge difference from the two sides in the most recent negotiations was the process of paying dependents. Democrats proposed $1,200 per dependent with a limit of three. Republicans wanted $500 per dependent with no limit. Both cases included adult dependents, unlike the first round of stimulus checks. While second stimulus checks are in the talks, unemployment insurance remains one of the most divisive issues of negotiations. Democrats wanted a new unemployment program from the CARES Act as is. This is providing $600 per week to unemployed Americans on top of their state's unemployment programs. Republicans wanted to decrease that to $200 per week with a long-term plan to calculate unemployment based on income. This with a firm cap of $500 per week. Meanwhile, GOP proposed a coronavirus aid earlier, which was blocked by Senate Democrats. The GOP's so-called "skinny bill" was one of Congress's first actions after its nearly month-long recess. The said bill includes liability protection for businesses and healthcare facilities. In addition, it includes more money for healthcare funding and schools, as well as a second round of funding for the Paycheck Protection Program for small businesses. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell called it a targeted proposal that could be voted on as early as possible, according to a report. However, the GOP-backed bill failed to advance as Congressional Democrats said the bill did not provide enough relief for financially struggling Americans. Democrats said that they want to continue the extra $600 per week in unemployment insurance that the CARES Act provided. However, with the coming on Supreme Court confirmation in hopes to fill the vacant seat, many are doubtful that a stimulus deal would be reached before election. Check these out: Distribution of Additional $300 Unemployment Checks Ends in 10 States Second Stimulus Check: How Quickly You May Receive It Once Approved? Additional $300 Weekly Unemployment Checks to End as Soon as Next Week A n eight-year-old tweet by Donald Trump complaining about Barack Obama's tax payments has resurfaced following revelations about the current President's own financial affairs. Mr Trump broke precedent by not releasing his own taxes when he entered the White House in 2016. On Sunday the New York Times reported that the businessman paid no federal income tax in 2012, and only $750 (600) in the year he was elected. In 2011, Mr Obama paid $162,074 in federal taxes on gross income of $789,674, according to the return he released that year. On Twitter in April 2012, Mr Trump wrote: "@BarackObama who wants to raise all our taxes, only pays 20.5% on $790k salary. Do as I say not as I do." It came after the Los Angeles Times reported that Obamas tax rate was slightly lower than average for people in his tier due to $172,130 in charitable donations that year. Mr Trump complained about Mr Obama paying 20.5 per cent in taxes when he himself paid nothing / Getty Images Meanwhile, Mr Trump paid just $750 in federal income tax in 2016 and 2017 - his first two years in office, according to the NYT. He also paid nothing in ten our of the previous 15 years due to massive financial losses. The newspaper noted at one point that 2014 marked four years in a row where Mr Trump paid nothing in federal income taxes. This means he paid zero in 2011, the same year Obama paid $162,074 in federal taxes. Mr Trumps losses include $70,000 in hairstyling costs for The Apprentice, the NYT reported. Desperate Matt Hancock hinted at concessions tonight as he faced the fury of Tory MPs over plunging the country into a new coronavirus lockdown. The Health Secretary was repeatedly assailed by MPs as he updated the Commons on the day that another raft of new rules and punishments came into force. He said restrictions will be imposed on households mixing will be placed on the North East at the request of local authorities. But senior MPs complained that the government was dodging Parliamentary scrutiny, and had not shown evidence that its curbs were 'effective' to tackle the disease. Speaker Lindsay Hoyle is set to save Mr Johnson's blushes by refusing to call a rebel Tory amendment on coronavirus curbs this week - despite the numbers in the mutiny growing. There are claims that up to 100 are ready to line up behind an amendment tabled by Conservative backbench chief Sir Graham Brady, which would force ministers to get approval in advance before bringing in more restrictions. However, in spite of the groundswell of support, Sir Lindsay is not expected to allow a vote on the change. The government has put down a motion to renew its sweeping powers under the Coronavirus Act 2020 - which will otherwise lapse. Rebels have taken the opportunity to add wording that would make further restrictions subject to a vote by MPs. But accepting the amendment would be out of line with standard Parliamentary procedure on this kind of motion, which is to obtain a 'clean' yes or no decision from the House. Boris Johnson (pictured on a visit to a school in Ruislip today) is struggling to quell growing fury from his own MPs over Covid restrictions and the lack of parliamentary scrutiny In spite of the groundswell of support, Speaker Lindsay Hoyle (pictured right last week) is not expected to allow a vote on the amendment What is the Tory amendment at the heart of the row? The Coronavirus Act 2020 required that government holds a vote every six months on whether to continue the sweeping powers it granted. As a result, ministers have tabled a motion for Wednesday, which merely states that the measures should 'not expire'. However, Tory rebels have taken the opportunity to table an amendment pressuring the government to stage a vote on introducing any new lockdown restrictions - something that is not currently required under the law. The amendment would give approval for maintaining the powers 'provided Ministers ensure as far as is reasonably practicable that in the exercise of their powers to tackle the pandemic under the Coronavirus Act 2020 and other primary legislation, including for example Part 2A of the Public Health (Control of Disease) Act 1984, Parliament has an opportunity to debate and to vote upon any secondary legislation with effect in the whole of England or the whole United Kingdom before it comes into effect'. But Speaker Lindsay Hoyle is highly unlikely to select the amendment. Normal Commons procedure is to exclude amendments for motions of this nature, so that Parliament can give a clear expression of its will on the subject in hand. Advertisement Sir Lindsay has been keen to avoid getting involved in the rows about rule-bending that blighted John Bercow's final days in the chair, as he was seen as taking sides with Remainers. One senior MP told MailOnline Sir Graham was marching his troops to the top of the hill, but faced having to march them down again. 'It is a bit of ''Grand Old Duke of York'',' they said. 'If you (allow the vote) you are going back to what the previous Speaker did, and you will end up with the courts deciding. 'If you don't believe in it you can vote against it - a straightforward vote.' So far around 50 MPs have signed the amendment laid down by Sir Graham, chairman of the Conservative backbench 1922 committee, demanding votes before any future curbs on British 'liberty' are brought in. But ringleaders claim the true figure could be closer to 100. Labour and the Liberal Democrats are set to back the amendment, saying it is wrong that new laws are being brought in under emergency powers passed at the start of the pandemic. That would potentially be enough to overturn the government's 80-strong majority - with signs that DUP MPs are also set to endorse the change. A final decision on whether to call the amendment will not be made before Wednesday. In the Commons this afternoon, Mr Hancock was challenged by a series of Conservatives over why measures were being rushed through. He refused to commit to staging a vote before any new curbs were brought in, but said: 'I strongly agree with the need for us in this house to have the appropriate level of scrutiny. 'We have already, as the PM set out last week, put in place further measures... 'We are looking at further ways to ensure the house can be properly involved in the process, in advance where possible, and I hope to provide the house with further details soon and I will take up the invitation to have a further meeting with (Sir Graham), with whom I have already met to discuss this issue, to see what further progress can be made.' Former Cabinet minister Chris Grayling said he understood Mr Hancock must take decisions quickly. 'But when it comes to new national measures, and many of us represent areas where the incidence of the virus remains very low, in the southern part of my constituency in that district there were no cases last week,' he said. 'Before we embark upon measures that affect everyone, as opposed to firefighting in individual areas, it is really important that this House has the chance to really scrutinise and hold to account and challenge we know he wants to do the right thing, we want to help him do the right thing.' Ex chief whip Mark Harped said: 'It's not just about scrutiny, it's about the laws we're making and the ones that for example came in at midnight tonight, with 12 pages of detailed laws, lots of detail and criminal offences and duties not mentioned when they were set out in a statement last week, including duties on employers, directors and officers with serious criminal penalties, that's why we need to scrutinise the detail of the legislation before it comes into force and give our assent to it, not I'm afraid just allow him to do so by decree.' Tory Steve Baker, one of the rebel organisers, said: 'Surely it was possible in eight days to have had the debate that he has called for?' Mr Hancock replied: 'The challenge is how to do that and also be able to move at pace and I'd be very happy to talk with him along with others on how to make this happen. 'I would say however, that in respect to the laws that came into place overnight they set out, I set them out in a statement, in fact the Prime Minister set out many of them in a statement last week and so we have been clear about the policy intent and the question is how we can make sure that we deal with appropriately in the future.' Conservative former minister John Redwood said: 'This time around will there be isolation hospitals so that we can control the infection in the hospital sector better and will there be good controls to prevent seepage of people with infection back to care homes?' Matt Hancock replied in the Commons: 'The answer to both those questions is yes, we've learnt a huge amount about those and put in place improved procedures.' The revolt comes amid rumours of a growing rift between Mr Johnson and his Chancellor, Rishi Sunak, over the economic impact of coronavirus restrictions. In more worrying signs for the PM today, former minister Simon Clarke - who stepped down earlier this month for personal reasons - has issued a joint statement with other Teeside MPs warning against a ban on households mixing. They wrote that no more restrictions should be imposed on the area, and pecifically took a swipe at a measure thought to be under serious consideration by the government. 'A ban on household mixing as winter approaches would in practice condemn thousands of local people to loneliness and isolation even with mitigating measures in place,' the statement said. Yesterday, employers' group the Confederation of British Industry called upon the Prime Minister to reopen the economy 'as quickly as we can'. It comes amid growing anger over Mr Johnson's continued use of emergency powers to get restrictive Covid-19 laws through the Commons. Mr Bercow warned him against sidelining Parliament by pushing through laws without a vote or debate. And Tory MP Steve Baker, who plans to rebel against Mr Johnson if the current Speaker chooses Sir Graham's amendment for a Commons vote, said Britons were no longer living like free people due to the restrictions. More than 50 MPs including ex-minister Steve Baker (right) have signed an amendment laid down by Sir Graham Brady (pictured), chairman of the Conservative backbench 1922 committee Bercow the Brexit blocker's many moves to thwart the PM John Bercow repeatedly attracted the fury of Brexiteers in 2019 as he sided with rebel backbenchers trying to thwart a swift Brexit. January 9: He allows a rebel amendment brought by Dominic Grieve forcing then prime minister Theresa May to come back to the Commons with a revised Brexit plan if her withdrawal agreement failed to pass. The original business motion was put 'forthwith', which was previously taken to mean that it should be dealt with without a debate or chance of amendment. The amendment passed by 11 votes and the WA was heavily defeated. March 18: The Speaker blocks a third meaningful vote on Theresa May's Brexit deal. In a dramatic intervention, he ruled that the EU withdrawal agreement could not be put to a vote again without substantial changes. He gave Downing Street no notice of his announcement, which came just 24 hours before the Prime Minister was expected to ask the Commons to decide on the issue for a third time following two crushing defeats. March 18: Mr Bercow advises Remainer MPs on how they might use Parliamentary procedure to alter the Brexit deal after it is voted down a second time. He suggests they can use Standing Order 24 to sidestep the Government and push through backbench legislation. Usually SO24 motions should be neutral but he allows binding votes to introduce things like the Benn Act, blocking a No deal Brexit. August 28: Mr Bercow led a chorus of outrage over Prime Minister Boris Johnson's plan to prorogue Parliament. The Commons Speaker said he was on holiday with his family and had not been consulted about the move, which he labelled a 'constitutional outrage'. Mr Bercow said the plan to shut down Parliament from around September 11 until the state opening on October 14 was an 'offence against the democratic process'. September 25: He gloats that Boris Johnson's prorogation of Parliament had been 'expunged' by a bombshell Supreme Court ruling as he reopened Parliament. Telling MPs 'welcome back to our place of work', he spelled out that the suspension triggered by the PM earlier this month had been made void - as legally it never happened. he had vented his fury at the prorogation happening in the first place. October 21: He blocks Boris Johnson's latest bid to trigger a vote on his Brexit deal. MPs denied the PM 'in principle' approval for his deal over the weekend, instead postponing the showdown and obliging him to ask the EU for an extension. Mr Bercow insisted the 'meaningful' vote would break the Commons convention against asking MPs the same question twice in quick succession. Advertisement 'We are in an environment where you really can't know whether you're a criminal or not with this much law coming into force and changing so fast, and that is why I've said this is not a fit environment for free people,' he said. 'How do people think that liberty dies? It dies like this with government exercising draconian powers, without parliamentary scrutiny in advance.' The ex-minister told Sky News's Sophy Ridge On Sunday: 'MPs should be sharing in the dreadful burden of decision in these circumstances and not just retrospectively being asked to approve what the Government has done.' He said there were 'plenty' of MPs who would back the amendment, and that he thought it would be selected by Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle. But Downing Street is equally adamant that the vote will not be called, leaving rebels with only the nuclear option of voting against the Government's Covid-19 legislation, something they do not think the rebels will do. Health Secretary Matt Hancock has written to MPs urging them not to vote for Sir Graham's amendment if it is called, however. He wrote: 'I believe that the case for keeping these provisions remains strong... they are absolutely necessary to enable governments across the UK to mount an effective response.' Labour said it is likely to back the amendment if called, shadow culture secretary Jo Stevens said. 'We have some sympathy with the amendment that Graham Brady has tabled but we want to see something that sets out what our amendment sets out, which is more transparency and publishing the data,' she told Sky News. Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey also signalled he would vote for it. Mr Bercow told BBC Radio 4's The World This Weekend: 'Parliament has been unavoidably constrained by Covid-19 but it should not now avoidably constrain or hamper itself. 'Debate, scrutiny and votes are the lifeblood of a pluralist system.' On Saturday, about 15,000 demonstrators turned up to an anti-lockdown protest in central London. Despite the backlash, a senior government source told The Times ramping up coronavirus restrictions had not been ruled out. 'The nation and the party wasn't ready for us to go any further last week,' they said. 'There wasn't a wide enough understanding of how substantial the second wave could be. 'Unlike the first lockdown, nobody has seen pictures of body bags in Spain or France on the TV yet, which had a very powerful effect. You have to take people with you. 'Tougher measures on social interaction will have to come though. They're inevitable in some parts if you look at the numbers.' The emergency measures could be imposed in Covid-19 hotspots including Merseyside and the northeast as early as this week. Liverpool recorded 146.3 coronavirus cases per 100,000 people last week, up from 95.8 the week before, while South Tyneside recorded 137.8 cases per 100,000 last week, up from 86. London could also be placed on a total social lockdown if infection rates continue to rise, with one government figure describing the capital's fate as 'in the balance', The Times reported. Downing Street hopes to avoid a national social lockdown, with infection rates remaining low in the country's southwest and southeast outside of London. Michael Gove is thought to have lined up with Health Secretary Matt Hancock and Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden stressing the need for tougher action. But other Cabinet ministers such as Mr Sunak, Mr Eustice and Home Secretary Priti Patel favour keeping the economy more open. It comes as new local lockdowns, further restrictions and tough new fines for failing to self-isolate come into force across parts of the UK today. People across England will be legally required to self-isolate from this week if they test positive for coronavirus or are contacted by the test and trace service. If they do not they risk being hit with new fines starting at 1,000 and increasing up to 10,000 for repeat offenders or serious breaches. Police will also be checking compliance in the highest incidence areas and in high-risk groups based on 'local intelligence'. THE GOAL: Understand how SARS-CoV-2 the virus that causes COVID-19 has spread in Canada by tracking COVID-19 antibodies found in leftover blood samples of pregnant women taken during routine prenatal screening. THE TEAM: Dr. Deborah Money, a professor of obstetrics and gynecology in the University of British Columbias Faculty of Medicine, is the principal investigator leading a team of colleagues from across Canada. The study is funded by the COVID-19 Immunity Task Force, established by the Canadian government in April. THE TIMELINE: After finalizing logistics with public health labs across the country, the team plans to test blood samples during a three-week window in the fall, with preliminary results available to the Public Health Agency of Canada by late 2020. As an obstetrician and gynecologist with an expertise in infectious diseases, Dr. Deborah Money was instantly on high alert in early January after reports indicated a novel coronavirus was circulating in Wuhan, China. Almost immediately, she and her Canadian colleagues drew on previous research connections to create a national network of physicians and scientists to study the impact of COVID-19 on pregnant women. We thought: Oh my goodness, a new virus. Whats the impact to mom and babe? said Money, a clinician scientist at UBCs Womens Health Research Institute. Months later, the network proposed to analyze blood samples of pregnant women to look for COVID-19 antibodies to understand how the virus is transmitted in the country. In September, Canadas COVID-19 Immunity Task Force provided $3.1 million to fund the study that will include samples from every province and territory. Money said the study will provide an important national picture of SARS-CoV-2 infections that can help focus public health efforts. When youre sitting in the middle of a pandemic, even as a researcher and as a physician, you want to be doing something that will make a difference, she said. How does this study work? The study will analyze 50,000 leftover blood samples taken from pregnant women during routine prenatal screening. Collected in the second trimester, the blood is used to screen for a range of diseases and conditions, including syphilis and HIV infection. Provincial and territorial public health laboratories analyze the tests and provide results to health-care providers. In most cases, samples are stored at the public health labs. Its these leftover samples that will be analyzed for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies, Money said, adding that the samples will be anonymized to protect privacy and women will not be notified their blood is used. When there is a public health imperative to understand a problem, public health agencies across the country give permission for the use of population-level samples to help answer population-level questions, she said. Public health has to feel the problem is serious enough and that samples will be safely handled, and the process is done well and securely The laboratory tests look for an antibody to SARS-CoV-2 a sign the body has responded to the virus. The researchers plan to test for one type of antibody in the first screen and, for those samples that are positive, will test for another type of antibody in a confirmatory screen. Why look at blood samples from pregnant women? In the past, researchers have used blood samples from pregnant women to determine the spread of other diseases in the community, including hepatitis C and HIV during the early days of the AIDS epidemic, Money said. Were looking for disease prevalence, she said. We do these studies when there is a concern that we dont have a handle on the extent of the problem. Though its just one sex, using antenatal serum provides a window into a group of active adults between about 18 to 45 years old that represent a broad diversity of Canada, Money said. Women of all stripes get pregnant. They are urban, rural, of different cultures and ethnicities and backgrounds. Its a group with unbiased diversity because the only defining feature is that they became pregnant. Why are antibody studies important to understand SARS-CoV-2? As scientists learn more about the virus, Money said its becoming clear asymptomatic people play a role in spreading the infection. We think people who are symptomatic and their contacts that are going for testing are potentially the tip of the iceberg of whats actually happening in the country, she said. Studies such as this can identify people who did not know they were infected with SARS-CoV-2. Canadas COVID-19 Immunity Task Force has several research groups looking for antibodies in various populations, including children, the elderly, health-care workers and Indigenous populations. This is one of the important puzzle pieces that, when we put them all together, will tell the story of the extent of this infection in our country. How will you use these blood samples to look back in time? The research team plans to test for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in archived blood samples from pregnant women stored in provincial and territorial public health labs. This will help them understand the prevalence of the virus earlier in the pandemic. While these details are still being worked out, Money said the team will likely look at blood samples taken during a three-week summer period when known cases seemed to wane in some parts of the country. The team will also look at blood samples taken during a time period encompassing December 2019 and early January 2020 to see if they can pinpoint when the virus arrived in Canada. The first known case in the country was identified at Torontos Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre on Jan. 25 in a Canadian man who had recently returned from travel to Wuhan. Money said the virus may have been circulating undetected in Canada before Jan. 25. Understanding when the virus entered and perhaps tracking its initial spread will be helpful in the long term as Canada develops strategies to prepare us for future outbreaks and pandemics. Weve got to learn from our experiences to be better at this the next time around. And there will be a next time. COVID: Front-line Thinkers is part of a regular series highlighting COVID-19 research in Canada. Scottish police have handed out fines after responding to 300 house parties over the weekend. (PA) Police in Scotland responded to more than 300 house parties at the weekend Chief constable insists most people are following the new COVID-19 rules Nicola Sturgeon says students are not to blame and may be able to see family at Christmas Visit the Yahoo homepage for more stories Scottish police responded to more than 300 house parties over the weekend as the countrys chief constable insisted his force will take decisive action to enforce the law. Police Scotland said house parties were being held in every community and age group, as first minister Nicola Sturgeon insisted students were not to blame for a rise in coronavirus cases. Officers handed out 101 fines and made 14 arrests, and three of the incidents required officers to force entry. Chief Constable Iain Livingstone said: There is no doubt that house parties or house gatherings are not permitted and there can be no excuse for arranging, attending, or hosting a house party. Watch: What support is the government providing for jobs? It is against the law. Where officers encounter blatant, wilful, or persistent breaches, we will take decisive action to enforce the law. Scotland, like other parts of the UK, has tightened up on its coronavirus rules, with a ban on most socialising in private homes and a 10pm closing time for pubs and restaurants. Police Scotland said the vast majority of people had followed the rules. I am grateful for the support and co-operation of the public and the licensed trade which continued over the weekend, Livingstone said. Chief Constable Iain Livingstone said police will enforce coronavirus restrictions. (Ken Jack/Getty Images) I also want to again underline my admiration and compassion for young people and students who have responded so well to the pandemic at this crucial time of their lives. Sturgeon has thanked students at university, saying most had followed the rules and advice to stay away from pubs, cafes and restaurants. Read more: Scots students can return home on long-term basis At least 32 universities in the UK have confirmed cases of COVID-19, with more than 640 identified in students and staff by 25 September, Sky News reported. Story continues Manchester Metropolitan University asked well over 1,000 students to self-isolate after 127 cases were confirmed. Cases have also risen at Glasgow and Edinburgh Napier. Sturgeon said: Sticking to guidelines like that isnt easy especially in the early days of a university term but it will make a difference. Nicola Sturgeon during First Minister's Questions at the Scottish Parliament, Edinburgh. The incubation period for this virus means I am absolutely sure that we will continue to see increased numbers of infections amongst students for several days to come and there will always be a need for vigilance. But the responsibility that has been shown over the past few days will help our efforts to stem this spread and I want to say thank you for that. She also told students that a ban on visiting homes may not be in place for Christmas as students worry over whether they will see their families during the festive period. We review the rules every three weeks and thats why we cannot provide specific guidance for Christmas right now, because that will of course depend on the course of the pandemic, but I want to be very clear that it is absolutely our priority to make sure students can go home for Christmas, as I know everybody will want to do, Sturgeon said. Coronavirus: what happened today Click here to sign up to the latest news and information with our daily Catch-up newsletter A judge of the has directed that the link of hearings conducted through video conferencing will not be provided to the public, including mediapersons, and it will be given only to advocates and investigating officers. Justice Suresh Kumar Kait also made it clear that no advocate shall share the link with anyone else except the senior advocates or the lawyers appearing on their behalf. "I hereby direct the registry/ court master to not provide the link of video conferencing to any other person or correspondent and the same shall be provided only to advocates concerned, IO (investigating officer) concerned, parties in person in case the petition is filed for quashing and to the persons specifically directed by this court to join the proceedings," the judge said in a recent order. Justice Kait passed the directions in a criminal case after "certain unidentified persons" joined the proceedings through video conferencing and could be heard talking continuously. "A very unpleasant situation came before this court during the hearing of the present case, certain unidentified persons joined the proceedings through VC and could be heard talking continuously, thereby, creating hindrance in hearing the submissions of counsels and proper justice dispensation," the order said. On June 20, the high court had allowed public viewing of hearings conducted through video conferencing due to the COVID-19 pandemic and that links would be offered to attend the proceedings. The high court has restricted physical court functioning since March 25 due to the pandemic. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) President Trump confronts questions about his tax bill during a White House news conference Sunday. (Carolyn Kaster / Associated Press) The headline nugget in the expose of Donald Trump's taxes published Sunday by the New York Times is that Trump paid $750 in federal income tax in 2016 and 2017. In many other years, he paid nothing, the Times reported. But let's put those $750 payments in context, so we can have a sense of the scale of his reported ripoff of all other American taxpayers. First, a reminder: Trump has bragged about not paying taxes. When Hillary Clinton accused him during a 2016 Presidential debate of stiffing the government on his tax obligations, he responded, "That makes me smart." He also accused Barack Obama of avoiding his civic obligations by paying taxes amounting to "only" 20.5% of his $790,000 salary in 2012vastly more than Trump has reportedly paid. Now let's take a look at Trump's tax record. $750 was about what the average American household owed in federal income taxes per month. In 2017, median income for American households was $63,761, according to the Census Bureau. (The median is the level at which half of all households earned less and half earned more.) The federal income tax bite for families with that much taxable incomethat is, after the standard deduction and personal exemptionswas about $8,600 for couples filing jointly, and $11,670 for singles. As a group, the Trumps, the Zuckerbergs, and the Buffetts of this world pay lower tax rates than teachers and secretaries. Emmanuel Saez and Gabriel Zucman, UC Berkeley That works out to $716 for couples and $972.50 for singles per month. In other words, you probably owed more federal income tax for a month than Trump paid for the entire year in 2016 and 2017. People who earned only $60,000 paid more in Social Security and Medicare taxes per month than Trump paid in income tax per year. Payroll taxes, which fund Social Security and Medicare, are the largest bite taken out of most income earners' paychecks. They come to 15.3% of earned income; that's split 50-50 between employees and employers, though economists tend to consider both halves to be tantamount to a burden on the employees. Story continues For an employee earning $60,000 less than the household median that comes to $9,180 a year. Again, about as much in a month as Trump paid in income tax for the year. The New York Times is vague about how much Trump paid in payroll taxes, in part because Trump's tax advisor, who was quoted in the story, was vague on the topic. But it's proper to observe that the payroll tax is the most regressive federal tax. It's largely capped every year, absolving the wealthiest Americans of paying it on most of their income. This year, the cap on the Social Security portion of 12.4% is $137,700; the Medicare component of 3.9% isn't capped, and those earning more than $200,000 will pay an additional 0.9% for Medicare. But those taxes are levied only on wages earnings from capital gains or dividends aren't taxed at all. It isn't clear from the Times report how much of Trump's income came in the form of wages, other than the $400,000 statutory salary he was due as president in 2017. But as a wealthy individual, he undoubtedly avoided payroll tax on most of his income. Trump paid less than the owed sums keeping thousands of Floridians from voting. In 2018, Florida voters overwhelmingly passed a constitutional amendment restoring the voting rights of most former felons who had served out their sentences, including probation and parole. @BarackObama who wants to raise all our taxes, only pays 20.5% on $790k salary. http://t.co/bqF26mQf Do as I say not as I do. Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 13, 2012 The state Legislature, however, passed a law interpreting the convicted person's obligations as including financial obligations, such as court fees, fines and restitution orders. That interpretation has been upheld by a federal appeals court, which overturned a lower court judge's ruling that the law amounted to an unconstitutional poll tax. The amounts keeping many ex-felons from voting can be as small as a few dollars. As many as 85,000 Floridians with possible court-ordered financial obligations have registered to vote and may be prevented from casting a ballot in the November election, according to a public advocacy coalition. Plaintiffs in the lawsuit heard by the federal courts have financial obligations running into the thousands of dollars and, in a couple of cases, millions. All the plaintiffs say they are unable to pay the amounts, and some say the state hasn't been able to give them an exact accounting, or even any accounting, of what they owe. Trump, as it happens, is a legal resident of the state of Florida. Judging from the Times report, he may owe substantial sums to that state if his claims of federal tax exemptions are rejected. But nothing in state or federal law keeps him from voting. Trump paid less in many years than he charges for a single night at his Washington hotel. Want to stay at Trump's signature Trump International Hotel in Washington, D.C.? It will cost you more than Trump reportedly paid in taxes in 2016 and 2017. Suites at the hotel start at $1,016 a night and run as high as $8,476. (The two-level "Ivanka Study," named after Trump's daughter who the Times says has been pocketing a hefty consultant fees that Trump has deducted from his income for tax purposes costs $1,276 a night.) All rates are exclusive of taxes and fees. It costs less to stay in one of the hotel's guest rooms. They range from $476 to $636 a night. The Trump International has been the target of government watchdogs since Trump's inauguration. They contend that his pocketing income from the hotel violates the constitutional ban on high federal officials receiving financial "emoluments" from foreign countries. The governments of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Malaysia, among others, have spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to stay at the hotel during official visits. A lawsuit challenging this practice is still in federal court. It's not normal for wealthy Americans to pay no taxes at all. The image of the ultra-rich American paying zero taxes may be baked into national mythology, but almost all American plutocrats pay something. That's the finding of Emmanuel Saez and Gabriel Zucman of UC Berkeley, whose latest analysis of the U.S. tax system was published Saturday, just a day ahead of the Times' investigation. The tax bite on the wealthy has come sharply down over the decades, but even most of the very rich pay something. (Saez and Zucman) "By any metric, the period from 1980 to 2020 has been an era of extraordinary wealth accumulation among the rich in the United States," Saez and Zucman write. Saez and Zucman point out that the tax bite on the richest Americans has been steadily coming down; it's now the lowest it has been at least since 1950, even as the wealthy claim an ever-larger share of national income. The federal income tax system is still broadly progressive, meaning that the tax burden generally rises with income, but is regressive at the very top the 400 richest taxpayers paid a lower percentage of their income than the top 0.1%. The authors calculate that the lowest-income 50% of Americans, with average incomes of $18,500 a year, pay an average of 25% of that income in taxes, or $4,625. The rate increased slightly for the next 40%, reaching 28% for the top 90% to 99%, then fell to an average of 23% for the richest 400. "As a group," Saez and Zucman wrote in their 2019 book, "The Triumph of Injustice," "the Trumps, the Zuckerbergs, and the Buffetts of this world pay lower tax rates than teachers and secretaries." Evidently, the Berkeley economists underestimated Trump's tax avoidance ability. On the other hand, Trump paid more in taxes than Mexico has paid for his wall or China has paid in U.S. tariffs. Among Trump's electoral mantras has been that Mexico would be paying for his anti-immigrant wall along America's southern border, and that China has been paying American tariffs on China's exported goods. Neither assertion is correct. Mexico has never paid a cent for the wall, which has been financed by redirecting U.S. budget appropriations toward its construction. Economists are unanimous that tariffs are a burden on consumers in the tariff-charging country, in this case U.S. consumers, because they're paid initially by importers, not exporters. So Trump, to be fair, has paid more in taxes than either country has paid for his fancies. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. A territorial dispute between Armenia and Azerbaijan has re-erupted with the heaviest clashes in years, with both sides accusing each other of using heavy artillery amid reports of military personnel and civilian deaths. Heavy fighting broke out on Sunday morning in the disputed separatist region of Nagorno-Karabakh that lies within Azerbaijan but is controlled by ethnic Armenian forces backed by Armenia. It was not immediately clear what sparked the fighting between the two former Soviet republics, which marks the latest periodic clash in a decades-long conflict over the region and comes two months after fighting in July killed 16 people from both sides. The renewal of conflict has meanwhile reignited concern over stability in the South Caucasus region, a corridor for pipelines carrying oil and gas to world markets. So, here's what you need to know: The renewal of conflict has reignited concern over stability in the South Caucasus region / Azerbaijani Defence Ministry/AFP Why is Nagorno-Karabakh a disputed region? Nagorno-Karabakh is a mostly mountainous region of some 4,400 square kilometres (1,700 square miles) and lies 50 kilometres (30 miles) from the Armenian border. In 1988, as the Soviet Union was disintegrating, Azerbaijani troops and Armenian secessionists began a war during which thousands of people were killed and eventually left the de facto independent state in the hands of ethnic Armenians when a truce was signed in 1994. The region is recognised as part of Azerbaijan under international law, but the ethnic Armenians who make up the vast majority of the population reject Azerbaijani rule. Long-running negotiations have so far failed to produce a permanent peace agreement for resolving the territorys status. What happened on Sunday? It was not immediately clear what prompted the clashes on Sunday, but military personnel and civilians were reported to have been killed during the fighting. Armenia's defence ministry said an attack on civilian settlements in Nagorno-Karabakh, including the regional capital Stepanakert, began on Sunday morning. The separatist authorities in the region said 18 people were killed - 16 of their troops, a woman and a child - and 100 others were wounded after Azerbaijan launched an air and artillery attack. On Monday, the region's separatist authorities reported that 15 more of its soldiers had been killed. Azerbaijan, for its part, said six Azeri civilians had been killed and 19 injured since the fighting began. Azerbaijans defence ministry said Armenian forces were shelling the town of Terter. Armenia also claimed that two Azerbaijani helicopters were shot down and three Azerbaijani tanks were hit by artillery, but Azerbaijan's defence ministry only confirmed the loss of one helicopter, saying the crew had survived, and denied the other losses reported by Armenia. In response to the fighting, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev ordered martial law be imposed in some regions of the country and called for a curfew in major cities. Martial law, an emergency measure under which the military takes over the authority and functions of civilian government, has also been declared in Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh. How has the world reacted? The clashes have spurred a flurry of diplomacy to defuse the reignited tensions between majority Christian Armenia and mainly Muslim Azerbaijan. Russia, traditionally seen as an ally of Armenia, called for an immediate ceasefire and another regional power, Turkey, said it would support Azerbaijan, its traditional ally. China meanwhile urged both sides to show restraint, while France, which has a large Armenian community, called for an immediate ceasefire and dialogue and US President Donald Trump said the White House was seeking to stop the violence. Iran, which borders both Azerbaijan and Armenia, offered to broker peace talks, while UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he was "extremely concerned" by the clashes and called for both sides to stop fighting. Speaking at the Vatican on Sunday, Pope Francis said that he was praying for peace between the two countries, urging them to them to accomplish concrete deeds of goodwill and fraternity to reach a peaceful solution through dialogue. Actor Adrian Dunbar who plays Superintendent Ted Hastings is seen during Line of Duty filming off Beechmount Avenue in West Belfast. Photo by Peter Morrison Line of Duty filming off Beechmount Avenue in West Belfast. Photo by Peter Morrison Actors Vicky McClure and Martin Compston during Line of Duty filming off Beechmount Avenue in West Belfast. Photo by Peter Morrison Vicky McClure who plays Detective Inspector Kate Fleming is seen during Line of Duty filming off Beechmount Avenue in West Belfast. Photo by Peter Morrison Line of Duty filming off Beechmount Avenue in West Belfast. Photo by Peter Morrison Line of Duty filming off Beechmount Avenue in West Belfast. Photo by Peter Morrison A video appearing to show two masked gunmen stalking the streets of west Belfast turned out to be a scene for the sixth season of Line of Duty. The footage, which was uploaded on Twitter on Monday, showed two men wearing balaclavas sitting in a black Land Rover in the Beechmount area of the city. Expand Close Vicky McClure who plays Detective Inspector Kate Fleming is seen during Line of Duty filming off Beechmount Avenue in West Belfast. Photo by Peter Morrison / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Vicky McClure who plays Detective Inspector Kate Fleming is seen during Line of Duty filming off Beechmount Avenue in West Belfast. Photo by Peter Morrison The man in the passenger seat was holding a handgun in the nine-second video. Police confirmed that the men were actually actors as filming for the new season of Line of Duty is currently underway. Expand Close Actors Vicky McClure and Martin Compston during Line of Duty filming off Beechmount Avenue in West Belfast. Photo by Peter Morrison / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Actors Vicky McClure and Martin Compston during Line of Duty filming off Beechmount Avenue in West Belfast. Photo by Peter Morrison The police drama follows the investigations of AC-12, a controversial police anti-corruption unit, and stars Enniskillen-born Adrian Dunbar, Martin Compston and Vicky McClure. Series one was filmed in Birmingham but subsequent seasons have all been filmed in Northern Ireland. Expand Close Line of Duty filming off Beechmount Avenue in West Belfast. Photo by Peter Morrison / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Line of Duty filming off Beechmount Avenue in West Belfast. Photo by Peter Morrison Filming for the latest series began in February but was postponed a month later due to the coronavirus pandemic. Last month, filming resumed in Belfast, next to the old Belfast Telegraph building and Central Library, which is used as police headquarters in the show. Expand Close Actor Adrian Dunbar who plays Superintendent Ted Hastings is seen during Line of Duty filming off Beechmount Avenue in West Belfast. Photo by Peter Morrison / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Actor Adrian Dunbar who plays Superintendent Ted Hastings is seen during Line of Duty filming off Beechmount Avenue in West Belfast. Photo by Peter Morrison The production team have employed independent health and safety consultants and work in accordance with all current Covid-19 government guidelines to ensure that the new series is produced in a safe and responsible manner. Season six of Line of Duty is set to air on BBC One in 2021. In early July, Spanish Prime Pedro Sanchez claimed: We have defeated the virus, controlled the pandemic and flattened the curve. But just a little over two-and-a-half months later, Health Minister Salvador Illa warned: Madrid is facing tough weeks ahead. The so-called new normality, which Spain entered after the end of the state of alarm on June 21, has lasted less than three months. The coronavirus restrictions that were lifted on that date have slowly come back in different regions across the country. On August 18, all nightclubs in Spain were ordered to close and restrictions were introduced on smoking in public spaces. Since then, new measures have been gradually introduced in more areas, with home confinement once again considered a real possibility, if it has not already been implemented. This is a story of failure. Spain only managed to stop having the worst coronavirus incidence in Europe between the last weeks of spring and the first of summer. Today, once again, it has the highest transmission rates on the continent, with figures far higher than any of its neighbors. So what happened during this time? We should have had a more solid plan to lift the confinement measures Health expert Rafael Bengoa To answer this question, one has to go back to the state of alarm and the deescalation plan. Several experts agree that Spain had a model strategy. Under the national plan, restrictions would be lifted in an asymmetrical way as regions reduced their Covid-19 incidence rates and showed they had the capacity to effectively control the pandemic if a new wave should hit. But there were two big problems with the plan: the Health Ministry did not specify what the incidence rate should be, nor what specific healthcare guarantees needed to be in place. In other words, there were no clear parameters to follow. Whats more, many regions moved to a new phase of the deescalation plan when they shouldnt have. The Madrid region, for instance, entered Phase 2 promising to strengthen its epidemiological monitoring capacity a promise that it never fulfilled. Madrid then jumped directly into the new normality, with the state of alarm ending before all regions had passed through every stage of the deescalation plan. Miguel Hernan, a professor of epidemiology at Harvard University and one of the experts who worked to set the criteria for the phase changes, explains: The new normality was something else. What we have seen is simply a rushed deescalation without the homework being done. In his opinion, Spain needed to have met four conditions before easing restrictions under the new normality. First, regional authorities should have proven their ability to create and strengthen both primary healthcare and diagnosis of coronavirus cases, as well as contact tracing and quarantine measures. Secondly, the Spanish government needed to have defined transparent and common epidemiological indicators to facilitate joint action. Thirdly, multidisciplinary experts, including specialists in epidemiology and the economy, should have designed concrete measures for the deescalation plan in order to combine sustainable economic activity with the available science on the coronavirus. And lastly, there needed to be an ongoing decision-making process to either lift or introduce new restrictions based on an analysis of the epidemiological data from the previous three weeks. Health workers perform PCR tests in Girona province. DAVID BORRAT (efe) Miquel Porta, a professor in epidemiology, preventive medicine and public health, believes the failure of the new normality dates back to even before the pandemic began. It wasnt the lack of criteria for the deescalation that failed, but rather the application of these criteria, he says, blaming this problem on the inability of the state. It is not even a problem of politicians, but rather of the machinery of the state, he explains. Porta points out that Spain still does not have a Public Health Agency, which he and his colleagues have been requesting for years. Our [public health and epidemiological services] work as if we were still in the 19th century, he says. Its like doing accounting with an abacus. The closest thing Spain has to a Public Health Agency is the Coordination Center for Health Alerts and Emergencies (CCAES), a Health Ministry department with fewer than a dozen workers who were quickly overwhelmed by the crisis. More worrying yet, Spain still does not even have a system that is able to collect data in a timely and orderly fashion. At least not completely. Lack of contact tracers Spain also does not have enough contact tracers or primary healthcare capacity: these vital measures for containing the second wave of the pandemic are far below the European average. This, combined with some citizens relaxed attitude towards safety measures, the fact that some companies did not do enough to protect their workers; the stubborn refusal to close down nighttime venues; and, according to experts, a certain element of randomness, have led to a surge in coronavirus cases and the introduction of new restrictions and lockdowns. The CCAES published a plan that was negotiated with regional authorities, aimed at addressing outbreaks quickly before they led to community transmission of the virus. But the document, titled An early response plan to control the Covid-19 pandemic, approved on July 16, when hundreds of seasonal workers had already contracted the disease in the Aragon region, appears to have had little success. The plan outlined what measures should be taken in three different scenarios. But once again it did not set any numerical criteria. It did not establish a threshold for closing nighttime venues, restricting social activities or confining neighborhoods. A primary healthcare center in Madrid. Olmo Calvo Two months later, the central government and Madrid authorities are battling over whether mobility should be restricted in areas where the 14-day cumulative incidence rate of Covid-19 is more than 500 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, or only in those where it is 1,000. The Madrid government has opted for the latter criteria, while Harvard University puts the limit at 350 cases. Rafael Bengoa, one of the most respected health experts in Spain, argues that the country has been excessively biased toward returning to normal life. This is reasonable of citizens because after being confined for nearly four months, its normal to want to return to normality. But all the governments know this bias is dangerous in any situation. We should have had a more solid plan to lift the confinement measures. All the regions appeared prepared, but now some of them arent. And if you add to this the very irregular behavior of citizens, you have a perfect storm, he explains. Overconfidence Calling it the new normality was probably a mistake, because it made us too confident, says Saul Ares, a scientist at the National Biotechnology Center. While the virus is with us we should be clear about three things: primary healthcare must be strengthened as much as possible at all times; tracers, with cases or without them, should be as many as recommended. And third, even if the incidence rate is low, the population must live with certain social-distancing rules until it passes, avoiding indoor meetings or always wearing a face mask when they happen, as well as following hygiene rules. Daniel Lopez Acuna, the former director of emergencies at the World Health Organization (WHO), agrees: For many people the new normality was the return to normality, and that has been a fundamental mistake: not accepting that we were returning to a point on a curve that had been somewhat flattened but where the virus had not yet disappeared, he says. Between now and the arrival of a coronavirus vaccine, it is possible that we will have to drop the ephemeral idea of a new normality. The battle against the virus will last for months more, and there may even be a third wave. To overcome the second wave and prepare for what else may happen, self-evaluation is needed. Bengoa and 19 of his colleagues signed a letter in the medical journal The Lancet calling for an independent review of the governments response to the crisis aimed at identifying what went wrong and proposing measures so the problems dont happen again in the event of another pandemic. I would not be seeking a new normality, says Bengoa. Returning to the political and social normality, to the inequality, is not what should be done. Together with another group of experts, he is working with the WHO on a document that sets out the long-term conditions to create a more organized and fairer health system that is more respectful of the environment. In other words, the goal is to learn from our mistakes, something that has not always happened in this pandemic. English version by Melissa Kitson. A day after his 'secret' meeting with former chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut on Sunday said he met the BJP leader to discuss certain issues. Raut added that there could be ideological differences between Shiv Sena and BJP but the leaders of the two parties are not enemies of each other. On Saturday, Raut met Fadnavis for around two hours at a luxury hotel in Mumbai. The meeting grabbed headlines as it was the first time that senior leaders from Shiv Sena and the BJP met each other after the snapping of ties between the two allies in 2019. I met Devendra Fadnavis yesterday to discuss certain issues. He is a former CM and Leader of Opposition in Maharashtra and Bihar polls in charge for BJP. There can be ideological differences but we are not enemies. There are no personal disputes to settle. Meetings do keep taking place between the ruling and Opposition sides. When we were in power with the BJP, I used to meet Pawar saheb, Raut said. Live TV Fadnavis said that it is wrong to attribute political meaning to the meeting and added that the BJP is not planning to join hands with the Shiv Sena to return to power in Maharashtra. Dont attribute anything political to this meeting. We are not in hurry to return to power. The BJP has established itself as an aggressive Opposition party, taking up peoples cause very effectively, he told mediapersons. Fadnavis asserted that Maha Vikas Aghadi government of Sena-Congress-NCP combine would fall on its own and the BJP need not do anything to remove them from power. We (the BJP) are in no hurry. The MVA will fall due to its own contradictions. Well see what is to be done when that happens. There is no reason for any discussion of forming an (alternative) government with Sena in BJP, he said. The BJP leader noted that he went to meet Raut to discuss an interview for Sena mouthpiece Saamana of which the Shiv Sena MP is the executive editor. Raut wanted to interview me. The meeting was to discuss the interview. I put the condition that the entire interview should be unedited. And when he interviews, we will also have our camera to record the interview. Therefore, we decided to meet and discuss how the interview should proceed, Fadnavis said. Calls are growing for Daniel Andrews to resign after an inquiry heard the state's hotel quarantine disaster caused 768 deaths and more than 18,000 coronavirus infections. Victorian Opposition leader Michael O'Brien said the quarantine operation was 'the worst failure of public administration in Victorian history'. He added: 'If accountability for the deaths and damage is to mean anything, all those responsible must go - starting with Andrews.' Calls are growing for Daniel Andrews (pictured) to resign after an inquiry heard the state's hotel quarantine disaster caused 768 deaths Victorian Opposition leader Michael O'Brien said the quarantine operation (pictured are travellers arriving) was 'the worst failure of public administration in Victorian history' On Monday afternoon the final day of Victoria's hotel quarantine inquiry heard the program's failure was responsible for the deaths of all 768 residents who have died in the state's second wave. Counsel assisting Ben Ihle said: 'The failure by the hotel quarantine program to contain this virus is at today's date responsible for the deaths of 768 people and the infection of some 18,490 others. 'One only needs to pause and to reflect on those figures to appreciate the full scope of devastation and despair'. 'This was a program which failed to meet its primary objective.' Mr Ihle said protective gear was not used properly, staff were poorly trained and there was a lack of social distancing at the quarantine hotels. He said the system was set up quickly and the government failed to monitor it. 'What was established was necessarily untested and prudence dictated that the program should have been accompanied by intensive ongoing monitoring and auditing,' he said. 'The Victorian government failed to adequately ensure that this was done.' Former Health Minister Jenny Mikakos resigned on Saturday after Mr Andrews said she was 'accountable' for the quarantine program. On Sunday Mr Andrews said he would not resign, telling reporters: 'I don't run from problems and challenges'. The final day of Victoria's hotel quarantine inquiry heard the program's failure was responsible for the deaths of all 768 residents who died in the state's second wave. Pictured: Security guards at a quarantine hotel Melbourne's second wave of coronavirus was sparked in late May when the disease escaped from a quarantine hotel and rapidly spread around the city. 'The scientific evidence now strongly suggests, and we submit that the board can comfortably find, that 90 per cent of positive cases in Victoria since [26 May] are attributable to that initial outbreak at the Rydges in late May,' Mr Ihle said. The Victorian government has been criticised for using private security guards to man the hotels instead of the police and ADF troops like in New South Wales and Queensland. The inquiry heard the fateful decision to use guards was likely made at a meeting at the state control centre on the afternoon March 27. But the decision wasn't made by one person or government department. Rather, counsel assisting the inquiry Rachel Ellyard said it was a 'creeping assumption that became a reality'. 'While no one person made a decision, by the end of that state control centre meeting, it was understood by all present that that was what was going to happen,' Ms Ellyard said in her closing submission on Monday. Opposition leader Michael O'Brien In that meeting, Victoria Police Assistant Commissioner Mick Grainger said it was the force's 'preference' that private security be used. Emergency Management Commissioner Andrew Crisp stepped out of the meeting to take a call from Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton. Mr Crisp then texted Mr Grainger: 'I stepped out to speak to Graham and I let him know you're in this meeting... He made it clear... that private security is the first security option at hotels and not police'. Ms Ellyard said Victoria Police's preference was a 'substantial contributing factor to that creeping consensus'. 'The expression of a preference can readily be understood to have given the clear impression that police weren't going to do it and there needed to be an alternative,' she said. Ms Ellyard said once the decision had been made, no one in the meeting gave 'any specific consideration' to the suitability of private security for the role. Contracts written up by the Department of Jobs, Precincts and Regions left infection control and training in personal protective equipment use to the security companies. Hotels, meanwhile, were responsible for cleaning, unless a returned traveller tested positive to Covid-19. 'Responsibility for managing the risk of infection and providing for the safety of those involved in the program should have remained with the state. No contract should have purported to outsource those matters,' Ms Ellyard said. Counsel assisting Tony Neal QC said there was no suggestion those who set up the program worked other than with 'the best of intentions and to the best of their ability'. 'Bad faith or corruption is not what the evidence shows,' he said. 'Yet it is true that the hastily assembled program failed at two locations within approximately two and a half months and with disastrous consequences. 'A multitude of decisions, actions and inaction, many of which compounded the effect of the other, ultimately expressed itself in the outbreaks which subverted the very reason for the existence of a hotel quarantine program. Editor: I am compelled to write this letter in fairness to all the people of our nation. We have just lost a Supreme Court Justice who was beloved by many Americans. She fought for justice for all womens rights, Black lives, immigrants and too many more to mention here. In the wake of Ruth Bader Ginsburgs death, the president is making a full-out grab for her judicial seat while the rest of the USA is still reeling from the loss. In 2016, when President Obama wanted to submit a name for election to the Supreme Court, Republicans and Mitch McConnell said it was so close to a general election and the electorate needed to have a say in how that seat was filled it was a nine-month lead time! Yet, we are six weeks pre-election, and he is now happy to rush this Republican selection through. This hypocrisy further divides our nation. Respect and unity? No, sir! Call, fax, email or write via mail to your senators to express your dismay at this lack of respect for an honored Americans wishes and the rights of the opposition party. There is plenty of time to find someone to sit in her seat, even though they most likely will not fill it in the way Ruth Bader Ginsburg did! Christine Spigarelli Rio Rancho Donald Trump last night retweeted that 'maybe the Clintons won't get away with it after all' after federal prosecutor John Durham's probe into the FBI's Russia investigation expanded to look into alleged corruption at the Clinton Foundation. Durham, put in charge of the Russia-gate review by Attorney General William Barr, has sought evidence about federal investigations from around the same time which were looking into the Clinton Foundation, sources told The New York Times. Durham's team has revealed that they are comparing the two investigations, as well as looking at whether the Russia inquiry investigators broke the law. It was not clear whether Durham's officials were looking into similar allegations at the Clinton Foundation or to what extent it would feature in the conclusions of his inquiry. Trump last night retweeted conservative commentator David J Harris Jr, who shared a link to an article about the latest developments, writing 'Maybe the Clintons won't get away it after all.' John Durham's (left) inquiry is now also looking into the Clinton Foundation (Hillary and Bill, right) probe - which was contemporaneous but separate to the Russia probe which was previously thought to be his subject matter Durham's approach is 'highly unusual,' sources told the Times, and the inclusion of the Clinton investigation suggests that his scope is much broader than previously thought. The Russia probe - into foreign election interference - and the Clinton Foundation inquiry - into alleged bribery and corruption - differ substantively and have involved largely different investigators and prosecutors. It comes amid fears by Trump's opponents that Durham's work is being weaponized politically. Democrats last week called on the Justice Department's inspector general to look at whether Durham's inquiry was impartial after one of his top lieutenants resigned, reportedly over concerns that their findings would be dropped before election day. The Clinton Foundation probe started five years ago under the Obama administration and has not resulted in criminal charges to date. In a statement the foundation said: 'The Clinton Foundation has regularly been subjected to baseless, politically motivated allegations, and time after time these allegations have been proven false.' Republicans have claimed that the FBI's top brass and the DoJ under Barack Obama gave preferential treatment to the Clintons. They accuse the organizations of taking an overtly political stance against Trump while showing reluctance to investigate allegations about the Clinton Foundation and Hillary Clinton - particularly her use of a private email server as Secretary of State. 'There was a clear double standard by the Department of Justice and FBI when it came to the Trump and Clinton campaigns in 2016,' Senate Judiciary Chairman Lindsay Graham said in August. Durham's investigation has produced one criminal case so far against an FBI lawyer for attempting to secure a wiretap to eavesdrop on a former Trump adviser. US President Donald J. Trump holds a news briefing in the Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House in Washington, DC on Sunday, September 27, 2020 Former FBI attorney Kevin Clinesmith pleaded guilty in August to falsifying a document to justify surveillance of Trump campaign adviser Carter Page as part of the Russia probe. It was not clear at the time whether Clinesmith had flipped and was assisting Durham's investigation. Sen. Graham last week teased the newly reported scope of Durham's investigation, telling Sean Hannity on Fox News to 'stay tuned.' 'You think you are mad about the phones being wiped?' Graham said. 'We'll talk in about 10 or 12 days and we'll see if there is something else you can get mad about.' Days after a telephonic conversation between Japans Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga and Chinas President Xi Jinping, a Japanese academician claimed that Tokyo had rejected an olive branch offered by Beijing to pacify tensions in the disputed waters of East China Sea. Liu Qingbin, an associate professor at Yokohama National University in Japan, told South China Morning Post that Beijing had almost completely stopped its maritime activities in the disputed waters ahead of Xis scheduled visit in April. Former Japans PM Shinzo Abe had visited Beijing in October 2018 and the Chinese President was supposed to visit Japan in April 2020 but the coronavirus pandemic forced them to postpone the trip. Ahead of the much-awaited visit, China reduced its activities in the Diaoyu Islands, which is called as Senkaku Islands by the Japanese side, expecting reciprocal action. According to Liu, the overtures were met with hostility as the right-wing forces of Japan hired fishing boats and entered the disputed waters, resulting in further skirmishes. Read: Indian Navy And Japan Maritime Self Defense Force To Begin Naval Exercise JIMEX Read: US, Japan Security Officials Reaffirm Alliance To Maintain Peace In Indo-Pacific Region No information on visit On September 25, Suga told a press conference that he stressed the importance of a stable Sino-Japan relationship during the call with the Chinese President. He said that both leaders agreed to closely communicate with each other on bilateral, regional or global issues, adding that there was no talk on the Xis visit to Japan. The stalled visit remains a matter of concern as planning for other high-level visits to Japan is already underway despite the pandemic. For your information, there was no exchange on the visit of President Xi to Japan," said Suga. Japan, India, Australia and the United States are reportedly planning to hold a meeting of their foreign ministers in Tokyo in early October. It will be the first cabinet-level meeting in Japan since March after the coronavirus outbreak. Japans public broadcaster NHK said on September 19 that Suga is preparing to meet top US diplomat Mike Pompeo on the sidelines of QUAD security dialogue, indicating Japans desire to further strengthen ties with the US amid calls for free Indo-Pacific. Read: Japan Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga 'determined' To Host Tokyo Olympics In 2021 Read: PM Modi Holds Talks With Japan's Suga, Discusses Plans To Further Strengthen Ties (With ANI inputs | Image: AP) By Trend An act of protest condemning the provocations of the Armenian armed forces against Azerbaijan was held in Turkey's Istanbul at night on September 27, Trend reports citing Anadolu. Hundreds of residents of the Turkish metropolis and citizens of Azerbaijan gathered in the Kadikoy district with the flags of the two fraternal countries. The national anthems of Turkey and Azerbaijan were played. The protesters condemned the continuing occupation of the Azerbaijani lands by Armenia. The protest action ended without incident. -- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz Julian Assange 'faces a fate worse than death' in a lifetime of isolation at the 'Supermax' prison currently home to America's most violent terrorists and drug lords if he is extradited, a court has heard. The Wikileaks founder, 49, could live out his years alone at maximum security ADX Colorado jail where he would spend 23 hours in a cell if he is convicted of espionage offences in the US. Assange is wanted in the US for allegedly conspiring with army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning to expose military secrets between January and May 2010. Prison expert Joel Sickler said the US government had 'raised the possibility of sending Mr Assange to ADX'. Julian Assange (pictured on January 13), 49, could live out his years alone at maximum security ADX Colerado jail where he would spend 23 hours in a cell if he is convicted of espionage offences in the US He said the only time Assange would spend outside his cell - if sent to the prison -would be an hour in an individual cage for 'recreation time'. In a statement read to court he said: 'It is my understanding that the United States Attorneys Office that is prosecuting this case with the Department of Justice has said that Mr Assange would be subject to a sentence of up to 175 years in prison. I believe, based on my understanding of the case, that this is a not unlikely proposition.' He said Supermax was the only prison criticised as inhumane by its own staff, adding: Robert Hood, the Warden says, this is not built for humanity. I think that being there day by day, it's worse than death.' Prison expert Joel Sickler said the US government had 'raised the possibility of sending Mr Assange to ADX'. Pictured the exterior view of the US Penitentiary Administrative Maximum Facility, also known as the ADX or 'Supermax' Mr Hood has worked for the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) in more than nine institutions over a period of 20 years. He served as a warden or associate warden at four of those. Mr Sickler said at ADX, Assanges once-a-month 15-minute call to his family and legal counsel would be monitored by the FBI. The WikiLeaks founder could be placed on a prison regime called Special Administrative Measures (SAMS). Stella Moris (left), the partner of Wikileaks founder Julian Assange, and human rights lawyer Jennifer Robinson outside the Old Bailey in London as the hearing in Assange's battle against extradition to the US continued today This means he could be deprived of meals, phone calls, visits or interaction with other inmates. Mr Sickler, who advises federal prison defence attorneys, said: Based on decades of experience, over a dozen of my clients committed suicide, it can be done. I think he is only going to go there if he is a SAMS inmate. There is an outside chance he will go there on other grounds. SAMS will seal his fate. If he is given a life sentence he must start at a United State Penitentiary. He is someone our government alleges has knowledge of certain highly qualified information. Meanwhile, Chinese contemporary artist Ai Weiwei (pictured) has staged a silent protest against the extradition of Assange He said Colorado ADX was 'America's strictest prison'. It is currently home to Mexican drug lord Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman, Unabomber Ted Kaczynski, Oklahoma City bomb conspirator Terry Nichols, and the mastermind behind the first World Trade Center bombing Ramzi Yousef. Officially known as Administrative Maximum-Security United States Penitentiary (ADX); it is most known by its shorthand name, Supermax,' Mr Sickler added. This is a facility is the most feared by inmates and is where the most violent offenders in the nation are sent. And this is where the Government, according to its own affidavit, sees as a potential prison placement for Mr Assange. A sentence roughly exceeding his natural life is a real possibility.' Julian Assange's father John Shipton with Chinese contemporary artist and activist Ai Weiwei after a silent protest outside the Old Bailey in London He said it was the solitary nature of the ADX that made it so difficult for its inmates to bear. 'Should Mr Assange be sent to ADX he will almost certainly spend all his time in ADX in solitary,' he added. It is that solitary structure that differentiates most of ADX from the Penitentiary on the same property. While conditions at a penitentiary are severe, nothing compares to the near permanent solitary life of an inmate at ADX. Most inmates at ADX are kept in their cells 22 or 23 hours a day with any limited recreation time being alone in individual cages. The cells in the housing units at Florence ADX are arranged in a linear design down one side of a hallway (called the unit range), which prevents inmates from seeing each other.' Weiwei departs after watching the trial of Assange in London at the Old Bailey Courthouse in London Each cell measures around seven by twelve feet, has a poured concrete bed, desk, stool and a stainless-steel combination sink and toilet - as well as a shower with an automatic shut-off. The beds have handles so the inmates can be tied down with four-point restraints where necessary. Each cell has a single, narrow window, approximately 42 inches tall by four inches wide, angled to allow inmates to see only the sky,' Mr Sickler added. All cells have solid exterior doors with a closable slot and an interior cell door. Meanwhile, Chinese contemporary artist Ai Weiwei has staged a silent protest against the extradition of Assange. Ms Moris (left) and human rights lawyer Ms Robinson. Outside the Old Bailey in London, where his ongoing trial is taking place, Weiwei said Assange represents 'a core value of why we are free' Assanges case has attracted the support of high-profile figures including fashion designer Dame Vivienne Westwood, actress Pamela Anderson, and rapper MIA, who have spoken out in various forms for the Free Assange campaign. Outside the Old Bailey in London, where his ongoing trial is taking place, Weiwei said Assange represents 'a core value of why we are free'. Weiwei, who knows Assange personally and has visited him at the Ecuadorian embassy and HMP Belmarsh high security prison in London, said: 'Its getting more and more difficult for him. 'He is prepared to fight, but this is not fair to him. Free him, let him be a free man,' he added. 'He truly represents a core value of why we are free - because we have freedom of the press. 'We have to have that, to protect that value, otherwise who knows whats going to happen.' When asked why he chose to protest silently, Weiwei said: 'I think all the words we want to say are already there. To add anything, its just repeating. 'We need a lot of protesting, and it can take any form. Im an artist, if I cannot use my art, its very limited, then Id rather just be silent.' Assanges father, John Shipton, who was also protesting outside court, said Mr Weiweis support for his son gives his cause 'international meaning'. 'Ai Weiwei is an artist of gigantic international standing, he stands alongside Julian to give the fight international meaning,' he said. 'Really, hes a tremendous man, Ive known him for a few years now, we met at Belmarsh together, and hes got a wonderfully steady nerve, youd like him alongside you in any situation.' The hearing continues. The Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) was introduced by the federal government in March. Lockdowns instituted to fight the COVID-19 outbreak devastated the economy and resulted in millions of job losses. In response, the federal government looked to provide for the population. Later in the summer, the federal government announced an expiry date for the CERB. Fortunately, it has dramatically revamped the Employment Insurance (EI) system and introduced new programs. Canadians who will see their CERB expire this month still have other options. The CERB has ended what next? In June, Id discussed the prospect of the CERB becoming permanent. Justin Trudeau and the ruling liberals won a majority government in 2015 by teasing radical reform. One of the plans theyd hinted at was a pilot project for a guaranteed basic income. Recent surveys suggest that most Canadians would support a program aimed at those most in need of the supplement. Trudeau did not touch on the concept in his recent Throne Speech. Canadians will have to settle for the programs that have replaced the CERB in the meantime. How to apply for new benefits Last month, Id discussed the framework for the new benefits that were being introduced. The CERB allowed Canadians to collect $500/week as a taxable benefit. Of those who have collected CERB, the vast majority will be switched over to the revamped EI. The new system will allow Canadians with at least 120 insurable hours, which equates to 3.5 weeks of work in the last 52 weeks, to apply for a taxable benefit. This benefit has been expanded to a floor of $500/week, or $300/week for extended parental benefits. The program can stretch up to 26 weeks. Those who have switched over from the CERB will now have an additional six months of support. For those who do not qualify for new EI benefits, there are three new programs; The Canada Recovery Benefit, the Canada Recovery Sickness Benefit, and the Canada Recovery Caregiving Benefit. These benefits also offer up to $500/week. Story continues Another CERB replacement: Investment income! What is better than a taxable benefit? Income that you dont have to pay tax on. This is an achievable goal for Canadians who get creative with their Tax-Free Savings Account (TFSA). In this instance, well go on the hunt for dividend stocks that pay out a monthly distribution. Bird Construction is one interesting target that fits in this category. This company operates as a general contractor in Canada. Its shares have dropped 10% in 2020 as of close on September 25. Bird last announced a monthly dividend of $0.0325 per share, which represents a strong 6.1% yield. Canadians who are missing their CERB payments should also consider stashing Superior Plus in their TFSA. Super Plus is engaged in the energy distribution and specialty chemicals businesses in Canada, the United States, and Chile. The stock last paid out a monthly dividend of $0.06 per share. This represents a tasty 6% yield. The post CERB Is Over: Heres How You Can Still Collect $500/Week appeared first on The Motley Fool Canada. More reading Fool contributor Ambrose O'Callaghan has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fools purpose is to help the world invest, better. Click here now for your free subscription to Take Stock, The Motley Fool Canadas free investing newsletter. Packed with stock ideas and investing advice, it is essential reading for anyone looking to build and grow their wealth in the years ahead. Motley Fool Canada 2020 (TNS) The drone program at Northwestern Michigan College, which has been around for 10 years, is garnering even more national attention.The Federal Aviation Administration is getting involved in workforce development at the college level for the ever-expanding drone industry and recently chose NMC for its Unmanned Aircraft Systems-Collegiate Training Program. It is the only college in Michigan that was selected.The college will work with the FAA as new rules, regulations and training standards are developed, said Tony Sauerbrey, UAS program manager for NMC.Right now there are a lot of colleges kind of dabbling in UAS, but we met the criteria to help students get out into the workforce, Sauerbrey said. Its always good to be in a position where we are playing a role in how the industry develops.It also gives NMC recognition for having a highly developed program, said Sauerbrey, one of the founders of the UAS program.Christian Smith, co-founder of Interactive Aerial in Traverse City, knows how good it is, as he and the companys other three co-founders were all students in the program. Three of them are graduates.Founded in 2015 when they were still in college, the company builds drones and robotic equipment for internal inspections, especially those done in confined spaces. It is this years winner of the inaugural Emerging Business Award by Traverse Connect.The company has 10 employees and will be adding another engineering technician from NMC next week.Were grabbing him before he graduates, Smith said. NMCs program is actually a wealth of experience, knowledge, and for us, a pipeline for the people we need to work here.The company also took a big step forward this week, landing a contract to use its new Zenith system to do inspections at one of the largest paper mills in the world. Earlier this year the company did an inspection for a leading chemical company and has contracts for more.There are a handful of U.S. companies that lead the way in implementing robotics and everyone looks to them, said Smith.These two companies are at the top, he said.The Zenith was invented by Interactive Aerial, which has applied for a global patent on the inspection system that is not a drone, but uses all drone technology.Smith said NMC students learn all aspects of the drone business, including how to build, maintain and program them, as well as how to fly them.Theyre soldering, theyre connecting, theyre gluing, theyre laser cutting, theyre using 3-D printers all of the things we use in our manufacturing process here, Smith said.He has also hired people from the program for marketing and sales positions, saying that knowing the ins and outs of drone technology gives them an advantage.Ten years ago the NMC program was ahead of its time, said Sauerbrey, who was then the colleges chief flight instructor. He and others saw a future in drone technology.Now, as drones are used to inspect crops, photograph and sell real estate, conduct land surveys and monitor things such as shoreline erosion and invasive species, NMCs program is leading the way.Drones are not a novelty anymore and have taken their place as an invaluable tool in many industries, he said, and students learn about all the applications for the use of drones, Sauerbrey said.A drone operator is a lot more connected to what they are doing, he said. We spend a lot of time teaching how this tool is used in various industries.Sauerbrey said 40 to 60 students take UAS classes every year, with hundreds having graduated since the program started. Most are from Michigan, but the program attracts students from around the country.Students can earn certifications or a two-year degree. Not all students want a degree, but may be looking to add drone capabilities to what they already do, Sauerbrey said.NMC has partnered with the Michigan State University Institute of Agricultural Technology since 2017 to train students on using drones in agriculture, with more than 80 students having since enrolled.Over the last year NMC has partnered with Unmanned Safety Institute, which educates, trains and certifies drone operators. Students are able to get additional industry certifications and credentials beyond just a drone license, which many employers are looking for.Having this certification on your resume is very helpful and some companies like Amazon and a few others are requiring that from their drone operators, Sauerbrey said. It also makes graduates more marketable.Smith says that Traverse City is the epicenter of the UAS field and that is because of NMC.Its a big growth area here and NMC is at the hub of that, he said. The college makes it easy for our type of company to flourish here. Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin's Regular Press Conference on September 28, 2020 2020/09/28 CCTV: State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi attended and chaired the High-Level Video Conference on Poverty Eradication and South-South Cooperation the day before yesterday. How does China view the outcomes of this meeting? Wang Wenbin: The on-going COVID-19 may drive as many as 70 to 100 million people into extreme poverty. International cooperation on poverty eradication is an important part of global anti-epidemic efforts and a priority in the international human rights cause. Last week, at the high-level meetings on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the UN, President Xi Jinping announced a series of major approaches to support the UN and promote world peace and development. By co-hosting this high-level video conference on poverty eradication and South-South cooperation with UN agencies, China is taking a concrete approach to implement President Xi's announced measures and further advance poverty alleviation and South-South cooperation. At this high-level conference, China noted that the international community must take a "development first" approach, place greater importance on the 2030 Agenda, and make comprehensive, balanced and robust efforts toward the sustainable development goals and targets. We must make poverty eradication front and center, and unlock the door toward no poverty using the master key of development. The international community needs to empower the collective rise of developing countries through South-South cooperation, and further increase the representation and say of developing countries in international affairs. All sides highly commended China's position and proposals at the conference, which they believe demonstrate once again China's commitment to multilateralism and longstanding support for the UN and South-South cooperation. Human beings have become a community with a shared future. The final victory against the virus won't come until it is defeated in the last country, and the final victory of poverty alleviation won't be ours unless poverty is eradicated in the last nation. China will always stand side by side with other developing countries. We will earnestly implement the important measures announced by President Xi, and further contribute to global anti-epidemic cooperation, poverty eradication and development. Bloomberg: Does the foreign ministry have any comment on a U.S. federal judge temporarily blocking President Trump's ban on TikTok? Wang Wenbin: We noticed the reports. China opposes the US unjustified suppression and bullying against non-US companies by abusing the US state power under the weakest pretext of national security. We hope the US can earnestly respect the principles of market economy and fair competition, observe international trade rules, and foster an open, fair, just and non-discriminatory business environment for foreign companies operating and investing in the US. AFP: The US Commerce Department has reportedly ordered companies to get permission before selling equipment to Chinese chip-maker SMIC. It was said that equipment sold to the company poses an unacceptable risk of being diverted to military end use. What is China's comment on the matter? Wang Wenbin: You may have noticed the response made by SMIC. As a principle, China firmly opposes the unjustified suppression against non-US companies by abusing the US state power under the weakest pretext of national security, breaching the principles of market economy and fair competition, violating international trade rules, and abusing export restrictions. China will continue taking necessary measures to uphold the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese companies. China Daily: FTSE Russell said Thursday it will add Chinese government bonds to its flagship World Government Bond Index (WGBI), the last of the three main index compilers to consider adding Chinese debt after Bloomberg Barclays and JPMorgan Chase. Does the foreign ministry have any comment? Wang Wenbin: Your question is quite technical. An official from the People's Bank of China already responded to that. I want to stress that China has made non-stop efforts in deepening reform and opening-up over the past four decades, and the basic state policy of reform and opening-up has not changed and will never change. Despite severe challenges like the COVID-19 pandemic and deep global economic recession, we have kept rolling out powerful new measures on this front. For example, the Foreign Investment Law, which came into effect on January 1, 2020, has boosted foreign investors' expectation for and confidence in China. In June, China further shortened the negative lists for foreign investment access and the country's free trade zones in their 2020 editions. At the 2020 China International Fair for Trade in Services earlier this month, President Xi Jinping pledged that we will continue to work on a negative list system for managing cross-border trade in services. We will develop open platforms for the pilot program of innovative development of the service sector. We will further ease market access and take greater initiative to increase imports of quality services. The inclusion of China's sovereign bonds into the WGBI reflects international investors' confidence in China's strive for deeper reform and opening up of the capital market, in China's economic growth, and in an improving business environment for investment and operation. The Chinese economy has been deeply integrated into the world. No mater how the external environment may change, we will remain committed to the path of reform and opening up. Reuters: At least 16 military members and several civilians were killed on Sunday in heavy clashes between Armenia and Azerbaijan in the Nagorno-Karabakh region, igniting concerns about stability in the South Caucasus, which is a major corridor for oil and gas pipelines. What's the ministry's comment on this? Wang Wenbin: We noticed relevant reports. Maintaining peace and stability in the region serves the interests of all sides including Armenia and Azerbaijan. We hope relevant sides will stay cool-headed, exercise restraint, avoid further escalation and resolve differences through political dialogue. Beijing Youth Daily: An Australian magazine published articles exposing how Australian intelligence agencies colluded with anti-China academic Hamilton and MP Hastie to fabricate the false narrative of "China engaging in infiltration and espionage activities in Australia" and wage anti-China propaganda warfare to harm China-Australia relations. I wonder if China has any comment? Wang Wenbin: This is not the first time certain institutions and individuals in Australia were exposed by the media, and the forces behind them and their mode of operation are no longer secret. These people are obsessed with cooking up sensational lies on "China infiltration". They stigmatize and demonize normal people-to-people exchange and cooperation between China and Australia and normal activities of the Chinese community in Australia to instigate ideological confrontation, poison the atmosphere for bilateral relations, and hijack the Australian government's decision-making and public opinion. By doing so, their final aim is to achieve self-serving hidden political gains. Such despicable tricks cannot fool the Australian people and the international community. They simply won't work. China was once a victim to bullying and interference of strong powers. We understand how valuable independence is. Guided by the principle of not doing to others what you would not want yourself, we uphold an independent foreign policy of peace. We never interfere in or infiltrate other countries. We don't think there is any need for that. Once again we urge certain people in Australia to reject the Cold War mentality and ideological bias, give more consideration to Australian people's interests instead of their own political gains, stop smearing China, and work to enhance mutual trust and cooperation with China. We also hope people from all walks of life in Australia and other countries can tell right from wrong, refuse to be deluded or blinded by a handful of radical anti-China propagandists, and view China and China-Australia relations in an objective and rational light. Kyodo News: Reports say State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi will visit Japan and meet with Prime Minister Suga in October. Can you confirm this? Wang Wenbin: China attaches importance to high-level exchanges between China and Japan as they can lead the efforts to improve bilateral ties. Working with Japan's new government, China is ready to strive for new achievements in bilateral relations. Regarding your question though, I have no information at the moment. Shenzhen TV: Today marks the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and Cuba. How does China view the bilateral relations over the past six decades? Does China have any expectation for China-Cuba relationship going forward? Wang Wenbin: Exactly 60 years ago, China and Cuba officially established diplomatic relationship, making Cuba the first in the western hemisphere to have diplomatic ties with China. This move opened up a new chapter for China-Cuba relations, as well as for the relations between China and Latin America and the Caribbean region. Sixty years after the establishment of diplomatic ties, China and Cuba have stepped up political mutual trust, produced fruitful outcomes in practical cooperation, and maintained close coordination in international affairs. All this makes the bilateral ties an exemplar of state-to-state relations that contributes to the building of a community with a shared future for mankind. After COVID-19 broke out, the leaders of China and Cuba expressed firm support to each other through correspondence and via telephone, and the two countries have pulled through difficult times together with mutual assistance, setting an example for joint response to global crisis. Today, CPC Central Committee's General Secretary and China's President Xi Jinping exchanged congratulatory messages with Raul Castro, first secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba, and Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel Bermudez to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties. President Xi noted that over the past 60 years, China-Cuba relationship has stood the test of changing international landscape and emerged even stronger. On this occasion of the 60th anniversary, we stand ready to continue being good friends, good comrades, and good brothers for always. Premier Li Keqiang and Cuban Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz sent congratulatory messages to each other to express the wish for deepening friendly and cooperative relationship. Looking ahead, China will further cherish and advance our friendship with Cuba. Standing at the new historical starting point, we will continue to deepen political mutual trust, expand and deepen bilateral cooperation, and move forward the special friendship for new outcomes in various fields. We are firmly convinced that China-Cuba relations will have a brighter future. Global Times: On September 25, the US Department of State published a fact sheet of China's Environmental Abuses on its website, attacking China on its greenhouse gas emissions, marine debris, illegal fishing, wildlife trafficking and other issues. Do you have any comment on this? Wang Wenbin: This is another anti-China farce played by the US out of political purposes. The US so-called "fact sheet" is nothing but a list of sheer lies. Lies are so easily exposed by truth. China's achievements in addressing climate change are widely recognized. By the end of 2019, China's CO2 emissions per unit of the GDP were cut by 48.1 percent compared with that in 2005, and the share of non-fossil fuel reached 15.3 percent, fulfilling our 2020 climate action targets ahead of schedule. The new afforestation in China accounted for 25 percent of the global total, and over 50 percent of the world's new energy vehicles are in China. At the general debate of the 75th UNGA session on September 22, President Xi Jinping announced that China will enhance the nationally determined contribution targets, and strive for the peaking of CO2 emissions before 2030 and carbon neutrality before 2060. China has phased out over 280,000 tonnes of ozone-depleting substance (ODS), accounting for more than half of the total by developing countries. China's ambient air quality standards are implemented in 74 cities, and I believe you have all witnessed how blue the skies are. China has eliminated artisanal and small-scale gold mining, and we will eliminate the manufacture, import and export of mercury-added products listed in the Minamata Convention on Mercury by the end of this year. China is one of the countries that have the most stringent legislation and law enforcement on the protection of wildlife. We contributed greatly to global forest resources, sustainable forest products and trade. By the end of 2020, China will basically achieve the goal of zero import of solid waste. Nearly 99 percent of China's urban household waste goes through innocuous disposal. Our coastal cities all have garbage classification and marine sanitation mechanisms. The Belt and Road Initiative is green in nature. China, relevant countries and international organizations jointly launched the Belt and Road Initiative International Green Development Coalition and published the Green Investment Principles. China's marine debris is of a lower middle level in the world, which is in a controllable state. China implements the world's most rigorous Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) and fights illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing activities with zero tolerance. The future of six Lancang-Mekong countries is closely linked, and water resources cooperation in this region is getting more vibrant. China announced the decision to share the Lancang River's hydrological data for the whole year with the Mekong countries. The six countries agreed to support the building of an information sharing platform of Lancang-Mekong water resources cooperation, enhance joint research and deal with challenges together. Despite our concrete measures on environmental protection, the US has been attacking China a lot, but what has it done? We'd like to ask: why did the US refuse to ratify the Kyoto Protocol and withdraw from the Paris Agreement? When will it pledge carbon neutrality? As a country with per capita emissions three times of that of the global average, more than twice - once almost five times - of that of China's, and with accumulated emission about three times of that of China's, shouldn't it explain itself to the people in developing countries, especially small island countries, that are severely affected by climate change? When will it pay the huge amounts of contributions it owes to the Global Environment Fund, the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, and the UNFCCC? What does it say about its export of large amounts of garbage to developing countries every year? The US owes the international community an explanation. People across the world know clearly who's acting and contributing, and who's talking empty words and creating chaos. The fact is, the US itself is the biggest perpetrator damaging international environmental cooperation, and the US itself poses the biggest threat to the global environment. We urge the US to stop political manipulation and slandering, and make tangible contributions to the protection of global environment instead of stirring up troubles. Yonhap News: Media reports say China and the ROK are talking about State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi's future visit to the ROK. Can you confirm this? Wang Wenbin: China and the ROK have close exchange via political and diplomatic channels. If both sides reach agreement on the specific arrangements of visits, we will release the information in due course. AFP: More than one million people have died worldwide from the coronavirus since the outbreak in December, according to AFP calculations. Does China have any comment on the global death toll exceeding one million people? Wang Wenbin: In the face of the severe global challenge posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the international community should work together to fight it. We should support the WHO's leading role in the concerted efforts of countries to save lives and combat the pandemic. At such an important moment, attempts to stigmatize the virus, politicize the pandemic and shift the blame are highly irresponsible. Since the outbreak of COVID-19, China has worked closely with the WHO and provided strong support and assistance to the international community to the best of its ability. From July 11 to August 2, WHO experts came to China to conduct preparatory consultations on scientific cooperation in tracing the origin of the novel coronavirus. Following the resolution on COVID-19 response adopted at the 73rd WHA, experts of the two sides formulated the China part of a global scientific cooperation plan on origin-tracing. In his recent speech at the general debate of the 75th United Nations General Assembly, President Xi Jinping reiterated that China will actively participate in global scientific research on the origin and transmission routes of the virus. China will maintain close communication and coordination with the WHO in this regard to advance bilateral cooperation and contribute to global cooperation on tracing the virus source and fighting the pandemic. I want to stress that origin tracing is an ongoing process that may involve multiple countries and localities. We hope that all countries will adopt a positive attitude like China and carry out coordination and cooperation with the WHO. Xinhua News Agency: Bah N'DAW has been sworn in as Mali's interim president for a transition period. I wonder if you have any comment? Wang Wenbin: The swearing-in of Mali's interim President Bah Ndaw is an important step in Mali's transition period. China respects Mali's independent choice of development path. We hope all parties in Mali can continue making joint efforts to smoothly advance the transition and realize national stability and development as early as possible. As Mali's good friend, China will continue working with the international community for Mali's stability and development. CNR: On September 25, President Xi Jinping and Angolan President Joao Lourenco held a telephone conversation. Did the two sides discuss debt suspension or exemption? Wang Wenbin: During their telephone conversation on September 25, President Xi Jinping and Angolan President Joao Lourenco had comprehensive and in-depth exchanges on deepening bilateral relations and reached broad consensus. The Chinese side already put out a press release. Angola is China's important cooperation partner in Africa. The two sides have long had fruitful mutually-beneficial cooperation in investment and financing. Currently, as Angola is facing much debt pressure, China has been doing what it can to help Angola tide over the difficulties. To my knowledge, relevant Chinese financial institutions have been in close communication with the Angolan side on relieving debt pressure, with major progress in discussions. The Export-Import Bank of China offered necessary support for and played an active part in Angola's application for emergency financial assistance with the International Monetary Fund. It also stands ready to work together with Angola for an early agreement on debt suspension arrangement under the G20 Debt Service Suspension Initiative (DSSI). Other non-official Chinese creditors are also in active consultation with the Angolan side, reaching basic consensus on a debt restructuring plan. An agreement is expected to be signed in the near future. Since consensus was reached on the G20 DSSI, the Chinese side has been actively implementing it. We will work together with the international community to offer more support for countries hard-hit by the pandemic and under enormous pressure, including those in Africa. Beijing Daily: US Special Presidential Envoy for Arms Control Marshall Billingslea said on September 25 that "for the past 33 years, China has been free to develop all kinds of intermediate-range and medium-range ballistic and cruise missiles, and they have done exactly that." He also said the United States will help South Korea prepare against threats posed by intermediate range missiles from its neighbors, but what defense capabilities will be developed and deployed in South Korea will be entirely up to Seoul. What's China's comment on this? Wang Wenbin: China is committed to peaceful development and a defense policy that is defensive in nature. We develop friendly cooperation with our neighbors based on mutual respect. China's national defense development is entirely aimed to safeguard national sovereignty, security and development interests, as well as regional and international peace. We don't intend to and will not pose any threat to other countries. The US accusations don't make any sense. China firmly opposes them. As the world's only super power, the US military budget reached as much as $716 billion in the fiscal year 2019, which equals the total of that of the next 9 countries in the ranking. The US is still spending an incredible amount of money on its military and advancing forward deployment of missiles, anti-missile systems and others across the globe. It built over 400 military bases overseas, and constantly shows off muscles and creates chaos, severely undermining regional and international peace and security. It has become the biggest threat to world peace and security. By hyping up "the China threat" and smearing China's national defense and military equipment development, the US is in fact making pretexts for its expansion of military budgets and power, sowing discord between China and neighboring countries, and tightening its alliance with other countries. We urge the US to reject the outdated Cold-War and zero-sum game mindset, view China's national defense and military development in an objective and rational manner, stop stirring up troubles in China's neighborhood, and uphold peace and security in the Asia Pacific with concrete actions. CRI: The US State Department released a statement yesterday, saying China breached its pledge of not intending to pursue militarization of the Nansha Islands. Do you have any comment on this? Wang Wenbin: The Nansha Islands are Chinese territory. China's construction on our own territory is aimed to meet the civilian need in the South China Sea, provide more public goods and services to the region and beyond, and fulfill our international responsibilities and obligations. Deployment of necessary defense facilities on the Nansha Islands is an exercise of China's right to self-preservation and self-defense under international law. It is reasonable, legal and within our sovereignty. It has nothing to do with militarization and is no different from the defense measures other countries take on their territory. By bringing up "militarization" now and then, the US is in fact making pretexts for strengthening its own military deployment and activities to pursue maritime hegemony in the South China Sea. The US military vessels and aircraft have been frequently carrying out exercises and close-in reconnaissance in the South China Sea, intending to increase tensions and flex muscles. The US itself is the major factor driving "militarization" in the South China Sea. For some time, the US has been doing all it can to drive a wedge between regional countries under the pretext of the South China Sea issue. Some fanatics in the US are even calling for attacks against China in the South China Sea. As proven by facts, the US has become the biggest threat to peace and stability in the region. The international community and regional countries must stay on high alert to the malicious intentions of some warmongers in the US to destabilize the South China Sea and the East Asia. China has the resolve and capability to uphold national sovereignty and territorial security. We will continue working with regional countries to safeguard peace and stability in the South China Sea. We solemnly inform some in the US: don't make unwarranted accusations against China, and don't make arbitrary moves before thinking twice. KENOSHA, Wis. (AP) The Kenosha police officer who shot Jacob Blake in the back seven times last month told investigators he thought Blake was trying to abduct one of his own children and that he opened fire because Blake started turning toward the officer while holding a knife, the officer's lawyer contends. Brendan Matthews, the attorney for Officer Rusten Sheskey and the Kenosha police union, told CNN that when Sheskey arrived at the scene on Aug. 23 in response to a call from a woman who said Blake was at her home and shouldn't be there, he heard a woman say, Hes got my kid. Hes got my keys. Sheskey saw Blake put a child in the SUV as he arrived, but he didn't know that two other children were also in the back seat, Matthews said. He said Sheskey told investigators he opened fire because Blake held a knife in his hand and twisted his body toward the officer, and that he didn't stop until he determined Blake no longer posed an imminent threat. Matthews said if Sheskey had allowed Blake to leave and something happened to the child, the question would have been Why didnt you do something? Cellphone video captured by a bystander and posted online shows Sheskey and another officer follow Blake with their guns drawn as he walks around the front of the parked SUV, opens the driver's side door and lean into the vehicle. Sheskey, who is white, then opened fire, hitting the Black man seven times and leaving him paralyzed from the waist down, according to his family members and lawyer. The shooting sparked outrage and led to several nights of protests and unrest, including a night in which authorities say an Illinois 17-year-old shot and killed two protesters and wounded a third. Ben Crump, an attorney for Blakes family, did not immediately respond to a Sunday email seeking comment about Matthews' interview and his voicemail wasn't accepting new messages. But he previously said Blake was only trying to break up a domestic dispute that day and that he did nothing to provoke police, adding that witnesses didnt see him with a knife. Story continues Blake's uncle, Justin Blake, said Saturday that the allegation that Blake was attempting to kidnap his own child was false, the Kenosha News reported. Thats ridiculous, Justin Blake said. Its gaslighting. Outright lies. The bystander who recorded the shooting, 22-year-old Raysean White, said he saw Blake scuffling with three officers and heard them yell, Drop the knife! Drop the knife! before gunfire erupted. White said he didnt see a knife in Blakes hands. The Wisconsin Department of Justice, which is leading the investigation, previously said in a news release that a knife was found in the vehicle, but it didn't say whether Blake had been holding it at any point during the confrontation or whether police knew it was there before Sheskey shot him. In a statement previously released by Matthews on behalf of the police union, Matthews said Blake was armed with a knife but that officers didn't see it until Blake reached the passenger side of the vehicle. As Blake opened the drivers door of the SUV, Sheskey pulled on Blakes shirt and then opened fire. Three of Blakes children were in the backseat. The mother of the three children, who called police that day, filed a complaint against Blake that had led to felony charges being filed in July accusing him of sexually assaulting a woman in May. Blake, who was wanted on a warrant for those charges when police arrived at the scene Aug. 23, pleaded not guilty to the charges earlier this month via video from from his hospital bed. A trial date was set for Nov. 9. Sheskey and the other two officers who were at the scene were placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation. Editors Note: Fifty years ago today, the great American novelist John Dos Passos, a frequent contributor to National Review, passed away in Baltimore. To honor his legacy, NR is reprinting this remembrance, which was first published in our October 20, 1970, issue. It was at a restaurant in the Chelsea district of New York, somewhere near the old office of the New Republic. As I remember it, I was seated at a table with Malcolm Cowley, Kenneth Burke, and one or two others. John Dos Passos was at a neighboring table, probably (though memory is dim) with some of his radical theater friends; he had been writing plays (The Garbage Man, Airways, Inc.). He looked at us and called across the aisle: Writers of the world, unite; you have nothing to lose but your brains. This was Dos then, a skeptic about organizations of any kind, even of those formed to advance the causes he championed. Dos never changed; he always distrusted the big battalions. He often shifted his opinions on new evidence, but he never changed his emotional disposition toward instruments of power. They were to be kept on a short leash, whether they were run by capitalists, Communists, labor leaders, or whomsoever. The obituary writers quoted him to this effect, but they did not bother to understand him. The commentaries on his death were universally maddeningso much claptrap about the superiority of the early Dos Passos, before he became a conservative, a Goldwater supporter, a signer of petitions with Bill Buckley. Did anyone recall that, in 1928, he had faced some young Russians in the December murk of a Moscow trainshed and, in answer to the question Are you with us?, had voiced his eternal skepticism of institutional efforts to save the world? But let me see, he had said, . . . but maybe I can explain. . . . But in so short a time . . . theres no time. He had just said to himself that waiting to get out of Russia was like waiting for the cage thats going to haul you up out of a mine, like getting out of a cement factory, like climbing the long greasy ladder out of the stokehold of a steamboat . . . Story continues To be sure, the obit writers thought they were giving an aesthetic judgment, not a political judgment, when they slighted the later Dos Passos. Nevertheless they were the victims of an illusion fostered by 30 years of critical hostility toward any writer or artist who turned against socialism, whether his name be Max Eastman, Eugene Lyons, or Frank Meyer. As between the earlier and later Dos Passos there is more evenness of performance than one can find in Sinclair Lewis, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway, or Thomas Wolfe. The U.S.A. trilogy is justly remembered for its panoramic vision of a pre-Depression America in which the radical hopefulness of 1913 had subsided into a cynicism created by Versailles and the later rush for the big money. But though U.S.A. is everything the obit writers said it is, it does not differ in variety and power and aesthetic quality from the novel called Midcentury, which was written many years later. There is the same intensive-extensive grasp of the whole national scene in Midcentury, the same wonderful prose poems about historical characters, only this time the big labor unions have replaced the corporations as the more dangerous institutional villains. The liberal critics, averting their eyes from the McClellan investigations, just couldnt stand the switch, which had nothing to do with the comparative aesthetics of the case. Nor could they stand it when Dos Passos made Glenn Spotswood, the protagonist of his Adventures of a Young Man, the victim of Stalinist machinations in Civil War Spain. If he had made Glenn a politically innocent bridge dynamiter and put him into a sleeping bag with Ingrid Bergman, the verdict would have been different. The key to Dos Passos was that he was always a seeker. He couldnt make a good speech because, when he faced an audience, he would forget that he was the attraction and start interviewing the people who had come to listen to him. In the mid Sixties he visited Yale to give a lecture. The students learned very little about Dos Passoss philosophy other than that he liked to side with the underdog. But Dos went back to his home in Westmoreland County, Virginia, with his head crammed with all sorts of relevant information about the New Left. He had artfully pumped a whole roomful of students dry. Dos was forever young, forever growing. The liberals would have you think he came back from Spain in 1937 merely to sulk and to pour vitriol over the New Deal in novels that do suffer a bit from Dos Passoss boredom with political types. Actually, Dos Passos had experienced a crisis in Spain that became his new opportunity. He had been horrified when his old friend, Ernest Hemingway, counseled him to keep mum about the Stalinist plot against the anarcho-syndicalists. (Despite his bravado, Hemingway feared the New York reviewers.) Dos, caring very little about his own reputation, turned from his old preoccupation with the contemporary scene to make a long and thorough study of the founding of the American Republic. He wanted, as he put it in the title of the first of his notable historical books, to discover The Ground We Stand On. His fiction became a part-time thing when his passion for portraiture and description, his wonderful painters eye impressionism, was diverted to such works as The Head and Heart of Thomas Jefferson, The Men Who Made the Nation, and Prospects of a Golden Age. Later he put his skill as a researcher and his novelists eye for telling detail to good use in writing one of the best books about the abortive crusade to make the world safe for democracy, Mr. Wilsons War. Coming of age in the Harvard that had nurtured John Reed and Walter Lippmann, Dos Passos, like others of his generation who became ambulance drivers in World War I, thought freedom must exist in something that would be found on the other side of capitalism. Psychologically the young Dos Passos, whose birth was not regularized until his parents were married in his teens, had been governed by a love-hate attitude toward his father, an extreme individualist who was a Gold Democrat, a corporation lawyer, and an idolator of the 18th century. Both objective and subjective factors combined to put a rebellious young Harvard man well to the left, but it is significant that he always loved the anarcho-syndicalists of the Latin countries far more than he loved the Marxist ideologues and the trade-union bonzes of the North. With his great zest for life, his astounding psychological resilience, Dos kept probing his own attitudes. He came to terms with his fathers memory without psychiatric intervention, and he took it philosophically that maturity must involve the shedding of friendships. As he wrote in The Best Times, a book which contains the revealing memoir of his father: When the meaning of political slogans turns topsy-turvy every few years, anyone who tries to keep a questioning mind, matching each slogan with its real-life application, each label with the thing itself, has to put up with having old friends turn into unfriends and even into enemies . . . But Dos didnt know what it was to nurse grudges, to hate people, or to remain immured in the past. He turned from his disillusion with the collectivist Left to a positive identification with the check-and-balance liberalism of James Madison, he bounded from the personal tragedy of the automobile accident that killed his first wife Katy to make a beautiful second marriage, and he continued to be one of the great travelers and great travel-writers of his age. At the age of 70 he, with his wife Betty, learned Portuguese, a difficult language, in order to benefit from continuing trips to Brazil. And, in a jolting plane, he risked his health at the age of 72 to satisfy his curiosity about Easter Island, that lonely outpost in the South Pacific some 2,000 miles off the coast of Chile. He finished his book about Easter Island and its strange sculptures in a hospital when recovering from a first heart attack. Psychologically he always felt he was going to live forever; realistically, he said he would retire as a writer when the undertaker marched through the door. Dos Passos couldnt live in the flesh forever, but as long as there is freedom to read and to write he will live as one of the chief ornaments of a great age. With Sinclair Lewis, Scott Fitzgerald, and Ernest Hemingway, he was one of a Big Four. Now we dont even have a Big One. More from National Review If this once-in-a-lifetime pandemic has taught us anything, its that enlightened policy and strategic coordination between government and the private sector are essential to finding solutions to complex problems. The American Gas Association is a proud sponsor of National Clean Energy Week, where governors, senators, members of Congress from both sides of the aisle, and industry come together to champion the need for continued investments in innovation and technology that pave the way towards a cleaner tomorrow. The commitment on behalf of Americas natural gas utilities to be part of the solution to the complex challenge of climate change has never been stronger. We have made progress and will achieve more by working together with other sectors of the energy industry and through partnerships with farmers, small businesses and community advocates. Energy is the backbone of our economy. We take the responsibility seriously and deliver it every minute of every day - safely, affordably and cleanly. We know we can deliver successful clean energy solutions that will make for a stronger economy and a healthier environment while still protecting the pocketbooks of all our customers. These ideal outcomes take an all-hands-on-deck approach and the natural gas industry is proud to continue to play a leadership role in developing solutions. Our nation has an abundance of clean natural gas, which makes it affordable and reliable, two necessities as we continue to navigate through this pandemic and strive for the desperately needed economic recovery. Every day, 180 million Americans use natural gas in their homes which are now their offices, schools, and gyms and we are adding a customer every minute. The expanded role of natural gas in Americas energy mix is the single largest factor in power sector emissions reductions reaching 25-year lows. Its also allowing households using natural gas to save an average of $879 per year compared to homes using only electricity. During these challenging times, every dollar helps. One of the most effective means to reduce emissions is through energy efficiency and our industry is doing its part. In 2018, natural gas utilities invested $3.8 million daily in efficiency programs in the U.S. and Canada. These investments helped customers reduce their carbon footprints, offsetting over 13.5 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions from 2012 to 2018 the equivalent of removing 2.9 million cars off the road for a year. In that time, carbon dioxide emissions from the average natural gas home have declined 1.2 percent per year. Further, investments by utilities nationwide to upgrade pipelines has resulted in a 73 percent reduction in methane emissions since 1990. These are good developments that should be celebrated, but more can and should be done. Our mission to deliver cleaner energy involves both more innovation and greater transparency. The importance of continued research and development into technologies and energy sources of the future cannot be overstated. One area of significant potential is through greater deployment of high-value sources of energy like renewable natural gas and hydrogen. Renewable natural gas (RNG) is a carbon-neutral energy produced from methane captured from farms, landfills and wastewater treatment plants. In addition to helping these industries reduce their own environmental impact, RNG is a usable energy that we are putting into our pipeline infrastructure and delivering to customers. A recent assessment shows RNG has the potential to play a substantial role in lowering emissions from natural gas (as much as 95 percent in the residential sector) with costs that are competitive with other emissions reduction pathways. Extended research and investment into RNG will enable it to flow from production points to customers all over America through already existing infrastructure, minimizing costs for consumers and the need to build expensive new systems. Our 2.6 million miles of pipelines can also be used to deliver hydrogen and other energy sources of the future. We are also committed to transparently report on our emissions to our regulators, customers and stakeholders. Through the Natural Gas Sustainability Initiative, a joint effort with electric utilities, pipelines and producers, we have created industry-wide environmental, social, governance (ESG) reporting metrics. Natural gas utilities remain an excellent choice for investors and we will provide the data and metrics they need to show our commitment to progress on all ESG fronts. Were at a defining moment on the path to cleaner energy. As we look toward 2021 and beyond, the conversations and ideas set forth at National Clean Energy Week should be the framework to enact smart, bipartisan policies that make a difference. Americas natural gas industry is eager to continue this collaboration on the quest to cleaner energy for all. Karen Harbert is President and CEO of the American Gas Association (AGA). Kerala Congress MP Moves Supreme Court Against Newly Enacted Farm Law A Congress MP from Kerala moved the Supreme Court on Monday challenging the constitutional validity of various provisions of the contentious new farm Act. TN Prathapan, who represents Thrissur Lok Sabha constituency in Kerala, has alleged that the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020 is violative of Article 14 (right to equality), 15 (prohibition of discrimination) and 21 (right to life and liberty) of the Constitution. He said the law, which was accorded presidential assent on Sunday, is liable to be struck down as unconstitutional, illegal and void". READ MORE MP DGP Relieved of Duties After Found Beating Wife in Clip, NCW Seeks Action Against Top Cop Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Monday said a senior state IPS officer has been relieved of duties, after a video showing him assaulting his wife went viral on social media. In the video, Madhya Pradesh Director General of Police (Prosecution) Purushottam Sharma is seen thrashing his wife, while the latter is seen resisting the assault. READ MORE Is Demotion of Rahul Sinha & Elevation of Turncoats a BJP Strategy to Lure TMC Leaders Before Bengal Polls? Since its formation on April 6, 1980, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was hardly a force worthy of notice in West Bengal for decades. That started to change after Narendra Modis ascent to power at the Centre in 2014. Despite being the home state of Jana Sangh ideologue Syama Prasad Mukherjee, the BJP struggled to make its political space in Bengal during the 34 years of Left Rule from 1971. READ MORE IPL 2020: Batting First, High-Scoring Sharjah, Three Indian Musketeers & CSKs Batting Woes Stats Review Rajasthan Royals (RR) chased down the highest total in the history of the IPL against Kings XI Punjab in Sharjah on Sunday (September 27) as records tumbled in the desert city of the Emirates. We look at some of the records broken and milestones set, emerging trends and players and teams who stood out during the first 9 days of IPL 2020. READ MORE Dozen Crew Members on First Post-pandemic Greek Cruise Contract Coronavirus A dozen crew members on the first cruise ship to dock in Greece after the coronavirus lockdown have tested positive, the Greek coastguard said on Monday. The Maltese-flagged Mein Schiff 6 operated by German travel giant TUI, with 922 passengers on board, is currently moored off the Aegean island of Milos, a coastguard spokeswoman said. READ MORE Pakistan Hackers Helping China in Suspected Operation Sidecopy Cyber Attacks on India A suspected Pakistan-backed hacker group, Transparent Tribe, is reportedly behind a cyber attack campaign dubbed Operation Sidecopy. The campaign is a coordinated attempt to steal critical infrastructure and strategic data by sending phishing emails and using remote access malware that can escalate its privilege in compromised systems, and in turn, infiltrate a computer to steal critical information from it. READ MORE Police on Monday arrested two members of an inter-state gang involved in fraudulently selling cars with outstanding finance using fake identification proofs. Three members of the gang are yet to be arrested. The police are also suspecting the involvement of bank employees in the fraud. The arrested accused have been identified as Gunpatwant Singh, 35, of Lakkar Bazaar and Tarun Kumar, 49, of Phagwara Road. The accused who are yet to be arrested are Monu Chauhan of Haryana, who is the kingpin of the gang, Avtar Singh and Ateeq Hussain of Kharar. Deputy Commissioner of Police (detective) Simratpal Singh Dhindsa said that Monu used to get the cars financed, while Avtar Singh and Ateeq prepared fake documents, and Gunpatwant and Tarun sold the cars. The DCP added that the Ludhiana police had arrested Gunpatwant and Tarun on Sunday evening near Ferozgandhi market when they were travelling in a grey Maruti Suzuki Swift Car. After their arrest, the police have managed to recover nine cars including one Mahindra Scorpio, two Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza cars, two Hyundai Creta cars, Hyundai i-20, Tata Indigo, Mahindra Bolero, Hyundai i-10 grand. Five fake registration certificates and 10 fake number plates have also been recovered from their possession. The police have traced all the customers to whom these cars were sold. The police are also expecting the involvement of bank employees as the accused had taken car loans and defaulted the payments. A hunt is on to nab the three accused. Tarun is wanted in a forgery case lodged against him in Kapurthala. A case under Sections 420, 467, 468, 417 and 120-B of the IPC has been registered at Division Number 5 police station. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-29 04:58:34|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close CAIRO, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- Chinese and Egyptian officials hailed on Monday the pioneer role of China in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. "The COVID-19 pandemic has swept the world since the beginning of this year, and the Chinese people have worked to combat it with a teamwork spirit, and achieved great strategic results in this regard," said Chinese Ambassador to Egypt, Liao Liqiang. He added that China has made remarkable achievements in accelerating prevention and control of the COVID-19 pandemic and, at the same time, promoted economic and social development. "Since the second quarter of this year, the Chinese economy has returned to growth, making China the first country in the world to resume its economic growth," Liao said. The ambassador noted that the pandemic has proved that building a community with shared future for mankind is the right way to meet common challenges, stressing the international community can only overcome such crises through solidarity and cooperation. He added that the pandemic cannot stop the Chinese-Egyptian cooperation, pointing out that the total bilateral trade volume reached 6.69 billion U.S. dollars in the first half of 2020, an increase of 2.7 percent year on year. Egypt was the first Arab and African country to establish official ties with China, and the two countries elevated their relations to the level of comprehensive strategic partnership in 2014. Meanwhile, Egyptian Health Minister Hala Zayed said that China and Egypt are highly cooperating, and both governments have been providing immediate mutual support, to help in facing this ongoing crisis. For his part, First Deputy Speaker of the Egyptian Parliament Mahmoud al-Sherif said Egypt is also one of the first countries to support Chinese-proposed Belt and Road Initiative aimed at strengthening international cooperation in order to achieve mutual benefit and win-win results. Under the framework of the initiative, al-Sherif added, the Egypt-China TEDA Suez Economic and Trade Cooperation Zone has become a model of China-Africa cooperation. Enditem Bowling Green State University continues to garner accolades amid a global pandemic, from enrollment and retention records to national rankings, the BGSU Board of Trustees learned at its meeting Sept. 25. The board approved the additional naming of spaces within the Robert W. and Patricia A. Maurer Center, reviewed the performance of President Rodney K. Rogers and approved personnel matters and the ability to refinance bonds to continue work on the Campus Master Plan. President Rogers' gifts annual performance bonus to support BGSU students, contract extended to June 2026 The trustees, in recognizing BGSUs highest enrollment in a decade, the highest student retention rate in the Universitys history, U.S. News and World Report and Wall Street Journal rankings and the near completion of the successful Changing Lives for the World campaign, unanimously voted to extend President Rogers' contract to June 2026. Given the challenges with COVID-19, the board and Rogers agreed to forego a raise to his base salary. A contribution of 32.5% of Rogers' salary was directed to his deferred compensation. As he did last year, President Rogers gifted his full annual performance bonus of $60,000 to the BGSU Foundation, Inc. in support of BGSU diversity and belonging initiatives and student scholarships, totaling $144,900 in bonus returns to BGSU in Rogers presidency. Under President Rogers' leadership this year alone, BGSU announced the Allen W. and Carol M. Schmidthorst College of Business, the first named college at BGSU; launched Life Design, a transformational and fundamental shift in undergraduate education at BGSU; increased external funding for research and creative activities; and developed a comprehensive plan focused on diversity and belonging at BGSU. BGSU is up 1.6% in headcount from fall 2019, with 20,232 students enrolled for the fall 2020 academic term. The Universitys retention rate saw an even larger increase, up 2.3% from 2019, with a 79.4% overall retention rate, the highest in a century. This enrollment success comes at a time when U.S. News and World Report ranks Bowling Green State University in their tier one of 2021 Best Colleges listing. BGSU retains this recognition from the 2020 rankings, demonstrating its comprehensive education among colleges and universities in the United States. In addition, the University was also ranked for social mobility and as a top public institution adding value for students across its academic profile. "In a pre-COVID-19 world, these achievements are remarkable. Given that President Rogers has continued to elevate BGSU's national reputation, enhance the University's quality of its academic profile, and hit enrollment and retention records during a global pandemic is nothing less than extraordinary," said Board of Trustees Chair Betty Montgomery. "The board's vote of confidence is a reaffirmation in his leadership and vision, which will position BGSU to achieve excellence." "I am honored to continue to lead my alma mater as president and express my sincere thanks to Chair Montgomery and the entire board for their leadership and support of Bowling Green State University," Rogers said. "We are a public university for the public good, and while we have accomplished so much together since January 2018, our sights are set on what's next, positioning BGSU to prepare its graduates to lead meaningful and productive lives, to foster a community where each of us belongs, and to further our mission of becoming the preeminent comprehensive, public university that serves Ohio and beyond." BGSU retains Wall Street Journal prominent rankings The Wall Street Journal announced that BGSU once again ranks among the highest for teaching quality and student satisfaction in its 2021 rankings. BGSU is America's No. 3 public university for teaching quality and earned high marks for how well it manages to inform, inspire and challenge students. In addition, when asked, would you choose your college again, BGSU students overwhelming answered yes, placing the University as the No. 1 public university in the Midwest for student satisfaction. This national recognition demonstrates the University's commitment to redefining student success. As a public university for the public good, BGSU's mission is to provide its students an outstanding education at a great value. With the leadership of BGSU's world-class faculty and staff, the University is helping students design a meaningful and productive life so they can succeed both professionally and personally. Action items of the board In recognition of the leadership and contributions of additional donors, friends and alumni to the Maurer Center, the board approved the naming of the Raymond W. Braun and Theresa Popp Braun Student Organization Hub, Hiromi Matsumoto Dye Conference Room, Robert M. and Dana M. Thompson Faculty Office, Karl and Joan Vogt Faculty Office and Joe Zimmerman Faculty Office. The Maurer Center opened its doors this fall, and the state-of-the-art facility serves as a gateway to the academic core of the BGSU campus. It includes the renovation of Hanna Hall and a more than 50,000-square-foot addition. Now, the Allen W. and Carol M. Schmidthorst College of Business will enhance and elevate the Universitys longtime, quality business education and develop new, innovative programs in the future. In other business, the board authorized the vice president for finance and administration or the president to refinance outstanding bonds to continue capital projects associated with the current Campus Master Plan. This includes ongoing work on the ITS Infrastructure Master Plan, enabling moves for the eventual demolition of the Administration Building, and building repairs for the College Park Office Building, the Moore Musical Arts Center, Tucker Communications Center and plans for the Technology Building replacement. opinion The pandemic has driven interactions online - but not for those without electricity. Expanding access can change that For all the talk about the remarkable, virtual nature of this year's United Nations General Assembly week, videoconferencing is a routine way of life for its participants. But that's not the case for too many people around the world whose lives depend on the decisions made at the UN this week: the 800 million people still living without electricity, and another 1.2 billion people whose electricity access is not reliable enough to even dial into Zoom. While the pandemic accelerated digitization and economic interconnectedness, it has further isolated billions of people living without reliable electricity. This energy poverty makes it harder to fight Covid-19 and achieve the UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030. As a result, it is increasingly clear that unless we make progress on SDG 7 - ensuring access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all - it will be difficult to achieve an equitable recovery from this crisis. Before the pandemic halted travel, I visited a market in Derni, a remote village in the Indian state of Bihar. On a typical evening, the central power grid would cut electricity around dusk. Market stalls would shut. Families would burn coal to cook meals and light kerosene lamps to see, choking the air and emitting deadly black carbon. The daily realities were punishing: dark streets were unsafe, children couldn't study after sunset and often were sickened by air pollution, which kills nearly 4 million people each year. Workers were limited to manual tools and daylight hours so no businesses could scale. This pandemic has exposed and accelerated many inequities. Racial minorities and the impoverished are suffering the most, disproportionately losing lives and livelihoods. While America's billionaires grew their combined wealth by nearly a trillion dollars this year, the UN estimates COVID-19 is pushing as many as 580 million people below an expanded global poverty line of $5 a day. Meanwhile women have lost jobs nearly twice as often as men, and every month of lockdown brings 5 million more acts of gender-based violence worldwide. If we do nothing, decades of progress on these inequities and climate change will be erased. But if we make investments now to enable an equitable recovery, we can power a future brighter than we ever imagined - more sustainable, safer from pandemic threats, and better for world's poorest 2 billion, who can enter a growing and sustainable global economy. An equitable recovery starts with ensuring all aspects of the health response - from testing and tracing, to the distribution of vaccines and support services - go first to the highest-risk communities. An equitable recovery also includes access to power: only 28% of Africa's health centers have reliable electricity, while a staggering one-in-four have no electricity. Accelerating progress requires power: namely electricity. Just as energy infrastructure investments powered economic recoveries after the Great Depression and Great Recession, today the world needs a massive, public-private investment in green infrastructure that unlocks inclusive growth for everyone, especially those left behind. For industrial economies, that means high-speed broadband, smart logistics and seamless supply chains - and energy is foundational to all of that. Without electricity, you're powerless in today's global economy. You might believe increasing electricity access and consumption must worsen the climate crisis. Five years ago, you'd have been right. But with new breakthroughs in distributed renewables, it's now possible to end energy poverty in 10 years without accelerating climate change. At The Rockefeller Foundation, we believe solar-powered mini-grids are a key part of enabling a sustainable, equitable recovery. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Energy Coronavirus Africa By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. Independent of costly and difficult to expand grid infrastructure, they use decentralized systems, advanced batteries, and cloud computing technologies to generate, store, and distribute electricity. As such, they can provide renewable, reliable power to people who never had it before. For 2 billion people living with no or unreliable access to electricity, distributed renewables provide a pathway to economic inclusion and prosperity. I saw this first hand in Bihar last November. Our Smart Power India affiliate had installed a mini-grid network across some of the country's poorest regions. That night, when the sun set, the power stayed on. Shops stayed open, machines whirred, appliances hummed. It was both ordinary and extraordinary - a glimpse of a brighter future. Any views expressed in this opinion piece are those of the author and not of Thomson Reuters Foundation. Rajiv Shah is president of The Rockefeller Foundation. BAKU, Azerbaijan, Sept. 28 By Samir Ali Trend: The war which lasts for 30 years is being waged against Azerbaijan, Assistant to Azerbaijans President, Head of the Foreign Affairs Policy Department of the Presidential Administration Hikmat Hajiyev said. Hajiyev made the remark at the press conference in the Azerbaijani foreign ministry, Trend reports on September 28. Azerbaijan urges Armenia to put an end to the occupation, assistant to the president added. This is the Great Patriotic War. There is martial law in Azerbaijan. Partial mobilization has been declared today. Azerbaijan acts within the international law as opposed to the Armenian armed forces. Theres no sex in the air at the bars now. Thats whats different. On the last Saturday before Winnipeg starts its code orange pandemic restrictions, one of the citys most infamous clubs looks like this: an empty dance floor, a wide-open bar, and groups of young men making desultory glances at young women seated at distanced tables. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 27/9/2020 (481 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Opinion Theres no sex in the air at the bars now. Thats whats different. On the last Saturday before Winnipeg starts its code orange pandemic restrictions, one of the citys most infamous clubs looks like this: an empty dance floor, a wide-open bar, and groups of young men making desultory glances at young women seated at distanced tables. Yeah, its still messy, in some of the ways youd expect. The scent of spilled beers almost sticks to your lips. But its hard to flirt when youre ordered to stay in one place. The things that bring people to the bars the closeness of bodies, the heat, the sweat, the kinetic physicality that offers a tempting gamble of finding either passion or regret all of that is paused now. You cant inhale aphrodisia when the city is holding its breath. This isnt the new normal. Things dont have to be normal. Sometimes, theyre just what they have to be. But if youd gone to sleep after a bar night in 2019 and woken up to go to one in the fall of 2020, youd find it hard to shake how subdued its suddenly become. Just weeks ago, during that long exhale when Winnipegs case numbers were low, leaving a Corydon bar meant shouldering past crushes of women in miniskirts and men in cologne. Now: a naked street, smothered by the deflated silence to which weve recently become so accustomed. Because last week, as COVID-19 case numbers grew, provincial health authorities issued a measured rebuke of Winnipegs nightlife, and then announced new restrictions. It was the right thing to do. They could do more, and maybe they should, and maybe they still will. Ontario just closed strip clubs and implemented an 11 p.m. last call. In Manitoba, the response feels inconsistent. An outdoor walking tour of a historic park set for Tuesday a healthy activity, low risk, easy to social distance was cancelled due to the 10-person gathering limit. But nightclubs will be allowed to host far more patrons indoors, so long as they wear masks when not seated. The reasons for this are no secret. The hospitality sector is fighting to survive, and countless businesses would not make it out of a more severe round of restrictions. Still, everyone is wrestling with how life is being upended, and in that light its hard to feel the clamps tighten while riskier behaviours are allowed to continue. So if there was frustration, amidst rising numbers, with the largely young nightlife crowds which, when judged from a distance, seemed to be flouting the danger, well thats understandable too. The pandemics spotlight works like that, each fresh outbreak shifting a glaring eye from one demographic or location or behaviour to the next. Thats unavoidable, thats fine. From a public health standpoint, its right to name the trend. From a standpoint of searching for a sense of control in the chaos wreaked by a virus we cant see, its comforting to have someone to point to who did the wrong things, whose behaviour rolled back all the hopeful progress wed made. Were all frightened somehow, or if not that, then at least a little on edge. No matter what else we say. "Im not scared," one maskless man on the bar patio tells me, with great animation. "Never. Never." He explains that he expects to die at 60, for reasons not clearly explained. That he believes in God and thats why hes not afraid. The bravado of that conversation is undercut by a certain tension: in telling me this, he is trying to communicate something about himself that he wants me to know, but its not quite clear what it is. Maybe he just needs to believe that he can hang onto these moments. That they dont have to change. Still, most of the nightlife crowd has gotten the message. At the downtown club, a staff member tells me this is the slowest night hes ever seen in his many years at the venue. People are scared, he thinks. He gets it. We still hug goodbye, because that human impulse to seal a meeting with touch overrides our more recent programming. We ought to be gentle with these little transgressions. Its hard to do a pandemic right. Near impossible to be perfect. Is this a eulogy for bar life? Maybe, and perhaps because someone ought to write it. The majority of Winnipeggers dont mourn it, and for good reasons. It is not nearly as important as the more foundational pillars of life we are still scrambling to shore up, things such as health care and work and getting kids a safe education. Mostly, its easy to see nightlife as a frivolous indulgence, especially if one either never enjoyed it or simply grew out of it. If youth is wasted on the young, then its memory is often lost on the old. We are quick to forget how strong that longing for a place to connect, to burn, to lose ourselves in a night that crashes and swells like a wave. Jen Zoratti | Next A weekly look towards a post-pandemic future delivered to your inbox every Wednesday. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Its hard to picture when well ever see one of those again. Looking around at the club, at the empty space where the dance floor should be heaving and the half-smiles where faces would normally be beaming, all I feel is a bittersweet mixture of sadness and gratitude that I had my time to test those waters without being afraid. So just a moment then, to spare a thought for how nightlife has and will have to change. Its not the greatest victim of the pandemic by any measure, but it is not a painless loss, either. Life for everyone has gotten smaller. The ways we knew how to connect are eroded away. For a brief exhale this summer, it was natural to want to rebuild them. That was never going to last. The new numbers make it clear why. But some forgiveness for the hope it could. At the club, a woman (OK, it was this writer) slides off her high stool and, not moving from her two square feet of space, throws her hips into the beat of the live band playing on a stage that feels like its an acre away. A security guard leans into her ear with a sharp rebuke: "you gotta sit down," he says, gruffly. "No dancing." She sits down at the table, but the body wants what it wants. Her shoulders still sway. melissa.martin@freepress.mb.ca Jesse Grant/Getty Images for DisneyFans of Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson finally know who he's voting for. The Hobbs & Shaw actor broke his longstanding silence on politics Sunday to formally endorse former Vice President Joe Biden and running mate Kamala Harris. "I've never publicly endorsed a presidential candidate or vice presidential candidate in my life, over my career," the 48-year-old actor announced in a socially distanced YouTube video featuring Biden and Harris. "You guys are both obviously experienced to lead. You've done great things." Johnson not only expressed his confidence in the duo's qualifications, but also noted that their "soul" is what earned his respect. Referencing his late father Rocky "Soul Man" Johnson, the actor expressed, "My dad always said, 'Respect is given when it is earned.'" Johnson then posed the question to Harris and Biden about what they'll do to ensure they earn the same respect from the American people. "By doing what we say we're going to do. By keeping our word. By leveling with the American people. By taking responsibility. When we fail, acknowledge it," answered the former Vice President before extending that promise to his administration, saying it will be "representative of all of America." Harris noted the importance of running an honest administration, telling Johnson, "One of the foundations of trust is truth" even when it's "difficult to hear." "People are grieving the loss of life, the loss of jobs, the loss of certainty, the loss of normalcy and to heal and get through this. We're gonna have to be honest about what healing will require," added Harris. Johnson gave Harris his honest opinion of her, calling the senator "smart and tough" and that, "In my opinion you are a certified bada**." The first presidential debate is fast approaching, taking place in Cleveland on Tuesday. By Megan Stone Copyright 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved. Nelson Onuoha, a member of the team of lawyers that filed a civil suit against the lawmaker, disclosed this to PREMIUM TIMES on Monday. Abel Ozioko, a counsel to the senator, also confirmed the ruling. PREMIUM TIMES had in 2019 exposed the young senator caught on camera assaulting a woman in Abuja. The incident occurred barely three months after Mr Abbo was elected senator and a month before he was sworn in on June 11, 2019. The video showed the senator physically assaulting the woman, whom he accused of insulting him by calling him a drunk. A policeman, who stood by, did nothing to protect the victim. Mr Abbo later apologised publicly for his actions and turned himself in to the police, who held him for a night, before granting him bail after meeting a set of administrative conditions for his bound. He was thereafter, arraigned before the Chief Magistrate court, Zuba, Abuja, with two counts of criminal charges preferred against him. The magistrate court, however, dismissed the assault case filed by the Nigerian police against Mr Abbo for lack of diligent prosecution by the police this was despite the video evidence showing him assaulting Ms Warmate and a televised press conference in which the lawmaker apologised to the victim. Civil suit and ruling Meanwhile, the plaintiff filed a civil suit in July 2019 with representation from Solola and Akpana Partners. The suit filed by the police was a criminal suit and we were determined to go ahead with the civil suit, Mr Onuoha told PREMIUM TIMES. Delivering the judgement on Monday, Justice Samira Bature found the senator guilty and ordered him to pay N50 million to the plaintiff as compensation. Mr Ozioko, however, said they will appeal the judgement. The Senate had on July 3, set up an ad-hoc committee to investigate the incident. The committee had in October, submitted its report to the upper chamber. The report, which contains findings and recommendations, is yet to be discussed by the Senate. The former Senate spokesperson, Godiya Akwashiki, had said the report is yet to be considered because the case was still in court. However, with the dismissal of the suit, the Senate is expected to consider the report of the panel upon resumption in September. However, states like Tamil Nadu and Odisha are likely to receive heavy rainfall, thunderstorm and lightning in the next few days, IMD added New Delhi: The southwest monsoon retreated from parts of west Rajasthan and Punjab on Monday, 11 days after its normal withdrawal date, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said. Conditions are becoming favourable for its further withdrawal from some more parts of Rajasthan and Punjab and some parts of Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh during next two to three days, the IMD said. "The southwest monsoon has withdrawn from some parts of west Rajasthan and Punjab today, September 28th, 2020," it said. Dry weather is likely to prevail over parts of north India for the next five days. The official rainfall season in the country starts from 1 June to 30 September. This year, the monsoon made an onset over Kerala on 1 June, its normal onset date. It covered the entire country on 26 June, nearly a fortnight more than its normal schedule. According to the revised date, the new normal date for the monsoon to cover the entire country is 8 July. Earlier, the normal date for the monsoon to cover the entire country was 15 July. The monsoon has also withdrawn late this year. The new normal withdrawal date for the monsoon to retreat from west Rajasthan is 17 September, while the earlier normal date for the monsoon to withdraw from west Rajasthan was 15 July. While the monsoon was retreating from parts of north India, other parts of the country will continue to receive rainfall. A trough runs from a cyclonic circulation over east Bihar to west-central Bay of Bengal, off Andhra Pradesh coast across Gangetic West Bengal and coastal Odisha. Under the influence of this system, scattered to fairly widespread rainfall with moderate thunderstorm and lightning are very likely over south peninsular India during the next three days, the weatherman said. Isolated heavy rainfall is very likely over Tamil Nadu during the next two days, the IMD added. According to the weather department, monsoon is set to end on an above-normal note. Until 27 September, the country had received 9 percent more rainfall than the normal. Rainfall in the range of 96-104 percent of the Long Period Average (LPA) is considered as 'normal'; 104-106 percent of the LPA as 'above normal'. Anything beyond 110 per cent is considered as 'excess'. Kachru Houston (US): The historic" relationship between the US and India can be further be strengthened with increased cooperation in the agriculture and food processing sector, Arkansas State Governor Asa Hutchinson has said. Participating in the webinar India- Arkansas Partnership: Food Processing, Logistics and Manufacturing, Governor Hutchinson said trade opportunities in Arkansas and India, and collaboration in them would be beneficial for both economies. We have laid an incredible foundation for the future. And that foundation is based on our commitment to democracy, our mutual love for entrepreneurship, business and trade," Hutchinson said on Wednesday. Apart from Hutchinson, Secretary Food Processing Industries, India, Pushpa Subrahmanyam and Consul General of India in Houston Aseem R Mahajan participated in the webinar hosted by the Government of India. The governor recalled his visit to India in October 2019. We met several companies during our Incredible India visit", ranging from textile to steel to technology," he said. With agriculture being our number one economic driver, food processing is natural for us, followed by the steel industry. We have major steel mills like Big River Steel, Nucor-Yamato Steel Company," he said. The aerospace and defense industry is another major part of our economy. Lockheed Martin, Dassault Falcon, Aerojet Rocketdyne, Raytheon Missile Systems, General Dynamics, and others. Big companies like Tyson and Walmart that have significant investment and partnership in India are located here," he said. Hutchison also mentioned the vibrant and significant Indian-American community in Arkansas who contribute in all major fields, especially medicine, education." Consul General Mahajan said, We deeply value Governor Hutchinsons support to strengthen economic ties, as a result of which eight major Indian companies have invested over USD 392 million in Arkansas creating around 1,700 jobs in areas like information technology, manufacturing and engineering. The objective of todays webinar is to highlight the immense potential and opportunities for companies in both countries to invest and build fruitful partnerships for mutual benefit." Providing an overview of the food processing industry in India, Secretary Subrahmanyam said, Food processing is considered one among the champion sectors in India with policy shifts including measures to remove bottlenecks, fast track investments by fiscal measures and a better facilitating environment." Today is a watershed moment in the Food processing industry, we are launching a second wave of liberalisation in the country, the agriculture sector is liberated from regulations, liberalising the marketing ecosystem, enabling contract farming in India and removing sealing on storage for agriculture commodities," she said. The Indian government last week introduced three bill The Farmers Produce Trade and Commerce Bill, 2020, The Farmers Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020, and The Essential Commodities Bill 2020 saying they will revolutionise the countrys farming sector. The bills permit the sale of agricultural produce outside the mandis regulated by the Agricultural Produce Marketing Committees, provides guidelines for contract farming and deregulates the production, supply, distribution of food items like cereals, pulses, potatoes, onion and edible oilseeds. A factor attracting investments into India is its enormous food surplus, offering potential for processing this surplus and developing new products through fortified mechanisms, better technology and better nutritional attributes," she said. The Government of India has financial subsidies to set up manufacturing units in the country, a dedicated fund provided through the Ministry to promote agriculture in rural areas and concessions for investment in this sector. Also promotes huge infrastructure for plug and play units to come up, such as mega-food parks and mini-food parks. We hope that investments from Arkansas and the US will deepen further and enable us to forge stronger collaborative roles with the help of the Food Processing Ministry," Subrahmanyam said. The participating panel included Secretary of Commerce & AEDC Executive Director Michael Preston from Arkansas, Principal Secretary Industries, Maharashtra, Venugopal Reddy, Principal Secretary Industries, Punjab, Alok Shekhar, Managing Director and CEO of Invest India Deepak Bagla, vice president, corporate affairs, Americas, Mahindra Group, Ridhika Batra, senior director of Tyson Foods Todd Menotti . Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor TRENTON, N.J., Sept. 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the New Jersey Housing Mortgage and Finance Agency (NJHMFA) announced the expansion and reopening of its Small Landlord Emergency Grant (SLEG) Program to assist vulnerable renters across the state by covering their missed rent from April through July 2020. The program will reopen today, Monday, September 28th, at noon and will run until Tuesday, October 13th at 4:00 p.m. NJHMFA, whose mission is to increase the availability of and accessibility to safe, decent, and affordable housing to families in New Jersey, developed the SLEG Program to reimburse small landlords for missed or reduced rent payments between April 2020 and July 2020 due to COVID-19. Landlords approved for a grant must forgive any back rent or late fees incurred by their tenants. "Whether they are tenants or landlords, many of New Jersey's families are hurting in the ongoing economic crisis caused by the pandemic. No one should be struggling to keep a roof over their head during this crisis," said Lt. Governor Sheila Oliver, who serves as Commissioner of the Department of Community Affairs. "The Small Landlord Emergency Grant Program is critical to ensuring the recovery of these families as we rebuild New Jersey's economy together. Governor Murphy and I encourage every eligible landlord to apply for this COVID-19 relief program." "Since April, New Jersey landlords have filed 30,000 eviction cases in Landlord-Tenant court. Although Governor Murphy has enacted an eviction moratorium to protect residents from being locked out of their homes for nonpayment of rent, this alarming number demonstrates that many New Jerseyans are struggling to pay rent," said Charles A. Richman, Executive Director of New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency. "Our goal with the SLEG Program is to mitigate hardship for as many landlords and tenants as possible in the current economic crisis. To this end, we have made some small but significant adjustments to the program to increase both eligibility and accessibility. Not only will we reach more renters in need, but we have also removed some of the barriers for landlords to apply." To be eligible for the 2nd round of the SLEG Program: Applicants must own a residential property in New Jersey with 3 to 30 rental units; with 3 to 30 rental units; Applicants must be registered with the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs' (DCA) Bureau of Housing Inspection; The property must not be a seasonal or vacation rental property; The property must have at least one non-vacant rental unit impacted by COVID-19 between April and July 2020 ; ; The property must have low-to-moderate income rent levels. $15 million in CARES Act funding has been allocated to fund the first and second rounds of the SLEG Program. All completed eligible applications will be randomly sorted by computer to give each applicant an equal chance of being funded. Grant funding will be allocated on a case-by-case basis, based on the number of COVID-impacted units and the amount of missed rent. A list of all successful landlord applicants will be posted to the NJHMFA website, and letters will be sent to all tenants of awarded landlords. There is a range of tools available on NJHMFA's website to assist property owners in preparing their applications. These include an application checklist , an annotated application with sample answers, and a Frequently Asked Questions list. The application is available in both English and Spanish, and NJHMFA has contracted interpretation services to support speakers of at least 10 additional languages: Arabic, Mandarin, Cantonese, Gujarati, Hindi, Italian, Korean, Polish, Portuguese, and Tagalog. Applicants can contact [email protected] to receive a call within one business day from a representative who can communicate with them in their primary language. Potential applicants with specific questions can call NJHMFA's toll-free hotline at 866-280-9756 or email [email protected] . NJHMFA has been a leader in the creation and rehabilitation of affordable housing opportunities for families, seniors and special needs residents statewide through its loan financing and bond programs; mortgage, down payment and closing costs assistance; and the award of federal Low Income Housing Tax Credits. NJHMFA does not rely on any direct funding from the New Jersey State Treasury to meet its core operating or administrative expenses. For more information on NJHMFA, visit njhousing.gov. Contact: Steven Galante, [email protected] SOURCE New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency A Starlink user terminal, which would connect consumers to the company's satellite internet service. SpaceX SpaceX CEO Elon Musk on Monday reiterated the likelihood that his private space company will likely take its Starlink satellite internet service public in the coming years. "We will probably IPO Starlink, but only several years in the future when revenue growth is smooth & predictable," Musk said in a tweet. "Public market does not like erratic cash flow haha." SpaceX leadership has previously discussed the idea, with company President Gwynne Shotwell in February telling a group of investors in February that "Starlink is the right kind of business that we can go ahead and take public," adding that the company could spin it off. But a month later Musk downplayed the idea, saying that SpaceX was not focused on a Starlink IPO and "thinking about that zero." Instead, Musk at the time said SpaceX's goal was for Starlink "to be in the 'not bankrupt' category," noting the number of companies that have fallen short of building satellite internet networks in the early 2000s. Starlink represents the company's ambitious plan to build an interconnected internet satellite network, also known as a "constellation," to beam high-speed internet anywhere on the planet. The full Starlink network would consist of 11,943 satellites flying close to the planet, closer than the International Space Station, in what is known as low Earth orbit. Musk sees Starlink as a key "way for SpaceX to generate revenue that can be used to develop more and more advanced rockets and spaceships," he told reporters last year. Musk estimated that Starlink could bring in revenue of $30 billion a year or about 10 times the highest annual revenue SpaceX expects from its core rocket business. SpaceX deploys 60 Starlink satellites in orbit. SpaceX To date SpaceX has launched more than 700 Starlink satellites. The company is currently building a system of ground stations and user terminals, to connect consumers directly to its network. It told the FCC in July that SpaceX is building 120 satellites per month, as well as thousands of the small terminals that consumers will use to connect to the network. Additionally, SpaceX has said that Starlink is already seeing "extraordinary demand" from potential customers, with "nearly 700,000 individuals" across the U.S. indicating they are interested in the company's coming service. SpaceX has been conducting a private beta test of Starlink over this summer, which the company recently said has showed the network's internet speeds are capable of playing online video games and streaming movies. Employees have been testing Starlink's latency and download speeds, key measures for an internet service provider. Most recently SpaceX asked the FCC to expand testing further, with the company wanting to begin demonstrations using its oceangoing fleet of vessels. SpaceX plans to begin a public beta test of Starlink once the private beta test concludes. The company aims to offer Starlink as a commercial service before the end of this year in the northern U.S. and southern Canada, with plans for "near-global coverage of the populated world in 2021." A stack of Starlink internet satellites just before a launch. SpaceX 72% of American travelers expressed confidence in the hotel experience and plan to stay at a hotel again soon. The hotel experience is really different these days. As travelers plan fall "workcations" and winter holidays, hotels are working diligently to make guests feel confident and safe during their stay. HotelsByDay, a booking platform for day use hotels, surveyed 1,057 travelers to find out what they expect from re-opened hotels. The top traveler expectations at re-opened hotels As expected, the top guest expectations for re-opened hotels were around safety and sanitation. The top expectations were for hand sanitation stations (53%), mask requirements for staff and guests (50%), contactless options at the front desk (39%) and for hotels to limit access to guests only (37%). Notably, 44% of guests expect a welcome basket upon check-in that includes hand sanitizer and masks. Will travelers pay COVID safety surcharges? Of course, these added items and safety processes costs hotels a lot of money -- up to $100,000 per hotel, according to IHG estimates. Surprisingly, guests are sympathetic to these costs, with 46% of respondents were either understanding of the fees (but disliked them) or saw them as necessary for survival. Fee fatigue was still real: 34% said "no more fees!" and another 18% want COVID costs rolled into the resort fee. So how much are guests willing to pay? 30% of respondents said nothing at all, while 44% said anything under $19 is fair. A further 18% would pay anywhere from $20 to $50 for a COVID safety fee. What hotel amenities do travelers expect to be open? The other big adjustment to the guest experience is around hotel amenities. With social distancing and strict rules around indoor events, hotels have had to reduce hours and temporarily close property amenities. Yet, a big proportion of guests 44% still want daily housekeeping service. Thats a major thing, as youd think that most guests would prefer to avoid that service. Deals and discounts are top-of-mind Travelers are also looking for deals perhaps even more so than usual! 39% of respondents wanted to see discounted rates and/or special packages from hotels. This reflects both the dramatic drop in demand on the hotel side and the general savings mindset of travelers today. The reviews are in: hotel guests are confident in the hotel experience We also wanted to get a sense of how well hotels were meeting guest expectations during the pandemic. For those guests that have stayed at a hotel during this period, heres how they rated their experience. Overall, not bad at all! Hotels are doing a really admirable job at keeping guests safe and meeting their expectations. And yes, most guests felt really good about the guest experience. Based on their most recent hotel stay, 72% of respondents said that it met their expectations enough to give them the confidence to stay at a hotel again soon. On the flip side, 23% werent totally comfortable with their experience and stated that they would be more careful with choosing a hotel for their next stay. A small percentage 4% had a really bad experience, one that put them off hotels for the foreseeable future. See the full results here: https://blog.hotelsbyday.com/poll-what-guests-expect-from-re-opened-hotels/ Sudan's Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok has said that normalising ties with Israel was a "complicated" issue needing wide debate within society, media reported Sunday. Earlier this month, Israel signed US-brokered deals to normalise ties with the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain. The administration of US President Donald Trump wants Sudan to follow suit, and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo visited Khartoum in August to push a deal. Sudan's economy is in crisis, partly due to sanctions imposed because it is on a US blacklist as an alleged state sponsor of terrorism. On Saturday, Hamdok was questioned by reporters on the two issues of lifting US sanctions and normalising ties with Washington's ally Israel. "We spoke with the US Secretary of State and told him 'let us separate the two tracks,'" Hamdok said, speaking on the sidelines of an economic conference in Khartoum. "We hope for success in this matter," he added. Sudan has been technically at war with Israel for decades. Hamdok heads the transitional government, which came to power a year ago after Islamist president Omar al-Bashir was ousted, bringing together old rivals into a fragile coalition. Removing Sudan from the US blacklist is a priority for the government, but while some leaders are in favour of a political deal with Israel, many oppose. Any deal with Israel potentially risks undermining Sudan's fragile political unity. "This is an issue that has many other complications," Hamdok said. "It requires a deep discussion within our society." Sudan has been on the US blacklist since 1993 because of Bashir's support for jihadists, including Osama bin Laden, who lived in the country for years in the 1990s before heading to Afghanistan. General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, head of the transitional sovereign council, told Saturday's conference there was an "opportunity" for change. "We have the opportunity ... to remove Sudan from the state sponsor of terrorism list, and achieve integration within the global community," Burhan said. Scientists often refer to the neutrino as the ghost particle. Neutrinos were one of the most abundant particles at the origin of the universe and remain so today. Fusion reactions in the sun produce vast armies of them, which pour down on the Earth every day. Trillions pass through our bodies every second, then fly through the Earth as though it were not there. While first postulated almost a century ago and first detected 65 years ago, neutrinos remain shrouded in mystery because of their reluctance to interact with matter, said Alessandro Lovato, a nuclear physicist at the U.S. Department of Energys (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory. Our team came into the picture because these experiments require a very accurate model of the interactions of neutrinos with the detector nuclei over a large energy range. Noemi Rocco, postdoc, Argonne Physics division and Fermilab. Lovato is a member of a research team from four national laboratories that has constructed a model to address one of the many mysteries about neutrinos how they interact with atomic nuclei, complicated systems made of protons and neutrons (nucleons) bound together by the strong force. This knowledge is essential to unravel an even bigger mystery why during their journey through space or matter neutrinos magically morph from one into another of three possible types or flavors. To study these oscillations, two sets of experiments have been undertaken at DOEs Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (MiniBooNE and NOvA). In these experiments, scientists generate an intense stream of neutrinos in a particle accelerator, then send them into particle detectors over a long period of time (MiniBooNE) or five hundred miles from the source (NOvA). Knowing the original distribution of neutrino flavors, the experimentalists then gather data related to the interactions of the neutrinos with the atomic nuclei in the detectors. From that information, they can calculate any changes in the neutrino flavors over time or distance. In the case of the MiniBooNE and NOvA detectors, the nuclei are from the isotope carbon-12, which has six protons and six neutrons. Our team came into the picture because these experiments require a very accurate model of the interactions of neutrinos with the detector nuclei over a large energy range, said Noemi Rocco, a postdoc in Argonnes Physics division and Fermilab. Given the elusiveness of neutrinos, achieving a comprehensive description of these reactions is a formidable challenge. The teams nuclear physics model of neutrino interactions with a single nucleon and a pair of them is the most accurate so far. Ours is the first approach to model these interactions at such a microscopic level, said Rocco. Earlier approaches were not so fine grained. One of the teams important findings, based on calculations carried out on the now-retired Mira supercomputer at the Argonne Leadership Computing Facility (ALCF), was that the nucleon pair interaction is crucial to model neutrino interactions with nuclei accurately. The ALCF is a DOE Office of Science User Facility. The larger the nuclei in the detector, the greater the likelihood the neutrinos will interact with them, said Lovato. In the future, we plan to extend our model to data from bigger nuclei, namely, those of oxygen and argon, in support of experiments planned in Japan and the U.S. Rocco added that For those calculations, we will rely on even more powerful ALCF computers, the existing Theta system and upcoming exascale machine, Aurora. Scientists hope that, eventually, a complete picture will emerge of flavor oscillations for both neutrinos and their antiparticles, called antineutrinos. That knowledge may shed light on why the universe is built from matter instead of antimatter one of the fundamental questions about the universe. The paper, titled &ldquoAb Initio Study of (,) and (,+) Inclusive Scattering in 12C: Confronting the MiniBooNE and T2K CCQE Data, is published in Physical Review X. Besides Rocco and Lovato, authors include J. Carlson (Los Alamos National Laboratory), S. Gandolfi (Los Alamos National Laboratory), and R. Schiavilla (Old Dominion University/Jefferson Lab). ### The present research is supported by the DOE Office of Science. The team received ALCF computing time through DOEs Innovative and Novel Computational Impact on Theory and Experiment (INCITE) program. The Argonne Leadership Computing Facility provides supercomputing capabilities to the scientific and engineering community to advance fundamental discovery and understanding in a broad range of disciplines. Supported by the U.S. Department of Energys (DOEs) Office of Science, Advanced Scientific Computing Research (ASCR) program, the ALCF is one of two DOE Leadership Computing Facilities in the nation dedicated to open science. Argonne National Laboratory seeks solutions to pressing national problems in science and technology. The nations first national laboratory, Argonne conducts leading-edge basic and applied scientific research in virtually every scientific discipline. Argonne researchers work closely with researchers from hundreds of companies, universities, and federal, state and municipal agencies to help them solve their specific problems, advance Americas scientific leadership and prepare the nation for a better future. With employees from more than 60 nations, Argonne is managed by UChicago Argonne, LLC for the U.S. Department of Energys Office of Science. The U.S. Department of Energys Office of Science is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States and is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, visit https://energy.gov/science. Libyan Investment Authority concludes first phase of transformation programme LIA Chairman Dr Ali Mahmoud meets with Oliver Wyman representatives (September 2020) LIA Chairman Dr Ali Mahmoud meets with Oliver Wyman representatives (September 2020) LONDON and TRIPOLI, Libya, Sept. 28, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Libyan Investment Authority (LIA), Africas largest sovereign wealth fund, has announced the conclusion of the first phase of its comprehensive Transformation Programme, a major strategic mechanism for institutional development. The key milestone was marked in the presence of the International Forum of Sovereign Wealth Funds (IFSWF), a global network of close to 40 SWF, and international experts, as well as the directors of its subsidiaries and affiliated investment portfolios. Phase one of the strategic programme focused on the design and adoption of an operational mechanism to boost working efficiency, ensure internal transparency, control and governance, as well as compliance with the Santiago Principles. The first phase saw the LIA adopt an organisational structure that meets all set objectives, and better supports its long-term strategy. It also covered the creation and deployment of a comprehensive package of financial and investment policies and regulations, as well as internal control systems that are in line with the best practices of sovereign wealth funds around the world. As a result, the LIA is now advancing with a clear strategy and well-defined roadmap, with a system in place to measure success and ensure continued progress. Clear authorities, decision making protocols and reporting lines have also been institutionalised. Following the completion of the first phase of the Transformation Programme, the LIAs compliance rating with the Santiago Principles has climbed to 20 points out of a possible 24 (a substantial increase from just six points in mid-2019). The implementation of this all-encompassing strategic initiative will enable the LIA to manage its international assets with optimal effectiveness in line with the best practices of international sovereign wealth funds, while operating well within the United Nations sanctions framework. Story continues A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/69f3aba9-b5c0-4406-b0b5-ff3e87ec476c CONTACT: Media Contact: Mr. Ismail Ayan Media Relations Manager LIA.i.ayan@lia.ly The fourth week of Bigg Boss Telugu 4 began with the eviction of Devi Nagavalli and the subsequent nomination process that took place on Monday (September 28, 2020). In the nomination task, Akhil Sarthak and Sohel were given the roles of hitmen. The remaining contestants i.e., 'clients' were given Rs 10k each to make deals with the duo to 'kill' contestants they wish to nominate (per person). Notably, only six contestants were given chance to make deal, considering how swift they were to run to the doors of the hitmen when the buzzer rang. Interestingly, it was also told that only one among the hitmen will be given the chance to 'kill' the nominated contestant, and the one who collects more money will be safe from the week's nomination. Out of the two, Sohail was directly nominated for the 4th-week elimination as Akhil collected the maximum amount during the task. The latter was also given a special immunity to directly nominate any one contestant except for the already nominated ones for the elimination. He nominated Harika. On a related note, Devi Nagavalli during the post-elimination interaction was given an immunity to save any one contestant from the week's nomination as part of the 'positive big bomb', wherein she saved her BFF Ariyana Glory. Also, Gangavva who is the current captain of the house is safe from nominations this week. Nominations for the fourth week Swathi Dikshit Abhijeet Lasya Mehboob Kumar Sai Pampana Sohail Harika How To Vote! The users have to install the Hotstar App on their mobile phones (Available in Android and iOS) Create an account using email id, phone number or social media account Click 'Bigg Boss Telugu 4' in the search bar Click on the Vote icon and cast your vote to save your favourite contestant Users have 10 votes each day, which they can either use for a single contestant or can split among the other contestants on the list It is to be noted that the vote bank closes on Saturday at midnight Bigg Boss Telugu 4: Ex-Contestant Devi Nagavalli To Make A Comeback On The Show On Public Demand? Bigg Boss Telugu 4 Ex-Contestant Kalyani Says She Felt Bad When Nagarjuna Didn't Allow Her To Talk French President Emmanuel Macron will meet with Belarusian opposition leader Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya during a visit to Lithuania on September 29. Tsikhanouskaya claims she won the August 9 presidential election in Belarus, defeating long-ruling strongman Alyaksandr Lukashenka. She fled to Lithuania amid a crackdown on protesters by Lukashenka, who has refused to admit defeat. Crisis In Belarus Read our ongoing coverage as Belarusian strongman Alyaksandr Lukashenka continues his brutal crackdown on NGOs, activists, and independent media following the August 2020 presidential election, widely seen as fraudulent. Lukashenka had himself secretly sworn in on September 23, sparking outrage at home and abroad. Western countries have refused to recognize Lukashenka as the legitimate leader of Belarus and have called on him to peacefully transfer power. Protesters have taken to the streets of Belarus for 51 consecutive days to demand Lukashenka step down. Opposition leaders, including Tsikhanouskaya, have formed a Coordination Council to facilitate the transfer of power. Tsikahnouskaya ran for president in place of her husband, who had been arrested prior to the election. She said she would hold a new presidential election upon taking power. Based on reporting by AFP The provision of cancer care for teenagers and young adults in Northern Ireland is "often inappropriate for the age group", the Belfast Health Trust has admitted. It comes after a mother hit out at the care her 17-year-old son received in the final stages of his life. Ozzie Rogers, from Magherafelt, died earlier this month after a long fight against acute myeloid leukaemia. His mum Miranda is now throwing her support behind a petition for Northern Ireland to have a dedicated Youth and Young Adult Cancer Centre, similar to those in the rest of the UK. The online petition has been set up by Belfast dad Sean Smyth. Sean has been running the Eimear's Wish charity in memory of his daughter to raise awareness of stem cell donation. He also wants a specialist centre for teenagers and young adults. In September 2016, Eimear was diagnosed with stage two Hodgkin's Lymphoma, a type of blood cancer. After finding a stem cell donor match, Eimear underwent a transplant in November 2018, but passed away following complications. Miranda asked: "I spent hours talking to Sean and one thing was apparent - why is there no unit for children? Why were our children treated in an adult world they weren't ready for?" Belfast Trust has now said it is working on a 10-year plan to address the issues raised. A consultation period is under way and it plans to report its findings by March 2021. A spokesperson said: "Belfast Trust ensures teenagers who have a life-threatening illness but are too old to be cared for in a paediatric setting are cared for by the appropriate specialist team in order to treat their condition. "For this young man, his care was delivered in our specialist inpatient haematology unit. The ward is supported by the Teenager and Young Adult team which includes specialist nursing and social work support and advice. "Last year co-production work began on the development of a 10-year Northern Ireland Cancer Strategy, with policy makers, health representatives and charities actively working in its development. "The cancer strategy seeks to maximise the patient voice by fully involving lived experience cancer patients and experienced health professionals at all levels. The project is led by a steering group which is supported by seven sub-groups; prevention, diagnosis, treatment, care and support, living well, palliative/end of life, and children and young people, all of which are co chaired by a person(s) with lived experience of cancer. "The children and young people sub-group are considering issues that impact on children and young people dealing with a cancer diagnosis while recognising that current services, specifically for the 16-18 year olds, are often at times inappropriate for this age group." It is understood the group is considering service models and the development of an all-island service for children and young people including palliation, access to clinical trials and the psychosocial impact on children and young people and their families. "The sub-groups findings and recommendations arising out of these discussions will be incorporated into our strategy," the Belfast Trust said. "It is our intention that the strategy will be available in draft by the end of December 2020 and following consultation will be finalised by the end of March 2021." Autoblog may receive a share from purchases made via links on this page. Pricing and availability is subject to change. No donation or payment necessary to enter or win this sweepstakes. See official rules on Omaze. Enter to win this giveaway or any other Omaze experience between now and December 31, 2020, and receive 150 bonus entries with Autoblogs exclusive code AUTOBLOG150. Simply add the discount at checkout. 2020 has been a heck of a year, and while an extra $20,000 in your bank account might not make it the best year of your life, theres no doubt itll make it better than it currently is. Thats exactly what Omaze is giving away right now. Win $20,000 for the Ultimate Vacation or Staycation - Enter at Omaze Its super simple. No car, no trip, nothing to be scheduled for some point in the future when things return to normal. Its quite simply, $20,000 in your bank account, with the taxes covered. What would you do with $20,000? In the spirit of the raffle, if I had to use that money to travel, a trip to New Zealand would most likely be in my future (probably distant future). If I was using it for a staycation, the idea of a hot tub in the backyard, right as the weather is finally cooling here in Colorado, is pretty enticing. Let us know what youd spend the $20,000 on in the comments, and while youre pondering whether or not to enter this drawing, remember this, your entries will help International Medical Corps. According to Omaze, International Medical Corps is a global first responder that delivers emergency medical care and training to those affected by conflict, disaster and disease. Their teams are now responding to the massive explosion that struck the port of Beirut, Lebanon, mobilizing urgently needed supplies from their warehouse in Beirut and providing surge support to overwhelmed hospitals and health facilities to provide care. In the days ahead, they will focus on delivering medication, medical supplies, personal protective equipment and trauma-related medicine; deploying mobile medical units; providing psychological first aid and more. Your support will help them provide urgently needed resources to communities in Lebanon as these communities face a number of challenges, including the explosion, widespread power outages, the ongoing financial crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic. Story continues If you're interested (and why wouldn't you be?), you'd better enter quickly, because the deadline is September 30, 2020 at 11:59pm PT. Don't forget to use Autoblogs exclusive code AUTOBLOG150 at checkout to get 150 FREE entries for this giveaway or any other Omaze experience between now and December 31st 2020. You Might Also Like Two self-made billionaire brothers from the North of England have stunned the City by moving into pole position to buy Asda. Mohsin Issa, 49, and his brother Zuber, 48, built up their company EG Group from a single garage in Bury, bought for 150,000 in 2001, to a 9billion giant with 5,400 outlets and 35,000 staff. Yesterday it emerged the duo, whose family came to the UK in the 1960s 'with nothing', have been chosen as the preferred bidder in the battle to buy Asda, which would return the supermarket to British ownership. Any deal is expected to value the supermarket at around 6.5billion. The decision has confounded the City who believed owners, US grocer Walmart, was ready to sign a deal with Apollo Global Management, which was headed up by former Debenhams boss Rob Templeman. Preferred bidder: Any deal is expected to value the supermarket at around 6.5billion Last week Lone Star Funds, which was working with former Asda executive Paul Mason, dropped out seemingly leaving Apollo with a clear run. It is thought Walmart was wooed by the Issas' entrepreneurial flair and the potential to put Asda convenience stores in EG's petrol stations. Walmart is looking to sell most of its stake in Asda to focus on defending its position in the US against Amazon and pursue opportunities in higher growth markets, such as India. The Issas are backed by private-equity firm TDR Capital, which has owned half of EG Group since 2016, and a series of lenders including Barclays and Lloyds. Their selection as the preferred bidder for Asda was first reported by Sky News. Shore Capital's Clive Black said the proposed deal put 'raw entrepreneurship and ambition in the driving seat'. Nearly two months after Beirut was devastated by a massive explosion, at least one in four children in the Lebanese capital are at risk of missing out on school, the International Rescue Committee (IRC) said Monday. Instead of being able to enjoy their summer holidays, children in Beirut had their lives torn apart by the explosions on Aug. 4, Mohammad Nasser, the IRCs acting country director in Lebanon, said in a statement. Children need stability in their lives and school is usually the one place where they can get it. More than 85,000 students attended the 163 schools damaged in the explosion, the New York-based group said, warning that it may take up to a year for the worst-hit buildings to be repaired. Lebanons Ministry of Education is tasked with finding new schooling locations before the academic year begins in mid-October. IRC said that children may need to travel long distances to reach their new schools, some of which are adding afternoon and evening school shifts to accommodate the influx of students. The IRC expects many families may choose to not send their children especially girls to school over fears they wont be safe on public transportation at night. The aid group predicts a high dropout rate this school year and called on Lebanon to invest more in online distance learning and other nontraditional means of education. Some 600,000 children lived within a 20-kilometer (12-mile) radius of the blast that killed nearly 200 people, wounded 6,500 and left a quarter of a million residents without homes. The explosion of a stockpile of ammonium nitrate improperly stored at the citys port gutted entire neighborhoods and damaged some 8,000 structures. The World Bank estimates the blast caused up to $4.6 billion in physical damage. Even before the blast, the small Mediterranean country was experiencing its worst economic crisis since the 1975-1990 civil war. PARB Awaiting State Guidance To Inform Use Of Force Policy Changes PITTSFIELD, Mass. The Police Advisory and Review Board issued a statement reaffirming the current use of force policy while it awaits state guidance on the subject. The board voted last week to issue a statement that essentially mirrored current policy that states maneuvers designed to reduce blood or airflow are not authorized or trained by the department. "I think saying something in the interim would be good and would let the public know that we have concerns about this," Chairwoman Ellen Maxon said. Through the summer, the board has discussed possible changes to the Police Department's Use of Force policy, specifically eliminating neck restraints. Police Chief Michael Wynn has indicated at past meetings that he was unaware of any department that trained restraints that cut off airflow. He said, although not taught in Massachusetts, some departments do train vascular restraints. Wynn said the department in 2018 struck these restraints from the department's books. He said he was hesitant to return the restraints to the policy at all, even if they just planned to ban them. "I am having difficulties putting language addressing this back into the policy and letting the genie out of the bottle I thought we capped in 2018," he said. "But I understand the current climate. We have to put something out there." Wynn said the department made these changes because it could not properly train vascular restraints. Although Wynn said he could teach this, there was not enough time or resources to properly and safely train officers. "So I don't want someone to go to the academy and learn something that took me 40 hours of instruction to get a basic understanding of," Wynn said. "And 15 years of practice outside of law enforcement to gain competency." The chief said there are issues with outright banning the maneuver, and it could create a liability for the department through an ineffective policy. If an officer uses such restraint but can prove that the use of the maneuver was "objectively reasonable under the totality of the circumstances" then they would have a defense against the department's ruling. He said an officer may have been trained in these maneuvers in the past. For example, if the department hired a former Marine, they would likely be trained in these restraints. If they were to use them to save their life or someone else's, a department ban probably would not hold up in court. Maxon agreed that even mentioning the restraints in the policy could "open the door," but she felt the board had to take some action with so many community groups awaiting some sort of action from the department. But there was a hesitancy to really say anything among the board members without any information from the state. The state has yet to make a ruling on whether to outright ban these holds or move them to the highest level of force. "I am not opposed to it but in some ways, it is moot if the legislature makes the decision," board member Michael Feldberg said. "It ties our hands." Wynn said if the department decided to ban these restraints, but the state opted to reclassify them, the city's policy change would be ineffective. He thought it was best to wait before entertaining any policy changes "I don't want to kick this can down the road, and I want to solve this. But I am struggling with this," Wynn said. "If the legislature moves it to deadly force ... it just makes sense to mirror it. If they prohibit it altogether, same thing." Wynn said it was unknown when they would have this information from the state. "There is no time table of when it will come out," he said. "It could be tomorrow, next month or next session." He added that even state policy challenges could be challenged at the federal level. F amilies of the 22 people murdered in the Manchester Arena terror attack have shared their "grave misgivings" about the "obsessive secrecy" of MI5, a public inquiry has heard. Peter Wetherby QC, representing seven of the families of victims, said a central issue of what the security services knew about the bomber Salman Abedi and what they did will be held in closed hearings. He said this will mean families lawyers and members of the press and public will not be allowed to attend. Evidence involving information judged to be potentially of use to terrorists is subject to restriction orders and those hearings will be closed, as the evidence is deemed critical to national security. But Mr Wetherby has questioned the need for "secrecy" regarding the relationship between Salman Abedi and known terrorist Abdalraouf Abdallah. He stressed that much of what is known about the bomber and his background came via the media and not through official channels or the authorities. Families tell of lives being shattered by Manchester Arena bombing He said the relationship between Abedi and Abdallah was an example of the alarm of the families at the prospect of closed hearings. Abdallah, also from Manchester and jailed for terrorist offences in the UK, was twice visited in jail by Salman Abedi and the two discussed martyrdom attacks. They were in contact before, during and after his Abdallahs conviction and in the months leading up to the Arena attack. Yet in official reports and in an MI5 statement from a witness X submitted to the inquiry, the security services had redacted Abdallahs name and he is only referred to by a letter. A memorial at Manchester Arena / AFP/Getty Images Mr Wetherby said: It doesnt seem to us that there was any legitimate privacy right as regards him, and no national security reason to redact his association with the Abedis. So, why the secrecy? The only people or organisations protected by Abdallahs anonymity, his redaction from reports and the witness statement, are it seems, the security services. The failure to recognise the association between Salman Abedi and Abdalraouf Abdallah was a real missed opportunity. The redaction and omission of Abdallahs name from reports and the witness statement is an indication of a lack of transparency by the security services and frankly it calls for a rethink by this inquiry. Hashem Abedi, the brother of Manchester Arena bomber Salman Abedi / PA Wire/PA Images Without the media exposure would there have been an attempt to keep Abdallahs name out of this process? He again cited press reports detailing the Abedis links to extremism, his radicalised family and association with terrorists. Mr Wetherby added: What exactly does one have to do to get the attention of the security services? Mr Wetherby said a public inquiry must pull no punches and be a warts and all investigation and the families accepted the need to keep some information of use to terrorists private. He added: However, they also recognise that a veil of secrecy is likely to do the opposite. Overbearing secrecy does not protect national security, it does the opposite. It protects failure and it prevents progress. It undermines confidence. Justice requires that light is shone into the darkest corners. He said confidence in the inquiry from families is high but if MI5 is seen to be treated differently during the inquiry then confidence will inevitably wane and findings based on hearings held behind closed doors will be met with scepticism. Abedi was convicted of murder in March and later sentenced to life in prison with a minimum term of 55 years for his involvement in the attack. The 22-year-old plotted with older brother Salman to detonate a homemade explosive packed with shrapnel in a crowded place, hoping to murder as many people as possible. The extremist brothers bought huge amounts of chemicals online for their bomb, and met with a convicted ISIS terrorist as they plotted the atrocity. Salman, 22, was the one who carried out the attack, blowing himself up in the foyer of the arena as concertgoers including many young children streamed for the exits and to meet their parents. The inquiry was adjourned until Tuesday morning. Additional reporting by PA Media. On this episode of Extra Spicy, Matt Horn, the pitmaster and proprietor behind Horn BBQ, talks about his journey from cooking in a backyard in Tracy and putting on a roaming Bay Area pop-up to opening a highly anticipated brick-and-mortar space in Oakland. Horns Texas-style barbecue has become the stuff of legend, earning him regional and national acclaim, as well as a spot on this years Top 88, The Chronicles list of top Bay Area restaurants. Hosts Soleil Ho and Justin Phillips break down why Matt Horn's barbecue from his tender smoked brisket to his extraordinary attention to detail has always been worth the wait. Listen to the episode by clicking on the player above, and scroll down to read an edited transcript of Soleil Ho and Justin Phillips full conversation with Matt Horn. Here is a transcript of Soleil Ho and Justin Phillips' interview with Matt Horn, edited and condensed for clarity. The interview was conducted on Sep. 21. Soleil Ho: You are Matt Horn, the barbecue pitmaster with a giant beast of a machine named Lucille, right? Ive heard of you. We are talking to you before your brick and mortar restaurant opens. How does that feel? Matt Horn: You know, I have mixed emotions. Its been really like a long journey to get to this point. That love and romance for barbecue and all things fires kept me motivated. And then also the support of the community, my family, friends, loved ones that's just been keeping me going. But it is surreal to be so close. You dream and think about it every day and now going to happen. It's awesome. Soleil Ho: Have you been sleeping well? Matt Horn: No, not at all. Not at all. I'm often told, Hey, you need to go to sleep. Get to get some rest. I can't. If I'm laying on the bed, my eyes are wide open. Im just going through the motions. And I still do that even now even after all this time I still visualize myself serving each and every customer. And cuts of meat and everything. I still do that. Justin Phillips: That's awesome. Soleil Ho: It seems so wild to be opening a restaurant right now. Tell us about that. Matt Horn: You know what? Me and my partners talk about this all the time. The importance of opening right now, but then the responsibility that's being placed on us. I say that because this is a very challenging time to be opening a restaurant. Ultimately, we decided to go the route of opening a brick and mortar. You know you really think about We found a spot. We found a location and we're gonna go and we're going to make it really cool. We're going to open up and serve people. And do this and that. But it didnt work out that way for me. Were in the midst of a global pandemic, racial reckoning. We were just dealing with bad air quality. Fires that are devastating communities and homes. And people being affected by so many different things. And you know what? It's a very challenging time right now to be opening up a restaurant. And not to mention the closures of restaurants, which are really, truly unfortunate. I was always taught by my grandparents, and my mother and father always taught me, If you start something, you finish it. I had a little sit down, a kind of little powwow, with my wife and kids. And then I just told them, You know, I'm going to follow through with this. If I have to run in a burning building, that's what I'm going to do. Matt Horn Justin Phillips: California, especially the Bay Area, definitely has an obsession with barbecue. I've come to realize that there are a lot of people who don't understand barbecue, but they love it. But I think what I like the most about it is that barbecue is like malleable. It can mean something different to the diner. I would love to hear from you, what is barbecue to Matt Horn? Matt Horn: I think I think aside from barbecue being this labor of love, or there's this great unifier, when I look at barbecue, I look at barbecue as a canvas of art that's never finished. When I look at what we're doing with barbecue, I'm always trying to challenge myself just to see the direction that we can go. But then also how we can be innovative and to create something beautiful with the things that we're doing. Barbecue has many different facets. I mean, you have the backyard. You have the backyard guys that are on the flip flops. You have the whole competition thing. And then you have craft barbecue where you have everybody kind of putting their own touch on what their perspective is. When I look at it, with what we're doing, I am heavily influenced by Texas-style barbecue: the respect for the meats and letting our meats shine and that sort of thing. And just using really simple tools tools that we've been using for centuries. Which is, you know, wood that comes from the Earth and fire and that sort of thing. But I think with Horn Barbecue, we're looking at trying to redefine what it is that we're doing. With Texas-style barbecue, it's really beef-driven just because of the location. But then you go down south and it's real pork heavy and pork driven. On our menu, we're smoking oxtails. We're going to be doing lamb and just different things like barbacoa. And it's kind of like this melting pot ... kind of like the Bay Area. We've met people from so many different states: People from the south. People from the East Coast, that sort of thing. But we want to create something that is a reflection of where we are here in the Bay Area. But then also my perspective of where I like to take barbecue. And every day, that's becoming clearer and clearer to me. Justin Phillips: Can you talk about the early days? What's the thing that launched you in this direction? Matt Horn: Early on, I was doing ribs a lot. I was doing spareribs. I really wasn't focusing on the trim and was obsessed with just the cooking part of it. And I was using charcoal and I was doing a direct fire style of sparerib. I think the one day that it really changed for me was when my grandmother was like, Hey, your grandfather had a bunch of mesquite wood in the shed. And I remember it's weird that mesquite would have been in there so long. I mean, it was bone dry. So I went and grabbed it and I put it directly on the coals. So like, right under where the spareribs were. And it was burning the ribs. And I'm like, OK, thats not going to work. But it had a little firebox to the side an offset cooker. So what I did was: I took the burning meat off. I cleared the charcoal. Put it inside of the offset box. And then I put the Mesquite in there. And then I smoked the ribs. And I noticed a totally different product at the end. And that was kind of like that Aha! moment for me. And this thing didn't have a thermometer or anything like that. I was using my hands and kind of touching. And real hands on which I'm still that way now. But that was the moment for me that made me realize that through the alchemy of smoke. And this fire and this Mesquite. It really defined the character of my spareribs and gave me a totally different product. So I kind of went down that rabbit hole with that. I was using Mesquite earlier on and then I kind of switched over to almond. And then using a white oak and that sort of thing and playing around with cherry. And different stuff like that. And that's where it did it for me ... Once I realized that cooking in direct fire that's not the only way. It's not the wrong way. But the guiding light for me was to smoke the meats because that gave me the desired product. And I had a vision in my head. When I go into these cooks, I'm already thinking about the end product and what that's going to look like in terms of textures, colors, that sort of thing. That's how I judge my cooks. I base it off what I'm able to achieve with what I set out to do with each cook. I know that's weird. I know it's just barbecue. But that's what I do. That's my process. Sarahbeth Maney / Special to the Chronicle Soleil Ho: Your process sounds so intimate and hands on. Is there anything you're worried about as you open your space and try to scale up a bit? Are you worried about losing that process? Matt Horn: You know what, you do have thoughts. The more and more people that you bring into it are they gonna feel the same way that you feel about meat? Are they going to feel the same way that you feel about barbecue? And you have guys that are interested in barbecue and say, Hey, I've been doing barbecue. And my dad does it and my uncle does it and that sort of thing. But with me, it goes a little bit deeper. And it's not to knock these guys that are doing it in their backyard, because thats how I started. But to me, it's more than just squirting lighter fluid and then getting to go in and doing hot dogs and burgers and that sort of thing. It is a lot more intimate with me. And I want to pass that onto anybody that comes in to be a part of our family and our team. The importance of barbecue, the importance of wood, the smoke burning the oxygen-rich smoke. The way we trim our meets and that sort of thing. Because if we do lose that and if any of us lose that, it takes away from the character of our barbecue. And I don't feel like anybody that's coming to Horn Barbecue and waiting for our barbecue shouldn't be able to experience that love and that intimacy that goes into our barbecue. Justin Phillips: One of the things that I found interesting is that it's been a really family-oriented process for you. Can you talk about how this project came to be through the support from your family? Matt Horn: That's a really great question, man. I mean, in the earlier days of me doing this, I was a driver over at U.P.S. They brought me on seasonally, it wasn't like a long term thing, just during my holidays. There were days where I'm up at 5 a.m. I get on my truck, I go drop off my packages. And it wasn't like I'm like, Hey, I hate this job. I actually enjoyed what I did, but I literally went from being laid off and then trying to figure out where my next move was. And having that time at home and cooking. I mean, it was simple stuff. It wasn't anything exciting or spectacular. I'm talking about spaghetti and pasta and that sort of thing. I found peace in just the little details of just something so simple to prepare like those things. So I started making that drive from Los Angeles to the Central Valley a three and a half hour drive just pop up at my grandmother's house. She saw early on that it wasn't just once or twice or a few times this was a every weekend thing that I was making that drive from out there to use her the cookers that were in the backyard. And at that time, my grandfather had passed away. Nobody was back there using them, so they were covered up. But I remember when I was younger that was there. And my wife, she's been supportive. And I'm going to be honest with you guys. I did have people that laughed. I had people that pretty much was just like, Wait, you're going to start doing barbecue? And I'm like, Yeah, yeah. I know this may sound crazy to guys, but I'm just being led in that direction. I'm just feeling like a pool. And that pool is just that passion. But I've said this before, but when I lit that first fire, There was an obsession that took place. Not in the sense of wanting to burn things down or anything like that. Soleil: Not like a pyro sense, right? Matt Horn: No, not like Drew Barrymore in Firestarter. But a respect for the fire. And what the fire is capable of. It's weird for me to say this, but that's literally how I felt. I felt those emotions clear as day. And earlier on, I'm telling my wife like, I think Im just going to start a barbecue business. And she looked at me and said, What do you mean? I'm like, We're gonna start a barbecue business and I'm going to go for this. And she looked at me and smiled and said, You know, I support you. And I said, I know you probably think I'm crazy. I know it's your first time hearing this. But just trust me, I'm going to put my all into it and I'll make this thing work out. And earlier on I didnt know we would have long lines and do these different sold out pop ups and go across the country doing what we do. But it was me just saying that, Trust me, because I know that I'm not going to ever shortcut anything that I do. And I'll never sacrifice the quality or the product or anything that we're doing. I knew this. I was very intricate with small details and that translated well with barbecue. And the day I signed us up for the farmer's market, we literally had a week to get all of our equipment. She was right there ready to go. Like, What do you need help with? Because I was making the sides, I was doing the desserts, I was shopping for the meat. And then I'll stay up all night cooking the meat. And then I will go and set up. And she's just like, What can I do to make your life easier so youre not killing yourself? So she started taking over doing the sides. And she has been supportive since day one. Soleil Ho: Wow, that's a keeper. She has a job to be apart from this? Matt Horn: The whole time she's been working full time. Just to go back earlier on what I was telling you guys that people kind of thought I was crazy. It was the fact that, you know, she was pregnant. She was working full time. There her husband is at home on a laptop with all these grand ideas and dreams about a barbecue that he's going to name after himself. People thought that that was crazy. And people know I am, whereas when I do something, I go all the way home and I don't shortcut the quality of whatever I do. If there is anything that I put my hands on, I want it to be the absolute best. And there's people who were just kind of like, Well, you know, you could have gone into consulting or brand consulting or getting into real estate. Food Guide Top 25 Restaurants Where to eat in the Bay Area. Find spots near you, create a dining wishlist, and more. And they were just kind of shocked and kind of confused where barbecue came out of nowhere. I even had an old manager at a job was just like, I've never heard Matt talk about food. And people just say, Well, this guy never went to culinary school. Where did this come from? And it's the fire. It's the love of barbecue. Its bringing people together and people from all walks of life and all different perspectives. And she literally was just there. And she worked full time. I'd have my baby at home he'll now be 5 in December but I would have him at home. Id make a bottle and rock him to sleep. And when he goes to sleep, I'm outside lighting the grill and cooking meats. And I did extensive R&D in those early days. I mean, I have notes and notes. And that's what I would do. And she would be at work and come home and Id got dinner figured out. She believed in me and trusted me. And Im grateful. Even to this day, she's right there. She's always been right there to support me, telling me like, I believe in you. You can do it. Justin Phillips: That's awesome. Soleil Ho: I came to the Bay Area fairly recently, about a year ago, but I already knew of you as someone for whom people would line up for hours to get your barbecue. And I know it didn't start out that way. What was it like when you first started offering your pop ups and what was the tipping point? How did you get from A to B? Matt Horn: In one of those late nights, I was like, I'm going to reach out to all these breweries. And I'm like, Hey, I'm Matt Horn of Horn Barbecue. We're looking at putting up a pop up at your place. And a lot of people didn't respond. One brewery that responded earlier on was in Oakland. They were just like, Hey, come out and we'd love for you guys to set up. Maybe 15 or 20 people came. I had been up all night. I was exhausted. I was excited. I had all these mixed emotions, kind of like the first day of school when you lay your clothes all out on the bed. I was really excited. And so I get there, I put my apron on and we do our orders and we go through service. And I didn't sell everything. I don't want to bring back food to the house where my wife's parents are like, Well, you guys and sell everything off. But I still want to serve people. So Ill go out to the park and go over to homeless shelters and say, Hey, can I set up a table and just serve food? And that's what I would always do. But the next pop up, it doubled. And a blogger came out and took some really cool pics. And in the common area, people were like, Hey, where can we find this? And it started to grow from there. And then it got to the point where it just wasn't a large enough venue for us because it was so many people. And so that's why we started doing it over at Hangar One. And Hangar One was a really amazing fate. That's like family over there. They volunteered and stuff. But earlier days, it wasn't like that. I told my wife before we did the farmer's market, I'm like, Hey, one day people are going to line up for our food and we're gonna have sold out pop ups. And we'll be talking about our food and my eyes were glowing. And she's looking at me and she's just like, I believe you! Because she saw that passion for it. And I had a vision for taking it to the next level. But nothing in life happens like that. You don't ever see the full staircase. You see the first step. And we have a decision, Do we take the first step? Or do we turn away? What if we do take that first step? That first step is worth hundreds of thousands of miles. You hear what I mean? And thats the decision I had to make: If I'm going to do this, no matter how challenging it may be, I will not quit and I will follow through. And that was a promise that I made to myself, first and foremost. But that was a commitment that I made to my wife. And I told her that if no one ever comes to eat our barbecue, as long as we're doing what makes us happy in this life, then we're rich. I really meant that. And I said I still feel the same way. So as the pop-ups continued to grow, it was beautiful. And people here in the Bay Area from all over California people were flying in and would roadtrip for the pop ups. And we were grateful for that. But it wasn't always great. And the reason I say that is because people don't understand why one guy is cutting all the meat. And you get really nasty messages. And I've been threatened. I mean, racial slurs, all kinds of stuff. Because we sell out of meat or we sell out of beef ribs. Or, Why is the wait two hours, three hours, four hours? That sort of thing. And that goes back to who I am, just as a person, as a chef. I don't want to sacrifice quality by compromising my method. We don't have a microwave method. I don't precut the meats. We're not reheating the meats. Anytime you come to Horn Barbecue, you're eating the freshest ingredients. And that's just how we do things. But even going through all that stuff... This whole educational bit. We're like, hey, look, let's slice them all that needs to order. May take a little while, but this is what we're doing. But it's been great and I've been grateful for it. And it's grown in a way where my wife looked at me with tears in her eyes and she just says, You know, you did say that we would have lines one day and look at this. And that was one of the days where close to a thousand people showed up to Hangar One. And that was maybe one of the first times ever that I kind of felt that butterfly feeling in my stomach where I'm like, OK, this is a lot of people. And I'm grateful for all those people. Everybody wasn't happy. But I'm still humbled every day to be able just to go out. And that people still enjoy what we do. Justin Phillips: So give us an idea of the menu. What's the rundown for the menu for people who might be tuning in for this podcast? Matt Horn: Well still be doing our brisket. My brisket is something, man. It makes you work for it. I'm going to be doing our brisket, our spare ribs. We'll be doing a variety of sausages, hot links and everything like that. We'll be doing smoked turkey, pulled pork. We're doing a whole hog every Saturday. We're doing beef ribs every Saturday. We'll be doing the oxtails. We'll be doing lamb. And then there's some other things that we're working on. And we want to kind of surprise people with that. We're going to roll out on specials. You guys may come in one day and this is the menu. But on special, we have something totally different. And I think that's the thing where we kind of go back in terms of culture and history. And pay respect to those that come before me. I'm literally first generation with Horn Barbecue. I have family members that have done it. I mean, everybody fires up their barbecue grills in their backyard. But I get to kind of create the path that I would like to go. And hopefully my children follow in that. But we're going to be doing some really cool stuff, and I'm excited about it. Soleil Ho: What are you most looking forward to? This brick and mortar will probably give you more opportunity to expand or experience or mess around a bit more. What are you excited about? Matt Horn: I've been dreaming about this for a while and for this to become a reality. I think just enjoying the moment. But also I look forward to feeding the people, feeling in the community, interacting with people. I mean, I'm sure you guys kind of get the vibe where it's like, Hey, that's Matt's thing. I mean, even when we were feeding the community through the Horn initiative, it literally brought me joy just to be able to do that. And that's the thing with me, I like to interact with people. Like I said, you can't make everybody happy. But that doesn't deter us from showing people love or barbecue being a reflection on my life, my family's love. And I just look forward to just seeing the people interacting and creating something positive that may inspire the next generation, because you never know. You know some young boy or girl, maybe look up and say, Hey, you know what? That's something I aspire to do one day. And I hope that my journey is an example of what you can accomplish, because I never set out to do barbeque. Or to be a chef. Or anything like that. And I know my title is Pitmaster. But I tell kids all the time that if you just focus on what it is that you want to accomplish in life and be a student of your craft, there's no limit to what you can do. There's no limit to what you can do. Always be a student. Forever be a student. Always learn and be a sponge, you know? So I'm looking forward to getting everybody together and just give the people just some really good food. We're just a humble barbecue joint. And I hope people see that it's reflected in our food. Soleil Ho: Thank you for those words of wisdom. Justin Philiips: For people who might be looking for you, how can they find you? Matt Horn: The website is hornbarbecue.com. You can find us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook. #HornBarbecue. The restaurant is located in West Oakland at 2534 Mandela Parkway. We're getting really, really, really close here. I hope that you all can make it out and just come. And lets all come together in love and enjoy something that is made from love. Soleil Ho: Thank you so much for your time. It was such a pleasure to speak with you. A Louisiana utility says the cost to restore electricity and repair power lines damaged in the state during Hurricane Laura is now up to $1.4 billion. Entergy Corp., the New Orleans-based utility serving many of the areas affected by the Aug. 27 storm, said that power has been restored to almost all of their customers who were left without electricity when storm surge and winds of up to 150 mph (241 kph) downed more than 14,000 lines and ravaged homes and businesses across the states southwestern coast. Remaining work in Calcasieu and Cameron parishes, and into Lake Charles, was expected to be completed by Sept. 30, according to a news release from the company. Total restoration costs, including those incurred by Entergy in Texas, were estimated at $1.7 billion, according to the company. It was not immediately clear how much of the repair costs would be covered by the federal government and how much would be picked up by Entergy and its ratepayers, The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate reported. Louisianas legislature was set to address relief efforts during a special session beginning next week. Repair costs from Laura also included precautionary measures to protect against the coronavirus, such as accommodations for disaster response workers who had to be housed in hotels near the damage sites, officials said. Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Catastrophe Natural Disasters Louisiana Hurricane Meng Wanzhou, chief financial officer of Huawei Technologies Co Ltd will appear in a Canadian court on Monday as her extradition hearing enters the next phase. Here is a timeline of the case. AUG. 22, 2018: A New York court issues an arrest warrant for Meng for her to stand trial in the United States. DEC. 1, 2018: Meng is arrested by Canadian police in Vancouver as she changes planes. The arrest is not made public until Dec. 5. The Chinese embassy in Canada demands her release. DEC. 6, 2018: Chinese officials say they have not been given a reason for Mengs arrest. The White House and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau both move to distance themselves from the arrest. DEC. 7, 2018: Court proceedings show that the United States issued the arrest warrant because it believes Meng covered up attempts by Huawei-linked companies to sell equipment to Iran, breaking U.S. sanctions against the country. DEC. 8, 2018: China threatens Canada with consequences if it does not release Meng. DEC. 10, 2018: Two Canadians Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor are arrested in China. DEC. 11, 2018: Meng is released on bail to house arrest in Vancouver by a British Columbia court. U.S. President Donald Trump tells Reuters he will intervene in the case if it would serve national interests. JAN. 8, 2019: Documents found by Reuters confirm Huaweis links to companies suspected of operating in Iran and Syria, breaking sanctions. JAN. 22, 2019: The U.S. Justice Department announces it will formally seek the extradition of Meng to the United States. JAN. 26, 2019: Trudeau fires John McCallum, Canadas ambassador to China, after he tells Chinese-language media Huawei can make a good case against extradition, thanks in part to Trumps comments about his willingness to get involved. FEB. 4, 2019: Canadian canola shipments are delayed in China. MARCH 1, 2019: Canada approves the extradition order of Meng to the United States. MARCH 3, 2019: Huawei sues the Canadian government over Mengs arrest. MARCH 6, 2019: China says it found hazardous pests in Canadian canola samples and blocks most shipments of the crop. JUNE 25, 2019: China blocks all pork shipments from Canada. JULY 15, 2019: Canada postpones decision on whether to allow Huawei to build a 5G network in Canada. MAY 27, 2020: A British Columbia Supreme Court judge rules the charges against Meng met the legal standard of double criminality, meaning they could be considered crimes in both the United States and Canada. JUNE 19, 2020: China charges two detained Canadians with suspected espionage. JULY 27, 2020: Mengs lawyers push for the release of more documents relating to her arrest, which Canada argued should not be handed over on the basis of national security. AUG. 25, 2020: The Canadian court blocks the release of further documents. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Union Minister on Monday asked the to reunite with the BJP to form government in and also suggested a power-sharing formula between the two saffron parties. Speaking to reporters here, Athawale said president Uddhav Thackeray should remain chief minister for one year and then the coveted post should go to BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis for the remaining three years (of current assembly term). Athawale also said that NCP chief Sharad Pawar should join the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in the event of the not forging ties with the BJP. The Union Minister, a BJP ally, made the remarks in the wake of the meeting between Fadnavis and Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut at a city hotel on Saturday that had sparked a buzz in political circles. However, Fadnavis, a former chief minister, had later maintained that the meeting with Raut was in connection with an interview for Shiv Sena mouthpiece Saamana. Raut is also executive editor of the Marathi daily. Long-standing allies Shiv Sena and the BJP had severed ties after the 2019 Assembly polls over sharing the chief ministerial post for two-and-half years on a rotational basis. The Shiv Sena had then joined hands with ideological rivals NCP and the Congress and formed the present Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government with Thackeray as its head in November last year. It is my proposal that the Shiv Sena reunites with the BJP. Thackeray should become the chief minister for a year and Fadnavis for the rest of the three years. The Shiv Sena should be given one or two portfolios in Delhi (central government), too. The Shiv Sena should not stick in the NCP and Congresss labyrinth and come with us, he added. Athawale added that Pawar should join the NDA if the Shiv Sena is unwilling to be a part of the BJP-led coalition. The NCP patriarch may get "a big post" in the future if he joins the NDA, the Rajya Sabha MP said. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Cardinal John Tong Hon of Hong Kong urges the local Catholic community to be guided by Church teaching during social unrest this past year. By Vatican News English Section In a recent Pastoral Letter, Cardinal John Tong Hon of Hong Kong addressed the social turmoil and division that rocked Hong Kong over the past year saying, the public are fully justified in expecting the local government to take action promptly to address their aspirations for justice, democracy and a more decent quality of life. However, he also acknowledged that divisions have found their way into the local Catholic community. Church teaching The Cardinal pointed out that the faithful are free to have different views given that social and political issues are often complex and do not come up with simple or ready answers. Nevertheless, he said, differences in viewpoints must not give way to a division in the Church. We must bear in mind, he added, the teaching of Vatican II that all the faithful are to strive to preserve Church communion, and they are to take account of the common good of the Church even when exercising their own rights. Cardinal Tong noted one of the consequences of social turmoil in Hong Kong has been a hatred of some sectors of the public towards those who do not share their stances or endorse their actions in regard to socio-political reforms. The Beatitudes The Cardinal said that at this present time, "it is fitting to reiterate that the Church gives support to 'democracy' as a system of governance." Pope Francis, he said, in his apostolic exhortation, Evangelii Gaudium writes "that the progress in building a people in peace, justice and fraternity can be achieved by committed and responsible citizens. However, such a progress is an 'ongoing process' which demands that people work slowly but surely, without being obsessed with immediate results. In contributing to building a society of peace, justice and fraternity, we have a twofold role to play as 'prophet' and 'servant': we have to discern the 'signs of the times,' and we have to act like the salt of the earth, the light of the world and the yeast of human society." The Cardinal said, in our endeavours for socio-political reforms and the well-being of society, we should be guided by the social teaching of the Church. We must, above all, put into practice what Jesus teaches in the Beatitudes and in the Sermon on the Mount. Thus we must realise that treating others as 'enemies' to be hated and fought against is inconsistent with the Christian faith. Christ crucified, he continued, "has set an example for all Christians to follow: whatever might be the conflicts that have to be resolved, love, forgiveness and reconciliation must always prevail, if justice and peace are to be achieved. The end does not justify the means." He went on to say that pastors and priests should enlighten the faithful and form their consciences with the social teaching of the Church so that they can adopt a balanced approach and take the right course of action while engaging themselves in social concern activities. However, he stressed, priests should not exert their influence in those areas. The Cardinal also emphasized that Catholics who arrogantly challenge or criticise the Church or even slander Church leaders are simply setting a bad example and creating a split in the Church. Only by preserving their communion with the Hierarchy can "Catholics truly manifest the 'sense of faith' (sensus fidelium) as advocated by Vatican II. Hope amid challenges In his Pastoral Letter, the Cardinal noted that many Catholics bear a gloomy outlook about the future of Hong Kong. They have based their views on the uncertainties about the rule of law and the political reform, and the almost unbearable impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic on our local economy and livelihood", he said. "I earnestly call", he continued, "on these Catholics to place an unwavering hope in Jesus Christ The Cardinal also underlined that the social turmoil last year and the current pandemic have made great impacts on Hong Kong, and we can foresee new challenges to our evangelising mission in the years to come. Cardinal Tong concluded saying that God is the key to our human destiny, of the need for a stronger sense of solidarity among members of the human family, and of the significance of maintaining Church communion, though allowing for a diversity in Church life. India on Monday rejected Pakistans criticism of the human rights situation in the country and called on Islamabad to do more to tackle issues such as the persecution of minorities, enforced disappearances and influx of outsiders in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). Also read: Surgical Strike Day: How army soldiers destroyed terror launchpads Exercising its right of reply at a discussion in Geneva on situations requiring the attention of the UN Human Rights Council, India also pointed to Pakistan continuing to be a safe harbour for terrorists and said more training camps and launch-pads for terrorists had come up in PoK. None of Pakistans vile accusations against India could stifle the voice of the minorities and the people under its subjugation. The fate of religious and ethnic minorities is well known when beheading is the only option in Pakistan in exchange for freedom of religion, India said in its response delivered by Pawan Badhe, first secretary in the permanent mission in Geneva. It should be a matter of concern for the Council that Pakistan has been continuously misusing this august forum for malicious propaganda against my country, he added. Different international organisations had described Pakistan as the killing field for minorities and the Ahmadi community continues to be the most persecuted community in Pakistan. Hundreds of Christians are persecuted every year while maximum of them are subjected to violent deaths in Pakistan, Badhe said. Pakistan had also institutionalised enforced disappearance as a tool of subjugation against dissent and criticism against individuals and the entire society, the Indian response said. Children as young as 12 years old in Balochistan, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Sindh are normally abducted and trained to be suicide bombers. In a chilling reminder to what Pakistan is capable of, ministers of Pakistan proudly call for another full-scale genocide against [the Baloch people] to resolve the political crisis in Balochistan, it added. Badhe also said Pakistans deceit and hypocrisy is reflected in the orchestrated mass influx of outsiders to the Pakistan-occupied parts of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh through discriminatory domicile laws. Its baffling that there are three outsiders for every four [people] in the Pakistan occupied parts of Indian Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. While civil, political and constitutional rights are non-existent in Pakistan occupied parts of Indian Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, deliberate economic policies have also subjugated them to a life of extreme poverty, he said. At the same time, full scale training camps and launch pads of terrorists are being escalated in Pakistan occupied parts of Indian Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh at great expense for sustaining cross-border terrorism against India. Its not without reason that Pakistan remains a safe harbour for terrorists. While the world is busy combating the Covid-19 pandemic, Pakistan hoodwinks the world to allow delisting more than 4,000 proscribed terrorists to sustain its terror ecosystem, he added. The Indian response said nothing can change the fact that the entire territory of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh is an integral part of India, and Pakistan should see the reality and stop coveting territories of other countries. Statistics and data from international organisations have demonstrated that Pakistan is a minefield for journalists and human rights defenders, who are often subject to murder, harassment and assault, it further said. The Delhi High Court on Monday sought the Centres response on a plea seeking immediate steps to prevent stubble burning in the neighbouring states of Punjab and Haryana on the grounds it could aggravate coronavirus- related problems. A bench of Chief Justice D N Patel and Justice Prateek Jalan issued notice to the Centre on an application that contended that stubble burning would increase air pollution drastically in the national capital and could further aggravate health problems in view of the coronavirus pandemic. Also read: Rules go up in smoke as farm fires rage in Punjab In his plea, advocate Sudhir Mishra, urged the court that the central government should be directed to coordinate a meeting between the chief secretaries of Delhi, Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh to address the issue. Mishra told the court that stubble burning has already started in Punjab and Haryana. He said the deadly virus has already claimed 92,000 lives and stubble burning would further weaken the immunity of people. He said the chief ministers of Delhi, UP, Haryana should sit and bring out a solution to the problem. The Centre told the bench that despite directions from the respective state governments not to burn stubble or face penalty for violation, farmers were doing it. Delhi government additional standing counsel Naushad Ahmed Khan told the court that a similar matter with respect to air pollution is pending and hence this matter should be tagged along with that. The court listed the matter for hearing on October 22 and asked the central government to find out if any similar matter was pending before the Supreme Court. Also read| Farm bills: Protesters set tractor on fire near India Gate, five arrested The application was filed by Mishra in his main PIL moved in 2015 seeking directions to the Centre to take immediate steps to control increasing air pollution in the national capital. He claimed there is a direct connection between the increase in air pollution and the rise in Covid-19 cases in Delhi. This year, farmers have already begun burning crop residue in parts of Punjab and Haryana, satellite images from Nasa has shown, suggesting an early start to a practice that plunges much of the region. Every year these farm fires usually begin in full-swing by mid-October. Last year early fires were detected by September 25. Also read| Stubble burning can spike Covid-19 deaths: Petition in SC Clouds of smoke cover Delhi and parts of north India in a thick blanket of toxic smoke every year, triggering a public health crisis. This year, there are fears that it is likely to exacerbate the Covid-19 outbreak. Research from Italy, one of the first coronavirus hot spots, showed that air pollution was linked to worse mortality rates. The virus, in severe cases, causes respiratory distress -- a condition that can be made worse to exposure to polluted air. Questo comunicato e stato pubblicato piu di 1 anno fa. Le informazioni su questa pagina potrebbero non essere attendibili. According to a new study published by Polaris Market Research the worldwide anti-drone market is anticipated to reach over USD 3,064 million by 2026. In 2017, the defense and military segment dominated the global market, in terms of revenue. North America is expected to be the leading contributor to the global market revenue during the forecast period. The rising incidences of misuse of drones and growing terrorist activities primarily drive the growth of this market. Smugglers and traffickers are increasingly using drones for malicious and criminal activities, thereby increasing the demand of anti-drones. Other driving factors include technological advancement, and increasing investment in R&D. Get Sample Copy @ https://www.polarismarketresearch.com/industry-analysis/anti-drone-market/request-for-sample There has been an emerging threat from drones to critical infrastructure. A high number of cases of drone overflights at nuclear and power stations have been registered. In 2014, after several cases of overflights of reactors, French authorities invested $1.1 million for detection, identification, and neutralization of small aerial drones. There has been a significant increase in spoofing and cyber-attacks. Spoofing is taking control of a drone by hacking the radio signal and sending commands to the aircraft from another control station. Valuable data can be stolen or deleted through cyber-attacks. Complaints registered against misuse of drones also include snooping, burglary, smuggling contraband into prisons, and mid-air near misses among others. Terrorists have started using drones to gather valuable intelligence on their enemies. All these factors have increased the adoption of anti-drone systems. North America generated the highest revenue in the market in 2017, and is expected to lead the global market throughout the forecast period. The driving factors for anti-drone market in North America include increasing number of security breach incidents by unidentified drones and increasing terrorist activities. Recent incidences of riots & civil unrest have increased the demand for anti-drones in this region. North America spends high budgets for military expenditure and for research & development programs, which augment market growth. Get Discount Offer @ https://www.polarismarketresearch.com/industry-analysis/anti-drone-market/request-for-discount-pricing The various end-users of anti-drones include defense and military, government, commercial, and others. In 2017, the defense and military sector accounted for the largest share in the global market, and is expected to maintain its lead during the forecast period. The demand for anti-drones in the military sector has increased owing to growing cases of smuggling, trespassing, and spying. Increasing need for border security, and threats from neighboring countries support the adoption of anti-drones. The well-known companies profiled in the report include Saab AB, Thales Group, Raytheon Co., Lockheed Martin Corp. , Dedrone Inc, Droneshield Ltd., Northrop Grumman Corp., Theiss UAV Solutions, LLC, Blighter Surveillance Systems Ltd., Israel Aerospace Industries Ltd., among others. These companies launch new products and collaborate with other market leaders to innovate and launch new products to meet the increasing needs and requirements of consumers. Buy Now @ https://www.polarismarketresearch.com/checkouts/191 Emmanuel Macron will meet Belarusian opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya in Lithuania on Tuesday, the Elysee Palace said in a statement, after she asked the French president to help mediate the crisis that has gripped the country since the controversial reelection of President Alexander Lukashenko. Belarus opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya on Monday urged French President Emmanuel Macron to mediate in the political crisis in her homeland, saying he could involve Russia in opening a dialogue. Tikhanovskaya told AFP the EU should expand planned sanctions to include businesses that support the authoritarian government of President Alexander Lukashenko. "The protests are not going to stop," she said in an interview in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius, where she fled after unsuccessfully challenging Lukashenko in an August 9 election. "People will not accept the regime under which they have lived all these years." The French president will be Tikhanovskaya's most high-profile meeting so far since the disputed election and the weeks of unprecedented mass protests that she has helped inspire. She has previously met leaders in neighbouring Poland and Lithuania, which have taken a lead in European diplomacy on Belarus, and with EU foreign ministers in Brussels. She said the French leader was known as a mediator in international crises who could open a dialogue between the government and the opposition, and also involve Russian leader Vladimir Putin. "Now is the moment when Belarus needs help in starting dialogue," she said, adding that Macron could be "one of the mediators" in the crisis. In an interview published yesterday with the Journal du dimanche (Sunday Journal), Macron said Lukashenko should agree to leave power. It is clear that Lukashenko must go, he said. >>Tens of thousands protest in Belarus despite police detentions Russian cooperation During a visit to Lithuania that began on Monday, Macron and Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda agreed that the European Union should decide on sanctions against Belarus at the summit of the bloc's leaders later this week. Story continues "We agreed that the European Union cannot waste time and have to do everything so that sanctions are discussed and agreed and confirmed at the next EU leaders' summit," Nauseda told reporters after talks with Macron in Vilnius. The EU has been considering sanctions against Lukashenko and other high-profile figures seen as responsible for a violent crackdown of months of protest in Belarus. Speaking at a news conference, Macron insisted that Europe should also cooperate with Russia to build peace in Europe despite calls from some of his EU peers to review his stance towards Moscow after the poisoning of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny. "The way we see things is that if we want to build peace on the European continent, we need to work with Russia," he said. But Macron also called on Russia to provide more information on the Navalny case or face international consequences, without elaborating as to what those might be. "This is very clearly a murder attempt carried out on Russian soil, against a Russian opposition leader, with a chemical agent fashioned in Russia. It is therefore up to Russia to provide clarification," Macron told reporters. (FRANCE 24 with AFP) Khatkar Kalan (Pb): Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Monday said his government would approach the Supreme Court over the issue of new farm laws. Talking to reporters here, he also suggested that Pakistans spy agency ISI will use farmers unrest over the new farm laws and will try to foment trouble in the border state of Punjab. Amarinder Singh, along with AICC general secretary and Punjab Affairs in-charge Harish Rawat, Punjab Congress chief Sunil Jakhar and others, paid tributes to Shaheed Bhagat Singh on his 113th birth anniversary at Khatkar Kalan village in SBS Nagar district. Amarinder Singh, Rawat and others held a sit-in protest here against the new farm laws. Addressing the gathering, the CM slammed the Centre for bringing the farm laws, saying they would destroy" the farming community. I have said we will take this matter forward. The president has passed these bills and now we will take this matter to the Supreme Court," Singh said. Stating that his government would take every possible step to protect the interest of the farming community, he said two advocates from Delhi would be coming here on Tuesday and the matter would be discussed with them. To another question, he said, The ISI always looks to whom and where it can give guns, bombs and grenades. They have been following it since the beginning. During the last three and half years of our regime, we have arrested around 150 terrorists and seized around 700 weapons. There has been peace in Punjab but when you try to take away someones food, then wont he be angry. He becomes the target for ISI. That is why I am saying whatever they have done is anti-national," Singh added. President Ram Nath Kovind on Sunday gave assent to three contentious farm bills that have triggered protests by farmers, especially in Punjab. According to a gazette notification, the president gave assent to three bills the Farmers Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020, the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020, and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill, 2020. Defending farmers for holding protests over the farm laws, the CM said they had the right to do so as you are taking away their livelihood. He accused the central government of snatching the rights of states. Now you have taken away (right over) the farm sector. Which thing will you leave with states? Will you leave it or not? You have taken away everything (from states). How will we run our states?" he added. Talking to the media later, the CM expressed hope that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi would join protests against the new farm laws. We are going to request him to join us. Daily he is tweeting and making statements, saying whatever they (government) have done with farmers is a fraud. He will certainly join us," he said. Slamming the Shiromani Akali Dal, which has exited the NDA, the CM said, Akali Dal is now in a total lose-lose situation. You will find they will lose all over. They will try to use some other tactic that is not going to work because once you have let people down, once you have told them what sort of people you are nobody will trust you again." Earlier addressing the gathering, former Uttarakhand chief minister Harish Rawat said the Congress would fight farmers battle. He accused the BJP-led central government of demolishing" the minimum support price, mandi system and PDS (public distribution system) with these farm laws. Their motive is to demolish everything which farmers have got after a long struggle. From the green and white revolution to till now, rights which farmers acquired, one by one all of them are being demolished with these farm laws," Singh said. MSP and mandi system will be dismantled with these farm laws and their next target is FCI," he said, claiming that they also want to demolish the Public Distribution System. Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor Shares of Endo International plc ENDP gained 8.44% after it announced that its subsidiary, Par Sterile Products, has entered into a non-exclusive manufacturing agreement with Novavax, Inc. NVAX for the latters COVID-19 vaccine candidate, NVX-CoV2373. Per the agreement, Par Sterlites Rochester facility will provide fill-finish manufacturing services for NVX-CoV2373. The facility has begun the production of NVX-CoV2373 final drug product, with initial batches to be used in Novavax's phase III study in the United States. Par Sterile will also fill-finish the NVX-CoV2373 vaccine intended for commercial distribution in the United States. The financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed. The partnership with Endo in the United States will enable rapid delivery of the vaccine for pivotal clinical testing, which is expected to get underway soon. We note that NVX-CoV2373 is currently in multiple phase II studies. A phase II study to evaluate the safety and immunogenicity of NVX-CoV2373 began in August 2020 in the United States and Australia building on positive phase I results and expanding to include older adults. A phase IIb study to assess efficacy began in South Africa in August. Interim data from these studies are expected before the end of 2020. Novavaxs shares gained 10.8% on the news. Shares also gained last week after the company announced that it has initiated the first phase III study in the United Kingdom evaluating the safety, efficacy and immunogenicity of NVX-CoV2373. Data from this study are likely to support the regulatory submissions for licensure of the vaccine in the United Kingdom, the EU and other countries. Shares of Endo have lost 32.8% in the year so far compared with the industrys 8.5% decline. The race for the development of a vaccine for COVID-19 has intensified in the last couple of months, as a second wave of the pandemic is likely to grip the western countries. The pharma and biotech companies are running a race against time to develop a vaccine and combat the contagion. Story continues Last week, shares of pharma giant Johnson & Johnson JNJ surged after it announced the launch of its large-scale, multi-country phase III study (ENSEMBLE) for its COVID-19 vaccine candidate, JNJ-78436735. Among other companies, Moderna MRNA is developing an mRNA-based vaccine, mRNA-1273, in collaboration with the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for COVID-19. A phase III study of 30,000 volunteers in the United States began in July 2020. While Endo currently carries a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell), Novavax has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. More Stock News: This Is Bigger than the iPhone! It could become the mother of all technological revolutions. Apple sold a mere 1 billion iPhones in 10 years but a new breakthrough is expected to generate more than 27 billion devices in just 3 years, creating a $1.7 trillion market. Zacks has just released a Special Report that spotlights this fast-emerging phenomenon and 6 tickers for taking advantage of it. If you don't buy now, you may kick yourself in 2021. Click here for the 6 trades >> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Endo International plc (ENDP) : Free Stock Analysis Report Johnson Johnson (JNJ) : Free Stock Analysis Report Moderna, Inc. (MRNA) : Free Stock Analysis Report Novavax, Inc. (NVAX) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. If the MTA thinks Im going to pay $19 to cross the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge, theyve got another thing coming. But eliminating Staten Islanders' resident discount is one idea being floated as a way to address the MTAs bleak financial picture. They cannot be serious. The MTA is looking for $12 billion in federal aid to help make up for losses wrought by the coronavirus pandemic. I may be wrong, but I dont think President Donald Trump and federal lawmakers are going to just write a check to the MTA. So here we are. The elimination of all MTA resident discount programs, including ours, would save the MTA about $65 million a year. In other words, a drop in the bucket when youre staring into a $12 billion abyss. When you figure in resident discounts and rebates, Staten Islanders pay an effective $5.50 toll when they cross the Verrazzano. That sure beats the $12.24 E-ZPass rate and the whopping $19 tolls-by-mail rate. Just doing all the math in order to make sure that youre paying the lowest toll possible is enough to make your head hurt. How did tolling get so complicated? Ill never figure it out. The same way that Ill never figure out how any bridge could cost $19 to cross. The Verrazzano one of the most expensive crossings in the country. It bears repeating that Staten Island is a place that drivers must pay in order to enter. How on earth can the MTA expect Staten Islanders to pay $19 for the privilege of returning home? And how is a potential $19 toll supposed to play with pandemic-weary commuters who would rather drive than go to work by mass transit? Thats some choice people would be left with: Pay through the nose or risk getting COVID-19 by riding the subway or on a crowded express bus. And not every Staten Islander has the same options when it comes to commuting. Many dont live near the boroughs single train line. Express buses dont work for them. Driving is simply the best that they can do. And commuting from Staten Island to Midtown Manhattan is no joy, not with the Gowanus Expressway in the mix. Everybody is looking for a handout these days. Gov. Andrew Cuomo wants the feds to send billions of dollars in aid to the state. Mayor Bill de Blasio wants some free money too, as well as long-term borrowing power. I dont know about you, but I dont want to pay in perpetuity to help de Blasios utopian dreams come true. Everybody blames the coronavirus pandemic for destroying their budgets, but the city and the state had big economic problems even before the plague hit. So did the MTA. Now theyre all shaking the cup at the feds, as if Trump is responsible for solving all their budgetary ills. The president does make for a convenient villain, however. The MTA shouldnt victimize Staten Islanders in order to plug their budget hole. Were an island. Were dependent on our bridges like no other place in New York City. The MTA and the Port Authority truly have us over a barrel. Give us a break. De Blasio wants New Yorkers to get over their addiction to cars. He says the future of the city isnt the automobile but mass transit. If thats truly the case, we simply need more mass transit options, particularly here on Staten Island. But de Blasio hasnt even been able to deliver a fast ferry route to us yet, so Im not holding my breath. And if the MTA really wants to put a spark to a Staten Island secession movement, a $19 toll on the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge is a good way to go about doing it. LONDON The dissident Chinese contemporary artist Ai Weiwei staged a silent protest outside Londons Old Bailey court on Monday against the possible extradition of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange to the United States, where he is wanted on an array of espionage charges. The court, meanwhile, heard that Assange, if convicted in the U.S., could end up spending the rest of his life imprisoned in the federal Supermax prison in Florence, Colorado. The facility is home to Unabomber Ted Kaczynski, Mexican drug lord Joaquin El Chapo Guzman, 1993 World Trade Center mastermind Ramzi Yousef and Zacarias Moussaoui, the only man ever convicted in a U.S. court for a role in the Sept. 11 attacks. Ai, who visited Assange at the Ecuadorian Embassy in London where he was holed up for seven years until April 2019 and subsequently at Britains Belmarsh high security prison, said the authorities have a responsibility to protect the freedom of the press. He is prepared to fight, but this is not fair to him, he said. Free him, let him be a free man. U.S. prosecutors have indicted the 49-year-old Assange on 17 espionage charges and one charge of computer misuse over WikiLeaks publication of secret American military documents a decade ago. The charges carry a maximum sentence of 175 years in prison. As well as arguing that the extradition would pose a threat to Assanges life, his defense team say that Assange is a journalist and entitled to First Amendment protections for the publication of leaked documents that exposed U.S. military wrongdoing in Iraq and Afghanistan. He truly represents a core value of why we are free because we have freedom of the press., Ai said. We need a lot of protesting, and it can take any form. Im an artist, if I cannot use my art, its very limited, then Id rather just be silent. Assanges father, John Shipton, was also protesting outside the court. Ai Weiwei is an artist of gigantic international standing, he stands alongside Julian to give the fight international meaning, he said. Ai, 63, is one of the worlds most successful artists, famous around the world for his installations of bicycles and sunflower seeds. In his native China, he was alternately encouraged, tolerated and harassed, spending time in detention and being barred for years from leaving the country. He was arrested at Beijings airport in April 2011 and held for 81 days without explanation during a wider crackdown on dissent. He is now based in Berlin and in the U.K. On Monday, the court heard from two witnesses who said Assange would face intolerable conditions if extradited. It is widely mooted that Assange would be moved to the pre-trial facilities at Alexandria Detention Center in Virginia if extradited. Other recent high-profile federal defendants there include President Donald Trumps 2016 campaign chairman Paul Manafort and Chelsea Manning, the former intelligence analyst who leaked a trove of documents to WikiLeaks and who tried to take her own life earlier this year at the facility. Yancey Ellis, a Virginia-based lawyer who has had clients at the facility, said Assange would likely be put into an administrative segregation unit for months or even years that would be akin to solitary confinement. And Joel Sickler, who heads the Justice Advocacy Group, said Assange would face no meaningful interaction in pre-trial confinement in a cell the size of a parking space. Sickler, who has decades of experience in the field of the U.S. prison system, also said Assange would face the real risk of special administrative measures, or SAMs, being imposed on him by the U.S. Attorney General if convicted. The imposition of such measures could further curtail Assanges links and communications to the outside world as well as his movements within prison. Sickler said it was highly likely that Assange could be sent to the Supermax facility in Colorado. The prison, also known as ADX, is so secure, remote and austere it has been dubbed the Alcatraz of the Rockies. Should Mr. Assange be sent to ADX he will almost certainly spend all his time in ADX in solitary, Sickler said in written testimony to the court. While conditions at a penitentiary are severe, nothing compares to the near permanent solitary life of an inmate at ADX. Assanges lawyers have argued that their client could very well try to kill himself if extradited to the U.S., while those acting on behalf of the U.S. government have sought to show that his mental state is not as bad as claimed and that he wouldnt be subjected to improper conditions. Assanges extradition hearing, which was delayed by the coronavirus pandemic, is due to end this week. By Express News Service THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The UDF leadership has decided to stop live protests and agitations owing to the spurt in COVID-19 cases. The UDF, especially the Muslim League and the Congress, had faced the wrath of the LDF government for unleashing widespread protests by their youth organizations against higher education minister K T Jaleel demanding his resignation. Talking to reporters at Indira Bhavan, Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala said the decision was taken after holding telephonic talks with UDF allies. Almost a dozen KSU leaders including KSU state president K M Abhijith were diagnosed with COVID-19 following their Secretariat march. Chennithala informed that as a responsible Opposition, they dont have any qualms in taking a decision to stop all their live protests against the state government when the state is witnessing a difficult situation due to the spread of COVID-19. But he maintained that the protests against the LDF government will continue by maintaining COVID-19 health protocols. The UDF has been urging the state government to increase the number of COVID-19 tests. Once the test numbers were increased, there has been a huge surge in cases. We have also decided to postpone the protest to be held on November 5 in all the Assembly constituencies. The Opposition will render all support to the LDF government in whatever decision they take to curb COVID-19, said Chennithala. The Opposition leader also came down heavily against CPM secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan for opposing a CBI probe into the Life Mission scam. He alleged that he is scared of the CBI probe for fear of his son, Bineesh Kodiyeri, being nabbed by the Narcotics Control Bureau in the Bengaluru drug case. The vigilance probe ordered by the LDF government is nothing but a damp squib. The way in which the vigilance investigation team had seized the files from the Secretariat on the sly under the cover of darkness is dubious. When did the Secretariat become a centre of the underworld? If there are no anomalies in the Life Mission scam, why should they fear a CBI probe? Kodiyeri is questioning the reliability of the central agencies for fear of the investigators leading the probe to his son, said Chennithala. TikTok, owned by China's ByteDance, has been racing to avoid a crackdown on its US operations after being at loggerheads with the US government, which has expressed concerns over the handling of personal data by the video app. While ByteDance is still in talks with US investors, the White House and the Chinese government over how to structure the deal, the Trump administration had sought to ban new downloads of the app from US app stores from Sept. 27. A US judge has temporarily blocked that order. TikTok, in a court filing dated Sept. 23, provided an analysis of how ... BARRINGTON, Ill., Sept. 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Uncharted Learning, a national nonprofit committed to helping students develop resilience and problem solving skills through entrepreneurship today announced its collaboration with the Florida Department of Education (FLDOE) and the Florida Association of Career and Technical Education (FACTE) as part of the state's effort to give more students access to high-quality courses that develop entrepreneurial skills and mindsets. Through the program, FLDOE is investing $1 million in entrepreneurial education, including grants to K-12 school districts and secondary schools that want to offer entrepreneurship programs. Uncharted Learning has been selected as one of two organizations that will share best practices for developing entrepreneurship education and training programs in K-12 schools and tips for completing the grant applications. Beginning Sept. 29, FLDOE and FACTE will host a series of webinars for school districts and Florida College System institutions interested in submitting grant applications. "Entrepreneurship provides a framework for students to develop skills like critical thinking and problem solving during a time of profound uncertainty," said Margarita Geleske, chief evangelist for Uncharted Learning. "Our work in Collier County demonstrates the incredible potential that entrepreneurship programs hold to equip students to thrive in an increasingly challenging school year, while building skills that will propel them beyond academics." Entrepreneurship education plays a key role in Collier County Public Schools where all middle schools and high schools are using Uncharted Learning's entrepreneurship program. "Entrepreneurship is an engagement that is putting education into real practice," stated Dr. Kamela Patton, Superintendent of Collier County Public Schools. During the webinars, which will be held September 29 through October 29, school and district leaders will have the opportunity to learn about a range of issues designed to support their development of high quality, rigorous entrepreneurship programs, including: Creating a sustainable career and technical education entrepreneurship program; Implementing entrepreneurship programs of medium, medium to high, and high impact; and Creating a 6-12-post secondary pathway design for ongoing entrepreneurship opportunities. A full schedule and registration information can be found here. The initiative responds to rising demand among school districts for support in the development of entrepreneurship programs, such as Uncharted Learning's year-long INCubatoredu program, which pairs real entrepreneurs and business experts with teams of student entrepreneurs. Through the program, each team creates and develops a product or service something that solves a problem they have identified then pitches their ideas to potential investors. Sometimes, students finish the program ready to launch a product or startup. Others learn a valuable lesson about both business and life: You don't always get it right the first time. INCubatoredu and other entrepreneurship programs teach students how to learn from their mistakes and bounce back with renewed energy and focus. "The process not only gives students a sense of purpose, but also promotes critical thinking, adaptability, and ability to navigate uncertainty skills that are in high demand in the workforce," said Geleske. "The skills students need to be successful in an uncertain future are exactly those that entrepreneurship programs promote: flexibility, resourcefulness, and the ability to collaborate effectively." About Uncharted Learning Uncharted Learning is a not-for-profit organization with a mission to kick start students for life by equipping them with real-world skills. The company helps inspire them to discover their passions, strengthen their capabilities and create their own futures. Its programs offer authentic, rigorous entrepreneurship experiences to students in 250 schools across the United States and Australia. Since 2013, Uncharted Learning's year-long INCubatoredu program has prepared students to succeed in a changing global economy. About the Florida Department of Education The Florida Department of Education serves approximately 2.8 million students, 4,200 public schools, 28 colleges, 202,000 instructional staff, 46,000 college professors and administrators and 338,000 full-time staff throughout the state. The department enhances the economic self-sufficiency of Floridians through programs and services geared toward college, workforce education, apprenticeships, job-specific skills and career development. About the Florida Association of Career and Technical Education The Florida Association of Career and Technical Education (FACTE) helps career and technical educators prepare students to participate in a world class workforce. Formed in 1926, FACTE strives to create a better understanding of career and technical education and encourage technical and professional growth among all educators. SOURCE Uncharted Learning A leak of a trove of data from Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign has revealed that it targeted millions of African Americans with a 'deterrence' campaign that critics are calling voter suppression. The leak, reported by Britain's Channel 4 News describes the deterrence element of the campaign voter file, which includes information on 200 million Americans that the campaign sliced and diced for potential electoral benefit. Not only are 3.5 million African Americans listed in the 'deterrence' category, but black voters were disproportionately included on the 'deterrence' list, according to Channel 4's analysis of the data. President Donald Trump's campaing is being accused of voter suppression after compiling information on a 'deterrence' category of voters that included 3.5 million African Americans Termed 'Project Alamo,' a Texas-based digital team worked on the voter file that was a sophisticated effort to gather data on millions of voters in order to try to target campaign resources most efficiently to have an effect, according to the report. According to the analysis, in Georgia blacks made up 61 per cent of the 'deterrence' category despite making up about a third of the population. In North Carolina, a battleground state that Trump carried, blacks were 46 percent of the 'deterrence' category but 22 per cent of the population. In Wisconsin, key to Trump's victory, blacks are about 5 percent of the population but 17 per cent of 'deterrence.' Fayetteville State University students get off a Black Votes Matter bus at Smith Recreation Center on March 3, 2020 in Fayetteville, North Carolina. 1,357 Democratic delegates are at stake as voters cast their ballots in 14 states and American Samoa on what is known as Super Tuesday. The data leak reveals 'deterrence' efforts that included 3.5 million black voters Brad Parscale, who ran Trump's digital operation in 2016, said the campaign did not run campaigns targeting African American voters A document from the now-defunct Cambridge Analytica indicates the campaign targeted 'AA' voters African Americans with a video of Democrat Hillary Clinton referring to 'super predators,' with a $55,000 buy in Georgia. Clinton had used the term when refer to young blacks. Trump's former campaign manager Brad Parscale told 'Frontline' during the last cycle: 'I would say I'm nearly 100 percent sure we did not run any campaigns that targeted even African Americans.' Trump's 2020 campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Jamal Watkins, vice president of the NAACP, labeled the campaign 'suppression' a charged term given the legacy of efforts to keep blacks from voting. 'The thing that's shocking slash troubling about this is that there's this category of suppression. That 'Deterrence' part,' he told the channel. The campaign also had a radio spot using Clinton's 1996 remark. 'Hillary Thinks African Americans are Super Predators,' it said. Although it is impossible to quantify if the campaign had an effect, black turnout in battleground Wisconsin dropped by 19 per cent from 2012, when Barack Obama was seeking reelection, to 2016 with Clinton vs. Trump on the ballot. Trump's 2016 campaign didn't shy from its effort to use slashing attacks on Clinton as a way to drive down turnout. 'We have three major voter suppression operations under way,' a senior official told Bloomberg in late October 2016 with the election still up for grabs. 'They're aimed at three groups Clinton needs to win overwhelmingly: idealistic white liberals, young women, and African Americans.' Trump supporters wave flags outside of Mankato Regional Airport as President Donald Trump makes a campaign stop in Mankato, Minn., on Aug. 17, 2020. (Stephen Maturen/Getty Images) California Teacher Threatens to Kick Student out of Virtual Class Over Pro-Trump Flag A high school student in Colusa, California, said his teacher threatened to remove him from a virtual classroom for displaying a Trump 2020 flag pinned to his bedroom wall. The students mother told CBS Sacramento that her 16-year-old son was attending an online class for Colusa High School from his bedroom where the pro-Trump flag is displayed on the wall. His chemistry teacher, who apparently disagreed with the political message, demanded that he take it down or adjust the camera angle so that the flag cant be seen. Since school has begun, my son has had this Trump flag hanging in his background, the students mother told the news outlet. One student took a recording of the online class when the incident took place. In the video obtained by CBS Sacramento, the teacher can be heard counting to 15 while repeating her demand. You can sit up, remove the flag, or reposition your camera within the next 15 seconds or Im kicking you out of class, the teacher said. She didnt make it to 10 before the student waved goodbye and logged himself out of the virtual classroom. The students mother said she doesnt blame the teacher, who has since apologized for the incident. She is a new teacher and its a mistake, she said. There hasnt been any guidance given to her as a teacher for the school. The Colusa County Code of Conduct includes a dress code ban for clothing with vulgar, obscene, or profane messages, or messages which degrade any race or other group of individuals, but doesnt mention anything about political statements. Californias state law generally allows students to express their political views by wearing buttons and other insignia on campuses. In July, an 18-year-old student said her university threatened to cancel her admission after she posted a pro-Trump TikTok video that featured a Trump flag. Samantha Pfefferle, a freshman at Marquette University, shared the video in which she dances outside her home, where a Trump 2020 flag is displayed. The video is titled When the libs find their way to your page, with captions such as When people see that I support Trump, Then try to hate on me, and And think Ill change my views. The young Trump supporter said she has been bullied, harassed, and received death threats from students on campus following the video. Marquettes dean of undergraduate admissions, Brian Troyer, also contacted Pfefferle, telling her that the Milwaukee-based school might reconsider her admission. Broadcast Journalist with Despite Media, Afia Pokuaa known widely as Vim Lady has questioned why the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and its leadership has failed to condemn the secessionist attacks in the Volta Region. The country woke up to the news of some secessionist group blocking roads leading to the Volta Region while clamouring for independence from Ghana. Reports indicated that some of the members of the group numbering about 50 attacked police posts and took away ammunitions and cars belonging to the Police. However, a swift response from a joint team from the Military and the Ghana Police Service arrested the situation with 31 people been arrested in connection with the uprising. But the largest opposition party in the country is yet to condemn the move by the group. Reacting to this, Afia Pokuaa could not fathom why the opposition NDC and its leadership have failed to condemn the group for the uprising. In a post on Facebook, she said: Apart from hon Ablakwa, how many NDC officials have condemned this secessionist attack on the sovereignty of the Republic of Ghana? Prez Mahama, we are waiting to hear from you. Apart from hon Ablakwa, how many NDC officials have condemned this secessionist attack on the sovereignty of the republic of Ghana? Prez Mahama, we are waiting to hear from you Posted by Afia Pokuaa on Friday, September 25, 2020 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 series of tweets Monday morning, Trump did not explicitly deny the revelations that he paid only $750 in federal income taxes in 2016 and 2017, and that he paid almost no taxes in other years because of huge losses in many of his businesses. With the present lockdown in Maharashtra coming to end on September 30, the state government has framed standard operating procedures (SOPs) for reopening of restaurants and a decision will be taken once these guidelines are finalised, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray said on Monday. The chief minister interacted with representatives of associations of restaurateurs from Mumbai, Pune, Aurangabad and Nagpur via video conferencing, an official statement said. "The state government has framed SOPs for reopening restaurants and those have been sent to the people concerned. "A decision about reopening restaurants will be taken once these (SOPs) are finalised," the statement quoted Thackeray as saying. The chief minister said that given the COVID-19 threat, his government was taking steps cautiously and SOPs have been framed accordingly. The SOPs are not for putting restaurateurs in trouble, he added. Thackeray laid emphasis on wearing masks, cleaning hands and maintaining physical distance while living with COVID-19 and added these precautions need to be taken when restaurants are reopened. "It will be important to take care of the health of chefs and other staffers in restaurants. They must wear masks, clean hands and ensure safety and cleanliness in restaurants," the chief minister said. He also spoke about the state government's 'My Family, My Responsibility' initiative and urged restaurateurs to join it. He also asked all the stake-holders to sit together and finalise SOPs. Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Sitaram Kunte said the SOPs will be finalised after holding another round of meeting with representatives of restaurants, the statement said. Also read: Maha CM Uddhav Thackeray targets centre over GST compensation issue, COVID-19 fight Karabakhs Armenian-backed army reported intensive overnight hostilities at various sections of the Armenian-Azerbaijani line of contact around Karabakh. It said its troops recaptured a number of positions that were seized by Azerbaijani forces following the outbreak of the hostilities early on Sunday. According to a spokeswoman for Armenias Defense Ministry, Shushan Stepanian, the Azerbaijani army resumed offensive operations there on Monday morning, using tanks and heavy artillery. Armenian units are confidently dealing with Azerbaijani army attacks, she wrote on Facebook. The Azerbaijani Defense Ministry said, meanwhile, that its frontline troops are continuing their counteroffensive after seizing several hills near a village in northeastern Karabakh. Azerbaijani news agencies also reported that the ministry accused the Armenian side of shelling the nearby Azerbaijani town of Terter and threatened to take adequate retaliatory measures. The Karabakh Armenian military said that 31 of its soldiers died and more than 100 others were wounded in Sundays clashes. Baku did not release any casualty numbers as of Monday morning. Stepanian said that several dozen bodies of Azerbaijani soldiers killed in action are lying on the recaptured Karabakh Armenian positions. The conflicting parties blame each for the worst flare-up of violence in the Karabakh conflict zone since 2016. The Armenian side says that it is the result of a large-scale Azerbaijani offensive. Baku insists, however, that its army went on a counteroffensive in response to Armenian shelling of Azerbaijani villages located close to the line of contact. Russia, the United States, the European Union as well as Iran on Sunday expressed serious concern over the escalation and called for an immediate end to the hostilities. Top U.S. and Russian diplomats spoke with the Armenian and Azerbaijani foreign ministers by phone in a bid to ease the tensions. Farmers in Punjab, particularly in the Majha region --- comprising Amritsar, Gurdaspur and Tarn Taran districts --- have started burning the paddy residue early this year to prepare the fields for sowing vegetables. Agriculture department officials said potato and peas are sown in a significant portion of cultivable land in these regions. The farmers here prefer to cultivate the Pusa basmati-1,509 and some other hybrid varieties of paddy that ripen fast and thus are harvested early. Compared to 159 farm fires reported in the state till September 28 last year, as many as 520 incidents, most of them from Majha, have been witnessed during the corresponding period this time. Of the total 407 incidents that took place in the Majha region, 358 were in Amritsar, the states worst-hit district in terms of farm fires. Jagmohan Singh of the Bhartiya Kisan Union (Dakunda) said the farmers have no option but to burn the paddy residue. Since the government has not announced any incentive for straw management, the farmers are left with no option but to burn it. If the government is serious about stopping farm fires, it should announce 200 per quintal funds for handling of straw, Singh said. An agriculture department official said, Actually, the farmers find burning of stubble the easiest method of disposing it even though it is a health hazard. Since the agriculture income is going down, they try to utilise the gap between paddy harvesting and wheat sowing by cultivating vegetables. The government has deputed 8,000 nodal officers in paddy growing villages, with 23,500 machines being given to farmers for in-situ management of paddy straw. Chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh has appealed to the farmers to shun the practice of burning straw on several occasions. At Devidas Pura village of Amritsar district where farmers were spotted burning the paddy straw, the HT team was asked to leave the place promptly. Some farmers said, We are already facing harassment at the hands of government officials for burning the stubble. We cannot afford any method of managing the straw other than burning it. But in some fields, labourers were seen lifting the straw with bailer machines and using tractor-trailers to transport it to the nearby sugar mills. Kulwant Singh, a farmer from Phoolke village near Batala in Gurdaspur district, said, The farmers know the side-effects of burning stubble, but they still do it. In view of their precarious financial condition and increasing cost of cultivation, they cannot afford any other method of managing the residue. Nearly 80 per cent farmers have a land holding of 2 to 5 acres. The government asks us to buy a happy seeder machines to prevent stubble burning. This machine can be operated with a new model of tractor only. It costs around 11 lakh to buy such a tractor. How many of the farmers can afford to buy these machines? he asks. Sukhwinder Singh, a farmer from Thatha village of Gurdaspur, said, Without the governments support, managing the residue with eco-friendly methods is not possible. As far as the use of bailer machines are concerned, a sizeable quantity of grain goes waste, he added. The administration in Amritsar has imposed 55,000 fine on 15 farmers in the district, said deputy commissioner Gurpreet Singh Khehra. Teams of the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) on Monday visited 150 villages after spotting 318 cases farm fires, he added. LOS ANGELESThis year marks the 35th anniversary of the Judy Lopez Memorial Award for Childrens Literature, and an unprecedented virtual event that the Womens National Book Association-Los Angeles (WNBA-LA) will host on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/user/WNBALACHAPTER beginning October 4 at 2 p.m. PST. The Judy Lopez Award is granted annually to works of literary excellence for nine- to twelve-year-olds. The award is in remembrance of Judy Lopez, a founding member of Victoria Secret stunner Jasmine Tookes got engaged last week to her boyfriend of four years, Snapchat executive Juan David Borrero. On Sunday night, the 29-year-old model was spotted out for the first time since the proposal as she flashed her flawless $250,000 ring outside of celebrity haunt Catch in West Hollywood. The California-born beauty shared a delicious dinner with friends before showing off her diamond for the camera. Off the market: Victoria's Secret model Jasmine Tookes, 29, flashed her massive seven carat engagement ring for the camera outside of Catch in West Hollywood. The five-foot-nine stunner looked every bit the bride-to-be in all white one week after getting engaged to Snapchat executive Juan David Borrero For her posh dinner outing, Jasmine looked every bit the bride-to-be in an all white ensemble. The five-foot-nine model rocked a chic pair of white trousers and a v-neck blouse that she loosely French tucked. She rounded out the look with a delicate pair of white kitten heels revealing her milky pedicure. In addition to her massive seven-carat oval diamond, Jasmine sported a gold Cartier watch and UNOde50 earrings, and layered two necklaces as she carried a matching white clutch purse. All white: The model wore all white as she indulged in the excitement of her new engagement though her fiance was nowhere to be seen as she enjoyed what appeared to be a girl's dinner She tucked her dark tresses into a low bun, putting her natural beauty on display with a touch of light makeup. Keeping herself protected as she exited the rooftop restaurant, Jasmine wore a matching white face mask as she walked to her vehicle. The outing comes just one week after her surprise engagement in Lake Powell, California to her longtime boyfriend. Speaking to Vogue about the events of the day, she shared that Juan told her to pack her bags for a surprise trip the morning of the proposal. Borrero blindfolded Jasmine and took her to the scene of their first meeting, The Rose Cafe in Venice, before the duo headed to the airport. Bling bling: Jasmine shared details of the surprise engagement with Vogue magazine, saying she was told to pack her bags for a surprise trip, with Juan taking her to the scene of their first meeting before heading to the airport WWYM: The model said that it took her a second to understand the meaning of the rock formation, before it dawned on her that her boyfriend of four years was asking for her hand in marriage atop a scenic overlook Sharing some inside details Jasmine said that Juan had arranged for a few of her favorite things for their getaway. 'He knows me so well that he had Popeyes cateredI was in heaven!so we ate chicken tenders and drank champagne until we landed in Page, Arizona,' she said. She continued, 'We hopped on a helicopter which flew us to the most beautiful, otherworldly-like secluded place in the middle of the desert rocks in Utah. It was just us.' The romantic proposal took an even crazier turn after the stunning engagement ring was delivered to the tech mogul via drone, as they stood on a lookout. Romantic proposal: Juan executed the surprise engagement flawlessly, asking for her hand in a secluded place before the couple toasted to the next chapter of their lives with champagne Juan had written the words 'WYMM?' in rocks, which Jasmine did not understand at first, before it dawned on her that he was asking for her hand in marriage. 'I was in complete disbelief and immediately burst into tears because this was something I did not expect' she said. The stunner gushed, 'After lots of happy tears, I obviously said yes, and this was honestly the best day I could've ever imagined.' After posting the engagement to Instagram, her fellow Victoria's Secret models were quick to comment in support of their love. The pair first met in 2016 after being introduced by friends, model Miranda Kerr and Snapchat CEO Evan Spiegel. Mr Right: The pair who have been dating for four years have plans to wed in Borrero's hometown of Ecuador. The couple were first introduced by mutual friends and began dating in 2016 Forever love: The pair started dating after her split from model Tobias Sorensen and have since traveled virtually everywhere together; pictured in Cannes, 2017 They started dating shortly after her split from model Tobias Sorensen, and have since traveled virtually everywhere together. In talking about their future wedding plans, the model revealed that she and Juan are planning to get married in his hometown of Ecuador. Borrero is the director of International Markets at Snapchat, working closely with CEO Evan since the two attended college together at Stanford. Though the couple is based in Los Angeles, Jasmine frequently spends time in New York for her modeling career, as Tookes has been working in the industry since she was just 15 years old. It can safely be surmised that whatever the new Iraqi Prime Minister, Mustafa al-Kadhimi, told U.S. government officials during his visit last month to Washington went down like a lead balloon. This can be inferred from the fact that before his U.S. trip Washington had granted Iraq a 120-day waiver to allow it to continue to import electricity and gas from neighboring sanctioned Iran but just after the trip the waiver length was slashed in half. OilPrice.com can confirm from sources who work closely with Irans Petroleum Ministry that al-Kadhimi promised the U.S. that Iraq would reduce its ties to Iran in the coming weeks and months but that continued evidence to the contrary compelled Washington towards disbelief. In broad terms, the length of the sanctions waivers granted to Iraq by the U.S. for imports from Iran is inversely proportionate to the degree to which Iraq is perceived by Washington to be co-operating with Iran. Although the 120-day waiver in May that immediately preceded the al-Kadhimi visit to Washington was in line with the longest duration waivers granted since the U.S. re-imposed sanctions on Iranian energy exports in November 2018, the waiver immediately before that was the shortest ever given, at just 30 days. This was given in response to Iraqs signing a two-year contract the longest deal yet - for the export of electricity and gas from Iran. At the press conference in which this shortest-ever waiver was announced by U.S. State Department spokeswoman, Morgan Ortagus, it was also pointedly announced that new sanctions would be imposed against 20 Iran- and Iraq-based entities that were cited as funneling money to Irans Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) elite Quds Force. According to a statement delivered by Ortagus at that time, the 20 entities were continuing to exploit Iraqs dependence on Iran as an electricity and gas source by smuggling Iranian petroleum through the Iraqi port of Umm Qasr and money laundering through Iraqi front companies, among other sanctions-busting activities. According to the Iranian sources spoken to by OilPrice.com last week, the only change that has been made to these operations is that the names of the front companies and the ports used have been changed and that even more of the money is now making its way through Chinese and Russian banks and other financial institutions and out into the wider global capital markets than before, which the U.S. is effectively powerless to prevent. Washington was also extremely concerned that Iraq was continuing to act as a conduit for Iranian oil and gas supplies to make their way out into export markets in southern Europe and, in much greater volume, to Asia, especially China. For oil, as OilPrice.com has long highlighted, enormous quantities of Iranian crude continue to move across the extremely long and extremely porous border with Iraq in two key ways. One method is simply via large oil tanker trucks moving from one side of the border to the other and then changing the stickers on the side of the trucks, whereupon the Iranian oil is generally sent on through Turkey and into the energy-starved, less rigorously policed ports of southern Europe (including those of Albania, Montenegro, Bosnia, and Herzegovina, Serbia, Macedonia, and Croatia). Related: Natural Gas Will Rule The US Energy Market For Decades The other much higher-volume practice is re-routing oil taken out of the ground on the Iranian side of shared oil fields notably including Dehloran (Iraq side, Abu Ghurab), Naft-Shahr (Khorramshahr), Azadegan (Majnoon), Naft Shahr (Khorramshahr), Yadavaran (Sinbad), Azar (Badra) - to the Iraqi side and the resultant barrels again being re-branded as Iraqi oil, with most of this moving onwards via ships to China. Additionally, Iranian oil continues to pass through Iraq and on into Syria with the surplus that is not used there also easily making its way out of one of the countrys big Mediterranean ports, including Tartus and Banias. The sheer scale of this was exclusively revealed by OilPrice.com in early August after a number of high-profile reports in the preceding week purported to show that data released on 26 July by Chinas General Administration of Customs (GAC) was clear evidence that China did not import any crude oil from Iran in June for the first time since January 2007. As highlighted by OilPrice.com, from 1 June to 21 July (51 days), China imported at least 8.1 million barrels of crude oil 158,823 barrels per day (bpd) - from Iran by disguised ship-to-ship transfers, and another 6.8 million barrels or so over the same 51 day period (another 133,333 bpd) indirectly via Malaysia (and to a much lesser extent, Indonesia). All of this was sold at the US$10.95 per barrel discount to the headline Iranian grade price exclusively highlighted in earlier reports by OilPrice.com, and Iran also offered China CIF (cost, insurance, and freight) cargoes at FOB (free-on-board) pricing. Over the same 51 day period, a final 1.2 million barrels (23,529 bpd) of Iranian oil re-labeled Iraqi crude went to China, and sold at a US$12 per barrel discount to the Basra blend price, and Pakistan commercial agents took an additional 1.1 million barrels (21,568 bpd) of crude oil purchased on behalf of China. This meant that over the 1 June to 21 July period alone, China imported at least 338,000 bpd of Iranian crude oil, equating to over 67 percent of its total 500,000 bpd of exports over that period. According to various tanker tracking companies, Irans crude oil exports were still rising through September, albeit across a wide range of estimates from the tracking firms of between 400,000 bpd and 1.5 million bpd. The final part of the toxic jigsaw for the U.S. is that there appears to have been no serious action taken by the Iraqis to protect U.S. personnel or hardware currently on the ground in Iraq against attacks from a multitude of paramilitary groups. As also highlighted by OilPrice.com, according to a senior source in Washington close to the Presidential Administration: Weve been down this road before with Pakistan [with] the government pretending to help in our fight against AQ [Al-Qaeda] but at the same time the ISI [Inter-Services Intelligence] offering all the help it could to [Osama] bin Laden and were not playing that game again. Related: Russia Calls For A Global Response To The Oil Demand Crisis The parallels between Iraq and Pakistan have been all too clear to Washington this year, beginning in January when Iranian surface-to-surface missiles hit two Iraqi military bases housing U.S. troops. At that point, U.S. President Donald Trump said that he would impose sanctions directly on Iraq if the U.S. military was forced out of the country by further such incidents. In March, though, 30 107-mm Russian-made Katyusha rockets were fired at the U.S. allied Camp Taji military base north of Baghdad, killing three service members, two of them Americans and one British, according to U.S. and Iraq military officials. This attack was in the same style as the rocket attacks on 4 January on the U.S.s Balad Air Base near Baghdad and on the Green Zone, both reportedly Iran-sponsored retaliation for the Soleimani killing, and as the multiple rocket attack of 3 December 2019 on the U.S. Ayn al-Asad airbase in Iraq that was a key factor in the U.S. deciding to neutralize the al-Quds leader. Overall, so far this year, there have in fact been at least 15 further significant attacks on U.S. military and neo-military personnel (and those of its allies) in Iraq by Iran proxies this year alone, according to U.S. military sources. It was always extremely unlikely that al-Kadhimi would upset the longstanding deep and broad relationship between Iraq and Iran. For a start, he is not the real leader of Iraq, with this mantle belonging to the firebrand cleric, Muqtada al-Sadr, and his Sairoon (Marching Forward) power bloc that triumphed in the last general election in Iraq in May 2018. Although al-Sadrs nationalist ideology may initially have been seen by the U.S. as offering an equal footing to all of the foreign powers vying for position in Iraq, in reality, much of his power base is just a re-constituted alliance of the previous exceptionally effective anti-U.S. Mahdi Army militia that he personally led from 2003 to 2011. Whatever he [al-Sadr] does or says, it is absolutely the case that he fundamentally hates the U.S. and believes that Iran is a true ally of Iraq, one of the Iran sources told OiPrice.com last week. It was al-Sadr who privately endorsed al-Kadhimi as prime minister and al-Kadhimis formal appointment was only able to be ratified in parliament because of the support of the powerful political Fateh Coalition, which has extremely close ties to Iran. According to one of the Iran sources, the key reason for the Fateh Coalitions sudden support for Kadhimi which had previously vetoed Kadhimis appointment - was that: Al-Kadhmi, an old intelligence hand with already close links with the IRGC [Irans Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, with which Kadhimi co-ordinated the strategy to defeat Islamic State] had already agreed to the pre-existing co-operation template with Iran, which did not include any meaningful expansion of Iraqs relationship with the U.S. By Simon Watkins for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: The will fight the 2021 Tamil Nadu Assembly polls in the existing set up - with Chief Minister K. Palaniswami as the head of the government and Deputy Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam as the party Coordinator, a senior party official said on Monday. "There will not be any change in the current set up. The status quo will continue. The party will face the elections with Palaniswami heading the caretaker government while Panneerselvam stays party Coordinator," the senior official, who did not want to be identified, told IANS. According to him, this will be the announcement that would be made by Panneerselvam and Palaniswami on October 7. After the party's Executive Committee meeting here, Deputy Coordinator K.P. Munusamy told reporters that the party's Chief Ministerial candidate will be announced on October 7 by Panneerselvam and Palaniswami, who is also the party's Joint Coordinator. As to the deliberations at the Executive Committee meeting, the senior leader said it went on for about four hours, and owing to the lack of time, all the members were not able to speak. The long-time party leader said there were speakers who spoke in favour of the two top leaders. "Palaniswami supporters spoke about the goodwill earned by the government in tackling the Covid-19 pandemic and other aspects. Similarly, supporters of Panneerselvam also praised his part in the government," the leader said. According to him, Panneerselvam had said that he had not demanded the Chief Minister post. At the time of merging his faction with the AIADMK, Panneerselvam had agreed that he will be the Deputy Chief Minister and party Coordinator and till now, he has maintained that. Earlier, the Executive Committee passed a resolution to exhort cadres to work unitedly to win the Assembly elections. The committee also passed resolutions urging the Centre to release pending GST dues, not to give Karnataka the permission to build the Mekedatu dam, and also to drop the Entrance-cum-Eligibility Test, the party said on Monday. The meeting also passed resolutions seeking that the Central government release funds to fight Covid-19 pandemic, retrieve the Katchatheevu islet transferred to Sri Lanka, and to include an expert from Tamil Nadu in the committee to study the origin and evolution of Indian culture during the past 12 millennia. The meeting was held at the party headquarters here, outside which a festive mood prevailed. Party cadres gave a rousing welcome to both Panneerselvam and Palaniswami when they arrived. --IANS vj/vd (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Portland Fire & Rescue responded Sunday night at 9:20 p.m. to a report of an active fire in a three-story former church building at the corner of Southwest 10th Avenue and Clay Street downtown. The building at 933 S.W. Clay St. was formerly home to the Portland Korean Church, which moved out and sold the building in 2015. It now has a for-lease sign hanging outside. A spokesman for Portland Fire & Rescue said the cause of the two-alarm fire hadnt been identified but that it did affect all three floors of the building. He said firefighters found no one inside the building and there were no reported injuries. The fire and rescue agency on Monday urged anyone who has information photos, video footage or witness accounts to call an anonymous tip line: 503-823-4636. -- Ted Sickinger Update: San Antonio police on Tuesday identified the officer who shot and injured a man allegedly holding a gun Monday. Matthew Sparks, who has been with the San Antonio Police Department for three years, is the officer involved in the incident. Officers responded to the 4100 block of Tropical Drive after a teenage girl called 911 to report her parents were violently fighting, police said. Antolin Zuniga, 38, is in stable condition after being shot at least twice in the chest. He was charged with two counts of aggravated assault to a public servant. Original: San Antonio police shot and injured a man they said was holding a gun during a domestic incident call Monday at a Northeast Side residence. It is unclear how many times the man was shot and what led to officers firing their guns. San Antonio Police Chief William McManus did not provide many details about the incident because he said he had not seen body camera footage. McManus said police responded to the residence located in the 4100 block of Tropical Drive after a teenage girl called 911 to report her parents were violently fighting. While officers were standing at the door talking to the girl, the man came from inside the house demanding to know who the f--- was at the door holding a gun, McManus said. FIND OUT FIRST: Get San Antonio breaking news directly to your inbox At some point after, officers fired at the man, hitting him multiple times. He was taken to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries and was hit at least twice in the chest, McManus said. McManus said the daughter told police the man has a history of violence, but several neighbors said the couple seemed friendly and never caused problems. This is a quiet neighborhood, its the first time Ive seen the police here, said Alejandro Martinez, 18, who lives next door to where the incident occurred. I have never even heard a commotion from their house. Martinez said he and his family were awoken by the sounds of the officers yelling before they heard the shots. I just heard SAPD knocking, then they shouted gun, gun before the shots went off, Martinez said. It was crazy, the cop lights were everywhere and the streets were all shut down. The incident marks the fifth officer-involved shooting in the San Antonio area in the last 35 days. Since Aug. 25, SAPD has shot and killed two people and injured a third; Balcones Heights police shot and injured one; and the Bexar County Sheriff's Office shot and killed one man. Taylor Pettaway is a breaking news and general assignment reporter for MySA.com | taylor.pettaway@express-news.net | @TaylorPettaway Do you feel that your workload is heavier now that youre working from home? Do you find it challenging to balance your professional life and personal life because of the current remote work set-up? Kasperskys fresh research reveals you are not alone. Remote employees from the region also admit worry using personal devices, home networks for professional purposes The latest study titled More connected than ever before: how we build our digital comfort zones found out that 46% of respondents from Southeast Asia (SEA) find it harder to switch off after work than when they had to travel to their physical offices. This is four notches higher than the global result of 42%. A majority of them (62%) also disclosed their unease towards the increasing amount of meetings taking place online. Conducted by the global cybersecurity company among 760 interviewees from SEA last May, the survey also unmasked the worries of remote employees in the time of pandemic where majority of the offices remain closed due to physical restrictions. Amongst these heightened concerns are about their online security. This was triggered by two factors. First is due to the nature of the confidential work they are conducting from home according to 62% of the interviewees, 13 points higher than the global result with only 49%. The second factor for 57% of the respondents is that their home technology is not as secure as their offices technology which is nine notches higher that the worlds view at 48%. These respondents expressed their worry that using their own computers may risk the safety of their work data. Majority of our survey respondents from the region are working from home during this period where lockdown measures are still in place because of the pandemic. It is understandable and a welcome progress that a lot of them are more concerned about their online security given that our previous research showed 52% of businesses agreed that employees are securitys weakest link, comments Yeo Siang Tiong, General Manager for Southeast Asia at Kaspersky. There are bright spots, though, as 62% of the surveyed individuals from SEA professed that working from home has made them more aware of their digital security and 56% noted that their employers have provided strict instructions about protecting confidential work information online. However, there are still over 4-in-10 who shrug off security and assume that everything is protected and safe. Almost half (42%) also confessed that they share internet connection with other people they live with in shared accommodation and are not sure about the security and safety of their devices as they are not aware on how to securely use the internet. The current remote work set-up is here to stay. For employees mental wellness, it is important to create a conducive environment and work only during office hours. For enterprises, incidents such as the Wannacry attack and the Bangladesh Bank Heist should remain as reminders that staff can be an attack vector exploited through old but still effective social engineering tricks. Businesses should now look into training technology that applies AI to the responses from the trainees and adapt by challenging them with appropriate level of training and reinforcement, rather than using the same course material across everyone in a dull way, adds Yeo. Kaspersky Adaptive Online Training (KAOT) is a unique solution among security awareness training courses, combining content based on Kasperskys 20+ years experience in cybersecurity and advanced learning and development methodology developed by Area9 Lyceum on Rhapsode, the worlds first four-dimensional adaptive learning platform. Grounded in an innovative adaptive learning methodology, the cognitive-driven approach contributes to a personalized learning experience that takes into account the abilities and needs of each and every learner. Employees from enterprises using Kaspersky solutions can also utilize the global cybersecurity companys Employee Purchase Program to further guard their devices. To find out more, please visit: https://bit.ly/3gVKjFn (Malaysia) https://www.thaikaspersky.com/EDP/ (Thailand) https://kaspersky.nts.com.vn/uudai-doanhnghiep (Vietnam) Enterprise Employee Discount Program in the Philippines is available through its local distributor iSecure Networks. Interested may get in touch with Shiela Borja, marketing communications officer at iSecure Networks at 09269593725 or through their Facebook page at iSecureNetworksInc. Kaspersky experts also share the following tips to boost the security of your home office: WALLINGFORD A man previously convicted on home invasion-related offenses in other parts of the state will now face home invasion and robbery charges for his alleged role in a 2009 incident, police said on Monday. Victor Miguel Siguenzia Lozano, also known as Miguel Lozano Altamiran, was charged with home invasion, first-degree robbery, first-degree burglary, first-degree larceny and first-degree unlawful restraint. Police say he was also charged with conspiracy to commit each of the offenses as well. These charges stemmed from an incident nearly 11 years ago. Wallingford police investigated a home invasion and robbery at a Saddlebrook Drive home on Oct. 9, 2009, according to Lt. Michael Colavolpe, commander of the Detective Division. During the home invasion, an 18-year-old man was attacked and restrained by four intruders. Colavolpe said the intruders were in the home for about 20 minutes and took a large amount of money, as well as jewelry and electronics. Detectives sent forensic evidence from the crime scene to the state laboratory for analysis. Four years later, in October 2013, one of the alleged four suspects was identified through DNA evidence as Lozano, Colavolpe said. Wallingford police applied for and were granted an arrest warrant for Lozano. Colavolpe said Monday that the three other alleged suspects have not yet been identified. Detectives learned Lozano had been arrested in 2010 by Branford and Wethersfield police for similar incidents as the Wallingford home invasion, Colavolpe said. He was convicted of those incidents and sentenced to jail time. Lozano was released to the Immigration and Naturalization Service in April 2013 and was deported to Ecuador, Colavolpe said. Then, earlier this month, Wallingford police heard from the U.S. Marshal Service that marshals had taken Lozano, now 46, into custody in Texas. He was held at the Harris County Detention Center in Houston, Tx., for extradition back to Connecticut. Wallingford detectives went to Texas and took Lozano into custody. He was brought back to Connecticut to face charges from the 2009 incident. Lozano remains in the custody of the Connecticut Department of Corrections on a $250,000 bond. He is expected in court on Oct. 6. Former Pakistan prime minister (PM), Nawaz Sharifs, defiant roar summarises both his biography and Pakistans history over the past three decades. The occasion was an opposition conference on video on September 20. Quite apart from what the former PM said, the occasion was significant. The conference was hosted by the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP). It brought together all the major opposition parties and leaders. The Pakistan Muslim League (N) Nawaz Sharifs party coordinating action with the PPP has not been seen for some time. These two together make up a large chunk of the political spectrum and both are now increasingly led by charismatic next generation leaders Nawaz Sharifs daughter Maryam Nawaz and Benazir Bhuttos son Bilawal Bhutto Zardari. What is common to both is that they attach to their names that of a parent who was the political face of Pakistan for long periods of its history Nawaz Sharif and Benazir Bhutto. This is dynastic politics, of course, but it is also real politics. What made the news most was Nawaz Sharifs broadside against Prime Minister Imran Khan and his government, of course, but more against those who installed Imran Khan and who manipulated elections to bring an incapable man like him into power and thus, destroyed the country. Khans failures of economic and foreign policy, on Kashmir, Pakistans international isolation, alienation from Saudi Arabia and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), the stagnation of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), thus formed one aspect of the speech. The real firepower was in the references to the erosion and throttling of democracy, that every child knows that no prime minister has been allowed to complete five years in power, of a state above the state. All this refers to the role of the military euphemistically called the establishment in politics. What has been less reported than his references to the military and the generals were the comments about the judiciary and how it acts in concert with the military. Nawaz Sharif has been PM longer than anyone else in all over nine years but spread over three terms in which the first (November 1990-July 1993) and the third (June 2013-July 2017) are separated by a quarter of a century. While the military, or at least certain generals, had much to do with his meteoric rise through the 1980s, once PM, Nawaz Sharif acted as if he was in charge. His first tenure ended, therefore, with a bitter feud with the president; the second with a coup after General Pervez Musharrafs Kargil misadventure; the third with what amounted to a judicial coup or so at least many in Pakistan felt. In each of the three terms, his party had a majority but this was no defence against the forces arrayed against him. The third term was marked by near constant friction with the military on a whole range of issues. A close political associate and astute observer, former foreign minister Sartaj Aziz, has recently written: Nawaz Sharifs transition away from the military establishment grew incrementally when his core political interests or stakes were threatened by the absence of real democracy. Nawaz Sharifs second and third terms stand out for his willingness to walk Pakistans most dangerous minefield relations with India. That story is well known. The point, however, is that Nawaz Sharif understood intuitively that his authority as PM could be cemented only by limiting the role of the military and for this to happen some improvement of relations, if not normalisation with India, was essential. Sartaj Aziz also notes, Fundamentally, Nawaz Sharif did not fully comprehend the depth and strength of de facto forces and also ignored the importance of a broader coalition of political forces for establishing the supremacy of democratic institutions. Whether this present front of opposition unity and better atmospherics between the leaders of the PML-(N) and the PPP, therefore, heralds something new happening in Pakistan is too early to say. Nawaz Sharif stands disqualified from politics for life and effectively in exile. Most Pakistani politicians in the opposition are fearful of the skeletons in their cupboards and the risk of jail or worse is real. Yet for all this both the PML-(N) and the PPP have remained largely intact with no major desertions or breakaways in the past two years. Khans problems, on the other hand, are mounting not the least of which is managing the growing clamour in public discourse that the military is too involved in national affairs. Nawaz Sharifs speech is designed clearly at advancing this discourse. Certainly he knows that what displeases the military more than anything else is an open discussion of its political role. Possibly he believes that agitation on this front will increase pressure both on Khan and the military and mistakes happen under pressure. The September speech may well mark Nawaz Sharifs fourth foray into Pakistans murky terrain of curbing the military. If that is so, then describing Nawaz Sharif as epitomising a man with his future behind him may well sum up his biography as also Pakistans political history. T C A Raghavan is a former high commissioner to Pakistan. He is currently director-general, Indian Council of World Affairs The views expressed are personal COVID deaths to reach more than 200 per day Britain heads in the WRONG DIRECTION The UK could soon face 50,000 new cases and 200 dead per day unless ministers take more action to protect the public, the governments scientific advisers warned today. Englands chief medical officer Professor Chris Whitty and the governments top scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance spoke from Downing Street, unaccompanied by ministers for the first time, after infection rates rose to 6,000 people per day. Whitty said that the country stands at a critical point, with the current trend heading in the wrong direction as cases approximately double each week. Vallance said that the recent rise in infections in all age groups was not due to increased testing. He warned that if current infection rates continue, there may be 50,000 cases per day by the middle of October and 200 or more deaths per day by mid-November. It came as the government continued to bungle on the NHS app due to launch four months late on Thursday as it backtracked on its earlier claim that it would no longer be used for its intended purpose of tracking and tracing the virus. Unison general secretary Dave Prentis warned that the situation is spiralling out of control and that the current measures and mixed signals are not enough. Theres simply no time for complacency. The government must make public safety a priority, he said. Strict social distancing, fixing the bungled testing system and ensuring low-paid staff dont take a financial hit for staying off work are crucial. Key workers in the NHS, care, schools and other public services must be protected for all our sakes. Shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth said: This rapid spike in infections was not inevitable, but a consequence of the governments incompetence and failure to put in place an adequate testing system. He called for an effective testing and tracing system with support for people to self-isolate, and for a Cobra meeting of all regions to be urgently held. A new poll commissioned by public-ownership campaign We Own It revealed today that three quarters of the British public want the track-and-trace system to be run by public health teams and local health services rather than private companies. Serco and call-centre company Sitel were initially contracted to run the system up to 23rd August, but their contracts were extended with a potential value of 528 million for an undisclosed period. We Own It director Cat Hobbs said: Its absolutely staggering that the government is clinging doggedly to its failed, privatised system. Its time for them to face reality. Its time for them to kick the private companies out of the system and give local public health protection teams the resources to run it instead. Areas in north-west England, West Yorkshire and the Midlands face further local restrictions from on Tuesday. And in Wales, Bridgend, Merthyr Tydfil, Newport and Blaenau Gwent will be placed under a local lockdown from 6 pm. Health Secretary Matt Hancock said today that the final decisions on national restrictions were still being made, but hinted at curbs to households socialising and refused to say whether pubs in England would still be open this weekend. Social-media users were angry at the governments silence following the scientists announcement and the hashtag #WhereisBorisJohnson was trending on Twitter. Morning Star Advertisement New laws and fines at a glance: Fines for people who refuse to self-isolate, starting at 1,000 and rising to 10,000 for serial repeat offenders. But if you are found to have 'recklessly' left self-isolation - the fine starts at 4,000 Recklessly is described as deliberately going somewhere crowded where you could infect others - like an office. A 1,000 fine if you maliciously claim someone could have been exposed to coronavirus, and the falsehood is then discovered. Pubs, bars, restaurants and cafes are banned from playing music at more than 85 decibels - roughly the noise level in a busy restaurant or that made by heavy traffic. L ive performances are exempt from this rule. Landlords and managers must take 'all reasonable measures' to stop singing on their premises by customers in groups of more than six, and dancing by anyone. Weddings are exempt from this rule. Fines of 4,000 for people who are 'reckless' and come into contact with other people when they know they should be at home in isolation. Examples given include people going to work in an office or other crowded place when you should be at home. 50 fine for staff who fail to tell their workplace they need to self-isolate. Employers banned from forcing staff to work when they should be self-isolating or going along with an employee's desire to work instead of self-isolating Advertisement Pubs, restaurants, bars and cafes have now been banned from playing loud music under draconian rules sneaked out by ministers overnight amid mounting fury over Number 10's 'idiotic' 10pm curfew. New legislation means premises in England are no longer allowed to play music louder than 85 decibels similar to that of a busy restaurant or heavy traffic. Live performances are exempt from the rules, however. And the tough Covid-19 rules quietly introduced today mean managers must take 'all reasonable measures' to stop customers from dancing and groups of six or more singing. But ministers have spared wedding ceremonies and receptions from the law. The new laws were introduced alongside a new 4,000 fine for people who 'recklessly' breach self-isolation, and a 1,000 penalty for those who maliciously force people into isolation by falsely telling authorities that they could have come into contact with the virus. They came as government statistics revealed a tiny proportion of Covid-19 outbreaks have been linked to pubs and restaurants. Just 17 of 532 (3.2 per cent) of England's reported coronavirus clusters occurred in the hospitality sector last week down from around 5 per cent the week before the draconian restriction was imposed. Meanwhile, the proportion linked to schools has doubled to more than 40 per cent after thousands more students flocked back to classrooms and universities, which is likely to have had a massive knock-on effect on care homes where the rate fell from 44 to 25 per cent. The findings will likely be used to demand answers from ministers as to why they have chosen to target pubs and restaurants with economically-crippling measures to curb the spread of coronavirus, even though the official data suggests they are barely to blame and that most cases can be traced back to schools and offices. Downing Street today dismissed a barrage of condemnation of the 10pm curfew, despite Tory MPs branding it a 'sick experiment' and the mayor of one of the UK's biggest cities warning it is doing 'more harm than good'. The PM is facing a rising tide of anger over his handling of the crisis after Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham said the government's drinking deadline was merely shifting the partying into homes. Scores of drinkers were spotted in trendy Moseley, Birmingham, on Saturday night twirling around to a brass bands, despite restrictions urging social distancing. Similar extraordinary scenes were witnessed in London and Manchester as the restrictions appeared to backfire spectacularly. But the PM's spokesman voiced defiance this afternoon, insisting there is no intention of changing the rules again and even denying they had caused any serious problems. Meanwhile, Mr Johnson is scrambling to contain a Tory revolt over renewing the government's sweeping powers to impose coronavirus curbs without Parliamentary scrutiny. MPs have also reacted with outrage to signs that ministers could go even further in toughening up the measures soon, by banning mixing between households indoors - something Nicola Sturgeon has already done in Scotland. It comes as Britain today recorded 4,044 more cases of coronavirus meaning the daily average number of new infections has dropped for the first time in a fortnight. But they are still nowhere near levels seen during the darkest days of Britain's Covid-19 crisis in March and April, when top scientists estimate more than 100,000 cases were truly occurring each day. Health chiefs today also recorded 13 more coronavirus deaths, taking the total number of laboratory-confirmed victims who have died within 28 days of being diagnosed past 42,000. Only the US, Brazil, India and Mexico, all countries with substantially larger populations, have suffered more fatalities. In other twists in the coronavirus crisis today: Boris Johnson is facing a mounting Tory rebellion over the crackdown and dodging parliamentary scrutiny - although Speaker Lindsay Hoyle is expected to spare him from a humiliating Commons defeat on coronavirus powers by refusing to call a vote on a rebel amendment this week; No10 has tried to cool the row over students being forced to self-isolate, insisting it 'expects' they will be allowed to return home at Christmas; Matt Hancock has ignored pleas from former minister Simon Clarke and other Teesside MPs to announce restrictions on households mixing in the North East. Tory MP Steve Baker compared Mr Johnson to Lord of the Rings character Theoden, who was put into a trance by evil advisers who plunged the kingdom into chaos; Downing Street has insisted it is still too early to judge whether the Rule of Six is working, even though a two-week timeframe was given for assessment when it was introduced on September 14; NHS Providers chief Chris Hopson warned the government needs to be carrying out a million tests a day by winter, and the contact tracing system is now as important as catching criminals or putting out fires. How the proportion of outbreaks in different settings have changed since the week ending August 9. Silver = educational settings, care homes = dark blue, workplaces = pink, restaurants = green, hospitals = brown, prisons = yellow, and other settings = orange Just 22 of 532 outbreaks of acute respiratory infections were reported in food outlets in England between September 14 and 20. Seventeen of these were confirmed to be down to Covid-19, while the others could have been flu or other viral illnesses Separate data published by Public Health England revealed that eating out, shopping and going on holiday were the most common activities reported by people who had tested positive for Covid-19, before they developed any symptoms The nation's struggling hospitality sector recorded just 22 outbreaks of respiratory infections - including Covid-19, a drop of 12 from the total identified from September 14 to 20 (Pictured: Pubgoers in London's Borough Market last week) Respiratory diseases are all diseases that affect the respiratory tract, including coronavirus. A surge in rhinovirus infections in recent weeks, which causes a runny nose, may explain the increasing number of outbreaks recorded in schools NUMBER 10'S 10PM CURFEW IS BRANDED A 'SICK EXPERIMENTAL' BY TORY MPS Boris Johnson's 10pm coronavirus curfew was branded a 'sick experiment for a second wave' by his own MPs - as the mayor of one of the UK's biggest cities warned it was doing 'more harm than good'. Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham said the government's drinking deadline was pushing crowds into supermarkets to buy booze to drink on the curbs or in homes. It came as scores of drinkers were spotted in trendy Moseley, Birmingham, on Saturday night twirling around to a brass bands, despite restrictions urging social distancing. The PM's curfew - which he announced last week - has been widely panned due to these predicable consequences. One Tory MP texted Politico: 'Which clown-faced moron thought it would be a good idea to kick thousands of p***** people out from the pubs into the street and onto the tube at the same time? 'It's like some sort of sick experiment to see if you can incubate a second wave.' Advertisement The Public Health England statistics provide a snapshot of where coronavirus and other pathogens are spreading across the country. PHE reports situations where local public health teams have received reports of two or more people being diagnosed with the same respiratory infection. Outbreaks can vary considerably in size and data is not published about exactly how many people are involved in each. Not every outbreak will have been recorded, if health bosses can't link cases back to one setting. Restaurant and food outlet outbreaks trailed far behind schools and colleges, which accounted for 41.7 per cent of England's recorded outbreaks a total of 222. Care homes recorded 25.2 per cent (134), followed by offices and factories, which saw 19.2 per cent (102), and hospitals at 5.8 per cent (31). Out of all 772 outbreaks of respiratory illnesses recorded across the country in the week to September 20, 532 had at least one case that tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 the coronavirus that causes Covid-19. The figures come amid mounting concerns that closing pubs and restaurants at 10pm may lead to a spike in infections. Over the weekend drunk travellers were pictured crowding onto public transport at chucking-out time they would likely have been spread out more thinly over longer time periods if there were no curfew. Drinkers were also seen partying in the streets in London's Piccadilly Circus, Leeds, Liverpool and Manchester after they were forced out by venues pulling down the shutters. The Mayor of Manchester, Andy Burnham, has warned the Government's draconian restriction is doing 'more harm than good' by pushing crowds into supermarkets to buy alcohol to drink on curbs or in their homes. Tory MPs today branded the curfew as a 'sick experiment'. And landlords have also warned the measures could serve a 'death sentence' on businesses that are barely 'treading water' after losing months of trade during the UK's blanket lockdown. Public Health England does not explain what settings count as 'other' but it only accounted for 4.1 per cent of all Covid-19 outbreaks (22) in the most recent full week of data. Council leader demands immediate Covid lockdown in London A Labour council leader today called for an immediate London lockdown which would include a ban on visiting friends and families. Jas Athwal, the leader of Redbridge Borough Council, made the plea after it was revealed that his borough and four others in east London saw a spike in cases last week which led to the capital being placed on the Government's Covid watchlist. It comes just two days after London Mayor Sadiq Khan urged the Prime Minister to outlaw house visits for nine million people in London as part of lockdown measures to tackle rising Covid-19 infections. London was last week placed on the national lockdown watchlist due to a spike in coronavirus cases and hospital admissions, with Government advisors warning the capital's R rate may now be as high as 1.5. Advertisement Acute respiratory infection outbreaks - when two or more people have the same coughing bug - became eight times more common in the second week of September than in the first in England's schools (23 to 193), the figures show. Not all the outbreaks will be Covid-19 - they are chest infections more generally - but at least two thirds are confirmed to be caused by coronavirus. The high level of outbreaks in schools may be due to a resurgence in rhinovirus, which causes runny noses, Public Health England data suggests. Its graph shows a major uptick in cases of this virus as children mix in schools, after spending months at home. The data will likely pile more pressure on the Government to consider abandoning its 10pm curfew which has been branded 'dangerous' and 'creating an incentive for people to gather in the streets'. Professor Robert Dingwall, a sociologist who also advises the Government, said it was another example of 'patrician policymaking'. 'When were any of those involved in making this decision last in a city centre pub at closing time? The disdain for the night-time economy reflects the puritan streak in public health that has marked so many interventions,' he said. 'Anyone with a basic knowledge of sociology, anthropology, socio-legal studies or criminology would have predicted the transport chaos that Andy Burnham has described and the street parties that we have seen elsewhere.' John Apter, national chairman of the Police Federation, said police had difficulty dispersing large crowds that gathered with only limited numbers of officers available. Hancock says North East faces more curbs The North East is facing 'restrictions on indoor mixing between households in any setting' despite pleas from local MPs. Health Secretary Matt Hancock announced the move in the Commons amid protests from Tories about the way measures were being pushed through. Mr Hancock told the Commons: 'Today I must announce further measures for the parts of the north-east where we introduced local action a fortnight ago. 'Unfortunately the number of cases continues to rise sharply. The incident rate across the area is now over 100 cases per 100,000. We know that a large number of these infections are taking place in indoor settings outside the home. 'And so at the request of the local councils, with whom we have been working closely, we will introduce legal restrictions on indoor mixing between households in any setting. 'We do not take these steps lightly but we must take them and take them now because we know that swift action is more likely to bring the virus under control and the quicker we can get this virus under control, the quicker we can restore the freedoms we all enjoy in the north-east and across the country.' Advertisement 'You might only have one or two people in a busy high street at 10pm when hundreds and hundreds of people are coming out on to the streets,' he told Today. 'My colleagues will do the best they can to encourage and coerce people to move on but it is really difficult. 'All that you need is a hostile group that turns against those officers and the resources for that city centre are swallowed up dealing with that one incident.' Former Labour leadership contender Mr Burnham said: 'I received reports that the supermarkets were absolutely packed to the rafters, lots of people gathering after 10pm. 'I think there needs to be an urgent review of the emerging evidence from police forces across the country. My gut feeling is that this curfew is doing more harm than good. 'It's potentially contradictory because it creates an incentive for people to gather in the streets or more probably to gather in the home. That is the opposite of what our local restrictions are trying to do. 'I don't think this has been properly thought through to be honest and it also of course damages the bars and restaurants.' His words were echoed by Liverpool mayor Joe Anderson. The city has seen its average number of daily cases almost treble in two weeks, pushing it on to the Government's lockdown watchlist. Slamming the Government's blanket approach, he said: 'You can't have off-licences and supermarkets open until midnight selling beer, and pubs emptying at 10pm, when people go to the off-licences, buy beer, drink either out in the street in large groups or go to houses, and drink in large groups. It will just spread the virus. 'The situation currently is making things more dangerous and not better. 'I think it's stupid to close restaurants at 10pm,' he said, adding that midnight would be 'more responsible' and that pub closures should be staggered. One enraged Conservative MP also voiced his concern over the measures, telling Politico: 'Which clown-faced moron thought it would be a good idea to kick thousands of p***** people out from the pubs into the street and onto the tube at the same time? 'It's like some sort of sick experiment to see if you can incubate a second wave.' Speaker set to save PM by snubbing amendment bid by Tory rebels Speaker Lindsay Hoyle is set to save Boris Johnson's blushes by refusing to call a rebel Tory amendment on coronavirus curbs this week - despite more MPs joining the revolt. The PM is struggling to quell growing fury from his own MPs over the restrictions and the lack of parliamentary scrutiny. There are claims that up to 100 are ready to line up behind an amendment tabled by Conservative backbench chief Sir Graham Brady, which would force ministers to get approval in advance before bringing in more restrictions. However, in spite of the groundswell of support, Speaker Lindsay Hoyle is not expected to allow a vote on the change. The government has put down a motion to renew its sweeping powers under the Coronavirus Act 2020 - which will otherwise lapse. Rebels have taken the opportunity to add wording that would make further restrictions subject to a vote by MPs. But accepting the amendment would be out of line with standard Parliamentary procedure on this kind of motion, which is to obtain a 'clean' yes or no decision from the House. Sir Lindsay has been keen to avoid getting involved in the rows about rule-bending that blighted John Bercow's final days in the chair, as he was seen as taking sides with Remainers. One senior MP told MailOnline Sir Graham was marching his troops to the top of the hill, but faced having to march them down again. 'It is a bit of ''Grand Old Duke of York'',' they said. 'If you (allow the vote) you are going back to what the previous Speaker did, and you will end up with the courts deciding. 'If you don't believe in it you can vote against it - a straightforward vote.' Advertisement Meanwhile, Speaker Lindsay Hoyle is set to save Boris Johnson's blushes by refusing to call a rebel Tory amendment on coronavirus curbs this week - despite more MPs joining the revolt. The PM is struggling to quell growing fury from his own MPs over the restrictions and the lack of parliamentary scrutiny. There are claims that up to 100 are ready to line up behind an amendment tabled by Conservative backbench chief Sir Graham Brady, which would force ministers to get approval in advance before bringing in more restrictions. However, in spite of the groundswell of support, Speaker Lindsay Hoyle is not expected to allow a vote on the change. The government has put down a motion to renew its sweeping powers under the Coronavirus Act 2020 - which will otherwise lapse. Rebels have taken the opportunity to add wording that would make further restrictions subject to a vote by MPs. But accepting the amendment would be out of line with standard Parliamentary procedure on this kind of motion, which is to obtain a 'clean' yes or no decision from the House. Sir Lindsay has been keen to avoid getting involved in the rows about rule-bending that blighted John Bercow's final days in the chair, as he was seen as taking sides with Remainers. One senior MP told MailOnline Sir Graham was marching his troops to the top of the hill, but faced having to march them down again. 'It is a bit of ''Grand Old Duke of York'',' they said. 'If you (allow the vote) you are going back to what the previous Speaker did, and you will end up with the courts deciding. 'If you don't believe in it you can vote against it - a straightforward vote.' Pictures showed thousands of revellers crowding onto England's streets and public transport this weekend after the curfew kicked in at 10pm. Data from NHS Test and Trace reveals that between September 21 to 27 the most common place of transmission was reported as in the household, or being a visitor to another household. The data also showed that coronavirus sufferers were most likely to report eating out or shopping prior to developing symptoms, followed by a holiday or living alone or with family. Scientists are divided over the 10pm deadline which 'doesn't seem to be based on evidence', instead suggesting that it was arrived at using a trade-off between economic damage and a desire to curb the viral spread. Drinkers pictured on the street in London after they were kicked out of pubs due to curfew DO CURFEWS SLOW THE SPREAD OF COVID-19? When Thailand imposed a 10pm to 4am curfew on April 3 it was counting just over 100 cases of coronavirus a day. By the time the curfew was removed on June 15 this number had dropped into the low tens. Although the country's success has been attributed to the curfew, some scientists dispute this, saying that the lockdown and other social measures in force at the time had a greater impact. The UK is hoping that its curfew may help it mirror the success of the South-east Asian nation. Linda Bauld, professor of public health at Edinburgh University, told HuffPost curfews are used because 'we know that night time economy generally is risky'. 'There have been outbreaks linked to nightclubs and to bars and restaurants,' she said. 'We've known this for months.' 'The longer people are in these venues, the more they probably let their guard down and the mix of social distancing and alcohol is not a good one despite the best efforts of publicans and venue owners.' Behavioural expert Professor Susan Michie, a member of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE), said she thought the 10pm time had been chosen to balance the needs of the night-time economy with the need to control the virus. Advertisement Professor Mark Woolhouse, a member of the Scientific Pandemic Influenza Group on Modelling (SPI-M) said there was no scientific basis for the deadline. Speaking on the Andrew Marr Show, he admitted he was unaware of any modelling being carried out to assess its effects, but said it would not offer the 'sort of granularity' needed to explore the potential impacts. 'So these sorts of things have to be judgement calls based on the public health service rather than the modelling,' he said. 'There isn't any proven scientific basis for any of this. Because this is a new challenge we're having to use interventions we've never tried before. All of this has very much been ad hoc interventions that we're learning as we go.' Professor Sunetra Gupta, a leading theoretical epidemiologist at the University of Oxford, has urged ministers to adopt an 'age-stratified' approach to managing the pandemic using targeted measures to protect the vulnerable and elderly. She told Sky News yesterday: 'I think an efficient system would be to protect the vulnerable and finding a way for people in care homes to not be affected'. The Professor was among 30 scientists to call on the Government to consider a more targeted approach to controlling the outbreak, rather than blanket restrictions. In a letter to the British Medical Journal they argued that because 89 per cent of Covid-19 deaths were in those aged over 65 and also concentrated in people with pre-existing medical conditions that interventions should be focused on these groups. 'This large variation in risk by age and health status suggests that the harm caused by uniform policies (that apply to all persons) will outweigh the benefits,' they say. Industry bodies have warned the curfew will lead to illegal raves and house parties as drinkers are forced out of licensed venues. The UK Hospitality group summed it up as 'another crushing blow' to the sector, while the Campaign for Pubs called for further financial support. Greg Mulholland, the group's campaign director, said: 'As it is, most pubs were only getting back on their feet and many were not yet trading profitably and this latest news will make it impossible for some publicans to carry on.' So now you can get a 4,000 fine for 'recklessly' leaving self-isolation and 1,000 for making a fake Covid claim under new coronavirus rules quietly introduced overnight without prior warning to the public Police will be allowed to dish out 4,000 fines to people who 'recklessly' breach their self-isolation under new rules sneaked out by ministers overnight. Pubs and other venues in England are also banned from playing loud music or allowing singing or dancing under sweeping new coronavirus legislation quietly introduced today. People who refuse to self-isolate can also be fined up to 10,000 if they consistently refuse to stay at home under sweeping new powers put in place by ministers. And Boris Johnson's administration has also introduced a 1,000 fine for those who maliciously force people into isolation by falsely telling authorities that they could have come into contact with the virus. This means that people taking a dark revenge on an ex-partner or a terrible boss by forcing them to stay at home face being hit in the wallet if discovered. There are also fines for people who try to go into work when they should be in isolation and who fail to tell their employer about their situation. But the laws also say you are allowed to break self-isolation, with reasons that are acceptable including taking a pet to the vet. The manner in which these fines have been introduced without a vote sparked a furious backlash from Tory backbenchers already unhappy at the way ministers are freelancing new legislation without scrutiny from Parliament. Tory former minister Steve Baker likened some of the Government's coronavirus restrictions to George Orwell's dystopian novel 1984, specifically referencing a ban on singing and dancing in bars, cafes and restaurants. Health Secretary Matt Hancock told the Commons this afternoon he has agreed to hold a further meeting with a Tory MP leading a rebellion over Parliament's ability to scrutinise Government-imposed coronavirus restrictions. Mr Hancock told MPs Commons he would meet Sir Graham Brady, chairman of the influential Tory backbench 1922 Committee, and other Tories to discuss matters further. Mr Hancock told MPs: 'I welcome the scrutiny that this House gives. I have answered seven urgent questions, given 12 statements and taken 800 interventions since the start of this pandemic and I am committed to continuing to the engagement.' But former chief whip Mark Harper interrupted him to say: 'But it's not just about scrutiny, it's about the laws we're making and the ones that for example came in at midnight tonight, with 12 pages of detailed laws, lots of detail and criminal offences and duties not mentioned when they were set out in a statement last week, including duties on employers, directors and officers with serious criminal penalties. Boris Johnson (pictured today) has introduced a 1,000 for those who maliciously force other people into isolation by making false claims to authorities that they could have come into contact with the virus The wide-ranging laws and the list of punishments were revealed in legal documents and came into force on Monday. Acceptable excuses for breaking self-isolation The legislation released today lists acceptable reasons for breaching your own self-isolation. As well as threatening five-figure sums for spurious breaches, there is a vast swathes of acceptable excuses that can be given. Medical care is one perhaps obvious reason. The rules set out that this can be either 'required urgently' or as a referral from a GP for less emergency treatment. The range of physical medical care covered includes dentistry, the optician, audiologists, chiropodists, chiropractors and osteopaths. Mental health treatment is also on the list. Animal owners are also allowed to take their pets or working animals for treatment 'where this is required urgently or on the advice of a veterinary surgeon'. Legal duties are also permissible, such as being required to attend a court case or other legal proceeding, or to answer bail. Another reason given is 'to avoid a risk of harm' - for example if your home is on fire you will not be breaking the rules if you flee in terror. You can also attend a funeral of a 'close family member' and to obtain 'basic necessities' like food and medication for people in your home - including pets - if there is no other way you can get hold of them. Advertisement 'That's why we need to scrutinise the detail of the legislation before it comes into force and give our assent to it, not I'm afraid just allow him to do so by decree.' Mr Hancock replied: 'Well of course sometimes in this pandemic we have to move fast, sometimes we have had to move fast and we may need to again. The challenge we have in this House is how to ensure proper scrutiny whilst also being able, when necessary, to move fast in response to the virus. That is the challenge that collectively we all face.' Mr Baker later tweeted that the meeting with Health Secretary Matt Hancock, Chief Whip Mark Spencer and Commons leader Jacob Rees-Mogg was 'cordial and constructive'. 'I hope and expect we will reach a satisfactory agreement,' he added. The wide-ranging laws and the list of punishments were revealed in legal documents and came into force on Monday. Now, by law, people in England must self-isolate if they test positive for coronavirus, or are contacted by the test and trace service, or face fines starting from 1,000, rising to 10,000 for a fourth offence. But the fines start at 4,000 for people who additionally are found to have 'recklessly' breach their own self-isolation. For example, going into an office or crowded place when you know this could put people at risk after being told to self-isolate. The Prime Minister's official spokesman said: 'We know that the vast majority of people want to do the right thing. 'What we are setting out is that those who recklessly take risks with the health of their friends, families and communities should expect this to be taken seriously.' Those who test positive must do so for 10 days after displaying symptoms, or from their test date if they are asymptomatic, while members of their household must isolate for 14 days. Meanwhile it emerged that separate laws, which also came into force on Monday, ban pubs, bars, restaurants and cafes from playing music which exceeds 85 decibels, although live performances are exempt. The same rules also say that pub landlords or those who run other venues like hotel bars, restaurants and members clubs, must take 'all reasonable measures' to stop singing on the premises by customers in groups of more than six, and dancing. Wedding ceremonies and receptions are exempt from the rule. Farmer's 10,000 fine for hosting wedding for 300 people on farm A landowner has been fined 10,000 for breaching coronavirus regulations after reports that up to 300 people attended a wedding at a farm. Police were called to the celebration on land at Scarecrow Farm, on Whitehall Road, New Farnley, Leeds, on Saturday - the same day extra lockdown measures were imposed on the city. Officers found a large number of people and loud music around a marquee in woods, two industrial-sized generators, and vehicles continuing to enter the site. A 49-year-old man was identified as being one of the landowners and was reported for summons for holding a gathering of more than 30 people in breach of coronavirus legislation. West Yorkshire Police said they began receiving calls between 5pm and 6pm on Saturday reporting that between 100 and 300 people were attending the event, with one caller reporting that a fight had broken out. Advertisement The self-isolation rules show there is a 4,000 first-time fine for those who are 'reckless' by coming into contact with others when they know they should be self-isolating. For example, going into an office or crowded place when you know this could put people at risk after being told to self-isolate. The Prime Minister's official spokesman said: 'We know that the vast majority of people want to do the right thing. 'What we are setting out is that those who recklessly take risks with the health of their friends, families and communities should expect this to be taken seriously.' Staff also face a 50 fine for failing to tell their employer they have to self-isolate. The rules also prohibit an employer from allowing staff to attend any place of work, or anywhere connected to their work, while they are having to self-isolate. Employers must not knowingly allow people to go into work if they know they have to self-isolate. Police will be carrying out spot checks in 'high incidence areas' and on 'high-risk groups' based on 'local intelligence', the Department of Health and Social Care said. Those on low incomes who cannot work from home, and have lost income as a result, will also be eligible for a new 500 test and trace support payment, the department added. Mr Hancock faced criticism when he spoke in the Commons this afternoon. Conservative former minister Chris Grayling said he understood decisions had to be taken quickly, adding: 'But when it comes to new national measures, and many of us represent areas where the incidence of the virus remains very low, in the southern part of my constituency in that district there were no cases last week. 'Before we embark upon measures that affect everyone, as opposed to firefighting in individual areas, it is really important that this House has the chance to really scrutinise and hold to account and challenge - we know he wants to do the right thing, we want to help him do the right thing.' Mr Hancock replied: 'Help like that is always very welcome. What I can say is we want to ensure that the House can be properly involved in this process whilst also allowing the whole nation to move fast where that's necessary.' He added: 'I welcome the rightful recognition that sometimes we do we have to decide at pace, this is an unprecedented situation and the truth is that the secondary legislation procedures were not themselves designed for a situation like this. 'The question is how we can have the appropriate level of scrutiny whilst also making sure that we can move fast where that is necessary.' Pakistan's Supreme Court has accepted an appeal by the family of slain American journalist Daniel Pearl challenging the acquittal of a British-born Pakistani man accused of murdering the Wall Street Journal reporter in 2002. The Supreme Court said on September 28 that it will begin hearing next week the appeal over a lower court's acquittal in April of Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh, who had been on death row since his conviction in 2002 over Pearl's killing. The High Court of Sindh Province reduced Sheikh's sentence to seven years in prison for kidnapping, in what Washington said was an "affront to victims of terrorism." Sheikh and three other men accused of involvement in Pearl's kidnapping and murder have remained in detention as the Pakistani government appeals to the Supreme Court to have the sentences reinstated. Ahead of the hearing scheduled for September 28, the Pearl family said that releasing Sheikh would encourage militants around the world. "This would be an invitation and encouragement to extreme elements all over the globe to feel free to initiate acts of terrorism, and play games with human life," said Judea Pearl, the journalist's father. "It would be a message of impunity." Pearl, 38, was The Wall Street Journal's South Asia bureau chief when he was abducted and beheaded in Karachi in 2002 while researching a story about Islamist militants. A video showing Pearl's decapitation was delivered to the U.S. consulate in Karachi nearly a month later. Sheikh, a former student at the London School of Economics, was arrested in 2002 and sentenced to death by an anti-terrorism court, while three other defendants were sentenced to life imprisonment. In January 2011, a report released by the Pearl Project, an investigative journalism team at Georgetown University in Washington, claimed that the wrong men were convicted for Pearl's murder. The investigation claimed the reporter was murdered by Khalid Sheikh Muhammad, the alleged mastermind of the September 11, 2001, attacks. Muhammad was arrested in Pakistan in 2003 and is being held in the U.S. facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. With reporting by The Wall Street Journal and AP Actor Rakul Preet Singh has moved the Delhi High Court seeking directions from the court restraining media from reporting against her, and connecting her with the Rhea Chakraborty drug case, which has emerged from the investigations in Sushant Singh Rajput's death case. Sushant AIIMS 3 ; Sushant ?| FilmiBeat She has sought an interim order against the media till the investigation by NCB is completed, and an appropriate report is filed before the court. Rakul's petition, filed through advocates Himanshu Yadav, Aman Hingorani and Shweta Hingorani, is pending and is likely to come up for hearing next week. The plea said that Singh was in Hyderabad for a film shoot on September 23 and was shocked to see media reports claiming that the NCB had summoned her to appear before it in Mumbai the next morning. However, she had not received any summons either at her Hyderabad address or Mumbai address. "...however, from the evening of 23.9.2020 itself, the media started running fake news to the effect that the Petitioner, who was in Hyderabad, had supposedly reached Mumbai on the evening of 23.9.2020 for the NCB investigation," it further said. The plea added that Singh received the summons on the morning of September 24 through Whatsapp, and she appeared before the NCB the next day. It also claimed that the media continued to broadcast and publish fake news against her. Singh had, earlier this month, sought direction from the High Court in order to ask the media not to report anything about her, in the context of Rhea's drugs case, in a manner that maligns, slanders or invades Singh's privacy. A single judge bench of the high court issued a notice on the plea and said, "There has to be some restraint. Media gets to know info even before the officers themselves. Reputations are getting tarnished." It further said, "It is hoped that media houses and TV channels would show restraint and abide by the Program Code and other guidelines while making any report in connection with Rakul Preet Singh." ALSO READ: Samantha Akkineni Apologises To Sara Ali Khan And Rakul Preet Singh After NCB's Statement Mayor Sylvester Turner on Monday signed an executive order authorizing a new cite-and-release program for the Houston Police Department, aiming to let people accused of certain misdemeanors off with a ticket instead of a trip to jail. Turner and Chief Art Acevedo also promised to release monthly public updates on its implementation, ensuring the public can review how the policy is applied. The order takes effect 6 a.m. Tuesday. The program gives them an opportunity to make changes in their lives and face responsibility for their actions without having the stain of an arrest, or serving jail time, on their record, Turner said of accused offenders. The policy, which HPD unveiled at a council committee meeting earlier this month, allows officers to give a ticket instead of arresting people accused of seven misdemeanors: possession of less than four ounces of a controlled substance; criminal mischief of between $100 and $750 in damage; graffiti resulting in $100 to $2,500 damage; theft of between $100 and $750; theft of service worth between $100 and $750; bringing contraband into a correctional facility; and driving with an invalid license. Those offenses accounted for roughly 3,000 arrests in Houston last year, according to HPD. Turner said the departments policy toward Class C misdemeanors, some of which do carry the possibility of arrest, would be upgraded to match the cite-and-release program. It was unclear why those offenses were not included in the order. Police executives said violent crimes in that category, such as assault, would remain arrests. The accused would receive a citation telling them when and where to appear in court under a cite-and-release program created by Harris Countys court-at-law judges, who have said the city could have joined months ago. The policy has buy-in from HPD executives, the Houston Police Officers Union, and some advocates, who have called it an imperfect step in the right direction. However, the citys policy allows for exceptions that some argue are too expansive. The exceptions include if an alleged offender cannot provide a government ID, if there is reason to believe they will not appear in court, and if an officer believes that offering Cite And Release to an otherwise qualified suspect is not the best course of action. In those cases, the officer must get supervisor approval and document the name of that supervisor in his or her offense report. Now Playing: U.S. flags lined a street in Copperbrook as the Harris County Sheriffs Office and the community paid tribute to fallen Deputy Sandeep Singh Dhaliwal on the first anniversary of his death. Video: Steve Gonzales / Houston Chronicle Those exceptions have given pause to criminal justice advocates who have pushed for a cite-and-release policy for years. The Right2Justice Coalition, a group that includes many prominent local justice organizations and drafted a model cite-and-release ordinance this summer, wrote an open letter to the mayor last week asking him to strengthen the new policy. It said the policy, as laid out by HPD, leaves officers with too much discretion and carves out too many exceptions. It is not legally binding and does not include all citation-eligible offenses under state law, the letter said. Houstons policy has 16 exceptions, whereas San Marcos has six and Austin has seven, according to the letter. We project that their program, as presented, will fail to significantly improve community safety, wellbeing and equity in the city, the letter said. Alan M. de Leon, Houston advocacy organizer for MOVE Texas, part of the coalition, said those concerns remain after the mayor signed the order. The group would have preferred the policy was adopted by ordinance, explicitly included Class C misdemeanors, and left less room for officers to make case-by-case decisions. There are going to be a lot of people going to jail for otherwise citation-eligible offenses, de Leon said. Ashton Woods, founder of Black Lives Matter Houston, which also is a member of the coalition, was more critical. This looks like progress without the actual substantive action, he said. Acevedo said his officers understand the spirit of the order and emphasized they need supervisor approval to deem an arrest necessary. Turner also said the monthly reporting of citation and arrest data would help ensure the policy is implemented as intended. If the reporting indicates, for example, that were not meeting our targets, or that people are using far too much discretion, then this is a living document and we will address is accordingly, Turner said. But the detailed reporting will give a much more transparent look at the execution of the cite and release, and whether or not it is reaching its intended result. De Leon said he was pleased to hear that. Were not optimistic the program will be successful as intended, so were looking forward to, once the report comes out, doing an analysis and reacting accordingly, he said. Executive orders do carry over into new mayoral administrations, but they can be superseded or canceled by another executive order. Cite-and-release is the citys latest effort at police reform since the national reckoning on race and policing ignited by the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. In June, Turner signed an executive order limiting certain uses of force and no-knock raids, although officials and advocates argued that order mostly enshrined existing policy. He also convened a task force of more than 40 people to study further reforms. That group is expected to release its report this week. dylan.mcguinness@chron.com The day after President Donald Trump's inauguration in 2017, the Women's March drew millions of people to the streets of Washington, D.C., and cities across the country in a collective display of outrage and grief that was widely considered the largest single-day protest in American history. As another presidential election nears and as the nation faces a deadly pandemic, historic racial justice protests and a contentious Supreme Court nomination process, the Women's March organizers are hoping to, once again, channel grief and fear into action. But this time, they're not waiting until January. Last week, the Women's March organization said it is planning a "socially distant march" in Washington and more than 30 other cities on Oct. 17, days before Senate Republicans aim to vote on Trump's pick to replace Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg on the Supreme Court. Trump has nominated Amy Coney Barrett, a circuit judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, whose writings have led conservatives and liberals to believe she would be willing to vote to overturn Roe v. Wade. She has also been critical of a 2012 Supreme Court decision that upheld the Affordable Care Act. The goal, the Women's March group says, is to "send an unmistakable message about the fierce opposition to Trump and his agenda, including his attempt to fill Ruth Bader Ginsburg's seat." The organization plans to organize a rally in Freedom Plaza, followed by a march to the Supreme Court, and estimates that about 10,000 people will participate, according to an application for a permit submitted on Wednesday with the National Park Service. A permit has not yet been issued. "We had an idea of what was to come, but I don't think we knew how bad it would get," said Rachel O'Leary Carmona, executive director of the Women's March. "This march is different, but the stakes are the same, and that's everything for women . . . our health, our family, our wellness. Our stakes have become higher and higher." Each year since pink-hatted women first flooded the nation's capital in 2017, the Women's March has organized marches in January in D.C. and across the country, promoting a list of policy demands and helping energize women to run for office in record numbers. But the recent marches have drawn much smaller crowds than the seminal event after Trump's inauguration. The national organization has at times struggled to remain relevant, as scores of its initial attendees have redirected their attention toward other causes. It has also overhauled its leadership, following national controversies and accusations of anti-Semitism that frayed the group's relationship with Jewish women. At the most recent Women's March, some attendees said they hoped they wouldn't need to march again, following the 2020 election. And amid the covid-19 pandemic, the organization's leaders were unsure to what extent they would be able to mobilize an in-person event for 2021. But then, "the death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg reset the whole country," O'Leary Carmona said. The day after Ginsburg's death, more than 7,800 people signed up to host vigils for the justice across the country, O'Leary Carmona said. The following day, Women's March organizers started conceptualizing the idea for an October event. The rally is part of a broader focus to become an organization that can be responsive and flexible to "meet the political moment," O'Leary Carmona said. It's also an opportunity for the Women's March to capitalize on the Supreme Court fight and the sustained protests nationwide, said Dana R. Fisher, a University of Maryland professor who studies protest movements. But it's unclear how the march will find its place amid the historic demonstrations calling for racial justice. "It really does seems like Women's March sees this as an opportunity to take advantage of their network, to get people into the streets and situate the organization in a new way," Fisher said. "The question is whether everybody has the energy and feels like they're going to bring something to the streets that wasn't already there." Among the many groups mobilizing protests in D.C. in recent months, including during the March on Washington and Juneteenth protests, the Women's March has been somewhat absent, Fisher said. In the days after George Floyd was killed by police in Minneapolis, the Women's March released a statement expressing solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement and explaining why it wasn't planning its own protests. "Women's March has always been an organization that is led by women of color with a significantly white base," the statement on Instagram read. "Some have asked why we have not called for mobilizations. Black organizers explicitly asked us not to mobilize outsiders to Minnesota. We listened. We encourage ppl to support organizations where they live and to take their lead from them. This uprising is about protecting Black lives and fighting against police violence. It is not time for non-Black people, especially White people, to center themselves in a way that puts more labor or risk on Black people in this moment." O'Leary Carmona said the organization has worked to strengthen its relationships with racial justice movements and is working closely with Rising Majority, a coalition formed in 2017 between the Movement for Black Lives and allied groups. There is significant overlap between the participants at the Black Lives Matter protests in the District this summer and those who attended Women's March events. Fisher, who has collected data at protests throughout the summer, said 34 percent of the people she surveyed at the March on Washington in August said they also attended the Women's March in 2017. But the question is whether those same protesters will be inspired to return to a Women's March. Makia Green, a local organizer for Black Lives Matter DC, said that at this time, BLM organizers are not official co-sponsors for the Oct. 17 Women's March event. While a D.C. Black Lives Matter organizer is planning to speak at the rally, it's not clear to what extent local activists will be involved. The community is grieving right now, Green said, following the decision not to bring homicide charges against police officers in the death of Breonna Taylor in Louisville and after the funeral Thursday of Deon Kay, who was fatally shot in Southeast Washington on Sept. 2 by a D.C. police officer. "We're in defense mode right now," she said. She's not opposed to a mass mobilization of women ahead of the election but said the focus needs to remain on protecting Black lives. "Do I think there is a need for women, especially White women, to be organized around the election to defend communities from white supremacy?" she said. "Yes, I do believe that is necessary." Concerns about covid-19 could also lead to a drastically lower turnout, Fisher said, given the relatively older demographic of the Women's March base. The average age of those who attended the Women's March in 2017 was 43, Fisher said, while the average age at the Black Lives Matter protests over the summer was more than 10 years younger. "There's no way in a million years you're going to see a bunch of women in pink pussy hats flying in air planes right now," Fisher said. O'Leary Carmona agreed the pandemic would probably lead to smaller numbers. Organizers are prepared to plan different types of protests across the country, including virtual events and car caravans. Beyond the election, O'Leary Carmona said, she could not yet say whether the October event would replace the annual Women's March in January. "Where there is need," she said, "Women's March will be there." Appointment 28 September 2020 Italian national Niccolo Rossi has been brought into Radisson Blu Hotel, Dubai Deira Creek as executive assistant manager. In his new role, he will oversee the operations of the heritage hotel, including its 14 F&B outlets, 21 meeting rooms and 288 keys. Niccolo joined Radisson Hotel Group in 2009, first working at Radisson Blu in Tripoli, Libya as part of the culinary preopening team. He later moved to Eastern Europe, rising the ranks at Radisson to executive chef and director of F&B. Prior to his appointment in Deira Creek, he worked as director operations at Park Inn by Radisson Pulkovskaya Hotel & Conference Centre, where he helped elevate F&B profitability. The death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and President Trumps quick nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrett has escalated an already-tense political environment in the U.S., shaking up the presidential campaign and animating activists across the political spectrum. A remade Supreme Court populated by Trump appointees threatens to overturn abortion rights, roll back voter protections and scrap the Affordable Care Act. The future of the Court will also shape the future of U.S. climate policy. A Supreme Court remade in the vision of the right could take aim at existing climate change measuresand the legal justifications underpinning themwhile also impeding the ability of federal government agencies to implement new ones. At the heart of the issue is the role of federal agencies and their ability to regulate, an area known as administrative law. In the U.S. at least, its hard to conceive of a comprehensive climate-fighting regime that doesnt rely on agencies to play a role regulating emissions. Conservative jurists are generally skeptical of these powers, and its likely a more conservative Supreme Court would seek to limit them. That wouldnt necessarily doom future presidential or legislative attempts at creating new and more stringent climate rules, but itd make it all a lot harder. Its not a death knell, says Michael Gerrard, director of the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law at Columbia University. But its going to require great care by Congress and the [next presidential] administration to avoid these problems. How agencies became so important For the uninitiated, administrative law can sound esoteric, but it has played a central role in creating our current climate protections. Some issues are too complicated to be solved by Congress alone, so Congress has in many cases passed laws that create a broad framework but leave the implementation up to federal agencies. In the environmental space, that history dates back to the 1970s: Congress passed the Clean Air Act and the Clean Water Act to address rampant pollution in the U.S, and the Environmental Protection Agency administered the laws. Story continues Climate change wasnt included in the original mandate of the EPA, and Congress has never explicitly told the agency to regulate greenhouse gas emissions, but as global warming science grew increasingly alarming, the agency was forced to incorporate reducing greenhouse emissions into its mandate. Troubled by the federal governments inaction, a group of states led by Massachusetts sued the EPA in 2006 to demand the agency act to reduce emissions. The following year, the Supreme Court ruled in a 5-4 decision known as Massachusetts vs. EPA that the agency needed to regulate greenhouse gas emissions if EPA scientists found they endangered human health. The Courts decision meant that combating climate change was, effectively, a responsibility of the executive branch. Thanks to that ruling, the EPA became the primary regulator of greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S. When President Barack Obama failed to pass climate legislation through Congress in 2009, he turned to the agency and others to create new rules using the Clean Air Act and other existing law. Almost all of the significant climate measures enacted under President Obamathink the Clean Power Plan, vehicle emissions standards and methane rulescame via one of the federal agencies Trump came to office keen to undo these regulations, and his Administration has spent the last four years using its authority to push agencies to move climate policy in reverse. In total, Trump has sought to roll back some 100 environmental rules, according to a New York Times count last updated on July 15. There has been nothing like this administration on the environment in the last 50 years, says William Reilly, who headed the EPA under George H.W. Bush, referring to what he called Trumps general dereliction of duty to protect the environment. But while Trump has sought to tear up the countrys climate regulation, his efforts have been met with major challenges. Because Massachusetts vs EPA still stands, the administration is still technically responsible for fighting climate change, and his rollbacks need to show sound legal and scientific reasoningwhich can be hard to come by given Trumps primary motivation has little to do with science or law. This reality has tied up many of his deregulatory moves in the courts. The administration has only succeeded in 15 of the 87 attempted rollbacks that have been litigated, according to data from the Institute for Policy Integrity. If a more conservative Supreme Court decides to revisit Massachusetts vs EPA, the result could make it significantly easier for Trump or a future president to eliminate these rulesand hinder the ability for a new administration to make new rules. There are multiple scenarios that could play out over the coming years. What comes next Biden has telegraphed repeatedly that he plans to make fighting climate change a top priority if he defeats Trump in November: he has called for the U.S. to hit net zero emissions by 2050 and eliminate the carbon footprint of the power sector by 2035. What kinds of measures he could actually enact to reach those goals will depend significantly on the composition of the Supreme Court. If Biden wins without a Congressional majority, he would likely struggle to pass legislation through a divided Congress and, like Obama, would need to turn to agencies to make rules in the absence of a new law. A Biden EPA would likely try to implement all sorts of emissions-reduction measures, using the Clean Air Act as its justification. But conservative jurists have already indicated how they would fight that. In 1984, the Supreme Court created a precedent known as Chevron deference, which gave agencies leeway to interpret laws passed by Congress if they deal directly with the agencys work. So, in this case, the EPA is given significant deference to interpret the Clean Air Act. Conservatives have criticized that practice since the beginning, and Justice Brett Kavanaugh, who could be the new swing vote on the Court, has criticized it. The doctrine can be antithetical to the neutral, impartial rule of law, Kavanaugh wrote in 2016. Moreover, the Supreme Court could overturn or significantly weaken Massachusetts vs EPA, and the practice of using agencies to address climate change would be vulnerable to legal challenge or foreclosed entirely. In theory, a Democratic majority in both houses of Congress would fix this problem. Congress could pass a law that requires the EPA to regulate emissions, effectively bypassing Massachusetts vs EPA. Or Congress could create a different regulatory framework entirely. But conservative jurists are one step ahead of such measures. For decades, conservatives have touted a principle known as the nondelegation doctrine, which rejects Congresss ability to give too much power to agencies. Conservatives have had limited success using that argument in court thus far, but that could easily change if the Supreme Court shifts ideologically. And it could effectively prevent new climate laws that require an agency like the EPA for implementation. The reshaping of the judiciary under the Trump Administration toward a right-leaning judiciary that is not only willing but eager to shrink the administrative state is simply not compatible with strong regulation of anything, says Cara Horowitz, executive director of the Emmett Institute on Climate Change and the Environment at UCLA School of Law. Finally, theres a very real chance that Trump ends up in office for a second term. In that case, its safe to assume that the federal judiciary and the Supreme Court would continue its conservative bent, chipping away at the power of agencies to address climate change. That would aid in Trumps ongoing rollbacks and grind even the currently insufficient climate policies to a halt. Fighting back A hard right turn by the Supreme Courtnot to mention the impact of the hundreds of federal judges Trump has appointed to lower federal courtswould clearly pose deep challenges for a Biden Administration, but that doesnt mean it couldnt fight back. Environmental lawyers say if Democrats control Congress, they would need to craft very explicit climate laws that cant be interpreted as delegating too much authority to agencies to avoid legal challenges. Perhaps more importantly, Horowitz says, Democrats might want to consider how they can reshape the judiciary more broadly to avoid the near-impossible challenges created by conservative jurists. Rather than trying to shape your policy to match the current Court, says Horowitz, maybe figure out a way to shape the judiciary to match what you want to do with your policy. In other words, the ongoing discussions about whether a potential Biden Administration should try to expand and pack the Supreme Court matters a lot for the course of climate policy. A version of this article was originally published in TIMEs climate newsletter, One.Five. Click here to sign up to receive these stories early. (ANSA) - ROME, SEP 28 - Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio said Monday that Italy was willing to help its European partners facing an upswing in COVID-19 cases. "During this pandemic, Europe has shown solidarity with Italy," Di Maio said on Facebook. "And we, as a government, acted swiftly to make our country safe. "But there are countries in Europe that are still suffering, above all, Spain and France, which risk having a new lockdown. "As the government, we will give the maximum level of help and support". (ANSA). Connectivity and development projects and sharing of river waters are expected to be on the agenda of a meeting of the India- Bangladesh joint consultative commission (JCC) to be held on Tuesday, people familiar with developments said. The creation of a new mechanism to review the progress of bilateral development projects is also expected to figure in the virtual meeting to be chaired by external affairs minister S Jaishankar and his Bangladeshi counterpart AK Abdul Momen, the people said on condition of anonymity. The Bangladeshi side is likely to raise the repatriation of Rohingya refugees to Myanmar and trade issues such as the recent Indian ban on onion exports. Other issues that are likely to come up are irritants in border management and creation of an air bubble, they added. Also read: Top Afghan negotiator in Taliban talks meets Pakistani leadership The sixth meeting of the JCC is being held at a time when bilateral ties have been affected by a string of irritants, including concerns in Bangladesh over comments by BJP leaders about the deportation of illegal migrants from Assam, the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) and the ban on onion exports. The JCC meet will prepare the ground for a virtual meeting of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bangladeshi PM Sheikh Hasina in December. The Bangladeshi foreign minister announced this meeting while interacting with reporters in Dhaka on Monday, though the date is yet to be finalised. It will be a virtual meeting but if the pandemic situation improves, it could be in person (in December), Momen said. He indicated some agreements could be signed during the meeting between the premiers. Referring to the JCC meeting, Momen said, India is our neighbour and our best friend. We have many things to discuss. The JCC meeting will provide both sides an opportunity to clear the air on issues that have impacted the overall relationship. New Delhi took the initiative to put ties back on an even keel by sending foreign secretary Harsh Shringla to Dhaka in August when he delivered a message from PM Modi to Hasina. Shringla had also discussed the creation of a high-level mechanism to regularly review the progress of development projects funded by India during his meeting with Hasina. At least five key projects, including an oil pipeline and three cross-border rail links, are set to be completed in 2021. The monitoring mechanism will be jointly chaired by the Indian envoy in Dhaka and the Bangladeshi foreign secretary and will be on the lines of a similar mechanism India has created with Nepal. Also read: Centre drops offset clause in govt-to-govt deal in new weapons buying policy The JCC meeting is also expected to decide the date for holding a meeting of the Joint Rivers Commission (JRC) which has not met since 2010. Bangladesh had called off a meeting of the JRC scheduled for December last year when concerns in Dhaka about the CAA and National Register of Citizens (NRC) were at a peak. The foreign ministers are expected to discuss a draft framework for water-sharing agreements on six rivers - Manu, Muhuri, Khowai, Gomti, Dharla and Dudhkumar - the people cited above said. The JCC meet will also discuss programmes to be organised during Mujib Borsho or the birth centenary of Bangladeshs Father of the Nation Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and to mark the 50th anniversary of the creation of Bangladesh in 2021. The 5th JCC meeting was held in New Delhi in February last year wherein the two sides had signed four MoUs to strengthen multifaceted cooperation. However, Momen said no agreements were expected to be signed during Tuesdays meeting. Punjab chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh held a sit-in protest against the farm laws at Khatkar Kalan in Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar. He also paid tribute to Bhagat Singh on the latters birth anniversary and said we were indebted to his supreme sacrifice. Khatkar Kalan is the ancestral village of the freedom fighter. The three farm bills - The Farmers Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Service Act, 2020 and The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020 - have been passed by Parliament and received the assent of President Ram Nath Kovind on Sunday. Captain Amarinder Singh said that most farmers in Punjab were marginal and they will be severely impacted by these legislations. I along with my colleagues from @INCPunjab held a protest against Centres Anti-Farmer Laws at Khatkar Kalan in SBS Nagar. Most of our farmers are small & marginal who will be severely impacted by these legislations. We stand by Punjabs farmers & will do everything to oppose it, Singh tweeted. In Punjab, Haryana and other parts of the country, protests against the three bills have been going on for the past few weeks. In New Delhi, Congresss youth wing members on Monday set a tractor on fire at Rajpath in protests against the law. Our country thrives on the blood and sweat of our farmers. From fighting the British to feeding the entire nation, our farmers are the nations backbone. On [freedom fighter] #BhagatSinghs birth anniversary Youth Congress set ablaze a tractor in protest against the govts anti-farmer bills, the Youth Congress said in a tweet. Meanwhile, according to a Congress leader, former party president Rahul Gandhi is likely to lead a protest in Punjab this week. He is also expected to address a rally. After Punjab, he may join the protesting farmers in Haryana. But we are not sure if the BJP government in Haryana will allow him to enter the state, said the leader quoted above. After a grand jury decision yielded no indictments for murder against the officers involved in Breonna Taylor's death, social justice warriors sprang into action. Strategically placed U-Haul vehicles, full of protest signs and riot shields, were located by the rioters after the decision was announced. Like so many other American cities in 2020, the city of Louisville was beset by arson, thievery, and violence at the hands of woke mobs, AKA Democratic Party voters. Kentucky attorney general Daniel Cameron defended the grand jury decision. He cited indisputable facts, including that the officers were executing a legal warrant by entering Taylor's apartment and that, during the legal exercise of that warrant, the officers were fired upon by Taylor's boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, before returning fire and fatally wounding her in the crossfire. Additionally, Cameron warned Kentuckians that "celebrities and influencers" would suggest that they "understand the facts of the case" better than those investigating it in Kentucky, "but they don't." That should all be reasonable and simple enough for most people. But since Cameron is a black man, his comments prompted former Los Angeles police sergeant Cheryl Dorsey to accuse him of treason against his own race, calling his comments "offensive." "Let me say this as a black woman," she opines: "[h]e does not speak for black folks. He's skin-folk, but not kinfolk. And so just like he thinks they can't speak for Kentucky, because he's up there with a black face, he does not speak for all of us. This was a tragedy. This was a murder. He should be ashamed of himself." With her characteristically succinct ferocity, Candace Owens tells Tucker Carlson she's infuriated at this effort to paint Cameron as a race traitor. There's something "fundamentally wrong and backwards about" such criticism, she says, because "if you look at what they are saying and what the deeper implications are here, it's that there is a right way, a correct way and a wrong way to be black." She goes on: Meaning that you can look at me, Tucker, and say 'Candace Owens is black, and therefore I can assign a bunch of characteristics and expectations upon to her [sic] based on her skin color.' Ironically, that's the very definition of racism and it's coming from the liberals who like to say that they see racism everywhere but can't recognize it when it's coming out of their own mouths. If there's any common thread among celebrities and other "influencers" rallying the woke mobs for social justice today, it's what Owens is alluding to with this statement: woke radicals are the foremost practitioners of the racist ideological impulses that they claim to hate, yet they seem to be wholly oblivious to that fact that the world of racism and oppression that they imagine exists is the precise opposite of the world as it exists in reality. Consider this. One hundred years ago, in the institutionally racist Jim Crow South, if a black man killed a white woman in Kentucky, there might be tremendous social pressure to indict him, even if the facts of the case could fully exonerate him in a court of law. Today, can anyone dispute that there is tremendous social pressure to indict white officers involved the death of a black American, even if the facts of the case do fully exonerate the officer in a court of law? Officer Darren Wilson was fully exonerated by several local and federal investigations into Michael Brown's death in Ferguson, Missouri, yet the fake "Hands Up, Don't Shoot" myth persists, and Darren Wilson remains a villain to the legions of social justice warriors out there. You see, when the bloodlust of the woke mob goes unsatiated, for whatever reason, it is a foregone conclusion that riots and violence and destruction will follow. The mob does this, we are told, because those in it are angry. As one woke influencer, Dr. Kristina Johnson of Ohio State University, tells the mob, "[w]e cannot accept what happened in Louisville" because the decision "does not feel like justice." Justice is not a "feeling," and justice should be entirely blind to emotions such as anger. It is for this reason that a son is not the arbiter holding the scales of justice for the man accused of murdering his father. What Kristina Johnson is describing, and what she calls for the woke mob to demand nothing less than, is not justice. It's vengeance. Hearkening back to Candace Owens's observation, the woke mob would readily recognize that an emotional white mob demanding a desired punishment for a presumedly innocent black man in the Jim Crow South, and threatening to take action if its demands are not met, would be a racist lynching, and certainly not justice. Yet when the woke mob demands a desired punishment for presumedly innocent white officers, its own demands and threats of violence are not akin to a lynching, but somehow become demands for "justice." It's a loosely constructed worldview with all the integrity of a house of cards, but the media feverishly work to keep the breezes at bay and maintain the vacuum needed to sustain it. Iit's not just in the criminal justice system and the media where you see the evidence of the upside-down world of the woke. It's all around you. Open any app on your phone, and you might be treated to something like the below, via Yelp: A suggestion to buy from businesses based upon the skin color of their owners is unquestionably racist. The woke mob would certainly recognize that if, say, a technology company like Yelp were telling its users to "support white-owned businesses," complete with a search function to help users in their racist quest to only buy from business owners whose skin color is acceptable to them. If American culture is so incredibly infected with white supremacy and oriented toward helping white people over black people, as the woke standard-bearers insist is the case, how could it be culturally verboten to promote white businesses based upon the skin color of those business-owners, while promoting black businesses based upon the owners' skin color not only is socially acceptable, but couldn't be more en vogue? In this upside-down world of the woke, the social justice warriors claim to be battling racism, but as Candace Owens says, they "claim to see racism everywhere but can't recognize it when it's coming out of their mouths." Here in the real world, it is only too obvious that the woke mobs are battling phantoms from America's past, while they are simultaneously, and aggressively, establishing a new racist status quo. Image: Annettet via Wikimedia Commons. President Akufo-Addo's measures put in place in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic has attracted international admiration. Professor Jeffrey Sachs, the Chairman for the Lancet Commission for COVID-19 is the latest to commend the Ghana government under the ruling NPP for that exceptional and bold leadership. He was commenting on the countries that have made strides in the fight against the novel Coronavirus and saved their citizenry from the devastating effects of the pandemic. Not only that, the small West African countrys name is boldly written in gold among nations that have used their meagre financial resources and under-resourced health systems compared to giant nations such as the United States of America, United Kingdom, Italy, Spain, Canada, Germany, South Africa among others, to achieve excellence in preventing the further spread of COVID-19. Ghanas performance and political leadership, as well as that of other nations in the fight against the pandemic, came under the microscopic eye of the United Nations after it set up a team of health experts to form the Lancet COVID-19 Commission which was launched on July 9, 2020, to among other things, assist governments, civil society, and UN institutions to respond effectively to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Commission aims to offer practical solutions to the four main global challenges posed by the pandemic: suppressing the pandemic by means of pharmaceutical and non-pharmaceutical interventions; overcoming humanitarian emergencies, including poverty, hunger, and mental distress, caused by the pandemic; restructuring public and private finances in the wake of the pandemic; and rebuilding the world economy in an inclusive, resilient, and sustainable way that is aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Paris Climate Agreement. The Commission chaired by Prof. Jeffrey David Sachs in a statement on the occasion of the 75th Session of the UN General Assembly published online on September 14, 2020 places Ghana among the highly recognized countries that are doing great in the fight against COVID-19 despite challenges in its health system as well as funding. Prof. Jeffrey Sachs, who shared some aspects of the Lancet COVID-19 Commission statement via teleconference during the Launch of the one million Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for frontline health workers by the Millennium Promise Alliance (MPA) in Accra on Wednesday, September 23, 2020, lauded Ghanas efforts in the fight against the pandemic. Ghana is placed among 16 other countries in the world as having low transmission compared to highly resourced countries with better health systems like Canada, United Kingdom, Ireland, Germany, Russian Federation and Italy in Moderate transmission, South Africa and Malta in High transmission and the United States of America, Israel, Spain and Brazil in Very High transmission. The pandemic is stopped because of the trust by the population, by people following the principles of public health wearing face masks, keeping physical distancing, respecting each other, taking guidance from professionals and the public health service. I only wish my own country [United States of America] were so trusting, disciplined and well-led with such a strong community backbone as you have in Ghana. Ghana is a country my wife, Sonia and I love and admire tremendously. I want to thank Angela Trenton-Mbonde, the UNAIDS Country Director who has done such a wonderful job for her support, the current Director-General of the Ghana Health Service Dr Patrick Aboagye and Dr Nsiah Asare, the Special Advisor on Health to the President, for the guidance and the professionalism that you have shown in making this effort, he noted. Ghana with a little push would rise to be classified among nations in suppression state as far as the fight against COVID-19 is concerned. The Lancet COVID-19 Commission classifies countries according to the number of new cases per day per million population because this is the most straight forward measure of the rate of transmission of the virus. Lancet COVID-19 Commission classifies a country as being in suppression state if there are 5 or fewer new cases per day in August, provided that the rate of testing is ample, which it defines as at least 20 tests per new case. The Lancet COVID-19 Commission also classify a country as having low transmission if there are 10 or fewer new cases per million population per day but the country is not in suppression. It also classifies a country as having moderate transmission with 10-50 new cases per million per day. Furthermore, high transmission is 50-100 new cases per million per day, and very high transmission is 100 or more new cases per million population per day. Globally, 19 countries achieved suppression in August. They include Taiwan, Province of China, Thailand, Vietnam, Lao Peoples Democratic Republic, Cambodia, China, Myanmar, Malaysia, New Zealand, Uganda, Togo, Pakistan, Latvia, Luxembourg, Uruguay, Republic of Korea, Finland, Cuba and Rwanda. 10 out of the 19 countries, according to the Lancet COVID-19 Commission statement, were in the Asia-Pacific region, the highest performing region in the fight against the pandemic. 37 countries including Canada, Italy, Australia, Ireland, United Kingdom, Germany, Russian, Saudi Arabia, Austria, and the Czech Republic were classified as countries with Moderate transmission while 8 countries including South Africa, Romania, and Malta were classified as countries with a High transmission. The United States of America, Bolivia, Spain, Israel, Brazil and six other countries incurred very high transmission. The difference across the countries in the rate of transmission of the virus, according to the Lancet COVID-19 Commission Statement, is stark and remarkable, ranging from less than one new case per million population per day. This enormous range underscores that countries with high or very high rates of transmission are failing to undertake sufficient NPIs to control the pandemic. The pandemic can be controlled, as shown clearly by the countries that have largely suppressed it, the Commissions statement in part read. The Executive Director of MPA, Chief Nathaniel Ebo Nsarko, commenting on the report urged countries to make concerted efforts in their fight against the pandemic. If we heed to the lessons of history and make concerted efforts individually and collectively to fight this menace, we would come out victorious. If we do not, we would have ourselves to blame, he noted. He further admonished countries to make the provision of Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) to health professionals a priority, especially, the often neglected groups like cleaners, mortuary staff among others. Additionally, countries should train their health professionals on the proper use of PPEs and conduct emergency response drills such as drills on the proper use of PPEs, disease surveillance and notification simulation exercises as well as the need to strengthen the community-based surveillance systems. Mr. Nsarko lauded the philanthropic hearts of GSK, Sergey Brin Family Foundation, Jenn Gross OCP Africa, and Nancy Best for their support to MPA over the years and urged other individuals and organizations to do same. ---RainbowRadio Ranbir Kapoor is one of the most sought after actors in the industry. His craft, the love that he holds for it and the passion with which he pursues it, all make him a superstar of the generation. With many things that make his films a hit for the masses, one big factor is the music of the movies. Over the last twelve years, Ranbir has been a part of several songs that have not only been chartbusters but have become classics. Love ballads and heartbreak essentials to dance numbers, Ranbir has a list of songs that directly touch your soul. As the man celebrates his 38th birthday, we take you through a list of Ranbir 20 Songs that are meant for the young and restless. 1. Ranbir Kapoor Song - Jab Se Tere Naina from Saawariya Ranbir Kapoor made his debut with Sanjay Leela Bhansalis Saawariya in 2007 and won over hearts instantly. The film did not impress the audiences but Ranbirs performance struck the right chords and garnered him great reviews. One of the most memorable moments from the film was during the song Jab Se Were Naina. Ranbirs towel dropping scene made headlines and put Ranbir on the map for the new chocolate boy in town. 2. Ranbir Kapoor Song - Yun Shabnami from Saawariya Another beautiful rendition from Ranbirs first film. This song is a classic Eid rendition now. A love ballad where Ranbir compared the moon on Eid with Sonam Kapoors character, the song has a classic SLB touch to it with elaborate sets and several background dancers. Ranbir, in his maroon velvet blazer stands out in the blue sets and dances as he woos his lady love with this beautiful written number. 3. Ranbir Kapoor Song - Khuda Jaane from Bachna Ae Haseeno One of Ranbirs best love songs till date, Khuda Jaane was the highlight of this com-rom. Shot in the picturesque lanes and landscapes of Puglia, Italy, Khuda Jaane became the love song of the year for all couples. Also, Ranbir and Deepika together on screen is always a delight and this one just started a series of great romantic movies for the two. 4. Ranbir Kapoor Song - Aahista Aahista from Bachna Ae Haseeno If youre someone who has grown up dreaming of a love story like Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge, Aahista Aahista is a version of the film set in the age of dating apps and hook-up culture. This song introduces Ranbir as the boy next door who meets Manisha Lamba during a trip to Switzerland. Beautiful landscapes, breezy shots and some fresh chemistry on screen, this song is a refreshing take on the meeting a stranger in a foreign land narrative in Hindi films. 5. Ranbir Kapoor Song - Ikhtara from Wake Up! Sid One of the most soulful songs ever made, Ikhtara in itself a journey. The song not only shows you the metamorphosis of Ranbirs characters from the reckless brat to a mature and responsible man, but it also brings forward the conflicts and struggles that come with growing up. 6. Ranbir Kapoor Song - Tera Hone Laga Hoon from Ajab Prem Ki Gazab Kahaani This was the first song that made us fall in love with Ranbir and Katrina Kaif on the big screen. Dreamy, soothing and romantic, Tera Hone Lata Hoon was ever couples go-to song in 2009. 7. Ranbir Kapoor Song - Tu Jaane Na from Ajab Prem Ki Gazab Kahaani The film gave us a beautiful love song and a heartbreak song too. Tu Jaane Na is a heart-wrenching rendition about unrequited love that goes by without ever being told. Needless to say, Ranbir and Katrina together made this song even more beautiful. 8. Ranbir Kapoor Song - Bheegi Si Bhaagi Si from Rajneeti There was not a lot the audience took from the film but this peepy yet romantic number did get us humming to its tune in 2010. Another Ranbir and Katrina collab, Bheegi Si Bhaagi Si is the song you would listen to in the start of a love story. Its refreshing, new and very catchy. 9. Ranbir Kapoor Song - Aas Paas Hai Khuda from Anjaana Anjaani Ranbir and Priyanka Chopra came together for this coming of age love story that did not impress the audiences but did give them a soulful number to listen to for when in need for some motivation. Aas Paas Hai Khuda is soft, soothing and touches your heart with its lyrics that talk about tough times and the little ray of hope that we sometimes overlook. 10. Ranbir Kapoor Song - Tujhe Bhula Diya from Anjaana Anjaani Another favourite for the heartbroken, Tujhe Bhula Diya is a must-have in a list of sad songs. It talks about a lovers longing when reminiscing about a relationship. Dawned by the memories of an old lover, Tujhe Bhula Diya is a thoughtfully written song about love and longing. 11. Ranbir Kapoor Song - Tum Ho from Rockstar This film not only changed Ranbir Kapoor as an actor and how he was perceived by the audience but also gave us one of the finest albums of the millennium. The magic of AR Rahman, weaving Irshad Kamils words in Mohit Chauhans voice, Tum Ho can undoubtedly be called the love song of the past decade. 12. Ranbir Kapoor Song - Nadaan Parindey from Rockstar This song works on many levels. It talks about a lost soul that is yearning to return to its home. The song also has lines form a very famous doha from the poet Kabir. The lines talk about a man who is dying and his last wish is to the crows. He asks them to not feed on his eyes so when his lover returns, he can see the person one last time. Nadaan Parindey is not just any song, its poetry at its best. 13. Ranbir Kapoor Song - Saawali Si Raat from Barfi! Barfi and Jhilmils love story may have been unique but it was all things simple, just like this song. The sweet melody of this song is like a lullaby to ones ears. Simple, easy and like honey to the ears, Sawaali Si Raat is a song meant for the soul. 14. Ranbir Kapoor Song - Kyun Na Hum Tum from Barfi! This song is about love, its about friendship and its about finding someone who makes life easier for you. Its like the first step to a long friendship and has Jhilmil and Barfi getting comfortable with each other as they begin their long journey. It talks about the trust it takes for two people to wander and yet find themselves. 15. Ranbir Kapoor Song - Kabira from Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani No matter how much you gush over this song, it will never be enough. A favourite amongst the current generation, Kabira talks about the conflicts and dilemmas of choosing a life for yourself. Its a soulful rendition about the wanderer that we all have in us, hidden somewhere. 16. Ranbir Kapoor Song - Subhanallah from Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani Another simple yet effective love song, Subhanallah is about a lover convincing his partner that if she ever had a chance to see herself through his eyes, she will realise how beautiful she is. Those lyrics and Ranbir and Deepikas effortless chemistry, this song is a must-have in your love song jukebox. 17. Ranbir Kapoor Song - Agar Tum Saath Ho from Tamasha This song makes you stop and reflect. Deepika and Ranbir come together yet again and flawlessly show us how it's done. The song takes a deep dive into the feelings of a lover who is trying to convince her partner to stay just a little bit longer. She tells him how he makes her feel when hes around and now that the love is dying, maybe he can keep the flame alive for just a little longer. 18. Ranbir Kapoor Song - Channa Mereya from Ae Dil Hai Mushkil No words are enough to describe the impact this song had on people when the film released in 2016. Another story of unrequited love disguised as friendship, Ranbir Kapoor brought this song to life and shook the audience. 19. Ranbir Kapoor Song - Title Track from Ae Dil Hai Mushkil This is the ballad of love that has been lost. Ae Dil Hai Mushkil shows you the condition of a man who has lost his lover but has not forgotten her. Ranbir with his flawless expressions and relentless action made this song the heartbreak song of the year. 20. Ranbir Kapoor Song - Kar Har Maidaan Fateh from Sanju This isnt about love for another person, but it's the inspiration one needs for self-love. Kar Har Maidaan Fateh is the motivational song that can inspire you to climb mountains and cross seas, just like it did Ranbir in Sanju. President Moon Jae-in expressed his condolences Monday and offered a public apology over the death of a South Korean civil servant in a shooting by North Korean troops, calling it a "regrettable and unfortunate" incident. "Regardless of how the victim went to the North Korean waters, I offer words of deep condolences and consolation to the bereaved family members over their grief," he said. The tragedy should have not occurred despite the peninsula being divided, he added. Moon was speaking in front of pool reporters and cameras during a weekly meeting with his senior Cheong Wa Dae aides. The remarks represented Moon's first public statement he made in person in connection with the case that happened just north of the western sea border, known as the Northern Limit Line (NLL), last week. The 47-year-old fisheries official was killed by the North's troops after crossing the border on a floating object. Moon also apologized to the South Korean people over their "shock and fury," noting that the government should protect the safety and security of the people under all circumstances. The main opposition People Power Party and other critics have accused the South's military of having been "incompetent" and the left-leaning Moon administration of only "begging" for talks with the North despite the killing of the official. Moon attached a "special" meaning to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's own apology over the case. "It's unprecedented and very unusual to have apologized immediately and directly as the supreme leader of North Korea," he said. The North admitted that its border guards fired more than 10 gunshots against what it described as an "intruder" but denied the South's announcement that they had burned his body. In Pyongyang's formal notice sent to Seoul, Kim was quoted as saying that he's "very sorry" for the "unintended, unsavory" incident. It shows that Kim is taking the case seriously and also represents a confirmation of his desire that inter-Korean relations won't head toward a breakdown, according to Moon. He stressed the need to find the truth behind the incident and explore "substantive" ways to prevent the recurrence of such a case. To that end, the two Koreas should restore dialogue and cooperate with each other, he emphasized, pointing out that their military communication line remains severed. He voiced hope that the incident will eventually turn into an opportunity for Seoul and Pyongyang to resume dialogue and cooperation and improve their ties. "I hope that we will be able to revive the embers of dialogue and open the waterway for cooperation starting with resolving this case (together)," Moon said. (Yonhap) The Andhra Pradesh government on Monday launched yet another welfare scheme of sinking agriculture borewells for small and marginal farmers belonging to arid and upland areas of the state free of cost. Named as YSR Jala Kala, more than three lakh borewells would be drilled at a cost of Rs 2,340 crore in 144 rural assembly constituencies and 19 semi-urban assembly in a span of four years. The scheme would benefit around two lakh farmers and bring an additional five lakh acres into cultivation, chief minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy said, after launching the scheme through video conferencing from his camp office at Tadepalli. He said the drilling of borewells would be on the basis of the feasibility report given after the hydro-geological and geo-physical surveys. The farmers can also avail a second chance, in case of a failure to draw water in the first attempt. All the eligible farmers can avail of this initiative by applying either online or through the village secretariats and the status of their application can be monitored at every stage, Jagan said. He said all these borewells would also be provided with motors free of cost. This would cause an additional burden of Rs 1,600 crore on the state exchequer. Referring to the recent decision of the state government of installing meters for all agricultural power connections in the state, the chief minister said the meters would cause no burden on the farmers. They are meant only for collecting data on the actual consumption of power and measure the load on feeders. It will help the government bring in transparency into the system. The amount billed for the power consumed by the farmers would be transferred into their bank accounts directly and they could, in turn, pay the same to power distribution companies, he said. Jagan said in order to sustain the free agriculture power supply scheme for at least another 30 years, a 10,000 MW solar energy plan was coming up in the private sector. The free farm power supply scheme was launched by my father late YS Rajasekhara Reddy and it would be continued forever, he said. Describing his government as farmer-friendly, Jagan said the government had already introduced Rythu Bharosa Kendras to facilitate farmers with seeds, fertilisers, and also being developed as warehouses and crop procurement centres. The government is also providing Rs 13,500 every year for farmers under Rythu Bharosa, he said. Panchayat raj minister Peddireddy Ramachandra Reddy, minister for roads and buildings M Sankara Narayana, district collectors and representatives of farmers took part in the programme. Opposition Telugu Desam Party described YSR Jala Kala scheme as bogus and a fraud being played on the farmers by the Jagan government. The government is already cheating the farmers in the name of installation of meters to agriculture pump sets which is only a plan to deprive them of free power supply, senior TDP leader and former minister Yanamala Ramakrishnudu said. He alleged that the installation of meters for farm power connections would cause an additional burden of over Rs 4,000 crore on tax payers and now, the government wants to spend another Rs 2,340 crore in the name of drilling new borewells. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON U.S. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy testifies before a House Oversight and Reform Committee hearing on slowdowns ahead of the November elections on Capitol Hill, Aug. 24 U.S. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy testifies before a House Oversight and Reform Committee hearing on slowdowns ahead of the November elections on Capitol Hill, Aug. 24 Credit - Shutterstock For three weeks in August, as election officials across the country were preparing to send out mail-in ballots to tens of millions of voters, the U.S. Postal Service stopped fully updating a national change of address system that most states use to keep their voter rolls current, according to multiple officials who use the system. A USPS spokesperson acknowledged the failure in response to questions from TIME, and said that at least 1.8 million new changes of address had not been registered in the database. It is not clear to what extent the failure, which has not been previously reported, could compromise Americans ability to vote in this falls election. In normal times, hundreds of thousands of people move every week, and those numbers have increased during the COVID pandemic, which has forced millions of people, particularly young adults, to relocate at higher rates than usual, according to public polling and news reports. As of early June, some 3% of adults had moved and 6% had someone move in with them because of the pandemic, according to a Pew survey. That, and concern about the health risks of voting in person, experts from both parties say, will mean an unprecedented reliance on mail-in voting this year. Related: Judge blocks 'politically motivated' USPS changes Several states contacted by TIME were unaware of the change-of-address problem. Officials in Minnesota, for one, sent out their ballot applications by mail earlier in September based partly on information drawn from the faulty database in August, the states election officials say. Other states had to delay sending out their ballots as they scrambled to fix incorrect addresses. At least 43 states plus the District of Columbia use the USPS change of address database. Many, like Minnesota, face close presidential contests, including Florida, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. Story continues The postal service says it fixed the change-of-address issue and restored the missing data on Sept. 14. The USPS spokesperson, Martha Johnson, said the problem did not impact mail carriers ability to forward eligible mail to a new address. Many states ban the forwarding of election ballots from an old address, however, and the Postal Service did not respond to requests for clarification on the failures potential impact on the election. Internal USPS emails shared with TIME describe the source of the problem only as an unexplained error. The postal service has weathered a mixture of scandals over the last few months, some related to bad management, others to Democratic allegations that Postmaster General Louis DeJoy has meddled with mail handling to help President Trump. The latest problem occurred from Aug. 10 to Aug. 30 at the National Change of Address Linkage, or NCOALink, which is run out of Memphis, Tenn. Bulk mailers, including government agencies, retailers and financial institutions contract to match addresses they have on file against the postal services database. Most state election offices also rely on the database to determine whether voters have moved, to ensure that ballots reach the new address and to purge voters who are no longer eligible to vote in the state. This is an increasingly important way to verify voter information in an age when voters frequently move, according to a report on voting practices in March by the National Conference of State Legislatures. In early September, several of the companies licensed to use the system alerted administrators that they were seeing drop-offs of as much as 95% in the number of changes of address for August, according to one vendor, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he did not want to damage his relationship with the postal service. Its a significant screw-up, he said. A top election official in one affected state, who did not want his name or state disclosed because of ongoing work with the postal service, said administrators had to scramble to avert a possible crisis. The official recalls thinking, Usually, were getting thousands and thousands, and now were getting hundreds. Whats going on? When the USPS corrected the database on Sept. 14, state officials passed the information to county election offices as ballot mailings were being prepared. The hitch cost election officials about ten days in all. Its a bad time for lost time, the official said. The glitch is highly unusual, according to those who use the system. I havent seen an incident like this, where the data was omitted for any extended period of time, Bob Anderegg, director of information technology for Sebis Direct, a bulk mail company in Chicago that licenses with the postal service system, said in a telephone interview. Its unfortunate, he said. The timing is particularly unfortunate. Starting with North Carolina on September 4, nearly half of all states have now begun sending out ballots and ballot request forms to voters. Many states started long before that to print out mailing addresses for updated voter lists, based at least in part on USPS data. Michael P. McDonald, a political science professor at the University of Florida specializing in voting practices, said it would be difficult to determine how many voters could be affected by the 1.8 million missing change-of-address filings, because election practices and schedules vary from state to state. The error will further complicate election season, McDonald said. I can just see all the litigation after this. It just creates a mess, he said. DeJoy, a major Republican donor who took office in June, instituted controversial cutbacks to USPS services over the summer. House Democrats subpoenaed DeJoy earlier this month for internal documents about mail delays and his communications with the White House. DeJoy said he would suspend until after the election the cutbacks, which he said were intended to improve efficiency. In one of two federal court cases seeking to force him to halt cutbacks, Judge Stanley Bastian, chief judge of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Washington, ruled this month that DeJoys actions constituted a politically motivated attack on the efficiency of the postal service and an intentional effort on the part the current Administration to disrupt and challenge the legitimacy of upcoming local, state, and federal elections. The day of that ruling, DeJoy held a conference call with state election officials and gave a different message. Our number one priority, he said, is to deliver election mail on-time and within the Postal Services well-established standards. As for the database problem, Johnson says the Postal Service has made changes to the NCOALink system to prevent a recurrence of the August change-of-address episode. Additional enhancements being implemented into NCOALink quality control processes will detect future occurrences of this type, she says. with reporting by Alana Abramson/Washington Syracuse, N.Y. The Syracuse school district will have an air filter in every classroom by Monday, the start of in-person school for students in that district. Superintendent Jaime Alicea announced the $1 million purchase today. The district had planned to open for in-person instruction Oct. 5, but the teachers union questioned whether the district was ready, saying it would take a miracle. One of the biggest concerns was the air quality in the classrooms. The district purchased 2,000 air filters from HealthWay Family of Brands, a Pulaski company that has supplied portable air filters to several school districts, including New York city. There will be one air filter in each of the 1,200 classrooms in the districts 36 sites by Oct. 5, said Mike Henesey, a district spokesman. Alicea first began talking with Vinny Lobdell Jr., the president of HealthWay, about purchasing the filters two weeks ago. The district received its first shipment last week, Henesey said. The units are all portable plug-in air filters that can be free-standing. So when school starts, most will stand on the classroom floors. But the districts goal is to mount the units in each classroom, Henesey said. The money will come out of the districts general fund. When schools reopen were glad to provide clean air to some of the most important people in society. Air purification is important for everyone, and I believe students and teachers in all schools will be more productive and safe with our units in place," Lobdell said. The Syracuse school board is set to meet this afternoon and will hear an update from Alicea about whether the district still plans to reopen by Oct. 5. The Syracuse Teachers Association, which represents more than 3,000 teachers and staff, is reluctant to return to in-person instruction. The entire district of 20,000 students has been learning remotely since Sept. 14. We have been told that we will most likely all be directed to be virtual for long periods this year, so why not focus our efforts on making our virtual teaching all it can be? Nicole Capsello, the first vice president of the union, wrote in a letter to Syracuse.com today in response to an editorial. She said teachers will do what they are instructed to do by the school board and superintendent, but made it clear that she and others still have significant concerns. Capsello said its not fair to compare the city school district to those in suburbs, which have all opened for hybrid, in-person instruction: The amount of educators and service providers who will travel from room to room and building to building significantly increases our risk of spreading the virus than that of our suburban counterparts. Please, until you understand the logistics of what it will take to keep everyone safe and deliver an effective education, dont attack those of us trying to make this happen while continuing to educate our children." MORE STORIES ON EDUCATING CNY Well open Oct. 5, Syracuse school board president says; teachers union cautiously optimistic A rocky week for schools, but theres been no Covid spread yet in class, official says No sleeping in, no skipping school: Remote learning at CNY schools radically different this fall Marnie Eisenstadt writes about education, public affairs and the Syracuse City School District. Contact her anytime email | Twitter| Facebook | 315-470-2246 In this week's TravelSkills on SFGATE newsletter... This past August was the hottest ever in Palm Springs, with high temperatures rising to 110 degrees or above on 24 days, and once even hitting an astonishing 120 degrees. That kind of heat would normally keep away all but the most intrepid desert rats, but not during a pandemic. Since June, after county and state leaders allowed hotels and home rentals to re-open, Palm Springs has enjoyed a relative surge of visitors and that interest should extend into the cooler fall and winter months. Read: Why is Palm Springs so hot these days? In route news, Hawaiian Airlines joins United in offering COVID-19 testing; the state of Hawaii offers more details on preparations for Oct. 15 reopening; JetBlue will begin new transcontinental routes, including one from San Francisco; Alaska Airlines sets new California routes, including one from San Jose; Palm Springs emerges as one of airlines' hottest destinations this winter; Delta extends perks for SkyMiles and Sky Club members; Emirates scraps winter schedule to SFO; American adds Mexico routes; and El Al faces an ownership controversy. Read: Routes: Latest on Hawaii tests + JetBlue, Alaska expand, Delta perks, Emirates exit United Airlines and its pilots have reached an agreement that both sides say will avoid about 2,850 furloughs that were set to take effect later this week and another 1,000 early next year. The Air Line Pilots Association said Monday that the deal will allow United to spread a reduced amount of flying across the airline's 13,000 pilots to save jobs at least until next June. Read: United Airlines reaches deal with pilots, avoids furloughs Hawaii has set Oct. 15 as the date when it will open tourism to visitors who have tested negative for COVID-19, and United and Hawaiian Airlines aim to make that easier by offering a pilot testing program for its San Francisco passengers. But it won't be cheap. In a partnership with GoHealth Urgent Care, United will offer its customers flying to the islands out of SFO a coronavirus test on the day of departure that provides results in about 15 minutes, the company said. Read: United offers COVID-19 tests at SFO for Hawaii passengers, but they are not cheap Southwest is pulling out one of its biggest marketing guns to help convince customers to fly this fall and winter. Will you bite? Normally, Southwest Airlines coveted Companion Pass is a long-term goal for Rapid Rewards participants, but a new very-short-term promotion lets members earn a limited-duration Companion Pass by booking just one flight. But you dont have a lot of time to think about it. NOTE: Offer expired 9/25. Be sure to follow us on Facebook or Twitter for short term travel deals and sales like this one. Read: New Southwest Companion Pass promotion valuable for duos To fly today, airlines require all passengers (except kids under 2) to wear face coverings. This requirement is being enforced: Major airlines have reportedly banned more than 700 fliers for non-compliance. Issues of personal freedom aside, are the airlines being overly cautious or is that mask policy important in protecting the traveling public? Read: Face masks on flights 'critically important' to prevent COVID-19 spread, Harvard study finds With the arrival of fall, many Northern California residents are looking for safe, healthy, socially distanced activities to do with loved ones due to the virus that causes COVID-19. Heading to the Sierra to see the fall leaves turn color seems like the perfect day or weekend trip for many to get away from it all. Read: Where to find the prettiest fall foliage in Northern California When Catie Torres said goodbye to her boyfriend at the airport this March, she never thought she would spend the rest of the year wondering when she would see him again. A nurse raised in Livermore, Torres met her partner, Akis, while on vacation in Greece just over two years ago. The pair struck up a lively conversation on the day of her arrival, and she remembers how they instantly connected. Since then, the couple hasnt spent more than two months apart, traveling to one anothers home countries for periodic visits. Last summer, Torres even acquired a student visa to continue her education in Greece so they could try out living together. Then the pandemic hit. Read: 'Part of me was missing': Couples divided by pandemic travel ban If you love beer and nature, this could be your dream job. A big beer company is hiring a "Chief Exploration Officer" (CEO) to explore some of America's iconic national parks in a camper van, complete with its own bathroom and shower. The company will even cover gas. And you can bring another person a spouse, partner, friend or a pet to accompany you on your working adventure. Pay: $50,000. Read: This dream job will pay you $50k to drink beer and travel Tell your friends about TravelSkills on SFGATE and have them sign up for our FREE weekly email alerts or forward this email to them! American Airlines announced it will open its much-anticipated new Admiral's Club in the Harvey Milk Terminal 1 at San Francisco International Airport on October 6. SFO opened the first phase of the $2.4 billion Harvey Milk terminal in July 2019 with flights from only Southwest and JetBlue. American moved in after the terminal's second phase opened in May, delayed three months due to COVID-19. We also got some bad news about Alaska Airline's new lounge at SFO originally scheduled to open next month Read: SFO gets a brand new American Admirals Club Chris McGinnis is SFGATE's senior travel correspondent. Email: chris@travelskills.com. Get up-to-the-minute travel news via Chris's social feeds: Twitter: @cjmcginnis | Facebook: @TravelSkills A police officer was knocked down by a scrambler in Derry last night. PSNI officers were responding to reports of scrambler and motorbikes in Kilfennan Country Park. A police spokesperson said a man on one of the scramblers drove the vehicle directly at one of the officers, knocking him to the ground. "Thankfully, a number of residents assisted our colleague and he was able to get to his feet to retrieve and seize the bike. The male rider and the other bikes made off," the spokesperson said. "We are grateful to the residents who assisted, and would like to thank them for their help. "We would also like to echo their sentiments; many of the residents expressed concern that it could easily have been a child or an elderly neighbour knocked down. "If you can identify the people involved, please make contact with us and quote the reference number 1208 of 27/9/20. "If your child has access to a motorbike, a quad or a scrambler, make sure they are only using it on private land, with permission, and with the appropriate safety measures. The dangers when they are used otherwise are obvious." Editorial reactions Regarding Tragic, but right call, (A16, Sept. 25): Its very rare when I agree with your position on anything, but your editorial about the grand jurys decisions concerning the police officers responsible for Breonna Taylors death is one such instance. You identified the key fact that no-knock warrants need to be banned and particularly in low-level drug cases. Anyone who becomes aware of unidentified intruders in their home is likely to start shooting if they have a weapon this is to be expected. You also said the grand jurys decisions, although legally justified, seem horribly wrong. I believe the reason the outcome seems wrong is because its easy to envision a very different outcome if the intruder had been instead a young Black male who broke in and then started shooting anything that moved when the lawful occupants opened fire. I think this is another key issue that needs attention whether we start holding law enforcement to higher standards when they kill or injure someone in the course of raids which are unnecessary or conducted at the wrong address or based on mistaken identity. I appreciate how difficult the job of law enforcement is but when lives are being lost due to unnecessary or erroneous operations, law enforcement cant just continue to say oopsie and move on. Our society will come unraveled if much more of this sort of thing happens. Greg Groh, Porter You got it wrong. I am a white male born and raised in the South, so I am assumed to have a stereotyped viewpoint on race relations. But to consider it lawful for the police to burst into a residence and start blowing people away is unthinkable. It was not right in Jim Crow South, and it aint right now. And no amount of chest thumping like Houston Police Officer Unions Joe Gamaldi did regarding the raid at Harding Street will make it right. If that is legal in Kentucky, or Texas, then somebody needs to change that. Joe Williams, League City GOP voter for Biden Regarding Lifelong Republican to cast vote for Biden, (A19, Sept. 24): I could not agree more with Justin Pitcock. I too am a lifelong Republican. This will be the 11th time I vote in a presidential election and the first time I will be voting for the Democratic candidate. I had serious doubts about Donald Trump when he was selected as the Republican candidate in 2016 but I thought, how bad can it be? As it turns out, Trump as president is worse than I ever imagined. Simply put, actions speak louder than words Trumps words are hollow and his actions are baffling and rarely beneficial to the majority. Im looking forward to Joe Biden helping restore the dignity of the United States around the world (a very difficult job for him because of the shambles Trump created). Maybe Ill be able to again vote for the Republican candidate in 2024. Mark Fenske, Houston JERUSALEM The solemn Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur, which annually sees Israeli life grind to a halt, begins on Sunday in a nation already under a sweeping coronavirus lockdown. Every year, businesses shut down, roads empty out and even radio and TV stations go silent as the faithful fast for 25 hours and hold intensive prayers of atonement on the holiest day in the Jewish calendar. The more secular-minded can be seen riding bikes or even picnicking on deserted highways. The holiday begins at sundown on Sunday. But this year all non-essential businesses have already been forced to close, and Israelis have been ordered to stay within 1,000 meters of their homes throughout the High Holidays, which began last week with the Jewish New Year and continue to mid-October. Its the second nationwide lockdown since the pandemic began, an attempt to contain one of the most severe outbreaks in the world. Israel, with a population of just 9 million, is reporting more than 7,000 new cases a day, raising fears its hospitals could be overwhelmed. A lockdown last spring largely succeeded in containing the outbreak, with new daily cases dropping to around a dozen in May. Authorities then reopened schools and businesses quickly, leading to a surge in cases even as the economy struggled to recover. An emergency government formed in May to manage the crisis has been plagued by infighting, adding to the public sense of despair. In a message to the nation, Israels figurehead president, Reuven Rivlin, called on people to light a candle in memory of the more than 1,400 Israelis who have died from COVID-19. They were all loved, all known, all had names and faces, he said. May we be forgiven for the sin of weakness and inability, for not doing enough, for not managing to save them. Because of that, lives were lost. As part of the latest lockdown, Israelis can only pray in open areas close to home, with gatherings limited to 20 people. However, synagogues will be allowed to open for limited prayers with social distancing on Yom Kippur despite warnings from health experts that it could lead to further transmission. In a videotaped statement Saturday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu acknowledged that mistakes have been made by decision makers. But he urged people to avoid going into synagogues on Yom Kippur and to pray outdoors. Netanyahu has also called for an end for public demonstrations against him, saying they are a public health risk. Thousands of Israelis have taken to the streets in recent months, calling on Netanyahu to resign while he is on trial for corruption charges and because of what they say is a failed response to the coronavirus crisis. With a divided parliament unable to pass legislation banning the demonstrations, Netanyahu last week threatened to impose a state of emergency. Protesters claim Netanyahu is trying to muzzle them. Israels politically influential ultra-Orthodox Jewish community, which has suffered from high rates of infection, is opposed to restrictions on prayers, viewing it as a form of discrimination by mostly secular authorities, especially while demonstrations continue. Hagai Levine, a professor of epidemiology and a member of the expert panel advising the government, said the number of people taking part in protests is only about one percent of those attending prayers in synagogues, and that the risk of transmission in closed spaces is much, much, much higher. But he said there is some danger in attending any mass gathering, even outdoors. If you go outside and you are very close to someone else, you speak with someone else, you shout, you eat together, clearly there is a risk, he said. David Stav, the chief rabbi of the city of Shoham and the head of Tzohar, an organization of rabbis that works to bridge gaps in Israeli Jewish society, supports the restrictions and wishes they were even tighter. But he says the closure of synagogues during Yom Kippur is still very painful for most Israelis, even those who dont attend regularly. Almost everybody goes at least once a year, and this once a year that was supposed to be on Sunday night will not happen this year, he said, referring to the limitations on group prayer. Its quite dramatic for Israelis, for all types of Israelis, secular and observant. In Israel, the holiday is also associated with the 1973 Arab-Israeli war, when Egypt and Syria launched a surprise attack on Yom Kippur. Families would ordinarily visit the gravesites of fallen relatives another tradition canceled because of the virus restrictions. In Israel, its not only a religious day, Stav said. Its a kind of national memorial day for all the Jewish suffering throughout Jewish history. Joseph Krauss of The Associated Press wrote this story. Good Shepherds Smell like Sheep: Five Leadership Principles to Win in Uncertain Times: an excellent tool for leaders that will allow them to navigate the leadership map and thrive in todays challenging culture. Good Shepherds Smell like Sheep: Five Leadership Principles to Win in Uncertain Times is the creation of published author Wade Runge, the senior pastor of M3 Church in Richmond, Virginia. He is a decorated veteran of the United States Marine Corps. He is a preacher, teacher, and leader who has been prepared to help leadership in any organization to win in these uncertain times. Runge shares, Todays leaders are facing unprecedented challenges that are causing them to quit, burnout, compromise, and even commit suicide. This current generation of leaders are functioning in an increasingly complex and rapidly evolving environment. Dr. Wade Runge understands the unique stress leaders are experiencing, in a culture that is calling for leaders to perform at their best at every moment. Leaders are expected to be available and accessible at any given moment. But the real question who is helping them navigate the choppy waters they are experiencing? His experience and acumen concerning leadership has been refined out of the need to be able to adapt to adverse conditions. We are living in uncertain times that calls for leaders to rise in the midst of chaos. Dr. Runges background from combat in the military, to planting churches, and helping pastors in crisis has prepared him for this time. This transformational book on leadership was written as a manual to help leaders be better prepared for the challenges of the times. The five principles take the reader on a journey from the battlefield, to the landscape of ministry challenges, to better understand why a good shepherd must smell like sheep. In order, for any organization to thrive in uncertain times, it will require sheep and shepherds working together to win. This book is for the person who is serious about growing, leading, and winning in these uncertain times. Good Shepherds Smell like Sheep is a compelling guide for the challenges of today, while empowering leadership to win any battle they may be facing tomorrow. Published by Christian Faith Publishing, Wade Runges new book is a brilliant read across valuable lessons that will help both current and future leaders. The author hopes that this book will guide them to become more effective leaders who can lead from a much healthier perspective. View a synopsis of Good Shepherds Smell like Sheep: Five Leadership Principles to Win in Uncertain Times on YouTube. Consumers can purchase Good Shepherds Smell like Sheep: Five Leadership Principles to Win in Uncertain Times at traditional brick & mortar bookstores, or online at Amazon.com, Apple iTunes store, or Barnes and Noble. For additional information or inquiries about Good Shepherds Smell like Sheep: Five Leadership Principles to Win in Uncertain Times, contact the Christian Faith Publishing media department at 866-554-0919. Pope Francis has reportedly refused to meet with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo during his visit to Rome over a dispute between the Vatican and China. Mr Pompeo plans to visit the Vatican this week to protest the imminent renewal of a two-year-old deal between the Catholic church and China, which the secretary of state has claimed would endanger the churchs moral authority. He is slated to meet with Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin and Archbishop Paul Gallagher, the foreign minister for the Vatican. But Pope Francis, whom Mr Pompeo met with last October, would not be meeting with him. According to reports, Pope Francis cited the looming United States presidential election as the reason to not meet with Mr Pompeo. But the Trump administrations criticism over the deal between the Vatican and China could likely be a factor in the decision. This deal, which the details have not been disclosed to the public, has allowed the Vatican to have a say in the Catholic bishops appointed in China. Since the historic deal was agreed upon two years ago, two new bishops have been appointed in China after consultation with the Vatican. Mr Pompeo has argued that the Vatican should not renew its deal with China due to Xi Jinpings administration facing accusations of religious persecution. The human rights situation in China has deteriorated severely under the autocratic rule of Xi Jinping, especially for religious believers, Mr Pompeo wrote for an article in First Things magazine this month. He added that there have been credible reports of forced sterilizations and abortions of Muslims in Xinjiang as well as abuse of Catholic priests and laypeople. Pope Francis has been notably silent on China's violations of human rights. These violations include the imprisonment of at least one million Uighurs and other Muslims in prison camps, with reports of them facing starvation, torture, murder, sexual violence and much more while at the camps. The Holy See has a unique capacity and duty to focus the worlds attention on human rights violations, especially those perpetrated by totalitarian regimes like Beijings, Mr Pompeo wrote. In the late 20th century, the churchs power of moral witness helped inspire those who liberated central and eastern Europe from communism, and those who challenged autocratic and authoritarian regimes in Latin America and East Asia. He added. What the church teaches the world about religious freedom and solidarity should now be forcefully and persistently conveyed by the Vatican in the face of the Chinese Communist partys relentless efforts to bend all religious communities to the will of the party and its totalitarian program. In a tweet, Mr Pompeo added that the Catholic church endangers its moral authority, should it renew the deal. The extension of the deal between the Vatican and China is expected to be signed next month. Mr Pompeos trip to the Vatican comes with him also traveling to Greece, Italy, and Croatia to promote diplomatic relations and religious freedoms. Michael Gove travelled to Brussels on Monday to kick off another week of Brexit trade talks in the EU capital. The cabinet minister represented the UK government at so-called "joint committee" talks about the Northern Irish border which is still a source of disagreement in negotiations. Mr Gove met with European Commission vice president Marcos Sefcovic, who has accused the UK government of moving towards an "extremely serious violation" of the Brexit withdrawal agreement signed earlier this year. Ministers have admitted that their internal market bill is a breach of international law and overwrites part of the Brexit divorce deal. But they say that without the legislation the agreement Boris Johnson signed up to earlier this year could result in checks and controls on goods between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK. Despite this being clear from the text of the agreement at the time it was signed, the UK now says it would not be acceptable and wants the EU to agreed to waive some controls that would be imposed across the Irish Sea. Also this week, Lord Frost, the UK's chief negotiator, will continue parallel talks to try and strike a separate free trade agreement, which needs to be in place by the end of the year to avoid a no-deal. Subjects to be discussed include regulatory alignment, fisheries, and governance of any deal key sticking points so far on which little progress has been made. Negotiators will also consider trade in services and law enforcement cooperation, as well as the possibility of civil nuclear cooperation. Downing Street briefed Tory-supporting newspapers at the end of last week that a deal is in sight, but there is no concrete sign of this so far in Brussels. The European Commission says Michel Barnier, its chief negotiator, is neither optimistic nor pessimistic, but determined to reach a deal. Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Show all 66 1 /66 Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A message projected onto the White Cliffs of Dover Sky News/AFP via Getty Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Getty Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Big Ben, shows the hands at eleven o'clock at night AFP via Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Nigel Farage speaks to pro-Brexit supporters PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro-Brexit demonstrators celebrate on Parliament Square REUTERS Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU The Union flag is taken down outside the European Parliament in Brussels PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro-EU campaigners outside the Scottish Parliament, Edinburgh PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A pro-Brexit supporter jumps on an EU flag in Parliament Square PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU EU Council staff removed the Union Jack-British flag from the European Council in Brussels, Belgium EPA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A pro-Brexit supporter pours beer onto an EU flag PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pedestrians pass in front of the Ministry of Defence Building on Whitehall, illuminated by red, white and blue lights in central London AFP via Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A Brexit supporter shouts during a rally in London AP Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro-EU campaigners outside the Scottish Parliament, Edinburgh PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro-EU campaigners take part in a 'Missing EU Already' rally outside the Scottish Parliament, Edinburgh PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A large pro-EU banner is projected onto Ramsgate cliff in Kent PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro-EU supporters light candles in Smith Square in Westminster PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A man waves Union flags from a small car as he drives past Brexit supporters gathering in Parliament Square AFP via Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU The five-year old Elisa Saemann, left, and her seven-year old sister Katie hold a placard during a rally by anti-Brexit protesters outside the Scottish parliament in Edinburgh AP Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro Europe supporters gather on Brexit day near the British embassy in Berlin, Germany EPA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Anti-Brexit protester hugs a man while holding a placard REUTERS Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A decorated, old fashioned fire pump in Parliament Square PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro Brexit Elvis impersonator performs at Parliament Square Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU An anti-Brexiteers stands with his dog in Parliament Square AFP via Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Paddy from Bournemouth wears Union colours as he sits next to an EU flag decorated bag in Parliament Square AFP via Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A pro-EU activist plays a guitar decorated with the EU flag during a protest organised by civil rights group New Europeans outside Europe House, central London AFP via Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU People celebrate Britain leaving the EU REUTERS Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A Pro Brexit supporter has a Union Jack painted onto his face at Parliament Square Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Men hold placards celebrating Britain leaving the EU REUTERS Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro Brexit supporters dance in the street draped with Union Jack flags at Parliament Square Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU An anti-Brexit demonstrator spreads his wings during a gathering near Downing Street AP Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro EU supporters display a banner ' Here to Stay, Here to Fight, Migrants In, Tories Out' from Westminster bridge EPA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro-Brexit supporters burn European Union flags at Parliament Square Getty Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A man poses for a picture on Parliament Square in a 'Brexit Day' t-shirt Reuters Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU People celebrate Britain leaving the EU Reuters Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU AFP via Getty Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A man wears a pro-Brexit t-shirt Reuters Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Anti-Brexit demonstrators visit Europe House to give flowers to the staff on Brexit day Reuters Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro Brexit supporter wears a novelty Union Jack top hat outside the Houses of Parliament Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Customers Scott Jones and Laura Jones at the Sawmill Bar in South Elmsall, Yorkshire, where a Brexit party is being held throughout the day PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU AP Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Getty Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro-EU activists protest Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A pro-Brexit demonstrator burns a European Union flag AP Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro Brexit supporters Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro Brexit supporters Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A Brexit supports holds a sign in Parliament Square AP Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A man carries an EU themed wreath Reuters Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Ann Widdecombe reacts with other members of the Brexit party as they leave en masse from the European Parliament PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Anti-Brexit demonstrators in Parliament Square PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro EU supporters let off flares from Westminster Bridge Getty Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU British MEPs Jonathan Bullock, holding the Union Jack flag and Jake Pugh leave the European Parliament, in Brussels on the Brexit day AFP via Getty Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Newspapers and other souvenirs at a store, near Parliament Square Reuters Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Brexit supporters hold signs in Parliament Square AP Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro-EU protesters hold placards in Parliament Square AFP via Getty Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU French newspapers PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald with a Border Communities Against Brexit poster before its unveiling in Carrickcarnon on the Irish border PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU National growers organisation British Apples & Pears has renamed a British apple to EOS, the Greek goddess of dawn, to commemorate Brexit day AP Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro-EU protesters hold placards in Parliament Square AFP via Getty Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Britain's departure from the European Union was set in law on January 29, amid emotional scenes, as the bloc's parliament voted to ratify the divorce papers. After half a century of membership and three years of tense withdrawal talks, the UK will leave the EU at midnight Brussels time (23.00 GMT) on January 31 Reuters Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A man poses with paintings on Parliament Square Reuters Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU People sporting Union Flags gather in Parliament Square Getty Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A man walks with a St. George's flag at Westminster bridge on Brexit day Reuters Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A British bulldog toy and other souvenirs at a souvenir store Reuters Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU British pro-brexit Members of the European Parliament leave the EU Parliament for the last time Reuters Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Jonathan Bullock waves the Union Jack as he leaves the European Parliament EPA Speaking after his meeting about the Irish border, Mr Gove said: Maros Sefcovic and I are committed to using every moment available - every second, every minute, every hour - in order to reach agreement, and I am confident that we will." He added: "We had a constructive meeting. We both were clear with each other where we were still some distance apart, but we were both also clear that we want to bridge that gap, and I think that in future meetings that we have scheduled today that we should be able to bring both sides together in the interests of the European Union, the United Kingdom and the people of Northern Ireland." Email Whatsapp Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment In the 2016 election, only about 61 percent of voting-age Americans cast a ballot. The percentage of self-identifying Christians who voted, both evangelical and non-evangelical, was pretty similar. In other words, though faith does seem to greatly influence the voting decisions of American Christians who vote, it doesnt seem to make much of a difference in whether or not American Christians vote. Of course, if our faith should make a difference in every aspect of our lives (and it should), it should shape how we think about and live out citizenship, too. To put it bluntly, Christians have both a civic and a Christian responsibility to vote. As my friend Tim Goeglin, vice-president of external and governmental relations for Focus on the Family, put it recently, to vote is the beginning of our civic duty of Christians. Here are three reasons why: First, voting is an act of obedience. Both Jesus and St. Paul described our responsibility to defer to the governing authorities and to render to Caesar what is due to Caesar. Both Jesus and Paul navigated the realities of the various political authorities they faced differently, depending on the nature of their political authority and their rights as citizens. For example, Jesus never went to Rome, but He often confronted Jewish political powers and structures. Paul claimed and appealed to Roman citizenship when he was arrested. In our context, the people are the political authorities. We dont submit to political authority; we grant political authority to the representatives we elect. So, in our context, voting is the most fundamental way there is to render to Caesar what is Caesars. Second, Scripture describes sin not only as doing wrong, but also failing to do the good we can. Voting is an opportunity to do some good. Christians should see voting as an opportunity to steward what is good. Finally, voting is a way to fulfill both what Jesus called the greatest commandment and the second one like unto it. To love God with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength means, to some degree, loving what God loves: justice, righteousness, truth, and hospitality are all things that God loves, and they can be reflected in law and policy. And, to love our neighbors as ourselves means more than person-to-person niceness. Voting in ways that will limit or end abortion is a way to love our preborn neighbors. Voting in ways that will uphold the family and stop sexual experimentation on children is a way to love kids. Voting for policies that provide real opportunities for the poor and needy is a way to love them. Of course, fulfilling our civic and Christian duty involves not only voting, but voting in a right way. While I dont think theres just one right way to vote in every election, on every race, about every issue, there are certainly wrong decisions to be made. Because voting between candidates, whether for President or for dog catcher, will always involve choosing between the better of imperfect options, the best we can do is make comparisons. First, we should compare their worldview, because that is the basis of both their personal character and their public policy. A candidates worldview, by the way, is not the same as their professed faith. For too many candidates, faith is not only personal, its private. A candidates worldview, on the other hand, reveals those beliefs fundamental to how they will govern, specifically, what they think needs to be fixed and whose job they think it is to fix it. Second, we should compare their company, because every candidate comes with others. In particular, every President comes with a few thousand others: appointees who run departments, advisors who offer counsel, and judicial nominees who will be on the bench for decades. And just about every candidate comes with a political party, which has its own set of rules and expectations not to mention a platform that party intends to advance. Finally, we should compare candidates stated policies, because policy matters. Policies are based on ideas. Ideas have consequences. Bad policies built on bad ideas have victims. Of course, most Americans will not just choose who will be President. We wont just be choosing between Congressional candidates. Choosing on ballot initiatives is every bit as important as choosing between candidates. In Colorado, well be choosing whether to end the over 200 later-term abortions that occur in this state every year. Finally, while it is critical and necessary, Christian involvement in the public square cannot stop at voting. The issues we face, such as abortion, assisted suicide, religious freedom, loneliness, and so many others, cannot be solved by government alone. The Church has plenty of work to do upstream from politics, in communities and families, not to mention plenty of praying to do too. Though our responsibilities certainly include more than voting, they certainly do not include less. Originally posted at breakpoint.org Senate Democratic whip Dick Durbin (D., Ill.) on Sunday admitted that while Democrats can slow down the confirmation process for President Trumps nominee to the Supreme Court, they cant stop the outcome. We can slow it down perhaps a matter of hours, maybe days at the most, the number two Democrat in the Senate said on ABCs This Week. But we cant stop the outcome. Only two of the Senates 53 Republican senators, Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, have expressed opposition to holding a vote on Barretts nomination. As the Senate only needs 50 votes to confirm the 48-year-old judge, with the tie-breaking vote in favor of Barrett by Vice President Mike Pence, there is little Democrats can do to stop the nomination from advancing. Senate Judiciary Chairman Lindsey Graham (R., S.C.) has said hearings to confirm Judge Amy Coney Barrett, whom Trump nominated on Saturday to replace the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, will begin on October 12. The South Carolina Republican said he hopes the nomination will be out of the committee by October 26 as Republicans rush to fill the seat as quickly as possible, potentially ahead of the November 3 election. Durbins comments come one week after House speaker Nancy Pelosi told This Week that Democrats had options to block Trumps nominee: We have arrows in our quiver that Im not about to discuss right now, but the fact is we have a big challenge in our country, she said. The California Democrat said shes not ruling anything out and that the Constitution requires Congress to use every arrow in our quiver. While other Senate Judiciary Committee Democrats, including Senators Richard Blumenthal from Connecticut and Mazie Hirono from Hawaii, have said they will not meet with Barrett, Durbin said he would meet with the nominee and dismissed calls to boycott her confirmation hearings. Ive met with every Supreme Court nominee since Ive been in the Senate. I will extend that courtesy, if she requests it, for at least a socially distanced, safe meeting, perhaps over the phone, Durbin said. I want to be respectful. We disagree on some things. And in terms of participating in the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, Ill be there to do my job. Story continues Were talking about someone who will be on the highest court in the land for the remainder of her life, and I take that seriously, he said in response to a question asking if he was concerned about legitimizing Barretts confirmation process. Durbin said he wants to question Barrett on her position on ending the Affordable Care Act, as she has previously criticized Chief Justice John Roberts opinion in a previous case on the ACA. Barrett, a conservative Catholic mother of seven, has served on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit since she was appointed by Trump in 2017. She has also worked as a Notre Dame law professor and a clerk for the late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia. The Illinois Senator also joined his Democratic colleagues in calling on Barrett to recuse herself should a case regarding the presidential election reach the high court. The president said this week that he wanted his nominee on the Court ahead of the election to rule on potential challenges. I certainly wish she would, it would help matters, he said. And it would evidence the fact that she wants to be fair in addressing this. More from National Review A laundry liquid sold for $10 a litre gets washing only slightly cleaner than water, testing by Consumer has found. In a test of 32 laundry powders and liquids, the consumer watchdog found several were on a par with or performed only marginally better than water alone. The detergents were put through their paces against 10 common stains including grass, blood, baby food and chocolate ice cream, in both top and front loader washing machines. Among the most expensive detergents tested, Ecostore's Eucalyptus Laundry Liquid scored 47 per cent when used in a top loader machine, while water alone scored 44 per cent. It scored better in a front loader, with 65 per cent versus 55 for a plain water wash. At $10 a litre on average, the Ecostore product was more expensive than the best performer in a top loader, Persil Ultimate powder, which scored 63 percent in a top loader and has an average price of $7 a kilogram. It was $2.99 cheaper than the best performing product in front loader testing, Dynamo Professionals 7 Actions in 1 Wash, at an average of $12.99 a litre and a score of 82 per cent. Ecostore research and development manager Huia Iti says the company disagreed with the statements made and questioned the quality of testing. "We test through independent experts to give us assurance of the quality of our products. As well as performance results, we provide consumers a guarantee of product safety from a people and planet perspective ensuring they are respectful, responsible and ethical throughout the entirety of their life cycle. Huia pointed to Canstar research showing the brand was voted number one laundry powder and liquid by New Zealand consumers. Several other detergents were also found wanting in Consumers testing, including Essentials Laundry Powder and Essentials Laundry Liquid Clean Wash Apple. Both fared no better than water in a front loader. In top loader machines, Living Green Lavender and Aloe, and Earthwise Plant-powered Laundry Liquid Ultra Sensitive Fragrance-free scored only slightly higher than water at 45 and 46 per cent respectively. At the other end of the spectrum, two brands stood out. Dynamo dominated in the front loader stakes and Persil was a similar standout in top loader performance. Top scorers: Front loaders Dynamo Professionals 7 Actions in 1 Wash Dynamo Professional Oxi Plus Dynamo Deep Clean Odour Eliminating Persil with Built in Pre-treaters Cold Power Smooth and Clean Easy Ironing Top loaders Persil Ultimate Persil with a Touch of Comfort Inspired Freshness Persil with Built in Pre-treaters Dynamo Professional Oxi Plus Fab Perfume Indulgence Sublime Velvet -Stuff The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bogdan Aurescu, participated on Monday in the opening of the 10th edition of the UN Youth Summer School on Diplomacy, organized by the UN Youth Association of Romania, in partnership with the Foreign Ministry (MAE). I believe that young people must make a substantial contribution to public debates in order to be able to respond adequately to the challenges we face today. Today, more than ever, we need the younger generation in the fields of international relations and diplomacy, Aurescu was quoted as saying in a MAE release for AGERPRES.The head of the Romanian diplomacy welcomed the unfolding of the UN Delegate Youth program, carried out in partnership with the Ministry of Youth and Sports, showing that it contributes to an increased familiarization with the topics on the international agenda.Minister Bogdan Aurescu highlighted that Romania actively promotes the involvement of young people in democratic processes, including within the current mandate of Presidency of the Community of Democracies (CoD).He reminded that the Bucharest Declaration, adopted on the 20th anniversary of the Community of Democracies hosted by Romania, on June 26, emphasizes the role of young people in democratic processes, and the Youth Forum organized by Romania brought together online participants from over 30 states. Romania hopes to organize the second edition of the Forum in 2021, in Bucharest.In the context of marking, in 2020, the 75th anniversary of the establishment of the UN and the 65th anniversary of Romania becoming a member of the organization, the minister of foreign affairs proposed to the participants that, during the debates, they take stock of the transformation to assess its impact on its international profile.The UN Youth Association of Romania is a student NGO whose statutory goals are to promote and encourage the values and activities of the UN among young people, the Romanian society and the international community. The most important project of the association, established in 2009, is the Bucharest International Student Model United Nations (BISMUN) conference.UN Youth Summer School on Diplomacy, which at its current edition has the theme "The human era: a world of changes and developments", brings together students passionate about foreign policy and international relations. (Alliance News) - The following is a round-up of London-listed company director and manager changes announced on Monday and not separately reported by Alliance News: SSE PLC - energy firm - Non-Executive Director Crawford Gilles to step down with effect on Wednesday after five years in the role since 2015. SSE's board to compromise of chair, three executive directors and seven non-executive directors. Tracsis PLC - traffic data & transportation services - Appoints Andrew Kelly as chief financial officer with effect on February 1, 2021. Will replace Max Cawthra, who is stepping down from role after 10 years since 2011. Kelly is currently vice president of Finance & IT at Vitec Production Solutions, a division of photography & video products maker Vitec Group PLC. Bank of Cyprus Holdings PLC - banking - First Deputy Chief Executive Officer Chris Patsalides to step down with effect on October 31, after a 25-year tenure with the group. In addition, has appointed Constantine Iordanou as non-executive director and Executive Director of Finance Eliza Livadiotou to board as executive member. Both appointments require approval from European Central Bank. ULS Technology PLC - Oxfordshire-based conveyancing software provider - Chief Executive Officer Steve Goodall has stepped down from role with immediate effect to pursue other interests, after three years since 2017. Following an extensive search, the group has found a successor with extensive performance, but has not disclosed who the successor is. Henderson European Focus Trust PLC - investment trust - Appoints Senior Independent Director Vicky Hastings as interim chair, following the stepping down of Chair Robert Jeens with effect on Friday last week, for personal reasons, after ten months in the role since December 2019. Ovoca Bio PLC - Women's health-focused biopharmaceutical company - Appoints Chief Executive Officer Kirill Golovanov as interim chair with immediate effect, following the death of Executive Chair Mikhail Mogutov on Thursday last week, after 12 years in the role. Vectura Group PLC - London-based drug delivery products firm - Non-Executive Director Anne Whitaker to step down with effect on Wednesday, due to potential conflicts that could arise in the future, from her role as chief executive officer at Aerami Therapeutics, which specialises in the treatment of severe respiratory and chronic diseases. Mereo Biopharma Group PLC - London-based clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on oncology and rare diseases - Appoints Brian Schwartz and Jeremy Bender as non-executive directors with effect on October 1. In addition, Non-Executive Director Paul Blackburn to step down after five years since 2015. British Smaller Companies VCT2 PLC - UK-focused venture capital trust - Appoints Barbara Anderson with effect on October 1. Also announced the resignation of Robert Pettigrew with effect at the end of 2020 after 20 years in the role. Blue Prism Group PLC - Warrington, England-based robotic process automation - Appoints Rachel Mooney as non-executive director with immediate effect. By Dayo Laniyan; dayolaniyan@alliancenews.com Copyright 2020 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved. Texas officials have lifted a warning for all but one Houston-area community to stop using tap water because it might be tainted with a deadly brain-eating microbe. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality warned the Brazosport Water Authority late Friday of the potential contamination of its water supply by naegleria fowleri. The authority initially warned eight communities not to use tap water for any reason except to flush toilets, but on Saturday it lifted that warning for all communities but Lake Jackson. The city of more than 27,000 residents is the site of the authoritys water treatment plant. The advisory also was canceled for two state prisons and Dow Chemicals massive Freeport works. The advisory will remain in place until the authoritys water system has been thoroughly flushed and tests on water samples show the systems water is again safe to use. The authority said in a statement that it was unclear how long it would be before the tap water was again safe. The authoritys water source is the Brazos River. Earlier this month, 6-year-old Josh McIntyre died after contracting the microbe. The investigation into his death led to the detection of the brain-eating amoeba after heath officials conducted water sample tests, Lake Jackson City Manager Modesto Mundo said in a news release Saturday. Three of 11 sample tests indicated preliminary positive results for the brain-eating microbe, with one sample coming from the boys home hose bib, Mundo said. Naegleria fowleri is a free-living microscopic amoeba, or single-celled living organism commonly found in warm freshwater and soil, according to the U.S Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It usually infects people when contaminated water enters the body through the nose. From there it travels to the brain and can cause a rare and debilitating disease called primary amebic meningoencephalitis. The infection is usually fatal and typically occurs when people go swimming or diving in warm freshwater places such as lakes and rivers. In very rare instances, naegleria infections may also occur when contaminated water from other sources (such as inadequately chlorinated swimming pool water or heated and contaminated tap water) enters the nose. The contamination of U.S. treated public water systems by the microbe is rare but not unheard of. According to the CDC website, the first deaths from naegleria fowleri found in tap water from treated U.S. public drinking water systems occurred in southern Louisiana in 2011 and 2013. The microbe also was found in 2003 in an untreated geothermal well-supplied drinking water system in Arizona, as well as in disinfected public drinking water supplies in Australia in the 1970s and 80s and in 2008 in Pakistan. Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Texas Pollution Eight more crew of the Patricia Oldendorff, the vessel sitting off the Pilbara in Western Australia, have tested positive to COVID-19. The eight new cases are in hotel quarantine. The total confirmed cases associated with the vessel is now 17. Seven of these are still on the ship as part of the essential crew, while 10 are in hotel quarantine. These results were not included in the total case count for Western Australia today which stands at 676. They will be added tomorrow. Daily cleaning of the vessel continues. Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala government on Monday decided to allow only a limited number of devotees to the Sabarimala hill shrine during the annual pilgrimage season including Makaravilakku. Chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan said that though notwithstanding the restrictions imposed on the number of devotees, all rituals and ceremonies at the temple will be held as usual. A majority of pilgrims to Sabarimala come from Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. During normal times there is no restriction on the number of pilgrims coming from the neighbouring states. However, this time around only a limited number of devotees would be allowed from each state. A high-level committee headed by the chief secretary and the police chief, home secretary, devaswom principal secretary, health secretary and forest secretary has been constituted to examine the ground situation and recommend measures for the Sabarimala pilgrimage. Kerala officials will hold discussions with their counterparts in the neighbouring states on the restrictions in Sabarimala. The devaswom minister will speak to his counterparts in other states and brief them about the steps being taken in Kerala. Vijayan said entry to the hill shrine will be strictly through the virtual queue system put in place by the Kerala police. Pilgrims above the age of 65 and children should avoid visiting the shrine this season, he said. The devotees who are registered for the pilgrimage will have to take a Covid test and obtain a negative certificate in their respective state. Another test will be conducted by Kerala health authorities on arrival in the state. The pilgrims who normally spend the night in the hill shrine will not be allowed to stay back this time. After darshan they will have to immediately climb down the hill. The makaravilakku thiruvabharanam ceremonial procession will be held strictly complying with Covid protocol. TORRINGTON The plea hearing of a New Milford man accused of killing his wife last year has been rescheduled for Nov. 13, at state Superior Court in Torrington. Joshua M. Hilliard, 37, is facing second-degree manslaughter, intentional cruelty to persons, witness tampering and risk of injury to child charges stemming from a domestic violence incident that resulted in the death of his wife, Jessica. Police said Hilliard admitted to getting into an argument with his wife, in front of their children, the night of Nov. 27, 2019, and locking himself in the bathroom. According to police, Joshua said he heard banging on the door and that his wife started coming at him with a hammer when he finally opened it. Police said Joshua told them he grabbed her wrist and a brief struggle ensued, during which Josh said his hand slipped off his wifes wrist at which time she struck herself in the head with the top flat portion of the hammer. According to court documents, Hilliard delayed calling 911 and misled and withheld information from first responders who came to her aid. He also allegedly told one of his children not to tell authorities anything about the fight, according to the warrant for his arrest. Hilliard was arrested Aug. 20, and remains held on $300,000 bond at the New Haven Correctional Center. Petoskey High School band directors, assistant principal remain on administrative leave Superintendent Chris Parker addressed the situation regarding three band instructors and an assistant principal who are all currently on paid leave during Thursday's board of education meeting. As the invited representative of food industry entrepreneurs, chairman and president of global healthy food producer Yili Group Pan Gang signed the statement together with over 200 CEOs of major global companies, including Alex Gorsky, CEO of Johnson & Johnson, Brad Smith, President of Microsoft, and Punit Renjen, Global CEO of Deloitte Global, to express his support for the United Nations' call to jointly lead the world onto a more equitable, inclusive and sustainable path of development and to "unite in the business for a better world". New Delhi, Sep 28 (UNI) Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Monday advised the Congress ruled states to explore possibilities of bringing new laws in their respective state legislatures to bypass the Centre's farm laws. 'Congress President has advised the Congress ruled states to explore the possibilities to pass laws in their respective states under Article 254(2) of the constitution which allows the state legislatures to pass a law to negate the Anti-Agriculture Central laws encroaching upon States jurisdiction under the Constitution,' AICC General secretary In-charge for Organization K C Venugopal said in a statement here on Monday. 'This would enable the states to bypass the unacceptable anti-farmers' provisions in the three draconian Agricultural laws, including the abolition of MSP and disruption of APMCs in Congress ruled states,' the statement said. 'This would also alleviate the farmers from the grave injustice done by the Modi Government & BJP,' the statement added. Despite a spate of protests by farmers and Opposition parties, President Ram Nath Kovind on Sunday gave his assent to the three Farm Bills passed by Parliament recently. The passage of the three Bills -- Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020, Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020 and Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill 2020 -- met with stiff opposition in the Rajya Sabha when it came up for passage on September 20. The Government has notified the legislation in the gazette. While the Government has described the contentious legislation as "landmark and historic", almost the entire Opposition has attacked the Bills as anti-farmer and pro-corporate. The Opposition parties had submitted a memorandum to the President Kovind urging him not to sign the Bills claiming they had been passed "unconstitutionally". NDA's oldest ally, the Shiromani Akali Dal, had also severed ties with the Alliance in protest against the Bill after SAD minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal submitted her resignation on this issue. UNI NY AR 2117 Historic wildfires which ravaged California throughout August and September may cause 3,000 early deaths, according to research from academics at Stanford University. This year there have been over 8,100 wildfires that have burned well over 3.7 million acres in California. Since August 15, when California's fire activity elevated, there have been 26 fatalities and over 7,000 structures destroyed. On Sunday, 17,000 firefighters were still at work, battling 25 wildfires in the state. Now academics have concluded that the wildfires, from August 1 to September 10, were responsible already for at least 1,200 deaths in California - and may, over the next month, cause a total of 3,000 deaths. The fires were also to blame for 4,800 ER visits, they calculated. Los Angeles is seen blanketed by smoke from wildfires on September 23 California saw wildfires break out across the state, particularly in August and September A firefighter is pictured battling the Glass Fire in Calistoga, California, on September 27 The fatalities were among people 65 and older, most of whom were living with pre-existing medical conditions such as heart disease, diabetes and respiratory ailments. 'Clean air is much more important than we realize,' said Marshall Burke, an associate professor of earth system science at Stanford who calculated the impacts. 'When you look at it on a population level, you can see very clearly that breathing clean air has huge public health benefits, and breathing dirty air has disastrous consequences.' Burke described the fatalities as 'hidden deaths'. He added: 'These are people who were probably already sick but for whom air pollution made them even sicker.' Scientists have known for decades that soot, technically termed PM2.5, is among the most dangerous types of air pollution. PM2.5 is generated by diesel trucks, power plants, fireplaces and other sources. The tiny particles can travel deep into the lungs, even entering the bloodstream, when people breathe them in high concentrations. In mild levels they cause itchy eyes and sore throats, coughing and a tight feeling in the chest. In more severe instances, they can trigger asthma attacks, heart attacks, strokes or respiratory failure, particularly in the elderly, infants and people with heart and lung problems. A burning stack of chairs is seen during the Glass Fire in St Helena, California on September 27 A burnt out car is pictured after the Glass Fire tore through St Helena on September 27 A $100 bill burnt in the Glass Fire is pictured on September 27 in Napa County, California Smoke levels broke all-time records in California, breaking federal health standards in the Bay Area for 19 days. Air quality was even worse in the Sierra, the Sacramento Valley and parts of Southern California, where it reached 10 to 15 times the federal health standard. On September 9, smoke turned the skies across Northern California a strange and sinister orange colour. 'Recent wildfire activity has led to a massive increase in PM2.5 above normal levels,' the scientists wrote. 'As anyone who lives in CA or has watched the news knows, air quality has been terrible, and the monitoring data of course bear this out.' At their first virtual meeting on Saturday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Sri Lankan counterpart Mahinda Rajapaksa talked about an array of issues, including bilateral debt, infrastructural development and rights of minorities in Sri Lanka. On the agenda was Colombos request for deferring debt repayments. It owes India about $960 million. India has already agreed to a $400-million currency swap facility for Sri Lanka and the latter has now put in a request for an additional swap arrangement worth around $1 billion. The two leaders also discussed the status of several Indian infrastructure projects in Sri Lanka. Foremost among these is the Eastern Container Terminal in Colombo, a project that India and Japan are hoping to implement. Rajapaksa put this project on hold in the run-up to general elections in August. Colombo made no announcement on the revival of this key project. This was a bilateral summit. Yet it was a third country, China, the proverbial elephant in the room, that determined its content and outcome. Chinas influence in Sri Lanka has grown manifold over the past decade, and Indias engagement of Rajapaksa, who during his 10-year stint as president put the island-nation in Chinas orbit, is aimed at drawing it back into the Indian fold. Indias gestures with regard to the currency swap and easing Sri Lankas debt, for instance, are aimed at reducing its dependence on China. To counter Chinas rising profile and presence in the Indian Ocean Region, India has agreed to further strengthen maritime cooperation with Sri Lanka, including personnel exchange and training. India has stepped up the exercise of soft power, too, by bonding with Sri Lanka over Buddhism, a link that Colombo shares with Beijing as well. India announced a $15 million grant for promotion of Buddhist ties. The China-centric Modi-Rajapaksa meeting indicates how much ground India has to recover in this relationship. On the Tamil question, a significant gap persists. While the Rajapaksa government is considering repealing the 13th Amendment to its Constitution, India wants it implemented. The joint statement issued at the end of the Modi-Rajapaksa meeting laid bare this difference; it stated the Indian and Sri Lankan positions. Significantly, the subsequent statement released by the Rajapaksa government made no mention of Modis call to Colombo to meet Tamil aspirations for justice and achieve reconciliation through implementation of the 13th Amendment. This does not bode well for minority rights in Sri Lanka. A detective charged in connection with the fatal shooting of Breonna Taylor in Louisville has pleaded not guilty. Brett Hankisons plea came five days after a grand jury indicted him on three counts of wanton endangerment for firing into the home of Ms Taylors neighbours. The grand jury declined to charge him or the other two undercover narcotics officers who opened fire inside Ms Taylors house on the night of March 13 with her shooting. Hankisons lawyer asked that his client be allowed to keep firearms for self-defence. He said Hankison, who was fired in June, has received a number of threats. The judge turned down the request. Ms Taylor was shot multiple times after her boyfriend opened fire as officers entered her home during a narcotics raid, authorities said. Breonna Taylor was fatally shot / Courtesy of Family of Breonna Taylor Her boyfriend said he did not know who was coming in and fired in self-defence. One officer was wounded. A coroners report obtained on Monday said Ms Taylor was shot five times and died of multiple gunshot wounds. It says she was hit in the torso, her upper left extremity and both lower extremities. She tested negative for drugs and alcohol. The decision not to charge the officers set off protests in Louisville and across the country. The citys mayor lifted a curfew on Monday that had been in place after many people refused to stop their night-time protests. Breonna Taylor Protests: September 2020 - In pictures 1 /45 Breonna Taylor Protests: September 2020 - In pictures AP Carmen Jones, a local organizer, instructs protesters over a megaphone as they arrive at the First Unitarian Church for refuge, a day after a grand jury considering the March killing of Taylor, a Black medical worker, REUTERS AP AP AP AP AP AP AP AP AP AP Protestors march during a demonstration in downtown Louisville, Kentucky AFP via Getty Images Police and protesters converge during a demonstration in Louisville AP Hundreds of people protest in Brooklyn, New York, against the Kentucky grand jury decision in the Breonna Taylor case Getty Images AP Getty Images AFP via Getty Images Protesters march in Louisville, Kentucky, following the grand jury's decision AP Getty Images Police officers guard the location near where an officer was shot in Louisville REUTERS Police clash with protesters following a decision in the criminal case against police officers involved in the death of Breonna Taylor REUTERS AFP via Getty Images AP Getty Images AP Getty Images Getty Images Getty Images AP Getty Images Getty Images AFP via Getty Images AFP via Getty Images The curfew served its purpose of helping ensure that most people were home safe by 9pm, because our past experience had shown that most violence and destruction occurs after dark, Greg Fischers statement said. We sadly saw some violence, including the shooting of two police officers, one of whom remains hospitalised, dealing with complications from his injuries. "But we believe the curfew helped, by ensuring fewer people were out late in the day. Meanwhile, Kentucky state representative Lisa Willner, a Louisville Democrat, said she is starting to craft legislation that would narrow the scope of the states rioting statute. Her proposal, which she intends to offer in next years legislative session, would protect people from being charged with first-degree rioting if they are present but do not engage in destructive or violent actions. This is not any attempt at all to weaken the current law, Ms Willner said. Its just to make sure that people who are peacefully protesting, who are merely exercising their First Amendment rights, are clearly not engaging in rioting. Her response comes after Democratic colleague Attica Scott was charged with the felony last week while participating in Louisville protests for racial justice. Ms Scott, the states only black female representative, was arrested and charged on Thursday night with the felony of first-degree rioting as well as unlawful assembly and failure to disperse. She was among demonstrators who converged in central Louisville to express their disagreement with the grand jury decision. Many marched along Louisvilles streets chanting Breonna Taylor, say her name, and no justice, no peace. In a meeting with officials from the Palestinian group Fatah, Egypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry reaffirmed Egypt's position regarding the Palestinian cause and Palestine's legitimate rights, the Egyptian foreign ministry said. The meeting in Cairo comes days after Palestinian groups Fatah and Hamas announced that elections would be held in Gaza for the first time in nearly 15 years. The decision to hold the elections was reached after the Palestinian groups held talks in Turkey. Shoukry met with leading Fatah officials Jabril Ragoob and Rawhi Fattouh on Monday during their visit to Cairo, according to the Egyptian foreign ministry. Prior to the meeting, Ragoob said in statements to the media that Egypt had no objection to the dialogue that took place between Hamas and Fatah in Turkey. "On the contrary, Egypt understands the importance of speaking with all regional parties to reach a political reconciliation," he said. "We are in talks with everyone except the countries that have gone against the Arab consensus, and Egypt is to central the Palestinian cause," he stated, without referring to specific countries. Egypt has had strained relations with Turkey since the 2013 ouster of Egyptian president Mohamed Morsi, who was a close ally of Turkish President Tayyip Erdogans government. Tensions between the two countries ratcheted up recently over Anakara's involvement in Libya as well as the recent demarcation agreement between Egypt and Greece. Ragood added in his media statements that he hoped the Arab countries would help Palestine on two fronts: to support the Arab peace initiative proposed by Saudi Arabia in 2002 and to support the Palestinians financially. Egypt has long supported establishing an independent Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital. Egypt has also supported the reconciliation efforts between the Palestinian factions, hosting several rounds of talks in recent years. The last Palestinian parliamentary elections were held in 2006 when Hamas won an unexpected landslide. Search Keywords: Short link: Paula, 27, an undocumented domestic worker from Honduras, recently called the health center in her area Nueva Numancia in Vallecas, one of the 37 districts in the Madrid region in lockdown due to the high incidence of coronavirus infection. She had been in close contact with people who tested positive for Covid-19, and was now showing symptoms herself, But Paula did not have a medical card giving her access to the Spanish healthcare system, and her local center turned her away. She then began a bureaucratic journey that has lasted a week to date, despite getting help from a neighbor who happens to be a doctor. Just securing an appointment for a PCR test has required updating her place of residence with the local authorities, and making several trips on the subway through the capital to do in-person paperwork that they wouldnt let her do over the phone. We find cases of people with symptoms who cannot go to the health center and who are not helped over the phone either, so they do not receive the necessary care Cristina Hernandez, Doctors of the World Although her case is still to be confirmed, Paula suspects she picked up the coronavirus at a party thrown by neighbors on September 12. Three of the guests had tested positive and should have been self-isolating. But Paula only found this out four days later, when she began to feel ill and made some inquiries. On September 17, she called the health center. At first, they asked me about my symptoms I told them that I felt bad, that my eyes hurt and I was finding it a bit hard to breathe. But as soon as I said I was undocumented and didnt have a medical card, they told me they couldnt give me a test, she says. As a precautionary measure, she decided to stop going to both her morning job, which entails looking after an elderly man, and her afternoon job, which involves picking children up from school. Immigrants with or without proper documentation have had the right to healthcare since 2018 the year the legislation to exclude them approved in 2012 by the conservative Popular Party was overturned by a government decree. But bureaucratic hurdles have multiplied during the pandemic, producing predicaments like Paulas. Every region of Spain has a different system to deal with undocumented immigrants in need of healthcare. In Madrid, they are provided with what they call a DAR code. But when Paula went to her local health center, she was told that they couldnt give her one because she was registered as a resident in another district of Madrid, Cuatro Caminos. Despite feeling rough, Paula took the subway to the Cuatro Caminos health center. A line outside the General Ricardos health center in Madrid. Andrea Comas They told me there that I could not come in person if I had symptoms, she says. That I should phone instead, and that if I was refused assistance because I have no medical card, then I should just have the tests done in a private clinic. But I dont have the money for that, it costs almost 100. I can afford it even less now that Ive had to stop working and dont get paid. Cristina Hernandez, from the Doctors of the World non-profit organization, which helps immigrants gain access to healthcare, explains the vicious circle: Many people do not have the necessary documentation to receive assistance. Getting the DAR code requires going in person, but we find cases of people with symptoms who cannot go to the health center and who are not helped over the phone either, so they do not receive the necessary care. The Madrid regional government insists that any person requiring urgent medical attention is categorized as a transient patient and seen to: This may have been a specific case, which does not reflect the course of action generally taken in these cases in the Madrid region, a spokesperson said. The problem, in the case of Paula and others like her, is a clash between bureaucracy and rights. We have come across other cases in which the DAR code is not processed because they [the immigrants] do not comply with the requirements, which is to have been on Spanish territory for more than three months, to be able to prove it, and to have a valid passport, says Hernandez. Facilitating the diagnosis Pedro Gullon, an epidemiologist and expert in health-related social inequality, believes that even if it were for purely utilitarian reasons, diagnosis and follow-up of Covid-19 cases should be made as easy as possible for everyone. Primary care doctors have been demanding areas outside the health centers where people can go directly to have PCR tests, he explains. In Navarre, for example, they have a space similar to the IFEMA field hospital that does this. Otherwise, we are not only putting the health of the person who is not receiving care at risk, but also the health of the entire population. After being refused assistance at the Cuatro Caminos health center, Paula tried registering as a resident in the city district where she currently lives. Again she went out with symptoms, and had to wait in line to try to sort out in person what was proving impossible to do over the phone. On September 23, she registered as a resident in Vallecas, went back to her local health center in the company of her neighboring doctor, and was finally given the DAR code. If it werent for her, they wouldnt have given it to me, she says. While Paulas story sounds desperate, she was at least spared the challenge of a language barrier. For other immigrants, the scenario can be far worse. According to Cristina Arcas, from the non-profit Salud Entre Culturas (or Health Among Cultures), which has been dealing with this type of problem for years, there has been no assistance from the authorities in this regard. We provide them with mediators who speak their language so that they can get basic information about masks and confinement, and we also provide help with procedures that are sometimes complicated even for Spaniards, she explains. We were hoping that after the most agitated months passed, they would make things easier for these immigrants, but we are once again facing the same hurdles. We have a case where one domestic worker was forced to do a PCR test, and pay for it herself, if she wanted to continue working at that house Carolina Elias, Active Domestic Service The second wave began among immigrants, a demographic group that is often vulnerable, lacking decent housing, unable to stop working jobs that are cash-in-hand with no contract, and frequently with only a basic grasp of the Spanish language. These circumstances mean that infection can spread easily among them, as was the case in rural Aragon and Catalonia in July. Now, domestic workers, who often lack proper documentation too, are finding themselves in equally difficult circumstances. Carolina Elias, from the Active Domestic Service association, says that many colleagues with symptoms are turning to natural remedies (of more than questionable effectiveness) in order to continue working. In some homes, employers are taking advantage of the vulnerability of these workers, who are afraid of losing their jobs, she says. We have a case where one domestic worker was forced to do a PCR test, and pay for it herself, if she wanted to continue working at that house. Although Paulas employers have allowed her time off work, the family of the elderly man she tends to in the mornings did ask her to make his meals when he was not home. I told them I wouldnt, because I dont want to put him at risk, she says, as she waits in her home with her one-year-old son for the PCR test appointment that required running around the city to get. English version by Heather Galloway. 28.09.2020 LISTEN Action Patriot for Justice (APJ) a pressure group within the ruling NPP has bashed the flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), John Dramani Mahama , stating that he will suffer great humiliation in the 2020 Presidential election. According to the group, former President Mahama "is going to suffer gargantuan lose more than twice of what he lost in the 2016 general election." In a statement issued by the group leadership on Monday September 28, 2020, noted that pro-poor policies or social interventions are usually not the focus of a capitalist party in power yet the NPP government has made this possible, exposing the uselessness and the emptiness of the John Mahama led NDC who pride themselves as social Democrats but cannot point to a single pro-poor policy ever introduced for the past sixteen (16) years they've been in power. Read the full statement below Pro-poor policies or social interventions are usually not the focus of a capitalist party in power yet the NPP government has made this possible, exposing the uselessness and the emptiness of the John Mahama led NDC who pride themselves as social Democrats but cannot point to a single pro-poor policy ever introduced for the past sixteen (16) years they've been in power. Their hebetudinous approach to governance and emetic policies they use to propose is an indicative of the fact that, the NDC is a bunch of deviants who have lost touch with their core mandate, principles, ideologies and purpose as Social democrats who must make the welfare of the ordinary Ghanaian, their prime focus. When the New Patriotic Party(NPP) rolled out the health insurance policy in 2004 to scrape the infamous Cash and Carry system imposed on the very poor whom the NDC wants us to believe they stand for, as social Democrats, rather opposed this pro-poor policy and further boycotted its discussion In Parliament, claiming it was a hoax designed to blindfold and Hoodwinked Ghanaians to vote for the NPP in the 2004 elections. Ironically, the so called social Democrats took over power in 2009 but could not sustain the very purpose of which the National health insurance policy was introduced but rather left it almost a collapsed policy, wobbling in clutches after the NDC had lost the 2016. APJ was transfixed with utter dismay when Dr Tony Aidoo, a kingpin of the NDC revealed that, and I quote: "we are suppose to be social democrats and what do social democrats do? They consider policies and programmes that inure to the benefit of the wider and larger majority of the populace....... I stopped attending NDC Congress as far back as 2000, because, our congresses never extended to the discussions of policy and programmes". This was published on Ghanaweb, 3rd October 2018. The John Mahama led NDC was incompetent in government and still making uninspiring promises in opposition, no wonder stalwarts in the NDC like Dr Tony Aido, Mr Allottey Jacobs, fmr. National security co-director, General Nunu Mensah, Koku Anyidohu and the founder himself, Jerry John Rawlings have given up on the NDC. When the so-called people's manifesto becomes unattractive to the people, the only option left, is to result to unnecessary provocative afterthoughts that further exposes Mahama's incompetence. On the face of this gross incompetence exhibited by the Mahama led NDC both in power and opposition, posterity will not forgive us, if we fail to make Agenda-4more-4Nana a reality. SECRETARY Kwadwo Owusu 0244160707 CONVENER Kwain Isaac 020 619 2775 Source: Ghana/otecfmghana.com The 2020 Fierce 15 comes at a time when the world is focused on a pandemic, but even as coronavirus remains a threat, patients with cancer, rare diseases and other disorders still need treatment, FierceBiotech Senior Editor Ben Adams said. "This year, we've chosen from a diverse range of those fighting COVID, as well as those fighting longer term plagues against our biology," Adams said. Carmine Therapeutics is pioneering a novel class of therapeutics based on its REGENT technology an innovative approach which leverages red blood cell extracellular vesicles (RBCEVs). First published in Nature Communications in 2018, an initial focus is non-viral gene therapies. In June 2020, Carmine Therapeutics signed a research collaboration agreement with Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited to discover, develop and commercialize transformative non-viral gene therapies. Carmine Therapeutics will be eligible for over $900M USD in total milestone payments plus tiered royalties. XQ Lin, Founding CEO of Carmine Therapeutics and Managing Partner of Esco Ventures X, commented, "We are thrilled to be recognized as a Fierce 15 company, an honor that reflects the innovative nature of our RBCEV platform and the dedication of our team. This comes following a year of successes and we are excited to build on this momentum. We believe that our novel approach will have a tremendous impact on transforming patient lives." The Fierce 15 celebrates the spirit of being "fierce" championing innovation and creativity, even in the face of intense competition. This is FierceBiotech's 18th annual Fierce 15 selection. An internationally recognized daily report reaching a network of over 285,000 biotech and pharma industry professionals, FierceBiotech provides subscribers with an authoritative analysis of the day's top stories. Every year FierceBiotech evaluates hundreds of private companies from around the world for its annual Fierce 15 list, which is based on a variety of factors such as the strength of its technology, partnerships, venture backers and a competitive market position. About Carmine Therapeutics Carmine Therapeutics was founded in 2019 by Esco Ventures X, Professor Harvey Lodish (Whitehead, MIT), Professor Minh Le, and Professor Jiahai Shi. Professor Lodish, who was a founding member of several successful biotech companies that include Genzyme, Arris (now Axys) Pharmaceuticals, Millennium Pharmaceuticals and Rubius Therapeutics, is also the Chair of Carmine's Scientific Advisory Board. Headquartered in Cambridge, MA, Carmine is pioneering a new class of therapeutics based on red blood cell extracellular vesicles (RBCEVs). To date, Carmine has raised over $9.4M USD in seed equity financing led by Esco Ventures X and Takeda Ventures. For more information, visit www.carminetherapeutics.com. About FierceBiotech FierceBiotech is the biotech industry's daily monitor, an email newsletter and web resource providing the latest biotech news, articles, and resources related to clinical trials, drug discovery, FDA approval, FDA regulation, patent news, pharma news, biotech company news and more. More than 150,000 top biotech professionals rely on FierceBiotech for an insider briefing on the day's top stories. Signup is free at www.fiercebiotech.com/signup. Contacts: Tenzin Gocha Carmine Therapeutics, Inc. 617-459-3608 [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] https://www.carminetherapeutics.com/ Rebecca Willumson FierceBiotech 202-824-5050 [email protected] Related links: https://www.escoventuresx.com/ SOURCE Carmine Therapeutics Related Links http://www.carminetherapeutics.com A healthcare worker who spent 68 days on a ventilator battling Covid-19 has urged the public to take the virus seriously. The National Public Health Emergency Team (Nphet) said an additional 390 cases of Covid-19 were confirmed in Ireland on Monday. This includes 209 new cases in the capital Dublin. Statement from the National Public Health Emergency Team There have been no new deaths reported to the Health Protection Surveillance Centre @hpscireland today. There has been a total of 1,802 #COVID19 related deaths in Ireland. Department of Health (@roinnslainte) September 28, 2020 No further virus-related deaths were announced, leaving the toll at 1,802, health officials confirmed. Acting chief medical officer Dr Ronan Glynn said there is a particularly high incidence of the virus in Donegal and Dublin, and rapidly increasing numbers in Cork, Galway, Monaghan and Roscommon. Jerick Martin, who is aged in his 30s, appeared at the press conference on Monday evening where he described his experience with the virus, saying he feels lucky to be alive. I spent 68 days in intensive care, most of that time on a ventilator, in an induced coma, he said. I am asking now for everyone to be careful. Take this virus very seriously Jerick Martin I was told by my doctor that I would be in the induced coma for a few days, but I actually woke up two months later. The impact of that is very frightening and it will have long-lasting effects. Mr Martin warned that the disease does not care that you are young, fit and healthy. Anyone can catch it, and anyone can become very sick, he said. I am very grateful to be alive, and I would like people to realise the effect that Covid-19 can easily have on you. Mr Martin said he had multi-organ failure and his life and health has changed as a result of the virus. My wife says this was a living hell for her. She thought I was going to die, and the hospital had to ring her twice to tell her that I might not live, he said. I eventually began to recover, thanks to the staff in Beaumont Hospital and the family and friends who prayed for me, and I was able to go home. Even now, my life and my health have changed. I lost three and a half stone in weight. I have diabetes, shortness of breath and hypertension. I did not have these conditions before. Now, I need an inhaler and I am short of breath going up or down the stairs. I dont know what the longer term effects are going to be. I am asking now for everyone to be careful. Take this virus very seriously. Dr Glynn did not rule out recommending a further tightening of restrictions if case numbers continue to rise. If recommendations need to be made, they will be made, he said. Any recommendations that are made are made to protect people, to prevent people and families having to go through what Jerick and his family have had to go through. I think theres a perspective here that really shines a light on why were here twice a week and why there is such a focus on this disease and what it can do. Dr Glynn also emphasised the importance of following public health advice, giving examples of recent clusters. He described how a person with symptoms did not feel they were significant and did not self isolate. They went on to meet up with friends and 13 cases resulted. One of these cases also met up with other friends, resulting in another nine cases, and a further case met up with extended family and went to a sport activity. Overall that one case led to 56 other cases, he said. So, if you have got any symptoms at all, please dont meet up with other people, isolate immediately, contact your GP and get a test. This years developments have lowered some barriers for healthcare groups attempting to integrate in a more digitalised fashion At the beginning of August, a field hospital was set up in the central city of Danang to help ease the burden on Danang Hospital which had been overloaded by disease check-ups and treatment since the second wave of the outbreak hit the city. Similarly, health stations in Hanoi had also been pushed to their limits due to a sudden increase of people registering for rapid COVID-19 testing. Previously across the world, even the healthcare systems of developed countries started groaning under the pressure. In less than three weeks in March, the virus overloaded hospitals in northern Italy, offering a glimpse of what countries would face if they cannot slow the contagion. In the US, hospitals were similarly overwhelmed with COVID-19 patients. The health crisis has subjected hospitals across the globe to an onslaught of patients, leading to a serious shortage of medical equipment and human resources, highlighting the need to transform traditional ways of managing patient flows. At the same time, the pandemic has also disrupted medical staff who are pursuing continuing education. Offline learning events are limited in number and scope while travelling is restricted, which makes it easy for healthcare professionals to fall behind the fast development of medical technology. Meanwhile, the Vietnamese healthcare sector is still facing the added pressure of maintaining its fast growth to live up to the growing demand of the population. According to a 2018 report from Business Monitor International, at a per capita level, annual healthcare spending in Vietnam is expected to double from $170 in 2017 to $400 per capita in 2027. Preparing for uncertainty With this growth momentum and the growth rate of the population the healthcare sector will need to double its equipment and human resources in the next 10 years in order to meet the essential needs of medical examination and treatment of our citizens. Uncertainties like the COVID-19 pandemic speak eloquently for the digital transformation of Vietnamese healthcare, said Son Pham, country manager for GE Healthcare Vietnam and CEO of GE Vietnam. The pandemic has changed the balance of demand and supply so greatly, making it harder for the traditional approach to adapt. In other words, COVID-19 has lowered the barriers towards digital integration and created room for new technology to manifest efficiency. With the ability to make huge improvements in the quality and speed of health services, digital technology is projected to be a strong instrument for healthcare providers and medical staff to overcome the challenges of the current outbreak and similar situations in the future. The most notable benefits of digitalisation are improving diagnosis to minimise human errors, increase accuracy, and better manage the patient flow throughout the hospital. For example, a portable mobile x-ray system developed by GE Healthcare that is used by leading hospitals in Vietnam has built-in AI capabilities to alert technicians when the algorithm detects pneumothorax (collapsed lung). With a 95 per cent likelihood of correct diagnosis, this feature can ensure tremendous time savings and uphold safety for patients. AI can also be used to streamline the workflow in an entire radiology department and drive down examination time by 16 per cent. Not only in times of epidemics and disasters, remote medical examination and treatment will play a key role in minimising unnecessary exposure and the transmission of infections, as well as in taking quality healthcare to even the most remote provinces where physical healthcare infrastructure is inadequate. Through remote monitors, doctors can check on patients without paying multiple visits to the patient premises. This helps to minimise physical interaction, reducing contamination risk and redundancy, allowing healthcare practitioners to support at-risk patients at critical moments even from a distance. In Vietnam, various technologies are being explored such as tele-ICU to improve healthcare access which has been found of great utility during crisis situations such as COVID-19. Tele-ICU works as a remote consultation model in collaboration with a hub-and-spoke network of remote ICU consultation solutions, allowing controlling patients in remote and distant places. In March, the Vietnam Telemedicine Centre for COVID-19 Outbreak Control the very first centre of this kind in the country was launched in Hanoi, connected with over 200 GE Healthcare patient monitors and ventilators and 20 provincial hospitals across Vietnam. Attracting workers Digitalisation can also help solve the challenging issue of human resources. According to Solidiance, Vietnam has 8.6 doctors for every 10,000 people, and these practitioners are mainly located in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi. Virtual education and training would alleviate this lack of trained human resources and expand the reach of specialist care to all areas. In the second quarter, GE Healthcare attracted more than 1,000 medical workers to a series of virtual webinars to aid the efficient diagnosis of COVID-19 cases, provide safety guidelines for radiologists when diagnosing COVID-19 patients, and support Continuing Medical Education (CME) 3D Uterus in Infertility. Most recently, Radiology Week, the virtual radiology showcase of GE Healthcare ASEAN, has helped to update new advanced technology and solutions in diagnostic imaging. Im delighted to work at the clinics and study online simultaneously. Thanks to those educational webinars from GE Healthcare, not only can I gain useful knowledge to daily work, but also have the opportunity to take a CME test, said Dr. Hoa Huynh from Careplus Clinics in Ho Chi Minh City. I am really pleased with the learning experience and the results I got. Definitely, I will support and take part in more educational webinars like this. Pham from GE Vietnam added, The digital transformation in healthcare is inevitable and it has been in the making for decades now, gradually making improvements to the quality and speed of health services. Digitalising the healthcare system to benefit patients and the system itself is the next step in a logical progression which will help us achieve a new sense of normalcy where the sector will stay stable even in the most unstable situations. The TB Advisory Service (TBAS) has launched awards to champion farmers' efforts in reducing the risk of a bovine TB breakdown. The inaugural TBAS Awards 2021 wants to recognise those farmers who work hard in minimising the impact bTB can have on their business. Bovine TB remains the greatest animal health threat that England faces today, with more than 30,000 cattle slaughtered each year due to infection. Defra recently published a report which calculated the financial impact of bTB on British farms, showing that a breakdown costs on average 6,600. TBAS says it is looking for farmers who, for example, have significantly altered purchasing or breeding strategies to build resilience to TB. He or she could also be a suckler herd manager that has badger proofed feed, water or raised their mineral licks. "This willingness to go above and beyond what government asks of farmers is exactly what we want to show off with our awards," explains TBAS. "All too often, especially in the national media farmers are criticised for not doing what they can to prevent TB. "We want to show everyone that this isnt the case and farmers, as always, are rising to the challenge, being resourceful, innovative and eager to embrace change for the better." Award categories include Dairy farmer; Suckler farmer; Calf rearer/beef finisher; Innovator; and on farm advisor. The award entries have now opened for nominations and will run through to the end of 2020. Judging will take place in January 2021 with winners announced in February. Visible near the center of NASA's Perseverance Mars rover in this illustration is the palm-size dome called the Laser Retroreflector Array (LaRA). In the distant future, laser-equipped Mars orbiters could use such a reflector for scientific studies. Perseverance was built and is operated by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of Caltech in Pasadena, California. The retroreflector was provided by Italy's National Institute for Nuclear Physics, which built the instrument on behalf of the Italian Space Agency. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech When the Apollo astronauts landed on the Moon, they brought devices with them called retroreflectors, which are essentially small arrays of mirrors. The plan was for scientists on Earth to aim lasers at them and calculate the time it took for the beams to return. This provided exceptionally precise measurements of the Moon's orbit and shape, including how it changed slightly based on Earth's gravitational pull. Research with these Apollo-era lunar retroreflectors continues to this day, and scientists want to perform similar experiments on Mars. NASA's Perseverance roverscheduled to land on the Red Planet on Feb. 18, 2021carries the palm-size Laser Retroreflector Array (LaRA). There's also small one aboard the agency's InSight lander, called Laser Retroreflector for InSight (LaRRI). And a retroreflector will be aboard the ESA (European Space Agency) ExoMars rover that launches in 2022. While there is currently no laser in the works for this sort of Mars research, the devices are geared toward the future: Reflectors like these could one day enable scientists conducting what is called laser-ranging research to measure the position of a rover on the Martian surface, test Einstein's theory of general relativity, and help make future landings on the Red Planet more precise. "Laser retroreflectors are shiny, pointlike position markers," said Simone Dell'Agnello, who led development of all three retroreflectors at Italy's National Institute for Nuclear Physics, which built the devices on behalf of the Italian Space Agency. "Because they're simple and maintenance-free, they can work for decades." A box of mirrors The devices work a lot like a bike reflector, bouncing light back in the direction of its source. Perseverance's LaRA, for example, is a 2-inch-wide (5-centimeter-wide) dome speckled with half-inch holes containing glass cells. In each cell, three mirrored faces are positioned at 90-degree angles from one another so that light entering the holes is directed back out at exactly the same direction it came from. LaRA is much smaller than the retroreflectors on the Moon. The earliest ones, delivered by the Apollo 11 and 14 missions, are about the size of typical computer monitor and embedded with 100 reflectors; the ones delivered by Apollo 15 are even larger and embedded with 300 reflectors. That's because the lasers have to travel as much as 478,000 miles (770,000 kilometers) to the Moon and back. By the return trip, the beams are so faint, they can't be detected by the human eye. The beams that Perseverance's LaRA and InSight's LaRRI were built to reflect would actually have a far shorter journey, despite Mars being some 249 million miles (401 million kilometers) away at its farthest point from Earth. Rather than traveling back and forth from Earth, which would require enormous retroreflectors, the laser beams would just need to travel back and forth from a future Mars orbiter equipped with an appropriate laser. Illuminating science Such an orbiter could determine the precise position of a retroreflector on the Martian surface. And since Perseverance will be mobile, it could provide multiple points of reference. Meanwhile, the orbiter's position would also be tracked from Earth. This would allow scientists to test Einstein's theory of general relativity, as they have with retroreflectors on the Moon. Each planet's orbit is greatly influenced by the bend in space-time created by the Sun's large mass. A close-up view, taken on Feb. 5, 1971, of the Laser Ranging Retro-Reflector (LR3), which the Apollo 14 astronauts deployed on the Moon during their lunar surface extravehicular activity. Credit: NASA "This kind of science is important for understanding how gravity shapes our solar system, the whole universe, and ultimately the roles of dark matter and dark energy," Dell'Agnello noted. In the case of the InSight lander, which touched down on Nov. 26, 2018, laser-ranging science could also aid the spacecraft's core mission of studying Mars' deep interior. InSight relies on a radio instrument to detect subtle differences in the planet's rotation. In learning from the instrument how the planet wobbles over time, scientists may finally determine whether Mars' core is liquid or solid. And if the science team were able to use the lander's retroreflector, they could get even more precise positioning data than InSight's radio provides. LaRRI could also detect how the terrain InSight sits on shifts over time and in what direction, revealing how the Martian crust expands or contracts. Better landings on Mars Mars landings are hard. To help get Perseverance safely to the surface, the mission will rely on Terrain-Relative Navigation, a new technology that compares images taken during descent to an onboard map. If the spacecraft sees itself getting too close to danger (like a cliffside or sand dunes), it can veer away. But in such a mission-critical event, you can never have too many backups. Future missions barreling toward the surface of the Red Planet could use the series of reference points from laser retroreflectors as a check on the performance of their Terrain Relative Navigation systemsand perhaps even boost their accuracy down to a few centimeters. When the difference between successfully landing near an enticing geological formation or slipping down the steep slope of a crater wall can be measured in mere feet, retroreflectors might be critical. "Laser ranging could open up new kinds of Mars exploration," Dell'Agnello said. More about the mission A key objective for Perseverance's mission on Mars is astrobiology, including the search for signs of ancient microbial life. The rover will also characterize the planet's climate and geology, pave the way for human exploration of the Red Planet, and be the first planetary mission to collect and cache Martian rock and regolith (broken rock and dust). Subsequent missions, currently under consideration by NASA in cooperation with the European Space Agency, would send spacecraft to Mars to collect these cached samples from the surface and return them to Earth for in-depth analysis. Managed for NASA by JPL, a division of Caltech in Pasadena, California, the Mars 2020 Perseverance rover is part of a larger program that includes missions to the Moon as a way to prepare for human exploration of the Red Planet. Charged with returning astronauts to the Moon by 2024, NASA will establish a sustained human presence on and around the Moon by 2028 through NASA's Artemis lunar exploration plans. Explore further NASA's Perseverance rover attached to Atlas V rocket Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-28 00:37:24|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close LONDON, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) -- Another 5,693 people in Britain have tested positive for COVID-19, bringing the total number of coronavirus cases in the country to 434,969, according to official figures released Sunday. The coronavirus-related deaths rose by 17 to 41,988, the official data showed. The latest figures were revealed as three more counties in Wales are to be put into local lockdown, affecting more than 360,000 people. The new restrictions in Neath Port Talbot, Vale of Glamorgan and Torfaen will take effect from 6:00 p.m. BST (1700 GMT) on Monday, meaning half of Welsh local authority areas will soon be under specialized measures. The measures include residents not being allowed to enter or leave these areas without a reasonable excuse and a ban on the mix of different households indoors. More than 15.6 million people, about a quarter of Britain's population, were already set to be under local lockdown by Sunday evening, prior to the announcement of the three new Welsh counties, Sky News reported. Meanwhile, Scotland has seen a sharp spike in infections among teenagers. More than 43 percent of the positive cases detected on Thursday were in the 15-19 age group, according to data published by Public Health Scotland. Among the outbreaks in Scotland, 600 students have been isolating at the University of Glasgow. Infections were also reported at universities in Dundee, Edinburgh and Aberdeen. In England, some 1,700 students at Manchester Metropolitan University were told to stay in their rooms for 14 days after 127 tested positive for coronavirus. British Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden has defended students going back to university in England. "Young people have paid a huge price during this crisis and I think it is only fair to try and get them back -- we have got clear guidelines for them to follow," Dowden told the BBC. To bring life back to normal, countries such as Britain, China, Russia and the United States, are racing against time to develop coronavirus vaccines. The British government's Chief Scientific Adviser Patrick Vallance said Monday that it is possible that some vaccine could be available in small amounts later this year, but it is more likely that a vaccine will be available early next year, although that is not guaranteed. Enditem President Donald Trump paid just USD 750 in federal income taxes the year he ran for president and in his first year in the White House, according to a report on Sunday in The New York Times. The report also said that he or his companies paid $ 145,400 as taxes in India in 2017. Trump, who has fiercely guarded his tax filings and is the only president in modern times not to make them public, paid no federal income taxes in 10 of the past 15 years. He campaigned for office as a billionaire real estate mogul and successful businessman. Speaking at a news conference at the White House, Trump dismissed the report as fake news and said he has paid taxes, though he gave no specifics. The disclosure, which the Times said comes from tax return data it obtained extending over two decades, comes at a pivotal moment ahead of the first presidential debate Tuesday and weeks before a divisive election against Democrat Joe Biden. The president vowed that information about his taxes will all be revealed. But he offered no timeline for the disclosure and made similar promises during the 2016 campaign on which he never followed through. In fact, the president has fielded court challenges against those seeking access to his returns, including the U.S. House, which is suing for access to Trump's tax returns as part of congressional oversight. A lawyer for the Trump Organization, Alan Garten, and a spokesperson for the Trump Organization did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Associated Press on the report. Garten told the Times that most, if not all, of the facts appear to be inaccurate. He said in a statement to the news organization that the president "has paid tens of millions of dollars in personal taxes to the federal government, including paying millions in personal taxes since announcing his candidacy in 2015. During his first general election debate against Democrat Hillary Clinton in 2016, Clinton said that perhaps Trump wasn't releasing his tax returns because he had paid nothing in federal taxes. Trump interrupted her to say, "That makes me smart. Trump proposes plan to increase black communities' access to funding by $500B President seeks to make Juneteenth a federal holiday and designate KKK and Antifa as terror groups Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment President Donald Trump unveiled his Platinum Plan for promoting growth and opportunity for black communities, a broad outline that, among other things, pledges to increase access to capital for African-American communities by $500 billion. In a move aimed at appealing to black voters ahead of the November election, the president announced a plan that aims to promote opportunity, security, prosperity and fairness for African Americans. He called it a contract with black Americans that will be something that people talk about for a long time to come. When I ran for president four years ago, I looked at the dismal and shameful record of the Democrat Party and asked black Americans, What the hell do you have to lose?' the president said at the campaign event in Georgia Friday. Today I want to share what you have to gain from voting Republican on Nov. 3. Among other things, the new plan expands on initiatives the Trump administration has already put into place, such as the Opportunity Zones initiative, which seeks to foster economic growth in inner-city neighborhoods by incentivizing investment in those communities. Throughout his presidency, Trump has taken credit for low unemployment rates in the black and Hispanic communities. Under the plan, the president vows over the next four years to not only increase access to capital in black communities by almost $500 billion but also create 3 million new jobs for the black community, create 500,000 new black-owned businesses, give black churches the ability to compete for resources for their communities, and enhance financial literacy and homeownership opportunities for the black communities. The Platinum Plan is a bold vision that we can and really will achieve over the next four years, he said. We will be able to do it, if not sooner. As for the $500 billion in increased access to capital, Trump said that plan includes investing in community development, financial institutions and minority depository institutions. Additionally, the plan vows to follow up on the historic criminal justice reform bill that was passed in 2018, the FIRST STEP Act, by following through with a Second Step Act. [We will] build up peaceful urban neighborhoods with the highest standards of policing. We want the highest standards, Trump stressed. [We will] bring greater fairness to the justice system. We will create a national clemency project to right wrongful prosecutions and pardon individuals who have reformed their life. The president also vowed to create a ladder of opportunity for children by creating school choice for every parent in America, referring to policies that allow tax dollars to follow students to private schools they decide to attend. Trump also said he will bring tailored healthcare to address the historic disparities that we have had for so many years. This includes investing in treatments for Kidney disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, sickle cell disease, and maternal mortality, he stated. Trump also vowed to bring manufacturing jobs back to the inner cities, saying they have been largely forgotten. [We will] end Democrat policies that bring in low-wage foreign workers from overseas to replace black workers in our inner cities, he continued. Joe Biden cares more about the citizens of foreign countries than he does about black Americans living our own country. Under the Platinum Plan, the president seeks to use more tax cuts to grow minority-owned businesses by stimulating hiring and investment. He will also try to encourage onshoring and development of domestic manufacturing to increase supply chain business development and employment, examine barriers to employment including fees, occupational licensing, arrest record inaccuracy, and expungement and increase activity in opportunity zones including benefits for local hires. The plan also states that there will be an effort to invest almost $20 billion toward broadband and internet access that will create job opportunities, improve classroom connectivity, and the ability to utilize tele-health services. It also calls for federal, state and local community partners to close failing schools to replace with full school choice and education opportunity to put American parents back in control over their childrens futures. For decades, Democrat politicians like Joe Biden have taken black voters for granted. They made you big promises before every election and then the moment they got to Washington, they abandoned you and sold you out, Trump argued in his speech. The Democrat Party used you and lied to you every single time. According to a section of the plan titled Prosperous Black Communities, Trump vows to make Juneteenth (an informal holiday celebrated by African Americans on June 19 to celebrate emancipation from slavery) a federal holiday and prosecute the KKK and Antifa as terrorist organizations. Trump also seeks to make lynching a national hate crime. As exit polls showed that Trump received just 8% of the black vote in 2016, he is looking to fare better among that demographic in 2020. Biden also has released his plan, which offers more details than Trumps two-page plan, to foster economic growth and empowerment in black communities. Biden has vowed to ensure that black families can build and sustain wealth for themselves and their communities and ensure that first time home buyers are able to get $15,000 in federal down payment assistance. According to Bidens campaign website, the Democratic nominee will, if elected, invest over $70 billion toward historically black colleges and universities and minority-serving institutions. The Biden campaign has also vowed to double funding for the State Small Business Credit Initiative to $3 billion to assist small businesses. His plan includes building and repairing affordable housing units and draw[ing] housing and community development capital to low-income communities. Biden plans to triple Title I funding that goes to schools with a high percentage of low-income students to ensure that teachers are paid a competitive wage and children have access to pre-school. A potential Biden administration would further establish a new grant program to support under-resourced four-year schools that serve large numbers of Pell-eligible students as a way to foster collaboration between colleges and community organizations. United States President Donald Trump proposed again that he and Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden should undergo a US election pre-debate drug test. Biden's alleged dementia Biden's age and mental agility were previously regarded as an issue by Trump by suggesting he has dementia. Biden allegedly used drugs to bolster his public performance. Trump strongly demanded a drug test in a tweet mere two days prior to the debate. He wrote on Twitter, "I will be strongly demanding a Drug Test of Sleepy Joe Biden prior to, or after, the Debate on Tuesday night. Naturally, I will agree to take one also. His Debate performances have been record-setting UNEVEN, to put it mildly. Only drugs could have caused this discrepancy???" reported Ani. No evidence has been provided for the inflammatory charge prior to the debate. The first presidential debate is slated to be held on Tuesday in Cleveland, reported St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Trump has questioned Biden's jagged debate performances during the Democratic primary with Senator Bernie Sanders. According to Trump earlier this September, "Well I don't know which Biden is going to show up because I watched him during the debates where they had 20 people on the stage ... and he was a disaster, you don't get worse. He was grossly incompetent," reported New York Post. "Then I watched him against Bernie and he was okay," he added. 'Friendly transition' Trump had previously stated that he would seek a "friendly transition" should he emerge the losing candidate from the US presidential election on November 3. However, the incumbent president added that the mere way he could lose is if there is a discrepancy in the ballot process. Also Read: Facebook Takes Down 150 Fake Chinese Pages Targetting US Presidential Election The current US president who took to Twitter shortly before 10 AM to suggest a US Election pre-debate drug test said he would agree to a drug test as well if Biden agrees. Biden's past debate performance Trump's remarks come after Biden's party recently stated they are hoping for a repeat of his stand-out, energetic 2012 debate performance against the former vice presidential opponent Paul Ryan. This helped revitalize former President Barack Obama's election campaign back then. Trump's accusation due to Biden's uneven debate performances this year has leveled in the past weeks comes as he continues to trail Biden in national polls as he has consistently been for months. The former is facing the probability of becoming the third president in the previous four decades to lose for reelection to a second four-year term. Trump's allegations on his rival's mentality are designed to paint the former vice-president as being unsuitable for office. But some Republican strategists have cautioned that by lowering expectations before the debate, Trump's remarks could backfire if Biden performs well. A spokesman for Biden's campaign was not available for comment. Trump made the remarks on the US Election pre-debate drug test amid a campaign rally in Newport News, Virginia. Related Article: Prince Harry, Meghan Markle Break Royal Protocol After Persuading Americans to Vote @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Amman, Sep 28 : Jordan's Parliament has been dissolved in accordance with a royal decree ahead of the November 10 general elections. The decree to dissolve Parliament was issued on Sunday, while another one appointed a new 65-strong Senate, to be headed again by former Prime Minister Faisal Al Fayez, Jordan Times reported on Monday Under Article 34 of the Constitution, the King has the power to dissolve, convene, inaugurate, adjourn and prorogue Parliament. In accordance with the provisions of the Constitution, the current government will have to resign within a week of the dissolution of the Lower House. The Prime Minister during whose term the Parliament is dissolved cannot form a new government. A Royal Decree was issued on August 3 directing the concerned agencies to hold parliamentary elections in accordance with the provisions of law. The House of Representatives or the lower House comprises 130 seats, of which 115 members are elected by an open list proportional representation from 23 constituencies of between three and nine seats in size and 15 seats reserved for women. Nine of the 115 proportional representation seats are reserved for the Christian minority, with another three reserved for the Chechen and Circassian minorities. Breast milk may help protect babies from being infected by the novel coronavirus, a new study suggests. Researchers at a lab in China found that mother's milk prevented the pathogen from infecting and replicating in cells, even if the child does not have antibodies. What's more, it was shown to be even more effective than the milk of other animals such as goats and cows. The team, from Beijing University of Chemical Technology, says the findings support the recommendation from the World Health Organization (WHO) that mothers with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 be encouraged to continue breastfeeding. In a new study from Beijing University of Chemical Technology, researchers mixed healthy cells into human breast milk and then exposed them to the coronavirus (file image) For the study, published on pre-peer review site bioRxiv.org, the team exposed human lung and gut cells to SARS-CoV-2. Next, they analyzed what effect breast milk, which was collected in 2017 - before the pandemic - had on the cells. Healthy cells were mixed into human breast milk. Then the milk was washed off and the cells were exposed to the virus. The virus did not bind to or enter most of the cells. Additionally, if it did enter cells, the virus was not able to make copies of itself. The virus did not bind to or enter most of the cells and, if it did enter cells, it was not able to replicate itself (above) This suggests breast milk can inhibit the coronavirus as it does other viruses such as norovirus and bacteria. 'SARS-CoV-2 could infect [cells] and the infection could be inhibited by breastmilk (2 mg/ml) , which was reported to have anti-SARS-CoV-2 activity,' the authors wrote. In a previous study, the same research team found breast milk prevented coronavirus infection in animal kidney cells. They determined the whey protein, which has anti-inflammatory properties, was responsible for inactivating the virus rather than other proteins such as lactoferrin. 'Whey protein from human breastmilk effectively inhibited...SARS-CoV-2...by blocking viral attachment, entry and even post-entry viral replication,' they wrote. This was also true when milk was tested from those of others animals included cows and goats. However, the whey from animals suppressed the viral strains by approximately 70 percent compared to the nearly 100 percent of human whey. A national study is currently being launched by Washington State University to determine whether or not babies can contract coronavirus from breastfeeding. Limited research has been conducted on this topic up to this point, but the results have been mixed. Some studies have found no virus in human milk while others have detected viral RNA in just certain milk samples. For example, at least two studies, one from China and another from the US, found no evidence of SARS-CoV-2 in human breastmilk. But a report from the WHO found that, of 46 breast milk samples from mothers with the virus, 43 came came back negative while three tested positive for particles. However, the team says that even if viral genetic material is found in breastmilk, it doesn't mean it's infectious or can be spread to babies. (Natural News) A group of Republican senators has pushed to amend Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act of 1996 (CDA). On September 8, Sens. Roger Wicker, Marsha Blackburn and Lindsey Graham introduced The Online Freedom and Viewpoint Diversity Act to make technology companies more accountable for censoring conservative content. Sen. Blackburn held a virtual discussion on September 11 via Zoom to discuss the bill her group introduced, emphasizing why technology companies should be accountable for censoring conservatives. She added that her groups bill would make companies consider their reasons for removing certain posts and disclose those reasons. According to Blackburn, the U.S. has not slapped the hands of these companies for their censorship of contrary viewpoints. The senator from Tennessee has had first-hand experiences of being blocked by social media platforms on multiple occasions. In addition, she also mentioned how Twitter had also taken down some of her ads due to pro-life language. A survey by the Pew Research Center conducted in June found that most Americans think social media websites such as Facebook and Twitter censor political viewpoints, especially those leaning towards the right. Ninety percent of the surveys right-leaning respondents say that social media platforms are blocking political opinions they find objectionable, compared to 59 percent of left-leaning respondents. Big Tech companies are using Section 230 to rationalize their censorship In May, President Donald Trump signed an executive order banning technology companies from selectively censoring opinions they disagree with. The president cited Twitters allowing of tweets by Rep. Adam Schiffs mentioning the disproved Russia collusion accusations and Googles collaboration with the Chinese government to create a search engine blacklisting searches related to human rights as examples of technology companies clear biases. In June, Republican Sens. Marco Rubio, Josh Hawley, Kelly Loeffler and Kevin Cramer wrote an open letter to Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai to take a fresh look at Section 230 of the CDA and clearly define the framework under which technology firms receive protections under the section. The senators remarked that while technology companies enjoy protections under Section 230, these are not absolute or unconditional. Also in June. Sen. Josh Hawley introduced a bill that enables Americans to sue major technology companies if they selectively censor political content on their platforms. The Limiting Section 230 Immunity to Good Samaritans Act removes the immunity companies receive under the section unless they update their terms of service to promise to operate in good faith by not implementing selective enforcement of censorship-related rules. The bill would also allow users to sue companies for breaching the contractual good faith duty: Plaintiffs who win any case against them are awarded $5,000 and legal fees. In a statement, Hawley lamented how technology companies such as Twitter, Facebook and Google have silenced political conservatives for too long, and how the courts have stretched and rewritten Section 230 to give companies outlandish power over speech without accountability. The First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution guarantees absolute freedom of speech for all. However, Big Techs censoring of conservative websites under the guise of necessary public service stops the free flow of ideas and stifles discourse. Worse are the double standards technology companies follow when it comes to implementing censorship rules. Facebook turns a blind eye on Antifa content being posted on its site, yet quickly takes down posts showing the importance of self-defense. Twitter bans conservative figures such as Laura Loomer, yet ignores mass shooters who post threats towards politicians on the platform. Google puts conservative websites on its blacklist, yet removes search results about Black Lives Matter domestic terrorists. Find out more news about Big Techs censorship of conservative sources at Censorship.news. Sources include: NewsBusters.org 1 Commerce.Senate.gov[PDF] NewsBusters.org 2 PewResearch.org WhiteHouse.gov Rubio.Senate.gov[PDF] FoxNews.com Hawley.Senate.gov[PDF] C Shivakumar By Express News Service CHENNAI: Koyambedu wholesale vegetable market was bustling with activity on Monday morning with honking horns and pushcart vendors being kept busy with loading and unloading of vehicles arriving at the market. But the enthusiasm of traders, who were eagerly waiting for the opening of the market, drained down on the first day as most of the wholesale stock remained unsold due to traffic congestion at the market. A Market Management Committee official told The New Indian Express that 569 trucks with commodities arrived in the market on the first day. Similarly, a total of 2,560 purchasing vehicles entered the Koyambedu market. The chaos started on Sunday evening as vehicles started assembling to buy the stocks after the Wholesale Market opened. Despite the market surrounded by cops who were enforcing the traffic regulations to ease congestion, the vehicles piled up till Rohini theatre at one stage, said traders. ARS Mani, an onion trader, told Express that due to congestion only 70 per cent trading could take place. Many vehicles were turned away as gates were closed by 9 am as such most of the wholesale traders' stocks remained unsold, said Mani. ALSO READ | No respite in prices till Diwali, warn traders as Koyambedu foodgrain market reopens in Chennai The officials should regulate the arrivals and departures and impose fine on vehicles that dont abide by the timing of one hour stipulated time to load and unload vegetables, he said. MRN Ravi, a wholesale trader who sells cucumber, capsicum, etc, said that the Market Management committee should allow vehicles from suburban areas by 10 pm rather than the prescribed timing of allowing them after midnight as this could ease congestion. An MMC official said that a meeting was held with traders and cops to resolve the issue. A decision will be taken soon. Since it was the first day after lockdown, there were niggling issues and these would be sorted out soon, the official added. Prices of coriander, spinach, and Karuveppilai crashed as they were brought in excess. The traders later hobbled and decided to bring in less than 100 loads so that the prices of this product could be reasonable. The prices have dropped by around 50 percent for spinach and coriander and many were lying wasted. A sack of Coriander which we used to sell for Rs 200 to Rs 250 was being sold for Rs 100 to Rs 150 due to excess arrivals, rued a trader. Meanwhile, 10 to 12 vehicles were seized for violating the standard operating procedures, according to an MMC official. The vehicles did not abide by the norms, said the official. She's the daughter of Genesis star Phil Collins. And Lily Collins admitted she first realised the level of her father's fame when they were on a family trip to Disneyland when she was a child, and she saw a man had the music icon's face on his t-shirt. Speaking candidly to Radio Times on Tuesday, the actress, 31, reminisced: 'I was being carried on my dads shoulders when this man started to walk towards us. Stardom: Lily Collins said on Tuesday she first knew her dad Phil was famous on a family trip to Disneyland when they met a fan who had the musician's face on his top (pictured in 2012) 'He had my dads face on his T-shirt and I didnt quite get it. Then he saw my dad and asked for a photo and it was a really weird moment. 'I was thinking, Why does he want a picture of my dad, and why is my dad on his T-shirt?. Slowly but surely, I started to understand.' Lily is the daughter of Phil's second wife Jill Tavelman, who he was married to from 1984 to 1996 following extramarital affairs during the drummer's Genesis tour in 1992 with Lavinia Laing. Amusing Lily (pictured in Emily in Paris) admitted, 'I was thinking, Why does he want a picture of my dad, and why is my dad on his T-shirt?. Slowly but surely, I started to understand' For more: Read the full interview in the newest issue of Radio Times, out now The Emily In Paris star went on to claim that she'd 'stay away' from starring in a biopic about her dad, as she wouldn't want to mix her personal and professional life. She explained: 'I think I would want to keep that part of my life separate, but Id be really fascinated to find out who theyd choose to play him.' Lily added that her father is 'very proud' of her work as he loves her being an actor, and he is often 'super excited' whenever she gets cast in a new project. Lily revealed her beau Charlie McDowell had proposed to her during a trip to Sedona, New Mexico, earlier this month. Her engagement comes after just one year of dating the The One I Love filmmaker, 37. The actress took to Instagram on Friday to share the happy news alongside images of the couple kissing and the moment he proposed during a romantic date. Set to wed! This comes after Lily announced she was engaged to director Charlie McDowell in a sweet Instagram post shared on Friday On cloud nine: The Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile star also showed off her unique engagement ring, serving as her new statement piece of jewellery Les Miserables star Lily, who confirmed her relationship with Charlie last August, wrote: 'Ive been waiting my lifetime for you and I cant wait to spend our lifetime together...' The thespian also showed off her unique engagement ring, serving as her new statement piece of jewellery. Artist Charlie uploaded a separate photo of his new fiancee beaming with delight, with an accompanying caption which read: 'In a time of uncertainty and darkness you have illuminated my life. I will forever cherish my adventure with you.' Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-16 01:20:14|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close ADDIS ABABA, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) -- The Ethiopian Ministry of Health on Tuesday disclosed that the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases hit 65, 486. Ethiopia's confirmed COVID-19 cases reached 65, 486, after 700 new cases were reported on Tuesday, the ministry said. According to the ministry, Ethiopia recorded 13 new deaths on Tuesday. This brings the total number of COVID-19 related deaths in the East African country to 1,035. The ministry said that some 25,988 patients who tested positive for COVID-19 had recovered, including 655 in the last 24-hour period. According to the ministry, a total of 38,461 COVID-19 patients are still undergoing medical treatment, including 280 in severe condition. The East African country officially launched a nationwide month-long testing campaign in early August, which the Ethiopian government said "will determine the next steps to undertake in the new year." Ethiopia, Africa's second-most populous nation with about 107 million people, has the highest number of COVID-19 cases in the East Africa region. Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa is currently the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic accounting for more than 50 percent of all confirmed COVID-19 cases, according to the ministry. Addis Ababa currently has 35,994 confirmed COVID-19 cases. Earlier this month, Ethiopia overtook Nigeria to become the fourth most COVID-19 affected country in the African continent. Ethiopia also has the fourth highest confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the continent, with only South Africa, Egypt and Morocco having greater numbers of COVID-19 cases. Ethiopia confirmed its first case of COVID-19 on March 13. Enditem A Russian-born soldier who was rejected by the Intelligence Corps is suing the Ministry of Defence for race discrimination claiming they thought he might become a spy, an employment tribunal heard. Gleb Steshov, 33, claims that the MoD rigged language exam results and left compromising paperwork on his records to stop him joining the Intelligence Corps. Mr Steshow, whose family came to the UK seeking asylum when he was 13, also claims he faced humiliation by being ordered to march and sing Russian songs to his superiors or face a 'beasting', the central London hearing was told. He said he was bullied during parachute regiment training and repeatedly asked why he didn't join the Russian army, because of his background. Although he didn't raise an official grievance at the time, the allegations surfaced as background to his current race discrimination case against the MoD in which he said that his attempts to join the Intelligence Corps were halted. He claims this is because the army thought he might become a Russian spy. Gleb Steshov, 33, said he was bullied during parachute regiment training and repeatedly asked why he didn't join the Russian army, because of his background (file image) As a recruit at the North Yorkshire Infantry Training Centre Catterick in 2009 and 2010, he said he was subjected to bullying and threatened with so-called beasting - intense exercise used as an unofficial punishment. Mr Steshov wanted to join the army because he was 'extremely grateful to the UK' for having his family settle and reside here, the tribunal was told. He said it was his 'dream' to be a Russian translator for the Intelligence Corps but joined the parachute regiment because of the promise of similar work. But he did not finish training with the regiment because he 'struggled with heights', a witness statement presented to the tribunal said. In a complaint letter, written by the then-private in 2010 and presented at an ongoing employment tribunal in London, the former soldier accused a number of military personnel of racially motivated bullying and discrimination. Mr Steshov remained in the army before leaving in 2018. In the hand-written note, Mr Steshov claims he was made unwelcome in a new regiment after returning from rehabilitation following an injury suffered in training - being told that recruits who came from the rehabilitation centre weren't wanted. Later, he was ordered to march and sing songs in his mother-tongue or face a 'beasting', he claims. The letter goes on to describe how he was brought in front of platoon staff to sing a Russian song which he said was 'humiliating.' He alleges that after being transferred to a company for soldiers waiting for discharge, he was left 'depressed and suicidal' - finally opening up to his father who wrote to the MoD. He says this prompted superiors to allow him to stay if he transferred to The Yorkshire Regiment where he served the rest of his service. In Mr Steshov's 2010 complaint presented to the current tribunal, he said: 'Cpl Keenan told me that I had to march like a Russian soldier and sing a Russian military song out loud in the corridor or else he will punish me with a phrase called ''beasting''. 'I couldn't refuse and did as he ordered me. 'Every time that Cpl Keenan was on duty at night time I had to march while singing a new Russian song. 'When the platoon staff found out about it, I have been ordered to demonstrate to them outside the office which to me was humiliating. 'My section commander, Cpl Willis, kept asking me why I didn't join the Russian army even though I answered plenty of times that I lived in United Kingdom for 10 years. 'Majority of bad report points were created by Cpl Willis. Some example, if I asked a question in the lesson he would put it down in report that I have attitude problems.' The letter later stated that after failing the height test he was confronted by a superior, Sgt Robertson, in a military vehicle. In his witness statement Mr Steshov alleges that attempts to join the Intelligence Corps were halted because the army thought he might become a Russian spy Mr Steshov said: 'I was inside and he said he will try to get me kicked out of the army, at that stage I replied ''I don't want to leave the army''. 'He said he didn't like me and did not want me in the British Army. 'I am disappointed in the way I've been treated. I feel that I have been forced out from the army because I am Russian on a birth certificate. 'This experience I gained is not fair on me and probably will haunt me for the rest of my life. 'All I wanted to do is serve the country I live in.' The allegations were revealed this week to the employment tribunal alongside further allegations of discrimination. However, Mr Steshov's accusations of bullying refer to events so long ago that they are 'out of time' - meaning their age puts them outside of the tribunal's jurisdiction. In his witness statement Mr Steshov alleges that attempts to join the Intelligence Corps were halted because the army thought he might become a Russian spy. He also said that the MoD rigged language exam results and left compromising paperwork on his records to stop him. It said: 'Corporal (Cpl) Steshov felt that the MoD had suspicions about his past and had put obstacles and excuses in his way to thwart him joining the Intelligence Corps. 'Cpl Steshov identified what he perceives as a strong operational need for Russian speakers within the Army but his lack of success in becoming a Russian Interpreter is regarded by him as 'ridiculously strange' and has fed a strong perception that there is a conspiracy against him. 'Cpl Steshov believes that his failure to be selected as a Russian interpreter is due to suspicions that he might engage in espionage.' He accepts his first application failed on the grounds he had not been a British citizen for at least 10 years. According to his witness statement, his second application was knocked back because he had not taken the Russian language exam - something he also accepts. However at his third attempt he was told his English wasn't good enough despite his claims that lower scoring candidates were accepted and offered English courses. He alleges that he was never used as a translator despite scoring highly on a 2014 military Russian language test, achieving an A* Russian GCSE, and being a native speaker. When the language test expired in 2017, he retook it but claims a lower grade was 'reverse engineered' to further prevent him from working as a translator. He also alleged he was let down by moderators, and was given 'incorrect feedback' when he appealed against his result in December 2017. Further claims include how a Services No Longer Required (SNLR) form and other discharge related documents were kept on file and prevented him from advancing into the Intelligence Corps. Mr Steshov said he shouldn't have had one because he was not dishonourably discharged. However, the MoD said the SNLR does not affect a discharge and the other documents, which would have constituted a discharge, do not exist for him because he was actually transferred to the Yorkshire Regiment. Mr Steshov is trying to claim a loss of earnings from the MoD, claiming that he left prematurely because of racial discrimination. He also wants compensation for personal injury and injury to feelings, for his exam grade to be removed from records, and for the tribunal to recommend that the MoD 'take action to reduce the likelihood of continuing discriminatory conduct.' Robert Moretto, representing the MoD, said: 'For the avoidance of doubt it is denied that the responded discriminated against the claimant because of his race, harassed him through unwanted conduct related to race, or subjected him to victimisation under the equality act 2010 as alleged or at all.' The tribunal continues. The country's coronavirus curve is expected to flatten in the next two weeks even as the number of recorded Covid-19 deaths continues to rise. In the last one week, Kenya has recorded slightly less than 50 deaths with the highest number, 13, recorded on Friday. Two deaths were recorded on Monday, nine on Tuesday, five on both Wednesday and Thursday and seven on Saturday, raising the death toll to 689. However, Health Services acting Director-General, Patrick Amoth, says there is no cause for alarm as the deaths did not necessarily occur in the last 24 hours. "Some of the deaths were not recorded in the last 24 hours since counties are very slow in remitting data to the Ministry of health. They are using the manual system to transfer the data so it takes days to get it," he said. He added that in the next two weeks, the country will likely have flattened the curve. Dr Amothj's remarks brings to question the numbers the ministry has been announcing in its daily briefings. Responding to the question, he said because of the limited testing capacity, the ministry is not able to capture everyone exposed to the virus, hence the low number of samples tested in a day. "The number of samples we have been testing in a day has tremendously reduced. Not all results announced are for samples collected on the same day. We have a huge shortage of testing kits," he said. Second wave Dr Amoth said he is more worried about the second wave since it affects all age groups. "There is no second wave in the country but when it strikes, there will definitely be an emergency going by what we are witnessing in other countries. No one will be spared," he said. "Whether we announce the infections or deaths daily is not anything to worry about but we should be more concerned about the second wave. This will be more dangerous," he said. Officially, 689 people have died of coronavirus but the number could be higher as the country's testing capacities are limited, especially in the counties. The deaths, Dr Amoth said, are still a strikingly small proportion of official case counts -- less than two per cent of the 37, 871 people who have tested positive for the virus so far. Kenya's fatality rate stands at 1.8 per cent against the 3.2 per cent globally. Latest update On Saturday, Kenya recorded a total of 164 (115 males and 49 females) new covid-19 cases from a sample size of 3,872 tested in the last 24 hours bringing the total number of cases to 37,871. Cumulatively, the country has tested 536, 601 samples. From the latest cases, 140 are Kenyans and 24 foreigners. The new cases are distributed in 21 counties with Nairobi leading at 41 cases followed by Busia 22, Kisumu 17, Turkana 14, Embu 12, Mombasa 11, Nakuru 10. West Pokot six, Trans Nzoia five with Narok, Machakos, Uasin Gishu recording four cases each. Kilifi three, Bungoma, Kiambu and Marsabit two cases each. Kakamega, Kericho, Nandi, Siaya, Taita Taveta recording a case each. The ministry said 77 more people had recovered from the disease, 40 from hospitals and 37 from the home-based care programme, bringing the number of recoveries to 24,581. Counties audit Meanwhile, the audit of the billions of shillings disbursed to counties for the fight against Covid-19 starts next month amid claims the devolved units could have misappropriated the funds. At least 13 documents are required during the audit that starts on October 5 and runs through the entire month to ascertain utilisation of the Sh8.2 billion disbursed to the 47 counties. Auditor-General Nancy Gathungu released the October audit timelines through a letter dated September 23. Council of Governors (CoG) chief executive Jacqueline Mogeni received the letter copied to CoG chairman Wycliffe Oparanya on September 24. In the letter, Ms Gathungu says the special audit is intended to ascertain utilisation of the Covid-19 funds between March 1-July 31. Among the documents required are the approved work, procurement and training plans for Covid-19 activities. Others are the county assembly approvals of Covid-19 budgets and financing agreements in cases where counties received cash donations. Schedules of all the funds received, including donations for the Covid-19 activities indicating the specific bank accounts into which the funds were deposited will also be verified during the audit. The schedules, according to the letter seen by the Sunday Nation, should be accompanied by certified copies of bank statements. The auditors will also look at expenditure records, procurement records, cash books, vote books including all receipts and payment vouchers accounting for receipt and utilisation of Covid-19 funds. County tours Ms Gathungu's team will also tour Covid-19 isolation and quarantine centres set up by counties while at the same time look at copies of reports submitted to the Controller of Budget. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Coronavirus Kenya By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. "This is to inform you that a special audit team from my office will be visiting your county government offices to conduct the exercise. The exercise will commence with entry meetings followed by review of documentation," Ms Gathungu says in the letter. On October 5, the first day of the exercise, the audit team will be in Turkana, Busia, Laikipia, Kiambu, Nandi, Homa Bay, Samburu, Wajir, Nairobi, Tharaka Nithi, Kajiado and Embu counties. In July, the National Treasury embarked on a similar exercise saying the funds were disbursed to the 47 counties towards fighting Covid-19. There is a major concern that the funds could have been diverted to other areas not related to Covid-19 activities. Further, there are fears that the funds could have either been misapplied or misappropriated. The funds were meant to be used to ensure availability of medical supplies and equipment, quarantine, isolation and treatment areas, medical waste disposal and sensitisation drives. In one of his past addresses, CoG chairman painted a gory picture of the country's health sector in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic and called for support from the national government and other partners. (CNN) House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Sunday that President Donald Trump is in a "hurry" to confirm his Supreme Court nominee so that the conservative jurist can participate in a highly consequential Obamacare case the court is set to hear days after the election. "What I am concerned about is anyone that President Trump would have appointed was there to undo the Affordable Care Act. That is why he was in such a hurry, so he could have someone in place for the oral arguments, which begin November 10," Pelosi told CNN's Jake Tapper on "State of the Union." "And it doesn't matter what the process is here -- what matters is what it means personally to the American people," Pelosi said, before listing a number of things she said were at stake if Obamacare was struck down by the high court. "If you have a preexisting medical condition, that benefit will be gone. If you are a woman, we'll be back to a time where being a woman is a preexisting medical condition. If your children are on your policy -- say your adult children are on your policy -- no longer will they be, and that in the time of a pandemic," she said. On Saturday, Trump nominated Amy Coney Barrett to become the next Supreme Court justice, angering top Democrats including Pelosi and Senate Minority Speaker Chuck Schumer, who warned that the nomination could jeopardize access to health care and threaten other consequential policy issues that could come before the high court. If confirmed, Barrett would help solidify a 6-3 conservative majority at the court. Trump said in a tweet Sunday that if the court struck down the ACA, it would be a "big WIN" for the country. "Obamacare will be replaced with a MUCH better, and FAR cheaper, alternative if it is terminated in the Supreme Court. Would be a big WIN for the USA!" he wrote, without providing details. Former Vice President Joe Biden echoed Pelosi's sentiments and commented on Trump's tweet during a news conference in Wilmington, Delaware, on Sunday, saying the President's objective is to "terminate Obamacare." "It's no mystery about what's happening here. President Trump is trying to throw out the Affordable Care Act," Biden said. "He's been trying to do it for the last four years. The Republican party has been trying to eliminate it for a decade. Twice already the Supreme Court has upheld that law, the Affordable Care Act... Now, all of a sudden, this administration believes they found a loophole in the tragedy of Justice Ginsburg's death." Biden appealed to Republican senators, asking them to listen to their conscience and not vote on the nomination before the election. "I know I have great respect for a number of my Republican colleagues, my former Republican colleagues, and I'm hoping they will do the right thing," Biden said. Asked earlier by Tapper if she was concerned the potential 6-3 conservative majority court could also overturn the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade decision, Pelosi said her current concern rests with the fate of the healthcare law, which she helped pass 10 years ago. "Right now what is on the table is a court case that Republicans have advocated for overturning -- the Affordable Care Act. That is the case that is on the table in the Supreme Court. So that is where our concern is," the California Democrat said. The push to confirm a Supreme Court justice ahead of the November 3 election would put the Senate on track for one of the quickest confirmations in modern history. Barrett, who is currently a judge on the 7th US Circuit Court of Appeals, provided insight into her thoughts on the ACA in an early 2017 law review essay in which she reviewed a book related to the Supreme Court ruling on the law, criticizing Chief Justice John Roberts' rationale that saved the legislation in 2012. "Chief Justice Roberts pushed the Affordable Care Act beyond its plausible meaning to save the statute," Barrett wrote. "He construed the penalty imposed on those without health insurance as a tax, which permitted him to sustain the statute as a valid exercise of the taxing power." At another point, Barrett refers to "Roberts' devotion to constitutional avoidance." The case the justices are set to hear following the election was brought by a coalition of Republican state attorneys general and the Trump administration, who argue the law's individual mandate is unconstitutional, and the entire law must fall. This story was first published on CNN.com 'Pelosi says Trump is in a 'hurry' to confirm Barrett so she can invalidate Obamacare' Melissa Doyle was ousted from Channel Seven last month, after 25 years of service with the network. Now a new report claims the 50-year-old journalist could be heading for Channel 10's The Sunday Project. According to New Idea, Melissa 'is poised to ink a big deal with Network Ten' to join the cast of the panel news show, where she will work alongside 'her good friend Lisa Wilkinson'. Moving on: Melissa Doyle (pictured) was ousted from Channel Seven last month, after 25 years of service with the network. Now a new report claims the 50-year-old journalist could be heading for Channel 10's The Sunday Project Meanwhile, another report in Woman's Day also alleged earlier this month that Melissa is being headhunted for The Project. Apparently, executive producer Rove McManus is trying to get the show's budget in order so they can afford to hire the former Sunrise anchor. 'Lisa [Wilkinson, the host of The Sunday Project] is up for renewal, and the guess is she will take a big pay cut to make way for Mel to step in as a regular on The Project,' a source told the magazine. New gig? According to New Idea, Melissa 'is poised to ink a big deal with Network Ten' to join the cast of the panel news show, where she will work alongside 'her good friend Lisa Wilkinson' (pictured right) Daily Mail Australia has reached out to Channel Ten for comment. In her first interview since her shock departure, Melissa told The Sunday Telegraph's Stellar magazine this week that the axing wasn't out of the blue. 'I wouldn't say it came as a total shock, I just felt really sad,' she admitted. Melissa also revealed how she allowed herself one day to 'wallow on the couch'. Claims: Meanwhile, another report in Woman's Day also alleged earlier this month that Melissa is being headhunted for The Project 'I let myself have one day when I wallowed on the couch and had a gin and tonic a little earlier than I should have,' the mother-of-two said with a laugh. During her career, Melissa hosted several of Seven's flagship programs, including Sunrise, Today Tonight, 7News, Sunday Night and The Latest. Her departure is believed to be the result of the economic downturn caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, which has hit Seven particularly hard. By Akbar Mammadov Two Azerbaijani schoolchildren were killed in Armenian attacks on densely-populated areas in the line of contact, the Ministry of Education reported on September 28. The schoolchildren were members of the family of five who were all killed in the Armenian attack that took place on September 27. "Yesterday, following the shelling of Azerbaijani settlements by Armenian armed forces in Naftalan city, an entire family was killed. Two of the familys members - Shahriyar Gurbanov (born in 2007) and his cousin Fidan Gurbanova (born in 2006) were pupils of the Gashalti and Garagoyunlu village school named after Z. Rustamova," the ministry said. The ministry noted that since yesterday, the Armenian side has been grossly violating the norms and principles of international law, the 1949 Geneva Conventions, by purposefully targeting the civilian population and infrastructure of Azerbaijan. The Ministry of Education expressed its condolences over the schoolchildren in Naftalan and everyone who lost their lives as a result of the Armenian aggression. Seven Azerbaijani civilians have been killed and 30 have been injured as a result of Armenias intensive shelling on civilians near the occupied Nagorno-Karabakh region. Armenia launched a large-scale attack along the entire line of contact between the troops on September 27 at 6 am, shelling the positions of the Azerbaijani army from large-calibre weapons, mortars, and artillery installations of various calibres. Azerbaijan launched a counter-offensive operation, liberating seven villages and several strategic heights during the first day of the clashes. --- Akbar Mammadov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @AkbarMammadov97 Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz There is an age-old idiom: the proof of the pudding is in the eating. The new Wage Code Bill, 2019 was notified on August 8, 2019, promising equity and welfare of workers through universal minimum wage on the one hand and ease of doing business to help setting up more enterprises, thereby creating more employment on the other. More than a year down the line, there is no sign of a national minimum wage or a national floor-wage to provide a minimum standard of living to workers. The national minimum wage continues to be Rs 176 per day fixed in 2017. It was raised to Rs 178 - a raise by Rs 2 - days before the Wage Code Bill 2019 was passed while an internal committee of the labour ministry had proposed Rs 375 per day a few months earlier. This raise by Rs 2 was never even notified. Also Read: Rebooting Economy 31: Will new labour codes protect more workers or less? There are plenty of apparent flaws in the way the Wage Code Bill, 2019 and the draft Code on Wages (Central) Rules of July 7, 2020 framed under it have been designed. Denying workers their share of productivity growth Why wage is a big concern is known. One is the apparent disconnect with labour productivity. That is, higher labour productivity should automatically mean higher wage but that is not what is happening. In August 2018, the International Labour Organisation (ILO) published "India Wage Report" drawing attention to the flaw in the wage structure of India. It said the "average labour productivity", as measured by GDP per worker, increased more rapidly than "real average wages" in the post-liberalisation era. "According to one estimate", it said, "the labour share declined from 38.5 per cent in 1981 to 35.4 per cent in 2013". This decline is captured in the following graph. The ILO report helpfully explained that the implication of faster pace of profit, rent and other income from capital vis-a-vis compensation towards labour is that "income is concentrated in richer households, which in turn increases inequality among individuals". Neither the Wage Code Bill, 2019 nor the draft Rules 2020 link minimum wage to labour productivity, meaning workers would continue to be denied their fair share. Poor implementation mechanism for minimum wages It is not as if minimum wages did not exist in India before 2019, howsoever limited in scope. The problem was in its implementation as the Economic Survey of 2018-2019 highlighted. It showed a large number of workers -19.4% of regular workers and 42% of casual workers - received below the National Floor-Level Minimum Wage (NFLMW) in 2012 and emphasised on establishing a well-designed and effective implementation mechanism to decrease wage inequality, especially at lower levels. Also Read: Rebooting Economy XXX: Rural India in far deeper crisis than what govt data claims What does the Wage Code Bill, 2019 and the Rules 2020 provide which will improve implementation and deter violations? The Wage Code 2019 sets maximum penalty for not paying minimum wage at Rs 50,000 and for a repeat offender Rs 1 lakh and/or three months of imprisonment. But there is no minimum penalty, which means a penalty of any amount - Rs 10 or even Rs 1 - can be imposed and is thus discretionary. The Parliamentary Standing Committee, which examined the Wage Code (the Wage Code of 2017 introduced earlier) and submitted its recommendation in December 2018, said that in the current context this provision "is not substantial enough to act as a deterrent". Hence, it proposed to raise maximum penalty to Rs 10 lakh. This was ignored. What is the mechanism to detect violations? The authority directly dealing with violations has been turned into "inspector-cum-facilitator" from "inspector" earlier, who would generate "web-based inspection" and call for information "electronically" (Section 51(2) of the code). The responsibilities of this authority have been expanded to include supply information and advice to both employers and workers to enable effective compliance. Then the draft Rules 2020 says the Chief Labour Commissioner (Central) shall formulate an "inspection scheme" with the approval of the central government. Also Read: Economy XXIX: Exposing farmers to unregulated market is more likely to harm them Taken together, inspection is restricted to web-based information and self-certifications by employer (calling for information "electronically"). Physical inspection is ruled out even when "inspection scheme" comes in because the main law (Wage Code 2019) stipulates only web-based and electronic information gathering (self-certification) and the scheme would have to be circumscribed accordingly. The Parliamentary panel did object to the changing of "inspector" into "facilitator" pointing at its negative connotations and sought to retain "inspector" "in accordance with the ILO norms", which was ignored. Wage Code 2019 leaves out millions of workers The Wage Code Bill, 2019 is not universal, contrary to the central government's claims. Here is how. Section 50 of the Wage Code Bill, 2019 excludes establishments with 5 or less workers engaged for "agriculture and domestic purpose" from maintaining "register" or "wage clip". Excluding agricultural establishments with 5 or less workers alone would exclude 98.6% of all agricultural establishments in India, according to the Sixth Economic Census released in 2014 (the last and latest one). Since agricultural establishments account for 22.4% of the total establishments (or 13.13 million establishments), as per this census, excluding establishments with 5 or less workers would exclude 22% of the total or 12.94 million establishments out of the minimum wage coverage. Also Read: Rebooting Economy XXVIII: Is India poised for agriculture-led economic turnaround? The number of workers in these establishments would run into many more millions. Add to it workers working for "domestic purpose". And also add gig workers, platform workers and home-based workers since the definition of "worker" in the code does not include them. (They are included in the Code for Social Security 2020.). Then there are the MGNREGA workers who are specifically excluded in Section 66. They numbered 76.7 million to 85.2 million in the past five years, including FY21, as per the official website. A large number of Anganwadi workers and helpers, ASHA and ANM (auxiliary nurse) workers engaged under various Central government sponsored programmes are also out of the coverage since they are officially considered "honorary workers" and paid monthly "honorarium". There are 14 lakh Anganwadi centres in India employing one or more Anganwadi workers (AWWs) and Anganwadi helpers (AWHs). The ASHA workers number 10.47 lakh. Taken together, the total number of workers to be left out would be more than 100 million. Wage Code takes working time beyond 8 hours When it comes to working hours, the new system undermines 8-hour working day. Also Read: Rebooting Economy XXVII: Fiscal mismanagement threatens India's economic recovery The Wage Code Bill, 2019 is silent on the 8-hour work schedule. The draft rules 2020 speak about 8-hour work schedule but provides "spread over" working time to 12 hours in Rule 6(2) in normal times, even while saying that a maximum of 1-hour rest can be given, taking the total hours of activity and attendance to 9 hours in day. In case of "emergency", "preparatory" and "complementary", Rule 9 says the "spread over" time can go up to 16 hours, without explaining what these words mean but saying that "either physical activity or sustained attendance shall not exceed 9 hours in any day". Who will check since the physical inspection has been done away with? In a strange provision (or is it an error?), Rule 7(4) says "no wages for the rest day shall be payable" if the minimum rate of wage is worked out by dividing the minimum monthly rate of wages by 26 or the actual daily rate worked out by dividing the monthly rate by 26. This would mean no wage for Sundays, usually the weekly rest day, because Section 3(2) says the monthly rate will be fixed by multiplying daily wage with 26. Uncertain wage revision The Wage Code Bill, 2019 says minimum wage will be fixed on the basis of skills, nature of job (hazardous, arduous etc.), temperature and humidity etc., but does not spell out how it will be linked to a minimum standard of living for the workers. Also Read: Rebooting Economy XXVIII: Is India poised for agriculture-led economic turnaround? The draft rules 2020 does that, retaining existing provisions of 2,700 calories per day per adult, and other requirements like housing rent, education, health and other expenses for 3 adult units (as against 3.6 units the labour ministry's internal committee had recommended). But the requirement of 2,700 calories per day per adult is missing from "fixing floor wage" below which no minimum wage can be fixed. The minimum wage is to be revised "ordinarily at an interval not exceeding five years" - both in the Code and the Rules - unlike dearness allowance (DA), which the draft rules 2020 say would be computed twice every year, once before April and October 1. An ILO discussion paper of August 2020 says such discrepancies in revising minimum wage and DA have cost wage workers dearly for 72 years. States would just revise DAs and leave minimum wage alone for years. It gives the example of Delhi and Maharashtra governments which revised their basic wage rates after 22 and 9 years, respectively, but got away because by revising DA, the overall minimum wage is also revised which short-changes workers by denying them adequate compensations. Just like the other three codes - Industrial Relations Code of 2020, Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code 2020 and Code on Social Security 2020 - the Code on Wages 2020 is disappointing in its design to achieve what it promises to. Also Read: Rebooting Economy XXVI: Derailment of economy is not 'Act of God', it is 'Art of Misdirection' Game Of Thrones stars Kit Harington and Rose Leslie are expecting their first child together. The actress, who played Ygritte on the fantasy series opposite Kits Jon Snow, showed off her baby bump in stunning photos for Make Magazine. Speaking to the publication, she explained that the pair of them have moved home to England ahead of having their baby. What a glorious thing to be able to run to the countryside and recoup, she said. Its a great privilege to be surrounded by greenery, birdsong and hedgerows, and our delightful neighbours. Its so peaceful. The couple met on the set of the fantasy series, and played on-screen lovers. Kit, 33, previously opened up about falling in love with his wife on the set of the show, when the pair of them visited Iceland to shoot. He told Vogue Italia: Because the country is beautiful, because the Northern Lights are magical, and because it was there that I fell in love. If youre already attracted to someone, and then they play your love interest in the show, its becomes very easy to fall in love. They got engaged in 2017 before tying the knot in 2018 in a fairytale wedding, with the likes of Sophie Turner, Emilia Clarke, and Peter Dinklage attending the big day in Scotland. Ahead of the sweet announcement, the actor opened up about his own childhood, revealing he was raised gender-fluid. He told The Telegraph: I asked for a Mighty Max and she bought me a Polly Pocket I asked for an Action Man and I got a doll it was very gender fluid from the word go. And I went with it. Follow Us on Facebook @LadunLiadi; Instagram @LadunLiadi; Twitter @LadunLiadi; Youtube @LadunLiadiTV for updates New Delhi, Sep 28 : People believe increasing fines on every offence and even suspension of DBT benefits or Aadhaar may be considered to enforce the habit of wearing mask, according to a survey by LocalCircles. A total of 88 per cent of citizens surveyed in favour of Government making wearing masks mandatory for all when stepping out of home. Experts have been saying that face masks, hand hygiene and social distancing are the 3 things that will protect citizens from Covid-19. However, to observe what is happening on the ground is different. If you visit any public markets, one can see 2 in 10 not even carrying a mask and another 5 carrying a mask but wearing it on the neck or the chin, LocalCircles said. The number of Coronavirus cases in India have crossed 6 million and the second wave has already hit some parts of the country. The increasing numbers seem to have been led by the carelessness of many, where they believe that wearing a mask properly while stepping out of their homes or maintaining a safe distance are not necessary. Although few states have announced a fine if anyone is found without mask in a public place, the small financial penalty doesn't seem enough to deter the offenders. LocalCircles conducted a survey to get citizen pulse on if masks should be mandatory universally for everyone stepping out of home and what should be done to enforce it. The survey received over 15,000 responses from 202 districts of India. The poll asked citizens what the best way is to enforce mandatory wearing of masks outside home. 17 per cent said penalty and punishment (DBT suspension or Rs 1,000 fine on first offence and 3 months of jail on secnd offence and thereafter), 29% said penalty only (DBT suspension or Rs 1,000 fine on 1st offence and Rs 1,000 fine on 2nd offence and thereafter), while 39 per cent said increasing penalties (Rs 1,000, Rs 5000 and Rs 10,000 fine for 1st, 2nd and 3rd or higher offences). 15 per cent were unsure about it. Evidently, people believe increasing fines from Rs 1000 on first offence to Rs 5000 on second offence and to Rs 10,000 for third offence and for those who can't pay fines, suspension of DBT benefits or even Aadhaar could be considered to enforce the habit of wearing mask when people step out of homes. People have also said that technology should somehow be used to identify repeat offenders and fine them heavily, mentioning that identifying offenders based on their Aadhaar could be a logical solution to this. Tracking offences with Aadhaar should not be that difficult as long as the penalty process is digitised. Some citizens even suggested a modification to Aarogya Setu so those issuing challans can do it digitally via the app and the same can be tracked. The Ministry of Health of Armenia has posted the following on its Facebook page: Goris Medical Center is serving as an evacuation point. On his way back to Armenia from Artsakh, Minister of Health of Armenia Arsen Torosyan also paid a visit to Goris Medical Center, which is currently serving as an interim evacuation point. The wounded persons are being evacuated via ambulance trucks and reanimobiles, as well as two sanitary aviation helicopters. Specialists from Yerevan have been sent to Goris Medical Center, which has been replenished with necessary accessories. Delta President Jean Goodnow recently explained the need for voters in Bay, Saginaw and Midland counties to approve a Nov. 3 ballot proposal to renew and restore a millage. We are the communitys college, so responding to the needs of students and local employers is a top priority for us, Goodnow said. Now more than ever, Deltas classes and programs are needed to help the region rebound and rebuild its economy following the economic downturn weve been experiencing." The primary purpose of the proposal is to renew the current rate of 0.4864 mills funding and also restore the 0.0136 mills funding, which was originally approved by voters in 1990 prior to the Headlee Amendment rollback in 1993. The restoration would return the funding level to 0.5000 mills and generate an estimated $150,000 annually for Delta, officials said. The Nov. 3 ballot proposal will allow Delta to continue supporting programs and services that have benefited local students and the community since 1961. Revenue, officials said, will provide important financial support for current and emerging instructional programs, workforce training, equipment updates and facilities maintenance. Taxpayers who own a $100,000 home will continue to pay $24.32 annually for the renewal. The millage restoration would add an additional 68 cents annually. College leaders are encouraged by what they are hearing as election day nears. The feedback weve received from the community to Deltas millage renewal and restoration proposal has been positive, said Pam Clark, executive director of institutional advancement. Community leaders commented after a recent virtual meeting that the restoration to the 0.5 mill as originally approved by voters made sense and was a good investment. The ballot proposal is designed to continue supporting Deltas work with students and the region. Officials outlined some of the key reasons Delta is so valuable to the region: Deltas impact on the local economy is $406.6 million, according to a 2019 economic impact study. One in eight people in the region has taken a class at Delta. Nearly 1 in 3 area high school students attend annually. Tuition is $117 per contact hour for those living in Midland, Bay and Saginaw counties. This is less than half the cost of a university. Some 30% of students plan to transfer on to get their bachelors degrees. Some 83% of graduates stay in the Great Lakes Bay Region; 97% remain in Michigan. Convenience: Delta offers classes at its downtown Bay City Center and Planetarium, downtown Saginaw Center and is scheduled to open its downtown Midland Center, in early 2021. When we share results of a 2019 EMSI Economic Impact study, its easy to see that for every dollar the public invests in Delta College, taxpayers receive $2.20 in return over the course of students working lives, Clark said. As Delta continues its dialogue with community groups, it has learned the colleges millage proposal has gained the endorsement of the Saginaw Branch NAACP, according to Clark. Michael Hansen, president of the Michigan Community College Association, has said that millages seeking to override the Headlee Amendment are fairly common, historically, among community colleges across the state. I dont have specific data on the success of these overrides, but my sense is that they are clearly more successful than campaigns asking for millage increases. Pizza House in Ann Arbor has stayed open until 4 a.m. for 30 years. In fact, 2 a.m. to 4 a.m. is one of its busiest times of day despite not being allowed to sell alcohol after 2 a.m. due to state law. Up to 4.4 million-square-feet to be developed amid burgeoning nationwide demand for first-generation class-A distribution buildings CT Realty Agua Mansa Commerce Park CT Realty, in a joint venture with PGIM Real Estate, announces the development of Agua Mansa Commerce Park, a state-of-the-art multi-building logistics project in the heart of Southern Californias renowned Inland Empire industrial market. CT Realty, in a joint venture with PGIM Real Estate, announces the development of Agua Mansa Commerce Park, a state-of-the-art multi-building logistics project in the heart of Southern Californias renowned Inland Empire industrial market. NEWPORT BEACH, Calif., Sept. 28, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- CT Realty, in a joint venture with PGIM Real Estate, announces the development of Agua Mansa Commerce Park, a state-of-the-art multi-building logistics project in the heart of Southern Californias renowned Inland Empire industrial market. The fully entitled 4.4 million-square-foot project has undergone significant predevelopment by CT Realty, who will begin sitework immediately and plans shell completion of the first buildings by Summer 2021. PGIM Real Estate has invested in the development on behalf of institutional investors in its U.S. core plus equity fund. Developing a project of this magnitude on a spec basis speaks volumes to the confidence we have in the overall market, the project, and in this fantastic location, said Carter Ewing, managing partner at CT. We are fortunate to have the strongest industrial market in the U.S. right here in Southern California, and consistent with our experience in other major markets across the country, we expect to see tremendous tenant interest. We are also extremely privileged to have the strong support of the talented real estate team at PGIM Real Estate behind us. The joint venture between CT and PGIM Real Estate purchased the site from Denver-based Crestmore Development, managed by Viridian Partners, for an undisclosed price. While the land price for this transaction has not been confirmed, other comparable sales prices for entitled industrial land in the broader Inland Empire have exceeded $1 million an acre, putting the value of this land above $200 million. CBRE represented the Seller in the land sale, led by Darla Longo, Barbara Emmons Perrier and Dan De La Paz. CT Realty represented itself. Story continues Agua Mansa Commerce Park is in Jurupa Valley at the epicenter of the vast Inland Empire logistics infrastructure, providing immediate distribution access to 25 million people throughout Southern California. The combination of the projects proximity to the most active port complex in the U.S. coupled with our enormous consumer base is uniquely opportune for just about any company in the logistical supply chain, added Ewing. We are grateful to all that have participated in the land procurement and entitlement process and look forward to satisfying corporate Americas distribution needs as this port-centric market continues to grow, Ewing concluded. Although Newport Beach, CA-based CT Realty is actively developing large-scale industrial parks in several Tier One markets across the U.S., the principals at CT have over 30 years of development experience in the Inland Empire, a key factor in the groups successful procurement of this project. Agua Mansa Commerce Park features three buildings over 1 million square feet in a cross-dock design with 40-foot clear height, plus two buildings with approximately 200,000 square feet each and 32-foot clearance designed for regional last-mile distribution users. E-commerce sales, an already strong and growing demand driver for industrial distribution space, have spiked during the coronavirus pandemic and are estimated to grow by 18% this year, the highest year over year increase on record according to eMarketer. E-commerce growth has reshaped industrial demand for the last several years and places a premium on infill sites within densely populated areas. The 206-acre project is CTs third project to be developed with PGIM Real Estate in the past few years. CT and PGIM Real Estate recently completed a 13-building development program in Southern California and are currently breaking ground on the third phase of their 3 million-square-foot Palmetto Logistics Park in the greater Atlanta market. About CT Since its establishment 26 years ago, Newport Beach, Calif.-based CT Realty has completed over 300 transactions valued at more than $4.7 billion. CT is primarily focused on the acquisition and development of Class A industrial logistics properties throughout the U.S., having acquired 2,400 acres of industrial land since 2010 that will support 32 million square feet of buildings upon completion. CT has active developments in Northern and Southern California, Phoenix, Dallas/Ft. Worth, Atlanta, Illinois, Indianapolis, Columbus, OH, and New Jersey, and continues to expand into new markets nationwide. Visit ctrinvestors.com. About PGIM Real Estate As one of the largest real estate managers in the world with $182.0 billion in gross assets under management and administration, PGIM Real Estate strives to deliver exceptional outcomes for investors and borrowers through a range of real estate equity and debt solutions across the risk-return spectrum. PGIM Real Estate is a business of PGIM, the $1.4 trillion global asset management business of Prudential Financial, Inc. PGIM Real Estates rigorous risk management, seamless execution, and extensive industry insights are backed by a 50-year legacy of investing in commercial real estate, a 140-year history of real estate financing, and the deep local expertise of professionals in 32 cities globally. Through its investment, financing, asset management, and talent management approach, PGIM Real Estate engages in practices that ignite positive environmental and social impact, while pursuing activities that strengthen communities around the world. For more information visit pgimrealestate.com. As of June 30, 2020, net AUM is $120.4 billion and AUA is $39.3 billion. Includes legacy lending through PGIMs parent company, PFI. Kristina Sarenas kristina@ideahall.com Randy Hall randy@ideahall.com A photo accompanying this announcement is available at: https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/16b7909e-ba4a-497b-b100-ff814981ed21 Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-28 21:20:44|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close MACAO, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- The revenue of Macao's travel agencies amounted to 8.29 billion patacas (about 1.04 billion U.S. dollars) in 2019, recording an decrease of 9.5 percent year-on-year, the special administrative region's statistic service said here on Monday. The latest report from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) showed that there were 218 travel agencies operating in 2019, down by three year-on-year. The number of employees rose by 131 year-on-year to 4,614. The expenditure of these travel agencies fell by 11.0 percent to 7.79 billion patacas (about 975.86 million dollars), it said. Despite a drop in revenue, the gross value added that measures the sectoral contribution to the economy increased by 10.6 percent year-on-year to 1.37 billion patacas (about 171.62 million dollars), due to a significant reduction in expenditure on purchase of goods, services and commission. The gross surplus rose by 21.9 percent year-on-year to 512.00 million patacas (about 64.14 million dollars), driving up the gross surplus ratio and the gross surplus-expenditure ratio by 1.6 percentage points and 1.8 percentage points respectively to 6.2 percent and 6.6 percent. On the other hand, the gross fixed capital formation slid by 4.0 percent year-on-year to 188.00 million patacas (about 23.55 million dollars) on account of a decrease in acquisition of vehicles and shops by some travel agencies. Enditem The Associated Press Epic Games will strive anew Monday to convince a judge that its hit title Fortnite should be restored to Apple's App Store, despite sidestepping the tech titan's standard commission on transactions. Apple does not allow users of its popular devices to download apps from anywhere but its App Store and Epic is challenging its practice of taking a 30 percent cut of money spent on the apps by users. The clash comes as Apple puts a priority on selling digital content and subscription services to the one billion-plus people around the world using devices powered by its iOS mobile operating software. The commission dispute has also become a rallying cry for app makers who believe Apple's App Store policies are monopolistic. Major app developers including Epic and Spotify recently formed a coalition to press for new terms with the major online marketplaces operated by Apple and Google. Google runs a Play Store for apps tailored for devices powered by its Android software and also takes a commission, but people are free to get apps from other online venues. The new Coalition for App Fairness advocacy group said it will seek legal and regulatory changes for the app stores which serve as gatekeepers for much of the mobile software distributed to smartphone users. The move comes amid rising criticism of the fees and terms imposed by the app stores, and legal challenges by both Epic and Spotify to Apple's commission for online subscriptions. A hearing slated for Monday before a federal judge in California will focus on whether Apple should be compelled to put Fortnite back in the App Store while an overarching lawsuit plays out. Apple pulled Fortnite from its online mobile apps marketplace on 13 August after Epic released an update that dodges revenue sharing with the iPhone maker. (Also read: Fortnite can still be downloaded on Samsung phones via the Galaxy Store app: Here's how) The judge in the case previously rejected an emergency injunction request by Epic, saying Fortnite's eviction by Apple was a "self-inflicted wound." But Epic did not back down from its fight against Apple, accusing the tech giant of being "a monopolist." Due to the legal row, Fortnite fans using iPhones or other Apple devices no longer have access to the latest game updates, including the new season released at the end of August. Arizona News Phoenix, Arizona - Last week, Arizona joined the nation in celebrating Small Business Week and is recognizing the more than 592,000 small businesses throughout the state. Small Business Week honors the entrepreneurs, small business owners and employees who help power the economy and support their communities. Small businesses are the backbone of Arizonas economy, making up more than 99% of Arizonas businesses and employing more than one million people. Arizona has more than 592,000 small businesses in the state, making up 99.4% of Arizona businesses. Of the states small businesses, 485,000 represent self-employed individuals. Arizonas small businesses employ 1.1 million people, making up approximately 43% of the states private sector workforce. Small businesses created more than 44,000 new jobs in Arizona in 2019. Additionally, Census data indicates there are more than 43,600 women-owned companies in Arizona. The Arizona Commerce Authority has resources and support for businesses. Employers and businesses of all sizes can access business guidance, financial resources, county programs, workforce tools and much more that can serve as a guide during the pandemic. Arizona Together also offers support for businesses, including information on shared work programs, webinars, manufacturing and much more. Health and safety guidance and requirements for employers and employees can be found HERE. In August, Arizona added nearly 80,000 jobs. The states unemployment rate dropped to 5.9%, down from 10.7% in July and lower than the U.S. overall rate of 8.4%. Arizonas private sector in Arizona recorded a gain of 30,400 jobs, which is 12,200 more jobs than the ten year average for the month. Additionally, a recent ranking of state economies by 24/7 Wall Street listed Arizona at sixth in the nation. The same report showed Arizona had the 4th highest 5-year annualized employment growth rate through June 2020. Ross demonstrates how the city you live in, the government you live under, the culture you consume (high and low) and the way you consume it very likely has Wagner molecules in its DNA. Los Angeles Times There will be no one putting their finger on the scale in either direction, he told me with matter-of-fact confidence in an interview on Friday from his Upper West Side home. Election night is shaping up as a dangerous, high-pressure moment for the country and for television journalists, who traditionally play an outsize role in telling Americans who won our decentralized, locally run national elections. President Trump spent last week working overtime to cast doubt on the validity of the coming election. But at no place is the tension higher than at Fox, which has served as platform, megaphone and cheerleading squad for Mr. Trump and his counterfactual claims for the better part of four years. And on the night when the stakes are highest, it is up to the unassuming Mr. Mishkin, more than any other individual, to represent reality. Were going to come under enormous pressure, another top Fox figure told me of election night. The nightmare scenario goes like this: Its a close race, and Mr. Trump leads in the early vote count in Pennsylvania, and needs just that state to win the election. Tens of thousands of votes are still untallied, and the counting may take weeks but Mr. Trump has already declared that hes been re-elected. Hes demanding that Fox do the same, making calls to Fox Corporations co-chairman, Rupert Murdoch, or working back channels to the executive who effectively runs the network, Viet Dinh. Mr. Trumps most loyal acolytes at Fox, the prime-time hosts Sean Hannity and Laura Ingraham, are backing the presidents claim on the air. And Fox faces the temptation it often succumbs to: offering its audience the alternate reality it wants. Image Arnon Mishkin runs Fox Newss decision desk, the team responsible for telling Fox viewers who won the election. Credit... Fox News Theres real concern about the choice Fox is going to make given its own history, said Vanita Gupta, the president and chief executive officer of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, which is among the groups pushing journalists to take their time in covering the vote counts. Are they going to be a state media organ and sabotage our democracy in the process, or are they going to show up as media that is going to be thoughtful and careful about prematurely calling results before all the ballots are counted? The Commerzbank AG logo sits on an illuminated sign outside a bank branch as the bank's headquarters stand beyond at dusk in Frankfurt, Germany, on Monday, Feb. 5, 2017. The nomination of Manfred Knof as chief executive of Germany's Commerzbank paves the way for an overhaul that could close hundreds of branches and shrink its foreign operations, though any major changes may still take months to formalize. Germany's No. 2 lender, partially-owned by the state, has been in turmoil following the sudden resignation of its CEO and its chairman in early July. Remaining board members' hands were tied from moving forward even as the bank's outlook darkened. That hurdle was removed after the bank's new chairman, appointed in August, unexpectedly convened the supervisory board with less than 24 hours notice on Saturday to inform it of his CEO candidate. Knof, a top manager at rival Deutsche Bank, won its endorsement. The decision clearly puts the focus on the unprofitable lender's strategy discussions, bankers and big investors say. But formal decisions on any changes under discussion could take months because Knof joins Commerzbank only on Jan. 1, people with knowledge of the matter said. Leadership will need to digitize and standardize processes to cut costs, said Andreas Thomae, a portfolio manager at Deka, a top-10 investor in Commerzbank. "It sounds simple but the last management team failed," he said. Thousands of the bank's nearly 48,000 jobs are on the line. The lender is considering slashing its network of 800 branches, following the recent closure of 200, people with knowledge of the matter have said. A further cull to the bank's already slimmed-down international operations is also on the agenda. Knof, educated as a lawyer, spent the bulk of his career at insurance giant Allianz before joining Deutsche in 2019, where he has been head of retail operations in Germany. Commerzbank chairman Hans-Joerg Vetter told employees he wanted someone who would "question the status quo." At Commerzbank, Knof will have to balance the desires of the German government - which owns more than 15% of the bank - as an election approaches, with those of other disappointed investors. Its shares have tumbled almost 90% during the last decade. Over the past two years, employees have also been on a wild ride, with on-again-off-again talks to merge with Deutsche and then later to sell a big Polish subsidiary. Knof has the "human leadership skills for the tasks that lie ahead of the bank", Vetter said. While many of Europe's biggest banks have said they were bracing for a wave of mergers, executives and investors say Commerzbank must first get its own house in order before looking for tie-ups. As the catastrophic Coronavirus pandemic has taken a toll on the world with health infrastructure and economies crumbling, many nations across the world are struggling to come up with potential vaccines for the virus. However, China, in a bid to desperately be the one to win this race, is injecting unproven vaccines to its citizens before requisite regulatory approvals. The vaccine candidates which are still in development stages are being injected to citizens at a mass scale, from government and state-owned companies' employees to supermarket workers, teachers, transportation workers and even vaccine staff, reports state. READ | PM Modi Assures 'India's Vaccine Production Will Help The World Fight COVID' At UNGA READ | WHO Says 2 Million Coronavirus Deaths 'very Likely' Even With Vaccine The Chinese authorities are making plans to give vaccine shots at an even larger scale in a big gamble that the vaccines will eventually be proven to be efficacious, the New York Times reported. This is relevant since being the first to have a proven vaccine and manufacturing it at scale is likely to prove internationally lucrative, something that is evidenced by Russia's similar rush and subsequent criticism of the Sputnik V vaccine. The vaccines could well be life-threatening or with harmful side effects, but the employees may not even have the option to refuse the doses, Dr Kim Mulholland, a paediatrician at the Murdoch Children's Research Institute in Australia opined. "My worry for the employees of the companies is it may be difficult for them to refuse," Mulholland was quoted as saying. Non-disclosure agreement As the mass population is getting injected on a large scale with the unproven vaccine, it is being said that the people are being injected without any choice. It is also reported that employers and companies have asked their employees to sign a non-disclosure agreement before taking the vaccine shot to prevent them from revealing anything in the media. "It is not clear how many people in China have received coronavirus vaccines. Sinopharm, a Chinese state-owned company with a vaccine candidate in late-stage trials, has said hundreds of thousands of people have received its shots. Sinovac, a Beijing-based company, said over 10,000 people in Beijing had been injected with its vaccine. Separately, it said nearly all its employees -- around 3,000 in total -- and their families had taken it," the report said. Jerome Kim, head of the International Vaccine Institute, said that the vaccine could have negative consequences. He opined that the people who took the vaccine could be infected and yet not know it. Or the asymptomatic people could be the carriers of the virus even if the vaccine partially worked, but they may not know it and could be a threat to others, Kim opined. While there are serious concerns over China's forceful vaccination, a health official named Zheng told China Central Television that the Chinese government might consider expanding the scope in the winter season over who should be injected the unproven vaccine for emergency use, adding people who work in markets, transportation and the service industry. (With ANI inputs) READ | British PM Boris Johnson Hails India's COVID-19 Vaccine Efforts In His UNGA Address READ | COVID-19 Therapeutical Treatments Could Be bridge To Vaccine, Says Dr Fauci Editor's note: This article was originally published in the International Monetary Fund's blog. Saad Quayyum is an economist at the International Monetary Fund. Roland Kangni Kpodar is deputy unit chief in the strategy, policy and review department at the International Monetary Fund and senior fellow at the Foundation for Studies and Research on International Development (FERDI). The opinions expressed in this commentary are their own. (CNN) Just as COVID-19 has disproportionately impacted some communities more than others, globally, the virus has had an oversized negative impact on migrant workers. Perhaps surprisingly, despite the bleak experience for foreign overseas workers during the pandemic, the effect on remittances the flow of money they send back home has, in many cases, proven resilient. But that trend may yet be upended. The predicament of migrant workers over the last few months has highlighted the pressing need now greater than ever to support them and their families back home. In the wake of the pandemic, many overseas foreign workers lost their jobs, and reports were widespread of newly laid-off foreign employees stranded in host countries without the means to return home. Migrants, many of whom are undocumented, often face a heavier burden than a local worker once they lose their job. They often lack access to social safety nets or stimulus checks, which provide a cushion to their local counterparts. This is especially the case for the undocumented or those on temporary work visas At the same time, many migrant workers have limited or no access to health care. Crowded living quarters, together with poor working conditions, put them at higher risk of contracting the virus. They may also live in fear of deportation as several countries have tightened immigration rules in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak. Outlook for remittances It's unsurprising then that remittances were expected to take a hit from the pandemic as countries that employ large numbers of foreign workers moved into recession. In addition, the hundreds of thousands of migrant workers employed in major oil-producing countries also suffered repercussions from the drop in oil prices, which weighed down the outlook of Gulf Cooperation Council countries and Russia. The remittances sent back by migrants are a crucial source of external financing. In 57 countries, it exceeded 5% of GDP last year. The money went mostly to low-income households. Against the background of the current health crisis, the need for that income is acute. Back in April, the World Bank estimated that remittances would fall by 20% in low and middle-income countries. Despite the coronavirus and its likely impact on remittances, the picture is not unconditionally bleak. Remittances often hold up in response to adverse shocks in recipient countries. This possibly explains why they were surprisingly resilient in many countries in the first half of the year. While there is a great deal of diversity, remittances largely fell from March, then started to stabilize in May before picking up. This pattern was broadly in line with the stringency of virus containment policies in advanced countries where strict measures were put in place in March and slowly relaxed starting in May. The bounce back in remittances could be driven by a greater need to send money back to families as the remittance-receiving countries now struggle with the pandemic and collapse in external demand. But, if migrants are dipping into their meager savings to support families back home, this may not be sustainable over time, especially if the recession in host economies becomes protracted. A second outbreak of the coronavirus in the latter part of the year in host economies, for example, could jeopardize remittance flows further. Now more than ever, adequate and timely policy responses from both remittance-sending and remittance-receiving countries are critical to help migrant workers. Overseas workers often fill essential roles in health care, agriculture, food production and processing and often risk their lives to perform these jobs. Solutions - Host countries could ensure all migrants have access to health care, and basic goods and services. There have been some positive steps in this area: All migrants and asylum-seekers were temporarily granted citizenship rights in Portugal. Italy announced plans for temporary work permits for more than half a million undocumented migrants deemed essential for harvesting crops and caring for the elderly. The State of California has contributed $75 million to a $125 million fund to provide $500 to support each undocumented worker. - Back home, authorities in countries that send workers overseas could step up support to vulnerable households, especially in those countries where the drop in remittances has been more severe. As remittances dry up, well-targeted cash transfers and food aid can be especially helpful to protect poor households, and those at risk of falling back into poverty. - Returning migrants may need training to be reabsorbed in the labor market. Access to credit can help them start a business where opportunities in the formal labor market is limited. - Technology could also be leveraged to the benefit of migrant workers and their families. For example, digital technology and mobile payment systems could be used to facilitate and lower the cost of sending and receiving remittances. The average cost of sending remittances was about 7% in the first quarter of 2020. Reducing this cost now would return a significant amount of money to the poor. - Governments could modify regulations to facilitate flows while minimizing risks of inappropriate use. Relaxing caps on how much can be transferred digitally (through mobile phones for example) can be helpful. Providing tax incentives to money transfer service providers to offset reduction in fees, as Pakistan did during the Global Financial Crisis, can be a smart move. Schemes like the 2% cash back for remitters instituted by Bangladesh can further support remittance flow. Increasing market competition among the remittance service providers can also drive down the cost. This story was first published on CNN.com, "As Covid-19 rages on, countries need to support migrant workers." Congress MP from Kerala TN Prathapan moved the Supreme Court challenging the constitutional validity of various provisions of the contentious Farmers' (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020 Protests against the controversial farm laws, which were recently passed by both the Houses of Parliament in the absence of an Opposition bench, raged across several states on Monday. The Congress, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and the Dravida Munnetra Kazagham (DMK), among others, held agitations at various places, including Punjab, Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh. Farmer organisations, including the Bhartiya Kisan Union, have protested against the legislations which received President Ram Nath Kovind's nod on Sunday. Over the past few days, Punjab and Haryana have been roiled by protests. In Karnataka, after political parties demonstrated during a statewide bandh called by the Karnataka Raitha Sangha, Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa, extending an olive branch to cultivators, said, "Sit with us and have a discussion. I am always ready to make changes for the benefit of farmers." Earlier on Monday, a mob set fire to a tractor near India Gate in Delhi to voice their opposition to the contentious farm laws. Five workers of the Punjab Youth Congress have been arrested over the incident, said police. Leaders and workers of the Congress, which has announced a "mass movement" against the Centre, were also detained in several states as they attempted to march towards their respective Raj Bhawans. Meanwhile, a Congress MP from Kerala filed the first petition in the Supreme Court challenging the constitutional validity of various provisions on one of the newly enacted farm laws. Congress workers detained in several states In Uttar Pradesh, state Congress committee president Ajay Kumar Lallu and other party workers were held while staging a protest in Lucknow, the party's media convenor Lalan Kumar told news agency PTI. Led by Lallu, Congress workers from all over the state staged a protest at Lucknow's Parivartan Chowk, raising slogans against the "anti-farmer" laws. When they were heading towards the Raj Bhawan, some workers and the UPCC chief were held, Kumar said, adding that there were reports of workers on their way to Lucknow being detained in other districts. Delhi Congress leaders and workers, including its president Anil Kumar, were also detained by the police while holding a protest at Raj Ghat. The detained protesters were taken to a stadium in Hari Nagar, Delhi Congress leader Parvez Alam said. The protesters were scheduled to take out a march to Raj Niwas, but party leaders and workers were detained before the March could begin, Kumar said. "We wanted to submit a memorandum to the LG against the farm bills passed by Parliament but we were detained by the police. The Congress will not rest till the Modi government withdraws its anti-farmer bills," he said. In Gujarat, state Congress president Amit Chavda was among 100 party workers detained by the police. Chavda, Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly Paresh Dhanani, Congress MLAs Baldevji Thakor, CJ Chavda and other party workers had gathered at the Ambedkar statue near the Assembly complex and raised slogans against the BJP-led governments at the Centre and in Gujarat. They denounced the farm bills recently passed by Parliament as "anti-farmer" and alleged that the bills "will destroy APMCs". As the workers started marching towards the Raj Bhavan, around 100 of them were detained as no permission had been for the rally, said police. "Since the Congress workers had not taken any permission for the rally, we detained them. We will take a decision about their release afterwards," Superintendent of Police Mayur Chavda said. Congress workers demand repeal of laws After the detained leaders were released, a Congress delegation met Governor Acharya Devvrat and submitted a memorandum demanding President Ram Nath Kovind withdraw his assent to three farm bills cleared by Parliament recently. The Congress, in its memorandum, called these "black laws" which had been brought in by the Narendra Modi government to give select corporates the power to control the country's agriculture sector. In Maharashtra, a Congress delegation met Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari at Raj Bhavan and demanded withdrawal of the "black laws". Former Maharashtra chief minister Prithviraj Chavan, who was part of the delegation, told reporters after the meeting that the laws were passed in Parliament hurriedly without listening to views of parties opposing them. Chavan said the governor heard them out and "admitted that a way out should be found on the issue sitting together". Congress, JD(S) workers detained in Karnataka A dawn-to dusk bandh called by farmers in Karnataka against the amendments to the APMC and land reforms acts by the state government was backed by various pro-Kannada organisations and the Opposition Congress and JD(S). Bengaluru: Karnataka Congress protests against govt at party office. State Congress chief DK Shivakumar, state in-charge Randeep Surjewala & Siddaramaiah present. Karnataka is observing a bandh today, against Farm laws, land reform ordinances, amendments to APMC & labour laws. pic.twitter.com/xaU9MXPIda ANI (@ANI) September 28, 2020 Several labour organisations who are protesting against amendments to some labour laws during the brief Assembly session of the state legislature have also backed the bandh. Pro-Kannada organisation 'Karnataka Rakshna Vedike' activists barged inside Bengaluru's Kempegowda International Airport to mark their protest, while some were detained by police near Kranthiveera Sangolli Rayanna Railway Station in Bengaluru, the Indian Express reported. As per the Indian Express, traffic was disrupted in the state capital and few shops and other commercial establishments remained open. However, public transport in the rest of the state continued to operate smoothly. Protesters were detained in Bengaluru as well as in Madikeri of Kodagu district, where Congress, Janata Dal (Secular) and SDPI workers were detained. Karnataka: Police detain workers of Congress, JD(S) & SDPI, who were protesting in Madikeri of Kodagu district today, amid statewide protest. Farmers' orgs have called statewide bandh today against #FarmBills (now laws), land reform ordinances, amendments to APMC & labour laws. pic.twitter.com/7lYOeanmx5 ANI (@ANI) September 28, 2020 As protesters took out rallies in public squares, raised slogans in many places across the state and also set ablaze tyres in some places, Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa extended an olive branch to farmers. Seeking to allay fears of farmers, the chief minister said: "sit with us and have a discussion. I am always ready to make changes for the benefit of farmers." He said the two bills Karnataka Agricultural Produce Marketing (Regulation and Development) (Amendment) Bill and the Karnataka Land Reforms (Second Amendment) Bill were aimed at benefiting the farmers and not the way projected by certain people. The bill cleared the state Assembly on Saturday. Leader of the Opposition in the state Assembly Siddaramaiah claimed the amendments were unnecessary. "Both the amendments will have a deadly effect on the farmers," he alleged during the agitation staged by his party in Bengaluru. Protests held in Tamil Nadu, Telangana Congress workers in Telangana too staged a demonstration against the farm bills and urged the president to withdraw them. State Congress leaders and the new AICC in-charge for party affairs in Telangana Manickam Tagore sought to submit a memorandum to Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan at the Raj Bhavan. However, the protesting workers were taken into custody and shifted to Goshamahal police station in the city when they began to move towards the Raj Bhavan, said police adding that they did not have an appointment with the Governor, They were released by police later. In Tamil Nadu, DMK and its allies also hit the streets, with DMK chief MK Stalin saying his party was ready to challenge the Centre's decision in court. Addressing a demonstration at a village in Kancheepuram district as part of the state-wide protest, Stalin alleged that the new laws would drive farmers away from their lands. "Take back farm laws," "We will not rest until the farmers interests are protected," "farmers betrayed," and "farm laws lead to hoarding," were among the slogans raised during the demonstration. The DMK chief also took a shot at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, stating that Modi had often claimed that he was the son of a poor mother. "This son of a poor mother is now making a large number of Indians poor," he charged. Attacking Chief Minister K Palaniswami, he said though the AIADMK leader took pride in calling himself a farmer, thelives of the royts have "taken a hit" only after he assumed power. After consultations with allies, the next course of action like further protests against the farm laws would be decided, he said. MDMK chief Vaiko, Tamil Nadu Congress Committee president KS Alagiri, DMK leaders TR Baalu and Dayanidhi Maran were among those who took part in the protests held at various places, including Chennai, Coimbatore, Madurai, Tiruchirappalli and Tirunelveli. The Odisha unit of the Congress also staged a demonstration near the Raj Bhavan demanding the repeal of the farm bills passed in the Parliament recently. In Rajasthan, party's state president Govind Singh Dotasra and Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot submitted a memorandum to Governor Kalraj Mishra. The memorandum addressed to the president, seeks revocation of the agriculture-related new laws. In West Bengal, hundreds of Congress workers marched in Kolkata carrying haystacks on their shoulders and submitted a memorandum to Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar, urging him to "intervene and ensure" that the laws were immediately repealed. Will go to SC, says Amarinder Singh In Punjab, Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, who staged a sit-in at Khatkar Kalan village, slammed the BJP-led Central government for 'snatching the rights of states' and said his government would approach the apex court. "Now you have taken away (right over) the farm sector. Which thing will you leave with states? Will you leave it or not? You have taken away everything (from states). How will we run our states?" he asked. Stating that his government would take every possible step to protect the interest of the farming community, he said that he would discuss the matter with two advocates who are to come to the state from Delhi. "I have said we will take this matter forward. The president has passed these bills and now we will take this matter to the Supreme Court," Singh further said. Kerala Congress MP approaches SC Meanwhile, a Congress MP from Kerala TN Prathapan moved the Supreme Court challenging the constitutional validity of various provisions of one of the new farm laws. Pratahpan, who represents Thrissur Lok Sabha constituency in Kerala, has alleged that the Farmers' (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020, is violative of Article 14 (right to equality), 15 (prohibition of discrimination) and 21 (right to life and liberty) of the Constitution. He said the law is "liable to be struck down as unconstitutional, illegal and void". As per the government, the new law intends to provide a national framework for the farming agreements to protect and empower farmers as they engage with agri-business and food processing firms, wholesalers, exporters and large retailers for farm services and sale of produce at a remunerative price framework in a fair and transparent manner. BJP slams Congress over tractor burning Earlier in the day, five people claiming to be members of the Punjab Youth Congress were detained after they unloaded a tractor from a truck in the high-security area at Rajpath, a few hundred metres from the President House and the Parliament, in the National Capital and set it on fire around 7 am. "On #BhagatSingh's birth anniversary Youth Congress set ablaze a tractor in protest against the govt's anti farmer bills," the Indian Youth Congress tweeted. Deputy Commissioner of Police (New Delhi) Eish Singhal said an Innova car used in the act has been taken into police custody. "A case under 3 Epidemic Act, 51(B) Disaster Management Act, 4 Damage to Public Property Act and other IPC sections has been registered at Tilak Marg police station and five persons have been arrested," the DCP said. The BJP came down hard on the Congress over the incident, saying it has "shamed" the country with its "drama" aimed at publicity and at "misleading" farmers. Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) president Tejasvi Surya alleged that youth Congress workers were involved in burning the tractor. "Our farmers worship tools they use for farming. No real farmer ever burns his tractor. If at all the Youth Congress wanted to show their support to farmers, they could have donated the tractor to a poor farmer instead of burning it. But how can they? Destroying is all they know," he said in a statement. "In the guise of a protest against the government's reforms for farmers, it is sad that the youth Congress is destroying property," Surya, Bengaluru South MP, said. Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting Prakash Javadekar accused the Congress of misleading farmers, stating that the party's manifesto had promised to do what the Modi government has done with its farm sector reform bills. Former prime minister Manmohan Singh had also spoken similarly on the issue, he claimed. "Now, Congress is trying to mislead farmers by speaking in a different voice. But it will not succeed," he said, adding that mechanisms like the minimum support price (MSP) and APMC will continue. The Farmers Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020, The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill , 2020 and The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020 were passed by the Parliament in the recently concluded Monsoon Session. The bills were notified after receiving the presidential assent on Sunday. Farmers' organisations and Opposition parties have been protesting against the legislations across several states.. Various farmers organisations, under the umbrella of the All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee (AIKSCC) had called for a nationwide shutdown on 25 September. Protests were held outside government offices in Kerala while 'Rail Roko' agitations were carried out in Amritsar. Farmers associated with Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee squatted on the Amritsar-Delhi railway track, continuing their rail blockade which had started on Wednesday. The committees general secretary Sarwan Singh Pandher had earlier demanded that all the sitting 13 MPs from Punjab resign from their seats with immediate effect in support of the farmers demands, adding that BJP leaders would not be allowed to enter the villages of Punjab. The protests will be observed till 29 September. On Thursday, the Congress launched its mass movement against the government over anti-farmer, anti-poor and black laws, announcing nearly two months of protests. On 2 October, the Congress will observe Kisan-Mazdoor Bachao Divas (Save Farmers and Farm Labourers Day). On 10 October, state-level conferences will be held and from 2 to 31 October, the party will collect signatures from two crore farmers from across the country. On 14 November, the birth anniversary of Indias first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru, a memorandum, along with signatures of the farmers, will be submitted to the president. Opposition parties including the Congress and SAD have strongly opposed the move, claiming that it will pave the way for big businessmen to enter the agriculture sector and harm the interests of the farmers. The SAD quit the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) to protests against the passage of the bills. The Centre has maintained that the legislations would be beneficial to the farmers as they would have the freedom to choose buyers for their produce and get remunerative prices. With inputs from agencies When Toni Livingston was pregnant with her triplets, no one understood what was she was going through except her grandmother Gertie Rose Earnest. Her doctor told her it was her imagination when she said her hips would slide in and out of place when she got out of bed but her grandmother knew the feeling. It happened to me all of the time, Livingston, 37, recalled her grandmother telling her over the phone. Earnest also knew what it was like to be carrying multiple babies. Her grandmother had five sets of twins among 21 children that her and husband Elisha June Earnest raised in Holly Grove, Ark., outside of Little Rock. According to family lore, the multiple births gene started with Livingstons grandfather, who was a twin. Ronald Cortes /Contributor In addition to her 18-year-old triplets, Jalen, Antonio and Sishman Jr., Livingstons children include 16-year-old twins, Alicia and Naomi, and her oldest daughter, Ameia, 19. She says the twins and triplets are fraternal, or non-identical, but people who meet the children say otherwise. Livingstons family includes 10 sets of twins who are grandchildren and 12 sets of twins among the great-grandchildren. For us, its so normal, Livingston said. We think its cool to see a sea of family members at family reunions and see that lineage continue to grow. On ExpressNews.com: Honeys Place a throwback to old nightclubs and soul food stops Livingston owns Prestige Beauty, located at 2947 Thousand Oaks Drive. She shared her legacy of multiples inside of the serene space at Mallorca Salon Studios that she said was inspired by her grandmother, who also owned a beauty salon. A master lash technician, Livingstons services include eyelash extensions and facials for men and women. Livingston said when customers arrive, its a moment to put their worries away and relax, just like it was at her grandmothers salon. She had the ability to make us all feel like we were her favorites, she said. Ronald Cortes /Contributor Livingston aims to do that for her children with heartfelt notes. It was a tradition that started with her ex-husband, Sishman Rimpson, an Air Force veteran, when he was away and the practice continued with letters to their oldest daughter. Every time she buys her children a book, she includes a handwritten note. On Valentines Day and on Christmas, she writes 10 things she loves about each one of them. Mom, you say that to all of us, she said her children tell her. Somewhere in your mind, you believe me, is her standard reply. On ExpressNews.com: Longtime advocate continues fights for dignity of older San Antonians despite pandemic Her uncle Darrell Earnest keeps track of their family tree, chronicling dates and births of the large family. For years, they had family reunions on their grandmothers birthday in September. Wearing the same-colored T-shirts, they would gather at a rented space over the Labor Day weekend in Little Rock. The high point of the celebration always was a new baby to coo over. When she was pregnant with her twins, she learned about possible family ties to an African village when an Air Force doctor, originally from Nigeria, asked about her family history. She agreed to allow the doctor to take samples of her blood for a genealogy test. Ronald Cortes /Contributor The doctor said the African village, Igbo Ora, has been called the twins capital of the world. According to a 2019 Reuters article, a 1970s study by a British gynecologist reported about 50 sets of twins out of every 1,000 births in that area of southwest Nigeria. About the author A 22-year veteran of the Air Force, Vincent T. Davis embarked on a second career as a journalist and found his calling. Observing and listening across San Antonio, he finds intriguing tales to tell about everyday people. He shares his stories with Express-News subscribers every Monday morning. See More Collapse The doctor also told her of a long-held theory that yams are linked to the birth of twins, a scientifically unproven premise that fascinated him. Theres a Yoruba village in the area where multiples were in abundance and where yams grew. The doctor said the genealogy test showed that Livingston was possibly a direct descendant of residents of the area. I always thought there was more information than we knew, she said. On ExpressNews.com: Air Force veteran recalls life after adoption at Japanese orphanage Livingstons grandparents never made a big deal about their unique family. Her grandfather, a Vietnam veteran, died in 1982, the year she was born. Livingston said her grandmother led by example in her own, quiet way. She was always humble, had high standards and never drew attention to herself, traits she maintained until the day she died on July 27, 2017. Livingston said shes proud to follow in her grandmothers footsteps. Her legacy guides me every single day in so many ways, Livingston said. She would say think bigger, keep growing and going. The sky is the limit. Vincent T. Davis is a reporter in the Greater San Antonio and Bexar County area. To read more from Vincent, become a subscriber. vtdavis@express-news.net | Twitter: @vincentdavis Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-29 02:19:22|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close MINSK, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- The Belarusian Foreign Ministry on Monday called on the authorities of Azerbaijan and Armenia to cease hostilities. The Belarusian Foreign Ministry in a statement urged Azerbaijan and Armenia to find ways to peacefully resolve the situation in the Nagorno-Karabakh region, including within the framework of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Minsk Group. The Belarusian side also confirmed its readiness to provide any necessary assistance in promoting the dialogue of the parties in any formats acceptable to the conflicting parties. The ministry stressed the main task is to stop the bloodshed as soon as possible and avoid new victims. Human lives are priceless, so it is imperative to make every effort to maintain peace and tranquility in the region, according to the statement. Enditem Probe: Ian Young will challenge the GMC over their move to investigate him Northern Ireland's chief scientific adviser is to challenge the General Medical Council (GMC) over a decision to investigate him as part of its review of medical professionals connected to the Hyponatraemia Inquiry. Although Professor Ian Young was not involved in the treatment of any patients, he reviewed the case of Claire Roberts, who died aged just nine, after being given a "toxic dose" of an epilepsy drug. She was being treated Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children in October 1996 after being admitted with a stomach bug, when she passed away from hyponatraemia, which occurs from a sodium shortage in blood. Claire's case was one of five investigated by the Hyponatraemia Inquiry, chaired by Sir John O'Hara QC. Her death, along with another four children, were found to have been avoidable. At the time, Professor Young was requested by then Medical Director of the Royal Group of Hospitals, Dr Michael McBride, now Chief Medical Officer, to provide an independent assessment on whether hyponatraemia contributed to Claire's death. The purpose was to inform Dr McBride's decision over whether to refer the matter to the Coroner. The inquiry report made a number of criticisms of Professor Young, including a contention he "shifted from his initial independent role advising Dr McBride, to one of protecting the hospital and its doctors". The GMC decided to include Professor Young in its investigation after the inquiry, and it is the internal process of this which he is challenging. Permission for a judicial review has been granted in London, but no hearing date has been fixed. The GMC has stressed Professor Young is not subject to any restrictions and retains a clear licence to practice. The Department of Health said it "has been kept fully apprised by Professor Young of the situation, including the High Court proceedings",but would not comment on an active legal case. It added: "The Department and Minister are satisfied that the High Court proceedings have no bearing on Professor Young's work as Chief Scientific Adviser. "The Minister is very appreciative of Professor Young's expert advice during the Covid-19 pandemic. He believes Northern Ireland owes him a great debt of gratitude for his dedication and commitment during these exceptionally challenging times." A spokesperson for Professor Young said he not feel it appropriate to comment further. The GMC said it continues to investigate "a number of doctors linked to the Inquiry". STOCKHOLM - The governments of Sweden, Finland and Estonia said Monday they will jointly assess what that they called new significant information in connection with one of Europes deadliest peacetime maritime disasters, the sinking of a ferry in the Baltic Sea in 1994 that killed 852 people. A television documentary aired to coincide with the 26th anniversary of the sinking of the M/S Estonia includes video images from the wreck site showing a hole in the hull measuring 4 metres (13 feet) on the starboard side. However, the three countries said that they rely on final conclusions of a 1997 report that concluded that the ferry sank after the bow door locks failed in a storm. It flatly rejected the theory of a hole, which has long been the focus of speculation about a possible explosion on board. It cannot be ruled out that the damage was important for the sinking process, Joergen Amdahl, professor of marine technology in Trondheim, said in the five-episode documentary to be aired Monday. Margus Kurm, the former head of the Estonian governments investigative group, said in a television interview that the ship most likely sank after a collision with a submarine. Considering that the hole is below the water line and considering no one has ever mentioned that another ship could have sunk Estonia and none of the survivors have said they saw a ship close to Estonia, the most likely cause is (the ferry) collided with a submarine, Kurm told Estonian television. He ruled out that a fishing boat could have created the hole, telling the daily Postimees that the Estonia collided with something big enough to pierce the hull. Ann Linde, Pekka Haavisto and Urmas Reinsalu the foreign ministers of Sweden, Finland and Estonia said in a joint statement that they have agreed that verification of the new information presented in the documentary will be made in accordance and full respect of a 1995 agreement to protect the wreck as a final place of rest for victims of the disaster. Some 758 bodies remain entombed on the car ferry, which rests on the seabed 80 metres (265 feet) below the surface. The wreck is considered a graveyard, which gives the area protection under the law, and the agreement criminalized activities that would disturb it. However, Finnish and Swedish coast guards cannot stop any diving endeavour because the wreck lies in international waters. Last year, the production team behind the documentary sent an underwater robot to film the wreck. Jessica Linnman, head of communications for Discovery Sweden, said the film crew found that it was journalistically justified to dive to the wreck using a robot. The case is of great public interest and this was the only way for the production to determine if the official statement available today is credible, or if there are circumstances that have not been revealed to the public, she said. ___ Jan M. Olsen in Copenhagen, Denmark, contributed to this report. NEW YORK, Sept. 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The Global Telecom Billing & Revenue Management Market size is expected to reach $25.7 billion by 2026, rising at a market growth of 13% CAGR during the forecast period. Telecom billing is a method of collecting usage data, gathering it, put on essential charges, and finally generating invoices for customers. In this process, payments are received and recorded that is collected from customers. The billing system helps in the money collection from the customers and therefore is generally considered as accounts receivable. Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05975431/?utm_source=PRN Billing systems are the part of accounts payable since customers often use services from other firms like long-distance, call completion and wireless roaming through other networks. Revenue management also helpful in predicting the customer's behaviour, that further helps increasing product accessibility as well as pricing to make the maximum possible revenue. The global telecom operators and communication service providers (CSPs) have seen a noteworthy change in past few decades in the number of end-users and their varying demands. As compared to voice communication revenues, value-added and data services emerged as a main revenue source; therefore, the growing demographics of different regions and the dynamic demands for telecom services is boosting the growth of telecom sector and there is need for reducing the executive costs with optimized operational expenses (OPEX). The increasing number of subscribers for the telecom services across the globe and this is one of the main factors driving the growth of this market. As there is an upsurge in cellular or mobile subscribers, accompanied by challenges such as network congestion and fallout of services are increasing. This rise is thus resulting in the development of efficient and effective billing and revenue management software solutions and services. These solutions and services are used beneficial for the Communication Services Providers (CSPs) to improve their revenue as well as optimizing telecom networks. Based on Component, the market is segmented into Solution and Services. The Solutions market is further segmented into Billing & Charging, Mediation, Revenue Assurance, Fraud Management and Others. Based on Deployment Type, the market is segmented into On-premise and Cloud. Based on Operator Type, the market is segmented into Mobile Operator and Internet Service Providers. Based on Regions, the market is segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Latin America, Middle East & Africa. The major strategies followed by the market participants are Partnerships and Product Launches. Based on the Analysis presented in the Cardinal matrix; Oracle Corporation, Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd., SAP SE, and Accenture PLC are the forerunners in the Telecom Billing & Revenue Management Market. Companies such as CSG Systems International, Inc., Ericsson AB, Cerillion PLC, Amdocs Limited, Comarch SA, and Sterlite Technologies Limited are some of the key innovators in the market. The market research report covers the analysis of key stake holders of the market. Key companies profiled in the report include Accenture PLC, Amdocs Limited, Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.), SAP SE, Ericsson AB, Oracle Corporation, CSG Systems International, Inc., Cerillion PLC, Sterlite Technologies Limited, and Comarch SA. Recent strategies deployed in Telecom Billing & Revenue Management Market Partnerships, Collaborations, and Agreements: Jun-2020: CSG announced partnership with CKH Innovations Opportunities Development (CKH IOD), a unit of CK Hutchison's telecom division. Under this partnership, the former company would provide a cloud-native, microservices-based online charging solution for its wholesale and Internet of Things (IoT) customers. CSG would deploy its Ascendon solution to provide CKH IOD with a centralized group billing and settlement platform that will support its MVNO and IoT clients. May-2020: Cerillion signed a partnership agreement with the network signaling company, Squire Technologies. Together, the companies were focused on providing a unified charging solution for the next generation of convergent data-centric services. Squire and Cerillion are being able to help communication service providers (CSPs) solve their hybrid network challenges with a fully integrated solution. To realize the full potential of 5G, CSPs need online charging systems that can work seamlessly across their mobile and fixed-line networks. Jan-2020: Oracle announced its collaboration with Telecom Fiji Limited, a provider of local and national (trunk) telephony services. Under this collaboration, the former company helped the latter company to better serve its customers, orchestrate memorable events, and develop new revenue streams. Telecom Fiji deployed Oracle Communications Billing and Revenue Management, Oracle Communications Order and Service Management, Oracle Communications Network Charging and Control, Oracle Field Service Cloud, Oracle Live Experience Cloud, and Oracle Marketing Cloud as part of the Oracle Digital Experience for Communications suite, to enable a transformative digital customer experience coupled with communications-grade modern monetization and service fulfillment. Jan-2020: Ericsson partnered with Mobily, a Saudi Arabian communications service provider. The partnership was aimed to empower Saudi Arabia's government and private sectors for the digital transformation with the help of Ericsson's end-to-end solutions. The partnership would accelerate the deployment of digital services and expand the use of IoT. Nov-2019: CSG announced a new managed services agreement with Freedom Mobile, a division of Shaw Communications. The agreement was signed for providing business and IT operations managed services. Freedom Mobile aimed to offer better experiences for its 1.6 million wireless subscribers across Canada. CSG has been supporting Freedom Mobile in addressing customer inquiries related to billing and payment management, error processing, and service disruptions. CSG also provides proactive monitoring of business operations and IT support. Aug-2019: Amdocs extended its agreement with Indonesia's XL Axiata. Following the expansion, the latter company deployed the amdocsONE consumer experience and monetization solution. Under the agreement, Amdocs was aimed to modernize, automate, and digitize XL Axiata's postpaid, prepaid mobile, consumer, and enterprise fixed-line businesses. Moreover, Amdocs consolidated multiple service monetization systems for enterprise and consumer fixed-line customers, providing a single convergent solution for all XL's lines of business. Feb-2019: Cerillion came into agreement with a US-based telecom provider. The agreement includes supply and installation, as well as support and maintenance of Cerillion's end-to-end solution for billing, charging, and customer management. Acquisition and Mergers: Jul-2020: Amdocs signed a definitive agreement to acquire Openet, a world-leading provider of 5G charging, policy, and cloud technologies. The acquisition would bring world-class cloud-native capabilities, network pedigree, and deep 5G charging, policy, and data management expertise to Amdocs. Additionally, its solutions would complement Amdocs' portfolio. Aug-2019: Accenture took over Northstream, a Stockholm-based consultancy to communications service providers and networking services vendors. The acquisition accelerated its capabilities in the Nordics to help service providers with digital and operational transformation. Aug-2019: Accenture acquired Parker Fitzgerald, a strategic advisor, and consulting partner to leading global financial institutions. Parker Fitzgerald's advisory and assurance expertise and regulatory experience complemented Accenture's consulting and technology capabilities and strengthened Accenture's client response to the evolving risk landscape in financial services. Product Launches and Product Expansions: Feb-2020: Huawei launched Convergent Billing System (CBS) R20, the first-ever 5G SA network based monetization solution, in London. The solution has been deployed over the STC Kuwait 5G SA's network, where the "Dedicated Access" was offered to enterprises with guaranteed Service Level Agreements (SLAs). Huawei launched CBS R20 to support a vast range of combinations involving more than 1,000 billing factors over different dimensions, as well as more than 100 common 5G service combos. Nov-2019: Accenture launched a compliance-as-a-service offering. The offering would help financial institutions, fintech, and technology companies cost-effectively combat financial crime and comply with related regulations. This compliance-as-a-service (CaaS) offering provides an end-to-end capability that uses SynOps, Accenture's human-machine operating engine that synergizes data, applied intelligence, digital technologies, and exceptional talent. Nov-2019: Oracle unveiled Cloud-Native Modern Monetization solution. Oracle Communications' new cloud-native deployment option for Billing and Revenue Management (BRM) has been addressing the demands by combining the features and extensibility of a proven, convergent charging system with the efficiency of cloud and DevOps agility. Oracle Communications' cloud-native BRM deployment option provides a modern monetization solution to capitalize on the opportunities presented by today's mobile, fixed, and cable digital services. Oct-2019: Amdocs introduced RevenueONE for enabling communications service providers (CSPs) to capture every revenue opportunity of the digital economy. Amdocs RevenueONE also reduced CSPs' time to cash. This was made possible by decomposing mission-critical charging, payments, billing, billing, incentives, and product-catalog processes into DevOps-ready, cloud-native microservices. It also turned batch billing processes into real-time functions. Oct-2019: CSG introduced Ascendon Communications, the industry's first software-as-a-service (SaaS)-delivered, cloud-based business support systems (BSS) solution. Ascendon Communications is a multi-tenant solution, which helps communications service providers (CSPs) retain and expand their customer base, increase revenues by accelerating the launch of new services, support the new business model and offering innovation, and reduce costs through a cloud-based architecture. Aug-2019: Oracle Communications announced the launch of Oracle Communications Billing and Revenue Management (BRM) release 12.0. BRM 12.0 aimed to provide a complete revenue management system for all types of digital service providers with support for complex rating and billing scenarios, high volume usage processing, and multi-sided business models. May-2019: CSG Systems launched the Mediation platform as a cloud-based solution. CSG Mediation uses both cloud and native Amazon Web Services (AWS) tools to help CSPs meet demands in real-time. It also provides a cost-effective and efficient way for service providers to seize 5G opportunities with minimal risk and disruption to existing systems. Jan-2019: Ericsson launched a new end-to-end AI-based managed services. These services aimed at addressing operators' complexity challenges as they move towards the era of 5G and the IoT. The engine was designed around a service-centric business model based on targeted outcomes such as enhanced customer experience, revenue growth, and efficiency. Scope of the Study Market Segmentation: By Component Solution o Billing & Charging o Mediation o Revenue Assurance o Fraud Management o Others Services By Deployment Type On-premise Cloud By Operator Type Mobile Operator Internet Service Providers By Geography North America o US o Canada o Mexico o Rest of North America Europe o Germany o UK o France o Russia o Spain o Italy o Rest of Europe Asia Pacific o China o Japan o India o South Korea o Singapore o Malaysia o Rest of Asia Pacific LAMEA o Brazil o Argentina o UAE o Saudi Arabia o South Africa o Nigeria o Rest of LAMEA Companies Profiled Accenture PLC Amdocs Limited Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.) SAP SE Ericsson AB Oracle Corporation CSG Systems International, Inc. Cerillion PLC Sterlite Technologies Limited Comarch SA Unique Offerings Exhaustive coverage Highest number of market tables and figures Subscription based model available Guaranteed best price Assured post sales research support with 10% customization free Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05975431/?utm_source=PRN About Reportlinker ReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place. __________________________ Contact Clare: [email protected] US: (339)-368-6001 Intl: +1 339-368-6001 SOURCE Reportlinker Related Links www.reportlinker.com Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-28 18:07:51|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close HAIKOU, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- The Sino-German Forum on Cooperation and Development of New Energy Vehicles (NEVs) was held Monday in Haikou, capital of south China's Hainan Province. As part of the 2nd World New Energy Vehicle Congress (WNEVC 2020) held in the city between Sept. 27-30, the forum was attended by government officials, representatives of automakers and suppliers in the NEV industry, as well as experts from universities and research institutes. Wan Gang, chairman of the China Association for Science and Technology and WNEVC president, said as the biggest NEV markets in the world and in Europe, respectively, China and Germany have seen cooperation in the field of electric vehicles grow from processing and manufacturing to joint R&D and production, brand building, marketing and sales, among others along the whole industrial chain. "The year 2020 marks the 10th year of Sino-German cooperation on NEVs, and we're looking forward to strengthening joint efforts to promote the transformation, innovation and upgrade of the industry at this new historic starting point," Wan said. The automotive industry in both Germany and China has been committed to pressing ahead with e-mobility, said Hildegard Muller, president of the German Association of the Automotive Industry, in her address to the forum via video link, noting that environment protection, a growing scarcity of fossil fuels and an increased need for mobility require new solutions and alternative propulsion systems. Participants at the forum reviewed the achievements of Sino-German cooperation in the last decade since the two countries forged a strategic partnership on NEVs in June 2011, and discussed the future of cooperation on e-mobility. Enditem A schoolboy, 14, was approached by two men as he walked home from school last week in what could be the latest in a spate of attempted kidnappings, police revealed today. Seven chilling incidents have taken place in the Arboretum area of Worchester since September 10 - with victims describing being told to 'come' by two large men. In the latest attempt, Xanda Chesworth saw two men standing ahead of him as he walked along a narrow road on his way home from Tudor Grange Academy on Friday, September 25. He said: 'I turned down the road and two men were standing there. The pavement is quite narrow with cars parked on the side and there was not any space. I could just get by. In the latest attempt, Xanda Chesworth (pictured) saw two men standing ahead of him as he walked along a narrow road on his way home from Tudor Grange Academy on Friday, September 25 In a panic Xanda dropped his bag and ran away. He said: 'I started shouting and screaming. And they started walking towards me.' Pictured, Lower Chestnut Street Map showing the seven separate incidents of suspicious behaviour reported to police since September 10 'They said: "Come through". I started to go near them when a mixed-race guy grabbed the bottom of my blazer. 'They said: "Come with us". I thought they were going to take me away.' In a panic Xanda dropped his bag and ran away. He said: 'I started shouting and screaming. And they started walking towards me.' After the attempted kidnapping, Xanda's father Alex bought his son and daughter panic alarms to carry while they walk to and from school. Alex wrote on Facebook: 'My son was approached by two low life pieces of s**t trying to grab hold of him down near the park in the Arboretum today on his way home from school. 'Thank god there were two people playing with a dog who my son ran to for help. I wish I could find them to thank them in person. 'Please parents be careful as these b*****ds don't seem to be bothered about doing this in broad daylight. Victim Ellesse Robinson, 15, was left sobbing when she fled four men who tried to snatch her off the street in Worcester on Sunday night , one of six separate suspicious reports in the city 'I do not know why these b*****s are not behind bars.' He said the family had called police and were preparing to give a statement, adding: 'This is crazy, kids are not safe going to school and coming home and I know that these b*****s are targeting women too. 'Be aware and be safe.' One of the men was mixed race, in his 40s and wearing a dark-coloured jumper. Xanda said he was skinny and about 6ft tall. The other man was apparently black and in his late 30s or early 40s. He was around 6ft 1ins and wore a dark shirt. The disturbing incident is the latest kidnapping attempt in Worcester. On most of the occasions, young women or children were either approached, chased and even grabbed by men in a silver-coloured vehicle. Ellesse Robinson, 15, was left sobbing when she fled four men who tried to snatch her off the street on September 20. The schoolgirl was walking to a shop on Astwood Road in the Rainbow Hill area of the city at 7pm when a car pulled up next to her. She said: 'I walked to Premier to buy my boyfriend some sweets and snacks because it was his birthday, which is the reason I was alone or I would've been with him. Ellesse Robinson, 15, says she was chased down Astwood Road by men 'who sounded Turkish or Romanian' after she had gone to the Premier shop to get sweets for her boyfriend 'As I walked out of the shop and was waiting at the traffic lights, a grey Peugeot pulled up very slowly towards me. 'There were not many other cars around and as they pulled up I initially leaned in thinking they needed help but I saw them all laughing. 'Two men in the back told me to "come". I stepped back then the man in the front passenger side opened his car door and I genuinely thought he was going to grab me. 'I felt so scared as they were all in their mid or early 30s and really big. 'They sounded Turkish or Romanian, they were all tanned. After he opened his door I basically shouted "No! no! no!" repeatedly. Ellesse took to social media to warn others about what happened as she reported it to police 'I was edging backwards and then managed to run back into the Premier shop. 'The manager Sarah was stocking the shelves and I ran up to her and said: 'Sarah, some men just tried to pull me in their car.' 'She shot up despite having back problems and ran to the door, then she came back up to me and gave me the biggest hug I've ever had in my life. Multiple reports of men approaching women and children in the Worcester area September 10: Strange man seen loitering outside St Barnabas Church of England Primary School. September 15: Man in a car seen following students walking to and from Bishop Perowne Church of England College. September 17: Asian man in BMW with private registration plate seen talking to a child near St Barnabas Church of England Primary School. September 20: Ellesse Robinson, 15, chased by four men as she walked to the shop in Rainbow Hill at 7pm. September 21: Keeley Austen-Marsden, 21, was followed by two men as she walked home from dropping off her brother at school in Astwood Road. September 21: Three young girls followed by men who tried to persuade them to get into their car in Barker Street. September 28: Schoolboy Xanda Chesworth, 14, was approached by two men who stood ahead of him as he walked along a narrow road on his way home from Tudor Grange Academy on Friday, September 25. Advertisement 'I cried into her shoulder, my legs were shaking like crazy, it was like a really bad anxiety attack. 'Sarah walked me home, which I am so grateful for. When we got home we phoned the police.' Ellesse Robinson's mum has told how her daughter was left 'in shock' after being targeted by the terrifying kidnap gang. Katrina Spragg, 43, a housewife who has six other children and five grandchildren, said: 'She's gone in shock and is shaken by it. 'She won't go out and she's not allowed to go out on her own. She used to come and go from the house but not anymore. 'I'm not sure if it's the same people. 'Ellesse said these people were Turkish or Romanian. 'The police have said it's an ongoing investigation. They have been out in force with helicopters, police cars and everything. 'She was vague on that [the description of the car], it all happened a bit fast. 'But the police seem to know what they are looking for. Hopefully they will catch them. 'I can't say what I would like to happen to them. When she told me I was really, really shocked. 'It's disturbing that other incidents have happened within a mile of the house.' The following day, Keeley Austen-Marsden, 21, was chased by two men as she walked along Astwood Road - a mile from where Ellesse was approached. She said: 'It was 9am and I was walking back from the Lyppard Grange Primary School after taking my little brother in and I noticed these two blokes were behind me. 'I didn't think anything of it to start with until they got closer to me. 'They were within arms reach so I picked up my speed and so did they. I was terrified. 'I ran to the top of the road and when I looked back they had gone. 'I didn't see where they went and I couldn't see their faces as they had hoods on. They were about six foot and stocky. 'I'm just glad I got my brother into school first. I don't know what I would've done if he was still with me. He's only nine. 'I still feel shaken up now.' Police were called to St Barnabas CofE primary school, pictured, after reports of a man behaving strangely outside the school's gates and headteacher Sarah Hanson confirmed several reports had been made to the school and staff had seen the man themselves Later that evening three girls, including one aged just eight, were approached by men two miles away in Barker Street. The girls were followed by the men before they ran into a Co-op shop where police were called. An eyewitness wrote on Facebook: 'Three young girls, one aged eight, have just been followed and told to get in a car of men. 'They are safe, they ran in the Co-op and the police have taken them home and they have the car on CCTV. 'Just be vigilant of what your kids are doing and who they are with because it only takes a split second for them to be grabbed and taken.' The investigations follow three more incidents at two schools in the city this month. On September 10 police were called to St Barnabas Church of England Primary School after reports of a men behaving strangely outside. Headteacher Sarah Hanson said: 'We did have several reports of a man behaving suspiciously outside our school. 'Members of staff saw this person and so did two workmen who were working on the grounds opposite. 'The man was approached and he moved on. He returned later and was witnessed again by members of staff.' On September 15 Bishop Perowne Church of England College contacted parents with the message: 'Please be aware we have had reports of a male approaching and following the students in a car close to the school. 'Police have been notified and we are continuing to liaise with them as they follow this up.' Two days later on September 17, an Asian man in his 30s, in a BMW with private plates, was seen talking to a child through the car window near Barnabas Primary School. West Mercia Police have ruled out the incident involving the three girls in Barker Street being related to the gang who approached Ellesse in Rainbow Hill but have stepped up patrols across the city. Detective Inspector Ed Slough, CID lead investigator said: 'We are aware of heightened concerns surrounding the reporting on social media and local news reports of a group of men in a silver/grey saloon vehicle approaching people in the Arboretum area of Worcester. Staff from Bishop Perowne Church of England College contacted parents after reports suggested a man had been approaching and following students in a car close to the school 'Some incidents are reported to have happened whilst children have been walking home from school or in the early evening or a vehicle has appeared to be driving slowly past schools or children. 'We would like to reassure people that incidents such as this are rare, and we have an increased number of our safer neighbourhood officers in the area who can answer any questions or address any concerns you may have. 'I want to assure you that we are looking into all individual reports made to us, and would like to update you that at this time we don't believe all of the reports are linked and we are working to establish the nature and type of offences. 'We are treating each report separately, visiting and speaking with those that have reported incidents and viewing any CCTV in the area that they have been approached or had vehicles slow near them and have shown concern. 'We want to encourage the community to continue to be observant and report any suspicious activities to us as quickly as possible. 'We are working with local schools to ensure updates are provided to the community in a timely manner. 'If you have seen anything suspicious in your area please report online at WestMercia.Police.UK or by calling police on 101. 'I hope this helps provides you with some reassurance. We will continue to work with the school and partners to address any concerns.' West Mercia Police is yet to respond to a MailOnline request for comment. By Trend Former Bosnian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Zlatko Lagumdzija, made a statement on the latest escalation of tensions in the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, Trend reports with reference to the Lagumdzijas official Twitter account. Ignoring 4 Security Council resolutions on Nagorno-Karabakh for 3 decades is threatening regional and global peace. It is about restoring UN credibility as well as stopping the war and showing solidarity with people of Azerbaijan, Lagumdzija said. The Armenian armed forces committed a large-scale provocation, subjecting the positions of the Azerbaijani army to intensive shelling from large-caliber weapons, mortars, and artillery installations of various calibers in the front-line zone on Sept. 27 at 06:00 (GMT+4). The command of the Azerbaijani Army decided to launch a counter-offensive operation of Azerbaijani troops along the entire front to suppress the combat activity of the Armenian armed forces and ensure the safety of the civilian population. Azerbaijani Defense Minister, Colonel-General Zakir Hasanov said Sept. 27, 2020, that Garakhanbeyli, Garvend, Kend Horadiz, Yukhari Abdulrahmanli villages of Fizuli district, Boyuk Marjanli, and Nuzgar villages of Jabrayil district were liberated. Moreover, the positions of the Armenian armed forces were destroyed in the direction of the Agdere district and Murovdag, important heights were taken under control. The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on the withdrawal of its armed forces from Nagorno Karabakh and the surrounding districts. Australia's first convicted would-be terrorist, now housed in minimum security, will remain behind bars after a court threw out a challenge to his parole refusal. Federal Attorney-General Christian Porter has twice refused to parole Faheem Khalid Lodhi, who was jailed in 2006 for 20 years with a non-parole period of 15 years for plotting to bomb the national electricity grid and three army bases. The then 37-year-old Pakistani-born architect, arrested in 2004, denied at trial seeking prices for chemicals, and possessing maps and bomb-making instructions. His lawyer told the Federal Court in August that since being first refused parole in 2019, Lodhi had admitted his guilt, disavowed his 'violent extremist ideology' and was now classed as a minimum-security prisoner. Faheem Khalid Lodhi (pictured in 2006) was jailed in 2006 for 20 years with a non-parole period of 15 years for plotting to bomb the national electricity grid and three army bases She argued the April 2020 decision to refuse parole was one 'no reasonable person' would make given Lodhi's 'exceptional circumstances'. Justice Robert Bromwich on Monday threw out the judicial review application, saying no 'legal unreasonableness' had been shown in Mr Porter's decision. Mr Porter's short written reasons, sent to Lodhi in April, explained clearly enough why parole was not thought appropriate, the judge said. Those reasons centred on concerns for community safety in the absence of Lodhi undergoing any day-leave that could assess the prospects of him complying with parole conditions. Lodhi (pictured) has had his parole refused twice by the Federal Attorney-General Christian Porter Reasonable minds could differ as to what the outcome for parole should be, the judge said. 'Even though the points made on behalf of Mr Lodhi ... constituted compelling arguments in favour of a contrary conclusion, and may well have found traction in a merits review forum, they do not establish legal unreasonableness,' the judge said. 'They do not establish that the Attorney-General's decision is outside the range of permissible outcomes.' The attorney General will need to consider Lodhi's custody status before April 14, 2021. Governor Greg Abbott issued a disaster declaration on Sunday after a brain-eating amoeba was discovered in the water supply for Lake Jackson, Texas. The disaster declaration extends across Brazoria County, where Lake Jackson is located. On Saturday, the city's mayor issued a similar disaster declaration. The disaster declaration comes after the death of a 6-year-old boy who was infected by a brain-eating amoeba, according to Lake Jackson City Manager Modesto Mundo. While Lake Jackson lifted a "Do-Not-Use" advisory for water customers, a boil order still remains in place. The city is now giving free cases of water to residents today from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. at Brazosport College. According to Abbott's declaration, "the presence of naegleria fowleri, which can cause a rare and devastating infection of the brain called primary amebic meningoencephalitis, was identified in 11 tests of the the water supply, posing an imminent threat to public health and safety, including loss of life, in Brazoria County." 'I JUST DID IT FROM THE HEART': Neighbors show love to Houston cashier who gave last $20 to help customer The amoeba is typically found in warm freshwater and soil, according to the CDC. This usually infects people through contaminated water entering the nose. Once the amoeba enters a body, it can travel to the brain and cause meningoencephalitis. The mysterious death of 6-year-old Josiah McIntyre prompted tests of the water supply. The family believes the boy contracted the amoeba at a local splash pad or a watering hose near his family's home, according to Mundo. The splash pad was shut down on September 8 and the city began testing its water for the amoeba. "The notification to us at the time was that he played at one of the play fountains, and he may have also played with a water hose at the home," Mundo told KHOU's David Gonzales. McIntyre's mom Maria Castillo said that he began to complain of a headache on Thursday, September 3. "Friday, he started vomiting and having fever," Castillo told KHOU's Melissa Correa. McIntyre was treated for meningitis while his family waited for more results, according to KHOU. Then his doctors gave the family the news: McIntyre was infected with a brain-eating amoeba. The family was shocked and confused by the diagnosis. "We haven't been to the river this year. We don't go lake jumping or river jumping," Castillo told Correa. After McIntyre's mysterious case, preliminary tests came back positive at three of the 11 locations tested. "We're just as surprised as everybody that the tests came back for the system," Mundo said. Chancellor Rishi Sunak unveiled the Government's plan to protect jobs through its Winter Economy Plan, but some believe this won't be enough to save them all. There was a slight uptick in the number of people becoming unemployed between May to July, according to Office for National Statistics. But with the furlough scheme coming to an end it is likely to rise further. There are jobs available but the problem for job seekers is that there are now more people than usual applying for them. A spokesperson from recruiter Indeed says: 'Competition for the average job on Indeed has more than doubled since last year.' There are lots more people applying for jobs so it's hard to stick out from the crowd. But it's not impossible even though recruiters spend just six seconds looking at CVs Recruiters don't take long to decide whether to advance a candidate through to the interview stage. Deepa Somasundari, director of client success at global job site Indeed, says: 'Employers spend as little as six seconds looking at a CV and like all humans, can often make quick decisions and snap judgements. 'To stand out from the rest of the pile, jobseekers can apply some creative techniques to their CV but should always remember that relevance is what catches an employers' gaze, not emojis.' Here, the latest Interview Cheat Sheet focuses on 12 tips that could help you stand out from a crowd, help stamp out mistakes and get you into an interview to help land the job you are after. 1. Font trick for certain companies can work Ross Patel, co-founder of Sweetshop Media, says he was offered a job with Apple after he personalised his CV. He says: 'A quick Google search led me to a file download for Apple's font. I loaded it into photoshop and in true Apple style, wrote the words... "Ross Patel." 'I continued with "Apple Changed My Life" in a subtle and characteristically Apple space grey. 'I finished it off the cover page with an Apple logo in the centre. After three rounds of successful interviews I was offered the job at Apple.' This little trick can work at a host of companies, and could be a way to stand out from the pile of CVs that employers are likely to receive. Co-founder of Sweetshop Media, Ross Patel, says he was offered a job by Apple after he took time to personalise his CV and demonstrate why he loved the brand 2. Get your elevator pitch right Melissa Sergeant, managing director at Bishopsgate says: 'People that pique my interest and receive five minutes more of my attention are the ones that get the elevator pitch right - whether it's in their CV or the first couple of minutes talking to me. 'Talk about what's different about you. Tell your potential employer about your unique selling point. 'I usually look for the whole package. I don't just focus on skills and what people have done in the past.' 3. Add a little colour Amanda Augustine, careers expert at TopCV, explains: 'In the past, it was usually frowned upon to add colour to your CV. 'However, it's now becoming less taboo to accent your CV with a colour or two that help make your application stand out without distracting the reader or overshadowing the content of your CV. 'If you want to use colour, select a deep hue to use for the titles of each section of your CV; avoid font colours that will blend in with the white background of your document, such as yellow or pastels.' Melissa Sergeant, managing director of Bishopsgate Financial says its important to work on your elevator pitch 4. Include a left rail Augustine says: 'Whilst a traditional one-column CV is still perfectly acceptable and polished-looking, at TopCV we've found that CVs with a left-hand rail or column offer a fresh look that catches employers' attention.' This is where some information is displayed in a separate column in the left-hand side, such as personal details and education. 'This alternative CV helps your application to stand out. 'Just remember, while CV designs with a left-hand rail successfully pass through the electronic net, CVs with a right-hand rail or column will not.' 5. Don't hide behind technology Sergeant says: 'Too many people are still hiding behind laptops and devices. The ones that follow up with a phone call and just want five minutes of my time - those are the ones that get my attention more. 'Of course it's all about balance. If they carry on and on they lose me. But it is a nice to make that human connection as that's so often missing.' 6. Network online Use professional online networks such as The Dots, Indeed and LinkedIn. Patel says: 'Stay engaged and keep an eye out for any opportunity that comes up. 'Don't be afraid to apply for something you're not sure if you want. If they like you, they will make space for you and it might not be where you expected it to be.' Kirstie Davis, head of talent acquisitions at Fennies Nursery says it's important to prove your credentials in your cover note 7. Prove your credentials Do this in your CV or preferably upfront in your credit note says Kirstie Davis, head of talent acquisitions at Fennies Nursery, which currently has eight roles available (see below). She explains: 'Cover notes are an opportunity to highlight their best attributes, skills and expand on their relevant experience. 'This is what we hope to find compared to the notes and lists of generic qualities which often litter CVs. We look for that "I can prove it" statement. 'For example, "during my training period as an apprentice, I shadowed senior staff, allowing me to see the leadership and management skills and the operations behind a busy team. I am now a qualified Room Leader and successfully managing a team of eight staff." 'Showcase yourself around your three strongest points. This may be an achievement; it may be your targets met or why you are that team player.' 8. Bold the text Somasundari says: 'One way of highlighting specific skills, experiences and achievements is by bolding the text. This will help draw the attention of employers to your abilities. Jobseekers should never underestimate the importance of a clear layout and a length that does not exceed two pages. 9. Keep your CV short Somasundari says: 'The best CVs will use as few words as possible. For that reason, formatting experiences as a list of short statements is better than writing out long detailed paragraphs. This will also help cut down on the overall length. 'Depending on your line of work, you may direct the reader to view a video, case study or other write-up you've posted to your personal website to show the employer just how dedicated you are to adding value to their team. 10. Try and solve the company's problems Augustine says pitching a solution to the organisation's needs could land you the job. She explains: 'While this wouldn't necessarily go on your CV, you can utilise this technique when you're applying for positions that are of great interest. 'If you're incredibly passionate about working for a particular company and you are well-versed in their business, consider pitching an idea as part of your cover letter. 'Rather than merely reiterating your qualifications, start off by explaining how you can help the company fill a void or solve a problem they're facing. 'Depending on your line of work, you may direct the reader to view a video, case study or other write-up you've posted to your personal website to show the employer just how dedicated you are to adding value to their team.' 11. Be creative in your application? Trying to be creative may not work in every situation so it's important to think about how well a creative gesture will be received before you spend your time, energy and even money on it. Augustine advises: 'Ask yourself if Is this an organisation that prides itself on creativity and going against the norm? Then, an unusual tactic may be well-received. 'However, if you're targeting an organisation that prides itself on its traditions, your creative approach may make you stand out for all the wrong reasons.' 12. Read the details carefully Crucially, it is important to read the requirements of a certain role - and not simply copy and paste a one-size-fits-all for all employers that you're trying to get a job at. Make sure you have a tailored cover letter, and all your CV details are up to scratch. You want to make it as easy as possible for an employer to look at your application and go: they get these basics right, they're on my 'yes or maybe' pile. By Angelique Ruzicka The burning of straw, plant byproducts and other waste on fields near airports produces smoke that affects visibility for pilots and poses a high risk to flight safety, said an official from Northern Airports Authority.. A farmer is burning straw on her field near Noi Bai International Airport. Head of Safety Management of Northern Airports Authority Truong Hieu Linh told the Vietnam News Agency that smoke from straw burning, flying objects like kites or drones and laser lights threatened aviation safety. As Noi Bai International Airport is located in an area with farming land around, it has been heavily affected by the long-standing local practice of burning straw/plant byproducts or farming waste after rice harvests in late September or early October, either to get rid of the residue or reduce it to fertiliser ash, Linh said. According to Hanoi's Department of Natural Resources and Environment, some 300,000 tonnes of straw is burned annually. A 2012 survey by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Developments crop production department found that of 180,000 Red River Delta households across three provinces, 58 per cent burnt straw in the field. According to Linh, to address the problem relating to laser lights, the National Steering Committee on Anti-terrorism was responsible and had assigned local police to oversee the problem. The Ministry of National Defence has issued regulations to ban flying objects like kites or drones in areas like airports. However, it was difficult to control the straw burning, Linh said, adding that local authorities could help detect and punish if farmers burnt farming waste in their fields but it would be difficult to control if the waste was burnt along roadsides. There are also no specific sanctions for straw burning violations, Linh said, adding that local authorities usually fine the burners for violting social order and security. Communication activities to improve public awareness on the negative impacts of straw burning on the environment and aviation had been taken but were not as effective as hoped, Linh said. The official suggested the Government offer incentives to companies to collect farming waste to help curb outdoor straw burning. Recently, the Hanoi Peoples Committee issued a directive on tightening control over the burning of straw, plant byproducts and farming waste to minimise its negative impacts on the environment. The city also wanted to develop a community monitoring sytem to receive reports on solid waste burning in the city. Under the directive, this month, the city is informing people about the plan to collect, transport and process straw, plant byproducts, and other waste. By years end, authorities need to deploy supportive measures to encourage citizens to not burn straw and plant byproducts and switch to more environmentally friendly waste processing methods. From next year, all straw and plant byproducts in the city are expected to be collected and either recycled or processed while abiding by environmental regulations. VNS London: Chinese artist Ai Weiwei has held a silent protest outside London's Old Bailey in support of Julian Assange, as the final week of the Australian's extradition hearing gets under way. Ai joined Assange's father John Shipton outside the court on Monday morning, London time. Earlier, he posted a photograph of himself and his son Ai Lao on Instagram with both pictured wearing T-shirts showing he and Assange sticking up middle fingers and the words "Free Assange". Chinese artist Ai Weiwei stands with protesters outside the Old Bailey in London. Credit:AP The image on their T-shirts referenced a photograph also posted on Instagram in 2015 taken inside the Ecuadorian embassy where Assange spent seven years avoiding extradition to Sweden on rape allegations. MIDDLETOWN Up-and-coming social media influencer Alanna Rondinone, 16, a Mercy High School student, has rocketed to popularity after a whirlwind of public support for her videos and photos posted on various platforms. In a short period of time, she has garnered 412,600 followers on TikTok and 35,600 on her Instagram page, where she shares professional photographs as well as everyday ones. Shes also on Cameo, where fans can hire her to do personal appearances for parties and other events. Already, shes being recognized in public even though her face is partially covered by a mask, she is asked if photos of her can be taken. A group of people came up to me and asked if it was me. Two boys came up, and then girls. It was so cute, Rondinone said. I love seeing my supporters. Theyre so sweet, loving and caring. They touched my face and asked if I was real, she said with a laugh. Rondinone, who lives in Middlefield, was named second runner-up in the 2020 Miss Teen Connecticut pageant. She has been a dancer for about eight years, a model, acted in school plays, and took singing lessons growing up. She lives a very busy life, balancing school, cheerleading, her career and outside activities. Rondinone also works as a waitress. Its good to understand the value of a dollar and minimum wage, her mother Marlo Bish said. If you dont have that foundation, how do you appreciate whats given to you? Not long ago, friends encouraged her to share her vocal talent, which led to a contract, signed in August with Perpetual Vibes of New York City. She filmed a music video recently in Wallingford, during which she sang a cover song. It will appear on YouTube and Apple Music. The teenager also plans to write original songs down the line. Rondinone is also set to appear on season one, episode five of the Next Big Thing NYC reality show on Amazon Prime. KerriAnn Wolf co-owns Perpetual Vibes with Michelle Moyer, said, Alanna has a kind heart and a wholesome image. Perpetual Vibes uses various online services that track social influencers by scouring the internet, social media, blogs and images looking for people with talent. Wolf looks for accounts with significant numbers of followers, likes on social media, and judges the likelihood of content that is, or has the potential to, go viral, she said. Wolf said she looks for strong and empowered women with a positive self-image. Alanna was one of those, Wolf said. The amount of growth she had in such a short period of time, we saw her really being able to expand her talent much further and onto other networks. Rondinone has unique talent, and multiple passions, Wolf said. She has such a good heart. Shes a beautiful girl inside and out. Shes young and wants to expand her talent in very healthy ways. Rondinone promotes awareness of issues, such as driving and texting, and was part of a campaign run by the state Department of Motor Vehicles. After posting a video with her sister late last year in their Christmas pajamas, she was astonished to see it received 2 million likes. It blew up. After that, my videos kept hitting numbers and numbers, said Rondinone. One in particular saw her dancing to a Lady Gaga song, filmed during the pandemic. It started growing, and it got so crazy that people were direct messaging her, Bish said. Soon, companies were interested in hiring her to represent their brands, and others asking her to promote their songs. Most are filmed in her bedroom, where she has a neon pink flamingo in the background. A few videos didnt include the iconic bird, which prompted fans to ask she include it in the future, because they loved it so much, Rondinone said. In February, she modeled at Fashion Week in New York. Now that shes under contract, Rondinone will make a number of videos on Sunday and parcel them out during the week. Things move so quickly on social media that often shell have to record additional ones to keep up with new music and trends. Shes also a spokeswoman for the Saski clothing company and Sumbum beauty products, tagging them on her posts. Being a social influencer is a hit-or-miss thing, Rondinone said. Each of her TikTok videos span between 15 and 30 seconds, so a lot has to be compressed into a very short time frame. Rondinone follows the current style of dance of simple moves that can be easily replicated. She intends to eventually obtain a masters degree in business and one day run her own company. Its a crazy industry, but I love it. Im the CEO of myself, said the teen, who has said since she was very young she wanted to be famous. Fame is not without dangers, said her mother, who enrolled her daughter in self-defense classes, and counsels her regularly about maintaining her private life while cultivating a career in the public eye. When youre surrounded by a lot of money and a lot of power, [temptations are] more readily available. We dont know were not there yet, Bish said. You might see things, or be asked to do things. I warn her to keep your drink in your hand. Mom worries when Rondinone goes to the mall by herself, and tells her daughter to walk in the center of the concourse, to be aware of her surroundings, and identify exits in case she has to leave quickly. Rondinone attributes her girl-next-door image to everything she learns at her Catholic high school and from her mother and grandmother. With a talent like hers, a personal brand, and who she is as a person is what resonates with people and us, too, Wolf said. For information, visit alannarondinone.us or follow her on Instagram at alannarondinone and alanna.3 on TikTok. Science Academies submit recommendations to the G20 countries In the run-up to the summit of the G20 countries in November 2020 to be held in Riyadh (Saudi Arabia), the science academies of these countries have presented their joint statement "Foresight: Science for Navigating Critical Transitions". The paper was handed over to the Saudi Arabian G20 presidency on Saturday. In their statement, the academies of science emphasize the necessity to consider global challenges in all their complexity and cross-linkage and emphasize the contribution of science to the management of upheavals. The coronavirus pandemic has revealed a lack of foresight and weak points in the areas of health care, economy, social services, and education. The statement was prepared in virtual meetings of the science academies with participation of members of the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina. "The joint statement of the S20 academies draws on insights gained from the current coronavirus pandemic and provides valuable impulses from the international scientific community for all participants of the G20 summit," states Gerald Haug, President of the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina. "Seeing a general referral for employing market-oriented approaches to further sustainability and reducing dependence on fossil fuels is a success. This is a good starting point for prospective international consultations, in which we will advocate a global CO? minimum price. Without this vital instrument, we are bound to miss the two-degree target," Haug continued, commenting on the scientific recommendations of the G20 summit. According to the statement, science can help master global challenges and manage change and upheaval with more ease. In the core fields of health, sustainability, and digitization, it is necessary to act with foresight in order to recognize impending risks early on, take countermeasures and exploit the existing potential for international cooperation. The academies recommend in the field of health, among other things, an international cooperation framework for monitoring emerging diseases and coping with pandemics, research funding for precision medicine in order to make improvements and provide broader accessibility, and strategies for dealing with demographic change. Regarding sustainability and reducing the dependency on fossil fuels, the academies recommend the promotion of renewable energies, including sustainable energy systems, storage technologies, and market-oriented approaches. On digitization, the academies recommend, among other things, measures to provide access to digital technologies and the internet for everyone while at the same time maintain privacy protection and ensure the security of digital networks and devices. ### Recommendations in full are available for download at: http://www. leopoldina. org/ en/ s20 The Group of Twenty (G20) summit of heads of state and government scheduled to take place in Riyadh in November brings the leaders of the twenty most important industrialized and emerging countries together. It will be the fourth time that science contributes with their "Science20" dialogue forum, created specifically for this purpose. Scientific consultation of the G20 summits had its premiere in 2017 as part of the German G20 presidency. Under the leadership of the Leopoldina, the national science academies of the G20 countries had drawn up recommendations for improved global healthcare at that time. For more than ten years, the G7 summits have also been accompanied by the academies of science. Further information on the G7 and G20 processes and the consultation provided by the academies of science can be found at: http://www. leopoldina. org/ en/ de/ international/ g7-and-g20-policy-advice/ The relevant hashtag is #G20Academies. About the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina As the German National Academy of Sciences, the Leopoldina provides independent science-based policy advice on matters relevant to society. To this end, the Academy develops interdisciplinary statements based on scientific findings. In these publications, options for action are outlined; making decisions, however, is the responsibility of democratically legitimized politicians. The experts who prepare the statements work in a voluntary and unbiased manner. The Leopoldina represents the German scientific community in the international academy dialogue. This includes advising the annual summits of Heads of State and Government of the G7 and G20 countries. With 1,600 members from more than 30 countries, the Leopoldina combines expertise from almost all research areas. Founded in 1652, it was appointed the National Academy of Sciences of Germany in 2008. The Leopoldina is committed to the common good. This story has been published on: 2020-09-28. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-28 21:03:25|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close CAIRO, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- Two militants were killed in a police raid in a province north of Egypt's capital Cairo, the Egyptian interior ministry said in a statement on Monday. The national security sector was informed of the hideout of the two militants in a residential area in the province of Qalyubia, the statement said. The militants were planning to carry out assaulting operations in the coming period, it added. Egypt has launched a comprehensive nationwide operation since February 2018 to eradicate anti-security terrorist attacks that were centered mainly in North Sinai, killing more than 1,000 militants. The attacks, most of which were claimed by an Islamic State-branch in Sinai, have killed hundreds of police and army men. Enditem In a year like no other, even Santa Claus may find himself out of work. A visit to the mall to sit on the jolly old elf's lap may be yet another tradition knocked to the wayside by COVID-19, as wary parents keep their children home. Macy's said Wednesday that for the first time in 158 years, kids won't be able to visit with Santa at it's iconic flagship store in New York City, an experience so ingrained in American culture that there was even a movie about it--Miracle on 34th Street. And while that's bad news for kids, it may be worse news for all those Santas who count on gigs at department stores and office Christmas bashes to earn extra cash or, in some cases, a big chunk of their annual income. Mike Hadrych exchanged his jacket and tie for a red Santa suit more than a decade ago, after he retired and began to spend the early days of winter listening to kids' wish lists. He's made up to 70 appearances during a single year. But as he prepares for the first holiday season since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, Hadrych says his phone is barely ringing. "I normally have 20 to 30 bookings, and right now I have two,'' said Hadrych, 72, who lives with his family in Canoga Park, California. "So I expect it to be really, really slow ...There's just a lot of unknowns right now." Though many retailers and organizations are still finalizing plans, it currently looks like in-person Santa bookings will be down "anywhere from 25% to 40%'' this holiday season, says Mitch Allen, founder of HireSanta.com, which taps a database of roughly 2,000 entertainers to place Santa Claus at events and venues worldwide. Mike Hadrych, who plays Santa every year, is booking fewer gigs this year amid the COVID-19 pandemic. A mall Santa with "a real beard, real belly, real laugh,'' can make anywhere between $5,000 and $10,000 working through November and December, Allen says. For many Santa Claus entertainers who are on a fixed income, that extra cash is crucial. Often, "these gentlemen are retired ... and so this loss of income will be substantial,'' Allen says. "Theyve talked to me about how this is going to be a really tough season because of that.'' Story continues Other Santas work as storytellers or perform different characters for audiences year round. But those roles largely disappeared because of shutdowns caused by COVID-19, making this holiday season even more critical for them to make ends meet. Hadrych is among those who have earned more than $10,000 playing St. Nick, typically starting in November and finishing up his rounds in early January. "It's nothing to sneeze at,'' he says of the money, adding that ticking off kids' wish lists also allows him to tick off a few bills. The income I make is enough to pay off our insurance ... and our property taxes. So it comes in handy.'' But, he adds, "I am losing income this year.'' Mike Hadrych plays Santa every year but so far is getting fewer bookings amid the COVID-19 pandemic. A Christmas with no Santa? Not all malls and party hosts are saying no to having Santa appear live. "Santa is coming to a Simon shopping center near you,'' Ali Slocum, spokeswoman for mall owner Simon Property Group, said in an emailed statement. The DeVargas Center in Santa Fe, New Mexico, also still plans to have Santa in person, with a plexiglass shield that can provide distance between the kids and St. Nick, but still allow them to pose for that annual photo. Weve always had Santa, said Katy Fitzgerald, the centers senior project manager, adding that a survey of shoppers found they still wanted to be able to take photos with him in person this year. Its an important tradition. But amid concerns about spread of the virus, including the need to maintain social distancing, many venues are reducing the number of hours Santa will be on site, Allen says, while "a few are extending the hours'' to allow for extra cleaning and other safety precautions. Michael Howe has portrayed Santa Claus off and on for 27 years. But after retiring last June from his career as a middle school computer teacher, Howe, who lives in Reed City, Michigan, decided to become a professional Santa to continue being able to connect with children. Theres a real sense of urgency,'' he said. "This privilege of portraying Santa is more important this year than it has been in a long time for a lot of us, just because of the unrest within our country, and the challenges economically and socially. Michael Howe worries there will be fewer in-person opportunities to play Santa Claus this holiday season in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. But many of those who say they would like to book Howe this season are hesitating as they try to determine the best way to proceed in the midst of the health crisis. Howe, 60, says he could make between $6,000 to $8,000 in a typical year. Its very meaningful to me because, even though Im retired as a public school teacher, Im not drawing Social Security yet,'' he says. "The income is very needed. One of Howe's fellow Santas who typically greets children at a mall during the holiday season has seen his proposed pay cut in half. If there are cases of COVID-19, Howe says his friend may not earn even that. He could work one day of that contract and then have to go home because of the virus, Howe says. Howe says he has his own concerns about the coronavirus's possible spread. "I want to do personal visits,'' he says, "but I also want to make sure that Im safe.'' Virtual Visits? Trading the mall for Zoom As a board member of the Michigan Association of Professional Santas, Howe has been meeting with the men he calls his brothers in red every Friday for the last three months, brainstorming via Zoom on how to keep the Christmas spirit alive amid COVID-19. One Santa has created a mock mail room, Howe says, so kids can whisper their wishes through the post office window but still maintain a safe distance. Weve talked about instead of wearing the typical white cotton gloves, wed wear white leather gloves so we could sanitize our hands in between each visit,'' Howe says. "Guidelines keep changing so we keep coming up with more creative ideas. The Michigan Association of Professional Santas meets regularly via Zoom to discuss creative ways to still perform this holiday season amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Talk has also focused on virtual visits, enabling kids to talk to Santa through a computer screen. Macy's says virtual visits with Santa will kick off Nov. 27 and continue through Christmas Eve. And video platform VisitWithSanta.com is "definitely seeing an uptick in interest ... attributable in part to the unfortunate circumstances of the pandemic,'' says Carla McAnulty, spokeswoman for the platform's parent company, WelcomeSanta.com. Jim Beidle will likely do all virtual appearances as Santa Claus this holiday season, the first since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. HireSanta has also seen a surge of interest in virtual visits. "Weve done them in the past, but we're really gearing up this year, and orders for them have been tremendous already,'' says Allen, adding that many Santas have told him they don't want to appear in person because age and underlying health issues make them more vulnerable to contracting the coronavirus. Jim Beidle, 61, says the one in-person appearance hed booked at a house party has already canceled. For him, virtual is the way to go. "I am choosing not to do in-person visits unless there are some very strict protocols in place and this is primarily out of concern that I dont want to become a vector,'' says Beidle who lives in Arlington, Washington. "Ill be doing Santa entirely virtually at this point... It is definitely going to be a lighter season this year for me.'' D. Sinclair hasn't seen requests for him to perform as Santa dip this season but he says that connecting with others is more important than money. Though he's earned as much as $5,000 in a season playing Santa, Beidle says fewer gigs will not be a significant financial hardship. In addition to being an ordained minister, he's also a professional storyteller and an information technology consultant. "It's going to be a ding on my wallet this year, and it won't be quite as much fun,'' he says, "but ... it's not going to break me.'' D. Sinclair, 56, who is also known as the Real Black Santa, says he was able to earn more than $40,000 last year, and he believes that he may equal that this holiday season as his business pivots to virtual visits. But even though you can make a lot of money, the guys that continue to do it, do it because they love what they do, said Sinclair, who has been performing as Santa in and around Atlanta for nearly 20 years and has entertained the children of kids who once sat on his lap. I like going to someones home and watching the kids' eyes light up. Thats what Santa Claus is about. Its not about income. D. Sinclair has been performing as Santa for nearly two decades. Seeing Santa Safely Despite the likely increase in virtual visits, Santa's superstar status makes him a big draw for retailers who after being largely shut down in the spring, may need him more than ever to bring in foot traffic this holiday season. HireSanta is working with a manufacturer to create plexiglass shields that allow kids to see Santa in person but without contact. "We think well be putting this in a number of our large retailers that we deal with because they really rely on Santa ... to draw people into their establishment,'' says Allen who is also working with the DeVargas Center in Santa Fe. Some clients are also doing outdoor events. "They'll still have Santa, but hell be sitting on a sleigh and kids will be 6 feet away,'' Allen says. Jerry Bianco volunteers to play Santa Claus at his church and for an organization that works with children in foster care. But this year, amid COVID-19, may be different. Tweaking the in-person experience is preferable to doing a visit with Santa remotely, some say. "I've thought about doing a virtual visit, but that doesnt seem personal enough,'' says Jerry Bianco, an accountant in Phoenix who volunteers to play Santa two or three times during the Christmas season. "I think it would be hard to explain to a young child, 'Why can't I sit in Santa's lap?' because that's just what you do.'' Bianco's church has already canceled his appearance as Santa this year, but he's hoping that he can still reprise his annual gig for an organization that works with children in foster care. He says that he could lead a group in singing Christmas carols if there's a need for social distancing, or that his wife could sew a giant mask that he can sport over his beard. "I'm terribly concerned for my safety, and for the kids,'' he says. "But I really feel like I can take enough precautions for myself to feel comfortable with it.'' In the pandemic, an opportunity Howe says he has been adapting to the new reality. In response to requests from parents who contact him on his Facebook page, he's created more than a hundred videos in the past few months that encourage kids as they cope with a weird and distressing new world. I get to be a part of their life like a surrogate grandfather, he says. He's told children to keep washing their hands to ward off the virus and recently called a little boy to offer reassurance as he started kindergarten. Technology has allowed him to be a part of their life for more than just Christmas.'' It's also allowed Howe to deliver the most important message of all. "Everything is going to be OK,'' he tells them. " 'Eventually, well get back to normal. And I cant wait to see you.' Follow Charisse Jones on Twitter @charissejones This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Macy's says Santa won't be coming to town for first time in 158 years GRAND RAPIDS, MI Masks will be mandatory and classrooms will be at 50 percent capacity when Grand Rapids Public Schools offers a hybrid learning option next month after an online-only start to the school year, according to plans released by the district. The district detailed how it plans to bring some students back into the classroom in a letter sent to GRPS parents Sept. 25 although some details are still up in the air until the district knows exactly how many students plan to choose in-person learning. Parents have until midnight on Monday, Sept. 28, to complete a commitment form for whether they want to switch to hybrid learning or if they want to keep their kids in virtual learning. Some GRPS families were alarmed last week after the district sent a letter, titled Commitment Form for Hybrid In-Person or 100% Virtual Learning, asking parents to commit to in-person or virtual learning even though the district had not yet released any details about hybrid learning plans. The district told families they had seven days to choose between the two learning plans, according to last weeks letter. Families who did not submit a form would automatically be placed in the hybrid plan and would be committed to that plan until Jan. 4, the letter said. RELATED: Grand Rapids parents get 1 week to decide on in-person learning with no proposed plan But the district later clarified that the commitment form was to be treated as a preference form and families would be able to switch their preference before the start of the second marking period Oct. 19. Grand Rapids administrators decided in August to conduct online-only classes for at least the first nine weeks of the year, as long as Michigan remains in Phase 4 of the MI Safe Start Plan. The plan was to be reassessed after the first nine-week marking period, which ends Oct. 16. RELATED: Grand Rapids school board approves online-only learning to start year The school district is the largest in West Michigan with 15,343 students, according to GRPS. GRPS released a Frequently Asked Questions document with details on the districts proposed hybrid plan on Sept. 25. Under the proposed hybrid model, students would be divided into two groups Cohort A and Cohort B and each group would get two days of in-person learning and three days of virtual learning a week. GRPS will work with families to make sure siblings can attend school on the same days, the district said. Masks will be required during in-person learning, although the district did not say if there will be mask breaks incorporated into the schedule as some schools have done. Mask use will be enforced as a student conduct issue, according to the letter. Schools are not required to conduct temperature checks, GRPS administrators said in the document. But there will be a health screening process according to standards set by the Kent County Health Department. The district is sticking by its mandate from last week that once families choose hybrid or virtual learning, they are committed to that choice for the remained of the semester. If GRPS schools close due to positive cases found in classrooms, the district will switch to all virtual learning until it is cleared to return by the health department. Families wont be able to choose which days their child attends hybrid classes, the letter said. The district plans to have one cohort attend classes Mondays and Tuesdays, while the other cohort would attend classes Thursdays and Fridays, with everyone online on Wednesdays. Some details remain up in the air as the district waits to get a final count on how many students plan to opt for in-person learning. For example, it remains unclear whether students will eat their lunch in the classroom, cafeteria or gymnasium. It is also unclear whether students will have the same teachers for hybrid learning that theyve had for virtual classes. School leaders are working with the teachers union to finalize staffing, according to the letter. Our goal is to maintain as much continuity of learning for all students during this transition, the letter said. However, it is possible that students may have a new teacher as part of this transition in either the hybrid in-person or virtual model. To help you navigate this complicated fall, were pleased to offer you a simpler way to get all of your education news: Our new Michigan Schools: Education in the COVID Era newsletter delivered right to your inbox. To receive this newsletter, simply click here to sign up. More on MLive: When school is safer than home during a pandemic Some students could fall through the cracks without in-person learning Grant Public Schools move some students to virtual learning due to coronavirus outbreak With 60 days to go before the election, James O'Keefe, of Project Veritas, has dropped a bombshell: he's got incriminating video exposing the ballot-harvesting corruption that is the norm in Ilhan Omar's Ward 6 in Minneapolis. It's blatant, and it's completely illegal. With the help of a courageous whistleblower, undercover video, and hidden camera videos, the latest Project Veritas video reveals that Omar's campaign is up to its eyeballs in ordering absentee ballots for elderly people, filling out the ballots in her favor or for someone else in her clan, and then submitting them. A lot of money changes hands to make this happen. Those who harvest the ballets are getting paid in cash, and some of the people whose ballots are being harvested get paid in cash, too. An anonymous woman explains that what we're witnessing is a tribal activity. When it comes to Omar getting votes, everyone involved on her behalf has a Somali tribal relationship with her. The fraud extends beyond mere tribalism. Jamal, a political operative from Minnesota's Democrat-Farmer-Labor Party, the progressive branch of Minnesota's Democrat party, explains on hidden camera that the party knows exactly what's going on in Ward 6. Still, it has no interest in stopping it. It's also not in Jamal's interest to try to stop it, because he's afraid he'll suffer physical harm. Jamal points out that what's happening isn't the fault of the immigrants who hand their blank ballots over to the harvesters. They come from a world in which this kind of strong-arming about voting is usual, he says, so they believe that it continues to be the norm in America. The whistleblower, Omar Jamal, stepped forward because he believes that this corruption is weakening the Somali community and that Ilhan Omar is furthering this corruption: "It's an open secret," he said. "she [Omar] will do anything that she can do to get elected and she has hundreds of people on the streets doing that." Omar Jamal, because of his connection to Somalia, understands that corruption eats away at the fabric of a country. No country is immune to political corruption. As long as it's frowned upon, though, and doesn't become entrenched, the country can survive it. However, when political corruption becomes the norm, the nation is in trouble: "If American people don't pay attention to what's happening, the country will collapse," he said. "The regulations, if you ignore that and you let corruption and fraud become a daily business and then tough luck, the country will not exist as they [Americans] know it," Jamal said. "I'm afraid it's already too big to stop, you know, maybe it's too late. Maybe it's already too big to stop," he said. "There's a lot of people invested in this, you know, and they don't care how they did it: 'We win,' and that's it." In a just world, the Project Veritas video would shake up this election. However, we know from past exposes that the mainstream media will assiduously ignore it. The media understand that, even though they're disrespected, they still drive political discourse in this country. If they're not screaming about massive Democrat voter fraud in the papers and on the television, it's unlikely to gain any traction and, therefore, will not affect the upcoming election. O'Keefe promises a second, even more explosive video, this one directly involving Omar herself, so he might be able to light a fire. Even if Minnesota's hard-left Black Muslim attorney general, Keith Ellison, doesn't care, it's to be hoped that the attorney general of the United States, William Barr, does care. Image: Ballot-harvesting in Minneapolis. YouTube screen grab. After severing its ties with the BJP over farm bills, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) has now asked its members to resign from the posts held by them in the three municipal corporations of Delhi, ruled by its former ally. The party has decided to give up all the posts it jointly held with the BJP in any organisation, including the municipal corporations, the president of the Delhi unit of SAD, Harmeet Singh Kalka, said at a press conference on Monday. The Delhi unit of the party chalked out its future course of action at a meeting of its core committee held earlier in the ... ANN ARBOR, MI The Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti Regional Chamber has joined a growing list of groups endorsing Ann Arbors tax proposal to fund affordable housing. In a statement released Monday, Sept. 28, the business group explained why its supporting Proposal C, a 20-year, 1-mill levy on the Nov. 3 ballot that could help create an estimated 1,500 new affording housing units around the city. Housing affordability is both an individual need and a major factor in the success of the local business community, the chamber stated. There is an urgent need for additional housing in Ann Arbor which working people can afford. The lack of affordable housing presents an enormous economic challenge for families spending the majority of their paycheck on housing, and a huge impact on area prosperity because too many businesses have been unable to find the workforce they need to operate or grow, the chamber stated. Ann Arbor voters to decide tax proposal that could raise $160M for affordable housing Higher housing costs also lead to less spending on other things that can help grow the service industry, the chamber stated. We dont take a tax increase lightly, but Proposal C will provide long-term solutions to our affordability problem, Susan Pollay, chair of the chambers board of directors and longtime Downtown Development Authority executive director, said in a statement. This challenge has been with us for decades, and this solution will achieve real outcomes on this issue. The proposed property tax would raise over $6.5 million in the first year and potentially around $160 million over the next two decades, according to city estimates. It would cost $125 per year for the owner of a $250,000 market-value home with a $125,000 taxable value. The demand for housing affordable to our work force keeps growing, but the supply has not, primarily due to a lack of dedicated funding, the chamber stated. Voters in Ann Arbor have a chance to change this, by voting to approve Proposal C on the November ballot. Here are some projects Ann Arbors proposed affordable housing tax could fund While the millage would increase the local tax burden, chamber officials said much of the workforce needed to support and grow the local economy would be served by it. The new housing funded by the millage could be developed by the Ann Arbor Housing Commission, local nonprofit developers and through public-private partnerships. The exact location for these new houses and apartments will be decided in the future, but a general plan to construct hundreds of new units on a dozen city-owned properties is already under development, the chamber stated, calling Proposal C a substantial step in the right direction. A coalition known as Parters for Affordable Housing is campaigning for it, and early polling showed 77% support. Supporters include Avalon Housing, Citizens for Mental Health and Public Safety, Community Action Network, Ecology Center, Food Gatherers, Huron Valley Area Labor Federation, Interfaith Council for Peace and Justice, Michigan Coalition Against Homeless, Ozone House, Peace Neighborhood Center, Shelter Association, SOS Community Services, United Way, Washtenaw Housing Alliance and many others. While there appears to be no organized opposition to the millage proposal, some city officials and residents have raised concerns about the cost burden of another property tax. MORE FROM THE ANN ARBOR NEWS: Whos running in the November 2020 election in Washtenaw County These 12 proposals are on the November 2020 ballot in Washtenaw County Tax proposal on November ballot would help fill Ann Arbors sidewalk gaps Democrats vs. Republicans: 4 state House races in Washtenaw County on Nov. 3 ballot A roundup of county-level races on the Nov. 3 ballot in Washtenaw County Dressed as Captain Planet, Ann Arbor lawmaker hits campus to urge UM students to vote Read more 2020 local election stories. Update at 11:43am: PG&E has given the weather all-clear when it comes to Calaveras County, and crews are inspecting lines ahead of restoring power. Power will be restored throughout the afternoon, with an anticipated full restoration for all of the county by 6pm. Original story posted at 6:11am: Calaveras County, CA A PG&E planned power outage is impacting 5,132 customers in Calaveras County and 5,666 customers in nearby Amador County. The power went out last night. Calaveras is the southern end of the planned power outage in the Sierra foothills, as Tuolumne and Mariposa counties have no outages. PG&E plans to restore power between 4-6pm today. In total, it is impacting 65,000 Northern California customers across 16 counties. The initial plan, due to high fire danger, was to cut power to 89,000 customers, but it was reduced yesterday by 27-percent. Community Resource Centers are open at the Chapel in the Pines Church on Cedar Lane in Arnold, the Murphys Fire Department on Jones Street and the VFW Post 3322 building on Spink Road in West Point. Independent MEP Luke 'Ming' Flanagan has claimed his Twitter account was hacked after it posted a late night comment about naked photographs of former Green Party candidate Saoirse McHugh. Mr Flanagan's claim that he was hacked came after his account tweeted "Sapirse mchugh photo skinny dipping (sp)" at 2.50am on Monday morning. The post has since been deleted but screen grabs of the comment have been shared online by other Twitter users. The comment may be a reference to photos of Ms McHugh swimming which previously appeared in the Guardian newspaper. This afternoon, Mr Flanagan posted a comment suggesting his account had been hacked. "Have just changed my password. I believe my account was compromised. I am contacting to twitter to establish what has happened (sp). Some nasty people out there. Mind yourselves," he wrote. Ms McHugh told Independent.ie Mr Flanagan contacted her today to tell her about the situation. She wasn't aware of the issue before he contacted her. The former Green Party candidate said she accepts Mr Flanagan's explanation. She said: "I believe him and I don't think there's anything more to say about it." Mr Flanagan is a close political ally of Ms McHugh and campaigned for her in the general election. The Midlands North West MEP also rushed to her defence when she got in an online spat yesterday with the Irish Farmers Association (IFA). "Saoirse got more votes than your organisation has real members," Mr Flanagan wrote after the IFA twitter account mentioned Ms McHugh was unsuccessful in her attempt to get elected to the European Parliament. "She has more integrity in her smallest finger nail than your whole organisation. She'll be an MEP yet. We'd be lucky to have her," Mr Flanagan added. When contacted about Mr Flanagan's claim that his account had been compromised, a Twitter spokesperson said: We've nothing to share here." "I thought, 'Could this book be the basis of the exhibition?'," Earls said. "If I look through the book, it has all these stories it is a narrative but within that narrative are all types of objects and artworks that are part of his story. "I put that idea to the [William Robinson] gallery, quite prepared for them to say 'No, thats not how we put exhibitions together', but they didnt. "And because no one said 'no', it ended up happening." In one anecdote, Robinson tells of shifting from inner-city Brisbane to Birkdale which was bushland at the time after being driven out by his neighbour. "He bought an electric guitar. He wasnt a good player, and I dont think he was much of a learner. But he was very loud," he said. Robinson himself once considered becoming a concert pianist but focused instead on his figurative landscapes, which use multiple focal points and operate on several planes. "Self Portrait with Stunned Mullet" (1994). As a result, his images of farmyard chooks and the mountain landscapes near Beechmont, among many others, seem to swirl and sway like the impressionists' works. His delicious self portraits drip with irony, and just a little sadness. "When you're an artist, you're a bit of a loner," he said. "You have a sort of isolated take on things, so it is not so much direct humour, it is rather a commentary on life and people." This is evident in much of his work. "Self Portrait with Stunned Mullet [1994] is really based on the Hogarth painting The Shrimp Girl [1740-1745]," he said. "She has this half smile on her face. So in my work, I have my own face. And of course, it references the common saying 'looking like a stunned mullet'. "I was trying to get my own 'look' at the time." Robinsons painting career didn't start until his 50s. Before that he worked as a trade teacher, a geometry teacher at art school, and then teaching teachers. "I was always locked ... into teaching," he said. "Whereas most artists, when they graduate, they are free as the bees and they can wander all around. "Not me. I got married when I was 22 in 1958, so then we had a family to support. It was a nice ordinary life I suppose, but with an extraordinary life teaching teenagers at teaching college. "I really started my life as a geometrical and perspective teacher at the College of Art." It was here, he believes, that he absorbed the ideas about different perspectives that shaped his landscapes. "We have been taught too much today by the camera, which relies on the one eye, as it were, but our own eye goes on swivelling around all the time. "And our own view of the world is made up of multi-views, as it were even backwards." "The Sea with Morning Sun from Springbrook" (1996) by William Robinson. Oil on linen. Credit:Source: QUT Art Collection, purchased through the William Robinson Art Collection Fund and a partial donation by Michael Gleeson-White The other new skill Robinson has developed this year is smaller landscapes inspired by the Wynnum-Manly esplanade. "It has turned out to be the most interesting subject for me. They are little paintings, and they are all about the activities of people on that esplanade, including the markets. While questions may arise over the sheer dominance of a single corporate group in running airports in the country, it pretty much fits into the government's plan to get out of this space and earn revenue without working for it. Sai Manish reports. IMAGE: Terminal 2 at the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport in Mumbai. Photograph: Danish Siddiqui/Reuters The government has no business to be in business. This mantra of capitalism, invoked by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to US investors in 2015, was reiterated recently by his Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri. With Air India's privatisation hanging fire amid extended deadlines, Puri on August 30 said, 'The government should not be running airlines and airports.' Puri's statement came a day before the Adani group bought majority stake in Mumbai airport from GVK. The Adani group now controls seven airports in India which makes it the biggest private operator in this space. Ahmedabad, Lucknow and Mangaluru were the first to be awarded to it after a competitive bidding in July 2019 against stiff competition from GMR, Fairfax, Flugafen Zurich AG and others. Two weeks before the Adani group bagged Mumbai, the Modi Cabinet accorded approval for Guwahati, Jaipur and Thiruvananthapuram as well. While bidding for the six airports happened simultaneously, the Cabinet approvals were staggered. These seven airports handle almost 21 million international passengers; almost a third of India's total international passenger traffic. That's in addition to 62 million domestic passengers; almost a fourth of all domestic air traffic in India. In effect, the Adani group now has access to 26 per cent of all air passenger traffic in the country. No private entity, except GMR, which operates Delhi and Hyderabad, controls two or more airports. While Adani's seven airports handle as much passenger traffic as GMR's two airports, they have shown exponential passenger growth -- much higher than the national average. They are also expected to grow faster than others. The conglomerate itself estimates that in the near future, passenger growth at the six airports (excluding Mumbai) will be 17 per cent as compared to 12 per cent for other Indian airports. These airports come with 225 acres that can be monetised for non-aeronautical purposes till 2070, when Adani's 50-year lease will expire. While questions may arise over the sheer dominance of a single corporate group in running airports in the country, it pretty much fits into the government's plan to get out of this space and earn revenue without working for it. The Modi government was mulling not allowing a single corporate to run more than two airports. But no concrete proposal or rules have been notified yet. Lease revenue from Delhi and Mumbai airports accounts for almost 30 per cent of AAI's annual Rs 14,000 crore (Rs 140 billion) revenues. Revenues have dipped over the past few years, from around Rs 3,800 crore (Rs 38 billion) in 2016-2017 to Rs 3,000 crore (Rs 30 billion) in 2018-2019. Adani's deal for the six airports is different from AAI's agreements for Delhi and Mumbai. For India's biggest airports, AAI gets a share of the revenues earned by their operators. So when revenues dip, so does the money received by AAI. While Adani's takeover of GVK's stake in Mumbai will not change this arrangement, AAI will be hoping the deal for other airports fetches it higher revenues every year. Under the concession agreements signed for Ahmedabad, Lucknow and Mangaluru airports, Adani will pay AAI Rs 177, Rs 171 and Rs 115, respectively, for every domestic passenger. AAI will also receive twice these amounts for every international passenger. Assuming that a similar arrangement is also made for Thiruvananthapuram, Guwahati and Jaipur, an off-hand calculation shows that Adani could end up paying Rs 750 crore (Rs 7.5 billion) for these six airports to AAI every year. With these airports expected to witness high annual passenger growth, this could well translate into better revenues for the government. A caveat to this would be the revenue loss from not running these airports for AAI. A significant portion of AAI's non-lease revenues comes from the 21 international airports it operates. The 78 domestic airports, eight customs airports and the few civil enclaves in defence airfields account for a much smaller portion. Almost all of these are loss-making. After the deal with Adani, AAI would be left with 15 international airports. The six airports leased out to Adani reported revenues of Rs 1,700 crore (Rs 17 billion) in 2018-2019. Four of them -- Ahmedabad, Guwahati, Mangaluru and Thiruvananthapuram -- were profit-making. These airports, the only few which recorded profits, made Rs 200 crore (Rs 2 billion) in combined gains. So while AAI would have to forgo almost Rs 1,700 crore in revenues after leasing these airports to Adani, it would net another Rs 500 crore (Rs 5 billion) by not running them. Source: Ministry of Civil Aviation. Note: All figures are for 2018-2019 Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff.com Adam Przeworski famously wrote that authoritarian equilibrium rests on lies, fear, or economic prosperity. Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko has felt safe for his first twenty years in office primarily due to a strong economic performance. At the time of the previous presidential election in 2015, Belarusian GDP per capita (in purchasing power parity adjusted terms) was almost three times as high as in 1994 the year when he came to power. On average, in 1994-2014, per capita incomes have been growing at a healthy 5.5% annually. The catch, of course, was that this growth was due to massive subsidies from Russia: 10%-20% of GDP per year, by International Monetary Fund (IMF) estimates. Once the Russian economy went into a recession followed by prolonged stagnation due to a decline in oil prices and Western sanctions, Belarusian economic growth also ran out of steam. Russia went through a major austerity exercise at home and could not afford to be as generous to friendly authoritarian regimes as before. As a result, Belarusian GDP per capita stopped growing: its average annual growth rate in 2014-2019 was precisely zero. Given the bankruptcy of Lukashenkos growth model, it is not surprising that he lost the 2020 election and resorted to violence and lies (for the latter he even had to import two planeloads of Russian TV propagandists). It is difficult at present to predict the outcome of his fight against Belarusian society. However, it is useful to discuss the structure of the Belarusian economy as this helps understand the countrys political economy and thus inform Europes strategy regarding Belarus. First and foremost, the Belarusian economy is dominated by state-owned enterprises (SOEs) and state-owned banks. Despite many promises to both Russia and the West, Lukashenko has eschewed privatisation, so the share of the state in the Belarusian economy (and especially in its industry) is much higher than even in China. According to various estimates, SOEs account for half the GDP and almost 60% of employment. Some Belarusian SOEs are profitable but most are not and therefore rely on subsidised inputs from Russia or bailouts by state-owned banks. Much of the SOEs debt to the banks or the markets will have to be assumed by the government or restructured, which in turn will mean that the banks will have to be bailed out by the government. However, the governments own debt is already growing quickly and further market borrowing is costly: Belarusian eurobonds trade at 7% per year in dollar terms. The SOE subsidies are not only a fiscal problem; they also limit the chances of restarting economic growth. As SOEs depend on subsidies and bailouts, they have no incentive to restructure and invest efficiently and their productivity stagnates. While SOEs dominate the commanding heights of the Belarusian economy, there is also a private sector mostly small and medium-sized enterprises (SME). The private firms face an unfair competitive environment and are harassed by bureaucrats; those that survive are run by highly motivated and talented entrepreneurs. The private sector includes a very important enclave of IT companies the High Technology Park (HTP). HTP is a special tax and legal regime which is used by more than 800 companies throughout the country. While they employ about 1% of Belarus labour force, they account for about 10% of the countrys exports. Lukashenko has always tried to take credit for the success of HTP. However, by 2020 it became clear that his outdated regime is a liability rather than an asset for the IT companies further growth. HTPs falling out with Lukashenko is epitomised by HTP founder Valery Tsepkalos bid for the presidential nomination in the 2020 elections. Tsepkalo was not registered as a candidate, was harassed by Lukashenkos law-and-order agencies and was forced to emigrate. Another important economic and political factor is the large diaspora. Various estimates suggest that 3.5 million Belarusians live outside the country compared to about 9.5 million residing inside. The diaspora sends back remittances and promotes economic and social interactions between Belarus and other countries. Given the economic dead end of the last few years, it is not surprising that private entrepreneurs and their employees as well as Belarusians based abroad saw the need for change. What was more striking is that they were supported by many SOE workers previously, the stronghold of the regime. The likely explanation for this turnaround is the rise of social media that overcame the propaganda of state TV. Another opposition politician who attempted a presidential run this year, Sergei Tikhanovsky, rose to prominence through his YouTube blog. The blog has 300,000 subscribers and the most popular videos have been viewed over a million times. (Mr. Tikhanovsky was also unable to register as a presidential candidate; he was arrested before the election; however, his wife, Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, ran for president and apparently won the election in the first round). Since August, the main opposition Telegram channel, NEXTA, has grown to two million subscribers. The independent online media have probably convinced the state sector workers that Lukashenkos economic model is struggling especially compared to already rich and growing European neighbors Poland and Lithuania. The economic challenges are an important piece of the Belarusian puzzle. In order to continue paying his policemen, Lukashenko needs money. He also needs to roll over his external debt. In September 2020, Moodys warned that the Belarusian banking system faces major risks and that the Central Banks foreign currency reserves can only cover 25% of the banking systems foreign currency liabilities. Economic problems have also contributed to the downward pressure on the Belarusian ruble which has lost a quarter of its value to the euro in the last 12 months. This brings in the last missing piece of the Belarusian political economy: Russia. As it has done before, Russia could bail Belarus out. Not surprisingly, facing the protests and the growing economic difficulties, Mr. Lukashenko has intensified his contact with Vladimir Putin and has already announced that Russia is ready to help. Whether this is actually the case, and if so, what price Belarus would pay for a Russian bailout remains to be seen. In 2018-2019, Mr. Putin allegedly considered the integration of Belarus into Russia as a solution for his 2024 problem: creating a new state would allow him reset his term limits. As this scenario was blocked by Lukashenko then, Putin went for another, blunter approach simply rewriting the Russian Constitution and zeroing out term limits for himself. It is not impossible, however, to see that he still wants to return to the unification of Russia and Belarus. But losing national sovereignty would certainly be highly unpopular among Belarusians and the Kremlin seems to understand this. Thus, it is not clear what Belarus strategy the Kremlin will choose. What can the EU do? It has both principles and instruments to defend them. As it has done in the past, the EU should state clearly that stealing elections, arresting opposition politicians and beating peaceful protesters is wrong and follow up with sanctions, putting the money where its mouth is. The EU should also promise economic support to the democratic and reform-oriented Belarus both through the European Commissions toolkit and via the EUs and its allies representation in international financial institutions such as the IMF, the World Bank and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. If Belarus embarks on the reform trajectory, there are many reasons to be optimistic about its economic performance. This is a well-educated country next to Europe. It does not have oligarchs and petty corruption. Finally, as the last weeks have demonstrated, its society wants to build a modern country based on European values. The Prominent Civil Rights Advocacy group HUMAN RIGHTS WRITERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (HURIWA) has condemned the Executive Secretary of the National Human Rights commission Mr. Anthony OJUKWU for speaking against the decision of the Kaduna State administration to enforce chemical castration of rapists just as the Rights group said the new law by the Kaduna State legislative house should be made a national law just as the Rights group said it was unimaginable that a human rights Commission set up to defend rape victims is canvassing soft landing for vicious rapists and sex offenders. In a detailed media Statement by the National Coordinator Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko and the National Media Affairs Director Miss Zainab Yusuf, HURIWA said this tendency to speak for sex offenders by the National Human Rights commission in a season of epidemic of sexual violations of kids by adult predatory brutes should be condemned in its totality. The statement says thus:"For the avoidance of doubts and to clear any ambiguity, HURIWA BACKS the call and the law bringing into being the chemical castration of rapists. We hereby RESTATES our earlier position sent to the National Assembly thus;"In Nigeria rape is unlawful carnal knowledge of a female by a male. It could be non-consensual sex with an adult female or carnal knowledge of a female child or minor. On the other hand Chemical castration is the use of anaphrodisiac drugs to lower sexual drive. It does not involve removing a persons testicles like surgical castration but only the use of drugs delivered by injection to render the testicles irrelevant. According to the American Journal of Criminal Law, 1990, chemical castration reduces the production and effects of testosterone, thus diminishing the compulsive sexual fantasy. Formerly inconsistent and commanding urges can be voluntarily controlled. Jurisdictions with Chemical Castration Law Chemical castration is legal in 8 States of USA although not all States make the treatment mandatory. In 1996 California became the first US State to legalize it by requiring mandatory treatment for repeat sex offenders but discretionary injections for first time offenders. Florida and Texas followed suit but in the latter State, the offender must be at least 21 years of age. In Iowa, chemical castration is allowed in all cases of serious sex offences. In Louisiana, judges can sentence convicted rapists to chemical castration. The State of Alabama law passed in 2019 requires, as a condition of parole, that convicted sex offender of a child under the age of 13 undergo the treatment which will continue until a court rules otherwise. In Canada, the courts cannot order offenders to undergo chemical castration they can only impose psychiatric treatment, which can include the use of anti-libido medication. In 2006, the Canadian Court of Appeal ruled it constitutional for the National Parole Board to require that recidivist sex offenders, if found to be long-term offenders, be chemically castrated as conditions of release. Most jurisdictions in the European Union do not impose chemical castration as a compulsory punishment but as a discretionary condition for parole or reduced sentence. In Italy is optional because making it compulsory would likely offend against the constitution where it is determined that punishment cannot consists of treatment which go against sense of humanity. In Finland it is only allowed if it will alleviate the subjects mental anguish over deviant sexual drives while Denmark, Germany and Norway permit it if it can be demonstrated that the subject may be compelled to commit sexual crimes due to uncontrollable sexual urges. Sweden allows the procedure in the event that the subject poses a threat to society and the practice is completely voluntary and requires that the subject be fully informed of all possible side effects. In Russia a court may order the prescription of chemical castration for an offender who harms a victim of less than 14 years. The only EU State where sexual offenders can be compulsorily sentenced to chemical castration is Poland. In 2011 South Korea became the first Asian country to legalize chemical castration and it applies to perpetrators of sexual crimes against minors of less than 16 years. Indonesia followed suit in 2016 after the public outcry that greeted the rape and murder of 14 year old school girl, Yuyun, by a gang of 12 men and boys. The Indonesian law grants the court power to order chemical castration of repeat sex offenders and sexual abusers of family members besides the sentence of imprisonment. The application of chemical castration in South America is similar to that of Europe where it is only voluntary condition for reduced prison term although it is not as popular on the continent as Europe. Rationale for and Merits of the Procedure One obvious and major rationale for the treatment is its ability to lower sexual urge and reduce sex offences. During a debate on the bill for chemical castration in Alabama, the sponsor, Representative Steve Hurst, made this profound statement if it will help one or two children, and decrease that urge to the point that person does not harm that child, its worth it. The Indonesian President, Mr Jokoko Widodo, was more forceful while defending the law: Our constitution respects human rights, but when it comes to sexual crimes there is no compromise. In my opinion.. chemical castration, if we enforce it consistently, will reduce sex crimes and wipe them out over time. The proponents of the procedure posit in this regard that the public interest and safety runs higher and takes precedence over individual and criminals rights. This utilitarian approach appears to be the best rationale for the procedure. Closely related is the believe that the concept of chemical castration may have the positive psychological effect of calming the nerves of people in the society about the horror of the existence of sexual predators and reoccurrence of sexual predation. Usually recidivism rate of sexual offenders without treatment and cost of imprisonment are so high that it is considered the most appropriate punishment for the crime and alternative to imprisonment. The procedure is reversible unlike surgical castration, thus convicts can return to living normal lives after they have been certified to have overcome sexual predatory disposition over a period of time. Criticism and Demerits Although there is a uniform concern on the alarming rate of sex-related crime and its attendant socio-cultural implications, Chemical castration as a solution to the ugly state of affairs, there is no consensus on the solution. Chemical castration has more opponents than proponents due to some attendant or inherent obvious demerits. One criticism of chemical castration is its potential side effects which range from phlebitis, gynecomastia, feminization, cardiovascular disease, depression, osteoporosis to Infertility, amnesia, hypertension, among others. According to Michael Seto, Director of Forensic Rehabilitation Research at the Royal Ottawa Mental Health Centre: One problem is that there can be serious side effects so some pedophile offenders are unwilling to try them, or try them and then quit or have to quit because of the side effects. A classic case was popular United Kingdom computer scientist, Alan Turing, who, on a charge of gross indecency in 1952, accepted chemical castration as a condition for his probationary sentence but later suffered gynecomastia, bloating of the physique and eventually committed suicide. Worse still is the fact that the side effects are said not be reversible. This is one reason for the opposition of the procedure by the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida. In 1984 US State of Michigans Court of Appeals held as unconstitutional the requirement of chemical castration as a condition for bail on the basis that the drug used in the procedure had not gained acceptance of being safe and reliable. Again the treatment is not effective in all sex offenders because not all sex offenders have pedophilic interest. Some offenders commit rape because of opportunity while others are attributable to antisocial personality disorder.. According to Dr Renee Sorrentino a forensic Psychiatrist in Massachusetts and Medical Director at the Institute for Sexual Wellness, it is only useful for some offenders. Besides, there are testosterone boosting drugs that can counter the effect of castration. In 2002, a convicted pedophile in New Zealand, Robert Jason Dittmer, attacked another victim while he was on the drug. Furthermore it is recommended that the treatment to be accompanied by some other forms of therapy and regular care which is not readily available. According to the World Federation Societies of Biological Psychiatry guideline, combined psychotherapy and pharmacological therapy is associated with better efficacy compared with either treatment as monotherapy. This again reveals some other detriment of the treatment, cost of managing the procedure. In Korea, quarterly treatment of one person cost about USD4, 650 per year while some persons require monthly treatment. Moreover the procedure is situated between punishment and treatment since it lacks informed consent by the recipient and as such remains an ethical issue among medical practitioners, some of whom consider it out rightly unethical and denounce it. For instance, the Indonesian Doctors Association are opposed to the law of chemical castration. According to Dr Daeng Muhammad Faqih, Chairman of the Association: From scientific view point, this is less effective because the intervention that is happening is hormonal, physically. Whereas according to medical studies, the cause of sexual crimes is not hormonal issue, but a mental disorder. Doctors cannot execute the punishment. Firstly, according to our code of ethics, doctors must help people or treat them. The chemical castration is meant to punish and hurt, so to speak. This conflicts with our code of ethics. Secondly, it conflicts with the laws for practicing medicine and its regulation that says doctors must only take that action in context of medical services. Chemical castration is not medical service. Thirdly, (there) is the principle of patient autonomy. The patient must agree to what is being done to them. This concern is equally expressed by lawyers in jurisdictions where chemical castration is legal. Canan Arin, a lawyer in Turkey expressed the view in these words: Chemical castration is a punishment that will merely assuage the victims immediate wish for revenge. It will not address the underlying problems. Sexual abuse not only committed because of a mans genitals. Sexuality and male-female relationships in Turkey are not healthy. Thus right activists argue that the procedure is most cruel, barbaric and a violation of rights to dignity of the human person and medical choice. However a very a very profound statement, echoing the minds of many, was made by Larry Don McQuay, a convicted sex offender in Washington Monthly (1994) who said: What is barbaric is what I have done to so many children I will molest. [Chemical Castration] is considered cruel and unusual punishment. But no punishment is crueler or more unusual than the pain I have caused my victims. Voluntary castration is not unconstitutional Summary and Conclusion It is observed that there is increasing awareness of the need for stiffer penalties for sex offenders especially relating to minors in the light of the prevalence and damaging consequences of the offence. Chemical castration is gaining ground as an alternative to imprisonment especially in developed economies. However there is the problem of medical ethics. Also health safety of the procedure remains a serious concern. Violation of human rights is another problem. There is obviously a craving for a sustainable solution to the menace of rape in Nigeria but chemical castration has a lot of obstacles to its acceptability and legality. Besides the general problem of medical ethics, the procedure is too sophisticated for a less developed economys medical facility like ours. There is also a huge cultural barrier of Africanizing an unnatural procedure. At best, voluntary chemical castration can be considered in Nigeria in a few years after great strides in the economy, medical practice and health care system." HURIWA recalled that the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) had expressed concern over the recent amendment of the Kaduna State Penal Code Law No.5 of 2017, providing stiffer penalties to the offence of rape, including castration of offenders. Executive Secretary of the Commission, Tony Ojukwu Esq. Who stated this in Abuja while reacting to new Kaduna State House of Assembly legislation on rape and other Sexual Gender Based Violence (SGBV) observed that the said amendments violates Section 2(ix) of Anti-Torture Act of 2017, which outlaws "mutilation such as amputation of essential parts of the body such as the genitalia, ears or tongue and any other part of the body". In a press statement signed by the Assistant Director Public Affairs, NHRC, Fatimah Agwai Mohammed, Ojukwu stressed that castration in this regard negates human rights standards and principles and therefore should be jettisoned. While calling on the Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai to withhold his assent to the amended Penal Code Law until the State Assembly expunges the aspect of the law that stipulates castration of culprits the human rights boss emphasized: "This amendment violates principal corpus of international human rights norms, including article 5 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and article 7 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, both of which provide that no one shall be subjected to torture or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. "Which means there can be no justification for torture, no exceptional circumstance whatsoever, whether a state of war or a threat of war, internal political instability or any other public emergency, may be invoked as justification for torture", he said. Ojukwu therefore restated that torture cannot be justified even with criminal jurisdiction exercised in accordance with internal law such as the Penal Code Law of Kaduna State, otherwise it will be tantamount to legislating torture." HURIWA CONDEMNS the haste by the National Human Rights commission to speak for criminal rapists just as we strongly recommend the implementation of chemical castration of rapists as a punishment to be created by law and once this is done by way of a passage into law, It can not be erroneously presumed as torture just the same way that capital punishment is permitted for capital offences. States such as Virginia, Oregon and Washington have created their own enforceable rules to control, prevent and mitigate the spread of the virus among farmworkers. But federal mandates are necessary to ensure that employers are doing enough to protect workers, advocates said. I really believe that the agencies, state and federal, who are in charge with regulating the agricultural industry need to be looking at binding requirements to address COVID-19, said Daniela Dwyer, a Texas RioGrande Legal Aid attorney who has spent years working with the states migrant labor population. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration does not keep track of complaints involving agricultural workers, which are primarily migrant workers who travel within the U.S. to job sites and people on temporary work, or H-2A, visas. But the agency has tracked complaints involving farm labor contractors, which hire these kinds of workers and transport them to job sites. As of Sept. 6, OSHA has closed nine complaints about COVID-19 that involve farm labor contractors. A California employer made at least three people who tested positive for the virus continue working without masks, according to OSHA records. Another California employer provided warm water to workers because the virus made cool water unsafe and unhealthy, according to the records. Twelve complaints about farm labor contractors remain open. There have also been two COVID-19 complaints related to migrant camps, where some workers live; one has been closed. Similar to meatpacking plants, which federal data shows that about half the COVID-19 cases are among Hispanics, the situation has hit Latinos particularly hard because they make up the majority of agricultural workers. As of 2018, more than 60% of farm laborers, graders and sorters were Latinos, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. And about three-quarters of about 3 million agricultural workers were foreign born, mostly from Mexico, according to the National Center for Farmworker Health. Its highly disproportionate, and from my perspective, a direct assault on so many `Mexicanos and Mexicanas (Mexicans) working as essential workers and not being adequately protected in places of employment, said Erik Nicholson, former national vice president for United Farm Workers, a California-based union. At least 16 farmworkers have died from the coronavirus, according to tracking from the Food and Environmental Reporting Network. There could be many more, advocates said. The Mexican Ministry of Foreign Affairs tallies how many Mexican nationals have died from COVID-19 in the U.S. _ as of Sept. 14, it was nearly 2,400 _ but it doesnt include job descriptions for the people who died. When Cabrera Flores arrived on June 3 at his job site in Gillett from his home in Texas, he had to wait two weeks before working, he said. He was also tested for the virus. So far, everything was going well, he said. We started working as usual, but some time after we started, the problems began. Thats when new workers werent being tested, he said. They came from Laredo, Texas, which has a large outbreak, and two Mexican cities in the state of Nuevo Leon, which has one of the biggest outbreaks in the country, according to data from the Mexican federal government. In Wisconsin, the federal OSHA regulates agricultural jobs like Cabrera Flores. The state doesnt oversee workers employers to ensure testing is being done, said Tyler Tichenor, a spokesman for the states Department of Workforce Development. The agency has no guidelines or rules to protect farmers or any other workers from contracting COVID-19, he said. Since Cabrera Flores stopped working in Gillett, some workers have told him that the company resumed testing. Still, despite taking a financial hit and losing the ability to return next year, Cabrera Flores was so scared he left his job. He said that other workers did not follow him in quitting because they fear that they will not be able to find another job in the future. In early July, Marco Antonio Galvan Gomez, 49, arrived in Texas from central Mexico on an H-2A visa, allowing him to work in the U.S. for a set period of time. He worked near Dalhart, in northern Texas, for Blaine Larsen Farms, a potato grower with facilities in three states that employs hundreds of H-2A workers. About three weeks later, he died, said Daniela Dwyer, a lawyer with Texas RioGrande Legal Aid. In a complaint to OSHA about Blaine Larsen Farms, the legal aid office wrote that workers were not adequately protected. It is our understanding that workers are being housed in congregate housing, with insufficient COVID-19 prevention measures, as well as such measures not being taken at the worksite, the complaint reads. Blaine Larsen Farms did not return multiple requests for comment. Dwyer said she believes the virus also spread to an adjacent farm, CSS Farms, which also employs H-2A workers from Mexico. The two farms do business together and some family members of those who manage at Larsen Farms are employed at CSS Farms so there are business and social connections between the two, she said. Laurie Widdowson, a manager at CSS Farms, said the company keeps workers safe by having paid sick leave, personal protective equipment and social distancing rules. But Widdowson said at least several employees have tested positive for the virus. Since the beginning of the global pandemic, five employees at our Dalhart farm have reported (sporadically over that six month period) that they had contracted Covid19, she said in an emailed statement. They were instructed to follow government quarantine protocols and not to return to work until cleared. Fortunately, all have recovered. On Aug. 7, OSHAs Lubbock Area Office opened investigations into Blaine Larsen Farms, operating as Circle C Ranch, and CSS Farms, citing health concerns. OSHA conducted an on-site inspection of Circle C Ranch, an agency spokesperson said. The cases remain open. As always, CSS Farms will cooperate and comply with any regulatory audits to ensure the continued safety, health and welfare of our valued employees, Widdowson said. Texas has not issued binding rules for employers of migrant and H-2A workers, and the state has long failed to protect farmworkers, according to a 2016 Austin American-Statesman investigation. While OSHA has opened investigations in Texas, Dwyer said she believes some complaints have not garnered the attention they deserve. Not all of them have resulted in in-person investigation, she said. The primary reason that OSHA does in-person inspections is because one shouldnt rely exclusively on what an employer is saying that theyre doing. OSHA will take the steps needed to address unsafe workplaces, including enforcement action, as warranted, the agency spokesperson said. During the COVID-19 pandemic, OSHA has had its fewest number of safety inspectors since the 1970s, according to the National Employment Law Project. In June, an agency spokesperson said the agency was actively recruiting inspectors. In southern Illinois, several orchards bring in farmworkers each year for the harvest, but there has not been widespread testing among workers there, said Karla Grathler, the farmworker health coordinator at Shawnee Health Service based in Carterville, Illinois. Instead, employers in the area were getting tests for workers who were already symptomatic, she said. Only one orchard accepted to have 23 of their migrant workers tested as soon as they arrived to our area, she said. The decision of the grower was based on the fact that these migrant workers travelled through and stopped in several states being at risk of exposure. The grower did not want to mix the migrant workers with his seasonal workers without having them tested first. The lack of widespread testing could contribute to not having a full picture of how many farmworkers have been affected by the coronavirus, advocates said. Dwyer, from Texas RioGrande Legal Aid, said that mass workplace testing, which some meatpacking plants have done, is necessary for accurately tracing and preventing the spread of the virus among farmworkers. Coronavirus cases have also gone under-reported in agriculture because of the lack of healthcare access and the fear of deportation or retaliation from employers, she said. There could be many, many people who are sick, she said, adding that the worker population is so underground without connections in the community where they work that they might not be able to access care to know that theyre sick. Because of that, authorities may never know if they tested positive or died, she said. Also, said Baldemar Velazquez, president of the Farm Labor Organizing Committee in Ohio, concerns about income loss might be leading workers to avoid testing. Workers are even afraid to come get tested, he said. They feel that if they get tested, they get any symptoms theyre going to lose work, theyre not going to get paid and they cant feed their family. Nicholson said that his union struggled to document the spread of the virus due to stigma among workers about being infected. The problem we have is that for many workers catching the virus is something that `da verguenza (theyre ashamed of), and people dont talk about it, and they lay low, he said. Nicholson pointed to the family of a Mexican man who died in June from COVID-19 as a potential example. For many Mexicans in the United States, being buried in their home communities in Mexico has a special ceremonial significance. But, because of the disease, the mans family was not able to repatriate his body and bury him in Oaxaca. Instead, they had to cremate the remains, which was against their beliefs, Nicholson said. Had the family simply said, `No, se nos murio alguien (somebody in the family died, without mentioning the virus), they would have been able to bury their `ser querido (loved one) in Oaxaca, he said. Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, left, and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi shake hands before their meeting in Beijing in this October 2018 photo. They are both expected to visit Korea next month. / Korea Times file By Kang Seung-woo Korea once again appears to be being dragged into a diplomatic row between the United States and China as the top diplomats of the two countries are expected to visit here next month, and are both likely to pressure Seoul to stand with the "right side" in pursuing its foreign policy. According to diplomatic sources, Monday, Korea and China are in talks over Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi's trip to Korea for next month although the format and time have not been decided yet. If realized, Wang would have visited Korea twice in less than a year, with his last visit being December 2019. Yang Jiechi, the head of the Communist Party's foreign affairs office, also traveled to Busan last month and met with National Security Adviser Suh Hoon. During his envisaged trip, Wang is expected to talk with Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha about bilateral pending issues, including Chinese President Xi Jinping's trip to Korea, as well as the security situation on the Korean Peninsula, but Beijing's efforts are likely to focus on persuading Seoul from participating in the U.S.-led movement to keep China at bay in their "new Cold War." His trip also carries extra significance as U.S. Secretary State Mike Pompeo is also expected to travel to Korea early next month. "Wang's trip is China's countermeasure to Pompeo's Korea visit, which would be aimed at presenting a united front with Korea and Japan against China," said Park Won-gon, a professor of international politics at Handong Global University. Park said the U.S. secretary is expected to urge Korea to express its intention to participate in an expanded form of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (QUAD), a strategic forum established in 2007 to counter China. "Taking advantage of Xi's planned visit to Korea, China may cajole the government into staying away from the U.S.-led Indo-Pacific strategy, aimed at containing its rise in the region." Shin Beom-chul, director of the Center for Diplomacy and Security at the Korea Research Institute for National Strategy, said China was going tit-for-tat over Pompeo's visit. "While the U.S. will urge Korea to stick to the ROK-U.S. alliance, China is likely to stress their bilateral strategic relationship, but in the end, both countries will try to win Korea over to their side in their intensifying diplomatic row," he said. Shin advised the government to take a cautious approach to the issue. "While Korea is trying to benefit from its respective ties with the U.S. and China, it must not cause misunderstanding about them," he added. Last week, Foreign Minister Kang told a virtual seminar, hosted by the U.S.-based nonprofit foundation Asia Society, that it was not a good idea to join QUAD to constrain China. "We don't think anything that automatically shuts out, and is exclusive of, the interests of others is a good idea," Kang said. "If it's a structured alliance, we will certainly think very hard on whether it serves our security interests." Two motions are being put forward to Toronto city council this week concerning Little Jamaica, an area that has struggled for almost a decade from the economic impacts of the Crosstown LRT construction, making it more vulnerable to the impacts of COVID-19. Councillor Mike Colle (Ward 8 Eglinton-Lawrence) is putting forward a motion recommending urgent action to help small businesses along Eglinton Avenue West survive the almost 10 years of construction thats already closed many beloved shops in the community. Colle said COVID-19 has made this issue all the more urgent as cases rise in Ontario, with 700 new cases reported Monday. There has to be some compensation, he said, as a lifeline to the struggling businesses of Eglinton West. Nadine Spencer, president of the Black Business and Professional Association (BBPA), agreed she said businesses in Little Jamaica are scared about the potential of a second shutdown, and she believes compensation is urgently needed to avoid more permanent closures over the winter. Theyre barely hanging on, she said. Colles motion, supported by Councillor Ana Bailao (Ward 9 Davenport), recommends a number of immediate actions including compensation to small-business owners for losses due to the construction of the Eglinton LRT construction by Metrolinx. It also asks for the immediate completion of the western portion of the line from Yonge St. to Black Creek; a reform of the provincial property tax assessment system to ensure commercial properties are not assessed according to their potential use; and a request for Metrolinx to eliminate surface construction equipment on Eglinton West from public areas like sidewalks. In an emailed statement, a Metrolinx spokesperson said they are committed to getting the construction done as quickly as possible, and that they have made great progress despite the pandemic. They said Metrolinx has supported advertising campaigns for the Caribbean, West Indian and Filipino communities and is participating in the mayors roundtable on Black business. The motion also recommends the city look into designing the area as the Eglinton West Little Jamaica Heritage and Economic Innovation Hub, and that recognition of local Eglinton West Black civil rights leaders is incorporated into the three Crosstown LRT stations. If were going to have a vibrant Little Jamaica, weve got to put an immediate cash flow in there to keep those that are still there right now going. Meanwhile, Councillor Josh Matlow (Ward 12 Toronto-St. Pauls) said he, supported by Mayor John Tory, will be putting forward a substantive plan created in consultation with community groups that addresses both the short- and long-term concerns of Little Jamaica. Matlow said he appreciates Colles intentions, and agrees with the requests in his motion. He said he hopes they can work together on a plan to address the issues faced by Little Jamaica business owners, who have been asking for support since construction began in 2011. Colle said Matlows motion doesnt address the short-term concerns of Little Jamaica businesses, and that it doesnt include immediate compensation or completion of the construction. Matlow, however, said he believes his plan encompasses the immediate and long-term issues. While the details havent been released, he said the plan directly addresses requests by Black-owned businesses and includes a framework that ensures the community will be consulted. It actually has to be a substantial, thoughtful plan to both address the immediate needs and the long-term vision to support Little Jamaica, the businesses and the community, he said. Beni Bouka is a business owner in Little Jamaica. She opened Beni Boo Styles around six years ago, and said shes watched businesses all around her close ever since. Its very disheartening and its very discouraging, she said. While shes happy to see these issues being recognized more widely, Bouka said shes not holding out hope for compensation, as this isnt the first time its been brought up. Spencer agreed. She said business owners are tired of conversation. They want to see action, she said. The widespread business closures have deeply impacted the community, Bouka said, resulting in job losses, income reduction and a rise in crime. Bouka said she wants to see the long-term plan for Little Jamaica include economic development, as well as for rising property taxes and insurance premiums to be addressed. Spencer said moving forward, more work needs to be done to ensure that Black-owned businesses in Little Jamaica can access COVID-19 support. Earlier in 2020, a group called Black Urbanism Toronto released a report that said the LRT construction has resulted in the closure of 140 businesses in Little Jamaica since it broke ground in 2011. It recommended Metrolinx (the provincial agency in charge of the LRT construction project) compensate the remaining businesses for the difficulties the construction has caused. The Metrolinx spokesperson said they are reviewing this report in the context of the Ontario governments pledge earlier this year of $3 million for promoting businesses along Eglinton Ave., and that details on what this funding will provide is forthcoming. Advocates recently renewed the call to officially brand the area as Little Jamaica in recognition of its rich history. A new youth-led group called Reclaim, Rebuild Eg West set up a GoFundMe to raise money for grants to support Black-owned businesses in Little Jamaica. In an emailed statement, a spokesperson for Reclaim, Rebuild Eg West said while the group is happy to see councillors efforts on behalf of Little Jamaica, it is disappointed by a lack of commitment to provide Black families with the tools to thrive in a neighbourhood undergoing gentrification. We hope to see these motions lead to tangible aid for residents and businesses alike. Read more about: WASHINGTON: Computer systems across a major hospital chain with facilities across the nation were down Monday due to what the company termed an unspecified technology security issue. Doctors and nurses had to rely on paper. Universal Health Services Inc., which operates more than 250 hospitals and other clinical facilities in the U.S., said in a short statement p osted to its website Monday that its network was offline and doctors and nurses were resorting to back-up processes including paper records. The Fortune 500 company, with 90,000 employees, said patient care continues to be delivered safely and effectively and no patient or employee data appeared to have been accessed, copied or misused. The company also has hospitals in the United Kingdom, but its operations in that country were not affected, a spokeswoman said Monday night. UHS provided no details about the incident, but people posting to an online Reddit forum who identified themselves as employees said the chains network was hit by ransomware overnight Sunday. The posts echoed the alarm of a clinician at a UHS facility in Washington, D.C., who described to The Associated Press a mad scramble, including anxiety over determining which patients might be infected with the virus that causes COVID-19. John Riggi, senior cybersecurity adviser to the American Hospital Association, called it a suspected ransomware attack," adding that criminals have been increasingly targeting the networks of health care institutions during the coronavirus pandemic. Ransomware is a growing scourge in which hackers infect networks with malicious code that scrambles data and then demand payment to restore services. Increasingly, ransomware purveyors are downloading data from networks they infiltrate before encrypting targeted servers, using it for extortion. Earlier this month, the first known fatality related to ransomware occurred in Duesseldorf, Germany, after an attack caused IT systems to fail and a critically ill patient needing urgent admission died after she had to be taken to another city for treatment. UHS itself may not be a household name, but its hospitals are part of communities from Washington, D.C., to Fremont, California, and Orlando, Florida, to Anchorage, Alaska. Some of its facilities provide care for people coping with psychiatric conditions and substance abuse problems. The company, based in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, did not immediately respond to emails seeking additional details, such as whether patients had to be diverted to other hospitals. The Washington clinician described a high-anxiety scramble to handle the loss of computers and some phones starting Sunday. The person, involved in direct patient care, was not authorized to speak publicly and described the chaotic situation on condition of anonymity. The loss of computer access meant that medical staff could not easily see lab results, imaging scans, medication lists, and other critical pieces of information doctors rely on to make decisions. Phone problems complicated the situation, making it harder to communicate with nurses. These things could be life or death, the clinician said. The facility has a downtime protocol, in which everything is supposed to be done with paper and pencil, the staffer added, but no one was expecting to have to use it. Lab orders had to be hand-delivered. There was a lot of concern about how to determine whether or not patients had been exposed to the coronavirus. The clinician said no harm came to any of the 20 or so patients they attended to. However, anxiety reigned during the entire shift. Handing off a patient to another department, always a delicate task because of the potential for miscommunication, became especially nerve-wracking. We are most concerned with ransomware attacks which have the potential to disrupt patient care operations and risk patient safety," said Riggi, the cybersecurity adviser to hospitals. We believe any cyberattack against any hospital or health system is a threat-to-life crime and should be responded to and pursued as such by the government. Ransomware attacks have crippled everything from major cities to school districts, and federal officials are concerned they could be used to disrupt the current presidential election. Last week, a major supplier of software services to state, county and local governments, Tyler Technologies, was hit. In the U.S. alone, 764 healthcare providers were victimized last year by ransomware, according to data compiled by the cybersecurity firm Emsisoft. It estimates the overall cost of ransomware attacks in the U.S. to $9 billion a year in terms of recovery and lost productivity. The only way to effectively recover, for those unwilling to pay ransoms, is through diligent daily system data backups. In an apparently unrelated cyberattack affecting a U.S. medical facility, Nebraska Medicine hospital in Omaha suffered an outage last week that led to the postponement of appointments for patients with elective procedures or other non-critical health concerns, The Omaha World-Herald reported. The hospital said emergency rooms remained open, and no patients were diverted to other hospitals. It said no records were deleted or destroyed thanks to the systems back-up and recovery processes. The statement did not include any further information about the attack. ___ Bajak reported from Boston. Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor Hitting midlife can still turn up the heat among women in ways many might not expect. It's not just the onset of hot flushes with the menopause but the fire of passion burning brightly. Thousands of women aged 45 to 60 were quizzed about their feelings on intimacy in the bedroom... or elsewhere for that matter. Hitting midlife can still turn up the heat among women in ways many might not expect. It's not just the onset of hot flushes with the menopause but the fire of passion burning brightly [File photo] And rather than feeling like the flames of desire had long since gone out, more than a quarter said sex was 'highly important' when they got to middle age. Not only that, it continued to matter as they headed into their senior years. They were also more likely to have better sexual satisfaction with their partners. Meanwhile nearly half of those in the study told how sex was important during midlife although the buzz faded after 60. The reactions of the 3,200 women interviewed about how their interest in sex was affected throughout the menopause echoed those of Davina McCall this month. Flirty signs your date's keen on you Are you the kind of single chap who struggles to tell if your date likes your jokes or can't wait to head for the exit door? Luckily for you, researchers think they've identified the look a woman gives when she's interested in a man. They cracked the 'perfect flirting face', used by women to demonstrate sexual interest. The facial cues include a head turned to one side and slightly tilted down, a smile and eyes turned towards the implied target, the study published in the Journal of Sex Research found. And these expressions are most likely to activate associations with relationships and sex in male brains. Lead author Omri Gillath, of Kansas University, said: 'Not only were we able to identify the expressions that represent flirting, but we were also able to reveal their function.' Advertisement The TV presenter, 52, rejected the notion that women's sex lives are ended by the change, insisting she still wants to be 'naughty' and women can still enjoy intimacy as they age. She added: 'People say, 'Oh, it's all gone... menopause... you're finished'. It's really important to say that people in their 50s are having the time of their lives.' Scientists say studies like this are important in understanding the needs of women as they age. Lead author Dr Holly Thomas said: 'In contrast to prior literature reporting that the importance of sex decreases as women move through midlife, we found that, for a quarter of women, sex remains highly important.' And rather than feeling like the flames of desire had long since gone out, more than a quarter said sex was 'highly important' when they got to middle age. Not only that, it continued to matter as they headed into their senior years [File photo] From an ethnic perspective, black women were more likely to rate sex as important for the duration of midlife. However, Chinese and Japanese women said more often that it did not matter or that intimacy became less important. Other variables included women with symptoms of depression, who were more likely to rate sex as mattering less to them. The results from the University of Pittsburgh study will be presented today during the virtual annual meeting of the North American Menopause Society. Medical director Dr Stephanie Faubion said waning sexual desire was often dismissed as a natural part of ageing. But she added: 'Often there are other treatable reasons, such as depression.' Chennai, Sep 28 : The AIADMK will fight the 2021 Tamil Nadu Assembly polls in the existing set up - with Chief Minister K. Palaniswami as the head of the government and Deputy Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam as the party Coordinator, a senior party official said on Monday. "There will not be any change in the current set up. The status quo will continue. The party will face the elections with Palaniswami heading the caretaker government while Panneerselvam stays party Coordinator," the senior official, who did not want to be identified, told IANS. According to him, this will be the announcement that would be made by Panneerselvam and Palaniswami on October 7. After the party's Executive Committee meeting here, Deputy Coordinator K.P. Munusamy told reporters that the party's Chief Ministerial candidate will be announced on October 7 by Panneerselvam and Palaniswami, who is also the party's Joint Coordinator. As to the deliberations at the Executive Committee meeting, the senior leader said it went on for about four hours, and owing to the lack of time, all the members were not able to speak. The long-time party leader said there were speakers who spoke in favour of the two top leaders. "Palaniswami supporters spoke about the goodwill earned by the government in tackling the Covid-19 pandemic and other aspects. Similarly, supporters of Panneerselvam also praised his part in the government," the leader said. According to him, Panneerselvam had said that he had not demanded the Chief Minister post. At the time of merging his faction with the AIADMK, Panneerselvam had agreed that he will be the Deputy Chief Minister and party Coordinator and till now, he has maintained that. Earlier, the Executive Committee passed a resolution to exhort AIADMK cadres to work unitedly to win the Assembly elections. The committee also passed resolutions urging the Centre to release pending GST dues, not to give Karnataka the permission to build the Mekedatu dam, and also to drop the National Entrance-cum-Eligibility Test, the party said on Monday. The meeting also passed resolutions seeking that the Central government release funds to fight Covid-19 pandemic, retrieve the Katchatheevu islet transferred to Sri Lanka, and to include an expert from Tamil Nadu in the committee to study the origin and evolution of Indian culture during the past 12 millennia. The meeting was held at the party headquarters here, outside which a festive mood prevailed. Party cadres gave a rousing welcome to both Panneerselvam and Palaniswami when they arrived. Where Eagles Dare is directed by Brian G Hutton, featuring Richard Burton, Clint Eastwood, and Mary Ure in the lead roles. The 1986 British action movie is set in the backdrop of World War II and revolves around a team of Allied soldiers, which plans a rescue mission of a US General. As the Germans have captured him in a castle fort, they all plan to enter the place in the Bavarian Alps before they start questioning the general. The team of seven commandos proceeds with Nazi disguises. But amid all of that, the two mysterious killings shake everything up. Suddenly, their mission comes to a halt when they discover a traitor among themselves. The movie garnered a positive response from the critics and the audience alike. Considered as a classic, Where Eagles Dare also received appreciation for its splendid destination. So, we have mentioned everything that you need to know about Where Eagles Dare filming location. 'Where Eagles Dare' filming location Village railway station According to IMDb, the filming of Where Eagles Dare took place in different locations of Austria. The shooting happened during the winters and early spring of 1968. In the flick, the team of seven commandos arrives at the village railway station to begin with their rescue mission to Bavarian Alps. This location is Salzach Valley, Austria. It is around 20 miles to the south of Salzburg. Burg Hohenwerfen Fortress The mountaintop fortress lies about Werfen. Built in the 11th century, Burg Hohenwerfen Fortress is open to the general public and serves as a museum and falconry centre. Moreover, it has an official page for tourists on different social media platforms with alluring images of the destination. Also read: 'The Take' On Netflix Streaming Without Subtitles Leaves Netizens Confused Also read: 'Friends' Reunion Trailer: Fan-made Videos That Left Viewers Thinking Of Them To Be Real Feuerkogel Mountain lift Moreover, people do not need to travel via cable-car to that destination, which was visible in the action movie. Among numerous fake cable-car scenes in Where Eagles Dare is a tramway Feuerkogel Mountain lift. It began operating from 1927 at Ebensee, which is at the southern part of Traunsee in Salzkammergut Mountains. Also read: Tom Felton Opts For A New Look For Netflix's 'A Babysitters Guide To Monster Hunting' Also read: What's Leaving Netflix In October 2020? Bid Goodbyes To These Netflix Shows In October Scholars have talked about those early Hoppers as showing us his childhood home in Nyack, N.Y., and as examples of his preternatural talent as a self-trained young painter, and actually, both these things are not true none of the oils are of Nyack, and Hopper had a middling talent for oil painting, until he went to art school, said Mr. Shadwick, adding, Even the handling of the paint is pretty far from the accomplished works he was making even five years after that. Those weak brush-skills are now the only thing in those earliest oils that anyone can lay claim to as Hoppers. Its always great to find out something new about a major artist, said Carter Foster, deputy director at the Blanton Museum of Art, in Austin, and a Hopper expert who organized the landmark show of his drawings at the Whitney Museum in 2013. He got to know Mr. Shadwicks work after meeting him at a Hopper symposium and admires the depth of the archival research involved. He also admitted that the discovery did not come to him as much of a surprise, given that, before the advent of modern art and its freedoms, artists almost always got their start by copying. For Kim Conaty, curator of drawings and prints at the Whitney Museum in New York, where she is at work on a big Hopper show, the copying that Mr. Shadwick revealed has more important repercussions: It cuts straight through the widely held perception of Hopper as an American original, she said as an artist whose innate genius allowed him to emerge on the scene without a debt to others. The only real influence Ive ever had was myself, he once claimed. Ms. Conaty said that Mr. Shadwicks discovery promises to be a pin in a much broader argument about how to look at Hopper. Mr. Shadwick is building precisely such an argument in his doctorate; the parts Ive read look very promising. A truck driver accused of shooting his boss and wounding another person outside a Connecticut industrial building was charged Wednesday with assault and other crimes after being brought back from Massachusetts, where police arrested him at gunpoint on a highway. Alan Rosario, 33, appeared by video from a jail at a hearing in Springfield, Massachusetts, and waived his right to fight extradition to Connecticut. Detectives brought him to the police department in South Windsor, Connecticut, the town where the shooting occurred, on Tuesday morning. Rosario, of Springfield, was detained on $250,000 bail for charges including second-degree assault with a firearm, third-degree assault, threatening, reckless endangerment and illegal discharge of a firearm. It was not clear if he has a lawyer who could respond to the allegations. Police said that Rosario shot another employee of a trucking business during an argument in a parking lot, and that a third man was wounded by shrapnel. Both victims were treated at a hospital and discharged. Their names have not been released. Another worker at the company, Shakah Oakes, a mechanic at K2 Logistics, told reporters that he didnt see the shooting, but that his manager told him what happened. Oakes said Rosario was upset Tuesday about a truck he was assigned to drive by the manager, who was shot while sitting in a truck. I know the two had tension. They did fight a lot but I didnt think it would go to this point, he told WVIT-TV. What really all happened is because he didnt want to take the truck that he wanted him to take and he said, No, youre taking this truck, he didnt like it and got mad. Police said Rosario fled after the shooting and was taken into custody at gunpoint on Interstate 91 in Longmeadow, Massachusetts, not far from the Connecticut line. South Windsor police relayed a description of Rosarios vehicle to other police departments, and Enfield officers spotted the vehicle headed into Massachusetts, authorities said. Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Auto Commercial Lines Abuse Molestation Business Insurance Law Enforcement Massachusetts Connecticut Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) buses continue to ply on roads in Mangaluru despite a statewide bandh being observed by various farmers organisations on Monday against the amendments to the agricultural produce market committee (APMC), land reforms ordinances and labour laws introduced by the B S Yediyurappa government. Similarly, normal traffic movement was seen in Shivamogga. However, the police force has been deployed in Kalaburagi in the wake of a statewide bandh. While protesters tried to stop a bus in Hubli by blocking road amid a statewide bandh today. However, passengers arrived at Majestic Bus Station, Bengaluru to board a bus. Meanwhile, All India Kisan Sabha and other organisations protest in front of Hemavathi statue in Hassan and held a bike rally. On the other hand, some farmers organisations offer flowers to shopkeepers in Hubli, requesting them to support the statewide bandh. The bandh has been called in to protest against Farm Bills that has now become acts, land reform ordinances, amendments to Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) and labour laws. The Bills that have now become acts are- The Farmers Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Service Act, 2020 and The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020. On September 27, Deputy Chief Minister Laxman Savadi warned that acts of damaging public property, if any, will be dealt with strictly and assured the public that there will be no disruption in transport services in the state. As per media reports, on September 22, the state government tabled The Karnataka Land Reforms (Second Amendment) Bill, 2020 in the assembly, to replace the Karnataka Land Reforms (Amendment) Ordinance, 2030. The new bill will further ease restrictions on buying agricultural land, and ceiling on the extent of land one can hold. (ANI) Mayor Ron Nirenberg and many of San Antonios business leaders, frequently at odds during his administration, have entered into an uneasy alliance to try to convince voters to pass a sales tax proposal in November to help workers hurt by the pandemic get back on their feet. Throughout his administration, business leaders have vehemently opposed Nirenberg on matters they say would wreak havoc on local businesses such as a mandatory paid sick leave ordinance and a plan to reduce carbon emissions. For now, it seems many of those misgivings have been set aside although not forgotten. Nirenberg and his allies have assembled a cadre of business leaders to back his plan to use a 1/8-cent sales tax for a workforce development program aimed at helping those who lost their jobs because of the coronavirus pandemic and putting a dent in the citys endemic poverty. The plan aims to help 40,000 people over the next four years at a cost of $154 million. Despite being scant on details, the idea has won the backing of the San Antonio, South San Antonio and Hispanic chambers of commerce the same leaders who had grave qualms about the paid sick leave ordinance. I think Ron hit it right where he needed to hit it, Richard Perez, San Antonio Chamber of Commerce CEO, said of the workforce proposal. Joining them are executives of major San Antonio-area companies like H-E-B, Rackspace Technology, USAA, Frost Bank, Toyota Motor Manufacturing Texas and Frost Bank. Bolstering that support is an even longer list of business executives recruited by former Mayor Henry Cisneros who have signed on to a vote yes campaign for all three sales tax initiatives slated to appear on the November ballot: Nirenbergs economic recovery push, VIAs pursuit of dollars to fund expanded public transit four years in the future, and the renewal of Pre-K 4 SA, the citys early childhood program. Among them are NuStar Energy Chairman Bill Greehey, SWBC Chairman Charlie Amato, Holt Cat President Corinna Holt Richter, and real estate developer and philanthropist Gordon Hartman. To some degree, that business leaders would back the workforce proposal seems like a no-brainer. Executives and business owners long have complained the citys workforce lacks the skills and education to fill higher-paying jobs and attract larger employers to the region. And they feel urgency to ease the citys economic pain made glaringly apparent by hundreds of thousands of unemployment filings since the pandemic began and by pictures of long lines at the San Antonio Food Bank. But the mayors backers also take the coalition of business support as a tacit endorsement of Nirenbergs performance during the pandemic. It takes an immense amount of faith in the mayor for a business person to say, This is a big step, this is a stretch step, but it needs to be and were putting our name behind it, Cisneros said. Thats inseparable from the leadership of the mayor. The increased comity between Nirenberg and the citys business leaders is a marked shift from other times in his administration when they have clashed head-on. Its a tension Nirenberg acknowledges. Obviously, the business community plays a crucial role in our citys civic life, and business leaders are essential allies in our efforts to move the community forward. I am grateful for that support, Nirenberg said in a statement. I dont expect anyone to agree with me on every issue. The paid sick leave ordinance which mandated that San Antonio firms provide the benefit for an estimated 354,000 workers who dont already have it drew anger from restaurant and small business owners when the City Council first adopted it two years ago. A coalition of business groups sued the city over the ordinance and tied up the issue in the courts indefinitely. Business leaders warned Nirenbergs plan to reduce the citys carbon emissions would add burdensome costs for employers. Nirenberg and council members eased some of the goals laid out in the plan to weaken that opposition, though unease among the business community remains. They also criticized the citys decision not to bid for the 2020 Republican National Convention or Amazons highly sought after second headquarters, known as HQ2. Chamber leaders convinced council members to reject a proposed labor peace agreement Nirenberg backed as part of an airport concessions contract that would have barred employers from preventing their workers to unionize as long as workers agreed not to strike. And then theres the councils infamous vote to strike Chick-fil-A, known for supporting organizations with anti-LGBTQ views, from an airport concessions contract. The misgivings drove the citys business leaders to shop around for someone with more private sector bona fides to challenge the mayor in May 2021. Before the pandemic, rumors would periodically swirl that perhaps Hartman or Eddie Aldrete, senior vice president of IBC Bank, would take him on at the ballot box. But as the coronavirus and its ensuing economic fallout spread, that talk largely has died out. One reason for that: many business owners are working hard to keep their doors open during an unprecedented economic crisis. Ousting a mayor who occasionally upsets them just isnt a priority. Theres still a gong, a drum beat of it, Perez said. But its very low now because everybodys just so focused on staying alive. Cristina Aldrete, CEO of the North San Antonio Chamber of Commerce and a frequent Nirenberg critic, has a slightly different take. Business people are making sure that their businesses stay afloat and making sure their employees are taken care of, Aldrete said. So theyve got other things on their mind other than that this year. But that doesnt necessarily mean that theres not going to be a challenger. Its still early. But the notion of challenging an incumbent with solid favorability ratings for his handling of the pandemic and who appears on television every night to keep residents up to speed on the state of the virus seems daunting. For some, doing so would be in poor taste. Hartman, who said he is not eyeing a mayoral campaign, said theres a sense that this is not the proper environment to really try to go out there and go against a mayor in the circumstances that were currently a part of. And many business leaders have praised Nirenberg for what they see as his level-headed handling of the pandemic. They also note his good relationship with Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff, long favored by the business community, as a calming factor. Perez also noted the mayor has delivered on economic development, pointing to heavy-truck manufacturer Navistars planned $250 million South Side plant. Nirenbergs relationship with the business community, leaders say, also has improved as the mayor makes greater efforts to clue it in before making key decisions contrary to his previous reputation for excluding it. Earlier in the pandemic, Nirenberg and Wolff tapped a number of business owners and leaders to serve on working groups to advise the city and county on their response to the virus and its economic fallout. I think he has purposefully recognized that that was a deficit of his first term, said Hartman, who oversaw the working groups and is a co-chair of the vote yes campaign. I think he has made a conscious effort to make sure he reaches out and has them participate and be more involved in some of the processes before he makes decisions. But, Hartman added: I think theres always room for improvement and I think hed be one to agree with that. Later, Nirenberg brought business leaders, among others, into the fold to help bang out the recovery proposal that will appear on the November ballot. Among them was Aldrete of the North San Antonio Chamber. She acknowledged the mayor sought business community input on the workforce plan, but notes the proposal wouldnt be fully comprehensive without it at the table. Still, Aldrete and her chamber arent backing the push just yet. Right now, today, theres not enough detail in there yet, Aldrete said. For our chamber, were holding off on whether or not we support this until we hear more. Others have criticized the mayor for taking a long-term approach rather than solely focusing on immediate stimulus. For example, a $191 million stimulus passed by the City Council over the summer set aside about $75 million for workforce training. Critics of the workforce push have said that more should have gone to directly help small businesses, which got about $38 million. This plan of educating our workforce, well, thats great, restaurateur Louis Barrios said. But how about taking care of what you got first before you go and do that? And he (Nirenberg) didnt do that. Nirenberg and city business leaders have found themselves on the same side on big fights in the past, but that hasnt always guaranteed victory. The mayor and business donors teamed up in November 2018 in a mostly unsuccessful attempt to beat back a trio of charter amendments brought by the firefighters union. Voters passed two of the amendments, including a salary cap for the city manager. Then-City Manager Sheryl Sculley, whose high pay stirred controversy, was well-respected among the business community. Business donors coalesced around Nirenberg in his tough re-election battle against the insurgent conservative council member Greg Brockhouse, who they feared would drain the citys finances to satisfy firefighters who had gone years without a contract. But that support for Nirenberg was tepid. Having business support could help Nirenberg woo moderate voters or conservatives who are on the fence about the workforce proposal and could be swayed by local high-powered CEOs, veteran political strategist Christian Archer said. Its also helpful for the mayor to have them around when luring businesses to relocate to San Antonio or to pass bond packages, he said. But business backing means increasingly little to voters when it comes time to vote for mayor, Archer said. He noted that former state Sen. Leticia Van de Putte, whose mayoral campaign Archer managed, had business leaders lined up behind her in 2015 when she lost to then-Mayor Ivy Taylor. I think Nirenberg has done a good job of not being a business community candidate, Archer said. He has angered them at times, and you dont want to anger them. But you dont have to sell out to them, either. Joshua Fechter is a staff writer covering San Antonio government and politics. To read more from Joshua, become a subscriber. jfechter@express-news.net | Twitter: @JFreports An Appeal to Parliamentarians of all Political Persuasions The Twentieth Amendment to the Constitution Bill introduced in Parliament early this week has drawn unprecedented opposition from various concerned citizens, intellectuals and civil society organisations. Even members and supporters of the Government have expressed grave concerns. And rightly so. The mandate given to the government at the August general elections to get things done, cannot be construed as an endorsement for an all-powerful Executive President above the law. In a democratic setting no rational citizen would want a President who is not answerable to the Parliament and Courts enjoying total immunity from prosecution. Besides, this matter was not put to the voters categorically before the election, thus the Bill is contrary to the mandate of the people. It not only reinstates the powers that were removed by the 19th Amendment but further extends towards autocracy. The Bill contains several amendments that are detrimental to a participatory democracy of the country. Some of them are: (a) Consolidation of power in the office of the Executive President and removal of all the checks and balances on presidential powers; (b) Weakening/abolition of independent commissions such as the Election Commission, Audit Service Commission, National Procurement Commission and Bribery Commission; (c) Granting President the authority to dissolve Parliament at his will any time after the first year of its term, and even within one year if the pervious Parliament had not been dissolved earlier; (d) Taking away the fundamental right to challenge official acts of the President under the fundamental rights jurisdiction of the Supreme Court; and (e) Removal of the Auditor Generals powers to audit government owned entities such as SriLankan Airlines, thus virtually emasculating the National Audit Commission. These far-reaching changes will result in the erosion of constitutional safeguards available for ensuring accountability and transparency of the organs of government. The disempowerment of Parliament will effectively stifle the peoples voice, franchise and political discourse on matters of public importance, and enable the government to function with no accountability to the public. More importantly, the proposed amendments, if adopted, will infringe the fundamental rights, freedoms and sovereignty of the people violating the entrenched provisions of Article 83 of the Constitution, and therefore will have to be voted on by the people at a Referendum. Further, with the President seemingly made above the law and with sweeping powers to appoint individuals to key institutions, the independence of the judiciary is at stake and the potential for abuse of executive power is greater than ever. If human rights, equality, justice and peace is to prevail in our country, it is absolutely fundamental to have an independent judiciary with Chief Justice and other justices appointed by an independent commission, constituted by both government and opposition parliamentarians and nationally respected and learned civil persons. We, therefore, implore all Sri Lankan Parliamentarians that this is the time to be vigilant and show their integrity and foresightedness, and avert the formulation of a despotic state. You owe it to the people who elected you to serve for they never foresaw the Twentieth Amendment would be coming in the present form. We urge you, as law makers, not to let Sri Lanka down. Instead, put the voters first, reject the Bill in its present form, debate it thoroughly, make judicious amendments at the Committee Stage, and cast your votes according to your conscience. If you fail to prevent the passage of this Bill, democracy, human rights and rule of law will soon come to an end, and development and prosperity would be doomed to failure. Signed: Dr Lionel Bopage President, Australian Advocacy for Good Governance in Sri Lanka Melbourne, Australia The Ghana Federation of Disability Organisations (GFD), an umbrella body of organisation of persons with disabilities in Ghana is appealing to the government to make COVID-19 interventions responsive to the plight of its members. It says its appeal was premise on the realisation that most initiatives by the government to reduce the spread COVID-19 and lessen its impact on individuals were discriminatory towards PWDs. Speaking at a conference held in Accra last Friday (September 25) to ascertain the impacts of COVID-19 on women with disability and the way forward, the Chairman of the GFD, Mr. Alexander Bankole Williams, said PWDs needed special attention to enable them sail through the ramifications of the global pandemic due to their physical disabilities. PWDS vulnerable Mr. Williams said PWDs formed a vulnerable group that required access to and understanding of COVID-19 preventive protocols and services to boost national response programmes. The event brought together stakeholders of PWDs and women living with disability from various organisations such as the Ghana National Association of the Deaf, Mental Health Society of Ghana and the Burn Survivors Association of Ghana and Ghana Blind Union (GBU) Participants shared their experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic and how they were able to cope with little or no aid from anyone. It is obvious that government did not think about PWDs and how they go about when it pitched COVID-19 protocols such as social distancing, wearing of masks and washing of hands protocol. Although these safety protocols are good, we want government to think about persons not in a reactionary manner but in a proactive manner in pandemics of this nature so that safety measures will not render PWDs handicapped or more disabled, he said. Impact on Women with disability The Eastern Regional President of the GBU, Ms. Eunice Korlekuor, who is visually impaired said she missed much education on COVID-19 because of unavailability of people who would educate her. She said people were not willing to get closer to them and educate them because they fear contracting the virus. For instance, before anyone teaches me as a hearing or visually impaired how to wash my hands he or she has to hold my elbow or hands and demonstrate. So nobody is willing to do that, Ms. Korlekuor said. She called on government to designate individuals that could help them to obtain the necessary COVID-19 education. Policy Formulation The Coordinator for Global Call to Action against Poverty, Mrs. Kyerewa Sekpey, appealed to the government to provide an equal platform for women with disability to participate in decision making at the national level. This, she explained would give them a national voice to address their concerns as equal citizens. Women with disability have to share issues that concern them personally. Nobody should speak for them but they should speak for themselves and express what really bothers them, she said. Source: graphic.com.gh Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Facebook has teamed up with leading regional creative agency TBWA\RAAD, for its new campaign, #LoveLocal, an initiative to support local small and medium businesses (SMBs) in the Mena region. The campaign will amplify the voice of local SMBs; shed light on their stories and challenges to help generate consumer demand for them across the region. Leveraging the insight that small businesses are not just businesses; they are people, the campaign has tapped into the nostalgia and emotion associated with traditional neighbourhood shops, clearly portrayed across all of the campaign's touchpoints, including the brand identity. The campaigns main film depicts eight unique stories filmed across Egypt, Jordan and Lebanon, featuring a real and diverse cast of small business owners in local shops, who share their daily experiences and personal anecdotes. A wealth of content pieces and executions have been developed for the campaign, including videos, IG stories, interviews with small business owners and a content creators activation idea. One of the executions includes a #LoveLocal pledge frame that users can add to their Facebook profile and pledge support to SMBs. Facebook users will be able to add the #LoveLocal frame to their display photo. On Instagram, this filter will be available as a trackable AR filter where users will be able to post and highlight their favourite small business. The relationship people have with local SMBs extend beyond the products and services. In our region, you dont go to the hairdresser, to the snack, or the corner shop. You go to Tonys, or EmmNazihs, or Abou Houdas. SMBs are not businesses, they are the people. Their names are on the signboards. We wanted this element to come to the fore and this is what is exceptional about the campaign, said Reda Raad, Group CEO of TBWA\RAAD. As part of the campaign, Facebook will be rolling out video content that will serve as a reminder of the emotional connection the public has with small businesses beyond the transaction. Small businesses are the backbone of any economy and pillars of their local communities. In these challenging times, SMBs need support from community members across the region. Our #LoveLocal campaign will inspire people to rethink the significance of their individual action, said Ramez Shehadi, Managing Director for Mena, Facebook. Facebook will also be working with content creators and communities from across the MENA region who will take part in a fun, interactive challenge for one day that will see them nominate each other to pick and support a local SMB. It will be exciting to see how the community comes together to rally support to local businesses by shopping and loving local, said Shehadi. A Facebook initiative, #LoveLocal was launched earlier this month across the Facebook family of apps including Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, WhatsApp. Through #LoveLocal, Facebook will provide business owners access to the Mena SMB Training Hub - a platform with up to 40 online webinars available for free that businesses can use to master a range of digital tools covering digital marketing and e-commerce, and develop and grow their business presence online. Consumers can also join the initiative by using the hashtag #LoveLocal to show how they are supporting local businesses and share their local buying experiences towards this initiative. TradeArabia News Service There has been a lot of discussion that the Cafe Calamari property could be sold to a developer. Talks are ongoing, but nothing is finalized and nothing has yet been presented to the village. Naval ships and air force helicopters conduct joint patrol during an sea-air joint patrol exercise held by the PLA Hong Kong Garrison in Hong Kong on September 25, 2020. By Wang Peng, Yuan Junmin and Yi Ding HONG KONG, Sept. 28 -- The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Hong Kong Garrison staged an air-sea joint patrol exercise involving troops of army, navy and air force of the Garrison in waters and airspace near Hong Kong on Saturday. The drill was aimed to test and improve the troops capabilities of fulfilling emergency missions, making quick response and carrying out joint operations. The first training subject was the search and rescue of drowning people in the nearby waters, which was a coordinated operation between the naval and air force troops of the Garrison. After more than one hour of searching, the mocking "victims" who fell into the water were successfully rescued, with one in critical condition being sent to the garrison hospital by helicopter. The visit, board, search and seizure (VBSS) operations on the "suspicious vessel" was conducted subsequently. The air force helicopters that arrived at the exercise waters first kept tracking the mock "suspected vessel" and then coordinated naval ships to successfully force it to stop. A team of special operation members taking a speedboat boarded and controlled the suspected ship in an assault action Throughout the drill, the confrontation training of aviation, radar, and naval units continued, in a bid to enhance the battle effectiveness in joint operations of the garrison troops. An assault boat with special operation soldiers onboard approaches the mock "suspected ship during an sea-air joint patrol exercise held by the PLA Hong Kong Garrison in Hong Kong on September 25, 2020. COVID-19 cases have been increasing in at least 21 U.S. states, while health experts warn of a potential surge of cases in the fall and winter seasons. On Sunday, September 27, there has been a 10 percent or more increase in new COVID-19 cases than the week before the 21 states. According to the data coming from the Johns Hopkins University, most of these states are in the West. States that have been reporting an increased number of COVID-19 cases are: Alabama, Wyoming, Alaska, Wisconsin, Colorado, Washington State, Idaho, Utah, Maine, Texas, Michigan, South Dakota, Minnesota, South Carolina, Montana, Oregon, Nevada, North Dakota, New Jersey, North Carolina, and New Mexico. The data also shows that another 18 states are staying consistent in their number of COVID-19 cases, and only 11 states have a more than 10 percent decreasing number of cases compared to the week before. These states are Arizona, New Hampshire, Louisiana, Vermont, Tennessee, Rhode Island, Georgia, Connecticut, Florida, Maryland, and Virginia. These numbers are worrying, especially that health experts warned of an explosion of COVID-19 cases in the fall and winter season. University of Washington's Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) director, Dr. Chris Murray, said that the surge would be attributed to people becoming complacent and exercising less caution. Some states are reporting decreasing numbers. Another reason for the surge is that because of the cold, people are more likely to spend time indoors where the likelihood of transmissions will be more. According to Dr. Murray, the IHME model shows that the huge surge will start by October and accelerate by November and December. The U.S. currently top other countries worldwide as it accounts for 7.1 million of the 33 million COVID-19 cases and 204,000 deaths of the 996,000 deaths worldwide. New York, the first state to have the highest number of COVID-19 cases at the start of the pandemic, has reported more than 1,000 new cases last Saturday since early June. Wisconsin also had its highest increase of cases at 2,817 in a single day last Saturday. Wisconsin Gov. Toney Evers had issued an executive order last week, mandating the use of face coverings. In Florida, Miami Mayor Francis Suarez said that he is worried about the executive order that Gov. Ron DeSantis signed, allowing bars and restaurants to start operating at full capacity immediately. He added that suspending fines for those violating COVID-19 restrictions, such as not wearing a public mask, will significantly impact the number of cases. Dr. Robert Redfield, director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, had already warned before that the fall and winter could be one of the most challenging times that the American public health will experience. The new increase of COVID-19 cases in the U.S. comes amidst Dr. Mike Ryan, head of the World Health Organization (WHO) emergencies, that it is very likely for COVID-19 deaths to reach two million globally even when there is already an effective vaccine. Check these out: COVID-19 Deaths Could Possibly Reach 2 Million Even With Vaccine Says WHO 2 Million Californians Urged to Claim Stimulus Checks On or Before October 15 Trump Confirms Barrett's Supreme Court Nomination at Flag-bedecked Rose Garden End of year elections have big implications The remaining months of 2020 are expected to include several elections around the world that are especially crucial to the direction of world events, and which are guaranteed to be controversial whatever the outcome. On the minds of many people is the US general election scheduled for 3rd November. However, whichever outcome of that election emerges will say little and have little impact on trends in the balance of power in the world; the twin ruling parties of US politics simply represent two factions of the same capitalist ruling class, and their differences are mostly confined to domestic affairs. Arguably of more substance will be the Bolivian general election scheduled for 18th October, and the Venezuelan National Assembly election scheduled for 6th December. Here are two countries where the class struggle and anti-imperialist democratic struggle are at an acute stage; they are part of the front line in the international showdown between pro-imperialist forces and independent democratic forces. Pre-planned controversy over elections has become a key tactic used by the US in order to destabilise those countries where opposition to imperialist domination and the demands for sovereignty and independence have reached high levels amongst the people. We see it happening now in Belarus, and there the US-backed opposition is following what has become a predictable script: stir up protests against a supposedly fraudulent election, put forward a neoliberal puppet for recognition by Western governments as the interim President, apply severe economic and political pressures from the outside to force regime change. Fortunately, in the case of Belarus, the Belarusian government appears to have learnt well from the similar experiences of other countries such as Venezuela, Bolivia, and Ukraine. It has so far been successful in impeding the completion of this script. In Venezuela, the puppet Juan Guaido self declared as interim President. He was then recognised by the US, Australia, and other US-allied forces in January 2019, after controversy had been manufactured around President Maduros victory at the 2018 Presidential election. The opposition had declared that election fraudulent long before it took place, and chose not to take part in it supposedly on that basis, only then to point to the large margin of President Maduros victory as proof that it was indeed fraudulent. The ridiculousness of this claim that it was anything other than entirely predictable that President Maduro should win by a large margin, given most of the opposition removed themselves from the running is matched by the ridiculousness of the Australian government following along with the US designs for regime change in Venezuela despite no legitimate Australian national interest being at play. The Guaido clique have continued to outdo themselves in ridiculousness. The almost-two years since then have been filled with a number of embarrassing escapades by Guaido and his cronies, trying again and again to unseat the legitimate government of Venezuela. They have openly supported the criminal US sanctions against Venezuela which have been severely destructive to the Venezuelan economy and have caused great suffering, including limiting access to food and medicines. They have openly supported plans for US military intervention in Venezuela, which we know from the huge number of precedents (such as Nicaragua, Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya) would entail mass civilian casualties and economic and environmental destruction. They are traitors to their people who wish to sell their country to the US for their own enrichment. All this has ensured that they have failed to win the support of the people, and in fact, their domestic support base, the upper classes of Venezuela, has become more divided and disheartened. Hopefully, the December election will see them lose their stronghold in the National Assembly, and their capacity to organise the disruption of Venezuelan political and economic life will be greatly reduced. The Bolivian Presidential election in October 2019 was also hijacked by claims of fraud pushed by the Organisation of American States (OAS), the continental organisation for the Americas dominated by US policy. Subsequent analyses from a wide number of sources have definitively proven that there was never any genuine evidence of fraud, including multiple studies by US universities including MIT and the University of Pennsylvania which were even reported on by outlets like the Washington Post and the New York Times earlier this year. However, back in 2019, the same US outlets happily and loudly promoted the claims of fraud in unison. Unfortunately, in the case of Bolivia, the right-wing opposition forces got the better of the legitimate government, making severe threats of violence against President Morales and his family and forcing him to flee the country. Immediately an interim President was declared Jeanine Anez, a right-wing Christian fundamentalist and neoliberal. Anez and her government stated in December 2019 that she would not run for President at the next election to be held in 2020, but reneged on this statement the following month, announcing her intent to run. However, on 18th September she pulled out of the race again, which might be related to the release two days earlier of a poll showing that she has less than 8% support, and Luis Arce the candidate for Morales party Movimiento al Socialismo (MAS) is well in the lead with 29.2 per cent of the primary vote, over ten percentage points more than the next most popular candidate. Anez exit from the race shows that the anti-MAS forces have seen the need to consolidate themselves in order to challenge Arce. Arces good chance to win the Presidency back for MAS, as well as a potential landslide at the Venezuelan National Assembly elections, are opportunities to turn the tide back against the US designs in the region. However, we can expect that no matter the results, there will be controversy and unrest, at a time when no country needs any more problems to deal with. NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court on Monday (September 28) issued notice to all respondents on a plea seeking directions from authorities to take immediate steps to prevent stubble burning in Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh in view of coronavirus COVID-19 situation. The court will next have a hearing on the matter on October 22. A high-profile Emirati poet and former diplomat has said authorities have banned her from traveling out of the country in an apparent connection with her opposition to normalization with Israel. Dhabiya Khamis Al-Muhairi on a Facebook post said she has been prevented from boarding a Cairo-bound flight at Dubai international port. I am Emirati writer Dhabiya Khamis. I was banned from flying today due to an order from Abu Dhabi without specific reason, she wrote. Most likely this is because of my publicly announced position against the Zionists and normalization and I am fearful for my freedom and life from threats and arrest. The 62-year old poet also worked as diplomat for the Arab League. In a Twitter post, she likened her arrest to her previous arrest back in 1987. When I was abducted from my home and held in solitary confinement for months without charge or court proceedings in 1987 over an article I wrote, I left the UAE and lived abroad for 30 yearsIt looks like we are returning to 87, she wrote. Khamis urged international rights groups to pressure the UAE government and hold it responsible for any oppression, arrest, assassination or liquidation I am subjected to. The ban is part of the UAEs crackdown on opposed views on the September 15 normalization deal between the Gulf country and Israel. Twitter accounts linked to the government reportedly called on security services to monitor social media posts of residents opposed to normalization. Other accounts promoted an app called My Safe Society, which encourages users to report ideas which threaten the safety of UAE society, The New Arab reports. The UAEs deal with Israel broke decades of the consensus among Arab countries to refrain from thawing ties with Israel until the Palestinian statehood is recognized. Bahrain also joined the signing organized at the White House, in Washington. Akin Ricketts is the chairman of the board of the Nigerian Ports Authority. In this interview with PREMIUM TIMES, Mr Ricketts talks about developmental plans for the ports and other challenges that needs to be surmounted. PT: You recently assumed the position of Chairman of the NPA, what impact do you think you can make to change the narrative? Ricketts: I intend to encourage closer ties amongst the agencies in the maritime sector. These agencies include Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), and others. You will agree with me that the maritime sector can easily eclipse the Nigerian economic mainstay and become the number one foreign exchange earner outside crude oil. Note that the sector has the potential to employ millions of our citizens, thereby improving their living standards. It is my firm opinion that those in charge of the day-to-day running of the agencies in the maritime sector should close ranks. They have been closing ranks, but it will pay us better if they forge better ties because it will be of great benefit to the nations economy. The maritime sector is grossly underdeveloped and at a point in the history of the sector in our country, we had seagoing vessels. But now, I am still searching for all of that. I want to say that the technical expertise is available, all we need is further encouragement. If our maritime sector is not vibrant, you will not find foreign players indicating their interests to be involved, and for me that alone is an indication that we have a very profitable sector. All we need to do is to further develop it. PT: In your inaugural speech, you raised issues about maximising the utilisation of the eastern corridor of seaports, what have you put in place to make that aspiration come true? Ricketts: For that aspiration to be realised, it will take far more than an individual push. It will need the understanding and the buying in of everyone in the maritime sector. The inaugural speech you referred to was misconstrued by some persons. They probably thought it was to reduce the Lagos economy, but that is not what it means. It is about improving the economy of Lagos, which is the commercial hub of Nigeria. Recall that the Honourable Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, and Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the governor of Lagos State, as well as the Managing Director of NPA, Hadiza Bala-Usman, went on a tour after which it was decided that there will be a stop to the barging activities in the ports because it was detrimental to the internal roads which are not meant to be traversed by heavily laden vehicles. It was on that basis that I said some of these vessels should be encouraged to berth in the eastern ports and apart from boosting the economies of those areas, it will reduce the pressure on our roads. It will also give those in the eastern corridors a sense of belonging. The blue economy (marine economy) is so vast that nothing can affect the economy of Lagos and if the eastern corridors are utilised, it will allow Lagos to breathe, plan well and deliver the necessary infrastructure that are built to standards for better service delivery. PT: But there are insinuations in some quarters that the over-concentration of port activities in Lagos alone has a political undertone. How true is that? Ricketts: I will not delve into any political discussion concerning ports activities. However, I will dwell on some challenges in some of the other ports. In Cross River State, for instance, the draft of the Calabar port can barely take a modern-day ship. The Calabar channel has not been dredged for a while now and vessels these days need drafts above 10 metres and you cannot find that around that corridor. I think the port needs to be revamped and the channels dredged. The same goes for the Warri port as well. Some of these ports will need to have channel management companies to properly manage the channels. PT: In 2014 the contract for the dredging of the Calabar port was awarded, why was it not dredged and what will you do about that? Ricketts: The management is doing all within its powers to resolve that matter. You will agree with me that that was long before I came in. In the current budget, the dredging of the Calabar port is not captured and I think we must look into that again. I think this is about infrastructural developments that will increase the revenue of the nation and change the narratives in the areas of operation. An operational Calabar port will also boost the economy of Cross River and all other beneficiary states along that corridor. The people of the state will appreciate President Muhammadu Buhari if the channel is dredged and it will be part of their democratic dividend. I believe it will get the desired attention in due time. As I said, no mention was made of Calabar port in the current budget. Maybe because of what may have transpired before, but we are working towards regenerating the port. The same situation goes for the Warri port too where we need to overcome some technical issues. I am of the firm view that the eastern ports will bounce back very soon. PT: The Koko port in Delta has been in a moribund state for over 30 years. Are there plans to also revive it? Ricketts: I understand that the Koko port has a natural depth for vessels. I think the port should also be fully utilised. We are going look at all of them in the eastern flank and see what could be done to make them operational. With what we have before us and the synergy among the agencies in the maritime sector, I believe these ports will become functional soon. PT: With these array of comatose ports in the eastern corridor, we still have state governments going into the development of seaports. Do you think it is a viable venture for them? Ricketts: I do not want to discuss politics. But note that state governments have their developmental plans in every sector, including the maritime sector. I will ask this question: In the true sense of it, can some of these state governments afford to establish a seaport? PT: There is allegedly so much corruption in the ports, how can they be countered? Ricketts: Firstly, we as a board can only deal with issues that are brought before us because we are not operating in the position of the executive. Primarily, our functions are more of oversight and giving necessary advice. It is only when some of these issues are referred to the board that we can talk about them. As it is, there is virtually no sector that you might not have one or two issues regarding corruption, but I believe they are largely being addressed. PT: It is said that the costs of doing business in the ports are relatively high, are there plans to make it more pocket-friendly for business operators? Ricketts: Such issues are not dealt with by the board, those running the day-to-day activities of the ports are the ones to look into that and it is only when it is beyond them that they refer it to the board. From my perspective, I do not think that the cost of doing business at the ports is relatively high and I know that the Federal Government policies that tend to reduce the cost of doing business across board. PT: The pioneer inland dry port in Nigeria was inaugurated in Kaduna in 2018 and since then more have come on board, how viable are they? Ricketts: Their viability is dependent on the cargoes that are destined for the ports. These ports will become fully functional once the railways start working very well. Transportation in the country has harmed our ports and I believe the rail system to help address that challenge. Goods will get to their destinations in a better-handled manner. We're sorry, but we're unable to locate the page you requested. The page may have been removed, renamed, or deleted. You can try searching for the topic using the search button in the right hand corner above. Donald Trump wanted to name his daughter Ivanka as his running mate in the 2016 election, a new book reveals, and even had his campaign conduct polls on the matter. As Trump's aides, in June 2016, talked about who to name as the vice presidential candidate, Trump had his own thoughts, according to a forthcoming book by Rick Gates, excepts of which were published by Bloomberg and The Washington Post. 'I think it should be Ivanka. What about Ivanka as my VP?' Trump said. 'Ivanka should be vice president.' 'All heads turned toward her, and she just looked surprised. We all knew Trump well enough to keep our mouths shut and not laugh,' Gates wrote. 'He went on: 'She's bright, she's smart, she's beautiful, and the people would love her!' Donald Trump wanted his daughter Ivanka Trump to be his running mate in 2016, a new book revealed - above the two are seen in the White House in April Donald Trump and Ivanka Trump with Rick Gates (left) and Paul Manafort (right) at the Republican National Convention in July 2016 for a speech rehearsal It was an idea Trump brought up repeatedly, including during a conversation that included Jared Kushner and all the other adult Trump children, Gates writes in 'Wicked Game: An Insider's Story on How Trump Won, Mueller Failed and America Lost. At the time Ivanka Trump was a fashion and real estate executive who made appearances on her father's reality show 'The Apprentice.' She was also an adviser on her father's campaign but she had no previous political experience and had never held elective office. But Trump wasn't sold on any of the names being pitched to him as part of the Republican ticket, including Mike Pence, the Indiana governor who would eventually get the slot. Trump's desire is revealed in Rick Gates' forth coming book 'Wicked Game: An Insider's Story on How Trump Won, Mueller Failed and America Lost,' which is out October 13 The then-presidential nominee's actions signaled to his team 'just how serious he was about putting his politically inexperienced daughter just a heartbeat from the presidency,' Gates noted. So the campaign tested her appeal by placing Ivanka Trump's name next to a dozen potential vice presidential candidates in internal campaign polls. 'She didn't poll tremendously high, but higher than we expected, and that only added to the seriousness of her consideration,' Gates wrote. It was Ivanka Trump who pulled herself out of contention: 'She went to her father and said, 'No, Dad. It's not a good idea.' And he capitulated.' Gates, who served as the campaign's deputy manager, became a star witness in Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation. His book comes out October 13. He writes Trump values loyalty above all which is why he puts family members in key positions. Ivanka Trump and Kushner both have high-ranking positions in the Trump White House. Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr run the Trump Organization - the family business. Trump, meanwhile, has repeatedly touted his belief Ivanka could be commander in chief. During an August campaign rally in New Hampshire he said his daughter would make a better president than the Democratic vice presidential nominee Senator Kamala Harris. 'I want to see the first woman president also, but I don't want to see the first woman president get into the position the way [Harris] would do it, and she's not competent, she's not competent,' he said. 'They're all saying, 'We want Ivanka!'' he said, pointing to his supporters. 'I don't blame them.' This year Ivanka Trump is serving as surrogate for her father on the campaign trail, visiting battleground states like Arizona, North Carolina and Florida. Asked for comment, the White House referred CNN to the Trump campaign. 'This is not true and there was never any such poll,' Trump campaign communications director Tim Murtaugh told the network. Gates' memoir is more defense of the president than a tell-all. It recounts his time on the campaign trail and his experience with Mueller's probe. Trump also considered former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice or then-Senator Bob Corker of Tennessee as his running mate. Both turned him down. Rick Gates leaves federal court in December 2019 Ivanka Trump on the campaign trail with Vice President Mike Pence in Minnesota last week Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner - seen with two of their children - both serve as White House advisers Ivanka Trump with her father at the 2016 Republican National Convention - she served as an adviser to the campaign that year But Pence won Trump over during a breakfast meeting where Pence where he gave a 'vicious and extended monologue' about Bill and Hillary Clinton, the book notes. Gates was indicted by Mueller's team in October 2017 and became a cooperating witness. He was sentenced to three years in prison and 45 days of confinement for crimes tied to former campaign chairman Paul Manafort. Gates' testimony helped convict Manafort. https://www.it-cisq.org/ The Consortium for Information & Software Quality (CISQ), an IT industry leadership group that develops standards for automating software quality measurement, today announced its 8th annual Cyber Resilience Summit, From Securing the Supply Chain to Enterprise DevSecOps. The virtual summit will be held on October 13, 2020 from 8:00am - 4:00pm, bringing defense, government, and industry leaders together to discuss policy, standards and best practices for IT modernization, cybersecurity, cyber resilience, and supply chain risk management. Dr. Bill Curtis, Executive Director, CISQ, and Luke McCormack, retired, former CIO, U.S. Department of Homeland Security will provide welcome remarks and emcee the event. The Cyber Resilience Summit opens with a keynote from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on the 2020 election and the nations efforts to secure its critical infrastructure. The Cyber Resilience Summit is a premier event bringing together federal and industry IT leaders to discuss critical issues affecting the nations cyber infrastructure, said Dr. Curtis. CISQ will introduce two new proposed standards for managing software risk: a Data Protection Measure and a Software Bill of Materials standard. This summit will help people better leverage CISQ-sponsored efforts to support enterprise and supply chain needs for software transparency and protecting data, confidential information, IP, and Privacy. In particular, the new Data Protection Measure, based on relevant CWEs, is highly relevant to those seeking to comply with protection measures in regulatory guidance associated with GDPR, CCPA, HIPAA, and CMMC. Confirmed speakers and panelists from Federal agencies and the private sector include: Keynote Address: Election Security and #Protect2020: Robert Kolasky, Director, National Risk Management Center, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Agency, U.S. Department of Homeland Security Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification: 1. Katie Arrington, Chief Information Security Officer, Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition, U.S. Department of Defense 2. Phyllis Schneck, Vice President and Chief Information Security Officer, Northrop Grumman 3. John Weiler, Managing Director, IT Acquisition Advisory Council (IT-AAC) and Chairman of the Board, CMMC Center of Excellence Automated Source Code Data Protection Measure: 1. Dr. Bill Curtis, Executive Director, Consortium for Information & Software Quality (CISQ) 2. Joe Jarzombek, Director for Government & Critical Infrastructure Programs, Synopsys and Board Member, CISQ Securing 5G and the Supply Chain: Grant Schneider, former Federal CISO and Senior Director for Cybersecurity Policy at the White House, now at law firm Venable Whats in My Software? Introducing the Software Bill of Materials Specification 1. Robert Martin, Senior Principal Engineer, MITRE 2. Dr. Allan Friedman, Director of Cybersecurity Initiatives, Department of Commerce, NTIA DevSecOps: Department of Defense Use Cases and Plans for a New NIST Framework 1. Dr. Ron Ross, Fellow, National Institute of Standards and Technology 2. Nicolas Chaillan, Chief Software Officer, U.S. Air Force Estimating the Cost of Cybersecurity Effort in Development Projects 1. Dr. Barry Boehm, Distinguished Professor of Computer Science, Industrial and Systems Engineering and Astronautics, University of Southern California 2. Elaine Venson, PhD Student, University of Southern California 3. Continuous Diagnostics and Mitigation: The Next Frontier: Kevin Cox, CDM Program Manager, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, U.S. Department of Homeland Security Cyber Resilience Summit Highlights: Managing in Lean Times: 1. Tony Scott, Chairman, The TonyScottGroup 2. Karen Evans, CIO, U.S. Department of Homeland Security Registration is complimentary. To register, click here. This Cyber Resilience Summit is supported by CISQ sponsors: CAST, CGI, Cognizant, ISHPI, Northrop Grumman, Synopsys, Tech Mahindra, and University of Southern California. About CISQ The Consortium for Information and Software Quality (CISQ) is an industry leadership group that develops international standards for automating the measurement of software size and structural quality from the source code. The standards, written by CISQ, enable organizations developing or acquiring software-intensive systems to measure the operational risk software poses to the business, as well as estimate the cost of ownership. CISQ was co-founded by the Object Management Group (OMG) and Software Engineering Institute (SEI) at Carnegie Mellon University. For more information, visit https://www.it-cisq.org/ Note to editors: CISQ is an Object Management Group program. For a listing of all OMG trademarks, visit http://www.omg.org/legal/tm_list.htm. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. The strict stay-at-home order issued by Myanmar last week for its largest city, Yangon, barred residents from traveling from any of its 44 townships to another. There are some exceptions, such as for police officers, emergency workers and doctors. But one group not given special status to cross township boundaries is the news media. That includes reporters, photojournalists and the drivers of newspaper delivery trucks. The exclusion prompted protests Monday from journalists and news vendors alike. How can we stay at home while we need to cover the news as video journalists? said U Wai Yan, a correspondent with Xinhua, Chinas state-run news agency. If the people do not get the true news, then there might be lots of rumors, and these are toxic for people. With cases of the coronavirus soaring, the government has issued stay-at-home orders for Yangon, a city of seven million people. It issued similar restrictions in Rakhine State, where the first major outbreak occurred, and most recently for three townships in Mandalay, a city of one million. Photo: The Canadian Press Canadian Embassy in Beijing. A senior executive for Chinese communications giant Huawei Technologies will be in a Canadian courtroom Monday arguing her extradition to the U.S. should be halted because her rights have been violated. Canada arrested Meng Wanzhou, the daughter of Huaweis founder and the companys chief financial officer, at Vancouvers airport in late 2018. The U.S. wants her extradited to face fraud charges. Her arrest infuriated Beijing, which sees her case as a political move designed to prevent Chinas rise. Mengs defence team will argue the extradition proceedings should be halted because they claim Canada Border Services Agency officers detained and questioned Meng without a lawyer, seized her electronic devices and compelled her to give up the passcodes before her official arrest. They also will argue the Royal Canadian Mounted Police acted at the behest of the FBI to gather and share technical information about Mengs laptop, phones and tablets, in violation of the Extradition Act. Mengs defence also believes her arrest was politically motivated and will point to past comments made by U.S. President Donald Trump. The U.S. accuses Huawei of using a Hong Kong shell company called Skycom to sell equipment to Iran in violation of U.S. sanctions. It says Meng, 48, committed fraud by misleading the HSBC bank about the companys business dealings in Iran. Gary Botting, a Vancouver defence lawyer who has written several books on extradition, said Mengs team will present evidence to the judge to support their claims her rights were infringed under Canadas version of the bill of rights. If Supreme Court Associate Chief Justice Heather Holmes rules in Mengs favour it could end the extradition hearing, Botting said. The prosecution would have the right to appeal. In May, Meng failed in a bid to end the extradition process when Holmes ruled the allegations against her could constitute a crime in Canada as well. Mengs arrest has soured relations between Canada and China. In apparent retaliation, China detained former Canadian diplomat Michael Kovrig and Canadian entrepreneur Michael Spavor. China has also placed restrictions on various Canadian exports to China, including canola oil seed. Meng remains free on bail in her multimillion mansion in Vancouver. Ian Sykes April 14, 1937-June 4, 2020 In mid-60s Victoria, several companies dominated the oil industry, controlling supply, processing and retailing. Motorists welcomed XL Petroleum when it imported cheaper fuel from Singapore and operated its own metropolitan service stations, jolting the natural order. Ian Sykes and Brian Fitzpatrick had started XL. They apparently built XLs Fawkner outlet themselves, helped by an Italian who knew nothing about concrete, Fitzpatrick told university students in 1969, including the writer. Half a century later, Ian Grant Sykes unexpectedly died in The Alfred hospital on June 4, 2020, after a heart attack. He was born in England to Gladys Edith Sykes (nee Grant) of Melbourne, and Norman Sykes, of Sale, Cheshire. A Melbourne University graduate, Gladys was a mathematics teacher. Norman was a Royal Flying Corps fighter pilot late in World War I, whose cohort was leaving for Flanders as the armistice was declared. Norman became an aircraft designer for AV Roe (later Avro) at Woodford, near todays Manchester airport and Sale, Normans hometown. Ian Grant Sykes was the second child of three; an elder brother had died in infancy. Ian and sister Leila attended school in Sale. He recalled damaging Nazi bombing raids nearby and otherwise carefree days. President Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden will debate for the first time Tuesday night. (Associated Press) The first presidential debate between Joe Biden and President Trump has a strong chance of being the most-watched political event in U.S. history, and the enormous potential audience on Tuesday is just one factor that has heightened the stakes for both candidates. For Trump, stuck for months on a losing trajectory, the debate stands as one of the few remaining opportunities to shift how Americans view the election and to reach voters beyond his deeply committed core of supporters. For Biden, who has maintained a significant, but not unbeatable, lead nationally and in crucial swing states, the encounter provides a chance to bolster his standing with a key slice of the electorate voters who have turned against the president but remain unconvinced about his challenger. With that opportunity, however, comes risk for the former vice president, who, in debates during the primary elections, sometimes appeared to lack energy or focus. Debates are often overrated as a turning point in campaigns, said Mike Murphy, the veteran Republican strategist and fervent Trump critic who co-directs USC's Center for the Political Future. Research by political scientists shows that for all the attention they get, general-election debates only rarely have an impact that lasts more than a week or so. "This debate is a little different," Murphy said, in part because Trump and his campaign have worked furiously to raise doubts in voters' minds about Biden's mental fitness and physical stamina. "For Biden to break through and show he's sharp and on top of it, that's an opportunity but also a risk," Murphy said. "If Biden has a bad debate, Trump has a whole month to exploit it." Democratic pollster Anna Greenberg agreed. "Republicans have been very effective" in spreading the idea that Biden is physically or mentally impaired, she said. "You hear a lot of it" in focus groups of voters. Story continues Since most swing voters don't pay much attention to political news, the debate "will probably be the first opportunity that a lot of voters have to see Biden and see that he's not impaired," she said. "That's the main thing." Indeed, many Republicans worry that Trump, with his frequent references to Biden as "sleepy" or "out of it," has "lowered the bar" too much for what voters may expect from the Democratic challenger, said Republican strategist Alex Conant, a former top aide to Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida. "That's definitely a risk they run." A potential parallel could be the 1980 election between President Carter and his Republican opponent, Ronald Reagan. The two held only one debate, on Oct. 28, just one week before the election. Carter entered the debate holding a narrow lead. But when voters saw Reagan onstage, he did not seem like the scary war hawk Democrats had warned against. Over the campaign's final days, which included other events that damaged Carter, Reagan's standing rose steadily, and he won by a large margin. Biden has participated in dozens of debates during three presidential bids as well as vice presidential debates in 2008 and 2012. He got high marks for the 2012 matchup against then-Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.), the GOP's nominee. In 2008, his skill in the primary debates impressed his rival, then-Sen. Barack Obama, and was one of the reasons Obama picked him as a running mate. He was strong, smart and much more disciplined than I expected, Obama said to advisor David Axelrod when they first discussed Biden as a potential running mate, according to Axelrods memoir, Believer: My Forty Years in Politics. Biden participated in 14 debates that primary cycle even though he dropped out of the race just after the Iowa caucuses in January 2008. His most memorable debate line jabbed a Republican, former New York Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani: There only three things he mentions in a sentence: A noun and a verb and 9/11. I mean, theres nothing else. His 2012 matchup with Ryan came at a crucial moment: Obama had done poorly in his first debate with Mitt Romney, the Republican presidential nominee, and Democrats badly needed Biden to do well to compensate. He did: With an aggressive, in-your-face performance, Biden belittled the conservative lawmaker who was decades younger than him. Republicans called Bidens smirking and condescension disrespectful, but Democrats were reinvigorated. We needed him to deliver an incredible performance against Paul Ryan, said Dan Pfeiffer, an Obama advisor at the time. Biden did well. It was a huge boost to our campaign. In this election cycle, Bidens primary debates were uneven. In the early going the debates that got the biggest audiences he often seemed halting. Supporters say that reflected rustiness after seven years off the debate stage and note that this spring, when he went one-on-one with Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, he did much better. Trump, by contrast, did not fare especially well during the debates four years ago. The most memorable image of the encounters his walking behind Hillary Clinton onstage as she spoke drew cheers from his fans, who saw the move as bold, and protests from her supporters, who called him a stalker. The divided reaction illustrates the degree to which most viewers filter a debate through their own preconceptions. The fact that Trump won the election has created an impression in retrospect that he must have beaten Clinton in the debates. But polls at the time generally showed him losing ground after the encounters, then climbing back up as the debates faded from the news. That year, more than 84 million people watched their first debate, according to Nielsen's ratings. That set a record. With attention to this year's election at an all-time high, the audience could be larger. Viewership in that range could approach two-thirds of the number of people expected to vote. In today's fractured media world, no other moment in a campaign draws such a mass audience. In particular, debates get attention not only from hardcore partisans, but also less committed voters. Those swing voters will form a prime audience for both candidates Tuesday. Polls show that the vast majority of voters have firmly made up their minds about which candidate they support. For them, a debate can serve as a motivational exercise. But a small group of voters do remain undecided. A few swing back and forth between Trump and Biden. A somewhat larger group "swings between voting and their couch," said Ashley Kirzinger, associate director of survey research at the Kaiser Family Foundation, which has looked at uncertain voters in key states. A recent survey by Kaiser and the Cook Political Report of voters in three Sun Belt battleground states Arizona, Florida, North Carolina found that three-quarters of voters had definitely made up their minds. They were almost evenly divided between the two sides. One in 10 said they were undecided, while an additional 3% said that they would probably vote for one candidate but that a chance remained that they might change their minds. Those less uncertain voters were younger than average, not particularly partisan and, at least in the three Sun Belt states, significantly more likely to be Latino, Kirzinger said. Across the three states, a majority of them had a negative view of Trump and a positive view of Biden. Two-thirds of the swing voters see Trump as "unpredictable" a quality they see as bad, Kirzinger said. They prefer Biden's leadership style and his position on issues including healthcare and handling the coronavirus. But they remain uncertain in part because "nearly half say they think Biden is too old to be president," she said, and only 4 in 10 see him as a "strong leader." Strategists in both parties said Trump's goal in appealing to those uncommitted voters should be to shift the election from a referendum on him a contest he has little chance of winning to a more direct focus on Biden's flaws. That's a difficult task for any president, because reelection campaigns typically focus on the incumbent. It's even harder for Trump, who hates to cede attention to anyone else. Biden's challenge is different: Keep the focus on Trump while generating more enthusiasm for himself, which could boost turnout on his side. The same polls that show Biden with a persistent lead also show that a large share of his voters say they're motivated more to cast a ballot against Trump than for Biden. Those surveys also show that despite Biden's decades in public life, a lot of voters especially younger Americans, people in immigrant communities and less partisan voters who don't pay huge attention to politics still don't know that much about him. "Biden is not that well defined" in a lot of voters' minds, Murphy said. That may be hard to believe, he said, for people who are immersed in the political world, but for a lot of people "he's just an old senator." In Florida, where anti-Trump groups have done extensive research, a lack of information about who Biden is and what he stands for is an issue for many Latino voters and young people, he said. "He's got 40 days to fill that picture in," Murphy said. The debate is a key part of doing so. The uncertain voters are "not political news consumers, and reaching them is really hard," Kirzinger said. "They may not watch the debate, but they'll definitely hear the narrative coming out of it." This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Brad Parscale, then-campaign manager for President Donald Trump, speaks during a 2019 campaign rally at the Target Center in Minneapolis. Read more FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. President Donald Trumps former campaign manager Brad Parscale was hospitalized Sunday after he threatened to harm himself, according to Florida police and campaign officials. Police officers talked Parscale out of his Fort Lauderdale home after his wife called police to say that he had multiple firearms and was threatening to hurt himself. Police Sgt. DeAnna Greenlaw said Parscale was hospitalized under the states Baker Act, which allows anyone deemed to be a threat to themselves or others to be detained for 72 hours for psychiatric evaluation. Brad Parscale is a member of our family and we love him, said Trump campaign communications director Tim Murtaugh. We are ready to support him and his family in any way possible. Parscale was demoted from the campaign manager's post in July but remained part of the campaign, helping run its digital operation. Standing 68 and with a distinctive beard, Parscale had become a celebrity to Trump supporters and would frequently pose for photos and sign autographs ahead of campaign rallies. But Trump had begun to sour on him earlier this year as Parscale attracted a wave of media attention that included focus on his seemingly glitzy lifestyle on the Florida coast that kept him far from campaign headquarters in Virginia. Over the summer, he hyped a million ticket requests for the presidents comeback rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, that ended up drawing just 6,000 people. A furious Trump was left staring at a sea of empty seats and, weeks later, promoted Bill Stepien to campaign manager. Parscale was originally hired to run Trumps 2016 campaign by Jared Kushner, the presidents powerful son-in-law. While the Republican National Committee owns most of the campaigns data, voter modeling and outreach tools, Parscale ran most of the microtargeted online advertising that Trump aides believe was key to his victory four years ago. Under the states Red Flag Law, officials could ask a judge to bar Parscale from possessing any weapons for up to a year. Authentic, ridden by jockey John Velazquez, heads to the finish line to win the Kentucky Derby on Sept. 5 at Churchill Downs. (Darron Cummings / Associated Press) Kentucky Derby winner Authentic drew the nine spot on Monday for Saturdays running of the 145th Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Md. The Southern California-based colt was immediately named the 9-5 favorite in the 11-horse field. Authentic is trained by Bob Baffert, and he also has Thousand Words (6-1) in the race, who will break from the five position. Thousand Words was scheduled to run in the Derby but reared up in the paddock and fell on his side, requiring an automatic scratch from the race. I didnt want to be in the one-hole and I didnt want to be in the 11, Baffert said about the draw of his horses in the Preakness. [Authentic] has to get away from there well. Hes a good gate horse. Baffert has won the Preakness seven times, and all five times he has entered the race with the winner of the Kentucky Derby. Of course, this year is very different because the races are in the fall and the Preakness is four weeks after the Derby, not the usual two. The race lost some of its luster when Tiz the Law, winner of the Belmont Stakes, elected to skip the Preakness to concentrate on the Breeders Cup Classic on Nov. 7. Art Collector, who missed the Kentucky Derby with a minor injury, will break from the three and was installed as the 5-2 second choice. Im happy with [the draw], trainer Tom Drury said. If he gets away good, he can be tactical or he can run forwardly [placed], so [jockey] Brian [Hernandez Jr.] can look around and decide where to go from there. Art Collector had won both the Blue Grass Stakes and Ellis Park Derby heading into the Kentucky Derby and was expected to be the major competition for Tiz the Law. When he nicked one of his front ankles, however, the decision was to keep him out of race. Swiss Skydiver is the only filly in the race. She is coming off second-place finishes in the Kentucky Oaks against other fillies and in the Blue Grass Stakes against males. She will break from the four at 6-1. Five fillies have won the Preakness. Steve Asmussen has three horses in the race: Excession in the one at 30-1, Max Player from the eight at 15-1 and Pneumatic in the 10 at 20-1. Max Player will be the only horse to run in all three Triple Crown races this year. Because of coronavirus restrictions, some of the top jockeys who would normally be in this race are staying in their home territories. Four of the 11 jockeys are based in Maryland, and there are no jockeys from the Southern California jockey colony who will ride. Tesla CEO Elon Musk walks next to a screen showing an image of a Tesla Model 3 car during the opening ceremony for Tesla's China-made Model Y program in Shanghai, Jan. 7. Reuters-Yonhap By Baek Byung-yeul, Kim Yoo-chul Tesla is looking to acquire a stake in LG Energy Solution, soon to be separated by LG Chem, to procure a stable supply of batteries, bank sector sources told The Korea Times, Monday. "Tesla is looking to acquire a stake in LG Energy Solution. Specifically, Tesla is said to be exploring taking up to a 10 percent stake in LG Energy Solution," one source said on condition of anonymity as he wasn't authorized to officially speak to the media. LG Chem, a key battery supplier to Tesla and General Motors, said earlier its decision to spin off its battery business in December was based on its judgment that this is the "right time" to do so, as the battery industry is growing rapidly and structural profits in the electric vehicle (EV) battery sector are being made. From Tesla's standpoint, any direct investment in LG will help it purchase qualified batteries for use in its Tesla EVs without any outstanding risks in terms of battery supply. Based on Tesla CEO Elon Musk's assertion that they will still rely heavily on cell makers and the huge executional risks of ramping, industry experts said Tesla will likely continue to partner with cell suppliers for its new innovations. "It's quite early to tell if Tesla has an actual plan to acquire a stake in LG Energy Solution. But given Tesla's growing attempts at cost cuts and moves in producing round batteries, it does make sense that Tesla would explore an opportunity to buy a stake in LG Energy Solution," another source familiar with the issue added. According to the latest reports issued by Bernstein Research, a top-tier independent investment research firm, Tesla is trying to find a sweet spot between battery size and energy capacity. It aims to increase production of larger cell sizes. The emphasis will move from the 18650 Li-ion format to higher capacities 21700 and 46800 in the future. The new 46800 cell provides five times more energy and 16 percent longer range. The 46800 cells are easier to manufacture with fewer parts and have a shorter electrical path length to reduce heat. "Tesla will hand over the battery manufacturing to partners, the same as now, rather than doing its own battery cell manufacturing. We believe the possibility of this scenario is high considering the execution risk Tesla invest in part of the cell manufacturing process but still partners with a cell manufacturer for the rest of the cell manufacturing process," Bernstein's Mark Newsman said in a recent report co-written by Steven Chen, Yan Li and Jane Wang. At present, Tesla and Japan's Panasonic operate Gigafactory, a joint venture electric vehicle assembly and battery production plant in the U.S.. But by diversifying battery sourcing channels, Tesla could cut its battery procurement costs. And it bears relevance that Musk announced last week that Tesla will bring a $25,000 passenger EV to market in the next three years. "While China's CATL is also one of the top battery suppliers to Tesla, given Tesla's deep partnership with Panasonic, Tesla's equity purchase of LG Energy Solution would come and it's no surprise to see that," the second source said. CATL is yet to realize an economy of scale to mass-manufacture quality-assured round batteries. Global carmakers are rushing to secure a battery supply with the hope of rising EV sales on the back of continued government subsidies and quotas aimed at reducing carbon emissions. LG Chem recently established ventures with General Motors and Geely Automotive Holdings in China. LG Chem's global EV battery market has spiked from 11 percent last year to over 25 percent as of July this year. It outpaced both CATL and Panasonic. Are you working from home? If yes, Google's video chat platform Google Meet has come up with a new announcement which could impact employees and students. After September 30, free versions of Google Meet will be limited to meetings no longer than 60 minutes. The free extension is scheduled to end on September 30. Earlier this year, Google had said that it is making unlimited meetings free for all Google Meet users. Anyone with an access to free extension could make unlimited Meet calls. Now, Google Meet free calls will be restricted to 60 minutes per meeting after the promo is expired. It was first in April that the tech giant had said that it would be restricting free meetings to an hour. Thereafter, it extended it to August. "We don't have anything to communicate regarding changes to the promo and advanced features expiring. If this changes, we'll be sure to let you know," a Google spokesperson told The Verge. Even other advanced features such as G Suite and G Suite for education customers may also have a deadline of September 30, the report added. Google is also capping other features - 250 participants, live-streams of up to 100,000 people and the ability to save recordings to Google Drive - to their paid version. A customer can usually access these features on the "enterprise" tier of G Suite. It costs $25 (nearly Rs 1,800) per user per month for the service. Ever since the coronavirus pandemic began most professionals and students shifted to WFH mode, increasing demand for video conferencing platforms and meeting spaces such as Zoom, Google Meet and Microsoft Teams. Also read: An inside story of how Paytm-Google fiasco unfolded Six people were arrested over a property-related clash between two groups in Uttar Pradeshs Greater Noida on Monday, police said. The incident took place in Aliwardipur village in the Ecotech 3 police station area around 9 am, when the foundation structure of an under-construction property was allegedly razed by one of the groups that had objected to the construction, the police said. Deputy Commissioner of Police, Central Noida, Harish Chander said the group that allegedly razed the foundation had earlier approached the police, claiming that it was their property, which was illegally occupied by a property dealer. The complaint was being probed by the police. On Monday morning, the property dealers group was at the site when the complainants group reached the spot and used a JCB operator to raze the foundation, the officer said. A clash broke out between the two groups, resulting in minor injuries to some people, while shots were fired in the air, but no one got hurt. Six people have been arrested, an FIR has been lodged against them and they are being taken to a court, he added. Around a dozen people were involved in the clash. The six arrested men have been identified as Vijay Singh, Sonu Yadav, Arbaaz, Mohammad Safi, Mohammad Surman and Mohnish Ali, the police said. Members of both the groups were among those arrested, they added. An FIR has been lodged at the Ecotech 3 police station under Indian Penal Code sections 147, 148, 149 (all related to rioting), 327 (causing hurt to extort property), 352 (assault or criminal force without grave provocation), 504 (insult to provoke breach of peace) and 506 (criminal intimidation), the police said. The accused have also been booked under provisions of the Criminal Law Amendment, they added. Donald Trump has accused Mike Bloomberg of 'bribing ex-prisoners to go out and vote for Sleepy Joe' after a probe was launched into the billionaire's fundraising. The former Democrat candidate donated $16 million to the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition, an initiative for felons to pay their debts so they can vote in the presidential election. Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody opened a federal investigation last week into Bloomberg's payments over allegations that they violated the law by offering incentives for voting. Trump tweeted Sunday: 'Wow, nobody realized how far Mini Mike Bloomberg went in bribing ex-prisoners to go out and vote for Sleepy Joe. He is desperate to get back into the good graces of the people who not only badly beat him, but made him look like a total fool. Now he's committed a serious crime!' Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody (left) opened a federal investigation last week into Mike Bloomberg's (right) payments over allegations that they violated the law by offering incentives for voting Trump tweeted Sunday: 'Wow, nobody realized how far Mini Mike Bloomberg went in bribing ex-prisoners to go out and vote for Sleepy Joe. He is desperate to get back into the good graces of the people who not only badly beat him, but made him look like a total fool. Now he's committed a serious crime!' The $16 million was part of a broader investment of $100 million effort by Bloomberg 'to help elect Democrat Joe Biden', The Washington Post reported. Moody opened her review at the request of Governor Ron DeSantis and House Rep. Matt Gaetz. DeSantis, Gaetz, and Moody are Republicans. 'I have instructed the Statewide Prosecutor to work with law enforcement and any Statewide Grand Jury that the Governor may call,' Moody said in a written statement. In 2018, voters approved a constitutional amendment to restore most felons' voting rights once they've completed their sentences. The exception was for murderers and sex offenders. But when crafting the law to implement the amendment, the Republican-dominated Legislature said that rights wouldn't be restored until all fines, court fees and restitution were paid. The Florida Rights Restoration Coalition says it doesn't target people based on their political affiliation. A federal appellate court ruled on September 11 that in addition to serving their sentences, Florida felons must pay all fines, restitution and legal fees before they can regain their right to vote. The case could have broad implications for the November elections. Florida has 29 electoral college votes that are crucial to President Donald Trumps hopes of staying in the White House. The money Bloomberg raised is targeted for felons who registered to vote while the law was in question and who owe $1,500 or less. That accounts for about 31,100 people, his staffers said. In a state that decided the 2000 presidential election by 537 votes, that could be critical in a year when polls show Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden in a dead heat. The Florida Rights Restitution Coalition had raised about $5million before Bloomberg made calls to raise almost $17million more, according to Bloomberg staffers. US President Donald J. Trump in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, USA In this file photo former Democratic presidential hopeful and former New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg arrives for the tenth Democratic primary debate of the 2020 presidential campaign season co-hosted by CBS News and the Congressional Black Caucus Institute at the Gaillard Center in Charleston, South Carolina, on February 25, 2020 Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried, Florida's only statewide elected Democrat and a member of the Cabinet, criticized the decision to investigate Bloomberg. 'Florida Republicans will stop at nothing to prevent people from voting, and this is another ploy to suppress the voices of those trying to regain their right to vote,' Fried said in a statement. 'Whether Mike Bloomberg, John Legend or Lebron James, these are are contributions made legally.' The group said other donors include John Legend, LeBron James, Michael Jordan, MTV, Comedy Central, VH1, Ben & Jerry's, Levi Strauss & Co, the Miami Dolphins, the Orlando Magic, the Miami Heat and Steven Spielberg. The question of satisfying financial obligations before voting rights are restored continues to be battled in court. On September 11, a federal appeals court reversed a lower court ruling that gave Florida felons the right to vote regardless of outstanding restitution, court fees and fines. KYIV, Ukraine - Authorities in Belarus have detained about 500 people during weekend protests against the countrys authoritarian president, who has claimed a sixth term in office in an election widely seen as rigged. Belarus Interior Ministry said Monday that 150 protesters were detained on Saturday and over 350 more on Sunday, when anti-government protests spanned 22 cities. Daily rallies have rocked Belarus for over seven weeks now, with the largest ones drawing up to 200,000 people, in the biggest challenge yet to President Alexander Lukashenkos long hard-line reign. About 100,000 demonstrators marched in the Belarusian capital of Minsk on Sunday, demanding the resignation of Lukashenko, who has cracked down hard on opposition and independent news media during 26 years in power. According to the Viasna human rights group, the clampdown on the protesters this weekend wasnt as violent as before. Repressions get stuck when more than 100,000 people take to the streets, Viasna head Ales Bialiatski said. The authorities scare tactics dont work anymore. Hundreds of thousands of Belarusians have been protesting daily since the Aug. 9 presidential election, which officials claim handed Lukashenko, a 66-year-old former state farm director, a victory with 80% of the vote. Both opposition members and some poll workers say the vote was rigged, and the United States and the European Union have condemned the election as neither free nor fair. Many European countries have refused to recognize Lukashenko as the legitimate leader after his unexpected inauguration earlier this week. French President Emmanuel Macron said in Lithuania that he would meet Tuesday with Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, Lukashenkos main election opponent who went into exile in that country after the election. Macron also said that it is important for France to reengage with Russia, although he acknowledged that the prospect of dialogue with Moscow is a sensitive issue, particularly in the Baltics. Russia and Belarus are allies, and Russian President Vladimir Putin has recognized Lukashenko as Belarus legitimate leader. During the first days after the election, police used tear gas, truncheons and rubber bullets to disperse crowds. Some protesters died, many were injured and nearly 7,000 were detained. Amid international outrage over the violent suppression of the protests, Belarusian authorities switched to prosecuting top activists. Belarusian authorities have opened a criminal probe into members of the Coordination Council, created by the opposition to push for a peaceful transition of power, on the charges of undermining national security. Many members have been arrested or forced to leave the country. On Monday, Svetlana Alexievich, the winner of the 2015 Nobel Prize in literature and the only member of the councils executive presidium still free in Belarus, left for Germany. The council told The Associated Press that Alexievich will spend a month in Germany and receive medical treatment, then she plans to travel to Italy and come back to Belarus. The council also reported Monday that the health of Maxim Znak, another top council member who was jailed earlier this month and has been on hunger strike since Sept. 18, took a sharp turn for the worse. It urged authorities to release Znak and make quality medical treatment available to him and urged Znak himself to stop the strike. ___ Daria Litvinova in Moscow and Elaine Ganley in Paris contributed to this report. Read more about: Copyright 2020 Albuquerque Journal An Arizona-based aviation company has its sights set on Roswell, where it plans to bring 360 jobs over a five-year period, according to a news release from the states Economic Development Department. Ascent Aviation Services, an airplane repair and maintenance company, will be expanding its operations to the Roswell Air Center. Ascent Aviation Services will be providing aircraft maintenance, reclamation and fueling services for a number of aircraft at the air center, which is storing 500 unused jets and private planes. The company will receive up to $4 million in funding from the states Local Economic Development Act, while Chaves County has pledged another $3 million for utility and infrastructure improvements, the release said. Ascent, meanwhile, plans to invest $18 million into the Roswell location. Over the course of 10 years, Ascent Aviation Services is expected to bring $545 million in total economic impact to the Land of Enchantment. Bringing 360 jobs to a rural community, a city like Roswell, is going to be huge, said Alicia Keyes, cabinet secretary at the New Mexico Economic Development Department. Were hoping that its the impetus for even more. The company plans to hire 130 employees in its first year in Roswell, paying an average salary of $54,000 a year. With its clear blue skies and competitive business climate, New Mexico continues to attract top-tier aerospace companies, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham said in the release. The Roswell Air Center is a unique economic driver that will, with the support of my administration, continue to bring high-quality and high-paying jobs to the area, and I am glad to welcome Ascent Aviation to the state. Roswell Mayor Dennis Kintigh said in a press release that Roswell is aiming to be a global leader in the aviation maintenance, repair and overhaul industry. The aviation company is on track to lease 10 acres and construct a maintenance hanger for wide-body jets. David Querio, Ascent Aviation Services president, wrote in the press release that local and state leaders eased the expansion process. The state and county incentives show that New Mexico has a strong desire to bring in new businesses and create good jobs, Querio wrote in the release. There can be a lot of pain associated with this type of expansion and everyone from Cabinet Secretary Keyes and Economic Division Director Mark Roper on down, including additional personnel from the State of New Mexico, Chaves County, and the City of Roswell, have all shown a desire to help. That has made this expansion possible. Ascent Aviation Services employs about 500 people at the Pinal Air Park in Marana, Arizona, and at the Tucson International Airport, spanning across five aircraft hangars and 1,230 acres. Outside of aircraft maintenance, Ascent Aviation Services plans to provide scholarship and internship opportunities for students studying aircraft maintenance at Eastern New Mexico University Roswell and Central New Mexico Community College in Albuquerque. Wherever possible we are looking to provide training and assistance so we can grow our own mechanics, Querio wrote in the release. We know the importance of bringing something of this magnitude to Roswell. Regulatory Authorities of Dubai have put out an order stating that RT-PCR tests taken from select labs from India will be rejected. While we are still dark on details about the reason for the decision, the labs include Suryam Lab in Jaipur, Microhealth Lab in Kerala, Dr. P Bhasin Pathlabs in Delhi and Noble Diagnostic Centre in Delhi. Ahead of this, the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority has suspended Air India Express flights till October 2 for flying COVID-19 positive passengers to the country. As per the officials, despite having COVID-19 positive certificate, AI Express carried two passengers during the last couple of weeks. The recent incident was recorded on September 4 when the budget-arm of Indias national air carrier Air India flew a passenger who was tested COVID positive on September 2. #FlyWithIX : Attention Here's an important update regarding the RT-PCR test report to be carried by passengers traveling to Dubai. pic.twitter.com/eJCcklxM3t Air India Express (@FlyWithIX) September 27, 2020 As per the UAE government rules, each passenger travelling from India need to bring original COVID-negative certificate from RT-PCR test done 96 hours prior to the journey. A passenger, who had a COVID-positive certificate dated September 2, travelled on Air India Express Jaipur-Dubai flight on September 4. A similar incident had happened with a passenger on one of the airlines other Dubai flights previously," said one of the officials. Therefore, the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority has suspended Air India Express flights from September 18 to October 2, the officials stated. The said passenger flew on the AI Express Jaipur-Dubai flight IX 1135. Air India Express said it is focusing on reducing the hardship of the passengers and it plans to operate its four Dubai flights, scheduled to operate from India on Friday, to Sharjah instead. NEW DELHI: Indias foreign ministry is being recast to align with its new foreign policy priorities the Indo-Pacific region. The ministry has created an entirely new division, headed by a senior officer of the rank of additional secretary, that will focus on the South East Asian nations, Pacific Island states and the larger Indo-Pacific in a clear sign of the importance that the Modi government accords to the region. The Southern Division that looked after a swathe of countries from Thailand to Australia and New Zealand will be part of the new Oceania" division as will be Indo-Pacific division. Besides countries in Southeast Asia, the Oceania" division will include Pacific Island states like the Cook Islands, Tuvalu, Papua New Guinea, Nauru, the Marshal Islands, Solomon Islands and Tonga among others. The new super division" will be headed by Additional Secretary Reenat Sandhu. It will also be manned by two director rank officers -- Geetika Srivastava and Paulomi Tripathi from the 2005 and 2007 batch respectively. The idea behind the rejig is to look at countries from Thailand to the Pacific Island states as belonging to one region, Mint has learnt. Putting an additional secretary rank official in charge of the division also underlines the importance that the ministry headed by Foreign Minister S Jaishankar and Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla attach to the region. The move signals that New Delhi will be giving decisive shape to its engagement with countries in the Indo-Pacific. The new administrative entity is coming into existence at a time when the foreign ministers of the Quad countries" the US, Japan, Australia and India are expected to meet in Japan next month. The meeting in Japan will be the second at the foreign minister level after the one in Washington in September last year. All four countries support a free" and open" Indo-Pacific with freedom of navigation and overflight. It comes amid concerns over the rise of China and its muscle flexing in the South China Sea, East China Sea and the Taiwan Straits. China views the "Quad" as aimed at containing it. In recent years, India has forged new links with the Pacific Island states besides strengthening its cooperation with countries in Southeast Asia. Indian ships have made port calls in many of the Southeast Asian nations. New Delhi has also signed agreements for the use of logistics facilities with Australia and Japan in recent months crystallising cooperation in the Quad." The recast also comes amid news reports of the Quad" possibly looking to expand and include in its ambit countries like Vietnam. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Never miss a story! Stay connected and informed with Mint. Download our App Now!! Topics RTHK: Wang Yi: Covid-19 blame game 'will bring disaster' The coronavirus is a wake-up call for the world, and trading blame "will only bring greater disaster", China's foreign minister said on Monday. Days after China and the United States lashed out at each other on UN platforms over the coronavirus outbreak, Foreign Minister Wang Yi told a forum in Beijing that individual countries had "turned the solemn international venue of the UN into a performance space for serving their own politics and self-interest". Beijing has recently moved to reshape the pandemic narrative away from its early outbreak in Wuhan to a story of the country's success in stopping the virus spread. But the US has led nations criticising Beijing for its handling of the epidemic. They allege that Beijing suppressed news of the respiratory disease when it first emerged last year and initial advice played down risks of transmission. "Apart from working together and helping each other, we have no other choice," Wang added at the event co-hosted by the China Public Diplomacy Association, where he sought to position China as a responsible major power. Wang's remarks came less than a week after US President Donald Trump used his annual address to the UN General Assembly to attack China's record, and the US ambassador to the global body took an outraged tone that surprised diplomats. Trump in his speech demanded action against China for spreading the "plague" of Covid-19 to the world, drawing ire from Beijing. "As UN Secretary-General (Antonio) Guterres emphasised, this epidemic is not only a wake-up call, but also a crisis drill," said Wang. "In the face of global challenges such as the epidemic, if we go our own way or treat our neighbours as the enemy, it will only bring greater disaster." (AFP) This story has been published on: 2020-09-28. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. A Government minister would today not rule out the possibility that university students may not be able to return home for Christmas. Care minister Helen Whately said she absolutely hopes that students will be able to see their families over the festive period. However, she implied there was a chance they may have to stay at university if the spread of coronavirus is not brought under control. Asked if students will be able to go home for Christmas, Ms Whately told Sky News: I absolutely hope so. I know that as a student at the moment particularly if you are in a university where there is an outbreak and youre being told to self-isolate that is not the student experience you were looking forward to. Pressed on whether they will have to stay in halls over Christmas, she added: Youve heard the secretary of state, he wont rule anything out. But what we want is to see people being able to spend time with their families. She added: Matt Hancock said you cant rule that out. But we absolutely dont want to. Christmas is months ahead so lets do the right thing over the weeks and months ahead. It comes as thousands of students across the UK have been forced to self-isolate after a surge in Covid-19 cases. Up to 1,700 students at Manchester Metropolitan University and hundreds at other institutions including in Edinburgh and Glasgow, are having to self-isolate following outbreaks. Manchester Met students claim they have been prevented from leaving their halls of residence by security guards. PA They said they received no warning of the stringent measures and hit back by sticking posters to their windows, spelling out help and criticising the Government. Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham said he has been assured that they would be allowed to leave to go for coronavirus tests. Larissa Kennedy, president of the National Union of Students, said students self-isolating at universities are trapped in disgusting conditions. She told ITVs Good Morning Britain, said: Ive heard from other students who, theyve turned up with an amount of toilet roll, told with no notice that theyre going to be locked down and wondering where the next roll of toilet roll is coming from. It just feels like these are disgusting conditions for students to have been trapped in. London universities have said they are introducing measures to protect students. At London South Bank University, 7,000 bottles of hand sanitiser will be handed out which can be attached to jackets, bags and pockets. Also 7,000 knives and forks will also be distributed for students to use when they eat on and off campus. Term starts today at University College London where students can choose to study on campus or at home during the first term, but masks must be worn in the classrooms and physical access to study spaces, common rooms and libraries will be restricted. London Metropolitan University has pushed back the start of its term to October 12 to give staff and students more time to prepare with the vast majority of students there taking part in lectures remotely until 2021. The University of Greenwich has introduced an online enrolment service and phased induction period to manage the flow of new students arriving on campus. The School of Oriental and African Studies is running virtual wellbeing drop-in sessions for students and has moved its welcome week off campus and online for a welcome season. The University of Westminster has teamed up with psychologists to launch an online tool offering mental health support. Royal Holloway is providing airport pickup for international students and a room to quarantine in, and the student union shop can deliver food to rooms. All students at the University of East London will have access to online exercise classes. Labour shadow education secretary Kate Green has written to her counterpart Gavin Williamson calling on the Government to promise university students will be allowed to return home to their families for Christmas. Mr Williamson was set to face an urgent question in the Commons about the issue this afternoon. Barbados to ditch the Queen Time to finally say goodbye ourselves? The Caribbean nation of Barbados, a British colony until 1966, officially plans to remove Queen Elizabeth as head of state and become a republic by November 2021 on the 55th anniversary of its independence. In an occasion that highlighted the necessity of this change, the speech announcing the initiative was written by Labour Party Prime Minister Mia Mottley but delivered, not by the elected Prime Minister, but by Governor General Dame Sandra Mason, the Queens official representative in Barbados. This policy, where the Queen or her representative speaks on behalf of the government at the State Opening of Parliament originated in feudal England, where the monarch was supreme the king or queen was the government. New Zealand, along with many other former British colonies, has inherited the same practice. The time has come to fully leave our colonial past behind. Barbadians want a Barbadian head of state, said Mason on behalf of Mottley. This is the ultimate statement of confidence in who we are and what we are capable of achieving. Hence, Barbados will take the next logical step toward full sovereignty and become a republic by the time we celebrate our 55th anniversary of independence. The move comes as part of a progressive and anti-imperialist upsurge in the Caribbean that has seen recently elected Prime Minister of Jamaica Andrew Holness also pledge to hold a referendum on the abolition of the British monarchy in Jamaica. The Peoples Progressive Party, a member of the Solidarity Network of Communist and Workers Parties, was elected in Guyana earlier in the year. Guyana alongside Trinidad & Tobago and Dominica are already republics. This is a significant development for the Barbadian people, who are finally getting rid of the last vestiges of the British Empire in their country. Mottley represents the spirit of anti-colonial struggle when she argues for a state system that reflect[s] our characteristics and values as a nation. The Caribbean is increasingly becoming independent from both British colonialism and US neo-colonialism, especially with the support of Cuba, Venezuela, and Nicaragua. The logical question to ask ourselves within the working-class movement in Aotearoa is whether we should join this republican upsurge and get rid of the Crown once and for all. The Communist Party, as you would expect, stands for a republic, and a socialist republic no less. The republican movement in New Zealand, however, has largely been distinct from the working-class movement. Its most prominent representatives are members of the legal profession who are bourgeois democrats with a passion for constitutional reform such as Dr Dean Knight from the Victoria University of Wellington Centre for Public Law, or Sir Geoffrey Palmer, former Minister of Justice. How does the bourgeois character of the republicans reconcile with the anti-monarchist sentiment present across, we hope, the entire socialist and working-class movement? Democratic revolution, the category into which anti-monarchical and anti-colonial revolutions certainly fall, is far broader than just deposition of the monarch. The Great Man view of history, focused solely on prominent figures such as monarchs, ignores the class struggles and social processes that drive history. The significance of the French revolution was ultimately not the deposition of Louis XVI but the abolition of the feudal estates and privileges. A similar process occurred in the thirteen original colonies that formed the United States of America after the American Revolution and Declaration of Independence from Britain. The nascent bourgeoisie in the colonies overthrew King George and established the American system, from the economic perspective, as a bourgeois national liberation revolution to assert control and further independent capitalist development on the continent. This was also the case in pre-Soviet Russia. Lenin disagreed with those who believed that the overthrow of the Russian monarchy (Tsar) would be anti-capitalist. These reforms, he argued, would simply clear the ground for a wide and rapid ... development of capitalism; they will, for the first time, make it possible for the bourgeoisie to rule as a class. This development of a bourgeois republic and capitalist development arose in the months following the February Revolution in 1917 that established the Provisional Government, but was soon halted by the Great October Socialist Revolution. The October Revolution led to the first creation of a new type of republic, the socialist republic that was both free of monarch and capitalist exploitation of working people, unlike all other republics at the time. In all three countries, France, the USA and Russia, the monarchy was overthrown based on bourgeois democratic principles to further the development of capitalism. In Britain, however, capitalism developed in a measured manner that meant the nascent capitalist class wrestled power away from the monarch and feudal lords without needing to abolish either (indeed now in Britain a select few capitalists are made non-hereditary lords each year!). In New Zealand and many other former colonies, such as Barbados, pre-capitalist modes of production were dominant before British arrival, and the British crown arrived soon after British capital. Hence the abolition of the constitutional monarchy in Barbados comes as a result of the process national independent development away from colonialism. Former General Secretary of the French Communist Party Maurice Thorez said on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the Great French Revolution that: The French working class has not to achieve 1789: it must accomplish the equivalent of a 1917 for the people of France the conquest of power, the establishment of a dictatorship of the proletariat, which will undertake the construction of Socialism. Our task stays the same here in Aotearoa. 180 years on from the Treaty of Waitangi that established the Crown in New Zealand, entrenching the rule of finance capital over the motu, the working-class movement must point its spear not at the figurehead of British colonialism but the real base of the exploitative system: monopoly capital and imperialism. A collapse of this base takes the monarchy down with it. Our political program and the course we must take here in Aotearoa is a socialist republic that yes, abolishes the monarchy, but goes a lot further in gaining real independence from imperialism and foreign monopoly capital. To leave the Five Eyes intelligence pact, the NATO Global Partnership and other pacts created by US and British imperialism and instead pursue a path of peace and friendly cooperation in the Pacific and the world, and an economic program of widespread nationalisation of the commanding heights of the economy and workplace democracy would mean a departure from the capitalist-imperialist policy aimed at extracting wealth that led to the colonisation of our islands in the first place. The required socialist nature of this revolution is important to emphasise. Like how the British bourgeoisie were and still are incredibly proficient at promoting the development of capitalism without disturbing the monarchy, their domestic spawn here in New Zealand have been incredibly proficient in recent decades at promoting Maori capitalist development and a nascent Maori bourgeoisie without shaking the control of the modern monarch, monopoly capital. As the 2018 lockout of bus drivers who whakapapa to Waikato-Tainui by (then) Waikato-Tainui owned GoBus during an industrial dispute highlights, the same social ills that working people in our country face, whether Maori or tauiwi, will continue under both the current or a republican system unless it establishes working peoples power. This is the basis of the Communist Partys anti-monopoly and socialist outlook. My best wishes to the working people of Barbados on taking this great step towards complete national independence from neo-colonialism and imperialism! I wish them all the best for it. Workers Star (New Communist Party of Aotearoa) A Longford man' has been cleared of an alleged attempted break-in at a house in Longford town after CCTV footage failed to clearly identify the culprit. Judge Seamus Hughes said he could not, beyond all reasonable doubt, convict Robert O'Hare, 3 Camlin Mews, Longford town, of trying to gain access to a shed at the rear of a property on St Mel's Road, Longford on August 4, 2020. Mr O'Hare, currently in custody and awaiting trial in an unrelated matter, pleaded not guilty to the charge at last week's sitting of Longford District Court. Camera footage taken from the scene of the incident was shown to Judge Hughes which allegedly showed a suspect trying to enter the shed wearing a disguise. Sgt Mark Mahon said investigating Garda John Hanley was satisfied the figure on the CCTV footage was that of Mr O'Hare. The defendant, who sat quietly in the custody suite throughout the hearing, was steadfast in professing his innocence. If I have done something, I would come into court and plead guilty, said Mr O'Hare, who, the court was told has 66 previous convictions, 39 of which were for theft. Judge Seamus Hughes, upon delivering his verdict on the case, said despite his own assessment of the footage, the court could not convict Mr O'Hare beyond all reasonable doubt. He has the walk of Robbie O'Hare and he has the step of Robbie O'Hare, said Judge Hughes of the figure in the footage. The 38-year-old was, however, sentenced to six months in prison for a separate handling stolen property charge which occurred at Ballycloghan, Carrickboy sometime between March 13 and March 14 2020. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy told a judge that a court order directing the U.S. Postal Service to reinstate overtime to ensure speedy delivery of mail-in ballots for the Nov. 3 election could be abused by workers. In a filing over the weekend, lawyers for DeJoy, the USPS and President Donald Trump asked U.S. District Judge Victor Marrero in Manhattan to amend his Sept. 21 injunction to give the agency more discretion in approving overtime. The order currently requires the USPS to automatically grant overtime for the 10 days surrounding the election. The injunction was issued in a case brought by a group of voters and political candidates who accuse DeJoy and Trump of trying to hobble the agency with a rollout of major operational changes that led to nationwide delays in delivery. Marrero's order was intended to help ensure the USPS can meet an expected record surge in mail-in ballots across the U.S. due to the coronavirus pandemic. The USPS, DeJoy and Trump said in their Saturday filing that the court's order "could be construed in ways that require the approval of overtime unrelated to election mail, impose impracticable administrative and financial burdens on the Postal Service, and create confusion amongst its employees and managers." In a response filed Sunday, the plaintiffs said DeJoy's claim about potential overtime waste relies "on a series of wild speculations," including "that significant numbers of the dedicated workers at the Postal Service will, essentially, engage in mass fraud." They called the concern "almost laughable given the ten-day limitation of the order." The USPS is also seeking to amend an injunction against it issued in a parallel case in Yakima, Washington. The agency wants the court order to acknowledge that high-speed mail sorting machines DeJoy ordered dismantled can't be reassembled because they were stripped for parts. On Monday, a federal judge in Pennsylvania became the fourth to issue a nationwide injunction against the USPS over DeJoy's operational changes. The ruling came in a suit filed by six Democratic state attorneys general and the District of Columbia. U.S. District Judge Gerald Austin McHugh said USPS service "dropped precipitously" after DeJoy began his tenure this year, and that the states' administration of the upcoming election "has been and will continue to be frustrated as a result of mail delays." The judge also said he was "troubled" by "what appears to be a strategic effort by defendants to limit the court's understanding of the significant degree to which some top officials of the Postal Service were directly involved in the operational changes that went into effect in July." Even so, McHugh said it was too early to determine whether DeJoy and Trump had intentionally tried to undermine the election. "At this stage in the case and with minimal formal discovery, any such conclusion is premature," the judge said. John Hannigan, 48, was found unconscious in the property on Grosvenor Road in Rathmines on January 3. He died in hospital seven weeks later. Gardai said they are not revealing the findings of a post-mortem examination for operational reasons. Investigating gardai have not been able to determine the sole cause of Johns death as being due to natural or accidental circumstances and continue to investigate all the circumstances of this unexplained death, said a Garda spokesman. At around 1.30pm on the day he sustained the injuries, Mr Hannigan travelled to Balally in Sandyford to meet a family member. Gardai have been unable to establish his movements upon leaving Sandyford up until the time he was found in the apartment block at 6.30pm. They have urged anyone with any information to come forward. Sienna Miller has revealed that Chadwick Boseman cut his own pay to bump up her salary when they worked together. Miller and the late Black Panther star appeared in the 2019 thriller 21 Bridges, where they portrayed a pair of NYPD police officers. Miller has now revealed that she was close to turning the film down after the studio behind it declined to meet her salary request. Boseman, who produced the film and sought Miller for her role, then intervened to ensure she was appropriately compensated, regardless of the studios opinion on her worth. This was a pretty big budget film, and I know that everybody understands about the pay disparity in Hollywood, but I asked for a number that the studio wouldnt get to, Miller told Empire Magazine. And because I was hesitant to go back to work and my daughter was starting school and it was an inconvenient time, I said, Ill do it if Im compensated in the right way. Chadwick ended up donating some of his salary to get me to the number that I had asked for. He said that that was what I deserved to be paid. Miller added that she was astounded by Bosemans generosity. That kind of thing just doesnt happen, she continued. He said, Youre getting paid what you deserve, and what youre worth. It's just unfathomable to imagine another man in that town behaving that graciously or respectfully There was no showiness, it was, Of course Ill get you to that number, because thats what you should be paid. Chadwick Boseman and Sienna Miller at a '21 Bridges' premiere in November 2019 (Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images) Boseman died in August at the age of 43, after battling colon cancer for four years. The Black Panther star chose to keep his diagnosis a secret to the public and much of the film industry, with only a handful of friends and family knowing that he was sick. A former separatist commander became the first person to appear before an international court probing Kosovos 1990s independence war on Monday, facing charges including murder and torture. Salih Mustafa, 48, a senior member of the ethnic Albanian Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) during the 1998-9 conflict, was arrested last week and transferred to the Kosovo Specialist Chambers based in The Hague. Mustafa is charged with the arbitrary detention, cruel treatment and torture of at least six civilians at a detention compound in Zllash, Kosovo in April 1999, and the murder of one prisoner. The court was set up in 2015 to probe alleged atrocities by the KLA, whose guerrillas fought for the independence of Kosovo from Serbia. Removing a mask that he was required to wear because of coronavirus measures, Mustafa spoke to confirm his personal details including that he is now an adviser in the Kosovo defence ministry. Asked by judge Nicolas Guillou if he wanted to plead guilty or not guilty during his first appearance before the court, Mustafa replied: I wont enter a plea today, I will consult my lawyer. The judge said Mustafa would have ample opportunity to challenge the charges when the case gets fully underway later, and adjourned the hearing until early next week. The victims were accused of being spies, collaborating with Serbian forces or of not cooperating with the KLA, according to the indictment against Mustafa. They were subjected to torture including beatings with various instruments, burning and the administration of electric shocks, it said. More than 13,000 people died in the Kosovo conflict, which ended when late Serbian president Slobodan Milosevics forces withdrew after an 11-week NATO bombing campaign. The courts activities are highly sensitive as former rebel commanders still dominate political life in Kosovo. The court indicted Kosovo President Hashim Thaci in June for his alleged role in nearly 100 murders during the 1998-89 conflict while he led the KLA. He was questioned at the tribunal in July over the charges which he said rewrite history, but he has not formally been arrested. Two other people were arrested by the court last week on charges of leaking information that could expose protected witnesses. International tensions over Kosovo remain to this day, with the US and most of the West recognising Kosovo, while Belgrade and its allies Russia and China do not. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-28 17:22:05|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close KUWAIT CITY, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- Kuwait's Intisar Foundation has signed a memorandum with the Holy Spirit University of Kaslik (USEK) of Lebanon to collaborate on nurturing the talent of Arab female drama therapists, the foundation said Monday. Sheikha Intisar Al-Sabah, founder and chairwoman of the foundation, said in a press statement that the agreement was concluded during an online meeting, where both sides agreed that the foundation will financially support the enrollment of 15 outstanding female Arab students into USEK's master's curriculum in drama therapy in the fall of 2020. According to the statement, the scholarship will be offered to females from Kuwait and other Arab countries to specialize in drama therapy master degree, in order to create the drama therapy expertise in the Arab world. The agreement is a part of the foundation's One Million Arab Women initiative, the statement said, noting that it is a pioneering initiative to alleviate war trauma in one million Arab women through the use of drama therapy by 2040. Enditem The carmaker has been around in some form or another since right before the start of the Second World War, but it didnt certify its first mass produced car for the road until 1948. Its the 356 were talking about, of course, the little car that is the object of desire for countless present-day car collectors, who are willing to pay sums well into the six-digit territory for one.Soon after the 356 got the green light, Porsche was already targeting America. Despite having fought a war against Americans (the man was a major contributor to the German war effort), Ferdinand Porsche had no problem selling cars to his nations former (and very recent) enemies.The brand began selling its first cars in the U.S. in 1950, through a dealership owned by Austrian Max Hoffman. Porsches efforts overseas were not backed by marketing departments or strategies, advertising was almost non-existent, and the 356s themselves had no real reputation, just a higher price than other vehicles on the market, and a smaller engine.Fast forward seven decades later, and we have a Porsche that is firmly affixed to American soil. The older cars wearing the badge make the rounds on sales websites, changing hands repeatedly and almost always at a higher value, new cars sell like hotcakes, therea massive Porsche corporate presence in the states (including, now, marketing departments), and more exciting things loom on the horizon.But is one of these things a special something meant to celebrate the carmakers anniversary in the U.S.? Hard to say. Theres a little press release on the subject of the anniversary (attached below), but it mentions nothing of a special model, a special livery, and not even a party, for that matter.Well be on the lookout though and let you know if something does pop up in the very few months left until the end of the year, as we believe Americans certainly deserve something for their loyalty to the German brand. Brad Parscale, the former manager of Donald Trump's digital campaign efforts, was wrestled to the ground and arrested by Fort Lauderdale police following a standoff with authorities. Footage of the arrest was made public by the Fort Lauderdale Police Department. Officers removed 10 guns from his home following a police standoff on Sunday in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Amoung the weapons recovered from the former Trump staffer's home were several pistols, a shotgun, and a rifle, according to the South Florida Sun Sentinel. On Monday, Fort Lauderdale police provided details into the standoff. The standoff began on Sunday after Mr Parscale's wife, Candice, after fleeing her home in fear. According to Ms Parscale, she fled her home after getting into an argument with Mr Parscale, who became irate and loaded a gun in the course of their fight. Ms Parscale fled the house and ran to a neighbor's home, where she called the police. She said that shortly after leaving her house, she heard a gunshot and was concerned her husband was going to kill himself. She later admitted she wasn't sure if the sound she heard was a gunshot or a car backfire. Ms Parscale claimed her husband had been "stressed out" for the past two weeks and had made comments about shooting himself. She claimed he'd been drinking heavily and that he "suffers from PTSD." It is not immediately clear what sparked the fight. When police arrived to the scene, they found Ms Parscale covered in cuts and bruises. She told officers that Mr Parscale had caused her injuries earlier in the week. When officers called Mr Parscale, they noted that "Bradley's speech was slurred as though he was under the influence of an alcoholic beverage and he seemed to be crying." The officers then tried to convince Mr Parscale to leave the house, but police reports claim he was belligerent and refused to leave. Eventually, a Fort Lauderdale police officer, Christopher Wilson, said he was personal friends with the former Trump staffer, and went to the scene to help calm Mr Parscale. Mr Wilson ultimately convinced Mr Parscale to exit the house. He approached Mr Wilson and began talking to him about why he was upset, but other officers swooped in and knocked him to the ground. "I didn't do anything!" Mr Parscale said as officers restrained him. He protests and offers little resistance other than questioning why the officers are arresting him. At one point, an officer says "Hey, we'll figure it all out, don't worry about it," to the bewildered former Trump staffer. After his arrest, Mr Parscale was involuntarily committed for psychiatric evaluation under Florida's Baker Act, a law allowing authorities to detain a person who they have judged mentally unstable and a danger to themselves or others. Under the law, individuals can be held for up to 72 hours. Mr Parscale became a minor celebrity in Trumpworld, where he evolved from simply managing the campaign's social media presence to speaking at Republican events and appearing on cable news shows as a Trump-friendly talking head. Despite his high profile and close working relationship with Mr Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, Mr Parscale fell out of favor following the president's disastrous Tulsa, Oklahoma rally in June. Mr Parscale boasted that 1 million tickets had been requested and that he expected 100,000 people to show up. Ultimately, only 6,200 people attended the event, including former Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain, who died a month later from Covid-19. Mr Parscale was fired in mid-July. An ad from the Lincoln Project - a Republican led anti-Trump group - highlighted how self-enriching Mr Parscale's work for Mr Trump had been. It claims Mr Parscale's personal companies benefitted from his raised profile, and listed amoung his assets a $2.4m waterfront house in Fort Lauderdale, two Florida condos worth nearly $1m, a yacht, a Ferrari and a Range Rover. Both the campaign for Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden and that of Mr Trump issued statements supporting Mr Parscale, though the Republic response used the opportunity to attack its political opponents in the process. "Brad Parscale is a member of our family and we all love him. We are ready to support him and his family in any way possible. The disgusting, personal attacks from Democrats and disgruntled RINOs have gone too far, and they should be ashamed of themselves for what theyve done to this man and his family, Tim Murtaugh, the Trump campaign communications director, said. On the other side of the aisle, the Biden campaign wished Mr Parscale a speedy recovery. This field is tough. It takes its toll on people in unfathomable ways," the Biden War Room Twitter account wrote. "Regardless of the differences we have in our beliefs, we at the Biden War Room hope that Brad Parscale is safe, is with his family, and gets everything that he needs to get better. By Trend On September 28, foreign military attaches and representatives of international organizations accredited in the Republic of Azerbaijan (UN, EU, ICRC) have been briefed by the Ministry of Defence on Armenian aggression against Azerbaijan, the situation on the frontline, counter-operations of our troops, and the general operational situation, Trend reports with reference Azerbaijani Defense Ministry. The representatives were informed in detail about Armenia's losses, liberated territories, and high grounds, as well as Armenian provocations and its disinformation activities. Armenian armed forces launched a large-scale military attack on positions of the Azerbaijani Army on the frontline, using large-caliber weapons, mortars, and artillery on Sept. 27. Azerbaijan responded with a counter-offensive along the entire front. As a result of the retaliation, Azerbaijani troops managed to liberate the territories previously occupied by Armenia: Garakhanbeyli, Garvend, Kend Horadiz, Yukhari Abdulrahmanli villages (Fuzuli district), Boyuk Marjanli, and Nuzgar villages (Jabrayil district). Moreover, the positions of the Armenian armed forces were destroyed in the direction of Azerbaijan's Agdere district and Murovdag, important heights were taken under control. Back in July 2020, the Armenian Armed Forces violated the ceasefire in the direction of Azerbaijan's Tovuz district. As a result of Azerbaijan's retaliation, the opposing forces were silenced. The fighting continued the following days as well. Azerbaijan lost a number of military personnel members, who died fighting off the attacks of the Armenian armed forces. The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on the withdrawal of its armed forces from Nagorno Karabakh and the surrounding districts. Covid-19 severely impacted the provision of services to thousands of young people already deemed at risk, new research has found. A report conducted on behalf of the National Youth Council of Ireland (NYCI) found young people experiencing marginalisation missed out on the vital supports they would have normally received from local youth services and became the most disconnected during the pandemic. The research showed some 14% of youth support services were unable to operate at all during the lockdown. As a result about 6,900 young people received no support. A further 59% of the services surveyed had experienced a reduction in the number of young people with whom they engaged, with figures falling from 59,822 to 18,391. This equated to a drop of 70%. A total of 356 services were surveyed for the report. Only eight projects saw an increase in engagement in virtual activities during the pandemic. NYCI chief executive Mary Cunningham said youth workers had been thrown into the deep end since the public health restrictions were introduced. Over the past six months, youth workers have shown their creativity, flexibility and commitment in numerous ways, she said. However, the research shows clearly that, despite the strenuous efforts of youth services, young people who were already most at risk became the most disconnected during the pandemic. Young people already experiencing poverty, for example, became even more isolated. She added: The pandemic exposed a whole range of inequalities and exacerbated vulnerabilities in the youth sector. Covid-19 had a compounding effect, whereby online engagement was significantly hampered for young people already experiencing marginalisation in various ways. The drop in engagement levels paints a stark picture and demonstrates just how important face-to-face youth work is, particularly for those in marginalised and vulnerable situations. The research highlighted the challenges of delivering youth services digitally. Almost one quarter of the youth projects surveyed experienced difficulties with the switch to digital youth work because young people did not have adequate digital access. Similarly, another quarter found staff lacked the requisite digital skills. Almost 70% of the survey respondents cited young peoples reluctance to engage digitally as a major challenge. Ms Cunningham said that funding and investment in the youth sector will be vital in the coming months. Childrens Minister Roderic OGorman welcomed the report, saying the research clearly showed that youth services throughout Ireland had gone above and beyond to maintain contact and continue to provide supports to the young people with whom they work. The Decatur Police Department wants help finding a man suspected of robbing a Krispy Kreme doughnut restaurant. Police said the man entered the Krispy Kreme location on Beltline Road SW at around 7:08 a.m. on Sunday. The man, who was brandishing a firearm and wearing a face mask, left the restaurant with an undisclosed amount of money. If anyone has any information about this incident or the identity of the subject is asked to contact Detective Sean Mukaddam at 256-341-4617 or email at smukaddam@decatur-al.gov. An Alabama school superintendent placed on leave after FBI agents showed up at his home during a probe is making about $15,500 a month in salary while not working. The Decatur Daily reported that Trey Holladay, superintendent of Athens city schools, remains on paid leave weeks after investigators visited his house during what an FBI spokesman called a law enforcement action. School board members voted unanimously to place Holladay on leave afterward, and he is being paid his annual salary of $186,134 in monthly installments. Meanwhile, an interim superintendent has taken over his duties. Nothing has changed, the board president, Russell Johnson, told the newspaper. Hes on paid administrative leave. Were waiting for whatever the next step will be. Were hoping this gets resolved soon. Johnson said the investigation was confidential at the request of federal officials. We have provided everything theyve asked for, Johnson said last week. Were just trying to get through this. An attorney for Holladay released a statement saying the superintendent was proud of his work for the system and hasnt been charged. In a move that signals a significant escalation in the Cambodian governments crackdown on the outlawed opposition party and dissent, a court has sentenced seven of its former officials for plotting in a case linked to their support of the unsuccessful return of self-exiled opposition figure Sam Rainsy in November 2019. The Tbong Khmum Provincial Court sentenced five former Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) officials to seven years in prison on Tuesday. Two of the dissidents were sentenced to five years. Family members of the defendants and the media were banned from the court proceedings, said Am Sam Ath, deputy director of Licadho, a local rights group. All were convicted under Article 453 of the Cambodian Criminal Code, which defines conspiracy as any scheme set up between several persons to commit a criminal attempt" and "materialized by one or several concrete actions." It carries a punishment of five to 10 years imprisonment. All had posted comments on Facebook between 2018 and 2019 supporting Sam Rainsys return from self-imposed exile in France. Sam Sokong, the defense lawyer, said, Among the seven convicted people, there is only one in jail and others have fled and hid. There is no evidence that they are involved in plotting. Campaign by Hun Sen government The convictions were the latest move in a long-running campaign against dissent by the government of Prime Minister Hun Sen, who has held power in Cambodia in various coalitions since 1985. But when the CNRP had a better-than-expected performance at the local elections in June 2017, the government arrested party president Kem Sokha in September, then dissolved the party before the year ended, stripping more than 5,000 CNRP officials of their elected positions. The result was Hun Sens ruling Cambodian Peoples Party (CPP) won every seat in the 2018 National Assembly and a crackdown on opposition. Sam Sokong, the defense attorney, said more than 200 people have been arrested, charged and jailed for plotting. Soeng Senkaruna, a spokesman for the Cambodian human rights group Adhoc, said that charge is a way to persecute and intimidate people, some of whom were arrested without warrants. Some of those arrested have been released but the charges have not been dropped, said Sam Sokong, adding that he expected 14 opposition activists to face trial later this month for plotting. 19 jailed Since July, the government has imprisoned 19 activists, artists and human rights defenders for peacefully exercising their constitutional rights to free expression and assembly, according to the Licadho website. Union leader Rong Chhun was the first arrested, then the government picked up youth leaders, environmental activists, rappers and a Buddhist monk for speaking out about issues affecting their country and communities. U.N. human rights spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani responded to the arrest of Rong Chhun and the others, saying, The current situation marks a deepening of the governments intolerance to dissent and repression of the rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association. On August 12, the European Union (EU) removed the duty-free, quota-free access Cambodian goods enjoyed under the Everything But Arms (EBA) program that is tied to democracy building and the development of a civil society. The European Unions European External Action Service (EEAS) said last week that there had not been any indication of substantive progress in its call for Cambodia to open up the countrys political space for a credible and democratic opposition to operate. The EU is seriously concerned about the continuous deterioration of democracy and human rights in the country, EEAS spokesperson Nabila Massrali told VOA Khmer. Phil Robertson, deputy director of the Asia division of Human Rights Watch, in an email to VOA Khmer, said, Cambodian human rights and democracy advocates are facing [a] concerted onslaught of political persecution that seeks to transform Cambodia from what was supposed to be a multiparty democracy into a ruthless, one-party dictatorship. The countrys kangaroo courts are operating hand-in-hand with the ruling Cambodian Peoples Party to sling activists into prison, like we saw Tbong Khmum just the other day, as judges dont even make a pretense of a fair and public trial. Even basic civil and political liberties, like expressing views on Facebook or holding a peaceful, public vigil outside a courthouse, are being threatened, he said. Robertson added, Hun Sen thinks the international community is so distracted by COVID-19 [the disease caused by the coronavirus] that they will not say anything. 'Very unfair' Speaking from an undisclosed location, Yem Vanneth, 27, a former commune councilor and CNRP member, told VOA Khmer she was the defendant sentenced in absentia to seven years in prison. She said the government wants to intimidate and silence Cambodians who support Sam Rainsys return to Cambodia. It is very unfair and unacceptable for us, she said. It is to intimidate me and to threaten other people who want to welcome Sam Rainsy. Vann Sophat, a former CNRP district councilor who was outside the court on Tuesday, told VOA Khmer that the six other convicted individuals were Kong Sam Ann, Chak Hour, Mean La, Vann Sophat, Sim Seakleng and Chim Vannak. Vann Sophat added that Chim Vannak, a former CNRP activist, has joined the ruling CPP and was given a suspended sentence. Muy Ly, whose father, Kong Sam Ann, was convicted Tuesday, said the former Memot district councilor had been arrested earlier this month and sentenced to seven years in prison on Tuesday. Muy Ly said she didnt know where her father would be imprisoned because the charges were filed in Phnom Penh, but the trial was conducted outside the capital in Tbong Khmum province. VOA Khmer could not reach Hak Seaklim, a Tbong Khmum provincial spokesperson, for comment. Chin Malin, spokesperson for Cambodias Justice Ministry, said the court had enough evidence to prosecute and supported the convictions. It is not related to the [CNRP] leaders, Chin Malin said. It is related to those peoples actual activities, which have criminal elements. Growing nervousness Tuesdays convictions have increased the anxiety among the family members of former CNRP members, as has Hun Sens suggestion that the prolonged and often delayed treason trial against opposition leader Kem Sokha could be delayed until 2024, according to the government-aligned newspaper Khmer Times. That is well beyond scheduled local and national elections in 2022 and 2023. Cindy Cao, who researches EU-Cambodian relations at the Brussels-based European Institute of Asian Studies, said in an email to VOA Khmer that the recent series of arrests and Hun Sens remarks on the Kem Sokha trial reflected Phnom Penhs consistent defiance of the EUs efforts encouraging democracy. She suggested the Cambodian government was likely balancing political concessions it was comfortable with and the economic cost of its continued crackdown, the latter likely resulting in domestic unrest. Many studies suggest that authoritarian states would prefer to pay an economic cost, rather than imperil its regime survival, Cao said. Cambodian government spokesperson Phay Siphan repeated the regimes defense of its actions, which is to maintain the countrys sovereignty. He added that the current clampdown was unrelated to the EBA revocation. Cambodia prioritizes peace and the absence of chaos in society because Cambodia is an underdeveloped country not as [rich as] the EU so the arrests and the crackdowns are to ensure harmonious living conditions, he said. Aun Chhengpor contributed to this report. Brad Parscale was hospitalized after he reportedly threatened to harm himself at his Fort Lauderdale, Florida home on Sunday afternoon DailyMail.com can reveal his wife Candice fled screaming into the street in just her bikini - before telling a passerby: 'I think my husband just killed himself' She buried her head in the stranger's lap and sobbed uncontrollably until officers revealed he was still alive A video obtained by DailyMail.com reveals Candice, by now wrapped in a white towel, peering over a line of police cars as officers negotiate Brad's surrender Candice told cops she heard a revolver being cocked and a 'loud boom' after her 44-year-old husband began 'ranting and raving' The witness, who asked not to be named for fear of reprisals, told DailyMail.com she also noticed evidence of bruising on Candice's upper arms She said: 'She was hysterical, she was hyperventilating, she nearly collapsed but I caught her and pulled her into the vehicle' The chaotic scene ended without tragedy about an hour and a half later when he agreed to surrender and was involuntarily committed to a hospital A police report reveals Parscale had ten weapons inside the home, including two rifles, two shotguns, five handguns and a small revolver Further reports confirmed Candice had revealed injuries to officers and told them she suffered them in an 'altercation' with her husband, claiming he hits her The wife of Donald Trump's demoted campaign boss Brad Parscale fled screaming into the street in just her bikini - before telling a passerby: 'I think my husband just killed himself.' Police raced to Parscale's Fort Lauderdale, Florida home Sunday afternoon after the Good Samaritan bundled Candice Parscale into her car and dialed 911. ADVERTISEMENT As many as 20 police cars and boats swarmed the waterfront property after the distraught wife told cops she heard a revolver being cocked and a 'loud boom' after her 44-year-old husband began 'ranting and raving'. Candice, 41, then buried her head in the stranger's lap and sobbed uncontrollably until officers revealed he was still alive and asked for his cell number so they could begin negotiations. Police dispatch records reveal marksmen could see into the $2.4 million property where Parscale sat shirtless on the floor with his dog, drinking beer and 'talking to himself'. The witness, who asked not to be named for fear of reprisals, told DailyMail.com she also noticed evidence of bruising on Candice's upper arms. Further reports made public on Monday confirmed Candice had revealed injuries to officers and told them she suffered them in an 'altercation' with her husband of four years, adding that he hits her. The chaotic scene ended without tragedy about an hour and a half later when police body cam footage showed Parscale being tackled by a SWAT officer after he ignored five demands to 'get on the ground'. Parscale was then involuntarily committed to a hospital by Fort Lauderdale police. Police raced to Brad Parscale's Fort Lauderdale, Florida home Sunday afternoon after his wife Candice ran into the street screaming, trying to get help. A Good Samaritan bundled Candice into her car and dialed 911. Pictured: Parscale shortly before he was detained by police The chaotic scene ended without tragedy about an hour and a half later when Parscale was dramatically tackled by a SWAT officer after he ignored five demands to get on the ground Candice fled screaming into the street in just her bikini - before telling a passerby: 'I think my husband just killed himself', DailyMail.com can exclusively reveal. Police later released body cam footage of the incident (pictured) The witness, who asked not to be named for fear of reprisals, told DailyMail.com she also noticed evidence of bruising on Candice's upper arms Click here to resize this module The president announced in July he was replacing Parscale with longtime political aide Bill Stepien. Well-placed sources told DailyMail.com Parscale is under investigation for the theft of campaign funds Brad Parscale's wife begs for help in 911 audio, saying her husband is 'pissed with the world' Brad Parscale's wife begs for help in 911 audio obtained by DailyMail.com, revealing her demoted Trump aide husband is 'pissed with the world'. A passerby begins Sunday afternoon's call by saying she is in the street with Candice Parscale 'who thinks her husband has shot himself inside their house and she does not want to go back inside.' As the caller explains what's going on, Candice cuts in to say: 'He cocked a handgun so I came out to the front.' The caller is heard trying to console Candice, saying, 'it's ok, its ok, take a deep breath.' Recovering her composure, Parscale's wife tells the operator: 'I was sitting in the back yard enjoying the weather. 'He, he is under a lot of stress right now, and he is pissed at the world and so he like walked out, cocked the handgun, ranting and raving about something, I don't know what. 'So I was like, OK, just chill. Stop. And then I got nervous and I went and I was sitting in the front yard, thinking, something is not right. And I saw him looking out the front window and I heard a loud, a loud noise I heard a loud boom. Ten minutes ago.' Asked what kind of weapon he was holding she replies: 'It was some sort of revolver, handgun, like a Glock, I don't know.' The call then captures a conversation in which the passerby quizzes Candice about her injuries, asking her: 'Oh no, did he do that? Oh my gosh your arms, both your arms. Has he been hurting you? The response is not audible. The president announced in July he was replacing Parscale with longtime political aide Bill Stepien. ADVERTISEMENT Well-placed sources told DailyMail.com Parscale is under investigation for the theft of campaign funds. A police report obtained exclusively by DailyMail.com reveals that Parscale had ten weapons inside the home, including two rifles, two shotguns, five handguns and a small revolver. The witness, who just happened to be driving by the swank home, said: 'I was on the phone to a friend when I noticed this woman coming towards me with virtually nothing on, just her bathing suit. 'She knocked on the window and says, I think my husband just killed himself. I said, ''Oh my God. Oh my God, come get in my car'' and I hung up on my friend and dialed 911. 'She was hysterical, she was hyperventilating, she nearly collapsed but I caught her and pulled her into the vehicle. 'She had her head in my lap and she was just sobbing. I was just trying to keep her calm. 'When she was in the car and we were on hold, I saw both her arms had bruises. She is just a tiny thing. She seemed so sweet and distraught.' As the two women huddled in the vehicle, cops surrounded the property, stationing marksmen with shields in front of the driveway while approaching from the rear on boats. A video obtained by DailyMail.com reveals Candice, by now wrapped in a white towel, peering over a line of police cars as officers call up her husband's cell and negotiate his surrender. 'The police presence was huge, they were being extra protective in case he started shooting. Once he answered the phone they knew he was alive,' the Good Samaritan said. ADVERTISEMENT 'I didn't see him come out of the house because they made everyone stand so far back. But it was over quickly, maybe an hour and a half to two hours. The police were very calm, very professional. 'The wife was sat on a gurney for a while and she seemed to calm down. 'There had clearly been some stress for a while and she just seemed relieved it was over. Her husband has got a lot going on, he's a mess.' A Trump insider told DailyMail.com that Parscale went into a tailspin after he was demoted in July and replaced by his former number two, Bill Stepien. It was widely reported that the President lost faith in Parscale after a much-trumpeted campaign rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma drew a dismal crowd, relegating him to his previous role in digital and data strategy. The well-placed source said that just days later Trump ordered an audit of the spending of the Republican National Committee. The probe appeared to be geared towards examining Parscale's handling of the campaign's money, the source said, putting the 6ft 8in aide under 'tremendous pressure'. DailyMail.com published exclusive images of Parscale, his wife and several friends drinking beer and liquor by their pool days after his demotion. Our source said such scenes were becoming routine for Parscale who was spotted stumbling out of bars in Fort Lauderdale, where he and his wife own three swish condos worth a combined $5 million. A police report obtained exclusively by DailyMail.com reveals that Parscale had ten weapons inside the home, including two rifles, two shotguns, five handguns and a small revolver As many as 20 police cars and boats swarmed the waterfront property after the distraught wife told cops she heard a revolver being cocked and a 'loud boom' after her 44-year-old husband began 'ranting and raving' The chaotic scene ended without tragedy about an hour and a half later when he agreed to surrender and was involuntarily committed to a hospital by Fort Lauderdale police Parscale's parents Dwight and Rita Parscale attempt to make an emergency visit with their son on Monday afternoon The couple have at least $300,000 worth of cars - including a 2017 Ferrari, a Range Rover and a BMW X6 - while public records suggest Parscale has owned as many as eight boats. Their spending spree represents a remarkable turnaround for the college basketball standout who lost his family's company to bankruptcy in the mid-2000s but rebuilt his finances after working for Trump in various digital guises since 2011. 'The thing about what Parscale did with the finances of the campaign could actually be totally legal,' the source added. 'But Brad has tons of bills since his lifestyle picked up, and he sees the gravy train coming to an end.' Police dispatch notes from Sunday's incident reveal police were alerted at 3:56pm when Candice told the passerby there had been a 'suicide attempt' inside their home. 'Male was ranting and raving about something. Heard gun cock and then a gunshot,' the notes read. 'Male was looking out the front window, walked away from the window and heard a loud boom.' The witness added: 'The wife was sat on a gurney for a while and she seemed to calm down. There had clearly been some stress for a while and she just seemed relieved it was over. Her husband has got a lot going on, he's a mess' 'The police presence was huge, they were being extra protective in case he started shooting. Once he answered the phone they knew he was alive,' the Good Samaritan said The witness, who just happened to be passing by the swank home, said: 'I was on the phone to a friend when I noticed this woman coming towards me with virtually nothing on, just her bathing suit' The report says the male was wearing just a white robe and carrying a revolver. It says neither the caller, nor the wife could confirm whether or not Parscale had shot himself because Candice was 'too scared to go inside'. 'There are multiple firearms in residence. Husband is barricading himself inside,' the dispatch adds. 'Keeps hanging up on unites.' Officers were able to 'get a visual' of Parscale, shirtless, wearing a black hat and 'sitting on the floor talking to himself' They could not see what he had in his hands but were able to report that he was sat with his dog, arguing with someone over the phone and was periodically peering through the blinds. The dispatch reports that Parscale walked out of his house to talk directly to negotiators before wandering back inside for a beer. When he came back outside and sat on his stoop 'talking to himself' an order was issued to 'move in to grab him now'. Moments after the order was issued Parscale ignored five demands to 'get on the ground' - but was dramatically tackled by a SWAT officer. 'Due to the subject disobeying my lawful commands coupled with the subject being substantially larger than I am, Subject approx 6`6' and wearing shorts with pockets that could easily conceal a firearm, I initiated a double leg takedown,' wrote Sgt. M. Moceri. Further Reports made public Monday confirmed that Candice had revealed injuries to officers and told them she suffered them in an 'altercation' with her husband of four years. A Trump insider told DailyMail.com that Parscale went into a tailspin after he was demoted in July and replaced by his former number two, Bill Stepien Bill Stepien, deputy campaign manager and a veteran Republican political operative, was promoted The probe appeared to be geared towards examining Parscales handling of the campaigns money, the source said, putting the 6ft 8in aide under tremendous pressure. DailyMail.com published exclusive images of Parscale, his wife and several friends drinking beer and liquor by their pool days after his demotion (pictured in July). Our source said such scenes were becoming routine for Parscale who was spotted stumbling out of bars in Fort Lauderdale 'While speaking with Candace Parscale (sic) I noticed several large sized contusions on both of her arms, her cheek and forehead,' wrote Officer S. Smith. 'When I asked how she received the bruising, Candace Parscale stated Brad Parscale hits her. When asked if he made these markings today, she claimed he did not. 'I continued to ask if Brad Parscale physically assaulted her in any way today and she said no, but he did forcibly smack her phone out of her hand when she was attempting to call Brad Parscale`s father.' Another officer, T. Skaggs, wrote in his report Sunday: 'I made contact with Candace (sic), who stated that Bradley has been stressed out for the past two weeks and has made suicidal comments throughout the week to shoot himself. 'Bradley did not make any suicidal comments today however Candace was concerned for his safety. Candace advised Bradley drinks and he 'suffers from PTSD'. 'While speaking with Candace I observed several bruises on both which she advised occurred a few days ago, during a physical altercation with Bradley, which she did not report.' Candice told Officer Skaggs that Sunday's incident was sparked by a 'verbal altercation' after which Bradley loaded a firearm in front of her. 'Candace immediately fled residence and stated she heard a loud bang shortly after. Candace stated that they realized that Bradley did not shoot himself when they heard Bradley ranting and pacing around the residence and the dog barking franticly. 'However, they were concerned that Bradley might still try to shoot himself, due to him being in possession of several firearms and refusing to vacate the residence.' The officer said he made contact with Parscale on a landline but he refused to come out. A police report obtained exclusively by DailyMail.com reveals that Parscale had ten weapons inside the home (pictured), including two rifles, two shotguns, five hand guns and a small revolver In April, a pre-owned $146,000-Range Rover Autobiography (left) appeared in the driveway On January 4, the day after his birthday, Parscale bought himself a BMW X6 crossover worth $78,300, according to motor vehicle records The turning point came when a friend who happened to also be on the police department came to the house and helped to talk him down. 'Bradley`s speech was slurred as though he was under the influence of an alcoholic beverage and he seemed to be crying,' Skaggs went on. 'I continued to make landline with Bradley, who advised several times that he would not exit the residence without speaking to his wife Candace. 'With the assistance of Ofc. C. Wilson, Bradley was convinced to exit the residence and was placed into custody by FLPD SWAT personnel.' Cops seized the ten firearms and also took photos of injuries on Parscale's body that had happened several days earlier, according to the report. The Trump aide said he was not on medication and wasn't suffering from any medical illnesses but cops decided to detain him under Florida's Baker Act. He can be held involuntarily for up to 72 hours while he is medically assessed. There was no sign today of Candice at the couple's house, which is being guarded by three security officers. ADVERTISEMENT Need help? Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (1-800-273-8255). Individuals can also go to: https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/talk-to-someone-now One of the directors of Balika Vadhu, Ram Vriksha Gaur, is now selling vegetables in Azamgarh and has said that he has no regrets doing that to make ends meet. Based in Mumbai for past 18 years, Ram had reportedly gone to his native village for recce of a film when the pandemic-induced lockdown was announced nationwide. A Hindustan Live report said the Balika Vadhu director started selling vegetables - which was his fathers occupation - when he could not find any work. Before the lockdown, Ram was supposed to work on a film but the stalling of shoots caused several issues with the project. When he contacted the producer, Ram was told that the film may take at least a year to start and the director then decided to start selling vegetables with his son who studies in Class 11. I had come to Azamgarh for the recce of a film. We were here when the lockdown was announced and then it was not possible to return. The project we were working on was stopped and the producer said it would take another year or more to get back to work. I then decided to take to my fathers business and started selling vegetables on a handcart. I am familiar with the business and have no regrets. I have my own house in Mumbai and I am confident that I will return one day. Till then, I am here doing what I can, he told IANS. Also read: Hansal Mehtas Scam 1992 The Harshad Mehta Story to release on Oct 9 Ram has also worked on Kuch Toh Log Kahenge and Sujata as the show director. He has also worked as assistant director with directors of films featuring Randeep Hooda, Sunil Shetty, Yashpal Sharma,, Rajpal Yadav and Milind Gunaji. Follow @htshowbiz for more SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON How this ISIS operative from Mangaluru lured her victims and converted them to Islam NIA court sentences to life ISIS terrorist in Omar Al-Hindi case India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, Sep 28: A Special National Investigation Agency court has sentenced to life imprisonment, a terrorist of the Islamic State in connection with the Omar Al-Hindi Module case. The terrorist to be convicted is Subahani Haja Mohideen, a resident of Tirunelveli district in Tamil Nadu. The case was registered by the NIA in October 2016 based on information that certain youth had entered into a conspiracy and were preparing to carry out terrorist attacks in India with the objective of furthering the objectives of the ISIS. What makes Kerala a happy hunting ground for Al-Qaeda, ISIS and many more terror groups On October 3 2016, searches were conducted at the house of Subahani Haja Mohideen in Tirunelveli district of Tamil Nadu, which led to seizure of incriminating material indicating his travel to the theatre of conflict in West Asia and he was arrested on October 5. Subsequent investigation revealed that Subahani Haja Mohideen had exited India in April, 2015 and joined the Islamic State in Iraq, where he had fought for the proscribed terrorist organisation. Amrinder Singh joins farmers' protest, says 'Pakistan's ISI may take advantage' | Oneindia News In September, 2015, he returned to India and continued activities in support of the terrorist organization. He had also attempted to procure explosive material from Sivakasi in Tamil Nadu to make IED's. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, September 28, 2020, 15:11 [IST] Relocated residents embroider traditional ethnic costumes at a cooperative in Aktaw, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, this month. [China Daily/Wang Zhuangfei] Two years ago, it took Aytursun Abdureshit at least three hours to travel from her home to a railway station in Yecheng County, Kashgar Prefecture, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. Now, it takes her just a 15-minute drive. The change came after Aytursun moved to a new community in Aktax Township, about 20 kilometers from Yecheng's downtown area, from a village in a mountainous area some 60 km further away. "My old home's roof was always leaking on rainy days, and few vehicles went to our village due to our bumpy roads," Aytursun, a member of the Uygur ethic group, said. "I planted flowers, but they couldn't be sold in winter because of the mountainous area's harsh natural conditions." After the relocation, the 19-year-old has been able to grow and sell flowers year-round since she leased a greenhouse in the community. She estimated she will earn about 30,000 yuan ($4,394) this year from flower sales and vegetable cultivation. Since 2017, some 14,000 impoverished people from the mountainous area have gradually moved to the community under the county's plan to resettle poor households and help lift them out of poverty. Besides new homes, the community also provides the relocated residents with various facilities offering opportunities for employment, including markets, a kindergarten, a primary school, factories, livestock farms and vegetable planting bases. Bumayram Wubul, another Uygur woman, has been earning a better living by selling handmade clothing since she moved to the community last year. "In the past, when our crops were ready to be harvested, flash floods came and washed them away," she recalled. "Everything was gone in a few seconds, which always made me want to escape the terrible living environment." At the time, though, her family could not make enough money off the barren land to move away, "so I had no choice but to endure the suffering," the 41-year-old said. Thanks to the relocation, Bumayram lives in an apartment building and uses what she earns from sewing to buy fresh vegetables. Her two daughters one in middle school and the other in primary school no longer need to go to school by donkey cart. Bumayram said the most important change she has seen is the diversity of jobs offered in the community. "I took the initiative to seek the sewing job, as I want to earn money with my own efforts," she added. "I don't want to live a life growing low-quality crops by relying on weather anymore." More than 200 km from Yecheng, the lives of about 6,000 members of the Kirgiz ethnic group have also improved since they abandoned shabby houses, muddy roads and barren land in their villages at the foot of the Kunlun Mountains and moved to a new community in Aktaw County in Xinjiang's Kezilesu Kirgiz Autonomous Prefecture last year. "I never thought I could do what I love in a place closer to my home. I appreciate the relocation," said Zuraykh Yusan, who has organized a sewing team with 20 other women in the community, making Kirgiz clothing, carpets and handicrafts. She said she can make as much as 2,000 yuan a month from the job, adding that having a stable income helped her escape poverty last year and made it easier to take care of her family. Xinjiang Daily reported in May that the task of alleviating poverty through relocation was completed in the autonomous region last year, with nearly 170,000 impoverished people moving to new homes. Based on the improved living environment, Xinjiang has also been intensifying efforts to help relocated people earn sustainable incomes by teaching them more skills and providing them with more job options, the newspaper added. (Source: China Daily) BUCHAREST, Romania, Sept. 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The COVID-19 pandemic caused a sudden surge in demand for online services in Romania, from gaming and videos to live broadcasts. This threatened to overwhelm INVITE Systems' platform capabilities and the company needed to quickly deploy a new data center to meet the burst requirements of enterprise customers specializing in games and videos. At last, INVITE Systems has selected Huawei, a leading global provider of information and communications technology (ICT) infrastructure and smart devices, as a partner to help transform the space into a modern, highly reliable data center. "By working with Huawei, INVITE Systems SRL was able to keep growing its business at a rapid pace despite the challenges of the pandemic. This provided positive support for the company's profitability, giving us full confidence in the future of our company," said Alexandru Catrin, CIO of INVITE Systems SRL Discover How Huawei Helped to Build a COLO Data Center While, in the past, the planning and approval process for a new data center proved extremely time-consuming involving multiple vendors designing and coordinating work for each subsystem, vastly increasing the complexity and time needed. For its new data center, however, the only space INVITE Systems had available was the canteen. While the structure itself was sufficiently sturdy, space was limited and there were no raised floors. The company needed to fit as many Information Technology (IT) devices into the space as possible. Easy Site Selection, Fast Deployment Huawei's intelligent FusionModule2000 solution, which is fully modularized and integrated, enables fast deployment. The device does not need to be installed on a raised floor, simplifying site selection in general and, in this particular case, overcoming the physical constraints of the canteen. "Huawei FusionModule2000 shortened the rollout time of our new data center by more than two months, from preparation to installation and overall commissioning. Much to my surprise, deployment was completed in just one month, exceeding all our expectations." Alex said. Saving Space: SmartLi UPS Huawei deployed a cutting-edge intelligent lithium battery solution Huawei SmartLi Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) the physical footprint is dramatically reduced, by 70%, compared to traditional lead-acid alternatives. This made it possible to leave the main area as a modular equipment room and ensuring sufficient space for expansion. Founded in 2000, Romania's INVITE Systems SRL has grown rapidly since 2005. Today, it stands as one of the country's most important network service providers in the Virtual Private Network (VPN) field. And, as one of the first network service providers to introduce digital hosting services, INVITE Systems has also led the industry, not simply followed. About Huawei Huawei is a leading global provider of information and communications technology (ICT) infrastructure and smart devices. With integrated solutions across four key domains telecom networks, IT, smart devices, and cloud services we are committed to bringing digital to every person, home and organization for a fully connected, intelligent world. Huawei's end-to-end portfolio of products, solutions and services are both competitive and secure. Through open collaboration with ecosystem partners, we create lasting value for our customers, working to empower people, enrich home life, and inspire innovation in organizations of all shapes and sizes. At Huawei, innovation focuses on customer needs. We invest heavily in basic research, concentrating on technological breakthroughs that drive the world forward. We have more than 194,000 employees, and we operate in more than 170 countries and regions. Founded in 1987, Huawei is a private company wholly owned by its employees. For more information, please visit Huawei online at www.huawei.com. Related Links www.huawei.com/cn SOURCE Huawei New Reinsurance Co. Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of Munich Re, announced that its board of directors appointed Dr. Thomas Braune as its new chief executive officer. Braune will assume his new role on Oct. 1, 2020, succeeding Dr. Renate Strasser who, after 16 years with Munich Re, has decided to take an opportunity outside of the group. Braune, a highly experienced reinsurance expert, joins NewRe with more than 25 years in the industry. Since joining Munich Re in 1992, he has held many strategic management functions. Most recently, he was in charge of Munich Res life and health reinsurance business in Europe, Latin America and the Middle East. We are fortunate to have someone of Thomas Braunes calibre and experience step up to lead NewRe. With him we have appointed a strong strategic thinker and communicator who is customer-focused and will vastly drive and strengthen NewRes financial performance, said Claudia Hasse, speaking on behalf of the board of directors. NewRe said its strategy remains unchanged and strongly embedded in intensive collaboration with brokers on standard P/C reinsurance in combination with developing customized reinsurance solutions for clients. Going forward, NewRe will continue to write significant lines of treaty excess of loss with a preference for natural perils and motor exposures with European cedents, said the company. About NewRe New Reinsurance Co. Ltd. is a Swiss reinsurer founded in Zurich in 1926. In 1988, NewRe became part of Munich Re Group, one of the worlds leading reinsurers. NewRe is a property and casualty reinsurance company, specializing in structured reinsurance solutions and an active reinsurer in the fields of insurance derivatives and parametric trigger covers. The company also specializes in variable annuity reinsurance and capital management solutions for life business. NewRe is considered a core company of Munich Re Group and combines exceptional financial strength with the efficiency and creativity of a medium-sized reinsurer. Source: NewRe Topics Reinsurance For the first time in India's insurance sector, the health business has beaten the motor vertical to become the biggest non-life industry segment, boosted by a rise in standard Coronavirus (COVID-19) plans. On the other hand, a slump in vehicle sales has affected motor insurance. Till now, the motor insurance segment, driven primarily by the mandatory motor third-party insurance, has always been the largest business segment in the general insurance sector. However, industry sources said that this year, COVID-19 played spoilsport. When it comes to third-party cover, it includes insurance for new vehicles as well as renewals. The reality is that customers are not renewing their vehicle insurance since remote working is the new normal. This has severely affected motor premiums, said the head of sales at a bank-led general insurer. Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) data showed that while motor insurance premiums saw a 15.7 percent decline, health insurance premiums saw a 13 percent YoY growth in the April 1-August 31 period. For the general insurance industry, premium collections remained muted for the period with just a 3.6 percent YoY rise to Rs 73,968.26 crore. The health insurance business contributed Rs 22,903.44 crore. Why is health insurance gaining? The Coronavirus outbreak and the subsequent lockdowns since March 25 have affected the movement of people. This hit vehicle sales, and subsequently, motor insurance. On the other hand, COVID-19 cases were constantly on the rise. Several thousand individuals required hospitalisation for treatment. Insurers said that those without a health policy rushed to buy products since the regulator clarified that every policy covering hospitalisation would also pay for COVID-19 treatment at designated centres. Also Read: Remote working: Costs rise for insurers as they scramble to ensure data security and ward off cyber risks According to the health ministry, there are a total of 6.07 million COVID-19 positive cases, of which 9,62,640 are active ones. There have been 95,542 deaths so far. To deal with the specific needs of COVID-19 patients, IRDAI came out with a standard product called Corona Kavach. This plan covers hospitalisation due to COVID-19. IRDAI chairman Subhash C Khuntia had said that that 3.2 million lives have been covered. Further, a total of 2,38,160 COVID-19 health claims have been filed. Of these, 1,48,298 claims worth Rs 1,430 crore have been settled. Initially, there was a misconception that COVID-19 claims wont be paid under health insurance. Later, the regulator clarified that Coronavirus treatment would be covered, and there has been an uptick in policy purchase, said the head of underwriting at a standalone health insurer. In the entire non-life sector, standalone health insurers (insurers who only write health business) have seen the largest gains due to COVID-19 awareness and allied policy purchase. These insurers saw a 29 percent YoY increase in health premiums to Rs 6,096.46 crore. Star Health Insurance was the largest insurer in this segment with a growth rate of 45.45 percent YoY in the April to August period, with premiums touching Rs 3,182.26 crore. Aditya Birla Health Insurance saw a 93 percent YoY growth in health premium to Rs 409.03 crore in this five-month period. Another factor that led to the growth in health insurance has been the availability of more products. 131 products introduced IRDAI member non-life TL Alamelu said that there have been 131 new health products between March and August. She added that the industry had a constant number at 500 as far as health insurance is concerned, for close to two decades. Now after the lockdown, IRDAI has approved 131 new products. We are also at a fast-forward stage," she said. Alamelu explained that health will continue to stay the biggest business in FY21. In the initial months, there was a notion that COVID-19 can be treated at home and costs will not be high. However, hospital bills ballooned to several lakhs in private hospitals for patients with comorbidities and this has increased insurance demand," said the senior vice president (distribution) at a mid-sized insurer. For a 14-day treatment of COVID-19 at a private hospital in Mumbai, the cost could be as high as Rs 12 lakh. Moneycontrol had reported earlier that COVID-19 related expenses have led to a war-of-words between hospitals and insurers. The Chemcon Speciality Chemicals shares are expected to be listed on October 1. The Rs 318-crore initial public offer (IPO) which opened for bidding between September 21 and September 23 included fresh equity share issue of Rs 165 crore and an offer for sale of up to 45 lakh equity shares. The price band was fixed at Rs 338-340 per equity share. The public offer was subscribed 149.05 times. While the retail portion was subscribed 40.65 times, qualified institutional buyers attracted 113.54 times subscription. The non-institutional investors segment received a subscription of 449.14 times. Here is a guide on how to check allotment status: Registrar website Go to the registrar website - https://linkintime.co.in/IPO/public-issues.html Click on the drop-down menu Select the company name as Chemcon Speciality Chemicals. The investors must know that the company name appears only after the allotment process reaches completion Select one of the three boxes - 'Permanent Account Number (PAN)', 'Application Number' or 'Depository/Client ID' Enter 'Permanent Account Number (PAN)' or 'Application Number' or 'Depository/Client ID - whichever is applicable and click search BSE website Go to the BSE website on https://www.bseindia.com/investors/appli_check.aspx Select the 'Equity' box Select the 'Issue Name' in the dropdown menu as Chemcon Speciality Chemicals Enter 'Application Number' Enter 'Permanent Account Number (PAN.)' Click on the 'Search' button Meanwhile, the company intends to utilise the net proceeds from the fresh issue to meet capital expenditure for expansion of its manufacturing facility, fund working capital requirements and general corporate purposes. The Vadodara-based company exports products to global markets covering the US, Germany, Italy, South Korea, Japan, the United Arab Emirates, Serbia, Russia, Spain, Thailand and Malaysia. Also read: Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders IPO opens Sept 29; key things to know What exactly is the Ontario government waiting for before it clamps down on activities likely to lead to the spread of COVID-19? The frightening number of new cases the most ever recorded for a single day in Ontario, 700 is a clanging alarm bell that should prompt immediate action to stop the spread. In Quebec, where the numbers are even worse, the government is taking concrete steps. Its putting three regions, including Montreal and Quebec City, back into the highest state of alert (the red zone) and the government is asking people to basically stop seeing anyone outside their household for the next 28 days. But in Ontario, hesitation. On Monday the Ontario Hospital Association called for stricter measures in the worst-hit areas, including Toronto and Peel Region, to stem the tide and prevent the medical system from being overwhelmed in the next few weeks. It wants those regions put back into Stage 2, including more restrictions on restaurants, bars, gyms, theatres places where people have been gathering and, all too often, letting down their guard against the virus. But the government, following the advice of its public health experts, doesnt seem to want to take any meaningful new steps despite Premier Doug Fords own frank warning that the current course of COVID-19 is deeply concerning. The only thing its done is nibble around the edges by requiring restaurants and bars to close earlier. Theres a gap opening up between the premiers words and his governments actions. And if the disease continues its current course that gap will quickly become dangerously unsustainable. True, the government did announce new measures on Monday. Its promising to spend another $52 million to hire and train some 3,700 more health workers, including more nurses and personal support workers. Thats all to the good, but its about coping with the inevitable impact on the health system of the rise in numbers in the coming weeks. Its not about trying to slow the increase right now, flattening the curve of what everyone now agrees is the long-dreaded second wave of COVID-19. The government needs to get on top of this, and theres not a day to lose. The problem is that most of the new spread isnt happening in places like bars and restaurants, but in private gatherings at homes and backyards. So just clamping down on businesses where people gather for social reasons wont extinguish the new fire. But surely it can and should be an important part of the solution. Right now the government is relying on so-called jawboning exhorting the public, and especially younger people, to obey public health rules everywhere. The second wave is spreading quickest among the young, who for understandable reasons find it most tempting to socialize. The results can be appalling as the out-of-control gathering at Wasaga Beach over the weekend showed. The problem is that the emphasis on public finger-wagging sends a confusing message: its OK to gather in bars and take off your mask to have a few drinks, but youre not supposed to do the same thing in your own home. Bars may not be the main way COVID-19 is spread, but shutting them down again would drive home the message that getting together in big, undisciplined groups is sending us down a very dangerous road. The government has a choice. It can dither about tightening the rules for a little longer, while the numbers rise and public alarm grows, and then be forced to clamp down when things are truly bad. Or it can act now in the worst affected areas and have a better chance of preventing things from spinning out of control. Were at a point now where every day counts. Better to take some specific, targeted steps as soon as possible to drive home the gravity of the situation, rather than risk the worst scenario. Ford was right to say that the outcome is up to all of us, and that mainly involves everyone following the rules: washing hands, social distancing, wearing masks, and limiting social contact as much as possible. But its also up to the government to take unpopular measures when necessary. And this is one of those times. Read more about: Actors Amanda Seyfried, 34, and her husband Thomas Sadoski, 44, have welcomed a baby boy. The couple announced the birth of their second child on social media through then International Network for Aid, Relief and Assistance and War Child USA, two organizations dedicated to the protection and care of children in war, on Monday. Along with the announcement, the proud parents provided the organization with a short statement about their new bundle of a joy and a sweet snap of the newborn. It's a boy! Actors Amanda Seyfried, 34, and her husband Thomas Sadoski have welcomed a baby boy the couple announced on social media Monday (Pictured in 2019) 'We are so happy to join with INARA to be the first to announce that our ambassadors Amanda Seyfried and Thomas Sadoski welcomed their second child into this world,' the War Child USA account shared. Along with the post the group gave a first glimpse at the baby boy through a sweet photo of the infant cradled in his dads arms. 'Since the birth of our daughter 3 years ago our commitment to the innocent children that are so brutally affected by conflict and war has been a driving force in our lives,' Amanda and Thomas said in a statement. 'With the birth of our son the work of INARA and War Child has become our North Star,' they continued. 'Since the birth of our daughter 3 years ago our commitment to the innocent children that are so brutally affected by conflict and war has been a driving force in our lives,' Amanda and Thomas said in a statement. The parents decided to released their happy news with two organizations who work tirelessly to protect children during wars. The International Network for Aid, Relief and Assistance [INARA] 'provides access to life-saving and life-altering medical assistance to children impacted by war' and War Child USA is 'the only organization focused exclusively on the protection of children in war.' Amanda and Thomas' newest addition comes as a bit of a surprise for fans who didn't know the actress was expecting. Traditionally a low-key couple, the duo tied the knot in 2017 around the time that Amanda was close to giving birth to their first child, daughter Nina. Surprise! Amanda and Thomas' newest addition comes as a bit of a surprise for fans who didn't know the actress was expecting; They are already parents to three-year-old daughter Nina (Pictured in 2019) Last year the Mean Girls star told People she found it 'so hard to plan' to get pregnant with another child. 'If it happens to you, you just make it work,' she said at the time. 'I want to get pregnant again, but I'm not ready just yet to have a second. I would like my daughter to be in school and then have my own time with a new baby. But it's so hard to plan.' Recently she's been spending the coronavirus crisis in self-isolation with her family in Upstate New York. Her mom Ann also lives with the couple and serves as nanny for Nina. 'My life is awesome because she is the third parent for us,' she said of her mom during a YouTube chat with John Molner. 'I am so lucky I know I am.' Lots of help: Recently Amanda has been spending the coronavirus crisis in self-isolation with her family in Upstate New York along with her mom Ann who lives with the couple and serves as nanny for Nina The announcement of Seyfried and Sadoski's new baby via a charitable organization was similar to how Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom recently revealed the birth of their daughter. Almost exactly one month ago, news that Daisy Dove Bloom entered the world was announced on behalf of the couple by Unicef. Along with the big news, Katy and Orlando created a fund in their baby girls name: 'In celebration of the heart we know our daughter already has, we have set up a donation page to celebrate DDBs arrival. By supporting them, you are supporting a safe start to life and reimagining a healthier world for every child.' London (AP) People across England face tough new fines if they fail to self isolate after testing positive for COVID-19. Starting Monday, those who fail to follow the rules face a 1,000-pound (USD 1,200) fine, which increases to 10,000 pounds for repeat offenders. The Department of Health and Social Care says those who test positive also will be fined if they knowingly provide false information to contact tracers. Health Secretary Matt Hancock says the government will not hesitate to introduce further measures to restrict the spread of the coronavirus. The House of Commons on Wednesday may consider an amendment to existing legislation that would give Parliament the right to vote on any new restrictions. Britain already has Europes worst death toll from the pandemic, with about 42,000 confirmed deaths. But those who are calling for tighter restrictions are being challenged by critics who fear further damage to the economy. In addition to national restrictions, about one-quarter of the U.K.s 65 million people are living under tighter local restrictions to fight local outbreaks. (AP) . Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor New Delhi: The Defence Ministry on Monday approved the procurement of arms and military equipment worth 2,290 crore, including around 72,000 Sig Sauer assault rifles from the US for the Indian Army facing twin challenges from China and Pakistan. The proposals were approved at a meeting of the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), the defence ministry's highest decision-making body headed by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, on procurement of arms and other military hardware. The cost of procurement of the Sig Sauer assault rifles for the frontline troops of the Indian Army will be 780 crore, officials said. The Indian Army is implementing a major infantry modernisation programme under which a large number of light machine guns, battle carbines and assault rifles are being procured. In 2017, the Indian Army began the process to acquire around 700,000 rifles, 44,000 light machine guns (LMGs) and nearly 44,600 carbines. With tensions spiraling on the India-China as well as India-Pakistan borders, the Indian Army has been seeking the fast-tracking the procurements. Besides clearing the proposal to buy assault rifles, the other significant acquisitions approved by the DAC include procurement of smart anti-airfield weapon (SAAW) systems for the Navy and the Indian Air Force at an approximate cost of 970, one of the officials cited above said. "The DAC headed by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh accorded approval for various arms and equipment worth 2,290 crore," a statement from the ministry said separately. The DAC also approved the procurement of Static HF (high frequency) Trans-receiver sets under the buy Indian category at a cost of 540 crore. The HF radio sets will enable seamless communication for the field units of the Indian Army and the Indian Air Force. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Never miss a story! Stay connected and informed with Mint. Download our App Now!! Topics NORTH RIDGEVILLE, Ohio With the beginning of in-person classes again in the North Ridgeville school system the problem of drivers illegally passing school buses also begins again. Please be reminded it is illegal to pass stopped school buses. This is a serious safety concern that as a community needs to be addressed, said Mayor Kevin Corcoran. The city has issued the rules again but with some clarifications and additions that might be helpful. Ohio law states: Passing a stopped school bus is ILLEGAL on all two- or three-lane roads. The Ohio law states drivers shall stop at least ten feet from the front or rear of the school bus and shall not proceed until such school bus resumes motion, or until signaled by the school bus driver to proceed. Drivers are often confused about stopping for a schoolbus if there are more than two lanes. The law also states: When a highway is divided into four or more traffic lanes, a driver need not stop for a school bus approaching from the opposite direction In North Ridgeville there is only one section of road that applies regarding four or more lanes: Lorain Road from Bagley Road east to the city limit of North Olmsted. Speed limit reminder: The speed limit in school zones is 20 mph during recess and during the opening and closing hours of schools. An easy way to remember school bus passing laws is to simply remember: When in doubt, STOP! Please pay attention and help keep the children in our community safe, said Corcoran. When a school bus is stopped and the lights are flashing, motorists need to stop. It is illegal to pass a stopped school bus. This careless and illegal behavior jeopardizes the safety of the students on the bus, the students getting on or off the bus and the motorists own safety. Why take the chance to save yourself a few seconds when there are lives at stake? BRIDGEPORT A restaurant name like Rum & Tequila Fusion evokes a party atmosphere. During the coronavirus pandemic, however, social-distancing and capacity restrictions required to stop the illness spread can certainly kill, or at least limit, the fun not to mention profits. Its been very tough, said Alethia Harrison, manager of the Jamaican and Mexican restaurant downtown on State Street. Were trying to stay open (and) stay by the rules. Rum & Tequila opened in spring 2019 and, like many other eateries in Bridgeport and throughout Connecticut, offered just takeout and delivery during the initial months of this years health crisis, then limited outdoor dining, and then some reduced indoor seating. Harrison said she and the staff are now looking forward to Gov. Ned Lamonts so-called Phase 3 pandemic re-opening Oct. 8. Restaurants will be able to serve 75 percent of their normal capacity as opposed to the current 50 percent. That would be a great help, Harrison said. As summer turned to fall, City Hall recently made an extra effort to promote downtown dining and temporarily closed some streets to give restaurants more space to set up additional tables and chairs. Paul Brown, owner of Grill II, said he was thankful for Lamonts announcement given the coming colder months. This week is the last weekend that we have for good weather. After that were in the 60s and 50s, Brown said. We bought heat lamps but that goes so far. When the temperature falls below 50, no ones going to be outside. While the city encouraged more visitors to travel downtown to support local businesses, the police and the health departments recently had to respond to complaints of overcrowding in the vicinity of Grill II and Rum & Tequila. Although large events that break the COVID rules could lead to a fine of up to $500, according to new penalties Lamont unveiled earlier this month, both downtown restaurants received warnings. Rowena White, spokesperson for Mayor Joe Ganim, said that two weekends ago crowds had gathered well beyond capacity at both locations inside and outside. ... Both owners did step forward and joined the police in dispersing the crowds. Bridgeport has also forced some businesses to temporarily shutter over pandemic-related violations, but White noted that is the last thing the city wants. Harrison and Brown confirmed they received the warnings. Both attributed the problem to a group of bar crawlers making stops at various downtown restaurants and gathering in the vicinity of McLevy Green. We got entangled in that, Brown said. White added: Its a funky situation. Youre with a friend, having a good time, and then three of your friends roll up in a car. The next thing you know it compounds and compounds and compounds and all of a sudden, youve got a street party. The police and health department are asking if you or youre friends are pushing an establishment over capacity, just kind of keep it moving, White said. Go to the next place and circle back around safely or meet your friends at another location. Help yourself and these businesses follow protocols. Harrison said she also works as an X-Ray technician at Greenwich Hospital and is well aware of how serious COVID needs to be taken, especially with the possibility of a spike in infections in the coming months. Theres no vaccine, she said. (Health experts are) not sure whats going to happen in the fall. So we still have to be careful. She added: We want positive vibes downtown. We need positive vibes from everywhere. The country is divided over Chief Justice David Maraga's advisory for the dissolution of the 12th Parliament. While lawmakers and some legal minds opposed the advisory submitted to President Uhuru Kenyatta, women lobbies and the civil society have welcomed it, saying it is a blow to impunity. The National Civil Society Congress (NCSC) on Saturday said Mr Maraga's advisory is a wake-up call to Kenyans. It said ordinary people and leaders should stop treating the Constitution as an intrusion in the country's governance. "The Chief Justice is reminding Kenya the vital principles of governance that have been ignored and that may in fullness of time plunge the country into chaos. The rule of law is an important governance principle embedded in article 10 of the Constitution," NCSC President Morris Odhiambo told reporters in Nairobi. National discourse Just like the case in September 2017 when he led the Supreme Court in nullifying the outcome of the August 8 presidential election, the latest decision by Mr Maraga has triggered a national discourse. Read: Uhuru faces limited options on Maraga call to dissolve Parliament The advice to the President to dissolve the National Assembly and Senate has also raised a number of concerns. Is it realistic and sound in law? Does Mr Maraga's advisory offer solutions to the complex problem of gender equality in Kenya? University of Nairobi law lecturer Wamuti Ndegwa says the advisory is wrong as it is premised on the idea that Parliament failed to enact legislations to implement the two thirds gender rule. "The basis of the advisory is wrong and that makes its substance legally wanting," Dr Ndegwa told the Sunday Nation, arguing that Chief Justice Maraga's legal philosophy is "formalist and mechanical". "The Chief Justice interprets the letter of the law blindly. He restricts his interpretations on the letter of the law and is more interested in form rather than substance," Dr Ndegwa said. "The problem is not that Parliament has refused to enact the law. This is a requirement that is incapable of being implemented. It is mission impossible. Even if the CJ were a one-man parliament, he would not pass such a law." Those opposed to the advisory posed several questions. Read: Muturi fights back after CJ tells Uhuru to dissolve Parliament At what level did Mr Maraga satisfy himself that Parliament had violated the Constitution? In triggering Article 261 (7), was the Chief Justice acting as an administrator or a constitutional court? After he established that there was violation, who was liable, and what sort of sanctions and relief would suffice? Enacting laws Most of the laws meant to implement the Constitution were to be enacted by the National Assembly and not the Senate. Article 261 (2) gives the National Assembly the power to extend the timeframe for enacting some laws. Should the Senate be punished in the event the National Assembly fails to enact or extend the period required to pass a particular law? Article 259 as seen by the Supreme Court requires that the Constitution be interpreted in a manner that gives effect to its purposes, values and principles. Was Mr Maraga satisfied that all conditions contemplated while interpreting the constitution were met? Assuming the President heeds to the advisory and dissolves Parliament, would the resultant process be a "general" , a "mini" or "by"-election"? The constitution does not define any of these processes. Further, Article 101 (1) states that a General Election of MPs shall be held on the second Tuesday of August every fifth year. Experts say there is a contradiction between the provision of Article 101(1) and 102(1) - which provides that the term of each House expires on the date of the next General Election - and the powers being exercised by the President under Article 261(7). Six elections Similarly, the six elections - presidential, constituency, senatorial, woman representative, ward representative and gubernatorial - are to be held on the same day. Does it mean that once Parliament is dissolved, the President, governors and ward representatives also go home? Do these clauses suggest contradiction in the Constitution? What happens if Parliament is dissolved? If elections are conducted, would the new MPs serve for the balance of the terms? And what is the definition of "New" Parliament contemplated in 261 (8)? Article 100 mandates MPs to enact laws that promote representation in Parliament of women, the disabled, youth, ethnic and other minorities. Can such legislation be enacted without amending the ceiling on the number of MPs as provided in law? Is it possible the composition of Parliament and the way it operates can be done without a referendum? Article 27(3) outlaws discrimination. Kenyans should exercise their right to make political choices. Everyone has a right to make political choice and contest an elective seat. Will it amount to discrimination if certain constituencies are set aside for a particular gender? Can one be forced to vote in certain way to realise the gender rule? Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Kenya Governance Legal Affairs By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. The Fifth Schedule is silent on Article 27 (8) and 81 (b)which mandates the State to take legislative and other measures to implement the principle that not more than two-thirds of elective or appointive agencies shall have members of the same gender. Critics of Maraga's advisory argue that there is no timeline given for the enactment of such laws. Does the gender law on the Fifth Schedule stipulate that it should be passed in five years? There were not less than 10 attempts to ensure the provision of Articles 27 (8), 81(b) and (c) and Article 100 come into effect. Can the decision by Parliament to reject a bill be interpreted to mean refusal? Once elected, MPs cannot be conditioned to vote in a particular manner. MPs vote according to their conscience and according to the issues before Parliament. Does the CJ's advisory mean that MPs should have acted in a particular manner? Was the CJ's supervision of parliament to enact the gender laws provided for under Article 261 (6) a violation of the doctrine of separation of powers? Was the court right to give Parliament a 60-day ultimatum to enact the laws? Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Apriadi Gunawan and Mardika Parama (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Mon, September 28, 2020 19:19 481 e22cd4161040e111d73a5626c47c1289 1 Business Kuala-Tanjung,North-Sumatra,pandemic,shipping-industry,cargo-ship Free State-owned port operator PT Pelabuhan Indonesia (Pelindo) I has seen an increase in ship calls at its Kuala Tanjung seaport in Batubara regency, North Sumatra, despite the COVID-19 pandemics impact on global trade. The companys president director Dani Rusli Utama said on Sept. 24 that the Kuala Tanjung Multipurpose Terminal (KTMT) had recorded 169 ship calls as of August, an increase of 30 percent year-to-date (ytd) from 130 calls booked throughout 2019. KTMT had also handled around 31,900 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) of cargo as of August this year, 34 percent more than the 23,900 TEUs of cargo KTMT handled throughout 2019. If we look at the cargo loading traffic, it shows a positive trend, Dani said during a press conference. Kuala Tanjung seaport is expected to become one of Indonesias largest ports after the countrys main gateway, Tanjung Priok Port in Jakarta. It is located in Batubara regency, home to resources such as oil palm and aluminum, and is supported by the nearby Sei Mangkei special economic zone (KEK). The seaport, which began to service exports in December 2018, has a 17-meter low water spring (LWS) draft that enables 50,000 dead weight tonnage (DWT) freight ship to dock. Meanwhile, the World Trade Organization (WTO) projects that global trade volumes will contract by between 13 percent at best and 32 percent at worst this year, affecting the trade-dependent shipping industry. Pelindo I spokesperson Fiona Sari Utama told The Jakarta Post on Friday that both national and international freight shipping companies docked at Kuala Tanjung seaport because of the availability of modern facilities and services. The number of domestic and international cargo services that dock at KTMT is steadily increasing because the port is supported by state-of-the-art port infrastructure, she said. Furthermore, Fiona said the governments infrastructure projects in Sumatra had resulted in increasing traffic of general cargo, especially of construction materials. The potential for general cargo shipments through the port has increased thanks to the governments infrastructure projects, such as the trans-Sumatra toll road, she said, referring to the 2,900-kilometer toll road mega project that aims to connect Aceh, the northernmost province in Sumatra, to the islands southernmost province Lampung. President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo inaugurated the Pekanbaru-Dumai section of the trans-Sumatra toll road during a virtual ceremony on Sept. 25. Read also: Jokowi inaugurates first toll road in Riau According to Pelindo Is data, general cargo is the fastest growing segment handled by KTMT with an increase of 176 percent ytd to 46,800 tons as of August, from around 16,900 tons by the end of 2019. Meanwhile, crude palm oil (CPO) products remain the largest commodity handled by KTMT, reaching around 242,500 tons as of August, a 137 percent increase from the end of 2019. Indonesian National Shipowners Association (INSA) chairperson Carmelita Hartoto told the Post on Sunday that shipping companies were satisfied with the services provided at Kuala Tanjung seaport. However, she said that Pelindo I should expand the port area and increase the number of container cranes to optimize its potential. KTMT currently operates three ship-to-shore cranes and eight automated rubber tyred gantry cranes, according to Pelindo Is data. Kuala Tanjung port has huge potential thanks to its services and location. However, access to the industrial hinterland remains limited and the port needs to be expanded so more large ships can dock at the port, she said. She said the government also needed to increase industrial development in the region to attract more shipping lines and improve access between the seaport and the industrial region. The trucking costs remain higher at KTMT compared to the nearby port of Belawan [in North Sumatra], she said. A former US Republican political staffer hired to work for NSW Treasurer Dominic Perrottet cost government insurer icare at least $700,000 even though he barely worked for the scandal-ridden agency. Emails and contracts obtained by The Sydney Morning Herald reveal that icare paid labour hire firm Robert Walters tens of thousands of dollars in administrative fees and visa application costs to employ staffer Ed Yap to work in Mr Perrottet's office. The emails show Mr Yap's position was to be advertised to Australian applicants even though icare had no intention of employing anybody else. NSW Treasurer Dominic Perrottet. Credit:Kate Geraghty The Herald revealed in August Mr Yap was working as a senior policy adviser for the Treasurer and that icare was paying his wages. Mr Yap, who is a New Yorker with ties to the Republican Party, moved to Australia in 2015 to join Mr Perrottet's office and was "seconded" to the same office by icare in 2017. Mr Yap never worked a day for icare until he was sent there in August 2020 after the Herald revealed his employment arrangements. He resigned 10 days later. Despite effectively never working for icare the contracts show that icare paid more than $700,000 including GST while Mr Yap was working for Mr Perrottet. In his original contract icare was charged $789.65 a day (which included his salary, super, Robert Walters fees, payroll tax) plus GST between August 2017 and November 2019. A second contract from November 2019 to April 2020 cost icare just over $100,000 and a third contract from April 2020 until he resigned cost icare just over $70,000. This totals more than $630,000 (or more than $700,000 with GST). Laredo City Council resolved to urge federal authorities, the president, Texas senators and Laredos representative on Monday to reopen more northbound lanes at Laredos international bridges so that people can cross more safely. Off and on throughout the pandemic, Mayor Pete Saenz has spoken about the need to reopen the bridges to tourists from Mexico in order to support Laredos business community. In March, the Department of Homeland Security closed ports of entry on the U.S.-Mexico border to all but essential travel. This meant that most of the Nuevo Laredoans who usually cross over to shop on a tourist visa could not travel to Laredo. The Trump administration has extended these restrictions for every month since, most recently last week. Saenz said that now finally feels like the right time to open the bridges to non-essential travel again. After experiencing weeks of extremely elevated hospitalization and positivity rates over the summer, Laredo is now on a downward trend. Its now worth taking the risk of eliminating these travel restrictions, Saenz told council, so the local business community can begin to recover. We can coexist. If we follow these preventative guidelines, it works. We can have health and we can have commerce as well. Its worth the attempt and its worth the risk, the mayor said. READ MORE: Appeals court affirms conviction in murder of 16-year-old Laredo girl Laredo Health Director Dr. Victor Trevino said if these restrictions are lifted, the bridges can be monitored and the city can conduct voluntary testing. But people are already crossing the bridge, at times, thousands per day, Trevino said. The cross-border infections have always existed since the very beginning because Nuevo Laredo and Laredo are intertwined communities, with or without the pandemic. However, council did not make a motion to petition the federal government to end the travel restrictions. Instead, Councilman Mercurio Martinez noted that when the government restricted the number of northbound lanes at the bridges, it clumped travelers especially pedestrians together. Most of these people are essential workers. Councilman Alberto Torres noted that wait times in the pedestrian lane can be two hours long right now. These travelers are crowded, breathing on top of each other, and then coming into Laredo. Opening up more northbound lanes would go a long way in helping to curb the virus, Martinez said. So he made the motion for council to ask federal authorities to allow for this. Councilwoman Nelly Vielma asked that they accompany the letter with a video that shows the conditions at the bridges and in their downtown, where so many businesses have closed. The people making these decisions at the federal level have no earthly idea how its affecting us at the bridge, she said. Julia Wallace may be reached at 956-728-2543 or jwallace@lmtonline.com Baton Rouge Gov. John Bel Edwards sent a letter to U.S. Sec. of Commerce Wilbur Ross requesting a federal fishery disaster be declared due to the profound and continuing impacts of Hurricane Laura on Louisianas fishing communities. Such a declaration may help in obtaining federal financial assistance for our fishers, processors, docks, and for the state to help rehabilitate the important fishery species upon which our seafood industry relies. In the letter, Gov. Edwards writes: "In the coming months, the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries will vigorously work to evaluate the biological and economic impact that this historic storm has had on Louisiana. Laura was one of the strongest hurricanes on record to make landfall in the United States. It is expected that the storms damage, once fully evaluated, will rival that of Hurricane Rita, which hit this area in September 2005. "The impacted parishes were home to nearly 2,500 commercial fishermen and vessels combined and over 100 wholesale dealers participating in the oyster, shrimp, crab, and saltwater finfish fisheries. Additionally, approximately 100 licensed charter captains call the impacted parishes home. "Louisiana fisheries are vital not only to the states economy but also to the nation. Louisiana was first in volume in 2018 with 1.0 billion pounds landed and 4th in value at $377 million in that same year. As the largest producer of domestic seafood for our nation, restoration of Louisianas fisheries, fisheries infrastructure, and habitat is critical to our nations economy and to the families in our state who make a living in the fishing industry. We must not overlook the devastating effects that this natural disaster will have on commercial fishermen and fisheries infrastructure in the Gulf of Mexico. "By immediately making funds available, our fishermen can return to commerce and supply our nation with U.S. caught shrimp, crabs, oysters, and finfish. We are extremely grateful for any assistance you and your department can provide as our state and our residents continue to suffer from storm-related impacts." Click here to read the letter. With a two-day total of 1,594 new positives and seven deaths reported Monday, Pennsylvania coronavirus cases now stand at 156,826 with 8,107 deaths. The Lehigh Valley is now at 10,140 total cases of COVID-19 in the latest figures reported by the Pennsylvania Department of Health. Coronavirus in Pa. Centre County at 158 cases over the two-day reporting period had the most of any county statewide. Home to Penn State University, Centre has been hit hard since students returned to school for the fall semester. Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine reiterated that those in college and university settings need to be vigilant. Wearing a mask, practicing social distancing, and following the requirements set forth in the orders for bars and restaurants, gatherings, and telework will help keep our case counts low," she said. As a whole, Pennsylvania averaged 859 new cases a day over the last seven days, according to the daily analysis of state data by lehighvalleylive.com. Thats up compared to last week when the state average dipped below 800 for several consecutive days. State asks for flexibility Pennlive.com, our sister website, reports Secretary Teresa Miller of the Department of Human Services (DHS) on Monday sent a letter to U.S. Sens. Bob Casey and Pat Toomey to persuade them to grant the DHS continued flexibility to manage changing needs during the crisis, especially pertaining to Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) waivers. Without the continuation of these waivers, the DHS may need to authorize overtime or hire additional staff to keep pace with existing work due to an expected increase in need for assistance programs over the fall and winter months, pennlive.com reports. The economic impact of this crisis has not yet been fully mitigated and for that reason, we expect SNAP enrollment to continue to grow. We urge you to support the adoption and extension of these waiver flexibilities, which will be necessary to support the provision of critical benefits to Pennsylvania households in need, wrote Secretary Miller, per the pennlive.com report. Granting Pennsylvania the flexibility of these waivers will ensure that DHS can continue to effectively manage the COVID-19 public health emergency and its ensuing economic impact. Coronavirus in the Lehigh Valley The Lehigh Valley has a reported total of 10,140 COVID-19 cases. The states daily report for Monday included 66 new positives (but no deaths) over the last two days between Lehigh County and Northampton County, bringing the Lehigh Valleys total to 10,140 cases and 658 deaths since the start of the pandemic in March. Lehigh County now totals 5,637 cases and 353 deaths while Northampton County has 4,503 total cases and 305 deaths. Please subscribe now and support the local journalism YOU rely on and trust. The relationship of Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex is the subject of the royal biography Finding Freedom, by Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand. When the book hit stores last month the Sussexes made it clear that they did not contribute to it. Now, new court documents prove that the bio included a number of inaccuracies. Meghan Markle and Prince Harry | Chris Jackson Pool/Getty Images Meghan Markle is suing Associated Newspapers over privacy violations According to Hello! Magazine, Meghan is in the middle of a privacy case in the UK High Court. She is suing Associated Newspapers (ANL), the publisher of the Mail on Sunday and MailOnline over articles she claimed violated her privacy. The articles included excerpts from a private and confidential letter that the duchess wrote to her estranged father, Thomas Markle. During a recent preliminary hearing, Meghans attorney Jessie Bowhill, revealed that the legal battle could cost Meghan 1.8 million (approximately $2.3 million). Bowhill explained this was a reasonable and proportionate amount for a seven to 10-day trial in the High Court. Especially in cases concerning a high-profile individual, private information, personal data, and intellectual property rights. Meghans legal team also denied that she and Prince Harry collaborated with Scobie and Durand for Finding Freedom. Justin Rushbrooke QC stated that Harry and Meghan were never interviewed by the authors, nor did they provide photographs. Prince Harry has never texted Prince Charles, according to court docs Hello! Magazine also reports that court proceedings revealed a surprising fact about Prince Charles. Lawyer Jenny Afia referred to a passage in Finding Freedom that claimed Prince Harry called and texted his friends and family when Meghan gave birth to Archie Harrison in May 2019. He started with the Queen and Prince Philip, who were the first to hear the news about the arrival of their eighth great-grandchild, the book reads. He then sent his father and brother texts alongside a photo of his new son, before notifying other family members. RELATED: Prince Harry and Prince William: A Look Back at Their Relationship Before Meghan Markle Afia countered the books claims by saying that it is widely known that the Prince of Wales does not have a mobile phone. If Charles doesnt have a cellphone, it would be impossible for Harry to text him baby pics. Filmmaker John Birdcut spent a year with Charles while filming the BBC documentary Prince, Son and Heir: Charles at 70. He claims that Charles gets irritated by people shoving camera phones in his face. Finding Freedom has a long list of inaccuracies about Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Another report from Hello! Magazine revealed that Meghans legal team submitted a detailed list of all the inaccuracies in Finding Freedom. In a witness statement, Afia accused Scobie and Durand of using information that was already available in the tabloids. The list includes the books description of Harry and Meghans first date in London. Afia argued that the details of Harrys thoughts in the book about the date came from his engagement interview. She added that the remainder of the content including what they drank, what they talked about and the contents of their texts after the date was incorrect. RELATED: Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Fans Blast Prince Charles Claiming He Did Absolutely Nothing To Protect Them The authors allegedly used creative license when telling the story of Harrys first meeting with his future mother-in-law, Doria Ragland. The book claimed that it happened in Los Angeles. I understand that in fact The Duke of Sussex did not meet the Claimants mother for the first time in Los Angeles, Afia claimed. Indeed, the first time he and the Claimant were ever in Los Angeles together was in 2020 when they relocated with their son. Other inaccuracies included the books very detailed account of Prince Harry and Meghans supposed safari in Botswana in 2016. They also dismissed the claim that Meghan sent her father a final message. Pizza Hut's landlords have agreed to cut rent after voting through an insolvency deal which force 29 resturants to close and axe up to 450 jobs. Landlords and creditors voted in favour of the insolvency process known as a Company Voluntary Arrangement (CVA), which will see them take a cut on future bills to keep the company from going bust. The deal means a further 215 Pizza Hut stores will keep trading, saving 5,000 jobs. Pizza Hut takeaways are not affected by the decision. The future of Pizza Hut stores like this one in Portsmouth was in question before the company's landlords and creditors voted in favour of the insolvency process known as a Company Voluntary Arrangement (CVA), which will see them take a cut on future bills to keep the company from going bust If a vote had not passed, the chain could have collapsed without extra funding - a CVA can only be granted by the courts if a company can show it will face administration without the support. A Pizza Hut Restaurants spokesperson said: 'The Company Voluntary Arrangement for Pizza Hut Restaurants, (PHR - the UK dine-in franchise business of the global Pizza Hut brand), is now approved. 'We are delighted to have reached such a constructive position in partnership with our landlords and creditors. The deal means 29 Pizza Hut restaurants will shut, with 450 jobs at risk, while a further 215 will keep trading, saving 5,000 jobs If the vote had not passed the chain, which sells Pizzas like the one pictured above, could have collapsed without extra funding Which Pizza Hut stores are expected to close? - Basingstoke Retail Park - Brighton City Centre - Bury St Edmunds - Cambridge, Regent Street - Cardiff, Culverhouse Cross - Chelmsford, Moulsham Street - Croydon, North End - Cumbernauld - Dunstable - Glasgow, Great Western Retail Park - Grantham - Gravesend - Huddersfield, John William Street - Leicester, Haymarket - London, Leyton Mill - London, Stratford - Maidenhead - Maidstone - Newcastle-under-Lyme - Oxford - Plymouth Royal Parade - Salisbury - Scarborough - Sheffield, High Street - Sheffield, Penistone Road - Stafford - Thornton Cleveleys - Weston-Super-Mare - Worcester Advertisement 'We appreciate the support of everyone involved and this outcome provides us with a strong platform to secure the long-term future of the business including over 5000 jobs and over 200 restaurants. 'Our focus is now 'business as usual' supporting all of our team members and continuing to provide a Covid-safe restaurant experience for our guests.' Pizza Hut is the latest restaurant chain to attempt to push through site closures, with Pizza Express, Wahaca, Wasabi, Byron and Yo! Sushi all using the CVA process. Retailers have also relied on the form of insolvency, including New Look, which has signed rental agreements based on sales, rather than a fixed amount. Earlier this month, Pizza Hut said it put forward the CVA proposals as 'sales are not expected to fully bounce back until well into 2021' despite a quick and safe reopening of sites. Retail and hospitality landlords have come under immense pressure in recent months, following a raft of high profile CVAs, while some chains have also held off quarterly rent payments. However, landlords and creditors have continued to vote favourably on CVAs, preferring to secure agreements based on lower rents than risk pushing retailers or restaurant chains towards more severe insolvency processes by rejecting proposals. Rival Pizza Express confirmed this month that it will shut 73 restaurants with 1,100 job losses after its own CVA deal was approved by creditors. For the second day in a row, we continue to be intensively involved in large-scale war actions unleashed by the military and political leadership of Azerbaijan. Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) President Arayik Haroutyunyan on Monday morning wrote about this on his Facebook page, addressing Armenians living in the homeland and the diaspora. "During the night, the Defense Army carried out several brilliant military operations, restoring lost positions, or making some progress, in various parts of the defense line. I am proud of and thankful to our troop, command for the high fighting spirit and readiness being shown. I am proud of and thankful to our people for the common sense shown during this period, everything for the sake of the Homeland and the frontfor the devotion. I am proud of and thankful to our compatriots and the authorities of the RA [Republic of Armenia] for their unconditional support. I am proud of and thankful for the thousands of calls and words of support from our compatriots around the world. I express my respect and condolences to the relatives of all our boys who have fallen with the life of a hero. I am proud of and thankful. Dear compatriots, I once again address you all with the unconditional faith and sense of victory. It is impossible to defeat a people who turn into a strong and single army in hours. Victory will be ours." A creche worker has pleaded guilty to assaulting and ill-treating a two-year-old child in her care. The 29-year-old Galway woman pleaded guilty at Gort District Court to the charge of mishandling a child and ill-treating the child at a premises in south Galway on June 21 last year. As part of the single charge, the woman has also pleaded guilty to wilfully assaulting or ill-treating a child in a manner likely to cause unnecessary injury to the childs health contrary to Section 246 of the Childrens Act. Sgt Daithi Cronin told Judge Patrick Durcan the parents of the two-year-old child contacted the creche after seeing some bruising on the childs arm. He said that as a result of the report, the co-owner of the creche made a referral to Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, concerning the allegation, which she is obliged to do. The sergeant said the co-owner viewed CCTV footage, which is operational throughout the creche premises, and noted that one of her staff had become extremely aggressive towards the child that she was caring for when she was putting the child down to sleep. Sgt Cronin said the co-owner saw during the course of a number of minutes of footage the rough treatment and the mishandling of the child. He said the accused presented herself voluntarily on September 1, 2019, to be interviewed about the allegation by gardai. He said the accused had a lengthy interview with gardai. He said a Tusla report on the incident was available to court. Judge Durcan adjourned the case to October 22 for sentencing and ordered that all files relating to the case be lodged in court by October 6. He also said the parents can, if they wish, make a victim impact statement in terms of the impact the incident had on their child. He said existing reporting restrictions in the case were to continue. (@ChaudhryMAli88) Ambassador of Pakistan to Senegal Dr Ali Ahmed Arain presented his credentials to President Macky Sall of Senegal in an impressive ceremony held at the Presidential Place on September 22 ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 28th Sep, 2020 ) :Ambassador of Pakistan to Senegal Dr Ali Ahmed Arain presented his credentials to President Macky Sall of Senegal in an impressive ceremony held at the Presidential Place on September 22. The ambassador was escorted from the Embassy to the Presidential Place by a large motorcade. He was received by the Head of Protocol and the Commander of the President's Military Household. During the 20-minute audience, the ambassador presented his Letters of Credence to the President which accredited him as the Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan of Senegal, a press release received here from Dakar on Friday said. The ambassador, on behalf of the president and the prime minister of Pakistan, conveyed best wishes to President Macky Sall, the government and the people of Senegal. He also shared proposals relating to cooperation in Agriculture, Textile and Irrigation sectors. The ambassador expressed his desire to work for further strengthening relations between the two countries. President Macky Sall warmly welcomed the ambassador to the President Place. Appreciating friendly relations between Pakistan and Senegal, the president extended warm wished to the president, prime minister and the people of Pakistan. He fondly remembered his visit to Pakistan in 2016. He appreciated the proposed initiatives of the ambassador and assured that he would ask his relevant ministers to hold meetings with ambassador to make an action plan to move on these proposals. The ambassador thanked the president for such warm welcome and presented a hand-made Pakistan carpet, which he greatly appreciated. Are you a student in lockdown? Send your photos to: pictures@mailonline.co.uk University of Exeter students living in the city have been asked not to meet indoors with anyone who is not part of their household for the next two weeks - on the same day that the government insisted locked down freshers would be able to visit their families over Christmas. The Government today said all students in isolation at university should be allowed home for the festive period amid a growing row over coronavirus lockdowns on campuses. Up to 4,000 students across Britain are now self-isolating for a fortnight after more than 500 cases of Covid-19 were confirmed across at least 32 universities. The University of Exeter became the latest to institute a 'soft lockdown' on its students this afternoon, asking them not to socialise in other peoples residences and only to mix with people within their household. It is believed that more than half of the cases confirmed in Exeter over the last week can be traced back to the university. Elsewhere, 1,700 students are under lockdown at the Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU) campuses of Birley and Cambridge Halls. All lectures, seminars and classes for first-year students at the university will now be online for the next 14 days. Today, MMU's vice-chancellor said its isolating students will be given financial compensation of more than a week's rent and a care package including 'basic food'. The National Union of Students has received reports of security guards outside blocks, universities telling students they will deliver food and then it not arriving and others left 'wondering where the next roll of toilet roll is coming from'. And lawyers have encouraged students in isolation to seek their help for free, with Levins Solicitors of Liverpool tweeting: 'To the MMU students at Birley campus and Cambridge halls: get in touch and we will do our best to help, pro bono.' But amid fears over what will happen by December, a Downing Street spokesman said today: 'We would expect all students to be able to go home at Christmas.' Meanwhile the University of Aberdeen has asked private landlords to report students caught breaching coronavirus restrictions and warned students caught breaking the rules would face 'robust' disciplinary action. (Left to right) Mia Winrow, 19, Natasha Kutscheruk, 18 and Niamh Morrow, 19, of Manchester Metropolitan's Birtley Hall, pictured today. The students have been locked down since Friday Five of the 1,700 students under lockdown at the Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU) campuses of Birley and Cambridge Halls speak to Sky News yesterday following the outbreak First-year students pose from behind fencing at a campus of MMU on Saturday evening NUS president Larissa Kennedy told ITV's Good Morning Britain today: 'I'm hearing from some students across the country where there are security guards outside of these blocks where students are being kept, stopping people from leaving, coming and going, where students are being discouraged from getting deliveries and told by the university that they'll deliver food and that delivery has not arrived and so they've gone for the day without food. 'I've heard from other students who, they've turned up with an amount of toilet roll, told with no notice that they're going to be locked down and wondering where the next roll of toilet roll is coming from. Lawyers offer free help to freshers fighting campus lockdowns One legal firm has encouraged students in isolation to seek their help for free amid concerns over those stuck at two Manchester Metropolitan University campuses. Levins Solicitors of Liverpool tweeted: 'To the MMU students at Birley campus and Cambridge halls: get in touch and we will do our best to help, pro bono.' Lectures and classes for first-years at MMU will all be given online for the next 14 days, with the situation to be reviewed at regular intervals. Supt Chris Hill, of Greater Manchester Police, said that 'to our knowledge' officers had not been deployed to enforce the rules on students. He said the campus self-isolation was 'not a policing issue'. Manchester's Director of Public Health David Regan also confirmed that the lockdown was currently optional. Advertisement 'It just feels like these are disgusting conditions for students to have been trapped in.' The number of students trying to get a shopping delivery means some say they are starting to run out of food, with parents turning up to halls with bags of shopping. Recruitment worker Tina McKenzie, whose daughter is currently isolating in Edinburgh tweeted: 'My daughter is in quarantine in her halls in Edinburgh. 'They said they would deliver food - she advised she is vegan. The University of Edinburgh sent a Mars bar and croissant.' MMU student Phoebe told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: 'I've had a test back and I'm actually positive, which is quite scary. I wouldn't be surprised if I've got corona from this place. Before the isolation would be the period when I would have got it. 'There's just been non-stop parties, no social distancing, no wearing masks in the corridors, which would all contribute to the spread.' Another MMU student, Tasiana, 18, told the New Statesman: 'No one was in the flat when I arrived. I know a girl that lives in another block that didn't meet her flatmates for days after moving in. 'The majority of everyone's time is spent in their rooms, attending online seminars. It's hard to speak to my flatmates because a lot of them have eight-hour days of classes on Zoom, so people hardly leave their rooms. One of my flatmates still hasn't come out of her room yet. We aren't sure if maybe she is a bit nervous about social distancing.' As thousands prepared to start the new term, at the University of Aberdeen, sanctions for those breaking the rules include a fine of up to 250 as well as possible suspension or expulsion, with private landlords urged to report 'any incidents of a breach' to the university. Lawyers have encouraged students in isolation at university to seek their help pro-bono A student gives a thumbs up at the window of a flat at Birley student halls in Manchester today But third-year student Jack Boag, 20, said students have been 'sold a lie' and 'treated like the problem' - despite being encouraged to come back to university. Compensation plans for Manchester Metropolitan students who are self-isolating Students stuck in self-isolation at Manchester Metropolitan University will be given financial compensation of more than a week's rent, its vice-chancellor has said. Professor Malcolm Press said 'a significant amount of money' would be given, on top of a care package that includes 'basic food', to ensure students felt 'protected and cared for'. Speaking to Sky News he said: 'It will be a package that I think students will appreciate, that allows them to rest assured, while they're in this situation, they don't have any particular financial worries as a consequence.' Prof Press said details were being discussed with students, but added that 'a financial package means hard cash', with it representing 'more than an actual week's rent'. 'Students will be receiving financial compensation to ensure that they feel protected and cared for during this period of self isolation,' he said. His comments came after Glasgow University said it will refund all students in halls of residence one month's rent, along with a 50 payment for food, amid an outbreak of coronavirus cases there. Over the weekend fears were raised among a number of students at Manchester Metropolitan University that they were being falsely imprisoned in their accommodation, with human rights lawyers questioning the legality of security staff enforcing a 14-day isolation period. Students described being scared and confused as their accommodation was locked down on Friday, after 127 people tested positive for coronavirus. They were later told the decision, made in conjunction with Public Health England and Manchester City Council, was 'deemed necessary' to prevent the spread of the virus to other students, staff or the community. But Prof Press told Sky News today: 'We were asked to ensure (students) would self-isolate because there had been an outbreak of Covid into halls of residence. 'We're advising students on the rules, what they should do, we're supporting them, but the idea that they're not able to leave is just not true I'm afraid. 'Students are free to go should they wish to and a small number of students have gone home in a Covid-secure way.' Prof Press also said there had been some 'miscommunication' within the university over students being asked to remove posters. 'We've retracted that information, students are very free to put posters up and we obviously value freedom of speech, and it's just regretful that there was a message sent out in error,' he said. Advertisement Mr Boag said: 'In terms of the lockdown, I live in a private flat quite far away from the Covid hotspots, so it comes across as closing the stable doors after the horse has bolted. 'We were told it would be a blended learning experience, and obviously that hasn't happened. Coming up to Aberdeen from my home in Fife has been completely pointless. 'We've been consistently told to come back to campus, we've been consistently told that it would be a blended learning experience, and now that we're here it feels as if we've been sold a lie and treated as if we are the problem. 'For first years who have just moved into halls with people that they've never met, that's hard. My main concern is that landlords could quite easily take advantage of this. 'The landlord/tenant dynamic is not an equal one, so it could become a tool for blackmail, essentially. I'm a private renter so they've been talking to my landlord, and while I can understand the university isn't taking any chances, it's worrying. 'It seems when other universities are easing back, Aberdeen is doubling down and emphasising the punishments and what will happen if you breach regulations.' Mr Boag, from Fife, said while he doesn't have plans to move back home, he understands why many other students might feel differently. He said: 'I would have to go back to my grandparents who are vulnerable or my dad who is a key worker, so for me it's not really an option, although I can see why it would be attractive for others.' Ms McKenzie said she 'followed up multiple times and sent a few dead salads', adding: 'I've sent her parcels and she has ordered takeaway. Lucky she has the money unlike less fortunate others.' Labour even called for a delay to the start of the English term until the chaotic testing system can meet soaring demand. Daisy Cooper, Liberal Democrat spokesperson for education, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: 'I'm extremely worried about these young people. 'Some of them will be vulnerable to mental ill health, and for some of them it's the very first time away from home. 'So I think that the very first thing that needs to happen is that universities need to be given the support to identify which students may be particularly vulnerable. 'The second thing is there needs to be an assessment of which young people want to stay at university and which ones may not want to stay there.' She added: 'If young people want to be returning at some point between now and Christmas, there needs to be a plan that the Government works up with universities so that we have a managed Covid-secure return of those young people to home. 'Because what we can't have is for those young people to be moving in the same numbers at the same time that they were at the start of term, but doing that at Christmas time.' Health minister Helen Whately told Radio 4 that the Government could not rule out the prospect that university students may be unable to return home at Christmas. She said: 'We want them to be home for Christmas. Everybody wants to come home and spend Christmas with family. We want that very much to be the case. A note left in the window of a flat at Birley student halls of residence in Manchester today 'Christmas is some time off yet and it is down to all of us to get this under control so we can spend Christmas with our families.' Pressure mounts for universities to refund tuition fees Pressure is mounting on universities to refund tuition fees as thousands of students face lockdowns, online-only courses and the prospect of Christmas confined to their halls. Tory MPs said it was 'madness' that the country's universities were charging the same fees for 'second-rate' learning. As students face the prospect of being confined to their halls of residence over Christmas because of Covid-19 outbreaks on campuses, 3,000 students have already been locked down in their rooms after cases at 36 universities, including Glasgow, Manchester Metropolitan and Edinburgh Napier. Last night Robert Halfon, the Conservative chairman of the education select committee, said students must be compensated for the lack of face-to-face learning. The Department for Education said students who wanted refunds should appeal to their universities. Mr Halfon told the Daily Mail: 'If we have 3,000 students in lockdown now, it could be 6,000 next week, so ministers need to come up with a plan on testing and tracing. And we need to ensure students are back by Christmas, because a lockdown over Christmas would cause anguish for them and their families. 'The Government needs to seriously consider a discount, because when you pay for a product you should expect to get that product, and if not, you should get some money returned.' Tory MP George Freeman said yesterday it was 'madness' that students were locked in halls of residences by universities 'still happily taking their money'. He said on Twitter: 'How do I think universities make up the losses from offering student discounts? Well, not from fleecing students! Maybe from vice-chancellors' 300,000 salaries?' Advertisement In Manchester, the 1,700 students have been told they cannot leave the campus to visit the local testing centre, leading to fears the outbreak will spread. Labour education spokesman Kate Green said today that the Government should 'step up' testing capacity to help ensure university students can return home for Christmas, She told Sky News: 'Students will desperately want to be able to go home to be with friends and family at Christmas. And, of course, it's right that we all have a part to play in keeping distance and keeping safe. 'But the real key to this is getting the mass testing rolled out so that students can be tested, we can know if somebody is testing positive and make sure that they are isolated and don't travel. 'But it would mean the other students would be able to get back home for Christmas and that's why the Government needs to step up too and make sure that that testing capacity is available.' She also said the Government should support universities' efforts to test for coronavirus, adding: 'One thing that I think particularly in relation to students: much more effort could be made to support those universities that are already developing their own testing capacity, like Leicester, for example, or Cambridge. 'And the Government could be really working much more closely alongside them to get that additional capacity that would relieve pressure elsewhere in the NHS and other pillars of testing. 'And it would mean that students could be tested on campus, so could university staff.' Ms Green argued this would help make universities 'much safer places'. Last night Ms Green called on ministers to stop students from returning to university for the start of the academic year affecting 2.3 million in the UK. She said they should either delay the start of term or 'pause' the return of students to university campuses where courses had not started. Backing Miss Green, NUS president Larissa Kennedy told The Guardian the union was demanding 'a functional test-and-trace system in place on campuses and adequate funding to tackle the student mental health crisis'. She added in a tweet: 'Government and universities are gambling with students' lives.' Ms Kennedy added on Good Morning Britain today: 'First and foremost, we are of course encouraging people to do the right thing for public health and to follow that guidance. Students post a message in their window at MMU yesterday complaining about the situation A sign on a closed gate at the Birley student halls of residence in Manchester this morning Bottles of alcohol lined up in a window of the Birley student halls in Manchester this morning 'But we are questioning whether this is legal, in terms of making sure that students get that access to the basic amenities that they need - to food, to toiletries and to all the things they need just to survive lockdown - and in cases where that hasn't been the case, whether it has been legal to keep them cooped up in that way without that access to the things that they need.' Morrisons cashes in on students trapped in campus lockdowns Morrisons has today revealed an SOS 'Serve our Students' food delivery service aimed at those in lockdown on campuses. The supermarket said students will be able to choose from the food boxes of 35 meat essentials; 35 vegetarian essentials; 30 easy meals for the week; and 25 big night in. An example of the food packs Morrisons will be delivering to isolating students Its delivery service will launch at the lockdown-hit Birley and Cambridge Halls at Manchester Metropolitan and will then expand to other universities. Students can email students-ug@morrisonsplc.co.uk to place their order today and it will be delivered to them tomorrow between 5pm and 7pm. Morrisons chief executive David Potts said: 'Students have asked for our help and that's why we are making sure they can safely access affordable food at this very difficult time. We're playing our full part in feeding the nation so that no one is left behind.' The company hopes students will soon be able to place their order by 2pm for delivery that evening. If successful, the service will be rolled out to other universities across the country. Advertisement But outgoing University of Buckingham vice-chancellor Sir Anthony Seldon said: 'We must have a sense of perspective. Universities have gone to huge lengths to plan for this and many are coping.' And the Department for Education rejected Labour's call, insisting it was 'working closely with universities to support them to keep staff and students as safe as possible'. Niamh Thripleton, a new zoology student at Reading, told BBC Radio 4's Today: 'We're obviously not allowed to go out. Freshers is all online. 'We're, we think, only meant to socialise with our flat, but they haven't really been enforced or been made clear. 'It's just been a lot quieter, it's been harder making friends. Turning up and realising everything is going to be online is a bit of an anti-climax. 'You'd think it (a zoology degree) would be quite a lot of lab work, and it's quite worrying how I'm going to do that online. 'I just think the way Manchester Met and other places have been locked down, being on your room on your own for two weeks with now freedom there, I don't I'd be able to cope with that, so it's kind of worrying.' Her stepfather Chris Taplin told the programme: 'I do feel she's certainly been robbed of the experienced I had at university. 'It is also really scary when you read things about the Christmas threat, not coming home, when it is the first time they've moved out and we basically feel we'd be some kind of law breaker if we went there and busted her out. But it's been the first thing for a sort of mental trauma, really. 'Certainly my wife has been saying, 'don't worry we'll get you out' (if she's locked down in halls at Christmas), but I think that's obviously not a very sensible position to go and do that. 'But I think we're both making sure we get food to her and keep talking to her as much as possible.' Meanwhile the Prime Minister has been urged to ensure online tuition at universities 'becomes the norm', amid concern over the impact of Covid-19 lockdowns on students. In a letter to Boris Johnson, the University and College Union (UCU), accused some institutions of adopting a 'stubborn position' over requiring in-person teaching because they depended on rent from student accommodation. An 'HMP' sign has been put up in one of the windows of the Birley student halls this morning A sign reading 'help' is left in a window of one of the flats in Manchester this morning Signs in windows of the Birley student halls of residence in Manchester this morning In her letter to Mr Johnson, Jo Grady, UCU general secretary, said the union which represents academics and university staff was 'not prepared to take chances with the health of students, our members and the communities they serve'. University asks private landlords to report any students caught breaching Covid rules A top university has asked private landlords to report students caught breaching coronavirus restrictions. The University of Aberdeen has warned students of the consequences facing them if they breach national Covid-19 related guidance. In a statement emailed last night, university bosses said students caught breaking the rules would face 'robust' disciplinary action. Sanctions include a fine of up to 250 as well as possible suspension or expulsion. And private landlords around the city have been asked to report 'any incidents of a breach' to the university. The statement read: 'Given the events of the last few days I want to emphasise that any breaches will not be tolerated, and those found to be breaking the rules will face robust action. 'Sanctions include a fine of up to 250 as well as the potential for further action - including suspension and/or expulsion - under our Code of Conduct on Student Discipline (non academic). 'Regardless of whether you live in University provided accommodation, a private flat or in student accommodation from a private provider, we will still look to take the same appropriate disciplinary measures against any student that fails to follow the requirements that are currently in place to protect everyone in Scotland. 'We are in contact with landlords and have asked that any incidents of a breach of our Covid Campus Pledge and Guidelines and the national guidelines are reported to the University, to enable the matter to be investigated in the usual way.' Advertisement 'It is clear that remote learning should be the default for campus life while we are in this precarious position with the virus,' she said. 'However, what we are seeing on the ground is university employers hiding behind the Government's current sectoral guidance, with all the ambiguities associated with the term 'blended learning'. She added: 'Whilst other sectors are being encouraged by the Government to work from home to help control the spread of the virus, universities are requiring staff to travel across their local regions to work on-site and in-person with any number of students. 'Considering the known risks associated with in-person teaching and students living in close quarters, why did the Government not insist on minimising in-person teaching and students travelling to universities? 'We have concerns that universities are taking this stubborn position because they depend on rents from student accommodation - and because your own Government refuses to step in and underwrite universities' lost income for the duration of the pandemic to ensure they are not negatively impacted and jobs are not lost.' The Government is under pressure to guarantee young people are not confined to their halls of residence over the Christmas period because of Covid-19 outbreaks on campuses. Ms Grady said students should be allowed to leave their accommodation and return home 'without fear of financial penalty'. 'We cannot have students forced to quarantine in halls of residence with no familiar support network, or staff forced to carry out work on site that could be conducted more safely from home,' she said. Nicola Dandridge, chief executive of the Office for Students (OfS), the higher education regulator in England, said it would be 'looking very closely' at the quality of education being provided by institutions. Speaking to BBC Radio 4's Today programme, she said institutions must be clear with students on what teaching conditions they can expect and if this changed. 'What we can't have is a situation where students don't know what's going on, that they're locked in their halls of accommodation, and can't get hold of food,' she said. She said students had 'legal rights as consumers' and could raise complaints with their university and the Office of the Independent Adjudicator. Students at Manchester Metropolitan have been left unimpressed by the cost of studies Students look down from outside their window at MMU while in lockdown yesterday Asked if students should receive a refund of tuition fees she said it was 'a question for government'. The 1,700 MMU students in lockdown yesterday complained of feeling abandoned with some already plotting their escape. After 127 positive tests for Covid-19 on Friday, the shocked students many of them freshers living away from home for the first time were ordered to self-isolate in their halls of residence for a fortnight. Desperate undergraduates said supplies of food and toiletries were low and complained of students holding all-night parties likened to 'prison riots'. A student waves through the window of accommodation at MMU behind a sign yesterday Some tried to ease the boredom by putting up signs in their windows with slogans including 'send drink' and 'f*** Boris'. 'Don't fine students for partying refund their fees': Oxford professor urges UK to follow Sweden and PAY infected freshers to trace their contacts A Oxford professor has urged universities in the UK to follow Sweden and pay infected freshers to trace their contacts as at least 32 report Covid cases. Carl Heneghan, professor of evidence-based medicine at Oxford University told the Times newspaper the Government had helped every sector but had 'clamped down' on students. The professor said that the UK should pay students to trace their contacts if they become infected and said students should be trusted to behave like responsible adults instead of being locked on campus over Christmas. He added: 'We should waive student fees. We have asked people to go back to university and at the first sign cases are going up, we are clamping down on people.' Advertisement As some students in lockdown likened the university to a prison by labelling it 'HMP MMU', with security guards blocking them from leaving, legal experts claimed their incarceration could amount to false imprisonment. Adam Wagner, a human rights barrister at Doughty Street chambers in London, wrote on Twitter: 'False imprisonment is detention without lawful authority.' Hours later, university vice-chancellor Professor Malcolm Press conceded it could only 'expect' students to follow the self-isolation rules designed to avoid spreading the infection to their home towns. While many students pledged to stick it out, others were preparing to flee the city. Tilly Thompson, 19, said she felt like a 'caged animal' and was waiting for her mother to take her home to Wolverhampton. Students claimed some of those under restrictions had been ignoring the rules and throwing parties. One boasted the quarantine would be 'a two-week p***-up', saying he had '200 cans of lager' and 'it's going to get messy'. A student called Tom told BBC Radio 5 Live that people had been running past their flats shouting: 'Open your doors, we've got coronavirus, we want to give it to you.' He added: 'It was insane... parties going on everywhere, loud music... It was like a prison riot.' Martyn Moss, of the University and College Union, said he had warned MMU chiefs that their plans for the 'mass return of students would inevitably see institutions become Covid incubators'. He added: 'Universities should have spent the summer following the science and preparing properly for this inevitable crisis.' * Are you a student in lockdown? Send your photos to: pictures@mailonline.co.uk * When the brewery was looking to restart operations, it needed a new manager for the kitchen. Head of operations and co-founder Ed Marszewski invited the Moms to take over full time, and it has blossomed into a great partnership, the pair said. Moms has been able to bring back staffers six days per week, four for service at Marz and two for the Community Kitchen Program. And, as a nod to its new brewery home, Marz added its version of a pub burger to the menu: a short rib cheeseburger with nori fries. She's had a year to remember, shooting to fame on the increasingly popular Netflix show Selling Sunset. And Christine Quinn was the VIP guest at PrettyLittleThing's Selling Sunday's brunch over the weekend. The stunning reality star wowed in a very racy bodycon dress for her big bash, held at Boa Steakhouse onSunset Blvd, West Hollywood. Wow: Selling Sunset star Christine Quinn was the VIP guest at PrettyLittleThing's Selling Sunday's brunch over the weekend Partying with celebrity guests including Lexy Panterra, Pia Mia and Barbie Blank, Christine stood out in her daring choice of dress. Christine highlighted her curves in the cut-out dress, which just about contained her ample assets with its bikini-style top. The tight skirt flaunted the star's toned figure, while she added another bold print with her peeptoe leopard print heels. She accessorised with a Louis Vuitton bag, and as ever her makeup was looking flawless as were her crimped blonde locks. Va va voom: The stunning reality star wows in a very racy bodycon dress for her big bash, held at Boa Steakhouse onSunset Blvd, West Hollywood Christine has made no secret of the fact that she has had cosmetic surgery, and is passionate that people should be honest about any procedures they've undergone. Earlier this month, Christine detailed the ins and outs of her daily routine on the show in an interview with Vogue magazine. The Oppenheim Group employee told the publication: 'I tell people all the time: I got my boobs done, I get my lips done, tons of Botox, tons of makeup. How I look on [Selling Sunset] is not how I look when I wake up in the morning. 'When it comes to the show, I dont do my own hair. I do my own makeup because I love doing it. The full start to finish, including wardrobe, is around two and a half to three hours.' Shopping up a storm: Partying with celebrity guests including Lexy Panterra, Pia Mia and Barbie Blank, Christine stood out in her daring choice of dress Strike a pose: Christine highlighted her curves in the cut-out dress, which just about contained her ample assets with its bikini-style top Dancing queen: Christine showed off every inch of her look as she demonstrated her moves 'My glam isnt cheap, either $1,000 a day, if I go all out. Its expensive to look this cheap. 'Its important in a world where theres this facade of social media causing people to have body dysmorphia. People think that [things are] real, and theyre not.' The blonde recently admitted she has shed a tear or two over 'hurtful' trolls reacting to her role on the Netflix hit. Making her entrance: The Netflix star showed off her tanned legs as the made a graceful exit out of her car Wild: The tight skirt flaunted the star's toned figure, while she added another bold print with her peeptoe leopard print heels Safety first: The star wore has mask inside and happily had her temperature checked Pout: Christine posed up a storm for the cameras as she arrived at the VIP brunch bash Goodies: Christine didn't leave the fashion party empy handed, carrying two large bags of freebies to her car Catching up: The star sat down with a group of pals to enjoy some food and gossip The siren told The Sunday Times: 'People that don't know me say hurtful things. I'm just like, "Ugh, whatever." I don't know these people. 'But when I hear stuff from other people That's upsetting. Sometimes, it hurts my feelings. Sometimes, it makes me cry.' Although she's as vulnerable as the next person, Christine clarified she has no intention of toning down her villainous persona. Stopping traffic: The blonde beauty ensured all eyes were on her as she even posed on a crossing on Sunset Blonde bombshells: Christine partied with her friends, including Pia Mila, who looked gorgeous in a blue crop top and jeans Fun: Pia styled her blonde locks into playful pigtails for the girl's brunch date Blog We, the CSOs of the PAS project are pleased to take note of the recent activities of African health professional associations, NGOs and national governments as they commemorated World Contraception Day (WCD) on 26th September 2020. In Ghana, the Ministry of Health and NGOs in collaboration with UNFPA mobilized around WCD to call for increasing access to accurate information on Family Planning (FP) commodities. In Kenya, the Sexual and Reproductive Health Alliance (SRHA) in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, mobilize around WCD 2020 to call for increased awareness of the benefits of modern family methods. In Nigeria, World Contraception Day 2020 comes at a time when the Federal Government of Nigeria and many state governments have signaled their commitment to increase modern family planning services delivery for women and men of reproductive age in the country. The 2020-2024 National Family Planning Blueprint of the Family Health Department of the Federal Ministry set out government's commitments, objectives and vision for modern FP service delivery in line with government's FP 2020 commitments. The Federal government has also charged 2020 National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS) Senior Executive Course 42 to spend the next one year studying and analyzing Nigeria's Population Growth and Human Capital Development. As CSOs in the Partnership for Advocacy in Child and Family Health @ Scale (PAS) project we are committed to improving child and family health in Nigeria. We believe that access to modern contraceptives gives families a chance to practice healthy timing between births; reduces the risk to the mother; contributes to the survival of living children; and the health of the nation. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Health Nigeria NGO By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. The Nigerian government committed to a 27% modern contraceptive prevalence by 2020; to date the rate is only 16.6%. A key reason for our failure to meet this national target is the inadequacy of FP financing. Year after year the Federal and State governments allocate funds in annual budgets for contraceptive procurement; logistics; provider training; and for service provider task shifting and sharing. Year after year funds allocated are either not released, released late or not in alignment with Costed Implementation Plans. In 2019 only 25% of the committed family planning budget was allocated and released by the Federal Government. This January 2020 the Federal budgeted 1.2 billion naira for FP. The revised budget of August 2020 preserved this figure. However, as at September 26th WCD, no funds have been released. This is the same situation in some states. In Kano state N100,000,000 was allocated for FP in the January 2020 budget. This was reduced to N20,000,000 in the July 2020 revised budget. To date not one kobo has been released. World Contraception Day is a milestone and an opportunity for government at national and state levels to provide adequate funding for family planning. Funding is needed for commodities, logistics, awareness creation and training of new providers under the Task Shifting Task Sharing (TSTS) policy. As we commend government for its fight against Covid-19, we the CSOs of the PAS project also call on government to release the 2020 budgetary allocation for family planning and to apply the same results-based management approaches used in the Covid-19 fight to family planning programming in Nigeria. Thousands of protesters including farmers, pro-Kannada activists and members of other organisations gathered in front of the Town Hall to protest against the state and central government's amendments to land reforms and the APMC Act. The police has detained about 300 people thus far for blocking roads while protesting. Follow live updates on the Karnataka Bandh here Leaders of various farmers organisations, including Kodihalli Chandrashekar and Kuruburu Chandrashekar, headed towards Town Hall. Former leader Nagendra was already at the Town Hall along with the protesting farmers. A few protesters who tried to stop buses near Town Hall by lying across the road were detained by the police for causing inconvenience to public and impeding public movement. The farmers and activists of Kannada organisations gathered in hundreds near Sumanahalli and went on a rally till Town Hall in cars and bikes. The police did not allow them to block the road in Sumanahalli when the protesters tried to stop BMTC buses and public vehicles. Kodihalli Chandrashekar also tried to take his rally from KR Puram to Town Hall, but the police stopped him as it would choke roads, causing traffic jams and asked him to go to Town Hall in his private vehicle. According to the police, areas surrounding Town Hall, Freedom Park, Mysore Bank circle, Summanahalli, Magadi Road, KR Puram have been affected as the protests caused bottlenecks for vehicle movement. So far 300 persons were detained for blocking roads while protestung, a senior police officer said. When Jess Newman lost her hair at 17, she thought she looked like an alien. But during lockdown, eight years later, she bravely posted pictures of her alopecia online and has now embraced her condition after receiving positive comments. She has now abandoned her wig, applied to be a model and even decorates her head in bright colours. She said of her Instagram snaps: I felt braver because I wasnt going out and having to see people. When Jess Newman lost her hair at 17, she thought she looked like an alien. But during lockdown, eight years later, she bravely posted pictures of her alopecia online and has now embraced her condition after receiving positive comments I was nervous before pressing upload but I had some lovely comments. I spoke to other girls with alopecia and we now have a WhatsApp group. Doctors first blamed puberty when Miss Newman, 25, started losing her eyebrows at 15. But the hair loss sped up when she met her father, who split from her mother when she was a baby, for the first time in six years. Doctors first blamed puberty when Miss Newman, 25, started losing her eyebrows at 15. But the hair loss sped up when she met her father, who split from her mother when she was a baby, for the first time in six years. She is pictured before her hair loss Miss Newman, of Colchester, Essex, went to a dermatologist who diagnosed alopecia areata, a condition where hair stops growing as immune cells attack follicles. She followed advice to shave her head and get a wig but was so insecure she wore a beanie hat over it and tattooed on eyebrows. She skipped classes at college, didnt socialise, and cried before every shift at a restaurant where she was a waitress. Miss Newman, who has an older brother and sister, said the support of mother Linda, 59, a financial administrator, and stepfather Richard Watsham, a 53-year-old fencing firm owner, helped her cope. But just close friends were told of her condition and only when she reached 20. Everyone was really nice about it but I thought I was ugly and looked like an alien, she said. But last month she was asked by Alopecia UK to be one of their 15th birthday champions, which meant going out without her wig and sharing snaps. Her new outlook has also encouraged her to apply to be a model for the Models of Diversity charity. (TNS) The Minnesota Judicial Branch has been operating mostly remotely for nearly six months, with no end in sight, and that comes with a number of advantages and challenges.The state's Supreme Court ordered a move to online court proceedings as of March 27. Although a few hearings have still been possible in person, meeting via Zoom has continued for most cases since then.Nobles County Attorney Joseph Sanow described the move as "a balance between people's Constitutional rights and not spreading infection."The Fourth and 15th Amendments to the U.S. Constitution both guarantee due process, or fair treatment by the judicial system."We're trying to find other ways to accommodate those rights without having people in the courtroom," Sanow explained.For example, although jury trials have since resumed, some witnesses are able to testify remotely, in order to limit both travel from outside the area and the number of people in the courtroom at any given time."I would like to give our prosecutors and our judges a lot of credit," said Nobles County Public Defender Amanda Delaney, noting that the court system has made a great effort to protect defendants' rights.In some ways, the move to online court hearings has created additional convenience for defendants, judges and attorneys, Sanow said. Defendants from outside Nobles County don't have to take a day off work to travel for their hearings.Judges throughout the Fifth Judicial District who are taking turns filling the vacancy left by Gordon Moore until a new judge is appointed may work from their homes offices or local courthouses, rather than coming to Nobles County. Even within the Prairie Justice Center itself, attorneys don't have to move between courtrooms all day, but can stay in their offices to Zoom into hearings.However, there are also drawbacks to the new normal, said Delaney."It's definitely slowed the court process down," she said.At the beginning of the pandemic, no evidentiary or probable cause hearings were happening at all, so the defendants who needed those simply had to wait longer.Technology access has also been a challenge for defendants, she added. Many of the people Delaney and other public defenders represent are underprivileged and lack access to an Internet device by which to appear via Zoom.Outside of court hearings, this barrier presents another problem. For a while, defendants couldn't even meet with their lawyers in person, and not everyone has the technology needed to sign and scan documents remotely."I do like having a lot of the hearings by Zoom," Sanow said, "but at the same time, when there's a vaccine (for COVID-19) and we have the option of meeting in person again, I'll be happy."Even after the coronavirus pandemic lifts, there may be some types of hearings that continue to occur remotely in perpetuity, now that the infrastructure is set up to accommodate that.Over the next few years, Sanow added, "there are going to be some interesting legal questions" that arise. For example, because jury trials weren't permitted for several months, some incarcerated defendants had their trials delayed and therefore spent more time than expected in jail while awaiting trial."Our judges are taking the fact that people are in custody very seriously," Delaney said. However, during those few months, there wasn't much that could be done to speed up a trail, since juror safety is paramount.Hundreds of defendants have appeared remotely over the last six months, which is totally different from the court process less than a year ago. Some serious convictions may go to the Minnesota Court of Appeals on the grounds that their due process rights were violated either by a longer incarceration or by appearing via Zoom.How to handle court hearings during a pandemic hasn't been a question for more than a century, Sanow noted and the available technology didn't exist the last time.Although most hearings are Zoom-only, Sanow emphasized that they are just as open to the public as ever. To watch a hearing via Zoom, interested parties should contact court administration at (507) 350-3015 for the link. JACKSON COUNTY, MI A new Jackson County sheriff will be elected in November, more than two years after recordings were first released of current Sheriff Steve Rand making discriminatory comments about women, minorities and the disabled. Republican Gary Schuette, Democrat Val Cochran Toops and Independent Joseph Beaman are running for the four-year term in the Nov. 3 election to succeed Rand, who chose not to seek reelection. The winner takes over Jan. 1. Rand still is in the middle of a lawsuit from Lt. Tommy Schuette who is hearing impaired and alleges Rand persistently mocked him for his disability while he was actively working for the sheriffs office. "The reality is that sheriffs deputies and frontline staff have to go out every day and they have to face the repercussions of the sheriffs statements, Beaman said. Theyve had to do that since the tapes were exposed for the last two years while the sheriff was basically not doing anything. You cant help but have this residual effect on the community. Gary Schuette and Tommy Schuette are cousins, but he said he had considered running for sheriff for years, and his decision to seek the job has nothing to do with the lawsuit. However, Rands comments have tainted the publics view of the sheriffs office, no matter their thoughts of police, he said. Retired police detective, attorney moves on to face Democratic challenger for Jackson County sheriff seat The community that heard what Sheriff Rand said, some of them are already going to believe the police are evil and this just confirms what I already thought, he said. Other folks are going to hear that and think hes an anomaly. I think by and large, people see that and theyre shaking their heads thinking Are you kidding me? What is going on over there? Sheriffs deputies and other employees deserve to work in a safe environment, according to a statement on Cochran Toops website. She declined an interview, saying her website adequately explains my campaign platform. Many people feel that a tough-on-crime stance is needed to strengthen the criminal justice system and bring about reform, Cochran Toops states on her website. I agree with that, but feel it must start from within the department. Cultivating more diversity in the sheriffs office can also help change publics perception, Gary Schuette said. For too long weve ignored the fact that theres not a lot of minorities in the sheriffs department. I want to change that, Schuette said. I want to get rid of that perceived bias. Independent candidate running for Jackson County sheriff Beaman, 50, was born and raised in Jackson County, where he works as an institutional parole agent for the Michigan Department of Corrections at the G. Robert Cotton Correctional Facility. Hes worked for MDOC for nearly 20 years in various managerial roles, as well as working directly with prisoners. Cochran Toops, 57, works as a livestock farmer, is an executive member of the Cannabis Caucus of the Michigan Democratic Party and is a representative on the Progressive Caucus for the 7th Congressional District, according to her campaign website. Shes lived in Jackson for 20 years. Second person files to run for Jackson County Sheriff in 2020 In a previous interview, Cochran Toops said she never served in law enforcement, but worked in adjacent fields, as a certified firearms instructor for the New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife and as a process server in Virginia with military and federal organizations. Third person files to run for Jackson County sheriff in 2020 Gary Schuette, 50, was born and raised in Jackson County. He worked in the Jackson Police Department for 25 years, 18 of which he was a detective. He is now an attorney at White, Hotchkiss & Falahee PLLC and also is president of the Hanover-Horton School Board. First year goals In his first year in office, Gary Schuette said he would review all polices and make sure theyre public and online and implement better entry screening for incoming jail inmates. The improved screening would take a closer look at a persons mental health and any issues with substance use so they can get help, he said. Gary Schuette also wants to use those screenings to get more information about potential threats among different groups in jail and then give officers better real time data to use when theyre out in the field. This will create more intelligent policing instead of reactionary, he said. During his first year, Beaman said he would focus on building a strong rapport with the other law enforcement agencies and townships. Thats something thats going to ultimately be paramount because Im really bringing a seismic change, paradigm shift to what this philosophy of community criminal justice is going to ultimately look like, Beaman said. So, the officers are going to need to buy into that concept. The only way theyre going to buy into it is that they know that Im on their side and Im absolutely, 100 percent behind all frontline staff. Part of that shift is to diversionary sentencing. Beaman said he wants to incorporate jobs skills and education into programming because his time working for MDOC has shown him that poverty and a lack of job opportunities are one of the big reasons people end up back in prison. Use of force policies Both Gary Schuette and Beaman want a full review of the sheriffs office use of force policy. Beaman said he also expects criminal justice reforms to come from state government in the next year. Beyond the potential changes mandated by the state, Beaman said the use of force continuum is not always used correctly. Here are the candidates running in the Nov. 3, 2020 election in Jackson County Some of those holds, chokeholds, holds to the neck, anything that in the heat of the moment could go terribly wrong should absolutely be in fully reviewed, Beaman said. In my estimation, the majority of those are really not necessarily holds to begin with anyways and should go away. Gary Schuette also wants to make sure chokeholds are eliminated, as well as looking at other potentially deadly holds. Making sure the public knows what the force continuum is and how it works is important, he said. Theres going to have to be some education as far as to what that means, he said. I plan to do that with the stakeholders of the community. Potential budget cuts Jackson County is expecting a nearly $3-million budget shortfall for 2021. County commissioners have said cuts are expected. A reduction for the sheriffs department could mean some open positions wont be filled, and any nonessential equipment replacement likely will have to wait, but Gary Schuette said he would work hard to make sure no one is laid off. I want to be very, very careful in maintaining the levels that we have and then trying to grow out of this as well, he said. Beaman isnt sure what budget cuts would look like if hes elected because he doesnt know what the sheriffs budget looks like, he said, adding that maintaining an efficient budget is important with or without a crisis. If elected sheriff, I would be looking at the budget anyway, because Im going to make sure that were spending taxpayer dollars in the most effective and efficient way that we can possibly spend them, Beaman said. I dont like to just spend money because we have the money. I want to spend it toward a real purpose. There are positive things that can come out of the sheriffs office and the jail if the right resources are used, Beaman said. The sheriffs office should use community resources such as United Way and Community Action Agency to make sure people in the criminal justice system have access to education and mental health and substance use help, he said. If we can divert them at the county level so they never make it to the state level, that is where long-term community safety and prosperity is going to be because that group of individuals is now fully functional or more functional, Beaman said. I believe that I am the candidate who can get us to a community orientated to where the sheriffs department is acting in the capacity of its mission, and thats to bring the peace. "I think that the major difference between myself and the other candidates engaged in this process is my commitment to the law enforcement aspect, but that this new nuance of bringing the sheriffs department into the idea that the peace comes from prosperity as well. The sheriff is not a position with on-the-job training, Gary Schuette said. He said hes the only candidate with the necessary law enforcement experience. Of course theres going to be things that Im going to learn as I progress through, should I be fortunate enough to be elected, but the general idea of law enforcement is engrained into me because of all the experience Ive had, he said. "I dont think anybody in the race with me has anywhere near the experience that I have and day 1, the sheriff should be ready to go 100 percent and know the job. Thats me. MLive Media Group partnered with the League of Women Voters of Michigan to provide candidate information for readers. Each candidate was asked to outline their stances on a variety of public policy issues. More information about the candidates is available on Vote411.org. Information on all state and federal races and many of Michigans county and local races are available at Vote411.org, an online voter guide created by the League of Women Voters. The League never supports or opposes any candidates or political parties. Google has removed 17 Android applications from its Play Store after they were found to be infected with Joker malware. Joker malware is usually used by attackers to get into Android phones and steal information like SMS messages, OTPs, and user data. The spyware is often used to signed up victims for premium wireless application protocol (WAP) services without their knowledge. The removal comes after researchers at security firm Zscaler spotted the malware and alerted Google. Zscaler security researcher Viral Gandhi said that Googles Android Security team took prompt action to remove the suspicious apps from the Google Play store. The research firm said that the 17 apps identified by it were uploaded to Google Play Store in September 2020. These apps were downloaded 1,20,000 times in total. Gandhi, in a blog post, said that monitoring the Joker spyware prompted the firm to evaluate how Joker is successful at getting around Google Plays vetting process. Further, Zscaler went on to explain the tactics used by the malware author to bypass Google Play Stores approval process in the blog post. Following are the 17 apps removed by Google: All Good PDF Scanner Mint Leaf Message-Your Private Message Unique Keyboard - Fancy Fonts & Free Emoticons Tangram App Lock Direct Messenger Private SMS One Sentence Translator - Multifunctional Translator Style Photo Collage Meticulous Scanner Desire Translate Talent Photo Editor - Blur focus Care Message Part Message Paper Doc Scanner Blue Scanner Hummingbird PDF Converter - Photo to PDF All Good PDF Scanner A report in ZDNet said that Google even used its Play Protect service to disable the apps on already infected devices. However, users would still need to remove them from their smartphones. Google had, in a January blog post, said that Joker is the most persistent and advanced threat it has dealt with in the past few years. The company said that its security teams have removed more than 1,700 apps containing Joker malware from the Play Store since 2017. Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny has confirmed reports that German Chancellor Angela Merkel visited him in hospital. German magazine Der Spiegel reported on Sunday evening, without citing sources, that Mrs Merkel had made a secret visit to Mr Navalny when he was at the Charite hospital in Berlin where he was being treated for what German authorities determined was nerve agent poisoning. There was a meeting, but one shouldnt call it secret, Mr Navalny said in a tweet. Rather, (it was) a private visit and a conversation with the family. Im very grateful to chancellor Merkel for visiting me in the hospital, the politician wrote. Expand Close German Chancellor Angela Merkel (AP/Michael Sohn, pool) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp German Chancellor Angela Merkel (AP/Michael Sohn, pool) The report or Mr Navalny did not specify when the visit happened, but Mr Navalny was discharged from the hospital last week. He spent 32 days in the hospital, including 24 of them in intensive care, before doctors deemed his condition had improved sufficiently for him to be discharged. He will remain in Germany for the time being to continue his rehabilitation, his team said. Mr Navalny, a politician and corruption investigator who is Russian President Vladimir Putins most visible opponent, was flown to Germany two days after falling ill on August 20 on a domestic flight in Russia. He spent those two days in a coma in a hospital in the Siberian city of Omsk, where Russian doctors said they found no trace of any poisoning. German chemical weapons experts determined that he was poisoned with the Soviet-era nerve agent Novichok findings corroborated by labs in France and Sweden. The nerve agent used in the attack was the same class of poison that was used on former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter in Salisbury in 2018. Expand Close Former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter were poisoned at his home in Salisbury (Jonathan Brady/PA) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter were poisoned at his home in Salisbury (Jonathan Brady/PA) Mrs Merkel called the poisoning an attempted murder and she and other world leaders have demanded that Russia fully investigate the case. Mr Navalnys allies accused the Kremlin of involvement in the poisoning, charges that Russian officials have denied. Russia has bristled at the demands for an investigation, saying that Germany needs to share medical data in the case or compare notes with Russian doctors. Germany has noted that Russian doctors have their own samples from Mr Navalny since he was in their care for 48 hours. Germany has also enlisted the Hague-based Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons for technical assistance. The agency has collected independent samples from Mr Navalny for testing but results have not yet been announced. Mr Navalny is recovering from the suspected assassination attempt faster than expected, his close ally and top strategist Leonid Volkov said. He told German broadcaster RTL: He is doing much better, I would say unexpectedly better. I think the recovery is really faster than expected, and of course this is good news that makes us very happy. Name: Raghib Allie-Brennan Party: Democrat Race: 2nd House District Democrat Raghib Allie-Brennan is seeking a second term to represent the 2nd House District, which includes portions of Bethel, Danbury, Newtown and Redding. Allie-Brennans priorities if re-elected are providing relief for small businesses, combating the opioid epidemic. and expanding green jobs and modernizing the electric grid. In his first term, he served as vice Chairman of the House Energy and Technology Committee, assistant majority leader, and as a member of the Public Safety and Security Committee and General Law Committee. He worked as a grant writer for Pastore & Dailey, LLC until 2019. Allie-Brennan grew up in Bethel. His father immigrated from Guyana to Queens, N.Y., where his parents met. His dad also owns an IT business in Stamford, while his mom is a medical biller. He has two sisters. His grandmother lives in Danbury. A local film and television acting school is expanding. Were at capacity with a lot of kids waiting, so we need to expand, says Bay of Plenty Acting Studio director Tanya Horo. We also want to be able to provide for kids that cant afford classes. Tanya has recently found a new space she is hoping to rent for the next two years, which will allow her to extend classes. The next step is to seek sponsorship to support the expansion. One of our actors was a main creature character on Star Wars. Hes a massive talent and hes coming to Tauranga to run a workshop for us while he waits for his next role. The plans to expand the school will help with embracing many upcoming younger actors. There are so many kids and teenagers that want to get involved in the film industry which is going crazy with filming. Because of COVID, its creating so much more work in New Zealand right now and there are an unprecedented number of film productions coming into the country. Tanya says Auckland is at maximum capacity, which shows that New Zealand is a provenance marker for film and television. The kids suddenly see acting as being quite viable and their parents also see it as being a viable career, so suddenly theres an increase in numbers. Harry Oram is the new acting tutor at the school. Trained at Lee Strasberg in New York, he has more than ten years of experience working in film, television and theatre. Visiting Tauranga since he was a young child, he has now relocated here from London for good, and hopes to share his knowledge and experience with his students. Harry moved here because of COVID, says Tanya. Now hes working in the New Zealand film industry as well. We believe we have world class tutors. Born in Hong Kong, Harry has experience as an action actor, working alongside famous Hong Kong actor Jackie Chan. Harry plans on introducing an action class for his younger actors. A writer and student of Shakespeare, Harry is also adding a script writing class and a Shakespeare class to the curriculum. By the end of the term, the scriptwriters will have written a short film. Well get our actors to act it for them, says Tanya. A sponsorship event has been held to lay out what can be done in the community with the acting school. And to showcase what were capable of with more support, says Tanya. Were asking like-minded businesses to come on board and sponsor us in return for advertising. Were providing skills for students to grow into the film industry. Once they leave school, they wont have to leave the city but can stay here and train at a well-recognised acting school. The long-term plan is to have a theatre and a Tauranga film festival linked to the school. We want to get the support of companies backing us who see the value in the big picture, and who see people who are going to make it happen. They can see whats already being created and the structure is already there. It just needs support to grow it. Frank Lampard is confident that the language barrier will not prove to be a serious problem for new Chelsea defender Thiago Silva. The 36-year-old joined the Blues on a free transfer from Paris Saint-Germain last month and made his Premier League debut on Saturday, captaining the side against West Brom. However, it did not go quite according to plan, the Brazilian at fault for Callum Robinson's second goal as the Baggies rushed to a 3-0 lead in the first half. Thiago Silva had a Premier League debut to forget against West Brom on Saturday Frank Lampard believes any language issues will not prove to be a major stumbling bloke Silva was ultimately replaced in the 73rd minute with Lampard's team going on to rescue a point and fans were left questioning whether his poor English might prevent him from being able to lead the team. 'I am not sure how relative it was today but he doesn't speak the language very well,' Lampard said in a Zoom press conference. 'It is something that we will work through because it is what it is. Silva shows his frustration after making a mistake to allow West Brom to score their second 'He hasn't had any time. Thiago turns up here pretty fresh and he is in and around us. He will learn it quickly; I am sure some players do speak the languages that he speaks in the squad. 'He speaks French, being the main one, but we have lads here who speak Brazilian Portuguese, Spanish and Italian so that one is again, if the language is a slight barrier, we need time to work. That's what we have in front of us. 'We have seen that leadership already and people are going to want to talk about the second goal and that's fair play and that's the nature of being the top player that he has been all his career, but at the same time, we saw how he is, his leadership and his qualities and we are going to see more of that.' From a national security perspective, thats just an outrageous vulnerability, said Larry Pfeiffer, who previously served as chief of staff at the CIA. Pfeiffer, who now serves as director of the Hayden Center for Intelligence at George Mason University, said that if he had faced even a fraction of Trumps financial burden, there is no question my clearances would be pulled. Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden, left, and Republican President Trump will face off in Ohio for their first debate at 6 p.m. Pacific time Tuesday. (Associated Press) After months of trading barbs through social media, speeches, TV ads and two nominating conventions, President Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden will meet face to face and at least six feet apart on Tuesday for the first presidential debate. The presidential race has been stable for the last few months, with polls showing Biden ahead. Though it's unclear what would change voters' minds at this point in the race, the debate will give both Biden, 77, and Trump, 74, a chance to demonstrate their mental agility after facing attacks from one another. Both candidates have been preparing in their own ways. Biden is prepping with advisors, and the president is watching the former vice president's 2008 and 2012 debates. Here's what you need to know ahead of the debate: What time is the debate? The debate will start at 6 p.m. Pacific time on Tuesday and last 90 minutes, with no commercial breaks. It will be held at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland. The University of Notre Dame in Indiana had been planning to host, but the school announced in July that it was withdrawing because health and safety precautions would reduce the educational value for its students. Tuesday's debate is being co-hosted by the Cleveland Clinic, which will advise the private, nonpartisan Commission on Presidential Debates on health security for all the debates. How do I watch? The major news networks ABC, CBS, CNN, Fox News, MSNBC and NBC will air the debate on TV as well as stream it on their apps and websites. C-SPAN will air it on TV, its website and its YouTube channel. Who is moderating? Chris Wallace, the anchor of "Fox News Sunday," will moderate the debate. Wallace led questioning at the third presidential debate between Hillary Clinton and Trump in 2016. More recently, Wallace drew praise for his direct questioning of the president in a July interview, which covered the COVID-19 pandemic, the president's boasts about acing a cognitive test and whether Trump would accept the results of the presidential election. Story continues Didn't Trump's campaign suggest other moderators? Yes. The campaign, through former New York City Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani, sent the debate commission a list of suggested moderators, including Fox News' Maria Bartiromo, and talk-radio host and Trump booster Hugh Hewitt. Wallace wasn't on the list. The president has claimed that Wallace, a veteran journalist known as an independent voice and prepared interviewer, will go easier on Biden. "He'll ask me tough questions, and it'll show," Trump said last week during a Fox News Radio interview. "It'll be unfair, I have no doubt about it. But he'll be controlled by the radical left. They control him." Wallace's colleague Brian Kilmeade pushed back lightly on his radio show: "I will tell you for sure, he is not controlled by anyone." After months of making unsubstantiated claims that Biden is mentally diminished, Trump is now aiming to lower expectations, saying Biden has more experience in debates and promoting a baseless conspiracy theory that Biden takes performance enhancing drugs. Trump's new-ish conspiracy theory and the Biden camp's slap-back Trump claimed at a rally this month that the former vice president gets "a big fat shot in the ass and he comes out, and for two hours hes better than ever before." He continued promoting his conspiracy theory on Sunday and Monday. "I will be strongly demanding a Drug Test of Sleepy Joe Biden prior to, or after, the Debate on Tuesday night," Trump tweeted Sunday. "Naturally, I will agree to take one also. His Debate performances have been record setting UNEVEN, to put it mildly. Only drugs could have caused this discrepancy???" Asked Sunday if he would take a drug test, Biden laughed the question off and said he had no comment. But his campaign slapped back at Trump. If the president thinks his best case is made in urine he can have at it," Kate Bedingfield, Biden's deputy campaign manager, said in a statement to Politico. "Wed expect nothing less from Donald Trump, who pissed away the chance to protect the lives of 200K Americans when he didn't make a plan to stop COVID-19. What topics will be discussed? The debate will consist of six 15-minute rounds on topics chosen by Wallace: Trump and Biden's records; the Supreme Court; COVID-19; the economy; election integrity; and race and policing. Wallace's decision to frame the wave of anti-police brutality protests as "race and violence in our cities" has drawn criticism for appearing to fit the Trump campaign's narrative on the nation's state of civil unrest. Trump made the slogan "law and order," as well as his support of police, a major part of his reelection pitch. Biden has repeatedly denounced violent protests and riots and said he opposes "defunding" police departments. Questions about the Supreme Court will almost certainly cover the debate over when the Senate should vote on a successor for Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg following her death this month. Despite arguing in 2016 that Supreme Court nominees shouldn't be confirmed in election years, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said within hours of her death that Trump's nominee would get a vote. On Saturday, Trump nominated Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the delight of conservatives; she would be expected to move the court further to the right on many issues, including abortion and guns. Wallace will likely ask Biden if he supports adding more justices to the court, a proposal supported by liberals who worry Barrett would give conservatives a 6-3 majority and change the court for a generation. Adding more justices would require eliminating the Senate rule that requires 60 votes to pass major legislation a proposal that has gained traction within the Democratic Party, and which President Obama endorsed earlier this year. On election integrity, Wallace could ask the president for evidence backing up his repeated, unsubstantiated claims that mail voting will lead to widespread voter fraud, or ask either candidate about how they would address election interference from foreign adversaries. Both candidates may also be asked if they're willing to accept the results of the presidential election and commit to a peaceful transfer of power. Biden has said he would, but Trump has pointedly refused. And now Wallace will be watched to see if he asks about the explosive story the New York Times published Sunday after examining decades of Trump tax returns, showing that he paid little or no federal income tax many years and wrote off items such as residences and hair styling. When is the next debate? The only debate between Republican Vice President Mike Pence and Democratic nominee Sen. Kamala Harris of California is scheduled for Oct. 7 at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City. The next debate between Biden and Trump will take place Oct. 15 at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts in Miami. A third presidential debate is set for Oct. 22 at Belmont University in Nashville. Those debates will also run from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Pacific time, without commercial breaks. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Thu Trang, a parent in Ba Dinh district in Hanoi, yesterday evening scolded her son after discovering that he had used foul language when talking with his friends. He had used her laptop to chat with his friends for one hour, and Trang discovered that the boy had used bad language. Illustrative photo I registered a Facebook account for my son, but used my personal information and email, so I could log into the account, she explained. I lost my temper when reading the content of the chat, she said. I could not imagine that my son would speak profanity and swear with words like that, she said, adding that she had never heard such words before from the boy when he was at home. The mother believed that her son and friends were always courteous. His friends whom I have met all were very obedient and they always spoke very politely. If I had not seen with my own eyes what he wrote in the chat, I would not have believed that my son was so naughty," she said. Hoang Nam, a parent in district 3 in HCM City, and his wife were petrified when their 10-year-old daughter replied with a dirty word when the parents told her to eat fish. Realizing that her word had stunned the parents, the girl immediately looked down. When I asked her why she was using such a word, she said the word was used regularly by her classmates, Nam said. A male student at a high school in Hanoi complained on his Facebook page that a beautiful schoolgirl cursed at him because he accidentally bumped into her. My female classmates are all very beautiful, but they swear all the time, he complained. It appears that social networks are ideal environments for students to swear. Parents were shocked when reading chats of a group of fifth graders. I know that students nowadays usually talk with foul words, but I could not imagine that a primary school student would use such words, a parent in Hanoi said. Foul language is found everywhere, in classes, on social networks, on forums. Even when writing on their page, they also use dirty words, he said. They curse for may reasons -- because they get bad marks, they dislike someone, they have been scolded by parents, or they cannot go out and have to do homework exercises. Ngan An Hanoi students win special prize at international invention contest Two eleventh graders of the Hanoi Amsterdam High School for the Gifted, have won the special prize of the fifth International Invention Innovation Competition in Canada (ICAN) for their product Intelligent Rubbish Can At School (IRAS). Americans will see a rise in coronavirus testing in the coming days as the Trump administration sends millions of rapid tests that produce a diagnosis in minutes across the country, according to Vice President Mike Pence. Americans should anticipate that cases will rise in the days ahead, Mr Pence said during a White House event announcing the deployment of the test kits. Mr Pence made the blunt remark during an event in which Donald Trump announced his administration is sending 100m rapid, point-of-care tests across the country. It will be rushed first to at-risk groups like the elderly, but also be sent to some schools so teachers can feel better about being in classrooms. Nobody could have done this, Mr Trump said earlier during the event, also saying the expected spike in cases as the rapid tests are deployed should not cause undue alarm. There are at least 7.2m cases in the United States and over 204,000 deaths. But Mr Trump on Monday claimed the American mortality rate is among the best in the world, and he urged citizens to monitor the death toll rather than the number of confirmed cases. President Nana Akufo-Addo is scheduled to cut the sod for the commencement of phase one of the Kumasi-Obuasi new standard gauge railway line. The sod-cutting ceremony is slated for 9:00 am on Wednesday, September 30, 2020, at Kaase, Kumasi. The Kumasi-Obuasi forms part of other standard gauge rail lines being constructed across the country by the New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration. The first-ever train to Kumasi arrived in 1903. It was a narrow gauge and has remained so for several decades. But under the Joe Ghartey-led Railways Development Ministry and under the supervision of President Nana Akufo-Addo, the narrative is changing for the better. Kumasi and indeed several parts of Ghana are now seeing standard gauge railways being constructed, with the primary aim of building upon Ghanas transport network and boosting economic activities by ensuring reduced travel time for persons and goods. From 2017 to date, the Railways Development headed by Mr. Ghartey, Member of Parliament for Essikado-Ketan in the Western Region, has succeeded largely in transforming Ghanas railways' sector. The Ministry and indeed Government has been successful to a large extent in moving Ghana away from its colonial narrow gauge rail tracks to standard gauge, constructing several kilometers of railway lines and rehabilitating ones constructed as far back as colonial times. The Kumasi-Obuasi rail project forms part of the new standard gauge Western Line which is being developed from Sekondi-Takoradi to Kumasi. Source: Daily Guide 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 15 new COVID-19 cases in Singapore on September 27, none in community Ministry of Health (MOH) has confirmed an additional 15 cases of COVID-19 infection in Singapore as of 12pm on Sunday, September 27. This puts the national tally at 57,700. There are no new cases in the community. Photo courtesy: Facebook/Lawrence Wong Among the five imported cases, two are Singapore Permanent Residents who returned to Singapore from India on September 15 and 25. The remaining three are Work Permit holders currently employed in Singapore who arrived from Indonesia and the Philippines on September 15. All of them had been placed on 14-day Stay-Home Notice (SHN) upon arrival in Singapore, and were tested while serving their SHN at dedicated facilities. Newly elected BJP Yuva Morcha president and Bengaluru South MP Tejaswi Suryas controversial remarks calling Bengaluru a terrorist hub" have not gone down well with the opposition Congress party in Karnataka. State Congress president DK Shivakumar slammed the youth leader by calling him Amavasya Surya. He (Surya) says Bengaluru has be become a terrorist hub, but the world is looking at Bengaluru. Our forefather for generations have made huge contributions to the nation by producing world-class doctors and engineers. 34% of the IT export contributing to the nations GDP is done from BengaluruSo the CM of the state and even the finance minister who is a representative from karnataka should react to his statement. It is shame for Karnataka and shame for Kannadigas" he said. BJP MP @Tejasvi_Surya calling Bengaluru, a global city known for Technology and Innovation, as an epicenter of terror is highly condemnable.GDP growth has crashed and with such statements, which investor will come to Bengaluru & Karnataka? Will PM and FM @nsitharaman answer? DK Shivakumar (@DKShivakumar) September 28, 2020 Shivakumar further added that Suryas statement would drive investors out of the state. We have to protect the sentiments of Kannadigas. Today or tomorrow, no one will come to invest in Karnataka because of his statement. No communal fights have happened in Karnataka before, but whenever BJP comes to power communal clashes erupt, why?" On Sunday, while addressing the media, Surya had recalled the recent DJ Halli riots, the ongoing investigation and arrests into the mob violence that took place in August. He said that many terrorist organisations were using Bengaluru as their incubation centre for carrying out anti-India activities. In last few years, Bengaluru, the Silicon Valley of India, has become the epicentre of terror activities. It has been proved through the many arrests and busting of sleeper terror cells by the investigative agency in the city. It is a matter of grave concern that NIA investigations into the DJ Halli and KG Halli mob violence in August have indicated that many terrorist organisations are using Bengaluru as their incubation centre for carrying out anti-India activities," he had said. Congress MLA Sowmya Reddy from Jayanagar in Bengaluru also hit out at Surya saying that she would not let one person tarnish the image of the city. Namma Bengaluru a #terrorHub? Wth. I take offence to that. My city is beautiful, cosmopolitan, diverse, IT/BT Hub, safe, peaceful/silicon city.I WILL NOT let a one guy tarnish the imagine of our city. Never. NO WAY. #proudofmycity Sowmya Reddy | (@Sowmyareddyr) September 27, 2020 Former Rajya Sabha MP from Karnataka, Rajeev Gowda, also said that Suryas statement was irresponsible and would tarnish the citys reputation. I am deeply pained that a MP representing Bengaluru is denigrating Namma Ooru with baseless allegations. Such irresponsible statements impact people's lives & besmirch our city's reputation.To curry favour with your Boss, dont unleash divisive agendas that disrupt our harmony. Rajeev Gowda (@rajeevgowda) September 28, 2020 Surya had said he had met Home Minister Amit Shah at the latters residence and emphasised the need to have a well-equipped and sufficiently staffed NIA office to mitigate terror-related activities in Karnataka. The Home Minister has assured that he will direct officials to establish a permanent station house manned by an officer of the rank of the SP at the earliest," Surya said. Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun / Yonhap A joint inter-Korean investigation into a recent killing of a South Korean fisheries official by North Korean soldiers should be carried out as soon as possible, the South's prime minister said Monday. "Like it or not, (the two Koreas) cannot but foster peace through communication. In order to prevent this incident from developing into a serious hindrance, a fact-finding probe must be conducted as soon as possible," Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said in a radio interview. On Tuesday, North Korean troops shot a 47-year-old South Korean fisheries official who was adrift in its waters and incinerated his body, according to the South Korean military. He went missing the previous day while on duty near the Yellow Sea border island of Yeonpyeong. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un apologized for the incident Friday in a message sent by the United Front Department, a key espionage agency handling inter-Korean affairs. The North, however, claimed that what it set on fire was not his body but an object he was using to stay afloat. South Korea's presidential office on Sunday called on the North to conduct a joint investigation and to reopen the severed bilateral military communication line for related work. A postman collects waxy corn products in Huaibei, Anhui Province, in June. [China Daily/Wan Shanchao] Expansion Project Provides Jobs for Villagers, Boosts Shipping Capabilities China's postal sector pledges to provide the country's rural population with wider service accessibility and contribute to the country's poverty alleviation, the country's postal service regulator said on Monday. Ma Junsheng, head of the State Post Bureau, said at a news conference held by the State Council Information Office that the country launched a three-year project in January, aiming to offer express delivery services to all qualified administrative villages by 2022. The project is designed to promote sales of local farm produce, and specialties will be further developed via rural e-commerce channels and the postal network, which will also provide rural residents with services such as online purchasing, he added. The bureau will push the project forward in villages in developed areas with better conditions and provide delivery services to 60 percent of administrative villages by the end of this year, he said, adding that 45 percent of villages so far have such services. Ma also noted that China's postal and delivery enterprises have facilitated the country's anti-poverty efforts by creating jobs and promoting farm produce sales in recent years. "The postal and express industry has become an important force to support agricultural development, improve rural connectivity and serve the farmers and a new distribution channel to boost the delivery of industrial products to the countryside and the agricultural products to the cities, as well as a vital source to help the poor increase their incomes," he said. Ma said that major delivery companies have created more than 1.5 million jobs for impoverished areas since 2014. During the first eight months of this year, the postal and express industry has created more than 150,000 jobs in rural areas and helped 100,000 financially-strapped households in 504 national-level poverty-stricken counties increase incomes by over 100 million yuan ($14 million), he added. The country's delivery companies nurtured 163 projects designed to promote sales of local farm produce and specialties by the end of last year, with each handling more than 1 million parcels annually, he said, adding that 37 of them boasted over 10 million deliveries each year. Ma also noted that 15 billion parcels were delivered in rural areas last year, and that figure rose to 20 billion in the first eight months of this year. China has achieved its goal of covering all administrative villages with direct postal services, and express delivery outlets have been set up in 97 percent of the townships across the country, according to the bureau. (Source: China Daily) A dispute over cutting in line led to a shooting that claimed a man's life outside a popular haunted house in southeastern Michigan and sparked a manhunt. Investigators were looking for a suspect Monday after the early Sunday shooting at Erebus Haunted House in Pontiac. The victim, described as a 29-year-old man from Detroit, had been waiting with his girlfriend in line to enter the Halloween-themed attraction on South Perry Street shortly after 12.30am when another person standing in line ahead of them would not move. Officials in Michigan are looking for this man in an orange hoodie (left and right) who is suspected of shooting and killing a 29-year-old man outside a haunted house in Pontiac The fatal shooting took place following an argument over cutting in line at Erebus Haunted House early Sunday 'The victim and the suspect exchanged words as the suspect thought the victim had cut in line ahead of him,' the Oakland County Sheriff's Office said in a press release. Both men went to their respective vehicles parked nearby and gunshots rang out. The victim collapsed to the concrete sidewalk suffering from wounds in the side, neck and chest, the sheriff's office said, and a witness reported that a blue sedan fled the scene at a high rate of speed. EMS workers rushed the injured Detroit resident to McLaren Oakland Hospital where he was pronounced dead. The victim and the suspect exchanged words because the suspect (pictured second right) thought the victim had cut in line ahead of him, according to sheriff's deputies The suspected shooter was last seen fleeing in this blue sedan at a high rate of speed Erebus Haunted House has been operating in Pontiac on a seasonal basis since 2000 'Theres no resolution in that,' Erebus co-owner Ed Terebus told Fox 2 Detroit of the fatal shooting. 'Its not worth it. If someone cuts in front of you in line, let us know and well handle it and call the police.' Law enforcement officials are now searching for the accused gunman, who has been described as a thin black man standing at 6 feet tall. He was last seen wearing an orange hooded sweatshirt and jeans. Anyone with information on the suspect's whereabouts is being as to call Crime Stoppers at (800) SPEAK-UP. Erebus Haunted House has been operating in Pontiac on a seasonal basis since 2000. In 2019, USA Today ranked the bone-chilling attraction No. 1 on its 10 Best Readers' Choice Travel Awards list. The haunted house opened its doors to visitors on Friday, offering touch-free scares amid the coronavirus pandemic. CRIMINAL proceedings against a businessman who carried out a spate of armed robberies at service stations across Munster while experiencing a manic depressive episode have concluded. John Carroll, 54, of Clonshire, Adare was found not guilty by reason of insanity following a trial at Limerick Circuit Court earlier this year. He had been charged in relation to 14 offences which occurred at locations in Limerick, Tipperary and Clare between September 30 and October 12, 2015. During the trial, the jury was told two consultant forensic psychiatrists were in agreement that Mr Carroll knew his actions were legally wrong but was unable to refrain from them because he was suffering from a mental disorder. On Monday, Judge Martina Baxter was told Mr Carroll has been assessed again since the special verdict was returned in January. She noted he does not require inpatient treatment and is unlikely to require such treatment. Accordingly, she made no further order effectively concluding the proceedings. Tuesday morning my usual pre-breakfast run/walk around the neighborhood brought a new sight frost. A roof on a home across the street wore a frosty sheath, making it seem the inside was all the more cozy. That was the first sign I noticed. Then, down the street, north-facing lawns shimmered with dew suspended in time over every single blade of grass, making each stand out among the mass. Turning a corner up a hill, the sun had risen enough to cast a melting path across someones yard. Glittering frost on either side punctuated the narrow trail of melted dew. Fittingly, it was the first day of autumn. I thought about the sun softening the frost and wondered what could soften the cold grip across our country at this time. On this day, we would surpass the 200,000 mark of Americans who died from COVID-19, a number that at once shocks and numbs. As the president ignores the reality and continues to hold large indoor rallies, and pandemic-weary people tire of masks and simple social-distancing tactics, the unseen virus asserts itself. Positive cases are on the rise, even in Connecticut which has done so well after the spring spike in deaths. Distrust in a possibly rushed vaccine is an issue. Medical experts say it will take months before a vaccine can be approved as safe and effective, yet the White House Coronavirus Task Force led by Vice President Mike Pence is ordering every state to have a distribution plan in place by the middle of next month. Is it a coincidence that a national election will be only weeks away? I think not. Gov. Ned Lamont properly set up an advisory panel to develop a strategy, with transparency. But if it takes longer and to be thorough the work will have to take more than two weeks it is more important to get it right than to hew to an arbitrary deadline long before a vaccine is proven, let alone produced. On this first week of fall, the cold grip grows colder with twists that seem more unreal than the virus. A Louisville, Kentucky, grand jury Wednesday declined to indict the police officer who shot Breonna Taylor six times in her bed after midnight in March, or the other two officers involved in serving the no-knock warrant. The grand jury would only indict on three charges of wanton endangerment for shooting into another room where no one was hurt. How could striking a wall be more important than taking a human life? No wonder people are protesting in Louisville and elsewhere in the country. This week Senate Republicans did an about-face from 2016, when they insisted the next administration should choose the replacement for Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia who died that February. Now, following the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg on Friday, they are saying a vote will happen in the Senate fewer than 40 days before the election. Then, on Wednesday, our president said he may not go along with a peaceful transfer of power if he loses the election. Be very worried about that, people. That would be the end of democracy, with no exaggeration. A hallmark that sets our government apart is an adherence to our Constitution; whoever wins the November election is sworn into office the following Jan. 20, whether its an incumbent or a different political party. To ignore the will of the people (or the Electoral College) is to flout the very foundation of our republic. As a journalist, I will take you to the source President Trumps news conference. Asked whether he would commit here today for a peaceful transferral of power after the November election, Mr. Trump demurred, passing on a chance to call for a calm and orderly election process, according to The New York Times. Were going to have to see what happens, he told a reporter during a news conference at the White House. You know that Ive been complaining very strongly about the ballots, and the ballots are a disaster. Get rid of the ballots and youll have a very peaceful there wont be a transfer, frankly. There will be a continuation, the president said. His unsupported distrust in mail-in ballots during a pandemic, no less sows doubts in the results, unless he wins, which he might despite the latest Quinnipiac poll released Wednesday showing Democratic challenger Joe Biden ahead by 10 points. Anything can happen. Mr. Trumps refusal or inability to endorse perhaps the most fundamental tenet of American democracy, as any president in memory surely would have, was the latest instance in which he has cast grave uncertainty around the November election and its aftermath, The New York Times story stated. But a greater threat to the country, postulated in a much-talked-about story in the Atlantic magazine this week, isnt that Trump wouldnt leave the Oval Office The worst case is that he uses his power to prevent a decisive outcome against him. He could prevent the formation of consensus about whether there is any outcome at all. He could seize on that uncertainty to hold on to power. The editor of the Atlantic, Jeffrey Goldberg, considered the article so important that he released it online this week, although it wont be the cover story in print until mid-October. The report is a warning about the fragility of our entire system of governance, Goldberg wrote in an email to subscribers with the subject line: The story that couldnt wait. Does this make you as anxious as it makes me? No matter whether you support Trump or Biden, the threats to an orderly election are greatly disturbing. What to do? Turn off the news, close your newspaper, cross your fingers and hope for the best? Thats not the way to go. Thursday morning, as I ran intervals around the neighborhood while my husband prepared our breakfast, I paid attention to political signs on the frost-less lawns. In the nearly 1-mile route, I saw one flag for Trump, two small signs for Biden, and one that says ByeDon (with horizontal stripes for the e). I saw five signs for the Republican candidate for state representative and one for the Democratic incumbent. How many voters will see those signs and be persuaded? Well, lawn signs are a staple of campaigns, but a much wider audience can be reached with a Letter to the Editor. Yes, write to your local newspaper and describe why your candidate deserves to be elected. Keep it short (250 words), make it persuasive. Include your name and town. This is an action you can take. This is a way to counter the weight of feeling overwhelmed. Be involved. We will have many more mornings of frosty landscapes as fall is just beginning. Can you be a sun creating a path? Jacqueline Smiths column appears Fridays in Hearst Connecticut daily newspapers. It is solely her opinion. She is also the editorial page editor of The News-Times in Danbury and The Norwalk Hour. Email her at jsmith@hearstmediact.com After handing Ion Aliman victory in the election for their local mayor, residents of a small village in southern Romania went to his grave to light candles for him. Aliman was reelected in a landslide for an unprecedented third term as mayor of the village of Deveselu despite having died from COVID-19 complications 10 days prior to the countrys municipal elections. His death came too late to remove his name from Sundays ballot, but the news of his passing spread fast through the village, home to just over 3,000 people. The popular incumbent would have celebrated his 57th birthday on election day. To honor the man they admired, hundreds of Deveselu villagers went to the polling stations Sunday and voted for Aliman anyway. Primarul mort de la Deveselu a castigat alegerile. Ion Aliman a murit in urma cu 10 zile, de Covid-19 - https://t.co/ATAWE36KfV pic.twitter.com/6tzntoakY6 Gorj Online (@GorjOnline) September 27, 2020 After preliminary election results showed late Sunday that Aliman had won 1,057 out of the 1,600 votes cast in Deveselu, a large group of villagers visited his grave to light candles and pay their respects. A video shared widely on social media showed people with flashlights and candles gathered around Alimans grave, some of them saying This is your victory and We will make you proud, we know that from somewhere up there you are watching. Aliman was a member of the left-leaning Social Democrat Party, known as PSD, and so is his deputy, Nicolae Dobre, who told a local TV station, Digi24, that none of the other contenders got the same trust from the voters. Asked if he voted for Aliman, Dobre said: I sure did. The election victory in Deveselu was a bit of sweet news, but only a little comfort for the PSD as partial preliminary results showed Monday that they had lost the most closely watched contest the one for the mayor of the capital, Bucharest. The PSD all but conceded the election loss by its incumbent major to the candidate backed by the center-right National Liberal party, or NLP, which has controlled Romanias minority government since last fall. The PSD had been in power until its government lost a confidence vote in the parliament amid massive popular protests at home and heavy criticism from Brussels over its attacks on the judiciary and widespread graft. About 19 million registered voters in Romania on Sunday chose local officials, council presidents and mayors to fill more than 43,000 positions across the nation. The elections were seen as a preview of how the next general election will unfold. According to partial preliminary results the PSD is unlikely to regain power in the Dec. 6 parliamentary vote. But they did secure a resounding victory in Deveselu. Pepperfry co-founder and CEO Ambareesh Murty said the company is aiming for an initial public offering (IPO) within 12-18 months. Murty told Mint that the online furniture retailer is turning profitable and nearly broke even in August 2020. "In August, we almost broke even and became close to profitable. All the things we did through the lockdown brought us close to profitability," Murty said, as quoted by the publication. He also spoke about the impact of the COVID-induced lockdown, which had severely hit e-tailers due to restrictions on the movement of goods. Murty said Pepperfry's business has grown each week after restrictions were eased. "Work-from-home furniture has picked up quite well. But it's still about 20 percent of our business compared to sub-10 percent pre-COVID. Discretionary spends remain an issue but people are buying regular furniture because they are spending more time at home," Murty said. Murty also mentioned how a US listing would differ from an Indian listing. If an Indian company is listed in the US, it would be viewed as an emerging markets business. The company would be evaluated based on the rate of growth of the business and the degree of profitability. "However, if listing in India, then you would be looked at as a consumer brand. A consumer brand in India gets remarkable premium and this is based on the brand being known, differentiated and that it makes money," he said. Pakistan is enforcing institutional disappearance, India tells UN India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, Sep 28: In a strong response to Pakistan's role in fighting terrorism, India has told the United Nations Human Rights Council that Islamabad de-listed 4,000 international terrorists. India's first secretary to United Nations in Geneva, Pawan Badhe said, full-scale training camps and launchpads of terrorists are being escalated in Pakistan Occupied parts of Indian Union Territories of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh at great expense for sustaining cross border terrorism against India. India hits out at Pakistan for raising Kashmir issue at CICA meet It's not without reason that Pakistan remains a safe harbour for terrorists. While the world is busy combatting Covid-19 pandemic, Pakistan hoodwinks the world to allow delisting more than 4000 proscribed terrorists to sustain its terror ecosystem," Badhe also said. Amrinder Singh joins farmers' protest, says 'Pakistan's ISI may take advantage' | Oneindia News "Its baffling that there are 3 outsiders for every 4 in Pakistan Occupied parts of Indian Union Territories of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh." The comments are significant as Pakistan plans on declaring Pakistan occupied Kashmir's Gilgti Baltistan as the 5th province of the country. Pakistan has become a minefield for journalists and human rights defenders, while also enforcing institutional disappearance, Badhe also said. Autumn is the best time to view the Northern Lights or aurora borealis in the northern hemisphere. This year's light show is especially significant due to geomagnetic activity in the Earth's atmosphere. The visibility of aurora borealis at the north pole and aurora australis in the south pole is dependent on solar activity and the Earth's magnetic field. The lights appear as the sun emits charged particles into space then collides with oxygen and nitrogen particles in Earth's atmosphere. From September 27 until the 29th, geomagnetic storm watches G1 and G2 will occur according to the Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC). Also known as solar storms, these storms are temporary disturbances of the Earth's magnetosphere due to solar wind or another magnetic field interacting with the planet's magnetic field. Northern Lights in the United States In the current solar storm watches, they are solar coronal mass ejection or solar wind occurring at high speed from a coronal hole. Coronal holes are the Sun's dark spots or cold areas, have low-density plasma, and lower energy and gas levels than other areas of the giant star. As the solar wind interacts with Earth's magnetic field, the magnetosphere has increase energy, plasma movement, and electric fields, making the aurora lights more intense. On September 29, the Northern Lights will be visible over the United States as a G2 storm is expected, meaning that solar wind activity will be coming from a larger coronal hole. The SWPC also mapped out how far south the aurora will be seen, reaching states such as Washington, North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa, and the New England states. According to an SWPC spokesperson, the best way to view the Northern Lights is when the skies are clear, dark, and no trees, hills, or urban lights. As the lights are reaching southern areas, they may be visible along the northern horizon. In Europe, a group of photographers who call themselves "aurora hunters" and the groups This is the Arctic and Visit Arctic Europe have been broadcasting live feeds of the Northern Lights since September 11. These explorers have gone to wilderness areas in Finland, Norway, and Sweden to share their side of the Arctic skies. Read Also: How to Watch the Northern Lights Virtually Solar Activity The frequency of solar wind affecting Earth's atmosphere is also a factor of the solar cycle. NASA recently announced that the solar cycle 25 officially began, meaning that the Sun's activity will continue to increase over the next few months. Scientists have been keeping track of the Sun's activity as it affects space weather. Tracking and predicting space weather is essential as it affects activity on Earth as well as objects in orbit such as satellites. Currently, space weather projections are particularly important with the upcoming missions to the Moon and Mars to ensure the safety of equipment and astronauts exploring space. Read Also: Aurora Borealis May Have Contributed to Sinking of Titanic, Suggests Meteorological Researcher Check out more news and information on Aurora on Science Times. Name: Erin Domenech Party: Republican Race: 110th House District Republican Erin Domenech is making a second run to represent Danburys 110th District in the Connecticut House of Representatives. In 2018, she lost a bid to upset veteran Democrat Bob Godfrey. Domenechs priorities include school choice, government overreach, government overspending and lack of governmental accountability. Domenech, who received a Bachelors Degree from Pennsylvania State University, said the priorities in Hartford are balancing the budget, addressing the underfunded pension proactively, and investing in infrastructure improvements and education. Domenech says the state should encourage more small businesses by loosening regulations that tie the hands of businesses and citizens alike. Also important is maintaining order and public safety in light of the recently passed Police Accountability bill, Domenech said. New Delhi, Sep 28 : The Union Defence Ministry has approved a proposal to purchase 72,000 Sig Sauer assault rifles from the US at a cost of around Rs 780 crore. The Defence Acquisition Council led by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday approved proposals for capital acquisition of various equipment required by the Indian armed forces at an approximate cost of Rs 2,290 crore. These include procurement from the domestic industry as well as foreign vendors. To equip the frontline troops of the Army, the council has accorded approval for the procurement of 72,000 Sig Sauer assault rifles at a cost of around Rs 780 crore. Under the 'Buy Indian' category, the council has approved the procurement of Static HF Tans-receiver sets and smart anti-airfield weapons. The HF radio sets will enable seamless communication for the field units of the Army and the Air Force. They are being procured at a cost of Rs 540 crore. The smart anti-airfield weapons being procured at cost of Rs 970 crore will add to the fire power of the Navy and the Air Force. Earlier, the Indian Army had received the first lot of Sig Sauer assault rifles to boost its counter-terrorism operations. India had acquired the rifles under the fast-track procurement programme. The new rifles will replace the existing Indian small arms system (Insas) 5.56x45 mm rifles used by the forces and manufactured locally by the Ordnance Factories Board. New Delhi, Sep 28 : The Supreme Court on Monday orally questioned the March 6 verdict by the Constitution bench, headed by Justice Arun Mishra (now retired) on the land acquisition law, saying it leaves some things unanswered, such as if the government has possession but hasn't paid compensation, "for how long does this acquisition last?" A bench comprising Chief Justice S.A. Bobde, and Justices A.S. Bopanna and V. Ramasubramanian noted that some questions were required to be discussed and the court would like to clear certain aspects, and sought assistance from Solicitor General Tushar Mehta. As the bench noted that the verdict leaves some things unanswered, Mehta informed the top court that after the verdict, several matters were pending both before the top court and also across various High Courts. He argued that the verdict would operate differently depending upon the facts of each case, especially when was possession taken and what was the nature of possession and the date of award. The bench noted that the verdict has given the government laxity, which the Parliament did not want to give. Noting that the Parliament gives five years to pay compensation, the bench asked: "But if not paid, how long will acquisition continue? Forever?" Mehta suggested that a one-page may be given in all matters with necessary details such as date of award, stay etc. This process would enable the top court to broadly examine the issues. The bench said: "List these matters after two weeks. In the meantime, as prayed for, the respondents are allowed to file their respective counter-affidavits." On March 6, a five-judge bench of the Supreme Court had said land acquisition proceedings would not lapse if the government had tendered the compensation by deposit in treasury. A bench headed by Justice Arun Mishra and comprising Justices Indira Banerjee, Vineet Saran, M.R. Shah and Ravindra Bhat said that the land owners cannot insist that the amount should be deposited in court in order to sustain the land acquisition proceedings under the old Act on the commencement of the new land acquisition law with effect from January 1, 2014. The bench observed that acquisition will be deemed to have lapsed only when government authorities fail to take possession and pay compensation. The question before the court was whether deposit of compensation by the authorities concerned in government treasury can be termed as "paid" within the meaning of Section 24(2) of the law. SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- SynBioBeta, the leading community of biological engineers, investors, innovators, and entrepreneurs to build a better world with biology, announced the schedule for its 2020 Global Synthetic Biology Summit. The Summit will feature such luminaries as Tristan Harris (Center for Humane Technology), George Church (Harvard), Jennifer Holmgren (LanzaTech), Christina Smolke (Antheia), Sylvia Wolf (AquaBounty), Ed Boyden (MIT), and Timothy Lu (MIT). Nobel Laureate Frances Arnold received 2019 SynBioBeta Award from SynBioBeta founder John Cumbers Despite the economic slowdown of COVID, synthetic biology startups raised a record-setting $3.0 billion in the first half of 2020. While funding is strong for tools and technologies companies -- the engine of the bioeconomy -- there is increasing investment in synthetic biology-enabled companies in consumer products, food, agriculture, medicine, chemicals, materials, and other manufacturing sectors, signaling the impact tech and biology is poised to have on every industry. "This year, the pandemic has brought previously unimaginable challenges to our community, not just how we meet and work, but more importantly, how we respond to the society's urgent needs," said John Cumbers, founder and CEO of SynBioBeta, which earlier in the year hosted a series of events on synthetic biology and the pandemic. "Synthetic biology is ready to turn today's industry on its head and revolutionize the way we do business. In the same way that every company today is in some way an Internet company, every company will one day be a biology company. SynBioBeta 2020 is the place to get ahead of the curve." This year's conference will explore how engineered biology will disrupt consumer products, food, agriculture, medicine, chemicals, materials, and more. Sessions include: Dopamine, disinformation, and the ethics of technological progress: A Leaps Talk with Tristan Harris ( Thu Oct 1 , 8:15-8:45a Pacific) ( , 8:15-8:45a Pacific) The sea, the city, outer space: What is the next frontier for truly sustainable agriculture? ( Wed Sep 30 , 10:00-10:45a Pacific) , 10:00-10:45a Pacific) "Synthetic biology versus cancer" ( Thu Oct 1 , 10:00-10:45a Pacific) , 10:00-10:45a Pacific) "How the lab-grown sausage is made: The media, synthetic biology, and how the story will be told" ( Thu Sep 29 , 10:00-10:45a Pacific) , 10:00-10:45a Pacific) "Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness: The synthetic biology dream?" ( Thu Oct 1 , 4:25-4:55p Pacific) Each year, SynBioBeta is honored to recognize synthetic biology leaders who embody the best of this industry and the aims it seeks to achieve. This year's winners are an exceptional group of innovators who have helped the community grow while making profound contributions to society: Pioneer in Synthetic Biology: Jennifer Doudna , UC Berkeley. This award recognizes the contribution of CRISPR to the scientific community and to humanity as a means for understanding and bettering the world with biology. SynBioBeta will acknowledge the ongoing impact of CRISPR and Jennifer Doudna's work to enable us to correct genetic defects, treat and prevent the spread of diseases, and improve the food supply, to name just a few examples. , UC Berkeley. This award recognizes the contribution of CRISPR to the scientific community and to humanity as a means for understanding and bettering the world with biology. SynBioBeta will acknowledge the ongoing impact of CRISPR and work to enable us to correct genetic defects, treat and prevent the spread of diseases, and improve the food supply, to name just a few examples. Best New Product: Conagen ( Oliver Yu , CEO). This year, Conagen developed fermented lactoferrin and non-GMO human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs), giving families important new options in providing infants with essential nutrition, boosting a baby's immune system, and providing for a family's wellbeing. , CEO). This year, Conagen developed fermented lactoferrin and non-GMO human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs), giving families important new options in providing infants with essential nutrition, boosting a baby's immune system, and providing for a family's wellbeing. IPO of the Year: Berkeley Lights ( Eric Hobbs , CEO). SynBioBeta recognizes Berkeley Lights' pivotal technology platform to market, accelerating discovery and development of cell-based products, and the important role Eric Hobbs and Berkeley Lights have played in responding to the coronavirus pandemic. , CEO). SynBioBeta recognizes Berkeley Lights' pivotal technology platform to market, accelerating discovery and development of cell-based products, and the important role and Berkeley Lights have played in responding to the coronavirus pandemic. Bio-Innovator of the Year: Lisa Dyson , Air Protein. SynBioBeta acknowledges the tremendous impact Lisa Dyson and her company can have on food security, and the many environmental, social, and economic benefits their technology could bring to the world's people. About SynBioBeta 2020 SynBioBeta 2020 is the Global Synthetic Biology Conference that unites leading biological engineers, investors, innovators, and entrepreneurs who are building the future with biology. This year's digital offering gives you even more ways to connect, including our annual conference, new events and grand challenges, access to online content and groups, and AI-powered networking. Learn the latest technologies, hear the big announcements in the field, make new partnerships, meet investors, and discover new companies. Learn more and register here. About SynBioBeta SynBioBeta is the leading community of innovators, investors, engineers, and thinkers who share a passion for using synthetic biology to build a better, more sustainable universe. We create and energize innovation communities to make the impossible possible via unparalleled opportunities for growth, networking, storytelling, and learning. SynBioBeta offers a weekly industry digest, The Bioeconomy Hub membership program, the SynBioBeta Podcast, Good Genes magazine, and educational courses in addition to providing our world-class industry partners with opportunities for advertising, partnership, trade show exhibition, strategic consultation, and promotion. For more information, visit www.synbiobeta.com. Contact: Amanda Prieto, [email protected], (707) 344-8279 Related Images nobel-laureate-frances-arnold.jpg Nobel Laureate Frances Arnold Receives 2019 SynBioBeta Award Nobel Laureate Frances Arnold received 2019 SynBioBeta Award from SynBioBeta founder John Cumbers SOURCE SynBioBeta Quinn Industrial Holdings has announced that the company will now be called Mannok Sean Quinns name has been dropped from the companies he founded following a top-secret rebranding exercise unveiled this morning. Quinn Industrial Holdings (QIH) has announced that the company will now be called Mannok. The distinctive golden Q logo used across the companys fleet of vehicles, buildings and company stationary will be replaced with a blue and green M logo, according to a statement issued by the company today. The statement makes no mention of Sean Quinn but said the new name derives from Fear Manach or Fermanagh, which is Mr Quinns birthplace and where his cross-border cement and glass and packaging empire began. Expand Close The new Mannok logo / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The new Mannok logo The dropping of the Quinn name coincides with a marked deterioration in the relationship between Sean Quinn, who was once Irelands richest man, and members of his former management team who now run QIH, which operates out from headquarters in Derrylin, Fermanagh, and Ballyconnell in Co Cavan just across the border. Five of the companys directors are living under garda protection following a five year campaign of intimidation against the company that culminated in the abduction and attack on one of its executives, Kevin Lunney, this time last year. It is understood that the rebranding operation was enacted over the weekend amid tight security because of fears of a backlash from supporters of Sean Quinn. Gardai and the PSNI were briefed on the name change. It is understood that the first of a fleet of trucks were rebranded in secrecy over the weekend at the company plants. The Q logo on the wall above the entrance to the companys headquarters in Derrylin, Co Fermanagh, will be replaced over time. QIH management revealed the name change to staff this morning. A press statement from QIH issued afterwards acknowledges the companys roots in the locality. Our new name, like the Company itself, is deeply rooted in the region of Cavan and Fermanagh. It reflects the culmination of a 5-year re-positioning journey from regional commodity supplier to a trusted building and packaging solutions provider capable of competing and winning alongside leading global brands, and doing so in an increasingly environmentally sustainable manner, the statement said. It continued: The word Mannok comes from Fear Manach the origin of Fermanagh meaning man/people of Manach. It reflects our enormous pride in our origins our near-50-year heritage, our quality products, and especially, our people. It continued: Visually, the new logo combines strength with a deceptive simplicity: dynamic shapes combine to form a unique M, reflecting the different elements of our organisation that work together to create something more than the sum of its parts. The colours contain a strong green element in keeping with our commitment to the environment, and our promise to be environmental leaders within our sector. Our name is a symbol of our company. We believe it is also a symbol of our commitment to our customers, our communities, and to each other. The QIH businesses are synonymous with Sean Quinns name in the border region. Mr Quinn grew his business from a quarry in Fermanagh to a global encompassing cement, glass, packaging, insurance hotels and an international property portfolio. He lost control of his businesses in 2011 to the former Anglo Irish Bank over a 2.3m debt. A group of local business people and Sean Quinns former management team secured backing from American investors to buy key manufacturing parts of the business in 2014. Sean Quinn and his son Sean Junior were retained as consultants on 500,000 and 100,000 a year salaries but the relationship soured and the Quinns parted company a year later. Mr Quinn later said he was sacked and stabbed in the back by his former management team. He has repeatedly and vehemently insisted that the attacks on the company were not carried out in his name. He has condemned the attack on Kevin Lunney, which he has described as "barbaric". Five directors, Liam McCaffrey, the chief executive, Mr Lunney and his brother, Tony Lunney, Dara OReilly, the chief financial officer and John McCartin, a director of the businesses, were given garda protection and assigned regular garda patrols following the attack on Mr Lunney last year. Gardai continue to investigate a campaign of attacks and intimidation against Quinns former companies began when the former tycoon lost control of his cross-border business empire in 2011. The attacks included arson attacks on company buildings, and on cars owned by company executives. Mr Quinn has made a number of statements to the Garda investigation team about his former companies. Sean Quinns five children recently issued a legal threat to the company demanding a 22 per cent stake in the businesses they claimed is rightly theirs. QIH has forwarded their legal correspondence to An Garda Siochana. The company announced the name change this morning as part of an overview of its performance last year. QIH increased its earnings before tax (EBITDA) by 200,000 to 26.6m and invested 11.5m in the businesses. This was despite the challenges of Brexit, the statement said. Turnover dipped by 2.5 per cent to 234m, which said reflected lower prices for raw materials passed through to customers. In the statement, QIH chief executive Liam McCaffrey said: 2019 marked our fifth successive year of EBITDA growth and a robust performance given Brexit uncertainty. Our targeted investment of recent years has established strong foundations for continuing growth across Ireland and the UK. Post year end and the emergence of Covid 19, the health and safety of our staff and customers has been our key priority and we have taken extensive measures to mitigate risk and support the national fight against the pandemic. Our staff play a critical role in ensuring business continuity and in the provision of key supplies to essential sectors including food and construction. We are very grateful for, and acknowledge, our staff support, forbearance and commitment over the difficult lockdown period. We also congratulate them for their organised support for healthcare workers which led to the business donating PPE and raw materials for PPE to a range of frontline organisations including our local hospitals in Cavan and Enniskillen. Trading for both our Building Products and Packaging businesses is strong year to date, despite the impact of COVID-19 and continuing Brexit concerns, and we are confident of another strong performance for both divisions in 2020. Looking ahead to 2021, and a post Brexit environment, we are extremely pleased to unveil our new brand identity which we believe better reflects the ownership, evolution and future focus of the business. It marks the culmination of a 5-year transformation programme that has empowered our staff and repositioned our businesses for continuing growth and innovation. Our businesses are now in the strongest position since their acquisition in 2014 and Mannok is an appropriate and much more expansive brand proposition that reflects what our customers value most a professional one-stop-shop for building and packaging solutions and the support of exceptional staff. Huawei Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou leaves her home to attend her extradition hearing at the B.C. Supreme Court in Vancouver on January 22, 2020. (Reuters/Jennifer Gauthier) Huaweis Meng Wanzhou Back in Vancouver Court Fighting Extradition to US Huawei Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou is back in court in Vancouver today as her lawyers resume their fight to block Washingtons efforts to extradite her. Meng, 48, the daughter of the Chinese telecom companys founder and CEO, was arrested in Vancouver in December 2018 at the request of the United States, where she is indicted on fraud charges. Federal prosecutors allege Meng misled U.S.-based banks about the companys business dealings in Iran, causing the banks to violate U.S. sanctions. They say she lied to bank representatives about Huaweis relationship with Iranian company Skycom Tech Co Ltd, which was in fact a subsidiary of Huawei. In court today, Mengs lawyers will argue that the U.S. extradition request was flawed because it omitted key evidence showing Meng did not lie to HSBC about Huaweis business in Iran. Meng, currently under house arrest in one of her Vancouver mansions, has said she is innocent and is fighting extradition. In May, Meng failed in a bid to end the extradition process when the British Columbia Supreme Court ruled the allegations against her could constitute a crime in Canada as well as the United States. Mengs legal team lost another court battle in August, this time to have the contents of six confidential documents released to them, arguing that the redacted documents would support their position that Meng suffered an abuse of process during her arrest at the Vancouver airport in 2018. Soon after Mengs arrest, Beijing issued strongly worded warnings to Canada demanding her release, and arbitrarily arrested Canadian citizens Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig in China, charging them with espionage. The Chinese regime has also sentenced at least four Canadian citizens to death on drug charges, and placed restrictions on various Canadian exports to China, in an apparent attempt to pressure Ottawa into releasing the Huawei CFO. Meng will appear in the B.C. Supreme Court today for five days of Vukelich hearingsin which the judge will ultimately decide whether to allow the defence to admit additional pieces of evidence in their favour. Mengs lawyers will use a PowerPoint presentation to show HSBC knew the extent of Huaweis business dealings in Iran, which they say the United States did not accurately portray in its extradition request to Canada. The argument is part of Mengs legal strategy to prove that Canadian and American authorities committed abuses of process while arresting her. Lawyers representing Canadas attorney general are arguing for her extradition to the United States. At the heart of the case is the accusation by U.S. authorities that Huawei used Skycom as a shell company to sell equipment to Iran in violation of U.S. sanctions. They allege Huawei used the firm to skirt American economic sanctions on Iran between 2007 and 2014. Huawei has said it sold the business in 2007 and denies any wrongdoing. Huawei and Meng have maintained that while Huawei once owned Skycom, the company later became in effect an arms-length business partner. Earlier this month, Reuters uncovered previously unreported links in Brazil between Huawei and Skycom that could offer support to the U.S. case against the telecom giant and Meng. Corporate records filed with the state of Sao Paulo in Brazil show that Huawei and Skycom were closely intertwined there for five years after Huawei disposed of its shares in Skycom in 2007. Until late 2007, two other top-level Huawei executives also had close ties with Skycom, corporate records filed in Brazil and Hong Kong show. Both menKen Hu and Guo Pingare currently deputy chairmen of Huawei and serve on a rotating basis as the companys chair. Guo now has the chairmans role. Corporate records show that two additional Huawei executives ran a company that owned Skycomnot just Meng, the sole executive named by prosecutors. U.S. officials have repeatedly warned that Huawei, the worlds largest supplier of telecom gear, poses a security risk to countries that use its equipment for next-generation 5G wireless networks. Their concerns stem from the companys ties to the communist regime in Beijing, as well as Chinese law that compels companies to cooperate with intelligence agencies when asked. The U.S. indictment against Huawei and Meng also alleges that the firm stole trade secrets from other tech companies to grow its own business. With files from Reuters and The Canadian Press UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson Getty The UK Parliament was exempted from the national coronavirus 10pm drinking curfew. Members of Parliament were allowed to continue drinking after bars and restaurants across the country closed. Restrictions compelling the wearing of masks, and compulsory registration for drinkers also did not apply. However, Parliamentary authorities U-turned on the decision on Monday after facing a barrage of complaints from the public. The news follows scenes of large crowds on British streets and public transport as drinkers are all forced to leave pubs at the same time. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. Bars inside the UK's Houses of Parliament will no longer be exempted from strict new coronavirus restrictions requiring licensed premises to close at 10pm, following public outcry about the decision. Boris Johnson announced earlier this month that all bars and restaurants in England would have to close their doors at 10pm in a bid to halt the current second wave of infections spreading across the country. However, those rules did not apply to pubs, bars and restaurants inside the confines of the Houses of Parliament, the Times of London reported on Monday. Other rules compelling drinkers to register their contact details upon entering bars as well as wearing masks when not sitting at a table also did not apply, the paper reported. Parliamentary authorities used an exemption in the rules allowing "workplace canteens" to sidestep the restrictions. One MP Insider spoke to on Monday said their inbox had been flooded with complaints by their constituents following the report. However, parliamentary authorities reportedly U-turned on the decision to allow late-night drinking following the report on Monday, with a spokesperson saying that "no outlet on the Parliamentary Estate will be selling alcohol after 10 pm, with immediate effect." However, parliament's cafes and restaurants will continue to remain exempt from the restrictions. Story continues A parliamentary spokesperson later denied a U-turn insisting to Insider that the House of Commons Speaker had in fact decided to lift the exemptions last Thursday following the implementation of the new guidance. The new rules have been hugely controversial due to scenes of large crowds piling onto town centres and public transport, with even members of Boris Johnson's government questioning the rules. One anonymous Conservative MP told Politico: "Which clown-faced moron thought it would be a good idea to kick thousands of pissed people out from the pubs into the street and onto the tube at the same time? It's like some sort of sick experiment to see if you can incubate a second wave." Read the original article on Business Insider At her lowest point during the pandemic, Rachel Gomez-Wafer estimated that she was calling Californias unemployment office about 150 times a day. When California shut down in March, the boutiques where Gomez-Wafer sells her organic skincare line, Dorothy Mae and Dominga, closed. The craft fairs and festivals where she makes most of her profits were canceled. She applied on 4 April for the pandemic unemployment assistance that was available to her as a small business owner but, like hundreds of thousands of other Californians who have filed for unemployment benefits, she soon found herself tangled in a months-long bureaucratic nightmare. Nearly one-third of all Californian workers have filed for unemployment benefits since the start of the crisis in mid-March 6.23 million workers, according to the California Policy Lab. A recent report from a strike team found that the Employment Development Department (EDD), the office in charge of issuing unemployment benefits, had a backlog of claims so large that the department had to stop accepting new claims for two weeks in order to get a handle on it. The department believes its employees wont be able to eliminate the backlog of 1.6m before January 2021. The backlog grows by 10,000 cases a day. Related: The 'shecession': why economic crisis is affecting women more than men In waiting for her claims, Gomez-Wafer burned through her savings. She soon had no food in her refrigerator. Repossession agents were calling her about her missing car payments, and her landlord had given her a three-day eviction notice illegal during the pandemic on her studio loft in Fresno. I borrowed money from my dad, I borrowed money from my daughter, I borrowed money from my best friend, said Gomez-Wafer, 44. I pawned a pair of diamond earrings. I pawned a TV I owned. I pawned some gold jewelry. Im a pretty strong person. My family is really proud of me, she said through tears. But privately, I feel like Im drowning. I feel like Im under water. Story continues People seek employment opportunities at a JobTrain office in Menlo Park, California. Photograph: Paul Sakuma/AP Ten years ago, Californias state legislature held hearings on how the states archaic technical system caused a backlog of unemployment claims during the Great Recession. The legislative descriptions of what happened a decade ago could have been dated for 2020 and been applicable today, said David Chiu, state assemblymember. Since the start of the pandemicChius office and pretty much every other legislative office throughout California has become, by extension, an EDD crisis helpline for their constituents. We hear on an hourly basis from desperate constituents who have gone into extremes, depleted their life savings, are struggling to put food on the table and pay their rent, he said. The report, Chiu said, told legislators a lot of what they already knew: EDD needed a massive overhaul of its technology systems and was chronically understaffed. There were confusing processes, long waits, repeated forms, unanswered phone calls that, when answered, often cant be resolved. Between new unemployment insurance programs such as pandemic unemployment assistance and a surge in claims unlike anything seen before, the department was completely overwhelmed in a time of crisis. But the report also noted that individuals who are not fluent in English face insurmountable barriers to receiving assistance. It found that the claims website did not work on mobile phone, meaning users had to have access to desktop computers in order to file a claim something that was not available to many low-income communities when public libraries were closed during the pandemic. The report stated that 39% of users in June used mobile devices to file a claim, and 70% of those who accessed the EDD website had used a mobile device. In a state as diverse as California, its yet another example of how were seeing racial inequities play out, Chiu said. Those individuals who may lack computer or Internet access or have limited English proficiency tend to be people of color, and that means theyre being severely hamstrung by this broken bureaucracy. Faustino waits after filling out unemployment forms in a bookkeeping shop in Imperial county in California. Photograph: Mario Tama/Getty Images Further exacerbating matters is that in California, the pandemic recession has not hit everyone equally. Unemployment rates remain higher for Californians of color than for white Californians, according to a study by the California Budget and Policy Center. At its peak, unemployment reached 20% or more for Asian, Black, Latinx and other Californians of color, while hitting 17% for white Californians. Women bore the brunt of unemployment, with 1 in 4 out of work at the worst point of the recession, as compared to 1 in 5 men. And while the state gained back 34% of the 2.6m jobs it lost in March and April, and the unemployment rate for white Californians dropped from its peak of 17% to 13% in August, they remained almost the same for Black Californians, dropping just 1percentage point from 20% to 19%. Its hard not to think discrimination is not a factor there, said Alissa Anderson, study author and senior policy analyst with the California Budget and Policy Center. Anderson said that while the backlog needs to be fixed, the other critical part of this is that federal lawmakers have not provided any other economical relief since March. When I look at these numbers, the clear takeaway is that lawmakers, both federal and local, absolutely need to do more to help people through this crisis or we will be looking at economic scars that will last a lifetime, and those scars will be much deeper for black and brown Californians, she said. Almost overnight in March, 90% of the members of Unite Here Local 11, a union representing hospitality workers in southern California and Arizona, lost their jobs. Many of the 32,000 members are Latinx and immigrants. The union itself had to lay off some of its staff, so Jeremy Blasi, the unions general counsel, asked volunteers at the local law schools and universities to help their members navigate EDD. The union came across the same issues that so many other unemployed Californians have experienced in filing for unemployment. They had to set up two separate clinics: one to help members with their initial applications, and another to help members whose applications were rejected and needed further assistance, or who never heard back from EDD. Our union, after the Great Depression, was involved in setting up the unemployment system, Blasi said. To see the program after many years be whittled down and attacked, primarily by Republicans who have wanted to make it as difficult as possible for people to get benefits, is enraging. The system should have been designed precisely for a situation where a lot of people would be left unemployed all at once. We know the EDD staff is working hard but theyre working with totally antiquated technology and a set of regulations that create far too many opportunities for workers to fall through the cracks. A man looks inside the closed doors of the Pasadena Community Job Center. Photograph: Damian Dovarganes/AP After almost four months of back-and-forth with EDD, Leah, who asked that her last name not be printed for privacy reasons, started the Twitter account, @CAUnemployed, so that Californians like her could share tips about how to get through to EDD as well as their horror stories. Leah was furloughed from her bartending and serving job at a West Hollywood hotel in March. She immediately applied for unemployment, thinking it wouldnt be a difficult process. Her sister, whom she was living with, had gotten her unemployment benefits within 10 days. But Leah found out she had to mail in her documents, and then she didnt get a call back for several months. I started calling EDD, and you cant get through to EDD. You just cant, she said. It became a job for me, calling. She received a set of documents in the mail from EDD that were all in Spanish, which she did not speak, but she was able to figure out that they said she did not qualify. She kept calling. Someone said they would call her back. I would always stay by my phone, Leah said. Even when I took a shower, my sister would watch my phone and the call never came. She eventually got approved after contacting her state assembly member twice and starting the Twitter page. On the page, shed retweet phone numbers to various district EDD offices at which some said they had luck getting through to a person. I came out relatively unscathed but it still did a number on me, mentally and emotionally, Leah said. It takes away a bit of your dignity. Here you are, jobless due to nothing that youve done, no fault of your own. Now you have to rely on other people to make ends meet and you cant even get someone to answer the phone. For Gomez-Wafer, the Fresno small business owner, she received a letter three months after her initial application in April saying she had been approved for pandemic unemployment assistance. But she never received the forms she needed, and the department told her she had to fill out another claim. In all, she ended up filing four. This week, she received a $7,000 check for thirteen weeks, but shes owed for 26 weeks. When she asked EDD about it, they told her she needed to file a fifth claim. Gomez-Wafer wished that the state officials who should have overhauled the system before a crisis hit could have looked into her refrigerator on the nights it sat empty, or listened to her begging to keep her car. The system is broken, point blank, she said. Its broken enough that it actually broke me. Toronto, Sept. 27, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Date: 28 Sept 2020 l Time: 09:00 - 10.30 ET l Venue: Virtual (streamed here) WHAT Ahead of the UN Summit on Biodiversity, this high-profile event co-hosted by WWF is bringing together world leaders from more than 20 countries, including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. They will be making a pledge to step up global ambition for biodiversity and encourage other leaders to commit to matching their collective ambition for nature, climate and people. RESPONDING TO OUR PLANETARY EMERGENCY Nature is in crisis. Science tells us that human activities are destroying and degrading the very natural systems that support our health and livelihoods. Urgent actions to restore biodiversity, including Indigenous-led conservation, nature-based solutions, formal protections and stewardship along with millions of actions by individuals and communities across Canada and around the globe is needed to address wildlife and biodiversity loss and climate change. The event will: Officially launch the Leaders Pledge for Nature , with leaders of (40+ and growing) countries committing to ambitious action to address biodiversity loss; , with leaders of (40+ and growing) countries committing to ambitious action to address biodiversity loss; Showcase endorsements from Heads of State and Government of the pledge and its actions, as well as non-state actors. Addressing a Planetary Emergency requires concrete and urgent action for the benefit of all people everywhere. WHEN Monday 28 September 2020, 09:00AM - 10:30AM EDT. LIVE OPEN LEADERS CONVERSATION The event will also feature a live conversation between H.E. Justin Trudea, Prime Minister of Canada; H.E. Carlos Alvarado Quesada, President of Costa Rica, and H.E. Erna Solberg, Prime Minister of Norway. STATEMENTS BY: H.E. Mr. Alexander van der Bellen, President of Austria H.E. Ms. Jeanine Anez, President Plurinational State of Bolivia H.E. Mr. Ivan Duque Marquez, President of Colombia H.E. Carlos Alvarado Quesada, President of Costa Rica H.E. Mr Janos Ader, President of Hungary H.E. Mr. Uhuru Kenyatta, President of the Republic of Kenya H.E. Mr. Ion Chicu, Prime Minister of the Republic of Moldova H.E. Mr Laurentino Cortizo Cohen, President of the Republic of Panama H.E. Mr. Martin Vizcarra Cornejo, President of the Republic of Peru His Serene Highness Prince Albert II, Monaco H.E. Mr David Kabua, President of the Republic of the Marshall Islands H.E. Danny Faure, President of Seychelles H.E. Mr Borut Pahor, President of the Republic of Slovenia H.E. Dr. Lotay Tshering, MBBS, MD, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Bhutan H.E. Mr Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada H.E. Mr Andrej Babis, Prime Minister of the Czech Republic H.E. Mr Xavier Bettel, Prime Minister of Luxembourg H.E. Mr. K. P. Sharma Oli, Prime Minister of the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal H.E. Ms. Erna Solberg, Prime Minister of Norway Hon. Imran Khan, Prime Minister of Pakistan H.E. Mr. Boris Johnson, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom And H.E. Ms. Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission Further Heads of State and Government, as well as UN high level officials, are in the process of being confirmed. The event will also include statements by leaders from across society and business. MEDIA RESOURCES & SPOKESPEOPLE A press release, embargoed for 00:01 BST (GMT+1) on 28 September 2020 , will be made available to media ahead of the event. Contact: news@wwfint.org. TO JOIN The Leaders Event for Nature and People event is open to the media. You are cordially invited to watch the event live. The event will be broadcast live on this page: https://www.learningfornature.org/en/topic/session-1-a-global-response-to-our-planetary-emergency-protecting-our-safety-net/ About World Wildlife Fund Canada WWF-Canada creates solutions to the environmental challenges that matter most for Canadians. We work in places that are unique and ecologically important, so that nature, wildlife and people thrive together. Because we are all wildlife. For more information, visit http://www.wwf.ca VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / September 28, 2020 / Pacific Frontier Investments Inc. ("PFI" or the "Company"), a Canadian company based out of British Columbia, focused on growing its portfolio of Pathfinder Camp Resorts into a network of family-friendly RV parks and campgrounds, is pleased to announce a non-brokered private placement up to 30,000,000 common shares ("Common Shares") at a price of $0.07 per Common Share for gross proceeds of up to $2,100,000 (the "Offering"). All funds are stated in Canadian dollars. The Common Shares will be offered and sold by private placement in Canada to "accredited investors" within the meaning of National Instrument 45-106 - Prospectus Exemptions and other exempt purchasers in each province of Canada. The Company is currently not a reporting issuer or equivalent in any jurisdiction, and the statutory restrictions on resale and transfer for the Common Shares will be indefinite until such time as the Company becomes a reporting issuer. In addition, the transfer of Common Shares is subject to Board approval and all Common Shares will be, upon the Company's completion of a going public transaction, subject to a pooling arrangement to which the Common Shares cannot be sold or traded until the date that is four months and a day after the completion of the going public transaction. There are no minimum number of Common Shares or minimum aggregate proceeds required to close the Offering and the Company may, at its discretion, elect to close the Offering in one or more tranches. Management anticipates that the Company will allocate the net proceeds of the Offering towards the acquisition and improvement costs related to properties and businesses in its acquisition queue, and general working capital. Subject to compliance with applicable laws, agents will receive a cash commission equal to 8.0% of the gross proceeds from the Common Shares sold under the Offering and a number of broker warrants (the "Broker Warrants") equal to 8.0% of the number of Common Shares sold under the Offering. Each Broker Warrant will be exercisable to purchase one common share of the Company at any time prior to the date that is 24 months from the closing date of the Offering at an exercise price equal to $0.10. Story continues About Pacific Frontier Investments Inc. Pacific Frontier Investments is a private Canadian company based out of British Columbia that is focused on growing its portfolio of Pathfinder Camp Resorts into a network of family friendly RV parks and campgrounds. The Company has multiple locations under sale contract and in its acquisition pipeline, where all businesses are located in desirable locations with strong tourism demand. Additional information may be found at www.PacificFrontier.co For further information please contact: Pacific Frontier Investments Inc. Joe Bleackley Chief Executive Officer, Founder and Director Ph: 604 914 2575 ir@PacificFrontier.co Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This press release includes certain "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" (collectively "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein, including without limitation, statements regarding the use of proceeds from the Private Placement, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are frequently, but not always, identified by words such as "expects", "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "potential", "possible", and similar expressions, or statements that events, conditions, or results "will", "may", "could", or "should" occur or be achieved. Forward-looking statements involve various risks and uncertainties. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. SOURCE: Pacific Frontier Investments Inc. View source version on accesswire.com: https://www.accesswire.com/608104/Pacific-Frontier-Investments-Announces-Private-Placement CTP Team wins an EPC contract with Secil Group for a WHR system 28 September 2020 Italy's CTP Team has signed a turnkey EPC contract with Secil Group for a new WHR system at Outao Cement factory in Portugal. The project consists of providing a customised solution to feed a double-loop system (thermal oil + Organic), to recover waste heat and produce electricity from three different sources: the kiln pre-heater, clinker cooler of the existing 4000tpd cement unit, and a new solar field that Secil will install nearby to the production line. The new heat exchangers by CTP will recover up to 29MW of waste heat to feed a new ORC, equipped with a state-of-the-art axial turbine of 7.2MW by Turboden. The new WHR unit is expected to generate approximately 50,000MWh per year, covering more than 30 per cent of the current plants electricity needs. The first kW generation is scheduled for the 2H22. Published under Armenian and Azeri forces exchanged fierce fire for a second day on Monday over the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh, with the sides accusing each other of using heavy artillery amid reports of at least 21 deaths and hundreds of people being wounded. The clashes between Armenia and Azerbaijan, the heaviest since 2016, have rekindled concern over stability in the South Caucasus region, a corridor for pipelines carrying oil and gas to world markets. The two former Soviet republics have clashed periodically in a decades-long conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh, a breakaway region that is inside Azerbaijan but is run by ethnic Armenians. Azerbaijans president declared a partial military mobilisation, and his foreign minister said six Azeri civilians had been killed and 19 injured since the fighting began. Interfax news agency quoted an Armenian defence ministry representative as saying 200 Armenians had been wounded. Nagorno-Karabakh reported that 15 more of its soldiers had been killed. It had said on Sunday 16 of its servicemen had been killed and more than 100 wounded after Azerbaijan launched an air and artillery attack. Nagorno-Karabakh also said it had recovered some territory that it had lost control of on Sunday, and said Azerbaijan had been using heavy artillery to shell areas. Azerbaijans defence ministry said Armenian forces were shelling the town of Terter. China and Russia urged both sides to show restraint. The clashes have spurred a flurry of diplomacy to defuse the reignited tensions between majority Christian Armenia and mainly Muslim Azerbaijan. Russia called for an immediate ceasefire and another regional power, Turkey, said it would support Azerbaijan, its traditional ally. Armenias ambassador to Russia said on Monday Turkey had sent around 4,000 fighters from northern Syria to Azerbaijan, Interfax news agency reported, an accusation denied by Baku. Under international law, Nagorno-Karabakh is recognised as part of Azerbaijan. But the ethnic Armenians who make up the vast majority of the population reject Azeri rule. They have run their own affairs, with support from Armenia, since Nagorno-Karabakh broke away from Azerbaijan in a conflict that erupted as the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991. Although a ceasefire was agreed in 1994, after thousands of people were killed and many more displaced, Azerbaijan and Armenia frequently accuse each other of attacks around Nagorno-Karabakh and along the separate Azeri-Armenian frontier. Pipelines shipping Caspian oil and natural gas from Azerbaijan to the world pass close to Nagorno-Karabakh. At least 200 people were killed in a flare-up of the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan in April 2016. At least 16 people were killed in clashes in July. (Reporting by Nvard Hovhannisyan in Yerevan and Nailia Bagirova in Baku; writing by Tom Balmforth; Editing by William Maclean/Mark Heinrich) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Sunil Kataria and Mayank Bhardwaj (Reuters) New Delhi, India Mon, September 28, 2020 16:33 481 e22cd4161040e111d73a5626c47b53b6 2 Environment climate,climate-activists,environment,Licypriya-Kangujam,India Free When 8-year-old Indian climate change activist Licypriya Kangujam is older, she wants to launch a solo mission to the moon to research ways to save planet earth. One of the world's youngest climate change activists, Kangujam was inspired by the devastating scenes she witnessed in Nepal in 2015, where as a four-year-old she helped her father deliver aid to victims of huge earthquakes that killed some 9,000 people and destroyed one million homes. Now she is leading a youth movement calling for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Indian lawmakers to pass a new law aimed at capping carbon emissions in the world's third largest producer of greenhouse gases. "I am fighting to save our planet and our future," she said as she protested outside Parliament House in New Delhi on Sept 21, clutching a placard that read: "Child movement for climate, pass the climate change law." Delhi, a sprawling metropolis of some 19 million people, is one of the world's most polluted cities and during the winter months toxic haze can often confine families to their homes. Born in India's northeastern state of Manipur, home to pristine mountains and crystal clear air, Kangujam has been outraged by the air quality she has seen in Delhi. Read also: Teenage British activist stages climate protest on Arctic ice floe "I am worried about the health of the school children and small, small babies," Kangujam told Reuters from her high-rise apartment in Noida, a satellite town of New Delhi. Just a week shy of her 9th birthday, Kangujam's home is testament to both her activism and her youth. Awards and trophies from international agencies fill a cabinet, while she and her six-year-old sister Irina have pillow fights, sing karaoke, dance and watch films like Frozen together. Kangujam's ultimate ambition is to become a "space scientist" in a bid to save humans back on earth. "I will go to the moon and I will research how we can get the fresh air to breathe, and how we can get water, fresh water to drink, and food, how to grow the crops," she said. "Because our planet is dying soon." Lisbeth and Jrn Hokholt are siblings from Norway whose parents built a house in Caleta de Velez at the end of the 1960s. They have spent their holidays in the house since they were children and as adults they have continued to come with their own children and more recently, grandchildren. Casa Elsa was a paradise for the family from Oslo, who would come to the Axarquia at least once a year to relax. However, for the last year the house has been occupied by squatters; a number of families with young children. It was the Hokholt's neighbours who first alerted the family to the situation and three days later Lisbeth and Jrn flew from Norway to Malaga. They were joined by Norwegian television company NRK, who were filming a documentary about squatters in Spain as there are other Norwegians in the same situation. "It's having huge repercussions in Norway. The estate agents who work with Norwegians are seeing a huge fall in clients who don't want to run the risk of having squatters in their homes," said the family's lawyer, Eduardo Lopez-Chicheri. The case was due to go to court in Velez-Malaga last Thursday. However, it was postponed until November as the squatters hadn't been allocated a lawyer. "This is a shocking situation. To start with, the National Police, to whom the situation was first reported, failed to go to the house until we went in December, three months later," the lawyer explained. "The officers told us that the squatters were known to them, that they were violent and that it would be better not to confront them," he added. It was then when the lawyer first acted on behalf of the Hokholts. However, the case was rejected by the judge who said that it hadn't been made clear that the house was a second residence. A second attempt was made by Lopez-Chicheri, but this time it was delayed due to the onset of the coronavirus pandemic. "Following the delay until November, I have written again to the court asking for an eviction order to be issued, in accordance with the latest instructions from the public prosecutor." Damage Lisbeth and Jrn have been unable to travel due to the pandemic. "They are very stressed. They find it inconceivable that a situation like this could occur in a European country," said Lopez-Chicheri. The siblings are still paying all the bills and fear the house has been "completely destroyed". "From what we could see from the outside in December, there was already a lot of damage. The squatters say that they will only leave with a court order," explained the lawyer, "I don't want to imagine what it will be like when we get it back," he concluded. Mumbai, Sep 28 : BJP Rajya Sabha MP Subramanian Swamy on Monday reacted to the press statement issued by the CBI in the Sushant Singh Rajput case. Swamy feels the investigating bureau should file an FIR with murder charge and arrest the suspects. "CBI has issued a Media Release which brings some transparency about what is going on. But CBI needs to do more than a Media Release about all possibilities. That is, need a FIR [or add to the Court transferred Patna FIR] with murder [IPC 302] as the crime, & arrest suspects," Swamy tweeted from his verified account on Monday. Swamy's lawyer Ishkaran Singh Bhandari also tweeted from his unverified account complaining about the delay in the CBI probe. "Many #Warriors4SSR are getting frustrated with the speed of CBI investigation. We have to trust CBI but many genuine questions are rising & CBI must answer them for public confidence," Ishkaran tweeted from his unverified account on Monday. Meanwhile, Sushant's fans trended a hashtag throughout Monday demanding #AIIMSBeFairWithSSRReport. On Friday, Sushant's family lawyer Vikas Singh had addressed a press conference where he alleged that more than a week had passed since the CBI team probing the case had landed in Delhi but they had not yet met the team of doctors at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS). Claiming that one of the doctors from the AIIMS team suggested it is a murder case, Singh had said on Friday: "One of the doctors in the team of AIIMS suggests it is 200% death by strangulation and not a suicide. This is after photos clicked by Sushant's sister Mitu were shared with him." Latest updates on Sushant Singh Rajput Death Mystery Totally illegal: Trump calls for probe after Project Veritas uncovers alleged VOTER FRAUD scheme connected to Ilhan Omar US President Donald Trump has called for an investigation following the release of an explosive Project Veritas report that claims to have exposed a cash-for-ballots operation linked to Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar. A 17-minute video released by the conservative investigative undercover news organization includes testimonials from purported whistleblowers and Minneapolis residents, who detail how ballots are allegedly illegally collected from elderly Somali immigrants. In some cases, operatives pay cash in exchange for votes, the report claims. Project Veritas founder James OKeefe described the investigation as fraud on videotape and a crime on camera. Testimonials from several individuals implicated Omar, the countrys first Somali-immigrant congresswoman, in the scheme. A Minneapolis community leader, Omar Jamal, said it was an open secret that Omar runs a cash-for-ballots operation in her congressional district, which includes Minneapolis. She [Ilhan Omar] will do anything that she can do to get elected, and she has hundreds of people on the streets doing that, Jamal told Project Veritas. One man involved in the operation who spoke with the news organization said that people who work with Ilhan Omar fill out ballots for Somali immigrants, and then tell them that this year youre going to vote for the congresswoman. The expose also includes Snapchat footage of alleged vote harvester Liban Mohamed, who brags on camera about the piles of ballots piled up on the dashboard of his car. Money is the king in this world and a campaign is driven by money, he is heard saying. In the clip, he says the ballots are for his brother, Minneapolis city council member Jamal Osman, but the election for the city council position was held on the same day as the primary for Omars MN-05 congressional seat. OKeefe said these activities violate Minnesota law, which prohibits a designated agent from collecting more than three absentee votes. Ballot harvesting is real, and it has become a big business. Our investigation into this ballot-harvesting ring demonstrates clearly how these unscrupulous operators exploit the elderly and immigrant communities and have turned the sacred ballot box into a commodities-trading desk, OKeefe said in a statement. Trump appeared to agree with this assessment and fired off a tweet calling for an inquiry into the matter. This is totally illegal. Hope that the U.S. Attorney in Minnesota has this, and other of her many misdeeds, under serious review??? If not, why not??? We will win Minnesota because of her, and law enforcement, the US president wrote. This is totally illegal. Hope that the U.S. Attorney in Minnesota has this, and other of her many misdeeds, under serious review??? If not, why not??? We will win Minnesota because of her, and law enforcement. Saved Minneapolis & Iron O Range! https://t.co/yete31P680 Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 28, 2020 Omar responded to the tweet with a meme referencing allegations that Trump paid only $750 in federal income taxes in 2016 and 2017. However, she did not address the allegations leveled by Project Veritas. Ballot harvesting or ballot collecting is the practice of third parties collecting mail-in votes and delivering them to election officials. It is legal in many states to help physically impaired voters cast their ballots. However, it has sparked a series of legal challenges in Minnesota. Earlier this month, the states Supreme Court ruled that Minnesotans can still only help deliver and return up to three other voters absentee ballots under special circumstances, local media reported. Trump has been warning for weeks that states plans to use mail-in ballots for Novembers presidential election could lead to voter fraud an allegation the Democrats have dismissed. Omar, an outspoken Trump critic, is widely viewed as a rising progressive star within the Democratic Party, having entered Congress in 2017. The Veritas investigation, if found to be accurate, could have a profound effect on how Minnesota votes in November. Hillary Clinton narrowly won the state in 2016. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-28 15:39:54|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close KUNDUZ, Afghanistan, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- Taliban militants' attacks on Aliabad district of the northern Kunduz province have been repulsed and the militants have retreated after suffering casualties, said an army statement released on Monday. The militants, according to the statement, launched massive offensive on security checkpoints in the Aliabad district in the wee hours of Monday to overrun the district, but the security forces backed by fighting planes retaliated, forcing the militants to retreat after leaving eight bodies behind and 12 more injured. According to the statement, the government forces have cleared all villages from the insurgents in the district and also discovered and defused 27 anti-tank and anti-personnel mines during the operations. The Taliban outfit, which has stepped up activities amid intra-Afghan peace talks in Doha has yet to make comment. Enditem Photo: Contributed Penticton Tim Hortons owners Nicole and Mitch MacMillan holding smile cookies in a previous Smile Cookie year. Canadians helped set a new record by raising $10.56 million during Tim Horton's Smile Cookie Campaign. Timmy's and its restaurant owners will donate 100 per cent of the proceeds to over 550 charities, hospitals and community programs across the country "We were absolutely blown away by the generosity of Canadians for our annual Smile Cookie campaign," says Tim Hortons Chief Marketing Officer Hope Bagozzi. In 2019, the campaign raised $9.8 million. "We were able to surpass the amount of donations raised in 2019 by roughly $760,000, which really is astounding." Dunnville, Ont. has a population of 6,000 and a restaurant there set out to sell 50,000 cookies, which they surpassed. Owner Ryan DiTommaso and his team sold 60,000-plus Smile Cookies with the support of loyal guests within Dunnville's big-hearted community. That's about 10 cookies for every resident in Dunnville. It was the third year in a row that the Dunnville restaurant sold the most Smile Cookies in the entire country. DiTommaso is donating to the Dunnville Hospital and Healthcare Foundation. Nancy Pelosi sent an email to House Democrats Sunday imploring her colleagues to focus their efforts on flipping seats blue as she warns the lower chamber of Congress may be tapped to decide the results of the presidential election. 'The Constitution says that a candidate must receive a majority of the state delegations to win. We must achieve that majority of delegations or keep the Republicans from doing so,' the House Speaker urged in her letter, according to Politico. Although Democrats hold a majority in the House, if the presidential election is decided there each state delegation only gets one vote, which currently gives Republicans a leg up. 'Because we cannot leave anything to chance, House Majority PAC is doing everything it can to win more delegations for Democrats,' she continued. 'It's sad we have to have to plan this way, but it's what we must do to ensure the election is not stolen.' In the case that neither President Donald Trump nor Democratic nominee Joe Biden wins an Electoral College majority in November, the Constitution details that the election winner would be determined by which Party has the majority of House state delegations rather than which has a majority within the chamber overall. Congress certifies the Electoral College results on January 6 and should neither candidate earn the 270-vote majority required for an outright win, the newly elected House will become the determining factor. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is urging her Democratic colleagues to focus efforts on flipping seats blue in case the lower chamber of Congress is tapped to decide the results of the presidential election Trump has expressed concern with Republicans in Congress over the possibility that the House may need to decide the election should neither he nor Joe Biden earn the 270 Electoral College votes needed for an outright win Pelosi noted that Trump has suggested to Republicans in Congress that if they win a majority in November that they hold up certifying the election results. Republican sources confirm that in private Trump has brought up concerns with GOP lawmakers over the possibility that the presidential race may need to be determined by the House. Pelosi, 80, urged her colleagues to donate their money, resources and time to the support the House Majority PAC to help ensure that certain states have a Democratic majority in their respective delegations. 'We have outstanding candidates in these key districts and they have built strong campaigns, but we must forcefully ensure they win,' the California Democrat wrote in her Sunday letter. 'Simply put, this strategy to protect our democracy and elect Joe Biden will take an all out effort and resources.' 'Many of you have already been patriotically generous supporting House Democrats and the Biden-Harris ticket. I'm asking you to help with this delegation strategy as well. Thank you for your generosity, your support, and your consideration.' Pennsylvania, a swing state, is a prime example of how the House elections could affect the presidential election results this year. The House delegation in the Keystone State is currently split evenly between the parties with nine Democrats and nine Republicans. Democrats, however, are expected to pick up seats after redistricting weakened GOP advantages in certain areas. Any states with evenly split House delegations will not count in the case the House of Representatives is tapped to decide the results of the presidential election. Another swing state, Michigan, is a wildcard even with a Democratic edge in the delegation split. Rep. Justin Amash, a Republican turned independent turned Libertarian for Michigan's 3rd District who supported Trump's impeachment is retiring and will likely be replaced by a Republican ally of the president. This would leave the state in a deadlock. Some also claim Trump is rushing through his Supreme Court pick Amy Coney Barrett because he wants her seat secured before Election Day in such cases the election results were challenged and sent to court. 'And I don't want to end up in the Supreme Court and I don't want to go back to Congress either, even though we have an advantage if we go back to Congress does everyone understand that?' Trump said at a rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday. 'I think it's 26 to 22 or something because it's counted one vote per state, so we actually have an advantage. Oh, they're going to be thrilled to hear that,' he continued. Trump has already cast doubt over the 2020 election, claiming the only way he will lose is if Democrats cheat by way of fraud and ballot harvesting through mass mail-in voting measures implemented in light of the coronavirus pandemic. The president insists he would want a friendly transition of power should Biden win, but at the same time asserts there wont be a transition, but a continuation since there is no way he loses if the election is conducted fairly. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said COVID-19 has shown it is risky to have global supply chains excessively dependent on any single source and India is working with Japan and Australia for supply-chain diversification and resilience. The Prime Minister made the remarks during a virtual summit with Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and said other like-minded countries can also join in these efforts towards supply chain diversification. "COVID-19 has shown that it is risky to rely excessively on any single source of global supply chains. We are working together with Japan and Australia for supply-chain diversification and resilience. Other like-minded countries can also join this effort," he said. COVID-19 originated in the Chinese city of Wuhan and many global companies are planning to shift their manufacturing bases from China. The Prime Minister said India and Denmark share rules-based, transparent, humanitarian and democratic value-system. Referring to the crisis created by COVID-19, he said the events of the past few months have made it clear how important it is for like-minded countries to work together. "The events of the past few months have made it clear that how important it is for like-minded countries, who share rules-based, transparent, humanitarian and democratic value-system, to work together," the Prime Minister said. He said that the virtual summit will not only be useful for bilateral relations between India and Denmark but also in contributing to a shared approach to global challenges. Noting that he had a "very productive meeting with Denmark's Prime Minister a few months back, the Prime Minister said they talked on increasing cooperation between the two countries in several areas. "It is a matter of happiness that we are giving new direction and speed to these intentions through the virtual summit," he said. India hosted the virtual bilateral summit. The Prime Minister said that cooperation between like-minded countries in vaccine-development will help deal with COVID-19 pandemic. "Collaboration between like-minded countries in vaccine development will also help deal with the pandemic," he said. The Prime Minister said that India's pharma capabilities have been helpful for the world during the crisis created by COVID-19 and a similar effort is being made in the direction of the vaccine. He also mentioned the reforms done by the government concerning labour laws and agriculture. "The effort of Atmanirbhar India is also that India's capabilities increase in key areas and they are useful to the world. We are laying emphasis on all-round reforms under the initiative. The regulatory and tax reforms will help companies working in India. The process of reforms is on in other areas. Recently important reforms were done in labour and agriculture," he said. The Prime Minister also greeted Mette Frederiksen on her wedding and hoped that she will be able to visit the country at the earliest after situation created by COVID-19 improves. "I congratulate you on your wedding recently and convey my good wishes. I hope that soon after the COVID-19 situation improves, we will get a chance to welcome you and your family in India. I am sure your daughter would be eager to visit India again," he said. The Danish Prime Minister conveyed her thanks to the Prime Minister during her speech for his greetings. "Thank you so much for the greetings to my family. My daughter will love to visit India once again and the same goes for my family," she said. Bilateral trade in goods and services between India and Denmark has grown by 30.49 per cent, from US$ 2.82 billion in 2016 to US$ 3.68 billion in 2019. Around 200 Danish companies have invested in India in sectors such as shipping, renewable energy, environment, agriculture, food processing and smart urban development. (ANI) Also Read: Sri Lankan PM extends gratitude to India for providing support to world amid COVID-19 New Delhi, Sep 28 : When the draft of three important bills related to farmers in the country was being prepared, the Bharatiya Kisan Sangh (BKS), affiliated with the RSS, passed a proposal after consulting 15,000 villages of the country and sent a bouquet of suggestions to the Ministry of Agriculture. The Bharatiya Kisan Sangh has expressed its displeasure over the neglect of these 15,000 proposals in the farmers' bills. It is being said that Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar had reportedly agreed to the proposals. Then why did the Ministry ignore the suggestions? According to the BKS, ignoring suggestions from farmers displays that bureaucrats dominate the Ministry of Agriculture. The BKS has reiterated the demand from the government to introduce a new law to guarantee the minimum support price (MSP). Badrinarayan, the National General Secretary of the Bharatiya Kisan Sangh, told IANS that farmers' committees have been formed in about 80,000 villages in the country. "The BKS had passed resolutions regarding agriculture bills through committees of 15,000 of these villages. These were made available to the Minister of Agriculture when they met him. Such suggestions were made that would really benefit farmers. The Agriculture Minister also met the delegation and agreed to the suggestions. But later it was discovered that the suggestions were not used in the Bills. This gives out the message that bureaucrats are calling the shots in the Ministry of Agriculture." Raising the question, Badrinarayan said that the misdeeds of private players had come to the fore in many parts of the country. In Shimla, many private players had made a fool of millions of farmers in the name of buying apples, while in Nashik, incidents of fraud have come to light. In such a situation, if the government is making parallel arrangements to the mandis, what is the guarantee that farmers will get a fair price? The BKS believes that the government could have avoided unnecessary ruckus on the Bill if it so wanted. The government only had to guarantee the minimum support price (MSP) in the Bill. If that were the case, the government would not have to give clarifications through advertisements in newspapers and party leaders repeatedly about the MSP. Badrinarayan said that the way the three Bills were passed in a hurry and the President also ratified them, shows that the government is no longer in the mood to get on the backfoot on the issue. In such a situation, the BKS demands a fourth bill guaranteeing MSP. If the government does not get proper assurance, the farmers union will decide on the future course of action. London Commonwealth secretary-general Patricia Scotland says domestic violence is costing countries more than they realise Countries could save billions of dollars a year by tackling the "disgusting pandemic" of domestic violence, the Commonwealth secretary-general said as economists estimated the scourge cost the tiny African kingdom of Lesotho 5.5% of GDP. Patricia Scotland said domestic violence burdened health, police and judicial services, led to absenteeism at work and school, and permanently damaged children who witnessed it, impacting future generations. About one in three women in Lesotho has suffered physical or sexual violence - often by a partner, similar to the global prevalence rate, according to a Commonwealth study published on Friday. Analysts calculated this cost the country more than 1.9 billion Lesotho loti ($113 million) a year - equivalent to $50 per citizen. Scotland said the "groundbreaking" study was part of a wider Commonwealth initiative to encourage all countries to put a price tag on violence against women and girls. Nations that argued they did not have the money to tackle the issue should look at how much it is already costing them, she said. Lesotho's gender minister, Mahali Phamotse, said domestic violence was impacting development in the mountain kingdom, which lies within South Africa, and the study would shape efforts to address it. Recommendations included training health staff, teachers and the private sector, improving data collection and enacting a long-awaited domestic violence bill. Scotland has made tackling domestic violence a key plank of her leadership of the Commonwealth, an alliance of 54 countries that are home to more than 1 billion women and girls. The Lesotho study revealed not only the direct costs of domestic violence, but also the broader economic impact. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Lesotho Women International Organisations By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. It said victims' annual income losses - which exceeded $20 million - lead to reduced spending power which had knock-on effects on the wider economy, while missed school affected girls' future earning potential. Scotland hoped the greater global focus on domestic abuse, which has soared during lockdowns to curb the spread of coronavirus, would spur more governments to take action. "The consequences are not just for this generation but for the generations to come," she said. "All the data shows us that if we do not have peace in our homes we haven't got a hope of having real peace in our world." Scotland said domestic violence cut across all sections of society and urged everyone from bosses to religious leaders not to turn a blind eye. "If it is one in three women that this is happening to, how many women do you and I know? Do not say 'this is not my business'. It is absolutely everybody's business," she said. On July 2, 1986, many years before the ever-frail and stumbling Joe Biden lost control of his mental capacity to deliver coherent sentences, Biden spoke at the 77th Annual NAACP Convention. In that commencement address, he did not forget the location where he was speaking, nor did he lose his train of thought as he struggled to keep up with the words on the teleprompter. The speech did, however, encapsulate Bidens deep history of race baiting, his tenuous record with the truth, and his ability to embellish his personal history for political gain. Biden began his speech by proclaiming to a mostly black audience that When I was 17 years old, I participated in sit-ins to desegregate restaurants and movie houses in Wilmington, Delaware. The only problem is Biden never participated in sit-ins. He falsely claimed that he organized a walkout of a restaurant called the Charcoal Pit, except for the fact that the black student who was refused service at the time said that Biden and the other white students who were with him werent aware of what happened. Biden also falsely claimed that he picketed the last segregated movie theater in Wilmington, Delaware in 1965. Yet, according to the book Historic Theaters of Delaware, the Rialto theater that Biden supposedly picketed, had already begun admitting black patrons in May 1963, meaning that Biden would have been protesting for a right that had already existed for blacks two years earlier. Although the Washington Post gave Biden two pinocchios for these claims, it has not prevented him from continuing to tell these falsehoods anyway In his remarks Biden also viciously attacked then-president Ronald Reagan, the individual most responsible for ending the Cold War, increasing our national defense, cutting taxes and eliminating regulations, and who by the end of his second term in office delivered the longest recorded period of peacetime prosperity without a recession or depression. Biden referred to Reagan and other Republicans as racists and fearmongering bigots, who ruled by executive fiat, and wanted to keep black children illiterate and impoverished. Our enemies on the right used these initiatives to regain the initiative. To the nation, they cast the civil rights debate in terms of black children being able to move ahead, only if white children were forced to slide behind. They convinced the poor white in the same circumstance in as much need as the poor black that black progress meant his job. They convinced the fair-minded middle-class white, that progress and education for black children could come only at the expense of his child getting a chance to go to college. Bidens shamefully dishonest remarks about the 40th president should put to rest any credence to the idea that the sanctimonious Democrats revered and respected former Republican presidents who occupied the Oval Office before the evil Orange Man was elected president in 2016. They have always treated Republicans in power with disdain and contempt, only to pay them lip service once they are no longer in office. Biden went on to accuse Reagan of supporting apartheid in South Africa. This from a man who falsely claimed that he was arrested on a trip there in the 1970s while he was attempting to meet with Nelson Mandela, who was imprisoned on Robben Island at the time. Bidens story has never been corroborated by a single witness, and the township of Soweto, where he said he was arrested, is more than 760 miles from Robben Island. Biden never apologized for fabricating the story. His staffers simply said that he was referring to a time where he was separated from his party at an airport in Johannesburg. Without citing any evidence, Biden went on to accuse Reagan and his administration of denying people of color access to a quality education, affordable housing, and voting rights. We in this room are allies, engaged in all-out warfare with the right wing in this country. Extremists who intend not merely to end the gains made by the civil rights movement in education, in housing, in voting and in public accommodations, and the gains we were beginning to make on the greater economic opportunity questions. These right wingers intend not just to slow down our progress, they mean to end it, to reverse it. Perhaps Biden was unaware that Reagan was the first president to introduce legislation for the school voucher program. In fact, on two separate occasions in 1983 and 1985, Reagan unsuccessfully tried to pass such legislation through Congress. Had the 1985 bill passed, it would have given minorities and lower-income families direct payments of $600 per year to send their children to better public and private schools. Not surprisingly, Democrat-backed teachers unions in New York and other cities lobbied against the voucher program, declaring that it would undermine public education, effectively killing the bill. Reagan also proposed using vouchers to support other lower-income programs, including subsidizing affordable housing and Medicare. Of course, none of those facts mattered to Biden, because painting Reagan and Republicans as racists and bigots in order to stir up racial division and court the black vote has always been his top priority. Biden went on to assail Reagan for supposedly waging a war on our values and institutions, implied that he was a fascist, and castigated him for appointing originalist justices, including the appointment of Justice Sandra Day OConnor, the first female jurist to the Supreme Court. The right-wing ideologues of this administration freed from their fear of having to stand for election again, are waging a permanent, overt, unabashed total assault on the values and programs of a just America. What they cannot win in the Congress, they attempt to win by executive fiat. And what they cannot accomplish by executive fiat, they attempt by packing the courts with ideological robots, programmed to respond to the radical whip of the right. Biden did not only refer to Reagan appointed justices as slavemasters. He declared that Reagan and anyone who worked in his administration or supported his agenda was akin to a slaveowner. If you listen to what they say, you can hear voices from another time. Remember those voices go slow or youll only hurt the Negro, or blacks brought this violence on themselves. They were words from another era that are coming back to echo in our ears today because they are being spoken again today. While Biden delivered this speech over thirty-four years ago, he could have just as easily have given it in 2020 and substituted the name Reagan for Trump. Apart from their different communication styles, Trump has governed in much the same way that Reagan did. He has cut taxes, slashed regulations, rebuilt our military, created opportunity zones and school choice, appointed two originalist Supreme Court justices, instituted criminal justice reform, renegotiated unfair trade agreements, and brokered peace agreements between Israel, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Serbia and Kosovo. As a result of his successes, Trump and his supporters must be punished and deemed bigots by Biden. If Biden leaves his basement and shows up to debate Trump on Tuesday, one thing is certain: he wont compare Trump to Reagan. Hell just call him and his supporters racist. Image: RV1864 With hurricane season in full swing and the latest tropical storm moving steadily towards the coast, Sugar Land residents need to know how to protect their homes, yards and cars from destructive winds and downed trees. Forester Matt Petty from Davey Tree, who advises homeowners to get their property reviewed by an arborist, recently discussed what homeowners should know about trees on their property. Ive seen pretty much every major storm since 2007, said Petty. Hurricane Ike was the worst one I've seen personally, because it was rain with heavy winds pushing trees over. People should be aware of what they should do before and after a storm occurs. An arborist is a person who has been certified by the International Society of Arboriculture. If you have trees youre concerned about, I would recommend homeowners hire a professional and determine how to make their property as safe as possible for any future weather event, said Petty. Lone trees in residential areas are more susceptible to wind damage than trees that are part of a forested area. The first thing an arborist would do is decide if a tree in question is healthy; in decline; or dead. Dead trees should be removed at once because they are brittle and likely to fall. A tall, healthy tree with a full canopy and heavy branches might be prone to breakages. Trees weighed down by fruit or epiphytes such as ball moss or Spanish moss, like many Sugar Land trees, are also susceptible. If you had the healthy tree cared for by a professional arborist, they could do some selective pruning or cable installation to reduce the likelihood of a storm breaking or splitting your tree, Petty said. After a storm, a trained eye could pick out all the safety issues broken limbs, hanging limbs, split trunk sections, damaged or uplifted roots. A tree could be in decline for different reasons. It may have sustained mechanical damage to its roots during a remodeling project or been attacked by pests such as beetles or bores. It may have fallen prey to a tree disease. These include ganoderma applanatum, large bracket mushrooms that cause wood decay; armillaria, a fungal root-rot; phytophthora, a destructive water mold and hypoxylon, a fast-growing fungal canker. Most people call an arborist for a tree thats in decline that they are not sure about, said Petty. If the tree did have, let's say fungal fruiting bodies, we would see if we could fix it. Is there anything we can do to make this tree as healthy and safe as possible? If a tree is classified as in decline, the homeowner would have to decide whether it was worth saving. With hurricanes on the horizon, it may make more sense to remove a weakened tree, instead of spending $5,000 on stabilizing cable installations. With healthy trees, people usually think, the trees fine, I dont need to do anything, said Petty. But people need to call an arborist to look at a healthy tree, to make sure it stays healthy. Petty said that most tree companies operating in the Houston area give free estimates. If you were to ask me to write a detailed report of a property, that's going to cost around $200, said Petty. But for any person, really, in the city of Houston that wanted Davey or another high-end tree company to come out and just do a basic review, thats a service a lot of people do for free. juhi.varma@hcnonline.com The Commerce Department originally set Sept. 20 for the TikTok download ban, citing Trumps declaration that the Chinese-controlled app represents a threat to U.S. national security. The agency delayed the deadline to Sept. 27, given Trumps preliminary approval of owner ByteDances deal to transfer ownership to American firms including Oracle and Walmart. Variety More than 550 Armenian servicemen were killed in Sunday clashes on the contact line in the unrecognized Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry said. "According to intelligence, the Armenian Armed Forces sustained heavy losses as a result of the Sunday hostilities. For instance, the Azerbaijani army destroyed 22 tanks and other heavy armored vehicles, 15 Osa air defense missile systems, 18 drones, eight artillery systems, and three arms depots. Besides, more than 550 servicemen were killed," the ministry told Interfax. For its part, the Armenian Defense Ministry reported Azerbaijani casualties. "According to our information, about 200 Azerbaijani servicemen were killed," Armenian Defense Ministry spokesman Artsrun Hovhannisyan said at a press briefing on Sunday. "Updated information indicates that [...] four helicopters, 27 drones, including attack UAVs, 33 tanks and armored personnel carriers, as well as two armored engineering vehicles were destroyed," the press service of the unrecognized Nagorno-Karabakh Republic's Defense Ministry said. Kolkata, Sep 28 : Following all necessary Covid-19 guidelines, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will hold administrative review meetings in north Bengal on September 29 and 30. Earlier, she was slated to leave for Siliguri on September 21 to chair a series of administrative review meetings of five northern districts at Uttarkanya, the branch secretariat located in Siliguri. But the visit was postponed following forecasts of heavy rainfall by the Met department. Banerjee will now undertake her journey on Tuesday, a government notification said. This would be her first visit to the northern districts since the Covid-19 pandemic broke out in March this year. Sources said that the Chief Minister would hold meetings with senior officials from Alipurduar and Jalpaiguri on Tuesday. On Wednesday, she will be meeting officials from Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Cooch Behar districts at Uttarkanya. More tributes have been left to the tragic six-year-old girl who was killed by a falling tree. Ella Henderson was rushed to hospital on Friday afternoon after being injured at Gosforth Park First School. Emergency services, including an air ambulance, were sent to the scene and she was taken to the Royal Victoria Infirmary for treatment. Sadly she died on Saturday morning. Floral tributes have been left outside Gosforth Park First School, in Newcastle, in memory of six-year-old Ella Henderson who died in hospital after a tree fell on her on Friday Tributes describe Ella as a beautiful little girl as her mother Vikki raises thousands for charity Flowers had already been left at the school over the weekend and now dozens more tributes have appeared. Children's paintings of rainbows and teddy bears now sit alongside bunches of sunflowers and colourful roses. One tribute reads: 'Bright and beautiful flowers for a beautiful little girl'. Ella's mother Vikki Henderson has already raised more than 40,000 for the air ambulance charity which tried to save her daughter's life. In a post on her Facebook page, she wrote: 'This is not a post I thought I would ever be writing my birthday this year, I'm asking for donations to Great North Air Ambulance Service. 'I've chosen this charity because their mission means a lot to me, and I hope that you'll consider contributing as a way of celebrating with me. 'Every little bit will help me reach my goal.' More than 2,000 people have donated to Vikki's cause who was reportedly due to celebrate her 40th birthday this weekend. Great North Air Ambulance Service said it was 'overwhelmed by the response to Vikki's fundraiser'. A source told the Daily Express: 'Vikki's actions in setting up the page, and everyone's generosity in supporting it, will mean other people can benefit from the care of our team. 'Our thoughts are with all those affected by the tragedy.' Gosforth Park First School's headteacher said there will be extra support for staff and pupils in the wake of the tragedy. A six-year-old pupil was killed by a falling tree at Gosforth Park first School Police were called to Gosforth Park First School following the death of a youngster Staff and pupils at the Newcastle school have been offered support Leanne Lamb said: 'Our entire school community has been shocked and devastated by the tragic news that one of our pupils passed away during the night, as a result of injuries suffered from a falling tree in the school grounds. 'First and foremost, our thoughts and prayers are with the child's family and friends as they come to terms with this tragic loss. 'As a school and community, we will take the time to mourn and are putting in place extra support for the staff and pupils who are devastated by this incident. 'We would ask that people respect the privacy of the grieving family and the school as we work to understand exactly how this happened.' A spokesperson for Northumbria Police confirmed that an investigation was under way saying: 'Our officers are continuing to support her family and our thoughts are with them at this incredibly difficult time. 'An investigation has been launched with police working in conjunction with the health and safety executive.' Two of the best cigars I smoked in 2013 were Abaddon and Ouroboros, both of which are exclusives made by Skip Martins RoMa Craft Tobac for Blue Havana, a Chicago tobacconist. So when I read that Martin said, in a lot of ways, [Abaddon and Ouroboros are] like the American version of the Wunder|Lust, I knew I had to get my hands on some. Thats easier said than done. Wunder|Lust, introduced in 2016, is made forand exclusive toretailers in Germany (the German prefix wunder means wonder, and the name also plays off the concept of wanderlust). But when I recently found a stateside RoMa sampler that included several Wunder|Lust cigars, I jumped at the chance. Made at the NicaSueno factory in Esteli, the Wunder|Lust recipe includes a Brazilian mata fina wrapper, an Indonesian besuki binder, and undisclosed filler. There are five sizes, each packaged in boxes of 40: Robusto, Petit Belicoso, Gran Corona, Fiorella, and Gran Toro. The later measures 6 inches long with a ring gauge of 52 and, depending on the exchange rate, retails for just under $11 (9.25 in Germany). It has a handsome, understated light blue band over a white ring. Underneath is an oily wrapper with a well-executed cap and a firm feel throughout. While there are a couple prominent veins creating some minor wrinkles and lumps, theres not enough to merit calling the cigar rustic. Once the cap is clipped, the cold draw is moderately stiff. At the foot, the pre-light notes remind me of cinnamon raisin bread. After establishing an even light with a few wooden matches, I find a dry, medium-bodied introductory profile with bready, oaky notes and a white pepper spice. Background flavors include espresso and cinnamon. As the first third turns into the second, RoMa Craft devotees who are used to Nicaraguan power might be surprised as the cigar retreats a bit in terms of strength. There is no retreat in taste, though. The aforementioned flavors still shine through but are now accented by subtle, Cuban-esque floral notes. This makes for a delightful, incredibly tasty experience, and one that remains largely unchanged until the finale. The physical propertieswhile not perfectin no way interfere with my enjoyment of the Gran Toro. The burn requires no touch-ups or relights, but it is also prone to some uneven meandering. The white ash holds firm off the foot, the draw is smooth, and the smoke production is about average. I will resist the temptation to compare and contrast this with Abaddon or Ouroboros. My memoryand a re-read of the reviews I wrote seven years agoseem to suggest this is a very different cigar, though one thats equally enjoyable for different reasons. Im a fan, and Im glad I went out of my way to procure some Wunder|Lust; I suggest you do the same. The Wunder|Lust Gran Toro is worthy of a rating of four and a half stogies out of five. [To read more StogieGuys.com cigar reviews, please click here.] Patrick A photo credit: Stogie Guys The labour unions suspended the strike after a late night meeting with a federal government team. The two major labour groups in Nigeria have suspended their planned nationwide protest scheduled to hold today. The Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) had scheduled September 28 for a nationwide rally to protest increases in the prices of petrol and electricity. They suspended the strike and rally after a late-night meeting with a federal government team at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. They also resolved to review their decision in another two weeks to see if their agreement with the government is being complied with. The suspension of the protest was announced by the minister of labour and employment, Chris Ngige, and contained in a communique signed by all the parties involved in the meeting which ended in the early hours of Monday. Mr Ngige said the unions decided to suspend the strike after fruitful deliberation. "Consequently, the NLC and TUC agreed to suspend the planned industrial action," he said. Speaking on the electricity tariff, Mr Ngige said the parties agreed to set up a Technical Committee comprising Ministries, Departments and Agencies of government as well as the NLC and TUC, which will work for a duration of two weeks from today. He said the responsibility of the committee is to examine the justifications for the new policy in view of the need for the validation of the basis for the new cost-reflective tariff as a result of conflicting information from the field. According to him, the technical committee membership is as follows: Chairman: Minister of State Labour & Employment - Festus Keyamo; Minister of State Power - Godwin Jedy-Agba; Chairman, National Electricity Regulatory Commission - James Momoh; SA to Mr President on Infrastructure - Ahmad Zakari; NLC member - Onoho'Omhen Ebhohimhen; NLC member - Joe Ajaero; TUC member - Chris Okonkwo and a representative of electricity distribution companies, DISCOS. Mr Ngige said the committee would also look at the different DISCOs and their electricity tariff 'vis-a-vis NERC order and mandate.' On Petrol Mr Ngige said all parties agreed on the need for expanding the local refining capacity of the nation to reduce the overdependence on the importation of petroleum products "NNPC to expedite the rehabilitation of the nation's four refineries located in Port Harcourt, Warri and Kaduna and to achieve 50 per cent completion for Port Harcourt by December 2021, while timelines and delivery for Warri and Kaduna will be established by the inclusive Steering Committee," he said. He said the national leadership of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) and Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association (PENGASSAN) will be integrated into the Steering Committee already established by the corporation. "The Federal Government and its agencies to ensure delivery of 1 million CNG/LPG AutoGas conversion kits, storage skids and dispensing units under the Nigeria Gas Expansion Programme by December 2021 to enable the delivery of cheaper transportation and power fuel. A Governance Structure that will include representatives of organized Labour shall be established for timely delivery," he said. General intervention He said the government will facilitate the removal of tax on minimum wage as a way of cushioning the impacts of the policy on the lowest earners. He said the federal government will give the labour unions 133 CNG/LPG-driven mass transit buses immediately and "provide to the major cities across the country on a scale-up basis thereafter to all States and Local Governments before December 2021." He said 10 per cent of the ongoing Ministry of Housing and Finance initiative will be allocated to Nigerian workers under the NLC and TUC. "A specific amount to be unveiled by the federal government in two weeks' time which will be isolated from the Economic Sustainability Programme Intervention Fund and be accessed by Nigerian Workers with subsequent provision for 240,000 under the auspices of NLC and TUC for participation in agricultural ventures through the CBN and the Ministry of Agriculture. The timeline will be fixed at the next meeting," he said. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Nigeria Governance Labour By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. Union speaks Speaking separately after the meeting, the president of the NLC, Ayuba Wabba, and that of the TUC, Quadri Olaleye, confirmed the content of the communique. Mr Wabba also said the technical committee will work out a lasting solution in addressing the electricity tariff including the issue of metering. "Other issues are very clear, palliatives that needed to be extended our members and Nigerians that will cushion the effect of these policies. So it is, therefore, the decision of organised labour as represented here to suspend the action and we are going to convey our CWC to present it to them," he said. PREMIUM TIMES reported how the labour unions threatened to embark on a nationwide protest on September 28, if the federal government fails to revert the prices of fuel and electricity tariff. The removal of the subsidy led to an increase in electricity tariff from about N30.23 to about N62.33 per kWh while the price of petrol increased from about N145 to about N161 per litre. A US judge has temporarily blocked an order which would have banned TikTok from American smartphone app stores. The order , from the administration of Donald Trump, was due to take effect at 11.59pm on Sunday. A more comprehensive ban remains scheduled for November, about a week after the presidential election. The judge, Carl Nichols of the US District Court for the District of Columbia, did not agree to postpone the later ban. US President Donald Trump has signed an order banning the app / AP The ruling followed an emergency hearing on Sunday morning in which lawyers for TikTok argued that the administrations app store ban would infringe on the companys First Amendment rights and do irreparable harm to the business. Earlier this year, US President Donald Trump declared that TikTok was a threat to national security and that it must either sell its US operations to US companies or be barred from the country. TikTok, owned by Chinese company ByteDance, is scrambling to firm up a deal tentatively struck a week ago in which it would partner with Oracle, a huge database-software company, and Walmart in an effort to win the blessing of both the Chinese and American governments. In the meantime, it is fighting to keep the app available in the US. Judge Nichols did not explain his reasoning publicly, instead filing his judicial opinion under seal. TikTok's lawyers argued the ban infringed their first amendment rights / AFP via Getty Images Initially, both the US governments brief in the case and the entire Sunday morning hearing were also due to be sealed, although the court later relented. In arguments to Judge Nichols, TikTok lawyer John Hall said that TikTok is more than an app, since it functions as a modern day version of a town square. If that prohibition goes into effect at midnight, the consequences immediately are grave, Mr Hall said. It would be no different than the government locking the doors to a public forum, roping off that town square, he added, saying this was a time when a free exchange of ideas is necessary heading into a polarised election. TikTok lawyers also argued that a ban on the app would affect the ability of tens of thousands of potential viewers and content creators to express themselves every month and would also hurt its ability to hire new talent. Tiktok lawyers said the ban would prevent users from expressing themselves / Unsplash In addition, Mr Hall argued that a ban would prevent existing users from automatically receiving security updates, eroding national security. Justice Department lawyer Daniel Schwei said Chinese companies are not purely private and are subject to intrusive laws compelling their cooperation with intelligence agencies. The Justice Department has also argued that economic regulations of this nature generally are not subject to First Amendment scrutiny. This is the most immediate national security threat, said Mr Schwei. It is a threat today. It is a risk today and therefore it deserves to be addressed today even while other things are ongoing and playing out. The government schools of the city on Monday were abuzz with activity as around 1,600 students of classes 9 to 12 attended school, the UT education department said. This comes after a week of reopening of schools for academic consultation for classes above 9. The average attendance in the first week was 900, which later dropped to just above 500. However, after the education department issued instructions to all government schools to maintain uniformity in timings, the numbers are encouraging. As per fresh instructions, two sessions were held on Monday9am to 11.30am for board classes 10 and 12, and 12 noon to 2.30pm for classes 9 and 11. Meanwhile, 50% of the teaching staff were called in. Director school education Rubinderjeet Singh Brar said, Our aim is to provide academic consultations to needy students who can attend school with the consent of their parents. Authorities said a third vehicle hit three people two standing behind the Nissan, and the third, the driver of the Chrysler, who was standing in front of the Nissan. The driver of the third vehicle fled the scene. By Trend In a joint statement, 50 political parties of Azerbaijan have condemned a massive military provocation committed by the Armenian Armed Forces against Azerbaijan on Sunday morning, Trend reports. The statement said that the military aggression organized by Armenia along the entire frontline targeted servicemen of the Armed Forces of Azerbaijan and civilians living on the frontline areas and their property. "There are reports of civilian and military casualties. Numerous houses and civilian objects were severely damaged." The political parties said Armenia had been ignoring the UN Security Council resolutions for nearly 30 years but had remained unpunished. "In some cases, the UN Security Council resolutions are implemented within a few days. When it comes to Azerbaijan, the resolutions are not being implemented. This double standard approach is unacceptable." The political parties said Armenia's military operations posed a serious threat not only to the security of the region but also to the international community. They urged the OSCE Minsk Group and other international organizations to take immediate political and legal measures against Armenia. -- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz The meeting was held "in complete secrecy." German Chancellor Angela Merkel has secretly visited Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny at the Charite hospital, where the politician is being treated after poisoning. The meeting was held "in complete secrecy," the German edition Spiegel reports. Read alsoNavalny intends to return to Russia mediaThis gesture from Merkel underlines the German government's solidarity with the Russian politician, the report said. "The fact that the Chancellor herself visited the opposition politician should be the key for the Russian government to realize that Berlin will not back down in this case, set to find out the truth," reads the report. Navalny poisoning: Background Questo comunicato e stato pubblicato piu di 1 anno fa. Le informazioni su questa pagina potrebbero non essere attendibili. In its research report, Market Research Future (MRFR), emphasizes that the global wireless electric vehicle charging market 2020 is expected to grow significantly, securing a substantial market valuation and a healthy CAGR over the review period. Drivers and Restraints During the study era, the global wireless EV charging market observed exponential growth. Increasing electric vehicle development is pushing the wireless electric vehicle charging market to expand globally. Growing demand for dynamic electric vehicle charging (DEVC) technology, growing long-distance driving by electric vehicles, increasing demand for environmentally friendly vehicles, and increasing concern for safety in electric vehicles are the main driving factors for the growth of this sector. The augmented cost and energy loss during transmission are acknowledged as the critical impeding factors for the growth of this market. Moreover, growing disposable income from countries such as India, China, Germany, and others, Growing demand for autonomous and semi-autonomous vehicles, rising industrialization, urbanization, and developing economies in emerging countries provide enough opportunities for this sector to expand and grow. Competition between wireless electric vehicle charging manufacturers and government funding for EVs has enabled manufacturers to develop the network across various regions as per government regulations, which is considered one of the critical factors accountable for the growth of this sector. The growing uses of the electric vehicles lithium-ion battery would likely drive the wireless EV charging market during the study period. Segmental Analysis The global wireless electric vehicle charging market is segmented based on the power supply range, charging type, charging station, charging pad, propulsion, vehicle type, application, and region. Based on the charging type, the market has been divided into dynamic and stationary wireless electric charging. Based on the power supply range, the market has been segmented into 20 to < 50 KW, 3 to <7.7 KW, 11to < 20KW, 7.7 to < 11KW), and 50 KW and above. Based on the charging pad, the market has been segmented into the power control unit, based charging pad, and vehicle charging pad. Based on the charging system, the market has been divided into home and commercial charging system. Based on the propulsion type, the market has been bifurcated into the battery and plug-in electric vehicle. Based on the vehicle type, the market has been divided into passenger EV and commercial EV. Based on the application, the market has been bifurcated into OEM and aftermarket. Regional Analysis The geographical overview of the global market has been conducted in four major regions, including the Asia Pacific, North America, Europe, and the rest of the world. Due to the rising demand for environmentally friendly vehicles, North America is expected to rise at a steady pace on the wireless electric vehicle charging market during the forecast period. The presence of key players in this area, such as Plugless Power, WiTricity, Qualcomm, Inc., and HEVO technology, contributes to this market development. In addition, heightened electric vehicle production and sales are expected to drive growth in this region.Owing to the increased production of electric vehicles from China and Japan, the Asia-Pacific is expected to hold the largest market share over the review period. In addition, increased car production and sales are expected to increase demand for the wireless electric vehicle charging market in this area. In addition, rising disposable income from countries like China, India, and other nations, and increasing population, urbanization, and concentrating on reducing vehicle emissions also drives the market. Competitive Analysis The key market players operating in the global market as acknowledged by MRFR are Toshiba Corporation (Japan), Plugless Power (USA), WiTricity (USA), Qualcomm, Inc. (USA), ZTE Corporation (China), ELIX Wireless (Canada), HEVO power (USA), Nission (Japan), Continental AG (Germany), and BMW (Germany). FOR MORE DETAILS https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/wireless-electric-vehicle-charging-market-7214 Advertisement Pet owners in Wuhan have rushed to compete in a high-end dog show with their well-groomed kennels, a sign of life returning to normal in the former coronavirus epicentre despite the pandemic. The Chinese National General Kennel Club, which hosts the most and largest dog grooming shows in the country, held a finalist competition celebrating the post-coronavirus Wuhan in the central Chinese city over the weekend. Pictures show the dogs posing and trotting in front of the judges while mask-donning owners are seen carefully trimming their pets hair, preparing them for the big moment under the limelight. Pet owners in Wuhan have rushed to compete in a high-end dog show with their well-groomed kennels, a sign of life returning to normal in the former coronavirus epicentre despite the pandemic. A woman is seen trimming the hair of a Poodle during the National General Kennel Club branch Competition in Wuhan, Hubei province on September 27 The Chinese National General Kennel Club, which hosts the most and largest dog grooming shows in the country, held a finalist competition celebrating the post-coronavirus Wuhan in the central Chinese city over the weekend China has appeared to have largely contained the coronavirus outbreak while reporting mostly imported cases in recent weeks. A man leads a corgi as peoples wear masks during the National General Kennel Club branch Competition A poodle is pictured at the National General Kennel Club branch Competition on September 27 in Wuhan, Hubei province, China. As there have been no recorded cases of local infection in Wuhan since May, life for residents is returning to normal China has appeared to have largely contained the coronavirus outbreak while reporting mostly imported cases in recent weeks. Wuhan, the city where the contagion was first found, seems to be recovering from the draconian month-long coronavirus lockdown as residents were spotted last month flouting social distancing rules and cramming into a local waterpark. Pet owners in the city were also eager to show off their beloved dogs following the virus outbreak as they were seen joining a high-end kennel grooming competition over the weekend. Pictures show the dogs posing and trotting in front of the judges while mask-donning owners are seen carefully trimming their pets hair, preparing them for the big moment under the limelight A woman wears a mask while leading a dog during the National General Kennel Club branch Competition on September 27 China has appeared to have largely contained the coronavirus outbreak while reporting mostly imported cases in recent weeks..A woman wearing a mask leads a golden retriever during the National General Kennel Club branch Competition People wearing face masks are pictured trimming and brushing their pets hair, making the last-minute preparations for animal contestants before they hopped onto the stage. A man wears a mask while trimming the hair of a dog during the National General Kennel Club branch Competition in the central Chinese city Wuhan on September 27 People wearing face masks are pictured trimming and brushing their pets hair, making the last-minute preparations for animal contestants before they hopped onto the stage. The well-groomed dogs were seen standing next to their equally well-dressed owners while being examined by the judges based on the animals appearance. Since established in 2005, the Chinese National General Kennel Club (NGKC) has been hosting such beauty contests for dogs in cities across the country, including Beijing, Shanghai, Wuhan and Suzhou. The organisation, affiliated with the largest kennel club in the world, the American Kennel Club, has received growing interest and had about 3500 members by 2015, mostly commercial breeders, according to reports. A man wears a mask while trimming the hair of a dog during the National General Kennel Club branch Competition on September 27 Pet owners in Wuhan have rushed to compete in a high-end dog show with their well-groomed kennels, a sign of life returning to normal in the former coronavirus epicentre despite the pandemic A women wears a mask while leading a dog during the National General Kennel Club branch Competition on September 27 The well-groomed dogs were seen standing next to their equally well-dressed owners while being examined by the judges based on the animals appearance. The event comes as thousands of Chinese partygoers have packed out a water park in the city of Wuhan as the former coronavirus ground zero edges back to normal life The organisation, affiliated with the largest kennel club in the world, the American Kennel Club, has received growing interest and had about 3500 members by 2015, mostly commercial breeders, according to reports. The event comes as thousands of Chinese partygoers have packed out a water park in the city of Wuhan as the former coronavirus ground zero edges back to normal life. Pictures in August show the popular Wuhan Maya Beach Water Park being jam-packed by mask-free revellers as they stood shoulder to shoulder in water over the weekend despite the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Dogs are seen being trimmed during the National General Kennel Club branch Competition on September 27 A dog sits in a stroller during the National General Kennel Club branch Competition on September 27. The Chinese National General Kennel Club, which hosts the most and largest dog grooming shows in the country, held a finalist competition celebrating the post-coronavirus Wuhan in the central Chinese city over the weekend The first known cases of COVID-19 emerged in Wuhan late last year, a city of 11 million people, before the virus spread across the world, killing hundreds of thousands and crippling economies. A woman wearing a mask trims the hair of a poodle during the National General Kennel Club branch Competition in Wuhan, Hubei province on September 27 Pet owners in Wuhan have rushed to compete in a high-end dog show with their well-groomed kennels, a sign of life returning to normal in the former coronavirus epicentre despite the pandemic The outdoor amusement park reopened in June after Wuhan gradually lifted a 76-day lockdown and strict restrictions to try and control the spread of the virus. The first known cases of COVID-19 emerged in Wuhan late last year, a city of 11 million people, before the virus spread across the world, killing hundreds of thousands and crippling economies. The lockdown was lifted in April, and there have been no new domestically transmitted cases officially reported in Hubei province, where Wuhan is the capital, since mid-May. To try and boost the local economy, the Hubei government has been offering free entry to 400 tourist sites across the province. China has largely brought its domestic epidemic under control, but sporadic outbreaks and a summer of severe flooding have exacerbated the economic fallout. China has largely brought its domestic epidemic under control, but sporadic outbreaks and a summer of severe flooding have exacerbated the economic fallout. The well-groomed dogs were seen standing next to their equally well-dressed owners while being examined by the judges based on the animals appearance A woman wears a mask while sitting next to her dog during the National General Kennel Club branch Competition The lockdown was lifted in April, and there have been no new domestically transmitted cases officially reported in Hubei province, where Wuhan is the capital, since mid-May. A man leads a dog during the National General Kennel Club show COVID-19 vaccine to be available by early 2021:Health Minister India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, Sep 28: The Union Health Ministry has said that the first COVID-19 vaccine will be available by early 2021. ANI quoted, Union Health Minister, Dr. Harsh Vardhan as saying, research to develop a vaccine is being done expeditiously. There ar at least 3 viable such vaccine candidates that are in the phase of clinical trials right now in the country. We're hopeful that within 1st quarter of 2021 it will be available. WHO chief hails PM's assurance of India's vaccine production prowess to help nations fight COVID-19 Amrinder Singh joins farmers' protest, says 'Pakistan's ISI may take advantage' | Oneindia News Further the ministry also released the 100 year timeline history of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). "Today's a historic day for ICMR. It's an honour for me to release the 100-year timeline of the history of ICMR within its premises today. The contribution of scientists associated with it is commemorated and serves as an inspiration to upcoming scientists," Dr. Harsh Vardhan said For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, September 28, 2020, 17:21 [IST] Two subsidiaries of the Enterprise Group have demonstrated leadership once again with a sterling performance at the 2020 Ghana Insurance Awards held in Accra. The Subsidiaries, Enterprise Life and Enterprise Insurance, emerged Life Insurance Company of the Year and General Insurance Company of the Year respectively. In addition, they also received ICT Leadership awards and Major Loss Award respectively. The awards are a testament to the commitment of the Enterprise Group to excellence and leadership. Jacqueline Benyi, the Managing Director of Enterprise Life Assurance Company said, We thank God for this. We are humbled by the award, recognition as the Life Insurance Company of Year goes to speak to our commitment to excellence and the priority we give to our customers and stakeholders. The Major Loss Award to Enterprise Insurance was a recognition of the companys capacity and financial strength in paying substantial claims in the industry. It is in recognition of Enterprise Insurances strength in Claims Payment that the Global Credit Ratings (GCR) of South Africa in June 2020 upgraded the companys rating from AA- to AA. Commenting on the awards, Ernestina Abeh, the Managing Director of Enterprise Insurance said being named Company of the Year in a competitive insurance industry is indicative of consistent excellence in service delivery and prompt claims payment over the years. The Company of the Year award is a coveted award that means the winner has exhibited excellence in service delivery. Innovation has always been a key driver of our business, the awards received, therefore, assert that our pursuit of excellence in all areas of service delivery has not been in vain. The Ghana Insurance Awards is an annual event to celebrate the very best in the insurance industry cutting across Life, Non-life, Reinsurance, Brokerage, and other intermediaries as well as Health Insurers and Actuarial firms. Dressing for comfort doesn't mean dressing down where a supermodel is concerned - as demonstrated by Kendall Jenner and Hailey Bieber on Sunday night. The duo were seen strutting into Milan airport looking typically glamorous as they prepared to fly home to Los Angeles after Fashion Week. Kendall rocked a baggy sweater with a slashed blue and grey design, with stone sweatpants and white trainers. Departure: Dressing for comfort doesn't mean dressing down where a supermodel is concerned - as demonstrated by Kendall Jenner [pictured] and Hailey Bieber on Sunday night Hailey wore a matching black crop-top and sweatpants combo, flashing her taut waist. She covered up with a neon pink trench. Both ladies carried designer luggage, swept their dark manes back from their features and donned face masks and dark shades. Hailey has been showing off her natural brunette tresses during the annual fashion celebration. Jet set: The duo were seen strutting into Milan airport looking typically glamorous as they prepared to fly home to Los Angeles after Fashion Week. Hailey wore a matching black crop-top and sweatpants combo, flashing her taut waist. She covered up with a neon pink trench Natural beauty: Hailey, 23, was showing off her natural brunette tresses (pictured right with blonde hair in 2018) as she stepped out during Milan Fashion Week on Sunday The former blonde model went makeup free along with her black face mask as she posed for pictures in front of a large billboard of her fronting a Versace perfume campaign earlier in the day. Hailey donned a knee-length black leather coat for the outing which she wore over a black top and matching trousers. The beauty added height to her frame with a pair of open toed heels while she put safety first with a face mask. Hailey also wore a pair of gold necklaces and matching hoop earrings for the outing along with a pair of sunglasses. Outfit: Hailey donned a knee-length black leather coat for the outing which she wore over a black top and matching trousers Billboard: The model put on a stylish display as she posed for pictures in front a large billboard of her fronting a Versace perfume campaign The model, who is the daughter of actor Stephen Baldwin, completed her look by styling her locks into a sleek up-do. Milan Fashion Week is being held as a breakthrough for Italy, seven months on from when the country dealt with the devastating effects of coronavirus. Already several well-known models have been seen in the city, with Irina Shayk and Brad Pitt's girlfriend Nicole Poturalski walking in the BOSS show on Friday. The Biebers are gearing up to celebrate their official second wedding anniversary on September 30 following an informal picnic on September 13 to celebrate the day they got their marriage license in New York. Chiefs in the Dormaa Traditional Area have commended the government of President Akufo-Addo for keeping faith with Dormaaman since assuming office in 2017. At a Durbur of Chiefs at Nkrankwanta in the Dormaa West Constituency on Friday September 25, 2020, Barima Dei Kusi Gyabaah, Dormaa Ankobeahene, speaking on behalf of the Chiefs, said Dormaaman has benefitted immensely from the Akufo-Addo government in terms of government appointees and infrastructure development. "Since your government came into office, you have significantly helped and improved Dormaaman, the Dormaa Ankobeahene said. "The IGP is from Dormaa, the Army Commander is from Dormaa, the Minister of Healh, whom the President told us plays a key role in his government, is from Dormaa, the Brong Ahafo Minister is from Dormaa and Mr. Vice President, your own spokesperson Dr. Gideon Boako, who has been so supportive of you, is also an illustrations son of Dormaa." The Chiefs added that apart from the honour done Dormaaman with these high-profile appointments, the Akufo-Addo government has undertaken a lot of developmental projects for the community since assuming office in 2017. "Apart from these, the government has also done a lot for us. We are benefitting from Free SHS, you have built asphalt roads in Dormaa, Dormaaman is benefitting from the Agric school you have built, recently a police post was opened here." "As for school buildings, you have built a lot in Dormaaman. You have also built a stadium in Dormaa, which is quiet impressive." "This means your government has been very faithful with us," the Chief told Vice President Bawumia, on behalf of his people. While expressing their appreciation to the government, the Chiefs added that Dormaaman is very big, and therefore, requires more development in the area. "Dormaaman is very big; it is made up of Abisem, Bomaa and Dormaa and we have about 5 districts under Dormaa so Dormaaman plays important role in the country. Dormaa is particularly significant in the new Bono Region." "We still have challenges, which we call on the government to continue to support us. Some of our communities lack good roads, and one of our major concern, which we want you to look is the cost of feed for our poultry farmers because poultry is one of the main activities here." The Dormaa Ankobeahene also appealed to natives of Dormaaman, who are appointees of the government to also contribute in developing the community. "I want to say the President gave you these positions so that you can serve the country and also help us." Vice President Bawumia expressed the government's gratitude to the Chiefs and people of Dormaa for their support, and assured them of government's commitment to spread more development to the area. He said, contractors are already on sight constructing and rehabilitating more roads within Dormaaman and the Bono Region in general. He urged them to continue to support President Akufo-Addo and retain him for a second term for him to continue the good works he has started. The Vice President was accompanied by some government officials, including the Bono Regional Minister Evelyn Kumi-Richardson. Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video - The workers through their union leaders accused the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) of frustrating their efforts to get revised salaries - The unionists said the National Assembly and the Treasury approved a kitty of KSh 301 million to increase workers' salaries but the SRC has since refused to effect the payment - They vowed not to negotiate with any government official until the revised salary package was deposited in their accounts - Already patients have started feeling the pinch of the strike with reports indicating one patient has succumbed to the disease after failing to get medical attention Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) workers have downed their tools after failing to strike a deal with the government over implementation of their salary package agreed upon in 2012. Union leaders representing the workers had issued a seven-day strike notice which elapsed on Monday, September 28, thus paving way for the commencement of the go slow. READ ALSO: Baringo: 33-year-old man with 19 children says they are his future source of wealth Kenyatta National Hospital workers have paralysed services at Kenya's largest health facility over implementation of their salary package agreed upon in 2012. Photo: Kenneth Thuruira. Source: UGC READ ALSO: Samburu: Fisi awajeruhi watu 3, amuua mtoto wa miaka 10 The workers' leaders said they would not negotiate with any government official on the return-to-work formula again maintaining they would only respond to a directive effecting implementation of the 2012 salary package agreement. "We are not going to negotiate, what we want is to see the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) writing to Kenyatta National Hospital to effect payment of that money to all affected employees and thereafter the strike will be called off, said Seth Panyako, the Kenya National Union of Nurses (KNUN) secretary-general. READ ALSO: N'Golo Kante: Man United make surprise enquiry for Chelsea midfielder Panyako accused the SRC of declining to harmonise salaries of health workers despite relevant government agencies approving the packages. The unionist said the National Assembly and the Treasury approved a kitty of KSh 301 million to address the plight of health workers but the SRC has refused to harmonise their salaries since 2012. Kenya Union of Domestic, Hotels, Education Institutions, Hospitals and Allied Workers ( KUDHEIHA) led by Kenneth Thuranira said they were prepared to paralyse services at KNH for as long it would take the government to address their issues. Already patients have started feeling the pinch of the strike with reports indicating one patient has succumbed to the disease after failing to get medical attention. Do you have a groundbreaking story you would like us to publish? Please reach us through news@tuko.co.ke or WhatsApp: 0732482690. Contact Tuko.co.ke instantly. My car broke my family - Kenneth Saota | Tuko TV. Source: TUKO.co.ke One result of the decision in the late 1990s to merge the City of Toronto with its four neighbours was that it often took decision-making on community issues out of the hands of local officials. The amalgamation of Toronto, Etobicoke, York, North York and Scarborough in the name of efficiency to create the existing megacity means that 22 years later the Toronto District School Board is hamstrung in its ability to fund solutions for crowded and crumbling schools. Specifically, the TDSB, Canadas largest school board with some 247,000 students, is prevented from collecting education development charges from developers that could be used to help repair and build its schools, many of which are at capacity. Meanwhile, the parallel Toronto Catholic District School Board is allowed to collect such fees to accommodate growth in its system. Theres an obvious problem here. This situation exists because the Harris government created rules restricting boards from collecting development charges if its overall system was below capacity. So while schools in Willowdale might be overflowing as schools across town in Etobicoke or Scarborough had space, no development fees could be charged to pay to create more capacity in Willowdale, or wherever it was needed. The issue has taken on heightened urgency this year. Having enough space and having schools in a state of good repair is vital to creating a safe and productive learning experience for children at any time, but its particularly important during a pandemic, says a new report on the issue by the Broadbent Institute and advocacy groups Progress Toronto and Fix Our Schools. As the report sums up: The COVID-19 pandemic has also shown how inadequate infrastructure can make it hard to keep kids safe: cramped classrooms, lack of proper ventilation (such as windows that open), and the absence of handwashing sinks in classrooms all make preventing the spread of infections extremely difficult. The groups urge the Ford government to level the playing field and allow the TDSB to levy the type of fees that other boards have access to. They also want the province to change the rules so all boards can use the fees for more than just land costs. They should be able to use the money for construction and other capital costs, which was allowed before 1998. The pressure on the TDSB to make space for students is only going to get worse as the city is expected to grow by as many as 1 million people by 2041. How much could the development fees help? The report estimates the board could collect an additional $400 million over the next 15 years. The province does allow the TDSB to appeal for extra funding, but its restricted to just 10 projects annually the same number as much smaller boards. How does that make sense? The TDSB is reasonable in asking for changes in the rules to allow it to create boundaries around populated areas so that education charges could be levied to help plan and pay for community growth there. To apply the same set of rules for communities that are depopulating to areas of the province that are rapidly growing is bad planning, TDSB Trustee Jennifer Story told the Stars Jennifer Pagliaro. Story said crowding in schools means that cafeterias have been converted to classrooms, leaving kids eating lunch on hallway floors. Dedicated rooms for music or art have also been sacrificed. And students are being bused to schools far from their homes. The report points out problems with the provinces argument against changing its rules, specifically that Ontario is requiring the public to pay for growth while also placing a moratorium on school closures. The Ministry of Education says all school boards that dont have access to the development charges can apply for funding to buy land and that the capital funding framework also provides grants to eligible school boards to cover the costs to construct and furnish new schools. Translation: the province will make the decision, not the school boards. Welcome to the new boss; same as the old boss. The 22-year-old skipper of a dinghy that arrived in Majorca on September 12 with 15 migrants onboard has been arrested for alleged smuggling. The suspect has an Algerian Navigation Licence and allegedly belongs to one of the most active trafficking groups operating between Algeria and the Balearic Islands. After questioning the migrants, Police confirmed that the suspect makes regular boat trips from the small town of Dellys on the northern coast of Algeria to the Balearic Islands. Migrants pay 600-1,000 each to travel to Spain and most are arrested and repatriated at the expense of the Spanish Authorities, but many just repeat the process in the hope of starting a new life in Europe. 12 boats with 252 immigrants have arrived from northern Algeria in recent weeks. By Akbar Mammadov Azerbaijans Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Leyla Abdullayeva said on September 27 that racist statements voiced recently by an Armenian military official about Azerbaijanis, reflects policy of Azerbaijanaphobia in Armenia. Commenting on the statement made by Chief of Staff of Armenian Forces, Abdullayeva said: In his statement today, the head of the general staff of the armed forces of the occupying country - Armenia voiced racist statements full of hatred against the Azerbaijani people. She further called on the international community to condemn this racist and chauvinist statement made by an Armenian official. Abdullayeva stressed that such statements in the 21st century demonstrate how far from civilization Armenian officials are. We call on the international community to condemn this racist and chauvinist statement made by an Armenian official, Abdullayeva said. It should be noted that Armenian resumed attacks on Azerbaijani positions along the entire line of contact on September 21, attacking military and civilians. Seven Azerbaijani civilians have been killed and 30 others have been injured during the attacks. Azerbaijan launched a counter-attack operation on September 27. --- Akbar Mammadov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @AkbarMammadov97 Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz Police have been given new enforcement powers to use against people refusing to self-isolate. (AP Photo) Police could visit peoples homes to check they are self-isolating under new coronavirus laws that come into force on Monday. As well as tough fines for failure to self-isolate, new local lockdowns and further restrictions are being applied across the UK. People across England will be legally required to self-isolate from Monday if they test positive for coronavirus or are contacted by the test and trace service. Watch: What are the fines for breaching self-isolation? Find out here If they do not, they risk being hit with new fines starting at 1,000 and increasing up to 10,000 for repeat offenders or serious breaches, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) said. People who test positive for COVID-19 will also be fined if they knowingly provide false information about close contacts to the test and trace service. The DHSC said police will check compliance in the highest incidence areas and in high-risk groups based on local intelligence. High profile and egregious cases of non-compliance will be investigated and prosecuted, while action will be taken on tip-offs from third parties about people who have tested positive but are not self-isolating, the DHSC added. A DHSC spokesman told Yahoo News UK: Local authorities will focus on the principle of encouraging, educating and supporting self-compliance. Where there is clear evidence that someone is not following the rules, the police will determine what follow-up action to take. Read more: Third wave of coronavirus 'entirely possible', government adviser warns Under new rules in England, wedding ceremonies will also be restricted to 15 people. Meanwhile, three more council areas in south Wales will go into local lockdown from 6pm on Monday, the Welsh government has announced. Neath Port Talbot, Torfaen and the Vale of Glamorgan will be covered by the restrictions, which mean people will not be able to enter or leave the areas without a reasonable excuse. Shoppers wear masks in Caerphilly, Wales. The country has announced further local lockdowns. (PA) They will not be able to meet indoors with anyone they do not live with. Story continues Restrictions are already in place in Cardiff, Swansea, Llanelli, Blaenau Gwent, Bridgend, Caerphilly, Merthyr Tydfil, Newport and Rhondda Cynon Taf. It comes after bans on households mixing came into force in Wigan, Stockport, Blackpool and Leeds on Saturday, while stricter rules are already in force across large swathes of north-west England, West Yorkshire, the North East and the Midlands, as well as parts of west Scotland. The new restrictions in three areas of Wales means an estimated 17.8 million people across the UK will be living under additional coronavirus measures by Monday evening, on top of those previously announced. Read more: Pubs, restaurants and cafes contributed to a fifth of COVID-19 infections Health secretary Matt Hancock said: We all have a crucial part to play in keeping the number of new infections down and protecting our loved ones. As cases rise it is imperative we take action, and we are introducing a legal duty to self-isolate when told to do so, with fines for breaches and a new 500 support payment for those on lower incomes who cant work from home while they are self-isolating. These simple steps can make a huge difference to reduce the spread of the virus, but we will not hesitate to put in place further measures if cases continue to rise. Watch: What is the new job support scheme? Coronavirus: what happened today Click here to sign up to the latest news and information with our daily Catch-up newsletter Of the three prominent early Nigerian nationalists, it was perhaps Nnamdi Azikiwe, the great Zik of Africa and a mentor to Kwame Nkrumah who believed in the unity and corporate existence of the nation. The other two, Ahmadu Bello and Obafemi Awolowo at one time or the other expressed their reservations about the unity and oneness of the country. It is on record that Ahmadu Bello described the 1914 amalgamation as a mistake, while Awolowo described Nigeria as a mere geographical expression. At the height of constitutional conferences that paved way for the nation`s independence, Bello was quoted as saying that the north `we are not going to be part of Nigeria again`. The most powerful politician of the north at that time only had a change of mind when Awolowo explained the concept of federalism to the Premier of northern region. I am embarking on this political voyage so that you can truly understand the situation and why after sixty years of independence, despite the abundant human and material resources, Nigeria is still the butt of dirty diplomatic jokes around the globe. The truth of the matter is that the pains, lack of development and turning around like a barber`s chair is self-inflicted. The 1966 coup that destroyed the fine grains of fiscal federalism and replaced it with the most undemocratic unitary system of government is the root cause of our problems. And unless the political elites have the courage to address this issue frontally, the image of a man-child will continue to haunt the nation. It is very unfortunate that the vice president of the nation, Prof Yemi Osinbajo who as the attorney general of Lagos State took the federal government to court over the creation of local councils, which is a structure of federalism, will now be telling us that he does not understand what people mean by the agitation for restructuring. Let me remind the learned professor of law and those who have similar political mindsets because of the immediate gains of power acquisition that, fiscal federalism is where the various states or regions are given autonomy over their resources and they pay tax to the central government. In the First Republic, it was fifty per cent and so this tokenism called thirteen per cent is an insult. Unless we address the basis of our existence, the echo of the sentiments of Ahmadu Bello shall continue to haunt the nation. Today as we celebrate sixty years of nationhood marked by groping in the dark and making the country, the world capital of the poorest people, we must look inward and tell ourselves the honest truth. Those who are living in denial that everything is alright should continue to swim in the ocean of delusion. We are merely operating democracy without democrats and the dividends of democracy are becoming more elusive every day. If you think I am doing armed chair journalistic speculations, explain to me why the governor of Bornu State is being attacked by the Boko Haram terrorists. It only points out the lie of the federal government that Boko Haram terrorists have been degraded. The primary aim of governance is the welfare and security of the nation. The welfare of the masses existed more on the propaganda of the government and a government that will be hell bent on a school feeding programme gulping billions of Naira during the COVID 19 lockdown when pupils were not in schools. It is only in Nigeria that a state governor as chief security officer cannot control the police. If you stress the logic further, you will discover that our governors are like small emperors. These are elected people who could not conduct free and fair local council elections and the councils are seen as appendages of the government. It had to take the political sagacity of the president for local council allocations to be given to them. I do not support this `feeding bottle` federalism where the central government has to dig a borehole in my village. My dear compatriots, there are too many things wrong with Nigeria. That is why one of the leading oil producing nations of the world cannot have functional refineries and in a mule- like stubbornness, successive governments had turned the so called turn around maintenance of the refineries as conduit pipe to siphon our money. Nigeria is rich, no doubt. But the money is in few hands and we have classical case of mismanagement of the resources. The present crop of leaders are the most insensitive to plague the nation since independence. They are more interested in power acquisition without dispensing democratic dividends. Or put it in another way, the dispensing of democratic dividends is meant for self, family, friends and few cronies. Sycophancy in Nigeria is taken to the totem of professionalism. That is why I keep reminding my colleagues who cry blue murder about the north domestication of power that it has not really benefited the north. Only few northerners are luxuriating from this domestication of power. The majority wallow in poverty and sea of illiteracy. That is why begging is institutionalized in the north. My submission is that Nigeria is beyond a mistake. Nigeria is sick and needs urgent medical attention, and in the lingo of born-again Christians, needs deliverance. If the disease is not cured, we shall continue to hear agitation for balkanization- a la Indigenous People of Biafra, the Oduduwa Republic, the splinter group of Arewa Consultative Forum (North Central Peoples Forum) and the many groups claiming to speak for the Niger Delta People. These groups have lost faith in the nation. The only group still interested in the existence of the nation is the parasitic political elite. That is why the more liberal and nationalistic group should not sit on the fence. They must take the initiative and truly place the nation where it belongs. The members of the Fourth Estate of the Realm must wake up and give the political direction. Enough of weeping, it is time for action. And the place to start is the institutionalization of fiscal federalism and other things will fall into place. All the same, happy birthday to the mistake that is Nigeria. Julius Oweh, a journalist, Asaba, Delta State. 08037768392 McCormick & Company, Incorporated (NYSE:MKC) stock is about to trade ex-dividend in four days. You will need to purchase shares before the 2nd of October to receive the dividend, which will be paid on the 19th of October. McCormick's next dividend payment will be US$0.62 per share, and in the last 12 months, the company paid a total of US$2.48 per share. Looking at the last 12 months of distributions, McCormick has a trailing yield of approximately 1.3% on its current stock price of $191.57. We love seeing companies pay a dividend, but it's also important to be sure that laying the golden eggs isn't going to kill our golden goose! So we need to check whether the dividend payments are covered, and if earnings are growing. See our latest analysis for McCormick If a company pays out more in dividends than it earned, then the dividend might become unsustainable - hardly an ideal situation. Fortunately McCormick's payout ratio is modest, at just 42% of profit. That said, even highly profitable companies sometimes might not generate enough cash to pay the dividend, which is why we should always check if the dividend is covered by cash flow. Thankfully its dividend payments took up just 40% of the free cash flow it generated, which is a comfortable payout ratio. It's encouraging to see that the dividend is covered by both profit and cash flow. This generally suggests the dividend is sustainable, as long as earnings don't drop precipitously. Click here to see the company's payout ratio, plus analyst estimates of its future dividends. Have Earnings And Dividends Been Growing? Businesses with strong growth prospects usually make the best dividend payers, because it's easier to grow dividends when earnings per share are improving. If earnings fall far enough, the company could be forced to cut its dividend. Fortunately for readers, McCormick's earnings per share have been growing at 11% a year for the past five years. Earnings per share are growing rapidly and the company is keeping more than half of its earnings within the business; an attractive combination which could suggest the company is focused on reinvesting to grow earnings further. Fast-growing businesses that are reinvesting heavily are enticing from a dividend perspective, especially since they can often increase the payout ratio later. Story continues Many investors will assess a company's dividend performance by evaluating how much the dividend payments have changed over time. McCormick has delivered an average of 9.1% per year annual increase in its dividend, based on the past 10 years of dividend payments. It's encouraging to see the company lifting dividends while earnings are growing, suggesting at least some corporate interest in rewarding shareholders. Final Takeaway Has McCormick got what it takes to maintain its dividend payments? McCormick has been growing earnings at a rapid rate, and has a conservatively low payout ratio, implying that it is reinvesting heavily in its business; a sterling combination. It's a promising combination that should mark this company worthy of closer attention. So while McCormick looks good from a dividend perspective, it's always worthwhile being up to date with the risks involved in this stock. For example, we've found 1 warning sign for McCormick that we recommend you consider before investing in the business. We wouldn't recommend just buying the first dividend stock you see, though. Here's a list of interesting dividend stocks with a greater than 2% yield and an upcoming dividend. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. 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. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com. Jill Biden is making two stops in Michigan Tuesday to campaign on behalf of her husband, Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden. Biden is scheduled to tour a farm in Central Lake, a village in Antrim County, then attend a voter mobilization event in Traverse City. Biden will be joined by Chasten Buttigieg, a Traverse City native and husband of Democratic primary candidate Pete Buttigieg. I am so excited to welcome my friend @DrBiden to my hometown of Traverse City, Michigan tomorrow. We take the whole Cherry Capital of the World thing very seriously. I hope youre ready, Jill! Chasten Buttigieg (@Chasten) September 28, 2020 The visits are meant to highlight the impact of climate change on farmers and encourage Michigan voters to their ballot early. Last week, bsentee ballots began being sent to the nearly 2.4 million Michigan voters who requested one. Read more: Michigan voters start casting ballots in 2020 presidential election Bidens campaign swing through Michigan is scheduled to take place hours before her husband will debate President Donald Trump in Cleveland, Ohio. The first debate of the 2020 presidential election is scheduled for 9 to 10:30 p.m. Bidens visits take her to two counties Trump won in 2016. Trump won Antrim County by 31 percentage points and Grand Traverse County by 13 percentage points, though a majority of voters in Traverse City did not support him. Two years later, both counties stayed red in Michigans 2018 gubernatorial and U.S. Senate elections. Trump won Michigan by 10,704 votes, the tightest margin in the country and the closest result of a presidential election in Michigans history. Democrats have targeted rural parts of the state in the four years since Trump flipped Michigan, hoping to peel off enough votes in places he won to keep the president from being reelected. The Biden campaign has stepped up its events schedule in Michigan this month. Joe Biden last visited Michigan on Sept. 9. His running mate, U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., stopped in Flint and Detroit on Sept. 22. The former Second Lady was in the state on Sept. 15, when she toured Kids' Food Basket in Grand Rapids and attended an event with military families in Battle Creek. Jill Biden also visited Flint before the March Democratic primary and hosted virtual events supporting her husband. READ MORE ON MLIVE: Jill Biden focuses on veterans issues, food insecurity in West Michigan campaign swing President Donald Trump says hes running for reelection to keep jobs in Michigan Joe Biden meets with Detroit-area steelworkers during campaign swing through Michigan WYOMING, MI After a 2019 roof collapse, the Godfrey-Lee Board of Education is seeking a 30-year, $17.8 million bond in the November general election to restore and renovate Lee Middle/High School. The buildings roof caved in overnight June 5, 2019, destroying seven classrooms and the psychologists office in senior wing. No one was injured. As of the 2019-20 school year, all the affected classrooms were relocated to unused or underutilized space at the school, 1335 Lee St. SW. Now, the district is seeking taxpayer dollars to renovate the building, built in 1923, which school leaders say is in need of modernization. This bond would give a much needed upgrade to Lee Middle and High School that is frankly long overdue, Godfrey-Lee Superintendent Superintendent Kevin Polston told MLive Friday, Sept. 25. Things that a nearly 100-year-old building wasnt built for. The bond proposal would raise taxes by an average of $5.50 per month or $66 per year for the districts average homeowner, officials say. The districts median home value is around $78,000, according to the district website. The estimated millage that would be levied for the proposed bonds in 2021 is 1.67 mills over the prior years levy. This would be $1.67 on each $1,000 of taxable value for 30 years, generating a total of $17,790,000. Along with building new classrooms, the bond would help the district install air conditioning in the building. School leaders say this would make the building more comfortable for learning during the summer months as well as increase air flow in the building for better air quality. There would also be safety and security improvements in the school, including renovations to the fire alarm and fire suppression systems and controlled access to the building. Engineers said the cause of the collapse was the failure at the bearing point of steel bar joists on the buildings west wall, which were corroded over time due to exposure to water. Additional bond improvements proposed include: Four new classrooms to replace those that were lost in the structural collapse Construction of a Community Wellness and Resource Center and a new Media Center, which the public can access $350,000 intended for instructional technology equipment $390,049 intended for furniture for the new classrooms and Media Center and replacing old, worn out furniture With many parts of the renovations intended for public use, Polston called the bond proposal a win-win for students and the community." What weve seen is the investment in schools is also an investment in the community, he said. When there are quality schools and school facilities, that also increases property values and pride in the community. We dont take any requests lightly and want to make good on any investment our community makes. If voters approve the bond proposal on Nov. 3, the design and engineering process for the project would take over a year. Construction would happen in several phases starting in the spring of 2022, with construction set to be completed by the summer of 2023. Godfrey-Lee is the only Kent County school district with a tax proposal on the Nov. 3 ballot. However, voters in Kent Countys Nelson and Solon townships can vote on Montcalm Countys Tri County Area Schools operating millage proposal because its boundaries stretch into Kent and Newaygo counties. The 18-mills the district is seeking authorization to levy applies to non-homestead property, including businesses, second homes and rentals, not primary places of residences. Public schools must levy the 18 mills to receive their full per-pupil funding from the state. The district is asking voters to renew the existing 17.9244 mills for two years, 2021 and 2022 and also to increase it by .0756 mill to collect the full 18 mills for operating purposes. The millage reduction was the result of a Headlee Amendment rollback. If approved, Tri County schools would levy approximately $2,317,000 in 2021 for its students. More on MLive: Bond proposal would give $100M to Saginaw schools for new buildings Ann Arbor voters to decide tax proposal that could raise $160M for affordable housing 40 Day of Early Voting campaign launched as absentee balloting begins A whistleblower inside Amazon sent a message last week to a number of internal company listservs, warning fellow workers that the company is monitoring opposition on those forums. This event is significant both as a show of internal resistance to managements secret spying apparatus as well as for the additional facts that have been brought to light. According to the whistleblower, the companys internal intelligence agency, known as Amazon Global Security Operations, is conducting surveillance operations against the workforce with respect to Whole Foods Market Activism/Unionization Efforts, Internal Communications-Social Listening, Presence of Local Union Chapters and Alt Labor Groups, Presence of Community Organizations, Union Officials, and Social Influencers, according to a report by ViceNews . The whistleblower sent the warning to at least two employee listservs: indigenous@amazon.com and transgender@amazon.com. A listserv is an electronic mailing list, with a common email address that can be used to email all subscribers of a list. The whistleblower listed numerous other listservs that were allegedly being monitored, including the we-wont-build-it@amazon.com, which is a group of workers opposed to the company providing services to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), as well as other groups that are designed for national and ethnic minorities. The whistleblower pointed out that muslims@amazon.com is among the lists being monitored by the company, while christians@amazon.com is not. An account linked to Amazon Human Resources, according to the whistleblower, had subscribed to 78 listservs, which it then used to snoop on workers conversations and monitor opposition. Good day! If you are a moderator or a user of this list, please note that it is being explicitly watched, the anonymous whistleblower wrote. While we may be under the impression that everything we write at Amazon is at least saved somewhere for review, it is important that those on this list know that they are being explicitly watched and processed in a data farming project from GSO, the whistleblower continued, referring to Amazon Global Security Operations. Amazon management responded to the revelations with an official denial that was written in such equivocal corporate doublespeak that it all but acknowledged that the company is spying on its employees. We continually work to improve the Amazon employee experience, and with hundreds of thousands of employees located around the world, we use several methods to gather feedback at scale, wrote Amazon spokesperson Jaci Anderson. The whistleblowers disclosures were reviewed by Recode, a technology news reporting project affiliated with Vox, which concluded that the email account subscribed to the groups in question appears to be linked to a larger data visualization project run by Amazons employee relations team called SPOC (geoSPatial Operating Console), which involves monitoring threats to Amazons operations[.] This latest exposure comes on the heels of revelations that Amazon has been hiring former government agents and police officers to assist in its efforts to spy on its own workforce, and has been conducting spying operations specifically against private social media groups used by Amazon Flex drivers. These company spooks are given titles like Intelligence Analyst and Senior Intelligence Analyst, and their job is to report to management on the threats of industrial actions by workers. In a job listing that surfaced for one of these positions (and was quickly deleted), management wrote that it preferred experience in Intelligence analysis and/or watch officer skill set in the intelligence community, the military, law enforcement, or a related global security role in the private sector. A century ago, the industrial conglomerates hired companies like the infamous Pinkerton National Detective Agency to uncover and suppress efforts to develop collective resistance among workers. Today, the Amazon conglomerate, with the worlds richest man at its head, is developing its own in-house high-tech Pinkerton squads, staffing these operations with veteran agents from the repressive apparatus of the state who have honed their skills in the so-called war on terror. This is a company that has no qualms about invading workers privacy. In 2018, the International Amazon Workers Voice interviewed an injured worker who was stalked and photographed by a private detective, in an effort to falsely downplay the extent of her injury. In the warehouses themselves, workers are subject to constant tracking and surveillance. Clearly, management is frightened by the prospect of organized resistance by the estimated 935,000 Amazon employees worldwide. Amazon was rocked by walkouts and mass absences of workers earlier this year, as workers revolted against managements insistence on keeping workers at their stations without adequate safety precautions or equipment as the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated. Walkouts were often triggered by workers discovering that a coworker had contracted the virus. Amazon whistleblower Jana Jumpp, interviewed in June, had counted more than 1,500 reported cases of the virus among Amazon workers, spread out over 244 locations worldwide. While management refuses to disclose the number of workers who have gotten sick, Jumpp indicated that her statistics were just the tip of the iceberg. It is now known that the company maintained a secret heat map as workers resistance peaked in April, which highlighted which warehouses management spies believed were likely to see worker rebellions. With significant numbers of workers refusing or unable to come into the warehouses in the early stages of the pandemic, management was compelled to announce a $2-per-hour pay raise, together with unlimited unpaid time off, in order to maintain an adequate number of laborers in the warehouses. Once the numbers stabilized in the warehouses, in part due to the mass hiring of tens of thousands more workers, management quickly cancelled these concessions in May. The companys strategy paid off, as it was able to continue operations as competitors floundered and folded. The companys stock soared, together with the wealth of Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, whose net worth has now surpassed $200 billion. The unions, with large financial resources at their disposal and with the backing of the Democratic Party, are indeed waging their own campaign to corral and control workers opposition at Amazon, and some of their activities have been swept up in the companys surveillance net. Thoroughly discredited in the eyes of the working class by decades of sellouts and betrayals, the unions are compelled to operate through various front groups and personalities. A union-backed general strike at Amazon on May 1 failed to generate any substantial interest among workers, much to the embarrassment of the organizers, who had announced the stunt to the press as a historic event. With approximately 500,000 workers in the United States, the union that signs a contract with Amazon will expect to receive a vast and permanent flow of cash in the form of union dues, which the union bureaucrats can use to line their own pockets as well as to fuel the campaigns of Democratic Party politicians. But more importantly, the unions increasingly desperate efforts to gain a foothold at Amazon are driven by a fear in Democratic Party circles that if workers mobilize against the company independently, their struggles will prove more difficult to suppress than if the unions are in charge. There is little doubt that the reports drawn up by company spies regarding the threats to Amazon operations include the efforts by the International Amazon Workers Voice to establish rank-and-file committees among workers at Amazon and throughout the logistics industry. In the jargon of the company spies, these committees are likely categorized as Alt Labor Groups. Controlled by workers themselves and independent of the Democratic Party and the unions, rank-and-file committees are necessary for workers to take effective collective action and to advance their own interests in the midst of the global crisis. The looming threat of dictatorship that accompanies the murderous herd immunity policy of the ruling class, which is mirrored at Amazon by the construction of a repressive surveillance apparatus directed against workers, can only be stopped by the working class, united and mobilized as a class and fighting for socialism. For help setting up a rank-and-file safety committee at your own site, contact the World Socialist Web Sites International Amazon Workers Voice. A Third Positive Case of COVID-19 Identified Within Westside School The Contact Tracing team have been liaising with school staff and the Department of Education. The Contact Tracing Bureau has been in contact with relevant staff members and students and interviewed them in order to ascertain which individuals were identified as close contacts and are therefore required to self-isolate. There is no identified epidemiological link between this positive case and the previous two cases. The latest available information is that 14 individuals (7 staff members and 7 students) have been deemed to have been in close contact with the positive case and all have been instructed to self-isolate. Close contact is defined as close proximity within an enclosed area for a period of time longer than 15 minutes. Students who attend Westside School are advised to attend school as normal if they have not been contacted by the Contact Tracing Bureau. Parents and students are reminded that individuals with COVID symptoms should not attend school. They should stay at home, self-isolate and call 111. Close contacts and siblings of children who have been asked to self-isolate should attend school as normal unless otherwise advised by the Contact Tracing Bureau. Individuals who have specific concerns arising from any of this information are asked to contact the school by emailing This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Seoul, Sep 28 : South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Monday expressed his condolences and offered a public apology over the death of a civil servant in a shooting by North Korean troops, calling it a "regrettable and unfortunate" incident. "Regardless of how the victim went to the North Korean waters, I offer words of deep condolences and consolation to the bereaved family members over their grief," Yonhap News Agency quoted the President as saying. The tragedy should have not occurred despite the Peninsula being divided, he added. This was Moon's first public statement in connection with the case that took place on September 22 just north of the western sea border, known as the Northern Limit Line (NLL). South Korea has continued to locate the body of the 47-year-old fisheries official who was shot and killed by the North Korean troops after he drifted into their waters near the Yellow Sea border between the two sides, reports Yonhap News Agency. While the South has said that the troops burnt the official's body, the North maintains that it was lost in the sea after he was shot. On September 25, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un offered an apology for the "unexpected" and "unfortunate" incident that took place in his country's waters. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Voters in Switzerland have rejected a plan to limit the number of European Union citizens allowed to live and work in their country. The measure was rejected by 61.7 per cent of voters, with 38.3 per cent in favor. All but four of the country's 26 cantons, or states, likewise opposed the plan proposed by the Swiss People's Party, public broadcaster SRF reported. The measures would have given preferential access to jobs, social protection and benefits to people from Switzerland over those from the 27-nation bloc that surrounds it. The government had warned that the measure could further strain the rich Alpine's country's deep and lucrative ties to the EU. Laura Zimmermann, co-president of opposition movement Operation Libero (centre), together with Valentin Vogt, president of the Swiss Employers' Federation, Renato Perlini, campaign manager of Operation Libero, and Stefan Manser-Egli, Co-President of Operation Libero, from left, are pleased with the result of the vote at the meeting of opponents of the popular initiative 'For moderate immigration' in Bern, Switzerland Ms Zimmermann (centre), together with Mr Vogt, Mr Perlini, and Mr Manser-Egli (from left), are pleased with the result of the vote Laura Zimmermann, co-president of Operation Libero, is standing in front of a poster reading 'No. No Switzerland is an island' in Bern, Switzerland It could also have triggered reciprocal disadvantages for millions of Swiss citizens if they want to live or work in the EU. 'Especially at this time, during the difficult economic situation caused by the corona crisis, good relations with our neighbors and with the EU are important,' Justice Minister Karin Keller-Sutter said, welcoming the outcome of the vote. She said Switzerland would continue to pursue a 'bilateral path' with the EU, eschewing membership of the bloc while seeking close economic ties with it. In a nod to the misgivings many Swiss have about the country's big neighbor, Keller-Sutter acknowledged that 'freedom of movement doesn't just have benefits.' 'The Federal Council only wants as much immigration as necessary,' she said. 'That continues to be our goal.' Roughly 1.4 million EU citizens live in the country of about 8.6 million, while around 500,000 Swiss live in EU countries. Marco Chiesa, Swiss People's Party president and State Council, TI, stands in Rothrist, Switzerland for the meeting Some are dual citizens and wouldn't have been affected by any restrictions. In a similar referendum in 2014, the Swiss narrowly voted in favor of limiting EU citizens' freedom to live and work in Switzerland. Lawmakers, however, refused to fully implement that referendum fearing a hefty impact on Swiss society and businesses, prompting the Peoples Party to get the issue back on the ballot again this year. Since the last vote, Switzerland has witnessed the turmoil that Britain's 2016 referendum to leave the European Union has caused, especially for EU citizens in the UK and Britons living on the continent. Britain left the EU in January, but is in a transition period until the end of the year with prospects for a deal on future relations between London and Brussels still uncertain. Voter Yann Grote in Geneva said he didn't approve of further limiting freedom of movement. SSP President and State Councillor Marco Chiesa, TI, on the right, and National Councillor Thomas Matter, BL, speak about the limitation initiative on Sunday, 27 September 'I'm not at all in favor, and even more now, because its not a time to isolate Switzerland,' he said. Elisabeth Lopes agreed. She said: 'I'm a daughter of immigrants, so it is a matter that touches me. 'If Switzerland had to withdraw or reduce these agreements (with the EU), I think we would be the real losers.' In Brussels, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen welcomed the result of the referendum, calling it "a positive signal to continue to consolidate and deepen our relationship." She also urged Switzerland to approve a series of agreements negotiated between the country and the EU in 2018, but not yet ratified. The freedom-of-movement measure was being considered alongside nationwide votes on several other issues. SRF reported that a majority of voters backed plans for paid paternity leave and for the purchase of up to 6 billion francs (about $6.5 billion) worth of new fighter planes by 2030. Voters rejected measures on the right to hunt wolves to keep their population down and on increasing tax breaks for child care. Turnout was higher than in most recent referendums, almost 60% of voters going to the polls or casting their ballots by mail. Every now and then, I close my eyes and think of a world without journalism. Its a world where you only ever hear or see what politicians or systems want you to. Abuses, cut corners and injustices are invisible, and in that invisibility, they grow. Radios, podcasts, television, social media platforms grow silent on reported accounts of what is happening in your schools, workplaces, town, neighbourhood, city, province or country. Amid a health crisis like the COVID-19 pandemic, governments are not pushed to reveal their data, do not see their policies assessed, critiqued or improved. An independent fact-checked information infrastructure dissolves. With more information than ever at our fingertips, we can become less informed than at any time in recent history. But I dont have to close my eyes to see the effect of this. Local news is fading across North America, a victim of too many things to count in this space. Independent startups have not yet been able to make up the losses. Its possible they never will. Towns around North America have found themselves with no local news source, no one to look in on city hall, school boards, police actions, elections, among many others. Academic and news reports have been outlining the negative consequences of this for years. Over the same years, more and more newspapers, radio stations and digital news startups shut down or are reduced to a shadow of themselves. Recent numbers out of the Pew Research Center show newspapers in the United States have lost half their staff since 2008. News outlets as a whole dropped a quarter in that same time period. Canadian media has also been in stark decline, a loss further threatened, as so many things are, by the economic impact of the pandemic. An industry mired in financial crisis is largely behind Canadian closures and losses. International examples are starker still. Authoritarian regimes across the globe target news outlets, replacing independent reporting with state news. But the human will and spirit is strong and some inspiring work is being done, despite and amid brutal crackdowns in areas like Hong Kong and Belarus, among many others. Truth becomes hard to find and dangerous to publish. Abuses lurk in darkness. When journalism is still, what fills in the silence? Who wins in that scenario? Who loses? As with many things, despite its many losses, we have an astounding luxury in Canada of a vibrant, varied media, particularly in our cities. Content can be confused with journalism, and the journalism absences are hidden in volume, torrents of information, so much that people rightly feel the need to turn off at times. Less obvious in the noisy torrent are the councils not covered, the health and transit systems unscrutinized, policy unchecked, voices of experience muffled, human stories of connection and triumph increasingly untold, the equity gap unseen. Bit by little bit, town by town, we are learning in real time what a world without journalism looks like: Across the world, journalists are threatened, arrested, outlets shuttered, means of communication blocked. Its OK to find journalism irritating at times. Its built as an irritant: it exposes what someone wants to keep hidden. Rail at differences of opinion if you like; not everything will be to your taste. Because it is the first draft of history, delivered by humans, there will be mistakes, which any responsible outlet will look to correct quickly and publicly. Argue against a story angle. Wish there was a different headline at times. Get sick of it all sometimes and go outside and look at the clouds or the trees or the stars. But support it. For the love of your neighbour, city, country, world, understand what fills in the silence and when journalism fades. Support it, whenever and however you can. Osequeda served as spiritual leader for the runners, some of whom hadnt seen the new border wall yet. Until recently, he said, he hadnt really seen the whole thing either, outside of a few pictures on social media. Osequeda said the sight of it immediately reminded him of a prophecy by one of his uncles, who warned years ago of the appearance of a huge black snake across their lands. It hurt my heart. I had a tear in my eye when I saw it, he said. Its not supposed to be there. The black snake, as I call it now, shouldnt be laying there. The peaceful gathering came on the heels of recent protests at the border construction site that resulted in scuffles with federal law enforcement officers and the arrest of two Oodham women. This time, federal officers kept watch from a distance but did not intervene when the two groups met in ceremony at the boundary line. There was no construction activity at the site Sunday morning, but work is progressing swiftly on Presidents Trumps promised wall. Rajasthan BSTC 2020 Result: Rajasthan BSTC result is likely to be released soon by the Department of Elementary Education. Rajasthan Pre D.El.Ed 2020 result will be announced on an online website, predeled.com. Rajasthan BSTC result is likely to be released soon by the Department of Elementary Education. Rajasthan Pre D.El.Ed 2020 result will be announced on an online website, predeled.com. The scorecard consists of subject-wise scores and total score of the candidates. The merit for the same will be revealed on the website as well. Based on the merit list, students will be allotted BSTC seats. Rajasthan BSTC 2020 Result Date (expected): Last year, the BSTC result was released in over a months period. So it is being expected that the result would be released in the 4th week of September. Students have been anticipating their results ever since the exam was conducted. Nearly 7 lakh students appear for Rajasthan BSTC exam, this year as well, around 6-7 lakh students had given the exam. Candidates desiring to get admission in the D.El.Ed course, appear for this exam. BSTC has close to 15,000 seats under it and those seats are allotted after the result of this exam is released. Also read: UP Board Class 10, 12 Compartment Admit Card 2020 released: Know how to download at upmsp.edu.in Also read: UGC NET admit card 2020: Heres how to download hall ticket for Sept 29, 30 and Oct 1 exams How to Check Rajasthan BSTC 2020 Result? The Rajasthan BSTC Result 2020 will be released only in online form at predeled.com in the Rajasthan Pre D.El.Ed Login domain. To check your results, visit predeled.com, you may also click here to be directed to the website. Click on the Link for Rajasthan D.El.Ed result. After clicking on the link, a new Login window will appear before you. Now, either enter your Roll Number or your General Details to access the Login. Click on the Proceed button. The dashboard will open, you can now check your Rajasthan BSTC 2020 Result. Also read: NEET SS Result 2020 Declared: When, where and how to check result @nbe.edu.in STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Students around New York City are returning to in-person learning, and heres what happens if a student contracts COVID-19. Several schools on Staten Island have already had positive coronavirus cases, causing some of the schools to close temporarily. While the Department of Education is taking many precautions including mask-wearing, health screenings, and randomized testing, the virus is still finding its way into school buildings. A positive test result Any student or staff member who tests positive for the virus, regardless of symptoms, will be asked to quarantine for 14 days. City contact tracing teams will then be dispatched to the school to determine any potential spread. Students can only return to school after meeting the following conditions: Receives a positive test AND isolates for 10 days; Presents clearance from a health-care provider AND; Has been symptom-free for 24 hours without the use of medication; Or: Receives a negative COVID-19 test AND; Presents a clearance letter from a health-care provider AND; Has been symptom-free for 24 hours without the use of mediation. Or: Never gets a COVID-19 test AND; It has been at least 10 days since symptoms started AND; Presents a clearance letter from a health-care provider AND; Has been symptom-free for 24 hours without the use of medication. If a student shows symptoms during in-person learning they will be placed in an isolation room where they can be seen by a health-care professional and/or picked up by a guardian. If the city Health Department or Test + Trace determine the student is considered a close contact of a positive case, the student can only return if all the following conditions are met: The student has completed a 14-day quarantine, regardless of symptoms or test results since his or her last exposure to that case. Presents clearance from a health-care provider evaluation. The student has been symptom-free for 24 hours without the use of medication. New Yorkers can find out the number of confirmed positive coronavirus (COVID-19) cases in their childs school by using the states online portal. Related stories: How to check number of coronavirus cases at your childs school First day of school in NYC: So glad to have our students back NYC schools reopening amid coronavirus: How to care for your childs mask NYC schools reopening: Heres what you need to know Safety protocols in NYC schools: What you need to know NYC to bring in 2,000 more educators for the start of school as de Blasio pushes forward with Sept. 21 reopening Coronavirus: How to find ventilation inspection results for your childs school NYC school year delayed; in-person learning to start Sept. 21 Reopening of NYC schools delayed: What you need to know Heres how coronavirus testing will work in NYC schools Coronavirus: How NYC plans to safely reopen schools in fall In a shocking revelation, China has already begun injecting its unproven vaccine to its workers. The unproven vaccines might have harmful side effects as the world struggles to find an effective vaccine. As the world struggles to find an effective vaccine for coronavirus, China has already begun injecting its unproven vaccine to workers at state-owned companies, government officials, vaccine company staff, teachers, supermarket employees and people travelling risky areas abroad. The New York Times reported that the officials are laying out plans to give shots to even more people, citing emergency use, amounting to a big wager that the vaccines will eventually prove to be safe and effective. While the unproven vaccines might have harmful side effects, Dr Kim Mulholland, a paediatrician at the Murdoch Childrens Research Institute in Australia, was quoted as saying, My worry for the employees of the companies is it may be difficult for them to refuse. As a large number of people in China are getting injected with the unproven vaccine, it can be said that none of the people is getting shot on their choice. It is reported that the companies have asked people to sign a non-disclosure agreement before getting injected with the vaccine to prevent them from giving any information to the media. It is not clear how many people in China have received coronavirus vaccines. Sinopharm, a Chinese state-owned company with a vaccine candidate in late-stage trials, has said hundreds of thousands of people have received its shots. Sinovac, a Beijing-based company, said over 10,000 people in Beijing had been injected with its vaccine. Separately, it said nearly all its employees around 3,000 in total and their families had taken it, The New York Times said. Also Read: 23 people killed, over 100 injured in ongoing Azeri-Armenian clashes Also Read: US judge halts Donald Trumps ban on TikTok downloads That [unproven vaccine] has all sorts of negative consequencesThey could be infected and not know it, or they could be spreading the infection because they are relatively asymptomatic if the vaccine partially works, Jerome Kim, head of the International Vaccine Institute, was quoted as saying. While there is a growing concern over China giving the unproven vaccine to its people, Zheng, the health official, told China Central Television that during the winter season, the government might consider expanding the scope of who qualified for emergency use, adding people who work in markets, transportation and the service industry, Times reported. (ANI) Also Read: North Korea warns South Korea against violating sea border in search for officials body "Irreplaceable" books stolen from a London warehouse have been recovered. (Met Police) Twelve people have appeared in court to be sentenced for a series of high-value burglaries including the theft of irreplaceable books insured for 2m. About 200 books were found buried underground in Neamt by Romanian officers on 16 September, the Metropolitan Police said. They were stolen in January 2017 in what police described as a highly sophisticated burglary from a customs clearing warehouse in Feltham, West London. It was one of a string of raids, including another burglary where 500 MacBook computers, 520 iPhones, 240 Samsung tablets and 400 iPads were stolen, with a combined value of 340,000, the court heard. Works by Galileo, Isaac Newton and Francisco Goya were among the books stolen, and are considered irreplaceable and internationally important. The books were worth 2.5m, police said. (Met Police) They were being stored in the warehouse ahead of being sent to Las Vegas for a book auction, but thieves cut holes into the roof and abseiled down to avoid sensors. After finding the books, they packed them off in large bags and escaped the same way they came in, police said. Officers suspected the thieves were part of a Romanian crime group that has been behind other high-value warehouse burglaries in the UK. Watch: More than 1,000 arrests and Class A drugs worth 1m seized as police shut '10%' of county lines The Metropolitan Police worked with the Romanian National Police and Italian Carabinieri to recover the books. Arrests and searches at 45 places in the UK, Romania and Italy were carried out in June 2019. Detective Inspector Andy Durham, from Specialist Crime South, said: These books are extremely valuable, but more importantly they are irreplaceable and are of great importance to international cultural heritage. The investigation continued and ultimately led officers to finding the book haul this month. The Met worked with Romanian and Italian authorities to recover the trove. (Met Police) Due to be sentenced on Thursday are Gavril Popinciuc, Marian Albu, Paul Popeanu, Traian Mihulca, Vasile Paragina, Marian Mamaliga, Victor Opariuc, Daniel David, Narcis Popescu, Ilie Ungureanu, Cristian Ungureanu and Liviu Leahu. Story continues They appeared by video link at Kingston Crown Court on Monday, having pleaded guilty to either conspiracy to commit burglaries, conspiracy to conceal and transfer criminal property, or both. They carried out 12 high-value and well-planned raids between December 2016 and April 2019, mostly targeting premises holding hundreds of expensive items like smartphones and laptops, prosecutor Catherine Farrelly said. The books stolen from Feltham were the primary exception to the groups exploits, she said, because the items stolen were of immense cultural significance. Four of the crime network flew into the UK from Romania, Farrelly said, before driving to the warehouse, cutting holes in the perimeter fencing and then cutting into the buildings skylights shortly after 9pm. The works were recovered from an underground compartment. (Met Police) Daniel David and Victor Opariuc abseiled down, avoiding triggering sensor-based alarms, before taking the books, the court heard. The books were stored in a rented house in Balham, south London, before Marian Mamaliga and Ilie Ungureanu arrived in the UK to pick up the stolen works and leave on the Channel Tunnel in February that year. Eleven other burglaries, a number of which also saw thieves abseil down from the roof, were carried out by the group, with the goods stolen valued at about 2m. Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Monday advised party-ruled states to explore the possibilities of passing legislation under Article 254(2) of the Constitution to negate the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led central governments anti-agricultural laws and prevent grave injustice from being done to farmers. The opposition party is citing the BJP governments move in 2015, when it asked party-ruled states to bring their own laws to override the Land Acquisition Act of 2013 passed during the tenure of the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) to boost infrastructure development. Also read: BJP plans farm outreach to counter Oppns drive Congress president has advised Congress ruled states to explore the possibilities to pass laws in their respective states under Article 254(2) of the Constitution which allows the state legislatures to pass a law to negate the anti-agriculture central laws encroaching upon states jurisdiction under the Constitution, Congress general secretary in-charge of organisation KC Venugopal said in a statement. This would enable the states to bypass the unacceptable anti-farmers provisions in the three draconian Agricultural laws including the abolition of MSP and disruption of APMCs in Congress-ruled states, he added. Also read| Farm bills: Protesters set tractor on fire near India Gate, five arrested The party is in power in three states, Rajasthan, Punjab and Chhattisgarh, and the Union territory of Puducherry. The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government pushed three bills to deregulate agricultural trade, which were passed controversially by Parliament, overriding demands by the Opposition for greater scrutiny and voting. Big farmers groups, particularly in Punjab and Haryana, are protesting against the bills out of concern that deregulation will leave them vulnerable to powerful agribusinesses and in an even weaker negotiating position than before. The reforms have cost the BJP one of its oldest allies, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), which has quit the ruling National Democratic Alliance. The Farmers Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020, the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance, Farm Services Bill, 2020 and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill 2020 seek to liberalise farm trade, enable modern supply chains, allow agribusinesses and farmers to enter into contracts, break interlocked markets and create a seamless commodities trade, currently fragmented. The main provisions of the Farming Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020 allow barrier-free inter-state and intra-state trade of primary agricultural commodities, bypassing notified markets under the Agricultural Produce Market Committees. The bill will enable food traders to buy farmers produce from any market, rather than bind them to the specific markets where they are licensed to operate. Earlier in the day, former Union minister Jairam Ramesh tweeted: As FM Arun Jaitley got states to resort to Article 254(2) of the Constitution to override provisions of 2013 Land Acquisition law, a law hed fully supported as LoP {leader of the opposition} in RS {Rajya Sabha}. States should now follow the same advice to undo the damage caused by the #FarmBills that have become Acts. Many BJP-ruled states, including Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan and Jharkhand had in 2015 expressed their desire to have their own laws to override the Land Acquisition Act of 2013 to enable them to move fast on infrastructure development. None of these states subsequently went ahead to draft their own laws. The Article 254(2) states: Where a law made by the Legislature of a State with respect to one of the matters enumerated in the concurrent List contains any provision repugnant to the provisions of an earlier law made by Parliament or an existing law with respect to that matter, then, the law so made by the Legislature of such State shall, if it has been reserved for the consideration of the President and has received his assent, prevail in that State: Provided that nothing in this clause shall prevent Parliament from enacting at any time any law with respect to the same matter including a law adding to, amending, varying or repealing the law so made by the Legislature of the State. Before coming out with the advisory, the Congress held internal consultations with leaders including Abhishek Manu Singhvi, a lawyer, to explore possible legal recourses for farm bills. Singhvi told the party to ask state governments to pass their own farm bills to negate the clauses of the Centres legislation. While theres is little chance that the bills would be approved by the President, Congress strategists feel such a move by states administered by the party would send a good political signal. Singhvi also pointed to Jaitleys legal arguments on the proposed amendments to the UPA-era land bills and said the Congress should highlight what he had said at that time to turn the tables on the NDA. Senior Supreme Court advocate Sanjay Hegde said in the concurrent list. the state legislation operates to the extent that it is not in conflict with the central legislation. The possibility exists where there is both a state and a central legislation. But when it comes to the question of prevailing, the central legislation prevails. At times, the very presence of a central legislation can negate the states ability to legislate. In the concurrent list, both Centre and state have competence to legislate but in the event of any ambiguity or overlap, the Centre prevails, he added. BJPs national spokesperson Gopal Krishna Agarwal said the APMC act and the local mandis are already within the domain of the state laws under the Constitution, and the Centre has no power to repeal them. They will continue as it is. So, what law does Soniaji wants to pass is not clear. Secondly, MSP is declared by the Centre every year on different commodities on the recommendations of the CACP, (which has representatives from the farmers community) as an administrative order, Central government has already announced MSP for the current year, in parliament, he said. He said the procurement has to be done by respective state governments through the local mandis, so the ball for procurement is already in the court of the states. ... President Donald Trump is considering releasing a new executive order to help more Americans affected by economic devastation caused by the coronavirus pandemic. White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow recently said the Trump administration still had billions of money left under the CARES Act that they plan to release soon or if Congress fails to reach a deal on a new stimulus package this week. The Trump administration's top priority is to provide direct stimulus checks to millions of individuals and PPP loans for businesses across the country. Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, when they testified before Congress, both said that these two programs were the administration's priorities. On Sunday, American Airlines CEO Doug Parker said he is hopeful that Congress will reach a deal within this week and include stimulus aid for the nation's air carriers. There is a threat of job retrenchment set to begin at the end of this week if a stimulus deal is not reached. Parker said: "There's enormous bipartisan support for it. We have Republicans, Democrats, the administration all saying -- knowing that this is the right program, that it makes sense, that indeed it should be extended because airline employees provide critical infrastructure." "We have everyone putting us in every bill they have, we just need the bills to be laws. We need laws, not bills. That's what we're going to do and I'm actually confident we can get it done," he added. The Trump administration is preparing for the worst on the possible voting outcome on any potential stimulus deal this week. Trump, who has been very supportive of the second round of stimulus payments, wants millions of Americans not to suffer amid the economic fallout. In fact, Trump has released a series of executive orders after Congress failed to act on a new stimulus package. He already issued executive orders that expanded the unemployment benefits, a moratorium for house eviction restriction, suspension of payroll taxes, and more. The same scenario could happen if House Speaker Nancy Pelosi continued to refuse to pass a new stimulus bill. There are many hints that Trump has always consider releasing an executive order to help more families. It can be recalled that Republicans asked Powell, when he testified before Congress, if there is a possibility of diverting federal funds to other relief measures. Following that, the White House economic adviser released a statement and said there were billions of dollars left under the CARES Act that can be used for stimulus checks and PPP loans. Possibly, Trump will execute an order for these measures if Congress fails to pass the bill. Reports said Trump had consulted his lawyers for legal and possible ways to divert the unspent $300 billion to stimulus checks. This week is crucial for the candidates. Voters will likely judge them on how they will act on the bill before they go home to their respective states to campaign. Check these out! Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-28 16:08:12|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close SUVA, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- Fijian consumers have been warned against the issue of misleading and bait advertising by businesses on the island nation. According to Fiji Broadcasting Corporation (FBC), the Consumer Council of Fiji (CCF) confirmed on Monday that they have received 119 complaints in relation to misleading and bait advertisement in the last nine months. CCF Chief Executive Seema Shandil said some traders are using sale gimmicks and luring consumers into their stores. Shandil said they have come across cases where sale prices have been put on items that are not available or are in very less quantity. "What we have seen from the complaints that we have received there have been instances where actually customers as soon as the doors of the retail shop or outlet opened, they entered only to be told that the item is not available and it has been sold out so how can that be possible. It however can be concluded that it is a cunning way to get customers into your shop." Advertisers have also been warned that they should be more upfront and honest with consumers at all times and have the right price tags on what is sold on the shelves. The Consumer Council of Fiji is a statutory consumer agency that promotes and lobbies for consumer rights and interests in the island nation. Enditem BAKU, Azerbaijan, Sept. 28 Trend: PACE is extremely concerned by the outbreak of military hostilities between Armenia and Azerbaijan, which puts regional stability at risk, Trend reports with reference to the PACEs statement. We deeply regret the losses of civilian and military lives reported by both parties, said the PACE monitoring co-rapporteurs for Armenia, Boriana Aberg (Sweden, EPP/CD) and Kimmo Kiljunen (Finland, SOC), and those for Azerbaijan, Stefan Schennach (Austria, SOC) and Sir Roger Gale (United Kingdom, EC/DA), in a joint statement. We urge both parties to immediately cease armed hostilities, to de-escalate the situation and to return to the negotiating table in the Minsk Group format. In addition, we urge all other Council of Europe member States to refrain from any actions or discourse that could contribute to the tension and instability in this volatile region. We reiterate that there is no alternative to a peaceful solution to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, the statement said added. As we did in our joint statement in July 2020, when clashes took place along the Armenian-Azerbaijani border, we underscore the explicit obligation incumbent on member States of the Council of Europe that they should resolve the conflicts between them by peaceful means only, they said. The Assembly stands ready to contribute, at the parliamentary level, to creating an environment conducive to peaceful negotiations within the Minsk Group format, they concluded. Armenian armed forces launched a large-scale military attack on positions of Azerbaijani army on the front line, using large-caliber weapons, mortars and artillery on Sept. 27. Azerbaijan responded with a counter-offensive along the entire front. As a result of retaliation, Azerbaijani troops managed to liberate the territories previously occupied by Armenia: Garakhanbeyli, Garvend, Kend Horadiz, Yukhari, Ashagi Abdulrahmanli villages (Fuzuli district), Boyuk Marjanli, and Nuzgar villages (Jabrayil district). Moreover, the positions of the Armenian armed forces were destroyed in the direction of Azerbaijan's Agdere district and Murovdag, important heights were taken under control. Back in July 2020, Armenian Armed Forces violated the ceasefire in the direction of Azerbaijan's Tovuz district. As a result of Azerbaijan's retaliation, the opposing forces were silenced. The fighting continued the following days as well. Azerbaijan lost a number of military personnel members, who died fighting off the attacks of the Armenian armed forces. The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on the withdrawal of its armed forces from Nagorno Karabakh and the surrounding districts. Barrett was paid $28,264.45 by Notre Dame to be an adjunct professor while serving as a federal appeals judge. She said that Notre Dame also paid her for three speeches to alumni for its continuing education program. She said she did not realize that she would be paid for those speeches. That income caused her to exceed the allowable outside income for an appeals court judge by $214 and she returned that amount to the university. For many children throughout Michigan, schools are a haven that provide many basic needs, such as shelter, food, medical care and even love from caring adults. So, what happens when schools are forced to turn to remote online learning due to the COVID-19 pandemic? That doesnt exist anymore," said Mallory DePrekel, CEO of Communities in Schools Michigan, a nonprofit that supports students in districts across the state. Social workers who previously worked in person with students cant gauge to the same extent students' emotional and mental health needs while they are only learning online, Nkenge Bergan, Kalamazoo Public Schools' director of student services, agreed. They also cant scan for bruises or injuries on students who may be experiencing abuse at home, said Bergan, who helps oversee behavior specialists, home support specialists, social workers and nurses working in the district. Adults can see tears welling up in eyes or fear revving up inside when they interact with students in person, Bergan said. Were missing out on those things now, she said. DePrekels site coordinators worked in schools in Lansing, Battle Creek, Ypsilanti, Detroit, Dearborn and Pontiac, helping to meet students' needs or simply offering a hug and loving encouragement, she said. When teachers saw a student in need, they referred them to CIS which would provide everything from mental health check-ins, food, rides to the dentist and hygiene products, DePrekel said. CIS staff also built relationships with students and families and would check in frequently for needs or signs of abuse, she said. School has become this safe haven for kids, DePrekel said. If a kid shows up with a bruised face, theres one more advocate for them. Now seven months into the COVID-19 pandemic -- and since kids were last in school buildings at districts across the state -- the organization still tries to provide necessary services, including social-emotional support, mental health screenings, food, technology, clothing and medical care, DePrekel said. Staff do drive-by drop offs at students' homes, meet kids at public parks or at food distribution sites and even drive them to necessary medical appointments, she said. "Schools are closed. Were not, DePrekel said. But, there are many challenges in doing this work outside the school buildings, DePrekel said. Its more challenging to see signs of abuse or other issues over the phone or video call and response times are slower, she said. You dont know whos in the background who might be hindering them from speaking the truth, DePrekel said of the children. Could be dad or mom in the room next door then when the kid is talking to our site coordinator; theyre not necessarily going to be totally honest. Students arent necessarily safer in schools because COVID-19 is a real threat, and bringing it home to the entire family would be detrimental, too, DePrekel said. The issue is that, with online school, students are losing some of the support they had at school, she said. What the kids are losing is the secretary checking in and saying hello, the CIS site coordinator saying hello and making sure everythings OK and being able to fix it immediately, DePrekel said. Another piece to consider is the sense of belonging that students find in their peers, said Maxine Thome, National Association of Social Workers - Michigan Chapter executive director. For example, LGBTQ students may find friendship and love from gay and lesbian support groups at school, Thome said. They dont have access to that and that can be pretty devastating especially when they dont have a supportive family, Thome said. Many students also are missing out on social interactions with friends, and parents are under more stress than before, Thome said. As stress increases, people become short-tempered, Thome said. When people get angry and theres no place to go with the anger, it comes out against people in the family unit. The question is how to resolve what students are missing, Thome said. She recommends districts open school buildings for socially-distanced meal times so students can see friends and familiar faces among school staff, including teachers, nurses and social workers. Students build valuable relationships with a variety of adults throughout their day at school, Bergan said. Communities in Schools of Kalamazoo is another organization serving students in KPS. Anytime youre serving young people in any way, once you have that relationship with them you know when theyre happy, you know when theyre sneaky, you know when theyre excited, you also know when theyre sad or anxious," Bergan said. Theyre missing out on that engagement; theyre missing out on that relationship of another caring adult that has the opportunity to advocate and intervene on behalf of the child." The pandemic is "exposing the systematic educational and social inequities that (students) have been enduring for too long, DePrekel said. Students' needs arent necessarily different now than when in school, but there are more of them, DePrekel said. It takes more than just a book and an education -- and in this case a computer and an education -- to get kids to graduate, DePrekel said. Students not in school means that some kids are at a heightened risk of dropping out, she said. If theres no one holding them accountable parents, teachers, site coordinators then theyll disengage and eventually drop out of school, DePrekel said. So, its up to us to come up with incentives to keep kids engaged in classrooms. A benefit to the virtual learning environment, however, is that with students learning at home, staff can more easily help the entire family, DePrekel said. Because its virtual, we know the family more than ever, she said. So, its not just pulling Johnny out of class, its pulling Johnny out of class and realizing that Johnny has six siblings that may have been in a different school that we didnt necessarily see. From March 16 through Sept. 17, CIS Michigan handed out 32,184 meals, 3,720 hygiene products like deodorant or tampons, 2,262 books and 2,366 school supplies, DePrekel said. Her CIS staff takes the necessary precautions to prevent the spread of the virus, but they are willing to get into the trenches right away to make sure students are cared for while away from school, she said If were not going to show up at this point in time, when are we going to show up? Weve had a busier summer than ever. We serve more kids than ever. Its just been a crazy year, DePrekel said. To help readers navigate this complicated fall, were pleased to offer you a simpler way to get all of your education news: Our new Michigan Schools: Education in the COVID Era newsletter delivered right to your inbox. To receive this newsletter, simply click here to sign up. Also on MLive: 5 candidates vying for 3, six-year seats on the Kalamazoo School Board Coronavirus outbreaks reported at 29 Michigan K-12 school and 20 colleges; dozens of staff sickened How low-income families are getting help with online learning from this community center Iraqs Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi ordered on Sept. 24 the formation of a committee tasked with overseeing the building of nuclear reactors for research purposes, according to the Iraqi Commission for Control of Radioactive Sources. Electricity shortages have plagued the country for decades due to years of destruction in conflict and rampant corruption claims. The energy shortages were one of the more vocal complaints of last Octobers protests that gripped the country. And Kadhimis injunction now comes amid renewed calls for protests later this week. Why it matters: The committees announcement follows a summit earlier this month in Baghdad between Kadhimi and French President Emmanuel Macron. On his Sept. 2 visit, Macron stressed support for Iraqi sovereignty. Among talking points between the leaders was the possibility of their countries working together on a nuclear project to solve Iraqs electricity shortages. The civil nuclear project would live under the supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and create jobs as well as combat electricity woes, Kadhimi said. Proposals to curb electricity shortages have been rejected by the countrys leaders in the past. A proposal to Iraqs ministerial energy committee was submitted in 2009 to build three power reactors, the head of the authority Kamal Hussein Latif told the Iraqi News agency. They were to be completed in 2019 and would have covered half of the countrys energy demands, but the bid failed. "If it had started building the reactors at that time, Iraq would have now not suffered from a scarcity of electricity production, as well as exporting more oil instead of burning it, Latif said. Latifs priorities now are building a nuclear reactor with strong capacity as well as building an investment hospital near the reactor for storing nuclear medicine. He estimates construction of the reactor will take about five years. The project will also contribute to staffing and training Iraqis and combating the countrys still significant unemployment concerns. But results need to happen fast, Latif suggested. At the beginning of 2030, he said nearly half of Iraqs oil will need to be burned in order to produce electricity as the demand will skyrocket. Whats next: Over one decade later, electricity shortages are still an important piece of alleviating concerns from last Octobers protests that erupted over endemic corruption, high unemployment, decayed public services and foreign interference. The demonstrations that spread throughout the country led to the death of over 600 people and eventually pressured the resignation of the countrys Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi. Baghdad has garnered support from the IAEA in recent years. Iraq has been a member state of the international nuclear watchdog agency since 1959. In 2017, Iraqs deputy minister of higher education and science and technology and the IAEA deputy director-general signed a framework agreement through 2023 that solidified technical cooperation. The framework also identified eight priority areas where the transfer of nuclear technology and technical cooperation would be directed. Know more: Al-Monitor correspondent Adnan Abu Zeed discusses the Iraqi governments serious steps to fight ongoing corruption. BEIJING, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping said Monday that he highly values the unique friendship between China and Cuba and stands ready to help make the two countries good friends, good comrades and good brothers forever. Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks in congratulatory messages exchanged with Raul Castro Ruz, first secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba Central Committee, and Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel to celebrate the 60th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic relations. In his message to Castro, Xi noted that Cuba is the first Latin American country to establish diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China and that bilateral ties have over the past 60 years withstood the vicissitudes of the international situation and grown ever stronger. Political mutual trust between China and Cuba has been continuously deepened and bilateral practical cooperation has yielded fruitful results, Xi said, adding that the two countries have stood together and joined hands to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, which has raised their traditional friendship to a higher level. Stressing that he highly values the unique China-Cuba friendship, Xi said he is willing to maintain close communication with Castro and take the 60th anniversary as an opportunity to help the two countries stay as good friends, good comrades and good brothers forever. In his congratulatory message to Diaz-Canel, Xi said that since the two countries established diplomatic ties 60 years ago, China and Cuba have forged a profound friendship with mutual understanding, mutual trust and mutual support. In recent years, China-Cuba friendly cooperation has been deepening in an all-round way, including active collaboration under the Belt and Road Initiative, which has brought concrete benefits to the people of both countries, Xi noted. In the fight against the coronavirus disease, China and Cuba have stood together and helped each other, writing a new chapter in the friendship between the two peoples, Xi added. He said he attaches great importance to the development of China-Cuba relations, and stands ready to work with Diaz-Canel to continuously deepen political mutual trust and expand practical cooperation in various fields, so as to create more benefits for both countries and their people. For his part, Castro said in the message that Cuba is the first Latin American country to establish diplomatic relations with China and has always maintained sincere friendship with brotherly China, the Communist Party of China and the Chinese people. Cuba thanks China for its firm support and is fully convinced that the 60-year-old friendship between Cuba and China will be passed down from generation to generation and last forever, he added. Diaz-Canel said in his congratulatory message that the close friendship between the two countries has withstood the test of time and both sides have always appreciated each other's achievements in socialist construction as their own. In the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, Diaz-Canel said, both Cuba and China have been committed to unity and cooperation, pooling resources to save lives, taking scientific prevention and control measures, and undertaking international cooperation. Cuba is willing to continuously consolidate the traditional friendship between the two countries and expand bilateral cooperation in various fields, said the Cuban president. On the same day, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang exchanged congratulatory messages with his Cuban counterpart Manuel Marrero. Li said in the message that over the past six decades, China-Cuba relations have enjoyed rapid development and bilateral cooperation has been moving forward in various fields, bringing not only benefits to both countries and their people, but also positive effects to the development of China-Latin America relations. The two countries have shared weal and woe and supported each other in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, further deepening their traditional friendship, Li added. China, Li said, attaches great importance to its relations with Cuba, and stands ready to work with Cuba to continuously carry forward the friendly tradition between the two countries, consolidate political mutual trust, and expand bilateral win-win cooperation and consequent results. He said that China will work with Cuba to build the Belt and Road and push forward anti-pandemic cooperation between the two sides, so as to promote China-Cuba relations in the new era to sound and sustainable development and continuously raise their ties to new levels. For Marrero's part, he expressed his warmest congratulations to China on behalf of the Cuban government and people, adding that Cuba stands ready to deepen economic and trade cooperation with China and bring it to a higher level. Japan Airlines will stop using the the phrase ladies and gentlemen in during in-flight and airport announcements to be more inclusive of trans and non-binary people. From 1 October, JAL will abolish expressions that based on (two types of) sex and use gender-friendly expressions like good morning and good evening, a spokesperson for the airline told AFP. Although the expressions used by the airline are already gender-neutral in Japanese, the mandate will apply to announcements made in other languages. Japan Airlines is the first Japanese airline to adopt this more inclusive approach, and it seems others could follow suit after a spokesperson for rival ANA Holdings told AFP they would study the issue based on comments from our customers. The move follows JALs trial LGBT Ally Charter flight for same-sex partners and their families, which led the airline changing to its rules to extend spouse and family allowances to same-sex partners. Other international airlines have already moved to make their language more LGBT-inclusive. Australias Qantas was among the first when it launched a Spirit of Inclusion initiative in March 2018. The carrier asked employees to refrain from gender-specific words like honey, love and guys, while the terms partner, spouse and parents were preferred above the more exclusionary husband and wife and mum and dad. Air Canada similarly asked its staff to stop using ladies and gentlemen or mesdames et messieurs in October last year, opting for the more inclusive hello everybody or tout le monde. The following year several major US airlines including Delta, JetBlue, United and American Airlines agreed to introduce a non-binary gender option on booking forms. A spokesperson for United said: As part of our commitment to inclusion, we want to ensure all of our customers feel comfortable and welcome no matter how they self-identify, which is why we will begin offering our customers the ability to select the gender with which they most closely identify during the booking process. Customers can now identify themselves as M(ale), F(emale), U(undisclosed) or X(unspecified), corresponding to what is indicated on their passports or ID. Houston region cases increased by nearly 500 cases Sunday, bringing the total to 195,680 people who have been infected with COVID-19 since the beginning of the pandemic. Authorities added 485 cases in Harris County alone, bringing the total to 141,353 cases. Deaths across the Houston region increased by seven to 3,428. Statewide, cases increased by 4,257 to 761,871. There were 40 new deaths reported, making the total Texas deaths 15,763. In other headlines, a southeast Texas father is fighting to see his daughter who is hospitalized at Texas Children's Hospital. Kevin Swearingen's 16-year-old daughter is in the hospital and tested positive for COVID-19, according to Jordan James and Raegan Gibson of 12NewsNow. She's on a ventilator and has her mother by her side, but hospital policy only allows for one visitor for every patient with the virus. That's not one visitor at a timebut one visitor who is the only person who can be in the hospital room, according to the news network. This means that Swearingen is not able to see his daughter even as she fights for her life. Instead, he's sending messages of hope from a nearby parking garage. He's even enlisted the help of state representatives to bring the issue to light, hoping to make a change. In other other headlines, nearly a third of parents in a recent survey say they will not give their children a flu vaccine this year, according to ABC13's Charly Edsitty. A handful of those surveyed by Michigan's C.S. Mott Children's Hospital said they were afraid of taking their children to a healthcare site for the vaccine due to COVID-19. NOTE: The numbers included in this report represent a one-day change in data from Saturday, Sept. 26 through Sunday, Sept. 27. It is still unclear how many of the state's new cases can be attributed to jail inmates from the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. The Houston Chronicle's analysis of COVID-19 case data now includes probable and pending cases. This change is based on interviews with multiple public health officials and epidemiologists, as well as in line with CDC guidelines on reporting. DSHS is now using death certificate data for its counts of COVID deaths, leading some Texas counties to have dramatically higher counts than others and some counties to have higher numbers than state figures. Rafael Nadal began his pursuit of a record-tying 20th men's Grand Slam title with a straight-sets victory at the French Open while Serena Williams made a slow but successful start in her latest bid to equal Margaret Court's all-time mark. Nadal, 34, needs one more Slam to match Roger Federer's record but has described the defence of his Roland Garros crown as the "most difficult ever" given the cold and damp conditions of a tournament delayed four months by the coronavirus pandemic. The second seed defeated Egor Gerasimov, the world number 83 from Belarus, 6-4, 6-4, 6-2 to launch his assault on a 13th French Open title, 15 years after triumphing on his debut. "I am happy, honestly. I did the things that I had to do. I didn't expect much more," said Nadal. "I'm really happy to be back at Chatrier," he told a smattering of the 1,000 fans permitted daily at Roland Garros. "Hopefully it'll be back to normal next year and I'll play in front of the beautiful crowd." The Spaniard is appearing for the first time in Paris without a clay title to his credit and skipped the recent US hardcourt swing over Covid-19 concerns. He smacked 32 winners to just 20 unforced errors to down Gerasimov, one of 31 men entered into his first French Open main draw. "I don't want to make any mistakes. It's a different Roland Garros this year and the weather conditions are very challenging, but we are here to try our best," added Nadal, who faces Mackenzie McDonald in round two. Williams is chasing an elusive 24th Grand Slam title to draw level with Margaret Court's all-time haul, but clay is her least successful surface. An error-prone beginning from the American star left world number 102 Kristie Ahn serving for the first set before the three-time Roland Garros champion prevailed 7-6 (7/2), 6-0. "She played very well in the first set, it wasn't easy for me and she hit a lot of winners," said Williams, playing at the French Open for the 18th time. Story continues "The biggest difference was just confidence. I just need to play with more confidence, like I'm Serena. "So that was it. I just started playing like that. And I love the clay and I started playing like it, opening the court and moving and sliding." Williams, seeded sixth here, has not gone beyond the last 16 in Paris since her defeat to Garbine Muguruza in the 2016 final. Her last major came at the 2017 Australian Open while pregnant. - Medvedev exits early - Fourth seed Daniil Medvedev crashed out in the first round for the fourth year running, losing 6-4, 7-6 (7/3), 2-6, 6-1 to Hungary's Marton Fucsovics. The Russian, runner-up at last year's US Open, became the highest-ranked player to fall so far and has yet to win a match at Roland Garros since his debut in 2017. Italian journeyman Lorenzo Giustino carved out his own place in the headlines when he outlasted France's Corentin Moutet 0-6, 7-6 (9/7), 7-6 (7/3), 2-6, 18-16 in the second longest match in French Open history at six hours and five minutes. The match, held over from Sunday, fell 28 minutes short of Roland Garros' record marathon tie between Fabrice Santoro and Arnaud Clement in 2004. US Open winner Dominic Thiem, the runner-up to Nadal in Paris the past two years, defeated former Slam champion Marin Cilic 6-4, 6-3, 6-3. "My level was good. I was very happy with the way I played from the beginning to the end basically," said Thiem. Having captured his maiden Slam in New York, Thiem is trying to become the only man in the Open era to win his first two majors at successive tournaments. "I really love this tournament, it's by far my best Grand Slam tournament so far," said Thiem, who plays American qualifier Jack Sock in the second round. "I'm from Austria so I know how it is to play in these cold conditions. I love it when it's not too fast." Eighth seed Gael Monfils, the top Frenchman, lost 6-4, 7-5, 3-6, 6-3 to Alexander Bublik. Play on Monday was initially delayed by more persistent rain. Petra Kvitova defeated Oceane Dodin 6-3, 7-5 in the only match to start on time under the new roof on Court Philippe Chatrier. Kiki Bertens overhauled 112th-ranked Ukrainian Katarina Zavatska 2-6, 6-2, 6-0 once conditions improved while Elina Svitolina scrapped past Varvara Gracheva 7-6 (7/2), 6-4. Garbine Muguruza, the 2016 champion, edged past Tamara Zidansek 7-5, 4-6, 8-6 but last year's runner-up Marketa Vondrousova was bundled out 6-1, 6-2 by Polish teenager Iga Swiatek. mw/dj BAKU, Azerbaijan, Sept.28 By Leman Zeynalova Trend: As every regional conflict has its global context and consequences it is a great challenge and commitment for international community to use all available instruments for mitigating the heated situation and for bringing a peaceful solution for people living in the region avoiding a violence and further victims, Jan Fisher, former Prime Minister of the Czech Republic, Member of the Nizami Ganjavi International Center, told Trend. He was commenting on the escalation of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. With growing concerns I monitor current reports coming from Nagorno-Karabakh scared by information about the casualities among civilian persons, said Fisher. The Armenian armed forces committed a large-scale provocation, subjecting the positions of the Azerbaijani army to intensive shelling from large-caliber weapons, mortars, and artillery installations of various calibers in the front-line zone on Sept. 27 at 06:00 (GMT+4). The command of the Azerbaijani Army decided to launch a counter-offensive operation of Azerbaijani troops along the entire front to suppress the combat activity of the Armenian armed forces and ensure the safety of the civilian population. Azerbaijani Defense Minister, Colonel-General Zakir Hasanov said Sept. 27, 2020 that Garakhanbeyli, Garvend, Kend Horadiz, Yukhari Abdulrahmanli villages of Fizuli district, Boyuk Marjanli, and Nuzgar villages of Jabrayil district were liberated. Moreover, the positions of the Armenian armed forces were destroyed in the direction of the Agdere district and Murovdag, important heights were taken under control. The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on the withdrawal of its armed forces from Nagorno Karabakh and the surrounding districts. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @Lyaman_Zeyn AMSTERDAM/LONDON: Unilever NV shareholders approved plans to end the Anglo-Dutch companys dual-headed corporate structure and form a London-based entity, which it says will make dealmaking simpler. The proposal was passed with 99.39% of shares voted, the maker of Dove soap, Surf detergent and Ben & Jerrys ice cream said during an online extraordinary shareholder meeting on Monday in the Netherlands. Unilever wants to unify on Nov. 22, ending 90 years as a hybrid since Britains soap-making Lever Brothers merged with Margarine Unie in the Netherlands. To go ahead the plan must also be approved by investors in Britains Unilever Plc, who are due to vote on Oct. 12. Unilever says its dual structure hampers its ability to conduct acquisitions and disposals quickly, such as the planned sale of its 3 billion euros per year tea business. Such flexibility is key to Unilevers ambition to shift from slow-growing categories into higher-growth areas like premium beauty. Unilever said this will be become even more important as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Unification will put us on a level playing field with other companies and ensure that we are best positioned for future success," Chief Financial Officer Graeme Pitkethly said. Unilever began its push to restructure under previous management after a failed $143 billion takeover approach by Kraft Heinz in 2017. Tax and political considerations thwarted its first attempt to unify in Rotterdam in 2018, with concerns about a 15% Dutch dividend withholding tax and forced selling by some UK shareholders once Unilever was dropped from Britains FTSE 100 index. The current plan will see Unilever Plc shares included in the Dutch AEX. Britains departure from the European Union gives some extra urgency, as a delay beyond this year could mean additional scrutiny from EU and British regulators. Chief Executive Alan Jope said Unilever would press on despite a proposal from a Dutch opposition party to impose an exit tax" if it quits the Netherlands. Jope repeated that the tax proposal, which could cost it up to 11 billion euros, is at an early stage and Unilever believes it would violate international law. However, he said Unilever could always cancel the merger up to the moment of a high court approval hearing if the law were passed. Unilever says such a tax would be a reason to stop the unification. Unilever shares were down 1.5% at 0955 GMT in Amsterdam. Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor Lorraine Kelly has not held back from slamming the anti-lockdown protests that took place in London over the weekend. Speaking on her morning show on Monday, the Scots presenter, 60, ranted to Dr Hilary Jones: 'I was fuming at the weekend! The protests! 'I absolutely would love to take these people by the hand and show them the reality [of COVID-19]!' Livid: Lorraine Kelly has not held back from slamming the anti-lockdown protests that took place in London over the weekend She went on to reference her ITV colleague Kate Garraway, whose husband Derek Draper was struck down with coronavirus months ago and has been in and out of a coma in ICU ever since. 'Wouldn't you like our Kate Garraway to have a wee word with [the protesters] and tell them about the hell she's been living through with her husband!' Lorraine hissed. 'It's absolutely ridiculous and totally irresponsible!' The chat show host was clearly furious at the situation, which saw at least 15,000 demonstrators descend on Trafalgar Square as part of a rally against coronavirus measures in the UK on Saturday. Attendees of the 'We Do Not Consent' rally ditched their masks as they crammed into the London square, despite Metropolitan Police pleading with people to stick to Britain's coronavirus rules. 'Hell!' She went on to reference her ITV colleague Kate Garraway, whose husband Derek Draper was struck down with coronavirus months ago and has been in and out of a coma in ICU ever since [pictured last year] Ongoing: Derek continues to battle coronavirus in hospital [Kate is pictured earlier this month] 'Ridiculous!' At least 15,000 protesters descended on Trafalgar Square and Hyde Park in London as part of an anti-lockdown demonstration on Saturday I'm Too sexy for .... A Mask: Fred and Richard Fairbrass of Right Said Fred were at the anti-lockdown demonstration in Trafalgar Square in London this weekend Crowds, who were also warned violence would not be tolerated, carried placards reading 'is this freedom?' and 'end the crazy rules' as they flocked to protest against restrictions set out by Boris Johnson. Sixteen people were arrested during the demonstration - which later moved to Hyde Park - and nine police officers were injured with two rushed to hospital. Piers Corbyn, 73, brother of former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, was among the crowd alongside conspiracy theorist David Icke, 68, who has made a series of false claims linking COVID-19 to 5G technology. Demonstrators ditched their masks and ignored social distancing as they shouted 'we will win' and waved flags, before police shut them down because crowds 'had not complied with the conditions of their risk assessment'. Trafalgar Square has a maximum capacity of 20,000 people and photographs showed crowds almost filling the area as they stood shoulder to shoulder to protest against Britain's increasingly stricter lockdown rules. Head held high: Kate continued to put on a brave face as she left the Smooth Radio studios in London on Monday Speaking on her morning show on Monday, the Scots presenter, 60, ranted to Dr Hilary Jones: 'I was fuming at the weekend! The protests! I absolutely would love to take these people by the hand and show them the reality [of COVID-19 ]!' Fury: 'Wouldn't you like our Kate Garraway to have a wee word with [the protesters] and tell them about the hell she's been living through with her husband!' Lorraine hissed. 'It's absolutely ridiculous and totally irresponsible!' Skirmishes broke out between protesters and police later in the day, with those in attendance chanting 'shame on you' - shoving at officers as they passed through the crammed crowd. A woman was knocked to the ground as a struggle broke out behind her, while one man chanted with blood pouring out of his head. In a statement, Scotland Yard said the breach had 'put people in danger of transmitting the virus' which voided their risk assessment and left those at the event 'no longer exempt' from restrictions. 'We are now asking those in Trafalgar Square to leave,' the force said. 'Officers will be engaging with crowds and informing them of this development. By leaving now, you can keep yourself safe and avoid any enforcement action being taken by officers.' Meanwhile, Kate admitted on her Smooth Radio show on Friday that she had had another 'tough week' with husband Derek, who remains critically-ill in hospital. Hitting out: Demonstrators ditched their face masks and ignored social distancing measures as they shouted 'we will win' and waved flags, before Metropolitan Police arrived to shut down the event as crowds 'have not complied with the conditions of their risk assessment' Wonder Woman: Kate powered through her Smooth Radio show on Friday, after a 'tough week' with husband Derek who remains critically-ill in hospital The presenter, 53, revealed on GMB on Friday that she had received a message from former Prime Minister Gordon Brown who sent his well wishes to the mother-of-two. Kate thanked the politician and offered viewers an update on her husband's condition, as she admitted it had been a difficult week for the family. She turned to co-host Ben Shephard, 45, and said: 'Tough week with Derek. It has been a tough week.' Later in the show, Lorraine Kelly appeared on screen to discuss what would be coming up on her show, and said: 'I'm sorry to hear it's been a tough week, Kate but we love having you on the telly!' Former lobbyist Derek was hospitalised on March 29 after suffering serious complications from Covid-19 and has remained in intensive care ever since, in a minimally conscious state from which no one knows if he will ever recover. Is it worth it? Skirmishes broke out between protesters and police later in the day, with those in attendance chanting 'shame on you' and shoving at officers as they passed through the crammed crowd Touching: Kate, received a message from former Prime Minister Gordon Brown who sent his well wishes to the mother-of-two Speaking to the Mail On Sunday's YOU magazine about the family's ordeal earlier this month, Kate revealed doctors had warned her Derek wouldn't survive, and expressed her shock at seeing his appearance as his 'worn-out and thin' body struggled to fight the virus. Derek, who she revealed has lost eight stone during the battle, is one of an estimated just five people in the world whose bodies have been damaged so much by Covid. Kate recalled: 'Doctors were saying, "He's not going to make it.' Unable to breathe, he was put into a medical coma to give his lungs a rest. Before he went under, he called Kate and said, "I love you, you've saved my life." A timeline of Derek's coronavirus battle MARCH Kate revealed she and Prince Charles had got 'relatively close' at the Prince's Trust Awards on March 11 - Charles was diagnosed with coronavirus in mid-March. She said: 'Around the 29/30 March, I came home came in and said [to Derek] 'god you look ill.' 'He said he had a headache, numbness in his right hand, and was struggling to breathe, 'I rang Dr Hilary (Jones) and tried to get through, he talked to Derek. He said put me back on, I think you need to call an ambulance' Derek, 52, was taken into hospital on March 30 and remained in an unresponsive condition. APRIL Kate and her children isolated at home after she displayed 'mild symptoms'. Kate said: 'Derek remains in intensive care and is still very ill. I'm afraid it remains an excruciatingly worrying time. 'I'm afraid he is still in a deeply critical condition, but he is still here, which means there is hope.' MAY Kate said: 'The journey for me and my family seems to be far from over as every day my heart sinks as I learn new and devastating ways this virus has more battles for Derek to fight. 'But he is still HERE & so there is still hope.' That month, Kate and her family took part in the final clap for carers She said: 'I'll never give up on that because Derek's the love of my life but at the same time I have absolute uncertainty' JUNE On June 5, Kate revealed Derek is now free from coronavirus but continues to fight against the damage inflicted on his body JULY On July 5, Kate revealed Derek has woken from his coma but he remains in a serious yet critical condition. On July 8, she announced she would be returning to GMB, after being urged by doctors to 'get on with life' during Derek's recovery. She added that Derek had 'opened his eyes' after waking from his coma, but has been told his recovery could take years. On July 13, Kate returned to GMB for the first time since Derek was hospitalised. On July 28, Kate revealed she'd paid an 'extra emotional' first visit to Derek, and admitted she's 'frustrated' by his slow progress. Advertisement For several weeks, the family's only contact with Derek was through hospital staff, so when Kate first saw her husband, she found him unrecognisable. Kate recalled: 'When I finally got to FaceTime him, seeing him unconscious was a big shock. 'He's lost nearly eight stone in weight, a lot of it muscle throughout his body. He looked worn-out, thin and pale with dark circles under his eyes and there were lots of tubes.' Kate contracted coronavirus herself at the same time as Derek, but made a full recovery. Kate contracted coronavirus herself at the same time as Derek, but made a full recovery. Last month, the presenter discussed wanting to donate her blood plasma to Derek in a bid to help him in his battle. The TV host said she she was 'desperately researching anything she could do to help' her husband who remains very sick in hospital. Her GMB co-host Adil Ray, 46, said: 'On the show last week, you would have seen Kate talking about the potential importance of blood plasma transfusions for the treatment of COVID-19 patients. 'That day the number of people offering to donate went up 300 per cent. Kate said: It's a lovely lovely thing. The process which is similar to giving blood, only takes 45 minutes and can be used to help treat patients who aren't producing enough of their own antibodies to fight COVID-19. 'The reason it's popped up, why I was talking about it, was because when Derek first got sick, I was desperately researching anything I could do to help. 'I watched him be consumed by the virus despite all the brilliant efforts of those around trying to help him in the NHS.' She continued: 'I was told at the time, because it was one of the ideas I had, 'what about giving my blood, there are antibodies in my blood because I've had it, will that help?' they said no because the trials for it hadn't really started. 'I started talking about it last week because I found out that now it is being used which is fantastic.' Adil said: 'Kate, I will say this, you're so inspiring at a time like this.' Kate replied: 'I don't know about that, I feel very emotional about it actually, not just the idea that people are coming forward but that it might save lives. Kate revealed she is reluctant to talk about Derek 'every week' on the show as she doesn't want to upset viewers, but was reassured by Adil that she has been 'inspiring.' Kate said Derek 'is very much still with us,' but it is still a 'waiting game'. In July Derek emerged from his deep coma and started showing some signs of consciousness, occasionally opening his eyes. Only a few weeks ago, Kate was finally allowed to visit Derek in hospital. Coronavirus precautions mean the children and Derek's parents haven't been able to yet. She admitted: 'I see him quite infrequently, not as often as I'd wish'. Discussing the moment doctors told her that Derek may never recover, Kate confessed that she threw up in shock. She said: 'We hope and believe he will come out of it, but we just don't know. 'The heart of the family has been ripped out and we don't know if we will ever get it back.' Support: The former PM spoke to Kate on the show Strong: On Friday's GMB, she turned to co-host Ben Shephard, 45, and said - 'Tough week with Derek. It has been a tough week' Giving an update on his condition, she continued: 'At first it was all about Derek's lungs. 'But then his kidneys started failing and he was on dialysis. Now they've realised Covid can affect every cell of the body: most recently Derek's been having problems with his intestines. 'The absorption of food and vomiting are problems and they're trying to work out whether that's because his cells don't produce the enzymes to digest. 'His liver and heart and blood vessels have been affected.' Last month, Kate revealed she paid an 'extra emotional' first visit to Derek, as he continues to slowly recover from COVID-19. Heartbreaking: Kate revealed that doctors had warned her Derek wouldn't survive, and expressed her shock at seeing his appearance as his body struggled to fight the virus The Good Morning Britain presenter also told Ben Shephard that it was 'lovely' to see her partner as (28 July) was his 53rd birthday, but she continues to be 'frustrated' by his slow progress. Kate told Ben: 'I did go and see Derek, he's had a tough couple of weeks, and it's just frustrating. 'It would have actually been his birthday today so I was extra emotional so I was thinking about the day he was born. She added: 'What the doctor said to me was, 'Sometimes, Kate, a day when nothing has gone backwards is a positive'.' Doting mother: Kate and Derek married in 2005, and share daughter Darcey, 14, and son Billy, 11 [pictured in December] As Ben agreed that Derek had 'a stable day,' Kate added: 'It's just I'm desperate for a step forward. It's always lovely to see him and so it's wonderful to have the chance to see him.' Kate and Derek married in 2005, and share daughter Darcey, 14, and son Billy, 11. Earlier this year, Kate took a break from work in order to look after their children in lockdown and be there for Derek. The journalist made a welcome to present Good Morning Britain in July after being away for 14 weeks and has now announced she will be returning to her Smooth Radio show so Derek 'can hear my voice as well as many of the songs we both love.' The broadcaster also confirmed she would be heading back to the Global studios in London to record her show from 10am to 1pm everyday, after her friend Myleene Klass filled in for her. Heartbreaking: Discussing the moment doctors told her that Derek may never recover, Kate confessed that she threw up in shock [pictured in 2008] As she announced her return to the airwaves, Kate acknowledged the frightening circumstances she currently faces, but hopes work will provide a welcome distraction for both herself and her husband. She said to The Sun: 'I'm delighted to be returning to my morning show on Smooth and to my Global family who have been a big support to me. 'Things are still hugely challenging and a long way from being normal, but I'd like to think that this will give Derek yet another opportunity to hear my voice as well as many of the songs we both love. 'My heartfelt thanks go to Myleene Klass who has been brilliantly caretaking the show for me and to all my regular listeners for their messages of support.' Throughout all this, Kate has been holding the fort at home, trying to present a chipper front for the sake of the children. DALLAS Three people were found dead in a motel room in northwest Dallas and police say homicide is suspected. The bodies of the three were found Saturday by the manager of the motel and all three were dead at the scene, according to a news release from police. Police have not released a suspected cause of the deaths, but say they are apparently the result of homicide. No names have been released and police have announced no arrests or suspects. On September 26, 2020, at approximately 12:00 p.m., Dallas Police responded to a call at 10335 Gardner Road, the Super 7 Inn, after the manager found three deceased people inside of a motel room. Dallas Fire and Rescue arrived and pronounced the victims deceased at the scene from apparent homicidal violence. The Homicide Unit responded to the scene, along with the Dallas County Medical Examiner. Dallas Police are asking anyone with information regarding this offense to contact Detective Isom with the Dallas Police Department Homicide Unit at (214) 671-3701, or andrea.isom@dallascityhall.com. Please reference case #171549-2020. A couple from Casa Grande, Arizona, has been detained by police after the shocking discovery of almost 100 dogs on their property. The dogs were recovered from the home by animal control in various states of neglect. Some were deceased. The couple, Lila Kaye Crawford and Michael Anthony Mills, face multiple charges for animal cruelty. Casa Grande Police Department arrived at the residence on Sept. 19 after a citizen requested civil-standby call came in, according to ABC 15. Suspicions were heightened when officers discovered six dead dogs wrapped in towels and shirts bundled on the hood of a car outside the house. The police later shared a press release on Facebook detailing the shocking results of their investigation. Crawford, 49, and Mills, 59, claimed to have 20 dogs inside their 700-square-foot home. Upon entering, officers found 90 dogs, and two additional dead caninesone in a dumpster, and the skeletal remains of the other just outside the home. Only 28 of the surviving animals were in good health. Many were dehydrated, missing fur, and suffering from skin issues, puncture wounds, and various injuries from scuffles with other dogs. All of the animals were heavily covered in feces. Crawford and Mills voluntarily relinquished the dogs at the scene. Animal Control then arrived to crate and transport the neglected animals off to the City of Casa Grande Animal Care and Adoption Center. Casa Grande Police stated that all of the rescued dogs were documented, photographed, and evaluated by a veterinarian before being fed, watered, and bathed. An investigation was started on Sept. 22. The suspects are facing dozens of animal cruelty charges, including neglect/abandonment, failure to provide medical treatment, infliction of physical injury, reckless cruel mistreatment, neglect resulting in serious physical injury, and intentional cruel mistreatment. Crawford and Mills were also allegedly in violation of licensing laws, housing standards, pet limit laws, and mandatory vaccination requirements. Casa Grande Police Departments press release was posted on social media, and many netizens expressed concern for the neglected animals. The post was shared over 1,500 times and has garnered hundreds of comments. Thank all that are involved in the rescue and vet care, bathing, and helping these dogs out of a horrendous situation, one person wrote. You are their advocates. We need a National Registry for Animal Abusers, another said, so they can be tracked to never own another pet It would give everyone in the rescue business and humane society a way to check adopters out. Another added, The people who had these dogs have some kind of mental issues and need to get help besides being charged. If they do not get psychological help, they will just repeat. Sad story all around. We would love to hear your stories! You can share them with us at emg.inspired@epochtimes.nyc Six people, including four Bangladeshis, were arrested along with firearms and explosives from Santiniketan area in south Bengal on Sunday, police said. After preliminary investigations police said that the four were contract killers who were hired to assassinate a politician in Birbhum district. Further investigation is on. We have seized some sharp weapons, at least five country made firearms and some explosives from them. The explosives are being sent for forensic analysis. The six would be produced in the court on Monday, said a senior officer of Birbhum district. The house in which the accused had gathered and were arrested from, is located less than three kilometres from Visva Bharati. While four of the accused are Bangladeshi, two are from Birbhum district, preliminary investigation has revealed. We are investigating, said Shyam Singh, superintendent of police of Birbhum district. This comes in less than 10 days after the National Investigation Agency arrested six alleged Al Qaeda operatives from the adjoining district of Murshidabad on September 19. One more was arrested on Sunday. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-28 20:51:56|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping, along with other leaders of the Communist Party of China and the state, will join representatives from all walks of life in presenting flower baskets to deceased national heroes on the morning of Sept. 30, the Martyrs' Day, according to an official statement released Monday. The event will be held at Tian'anmen Square and live broadcast by the China Media Group, the statement said. Enditem With 250+ papers on COVID-19 and infant feeding since February, researchers are beginning to contribute to the understudied science of breast milk. Since the Covid-19 pandemic struck, headlines have been full of fluids. There are droplets sprayed when we talk or cough, nasal secretions swabbed for testing, and blood checked for antibodies. But some scientists have focused on a different bodily product: breast milk. Unlike the others, milk is a fluid made for sharing. That has raised urgent questions about its safety during the crisis, for mothers feeding babies as well as for milk banks handling donations. When an advisory panel for Australian Red Cross Lifeblood, which manages milk banking as well as blood donation, met in March, there was a lot that was still unknown about Covid-19, Laura Klein, a research fellow with the organization, wrote via email. We didnt know then if the virus could be transmitted through breast milk, as some other viruses, including HIV and cytomegalovirus, can. If the virus lurked in breast milk, should infected mothers give their babies formula instead? There were more unknowns. Did milk banks need to take extra precautions with donations? Did breast milk from previously infected women carry antibodies, and could those antibodies protect babies or maybe other people? With more than 250 papers on Covid-19 and infant feeding published since February, researchers are beginning to answer these questions, while at the same time contributing to the poorly understood field of breast milk science more generally. Theyre discovering that in the time of Covid-19, breast milk is not a fluid to fear. In the early stages of the pandemic, though, governments were highly cautious when it came to breast milk. In China, where the new coronavirus first emerged, a group of physicians and researchers developed an expert consensus on how to handle infected mothers. Published in February, the document said that infected mothers, and even those with suspected infections, should not breastfeed their babies. As the virus spread globally, other countries were similarly cautious. In as-yet unpublished research, a team of researchers including experts from Alive & Thrive, a global organization dedicated to maternal and child nutrition, reviewed guidelines on Covid-19 and newborn care from 33 countries. They found that 49 percent either advised against breastfeeding, or created hurdles such as counseling families on the risks of breastfeeding or requiring a negative swab test first, wrote nutritionist Jennifer Cashin, one of the study authors, by email. Another hurdle to breastfeeding arose in the United States, where the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention initially suggested separating infected mothers from their newborns. If mothers wanted to, they could pump milk for someone else to feed their babies. Although the CDC no longer recommends separation, Cashin said the original stance influenced other countries guidelines. The authors of some of the scientific papers published this spring have also asserted that women with Covid-19 shouldnt necessarily breastfeed. This caution came despite little evidence of danger, wrote University of North Carolina assistant professor and medical anthropologist Aunchalee Palmquist and coauthors in a commentary for the American Journal of Human Biology. Scientists are making recommendations without strong evidence, and many are starting with a problematic assumption, Palmquist wrote in an email namely, that any chance of virus in milk means women should stop breastfeeding. The reality is that its just not that simple. She and others compare the current pandemic to the outbreak of HIV in the 1980s. At the beginning of that pandemic, researchers found the virus in breast milk, and soon infected mothers worldwide were advised not to breastfeed. But breastfeeding is especially critical for infants health in the developing world, where many babies die of diarrhea from unclean water, making formula a risky choice. Because HIV passes to babies through milk only infrequently, avoiding breastfeeding did more harm than good in developing countries, researchers say. Today, the World Health Organization advises that even when mothers have Covid-19, the benefits of breastfeeding substantially outweigh the potential risks for transmission. This recent caution over breast milk stems from the fact that theres still so much about it that we dont know. At the University of California, San Diego, researchers are collecting breast milk at a biorepository for scientific research. Their ongoing work is trying to address a huge range of unanswered questions, said Christina Chambers, a perinatal epidemiologist and professor of pediatrics at the university. For example, how does the nutrient content of breast milk vary? What medications can pass into milk, and which ones are safe for breastfeeding mothers to take? What about cannabis? How do the immune components of a mothers milk change when her baby is sick? With their existing networks, the scientists were well positioned to start answering the question of whether SARS-CoV-2 can spread through the breastmilk of infected women. Earlier case studies had found snippets of the new coronavirus genetic material in breast milk. But by the late spring, no studies had proven that milk held live virus, capable of making a baby sick. Chambers and her coauthors collected milk from 18 women who had tested positive for Covid-19. The volunteers provided breast milk from around the time theyd first tested positive, and many gave repeat samples afterward, amounting to 64 total samples. When the researchers tested the milk for the coronavirus, they found its genetic material in just one of the 64 samples. A donor had collected that milk on the day her symptoms started. But the sample didnt contain any live virus that could have infected someone. The results were published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Jim Thornton, an obstetrician and professor at the University of Nottingham in the United Kingdom who in June coauthored a review of the evidence on mothers transmitting SARS-CoV-2 to newborns, said the lab findings fit with whats happening in the real world. Were certainly seeing very, very few babies who are infected, Thornton said. Its almost certainly safe to breastfeed. The result is reassuring. Still, its not the definitive answer, Chambers said. When it comes to Covid-19, as data evolves, there are surprises everywhere. These 18 women had safe breast milk, but that doesnt prove that the virus can never be present. The researchers plan to repeat their investigation with a larger number of samples, as well as look for antibodies in the milk. Nonprofit milk banks, which provide breast milk to hospitalized premature babies, were initially unsure of what precautions they needed to take. In general, after collecting milk from donors, banks heat the milk to 144.5 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes to kill microbes a process known as Holder pasteurization. It was assumed this process would kill SARS-CoV-2, although some microbes can survive heating. Researchers in Australia set out to answer the question definitively. Klein said that for the study they used frozen donated milk they couldnt give to babies, such as milk from donors who were taking certain medications. They also reached out to some existing donors and asked for a little freshly pumped breast milk. Scientists then spiked the milk samples with live SARS-CoV-2 virus. Some of the infected milk was refrigerated or frozen, to replicate how mothers would store it at home. Other milk underwent Holder pasteurization. Cold storage didnt eliminate the virus, the scientists found but pasteurization wiped it out. The teams findings have been published in the Journal of Pediatrics and Child Health. The results were very much what we expected to see, Klein says. Milk banks around the world use Holder pasteurization because it kills many kinds of viruses, she said, including the coronaviruses that cause SARS and MERS. Based on the new results, We can be confident that pasteurization would kill any amount of virus that might be in donated breast milk in the real world. Before infants start developing their own immune response to viruses and other threats, they receive a sampling of their mothers antibodies to tide them over. These antibodies come first through a mothers placenta, and then in her milk, if she breastfeeds. Most antibodies in milk are a type called secretory IgA. They give babies whats called passive immunity: temporary disease resistance thats replenished with every meal. When the coronavirus pandemic began, doctors and scientists wondered whether mothers whod been infected would pass antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 through their milk that might protect their babies. We needed to know, said Rebecca Powell, a human milk immunologist and assistant professor at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City. The research question was a natural pivot from her recent work studying the immune response in breast milk to seasonal flu. And since her city was the diseases epicenter at the time, potential research participants were all around. Powell began using Facebook to recruit breastfeeding moms who had been infected with Covid-19. So far shes enrolled about 800 donors, and shes following about 600 more volunteers who are at high risk of infection. In a paper thats currently under peer review, Powell and her coauthors tested milk from 15 of those donors for antibodies to SARS-CoV-2. They found antibodies in every one of the samples, Powell says. Powell says its too soon to know how much protection, if any, these antibodies give to breastfeeding infants. But Powell is also interested in the idea of taking these antibodies out of the milk and using them as a treatment for Covid-19. Researchers are already doing something similar involving recovered patients, transferring their antibody-rich blood plasma to those who are sick. She imagines using the antibodies in a respiratory therapy that patients could inhale similar to an asthma treatment, for example sending antibodies right to the site of infection. Secretory IgA antibodies, such as those in milk, are packaged by the body to be extra durable, Powell says. This lets them survive in environments such as the respiratory or digestive tract. In blood, the most common antibodies are a less durable type called IgG. This might make breast milk antibodies a more useful potential therapy than convalescent plasma, Powell speculated. Genevieve Fouda, a pediatric immunologist and associate professor at Duke University in North Carolina, wrote in an email that using breast milk antibodies as a therapy is an interesting, if untested, idea. But it would first be important to fully characterize the function of these antibodies, she said. Can they neutralize the virus? Powell is now looking to answer more questions: What percentage of infected women have antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 in their milk afterward? How long after infection do the antibodies last? What if the mother got sick, and recovered, long before having a baby? The research may reveal whether breast milk is not only safe, but useful in this pandemic. Powell will need a lot of people and their milk to gather enough data. But its doable, she said, because of the huge number of volunteers who have come forward to help with her project. The response was overwhelming, she said. I mean, viral, really. This article was originally published on Undark. Read the original article. Vancouver: Huawei Technologies Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou returned to a Canadian court on Monday to fight her extradition to the United States, where her lawyers argued she only needs to show supporting evidence to add a new allegation of US abuse of process to the case. The scheduled five days of so-called Vukelich hearings will help the judge to ultimately decide whether there is an "air of reality" or possibility that Meng's accusations are valid, and allow the defence to argue the additional allegation. Meng Wanzhou, chief financial officer of Huawei Technologies, on her way to the Supreme Court in Vancouver on Monday. Credit:Bloomberg Meng, 48, was arrested in December 2018 on a warrant from the US charging her with bank fraud for misleading HSBC about Huawei's business dealings in Iran and causing the bank to break US sanction law. Meng, the daughter of billionaire Huawei founder Ren Zhengfei, has said she is innocent and is fighting extradition from her house arrest in Vancouver. Russia reported more than 8,000 new cases of the novel coronavirus, the highest one-day tally since June, as President Vladimir Putin called on citizens to follow measures to prevent its spread. The number of Russian citizens testing positive for COVID-19 reached 8,135 on September 28, the nations coronavirus center reported. This represents the highest one-day increase since June 15. Russia has registered a nearly 75 percent increase in new cases since late August following an easing of restrictions and as children return to school. RFE/RL's Coronavirus Crisis Archive Features and analysis, videos, and infographics explore how the COVID-19 pandemic is affecting the countries in our region. Russia is among several European countries that have experienced a sharp increase in new cases over the past month. Putin told a virtual government meeting on September 28 that the result of our joint efforts to fight the spread of the infection depends on everyone. He said he doesnt want to have to reimpose restrictions that could hurt the economy. Like many other countries, Russia imposed a lockdown on its economy that hurt many businesses, including restaurants and hotels. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin earlier this month called on companies in the nations capital to let more employees work from home to help contain the spread of the virus. The Moscow police are also enforcing the use of masks and gloves in the city's transportation system. Russia has recorded more than 1.1 million cases of coronavirus to date, the fourth-highest globally after the United States, India, and Brazil. Based on reporting by Kommersant and RBK VANCOUVER The Chinese governments involvement in the countrys private sector should cause Canada to think twice about whether it wants to remain in an investment-protection pact with the Asian nation, says a former Canadian ambassador to Beijing. The Foreign Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement (FIPA), signed in 2014 after 20 years of negotiations, is meant to provide access to market and ensure fair treatment to Chinese companies operating in Canada and vice-versa. But Guy Saint-Jacques, Canadas ambassador to China from 2012 to 2016, said Ottawa must now carefully revisit the agreement to see if it poses threats to national security or Canadian business after Beijings new push to have the countrys private sector work more closely with government. (They must) have another look at the FIPA to see whether it still makes sense to have such an agreement in place, Saint-Jacques said. What is the impact of those new rules that are thrown at Canadian companies? After a review the Canadian government could decide withdrawing from FIPA is the best way forward, he said. It should be conducted as part of a broader look by Canada at its China policies, he added. In 2018 Chinas foreign direct investment in Canada made up nearly two per cent of Canadas total such investment. In the meantime Canada made up one per cent of Chinas total foreign direct investment, according to Statistics Canada. Last week during a video conference Chinas leader, Xi Jinping, emphasized the Chinese Communist Party (CPP) wants private business in the country to begin working more closely with the party. The work would particularly involve the United Front Work Department (UFWD), reported state-run news agency, Xinhua. The UFWD is an arm of the CCP tasked with spreading the influence of the party not only within China, but also abroad. Concerns about the departments operations in Canada have increased in recent years with allegations it is involved in the intimidation of Chinese Canadians to support or stay silent about Beijings agenda, and is attempting to influence Canadian society and politics. Saint-Jacques said the new initiatives could mean Canadian firms operating in China are forced to make decisions not in the best interests of their company or shareholders. It could also offer the Chinese government more access to Canadian business and information. Are we sure there is a firewall between the operations of Canadian companies in China and what they are doing here in Canada or other countries? he said. Those are all legitimate questions. The agreement says it was to remain in effect for 15 years when it was signed, but Saint-Jacques said there is likely a way Canada could withdraw much sooner. But the CCPs push to put private business in step with the regime isnt the only thing worrying China-watchers as the party becomes more aggressive in demanding obedience from Chinas public. In recent years it began enforcing existing laws dictating foreign companies must have a CCP committee established within the organization. A 2017 Reuters report said some foreign companies in joint ventures had experienced political pressure to revise the terms of their joint ventures with state-owned partners to allow the party final say over business operations and investment decisions. Margaret McCuaig-Johnston, a former deputy minister who spent years building ties with China, said the Chinese government has always been heavily involved in the countrys private sector but the tightening of the reins even more is concerning. You have to assume that any Chinese company has the partys interests paramount, McCuaig-Johnston said. Our natural resources sectors, I think, are particularly vulnerable because the party is trying to access as much of that as possible. Part of the push includes the application of a corporate social credit system to which all companies in the country and Chinese companies abroad are subject and has been ramped up over the last year. According to a report by the European Chamber of Commerce in China written last year, the system gives companies a ranking based on how well they comply with the government regulations. The report also said in order to comply, companies will be required to transfer company data over to Chinese authorities. The data is likely to include personnel information and technological details. Businesses that dont comply risk sanctions or even blacklisting, it said. But McCuaig-Johnston said the system goes further. It is also meant to quell any dissent by the private sector when it comes to government regulation, ensuring companies are in step with Beijing. Here in Canada, Chinese companies will likely feel the pressure to follow Beijings directions even when staff advise they may not be appropriate in Canada, she said. They wouldnt be able to speak out because their party committee would prevent it, she said. Meanwhile Charles Burton, a China expert and former diplomat with the Macdonald-Laurier Institute, said Canada needs to begin enacting legislation to address Chinas moves, which he said transforms private business into agents of the state. Burton said the actions of the CCP effectively weaponize the countrys private sector. So, the mandate of private firms becomes the partys agenda rather than simply generating profit for the business owner, he said. Burton said Beijing is likely to start deploying smaller companies abroad to further they partys interests while flying under the radar. He said the FIPA agreement with China offers significant benefits to Chinese companies to engage in investments that may ultimately be a threat to Canadian security or sovereignty. Read more about: Like those leaving cults, some people who believe in conspiracy theories like QAnon and Pizzagate can break free from their beliefsEJ DicksonRolling StoneSeptember 23, 2020Jitarth Jadeja is a hirsute man in his early thirties, charming and jovial, speaking with equal effusiveness about economics and his baby niece. Hes an atheist, pro-choice and pro-drug decriminalization, who supported Bernie Sanders in the 2016 primary. He doesnt seem like the kind of guy who would be deeply invested in a dangerous far-right conspiracy theory involving baby-eating Democrats and Hollywood actors. But for two and a half years, he says, thats exactly what he was.Its almost like a drug, he tells Rolling Stone from his parents house in Sydney, Australia. You read a Q drop and he tells you something, and youre like, Whoa dude, thats crazy.a hit of dopamine goes off in your brain, and you have to go in deeper and deeper and deeper in order to get that feeling again. When Q first started posting I felt like, Here is an explanation that, while it doesnt make sense, if it were true explains the situation better than the current explanations Im getting.'QAnon is a loosely connected system of conspiracy theories and unfounded beliefs spawned by Q, an anonymous on forums like 8chan (now 8kun) claiming to have high-end military clearance within the Trump administration. QAnon adherents believe, among other things, in the existence of a deep state cabal of pedophiles and child traffickers led by prominent liberals like the Clintons, and that President Trump is lying in wait to arrest and execute his enemies.Recently, QAnon has gotten a great deal of attention in the media due to QAnon-promoting congressional candidates such as Republican nominees Marjorie Taylor Greene and Lauren Boebert, thus bringing the theory mainstream. It has also been linked to violence, such as the 2019 shooting of a Staten Island mob boss by a QAnon supporter and a Texas woman attacking two strangers with her car earlier this year because she believed them to be child traffickers. President Trump has refused to overtly discredit or reject QAnon ideology, to the delight of believers, whose primary goal is to win Trumps attention.They desperately need a place to put their anger and a way to make sense of the world. Us versus them, the horrible bad guys, is something they all seem to cling to, says cult expert Diane Benscoter, who has spoken to numerous people whose loved ones are involved in QAnon. The doctrine makes it easy to say, Clearly we have to make a stand against this, and it feels really good to believe youre on the side of righteousness and saving children.The mainstreaming of QAnon has also led to the advent of subreddits like r/QAnonCasualties and r/ReQuovery, for family members of QAnon believers to discuss the impact the ideology has had on their lives. Former believers whove extricated themselves have also taken to such subreddits to share their own stories, recounting what drew them in and providing tips and resources for those trying to get their family members out.I was disillusioned with the system, and seeing the system reward corruption, the idea that these people were so corrupt there was nothing they couldnt do wasnt that outlandish to me, says Lem, 26, a computer programmer in Columbus, Ohio.Like Jadeja, Lem did not identify as conservative, and supported Sanders during the 2016 primary; his disgust with the liberal establishment after having seen Sanders passed over for Hillary Clinton at the 2016 Democratic National Convention is what led him to become obsessed with Pizzagate, the antecedent to QAnon, a conspiracy theory suggesting that Clinton and other Democratic operatives were running a child trafficking ring out of the basement of Comet Ping-Pong Pizza in Washington, D.C.Anti-Clinton sentiment stoked by vloggers on YouTube set the stage for him to believe even the most outlandish claims proposed by Pizzagaters. It also helped, he says, that he grew up in an extremely religious Christian Baptist family (He says his father is still an ardent QAnon believer). [Growing] up 18 years in that household played a role into my being primed believing something that was outlandish, he says. [The] fact that you can have that kind of faith in certain things leads you to be open into believing certain things without there necessarily being proof.Another common thread among the stories of former believers on Reddit is a history of mental illness. Jadeja had recently disconnected himself from many of his friends; he was isolated and intensely struggling with depression and undiagnosed bipolar II disorder. Because he was in graduate school, he also had a lot of time on his hands. I was, I guess you could say, a prime candidate for Q to take a hold of me, he says.Ivan*, 26, who asked to be identified by a pseudonym for fear of getting doxxed, was struggling with anxiety and depression when he stumbled on Pizzagate in the subreddit r/cringeanarchy in 2016, right before Trumps election. Though r/cringeanarchy, which would later be banned, was a haven of far-right edgy content, I was politically illiterate, though alienated and embittered, he recalls. Swapping theories about Pizzagate wasnt about politics. It was about team sports. It was about cheering for this side, for Team Right. Scraping together bits of evidence whole cloth to support Pizzagate was not just fun, it was also empowering at a time when he was desperate to feel some semblance of control.Ivan was conscious enough of how deranged his views sounded that he instinctively knew not to mention them to others not, he says, that it would have helped. I distinctly remember that if I read some article about this debunking or fact-checking, I would feel bored. Id feel like, What am I reading here? They are just probably hiding the truth. Its not even worth the attention,' he says. From my own experience, when you get deep enough, any kind of fact-checking, it just flies right through you and you dont really capture the information at all.Benscoter agrees that fact-checking is essentially useless. As difficult as it may be, she urges, those with loved ones deep into QAnon must refrain. To try to make rational arguments is not going to work because theyre not going to think rationally, she says. You can throw rocks in it and try to make cracks, for instance, by asking the other person to consider the possibility that Q may not be who they claim to be. But arguing with a person who is not operating according to logic or reason just makes them stand firmer, she says.Instead, she advises people to try to appeal to their loved ones higher selves. People who get involved in extremist mentality are usually really good people who care deeply about wanting to use their life for something bigger than themselves, she says. She urges loved ones of QAnon believers to approach the conversation by saying something like, I know the reason you care so much about this is because youre a good person and I know you want to do right, but just consider the possibility that you are being lied to, or, It would be a shame if you put all this good sincere energy in something that turns out to be a lie. If they dont immediately argue back fervently, if they stop for a moment, that would be a sign of a crack in their belief system, she says. It may take a long time for such cracks to emerge, but without them believers cant do the difficult work of setting off on the process of self-rediscovery and recovery from the false delusion of Q.It took years for the cracks to emerge for Jadeja, who slowly started to realize that Q drops were laden with logical inconsistencies. A turning point for him was a follower asking Q to get Trump to say the term tippy top as proof of Trumps knowledge of the conspiracy; when Trump did say the phrase during a 2018 Easter egg roll speech, Q believers rejoiced, believing it to be confirmation that Q was real. Jadeja did some research and saw that Trump had said the phrase many times before. Thats when I realized this was all a very slick con, he says.Today he views the rise of QAnon with abject horror, which is compounded by the fact that hed also managed to rope his own father into the conspiracy. (Like Lem, Jadejas father is still a true believer.) Its gone out of control. And it continues to grow out of control. And theyre not going away. Even if Trump loses, theyre not going to go away, theyll just look at it as part of the conspiracy, he says. He sees speaking out about his own involvement with the cult of QAnon as a form of penance even as he worries it may be too late to curb its toxic, potentially lethal influence.Any time you dehumanize any part or segment of the population to such a low level, to the lowest level you can go, people are happy on the opposite side to do the worst against them, he says of QAnon believers views of Trumps enemies. Thats the real danger here not that [QAnon adherents] will get into the Senate. When you frame your opponents [as subhuman], you wont just watch them burn. Youll be happy about it. Trump Calls on US Attorney to Investigate Alleged Ballot Harvesting in Minnesota President Donald Trump on Sept. 28 called for the U.S. Attorney of Minnesota to investigate claims of ballot harvesting that were unearthed by a watchdog group. This is totally illegal. Hope that the U.S. Attorney in Minnesota has this, and other of her many misdeeds, under serious review??? If not, why not??? Trump wrote on Twitter. Trump is referring to an investigation by Project Veritas, a watchdog group that shared video footage of a man they identified as Liban Mohamed bragging about collecting hundreds of ballots for his brother, then-City Council candidate Jamal Osman. Numbers dont lie. Numbers dont lie. You can see my car is full. All these here are absentees ballots. Cant you see? Look at all these, my car is full. All these are for Jamal Osman, the man said in one video recorded in July. The man said in the videos that he was collecting the ballots to help his brother win the special election for the City Council seat representing Ward 6. The election was held the same day as the Democratic primary for Rep. Ilhan Omars (D-Minn.) congressional seat. Ward 6 is part of her district. Minnesota law lets a designated agent return an absentee ballot for a person, but such agents are prohibited from serving more than three absentee or mail voters in one election. Omar Jamal, chair of the Minneapolis-based Somali Watchdog Group, told Project Veritas that he believes Mohamed was working for Omar and Osman. Its an open secret. She will do anything that she can do to get elected and she has hundreds of people on the streets doing that, he said. Conversations that the watchdog group said Jamal secretly recorded allegedly show Mohamed giving instructions to him about how to have someone request a mail-in ballot and have it filled it out. Then, its taken away from the person who voted, the man alleged to be Mohamed said. Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) speaks to reporters during a campaign stop in Minneapolis, Minn., Aug. 11, 2020. (Stephen Maturen/Getty Images) Liban didnt get it [ballots] in a unique way, he just get them the way everybody before him, or even, maybe even after him will do, which is go to the elders, you know, probably, maybe, bait them, and collect, helpto them, and hes helping them, Jamal said. So I think thats the process of collecting from the seniors, from their buildings. A Somali translator also alleged a connection with the purported scheme and Omar while an unnamed source claimed Somalis were traveling to Minneapolis to vote before going back to their real residences elsewhere. Omar is Somali American. A spokeswoman for U.S. Attorney for Minnesota Erica MacDonald didnt answer phone calls on Sept. 28 and her voicemail was full. Representatives for Omar and Osman didnt immediately respond to requests for comment. Hennepin County Attorney Jeff Wojciechowski told a Project Veritas journalist that the ballot harvesting described to him was illegal, and we will be investigating. But the The Hennepin County Attorneys Office said in a statement Monday that it hasnt received any information or cases involving ballot harvesting. The responsibility for investigating those types of matters falls to local police departments, the office said, citing state law. The Minneapolis Police Department said its investigating the allegations. A spokesperson for Secretary of State Steve Simon told The Epoch Times in an emailed statement: Our office does not make determinations of legality, nor do we have investigative authority. Any person who believes they have evidence of unlawful voting activity should alert the County Attorneys Office. Mohamed wrote on Twitter in response to the video, This is not me and my voice Fake news mr @JamesOKeefeIII. James OKeefe is the CEO of Project Veritas. Mohamed later deleted the tweet. In a tweet that was also deleted, Mohamed added, Yall making me more famous Im screaming #BlackLivesMatter. In another post, he told OKeefe: Youre making me more famous buddy and the real story is present [sic] trump 2016-2017 tax returns. Trump said on Sept. 28 that he would win Minnesota because of Omar and law enforcement. He also said that his administration saved Minneapolis, referring to sending the National Guard to quell unrest earlier this year. Omar is one of four progressive female members of the House who have collectively come to be known as The Squad. The president and his supporters have frequently criticized the quartet, which also includes Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) and Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.) Minnesota is a key swing state in the 2020 election. Republican presidential candidates havent won an election in Minnesota since 1972. Trump lost the state to Hillary Clinton in the 2016 election by the thinnest margin since 1984, when Minnesota was the only state not carried by Ronald Reagan. OKeefe wrote on Twitter later on Sept. 28 that more tapes from the Project Veritas investigation would be coming soon. Minnesota state Rep. Steve Drazkowski (R-Mazeppa) filed successful complaints against Rep. Ilhan Omar with the Minnesota Campaign Finance Board for improper use of campaign funds in 2018. In a Sept. 28 news release, Drazkowski said that at the time, members of the Somali community in Minneapolis reached out to him to allege that campaigns connected to Omar were paying for votes. When I first heard these allegations, I was skeptical, Drazkowski said in a statement. But the more that came out, the more troublingly credible it became. Drazkowski said he subsequently contacted law enforcement and Project Veritas. Clearly we needed hard evidence of voter fraud that we could not get by guessing about the red flags of massive voter turnout or the anecdotal testimonies from voters, and now Project Veritas has the evidence, Drazkowski said. Ivan Pentchoukov contributed to this report. Flash A senior official of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and Uzbek Prime Minister Abdulla Aripov agreed on Friday to push for greater achievements in bilateral cooperation. In a phone conversation, Guo Shengkun, Chinese chairman of the China-Uzbekistan intergovernmental committee of cooperation, said that under the strategic guidance of Chinese President Xi Jinping and Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, bilateral relations have reached an unprecedented high level. Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, China and Uzbekistan have been supporting and helping each other and carried out effective cooperation against the pandemic, said Guo, who is also a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and who heads the Commission for Political and Legal Affairs of the CPC Central Committee. He stressed that the two sides should deepen the implementation of the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, fully leverage the China-Uzbekistan intergovernmental committee of cooperation, adapt to the new circumstances as epidemic prevention and control becomes a new normal, and adopt flexible ways to push for greater achievements in bilateral cooperation in various fields. For his part, Aripov, who is the Uzbek chairman of the China-Uzbekistan intergovernmental committee of cooperation, thanked China for its anti-pandemic assistance and expressed his willingness to strengthen the all-round cooperation between the two countries. Ahead of their first debate, President Donald Trump took aim at Democratic rival Joe Biden on health care, accusing the former vice president of wanting to foment uncontrolled immigration by offering free health care to people who dont have legal authorization to be in the country. But Trumps volley missed its mark because Biden has proposed no such thing. Trump repeated the claim in recent days at events in Pennsylvania and North Carolina, where he was trying to blunt criticism of his own record on health care, including his administrations latest attempt to bring down the Obama-era Affordable Care Act. A look at his statements: TRUMP: Now Biden is pledging to give federal health care to illegal aliens, which is decimating Medicare. Just so you understand, we all have heart; we want to help people. But the problem is, when you say that, people that never even thought of coming to the United States say, 'Let's go. We get free education, free medication, free health care. rally Saturday in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. TRUMP: On top of it all, former Vice President Joe Biden promised to give free federal health care to anyone in the world who illegally crosses our border. His plan to provide government health care to illegal immigrants would bankrupt our health care system, collapse our hospitals, and destroy Medicare, while bringing millions and millions of people lured into our country. remarks Thursday in Charlotte, North Carolina. THE FACTS: Biden has not promised to give free federal health care to people lacking legal authorization to be in the United States. Bidens health care plan would provide insurance subsidies to U.S. citizens, legal residents, and the so-called Dreamers, young adults brought to this country as children by their parents, who can now apply for work permits under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program which Trump wants to shut down. But people without legal permission to be here would not be getting free federal health care as Trump asserts. Biden would allow immigrants who are here illegally to buy health insurance policies on the Obamacare markets using their own money, which is a change in federal policy and would remove a prohibition in place currently. It would probably require congressional approval. Thats a far cry from giving it away. ___ EDITOR'S NOTE A look at the veracity of claims by political figures. ___ Find AP Fact Checks at http://apnews.com/APFactCheck Follow @APFactCheck on Twitter: https://twitter.com/APFactCheck Police will patrol "populous places" in Melbourne including parks and check the addresses of people gathered outdoors as they warned they would not hesitate to issue fines of up to $5000 to those breaching coronavirus restrictions. From Monday, Melburnians are allowed to gather outside in groups of five from two households. At the same time the state government has tripled the penalty for unlawful indoor and outdoor gatherings to $4957 for individuals. Victoria's Police Commissioner, Shane Patton. Credit:Chris Hopkins Chief Commissioner Shane Patton said on Monday that police would "very rarely" use discretion when issuing the hefty fine as they vowed to crack down on a spate of illegal parties across Victoria. The use of discretion will be used only in most extreme circumstances and very rarely applied, he said. Residents of eight different cities in Texas have been warned not to use their water supply over concerns that a brain-eating amoeba had infected the water system. A 6-year-old boy died after being infected with the amoeba, which led to an investigation that prompted the warning. According to Houston news station KHOU-TV, 6-year-old Josiah McIntyre was hospitalized in early September and later died after contracting the brain-eating amoeba Naegleria fowleri at either his neighborhood splash pad or a hose at his family home in Lake Jackson, Texas. The notification to us at that time was that he has played at one of our play fountains and he may have also played with a water hose at the home, city manager Modesto Mundo told KHOU-TV. Public health officials later issued a do not use advisory for the water in several cities Lake Jackson, Freeport, Angleton, Brazoria, Richwood, Oyster Creek, Clute and Rosenberg, Texas telling residents that they should only use their water to flush toilets. The notice was later narrowed to Lake Jackson, Texas. According to a news release issued by the Lake Jackson city officials on Saturday, residents are now being urged to boil their water before use. City workers are currently flushing the water system with chlorine, noting that residents may experience taste and odor changes in their drinking water while the process is happening. The process, which city officials say is usually routine and happens twice a year, is expected to continue for 60 days. What is Naegleria fowleri? Naegleria fowleri is a free-living microscopic amoeba thats often referred to as a brain-eating amoeba, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Naegleria fowleri is commonly found in warm freshwater and soil, the CDC says, but it can, on occasion, infiltrate tap water. Naegleria fowleri usually infects people when contaminated water travels up a persons nose, where it then goes to the brain. From there, it causes a condition known as primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAM), which is often fatal. Story continues Using the direct fluorescent antibody (DFA) staining technique, this photomicrograph depicts the histopathologic characteristics associated with a case of ameobic meningoencephalitis due to Naegleria fowleri parasites. Naegleria fowleri infects people when water containing the ameba enters the body through the nose. This typically occurs when people go swimming or diving in warm freshwater places, like lakes and rivers. The Naegleria fowleri ameba then travels up the nose to the brain where it destroys the brain tissue. (Image courtesy CDC/Dr. Govinda S. Visvesvara, 1980. (Photo by Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images). The CDC stresses that people cant get infected with Naegleria fowleri from swallowing water that is contaminated with the amoeba. However, in this situation, its likely that public health officials recommend that people stopped using the water entirely out of an abundance of caution, Dr. Amesh A. Adalja, senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, tells Yahoo Life. How common are Naegleria fowleri infections? This infection is very rare, Dr. Richard Watkins, an infectious disease physician in Akron, Ohio, and a professor of internal medicine at Northeast Ohio Medical University, tells Yahoo Life. Naegleria fowleri infections are so rare, that the CDC has only recorded 34 cases between 2009 and 2018. In those cases, 30 people were infected from recreational water, three people were infected from doing nasal irrigation with contaminated tap water, and one person was infected from tap water used for a backyard slip-n-slide, the CDC says. Naegleria fowleri is less likely to be found in water as temperatures decline, the CDC says, but its still warm right now in Texas and many other Southern parts of the country, Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious disease specialist and professor at the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, tells Yahoo Life. If these amoebas get into a water system, they can still survive this time of year, he says. However, Adalja stresses that this is very rare. Think about how many times people jump into pools and ponds, and dont get infected, he says. This is an amoeba thats everywhere. People get exposed millions of times and we only get a few cases a year. What are the symptoms of PAM? It can take between one and nine days for a person to develop symptoms of PAM, the CDC says. Those symptoms include: Headache Fever Nausea Vomiting Stiff neck Confusion Lack of attention to people and surroundings Loss of balance Seizures Hallucinations The disease often progresses rapidly and usually causes death within about five days, the CDC says. What can people do to stay safe? The biggest thing, per Adalja: You dont want water to go up your nose. If you live in an area where Naegleria fowleri has been detected in the water supply, Schaffner recommends following local health recommendations. But, in general, he says its a good idea for people everywhere to try to avoid getting water in your eyes when you shower, try to avoid getting water up your nose and only use distilled or boiled (and cooled) water for nasal irrigation. If you plan to go swimming, its also important to try to keep water out of your nose. If youre planning to dive into water feet-first, hold your nose, by all means, or use nose plugs, Schaffner says. Read more from Yahoo Life Want lifestyle and wellness news delivered to your inbox? Sign up here for Yahoo Lifes newsletter. Despite the global COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent disruption of international travel, the World Customs Organization (WCO)s Environment Programme has continued to provide support on Environmental issues to its members. Combatting illegal wildlife and forest trade has always been a priority for the WCO and its members, and our support to global Customs community to address this scourge continues amidst the current pandemic", declared Mr. Pranab Kumar Das, Director, Compliance and Facilitation at the WCO. A total of 36 half-day webinars focusing on Illegal Wildlife Trade (IWT) and CITES enforcement were delivered to members in Asia, South America and sub-Saharan Africa, between June and September 2020. The topics covered, amongst others, an introduction to the CITES Convention, CITES documents and document fraud, species identification, operational health and safety, information, intelligence and data management, risk management and IWT risk profiling, inter-agency cooperation, and operational best practices regarding IWT. Some of the topics were delivered by experts from partner organizations, such as the CITES Secretariat, and INTERPOL, whilst others were delivered by experts from the WCO Secretariat, the Central Africa and Western Europe RILOs, WCO Environment Programme accredited experts from member administrations, as well as TRAFFIC. These events were attended by 20 officers from Asia (i.e. China, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Vietnam), 21 officers from South America (i.e. Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, and Peru) and 61 officers from sub-Saharan Africa (i.e. Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Cote dIvoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Guinea, Kenya, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Togo, Uganda, and Zambia), and were highly appreciated by the attendees. A participant said Thank you so much, we are all loaded with more knowledge from the training. These webinars were organized under the auspices of the International Consortium on Combating Wildlife Crime (ICCWC), and funded by the European Union and the United Kingdom. ICCWC is the collaborative effort of five inter-governmental organizations working to bring coordinated support to the national wildlife law enforcement agencies and to the sub-regional and regional networks that, on a daily basis, act in defense of natural resources. The partner agencies to ICCWC are the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) Secretariat, INTERPOL, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the World Bank and the WCO. An additional ICCWC-funded 5-days COPES (Customs Operational Practices for Enforcement and Seizures) webinar, in support of the Environment Programme, took place on 15 to 19 June 2020, attended by 16 Customs enforcement officers from 5 French-speaking sub-Saharan African administrations (Cameroon, Cote dIvoire, Guinea, Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Madagascar). Despite the current circumstances, the WCO Environment Programme continues to provide support to the WCO member administrations by strengthening their capacities to mitigate environmental crime and its devastating consequences. Ive been following Microsoft since before it was called Microsoft. This is because back in the 1970s I was approached to go to work for the company but had already taken another job and never took the interview. For most of my life, Id viewed Microsoft as my road not traveled, and then in 1995, I became the operating system analyst covering the Windows 95 launch, and my life changed. Through much of the 1990s Microsoft tried for dominance the wrong way. It went from being beloved to being broadly hated and almost got broken up. Bill Gates and Steve Ballmer left the company. Satya Nadella came in, and now Microsoft is both more powerful and not threatening because they approach market dominance the right way by not focusing on it. At Microsoft Ignite last week, the breadth and focus that Microsoft demonstrated were arguably well beyond what any other company is capable of doing. I think this lesson is worth remembering because Microsoft, unlike its peers facing antitrust action, is showing how to become powerful without becoming a threat. The result is far more powerful and far less risky than the companys prior path. Lets talk about that this week and well close with my new favorite Mesh Network pure play, the Netgear Orbi AX4200. Microsofts First and Almost Fatal Dominance Run When Microsoft first ramped up under Bill Gates and Steve Ballmer, it was a take no prisoners approach, and both partners and customers were secondary to the effort. It was all about dominance and control. They partnered with companies like IBM and 3Com and then betrayed the partnerships, implying that their partners were foolish to have trusted them. They were laser-focused on domination and their behavior over time disenfranchised customers. I had CIOs tell me they wouldnt buy anything from Microsoft or anything that would likely become part of Microsoft. Major customers got so pissed they launched a competing product called Linux. This approach is dominance by force. When a company focuses on exclusion, growth, and dominance, they abuse their power and eventually either the customers revolt or a government takes them apart. While countries can use this approach (we call them monarchies and dictatorships), they tend to fail catastrophically and become increasingly inefficient because they lose the support of their citizens and are feared by their neighbors. Gaining Power the Right Way When I was growing up, my grandmother told the Aesops Fable of a fight between the Wind and the Sun. They were having a an argument about who was stronger, and they bet who could get a man to take his coat off the quickest. The Wind tried to blow it off, and the man buttoned his coat up and did everything he could to wrap it around his body. The Wind blew until he was exhausted, but he could not remove the coat from the mans back. The Sun, when his turn came, just gradually warmed up, and the man took his coat off voluntarily. The moral of the story is that if you can make someone want to do what you want them to do, it is far easier than forcing them to do the same thing. This approach was Microsofts second and current strategy. Instead of focusing on dominance and power, it focuses on what customers and partners want; and build products that people want to buy. This strategy change has resulted in offerings like the Edge Browser, which builds on Googles Chrome Browser base while improving usability, security, and customer satisfaction. Rather than leaving security up to third parties, Microsoft is designing it in. Security isnt a ton of fun, but it is critical for customer satisfaction, and the third-party approach wasnt efficient. It degraded Microsofts brand because to sell its solutions, security firms had to market Microsofts security exposures. Car companies often experience this with extended warranties offered by third parties who have to disparage your cars reliability to get you to buy the extended warranty. Teams is another example of the profound change at the Microsoft. Its matching popular features like breakout rooms championed by Zoom and critical to engagement in large events. But Microsoft is better securing the product, providing features that allow you to place large groups of people in the more natural audience like format. Thus providing a market-leading number of user options, so users can better use the tool. Microsoft is simplfying development tools, so even teachers struggling with teaching from home can create their apps quickly and efficiently to focus on teaching, not becoming Shadow IT. Rather than building another iPhone clone, they created the Surface Duo to address the underserved business need in smartphones (running Android, this is now my favorite phone). The company is providing the capability to put AI in everything, and it has projects like Project Premonition that could predict the future and save millions from the next pandemic; and this effort could provide a foundation for predicting the future even more broadly. Microsoft has partnered with Qualcomm to redefine the laptop with the Always Connected PC, and joined up with Intel to create revolutionary PC designs like the coming Surface Neo. The improvements to Microsoft 365 from Microsoft Office are notable. Over the last few years those offerings have been transformed, updated, and improved significantly. Its advances in AI have cut across Microsofts offerings and are already making a difference at companies like Pepsico. (This stuck with me because the speaker for that session also loves Flaming Hot Cheetos, which are also my favorite.) Wrapping Up Microsoft Ignite was one of the most notable events Ive ever attended in person or online. Still, you had to look at the sessions collectively, not individually, to see that power; and I would never have been able to do that with an in-person conference. You lose too much time running between sessions and tend to focus on areas of interest rather than the entire gestalt. There was even a session on telephony, suggesting we could be see a significant revolution in how we communicate by phone. It is about time the analog voice capabilities and digital capabilities fully merged. By focusing on solutions and customer needs, rather than dominance and profits, Microsoft achieves all four with little or no risk of being regulated because there is no sign of abuse. This change in focus has not only resulted in a more successful company, but one where the employees appear to be far less stressed out and more excited and proud to be working there. To say I was impressed would be an understatement; this was impressive work, and I can hardly wait to see how Microsoft blends the capabilities it showcased into next years event. For instance, using applied AI to dynamically create attendee agendas would be a game changer alone. AI was only one of many things Microsoft announced that could change how we communicate and collaborate forever. Mesh routers allow you to cover a large home with strong WiFi signals. The two best platforms are the Linksys Velop and the Netgear Orbi. The thing with mesh routers is that they work best when you put the satellite units out in the open, so their antennas are unrestricted. Having to be visible means they need to look good. Of the two solutions, the Netgear Orbi WiFi 6 System AX6000 is the best looking, but its also wicked expensive and it provides more capability than most need. For instance, a two-pack (router plus one satellite) costs just under US$700. A D V E R T I S E M E N T Well, Netgear just launched its Orbi AX4200, which is also WiFi 6 and nearly as attractive. It has a few less features, but a three-pack (one router and two satellites) costs just under $550. Sadly, two-packs are currently sold out, but each satellite is $100 less than the more expensive AX6000, and they work with the AX6000 router. Orbi AX4200 Ive been using the AX4200 system for a week along with my Linksys and Orbi AX6000, and it has performed flawlessly. The AX4200 is all thats needed for a house of six users or less, and it appears to work just as well as its more expensive sibling. As we work and entertain ourselves from home, having a robust network solution is essential. The Orbi is one of the best and indeed the best looking. The Netgear Orbi AX4200 is also more affordable, and Im a fan of bargains, so this system is my product of the week. The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of ECT News Network. Ex-Hollyoaks actor Will Mellor has revealed he accidentally put down someone else's cat thinking it was his own. The 44-year-old's pedigree Bengal cat Leo had been missing for eight months when a neighbour brought over a mog they thought might belong to Will. The star said he genuinely thought the cat was his, and when the vet said the it had throat cancer he agreed to have it put down. Unbelievable: Ex-Hollyoaks actor Will Mellor has revealed he accidentally put down someone else's cat thinking it was his own He then displayed the cat's ashes in an urn for weeks - before his own cat one day finally turned up after being run over. Speaking on the Two Pints With Will and Ralf podcast, he revealed: 'I get a knock on the door 'We've got your cat'. It was haggard. He had something wrong with his throat. 'So I took him to the vet, and they said, 'He's got throat cancer, got it really bad, we advise you put him down'. 'I thought, my daughter's going to be upset. So I brought him home, let them have one more day with the cat, taking pictures with him, saying goodbye to him. Oh no! Will's cat Leo is a Bengal pedigree (stock photo) Comical: Will was speaking on his Two Pints With Will and Ralf podcast 'On the day, I was so upset they put me in the relatives' room. It was terrible, I was so emotional. After, we buy a cheap urn for the ashes and put it on the side. 'Anyway, a month goes by and then the buzzer goes 'We've got your cat, it's been run over'. It was someone else's cat. I've put down someone else's cat! 'So I'm like, 'Who the f**k's on my windowsill then? I've got the ashes of someone's cat on there, and they don't know where the cat is, and I've just killed it.' A saga: Will said he was 'so upset' after they put down the first cat, storing his ashes on the window sill for weeks While the family was happy that the real Leo had returned, Will had to take him to the vet to have his hip dealt with following his car accident. He said: '5,000 in vet bills later Do you know how much it is for a f***ing drip on a cat overnight? A saline drip? It's a fortune.' In a cruel twist of fate, Will confided that Leo has once again run away: 'Window left open, the f**ker f**ks off and he's not been back since. 'I couldn't believe it. I was fuming. He's gone. He's cost me a fortune and he's just p****d off as soon as he was fit enough.' Stefan Lofven, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Sweden, reminded in his speech at the UN General Assembly of Russia's illegal annexation of Crimea and aggression in eastern Ukraine which threaten global security. "Russias illegal annexation of Crimea and Sevastopol and aggression in eastern Ukraine constitute serious breaches of international law, challenge global security and cause human suffering," Lofven said. The European Union is clear on the need for the implementation of the Minsk agreements, the PM of Sweden stressed. Next year, Sweden will assume the role of Chair of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe. Our main priority will be working for conflict resolution that builds on the OSCE comprehensive concept of security, with democracy and human rights at the core. The European security order must be upheld, not renegotiated, Lofven emphasized. ol For me, I dont think so much about whos a good Catholic. I think more about who Jesus said were blessed. According to Matthews gospel, he spelled this out in the Sermon on the Mount. (Lukes gospel has fewer items, and says the sermon was on a plain, not on a hill. Just another example of the ambiguities around Jesus.) The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine approved the draft Agreement with the European Commission on the financing of the Annual Action Programme for Nuclear Safety Cooperation. "On September 28, at an extraordinary meeting, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine adopted a decree providing for the creation of legal grounds for concluding the agreement between the government of Ukraine and the European Commission in the nuclear safety sector. The act proposes to approve the draft Agreement on the financing of the Annual Action Programme for Nuclear Safety Cooperation between the Ukrainian government and the European Commission, which acts on behalf of the European Union," the government's press service said in a statement. Thus, the draft Agreement provides for the implementation of a project with a budget of EUR 6.6 million (EU contribution is EUR 5.9 million). It consists of two parts: the integration of safety culture and operational efficiency in the field of radioactive waste management in Ukraine and support in creating an integrated automated radiation monitoring system that covers the entire territory of Ukraine. The beneficiary of the project is the State Agency of Ukraine on Exclusion Zone Management. In accordance with the Agreement, the creation of an automated radiation monitoring system will be achieved by integrating existing facility monitoring systems into a single system and by modernizing outdated equipment, observation points and creating effective information exchange procedures. "Appropriate steps will contribute to expanding the capabilities of responding to radiological risks in Ukraine and early warning of European countries about the corresponding risks," the government's press service said. It is noted that the signing of the Agreement will contribute to improving the safe management of radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel, as well as environmental rehabilitation of former nuclear facilities. Rieke Office Interiors President Melissa Kehl wins the Daily Herald Business Ledger's Entrepreneurial Excellence Award. It was an honor to be nominated and I was flattered about what people wrote about me in their testimonials. Even though I am a firm believer that happiness is an inside job, it feels pretty amazing to get the accolades." Rieke Office Interiors (ROI) President Melissa Kehl was one of several honorees honored during the Daily Herald Business Ledgers annual Entrepreneurial Excellence Awards. The virtual ceremony was held on Sept. 24. The Ledgers awards recognize and build entrepreneurship in Cook County, DuPage County, Kane County, Lake County, McHenry County, and Will County. Honorees demonstrate the best traits of entrepreneurship, including the willingness to take risk, drive, perseverance, and business creativity. The publication recognized ROI, an Elgin-based business, in its Innovation Category. This award recognizes the honorees best innovation-based products, technologies, systems or practices. ROI, which provides high impact, functional design, and furnishing solutions for workplaces, made an important decision to pivot the business when COVID-19 struck in March 2020 and forced many companies to shut down. Kehl had the foresight to see that acrylic shields would play a big part in helping protect employees and customers by ensuring social distancing. This led to the creating of the SafeSpace PPE product line. It was an honor to be nominated and I was flattered about what people wrote about me in their testimonials, Kehl said. Even though I am a firm believer that happiness is an inside job, it feels pretty amazing to get the accolades. Being an entrepreneur can be lonely. You dont get pats on the back. I realize that theyre not needed because entrepreneurs have self-motivation but this award is a nice pat on my back. About Rieke Office Interiors Rieke Office Interiors (ROI) has an impressive, state-of-the-art, 150,000 square foot, office furniture manufacturing facility in Elgin, Illinois. As a certified WBE business in its 27th year, ROI provides innovative products and services that are fully customizable, a unique capability that isn't found anywhere else in the office interior industry. This flexibility allows ROI to create a big impact for any budget, streamlining the project process to make each vision come to life. For more information, visit Rieke.com. Chief Minister of Punjab, Captain Amarinder Singh held a sit-in protest on Monday against the Farm Laws passed by the Parliament. The much-debated bills have led to protests across the country by farmers and opposition parties. Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar (Punjab) [India], September 28: Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Monday held a sit-in protest against the farm laws, passed by the Parliament. He said that he would be going to the Supreme Court, agriculture was a state subject but farm bills had been passed without asking them. He called the move as unconstitutional. The three farm bills passed by both the houses of the Parliament had recently received the assent of President Ram Nath Kovind. Before going for protest, the Chief Minister paid tribute to Bhagat Singh on the latters birth anniversary. Protests by farmers against the three farm Bills have been ongoing since the past few days in Punjab, Haryana, along with other states in the country. The Bills that have now become Acts are The Farmers Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Service Act, 2020 and The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020. Also read: As Delhi, Ktaka to Tamil Nadu seethe over Farm bills, tractor set on fire at India gate We will be going to the Supreme Court. Agriculture is a state subject but farm bills have been passed without asking us. It is totally unconstitutional: Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh pic.twitter.com/6L4qLW86sS ANI (@ANI) September 28, 2020 Also read: RS Dy Chairman sets the record straight on reports of rule breaking in RS while passing Farm bills Earlier in the day, a tractor was set on fire near India Gate in Delhi by 15-20 unidentified people belonging to the Punjab Youth Congress. The workers had brought the tractor to the site on a truck. The group of people gathered at the spot raised slogans like Shaheed-e-Azam Bhagat Singh Amar rahe (Long live Shaheed Bhagat Singh), and Kisaan-Virodhi, Narendra Modi (Anti-farmers, Narendra Modi). These agriculture-related bills have led to nationwide protests by farmers and opposition parties as they allege, these bills will reduce the bargaining capacity of farmers and will end the Minimum Support Price regime. Also read: Sharad Pawar meets Maharashtra CM a day after Raut-Fadnavis meeting Trump Gets 3rd Nomination for Nobel Peace Prize A group of four Australian law professors have nominated U.S. President Donald Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize, the third nomination hes received in recent weeks. The nomination is based on the so-called Trump doctrine, or the presidents approach to foreign policy, David Flint, one of the professors, said on Sept. 28. The Trump doctrine is so extraordinary, as so many things that Donald Trump does, hes guided by two things which seem to be absent from so many politicians. He has firstly common sense. And he is only guided by a national interest, and therefore, in our circumstances, an interest in the Western alliance, Flint said during a virtual appearance on Sky News. And what he has done with the Trump doctrine is he has decided that he would no longer have America involved in endless wars, wars which achieve nothing but the killing of thousands of young Americans and enormous debts imposed on America, and nothing solved in the countries in which it is carried on. So hes reducing Americas tendency to get involved in any and every war. Flint also pointed to Trumps unorthodox approach to the stalemate in the Middle East, where most countries refused to deal with Israel. Several Arab states, including the United Arab Emirates (UAE), announced the normalization of relations with Israel this month, with all sides crediting Trump for his help in hammering out deals. What Donald Trump did was go against all advice, but he did it with common sense, he negotiated directly with the Arab states concerned and Israel and brought them together. And the states are lining up, Arab and Middle Eastern, to join that network of peace, which will dominate the Middle East, Flint said. David Flint, then-chairman of the Australian Broadcasting Authority, in a 2004 file photograph. (Sky News/AFP via Getty Images) Flint also cited how Trump has calmed tensions in relation to Korea and withdrew from the Iran nuclear agreement and the Paris climate agreement as reasons to nominate him for the prize. Trump was nominated earlier in September by a Norwegian lawmaker, who cited the UAEIsrael deal, and by a Swedish lawmaker, who pointed to the Trump-brokered KosovoSerbia agreement. Asked about the nominations and whether he could extend his efforts to China, Trump recently told reporters that he was honored and he would be open to working with China and India. I know that China now, and India, are having difficulty, and veryvery substantial difficulty. And hopefully theyll be able to work that out. If we can help, wed love to help, he said. In a separate statement, the White House said the Middle Eastern peace deals were a testament to the bold diplomacy and vision of President Trump, and he is honored to be considered by the Nobel Committee. The nominations are for the 2021 prize, as nominations have closed for this years prize. A Norwegian Nobel Committee spokesman told The Epoch Times that he couldnt comment on Trumps reported nomination, citing a confidentiality clause. Due to the 50 years confidentiality clause, neither the names of nominators nor of nominees may be divulged until 50 years have elapsed, he said via email. The Police on Monday confirmed that two persons have died and another two were injured in police firing used to control violence that rocked Dungarpur in the last four days. "Two people died and two sustained critical injuries in the violence which erupted on the Udaipur-Ahmedabad highway in the last four days. Additional police forces and rapid action force has been deputed in Dungarpur since Sunday night," said Director General Police (DGP) Bhupendra Singh here. Police had to open fire to control the situation on Saturday and to protect public property and lives of people in which two died and two were injured. The injured are out of danger, he said. He said a total of 24 cases have been registered and action is being taken against the accused. Two companies of Rapid Action Force (RAF) and six companies of Armed Constabulary (RAC) have been deputed. Officials are keeping an eye on all major developments and efforts are on to retain peace in the area. Last week, thousands of applicants who appeared for teachers' examination took to streets, pelted stones and torched vehicles on the NH8. They demanded the filling up of over 1,000 vacant posts reserved for the general category be filled by ST candidates. The highway was blocked for about 10 kilometres since Thursday evening. Many police vehicles were torched and several policemen were injured in the violence. --IANS arc/dpb (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Karnataka is all geared up to observe a state-wide bandh on 28 September. The dawn-to-dusk bandh has been called by various farmers' organisations, protesting the amendments to the Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) and land reforms acts made by the B.S. Yediyurappa-led BJP government. The 6am-6pm strike call has been supported by several pro-Kannada and other outfits besides the opposition Congress and the Janata Dal (Secular), who had opposed the amendment bills in the assembly. Farmers have threatened to block all state and national highways too. The strike is also backed by several labour organisations who are protesting against amendments to certain labour laws during the brief assembly session that concluded on Saturday. Warning of stern action against any forcible enforcement of the bandh, the state government has said it would take all necessary steps to ensure that there was no disruption to the normal functioning of its offices, hospitals, shops and establishments and maintaining services of taxis and buses. It has defended the bills, saying the measures had been brought with an intention to give freedom to the farmers for selling their produce in any part of the state or country. Elaborate security measures in place The Karnataka Police has promised to keep a tight vigil to maintain law and order situation in the state and also allow free movement of people. Police said they have made elaborate security measures to see to that no untoward incident occurred. According to the farmers' organisations, they will hold protests across the state during the bandh. Meanwhile, the Bengaluru Police have said that as many as 12,000 civil police, 47 KSRP (Karnataka State Reserve Police) platoons, 24 CAR (City Armed Reserve) platoons will be deputed. Also, four additional commissioners, 16 Deputy Commissioner of Police will patrol the tech city. In Bengaluru, a protest march has been planned from Town Hall to Mysore Bank Circle against the "anti farmer" legislations, they said. With some goods transporters, taxi and auto rickshaw drivers announcing their support to the bandh, their services are likely to be hit. Also, private bus services also may be affected. However, state owned public transport bus and metro services are likely to operate normally. Deputy Chief Minister Laxman Savadi, who is also the incharge of transport department, has clarified that, services of all the four state road transport corporations and even the Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation will be available, and the Police Department has been requested to provide additional security. Hotels, restaurants likely to function However, some protesting organisations including, pro- Kannada outfits, have said that they will try to stop bus services and will also organise a "rail roko". Hotels and restaurants are likely to function with most of them not deciding to shut citing business not yet gaining momentum after lockdown. Schools and colleges are yet open due to COVID situation. Karnataka Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa on Sunday asserted his government was pro-farmers and sought to brush aside the bandh, saying there was no 'scope' for the agitation. Assuring that the people can carry on with their day-to- day activities normally without any fear, Revenue Minister R Ashoka warned against any move to forcefully enforce the bandh or indulge in incidents like stone pelting. While some shops and establishments are not likely to operate depending on the situation; government offices, banks, post offices will remain open, along with all essential services and supplies. City Police Commissioner Kamal Pant said "we have not given permission for any protests to anyone and senior officials have been deployed to supervise things. We will not allow anyone to forcefully shut down or halt activities," he said warning of strict action as per law if there was any violation. Action would also be taken under the Disaster Management Act due to COVID-19 pandemic, he said adding that civil police will be also deployed besides regular personnel. Despite the stiff opposition from the opposition parties, especially Congress, the Yediyurappa administration was successful in getting the Karnataka Agricultural Produce Marketing (Regulation and Development) (Amendment) Bill and the Karnataka Land Reforms (Second Amendment) Bill passed in the Legislative Assembly on Saturday. While the amendments to land reform act liberalises farmland ownership, the APMC amendment bill curtails the powers of local Agricultural Produce Marketing Committees (APMC) and allows private individuals to start agricultural trading, if they hold a permanent account number (PAN). The Karnataka government has recently passed the Karnataka Land reforms (Amendment) Ordinance 2020, Karnataka Agricultural Produce Marketing (Regulation and Development) (Amendment) Ordinance, 2020 and Industrial Disputes and certain other laws (Amendment) ordinance 2020. At the same time, the Union government on September 20 had passed the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill, the Farmers Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020 and the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020 under controversial circumstances. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Never miss a story! Stay connected and informed with Mint. Download our App Now!! Topics Universal Health Services' computer network will reportedly remain out of order for days after a massive ransomware attack. Computer systems at the hospital network's 400-plus locations reportedly began failing over the weekend, forcing some workers to begin taking records by hand and even hand-labeling medications, nurses tell NBC News. Computers may remain out of service for days as the chain deals with what might be "one of the largest medical cyberattacks in United States history," NBC News reports. Attacks starting early Sunday morning locked computers and phones at several UHS facilities, including those in California and Florida, people with direct knowledge of the incident tell TechCrunch. Mysterious messages referencing a "shadow universe," which reflects messaging from the Russian cybercrime group Ryuk, then began filling the screens, one person said. "Everyone was told to turn off all the computers and not to turn them on again. We were told it will be days before the computers are up again," the person said. UHS said Monday its network was down due to an "IT security issue." The issue did not jeopardize patient care, and "no patient or employee data appears to have been accessed, copied, or otherwise compromised," the statement continued. An executive who manages cybersecurity at another major U.S. hospital system affirmed to TechCrunch patients' data was "likely safe." More stories from theweek.com North Carolina senate candidate commits grievous sin: confusing grilling for barbecuing 'Sully' Sullenberger savages Trump's 'lethal lies and incompetence' in new Lincoln Project ad Let's be real: Biden is cruising to victory BJP slams Congress over tractor-burning incident near India Gate India oi-Ajay Joseph Raj P New Delhi, Sep 28: The BJP on Monday blasted the Congress over the burning of a tractor near the India Gate here, allegedly by opposition party workers, saying it has "shamed" the country with its "drama" aimed at publicity and "misleading" farmers. Union minister Prakash Javadekar said the way the protest was held by bringing a tractor in a truck and then setting it afire is condemnable. "The Congress shamed the country today. Bringing tractor in a truck and then burning it at India Gate is a drama enacted by the Congress and we condemn it. The party has been trying to do politics in the name of farmers, and it has been unmasked. It has enacted a drama for publicity," he told reporters about the incident. Farm Bills Protest: Tractor set on fire at India Gate Around 15-20 people set a tractor on fire at India Gate on Monday morning, police said. Five people claiming to be members of the Punjab Youth Congress have been detained, they said. The incident comes amid protests by farmers and opposition parties across the country over the contentious farm legislations that were passed by Parliament last week. Amrinder Singh joins farmers' protest, says 'Pakistan's ISI may take advantage' | Oneindia News Accusing the opposition party of misleading farmers, Javadekar said its manifesto had promised doing what the Modi government has done with its farm sector reform bills, and added that former prime minister Manmohan Singh had also spoken similarly on the issue. "Now the Congress is trying to mislead farmers by speaking in a different voice. But it will not succeed," he said, noting that the minimum support price and APMC mechanism is continuing. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, September 28, 2020, 14:10 [IST] Within a day of releasing numbers of coronavirus cases for school district across Texas, a first since the pandemic began, the state health department pulled the data from its website after discovering issues. Assistant City Manager Colleen Bridger said Friday that the city of San Antonio is relying on its own verified data to understand the viruss grip on area schools. The Metropolitan Health District on Thursday reported 52 confirmed cases of the coronavirus in Bexar County schools roughly 35 percent fewer cases than the Texas Department of State Health Services listed before pulling the numbers. We just make sure that we know for a fact that this student did get a positive lab test result and that they are in the school so that what we are reporting is what we are most worried about, Bridger said. The case numbers reported on the state website were supposed to be reported directly to the Texas Education Agency by school districts. The state health department did not return a request for comment about the discrepancies Friday evening. In a statement on its website, it said that issues were identified with the school district data and that a new file would be posted once the problems were fixed. The statement did not say what the problems were. On ExpressNews.com: Texas reports 6,300 COVID-19 cases in public schools since July Bridger said the discrepancy is similar to differences between the state and local death counts: As of Friday, the state was reporting 1,271 deaths in Bexar County, while Metro Health had a total of just 1,073. San Antonio officials have said the state overestimates the death count because death certificates can sometimes include an address for where the person died, not the county in which they lived, and sometimes lists COVID-19 as a cause of death when no test was administered. Metro Health is currently investigating 198 deaths counted by the state. Bridger said the state doesnt verify data that it reports from other agencies, such as the TEA it just serves as a warehouse for data, she said. We verify that the student had a test; we look up the test to make sure that they did have a test; and that it was positive, Bridger said. We do make sure that the student is in school versus virtual learning... and on the staff side, we do the same thing. San Antonio officials reported that the number of coronavirus cases countywide rose by 224 Friday, bringing the countys total since the start of the pandemic to 54,195. Officials reported no new deaths during Fridays daily city-county briefing. Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts. Everybody out there is still doing a great job, said County Judge Nelson Wolff. We just got to keep it up and make sure were doing the fundamentals: the masks, the social distancing, sanitation. The strain on San Antonio-area hospitals remained relatively steady Friday, with 225 patients with COVID-19 hospitalized, down six from the day before. Twenty-six of the patients being treated were admitted within the past day. Of those hospitalized, 83 were in intensive care units, and 34 needed ventilators to breathe. Thats down from 87 and 36, respectively, from the day before. Officials are urging residents to get their flu shots so hospitals arent overwhelmed by COVID-19 and flu patients at the same time. On Saturday Oct. 3, the city and the University of the Incarnate Word Cardinal Clinic are holding a drive-thru vaccination event at 7615 Kennedy Hill Drive, according to the city. Up to 200 people will be able to receive free flu shots, but they must register first by calling 210-643-3266 or visiting this website. Marina Starleaf Riker is an investigative reporter for the San Antonio Express-News with extensive experience covering affordable housing, inequality and disaster recovery. To read more from Marina, become a subscriber. marina.riker@express-news.net | Twitter: @MarinaStarleaf At the 75th session of the United Nations General Assembly, Nasr al-Harir has addressed the participating nations about the actions of the Assad regime. The President of the Syrian Opposition Coalition (SOC) delivered a speech before the 75th session of the United Nations General Assembly, as the Syrian people head towards their tenth year of, their difficult struggle and their continuous revolution for freedom, justice and dignity. Here are the most important points from his speech: Assad continues to arrest, torture, rape, and kill citizens . The OPCWs April report has again reaffirmed the regimes responsibility for the use of sarin gas and in flagrant violation of Resolution 2118, which calls for state action under Chapter Seven, according to Article 21 of the resolution . OPCWs April report has again reaffirmed the regimes responsibility for the use of sarin gas and in flagrant violation of Resolution 2118, which calls for state action under Chapter Seven, according to Article 21 of the resolution Iran is a major partner in the crimes of the regime, and it is penetrating the states institutions. It represents a threat to Syria, the region and the world as a whole. We are surprised to see how Russia and Iran support this criminal regime by word and deed, while the international community is unable to support the people who demand freedom, democracy and dignity, or even prevent the regime from committing more crimes . this criminal regime by word and deed, while the international community is unable to support the people who demand freedom, democracy and dignity, or even prevent the regime from committing more crimes Member states that bear the values of freedom and justice stand today in front of a real challenge. They must not allow criminals to escape punishment, and the support of some for them must not be met with silence. COVID-19 is a new disaster that afflicts Syrians, in light of the collapse of institutions, rampant corruption and chaos, the absence of plans that give priority to the citizen, and an almost total absence of basic preventive measures in regime areas . In the liberated areas, the Syrian Interim Government is facing great difficulties. During the past ten years, the infrastructure has been systematically destroyed by the regime and Russias aircraft, and dozens of hospitals and medical centers have gone out of service . Politically, the system disrupts the Constitutional Committee, while we respond positively to all solution initiatives in Syria, including the initiatives of the international envoy, and have dealt positively with the Constitutional Committee project . You are responsible today for the continued existence of this criminal among you. The National Coalition requests to be given Syrias seat at the United Nations General Assembly . The National Coalition affirms that any sovereign decisions related to the future of our country must be postponed until a free system is built in which the Syrians decide their own fate . We insist on the unity and integrity of the Syrian territories, we reject any attempt to divide and the violations of the PYD terrorist militia, and we ask everyone stop supporting this terrorist organization and its separatist plan . This article was 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. live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More Lakshmi Vilas Bank (LVB) has said that the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has approved a three-member Committee of Directors (CoD) to run the day-to-day affair of the private sector lender. This CoD will exercise the discretionary powers of MD&CEO in the ad-interim. The committee chairperson is Meeta Makhan, with Shakti Sinha and Satish Kumar Kalra as members. All three are independent directors. With the Liquidity Coverage Ratio (LCR) of about 262 percent as on September 27, 2020, against a minimum 100 percent required by RBI, deposit-holders, bond-holders, account-holders and creditors are well safe-guarded. The bank will continue to share information on the developments in the public domain as and when they materialise, and as required by applicable law, it said. Earlier, the shareholders had rejected the appointment of seven directors, including the MD and CEO and auditors, at the annual general meeting on September 25. The shareholders also voted against the re-appointment of statutory auditors (P Chandrasekar LLP, Chartered Accountants) and branch auditors. The branch auditor is appointed in consultation with the statutory auditor. The directors whose appointments were not cleared by shareholders include N Saiprasad, Gorinka Jaganmohan Rao, Raghuraj Gujja, KR Pradeep, BK Manjunath and YN Lakshminarayana Murthy. According to people familiar with the development, shareholders rejected the appointments a time when the bank is facing a major financial crisis due to deterioration of asset quality and lack of capital. LVB is in dire need of capital and has been scrambling to find a buyer. The private lender is in talks with Clix Capital for a merger and secure the much-needed capital. Kurds wave the flags of the Kurdistan Workers Party to celebrate, hours after Kurdish fighters backed by intense U.S.-led airstrikes pushed the ISIS terrorist group entirely out of a key Syrian town, in Istanbul, Turkey, on Jan. 26, 2015. (The Associated Press) Carleton University Demands Turkey Release PhD Student Accused of Inciting Protests Carleton University is demanding that the Turkish Embassy in Ottawa push for the release of one of its students detained in Turkey over allegations of inciting protests in 2014 that left 37 dead. Cihan Erdal, a 32-year-old PhD candidate at Carleton and a permanent resident of Canada, is currently being held by the authorities in a detention centre in the Turkish capital, Ankara. The Turkish government arrested Erdal and 81 others on Sept. 25 over violent protests in 2014 against an attack on the Syrian Kurdish town of Kobani. He has not been involved in Turkish politics since he moved to Canada to do his doctoral studies at Carleton in January, 2017, the university said in a letter to the Embassy. He had only returned to Turkey to visit family and then to interview Turkish activists as part of his doctoral fieldwork. In 2014, protesters accused the Turkish army of standing by as the ISIS terrorist group attacked Kobani, and so they flooded the streets in Turkeys mainly Kurdish southeast that October to protest against the authorities; 37 people died in the clash. The Ankara prosecutors Terror Crimes Investigation Bureau said on Sept. 25 that Erdal and the other suspects incited the protests, saying they made several calls to invite the public to the streets and carry out terror acts. The 82 protesters had also signed a letter in 2014 to call for the Turkish authorities to step in to protect the Kurdish town. Edral was an active member of the youth arm of the pro-Kurdish Peoples Democratic Party (HDP) in 2014. The HDP has been accused by the Turkish government for having links to the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK)a group labelled as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United States, and European Unionand supporting the protests. The HDPs former leaders, Selahattin Demirtas and Figen Yuksekdag, were sentenced to jail in 2016 on charges related to the Kobani protests. The arrest on Sept. 25 also included Ayhan Bilgen, the mayor of the northeastern Kars province, and Sirri Sureyya Onder, a former lawmaker; both are prominent figures in the HDP. In response to the arrests, HDPs current co-leader Mithat Sancar said the Turkish presidents AK Party wants to intimidate the opposition and spread fear among the public by silencing the HDP. The PKK, also accused of inciting the demonstrations, has been fighting against the Turkish government for greater autonomy for the southeast since 1984. Carleton University maintains that Erdals research is on youth-led social movements and has not been critical of the Turkish government. His research passed a formal proposal defense, and his research ethics proposal was approved before the COVID-19 pandemic began. He was beginning interviews online, while awaiting approval under the new pandemic ethics process to begin face to face interviews in Turkey, Athens, and Paris, the letter said. Erdals partner, Omer Ongun, said he cant reconcile the accusations of the Turkish authorities against Erdal. Cihan is one of the kindest, most peaceful people in the world, he told CBC in a telephone interview from his home in Ottawa. To accuse him for calling for violence and terrorism, its devastating, its ridiculous. We are all shocked. With files from Reuters Two years ago, in an effort to offer an opportunity for readers of this column to gather in a common venue of interest, Sonny Martone, Jane Scarpellino and I organized a Facebook group called Wooster Square Cooks. It was intended to provide an informal virtual gathering place for us to celebrate our wonderful cooking heritage. The group has now grown to 20,000 members, many of whom check in each day to see the latest posting or seek some guidance on the best method of frying eggplant, or whether to fry or bake meatballs, or put them in the sauce raw. The consistent theme is the level of pride that we all share in our love of the food that we were raised on: the delicious, hearty, and healthy meals, prepared with simple and fresh ingredients, that were presented on our family table day after day. Arnold Gold / Hearst Connecticut Media The desire to prepare those foods and offer them to the next generation to enjoy is one of the most compelling aspects of the groups motivation to share and learn from each other. This is part of a desire, for many of us, to maintain a connection to our heritage and our traditions, and to try to interest our children and grandchildren in accepting the challenge. During the time of the great wave of immigration, Wooster Square and the other Italian neighborhoods in New Haven were all enclaves of people who were new to this country and seeking support from each other. The one common thing they desired was to replicate the familiar food from their lives in Italy. And Wooster Square was a textbook example of the resourceful way that the newcomers were able to set up shop with familiar foods and goods. The legend is that the traditional meatball that has been embedded into our national cuisine is the result of the thrifty Nonna, who used a lesser cut of meat to make a delicious addition to the Sunday ragu by chopping it up and adding flavorful ingredients. The tavolo povero, which translates to poor table, represents the basis of the many traditional dishes that have been absorbed into our American cuisine. In our store at 460 Chapel St., my parents sold the foods that were integral to the typical meal. All the vegetables were fresh and seasonal, and everything that we sold was usually destined for the meal that night. A delicious meal could be made from dried beans or chickpeas ceci and macaroni, some greens sauteed in olive oil or fresh local fish, baked or fried. Every housewife knew how to create something flavorful out of the simplest of ingredients: eggplant, peppers, root vegetables or especially verza or Savoy cabbage, and the large orange squash or cucuzza, which was usually sold in chunks. Soups made from a few pieces of chicken or beef made a hearty meal with the addition of some small macaroni or pastina. Meat was not usually the star of the meal, except perhaps the Saturday night steak as a reward for the weekly paycheck. I can still visualize that store in my minds eye, bursting with the fall bounty, and the women selecting their daily supply of fresh ingredients. Abbondanza! Of course, preserving the summer bounty was a fall ritual, and just about everyone I knew put up pickled eggplant, peppers and the ubiquitous tomatoes, peeled, cooked down and then poured into thin-necked bottles and capped for use throughout the winter. Usually done in a large basin over an outdoor fire, it was always a family event, with the children allowed to use the machine that secured metal caps on the bottle top. All the local farmers, at the wholesale market on Spring Street, would pack bushel baskets of vegetables for that purpose. And, of course, the first apples would appear. Mr. Young would stop by our store with his truck loaded with boxes of Delicious and Mcintosh apples from his orchard. One of the most iconic harbingers of fall would be the appearance of locally grown fennel or finocchio, sold in bunches with the long fronds cascading behind. Some would dry the stems and use them to flavor the porchetta for a special-occasion dinner, but we just enjoyed eating the bulbs raw, as a digestivo. And, of course, the first chestnuts would arrive from Italy in sacks, dark and plump, waiting to be roasted and eaten after Sunday dinner. Ben Lambert / Some of our friends would venture out to water company property to forage for wild mushrooms, which were considered a delicacy. Legend had it that if you dropped a silver coin into the pot as the mushrooms were being boiled, a darkened coin would signal bad mushrooms. But of course the mushroom pickers always harvested the same edible varieties, so no one ever got poisoned as far as I know. Wine making was also prevalent, and we sold the special varieties of California grapes for those who enjoyed homemade wine throughout the year. Mr. Russo, who had a laundry on Hamilton Street, rented wine presses to facilitate the process. Of course, who would have ever thought that the simple bread dough pizzas, reminiscent of the Neapolitan classics, created by the early innovators, would morph into New Haven apizza, known around the globe as the best of the best. I try to remind myself, from time to time, how fortunate we are to live here, where the apizza is beyond comparison. We judge one against the other, but they all excel by comparison to the pizza that others have to choose from. So how can we not think back on those times with fondness and an appreciation for the simplicity of a way of life that is long gone. A way of life however, with an occasional resurgence whenever we stop to cook a familiar food or tell a story or share a fond memory from that time. Frank Carrano lives in Branford. Contact him at f.carrano@att.net. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday participated in the India-Denmark Summit with his Denmark counterpart Mette Frederiksen. During the virtual bilateral summit, PM Modi spoke about joining forces to build a more diversified supply-chain across the world, hinting that dependency one 'one single-source' could prove to be risky. "I would like to express my sympathy to all those who suffered from COVID-19 in Denmark. I would also laud your leadership that helped the country in tiding over the pandemic," PM stated. PM stresses on need to extend cooperation "Since 2009, when I was the Chief Minister of Gujarat, Denmark always participated in the summit. Like-minded countries, who value transparency, humanitarian values and democracy need to work together," he said adding that cooperation should also be extended in working towards a vaccine. "COVID19 has shown that excess dependency of the global supply chain on a single source is risky. We're working with Japan & Australia towards supply-chain diversification & resilience. Other like-minded countries can join this effort," said PM Modi. The PM also congratulated Denmark Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen on her wedding saying that India would love to welcome her family in post-pandemic times. "I congratulate you on your wedding. I hope that soon after COVID19 situation improves, we will get a chance to welcome you and your family to India. I am sure your daughter must be eager to visit India again," he said. The Denmark PM responded warmly to PM Modi's good wishes saying, "Thank you so much for the greetings to my family. My daughter will love to visit India once again and the same goes for my family." Read: India, Sri Lanka Discuss COVID, Culture & Financial Assistance In Maiden Virtual Summit Read: PM Modi & Denmark Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen To Hold Virtual Bilateral Summit Today India and Denmark relations India and Denmark share 400 years of rich historical linkage and over 70 years of diplomatic relations. the latter had been an important development partner to India during its White Revolution and in the growth of wind energy. There are over 5,000 Indians working in major Danish companies and around 20 Indian IT companies have been present in Denmark since decades contributing to the Danish economy. More than 30,000 Indian IT professionals are working for major Danish companies to develop the latest products and services. In a project worth USD 2.5 billion, Danish companies RAMBOLL & COWL are working to design a Trans-Harbour Sea-Link in Mumbai, which will link Mumbai with Navi Mumbai. This virtual bilateral summit with Mette Frederiksen was the PM Modi's fourth meet with any global leader amid COVID-19. Earlier, he had held virtual meets with leaders of Australia, EU and Sri Lanka. Read: PM Modi To Address USIBC Summit; To Talk On Economic Revival After COVID-19 Read: UK To Work With G7 Summit To Chart 5-point Plan On Global Health Security Advertisement Armie Hammer has put his historical Los Angeles mansion, located in the exclusive Hancock Park area, for $5.8M. The grand home that has an Old World feel is an English Tudor-style mansion that was built in the 1920s when show business was in its early days in Southern California and Gloria Swanson, Rudolph Valentino and Douglas Fairbanks Sr were major stars. The Social Network actor has listed the property just two months after announcing he is divorcing his wife Elizabeth Chambers with whom he has two children, Harper, aged five, and Ford, aged three. Ready to sell: Armie Hammer has put his historical, beautiful Los Angeles brick mansion, located in the exclusive Hancock Park area, for $5.8M A classic: The grand home that has an Old World feel is an English Tudor-style mansion that was built in the 1920s when show business was in its early days in Southern California. Here he is seen with estranged wife Elizabeth Chambers in 2018 The home has an impressive facade as it is three stories high and has many Tudor touches such as a red brick exterior and lead glass windows with pitched roofs. He and his now estranged spouse bought the home in 2018 for $4.7M and is clearly looking to make a tidy profit. The 6,275 square foot property has seven bedrooms and six bathrooms, and clearly has been nicely remodeled by the exes who lightened up the walls and made the home look overall more polished. The entry way is meant to make a good impression as it has a long foyer and a wood staircase. Calming quarters: The living room is inviting with wood floors and quaint French windows that hark back to another era and the fireplace adds another cozy touch Old world with a modern touch: There are beams on the ceilings that are painted white with black accents as well The living room is inviting with wood floors and quaint French windows that hark back to another era and the fireplace adds another cozy touch. There are beams on the ceilings that are painted white with black accents as well. There is a roomy wood-paneled dining room that can seat 10 people at least. The office could double as a comfortable library. A family room that is surrounded by French windows, service quarters, and a generous laundry room are also included. Plenty of light to read: A family room that is surrounded by French windows looks like a great place for adults to catch up Dinner time in style: There is a roomy wood-paneled dining room that can seat 10 people at least The master bedroom includes a fireplace, a large bathroom and two walk-in closets. The kitchen looks recently remodeled with white cabinets, dark gray quartz counters, French windows, an island with a sink and faucet, and wood floors. In the front yard there is a gated that leads to the driveway that has mature trees on both sides providing privacy. In the back yard there is a swimming pool and spa with plenty of room for outdoor entertaining. Let's cook! The kitchen looks recently remodeled with white cabinets, dark gray quartz counters, French windows, an island with a sink and faucet, and wood floors Busy actor Armie and his stunning wife Elizabeth - who used to make for a power duo on the red carpet - announced their split in July. 'Thirteen years as best friends, soulmates, partners and then parents,' the pair wrote in identical statements in July. 'It has been an incredible journey, but together, we've decided to turn the page and move on from our marriage.' Plenty of space for good dreams: One of the bedrooms has high ceilings, an ornate chandelier and pinks walls A touch of a bygone era: The bathroom nicely has the old green tiles from the 1920s with double cabinets Another old-fashioned touch: The bathtub is lined with beautiful tiles in black and dark green 'As we enter into this next chapter, our children and relationship as co-parents and dear friends will remain our priority,' they continued. 'We understand this news lends itself to public dialogue, but in the interest of our children and our family, we're asking for privacy, compassion and love during this time.' Hammer has complete the movie Rebecca where he plays Maxim de Winter. He also has Death On The Nile in post production and Next Goal Wins. He is on pre-production on his TV series Gaslit and he has been announced as the star of Find Me. Plenty of room for a Hollywood soiree: The backyard has room for a living room area as well as a dining room table Swim season: A large swimming pool with an adjacent hot tub is surrounded by flagstone and has a view of the back windows Crude oil production in Libya jumped nearly threefold from below 100,000 barrels per day last week to around 250,000 bpd now - a week after the blockade on Libyas oil ports was lifted. While the restart of Libyas oil industry and exports are welcome news for the country, which has lost more than US$10 billion in oil revenues due to the blockade, the increased supply from the African OPEC member is weighing on oil prices amid a faltering global oil demand recovery. As of Monday, Libyas oil terminals at Hariga, Brega, and Zueitina are open for business and welcoming tankers to ship oil, although the biggest port and the terminal typically exporting the oil from the biggest oilfield in the country are still under force majeure. The oilfields that supply the crude for the Hariga, Brega, and Zueitina oil terminals are now producing 150,000 bpd more than they did before the blockade was lifted, two sources familiar with the situation told Bloomberg. Tankers are arriving to those three oil ports to load oil and they will make room for more oil from the fields feeding the three terminals. The oilfields are set to further boost their production, Bloombergs sources said. Related: Iraq Ships More Crude Oil Despite OPEC Output Cut Pledge At the start of last week, Libyas National Oil Corporation (NOC) lifted the force majeure on the Zueitina port after seeing significant improvement in the security situation that allows the National Oil Corporation (NOC) to resume production and exports to global markets. The previous weekend, NOC had lifted the force majeure on the two other oil terminals it considered safe, and said it would restart production from certain fields and some exports of crude oil. The head of the Libyan National Army (LNA), General Khalifa Haftar, whose troops, with help from affiliated groups, had blockaded Libyas oil ports in January, announced the end of the blockade on September 18. By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Mon, September 28, 2020 19:57 481 e22cd4161040e111d73a5626c47c283d 1 National student-protest,rally,Code-of-Conduct,violation,police Free The Southeast Sulawesi chapter of the Indonesian Ombudsman has condemned the polices use a helicopter to disperse a student rally in front of their headquarters. According to a kompas.com report, a police helicopter was seen flying low over a protest last Saturday, forcing the crowd to scatter to avoid flying dust and debris. The police have allegedly violated their operating procedures, as regulated in National Police Regulation No. 2/2009 on the handling of riots, said head of the Southeast Sulawesi ombudsman office, Mastri Susilo, on Sunday. The ombudsman, he said, would look into the case and seek clarification from the Southeast Sulawesi police chief, Yan Sultra Indrajaya, about the matter. Hundreds of university students reportedly staged a rally in front of the Southeast Sulawesi police headquarters last Saturday to commemorate the deaths of students La Randi and Muhammad Yusuf Qardawi. The two students, who studied at Halu Oleo University in the provinces capital in Kendari, were killed during clashes between protesters and police in front of the provincial legislative council building on Sept. 26, 2019, during a demonstration against several controversial bills under deliberation at the House of Representatives, including a revision to the Criminal Code. Randi died at the scene after being shot in his chest, while Yusuf died the day after suffering severe head injuries. Read also: Student deaths possibly unlawful killing Read also: Civil movements in Indonesia fail to form resilience after #ReformasiDikorupsi: Observers An officer, identified AM, was named a suspect during the investigation into the incident. He was charged under Article 351 of the Criminal Code on assault, as well as articles 359 and 360 on negligence causing death, which carry a maximum penalty of seven years imprisonment. The officer is still being tried at the South Jakarta District Court. He previously underwent disciplinary hearings, with five other officers, for carrying firearms at the student protest. The six officers received a sanction of 21 days in jail, written warnings, the postponement of salary, rank promotion and were required to undertake education. In response to last Saturdays incident, the polices internal affairs division said it was currently questioning five officers who operated the helicopter during the rally. We will see whether an ethics violation occurred after asking for clarification from the officers, said the division head, Sr. Comr. Bambang Satriawan, on Monday. Police spokesperson Sr. Comr. Ferry Walintukan, meanwhile, claimed the officers took the initiative to fly the helicopter themselves, without securing permission from their superiors. (Vny) Islamabad: An anti-corruption court in Pakistan on Monday indicted former president Asif Ali Zardari and his sister Faryal Talpur in a money laundering case, a move described by his party as "victimization" of opposition leaders. The development comes just ahead of the planned protests next month by Opposition parties to demand the resignation of Prime Minister Imran Khan. The case is about the alleged use of fake accounts by the former president and other accused to park and launder the allegedly ill-gotten wealth. The 63-year-old husband of the country's first woman prime minister Benazir Bhutto and his 62-year-old sister Talpur were present in the court. Judge Muhammad Azam Khan of the accountability court in Islamabad indicted them. The court also indicted Omni Group Chairman Anwar Majeed and his son, Abdul Ghani Majeed. All the accused pleaded not guilty to the charges against them. Reacting to the development, Pakistan People's Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari said "political victimisation of the opposition continues during a global pandemic". He said Zardari and Talpur have been appearing in court for the past two years. "Runaway dictator traitor, three special assistants, ministers and the premier's sister won't be summoned because we have two laws in Pakistan," he said in a tweet. The court, however, postponed Zardari's indictment in the Park Lane reference until October 5. The court also adjourned the hearing of the mega money laundering case until October 13 and directed three witnesses to appear before it at the next hearing. Separately, the former president challenged the money laundering and the Park Lane cases in the Islamabad High Court. He argued in the appeal that the cases may be quashed as he was innocent. The appeal was filed against the accountability court judgment of last week in which it rejected Zardari's plea to quash three cases linked with the fake bank accounts case. The mega money laundering scandal surfaced in 2018 and multiple probes linked with the case were launched. Zardari and Talpur were arrested last year and kept in custody for months before being released on bail in December. He maintains that the allegation was part of a vilification campaign by Imran Khan-led ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf: party to malign the Opposition leaders. . Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State has given all tertiary education institutions in the state till September 30, to enrol on the platform of a private firm Payment Technology Limited (Paytech) for the collection of their internally generated revenues. But unlike the current practices across the institutions which enable them (firms) to receive remittances at little or no cost, the new firm is proposing 10 per cent charges on all transactions done at the schools. According to the firms proposal, while five per cent of every transaction will serve as administrative charges, another five per cent of total monthly remittances will be deducted as the firms commission. The governor gave the directive to the heads of the various institutions through letters recently addressed to them. In one of the letters, a copy of which PREMIUM TIMES obtained, and which was dated September 8, the head of the concerned institution was mandated to forward the agreement signed with the company to the government on or before September 11. The letter, which was signed by the Special Adviser on Education (SAE) to Mr Sanwo-Olu, Tokunbo Wahab, reads in part; As you may recall, Payment Technology Limited (PAYTECH) has been appointed as the consultant on revenue collection automation within the Lagos tertiary institutions and shall deploy a management information system (MIS) that that will facilitate the automation and independent e-monitoring of revenue collection that will promote accountability, transparency, and integrity, thus boost internally generated revenue (IGR). Another letter, which is dated September 21, and also signed by Mr Wahab, is titled; Re: Lagos State Tertiary Institution Revenue Collection, was copied to all heads of the various institutions and the commissioner for economic planning and budget, and establishment, training and pensions. The new letter said: full automation of your internally generated revenue with PAYTECH should commence latest by the same date, 30th September, 2020. The letter added that failure to comply with the directive shall attract stiff sanctions. The affected institutions include the Lagos State School of Nursing, Lagos State College of Health Technology, Lagos State Polytechnic (LASPOTECH), Lagos State University (LASU), Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education (AOCOED), and Michael Otedola College of Primary Education (MOCPED). New deal According to the proposal, the new platform being introduced by the company will ensure that relevant authorities, including the governor, offices of the states accountant general and auditor-general and the heads of various institutions, monitor, real-time, how monies are being paid into the various institutions accounts. However, according to the various stakeholders spoken with by our reporter, instead of the flat rates of between N300 and N400 currently paid as bank or remitta charges on all transactions regardless of amounts involved, the new charges will now be five per cent of the amount transacted. A senior official at one of the concerned ministries, who does not want to be named, said: Students of LASPOTECH who used to pay about N300 as bank charges on N21,000 school fee they currently pay, will now be charged more than N1,000 as charges for using the new platform. In LASU, the stream two students who are meant to pay N150,000 as school fees will now be charged N7,500 as transaction charges payable to PAYTECH instead of N415 currently charged by Systemspecs being used by the university, the source added. The source said many patrons of some of the services provided by the institutions which are said to form the bulk of internally generated revenues for these institutions may have to stop further transactions with the institutions. Another official at one of the tertiary institutions, who asked not to be named for fear of sanctions, described the new system as a scam. For instance, a customer who patronises some of these institutions by buying products such as drinks, and other services like consultancies, that need to pay as much as N5 million, will now have to cough out as much as N250,000 as charges. And you think such a customer would remain? Meanwhile, sensing possible opposition from the students, among others, the government has suggested that the charges should be paid by the institutions at the back-end without the payers knowing what is being charged. This essentially means that the charges will be embedded in the new prices for services being sought with those making the payment thinking the whole value will go to the service provider. Company defends charges Meanwhile, the Managing Director of PAYTECH, Folake Bank-Anthony, said since the new innovation aims at addressing issues of accountability, probity and transparency, the charges will be worth it. During an interview with PREMIUM TIMES, the MD, who was accompanied by the companys Chief Operating Officer, Adetunji Osho, explained that the initiative will ensure an astronomical increase in the institutions revenues. Mrs Bank-Anthony said what her company was bringing to the table is a special innovation that requires special technology, and so there should be payment for the service. She said: You cannot compare an apple with an orange. What we are introducing is a technology that would make financial transactions an open one with no hiding place for anyone. The governor and other concerned authorities will surely have access to the accounts but cannot withdraw a penny except the institutions. In the current system used by the institutions, it is what is disclosed to the government as IGR that the government knows. But in this case, everyone will see every kobo being paid regardless of how many accounts the institutions have. With such, you would agree that our proposed commission isnt much. Advertisements Institutions heads speak, decline comment Some of the heads of the affected institutions who spoke with PREMIUM TIMES said they are currently renegotiating the charges. The provost of AOCOED, Idowu Okuneye, said her college is still negotiating, hoping the outcome would be mutually beneficial. She said: Negotiation is still ongoing. That is it. There could be a proposal but the proposal has to come before the management and the governing council before it becomes a law. If you have seen the proposal, yes it is true that those are the conditions, but it is ongoing. Nothing is yet concluded. Also speaking, the provost of MOCPED, Nasiru Onibon, said: it is true that the government has ordered the institutions to discontinue the use of whatever payment platforms they were using before now. He said concerned authorities will also try to seek understanding with the government. We will also advise the government as appropriate. Yes, we will discard the ones that we are using now but we will look at the clauses that bind us with the new arrangement, Mr Onibon said. Asked if his institution has conducted any background checks on the newly introduced payment company, Mr Onibon said the government must have done that before introducing it. Also, the vice-chancellor of LASU, Olanrewaju Fagbohun, whose tenure ends in January, refused to comment on the development. He said, the best decision would be taken at the end of the day. The chairman of the universitys governing council, Adebayo Ninalowo, also declined comment as he simply said, I am busy please. The rector of LASPOTECH, Olumide Metilelu, also did not respond to enquiries on the matter. His promise to reply to our reporters message on the subject never came as of the time of filing this report, many days after the pledge was made No going back Meanwhile, the special adviser, Mr Wahab, has said there is no going back on the policy, saying you put your mouth where your money is. Mr Wahab, during an interview with our reporter in his office, said: the institutions are reluctant to open their books, yet are demanding an increase in their subventions. He said; Is there anything wrong in trying to know the true financial statuses of our institutions? Remember the governor has agreed to implement the consequential adjustment of the new minimum wage across the tertiary institutions, and so it is important for us to know how much is generated across the institutions. When confronted with the issue of arbitrary charges, Mr Wahab said there is now liberty for the various institutions to negotiate based on their individual negotiating strength. Each of them should go and negotiate, and I have said whatever is agreed with one institution will not be disclosed to another by me. But they must be enrolled on the platform because we need to know what is being generated by these schools. We cannot be blackmailed to drop the policy, Mr Wahab added. Also, when told about the consequences on the payers and particularly the students, Mr Wahab claimed: there would be no additional financial burden placed on the students. Union kicks Meanwhile, the workers unions at LASPOTECH comprising the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP), Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU) and the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Polytechnics (SSANIP) have confronted the institutions governing council on the matter. They advised the management against frittering away the scarce resources available to the institutions. Speaking on the phone with PREMIUM TIMES, the vice-chairman of ASUP on the campus, Olugbenga Abdulsalaam, said the universitys governing council has promised to address the issue. Mr Abdulsalaam said the governing council made the pledge at a meeting held with the workers unions on Monday. We were told it is still a proposal and that the management has told the government that only the governing council can speak on the matter, he said. Assembly intervenes The chairman of the Lagos State House of Assembly Committee on Education, Oluyinka Ogundimu, has scheduled a meeting of concerned stakeholders for Tuesday. He said the interest of the public will be jealously guarded. Mr Ogundimu told PREMIUM TIMES his committee had earlier met with some stakeholders but that Tuesdays meeting will be all-encompassing. We have called for a meeting over the meeting and everyone including the ministry, the schools and the firm will be represented. So there is nothing to say for now, he said. Arizona News Phoenix, Arizona - Governor Doug Ducey Thursday announced Arizona received a $1.49 million Adoption and Legal Guardianship Incentive Award from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to help more Arizona kids find safe, loving homes. Funding through the Adoption and Legal Guardianship Incentive Payments program is awarded based on the number of children and youth in foster care that are connected to permanent homes through adoption and legal guardianship, with states receiving more funding as more children in out-of-home care are found permanent homes. In Fiscal Year (FY) 2019, more than 3,500 Arizona children were adopted from foster care. The Governor today met with the Assistant Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Service Administration for Children and Families Lynn Johnson, Arizona Department of Child Safety Director Mike Faust and Governors Office of Youth, Faith and Family Director Maria Cristina Fuentes to accept the award and discuss Arizonas continued work to support kids and families in need. All Arizona kids deserve a loving family and a safe home, said Governor Ducey. This funding will help Arizona amplify support for families and connect more kids in out-of-home care with a permanent home. My sincere thanks and appreciation goes to Assistant Secretary Johnson, Director Faust, Director Fuentes and all Arizonansespecially our parents through adoptionwho work to protect Arizona kids. Arizona ranked 11th in the nation for increasing the number of children adopted from foster care last year. Additionally, the Arizona Department of Child Safety has: Connected more than 18,200 kids in out-of-home care to forever homes since FY 2016; Reduced the number of children in out-of-home care by approximately 25% since FY 2016; Continued to investigate every call of abuse and neglect during the pandemic, responding to roughly 150 reports a day; Resumed safe in-person visitation between parents, kids and siblings, facilitating approximately 6,000 visits per week during the pandemic; and Reunified approximately 2,100 kids with their parents and finalized approximately 1,300 adoptions since the pandemic began. The Governor and Assistant Secretary Johnson also discussed the ALL IN Foster Adoption Challenge. The program is a national effort to garner commitments and build strategic partnerships with governors, nonprofits, faith-based organizations, families and more that are focused on the goal of finding loving, permanent homes for the nearly 122,000 children and youth throughout the nation who are in the foster care system. "Children of the Land: A Memoir," by Marcelo Hernandez Castillo At age 5, Castillo's parents spirited him across the border from Mexico into the United States to begin a new life. Using lyricism honed as a poet, Castillo describes the agonizing realities of life as an undocumented immigrant, particularly after his father was deported. "Fly Already," by Etgar Keret Keret, a master of the short story, finds humor in the darkest places. His most recent collection is an absurdist delight that doubles as a gut-punch when characters, thrown into outlandish scenarios, confront existential woes. "Furious Hours: Murder, Fraud, and the Last Trial of Harper Lee," by Casey Cep Cep revisits a writing project that Harper Lee never published: a true-crime book in the vein of "In Cold Blood" about a man whose wives and relatives kept turning up dead. "The Institute," by Stephen King Paranormally gifted children are stolen from their parents and taken to a remote lab in the woods of Maine in King's terrifying (and topical) novel. "Life Undercover: Coming of Age in the CIA," by Amaryllis Fox Fox spent her 20s working for the CIA, eventually becoming an operative, undercover overseas, trying to thwart terrorist networks. Her memoir reveals some of the shocking scenarios she found herself in. "Nothing to See Here," by Kevin Wilson An underemployed young woman agrees to help an estranged friend, who's also the wife of a rising star politician, handle an uncommon problem: Her twin stepchildren burst into flames when agitated. "The Only Plane in the Sky," by Garrett M. Graff Weaving together hundreds of first-person accounts, Graff crafts a visceral oral history of the events of 9/11. "Red at the Bone," by Jacqueline Woodson The National Book Award winner's third novel for adults is a multigenerational saga that explores the lives of two families linked by a teenage pregnancy. "The Shadow King," by Maaza Mengiste Shortlisted for the Booker Prize (the winner will be announced Nov. 17), Mengiste's second novel, set in 1935 Ethiopia, gives voice to a variety of characters who wind up on a collision course when the Italian army invades. "The Testaments," by Margaret Atwood Speaking of the Booker Prize, Atwood took home last year's award - which she shared with Bernardine Evaristo's "Girl, Woman, Other" - for this sequel to her 1985 novel "The Handmaid's Tale." "The Topeka School," by Ben Lerner One of The Washington Post's 10 best books of 2019, Lerner's novel captures the roots of America's uncivil discourse through the story of a debate team-loving high-schooler and his psychotherapist parents in the 1990s. "The Undying," by Anne Boyer Boyer's memoir, which shared the 2020 Pulitzer Prize for general nonfiction, is many things: a chronicle of her fight against cancer; a repudiation of the pharmaceutical industry; and a meditation on women who have written about life and death. "Year of the Monkey," by Patti Smith The celebrated musician and author looks back on her emotional 70th year - and the loss of close friends Sandy Pearlman and Sam Shepard - with poetic wisdom. NEW YORK, Sept. 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Around the world, cases of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), cancer, diabetes, and an array of other chronic and acute diseases are increasing. This is expected to drive the global hospital bed market from $3,712.1 million in 2019 to $8,276.7 million by 2030, at a 7.5% CAGR between 2020 and 2030, according to P&S Intelligence. All these diseases and a lot of other health issues result in hospitalization, with the number of hospitalized patients increasing rapidly. This is the primary reason behind the hospital bed market advance, as even a more basic requirement in such medical settings than the expensive medical devices are beds! Many diseases, even a simple rhinovirus infection (common cold), make people weak enough to not be able to stand or sit, which makes laying them down necessary. Get the sample copy of this report at @ https://www.psmarketresearch.com/market-analysis/hospital-beds-market/report-sample The COVID-19 pandemic is having a positive effect on the hospital bed market, by leading to a consistently sharp increase in the number of cases. This has put a strain on healthcare resources, especially beds, of which there is a constant acute shortage. Therefore, countries around the world are pouring all their attention to accommodating as many infected people in medical settings as possible, which is driving the demand for hospital beds. As a result, even companies that were not engaged in manufacturing these products have started doing so. Browse report with detailed TOC on Hospital Bed Market Research Report: By Type (General, Pediatric, Birthing, Bariatric, Pressure Relief), Treatment (Acute Care, Long-Term Care, Critical Care), Power (Manual, Semi-Electric, Electric), End User (Hospitals, Home Care Settings, Elderly Care Facilities) - Global Industry Analysis and Growth Forecast to 2030 @ https://www.psmarketresearch.com/market-analysis/hospital-beds-market The hospital bed market is projected to witness the highest CAGR, of 11.2%, in the electric division, based on power. Driven by technological advancements, bed manufacturers are introducing enhanced products, with their numerous adjustments, including height and head and foot rests, powered by electricity. The home care settings category, under the end user segment, would experience the fastest growth in the hospital bed market in the coming years. On account of the increasing geriatric population and number of chronic disease patients, who majorly require long-term palliative treatment and monitoring, the demand for hospital beds for home use is surging. Presently, the most-productive region in the hospital bed market is Europe. The increasing disposable income, population of the elderly, incidence of chronic diseases, and technological advancements in the healthcare industry are pushing up the sales of hospital beds. As per the European Commission, the number of long-term-care beds in use in Romania, Austria, the Netherlands, and Malta witnessed a significant increase from 2010 to 2015. Make enquiry about this report @ https://www.psmarketresearch.com/send-enquiry?enquiry-url=hospital-beds-market Asia-Pacific (APAC) would witness advance in the hospital bed market at the highest pace in the immediate future. In the region, the medical tourism sector, incidence of chronic diseases, and geriatric population are rising, while the healthcare infrastructure is also undergoing constant improvements. For instance, the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) says that from 11.3% in 2019, the percentage of the Southeast Asian population with diabetes will surge to 12.6% by 2045. In order to augment their revenue, players in the hospital bed market are launching new products, which are designed to: Make COVID-19 patients comfortable Ease the symptoms of people with wounds Better manage risk in homecare and acute care settings Offer caregivers the patient's status anywhere, with the help of IoT Improve patient safety The major companies in the global hospital bed market are Paramount Bed Holdings Co. Ltd., Invacare Corporation, Medline Industries Inc., Gendron Inc., Savaria Corporation, LINET spol. S r.o., Hill-Rom Holdings Inc., Savion Industries Ltd., Getinge Group, and Stryker Corporation. Browse More Reports North America Hospital Bed Market - https://www.psmarketresearch.com/market-analysis/north-america-hospital-bed-market Asia-Pacific Hospital Beds Market - https://www.psmarketresearch.com/market-analysis/asia-pacific-hospital-beds-market About P&S Intelligence P&S Intelligence is a provider of market research and consulting services catering to the market information needs of burgeoning industries across the world. Providing the plinth of market intelligence, P&S as an enterprising research and consulting company, believes in providing thorough landscape analyses on the ever-changing market scenario, to empower companies to make informed decisions and base their business strategies with astuteness. Contact: Prajneesh Kumar P&S Intelligence Contact: +1-347-960-6455 Email: [email protected] Web: https://www.psmarketresearch.com SOURCE P&S Intelligence During the meeting with the Armenias Foreign Minister after the events in Tavush, we presented our position that the issue of strengthening the legal basis in the security sphere between Armenia Artsakh should be modernized. This is what Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) Foreign Minister Masis Mayilian on Sunday evening said in a conversation with journalists at the Artsakh Information Headquarters, speaking about the need for Armenias formal recognition of Artsakh. "At the moment, the international recognition of Artsakh is much more important as a political, diplomatic lever that can deter Azerbaijan from another aggression," he said. According to him, the most important thing at the moment is the cessation of hostilities. "Our Defense Army is doing all this in the best way, is restraining Azerbaijan. We must first stop the hostilities, and, with the help of the international community, we must be able to bring Azerbaijan to a constructive arena and start discussions," he said. As per Mayilian, Azerbaijan always undermines the Karabakh peace process. "The Prime Minister [of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan] was right to say that Azerbaijan says that there should be peace only on its own terms; that is, Artsakh should be without Armenians, or it will start a war. And what they [Azerbaijan] started since the morning is a continuation of that policy. It is clear that the Armenians cannot accept that. I believe we must make every effort, also with the help of the international community, to bring Azerbaijan to a constructive arena, to make it clear to the country's leadership that political issues are resolved through politics, and not by way of force," the Artsakh FM said. A Place for All Conservatives to Speak Their Mind. What did pterosaurs look like? Some researchers think they had a relatively smooth skin without any covering, similar in appearance to the skin on the palms of your hands. Others have argued that they were covered with small feather-like structures and looked a little bit like four-legged birds. Credit: Megan Jacobs, University of Portsmouth. The debate about when dinosaurs developed feathers has taken a new turn with a paper refuting earlier claims that feathers were also found on dinosaurs' relatives, the flying reptiles called pterosaurs. Pterosaur expert Dr. David Unwin from the University of Leicester's Centre for Palaeobiology Research, and Professor Dave Martill, of the University of Portsmouth have examined the evidence that these creatures had feathers and believe they were in fact bald They have responded to a suggestion by a group of his colleagues led by Zixiao Yang that some pterosaur fossils show evidence of feather-like branching filaments, 'protofeathers', on the animal's skin. Dr. Yang, from Nanjing University, and colleagues presented their argument in a 2018 paper in the journal Nature Ecology and Evolution. Now Unwin and Martill, have offered an alternative, non-feather explanation for the fossil evidence in the same journal. While this may seem like academic minutiae, it actually has huge palaeontological implications. Feathered pterosaurs would mean that the very earliest feathers first appeared on an ancestor shared by both pterosaurs and dinosaurs, since it is unlikely that something so complex developed separately in two different groups of animals. This would mean that the very first feather-like elements evolved at least 80 million years earlier than currently thought. It would also suggest that all dinosaurs started out with feathers, or protofeathers but some groups, such as sauropods, subsequently lost them againthe complete opposite of currently accepted theory. The evidence rests on tiny, hair-like filaments, less than one tenth of a millimeter in diameter, which have been identified in about 30 pterosaur fossils. Among these, Yang and colleagues were only able to find just three specimens on which these filaments seem to exhibit a 'branching structure' typical of protofeathers. Unwin and Martill propose that these are not protofeathers at all but tough fibers which form part of the internal structure of the pterosaur's wing membrane, and that the 'branching' effect may simply be the result of these fibers decaying and unraveling. Dr. Unwin said: "The idea of feathered pterosaurs goes back to the nineteenth century but the fossil evidence was then, and still is, very weak. Exceptional claims require exceptional evidencewe have the former, but not the latter." Professor Martill noted that either way, palaeontologists will have to carefully reappraise ideas about the ecology of these ancient flying reptiles. He said, "If they really did have feathers, how did that make them look, and did they exhibit the same fantastic variety of colors exhibited by birds. And if they didn't have feathers, then how did they keep warm at night, what limits did this have on their geographic range, did they stay away from colder northern climes as most reptiles do today. And how did they thermoregulate? The clues are so cryptic, that we are still a long way from working out just how these amazing animals worked. Explore further New discovery pushes origin of feathers back by 70 million years If you buy and hold a stock for many years, you'd hope to be making a profit. Furthermore, you'd generally like to see the share price rise faster than the market But Lexington Realty Trust (NYSE:LXP) has fallen short of that second goal, with a share price rise of 26% over five years, which is below the market return. Meanwhile, the last twelve months saw the share price rise 2.0%. Check out our latest analysis for Lexington Realty Trust There is no denying that markets are sometimes efficient, but prices do not always reflect underlying business performance. One flawed but reasonable way to assess how sentiment around a company has changed is to compare the earnings per share (EPS) with the share price. Over half a decade, Lexington Realty Trust managed to grow its earnings per share at 19% a year. The EPS growth is more impressive than the yearly share price gain of 4.7% over the same period. Therefore, it seems the market has become relatively pessimistic about the company. The reasonably low P/E ratio of 10.12 also suggests market apprehension. The company's earnings per share (over time) is depicted in the image below (click to see the exact numbers). We know that Lexington Realty Trust has improved its bottom line over the last three years, but what does the future have in store? It might be well worthwhile taking a look at our free report on how its financial position has changed over time. What About Dividends? It is important to consider the total shareholder return, as well as the share price return, for any given stock. Whereas the share price return only reflects the change in the share price, the TSR includes the value of dividends (assuming they were reinvested) and the benefit of any discounted capital raising or spin-off. Arguably, the TSR gives a more comprehensive picture of the return generated by a stock. In the case of Lexington Realty Trust, it has a TSR of 72% 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 Lexington Realty Trust shareholders are up 5.2% for the year (even including dividends). Unfortunately this falls short of the market return. It's probably a good sign that the company has an even better long term track record, having provided shareholders with an annual TSR of 11% over five years. It may well be that this is a business worth popping on the watching, given the continuing positive reception, over time, from the market. It's always interesting to track share price performance over the longer term. But to understand Lexington Realty Trust better, we need to consider many other factors. For instance, we've identified 5 warning signs for Lexington Realty Trust (2 are concerning) that you should be aware of. If you would prefer to check out another company -- one with potentially superior financials -- then do not miss this free list of companies that have proven they can grow earnings. Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on US exchanges. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. 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. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com. Trump could appear to have been insensitive but you have to understand that he didnt want people to panic and he couldnt necessarily say one group of people needs more than another group of people. He had to placate and he had to handle the entire population, he said. He may have retired his iconic Wolverine role. But Hugh Jackman still has a superhero rig. The Aussie actor showed off his bulging biceps as he hit the gym in New York on Monday. Still Wolverine ready! Hugh Jackman, 51, showed off his bulging biceps as he heads to the gym in New York on Monday The Broadway star accentuated his muscles by wearing a tight black T-shirt teamed with slim black jeans. He carried a leather gym bag and a protein shake as he made his way to his chauffeured car. Staying safe, he also wore a protective face mask. Looking good! The Aussie actor accentuated his muscles by wearing a tight black T-shirt teamed with slim black jeans The outing comes after Hugh lost out on the Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie to Mark Ruffalo last week. The star participated in a first-of-its-kind virtual Emmy Awards telecast hosted by Jimmy Kimmel. He was nominated for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie for his role in Bad Education but lost out to Mark, who played two characters in I Know This Much is True. Due to the pandemic, nominees were streamed in to the show from all around the globe via professional production kits sent out by the Academy. For the major awards, a crew member in a hazmat suit was sent to wherever the nominees were beaming in from with the golden Emmy statute - ready to present it if they won. That meant even the losers of each category were able to glimpse the award that just slipped through their fingers. Good sport! The outing comes after Hugh lost out on the Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie to Mark Ruffalo last week Safety first! Staying safe, Hugh also wore a protective face mask Emmy's producer Phil Rosenberg was on such crew member who was dispatched to Hugh and his wife Deborra-Lee Furness's multi million dollar Manhattan apartment. 'Every single one of us were sent an Emmy, none of them were engraved,' Rosenberg told E! News. 'Only Ernst & Young knew who the winners were, they keep that under lock-and-keyWe had to send [awards] to every person's house.' Rosenberg said the team used a app similar to a Walkie-Talkie to communicate globally and only found out who'd won the category seconds before the presenter announced the name. 'Before they went into the category, during a commercial break, there was a moment where all of the nominees got pushed into a Zoom together and they could chat,' Rosenberg explained. 'I overheard them congratulating each other.' When Ruffalo was announced the winner of Hugh's category, Rosenberg said there is was a bit tense but ultimately the actor was gracious. Ready to rumble: The Broadway star carried a leather gym bag and a protein shake as he made his way to his chauffeured car 'They seemed great about it,' he said. 'They had a great time, they were the sweetest of people.' As for Hugh, despite his loss, he has received wide praise from fans and critics alike for his role as a corrupt school superintendent in Bad Education, with many calling it the actor's best performance yet. And Hugh and Deborra-Lee still had plenty to celebrate, as Bad Education did take home a Creative Arts Emmy for Outstanding Television Movie on Saturday. A San Antonio Police Department sergeant was arrested Sunday, police said. Booking records show he was charged with driving while intoxicated. Sgt. Glenn Michalec was arrested in the 21100 block of Blanco Road shortly after 1 a.m., officials said. Northern Ireland Assembly members spent 25,000 of taxpayers' money on flights over the past five years. More than 5,000 went on trips made during the three-year Stormont collapse, according to figures released to this newspaper by the Northern Ireland Assembly Commission under the Freedom of Information Act. The trips include 11 transatlantic hops to locations such as New York and Washington, costing almost 8,000 in total. The data reveals MLAs took the flights for various conferences, meetings and engagements, with the payments all coming from the taxpayers' pocket. These flights were all booked by the central travel desk at the Assembly Commission, with different publicly-funded Stormont departments footing the bill. Out of the three highest-spending MLAs, all of whom ran up bills in excess of 1,500, only one, Colin McGrath, remains in office. Expand Close Colin McGrath / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Colin McGrath The South Down SDLP MLA is currently the chairman of the influential Executive Office Committee, which scrutinises Stormont ministers. Mr McGrath's flights accounted for over a third of the bill (1,547.92) racked up by all SDLP MLAs, who spent more than 4,000. He justified taking the most flights of any representative by saying his eight trips allowed him to attend the British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly, the only such group that met during the three-year Stormont suspension. "It meets twice per year in rotation in the UK and Ireland. It was also the only forum for an MLA to discuss Brexit with Members of Parliament, the Lords, the Dail, the Senate and parliaments in Wales and Scotland," Mr McGrath said. "I am also the only member from any party to consistently attend it over the past three years. "All other parties have changed their representatives at various points." The two biggest spenders are no longer sitting MLAs. The DUP's Alastair Ross took pole position, running up a bill of 1,885.19. He is now a special advisor for Economy Minister Diane Dodds. Expand Close The DUPs Alastair Ross / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The DUPs Alastair Ross Mr Ross, who was an East Antrim MLA, left the Assembly in 2017 to become a UK electoral commissioner. His flights involved various committee visits to destinations such as New York, Amsterdam and London, looking at "innovative approaches to the criminal justice system" and "court innovation," according to the released information. The second top spender was Mr Ross's DUP colleague Brenda Hale, who lost her Lagan Valley seat in 2017, having been defeated by the SDLP's Pat Catney. Ms Hale spent 1,626.35 of taxpayers' cash. The army veterans campaigner, whose husband was killed in Afghanistan, travelled across the UK and beyond for various conferences in locations such as Jersey, Guernsey and Cardiff. Sunday Life reached out to both the former MLAs for a comment on the costs but received no response. The spending habits of Mr Ross and Ms Hale helped the DUP notch up the biggest bill of any party, with their MLAs responsible for 7,056.67 in flights. Sinn Fein, the Assembly's second largest party, spent just over 3,000. Not far behind the DUP was the UUP, whose MLAs spent around 40 less. Five of the party's representatives were in the top 10 of the biggest spenders, with the UUP's three most recent leaders - current chief Steve Aiken, Health Minister Robin Swann and former broadcaster Mike Nesbitt - all appearing on the list. Mr Nesbitt booked a 1,000 trip to Washington DC for 'St Patrick's Day events' in 2016, when he was chair of the Executive Office Committee. The UUP said all trips were in line with the rules for politicians. "The expenses were incurred during the course of Ulster Unionist MLAs carrying out their work on the committees and representative bodies of the Northern Ireland Assembly, the British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly and the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association," a spokesperson told this newspaper. "These were publicly declared in line with Assembly guidance." Sunday Life also contacted the SDLP and Sinn Fein for a comment on their respective 4,000 and 3,000 bills. However, no spokesperson was able to provide a response. The lowest-spending Executive party was Alliance, whose MLAs ran up a bill of just over 2,000. A spokesperson said all trips made by the party's representatives were connected to their work. "Anything claimed by Alliance MLAs was done so under the appropriate rules and was either travel related to committee roles or to Assembly-appointed posts," they added. By Trend Moscow calls on all external and internal players to show utmost restraint on the situation in Nagorno Karabakh, Deputy Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation Andrey Rudenko told journalists on Sept.28, Trend reports with reference to TASS. "We call on all external and internal players to show utmost restraint, including in terms of rhetoric. Now its important to be as careful as possible in order to immediately achieve a ceasefire and return the parties to the negotiation process," Rudenko said. "Russia, as a co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group, has been actively participating in this process since 1991. We intend to continue contacts with all partners," he added. The Armenian armed forces committed a large-scale provocation, subjecting the positions of the Azerbaijani army to intensive shelling from large-caliber weapons, mortars, and artillery installations of various calibers in the front-line zone on Sept. 27 at 06:00 (GMT+4). The command of the Azerbaijani Army decided to launch a counter-offensive operation of Azerbaijani troops along the entire front to suppress the combat activity of the Armenian armed forces and ensure the safety of the civilian population. Azerbaijani Defense Minister, Colonel-General Zakir Hasanov said Sept. 27, 2020, that Garakhanbeyli, Garvend, Kend Horadiz, Yukhari Abdulrahmanli villages of Fizuli district, Boyuk Marjanli, and Nuzgar villages of Jabrayil district were liberated. Moreover, the positions of the Armenian armed forces were destroyed in the direction of the Agdere district and Murovdag, important heights were taken under control. The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on the withdrawal of its armed forces from Nagorno Karabakh and the surrounding districts. Credit: Jodi Rowley Frogs are one of the most threatened groups of animals on Earth. At least four of Australia's 240 known frog species are extinct and 36 are nationally threatened. After last summer's bushfires, we needed rapid information to determine which frogs required our help. This was a challenging task. The fire zone ranged from southern Queensland through New South Wales and Victoria, to Kangaroo Island off South Australia. The area was too large for scientists alone to survey, especially with COVID-19 travel restrictions. But all was not lost. Thousands of everyday citizens across the fire zone, armed with their mobile phones, began monitoring their local frogs through an app called FrogID. In research published today, we reveal how 45 frog species, some rare and threatened, were recorded calling after the fires. This has allowed us to collate a snapshot of where frog species are survivingat least for now. Good news for a change In late 2019 and early 2020, more than 17 million hectares of forest burned in Australia. By size, it was the largest fire season in southeastern Australia since European occupation. Scientists knew the damage to many plant and animal species was likely to be dramatic, particularly for species already in trouble. Many of Australia's frog species are already vulnerable, due to pressures such as disease and habitat loss. There was a very real risk the fires had pushed many frog species closer to extinction. However, information on how frogs respond to fires has historically been limited. The FrogID app means anyone can help monitor frog numbers. Credit: Jodi Rowley FrogID is a free app downloaded to smart phones. Led by the Australian Museum, the project allows anyone to record a frog call and upload it. The FrogID team then identifies the species by its call, to create a national frog database. Since the app launched in November 2017, more than 13,000 citizen scientists have recorded the calls of about 220,000 frogs across Australia. Before last summer's fires, app users had submitted 2,655 recordings of 66 frog species in what would later become fire zones. This gave us a remarkable understanding of the frogs present before the fires. Within four months of the fires, app users submitted 632 recordings. These confirmed the existence of 45 of the 66 frog species known to live in the fire zones. Hearteningly, all 33 summer-breeding frog species recorded before the fires were also detected afterwards. In other words, there were no obviously "missing" frog species. The frog species recorded most frequently in burnt areas were common, broadly distributed species of low conservation concern. These include the common eastern froglet (Crinia signifera) and striped marsh frog (Limnodynastes peronii). However, rare and threatened species were also recorded in fire-damaged areas. These included: the vulnerable southern barred frog ( Mixophyes balbus ), which lives in patches of forest along the NSW east coast. The species was recorded ten times after the fires in northern NSW ), which lives in patches of forest along the NSW east coast. The species was recorded ten times after the fires in northern NSW the mountain frog ( Philoria kundagungan ), endangered in NSW and known only from the headwaters of streams in a few pockets of rainforest in far northern NSW and southern Queensland. It is rarely encountered but was recorded once after the fires ), endangered in NSW and known only from the headwaters of streams in a few pockets of rainforest in far northern NSW and southern Queensland. It is rarely encountered but was recorded once after the fires the endangered giant barred frog (Mixophyes iteratus), found in forest from southeast Queensland to central NSW. It was recorded twice after the fires. There was no clear trend in the ecological group or lifestyle of species that were detected post-fire. Burrowing frogs, tree frogs and ground-dwelling frogs were all detected, as were stream, pond, and land-breeding species. In many places, frogs survived the inferno against the odds. Credit: Jodi Rowley A powerful tool The FrogID records are good news. They show some species have survived in the short term, and male frogs are calling to attract female frogs to mate with. But there is still much we don't know about the fate of these frogs. For example, many frogs species in southeastern Australia don't call in the cooler months, so we don't yet have a clear picture of how these species have fared over winter. The frogs' longer-term prospects also remain uncertain. Fire damage varies dramatically from place to place, and the survival of a frog species in one burnt area does not guarantee its survival in another. We remain worried about species with small geographic ranges, especially rainforest species more sensitive to fire. We urgently need more information on how last summer's fires affected Australia's frogs. This is particularly important given the more frequent and severe fires predicted under climate change, combined with all the other threats frogs face. Traditional biodiversity surveys by professionals will be needed. This is especially true for frog species of high conservation concern at remote or inaccessible sites, for which the FrogID app has little or no data. But continued data collection by citizen scientists, through projects such as FrogID, will remain powerful tools. They allow information to be gathered quickly and at scale. This raises the chances that species suffering most after a catastrophic event might get the help they need. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. Its here: There are 35 days until Election Day, but voting has begun in Pennsylvania. Mail ballots are being printed and sent to the more than two million voters who have already requested them, and counties are beginning to allow a type of early voting at local elections offices. Some are opening satellite offices as early voting sites. In a state seen as increasingly pivotal in deciding the winner, the start of voting crosses a new threshold in the campaign, as people finally begin to formally weigh in on what has been seen as a day of reckoning ever since the 2016 campaign ended. We are gearing up for a very exciting week, Philadelphia elections chief Lisa Deeley said last weekend. The citys first 100,000 ballots were being mailed Monday, with 180,000 more to follow in batches over the next few days. And its first satellite elections offices will open Tuesday to allow people to vote early by requesting, receiving, completing, and submitting mail ballots in one trip. The fevered presidential campaign has drawn historic levels of interest, with both parties painting it as an existential choice about the countrys future. People are voting as polls consistently show Democratic nominee Joe Biden holding a strong lead nationally, and a smaller but steady edge in Pennsylvania, one of a handful of states likely to decide the outcome of the contest between him and President Donald Trump. Polls also show a remarkably stable race despite a year of historic upheaval though another set of events and revelations looms as voting starts, and after 2016, no one is counting anything out. Trump and Biden will have their first debate Tuesday night. The Senate is about to embark on a charged confirmation battle over Trumps Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett. And the New York Times on Sunday revealed long-hidden details of the presidents tax returns, including that he paid just $750 in federal income tax the year he was elected, mostly because his vaunted businesses have lost piles of money. The candidates will continue their frequent travels to Pennsylvania this week, after Trump staged two rallies last week, just outside Pittsburgh and Harrisburg. Vice President Mike Pence will be in Lancaster County for a debate watch party on Tuesday, and Biden will stop in Johnstown on Wednesday as part of a train tour through Ohio and Pennsylvania. Democrats have so far been far more eager to vote by mail, requesting 1.5 million ballots to date, compared with 535,000 from Republicans and 223,000 from people who are independent or registered with a third party, according to data from the Pennsylvania Department of State. That gap, driven by Trumps false attacks against mail voting, gives Biden a greater chance to lock in support now, ahead of Election Day, when personal emergencies, long waits, or the coronavirus could deter some voters. But it also carries risks, since casting mail ballots requires following a sometimes confusing set of rules, creating tripwires that make mail votes far more likely to be rejected than those cast in person. A raft of litigation and legislative wrangling has left the very rules of mail voting up in the air, adding to uncertainty about how such votes will be counted and increasing the likelihood that the results wont be known for days after voters go to the polls. READ MORE: Voting starts early this year in Pennsylvania. What that means for Trump, Biden, and other campaigns. The timeline for sending out ballots is slightly different in each of the states 67 counties some have already begun mailing them and opening early voting offices, others are still finalizing things but officials expect to mail hundreds of thousands of ballots this week. Allegheny County started sending ballots Wednesday, and as of Monday had mailed about 106,000. More than 90,000 Delaware County ballots began printing this weekend, and will be mailed out by the end of the week. Montgomery Countys first ballots go out Wednesday. Chester Countys first ballots began going out at the end of last week some voters have begun receiving them and the rest of them will be sent out by midweek. There are going to be a lot of votes cast this week, so its a big week, said Michael Pipe, chair of the Centre County commissioners. The county is mailing ballots Wednesday to the more than 27,000 voters who have requested them so far, and Pipe expects most of those voters to receive their ballots by next Monday. This is the first year all Pennsylvania voters can vote by mail, if they choose, thanks to a law passed last year, and the pandemic has fueled massive demand for mail ballots. In the primary, just over half of all votes were cast by mail. The Pennsylvania Department of State, which runs elections, estimates that about three million votes will be by mail this election. Both parties have tried to encourage mail voting. Campaigns like knowing their supporters have already voted, and that their candidates wont lose votes because of Election Day mishaps, like a flat tire, illness, or simple forgetfulness. But Trump has repeatedly disparaged the method, falsely claiming it is rife with fraud and citing mail ballots as the reason he may not accept the results of the election if he loses. Many GOP voters have followed his lead, despite national, state, and county Republican organizations encouraging mail voting. Voters have been waiting to receive their ballots for months, with rising levels of anxiety visible on social media posts and in emails to reporters. Elections officials had hoped to send them in mid-September, but that was held up by a Democratic challenge to the Green Party presidential ticket. When the state Supreme Court removed the partys ticket from the ballot on Sept. 17, it cleared the way for ballots to be finalized and mailed. Counties rushed to update their ballots so they could be printed. The courts rulings that day also extended the deadline for when completed ballots can be returned and mandated that naked ballots mailed without an inner secrecy envelope be thrown out. That further delayed the process as counties updated instructions and envelopes. It was too late for some: Philadelphias ballot instructions have been updated, but theyll be delivered in envelopes that declare, wrongly, You must return your ballot to your county election office by 8 p.m. on election day. The court ruled they could be accepted through the Friday after the Nov. 3 Election Day. READ MORE: Everything you need to know about voting in Pennsylvania, by mail or in person Some voters will have to wait a little longer. Were doing them in batches, in waves, said Lebanon County elections director Michael Anderson. Theyre going to get there. Because theyre being sent out in batches and because mail delivery times can vary people may receive their ballots on different days, even if they live at the same address and applied at the same time. For example, Lebanon Countys first ballots are being sent to voters who are not registered as Democrats or Republicans. You may have somebody where one person in the household gets one and another didnt, Anderson said. And Allegheny County has so many ballots to mail almost 325,000 so far that it could take two weeks before they are all sent to voters. Voters can use the Department of States online ballot tracker to see whether their ballots have been mailed, though the data sometimes contain mistakes. Voters who include email addresses when requesting mail ballots should receive notification emails when those ballots are being mailed out. The hundreds of thousands of ballots crisscrossing the state this week also signal another change: The start of early voting. READ MORE: Philly is opening 17 early voting locations across the city. Heres where. While Pennsylvania does not have traditional early voting, the law expanding mail voting also required counties to allow voters to receive mail ballots on demand at county elections offices. That means voters who visit their county office can request, receive, fill out, and submit a mail ballot on the spot. (Every county has a different timeline for when it will allow early voting, so contact your elections office to check.) Some of the states largest counties are also planning to open satellite elections offices to make early voting more accessible. The excitement among voters to make their voice heard this fall is high, said Deeley, the chair of the Philadelphia city commissioners, who run elections. And we are equally excited to be able to provide them with safe and convenient ways to do that. Back in July, Chelsea Alexander Paul and her husband, Evan, sat down in their San Francisco apartment and made a spreadsheet of places where they could live and work for the same amount of money or less. The Pauls had lived in the city for four years and once lockdowns began, they spent months working from their one-bedroom home in the Mission District. As of now, their offices wont reopen until August 2021, freeing them up to focus on a place with better work space and more outdoor activities. It felt like what we had in the city wasnt really there anymore and isnt going to be there for a little while," said Ms. Paul, who is 32 and senior marketing lead at the Sheryl Sandberg & Dave Goldberg Family Foundation. The Pauls are among the many workers experimenting with new locations and lifestyles. Such moveseven temporary onesrequire attention to finances, logistics and career. Testing out a new life elsewhere often is easier if you are working a full-time job instead of trying to land freelance projects, veteran nomads say. Sarah Solomon, who built her public-relations firm while traveling across several continents, recommends that freelancers nail down projects in advance, to build savings and have a steady stream of clients and work. She also warns that many international hostels and hotels promise reliable Wi-Fiwhich turns out to be inconsistent or available only in limited areas. Check customer reviews, she advises, for the real story. Most people also need to claim a home basesuch as the home of a parent or family memberfor bank accounts and mail. Before giving up their San Francisco apartment for a series of Airbnbs, the Pauls were concerned about voting, and decided to use Ms. Pauls parents home as their permanent address. When their lease ended in August, they put most of their things in storage. This month, the couple is renting a three-bedroom house with a yard in Tacoma, Wash. Ms. Paul asked about the desk setup before they booked, and their hosts offered a Wi-Fi speed test. Coming months will bring them, in the car they leased month-to-month, to rentals in Montana, Idaho, Utah, Arizona and California. Ms. Paul appreciates the flexibility but finds that the Monday through Friday routine feels much the same everywhere. I actually didnt know how Id adjust, but it really hasnt been such a shift," she says. We designed it to work for our personalities and our day-to-day. The weekends have been a little bit more adventurous and refreshing." Transparency with employers and clients is essential, say people who have successfully combined remote work and travel. Ms. Solomon, who now lives in Hawaii, says she is up-front about her location and availability. Last year, when living in a camper van in New Zealand for six weeks, she would rise before dawn for video conferences. My clients knew where I was and appreciated that I was waking up at 5 a.m. to be on the weekly call," she says. Ms. Solomon, 28, says she tries to maintain ample savings to deal with unexpected costs. She pays for her own health insurance and at times has chosen a plan that covers her in the U.S. and internationally. This, she notes, can be a big expense that anyone considering this path should take into account. Heading off for any length of time can raise other financial issues, such as finding renters for ones home or paying taxes in the new location. Lockdowns spurred some to hit the roadwhile working. Madi Beumee, a 23-year-old actress, had just made her off-Broadway debut in The Little Match Girl" when the pandemic hit. Work she had lined up for the summer began to disappear and it became clear that she wouldnt be auditioning for fall projects. Her boyfriend, Justin Boccitto, a dancer and teacher, faced similar challenges as dance studios in New York closed temporarily. The two decided to bring the tap dancing classes that Mr. Boccitto, 39, had been giving before the pandemic to places where studios had reopened. In mid-September, they set out on a three-month cross-country drive, stopping at national parks on the way. To keep costs down, they look for free campsites. We just didnt want to stay and sit and be in the same mental and emotional state for four months," says Ms. Beumee, speaking from Badlands National Park in South Dakota. She is making ends meet with freelance graphic design and social media projects. Some adventurers have settled down, at least for the moment. Ms. Solomon says waking at 3:45 every morning is a trade-off she is willing to make to live on Maui, where she and her boyfriend, a scuba instructor, recently rented a house for six months. Most clients of her public relations business are on the U.S.s east coast. She spent the past three years working from her laptop while exploring Central and South America, the Caribbean, Australia and New Zealand. The major housing expense in Hawaii often is electricity, Ms. Solomon says, but theirs is included in the lease. The cost of living is comparable to other places she has lived in the U.S., such as New York City and Asheville, N.C., she says. And Hawaii offers free activities such as swimming and hiking. Early this year, Ms. Solomon and her boyfriend were living and working on Heron Island, in Australia. They returned to the U.S. and spent several months near his parents in North Carolina before relocating to Hawaii in July. Ms. Solomon had lived on Kauai and Maui in 2018 and 2019 and wanted to return. We had always planned on moving back to Hawaii," Ms. Solomon says. But we didnt expect it to happen so quickly." Early this year, Daisey Traynham and her husband, Britt, a photographer and music producer, arrived in Da Nang, Vietnam, and planned to stay for a month before traveling throughout southeast Asia. When coronavirus hit, they signed a six-month lease on an apartment. Covid happened and it was like musical chairs," says Ms. Traynham, 47. The music stopped and you just had to sit and stay still. This is really the longest weve sat still in years." They have spent much of the past 16 years stopping in places just long enough to get to know them. Ms. Traynham, who has worked for software developer Art+Logic for 20 years, says she gets restless in the same place too long. Most years they divide their time among Asia, Berlinwhere they own an apartmentand the U.S. Pacific Northwest, where they keep a camper van. To keep east coast hours, Ms. Traynham works from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. in Vietnam. She and her husband have acquired a motorbike and kitchen goods in Da Nang but Ms. Traynham sees travel in their future. My mom asked me, Honey, youre going to come home, right? I said, I am home!," she says. Its weirdhome is kind of just where you hang your hat or where your Wi-Fi connects." Write to Kathryn Dill at kathryn.dill@wsj.com Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Never miss a story! Stay connected and informed with Mint. Download our App Now!! Topics Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-28 21:13:42|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close LONDON, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- The first Chinese TV drama focusing on China's fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, "Heroes in Harm's Way", made its debut on the TV screen of Britons on Monday. The TV series, produced by China Media Group, has drawn a huge public response since its premiere in China. Within a week after the first release, China International Television Corporation (CITVC) launched the English version of the TV drama, which has thereafter been scheduled to air on Monday on Sky TV channel 192. "Heroes in Harm's Way" features the ordinary people who help fight COVID-19 during the outbreak in China, telling the stories of people sacrificing themselves for the greater good in the face of epidemic crisis. The release of the TV drama in China has received warm welcome and attracted attention of people in varies folks, getting a majority of optimistic feedback. The main topic and its subtopics on the Chinese social media platform Weibo have been separately read through total up to 2.9 billions and 8 billions more, which pops up onto the hot list 17 times. It also has drawn positive feedback and comments from international audiences across the world. Among which a viewer from the Middle East region said it illustrates the Chinese saying of "unity is strength", while another from Spain said that it's touching to see community workers going out door to door to take the temperature for residents, "which is an important lesson for our life, as the pandemic has changed all of us". In addition to the English version, "Heroes in Harm's Way" is also available in multiple languages as it is then set for release in Italy, Argentina, Salvador, South Africa, Russia, Japan, Indonesia, Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar and Nepal, among other countries. At present, the TV series have been launched on a number of new media platforms, namely YouTube, Facebook, OnDemandChina & iTalkBB (North America) and TV2Z (the Netherlands). Enditem The defence ministry on Monday approved the procurement of arms and military equipment worth Rs 2,290 crore, including around 72,000 Sig Sauer assault rifles from the United States for troops guarding the borders with China and Pakistan, officials said. IMAGE: Indian Army soldiers operating T-90 Bhishma tank near the Line of Actual Control in the Chumar-Demchok area of Eastern Ladakh on Sunday. Photograph: ANI Phot The proposals were approved at a meeting of the Defence Acquisition Council, the defence ministry's highest decision-making body on procurement of arms and other equipment for the country's armed forces. Besides clearing the proposal to buy assault rifles, the other significant acquisitions approved by the DAC include procurement of smart anti-airfield weapon (SAAW) systems for the navy and the Indian Air Force at an approximate cost of Rs 970, the officials said. "The DAC headed by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh accorded approval for various arms and equipment worth Rs 2,290 crore," the defence ministry said. The cost of procurement of the Sig Sauer assault rifles for the frontline troops of the Indian Army will be Rs 780 crore, officials said. The army is implementing a mega infantry modernisation programme under which a large number of light machine guns, battle carbines and assault rifles are being purchased to replace its ageing and obsolete weapons. In October, 2017, the Indian Army began the process to acquire around seven lakh rifles, 44,000 light machine guns (LMGs) and nearly 44,600 carbines. The world's second largest standing Army has been pushing for fast-tracking the procurement of various weapons systems considering the evolving security challenges along India's borders with Pakistan and China. Officials said the government is fast-tracking procurement of 72,000 Sig Sauer assault rifles from the US, adding the weapons will be used by troops guarding the borders with China and Pakistan. The government has accorded priority to the modernisation of the armed forces and the infantry modernisation has been initiated as part of the larger process to further enhance combat capability of the Army. The officials said the DAC also approved the procurement of Static HF Tans-receiver sets under the buy Indian category at a cost of Rs 540 crore. The HF radio sets will enable seamless communication for the field units of the army and the air force. The military equipment are being procured at a time Indian Army is locked in a bitter border row with China in eastern Ladakh. Press Release September 28, 2020 SEN. GRACE POE's SPONSORSHIP SPEECH TRANSCRIPT FIST Bill Sept. 28, 2020 Mr. President, dear colleagues: I shall be brief and direct to the point. For that is how we should act when a priority measure is on the table. The measure that I will be sponsoring is another proactive response to the pandemic. While it will not be talking about appropriations and actual release of money, it is no less important than Bayanihan 1 and 2 in terms of impact on our economy. Whereas Bayanihan 1 allotted P375 billion and Bayanihan 2 earmarked P165 billion, or a total of P540 billion for the COVID-19 response, NEDA estimates that this proposed measure can possibly free up P1.19 trillion worth of loans from the sale of non-performing assets to management companies called FIST corporations. This, in turn, could help serve around 600,000 micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), and save over 3.5 million related jobs. It used the following BSP data and assumptions from the banking sector as represented by the Bankers Association of the Philippines (BAP): a. By end of 2020 alone, non-performing assets could reach up to P635 billion according to BSP moderate scenario estimates. b. Of this number, the banking sector assumes that up to 40 percent could be sold to FIST corporations. A more moderate estimate pegs it to 25 percent or P159 billion. Of P159 billion, P238 billion of 150 percent could be freed up as capital. Further, 40 billion could be recovered by FIST corporations. Ultimately, BAP estimates that it could free up to P278 billion in total capital. c. Multiply this with the average leverage ratio of 4.3 times and the total loan release could amount to P1.19 trillion. d. Assuming that an average MSME of 6 workers - which is the average employment according to DTI - is able to borrow P2 million, the free capital could now give out loans and provide liquidity to 600,000 MSMEs which is equivalent to around 3.5 million jobs. These are, of course, still preliminary estimates and are pending further confirmation by the agencies which actually crunch the numbers, but they give an initial estimate of how the proposed Financial Institutions Strategic Transfer Act can help save MSMEs and jobs. When we get to the bottom of it, this law's primary objective is really to keep the banking sector above water during this crisis. Before the banks can help MSMEs, we must help the banks first. This is an improved version of the Special Purpose Vehicle Act of 2002, as amended, which was enacted as a response to the Asian Financial Crisis. We say improved because we are deliberating it half a decade earlier this time around before we even see the full brunt of the crisis. Ibig sabihin noong nagkaroon dati ng Special Purpose Vehicle Act ay matagal bago ito naipasa, ilang taon na ang nakaraan ang Asian Financial Crisis. Ito, kakaumpisa pa lang ng pandemic ay atin nang isinusulong. To jumpstart the discussion, let me walk you through the salient features of this proposed measure which were expertly reviewed and improved with the help of all stakeholders and our fellow Senators Drilon, Recto, Angara, and Gatchalian: One, it will allow all financial institutions to offload non-performing assets to FIST corporations. The covered institutions from the old SPV law were expanded to include lending companies and other institutions licensed by the BSP to perform credit-granting companies. Ang mga lending companies ang siyang nangunguna sa MSME lending kaya naman kailangan silang matulungan na maayos ang balance sheets nila. Two, the definition of true sale is amended in response to the difficulties faced in the old SPV law. All these sales and transfers shall be contained in a database to be submitted by FIST corporations to all regulatory agencies on a monthly basis for proper monitoring and review of the impact of incentives availment. Three, new safeguards have been added. To prevent abuse of the system, one person corporations are prohibited to set up their own FIST corporations. Further, to ensure that limited government resources will not be used for risky endeavors, government financial institutions will also not be allowed to set up their own FIST corporations. To address possible violations of the anti-dummy law, foreign participation in foreclosure sales of lands is removed and the SEC and DOJ are given the power and responsibility to investigate violations. Four, applications are extended to 36 months for assets that become non-performing as of Dec. 31, 2021. Longer application and applicability periods mean more time for financial institutions to harness the full benefits of the law. This period will give sufficient time to financial institutions to assess the need to offload bad assets. Five, in order to address the problem of high capitalization requirement in the old SPV Act, only adequate minimum capitalization is now required, as may be prescribed by the Securities and Exchange Commission. Where land and foreign equity participation are concerns, minimum capital requirements under the Constitution and the Foreign Investments Act shall be followed. Six, the usual remedies which result in protracted litigation like injunctions or equitable right of redemption under Article 1634 of the New Civil Code shall not be allowed against the transfer of assets. For clarity and to avoid any further litigation, it is now expressly stated that while notice to all affected parties is necessary, the consent of the borrower is no longer required. Seven, despite this, however, the borrower shall still be given a period of at most 90 days to restructure or renegotiate the loan. The rights of borrowers under existing laws shall not be impaired nor diminished. A consumer protection mechanism shall also be set up. Eight, there will be a two-year and five-year entitlement period for availment of fiscal incentives for all transfers from the financial institutions to FIST corporations and from FIST corporations to a third party, respectively. Since fiscal incentives are leakages in the revenue stream of the government, extensions may only be granted by Congress as required by the Constitution. Nine, penalties will be imposed on violators of the provisions of this measure. Aside from the suspension or revocation of the approved FIST Corp. Plan, a fine of P10,000 to P1 million plus P2,000 for every day of violation may be imposed. Administrative sanctions under applicable laws shall also apply. Lastly, we removed heavy reliance on implementing rules for the effectivity of the Act. The non-promulgation of implementing rules shall not prevent implementation. As discussed on the Senate floor, we should ensure that the law is complete in itself. This eliminates vagueness and delay caused by the crafting of implementing rules before the benefits of the law may be harnessed. The governor of our central bank assures us that the country's banking system has built-in buffers. There is, however, a limit to this risk-bearing capacity. May hangganan ang utang na kayang pasanin ng ating mga bangko. The swift enactment of this law will promote investor and depositor confidence, and mitigate the effects of the crisis. We also see this strategy being employed elsewhere in the world. South Korea, Ireland, and China have all been using their existing asset management corporations to acquire bad debts caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Others like Greece, Malaysia and the European Union are also exploring setting up their own versions. Add this to the fact that there is now a race for capital. When the Asian Financial Crisis hit, the West was providing the capital. This time around, everyone is in a crisis. We should set up a system for offloading bad debts earlier than the others. May kompetisyon sa kapital so dapat tayong magmadali. Let's stop playing catch-up with the pandemic and prepare the policy for the worse. We know what is coming. Mabuti na pong handa tayo kung sakaling kailanganin. It is my honor to endorse to this Chamber for deliberation Senate Bill No. 1849 under Committee Report No. 116. TPCC Treasurer Gudur Narayana Reddy strongly condemned the delay in restoration of registration of properties across the State. The Congress leader added that there was no visible administration in Telangana. Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) Treasurer Gudur Narayana Reddy strongly condemned the delay in restoration of registration of properties across the State in view of introduction of a new Revenue Act and alleged that there was no functional administration in Telangana State. Narayana Reddy, in a media statement on Sunday, said that Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao was emulating Prime Minister Narender Modi in introducing new laws without any planning and preparation. Although it is debatable where or not Telangana needs a new Revenue Law at this juncture, KCR Govt should have planned its implementation in a proper manner. All registrations are at a halt for the last one month and the situation would remain unchanged until next month till Dussehra. CM KCR is apparently not conscious of the impact of his wrong and ill-planned decisions on the common man. Both PM Modi and CM KCR have a long history of implementing decisions without giving any thought on their implications, he said. The Congress leader alleged that there was no visible administration in Telangana State. He said there was no working Secretariat and all ministers and senior officials were functioning from symbolic make-shift offices. With the Chief Minister shutting down all Revenue offices until further orders, there is no visible administration in Telangana State. He said except police stations, no other government office is functioning in a full-fledged manner. Also Read: Amid protests, President Kovind gives assent to 3 farm bills passed by Parliament Right from demonetisation to GST, lockdown and now new farm laws, PM Modi implemented his decisions in an unplanned manner. CM KCR followed his footsteps and imposed decisions in an unplanned manner. Both are good at creating great hype around their decisions. But they are highly poor at the implementation and performance, he alleged. Narayana Reddy said that almost all senior officials including District Collectors have no clarity over the new Revenue Law. The State Government is planning to organise training camps for the senior officials to teach them the implementation of new law. However, he said that the TRS ministers were trying to create a false hype around the new law by organising farmers rallies across Telangana State. He challenged the TRS ministers to make any group of farmers explain the benefit of the new Revenue law. He alleged that the TRS leaders were forcing the farmers to believe that the new Revenue Act was good for them while they themselves were unaware of their provisions. Also Read: As Delhi, Ktaka to Tamil Nadu seethe over Farm bills, tractor set on fire at India gate London, Sep 28 : In a first since 2019 just before former UK Prime Minister Theresa May's exit from Downing Street, the UK's main opposition Labour Party overtook the ruling Conservatives in a new opinion poll. The poll conducted by Opinium for The Observer newspaper and issued on Sunday put Labour on 42 per cent with the Conservatives on 39 per cent, reports the Metro newspaper. According to the poll, 55 per cent of the voters believe that Labour leader Keir Starmer was ready to become Prime Minister and 40 per cent were of the opinion that the opposition party was ready to form the next government. Meanwhile, only 30 per cent backed the incumbent Boris Johnson government's handling of the coronavirus pandemic, down from the 65 per cent who were in favour during the early stages of the health crisis. The Prime Minister has come under increasing pressure to control the spread of the virus, which has so far infected 437,516 people so far in the UK, while the death toll stood at 42,077. Wales has put three more counties into lockdown amid a surge of infections, while thousands of students have been forced to self-isolate in their university halls just weeks after starting the new term. CLEVELAND, Ohio -- For the owner of Shaker Square, the ongoing coronavirus pandemic has kept the focus simple in the historic commercial and transit hub. Its been all about business survival, turnover and struggling with profits, Coral Company President Peter Rubin told the Shaker Square Alliance in a Zoom meeting convened online Sept. 23. While most retail and restaurants on the Square have been having a hard time since the statewide health emergency was invoked in March, there has only been one casualty so far attributed to COVID-19. But it was a big one, with the shuttering of Fire Food & Drink announced in August after 20 years as an anchor in the district and a mainstay on the local dining circuit. To fill the void, Rubin said Coral bought all of Fires inventory so that it can bring in a new operator quickly. Its a strategy that appears to have succeeded, with an announcement expected later this week on a lease for the Fire space with another renowned (but as yet undisclosed) pair of chefs. They, in turn, will be having outside chefs visiting monthly to what is already being billed as a four-star restaurant, according to Rubins comments written in the Shaker Square Alliance meeting minutes. As for the vacancy right next door resulting from the departure of the Yours Truly restaurant in July, Rubin pointed out that this was a result of discussions and circumstances from before the pandemic. Coral has since signed a lease with Cleveland Breakfast Club, with a tentative opening slated for November that will include vegan menu offerings, takeout and -- weather permitting -- outdoor dining. In other other developments around the Square: -- Biggby Coffee has opened in the old Deweys shop -- Goldenrod Montessori School is opening in the former Flawless Barber Academy -- A Shaker Heights resident plans to open a full-service bakery in the former Alexanders Floral Designs space. Rubin said Coral has also been working with other restaurant owners and retailers to sustain their businesses, and in some cases has only been collecting about 60 percent of the rent total. Having put the Square briefly on the market last year before removing it once a revitalization plan was scrapped that could have closed the main drag of Shaker Boulevard, Rubin said that Coral is moving forward on a refinancing plan with KeyBank. With the Perspectives Architecture office lease expiring and a subsequent vacancy expected in November, Coral plans to return the space to small offices, calling it Quad B, with marketing to begin in October. Coral is already getting requests on amenities there that will include a 20-seat community conference space, office kitchen, installation of a 1GB internet service for everyone, with a visual security system accessible by smartphone. Parking still free Rubin also fielded questions from those tuned in to the Zoom meeting, including one from former Cleveland City Councilman Jay Westbrook on safety and security over the past 12 months. Rubin said there have been very few breaches in that time, aside from occasional loitering and graffiti, with 24/7 camera coverage installed. Coral and Shaker Square still use the Downtown Cleveland Alliance Ambassadors, prompting a question from Diane Pride-Mays with the Larchmere Community Association about whether parking meter ticketing is still suspended. Rubin thought so, but after learning at the meeting that many people had still been ticketed in recent months, said that he would have the tickets canceled if they were mailed to him. He also planned to remind the security team about the current no-ticket policy. Pride-Mays also asked for an update on Atlas Cinemas, which bought the historic movie house in early 2019. Rubin believes Atlas is the only movie theater currently open in the city of Cleveland, although it hasnt been easy through the pandemic. The owners are working to stay open with social distancing in place, but they are struggling, Rubin said, adding that Coral continues to work with them to help Atlas persist financially, according to the SSA meeting minutes. Read more from the Sun Press. Iran has received gold from Venezuela for the fuel cargoes Tehran had sent to the Latin American country, a commander at Irans Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said over the weekend, as carried by Middle East Monitor. According to Major General Yahya Safavi of IRGC, Iran transported the gold from Venezuela to Tehran via airplanes in order to prevent any accident during transit. Iran is also helping Venezuela in preventing cyber attacks, the Iranian military official said. Iran and Venezuela, both under sanctions from the United States which aim to cut off their oil exports, have boosted cooperation in recent years. Nicolas Maduros regime in Venezuela is paying Iran in gold for help with Venezuelas crumbling oil industry, U.S. Special Representative for Venezuela Elliott Abrams said earlier this year. Those planes that are coming in from Iran that are bringing things for the oil industry are returning with the payments for those things: gold, Abrams said in April. In April alone, Venezuela loaded 9 tons of gold, worth around US$500 million, on airplanes for Iran, in exchange for Iranian help for repairing Venezuelas crumbling refineries, sources with direct knowledge of the matter told Bloomberg. Apart from helping with oil services, Iran has declared its readiness to help Venezuela deal with its severe gasoline shortage and earlier this year managed to send cargoes of fuel to the Latin American country, which holds the worlds largest oil reserves. The United States intercepted and seized in August four such gasoline cargoes bound for Venezuela. Iran and Venezuela have also recently exchanged crude oil, in defiance of the U.S. sanctions. After Iran had delivered condensate to Venezuela via an Iran-flagged tanker, the same tanker loaded Venezuelan crude oil at a terminal in the Latin American country, Bloomberg reported last week, quoting a shipping report. By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Daniel Cardenas/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images It came in off the street one daya tip, a lead, a rumorwhatever you cared to call it, it was one of the strangest things they had heard in their careers. Chapo Guzman, the world-famous drug lord, had hired a young IT guy and the kid had built him a sophisticated system of high-end cell phones and secret servers, all of it ingeniously encrypted. The unconfirmed reportperhaps that was the best way to describe ithad arrived that Friday in June 2009 when a tipster walked into the lobby of the FBIs field division office in New York. After his story had been vetted downstairs, it made its way up seven flights of stairs and landed with a curious thud among the crowded cubicles of C-23, the Latin American drug squad. For more than thirty years, the elite team of agents and their bosses had hunted some of the drug trades biggest criminals, and while tall tales of their antics circulated constantly through its squad room near the courts in Lower Manhattan, no one in the unit knew what to make of this one. The tipsters account seemed credible enough, but it was sorely lacking details: The only facts he had offered on the young technician were a first nameChristianand that he was from Medellin, Colombia. All sorts of kooks spouting all sorts of nonsense showed up all the time at FBI facilities, claiming they had inside information on the Kennedy killing or knew someone who knew someone who knew where Jimmy Hoffa was. In what were still the early days of internet telephony, it seemed a bit far-fetched that a twentysomething hacker had reached a deal with the worlds most wanted fugitive and furnished him in hiding with a private form of Skype. As alluring as it sounded, it was just the sort of thing that would probably turn out to be a myth. Inside Colombias Air Chapo Cocaine Shipping Scandal In the middle of a drug war, chasing myths was not enough to send C-23 into the field: reality was keeping the unit busy on its own. Three years after Mexico had launched a crusade against its brutal cartel kingpins, the country had erupted into incomparable violence, and much of the chaos had rolled downhill into American investigative files. Just that winter, a psychopath who called himself the Stewmaker had been caught near Tijuana after having boiled three hundred bodies down to renderings in caustic vats of acid. Two weeks later, a retired Mexican general was murdered in Cancun, his kneecaps shattered, and his corpse propped up behind the steering wheel of a pickup truck abandoned on a highway. Since late 2006, the countrys seven drug clans had all been at war with one another or the governmentor sometimes both at onceand ten thousand people had already lost their lives. Story continues C-23 and other U.S .law enforcement agencies pitched in when they could, opening cases and offering intelligence to their counterparts in Mexico. But in the past several months, conditions at the border had only gotten worse and had metastasized from an ordinary security emergency into something that resembled a full-scale insurrection. From the American point of view, the Sisyphean struggle to end the bloodshedand to stem the flow of drugs heading northseemed increasingly impossible despite the constant seizures, the federal indictments and the helicopter gunships sent as foreign aid. In this target-rich environment, Chapo Guzman was an interest- ing case. While he was neither the wealthiest nor the most sadistic trafficker in Mexico, he was by a matter of degree the most illustrious. His famous alias, El Chapooften rendered Shorty but more accurately a reference to his squat, stocky framewas globally familiar, with a recognition level that rivaled that of movie stars and presidents. Not since Pablo Escobar had ruled over Colombia had la pista secretathe secret path of the narcotics businessseen a figure who was both a major criminal and a mass celebrity. For nearly twenty years, Guzman had been at the center of the drug trade, involved in some of its best-known capers and disasters. In 1993, in his earliest brush with fame, he was sent to jail in Mexico for the murder of a Roman Catholic cardinal, Juan Jesus Posadas Ocampo*, whose daylight killing at the Guadalajara airport introduced the world to the threat presented by Mexican cartels. Eight years later, in a move that earned him full folkloric status, Guzman had escaped from prison, slipping out in a laundry cart after paying off his jailers. Ever since, he had been on the run, moving back and forth among a half-dozen hideouts deep in the Sierra Madre mountains, in the Mexi- can state of Sinaloa. Though he lived like an outlaw, he was treated like a kingloved by some, feared by many and inarguably one of the most powerful men in Mexico. A single word from him from one of his mountain dens could set in motion tractor-trailers in Nogales, planes in Cartagena, and merchant freighters in Colon. At fifty-twoan improbable age in an industry that did not promote longevityGuzman had reached the height of his career, running his business freely and warring against his rivals, all while playing cat and mouse with those among the Mexican authorities who werent on his payroll. While the American government was after him as well, a contrarian consensus had emerged in parts of Washington that at least he was contained in the Sierras, where he was spending exorbitant sums on his security and could not engage in the same bloody havoc that emergent mafias, like the Zetas or La Familia Michoacan, had recently been wreaking in the lowlands. It was also the case that no onenot the FBI, the DEA, nor their cousins in the intelligence communityhad ever mounted a successful capture operation in the rugged region he had fled to. In the past two years alone, a panoply of American agencies had helped arrest Otto Herrera, Guzmans connection to Colombias cartels; Juan Carlos Ramirez, one of his top suppliers; and Jesus El Rey Zambada, the brother of El Mayo Zambada, his most important partner. The heir to Guzmans throneMayos son, Vicentewas in jail in Mexico City, and Pedro and Margarito Flores, the twin brothers who had handled much of his American distribution, were about to start recording him for U.S. drug officials. By mid-2009, Guzman himself was already under indictment in San Diego and Tucson and would soon face further charges in Brooklyn and Chicago. But after all of thiscountless hours of investigative and prosecutorial efforthe had never spent a single day in an American court of law. That was why C-23s new lead couldnt be discounted, as crazy as it sounded. The possibilities it promised were simply too enticing. It stood to reason that a man in Guzmans positionon the lam, with far-flung operatives around the globewould at least want a means of sending and receiving secret messages. Imagine the windfall if the drug squad in New York could hack into the system. That is, if it actually existed. While many of his coworkers shrugged at the story of the mythic cell-phone system, treating it like a piece of science fiction, Special Agent Robert Potash raised his hand and volunteered to run the rumor down. As the rookie in the unit, he had little else to do. Potash had joined C-23 only the year before and while he was as eager as anyone to succeed, he was still finding his feet among his older, more seasoned peers. One of those anomalies who came to law enforcement late in life, Potash had attended the FBIs academy in Quantico just before his thirty-seventh birthday, the outside age for new recruits. For a federal agent, his background was unusual. Trained as a mechanical engineer, Potash had spent fifteen years of well-paid boredom in the private sector, designing robots and lasers before he realized that what he really wanted to do was put together criminal cases, not expensive widgets. The son of a toolmaker from Connecticut, he had always been something of a tinkerer. Even approaching forty, he often still thought about himself as the handy little kid who built the neighborhood treehouse every summer and spent all winter working on a soapbox car in his garage. Potash had never handled a cartel case before, but knowing of his technical bent, his bosses at C-23 had invited him to sit in on the interview with the tantalizing tipster. He left the conversation convinced there was something there and did not get much resistance from the squad when he stepped forward to investigate it further. Many of the units top agents didnt want the job, which, by the looks of it, was going to require studying encryption and reading up on arcane subjects like Voice over Internet Protocol. It was, to say the least, not the typical drug cop stuff of busting bad guys or grabbing kilos off the street. When you got down to it, it was more or less nerd work. But that was Potashs lane. Joining him in his new assignment was his partner, Stephen Marston. Marston was eight times as experienced as Potash and nearly twice as tall. An agent cut from the classic moldbig, broad- shouldered, stolid, methodicalMarston, a New Yorker, had been at C-23 for much of the decade. In his own time in the unit, he had mostly focused on Colombians, among them the remnants of the cocaine cowboys from Medellin and Cali who had since the 1980s supplied cocaine to Mexican smugglers like Guzman who worked along the border. While Marston didnt know much about technologyhis computer degree from 1993 was obsoletehe did know quite a bit about investigating drug cartels. And something in the tipsters report had caught his eye. Under questioning, the tipster had explained that shortly before the young technician Christian had gone to work for Guzman, he had built a beta version of his system for another trafficking group, the Cifuentes family, one of Colombias stealthiest and most successful smuggling organizations. Known as the invisible clan for their ability to work beneath the radar, the Cifuenteses were, like Christian, based in Medellin. The family had a long and tangled history with Guzman and had for years been shipping him their product in everything from King Commander turboprops to long-range shark and tuna boats. Marston knew that the tipsters story might have had a few implausible details, but he recognized its basic inner logic. If some of the Cifuenteses had acquired a new technology, it would certainly be reasonable to think that they had passed it on, through the man who had developed it, to their longtime friend and ally. Meticulous as always, Marston was not about to raise an alarmor his bosss expectationswithout first thoroughly confirming the account. In the FBI, if you were smart, you always promised less than you delivered. As he and Potash started on the case, Marston decided that he needed proof of concept: some hard evidence that the secret system was more than just a pipe dream. What he really needed, when he thought about it further, was one of the damned phones. They started with their colleagues in Colombia. After squeezing the tipster for all that he was worth, Marston and Potash decided to run his story past the experts on the ground: the FBIs legal attache team and their DEA equivalents in Bogota. They arranged a call with the embassy and to their surprise, when they mentioned Christians name, everyone seemed to know who they were talking about. A young technicianChristian Rodriguez, they were toldran a small business in Medellin repairing computers and setting up communications networks. Rodriguez was also known to dabble from time to time in the citys black-hat hacking scene. Though there wasnt much in the way of solid proof, the agents in Bogota were confident it had to be their man. Signing off, Marston and Potash dwelled on their discovery: The young kid that Chapo Guzman had brought in as his infotech consultant appeared to have a day job as Medellins Geek Squad guy. *The murder of Cardinal Ocampo, on May 24, 1993, was a seminal moment in Mexico, awakening the public to the rising power and violence of the countrys drug mafias. It was also a seminal moment for Guzman. He has always denied involvement in the killing; indeed, the evidence suggests that he may have been its target, not its perpetrator. Ocampo was likely killed in accidental crossfire when hit men from the Tijuana cartel tried to murder Guzman. Guzman never forgot that the cartels leaders, the Arellano-Felix brothers, attempted to assassinate him or that they let him take the blame for Ocampos death. The rancor spawned a bloody war between Guzman and the brothers that raged intermittently from the early 1990s well into the first decade of the 2000s. EXCERPTED FROM EL JEFE: THE STALKING OF CHAPO GUZMAN. COPYRIGHT 2020 BY ALAN FEUER. EXCERPTED BY PERMISSION OF FLATIRON BOOKS, A DIVISION OF MACMILLAN PUBLISHERS. NO PART OF THIS EXCERPT MAY BE REPRODUCED OR REPRINTED WITHOUT PERMISSION IN WRITING FROM THE PUBLISHER. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now! Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more. Fosters first major blunder after the acquisition was to funnel all sales across it vast beverage portfolio through a single sales force. Friends in the trade at the time said it was farcical. And the loss of market share experienced by the merged Southcorp-Rosemount was repeated by the merged Southcorp-Fosters. On the face of it, there seem to be two arguments here. On the on hand, accountants at brewing companies seem to think to themselves something like this: Beer has alcohol in it and so does wine, and therefore buying another (currently profitable) alcohol company would create administrative synergies, which would lead to economic efficiencies, which would in turn lead to even bigger profits.On the other hand, even Blind Freddie can see that the economics of beer making and the economics of wine making have almost nothing in common, even though one of the ingredients of the end-product is the same. This seems to lead to the conclusion that the accountants at any given brewing company should not be allowed within 10 miles of any wine company, because they will destroy it.There are, sadly, quite a few examples of the latter (destruction of wine assets), and almost no examples of the former (an efficiently run combined company). One extremely unfortunate example lead to the creation of what is now called Treasury Wine Estates, which has been in the news recently, for having financial problems even as a single wine company. It is a simple story, in principle: a large beer company bought a large wine company, for a lot of money, then systematically destroyed the wine company's assets over only a very few years, subsequently spinning it off as a separate wine company again, and then selling if for only a fraction of what it originally paid.The issue here is very simple. Beer companies do not usually produce any of their ingredients themselves, but instead buy them from primary producers. All the company needs, in principle, is some brewing equipment, to process the ingredients, and a bottling / canning line to package the output. Yes, this does make them dependent on the grain and hops growers, but there are plenty of them, should any given relationship turn sour (no pun intended). Brewers are thus not primary producers, they are intermediaries between the growers and the drinkers. Moreover, beer does not take long to make, even if one does mature the brew for a while before sale; and it can be made all year long. So, the return on investment is quite fast they get their money from the buyers not long after they have to pay the growers. Finally, it is not hard to adjust volumes to market conditions, due to high turnover.Nothing could be more different from being a wine company, could it? These companies are almost always primary producers, as part of their activity. They often own very large tracts of rather expensive land, made even more expensive by having to grow grape-vines on it; and the bigger the company, the more widespread these tracts of land are likely to be. Grape-vines are not fast to establish, not cheap to maintain, and not easy to modify should you decide to change the mix of ingredients (in this case, grape varieties). All of this requires a massive up-front investment, which will not produce much of a return for at lest 5 years, if you start from scratch.Then, having got the ingredients, the company needs a winery, or two, to process the grapes and bottle / can the output this can happen only once per year. Furthermore, in between the annual input and the final output there may also be a requirement for a large number of oak barrels, in which the nascent wine will be stored, for one or more years. This requires a large area of controlled storage conditions, which is also somewhat expensive. This all leads to a situation where the company is not likely to get its production money back for at least a year after it spends it, and, for many wine types, several years. And let's not contemplate for too long the nightmare of trying to adjust volumes to prevailing market conditions, or trying to deal with environmental effects, like smoke taint.So, it should be obvious that you cannot run a wine company the same way you run a beer company. Maybe yourun a spirits company in somewhat the same manner as a beer company, although it often needs some barrels, too. But the economics of wine is another thing altogether.So, why do beer companies sometimes buy wine companies? It cannot possibly turn out well. Let me briefly describe the example mentioned above, although it is perhaps an extreme one. It comes from Australia, so open a beer and settle yourself into a comfy chair.The beer company involved is (or was) called Foster's Group Limited. While probably known internationally as a particularly Australian brand, Foster's beer is actually quite rare in Australia itself. Its biggest market is the UK, where it is apparently the second highest selling beer. Like all big companies, Foster's has a long history . It started in Australia in 1888, but in 1907 the company merged with five other brewers to form Carlton & United Breweries (CUB). Courage Brewery (from Britain) was acquired by CUB in 1990, which by that time had been re-named Foster's Brewing Group. In 2011, CUB and its products were bought by the conglomerate SABMiller, which in turn was incorporated into the multinational Anheuser-Busch InBev in 2016. CUB is currently being sold to Asahi Breweries.There are actually two wine conglomerates involved. The first one in our story was called Mildara Blass , a highly profitable business, seen in the industry as a model for return on investment, driven by the big volume Yellowglen, Jamiesons Run and Wolf Blass brands. It was formed in 1991, when Wolf Blass Wines and Mildara merged, each being a large well-run company in its own right. Wolf Blass Wines International had been formed in 1973, and was publicly floated in 1984. Although founded earlier, the Mildara trademark dates from 1937. It remained largely a sherry producer until well into the 1960s, but during the 1970s and 1980s it expanded rapidly, acquiring a series of high-profile wineries.Fosters moved into the wine business in 1996 by acquiring Mildara Blass, which itself acquired other wineries (eg. Rothbury Estates and Saltram). By 1999, the wine company claimed c. 40% of the Australian sparkling wine market and 25% of its premium table wine market. Then, in 2000, Californias Beringer Wine Estates joined Fosters wine business, and the name changed to Beringer Blass Wine Estates (shortened in 2004 to Beringer Blass). However, by then the difficulty of running an international wine business had become apparent. For example, in the year to June 2004 the wine division returned just 4% on its AU$4.4 billion of assets, compared to the beer divisions 25% on AU$2.2 billion of assets.The second wine conglomerate in our story was called Southcorp Wines , a name that dated from 1994. It was then the owner of many of Australias greatest and oldest wine brands, including Wynns Coonawarra Estate, Penfolds, Seppelt, Lindemans, Leo Buring, Coldstream Hills and Devils Lair. In 2001, it merged with what had been the highly successful Rosemount Estate . However, the two entities did not work well together, from the management point of view. Even worse, both their local and their export combined market shares were decimated retailers were not going to be dictated to by this now enormous supplier according to Chris Shanahan , they learned the hard way that they were the tail, not the dog; and the big retailers would wag them, not the other way around.So, just 4 years later, in 2005, Fosters moved in, paying top dollar for Southcorp. Sadly, the downhill movement continued (eg. a 10% slide in wine sales during the first half of 20062007). As described by Shanahan There were therefore repeated write-downs of assets. David Farmer cites an estimate of around AU$8 billion being used to build Fosters wine assets, but by 2010 these same assets had an estimated value of just AU$2.5 billion. That is one helluva write down!In 2010, Fosters Group finally saw sense, and decided to split its global beer and wine divisions into two separate companies, to be listed on the Australian Stock Exchange. In the process, it changed the name of its wine business from Foster's Wine Estates to Treasury Wine Estates (TWE). This gave TWE control of its own destiny, based on whatever it could salvage of its wine assets. This strategy seemed to work for a decade, based on the strength of its premium holdings, notably the Penfolds and Wynns wines. It also moved strongly into the emerging Chinese wine market, leading the concerted Australian attempt to take over from the French in that market.As a sad postscript, is Treasury Wine Estates doing particularly well, 10 years later? Obviously not. Its current income is far below previous expectations, for various reasons; and the current pandemic plus the current trade war between China and Australia have made things even worse. As a result, TWE currently has at least two class action suits against it ( one two ), for deliberately misleading investors with forecasts of forthcoming riches. Ironically, it has been considering de-merging its portfolio of wines, taking us right back to the 1970s.Why would anyone want to own a high-profile and expensive wine company? Freddie may not be as blind as his name suggests, but accounts sometimes seem to be. By Trend Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Poland has made a statement in regards to the escalation of situation within the Nagorno Karabakh region, Trend reports citing Poland's MFA. "Poland is deeply concerned with the reported military clashes around Nagorno-Karabakh. We call for an immediate cease of hostilities, deescalation and resumption of peaceful negotiations, particularly within the OSCE Minsk Group," the statement said. On September 27, at about 06:00, the armed forces of Armenia, committing large-scale provocations, have subjected to intensive shelling from large-caliber weapons, mortars, and artillery mounts of various calibers of the positions of the Azerbaijan Army along the entire length of the front and Azerbaijani human settlements located in the frontline zone. The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on the withdrawal of its armed forces from Nagorno Karabakh and the surrounding districts. In a security breach, a group of men claiming to be members of the Punjab unit of Youth Congress set a tractor on fire at Rajpath near the India Gate lawns on Monday morning in support of the farmers agitation against laws enacted by the central government that they claim will undermine the agricultural sector. The police arrested five people and a search is underway for others. No one was injured in the incident. Police said the incident took place around 7.30am when a group of 20-25 men arrived at Rajpath in different vehicles and a truck, on which the tractor was laden. Also read: Punjab set to move SC on farm laws as stir intensifies Witnesses and passersby told the police that the men pushed the tractor out of the truck and set it on fire as it turned over. According to people who were present there, the men chanted slogans like Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan and Bhagat Singh Amar Rahein in support of the farmers agitation and were also carrying effigies, which they hung onto the street light poles. They then went live on social media and clicked group pictures with the burning tractor, said a police officer. Soon after, a police patrol vehicle arrived at the scene. Seeing the police, the men who had set the tractor on fire fled. Backup was called and other police vehicles in the area were alerted. Later, the fire was doused and five of the men arrested. The charred remains of the tractor was removed from the road, said the police officer. A video of the group setting the tractor on fire was widely circulated on social media. Some policemen who had reached the spot were also seen standing near the tractor that was on fire. Police said all arrested men are from Punjab. They were identified as Manjot Singh, 36, Sahib, 28, and Sumit Pal, 28, from Mohali, Raman Deep Singh Sindhu, 28, from Mansa and Rahul Kumar, 28, from Ludhiana. We had pooled in money to get the tractor. This was a symbolic protest to send a loud and clear message to the government at the Centre that they should talk to farmers, said Brinder Singh Dhillon, president of the Punjab Youth Congress. They (Centre) have not just trampled upon the federal structure, but these three legislations will also destroy the farmers of my state, he added Deputy commissioner of police (New Delhi) Eish Singhal said his men had reached the spot in time and the fire was contained before the tractor was completely gutted. BRIDGEPORT Traveling to look for love is no longer a possibility for many people in these times of pandemic-induced lockdown. But, apparently, its still an option for tigers. Zeya, one of Connecticuts Beardsley Zoos two Amur tigers, was scheduled to spend her last day at the zoo Monday before being moved to another facility Tuesday for breeding purposes. Beardsley Director Gregg Dancho couldnt say where Zeya was moving, because the other zoo hasnt released permission to share that information. The big move is part of a national program to help preserve critically endangered species, largely through breeding. Were trying to keep these animals on the planet, Dancho said. Beardsley is a member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and participates in its Species Survival Plan program, which helps conserve and protect animal populations. The program matches female and male tigers using a variety of criteria, including age and genetic information. Basically, its computer dating, Dancho explained. Tigers in general and Amur tigers in particular are critically endangered species. Due to habitat loss, poaching and other issues, four of nine subspecies of tiger have disappeared from the wild in just the past 100 years. According to the Association of Zoo and Aquariums, there are roughly 500 Amur tigers left in the wild. Zeya is one of two Amur tigers at Beardsley. She and her sister Reka were born in 2017 at the zoo. Their parents, Changbai and Petya, have already been moved to other zoos, as part of the Species Survival Plan. As they reach three years old, Dancho said, Zeya and Reka are at the point where, were they in the wild, they would have started to separate from one another. As they start to mature, in the wild they would start to fight, not want to be with each other, Dancho said. They are two females need territory and they need to mate. Reka will stay behind at the zoo, at least for now, Dancho said. Ideally, a mate will be found for her as well, he said. That could mean bringing a male tiger to the zoo, or sending Reka to mate with a one at another zoo. Right now, its tougher than usual to move animals, due to the pandemic, Dancho said, and moving them across the country to California, for example isnt a possibility. But Dancho anticipates that Zeyas transition will go smoothly. The beauty of this is that Zeya had tremendous professional care here, he said. The perfect age for her to move is right now. By Trend The European Union calls on all players in the region to promote de-escalation in the conflict zone in Nagorno-Karabakh and to avoid foreign intervention in the conflict, the EU Spokesperson for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Peter Stano said at a briefing in Brussels, Belgium, Trend reports referring to TASS. "We call on all players in the region to refrain from any form of interference in the conflict in Nagorno Karabakh," Stano stressed. The Armenian armed forces committed a large-scale provocation, subjecting the positions of the Azerbaijani army to intensive shelling from large-caliber weapons, mortars, and artillery installations of various calibers in the front-line zone on Sept. 27 at 06:00 (GMT+4). The command of the Azerbaijani Army decided to launch a counter-offensive operation of Azerbaijani troops along the entire front to suppress the combat activity of the Armenian armed forces and ensure the safety of the civilian population. Azerbaijani Defense Minister, Colonel-General Zakir Hasanov said Sept. 27, 2020, that Ashaghi Abdulrahmanli, Garakhanbeyli, Garvend, Kend Horadiz, Yukhari Abdulrahmanli villages of Fizuli district, Boyuk Marjanli and Nuzgar villages of Jabrayil district were liberated. Moreover, the positions of the Armenian armed forces were destroyed in the direction of the Agdere district and Murovdag, important heights were taken under control. The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on the withdrawal of its armed forces from Nagorno Karabakh and the surrounding districts. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz Chances for a second stimulus check before the presidential election have ticked up slightly. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi have indicated they will resume negotiations to pass a new economic relief package that could include a second round of stimulus checks. Im hoping for a deal. Id rather have a deal which puts money in peoples pockets than to have a rhetorical argument, Pelosi said Sunday on CNN. "We have a chance to get something done andwhat we will be putting forth is a proffer to say, now let us negotiate within a time frame and a dollar amount to get the job done, to put money in peoples pockets, to honor our heroes, and to crush the virus. So, we are having our conversations. And when I have a conversation with the administration, it is in good faith. I trust Secretary Mnuchin to represent something that can reach a solution. And I believe we can come to an agreement. For his part, Mnuchin said he has spoken to Pelosi multiple times in recent days and weve agreed to continue having discussions. There are landmines in the way, however. The Senate will be consumed with the nomination of Amy Coney Barrett to replace the late Ruth Bader Ginsburg on the Supreme Court, followed closely by the Nov. 3 presidential election. Those issues mean Pelosi and Mnuchin have little wiggle room in their negotiations if they hope to see a package through Congress anytime soon. Theres also the matter of the final cost. Democrats have indicated they would be willing to cut $1 trillion from the HEROEs Act passed in May but the GOP has balked at the price tag. Congress approved the first $2 trillion relief package during the early days of the coronavirus pandemic in March, with direct payments going to more than 150 million Americans households. The last round provided $1,200 for individuals earning up to $75,000 and $2,400 for married couples filing jointly who earned up to $150,000. Single filers who earned more than $99,000 and joint filers who earned more than $198,000 were not eligible. The stimulus also provided $500 for each qualifying child. Meanwhile, Pelosi has asked Democratic committee heads to begin drafting a new package that does contain direct relief payments. The measure is expected to cost some $2.2 trillion and barring changes via the negotiations could see a vote before the scheduled Oct. 2 House recess. " Two days after an attack on the convoy of his officials, the convoy of the Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum, was ambushed Sunday by gunmen suspected to be members of the Boko Haram. The ambush occurred as the governors convoy was departing Baga town in Kukawa Local Government Area. At least 15 security personnel had died in an ambush on Friday as a convoy of the governor was driving towards Baga town to participate in the official relocation of IDP back to their reclaimed communities after years of displacement. The Friday ambush was condemned by President Muhammadu Buhari who suggested sabotage of Mr Zuluma efforts as governor. Sources familiar with the latest incident said the attack happened near a village called Cross-Kauwa. Cross-Kauwa is a few kilometres from a location called Mile-4, where the Nigerian military has its biggest camp in that area. As we approached Cross-Kauwa an explosive believed to be landmine detonated and was immediately followed with the serious firing of guns from all sides, said a government official who does not want to be named in this report. It was so terrifying that some of the security details in the convoy engaged in a brief moment of argument as to whether to make a U-turn and return to Baga or we should charge through. It was later decided that we had to forge on despite the shooting. That was how we charged through the ambush, and most of our vehicles had their tires deflated or riddled with bullets. We did not stop until we got to Monguno town. The source said there was no death from Sundays failed ambush. Thank God there was no death except some few injuries, another survivor, Sadiq Abubakar, said, About three vehicles escaped with shattered windscreens, while the Press Crew bus conveying journalists, had flat tyres. A military gun truck was also severely hit, while a soldier sustained a bullet wound on his shoulder. The governor and his entourage have since arrived in Maiduguri. More details of the latest incident will be provided in subsequent updates. Lahore, Sep 28 : In an eventful day, top leaders of major opposition parties were nabbed by Pakistani courts in cases of money laundering and corruption. Shahbaz Sharif, President of Pakistan Muslim League - Nawaz (PML-N) and leader of the opposition parties in parliament, was arrested from the courtroom after the Lahore High Court (LHC) rejected his bail plea. The two-judge bench of the Lahore High Court rejected Shahbaz's bail plea and he was arrested by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB). Shahbaz Sharif had sought pre-arrest bail in cases of assets beyond means and money laundering. NAB's prosecutor Faisal Bukhari, who maintained that Sharif's arrest was required because he is to be interrogated in the money laundering case, challenged the bail plea. Bukhari argued that women in Shahbaz's family were issued a questionnaire but no reply was given on them. "Ali Ahmed and Nisar Ahmed were employees of Shahbaz since 2009, when he was the Punjab Chief Minister. It was through them that the money was laundered. They had two companies under their names, and they were the directors of the companies. But accused Ikram used to sign the account," Bukhari briefed the court. On the other hand, Shahbaz's counsel Azam Nazir Tarar insisted that he has come to the court on its order after the reference was filed. Thus, arresting him at this point was beyond reason. "What is the purpose of arresting him at this point?" Tarar questioned. However, after the court rejected the bail petition, Shahbaz was arrested from inside the court. The second big development and a major setback to the opposition parties, which have been working towards forming an alliance against the Imran Khan-led government, came when accountability court indicted former President Asif Ali Zardari and his sister Faryal Talpur in mega money-laundering case. The accountability court also indicted Anwar Majeed, head of Omni Group and another accused in the case. The court also indicted Majeed's son, Abdul Ghani. All the accused in the case have pleaded not guilty. The decision of the accountability court came after it dismissed Zardari's pleas in the fake accounts cases, as well as three corruption references, noting that he could not be acquitted in the cases and would be indicted. "I have been on these paths earlier as well," said Asif Ali Zardari. Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, co-chairperson of the Pakistan People Party (PPP) called the decision of the court as blatant "victimisation". "While the opposition is facing court cases, the cabinet members and Prime Minister Imran Khan's sister were not summoned because there are two laws in the country," he said. It is pertinent to mention here that the opposition parties recently had an All Parties Conference (APC) and had announced a political offensive against and a long march towards Islamabad against the Imran Khan government, who they say came into power through illegal rigging during the elections. However, with the indictment of Zardari and arrest of Shahbaz Sharif, the opposition alliance is dealt a major blow in its scheduled anti-government campaign. Charities are warning care home residents are 'rapidly deteriorating' due to lack of social interaction as a heartbroken wife said her husband's dementia has become '100 times worse' during the crisis. Jean Haste, 70, from Suffolk, has revealed she has only been able to see Trevor, 75, who has dementia, once a week for 30 minutes at his care home due to visiting restrictions in place amid the Covid-19 crisis. She called the restrictions 'torture of the heart' and said the period has impacted her husband's illness 'grossly', telling the BBC: 'It's affected his illness a hundred times. He's hunched in his wheelchair and I hardly get any eye contact.' Jean said government rules needs to change to cater for those with dementia, saying: 'Each dementia patient should have one key person, a loved one, to be able to go in, take the test, become a key worker, a carer, and do the things I want to do with Trevor.' Meanwhile charities told FEMAIL the restrictions had left carers and relatives 'devastated' and 'desperate' as they watching loved ones deteriorate during the crisis. Jacqueline Cannon, Chief Executive of the Lewy Body Society, said: 'We have heard from many carers of people living with Lewy body dementia that their loved one's condition has deteriorated during the pandemic, with lack of visits cited as a key factor.' 'We urge those setting rules around visits to be particularly sensitive towards the end of life, and to consider the holistic needs of people living with dementia and their carers as they put in place protective measures to keep the virus out of our care homes.' Jean Haste, 70, from Suffolk, has said her husband Trevor's illness is 100 times worse than it was at the start of lockdown because he has limited social interaction Trevor has dementia and now lives in a care home, with Jean revealing she would regularly spend time with her husband before the pandemic. She said: 'At the time he could still feed himself but I like to be there for meal times with him. 'I would play music, paint, sing, cut his nails, cut his hair. Do so much for him because he was still there.' Jean revealed they continued to have significant and intimate moments together, despite his illness, saying: 'Before he went in the home, we used to go to a wellbeing singing group. Knowing Trevor couldn't talk, but we sang one song. The 70-year-old said the pandemic had been 'torture of the heart' because she had only been able to see her husband for 30 minutes each week 'It was called "When you say nothing at all" and we get to the line: "There's a truth in your eyes saying you'll never leave me, the touch of your hand says you'll catch me whenever I fall". 'And he reached across and he touched me. And that's the power of touch. It meant so much to him because he couldn't tell me but he could touch me.' But visiting times to Trevor's care home have been limited, with guests asked to stay two metres away from residents. Jean said: 'I call it torture of the heart. I took a vow and that was to have and to hold. And I can't be with him. It says to hold, I'm not allowed to hold him.' WHAT IS DEMENTIA? THE KILLER DISEASE THAT ROBS SUFFERERS OF THEIR MEMORIES Dementia is an umbrella term used to describe a range of neurological disorders A GLOBAL CONCERN Dementia is an umbrella term used to describe a range of progressive neurological disorders (those affecting the brain) which impact memory, thinking and behaviour. There are many different types of dementia, of which Alzheimers disease is the most common. Some people may have a combination of types of dementia. Regardless of which type is diagnosed, each person will experience their dementia in their own unique way. Dementia is a global concern but it is most often seen in wealthier countries, where people are likely to live into very old age. HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE AFFECTED? The Alzheimers Society reports there are more than 850,000 people living with dementia in the UK today, of which more than 500,000 have Alzheimer's. It is estimated that the number of people living with dementia in the UK by 2025 will rise to over 1 million. In the US, it's estimated there are 5.5 million Alzheimer's sufferers. A similar percentage rise is expected in the coming years. As a persons age increases, so does the risk of them developing dementia. Rates of diagnosis are improving but many people with dementia are thought to still be undiagnosed. IS THERE A CURE? Currently there is no cure for dementia. But new drugs can slow down its progression and the earlier it is spotted the more effective treatments are. Source: Alzheimers Society Advertisement Jean had nothing but praise for the care home but said government rules need to change to cater for those with dementia.' She explained she just wants 'to be with him', saying: 'He looked after me, he worked hard, gave us a good life, a good home. And now I feel I'm not with him. He's on his own.' The Department of Health and Social Care said its 'first priority' was to prevent infections in care homes, but local public health officials were 'responsible for the policy on visits'. Jacqueline, Chief Executive of the Lewy Body Society, which raises awareness of Lewy body dementia, the second most common type of dementia among older people, explained: 'We have heard from many carers of people living with Lewy body dementia that their loved one's condition has deteriorated during the pandemic, with lack of visits cited as a key factor. Jean said before the crisis, she had spent time with her husband playing music, singing, and cutting his hair 'Changes to procedures and staffing in hospitals has also disrupted care arrangements which are finely tuned to support the condition of the person living with Lewy body dementia, a complex and fluctuating condition with both physical and cognitive symptoms. 'Change to routines and a lack of consistent care can be very challenging for people living with dementia, and the need to protect our older generation from COVID should be balanced against the negative impact of a lack of access to family members and other carers, particularly towards the end of someone's life. 'The impact on carers is devastating, and many of them will be living with an acute fear that they may never see their mother or father again. 'We urge those setting rules around visits to be particularly sensitive towards the end of life, and to consider the holistic needs of people living with dementia and their carers as they put in place protective measures to keep the virus out of our care homes.' While she is full of praise for Trevor's care home, Jean said the government restrictions had greatly impacted his health Meanwhile Dementia UK told FEMAIL they have had a high number of calls from families who are desperate to see relatives over the crisis period. Paul Edwards, Director of Clinical Services at Dementia UK said: 'We want to see safe visiting protocols be adopted for care homes. Our Admiral Nurse Dementia Helpline is hearing from significant numbers of families who have been unable to visit relatives. 'Seeing relatives in person and providing stimulation and a connection to the outside world can be a vital buffer against the progressive nature of the condition, and is an essential part of the persons care. 'People in care are some of the most vulnerable groups in society, with a large amount of people in this setting living with dementia. 'As we move into the winter months with fears of increased pressures, a joined-up system between the NHS, social care providers and local authorities, led by clear, safe and compassionate governmental guidance, is a matter of extreme priority.' BEIJING - A look at developments in the South China Sea, where China is pitted against smaller neighbours in multiple territorial disputes over islands, coral reefs and lagoons. The waters are a major commercial shipping route and are rich in fish and possible oil and gas reserves. ___ CHINA HOLDS NEW DRILLS AMID UPTICK IN TENSIONS China is holding new military exercises in the South China Sea amid an uptick in tensions between the Asian giant and its Southeast Asian neighbours and the U.S. The Maritime Safety Administration issued a pair of announcements blocking off seas around the area of the exercises running Sunday through Monday but gave no additional details. China holds regular drills in the area and there was no immediate indication they had been prompted by recent events. However, they follow a series of sorties earlier this month by Chinese warplanes into Taiwans airspace at the northern end of the South China Sea. Beijing said those were intended as a warning to the self-governing island that China claims as its own territory to be brought under its control by force if deemed necessary. Earlier this month, an Indonesian patrol ship confronted a Chinese coast guard vessel that spent almost three days in waters where Indonesia claims economic rights and are near the southernmost part of Chinas disputed South China Sea claims. The Philippines, Malaysia and Vietnam have also engaged in push-back against Chinese claims and actions in the area, while progress in talks between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and China over the South China Sea appear at a standstill. ___ US CALLS CHINESE OUTPOSTS PLATFORMS OF COERCION The U.S. State Department is accusing China of going back on its word to not militarize the Spratly Islands, calling Beijings outposts in the area platforms of coercion. Spokesperson Morgan Ortagus recalled Chinese leader Xi Jinpings statement during a White House visit in 2015 that China does not intend to pursue militarization of the Spratly Islands, and that Chinas outposts would not target or impact any country. China has instead pursued a reckless and provocative militarization of those disputed outposts, Ortagus said in a statement issued Sunday. Ortagus cited Chinas deployment of anti-ship cruise missiles, expanded surveillance capabilities, and the construction of runways and hangars for fighter jets. The Spratlys are occupied by multiple countries, making them the most hotly contested of the South China Seas island groups. China uses these militarized outposts as platforms of coercion to assert control over waters to which Beijing has no lawful maritime claim, Ortagus said. They serve as staging grounds for the hundreds of maritime militia vessels and China Coast Guard ships that regularly harass civilian craft and impede legitimate law enforcement activities, offshore fishing, and hydrocarbon development by neighbouring states. China denies militarizing the region, saying the island developments are intended to increase maritime safety as well as assert Chinese territorial claims. It accuses the U.S. of militarizing the area by sailing its ships nearby Chinese outposts in freedom of navigation operations and through other actions. ___ PHILIPPINE PRESIDENT INVOKES 2016 RULING AGAINST CHINA The Philippine president received rare praise from critics Wednesday for invoking before the United Nations a 2016 arbitration ruling that invalidated Chinas vast territorial claims in the South China Sea. President Rodrigo Duterte made one of his strongest defences of the Philippine victory in the arbitration case in his first address before the annual U.N. General Assembly. China dismissed the conclusions of the Hague Tribunal and has long refused to bring the issue to any international arena. Duterte, who has nurtured close ties with China since taking office in mid-2016, has long been criticized for refusing to immediately and forcefully demand Chinese compliance with the ruling. It found Chinas claims on virtually the entire South China Sea on historical grounds inconsistent with international maritime law. The award is now part of international law, beyond compromise and beyond the reach of passing governments to dilute, diminish or abandon, Duterte said, without naming China. We firmly reject attempts to undermine it. Chinese officials did not immediately issue a reaction. Albert del Rosario, a former Philippine foreign secretary who brought the disputes with China to international arbitration, said he was heartened by Dutertes move. Antonio Carpio, a retired Philippine Supreme Court justice who helped in the arbitration case, commended Duterte and hoped that this is the policy that the Duterte administration will implement across all levels in protecting Philippine maritime rights and seeking international support to enforce the ruling. ___ Associated Press writer Jim Gomez contributed to this report from Manila, Philippines. Read more about: Andriy Antonenko, Yana Duhar and Yulia Kuzmenko, accused in the case of the murder of journalist Pavlo Sheremet, do not plead guilty to their involvement in the commission of this crime in court. According to a correspondent of Interfax Ukraine, at a meeting on Monday, the jury of Shevchenkivsky District Court of Kyiv is hearing essentially the case on charges of Antonenko, Kuzmenko and Duhar in the murder of the journalist. In the process, the prosecutor announced the essence of the charges, from which it follows that the organizers of the murder were persons not identified by the investigation, the perpetrators were Antonenko and Kuzmenko, and Duhar was an accomplice. Answering a questions of the court, Antonenko said that he did not understand the essence of the murder charges, since he had nothing to do with it. Antonenko said that he did not admit his guilt either under this article of the accusation, or in part of charges of possession of explosives and destruction of property. Kuzmenko, in turn, said that she did not understand the motive indicated in the indictment, allegedly about attempts to destabilize the situation in the country and protest actions. Kuzmenko also said that she does not admit her guilt in involvement in the murder of Sheremet. Duhar, answering a questions of the court, also said that she did not admit her guilt. After that, the court proceeded to consider the petition of Antonenko's defense to change the preventive measure in the form of detention. Heavy rain caused landslides that killed two people and injured seven others while destroying crops and isolating residential areas in northern Vietnam on the weekend, according to local authorities. Downpours hit Ha Hoa District in Phu Tho Province late on Saturday and early on Sunday, Nguyen Viet Dung, the districts chairman, told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper on Sunday afternoon. This is the first time in over ten years that this area has been struck by such heavy rains, causing flash floods and landslides that killed two people and injured seven others, Dung said. Many routes were paralyzed by rainwater. The district administration immediately sent forces to cope with the aftermath of the rains and offer condolences to bereaved families. A van is stuck in rainwater in Phu Tho Province, northern Vietnam. Photo: M. Tu / Tuoi Tre Weve already dispatched personnel to help people in isolated residential areas relocate to safer places, Dung said. Fourteen houses were damaged, large portions of crops destroyed, routes disconnected, and hamlets isolated, district officials said. Commuters in the provinces Yen Lap, Cam Khe, and Thanh Ba Districts now find it hard to travel because of floodwaters, with passenger buses and cargo vehicles unable to move. Many households have fled their homes to avoid the floods. Local authorities are working to help residents deal with the consequences of the rains. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Hollyoaks star Jeremy Edwards is set to return to the soap as Kurt Benson. The actor, 49, will make a dramatic return on his signature motorbike to the village after leaving the soap 21 years ago in 1999. Kurt will star in the 25th anniversary trailer, set to air on Tuesday, leaving his friend Tony Hutchinson, Nick Pickard, reeling in shock after believing he had died in a jet ski accident. Comeback: Hollyoaks star Jeremy Edward, 49, is set to return to the soap as Kurt Benson Kurt appeared in the first episode of the Channel 4 show in 1995 where he arrived on a motorbike and went onto play an iconic role in the soap. The X Factor: Celebrity star featured in many storylines in the soap including a turbulent love life as well as a toxic rivalry with notorious villain Rob Hawthorne, Warren Derosa. The character was accused of attempted murder for pushing Spike, Tom Vaughan, from scaffolding, but went on to marry his teenage love Ruth Osborne, played by Terri Dwyer. Young star: Kurt appeared in the first episode of the Channel 4 show in 1995 where he arrived on a motorbike and went onto play an iconic role in the soap Return: The actor, 49, will make a dramatic return on his signature motorbike to the village after leaving the soap 21 years ago in 1999 Shock: Kurt will star in the 25th anniversary trailer, set to air on Tuesday, leaving his friend Tony Hutchinson, Nick Pickard (pictured), gobsmacked after he was believed to have died in a jet ski accident However he went on to have an affair with Katie Patrick, Natasha Symms, which forced Kurt and Ruth to separate and he left the soap on a motorbike in 1999. Yet tragedy struck when the rockstar-hopeful was said to have died in a jet ski accident leaving his best friend Tony distraught. Jeremy last appeared in the soap in Hollyoaks Later in 2013 where he was a vision in Tony's mind seen protecting his son Harry Thompson, Parry Glasspool, from danger. Really? Best friend Tony is left startled as Kurt makes his return in the village after years away Please! Kurt is seen to reach out to his best friend Tony as he makes his return In October 2019, Jeremy competed on the ITV series The X Factor: Celebrity as part of a duo with Brendan Cole but was eliminated in the auditions stage. He is also known for finishing fourth in the third series of Celebrity Big Brother and his role as Danny Shaughessy, a student nurse in Holby City. Jeremy was engaged to Rachel Stevens of S Club 7 in 2002 before breaking up the year after and eventually meeting his now wife Lydia Metz, who he married in 2009. Coronavirus India cases update: India's COVID-19 tally crossed the 60-lakh mark with a spike of 82,170 new cases and 1,039 deaths reported in the last 24 hours. India's total recoveries have crossed the landmark milestone of 50 lakh. Coronavirus India cases update: Indias COVID-19 tally crossed the 60-lakh mark with a spike of 82,170 new cases and 1,039 deaths reported in the last 24 hours, according to the Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry on Monday. As per the Ministry, Indias tally stands at 60,74,703 including 9,62,640 active cases. The number of cured and discharged or migrated patients is currently at 50,16,521, apart from 95,542 deaths due to the disease. Maharashtra continues to be the worst affected by the pandemic with 2,73,646 active cases, 10,30,015 cured and discharged cases and 35,571 deaths. Karnataka with 1,04,743 active cases is the next in the list. While 4,62,241 patients have been cured in the State, the disease has claimed 8,582 lives so far. Andhra Pradesh with 64,876 active cases is also severely affected, however, over six lakh patients have been cured in the State, while 5,708 deaths have occurred due to it. Meanwhile, according to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), 7,19,67,230 samples have been tested up to September 27 for COVID-19. Out of these 7,09,394 samples were tested yesterday. Also read: As Delhi, Ktaka to Tamil Nadu seethe over Farm bills, tractor set on fire at India gate Also read: RS Dy Chairman sets the record straight on reports of rule breaking in RS while passing Farm bills Indias total recoveries cross the landmark milestone of 50 lakh. The rise from 1 lakh in June 20 has been steep. The last 10 lakh recoveries were added in just 11 days, said Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. The ministry also informed that recovered cases have outpaced active cases by over five times. India has witnessed a very high level of more than 90,000 recoveries every day recently. Recovered cases have outpaced active cases by more than 5 times, it said. The commendable feat has been achieved through enhanced medical infrastructure, implementation of the standard treatment protocol, full dedication and commitment of doctors, paramedics, and frontline workers, the ministry said in a series of tweets. Also read: Sharad Pawar meets Maharashtra CM a day after Raut-Fadnavis meeting The ASEAN Foundation and SAP SE are pleased to announce that the ASEAN Data Science Explorers (ASEAN DSE) faces no slowdown despite the COVID-19 pandemic as it hosts its first virtual National Finals this year. Crowned national champions are the three teams from Nueva Ecija University of Science and Technology, University of the Philippines Visayas, and Ateneo de Manila University in ASEANDSE 2020 National Finals Philippines that took place today virtually. Announces Team Incognito as Winner to Represent THE PHILIPPINES Despite the global pandemic, ASEAN DSE continues to solicit interest from the youth community and remains in its endeavor to skill and equip youths with essential digital age skills. A total of 852 youths across the region competed to represent their country in the National Finals, with 4563 students and lecturers trained in SAP Analytics Cloud in 2020. The three winners were judged based on their ability to design a best all-rounded concept that tackles ASEAN socio-economic issues, driven by data insights. The judging criteria look at the creativity, feasibility, innovation, and the team's ability to demonstrate the solution's implementation. As the first winner, Team Incognito from Nueva Ecija University of Science and Technology will represent the Philippines in the ASEAN DSE 2020's Regional Finals in November. Below are the details of the winners: [First winner] Team Incognito, comprising Jairus Cairo Libunao and Alleah Eunice Tuliao from Nueva Ecija University of Science and Technology, took first place at the National Finals. Their project focused on Waste Management. [Runner-up] Team Gugma, comprising Kyle Anne Villariza and Genesis Daquinan from the University of the Philippines Visayas, emerged as the runner-up. Their project was designed to tackle the overexploitation issue of the ASEAN fisheries. [Second runner-up] Meanwhile, Team Board Men, comprising Gabriel Carlo Gamulo and John Michel Lee from Ateneo de Manila University, became the second runner-up for their project on Neural Community. "Now more than ever, we need the youth's creativity and innovativeness in finding solutions and ways to solve emerging problems that our region and the world are facing. Their participation is paramount especially in our recovery from this pandemic and in pushing forward our collective vision of a more resilient and sustainable future for all," said Mr. Paul Anthony Pangilinan, Commissioner-at-Large Office of the President of the Philippines, National Youth Commission. "Together with the ASEAN Foundation, we at SAP strongly encourage the youths to use their newly learned skills from SAP Analytics Cloud to create sustainable innovations for current social and economic issues. Also, youths should utilize these skills for their self-development," said Edler Panlilio, SAP Philippines' Managing Director. "Digital skills are more relevant now in the middle of our current pandemic situation and as we look towards recovery. We are pleased to see that youths in ASEAN can make a difference in that goal and improve people's lives." "ASEAN DSE is the embodiment of our commitment with SAP to empower youth in the region with future-ready skills that will allow them to thrive and become globally competitive during this difficult period and in the years to come," said Dr. Yang Mee Eng, the ASEAN Foundation's Executive Director. "We are very happy to see so many innovative data-driven proposals presented by all National Finalists today. It is a testament to what our youths can do when exposed to and equipped with relevant digital skills and provided with an immersive platform to showcase their talents. We believe that our ASEAN youths can create impactful solutions for the community to prosper if given the opportunity." "Our journey in this competition was beyond our expectation! Until now, the thought of being the national winner hasn't sunk in yet. Going into the national finals was really nerve-wracking and, at the same time, exciting! We remember the challenges we had to face in joining this competition. We didn't know what data science really was. Luckily, our college conducted training on how to do data analysis. That started it all! From there, we came up with a storyboard on waste management because we noticed that there's a loophole in our current waste management system. We thought that if we don't do any actions about this now, it will continue to cause fatal consequences to us and the environment," said Team Incognito. The National Finals was also streamed live via Facebook, attracting more than 2,300 viewers. ASEAN DSE is a regional programme by the ASEAN Foundation and SAP that aims to catalyze activism and critical thinking among university students in ASEAN. Since its inception in 2017, ASEAN DSE has empowered over 16,259 students, 1,420 lecturers from 370 higher education institutes in the region with data analytics skills. The programme engages youth to develop data-driven solutions that highlight six Sustainable Development Goals namely (1) good health and well-being, (2) quality education, (3) gender equality, (4) decent work and economic growth, (5) industry, innovation & infrastructure and (6) sustainable cities and communities by harnessing SAP's Analytics Cloud software. ASEAN Foundation and SAP share the common objective of continuing the implementation of ASEAN DSE 2020 as a way of equipping youths with future-ready skills that will enable them to thrive in the "New Normal" era and supporting the theme of Viet Nam's ASEAN Chairmanship, which is building a "Cohesive and Responsive ASEAN." Chief Justice David Maraga has transferred 42 judges, some who have been handling cases of immense public interest. The new changes, coming in the wake of a political storm raised by the CJ's advisory to President Uhuru Kenyatta to dissolve Parliament over failure to implement the two-thirds gender rule, will see judges move from one station to another, and some to entirely new divisions. Justice Stella Mutuku, who has been handling the high-profile murder trial of Sarah Wairimu Cohen, the widow of Dutch businessman Tob Cohen, has now been moved to the family division of the High Court. And Justice James Wakiaga, who has been presiding over the trial of Joseph Irungu and former TV anchor Jacqueline Maribe in the murder of businesswoman Monica Kimani, has been moved to the Anti-Corruption Division of the High Court. Also affected by the changes is Justice Enock Chacha Mwita, who was last year moved to the Kajiado High Court from Nairobi. Heavy criticism Justice Chacha's transfer in February last year came amid heavy criticism from the Executive, which accused him of being biased. Justice Mwita will return to Nairobi on November 1, when the transfers will take effect. Interestingly, the judge is going back to the same station that put him on a collision course with President Kenyatta's administration. Justice Mary Kasango, who has been handling the legal battle between the East African Development Bank and 'Cabinet secretary without portfolio' Raphael Tuju, is leaving the Commercial Division at the Milimani Law Courts in Nairobi for the High Court in Kiambu. The shake-up will also see Judge Alfred Mabeya return to Nairobi from Meru. One of the most prominent cases presided over by Mr Mabeya ended with the award of Sh4.2 billion to city businessman Francis Mburu as compensation for a piece of land in Ruaraka that had allegedly been grabbed by the government. The land is part of a larger parcel for which Mr Mburu has since claimed compensation through applications filed before other High Court judges. Stirred controversy The Ruaraka land case stirred controversy after the Education ministry paid more than Sh1 billion to the businessman in an out-of-court settlement. Mr Mabeya will be replaced in Meru by Justice Patrick Otieno, who has hitherto been in Mombasa. Justice Mathews Nduma Nderi is among eight judges of the Employment and Labour Relations Court who have been affected by the shake-up effected by CJ Maraga. Mr Nderi returns to Nairobi five years after presiding over a historic legal battle between the Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) and the Teachers Service Commission (TSC). Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Kenya Legal Affairs By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. Justice Nderi was widely praised for resolving the case that saw teachers return to work after a five-week go-slow that had paralysed learning across the country. Shortly after the Knut-TSC case was concluded and teachers were promised a pay rise, Justice Nderi was moved to Kisumu. Justice Hellen Wasilwa, who last week reversed her previous decision that had declared Nairobi Metropolitan Services an illegal entity, has been moved to Nakuru. Lands Court At the Environment and Lands Court, Justice Grace Jemutai Kemei has been transferred from Murang'a but has not yet been informed of her new station. Among the cases she has been handling in the county is a land dispute pitting Kandara residents against fruit processing firm Del Monte Kenya Ltd. Justice Mary Oundo has been moved from Nyahururu to Embu while Judge Yuvinalis Angima has left Embu for Nyahururu. The CJ's announcement also saw Justice John Mativo moved to the Commercial Division from the Judicial Review Division, as judge Grace Nzioka moves from the Commercial to the Criminal Division. Judge Christine Meoli, who was in Kiambu, has been transferred to the Civil Division in Milimani, Nairobi. Justice Dora Chepkwony will switch one port city for another, as she leaves Mombasa for Kisumu. Justice Stephen Radido moves to Nyeri as labour judges Monica Mbaru from Nakuru and Nzioki wa Makau from Nyeri return to Nairobi. Once upon a time, angel networks were a crucial part of Indias startup scene. In fact, they were the startup scene in the late 2000s, when internet startups and investing were taking shape. Mumbai Angels (MA), Chennai Angels and the Indian Angel Network (IAN), among a host of others, ruled the roost. They evaluated the best deals, were respected by the best founders at the time, and the people leading these networks were well-regarded even by larger fund managers such as Sequoia Capital or Accel Partners. A decade on, these legacy networks are fighting for relevance as competition has shot through the roof, there are internal conflicts of interest, unhappy members and a business model being questioned. The role of a traditional angel network is as follows. A few experts understand startup investing and are well-networked. On another spectrum, many individuals have some additional savings with which they want to dabble in startup investing- risky but with the highest potential of return. The experts set up an organisation and say, Hey we know this industry and can help you invest in startups by showing you good deals, deals you wouldnt see otherwise. We will take a small membership fee, and a % of deals, From small cheques of Rs 10 lakh, pooling up to a few crores at times for a funding round, these angel networks had little competition. They also promised access to larger venture funds for follow-on rounds, mentorship from the individual angels and more. Today, a dozen similar and newer networks promise the same. One by one, each of the features that made these angel networks unique, have been chipped away at. For example, the promise of better quality deal flow (or the startups you get to evaluate) doesnt hold for many angels; Seasoned entrepreneurs, such as Cred founder Kunal Shah or Cure.fit co-founder Mukesh Bansal get their own deal flow as their own networks are strong enough and newer/younger founders want to work with them. Dozens of other angel networks, early-stage funds, and founders. What has changed today is that individual angels have their own brands, their own deal flow and dont need angel networks, says Sanjay Mehta founder and partner at 100x VC, and an angel investor in startups such as Oyo Rooms, Box8 and LogiNext. Information asymmetry, a selling point for some networks is slowly reducing as the ecosystem has grown manifold over the past decade and everyone is more clued in. Angels have become more educated and although the networks are trying to evolve, the best deal flow may not go to them, Mehta says. Cheque sizes are also an issue. Many of the members of MA, IAN and others write cheques of Rs 5-10 lakh each, pooled in for a sizable funding round. But experienced angels say that while lower cheque sizes may allow more investors to enter the ecosystem or democratize it, it makes investing messy and a founders capitalisation table (list of investors) very complicated. "Angel networks have become a massive crowdfunding initiative since no one is paying attention as investors spray and pray. Instead of staying invested for the long term and getting huge exits, angels get forced to exit in the Series A or B rounds to clean up messy cap tables, says Anirudh Damani, managing partner at Artha Venture Fund, and an angel investor for a decade. The best founders prefer raising angel funding from one or two well-known angels, rather than small cheques from many people- which is how angel networks work. This is because as the founder later raises larger rounds from institutional investors, managing the rights of multiple small angels becomes challenging. Simply, angel investing and early-stage investing, in general, is also much more competitive. Angel networks such As FirstCheque, AngelList, Venture Catalysts and LetsVenture are all targeting the same startups. Mentorship and guidance, also previously considered a cornerstone of angel investing, is now also a part of programmes such as Y-Combinator or Sequoia Capitals Surge. When MA and IAN started, no one else was doing it full time. But today, the value of angel networks just as a facilitator- their original premise-is less relevant, says Paula Mariwala, co-founder and President of the Stanford Angels and Entrepreneurs India, a group of Stanford University Alumni who invest as angels. The math does not work. Whats more, their business models are also now beginning to creak, as multiple fixed costs and shorter timelines are making the model unviable for prospective investors. To build a sustainable angel portfolio, an investor needs to do at least 10 deals a year, of say Rs 10 lakh each. For this, he/she may need to pay about Rs 1 lakh per year per angel network as membership fee, and in some cases, 2-3 percent per deal that the angel invests in. Instead, if the same angel were to become an investor in an early-stage venture capital fund (sizes between Rs 50-300 crore, say), the fund would charge a management fee of 1.5 percent on an average, costing the angel Rs 1.5 lakh per year (although it is paid upfront). That may be equally or less expensive than angel networks, but a VC fund evaluates and does its own deals- it needs no effort from the angel (in this case limited partner- the people who invest in VC funds). Majority of the experienced angels have left the angel networks because they weren't getting good deals or there was too much competition for them. In the end, they figured out that they are much better off creating private investment groups of their own, or as fund managers, says Damani. In fact, many of the earliest angel investors in India are VC fund managers today. Karthik Reddy and Sanjay Nath, who were investors with Mumbai Angels, left it in 2010 to run Blume Ventures. Sasha Mirchandani, who founded Mumbai Angels, has been running Kae Capital since 2011, and Anil Joshi was President of Mumbai Angels till 2013, and now runs Unicorn India Ventures, an early-stage fund. The math is leaning towards becoming an LP (investor) in a small fund. It is cheaper for the LP, and a fund looks at 1,000 companies and then invests in 10. An angel network will never have that depth of access, Joshi says. Newer business models in angel investing resemble AngelList, founded by Silicon Valley-based Naval Ravikant- an investor in Uber, Postmates and Twitter among others. AngelList pools money as a single vehicle - so a single entity invests rather than 10 different people on a cap table; it doesnt charge membership fees and has a syndicate model, where investors can participate by applying to back a lead - generally experienced founders or senior leaders. AngelList India has done 127 deals since 2018, while IAN has done 31 and Mumbai Angels have done 37, according to data from Venture Intelligence. Angels such as Jitendra Gupta, Kunal Shah, Amrish Rau and Binny Bansal have also made dozens of investments in the last few years, indicating the competition legacy angel networks face. And while more deals dont mean better deals, at the angel level, more deals help distribute risk Conflict of interest The changing business model and growing competition did not escape the notice of these networks. But their solution to it created a different problem altogether. Realising that smaller cheque sizes and less prolific angels were keeping the best founders away from them, the Indian Angel Network and Venture Catalysts, from 2018 onwards launched funds. Like a regular VC fund, the IAN fund, for example, is backed by the Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI), Yes Bank, Max Group, Hyundai along with well-known angels like Kris Gopalakrishnan and Kanwal Rekhi. However, investors and entrepreneurs Moneycontrol spoke to, said this poses a serious conflict of interest. An angel networks first priority should logically be its members, who are investing, paying membership fees and defining its purpose. But because the fund allows the network to write bigger cheques, the angel network chooses the fund over its members, sometimes by discretion giving an angel a smaller stake while the fund takes a larger stake. "If the best deal flow goes to the fund, then why are you paying memberships fees as an angel in the network?" says Damani of Artha Ventures. A member of a network mentioned above who did not want to be named agreed there is a clear conflict of interest and that some founders were stymied by this arrangement as well. Mumbai Angels, Indian Angel Network and Venture Catalysts did not respond to a detailed questionnaire from Moneycontrol for this story To be sure, this doesnt mean that Mumbai Angels, the Indian Angel Network or others are going out of business anytime soon. But their importance for founders has fallen over the years. There are still many High Networth Individuals - people who have made their wealth away from startups and technology and want to enter this space - who may consider joining these networks. But they are unlikely to get the quality of deals that newer networks or accelerator programs led by global VCs get, investors and founders said. But quality aside, by sheer quantity there are enough founders who need that first round of external funding, where angel networks can come in. With the patient before him, Dr. Hany Demian inserted a needle into the pelvis and injected a local anesthetic to numb a nerve and stifle the pain that travels through it. Then he did it again, a pair of nerve blocks into the patients legs. By the time he was done, Demian had performed eight injections. That July 2017 appointment was much like the hundreds that came before it. This patient, who was being treated for chronic pain, visited Demian about every four days for as many as eight nerve blocks far more than guidelines recommend. Over roughly three years, Demian gave the single patient 1,999 nerve blocks, all billed to the public purse. Demians heavy use of nerve blocks account for nearly $8.4 million of the $13.3 million hes billed the Ontario Health Insurance Plan since 2014, catapulting him near the top of Ontarios top-billing doctors. Click here to search the Stars database of Ontarios top-billing doctors A Star investigation has found top-billing pain doctors capitalize on Ontarios lax limits on nerve blocks, giving patients weekly injections despite medical guidelines saying the procedure should be done no more than once every three months. The skyrocketing use of nerve blocks has swollen the publics tab for chronic pain management despite a paucity of evidence to show regular, repeat injections are an effective way to treat chronic pain. The tax-funded health system has paid more than $420 million for these kinds of nerve blocks since 2011. Ontario doctors bill for nerve blocks like nowhere else. In fiscal year 2017/18 alone, Demian billed the province for doing more than 38,300 nerve block procedures, totalling close to 69,000 injections. Another Ontario physician, Dr. Stefan Konasiewicz, billed for doing nearly 40,000 procedures, with a cost to the province of more than $2.2 million. To put that in perspective, the government of British Columbia says all of its doctors combined did only 55,595 nerve block and epidural procedures that same year. We have a medical term for what you just described: highway robbery, said Dr. Jesse Lipnick, a physical medicine specialist and president of the Florida Society of Interventional Pain Physicians. Thats not a doctor attempting to heal someone. Thats an injection mill, Lipnick said. Its not consistent with any training that Im aware of. Demian and Konasiewicz, like some other pain doctors named in this story, did not respond to repeated requests for comment from the Star. This investigation stems from seven years of data for the 100 top-billing doctors, obtained from the Ministry of Health. The data detail the exact service for which doctors billed the province, as well as the date, the amount reimbursed and a patient ID code, though no patient names. The billings are not the doctors take-home pay and do not take into account the often-hefty overhead costs for physicians equipment, staff salaries and rent. These costs make up 30 to 40 per cent of physicians billings, according to the clinics. The province has targeted the unbounded growth in nerve block billing in the past but failed to reel it in. Instead, Ontario has watched the use of repeat nerve injections and billings for them balloon. There are now 384 doctors who are eligible to practise in Ontarios pain clinics compared to just 62 five years ago, as more physicians, many of them trained as family doctors, flocked toward the increasingly lucrative specialty. Big business has followed the family doctors migration: There are now 99 privately owned chronic pain clinics across the province that provide publicly funded nerve blocks. Twelve are partially owned by an investment banking firm whose slogan is accelerating returns in healthcare. One clinic is now conveniently located in the Walmart in Vaughan, where you can get nerve blocks after picking up groceries. Guidelines and best-practices published by U.S. organizations say nerve blocks are but one tool to treat chronic pain, and many doctors interviewed by the Star said an obsessive focus on injections provides patients with only inefficient, fleeting relief. There are Ontario pain doctors who want to see the millions of tax dollars spent on nerve blocks to be redirected to fund a more balanced approach that includes treatments not currently covered by OHIP, such as physiotherapy. Doctors who defend the use of repeated nerve blocks say Ontario is at the leading edge of treating chronic pain, a debilitating condition that impacts one in five Canadians. The injections, the doctors say, provide patients with a better quality of life, even if for just a few days. One clinic said patients would only undergo weekly nerve blocks if they experienced meaningful improvement in their daily life, and the alternatives to injections long-term opioid use or frequent ER visits are much worse. Caught in the middle are the patients. The Star spoke with more than a dozen chronic pain sufferers who receive nerve blocks, all but one of whom swear by them. Theyve taken me from lying on a heating pad all day to having a life again. I can go to family functions again, said Lise Hemming, who has suffered from back pain for more than 20 years. My anxiety increased with pain. But its decreased with the pain reduction. In 2018, when the provincial government proposed capping the number of nerve blocks a person can get to 16 a year, patients rallied around the clinics. Nobody goes into a clinic to get injections because theyre fun. We get them because (we) have to, Hemming said. The private clinics handed out flyers describing the proposed reductions, galvanizing patients to flood the health minister with pleas to reconsider. The proposed cap was being discussed by a panel of doctors and ministry officials before talks were suspended due to the pandemic earlier this year. The province says the cap could save OHIP more than $50 million a year. It would also force pain clinics to close en masse, doctors at the clinics warn, leaving desperate patients to search for relief in a health-care system unequipped to handle them. The chronic pain section of the Ontario Medical Association (OMA), which operates as a union for doctors, told the Star it wants to work with the government to help in their goals of finding savings, while also ensuring patient care isnt negatively effected. The OMA pain section said it has countered with its own proposal that advocates for limits and appropriateness of patient visits, but did not provide specific details. The section strongly condemns anyone who may bill inappropriately and we have presented the government with a proposal that we believe will ensure that doesnt happen, the statement said. *** Think of the nervous system as a river, travelling from the brain down the spine. Smaller tributaries stretch from here throughout the body, channels that carry impulses back to the brain from the extremities. These are the peripheral nerves. A targeted injection of local anesthetic right beside one of those nerves the metaphorical riverbank temporarily reduces or blocks the transmission of pain. For some patients, pain relief lasts long after the medication wears off. Nerve blocks are commonly used before surgeries or to diagnose which nerve is causing a patient pain so health professionals can chart a course on how to treat it. The injections can also be used as a treatment for chronic pain. The American Society of Interventional Pain Physicians guidelines say if a nerve block is shown to be useful for a patient, the treatment can be done once every three months. The American Society of Anesthesiologists guidelines are stricter, advising that peripheral somatic nerve blocks should not be used for long-term treatment of chronic pain. In Ontario, doctors are allowed to bill for up to eight nerve blocks per patient per day, with no limit on how frequent those visits can be. Pain doctors routinely maximize the injections they give. More than 90 per cent of patient visits to Dr. Ali Kajdehi in 2017/18 ended with OHIP being billed for eight nerve blocks. Kajdehi, currently working at a clinic in North York, billed for 736 nerve blocks for one patient over a 12-month period, according to his billing records. Thats eight nerve blocks every four days. Kajdehi billed OHIP more than $1.06 million for nerve blocks in 2017/18, the last year of available data. After receiving detailed questions about his high use of repeat nerve blocks, Kajdehi said, You have been misled by people who are biased. He said its wrong to dismiss nerve blocks because they are not what critics call evidence-based practice. A lot of things that we do in medicine with no evidence, he said, adding that just because there is a lack of evidence supporting a treatment does not mean it doesnt work. Youre welcome to talk to every single one of my patients, he said. At the end of the day, we are all working for the patients. Dr. Ganesh Ram, medical director of the InMedic pain clinic chain with locations in London, Kitchener and Windsor, billed for eight nerve blocks at nearly three quarters of all patient visits nearly 11,350 appointments from fiscal years 2015/16 to 2017/18. In those years, he billed for more than $3.7 million for nerve blocks. Ram, who in January was elected vice-chair of the OMAs chronic pain section, said clinics like his focus on people with amorphous pain such as fibromyalgia, which often encompasses their whole body. It stands to reason that these patients require a higher number of peripheral nerve blocks, he said. As there is no cure for chronic pain these procedures are continued based on individual patients requirements. Ram said many of his patients benefit from getting more than eight injections per visit, the billing limit in Ontario. He gives these additional shots without billing OHIP, he said, because patients need is at the front of his mind. Ram said empirical evidence for pain management procedures is generally limited, and while there is some evidence to suggest benefits of peripheral nerve blocks, it is not considered gold standard. The OMAs chronic pain section said its difficult to study chronic pain and that it wants to work with the government to ensure more studies are done. The real truth is there is not evidence because people have not done the studies, said Dr. Norm Buckley, scientific director of the Michael G. DeGroote Institute for Pain Research and Care at McMaster University. Despite chronic pain being a public health problem that affects millions of Canadians, it remains grossly under-researched. A 2009 study found roughly 1 per cent of total funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research went toward pain research, a statistic that remains largely unchanged a decade later. The Star interviewed more than 10 doctors outside Ontario who use therapeutic nerve injections as part of their treatment of chronic pain. They say nerve blocks should only be repeated if they provide meaningful relief. What exactly that means differs for each doctor, but they agreed that if a patient needs another round of injections after just a few days or weeks, then the blocks were not effective and the doctor should try a different treatment. Its obscene and abusive that Ontario patients are receiving eight injections every three to four days for years on end, said U.S. Dr. David Kloth, a pain management specialist who has helped Medicare and U.S. insurers develop guidelines for nerve blocks. Plain and simply, there is no reason you would have to give the same injection to the patient 100 times. If thats what youre doing, then obviously youre doing the wrong thing because its obviously not working, he said. The only reason I can think of doing that would be for billing purposes and to drum up more money not for medical treatments. Dr. Ian Beauprie, an anesthesiologist and professor of pain management at Dalhousie University, said injections can produce miraculous change in pain but he was shocked by the number of nerve blocks being billed by some Ontario doctors. It is as if we have a whole new type of addiction: one of patients to such frequent treatments and another of physicians to the income from this lucrative practice, he said. Beauprie is also chair of the pain medicine subspecialty with the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, which oversees medical education for specialists. His comments about the nerve block billing are as a pain specialist himself, and not on behalf of the Royal College, he said. McMasters Buckley says part of the blame lies in Ontarios fee-for-service model, which compensates doctors handsomely for quick procedures like nerve blocks but offers less financial incentive for physicians to focus on things like psychological counselling and education, time-intensive activities that can be integral to treating chronic pain. When you move medicine out into the community, tell it its a business and say, make your money, there is going to be an active movement toward things that pay well, he said. At the end of the day there are going to be some physicians who take advantage of the system but it also reflects a somewhat broken system where were not able to provide what would be seen as optimal care. Since 2011, there has been an explosion in billing for high-risk, niche nerve blocks. Billing for one of those procedures the bilateral pudendal block, targeting nerve pain in the pelvis and genital region has grown by more than 670 per cent since 2011. Its a complex procedure, and performing it using ultrasound guidance was pioneered by Toronto anesthesiologist Dr. Philip Peng. Peng works at two hospitals where many doctors refer patients suffering from pelvic pain. The pudendal nerve block is only suitable for certain patients, he said, estimating just 10 to 20 per cent of those referred to his clinic would benefit from the procedure. Some of these patients receive one injection, while others may get three nerve blocks spaced a few weeks apart to break the pain cycle to open a therapeutic window for physio or other medication to work more effectively, Peng said. About half of his patients experience the nerve pain on both sides of the pelvis, so he will block the nerve on each side two injections known as a bilateral procedure. Peng said he only performs about 100 total pudendal blocks each year. Dr. Hany Demian, who is the medical director of the chain Pain Care Clinics (PCC), bills the province for doing pudendal blocks at a rate of more than 100 every week. Since 2014, he has billed for more than $1.7 million for these blocks alone. In fiscal year 2017/18, Demian accounted for 35 per cent of the nearly 20,000 bilateral pudendal blocks billed by all doctors across the province. He ignored repeated requests for comment from the Star, including why one patient averaged receiving the procedure once a week for four straight years, according to the billing data. Demian is an emergency room doctor who, after treating many patients suffering from pain in hospitals, decided to pursue how he could assist patients in managing chronic pain proactively as opposed to reactively, according to an online bio on his clinic chains website. The website describes him as an expert in medical, interventional and unconventional pain management. In 2017-2018, he billed OHIP $4.3 million, making him the third highest-billing doctor in the province. He owns multiple properties throughout Mississauga, including a lot in the exclusive Doulton Estates that he bought through a private corporation in April 2019 for $2.75 million. In June of this year, a municipal committee approved requests for variances so a French Chateau-style home can be built on the lot. His social media is a gallery of high-end sports cars, including his Lotus Elise and bright green 2019 Porsche. Demians OHIP records show he has billed more for one block than any other: the bilateral sciatic block. For this procedure, a doctor targets each sciatic nerve, a workhorse responsible for providing motor control and sensation to most of the leg. If done properly, blocking both sciatic nerves would leave the patient unable to walk for hours until the anesthetic wore off, according to pain specialists and anesthesiologists interviewed by the Star. There is no medical reason to regularly block this nerve, the experts said. Yet for more than 250 patients, Demians billing records show he did just that: monthly or even weekly blocks of both sciatic nerves. For dozens of patients, these regular injections went on for three or four years, during which they also received hundreds of other nerve blocks. This is beyond imagination, to do repeat sciatic nerve blocks like this, said Dr. Yoram Shir, who heads the Alan Edwards Pain Management Unit of the McGill University Health Centre. I cannot find good medical justification for 50, 100, 200 blocks of any kind for individual patients in a single year, Shir said. There must be some financial incentive behind it. A properly administered nerve block is quite safe, pain experts said. Like any procedure, however, every injection of a needle carries risks, such as damaging a nerve, infection or the anesthetic spilling into an unintended area. Kavita Rastogi, a Brampton mother of two, lost consciousness in 2016 minutes after receiving a diagnostic block targeting the small nerves that transmit pain from the joints in the upper spine. In an ongoing lawsuit against Dr. Jeremy Fennell and his Oakville clinic, Rastogis family alleges the autopsy found the anesthetic seeped into her spinal fluid, paralyzing her breathing muscles, causing a heart attack and depriving her brain of oxygen. The familys court filing alleges the doctor did not properly warn Rastogi of the procedures risk, a charge he denies. In a statement of defence, Fennell said he treated Rastogi in a careful, competent and diligent manner. The nerve blocks were to diagnose the source of pain radiating from Rastogis neck to her shoulder; they were not part of a series of repeated injections to treat the pain itself. An investigation by the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario concluded that Fennells care for Rastogi was below standard and the technique he used is more likely to lead to such a complication. Fennell has completed continuing education and remediation program ordered by the College, which included having a supervisor directly observe him perform this nerve block. One of his lawyers said the doctor would not comment because of the ongoing lawsuit. Ontario billing records show two patients who received nerve blocks from a different doctor, Stefan Konasiewicz, required immediate intervention to save them from serious injury during the same visit. Both patients returned a week later for another battery of injections. A neurosurgeon by training, Konasiewicz was the second-highest billing doctor in Ontario in 2017/18. He has charged OHIP more than $6.4 million for peripheral nerve blocks alone since 2015. He has also faced regulatory sanctions in three U.S. states and been sued at least 12 times following surgical mishaps. One patient, a 25-year-old mother, bled to death after her aorta was punctured during spinal surgery. He did not respond to repeated requests for comment. Ontarios College of Physicians has raised concern over the continued use of repeat nerve blocks when the treatments only yielding short-term relief. The regulator investigated Dr. Bassam Gholam after one of his patients died after a heart attack went undetected. Gholams treatment of the patient his first since moving into pain management included weekly nerve blocks. He told the College he disagreed with the assertion his treatment prevented him from detecting the patients heart problems, and there was no change in her symptoms that warranted referral for urgent care. In its decision, the College said it was concerned that Dr. Gholam continued ineffective treatment with the patient. Using multiple injections without long-term efficacy is inappropriate. When a certain treatment has proven to be ineffective then the physician should discontinue it. Gholam, who did not respond to repeated interview requests, has completed remedial education ordered by the College. In fiscal year 2017/18, he billed for more than $1.28 million. The Star cannot determine how much of Gholams total billings came from nerve blocks. The Ministry of Health, which had previously released detailed data for physicians among the top 100 billers, is now refusing to share similar records for doctors, such as Gholam, who fell outside the upper tier. *** Patients like Lise Hemming sit in the middle of what has become a pitched battle between pain doctors in clinics and pain specialists in hospitals who argue for a more holistic, multidisciplinary approach to pain treatment that may also include chiropractors, psychologists and social workers. Its considered the gold standard of care. Wait lists are long. The pain clinic doctors that spoke to the Star say theyre not out to grab money but are providing care to patients in need, as allowed under Ontarios fee schedule. Ontarios pain medicine community is also divided over the evidence supporting blocks what it shows, whether theres enough and whether the training given to clinic doctors was sufficient. Also with a stake is the government, struggling even pre-COVID to keep a beleaguered health system adequately funded. Ontario wants to limit the number of peripheral nerve blocks a patient can receive to 16 per year, a massive reduction from what is currently allowed and billed from the clinics. The proposal was intended to curb significant growth in billings for nerve blocks and help save the province $51.1 million annually, according to a government brief obtained by the Star. The proposed reductions are being hotly criticized by some of the clinic doctors who say arbitrary restrictions would lead to widespread closures of clinics, leaving patients abandoned. Battles just like the current one have been taking place for decades, and for many of those years the man leading the pain medicine physicians was Dr. Peter Rothbart. Probably the godfather of it all was ... Rothbart, says Dr. Howard Jacobs, an influential member of Ontarios pain clinics who helped organize past battles with the province over nerve block funding. Rothbart opened the Pain and Headache Clinic at 99 Avenue Road in Yorkville in 1989, kicking off Ontarios explosion of nerve block injections that until then had been primarily used in hospitals. Jacobs, who now runs the Jacobs Pain Centre in Markham, was the first non-anesthesiologist to work at Rothbarts clinic. He says it served as a training ground for many doctors like him who went on to open their own clinics where they in turn trained even more physicians. The battles began inside a decade. In 1997, Rothbart ran to be elected the first chair of the OMAs chronic pain section in what his opponent called a fear-mongering campaign. That opponent was Dr. Angela Mailis, a physical medicine specialist and researcher who has long advocated for a more holistic approach to treating chronic pain where nerve blocks are selectively used for the right patient, the right diagnosis and the right time. She said Rothbarts 1997 campaign platform was essentially: The academics will ban all blocks and will take the bread out of your mouth. A memo later authored by Rothbart characterized that election as a showdown between the clinics and hospital doctors: It was very clear that the academic group would try to bring control of all chronic pain management to the hospital clinics only and that community physicians doing pain management and nerve blocks would be shut down. In 2002, a joint government-OMA working group recommended that the province stop funding nerve blocks, Rothbart said at the time. He called a press conference and told reporters: Weve been given no rationale or reasoning. He said the move, aimed at finding $5 million in annual savings, would result in the closure of most of the 11 pain clinics then in existence in Ontario. In 2012, the provincial government unilaterally reduced reimbursement for the three most popular peripheral nerve blocks paravertebral, cranial and transverse scapular. But the cost-saving measure had a counterintuitive effect. Doctors began using those and other blocks more frequently. Dr. Kevin Smith, an anesthesiologist and pain medicine physician, said those doctors were trying to make up for lost income. You have to change the billing rules in order to actually achieve the savings, he said, adding that limits and stricter rules are needed to spell out how and when procedures can be performed. The paths doctors have taken to practise pain medicine in Ontario vary greatly. There are only 24 pain medicine specialists across the province. Under Canadas specialist training system, a doctor must first specialize in one of eight fields including anesthesiology, neurosurgery or internal medicine, then complete a two-year residency in pain medicine. Becoming a pain specialist requires training in image-guided procedures, pharmacotherapy, mental health aspects of pain suffering and patient education, said Toronto-based Dr. Michael Gofeld, one of the provinces few pain medicine specialists. Not all pain doctors underwent such lengthy training. Of the 384 doctors eligible to work in Ontarios pain clinics, nearly half of them are family physicians, many of whom qualified to practise pain medicine after completing 900 hours of supervised training (this route is no longer available for doctors looking to move into the field). For some of the doctors part of that training consisted of taking a weekend course offered by an organization co-founded by Rothbart. Unfortunately, many of the doctors who work in injection clinics do not have anything else [but injections] in their tool box, Gofeld said. Once at the centre of pain medicine in Ontario, Rothbart is no longer practicing. In 2017 the CPSO charged him with professional misconduct related to his infection control practices and ordered him to attend a disciplinary hearing. Six patients had developed bacterial infections, some disabling, after visiting the Rothbart Centre for Pain Care on Dufferin Street in Toronto. The patients have sued the clinic, Rothbart and another doctor. The case is ongoing. Earlier this year, plaintiffs lawyer Paul Harte said he was told the college had dropped its case because Rothbart was ill. The clinic declared bankruptcy in 2017 and Rothbart did the same last year. He let his medical licence expire in 2017. Because of his illness, Rothbart was unable to answer questions for this story, said his lawyer Richard Cooper. Doctors and ministry officials are part of yet another working group, though the pandemic halted talks. The fact that the government has not developed a way to deal with the (high-billing) outliers is whats offensive, not only to the taxpayer, but to the majority of hard-working doctors who are trying to play by the rules, says a doctor who has been close to multiple rounds of contract negotiations between the OMA and province but who is not authorized to discuss the negotiations. *** As of mid-2019, the OMAs chronic pain section had spent more than $40,000 on lobbyists to fight the proposed 16-per-year cap on nerve blocks. These clinics close and you go back 30 years, said Howard Jacobs, who was involved in recent negotiations with the province but is no longer. Jacobs says multidisciplinary care is not necessary for all patients, nor is it currently possible. The province only funds services from physiotherapists, chiropractors and social workers if linked to hospitals. Many clinics offer what he calls multi-modal care, providing services such as psychotherapy and drug prescriptions alongside nerve blocks. These clinics offer a vital service, he said, and have months-long wait lists because of the volume of referrals coming from family doctors and specialists. He said he believes Ontario doctors lead the world in using nerve blocks to treat chronic pain. Theres (nothing) anywhere in the literature that says the blocks we are doing are not appropriate, he said. Dont use money as a reason to stop what may be very good medicine going on in the province and dont close something thats really working and has supporters because there appears to be some abuse going on. Instead, Jacobs said, the province should investigate doctors it thinks are abusing the system. The provinces proposal also targets the most controversial nerve injection, the paravertebral block. This blocks nerves as they emerge from the spine. Its the most commonly billed nerve block, and since 2011 the province has paid out more than $122 million for the procedure. Proponents of the block, like Jacobs, say its helpful, especially for patients with chronic low back pain. The anesthetic blankets the area near the vertebrae, bathing a network of nerves instead of just one, Jacobs said. Its detractors say the paravertebral is largely ineffective, a shotgun approach when a nerve block should be done with a snipers precision. If the needle is not inserted deep enough, critics say, the $34.10 procedure is likely no different than a trigger point injection, a needle into a knotted muscle for which the province reimburses $8.85. Dr. Ram said for these reasons, all of his InMedic clinics no longer use the block. The province wants to restrict when and how a paravertebral block can be used, and has proposed it and at least two other common blocks must be done using image guidance equipment. Studies have found even experienced doctors can miss the spot along the spine theyre targeting when relying only on the bodys landmarks to guide the needle whats called the blind method. McGills Dr. Shir, who for decades used the landmark method, now swears against it. Ive personally done thousands of blind injections into patients. I could do it with my eyes closed. But I stopped doing it blindly, he said. With the technology we have, we know the results are better when you are guided where you are going. Its safer and more accurate. Leaders of Ontarios pain medicine doctors have long pushed back against attempts to require fluoroscopy a real-time x-ray imaging or ultrasound when performing peripheral nerve blocks. The machines are costly, and there is risk exposing patients getting repeat injections to frequent x-rays, Jacobs said. You may make it more accurate, but it doesnt mean that the other way is not accurate and not acceptable, he said. In a pitch to get elected as treasurer of the OMAs Chronic Pain section in January, Dr. Grigory Karmy told his fellow pain doctors landmark-based peripheral nerve blocks have always been a key part of treating chronic pain. This very important approach to pain management has been under assault from the Ministry of Health for years and we have gradually been losing ground, he said in an email distributed to pain doctors. InMedics Ram said he suggested in summer 2019 that doctors agree to delisting paravertebral blocks so physicians could no longer bill for the controversial procedure. He said his proposal was shot down by the then OMA chronic pain section likely because it will result in a significant reduction in physician billings. Ram, who was elected as vice chair of the chronic pain section in January, said the new leadership is very much aligned with modernization solutions. The limits may be nothing more than a negotiating point. The Ontario government does not always enforce the restrictions it already has in place. The Star found 50 instances in recent years where the province reimbursed doctors whose billings exceeded the limit of eight nerve blocks per single patient visit. Ontarios auditor general criticized the Ministry of Health in 2016 for its weak oversight of payments to doctors, as well as not investigating many cases of anomalous or possibly inappropriate billings. A spokesperson for the Ministry of Health said oversight of these payments is an ongoing process, and legislation passed last year aims to make it easier for the government to recoup money paid out for improper billings to OHIP. Jacobs said if the province hastily caps nerve blocks, it will make patients desperate. A corner of his Markham office is filled with bankers boxes of patient testimonials, collected to put pressure on the government. Some of the patients say theyd contemplate suicide if deprived of the injections. The most important person in this whole equation is the patient, he said. They should dictate what it is they say is good for them. Graphics by Cameron Tulk. Tulk is the lead digital designer at the Star, based in Toronto. Reach him via email: ctulk@thestar.ca Union Pacific Ranked a Top 10 Military Friendly Employer Union Pacific was recently designated as a 2021 Military Friendly Employer by VIQTORY Media, ranking as the top transportation industry employer and No. 7 overall. Employing 6,300 veterans and active-service military members, the award recognizes Union Pacifics commitment to recruiting and investing in the veteran and military communities. Employees with military experience are a valuable part of the Union Pacific team and we strive to provide a supportive work environment that sets them up for success, said Jeff Sebree, general director of talent acquisition Workforce Resources. Transitioning from the military to a civilian job can be challenging, so we work diligently to make that transition as simple as possible. More than 17% of Union Pacific employees have military backgrounds, with some still active in the National Guard or Reserves. The companys UPVETS employee resource group supports members and provides career development opportunities. Approximately 80 Union Pacific employees are deployed every month and receive additional support from a liaison who guides them through the deployment process. Union Pacific partners with Wounded Warriors, Veteran Affairs and local veteran organizations to host career fairs, reaching the military community across the companys 23-state network. More information about Union Pacifics support for U.S. military service members and veterans is available in the companys Building America Report. About Union Pacific Union Pacific (NYSE: UNP) delivers the goods families and businesses use every day with safe, reliable and efficient service. Operating in 23 western states, the company connects its customers and communities to the global economy. Trains are the most environmentally responsible way to move freight, helping Union Pacific protect future generations. More information about Union Pacific is available at www.up.com. The statements and information contained in the news releases provided by Union Pacific speak only as of the date issued. Such information by its nature may become outdated, and investors should not assume that the statements and information contained in Union Pacific's news releases remain current after the date issued. Union Pacific makes no commitment, and disclaims any duty, to update any of this information. A pandemic imperils your safety, but also your sanity. Social distancing can spare your body, but it wont save your soul. As we struggle to understand the uncertainty of COVID-19, my constant companion has been a new book about old thinkers: The Socrates Express In Search of Life Lessons from Dead Philosophers. In the worst of times, bestselling author Eric Weiner goes back in time to learn how we coped with forces beyond our control and comprehension (fullest of full disclosures: we were both foreign correspondents together when I toiled overseas for the Toronto Star and he worked for NPR; we remain friends). Weiner researched and wrote the book pre-pandemic, but his manuscript anticipates the peril that is a perennial for philosophers: Bad things happen out there. Wars. Pandemics. In a cosmic coincidence, COVID-19 emerged just as The Socrates Express was speeding to warehouses and booksellers. At about the same time, public protests erupted against police shootings amid racial prejudice. This year, as they have for thousands of years, people have been struggling with difficult ideas and deadly diseases. Even if not infected, we are all affected by a virus that long ago went viral the pestilence of racism as much as the persistence of a pandemic. There are no panaceas, not until a vaccine materializes. But as we experiment with medical treatments and social remedies, Weiner exposes us to the thought experiments of philosophers from Confucius to Gandhi whose ideas can inoculate us against the spectre of panic in a pandemic, and the contagion of fear amid protest. Weiners cast of 14 philosophers opine on the mundane and the medical, the spiritual and the political. Each chapter offers remedies or ruminations for lifes eternal challenges not least death which have multiplied these last few months (the parentheses below are mine): How to cope (with COVID) like Epictetus. How to fight like Gandhi (against racism). How to be kind like Confucius (COVID again). How to get out of bed (when working from home) like Marcus Aurelius. How to wonder like Socrates. How to walk like Rousseau (pandemic activity again). How to have no regrets like Nietzsche. How to grow old like Beauvoir. How to die like Montaigne. Rather than a self-help book, it serves as a thinking persons guide to self-reflection leavened with much self-deprecation from the author. For all true philosophy is truly practical. Weiner agues that his ancient philosophers the word is derived from the Greek philosophos, meaning lover of wisdom can guide daily living and surviving in a way that modern technology cannot. Wisdom from philosophers can rescue us when information overload defeats us. All these months into the pandemic, are you suffering from Groundhog Day syndrome? The big idea behind the blockbuster film the most philosophical movie ever made was dreamed up by Nietzsche as the eternal recurrence of the same, notes Weiner (who boasts of viewing it over and over reliving it a dozen times in an experiment all his own). Nietzsche thought philosophy should be fun. He is playful. But contentment can be a state of mind, notably when others are losing their minds, even in mid-pandemic: Find joy in uncertainty and even illness, while still physically painful, no longer terrifies. And then there is the Stoicism of Epictetus. The philosophys core teaching change what you can; accept what you cant is appealing in our tumultuous times. This is one problem with trigger warnings, so prevalent on college campuses. They reinforce the presumption that college students are unable to control their reactions to an insult. It disempowers them. It is not the Stoic way. The book ranges beyond European philosophy to thinkers in Japan, China and India. The chapter on Mohandas K. Gandhi is a refresher course in the non-violent protest that he pioneered, lest we forget: Gandhi abhorred violence but there was something he hated even more: cowardice. He disliked the term passive resistance because there was nothing passive about it, or about him. Gandhi later called it satyagraha, often translated as Truth Force, or Soul Force, which he described as the most active force in the world, because a nonviolent resistor is more active and courageous than an armed soldier. Gandhis peaceful protestors, like soldiers everywhere, were willing to die for their cause. Unlike most soldiers, they were not willing to kill for it. His idea lived on when the U.S. civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. met Gandhis followers and family in India later transplanting the stern love of nonviolent resistance to an American crusade against racist injustice. The book is not so much a crash course in philosophy as it is a guided journey through time, right up to the time of COVID-19. Weiner quotes the French thinker Maurice Riseling musing that, Sooner or later, life makes philosophers of us all. To which one might add: Today, a pandemic makes philosophers of us all. Speaking of racial injustice: Ill be hosting members of Ontarios first Black Caucus Why it Matters at an online Ryerson Democracy Forum this Thursday at 4 p.m. Open to all, free to register. Read more about: Srinagar: Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah made a scathing attack at the central government on Tuesday for allegedly continuously changing the aims of the demonetisation decision. "This is a new one!!! First it was to curb black money, then terrorism was the target and finally a 'cashless economy' was the end goal."Now it seems the objective was to make real estate cheaper. Why didn't the government say this from the beginning?" Omar tweeted. The National Conference working president was reacting to Chief Economic Advisor Arvind Subramaniam's remarks in which he said one of the aims of demonetisation was to bring down the real estate prices. Without naming Union Minister Venkaiah Naidu, Omar hit out at the BJP leader for his remarks in which he had termed former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and former Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram as "failed economists". "What ever other criticism the BJP may choose to heap on Dr Manmohan Singh, calling him 'a failed economist' is the least accurate one," Omar said. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. The father of Ali Hassan, a young man who stabbed two persons in an attack using a meat cleaver outside the former Paris office of the controversial Charlie Hebdo magazine last week, has said he is proud of his son. In an interview to the web-based channel Naya Pakistan, the father, whose name is not revealed, said his son has done a great job and he is very happy about the attack. The French government had condemned the stabbing on Friday outside the former office of the satirical magazine as an act of Islamist terrorism. The man, earlier identified as Ali Hassan, seriously injured two employees of TV production agency Premieres Lignes, whose offices are in the same city centre block that used to house the magazine Charlie Hebdo. The magazine had shifted out after the January 2015 attacks on Charlie Hebdo, a policewoman and a Jewish supermarket that left 17 people dead. The magazines current address is kept secret for security reasons, AFP reported. On Monday, the news agency said the man, who had declared earlier in a two-minute video that he was going to target the magazine, identified himself as Zaheer Hassan Mehmood. Ali Hassan aka Zaheer Hassan Mehmood is accused of stabbing two persons believed to be working with the magazine. Fridays attack came three weeks into a trial in Paris of suspected accomplices of the culprits in the January 2015 attacks on Charlie Hebdo, a policewoman and a Jewish supermarket that left 17 people dead, news agency Reuters said. Back in Pakistan, the attackers father appealed to the Imran Khan government and other Islamic countries to help bring his son home. I want to appeal to the Pakistan government to bring my son home. He has done service in the cause of Islam and we are a Muslim country, he told the Pakistani channel . Ali Hassan, his father said, was a good son who prayed regularly and attended Milad twice a year. He said that Ali Hassan was a follower of Muhammad Ilyas Qadri, a Pakistani Sunni Muslim scholar and founder of the Dawat-e-Islami organisation, which has established a chain of madrasas across Pakistan and abroad. Ali Hassans father, a farmer, lives in the small town of Mandi Bahauddin in Punjab. He said that Ali Hassan had gone to France two years ago. Of his five sons, three are abroad - two in France and one in Italy. My son has the heart of a lion, he told his interviewer. There is no military solution to the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh, all foreign players need to contribute to the peaceful resolution of the situation. This is what Chairman of the Committee on International Relations of the Russian State Duma Leonid Slutsky told reporters Monday, TASS reports. The situation in Nagorno-Karabakh cant be resolved by force, and there is no military solution. The sides need to stop and show restraint in order to avoid more human casualties and return to the negotiations, he emphasized. Slutsky urged all foreign players to gear their efforts towards the resolution of the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh. A new outbreak in Transcaucasia may lead to painful consequences for security in the whole region, he stated. Slutsky also informed that tomorrow the Russian State Duma will consider the draft of the statement on the need to establish a ceasefire regime immediately in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone. We are ready to fulfill the mission of an intermediary to prevent further tension, the MP concluded. Tanaiste Leo Varadkar is under pressure to clarify the legality of former Minister Michael D'Arcy's appointment to an investment fund lobby group. Mr DArcy, who is joining the Irish Association of Investment Managers (IAIM), spoke in the Seanad last week in favour of a bill for which funds have been lobbying for the last five years. Both Sinn Fein and Labour have now raised serious concerns and have sought clarity from Tanaiste Leo Varadkar and the Standards in Public Office Commission (SIPO) on the appointment. Under SIPO rules, ministers and ministers of state are banned from lobbying or being employed by a group that engages in lobbying for a period of 12 months. Exemptions to this rule can be given, however, Mr D'Arcy has not requested such an exemption. Just last Wednesday Mr D'Arcy, who has resigned his Seanad seat, spoke in favour of the Investment Limited Partnership bill. From my experience, investors are significantly ahead of everyone else, he told the house. They are the people with private equity funds and who administer the monies that will be crucial if we are serious about sustainable finance. Just last Wednesday former Minister Michael D'Arcy, who has resigned his Seanad seat, spoke in favour of the Investment Limited Partnership bill. File picture: Mary Browne Mr D'Arcy who was a minister for state in the Department of Finance in the last government, also said the financial services sector which employs around 16,000 people "has been arguing, for about four and a half to five years, that without this legislation it cannot advance the private equity side of investment in Ireland". During the second reading of the bill, Mr Darcy said the current law was out of sync with other European countries in terms of the limits on partnership investment for funds. Questioning the legality of the appointment, Sinn Fein's finance spokesperson Pearse Doherty claimed the IAIM lobbied Mr DArcy in the past regarding tax breaks worth millions of euros for multinational executives while he was a junior minister. Fine Gaels Michael DArcy has been appointed CEO of this lobby group with immediate effect, just three months after he was minister for state in the Department of Finance," he said. Labour Finance spokesperson Ged Nash said a situation where the Department of Finance becomes a training ground for corporate careers in the financial services industry cannot be tolerated. In 2015 the Labour Party introduced the regulation of Lobbying Act to provide transparency but also cut out the revolving door between politics and big business. Labour Finance spokesperson Ged Nash (pictured) said a situation where the Department of Finance becomes a training ground for corporate careers in the financial services industry cannot be tolerated. File photo: Gareth Chaney/Collins This would also be the second Fine Gael junior minister in the Department of Finance in recent years to take up a lobbying position in the finance sector and the perception of former Ministers being used to gain access to the corridors of power, and in particular the formation of regulations and laws is deeply worrying." In a statement, IAIM said Mr DArcy is "fully aware" of SIPOs guidelines as set out with regards to the responsibilities of former officer holders. "As CEO of IAIM, Michael DArcy will not be engaging in any lobbying activities, in accordance with the cooling-off period for the first twelve months of leaving office," the statement read. "Michael DArcy has always been fully compliant with the guidelines during his time as a politician and will continue to strictly adhere to them now in his new role with the IAIM." Among those tipped to fill the Seanad seat now vacated by Mr DArcy are former Senator Ian Marshall and former Carlow-Kilkenny TD Pat Deering. Mumbai, Sep 28 : The Maharashtra Congress on Monday called on Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari and submitted a memorandum addressed to President R.N. Kovind, demanding to repeal the new farm laws, officials said. A high-level delegation of the Congress led by senior leader and former Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde and others met the Governor at the Raj Bhavan to register their protest against the farm Bills, terming these as "anti-farmer laws" which must be scrapped forthwith. One of the delegation leaders and ex-CM Prithviraj Chavan targeted the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party at the Centre and accused it of implementing the laws "without holding any discussions with the farmers or the people's representatives". Chavan said the Congress will now intensify its agitation by observing October 2 -- the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi -- as 'Kisan Mazadoor Bachao Day' with agitations up to the taluka level all over the state. Speaking to the media, Chavan accused the Centre of hastily pushing through the bills in the Parliament and "strangulating democracy". "These bills (now laws) will destroy the farmers and would only benefit the corporate friends of Prime Minister Narendra Modia. We wanted the bills to be sent before a parliamentary committee for amendment. However, the BJP did not even discuss it with its (ex) ally Shiromani Akali Dal or in the cabinet," Chavan claimed. The delegation comprised ministers K.C. Padvi, Yashomati Thakur, MP Suresh Dhanorkar, ex-MP Bhalchandra Mungekar, legislators Kunal Patil Sahasram Korote, Mohanrao Humberde, Rajesh Rathod, and party leaders D.P. Sawant, Anis Ahmed, Amarjit Singh Manhas, Ravindra Dalvi, Atul Londhe and Sushiben Shah, among others. "We have submitted a memorandum addressed to the President and urged him to reconsider these 'black laws' in the interest of the farmers," Chavan said. On his part, the Governor assured that he would discuss the issue with the Centre while Chavan said the matter would also be discussed by the Maharashtra Cabinet and the party would continue to protest till the 'anti-farmer' laws are revoked. Government says it is utterly absurd for anyone to suggest that the recent disturbances of the secessionist group, Western Togoland are being fueled by the state. The activities of the Homeland Study Group Foundation have led to widespread speculation that government intends to use that a justification for heightening security in the Volta Region in the build-up to the general elections, in order to intimidate voters in the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) traditional stronghold. But at a press briefing held today, Sunday, September 27, 2020, Information Minister, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah shot down such claims, describing them as flat-out untruths. We don't want to believe that there are any political groups behind it. There are those who, you have heard, suggest that it appears there are some political groups behind what is going on. We don't even want to go that route, he said. The Minister also commended the state's security apparatus for swiftly averting a planned attack by the Homeland Study Group Foundation. He said the security agencies had prior intelligence about the group's planned attack on the Akosombo Dam and other sensitive installations and averted it. There was no intelligence failure. The direct aspect of what the intelligence suggested these persons wanted to do, was contained by security agencies. The intelligence was to the effect that they had intentions to, for example, blow up and burn down the whole market, attack sensitive installations like the Akosombo Dam, the Adomi Bridge, and a few sensitive installations. The first response was to ensure that these installations were secured and the analysis by the agencies was that, upon doing these successfully, these persons had no option than to do these roadblocks. The intelligence agencies did a good job. They took action to prevent the most dire parts of that intelligence. ---citinewsroom THESSALONIKI, Greece: U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Monday the United States will use its diplomatic and military influence in the region to try to ease a volatile dispute between NATO allies Greece and Turkey over energy rights in the eastern Mediterranean. Pompeo began a five-day regional tour Monday in the northern Greek city of Thessaloniki, days after Greece and Turkey committed to restarting a diplomatic dialogue on the dispute that triggered a dangerous military build-up and fears of military conflict in the disputed maritime area over the summer. The United States and Greece shared views on the eastern Mediterranean and reaffirmed their belief that maritime delimitation issues should be resolved peacefully, the two countries said in a joint statement after Pompeo met with Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias. The two countries, it said, reiterated their dedication to enhancing their close cooperation as NATO allies, using all appropriate means at their disposal, in order to safeguard stability and security in the wider region. Relations between Greece and neighboring Turkey deteriorated sharply this year over disputed maritime boundaries and exploration rights in the eastern Mediterranean. Turkey sent a research vessel, accompanied by warships, to prospect for energy resources in an area Greece claims is on its own continental shelf and where it claims exclusive economic rights. Athens sent warships of its own to the area. European Union members later this week are to discuss imposing sanctions on Turkey for its actions. Pompeo had discussed the situation in the eastern Mediterranean late Sunday with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg as he headed to Greece. Pompeos regional tour will also include Italy, the Vatican, and Croatia. Later Monday, he will depart to the Greek island of Crete where he is scheduled to meet with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and visit a U.S. naval base at Souda Bay. Last October, Pompeo visited Athens and signed a revised defense cooperation agreement with Greece that provided for increasing joint U.S.-Greece and NATO activity at three locations in Greece as well as infrastructure and other improvements at Souda Bay. Amid the tension with Turkey, Greece has announced major arms purchases, including fighter jets from France, as well as warships, helicopters, and weapons systems. Pompeo is the first U.S. Secretary of State to visit Greeces second-largest city of Thessaloniki. Security was tight in the port city, with the venue of Pompeos meeting with Dendias changing from the originally planned location, a local ministry, to a hotel for security reasons, authorities said. A protest against his visit was planned for Monday evening. During his visit to Thessaloniki, Pompeo is to sign a bilateral science and technology agreement, as well as host energy sector business leaders for a discussion to highlight energy diversification and infrastructure projects in Greece. He will also join members of the citys Jewish community to commemorate Yom Kippur. No date has yet been set for the start of the Greek-Turkish exploratory talks. ___ Elena Becatoros and Derek Gatopoulos in Athens contributed. ___ Follow Kantouris at https://twitter.com/CostasKantouris Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor The Prize rewards best works of literary fiction from across EBRDs regions translated into English The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the EBRD, today announces the launch of the EBRD Literature Prize 2021, in cooperation with the British Council. The Prize celebrates the rich cultures of the regions where the Bank works, regions that stretch from central Europe to central Asia as well as the southern and eastern Mediterranean and northern Africa. The EBRD Literature Prize 2021 will be awarded to both writer and translator for the best work of literary fiction (including collections of short stories by a single author) translated into English, written originally in any language of the EBRDs countries of operations and published for the first time by a European (including UK) publisher in the period captured by the Prize. Now in its fourth year, the EBRD Literature Prize has gained increasing recognition, attention and visibility amongst the media, the publishing industry and the reading public. The Prize not only rewards the writer who brings stories from these diverse countries to life, but just as importantly it acknowledges the vital role that the translator plays in making these stories accessible to English-speaking audiences. The first prize, worth 20,000, will be equally divided between the winning author and translator. The two runner-up books will receive a prize of 4,000 each, again equally split between author and translator. The EBRD Literature Prize is chaired for the first time by Toby Lichtig, writer, critic and Fiction and Politics Editor of the Times Literary Supplement, as well as former chair of judges for the 2018 JQ-Wingate Prize and a jury member of the 2019 EU Prize for Literature. Toby is joined on the independent panel of judges for the EBRD Literature Prize 2021 by: Anna Aslanyan, freelance journalist and translator from Russian; regular contributor to London Review of Books and the Times Literary Supplement (TLS); and author of the forthcoming popular history of translation, Dancing on Ropes: Translators and the Balance of History (Profile Books, May 2021). Julian Evans, biographer, travel writer and translator from French and German; contributor to various publications including the Guardian, Granta, Conde Nast Traveller, and LAtelier du Roman; author of Semi-Invisible Man, an authorised biography of the writer Norman Lewis; and a Royal Literary Fund Consultant Fellow. Kirsty Lang, journalist and broadcaster; former foreign correspondent for the BBC and the Sunday Times; presented on Channel 4 News, BBC World, and the Radio 4 daily arts programme Front Row; served as Chair of the Orange Prize for Fiction; and was a Trustee of the British Council. More about the judges Since its inauguration in 2017, the EBRD Literature Prize has introduced English-language readers to a wide range of literature from countries as diverse as Albania, Croatia, Lativia, Lebanon, Morocco, Russia, Turkey and Uzbekistan. The first EBRD Literature Prize was won in April 2018 by the Turkish author Burhan Sonmez and his translator Umit Hussein for the novel Istanbul, Istanbul . The second Literature Prize was won by the Uzbek writer, Hamid Ismailov and translator Donald Rayfield (with John Farndon) for The Devils Dance -- the first novel translated from Uzbek into English. The third Literature Prize was won in May 2020 by the Lithuanian author Grigory Kanovich and his translator Yisrael Elliot Cohen for the novel Devilspel Chair of the Judging Panel, Toby Lichtig, said: It has become a cliche both to claim that we live in troubled, divisive times and that literature can be a balm and a bridge. But we do and it can. The diverse range of fiction being celebrated by the EBRD Literature Prize often from countries whose literatures are little read in English is a reminder of how storytelling can blur the boundaries between different peoples, different cultures and nations, bringing us news from the world and providing windows into how other people see and think. ELIGIBILITY Submissions for the EBRD Literature Prize 2021 may only be made for books translated into English for the first time in the period between 15 November 2019 - 31 December 2020, by European (including UK) publishers with a valid ISBN and the price printed in the currency of a European country. The submitted works must consist of books of translated literary fiction (including collections of short stories by a single author), translated into English and written originally in any language -- whether official or minority -- of an EBRD country of operations by an author who is (or has been) a citizen of an EBRD country of operations. See the list of EBRD countries of operations eligible for participation in the EBRD Literature Prize. Further details on eligibility and the submission form are here. The submission deadline is 27 November 2020. The shortlist will be announced in February 2021, followed by the announcement of the three finalists in April 2021. All three sets of finalists -- the writers and translators -- will be invited to participate in an awards ceremony (either virtually or at EBRD Headquarters in London), as well as related events in the UK, after that date. NOTES FOR EDITORS About the EBRD The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the EBRD, is a multilateral bank that promotes the development of the private sector and entrepreneurial initiative in 38 economies across three continents. It combines investments with policy dialogue and, through activities like its Community Initiative, also reaches out to support local societies and knowledge about EBRD countries. About the EBRD Literature Prize Read more about the submission rules, the finalists and the shortlisted titles from the EBRD Literature Prizes in 2018, 2019 and 2020 here . About the judging panel Toby Lichtig (Chair of Judges) is the Fiction and Politics Editor of the Times Literary Supplement (TLS). He is also a freelance editor and writer, and writes for a range of publications including the Wall Street Journal and the Guardian. Toby has appeared as a guest critic on various television and radio programmes. He also freelances as a documentary producer. He was chair of judges of the 2018 JQ-Wingate Prize and was a jury member of the 2019 EU Prize for Literature. Twitter: @TobyLichtig Anna Aslanyan is a freelance journalist and translator from Russian. She writes for the London Review of Books, the Times Literary Supplement (TLS) and other publications. Her translation of Egor Kovalevsky's 1848 travelogue, A Journey to Inner Africa, is forthcoming with Amherst College Press in November 2020. Her popular history of translation, Dancing on Ropes: Translators and the Balance of History, will be published by Profile Books in May 2021. Twitter: @anna_aslanyan Julian Evans is a biographer, travel writer and translator. He established himself on the literary scene with Transit of Venus (1992), an account of his journey across the Pacific Ocean to the US's nuclear-missile test range at Kwajalein Atoll. His most recent book is Semi-Invisible Man, an authorised biography of the writer Norman Lewis. Julian has written and presented radio and television documentaries and writes for English and French newspapers and magazines including the Guardian, Prospect, Daily Telegraph, Granta, Conde Nast Traveller, and LAtelier du Roman. He translates from French and German and is a recipient of the Prix du Rayonnement de la Langue Francaise from the Academie Francaise. He is a Royal Literary Fund Consultant Fellow. Twitter: @thejulianevans Kirsty Lang is an experienced journalist and broadcaster with a special interest in foreign affairs and the arts. She spent many years as a foreign correspondent reporting for the BBC and the Sunday Times from eastern Europe and later Paris. Shes been a presenter on Channel 4 News, BBC World, and the Radio 4 daily arts programme Front Row. She chaired the Orange Prize for Fiction, and was a judge of the Independent Prize for Foreign Fiction in Translation. She has been a visiting Professor in the School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University in New York and teaches a writing course at University College London. She is also Chair of the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art in Gateshead and a former Trustee of the British Council. Twitter: @bbckirstylang India on Monday recorded 82,170 fresh cases of the coronavirus disease (in the last 24 hours), which pushed the nationwide tally to above 60 lakh, according to Union health ministry update on Monday morning. The latest million cases came in just 11 days. Out of the 60,74,703 cases, 9,62,640 are active cases while 50,16,521 patients have been cured or discharged from hospitals, the health ministry data showed. At least 1,039 people succumbed to the disease in the last 24 hours which pushed the death toll to 95,542. Delhi, meanwhile, recorded 3,292 new cases of the disease which pushed the number of infections in the national capital to 2,71,114. More than 40 deaths due to Covid-19 were reported in Delhi for the second consecutive day on Sunday. With this, the number of deaths in the national capital has gone up to 5,235. The health ministry, meanwhile, said on Sunday that India recorded 10 lakh recoveries in the last 11 days. Indias total recoveries cross the landmark milestone of 50 lakh. The rise from 1 lakh in June 20 has been steep. The last 10 lakh recoveries were added in just 11 days, the health ministry said on Twitter. It added that recovered cases have outpaced active cases by over five times. According to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), the cumulative total samples tested up to September 26 is 7,12,57,836. The number of samples tested on September 26 is 9,87,861. India is the second-worst hit nation in terms of Covid-19 cases after the US, while it is in the third spot in terms of fatalities globally after the US and Brazil. Troubled teenager Billy Krey fatally inflicted more than a dozen knife wounds on his neighbour father-of-seven Ioakima Sini, who tried to talk to him about fighting with his mother, a Sydney court has been told. Mr Krey's judge-alone trial for the murder of Mr Sini began on Monday before Justice Mark Ierace at the NSW Supreme Court in Darlinghurst, more than three years after the stabbing at Whalan in Sydney's west. Ioakima Sini, allegedly murdered by Billy Krey during an altercation in Whalan. In his opening statements, Crown prosecutor Giles Tabuteau said the court would hear multiple eyewitness accounts of Mr Krey stabbing Mr Sini, known as "Kimma", on July 15, 2017. Mr Tabuteau said the court would hear that, before Mr Sini was stabbed, he had spoken to Mr Krey, who was then 19, about fighting with his mother. Three foreign experts test positive for SARS-CoV-2 in Vietnam Three foreign experts, two from Taiwan and one from India, have tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, raising the total number of Covid-19 patients in Vietnam to 1,077, the Ministry of Health announced on Monday evening. Illustrative photo. According to the ministry's report, the two Chinese Taipei men aged 58 and 33 entered Vietnam through the Huu Nghi International Border Gate in Lang Son Province from Chinas Guangdong Province on September 18 and have been quarantined in Phu Tho Province. They first tested negative on September 19 but their second test results on Monday came positive for the virus.The patients are being treated at the Hanoi-based National Hospital for Tropical Diseases. Another new patient is a 48-year old man from India. He landed at the Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi on September 13 and has been sent to quarantine at a local facility upon arrival. He tested negative for the first time on September 15 but the second test on September 28 turned out positive.The expert is also being treated at the National Hospital for Tropical Diseases. With these new infection cases, the number of imported Covid-19 patients in Vietnam have increased to 386. As of 6pm on September 28, a total of 1,000 Covid-19 patients had recovered and been discharged from hospital. There have been 35 deaths, most of them being the elderly with serious underlying diseases. At present, over 16,000, people who had close contact with Covid-19 patients or returned from virus-hit areas are being monitored at hospitals, quarantine facilities, and at home. A grotesque development has been reported from Mpumalanga on Monday, after the ANC revealed one of their former MPs, Sikhumbuzo Eric Kholwane, has been taken in for questioning by police over the alleged rape of two unidentified minors. The prominent party member, who still plays an active role in the aforementioned province, was arrested earlier this morning. He has previously served as a Chairperson of the Communications portfolio committee in the fourth Parliament after the 2009 Elections. The Mpumalanga branch of the ruling party has since shared a statement on the matter, and weve learned that the executive structures have suspended his membership and asked the suspect to step aside while the investigation is ongoing. Despite the complexities of the case, the ANC took the decision to name him in their official statement. EX-ANC MP ARRESTED FOR RAPING DAUGHTERS IN MPUMALANGA The sickening crime that Kholwane is accused of committing spits in the face of a country that is desperately battling against its gender-based violence demons. The ANC has been resolute in its bid to reduce GBV cases, but with one of their own accused of such heinous behaviour, the sincerity of their message is in danger of being severely undermined. This is certainly not the ex-MPs first brush with the law, either. The suspect was caught up in a r3pe allegation in 2012, before the case was dropped just a few months later. A lack of evidence was enough to give the Mpumalanga heavyweight a reprieve. But should these new charges stick, its safe to say the law will not be so kind to him this time around. Follow Us on Facebook @LadunLiadi; Instagram @LadunLiadi; Twitter @LadunLiadi; Youtube @LadunLiadiTV for updates If youre looking for a home for thousands of devilish figurines, why not a church? That was the thinking for Marion Held, the owner, curator and occupant of the Devil-ish Little Things Museum, a private home and antique collection located in a former community church in Vancouver. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Cyprus expresses deep concern at the heightening of tensions that has been taking place since yesterday in the region of Nagorno-Karabakh and condemns the breach of the ceasefire by Azerbaijan, that has led to intense fighting and resulted in casualties also amongst the civilian population; the Cypriot MFA has noted this in a statement. We urge all parties to show self-restraint and cease hostilities so that de-escalation can occur as soon as possible. In light of developments, the [Cypriot] Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Nikos Christodoulides, held a telephone conversation earlier today with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia, Mr. Zohrab Mnatsakanyan, during which he was briefed by the latter on the situation. On his part, Minister Christodoulides conveyed to his Armenian counterpart the support of the Cyprus Government towards efforts to resolve the dispute in a peaceful manner on the basis of International Law, through negotiations in the framework of the Minsk Group, and condemned all actions by parties involved, or any interventions by third parties, that run contrary to this direction, the statement also reads. SPRINGFIELD, Ill., Sept. 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The Springfield Sangamon Growth Alliance is adding new fuel behind proposed plans for the Lincoln Land Energy Center (LLEC). The development is a proposed 1,090-megawatt natural gas-fueled combined-cycle facility located just south of Pawnee in Sangamon County; approximately 20 miles south of Springfield. A recently updated economic impact study, commissioned by the Springfield Sangamon Growth Alliance (SSGA) and completed by Northern Illinois University, indicates the project will generate $1.53 billion in economic output during construction and will create more than 1,000 direct and secondary jobs. "Opportunities like the LLEC development rarely come along in our lifetimes," says Ryan McCrady, President & CEO of the Springfield Sangamon Growth Alliance. "This would certainly be one of the largest private investments in our region. The developer's desire to utilize our community's highly skilled workers to construct the facility significantly increases the economic impact and benefits in our community. This investment will be a catalyst for additional developments in our region." Construction of the Lincoln Land Energy Center will occur in two phases and is expected to begin in 2021. The development team includes EmberClear, Siemens Energy, and Bechtel Power Holdings, LLC. Overall, the construction project is expected to directly employ between 350 500 workers through the entire phase of construction ending in 2027 and require approximately 700 construction related jobs at its peak in 2022. "This is an opportunity that doesn't come around every day and the highly-skilled men and women of the Central Illinois Building and Construction Trades Council are looking forward to making this project a success," said Aaron Gurnsey, Financial Secretary-Treasurer for Central Illinois Building & Construction Trades Council. "This project would not only provide good-paying job opportunities for hundreds of workers, it can also spur economic growth throughout the entire Central Illinois region and set the groundwork for future opportunities." The first unit is expected to be operational in 2024 and will employ approximately 30 full-time workers while the second phase is being built. Once fully operational, 34 workers with an average salary range of $100,000 to $120,000 will be employed. The plant is expected to create 110 additional indirect and induced jobs as well. Specific economic benefits to Springfield & Sangamon County identified in the report include the following: $3 million upfront payment to the City of Springfield to purchase Right-Of-Way upfront payment to the to purchase Right-Of-Way Annual payment for 25 years to the City of Springfield starting at $800,000 with a 2% yearly escalator starting at with a 2% yearly escalator Contract for water services expected to bring in an additional $348,000 a year to the City of Springfield a year to the Revenue to the Village of Pawnee through a hosting agreement through a hosting agreement Property tax revenue for local taxing districts including Pawnee School District, Sangamon County , and Lincoln Land Community College The economic impact study was commissioned by the Springfield Sangamon Growth Alliance (SSGA) and completed by Northern Illinois University. These types of studies provide an independent quantification of economic impacts of community projects which, in this case, highlight the economic benefits to Springfield and Sangamon County. More information about the project can be found at https://emberclear.com/lincoln-land/. About the Springfield Sangamon Growth Alliance The Springfield Sangamon Growth Alliance (SSGA) is committed to pursuing the economic prosperity and growth for Sangamon County and the City of Springfield, Illinois. Founded in 2018, the public-private sector partnership is dedicated to advancing economic development efforts in Springfield and Sangamon County. Led by a volunteered, diverse, industry-driven board of directors, SSGA is helping create and market a financially sound community; able to attract new businesses and skilled talent, while retaining the innovative companies and local workforce who already make Sangamon County their home. For more information about SSGA, visit www.ThriveInSPI.org. Contact: Shelley Tulo, 217.679.3500 [email protected] SOURCE The Springfield Sangamon Growth Alliance Related Links https://www.thriveinspi.org/ Actor Dilip Kumars wife, Saira Banu, has hailed recent reports of his ancestral home in Pakistans Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa being purchased by the government for conservation. Mashallah, she said. The provincial government in Pakistans Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa decided to purchase the ancestral houses of Raj Kapoor and Dilip Kumar to conserve the historic buildings which are in dilapidated condition and facing a threat of demolition. Both houses are situated in the Qissa Khwani Bazar area. Saira Banu told ETimes, I wish the provincial government success in its efforts and sincerely hope that this time the dream comes true. Mashallah. She added, My heart fills up with joy each time I receive the same news about the ancestral home of Yousuf Saheb in Peshawar in North West Frontier province which the provincial government has been repeatedly trying to turn into a monument for posterity. It has come up so many times in the past and I have appreciated the tenacity with which the government is pursuing the mission of turning the house into a museum for the public to visit and feel the vintage charm of the house where Dilip Saheb grew up like any bright boy of the province. She said that they paid a visit to the house some years ago, and that the actor became emotional as he recalled childhood memories. Also read: Saira Banu says Dilip Kumar has not been informed of his brothers deaths: We are keeping the disturbing news from him Raj Kapoors ancestral home, known as the Kapoor Haveli, built between 1918 and 1922 by the legendary actors grandfather Dewan Basheswarnath Kapoor. Raj Kapoor and his uncle Trilok Kapoor were born in the building. It has been declared national heritage by the provincial government. According to PTI, the owner of Kapoor Haveli, Ali Qadar, said that he did not want to demolish the building and made many contacts with the archaeology department officials to protect and preserve this historic structure which is a national pride. The owner has demanded 200 crore from the KP government to sell it to the government. Follow @htshowbiz for more SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Education and teaching have so many forms today from old fashioned classrooms to online education with synchronous technology. One of my favorites is the podcast, even if it often involves staring into space or into a computer screen in a sound-proof room! Our Podcast called Kingdom Roots is about to reach 1 Million listens. The podcast conversations have been a source of learning and encouragement over our tenure of producing them. Weekly I hear from listeners who ask questions or express encouragement. Im so grateful. Chaz Robbins has been the heart of making Kingdom Roots podcast happen, and I want to thank him for it. I also want to thank Northern for its support of our podcast. Our listeners have been faithful over the 160 plus episodes so we want to start our celebration of reaching 1 Million listens by giving away 10 copies of A Church Called Tov. TO ENTER, All you have to do are these 2 simple steps: 1. Share your favorite Kingdom Roots episode, quote, or guest using the hashtag #churchcalledtov 2. Listen to the episode coming out on Oct. 1 to see if you won! Act quickly, please. Listen to the podcast and learn more about the book: Apple https://apple.co/3blten8 Spotify https://spoti.fi/2Drjqf2 OR anywhere you get podcasts. GABRIEL GARCIA MARQUEZ: This Nobel prize-winning Columbian writer, journalist and screenwriter was a pioneer in the writing style known as magic realism which combines a realistic narrative with fantasy. His best-known novels are One Hundred Years of Solitude and Love in the Time of Cholera. EARLY LIFE Born on March 6, 1927 in a town named Aracataca in Columbia, Marquez was raised by his grandparents. His rationalist grandfather was a retired army colonel who shaped his political ideology while his grandmother told him stories about magic and ghosts which later influenced his writing. When Marquez was seven, his grandfather died and he shifted base to Bogota, the Columbian capital city where he began living with his parents. As a teenager, he developed interest in reading books. Franz Kafkas The Metamorphosis inspired him to take up writing. Initially, he planned to study law and in 1947 enrolled at the Universidad Nacional de Colombia. During that year, he published his first short story in a periodical. Violence broke out in the country around that time and the university was closed. Marquez then enrolled at the Universidad de Cartagena. He began writing reports and articles for local papers. He met Ramon Vinyes, who introduced him to the novels of Virginia Woolf and William Faulkner. In 1949, Marquez abandoned legal studies and moved to Barranquilla town. In the mid-1950s, Marquez travelled to Europe which was more conducive than his native land to his left-wing political views. He dropped anchor in Paris and reported for El Espectador and also for another Colombian paper, El Independiente. He published his first novel, Leaf Storm, in 1955. Though he lived in relative poverty, he was able to get a fresh perspective on Latin America while watching it from a distance. In 1957, he returned to Latin America to help a friend edit a magazine titled Momento in Caracas, Venezuela. The next year, he returned to Barranquilla and married his childhood friend, Mercedes Barcha Pardo, the daughter of a pharmacist. Soon after, Marquez resigned from the magazine that supported the American foreign policy. He went to Cuba to report on the aftermath of Fidel Castros socialist revolution. In 1967, Marquez published his most popular novel, One Hundred Years of Solitude and won international acclaim. The novel sold out its entire first Spanish printing within a week. Sales were so brisk that the publisher could barely keep enough copies in print. Chilean Nobel laureate poet Pablo Neruda said in Time magazine that the book was the greatest revelation in the Spanish language since the Don Quixote of Cervantes. Over the years, it sold more than 20 million copies worldwide and was translated into over 30 languages. The novel is considered to be the most popular example of magical realism, a style that combines supernatural elements with a realistic narrative. The success of One Hundred Years of Solitude enabled Garcia Marquez to become a full-time writer and not depend on other sources of income. The book won him the Nobel Prize in Literature and the Romulo Gallegos Prize in 1972. American author William Kennedy said it was the first piece of literature since the Book of Genesis that should be required reading for the entire human race. The success of that novel helped Marquez develop friendships with many influential people. He took part in negotiations between the Columbian government and guerillas. He wanted to use his Nobel Prize money to start a newspaper, but the venture never took concrete shape. He was able to pursue journalism again when he bought the Colombian newsmagazine Cambio in 1999. The circulation and revenues of the ailing magazine shot up after he bought it. He said, Journalism is the only trade that I like and I have always regarded myself as a journalist. His novel Autumn of the Patriarch was based on a Venezuelan dictator and dealt with the solitude one feels when one has power. Chronicles of a Death Foretold consists of a plot of the murder of its central character named Santiago Nasar. He fell ill with cancer in 1999 and began writing his memoirs. On April 17, 2014, the great writer died of pneumonia at the age of 87. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX FIVE FACTS Marquezs novel titled Love In the Time of Cholera was based on the interesting love story of his parents interesting love story. His father had wooed his mother with poems, love letters and serenades. Initially his mothers family objected, but then they were allowed to marry. Marquez, who was nicknamed Gabo, objected to the formal teaching of spelling. In September 2004, he was barred from the International Congress of the Spanish Language following disagreement over the writers views. Marquez had also worked as a film critic, founded the Film Institute in Havana and wrote several screenplays that were turned into films. He has lived in many parts of the world, including Cuba, Spain, Mexico, France, the United States, and Columbia. Cuban President Fidel Castro kept a mansion for him in Havana, Cuba. On Marquezs 91st birth anniversary, Google created a doodle that described the writer as a cultural icon whose star continues to shine brightly. It further stated that Gabos keen sense of political activism and courage allowed him to author a number of non-fictional works that eloquently document the times that he lived in. Sources: famousauthors.org, notablebiographies.com, softschools.com SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-28 03:05:02|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close AMMAN, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) -- Jordan signed an agreement on Sunday to sell electricity to Iraq and connect the two countries' power grids. Under the agreement signed via videoconferencing, Jordan will provide Iraq with 1,000 gigawatt-hours per year in the first phase of the project, Jordanian Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Hala Zawati said in a statement. Under the deal, the two sides can agree to increase the capacity. Zawati stressed the importance of the Jordanian-Iraqi power grid connection, pointing out that the project enhances the stability and reliability of electricity networks in both countries. Supplying Iraq with electricity will begin within 26 months after the date of the contract, the statement added. Jordan has signed several agreements with Iraq to enhance energy cooperation. Jordan imports around 10,000 barrels of oil from Iraq per day, and the two countries are working on a project to extend an oil pipeline from Iraq's Basra to Jordan's Aqaba. Enditem Jeddah-based Saudi Bugshan Company (SBC), in collaboration with its technology arm Brmaja Commercial Company (Brmaja), has selected IBM Cloud to host its IT infrastructure. This transition aims to support SBCs business growth plans and meet its critical need for infrastructure performance and enterprise-grade security, while accelerating the companys digital transformation. SBC is the holding company of one of the largest conglomerates in the Mena region and has its headquarters in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. It comprises 47 companies in various sectors, including food and beverage, distribution and trading, healthcare, real estate, hospitality, education and automotive. With its diversified portfolio of operations, SBC needed a secure and flexible cloud environment to be able to meet the requirements of each industry it serves and address their unique set of challenges. As a result, it selected IBM Cloud for its interoperability and now has the flexibility to deploy and run different industry-specific solutions from IBM and other technology vendors, as and when the need arises. As part of the agreement, Brmaja and IBM Services worked closely to consolidate and migrate SBCs mission-critical workloads and overall IT infrastructure, which were running across multiple physical and cloud environments, to a single IBM cloud. Today, SBC does not only benefit from enhanced business continuity and uninterrupted operations but is also able to rapidly meet its computing resources demands, without having to invest in additional hardware or physical infrastructure. Security, flexibility and performance are crucial requirements which must be taken into account when adopting new technologies, and IBMs leadership and track record have played a key role in our selection of IBM Cloud, said Khalid Bugshan, Chairman of SBC. As we enter a new and exciting phase of our digital transformation, we are confident that our collaboration with IBM and Brmaja will further solidify our competitive position within the region and global market. "The dynamic nature of a diversified business requires a regular review of its technology architecture, said Dr. Hatem Bakheet, Group CEO of Brmaja. To address the ever changing needs of the industries in which SBC operates, Brmaja and IBM joined forces to transform the companys IT landscape and enable it to benefit from a secure and flexible cloud environment. Increased regulatory and compliance requirements are driving the need for improved security and resiliency. Through its cloud adoption as well as IBM and Brmajas support, SBC now benefits from market leading data and app protection and open source innovations to some of the worlds largest and most enterprises as they protect sensitive data. IBM Cloud also offers access to higher value technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI) and Internet of Thing (IoT), allowing SBC to build and develop new innovative cloud-native applications and solutions to support its business. Cloud is a key enabler of transformation and lays the foundation for an enterprises digital evolution, said Tarek Zarg Al Aioun, Country General Manager, IBM Saudi Arabia. SBCs adoption of IBM Cloud to harness its true potential is a testament to the companys commitment to innovation and to lead the market by example. TradeArabia News Service By Devlin Barrett PublicAffairs. 324 pp. $30 - - - The day after the 2016 presidential election, members of the FBI team that conducted the Hillary Clinton email investigation were in a state of shock about the role the agency may have played in the outcome. "Among themselves," Devlin Barrett writes in his new book, "October Surprise: How the FBI Tried to Save Itself and Crashed an Election," "they debated whether the FBI had made Trump the next president of the United States." In his important and engrossing book, Barrett has laid out a damning portrait of the FBI in the run-up to the election. His fly-on-the-wall account delves into the actions of the FBI leadership, particularly the agency figure most in the spotlight, then-Director James B. Comey. Comey's conduct through the 2016 campaign has aged less like a fine wine and more like the remnants of last week's fish dinner - the further we get from the events, the more they stink. It's an ironic verdict for a man who at every turn of the maelstrom of 2016 and his brief tenure under President Trump seemed confident that history would vindicate him. His own best-selling memoir touting his "higher loyalty" will hit the nation's TV screens as a hagiographic miniseries this weekend. Despite Comey's perspective of himself, history has only further sullied his reputation, and this book adds to the portrait. Barrett, a reporter at The Washington Post, delivers an exquisitely sourced indictment of Comey and the bureau he once led. He probes the actions not only of the former director but a cast of characters, including Comey's deputy, Andrew McCabe, and former attorney general Loretta E. Lynch. In Barrett's telling, Comey foisted a double standard on the FBI and on the American public in the summer and fall of 2016. While the FBI publicly raised the issue of Clinton's use of a private email server while she was secretary of state, it remained silent about evidence that the nation's foremost global adversary, Russia, was boosting the campaign of Clinton's opponent. As Barrett outlines, Comey clearly understood the perils of the FBI's political meddling but he ignored his Justice Department superiors and made his own rules about how to treat Clinton over her emails during the campaign. At the same time, he argued that Trump deserved the benefit of the doubt regarding Russia's election interference in the final weeks before the vote. As Barrett reports, Comey refused to sign an intelligence community statement in early October accusing Russia of meddling in the campaign, arguing that it would unduly affect the race. "Comey had precisely articulated the potential danger of an October surprise by government decree, and yet within weeks he would fire off his own, far more consequential announcement [on Clinton and her emails], over the objections of his bosses," Barrett writes. Barrett, who was part of the Post team awarded the 2018 Pulitzer Prize for coverage of Russia's election interference, links the FBI's central role in the controversies of 2016 to a wide-ranging bureaucratic breakdown. He attributes the breakdown to a collapse of trust between the Justice Department and the FBI, Comey and McCabe, and the bureau's headquarters and its New York field office. One delicious revelation in the book centers on an email Trump's assistant Rob Porter sent to Comey informing him that the president was firing him. At the time, Comey was in Los Angeles speaking to FBI employees. During his talk, he was alerted to breaking news reports on television that he had lost his job. He had received no phone call from the White House, no conversation, just the email, and a hand-delivered letter to his empty office in D.C. But Barrett reports, "Even if he'd been staring at his phone, Comey would not have received the president's letter announcing his dismissal: the White House email to the director had been intercepted by the FBI's spam filter." After the immediate brouhaha over his firing, Comey finally found the message in his junk folder the next day. When he forwarded it to his chief of staff, he included a short note, saying, "History has a sense of humor." In mid-2018, more than year after Comey had been dismissed, the Justice Department inspector general issued a 500-page report titled, "A Review of Various Actions by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Department of Justice in Advance of the 2016 Election." Barrett writes that among its findings, the report "faulted Comey for 'a serious error of judgment' in sending his October 28 letter to Congress announcing the reopening of the [Clinton] email investigation less than two weeks before the presidential election." Comey largely accepted the report, although he disagreed with some particulars. "People of good faith can see an unprecedented situation differently," he explained. But one of the most surprising observations from Barrett's book is just how little good faith Comey apparently showed others during the tumult of 2016. "By mid-2016," Barrett writes, "Justice Department officials had come to suspect Comey viewed himself as the most moral, ethical actor in any room he was in. Much later, several of them came to believe his sense of moral superiority was driven in part by viewing even straightforward conversations with his superiors in a sinister light." The Comey who emerges in these pages seems to doubt his aides and his bosses and suspect everyone around him of ulterior motives. Comey began his tenure as director by highlighting its darkest moment: J. Edgar Hoover's illegal surveillance and blackmail of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., during the civil rights movement. Comey kept a letter from Hoover to King in his office. He had new agent recruits tour the King memorial in D.C. to remind them of the dangers of corruption in law enforcement. By the time Trump was elected, at least one player in the drama found reason to put Hoover and Comey side by side. Just after the 2016 vote, Tim Kaine, Clinton's running mate, said that Comey's decision to reopen the investigation of Clinton's email server "will go down as probably the lowest moment in the history of the FBI, probably next to the decision of J. Edgar Hoover to wiretap Martin Luther King." - - - Graff is the author of several books, including "The Threat Matrix: Inside Robert Mueller's FBI" as well as, most recently, "The Only Plane in the Sky: An Oral History of 9/11." An area of the Microsoft Premonition Proving Ground in Redmond, Washington Credit: Microsoft "What's the weather like outside?" It's a simple question that we don't think twice about. Our smart assistants, phones or a simple internet search can answer it. But it actually takes a global sensor network of weather stations, advanced data analytics and modern supercomputers to make these predictions. Microsoft Premonition envisions doing the same for predicting the distribution and evolution of microbes, viruses and disease-carrying animals in the Earth's biome. If the biome could be monitored like the weather, environmental pathogens might be detected earlier and outbreaks predicted before they cause large epidemics. Today, more than ever, new global sensor networks are needed to protect our health, and the health of our economies and societies. "Microsoft Premonition changes the paradigm from reacting to known pathogens to continuously looking for them as they evolve," says Ethan Jackson, senior director of Microsoft Premonition. "These signals could help us spot potential threats earlier, respond faster and develop new interventions before outbreaks occur." Microsoft Premonition is an advanced early warning system that combines robotic sensing platforms, artificial intelligence, predictive analytics and cloud-scale metagenomics to autonomously monitor disease-carrying animals such as mosquitoes, robotically collect environmental samples, and then genomically scan them for biological threats. Like weather prediction, its analytics pipeline uses cloud-scale computing, leveraging the latest advancements in Azure IoT and Azure Data Lake on Microsoft Azure. Today, Premonition's pipelines have scanned more than 80 trillion base pairs of genomic material from environmental samples for biological threats. Newly announced is Microsoft Premonition Cloud, which uses Microsoft Azure for aggregating and analyzing data that is collected by Microsoft Premonition, and will be available in coming weeks through an Early Access Program. An estimated 60% to 75% of emerging infectious diseases are caused by pathogens that jump from animals to people. This includes viruses like Zika, West Nile, dengue and most recently, COVID-19. By the time Zika emerged in 2016 in the Americas, the team had been researching new monitoring approaches for about a year. They quickly produced a small fleet of prototypes. These early robotic smart traps, resembling scale models of circular high-rise condos, were designed to lure, autonomously identify and capture mosquitoes, providing public health officials with data streams that weren't previously available. The goal was to help them decide when and where disease-transmitting mosquitoes will beto better understand the risk of Zika. Credit: Microsoft Harris County, home to the city of Houston, Texas, was the location for the initial deployment of Project Premonition, which has now matured into Microsoft Premonition. Fast-forward four years, and now Microsoft Premonition and Harris County Public Health will begin building one of the most advanced biothreat detection networks in an expanded partnership. "Game-changing," is how Douglas E. Norris, an entomologist and Johns Hopkins University professor of molecular microbiology and immunology, describes Premonition's impact. "Everything we do now in terms of mosquito treatment is reactivewe see a lot of mosquitoes, we go spray a lot of mosquitoes," says Norris who worked on the project. "Imagine if you had a forecasting system that shows that in a few days, you're going to have a lot of mosquitoes based on all this data and these modelsthen you could go out and treat them earlier before they're biting, spray, hit them early so you don't get those big mosquito blooms which then might result in disease transmission." It is a healthier approach for humans and for the environment, Norris says. And it's also a more cost-effective approach, especially with COVID-19 stressing the staffing and budget limits of public health departments around the world. Building on the idea of "One Health," a concept that reinforces the idea that the health of the humans depends on the environment they live in, Premonition aids public health systems to better measure the efficacy of interventions and the costs of varying approaches. "Most of the things that can impact our health, the health of our societies and our economies, are small," says Jackson. "They're things like arthropodssuch as mosquitoes and ticks, or microbes and viruses that are even smaller; they are at the scales of millimeters, microns and nanometers." Microsoft Premonition's robotic sensing platform will capture, collect, aggregate and analyze data about these tiny and often seemingly unseen threats. "All of the sensor networks that we have todaynetworks that do things like collect data to predict weather, collect data about the power grid so that we can load balance it, collect information about what traffic is doing so that we can predict itall of those sensor networks, which are really hundreds and hundreds of millions of sensors, can't see these important species," Jackson says. "These life forms we're talking about are invisible to basically all of those sensors that we've deployed across the globe. And that's pretty incredible when you think about it, that we have such a huge blind spot about what's in the environment." In 2016, during the peak risk of Zika transmission, 10 robotic smart traps were trained in Harris County to identify and selectively capture relevant mosquitoes, and did so with about 90% accuracy. In addition, metagenomic analyses detected microorganisms and viruses in mosquito specimens, and identified the types of animals on which they fed. Microsoft Premonition obviously has a very different perspective than when we first started this project, says Ethan Jackson, director of Microsoft Premonition. Credit: Microsoft Now, with the upcoming deployment of Microsoft Premonition, Harris County will have a sensor network at scale, providing "continuous biological situational awareness," Jackson says. "So, they should be able to look at a map and see in real time what is happening now. Which, from the weather analogy, just doesn't exist today. A 24-hour forecast allows them to plan early for specific interventions in the environment." "We want a future where emerging pathogens like Zika can be detected and suppressed quickly and equitably across Harris County," says Dr. Umair Shah, executive director of Harris County Public Health. "This partnership will also evaluate new genomic capabilities to detect known and emerging pathogens from environmental sampleswhich we now know is especially important for diseases like COVID-19." The future of public health "depends on innovationinnovative science, innovative engineering and innovative policy," he says. "We are excited to continue this journey with Microsoft as we learn together." The next step is to be able to forecast "when and where the threat might emerge, not just 24 hours from now, but say, a month from now," Jackson says. "And to do that, we'll be refactoring, redesigning epidemiological models so that we can tell Harris County 'this is a location a month from now where there is a high possibility of an outbreak of West Nile virus,'" the primary mosquito-borne virus in Harris County. Over the last five years, Premonition's technologies have been tested in a variety of habitatsranging from the sands of the Florida Keys to the remote forests of Tanzania, Africa. "Biology is hard, and we want to do it right," Jackson says. Science can't be rushed. Premonition systems are developed in the Premonition Proving Ground, a state-of-the-art Arthropod Containment Level 2 (ACL-2) facility, where wild mosquitoes can be raised, digitized and observed to develop identification algorithms and evaluate device designs. The Microsoft Redmond campus is also their hub for computationally scanning environmental samplesobtained and sequenced by collaborating partnersfor pathogens. Stopping disease threats before they cause outbreaks is a cross-disciplinary and cross-industry challenge. Deep collaboration with academia is important to develop the right technology based on the best understanding of the underlying science. The National Science Foundation (NSF) recently awarded an NSF "Convergence Accelerator" grant, which includes academic partners from Vanderbilt University, Johns Hopkins University, Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington and the University of Pittsburgh. The NSF Convergence Accelerator is one of the NSF's "10 big ideas" to rapidly accelerate innovation. "This project will provide long lasting contributions to human health and pandemic preparedness," the NSF said in its award, noting that "as deep biome data exponentially scales, the life sciences will become overwhelmed with genomic information. Convergence must lead to new methods to efficiently harness these data and autonomously derive insights." We are trying to solve really important problems that face humanity today, and on a scale that is incredibly exciting, says Nicolas Villar, a principal hardware architect. Photo by Microsoft. Credit: Microsoft Industrial collaborators are also crucial to success. Bayer, one of the world's leading agricultural companies, plays a critical role by providing public health with treatments to suppress mosquito populations. For example, in partnership with other leading companies in vector control, they are working to eradicate malaria by the year 2040. According to the World Health Organization, in 2018, nearly half of the world's population was at risk of malaria. "That's why we need to have in our toolbox a diverse set of solutions, including those that give us insights," says Jacqueline Applegate, president of Global Vegetable Seeds and Environmental Science at Bayer. "Microsoft Premonition gives us the opportunity to be able to get a much more realistic perspective." Premonition will allow Bayer "to utilize data, information tools and resources in new ways so we can be even more prescriptive and optimize our vector control strategies so that they have the greatest impact," she says. "And as intervention becomes more accurate, we can help free up capacity for countrieswith often limited resourcesfor other public health issues." In addition, with countries' vector-control operations around the world disrupted and health systems stressed because of COVID-19, it's more important than ever to be able to have a biothreat forecasting system available, Applegate says. "Any ways that we're able to be preventative, be proactive and prevent illness is really, really welcomed," she says. Nicolas Villar, a principal hardware architect in Microsoft Premonition, is working to design the next generation of robotic smart traps. Bugs of any kind, except the computer variety, were not a part of his background. Among his work, Villar co-led the development of Project Torino, an educational tool to teach children with vision impairments the fundamentals of programming, and Project Emma, a platform to study the mitigating effects of vibration on tremors experienced by Parkinson's patients. "My background has been in mostly working in interactive technologies, things that touch people very directly and change how people learn, play or get healthy in different ways," Villar says. "Learning to work with biology and insects has been a completely new world. One thing that motivates me on this project is that while a lot of the work is technical, the impact it has is a very human one. We are trying to solve really important problems that humanity faces today, and on a scale that is incredibly exciting." "Microsoft Premonition obviously has a very different perspective than when we first started this project, when we asked the fundamental question 'Could we use a mosquito to understand pathogens as they flow through the environment?'" Jackson says. "Along the way, we learned that the existing technologies couldn't operate at scale for biome monitoring. We built algorithms, new data-driven models, and a proving ground from the ground up, to train those algorithms and modelsright from the physical screws and panels, to the cloud architectures. That learning took time, and effort, but now we get to build a network that can monitor the smallso that we can predict the big." Explore further Project Premonition brings researchers together to detect diseases before they become an outbreak A recent test case has offered landowners the first guidance issued by the courts on the approach to adopt when valuing rents and other key lease terms in telecoms agreements pursuant to the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954. The results of this landmark case, between Vodafone Ltd and Hanover Capital Ltd, could help landlords secure open market rents and longer lease terms, according to law firm Shakespeare Martineau. As well as this, the case could dismiss operators arguments for no network valuations to value rent. For farmers that lease out their land to telecoms operators, renewing an agreement under the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954 is not always a smooth process. Negotiations can sometimes stall, leaving them in a difficult position, and the new Telecoms Code (2017) will not be of any assistance. The Code was designed to make the roll-out of improved mobile and broadband connections simpler and quicker by making it easier for operators to upgrade and share equipment with others, and by changing the way rental agreements function. Although the outcome is one desired by both operators and landowners, particularly those in remote rural areas, the new Telecoms Code was drafted very much in favour of operators. Some agricultural landowners feel they are being pressured into one-sided rental agreements at low rents, with operators citing the new Code to their advantage. However, landowners should remember that this is not always the case, and the recent decision of Vodafone Ltd v Hanover Capital Ltd is a welcome shift towards recognising that landowners should be properly recompensed for the presence of telecoms equipment on their land. Details of the case The lease between Vodafone and Hanover was due for renewal, and although both parties wished for the renewal to take place, the length of the new term and the proposed tenant break clause could not be agreed. Vodafone wanted a three-year lease with an unconditional tenant break on six months notice exercisable at any time from the commencement of the term. However, Hanover, the landowner, wanted 10 years, with a break after five. Another source of conflict was the approach to the way the rent would be valued. A no network assumption was argued by Vodafone, which is a methodology used under the new Telecoms Code and often produces a lower valuation. This is because it only looks at the value of the site to the landowner, rather than taking into account the significance of the site to the telecoms operator. In Vodafones opinion, the site was only useful to Hanover for car parking, and so its value should not be much more considerable than this. On the other hand, Hanover argued that the site held more value than this, in particular to a number of other telecoms operators who were presently sharing the site. Hanover also argued that the nature and location of the site should also be taken into account. The basis of Hanovers argument is that rent under the Act was to be valued in a hypothetical transaction on the open market pursuant to section 34 of the 1954 act. In order to correctly do this, other telecoms lettings that were agreed under the old Code needed to be considered, not those comparables agreed under the new Code. Justine Ball, legal director and telecoms litigation specialist at law firm Shakespeare Martineau, has given landlords advice following the test case The judgment Regarding both the length of the lease term and the rental valuation, the court sided with Hanover a positive result for any farmers looking to renew telecoms leases, as it proves that operators cannot always cite the principles of the new Telecoms Code and ignore the needs of the landowner. After concluding that Vodafones proposed lease term was too short and did not operate fairly between landlord and tenant, a 10-year term was fixed by the court, with a break option after five years. The break option allows Vodafone to give six months notice to terminate the agreement either at the end of year five or after each following anniversary of the term. However, this is conditional and relies on the operator not being in arrears of rents or in material breach of the covenant. Although leaning more towards Hanovers wants, overall, this was a balanced decision, offering protection to the operator while still providing the landowner with a fair lease term. When it came to the rental valuation, whilst the court preferred the valuation approach taken by Vodafone, it ultimately relied on the pre-Code comparables which were presented by Hanover. Further, the court agreed that rent for the site would be higher in these circumstances due to the number of other operators sharing the site with Vodafone and this should also be taken into account. There was evidence available to show that there was interest in the site, and therefore it was likely to create competition between operators. As such, operation of the open market would increase rental values. In the end, the court stated that a rent of 5,750 per annum was to be payable to Hanover, which, compared to the original suggestion by Vodafone of 1,386 per year, was a significant increase. The insight provided by this case into the way the court approaches these disputes should give confidence to farmers looking to challenge the no network thinking of telecoms operators. Of course, decisions depend of the nature of the site in question and the availability of evidence of competition amongst operators, but this result could be directly applied to hundreds of other similar cases. This is hugely positive news for farmers that currently lease land to telecoms operators. Confirming that the value of the site to the operator market could still be a major factor in valuations should help to kick-start negotiations that may have been on hold. In addition, it shows that farmers and other agricultural landowners have a voice in the courts, and their needs are being fully considered. Operators should remember that rural landowners are vital in ensuring that businesses, households and the emergency services, are able to stay connected in the UK. The much-needed roll-out of superfast broadband would not be possible if operators were unable to use agricultural land. In fact, without the farming community, preserving and improving the UKs digital network in general would be a huge challenge. As such, and in reality, operators and landowners must work together to create/renew rental agreements that benefit both sides, especially in this current environment where connectivity is such a key part of being able to carry out our daily lives. This article was written by Justine Ball, legal director and telecoms litigation specialist at law firm Shakespeare Martineau. Just after 5 p.m., a 15-year-old boy was on the sidewalk in the 7000 block of South Kingston Avenue in the South Shore neighborhood on the Far South Side when someone inside a nearby car started shooting at him, police said. The boy was hit in the left leg and taken to South Shore Hospital in good condition. Brad Parscale, manager of U.S. President Donald Trump's re-election campaign, speaks during a rally for U.S. President Donald Trump in Des Moines, Iowa, U.S., on Thursday, Jan. 30, 2020. The former top manager of President Donald Trump's re-election campaign, Brad Parscale, was taken to a hospital Sunday after his wife reported that he was armed and threatening to harm himself, authorities said. Parscale, 44, had multiple guns when police officers in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, arrived at his home, Sgt. DeAnna Greenlaw, a police spokeswoman, said in a statement. Greenlaw said Parscale was the only person home at the time. Police took him to a hospital under the Baker Act, Greenlaw said. The mental health law allows for involuntary and voluntary admittance. Additional details were not immediately available. In a statement, Trump campaign communications director Tim Murtaugh said Parscale "is a member of our family and we all love him." "We are ready to support him and his family in any way possible," Murtaugh said. Read more from NBC News: Trump announced in July that he was replacing Parscale, who had been running his re-election campaign for more than two years, with deputy campaign manager Bill Stepien. The move came after Parscale said millions of tickets had been sold for a campaign rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in June. But the event drew a far smaller crowd than anticipated. WASHINGTON -- Biometric authentication, which uses unique anatomical features such as fingerprints or facial features to verify a person's identity, is increasingly replacing traditional passwords for accessing everything from smartphones to law enforcement systems. A newly developed approach that uses 3D images of finger veins could greatly increase the security of this type of authentication. "The 3D finger vein biometric authentication method we developed enables levels of specificity and anti-spoofing that were not possible before," said Jun Xia, from University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, research team leader. "Since no two people have exactly the same 3D vein pattern, faking a vein biometric authentication would require creating an exact 3D replica of a person's finger veins, which is basically not possible." In the Optical Society (OSA) journal Applied Optics, the researchers describe their new approach, which represents the first time that photoacoustic tomography has been used for 3D finger vein biometric authentication. Tests of the method on people showed that it can correctly accept or reject an identity 99 percent of the time. "Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many jobs and services are now performed remotely," said research team member Giovanni Milione, from NEC Laboratories America, Inc. "Because our technique detects invisible features in 3D, it could be used to enable better authentication techniques to protect personnel data and sensitive documents." Adding depth information Although other biometric authentication approaches based on finger veins have been developed, they are all based on 2D images. The additional depth from a 3D image increases security by making it more difficult to fake an identity and less likely that the technique will accept the wrong person or reject the right one. To accomplish 3D biometric authentication using the veins in a person's fingers, the researchers turned to photoacoustic tomography, an imaging technique that combines light and sound. First, light from a laser is used to illuminate the finger. If the light hits a vein, it creates a sound much in the same way that a grill creates a "poof" sound when it is first lit. The system then detects that sound with an ultrasound detector and uses it to reconstruct a 3D image of the veins. "It has been challenging to use photoacoustic tomography for 3D finger vein biometric authentication because of the bulky imaging system, small field of view and inconvenient positioning of the hand," said Xia. "We addressed these issues in the new system design through a better combination of light and acoustic beams and custom-made transducers to improve the imaging field of view." Designing a practical system To better integrate light illumination and acoustic detection, the researcher fabricated a new light- and acoustic-beam combiner. They also designed an imaging window that allows the hand to be naturally placed on the platform, similar to a full-size fingerprint scanner. Another critical development was a new matching algorithm, developed by Wenyao Xu from the Computer science and Engineering department that allows biometric identification and matching of features in 3D space. The researchers tested their new system with 36 people by imaging their four left and four right fingers. The tests showed that the approach was not only feasible but also accurate, especially when multiple fingers were used. "We envision this technique being used in critical facilities, such as banks and military bases, that require a high level of security," said Milione. "With further miniaturization 3D vein authentication could also be used in personal electronics or be combined with 2D fingerprints for two-factor authentication." The researchers are now working to make the system even smaller and to reduce the imaging time to less than one second. They note that it should be possible to implement the photoacoustic system in smartphones since ultrasound systems have already been developed for use in smartphones. This could enable portable or wearable systems that perform biometric authentication in real time. ### Paper: Y. Zhan, A. S. Rathore, G. Milione, Y. Wang, W. Zheng, W. Xu, J. Xia, "3D Finger vein Biometric Authentication with Photoacoustic Tomography," Applied Optics, 59, 28, 8751-8758 (2020). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1364/AO.400550 About Applied Optics Applied Optics publishes in-depth peer-reviewed content about applications-centered research in optics. These articles cover research in optical technology, photonics, lasers, information processing, sensing and environmental optics. Applied Optics is published three times per month by The Optical Society and overseen by Editor-in-Chief Ronald Driggers, University of Central Florida, USA. For more information, visit OSA Publishing. About The Optical Society Founded in 1916, The Optical Society (OSA) is the leading professional organization for scientists, engineers, students and business leaders who fuel discoveries, shape real-life applications and accelerate achievements in the science of light. Through world-renowned publications, meetings and membership initiatives, OSA provides quality research, inspired interactions and dedicated resources for its extensive global network of optics and photonics experts. For more information, visit osa.org. Media Contact mediarelations@osa.org Due to "A" status, the Human Rights Defender has sent a report on Azerbaijan's targeted military attacks towards the Nagorno Karabakh civilian population to the UN Human Rights Council I have just submitted a special report to the UN Human Rights Council on human rights situation related to Nagorno Karabakh (Artsakh) occurred as a result of Azerbaijani military air and artillery aggressive attacks, including targeted attacks against civilian population. This is a separate procedure available for "A" status National Human Rights Institutions. The report was also sent to other international organizations. The report presents targeted attacks towards civilian settlements of Nagorno Karabakh (Artsakh) with relevant facts and photos. Conclusions are made that life and health of children women, elderly and the entire peaceful population, their property, schools and other civilian objects are under real danger. We continue cooperation and maintaining direct contacts with the Human Rights Defender of Artsakh, as well as civilians of Artsakh. Arman Tatoyan The Human Rights Defender of Armenia Lamar State College Port Arthurs plans to bring a regional licensing center for commercial drivers to Southeast Texas have taken a large step toward reality after Jefferson County agreed to dedicate almost 24 acres of land to the cause. The Jefferson County Commissioners Court voted Tuesday to deed a section of land near the federal prison complex bordering a Drainage District 7 easement to the college, stipulating in the deed that it had to to be used for the licensing center or revert back to the county. Jefferson County Judge Jeff Branick said the project held great value for the region but also had to meet the legal requirements of benefiting the county in exchange for the land deed, as advised by the countys legal counsel. Our employees that go through (LSCPA) truck driving programs also have to wait months and months for tests, he said. Now, they can act as an agent for the state and do that license test themselves while helping to service other parts of the state. The plans for the facility will also help fulfill one of the goals the county had for the former rice farmland. The county and DD7 had been considering the land for possible drainage project usage, but the license facility will also include two retention ponds to catch displaced rainwater. Nationally, over the road trucking was an in-demand career even before the COVID-19 pandemic took hold in the United States. Now, combined with the continual need for trained bus drivers and transport for local industrial projects, LSCPAs CDL training program has been in high demand. LSCPA had been testing students with its own official proctor to help cut down on students wait for an appointment at the Texas Department of Public Safetys central testing centers. Ben Stafford, dean of workforce and continuing education at LSCPA, said the program has continued to graduate trained drivers, but it has also had its limits tested. When the pandemic hit, the governor called for a focus on transportation to keep the economy and pandemic response on track, he said. With that goal, we've been running transportation classes during the pandemic without a single transmission, but that also means we have been the only open facility in 100 miles. During the early months of the pandemic, DPS offices shut down across the state including the CDL testing center in Houston which shifted demand to LSCPA. Even after appointments resumed, Stafford said the backlog left from months of absence has turned a weeks-long wait into months. The lack of a central testing center in Southeast Texas initially inspired the school to take on the task of growing its program and providing testing, but Stafford said the pandemic has shown the extent of need in the area for training and testing access. With the land secured and initial plans underway, LSCPA is closer to fulfilling that need as long as it can find funding. Stafford said the fundraising portion of the project will have plenty of time to take form while the school works on the early design and construction phases, but it shouldnt be a complete snipe hunt. He said state and federal grants are usually available for these kinds of training projects, and local legislators have expressed their support of the program. Being a state college, we can apply for special legislative funds, he said. You can bet there are lawmakers interested and determined to get it going. jacob.dick@beaumontenterprise.com twitter.com/jd_journalism Story Highlights 54% want government to do more; 41% think it is doing too much Americans divided on whether government should promote traditional values 32% plurality want government to do more but not promote values WASHINGTON, D.C. -- For the first time in Gallup's 28-year trend, a majority of Americans think the government should do more to solve the nation's problems. As the U.S. continues to struggle with the coronavirus pandemic, the resulting economic downturn, and racial injustice issues, 54% of U.S. adults favor increased government intervention, while 41% think the government is doing too much that should be left to individuals and businesses. The public's desire for more government has increased seven percentage points since last year. This is one of the few times that government intervention has been favored over a more hands-off approach. The other instances have generally been when the U.S. has been facing a national challenge, including shortly after the 9/11 terrorist attacks and in 1992 and 1993 amid high unemployment in the wake of an economic recession. Line graph. Americans' views of whether the government should do more to solve national problems or it is trying to do too many things that should be left to individuals and businesses since 1992. The current 54% who say it should do more is the highest on record. 41% now say government is doing too much. The latest findings, from Gallup's Aug. 31-Sept. 13 annual Governance poll, are sharply politically polarized with more Democrats (83%) and independents (56%) than ever before favoring government intervention compared with far fewer Republicans (22%). Democrats and independents both show double-digit gains in favoring a more active government role from last year, while Republicans' views are unchanged. This is the first time that independents have reached majority-level preference for more government since 2001. Line graph. Partisans' views on whether the government should do more to solve national problems since 2001. The current 83% of Democrats and 56% of independents who say government should do more is the highest on record for each group. The latest 61-point gap between Democrats and Republicans is the highest on record, although it is similar to differences of 60 points in 2016 and 58 points in 2011. Throughout Barack Obama's presidency, Republicans were less inclined than they are now to call for government intervention; at that time, the measure ranged from 8% to 17%. They have been slightly more likely to favor an active government under Republican administrations. Americans Remain Divided on Promoting Values Although the public's desire for more government involvement in solving problems has risen, support for another measure, government's promotion of traditional values, remains steady. Roughly equal percentages favor the government promoting traditional values (47%) and not promoting any set of values (50%). This trendline has been relatively stable since 2004. Before then, Americans showed a clear preference for the government to promote traditional values. Line graph. Americans' preference for whether the government should promote traditional values or not promote any particular set of values. The public remains about evenly divided in their views, with 50% saying it shouldn't promote any values and 47% calling for the promotion of traditional values. Over the past two decades, partisans' views have been sharply divided, with broad majorities of Republicans wanting government to promote traditional values and majorities of Democrats not wanting government involvement in promoting any values. Independents' views have been more changeable. Currently, 74% of Republicans, 29% of Democrats and 42% of independents favor the government promoting traditional values. Democrats are significantly less likely now than in the early 2000s to say government should promote traditional values; the current 29% ties the low point among Democrats and is significantly lower than the 44% high in 2001 and 2003. Line graph. Partisans' preferences for whether the government should promote traditional values since 2001. Seventy-four percent of Republicans, 42% of independents and 29% of Democrats say the government should promote traditional values. Americans Shift Left on Desire for Government's Role An analysis of the combined data assessing Americans' desired roles of government in the economic and morality spheres shows a shift toward the ideological position favored by the ideological left in the U.S. That is, since last year, there has been a six-point increase in the percentage of Americans who want the government to do more to solve the country's problems but, at the same time, do not want the government to promote any values. The 32% of U.S. adults holding these views is the highest on record since 1993. Meanwhile, a relatively steady one-quarter of Americans hold the most conservative position -- saying government is doing too much to solve problems better left to individuals and businesses coupled with a desire for government to promote traditional values. Those who favor government intervention both in solving the nation's problems and promoting traditional values also remained steady at 21% compared to last year. At the same time, the percentage of those who think the government is doing too much to solve problems and should not promote any values has decreased from 21% to 15%. Americans' Views of Government Involvement in Solving Problems and Promotion of Values, 2019 vs. 2020 Percentage of U.S. adults who hold each set of views 2019 2020 % % Want gov't to do more to solve country's problems but not promote any values 26 32 Want gov't to do more to solve the country's problems and to promote traditional values 21 21 Think gov't is doing too much to solve problems and should not promote any values 21 15 Think gov't is doing too much to solve problems but want it to promote traditional values 27 25 GALLUP, Aug. 31-Sep. 13, 2020 Bottom Line As has been the case in previous national crises, such as the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the ongoing tribulations brought on by the coronavirus pandemic in the U.S. have seemingly resulted in the public's desire for an increase in government action. Indeed, Gallup's COVID-19 polling has found that governors are more highly rated than Donald Trump for their response to the pandemic. Governors are more broadly seen as better than the president in communicating a clear plan of action to deal with the situation, and they are also viewed as better able to handle any emerging health challenges. During this uncertain time, the public seems to want such interventions from their government. View complete question responses and trends (PDF download). Learn more about how the Gallup Poll Social Series works. OTTAWAAfter striking a deal to increase pandemic benefits for the sick and unemployed, NDP House Leader Peter Julian says his party wants to use its influence to press the minority Liberal government to create a wealth tax on the super rich. The deal came after what Julian described as respectful but combative talks last week to secure the NDPs support for the governing Liberals make-or-break throne speech. On Monday, the government tabled legislation to fulfil the NDPs demand of broadening the proposed Canada Recovery Sickness Benefit so it is not restricted to Canadians who miss work because they are infected with COVD-19. The NDP also took credit for pushing the government to maintain emergency jobless benefits of $500 per week for people who lose work during the crisis, after the Canada Emergency Response Benefit that had been received by millions of people expired on Sunday. In an interview with the Star, Julian said the changes mean paid sick leave will be much closer to universal in Canada, even if the expanded sickness benefit isnt the permanent program New Democrats wanted. His party now plans to support the governments throne speech meaning the upcoming confidence vote on the speech wont trigger an election but Julian said the NDP is also looking for its next moment of potential leverage to push Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to agree to more of its priorities. That chance could come when the government tables its next fiscal update and budget. The NDP will press for new taxes so Ottawa can raise revenue after historic spending that has driven up the federal deficit during the pandemic crisis, Julian said. That would include taxes on web giants like Facebook and Google, he said, as well as the wealth tax the NDP campaigned on during the last federal election: a one per cent levy on wealth exceeding $20 million that the independent Parliamentary Budget Officer estimated could rake in as much as $70 billion over 10 years. Were talking about tens of billions of dollars that we dont believe are being used appropriately when its a pandemic, and its all hands on deck, and we have to provide supports for small businesses and for people across the country, said Julian. We cant pretend that the revenue side is not important. It is, and I think thatll be a key part of the debate in the coming months. The Prime Ministers Office declined to speak on the record about last weeks negotiations with the NDP, and Liberal House Leader Pablo Rodriguezs office said he was not available for an interview Monday. A spokesperson for Employment Minister Carla Qualtrough did not respond to requests for comment from the Star. On Monday, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh told the House of Commons its unacceptable for workers and small businesses to pay the price for the pandemic recovery process and asked for a tax on the ultra-wealthy. While the Liberal government talks about taxing extreme wealth inequality, no one knows what that means, he said. Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland responded by saying the government has a plan to tax web giants and stock options. It is a time for all of us to bear a deep responsibility for uniting and not dividing Canadians, Freeland said. The legislation tabled Monday is part of the plan to replace CERB with a slate of programs the government predicted would cost $39 billion before they were expanded to meet the NDPs demands. This includes a beefed up Employment Insurance program that allows more people to qualify and apply to receive a minimum payout of $500 per week as of Sept. 27. For those who dont qualify for EI, such as self-employed and contract workers, the legislation creates the new Canada Recovery Benefit, which pays $500 per week up from the originally proposed $400. The government also plans to create the Canada Recovery Caregiving Benefit, which would provide $500 a week per household for up to 26 weeks when someone must take leave from work to care for a family member. Finally, the bill proposes to create the Canada Recovery Sickness Benefit, which could provide $500 per week for two weeks to workers who fall ill or need to self-isolate during the pandemic. Originally, the government proposed that this only apply to COVID-19 infections, but the NDP talks prompted the Liberals to expand eligibility so that the benefit is also available to those who have underlying conditions, are undergoing treatments or have contracted other sicknesses that, in the opinion of a medical practitioner ... would make them more susceptible to COVID-19. The EI changes and new benefits are set to continue until next fall. Read more about: An individual deposits letters into a U.S. Postal Service collection mailbox in Philadelphia, Penn., on Aug. 14, 2020. (Rachel Wisniewski/Reuters) Over 1 Million Americans Have Already Voted in 2020 Election A record 1,012,211 voters have already cast early ballots in the 2020 election, according to data from 25 states tallied by the U.S. Elections Project. The actual number is likely much higher because some states have yet to report their early voting totals, while others count early ballots on the local level, according to Michael McDonald, a University of Florida professor who maintains the data. Around the same time during the 2016 election, only 9,525 voters had cast their ballots, according to McDonald. Nearly a million voters this far in advance of an election has never occurred in any American election. Period, McDonald wrote on his website. A number of factors are contributing to the unprecedented surge in early voting. Several states have adopted laws expanding opportunities for early voting. Virginia allowed for only limited in-person voting in prior elections but has expanded it drastically in 2020. As a result, more than 200,000 Virginians have already voted early in person. Americans are also concerned about the pandemic. In North Carolina, which didnt change early voting laws, nearly 248,400 people have already cast ballots by mail and had them accepted for counting. The pandemic contributed to the rapid expansion of laws allowing for voting by mail. At least 84 percent of American voters can cast ballots by mail in this election, according to a tally maintained by The Washington Post. Meanwhile, the 2020 election follows four of the most tumultuous years in American politics in recent memory, with the nation sharply divided on the performance of President Donald Trump and the impact of his policies. The most likely explanation for this phenomenon is Donald Trump, McDonald wrote. Whether you love him or hate him, he inspires passion unlike any other political figure. Voters in Virginia have cast more than 287,000 early ballots, the most of any state to date, available data shows. North Carolina is a close second, with 248,400 ballots cast. Both states will likely eventually be outpaced by more populous states such as Florida and California where voters have already requested nearly 26 million ballots. Trump has long expressed concern about the massive amount of mail-in voting that will take place in the 2020 election, warning that the format is vulnerable to delays, Election Day chaos, and fraud. The Ballots being returned to States cannot be accurately counted. Many things are already going very wrong! the president wrote on Twitter on Sept. 28. The president has spotlighted recent incidents involving a limited number of mail ballots, including nine military ballots found discarded in Pennsylvania. Seven of the ballots were cast for Trump while the contents of the two others are unknown, according to a news release from the Department of Justice. Twitter appended a notice to Trumps tweet on Sept. 28. It leads users to a page that cites news media outlets claiming concerns about fraud when it comes to mail-in voting are unsubstantiated. The page also cites MarketWatch claiming that voter fraud is exceedingly rare in the US, including in states that have allowed mail-in voting for years. An election fraud database maintained by the conservative Heritage Foundation has logged 1,298 proven instances of voter fraud that have resulted in 1,121 criminal convictions. Project Veritas, a watchdog group, released footage on the night prior to the presidents tweet claiming to show illegal ballot harvesting in Minnesota. Based on data from the three states that report the party affiliation of the voters who already cast ballots, Democrats have so far cast more than three times as many early ballots (137,860) as Republicans (42,822). A similar party-line divide exists in the number of mail ballots requested, according to the data. Democrats have so far requested more than 8 million more ballots (20,198,634) than Republicans (12,143,738). In a shocking incident, a Madhya Pradesh policeman has been relieved from his duties after a video of him assaulting his wife at his home went viral. Madhya Pradesh Additional Director General (ADG) Purushottam Sharma was caught on tape beating his wife at their residence in Bhopal. As per reports, the dispute allegedly occurred after Sharmas wife caught him in the act of an extra-marital affair. While the video itself was outrageous, the police officers brazen response to it has been causing further ire on social media. When confronted by the media, Sharma denied all allegations of domestic abuse and said, This is a family dispute". We have been married for 32 years, in 2008 she complained against me," Sharma told ANI. But the point is since 2008 she has been living in my house, enjoying all facilities and traveling abroad at my expense". He also told reporters that his wife stalked" and put cameras in his house to keep an eye on him. Sharmas justification of violence against his wife and treating her like chattel has caused severe outrage on social media. This mindset. Exactly this feeling which makes men think that women are their property to ill-treat, to beat, to do as they please," Shiv Sena spokesperson Priyanka Chaturvedi, wrote on Twitter. If law-keepers talk this language & get violent with women what hope in hell will the society have. Shameful". This mindset. Exactly this feeling which makes men think that women are their property to ill treat, to beat, to do as they please.If law keepers talk this language & get violent with women what hope in hell will the society have. Shameful. pic.twitter.com/rpAqPKLcKm Priyanka Chaturvedi (@priyankac19) September 28, 2020 Others also reacted to the statement, reminding the officer the women are not their husbands property. Wht a reprehensible statement by Additional DG Purshottam Sharma! Does tht give u an authority to beat ur wife?Sickening mindsetA woman is NOT an object & u definitely dont own her He hs bn relieved of his duties now. No one is above law & order@TandonRaveena @SwetaSinghAT https://t.co/2kJwiWpbDB Farah Khan (@FaraaahKhan) September 28, 2020 Imagine what happens to women who need to file a complaint of domestic violence in this mans jurisdiction. He will ask if they are enjoying the facilities of their abusers homes https://t.co/9uBXChS1SH Faye DSouza (@fayedsouza) September 28, 2020 This man shouldnt be forgiven. Living in my house?? You have been.married for 32 yrs..its equally her house too. And nothing gives you the rights to raise your hands on her. https://t.co/XlqTG3NL3s KhushbuSundar (@khushsundar) September 28, 2020 The point is shes not an object and you definitely do not own her. https://t.co/iD5OSr4mjG Shivani Chopra (@ShivaniChopra_) September 28, 2020 This guys IPS should be revoked. U cant have a wife beater in the police force! https://t.co/1TT1NtHFEe Sreedhar Pillai (@sri50) September 28, 2020 Women are not property or objects.You are not entitled to impose anything on a sentient being #domesticviolence #gbv #smashthepatriarchy https://t.co/m0Y124qZL0 / Chhavi (@chhavi) September 28, 2020 Reprehensible statement seeking justification for cruelty and abuse. Nobody is above the law and his superiors should set an example for the public. Otherwise what is the message being sent to young men? https://t.co/aXcPzbqzBU Gaurav Gogoi (@GauravGogoiAsm) September 28, 2020 Really? Unfortunately, many wives forced to live in violent marriages for lack of financial independence and no support from their parents who believe marrying a daughter is end of their responsibility https://t.co/KwdsCIJpej Bharti Jain (@bhartijainTOI) September 28, 2020 The statement comes even after the Supreme Court in 2018 while decriminalising adultery ruled that Women are not their husbands chattel". The video comes in the wake of an alarming growth in cases of domestic violence since the lockdown. According to reports in April itself, the first month of lockdown after March 25, the National Commission for Women received 315 complaints of domestic violence. This was the highest since August 2019. NCW chairperson Rekha Sharma wrote to Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan on Monday, demanding strict action against the senior police officer who is seen beating and abusing his wife in a purported video. Purushottam Sharmas son Parth, a deputy commissioner in the Income Tax Department, had sent the video to Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Narottam Mishra and some senior bureaucrats, and requested that a complaint be registered against his father. In a letter signed by the MP Undersecretraty for Home Department, Annu Bhalavi, Sharma has been asked to respond by 5.30 pm tomorrow with a clarification on the video or face suspension. Christian Abraham / Hearst Connecticut Media FAIRFIELD In-person classes at Fairfield Ludlowe High School are set to resume on Tuesday, according to officials. In a message to families on Sunday afternoon, Superintendent of Schools Mike Cummings said the district had made the decision in consultation with the towns health department. Bihar's former Director General of Police Gupteshwar Pandey on Sunday joined the state's ruling Janata Dal-United (JD-U). Pandey, who had taken voluntary retirement from the Indian Police Service a few days back, said that Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had called him at his residence in the morning and asked him to join the party. He joined the JD-U formally at a function at the party office here in the presence of senior leaders including Cabinet Minister Ashok Chaudhary. Pandey is expecting ticket to contest the October-November Assembly election from his home district Buxar. "Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has given full support during my tenure as the DGP. I am not aware of politics but I know how to reach at people at the last stage of society. I have served the common people all my life and will do the same as a public representative," he said. Pandey came into the limelight in the Sushant Singh Rajput case, after the state police registered an FIR in connection with the actor's death, following a complaint by Rajput's father who lives in Patna. Moreover, he sent a team headed by an IPS officer to Mumbai to probe the case despite the issues of jurisdiction. This had drawn flak from Maharashtra's ruling parties, including the Shiv Sena. He had taken VRS on September 22, just days before the Election Commission announced the dates for the Assembly poll and the model code of conduct was imposed in the state. Since than, Pandey was again targeted by the Shiv Sena, whose leader Sanjay Raut alleging that he had the agenda of using the Sushant case for political mileage. However, Pandey denied all the allegations against him, claiming that he was just helping Sushant's father get justice. Work progresses on Highway 36 and the proposed 36A corridor project, with the Highway 36A Coalition mulling the installation of an electronic, driverless freight shuttle system for the transportation of large cargo containers, Chairman Shane Pirtle said at the coalitions recent virtual town hall. The Highway 36A Coalition is an advocacy group of local elected officials, private businesses and individuals working to improve regional transportation infrastructure over a 52-mile stretch of State Highway 36. The estimated cost of the corridor project is placed at $383.2 million. Related: Houston arborist discusses tree care tips during storms, hurricanes At the online meeting, CEO Stephen Roop of Texas-based private company Freight Shuttle International discussed the potential benefits of a freight shuttle, which would provide a lower-cost alternative to trucks and address problems such as traffic congestion, driver shortages, infrastructure deterioration and air pollution. He said the company was hoping to attract private capital to build the shuttle system. Roadway congestion is one of the intractable issues weve faced in transportation, particularly goods movements, said Roop. We need a new approach, new tools in our toolbox. Related: Sugar Land City Council unanimously approves fiscal year 2020-21 budget, property tax rate Most of Highway 36 is currently a two-lane highway. The proposed widening plans would increase safety by adding capacity during hurricane evacuation and improve intermodal relationships with the Port of Freeport, according to the Texas Department of Transportation. Moreover, it would accommodate the growing population of Fort Bend County and Freeport. Freeport is growing and has ambitions to expand its facilities and the diversity of the cargo theyre bringing in, said Roop. The freight shuttle is intended to operate as a strategy that would decongest the port facility. Texas A&M University has been working on the FSS technology since 2005. It is a hybrid system, combining the best features of rail and truck transportation, Roop said. One of the excellent features that has been incorporated is the steel wheel on a steel running surface, Roop said. It is uniquely capable of carrying heavy loads with very low rolling resistance which translates into low fuel consumption and money saved. The operating cost of the freight shuttle is $0.35 per mile, 81 percent lower than that of a truck which is $1.82 per mile, according to FSI estimations. Roop said the freight shuttle was comparable to a conveyor belt system, which moves swiftly in one direction until it reaches a terminal facility, then returns to the origin location. He added that the noise level would be much lower than that of a diesel truck. At our test facility in Bryan, we have been loading and unloading 53 foot over-the-road truck trailers to show the rotating cargo bay and speed of transfer of cargo from offload to a reload, said Roop. It's about five minutes. For more information, visit www.txdot.gov. juhi.varma@hcnonline.com Queen Letizia of Spain demonstrated her sensational sense of style as she attended a meeting in Madrid today. The royal, 48, met those who are working in the fight against poverty at The BBVA Microfinance Foundation, a non-profit organisation that has been having a social impact for more than 10 years. She appeared effortlessly sophisticated in an asymmetrical check print dress by Spanish brand Pedro del Hierro, paired with black court heels and a coordinating clutch handbag. Letizia has worn the timeless style on previous engagements, including celebrating the bicentennial of the Prado Museum alongside King Felipe in 2018. Queen Letizia of Spain, 48, (pictured) attended a meeting with The BBVA Microfinance Foundation in Madrid The mother-of-two refreshed her previously worn plaid print dress by coordinating with a black clutch handbag and matching belt Letizia (pictured) appeared to have opted for minimal makeup underneath her disposable medical face mask Queen Letizia (pictured second from right) practiced strict social distancing as she spoke to others in attendance including Spanish Minister of Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge, Teresa Ribera (pictured right) Mother-of-two Letizia completed her look by wearing her hair in its signature off-centre parting along with minimal accessories. She opted for subtle make-up and wore a disposable surgical face mask for safety, amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic which has already killed over 31,000 people in Spain. She was seen practicing social distancing as she spoke to those in attendance including the Spanish Minister of Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge, Teresa Ribera. The meeting organized by BBVA, entitled 'Relentless Women: Challenges and Achievements to Rebrand Oneself during Times of Crisis', aims to analyse the situation and status of women in South America and how technology could help to solve the coronavirus crisis. During the engagement, Letizia was given the opportunity to learn about the projects in place to offer support to those who don't have access to the conventional financial system or to obtain the necessary resources to improve their quality of life. Queen Letizia was told about the non-profit organisations projects for their ongoing fight against poverty Queen Letizia presided over the meeting which was held in a hybrid format combining virtual and face-to-face elements The foundation has had objectives including promoting economic and social development since its creation in 2007. They have provided financial products and resources to entrepreneurs who lack resources, in the belief that the actions are key to generating development, mitigating poverty and its consequences. The entities of the BBVA Microfinance Foundation have delivered loans of over 14,500 million dollars to five million low-income entrepreneurs, creating opportunities for them to improve their living conditions within the last 10 years. Letizia (pictured) highlighted the importance of 'digital transformation, investment in education and training, sustainable development', during the meeting Letizia (pictured) raised concerns for the millions of vulnerable people who've been impacted by the pandemic Queen Letizia appeared delighted to be given the opportunity to join the conference and took a front row seat during presentations. She cited two women who virtually joined the meeting as being representative of the millions of vulnerable women who've been hit by the pandemic, while also seeking change in their lives. The former journalist also highlighted the importance of 'digital transformation, investment in education and training, sustainable development'. Queen Letizia is set to have a busy week with a meeting at the Headquarters of the Spain Mental Health Confederation among her planned agenda. Growing up poor in a family that lived barely paycheck to paycheck, I had little direction when I graduated high school. My mothers primary goal for me and my four siblings was for all of us to graduate high school. I assumed this was because she had done so, only to find out later in life that she quit school after the 8th grade and went to work full time during the depression to help her family. When I graduated, I decided that I was NOT going to live paycheck to paycheck. College was not mentioned and not an option, so I joined the Air Force to learn a skill. I clearly recall telling myself that anything that I did going forward was going to be for me and my family, and therefore I challenged myself to deliver. After returning from Vietnam, I married and went to computer school, obtaining an associates degree. My wife and I have done well and were blessed that our three children all graduated from college. Some of the maxims that I learned and have lived by are: This is MY life to liveI must do my best, and, most importantly, do the right thing. Today is the first day of the rest of my lifemake the most of it. Ask yourself, Is this the right thing? If not, what can I do if it isnt? Laugh at yourself and dont take yourself too seriously. Dont be a victim, take responsibility and actionOWN IT! Jay Decker ____________________ When a youngster is given the chance to sellanytime, door to door or at a bazaarthey need to go for it. The Little League team selling discount cards is perfect. Next, open a savings account and always save at least 25 percent of any earnings (until you marry). Now youre set for life: You can make the sale, and save for the future. Never make a decision that burns your conscience. Your freedom to make your own way in life is much better than any government handout. Find your faith spiritually, and you will be blessed with a long life. Terris Hanenburg ____________________ My mom always told me: If everyone is doing it, you probably shouldnt, and, Dont do anything you wouldnt like to see on the front page of the newspaper. Thats from back in the day when most everyone still knew right from wrong. Deborah Kunic ____________________ Dear Next Generation, I have practiced law in a small town in Iowa for 47 years and have accumulated traits that I believe will lead to success. Some of these traits are my own and some have been offered by others. I have categorized them as the 10 character traits that will lead to true success. BE HONEST. Tell the truth; be sincere; dont mislead or withhold key information in relationships of trust. No legacy is as rich as honestyits still the best policy. Dont steal. If you lose your honesty, there is nothing else to lose. Word travels fast as to who can be trusted. Lying brings great shame. DEMONSTRATE INTEGRITY. Always take the high road; without integrity, all is lost. There is no such thing as a minor lapse of integrity. Leave your good name in case you return. Stand up for your beliefs about right and wrong, even if you stand alone; resist social pressure to do wrong. BE KIND AND CARING. Always be friendly. Never forget Please and Thank You, and never pass up a chance to say a kind word. Be kind to all, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle. A smile costs nothing and wins friends. Show you care through generosity and compassion; dont be selfish or mean. Control your anger. Do someone a favor. TREAT ALL PEOPLE WITH RESPECT. Be courteous, polite, and respectful; judge all people on their merits; be tolerant, appreciative, and accepting of individual differences. Keep company with people that uplift you. Steer clear of negative people. Your attitude is a choicethe most important one you will ever make. BE RESPONSIBLE. If you find an excuse, dont use it. Never explain. THINK before you act; consider the consequences of your choices; hold yourself accountable and take your medicine. Do the right thing. Its OK to fail. Seek good mentors and learn from them. Keep your spending below your earnings. PURSUE EXCELLENCE. Do your best with what you have always; dont quit easily. Energy and persistence conquer all things. There is no off season. People with goals succeed because they know where they are going. Take the time to celebrate your successes. Never give up. Make yourself proud. Do something every day that you love to do. KEEP PROMISES. Keep your word and honor your commitments; yes means yes and no means no; pay your debts and dont expect anyone else to support you. Return what you borrow. If you break it, replace it. Dont compromise yourself; youre all youve got. BE LOYAL. Stand by family, friends, employers, community, and country; dont talk about people behind their backs. Neglect not your family and loved ones. Treat other people exactly as you would like to be treated by them a great person is always willing to be little. BE FAIR. Always treat people fairly. Be open-minded; listen to big people and little people and try to understand what they are saying and feeling. Everyone wants to be heard. Be comfortable with silence. No cutting in line. BE A GOOD CITIZEN. Obey the law and respect authority; vote; volunteer your talents. It is in the giving that we receive. Live a life of service. Remember freedom is not free. Your body needs good nutrition and exercise. Make today worth remembering. Look for the positive things in life, and you will find them. You are a special person, and there is no one like you! Be grateful for your many blessings. Thomas J. Whorley ____________________ What advice would you like to give to the younger generations? We call on all of our readers to share the timeless values that define right and wrong, and pass the torch, if you will, through your wisdom and hard-earned experience. We feel that the passing down of this wisdom has diminished over time, and that only with a strong moral foundation can future generations thrive. Send your advice, along with your full name, state, and contact information to NextGeneration@epochtimes.com or mail it to: Next Generation, The Epoch Times, 229 W. 28th St., Floor 7, New York, NY 10001 SAN FRANCISCO and SUZHOU, China, Sept. 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Innovent Biologics, Inc. ("Innovent") (HKEX: 01801), a world-class biopharmaceutical company that develops, manufactures and commercializes high-quality medicines for the treatment of oncology, metabolic, autoimmune and other major diseases, announces that it will host an online virtual R&D day to mainly discuss the Company's pipeline and research. The event will be conducted in two separate sessions, including one Mandarin session (8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. on November 10th, China time) and one English session (9:00 p.m. to 01:00 a.m. (+1 day) November 10th, China time). The agenda and registration information are as follows. Mandarin Session* Tuesday, November 10th, 2020 08:00 am - 12:00 pm China/Singapore English Session* Tuesday, November 10th, 2020 09:00 pm - 01:00 am (+1 day) China/Singapore 08:00 am - 12:00 pm U.S. (EST) 01:00 pm - 05:00 pm UK (London Time) English Session Agenda (China Time) 09:00 pm - 09:30 pm Company Development and Long-term Vision 09:30 pm - 12:00 am Presentation and Discussion on R&D 12:00 am - 01:00 am (+1 day) Panel Discussion Main Speakers Dr. Michael Yu Founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Mr. Ronnie Ede Chief Financial Officer and Executive Director Mr. Min Liu Chief Commercial Officer Leaders of R&D Team/Clinical Team/Commercial Team/CMC Team/BD Team Chair: Ms. Anna Zhu, Senior Director of Investor Relation Registration Information Mandarin session registration link: https://b.eqxiu.com/s/vVLSC926 English session registration link: https://i.eqxiu.com/s/GVhQdkvs In order to join the conference call, investors and analysts must pre-register using the link above. Registration is already open. Please pre-register before November 8 thChina Time. Once registered and confirmed, an email will be sent with important details for this event such as the link and password. This password is to be kept confidential and not share with other participants. Should you have any inquiry, please contact [email protected] *The event will be conducted in one Mandarin session and one English session that share the same content. Please feel free to sign up your preferred session. About Innovent Inspired by the spirit of "Start with Integrity, Succeed through Action," Innovent's mission is to develop and commercialize high quality biopharmaceutical products that are affordable to ordinary people. Established in 2011, Innovent is committed to developing, manufacturing and commercializing high-quality innovative medicines for the treatment of cancer, metabolic, autoimmune and other major diseases. On October 31, 2018, Innovent was listed on the Main Board of the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited with the stock code: 01801.HK. Since its inception, Innovent has developed a fully integrated multi-functional platform which includes R&D, CMC (Chemistry, Manufacturing, and Controls), clinical development and commercialization capabilities. Leveraging the platform, the company has built a robust pipeline of 23 valuable assets in the fields of cancer, metabolic, autoimmune diseases and other major therapeutic areas, with three products, TYVYT (sintilimab injection), BYVASDA (bevacizumab injection) and SULINNO (adalimumab injection), on market, one asset under NDA review with priority review status, four assets in Phase 3 or pivotal clinical trials, and additional 15 molecules in or close to clinical trials. TYVYT (sintilimab injection) has been the only PD-1 inhibitor included in the NRDL since 2019. Innovent has built an international team with expertise in cutting-edge biological drug development and commercialization. The company has also entered into strategic collaborations with Eli Lilly and Company, Adimab, Incyte, Alector, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Hanmi and other international partners. For more information, please visit: www.innoventbio.com. SOURCE Innovent Biologics, Inc. Related Links www.innoventbio.com London: Swiss voters have overwhelmingly rejected an Eurosceptic party's attempt to restrict immigration from the European Union in a referendum seen as a key test of attitudes towards foreigners. The Swiss People's Party (SVP) had called the Sunday vote on scrapping a mutual free-movement agreement with the EU. Echoing some arguments for Brexit, the party pushed to take back control of immigration, which it said was "uncontrolled and excessive". A poster of the Swiss People's Party 'yes' campaign for immigration limits reads ''Enough is enough!'' in Lausanne. Credit:AP It proposed to give preferential access to jobs, social protection and benefits to people from Switzerland over those from the 27-nation bloc that surrounds it. The Church in the Central African Republic says it has not been spared the consequences of the armed conflict in that country. The Church continues to pay a heavy price for the prevailing crisis and insecurity. Vatican News English Africa Service Vatican City The Catholic Church is fully inserted in the general context of the socio-political life in the Central African Republic. To date, it suffers from prevailing insecurity and has paid a heavy price for the crisis affecting the whole country and whose effects continue to be also felt on the structures and organisation of its parishes: Looting, vandalism, attacks on pastoral agents and restrictions on pastoral activities leaves the Church with a sense of evangelical fragility and poverty, the Bishop of Bossangoa, Nestor-Desire Nongo-Aziagbia, S.M.A. told Agenzia Fides recently, in an interview. Bishop Nongo-Aziagbia, who is also President of the Central African Episcopal Conference (Conference Episcopal Centrafricaine - CECA), was speaking ahead of World Mission Day 2020 scheduled for 18 October 2020. The month of October is set aside, by the universal Church, for missionary animation and preparations leading to World Mission Day (Mission sunday). Some of our Christians no longer believe in anything or anyone We continue to observe with anxiety that some of our Catholic faithful behave in a manner that is not always equal to ones Christian faith. Some no longer believe in anything or anyone, to the point of leaving their fate in the hands of unscrupulous and unethical people who shamelessly exploit them, said Bishop Nongo-Aziagbia. Adding, However, faith invites us all to identify signs of hope and to be involved in the positive transformation of our society. We must keep on living in hope, as Saint Paul urges us to do, explained Bishop Nongo-Aziagbia. He also said the role of the Christian person in situations of conflict is to become a factor of change. Being a Christian in such circumstances means continuing to keep the lamp of hope burning the lamp of love, forgiveness and reconciliation, emphasised the Bishop. Bishop Nongo-Aziagbia further said, despite the many social problems the Church in the Central African Republic faces, it continues to courageously engage in evangelical witness by accompanying the faithful on their spiritual journey. Catholics, Protestants and Muslims in CAR committed to peace The Platform of Religious Confessions in the Central African Republic (Plateforme des Confessions Religieuses de Centrafrique PCRC) is also a place where commitment and solidarity of the Catholic Church are expressed alongside Muslims and Protestant communities for social cohesion, respect of others and universal brotherhood, affirmed Bishop Nongo-Aziagbia. The Bishop has since invited the laity in the Central African Republic to participate in several events that the Church has lined-up for October, as part of the missionary months animation. Pope Francis Mission Sunday message for 2020 On Pentecost Sunday, 31 May, Pope Francis released his message for this years celebration. Based on a theme taken from the Book of Isaiah, Here am I, send me, the Popes message says that the Covid-19 pandemic is an opportunity for mission and service to others. Who is a missionary? On World Mission Day, the Catholic Church throughout the world publicly renews its efforts to revitalise, renew, and reawaken ongoing commitment to the missionary movement. The word missionary refers to anyone sent. All Christians are sent by Christ to live in the world as witnesses to Christ. All Christians are called to spread the Gospel. World Mission Day, or Mission Sunday, was instituted by Pope Pius XI in 1926, to remind Catholics about their commitment and support to the missionary work of the Church through prayer and sacrifice. (Source: Agenzia Fides) No, it is not a movement. It is not the new politics. The 250,000 people who voted for Jeremy Corbyn are the same half of one per cent of the adult population who have always supported the hard left. If they were a separate party, that would be the limit of their vote in elections. That quarter of a million is the maximum number of people who agree with Corbyn and who are prepared to pay 3 to say so. So dont mistake the hard left seizing its chance for fresh-faced enthusiasm for a different kind of politics. Although that enthusiasm is certainly there, and not all of Corbyns supporters are Trotskyists. He has fortuitously gathered a temporary coalition around him, including many of Ed Milibands former supporters many of whom have switched without a click in the rails from hailing Miliband as the harbinger of Swedish social democratic paradise to condemning him as part of the long night of Blairite sellout to Thatcherism. Then there is that ephemeral group of supporters that always clusters around anything new. Not my words but those of an astute observer of the Social Democratic Party breakaway from Labour in 1981, a bright young barrister looking for a Labour seat called Tony Blair; they are the same people who clustered around him 13 years later, when he was elected Labour leader. He had about twice as many people voting for him as voted for Corbyn, even allowing for multiple voting in the three-part electoral college that Miliband abolished. Yes, there was a bit of the new politics about then, too, although Blair himself was usually cautious about claiming to represent it. There was also a bit of cautious optimism about the revival of a grassroots Labour Party in 1994. One or two people might have said unwise things about Labour being a mass party again. One of the reasons I thought Blair was impressive was that he had built up the membership of his Sedgefield party to 2,000 by getting permission from the National Executive to run a cut-price membership scheme that allowed people to join for 1. And, of course, as Blair was carried to the leadership, people flocked to join the Labour Party, taking its membership up from the 266,000 inherited from John Smith to a peak of 405,000 in 1997. That puts Labours current total of 325,000 full members, with 15,000 apparently recruited in the 24 hours after Corbyns election, in perspective. It is better to have members, and enthusiastic ones, than not. But a rise in party members is not always a leading indicator of electoral success. The Liberal Democrats have recruited thousands of new members since the general election, too, but Tim Farrons supporters havent allowed themselves to be carried away. There is a difference, though, between the enthusiasm for the SDP or for Blair and that for Corbyn. They were favoured by the media, whereas Corbyn is not. In his victory speech, he attacked the media twice and did it again, to loud cheers, to his supporters in the pub afterwards. This is not a movement it is a sense of frustration looking for people to betray it. And although Corbyns supporters do tend to be younger than those who voted for his rivals, YouGovs surveys suggest that this trend is not as marked as some of the breathless puffery suggests. Certainly, from what I have seen of the audiences at Corbyns rallies, they have been mixed in age (as well as overwhelmingly white). A lot of young people support him, but there are an awful lot of older people who have drifted away from Labour politics over a long period who are coming back. For someone like me, whose days as a Labour activist were spent fighting Militant and other Trotskyists and fellow travellers, and defending Peter Shore from deselection in Bethnal Green, the last few weeks have been a nightmare journey back in time they are all still around, and now they are back, and all trying to get back into the Labour Party. Corbyn recognised them in his speech on Saturday, saying: And I say to those returning to the party who were in it before and felt disillusioned and went away: welcome back, welcome back to your party, welcome home. They have not got their party back unlike the soft left who saw Ed Miliband as the restoration of John Smiths party because they never had it. The closest the hard left came to winning the party was Tony Benns 49.6 per cent share of the electoral college for deputy leader in 1981. Now the hard left have taken someone elses party and they are going to try to hang on to it, because it is only by pretending to be Labour that they can ever hope to win more than half of 1 per cent of the vote. WOODBURY, Minn., Sept. 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Chicagoland is about to get HIIT. Basecamp Fitness, the hot new boutique fitness franchise with a unique brand of high intensity interval training (HIIT)-based workouts, has expanded its nationwide footprint with the sale of new location in Chicago. "We are delighted to introduce Basecamp Fitness and its singular style of workout to Chicagoland and Northwest Indiana," said Feras Musleh, owner of the new Basecamp Fitness. "We offer an effective and efficient workout for adults of all ages and abilities, with a team approach to torch calories and build strength." At 35 minutes long, a Basecamp class is one of the most intense yet effective workouts on the market. Members alternate between 60-second bursts of strength exercises and 60 seconds of cardio on assault bikes. An optional core segment follows every workout, which means participants benefit from intense cardio, strength training and abdominal training during every session. Big things are happening at Basecamp Fitness, which was originally started 2013 by Nick Swinmurn, the founder of online shoe and clothing retailer Zappos. Today, Basecamp Fitness is a member of the Self Esteem Brands portfolio, which also includes the world's largest and fastest-growing fitness franchise, Anytime Fitness. Self Esteem Brands is known for identifying and growing successful franchise formats, with an emphasis on independent, small-business owners who operate their brand locations. "After opening several corporate studios and perfecting the customer experience at Basecamp Fitness, we are excited to expand this unique franchise opportunity on a nationwide level," said David Mortensen, president and co-founder, Self Esteem Brands. "With such interest in boutique fitness, we are in a fantastic position to be aggressive with our franchise growth strategy for the Basecamp Fitness brand." Basecamp Fitness is actively seeking qualified franchise partners. The Basecamp Fitness franchise opportunity offers potential franchisees the opportunity to capitalize on an emerging fitness market across all 50 states. Basecamp is backed by Self Esteem Brands, parent franchisor to Waxing the City, The Bar Method, and Anytime Fitness, the world's largest fitness franchise. Self Esteem Brands brings best practices from both of its fitness concepts to support Basecamp franchisees, with unparalleled support in real estate, finance, training and marketing. About Basecamp Fitness Basecamp Fitness is the most effective and efficient workout in the market. Each 35-minute workout focuses on high-intensity interval training (HIIT), rotating between an assault-bike and heart-pumping floor exercises all designed to help participants become stronger and faster. Supported by a trained instructor, members receive additional guidance via large instructional video screens. An optional 10 minutes at the end of each workout features a wide array of core exercises, which means participants benefit from intense cardio, strength training and abdominal training during every session. For more information on franchising opportunities, visit https://franchise.Basecampfitness.com/. About Self Esteem Brands Our purpose is to improve the self-esteem of the world. Self Esteem Brands (SEB) is the parent company of Anytime Fitness (the world's largest fitness franchise), Basecamp Fitness, The Bar Method and Waxing the City. Combined, most of our more than 4,700 franchise locations are locally operated across 30 countries worldwide by independent, small business owners. SEB is also the parent company to affiliates Provision Security Solutions and Healthy Contributions. Leading with a high-performance culture anchored in the values of people, purpose, profits and play, plus a charitable focus through its HeartFirst Foundation, SEB seeks to enrich the lives of all who interact with our brands and businesses. Our vision is a world of self-esteem, for every human to rise from their challenges. For more information on Self Esteem Brands and its various franchise opportunities, please visit https://www.sebrands.com/. SOURCE Self Esteem Brands Related Links https://www.sebrands.com Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-28 17:43:26|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIRUT, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- Lebanese President Michel Aoun said on Monday the country is committed to the initiative launched by French president to solve Lebanon's crisis, a statement by the Lebanese Presidency reported. "I appreciate the interest that President Emmanuel Macron conveyed towards Lebanon and the Lebanese," Aoun said during his meeting with French Ambassador to Lebanon Bruno Foucher. Aoun also expressed his regrets about the failure of Prime Minister Mustapha Adib to form a government capable of implementing serious reforms in the country. Macron visited Lebanon earlier this month to meet with Lebanese officials and agreed with them on the importance of forming a cabinet very soon to be able to save the country from further collapse by unlocking billions of dollars in funds from the international community. Enditem The Society of London Theatre has announced that the 2020 Olivier Award winners will be announced on October 25 on ITV and Magic Radio. Comedian and actor Jason Manford will host the event. Originally set for April, the 2020 Olivier Award ceremony was previously canceled due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Julian Bird, chief executive of Society of London Theatre and executive producer of the Olivier Awards, said, "We are excited to be able to honour this year's nominees and winners during a very difficult time for our industry, and demonstrate the outstanding talent we have in our theatre sector in the UK. Coming together to celebrate their achievements feels more poignant now than ever before as we all fight collectively to save our theatre industry. I hope that everyone working in, or simply missing the theatre, will join us on the 25 October to celebrate last year's achievements and remain hopeful for our future." Additional details about the program, including performances and guest, will be announced soon. Astronomers using the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope have captured an absolutely beautiful image of the spiral galaxy NGC 5643. NGC 5643 is located approximately 55 million light-years away in the constellation of Lupus. The galaxy is classified as a grand design spiral because of its prominent and graceful spiral arms. NGC 5643 has a diameter of about 100,000 light-years and hosts an active galactic nucleus of Seyfert 2 type. Otherwise known as ESO 272-16 and LEDA 51969, it was discovered by James Dunlop on May 10, 1826. In 2017, a Type Ia supernova called SN 2017cbv was observed in the outer reaches of NGC 5643. SN 2017cbv was a specific type in which a white dwarf steals so much mass from a companion star that it becomes unstable and explodes, Hubble astronomers said. The explosion releases significant amounts of energy and lights up that part of the galaxy. The observation was proposed by Adam Riess, who was awarded a Nobel Laureate in physics 2011 for his contributions to the discovery of the accelerating expansion of the Universe, alongside Saul Perlmutter and Brian Schmidt, they said. Thirty different exposures, for a total of 9 hours observation time, together with the high resolution and clarity of Hubble, were needed to produce an image of such high level of detail and of beauty. Mr Peter Asamoah, Running Mate for the National Democratic Party says the leader of the party has deep sense of empathy towards the plight of others. One that is a rare in modern leadership. She is unlike most of our leaders today who tend to forget about the plight of the ordinary citizen after they have sweet-talked their way to power. Our leaders and politicians today morph into power drunkeness, nepotistic individuals who abandon their conscience and basic morals simply to fatten their pockets to the detriment of the Ghanaian taxpayer, he added. Mr Asamoah said Mrs Rawlings had distinguished and demonstrated herself to be a morally upright, diligent, visionary leader with an admiring sense of duty to the country. I, as her running mate, pledge to be a pillar by her side and together, we will assure the victory of the National Democratic Party come December 7, he added. He made the remarks over the weekend when he was outdoored as the Running Mate of the Flag bearer to contest on the ticket of the party in the December 7, 2020 general election. He said: I am incredibly honored by this huge mandate bestowed upon me to become the running mate to our leader, and Mother, Dr. Mrs. Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings. This is an extremely humbling experience for me and I accept it with an enormous sense of gratitude and responsibility. I am so proud to stand with you, keeping in mind all the sacrifices and services you have made to our beloved country. This is a historical moment for me, and with a deep sense of duty and commitment, I accept this nomination as the running mate to our leader, flagbearer, and next President of the Republic of Ghana, with my only obligation to devote every effort of my body, mind and spirit to bring victory to our party in the upcoming 2020 elections. The Running Mate said Ghanaians for some years now, had been crying out for exemplary leadership to pull the country out of the pits of corruption and underdevelopment. The COVID-19 pandemic had also necessitated the need for such leadership which was currently found only in the NDP. He said it was time for Ghana to have a leader who would strive untiringly for the betterment of the Ghanaian populace with a sense of urgency, commitment and a burning desire for the growth and development of the people. We need someone who would empathise and sympathise with the plight of the average citizen. A person who would tackle the myriad of issues in our country with eagerness and a determined resolve to find a solution. I believe Dr. Mrs Agyemang Rawlings is the best choice for Ghanaians. He also descried the flagbearer as one who possessed the zeal and capability to lead Ghanaians on a journey of complete intellectual and personal development, agricultural industrialisation, financial liberation and massive infrastructural development. She is the ideal person for this job, and I assure you that with me by her side, we will be an unstoppable force for the development of our motherland, he added. Ghana, Mr Asamoah said, was ready to industrialise through a mechanised Agricultural revolution, and the leadership of his party would ensure that it experienced a real change, where people were placed above politics and equal opportunities were created for all. The Party would also ensure that competent human resources were assigned to all sectors to ensure that the citizenry get what they rightfully deserve, he said, adding: We are committed to this cause whilst ensuring that job creation is not the preserve of a few, but all who wish to work. Mr Peter Tennyson Nana Kwame Asamoah is a Supply Chain and Warehousing Expert with varied work experiences from OLAM Ghana Limited (Cashier), Watanmal/Primex Ghana Limited (Assistant Export Coordinator), and a Supply Chain Expert with Nestle Ghana Limited. The Running Mate, who is a Christian and a family man, holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science with Philosophy from the University of Ghana, Legon and is an alumnus of the Pope John Seminary Secondary School. Source: GNA Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video LANSING, MI Two former Michigan mine sites will be repurposed as large-scale solar power operations. Circle Power of Royal Oak has been awarded a 5-year land lease agreement with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources to develop large-scale solar arrays at the sites, which will be developed through its affiliate, Copper Country Power I, LLC. Enabling opportunities for cost-effective, renewable energy is good for the environment, for Michigans beautiful outdoor spaces, and for the people of Michigan, said DNR Director Dan Eichinger. Our department is entrusted with taking the best possible care of the states natural resources and creating quality outdoor experiences. It is just as important that we do our part to foster the development of renewable energy sources that will provide new sources of power for northern Michigan, increase local tax bases and repurpose old mining sites for greater public benefit. The two sites to be developed for solar power include the Groveland Mine in Dickinson County, a former 347-acre iron mine tailings site gifted to the state and 7 Mile Pit in Crawford County, a 169-acre property previously use for sand and gravel mining the state acquired through tax reversion. If successful, the energy produced at these sites would supplement, or help to replace, current nonrenewable forms of energy like oil, gas and other fossil fuels, according to the DNR. A timeline for the development of the arrays has not been established since both of the mine sites have been left in a degraded condition. Criteria for establishing these sites included open lands with minimal forest cover, no conflicts with rare, threatened, and endangered species or sensitive ecosystems, and consistent with local zoning plans and ordinances. Copper Country Power I, LLC was chosen for the development over Utopian Power, LLC of South Lyon and Telamon Enterprise Ventures, LLC of Carmel, Indiana. An installed project could provide $50,000-$100,000 per year in lease payments to the DNR in addition to generating state and local revenue through property taxes, Jordan Roberts, managing partner at Circle Power, said. Michigan Energy Options, an East Lansing non-profit, is assisting the DNR with the technical aspects of understanding solar energy. The potential development of two former mining sites for large-scale solar power, in my opinion, checks all the boxes, said John A. Kinch, executive director of Michigan Energy Options. The siting doesnt negatively affect the natural lands and waters the DNR manages and, further, it is a great reuse of industrial legacy properties. It doesnt affect private landholdings. What the project does do is to drive the creation of more clean, renewable energy in Michigan, with the DNR leading by example. My nonprofit is excited to be working on these and future projects with the DNR. READ MORE: Rocket launch spaceport site selected north of Marquette Ohio contractor awarded $111M contract to rebuild approach walls at Soo Locks William Hills first Michigan sports book opens at Turtle Creek Casino New fences aim to keep people out of abandoned mine area in U.P. town With contactless delivery to curb the spread of coronavirus, she added, you can't tell servers... The Skhidny (Eastern) Court of Appeal upheld decision No. 910/22858/17 of the Business Court of Donetsk region dated July 27, 2020 on the obligation of Ukrzaliznytsia, as the legal successor of Donetsk Railway, to pay a debt of $68 million. "The appeal of the Joint Stock Company Ukrzaliznytsia shall be left unsatisfied. The decision of the Business Court of Donetsk region dated July 27, 2020 in case No. 910/22858/17 is left unchanged," the court said in the text of the ruling promulgated on September 17 in the unified public register of court rulings. As reported, Ukrzaliznytsia said that the decision of the Grand Chamber of the Supreme Court on the succession of the debts of state-owned enterprises of the railway industry, in particular SOE Donetsk Railway, by Ukrzaliznytsia threatens national security and the economy of Ukraine. According to the Ukrzaliznytsia, now in the territories of Luhansk and Donetsk regions temporarily beyond the control of Ukraine there are more than 20,000 Ukrzaliznytsia's freight cars, almost 6,000 cars of other owners, almost 6,000 passenger cars and more than 300 locomotives According to rough estimates, the amount of financial obligations of Donetsk Railway to creditors exceeds UAH 6.5 billion, including enterprises owned by the entities which are residents of the Russian Federation, in particular, Sberbank in the amount of UAH 3.5 billion, VTB Bank in the amount of UAH 1.2 billion, and others. 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 KENOSHA, Wis. - The Kenosha police officer who shot Jacob Blake in the back seven times last month told investigators he thought Blake was trying to abduct one of his own children and that he opened fire because Blake started turning toward the officer while holding a knife, the officers lawyer contends. Brendan Matthews, the attorney for Officer Rusten Sheskey and the Kenosha police union, told CNN that when Sheskey arrived at the scene on Aug. 23 in response to a call from a woman who said Blake was at her home and shouldnt be there, he heard a woman say, Hes got my kid. Hes got my keys. Sheskey saw Blake put a child in the SUV as he arrived, but he didnt know that two other children were also in the back seat, Matthews said. He said Sheskey told investigators he opened fire because Blake held a knife in his hand and twisted his body toward the officer, and that he didnt stop until he determined Blake no longer posed an imminent threat. Matthews said if Sheskey had allowed Blake to leave and something happened to the child, the question would have been Why didnt you do something? Cellphone video captured by a bystander and posted online shows Sheskey and another officer follow Blake with their guns drawn as he walks around the front of the parked SUV, opens the drivers side door and lean into the vehicle. Sheskey, who is white, then opened fire, hitting the Black man seven times and leaving him paralyzed from the waist down, according to his family members and lawyer. The shooting sparked outrage and led to several nights of protests and unrest, including a night in which authorities say an Illinois 17-year-old shot and killed two protesters and wounded a third. Ben Crump, an attorney for Blakes family, did not immediately respond to a Sunday email seeking comment about Matthews interview and his voicemail wasnt accepting new messages. But he previously said Blake was only trying to break up a domestic dispute that day and that he did nothing to provoke police, adding that witnesses didnt see him with a knife. Blakes uncle, Justin Blake, said Saturday that the allegation that Blake was attempting to kidnap his own child was false, the Kenosha News reported. Thats ridiculous, Justin Blake said. Its gaslighting. Outright lies. The bystander who recorded the shooting, 22-year-old Raysean White, said he saw Blake scuffling with three officers and heard them yell, Drop the knife! Drop the knife! before gunfire erupted. White said he didnt see a knife in Blakes hands. The Wisconsin Department of Justice, which is leading the investigation, previously said in a news release that a knife was found in the vehicle, but it didnt say whether Blake had been holding it at any point during the confrontation or whether police knew it was there before Sheskey shot him. In a statement previously released by Matthews on behalf of the police union, Matthews said Blake was armed with a knife but that officers didnt see it until Blake reached the passenger side of the vehicle. As Blake opened the drivers door of the SUV, Sheskey pulled on Blakes shirt and then opened fire. Three of Blakes children were in the backseat. The mother of the three children, who called police that day, filed a complaint against Blake that had led to felony charges being filed in July accusing him of sexually assaulting a woman in May. Blake, who was wanted on a warrant for those charges when police arrived at the scene Aug. 23, pleaded not guilty to the charges earlier this month via video from from his hospital bed. A trial date was set for Nov. 9. Sheskey and the other two officers who were at the scene were placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation. LOS ANGELES, Sept. 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- NuggMD , the nation's leading medical marijuana telemedicine platform, announced today it is launching their services to patients in Pennsylvania for $139. NuggMD is currently available in California, Nevada, New York, Missouri, Ohio and Oklahoma. NuggMD has virtually connected over half a million patients with fully-licensed medical marijuana physicians since 2016. NuggMD's expansion of services into Pennsylvania will provide current and prospective medical marijuana patients with virtual access to medical marijuana card evaluations and renewals. Patients between the ages of 45 and 74 years old comprise 62% of Pennsylvania's medical marijuana users, allowing those most at-risk of COVID-19 to obtain a MMJ card safely from their homes without risking exposure. On March 20, 2020, the Pennsylvania Department of Health suspended regulations limiting five patients per caregiver and requiring background checks for renewal applications in order to streamline evaluations, and allowed remote MMJ card consultations for all patients. "Considering a majority of Pennsylvania's medical marijuana patients are those most at-risk of contracting COVID-19, we could not be more pleased to announce the expansion of our telemedicine services to the state during a time when virtual access to medical marijuana card evaluations is more important than ever," said Alex Milligan, NuggMD Co-Founder and CMO. "Pennsylvania's population of MMJ patients continues to grow at a rapid pace, and we look forward to serving the community with accessible medical marijuana recommendations for years to come." Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf legalized medical marijuana on April 17, 2016 and the first dispensaries began serving patients in April 2018. As of May 15, 2020, there are almost 300,000 patients registered in the program, up 94% since January 2020. In July 2019, the state approved six additional serious medical conditions that qualify for the use of medical marijuana, extending the initial list of 17 to 23 total conditions. NuggMD's licensed doctors are available to Pennsylvania medical marijuana patients seven days a week from 8am - 10pm EST. As always, patients who do not meet the state's requirements and are not approved for a medical marijuana recommendation receive their evaluation for free. About NuggMD: NuggMD is the nation's leading medical cannabis technology platform, serving patients in New York, California, Nevada, Oklahoma, Ohio, and Missouri. NuggMD's patients get approved for medical cannabis by conducting face-to-face video evaluations with physicians from the comfort and privacy of their own home. Since launching in 2016, NuggMD has helped more than half a million patients connect with their new physicians and obtain medical cannabis recommendations. They are fully committed to improving patients' quality of life through cannabis. For further information, visit nuggmd.com Media Contact Renee Cotsis [email protected] SOURCE NuggMD Related Links https://www.nuggmd.com The other day I saw a post on Facebook from someone asking for a kidney. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 28/9/2020 (481 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Opinion The other day I saw a post on Facebook from someone asking for a kidney. Right now, she wrote, her kidneys are failing her and they dont work well enough to keep her alive without being connected to a dialysis machine four times a day. While this machine keeps her alive, it also hinders her ability to really live. I dont know this person, but her post was jarring. Its not the first post Ive seen of someone online or in the news asking strangers to find it in themselves to help save their lives, whether it be by sharing a post, signing up to be an organ donor, or actually giving them an organ. According to Transplant Manitobas website, more than 4,000 Canadians are waiting for an organ. Some of them die before a match becomes available to them. In fact, the website states that one person dies while waiting for a transplant every 36 hours. Imagine that. In Manitoba, people need to opt in and sign up to become an organ donor. When you die, your organs die with you unless you, or your next of kin specify that you want to donate them. Its uncomfortable to think about death and donating pieces of ourselves to others, especially strangers; Ive always found it hard to look past the point of myself. I never wanted to give much thought about life after death. Its frightening. But Ive always known how important it is to be an organ donor, because somewhere along the line someone opted to donate their organs and my Uncle Bill was one of the recipients of this persons heroic gift. Uncle Bill got a kidney transplant donated from a deceased donor in 1985. This person, or their family, made the decision to let the kidney and legacy live on in my ailing uncle, giving him another shot at life. He was a large jovial man with an infectious laugh. You were always in for some good-natured ribbing when he was around, but you never minded because it was always in good fun. He loved country music, and making his own mix tapes by recording songs off the radio, and he could make a mean pot of soup out of scraps from the fridge. Sometimes hed spend a few nights or a weekend at our place, sleeping on a cot in my dads office. Wed come home from school and hed be mopping the floors in his wheelchair and listening to country music on the radio. Hed throw us a couple of bucks and tell us to run to the corner store before dinner and buy as many Twizzlers as we could with the money. Mission accepted. When we would visit him in his tiny bachelor apartment on Edmonton Street he would always present us with a small gift. He would find something special in his home, like an old key chain, or a candy dish or a chocolate bar, and hed give it to us. It was never about the gift, and more about the sentiment. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. He lived meagrely on social assistance, but made sure to send birthday cards with $10 cheques for every birthday. He couldnt afford to do it, but he did it anyway. Since he was so much older than my dad he seemed more like a grandpa than an uncle. He smelled of aftershave and mothballs. I cant quite explain it, but even now I can remember his scent. It was warm and comforting and lingered on his ratty old T-shirts that my sisters and I slept in for a while after he died on July 3, 1992. His death was devastating. However, it happened later than it ought to have because of his kidney transplant. He lived for seven years after his transplant and they were really good years for him and for our family. Currently there are hundreds of Manitobans and thousands of Canadians on wait lists for transplants. These people all have a story and a life that they want to live. They are young and old and from all walks of life. They are mothers, fathers, sons and daughters. They are aunties and uncles and just plain everyday people who have hobbies and passions and genuine hopes for the future. They are loved and they want more time. If you have a second and feel compelled to leave a real lasting legacy, please consider becoming an organ and tissue donor and fill out the online form at signupforlife.ca. shelka79@hotmail.com Twitter: @ShelleyACook New Jerseyans who are used to voting by machine will instead receive mail-in ballots for the Nov. 3 election. Some ballots have already been mailed out by the counties. We got a taste of how it works during the primaries earlier this year. And we learned why ballots are most commonly rejected. According to an analysis of state data by NJ Spotlight, nearly 35,000 ballots, or 2.7% of the 1.28 million mail-in ballots cast, were rejected for one of 18 reasons. Heres a look at the top five. 1. Late ballots More than a quarter of all rejected mail-in ballots were rejected because they arrived too late, according to the analysis. Given concerns about the ability of the postal service to deliver ballots on time for the general election, you can instead use secure drop boxes in your county. See a list of ballot box locations here. Another option is to drop off your ballot at your polling place on Election Day. 2. Missing certificates Your mail-in ballot comes in three important pieces: the ballot itself, an envelope into which you place the ballot and a second envelope thats postage-paid and addressed to your board of elections. The envelope in which you place the ballot has a certificate attached. Voters must sign the certificate for a ballot to count, but more than 17% of primary ballots were rejected because the voters didnt return the certificate. 3. Ballots were not enclosed More than 10% of rejected mail-in ballots were rejected because voters forgot to include the ballot. 4. Signatures didnt match More than 12% of rejected ballots, or about 4,200, were rejected because the signature didnt match the voter books. The report said 19 of the 21 counties sent 15,900 cure letters to voters and about 43% were able to fix their ballots so they could be counted. No information was reported for Cape May County or Middlesex County, the report said. For this election, if a voters signature is in question, county boards of elections will have 24 hours to send the letters, which will tell voters how to reconcile their signatures. That will happen both before and after Election Day, said Jesse Burns, executive director of the League of Women Voters of New Jersey. So ballots processed on Election Day and after are still eligible to be cured. Voters have until 48 before before final certification of election results to cure ballots. 5. Certificates werent signed Nearly 6% of rejected mail-in ballots were rejected because the voter forgot to sign the certificate attached to the ballot envelope. Election officials are expected to reach out to voters who make these errors, to see if a ballot can be cured. Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a subscription. Karin Price Mueller may be reached at KPriceMueller@NJAdvanceMedia.com. Bihar Assembly Election 2020: Our fight is against BJP, not JDU, says Tejashwi Yadav Bihar Elections 2020: Why NDAs seat sharing may not be a smooth ride India oi-Deepika S New Delhi, Sep 28: The seat-sharing exercise between ruling allies Janata Dal (United) and the Bharatiya Janata Party for the upcoming Bihar assembly elections is unlikely to be a smooth one. A war of words between the Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's Janata Dal and its ally Union minister Ram Vilas Paswan's Lok Janshakti Party has been escalating as days of the election comes nearer. The LJP has indicated that it would field candidates against the JD(U), leading to an uneasy situation within the NDA in Bihar. Bihar polls: RJD to provide 10 lakh govt jobs if voted to power, says Tejashwi The party said it will contest 143 seats, including those against ally Janata Dal (United) or JD(U), and demanded that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) lead the alliance in the state. Though Amit Shah has announced that NDA would go to polls under the leadership of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Chirag Paswan is trying to stake a claim for a higher number of seats, which the JD(U) is opposed to. Even as Paswan swears by his loyalty towards Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in whose cabinet his father and LJP founder Ram Vilas Paswan is a minister, he has often criticised the Nitish Kumar government. Paswan has been attacking Nitish Kumar's leadership with issues like reverse migration, unemployment and the management of covid-19. LJP has also questioned if it is a good idea to hold assembly elections amid floods and the pandemic. The BJP leadership is also understood to have assured Kumar that it will intervene and iron out the differences that have of late cropped up between the JD(U) and the LJP on account of the belligerent stance adopted by the latters young president Chirag Paswan. To overcome the hurdle, the BJP is also trying to superimpose the Modi government's initiatives over the Nitish government's performance in the state. Reportedly, former CM Jitan Ram Manjhi, whose Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) has also broken its alliance with the RJD, will join the NDA and take up some seats. In 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP and the JD(U) fought 17 seats each, while their third ally, Lok Janshakti Party, contested the remaining six. Bihar Assembly Elections 2020: Sanjay Raut says issues from Mumbai can be made 'parcel' to Bihar In 2015, the BJP had contested 157 seats, LJP 42 seats, RLSP 23 seats and HAM had got 21 seats. The NDA had not announced any chief ministerial candidate. While the BJP won just 53 seats, the LJP and the RLSP won two each while the HAM could win just one, as the 'Mahagathbandhan romped to power. Amrinder Singh joins farmers' protest, says 'Pakistan's ISI may take advantage' | Oneindia News In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, the JD(U) had contested alone and won only two seats, while the BJP, in an alliance with the RLSP and the LJP, won 31 out of 40 seats. Voting for Bihar assembly elections will be held in three phases on October 28, November 3 and November 7 in one of the biggest elections globally during the pandemic, followed by counting of votes on November 10. Pelosi: Report Saying Trump Faces Millions in Debt a National Security Issue House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) on Monday said that a report claiming President Donald Trump paid $750 in taxes and had millions of dollars in debt is a national security issue. This president appears to have over $400 million in debt, she said in a televised interview, referring to a report from the New York Times. To whom? Different countries? What is the leverage they have? she asked. So for me, this is a national security question, Pelosi said. The fact that you could have a sitting president who owes hundreds of millions of dollars that hes personally guaranteed to lenders, and we dont know who these lenders are, she said, again suggesting without evidence that Trump is indebted to Russian President Vladimir Putin. What does Putin have on the president politically? Personally? Financially? she asked, without elaborating. On Sunday evening, when Trump was asked about the NY Times report, he described it as fake news. Its fake news. Its totally fake news, Trump told reporters. Made up. Fake, he added. The NY Times reported that Trump paid the sum in the year he won the presidency and in his first year in the Oval Office. The paper said it obtained the long-sought-after tax information for the president, alleging that he paid no federal income taxes in 11 of the 18 years it examined, saying he suffered overall financial losses. The president said hes unable to release his financial records because he is being audited by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Its under audit. Theyve been under audit for a long time, he said. The IRS does not treat me well. Such information will be released in due time, he said before adding that it will only be done when the IRS audit is completed. Trump Organization lawyer Alan Garten issued a statement to the NY Times about the reporting, saying that most, if not all, of the facts appear to be inaccurate. Over the past decade, President Trump has paid tens of millions of dollars in personal taxes to the federal government, including paying millions in personal taxes since announcing his candidacy in 2015, Garten told the liberal-leaning news outlet. Over the past four years, news outlets and various Democratic officials at the state and Congressional level have tried to get Trumps tax returns. Suite 430, Northbrook, IL 60062 -- (SBWIRE) -- 09/28/2020 -- According to the new research report "Electronic Load Market by Voltage (Low, High), Current Type (AC, DC), Application (Aerospace, Defense & Government Services, Automotive, Energy, Wireless Communication and Infrastructure, and Others), Region- Global Trends and Forecast to 2024", is expected to grow from an estimated value of USD 3.0 billion in 2019 to USD 4.0 billion by 2024, at a CAGR of 6.3% from 2019 to 2024. The growth of this market is driven by maximizing the reliability of wireless communication. North America and Asia Pacific are the leading regions for wireless communication and infrastructure as countries such as the US, Japan, China, and South Korea are investing substantially in 5G network infrastructure development. Browse 101 market data Tables and 33 Figures spread through 146 Pages and in-depth TOC on "Electronic Load Market - Global Trends and Forecast to 2024" Download PDF Brochure @ https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=164762665 The DC segment is expected to hold the largest share of the electronic load market, by current type, during the forecast period DC electronic loads are used for testing a wide range of power devices, such as power supplies, power converter & inverter testing, batteries, automotive charging stations, solar panels, fuel cells, and other power electronics components. This segment is expected to hold the major share in 2019 owing to the increasing need for testing the reliability of batteries. Asia Pacific is expected to be the largest market during the forecast period due to the increase in the deployment of electric vehicles in countries such as China, Japan, and South Korea. All these factors are expected to boost the DC market growth. Low voltage is the largest segment in the electronic load market, by voltage, during the forecast period The low voltage segment held the largest share of the market in 2018. Low voltage electronic loads range up to 1,000 V. Rise in the usage of portable devices and the growing need for testing the reliability of a power source are factors that are likely to drive the demand for low voltage electronic loads. Low voltage electronic loads are mainly used by the manufacturers to test equipment during the stage of production to understand the product features and its adherence to the technical standards. Automotive is expected to be the fastest-growing market, by application, during the forecast period The automotive segment is driven by an increase in the development of electric and autonomous vehicles. The growth of electric vehicles is dependent on batteries. Hence, battery manufacturers are using electronic loads to test the capacity of batteries using constant power mode to provide consistent power drain as the battery voltage drops over time. This helps them in identifying the right size batteries for electric vehicles during the manufacturing stage. Ask for Sample Pages of the Report @ https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/requestsampleNew.asp?id=164762665 North America is expected to dominate the global electronic load market North America is the largest market for the electronic load. The region has been segmented by country into the US, Canada, and Mexico. The demand for electronic load in this region is driven mostly by aerospace, defense and government services, wireless communication, and automotive. It is the largest market for electronic load during the forecast as the device manufacturers use electronic loads to test numerous power devices during the manufacturing stage to avoid malfunctioning. The aerospace, defense & government services is the largest sector globally as they produce technologically advanced aircraft and defense systems. This is supported further by the national governments' increasing defense spending and budget allocations. Moreover, this region also houses some of the major manufacturers who continuously focus on R&D to innovate new technologies. To enable an in-depth understanding of the competitive landscape, the report includes the profiles of some of the top players in the electronic load market. These include Keysight Technologies (US), AMETEK (US), National Instruments (US), Chroma ATE (Taiwan), and Teledyne Technologies (US). The leading players are trying to establish themselves in the markets in developing economies and are adopting various strategies to increase their respective market share. About MarketsandMarkets MarketsandMarkets provides quantified B2B research on 30,000 high growth niche opportunities/threats which will impact 70% to 80% of worldwide companies' revenues. Currently servicing 7500 customers worldwide including 80% of global Fortune 1000 companies as clients. Almost 75,000 top officers across eight industries worldwide approach MarketsandMarkets for their painpoints around revenues decisions. Our 850 fulltime analyst and SMEs at MarketsandMarkets are tracking global high growth markets following the "Growth Engagement Model GEM". The GEM aims at proactive collaboration with the clients to identify new opportunities, identify most important customers, write "Attack, avoid and defend" strategies, identify sources of incremental revenues for both the company and its competitors. MarketsandMarkets now coming up with 1,500 MicroQuadrants (Positioning top players across leaders, emerging companies, innovators, strategic players) annually in high growth emerging segments. MarketsandMarkets is determined to benefit more than 10,000 companies this year for their revenue planning and help them take their innovations/disruptions early to the market by providing them research ahead of the curve. MarketsandMarkets's flagship competitive intelligence and market research platform, "Knowledgestore" connects over 200,000 markets and entire value chains for deeper understanding of the unmet insights along with market sizing and forecasts of niche markets. Contact: Mr. Aashish Mehra MarketsandMarkets INC. 630 Dundee Road Suite 430 Northbrook, IL 60062 USA : 1-888-600-6441 sales@marketsandmarkets.com A Queensland paedophile has pleaded guilty to forcing his step granddaughter to perform oral sex on him on two occasions. The 60-year-old, who cannot be named, claimed he was drunk and suffering from alcoholism when he molested the 11-year-old over two days in the Easter school holidays last year. The child had been staying at her grandparents' home in Redland Bay and told her grandmother what her 'Pop' had done to her the day after the second incident. The grandmother contacted police and left a note at the home for her husband that read 'I know what you have done', Courier Mail reported. A 60-year-old man forced his step granddaughter to perform oral sex on him (stock image) Brisbane District Court heard the man had been pushed away by his neighbours after details of the assault became known and his house had been burned down. He pleaded guilty to two counts of rape and six offences of indecent treatment of a child under 12 as a guardian. Judge Vicki Loury QC sentenced him to four years jail for his 'appalling' actions, but ordered his release after 12 months. 'She was only 11 years of age. She was your granddaughter even if not a biological one,' she said. 'You should have been protecting her but instead you betrayed her trust in an appalling way. I accept you are remorseful for your conduct, but the damage has been done.' The man will remain on probation for three years after his release. Letitia Wright has discussed 'creating spaces' in the film industry in a new interview. Starring in ELLE UK's November issue, the Black Panther star, 26, declared 'we have to be that solid foundation for each other' as she posed in an accompanying cover shoot. On there not being enough space carved out for black women historically to succeed, the actress, who is set to depict the hardships of London's West Indian community for Steve McQueen's new series Small Axe, admitted: 'It's sad and it hurts.' 'We have to be a solid foundation for each other': Letitia Wright has discussed 'creating spaces' in the film industry in a new interview for ELLE UK's November issue The screen star, who has played major roles in Black Mirror and Avengers: Endgame, went on to share how she stays motivated and lives by a powerful quote by actor Will Smith. Letitia said: 'But, the funny thing is, if you actually step aside from that mentality and go, no, there's space for all of us [to succeed], we just have to keep building a wall. 'The bricks at the bottom have to be laid first before the bricks on the second row can be laid. So, if you say, OK, you lay your brick there, and I'll lay my brick in the next two months. 'Let me make sure that your brick that's laid is good and solid and paid well... Then, soon, you have a wall. Yes, I stole that from Will Smith. Strong message: The Black Panther star, 26, declared 'we have to be that solid foundation for each other' as she posed in an accompanying cover shoot for the magazine 'Let me make sure that your brick that's laid is good': The screen star shared how she stays motivated and lives by a powerful quote by actor Will Smith 'I've listened to that since I was 16, but he has a point: we have to be bricks, we have to be that solid foundation for each other or else what's the point?' The media personality rose to worldwide prominence as Shuri in the Marvel Cinematic Universe film Black Panther, scooping coveted prizes at the Screen Actors Guild Awards, the NAACP Image Awards and the British Academy Film Awards last year. On being recognised by members of the public, the TV and film star shared: 'As soon as you go to Sainsbury's, you could even be wearing a hat but they're like, 'Yo, I swear that's my girl from Black Panther!' Letitia's next role will see her transform into Altheia Jones in anthology series Small Axe, which presents five stories of how the West Indian community shaped their own destiny between the 1960s and 1980s, despite the racism and discrimination they faced. 'I get spotted in Sainsbury's!' The media personality rose to worldwide prominence as Shuri in the Marvel Cinematic Universe film Black Panther (pictured) 'It's about standing up for justice': Letitia's next role will see her transform into Altheia Jones in anthology series Small Axe, based on London's West Indian community (pictured) 'I keep a very small circle': The thespian also apoke about maintaining a small friendship group with longtime friends John Boyega (pictured) and Damson Idris The Cucumber star drew parallels between her upcoming show and the Black Lives Matter movement as she told the publication: 'Preparing for it, doing it, giving all that you can to it and then you get to 2020 and you're like, hold up a minute, this is happening again. 'People aren't going out to protest because they want to. Its aggravation after aggravation and standing up for justice.' Elsewhere in the interview, the thespian spoke about maintaining a small friendship group with longtime friends John Boyega and Damson Idris and dealing with the pressures of being a high-profile actress. Out now: Read Letitia's full interview in the November issue of Elle UK The Identity School of Acting alum said: 'I really pride myself on the circle that I keep and it's a very small circle, it's almost like a dot. 'I remember I asked actor Naomie Harris a few years back for some advice, and she met with me and said, ''How you carry yourself is how people will respond to you.'' So, if I turned up and I have a Gucci bag or [I'm] in the club every day there's no problem with that, if that's your vibe but I'm very quiet and all about the work. 'We're all a family, we all support each other. And I'm not going to lie in the UK because we're so small, like, it's such a small pond of actors, we just support each other and love each other.' The Guava Island star has previously credited her Christian faith for helping her overcome depression. Recalling a time she saw pop star Justin Bieber while attending a session at megachurch Hillsong in the US, Letitia shared: 'They had a free early morning sermon and my friend was adamant we get there on time. 'Walking through, seeing Justin Bieber there with his notepad and hoodie on at 9am, I was like, What?' Craig Groeschel, Tony Evans, Bob Goff, Lee Strobel, David Platt, and Others Join the Luis Palau Association to Host Nationwide Pastors Gathering on October 29 NEWS PROVIDED BY Luis Palau Association Sept. 28, 2020 PORTLAND, Ore., Sept. 28, 2020 /Christian Newswire/ -- There's no question this has been one of the most difficult years in history, and pastors and church leaders have not been immune to this pain. Many are struggling to keep perspective, stay encouraged, and lead their churches well. In an effort to bring unique encouragement and support to pastors during this difficult time, the Luis Palau Association is hosting a free online pastor's gathering on October 29. This online event, called RE:NEW Talks Real Conversations for Pastors and Leaders Right Now, will feature respected leaders from all over the nation, sharing their own personal advice and encouragement of leading during this global crisis. Speakers will include Craig Groeschel, Dr. Tony Evans, Luis Palau, Bob Goff, Lee Strobel, John Mark Comer, Wendy Palau, David Platt, and Michael Kelsey. It will also incorporate worship from Hillsong United and Matt Redman and a powerful message of encouragement from Andrew Palau. "We know that now can be an especially hard time for pastors and leaders," shared Andrew Palau, "that's why this event is so important -- we all need encouragement, and we want to bless pastors and leaders with this event." The Palau team has already enlisted the partnership of many churches and non-profit organizations, including America Prays, City Gospel Movements, Global Network of Evangelists, Pray America, and Promise Keepers. To register for this special gathering, or to learn how you can partner in this work, go to www.palau.org/renew. With the Palau Association's international travel on hold amidst the current worldwide pandemic, the team is channeling much of their resources and experience to multi-media platforms. In recent months, it has hosted two massive online festivals called Stories of Hope and Si Hay Esperanza, reaching millions of people in English and Spanish-speaking countries. The Palau Team has also seen the number of online decisions for Jesus more than double through their Hope with God website and social media community since the COVID-19 outbreak began. ABOUT THE LUIS PALAU ASSOCIATION -- For more than 60 years the Luis Palau Association has existed to proclaim the Good News, unite the Church, and impact cities worldwide. In addition to citywide evangelistic festivals and an ever-growing global network of evangelists, the team also uses a far-reaching media ministry including online Bible training and daily radio shows on 5,539 radio outlets in 59 countries and a social media community of nearly 20 million followers hearing daily Gospel messages and encouragement. The Palau Association has had the opportunity to work with thousands of churches in hundreds of cities around the world, including nine top global cities: London, Hong Kong, Singapore, Chicago, Moscow, Madrid, Mexico City, Buenos Aires, and Washington D.C. They also have strong international experience with extensive ethnic and cultural understanding. SOURCE Luis Palau Association CONTACT: Jay Fordice, 503-614-1572 Related Links www.palau.org/renew SpaceX is undoubtedly amongst the most popular private space agencies in the world. In its quest to enter into the broadband service, the SpaceX Starlink mission will bring a revolution in this sector. As the American company keeps launching one rocket after another, there is one more that will soon be on its way to space. Many people are thus wondering "is there a SpaceX Starship Falcon 9 launch today"? Here are details of the next SpaceX launch schedule for you. Is there a SpaceX Starship Falcon 9 launch today? SpaceX is all set to launch the Falcon 9 rocket yet again. Without resting any longer, the company is making its thirteenth Falcon 9 launch. The SpaceX launch is scheduled for Monday (today), that is September 28, 2020. The rocket will endure Starlink satellites that are going to add up in the already existing SpaceX Starlink satellites. These new satellites launched by the American company are equipped with a new deployable sun visor system which is created to block reflections of sunlight off of their antenna surfaces. This is the reason why they are denoted as "Astronomy-friendly satellites". Also Read | Windows XP source code leaked everywhere! What does the leak reveal? Monday's SpaceX launch time SpaceX is targeting Monday, September 28 at 10:22 AM EDT, 14:22 UTC i.e. 7:52 PM IST, for the launch of its thirteenth Starlink mission, which will launch 60 Starlink satellites to orbit. Falcon 9 will lift off from Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Also Read | Amazon Luna release date, early access, price & more; A new cloud gaming platform emerges SpaceX Starship Falcon 9 launch live stream details The SpaceX Starship Falcon 9 rocket launch mission of September 28 will be available for live streaming on the official YouTube channel of SpaceX. Apart from this, Musk's organisation will also Live Stream the launch on its official website i.e. Space.com. Also, if you would like to receive updates on Starlink news and service availability in your area, please visit starlink.com. Also Read | After iOS 14 release, home screen customization apps reach 5.7M downloads: Reports Falcon 9s first stage previously supported the launch of Crew Dragons first flight to the International Space Station with NASA astronauts on board and the ANASIS-II mission. Following stage separation, SpaceX will land Falcon 9s first stage on the Of Course I Still Love You drone ship, which will be stationed in the Atlantic Ocean. One of Falcon 9s fairing halves supported two previous Starlink launches. The Starlink satellites will deploy approximately 1 hour and 1 minute after liftoff. Also Read | Nokia 8.3 5G launched! Details about specs, price, features and more; Read All images from Shutterstock The boss of a model agency is being investigated over the alleged rape and sexual assault of four women including a former BBC reporter. Gerald Marie de Castellac, the ex-husband of supermodel Linda Evangelista, is said to have carried out the crimes while working for Elite and other Paris agencies. French prosecutors say the 70-year-old is accused of raping three models aged between 17 and 20 in the 1980s and 1990s. Carre Otis, now 51, Ebba Karlsson, 51, and Jill Dodd, 60, said they had filed the complaint to try to encourage others to testify against Mr Marie, who heads Oui Management. Lisa Brinkworth, a 53-year-old former BBC journalist, claims he sexually assaulted her in 1998 while she was working undercover to expose sexual crimes in the fashion industry. Gerald Marie de Castellac (left), the ex-husband of supermodel Linda Evangelista (right), is said to have carried out the crimes while working for Elite and other Paris agencies Confirming that the women had all renounced their legal right to anonymity, a prosecuting source said: Investigations have been launched for rapes and sexual assault, as well as the rape and sexual assault of a minor. Such crimes are punishable by up to 15 years in prison but the statute of limitations is 20 years so most of the alleged offences will be out of time. In the case of sex with a minor, this statute can be raised to 30 years and this opens the possibility that Mr Marie who vehemently denies any wrongdoing, may end up in court. Anne-Claire Le Jeune, barrister for the women, said: I can only welcome this decision which, in view of the elements provided by the various victims, was essential. Lisa Brinkworth, a 53-year-old former BBC journalist, claims he sexually assaulted her in 1998 while she was working undercover to expose sexual crimes in the fashion industry This investigation will, I hope, allow others to have the courage to speak out. It is an encouraging first step and a relief for the victims. Mr Marie was not immediately available for comment, but before the inquiry was launched he said he categorically denied any wrongdoing. He successfully settled with the BBC in 2001 after suing them for 1.7million in damages over similar allegations. He claims he was set up by a BBC crew working for a documentary by the investigator reporter Donal MacIntyre, as part of the MacIntyre Undercover series. Miss Brinkworth says she is not bound by any agreement reached between the BBC and Mr Marie and is therefore able to speak out. The BBC has not commented. Miss Le Jeune submitted the new complaints against Mr Marie last week. She is also representing clients who claim they were abused by former French modelling agent Jean-Luc Brunel, 74, who allegedly supplied women for the late paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein. Brunel denies any wrongdoing, and has not been charged with any crime. Carre Otis, now 51, started at Elite in Paris when she was 17, and now says she wants to expose intolerable acts by men in power who seem to be able to act in all impunity Miss Otis, who is American, spoke out against Mr Marie in 2011, in an explosive memoir. The former wife of actor Mickey Rourke started at Elite in Paris when she was 17, and now says she wants to expose intolerable acts by men in power who seem to be able to act in all impunity. In her book, she described befriending Mr Marie, who was then engaged to Miss Evangelista, and renting a room in his Paris home. After allegedly finding Mr Maries cocaine stash in the bathroom, the two developed an age-inappropriate bond while snorting the banned drug. Carre Otis, now 51, Ebba Karlsson, 51, and Jill Dodd (pictured), 60, said they had filed the complaint to try to encourage others to testify against Mr Marie, who heads Oui Management It was secretive, but it felt strangely safe, Miss Otis wrote. I liked the way Gerald would laugh with me when we snorted lines together. I liked the way he teased me gently. The one-time face of Calvin Klein said that one evening Gerald stood above me, ripping the covers from the bed. Before I could react, his sticky body was on me. Miss Otis went on to describe the vicious penetration, violation, and a horrific feeling. There is no suggestion Miss Evangelista knew of the allegations against Mr Marie. A savvy and innovative Australian home cook has revealed how she made spiced barbecue pork crackle straw chips using her three-in-one Kmart air fryer. Sara, from Melbourne, shared the ground-breaking recipe to a popular cookery Facebook group where she was praised by others. The strips of crunchy golden pork pack a punch of flavour and are bound to impress guests during weekend barbecues. A savvy and innovative Australian home cook has revealed how she made spiced barbecue pork crackle straw chips using her three-in-one Kmart air fryer Sara, from Melbourne, shared the ground-breaking recipe to a popular cookery Facebook group where she was praised by others online 'My favourite part of a pork roast; finding out you can buy the crackle alone was probably a dangerous thing,' she wrote on Facebook. 'This accidental discovery was a game changer when I saw it at Coles last year.' To make the crackling, Sara used 500 grams of pork skin, sea salt, olive oil and made her own spice rub to season the meat. She mixed paprika, garlic powder, mustard powder, onion salt, dried oregano and cayenne pepper in a bowl to coat onto the pork strips. While the recipe is detailed and involves ten steps, it's quite simple to follow and takes between 45 minutes to an hour to complete. To make the crackling, Sara used 500 grams of pork skin, sea salt, olive oil and made her own spice rub to season the meat Sara mixed paprika, garlic powder, mustard powder, onion salt, dried oregano and cayenne pepper in a bowl to coat onto the pork strips When making the crackling chips, Sara said it's important to sprinkle the skin side up with salt and place in the fridge to dry out for at least 15 to 30 minutes. Once the skin is dry, wipe off any moisture and salt and slice in to one-inch strips. Then mix the spices together, brush the pork strips with olive oil and sprinkle the barbecue rub on top. Sara cooked the strips in the air fryer for 12 minutes at 200 degrees Celsius. To prevent the crackle from curling, she laid spare mesh trays directly on top of the pork skin. To prevent the crackle from curling, Sara laid spare mesh trays directly on top of the pork skin Sara cooked the strips in the air fryer for 12 minutes at 200 degrees Celsius. The colour should be a brown and golden (pictured) 'Might have to give this a crack,' one man said. 'Look sensational and what fabulous pictorial instructions - definitely ten out of ten,' a woman said. Other foodies tagged friends in the post and said it looks 'so delicious' they are eager to make the pork crackling chips themselves. A white Nebraska bar owner who killed himself after being charged with manslaughter for fatally shooting a Black man during May protests had been waiting to ambush people who were breaking into businesses and stealing, a special prosecutor said Wednesday. Special Prosecutor Frederick Franklin detailed more of the evidence against Jake Gardner three days after Gardner killed himself and more than a week after a grand jury indicted him in the May 30 death of 22-year-old James Scurlock. The evidence included text messages and videos of the encounter that Franklin said undermined Gardner's claim that he acted in self-defense. Authorities say Gardner shot Scurlock outside Gardner's bar during a scuffle after the windows of the business were smashed amid a protest against police brutality and racial injustice. Omaha, like many cities around the world, saw protests, sometimes violent, after the death of George Floyd after a Minneapolis officer pressed his knee onto the handcuffed Black man's neck for several minutes. Douglas County Attorney Don Kleine initially declined to file charges against Gardner. After Kleines decision was criticized by Scurlocks family and led to additional protests, Kleine agreed to have a grand jury review the case. Franklin was appointed as special prosecutor and presented evidence to the grand jury, which also charged Gardner with attempted assault, making terroristic threats and using a gun to commit a felony. Franklin said Gardner should not have been able to claim self-defense because he initiated the confrontation. One of the things Franklin noted to explain Gardner's mindset was that Gardner was a fan of President Donald Trump and that two days before the Omaha shooting, the president had tweeted, when the looting starts, the shooting starts. Gardner's attorney, Stu Dornan, didnt immediately respond to a message Wednesday. Earlier this week, he said he was angry that he wont have a chance to defend Gardner in court in what he called a clear case of self-defense. Franklin said Gardner had been monitoring the progress of the unrest through text messages as people approached his bar, The Hive, and Gardner had a shotgun and three handguns with him. Before protesters arrived, the lights were turned off inside the bar, where Gardner was waiting with his father and at least one bouncer. Franklin said Gardner asked in one of his messages whether the field of fire inside The Hive going outside was clear. That evidence is completely supportive of an intention to use a firearm to either kill or to cause serious bodily injury to whatever looter might have decided this was a good idea, Franklin said. Franklin said Gardners plan was thwarted by the fact that no one tried to enter the bar even after someone smashed the windows. To the extent that Jake Gardner had set up an ambush inside his business waiting on a looter to come in so he could light him up, and that particular objective was thwarted by individuals not coming in It would be understandable that Mr. Gardner would have had some frustration about sitting back and watching the place that he was renting be destroyed like it was being destroyed, he said. In June, officials played surveillance video that showed words exchanged between Gardner, his father and protesters after the windows of his bar were broken. Gardner flashed a gun, then backed away. Gardner was shoved to the ground by two people before firing two shots, sending people scrambling. Scurlock then jumped on Gardners back and was shot by Gardner. Kleine said Gardner warned Scurlock to get off of him several times before he fired the fatal shot. Franklin said that some of the video investigators found showed that Gardner provoked the confrontation with Scurlock during their initial exchange. Gardner was found dead outside a medical clinic in Hillsboro, Oregon, on Sunday, the same day he was scheduled to return to Omaha to face the charges, according to his attorney. Franklin said he was saddened by Gardners death, and that it deprived the community to be able to have this evidence play out at trial. Scurlocks family declined to comment on the case Wednesday after Franklin described the evidence, but they told KETV Tuesday they were frustrated there will never be a trial. I feel like there was lack of closure. You cant close a case, said Scurlocks father, James Scurlock II. You cant orchestrate a murder and then take your own life. By David Shepardson and Andrea Shalal WASHINGTON (Reuters) - General Motors Co will repay $28 million in state tax incentives to Ohio after the largest U.S. automaker came under heavy criticism for closing its Lordstown Assembly plant in March 2019. GM's agreement with the Ohio Tax Credit Authority also requires the Detroit automaker to pay $12 million for "community support programs" in the Mahoning Valley. Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost had demanded that GM repay $60 million in state tax credits after it closed its Lordstown Assembly plant in March 2019 and ... The Coastal Development Authority has launched its Credit Union facility here in Accra. The scheme according to its Chief Executive Officer, Jerry Ahmed Shaib Esq., the scheme is a recovery program designed to cushion the plight of traders belonging to the informal sector. Speaking during a stakeholders engagement here in Accra, Mr. Ahmed Shaib said, ''this is a poverty eradication programme led by H.E Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, President of Ghana aimed at helping SMEs during this difficult time of Covid19''. On her part, Madam Christy Laryea, President and Queen Mother of Makola congratulated the Coastal Development Authority for such an important initiative aimed at deliberating ways to boost the private sector with traders playing a key role. She was elated that traders have been regarded as contributors to national development for which reason the credit union has been geared towards financing them to retool the business. Mrs. Laryea said ''we appreciate the honor done us and assure CODA and its partners that whatever financial assistance given us will be utilized to its intended purpose to enable us to repay within the required period.'' According to her, the facility has come at a better time when the world is faced with the COVID-19 pandemic. She explained, ''we have been hit hard by this pandemic and appreciate Government relief support in the area of subsidized water and electricity consumption. We are very hopeful and wish to express our sincere appreciation to the Government. '' She requested all businesses to support the Coastal Development Authority and the Government in all its activities to make the market in Accra to do business and advised all market women to observe the COVID 19 protocol by wearing a face mask, washing of hands, observing social distancing, and keeping safe always. U.S Army Criminal Investigation Command announced that it is offering a reward of up to $25,000 for credible information leading to the location of a Fort Bliss, Texas, soldier who has been missing since late July. Pvt. Richard Halliday, a 21-year-old Caucasian male last seen leaving his barracks room July 23, has been the subject of an expanded search effort, Fort Bliss officials announced last week. Despite Halliday's disappearance, CID officials say there is "no indication of foul play or any specific suspicious circumstances," according to a CID news release. Read Next: Congressman Accuses Former Navy SEAL Opponent of Harassment over 2015 Memoir An in-depth forensic search of Halliday's barracks room did not reveal signs of foul play or suspicious activity, it adds. Special agents and local law enforcement have interviewed dozens of military personnel, as well as Halliday's friends and family. Agents have participated in searches of more than 80 barracks rooms, along with consensual searches of numerous homes in the local community and interviews with the homeowners in conjunction with local law enforcement, according to the release. Dozens of special agents, along with military police and personnel from the Fort Bliss Directorate of Emergency Services, have participated in a search of approximately a six-square-mile radius using Halliday's unit as the center point, it adds. The search included sinkholes, water drainages, water sewage systems, water canals and railroad tracks, both on and off post. Agents also searched nearby homeless areas, as well as downtown El Paso, Texas. "We take this very seriously and a host of other investigative techniques have been employed in the search for Pvt. Halliday, and we will continue to investigate until we determine what happened to this soldier," CID spokesman Chris Grey said in the release. "If anyone has any information, we ask you to come forward and share it with us." Agents also recently joined Bliss soldiers and volunteers in searching approximately 20 miles of trails in Franklin Mountain State Park and Indian Peak Trail near Fort Bliss. Army aviation assets assisted in the search of the state park since Halliday reportedly enjoyed camping and hiking, according to the release. Halliday is assigned to D Battery, 1-43rd Air Defense Artillery Regiment, 11th Air Defense Artillery Brigade, 32nd Army Air Missile Defense Command, at Fort Bliss. He is 5 feet, 9 inches tall and weighs 162 pounds. He was last seen wearing gray or turquoise cargo shorts, a gray T-shirt, and a charcoal gray zip-up hoodie, with dark gray running shoes that featured red, yellow and white paint stains, according to the release. Anyone with information about Halliday can contact the Fort Bliss CID Office at 915-568-1700 or the Fort Bliss Military Police at 915-744-1237. Individuals can also submit information anonymously through the CID's site. -- Matthew Cox can be reached at matthew.cox@military.com. Related: Fort Bliss Widens Search for Missing Soldier as Case Details Change Highlights Googles name is inspired by the word Googol. Googol is a mathematical term first introduced in 1920. Google on September 27 celebrated its 27th birthday. Google has a funky name but do you know how it got it? As Google celebrates its 22nd birthday on September 27, it is a good time to know how the company got its name. The name Google came from a mathematics word called googol, which in turn was introduced in 1920. According to the information that is available, in 1920 American mathematician Edward Kasner asked his nephew Milton Sirotta to help him choose a name for a number that had 100 zeros. The name that Sirotta supplied was "googol" and Kasner decided to use the term. The term then formally entered the lexicon in 1940 when Kasner co-wrote a book called Mathematics and the Imagination and in that book used the word googol to describe a number with 100 zeros. In 1998, when Google co-founders Larry Page and Sergei Brin were looking to name the company, they decided on word Googol. They were engineers and were definitely familiar with the word. However, instead of taking the word as it is, they decided to modify it a little. They decided to get rid of the "o" between "g" and "l" and added an "e" after the "l". And so we got Google. Gradually as the use of Google increased, the word was no longer confined to being a noun. It became a verb. And sentences like "let me google that for you" became a norm. To mark its 22nd anniversary, Google also displayed a new doodle on Sunday. This new doodle showed letter G making video call to all other letters in the word Google. This was not only a fun act to mark the birthday of the search engine but also a nod to the times we are living in where video calling has become important. Agence France-Presse Can a small US aerospace company get to Venus before NASA returns to our superheated planetary neighbor? That's what Peter Beck, CEO of Rocket Lab, is hoping as he sets his sights on launching a low-cost probe in 2023. Over the past decade his company has become very good at putting satellites into orbit and his dream of taking the next step an interplanetary mission has received a shot of adrenaline recently with the surprising discovery of a gas linked to living organisms in Venus's corrosive, sulfuric atmosphere. "What we're looking for on Mars is signs of previous life," Beck explains. "Whereas Venus, it's signs of potential life now." With its hellish landscape, Venus has been largely neglected by the major space agencies since the 1980s in favor of the Solar System's more distant bodies. Dozens of missions have notably been sent to Mars seeking signs of ancient microbes. But the discovery by Earth-based radio telescopes of a gas called phosphine in Venus' atmosphere, reported on September 14, sparked a new wave of enthusiasm among scientists who had for years defended the hypothesis that tiny organisms could live in the planet's clouds. Also Read: Phosphine found in the Venus atmosphere, could be signs of 'aerial life' in planet's clouds Phosphine is not definitive proof of life. But it is possible that its presence is linked to living organisms, as it is on our planet. The finding led NASA to declare it was time to once more prioritize Venus. Beck has always been in the pro-Venus camp, and for two years has been contemplating sending an entirely privately funded probe there, he said. He calculated that a small satellite called "Photon" that Rocket Lab developed in-house could be adapted into a spacecraft for an interplanetary voyage. Such bids have historically been the domain of national space agencies, given the enormous costs involved but Beck thinks he has developed a budget solution. "I would expect a mission to Venus to be sort of $30 million," he told AFP by video from Auckland, New Zealand. "When you can measure interplanetary missions in tens of millions of dollars instead of billions, and months instead of decades, the opportunity for discovery is just incredible," he said. Rocket Lab's speciality is sending small satellites into Earth orbit with its small 18-meter-high rocket - a highly lucrative market in recent years as demand for microsatellites has exploded. The company's Venus probe will be very small, weighing around 37 kilograms and just 30 centimetres in diameter. The trip from Earth will take 160 days, then Photon will launch the probe into Venus' clouds, where it will take readings as it falls, without a parachute, at almost 11 kilometres per second. The probe will have between just 270 and 300 seconds to analyse an atmosphere that is almost a hundred times denser than Earth's before it disintegrates or crashes on the planet's fiery surface, where temperatures are hot enough to melt lead 480 C. The hardest part is deciding on the scientific instrument: What molecules should it look for? Miniaturization is another problem. The probe will need to weigh three kilograms, which some experts doubt is possible, but Beck disagrees. Rocket Lab will need help from leading scientists, and has already recruited MIT astronomer and planetary scientist Sara Seager. The adventure is the latest chapter in a new era of space exploration. Nine students will sit at desks six feet apart in classrooms that used to hold 30 children. Gyms, cafeterias and auditoriums will be largely off-limits. And, if all goes according to plan, students and staff will not see each other in-person without their masks on for many months to come. When hundreds of thousands of children in the nations largest school system stream back into school buildings this week for the first time since March 13, they will find their schools and classrooms transformed. New York City is the only major school district in America restarting in-person classes this month, and that herculean task has not unfolded entirely as planned. Mayor Bill de Blasio has twice delayed the start of in-person classes for most students. And on Sunday, the union representing the citys principals called on the state to take over the reopening effort from Mr. de Blasio. Under the latest reopening plan, some young children and students with advanced disabilities returned to schools last week, and classrooms will be open for the rest of the system this week. Rome, N.Y. Rome police shut down a city bar Saturday after officers found it was not complying with Gov. Andrew Cuomos executive orders related to the coronavirus. The Ramblin Inn at 415 N. James St. remains closed until it can comply with the Governors Executive Order, according to a City of Rome police news release. Patrol officers went to the bar Saturday after receiving several complaints of non-compliance with the executive orders, police said. Officers found no food service at the establishment, no or improper mask wearing, (and) improper social distancing, the news release said. A Facebook page for the Ramblin Inn in Rome, which gives the address as 509 N. James St., describes it as a karaoke bar. The State Liquor Authority has not yet suspended the license for the Ramblin Inn, according to the most recent records. As of last week, the SLA had cited 1,084 places holding liquor licenses across the state for violations of the governors executive orders. Of those, 201 have had their licenses suspended for what the SLA calls the most egregious violations. The vast majority of the citations and suspensions have been in New York City and Long Island, where an SLA / State Police task force has actively investigated complaints per the governors direction. Cuomo has been vocal in asking local authorities, such as police departments, to help enforce the coronavirus orders, which are intended to help contain the spread of Covd 19. MORE ON BAR / RESTAURANT RULES AND VIOLATIONS State yanks licenses of two CNY bars for egregious coronavirus violations Oswego bar whose license was pulled on coronavirus charge is owned by town official East Syracuse bar hit with coronavirus charge: Weve tightened up since then Cuomos coronavirus rules: No dancing, no cornhole, no karaoke, no kidding State pulls licenses of 2 Upstate bars over egregious coronavirus rule violations We just lost control that night. CNY restaurant owner explains state coronavirus violation Don Cazentre writes for NYup.com, syracuse.com and The Post-Standard. Reach him at dcazentre@nyup.com, or follow him at NYup.com, on Twitter or Facebook KYODO NEWS - Sep 28, 2020 - 17:18 | All, Japan Princess Yuriko, the oldest member of the imperial family and great-aunt of Emperor Naruhito, has been diagnosed with heart failure, the Imperial Household Agency said Monday. The 97-year-old princess, the widow of Prince Mikasa, is in stable condition and able to converse and eat. She will be medicated and stay at a Tokyo hospital for two to three weeks, according to the agency. Her heart's ability to pump blood has been weakening, and the princess will receive treatment to remove the buildup of pleural fluid, it said. She was originally slated to stay at St. Luke's International Hospital for a week before the diagnosis. The princess had been diagnosed with pneumonia and admitted to the hospital last Thursday after a monthly health checkup. She had been coughing and showing symptoms of exhaustion for a few days prior. Her heart failure was discovered during a separate checkup following her admission into the hospital. She has tested negative for the coronavirus. The princess was fitted with a pacemaker after being diagnosed with bradyarrhythmia, or a slow heart rate, and angina in May 1999. She has regularly replaced the device since. The princess is a member of Japan's former nobility. In 1941 at the age of 18, she married Prince Mikasa, younger brother of Emperor Hirohito, posthumously known as Emperor Showa. Her husband died of heart failure in 2016 at age 100. The couple had three sons and two daughters. Their sons Princes Takamado, Tomohito and Katsura, died in 2002, 2012 and 2014, respectively. She has three granddaughters in the imperial family. Two others -- Princess Noriko and Princess Ayako -- gave up their imperial titles after getting married to commoners in 2014 and 2018, respectively. Related coverage: Crown princess wants to respect daughter's wish over delayed marriage Prince Hisahito, 2nd in line to throne, turns 14 Emperor, his family cancel summer retreat due to pandemic By Express News Service KOCHI: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) court on Monday awarded life imprisonment and a fine of Rs 2.10 lakh to Keralite Subahani Haja Moideen who went to Iraq and returned after waging war for the Islamic State (IS). The Thodupuzha, Idukki, native was found guilty under sections 120(b) and 125 of IPC, and sections 20, 38 and 30 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. This is one of the first cases in Kerala in which an accused was charged under section 125 of IPC for waging war against an Asiatic power in alliance with India. In 2015, Subahani reached Iraq via Turkey and joined IS. He was trained and deployed at the war front in Mosul. He later decided to return after seeing his colleague die in the war and reached Kerala in September 2015. He was arrested by the NIA when a group named Ansarul Khilafha Kerala was busted in Kanakamala in Kannur district. Subahani was granted life imprisonment and Rs one lakh under section 20 of the UAPA for being a member of a terrorist group. For waging war against Iraq, he was granted seven years imprisonment and Rs one lakh fine under section 125 of the IPC. Under section 120 (b) of IPC, he was awarded a sentence of seven years imprisonment and Rs 10,000 fine. Under UAPA section 38 and 39, he was ordered to undergo imprisonment for seven years each with no fine. All the sentences will run concurrently. The court also appreciated investigation officer AP Shoukat Ali, NIA senior prosecutor Arjun Ambalapatta and defence counsel V T Raghunath. Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh on Monday said his government will move the Supreme Court against the three farm bills pushed through the Parliament by the Centre last week as he staged a sit-in to extend support to the protesting farmers. Speaking to reporters at Khatkar Kalan, the ancestral village of freedom fighter Bhagat Singh, the CM said the Centre had no right to bring in a law on agriculture as it was a state subject, and the legislations will be challenged in court. He also linked the protests by farmers to a security threat, claiming that Pakistans intelligence agency ISI can take advantage of the present situation. Vulnerable protesting farmers an easy prey for ISI, he said. Singh said that the Centre does not understand farming, and hence, does not understand why the farmers are protesting. The poor farmers of Punjab feed the nation. Will Centre take on the responsibility of feeding everyone, he asked. He claimed that union minister Narendra Tomar was lying that his government was consulted about the bills. We were only called to a meeting to be told that the decision has already been made, the CM said. Critics have said that the new agricultural policies will lead to farmers losing out on guaranteed purchase prices for their crops, to the benefit of large corporations. Most Opposition parties and farmers organisations across the country have strongly opposed the bills. The bills - Farmers Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020, Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020 and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill- had also led to a Bharat bandh last week where protestors and farmers blocked rail tracks and highways. The protests have been most intense in Punjab, forcing the long-time BJP ally SAD to quit the NDA on Saturday. Earlier, Harsimrat Kaur Badal had resigned from the Union Cabinet. President Ram Nath Kovind gave nod to the bill on Sunday, despite the opposition requesting him to return the bill for discussion. Captain Amarinder Singh had earlier said that Punjab will try to amend laws to protect farmers from the controversial laws. We are already consulting with legal and agricultural experts, and all those impacted by the central governments calamitous legislations, to decide on the future course of action," Amarinder Singh said in a statement. Australian shoppers looking to style their home in a flash without breaking the bank can head into Kmart for a stunning new spring range. The budget retailer has unveiled yet another new collection of living, dining, kitchen, home storage, decor and outdoor products. Notable deals include a $20 double drink dispenser, $39 dining chair, a $65 timber bench, faux plant in pot from $6, rustic table lamp and stylish cushions from $10. Kmart has unveiled yet another new range of living, dining, kitchen, home storage, decor and outdoor products (pictured $20 dual drink dispenser, $6 faux plant, $65 timber bench, $8 jewellery box, $19 flamingo framed canvas, $35 outdoor rug, $20 lamp and $39 dining chair Add a greenery touch to your living area or bedroom with a $6 artificial plant in a pot that's perfect for those looking for zero maintenance. Brighten up the room with a $20 table lamp featuring a wooden base or give your study table a modern makeover with a $20 sleek table lamp. Serve family and friend fruity cocktails or mocktails with a $20 dual drink dispenser with stand or plate up salads or nibbles with a $7 four-pack paradise side plates. Create the ultimate outdoor setting for a dinner or gathering with a $229 three-piece timber dining table with two benches that's also suitable for indoor use. Deals include $10 leaf printed bolster cushion, $10 palm on a stand and $229 dining set Notable deals include a $20 double drink dispenser (left) and a $6 faux plant in a pot (right) Other items on sale include $9 faux magnolia in vase, $8 mandala cushion and $49 bistro table Give a contemporary look to your backyard with a $35 'reversible' outdoor rug or enjoy meals on the patio or balcony using a $49 foldable bistro table. For a fresh new look, add a $10 tropical leaf printed bolster cushion to your space or give your bedroom or living area a stylish makeover with an $8 mandala cushion. Keep fruits and vegetables fresher for longer with a $4 set of four reusable food savers or keep toiletries, hand towels neatly organised with a $9 glass tray. For style and comfort, the $39 Anderson dining chair is the perfect addition to your dining area or organise your jewellery and accessories with an $8 jewellery box. The disgusting, personal attacks from Democrats and disgruntled RINOs have gone too far, and they should be ashamed of themselves for what theyve done to this man and his family, he said in his statement. RINO or Republican in Name Only is an epithet for GOP members who do not support the partys policies or candidates. Dr. William LeCates of Cooperstown resident and president of Bassett Medical Center, Cooperstown, has been promoted to colonel during a ceremony at the New York Army National Guard Headquarters in Latham. LeCates, who enlisted in the New York Army National Guard in 2009, currently serves as the New York Army National Guard state surgeon, the chief medical advisor to Maj. Gen. Ray Shields, the state adjutant general. LaCates helps oversee the work of 100 New York Army National Guard medical professionals. He previously served as the New York Army National Guard's chief aviation medical officer, LaCates did two tours in the Afghanistan war and tdeployed to Liberia in 2015 to help combat tropical and infectious diseases, which included an outbreak of the Ebola virus. He served as the division surgeon for the Troy-based 42nd Infantry Division from 2017 to 2019. LeCates is a nephrologist, a specialist in kidney diseases and hypertension, who studied at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. He is also a graduate of Amherst College. He had worked as an assistant economist for the Federal Reserve Bank of New York before studying medicine. After graduating, he returned to Cooperstown as a practicing doctor, specializing in internal medicine with a focus on kidney disease. He has worked at Bassett since 2003. He has earned a Meritorious Service Medal, an Army Commendation Medal, an Army Reserve Component Achievement Medal, and a Flight Surgeon Badge. New commander New York Army National Guard Capt. Olin Miller of Rexford has assumed command of the Headquarters Company of the 27th Infantry Brigade Combat Team during a ceremony at the brigade's headquarters in Syracuse. He leads soldier who assist the brigade's commander in directing the activities of the combat team. Miller is a full-time supervisory equipment specialist in the Logistics Directorate at the National Guard Headquarters in Latham. He enlisted in Indiana Army National Guard in 2011 as an infantryman while he was simultaneously enrolled in the Reserve Officers Training Program at Purdue University. He was commissioned upon graduation from the university with a business management degree and completion of the ROTC program. Miller has earned an Army Commendation Medal, an Army Achievement Medal, and an Army Reserve Components Achievement Medal. New sergeant 1st class Isabel Denis Polanco of Cohoes has been promoted to sergeant first class while serving as the plans and mobilization noncommissioned officer with the New York Army National Guard's Personnel Office in Latham. Polanco was promoted during a ceremony at headquarters in Latham. Polanco's mother, Delia Velazquez, pinned on her new rank. She began her National Guard career in 2008. Polanco was initially assigned to the 369th Sustainment Brigade in Harlem. She also served in the 42nd Infantry Division in Troy before transferring to the Joint Force Headquarters. Nominate your favorite people and places now Its the 25th anniversary of our Best of the Capital Region readers survey. Nominate your favorite people, places and businesses between Jan. 21 and Feb. 4. Polanco has deployed to Kuwait with the 369th Sustainment Brigade where she served at the Base Operations Center and with the Area Support Group Kuwait, working as a unit administrative noncommissioned officer and training noncommissioned officer. She deployed to Guantanamo Bay with the Headquarters Battalion of the 42nd Infantry Division. She earned an associate in science degree in cyber security at Hudson Valley Community College, Troy. Her awards include a Joint Service Commendation Medal, an Army Commendation Medal, an Army Achievement Medal, and a Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal. Polanco is active in community service. She volunteers at the Damien Center supporting all those who are affected by HIV and collects donations for local shelters. She also volunteers at her local food pantry, and prepares food from home to distribute to the homeless and people of low income communities in an effort to stop hunger. Funding care packages Mary Ellen Rosato of Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 9594 Auxiliary, presented a $1,010 check to Donna Abare, president of Blue Star Mothers New York Region 2 at the Zalgoa American Legion Post in Colonie to help fund sending care packages to troops. "Due to many fundraisers being canceled (by COVID-19) this year the VFW Auxiliary Post 9594 wanted to make sure that they (Blue Star Mothres) had funds to mail care packages to our active military serving our country overseas," Rosato said after the presentation. "It is so important that we remember our military and a package from home really means a lot to them." Donations can be mailed to Blue Star Mothers New York Region 2, Box 243, Delmar, NY 12054. News of your troops and units can be sent to Duty Calls, Terry Brown, Times Union, Box 15000, Albany, NY 12212 or brownt@timesunion.com. AT&T and Verizon have now settled a California lawsuit started back in 2012, with either carrier agreeing to pay out amounts totaling to as much as $116 million. Thats for settlement costs alone. Both carriers cite the long timeframe for the case and costly litigation for the decision. But each also continues to deny any allegations of wrong-doing, the Los Angeles Times writes. For Verizon, the payout will equate to $68 million, overshadowing another payout of $8 million the company is set to settle for in a similar Nevada suit. That doesnt include attorneys fees either. For those, Verizon will pay out an additional $23.45 million. AT&T, conversely, will pay out $48 million for the settlement as compared to its $3 million pay-out in Nevada. An additional $13 million will be tacked on for attorneys fees. Advertisement The figures equate to approximately $99.45 million for Verizon and around $64 million for AT&T. The proceeds from that will be extended to approximately 300 state and local government entities. Those include California State University and the University of California systems as well as LA and Orange Counties. But individual cities, schools, irrigation, and hospital districts will receive funding from the settlement as well. Whats at the root of this lawsuit between California and carrier networks? The whistleblower, in this case, was OnTheGo Wireless, a small MVNO founded by Jeffrey Smith. The organization will receive approximately $47.7 million of the $163.45 million pay-out. Advertisement For clarity, OnTheGo Wireless was a carrier that worked specifically in wireless plan optimization, and both corporate and government customers. It also worked directly with both Verizon and AT&T. The case here was allowed to be brought by OnTheGo Wireless, according to Verizon spokesman Rich Young, after an investigation in both states by the California attorney generals office investigation. Specifically because of a provision in the law that allows independent lawsuits to be brought on the states behalf. Both that investigation and the claims against the carriers alleged that they failed to optimize plans for government entities based on actual usage. Advertisement That investigation led to a decision not to sue the companies. But Mr. Smith was able to discover and report the overcharging by each carrier, and then to provide expertise in rate plan optimization, showing the overcharging. Other industry entities later grouped together to join the suit. That ultimately led to Judge Judy Holzer Hershers ruling in the matter. AT&T and Verizon arent the only ones to pay out in such a case Quite aside from AT&T and Verizon, there are at least two other carriers forced to payout in relation to the case. Those are Sprint and T-Mobile. The now-combined carrier is paying a total of $9.6 million to ensure the California carrier lawsuit is settled. Sin in the Church Affects Everyone By Michael Youssef, Ph.D. Read 1 Corinthians 5:6-13. Sin in the church is not only about the sinner; it affects everyone. The Corinthians had an unrepentant sinner in their ranks, and rather than dealing with the sin, they were tolerating it (see 1 Corinthians 5:1-2). Paul said they were even boasting about it (v. 6)! This one persons sin was changing the whole church; in pride, they were now calling good what God called evil. Paul compares sin in the church to yeast in a lump of dough. In Exodus, when the Israelites were leaving Egypt, God told them not to leaven their breadthere was no time because their rescue was coming quickly. Even now, at Passover many Orthodox Jews will search for any yeast in the house to get rid of it. Its a symbolic ritual: Yeast represents the old way of life under slavery. The Corinthian Christians were never slaves in Egypt, but they were once slaves to sinuntil Christ set them free. That is why Paul told them to get rid of the yeast, the sin in their midst. So seriously did Paul want these believers to treat sin that he desired them not to associate with or even share a meal with unrepentant sinners in the church (see 1 Corinthians 5:9, 11). Christians must see sin for what it isthe way to bondage and deathso that we cling to Christ, humbly rejecting sin and living in the freedom He has won for us. Prayer: Lord, help me to see the sin in my life that I might repent, remembering the freedom You have purchased for me with Christs blood. Help me to walk humbly before You in righteousness. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen. Your boasting is not good. Dont you know that a little yeast leavens the whole batch of dough? (1 Corinthians 5:6). Learn more in Dr. Michael Youssefs sermon Healthy Living in a Sick World, Part 7: LISTEN NOW Want more devotionals from Leading The Way? Sign up for MY Devotional and have a devotional delivered directly to your inbox daily! **** PARTNER WITH US We are Leading The Way for people living in spiritual darkness, at home and around the world, to discover the light of Christ as we passionately proclaim uncompromising Truth. Visit us today at LeadingTheWay.org. Listen to Dr. Michael Youssef on today's broadcast of Leading The Way at OnePlace.com. Watch Dr. Michael Youssef on this week's broadcast of Leading The Way at LightSource.com. If not for life-jackets and a marine two-way radio it might have ended badly. As it is, a couple whose catamaran capsized Sunday will be able to tell the story of the time two police forces and the Canadian Coast guard rescued them from Lake Ontario. It happened at about noon on the lake off the beach strip, about four kilometres south of the Burlington Canal lift bridge, on a balmy and breezy afternoon for sailing in Hamilton. Thats when a 34-year-old man fell off the 16-foot catamaran. A 29-year-old woman tried to rescue him, but in doing so the craft flipped over and she plunged into the 18 C water and lost sight of him. Hamilton police said the woman had attached a VHF radio to her life-jacket and used it to make an emergency mayday call from the water at about 1 p.m. Marine rescue operations on the Great Lakes are co-ordinated by the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre in Trenton, nearly two hours east of Toronto. Marine units responded to the call from Hamilton and Halton police, as well as several auxiliary units from the coast guard, said a police news release. The man was found just over two kilometres from shore by Hamilton police marine officers, with signs of mild hypothermia from spending about one hour in the water in his wetsuit. The woman, who also wore a wetsuit, was not injured. They were assessed by paramedics and went home. The life-jackets, and radio were, police said, instrumental in preventing this incident from turning tragic. Kyiv The COVID-19 pandemic is pushing Ukraine towards its worst recession in decadespossibly a depressionwith devastating consequences for its most vulnerable people, according to a broad UN assessment presented to the Government on 18 September. Ukraine has so far reported nearly 170,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and more than 3,400 deaths. The socio-economic assessment of COVID-19s impact on businesses and households, led by UNDP in collaboration with UN Women and the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, comprised more than 50 separate studies and will inform policy and programmatic responses to the pandemic. It found that 84 percent of households have lost income and 43 percent have at least one family member who has lost a job. More than 2,000 households and enterprises across the country participated in the surveys. In January, Ukraines GDP was projected to grow 3 percent this year. But by July, economists forecast it could drop by as much as 6 percent as global lockdown measures slowed or halted manufacturing, retail trade, transportation, exports, and remittances. We must plan for the worst and hope for the best, planning as far ahead as possible, UNDP Resident Representative Dafina Gercheva said. What we do now will both soften the blow from the pandemic and contribute directly toward rebuilding the country forwardbetter, stronger, and more resilient than ever before. The actions we take now will determine what kind of world emerges from this crisis. Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said the Government had addressed the dual challenges of containing the virus and maintaining the economy through an adaptive quarantine [that] allows us to respond quickly to outbreaks in certain areas, but without having to stop the country. Kyiv is currently developing a set of measures to boost economic growth, notably by implementing business support programs, privatizing state-owned enterprises, and stimulating consumer demand, he said. UN Resident Coordinator Osnat Lubrani praised the responses devised by the Governments Crisis Coordination Management Unit, which is in the Prime Ministers Office and was established by UNDP. This crisis is an opportunity to ensure a transformational change though better policies in taxation, social assistance, governance and anti-corruption, environment, and climate change, he said. The assessment found that the crisis has impacted people differently depending on gender, economic status, and location. City-dwellers, for example, tend to have better access to the Internet, state services, and transport and better employment prospects than others. People living in conflict-affected areas, further, face additional deprivations, the report found. Ongoing shelling damaged many water supplies, which has deprived them of running water during the pandemic, while unemployment and extreme poverty increase the vulnerability for young people begging, increased alcohol intake or abuse, and participation in sex work. Additional highlights from the report: The crisis and ensuing lockdown to contain it have caused outputs, household spending, and trade to plunge. Global value chains have been disrupted and this will lead to a steep decline in GDP. Over-reliance on social transfers and remittances made the country particularly vulnerable to shocks. More than 8 percent of small and medium-sized enterprises are on the brink of bankruptcy and may be forced to close. Unemployment is surging. More than 9 million people may risk falling back into poverty during the pandemic. Women and girls are disproportionately affected because of their high exposure to the virus. Women account for 82 percent of the health and social workers, compared with 70 percent on average worldwide. The crisis and lockdown have also led to a spike in domestic violence, with reported cases up 30 percent. Many more have likely gone unreported. Recommendations for a sustained recovery include: Focusing first on vulnerable groups such as women, older people, and people living with chronic health conditions and disabilities. Sustaining reforms and re-prioritizing government spending and policies. Creating fiscal space through international financing, progressive taxes, increased government efficiency and transparency, and anti-corruption efforts. Leveraging UN Country Team expertise and institute policies and recovery plans that follow international best practices. Maintaining essential services and treat COVID-19 at the primary health care level as much as possible. Confiscating ineffective or fake medications through improved monitoring and public outreach. Scaling up spending on health and continuing reforms to the public health system. Making remote learning available to all students and training teachers in online instruction. Promoting a sustainable, inclusive green recovery and removing remaining direct and indirect fossil fuel subsidies. Early UNDP actions in Ukraine On 17 March, just over two weeks after the first case of the COVID-19 disease was confirmed in the country, the government imposed a strict set of quarantine measures, including closing the countrys borders and requiring citizens to stay at home, only being allowed to go outside to buy food and medicine. With the country under quarantine, Gercheva said, UNDP immediately mobilized its partner networks and contributed to the COVID-19 response, providing information leaflets via a housing improvements project that reached around 1.8 million people. Disinfectant and personal protective equipment was provided to medical workers, police and rescuers in eastern Ukraine. In April, UNDP Ukraine also initiated monitoring on access to public information, with the focus on the COVID-19 outbreak response at the local level. Work has also begun on integrating aspects of coronavirus-related stigma and discrimination to the agencys work through the Ombudspersons regional network. UNDP helped the government set up Crisis Coordination Management Units, under the Prime Ministers Office and Ministry of Foreign Affairs, with technical coordination by the Vice Prime Minister on European and Euro-Atlantic Integration. UNDP then launched a campaign to encourage solidarity during the pandemic and a joint initiative with the independent publication platfor.ma to help young people aged 14-22 cope with isolation, social distancing, and quarantine restrictions while staying at home. UNDP organized a hackathon called the #HackCorona Challenge in partnership with the Ministry of Digital Transformation to identify the best tech-based solutions for mitigating and addressing the challenges caused by COVID-19. In conflict-affected east of the country, UNDP also helped 10 businesses from conflict-affected eastern Ukraine, previously supported by the agency with business grants, to launch online stores selling products from coffee and honey, to linen, home decor, and souvenirs. More recently, UNDP launched a Chatbot developed in partnership with the Ukraine Chamber of Commerce. The chatbot responds automatically to user queries about ways for micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises to mitigate the negative impacts of COVID-19. It can also produce pre-filled force majeure certificates and forms to present to landlords and banks. Congratulations are in order for actor Amanda Seyfried, who welcomed her second child in Septemeber 2020. The celebrity, known for movies such as Alpha Dog and Dear John, doesnt reveal much about her personal life on social media, so the announcement was a surprise to fans. Learn more about Seyfriend including her net worth here. Amanda Seyfried is known for films like Mean Girls RELATED: Amanda Seyfrieds Best Movie Roles, Ranked Seyfried began her career as a model. She later became an actor, appearing in soap operas such as As the World Turns and All My Children. Seyfriends breakout roles came in 2004, when she starred in her first film, the comedy Mean Girls, and began a recurring role as Lilly Kane in the UPN-CW series Veronica Mars. From there, Seyfried continued to appear in films such as Mamma Mia! and Jennifers Body. She also starred in the HBO drama Big Love throughout the series five-season run. Other notable roles of Seyfrieds include movies like In Time, Les Miserables, and the 2018 sequel Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again. Seyfried is married to Thomas Sadoski Before she got married, Seyfried dated at least two other actors: Her Mamma Mia! co-star Dominic Cooper, and Justin Long. After working with Thomas Sadoski in the independent dramedy The Last Word, the pair began dating, marrying in early 2017. In addition to The Last Word, Sadoski is known for his role in the John Wick franchise. He also starred in the HBO political drama series The Newsroom throughout the shows three-season run. In addition to his Tony-nominated stage career, Sadoski starred in the CBS sitcom Life in Pieces as Matt Short. How many kids do Sadoski and Seyfried have? Thomas Sadoski (L) and Amanda Seyfried arrive at the premiere of Bleecker Street Medias The Last Word on March 1, 2017 in Hollywood, California. | Amanda Edwards/Getty Images Sadoski and Seyfried were married in March 2017. That same month, they announced the birth of their first child: a daughter, Nina. While both actors have verified social media accounts, they keep their posts about Nina to a minimum, occasionally showing her from a distance or with her face obscured. Seyfried and Sadoski did not announce their second pregnancy. Instead, the news was made by INANA, an organization they sit on the board of. Since the birth of our daughter 3 years ago our commitment to the innocent children that are so brutally effected by conflict and war has been a driving force in our lives, read the Instagram statement. With the birth of our son the work of INARA and War Child has become our North Star. Amanda Seyfrieds net worth Amanda Seyfried attends the press conference for Lancome on January 15, 2020 in Tokyo, Japan. | Jun Sato/WireImage Leading a life primarily out of the spotlight, Seyfried and Sadoski live in the Catskills, a mountainous area north of New York City. In addition to Seyfrieds beloved dog, Finn, they have numerous animals, including goats, horses, and even a donkey, according to her Instagram. Because of her lowkey lifestyle, Seyfrieds net worth has not been a significant subject of reporting. However, according to Celebrity Net Worth, her assets also include a Los Angeles home and a condo in Greenwich village. The site estimates her total net worth at around $12 million. Simba Makoni SM) is regarded as one of the best ministers to preside over Zimbabwes Treasury. He then formed his party, Mavambo/Kusile/Dawn (MKD) which had a good showing in the 2008 presidential elections, controversially won by Mugabe. Last week, the former Southern African Development Community (Sadc) executive secretary sat down with NewsDay (ND) reporter Cliff Chiduku to give his opinion on the state of affairs in the country. ND: In 2008, you had a good showing in presidential election (gaining 8% of the vote) but your party collapsed thereafter, where did things go wrong? SM: We are continuing our efforts to get Zimbabwe working again. I must concede that we have not been as vocal and visible as other political parties, but we are alive and quietly organising, while at the same time feeding our ideas for solving the countrys myriad problems, through other co-operative national engagements. ND: Speculation had it that you were a Solomon Mujuru proxy, why did you not work with his wife Joice after she was booted out of Zanu PF in 2014? SM: Both I, personally, and MKD as an organisation, have been keen to co-operate with other individuals and organisations, who genuinely wish to contribute to solving the countrys problems. I can assure you that, to that end, we continue our efforts to facilitate and contribute to effective co-operation mechanisms. However, it is worth recognising that co-operation takes two or more voluntary participants. You cannot impose it on others. ND: When President Emmerson Mnangagwa took over the presidency via a coup in November 2017, he sold himself as a listening President and a reformist, but events on the ground speak to the contrary. How has the new dispensation fared so far. SM: There is no difference in the ethos, culture and methods of the so-called new dispensation, compared to before November 2017. People now live in more fear. There is no hesitation to deploy the military in circumstances requiring civilian law enforcement. Abuse and denial of human rights are worse. The economy and social services have deteriorated further. Poverty, food insecurity, joblessness, homelessness continue to deepen. The nations physical infrastructure has all but collapsed. Corruption and plunder of national resources continue unabated. The country is a total pariah. In fact, we are in a mess. ND: Some former Zanu PF stalwarts are applying for readmission into the ruling party and you, given a chance, would you consider rejoining the party or government? SM: No, not at all! The Zanu PF that liberated the country does not exist anymore. It was replaced a long time ago, by the Zanu PF of degrees of violence, greed, corruption, incompetence, human rights abuse, economic collapse, food insecurity, no aspirin and bandages in hospitals, no books and chalk in schools, tichingotonga (while we rule) So, there is no Zanu PF to rejoin. ND: Any advice to Finance minister Mthuli Ncube? SM: Maybe he should follow his policy announcements and live his views and visions at the time he was appointed. ND: Some believe Zimbabwes problems are more political than economic? SM: Yes, the root cause of our problems is politics toxic politics, intolerant politics. All the factors you list above are symptoms with the bigger political problem. ND: Do you think it is time to shift to a different political model? SM: Please, bear in mind that any system is as good as the people who operate in it, or operate it. There are successful first past the post systems, and yes, it is possible for Zimbabwe to crawl out of its myriad of current crises, if leaders recommit to serve the people, rather than serve themselves. However, as an ideal, an aspiration, proportional representation is a fairer and more equitable system. Yes, I would advocate that we move to proportional representation. ND: The Southern African Development Community (Sadc) has been accused of handling the Zimbabwe crisis with kid gloves. From your experience as Sadc executive secretary, how effective is the regional bloc in dealing with errant member States? SM: It is 26 years since I left Sadc. Time has lapsed, personalities have changed and circumstances have equally changed. So, it will not be appropriate to compare the Sadc of 26 years ago to the Sadc of today. However, assessing Sadcs performance against its own yardsticks, for example, guidelines for democratic, free and fair elections, macro-economic convergence towards common values, standards and systems, towards a common future, there is a wide gap between professions and practices. In addition, Sadc may wish to borrow a leaf or two from Ecowas [Economic Community of West African States], on how to deal with regional politics, particularly how to treat deviations from agreed principles and standards. You ask that is the regional bloc doing enough to save the Zimbabwean situation? Please, Zimbabweans should accept that they created their own problems, and no one is going to save them from themselves. Remember, we are own liberators. ND: If Zimbabwe goes for political dialogue, what form and shape should the talks take? SM: The common denominator of past dialogues, for example the Lancaster House, Unity Accord and Global Political Agreement, is that they were dialogues of the political elites aimed at power sharing. Future national dialogues should not be exactly that, they should include national, fully inclusive (business, civil society, faith organisations, people with disabilities, politicians, professionals, traditional leaders, women, youths). The agenda should go beyond power politics/power sharing to constructing a social contract, a foundation for a nation at peace and in harmony with itself, a caring culture, a strong work ethic, respect for the law, human rights, fairness, equity and justice. ND: Can you comment on the state of affairs in Zimbabwes opposition politics? SM: Zimbabwean politics as a whole, not just opposition politics, is violent, predatory, extractive, disempowering. It alienates leaders from those led and subjugates people to leadership, it steals from the people to feed leaders, thrives on intimidation, coercion and fear, is cemented by opportunism rather than values and principles. The above are the characteristics of our national politics, ruling party or opposition, tragic! ND: Your partying words SM: Fellow Zimbabweans, change is in our hands. Together, we can make the change we deserve. We need genuine unity of purpose. Newsday NEW DELHI : The government has given additional three months time till December to millers to undertake mandatory export of their sugar quota allocated for this year, a senior Food Ministry official said on Monday. For the 2019-20 marketing year ending September, the government has allowed export of 6 million tonnes of sugar under the quota to help deal with surplus sugar. "Out of 6 million tonnes, 5.7 million tonnes of sugar have been contracted. And about 5.6 million tonnes have been moved from mills," Subodh Kumar Singh, Joint Secretary in the Food Ministry, told PTI. Some mills faced difficulty in exporting during the current COVID-19 pandemic as they could not move their stock due to movement restrictions in some places, he said. "Several mills faced logistic issues during the pandemic. So, we have decided to give some more time till December for them to export their quota," Singh said. Mills have exported sugar to countries such as Iran, Indonesia, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh among others. There were quality issues for export of sugar to Indonesia which have now been relaxed that has given a boost to shipments from India, the official added. The government is providing 6,268 crore subsidy for export of 6 million tonnes of sugar during the 2019-20 marketing year, in order to liquidate surplus domestic stock and help mills in clearing huge sugarcane arrears to farmers. Sugar production in India, the world's second largest producer of the sweetener after Brazil, is estimated to be lower at 27.3 million tonnes in the 2019-20 marketing year (October-September), down from previous year due to drought in major growing states of Maharashtra and Karnataka. But the domestic sugar production is more than the estimated annual requirement of 25-26 million tonnes. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Never miss a story! Stay connected and informed with Mint. Download our App Now!! Topics China has rejected claims that the authorities destroyed two thirds of the mosques in the predominantly Muslim Xinjiang Autonomous Region. Beijing also denies the existence of 380 camps allegedly used in a plan to force Muslim Uyghurs to abandon their language and beliefs. But China admits to a massive re-education process aimed at eliminating terrorism in the region, and Communist Party Secretary Xi Jinping has lauded the policy as successful. The report called Cultural Erasured and published on 24 September by the Australian Strategic Policy Institue (ASPI) says that approximately 16,000 mosques in Xinjiang or 65 percent of the total, have been destroyed or damaged as a result of government policies, mostly since 2017. Using satellite imagery, researchers found that an estimated 8,500 mosques have been demolished outright, and, for the most part, the land on which those razed buildings once sat remains vacant. A further 30 percent of important Islamic sacred sites (shrines, cemeteries and pilgrimage routes, including many protected under Chinese law) have been demolished across Xinjiang, mostly since 2017, and an additional 28 percent have been damaged or altered in some way. Coinciding with the Cultural Erasure report, ASPI also published the another report Documenting Xinjiang's Detention System, that says it locates "more than 380 suspected detention facilities in Xinjiang in what the institute calls the largest database of Xinjiang's detention facilities in existence. Pure slander China's pro-Beijing Global Times newspaper rejected the findings of ASPI as pure slander, adding that Xinjiang has about 24,000 mosques, one for every 530 Muslims. The number of mosques in Xinjiang is 10 times more than that in the US. In another reaction to the report, China refused entry to Australian anti-China scholar Clive Hamilton, and ASPI analyst Alexander Joske, showing Beijing's refusal to subject itself to such connivance of denigration under the guise of scholarly work. But the allegations are not new. Reports of Beijing's growing efforts to re-educate large segments of its 15-million-strong Uyghur population started to circulate in 2017. Initially in the Chinese press itself, like the story published by the Xinjiang Daily, which talks about Uygur shop owner Ali, who had a low level of education and who was interned in the Hotian Education and Training Center because he lacked sufficient vigilance against the harm of the 'three forces' - separatism, terrorism and religious extremism that threaten China's unity." These reports were followed by an increasing flood of reports by scholars and human rights organisations suggesting a quickly expanding conglomerate of detention centers aimed at forcing Uyghurs to learn Mandarin and discouraging them from engaging in religious activities. 'Healthy heart attitude' At the beginning of 2018 The Guardian newspaper estimated the number of Uyghurs undergoing forced education at 120,000; in September that year, researcher Adrian Zenz collected evidence pointing at a numbers around 1,000,000 people in his groundbreaking study 'Thoroughly reforming them towards a healthy heart attitude': China's political re-education campaign in Xinjiang, which attracted global media attention. Subesequent publication in 2019 of Chinese internal policy documents and the Xinjiang Files, complemented with research by Human Rights Watch, which managed to reverse-engineer surveillance tools used by Xinjiang police, gave further support to the allegations. Initially, China denied the reports, and an article in the state-sponsored Global Times simply admitted that 1.1 million (Xinjiang) citizens for start-ups, college students and those who had difficulty finding a job would be provided with special training. US gives a boost China's drive to re-educate its Muslim Uyghur population may have been boosted indirectly by the United States. Disturbances in Xinjiang go back to the 1980s. In 1996, the Central Committee's internal 'Document Number 7' identified Xinjiang as being the greatest problem for the Chinese Communist Party, and Beijing launched a strike hard campaign against Uyghur separatism. The 9/11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Centre in New York meant a windfall for China. The US War on Terror, inspired Beijing to initiate its own war against terrorism, concentrated in Xinjiang, merging that "battle" with the Strike Hard campaign against the Uyghurs, while claiming international legitimacy. Terror lists In 2003, Beijing placed four Muslim Uyghur organisations on its terror list. The US State Department had already listed one of them, the East Turkestan Islamic Movement (Etim) on the Terrorist Exclusion List, while a note by the UN Security Council said that the organisation was responsible for bomb attacks, robberies and setting up bases outside China to train terrorists, as well as dispatching its members to China to plot and execute terrorist acts including bombing buses, cinemas, department stores, resulting in 140 dead and 371 wounded between 2001 and 2009. Subsequent incidents hardened Beijing's determination to crack down. The 2010 Aksu bombing (7 dead), knife attacks resulting in dozens of victims in 2012 in Yecheng and 2015 at the Kunming Railway station and other scattered incidents, along with anti-Chinese demonstrations culminating in mass riots in Xinjiang's capital Urumqi in 2009 (resulting in 197 dead), triggered a policy that seems to be aimed at rooting out any cultural and linguistic traits that are linked to Islam or Uygur traditions. The current drive towards mass detention coincides with the rise to power of Xi Jinping in 2012. He visited the region in 2014, just after a deadly attack by Uyghurs who had driven cars into a crowd at a market place in Xinjiang's capital Urumqi, throwing explosives, killing 31 and wounding 90 in the process. Turning point It proved to be another turning point. According to leaked internal documents, Xi pledged absolutely no mercy and he had Chen Quanguo, party secretary in Tibet, who had been successful in suppressing dissent in Lhasa, transferred to Xinjiang. Within two years, a system of electronic mass surveillance was put in place and the construction of the re-education camps accelerated. Offenders who have committed minor crimes under the influence of religious extremism will be educated, rehabilitated and protected through vocational training, through the learning of standard Chinese language and labor skills, and acquiring knowledge of the law, according to a White Paper on Terrorism and Extremism and Human Rights Protection issued by China's State Council in March this year. These people are large in number, the paper adds, without going into the statistics. Communist Party Secretary Xi Jinping gave his final blessing during a meeting on ethnic affairs, saying that "facts have fully proved that China's work on ethnic affairs has been successful". And while human rights groups say China's efforts increasingly part of a nationwide policy that seems aimed subjugating other ethnicities such as Mongols and Tibetans as well may lead to the extinction of minority cultures, Beijing says the policy pays off: terrorism in Xinjiang has gradually been eliminated since these centers were set up, according to the Global Times. No more ordinary people are killed by rioters. The lives of those that already committed crimes as well as potential rioters have been saved.'' Victorias second wave of COVID cases can be largely traced back to hotel quarantine, with an inquiry into the program finding it responsible for a staggering number of cases and deaths. The states second wave of coronavirus can be traced back to outbreaks among security guards and staff at the Rydges on Swanston and Stamford Plaza hotels in mid-May and June. Counsel assisting the inquiry, Rachel Ellyard, said the Department of Health and Human Services was in charge of the program but its focus was largely on "logistics and compliance at the expense of public health". Victoria's surge in COVID cases can be traced back to security guards at the Rydges on Swanston and Stamford Plaza hotels in mid-May and June. Source: AAP Counsel assisting Ben Ihle said the program failed to meet its primary objective, which was to keep the community safe from the virus. "The program that was intended to contain the disease, was instead a seeding ground for the spread of COVID-19 into the community," Mr Ihle said. "The failure by the hotel quarantine program to contain this virus is, as at today's date, responsible for the deaths of 768 people and the infection of 18,418 others. "One only needs to pause and to reflect on those figures to appreciate the full scope of devastation and despair occasioned as a result of the outbreaks." Before the outbreaks, the state's death toll was 19. Victoria Police contributed to guard call The decision to use private security in quarantine hotels was influenced by Victoria Police's "preference" not to do the job, an inquiry has heard. Victoria's hotel quarantine inquiry on Monday heard the fateful decision to use guards was likely made at a meeting at the state control centre on the afternoon March 27. Ms Ellyard said the decision wasn't made by one person or government department. Instead, it was a "creeping assumption that became a reality". "While no one person made a decision, by the end of that state control centre meeting, it was understood by all present that that was what was going to happen," Ms Ellyard said. In that meeting, Victoria Police Assistant Commissioner Mick Grainger said it was the force's "preference" that private security be used. Story continues Victoria Police's "preference" not work the quarantine hotels influenced the decision to hire private security. Source: AAP "The expression of a preference can readily be understood to have given the clear impression that police weren't going to do it and there needed to be an alternative," Ms Ellyard said. "Their preference became the outcome." She said once the decision had been made, no one in the meeting gave "any specific consideration" to the suitability of private security for the job. Contracts written up by the Department of Jobs, Precincts and Regions left infection control and training in personal protective equipment use to the security companies. Hotels, meanwhile, were responsible for cleaning, unless a returned traveller tested positive to Covid. "Responsibility for managing the risk of infection and providing for the safety of those involved in the program should have remained with the state. No contract should have purported to outsource those matters," Ms Ellyard said. No suggestion of bad faith or corruption Counsel assisting Tony Neal QC said there was no suggestion those who set up the program worked other than with "the best of intentions and to the best of their ability". "Bad faith or corruption is not what the evidence shows," he said. He said public servants were given the "enormous, immediate, unenviable" tasks of setting up the program within 36 hours. "There was simply not the time to translate a policy into a plan," Mr Neal said. He said a "multitude of decisions, actions and inactions" was to blame for the program's failure. Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews was grilled at an inquiry into Victoria's botched hotel quarantine program on Friday. Source: AAP However, the three lawyers said it was not open to the inquiry to find Australian Defence Force personnel should have been engaged in the program. The inquiry, headed by retired judge Jennifer Coate, has heard from 63 witnesses, including Premier Daniel Andrews, senior government ministers and public servants. Mr Andrews told the inquiry on Friday he believed health minister Jenny Mikakos was responsible for the program. She resigned the following day. The premier revealed on Monday the cost of the inquiry had nearly doubled to just under $6 million. The inquiry's final report is due by November 6. Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and download the Yahoo News app from the App Store or Google Play. In a country of 200 million, where sexual assault is described as endemic and justice for rape victims is seldom within reach, a local community-based approach might just be the shortest cut to breaking the cycle of sexual crimes, especially in rural areas. An air of excitement swept through Wuna village, a rural settlement in Gwagwalada area council of Nigerias capital territory, FCT, as the communitys chief inaugurated the Community Child Protection Committee (CCPC) a team of young men and women vested with responsibility to monitor, investigate and report incidents of rape and sexual crimes within the area. The 18-member team of volunteers were handpicked by the leaders of the community and the village chief bestowed on them the statutory authority to carry out the task in front of everyone. Recent reports of rape incidents have left many Nigerians enraged over these sexual assaults, especially on children and young women. PREMIUM TIMES has reported several rape cases across Nigeria in the past few weeks, some leading to the death of the victims. As more Nigerians call for stiffer punishment against rapists, the Nigerian government declared a state of emergency on sexual violence while lawmakers are debating on whether to prescribe castration for persons found guilty of rape. But despite these measures, more victims still find it difficult to get justice. Nigeria has an extremely low conviction rate for rape and sexual abuse, despite an increase in violence against women. But the shortcomings in Nigerias legal system where the burden to prove rape or abuse often lies in the evidence of it also being a violent attack is just a tip of the challenges facing survivors. Many more cases of rape and sexual crimes are undocumented, unheard, and unreported in rural communities such as Wuna, where lifesaving service providers such as hospitals, support centres, and the police are out of reach. Community Based Approach CCPC is a community-based initiative aimed at changing norms, attitudes and behaviours of community members in Kuje, Gwagwalada and Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) of the FCT, that are encouraging sexual violence of children and particularly girls while also preventing disclosures of this crime due to the culture of silence. It was put in place by the Sexual Offences Awareness and Response Initiative (SOAR) and Teen Support Centre, with funding from the European Union under the rule of law and anti-corruption programme. According to SOAR, the CCPCs will have their capacities built to promote gender equitable norms, prevent and respond to child sexual abuse and other forms of sexual and gender based violence (SGBV) and child protection issues against children. On Monday, during the launch of the project in Wuna, Ibrahim Ali, the CCPC secretary in the community, said he joined the committee because of his passion and love for children. I want children in this community to grow up in a decent way, that is why I joined, he explained. He said the whole community is in support of the initiative. Those into such crimes are the only ones that will not want something like this. Mr Ali, a farmer, said the only challenge is finding time to do the work while trying to concentrate on his farming. Sunday Barnabas, the palace secretary, who is also a member of the committee, said the launch of the initiative has already started spreading fear among perpetrators of sexual crimes among the community. The CCPC committee makes every child and young girl protected. We have been experiencing child abuse in this community for long and nobody is talking about it, that is why we volunteered ourselves to stop these cases. The selected members are people of good conduct with no record of sexual crimes, he explained. Helen Alfred, the desk officer at the orphan and vulnerable childrens office at the Gwagwalada area council, described the initiative as a welcome development. She explained how her office is coming into the arrangement. We provided hot lines for the CCPC members. Once they discover a case, they are to report immediately and explain the situation even before going further into investigating. Our own is to follow up with them and then keep the police on alert for possible arrest when the need arises. she said. Advertisements How CPCCs Will Operate Chinyere Eyoh, a rape survivor, is the founder of the SOAR initiative. She began the advocacy against sexual crimes in 2011. At first, we started working in schools. but then we realised that a lot of cases we handled always stem from homes in rural settings, so we decided to work with communities, so we can have more impact, she said. Mrs Eyoh described the CCPC, which she said was launched in 2015. as a form of police for monitoring dark corners and bringing to light hidden cases of sexual crimes. Explaining how the CPCCs will operate, she said members are not expected to take action but to track, investigate, and report back to the appropriate authorities. The idea is to establish a local system in hard-to-reach communities that can track sexual violence and break the chain of silence. The most important thing is for the committee members to be dispassionate in monitoring and reporting cases without any form of bias. The SOAR founder also explained how the platform selects communities to establish the CCPC. She said the community of Wuna was selected due to the high prevalence of rape, defilement and teenage pregnancy within the community. Wuna is a predominantly Gbari-speaking village. Here, many teenage girls do not go to school because of early pregnancies. During the event, the local Wuna chief, represented by his secretary, Mr Barnabas, also listed the responsibilities of the team and how they would work. We know how powerful village chiefs can be, thats why we go through them. Mrs Eyoh said. We met with the Wuna chief and he bought the idea. She said the CCPC team in Wuna were selected by community leaders. After the selection, we trained them. We made them understand the different forms of abuses, because in Nigeria there are some types that are not recognised as abuse at all. Firstly, they need to understand that a child is someone below 18, and no child can consent to sexual abuse, therefore for an adult to have sexual relation with a child is an abuse. We also took them through some facts and myths about sexual abuse. We taught them the processes of addressing a case and how to report back to designated service providers including the police, hospitals and appropriate authorities at the Gwagwalada area council offices. Challenges Just as in Wuna, the CCPC arrangement has been established in at least four other communities within the Abuja metropolis. The major challenge is getting community members that are committed, Mrs Eyoh said. The CCPC is purely a voluntary work, members are not paid. In many communities, people are expecting to be paid before they commit themselves. It is harder to make them understand that the initiative is for the benefit of the community. If we can have such arrangements in as many communities as possible, sexual crimes will reduce drastically, but we can only go as far as the funds we have permits. Asides setting up the CCPC, we will also be working directly with the children. We are training mentors who will now meet the children once every week. to train them on how to protect and prevent themselves from being sexually abused. She said this will help break the cycle of silence and stigma associated with sexual abuses. Children sexually abused often are afraid to speak up. This is why Nigerian lawmakers are seeking to amend the criminal code to eliminate a time frame for prosecuting cases of sexual abuse by increasing the period from two months to as many years as the victim decides to seek action. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) walks through Statuary Hall to the House Chamber for President Donald Trump's State of the Union address in the Capitol in Washington on Feb. 4, 2020. (Charlotte Cuthbertson/The Epoch Times) Pelosi Offers Hope That COVID-19 Stimulus Deal Possible House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) over the weekend expressed hope that a deal could be made between top Democrats and the White House on another economic stimulus measure related to the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus pandemic. We are having our conversations. And when I have a conversation with the administration, it is in good faith, she said on CNN. Pelosi said she hopes Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin can come up with a plan to reach a solution with Democrats, saying, I believe we can come to an agreement. Since Democrats and the White House reached an impasse in early August over how much to spend and what aspects of the economy need assistance, there has been mounting pressure on Pelosi from moderate House Democrats. Earlier this month, a bipartisan group of House lawmakers proposed a $1.5 trillion deal that would include stimulus checks, $450-per-week in unemployment benefits, and $500 billion in funding for state and local governments. It came after Democrats in May passed their $3.4 trillion HEROES Act in the House, which included over $900 billion in state and local funding and an extension of the $600-per-week unemployment benefits. Republicans in the Senate said they wouldnt approve the measure. Formal talks involving Mnuchin, Pelosi, Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), and White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows havent restarted, and its unclear when they will. Mnuchin and Pelosi have indicated theyre speaking about the measures by phone. Pelosi told CNN on Sept. 27 that it was definitely a possibility that she would offer a bill if the impasse continued, although she said she would rather have a deal with the White House. The Trump administration and Mnuchin have signaled they wont consider a $2.2 trillion or $2.4 trillion measure, as Democrats have suggested in recent weeks. President Donald Trump talks to reporters while hosting (2nd LR) Vice President Mike Pence, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, and Republican congressional leaders in the Oval Office at the White House on July 20, 2020. (Doug Mills-Pool/Getty Images) However, at some point, the public is going to have to see why $2.2 or now $2.4 trillion dollars is necessary, Pelosi added in the interview, arguing that since the last pandemic stimulus measure was passed months ago, more aid is required. So we may need more money than that. And we will reveal what that is in a short period of time. White House adviser Larry Kudlow told reporters over the weekend that the administration wouldnt support a bill of that size. Id like to say we are making great progress, but I cant yet, Kudlow later said. I cant get ahead of that curve, its not happening. He pointed to recent improvements in the U.S. job market after months of unemployment spikes. Senate Republicans this month failed to advance a $500 billion stimulus package over Democrats objections that it didnt do enough. The bill didnt include funding to state and local governments, food assistance, and stimulus checks, among other measures favored by Democrats. I think we have a chance to get something done and we want to, Pelosi told CNN. What we will be putting forth is an offer to say, now let us negotiate within a time frame and a dollar amount to get the job done to put money in peoples pockets, to honor our heroes and to crush the virus. Fintech unicorn Airwallex has raised US$200 million to finance the roll-out of its payments platform across the United States early next year, a move that could see it clash with San Francisco-headquartered giant Stripe. Investors such as venture capitalists Square Peg and Skip Capital, the investment firm of Kim Jackson and Atlassian co-founder Scott Farquhar, crowded into the fundraising once it became clear that Airwallex was growing revenues through the coronavirus pandemic. The pandemic has inflamed investors love affair with financial technology as the shift from traditional banking to digital payments has accelerated. Airwallexs capital call comes as a rush of fintech companies list this year, including Ant Group in Hong Kong and Shanghai, Lufax in New York and JD Digits in Shanghai. Get the latest insights and analysis from our Global Impact newsletter on the big stories originating in China. Stripe is still holding its cards close on the timing of its IPO, but was last valued in a private fundraising round at about US$36 billion. Businesses are now racing to embrace digital transformation at an unprecedented rate. We are more certain than ever that the digital economy is going to be the centre of the worlds economic structure, Jack Zhang, chief executive officer and co-founder of the start-up, which is based in Hong Kong and Melbourne. Jack Zhang, founder of Airwallex, is planning an assault on the US market. Photo: Handout Airwallex extended its Series D fundraising for new and existing investors, which added US$40 million to the US$160 million that the firm announced in April. The round pegged Airwallexs valuation at US$1.8 billion, according to a person familiar with the matter, and brings the start-ups total equity funding to over US$400 million. Airwallex has already established a beachhead in the US, the worlds largest financial market. It has hired a team on the ground, established partnerships with US banks, and plans to use its office in San Francisco as a launch pad to roll out its payments platform early next year. Story continues The firm has already secured money transmitter licences in 20 US states and expects to have the paperwork completed for more by next year. It does not expect to compete head-on for domestic US business with Stripe but will be making a bid for US cross-border payments. That is not to say Airwallex isnt pushing on other fronts, including building its banking network across the Middle East, Eastern Europe and Africa. Its recruitment drive is on full throttle, and it has added more than 140 staff in the first half of the year, with over 100 roles still left to fill. Airwallex is also pursuing licences in Japan and Malaysia. Generally speaking, financial regulators require start-ups to open an office in their jurisdiction before granting e-money licences. The firm now has offices in Melbourne, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Beijing, Singapore, London, San Francisco, Tokyo, Kuala Lumpur, Amsterdam and Bangalore. It also has a representative in Dubai. Airwallex, which seeks to enable low-cost and fast international collections and payments, mainly in the business-to-business arena, has witnessed a sea change in companies attitudes towards the digital economy this year. The firm reported more than a 50 per cent increase in its global customer base and said its net revenue has risen by over 100 per cent in the third quarter from the second quarter. It is on track to hit its goal of a US$100 million gross profit by next year. Some industries have thrived during lockdowns such as e-commerce, logistics online education and video streaming. In contrast, others have slumped including travel and international student tuition payments, said Zhang based on analysis of payments made via Airwallex. Airwallex, whose clients include Chinas JD.com and Tencent, has added a new revenue stream in recent months, helping manufacturers make digital payments to their international distributors. Airwallex was founded in Melbourne during 2015 by Zhang and four partners with money from Tencent, Li Ka-shings Horizons Ventures and Indonesias Central Capital Ventura. Since then it has knit together an international payments network that bypasses and dramatically undercuts Swift, the dominant messaging correspondent banking network for money transfer instructions, and is layering on treasury products and services, such as virtual multicurrency debit cards with Visa. The value of instant payments, where transactions are completed within 10 seconds, will hit US$18 trillion in 2025, up from US$3 trillion this year. This would represent 17 per cent of all money transfers by value in 2025, according to a study from Juniper Research released on Monday. Seventy-five per cent of Airwallexs customers plan to continue to use the digital channel post-pandemic, said Zhang at Digital Trade in a Post-COVID World, a virtual briefing organised by the South China Morning Post and the World Economic Forum earlier this month. The speed of e-commerce is being accelerated probably what happened in a decade happened in a couple of months, said the 35-year-old Zhang, who is an Australian citizen and Hong Kong resident. More from South China Morning Post: This article Fintech unicorn Airwallex raises US$200 million capital in US expansion plan to compete with Stripe first appeared on South China Morning Post For the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2020. Maharashtra Congress has decided to up its ante against the three farm bills passed by the Parliament last week by intensifying protests against them. Senior party leaders met Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari and urged him to withdraw the bills, terming them anti-farmers. The party has announced to observe Save Farmer-Labourers Day on October 2, hold a virtual farmer rally next week and gather signatures of over one crore farmers on the petition to oppose the newly passed law. In the memorandum handed over to the Governor, the party has demanded the bills to be scrapped as they are anti-farmer and were passed without any discussion. The bills will lead farmers to the slavery and safeguard the interests of a bunch of industrialists, who are close to the BJP leaders in power. There was no discussion held within the cabinet, among the NDA partners or in the Parliament. Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi had announced to double the income of farmers by 2022, but the farmers are deprived of even the minimum support price. The Central government is suit-boot ki sarkar and do not represent poor farmers, said party leader and former chief minister Prithviraj Chavan after meeting the Governor. Chavan said that the governor has assured them that the matter would be discussed with the Centre. The party in its memorandum has termed the claims made by the PM about the bills a sham. PM has said that the farmers were free to sell their produce anywhere in the country. 86% of the farmers are marginal farmers with little holding and are not in a capacity to sell their produce outside the APMCs. The new system will deprive the farmers of the minimum support price and leave the direct and indirect employees of the AMPCs jobless. The bills are against the federal system of governance and lead to the revenue losses to the state governments. The bills will give a boost to contract farming, resulting in farmers turning into labourers in their own fields. Removal of the cap from the holding of the essential services will further compel farmers to sell their produce cheaper, the 10-point memorandum reads. Party will stage protests at district collectorates and in Assembly constituencies on October 2 to oppose the bills. It has resolved to gather 1 crore signatures from the farmers between October 2 and 31 to protest the bills. Meanwhile, Congress leaders including state unit chief Balasaheb Thorat, public works minister Ashok Chavan could not be part of the delegation to Raj Bhavan as precautionary measures. The leaders distanced themselves as they had come in contact with Maharashtra unit in-charge HK Patil, who has been tested positive for Covid-19. Patil held a meeting with the leaders in Mumbai last week. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 28) Leaders from both the majority and minority blocs of the House of Representatives are now rallying support for House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano's continued term until 2022. A total of 26 leaders have issued a joint manifesto of "recommitment" to the leadership of Cayetano, stressing a "pro-people" 2021 budget under his term. A copy of the manifesto was released on Sunday. "This commitment to pass a pro-people budget for 2021 follows the vision of Speaker Ala Peter Cayetano, whose guidance of the House for the past thirteen months has been invaluable in the passage of numerous landmark bills," the manifesto read. "Including the 2020 General Appropriations Act, which was passed in record time and without any pork, parked funds, or corruption." "We the members of the Duterte administration Super Majority Coalition in the 18th Congress, now come together and pledge our commitment to the continued leadership of Speaker Cayetano as we strive to always put the best interests of the Filipino ahead at all times." Signatories to the manifesto included known allies such as House Majority Leader Martin Romualdez, LAKAS-CMD president; Deputy Speaker and PDP-Laban House leader Aurelio Gonzales; National Unity Party (NUP) President Elpidio Barzaga; Deputy Speaker Deogracias Savellano, of the Nacionalista; Anakalusugan Partylist Rep. Mike Defensor; and Deputy speaker Luis Raymund Villafuerte, NUP House contingent head. Even those from the minority signed the manifesto: House Minority Leader Bienvenido Abante, Assistant Minority Leader Stella Quimbo from the Liberal Party (LP), and Deputy Minority Leader Jose Christopher Belmonte, LP House contingent head. Abante, Quimbo, and Belmonte were also signatories to a separate minority bloc manifesto supporting Cayetano, noting the chamber would be "best served with the current leadership at the helm." A list of 202 congressmen backing Cayetano also made the rounds on Sunday, including the names of the 26 House leaders who have signed the joint manifesto. They reportedly make up the total number of congressmen calling for an extended speakership out of the nearly 300-men chamber. Cayetano has agreed to a term-sharing deal with Marinduque Rep. Lord Allan Velasco. The latter, who is supposed to take over for the remainder of the 18th Congress next month, has not made comments about the sentiments of majority of his colleagues. Velasco said last week that his silence does not mean he is disinterested in the speakership. On Saturday, Cayetano was even seen chatting and dining with Deputy Speaker Paolo Duterte, who earlier threatened to boot him out of office due to inequitable budget allocations among lawmakers. LOOK: Amid House power struggle, Cayetano and wife visit Paolo Duterte The House of Representatives is set to conduct plenary debates on the 4.5-trillion budget for 2021, after the appropriations committee approved it on Friday. Malacanang previously said that President Rodrigo Duterte will not intervene in the House power struggle between Cayetano and Velasco, and there is nothing he can do if the latter does not get the numbers. New Delhi Pollution caused by stubble burning in Delhis neighbouring states can exponentially increase the mortality rate due to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, claimed a petition filed in the Supreme Court seeking total ban on stubble burning. The plea has been moved by two young environmental activists a Class 12 student who under his own initiative of Plant A Million Trees has planted 1.5 lakh trees in Delhi and National Capital Region (NCR) and a third year law student who is an active campaigner against use of Single Use Plastic. A three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) SA Bobde has listed the petition for hearing on October 6 along with the batch of M.C Mehta matters pertaining to Delhi pollution. The petition was mentioned by senior advocate Harish Salve who is assisting the Court as amicus curiae (friend of Court). The consequence of allowing any stubble burning to take place in the times of this pandemic will be catastrophic, the petition by the two young environmentalists said. Citing international medical studies, the plea stated that medical studies have found that persons with weak respiratory system or living in polluted areas are at serious risk of contracting COVID-19 leading to death in some cases. Any increase in air pollution levels in Delhi-NCR this year while the COVID-19 pandemic is spiraling out of control, will exponentially increase the mortality rate due to COVID-19 by compromising the respiratory system of the citizens, particularly in the case of senior citizens and children, the petition stated. Further, it stated that enhanced pollution level can offer direct pathway for airborne transmission of COVID-19 virus. Salve told the Court that the petition raised an important issue and requires to be heard. Delhi witnesses exponential rise in air pollution levels around this time of the year due to stubble burning by farmers in Punjab, Haryana Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. Last year, the air quality index (AQI) crossed the 1000 mark as stubble burning releases suspended particulate matter in the air and emits harmful gases such as carbon monoxide, sulphur dioxide and methane. Farmers have to prepare the fields for sowing of the rabi crop after harvesting the kharif crop. As the period between the two events is short, the remains of the kharif crop cannot be manually plucked out and to remove it, they are set on fire. As a way out, the petition suggested that stubble removing machines should be either provided at affordable rents by state governments to small and marginal farmers. It recommended daily wage workers under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee (MNREGA) scheme. The petition has even recommended putting strict curbs on construction activities and polluting industries in Delhi-NCR if AQI crosses 150. In the M.C Mehta case, the Supreme Court has been monitoring the stubble burning issue by asking respective state governments to inform progress made on setting up biomass plants and providing stubble removal machines to small farmers. Alternatively, the Court has directed setting up of a smog tower in Delhi on an experimental basis. Following the announcement of the new measures adopted by the Trump Administration, which bar Americans who travel to Cuba from staying at the 433 hotels and private houses under state control, and limit the quantities of tobacco and rum produced on the island that they can acquire, DIARIO DE CUBA asked several Cuban economists for their opinions. One of the questions that many are asking is: what impact will these provisions have on the Cuban economy? In this regard, Emilio Morales, CEO of the consulting firm The Havana Consulting Group, pointed out that they will take effect "when the pandemic is under control on the island and flights from the United States to Cuba resume." The specialist predicts that the impact will be strong, because "more than 50% of the Cuban Americans who regularly traveled to Cuba stayed at least one weekend at hotels controlled by the military or the Ministry of Tourism, located mainly in Varadero, Cayo Santa Maria, Cayo Coco and Guardalavaca" many of whom "bought Cuban cigars and rum on their return trip to the United States." For a more exact idea, Morales observed that "in 2019, 4,275,561 tourists visited the island, 1,051,433 of them from the US, which represented 24.6% of the total. Of these, 521,895 were Cuban-Americans." According to Morales' estimates, the Cuban tourism industry, under normal circumstances, without Covid-19 and with open borders, would lose 20% of its hotel occupancy, which could mean a 35% decrease in revenue, because " the tourists who spend the most money in the Cuban market are those from the US." In this regard the specialist believes that "those who would benefit a lot from these measures would be private sector workers, as they would be the only option for tourists from the US for a place to stay." According to Omar Everleny Perez Villanueva, the former director of the Center for the Study of the Cuban Economy: "it is curious that these measures were taken less than six weeks before the elections in the USA, and in a context of Covid-19 in which Cuba has closed its borders." In any case, he considers them "one more turn of the screw to quash the normal functioning of tourism," although "they will not have immediate effects on the country." Perez Villanueva points out that the measures are an instrument by Trump "to placate those Cuban migrants who advocate for pressure on Cuba," with the aim of garnering more votes in the next elections. In the medium term, says the economist, the impact will depend on who wins the elections, because if Biden wins, "according to his electoral campaign, those restrictions will be lifted, and everything would return to the normalcy of the Obama era." In the event Trump is re-elected, Perez Villanueva believes that there could be two scenarios: one of them is "that he is consistent with his position against the Cuban State", but the other "is that he remembers that he has never been and will never be a politician, but rather a businessman, and that he no longer needs the votes of Cuban Americans, so he could try to do business with Cuba, as he tried to do before the 2016 elections." Elias Amor, economist and president of the political group Union Liberal Cubana, pointed out that these measures could "affect 26% of the country's total tourism income, which in 2019 came to over 2.645 billion CUC, of which 373.1 million CUC (14% of the total) were channeled to the private sector." "The direct economic impact is an important figure, around 590 million CUC, which, in the short term, would modify the total amount of tourist revenue," he added. On the other hand, "Cuban rum and tobacco sales in the US represent lesser quantities, and the consumers of these products will be able to continue acquiring them, using distributors' burgeoning online channel, or placing orders from other countries, such as Spain," said the specialist. Another issue of interest to Elias Amor will be "how to channel resources to the private sector", because, according to his calculations, private accommodations could see their revenue from this service rise to 22% of the total, from the 14% it accounted for last year. "While the average occupancy rate for all tourist establishments was 48.2% in 2019, it is not difficult to see that there is room to grow by offering accommodations to US tourists who cannot access the establishments included in the prohibition. It would no longer be a fight for market share, but rather real growth in private sector figures due to higher occupancy rates, which would have very positive effects on businesses' profitability levels," he added. In the medium term, in the economist's view, the measures could cause the government to liberalize "the permits for private establishments, paving the way for new owners, who would furnish the hotel industry with an alternative service, as it, in any case, would continue to serve 74% of the tourists who travel to Cuba, who represent 1.957 billion CUC in revenue." In the opinion of economist Pavel Vidal, currently a professor at the Universidad Javeriana de Cali, in Colombia, the measures are "very unfortunate", since the planet is "in the midst of a pandemic and a global recession, with the United Nations asking for cooperation and solidarity between countries." In addition, the specialist pointed out that the "International Monetary Fund is calling for debts to be forgiven and financial relief be established for lower-income economies so that governments have the resources to fund health systems and generate relief for families and companies." Michael C. Kuchta, 60, was last seen around 2:20 p.m. when he left his house in an off-road vehicle, officials said. COLUMBUS, Ohio, Sept. 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Columbus-based STARK Industries, LLC has contributed to a new exhibit at Space Center Houston, highlighting how NASA continues to innovate to overcome obstacles and benefit humanity during the COVID-19 pandemic. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California - VITAL ventilator design, is on loan to Space Center Houston from STARK Industries, LLC, and was manufactured in Ohio. Space Center Houston's new Mission: Control the Spread exhibit tells the story behind NASA innovations to address COVID-19, what people can do to slow the spread of the coronavirus, and what NASA does to keep astronauts safe. The exhibit provides guests with an up-close look at recent NASA innovations that support the global response to the COVID-19 pandemic. As part of its efforts to address the critical shortage of ventilators created by the pandemic, NASA JPL designed a mechanical ventilator called VITAL (Ventilator Intervention Technology Accessible Locally). It is a high-pressure ventilator designed to be more cost effective and simpler to build than conventional ventilators. It uses one-seventh the number of parts of a traditional ventilator and uses parts that are readily available and domestically sourced in the United States. Because it offers a more affordable option for treating critically ill patients with respiratory failure, the VITAL ventilator can be produced in large quantities to address COVID-19-related ventilator shortages and needs while freeing up traditional ventilators for those with the most severe ventilator needs. Its flexible design means it also can be modified for use in field hospitals. The VITAL ventilator will be on display at Space Center Houston through December 31, 2020. To provide the latest information about NASA innovations and COVID-19, this exhibit will be updated as science and research about the coronavirus continues to evolve and NASA's future missions forge new innovations. Space Center Houston is also making this exhibit accessible to museums around the country, allowing the nonprofit to continue the spread of public information. Headquartered in Columbus, OH, USA, STARK Industries, LLC, is a non-exclusive licensee of the VITAL ventilator and innovates in areas of research and technological development across industry sectors within the medtech, healthcare, and aerospace industries. Contact: STARK Industries LLC [email protected] Photo(s): https://www.prlog.org/12840171 Press release distributed by PRLog SOURCE STARK Industries LLC More than one million Americans have already voted in the 2020 presidential election, the highest number of votes cast at this period in the race in US history. The unprecedented surge has been driven by new state laws designed to help people vote safely during the coronavirus pandemic, according to election observers, a clear sign that the crisis is changing the way people cast their ballots. The figures also suggest higher than usual voter interest in one of the most divisive and polarised elections in generations. Weve never seen so many people vote this far in advance of a presidential election before. We are in uncharted territory, Michael McDonald, a political science professor at the University of Florida, told The Independent. Mr McDonald noted only 9,525 people had voted by the same time in 2016, and described the shift as historic. The record numbers come after many states changed their laws to make voting easier during the pandemic. This included the expansion of mail-in ballot measures and early in-person voting. A total of 1,012,211 ballots have already been cast across 13 states, according to the most recent figures. Virginia, which adopted a new law that allows early in-person voting, has seen the highest number of votes cast, at 287,000. North Carolina and Wisconsin follow closely behind, and 248,000 and 238,000 respectively. The offering [of early voting] is important. It wouldnt be possible for people to vote if there werent voting options available to people at the moment. It it a supply and demand equation, said Mr McDonald, an election expert who monitors early voting numbers posted by individual states. But he added that voter interest is playing a role: There is also clear a demand to vote early, where people are casting their ballots at the first opportunity. Still, the numbers do not give any indication as to who is winning the race. Democrats tend to vote early, and so are overrepresented in preliminary numbers. Republicans tend to turn out in higher numbers on election day. The coronavirus pandemic had led to a dramatic increase in the number of people requesting mail-in ballots this year, as many look to stay home on election day. According to a recent survey, more than one-third of Americans plan to vote by mail in November. Some 48 per cent of people who plan on voting for Joe Biden will do so by mail, and only 23 per cent for Mr Trump. Donald Trump has repeatedly attacked the expansion of mail-in voting across the US, claiming without evidence that it is vulnerable to fraud. His campaign has sought to limit its use in key swing states of Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, while encouraging his own supporters to vote by mail in states where he is favoured, like North Carolina. Buying wine can be a paralyzing challenge. Facing a wall of unfamiliar bottles can frustrate even the most worldly consumer. Those bottles have labels, of course, often with loads of information about the character and nature of the wine within. But the more detail they offer to knowledgeable wine consumers, the more baffling they seem to the uninitiated. To cut through the confusion, some wineries simply furnish fewer facts. These wines often hugely popular ones like Yellow Tail, Barefoot and 19 Crimes rely on brand names and marketing to build an audience. For dedicated wine lovers, though, the facts are crucial, even if it takes some education to decode a label. Every winery does things a little differently. Some wine cultures, particularly in the Old World, emphasize the place the grapes were grown rather than the variety of grapes in the wine. Sound historical tradition guides that position, though some regions permit or even require the grape variety on the label. And in the New World, where labels routinely identify the grapes, some of the highest-esteemed wines dont break down their blends for consumers. She never puts a foot wrong with fashion. And Amanda Holden donned another flawless outfit on Monday morning as she left the Global Radio studios after recording her Heart FM show in central London. The radio host, 49, displayed her svelte physique in a jumper and jeans combo as she strutted through Leicester Square and made her way home. Stylish ensemble: Amanda Holden donned another flawless outfit on Monday morning as she left the Global Radio studios after recording her Heart FM show in central London She highlighted her slender pins with denim bootcut jeans and silver pointed heels. Amanda also opted for a navy ribbed jumper with flared cuffs. The BGT judge clutched a petite black handbag that complemented her black shades. Chic: The radio host, 49, displayed her svelte physique in a jumper and jeans combo as she strutted through Leicester Square and made her way home She accentuated her radiant glow with a natural makeup look, and her strawberry-blonde tresses were curled at the ends for a chic look. Amanda added a touch of glamour with a delicate gold pendant necklace and diamond encrusted hoop earrings. The radio host proved there's no rest for the wicked as she revealed her album, Songs From The Heart, is set for release this Friday. Leggy display: She highlighted her slender pins with denim straight leg jeans which she paired with a navy ribbed jumper that featured flared cuffs It's all in the details: Amanda added a touch of glamour with a delicate gold pendant necklace and diamond encrusted hoop earrings In a sizzling image shared to Instagram last Friday, the presenter turned up the heat as she raised her legs in the air for her upcoming LP cover art. The Heart FM presenter looked sensational as she slipped into a cream satin gown, complete with a plunging neckline. Promoting her project, the media personality captioned the image: 'Songs From My Heart is out a week today! 'It's a collection of my favourite musical and film sound tracks, what's your favourite song from the album?' There's no stopping her! Amanda Holden proved there's no rest for the wicked as she revealed her album Songs From The Heart is set for release this week in an Instagram posted last Friday Taiwan has won a battle over its name in the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy in a rare victory to defend its official title. Instead of being identified as part of China, the six Taiwanese municipalities that joined the international group may keep their Chinese-Taipei title, preventing them from being mistaken for cities under mainland Chinas jurisdiction. The controversy stemmed from long-time pressure from Beijing which has demanded that international groups and companies refer to Taiwan as being part of China, according to the islands foreign ministry. Get the latest insights and analysis from our Global Impact newsletter on the big stories originating in China. We are happy to learn that they have changed our name back to the original title, Taiwanese Foreign Minister Joseph Wu said before a legislature meeting on Monday. Taiwanese Foreign Minister Joseph Wu: We are happy to learn that they have changed our name back to the original title. Photo: Reuters He said his office had been in contact with the Global Covenant of Mayors (GCoM) over the name change issue and after learning of the latest decision by the international group, it also informed the six Taiwanese cities of the decision. We are also very happy that all of the six municipal governments, regardless of their political party affiliations, have jointly worked together to strive for the keeping of our original title, Wu said. Last week, the foreign ministry lodged a protest with GCoM over the abrupt national identity change of the six major municipalities in Taiwan. Taipei, New Taipei, Taoyuan, Taichung, Tainan and Kaohsiung were recently listed on the GCoM website under the country classification of China even though they are not mainland Chinese cities instead of the original Chinese-Taipei title. On Sunday, the six cities including three under the control of the independence-leaning Democratic Progressive Party, two under the main opposition party Kuomintang and one under the Taiwan Peoples Party issued a joint statement to the GCoM, requesting that it immediately fix the website and change the registered names of our cities back to the original registered nationality. Story continues It said that if GCoM refused to change the title back, the six cities would withdraw from the group to defend our rights and interests. Taiwan is not part of China and what they did was an act of belittling us, the statement said. The self-ruled island, officially known as the Republic of China, has been battling to keep its national title since the United Nations awarded the China seat to Beijing in 1971. Beijing, which considers Taiwan a wayward province that must be returned to the mainland fold by force if necessary, has applied pressure on various international groups and companies forcing them to change the islands title to either a province of China or simply China. Taiwan has compromised to accept the Chinese-Taipei title in a certain number of international groups, including the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum and the International Olympic Committee (IOC), both of which it is a member. But over the years, it has been forced to withdraw from a number of smaller global agencies that tried to classify it as part of China or a province of China. Earlier this month, a Taiwanese bird conservation group was removed from BirdLife International, an international partnership, after BirdLife demanded the Taiwan group change its Chinese-language name and sign documents stating it would formally commit not to promote or advocate the independence of Taiwan from China or the legitimacy of the Republic of China. The group said that although it agreed to discuss changing its Chinese-language title, it could not agree to BirdLifes other demand. The group said it was an apolitical organisation and it would be highly inappropriate for it to sign such a document. BirdLife told the Taiwan group that regardless of the name change it would not permit its logo or staff to be linked to anything associated with the Taiwanese government or in any document or event displaying Taiwans flag or emblem. This article Global climate group lets Taiwan keep Chinese-Taipei name, a win over Chinas demands first appeared on South China Morning Post For the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2020. They are the proud parents to two young sons - Evander, four, and Ennio, almost two. And now Erin McNaught and her husband, British rapper Example (real name Elliot Gleave), have welcomed a new addition to their family. The couple have a new Ragdoll kitten, who they have named Loki. Welcome to the family! Erin McNaught and her husband rapper Example have welcomed a new addition to the family - a ragdoll kitten called Loki Aussie model Erin introduced the feline to her Instagram family on Sunday night, posting a cute photo of herself posing with the white fluffy cat. 'Our new addition to the fam - Loki,' she wrote, adding a heart emoji. Erin and Example lived in the UK for several years but recently moved to Brisbane, Queensland. The brunette beauty is set to star in Channel Seven's military-style show SAS Australia. And she recently revealed why she to swapped her 'privileged life' to experience the show. So cute! Aussie model Erin introduced the feline to her Instagram family on Sunday night, posting cute photos of the fluffy white cat Speaking to The Sunday Telegraph earlier this month, she said: 'It's certainly the toughest test I've ever undertaken. No amount of training can prepare you for it.' The 38-year-old explained that she did the show for two reasons. 'I feel like I've led a very lucky, privileged life, having never experienced severe hardship or tragedy,' she said. Erin then explained the next reason was because she felt it was important to 'experience some of the suffering the veterans made for our freedom'. The mother-of-two explained: 'The second reason was to show my boys that women and mums can do anything they put their minds to.' 'Our new addition to the fam - Loki,' she wrote with a heart emoji She then added that she hopes her sons Ennio and Evander form relationships with girls/women based on strength of character. Last month, Erin shocked her followers when she showed off her bruised and battered body after filming the reality competition. The model shared a topless selfie with a series of painful-looking bruises scattered across one of her arms, her ribcage and her chest. Changes: Erin and Example lived in the UK for several years, but they recently moved to Brisbane, Queensland, Erin's hometown She revealed she acquired the bruises when her 'jump out of a helicopter' went 'wrong'. SAS will follow 14 celebrities as they attempt the intense selection process for the elite Special Forces army unit. Under the guidance of former Special Forces soldiers, they will have to endure both physical and psychological challenges. A citizen journalist detained in Shanghai after she reported on the emerging coronavirus epidemic in the central Chinese city of Wuhan has lost weight after refusing food in a police-run detention center, her lawyer said on Monday. Zhang Zhan, 37, faces prosecution on charges of "picking quarrels and stirring up trouble," a charge often used to target peaceful critics of the ruling Chinese Communist Party, but has resisted pressure from police to "confess," her lawyer Wen Yu told RFA. "I met with her at 10.00 a.m., for about 50 minutes," Wen said. "She has lost a lot of weight." Zhang told Wen she is still refusing food in protest at her detention. "I told her to take care of her health ... to get ready for the trial, which is likely to be soon, maybe in October," Wen said. Last week, the Chinese Human Rights Lawyers' Group called on the government to release Zhang, citing illegal restrictions on meetings with lawyers and procedural violations in the handling of her case. It said nothing she had done in Wuhan had broken any Chinese law, and that Zhang had merely been exercising her constitutional rights. "Her arrest by the Shanghai police and her prosecution are completely illegal ... [This is] political persecution targeting Zhang Zhan," it said. "Zhang Zhan has been on a hunger strike for many days and is weak," the statement said. "She should be declared innocent and released immediately." Posts on social media According to Wen, the charge against Zhang all relate to comments or posts she made to social media platforms including WeChat, Twitter, and YouTube. "We will be pleading not guilty based on her right to freedom of speech," Wen said. But lawyer Chen Jiangang, who is also a member of the China Human Rights Lawyers Group, said he wasn't optimistic about Zhang's case. "The real reason Zhang Zhan was accused of committing a crime was that she relayed the truth about what was happening in Wuhan to to the outside world, and talked about her personal reactions to it," Chen said. "There is no crime here, even under Chinese law ... but Zhang will soon be sent to prison," he said. 'Friends are very worried' Wang Jianhong, director of the U.S.-based rights group Humanitarian China, said there are growing concerns for Zhang's health. "Friends are very worried about her health since we learned about her hunger strike," Wang said, adding that around 300 people have signed a petition calling for her release. "We just wanted to speak out to say that there was no crime in Zhang Zhan's comments," he said. "This is basic common sense." Zhang, who lives in Shanghai but who traveled to Wuhan in early February, was taken away from Wuhan's Caiguang Hotel near Hankou railway station on the night of May 14. She was held by police near her home in Shanghai's Pudong district, then formally arrested on that charge on June 19 on the orders of the Pudong state prosecutor, and is currently being held in the Pudong Detention Center. She recently "dismissed" her defense attorney, Ren Quanniu, who had been hired by her mother, her mother told RFA in a recent interview. Zhang has been force-fed in detention after she started a hunger strike to protest against her treatment. Reported by Qiao Long and Gigi Lee for RFA's Mandarin and Cantonese Services. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie. Washington: A US judge has temporarily blocked a Trump administration order that was set to bar Apple and Google from offering Chinese-owned short video-sharing app TikTok for download as of Monday. US District Judge Carl Nichols in Washington issued the preliminary injunction in a brief order late on Sunday, US time. He declined "at this time" to block restrictions also set to take effect on November 12 on technical and business arrangements which are crucial for the app to function properly. The US measures would have forced companies including Google and Apple to remove TikTok from their app stores, making it difficult for new users to download the app. Credit:AP Nichols' detailed written opinion was expected to be released soon. The Commerce Department said in a statement it would "comply with the injunction and has taken immediate steps to do so." It was found using observations made with the Gran Telescopio Canarias (GTC), at the Roque de los Muchachos Observatory, (Garafia, La Palma, Canary Islands), and with the ATACAMA Large Millimetre/submillimetre Array (ALMA), in Chile. The discovery was recently published in the journal Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society Letters. The galaxy, called BOSS-EUVLG1, has a red-shift of 2.47. This is a measure of the reddening of the light coming from the galaxy, and can be used to find its distance, the further away the galaxy, the greater the value. For BOSS-EUVLG1, the value of 2.47 means that we are observing the galaxy when the universe was some 2 thousand million years old, around 20% of its present age. The large values of redshift and luminosity of BOSS-EUVLG1 caused it to be classified previoulsy in the BOSS (Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey) project as a quasar. However, from the observations made with the OSIRIS and EMIR instruments on the GTC, and with the millimetre wave telescope ALMA, the researchers have shown that it is not a quasar but in fact a galaxy with extreme, exceptional properties. The study revealed that the high luminosity of BOSS-EUVLG1 in the ultraviolet and in Lyman-alpha emission is due to the large number of young, massive stars in the galaxy. This high luminosity, well above the range for other galaxies, gave rise to its initial identification as a quasar. However, in quasars the high luminosity is due to the activity around the supermassive black holes in their nuclei, and not to star formation. "BOSS-EUVLG1 seems to be dominated by a burst of formation of young, very massive stars, with hardly any dust, and with a very low metallicity, explains Rui Marques Chaves, a researcher at the CAB, formerly a doctoral student at the Instituto de Astrofisica de Canarias and the University of La Laguna (ULL), and first author of the article. The rate of star formation in this galaxy is very high, around a thousand solar masses per year, around a thousand times higher than that in the Milky Way, although the galaxy is 30 times smaller. "This rate of star formation is comparable only to the most luminous infrared galaxies known, but the absence of dust in BOSS-EUVLG1 allows its ultraviolet and visible emission to reach us with hardly any attenuation", explains Ismael Perez Fournon, an IAC researcher and a co-author of the article. So, the results of the study suggest that BOSS-EUVLG1 is an example of the initial phases of the formation of massive galaxies. In spite of its high luminosity and star formation rate, its low metallicity shows that the galaxy has hardly had time to enrich its interstellar medium with dust and newly formed metals. Nevertheless, "the galaxy will evolve towards a dustier phase, similar to the infrared galaxies, -notes Camilo E. Jimenez Angel, a doctoral student at the IAC, and a co-author of the article-. Also, its high luminosityh in the UV will last only a few hundred million years, a very short period in the evolution of a galaxy". "This would explain why other galaxies similar to BOSS-EUVLG1 have not been discovered", finishes Claudio Dalla Vecchia, a researcher at the IAC, and a co-author of the article. BOSS-EUVLG1 was discovered via the analysis of half a million spectra of galaxies and quasars in the BOSS project of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) and observations with large telescopes such as the GTC and ALMA. ### Article: R. Marques-Chaves, J. Alvarez-Marquez, L. Colina, I. Perez-Fournon, D. Schaerer, C. Dalla Vecchia, T. Hashimoto, C. Jimenez-Angel and Y. Shu. "The discovery of the most UV-Ly-alfa luminous star-forming galaxy: a young, dust- and metal-poor starburst with QSO-like luminosities". Arxiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2009.02177v1 Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-25 09:22:27|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close SUVA, Sept. 25 (Xinhua) -- Fiji's Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama on Friday called for more actions to be taken by the world to better fight climate change. Addressing the virtual United Nations' high-level roundtable on climate change here on Friday, Bainimarama said that speeches won't save the world and neither will nice tweets or photo-opportunities. The only expectation is action and the world needs solidarity, reductions in emissions that can be measured and resources vulnerable nations can afford to access. "If we don't win the race to net-zero emissions, we are headed for three or four degrees of global warming -- an Earth we will not recognize and a climate we cannot survive. Speeches won't save us; neither will nice tweets or photo-ops. From here on out, our only expectation is action. We need solidarity we can feel; reductions in emissions we can measure; and resources vulnerable nations can afford to access now," he said. "This is still our decade of action. It hasn't started as we imagined, but it must finish as we planned, and press onwards to a future of net-zero emissions; the only 'new normal' worth fighting for." The prime minister also called for greater commitment to increasing global financing for climate action. "With revenues across the developing world gutted by COVID-19, the resources to fund resilient development are running thin, leaving us exposed to trillions of dollars in climate-driven losses. Without urgent reform to climate finance, we will struggle to fund our very survival." He said that in advanced economies, rather than compounding the climate crisis by looking backwards to coal and fossil fuels, leaders must view post-pandemic recoveries through the lens of opportunity, heed what the market is telling them, harness renewables, and return people to work in green and blue industries. Governments and the private sector must lead a transparent transition to a more climate-resilient financial sector, beginning with regular reporting of corporate climate risks. According to the prime minister, Fiji intends to make climate-risk reporting mandatory across every government ministry. The prime minister also warned on Tuesday that five years post-Paris, global temperature rise is still projected to rocket past the two, three, or even four-degree mark, their ocean ecosystems are acidifying, and a sixth mass extinction event is already underway. As one of the victims of climate change, Fiji is the first country to ratify the Paris Agreement as well as the first small island state to lead the climate negotiations as President of the 23rd Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP23). Now Fiji is among the nations committed to net-zero emissions by 2050. Enditem A corrections officer in Georgia who called an inmate on suicide watch a racial slur has been placed on administrative leave without pay and faces termination, the Clayton County Sheriff's Office said. Other inmates and another correctional officer witnessed Officer Gregory Hubert Brown call the inmate a "crazy" N-word, the sheriff's office said in a statement Sunday. No other details were released. The sheriff's office in Clayton County, just south of Atlanta, did not immediately return a request for comment Monday. Image: Gregory Hubert Brown (Clayton County Sheriff's Office) The statement said Brown will be fired within 72 hours by order of the sheriff "in compliance with civil service guidelines." It will be the third time that Brown, 61, has been fired from a correctional facility in the last 10 years, according to records of the Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training Council obtained by NBC News. In December 2010, Brown was fired from the Coweta County Prison for "workplace violence," his disciplinary record shows. Brown worked at the prison for two years as a corrections officer. Brown was involved in a "heated verbal and physical encounter" with an officer who had asked him to fill in incomplete information on an inmate count form, the record states. Brown completed the information, records show, and told the officer: "If you ever jump in my sh-- again I will tear your f--k--- head off of your shoulders. You are not a corporal or a sergeant." Brown then walked "aggressively" toward the officer, pushing him with his "chest/belly," and the officer pushed Brown away, ending the altercation, the record states. The encounter was witnessed by two other officers. Brown appealed his termination, but it was upheld on or about Feb. 7, 2011. A year later, Brown was hired by the Clayton County Sheriff's Office as a jail officer. He was fired in March 2012 for "unsatisfactory performance during his probationary work period" after he locked sergeants inside cells with inmates on three separate occasions while they were conducting cell checks, according to a case summary. Story continues Brown also tried to open two segregation cell doors at the same time without being instructed to do so and used an emergency override to open two section doors "without proper justification," the case summary says. The Clayton sheriff's office rehired Brown in 2013. Brown did not return a request for comment Monday. If you or someone you know is in crisis, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255, text HOME to 741741 or visit SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources for additional resources. MOSCOW A long-simmering territorial dispute in the Caucasus region that reignited in recent days, with tanks, artillery helicopters and infantry engaged in combat, suggests that the two sides Azerbaijan and Armenia are girding for an extended conflict rather than the border skirmishes that they have engaged in over the years. And what would seem to be a local war over a mountainous land of little strategic value is taking on greater importance because of its potential to draw in bigger powers like Russia and Turkey. The fighting over the territory, known as the Nagorno-Karabakh enclave, escalated on Monday after breaking out over the weekend, with reports on both sides of rising numbers of wounded and dead. The seemingly intractable tensions have their origins in the Soviet collapse 30 years ago when Karabakh, a predominantly ethnic Armenian enclave inside Azerbaijan, declared independence. Azerbaijan still claims the territory, and Armenia backs the enclave. Beijing (Gasgoo)- Lynk & Co, the premium brand of Geely Auto Group, showcased the Lynk & Co Zero Concept along with other products from the brand at the Beijing International Automobile Exhibition (Auto China 2020). Having released 01, 02, 03, 05 and 06 models in China, the brand has delivered over 300,000 cars to date. According to the brand, it plans to launch an updated version of the Lynk & Co 01 in Europe at the end of this month. The automaker aims to cover five different segments, including SUV, Crossover, Coupe SUV and sedan models. Unveiled before the auto show, the Zero Concept is based on Geely Holdings Sustainable Experience Architecture (SEA), a pure electric architecture on which all new electric vehicles within the Geely Holding Group portfolio will be based. Positioned as the first open source architecture, the SEA will be shared with other third-party manufacturers for their own electric vehicle development. Geely Holding will deploy the SEA architecture across its portfolio of nine global automotive brands which collectively sold over 2 million units in 2019. The Concept is 4950mm long with a wheelbase of 2999mm. Using the SEA architecture has given Lynk & Co the possibility to create a vehicle with perfect proportions with low overhangs both front and rear as well as a dynamic sporting profile which fits the position of Concept Zero as a technology orientated performance touring coupe. Thanks to the high bandwidth and high efficiency of the architecture, the Concept can be customized and support full life Over the Air updates. Range of the production version is expected to be over 700km under the NEDC cycle, while performance is also expected to reach sub four seconds for the 0-100km/h time. The Zero Concept will go into production in 2021 at a new facility in Eastern China. Equipped with all new CoPilot advanced driving assistance system, the ZERO Concept can offer highly automated driving functions. Mobileye SuperVision, part of the system, was developed jointly by Lynk & Co and Mobileye. With the support of Mobileyes technology, the Concept can provide a scalable function set for various autonomous driving scenarios. (Photo soruce: Lynk & CO) Actors Rooney Mara and Joaquin Phoenix reportedly have welcomed their first child. (Valerie Macon / AFP/Getty Images) Joaquin Phoenix and fiancee Rooney Mara reportedly have welcomed their first child a boy named after the actor's late brother, River Phoenix. However, the private actors weren't the ones to reveal the news. It was Russian filmmaker Victor Kossakovsky who spilled the beans this weekend while promoting his film "Gunda" at the Zurich Film Festival. Reps for Phoenix and Mara did not immediately respond to The Times' requests for confirmation. Kossakovsky was asked how he got "Joker" star Phoenix to board his animal-rights documentary (Hint: It had a lot to do with Phoenix's 2020 Oscars acceptance speech), and then he shared the news. "He just got a baby, by the way," Kossakovsky said Sunday while speaking onstage at the festival. "A beautiful son called River." Viktor Kossakovsky , Gunda: He just had a baby Boy who's Called River. ( about Joaquin) pic.twitter.com/WuUISnuTsZ Max California's Lover (@Paula_FlorV) September 27, 2020 River, of course, is the late musician and "Stand by Me" actor who died in 1993 after a drug overdose that included lethal levels of cocaine and morphine. The rising star was 23. Phoenix has spoken of his elder brother's tragic death in interviews and paid tribute to him during awards season. The actor, 45, and Mara, 35, best known for her role in "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo," met in 2013 on the set of the film "Her." They stepped out as a couple at the 2017 Cannes Film Festival and reportedly were engaged last year. The two also costarred in Gus Van Sant's 2018 comedy "Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far on Foot." River is the first child for each of them. Harish Murali By Express News Service CHENNAI: The Foreign Ministry on Monday opposed the entry of R Prema, wife of Rajiv Gandhi assassination case convict Robert Payas, into India. Prema's name still figures in the negative list maintained by the Ministry, it informed the Madras High Court. The ministry further said that as per the report submitted by the Superintendent of Police, Q Branch, Chennai, to the ministry, R Prema still figures in the negative list. The court was hearing Rajiv Gandhi assassination case convict B Robert Payas' plea seeking grant of visa to his wife for travelling from Sri Lanka to India. According to the petition, Prema applied for a visa at the Indian Consulate at Jaffna on November 22, 2018. She was informed that some criminal records were found against her. She made another request on October 14, 2019, but there was no response. Except for overstaying in India in 2010, there was no other charge, he added. The reply made by C Kannan, the undersecretary to the Ministry of External Affairs, denied all the allegations. The official said the petitioner submitted that on November 19, 2018, Prema had applied for a three-month single entry visa to India. However, it was denied by the Consulate General of India after finding that her name figured in the negative list of the Ministry of External Affairs. The official further added that a Look Out Circular was placed against her name by the Ministry at the behest of the Superintendent of Police, Q branch, Chennai. He further urged the court to dismiss the plea . Recording the submissions, Justice K Ravichandrababu adjourned the hearing to October 2 for further arguments. The outgoing Vice Chancellor of the Federal University, Oye Ekiti, Kayode Soremekun, has warned against hasty reopening of the nations tertiary institutions, arguing that Covid-19 is still very much alive in Nigeria. The Vice Chancellor said this in Akure, the Ondo State capital, on Saturday, at the launch of a book, Campus Security Management, Insight from the Front liners, written by Paul Ogidi. Mr Soremekun said although he was in support of the resumption of schools, particularly the universities, he, however, said premium must be given to safety. We are in a salad of issues, salad in the sense that we are in the Covid phenomenon. If you look carefully we are yet to fully be in the post-Covid era, he said. When you look at the comparative dynamics you will discover that in some countries where they opened up, there was a resurgence. He also noted that the government has to be careful on the issue, especially with the strike by the industrial unions which is not in any way simplifying the problem. We also have at the moment the evolving reality of the NLC strike, so I think we should all just take things as they are, he added. I am in support of resumption but with the caveat that we have to think in terms of safety, we have to think in terms of what Nigerians are asking for particularly ASUU. FUOYE is ready because we only have to put a number of protocols in place and we would resume. We know the cost and we are already preparing. We are cash trapped, but we have enough money to ensure resumption. Meanwhile, the founder of the Afe Babalola University, Ado Ekiti, Afe Babalola, has expressed the readiness of private universities to reopen. Mr Babalola noted that many public universities are not prepared due to lack of adequate infrastructure and underfunding, a result of which ASUU has been at loggerheads with the Federal Government. This is in sharp contrast to what obtains in private universities most of which are reputed for their moral and physical discipline, quality and functional education, hygienic and safe environment, predictable academic calendar, absence of unionism, committed teachers, modern teaching equipment and laboratories as well as adequate preparation to prevent COVID-19, he said. The National Centre for Disease Control(NCDC) reported 136 new cases of COVID-19 and 3 deaths on Saturday , September 26, in the country. Till date, 58198 cases have been confirmed in the country, 49722 discharged from treatment centre while 1106 deaths have been recorded in the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory. However, ASUU has continued to maintain that it will not call off the strike it embarked upon on March 23, 2020 until all its demands are addressed by the federal government. By Ayya Lmahamad Revenues of Anglo Asian Mining company from the gold mining operations in Azerbaijan increased by 5.8 percent, during the first half of 2020, local media has reported. Thus, the companys revenues amounted to $45.8 million during the reporting period, of which $39.6 million was revenue from the sale of gold and silver and $6.2 million from the sale of concentrate. Moreover, the company confirmed its revenue forecast for 2020 to be over $100 million. Furthermore, the company has reduced production in the territory of Gedabey region by 18.5 percent to 32 501 ounces of gold. During the reporting period gold production was 27,922 ounces, copper production was 1,207 tons, and silver production was 58,529 ounces. Thus, gold production decreased by 18.8 percent, copper production by 25.3 percent, and silver production by 30.8 percent. Gold mining in Azerbaijan is currently carried out by two companies - AzerGold CJSC, which owns 51 percent in Azerbaijans gold share, and Anglo Asian Mining PLC, with 49 percent of shares. PSA type contract was signed on August 21, 1997 and envisages development of six fields. Extraction of the first gold in Azerbaijan started in 2009, and silver in 2010. Earlier it was reported that revenues of Azerbaijans gold mining company Azergold CJSC from export of precious metals amounted to AZN 493 million ($289.9M) during the four years of companys activity. It should be noted that AzerGold increased its revenues from the sale of gold and silver in the first eight months of 2020. Thus, the companys revenues increased by $16 million or 32 percent in the reporting, amounting to $68.5. During the reporting period, AzerGold produced 39,312 ounces of gold, which is by 4,752 ounces or 14 percent more than initially planned. The production volume increased due to optimization works in production and introduction of new technological methodologies. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz JEDWARDS appearance on The Late Late Show may have raised a few eyebrows. After all, the hyperactive twins have been relatively quiet of late, considering the way they used to hog the headlines a decade ago. Its hard to believe that John and Edward are nearly 29. Even Ryan Tubridy made a comment about people of your age on Friday, as if to suggest they were still teenagers. In most peoples minds, theyre still the 19-year-olds who were finalists in 2009 on The X Factor. For a while, Jedward were everywhere. They made a fortune through endorsements, courtesy of the business savvy of their then manager Louis Walsh. Read More They represented Ireland twice in the Eurovision, with their song Lipstick being the last respectable showing for an Irish entry at the contest. But then, having split from Louis, things all went a bit, well, Jedward. Songs didnt reach the charts, and their attempts at self-publicity appeared increasingly desperate. In 2015, they revealed that such was the buzz surrounding their appearance in the movie Sharknado 3 that they were being lined up to appear in future instalments of the franchise. Video of the Day They killed off everybody else but didnt kill us off, revealed Edward. At least I think it was Edward. The reality, however, is a tad more mundane. Jedwards role in the movie consists of two seconds of screen time, sitting on a roller-coaster. One of them, perhaps John, utters the line: Im sorry, I havent seen her. Theyre at number 333 and 334, respectively, on the movies cast list on IMDB. The last time they caused a ripple in mainstream news was three years ago, courtesy of an appearance in the Four Courts to contest a claim against them for 600,000. The case was settled on confidential terms. Instead of licking their wounds, the pair have recently made a comeback of sorts in the rather unlikely shape of online influencers. Not the traditional type, mind you, who will put their name to absolutely anything and plug it to their followers in return for cash. Jedward have re-invented themselves as dispensers of sage advice when it comes to the Covid-19 pandemic. They advocate the use of masks and adherence to social-distancing guidelines. In so doing, they have taken on some of the biggest names in the music industry, ridiculing the anti-mask and anti-vaccine views of such luminaries as Van Morrison, Noel Gallagher and, er, Jim Corr. The fact that Tubridy invited them to speak last Friday is a tacit acknowledgement that Jedwards voice is an important one, especially in relation to spreading the message among the under-30s of Ireland. Their new-found position as the sensible voice of Irelands youth is a novel development, but nothing the twins have done has been predictable. As with all things Jedward, it may not last. However, do you know what? It gives off a lovely glow. (Getty Images) Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC) has accused Donald Trump of paying less in federal income tax than waitresses and immigrants after a bombshell report suggested the US president contributed just $750 (584) in 2016 and 2017. In 2016 & 17, I paid thousands of dollars a year in taxes *as a bartender*, the New York Democrat said on Sunday night. "Trump paid $750." AOC, considered a rising star in the Democratic party, was responding to a New York Times report which claimed Mr Trump, 74, has paid little tax in the past 15 years. Lawyers for the Trump Organisation dismissed the claims as inaccurate, while the president said the NYT report was "fake news". AOC, representative for New York's 14th congressional district, said the allegations showed Mr Trump cares more "for himself" than the American people. "He contributed less to funding our communities than waitresses & undocumented immigrants. Donald Trump has never cared for our country... [He's] a walking scam," the 30-year-old lawmaker added. Sunday's NYT report also alleged the president's businesses have made "chronic losses" and paid less tax "largely because he reported losing much more money than he made". Mr Trump's legal team in a statement countered the allegations by claiming the president has paid tens of millions of dollars in personal taxes to the federal government, including millions in personal taxes since announcing his candidacy in 2015. AOC was among a raft of top Democrats to hit out at the president over the report, which was published ahead of the first presidential debate on Tuesday night, when the president and Joe Biden, 77, go head-to-head for the first time in the 2020 race for the Oval Office. In 2016 & 17, I paid thousands of dollars a year in taxes *as a bartender.* Trump paid $750. He contributed less to funding our communities than waitresses & undocumented immigrants. Donald Trump has never cared for our country more than he cares for himself. A walking scam. https://t.co/VZChbp8htu Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) September 28, 2020 It remains to be seen how much of an impact the news will have on the debate, and the outcome of the election more broadly. A large proportion of Mr Trump's supporters have a strong disdain for "big government" and taxes. Story continues The president's tax records have been the source of speculation ever since he refused to make them public in the 2016 race for the White House. He became the first elected president in four decades not to make the records available for scrutiny. A New York state grand jury earlier this year issued a subpoena for the tax returns in connection with an investigation into Mr Trump's financial and business dealings included as part of an inquiry into potential tax fraud. The president has waged a lengthy legal battle to conceal his tax returns, including seeking to quash the New York subpoena. In July 2020, the US Supreme Court ruled in Trump v Vance that Mr Trump lacks absolute immunity from state criminal subpoenas, and legal proceedings continue as he seeks to block the subpoena on other grounds. Read more The emperor has no clothes: Trump condemned by Democrats over records showing chronic losses and tax avoidance 'We can and must fight': AOC urges Americans to 'get to work' to defeat Donald Trump following Ruth Bader Ginsburg's death Trump ex-campaign boss hospitalized amid threat to harm self A mother who restored her grime-ridden grouting to perfect condition with a $22 gel from Bunnings has saved $770 by shunning cleaners and doing the job herself. After professionals quoted $792 to clean the tiled floor of her Queensland home, the mum bought a two-litre bottle of 'Long Life Grout Cleaner' and got to work with a scrubbing brush. Photos posted in a Facebook cleaning group show the result of her efforts, with just a few seconds of scrubbing lifting the blackened dirt caked into the grouting between each tile. 'Just finished four tiles and I cannot believe I didn't do this years ago,' she wrote in the caption. Scroll down for video A mother restored the grime-ridden grouting on the floor of her Queensland home (left) to perfect condition (right) with a $22 gel from Bunnings She transformed her tiles with Long Life Grout Cleaner (pictured) from the hardware giant The photos have drawn dozens of delighted responses since they were shared late on Sunday, with comments including 'wow', 'great job' and 'looks fantastic'. 'You can definitely see the difference, even the tiles look brighter,' one woman said. A second who tried the gel on her own tiles confirmed it 'always leaves them looking brand new' and recommended covering freshly cleaned grouting with a sealant to prevent further stains. 'I used this on the tiles in my laundry. It is brilliant. I couldn't believe the difference afterwards,' said a third. And it's not the only affordable product capable of transforming grouting from grimy to gleaming in an instant. Photos posted in a Facebook cleaning group show the result of her efforts, with just a few seconds of scrubbing lifting the blackened dirt caked into the grouting between each tile Earlier in September, American actress Savannah Meyer posted a TikTok video which begins with a close-up of a tiled floor with grubby black stains running along the grouting. The 28-year-old from Utah then pours a drop of Clorox toilet bowl cleaner onto the tiles, leaves it to soak for five minutes and scrubs it gently with a brush. Dark discolouration lifts off easily, leaving the strips between each tile sparkling white. 'Should I do my whole kitchen?' Ms Meyer asked in the caption. And many felt that she should. 'Wow what a difference. I desperately need to do this in my kitchen but there are way too many tiles!' one woman said. American actress Savannah Meyer restored the grimy grouting of her kitchen floor (left) to a sparkling white finish (right) with a drop of Clorox toilet bowl cleaner and a scrubbing brush 'I just tried this and it worked! Have never done it before, good for a deep clean,' said another. When one person commented that the hack will 'erode your grout if you keep doing it', Ms Meyer replied: 'You don't do it regularly, it's a one time thing to remove build-up and then you simply maintain.' Australian viewers urged her to buy special grout cleaner from Bunnings, but Ms Meyer said she was sorry to reveal that the hardware giant does not have any stores in the US. FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. President Donald Trumps former campaign manager Brad Parscale was hospitalized Sunday after he threatened to harm himself, according to Florida police and campaign officials. Police officers talked Parscale out of his Fort Lauderdale home after his wife called police to say that he had multiple firearms and was threatening to hurt himself. Police Sgt. DeAnna Greenlaw said Parscale was hospitalized under the states Baker Act, which allows anyone deemed to be a threat to themselves or others to be detained for 72 hours for psychiatric evaluation. Brad Parscale is a member of our family and we love him, said Trump campaign communications director Tim Murtaugh. We are ready to support him and his family in any way possible. Parscale was demoted from the campaign managers post in July but remained part of the campaign, helping run its digital operation. Standing 68 and with a distinctive beard, Parscale had become a celebrity to Trump supporters and would frequently pose for photos and sign autographs ahead of campaign rallies. But Trump had begun to sour on him earlier this year as Parscale attracted a wave of media attention that included focus on his seemingly glitzy lifestyle on the Florida coast that kept him far from campaign headquarters in Virginia. Over the summer, he hyped a million ticket requests for the presidents comeback rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, that ended up drawing just 6,000 people. A furious Trump was left staring at a sea of empty seats and, weeks later, promoted Bill Stepien to campaign manager. Parscale was originally hired to run Trumps 2016 campaign by Jared Kushner, the presidents powerful son-in-law. While the Republican National Committee owns most of the campaigns data, voter modeling and outreach tools, Parscale ran most of the microtargeted online advertising that Trump aides believe was key to his victory four years ago. Under the states Red Flag Law, officials could ask a judge to bar Parscale from possessing any weapons for up to a year. ___ Lemire reported from New York. LOS ANGELES, Sept. 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The Cooperative of American Physicians, Inc. (CAP) announced today it has entered into a new relationship with Professional Security Insurance Company, a member of the well-known nationwide MagMutual Group and an A.M. Best "A" (Excellent) rated insurance company, to offer superior medical professional liability coverage to large medical groups and healthcare facilities through the CAPAssurance Risk Purchasing Group. As the medical malpractice insurance industry experiences a hardening market and an increase in rates, CAP recognizes that healthcare providers need nimble solutions and strategic partners to help combat current financial challenges and risks emerging from an evolving healthcare landscape. "Changes continue to shape an increasingly turbulent medical malpractice coverage market. CAP and its physician leaders remain steadfast in our ability to provide reliable coverage options for our valued CAPAssurance clients. We are excited to work with a company that shares CAP's commitment to protect and bolster the success of medical practices and healthcare facilities through innovative and financially secure risk transfer financing, along with proactive risk management and practice management support programs," said CAP CEO Sarah E. Scher, JD. CAPAssurance brings the same client-centric approach to professional liability coverage that has made CAP an industry leader since 1977 through the Mutual Protection Trust (MPT). Backed by the MagMutual Group's similar service philosophy, CAPAssurance will continue to offer hands-on expertise, resources, and support to meet the needs of its current and new clients. "Like CAP, MagMutual is focused on developing smarter solutions and bold innovations to help physicians and healthcare facilities better understand their risk, improve their outcomes, and achieve superior protection and success," said MagMutual Insurance Company President & CEO Neil Morrell. CAP's new relationship with the MagMutual Group signals an end to its previous relationship with ProAssurance Casualty Company, which had helped to promote and grow the CAPAssurance program among medical groups, hospitals, and medical facilities since 2013. "The CAPAssurance program has been a success thanks to the tireless efforts of our team here at CAP and the support and service provided through our relationship with ProAssurance. We are grateful for our relationship with ProAssurance and for the growth CAP has experienced as a result of our mutual efforts on behalf of the CAPAssurance program," Ms. Scher added. About the Cooperative of American Physicians, Inc. The Cooperative of American Physicians, Inc. (CAP), established in 1975, offers superior medical professional liability coverage through the Mutual Protection Trust (MPT). MPT has earned an A+ (Superior) rating from A.M. Best since 2006. In 2013, CAP created the CAPAssurance, a Risk Purchasing Group, allowing hospitals, facilities, and large physician groups access to toprated liability coverage and risk management services. CAP now supports more than 12,000 of California's finest physicians through offices in Los Angeles, San Diego, Orange County, and Walnut Creek. CAP is licensed as a California surplus lines broker (License No. 0B72723). The insurance products provided under the CAPAssurance program are issued by a "non-admitted" or "surplus line" insurer that is not licensed by the State of California. For more information, visit www.CAPphysicians.com. About MagMutual For nearly four decades, MagMutual has been a leading provider of medical professional liability insurance. Today, we deliver comprehensive coverage for the practice, business and regulation of medicine to over 30,000 physicians and healthcare organizations nationwide. Our focus on innovation enables us to provide exceptional service, extensive support and financial benefits that result in improved outcomes and stronger PolicyOwners. For more information, visit MagMutual.com. Professional Security Insurance Company, a wholly owned subsidiary of MagMutual, offers a level of service, personalization, and customization not available through other healthcare liability insurance companies. Professional Security Insurance Company's solutions help you to optimize your internal resources and deliver high-quality, low-cost care in an increasingly competitive healthcare landscape. Professional Security Insurance Company is not an admitted insurer in the state of California. Its products are offered on a non-admitted basis. SOURCE Cooperative of American Physicians, Inc. Related Links http://www.CAPphysicians.com There have been calls for clarity over whether students should remain at their university accommodation, as fears grow about young people here spreading coronavirus to their family homes. The call comes as hundreds of students in Manchester and Glasgow are currently locked in their halls of residence following Covid-19 outbreaks at the two institutions. With the rising level of cases in Northern Ireland, there are concerns asymptomatic students who return home to see family or work part-time jobs will inadvertently spread the virus. Speaking last week, First Minister Arlene Foster suggested that students should "consider staying in their university accommodation" during weekends. Collette Cassidy, president of the Ulster University Students' Union, emphasised the need for clarity and "advanced notice" around any decision taken by the Executive, explaining it shouldn't be done, for example, "a few days before the Christmas holidays". While she stressed students should follow the health guidelines, Collette added: "There are many reasons why students may have to travel home - part-time jobs, caring responsibilities and the family support network they need at home. "There needs to be clearer guidance, specific for students issued from Executive." Dr Gabriel Scally, a leading epidemiologist who sits on the Independent Sage group, emphasised the need for learning to be facilitated at family homes in order to eliminate the requirement to stay on campus. "Students should have the ability for [teaching] to be done from their family home and therefore there would be no need for students to be congregating in halls of residence in large numbers," he told the Belfast Telegraph. "People have to make their own risk assessment. If they are coming back into a home and particularly if there is anyone vulnerable there, they should probably self-isolate for a period." Ulster University was not able to provide a statement by the time of publication, while Queen's University said students should, "avoid travel unless absolutely necessary and carefully consider the potential risks to themselves and others before doing so". Adopted child to be removed after Iranian court rules Christian parents are 'not fit' Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment An appeals court in Iran has ruled that an adopted daughter with health problems must be taken away from her parents because of convictions related to their participation in a house church in southwestern Iran, watchdog groups have reported. Article 18, a London-based nonprofit that exposes abuses against Christians in Muslim-majority Iran, reports that an appeals court panel in the city of Bushehr upheld on Tuesday a July 19 ruling against Christian converts Sam Khosravi and his wife, Maryam Falahi. The court found that they are not fit to be their adopted daughter, Lydias, parents. According to the nonprofit, the initial ruling came even though Judge Muhammad Hassan Dashti acknowledged that the nearly 2-year-old child felt an intense emotional attachment to her adoptive parents and that she may spend the rest of her life in state care because of her severe health problems related to her heart and stomach. An Article 18 spokesperson told The Christian Post that Lydia remains in her parents' custody. However, Irans child welfare agency will look to remove the child when it is made aware of the couple's failed appeal. Advocacy Director Mansour Borji said in a statement that the July verdict against the parents clearly demonstrates an unwillingness from the judge to hand down the sentence. Borji contends that Judge Dashti was coerced by the representative of the Ministry of Intelligence. He added that it is a clear example of the lack of independence of the judiciary in cases involving Christians. Condemning these people to prison because of their possession of Bibles and Christian symbols is a clear demonstration that Irans foreign minister and others arent telling the truth when they say that no-one is put in prison in Iran simply because of their beliefs, he stated. The advocacy group stated that the only reason why the verdict was issued against the parents is because of their identity as Christian converts and the fact that Lydia is considered by law to be a Muslim. Dashti reportedly stated the child should never have been placed in their care. Last week, the appellate court judges issued a short ruling, stating that they do see any specific or reasonable evidence to overturn the verdict. The decision is a crushing blow to Sam and Maryam, for whom Lydia fulfilled a long-held dream, having been unable to have a child of their own, the Article 18 report explains. The couple has been married for over 13 years and was never able to have a child of their own. Falahi has worked as a nurse for over 20 years, while Khosravi works in the hospitality sector. The couple was among a group of seven Christians who were given sentences ranging from prison to work restrictions in June. Khosravi was sentenced to serve one year in prison and two years of exile from the city for the alleged crime of engaging in propaganda against the state related to his membership in a house church. Both Falahi and Khosravi have been banned from gaining employment in their professional fields. The couple has appealed their criminal convictions. According to Article 18, Khosravis brother, Sasan, and his wife, Marjan, also received similar sentences along with three other Christian converts. These people have done nothing that could be construed as propaganda against the state or acting against national security, but nevertheless they have been treated so unjustly, Borji stated. The international community must hold Iran to account for this miscarriage of justice, and many others like it. Irans theocratic regime has long been criticized by international human rights activists for its treatment of Christians and other religious minorities. Governed by Islamic law, Iran ranks as the ninth worst country in the world for Christian persecution, according to Open Doors USAs World Watch List. Iran not only prohibits church services in the predominant language of Farsi but also bans Muslims from leaving Islam. Thus, crackdowns against Christian converts are severe. Christians can face arrest just for attending underground church services. During the 2020 reporting period Nov. 1, 2018, to Oct. 31, 2019 Open Doors reports that at least 169 Christians were arrested in Iran. A Wilderness of Error (8/7c, FX): Don't expect definitive answers, but do expect to be drawn into decades of true-crime intrigue in this five-part docuseries from the Emmy-winning producer of The Jinx. Based on the book by filmmaker Errol Morris (The Thin Blue Line), who appears in the series, Error revisits the notorious so-called Fatal Vision case, in which Green Beret and Army surgeon Jeffrey McDonald was convicted of the 1970 murder of his pregnant wife, Colette, and their two daughters. (Joe McGinniss's book Fatal Vision inspired a 1984 NBC miniseries.) Morris's obsession with the case, including the "woman in a floppy hat" who McDonald claimed led the hippie gang he accused of the murder, becomes a search for an elusive truth that might someday even exonerate McDonald 41 years after his conviction. Panaji, Sep 28 : The Congress in Goa on Monday staged a protest at the Raj Bhavan here to protest against the three new agricultural laws and demanded their rollback. In a memorandum submitted at the Raj Bhavan, Goa Congress leaders leading more than 1,000 protestors claimed the new legislations were "anti-farmer but corporate-friendly". Parliament passed the three Bills in its Monsoon Session. President Ram Nath Kovind gave his assent on September 24 whereas the central government published it its gazette on Sunday. "The biggest flaw in the contract farming law is that Minimum Support Price (MSP) is not mandatory. Once the mandi system is abolished, farmers will be solely dependent on contract farming and big companies will decide the price of farmer's crops on their own," claimed the memorandum signed by top Congress functionaries and addressed to the President of India. "If this is not a new 'zamindari system', what else is? Through this specious mode of contract farming, farmers will be left at the mercy of big companies, courts and bureaucracy in the event of any dispute. "In such a scenario, powerful big companies will naturally exercise their influence on bureaucracy and attack the very livelihood of farmers by engaging them in the legal intricacies and earn profits," the memorandum said. - Lawyer Ahmednasir said it will be safe for Uhuru to support a neutral candidate instead of supporting Raila or Ruto in 2022 - The senior counsel also said the ODM leader only stands a chance in 2022 if he cuts links with Uhuru and finds his voice - Ahmednasir said Ruto should not make up with the president or seek his support in his presidential bid Lawyer Ahmednasir Abdullahi has opined Deputy President William Ruto is stronger without President Uhuru Kenyatta. The senior counsel said the only threat that stands in the way of Ruto's road to the presidency in 2022 is if he decides to make up with Uhuru and allow him to support him. READ ALSO: 11-year-old boy becomes hero after raising money to buy diapers for single mums Lawyer Ahmednasir said Ruto was stronger without Uhuru's support. Photo: Ahmednasir Abdullahi. Source: Facebook READ ALSO: Bungoma's James Bond is dead Taking to his Twitter, the lawyer said Ruto was stronger and better off without the first in command. Similarly, Ahmednasir said ODM leader Raila Odinga was also stronger than Uhuru and added luck will be on the former premier's side if he cuts links with the president and finds his voice back again. READ ALSO: William Ruto snubs national COVID-19 conference attended by Uhuru, Raila and other leaders "The biggest threat to DP Ruto's chance in 2022 is for H.E Uhuru to make up with him and support him,(Ruto is stronger without Uhuru). "The best chance Hon Raila has for 2022 is to break up with Uhuru, fight him, find his voice and get back his mojo.(Raila is stronger than Uhuru)," he said on Twitter. He also said it was safe and effective if Uhuru supports a neutral candidate instead of his deputy or handshake buddy. READ ALSO: Mount Kenya region will not accept Raila even at gunpoint, MP Rigathi Gachagua "(ie, Dr Fred) that will give him and his message some traction and credibility," he added. This came as succession politics continue to gather steam in the country. Despite the earlier camaraderie between Uhuru and Ruto in the pre-handshake times, the two have been reading from different scripts of late. READ ALSO: Uhuru extends curfew for 60 more days Jubilee Party vice-chair David Murathe, a close ally of Uhuru, said it was time for Kenyans to award Raila with the presidency because of his patriotism. Allies of the president have been hinting Uhuru will not support Ruto despite their earlier agreement of "kumi yangu (Uhuru), kumi ya Ruto". Do you have a groundbreaking story you would like us to publish? Please reach us through news@tuko.co.ke or WhatsApp: 0732482690. Contact Tuko.co.ke instantly. My car broke my family - Kenneth Saota | Tuko TV. Source: TUKO.co.ke Secessionist group calling itself Western Togoland Restoration Front (WTRF) didn't only intend to block roads or burn tyres. They also had plans of kidnapping and blowing up of dams. Government has been accused of failing to gather intelligence on the recent secessionist resurgence. However, Information Minister said it was due to the intelligence gathered by the security agencies that some of the plans of the group were thwarted. Kojo Oppong Nkrumah speaking in an interview on Peace FM's morning show 'Kokrokoo' said the security agencies had intelligence that the group wanted to kidnap some Ministers in the Volta Region but the security agencies dealt with it. "Its never true there was an intelligence failure . . . dams, markets, bridges they wanted to blow up and burn, the kidnapping of Ministers from the volta region were all privy to the security agencies and were able to avert them . . . The first imminent set of threat has been dealt with but there are still some outstanding threats and the security agencies are working hard to bring sanity," he said. He further assured that the security agencies will stop these activities once and for all and also condemned the politicisation of the issue saying, "its unfortunate some are trying to bring politics in this issue because its about the safety of this nation." Listen to him in the video below Source: Rebecca Addo Tetteh/Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Africa's young entrepreneurs can play a significant role helping the continent recover from COVID-19, according to Jason Pau, Senior Advisor for International Programmes, the Jack Ma Foundation, a charity owned by Jack Ma, the Chinese businessman and founder of the e-commerce giant Alibaba. "African young entrepreneurs are creative and intelligent, and I continue to be blown away by their quality," Mr. Pau told Africa Renewal. Mr. Pau is heavily involved in the foundation's work in Africa, including in the African Netpreneur Prize Initiative (ANPI) programme, which organises the Africa's Business Heroes competition under whose auspices budding entrepreneurs get a chance to showcase their talents. The African Continental Free Trade Area would be a boon to entrepreneurs, free trade will resolve challenges around payments, logistics, travel and customs delays. Jason Pau And following the outbreak of the pandemic, Mr. Pau helped organize the Jack Ma Foundation's donation and distribution of medical supplies to African countries. Given the anticipated challenges of a post-COVID recovery, he said that the continent "needs more young business leaders who can show different ways to success and different ways of leadership." Africa must "leverage its demographics for economic growth. There's going to be a need to bring broadscale changes in areas like education, health, technology, and infrastructure," he said. He listed enabling conditions for entrepreneurship in Africa as including education, infrastructure and e-government. Africa must educate the next generation to be creative, compassionate and culturally aware. "The math and coding are important, but I think we need to teach children to be human beings," he insisted. Add to that the need for access to the internet and availability of port logistics. "We can't stress that enough," he maintained. As well, he urged countries to embrace the digital economy, noting that e-government will foster "transparency and help government be efficient and to engage with society." The African Continental Free Trade Area would be a boon to entrepreneurs, he predicted, because "free trade will resolve challenges around payments, logistics, travel and customs delays. "When barriers are broken, and I'm thinking about some of the entrepreneurs that I have met [in Africa], their markets will increase five to 10 times." He advised African entrepreneurs to "do more business with other African entrepreneurs. I've found that many African businessmen and women, entrepreneurs tend to be very local based." Intra-African trade is just about 18 percent, according to the UN Economic Commission for Africa. ANPI is Mr. Ma's strategic effort to encourage young Africans to harness their entrepreneurial energy to solve society's problems. He explained: "We had 10,000 applicants in 2019, representing 50 African countries... This year, we've been even more satisfied with some of the work that we've done with local partners. We received 20,000 applications, representing every single of the 54 countries in Africa." The success of the 2019 competition encouraged the foundation to increase the total grant amount to be shared among the winners from $1 million in 2019 to $1.5 million for 2020. Temie Giwa-Tubosun, CEO of Lifebank Africa, a company that delivers blood to hospitals in Nigeria, won the first prize in 2019. Ms. Giwa-Tubosun told Africa Renewal that the $250,000 cash award she received from the foundation enabled her to expand business operations. "It made a lot of difference." Other winners received between $65,000 and $150,000. When Ms. Giwa-Tubosun's company urgently needed oxygen ventilators in the heat of the pandemic, she said that, "The Jack Ma Foundation quickly linked us to the right manufacturers in China... That was very helpful." Mr. Pau confirmed that in addition to providing financial awards, the foundation was "building out mentorship, networking and access to resources training." Following the outbreak of COVID-19, the foundation donated approximately 19 million pieces of medical items, including facemasks, ventilators, protective clothing, test kits and other items to countries in Africa. Mr. Pau praised Ethiopia's prime minister, Abiy Ahmed, for facilitating the donation. "We found in Prime Minister Abiy an immensely strong and visionary leader, and Mr. Ma decided to work with him to establish and implement a continent-wide distribution programme." Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Coronavirus Africa Innovation By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. He added that the Ethiopian leader coordinated with the "African Union, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, the World Food Programme, Ethiopian Airlines and, of course, the World Health Organization." He called that operation "A model of public-private partnership." The AU Commission Chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat said then that the medical supplies enhanced "the Africa CDC's strategic stockpile to assist member states in the COVID-19 fight." The Jack Ma Foundation also teamed up with its sister organisation, the Alibaba Foundation, to establish the Global MediXchange for Combating Covid-19--a platform for medical experts to digitally share pertinent knowledge and experience on the COVID-19 fight. "China was the first country to deal with the outbreak on a large scale. China had suffered first and had learned the hard way lessons around how to treat patients, how to set up hospitals, how to deal with PPEs, what medicines to use, and so on," Mr. Pau further explained. "So, we said to ourselves, 'why not share some lessons from Chinese doctors with the world?'" Members of a Romanian 'Mission Impossible' gang that stole 3.3million worth of rare books and electronics in a series of heists across Britain have confessed to a series of charges. Hundreds of rare books worth millions of pounds were stolen in a sophisticated heist by the crime gang - who also carried out 11 other raids, Kingston Crown Court was told. The group broke in by cutting holes in the roofs of warehouses, then abseiling down to avoid sensors that would have set off alarms. Most of the burglaries were carried out on warehouses storing electronic goods, but one break-in saw the gang steal 170 rare books worth around 2.5 million. Twelve burglaries in which 3.3 million worth of goods were taken were conducted between December 2016 and April 2019 by the thieves, most of whom were flown into the UK from Romania specifically to carry out the raids, before being flown out again. The goods were then shipped around Europe or back to Romania. Rare works by the 17th Century Italian astronomer Galileo, along with those of Sir Isaac Newton and the 18th Cenury Spanish painter Francisco Goya, were taken in a warehouse burglary in Feltham, west London, while waiting to be sent to Las Vegas for a specialist book auction. Members of a Romanian 'Mission Impossible' gang (pictured) that stole 3.3million worth of rare books and electronics in a series of heists across Britain have confessed to a series of charges Hundreds of rare books worth millions of pounds were stolen in a sophisticated heist by the crime gang - who also carried out 11 other raids, Kingston Crown Court was told. Pictured: The books were found in a hidden underground compartment A total of 12 suspects pleaded guilty and are being sentenced via video at Kingston Crown Court in a four-day starting today The heist was carried out in January 2017 on a company called Frontier Forwarding by the international mafia gang, which has links to organised crime groups around Europe. Some of the multi-million pound collection were deemed to be of international importance and are considered irreplaceable. A total of 12 suspects pleaded guilty and are being sentenced via video at Kingston Crown Court in a four-day starting today. They all either pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit burglary or one count of conspiracy to conceal convert, disguise, transfer and remove criminal property, or to both charges. The defendants being sentenced include Marian Mamaliga, 34, Traian-Daniel Mihulca, 32, Vasile Paragina, 28, Narcis Popescu, 34, Daniel David, 37, Victor Opariuc, 29, Gavril Popinciuc, 45, Vasille Ionel Pragina, 28, Liviu Leahu, 39, who all live in Romania. Marian Albu, 41, from Harrow, west London, and Paul Popeanu, 35, of Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, are also being sentenced, as is Ilie Ungureanu, 33, who is from Romania, but was living and was extradited from Germany. Cristian Ungureanu, 41, from Romania, was extradited from Italy to being charged and sentenced. Catherine Farrelly, prosecuting, told the court: 'All of the premises that were targeted were commercial premises and the goods stolen in most of the burglaries were desirable high-value and portable electronic goods such as tablet computers, laptops and smartphones. 'The primary exception to this was the second burglary at Frontier Forwarding which concerned the theft of a number of rare and precious books of significant cultural importance. 'Several of the burglaries involved entering the premises from the roof and dangling by ropes in order to try and avoid tripping the buildings' security systems. 'Most of the defendants travelled to the United Kingdom from Romania in order to execute the burglaries, the only exceptions being Marian Albu and Traian Mihulca, both of whom appear to have been living in the UK at the relevant times and Victor Opariuc, who appears to have been living in the UK in early 2017. 'The defendants formed a sophisticated criminal network to commit high value, well-planned burglaries on commercial premises. The premises were usually warehouses or freight businesses where one would expect a significant amount of small but high value items such as smart phones, computers and tablet computers. 'The criminal property was then moved onwards out of the UK or to those willing to buy it or back to Romania where it could be sold. 'The network was overseen by Gavril Popinciuc. He has a criminal conviction in Romania from 2015 for setting up an organised crime group.' Cristian Ungureanu and Narcis Popescu were responsible for organising the burglaries then transporting the stolen goods, the court heard. Both travelled to the scene of the burglaries and oversaw their execution, while Popescu also organised travel and accommodation for the co-conspirators, the prosecutor said. Not long after one burglary Popescu was stopped by police in Romania with a series of electronics that he could not provide a receipt for, the court heard. Rare works by the 17th Century Italian astronomer Galileo, along with those of Sir Isaac Newton and the 18th Cenury Spanish painter Francisco Goya, were taken in a warehouse burglary in Feltham, west London, while waiting to be sent to Las Vegas for a specialist book auction (file image) Others were linked to the burglaries through DNA and fingerprints. The theft of the books saw two of the defendants cut holes in the perimeter fence, then cut a holes in the skylight and abseil into the warehouse. The books were then loaded into 16 large designer Baker Hugh holdalls that were also stolen from the warehouse and hoisted back through the roof. Describing the way the gang stole the haul of rare book, Ms Farrelly said: 'At that time, the warehouse was holding a number of rare culturally significant books including works from Sir Isaac Newton, the eighteenth-century Spanish painter Francisco Goya and relating to the Italian astronomer, Galileo. 'These books had been shipped from Italy and Germany and were being stored in preparation for onward delivery to a book fair in the USA. The books belonged to three separate book dealers. 'Two of the book dealers were Italian - one from Pavia and the other from Padua. The third book collector was from Berlin in Germany. 'They had a combined insurance value of something in the region of 2m and their cultural significance was immense.' An estimated 12,00 was paid by the firm to repair the damage and for extra security while the company also lost roughly 35,000 of business, the court heard. Company director of Frontier Forwarding, John Binstead, described how the books were stolen from the metal freight containers in which they had been transported. In a victim impact statement read to the court by the prosecutor, he stated, 'Also taken from the warehouse were 16 Baker Hugh's bags. It became clear that the books were the only items taken despite the fact that the warehouse was full of freight and were items that would have been more traditional for burglars to take such as electronic items.' Ms Farrelly added: 'The fact nothing else was stolen is indicative of the targeting of the books and immediate transportation out of the UK.' The Met investigation identified the suspects involved were part of a feared Romanina Mafia group - the Clamparu - that were behind a string of high-value warehouse burglaries across the UK. This particular Romanian Organised Crime Group (OCG) is linked to a number of prominent Romanian crime families who form part of the Clamparu crime group, Scotland Yard said. This group is based in the Ia*i region in Eastern Romania and have a history of complex and large-scale high value thefts, yet have mainly avoided prosecution by offending outside Romania. Ms Farrelly told the court: 'Forensic examination of the interior of the warehouse [in Feltham] was conducted. A bent metal bar which was not previously in the warehouse was seized. 'The bar was examined and swabbed. The DNA profile obtained was compared with a reference profile taken from Daniel David and it has been confirmed that Daniel David's DNA is a match. 'DNA recovered from the headrest of the driver's seat matched that of Narcis Popescu. It was noted that there was a strong smell of cleaning fluid present inside the vehicle.' The books were shipped out of the UK in a Mercedes van through the Eurotunnel in bags on July 2, 2017, along with another stolen electronics. Natalina Bado, one of the Italian owners of the books said via the prosecutor: 'The loss and possible dispersion of this collection represents a very serious damage not only for our company, but in general for world culture and for the correct circulation of knowledge at the highest level, since many of our customers are prestigious libraries, foundations, universities and museums.' It took the international manhunt made-up of the Met Police, the Romanian National Police and the Italian Carabinieri, along with Europol and Eurojust, more than three years to track the books down to the Romanian countryside, stashed under floorboards. Police carried out a series of raids that led them to the find earlier this month. During the course of the investigation, another 11 offences in London and across the UK were uncovered by police, where a further 2 million worth of property has been stolen, generally using the same method of entering through the roof. This culminated in coordinated arrests and searches of 45 addresses across the UK, Romania and Italy in June 2019, police said. Other burglaries included a raid on GPSK Warehouse in Peterborough where mobile phones and tablets worth 150,000 were stolen overnight on December 6, 2016. A total of 700,000 damage was done to the warehouse, the court heard. After the theft of the rare books, 340,000 of electronics were stolen from a refurbishing company where hundreds of Macbooks, 520 iPhones, 240 Samsung tablets and 400 iPads were taken by the gang. Another raid in Southall, north west London, saw 26,000 in cash and goods stolen, along with around 57,000 worth of Lenovo laptops were taken and over 11,000 worth of damage caused to a warehouse in St Albans in July 2017. At this raid, the burglars left behind a number of the laptops, the ladders that they had used to gain entrance as well as a balaclava or snood and a black bin liner, which had the DNA of one defendant and a fingerprint of another. The hearing continues. President Moon Jae-in/Yonhap Russian President Vladimir Putin said Monday in phone talks with President Moon Jae-in that Moscow will cooperate in efforts to promote peace on the Korean Peninsula, according to Cheong Wa Dae. Russian President Vladmir Putin/Yonhap Afghanistan s top official in negotiations with the Taliban arrived in Pakistan s capital Monday on a three-day trip during which he will meet with the country's prime minister and other government officials. Abdullah Abdullah who leads the Afghan High Council for National Reconciliation, was received by top government officials on arriving in Islamabad. Apart from meeting with Prime Minister Imran Khan the Afghan reconciliation leader also will meet with President Arif Alvi, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and other officials. The council represents the Afghan government in historic peace negotiations with the Taliban which began in Qatar on Sept. 12. Those talks represent the most-serious effort yet at ending decades of war in Afghanistan that followed the 2001 U.S.-led invasion that toppled its Taliban government, which then hosting al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden who planned the Sept. 11 attacks. The Afghan-Taliban talks come after a deal signed in February between the U.S. and the Taliban. That aims to allow the U.S. to withdraw from Afghanistan and end the longest military engagement in American history. Many Taliban leaders have lived in Pakistan since the 1980s. In those years they were part of the Afghan mujahedeen, allies of the U.S. in ending the 10-year occupation of the country by the Soviet Union. Pakistan has denied giving sanctuary to Taliban members following their ouster in 2001. However, both Washington and Kabul routinely accuse Islamabad of giving them a safe haven, citing the Taliban long ties with Pakistan's powerful Inter-Services Intelligence agency. Khan publicly has said his government facilitated the talks. He said now it was now up to the Afghans to seize this opportunity. Abdullah's visit will provide an opportunity for wide-ranging exchange of views on the Afghan peace process and strengthening of Pakistan-Afghanistan bilateral relations and people-to-people interaction," Pakistan's Foreign Ministry said in a statement. Pakistan fully supports all efforts for the peace, stability and prosperity of the Afghan people." Conakry, Guinea (PANA) - Six human rights groups on Monday reminded the Guinean authorities that victims and their family members are demanding justice for the killings of more than 150 demonstrators, rapes, and other crimes committed by the security forces on 28 September, 2009 in a stadium in the capital, Conakry Spotlight PA is an independent, non-partisan newsroom powered by The Philadelphia Inquirer in partnership with PennLive/The Patriot-News, TribLIVE/Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, and WITF Public Media. Sign up for our free weekly newsletter. The signs at first were subtle. In the spring of 2019, legislation that she was championing had come to a screeching halt in the Republican-controlled Senate. Advocates for the bill, known as Marsys Law, were baffled by the chambers inaction on a measure that otherwise had wide and enthusiastic support among rank-and-file GOP legislators. By summer, the legislature had quietly eliminated funding for her office Pennsylvanias Office of Victim Advocate which was later rescued by the Wolf administration when it was absorbed into a different state agency. And though few have taken notice or spoken publicly about it, Victim Advocate Jennifer Storms nomination for another six years at the helm of the state office that advocates for survivors of crime, domestic violence, and physical and sexual abuse has lingered in limbo in the Senate for the last 10 months. Now, Storm is again in the cross hairs of the Senate, where Republicans who control the chamber just this month suddenly pushed a proposal that, if approved, would effectively make her ineligible to remain on the job. And, though perhaps for different reasons, not every Democrat was opposed to the measure. Republican leaders say the bill is not personal, but an attempt to better position the advocate to fall back on legal knowledge to provide guidance to victims. But interviews with more than a half-dozen legislators, legislative aides, advocates, and others paint a more complex picture. Storm, they say, has angered Joe Scarnati, the top Republican in the Senate, with her advocacy and pointed outspokenness in high-profile cases involving victims of sexual abuse, including women who came forward during the #MeToo movement to level allegations against onetime legislators and legislative employees. But her critics extend to the other side of the aisle as well, with one Democratic lawmaker saying he believes her work has favored victims of domestic violence and sexual abuse at the expense of victims of gun violence in cities like Philadelphia. Others privately believe she has blurred the lines between her public work and her private endeavors, which include writing books, traveling for speaking engagements, and filming a documentary. (Storm notes she was already an author and speaker when she took the position, and said she has taken pains to keep her government job and other professional endeavors separate.) What is undeniable is that since being nominated in 2013 by former Republican Gov. Tom Corbett, she has elevated the profile of what was once a largely unknown office, and that the GOP-controlled legislature is in no rush to give her another term. It looks like its a personal attack, said Sen. Katie Muth (D., Montgomery), who publicly spoke out against the legislation that would prevent Storm from staying in the job. Sadly, it doesnt surprise me. But it certainly disgusts me. In an interview, Storm would not address whether she believes she is being targeted, saying only: In my job, Ive had to shine a light on really bad acts and in doing that, it sheds light on bad actors. She added: As the victim advocate, it is my job to give survivors a voice, or be their voice when they are not ready to do it on their own. And I will never apologize for that. Storms success in building awareness for her office stems in part from her personal story. She has documented it in a series of memoirs over the last decade, in which she describes being raped as a child, her subsequent descent into substance use and self-harm, and her journey to recovery. She often speaks about how her past has helped her channel her energy into helping people overcome traumatic experiences and advocating for victim-focused policy changes. Over the last six years, that has placed Storm in the middle of some of the states most highly charged and politically fraught cases. From the child sexual abuse scandals involving Pennsylvania State University and the Roman Catholic Church to the #MeToo allegations that surfaced in the Capitol starting in late 2017, Storm has been a fixture at news conferences with victims advocating for policy changes. Her message, on behalf of victims, could be raw and unfiltered. Along the way, she has gained fierce critics. One of them is Scarnati, of Jefferson County, according to interviews with four sources who requested anonymity, fearing that speaking publicly would jeopardize their careers. Scarnati did not respond to requests for an interview for this story. His spokesperson, Kate Flessner, did not answer questions about Scarnatis opinion of Storm. Instead, she referred questions about the legislative proposal involving Storm to the state senator who sponsored it. Scarnatis animus, the sources said, dates to late 2018, when the Capitol swelled with victims who had been abused as children by Catholic priests. The victims wanted a temporary pause in the states statute of limitations to permit lawsuits for decades-old abuse. Scarnati led the effort to block the change, which he contended was unconstitutional. It was a tense time. The state Office of the Attorney General had just released a scathing grand jury report documenting how the Catholic Church had for decades systematically covered up knowledge of complaints against priests who had sexually abused children. Victims held vigils in Senate hallways, reading portions of the grand jury report out loud. They rallied day after day in the Capitol rotunda, Storm at their side, contending Scarnati cared more about the interests of the Catholic Church and the insurance industry than their stories of abuse at the hands of priests. In the end, Scarnati was successful in blocking a vote on a temporary window for older victims to sue. But he emerged from the fight politically bloodied, with some perceiving him as anti-victim. He vigorously denied that characterization, countering that his concern was about following the law. In early 2019, Storm spoke out anew after Scarnatis office came under scrutiny for quietly using taxpayer money to pay the legal bills of the Senates onetime security chief, who had been accused by two female subordinates of sexual harassment. At the time, Scarnatis chief of staff and the Senates top lawyer, Drew Crompton, said the decision was guided by the chambers policy on paying for legal services. Among the factors Crompton said he and others considered was that the Senate was also named as a defendant in the womens lawsuits, and that some of the allegations the two made were likely not accurate. Starting in the spring of last year, the first signs that Storm was in the cross hairs of the Senate began to emerge. One of her signature issues Marsys Law, which would establish a bill of rights for crime victims was placed on ice for months after being approved by the House of Representatives and sent to the Senate. Scarnati is among a select few GOP Senate leaders who have tremendous power over which bills are brought to a floor vote, and how quickly. Three sources familiar with the delay in voting on Marsys Law, which was eventually approved by the Senate, said Scarnatis dislike of Storm was a factor. Around the time Marsys Law was being brought to a vote in the Senate, Republican legislative leaders were negotiating that fiscal years budget with Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf. When the deal was cut, Storms funding line in the budget had been eliminated, although Wolf, according to two sources, reinstated funding for her office under the Department of Corrections. Also during the budget process, Storm was removed as an ex-officio member of the Pennsylvania Commission on Sentencing, a creation of the legislature that works to promote fairer and more uniform sentencing guidelines in the state. Wolf first renominated Storm to another six-year term as the victim advocate in December, but the Senate, which must approve or reject it, has yet to take it up. Wolf administration officials did not respond to questions about the Senates delay in considering her nomination, saying only, The governor believes protecting victims is of critical importance, and knows Jen Storm will always do so in her position as the commonwealths advocate. Earlier this month, a Republican senator championed an amendment to a bill that would require that Pennsylvanias victim advocate be a licensed lawyer, which Storm is not. (Most states do not require victim advocates to be an attorney.) Sen. Joe Pittman (R., Indiana), who pushed for the amendment, said in a statement that he believes making the change will ensure victims are provided with the highest standard of representation and guidance at a time when they are most vulnerable. An array of groups representing victims wrote letters to the Senate opposing the change, noting among other things that the state victim advocate is not even permitted to give legal advice, making a law degree less relevant. A majority of Senate Democrats voted against the measure earlier this month on the Senate floor. Were changing the rules to disqualify a woman who has been serving as the victim advocate and has been doing an outstanding job in that role, said Senate Minority Jay Costa (D., Allegheny). Its ridiculous. Its unconscionable. But not every Democrat approves of Storms performance or disagrees with the Senates move to essentially disqualify her from the office. In an interview, Sen. Sharif Street (D., Philadelphia) said he believes Storm has failed to advocate for people victimized by gun violence, including many in communities he represents. Street said he has spoken to Storm several times about his concerns and believes that a lawyer might bring a more nuanced view to the job. We need an advocate who can speak to the full spectrum of people who have experienced trauma, Street said. Storm countered that she has for years met monthly with groups in Philadelphia that advocate for families impacted by gun violence and that because of those meetings, there is more support and funding for those efforts. Asked whether he thinks Storms job performance is better addressed during a vote on her renomination rather than in a bill that sets new requirements for the job Street noted Democrats do not have the power to decide what issues come up for a vote. But, he said, he saw this bill as an opportunity to force a discussion on Storm. There are lots of ways to achieve a legislative end. 100% ESSENTIAL: Spotlight PA relies on funding from foundations and readers like you who are committed to accountability journalism that gets results. If you value this reporting, please give a gift today at spotlightpa.org/donate. President Akufo-Addo has begun a three-day tour of the Ashanti Region. Akufo-Addo as part of his tour has already inspected some ongoing projects and also commissioned others in parts of the region. The President has also inspected the new terminal which is being constructed at the Kumasi Airport. President Akufo-Addo was met by supporters of the New Patriotic Party, including beneficiaries of the Free SHS policy, who lined up on major streets of the Kumasi metropolis. Background The President is currently on an 8-day tour of the Western, Ashanti, and Eastern Regions. While in the Ashanti Region, the President will commission a number of projects at Apraman MA Basic School in the Nyiaeso Constituency. The President will commission a 12-Unit classroom block at Juaso SHTS, inspect work on the construction of the Town Roads there; inspect work on a Pork Processing Factory under 1D1F, and a Fertilizer Processing Factory also under 1D1F at Asankare in the Asante Akim South Constituency. He will also inspect the Krofa-Brentuokrom-Adomfe road. At Konongo, President Akufo-Addo will inspect work on the Town Roads project, commission a 12-Unit Classroom Block and perform an inspection of a boys dormitory project at Konongo Odumase SHS. He will visit the Rider Factory under the 1D1F industrialization policy and inaugurate the Ghana Tree Crop Development Board at Nhyiaeso to end the day's work. Day 3 in the Ashanti region begins with the sod cutting for the commencement of the 1st Phase of the Kumasi-Obuasi new Standard Guage Railway Line at Asokwa. The President will inspect the construction of Maabang Town Roads, commission the Tepa District Hospital, and cut sod for the construction of Phase 2 and 3 of the Tepa Town Roads Project in the Ahafo-Ano North constituency; where he will also commission a warehouse under the 1D1W at Odikrokwanta. The President will, at Mankranso, commission a 6-Unit Classroom block, inspect the construction of a boy's dormitory block at Mankranso SHS and inspect the construction of Mankranso's town roads. ---citinewsroom Five weeks before the presidential election, a federal judge gave New Jersey an early victory in its lawsuit against the U.S. Postal Service. The agency must stop removing sorting machines and collection boxes, and it should halt cutting overtime because those changes likely caused recent slowdowns in delivery, U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan wrote in an opinion Sunday. New Jersey and other state and local governments sued last month, accusing President Donald Trumps administration of deliberately crippling the postal service to undermine a federal election. The suing states successfully showed that they will suffer immediate and irreparable harm to their ability to combat the spread of COVID-19 and to provide safe alternatives to in-person voting" if recent internal changes werent stopped, Sullivan wrote. Courts normally should not get involved in the postal services day-to-day operations, he said. But requiring the agency to properly vet changes that affect the entire country is not micro-managing, Sullivan wrote, its making sure the federal government follows the law. State Attorney General Gurbir Grewal celebrated the decision on Twitter. We WILL have a free and fair election, he wrote. BREAKING: A federal judge just issued an order in our case halting the Trump Administration's efforts to interfere with mail delivery in advance of the election. We WILL have a free and fair election. pic.twitter.com/DdWUqcDYzD AG Gurbir Grewal (@NewJerseyOAG) September 27, 2020 CORONAVIRUS RESOURCES: Live map tracker | Newsletter | Homepage Postal service spokesman George Flood declined to comment on the case, but he said delivering Election Mail is a top priority. We are 100 percent committed throughout the Postal Service to fulfilling our vital role in the nations electoral process by securely and timely delivering all ballots pursuant to our long-established processes and procedures, Flood wrote in an email. He did not address if the agency would comply with the order, or if they planned to appeal. Trump spokeswoman Hilton Beckham did not immediately respond to a request for comment, nor did she respond to a question when the lawsuit was first filed. The case is not over. But based on evidence presented by both sides, Sullivan said New Jersey had a good shot proving some of its accusations going forward. For example, the agency got rid of far more sorting machines starting in January than compared to the previous fiscal year, Sullivan said. While 101 machines were removed in 2019, the current fiscal year had already seen 711 taken out as of Aug. 18, he said. The postal service and Trump administration have provided no explanation for the sudden acceleration of the removal of the sorting machines," Sullivan said. Government records also showed that on-time delivery of First-Class Mail began to decline in late June 2020, the judge wrote, going from roughly 90 to 94 percent prior to the implementation of the Postal Policy changes to 82 percent in early August. Even Postmaster General Louis DeJoy told employees in an Aug. 13 email that recent changes had unintended consequences that impacted our overall service levels, the judge said. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Blake Nelson can be reached at bnelson@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @BCunninghamN. Riley Yates may be reached at ryates@njadvancemedia.com. Have a tip? Tell us: nj.com/tips. Scientists in the US have found a way to plant ideas in people's heads as they sleep to make them have bizarre, abstract dreams. Using so-called targeted dream incubation (TDI), experts at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have been able to guide people's dreams toward particular themes by repeating information during the earliest stage of sleep. This stage is known as hypnagogia, and is generally associated with dreams about psychedelic phenomena. The technique uses a basic set-up consisting of a wrist-worn electronic sleep-tracking device called Dormio, which tracks when the wearer is asleep, and an app, which delivers audio prompts. In trials, the scientists were able to influence the dreams of most study participants to dream about a tree during hypnagogia. Researchers also used the 'Dormio' system to induce a dream about the chocolate fountain from the classic 1971 film 'Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory'. The Dormio technology, which is worn on the hand, works together with an app to manipulate the contents of the wearer's dreams Hypnagogia is similar to the deepest sleep stage, known as REM, in terms of brainwaves and experience. However, unlike REM, individuals can still hear audio during hypnagogia while they dream, which can influence the content of dreams. That's why the sound of music playing or people talking can often play a part in our dreams during the lightest sleep stages. 'This state of mind is trippy, loose, flexible, and divergent,' said co-author Haar Horowitz at MIT Media Lab. 'Its like turning the notch up high on mind-wandering and making it immersive being pushed and pulled with new sensations like your body floating and falling, with your thoughts quickly snapping in and out of control.' The system in use. Upon awakening from hypnagogia, the earliest stage of sleep, participants were asked to submit dream records MIT designed and developed their sleep-tracking device that can alter dreams by tracking hypnagogia. The user decides what they want to dream about, from creative problems they are working on to an experience they want to reflect on or an emotional issue they want to address. They then record themselves speaking an audio prompt using the app, which gets replayed during multiple stages of consciousness including wake, sleep onset and sleep. These audio prompts can consist of anything the user decides they want to dream about, but in the case of MIT's experiments, they consisted of sentences including remember to think of a tree and 'remember to observe your thoughts'. The hand-worn sleep tracker then monitors the wearer's heart rate and electrodermal activity changes in the resistance of the skin to a small electrical current based on sweat gland activity. These changes helped researchers detect when the wearer entered hypnagogia and was liable to incorporate 'information into dream content'. At this point, the audio prompts were delivered to the sleeper at precise times in the sleep cycle, ascertained by the incoming physiological data. Upon lying down, the web app instructed these participants to 'think of a tree'. Once entry into hypnagogia was determined by the app, a timer was triggered, which woke participants up at various times between one and five minutes, to allow participants 'to experience different depths of sleep'. At the end of this time, participants were woken up with the words 'you're falling asleep' and were asked to report what was going through their mind, with verbal responses recorded. The app then instructed them to 'remember to think of a tree' and that they could go back to sleep. 'This loop of events was repeated for 45 min, enabling the collection of multiple hypnagogic reports', the experts say, at which point participants were fully awoken. 'Dream reports', which were then collected via audio and transcribed into typed text, revealed some far-fetched tree-related dream settings. Overall, 67 per cent of dream reports from sleeping participants mentioned dreams involving a tree. The glove, named the Dormio, records users as they begin dreaming before falling fully asleep - a state known as hypnagogia An audio prompt of Oompa Loompas singing their signature song was enough to trigger dreams of the chocolate factory One subject said of their dream: 'I was following the roots with someone and the roots were transporting me to different locations. At each location I was trying to find a switch. 'I could hear the roots of the tree pulsating with energy as if they were leading me to some location.' 'Dream reports increased in bizarreness and immersion with each awakening', according to the experts at MIT. The dream of the earliest awakening simply consisted of 'trees, many different kinds, pines, oaks'. Whereas on participant who dreamed longer reported: 'I'm in the desert, there is a shaman, sitting under the tree with me, he tells me to go to South America...' Tomas Vega at MIT Media Lab tested the system by prompting himself to dream about one of his favourite films 'Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory'. His audio prompt consisted of the chocolate factory's workers, the Oompa Loompas, singing their signature song. 'I started dreaming about being in a chocolate waterfall, surrounded by Oompa Loompas singing 'Oompa Loompa, doopity doo,' Vega told Live Science. But the chocolate waterfall in his dream was dark chocolate, which suited the lactose intolerant computer scientist. 'So, is my lactose-intolerance knowledge in my consciousness or in my subconscious?' he said. 'I induced this dream content, but there were still some constraints, like, you cannot just dream about milk chocolate because that's going to harm you.' Dream Caused by the Flight of a Bee Around a Pomegranate a Second Before Awakening by Salvidor Dali, who often drew on themes of dreaming Upon awakening, a persons guided dream content could be used to complete tasks such as creative story writing. 'Most sleep and dream studies have so far been limited to university sleep labs and have been very expensive, as well as cumbersome, for both researchers and participants,' said study author Pattie Maes at MIT Media Lab. 'Our research group is excited to be pioneering new, compact and cheap technologies for studying sleep and interfacing with dreams, thereby opening up opportunities for more studies to happen and for these experiments to take place in natural settings.' Historical figures like writer Mary Shelley and artist Salvador Dali were inspired creatively by their dreams. For example, Dali's 1944 surrealist masterpiece 'Dream Caused by the Flight of a Bee Around a Pomegranate a Second Before Awakening' depicts a dream of his wife Gala in the moments before awakening. Dali also created a memorable dream sequence in Alfred Hitchcock's 1945 thriller Spellbound. But MIT's technology could also have more serious uses, such as helping people confront sources of stress and trauma. 'Apart from benefiting scientists, this work has the potential to lead to new commercial technologies that go beyond sleep tracking to issue interventions that affect sleep onset, sleep quality, sleep-based memory consolidation, and learning,' said Maes. The research has been detailed in the journal Consciousness and Cognition. SEOUL, Korea, Republic Of - South Korean President Moon Jae-in apologized for the first time Monday for the death of a man who was shot by North Korean troops last week, saying his government failed in its responsibility to safeguard a citizen. The shooting triggered outrage and criticism that Seoul apparently wasted hours to rescue the South Korean official who was found adrift in North Korean waters before his death last Tuesday. While the shooting drew a rare apology from North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, the North has largely passed the blame to the man who was killed, saying that he refused to answer questions and attempted to flee before North Korean troops fired at him. On Sunday, North Korea accused the South of sending vessels across their disputed western maritime border in search of the mans remains, warning that the alleged intrusion could escalate tensions. South Koreas military and coast guard insist they have been searching only in waters south of the boundary. In a meeting with senior aides, Moon offered his deep condolences to grieving family members and also apologized to the public over their shock and fury, saying that the government without any excuses is responsible for protecting the safety of its citizens. Moon also said Kims apology showed he was eager to prevent a breakdown in bilateral relations over the incident and called for the North to resume dialogue and reconnect military communication channels that it cut off in June. North Korea has suspended virtually all inter-Korean co-operation and diplomacy amid a stalemate in larger nuclear negotiations with the Trump administration, which have faltered over disagreements in exchanging sanctions relief and disarmament. South Korea has proposed a joint investigation with the North to investigate the shooting. Our hope is that this tragic incident doesnt just end as a (tragic) incident and instead creates room for dialogue and co-operation, becoming an opportunity to develop South-North relations, Moon said. Critics, including conservative lawmakers, have accused Moons government of inaction after military officials revealed the man was spotted in North Korean waters about six hours before he was killed. South Koreas Defence Ministry said it was difficult to establish communication with North Korea because of the severed channels and that officials needed more time to analyze intelligence to determine what the North would do to the man. Kim was quoted as saying he was very sorry over what he described as an unexpected, unfortunate incident in the message sent to South Korea. It said the troops did not recover a body but burned the object on which he had been floating in line with anti-coronavirus rules, the message said. The man was a 47-year-old employee of South Koreas maritime agency who was reported as missing while on duty on a fishing boat near Yeonpyeong island, which is close to the sea border. Minimal details released though South Koreas military have said he likely had been trying to defect to the North. His brother has denied that possibility through local media, saying it was more likely that he fell into the sea by accident. Progressive People's Party (PPP) flagbearer Ms Brigitte Dzogenuku 28.09.2020 LISTEN The flagbearer of the Progressive Peoples Party (PPP), Ms Brigitte Dzogenuku, has blamed the recent attempts by Western Togolanders to take over the Volta Region, on the lack of jobs for the youth. Jobs are very important because all those young people who woke up at dawn to mount roadblocks in the Volta Region, had they jobs to do, do you think any of them would have had the time to do what they did? she wondered on Accra100.5FMs morning show Ghana Yensom on Monday, 28 October 2020. The Bible says: The devil finds work for idle hands. People think of bad things when they are idle. So, jobs are the most important thing for the PPP, she told Kwabena Prah Jr when asked about her partys manifesto priorities. A lot of the youth are unemployed and, so, we are very interested in creating jobs, she added. Meanwhile, the government of Ghana has said it has identified those bankrolling the Western Togoland rebels and chasing after them. Yes we know where the funding is coming from and the various agencies are moving in as part of a comprehensive programme to deal with this whole phenomenon. And we are also moving in to deal with their sources of funding and persons who, we believe, are associated with the funding of this group, Information Minister Kojo Oppong Nkrumah said at a press conference on Sunday, 27 September 2020. He said the key actors, who have been identified as ultimately responsible for these events are also on the watch list of the security agencies and are actually wanted at this point in time. In the coming days, the security agencies would be publishing some photos and revealing identities of persons involved, Mr Nkrumah added. The MP for Ofoase Ayirebi has also denied any involvement or backing of the government for the rebels. Speculations to that effect are flat-out untruths, Mr Oppong Nkrumah said. We dont want to believe that there are any political groups behind it. here are those who, you have heard, suggest that it appears there are some political groups behind what is going on. We dont even want to go that route, he said. Mr Oppong Nkrumah also denied claims that there was intelligence failure on the part of the security agencies as far as Fridays attacks by the secessionist group in the Volta Region, are concerned. One of the militants died in the take-over attacks which some the Togolanders block entries to and exits from the Volta Region which the rebels consider as their autonomous and independent nation. There was no intelligence failure. The direct aspect of what the intelligence suggested these persons wanted to do, was contained by security agencies. The intelligence was to the effect that they had intentions to, for example, blow up and burn down the whole market, attack sensitive installations like the Akosombo Dam, the Adomi Bridge, and a few sensitive installations, Mr Oppong Nkrumah said. The first response was to ensure that these installations were secured and the analysis by the agencies was that, upon doing these successfully, these persons had no option than to do these roadblocks. The intelligence agencies did a good job. They took action to prevent the direst parts of that intelligence. On Friday, Volta Regional Minister Dr Archibald Letsa denied supporting secessionist groups in the region as allegedly claimed by some of the Togolanders. That is ridiculous, Dr Letsa said of the claim re-echoed by lawmaker Kobina Mensah Woyome. Valentina, I dont want to answer that question because its ridiculous. Weve been dealing with these groups since we came into office in 2017. How do I know them? How do I support them? Were they able to provide any evidence? For Gods sake, Im the Chairman of the regional security council and Ive to be dealing with this group since 2017, Dr Letsa said on Class91.3FM's 505 news programme on Friday, 25 September 2020. The MP for South Tongu had claimed that one of the secessionists told him on the phone that they had the support of Dr Letsa. ---classfm Lindy Chamberlain has spoken of the crushing isolation she experienced behind bars after being wrongly convicted of killing her baby daughter Azaria - and the emotional letter she wrote in jail detailing the miscarriage of justice. Ms Chamberlain, now 72, was unjustly sentenced to life in prison in 1982 for killing her daughter - only to be released four years later - after a dingo dragged the nine-week-old from a tent near Uluru in the Northern Territory on August 17, 1980. The discovery of Azaria's yellow matinee jacket near a dingo den was the key piece of evidence leading to her freedom. During her time languishing in jail the mother wrote an impassioned letter denying she had taken the life of her 'beloved daughter'. Lindy Chamberlain famously lost her nine-week-old daughter Azaria (pictured together) to a dingo in Uluru, in the Northern Territory, on August 17, 1980 While in jail wrongly convicted of her daughter's killing, the mother wrote an impassioned letter rightly denying she had taken the life of her 'beloved daughter' 'Ive tried to co-operate, but still this farce continues,' she wrote. 'For nearly three years, I have worked as an inmate of this prison for 30 cents a day, trying to do whatever I was asked pleasantly. 'I have sought an inquiry whereby the NT Government had a chance to redeem their own name. In return, they have ignored decency and justice and still scoff at it. 'As from 1pm Darwin time today, Im refusing to work in any way whatsoever for this prison. I did not kill my beloved daughter and refuse to be treated as a criminal any longer.' Ms Chamberlain said her time behind bars was so isolating when journalist Ita Buttrose went to her prison to interview her she considered the meeting a 'treat'. A two-part documentary titled 'Lindy Chamberlain: The True Story' also revealed then-Northern Territory Attorney-General Marshall Perron admitted he did not want it to look like he was releasing her because of public pressure. 'I think he was feeling, himself, probably something needed to be done,' former Attorney-General Gareth Evans - who was advising Mr Perron - said. 'But as he made it very directly clear to me, he did not want to be seen to be succumbing to pressure.' Chamberlain was wrongfully sentenced to life imprisonment for murder in 1982 and said her time in jail taught her to develop patience. Pictured in a new two-part documentary entitled 'Lindy Chamberlain: The True Story' Narrated by Sam Neill, the Network Ten documentary draws on interviews with eyewitnesses, high profile media identities, high court judges and family friends. It also shows the impact of the case on Ms Chamberlain's other children, Aidan, 46, Reagan, 44, and Kahlia, 37. Ms Chamberlain famously screamed 'a dingo's got my baby!' to her fellow campers after Azaria was dragged from the tent. Previously unheard recordings showed Ms Chamberlain discussing the black baby dress decorated with red ribbons with her mother. 'In this tape, recorded years before Azaria was born, I talk about how I'd made the black dress for Reagan and how much I liked it and how much Michael hated it,' she said. Ms Chamberlain's ex-husband Michael Chamberlain (pictured together) was also wrongly convicted of an accessory to murder charge after Azaria's disappearance Lindy Chamberlain was a 32-year-old mother of three (she is pictured with husband Michael and sons Reagan and Aidan) when she returned to the family tent to find an empty bassinet A royal commission exonerated her of murder in 1988. Lindy Chamberlain is pictured during the late 1980s with her eldest son Aiden, second son Reagan, daughter Kahlia who was born as her mother served a life sentence and husband Michael She said her biggest regret was not the three years she spent in prison but the way her case affected others who were involved. Some witnesses were not believed by the police force and legal system and felt traumatised by the process. 'It makes me sad that they feel responsible that I went into prison,' she said. The family were acquitted of responsibility after a fourth coroner's inquest in 2012 which found that Azaria died 'as a result of being attacked and taken by a dingo'. Parliament's bars will stop serving alcohol by 10pm, it was announced today - following fury that MPs were not subject to the same rules as the rest of the country. The authorities at the Houses made the change with 'immediate' effect as they faced a huge backlash at an apparent exemption. The exclusive outlets on the estate had been classed as a 'workplace canteen', meaning they were not covered by the tough restrictions imposed by Boris Johnson last week. But a Parliament spokesman said today: 'Alcohol will not be sold after 10pm anywhere on the parliamentary estate.' It comes just a week after the Prime Minister set out a raft of measures designed to clampdown on Covid-19, including imposing a 10pm curfew on all pubs, bars and restaurants in England. Despite the new measures, staff and visitors inside Parliament can still enter its handful of bars without being forced to leave at 10pm, and are also not required to provide a name and contact number upon entry. Bars inside Parliament are exempt from the Government's newly imposed 10pm curfew which came into effect this week. Pictured: Boris Johnson and Michael Gove pulling pints at the Old Chapel pub in Darwen, Lancashire A number of bars in Parliament, including the Strangers' Dining Room, the Adjournment and the Members' Smoking Room and Pugin Room, were reopened to MPs before the summer recess. One source told The Times the rules were 'a massive own goal' for Parliament. But senior Commons sources claimed there had never been any intention for MPs to be able to drink after 10pm, and the decision to stop serving alcohol at that time was taken last week. 'We are not covered by any law because we are a Palace. But the food establishments have to carry on because people have to be fed.' This week Boris Johnson announced a new wave of Covid-19 restrictions that could last up to six months- including a 10pm curfew on bars, pubs and restaurants in England. The 10pm curfew on the hospitality sector sparked an immediate industry backlash as the UKHospitality group said it was 'another crushing blow'. There were also fears the move could have unintended consequences amid warnings of a potential 'surge of unregulated events and house parties'. Tory MPs also expressed concerns about the curfew plans, describing them as a 'terrible blow' for the hospitality industry and warning there must not be another 'major lockdown'. The Strangers' Dining Room (pictured) was among a number of bars that was opened to staff inside Parliament following the national lockdown Facilities serving alcohol inside the Palace of Westminster are not subject to the 10pm curfew as they are classified as a 'workplace canteen'. Pictured: The Strangers dining hall It was claimed that Mr Johnson had initially backed a total shutdown of the hospitality and leisure sectors before Chancellor Rishi Sunak persuaded him to take a less severe course after warning of economic carnage. Just hours after setting out the new measures, the Prime Minister issued an emotional plea to the nation and warned Britons they faced a long hard winter of police-enforced curbs on their freedom to see off coronavirus. He also hit out at his critics - including Tory MPs and business leaders who warned of the economic impact of the tough measures, adding: 'To those who say we don't need this stuff, and we should leave people to take their own risks, I say these risks are not our own. 'The tragic reality of having Covid is that your mild cough can be someone else's death knell. 'And as for the suggestion that we should simply lock up the elderly and the vulnerable with all the suffering that would entail I must tell you that this is just not realistic. 'Because if you let the virus rip through the rest of the population it would inevitably find its way through to the elderly as well, and in much greater numbers.' Profoundly shocked: Mamata writes to PM Modi over Centre's move to reject Bengal tableau from R-day parade Proposal to change rules for central deputation of IAS officers affects states' administration: Mamata to PM WB govt protecting terrorists, naxalites: Kailash Vijayvargiya India oi-Briti Roy Barman New Delhi, Sep 28: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)'s National General Secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya on of the (BJP) leader Kailash Vijayvargiya on Sunday launched a scathing attack on the Trinamool Congress government in West Bengal for allegedly giving shelter to Naxalites and terrorists in the state. The leader said the state government in West Bengal is allegedly giving shelter to naxalites and terrorists in the state. Killing of Chhattisgarh MLA in 2019 was part of naxalites Tactical Counter Offensive Campaign "West Bengal has become a place of refuge for terrorists and naxalites," Vijayvargiya said. "Recently, a Naxalite was given a post in the Trinamool Congress after getting bail from jail," the BJP leader added. On asking about Bihar elections, the BJP leader praised Nitish Kumar govt saying the CM had worked and fulfilled the promises made in the elections. Amrinder Singh joins farmers' protest, says 'Pakistan's ISI may take advantage' | Oneindia News "Nitish Kumar has worked and fulfilled all the promises he had made in the elections. The Prime Minister has inaugurated plans worth Rs 50,000 crores, just as he promised in the last election," Vijayvargiya said. Vijayvargiya also spoke for farm bills. He said that the recently passed farm bills were beneficial for farmers and the protests that were taking place in the country were politically motivated. While talking about ongoing drugs cases, the BJP leader also stated that Amitabh Bachchan should play a part in the cleanliness drive in Bollywood. Name: Elaine Matto Party: Democrat Race: State House 113th District Matto, a Shelton resident, is running for a third time for the seat held by Republican Jason Perillo. Matto works as a nurse case manager at St. Vincents Medical Center, part of Hartford Healthcare. She is serving her third term on the Shelton Planning and Zoning Commission. Matto said her priorities are health care, protecting the vote, improving the state economy and racial justice. As a nurse at St. Vincents hospital, Matto said she has witnessed the pandemic from the front lines. She said the people of Connecticut need universal health care insurance. Matto said she also wants to make it easier and safer for people to vote. She supports an expansion of the use of absentee ballots. Matto said she will fight to help workers and small businesses navigate the pandemic. She will work to bring jobs to Connecticut through her support of green energy industries. She also supports union and collective bargaining rights. On racial justice, Matto said she supports equality of opportunity for all people especially in matters of employment, education, healthcare and housing. Ambassadors to Poland from some 50 countries and international organisations have expressed their support for the LGBT community in the country. An appeal citing a need to work for non-discrimination, tolerance and mutual acceptance was made in an open letter published by the collective on Sunday. The show of solidarity comes as an increasingly visible LGBT community in Poland has faced a backlash from the right-wing government, many local communities and the Catholic church. Expand Close A man stands on a Rainbow Flag as he attends a demonstration of far-right activists against LGBT rights in Warsaw (AP/Czarek Sokolowski) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp A man stands on a Rainbow Flag as he attends a demonstration of far-right activists against LGBT rights in Warsaw (AP/Czarek Sokolowski) Human rights are universal and everyone, including LGBTI persons, are entitled to their full enjoyment, the letter said, using the acronym for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex people. Some of Polands leaders, including the president and MPs from the ruling party, have cast the movement for civil rights for LGBT people as a threat to traditional families. President Andrzej Duda won a second term this summer after calling LGBT rights an ideology more dangerous than communism. Meanwhile, dozens of towns in conservative parts of eastern and southern Poland have passed resolutions over the past nearly two years declaring themselves to be free from LGBT ideology or expressing support for families described as centred on unions between a man and woman. Human Rights are not an ideology they are universal, US ambassador Georgette Mosbacher tweeted. 50 Ambassadors and Representatives agree. Human Rights are not an ideology - they are universal. 50 Ambassadors and Representatives agree. https://t.co/YV4qgkpz54 Ambasador Mark Brzezinski (@USAmbPoland) September 27, 2020 Joachim Brudzinski, a top member of the ruling Law and Justice party who is elected to the European Parliament, shot back at Ms Mosbacher, saying: We in Poland also agree. Therefore, we are waiting with hope for the next letter, this time in defence of murdered Christians, imprisoned #ProLife activists, people dismissed from work and persecuted for quoting the Bible, people subjected to euthanasia against their will, he wrote on Twitter. It was not exactly clear what Mr Brudzinski was referring to. Poland is a predominantly Catholic nation where Christians do not face persecution and where abortion is illegal in most cases and euthanasia is outlawed. The ambassadors letter paid tribute to the work of the LGBT community in Poland as it seeks to raise awareness about the challenges its faces. The rise in hostility has led many to live in anger and fear or even to emigrate from their homeland. Many activists say their greatest priority now is to get legislation passed criminalising violence against people based on their sexual identity. The lack of such legislation means that attacks on LGBT people are not currently documented in police statistics. The letter was signed by the ambassadors of the United States, many European countries, including Germany, Ukraine and the United Kingdom, as well as nations like Japan and Australia. It was also signed by representatives in Poland of the United Nations, the European Union, the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe and the Community of Democracies, which is based in Warsaw. Tatiana Turner is taken into custody after witnesses said she drove her car into a crowd of President Donald Trump supporters in Yorba Linda, Calif., on Sept. 26, 2020. (Mindy Schauer/The Orange County Register via AP) Woman Charged With Attempted Murder After Hitting Trump Supporters Was Event Organizer A woman who was arrested and charged with attempted murder after driving through a crowd of President Donald Trump supporters in California on Sept. 26 has been identified as an event organizer. Tatiana Turner of Long Beach was one of over 26 organizers of Sept. 26s Southern California demonstration against police brutality and systemic racism, The Associated Press confirmed. She was arrested in Yorba Linda, some 30 miles southeast of Los Angeles, after accelerating her parked car into a group of Trump supporters as one was taking a photo of her license plate. Trump supporters then smashed her rear windshield as she braked briefly before speeding away. Anthony Bryson, who also helped organize the event under the Urban Organizers Coalition, told The Associated Press that Turner was in fear for her life at the time of the incident. People had broken her windshield, Bryson said. She was trying to leave. Independent videographer Tomas Morales said that Black Lives Matter protesters and Trump supporters involved in a counter protest had been forced to leave the protests from the same parking lot as their only exit route, leading to clashes between the two groups of protesters. The 40-year-old was booked into the Orange County Jail on attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon charges. Her car hit at least two people in the parking lot of the Yorba Linda Public Library. A male adult suffered two broken legs, and one female adult suffered moderate injuries, Orange County Sheriffs Department Sgt. Dennis Breckner told reporters. Both were transported to a nearby hospital and are expected to survive. Morales identified the injured man as a Trump supporter. The Urban Organizers Coalition in a statement extended its heartfelt sympathies to the injured man and woman. At the time of her arrest on Sept. 26, Turner was wearing a black t-shirt that had #Caravan4Justice written on it. Caravan 4 Justice is a grassroots campaign dedicated to educating, organizing, and mobilizing our community, the campaign states. Caravan for Justice didnt respond to previous requests for comment, but had said that the march was to combat racism. The Long Beach Post in July identified Turner as an organizer for the local Caravan for Justice groupa group that advocates the message of the Black Lives Matter movement. At the time, Turner was reported to have been addressing Black Lives Matter protesters, telling them that BLM must not be turned into a brand. We have to make sure that we continue unity with all of us, she told those gathered. According to federal records cited by The Daily Mail, Turner had also filed a trademark application for the group as its owner in July and was described in a GoFundMe campaign as the incredibly gifted founder of Caravan for Justice. Turner is being held on $1 million bail and has a scheduled court appearance on Sept. 29, a county website states. The Epoch Times has reached out to the Orange County Sheriffs Office for comment. Interactions between drivers and people during demonstrations have become common in recent months. Several drivers were attacked by protesters in Hollywood late Sept. 24, police said. The drivers were released without charge and an investigation is ongoing. Zachary Stieber and The Associated Press contributed to this report. Patrons of Chattanooga's I Go Tokyo will be able to borrow Japanese language books to take home and read beginning Wednesday at 1 p.m. with the grand opening of its free in-house Japanese lending library. The collection boasts around 150 titles and contains a variety of novels and non-fiction works. There are some children's books available, with more being added as frequently as possible. Anime is not currently part of the collection. "The library was conceived of as a simple, yet powerful community hub where Japanese people and all of Chattanooga's neighbors could meet to share and enjoy Japanese society and experience some of its fascinating culture," said Owner Margaret Amour. "New-to-Chattanooga Japanese residents can avail themselves of the resources and their families can visit and meet other families to create new local relationships. "We have friends, associates and co-workers from San Francisco and across the country with vibrant Japanese communities who are donating books. Let's share and learn. If you can read the title in Japanese, you can check out the book." Officials said, "When thinking about retail, the mind goes to sales, but the concept of a library dovetails with owner Armour's concept of what her store should be: a place for the community to convene and share experiences; a place to foster the local - and international - cultures Chattanooga is rapidly becoming noted for. "And while I Go Tokyo's focus is stationery, linens and home goods, the shelves are always filled with surprises and fun kawaii (cute) gifts. For a society built on ceremony and tradition, Japan's styles and pop culture move remarkably quickly, and Armour's frequent trips to Japan keep her up on the latest trends and enable her to keep her stock exciting and always fresh. "In addition to her more well-known products and companies, Armour is currently the first person in America to carry the goods from over 15 different Japanese companies, and her dedication to finding exceptional and high quality Japanese goods for her clientele keeps her busy. "Since opening its doors in 2018, I Go Tokyo emphasizes the basic truth that people are people; community is what unites and inspires regardless of differences in culture or distance." KITCHENER An off-duty Toronto police officer who pressured a female cleaner in his Waterloo house to touch his penis has avoided a criminal record after pleading guilty to assault. Const. Dharmendra Grewal was granted a conditional discharge on Monday, despite assertions from the Crown that a conviction was required to send a message of deterrence and denunciation. Grewal, 46, had been charged by the Special Investigations Unit with sexual assault. He pleaded not guilty to that charge but guilty to assault. The victim was working as a cleaner at Grewals house in July 2019 when he began making suggestive comments. The defendant suggested that (she) date his friend, said Crown prosecutor Ian Bulmer, reading from an agreed statement of facts. She declined the offer. He told her that he and his friend were police officers. He complimented her appearance, said he wanted to lick her all over and offered her gum in case they made out. The woman told Grewal that was not going to happen and that she just wanted to finish her work, Bulmer said. Grewal told her he was going to take a shower and wanted a towel. As she passed him the towel through the door, he asked her if she wanted to look, Bulmer said. She said no and that she was not interested. Grewal then began massaging himself through his shorts and asked her to look at what she was doing to him, Bulmer said. He unzipped his shorts and pulled his penis out of his shorts. He had an erection. The defendant moved toward her, telling her to close her eyes and give him her hand. She said she was not doing this and he repeated his request. He told (her) repeatedly to touch it and (she) said no. (She) felt coerced and eventually complied. She felt numb. The defendant told (her) that he promised to leave her alone if she just touched him. Grewal, a 19-year police veteran, had been diagnosed with a severe case of post-traumatic stress disorder and depression prior to the crime, defence lawyer Gary Clewley said. He was in a residential treatment program when the SIU charged him last November. Mr. Grewal was ill, Clewley said. He had been in life and death situations as a police officer, which unfortunately impacted his judgment and caused him to commit an act of misconduct, Clewley said. The Crown said a suspended sentence with a conviction was required because it was a twofold breach of trust being in an employer/employee relationship and working as a police officer. Police officers are sworn to uphold the law, Bulmer said, adding a conviction was required for denunciation and deterrence. But Clewley said the judge did not need to give Grewal a criminal record. This is not a case where we need to send a message to members of the police service who are similarly situated, primarily because we hope that they do not exist, he said. Grewal apologized in court and is remorseful, Clewley said. He has no prior record. He remains suspended from the Toronto police service. Clewley said it is doubtful he will return to work. But if he does, he will be severely disciplined, perhaps dismissed. In granting a conditional discharge, Justice Robert Horton noted Grewal had mental health issues at the time. That is and must be a mitigating factor in my consideration, he said. The judge said he also took into account the lack of prior record. I do not believe that he intended to utilize his position as a police officer to force a relationship, Horton said, but nonetheless ... he brought it into play, and that was an error in judgment for sure, but one which I do not believe prevents a conditional discharge from being available. I do not believe its contrary to the public interest for a discharge to be invoked here. Grewal was put on probation for one year and ordered to provide a DNA sample for the national databank. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-28 21:13:31|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close SHANGHAI, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- Livestreaming, real-time app push notifications, video meetings... Under the impact of COVID-19, both media outlets and technology developers have gained a deeper awareness of the new ways that people acquire and exchange information. At a forum that concluded Monday, leading media providers and tech firms in China underlined the importance of further cooperating with each other to cope with changes taking place in the two industries. Experts and representatives from the industries and the government shared their insights on media-tech integration during the two-day 2020 China Internet Media Forum held in Shanghai. TECH PLUS MEDIA During the COVID-19 pandemic, media outlets in China have acted rapidly to provide information to users, offering access to real-time COVID-19 dashboards, sending health tips via mobile phones, and sharing stories of those fighting COVID-19 on the frontline via livestreaming and short-video apps. Using new technologies, online media platforms fought the virus in their own way, helping with the scientific and targeted nature of the COVID-19 response, said Baidu CEO Robin Li at the forum. Baidu and other internet companies have forecast a trend of deeper integration between the media and newer technologies. Artificial intelligence (AI) and 5G will further reshape relations between audiences, media and information, said Tencent CEO Pony Ma in a pre-recorded speech. By developing information infrastructure for 5G, AI, big data, and cloud computing, China has provided a sound environment for the internet media industry, said Liu Liehong, vice minister of Industry and Information Technology. He noted that China now has over 500,000 5G base stations, with 130 million terminals connected to 5G networks. New technologies will help media collect, transmit and process information, and diversify their methods to convey messages, Liu said. NEW BUSINESS MODELS When people were stuck at home during the epidemic this year, more time was spent online. Tencent launched online visiting services for Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes, a renowned UNESCO World Heritage Site in northwest China's Gansu Province, attracting nearly 20 million visits within half a year, eight times the number of visits to the tourist site last year. Online retailing has also embraced new changes alongside the evolution of technologies. According to a report released by the China Internet Network Information Center in April, the number of livestreaming users in China had hit 560 million as of March 2020, accounting for more than 60 percent of Chinese netizens. The number of e-commerce livestreaming users hit 265 million, higher than the numbers of game streaming, sports-related livestreaming, or live concert viewers. Xiaohongshu, an Instagram-like Chinese fashion and lifestyle sharing platform with about 120 million monthly active users, has developed a new business model through live broadcasting. "Livestreaming on our platform allowed many physical stores to gain access to customers online during the epidemic," said Miranda Qu, co-founder of Xiaohongshu. During a shopping festival held in Shanghai in May and June to stimulate spending, Xiaohongshu launched a livestreaming campaign to help stores in Shanghai showcase their products online. As a result, the customer traffic of shops in TX Huaihai, a shopping mall in central Shanghai, increased 400 percent on average. Over 10 million livestreaming shopping events were held during the first half of 2020, with more than 400,000 influencers taking part, according to data released by China's Ministry of Commerce. SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY Yet alongside the increasing popularity of internet media came new worrying signs. Baidu's Robin Li has warned of the risks of relying too much on technologies such as recommendation algorithms, which might lead users into "a narrower world" of information. Algorithms should learn users' higher-class demands, rather than simply following people's likes, he said. After the COVID-19 outbreak, Chinese tech firm Sina adjusted its algorithms to ensure more reliable and useful epidemic-related information could reach its users. People are eager to hear reliable information from the authorities when facing public emergencies, said Sina's Wang Wei, stressing that those managing algorithms must practice social responsibility. A healthy internet should be an ecosystem that combines the aspirations of netizens, the concerns of the government, the responsibilities of platforms, as well as societal participation, said Pony Ma. "If media platforms seek only profits and use all means to attract views, they will never go far," said Zheng Yongnian, a scholar with the Chinese University of Hong Kong (Shenzhen). Enditem By Greg Roumeliotis (Reuters) - ArcelorMittal SA , the world's largest steelmaker, is exploring a deal to merge its U.S. operations with Cleveland-Cliffs Inc , the largest U.S. producer of iron ore pellets, people familiar with the matter said on Sunday. The combination would signal a new push among steelmakers to consolidate and diversify their business, making it less vulnerable to swings in demand. It would come after Cleveland-Cliffs acquired AK Steel, a U.S. maker of flat-rolled carbon steels, including stainless steel, for $3 billion, including debt, last March. The latest deal could result in the merger of U.S. assets of Luxembourg-based ArcelorMittal that are worth between $2 billion and $3 billion with Cleveland-Cliffs, one of the sources said. It would be transformative for Cleveland-Cliffs, which has a market value of $2.3 billion and had total long-term debt as of the end of June of $4.5 billion. There is no certainty the negotiations will lead to a deal, the sources said. If, however, the talks prove successful, a deal could be announced in the coming days, one of the sources added. The sources requested anonymity because the matter is confidential. ArcelorMittal and Cleveland-Cliffs did not immediately respond to requests for comment. ArcelorMittal's U.S. business has more than 18,000 employees and 25 facilities, including mines, steelmaking facilities and finishing operations, according to the company's website. Headquartered in Cleveland, Cleveland-Cliffs employs about 11,000 people across mining and steel manufacturing operations in the United States and Canada. ArcelorMittal said last year it was aiming to offload $2 billion of assets by the middle of 2021 to reduce its debt. In December, it agreed to sell a 50% stake in its shipping business, and has also sold its stake in Brazilian steelmaker Gerdau. After it acquired AK Steel, which derived 66% of its revenue in 2019 from the automotive market, Cleveland-Cliffs experienced a drop in demand from its car manufacturing clients, which were forced to temporarily halt production earlier this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic. (Reporting by Greg Roumeliotis in New York; Editing by Peter Cooney) Maggots found in bedsores of COVID cured bedridden man; Kerala Health minister orders probe India pti-Madhuri Adnal Thiruvananthapuram, Sep 28: Maggots were found in bedsores of a bedridden man, who was discharged from hospital after being cured of COVID-19, his family claimed following which Kerala health minister K K Shailaja on Monday ordered a probe. Shailaja asked the Medical Education Department director to look into the matter and file a report. Relatives of 55-year-old Anilkumar had filed a complaint with the health minister on Sunday evening, saying when the health department brought him home, they found maggots wriggling in his bedsores. COVID-19 showed risk of dependence of global supply chain on any single source: PM Modi "TheDirector of the Department of Medical Education has been asked to probe the incident and file a report.We will ensure proper treatment for Anilkumar," the minister said in a statement. Anilkumar, a daily wage labourer, was hospitalised on August 21 after he suffered a fall and was bedridden. "As his health deteriorated, he was shifted to the ICU.He was tested positive for coronavirus.The hospital authorities asked us to go into quarantine. But when we inquired about the father's condition, they assured us that he is being taken care of well," his daughter, Anjana, toldthe media. His son, Abhilash said medical college officials informed him that his condition was stable and they were going to discharge him. "The authorities allotted a nurse in an ambulance after he was discharged, but once he was shifted to bed at our residence, we found maggots," he said. In North Kerala, a pregnant woman was allegedly denied timely medical treatment at hospitals while she was in labour, resulting in the loss of twin babies she was carrying. Taking serious note of the incident, the state government on Monday ordered a high-level probe. Feeling much better now, says Manish Sisodia who is suffering from dengue and COVID-19 The 20-year-old woman hailing from Kondotty in Malappuram district was taken to three hospitals after she complained of labour pain in the early hours of Saturday. The hospitals allegedly denied her timely treatment citing COVID-19 protocols. Finally, she was admitted to the government medical college hospital at Kozhikode in a serious condition on Saturday evening. She lost her twin babies on Sunday while being treated at the hospital,according to sources. French President Emmanuel Macron arrived in Lithuania on Monday where the situation in Belarus is expected to be high on the agenda. The European Union said Thursday it did not recognise longtime leader Alexander Lukashenko as president of Belarus because of large-scale protests by Belarusians who question the results of last month's presidential elections. Lukashenko's main election opponent, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, went into exile in Lithuania after the vote. Macron was quoted in Sunday's Journal du Dimanche newspaper as saying "it's clear that Lukashenko must go". "What's happening in Belarus is a crisis of power, an authoritarian power that can't manage to accept the logic of democracy and is clinging on by force", he was quoted as saying. Watch: What are the fines for breaching self-isolation? Find out here: Englands new coronavirus laws make it illegal for a person who tested positive for COVID-19 to pretend they were in contact with someone they werent. The Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (Self-Isolation) (England) Regulations 2020, which came into force on Monday, say a person commits an offence if they knowingly give false information on the issue. This means that if a person says they have been in contact with someone and could have infected them with coronavirus, but werent actually in contact with them, they will receive a 4,000 fine for a first offence, or 10,000 for second or subsequent offence. Refusal to pay the fine will result in a court summons. Police officers outside Bar Soho in London after a range of new restrictions to combat the rise in coronavirus cases came into place in England. (PA) The regulations also say a person who "recklessly" breaks self-isolation rules and has reason to believe they will come into close contact with another person or group without a reasonable excuse commits an offence. If this rule is broken, the person could be fined 1,000 for a first offence, a figure that rises if repeated. Boris Johnson is under mounting pressure to give Parliament greater power to debate and vote on coronavirus restrictions. (Getty) Backbench Tory MPs have raised concerns about the governments use of emergency coronavirus laws to bypass Parliament, and dozens have signalled they could revolt on the matter. Read more: Pubs, restaurants and cafes contributed to a fifth of COVID-19 infections Boris Johnson must win a vote in the House of Commons to preserve the Coronavirus Act, which was brought in on 23 March but must be renewed every six months to stay in effect. Conservative have rebels seized upon an assessment by academics at University College London (UCL) that concluded that Parliament has been consistently sidelined during the pandemic. Watch: Steve Baker calls MPs to have greater say on COVID-19 measures More than 50 Conservative MPs have signed up to an amendment tabled by Sir Graham Brady, chairman of the partys influential backbench 1922 Committee, calling for ministers to consult Parliament before introducing new curbs on peoples freedoms. Story continues The size of the rebellion could see the government facing defeat if the amendment is selected for a vote and opposition parties join forces with Sir Graham. Former minister Steve Baker, one of those signed up to the amendment, told the PA news agency he believed the government will be forced to back down. Read more: Third wave of coronavirus 'entirely possible', government adviser warns I have always hoped we would find a way through to prior parliamentary approval, he said. Im more optimistic now the UCL Constitution Unit has said we are right. Baker likened some of the governments coronavirus restrictions to rules seen in George Orwells dystopian novel 1984, specifically referencing a ban on singing and dancing in bars, cafes and restaurants. The blog post by UCLs Professor Meg Russell and Lisa James said: MPs have genuine cause for complaint. Read more: Third wave of coronavirus 'entirely possible', government adviser warns Only yesterday regulations on self-isolation were published, coming into effect just seven hours later, and imposing potential 10,000 fines; yet, despite media briefings eight days previously, these were not debated in Parliament. Such cases raise clear political questions, but also legal ones: as the underlying legislation allows ministers to bypass Parliament only if a measure is so urgent that there is no time for debate. Protesters listen to speeches during the We Do Not Consent protest in Trafalgar Square, London, at the weekend. (PA) They added that decisions to sideline Parliament were part of a longer-running trend under Johnson. In his first six months as Prime Minister, Johnson cancelled or indefinitely postponed three Liaison Committee evidence sessions, unlawfully prorogued Parliament, and introduced a Withdrawal Agreement Act which unlike its predecessor gave Parliament no real oversight of this years Brexit negotiations, they said. Human rights groups are also lobbying MPs to scrap the legislation. Groups like Liberty and Black Lives Matter UK say the legislation disproportionally affects ethnic minorities and vulnerable people. A placard seen during the We Do Not Consent protests in Trafalgar Square in London. (PA) Liberty director Martha Spurrier wrote in a joint statement with other groups: MPs had barely any time to scrutinise the Coronavirus Act when it was introduced. Theyve had six months to watch the failure of using a criminal justice response to a public health crisis and the cruelty of how the Act abandons the most marginalised when their rights need to be upheld. The Act epitomises the Governments determination to prioritise criminal justice over public health, and its disregard for our rights. Renewing the Act now would consolidate this power grab, putting our rights at even greater risk in the long term. It is time for Parliament to repeal the Coronavirus Act and create a strategy that protects our rights, as well as our health. Coronavirus: what happened today Click here to sign up to the latest news and information with our daily Catch-up newsletter As we entered 2020, Ontario Premier Doug Ford and Education Minister Stephen Lecce had visions of expanding online learning into the provinces schools. Be careful what you wish for. Ontario has gotten online learning in spades and so far it has been anything but a success. Without a doubt, it was a difficult summer school assignment for the Ministry of Education and school boards across the province to prepare to educate elementary and high school students in both the classroom and remotely in homes, without knowing how many families would choose each option. But the province and the school boards didnt do themselves any favours by waiting until about a month before classes were to start to survey parents about their preferences. With only a few weeks to prepare, the province announced 20 to 30 per cent of parents chose the online option, forcing boards to reassign teachers to online teaching, reshuffle classes and transfer teachers to different schools. It was a mad scramble that caused the biggest board, the Toronto District School Board, to twice delay the start of online teaching as it worked out staffing and technical issues. If back-to-school plans were drafted earlier and communicated earlier, parents would have had time to make decisions based on whats best for their children, not on avoiding what they fear the most. And it was fear that motivated frantic parents, frustrated by the lack of details, to create Facebook and WhatsApp support groups, some with thousands of members, in an effort to share information days before classes were to begin. With only hours to go before online classes were to start on Tuesday, far too many questions remained unanswered. What grade would individual teachers be teaching and whats the plan if a teacher gets sick? Will the online system be capable of supporting thousands of students relying on live video conferencing at the same time? When virtual online classes did open, too many parents were unable to sign their children in, or in some cases, no teachers were assigned. The dramatic rise in COVID-19 cases as the return to school approached caused thousands of parents to rethink their choice of sending their kids into crowded classroom. The province made no effort to reduce class sizes other than to offer an online option in the apparent hope that enough parents would choose it. At the TDSB, online enrolment rose from 56,000 students to about 78,000 in the final weeks before the virtual schools were set to open. In the final 24 hours before Tuesdays launch of the virtual schools, the board hired about 350 teachers off its supply list and that still left it 150 short. Meanwhile, to the west at the Peel District School Board, 10,000 students made the late switch to online learning, swelling the share of students choosing that option from 25 to 40 per cent and forcing a delay in starting online schooling. That the rollout of the virtual schools last week was called a nightmare by some parents and teachers seemed inevitable. Online learning in the spring, when all students in Ontario were ordered not to return from March break, was deemed a failure in the end. Synchronous learning was sparse and inconsistent, parents struggled with being their kids teachers, parents and with elementary students, their playmates. Far too many children made it quite clear they did not want their parents as teachers and had no interest in the computer, other than for video games. This time around parents arent expected to teach but the technical and staffing challenges remain. These are unprecedented circumstances but right from the beginning the province has seemed to be two steps behind in every aspect of introducing virtual learning. Parents will have three chances in October, November and January to switch between online and in-class learning. While no parent is going to turn down having options for their children, the transfer of students between programs, combined with last-minute decisions and poor communications, is a recipe for more chaos. Read more about: Three women who sparked fears of a second wave of coronavirus in Queensland after they allegedly lied their way across the state's closed borders will remain on bail. Diana Lasu, 21 and Olivia Winnie Muranga, 19 are accused of lying on their border declarations about where they had been when they arrived in Brisbane from Melbourne via Sydney on July 21. Police allege the women hosted an Airbnb party in a Melbourne apartment despite the city being in hard lockdown at the time and grappling with a devastating COVID-19 outbreak. Upon returning home, both Lasu and Muranga developed symptoms and were tested for COVID-19, but allegedly carried on working, socialising and dining out at cocktail bars while waiting for their test results. Haja Umu Timbo, 21, is accused of travelling with both women but never tested positive to COVID-19. All three women appeared in Brisbane Magistrate's Court on Monday charged with one count of fraud and deception each. Olivia Winnie Muranga, 19 (pictured) is accused of lying on her border declarations about where she had been when they arrived in Brisbane from Melbourne via Sydney on July 21 Haja Umu Timbo, 21, is accused of travelling with both women but never tested positive to COVID-19 Diana Lasu (centre) was granted a bail extension on Monday when she appeared in court Footage emerged of Muranga dining out immediately after getting tested for COVID-19. A couple in the venue later tested positive for the virus Each of the women arrived at the Roma Street courthouse separately on Monday morning. Lasu and Muranga sat side by side when they arrived in the court room with their lawyers, while Timbo sat on the opposite end of the room alongside her father. Lawyers for Lasu and Muranga separately asked the magistrate to adjourn the matters until October 28 to allow time for case conferencing with prosecutors. He granted the women an extension to their current bail conditions and set the new court date. Meanwhile Timbo's lawyer asked for her matter to be adjourned until October 21, and made a point to the judge that the women had been charged separately. 'It is somewhat connected but they are not charged together, they do not have to appear together,' she told the court. Timbo was also granted bail and does not have to appear alongside her lawyer when the matter returns to court on October 21. After leaving the courtroom, Muranga and Lasu joined their family members and spoke quietly among themselves while waiting to sign their new bail documents. The defiant mother of Diana Lasu (left) previously sensationally claimed her daughter never travelled to Melbourne and instead pointed the blame at Muranga (right) Timbo's lawyer asked for her matter to be adjourned until October 21, and made a point to the judge that the women had been charged separately A police source alleged the teenagers threw a party (people leaving the party are pictured) for about 20 people at their accommodation in Melbourne prior to returning to Queensland Between them Muranga and Lasu visited 11 different venues in Brisbane while infected with COVID-19 Timbo, meanwhile, walked past the group wordlessly to sit with her lawyer and father. The 21-year-old was the first to speak publicly after she was identified as the third woman involved in the alleged COVID-19 health breach. She denied media reports surrounding the incident but wouldn't clarify what actually happened. 'No, but half of the things that are in the media aren't true, so what can you do,' she previously told the Courier Mail. 'I want everything to be confidential. I don't want to be in the media.' The trio eventually left the court one by one, flanked by family and their respective lawyers. All parties refused to make a comment on the charges. The women have previously claimed they became the target of vicious trolling when the public learned of their alleged border breaches. Lasu revealed she received messages which read: 'Black lives matter, but not yours' in the days to follow. 'You dumb, ugly sl*t. Way to f*** it up for Queensland. Everyone hates you, do everyone a favour and drink some bleach,' another reads. Victoria Police issued infringement notices to all in attendance at the illegal party after being called to reports of a 'disturbance' Muranga (pictured) had allegedly gone to work for two days at Parklands Christian College in Park Ridge, before calling in sick Lawyers for Lasu and Muranga separately asked the magistrate to adjourn the matters until October 28 Lasu (pictured with her lawyer) appeared in court on Monday where her bail was extended Some devolved into racist name-calling and attacks on her physical appearance including references to potential cosmetic surgery she may have received. 'Your lips are bigger than your ego, you selfish b*tch... Looks like your botox injection penetrated into your tiny brain.' While Queensland avoided a widespread outbreak, the consequences of the women's actions could have been catastrophic. Queensland's Chief Health Officer Dr Jeannette Young called the pair 'reckless' and said she was 'very disappointed' that they'd allegedly made the decision to lie and jeopardise the safety of all Queenslanders. 'They went to extraordinary lengths to be deceitful and deceptive and quite frankly criminal in their behaviour and that is what has put the community at risk,' Police Commissioner Katarina Carroll said at the time. Victoria was in the grips of its second wave - with more than 700 cases identified each day at the peak - while the Sunshine State had almost entirely eradicated the virus at the time. Footage has emerged of Muranga casually entering the Cowch Dessert Cocktail Bar on Brisbane's Southbank with a friend and ordering a drink Diana Lasu, 21, (pictured) is one of the young women who allegedly lied on border declarations after touching down in Brisbane on July 21 from a trip from Melbourne via Sydney Olivia Winnie Muranga (left), 19 and Haja Timbo (right), 21, allegedly and lied on their border declarations about where they had been when they arrived in Brisbane from Melbourne via Sydney on July 21 But when word spread that the duo had tested positive for the virus, officials feared a second outbreak was inevitable. Queensland has since experienced small coronavirus clusters, but managed to avoid widespread infections like in Victoria or New South Wales. There have been reports that three of Queensland's biggest and latest clusters in Queensland Corrective Services Academy, Brisbane Youth Detention Centre and Ipswich Hospital, can be traced back to the women. Dr Young said 'that is the most likely scenario... and even more likely after doing more testing and not finding any other chains of transmission. But there is a missing link between the women and the cluster, which includes more than 50 cases. 'We didn't find the first cases in this cluster, we found a subsequent case and that's why it's taken longer to get on top of it.' INFECTED WOMEN'S ALLEGED ITINERARY July 21 - Olivia Winnie Muranga flies into Brisbane from Melbourne via Sydney on July 21 with Diana Lasu and an unidentified friend July 24 - Muranga, a cleaner, allegedly calls in sick to Parklands Christian College in Park Ridge, south of Brisbane after going to work for two days July 25 - Muranga goes to the doctor and is told to get tested July 27 - She finally gets tested, but is spotted getting a drink with a friend within hours at the Cowch dessert cocktail bar on Brisbane's Southbank July 27-29 - Muranga is allegedly active in the community again July 29 - Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk announces two women who allegedly lied on their declaration forms to enter the state have tested positive for COVID-19 Queensland Chief Health Officer Dr Jeannette Young called the pair 'reckless' and said she was 'very disappointed'. July 30 - Three women are charged with one count each of providing false or misleading documents and fraud Advertisement The trio have been charged with one count each of providing false or misleading documents and fraud. Lasu's mother earlier denied her daughter did anything wrong, instead pointing the blame at Muranga. 'She didn't go to Melbourne, she went to Sydney,' she told media at the time. 'I don't have any apologies for anyone - believe me.' The mother, who was required to undergo hotel quarantine as a close contact, said her daughter's friend had been in Melbourne. 'If you know, yourself, you have the virus - why didn't you directly go to the doctor?' she said, referring to Muranga. Lasu and Muranga were under police guard in Brisbane's Princess Alexandra Hospital after they tested positive, partly for their own protection. Public outrage only intensified when footage emerged showing Muranga casually ordering a drink at the Cowch Dessert Cocktail Bar on Brisbane's Southbank with a friend just hours after she was tested for the virus. The venue was one of 11 visited by the women while infectious. Before that, Muranga had allegedly gone to work for two days at Parklands Christian College in Park Ridge, south of the city before calling in sick. She went to the doctor on Saturday and was told to get tested immediately, but she allegedly waited until Monday to do so. Muranga's brother admitted her alleged actions were a 'mistake', but claimed she had been unfairly targeted because of her race. He said his sister waited several days in between experiencing symptoms and getting sick. 'Some days she couldn't even breathe out of her airways and s**t,' he told the program via telephone. 'It's a f***ing mistake,' he said. 'I reckon if someone else did this that wasn't of colour, you'll be protecting them - you wouldn't be doing all of this s**t.' The women could be fined $13,345 or sent to jail for a maximum of five years. Police said the trio are now cooperating with officers and Queensland Health officials. Lasu received more than 20 messages in 24 hours after she was named as an accused quarantine dodger Muranga allegedly went to work for two days at Parklands Christian College in Park Ridge, south of Brisbane. Pictured are people lining up at the college to get a COVID-19 test Astronomers spotted an Earth-skimming meteoroid on September 22 The object covered a path of some 466 miles over the Netherlands and Germany The meteoroid dipped as low as an altitude of 56 miles for 19 seconds After it skimmed Earth's atmosphere, the object made its return to space A meteoroid was captured skimming Earth's atmosphere for a few seconds above Germany and the Netherlands before returning on its journey through space. Astronomers spotted the bright cosmic object streaking across the night sky on September 22, as is dipped 56 miles in altitude - lower than any satellites orbiting Earth. ADVERTISEMENT The video was shot at 11:53pm ET and shows the meteoroid covering a path of more than 499 miles as it sunk into our atmosphere for 19 seconds. Researchers from Western University traced it to a Jupiter-family orbit, but was unable to identify matches of potential parent bodies. Scroll down for video Astronomers spotted the bright cosmic object streaking across the night sky on September 22, as is dipped 56 miles in altitude - lower than any satellites orbiting Earth Earth grazing meteoroids occur sporadically the last one to be captured was spotted over Australia in 2017. This event lasted for one and a half minutes and the space rock soared through Earth's atmosphere at more than 35,000 mile per hour before returning to space. Click here to resize this module The September 22 event, although lasting just 19 seconds, left those on the ground in awe as they witnessed the spaced rock streak through the night sky. The video was taken by the Global Meteor Network (GMN), which is a team of amateur astronomers who have cameras all over the world to capture such occasions. The meteoroid was captured skimming Earth's atmosphere for a few seconds above Germany and the Netherlands before returning on its journey through space More than 100 people reported seeing the meteoroid and shared images they snapped of the event However, a number of witnesses also shared their videos of the meteoroid skimming Earth's atmosphere. Denis Vida, a physics postdoc from Western University in Ontario and founder of GMN) said: 'The network is basically a decentralized scientific instrument, made up of amateur astronomers and citizen scientists around the planet each with their own camera system.' We make all data such as meteoroid trajectories and orbits available to the public and scientific community, with the goal of observing rare meteor shower outbursts and increasing the number of observed meteorite falls and helping to understand delivery mechanisms of meteorites to Earth.' ADVERTISEMENT The European Space Agency describes a meteoroid as a fragment of a comet or asteroid that breaks off and creates a bright light streak in the sky. Most of the rock disintegrate in Earth's atmosphere, but the recent visitor did not get low enough to burn up. Pictured is a graph showing the more than 466 mile path the meteoroid took as it skimmed Earth's atmosphere Researchers from Western University traced it to a Jupiter-family orbit, but was unable to identify matches of potential parent bodies Tens of thousands of meteorites have been found on Earth, yet, of these only about 40 can be traced back to a parent asteroid or asteroidal source. A study conducted by Harvard speculates that an Earth skimming asteroid may have taken life to Venus, which is based on the 2017 meteor that was spotted over Australia. The team believes this meteor could have collected up some 10,000 microbial colonies from our world and carried it to another. The study notes that over the last 3.7 billion years, at least 600,000 space rocks that dipped into Earth's atmosphere have a collided with Venus. 'Although the abundance of terrestrial life in the upper atmosphere is unknown, these planet-grazing shepherds could have potentially been capable of transferring microbial life between the atmospheres of Earth and Venus,' the Harvard study reads. 'As a result, the origin of possible Venusian life may be fundamentally indistinguishable from that of terrestrial life.' Previous research determined that life is found up to an altitude of 43 miles from the surface. Earth-grazing asteroids can dip 52 miles without experiencing significant heating another lower would kill any life it gathered from our planet. Earth grazing meteoroids occur sporadically the last one to be captured was spotted over Australia in 2017 (pictured). This event lasted for one and a half minutes and the space rock soared through Earth's atmosphere at more than 35,000 mile per hour before returning to space 'Further work is needed to investigate the existence and abundance of microbial life in the upper atmosphere,' reads the study. ADVERTISEMENT The team also notes that if a meteor coming from Earth enters the atmosphere of another planet, hitchhiking microbes could be released in clouds before the rock disintegrates in the atmosphere. 'A future probe that could sample the habitable cloud deck of Venus will potentially enable the direct discovery of microbial life outside of Earth, the team wrote.' 'Specifically, the capability to either directly analyze microbes in situ or to return an atmospheric sample to Earth will be critical in the design of a successful mission. Finding exactly the same genomic material and helicity on Venus and Earth would constitute a smoking gun for panspermia.' A court in Guineas capital Conakry promised on Monday to bring suspects of a brutal 2009 stadium massacre to trial soon, after growing international frustration over the delay. At least 157 people were killed and 109 women raped by troops during a massive opposition protest in a Conakry stadium on September 28, 2009 against the rule of then junta chief Moussa Dadis Camara, after his security forces opened fire on the crowd. There were hopes of prosecuting about 12 people suspected of being behind the massacre, after a years-long legal investigation into the event ended in December 2017. The proceedings then stalled, prompting criticism from rights groups and the international community. Guineas ministry of justice repeatedly promised to stage the trial in June this year but that did not take place. After so much bullying and suffering, the Guinean government is humiliating us even more, said Saran Cisse, who said she was raped and beaten at the stadium in 2019, and called on the International Criminal Court (ICC) to intervene. Last week, the embassies of the United States, European Union and France in Conakry also issued a joint communique urging Guinea to hold a trial as soon as possible. Human Rights Watch, along with local rights groups, also said in a statement Monday that the ICC should urge Guinean authorities to quickly stage the trial. This would give surviving victims an opportunity to participate in a trial that would be a key step in the fight against impunity in Guinea, the statement said. A spokesman for Guineas justice ministry told AFP that the government had played its part and that the trial date depended on the public prosecutors office. Sidi Souleymane Ndiaye, the relevant public prosecutor, confirmed on Monday that he currently is organising the trial. The trial will soon be held at the premises of the Conakry Court of Appeal, he said, without specifying an exact date. Pressure on Guinea to bring the massacre case to court comes ahead of a highly-contested presidential election on October 18. Incumbent President Alpha Conde, 82, is running for a third term, a possibility that provoked deadly protests in the country from October last year. The terrorists belonged to a takfiri cell the security forces had targeted in April in a pre-emptive strike in the capital Egypt's security forces killed two extremely dangerous terrorists after an exchange of fire in Qalioubiya, north of Cairo, the interior ministry said in a statement on Monday. The two men, aged 37 and 42, were planning to carry out hostile operations, the ministry stated, adding that the terrorists had sought refuge in an apartment in Qalag district, Qalioubiya. An automatic rifle, a gun, and several types of bullets were found with the terrorists, according to the ministry. The two men belonged to a takfiri terrorist cell that the security forces targeted in April in a pre-emptive strike in the capital. The ministry at the time affirmed that the cell planned to carry out terrorist attacks during the Easter holiday. During the April raid on a hideout in El-Amiriya neighbourhood in eastern Cairo, security forces killed seven terrorists. One officer was killed during the exchange of fire. Several terrorist attacks have been launched against civilians, Christians, security and army forces, and Muslim worshippers since the ouster of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi and the dispersal of his supporters sit-ins in 2013. Search Keywords: Short link: Kanchipuram: DMK President MK Stalin during a demonstration launched by the party against the contentious agricultural laws, in Keezhambi village of Tamil Nadu's Kanchipuram on Sep 28, 2020. (Photo: IANS) Image Source: IANS News Kanchipuram: DMK President MK Stalin during a demonstration launched by the party against the contentious agricultural laws, in Keezhambi village of Tamil Nadu's Kanchipuram on Sep 28, 2020. (Photo: IANS) Image Source: IANS News Chennai, Sep 28 : Opposition parties led by DMK on Monday held protests in Tamil Nadu against the three agriculture-related laws and urged the central government to scrap the same. The Bills were passed by Parliament, following which President Ram Nath Kovind gave his assent on September 24. The central government notified these in the gazette on Sunday. Leading the protest in Kancheepuram, DMK President MK Stalin said the farm laws were opposed by farmers in states like Punjab, Haryana, West Bengal, Karnataka, Kerala and Rajasthan. The protest was also held to condemn the AIADMK government for supporting the Bills in Parliament and outside, he added. Leaders of DMK-led allies agitated in other parts of the southern state. In a separate statement, Stalin condemned the permission given by the central government to hold field trials of genetically modified BT brinjal in eight states, including Tamil Nadu. Stalin urged the state government to deny permission and also demanded the Union government to cancel it. The DMK leader also demanded that Tamil Nadu increase the procurement price of paddy to Rs 3,000 per quintal. A man allegedly broke his partner's toes during a row over examining his phone. A man allegedly broke his partner's toes during a row over examining his phone, a court was told on Monday. Aaron Smallwood, 20, faces a charges of causing grievous bodily harm to the woman at his home on Cambrai Street in Belfast. The injuries were said to have been sustained on September 21. Belfast Magistrates' Court was told of claims the woman called at Smallwood's house despite a previous order for the pair to have no contact. Defence solicitor Pat Kelly said: "He did not want his phone to be forensically examined, and an argument started. "He threw the phone to the ground, and it hit her on the foot. It appears two toes are broken." Mr Kelly expressed doubt that his client will ultimately be prosecuted for alleged grievous bodily harm. District Judge Fiona Bagnall agreed to re-release Smallwood on bail. But she warned: "The onus is on the defendant to ensure he does not have any contact with the injured party. "If he's in breach again he need not come and say 'she came round to see me', that will not be accepted as a reason a second time." Smallwood is due to appear in court again next month. Vodafone Group Plcs big win against the Indian government could set a precedent for similar arbitration cases, including the one initiated by Cairn Energy Plc, legal experts said, potentially prompting India to speed up its renegotiation of similar investment treaties, at the risk of raising the countrys political risk premium. On Friday, an arbitration court in the Hague ruled that Indias over 22,000-crore demand from Vodafone Group violated the bilateral investment treaty (BIT) between India and the Netherlands, adding that any attempt to enforce the demand would violate Indias international law obligations. India has said it will study the arbitration award and decide on a further course of action after legal and other consultations. Experts said they expect more such rulings against India. In March 2015, Cairn Energy began international arbitration proceedings against India under the UK-India BIT, after Indias retrospective tax made it liable to pay 10,570 crore. The arbitration panel has finished hearing the case. A Cairn spokesperson said, We have been advised by the international arbitration panel to expect the outcome after the end of summer". Cairn Energy had done an internal share transfer and reorganization in 2006. India in 2014 applied the new retrospective tax to this transaction and barred Cairn Energy from selling its 10% stake in Cairn India. This judgement sets an important precedent not just for tax but also for investments in general. After an investment is made, if the country changes its policies retrospectively, which impacts a companys investment, then the country has to make good the losses incurred," said Dinesh Kanabar, CEO, Dhruva Advisors. However, this precedent would apply only in a situation where India has a bilateral investment treaty, and the treaty does not exclude tax from its purview," he added. The finance ministrys stand after the Vodafone ruling is keeping concerns alive. We shall be examining the order carefully, and further appropriate action would be taken after obtaining a legal opinion, including, inter alia, challenging the award by filing an application before the appropriate court in Singapore, which is the seat of the arbitration," said a government official with direct knowledge of the matter. The government is also in the process of withdrawing from BIT across jurisdictions. The Indian government is duty-bound to take all steps to protect public money, and if there is any attempt to avoid taxes by routing the transaction through tax havens, it is entitled to take all measures, including an amendment in the law to stop such abuse," this person added. According to Richie Sancheti, leader, investment funds at law firm Nishith Desai Associates, the setback could also lead to further withdrawal or disengagement from BITs going forward. Gireesh Chandra Prasad in Delhi contributed to the story jayshree.pyasi@livemint.com Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Never miss a story! Stay connected and informed with Mint. Download our App Now!! Topics Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-28 22:55:38|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- Chinese authorities have made all-out efforts to help this year's 8.74 million college graduates secure jobs, an education official said on Monday. To mitigate the adverse impacts brought by the COVID-19 epidemic, the Ministry of Education, working with over 20 departments, has launched nearly 40 preferential measures to facilitate employment, said Wang Hui, an official with the ministry. These measures include expanding employment in urban and rural communities and grassroots medical institutions, and increasing the proportion of university graduates in military recruitment, Wang said. He noted that governments have worked with relevant departments, public institutions, and state-owned enterprises (SOEs) to create more jobs this year, providing work to over 2.8 million graduates as of Sept. 1, an increase of more than 700,000 over the same period last year. More than 200,000 online job fairs have been held for new graduates since March, about 20 times the offline format, helping China ride out an unprecedented employment challenge amid COVID-19 headwinds. The "24365" campus service, a flagship online recruitment platform, has provided 15.22 million pieces of job information and recorded 37.36 million resume uploads, with 6.69 million new graduates registering on the site since its launch in February, said Wang. Meanwhile, employment-related instructions have moved online, and more than 80,000 college counselors and instructors, with the first-line experience in job hunting, are on standby to help polish resumes of students or impart interview skills, Wang noted. Efforts are being made to help graduates from universities in Hubei as well as graduates hailing from the province, the official said. This year, a total of 449,000 students graduated from colleges in Hubei, and 371,000 new graduates nationwide are from Hubei originally, Wang said. These students will get preference in recruitment policies and will be offered quotas in recruitments for some community-level service programs as well as in the military, government, public institutions and SOEs, Wang said. Also, 124 universities across China have paired with the ones in Hubei to share job information and offer employment counseling. The arrangement has already helped 13,000 graduates find jobs, the official said, adding that the ministry also organized special online job fairs for graduates of Hubei universities. According to Wang, universities have been asked to put emphasis on assisting Hubei students in job hunting and offer them tailored guidance. Enditem BAKU, Azerbaijan, Sept. 27 Trend: As a result of the counter-attack operation of the units of the Azerbaijani Army, the Armenian troops retreated and left a big number of armored vehicles on the battlefield, Trend reports citing the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry on Sept. 27. This video shows destroyed and abandoned Arminian combat vehicles. NPP ladies have stormed the Ayawaso West Wuogon Constituency with the 4MoreNana, 4More4Lydia, 4 More to do more, agenda to solicit for votes ahead of the December elections. The group joined the Member of Parliament (MP) for the Constituency, Lydia Seyram Alhassan to embark on a door-to door campaign exercise at Christian Centre in East Legon. The aim of the exercise was to propagate the good works of President Akufo-Addo and the MP as well as seek for another term for the NPP. The residents on the other hand were poised to vote for the MP and President Akufo-Addo in the upcoming elections. According to them, they are comfortable with her leadership and are ready to give her the chance to do more for the constituency. Speaking in an interview during the campaign, the Member of Parliament and Parliamentary Candidate for the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), Lydia Seyram Alhassan said her focus is on giving the best leadership to the people of Ayawaso West Wuogon who have voted for her. She noted that she was voted for to be their representative, their voice and to be able to deliver on the promises she made to the people. Lydia Seyram Alhassan has also indicated that, she is working for the good people of Ayawaso West and that what she has achieved so far are visible for them to see. It would not take my opposition to erase what I have achieved for the people of my constituency. They cannot do that, because what I have done for the people are visible; and they are the beneficiaries and can bear witnesses to that, she said. She also averred that within this short period of time, people in her constituency can testify to what she has done, expressing the hope that the people of Ayawaso West will come on board and help us work together. Touching on few things she has done for her constituency, he MP said she has instituted and implemented the maiden Ayawaso Entrepreneurial Scheme which provides employment for the youth. The Scheme which forms part of governments policies to reduce the unemployment rate in the country, saw a total of 11 fleet of cars donated to some selected persons in the constituency for commercial purposes. Beneficiaries have been signed on the Uber App and are expected to report to designated electoral managers on sales. She explained that being an entrepreneur herself, she is ready to leverage on her skills and harness the mindset of the young people towards independence and wealth creation, saying that; This is one of many models. This is the Ayawaso entrepreneurial scheme and under that we have the Uber driving model. We have credit union. We are rolling out make-up, interior designs, and fashion designs. She has also set up a Relief and Poverty Alleviation Fund to support squatters of Shiashie. It would be recall that over 500 squatters were displaced by the ravaging fire, destroying property and belongings worth thousands of Ghana cedis. The MP provided mattresses and secured the Shiashie Presbyterian Church as a place of shelter for the squatters whilst donating over 500 bags of rice, buckets and an undisclosed amount of money to the squatters. She also set up to assist the squatters to improve their livelihoods. The MP has also made donations of vehicle and motorbikes to the University of Ghana and the Ghana Police to tighten security and eliminate the mounting security challenges on the university campus. The donation which was made to aid the University in conjunction with Ghana Police to increase visibility of security and enhanced security patrols on campus. This has been described as a timely and necessary intervention. Hon. Lydia Seyram Alhassan in a short space time as MP has been involved in capacity building of identifiable womens groups in the Ayawaso West Wuogon constituency and made giant strides in the area of investing heavily in her constituents. She continues to support her constituents, students, vulnerable women and children, and workers by throwing a life line to them. She however pointed out that her opponent is dazed by her achievements and seeing defeat glaring at them in the coming elections, are trying to discredit what she has achieved. She averred that the hard work of President Nana Akufo-Addo and herself as MP in the constituency has made the New Patriotic Party (NPP) more attractive and endeared the party to the constituents who are poised to retain the party. The NDC I can tell you that the NDC has no chance of winning the seat from the NPP. Even if they are thinking in that direction, then they must be dreaming. They know they will lose the elections, she said confidently. She expressed gratitude to the leadership of the respective volunteer groups as well as members for their donations and support during the campaign. Source: peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Children may be feeling fatigued if their parents let them stay up late amid the pandemic. (Posed by a model, Getty Images) The coronavirus pandemic has disrupted all of our lives to some degree as families cope with isolation, job fears and in some tragic cases the death of loved ones. While young children may not fully understand the outbreak, months off school combined with anxious parents will undoubtedly have left many feeling unsettled. If this has affected their sleep, scientists from the University of Florida in Gainesville have put together their expert tips to help little ones nod off. Read more: UK coronavirus cases exceeding April's 'peak' why are deaths low? Yawning is a sign a child may be sleep deprived, along with irritability and difficulty waking. (Posed by a model, Getty Images) Sleep is critical for a healthy lifestyle, regardless of a persons age. Among children, shut eye helps their brain and the rest of their body recharge and develop. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine recommends children aged three to five get between 10 and 13 hours of sleep a day. Those aged six to 12 should aim for between nine and 12 hours of sleep, while teenagers should have eight to 10 hours. A night tossing and turning may leave children irritable the next day. They may also have a reduced attention span or temporary memory loss. Other signs of insomnia include difficulty waking, sleeping during the day outside of any designated nap times, and yawning. Read more: Vitamin D linked to reduced risk of coronavirus death Long term, insomnia has been linked to everything from obesity and type 2 diabetes to heart disease and depression. The pandemic has significantly altered normal sleep patterns for children and teenagers, the Florida scientists wrote in the journal JAMA Pediatrics. With relaxed schedules, children and teenagers may be going to bed later and sleeping later. With a return to more regular schedules, families may need guidance to reset sleep times. Watch: Why lockdown caused bizarre dreams Sleep tips for children amid pandemic The scientists first advise families establish a routine for their children, with a set time for waking, meals, recreations and bed. Story continues School-aged children and adolescents can help create their schedules, but parents must provide healthy boundaries, they wrote. So-called sleep hygiene, activities that promote healthy shut eye, is particularly important come evening. Avoid caffeinated drinks, including soda, tea, and coffee drinks, wrote the scientists. Establish an electronics turn off time at least one hour before bedtime and store them outside the childs room. This means no cell phone, TV, computer, tablet or handheld gaming systems. Read more: Pets 'helped people cope emotionally' during lockdown Sleep disruption increases just by having electronic devices in the room, even if they are not being used. Electronics emit blue light that stimulates wakefulness, as do after-bedtime snacks and drinks. Finally, keep sleep spaces dark and cool, but a night light is okay. Other tips include using a fan to cool down the room if necessary, as well as reading a calming story and avoiding food or drinks an hour before bed. A small glass of water should be harmless if the child is thirsty. For children who have been allowed to stay up later than normal during the pandemic, expect it to take a few weeks before they get used to their new routine. It is easier to stay up later than to go to sleep earlier, wrote the scientists. Set a wake time goal and gradually move bed time earlier by 10 minutes every three to four days. Once a child can fall asleep within 30 minutes of bedtime, move bedtime 10 minutes earlier the next night. With each step, move up the wake time. The scientists also recommend parents discourage napping among older children and teenagers. The sleepiness that builds during the day helps children fall asleep at night, they wrote. If a nap is inevitable, limit it to 20 minutes. The scientists recommend parents contact a doctor if their child is unable to adapt to the new sleep routine. A professional should also be consulted if a youngsters shut eye is impacted by excessive snoring, gasping, kicking or too much sleep. While it may be demanding, the scientists stressed parents should not lose heart. Adjusting sleep schedules can be challenging at first and will take time to implement, they wrote. Sleep is a critical part of health for children and adolescents, so make sleep a consistent priority and your child will benefit from this for years to come. How to swaddle your newborn baby and safely put them to slee Mumbai, Sep 28 : The Reserve Bank of India has approved that the day-to-day affairs of Lakshmi Vilas Bank will be run by a Committee of Directors (CoD) comprising three independent directors. The development comes after the shareholders of the bank rejected the reappointment of seven of the directors on the bank's board, including its interim MD and CEO, S. Sundar at its Annual General Meeting on September 25. In a regulatory filing, the bank said that CoD will exercise the discretionary powers of MD & CEO in the ad-interim which comprises Meeta Makhan, Chairperson of the Committee of Directors, Shakti Sinha, Member and Satish Kumar Kalra, Member. "On 27th September 2020, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has approved that, day-to-day affair of the Bank will be run by a Committee of Directors (CoD) composed of three independent directors," it said. The three are the only directors out of the proposed 10, who were voted for reappointment by the bank's shareholders. In its regulatory filing late on Sunday evening, the bank again tried to allay concerns regarding the financial standing of the bank. "With Liquidity Coverage Ratio (LCR) of about 262 per cent as on 27th September 2020, against the minimum 100 per cent required by RBI, the deposit-holders, bond-holders, account-holders and creditors are well safe guarded," it said. Nine Nyeri ward representatives have moved to court after they were left out of county assembly committees. They want the list passed last month declared unconstitutional and further orders that all MCAs must be included in at least two committees. The group has also petitioned the Jubilee Party headquarters over the matter. A motion moved by Majority leader James Kanyugo on August 25, 2020 effectively removed the nine from all committees they had served since 2017. In their petition, they state that the move is contrary to standing orders which stipulate that each MCA should be in at least two committees. The petitioners -- Michael Karumba, Clement Warutere, Simon Muturi, Stanley Wakibia, Mary Wamuyu, Kenneth Gatheru, Atanasio Kabaire, Caroline Muthoni and Mary Ndomo -- are accusing Majority leader James Kanyugo of punishing them because they hold divergent opinions. "The said de-whipping of the petitioners is an affront to the petitioners' right to exercise a democratic right on behalf of the people of Nyeri County. The new list of committee members is not distributed evenly among the sub-counties," they argue. They say the Majority leader was assigned eight committee seats while Majority whip Sebastian Mugo got seven committee seats. "This skewed allocation of seats has serious consequences in the efficient delivery of services to the people of Nyeri," the petition states. The case will be mentioned on September 29. There's no doubt that money can be made by owning shares of unprofitable businesses. For example, biotech and mining exploration companies often lose money for years before finding success with a new treatment or mineral discovery. But while history lauds those rare successes, those that fail are often forgotten; who remembers Pets.com? So, the natural question for Star Diamond (TSE:DIAM) shareholders is whether they should be concerned by its rate of cash burn. In this article, we define cash burn as its annual (negative) free cash flow, which is the amount of money a company spends each year to fund its growth. The first step is to compare its cash burn with its cash reserves, to give us its 'cash runway'. Check out our latest analysis for Star Diamond When Might Star Diamond Run Out Of Money? A cash runway is defined as the length of time it would take a company to run out of money if it kept spending at its current rate of cash burn. When Star Diamond last reported its balance sheet in June 2020, it had zero debt and cash worth CA$5.7m. Importantly, its cash burn was CA$3.6m over the trailing twelve months. So it had a cash runway of approximately 19 months from June 2020. That's not too bad, but it's fair to say the end of the cash runway is in sight, unless cash burn reduces drastically. You can see how its cash balance has changed over time in the image below. How Is Star Diamond's Cash Burn Changing Over Time? Star Diamond didn't record any revenue over the last year, indicating that it's an early stage company still developing its business. Nonetheless, we can still examine its cash burn trajectory as part of our assessment of its cash burn situation. Over the last year its cash burn actually increased by 40%, which suggests that management are increasing investment in future growth, but not too quickly. However, the company's true cash runway will therefore be shorter than suggested above, if spending continues to increase. Admittedly, we're a bit cautious of Star Diamond due to its lack of significant operating revenues. So we'd generally prefer stocks from this list of stocks that have analysts forecasting growth. Story continues Can Star Diamond Raise More Cash Easily? While Star Diamond does have a solid cash runway, its cash burn trajectory may have some shareholders thinking ahead to when the company may need to raise more cash. Generally speaking, a listed business can raise new cash through issuing shares or taking on debt. Many companies end up issuing new shares to fund future growth. We can compare a company's cash burn to its market capitalisation to get a sense for how many new shares a company would have to issue to fund one year's operations. Star Diamond has a market capitalisation of CA$87m and burnt through CA$3.6m last year, which is 4.1% of the company's market value. That's a low proportion, so we figure the company would be able to raise more cash to fund growth, with a little dilution, or even to simply borrow some money. So, Should We Worry About Star Diamond's Cash Burn? On this analysis of Star Diamond's cash burn, we think its cash burn relative to its market cap was reassuring, while its increasing cash burn has us a bit worried. While we're the kind of investors who are always a bit concerned about the risks involved with cash burning companies, the metrics we have discussed in this article leave us relatively comfortable about Star Diamond's situation. Its important for readers to be cognizant of the risks that can affect the company's operations, and we've picked out 3 warning signs for Star Diamond that investors should know when investing in the stock. Of course Star Diamond may not be the best stock to buy. So you may wish to see this free collection of companies boasting high return on equity, or this list of stocks that insiders are buying. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. 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. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com. RTHK: Duterte hits out at Facebook over deleted accounts Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said on Monday that Facebook could not stop him from promoting the objectives of his government, telling the social media giant that they should talk about its purpose in his country. "Facebook, listen to me," Duterte said in a late-night televised address. "We allow you to operate here hoping that you could help us. Now, if government cannot espouse or advocate something which is for the good of the people, then what is your purpose here in my country?" His remarks follow Facebook's move on September 22 to dismantle a network of fake accounts that originated in China and the Philippines, including some that criticised the Communist Party of the Philippines and its armed wing, the New People's Army (NPA). Facebook linked some of the fake accounts in the Philippines to the military and the police, although they denied being the account holders. But the military later said it regretted the decision of Facebook to remove a page that belonged to a group of parents that raised awareness about the recruitment machinery of the communists. The conflict between the government and the NPA has raged since 1968 and has killed tens of thousands. The Armed Forces of the Philippines had inquired if Facebook could restore the page called "Hands off Our Children", its spokesman said last week, because its advocacy was something the military "shares and advances". "What would be the point of allowing you to continue if you can't help us? We are not advocating mass destruction, we are not advocating massacre. It's a fight of ideas," Duterte said. "If you are promoting the cause of the rebellion..., if you cannot reconcile the idea of what your purpose is or was, then we have to talk." Facebook said the fake accounts were dismantled because they had engaged in "coordinated inauthentic behaviour". Platforms like Facebook have become political battlegrounds and have helped strengthen Duterte's support base, having been instrumental in his election victory in 2016. "Is there life after Facebook? I don't know," Duterte said. (Reuters) This story has been published on: 2020-09-28. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Some areas of the country are beginning to see an uptick in COVID-19 cases that may be due to Labor Day weekend gatherings, officials said. California is seeing "the trends and impacts of Labor Day," Dr. Mark Ghaly, secretary for California's health department, said Friday during a COVID-19 briefing. "It's been 2 1/2 weeks since Labor Day," Ghaly said. "We're starting to see what we think is attributable to Labor Day." In particular, case rates, COVID-19-related emergency department visits and new COVID-19 hospitalizations are all showing an uptick and are "areas of concern," Ghaly said. PHOTO: A large family has a picnic together as they join hundreds of people spreading out over Mile Square Park to celebrate Labor Day with their families, Sept. 7, 2020, in Fountain Valley, Calif. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images, FILE) The health department predicts that there will be an increase in hospitalizations over the next month, going from 2,578 as of Friday to 4,864 by Oct. 25. Flu season adds a new layer of concern in this area, Ghaly said. "We've never done COVID hospitalizations with flu hospitalizations," he said. "It's really about not letting our guard down as we did earlier in the summer." The increases also come 3 1/2 weeks since the state started its new reopening plan and five weeks after the fire season began, Ghaly noted, both of which could also be contributing factors. In Oregon, COVID-19 cases are rising after weeks of steady decline, in part due to Labor Day gatherings, as well as the state's recent wildfires and college students returning to school, according to the Oregon Health Authority. The state reported its single highest number of new COVID-19 cases on Friday, with 457. MORE: Oregon reports biggest daily COVID-19 case total, wildfires contributing to recent rises Regions of Nebraska and Tennessee have also seen case upticks and outbreaks tied to Labor Day weekend gatherings, according to an internal Federal Emergency Management Agency memo obtained by ABC News Friday night. In Saunders County, Nebraska, rising cases have been linked to a "large gathering" over the holiday weekend, the memo said, while outbreaks in the southwestern part of the state have also been tied to Labor Day as the "epidemic continues to grow" in Nebraska. Story continues Putnam County in middle Tennessee saw a 157% increase in cases in the past week compared to the previous week, with officials attributing the rise to Labor Day gatherings, as well as nursing facilities and schools, the memo said. Daily new cases were up about 50% in Washoe County, Nevada, officials said this week, blaming in part Labor Day gatherings. There were nearly 88 new cases per day, compared to the mid-50s last week, District Health Officer Kevin Dick said on Wednesday during the county's weekly COVID-19 update. "The seven-day rolling average that we have of new cases over the past week has increased significantly," Dick said. "We attribute a number of these cases to people that participated in private gatherings over the Labor Day holiday that are now testing positive for COVID-19." PHOTO: A man wears a face covering at the pier on the first day of the Labor Day weekend amid a heatwave on Sept. 5, 2020, in Santa Monica, Calif. (Mario Tama/Getty Images, File) He also pointed to cases in students at the University of Nevada, Reno, who attended off-campus parties. "That is of concern," Dick said of the increase in cases. "There is a lot of COVID-19 in the community." Some areas of the country are cautiously optimistic that they have not seen a Labor Day weekend surge in cases, including Alabama and Charlotte, North Carolina, according to reports. Though health experts warn that increases two weeks after major holidays are "very predictable." "We saw that with Memorial Day and we saw that with July 4," ABC News Contributor Dr. John Brownstein, chief innovation officer for the Boston Children's Hospital and a professor of epidemiology at Harvard Medical School, said earlier this month. MORE: Experts warn Labor Day could trigger COVID-19 surge across country On May 25, Memorial Day, the national seven-day average of new cases was 21,955. Five weeks later, on June 29, the seven-day average jumped to 40,178, an 83% increase in new cases, according to an ABC analysis of data compiled by the COVID Tracking Project. A similar pattern occurred just over a month later following the Fourth of July weekend. Just two weeks after July 4, the U.S. hit a record high of 76,842 daily cases, and by July 23, current hospitalizations hit a near-record high of 59,718, according to the COVID Tracking Project data. Death metrics, which tend to lag behind other COVID-19 data, increased in the weeks following the early summer holidays. On July 4, the seven-day average of deaths stood at 500; on Aug. 12, approximately five weeks after the holiday, there were the most reported COVID-19 deaths this summer, with 1,519, the ABC News analysis found. ABC News' Josh Margolin and Arielle Mitropoulos contributed to this report. California, Nevada likely seeing increase in COVID-19 cases due to Labor Day, officials say originally appeared on abcnews.go.com Defiant cries of Viva Sanchez! rippled through the Hotel Derek ballroom in early December 2001 as Orlando Sanchez, a Republican Cuban immigrant and city councilman, conceded his bid to become Houstons first Latino mayor. Sanchez, even in defeat, had eclipsed his campaigns target for Latino turnout, assembling a formidable coalition of white Republicans and Hispanic voters from both parties. In his concession speech, he framed the loss as a signal of progress in empowering a whole new group of Houstonians. The optimism was short-lived, as Sanchez failed to replicate his coalition when he ran again two years later. Texas Republicans, hoping a high-profile mayoral win would boost their efforts to reach more Latino voters, have failed to make sustained inroads since then, opening the door for Democrats to win the states 38 electoral votes in this years presidential election. Sanchez has grown frustrated with the Republican Partys disjointed and at times barely visible plan for attracting Latino Texans. After losing his seat as Harris County treasurer in 2018, part of the blue wave that installed Democrat Lina Hidalgo as county judge, Sanchez formed a political organization, Texas Latino Conservatives, to increase Hispanic turnout in battleground areas and train Latino Republicans on being activists, campaign staffers and political candidates. "I noticed that the Republican Party, with the exception of George W. Bush, was not doing the necessary heavy lifting to ensure that Latinos in Texas voted their values, Sanchez said. When George W ran, he got in the high 40s, and ever since then we've sort of dwindled. For years, Texas Democrats have acknowledged their political holy grail turning Texas blue depends on engaging the states fast-growing but politically detached Latino population. In 2020, with the Texas House in play and polls repeatedly showing President Donald Trump and Democratic nominee Joe Biden locked in a tight race statewide, the Texas Democratic Party is making what party officials say is their most furious push ever to mobilize Latino turnout. That includes running paid advertising in South Texas communities and recently contacting some 1.3 million Texans who were not registered to vote, 40 percent of whom were Latinos, said Texas Democratic Party spokesman Abhi Rahman. Texas had 5.6 million Latino eligible voters as of January, according to the Pew Research Center, more than every state but California. Texas Republican Party Chairman Allen West, asked about the Texas Republican Partys Hispanic outreach efforts, touted his recent trips to Laredo, El Paso and the Rio Grande Valley to meet with Hispanic pastors and law enforcement officials. He said the Republican Party also has conducted several events with Hispanic Republicans of Texas, a similar group. Though neither party has found much historical success in galvanizing Latino turnout, Democrats typically have won the vast majority of support from those who do vote. In 2018, 64 percent of Latinos voted for Democrat Beto ORourke, compared to 35 percent for Republican Sen. Ted Cruz, according to CNN exit polls. Republican Gov. Greg Abbott has proven to be a modest exception, winning 42 percent of the Hispanic vote that year. Sanchez argues that with the right message, Latino voters form a natural constituency for Texas Republicans. The partys general support for lower taxes, he said, appeals to Latino small business owners, who grew by 34 percent over the last 10 years compared to 1 percent for all business owners, according to a Stanford University study released in January before the COVID-19 pandemic. The Democratic Party also has seen democratic-socialist figures such as Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez rise to prominence, which Sanchez said is repelling Latino voters of Cuban and Venezuelan descent, such as those in the House battleground area of Katy. "Most Latinos I talk to are for strong border security, Sanchez said. They understand that a country without laws is just a lawless land. Most of us fled lawless countries, whether it's Cuba or Venezuela or Nicaragua or even Mexico to some extent. Hispanic immigrants appreciate law and order. Lack of diversity Still, Texas Republicans have faced a persistent struggle recruiting and electing Latino candidates. When state Sen. Pete Flores, R-Pleasanton, won a surprise victory in a 2018 special election, he became the first Hispanic Republican elected to the Texas Senate and one of only two in the entire Legislature. During the campaign, he found success emphasizing his anti-abortion stance to socially conservative Latino voters, including evangelical Christians. "My votes reflect what I feel is the sentiment of the majority of my constituents when it comes to issues dealing with faith and family," said Flores, who is up for re-election this year in a district Trump lost in 2016 by more than 11 points. "Conserving the deep-seated faith and family and love for their country are things that are very, very important. Through its nonprofit side, Texas Latino Conservatives runs a program called Leadership Latino, which offers seminars and training where prospective candidates can learn the basics of campaign organization, ethics and public speaking. Another part of the curriculum covers the basics of various political jobs, such as campaign strategists, fundraisers and media consultants. Some training sessions focus on activism and low-level political involvement, reflecting Sanchezs dismay that Republican grass-roots politics remain dominated by white people, especially in Houston. I will be very honest with you, the Republican Party of Harris County, the precinct chairs, do not represent the majority of conservatives in Harris County. We've got to diversify our party at the grass-roots level, Sanchez said. At the beginning, Texas Latino Conservatives focused its outreach and training on promoting conservative philosophy, Sanchez said, without much emphasis on the Republican Party itself. Earlier this year, the group began getting involved in several battleground Texas House races where it identified dormant or low-propensity Hispanic voters, Sanchez said. These are voters that one point in their life voted conservative but for some reason or another fell off the screen, because nobody reached out to them, no one touched them, he said. Complicated by Trump The group is running direct mail and digital ads, holding Spanish-language phone banking sessions and, in some cases, block-walking for candidates. The group also broadcasts Facebook Live interviews with candidates, most recently with state Rep. Sarah Davis, R-Houston, on Wednesday. On a recent Saturday, some Texas Latino Conservatives members blocked-walked for Republican Justin Ray, the nominee for House District 135 in northwest Harris County, in one of the districts most heavily Hispanic precincts. Complicating Sanchezs mission is Trumps harsh rhetoric toward Latino immigrants, his policies that have repelled some voters and his response to the coronavirus, which has disproportionately harmed Latino residents in Houston and Texas overall. A June 2018 University of Texas/Texas Tribune poll found that Latino voters opposed Trumps policy of separating children and parents at the border, 55 to 27 percent, while a New York Times/Siena College poll released Thursday found Latino voters opposed building a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border, 65 to 32 percent. State Rep. Armando Walle, D-Houston, argued Texas Republican lawmakers have lost Latino support through such policies as Senate Bill 4, the states anti-sanctuary legislation. He said Latino voters drove Democrats efforts to flip 12 state House seats in 2018. That doesnt happen without a coalition of voters supporting these 12 folks, Walle said. Latinos are everywhere. Were not just in inner-city Houston. We live in the suburbs, as well. And thats why you have (Latino) candidates out in the outer rings of our suburbs. Texas presidential polls have yielded wildly mixed outcomes, with some indicating low Latino support for Biden and other results putting him nearly in line with Hillary Clintons 27-point margin over Trump among Hispanic voters. Most Texas polls have not sampled enough Latino voters to provide dependable results, said University of Houston political science Professor Jeronimo Cortina. Still, Biden lost the Texas Latino vote to Sen. Bernie Sanders during the March primary, suggesting he has room to improve. There is a handicap that Biden is bringing to the race, Cortina said. And if the Biden campaign does not start really putting his name out there and talking about the issues that are important for the Latino vote, (he could struggle) to get traction. jasper.scherer@chron.com News articles containing misinformation about fentanylfalsely suggesting that people can overdose and die from simply touching the synthetic opioidare shared and spread far more widely on social media than stories that attempt to correct such myths, a new study from researchers at Northeastern University finds. Fentanyl has approved medical uses as an anesthetic during surgery and an analgesic for severe pain. But an illicit form has been turning up in the heroin supply in cities like Philadelphia for the last several years. Stronger and cheaper than heroin, it was initially used to cut the less powerful drug, and contributed to skyrocketing overdoses among heroin users unaccustomed to fentanyl's potency. Now, fentanyl has replaced most of the heroin supply in Philadelphia, and is present in most overdose deaths in the city. "Fentanyl is scary enough without making stuff up. It's a highly potent drug, and the public health implications of fentanyl proliferation in the drug supply have been absolutely catastrophic," said Leo Beletsky, a professor of law and health sciences at Northeastern in Boston and lead author of the study published last week in the International Journal of Drug Policy. But since fentanyl's emergence into the drug market, he said, law enforcement agencies, federal officials and credulous news outlets have spread the idearefuted by addiction and toxicology experts as scientifically impossiblethat a person can overdose from accidental, casual contact with fentanyl. In 2019, an officer in Harrisburg searched a book bag containing an open Ziploc bag, crack cocaine, and a "wet napkin or paper," and then became pale and disoriented, with dropping oxygen levels, the Harrisburg Patriot-News reported. He was dosed with the overdose-reversing spray naloxone, and police officials characterized the incident as an "accidental opioid exposure." In a follow-up article, experts pointed out that the incident likely wasn't driven by opioids, and said people who regularly come into contact with fentanylfrom drug dealers and distributors to nurses and doctors in surgical settingsare not overdosing from their casual contact with the drug. In a 2017 article, experts told The Inquirer that, though just two to three milligrams of fentanyl would make most people stop breathing, that's only true if the drug found its way into the bloodstream. "Fentanyl just isn't absorbed through skin into your blood quickly or efficiently enough to make this kind of dose possible from incidental contact," Andrew Stolbach, an emergency physician and medical toxicologist at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, told the paper. The study looked at 551 news articles on the topic from 48 states, published between 2015 and 2019. Researchers categorized 506 as spreading misinformation about fentanyl: in other words, endorsing the idea that just touching or inhaling small amounts of fentanyl could cause overdose or death. Those articles spread widely on Facebook, racking up hundreds of thousands of shares and potentially reaching nearly 70 million people between 2015 and 2019, the study found. Most of the articles were published in Texas and Pennsylvania. The remaining 45 articles in the study tried to correct or at least counterbalance misinformation about fentanyl. They received about one-tenth of the exposure that articles spreading misinformation garnered, the study found. "This media trope, that you can overdose by touching fentanyl, is one of the most evidently falseand it's a myth that refuses to die. It's not a debatable point from a scientific perspective," Beletsky said. Much of the misinformation, he said, is spread by reporters uncritically repeating law enforcement accounts of encounters with fentanyl, without consulting other addiction experts or people who deal with addiction themselves. "What you're seeing is really an illustration of how big a megaphone law enforcement has when it comes to drug policy or drug issues," Beletsky said. "They have oftentimes a direct line." Many of the articles examined in the study dealt with anecdotes of police officers coming into contact with fentanyl, or even simply an unknown powder that an officer believes is fentanyl, and experiencing a physical reaction. A 2016 video produced by the Drug Enforcement Administrationcited in 80 of the articles examined in the studyfeatured two officers from Atlantic County, N.J., who said they had inhaled airborne fentanyl. "Symptoms described include loss of blood flow to the face, disorientation, and shortness of breathconsistent with panic attacks," the study authors wrote. A typical opioid overdose involves a loss of consciousness; unresponsiveness to outside stimuli; blue or grayish skin; slow, shallow, erratic, or no breathing; and slow, erratic, or no pulse, according to the National Harm Reduction Coalition. The panic around fentanyl can have far-reaching consequences, the study authors wrote. "An effective public health response directly depends on having an accurate understanding of the risks and the dynamics of the emerging public health problems," Beletsky said. "If we don't have accurate information, our responses won't hit the mark. And that's exactly what has happened with fentanyl." Fear of overdosing themselves might prevent first responders and bystanders from helping overdose victims in a timely manner. Overestimating the risk of overdose through casual contact with drugs can lead to "unnecessary stress and other mental health issues," the study authors wrote, and can trigger more widespread use of punitive measures like drug-induced homicide laws. "This kind of misinformation crowds out effective responses," Beletsky said. "Instead of spending money on things like naloxone, effective substance use treatment, and supportive services that can prevent overdose in the first place, like housing, fentanyl panics have fueled funding for things like decontamination equipment, or HAZMAT suits. It's like security theater." Beletsky said it's key for advocates to help educate the public, and reporters, on fentanyl and drug policy in general, to track how misinformation about drugs spreads online, and to help correct the record on articles that uphold such myths. "There's always going to be fringe news sources and social media posts that are going to fuel misinformation, but at the very least, mainstream media should not be repeating this," he said. "And they continue to." Explore further Fentanyl in more than half of opioid deaths in 10 states 2020 The Philadelphia Inquirer Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. By PTI KOLKATA: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Monday criticised the Centre for not providing any data on the death of migrant labourers during the lockdown drawing sharp retort from the Congress and BJP which said that the state government should be transparent "before lecturing others". Banerjee said every citizen is entitled to Right to Information, as the government is answerable and accountable to the people. She was supported in this by Leader of Congress party in Lok Sabha Adhir Chowdhury who, howver, went o to add that instead of pointing fingers at others "the state government should follow the path of transparency". The BJP state leadership criticised the TMC government for, what it called, its "double standards". Referring to the Centre's response during the monsoon session of Parliament that it does not have any data on the death of migrants, Banerjee said it is 'shocking" how the union government got exposed. "Today is International Day for Universal Access to Information. It is shocking how GOI got exposed during the recent Parliament session. Most answers said 'no data available'. Every citizen has a right to information. The government is answerable and accountable to the people," Banerjee said in a tweet. Her comments followed Union Labour Minister Santosh Gangwar's statements during the monsoon session of Lok Sabha that the government does not have data on the number of migrants who died or were injured while returning to their native places during the lockdown. The union government had said that many states and union territories had not provided details of farmer suicides. Hence the national data on the causes for suicides in the farming sector is "untenable". Chowdhury, who is also West Bengal Congress president, said suppression of facts by the government is a direct affront to a vibrant democracy. Both the state and central governments have been negating the RTI Act to hide the truth, he said. "The International Day for Universal access to information is being celebrated today. I think that the epoch-making legislation of RIGHT TO INFORMATION act conceived and passed during UPA regime in India could be recognized as a befitting tribute to the essence of this day," he said in a series of tweet. "Suppression of facts by the govt of any denomination is a direct affront to a vibrant democracy. Union govt has been negating the RTI act to hide the truth. Even state govt of West Bengal is also fervently emulating the path of Union govt by denying the right to the common men," he said. The Congress leader urged Banerjee to lead by example instead of pointing fingers at others and demanded that the state government issue a white paper on the pandemic. "Charity should begin at home. At least my demand to the state govt to issue a white paper on the COVID pandemic situation that could be a precursor of transparency, please do the same in regard to this historic day," he said. Criticising the Trinamool Congress government, West Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh said it had mastered the art of "hiding facts and figures". "The TMC government should stop lecturing the Centre. Its double standards have been exposed. The state government during the COVID pandemic has mastered the art of hiding facts and figures. They were caught red-handed by the visiting inter-ministerial central team," he said. A nationwide lockdown was imposed on March 25 to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus. A large number of migrant workers returned to their far flung native places from different parts of the country, many of them even on foot, during the unprecedented lockdown which was imposed to break the chain of coronavirus infection. Kenosha County Sheriff David Beth, right, speaks while President Donald Trump, center, Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), second from right, and others listen, at at Mary D. Bradford High School in Kenosha, Wis., on Sept. 1, 2020. (Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images) Kenosha, Wisconsin Sheriff Endorses Trump for Reelection The sheriff of the Wisconsin county that saw rioting after the police shooting of Jacob Blake says hes endorsing President Donald Trump for reelection because of how Trump responded to the unrest. When the violence began, we had immediately put in the call to have local and state resources respond to the situation. Many responded, but we still needed more help. This is where the president stepped up and offered us the full resources of the federal government, Kenosha County Sheriff David Beth wrote in a recent op-ed. It was a powerful moment for us. While we know our local and state partners are the best in the business, having the extra support of our federal partners was absolutely critical in quelling the violence, he added later. The presidents swift and bold response to support our law enforcement family and my community made it clear that hes the strong leader Wisconsin and America needs. Its also why I am proud to endorse President Trump for reelection this fall. According to the sheriff, 38 other sheriffs in his state have also endorsed Trump. A police armored vehicle patrols an intersection while a building set afire by rioters burns in Kenosha, Wis., on Aug. 24, 2020. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images) Rioting exploded in Kenosha because of anger over how Blake was shot after he resisted arrest and allegedly tried to kidnap a child. The day after, Trump offered federal assistance to Wisconsin, where Gov. Tony Evers initially deployed a small deployment of National Guard members. When rioting continued, Evers sent more and accepted federal help. Trump visited Kenosha on Sept. 1, a little over a week after the shooting. Trump toured an area where businesses were decimated by fires set by rioters and held a roundtable with law enforcement. Law enforcement did a fantastic job working with the federal government, and it was really great. And once we said, Lets go, that was the end of it. Unfortunately, they had a few days when people wouldnt call us. They didnt want to have us come in. They just dont want us to come in, and then destruction is done. A day earlier, we wouldve saved your store, Trump told John Rode, the former owner of Rodes Camera Shop. He later called the riots anti-police and anti-American before praising Beth and Kenosha Police Chief Daniel Miskinis, among other officials. President Donald Trump speaks while viewing property damage during a visit in the aftermath of riots in Kenosha, Wis., on Sept. 1, 2020. (Leah Millis/Reuters) At the time, Beth told Trump and others that things were bad for two nights before officials learned they were getting federal assistance. The resources just kept coming, the people kept coming. The gratitude kept coming forand I heard stories, and I probably shouldnt share this, but some people that were in Portland that werent treated as good as they were treated here, and they said, We cant believe what a different place this is because of how we all worked together, rather than not wanting to work together at all,' Beth said, adding: So, thank you for being the President that likes law enforcement. While Trump did not meet with members of Blakes family, both Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden and his running mate, Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), did. Biden presented himself as a unifying figure, and supporters told The Epoch Times that they see him as more suited at tackling issues such as police brutality and social justice than Trump. Rahul Gandhi gives adjournment notice on giving unhindered access to pasture lands in Ladakh 'Do you work for govt?' Rahul Gandhi asks reporter; BJP calls him entitled brat Word 'lynching' practically unheard of before 2014, 'Thank You Modi-Ji': Rahul Gandhi Hindu and Hindutva are not different things: Suresh Bhaiyyaji Joshi Even teleprompter could not take so many lies: Rahul's dig at PM Modis Davos speech Rahul Gandhi likely to join farmer protests this week India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, Sep 28: Congress leader, Rahul Gandhi is likely to join the farmer protests in Punjab this week. He is also expected to address a rally and the date of the same would be finalised soon. Punjab's Chief Minister, Captain Amarinder Singh will stage a sit in protest against the contentious laws on Monday at Katkar Kalan, the ancestral village of freedom fighter Shaheed Bhagat Singh. National Trades Union Congress, All India Trade Union Congress, Hind Mazdoor Sabha, Centre of Indian Trade Unions, All India United Trade Union Centre and Trade Union Coordination Centre had also decided to extend support to the Bharat Bandh on September 25. Farmers to intensify protests today The Shiromani Akali Dal announced that it would undertake a Chakka Jam for three hours across Punjab. Rakesh Tikait, the president of BKU said that over 100 farmer unions will take part in the protests on September 25. Farmers in Uttar Pradesh will jam their respective villages, towns and highways. In Haryana, it is planned to be completely closed. We are planning to involve local shopkeepers and will come out with a final strategy on September 24, he also said. Amrinder Singh joins farmers' protest, says 'Pakistan's ISI may take advantage' | Oneindia News For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, September 28, 2020, 11:27 [IST] 3 1 of 3 John Carl D'Annibale Show More Show Less 2 of 3 Phil Gosney Show More Show Less 3 of 3 Amtrak will reduce the number of days its long-distance trains operate as it deals with a steep decline in passenger boardings in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. Most long-distance trains will operate three days a week instead of daily. The Lake Shore Limited, which serves the Capital Region, is among the trains seeing reduced operations. A Quebec woman accused of sending a ricin-laced threat to President Donald Trump was equipped to cause bodily harm when she was arrested, a U.S. judge said Monday as he ordered Pascale Ferrier to remain behind bars. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 28/9/2020 (480 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. A Quebec woman accused of sending a ricin-laced threat to President Donald Trump was equipped to cause bodily harm when she was arrested, a U.S. judge said Monday as he ordered Pascale Ferrier to remain behind bars. Ferrier, 53, had at least one semi-automatic handgun and 294 rounds of ammunition with her when she was arrested last weekend while trying to cross the Canada-U. S. border, the court heard. This photo provided by the Hidalgo County (Texas) Sheriff's Office, showing the booking photo of Pascale Ferrier. Ferrier, accused of mailing a package containing ricin to the White House, included a threatening letter in which she told President Donald Trump to give up and remove your application for this election." That's according to court papers filed Sept. 22. Pascale Ferrier was arrested on Sept. 20 at the New York-Canada border (Hidalgo County (Texas) Sheriff's Office, via AP) Timothy Lynch of the U.S. Attorney's Office in Buffalo, N.Y., described Ferrier as being "loaded for bear" when she was stopped Sept. 20 at the Peace Bridge border crossing. Lynch noted that in the letter, Ferrier allegedly threatened additional violence to the president if the ricin didn't work, either through a different poison or in person with a gun "when I'll be able to come." That's precisely what she was intent on doing when she showed up at the border, Lynch alleged. "It appears that defendant was following up on her threat to the president, that she would come into the United States with her gun," he said. "There's no reason to believe, judge, that if this defendant is released, she won't in some way attempt to cause bodily injury or kill the president or other individuals in the United States." District Court Judge Kenneth Schroeder Jr. seemed to agree. The government's evidence and arguments, he said, "clearly establish this defendant's capability to commit or to threaten to commit acts of violence, including bringing about the death or homicide of a third party." Schroeder Jr. ordered Ferrier, a naturalized Canadian citizen who lives in Montreal, to be transferred to a facility in the Washington area, where a grand jury has already returned an indictment on a charge of threatening the president of the United States. Lynch did acknowledge that Ferrier identified herself to U.S. border protection officers as the person "wanted by the FBI for the ricin envelope," a detail that didn't escape the notice of her lawyer, Fonda Kubiak. Surely if Ferrier posed a risk of flight, she wouldn't have presented herself to the authorities in the way she did, Kubiak argued. "She came to the bridge, and said, 'I understand from news reports that I'm the person you're looking for.' If somebody were going to run or flee, they certainly do not engage in that type of conduct," said Kubiak, who also entered a plea of not guilty on behalf of her client. "If she was loaded for bear and she had ill will and intentions, she certainly would not have gone to the border to say, 'Here I am.'" Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Lynch said Ferrier was also in possession of a "spring knife," a stun gun and a baton when she was arrested, and that lab tests in Canada found traces of ricin in a mortar and pestle recovered from her apartment in Montreal. Kubiak tried to argue that Ferrier could be released into the custody of family members in Canada or in Texas who are willing to help take care of her while she awaited trial. Schroeder Jr. cited the unrelated case of Meng Wanzhou, the Huawei executive currently in custody in Canada while she awaits extradition to the U.S., as an example of why that wouldn't work. That case has already taken an inordinate amount of time to be resolved, he said. What's more, it would be impossible for U.S. probation officials to monitor her conduct, and a U.S. waiver of extradition wouldn't necessarily carry any legal weight in a Canadian court. "There is clear and convincing evidence," he said, "that the defendant does constitute a continuing danger to the president of the United States, as well as anybody else within the confines of the United States." This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 28, 2020. Gone are the days when the only option for college was attending classes in person. With the rise of technology comes a rise in online education. Todays college students are digital nativestech savvy and plugged inand colleges are quickly innovating to accommodate the changing needs of this new generation. Accredited online degrees and distance-learning programs are prevalent across the country and are viable options for prospective students. They offer flexibility, faculty mentorship, and high-quality instruction without the same commitment to an on-campus, four-year institution. Online learning makes earning college degrees and certifications more accessible than ever before. One student needs to juggle her full-time teaching job with the latest political science seminars. Another has a demanding ministry internship, and he squeezes in classes on nights and weekends. A nursing major in Minnesota carries family obligations and is glad for the option of studying from home rather than relocating to campus. All of these students benefit from the flexible, convenient nature of online courses. At Northwest University, a top-ranked Christian university near Seattle, Washington, both traditional students (those in physical attendance) and non-traditional (those strictly online) enroll in online classes. Northwest University has six online-only bachelor of arts degrees. These programs carry the same accreditation as residential degrees, and at graduation, online students receive the same diploma as on-campus students. Each class goes through a rigorous writing, editing, and approval process, ensuring that students get the best and most current information. In addition, every class is integrated with Christian faith, which makes for a unique, meaningful, and growth-filled learning experience. Liz Larzelere, director of curriculum and faculty development for Northwest, is proud of her schools online program. She says, The variety, flexibility, and dedication to strong Christian integration in each course makes our program an excellent option. A Guide on the Side Online professors can be viewed as the guide on the side instead of the sage on the stage. One such guide is Sarah Hanson, a psychologist and adjunct professor of psychology at Northwest University. To appeal to a variety of learning styles, Hanson develops many kinds of assignments: multimedia projects, traditional written papers, and even PowerPoint presentations. Some students who dont thrive in a traditional classroom find the online format a better fit, and Hanson works hard to personalize the experience for each of her students. I try to make contact with the class as a whole at least once a week, and with students on an individual level a couple times through the course, she says. Hanson also stresses that online schooling does not mean easier schooling. She believes only the most driven students excel in this environment. Larzelere echoes this sentiment. It takes a highly motivated and self- directed student to be successful at an online degree, she says. One hour of study in the evening wont cut it. Effective online students put in their best effort over many hours: watching lectures, writing papers, and completing assignments. Bethel College in St. Paul, Minnesota, recommends planning for a 15-hour commitment each week to its online program. While they offer flexibility, online classes, more so than their residential counterparts, also teach invaluable lessons in resourcefulness, initiative, and efficient time managementmarketable skills that employers seek. Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia, supports online students with academic resources. It has an online library, writing center, and tutoring. It also provides study aids, IT assistance, tutorial videos, live webinars, and personalized help from their academic advising team. Who Has Control? Online students sit in the drivers seat and navigate their own schedule because they can choose classes that best suit their specific interests and needs. Made on demand, each students course load is as unique and varied as their aspirations. Amanda C., a public school teacher in Washington State, got her education degree online. She says she already had so much life and teaching experience, I just needed the degree. I didnt want to go into debt, so I kept my full-time job and did the flexible class hours between my work hours. Some programs are asynchronous while others tout blended or hybrid classes. Asynchronous learning allows students to complete classwork on their own time, at their own pace, from any location. Watching a lecture or commenting on a communal class bulletin board can be done in the mid-afternoon or in the wee hours of the morning, even spanning a few months if needed. Blended learning programs, or hybrid programs, combine an independent schedule with structured check-insonline classroom time and discussions, group projects, virtual office hours, and feedback from the professor. Columbia College, in Columbia, Missouri, has degree programs that are completely online and others on a hybrid model, where students can mix and matchtaking in-person evening classes as well as online classes. Columbia also has 36 extended campuses across the country and in Cuba to make the hybrid program even more accessible. Occasionally a program will require a week or two of residency. Bethel College has seven completely online degrees, but its bachelor of science in behavioral and social science requires a one-week stay on campus annually in addition to the online classes. Not only can students save time by pursuing an online degree, financial aid is available, as is assistance for military personnel. Most programs list their cost-per-credit and credit requirements on their website. Columbia College boasts of its Truition programtruth + tuitionin which the college pledges to be upfront and truthful about the cost of college with free books and no hidden fees, so students can accurately plan ahead. Innovation Meets Education Those teaching online classes, especially in blended learning situations, strive to stay connected in new, intentional ways. Professors can leave notes on a virtual message board, post their assignments to an online portal, and individually follow up with students through direct messages or email. Hanson at Northwest thinks the technology enhances the online experience and doesnt distract or take away from the learning. The technology is very intuitive and easy to use, she says. The university does a good job keeping the professors up-to-date with training on new technology. Some schools are leveraging their lectures to be accessible throughout the course. During the fall of 2019, Northwest Universitys professors captured 1,300 hours in the classroom using the Panopto Recorder, and these recordings were viewed over 1,550 additional hours. Northwest found that students liked having access to the lectures as they studied for exams, worked on projects, and wrote papers. Because technology changes frequently, schools work hard to keep their faculty updated with the latest technological and pedagogical developments. IT departments are constantly improving their software and equipment to ensure ease of use for both students and professors. As this emphasis trickles down to the classroom, teachers are using the latest technological programs to make their course more interactive. Educators in the classroom arent the only ones developing innovative ways to reach students. Christian colleges are equipped with staff who are eager to foster Christian community and may offer online Bible studies and various forums for spiritual encouragement. Some colleges stream on-campus worship services, making it possible for their online students to participate. Finding Your Fit The benefits to pursuing a degree online make it an attractive optionpotential cost savings, flexible scheduling, and customized programs, all without sacrificing personal connections. But online learning isnt a great fit for every student. Those looking for a traditional campus experience, a structured learning environment, or personal contact with classmates and professors may be disappointed with online-only classes. However, for self-motivated students with a strong sense of purpose, an online degree is worth considering. The college selection process is difficult. Choosing a college always requires a leap of faiththe question is: Which way will you jump? Rachael Mitchell is a freelance writer living near Seattle, Washington, with her husband, three kids, and a dog. She loves a strong cup of tea on depressingly gray, rainy days and is always looking for more time to read. BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 28 By Elnur Baghishov Trend: As many as 3,512 people have been infected with the coronavirus (COVID-19) in the past 24 hours in Iran, said Sima Sadat Lari, spokesperson for Iran's Ministry of Health and Medical Education, Trend reports citing the ministry. According to Sadat Lari, 190 more people have died from the coronavirus over the past day. Sadat Lari added that the condition of 4,068 people is critical. The official said that Iran's Tehran, Isfahan, Qom, East Azerbaijan, South Khorasan, Semnan, Qazvin, Lorestan, Ardabil, Khuzestan, Kermanshah, Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad, Gilan, Bushehr, Zanjan, Ilam, Razavi Khorasan, Mazandaran, Chaharmahal, and Bakhtiari, Alborz, West Azerbaijan, Markazi, Kerman, North Khorasan, Hamadan, and Yazd provinces are considered 'red' zones. So far, more than 3.95 million tests have been conducted in Iran for the diagnosis of coronavirus. Iran continues to monitor the coronavirus situation in the country. According to recent reports from the Iranian officials, over 449,900 people have been infected, and 25,779 people have already died. Meanwhile, over 376,500 have reportedly recovered from the disease. The country continues to apply strict measures to contain further spread. Reportedly, the disease was brought to Iran by a businessman from Iran's Qom city, who went on a business trip to China, despite official warnings. The man died later from the disease. The Islamic Republic only announced its first infections and deaths from the coronavirus on Feb. 19. The outbreak in the Chinese city of Wuhan - which is an international transport hub - began at a fish market in late December 2019. The World Health Organization (WHO) on March 11 declared COVID-19 a pandemic. Some sources claim the coronavirus outbreak started as early as November 2019. Alexei Navalny, pictured with his wife Yulia says Angela Merkel went to see him and his family on a "private" visit to his Berlin hospital - Navalny Instagram via AP Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny met with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in a Berlin hospital where he was recovering from a poisoning that kept him in a coma for weeks, he revealed on Monday. Mr Navalny was discharged from the Charite hospital in Berlin last Wednesday after spending weeks on a ventilator in a medically induced coma. The German media outlet Der Spiegel on Monday quoted unnamed sources saying that Chancellor Merkel went to see Mr Navalny in hospital in a sign of solidarity. The 44-year old Russian politician confirmed the reports later in the day, insisting that there was nothing secret about the meeting. It was more of a private meeting and conversation with the family, he tweeted. Im very grateful to Chancellor Merkel for seeing me in hospital. The top Kremlin critic did not say when the meeting took place or offer any details. Steffen Seibert, Mrs Merkels spokesman, described the meeting as private. It was a meeting with a person who fell sick after a nerve agent attack and who is being treated in Germany, he said. Mr Navalny fell suddenly ill on the plane from Siberia to Moscow at the end of August. Several European laboratories independently confirmed that he was poisoned with the Soviet-era nerve agent Novichok which was used in the 2018 attack on former Russian spy Sergei Skripal. Mr Navalny spent two days in a Siberian hospital before he was evacuated to Germany where he was hospitalised for more than a month. In his first social media post after he was discharged, Mr Navalny said last week he had a long recovery ahead of him and that he would need time to regain movement and muscle memory. Kira Yarmysh, Mr Navalnys spokeswoman, told the Telegraph on Monday that the politician is now able to type on his phone and computer - something that he was unable to do just a week ago. The Russian opposition leader has vowed to return to Russia when he is recovered while the Kremlin said there was nothing stopping him from coming back to his home country. Russian government officials have gone back and forth, either denying that he ever was poisoned with Novichok or insisted that it was only after he was evacuated to Germany that the traces of poison were found in his body. Russia never launched a formal investigation, and Mr Navalnys allies said traces of Novichok were found on the water bottles that they took from his hotel room shortly after the poisoning. Christophe Nobileau appointed Managing Director and member of the Management Board Regulatory News: FOCUS HOME INTERACTIVE (FR0012419307 ALFOC) (Paris:ALFOC), a leading French video game publisher announces the appointment of Mr Christophe Nobileau as Managing Director and member of the Management Board following the meeting of its Supervisory Board on September 24, 2020. This appointment comes as part of the acceleration of the deployment of the Group's growth strategy. Mr Jurgen Goeldner has been confirmed as Chairman of the Management Board. Focus Home's Supervisory Board also co-opted Ms Tiphanie Lamy as member of the Supervisory Board, replacing Mr Christophe Nobileau. Mr Fabrice Larue, Chairman of the Supervisory Board, declared: "The Supervisory Board of Focus Home Interactive believes that Christophe Nobileau's experience will strengthen the Management Board and contribute to guiding the company towards new horizons. Our common ambition is to use the know-how of FHI's teams to continue and accelerate the attraction of talent in order to pursue the development of high-quality games, which is the DNA of the Group." Mr Christophe Nobileau, Managing Director and member of the Management Board, declared: "I am delighted to join Focus Home Interactive, a growth company with solid potential. I look forward to working with the team in place, so that we can accelerate and seize opportunities that will create long-term value for all our employees, studios and shareholders. I look forward to meeting all of our partners in the near future to share our ambitions." At the same time, Focus Home Interactive created an Executive Committee, comprising all members of the Management Board and Mr Jean-Francois Busnel, Group CFO. Indeed, in accordance with the French law, a Management Board is composed of five members only. Therefore, following the creation of the Executive Committee, Mr Jean-Francois Busnel left his seat on the Management Board, while remaining Chief Financial Officer with the same mission and prerogatives, in order to allow the appointment of Mr Christophe Nobileau. Focus Home's Supervisory Board is now composed of: Mr Fabrice Larue, Chairman of the Supervisory Board Ms Tiphanie Lamy Mr Tanguy de Franclieu Mr Denis Thebaud The Group's Executive Committee is composed of: Mr Jurgen Goeldner, Chairman of the Management Board Mr Christophe Nobileau, Managing Director, member of the Management Board Mr John Bert, Chief Operation Officer, member of the Management Board Mr Luc Heninger, Chief Production Officer, member of the Management Board Mr Thomas Barrau, Chief Marketing Officer, member of the Management Board Mr Jean-Francois Busnel, Chief Financial Officer Mr Christophe Nobileau, Managing Director and member of the Management Board of Focus Home Interactive, began his career in New York at IBM as an analyst. He then became a manager at Arthur Andersen from 1987 to 1995. In 1996, he continued his career at LVMH, firstly as Chief Financial Officer, then Secretary General of the Desfosses international group, following which he became Managing Director of Victoire Multimedia Informatique, Deputy Managing Director of the watch and jewellery division. From 2000 to 2001, he was Managing Director of System TV. Between 2001 and 2004, he was Managing Director of Financiere XV. From 2004 to 2007, he joined the Datem Group as Deputy Managing Director. In 2007, he became Deputy Managing Director of FLCP. From 2009 to 2018, he was Managing Director of the Be Aware Group, Chairman of Studios de Marseille, Managing Director of Capa Developpement, Managing Director and then Chairman of the Telfrance Group, Chairman of Newen Distribution and Managing Director of Newen. Since 2014, he has also held the position of Founding Chairman of the audiovisual and digital think tank. He was appointed Managing Director of Focus Home Interactive on Thursday 24th September 2020. Ms Tiphanie Lamy, member of the Supervisory Board, has 15 years of experience in Mergers Acquisitions. After having worked for more than 10 years in the Corporate Finance department of BNP Paribas CIB during which she advised strategic and financial players on numerous transactions in France and abroad, Tiphanie Lamy joined Newen Studios in 2016 to take care of acquisitions and equity partnerships, in both audiovisual production and digital content. Since July 2018, Tiphanie Lamy is Deputy Managing Director in charge of Acquisitions at FLCP. Upcoming events Event Date 2020-21 2nd quarter revenue Thursday 22nd October 2020 2020-21 3rd quarter revenue HY results Thursday 21st January 2021 2020-21 4th quarter revenue Tuesday 20th April 2021 2020-21 FY results Thursday 24th June 2021 About Focus Home Interactive FOCUS HOME INTERACTIVE is a leading French publisher of video games. Its vocation is to support leading international studios in the development, production monitoring, marketing, sales and financing of their projects. As a publisher of strong brands such as The Surge, Vampyr, Mudrunner, and A Plague Tale: Innocence, the Group generated revenues of 143 million in 2019/20, up 13% compared to the previous comparable period. FOCUS HOME INTERACTIVE generates more than 90% of its sales internationally. For additional information, visit www.focus-home.com View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200928005640/en/ Contacts: Investor Relations FTI Consulting Cosme Julien-Madoni Arnaud de Cheffontaines Tel?: 33 (0) 1 47 03 68 10 Mail?: fhi@fticonsulting.com Press Relations FTI Consulting Emily Oliver Remi Salvador Tel?: 33 (0) 1 47 03 68 10 Mail?: fhi@fticonsulting.com U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who is due to arrive in Greece on an official visit early Monday, has had a conversation on tensions in the eastern Mediterranean with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg Pleased to speak today with @NATO Secretary General @jensstoltenberg to discuss de-escalation of the situation in the Eastern Mediterranean and reiterate the importance of NATO Alliance unity, Pompeo tweeted while en route to Greece. Relations between NATO members Greece and Turkey, always tense, have further deteriorated this year over long-standing disputes, including maritime boundaries and energy rights. France has been vocal in its support for Greece and the latters call for European Union sanctions. Pompeo is due to arrive in Thessaloniki, Greeces second-largest city, shortly after midnight Sunday on the first leg of a five-day trip to Europe, which includes visits to Italy, the Vatican and Croatia. This is is the first visit by a U.S. secretary of state to Thessaloniki. According to State Department background briefings, Pompeo will meet with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias to renew the two countries shared commitment to advance security, peace, and prosperity in the eastern Mediterranean and celebrate the strongest U.S.-Greek relationship in decades. On Monday, Pompeo will meet with Dendias, sign a bilateral science and technology agreement, as well as host energy sector business leaders for a discussion to highlight energy diversification and infrastructure projects in Greece. He will also join members of the citys Jewish community to commemorate Yom Kippur. Pompeo will depart later Monday to visit the NATO Souda Bay naval base. He will tour the facilities Tuesday and have lunch with Mitsotakis at the latters nearby residence. The two will issue a joint statement. The U.S. secretary of state will depart Greece early Wednesday for Rome. Digital devices such as smart doorbells, dashcam footage, car GPS systems and even Amazon Alexa are providing increasingly more evidence in criminal trials in the United Kingdom, a top prosecutor at the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said on Monday. The CPS represents India in extradition cases that have recently seen video footage of Arthur Road jail in Mumbai, where individuals sought by India are to be lodged, while witnesses from India have deposed digitally through video links. Max Hill, director of public prosecutions, said developments in digital technology are driving significant changes in the way evidence is collected and used in UK courts. He said: As little as 15 years ago, criminal investigations and subsequent prosecutions were likely to focus on the crime scene for evidence backed up by eye witness testimonies and door-to-door enquiries. This has been transformed by the way we now live our lives and share information online. The digital devices which are becoming part of the fabric of everyday life, like smart phones, social media and even things like Alexa can actively provide key evidence to pinpoint whereabouts, provide footage of an incident or a timeline. Alexa has already been used as a line of enquiry in a murder case the US. The opportunities and threats presented by the digital age is a constantly evolving challenge for all parts of the criminal justice system, as well as for wider society, he told the Westminster Policy Forum. He cited an example of how the GPS system in a Land Rover Discovery was instrumental in providing evidence during a crossbow murder case earlier this year. Following the death, the defendant was questioned about his possession of crossbows, but it was only two week later when the GPS system was retrieved from his partners burned-out vehicle that vital evidence was found. Information retained by Jaguar Land Rover proved the car had been used for reconnaissance as it was traced to the victims driveway the night before the murder. It also showed that the car had travelled to the crime scene again the following night and remained until 12 minutes after the victim was shot. The system indicated the boot was opened and closed when the car arrived and before it left. The offender was convicted and received a life sentence. Hill added: The detectives of the past could only dream of the modern opportunities to gather and deploy evidence. But these also represent unprecedented evidential challenges. Just as technology is changing the nature of crime, technological innovations will change investigations. Machine learning and artificial intelligence is being developed to be more effective and reliable in sifting through vast amounts of dataThis is a fast moving landscape and we will not and must not stand still. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Dear Prudence is online weekly to chat live with readers. Heres an edited transcript of this weeks chat. Danny Lavery: Good afternoon, everyone! Ready or not, its time to advise. Lets get started. Q. Intense mother: My mother is a very intense person. Shes passionately angry about the state of our country (I am too, for the record!) and she cant talk about anything else. Everything is negative. Everything is outrage. And of course, she isnt doing anything to improve the situation like volunteering or donating money. Shes just angry and yelling into the void constantly. Advertisement I can hardly stand to have a conversation with her anymore because its always about politics, its always very intense, and it always stresses me out. If I try to chime in with some more nuanced thoughts about the problem in a calm voice, she thinks Im being condescending. Im at my wits end and our relationship is terrible these days. How do I improve communication with my mother? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A: The one upside to having an already terrible relationship is that youll lose some of the fear of disrupting the peace that stops so many people from speaking up. Given that your mother has experienced previous attempts to indirectly guide her out of anger as condescension, I think open and honest statements will serve you much better. You can acknowledge that you share her anger and concern, that youre not asking her to stop caring or to cultivate indifference, but just that you want to talk about something you enjoy, something youre interested in, something thats going well, etc. You dont have to do so in the same moment your mother is complaining (she might well feel like shes being frog-marched into a Positivity Recital, and kick), but since this has been going on for such a long time, you have sufficient reason to bring it up before she goes on her next rant. Advertisement Advertisement I dont think you need to introduce the possibility of volunteering or joining a cause just yet; sometimes change comes hard to the very intense and its better to start small and work your way up. If shes totally unwilling and all you get out of the conversation is a resolution to cut future conversations short after youve handled all the venting that you can, thats still a victory. Even if your mother never wants to change the subject, youll at least have made it clear that you have a limit, and youll tell her in the future when shes reached it. That may seem like a relatively unambitious goal when your hope is to improve communications with your mother, but baby steps are still steps. Saying, Being angry on the phone together all the time isnt the same thing as meaningful action, and Im not always available for it might go a long way toward bigger changes further down the road. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement How to Get Advice From Prudie: Send questions for publication to prudence@slate.com. (Questions may be edited.) Join the live chat Mondays at noon. Submit your questions and comments here before or during the discussion. Call the voicemail of the Dear Prudence podcast at 401-371-DEAR (3327) to hear your question answered on a future episode of the show. Q. Open relationship pains: I met a wonderful man. It started out as a friends-with-benefits sort of thing, and I knew from the start he was married. We both eventually fell head over heels for each other. His wife knows, but it is becoming more and more difficult to watch him go home each time. My heart breaks, and he knows how this affects me. He has stated that life at home is hell due to the wife being a 30-year-old brat. She is lazy, spends money like water, never cleans, and rarely gives him sex. I have done more for him in 10 months than she has in six years! Advertisement Advertisement I love him so much. I am also a trans woman. Before my transition, Id have never put myself in this situation. I want him all to myself, but Id never push him to make a choice, even though I know he is miserable with her and worried about what she can take if he divorces her. Do I continue my love, or tell him I will wait for him to get a divorce? I know he loves me more, but Im frightened of what others may think. Advertisement Advertisement A: For whatever its worth, Ive never once heard someone sleeping with a married man say, According to him, his wife is terrificjust an all-around great woman. All of these men, without exception, complain to their mistresses about their wives defects even though theres absolutely nothing she can do about it. The point, of course, is to make himself the object of pity to whomever hes trying to sleep with. Look at what he puts up with at home! Hes practically a saint! Its no wonder hes with meshes practically driven him into my arms, which means their marriage was already long over before I got here, and its merely a matter of form that they arent divorced yet. Advertisement Advertisement But as you listen to him recount once more what a jerk his wife is, do you ever wonder to yourself, Why is he telling me this, and not her? Why is your response, upon hearing this sob story, to swell with pride that youve done more for this guy than some woman youve never met, instead of wondering what it says about your boyfriend that he married a brat and avoids conflict with her at all costs? And do you really want to be with someone whose vision for his romantic partners is apparently limited to, Move around a lot, clean the house, and provide me with sex? Advertisement You say that youd never put yourself in this position before you transitioned. I want to gently encourage you to expect more for yourself, even if it feels risky or vulnerable not to settle. This guy apparently knows how heartbroken you feel, is perfectly aware of how much his split attention affects you, and hasnt said or done anything that suggests he plans on ever getting divorced. I think you can, and should, expect better from your partnerseven if youre just friends with benefits, you still deserve respect, honesty, and care. Advertisement Q. My dads email: My father recently sent an email to me, members of his immediate and extended family, and an unknown number of other contacts, in which he shared a joke he heard about my sister-in-laws obesityand then capped off the email by attaching a particularly unflattering picture of her. Obviously, this was disgusting and cruel. My father seems to partially realize thisabout a day later I received a note profusely apologizing for the email and the disrespect to my sister-in-law. I say partially here because in the time since then, he has spent far more time complaining about the ungracious responses hes received to his apology than he has discussing the work hes going to do to ensure he doesnt make such a hurtful decision again. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement My dilemma now is whether to say anything to her about it. I dont think shes yet aware that this happened. I think I should tell her on principle: If somebody in my life spoke about me that way, I would want to know. While theyre not particularly close, they live in the same town and still see each other regularly. Im also worried its going to come out eventually. I have no idea how many people my father sent this email to, but I know it was more than one or two. It seems inevitable that it will come out at some pointand if that point comes, she might feel betrayed by everyone who knew and didnt say anything. Advertisement But I worry about the hurt this will cause. It will surely be painful for my sister-in-law to realize that she cant trust her father-in-law, it will certainly put my brother in a painful position as he defends his wife against his father, and it is likely to impact the relationship their kids have with their grandpa. I think if it were me, the hurt would be worth it to know the truth, but I worry about making that decision for somebody else. And I cant think of a good way to hypothetically ask her what she would want without making it all just worse. Whats the right thing to do here? Advertisement A: I think youre very much on the right track. The odds that your sister-in-law is going to find out what your father said about her are extremely highwhich means the hurt is inevitable. I dont think theres anything you can do to protect her from that hurt. As painful as that may be to acknowledge, at least it frees you from the fear of being responsible for hurting her. Its a question of when, not if, and the one gift you can give her is to minimize the amount of time she realizes her other friends and relatives knew about this email but kept her in the dark. But you can balance truth with tactfulnessdont give her more details or direct quotes that might rattle around in her brain permanently. Just give her the gist: That your father sent a cruel joke and a picture of her to you and several others, that youve subsequently spoken to him about it and he seems more frustrated that his joke was received badly than truly contrite about his cruelty, and that she cannot trust him. You should also make it clear youre willing to have uncomfortable conversations with your father in order to support her and correct him. Let her know that youre here for her, even if all she decides what she needs is to be left alone. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Q. Losing my friends to my bump: I found out I was pregnant during lockdown and my partner and I are super excited. Weve been married for six years, Im in my early 30s, and Im definitely ready. However, mostactually allof my friends and the acquaintances Ive known the longest (since college) are single or in newer relationships. None of them are anywhere near starting a family, and most of them, like me, are just getting stuck into a career. Ive noticed that when we meet up as a group on Zoom or are just chatting, someone asks how the pregnancy is going on, but it feels a little forced, like they feel they have to, and theres never any response to my reply. The conversation is effectively over. Advertisement I cant moan about work anymore or even go out for a drink, and Im increasingly too tired for late-night Zoom meetings or meeting up for outdoor activities. Im feeling more and more isolated and although I know this often happens to women when they are pregnant and their friends arent, there arent any prenatal classes running in my area because of lockdown, so Ive not been able to meet any other expectant moms. Im afraid of being even more isolated as this pregnancy goes on, but I dont feel I can raise this with my friends because it feels like Im blaming them for their inability to engage with my new phase in life, which is something that clearly makes them uncomfortable already. I also dont want to make the whole group feel that they need to accommodate my new needs. Any advice on how I can have my baby and still have my friends? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A: I think the best way to speak to your friends about this is to have these conversations individually, rather than in a group setting, as youve tried in the past. Tell them youre feeling a little lonely, that it would mean a lot to you if you could periodically set aside time to vent or otherwise talk about your pregnancy, or plan a remote event thats geared toward your new needs. And if theyre receptive, I think its a good idea to say something like, Ive been worried to bring any of this up, because I dont want anyone to feel like I want our entire dynamic to change so that it revolves around me. But getting pregnant has already changed my life in significant ways, and I dont want to pretend that it hasnt. Your friends, by virtue of the fact that none of them have had children, are probably looking to you for some direction, which means you dont have to take their initial silence or uncertainty as definitive proof that they dont care. They just dont know what to do! And, of course, youre doing this for the first time, and its not like youre an expert in how to navigate these changing dynamics, either. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I wonder if you might search for remote/online-only prenatal classes in your neighborhood, so that you can at least start to develop text-based relationships with other expectant parents, in the hopes that you might be able to meet in person in the future. Its not the same as meeting for a class together in-person, but even really imperfect, limited connections with other parents will be better than none. Q. Un-move in: My partner and I have been together for about a year and a half, and we moved in together shortly after we started dating. We got engaged in the early part of 2020. However, the pandemic has made it so we spend most of our time togetherway more than we already were. We go almost full weeks with just each other. We share meals, unwinding time, workouts, and many of the same friends. It has gotten to the point where we can feel each other getting annoyed and frustrated at each other for small things. We have had many conversations about trying to give each other more space, but with such limited options for where we can go because of the pandemic, its easy for us to get complacent and just continue our routine, which inevitably continues the cycle of annoyance. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Recently, we decided to spend a few nights apart, with one of us going to stay at a parents house a few hours away. We both felt good about this time apart. In fact, my partner felt so good that she suggested she move out and get her own place, but that we still stay together. I am not opposed to this, but I guess the deep insecurities in me are worried that this might create distance between us or lead to our demise as a couple. Should my partner and I un-move in together? A: Its a viable option, although establishing separate households and a relatively safe daily routine in the middle of a pandemic will likely involve a number of limitations on its own. I dont know if you could both afford to live alone in your city, but if either of you gets roommates (or moves in with relatives), youll have to start taking their individual risk/exposure levels into account, which might dramatically decrease how much time youre able to spend together. Obviously youre both looking for time apart, but its certainly possible to overcorrect here. If its easy to get complacent about falling back into your daily routine, I wonder if automating alone time (setting an alarm on your phone to denote when it begins and ends, for example) might make things easier. It might feel a little goofy and artificial at first, but the more automatic the habit, the less willpower it requires, and the easier it becomes to stick to a new schedule. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But if you can afford to do so, and you can find ways to safely move from one place to another without putting others at risk, and you both want to live apart for a whileyes, go for it! It doesnt mean you then have to break up, or that you dont really care about each other. Its incredibly difficult to live in such intensely close, uninterrupted quarters with another person for so long, no matter how much you love them. Good luck! Advertisement Q. Traveling wife: My wife travels to New York City for business quite frequently (at least before the pandemic). We have had some minor trust issues after I caught her talking with an ex-boyfriend years ago. But when she goes to NYC for business, its like she is going on spring break. There is always a ton of booze and partying. I ask for her to call me in the evenings, but she looks for every excuse not to call. On one trip, she didnt call and couldnt remember any details of when she got to her room for the night. Whenever I call her, she gets really mad and hangs up. And, after one trip, she got bacterial vaginosis, which while technically not an STI, can be triggered by sex. She started to ask me if I wanted to smoke weed and have sex, because according to her, it makes for great sex (we arent normally weed smokers), and then I found out that she was going to NYC with her weed-vaping pen (which I didnt know she had). On a recent trip, she told me at 5 p.m. that her phone was running out of charge, and it turned out to be a complete lie. Nevertheless, she denies cheating and just claims that I should mind my business. What is your take on this? I think my wife is on the prowl for sex while on business trips and I am tired about her gaslighting me over the same. Advertisement Advertisement A: My take is that yes, your wife is looking for sex while shes on business trips. Im not sure what else you want from me in the way of advice, but you should figure out what you want to do in light of the fact that your wife has been cheating on you on business trips. Do you want to leave her? Youre allowed to do so, and you dont have to wait for her to admit what you already know in order to act. If you want to stay with her, you can either decide to turn a blind eye on future trips, or take advantage of the artificial respite the pandemic has provided you with and insist on seeing a couples counselor together. Dont get stuck in the trap of demanding she admit to anything, since shes made it pretty clear shes not going to. You have plenty to discuss even if she continues to pretend nothings happening: When she goes on business trips, she becomes bizarrely angry with you, avoids speaking to you, and doesnt keep her promises. Even if she werent sleeping with other people, thats still painful and bewildering, and a real violation of trust. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Get Dear Prudence in Your Inbox We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try again. Please enable javascript to use form. Email address: Send me updates about Slate special offers. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms Sign Up Thanks for signing up! You can manage your newsletter subscriptions at any time. Q. Re: Intense mother: Use your words. Mom, I am not going to talk politics with you; it stresses me out. I realize that politics aggravates you, but I cannot help you with this any longer. I will talk about almost anything else, but if you start talking about politics, Ill put the phone down or stop texting with you. Then do it. It will be hard and she will get angry and that will be stressful as well. But if you calmly and consistently follow through, there is at least the chance that she will finally stop. You know your current course of action is not working, so what do you have to lose? A: I agree that the goal needs to be Making sure I cut the conversation short if/when she tries to monopolize it to yell again rather than Convince my mother to agree that this is a problem. I dont want to push the letter writer to start off by making the topic totally off-limitsit seems reasonable that their mother might have real, significant reasons to want to talk about the state of the world in the middle of a pandemic and an election yearbut certainly, set a time limit, make it relatively brief, and be firm about maintaining it. Advertisement Advertisement Q. Brothers abusive girlfriend: My brother just told me that his most recent girlfriend was very abusive, physically and emotionally. He has decided to get back together with her and I dont want her around. Is it OK to set boundaries saying I dont want her at gatherings? I dont want to alienate my brother but I know its not a healthy choice and I wish more boundaries were made clear years ago when I was in an abusive relationship myself. I dont believe its healthy to say whatever makes you happy. What should I do? Advertisement A: I agree you cant just say As long as youre happy to your brother when you know his girlfriend has abused him, but its vital that you maintain some sort of connection with him, if such a connection is possible, so that he knows he can rely on you when hes ready to leave again. You likely know that it often takes multiple tries for someone to leave an abusive relationship for good, and if you have a sense of what obstacles might be in your brothers way, offer whatever help you can to minimize them. You can, I think, remain loving and compassionate toward him while also making it clear that you cant just socialize with his abuser as if nothings wrong. It may be difficult to hold that boundary while also making it clear youre not making him responsible for her behavior, but I believe its possible. If you can try to arrange for a regular one-on-one phone call, or the occasional walk or coffee date thats just the two of you, please doanything that leaves the lines of communication open. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Q. Re: Intense mother: We had this problem with our parent and George Bush (it seems quaint now). We agreed with her but I just couldnt handle it anymore. My solution was to tell everyone that while I agreed with them 100 percent, politics are off-limits conversationally. If she brought it up, I would endure a few sentences before saying: I know, I agree, but we have to talk about something else. The family went along with this and we enjoyed many conversations about anything else. Recently, my sister, who accepted my injunction when I was present, told me that my policy was right for her. Getting overwhelmed by rage doesnt help anyone even when you all agree. Advertisement Advertisement A: One of the weird side effects of committing yourself to indignation-as-praxis is that the mere idea of experiencing a moment of peaceful neutrality feels like giving up, as if somehow your feelings of tension and anger were productive. Theyre not! Theyre simply feelings, which may or may not push you to useful action. Being angry all the time is exhausting and unpleasant, both for the always-angry party and for the people who have to live with them. Discuss this column on our Facebook page! Classic Prudie Q. Dating the nanny: Over Christmas my ex-husband Matt confessed his love for Maggie, the nanny we hired shortly after our divorce. Maggie worked for us for three years, until she graduated in June. Our kids adore her. I came to trust and love her. Matt tells me they slept together twice before June and battled some powerful feelings for one another before that. They began dating in June, and now he could see himself marrying her someday. I feel like Matt kicked me in the stomach. I cannot imagine watching him and Maggie as a couple. In fact, I never want her around my kids again. At the same time, I know Maggie loves our kids. And Matt seems to genuinely love her. Im happily remarried, and I dont want him to be lonely. Im just not sure I can overcome the sense of betrayal I feel. My sister pointed out that I couldnt ask for a better woman to be around my kids, but I feel like all the good things I knew about Maggie are false. Can you give me some advice? Am I being too hard on them? Read what Prudie had to say. Danny M. Laverys new book, Something That May Shock and Discredit You, is out now. Ruth Bader Ginsburg was diminutive in stature, but huge in persona. She spoke quietly, yet with a marvelous sense of humour. Her love of opera was legendary. In one interview, she quipped that she would have been a great diva. In retrospect, she was prescient. Her death, which has created a vacancy on the U.S. Supreme Court, has intersected dramatically with the Nov. 3 presidential vote and down-ballot campaigns. Powerful forces of brutal, partisan politics have been unleashed in a country already polarized by an authoritarian president who dismisses issues of discrimination, racism, civil rights, affordable health care and the ravages of climate change. Although there is little time between now and the vote, Donald Trump and his Senate henchmen are rushing to fill Ginsburgs judicial void in an effort to consolidate their conservative ideology. Hypocrisy wins: they refused to grant Barack Obama a similar courtesy in 2016, arguing that it was too close to the election. If Trump is successful, his power as president combined with a friendly majority on the nations highest court will create a juggernaut of conservatism which could roll back decades of progressive law reform, while creating chilling concerns about the health of American democracy. Should Joe Biden win, Trump has already indicated that he will not guarantee a peaceful transition of power. Even his Senate allies found these comments too much. They passed a non-binding unanimous resolution reaffirming a commitment to a peaceful transition. A wanton disregard for the wishes of the people in a democracy is terrifying. Although Ginsburgs public funeral is over, her story will not stop there. Her influential words reached beyond her countrys borders and beyond generational divides, seamlessly transforming the jurist to celebrity through layers of pop culture, childrens books and movies. Her dogged pursuit of justice for those who were ignored or humiliated because of sexual preference, racial inequality or gender discrimination will also outlast the insanity of the Trump regime. She believed that you must speak your mind even if your voice shakes. If her voice ever shook, she kept it well-hidden as she overcame obstacle after obstacle to change the lives of women and law. American woman who have a credit card, sign a mortgage or have a bank account without a male co-signer owe it all to Ginsburg, who argued brilliantly for gender equality rights as a litigator for the Womens Rights Project of the American Civil Liberties Association, long before she ever reached the Supreme Court. She juggled motherhood and a career before it was accepted. When she and her adored husband, Marty, were at Harvard Law School, he developed cancer and could not attend school because of treatments. As depicted in the movie On the Basis of Sex, she took both their law classes while raising their daughter. The Ginsburgs later had a son. Her lived experience led her to note that women will only have true equality when men share with them the responsibility of bringing up the next generation. Discrimination and rejection were also part of her DNA. While searching for a job in the sixties, she encountered three closed doors. She was a woman, a mother and a Jew. During her nomination hearings, she commented that race discrimination was immediately perceived as evil, odious and intolerable while laws discriminating against women were often justified as protection. Canadian women also felt the sting of her death, leading to an outstanding testimonial in Canadas Supreme Court this past week. During the hearings of an important constitutional appeal regarding the right of the federal government to enact the Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act, which ensures national carbon pricing, a submission from National Women and the Law ( NAWL) was dedicated to Ginsburg. Nathalie Chalifour, co-counsel, said that they wanted to honor her legacy, given her importance as a tireless champion for womens equality. Since NAWLs intervention argued for an equality lens to the division of powers analysis, stating that climate change will disproportionately affect women especially those who already live with intersecting forms of discrimination it is not too presumptuous to believe the argument may well have met with Ginsburgs approval. We owe her so much. Donald Trump can try to erase what she stood for. But Ginsburgs words are indelible. They will live on, long after he has gone. Correction Sept. 30, 2020: This column was edited to correct the date of the U.S. election on Nov. 3. Hostilities were reported overnight in the southern, south-eastern, and northern directions of the front line. The latest escalation in Nagorno-Karabakh region between Armenia and Azerbaijan has continued overnight, as reported by the defense ministries of both countries. The city of Tartar has come under fire of the Armenian armed forces units in the morning of September 28, according to the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry. "Ministry of Defense's leadership warns the other side for the last time that we will take adequate response measures against them," reads the report. Later, the ministry reported on the counter-offensive operation in the Nagorno-Karabakh region and that "a large number of enemy soldiers have been killed." "Units of the Azerbaijan Army, moving from the heights and advantageous positions liberated from the Armenian armed forces, continue their counterattack to consolidate the success achieved," it said. Also, according to the ministry's statement, "by delivering rocket-artillery and air strikes on enemy positions, [the enemy] was forced to retreat from the lines they were trying to hold." Read alsoNew hostilities erupt along Armenia-Azerbaijan border; civilian, military casualties reported (Photos, video)"Several advantageous high grounds around the village of Talysh were cleared of the occupying forces, while the enemy suffered heavy losses," the report says. In turn, press secretary of Armenian Defense Ministry Shushan Stepanyan on her Facebook page said that intense fighting had continued throughout the night in the southern, southeastern and northern directions of the front line in Nagorno-Karabakh. "As a result of the counterattack undertaken by the units of the Defense Army, the opponent suffered heavy losses in manpower and military equipment. The Defense Army regained a number of previously lost positions," Stepanyan said. War in Nagorno-Karabakh: Past developments A political coalition led by Egypt's pro-government Mostaqbal Watan Party, dubbed 'For the Sake of Egypt,' will run in the four constituencies Egypt's National Election Authority (NEA) accepted the candidacy of 4,006 individuals who will compete for 284 seats -- one-third of the seats -- in the new House of Representatives elections via the individual candidacy system, the NEA said. Eight closed party lists were approved to run for the same number of seats in the four constituencies allocated for party lists, the NEA added. The last third will be appointed by the president of the republic. The two-stage election will be held between 21 October and 8 December. The new House is scheduled to hold its first session in January. Head of the NEA Lasheen Ibrahim released a statement saying that a political coalition led by Egypt's pro-government Mostaqbal Watan (Future of the Homeland) Party, dubbed For the Sake of Egypt, will run in the four constituencies of Cairo and the Middle and South Delta (100 seats); the North, Middle and South of Upper Egypt (100 seats); the Eastern Delta (42 seats), and the Western Delta (42 seats). The Independents Alliance, made up of members from several parties, will compete against the Mostaqbal Watan coalition in Cairo and Middle and South Delta constituency. The Nedaa Masr bloc will run for seats in the North, Middle and South of Upper Egypt as well as the Western Delta constituencies, while the Sons of Egypt will run under the For the sake of Egypt list in the Eastern Delta constituency. In the first stage, Egyptian expats will cast their votes on 21-23 October and Egyptians at home on 21-23 October. In the case of a run-off, expats will vote again on 21-23 November and Egyptians at home on 23-24 November. The first stage is concerned with the North, Middle and South of Upper Egypt constituency comprising 11 governorates, including Giza, Beni Suef, Minya, Assiut, New Valley, Qena, Luxor, Aswan, and the Red Sea. The Western Delta includes Alexandria, Beheira and Matrouh. The second stage will be conducted on 4-6 November for expats and on 7-8 November for Egyptians at home. Potential run-offs will be conducted on 5-7 December for expats and on 7-8 December at home. The first stage includes the six governorates of Cairo, Qalioubiya, Menoufiya, Daqahliya, Gharbiya, and Kafr El-Sheikh of the Cairo and the Middle and South Delta constituency and the seven governorates of Sharqiya, Damietta, Port Said, Ismailia, Suez, South Sinai and North Sinai of the Eastern Delta constituency. The Mostaqbal Watan-led list includes candidates from 12 political parties Mostaqbal Watan, Wafd, Guardians of the Nation, Modern Egypt, the Egyptian Social Democratic Party, the Peoples Republican Party, Reform and Development, the Tagammu Party, Generations Will, the Egyptian Freedom Party, and the Justice and Congress parties, as well as candidates from the Political Parties' Young People Coordination Committee. The Mostaqbal Watan-led list includes political parties with different ideologies, Ahmed Kandil, media advisor of the head of Support Egypt Coalition, the Houses majority bloc, quoted the head of the coalition Abdel-Hady El-Qassabi as saying. El-Qassabi affirmed the high representation of women and youth in the list, in line with a 25 percent representation guaranteed by the constitution for women in the House elections. The window for registration in the House polls closed on 26 September. Search Keywords: Short link: Monday, September 28, 2020 at 7:09AM The new Amazon Echo (Source: Amazon) The new Amazon Echo speakers don't look anything like they've looked before. Amazon revamps the Echo speaker line and introduces a look that makes it feel like they've been taken out of a sci-fi film. The new spherical Echo speaker gets all of the Echo Plus' smart hub features at $129.99. The Echo Dot receives a new spherical look, too, and comes in at $69.99 for the standard version or $79.99 for the Clock model. It's not showing up on Amazon Canada's site, but the company also introduced a new Echo Dot Kids model that looks like the Echo Dot, but with cute animals faces on them. These will come with a year's worth of Amazon Kids+, which gives users access to child-friendly audiobooks, games, and more. The new Amazon Echo Dot Kids (Source: Amazon) All of the new Echo devices can help awaken the bookworms in their child with a new Reading Sidekick feature, which will follow along as they read, take turns, and give feedback. Alexa will even get support for voice profiles for kids, which might not please privacy-concerned parents. The standard Echo gets the Echo Studio's capability to automatically tune itself so it can deliver the best sound quality for your space. It'll also be the first Echo to gain machine learning smarts with its AZ1 Neural Edge processor, which can help it understand speech faster than ever. And it means you can teach Alexa directly when she doesn't understand you. All of the new Echo devices are also getting a new low power mode this year. Amazon Canada is already offering the new Echos for pre-order, with the speakers' release on October 22. Source: Engadget Around 14,000 vehicle owners in Delhi have applied for high-security registration plates (HSRP) and colour-coded stickers since Wednesday when the Delhi government issued a public notice urging vehicle owners to fix their vehicles number plates and avoid being penalised, even though no deadline has been set so far. Between September 23 and 26, 13,966 vehicle owners have applied for HSRP and colour-coded stickers, said a transport department official, who asked not to be identified. The official said there are around 3.2 million vehicles in Delhi commercial and private which are supposed to have high-security registration plates. These include around 1.1 million four-wheelers and 1.9 million two-wheelers, while the rest include auto-rickshaws, e-rickshaws, buses, trucks, and others. The rule applies largely to vehicles registered before April 1, 2019, as vehicles registered after that date are mandatorily equipped with HSRPs and stickers, the official said. In 2018, the Delhi government had made it mandatory for vehicles registered in the Capital to be equipped with HSRP. Since then, around 3.5 million vehicle owners in the city have updated their registration plates, the transport official said. Delhis transport minister Kailash Gahlot on Thursday wrote to the transport department, asking for provisions be made for vehicle owners who want to avail only stickers. In the letter, Gahlot also asked the department to make provisions for vehicle owners who own vehicles of brands that may not have showrooms and dealerships in Delhi, and to do away with the requirement of uploading registration papers and other documents while booking a time slot with a dealer. To get an HSRP and colour-coded stickers, one has to contact any of the 236 vehicle dealers authorised by the Delhi government. The list is available on the state transport departments website. Or, one may book an appointment with the chosen dealer online. Starting Monday, the website can be used to book slots for availing stickers too, said another government official. Vehicles registered in other states will need to have their registration plate upgraded from authorised dealer in the respective state. It takes four or five days for the HSRP to be ready and delivered to the vehicle dealer. The customer will have to go to the dealer just once at the scheduled appointment date and time to get the HSRP affixed. The process does not take more than 30 minutes, subject to the existing circumstances, said a spokesperson of Rosmerta Security Systems Private Limited, which manufactures HSRP and manages the website for booking time slots with dealers. Addressing concerns that people would not get enough time to install the registration plates and colour-coded stickers, transport minister Gahlot said, Adequate time will be given to people for compliance. Under the motor vehicles law, transport department officials and traffic officials can fine any vehicle between 5,000 to 10,000 for not having HSRP and colour-coded stickers. Former Gatanga MP Peter Kenneth on Friday met with elders and spiritual leaders of the Kikuyu community in Nyeri, in what is believed to be a quest for political blessings to run for top political office. Speculation has been rife that Mr Kenneth, a one-time presidential candidate, is poised for bigger things, as talk in political circles position him as the best suited to succeed President Uhuru Kenyatta as the Mt Kenya kingpin after 2022, amid jostling among the region's politicians. But when he emerged from the hut where he met with the elders, clad in traditional Kikuyu regalia, Mr Kenneth denied that the half-day meetings at Mathingira Mahiga Matatu Cultural Centre and the Agikuyu shrines inside the Mt Kenya Forest were meant for political endorsement. The elders present also said they only endorsed Mr Kenneth as the Agikuyu cultural ambassador. Mr Kenneth, who is returning to national politics at a crucial time when the Building Bridges Initiative referendum campaigns are only being delayed by the Covid-19 pandemic, arrived at the cultural centre at around noon accompanied by former Nyandarua deputy governor Waithaka Mwangi and Democratic Party chairman Esau Kioni. The Kikuyu elders were led by Mr Mathenge Wairegi. Kikuyu regalia After a four-hour meeting, the elders conferred him with the coveted traditional Kikuyu regalia before heading for the Kikuyu shrines, where prayers and rituals were held performed. "I was invited for the cultural event by a section of the community that deals with prayers and cultural matters. It was not about 2022, which is very far. And, as the President has rightfully stated, we should stop politicking at the expense of the country and think about the welfare of Kenyans and development," Mr Kenneth told the Saturday Nation. That Mr Kenneth is eyeing a national leadership position has not been lost to observers and and yesterday's meeting is seen as part of his preparations to coordinate his political activities as he readies himself for the challenge ahead. The former presidential contender has been slowly earning the support of some legislators in Nairobi and Murang'a counties to take up the Mt Kenya leadership mantle from the retiring president. Observers say he could be the heir apparent for President Kenyatta as the face of Central Kenya politics and, thus, a potential running mate in the 2022 presidential election. Political reason Some say he could also run for the presidency. "The invitation for the meeting was done by the elders," Mr Kenneth told the Saturday Nation. "I don't know who they will invite next. I did not come for a political reason but to join the wazee for this cultural prayers day." The ongoing political activities around Mr Kenneth, the Satuday Nation understands, are meant to chart his path for a national leadership position in 2022, amid a sustained push-back by his opponents nationally and at home. Nyeri businessman Wambugu Nyamu, who was among the conveners of Friday's meeting, said they endorsed Mr Kenneth as the community's cultural ambassador. Mr James Ng'ethe, an elder, said in the meeting, prayers, leaders and cultural matters took the centre stage. Last month, Murang'a leaders threw their weight behind Mr Kenneth to succeed President Kenyatta as the Mt Kenya kingpin after 2022. Those who are fronting Mr Kenneth have packaged him as one with the blessings of President Kenyatta. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Kenya Entertainment By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. Among his supporters are Senate Majority whip Irungu Kang'ata, Gatanga MP Joseph Nduati, Mathioya's Peter Kimari, Kigumo's Wangari Mwaniki and Woman Rep Sabina Chege. But those opposed to Mr Kenneth's bid have asked him to stop scheming to succeed the Head of State as the Mt Kenya kingpin. They have also dismissed suggestions that Mr Kenneth has been chosen to be a possible presidential contender in 2022 with President Kenyatta's blessings. President Kenyatta is set to retire in 2022 after serving his second and last term. At least eight bigwigs from his political backyard are gunning to fill the kingpin void. Among those jostling for the position in the vote-rich region are Mr Kenneth, former Cabinet Secretaru Mwangi Kiunjuri, Governors Anne Waiguru (Kirinyaga), Francis Kimemia (Nyandarua) and Mwangi wa Iria (Murang'a), Narc-Kenya leader Martha Karua and former presidential candidate Joseph Nyaga. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-28 18:11:37|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close The third central symposium on work related to Xinjiang was held last Friday and Saturday in Beijing. People from all walks of life in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region followed the event closely. For historical and environmental reasons, Xinjiang has long lagged behind other parts of the country in terms of development, and it had a significant impoverished population. Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) in 2012, Xinjiang has been vigorously implementing employment projects and enhanced vocational training, and has been expanding employment channels and capacity. From 2014 to 2019, Xinjiang created some 2 million new jobs for its residents. Seeing the dramatic changes taking place at their hometown, local people expressed their gratitude to CPC and the government. Government says it has identified those bankrolling the Western Togoland rebels. Yes we know where the funding is coming from and the various agencies are moving in as part of a comprehensive programme to deal with this whole phenomenon. And we are also moving in to deal with their sources of funding and persons who, we believe, are associated with the funding of this group, Information Minister Kojo Oppong Nkrumah said at a press conference on Sunday, 27 September 2020. He said the key actors, who have been identified as ultimately responsible for these events are also on the watch list of the security agencies and are actually wanted at this point in time. In the coming days, the security agencies would be publishing some photos and revealing identities of persons involved, Mr Nkrumah added. Meanwhile, Mr Nkrumah has also denied any involvement or backing of the government of the rebels. Speculations to that effect are flat-out untruths, Mr Oppong Nkrumah said. We dont want to believe that there are any political groups behind it. here are those who, you have heard, suggest that it appears there are some political groups behind what is going on. We dont even want to go that route, he said. Mr Oppong Nkrumah also denied claims that there was intelligence failure on the part of the security agencies as far as Fridays attacks by the secessionist group in the Volta Region, are concerned. One of the militants died in the take-over attacks which some the Togolanders block entries to and exits from the Volta Region which the rebels consider as their autonomous and independent nation. There was no intelligence failure. The direct aspect of what the intelligence suggested these persons wanted to do, was contained by security agencies. "The intelligence was to the effect that they had intentions to, for example, blow up and burn down the whole market, attack sensitive installations like the Akosombo Dam, the Adomi Bridge, and a few sensitive installations, Mr Oppong Nkrumah said. The first response was to ensure that these installations were secured and the analysis by the agencies was that, upon doing these successfully, these persons had no option than to do these roadblocks. The intelligence agencies did a good job. They took action to prevent the direst parts of that intelligence. On Friday, Volta Regional Minister Dr Archibald Letsa denied supporting secessionist groups in the region as allegedly claimed by some of the Togolanders. That is ridiculous, Dr Letsa said of the claim re-echoed by lawmaker Kobina Mensah Woyome. Valentina, I dont want to answer that question because its ridiculous. Weve been dealing with these groups since we came into office in 2017. How do I know them? How do I support them? Were they able to provide any evidence? For Gods sake, Im the Chairman of the regional security council and Ive to be dealing with this group since 2017, Dr Letsa said on Class91.3FM's 505 news programme on Friday, 25 September 2020. The MP for South Tongu had claimed that one of the secessionists told him on the phone that they had the support of Dr Letsa. Mr Woyome said he had called the Tongu divisional police commander's phone, who had apparently been taken hostage by the militants and one of them answered it and mentioned the regional minister's name as supporting the group. Speaking in an interview with Class News Volta regional correspondent Albert Kuzor, the South Tongu MP said: What is happening now, looking at the scheme in which it has occurred, the coordinated nature of the whole activity here, Mepe, Atimpoku, I hear Afiefe and several other places at a go, at the same time, and the attacks on the police in this manner, it baffles me a bit. I dont think the security will go to sleep and just relax and not be able to be on top and ahead of anything like this. Because, the way it happened, it means they might have sat, planned or deliberately, people who ought to act, didnt act; people who must be acting and preventing them from happening simply just didnt want to do and, so, for big names to be coming up like this, whether true or not true, which calls for some investigation anyway, it leaves so much to be desired and too many question marks. The South Tongu MP condemned the action of the group and the people behind its actions. Does it have some political undertone? Is it because the hearsay is that this is the stronghold of the opposition party and, so, lets cause some confusion and disaffection so, maybe, people dont go to the polls? Is that the plan? Its just unfortunate, Mr Woyome said. Now, people are hurt, but Im aware that even a woman was shot at and, so, theyve picked up her belongings including her ID card to chase her to the hospital to go and look out for her and see how shes faring. You can see bloodstains on the ground and all that; that for me is uncalled for, it must not be happening. Were in a country that I know that we have a very good security system in place but unfortunately, the way its going, its leaving too many question marks on our minds. The government must sit up, he noted. Mr Woyome further called for investigations into the matter. Should we say that we cannot trust in our security system anymore? That we should be here and somebody comes to attack us and goes free without picking intelligence and preventing it from happening. It leaves too many questions unanswered on our minds and I think that is a serious matter, its not like the group is not known He continued, There are better ways to go about this thing, not necessarily the blocking of roads, even if you should block the roads, I dont think you should go to the extent of attacking police stations to the extent of shooting law enforcement agents, and then hurting them, and as a result, being attacked in response. All these things are needless, we need to get into this matter, he said. ---classfm John Grisham did not invent the legal thriller probably some Greek dude did but he has become his own genre. The Pelican Brief is one of his most satisfying efforts. It opens with the brutal assassinations of two Supreme Court justices (one inside a den of pornography); a young law student (played by Julia Roberts in the movie) quickly and unwittingly gets tangled up in the murders. The plot machinations arrive like clockwork in the way only the most satisfying thrillers achieve, as points once murky become clear to both the protagonist and the reader. If you need a distraction, itll do nicely. By Trend On September 28, foreign military attaches and representatives of international organizations accredited in the Republic of Azerbaijan (UN, EU, ICRC) have been briefed by the Ministry of Defence on Armenian aggression against Azerbaijan, the situation on the frontline, counter-operations of our troops, and the general operational situation, Trend reports with reference Azerbaijani Defense Ministry. The representatives were informed in detail about Armenia's losses, liberated territories, and high grounds, as well as Armenian provocations and its disinformation activities. Armenian armed forces launched a large-scale military attack on positions of the Azerbaijani Army on the frontline, using large-caliber weapons, mortars, and artillery on Sept. 27. Azerbaijan responded with a counter-offensive along the entire front. As a result of the retaliation, Azerbaijani troops managed to liberate the territories previously occupied by Armenia: Garakhanbeyli, Garvend, Kend Horadiz, Yukhari Abdulrahmanli villages (Fuzuli district), Boyuk Marjanli, and Nuzgar villages (Jabrayil district). Moreover, the positions of the Armenian armed forces were destroyed in the direction of Azerbaijan's Agdere district and Murovdag, important heights were taken under control. Back in July 2020, the Armenian Armed Forces violated the ceasefire in the direction of Azerbaijan's Tovuz district. As a result of Azerbaijan's retaliation, the opposing forces were silenced. The fighting continued the following days as well. Azerbaijan lost a number of military personnel members, who died fighting off the attacks of the Armenian armed forces. The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on the withdrawal of its armed forces from Nagorno Karabakh and the surrounding districts. -- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz Google has doubled down on its guidelines to make it even more difficult for developers to bypass the 30% Play Store fee. As reported by Bloomberg, new guidelines will come into force next week and make life even harder for developers. Google Play Stores 30% revenue fee has been controversial amongst developers for some time now. It has even got to the point where the company faced legal action over the fee. Back in August, Epic Games filed a lawsuit challenging the 30% fee. It claimed that the fee attempts to establish a monopoly over the app market. Advertisement This all came about after Google removed Fortnite from its store after Epic games violated its policy. Thus ensuing the battle between the two companies. Now it looks like Google is ready to back its guidelines and 30% fee to the hilt as reported by XDA Developers. Reportedly the new guidelines will force app developers to use the in-app Billing service for in-app purchases. Google reinforces guidelines after app developer challenges This should mean that Google will continue to receive a 30% cut of any revenue created through the Play Store. On the whole, it looks like Google has not actually changed its policies. Instead, the company has taken the opportunity to reinforce them. Advertisement One subtle difference that underlies this reinforcement is that Google will no longer allow developers to prompt users to pay with their credit card. Instead, it will offer a subscription through Googles billing service for in-app purchases. The specifics of the Google Play Store guidelines are as follows: Developers offering products within a game download on Google Play or providing access to game content must use Google Play In-app Billing as the method of payment. Developers offering products within another category of app downloaded on Google Play must use Google Play In-app Billing as the method of payment, except for the following cases: Payment is solely for physical products. Payment is for digital content that may be consumed outside of the app itself (e.g. songs that can be played on other music players). Google may let high-profile developers dodge guidelines However, even though these guidelines look pretty straightforward and set in stone, Google has let high-profile companies circumvent them in the past. Advertisement Google has willingly turned a blind eye to certain developers using alternative payment methods in the past. Developers have been given a grace period to comply with the new guidelines. How strictly we see them enforced to everyone will certainly be interesting to see. This updating of the polices will no doubt escalate the battle between Google and Epic Games. The companies are currently in a legal battle over precisely this issue. It will certainly be interesting to see the response of Epic Games and other disgruntled app developers over the coming days. No doubt they will have something to say on what will be a very contentious issue. Most of the kids we see often will say, I want to talk but Im scared or I want to talk but the words are stuck in my throat, said Dr. Busman. When Ethan Henwood started preschool, he wouldnt make a sound he didnt even laugh, his mother Vanessa recalled. And the teachers just said, Oh, hes just shy, hell come out of his shell eventually. Like many children with selective mutism, Ethan got quiet not just among strangers, like the cashier at the grocery store, but even around relatives, such as his grandmother, said Henwood, a 37-year-old stay-at-home mom in Zephyrhills, Fla. Many people are unaware of the disorder, which can make it difficult to identify and treat early. Just 15 percent of U.S. adults have heard of it, according to a 2017 Harris Poll survey conducted in partnership with the Selective Mutism Association. So its important for parents to seek an evaluation from professionals with experience diagnosing and treating selective mutism if their child speaks only in certain situations. Doctors unfamiliar with selective mutism, like the pediatrician who instructed an Arizona mother to ignore her daughters silence, may dismiss the symptoms, delaying treatment. And for bilingual children, diagnosis can be more complicated if they speak different languages in different settings, because they may be in a natural silent period of language acquisition if they are quiet only when their second language is being spoken. Experts recommended treatments based on evidence-based methods like cognitive behavioral therapy. Parents should be wary of accommodating the childs anxiety by avoiding discomfort, said Steven Kurtz, the founder and former director of the selective mutism programs at the Child Mind Institute and New York University Langone Healths Child Study Center. Instead of jumping in to answer questions directed at the child or, at the other extreme, exerting too much pressure to speak, Dr. Kurtz suggested that parents acknowledge the difficulty of tasks that may be anxiety-inducing for children with selective mutism, like saying hello to grandma, answering the phone without knowing whos on the other end or speaking above a whisper. At the same time, parents should express confidence in the childs ability: We know picking up the phone is hard for you, but were sure you can do it. Dr. Kurtz recommended that parents focus on small steps that let children practice using their voices, like running a pretend restaurant for each relative individually instead of wading into a family gathering all at once. TikTok was granted a temporary reprieve on Sunday by a federal judge who blocked the U.S. app store ban hours before it was due to take effect. A judge in Washington temporarily blocked President Donald Trump's order for an app store ban on both Apple and Google from TikTok. The app store ban was supposed to happen on 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, preventing users from downloading TikTok on their phones. Other than that, users who still have the app on their mobile devices will not be able to get updates, the BBC said in a report. Judge Carl Nichols granted a preliminary injunction sought by TikTok's owner, ByteDance. It allows the app to remain in U.S. app stores. His detailed written opinion is set to be released as soon as Monday. There was no reason release yet for his decision. The injunction declined "at this time" to block more Commerce Department restrictions that are set to take effect on November 12. According to The Guardian, TikTok said these restrictions made the app impossible to use in the U.S. The Commerce Department said in a statement that it will follow through with the injunction. There was no statement saying the government will appeal to the judge's decision. TikTok Gains Victory from Judge Decision As CNN reported, the decision is a victory for the Chinese-owned video-sharing app. Before the decision, it said the app store ban was unconstitutional and a violation of due process. "We're pleased that the court agreed with our legal arguments and issued an injunction preventing the implementation of the TikTok app ban," TikTok said in a statement. Its attorney John Hall said the ban came at an "extraordinary time." Americans are looking for "free open and accessible communication" just as Election Day looms near. TikTok's app ban battle is just one of the attacks it faced after Trump ordered to be divested from ByteDance within 90 days. The president issued an executive order that required TikTok's sale to a U.S.-based company. This resulted in Oracle's purchase of TikTok. TikTok and its legal counsel have repeatedly denied claims that the company is relaying U.S. users' data to the Chinese government. The app store ban was initially postponed by a week because of the TikTok-Oracle deal, but the purchase is not yet final as it also has to go through the Chinese government. TikTok isn't the only Chinese-owned company to gain some swipes from the Trump administration. Tencent's messaging app WeChat was also targeted in the app store ban. TikTok's Defense Being forced off iOS and Android app stores violated the First and Fifth Amendments, TikTok argued. It claimed that stopping users from updating their services or downloading the app prevented their freedom of speech. The company also said there was also a breach in their right to due process as they were not given proper chances to defend itself. The app's legal team said imposing the app store ban did not "make sense" because there were negotiations underway. Having a ban imposed might be unnecessary once the deal is closed. Check these out! Trump Approves TikTok-Oracle Deal US Tightens Export Restrictions on Leading Chinese Chipmaker SMIC Tiktok Files Legal Action to Stop Download Ban on Sunday LONG ISLAND, NY Students have gone back to school, and Long Island/Hudson Valley families have mixed feelings on how local officials are handling education safety amid the coronavirus pandemic. More than half of those who responded to a Patch survey are not convinced that the safety measures being taken by local officials to reopen schools will keep school communities safe, but more parents believe their children are safe in school than those who don't. Overall, there were 1,211 responses to the informal Patch survey. Nearly 40 percent of respondents believe the current safety measures taken to reopen schools will keep their communities safe, while nearly 28 percent disagree. Almost 26 percent responded "maybe," while more than six percent said they don't know. Some parents expressed worry about hangouts between children outside of school. "My concern is the social gatherings happening outside of school with large groups and no precautions," one said. Another wrote, "The school is not the problem. Its when the kids are away from school without masks and not social distancing. Mask up!!" The most popular answer to the question about the "severity" of measures being taken by school districts was "about right," with 42.7 percent of respondents clicking that answer. Meanwhile, more than 29 percent said the measures are much or somewhat too loose, while more than 28 percent said the measures are much or somewhat too strict. "Safety measures are excellent but outbreaks will occur," one parent, who answered "just right," said. "How well the school handles them (communicating, contact tracing, isolating, quarantining, closing the school temporarily if necessary) is everything." Another parent, who said the safety measures in place are much too strict, wrote: "It is an OUTRAGE how the public schools are treating the children. Children should not be wearing masks, it is unhealthy and psychologically damaging. Teachers should not wear masks. Children learn from others by watching their facial expressions, seeing their mouths move. Children should see others smile. The mask mandates need to end. The 'science' behind the mask benefits simply DO NOT EXIST. This is a control issue. And our children are the ones suffering on so many levels." Story continues Another parent expressed their children need in-person learning to thrive. "My kids are suffering learning online," they wrote. "I have two children with ADHD and another two battling depression. The effects of being home and disconnected from their communities is beyond more severe than any virus they could contract. If I could I would send them for as many days as possible for in person learning. No laptop or application can take the place of a good nurturing teacher." (Patch Survey) Respondents were mixed on how they rated New York State's overall handling of school safety issues during the pandemic. More than 46 percent strongly or somewhat approve, while more than 40 percent strongly or somewhat disapproved. That leaves 13.5 percent who are neutral. "I believe [Gov. Andrew Cuomo] did an excellent job in laying out a school reopening plan," one grandparent wrote. "Let's face it. It's an experiment and hopefully the results will be positive. We will have to wait and see." One parent who strongly disapproves of the state's handling of the coronavirus as it relates to education wrote: "King Cuomo is drunk on power and needs to go. Theres no reason our kids cannot be in school in person full time. The damage this is causing to their mental health is far worse then the chance of them catching a virus. They are falling so far behind in learning and will be at an extreme disadvantage. The numbers have been down for months, life needs to go back to normal. Enough is enough." (Patch Survey) Most parents are confident that their child/children is/are safe when in school. On a scale of 1 through 5, more than 27 percent answered "1," or most confident, while more than 18 percent clicked "2." Roughly 19 percent are neutral, while 35.5 percent combined expressed non or the least amount of confidence. "I am so impressed with our district the amount of safety measures that have been put in place is incredible," one parent wrote. "I know some parents and teachers are still complaining but I think its a wonderful thing that the children have returned back to school! I also work in a school in my district and I think theyre doing an amazing job at keeping the children safe but also allowing them to have some normalcy." Another parent stated: "The current guidelines are unfounded, have no basis in science, harmful and destructive to our children emotionally and physically." (Patch Survey) The one survey question the majority of people agreed on was the issue of whether students should be required to wear masks in school. More than 75 percent answered yes. Nearly 17 percent said students shouldn't be required to wear masks, while 7.6 percent said "yes, but only in middle." "I think masks should be on at all times in school, unless outside and still 6 feet apart," one parent said. One parent who went against the grain wrote: "Masks are not meant to be worn for children 6-8 hours a day." (Patch Survey) This article originally appeared on the Farmingdale Patch Afghanistan's top peace negotiator has arrived in neighboring Pakistan as intra-Afghan peace negotiations are under way in the Persian Gulf state of Qatar. Negotiators from the Afghan government and the Taliban have been locked in talks since September 12, but have been unable to agree a framework for the negotiations aimed at ending the 19-year war. Abdullah Abdullah, the head of Afghanistan's High Council for National Reconciliation, a body that oversees the peace talks with the Taliban, arrived in Islamabad on September 28 for a three-day visit. Pakistan is a key regional power broker with sway over the Taliban. In a tweet, Abdullah said he would meet Pakistan's leadership for talks on the Afghan peace process and bilateral relations. Afghanistan has long had troubled relations with Pakistan, which Kabul and Washington accuse of harboring and aiding the Taliban leadership, which Islamabad denies. Pakistan claims its influence over the Taliban is overstated, but it says it's willing to do whatever is possible for peace in Afghanistan. Under a landmark deal signed between the United States and the Taliban in February, foreign forces will leave Afghanistan by May 2021 in exchange for counterterrorism guarantees from the Taliban, which agreed to negotiate a permanent cease-fire and a power-sharing formula with the Afghan government. What causes quasiparticle death? In large systems of interacting particles in quantum mechanics, an intriguing phenomenon often emerges: groups of particles begin to behave like single particles. Physicists refer to such groups of particles as quasiparticles. Understanding the properties of quasiparticles may be key to comprehending, and eventually controlling, technologically important quantum effects like superconductivity and superfluidity. Unfortunately, quasiparticles are only useful while they live. It is thus particularly unfortunate that many quasiparticles die young, lasting far, far less than a second. The authors of a new Monash University-led study published today in Physical Review Letters investigate the crucial question: how do quasiparticles die? Beyond the usual suspectquasiparticle decay into lower energy statesthe authors identify a new culprit: many-body dephasing. MANY BODY DEPHASING Many-body dephasing is the disordering of the constituent particles in the quasiparticle that occurs naturally over time. As the disorder increases, the quasiparticles resemblance to a single particle fades. Eventually, the inescapable effect of many-body dephasing kills the quasiparticle. Far from a negligible effect, the authors demonstrate that many-body dephasing can even dominate over other forms of quasiparticle death. This is shown through investigations of a particularly clean quasiparticlean impurity in an ultracold atomic gaswhere the authors find strong evidence of many-body dephasing in past experimental results. The authors focus on the case where the ultracold atomic gas is a Fermi sea. An impurity in a Fermi sea gives rise to a quasiparticle known as the repulsive Fermi polaron. The repulsive Fermi polaron is a highly complicated quasiparticle and has a history of eluding both experimental and theoretical studies. Through extensive simulations and new theory, the authors show that an established experimental protocolRabi oscillations between impurity spin statesexhibits the effects of many-body dephasing in the repulsive Fermi polaron. These previously unrecognised results provide strong evidence that many-body dephasing is fundamental to the nature of quasiparticles. ### THE STUDY The paper Quasiparticle lifetime of the repulsive Fermi polaron was published in Physical Review Letters in September 2020 (DOI 10.1103/PhysRevLett.125.133401). The study was led by the School of Physics and Astronomy, Monash University, with co-authors from the Istituto Nazionale di Ottica del Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche in Florence, Italy, and Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitat in Munich, Germany. As well as support from the Australian Research Council (Centre of Excellence and Future Fellowship programs), the authors acknowledge support from the International Max Planck Research School for Quantum Science and Technology, the European Research Council, the EUs Horizon 2020 programme, and Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Firenze. QUASIPARTICLES AND COLD-ATOM PHYSICS AT FLEET Haydn Adlong conducted the study in Dr Jesper Levinsen and A/Prof Meera Parishs group at Monash University, which investigates the behaviour of large groups of interacting quantum particles, which can exhibit exotic behaviour, such as superfluidity where they flow without encountering resistance. This work expands our fundamental knowledge of quantum physics in systems ranging from cold atomic gases to solid-state semiconductors, and has the potential to underpin a new generation of near-zero resistance, ultra-low energy electronic devices, sought by FLEET. Race and Racism: A Transatlantic Dialogue A series of virtual conversations, jointly hosted by the University of Missouri-St. Louis, United States, and the City of Stuttgart, Germany 3 December 2020 11 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. CST in St. Louis/18:00h - 19:30h (MEZ/CET) in Stuttgart The Important Role the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion holds at an American University - More Relevant than Ever Join via Zoom Tanisha Stevens, Ph.D. Vice Chancellor for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion In this session, we will discuss the role of an equity and diversity office and its staff at institutions in the United States, as well as explore related challenges. Dr. Tanisha Stevens serves as the first vice chancellor for diversity, equity and inclusion in the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. She earned a Bachelor of Arts with Honors in Psychology from the University of Missouri-Columbia, a masters in Counseling from Saint Louis University and her doctorate in Educational Leadership & Policy Studies from UMSL. Dr. Stevens works to establish and strengthen collaborative partnerships across the institution to enhance diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. Under her leadership, Dr. Stevens coordinated the campus participation and engagement in the Equity Institute sponsored by USC Race and Equity Center. She is committed to creating an inclusive environment here at UMSL. Past events: 8 October 2020 An Existential Perspective of Black American Life in the Trumpian Dystopia View recording on YouTube Matthew J. Taylor, Ph.D. Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs, College of Arts & Sciences, and Associate Professor, Clinical Psychology The human condition is fraught with experiences and psychological commotion that create various degrees of unease. Many of these scenarios involve introspective, self-reflective endeavors rooted in the basic existential concerns inherent to the task of being human (e.g., death, isolation, identity, freedom, and meaning). It goes without saying that an invisible provocateur to these processes is the Zeitgeist. Black America has long known what type of person Donald Trump was (and is); long before his formal arrival on the American political scene in 2015. The announcement of his candidacy, and subsequent victory, brought American racism and nationalism squarely back into the light and placed it, yet again, at the forefront of the national landscape after many decades in the shadows. This lecture will explore the psychological impact of the Trump Era on the lives of Black Americans using an existential framework. Dr. Matthew Taylor is an associate professor of psychology at the University of Missouri-St. Louis. Dr. Taylor's research interests fall under the broad category of minority mental health and multicultural psychology, with one specific emphasis on multiracial identity development, including the relationship between racial socialization experiences of multiracial individuals and racial and cultural identity construction,the negotiation between family-based socialization messages and the sociohistorical constructions of race and associated racial messages and experiences (e.g., racism), and the development of existential-phenomenological therapy constructs for multiracial individuals. 16 October 2020 Implicit Bias, Systemic Racism, and American Schools View recording on YouTube Shea Kerkhoff, Ph.D. Assistant Professor, Department of Educator Preparation and Leadership Doris Villareal, Ph.D. Assistant Professor, Department of Educator Preparation and Leadership In this session we will discuss the ways racism has infiltrated the U.S. school system. The talk will introduce implicit bias and how teachers may unconsciously reproduce racial hierarchies in classrooms. We will also discuss how structures and policies systemically hold racism in place as the status quo in U.S. schools. We will end by exploring ways to dismantle racism and rebuild a racially just school system. Dr. Kerkhoff is an Assistant Professor of secondary education at the University of Missouri-St. Louis College of Education. She holds a Ph.D. from North Carolina State University in Curriculum and Instruction. Dr. Kerkhoff utilizes mixed methods to investigate critical, digital, and global literacies. Her research centers on integrating inquiry-based global learning with adolescent literacy instruction. She also serves as Going Global, Inc.'s Regional Director- Africa and previously served as 4 the World's Education Director. In this capacity, the International Literacy Association awarded her the Constance McCullough grant to conduct inquiry-based digital literacy professional development and research with teachers in Kitale, Kenya. Dr. Kerkhoff is passionate about global education at home and abroad. In 2018 she was named a Longview Foundation Global Teacher Educator fellow. She is affiliated faculty with the Missouri Language and Literacies Center. Dr. Villarreal earned her Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Texas at Austin. She also participated in the Fulbright-Hayes Group Project Abroad in Tanzania, which was sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education and coordinated by the African Studies Institute at the University of Georgia. She has 13 years of bilingual elementary classroom teaching experience in urban public schools. Her experiences as a bilingual elementary teacher in Texas have led to her interests in the improvement and support of educational programs that serve students from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds. Her research interests include hybrid language practices in linguistically and culturally diverse teaching contexts with a focus on Latinx children as well as literacy teacher education. 10 November 2020 Racial and Spatial Injustice in the St. Louis Metropolitan Area View on YouTube Todd Swanstrom, Ph.D. E. Desmond Lee Endowed Professor in Community Collaboration and Public Policy In a truly just metropolis, where you grew up would not influence your life chances. Racial and economic segregation in the St. Louis metropolitan area means that many children grow up in neighborhoods that give them little chance of succeeding. The pattern of concentrated poverty and racial isolation in the city and inner-ring suburbs is not simply the result of individual choices; it is the result of a tangle of public policies and private practices. If we want to create a more just (and prosperous) metropolitan area, we need new policies and practices that address spatial and institutional inequalities. As Des Lee Professor of Community Collaboration and Public Policy Administration at the University of Missouri St. Louis, Todd Swanstrom specializes in urban politics and public policy. He has an MA from Washington University in St. Louis and a Ph.D. from Princeton. Prior to joining UMSL, Todd taught at Saint Louis University and the Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and Policy at the University at Albany (SUNY). He also worked as a neighborhood planner in Cleveland and as the Director of Strategic Planning for the City of Albany, NY. Currently, Todds research focuses on neighborhood change and the challenges of concentrated poverty and fragmented governance in inner-ring suburbs. Todd used the resources of his endowed professorship to support the Community Builders Network of Metro St. Louis, which is working to build great neighborhoods throughout the St. Louis region. Currently, he is concentrating the resources of his endowment on supporting UMSLs Anchor Mission to lift up the communities around the campus. This series is sponsored by St. Louis-Stuttgart Sister Cities, Deutsch-Amerikanisches Zentrum (DAZ) Stuttgart, The City of Stuttgart, The German Culture Center, and UMSL Global, University of Missouri-St. Louis Several dozen people picketed outside the Six Nations police station on Friday, decrying what one protester described as 30 years of injustice and abuse at the hands of officers who protesters allege are free to act with impunity. Its just the years and years of corruption our people have faced, said Mike Davis, a Six Nations member who was arrested in October 2019 when Six Nations police raided an alleged cannabis dispensary on the reserve. Davis, a member of the Six Nations Peoples Cannabis Coalition, said officers used excessive force during that raid, leaving his brother Ryan concussed and Dallas Porter, another Six Nations member, with a bruised face after being slammed to the ground. Davis said this is only one example of alleged police misconduct. But without any outside body to investigate complaints against the police, Davis said the department conducts its own investigations into allegations of officers abusing their authority, which are routinely dismissed. Six Nations member Mike Davis holds a sign outside the Six Nations Police Department on Friday during a protest against what Davis called "30 years of injustice and abuse" at the hands of police on the reserve. Uploaded by: Antonacci, JP J.P. Antonacci/The Hamilton Spectator Theyre able to just brush things under the rug down here after they treat members of the community like this, Davis said. Theres a lot of families that have been assaulted by these police officers. The community has to take it upon themselves to ask for help. Enough is enough. Newly minted police chief Darren Montour told The Spectator that its a strength to have band members on the police service. I see First Nations policing as the model for community policing, he said. The police have to represent the community theyre part of. But Davis said theres a flip side to that argument, alleging that officers let things slide where friends and family are concerned. Theres people on this reserve who can get away with whatever they want if they have family on the police force, Davis said. He would like to see officers outsourced from other First Nations communities to reduce the likelihood of biased policing. We want accountability on the reserve, Davis said. Right now, we dont feel safe. Deputy Chief Dave Smoke walked over from the station to talk with the protesters, who demanded body cameras, drug tests for officers, and a survey to gauge the communitys views on policing. Six Nations deputy police chief Dave Smoke, centre, meets with protesters outside the station on Friday. Uploaded by: Antonacci, JP J.P. Antonacci/The Hamilton Spectator This could be a good time to do one, Smoke said of the survey, while also committing to body cameras for his officers. We are working on body cameras already. Thats something we are in total agreement with, Smoke said, adding that officers would have no problem taking drugs tests if ordered by somebody with the authority to do that. The crowd called for police to respect band members. We matter too, one protester said. Thats why I do this job. Thats why Im here, Smoke responded. Heather Hill of Six Nations, far right, gestures while speaking to Six Nations deputy police chief Dave Smoke during a protest demanding reform of the police force. Uploaded by: Antonacci, JP J.P. Antonacci/The Hamilton Spectator Donna Silversmith, a Six Nations member from the Cayuga Snipe Clan, told Smoke that the relationship between the police and the community is broken. As a Haudenosaunee woman, I dont feel safe in this community and I dont feel safe calling you guys, Silversmith said. And it should not be that way. I dont know if youre my friend or my foe. Change has to happen. I agree, Smoke responded. Youre all community members, were community members. Were in this community together. Jake Doxtador said the police force, which is funded by the federal and provincial governments, shows bias toward Six Nations members who support the elected band council as opposed to the Confederacy chiefs. Its like theres two standards on this rez when it comes to the cops, Doxtador said, alleging that band members who follow the Canadian system, as represented by the band council, get preferential treatment as compared to those who uphold the traditional side. Colin Martin, a police liaison from the Haudenosaunee Confederacy Chiefs Council, called for the Confederacy to assume control of policing Six Nations based on traditional Haudenosaunee morals and ethics. On behalf of the HCCC, Martin offered cultural training for Six Nations police officers, a program that Smoke said was already in this works before COVID messed it up. Instead of cracking down on cannabis dispensaries, Doxtador would like to see police efforts directed at stemming the flow of more serious narcotics such as opioids. They should be tackling the hard drugs on the rez, Doxtador said. Which I guess theyve started, but theres still more to do. Smoke said the police force would welcome more resources from Ottawa to aid in drug enforcement, body cameras and other programs. But he stressed that he and Montour would focus on accountability within their ranks. Making our own officers accountable for whatever they do thats where it begins, Smoke said. ATLANTA, Sept. 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Georgia Power is set to electrify portions of its vehicle fleet as part of a corporate-wide, internal fleet electrification goal. Southern Company, the utility's corporate parent, today announced plans to convert 50 percent of its system fleet vehicles across the auto/SUV/minivan, forklift and ATV/cart/miscellaneous segments by 2030. "Our company has long been committed to growing EV infrastructure across the state and supporting customers and businesses looking to go electric," said Nicole Faulk, Georgia Power's senior vice president for corporate and customer services. "We're pleased to take that experience and evolve our fleet internally through electrification. As Southern Company's largest subsidiary, the electrification of Georgia Power's fleet will play a significant role in helping us achieve this goal corporate-wide." The internal fleet goal is part of a larger focus on electrification of the transportation industry and commitment to sustainability and clean energy. Now offered by most major manufacturers, electric vehicles (EVs) continue to advance in range, performance and features. They are known to be better for the environment, have a lower cost of ownership than petroleum vehicles and, with their domestic energy source, promote local jobs. Continued Investments in EV Infrastructure With more EVs on Georgia highways every day, Georgia Power is committed to assisting customers with their EV energy needs and advancing Georgia as a top EV-friendly state. The company continues to invest in EV infrastructure statewide and will invest $6 million over the next three years in fast-charging EV infrastructure for the public. To date, Georgia Power has installed 41 fast-chargers in locations across the state. The installation represents the newest technology in EV fast chargers, offering charging speeds up to 125kW adding 100 miles in 12 minutes dual dispensers and power sharing capability. These investments further enable electric vehicle adoption and the connection of communities across Georgia. EV Resources for Customers In addition to developing public charging infrastructure, the company is committed to explaining the benefits of EV ownership and making the decision to switch easier than ever by providing customers with the resources they need to learn more about the benefits and potential savings of driving electric. By visiting www.GeorgiaPower.com/EV, customers have access to information on: buying an electric vehicle, understanding electric vehicle options, charging an electric vehicle, charging locations, electric transportation news, and frequently asked questions. Georgia Power also offers EV charger rebates for business and residential customers, an online calculator to help customers find out how much driving electric may save them and a special rate for EV customers. The company's Plug-in Electric Vehicle rate offers lower prices from 11 p.m. 7 a.m. to encourage nighttime EV charging. To learn more about driving electric with Georgia Power, customers can also join Georgia Power's social EV communities on Facebook and Twitter (@GeorgiaPowerET). National Drive Electric Week National Drive Electric Week, recognized Sept. 26-Oct. 4 this year, is a nationwide celebration to raise awareness of all-electric and plug-in hybrid, trucks, motorcycles and more. To celebrate, Georgia Power and Clean CitiesGeorgia will join the EV Club of the South for the "Drive Electric Georgia Virtual Showcase" on Thursday, Oct. 1 from 5:00 6:30 p.m. EST. Interested participants and EV enthusiasts can register for free on Eventbrite. This year's virtual showcase will include mini sessions that highlight facts and myths of EV ownership, vehicles coming on the market and different charging options to meet your home, work and community needs. To learn more about National Drive Electric Week, visit www.driveelectricweek.org. About Georgia Power Georgia Power is the largest electric subsidiary of Southern Company (NYSE: SO), America's premier energy company. Value, Reliability, Customer Service and Stewardship are the cornerstones of the company's promise to 2.6 million customers in all but four of Georgia's 159 counties. Committed to delivering clean, safe, reliable and affordable energy at rates below the national average, Georgia Power maintains a diverse, innovative generation mix that includes nuclear, coal and natural gas, as well as renewables such as solar, hydroelectric and wind. Georgia Power focuses on delivering world-class service to its customers every day and the company is consistently recognized by J.D. Power and Associates as an industry leader in customer satisfaction. For more information, visit www.GeorgiaPower.com and connect with the company on Facebook (Facebook.com/GeorgiaPower), Twitter (Twitter.com/GeorgiaPower) and Instagram (Instagram.com/ga_power). SOURCE Georgia Power Related Links http://www.georgiapower.com A UK couple devised a genius plan to invite 50 people to their wedding ceremony despite the CCP virus restrictions: they had all the guests there as life-size cardboard cutouts. Romanee, 34, and Sam Rondeau-Smith, 30, from Bramley, Guildford, were scheduled to tie their nuptials in July after being engaged in December last year, but the restrictions posed by the spreading pandemic pushed back their wedding date to August. Romanee and Sam Rondeau-Smith (Caters News) However, despite the restrictions being eased by that time, the pair was unable to have a full wedding reception. But they had decided that they wouldnt change a thing. So the creative-minded bride and groom came up with a unique way to ensure all of their loved ones, friends, and family were able to grace their special day with their presence at The Bell in Ticehurst, East Sussex. After only being able to have 14 people at the wedding, the couple spent more than 2,000 British Pound Sterling (US$2,549) on 48 cardboard cutouts of their guests. We had about 100 people on our guest list but when coronavirus hit, said Romanee, we had to rework our plans and the venue were really flexible. At the end of the day, we just want to get married so lets just go aheadit helps that were not high maintenance. Romanee said when they learned that one of her bridesmaids who is from Nashville wouldnt be able to attend, they joked about having her as a cardboard cut-out. [W]e thought why we dont do that with our guests, Romanee said. We got all of our guests to send us a picture of them and it went from there. Romanee said that their wedding planner simply loved it, and she found the whole concept to be hilarious. Romanee, 34, and Sam Rondeau-Smith, 30, from Bramley, Guildford, with the cardboard cutout of their wedding guests. (Caters News) Their genius plan even saved the couple a little money. It worked out at the same price as what it would have cost to have them all here, Romanee said, but we saved on the booze! Im sure there will be a massive party at some pointjust somewhere low key. Their out-of-the-box wedding ceremony is something they and their guests will remember for a lifetime. It was perfect. It was really relaxed, Romanee said. We werent disappointed at all. Just being simple and having our immediate family there was perfect, she added. We would love to hear your stories! You can share them with us at emg.inspired@epochtimes.nyc 2 Democrats Who Voted for Barrett in 2017 Oppose Her for SCOTUS Nominee Two of the three Democrats who backed Judge Amy Coney Barrett for a federal appeals court in 2017 plan to not support her nomination to the Supreme Court vacancy left by the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg if the confirmation vote occurs before Election Day. In 2017, Sens. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), and Joe Donnelly, then a senator from Indiana, joined Republicans to confirm Barrett to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit by a vote of 5543. Two other Democrats, Sens. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) and Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) didnt vote. Senate Republican leaders have said Barrett will receive a vote on the Senate floor sometime this year. If that vote comes before the Nov. 3 election, Manchin and Kaine say they will automatically vote no, arguing that Ginsburgs replacement shouldnt be chosen and confirmed until after the general election. Rushing to confirm a Supreme Court nominee weeks before a presidential election has never been done before in the history of our nation and it will only fan the flames of division at a time when our country is deeply divided, Manchinthe only Democrat to vote for Trumps last Supreme Court nomineesaid in a statement. I cannot support a process that risks further division of the American people at a time when we desperately need to come together. I will not vote to confirm Judge Coney Barrett or any Supreme Court nominee before Election Day on November 3rd. Kaine called on Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) to follow his own precedent from 2016: this vacancy should be filled by the winner of the ongoing election. I intend to follow that precedent and will not support anyones confirmation until we know the election results. There are less than 40 days between now and Election Day, and voting is already underway in Virginia and other states. Given the stakeshealth care, fundamental rights, the integrity of the Courtrushing a confirmation vote before the American people have weighed in would be reckless, he said in a statement. Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) walks on Capitol Hill in Washington on Sept. 21, 2020. (Stefani Reynolds/Getty Images) McConnell has noted the differences between this year and 2016. Namely, Republicans control both the Senate and presidency, instead of the split between the GOP-led Senate and the Democratic-controlled White House in 2016. In the last midterm election before Justice Scalias death in 2016, Americans elected a Republican Senate majority because we pledged to check and balance the last days of a lame-duck presidents second term. We kept our promise. Since the 1880s, no Senate has confirmed an opposite-party presidents Supreme Court nominee in a presidential election year, McConnell said in a statement on Sept. 18, hours after Ginsburgs death. By contrast, Americans reelected our majority in 2016 and expanded it in 2018 because we pledged to work with President Trump and support his agenda, particularly his outstanding appointments to the federal judiciary. Once again, we will keep our promise. President Trumps nominee will receive a vote on the floor of the United States Senate, he added. Donnelly, who lost a 2018 reelection bid and now works for a law office, didnt immediately respond to a request for comment on how hed vote if he were still a senator. Menendez indicated hed vote against Barrett as he criticized Trump and McConnell for moving to fill the vacancy on the Supreme Court left by Ginsburgs death amid the COVID-19 pandemic. This is nothing less than a cynical power grab in the midst of an election in which they fear that the will of the American people can ultimately end their reign. And this nominee is nothing more than a knowing pawn in their scheme, he said in a statement. Judge Amy Coney Barrett speaks after being nominated to the Supreme Court by President Donald Trump, at the White House in Washington on Sept. 26, 2020. (Olivier Douliery/AFP via Getty Images) McCaskill lost her bid for another term in 2018. Now an NBC News contributor, she said on Meet the Press that she believes the nomination hurts the Republicans because of the hypocrisy and abuse of power. The American people know whats going on here. And you combine that with her very extreme views on health care, her very extreme views onI mean, shes written in a dissent that felons should be entitled to a gun, but not necessarily entitled to vote. I mean, this is really somebody whos out there. And I think if that is exposed in the hearings in a respectful way, I think it helps the Democrats even more, she added. Republicans hold a 53-47 majority in the Senate after flipping the seats held by Donnelly and McCaskill in the midterms and appear to have enough votes to confirm Barrett without any Democrats. Sens. Mike Braun (R-Ind.) and Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), who beat Donnelly and McCaskill, joined most other Republicans in praising Barrett. Amy Coney Barrett has shown through her nearly one hundred written opinions on the appellate court that she is a strong Constitutional originalist who will not cut the American people out of their own government by treating the Supreme Court as a third chamber of Congress, Braun wrote on Twitter. Hawley added that the nominee is someone who religious conservatives can call one of their own. Ever wondered why Rep. Ilhan Omar, whose far-left, anti-American politics ought to be enough to get her thrown out of office in a place like Minnesota, has such a safe congressional seat? Project Veritas, led by James O'Keefe, has found the answer, and it's pretty repulsive. According to John Fund at National Review: O'Keefe has uncovered what appears to be a massive ongoing voter-fraud scheme in Minneapolis. It is linked to the political machine of Ilhan Omar, the congresswoman from Minnesota's fifth district (Minneapolis) and a close ally of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in the U.S. House. The unwitting star of the show caught on candid camera, Liban Mohamad, is what's known as a "ballot broker." He boasts of keeping hundreds of absentee ballots in his car and admits that some are filled in by non-voters. Others are paid for. Some are the doing of Somali nationals bused in from elsewhere. And witnesses working with the local sheriff's office tie the incredible fraud most closely to the campaign chairman of Rep. Ilhan Omar, who uses the state's loose election laws to the hilt. Here's how ugly it is: According to Fund: Many people believe that Omar's complete domination of the district's politics is rooted in her machine's ability to fool, seduce, or bribe members of her Somali community into committing voter fraud. Minnesota law forbids anyone from "ballot harvesting" more than three ballots in an election. So why does Liban Mohamed, a "ballot broker," boast about having 300 ballots in his car from the August primary, many of them blank and some opened? "Money is everything," he laughs on the video. Activists describe how people receive cash when they hand their absentee ballot over so it can be filled out. A. J. Awed, a Somali who was a losing candidate for city council in Minneapolis's Ward 6, is shocked at the "corruption" he sees. He calls Omar's machine "an alliance between [her] clan and the progressive Left." A Somali political activist says the state's Democratic Party knows all about the schemes. She describes how Somalis have long moved in from out of state and temporarily established residence and then voted on Election Day, with local campaign workers "vouching" for them. They then disappear and go back to their real homes and their normal lives. Now, with the loosening of mail-in ballot laws, cheating is even easier. We already know that Omar's campaign finances are filthy, given the amount of personal enrichment from campaign funds that she's handed to her "boyfriend" who's now her third husband. She's also flouted U.S. immigration law and apparently married her brother to get him into the U.S. the marriage-fraud way. She's as anti-American as they come, given that American rule of law or any law requiring honesty or fairness does not serve her interests. Now she's up to her neck in ballot-harvesting fraud corruption, using the unassimilated Somali community with no knowledge of democracy or rule of law as her vehicle. The baffling thing is why she hasn't been arrested. She hasn't even been questioned in the press. Are her wokester stances and Squad alliances protecting her? No one should be holding office who got in by fraud. That "safe" seat she holds, in the wake of Minneapolis's riots, is a red flag. Voters normally throw out public officials who allow a city to be set by radicals on fire. But fraud can fix that, and Omar knows all the ropes. In light of the naked fraud described by the "ballot broker" directly implicating the Omar machine, it's time for a serious investigation, with consequences. Why is this fourth-world fraud going on? Why is she still walking around free? Image credit: Project Veritas, screen shot via shareable YouTube video. Pakistans Supreme Court on Monday barred the Sindh government from releasing British-born al Qaeda leader Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh and his three aides - the main accused in the abduction and murder of US journalist Daniel Pearl in 2002. The court also accepted an appeal by the family of the slain Wall Street Journal reporter to join as a party in the case. A three-member judge bench led by Justice Mushir Alam granted the petition of the Sindh government as well as that of Daniel Pearls parents to appeal against an earlier judgment of the Sindh High Court to release British-born Shaikh, the main accused in the case. In April, the Sindh High Court commuted the death sentence of Sheikh convicted for kidnapping and murdering Pearl in 2002 to seven years, and acquitted three others who were serving life terms in the case. This decision had been handed down almost two decades after they were found guilty and jailed. The detention period of the accused was set to end on September 30. The counsel for Pearls parents, Faisal Siddiqui, argued on Monday that Sheikh wrote a confessional letter to the SHC Registrar .But the high court ignored his confession in the letter, he said. Siddiqui told the court that all parties in the case had filed an appeal against the decision of the Sindh High Court. He pleaded that an earlier decision by a trial court be reinstated that had condemned Sheikh to death. Faisal Siddiqui said the confessional statements of the two accused persons proved the murder to be a conspiracy. In August, the Sindh High Court had dismissed a petition challenging the extended detention of the men accused of kidnapping and murdering Pearl. The court had found it inadmissible. Daniel Pearl was kidnapped in Karachi in January 2002 and killed soon after. Sheikh has already spent 18 years in prison while on death row. The Sindh High Court had ruled that his seven-year sentence for kidnapping was counted as time served. (With inputs from Agencies) ALLENTOWN, Pa., Sept. 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Kitay Law Offices is representing a Northampton mother who is suing the Walt Disney Company after her 7-year-old autistic son was denied entry to the Disney Store at the Lehigh Valley Mall because he was not wearing a facemask. Like many people diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, the boy is extremely sensitive to touch, especially on his face. For that reason, the lawsuit says that the boy's mother, Shea Emanuel, decided after experimenting with different face coverings, not to force him to wear a mask in public because he would become very distraught. Emanuel took her sons to the Lehigh Valley Mall in Whitehall Township last month on a birthday outing for the boy's younger brother. Emanuel explained to the store manager that her son is autistic, which prevents him from wearing a facemask. But, the Disney Store manager would not allow the boy into the store, the lawsuit claims. Attorney William Mansour of Kitay Law Offices in Allentown says "The goal of the lawsuit is to educate Disney and other companies that as places open to the public they are required to make accommodations to people with disabilities, including in their COVID-19 safety policies." A statewide order issued in July by Pennsylvania Health Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine requires facemasks to be worn in public places. However, the order contained an exception; people with medical conditions such as mental health conditions or disabilities which might prevent them from wearing a mask are excluded from the statewide mask order. There is no requirement to provide proof of a medical condition. Emanuel's lawsuit filed Tuesday in the U.S. District Court in Allentown says that under the Americans with Disabilities Act, a store is considered a public accommodation that must be accessible to those with disabilities. Furthermore, the suit claims the Disney Store was not legally required to enforce the state's face covering order because the autistic boy was exempt. He could have been permitted inside because the store was already limiting the number of customers permitted to shop due to COVID-19, thus reducing the chance he would encounter others. Kitay Law Offices is located at 1810 Union Boulevard in Allentown. In practice for over twenty-five years, the law firm focuses on Personal Injury, Workers' Compensation, Employment Law, DUI, Criminal Defense, and Immigration with offices in Philadelphia, Lehigh, Chester, Berks, Luzerne, and Franklin counties. Their bilingual staff provides service in both English and Spanish. Kitay Law Offices Contact: Antonia Anastasia Phone: 856-313-0733 Email: [email protected] Website: https://kitaylegal.com/ SOURCE Kitay Law Offices Related Links https://kitaylegal.com/ A group of former public servants on Monday backed the farm reform laws enacted by the Modi government and claimed that "disinformation" is being spread over the issue to negatively impact the morale of farmers. IMAGE: Congress workers take part in an agitation against the Central government over the newly passed farm bills in Kolkata. Photograph: Ashok Bhaumik/PTI Photo The farm bills passed by Parliament mark the watershed in the liberation of India's farming community from the shackles of exploitative practices that slow-pedaled their progress, the former civil servants said. Targeting the critics of the measures, the group in a statement said, "We have reasons to apprehend the disinformation which certain sections within our society are trying to spread in the country. We have recent instances of untruths and distortions being paraded before the public with hugely negative impact on the morale of the minorities, students, and now the farmers." The general public has every reason to suspect attempts by well-known "vested interests" to destabilise the country and create disaffection among the minorities, students and farmers, it alleged. The group of 32 former IAS officers include former finance secretary S Narayan, former banking secretary D K Mittal, former defence secretary G Mohan Kumar, former petroleum secretary Saurabh Chandra, and former civil aviation secretary K N Srivastava. In an apparent reference to the Congress, the group said the emancipation of the farmers from the middlemen and empowering them with the freedom to choose where and how to sell their produce was enshrined in the manifestos of certain political forces which oppose it now. The statement said the government has introduced a definite game-changer in a farmer's life through the "far-sighted" legislations. Major impediments which retarded the seamless growth of the farming fraternity of India are given the go-by through the passage of these monumental Acts. Citing the proposed benefits of these laws, including freedom to farmers to sell their produce anywhere they want and allowing them to enter into contracts with traders, the group said it is objectionable to "incite" farmers and create disaffection by wrongly suggesting that their interests are being bartered in favour of multinational concern. The government, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has given categorical assurances that the minimum support price mechanism shall remain as ever before, it said. The former public servants said wherever farmers are suffering, it is because of inadequate local marketing facilities leading to their "exploitation" by middlemen. If India is developed as one market for them, and if private parties purchase their products, the farmers have nothing to lose, they added. "This historic legislation, coupled with the various economic development packages announced by the government will definitely pave the way for the upward rise of the farming community, bringing in phenomenal progress to them. The bills create a fair and free ecosystem for farmers," they said. "Our group condemns the surreptitious practices of vested interest for misleading and misguiding the farmers and discrediting the well intentioned national initiatives," they said. BAKU, Azerbaijan, Sept. 28 By Klavdiya Romakayeva - Trend: The number of confirmed coronavirus cases for September 28 in Uzbekistan increased to 55,593, Trend reports with reference to the statistics of the Uzbek Ministry of Health. To date, 51,965 patients have fully recovered in the country, while 460 have died. At the moment, 3,168 patients are treated in medical institutions in Uzbekistan in accordance with the standards. From October 1, all border crossing points in Uzbekistan will be open for road, rail, and air transport. Under the instructions of the President of Uzbekistan, unlimited movement of vehicles, as well as local air and rail travel in Uzbekistan, was resumed since August 15, 2020. Also, from August 17, 2020, Tashkent resumed public transportation. The activities of preschool educational organizations and general education schools in a traditional and remote form is allowed from September 2020 in accordance with the opinions of parents and proposals of local councils of deputies. Citizens are required to wear masks when entering public transport. The first case of coronavirus infection in Uzbekistan was detected on March 15 in the laboratory of the Research Institute of Virology; it was an Uzbek woman who returned from France. The Ministry of Health later announced that her son, daughter, husband, and grandson also tested positive for coronavirus. The outbreak in the Chinese Wuhan city - which is an international transport hub - began at a fishing market in late December 2019. The World Health Organization (WHO) on March 11 declared COVID-19 a pandemic. Some sources claim the coronavirus outbreak started as early as November 2019. Uzbekistan as an active member of the WHO European Regional Office has joined the Coronavirus vaccination program. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @romakayeva A Chicago mother who has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of her five-year-old daughter was denied bond this morning after prosecutors described how the suspect allegedly slashed her child's throat with a serrated knife in front of the girl's older sister. Officers were called to a home in the 3200 block of West Fulton Boulevard at around 9.30am on Saturday and found paramedics already working on the girl, identified as Serenity Arrington. She had been stabbed multiple times. The Cook County medical examiners office said Serenity was taken to Stroger Hospital where she was pronounced dead. Simone Austin, 27 (left), has been charged with first-degree murder in the stabbing death of her five-year-old daughter, Serenity Arrington (right) Cops were called to this home in the 3200 block of West Fulton Boulevard in Chicago on Saturday morning and found paramedics already working on Serenity The five-year-old had been stabbed multiple times in the neck, resulting in her death An autopsy conducted on Sunday showed the child died of 'multiple incised wounds' to the neck and declared her death a homicide. One of the wounds was said to be so deep it went almost to the back of Serenity's neck. Serenity's mother, 27-year-old Simone Austin, was arrested and charged with first-degree murder after walking up to the police at the scene of the crime. According to investigators, the stabbing took place inside the house of Serenitys grandfather. Police revealed they were familiar with the residence from previous calls for service. 'There were prior calls to the address. We just dont know at this time why what happened today. But there were multiple calls,' Chicago police officer Jose Jara told WGN. At Austin's bond hearing this morning, prosecutors told the court that Serenitys mother had asked her eight-year-old daughter to leave the room on Saturday morning, reported CBS Chicago. The young girl watched through a hole in the doorknob how her mother pulled a serrated knife from under a pillow and slashed Serenitys neck, according to prosecutors. When the older sister saw her mother repeatedly stabbing Serenity, she tried to save the child by barging into the bedroom and pulling on Austin's hair. The girls' grandfather was away at a coffee shop at the time. When he returned, he found the front door locked. He then went to the kitchen door in the back of the apartment and encountered his older granddaughter who told him that her mother had stabbed Serenity, according to the prosecution. The grandfather witnessed Austin taking off her clothes when he entered the apartment. Meanwhile, the eight-year-old ran outside yelling about her sister's killing. Austin then emerged from the apartment, carrying Serenity in her arms. The girl had a massive wound in her throat that was gushing blood. Neighbors saw the mother laying the five-year-old on the grass and heard her apologizing, saying 'she shouldn't have done this,' according to prosecutors. Serenity's sister told investigators about a previous incident in which her mother grabbed a knife because her daughters had spilled eggs on the porch. Neighbors said Austin had moved to the block about a month ago with Serenity, her sister and their pet cat. They recalled seeing the woman sit outside while her daughters played. No motive has been revealed but investigators are trying to determine whether Austin has had a history of mental illness. Austin does not have a prior criminal record. Her defense lawyer said she grew up homeless and dropped out of high school. Until this past May, she worked at Walmart stocking shelves. A judge declined to set bail for Austin at Monday's hearing. Austin was arrested after walking up to the police. The 27-year-old has other children Police were familiar with the residence where the child was killed from previous calls for service It was yet another weekend marred by violence bloodshed in Chicago, where at least 51 people were shot, nine fatally, and two people were stabbed between Friday evening and Monday morning. According to multiple reports, a woman in her 20s was found stabbed to death in the North Branch of the Chicago River, and at least 51 people were shot, nine of them fatally, reported CBS Chicago. Just after 10pm on Friday, 19-year-old Cornelius Pulthus Jr was walking with two others in an alley in the Roseland neighborhood when gunshots rang out. The man was struck by bullets in the chest and back, and was pronounced dead at Chicago Medical Center. At 3.30am on Saturday, a group of people were standing in 2400 block of West Lithuanian Plaza Court when someone in a passing car opened fire, shooting and injuring two men and two women. Three of the victims were hospitalized in good condition, and one was in serious condition after taking a bullet to the abdomen. Omar Alvarado, 15, was shot in the head in the 11600 block of South Prairie Avenue on Saturday Shortly after 4am on Saturday, 42-year-old Rayalecio Perman was at a backyard gathering at a home in the 7000 block of South Harper Avenue when a gunman opened fire, fatally shooting him in the back. Less than an hour later, police responded to reports of shots fired in the 200 block of North Latrobe Avenue and found 20-year-old Richard Soward riddled with bullets. He was pronounced dead at the scene. At 11.10am on Saturday, 17-year-old Avion Aldridge was pronounced dead from gunshot wounds to the torso after being ambushed by two assailants in an alley behind the 200 block of North Leamington Avenue. At 9.20pm that night, 15-yer-old Omar Alvarado was shot in the head in the 11600 block of South Prairie Avenue. He was later pronounced dead at Advocate Christ Medical Center. Shortly after midnight on Sunday, two passersby came upon the lifeless body of a woman in the river behind the 3400 block of North Rockwell Street. The victim had been stabbed multiple times in her face and neck. Police are investigating her death as a homicide. Shortly before 4pm on Sunday, two 14-year-old boys were walking on East 123rd Street when someone opened fire from a passing vehicle, hitting one of the teens in the right thigh and the other in the left arm. Both were listed as stable at Comer Children's Hospital. At around 5pm on Sunday, a 20-year-old man was dropped off at St. Bernard Hospital with a gunshot wound to the head. The unnamed victim was pronounced dead from his injury. Two 14-year-old boys were walking on East 123rd Street on Sunday when someone opened fire from a passing vehicle, injuring both boys Less than two hours later, two men, ages 54 and 66, were sitting in a car parked in the 6100 block of South Bishop Street when someone opened fire, shooting the older man in the head and killing him, and wounding his companion. Just before 11pm on Sunday, a drive-by shooting claimed the life of a 21-year-old man as he was walking in the 600 block of North Sawyer Avenue. Last weekend, Chicago saw 45 shootings, 10 of them resulting in fatalities. According to Chicago Police Department crime statistics cited by Chicago Sun-Times, shootings and murders in the city are up 50 per cent compared to last year. An 18-year-old woman was shot in the torso and left leg, another 18-year-old woman was hit in the right leg and a 24-year-old woman was shot in the left leg, police said. They were all taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center in good condition. Congratulations are in order to new dads in Switzerland, who are now entitled to 10 days of paid paternity leave after welcoming a new child into the world. The nation voted in favor of the law mandating paid leave for fathers Sunday, overcoming strong conservative backlash that forced the issue into a referendum after the law was initially approved by Parliament last year. Under the new law, biological fathers will be able to take 10 days of paid leave within six months of the birth of a child, and will be entitled to receive 80 percent of their salary during this time. Previously, new fathers in Switzerland were only granted one day off after welcoming a newborn, the same time given for moving homes, according to the New York Times. While the new law represents a significant step forward for families and gender equality in the nation, cautious celebrators have been quick to point out shortcomings in the new legislation including the fact that paid leave does not extend to adoptive or same-sex parents, as well as the fact that Switzerland lags considerably behind most of its European neighbors in implementing paid paternity leave. Moreover, Switzerlands new 10-day policy also falls significantly short of the paid paternity leave granted throughout the European Union, which last year passed a directive requiring EU states to extend parental leave to four months. Meanwhile, this all has a tendency to cast the United States, which is home to no form of universal parental leave, in a particularly unflattering light. Switzerland, a country known for lagging behind on issues of gender equality, now joins almost 100 nations worldwide offering paternity leave, meaning the U.S. has now fallen behind the same nation that required women to get permission from their husbands to work outside the home until 1988. Not a great look. Switzerlands 10-day policy for new dads may be a bit modest compared to the months of leave offered new dads in the EU, but its still a significantly longer period than the approximately zero days many dads in the U.S. get after welcoming a new child to the family. Only a few states in the U.S. offer government-mandated paternity leave, including New York, California, Washington, D.C., New Jersey and New Hampshire. Fathers in the rest of the country have to depend on their individual employers policies if they hope to take any kind of paid paternity leave at all. Besides the obvious fact that welcoming a child into the world is a major life event that requires most people to take some time off of work, a lack of paid paternity leave also signals and reinforces a number of insidious, regressive beliefs and mindsets about gender, sexuality, parenting and family structures still at large in American society today. Not only do distinctions between maternity and paternity leave suggest a cis/heteronormative understanding of parenthood, but this privileging of maternal time off also reinforces the idea of parenting as primarily a mothers responsibility. Study after study has suggested that women still bear the brunt of childcare responsibilities, often to the detriment of their own careers. But how can we expect fathers to take a more active role in their childrens lives and upbringing when theyre told, literally from day one of fatherhood, that their career is more important and they should be back in the office as soon as possible? Subscribe here for our free daily newsletter. The post Switzerland Just Passed Paid Paternity Leave. Where Does That Leave the US? appeared first on InsideHook. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (Reuters) Bangkok, Thailand Mon, September 28, 2020 17:30 481 e22cd4161040e111d73a5626c47bb53b 2 SE Asia Thailand,grace-period,foreigners,Visa,coronavirus,COVID-19,pandemic,COVID-19-travel-ban,COVID-19-travel-restriction Free Thailand on Monday extended a grace period for visa renewals for foreigners stranded in the country due to the coronavirus pandemic until the end of October, as travel restrictions remain in place and new infections climb globally. The extension will allow foreigners to remain in Thailand until Oct. 31, Taweesin Wisanuyothin, a spokesman for the government's coronavirus taskforce, told Reuters. The matter is subject to cabinet approval on Tuesday. Thailand halted commercial flights in April and banned foreign visitors in an effort to keep the coronavirus at bay, with repatriation flights the only means of leaving the country. In July, authorities granted automatic visa extensions from late March to Sept. 26 to all foreigners. After October, a new immigration regulation will allow foreigners to apply for 60-day extensions to remain in the country if they are unable to leave due to limited flights or other issues, Pornchai Kuntee, deputy commissioner of the Immigration Bureau, told Reuters. Previously, extensions required documentation from their respective embassies and were limited to 30 days. Authorities on Monday also extended an emergency decree until the end of October. Thailand has kept the number of confirmed coronavirus cases at a low 3,545 with 59 fatalities. The government this month approved visas of up to 270 days for long-stay tourists and is preparing to reopen to some foreign visitors from next month, although the move could be delayed. The Tourism Authority of Thailand expects foreign tourist numbers to plunge to 6.7 million this year from 39.8 million in 2019 before recovering to 20.5 million next year. This compares with the central banks estimate for 9 million tourists in 2021. OPITO Makes First Renewables Move This article was first published on Rigzone here Global energy industry skills body OPITO announced Monday that it has made its first move into the renewable energy industry. The organization said it has launched a new suite of safety and technical training standards, and qualifications, designed to address the skills requirements of a net zero economy. OPITO noted that its initial offering is tailored to the offshore wind sector, which it says is expected to lead to the creation of 27,000 highly skilled roles in the UK by 2030. The organization outlined that its new standards give learners the opportunity to choose from a range of products, designed to equip them with the critical skills needed to work across the various aspects of the sector, including scoping and development, construction, operations and maintenance activities. For more than 40 years, OPITO has been at the forefront of the development of a safe and highly skilled global energy workforce, operating in remote, hazardous and highly-regulated environments, John McDonald, OPITOs CEO, said in an organization statement that was sent to Rigzone. Take control of your future. Search THOUSANDS of Oil & Gas jobs on Rigzone.com Search Now >> These new products mark a strategic shift for our organization and will enable us to apply our vast experience to the renewable energy industry, as the energy mix further diversifies, he added. Recognizing the clear synergies that exist across the different parts of the industry, these new products will help to ensure the provision of a multi-disciplined and flexible workforce, now and in the future, McDonald continued. More than 375,000 people are trained to OPITO standards every year in more than 50 countries through 200 accredited training centers, according to OPITOs website. The not for profit skills body - which works with governments companies, operators and contractors - has operation centers in four regions; UK and Europe, Middle East and Africa, Asia Pacific and the Americas. Story continues To contact the author, email andreas.exarheas@rigzone.com More From Rigzone.com, The Leading Energy Platform: >> Find the latest oil and gas jobs on Rigzone.com << Denmark was actively involved in the campaign against food loss and waste Deputy Head of Mission of the Danish Embassy in Hanoi and a high-ranking representative from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) jointly launched the "Actions against Food Loss and Waste" campaign with a photo exhibition that was opened to the public at the pedestrian zone around Hoan Kiem Lake. Food loss and waste is a serious global concern and it is now more critical than ever with the COVID-19 pandemic. Research findings show that one-third of food produced for human consumption is lost or wasted globally. Due to this huge and awful loss, the number of people facing acute food insecurity could double this year to 265 million due to COVID-19, according to the UN World Food Programme, said Kim Hjlund Christensen, Ambassador of Denmark in Vietnam. Food loss and waste consumes about a quarter of all water used by agriculture, requires a land area the size of China, and is responsible for 8 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions. And all these natural resources, unacceptably, go to waste, putting unnecessary pressure on our Earth. I hope that this campaign will help to raise awareness and highlight the fundamental importance of responsible food production and consumption in achieving a sustainable and prosperous world for all, said Christensen. The exhibition at the pedestrian zone of Hoan Kiem lake, which was open for the public on September 26-27, aimed to raise public awareness on food loss and waste and encourage responsible food consumption. Visitors had the opportunity to get to know various creative ideas and initiatives on food loss and waste reduction at the household level as well as to witness how food materials could be saved during processing as demonstrated by hotels, restaurants, and university kitchens at the site. Furthermore, two seminars will be held, including one in Hanoi on September 29 and the other in Ho Chi Minh City on October 2. The seminars will provide a forum to connect and facilitate the exchange of experience, knowledge, and technologies between local decision-makers, sector managers, as well as Danish and Vietnamese professionals and entrepreneurs from food industries and processing, such as rice, aquaculture products, meat, milk, and fruit. The campaign is a contribution to the International Day of Awareness on Food Loss and Waste on September 29 and part of the Danish support to Vietnams achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Food loss and waste in the world and in Vietnam Around a third of all food produced for human consumption is lost or wasted from the farm to the fork in which one-third is discarded by consumers after making purchases and two-thirds are lost in the harvest, processing and transport processes. Food loss and waste causes about $940 billion per year in economic losses, massively exacerbating food insecurity and malnutrition. According to a survey in major agricultural regions of Vietnam carried out by CEL Consulting, a leading firm in providing advisory, engineering, technology, and training solutions in the field of supply chain and operations, during the first quarter of 2018, on average, a quarter of the food produced was lost before it actually reached processing plants or distribution centres. Total losses are estimated at 8.8 million tonnes or $3.9 billion (2 per cent of Vietnam's GDP or 12 per cent of Vietnam's agricultural GDP). In Vietnam, the fruit and vegetable group accounts for the worst food loss in percentage with 32 per cent of production, which is equal to approximately 7.3 million tonnes lost per year. For the meat industry, losses reach 14 per cent or about 694,000 tonnes per year. In the fish and seafood group, losses represent 12 per cent of production or about 804,000 tonnes per year. UN SDG 12 and Vietnam In 2015, the United Nation and member countries agreed on a collection of 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) designed to be a "blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all. In connection with these SDGs, there are a total of 169 targets and 232 indicators to measure how UN member countries are progressing towards reaching the targets. The SDG Goal 12 is to "Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns". Target 12.3 for this goal is to halve per capita global food waste at the retail and consumer levels and reduce food losses along production and supply chains, including post-harvest losses by 2030. The12.3 Champions, a unique coalition of executives from governments, businesses, international organisations, research institutions, farmer groups, and civil society is formed with the mission of inspiring ambitions, mobilising actions, and accelerating progress towards achieving the SDG Target 12.3 by 2030. In 2018, the government of Vietnam approved the National Action Plan on Zero Hunger in Vietnam towards 2025. One of the targets of the national plan is that by 2025 food will not be lost or wasted. Fresh off failing to address a pandemic that has now killed more than 202,000 Americans, President Donald Trump this week found time to dive back into the crucial goal of getting social-media companies to stop fact-checking his statements and calling him out when he lies. Trumps meeting with Republican state attorneys general regarding Twitter and others was couched as a free-speech issue. It isnt. Not only do those companies have the right to bar toxic misinformation from their platforms, but they have a public obligation to do so. The major social-media companies took heavy criticism for allowing themselves to be manipulated by Russian and domestic disinformation during the 2016 election. In their lurching attempts to address those criticisms, some of the companies have started removing false content and fact-checking misleading assertions. Not surprisingly, Trump has been a key source of alert-worthy misinformation. Which is why Twitter this year has appended fact-check labels to several Trump tweets that falsely claimed mail-in voting has been shown to be rife with fraud (it is not). Republican attempts to show otherwise invariably end like a recent claim from Attorney General William Barr that a man in Texas was indicted for submitting 1,700 fraudulent ballots. Barrs office later was forced to acknowledge that the number of suspicious ballots involved was actually, um, one. But by falsely attacking mail-in voting during the pandemic when many voters are expected to vote by mail to avoid crowded polling places Trump lays the groundwork to dispute the election results if he loses. Its a strategy he has all but announced publicly while hinting he might not respect the Nov. 3 results. Infuriated at having this dangerous scheme challenged by Twitter, Trump is seeking to remove the special legal protections that the tech companies received in a 1996 law designed to help the then-nascent internet flourish. In Wednesdays White House meeting, which was attended by Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt and Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., Trump reiterated his claim that Twitter routinely restricts posts expressing conservative views, even from a president of the United States. As if for good measure, he then repeated the lie that mail-in voting is a mass Democratic scheme to deny him reelection. Hawley is a leading proponent of reining in big tech, and not all his ideas are bad stopping behavioral advertising that tracks peoples online browsing to inundate them with targeted ads, for example. But that doesnt validate the push by Hawley, Trump and others to label responsible fact-checking as an infringement on expression of conservative views. Airing a provably false statement of fact isnt justified by calling it an opinion. Unlike mail-in voting, concerted disinformation particularly from a sitting president really is damaging to democracy. It must be confronted, online as everywhere else. REPRINTED FROM THE ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH. DISTRIBUTED BY CREATORS.COM. Love 3 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 2020-09-29 - 1:16 am Bahrain Mirror: The authorities summoned Sheikh Mounir Maatouk for speaking about normalization between the regime and the Israeli entity. Maatouk said that the agreement does not reflect the desire of the people of Bahrain, known historically for their support of the Palestinian cause. The authorities also arrested two young youths from Abu Sabea and another one from Manama, after they were accused of participating in peaceful activities against normalization with Israelis. The interior ministry arrested poet Abdulhussein Ahmed after he published a poem condemning normalization. The regime is trying to build a wall of fear and criminalize any criticism of the normalization agreement it signed with the Israeli entity under the auspices of the U.S. president on September 15 in Washington, D.C. Bahrain has witnessed more than 150 demonstrations denouncing normalization. Arabic Version Jaipur: Over 19 per cent of the 31.95-lakh voters cast their votes till 10 am on Monday in the first phase of the gram panchayat elections in Rajasthan. The polling for sarpanch and panch of 947 gram panchayats began at 7.30 am and the voting percentage was 19.10 till 10 am, according to a Election Commission spokesperson. The elections are being held as per the guidelines related to the novel coronavirus. The commission has given detailed directions to polling parties and officials to ensure social distancing and other norms during the election process, he said. Elections in 55 village panchayats of the Sarada and the Gogunda panchayat samitis of Udaipur had been postponed in view of the prevailing situation in Dungarpur. Violence erupted last Thursday in Dungarpur district, where candidates of a recruitment exam blocked a highway and toched vehciles. The situation remained tensed till Sunday. Since the police force was engaged in law and order, and polling parties were facing problems in reaching the gram panchayats of Udaipur, the decision was taken to postpone the elections in 55 gram panchayats," State Election Commission Secretary Shyam Singh Rajpurohit said. He added that wearing a mask was mandatory during the election, while arrangements for ensuring compliance of social distancing had also been made at polling booths. The voting will take place from 7.30 am to 5.30 pm. After the voting is over, counting of votes will begin. The second phase of election will take place on October 3, third on October 6 and the fourth on October 10. In total, 3,848 gram panchayats will go to polls in the state in four phases. PTI SDA HMB 09281248 NNNN. Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor Northern California Live Updates Week of September 28 This page covers general news updates weekly, in addition to the coverage of the CCP virus* outbreak in Northern California. For more news related to the CCP virus, see The Epoch Times special coverage of the CCP virus outbreak. Californians may check CalFires website for fires and containment statuses. People may also sign up for alerts in their county. People can visit airnow.gov to check air quality status throughout the day. It is updated hourly. Click here to see archived updates and here for the previous updates on the early CCP virus situation. Have any tips? Get in touch with us at sfbay@epochtimes.com October 1 The August Complex Fire is 47 percent contained, North Complex Fire is 79 percent contained, Creek Fire is 44 percent contained, and Glass Fire is 5 percent contained. The Northern California Hong Kong club will lead a rally at 11:30 a.m. at the San Francisco Chinese Consulate on Chinas National Day to protest Chinas human rights abuses. Berkeley issues a red flag warning for Berkeley hills. Sacramento County aims to move to the Orange Tier 3 by Halloween. September 30 Yolo County is moved to Red Tier and may allow some businesses to reopen indoors. September 29 San Francisco will allow indoor dining and places of worship to resume starting Sept. 30. September 28 Bay Area health officials remind residents to celebrate Halloween and Dia de Los Muertos safely. Three wildfires popped up over the weekend, prompting evacuations. *The Epoch Times refers to the novel coronavirus, which causes the disease COVID-19, as the CCP virus because the Chinese Communist Partys coverup and mismanagement allowed the virus to spread throughout China and create a global pandemic. The market rallied more than 1.5 percent on September 28, in addition to nearly 3 percent gains seen in the previous session. The hope of a stimulus package and measures by the government to boost the economy lifted sentiment. The buying continued across sectors with Bank, Auto and Metal indices rising 3 percent each. The BSE Sensex climbed 592.97 points or 1.59 percent to close at 37,981.63, while the Nifty50 rose 177.20 points or 1.60 percent to 11,227.50 and formed a bullish candle on the daily charts for the second consecutive session. "A long bull candle was formed with opening upside gap and the said up gap remains unfilled. This is a positive indication and if this gap remains unfilled for the next 2-3 sessions, then that could mean more upside for the near term," Nagaraj Shetti, Technical Research Analyst at HDFC Securities told Moneycontrol. "Nifty is currently placed at the minor trend line resistance around 11,250 and this hurdle is expected to be broken on the upside by next session. After this hurdle, one may expect 11,350-11,400 as crucial overhead resistance for the near term," he said. "The bearish negative pattern of lower tops and bottoms is intact and present upmove could be a part of a new lower top formation. We need reversal at the lower highs to call this as a lower top reversal pattern," he added. The broader markets also joined the party, as the Nifty Midcap and Smallcap indices gained 3 percent and 3.6 percent respectively. We have collated 15 data points to help you spot profitable trades: Note: The open interest (OI) and volume data of stocks given in this story are the aggregates of three-month data and not of the current month only. Key support and resistance levels on the Nifty According to pivot charts, the key support levels for the Nifty is placed at 11,138.43, followed by 11,049.37. If the index moves up, the key resistance levels to watch out for are 11,277.93 and 11,328.37. Nifty Bank The Bank Nifty continued to outperform Nifty50, climbing 683.15 points or 3.26 percent to 21,665.50 on September 28 and formed a bullish candle on the daily charts. The important pivot level, which will act as crucial support for the index, is placed at 21,244.13, followed by 20,822.77. On the upside, key resistance levels are placed at 21,897.83 and 22,130.17. Call option data Maximum Call open interest of 17.62 lakh contracts was seen at 11,500 strike, which will act as crucial resistance in the October series. This is followed by 12,000 strike, which holds 15.34 lakh contracts, and 11,000 strike, which has accumulated 10.9 lakh contracts. Call writing was seen at 11,500 strike, which added 1.83 lakh contracts, followed by 12,100, which added 84,675 contracts, and 11,700 strike, which added 67,500 contracts. Call unwinding was seen at 11,000 strike, which shed 1.21 lakh contracts, followed by 11,200 strike, which shed 73,275 contracts and 10,900 strike which shed 49,125 contracts. Put option data Maximum Put open interest of 33.63 lakh contracts was seen at 10,500 strike, which will act as crucial support in the October series. This is followed by 11,000 strike, which holds 19.41 lakh contracts, and 10,800 strike, which has accumulated 16.45 lakh contracts. Put writing was seen at 11,200 strike, which added 3.08 lakh contracts, followed by 11,000 strike, which added 1.77 lakh contracts and 11,100 strike which added 1.39 lakh contracts. Put unwinding was witnessed at 10,600 strike, which shed 51,075 contracts, followed by 10,700 strike which shed 17,550 contracts and 10,200 strike which shed 34,125 contracts. Stocks with a high delivery percentage A high delivery percentage suggests that investors are showing interest in these stocks. 76 stocks saw long build-up Based on the open interest future percentage, here are the top 10 stocks in which long build-up was seen. No stocks saw long unwinding Not a single stock witnessed long unwinding on September 28. Three stocks saw short build-up An increase in open interest, along with a decrease in price, mostly indicates a build-up of short positions. Based on the open interest future percentage, here are those 3 stocks in which short build-up was seen. 59 stocks witnessed short-covering A decrease in open interest, along with an increase in price, mostly indicates a short-covering. Based on the open interest future percentage, here are top 10 stocks in which short-covering was seen. Bulk deals (For more bulk deals, click here) Analysts/Board Meetings Meghmani Organics: The senior management team of the company is participating in Virtual Motilal Oswal, 2nd Annual India Ideation Conference on September 29. Trident: The company's officials to attend a Virtual Investor Conference organised by Motilal Oswal Financial Services on September 29. Everest Industries: The company, on November 3, to consider unaudited financial results for the quarter and half year ending September 30, 2020. Puravankara: The company's officials will interact with Aviva Life Insurance Company India, SBI Funds Management, JM Financial Services and Angel Broking via conference on September 29. Satin Creditcare Network: A committee meeting to be held on October 1 for the issuance of NCDs up to Rs 25 crore through private placement. Sterlite Technologies: The company will be participating in 'Motilal Oswal Ideation Conference' on September 29. Indian Energy Exchange: The company's officials will meet Ocean Dial and Fidelity Management Research via video conference on September 29. MEP Infrastructure Developers: 18th Annual General Meeting of the company will be held on October 22, 2020. Endurance Technologies: The company to consider September quarter earnings on November 10. Stocks in the news India Grid Trust: The company completed the acquisition of 74 percent in Jhajjar KT Transco (JKTPL) from Kalpataru Power Transmission and Techno Electric & Engineering Company. Anuh Pharma: The company received approval from WHO - Geneva Prequalification for Pyrimethamine API which is used as anti-malarial drugs. Hexaware Technologies: HDFC Asset Management Company offloaded the entire 5.02 percent stake in the company. Shalby: Board approved to reduce promoters' shareholding in the company to 75 percent from 79.45 percent. Infosys: Subsidiary EdgeVerve Systems signed a partnership with Minit, a leader in process mining, to help its clients accelerate process excellence. UTI AMC: IPO to open on September 29 and close on October 1 with a price band of Rs 552-554 per share. Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders: IPO to open on September 29 and close on October 1 with a price band of Rs 135-145 per share. Fund flow FII and DII data Foreign institutional investors (FIIs) net sold shares worth Rs 26.98 crore, whereas domestic institutional investors (DIIs) net bought shares worth Rs 542.34 crore in the Indian equity market on September 28, as per provisional data available on the NSE. Stock under F&O ban on NSE Not a single stock is under the F&O ban for September 29. Securities in the ban period under the F&O segment include companies in which the security has crossed 95 percent of the market-wide position limit. It just has to be doable, said Criss Henderson, the executive director of the Chicago Shakespeare Theater on Navy Pier which, like all of the major theaters in the city, has been targeted by activists demanding more racial equity and inclusion. There are colliding priorities everywhere and always so there is never a good time or a bad time to do this work. But, as theater-makers, we have to be present in the times in which we are living and we have to be in service to our communities. And the ways in which we werent doing that are much clearer now to us. Intention has to be replaced with intentionality." Photo: (Photo : Free-Photos on Pixabay) An 80-year-old musician with dementia shows his extraordinary talent - improvising beautiful melodies using only four notes as his starting point. Paul Harvey, a musician from East Sussex, England, has dementia. His condition is getting worse, his son, Nick, said. Yet, he hasn't lost his incredible ability to "improvise and compose beautiful melodies on the fly." Nick, who is also a musician himself, said that there are days when his dad struggles to play. But on September 18, he shared on Twitter a video of his dad creating a musical masterpiece using just four notes as his starting point. Dads ability to improvise and compose beautiful melodies on the fly has always amazed me. Tonight, I gave him four random notes as a starting point. Nick Harvey (@mrnickharvey) September 17, 2020 Although his dementia is getting worse, moments like this bring him back to me. pic.twitter.com/dBInVCTmfF Nick said he has always been amazed by his dad's ability to improvise and compose beautiful melodies on the fly. He adds, "...moments like this bring him back to me." The post that immediately went viral and left many feeling emotional and moved by the video. This has been a hell of a day. If your heart can take it, end the day with this. It's beautiful and inspiring and heartbreaking all at once. - Gene Weingarten@geneweingarten Whatever happens in our lives, music will always feed the heart, mind, and the soul and never leave us. This is just beautiful Please read and watch this everyone and sleep well everyone. Jb - John Barrowman MBE @JohnBarrowman I can't stop crying. - Curtis Stigers @curtisstigers A welcome break from the hellscape of 2020. So beautiful. David Schneider @davidschneider This is utterly beautiful and life-affirming. What an exceptional talent. Thank you for sharing it with us. - Rebecca Front @RebeccaFront I know most of us are having a pretty tricky time of it right now. We're worried about the present and the future. But I urge you to take a deep breathe and float for just a few minutes in something truly beautiful that will bring tears for the right reasons for once - Joanna Le Grys@Jsedai "I'm overwhelmed by the response to dad's video, Nick wrote. "I know he'll be deeply moved. Thank you." "I just rang him to tell him that he's gone viral," he continued, "He replied, saying that as long as the virus isn't Covid, he's happy." When asked by Good Morning Britain about his video going viral, Paul quipped that he is too old to get excited about it. As for Nick, he said that it had been a crazy couple of days. He said that he felt genuinely privileged being in the same room when his dad created that beautiful composition. He recalled that his dad did that same thing before when Nick was still a child, and Paul was teaching summer school. According to the Metro UK report, Paul asked the audience to throw four random notes at him. And then the magic happened, Paul improvised a beautiful piece of music, and the whole room erupted. Paul again duplicated that moment when he guested on Good Morning Britain and host Susanna Reid gave him the notes C, D, G, and B to compose a music. A few seconds later, everyone was spellbound by Paul's music while his son proudly watches beside him. The song ended with Paul patting his dad's back before leaning on his shoulder with a smile. Read next: Senior Couple Celebrates 60th Wedding Anniversary: See Their Adorable Photos Heroic Nanny Shielded Two Children from Hit-and-Run Crash Conjoined Twins From Petersburg Michigan Successfully Separated Is The Stock Market Dow Transportation Index Setting up a Topping Pattern? RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS: The Transportation Index, has been unusually aligned with the S&P 500 over the past 8+ months. Classic Japanese Candlestick top/sell reversal Three Rivers Evening Star topping pattern setting up. We may see a much bigger downside price move where price attempts to find support near 9,800 or 9,200. The Transportation Index, which typically leads the US stock market by 2 to 4+months, has been unusually aligned with the S&P 500 over the past 8+ months. Recently, though, the Transportation Index has rallied up to recent new all-time highs (over the past 9+ months) and has rotated lower below resistance near 11,440 (the MAGENTA LINE on the first chart). Our researchers are warning us that any continued breakdown below this level could prompt a bigger downside market move. IS RECENT ROTATION A TOPPING PATTERN OR JUST CONSOLIDATION? Currently, the US stock market has rolled into a sideways/topping pattern. After the peak in metals setup near August 7, 2020, the US stock market continued to rally a bit higher, then rotated lower on September 3, 2020. The Transportation Index rolled over on September 3 but climbed higher less than 5 trading days later breaking above the highs set before the COVID-19 peak. Weve suggested a Bull Trap pattern may be forming in the major markets and weve urged traders to cautious regarding the new price highs and appearance of a continued upside price rally. The Bull Trap pattern, sometimes called a Scouting Party, happens when price breaks above resistance (or below support) briefly in an attempt to establish a new trend. If price fails to find support after breaking above the previous resistance level, then it typically rotates lower and collapses back below the resistance level (attempting to find a lower support level). If our research is correct, the recent rotation in the Transportation Index may suggest a Bull Trap pattern has setup and completed (with price falling back below the 11,440 level). If this trend continues, we may see a much bigger downside price move where price attempts to find support near 9,800 or 9,200. This Daily Transportation Index chart highlights our proprietary Fibonacci Price Modeling system and the key resistance level near 11,440 (in MAGENTA). It also shows the Bull Trap setup near the recent highs. Past Fibonacci Price Trigger levels near 9,800 and 9,200 suggest any downside price move may target these levels as current support. This Transportation Index Weekly chart provides a bigger picture look at the Bull Trap setup. The one aspect of the Weekly Transportation chart that we feel is critical is the 10,815 Bearish Price Trigger level from our Fibonacci Price Modeling System. This level is key to understanding if and when the Transportation Index breaks a major weekly Fibonacci trigger level. If price falls below the 10,815 level and manages to close below this level on an end-of-week basis, then we have confirmation that the longer term Fibonacci trigger level has confirmed a new bearish price trend. Right now, we dont have that confirmation. Before you continue, be sure to opt-in to our free-market trend signalsnow so you dont miss our next special report! One other interesting pattern that has set up on the Weekly Transportation Index is the Three Rivers Evening Star topping pattern. This is a classic Japanese Candlestick top/sell reversal pattern. The term three rivers references the confluence of two rivers joining together (think of the strength and force of the water flow) to form a new third river. The descriptive name of the pattern is designed to illustrate the nuanced strength that lies behind this price setup. A three rivers pattern, once confirmed, is one of the more ominous topping patterns in Japanese Candlestick price theory. It is usually associated with Doji and Hammer/Umbrella shaped price bars that are equally indicative of a price reversal. In our past research, we authored a research article about Dow Theory and price trends that we believe should be reviewed by our friends and followers. It clearly describes the Down Price Trend theory and our research teams believe that recent weakness in the US stock market may prompt a new downside price trend. At this time, we continue to urge our friends and followers to stay cautious of volatility and price rotation. The markets are in the process of rotating certainly. The issue for all skilled technical traders right now is will it find support or will it break down and start a new downside price trend?. Our researchers believe we know what will happen next, we are just waiting for technical confirmation from price activity. Visit www.TheTechnicalTraders.com to learn how we can help you find and execute better trades and avoid risk. If you follow our research, you already know we have stayed well ahead of these trends and big price rotations in the US stock market. Whats next is even more big trends and profits for those able to engage in the best trade setups. If you want to survive the trading over a long period of time, then you learn fairly quickly how important it is to protect against risk and to properly size your trades. Subscribers of my Active ETF Swing Trading Newsletter can ride my coattails as I navigate these financial markets and build wealth. My research and trading team are here to help you find better trades and navigate these incredibly crazy market trends. While most of us have active trading accounts, our long-term investment and retirement accounts are equally at risk. We can also help you preserve and even grow your long term capital when things get ugly (likely now) with our Passive Long-Term ETF Investing Signals. Dont wait until it is too late subscribe today! Chris Vermeulen www.TheTechnicalTraders.com Chris Vermeulen has been involved in the markets since 1997 and is the founder of Technical Traders Ltd. He is an internationally recognized technical analyst, trader, and is the author of the book: 7 Steps to Win With Logic Through years of research, trading and helping individual traders around the world. He learned that many traders have great trading ideas, but they lack one thing, they struggle to execute trades in a systematic way for consistent results. Chris helps educate traders with a three-hour video course that can change your trading results for the better. His mission is to help his clients boost their trading performance while reducing market exposure and portfolio volatility. He is a regular speaker on HoweStreet.com, and the FinancialSurvivorNetwork radio shows. Chris was also featured on the cover of AmalgaTrader Magazine, and contributes articles to several leading financial hubs like MarketOracle.co.uk Disclaimer: Nothing in this report should be construed as a solicitation to buy or sell any securities mentioned. Technical Traders Ltd., its owners and the author of this report are not registered broker-dealers or financial advisors. Before investing in any securities, you should consult with your financial advisor and a registered broker-dealer. Never make an investment based solely on what you read in an online or printed report, including this report, especially if the investment involves a small, thinly-traded company that isnt well known. Technical Traders Ltd. and the author of this report has been paid by Cardiff Energy Corp. In addition, the author owns shares of Cardiff Energy Corp. and would also benefit from volume and price appreciation of its stock. The information provided here within should not be construed as a financial analysis but rather as an advertisement. The authors views and opinions regarding the companies featured in reports are his own views and are based on information that he has researched independently and has received, which the author assumes to be reliable. Technical Traders Ltd. and the author of this report do not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any content of this report, nor its fitness for any particular purpose. Lastly, the author does not guarantee that any of the companies mentioned in the reports will perform as expected, and any comparisons made to other companies may not be valid or come into effect. Chris Vermeulen Archive 2005-2019 http://www.MarketOracle.co.uk - The Market Oracle is a FREE Daily Financial Markets Analysis & Forecasting online publication. Hughesville, MD - After holding two huge parties a man in the state of Maryland was sentenced to one year stay behind the bars for violating the order imposed by the state regarding the limitations of large gatherings based on the information given by the state's attorney's office of Charles County. According to the office of Governor Larry Hogan, the state-imposed social distancing rules which include the banning of gatherings that involves more than 10 individuals, but the 42-year-old man, Shawn Marshall Myers did not follow the rules of the state and still chose to hold parties in late March leading to his arrest. During the press release, the state's attorney's office stated that the 42-year-old Myers was convicted of two counts of failure to comply with an emergency order and will serve a year sentence at the Charles County Detention Center, CNN reported. When asked for a comment, the attorney of Myers refused to give one. Based on the information gathered by the state's attorney's office, on March 22, Myers was confronted by the law enforcement at his home in Hughesville, Maryland the 42-year-old man agreed to disband the first gathering of an estimated 50 individuals but before agreeing to the authorities, Myers shown being argumentative. The prosecutors stated that on the second party that Myers authorized in his home five days later after the initial action of the authorities, more than 50 individuals were spotted but this time the 42-year-old man refused to end the gathering. Read also: Florida Metro Rider Hits Female Passenger's Face 20 Times, Injures Her Ribs in 'Senseless' Attack The press released also detailed what happened during the initial response of the authorities, wherein officers told Myers to disband the party but the 42-year-old man remained argumentative and claiming that he and his guests had the right to congregate. He even directed his guests during the gathering to stay in defiance of the orders coming from Governor Hogan and the lawful orders of the officers to disband the party. But despite what happened during the initial incident, in just less than a week later, officers responded again to the home of Myers after they received a report of a bonfire and the occurrence of another large party. But the second encounter did not end up the same with the first one as this time, Myers refused to follow the order and disregarded the order of the authorities to disband the second party. Prosecutors mentioned that Myers was taken into custody after they were not able to obtain any cooperation from the 42-year-old man. The release also includes the decision of District Court Judge W. Louis Hennessy sentencing Myers to three years of unsupervised probation after his release and a fine of $5,000. On the other hand, according to US News, some citizens living in the state are wondering whether there is any coronavirus case in the county which can be linked to the gatherings that Myers led. Based on the latest information gathered by the Johns Hopkins University's COVID-19 tracking project, the state of Maryland currently has 122,972 coronavirus cases with a record of 3,935 deaths. Related article: Doctors Warn About Catastrophic Fall Season Amid Rising COVID-19 Cases in US @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. MOSCOW - Searchers combing the area where a Ukrainian military aircraft crashed found two more bodies on Saturday, bringing the death toll to 26. One person survived. The plane, a twin-turboprop Antonov-26 belonging to the Ukrainian air force, was carrying a crew of seven and 20 cadets of a military aviation school when it crashed and burst into flames Friday night while coming in for landing at the airport in Chuhuiv, about 400 kilometres (250 miles) east of the capital Kyiv. Two people initially survived the crash, but one later died in a hospital. No cause for the crash has been determined. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy declared Saturday to be a day of mourning for the crash victims and ordered that flights of An-26 planes be halted pending investigation of the crash cause. Zelenskiy, who visited the crash area on Saturday, called for a full assessment of the condition of the countrys military equipment and said he wanted an official report on the crash by Oct. 25. The An-26 is a transport plane used by both military and civilian operators. Nearly 1,400 of the planes were manufactured from 1969 to 1986, according to the companys website. The age of the plane that crashed Friday was not immediately reported. An An-26 chartered by a contractor for the World Food Program crashed on Aug. 22 while taking off from Juba in South Sudan, killing seven people. Read more about: Rachel Engle was walking with a group of friends, including her brother George, from her home on Eighth Street to downtown Grand Island to attend a carnival on Aug. 3, 1906. It promised to be a fun-filled Friday night for the group. Rachel, 15 years old, and George had agreed they would meet up with their mother and step-father, Lillie and Mark Kent, at the carnival later that evening. As they walked across the train tracks, chatting about their plans, one member of the group slipped behind a train car to light a cigar. Suddenly, two shots rang out. Rachel screamed and fell to the ground. Albert Smith, one of Mark Kents employees who had accompanied the group, felt a bullet across his face. Smith sprang into action and pursued the assailant north for a block before realizing the coming darkness would make pursuit difficult. He found the nearest phone and called for the police. George ran back for his parents, who were a few blocks behind the group. They had heard the gunshot but had no idea what had happened until they spotted George running toward them. Rachel was left in the care of her friends until help arrived. By the time her parents reached her, Rachel had been moved to a nearby house. Dr. Wilmer Hoge arrived at the house and ordered the young girl to be taken immediately to St. Francis Hospital. After arriving at the hospital, it was discovered the bullet had entered the right side of her back, 3 to 4 inches above her hip, and traveled downward. Paralysis had begun to set in on her right side and surgery was suggested as the only course of action. Smith identified John Hamblin, a border at the Kent house and sometimes employee of Mark Kent, as the assailant. Kent informed officials that Hamblin had never shown signs of violence toward anyone before, although he had a quick temper. He also stated Hamblin was not a drinking man and had never been involved with any trouble that he knew of. However, Hamblin had recently taken an interest in Rachel. Kent felt the 33-year-old Hamblin was much too old for Rachel and discouraged any romantic notions Hamblin had. Rachel herself never encouraged Hamblin or showed him any more affection than she would to any other friend. Hall County Sheriff James Dunkel began to spread the word about Hamblin to surrounding towns and dispatched deputies to various parts of the county. Police Chief Philip Koeplin also engaged his officers in the search. Koeplin reported he joined searchers who found that Hamblin had gone back to the Kent home and stole Smiths bicycle before heading north. The trail was lost north of the Soldiers and Sailors Home, where Hamblin was thought to have jumped on a freight train. On Saturday morning, Aug. 4, doctors decided it was useless to probe for the bullet at that point. However, the damage was worse than previously thought. The bullet had severely affected Rachels spine and she was paralyzed below the waist. By Saturday morning, too, notice of the crime, along with a description of Hamblin, was sent as far west as California and as far east as Chicago. Hall County deputies continued scouring the countryside until word came in from Marshall Peterson in Dannebrog that a man who fit Hamblins description had been spotted by local residents. The stranger had gone into a restaurant in Dannebrog for supper, where he stated his name was Emerson. After supper he went to the telephone office, where he gave his name as Thompson and placed a call to Shorty Wicker of Grand Island, a neighbor of the Kent family. Marshall Peterson approached the stranger and then took him into custody until Sheriff Dunkel arrived from Grand Island. Hamblin admitted to the sheriff that he was the man they were looking for, but claimed he had not done the shooting. Upon further questioning, Hamblin claimed he called Wicker to inquire how the girl was doing. Smith had traveled with the sheriff to identify the suspect. Upon seeing Smith, Hamblin declared he was sorry to have shot the girl instead of him. Hamblin was returned to Grand Island early Sunday morning, Aug. 5. He was placed in the county jail and charged with shooting with intent to kill. Rachel had been transported from St. Francis by ambulance to the offices of Drs. Davis and Farnsworth for an X-ray examination. She was then returned to her home to await the results. On Wednesday, five days after the shooting, Rachel was taken back to St. Francis, where a two-hour surgery was attempted to remove the bullet. The five doctors in the operating room concurred that it was too dangerous to remove the bullet, which was lodged in her vertebrae. It was concluded that Rachel would be able to live for a period of time, however she would never regain use of her limbs. She was returned to the Kent home under the care of her mother. Rachel languished more than five months before succumbing to her injuries. It was reported that throughout her entire confinement to bed, Rachel never appeared to be downhearted, peevish or despondent. Her visitors remarked on her cheerful mood, even though she suffered untold pain and misery from the bullet wound. On the afternoon of Jan. 14, 1907, Rachel Engle passed away at home, with her family by her side. John Hamblin was informed the next day of Rachels death. He was rendered speechless when he was informed of the change in the charges leveled against him. At his trial he was found guilty of murder and was sentenced to death. On March 18, 1908, the Nebraska Supreme Court commuted the death sentence after Hamblins attorney pled insanity as a defense. The high court sentenced him to life imprisonment. Hamblin ended up serving 20 years behind bars for the murder of Rachel Engle before he died in the state penitentiary in 1927. Zooming with Graham Norton, who is in West Cork, makes me first want to find a red chair to sit in, and then ready myself to be tipped over backwards when I fail to be sufficiently entertaining. As it happens, we don't get very long face-to-face before Norton's patchy WiFi defeats us - "people tell me I'm unstable," he says with a laugh, "I don't need to hear that!" - and we revert to the phone. But it's long enough face-to-face to feel that we have established something of the dynamic for which Norton is famous - that cosy, intimate, slightly risky rapport in which Norton plays both the beguiling host and the zany, unpredictable contributor. At one point, we have a chat about housework which is pure Norton, meaning I don't honestly know how much he's joking - "In London I have a cleaner and here I don't, I do it myself. I say 'do it myself', I mean when my mother's coming to stay, that kind of galvanises me. Left to my own devices, I will walk into the kitchen and think 'there could be vermin in this room'" Seriously? Housework aside, we're talking about his new novel - his third, on top of two memoirs. Home Stretch is a skilfully plotted, pacy and emotionally resonant tale that starts in rural Ireland in 1987, in a fictional town called Mullinmore, takes in London and New York, and ends 32 years later in 2019, back in Mullinmore. Just as with his first two books, Holding and A Keeper, Norton's characters are the people of this small town. They are unshowy, often inarticulate, bound by the town and its expectations until forced to confront these by dramatic external events. In this case, it's a car accident that kills three young people and maims another on the eve of a wedding. Two escape, and much of the story is what happens to them and because of them, in the aftermath of the crash. Home Stretch, it seems to me, is a more personal book than either of his previous two: Connor, the main character, moves to London, comes out as gay, works in restaurants, hangs out with designers, then moves to New York. Is that reading too much into it? "I think it's easier to find bits of me in it," Norton agrees. "All books are personal but this one is the most overt. Initially, I was reluctant to have anything that might remind people that I'd written the books. With the first two books I was really strict - there were no gay characters, no London This one, I thought, 'oh come on, this is Book Three, I've got to mine bits of my own life if I'm going to keep writing here'" he laughs. "So I allowed myself. It's still not 'my life', though - and I hope people won't think it is." 'His' London - he moved there in the late 1980s - sounds a lot like Connor's. "When I went to London I didn't do any of the Kilburn stuff," he says. "I thought, 'I left an island with three-and-a-half million of them, I don't need to meet any more Irish people, thank you very much.' So I worked in restaurants, went to drama school, made friends." As part of the acknowledgements to the book, Norton thanks "all the people who stayed in Ireland to fight for the modern tolerant place it has become. I took the easy way out and left..." Does he really think that was the easy way out? "Yes, absolutely. I moved where the gays were. I went to London. Where nobody knew me so there was none of that scariness and there were gay bars that were just on the street so I could walk in, and meet other gay people. And I don't want to be glib about it, because those people who stayed, who went on the marches and did the petitions, are nameless and faceless and I'll never get to actually thank them, but they did the hard work." Then he adds, "I am aware that Ireland isn't Nirvana - and I think if young people hear me talking they'll think 'what is wrong with him? It's horrible here' Well, try being here in the late '70s! People should be proud of themselves. Ireland is transformed." His description in the book of marriage - "It wasn't about being happy or making someone happy. It turned out it was just a matter of whose unhappiness was the easiest to deal with" - is particularly arresting. That, he says, when I mention it, "is my favourite line in the whole book. That is really true of relationships, particularly long-term relationships: choosing whose unhappiness is easiest to deal with." As for his own current relationship status, "I get really uncomfortable talking about dating. I'm 57 years old, which sounds an awful lot like 60. Who wants to hear about that man's love life? Fifty-seven-year-olds only appear in porn when it is very, very niche. I'm not married with children but nor am I a monk. Shall we just leave it at that? I'll alert your local milliners if my circumstances change." For all the wit, there are many moments of psychological astuteness in the book, including this, on Connor's fear of his parents' rejection: "How many gay young men had made the same excuses, when in reality it was all about their own self-loathing?" Is that really how it feels, I ask? "You'll have to talk to other gay men about that," he says, "but I think that is a sort of truism. It goes back to Panti Bliss's speech on homophobia, that we're all a bit homophobic. We judge our own gayness harshly. Hopefully not any more; hopefully that is changing. But if you grew up in the society that myself and Rory [aka Panti] grew up in, you're not going to think being gay is a great thing. You're not going to go 'yippee!' You know it's not a choice, you know it's not something you did, but you feel like you're less than. You feel like you failed. You don't want to test people's love, because you don't love you" He breaks off then and laughs, and says "I sound like RuPaul now" - and I'm honestly not sure if the laughter is a defence. It's tempting to see the use of humour as a way to deflect - the 'tears of a clown' drill - but I'm not at all sure that's what's going on here. Does he feel he should engage more on, say, Twitter? Do battle for the things he believes in? "It's so difficult. I think my younger self would judge me very harshly," he says. "That I have a potentially loud voice and I don't use it at all. I feel guilty on his behalf. I feel like apologising to him that I turned into such a wimp. What stops me are two things. One is working for the BBC; it doesn't sit well with the guy on BBC One on a Friday night if I'm constantly campaigning. But also because I think, 'who does care what I think?' I scarcely care what I think." Twitter, he reckons, "is essentially a 24-hour, seven-day-a-week bar brawl. You can't go in there and whisper your nuanced opinion and expect not to be hit over the head by a chair leg. I don't understand the people who engage; I think, 'how can you be bothered talking to people who are clearly stupid?' They're stupid and angry. Angry, stupid people -they're not the ones you would normally like to spend time with!" Success, at the age Norton was when he moved to London, feels like a kind of zero sum game, we agree. "You look at your friends and you think, 'They're having my success,'" he laughs. As for his own considerable success (hosting his own chat show for 22 years; nine Baftas, a BBC2 radio show and much more), "I was lucky in that I had failed at acting quite early on," he says. "Or I decided I'd failed, early on. I didn't keep knocking on that door. I knew I still wanted to show off, and that was when I started my own little shows and that bridged into stand-up; I did some radio, some TV, and that felt easier to cope with not being very successful at, because it was unclear what I was doing. I felt successful when I was able to pay my rent without working in a restaurant, and I wasn't able to do that until I was about 31. It felt like a long time coming" Back to acting, or, more specifically, actors. Given his unique vantage point, does he find the younger generation have less to say for themselves? Are they harder to talk to? "Not harder to talk to," he says with a laugh, "harder to listen to" There are still, he says, "the good ones" where "you think 'you're great. You're funny, you're engaged, you're interested in other people' You then get that really depressing thing when you have them on [the show] again and you think 'oh no! You've turned! You've drunk the Kool-Aid! You aren't as interested. You're very cautious now because you've been in the paper for the wrong reasons, or you said something stupid on the show the last time,' and it's sad to see that." He talks about that elusive star quality - "the really big stars, they have learned whatever it is that they do, so that people on the film set walk away and think, 'what a lovely guy', and audiences go to see the film and think 'what a lovely guy'" When I say, "Ah, but that's exactly what people say about you!" he responds with, "well, you hope you're a decent human being. I think that should be everybody's basic ambition. And we are all aware of the days when we failed in that basic ambition, and we all have those days and we're not proud of them and you think, 'well, I must start again, learn patience,' stuff like that" Home Stretch resolves itself in a way that is subtle, almost low-key [mild spoiler alert]; "I was slightly worried that readers would feel cheated of a big comeuppance. I kind of thought that's where we'd end up - with fisticuffs, punishment. It was such a Eureka moment when I realised the only possible ending is forgiveness. That's a lesson for me; for anyone. That actually, it is the most powerful thing you can do - to forgive someone, because that's it, you've washed your hands. You get to walk away whereas they are still stuck." Is he good at forgiveness? "I have to work at it," he says frankly, "but I do work at it." Forgiveness needn't, however, mean forgetting: "I do do forgiveness," he says, "although I'm still not talking to that person and don't want them in my life any more. I'm over it; I'm not angry, I'm not seething, I wish them well - 'good luck with the rest of your life that I'm not in.' They're unaware of my forgiveness, but I've let it go in my own head, and that feels as good." The question of whether humour is a defence for Norton is one I have another chance to consider when I mention the period during his college years at UCC (he studied English and French, but didn't finish his degree). For a time back then, he refused to leave his room. I make a rather stretched analogy with lockdown, of which he is decently tolerant ("That is interesting, how you've joined up bits of my life," he says kindly), but takes gentle exception to the word 'breakdown', which is how it is mostly reported, along with the detail that he gathered dead flies in a saucer. "I don't think I said in the book I had a breakdown," he says. "I think it's been reported I had a breakdown. And maybe I did. But I was never diagnosed, so I don't want to kind of trivialise. "But I did kill a lot of flies and then keep all their bodies. I might have thrown them away! It was weird that I kept a kind of mass grave, on one of the stereo speakers. Those heavy winter flies" and he's laughing again in a way that, truly, seems exactly as though he finds this delightfully funny, albeit at a distance of more than 30 years. I guess if one is as open and approachable as Norton, maybe it's only fair that he gets to have a little bit of clever fun with our perceptions. Home Stretch by Graham Norton is out on October 1, published by Coronet, 13.99. Join Graham in conversation with RTE broadcaster Rick O'Shea at an online event, 4 October, 5-6pm; tickets 18, include a signed copy of the book; dublinbookfestival.com http://dublinbookfestival.com/dublin-book-festival-eason-graham-norton/ Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi appeared to take a subtle swipe at China in his speech to the UN after months of tense between the two nuclear-armed nations. In what has been widely interpreted as a back-handed swipe at the communist superpower, India's Prime Minister said his nation 'always thought about the interests of the whole humankind and not about its own vested interests'. It comes after months of tense border standoffs between the two countries over a disputed 2,170-mile border separating Chinese and Indian-held territories from Ladakh in the west to India's eastern state of Arunachal Pradesh. Mr Modi also used his speech to take a swipe at the intergovernmental organization for not allowing it a permanent say ahead of India taking on it's two-year seat as a non-permanent member in January. He said: 'For how long will India be kept out of the decision-making structures of the United Nations?' Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi (left) appeared to take a subtle swipe at China (Chinese President Xi Jinping, right) in his speech to the UN after months of tense between the two nuclear-armed nations With 1.3 billion people, he said, India is the world's largest democracy, has 18 per cent of the world's population and is strongly committed 'to maintain the relevance of this great institution.' While China claims the border separating the two territories in its entirety, both nations agreed to 'quickly disengage' their troops earlier this month. Mr Modi said: 'Any gesture of friendship by India towards one country is not directed against any third country. 'When India strengthens its development partnership, it is not with any mala fide intent of making the partner country dependent or hapless.' He said India has 'always thought about the interests of the whole humankind and not about its own vested interests'. The dispute over Ladakh, a region abutting Kashmir, stemmed from a 1962 border war which ended in an uneasy truce. The two countries have agreed not to attack each other with firearms, but troops guarding the border have brawled at times. A new standoff began in May and escalated in June into a clash in which soldiers used clubs, stones and their fists. Twenty Indian soldiers were killed and dozens of others were injured. China is believed to have also suffered casualties but has not provided any details. The rivals have since amassed tens of thousands of soldiers, backed by artilleries, tanks and fighter jets, in Ladakh. In recent weeks, India and China have accused each other of sending soldiers into each other's territory in an area near glacial Pangong Lake and have firing warning shots for the first time in 45 years, raising the specter of a full-scale military conflict between the two nuclear-armed nations with the world's largest populations. At least 20 Indian soldiers, including a colonel, were killed in June during a mass brawl at the border, which reportedly involved clubs. Officially no shots have been fired in the area since 1975 when four Indian troops were killed in an ambush Neither Modi nor Chinese President Xi Jinping directly mentioned it in their speeches to the assembly this week. In the speech, he also pledged to help the world produce and deliver potential coronavirus vaccines while making no mention of the heavy toll the pandemic has taken on his own country, where the enormous population has suffered among the highest numbers of cases and deaths in the world. Modi's remarks to the UN General Assembly - pre-recorded because the gathering is virtual this year - also said nothing about growing tensions with neighboring Pakistan, whose prime minister, Imran Khan, devoted much of his speech Friday to assailing India, leading to a sharp exchange between the two countries' diplomats in the Assembly hall. Instead, Modi cast India as a country that treats 'the whole world as one family,' emphasized the country's push for a bigger role at the UN, and touted domestic initiatives in areas from technology to sewage sanitation. And he promised that the country's robust pharmaceutical industry would be an international asset in the pandemic. 'India's vaccine production and delivery capacity will be used to help all humanity in fighting this crisis,' Modi said, adding that his country would also help others boost their capacity to provide cold storage for the potential inoculations. An Indian army convoy moves on the Srinagar- Ladakh highway at Gagangeer, northeast of Srinagar, Indian-controlled Kashmir, this month. Tensions have been mounting between the nuclear armed nations since a melee between troops ended with 20 Indian soldiers killed India, the world's second-most populous country, has reported over 93,000 deaths from Covid-19, fewer only than the US and Brazil, according to figures collected by Johns Hopkins University. India also is behind only the U.S. in number of cases, with 5.9 million reported so far. However, India's daily number of new cases has been declining, with recoveries exceeding reported new cases this week. Modi said the UN hadn't done enough in the virus fight - 'where is its effective response?' Saying the world body has fallen short on other issues over its 75 years, he used the anniversary to press for change. Members of the Tibetan Youth Congress participate in a July street protest calling for the boycott of Chinese goods in Dharmsala, India, amid mounting tensions between the nations. India's economy relies heavily on Chinese goods, which have faced a backlash He made no reference to India's increasingly heated relations with neighbors Pakistan. India and Pakistan split control over Kashmir, a Muslim-majority Himalayan area claimed by both. The nuclear-armed neighbors have fought two wars over the territory. India accuses Pakistan of arming and training insurgents fighting for Kashmir's independence from India. Pakistan denies the charge and says it offers only diplomatic and moral support to the rebels. The tension hit a new turning point in August 2019, when Modi's Hindu nationalist-led government stripped the Indian-controlled part of Kashmir and the neighboring Jammu district of their semi-autonomy, removed inherited protections on land and jobs and cracked down on security and communications. Armed with spears: Chinese troops near the disputed Himalayan border with India this month where gunfire is banned but soldiers fought in deadly hand-to-hand combat in June An internet and social media blackout lasted until March. Residents of the Indian-controlled area say security forces have arrested thousands of young men, raided people's homes, inflicted beatings and electric shocks, and threatened to take away and marry their female relatives. Thousands of protesters have been wounded by shotgun pellets over the past year. UN-appointed independent human rights experts have called the situation 'alarming.' Khan, in his pre-recorded speech shown Friday, urged the international community to investigate and 'prosecute the Indian civil and military personnel involved in state terrorism and serious crimes against humanity,' and he called India a state sponsor of anti-Muslim hatred and prejudice. India on Friday said Khan was spreading 'lies, misinformation, warmongering and malice' as the two countries traded barbed remarks in the Assembly hall, where rules allow nations to respond to one another's speeches. Victoria Police's preference that enforcement in the program not be done by its officers strongly influenced the decision to deploy private security as the hotels' frontline guards, she said. Loading "Once that consensus had become the agreed understanding of everyone, it endured," Ms Ellyard said. Graham Ashton, who was chief commissioner at the time, denied in the inquiry he had any view about whether private security was used and denied he made any recommendation, but the inquiry heard that Mr Ashton may have "misremembered" some of the sequence of events on that day. "This decision ended up employing thousands of people and costing tens of millions of dollars, Ms Ellyard said. We ought to be able to say who is accountable for that decision. Loading However, once they were engaged, "no one revisited the suitability of them as the frontline workforce, Ms Ellyard said, until after two outbreaks, one at the Rydges on Swanston in Carlton and another at the Stamford Plaza in the CBD. The Rydges outbreak fuelled 90 per cent of the cases that unfolded in Victorias deadly second wave, and the Stamford outbreak the remainder, the inquiry heard. It was "not appropriate for private security to have been the key frontline officers at the hotels, Ms Ellyard said on the final of 25 days of hearings. Chris Eccles, secretary of the Department of Premier and Cabinet, giving evidence at the inquiry. Lawyers assisting the inquiry said that the states most senior public servant, Chris Eccles, Health Department chief Kym Peake, and Jobs Department secretary Simon Phemister may not have adequately raised serious issues over the quarantine program with their ministers. Mr Ihle said: Those secretaries gave a range of reasons for not briefing their ministers. Those reasons included the following: I didn't think it was part of the portfolio and I wasn't across the details of the contract. There were significant issues which should have been brought to the relevant minister's attention, Mr Ihle said. The Age asked Premier Daniel Andrews and the ministers for Jobs and for Health whether their departmental secretaries retained their confidence. A spokeswoman for the Premier and the ministers said the inquiry would continue to take submissions over the course of the week and would hand down its findings in early November. "The government awaits the report," she said. Health Department boss Kym Peake was questioned about why she did not brief her former boss Jenny Mikakos, who quit as health minister on Saturday, on key concerns. Mr Andrews has previously said he has confidence in Jobs Minister Martin Pakula and Police Minister Lisa Neville, and has backed his department secretary, Mr Eccles. The inquiry heard that insufficient attention was given to the health and safety of both those working in hotel quarantine and those detained in it. Tony Neal, QC, said the program had failed to engage and embed public health experts. The COVID-19 testing regime of returned travellers was inadequate and in some cases, detainees were released even though they were positive. The cleaning and infection control within the hotels were also insufficient, Mr Neal said. The inquiry heard it was also not appropriate that the state, through the Jobs Department, outsourced the responsibility of infection control and training in personal protective equipment to security firms. Department of Jobs, Precincts and Regions secretary Simon Phemister giving evidence. Ms Ellyard said: "Responsibility for managing the risk of infection and providing for the safety of those involved in the program should have remained with the state." However, the inquiry found that Emergency Management Commissioner Andrew Crisp's decision that Victoria did not need assistance from the Australian Defence Force was a reasonable conclusion for Mr Crisp to come to on that day". The use of Australian Defence Force troops for hotel quarantine has been a sticking point both politically and in the inquiry. Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Defence personnel were on offer from the start, while Mr Andrews told the inquiry on Friday he was "generally aware" ADF support was available, but did not believe Victoria would be receiving extensive help. Mr Crisp made the call in the state's first hotel quarantine meeting on March 27 that there were enough resources, and "boots on the ground" were not required. However, counsel assisting said that a later offer of Defence assistance from the federal government to Department of Premier and Cabinet secretary Mr Eccles on April 8 should have been passed on the Premier. The ADF was familiar with command and lines of control that "would have lent itself to the expectation of clear lines of accountability and follow-up", Ms Ellyard said. Responsibility for managing the risk of infection and providing for the safety of those involved in the program should have remained with the state. Counsel assisting Rachel Ellyard More than 30 security guards, including those subcontracted by Unified, caught COVID-19 while working in the Rydges on Swanston and the Stamford Plaza hotels before the virus spread into the community. Former judge Jennifer Coate is due to deliver her report in November. Credit:Getty Ms Ellyard said it was clear the Department of Jobs, Precincts and Regions did not have adequate oversight of security contractors in the quarantine program. This department placed the responsibility to guard more than half of the 20 hotels used in the program with one company, Unified Security, which used almost entirely subcontracted guards. Unified was in charge of Rydges on Swanston, which was a designated "hot hotel" for people already infected, but no special measures were put in place to address this additional risk, the inquiry heard. Mr Pakula told the inquiry it was not common practice that he would be aware of contracts the government was entering into, but Ms Ellyard said such outsourcing "shouldn't have happened without appropriate ministerial consultation or knowledge". On Saturday, Jenny Mikakos resigned as Victoria's health minister after Mr Andrews told the inquiry the day before that he held her "accountable" for the ill-fated program that unleashed Victoria's disastrous second coronavirus wave. Mr Ihle, in his presentation, said genomic sequencing and epidemiological investigations had shown the escape of the virus from quarantine hotels was responsible for 99 per cent of recent Victorian COVID-19 infections. Having new way in attracting high-qualify FDI inflow This was widely agreed on by experts and representatives of enterprises at the dialogue themed Joining efforts to improve business environment, facilitate fast and effective promotion of private investment & FDI in the new era organised by Vietnam Business & Investment Fast Track (VBI Fast Track) and the National Private Economic Development Research Board on September 24 in Hanoi. Participants at the dialogue pointed out that Vietnam has numerous advantages in luring FDI inflows from the US, Japan, and Europe thanks to efforts to improve administrative procedures and the investment environment, as well as its recent success in controlling the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, numerous investors committed to maintaining and expanding their operations in Vietnam. For instance, US-backed Intel Vietnam is mulling to inject more capital into its operations in Ho Chi Minh City to follow up on its $1 billion investment in the city. The export revenue of Intel in Vietnam has reached $3.6 billion, which is expected to increase significantly after the new investment. Kim Dong Hwan, vice president of Samsung Vietnam in charge of Vietnam Procurement Center told VIR that with its commitment to co-prosperity with Vietnam, Samsung not only strengthens the capabilities of the businesses in its supply chain but also supports the overall development of supporting industries in Vietnam. Pham Phu Ngoc Trai, founder and chairman of the Board of Directors of VBI Fast Track said 91 per cent of multinational groups in Vietnam are still planning to maintain operations in the country in next three years, with 65 per cent expanding. Along with attracting new projects, keeping these existing investors is also very important. The key mission is to reform regulations to improve the development of enterprises and improve infrastructure, Trai said. In addition, he said it is necessary to have a new approach to attracting FDI that is different from other countrieswith new ideals that could mobilise private organisations. The organiser of the conference, VBI Fast Track, focuses on advising and supporting the investment promotion activities of the Vietnamese government as well as domestic and foreign investors in terms of mechanisms and policies on attracting foreign direct investment. The renowned bike manufacturer, Harley Davidson is planning to terminate its current business model in India. Thus, as the process of shutting the business, the brand is closing its manufacturing unit in Bawal (Haryana) and it has also squeeze down the size of its sales in Gurgaon. The brand's dealer network would continue to serve customers through the contact term, states Harley Davidson. "As part of The Rewire, an overhaul of its operating model and market structure, the company is changing its business model in India and evaluating options to continue to serve its customers," says Harley Davidson. The Milwaukee-based company refers to 'The Rewire' as a term to describe restructuring actions related to employees and other services. Sources close to the company say that it is planning to collaborate with a partner to operate its business in India. The statement says, "These actions are aligned with The Rewire which is planned to continue through the end of 2020, leading to The Hardwire, a new strategic plan for 2021-2025 aimed at building desirability for the Harley-Davidson brand and products." However, the company has stated that between August 6, 2020, and September 23, 2020, it has agreed to indulge in additional restructuring actions under 'The Rewire' that us related to optimizing its global network. This proceeds after existing certain international markets and terminating its sales and manufacturing units in India. Furthermore, the Indian operation closure is expected to cut down the workforce and that is expected to be around 70 employees. The brand is expecting to incur restructuring expenses of around 75 million in 2020. But, around 80 percent of it is expected to be cash expenditure that includes a one-term benefit of close to $3million, approximately $5million non-current asset adjustments, and the contract termination and other expenditures are expected to be $67 million. Full implementation of these 'Rewire' actions may require the company to commit more funds for added contract closure and other expenses. The restructuring activities approved through September 23, 2020, are expected to conclude within the next 12 months. Harley-Davidson's portfolio includes bikes like Iron 883, Street 750 among others. The bill to replace the Gambia's flawed 1997 constitution, which included presidential term limits and checks on presidential power was voted down this week in the National Assembly, in a move that united a number of political parties behind President Adama Barrow, who is looking to run for president in 2021. "Barrow doesn't have any political party members in parliament because he's just setting up his political party now so it's not up and running," says Sidi Sanneh, Gambian former senior minister and ambassador, referring to Barrow's new National People's Party(NPP). "All who supported him came from other parties. This is how he was able to get 55 percent in favor of the new constitution and 45 percent against the new constitution coming into effect," Sanneh tells RFI. The bill needed 75 percent in favour for it to pass into law. Sanneh added that eight parliamentarians who were expelled from their opposition party voted against the bill, as well as MPs from the Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction (APRC), which is former president Yahya Jammeh's party. The current constitution, usually called "Jammeh's Constitution", was revised nearly 60 times of the course of Jammeh's 20-year rule. A new constitution would have distanced the country from Jammeh's tainted past. After registering his new party in January, Barrow gave a clear sign that he plans to run for president again in 2021, although he indicated when he was elected that he would be a one-term president. The constitution bill would have created a two term limit, with the president serving five years per term. A clause in the bill for a transitional president, such as Barrow, would have his current term counted as one term. Gambians disappointment Many Gambians hailed the new constitutional bill, which would also expand the role of women in government by introducing gender quotas. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Gambia Governance By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. After the rejection of the constitution, another set back, as most political parties veto inclusion of quotas/parity in the revised election Act. #womenleaders @DeAissata @swakana99 @OulimataSarr @ahunnaeziakonwa @mashanubian @DrIsatouTouray @JobartehNdey @SohnaSallah - Fatou Jagne Senghore (@FatouJagneS) September 25, 2020 "It was a very big disappointment that the constitution was voted down... almost 70 percent of Gambians supported it," says Sanneh, adding that not only Gambians, but international partners are concerned. "The transition was financed almost entirely by the European Union and other development partners who are not happy with this," he adds. "The impression I'm getting now is that the MPs didn't think seriously of the ramifications of voting this down," says Sanneh. The process to re-write the constitution by the Constitutional Review Commission (CRC) took two years. With elections slated for 4 December, 2021, there is not much time for the bill to be re-written, passed in the National Assembly, and then put a referendum put forth. "I don't think that the Barrow government is going to maintain the 1997 constitution because the opposition to that document is very high-- they have to think about this thing very quickly... so at least they can bring it back to the National Assembly," says Sanneh. KALAMAZOO, MI -- Sixth congressional district candidates U.S. Rep. Fred Upton and state Rep. Jon Hoadley debated for the first time Monday morning on local radio station WKZO. The district has long been a Republican stronghold. Upton is seeking his 18th consecutive term in the November general election. Democrat Hoadley is considered the front-runner among those seeking to unseat Upton. Libertarian Jeff Depoy and Green Party candidate John Lawrence are also on the ballot facing Upton. Depoy and Lawrence were not part of Mondays debate. Upton led the debate Monday with opening statements about how the coronavirus pandemic has affected every Michigander. He touted his 34 years in office, calling himself a problem solver. He also boasted that he was named the most bipartisan politician from Michigan and ranked 11th in the whole country, according the Common Ground Committee a national nonpartisan, citizen-led organization. Hoadleys opening statements emphasized his platform on healthcare and environmental issues. He took a swing at Uptons tenure, saying it was more partisan than the congressman claimed. Throughout the hour-long debate, Upton and Hoadley did agree on several issues such as wearing masks, funding the post office and supporting Michigan voters' choice to legalize and decriminalize marijuana. The sparring came when the two debated their voting records. Here are three key takeaways from Mondays debate between the two candidates: Supreme Court Nomination Over the weekend, President Trump announced Judge Amy Coney Barrett as his nominee to fill the seat left by the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg. Democrats and Republicans on Capital Hill have debated whether or not the president should make a nomination so close to an election. A similar debate happened in 2016 when the Republican-led Senate blocked President Obamas nomination. When asked if the seat should be filled before or after the election, Upton said his stance from four years ago had not changed. At the time I said the process needs to go forward, Upton said. The Senate needs to have hearings, they need to debate the issue. Four years later, many of the same people who agreed with me then, are now saying no. Upton said he will respect the presidents nomination, and his constitutional right to do so, and let the hearing play out. I would hope that if shes confirmed she will follow the law and not make it, he said. Hoadley agreed that the process is up to the Senate but pushed that the greatest impact will be felt days after the election. The Supreme Court is set to hear arguments on Nov. 10 regarding the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act. Congress will then have the choice, regardless of what happens in the Supreme Court, of how we respond, Hoadley said. Thats why when I say healthcare is on the ballot, I mean will Congress step up and pass laws that protect pre-existing conditions. Healthcare Throughout the debate Upton said that the healthcare system needs to be fixed and it needed to be fixed before the Affordable Care Act as well. In 2017, he was among the nine Republicans in Michigans Congressional delegation who voted for the repeal and replace healthcare package. However, Upton drew a line in the sand when he announced he wouldnt support the bill without assurances people with preexisting conditions would be protected. Hoadley, who has made protecting pre-existing conditions a key pillar in his platform, went after Uptons voting record in regards to healthcare. Lets be clear, Congressman Upton voted to take away some of the components of the Affordable Care Act that we rely on most dearly, Hoadley said. Uptons campaign released a press released during the interview to rebuke the statement: Fred has never supported removing benefits for those with pre-existing conditions. Any claim to the contrary is false. Both candidate pointed to H.R. 3, the Lower Drug Costs Now Act. Upton voted against the act and instead supported the H.R. 19 Lower Costs, More Cures Act of 2019. Upton said he supported H.R. 692, the Pre-existing Conditions Protection Act of 2019, which would prohibit pre-existing exclusions regardless of what happens to the Affordable Care Act. He also questioned Democrats Medicare For All platform, and the funding behind it. We need to work together to make sure we can find a healthcare system that works," Upton said. Clearly that has not been the case up to this point. Hoadleys campaign has focused on healthcare as an issue where the two candidates differ the most. He repeated that Upton has voted against the Affordable Care Act 12 different times. In his rebuttal, Hoadley pointed to the coronavirus pandemic as another hurdle as millions of people lost both their jobs and the health insurance tied to it. Hoadley claimed that Uptons approach to healthcare gives insurance companies more power. Votes dont lie, he said. Talking about what we could potentially do now doesnt replace the fact that when given the chance, Congressman Upton voted to take away our healthcare. Thats why we need to desperately see change. Over seven million are now going to have a new pre-existing condition after COVID-19. Lets cover them, too. Black Lives Matter and police reform A listener submitted a question about Black Lives Matter during the on-air debate. The candidates were asked how they plan to address Black Lives Matter and racial equality in the spheres of criminal justice, healthcare and economy. Both Hoadley and Upton said they supported Black Lives Matter and recognized racial disparities throughout institutions in the country. Both agreed that the unrest the country experienced this summer was the beginning of a bigger conversation. Upton said he supported banning chokeholds in police departments and a national registry of officers with records of police brutality. We need more resources, not less, he said. Bottom line, Black lives do matter and its a wake up call for all of us. Hoadley said he agreed with enforcing de-escalation policies, giving police officers more resources and emphasizing mental health counseling. Its not just the words we say but the votes we take, he said. As we move forward lets make sure we have policy that also then aligns with the Black Lives Matter movement so were actually keeping everyone safe and treating folks equally. The Upton campaign released an ad earlier this month stating Hoadley supports defunding the police. In June, Michigan lawmakers approved House Resolution 277, which discourages local units of government from defunding or abolishing their local police departments. Hoadley was among the minority in the 79-29 vote. The resolution does not propose any policy or monetary changes to police departments. It instead asks that lawmakers to discourage local governments from defunding or abolishing police departments. In his closing statements, Upton pushed further on this issue. Jon Hoadley voted earlier this summer to encourage communities to defund the police, he said. Thats not the answer. In Hoadleys closing statements, which were before Uptons, he told listeners that Uptons time in office was up. He accused Upton of swamp politics" and having secret money allies who are lying about Hoadleys record. Mr. Upton has failed to stand up for us whenever those who have been bankrolling his campaign have told him to be quiet, Hoadley said. Fred Upton has changed and thats why we need to change who represents us. The hour-long debate can be heard at wkzo.com. MLive Media Group partnered with the League of Women Voters of Michigan to provide candidate information for readers. Upton and Hoadleys candidate forums can be found here. Click here for more of MLives Election Day coverage from across the state, or here for full coverage of Kalamazoo-area elections. More on MLive: Democrats will need another blue wave to unseat Fred Upton, political expert says State rep calls for end to swamp politics from national Republicans in congressional race Michigan senators vow to oppose Amy Coney Barrett, Trumps Supreme Court nominee Purchases made via links on our site may earn us an affiliate commission Drinking establishments inside Parliament are exempt from the Government's newly imposed 10pm curfew, it has been revealed. Facilities serving alcohol inside the Palace of Westminster are not required to abide by the coronavirus curfew which came into effect this week due to them being classified as a 'workplace canteen'. It comes just a week after the Prime Minister set out a raft of measures designed to clampdown on Covid-19, including imposing a 10pm curfew on all pubs, bars and restaurants in England. Despite the new measures, staff and visitors inside Parliament can still enter its handful of bars without being forced to leave at 10pm and are also not required to provide a name and contact number upon entry, The Times reported. Bars inside Parliament are exempt from the Government's newly imposed 10pm curfew which came into effect this week. Pictured: Boris Johnson and Michael Gove pulling pints at the Old Chapel pub in Darwen, Lancashire The revelations come after a number of bars in Parliament, including the Strangers' Dining Room, the Adjournment and the Members' Smoking Room and Pugin Room, were reopened to MPs before the summer recess. The regulations are now reportedly being kept under review by the House of Commons but one source told The Times the rules were 'a massive own goal' for Parliament. This week Boris Johnson announced a new wave of Covid-19 restrictions that could last up to six months- including a 10pm curfew on bars, pubs and restaurants in England. The 10pm curfew on the hospitality sector sparked an immediate industry backlash as the UKHospitality group said it was 'another crushing blow'. There were also fears the move could have unintended consequences amid warnings of a potential 'surge of unregulated events and house parties'. Tory MPs also expressed concerns about the curfew plans, describing them as a 'terrible blow' for the hospitality industry and warning there must not be another 'major lockdown'. The Strangers' Dining Room (pictured) was among a number of bars that was opened to staff inside Parliament following the national lockdown Facilities serving alcohol inside the Palace of Westminster are not subject to the 10pm curfew as they are classified as a 'workplace canteen'. Pictured: The Strangers dining hall It was claimed that Mr Johnson had initially backed a total shutdown of the hospitality and leisure sectors before Chancellor Rishi Sunak persuaded him to take a less severe course after warning of economic carnage. Just hours after setting out the new measures, the Prime Minister issued an emotional plea to the nation and warned Britons they faced a long hard winter of police-enforced curbs on their freedom to see off coronavirus. He also hit out at his critics - including Tory MPs and business leaders who warned of the economic impact of the tough measures, adding: 'To those who say we don't need this stuff, and we should leave people to take their own risks, I say these risks are not our own. 'The tragic reality of having Covid is that your mild cough can be someone else's death knell. 'And as for the suggestion that we should simply lock up the elderly and the vulnerable with all the suffering that would entail I must tell you that this is just not realistic. 'Because if you let the virus rip through the rest of the population it would inevitably find its way through to the elderly as well, and in much greater numbers.' MailOnline has contacted the House of Commons for comment. Laredo City Council last week voted to start work on an ordinance for the Laredo Police Department to use their discretion to cite and release anyone charged with a non-violent Class B misdemeanor, such as possession of marijuana. Councilman George Altgelt proposed the idea as a cost-saving measure that other Texas cities have implemented. These charges cost LPD hours in paperwork, and keeps them tied up from prosecuting real crimes, Altgelt argued. To possess 2 to 4 ounces of marijuana is a Class B misdemeanor in Texas. This charge stains the individuals record and makes things like student financing more difficult, the councilman noted. Right now the only ones that benefit from the current misdemeanor marijuana laws that LPD enforces are criminal defense attorneys like myself and Mr. (Councilmam Roberto) Balli. It generates the work, Altgelt said. Councilman Vidal Rodriguez liked the cite and release idea, and said he believes in second chances. Prosecuting these non-violent crimes hinders a person and their ability to succeed in life, he said. READ MORE: LISD offering flu shots for employees around district offices Assistant City Manager and Acting City Attorney Kristina Hale said the only cite and release ordinance that has been adopted in Texas is in San Marcos, and the City of Houston is considering one as well. Most other cities have passed resolutions, she said. Councilwoman Nelly Vielma was concerned about the message this ordinance could send to Laredoans, and Councilman Alberto Torres was likewise worried about enabling crime. Altgelt argued that their message on drug use wont change. And the point is not to give an offender a slap on the wrist, but to have their law enforcement officers freed up to pursue real crime. As it relates to the criminal justice solution to the medical problem of addiction, thats where science and law need to intersect, Altgelt said. He also noted that with this citation system, they can direct offenders to the Municipal Court where they would pay a fine, creating a revenue stream for the detox center project the city and county are developing. READ MORE: Community preparing for flu season in COVID-19 era Vielma said this could be an opportunity for offenders to be assigned to substance abuse training as well. However Councilman Balli said its unrealistic to have the Municipal Court supervise people as if they were probation officers. The state has probation officers that spend time with people, refer people. If were going to do that as part of the ticket, thats not going to pay for itself, Balli said. Altgelt agreed, and said they dont want to defeat the purpose of this cost-saving measure by making it more expensive for the Municipal Court. He proposed the training could be executed like a defensive driving test. Once the ordinance is written, it will be presented to council twice before it goes into effect. Understanding this, council approved the initiative, with only Balli voting against. Julia Wallace may be reached at 956-728-2543 or jwallace@lmtonline.com Rod Petrick, president and owner of the Frankfort-based Ridgeworth Roofing, was one of several honorees honored during the Daily Herald Business Ledgers annual Entrepreneurial Excellence Awards. On behalf of myself and the Ridgeworth Roofing team I want to say thank you to the Daily Herald Business Ledger for this recognition." Rod Petrick, president and owner of the Frankfort-based Ridgeworth Roofing, was one of several honorees honored during the Daily Herald Business Ledgers annual Entrepreneurial Excellence Awards. The virtual ceremony was held on Sept. 24. The Ledgers awards recognize and build entrepreneurship in Cook County, DuPage County, Kane County, Lake County, McHenry County and Will County. Honorees demonstrate the best traits of entrepreneurship, including willingness to take risk, drive, perseverance and business creativity. The publication recognized Petrick in the Regional Spirit Category. Honorees in this category demonstrate commitment to the growth and well being of the region through outstanding corporate citizenship and promotion of regional ties. Honorees should also be active in local and regional business group, promote charitable and civic causes and work to build the region's work force and enhance its quality of life. For many years, Ridgeworth, a family-owned business specializing in commercial, institutional, condominium and industrial roofing, has been involved in professional roofing associations such as Chicago Roofing Contractors Association and the National Roofing Contractors Association promoting the trade and supporting roofers. The company has also participated in charitable causes such as donating the cost of a roof to St. Rita of Cascia High School in Chicago, making a donation to The Cancer Support Center in Mokena and doing a special re-roofing project for the Ronald McDonald House in Hines. On behalf of myself and the Ridgeworth Roofing team I want to say thank you to the Daily Herald Business Ledger for this recognition. I could not have done it without the support of our Ridgeworth roofing team, employees, friends, family, colleagues, and most importantly, our outstanding clients who believe in the hard work that we do every day, Petrick said. It is an honor to be involved in the regional spirit of the roofing industry. ABOUT RIDGEWORTH ROOFING INC. Located in Frankfort, Illinois, Ridgeworth Roofing Inc. is a family-owned business specializing in commercial, institutional, condominium, and industrial roofing applications. In addition to new installations, re-roofing, roof replacement, and roof repair, services include preventative maintenance programs and inspections. For more information, visit their website at http://www.ridgeworthroofing.com or call (708) 598-0039. Warren Fernandez Fernandez is the editor-in-chief of The Straits Times, Singapores leading English language news organization and president of the World Editors Forum. Over 150 newsrooms from around the world will come together today to mark World News Day, including journalists from Toronto to Taipei, Spain to Singapore. This, however, is not an occasion for journalists to pat ourselves on the back for the work we do. Rather, the focus is on how journalists go about reporting on issues that matter to our audiences. In the face of the COVID-19 outbreak, audiences have been turning to professional journalists like never before. They want answers on how to stay safe, as well as how to safeguard their jobs. They need to know the facts. They need help separating fact from fiction, amid the pandemic of fake news that has also gone viral. They are looking to people they can trust to help them join the dots, to make sense of these bewildering times. At a time when so much has been turned on its head, this much has become clear: Real news matters. The truth matters. Objectivity matters. Balance and fairness matter. In short, quality journalism matters. These are hallmarks of professional newsrooms. These newsrooms strive to tell the stories that matter to the communities they serve. Consider these examples. In March, the Brazilian media group 100 Fronteiras told the story of the trauma caused by the sudden closing of the International Friendship Bridge between the towns of Ciudad del Este in Paraguay and Foz do Iguacu in Brazil. "Many families had to split up. People who live in Foz, but have relatives on the other side of the bridge and now only see themselves through the cell phone screen. Never before in the history of the world has a hug been so desired. Yes, people really only value it after they cant. Now we are feeling it in our skin and it hurts. On the other side of the earth, a similar story of separation and loss was playing out. In my hometown, Singapore, the land-bridge popularly called the Causeway that many use to cross into Johor Bahru in Malaysia, also had to be shut down to stem the spread of the virus. Families, workers, businesses and communities, that had been intertwined for decades, were suddenly left bereft of each another. Their stories were told in the pages of The Straits Times. In the face of a global pandemic, our common humanity also rang out in stories of courage and hope which many newsrooms recounted. In a special report in February, titled On the frontlines of the coronavirus, we profiled the doctors, nurses and officers in Singapore who were fighting the virus. Likewise, The Canadian Press traced a patients harrowing journey from emergency room to Intensive Care Unit and finally to recovery and rehabilitation, highlighting the many people who pitched in to save one mans life in a feature in April. Across the planet, newsrooms have been bringing these stories to our audiences, not only to inform and educate, but also to inspire and uplift communities. In the process, Covid-19 has reminded us of many things we had taken for granted. It has made plain the importance of good governance, the value of trust in leaders and institutions, and the solace and strength that families and communities provide. It has also highlighted the critical role that a credible and reliable media plays in the health and well-being of our societies. Ironically, however, the pandemic has also posed an existential threat to many newsrooms. While audiences have surged, revenues and resources have plunged, making it harder for journalists to keep doing their jobs. World News Day is an opportunity for us to ponder why this matters. Real News matters if we are to make sense of the bewildering developments around us. Credible journalism is critical if we are to have informed debates about where we might be headed in a post-pandemic world. Newsrooms that are engaged with their readers can help rally communities in a time of wrenching change. Indeed, as the French author Albert Camus mused in his novel, The Plague, which tells the story of how the inhabitants of a town came to terms with a deadly outbreak: The strongest desire was, and would be, to behave as if nothing had changedbut, one cant forget everything, however great ones wish to do so; the plague was bound to leave traces, anyhow, in peoples hearts. Wittingly or otherwise, the traces in peoples hearts that are left post Covid-19 will have to be dealt with, when the pandemic now still raging around the world, eventually, passes. Societies that remain well served by good news organisations will be better placed to do so. Professional journalists and newsrooms will be vital in helping communities survey the ravaged landscape around them. They will also be critical for the honest conversations that will be needed to figure out the way forward. That, put simply, is why the success and sustainability of the media matters now more so than ever to us all. Donald J. Trumps greatest success as a businessman, it turns out, was playing one on TV. Its always been obvious that hosting The Apprentice was crucial to the presidents eventual political fortunes. But as a Times investigation into more than two decades of his tax data details, the NBC reality show was also the better part of his actual fortune. More than a decade after a business-near-death experience in which Mr. Trumps debts collapsed on him, The Apprentice and its associated licensing deals earned him $427.4 million (which he would then largely sink into unprofitable businesses). Making real money led to real tax bills that he took extraordinary measures to escape. The job even induced him to deduct more than $70,000 in hairstyling expenses, because as real estate developers know, gravity-defying architecture doesnt come cheap. But the series, in which Mr. Trump starred from 2004 until 2015, when he announced his campaign, was based on a carefully constructed, stage-managed pretense: that Mr. Trump was already on top of the world. Industries will gain more federal help to commercialise new products and expand their scale under a budget plan that offers more assistance but rules out a return to direct subsidies. Industry Minister Karen Andrews named scale and resilience as the key challenges facing local manufacturers ahead of a federal strategy that aims to fix the flaws exposed by the coronavirus crisis. Minister for Industry, Science and Technology Karen Andrews says businesses need to work more closely with universities to commercialise good ideas. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen Ms Andrews said business leaders and university researchers would have to work more closely to commercialise ideas after years of "missed opportunities" in turning Australian ideas into exports. "We are not as good at commercialising good ideas as we need to be, so there is room for significant improvement," Ms Andrews said in an interview. Republicans will protect Americans who have preexisting conditions, even if the Supreme Court rules the Affordable Care Act is unconstitutional, Sen. Ted Cruz told CNBC on Monday. The conservative majority high court is set to hear the latest legal challenge to the law, also known as Obamacare, on Nov. 10. The closely watched case has taken on heightened attention during the ongoing fight to fill the Supreme Court vacancy created by the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Many Democrats, including presidential nominee Joe Biden, are trying to paint President Donald Trump's nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court as damaging to the future of Obamacare. Barrett clerked for Justice Antonin Scalia, the powerhouse conservative who died in 2016. She's likely to be one of the more conservative justices on the court, should she be confirmed. If Barrett is on the court when the latest ACA challenge, California vs. Texas, is heard, Democrats worry the 6-3 conservative majority would increase the odds that the court rule in favor of repeal. Cruz, a Republican from Texas, said on "Squawk Box" he is not sure how the Supreme Court would rule in the upcoming case. But he said the GOP would act should the court strike down former President Barack Obama's signature health-care law, which has a provision that prevents insurers from discriminating against people who have preexisting medical conditions. "Every Republican agrees we're going to protect preexisting conditions," Cruz said, while criticizing Democrats for trying to make Barrett's nomination into a referendum on health care. "What they're talking about is what they think politically resonates, but 100 out of 100 senators agree we're going to protect preexisting conditions regardless of what happens with Obamacare." Last week, Trump signed an executive order that he says protects people who have preexisting medical conditions, although experts have raised questions about the enforceability of the action. In the text of Trump's order, it contends the Affordable Care Act was "flawed from its inception and should be struck down." "However, access to health insurance despite underlying health conditions should be maintained, even if the Supreme Court invalidates the unconstitutional, and largely harmful, ACA," the order states. Cruz and other Republicans in Congress have spent years criticizing Obamacare, which was signed into law in March 2010. Efforts to repeal the law have thus far been unsuccessful, including a high-profile attempt in 2017 that was punctuated by late Republican Sen. John McCain's vote against his party's attempt to do so. A recent poll from The New York Times and Siena College found 57% of Americans support the Affordable Care Act while 38% oppose it. A Kaiser Family Foundation poll from earlier in September found 49% of Americans held a favorable opinion of the law, compared with 42% who had a negative opinion. Democratic Sen. Chris Coons of Delaware said Monday that the Republicans have "no replacement plan" if the Affordable Care Act is overturned. Democratic Sen. Chris Coons of Delaware said Monday that the Republicans have "no replacement plan" if the Affordable Care Act is overturned. Also appearing on "Squawk Box," Coons said it was "grossly irresponsible" to be threatening access to health-care coverage during the coronavirus pandemic. The constitutionality of Obamacare has come before the Supreme Court before. In 2012, Chief Justice John Roberts, a conservative put on the high court by President George W. Bush, sided with the liberal justices at the time, including Ginsburg, in upholding the law, 5-4. Scalia and the three other conservatives voted against it. Cruz, who argued cases before the nation's high court before his election to the Senate, said on Monday that Roberts' opinion in that case was "terrible" and "one of the most political decisions he's ever done." Alina Orosan has been elected chair of the Committee of Legal Advisers on Public International Law (CAHDI), for the entirety of next year in office, informs a press release by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAE). Orosan is Director General for Legal Affairs with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the vote for her new position took place on Thursday and Friday in Prague. "The election of Romania's representative in this position is a recognition of the active and constant participation of the Romanian delegation in the Committee's activity, in support of the full exploitation of CAHDI's potential to contribute to the development of public international law and strengthening intergovernmental dialogue on legal issues," the Romanian ministry specifies. The MAE states that this is the first time that Romania's representative has been elected to this position since the Committee was established in 1991. The main duties of this body's chair are both to prepare and chair the working sessions and to ensure the representation of the Committee in relation to other Council of Europe bodies. The Arab Leagues chief Ahmed Aboul-Gheit said on Monday that Israel has suspended its plans to annex the West Bank due to the normalisation agreement it signed with the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Speaking to Sky News Arabia, Aboul-Gheit said that the understanding between the United Arab Emirates and the United States compelled the Israeli side to freeze the process of annexing Palestinian territories. He described this as a major event. Aboul-Gheit said that without this agreement, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would have resumed the plan for annexation in the event that US President Donald Trump is re-elected in November, "but now he is handcuffed; he cannot do so." Aprils coalition deal between Netanyahu and head of Israel's centrist Blue and White Party Benny Gantz stipulates that Israel is to claim sovereignty over the West Bank and move forward with Trumps peace plan. The UAE and Bahrain recently signed US-sponsored normalisation agreements with Israel in Washington DC, a step that has been opposed by the Palestinians. The so-called Abraham Accords between the UAE and Israel involves the establishment of peace and diplomatic relations, mutual understanding, cooperation and coordination between them in the spheres of peace and stability, as well as cooperation in a wide range of activities. Cooperation includes in the areas of healthcare, science, technology and peaceful uses of outer space, tourism, culture and sports, energy, the environment, education, maritime agreements, telecommunications, agriculture and food security, and water and legal cooperation. Trump described the deals as the foundation for a comprehensive peace across the entire region. Including Saudi Arabia, Trump told reporters that Israel will also normalise relations with seven or eight or nine other states at the right time. After the agreements were signed, Trumps senior adviser Jared Kushner said that the UAE and Bahrain "will have more influence" in solving the Palestinian issue after normalising relations with Israel. I will say that if you look at what the United Arab Emirates did today and what Bahrain did today, they will have more influence to help Israel solve the Palestinian issue, as allies and normalised countries with Israel, than they would having no say at the table, Kushner told Alarabiya. Kushner credited new leadership and thinking for pushing the United States to work on solving the problem of Arab-Israeli relations. But he insisted that the Arab Peace Initiative is not a viable pathway, describing this situation as the reality. Search Keywords: Short link: "Netflix judges individual projects on their merits. We do not agree with his comments, which are entirely unrelated to his book or this Netflix show." Reply Thread Link Dumb & Dumber stay making great choices. Between this, dropping the GoT spinoff, Star Wars, picking up the Confederacy show... Just... *chef's kiss* Reply Thread Link It is TRULY staggering. Like, it's one thing to fuck up the ending of a hugely popular show. You'd think they'd try to salvage their rep after the GOT finale. But THIS is a million times worse! And doesn't one of them have a father with dodgy political connections? Reply Parent Thread Link Benioffs dad is Stephen Friedman. He was chairman of NY Federal Reserve and held several committee seats. Hes the top dog in this dastardly duo, Weiss is along for the ride. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link This whole thing is still sf mindblowing to me. But apparently, we can't say anything's wrong because it's sinophobic. Like these are straight up concentration camps y'all wtfffffffffffff I thought it was bad with the refugee crisis but this takes it to a whole another level Reply Thread Link Criticizing the author, boycotting the book/show and criticizing Chinas human right record is *not* sinophobic The campaign against the show is though lol. I mean, there are rightful reasons to be turned off by anything involving the show/book but just a cursory look at whos behind the campaign makes it clear its about sinophobia, not human rights concerns. Edited at 2020-09-28 05:11 pm (UTC) Reply Parent Thread Link I wasnt referring to the book. I was referring to the concentration camps. There are people on Twitter actually claiming that theyre not real and that its just an attempt by the west to paint China in a negative light and that if you agree with them existing thats sinophobia. Reply Parent Thread Link During an interivew in 2019, Liu said: Would you rather that they be hacking away at bodies at train stations and schools in terrorist attacks?" Holy shit, fuck this guy. What a horrendously disgusting statement. Reply Thread Link just fucking evil tbh Reply Parent Thread Link Such an ignorant and xenophobic hot-take for someone who writes sci-fi. Reply Parent Thread Link Absolutely disgusting, what a piece of shit! Reply Parent Thread Link mte Reply Parent Thread Link Netflix: Genocide is OK actually Reply Thread Link And now China is building these "reeducation centers" in Tibet and building even more in Xinjiang. Ethnic Mongolians are protesting against China trying to eliminate the use of Mongolian in schools for ethnic Mongolian children and force them to use Mandarin. And yet nobody cares because everyone wants their cheap goods. In Xinjiang there is evidence they are forcing female Uighur prisoners to shave their heads to sell hair extensions in the US and Europe. Reply Thread Link Yep, one of my former students moved from Mongolia to Germany because of what's happening over there. It's fucked up. Reply Parent Thread Link The more I learn about it the worse it gets Reply Parent Thread Link I hear more about these atrocities on ONTD then I do on the news. The only other place I've heard about this is the John Oliver show. Reply Parent Thread Link https://www.cnn.com/2020/07/02/us/china-hair-uyghur-cpb-trnd/index.html It ends up on CNN and etc occasionally but gets buried fast under other news. Here are some other articles: https://www.voanews.com/east-asia-pacific/rights-groups-slam-xis-latest-calls-sinicize-tibetan-buddhism https://www.rfi.fr/en/international/20200928-china-denies-alleged-mass-destruction-of-mosques-in-xinjiang-region https://www.democracynow.org/2020/9/24/headlines/china_accused_of_forcing_thousands_of_tibetans_into_mass_labor_camps https://www.cnn.com/2020/09/27/asia/china-xi-jinping-xinjiang-intl-hnk/index.html https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/sep/24/china-has-built-380-internment-camps-in-xinjiang-study-finds https://apnews.com/article/309c576c6026031769fd88f4d86fda89 https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/sep/04/muslim-minority-teacher-50-tells-of-forced-sterilisation-in-xinjiang-china It ends up on CNN and etc occasionally but gets buried fast under other news.Here are some other articles: Reply Parent Thread Expand Link My Republican Senator has been OBSSESSED with China and what they're doing/not doing. Like, shit is burning down, people are dying of Covid and he's posting about needing to sanction China for what they're doing to Hong Kong. And it's like, you just called people protesting here rioters who should be arrested and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Reply Thread Link Its wild how farcical their concerns over human rights is. Theyre literally bombing the Middle East while enacting a Muslim ban in the US, running concentration camps where immigrants are raped and forcibly sterilized and encouraging ppl to shoot protesters but theyre worried about China???? Make it make sense please!! Reply Parent Thread Link Republican lawmakers are fucking bizarre. They advocate for human rights defenders and persecuted people in other countries and then turn around and actively TRAMPLE ON the human rights of their own countrymen and woman and people seeking refuge in their country. Reply Parent Thread Link They advocate for human rights defenders and persecuted people in other countries they don't lol. they show faux concern for human rights in places that go against US interests (palestine, iraq, iran, china) but describing that as "advocating for human rights defenders and persecuted people" is going way too far. of course, the country that is the biggest funder of terrorism and is the biggest human rights violator in the planet (saudi arabia) is the US biggest ally (and that's bipartisan btw) so this tells us all that we need to know. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link I'm not really familiar with this author, but is the problem that Cixin has no problem with internment camps in China and that Netflix is working with him anyway? Reply Thread Link Yep that's it. Reply Parent Thread Link We sold out the Tibetans for crap t-shirts and it seems like we're doing the same thing now. Reply Thread Link Well obviously, thats how capitalism works and the US is the capitalist Mecca. Do u think capitalism and human rights concerns can co-exist? Reply Parent Thread Link Yes, I do think capitalism and human rights can coexist. But after lifetimes of poor leadership I can understand why someone would feel otherwise. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link I hate that this is happening and the entire world watches and no one is doing anything. Chinese government started to move against the Mongols as well and are eyeing Taiwan after Hong Kong. I wanted to read these books because I love sci-fi, but I can't separate artist from the art, sorry. So, fuck him and Netflix too. Reply Thread Link Game of Thrones showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss What is it with these two??? Reply Thread Link Would you rather that they be hacking away at bodies at train stations and schools in terrorist attacks?" Hmmm...that sounds like shit that never happened. Fuck him. Reply Thread Link Hes referencing real events. China has had several terrorist attacks carried out with knives over the last couple of decades that have been attributed to Xinjiang separatists. Whether the official statements claiming they were xinjiang related are factual or not or propaganda to further the governments agenda, I cant say. It obviously doesnt justify what theyre doing but these things did happen and people did die. Edited at 2020-09-28 04:09 pm (UTC) Reply Parent Thread Link Thank you for your comment. Are the separtists the same people as the Ughar? Reply Parent Thread Expand Link welp, i'm sure glad i never paid for my copy of the three body problem, which has now descended to the bottom of my to-read pile. fuck that guy Edited at 2020-09-28 03:55 pm (UTC) Reply Thread Link Netflix is really committed to doing the absolute least and being the worst lately. Is this some weird plan to tank the platform for some shady financial reasons? Or is it just a bunch of idiots green lighting a bunch of dumb shit? (Probably the latter) Reply Thread Link Theres nothing new going on. If yall start investigating the political opinions of ppl with Netflix shows since they started green lighting shows, a bunch of shit would come out. This is only in the news because Republicans found a way to advance their agenda and therefore the shit islamophobic politics from the dude behind the original book is being exposed. But most of your beloved shows are from rich ppl who are islamophobic, union-busting, pro-police etc. Edited at 2020-09-28 04:37 pm (UTC) Reply Parent Thread Link T he new boss of Tesco was today urged to focus paying dividends to Covid hit shareholders and to consider selling off its bank as he took charge of Britains biggest retailer. Ken Murphy takes the reins at the 22 billion retail behemoth as Dave Lewis retires following six turbulent years in charge. Lewis is seen as the man who saved Tesco after rescuing the group from an accounting scandal. City fund manager Richard Buxton, of Tesco shareholder Jupiter, said Lewis had done a fantastic job. Tesco shares hovered around 200p throughout Lewis era. But Buxton said the fact it had avoided enacting a rights issue and will soon pay a 51p special dividend after the 8 billion sale of its Asian stores meant investors would still have made money. He added: Tesco should now become a very cash generative dividend payer which in a world where other big dividend players like the oil companies and the banks are on the back foot that is very attractive. In April, Lewis was forced to defend paying out a 635 million dividend after receiving a similar sized business rates tax break due to the governments coronavirus support package. Buxton said Murphy could also divest Tesco Bank, which 3600 staff and more than six million customer accounts. He said: Theres a lot of capital tied up in the bank and it only delivers modest upstream benefits to the parent company. The regulatory burden and oversight thats needed with owning a bank is huge. It would be better that a traditional bank owned it and Tesco supplied the customers. Tesco last year sold its mortgage book to Lloyds for 3.8 billion. But Shore Capital retail analyst Clive Black said Murphy should keep his focus on running the core supermarkets business. Dave Lewis challenge when he joined Tesco we largely internal; Ken Muprhys are the opposite UK in recession, Brexit and the ongoing Coronavirus crisis. "I would suggest navigating Tesco through these choppy waters will be priority enough, he said. Black added Dave Lewis is quite simply the man that saved Tesco, undertaking an incredible feat in the most challenging of circumstances. Independent retail analyst Nick Bubb said investors in the industry had preferred digital stocks like Ocado over Tesco, meaning the share price under Lewis had been static, but it had outperformed struggling Marks & Spencer which is down nearly 80% since 2014. Markets.com analyst Neil Wilson praised Lewis action, adding: Im not sure it would have gone bust but it would have been a managed decline like Marks & Spencer, like decommissioning a nuclear reactor. He added that Murphy should put his focus on lower the cost of servicing online grocery customers. Last year, QAnon was on the ropes. The pro-Trump conspiracy theory had been left homeless by the disappearance of 8chan, the message board where Q, its pseudonymous central figure, posted cryptic clues about a cabal of child-eating Satanic pedophiles. The message board had been cut off by its security provider after the El Paso mass shooting, and while 8chans owner, Jim Watkins, was struggling to bring a replacement site online, some QAnon believers appeared to be losing interest. Then, the pandemic hit and with it, a new wave of misinformation that QAnon could incorporate into its overarching narrative, from false claims about mask-wearing to conspiracy theories about Bill Gates and a Covid-19 vaccine. The Black Lives Matter protests that erupted after the killing of George Floyd in May also provided new fodder for QAnons bakers the amateur sleuths who gather in private Facebook groups and chat rooms to decode Qs latest posts and discuss their theories about the global cabal. But new research suggests that the biggest jolt to QAnon came from the so-called Save the Children movement. It started out as a fund-raising campaign for a legitimate anti-trafficking charity, but was then hijacked by QAnon believers, who used the movement to spread false and exaggerated claims about a global child-trafficking conspiracy led by top Democrats and Hollywood elites. This hijacking began in July, around the same time that Twitter and Facebook began cracking down on QAnon accounts. Marc-Andre Argentino, a doctoral student at Concordia University who studies QAnon, has been tracking the growth of Save the Children Facebook groups, many of which operate as soft fronts for the movement. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., conducts a news conference in the Capitol Visitor Center on Thursday, June 4, 2020. President Donald Trump's reported massive debts raise "a national security question," House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said in an interview with MSNBC's Andrea Mitchell on Monday. "This president appears to have over $400 million in debt ... To whom? Different countries? What is the leverage they have? So for me, this is a national security question," Pelosi said in the interview. Pelosi's remarks come after The New York Times published a groundbreaking report Sunday claiming Trump has $421 million of debt coming due soon in addition to an outstanding audit fight with the Internal Revenue Service over a $72.9 million tax refund he previously received. The report said Trump paid $750 in federal income taxes the year he won the presidency and during his first year in office. Trump paid no income taxes in 10 of the previous 15 years, the Times reported based on documents the outlet said it obtained from sources with legal access to the records. CNBC has not seen the documents reviewed by the Times. Trump Organization attorney Alan Garten told the Times in a statement that "most, if not all, of the facts" reported appeared to be inaccurate. Trump called the report "fake news" at a press conference following publication. The Times' report found no new connections to Russia, though Trump's business dealings with other countries have been a topic of speculation since his candidacy. Blekinge Museum A recent discovery by archaeologists in Sweden gives new meaning to the phrase "mans best friend." On Thursday, the archaeologists announced that they unearthed the remains of a dog more than 8,400 years old at a burial site in south Sweden, the Associated Press reports. The dog was buried next to a person, a nod to the tradition of people leaving sentimental, value objects with the deceased. "The dog is well preserved, and the fact that it is buried in the middle of the Stone Age settlement is unique," Ola Magnell, an osteologist of Swedens Blekinge Museum told the Associated Press. RELATED: Rare Singing Dog Species, Thought To Be Extinct for 50 Years, Lives On in the Wild These discoveries "make you feel even closer to the people who lived here," Carl Persson, the museums project manager, said in a statement. "A buried dog somehow shows how similar we are over the millennia when it comes to the feelings like grief and loss." Archaeologists plan to study the dog bones at the museum. The area in which they were found is believed to have been occupied by Stone Age hunters. Local authorities and archaeologists are conducting one of the regions largest archaeological digs ever at the site. Blekinge Museum Earlier this year, researchers at the University of Siena found what could be the oldest pet dog remains ever in Italy. Researchers uncovered the remains, which are estimated to be between 14,000 and 20,000 years old, in two caves in southern Italy. Such caves were also inhabited by humans during the same time period, the researchers wrote in their August Scientific Reports study. RELATED: Majority of Pet Owners Admit to Canceling Plans to Hang with Dog Instead, Survey Finds "Dogs were the first animals domesticated by humans, long before the advent of agriculture," the researchers write in the study. "Besides occupying a special place in our present-day lives, dogs had important functional and symbolic roles throughout human history." Story continues Theres no definitive answer as to how dogs went from frightening carnivores to the loving, cuddly companions we know today, but researchers have several theories. Krishna Veeramah, an evolutionary ecologist at Stony Brook University, has said that "dog domestication" began when wolves started to approach hunter-gather groups to scavenge for leftovers, according to the BBC. DNA samples suggest that this process of domestication began about 20,000 to 40,000 years ago. Dogs would later be bred for special skills like hunting and herding, creating the hundreds of breeds we know today. London, Monday 28 September 2020: The Justina Mutale Foundation will host the first-ever World Summit on Women and Girls, which will be held to celebrate the 2020 United Nations International Day of the Girl from 14-15 October 2020. Under the theme, My Voice, Our Equal Future, the Summit will be an inter-generational dialogue that will bring together women and girls across the globe to review the journey so far on issues pertaining to gender equality, the empowerment of women and girls, and female leadership in all spheres of life. President Ameenah Gurib-Fakim The Summit will unite and convene an esteemed group of speakers, including Presidents, world leaders, members of royal families, parliamentarians, ministers, celebrities, philanthropists and business leaders, as well as young women and girls from all over the world. The year 2020 brings a confluence of important anniversaries in the global feminine movement including 100 years of the womens vote in the USA; 40 years of the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW); and 25 years since the Declaration of the Beijing Platform for Action. Despite all these initiatives, the world is still far from achieving gender equality. Perhaps a new approach is needed and it is imperative that we have an inter-generational dialogue to chart a way forward, looking at the adolescent girl and millennials as disruptors and drivers of equality, says Dr Justina Mutale, Founder & President of the Justina Mutale Foundation and Convenor of the Summit. President Jahjaga World leaders listed as Keynote Speakers at the Summit include His Excellency, President Ilir Meta, current `President of Albania; Her Excellency, President Atifete Jahjaga, first female President of the Republic of Kosovo (2011-2016); Her Excellency, President Ameenah Gurib-Fakim, first female President of the Republic of Mauritius (2014-2018); Her Excellency, Vice-President Jewel Howard-Taylor, current Vice President of the Republic of Liberia; Her Excellency Dr Josephine Ojiambo, past Deputy Secretary-General of the Commonwealth (2015-2018) and current Special Advisor to the President of the Republic of Kenya; Baroness Sandip Verma, Member of the House of Lords, United Kingdom. The Summit will be a Virtual event hosted via satellite in partnership with CHANNEL A TV telecast from Seattle, Washington in the USA and will be live-streamed to a worldwide audience on all social media platforms. This is a FREE online event, however all delegates are required to register in advance to attend the Summit: https://bit.ly/32loXNE New preventative nasal spray treatment that could protect people from COVID-19 infection and prevent transmission announced Novel therapy developed by Australian biotech company, Ena Respiratory, shown to significantly reduce COVID-19 virus levels in the nose and throat, in a gold-standard animal study Reduced COVID-19 replication by up to 96%, study performed by Public Health England (PHE) scientists Mode of action complementary to COVID-19 vaccines, with easy nasal administration, delivered once or twice a week Potential to be used to prevent infection in at-risk populations, including healthcare workers and the elderly Ready to progress to human clinical trials within four months Company has raised AU$11.7m and is seeking additional investment MELBOURNE, Australia, Sept. 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- A novel nasal treatment developed to boost the natural human immune system to fight common colds and flu, has proved remarkably successful in reducing COVID-19 viral replication test results, released today, reveal. The novel product, INNA-051, being developed by Australian biotech company, Ena Respiratory, reduced viral replication by up to 96 percent in a gold-standard animal study led by Public Health England's (PHE) Deputy Director, Professor Miles Carroll and published today on biomedical pre-publication research site, medRxiv. The INNA-051 compound works by stimulating the innate immune system, the first line of defence against the invasion of pathogens into the body. By boosting the immune response in this way with INNA-051 prior to infection, the ability of the COVID-19 virus to infect the animals and replicate was dramatically reduced the PHE study showed. The study provides evidence that INNA-051 can be used as a stand-alone method of antiviral preventative therapy, complementary to vaccine programs. "We've been amazed with just how effective our treatment has been," says Ena Respiratory Managing Director, Dr Christophe Demaison. "By boosting the natural immune response of the ferrets with our treatment, we've seen a rapid eradication of the virus." "If humans respond in a similar way, the benefits of treatment are two-fold. Individuals exposed to the virus would most likely rapidly eliminate it, with the treatment ensuring that the disease does not progress beyond mild symptoms. This is particularly relevant to vulnerable members of the community. In addition, the rapidity of this response means that the infected individuals are unlikely to pass it on, meaning a swift halt to community transmission." Ena Respiratory has raised AU$11.7m from Australian investors and, subject to successful toxicity studies and regulatory approval, the company could be ready to test INNA-051 in human trials in less than four months. Investment and support in developing the novel therapy has been led from the Australian Medical Research Commercialisation Fund (MRCF), Australia's largest life science investment fund managed by Brandon Capital, with co-investment from university commercialisation fund Uniseed. The company is urgently seeking additional funding to accelerate the nasal spray's clinical development and global distribution. Dr Chris Nave, CEO of the MRCF and co-founder of Brandon Capital, says these extremely promising results means INNA-051 is an exciting frontrunner in the battle to beat COVID-19. "We are doing all we can to support Ena Respiratory and its quest to secure additional investment to accelerate the development and testing of the therapy in humans. While a vaccine is ultimately the key solution to combatting COVID-19, governments need to be developing different treatment approaches to ensure they have a range of options, in the event that a vaccine proves elusive or takes longer to develop." INNA-051 is a synthetic small molecule and would be self-administered via an easy-to-use nasal spray, taken once or twice a week, with the treatment taking almost immediate effect. If human trials are successful and, given the unprecedented need for drugs to combat COVID-19, this prophylactic immune modulation therapy could be rapidly manufactured at scale and be available for use soon. "This is a significant development as the world races to find a solution to halt COVID-19 transmission and infection of at risk-populations," says Professor Roberto Solari a respiratory specialist, advisor to Ena Respiratory and visiting Professor at Imperial College London. "Most exciting is the ability of INNA-051 to significantly reduce virus levels in the nose and throat, giving hope that this therapy could reduce COVID-19 transmission by infected people, especially those who may be presymptomatic or asymptomatic and thus unaware they are infectious," Professor Solari says. INNA-051 offers real hope to those in the frontline fight against COVID-19, says Dr Chris Smith, Ena Respiratory Board Director, and Senior Investment Manager at Brandon Capital. "The treatment offers significant potential to protect the most vulnerable, including those with pre-existing respiratory conditions and the elderly, where vaccines can be less effective." INNA-051 was in development before the outbreak of COVID-19 to promote resistance towards broader respiratory viral epidemics. Unlike vaccines which are targeted to a specific strain, INNA-051, is designed to be effective for all types of respiratory infections. "Our nasal treatment has amazing potential for combatting COVID-19 and future pandemics," continues Dr Smith. We know that vaccinations are often the most attractive approach in combating respiratory virus epidemics, but this method often comes with challenges as vaccines trigger a specific response in the adaptive immune system which might not be effective against future mutations of a virus. INNA-051 utilises the non-specific innate immune response meaning it is effective against a broad spectrum of viruses." "As an original investor alongside Uniseed, the MRCF saw great potential in INNA-051, before the COVID-19 era, to manage respiratory viral outbreaks, exactly like we are currently experiencing, although our initial focus was against influenza," Dr Nave continues. "We are now thrilled to be able to redirect the effort toward the fight against COVID-19. The treatment has significant potential, not only against this pandemic but also to play a key role in future viral respiratory outbreaks." The authors of the study include scientists from Public Health England (PHE), Ena Respiratory, and leading Australian research organisations, the Hunter Medical Research Institute, Newcastle and the University of Melbourne. Uniseed CEO Dr Peter Devine added, "These are very exciting results and demonstrate the potential clinical utility of the Ena drug in the treatment of COVID-19 which will likely require multiple treatment approaches. It also underlines the value of facilitating early-stage commercialisation of research, which can go on to create a global impact." About Ena Respiratory Ena Respiratory is a wholly owned subsidiary company of Ena Therapeutics, aiming to transform the treatment and prevention of respiratory infections in at-risk populations. Ena Respiratory is developing novel, synthetic innate immunomodulators for the prevention of respiratory viral and bacterial infections. The company is based in Melbourne and Sydney, Australia. Ena Therapeutics has secured a Series A investment from the Brandon Capital managed Medical Research Commercialisation Fund (MRCF) and Uniseed. https://enarespiratory.com About INNA-051 Ena Respiratory's lead candidate, INNA-051 is a synthetic, pegylated TLR2/6 agonist. INNA-051 is developed for topical delivery to the airways (via nasal spray once/twice a week) in order to target the primary site of most respiratory virus infections, including COVID-19, influenza and rhinovirus. Topical respiratory administration of Ena Respiratory's pegylated TLR2/6 agonists result in the activation of several key, innate immune defence mechanisms involved in antiviral prophylaxis. INNA-051 is based on discoveries made by Professorial Fellow David Jackson and his team. Professor Jackson heads the laboratory at the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, University of Melbourne. The broad antiviral effectiveness of Ena Respiratory's pegylated TLR2/6 agonists has been demonstrated in animal preclinical models of respiratory viruses, including influenza and rhinovirus (common cold) and secondary bacterial infection models. INNA-051 efficacy against COVID-19 has been confirmed in a ferret challenge model by the team led by Professor Miles Carroll at Public Health England. In this study INNA-051 was administrated as prophylaxis. In the optimal dose regimen, after 5 days post-exposure to COVID-19, INNA-051 treated animals had statistically significant reduction of virus in throat swabs (96% reduction) and nasal washes (93% reduction) compared to untreated animals, despite very high levels of virus exposure (about 5 million virus particles were administrated in these studies). About the Medical Research Commercialisation Fund (MRCF) and Brandon Capital Partners Brandon Capital Partners is a venture capital firm that manages the Medical Research Commercialisation Fund (MRCF), Australia and New Zealand's largest life science investment fund. The MRCF is a unique collaboration between major Australian superannuation funds, the Australian and New Zealand governments, Australian state governments and more than 50 leading medical research institutes and research hospitals. The MRCF supports the development and commercialisation of early-stage biomedical discoveries originating from member research organisations, providing both capital and expertise to guide the successful development of new therapies. The MRCF has supported more than 45 start-up companies to date, most of which were founded by the MRCF. For more information about the MRCF visit: https://www.mrcf.com.au/ For more information about Brandon Capital Partners visit: www.brandoncapital.com.au About Uniseed Uniseed is Australia's longest running early stage commercialisation fund that makes investments in research emanating from five of Australia's leading research organisations The University of Queensland, The University of Sydney, The University of New South Wales, The University of Melbourne and the CSIRO. Uniseed is a mutual fund, owned by research organisations, for research organisations. The fund facilitates the commercialisation of its research partners' most promising intellectual property and secures targeted investment in resulting products and technologies. Uniseed has supported 57 start-up companies to date, being the seed investor in most of these. For more information, visit: www.uniseed.com Related Links https://enarespiratory.com SOURCE Ena Respiratory A Maryland county has reached a $20 million settlement with the family of an unarmed Black man who was fatally shot by a police corporal while he was handcuffed in a patrol car in January, officials said on Monday. The figure, announced on Sunday, makes it among the largest settlements in a case involving a killing by a police officer. There is no appropriate price tag to accompany a loss like that one, but we believe the actions taken that night against Mr. Green and ultimately taken against his family warrant this settlement, Angela D. Alsobrooks, the county executive of Prince Georges County, said at a news conference. Ms. Alsobrooks, a former prosecutor, noted that the police are given by this community an awesome and tremendously difficult responsibility of protecting life. And when that trust is abused, it is necessary to take swift and decisive action, she added. The corporal, Michael Owen Jr., a 10-year veteran of the Prince Georges Police Department, shot the man, William H. Green, 43, multiple times on Jan. 27, while Mr. Greens hands were handcuffed behind his back and as he sat in the front seat of a parked police cruiser, officials said. The CBI investigation brought great confidence and hope to those across the globe seeking justice for Sushant Singh Rajput. While over a month has elapsed, anxious family members, concerned friends, fans and well wishers continue to be in the dark vis-a-vis developments and findings of the probe thus far. Republic Media Network believes that the fight for justice for Rajput must not be derailed and cannot be halted until the case reaches its final and logical conclusion. While pivotal parallel probes continue, the justice for Sushant Singh Rajputs death must not be eclipsed. This petition is a pledge that the people will firmly stand against any attempts to delay or dim the focus on the investigation on Sushant Singh Rajputs cause of death. Dont let justice for Sushant be derailed, demand accountability from the CBI DEMAND #SushantJusticeNow. Sign the petition here - https://t.co/Y9zlarecVl pic.twitter.com/7HHvqcD2NG Republic (@republic) September 28, 2020 Sign the petition to ensure that there is no compromise on justice for Sushant Singh Rajput: http://petition.republicworld.com/ You ensured CBI for SSR, now its time to hold the CBI probe accountable. Fight for #SushantJusticeNow and sign the petition now at - https://t.co/Y9zlarecVl pic.twitter.com/l7sEvTLeV6 Republic (@republic) September 28, 2020 Read: Sushant Case & Drug Probe LIVE Updates: CBI Issues Statement; Says, 'no Aspect Ruled Out' Sushant Singh Rajput death case The 34-year-old actor's untimely death sent shockwaves across the country. While the Mumbai Police only registered an Accidental Death Report, the Patna Police filed an FIR against actor Rhea Chakraborty and other persons based on the complaint of the Dil Bechara actor's father KK Singh. Sections 341 (Wrongful Restraint), 342 (wrongful confinement), 380 (theft), 406 (breach of trust), 420 (cheating), 306 (abetment to suicide) of the Indian Penal Code have been included in the FIR. Additionally, the Enforcement Directorateinitiated a money laundering case against Chakraborty in connection with the Sushant death case. After the Bihar government's recommendation to transfer the case to the CBI, the agency formally registered an FIR. 6 persons including Rhea Chakraborty have been named as accused. Post the Supreme Court's order rejecting Chakraborty's transfer petition, the CBI commenced its investigation in Mumbai. Meanwhile, the Narcotics Control Bureau is probing the drug angle in the death case of Sushant. So far, numerous persons including Rhea Chakraborty and her brother Showik have been arrested after being charged under various sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act. Earlier in the day, the CBI defended its investigation, stressing that no aspect has been ruled out. Read: Sushant's Family Says, 'we Are Still In A State Of Denial'; Shares A Throwback Video Why #SushantJusticeNow? We believe that no stone should be left unturned vis-a-vis justice and no leeway given to the suspect(s). This petition also demands that the CBI must reopen the Disha Salian death case and investigates it thoroughly given the multifarious leads indicating a connection to Sushant Singh Rajputs death. Additionally, Mumbai Police officers across ranks responsible for the botch-ups in the case should be held accountable by the CBI. SIGN THE PETITION HERE - http://petition.republicworld.com/ SELBYVILLE, Del., Sept. 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- According to the latest report "Stroke Management Market by Type (Ischemic, Hemorrhagic, Transient Ischemic Attack), Diagnostics (Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Computed Tomography Scan, Electrocardiography, Carotid Ultrasound, Cerebral Angiography), Therapeutic Devices (Stent Retriever, Surgical Clipping, Embolic Coils, Flow Diverters, Aspiration Catheters), End-use (Hospitals, Ambulatory Surgery Centers, Diagnostic Centers), Regional Outlook, Price Trends, Competitive Market Share & Forecast 2026", by Global Market Insights, Inc., the market valuation of stroke management will cross $47 billion by 2026. Rising incidences of chronic diseases such as cardiovascular, cancer, diabetes and others will trigger the market growth. Global Stroke Management Market growth predicted at 6.3% through 2026: GMI - Asia-Pacific's stroke management market size is anticipated to expand at a 7% CAGR till 2026, led by an increasing number of private hospitals and diagnostic clinics for the treatment of patients suffering from stroke. Technological advancements for effective stroke treatment and diagnosis will drive market expansion. Several advances in stroke rehabilitation and recovery have led to substantial improvements in the health outcomes of stroke patients. Thrombectomy is a surgical procedure that removes a blood clot from a blood vessel. Earlier, it was assumed that thrombectomy was only a feasible option for patients within the first six hours of the stroke. However, recent trials have stated that thrombectomy can be helpful for patients even up to 24 hours after the stroke, thereby driving the market growth. Furthermore, the rising adoption of mobile stroke treatment units for treatment in stroke patients will enhance the industry's progression. Request for a sample of this research report at https://www.gminsights.com/request-sample/detail/3550 The stroke management market for the transient ischemic attack (TIA) segment is expected to experience significant growth during the forecast period. Surging incidences of high cholesterol and blood pressure leads to various cardiac and neurological disorders. Additionally, technologically advanced procedures including CT angiography to detect transient ischemic attack will favor the segment's growth. The incidence of transient ischemic attack (TIA) increases with age, thereby, the elderly population base has more chances of getting a stroke. The carotid ultrasound segment in the stroke management market accounted for around USD 4 billion in 2019. Benefits of carotid ultrasounds, including the minimized risk of radiation to patients and improved safety as compared to conventional angiography, will boost the segment's demand. Also, ultrasound scanning provides a clear picture of soft tissues as compared to other imaging technologies that will drive the segment value. Asia-Pacific's stroke management market size is anticipated to expand at a 7% CAGR till 2026. The burden of cardiovascular diseases increases exponentially with surging cases of heart attack or stroke leading to rising demand for stroke management devices in the APAC region. Stroke mortality is higher in Asia than in the Americas and Western Europe, except in some countries including Japan, creating a need for stroke management devices across the region. An increasing number of private hospitals and diagnostic clinics for the treatment of patients suffering from stroke across Asia-Pacific will augment the regional market growth. The embolic coils therapeutic devices is projected to witness more than 6% growth rate through 2026. Embolic coils offer several advantages including lower risk of epilepsy, better physiological outcome, and easier access to the vertebrobasilar system, fostering the segment progression. Embolic coiling is gradually replacing surgical clipping, as embolic coils are considered the most preferred method for treating intracranial aneurysms. The ambulatory surgical centers held over 21.5% of the stroke management market share in 2019 due to increasing patient preference towards ambulatory centers for efficient patient management and better treatment. Numerous benefits offered by these centers including minimum risk of hospital-acquired infections (HAIs), quality care, shorter hospital stay, and cost-effective treatment proves beneficial for the market revenue. Additionally, as medical advancements continue, more procedures can be expected to be performed at ambulatory surgical units. Request for customization of this research report at https://www.gminsights.com/roc/3550 Some of the prominent players operating in the stroke management market are Abbott Laboratories, Medtronic, B. Braun Melsungen AG, Claret Medical, Integer Holdings, Penumbra, GE Healthcare, Siemens, Johnson & Johnson, and Teleflex Incorporated. These market applicants are executing various growth strategies such as new product launch, mergers, collaborations, and partnerships in order to increase their market share. For instance, in May 2019, B. Braun announced a collaboration with NuMED Inc. for the launch of the NuDEL CP Stent delivery system. This delivery system is useful for the treatment of right ventricular outflow. The strategy assisted the company to expand its product offerings and garner a larger market share. Table of Contents (ToC) of the report: Chapter 3. Stroke Management Market Insights 3.1. Industry segmentation 3.2. Industry landscape, 2015 - 2026 3.3. Industry impact forces 3.3.1. Growth drivers 3.3.2. Industry pitfalls and challenges 3.4. Growth potential analysis 3.4.1. By type 3.4.2. By diagnostics 3.4.3. By therapeutic devices 3.4.4. By end-use 3.5. COVID-19 impact analysis 3.6. Porter's analysis 3.7. Competitive landscape, 2019 3.7.1. Strategy dashboard 3.8. PESTEL analysis Browse Complete Table of Contents (ToC) at https://www.gminsights.com/toc/detail/stroke-management-market About Global Market Insights, Inc. Global Market Insights, Inc., headquartered in Delaware, U.S., is a global market research and consulting service provider, offering syndicated and custom research reports along with growth consulting services. Our business intelligence and industry research reports offer clients with penetrative insights and actionable market data specially designed and presented to aid strategic decision making. These exhaustive reports are designed via a proprietary research methodology and are available for key industries such as chemicals, advanced materials, technology, renewable energy, and biotechnology. Contact Us: Arun Hegde Corporate Sales, USA Global Market Insights, Inc. Phone: 1-302-846-7766 Toll-Free: 1-888-689-0688 Email: [email protected] Related Images global-stroke-management-market.png Global Stroke Management Market growth predicted at 6.3% through 2026: GMI Asia-Pacific's stroke management market size is anticipated to expand at a 7% CAGR till 2026, led by an increasing number of private hospitals and diagnostic clinics for the treatment of patients suffering from stroke. Related Links Healthcare & Medical Devices Industry Trends GMIPulse - Interactive Business Analytics Platform SOURCE Global Market Insights, Inc. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-28 22:48:25|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close HELSINKI, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- Finnish national carrier Finnair announced on Monday that it has cooperated with Chinese companies TravelSky and Tongcheng-Elong to optimize aviation product contribution by using NDC (New Distribution Capability) technology. The airline has agreed with TravelSky, a leading Chinese air transport information service provider, to cooperate in bringing its aeronautical product offering to TravelSky's customers in China, by using NDC contribution technology of IATA (International Air Transport Association), said Finnair in a press release published on Monday. Finnair has become the first European airline to build NDC connection to TravelSky, according to the airline. The first direct connection was launched in June 2020 with Tongcheng-Elong Holdings Limited, a leading Chinese online travel service provider, as a partner selling Finnair's NDC content. Via NDC connection with TravelSky, it is easy for Chinese travel agencies to access to Finnair's full portfolio of additional services from an extra baggage to a pre-order meal, which enable personalization of the flight experience for customers. "NDC with TravelSky will enable us to provide all our ancillary offering to our Chinese customers, which benefits both travel agencies in terms of a wider product offering and our Chinese travellers, who can better personalize their journeys with Finnair," said Ole Orver, chief commercial officer (CCO) of Finnair, in the press release. Tongcheng-Elong's Chief Operating Officer Wang Qiang also said in a press release that his company continues cooperation with the world's outstanding airlines to provide users better travel services and promote the innovation of global travel online service, by relying on its own technology and traffic advantages. Finnair is a member of the IATA NDC Leaderboard airlines group, which is committed to promoting the introduction of NDC and changing the way the tourism value chain operates. The airline was recently named the highest level NDC-certified company by IATA, and now offers comprehensive booking and service options through its NDC application interface. Finnair noted that Chinese market continues to play a key role in its strategy. In July, the airline reopened its passenger flight to Shanghai. It will also fly to Nanjing in September and October, and hopes to open flights to other destinations in China as well. Enditem Republican President Donald Trump and Democrat Joe Biden face off on Tuesday in a televised presidential debate, part of a 60-year-old tradition marked by some of the most memorable moments of modern US political history: - 1960: The first televised debate pitted Democratic nominee John F. Kennedy against Republican Vice President Richard Nixon, who was recovering from a hospital visit and had a 5 oclock shadow, having refused makeup. The 70 million viewers focused on what they saw, not what they heard. Kennedy won the election. - 1976: In the first TV debate in 16 years, Democrat Jimmy Carter faced unelected incumbent Republican President Gerald Ford. In remarks seen as a major blunder, Ford said: There is no Soviet domination of Eastern Europe, and there never will be under a Ford administration. Carter won the election. - 1980: Carter appeared in a second debate with Republican Ronald Reagan after boycotting the first for including third-party candidate John Anderson. The president accused Reagan of planning to cut Medicare healthcare funding for the elderly. Reagan, who already had complained that Carter was misrepresenting his stands on a number of issues, said: There you go again and chuckled, drawing audience laughter and coining a catchphrase. Reagan won the election. - 1984: Reagan, 73, successfully defused the issue of his age when he debated Democrat Walter Mondale, 56, quipping: I want you to know that also I will not make age an issue of this campaign. I am not going to exploit, for political purposes, my opponents youth and inexperience. Reagan was re-elected. Shipping traffic through the South China Sea (left), and through the Spratly Islands in particular (right), in 2017. Green and red lines indicate heavy commercial traffic; blue lines indicate very much less-traveled routes. Notably, ship traffic through this area avoids the Spratly archipelago almost entirely. A single narrow lane off Palawan, the Philippines, is the main route through the waters here. UPDATED at 8:25 P.M. EDT on 2020-09-28 Data shows Chinas militarization of the South China Sea appears to be having significant effects on commercial shipping in the region. Experts say that Beijings bases and naval build-up are ultimately meant to police the disputed waters and secure Chinas own trade routes. China conducted two military exercises in the Paracel Islands over the past three months, amid rising tensions with the United States. In both cases, it halted all maritime traffic through the area for the exercises duration, and in the second set of drills it also launched anti-ship ballistic missiles into the water. On Saturday, it announced two more exercises in the Paracels for this week which would bring the total count of drills ever conducted in the area to four. Experts say the South China Sea drills, which encompassed an area of over 13,000 square miles off Chinas Hainan province, may have disrupted shipping, but just for a few days in early July and late August. More significant are the trends revealed by ship-tracking data covering a longer period that show commercial ships are avoiding Chinas outposts and artificial islands in the Paracels in the northern part of the South China Sea, and particularly in the Spratly Islands further south. In both locations, shipping traffic is becoming more concentrated on a small number of increasingly busy routes. Theres only a series of very narrow passages through the South China Sea straddling the Spratlys. It doesnt take much to cause a disruption in the supply chain, over those sea lanes, said Sal Mercogliano, a maritime historian at Campbell University in North Carolina. I think one of the things the Chinese are trying to do is ensure that those commercial routes stay open, and thats one of the reasons theyre putting themselves on those routes, to ensure there is not an interdiction. There is not a stop to the flow of goods and material, he said. But if thats the goal a trading environment on Chinas terms -- it deviates sharply from how the United States and key allies view the problem. The U.S. has often argued that Chinas militarization threatens free trade and unobstructed shipping traffic, and Australia, Japan, the United Kingdom, India, and Germany have all echoed this concern. Nearly one-third of the worlds trade passes through the South China Sea, constituting roughly $5 trillion worth of goods. Out of the top 10 ports handling the cargo ships that ferry these goods, nine are in Asia. China claims virtually all the South China Sea on the basis of historic rights, a position unsupported by international law. That has put Beijing at odds with six other Asian governments Vietnam, the Philippines, Taiwan, Brunei, Malaysia, and Indonesia. China has asserted its supposed jurisdiction through deployments of its coast guard and navy, both of which constitute the largest fleets of their kind in the world, according to the annual China Military Power Report put out by the U.S. Department of Defense. So far, there is little evidence of serious disruption of commercial shipping in the South China Sea. However, data gathered by MarineTraffic, an online service that tracks ships, shows that between 2016 and 2017, most ships carrying oil or cargo were going around the Paracels, increasing traffic to the areas southeast and northwest, although a more direct route through the Paracels would decrease fuel costs. Shipping traffic in the northern half of the South China Sea in in 2017. Green lanes indicate higher volumes of traffic. In both years, most ships preferred to go around rather than through the Paracel Islands, which China occupies and has made into a major military hub. Data courtesy of MarineTraffic. Shipmap, a shipping visualization tool developed by the University College Londons Energy Institute, provides one look at container traffic through this area in 2012. Ships would more frequently cut through the Paracels, passing between Lincoln Island and Woody Island. This was before large-scale reclamation and sand dredging projects would turn Woody Island and Lincoln Island into Chinese military outposts in 2014. The U.S. Navy performed a freedom of navigation operation through the Paracels in late August and framed that as an effort to ensure critical shipping lanes in the area remain free and open. The Paracels are wholly occupied by China but they are also claimed by Vietnam and Taiwan. Johan Gott, a partner at the political risk advisory and consulting firm PRISM, and Mercogliano said the impact from diverting shipping through the Paracels remains relatively minor. But the impact in the Spratlys, which lie further south and where the conflicting territorial claims are particularly complex, is more apparent. MarineTraffic data from 2017 shows ship traffic through this area avoids the disputed archipelago almost entirely. A single narrow lane off Palawan, the Philippines, is the main route through the waters there. Previous maps of the area, including one from 2012 suggest this isnt a recent change: shipping has long given the area a wide berth, predating Chinas spree of island building in the Spratlys. China now has bases at Fiery Cross Reef, Mischief Reef, Subi Reef, Cuarteron Reef, Johnson South Reef, and Gaven Reef that include runways and harbors to accommodate coastguard or civilian vessels. Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam all either occupy or claim assorted islets, reefs and shoals in the island chain. A close-up of the Spratly Islands and the routes commercial ships take to avoid the area. Because of the few narrow passages ships have to take around the Spratly Islands, Mercogliano believes it would take little effort to disrupt crucial shipping lanes there, which explains Chinas military build-up in the area. Data courtesy MarineTraffic. The More Pressing Threat Gott noted that it was not in Chinas interest to interfere in commercial shipping as Chinas goods sail through the area as well. Seven of the 10 largest commercial ports are in China, and some of the biggest shipping companies in the world are Chinese and dependent on access to the waterway. In peacetime, I dont see there being significant disruption to the flow of goods, Gott said. Gott added that military exercises, like the ones conducted this summer in the Paracels by China, would have little impact on shipping companies costs and profit as ships are accustomed to adapting to circumstance. There is a disruption to shipping, but it is a limited amount of time, and I think shipping companies are sort of used to having to reroute and renavigate, because of weather, because of military [exercises], whatever it may be, Gott said. I dont think thats going to be a noticeable difference in terms of your cost of shipping one container. Gott said the bigger threat of Chinas assertive behavior in the South China Sea is related to resource extraction in the exclusive economic zones, or EEZs, of neighboring countries. Each country has an EEZ that extends 200 nautical miles beyond their shores, which they can exploit for fish, oil, and other resources. However, Chinas claims in the South China Sea cut into the EEZs of states like Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei, and Indonesia. This is a concern often raised by the United States, in its increasingly intense war of words with China. David Helvey, a senior Pentagon official for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs, highlighted Chinas efforts to limit other countries exploitation of resources in their EEZs when he was asked by Radio Free Asia if the U.S. has seen any explicit threats to shipping in the South China Sea by China. He cited instances of sending maritime militia or Chinese coastguard or even in some circumstances [Peoples Liberation Army] Navy assets and vessels into exclusive economic zones to harass, challenge fishing activities or in some cases energy exploration and exploitation. Helvey was speaking at a Sept. 16 event held by the Washington, D.C., think tank, the Global Taiwan Institute. A COSCO Shipping cargo ship leaving the EuroFos terminal at the Fos-Sur-Mer harbor, in Marseille, southern France, July 23, 2020. COSCO formed out of a state-backed merger between two of Chinas biggest shipping conglomerates in 2016, creating the third-largest shipping company in the world. Credit AFP China: A Greater Sea Power than the U.S.? China asserts it has sovereignty over disputed areas in the South China Sea, and on Monday described its construction of military facilities in the Spratlys as an exercise of its rights to self-preservation and self-defense under international law. China's construction on our own territory is aimed to meet the civilian need in the South China Sea, provide more public goods and services to the region and beyond, and fulfill our international responsibilities and obligations, Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin told a news conference in Beijing according to a transcript posted by the ministry. Deployment of necessary defense facilities on the Nansha Islands is an exercise of China's right to self-preservation and self-defense under international law, he added, referring to the name China uses for the Spratlys. Those comments point to what Mercogliano identifies as the primary reason for Chinas militarization of the region its desire to secure its own trade out of concern that the U.S. or any other country could interrupt it. Also, at a time when many other countries have abandoned the idea of having a national merchant fleet, China has embraced it, Mercogliano says. China has a vastly bigger merchant marine than the United States or other countries, designed to ensure Chinese shipping continues in times of crisis. China also currently builds 40 percent of the worlds cargo ships. Whos the better sea power? Mercogliano posited. If youre in a shooting war, the U.S. Navy is, but if youre in peacetime, with the commercial aspect, it sounds like Chinas in the better position. China is also positioning itself as the main guarantor of security and law enforcement in the South China Sea, which may enable it to exert more control over the passage of shipping, experts say. China considers the South China Sea to be its near-seas and thus under its jurisdiction, and recently performed its first ever interdiction of a suspected drug-smuggling ship in the Spratly Islands, nearby its military base at Fiery Cross Reef. Chinas legislature recently adopted a new law on maritime traffic that grants maritime police agencies like its coastguard the right to pursue and apprehend any suspect ship moving through its jurisdictional waters, a vague term that includes maritime territory claimed in the South China Sea. They want to be the regulatory agency. They don't want to leave a void out there for the U.S. or other nations to have to fill. They'd rather fill it themselves, Mercogliano said. The United Nations (UN) is observing the 75th anniversary of its founding amid the Covid-19 pandemic. Heads of States/governments marked the occasion with speeches delivered through the digital medium. They applauded the UN and the role it has played in the maintenance of international peace and security and in addressing major social and economic challenges. The reality is that the original and uplifting vision, which underlay the establishment of the UN, has lost its focus. The UN faces a crisis of credibility at the root of which is the enfeeblement of the spirit of internationalism and related to that, the diminishing role of multilateral processes in addressing cross-cutting and global challenges. This is evident in the marginal role that the UN is playing in dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic and the doubts expressed over the credibility and effectiveness of the World Health Organization (WHO) in mobilising the international community in the fight against the virus. Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke of the concerns of countries like India and the need for reform in his address to the UN. Despite the pandemic being a global crisis, it is being tackled as a public health emergency mostly at the national level. The results are suboptimal as is to be expected. The pandemic has spawned a major economic crisis, but countries are held in thrall by the growing confrontation between the largest and the second-largest economies of the world: The United States (US) and China. Without a minimal agreement between them on supporting the recovery of the global economy and trade, it is impossible to recreate the G-20 collaboration which dealt successfully with the global financial and economic crisis of 2007-08. The World Trade Organization has been rendered irrelevant by the growing salience of large multi-nation regional trade and investment arrangements such as the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) and the increasing recourse to bilateral deals. Both global economy and trade flows are becoming fragmented and the international economic environment is less conducive to the development of countries like India. Multilateralism is more important to emerging countries whose bargaining clout is still limited. But India, too, appears to have adopted the current preference among major countries to deal with issues through a narrower and more self-centred nationalism prism. The UN today is a depleted version of its founding ideals and there are several reasons for this. Its original democratic impulse, limited though it was by the institution of the UN Security Council with five permanent members with veto power, is now weak. Resolutions of the UN General Assembly are rarely taken seriously. Its agenda is limited by the narrow sensitivities of its most powerful members. A major problem relates to finance. The assessed contributions to the UN, based on the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of its members, is barely enough to support the UN establishment leaving virtually nothing for its wide range of activities, including peace-keeping. The UN and its specialised agencies are able to engage in their mandated activities only through project funding from major donor countries. They determine where and how these funds will be spent. It should come as no surprise, therefore, that the activities of the UN are heavily oriented towards the preferences of the donors and not the priorities of its larger membership. Developing countries who are in the category of middle powers, such as India, Indonesia, Brazil, South Africa and Mexico, for example, could prevent the capture of the UN by a small cluster of richer countries, China now among them, through larger contributions to the general budget. However, even among these countries the tendency is to mimic the behaviour of the affluent countries. They, too, would rather seek to influence the activities of the UN to pursue their own foreign policy aims rather than serve the larger purpose of a relatively more autonomous UN. It is now apparent that in key areas of technology and public health, large multinational corporations are playing an increasingly influential role. The turnover of five big tech companies, Amazon, Google, Apple, Microsoft and Facebook together exceeds the GDP of some of the largest economies of the world at over $5 trillion. They run large philanthropic foundations and agencies but it would be naive to think that their activities are de-linked from their business interests. When the UN becomes a partner of these foundations and receives funds from them, then it is unlikely to encourage any questioning of their activities. The credibility of the UN is further undermined through these associations. The major powers and more affluent nations have no interest in leading the UN back to its original vision and mandate. They are comfortable with its current role as their handmaiden and its collaboration with big business. It is the large constituency of developing countries, including middle powers like India, whose interests would be served by a UN which in its role and activities, truly reflects the interests of its larger membership. I recall my experience as Indias Alternate Representative to the Committee on Disarmament (CD) in the early 1980s. The Disarmament Secretariat led by Ambassador Rikhi Jaipal, played the role of adviser and counsellor to the Non-aligned and Neutral Countries in the CD, helping them set the agenda, marshall their arguments and acquaint them with procedural issues. If such secretarial positions are financed by project funds, independence of action by UN functionaries is impossible. It is these fundamental issues which need to be addressed by the UN at 75 if it is to regain its credibility and effectiveness. Shyam Saran is a former foreign secretary and senior fellow, CPR The views expressed are personal The Greek island of Kastellorizo lies about a mile off the Turkish coast - AFP Greek police are searching for whoever was responsible for daubing red paint on a giant Greek flag on Kastellorizo, the tiny Aegean island that is at the centre of the crisis between Athens and Ankara. The paint the colour of the Turkish flag was splashed all over the blue and white flag, which is etched into a hillside on the island, facing the Turkish coast. A drone that was launched around the same time as the attack took aerial photos of the desecrated flag and there were reports that it played the Turkish national anthem through a loudspeaker. Athens has demanded that Turkey also investigate the incident, saying it was an insult to Greek national honour. The police and the army are investigating and we are waiting for them to tell us what they have found out, Michael Amygdalos, the deputy mayor of Kastellorizo, told The Telegraph on Monday. There were earlier reports that the paint had been dropped by the drone, but that was incorrect, he said. Kastellorizo is Greece's farther-flung territory - AFP We believe it was a person who did it, not the drone. This comes at a very difficult time, after all the recent tension with Turkey. We want to maintain friendship with Turkey. The vandalism of the giant flag may have been in retaliation for Greeks burning the Turkish flag in the northern city of Thessaloniki in late July, he said. A group of nationalists burnt the flag outside the Turkish consulate to protest the decision of Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkeys president, to convert Hagia Sophia, the former Byzantine church in Istanbul, back into a mosque. Access to Kastellorizo has been severely restricted since the coronavirus pandemic broke out early this year, with the regular ferry service from the island to the nearby Turkish town of Kas suspended. The main access to the island is by ferry from Rhodes, or by plane from Athens. There were no Turkish people currently on the island, the deputy mayor said. Turkey's Oruc Reis seismic survey ship - AFP "We expect Turkish authorities to immediately condemn and investigate the incident, so that the culprits are brought before justice," the Greek foreign ministry said. Story continues "Such unacceptable actions only seek to torpedo prospects for easing tensions between the two countries." The daubing of the flag comes after a summer of high tension between Greece and Turkey as a result of Ankaras decision to send a survey ship into waters claimed by Greece to prospect for oil and gas. The Oruc Reis ship was escorted by Turkish warships, prompting Greece to also deploy warships to the area and raising fears of a military confrontation, particularly after a Greek warship collided with a Turkish frigate. The vessel has since been withdrawn from the region and the two countries have said they will resume exploratory talks about maritime rights and hydrocarbon exploration. The last round of talks broke off in 2016. Greece called for maritime disputes to be resolved peacefully on Monday, during the start of a two-day visit by Mike Pompeo, the US Secretary of State. "The United States and Greece reaffirmed their belief that maritime delimitation issues should be resolved peacefully in accordance with international law," a joint statement said. Mr Pompeo has said the United States is "deeply concerned" about Turkish actions in the east Mediterranean. Delhi minister for social welfare Rajendra Pal Gautam and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief spokesperson Saurabh Bharadwaj on Monday condemned the sexual assault on a 19-year-old girl at Hathras district of Uttar Pradesh. Talking about the incident in which the Dalit girl was assaulted by upper caste men, Gautam said there has been a continuous rise in the number of crimes against Dalits and Brahmins in UP. Bharadwaj said under the Yogi Adityanath government in UP, the condition of Dalits and Brahmins has deteriorated drastically. He also said that members of Thakur community have been appointed to most of the top positions since the CM belongs to the same caste. He said two other minor girls were targeted in the same district (Hathras) on August 24 and on August 14. Looking into the crimes that are happening in Uttar Pradesh, we have found that Scheduled Castes and Tribes, OBCs and Brahmins are constantly being targeted. This is happening because of the attitude of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. The morale of the people of a particular community is high because whenever the people associated with that community commit any crime, no action is taken against them. A recent survey has shown 25% of caste-related crimes are reported from UP followed by Madhya Pradesh. Both these states are run by BJP. On the other hand, in Congress-ruled Rajasthan caste-related crimes are also increasing, he said. Gautam said that all such crimes should be stopped and the government should be proactive in handling these cases. Referring to the gang rape of the 19-year-old girl, a senior UP police officer said, The police have arrested all the four accused named in the FIR. And the victim is undergoing treatment at Aligarh medical college. South Korean President Moon Jae-in apologized for the first time Monday for the death of a man who was shot by North Korean troops last week, saying his government failed in its responsibility to safeguard a citizen. The shooting triggered outrage and criticism that Seoul apparently wasted hours to rescue the South Korean official who was found adrift in North Korean waters before his death last Tuesday. While the shooting drew a rare apology from North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, the North has largely passed the blame to the man who was killed, saying that he refused to answer questions and attempted to flee before North Korean troops fired at him. On Sunday, North Korea accused the South of sending vessels across their disputed western maritime border in search of the mans remains, warning that the alleged intrusion could escalate tensions. South Koreas military and coast guard insist they have been searching only in waters south of the boundary. In a meeting with senior aides, Moon offered his deep condolences to grieving family members and also apologized to the public over their shock and fury, saying that the government without any excuses is responsible for protecting the safety of its citizens. Moon also said Kims apology showed he was eager to prevent a breakdown in bilateral relations over the incident and called for the North to resume dialogue and reconnect military communication channels that it cut off in June. North Korea has suspended virtually all inter-Korean cooperation and diplomacy amid a stalemate in larger nuclear negotiations with the Trump administration, which have faltered over disagreements in exchanging sanctions relief and disarmament. South Korea has proposed a joint investigation with the North to investigate the shooting. Our hope is that this tragic incident doesnt just end as a (tragic) incident and instead creates room for dialogue and cooperation, becoming an opportunity to develop South-North relations, Moon said. Critics, including conservative lawmakers, have accused Moons government of inaction after military officials revealed the man was spotted in North Korean waters about six hours before he was killed. South Korea's Defense Ministry said it was difficult to establish communication with North Korea because of the severed channels and that officials needed more time to analyze intelligence to determine what the North would do to the man. Kim was quoted as saying he was very sorry over what he described as an unexpected, unfortunate incident in the message sent to South Korea. It said the troops did not recover a body but burned the object on which he had been floating in line with anti-coronavirus rules, the message said. The man was a 47-year-old employee of South Korea's maritime agency who was reported as missing while on duty on a fishing boat near Yeonpyeong island, which is close to the sea border. Minimal details released though South Korea's military has said he likely had been trying to defect to the North. His brother has denied that possibility through local media, saying it was more likely that he fell into the sea by accident. (Image: AP) Modern humans first arrived in westernmost Europe 5,000 years earlier than was previously believed and may have overlapped with Neanderthals a study found. Archaeologists digging in the Lapa do Picareiro cave of central Portugal's Atlantic coast have unearthed stone tools characteristic of modern humans. The finds which date back to around 41,00038,000 years ago link the cave to other sites across Eurasia and the Russian plain that have yielded similar tools. This supports a rapid westward spread of modern humans across Eurasia within a few thousand years of their first appearance in south-eastern Europe, the team said. The discovery, they added, has 'important ramifications' for understanding the possibility of interactions between modern humans and Neanderthals in the region. It may also help shine a light on the ultimate disappearance of the Neanderthals. Modern humans first arrived in westernmost Europe 5,000 years earlier than was previously believed and may have overlapped with Neanderthals a study found. Archaeologists digging in the Lapa do Picareiro cave of central Portugal's Atlantic coast have unearthed stone tools, pictured, that are characteristic of modern humans 'The question whether the last surviving Neanderthals in Europe [were] replaced or assimilated by incoming modern humans is a long-standing, unsolved issue,' said paper author Lukas Friedl of the University of West Bohemia, in the Czech Republic. 'The early dates for Aurignacian stone tools at Picareiro likely rule out the possibility that modern humans arrived into the land long-devoid of Neanderthals and that by itself is exciting,' he added. Aurignacian stone tools are a type of technology definitively associated with the activities of early modern humans in Europe. Until now, the oldest evidence for modern humans south of Spain's Ebro River came from Bajondillo, a cave site on the southern coast. 'Bajondillo offered tantalising but controversial evidence that modern humans were in the area earlier than we thought,' said paper author and anthropologist Jonathan Haws of the University of Louisville in Kentucky. 'The evidence in our report definitely supports the Bajondillo implications for an early modern human arrival, but it's still not clear how they got here.' 'People likely migrated along east-west flowing rivers in the interior, but a coastal route is still possible,' he concluded. 'The spread of anatomically modern humans across Europe many thousands of years ago is central to our understanding of where we came from as a now-global species,' commented US National Science Foundation archaeologist John Yellen. 'This discovery offers significant new evidence that will help shape future research investigating when and where anatomically modern humans arrived in Europe and what interactions they may have had with Neanderthals.' The finds which date back to around 41,00038,000 years ago link the cave, pictured, to other sites across Eurasia and the Russian plain that have yielded similar tools Having been the subject to excavations and study for the last quarter-century, the Lapa do Picareiro cave has produced a record of human occupation going back around 50,000 years. Researchers have extracted from the site rich archaeological deposits including not only stone tools but also thousands of animal bones that show signs of having been involved in hunting, butchery and cooking activities. Ancient humans would have broken bones apart to extract their marrow which would have been valued as a nutritious food. Dating the bones with accelerator mass spectrometry, the team have determined that modern humans arrived in the area around 41,00038,000 years ago. The last Neanderthal occupation at the site took place between around 45,00042,000 years ago. Although these dates would suggest that modern humans only arrived after the Neanderthals disappeared, a cave just three miles away known as 'Oliveira' has been found to contain evidence of Neanderthal occupation dating up to 37,000 years ago. This, the experts said, suggests that the two groups may have overlapped in the area for several thousand years. 'The bones from Lapa do Picareiro make up one of the largest Palaeolithic assemblages in Portugal, and the preservation of these animal bones is remarkable,' said palaeoecologist Milena Carvalho of the University of New Mexico. 'The collection will provide tremendous amounts of information on human behaviour and paleoecology during the Palaeolithic and we will be studying it for decades.' Having been the subject to excavations and study for the last quarter-century, the Lapa do Picareiro cave has produced a record of human occupation going back around 50,000 years 'If the two groups overlapped for some time in the highlands of Atlantic Portugal, they may have maintained contacts between each other and exchanged not only technology and tools, but also mates,' said paper author Nuno Bicho. 'This could possibly explain why many Europeans have Neanderthal genes,' the archaeologist from the University of Algarve, Portugal, added. 'Besides genetic and archaeological evidence, high-resolution temporal context and fossil evidence across the continent is crucial for answering this question,' said Dr Friedl explained. 'With the preserved key layers dated to the transitional period, we are now awaiting human fossils to tell us more about the nature of the transition.' Excavations have still yet to reach the bottom of the cave, the researchers said, with an 'enormous' amount of sediment remaining for future work. 'I've been excavating at Picareiro for 25 years,' commented Professor Haws. Just when you start to think it might be done giving up its secrets, a new surprise gets unearthed,' he added. 'Every few years something remarkable turns up and we keep digging.' Archaeologists digging in the Lapa do Picareiro cave of central Portugal's Atlantic coast have unearthed stone tools characteristic of modern humans. The finds which date back to around 41,00038,000 years ago link the cave to other sites across Eurasia and the Russian plain that have yielded similar tools. Until now, the oldest evidence for modern humans south of Spain's Ebro River came from Bajondillo, a cave site on the southern coast WHAT KILLED OFF THE NEANDERTHALS? The first Homo sapiens reached Europe around 43,000 years ago, replacing the Neanderthals there approximately 3,000 years later. There are many theories as to what drove the downfall of the Neanderthals. Experts have suggested that early humans may have carried tropical diseases with them from Africa that wiped out their ape-like cousins. The first Homo sapiens reached Europe around 43,000 years ago, replacing the Neanderthals (model pictured) there approximately 3,000 years later Others claim that plummeting temperatures due to climate change wiped out the Neanderthals. The predominant theory is that early humans killed off the species through competition for food and habitat. Homo sapiens' superior brain power and hunting techniques meant the Neanderthals couldn't compete. Based on scans of Neanderthal skulls, a new theory suggests the heavy-browed hominids lacked key human brain regions vital for memory, thinking and communication skills. That would have affected their social and cognitive abilities - and could have killed them off as they were unable to adapt to climate change. Advertisement The full findings of the study were published in the Mumbai: The coronavirus pandemic has thwarted many projects, but megastar Amitabh Bachchan and the team of the show Kaun Banega Crorepati" (KBC) knew they would make it happen: with double the precautions and spirit. Shortly after recovering from COVID-19, Bachchan, 77, started filming the 12th season of the popular game show in August. To adapt to the social distancing norms, the KBC" set and the shows format underwent an overall change. According to showrunner Sujata Sanghamitra, for the first time in 20 years, the show is hosting no live audience and hence, the lifeline audience poll has been replaced by video-a-friend to align with how the country is looking at each other through screens now". The set designing changed as we have only eight fastest finger first contestants, reduced from the usual 10 so that social distancing is maintained. We have companions of the contestants, but they are also seated far apart. The design of the hot seat and the contestants chair have also changed, theres more gap now," Sanghamitra told PTI. One of the highlights of the show has been the camaraderie between Bachchan and the contestants, who often ask for a hug or a handshake from the screen icon. Even though the shooting guidelines demand minimal physical contact, the team has come up with an alternative for not letting social distancing norms affect the content. The contestants wont be able to hug him, but Bachchan sir will be doing an elbow hi. The conversations remain the same. Physical distance hasnt disturbed the content," the showrunner said. The KBC" set in the Film City here now has a bigger control room with partitions in between. The cafeteria too has a glass partition on every table and the team ensures that at no point is any place crowded. Bachchans teleprompter room, where he reads the script, has a glass wall, with the actor on one side and the scriptwriter on the other. Prior to the pandemic, the set would have two entry-exit points, which have now been increased to four-five. There is a separate entry and exit point for Bachchan and the contestants. Even the crew steers clear of these areas. There are sanitisation tunnels, doctors who check temperatures and oxygen levels, and a database of everyone on the set is maintained. A heavy load of sanitisation happens at least four-five times a day. A team sanitises the set during every break. We even have a set monitor to keep a check on how people are wearing the masks," Arunshesh Kumar, KBC" technical director, told PTI. To meet social distancing norms, the show has cut down its key crew of 300 to 175. Now, if the audience is not part of the process, the whole backend team, which is there for the audience, is currently on stand-by. Because of social distancing norms, most carry food from home. Though we have a pantry and a caterer, the number of people who eat there is less. Those are the departments where we tried to control the manpower," Kumar added. While Bachchan blogged about his experience of visiting a set for the first time since the coronavirus-induced lockdown in March forced shut film and TV shoots, the show was a result of months of brainstorming. Kumar said the team started planning the latest season around first week of March but hit a roadblock once the lockdown was announced. Between April-June, the team had four plans, including taking KBC" completely digital. An international season of the show had the host and audience from their homes. They did it via a video app. That was also in the planning, but thankfully as things progressed, even the government allowed shoots to start," he said. One of the first steps towards putting the show on floors was to make its selection process completely digital. From application, examination to the final interview, everything was done through Internet. The process of getting the selected contestants to Mumbai started much in advance, with them taking the COVID-19 test twice. They do a COVID-19 test before they leave for Mumbai, by the time they reach, we have their reports. They are then isolated and quarantined in a hotel. They go through one more round of COVID-19 tests and only if they pass that, are they allowed to come on sets. They have zero physical interactions with the crew or amongst each other," Kumar said. The cautious approach also extends to Bachchans styling on the show. While the fabric of the actors outfits earlier used to be imported from Italy and stitched in the city, things are now different. So whatever is existing in India, in the stock, thats safe for us because it cuts transition time and its handling through multiple people," Priya Patil, Bachchans stylist, told PTI. The stylist, who has been a part of KBC" for nearly five years, said costumes too now take a longer time to get stitched because many artisans, who went back to their native villages because of the lockdown, have not returned. The manpower has gone down. If it took a day to make something, it now takes two." Patil said Bachchan wears his outfits only after they are sanitised. When the fabrics come in, I design everything. Once its ready, everything is sanitised and only then sir wears it. No one touches them. On set, I wear a PPE kit and theres only one other person from my team on the floor with me," Patil said. While many had believed that Bachchans COVID-19 diagnosis in July would delay the show, Sanghamitra said the actor was more than willing to resume the shoot after his recovery. He wasnt hesitant at all. When I was making the schedule, I was hesitant to call him because he had just come back from the hospital. But he called me asking about the rehearsals. He has been extremely cool about it." KBC" is set to air from Monday on Sony TV. LONDON Uber scored an important victory on Monday when a judge restored the companys transportation license in London, one of its most important global markets, where regulators had threatened to ban its cars from the road over safety concerns. A deputy chief magistrate, Tan Ikram, said Uber had met a fit and proper standard to receive a license for 18 months. Mr. Ikram said Uber had taken the necessary steps to address regulators concerns, including new safety measures to keep unauthorized and uninsured drivers from using its platform to carry passengers. A ban would have been a major blow for the company, whose ride-hailing service helped remake urban transportation but now faces growing financial and regulatory challenges around the globe. In London, Uber has up to 45,000 drivers on the road and provides millions of rides each month, according to information the company submitted to the court. Uber does not have a perfect record, but it has been an improving picture, Mr. Ikram said in his decision. I am satisfied that they are doing what a reasonable business in their sector could be expected to do, perhaps even more. More video emerges of a shameful scuffle during an otherwise peaceful and MASSIVE Kansas City event over the weekend. To be fair, there's a lot of things we could talk about regarding this parade . . . - The event demonstrated a great deal of voter excitement for the incumbent. Where's the Biden/Harris parade??? - The parade angered a great many locals who wanted politicos to require permits. Actually, there was more outrage over this than that 1-year-old getting gunned down in a hail of gunfire this week. - In a rare bit of political honesty, the parade actually lived up to the hype with THOUSANDS of participants as promised. Most of the attendees were from JoCo & local rural areas and don't represent KCMO voters . . . But still. Nevertheless, this blog must focus on the most captivating aspect of the festivities . . . CHECK SOME FAKE TOUGH GUY FIGHTING WITH A WOMAN IN THE STREET DURING THE PREZ TRUMP PARADE!!! Now, normally we eschew fight clips but the political angle is too great to resist and the "fight" is really more of a scuffle. Police were on the scene and seemed to have arrested everybody in order to keep order and restore calm on this always "vibrant" corner of KCMO. Here's one side of the story: "Tensions boiled over in Kansas City on Saturday (September 26th) during a car parade in support of US President Donald Trump. At one point, a woman protesting against the parade broke a flag off one of the vehicles and a scuffle broke out between her and some Trump supporters. Police had to intervene. Later, police were seen arresting at least one protester." Check the link . . . LiveLeak: Scuffles and arrests at Trump parade in Kansas City You decide . . . Another elite Sydney private school has been caught up in a muck-up day 'scavenger hunt' scandal. Girls from Monte Sant' Angelo Mercy College in North Sydney filmed themselves drinking vodka out of a shoe, kissing strangers, licking car tires and jumping into a World War I memorial fountain, as part of their a graduation 'scavenger hunt'. The videos were uploaded to the social media platform TikTok under the hashtags 'scavhunt' and 'classof2020'. It comes just days after Shore School for boys and Pymble Ladies' College went into damage control after documents detailing their muck-up day scavenger hunt was leaked. Scroll down for video. A girl from Monte Sant' Angelo Mercy College in North Sydney is pictured drinking vodka A school leaver from the elite private school can be seen dancing against a pole on a train A Monte Sant' Angelo Mercy College student is seen jumping into a World War I memorial fountain, as part of their a graduation 'scavenger hunt' A document obtained by 7News outlines how participants from the $23,640 a year Catholic school can receive points for completing embarrassing dares. 'Doing a poo' in a public pool, drinking 'seven shots' of alcohol in seven minutes and wetting yourself in a supermarket aisle is worth 200 points, under the scavenger hunt's rules. While anyone who gets a tattoo with their ex-partner's name receives 800 points. Other challenges also included 'catching an ibis' and 'seducing a classmate's dad'. It is not known whether the more extreme challenges were actually carried out by any students. 'Doing a poo' in a public pool, drinking 'seven shots' of alcohol in seven minutes and wetting yourself in a supermarket aisle is worth 200 points, under the scavenger hunt's rules Students who attend Monte Sant' Angelo Mercy College in North Sydney pay $23,640 a year A spokesperson for Monte Sant' Angelo Mercy College said they're investigating the matter and take 'this sort of behaviour very seriously'. Although the dares have caused controversy, they pale in comparison to the challenges uncovered in the Shore School's 'Triwizard Shorenament' manifesto. Some of the scavenger hunt tasks laid out for school leavers included hitting stranger's genitals, spitting on homeless people and kissing underage girls. Pymble Ladies' College, also on Sydney's North Shore, made headlines this week with its list of muck-up day challenges. Like the aforementioned schools, the leaked document appeared to encourage the girls to perform varying levels of sex acts and embarrassing dares to score points for their team. Students from elite private boys' school Shore, in Sydney's lower north shore, also attempted to complete a controversial challenge named the 'Triwizard Shorenament' (pictured) The school is among the top ranked in New South Wales and regularly features impressive Year 12 results The list included 'eat someone else's vomit', 'get arrested' and 'have sex in a public bathroom.' Other challenges involved 'streaking across the Pacific Highway' and 'blindfold boyfriend guess whose t*** are who for everyone in the team'. The unladylike list also asked students to 'order a stripper and enjoy his/her presence', 'get with someone's brother' and 'go into a brothel and ask for a job'. The 'God tier' level of challenges included 'ring parent and explain in depth how you lost your virginity' and 'meet up with someone' from LGBTQ dating app Grindr. A spokesperson from Pymble Ladies' College said muck-up day activities were against school policy and students had been warned of the consequences. 'We are horrified and disappointed that any student would have their name associated with what was apparently a competitive list between students at a number of schools,' the spokesperson said. Illegal Immigrant Charged With Sexually Assaulting Child in North Carolina: Officials An illegal immigrant was charged with sexually assaulting a child in Cherokee County, North Carolina, law enforcement officials confirmed on Sept. 25. A release from Cherokee County Sheriff Derrick Palmer said that someone filed a complaint with investigators in January about an assault involving a child. The suspect was later identified as 39-year-old Benito Morales Mendez, officials said in a news release. In January 2020 a complaint was made with the Cherokee County Sheriffs Office of an allegation of sexual assault involving a minor child, said the office. Pursuant to this allegation, the Cherokee County Sheriffs Office began an investigation which identified Mendez as suspect in the case. Mendez was later charged with sexual assault of a child, among other charges, in late September. His bond was set at $500,000 by a local magistrate judge. The sheriffs office said that when detectives attempted to arrest Mendez after an arrest warrant was issued, he had already fled from North Carolina. They later determined that he was not a legal citizen of the United States. Mendez has [an Immigrations and Customs Enforcement] Detainer which has no bond, the department said. Mendez is expected in Cherokee County District Court October 1, 2020 for his first appearance. The department requested assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service and Department of Homeland Security, which aided in locating Mendez months later in Texas, where he allegedly fled. Mendez refused to waive extradition and a Governors warrant was issued and Mendez was brought back to Cherokee County where the North Carolina warrants were served on him, said the department in the release. As you can see it takes a team effort and one of the reasons we work so closely with our local and Federal partners. Due to the age of the victim, we will not be making any further press releases, Palmer later noted. The Houston Chronicles Live Updates blog documents the latest events in the coronavirus outbreak in the Houston area, the state of Texas and across the U.S. with a focus on health and economic impacts. The Houston Chronicles ongoing coverage is available to subscribers. Subscribe now for full access and to support our work. Total coronavirus cases: 764,837 cases in Texas, including 15,784 deaths. 196,366 in the Houston region, including 3,428 deaths. More than 7.1 million in the U.S., including 205,031 deaths. Click here to see a U.S. map with state-by-state death tolls and the latest coronavirus case counts. More than 33.2 million in the world, with over 1,000,555 deaths. More than 23 million people have recovered. You can view the worldwide totals here. Resources on COVID-19 and Texas' reopening: Use our interactive page to track the spread of cases through Harris County and the rest of Texas. For a detailed look at our state, check out the Chronicle's Texas Coronavirus Map. To get regular updates on our coverage, sign up for our coronavirus newsletter. Latest updates from today: 8:12 p.m. The worldwide death toll from the coronavirus eclipsed 1 million on Tuesday, according to the Associated Press. The bleak milestone, recorded by Johns Hopkins University, is greater than the population of Jerusalem or Austin, Texas, the AP reported. It is 2 1/2 times the sea of humanity that was at Woodstock in 1969. It is more than four times the number killed in the 2004 earthquake and tsunami in the Indian Ocean. Its not just a number. Its human beings. Its people we love, said Dr. Howard Markel, a professor of medical history at the University of Michigan who has advised government officials on containing pandemics and lost his 84-year-old mother to COVID-19 in February. 7:20 p.m. Texas COVID-19 cases on Monday saw an increase of 1,966, bringing the statewide total to 764,837, according to a Houston Chronicle analysis of state data. Another 21 newly reported deaths brings that total to 15,784 statewide. The state's seven-day rolling average for new cases is at 4,121.1, while the positive test rate is at 5.9 percent. The rolling average of viral tests hit 78,465. The Houston region's case count is 196,366, up 686 from yesterday. Harris County added 345 cases today, and is at 141,707 cases total. There have been 3,428 deaths in the Houston region, the same as yesterday. Statewide, there were 3,201 patients hospitalized for lab-confirmed COVID-19. There are 57,118 total staffed hospital beds, 13,871 beds available and 1,413 ICU beds available. There are 7,674 ventilators available. 3:35 p.m. The Texas Renaissance Festival made headlines when organizers announced they weren't requiring face masks. But when the outdoor event opens Oct. 3, some new safety measures will be in place. Among them: Costume rentals and an evening entertainment experience have been cancelled. Plexiglass partitions are being installed at food booths. And performance venues will have socially distanced seating. Line monitors will also help visitors maintain distance as they enter the front gate. 2:40 p.m. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released new guidelines for how to celebrate Thanksgiving while managing the risk of contracting COVID-19. Having a small dinner with people you live with is considered low-risk. So is making food for neighbors and delivering it without contact. But experts deemed in-person shopping at crowded stores on Thanksgiving high-risk. Attending crowded parades or large indoor gatherings with people from outside your household is considered high-risk, too. 1:40 p.m. State officials retracted a spreadsheet Friday that provided information on coronavirus cases in public schools. The data, published jointly by the Department of State Health Services and the Texas Education Agency, was meant to provide a detailed look at where coronavirus outbreaks were occurring among teachers or students. But it had immediately apparent discrepancies, and school districts questioned the accuracy of the numbers. The agencies have promised to share new information today. 12:50 p.m. The Houston Chronicle's Greg Morago has a round-up of restaurant news for the week. Among the highlights: Hugo Ortega's Xochi is scheduled to reopen Oct. 1. The downtown Oaxacan restaurant has been closed since the start of the pandemic. Sugar Room, a speakeasy-style bar on Washington, has also reopened. They're serving charcuterie boards and desserts in addition to cocktails. 12:00 p.m. A 530-student school district southwest of Houston in Wharton County cancelled its online classes starting Tuesday. Louise ISD Superintendent Garth Oliver wrote in a letter to families Sept. 22 that, while virtual learning was meant to engage students whose families feared the spread of the coronavirus in schools, this approach has not been successful for more than a handful of students." The effort required of our teachers and administrators will no longer be divided by the requirements of offering remote learning beginning Tuesday, September 29, 2020, Oliver wrote. If we begin to see health concerns develop, we will revisit this topic. 11:25 a.m. Both Democrats and Republicans in Texas have been frustrated by Gov. Greg Abbott's handling of the coronavirus pandemic, columnist Erica Grieder writes. A survey by four major universities found his approval rating related to COVID-19 response dropped from 61 percent in April to 38 percent in July. He also faces a lawsuit filed by legislators in his own party. It seems like theres really a deterioration between Abbott and the rest of his party, said Emily Farris, a political scientist at Texas Christian University in Fort Worth. "Thats putting it mildly," Grieder writes. 11:05 a.m. Local Bed Bath & Beyond locations have joined the latest list of store closures as retailers struggle with declining sales amid the coronavirus pandemic. The Bed Bath & Beyond at 5752 Highway 6 in Missouri City is among some 65 stores expected to close by the end of this year, USA Today reported. The Chronicle previously reported store closures at West Oaks Shopping Center, Meyerland Plaza and 6675 Highway 6 North. Storefronts for Justice, including one in Baybrook Mall, are also closing, according to USA Today. Justice sells clothing for tweens. 10:30 a.m. Efforts to stop the spread of COVID-19 led to a decrease in oil demand. But use of electricity in U.S. residences rose as people worked from home, keeping the lights on and the air conditioner running. Residential energy consumption jumped by 9 percent this June, compared with June 2019, according to the Department of Energy. That has also meant bigger bills. Statista, a global consumer data firm, recently found that U.S. consumers are spending 17 percent more on energy, including electricity, as well as housing and maintenance during the pandemic. 10:00 a.m. When the coronavirus pandemic hit, Shannon Scott cut the staff at his Italian restaurant from fourteen people to two. He started washing dishes. Then the Paycheck Protection Program, or PPP, allowed him to bring eight employees back. His situation highlights the success and shortcomings of the emergency loan program, which has helped businesses stay open but has not saved the numbers of jobs originally envisioned. Among the factors, restaurants such as his are attracting fewer customers. For a lot of restaurant owners, like me, the loan saved us, Scott said. But if people arent going out, there is only so much you can do. 9:30 a.m. Many already thought it was too risky for Kirby Liu to redevelop the former Barbara Jordan Post Office downtown. The project's success relied on momentum -- then COVID-19 hit. People dropped off and went radio silent for the months of March and April, said Liu, who's managing the Franklin St. project. But there was "no plan B," Liu said. Construction continued, and the basic building structure and mechanical systems remain on track to be finished by the end of the year, while Liu explores how to plan for spacing and incorporate touchless systems. 9:00 a.m. U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams on Sunday spoke at The Health Museum in Houston, urging people to put politics aside and support public health strategies such as social distancing, mask wearing and, eventually, vaccines. Adams also called for minorities to place greater trust in science, part of an effort better to engage vulnerable populations in the fight against COVID-19. Leaders of historically Black universities were among those in the audience. This is fundamentally a public health crisis, more so than a health care crisis, Adams said. But the science itself only gets you so far. The important thing is understanding how to get the science to those who most need it and how to get them to trust it. 8:30 a.m. Houston ISD parents must decide by today whether they will send their children back to school in-person or keep them home to continue learning online as the coronavirus pandemic wears on. The deadline was pushed from last Friday to give families "a couple of more days to think about your decision," Interim Superintendent Grentia Lathan said in a video message. By the end of Thursday, about 39 percent of students had registered for in-person classes and 61 percent had decided to remain online-only. It's not necessarily a permanent choice. Families can switch back to online-only learning anytime. And they can move to in-person before the start of each six-week grading period. If no decision is made, students are automatically enrolled to return to campus. 8:05 a.m. Lina Hidalgo arrived to the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo in a charcoal-hued cowboy hat and swore in a group of cadets. Her mind raced: Shed just learned that Fort Bend County had confirmed the first COVID-19 case in the Houston area. The first installment of a new Houston Chronicle investigation, Exposed, explores these early days of the pandemic, and the decision-making that followed. It shows how a cascade of failures starting at the federal level left local officials ill-equipped to confront the biggest public health threat in generations. Officials at the start urged in public messaging that risk to the public was low. Meanwhile, records show early efforts to contain the virus were hamstrung by stringent U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines on who could be tested. Nearly three dozen people in Harris County who later tested positive for the coronavirus reported symptoms starting before the region's first case was identified March 4. Three of them died. 7:45 a.m. The statewide total for COVID cases increased to 761,871 Sunday afternoon, according to a Houston Chronicle analysis of statewide data. Texas added 40 newly reported deaths from Saturday, for a total of 15,763 statewide (0.3% increase). The state's rolling average for new cases is now at 6,754.3. The Houston region count is 195,680, up 491 from yesterday (0.3% increase). Harris County added 485 cases Sunday, and is at 141,353 cases total. There have been 3,428 deaths in the Houston region, up 7 from Saturday. The positive test rate is now at 6.15%. The rolling average of viral tests is now at 60,488. Statewide, there were 3,217 patients hospitalized for lab-confirmed COVID-19. There are 57,183 total staffed hospital beds, 13,256 beds available and 1,291 ICU beds available. There are 7,582 ventilators available. - Matt Dempsey Blog Archive June 2021 (1) May 2021 (77) April 2021 (77) March 2021 (82) February 2021 (68) January 2021 (64) December 2020 (67) November 2020 (66) October 2020 (66) September 2020 (67) August 2020 (74) July 2020 (83) June 2020 (92) May 2020 (86) April 2020 (104) March 2020 (105) February 2020 (74) January 2020 (75) December 2019 (75) November 2019 (70) October 2019 (89) September 2019 (69) August 2019 (81) July 2019 (77) June 2019 (73) May 2019 (110) April 2019 (110) March 2019 (102) February 2019 (85) January 2019 (123) December 2018 (116) November 2018 (112) October 2018 (121) September 2018 (107) August 2018 (150) July 2018 (163) June 2018 (190) May 2018 (145) April 2018 (112) March 2018 (124) February 2018 (113) January 2018 (164) December 2017 (150) November 2017 (144) October 2017 (169) September 2017 (171) August 2017 (135) July 2017 (131) June 2017 (147) May 2017 (160) April 2017 (138) March 2017 (156) February 2017 (143) January 2017 (203) December 2016 (208) November 2016 (185) October 2016 (173) September 2016 (194) August 2016 (232) July 2016 (225) June 2016 (238) May 2016 (231) April 2016 (215) March 2016 (246) February 2016 (226) January 2016 (252) December 2015 (230) November 2015 (250) October 2015 (234) September 2015 (222) August 2015 (253) July 2015 (275) June 2015 (279) May 2015 (223) April 2015 (226) March 2015 (243) February 2015 (258) January 2015 (281) December 2014 (292) November 2014 (296) October 2014 (413) September 2014 (472) August 2014 (506) July 2014 (483) June 2014 (488) May 2014 (512) April 2014 (497) March 2014 (531) February 2014 (482) January 2014 (535) December 2013 (482) November 2013 (441) October 2013 (416) September 2013 (491) August 2013 (521) July 2013 (491) June 2013 (470) May 2013 (457) April 2013 (426) March 2013 (420) February 2013 (414) January 2013 (489) December 2012 (433) November 2012 (504) October 2012 (469) September 2012 (430) August 2012 (427) July 2012 (360) June 2012 (336) May 2012 (362) April 2012 (322) March 2012 (263) February 2012 (224) January 2012 (291) December 2011 (295) November 2011 (325) October 2011 (330) September 2011 (319) August 2011 (333) July 2011 (318) June 2011 (387) May 2011 (373) April 2011 (389) March 2011 (375) February 2011 (335) January 2011 (400) December 2010 (445) November 2010 (395) October 2010 (312) September 2010 (262) August 2010 (277) July 2010 (323) June 2010 (386) May 2010 (360) April 2010 (333) March 2010 (351) February 2010 (336) January 2010 (384) December 2009 (353) November 2009 (300) October 2009 (308) September 2009 (350) August 2009 (298) July 2009 (255) June 2009 (203) May 2009 (193) April 2009 (186) March 2009 (197) February 2009 (173) January 2009 (148) December 2008 (181) November 2008 (197) October 2008 (236) September 2008 (304) August 2008 (314) July 2008 (273) June 2008 (27) May 2008 (1) April 2008 (6) October 2007 (1) May 2007 (1) April 2007 (6) March 2007 (2) February 2007 (1) October 2006 (1) September 2006 (1) August 2006 (4) July 2006 (4) June 2006 (1) July 2005 (1) May 2005 (2) March 2005 (1) June 2004 (2) May 2004 (1) April 2004 (4) March 2004 (2) February 2004 (2) July 2003 (2) June 2003 (5) WASHINGTON, D.C. - The day before traveling to Cleveland for his first presidential debate with Democratic nominee Joe Biden, President Donald Trump inspected the new Endurance electric pickup truck from Ohios Lordstown Motors outside the White House, claiming success for boosting the regions economy after General Motors shuttered its plant that made the Chevrolet Cruze. Weve been working on this very long and very hard, Trump said on the White House South Lawn, where he examined the vehicle with Ohio Republican Sen. Rob Portman, Dayton Republican Rep. Mike Turner and Trumps manufacturing policy chief, Peter Navarro. This is a really unique thing because the four wheels are -- hub motor, hub motor -- this is the only one that does this in the world. It has a lot of advantages. The area was devastated when General Motors moved out, Trump continued. Beyond the plant, its incredible whats happened in the area. Its booming now. Its absolutely booming. ... Its an incredible piece of science, technology. Its going to happen now with more and more trucks. And ultimately they say youll be able to do it for less money, and its better, which is a good combination. Portman described General Motors decision to stop producing the Cruze in Lordstown as a gut-punch to the Mahoning Valley, a key battleground in Novembers presidential election, where Trump and Biden are both aggressively courting voters. He said Trump and his administration have been very helpful in this effort to bring the jobs to the Mahoning Valley. Portman said that in addition to Lordstown Motors producing its truck on the premises of the old GM plant, GM and LG Chem have placed a new joint venture there to make electric vehicle batteries that will hire 1,100 people this year. He said the combination of the two plants will replace roughly the same amount of workers lost from closure of the larger GM plant. Lordstown Motors CEO Steve Burns said the plant hopes to produce more than 100,000 of the trucks each year once we get going, and intends to come out with multiple models. I applaud @realDonaldTrump highlighting @LordstownMotors new Endurance All-Electric Pickup Truck at the @WhiteHouse today. I'm excited to see what the future holds for this innovative company and the world-class workforce in the Mahoning Valley. #jobs pic.twitter.com/voPy6OPw9x Rob Portman (@senrobportman) September 28, 2020 Trumps plug for the Endurance came as several prominent Trump administration figures visited Northeast Ohio to tout job creation efforts. National Aeronautics and Space Administration deputy administrator James Morhard toured NASA Glenn Research Center to discuss its upcoming contributions to missions to the Moon and Mars. He said NASA provides around 11,000 jobs in the state and generated $2.3 billion in 2019 economic activity. Labor Secretary Eugene Scalia toured Mentors Fredon Corp. machine shop to highlight apprenticeship programs that train young people for manufacturing careers. He said in an interview that such programs build up the strength of Americas manufacturing sector, which is so critical to both our economy and ultimately, to our national security. Scalia also said the Trump administration has made extraordinary progress in the last few months reopening the economy after the coronavirus pandemic, while also maintaining worker safety. He said the unemployment rate has fallen much faster than was initially projected, noting that the nations unemployment rate was at 8.4 percent in August. He said it took years, not months, after the nations last economic downturn to get unemployment below 8.5%. In a call with reporters after Trumps White House event, U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown disputed claims that Trump helped bring jobs to the region after the General Motors closure. He accused Trump of abandoning workers at Lordstown and not lifting a finger to bring those jobs back after telling workers in the area in 2016 not to sell their homes because hed improve their economic fortunes if he became president. Brown said that he himself worked to get Lordstown Motors and the battery plant into Ohio and got little help from the White House. He said the jobs from those new employers wont come close to equalling what the GM plant and all the feeder plants that were part of the whole GM supply chain in the Mahoning Valley" added. Thanks to @MarlaperezD for hosting me at @NASAGlenn today! With over $2.3 billion in economic output for Ohio, Glenn is working toward our 2024 goal of landing the first woman and the next man on the lunar surface. pic.twitter.com/Z2b66EPU9X Jim Morhard (@jmorhard) September 28, 2020 We begged Trump to help - he did nothing, said Brown. Weve heard mostly empty promises since then ... While we welcome Lordstown Motors and the battery plant, its nothing close to what it should be and nothing close to what it would have been if the president stepped up three and four years ago." Several former Lordstown workers interviewed by cleveland.com disagreed with claims that Trump saved Lordstown. One of them is Dave Green, a former president of the United Auto Workers local that represented Lordstowns workers who transferred to a plant in Indiana and now lives away from his family in Lordstown. For Trump to come in and take credit for anything going in there to me is pathetic," said Green. "We wanted GM to put a product in there with the realization that if they dont, something may come here. Brian Robinson, 61, of Austintown, who is now retired, said any claim by Trump that he saved Lordstown is an outright lie. He still lives in the Mahoning Valley, separated from his wife, who works for GM in Springville, Tenn. I know tons of people that supported him that regret it now," said Robinson. "When your family is being torn apart and youre forced to be in one place while your loved ones are in another, its got to make you question a lot of different things. Cleveland.com politics reporter Seth Richardson contributed to this report Im on my way to Mentor, Ohio to visit a local manufacturer and discuss how @POTUSs apprenticeship expansion is helping workers gain valuable skills and good-paying jobs. In August, Ohio added 45,500 jobs. pic.twitter.com/xSrjUpfmd7 Secretary Scalia (@SecGeneScalia) September 28, 2020 Read more: Ohio Republicans pleased with President Donald Trumps Supreme Court nomination of Amy Coney Barrett, states Democrats are not Sen. Sherrod Brown expects Democrats will fight like hell against Trump Supreme Court nominee Sen. Rob Portman continues to defend his switch on Supreme Court Justice votes in an election year John Boehner memoir to hit bookstores in April U.S. House passes bill backed by Rep. Marcia Fudge to ban hairstyle discrimination Too many Hagans? Rep. Tim Ryan claims confusion between his opponent Christina Hagan and State Rep. Michele Lepore-Hagan Ohio GOP Rep. Jim Jordan urges swift Senate vote on successor for Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg Sen. Rob Portman says the Senate should consider President Donald Trumps Supreme Court nominee Ohio members of Congress react to U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburgs death House of Representatives condemns coronavirus-related discrimination against Asians over objections from Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio Senate Committee approves three Ohio federal judge candidates after members voice concerns about Cuyahoga Countys J. Philip Calabrese FirstEnergy now under SEC scrutiny: What does that mean? House adopts bill by Rep. Marcia Fudge to fight school segregation Bipartisan Congress members including Rep. Anthony Gonzalez propose coronavirus relief plan with $450 weekly unemployment payment House agrees to rename Grand River Post Office for police officer Andy Nowacki, who died in Iraq war President Trump honors September 11 rescuer from Ohio at commemorative event CMHA gets $8.2 million federal grant to help homeless during coronavirus pandemic File Photo In the last eight months of the Coronavirus pandemic, enough cases have been made for supplementing Covid-19 treatment with natural medicine. Data emerging from multiple locations has recorded a decline in mortality rates in the states and countries who have incorporated natural medicine for immune boosting and to aid recovery from Covid-19. China was among the first to set this trend as the Chinese Government mandated the use of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) for Coronavirus treatment in February 2020. Later, a trend was observed when Madagascar created and mandated the use of COVID Organics with anti-malarial herb Artemisia. India witnessed a severe outbreak from March-April, and the states of Kerala and Goa announced to incorporate Ayurveda for immune boosting and as an adjunct treatment of Covid-19. Industry estimates show that the states continue to have one of the lowest coronavirus related death rates in India, which are close to one-tenth of their neighbouring states, shares Biogetica, a pharma company that combines ayurveda, allopathy and homeopathy in its medicines. As per initial investigations done by doctors, it was pointed that there wasn't enough scientific data or studies done to support the usage of natural medicine. However, the trends indicate many lives have been saved and the legislators across the world should consider this option strongly along with an increase in coronavirus testing, it added. "Most studies done on herbal or homeopathic medicine for coronavirus thus far are either in silica, in vitro, adjunct or preventative. Numerous positive outcomes have been noticed. One prime example is a German In vitro study done by Max Planck Institute that showed Artemisia extracts breaking the bond between the virus and infected cells. However, none of these studies has compared natural treatment to pharmaceutical treatment of Coronavirus directly. At most they have given natural treatment as an add on and noticed some slight improvement in the patients receiving both treatments simultaneously." Corival Life Sciences, a joint venture between Biogetica and Wockhardt Foundation, has now conducted a trial where Immunofree and Reginmune, its Ayurvedic and nutraceutical products are being studied as the main medicine for half the patients in the trial. Corival Life Sciences last month launched a CTRI registered, multicentre, randomized clinical trial. Half the patients were put on Reginmune and Immunofree while the other half in the control arm were given the Govt SOP of HCQ, Favipiravir Azithromycin and Cetirizine, the pharma company said. "Immunofree, an Ayurvedic medicine contains 15 herbs including Artemisia, Giloy, Glycyrrhiza, Andrographis, Haritaki and others recommended by AYUSH and is being used in countries who have mandated natural treatment of Corona. Regimmune is a western immune modulator with Vitamins, Minerals and Amino Acids. "The interim report of the trial makes a ground-breaking revelation. Patients on only Immunofree and Reginmune resolved coronavirus symptoms faster and 86 per cent of them tested negative for Coronavirus in five days. In comparison most symptoms lasted longer on the pharmaceutical SOP and only 60 per cent tested negative on the fifth day. Numerous test markers relevant to Coronavirus treatment including viral load, blood oxygenation, d-dimer, procalcitonin, leukocytes and C reactive protein and fever were recorded and most seem to be in favour of the natural treatment arm," they said. The positive direction of the trial, as per Biogetica, delivers excellent news for the whole world and Indians especially, with stringent controls of recent science is proving the traditional medical system of Ayurveda in a manner never done before. "Recruitment into this trial at three hospitals has now been accelerated and some practitioners are even appealing to government agencies for early adoption of this combination natural therapy." These natural remedies can only be labelled for Coronavirus treatment once AYUSH and ICMR approve their use and that these studies itself cannot be construed as a claim of coronavirus treatment or cure. Both Reginmune and Immunofree are readily available in the market but not to be presently sold as a coronavirus treatment or cure until the trial completes and government agencies approve them. Dr Vijay Kushvaha, a physician from Mumbai said that he has months of experience using Reginmune and Immunofree and it is overwhelming to see the results which are documented. "I myself was a part of the pilot study. Most firms are trying to repurpose older pharmaceuticals or Ayurvedic medicines for Coronavirus treatment whereas these were made for the multifaceted presentation we are seeing in 2020. It is my hope that India adds these traditional medicines to the government SOPs countrywide for Corona treatment nationwide. They also seem to be of great benefit to those who are pre-corona and post-corona and should be taken by all until the pandemic settles down." The Minister for Railways Development, Joe Ghartey has reiterated that the Nana Addo led government deserved another four more years to reshape Ghana to its better position. According to him, the NPP government has proven beyond a reasonable doubt that given another term in office, Ghana will witness significant developmental projects. We believe the NPP gives us a better option than any other party, he was speaking at the NPPs youth Training and Campaign launch aimed to maintained and increased parliamentary seats for the party in the Greater Accra Region. Hon Ghartey, who is also a Member of Parliament for Essikado-Ketan constituency believed the country experiences massive economic development every time an NPP government is in power. Citing former President John Agyekum Kufuor's ability to move Ghana from a Highly Indebted Poor Country (HIPC) to a middle-income nation, as an example, he pointed out that uder the current administration, Ghana has made great economic recovery and progress. We [NPP] are not tired and we will continue to serve this country...Even in spite of COVID, look at what President Nana Addo is doing for this country. He is a visionary leader. We have to win the next election to consolidate the gains of the New Patriotic Party, to take the country from strength to strength, to protect our future, your future, the future of our children, the future of all us, Joe Gharteyt added. 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 The Spanish government and the Madrid regional administration are currently engaged in last-minute negotiations in a bid to avoid the former from intervening in the latter, given the resistance of the regions premier, Isabel Diaz Ayuso, to implement stricter coronavirus measures despite having the worst infection rates in Europe. The government of Socialist Party (PSOE) Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has been preparing a way to strengthen the restrictions across Madrid, after it emerged on Friday that the regional government run by the conservative Popular Party (PP) in coalition with center-right Ciudadanos (Citizens) and propped up by far-right Vox had rejected the recommendations of the Health Ministry to combat the spread of the coronavirus in the region, and was limiting itself to rolling out existing restrictions in 37 basic healthcare areas to a handful of other zones. We have called on Madrid to revise the announced measures and to follow the recommendations of the scientists and health experts Health Minister Salvador Illa Ciudadanos is playing a key role in the current attempts to reach a deal, with the deputy regional premier, Ignacio Aguado of Ciudadanos, negotiating a way out of the impasse on Sunday with Health Minister Salvador Illa. If there is no deal over the next few days, the central government will intervene. Sources from La Moncloa prime ministerial palace, the seat of government in Spain, have conveyed over the weekend that it is prepared to intervene in Madrid if there is an urgent need. It is likely to do this under the so-called new normality decree, which was passed by the government at the end of the state of alarm implemented earlier this year, and which saw Spain subject to one of the worlds strictest coronavirus lockdowns. The legislation permits the government to go over the head of a regional government and take decisions that will later be communicated to the local authorities. The government has been ramping up the pressure on Madrid to change course and to implement stricter measures in a bid to get the pandemic under control. The Madrid region is divided into 286 basic healthcare zones. The central government is proposing the confinement of all of those where the cumulative incidence of coronavirus infections over 14 days exceeds 500 cases per 100,000 inhabitants. This would, in effect, mean the restrictions being implemented in 200 of these 286 zones, given the current figures from the region, and would affect 4.7 million people three out of every four Madrilenos. The restrictions are currently only in place in 45 healthcare zones. For now, there is no guarantee that Ayuso is willing to change course, but Ciudadanos via Aguado took the first step after contacting the health minister and Carolina Darias, the central governments minister for territorial policy. Health Minister Salvador Illa. Enric Fontcuberta (EFE) The public messages changed notably on Sunday after Aguado and Illa spoke. On Saturday, the central health chief had voiced a clear ultimatum, stating that intervention was imminent. But by Sunday he had softened his tone, albeit making it clear that Madrid would have to make a decision in the coming hours or La Moncloa would intervene. We have had communications with the Madrid region, said Illa. With the utmost institutional loyalty, we have called on them to revise the announced measures and to follow the recommendations of the scientists and health experts. A political ceasefire is urgent, said Aguado. Madrilenos deserve for us to jointly agree on measures to protect their health. We are up to the task. But speaking last night on Spanish television channel Antena 3, Ayuso made clear she had no intention of toughening up the coronavirus restrictions. We are being devastated, she said in reference to the damage to the economy. We cant close down everything. We have to opt for intermediate proposals, she added, after accusing the central government of changing the criteria at the last minute for political reasons after having supported Madrids measures. The central government is proposing the confinement of all areas with a cumulative incidence of over 500 cases per 100,000 inhabitants a measure that would affect 4.7 million Madrilenos When the central government implemented the state of alarm in March in a bid to slow the spread of the coronavirus, it took control of many of the regions' powers. While opposition parties such as the PP initially supported the move, protests grew as the situation progressed, with regional chiefs including Ayuso calling for an end to the emergency situation, on the basis that the regions would be able to handle the pandemic better alone. As the situation worsened over the summer, however, and a second wave of the coronavirus started to take hold, Ayuso did an about turn and began to criticize the central government for inaction. Aguado went further, recently stating that it is impossible to end an epidemic of these characteristics from the regional government alone. The intervention of the central government in Madrid will have clear legal and political difficulties and is not the best option for the prime minister. The use of the new normality decree is the lightest touch available to the administration, allowing for the widening of the partial confinement currently in place in limited areas to all of the biggest neighborhoods. This would not involve a lockdown like that of March, but simply limit movements between neighborhoods and within the region as much as possible. That said, implementing this measure would be highly problematic without the cooperation of the regional government. Sources from the Madrid government said that they believed that La Moncloa would not dare to intervene given the problems that this would involved. Sources from La Moncloa, meanwhile, admit that intervention is not their preferred option but warn that the decision is inevitable if the data continues to get worse. Aguados maneuver was key to unblocking the negotiations, but from the central government there have been warnings that there has been no commitment to toughen up the measures and that Ayuso is still in charge, with the premier insisting that her position is the correct one and that a general confinement is not the solution. Sources close to the regional premier went as far as to say that if the Health Ministry wants to confine all the areas in Madrid that have infection rates above 500 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, they will have to do so in all of Spain. English version by Simon Hunter. Call to people of South Coast unite against monopoly grip This article was originally printed in Tribune September, 1962. Wollongong (NSW): Building the unity of the working people in struggle against wealthy monopolies, and particularly Broken Hill Pty., whose greedy hands touch virtually every person living in the district, was the main theme of last weekends NSW South Coast District Conference of the Communist Party. In this situation, said MacDougall, the defeat of the Menzies government should be our prime concern, and the Communist Party would call for a Labor government and for the election of Communists to Parliament. The district secretary (W MacDougall) illustrated the overall exploitation of the district by monopoly with the following telling figures. Total value of production has climbed from 193,988,000 in 1958-59 to 241,209,000 in 1960-61. Over the same period, average production per person rose from 2,499 to 3,230 while average wages per person rose from 1,063 to only 1,230. While monopoly profits were rising as a result of this increased exploitation, unemployment had been growing with more than 1,000 workers and their families in the district now being forced to live on unemployment relief. Waterfront work was sporadic and Captains Flat, a whole town, had been dispersed to the four winds. The Menzies government had done nothing to help the people meet these problems, nor to ease the plight of pensioners and people in receipt of social services. On the contrary it was a tool of the monopolies. Defeat Menzies In this situation, said MacDougall, the defeat of the Menzies government should be our prime concern, and the Communist Party would call for a Labor government and for the election of Communists to Parliament. MacDougall said that a Labor government was the only practical immediate alternative to the Menzies government and progressive decisions made by that Party provided a good basis for united working class action, which was the key to defeating Menzies. MacDougall cited as examples of progressive policies the ALP call for a nuclear-free Southern Hemisphere and the decisions of the State conference this year calling for abolition of the penal clauses, and introduction of a thirty-five hour week in the mining, power and automotive industries. But at the same time he warned that the Labor Party had been in office in NSW for more than twenty years, and it continued to give assistance to monopoly while some of its leaders lent themselves to intrigues to divide the working class. Role of communists Only the Communist Party conducts a thorough-going campaign against monopoly, he said. It was a major responsibility of the Communist Party to expose the real nature of monopoly and unite the working people, workers and farmers, in struggle against it. MacDougall particularly stressed the importance of the current campaign for margins, longer annual leave and the thirty-five hour week being waged jointly by the Australian Council of Trade Unions, the Australian Council of Salaried and Professional Associations and the High Council of Commonwealth Public Service Organisations. This movement involving three million workers and 162 affiliated organisations is one of the biggest in Australian working class history, MacDougall said. He also stressed the continuous danger of war as a result of imperialist provocations and called for no relaxation in building up a strong peace force to bring people to an awareness of the danger of nuclear wars, and develop an organised movement for Peace. Turning to the Common Market, MacDougall said that country towns will be hard hit, but the hardest hit will be the working class. Even before Britain is in the Market, the Arbitration Court has refused to grant three weeks annual leave because of the likely repercussions from Britains joining. Defend unity MacDougall called for united action by workers and farmers against this monopoly intrigue. In all these united movements of the people, MacDougall warned, efforts at disruption would be made by such handmaidens of monopoly as the National Civic Council and its allies in the trade unions and Labor Party. MacDougall stressed the importance of building a strong Communist Party as the most consistent fighter against monopoly and champion of the unity of the working people. The coronavirus pandemic forced China to bring industrial activity to a halt earlier this year, but the country is revving its engines again and global prices of metals are reflecting that renewed appetite for growth. China consumes roughly half of the world's industrial metals, according to analysts. As the country emerged from the worst of the pandemic in March, the Chinese government unleashed a program of enormous fiscal stimulus aimed at building bridges, roads, utilities, broadband and railroads across the country. As a result, the prices of iron ore, nickel, copper, zinc and other metals used to build infrastructure have surged in recent months. China's construction industry is picking up pace, sending metal prices surging. Credit:AP Since late March, prices of iron ore the key ingredient in steel have risen more than 40 per cent. Nickel, needed for stainless steel, and zinc, used to galvanise metal, are up more than 25 per cent. Copper, which is used in wiring for power transmission, construction and car manufacturing, and has long been seen as a barometer for the world's industrial economy, is also up around 35 per cent. "China, as usual, went the investment route and is massively investing in metals-intensive infrastructure," said Caroline Bain, a commodities market analyst with Capital Economics in London. "So there's been a very strong pick up in China's demand for metals." On Tuesday Sept 29, the Wisconsin Supreme Court will hear a suit demanding the state cancel the voter registration of so-called "movers." But a report by the nation's top experts in address verification, including the official licensee of the US Postal Service, says that at least 39,722, "movers" did not move. Link to the report: Wisconsin "Movers" Purge List Errors with a 7-minute film. The experts, led by John Lenser, the address confirmation expert relied on by eBay, Google and Amazon, working with the Post Office's own licensee, finds the error rate could rise to half the purge list. This is a name by name review of each voter who allegedly moved from their registration addresses using 240 data feeds and the Post Offices' official move list. LaTosha Brown & Cliff Albright, co-founders of Black Voters Matter, have had enough, "Our experts have found, conclusively, this proposed purge list is wrong and racist. There is a small right-wing group which wants to undermine Black voters and young voters. They have seen the writing on the wall, they are desperate because they are losing power so they are resorting to cheating and undermining the election by any means." This map shows the near-perfect match between the percentage of Black voters in a Census tract with the number of voters wrongly tagged as movingwho never moved. Greg Palast, who directed the investigation, said that, "Until now, no one had tested the list to ask a simple question: Had these 'movers' actually moved? The answer is no. If the Court decides to use this disastrously wrong list, Wisconsin voters will not be able to decide who wins, but an ethnic cleansing of their voter rolls will." Palast noted: "The analysis finding 39,722 did not move at all was based on the 153,000 potential purge list given to the investigators in June. The list, while now down to 129,000 is, according to our experts, still about one-fourth non-movers based on analysis of the prior list reduction. Also, an additional 5,004 voters not in our count had unverified apartment numbersfor which they should not lose their vote. In addition, 58,404 on the June list moved only within their county, most of whom cannot by law be purged, meaning that the error identifying 39,000 wrongly facing cancellation of registration is conservative." Palast, who founded the non-partisan not-for-profit Palast Investigation Fund, has been exposing wrongful, racial voter purges as a reporter for Rolling Stone, the Guardian, BBC TV since his discovery of the illegal removal of Black voters in Florida in 2000. The original list was created by a private group, Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC). Palast's calculation of racial bias in the "movers" list confirms Yale/Harvard study also showing racism in the ERIC Wisconsin list. Unlike ERIC or WILL (Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty, a right-wing think tank suing the state of Wisconsin), the Palast team called more than 700 so-called movers on the list and mailed 1,000 of them. They have film of wrongly purged voters availableas well as the confession of failure to verify the list by WILL founder Rick Esenberg. The report will be submitted to the Elections Board and office of the Attorney General. Is your name on the Wisconsin purge list? Find out at Save My Vote 2020 https://www.savemyvote2020.org/wisconsin-voter-purge-list-2020/. SOURCE Greg Palast Related Links https://www.savemyvote2020.org (Reuters) - Cleveland-Cliffs Inc, the largest U.S. producer of iron ore pellets, has agreed to buy the U.S. assets of the world's largest steelmaker ArcelorMittal SA for about $1.4 billion in cash and shares. The deal, announced by the two companies on Monday, will make Cleveland-Cliffs the largest flat-rolled steel producer in North America and, for ArcelorMittal, give it up to a quarter share of Cleveland-Cliffs' business and allow it to reward shareholders with a share buy-back. ArcelorMittal shares were up 8.3% in early trading, although had still not made up for losses ... Editor: I was an attendee at the Changes Rally in Rio Rancho on Saturday, Sept. 12, and would like to express my rally thoughts. The Black New Mexico Movement organized this rally to begin a discussion concerning Black Lives Matter in the Rio Rancho community. When I arrived, I was astonished to see our planned rally of about 50 peaceful people entirely outnumbered by a cadre of demonstrators numbering 200 or 300. As our speakers addressed the crowd concerning Black Lives Matter, voter registration and filling out the Census 2020 form, the demonstrators made as much noise as possible. They were disruptive and contradictory, shouting All lives matter and We dont want you here. For the first hour, the demonstrators stayed in the area assigned to them. As the evening progressed, the Wall of Vets, who had joined us to keep us safe, conferred with our speaker and advised they could no longer guarantee our safety. Quite a few of the protestors had brought weapons, guns, nunchucks and police batons. We had asked our people not to bring any weapons. After two hours of verbal abuse, as some of us proceeded to disband, one demonstrator shouted, Why dont you guys make the first move, and well show you how we get down! The Wall of Vets and the organizers stayed behind to speak with the demonstrators. Suddenly, the demonstrators surged into what had been the Changes Rally area. Concerned for the safety of everyone, the Rio Rancho Police arrived. The police were professional in their actions, quickly assessing the situation and brought order to this gathering. Thank you to the Rio Rancho Police for swiftly restoring order. Their efforts allowed the rally organizers to pursue conversations with demonstrators willing to speak to them. I heard one of our speakers having a conversation with a couple of the demonstrators. This discussion made me hopeful that Rio Rancho can be a happy home for all citizens. As one of the organizers said, We also believe that all lives matter; we just want to be one of the lives within that word all.' Deborah Dapson Rio Rancho U.S. President Donald Trump is set to approve a $22-billion freight railway project that will run between Alberta and Alaska to transport a variety of commodities such as oil, ore, and potash, as well as container goods. The 2,570-km line will run from Fort McMurray in Alberta to the Delta Junction in Alaska, CBC reported, where it will connect to the existing railway network and carry the goods to ports around Anchorage. "The Government of Alberta is glad to see the approval of the A2A rail project in the United States," a spokeswoman for the Alberta Premier, Jason Kenney, said in a statement. "We support the development of trade corridors that can unlock new markets for Alberta's products." Canadas oil province has been badly hit by the pandemic because it was already struggling with low oil prices and a shortage of outlets for the oil it produced. Any new outlet for this oil, whether by pipeline or by train, is good news for Albertas embattled energy industry. Meanwhile, the Alberta natural resources industry is shedding jobs at an alarming rate because of the pandemic. Data for the second quarter recently showed that job losses in the provinces energy sector hit an all-time high at 43,000. The pandemic-caused crisis also spurred a wave of consolidation in some parts of the oil sands. Related: Worlds No.1 Oil Trader Sees Crude Inventories Shrinking This Year Earlier this year, the provincial government released a blueprint for Albertas economic recovery that featured investments in infrastructure projects and tax cuts to stimulate business activity. The new railway line would certainly alleviate some of the pressure on oil producers as it would likely be the most exported commodity, even amid depressed demand: heavy crude, the sort that Albertan producers extract, has been in short supply since the U.S. almost cut off Venezuelas access to international oil markets. Yet it will not be the only one, according to one Alberta economist. Whats more, the line could also be used for imports into Alberta, Kent Fellows from the University of Calgarys School of Public Policy told CBC. By Michael Kern for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: The Azerbaijani Army has destroyed several more combat vehicles of the Armenian armed forces, the Defence Ministry said on September 28. "As a result of precise strikes by Azerbaijan Army units, several more combat vehicles belonging to the Armenian armed forces were destroyed in different directions of the front." The video shows the destruction moments of enemy combat vehicles. Armenian armed forces launched a large-scale military attack on positions of the Azerbaijani army on the front line, using large-calibre weapons, mortars, and artillery on Sept. 27. Azerbaijan responded with a counter-offensive along the entire front. As a result of retaliation, Azerbaijani troops managed to liberate the territories previously occupied by Armenia: Garakhanbeyli, Garvend, Kend Horadiz, Yukhari, Ashagi Abdulrahmanli villages (Fuzuli district), Boyuk Marjanli, and Nuzgar villages (Jabrayil district). Moreover, the positions of the Armenian armed forces were destroyed in the direction of Azerbaijan's Agdere district and Murovdag, important heights were taken under control. Back in July 2020, the Armenian Armed Forces violated the ceasefire in the direction of Azerbaijan's Tovuz district. As a result of Azerbaijan's retaliation, the opposing forces were silenced. The fighting continued the following days as well. Azerbaijan lost a number of military personnel members, who died fighting off the attacks of the Armenian armed forces. The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, Armenian armed forces occupied 20 per cent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on the withdrawal of its armed forces from Nagorno Karabakh and the surrounding districts. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz Police have released a sketch of a man as part of their investigation into the alleged sexual assault of a 12-year-old girl in the New South Wales Riverina region last year. The girl was walking along Pine Avenue, Leeton, when she was approached by an unknown man. She was then taken to a nearby location and sexually assaulted, police said on Monday. The incident is believed to have occurred between August and September last year, between 4pm and 4.30pm, on a weekday. The COMFIT image of a man they want to question is described as being in his 20s or 30s, of Aboriginal/Torres Strait Islander appearance Police have released a COMFIT image of a man they want to question. He is described as being in his 20s or 30s, of Aboriginal/Torres Strait Islander appearance. He has brown hair, unkempt facial hair and a wrinkled forehead. He is believed to have been wearing black tracksuit pants and a grey jumper. Detectives are urging anyone who may recognise the man depicted in the COMFIT image, or who has information about the incident, to come forward. In March 2020, detectives from the State Crime Commands Child Abuse and Sex Crimes Squad established Strike Force Lynbrae to investigate the incident. Anyone with concerns about suspected child abuse or exploitation should call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000. Christopher Cantwell could face up to 22 years in prison after he sent threatening messages to a Missouri man (Vice News Tonight/AP) The white nationalist nicknamed the Crying Nazi after he was featured in a documentary about clashes in Charlottesville has been found guilty of extortion and threatening to rape a woman. Christopher Cantwell, 39, was convicted on Monday of one count of transmitting extortionate communications and one count of threatening to injure property or reputation, according to the US Attorneys Office for the District of New Hampshire. He was found not guilty of cyberstalking. Federal prosecutors said Cantwell used the Telegram messaging app to threaten to rape a Missouri mans wife if he did not give him personal information about the leader of a white supremacist group called Bowl Patrol. Cantwell, according to prosecutors, sought the personal information of someone who went by the name Vic Mackey, who was believed to be the leader of the group. He also sent a series of threatening text messages because he believed members of the group were harassing him online. Besides threatening rape, Cantwell also said he would release the mans personal information and report him to child protective services in messages dated from 15 June 2019 until 17 June 2019. So if you dont want me to come and f*** your wife in front of your kids, then you should make yourself scarce, one message read. Give me Vic, its your only out. Lawyers for Cantwell defended their client by stating the messages were just obscene and over the top, not actually a serious threat. But prosecutors disagreed. Sending threatening and extortionate messages over the internet can instill fear and emotional damage, said US Attorney Scott W Murray with the District of New Hampshire. I am grateful to the jury for weighing the evidence in this case and finding that this defendants disturbing conduct was unlawful. Cantwell now faces up to 22 years in prison on the two counts. The New Hampshire resident became known for chanting Jews will not replace us in a Vice documentary showing the 2017 white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia. He earned the nickname Crying Nazi by online commenters after releasing an emotional video on Facebook about a warrant issued for his arrest. Story continues He pleaded guilty to assault in 2018 after using pepper spray on counter-protesters during the 2017 rally and was banned from Virginia for five years due to his actions. Read more Coronavirus: US warned to expect rise in Covid cases as Trump launches new test Megyn Kelly defends blackface comments and says critics wanted a scalp Trump refuses to take questions at White House event after bombshell tax revelations The infusion of equity investment will help Appnovation continue to execute on its international growth strategy Arnold Leung, Appnovation Founder and CEO. Arnold Leung, Appnovation Founder and CEO. VANCOUVER, BC, Sept. 28, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Appnovation has received C$11.6M in follow-on equity financing from a partnership between the Canadian Business Growth Fund (CBGF), Export Development Canada (EDC) and UK-based BGF. With 15 offices across North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific, Appnovation will use the proceeds from this investment to continue its global expansion and growth strategy. This includes scaling teams in strategic global markets as well as potential acquisitions. Both CBGF and BGF made initial investments in Appnovation in July 2019. Since then, Appnovation has scaled up its team by 30% and achieved revenue growth despite the global pandemic. This strong growth trajectory has attracted a second round of investment. Over the past year, weve made strategic hires, deepened capabilities and accelerated international growth with the help of an initial round of investment funding. We will continue that global growth trajectory and look at expanding our footprint in strategic markets, like Asia Pacific, with this new injection of funding said Arnold Leung, Founder and CEO of Appnovation. CBGF, EDC and BGF are the ideal partners because theyre invested in our long-term success and share our vision for ambitious growth. CBGF is proud to have backed Arnold and the Appnovation team who have made tremendous progress since our initial investment, explains George Rossolatos, CEO of CBGF. We believe there are excellent opportunities in front of the company to continue to grow into a leading international company. Our vision is to help companies scale and reach their full potential and Appnovation, with this follow-on, will have the opportunity to further accelerate their growth. Were delighted to be providing further investment and strengthening our relationship with Appnovation. This follow-on funding will help to bolster its international expansion plans which, despite the global set back of COVID-19, have been progressing at pace, said Greg Norman, investor at BGF. Appnovation is going from strength to strength and it is exactly the type of growth economy business that BGF seeks to support through our long-term investment and partnership. Story continues While CBGF and BGF invested in Appnovation previously, EDC is a new investor in Appnovation. EDCs attraction to Appnovation comes from its compelling business proposition, growth strategy and strong management team as well as attractive market dynamics. EDC is pleased to support Appnovations international expansion, said Carl Burlock, EDCs Executive Vice President and Chief Business Officer More than ever, digital sales strategies are key to succeeding in global business. Appnovations digital IT services will help companies enhance their online presence and remain competitive amid these challenging economic times. Appnovation is an example of the innovative Canadian companies that EDC is supporting through our investment Matching Program, whereby we work with both Canadian and international partners to provide capital investment and expertise on international markets. -- About Appnovation Appnovation is a global, full-service digital consultancy. We deliver people-inspired business solutions to our clients. How? By embracing the powerful combination of technology and agility, we seamlessly integrate strategy, experience, design, development and analytics. We create standout digital experiences by collaborating with brands to understand the individual challenges and goals for every initiative. Focusing on our clients customers, we effectively combine empathy, evidence and real-world insight so that solutions are derived from truth and meaning. Appnovation is an award-winning team dedicated to inspiring possibility. About Canadian Business Growth Fund The Canadian Business Growth Fund (CBGF) provides long-term, patient, minority capital to ambitious entrepreneurs to fund growth and expansion of mid-market businesses with investments between $3 to $20 million. An evergreen investment fund with capital commitments of $545 million, CBGF is committed to long-term partnerships with the companies it invests in. As part of its mission to drive growth, CBGF connects business leaders and sector experts to help its partner business achieve their full potential. For companies seeking investment opportunities, please email us at contact@cbgf.com. To learn more, please visit us at www.cbgf.com. About BGF BGF was set up in 2011 and has invested more than 2.2bn in over 330 companies, making it the most active investor in the UK. BGF is a minority, non-controlling equity partner with a patient outlook on investments, based on shared long-term goals with the management teams it backs. BGF invests in growing businesses in the UK and Ireland through its network of 14 offices. In 2018, Canada launched its equivalent the Canadian Business Growth Fund and in 2019, Australia did the same, both based on BGFs funding model. About Export Development Canada Export Development Canada (EDC) is a financial Crown corporation dedicated to helping Canadian companies of all sizes succeed on the world stage. As international risk experts, we equip Canadian companies with the tools they need the trade knowledge, financing solutions, equity, insurance, and connections to grow their business with confidence. Underlying all our support is a commitment to sustainable and responsible business. To help Canadian businesses facing extreme financial challenges brought on by the global response to COVID-19, the Government of Canada has expanded EDCs domestic capabilities until December 31, 2021. This broader mandate will enable EDC to expand its support to companies focused domestically. For more information and to learn how we can help your company, call us at 1-800-229-0575 or visit www.edc.ca. Attachment CONTACT: Laura Jeffery Appnovation laura.jeffery@appnovation.com The Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi government will complete its five-year term, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut said on Tuesday while ruling out possibility of mid-term elections in the state. Raut told reporters that people of the state do not want polls now. His comment came a day after Maharashtra BJP president Chandrakant Patil said that "there will be no option if no combination works out", while replying to a query on possibility of mid-term polls in the state. "Nobody wants mid-term polls. But one also cannot figure out a solution to instability. Hence, something may happen one fine morning. All will try to see nothing happens. But if no combination works out, then there will be no option," Patil had told reporters, adding that no party wanted polls now. Addressing media persons in Mumbai, Raut sarcastically said the Election Commission, which announces poll schedule, might have given Patil "some responsibility" and the latter might be having more information in this regard. "But I take Chandrakant Patil's comments positively. He said people of Maharashtra don't want polls. I am also saying there should be no elections. Hence, the Thackeray government will run for five years and there will be no elections," Raut said. To a question about former Bihar DGP Gupteshwar Pandey joining the Nitish Kumar-led JD-U after taking voluntary retirement last week, Raut said one has the right to join politics after resigning from service. "We had no personal enmity with Pandey saheb, who was Bihar DGP. We were against the statements made against Mumbai Police while he was on the post. You don't insult the Mumbai Police," Raut said. Pandey came under attack from leaders of the Shiv Sena-led Maha Vikas Aghadai government after he sought a CBI probe into actor Sushant Singh Rajput's death at a time when the Mumbai Police was investigating the matter. "Now, the CBI is here (investing the matter). The entire country is waiting to see what the CBI does in this case. I think Pandey too should wait for some time," the Sena chief spokesperson said. He also asked news channels "which raised questions over Mumbai Polices probe" to now ask questions to the CBI. The central agency has been probing the actors death for over a month now. "Channels questioned us. They should now ask questions to the CBI, Pandey, Nitish Kumar," he said, alleging the charges were part of a conspiracy to defame the Shiv Sena. The CBI on Monday said it had not reached any conclusion in the death of Rajput and that all aspects are under investigation. -- PTI The Labour Party is expected to emulate Sinn Fein in taking a decision today to support an assisted dying Bill at second stage this week. Helping an actual or attempted suicide is currently a serious offence, but a Bill to decriminalise such an action, in the name of People Before Profit TD Gino Kenny, gets its first reading in the Dail on Thursday. The three Government party leaders Micheal Martin, Leo Varadkar and Eamon Ryan are also due to discuss a collective Government attitude to the Dying with Dignity Bill, which appears to be moving towards a relaxation of the party whip on the issue. Fine Gael has an apparent majority in favour of the legislation, with Leo Varadkar telling his parliamentary party last week that there appeared to a consensus in favour of a free vote. Neither FF nor FG has agreed party positions on the matter to his point, and nor have the Greens on the specific Bill although it has a policy standpoint in favour of assisted dying. Read More Labour Party leader Alan Kelly told the Irish Independent yesterday he was personally in favour of the legislation, but there would be a lot of work to be done at committee stage. I personally support the Bill and I will be talking to my party colleagues about it with a view to taking an agreed position. I think it will go through to committee stage. Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald said: We have studied the legislation; we feel it needs further consideration, and it will have that at committee stage. We will facilitate that. It is a very sensitive and emotive issue, affecting so many people in so many families, so we will be supporting the passage of the legislation (at second stage) and look forward to further deliberation. She added: We have to get this right, and I think we need to listen very carefully to those families who are either living through an experience or who have that experience of heartbreak and real physical suffering in their families. I think it is going to be a hard debate. I think this is a hard conversation for people, and a difficult one for us as a society, but one I think we need to have nonetheless. We are happy for it to go forward, and then we need to assess it very forensically and methodically. The whole objective here is to get it right. Read More There are believed some misgivings in Sinn Fein about the legislation, while the word euthanasia was used at a Fianna Fail parliamentary party meeting last week. The Green Party is expected to discuss the Bill at a meeting on Tuesday. I would be astonished if there were not different views across parties and across society. Thats entirely to be expected, Ms McDonald said. The work thats done in committee will thus be extremely important. The Government may also convene a Citizens Assembly on it, and the last time around that was the proposal. But we need to have the conversation. Vicky Phelan, the cervical cancer campaigner who is terminally ill, has appealed to politicians to allow her and others to die with dignity. Her message to politicians, she said, was: Allow us to die a peaceful death with dignity. Prior to joining Envista, Lucas was the Site Leader and General Manager of AIG Bulgaria, where she played an integral role in the division's transformation and selection as 2019 Employer of the Year. During her tenure at AIG, Lucas also held key leadership roles within the organization's Global Claims Performance team, Latin American/Caribbean operations, and Asia Pacific operations. When reflecting on his time with Envista, Wedoff commented, "It has been a profound pleasure working with the team all these years. They are an extremely smart, talented, and passionate group of people who have achieved incredible things. They expanded our footprint globally, positioned us as industry thought leaders, cultivated nurturing and rewarding careers to make us the employer of choice and, above all, provided critical assistance to our clients when they were facing the most challenging claims and disputes." Since 2014, Envista has emerged as an industry-leading forensic consulting company. Rooted in a commitment to provide turnkey and innovative forensic consulting solutions, the Envista team now comprises over 400 employees on three continents. Wedoff went on to add, "I am thrilled that we have found an exceptional leader in Christinaone who can continue this record of success and lead Envista to new heights." "Under Bob's leadership, Envista has emerged as one of the premier forensic expert firms in the world. His intense focus on creating a culture committed to serving clients and taking care of team members has positioned us for even greater success in the future," said John Quinn, CEO, Cor Partners. "We couldn't be more excited that Christina has chosen to join our family and lead the organization as it seeks to build on that foundation. Her unique set of skills and experience, along with her passion for people-centric leadership, make her a perfect fit for Envista and the Cor Partners family." On her new role with Envista, Lucas remarked, "There is immense opportunity ahead for Envista Forensics. The Company has a rich history and a strong foundation, and I'm excited at the chance to apply my industry experience and expertise to work with our talented global team as we build an even stronger business for our customers and team members worldwide." About Envista Forensics Envista Forensics is a global leader in forensic engineering and recovery solutions. They provide failure analysis, fire and explosion investigations, cyber security and digital forensics, accident reconstruction, building and construction consulting, geotechnical engineering, damage evaluations and equipment restoration following major losses and disasters of all kinds. Envista has served the insurance, legal and risk management industries for more than 30 years. Our experts travel globally to more than 30 offices located across North America, Latin America, the U.K., Europe, Singapore and Australia. Visit www.envistaforensics.com for more information. Media Contact: Jennifer Gaster, Vice President- Marketing Envista Forensics (224) 406-9809 [email protected] SOURCE Envista Forensics Related Links http://envistaforensics.com On a sweaty Sunday morning in August of last year, Jamilah George was on the 16th floor of the historic Brown Hotel in Kentucky, leading a spiritual service of sorts. George, a doctoral candidate in clinical psychology at the University of Connecticut who also holds a masters degree in divinity from Yale University, asked the audience to shout out the names of ancestors or people they admired. With each name, George performed a libation ritual, pouring water into a leafy green plant, stationed at the front of the podium, as a gesture of thanks. Maya Angelou, called out one audience member. Mama Lola, called another. The names kept coming: Toni Morrison. Audre Lorde. Mahatma Gandhi. Harriet Tubman. George, who had been part of a team at UConn running the only clinical trial to study the effects of the psychotropic drug MDMA on post-traumatic stress disorder with participants of colour, wanted the audience to connect with its cultural lineages before she started her presentation a bracing call for inclusion and social justice within the burgeoning world of psychedelic healing. Its a world that holds great promise but is overwhelmingly white and economically privileged. Part of the problem, as George sees it, is that academia has lost its connection to the histories of these consciousness-altering substances (also known as entheogens), many of which have been used by indigenous cultures for physical and psychological healing for thousands of years. Its up to us to find ways to disseminate resources and stop leaving them at the top, in the most elite research institutions, she said to the small audience of psychotherapists, who were there to learn how psychotropic substances like methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) and psilocybin, the active ingredient in hallucinogenic (magic) mushrooms, could be used to heal mental and emotional distress. We have to find ways to take this information and bring it down so its accessible, she continued. MDMA you cant even pronounce it! We have to find ways to make this information translatable. Its like speaking another language. Recommended Government urged to speed research into psychedelic drug to treat depression The next day, the public part of the inaugural Psychedelic Medicine & Cultural Trauma Workshop ended and the psychotherapist training began. Fifty therapists of colour had been accepted into the week-long training, hosted by Maps, the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies. In the training, therapists would learn best practices for using the entheogen MDMA to treat PTSD in their patients. MAPS is currently studying MDMA-assisted psychotherapy as a method of treating PTSD. The clinical trials are in phase 3 the last stage before approval from the US Food and Drug Administration and Maps, which has been working toward this moment since its inception as a research and advocacy organisation in 1986, has been preparing for a post-approval world. Before the Cultural Trauma workshop in Kentucky, Maps had trained 285 therapists, with the idea that while they can't legally practice yet they will be ready to open their doors once approval is final. But fewer than 10 per cent of those trained were people of colour. If Maps wanted therapists to treat clients of colour, they would need to train therapists of colour. We have to find ways to take this information and bring it down so its accessible, says Jamilah George (uconn.edu) Last year, there were at least 20 conferences in the United States covering the latest developments in psychedelic science and medicine. Its a conference-happy community, which makes sense: most of the substances discussed at these events are labeled as schedule 1 or 2 by the US Drug Enforcement Administration, so, outside of clinical research, their use is illegal. (Schedule 1 drugs are considered to have the highest potential for abuse, with no currently accepted medical use. MDMA is a schedule 1 drug, as is cannabis, and is ranked as more dangerous than oxycodone and cocaine, which are both schedule 2.) Conferences are one of the few places where researchers, clinicians, advocates and the curious public can learn about developments in the field and meet other psychedelic proponents. Compared to a huge event like New York City's Horizons: Perspectives on Psychedelics conference, which has convened every autumn in New York for 13 years and last year brought in over 2,800 attendees, the two-day public workshop in Kentucky was tiny, with fewer than 100 participants and very little attention from a media that energetically covers psychedelic developments. But the gathering which featured talks on drug legalisation and systemic racism, presentations on indigenous healing methods, experiential group exercises, and even a dance performance was groundbreaking. It was historic not only because it was the first such training for therapists of colour, but because it marked a turning point in the mainstreaming of psychedelics. Many of the organisers and presenters are part of a larger effort to diversify the world of psychedelic healing. They are pushing back against the popular narrative that psychedelics originated in white, mid-century countercultural movements and, perhaps most significant, fighting to ensure that the new field of psychedelic medicine often touted as a miracle for long-standing and deep-rooted struggles like treatment-resistant depression, addiction, anxiety and PTSD will be accessible to all. This includes black and non-white communities that have been historically over-policed and heavily incarcerated for possession or sales of some of these substances. (White people and black people are equally likely to use illegal drugs, a 2009 Human Rights Watch report found, but black people are arrested for drug offences at much higher rates than white people.) George, who is black, spoke directly to these inequities at the climax of her talk. While white people might see psychedelic use as edgy or controversial, there is little legal risk in white use of these substances. Western researchers have taken some of these indigenous religious traditions, using them outside of their spiritual context ... and then take it for ourselves and go to a rave and jump around and flash the lights, George said. We go in the mountains and have a self-discovery kind of experience. Her voice rose as audience members clapped in agreement. All of that is amazing. Lets do that. But lets bring others with us. Lets find ways for those who have been oppressed for generations to experience the same freedom that some of us in this room have on a Saturday morning because they feel like it. Not on a Tuesday night when theyve had to take off work and find a babysitter to take care of the kids so they can come to the clinic and participate in this research and pray that it frees them, so they can keep their families and keep their jobs. I had a boyfriend in high school who used LSD once or twice, and I dont remember any remarkable transformations happening as a result Monnica Williams, clinical psychologist She continued: Lives depend on us. You see what Im saying? When you really think about it, when you break it down like that, lives depend on us. There is little legal risk in white use of psychedelic substances. But black and non-white communities have been historically over-policed and heavily incarcerated for possession or sales of some of these substances. It would be hard to avoid coverage of whats been called the psychedelic renaissance: its everywhere. In a recent episode of 60 Minutes, Anderson Cooper reported on successful clinical trials at Johns Hopkins and New York University that found psilocybin can help with, respectively, smoking cessation and binge drinking. Gwyneth Paltrow's Netflix show The Goop Lab dedicated an episode to following Goop employees at a healing psilocybin retreat in Jamaica, where mushrooms are legal. And, of course, theres science journalist Michael Pollan's No 1 New York Times bestseller How to Change Your Mind: What the New Science of Psychedelics Teaches Us About Consciousness, Dying, Addiction, Depression, and Transcendence. The politics around psychedelics are changing as well: with great effort from advocates, various measures to decriminalise possession of certain entheogens have passed in California, as well as Denver, and similar campaigns are under way in Chicago and other cities. In November, this movement will come to Washington, DC, when residents will vote on whether to decriminalise magic mushrooms. In May 2019 Denver passed a bill that makes possession, use or cultivation of psilocybin mushrooms by people aged 21 and older the lowest law enforcement priority in the city (Getty) Entheogens like peyote and ayahuasca have been used within indigenous cultures for thousands of years, but this latest wave of research has mostly focused on two substances: MDMA, a derivative of the sassafras tree, which was first synthesised in a lab in 1912 and used in therapeutic settings throughout the Seventies and early Eighties before being labeled a schedule 1 drug in 1985; and psilocybin, added to schedule 1 in 1971. Psilocybin is found naturally in some mushrooms and has been used in indigenous cultures all over the globe; mushroom iconography has been found in prehistoric cave paintings. In the late 1990s, a handful of researchers started to take up the work that had been dropped when these substances were criminalised. (Dropped, at least, in aboveground situations; therapists continued, and still continue, working underground.) Now the field has exploded: when George says that lives depend on therapists learning to use these modalities, shes not being dramatic. The numbers would impress anyone. In the Johns Hopkins smoking-cessation study, conducted in 2006 with a small group of participants, 80 per cent of long-term smokers stopped smoking for at least six months after their psilocybin treatment. After a year, 67 per cent were still nonsmokers. Nine years later, Johns Hopkins published the results of another trial in which psilocybin was used successfully to treat depression and anxiety in cancer patients, with the changes lasting in 80 per cent of participants after six months. The university has invested so much in the field that it launched a stand-alone Centre for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research last year and is working on studies to use psilocybin to treat addiction, anorexia and many other issues. Meanwhile, in 2017 the FDA granted breakthrough therapy status to MDMA-assisted psychotherapy to treat PTSD, after privately funded Maps studies found that 56 per cent of participants experienced significant relief so much so that they no longer met the requirements for PTSD. (The FDA cant discuss ongoing trials, a spokesperson told me over email.) Breakthrough status is given to therapies that have shown great promise, with the idea that they will be given priority within the FDA approval process, and Maps predicts MDMA-assisted psychotherapy will be available sometime in the next few years. Ive experienced the treatment myself: after editing a story about MDMA-assisted psychotherapy many years ago, I connected with a highly skilled underground therapist to address the lingering effects of my fathers death when I was 14, effects that talk therapy and meditation hadnt relieved. While it was difficult and painful to face the trauma that Id buried, I greatly benefited from the work. Mexican and foreign tourists go to the desert to try the peyote cactus, which has psychoactive alkaloids as mescaline (AFP/Getty) But as study after study showed positive outcomes over the years, one thing was constant: there was little diversity among both the study leads and the participants. In 2015, Natalie Ginsberg, Maps director of policy and advocacy, came across the name of Monnica Williams, a clinical psychologist then at the University of Louisville. Williams, who is black, studied obsessive-compulsive disorder, anxiety and the effects of racism, and her work excited Ginsberg, who wrote to Williams to ask if she might be interested in working with Maps. Social marginalisation compounds trauma, Ginsberg told me via email. Regardless of the origin of their trauma, which could stem from any number of causes, including sexual assault, childhood trauma and military service, people who experience the highest rates of trauma are those most marginalised from society, which in the US includes people of colour. Williams had no previous experience with psychedelics. I had a boyfriend in high school who used LSD once or twice, and I dont remember any remarkable transformations happening as a result, she told me. It took some convincing. It kind of seemed like maybe the fad of the week, you know? recalls Williams. Where they say, you know, you drink a glass of water with vinegar and lemon juice and you lose 50 pounds. Like, yeah, right. But actually reading the research, seeing the videos of the participants getting better ... when you do this work, you can look at people and you can tell: that person is really ill. And then you see that same person later and theyre smiling and their face is bright. And theyre making eye contact and theyre talking about the future. Seeing that whole progression on a videotape, thats kind of what convinced me. In 2016, Maps invited Williams to join its clinical trials to study MDMA for PTSD, but her trial would be unique: it would include only participants of colour and mostly therapists of colour. There was no reason to believe that MDMA would not work as well with people of colour, but there was so little data that Maps and Williams had no way to tell. Last September the Lowell Cafe in West Hollywood, California, became Americas first cannabis restaurant, offering diners an array of weed products and hoping to rival Amsterdams famed coffee shops (AFP/Getty) Jamilah George researched anxiety and racial trauma, and came aboard the study after meeting Williams at a conference. George was initially wary. Ive always seen drugs as dangerous, leading to violence and incarcerations, George told me. Never something that I saw as a means to healing, certainly not for exploration or fun. Learning more about psychedelics was strange for me: I was around all white people, talking about their experiences with these substances and how theyd changed their lives and how much theyd learned about themselves. It was so foreign to me and really difficult to wrap my mind around. A world in which you can use an illegal substance and arent at risk for being arrested? It was like, where am I? The team spent two years preparing, using the guidelines set out by Maps. First they went through their own training, including a required MDMA-assisted therapy session of their own, called MT-1, so they could relate to and understand their participants experiences. They also had to find the right lab space at the University of Connecticut. Since MDMA alters consciousness, rendering participants more open and vulnerable a state that allows for safe exploration, and then reprocessing, of trauma the protocol requires them to spend the night after a treatment, which adds more regulatory issues and staff hours. Trying to put the treatment into words how does it work, exactly? is a challenge, since psychedelic experiences are often ineffable, and people will respond differently depending on their unique circumstances, their brain chemistry and the setting in which the experience takes place. A note of caution, however: the research about psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy stems from therapeutic settings, where clients are carefully supervised, with adherence to protocols around usage and dosage not a recreational one where multiple variables could be at play, like the purity of the substance and the surrounding environment. The few scientific voices expressing concern focus not on the research, but on the quick expansion of the field as a whole and the lack of research in non-medical settings. If these drugs are approved as therapeutic treatments, will pharmacological-grade drugs become easily available and used and abused recreationally? asked Washington University psychiatry professor Eugene Rubin in a 2018 Psychology Today article. A healer starts a Yage ceremony in La Calera, Colombia. Yage, a mixture of the Ayahuasca hallucinogenic liana and a psychoactive bush, attracts many people in Colombia, who seek to participate in a traditional indigenous ritual of spiritual and physical healing (AFP/Getty) To describe the treatment, Maps therapists will often use the analogy of the body, says Sara Reed, a therapist in and study coordinator of the UConn trial. The Maps language of the treatment approach is that theres an intelligence that our body has, that wants to move towards healing, says Reed, who is black. When you get a cut on your arm, as long as you are in a pretty healthy, functioning body, your bodys going to know what to do to heal itself, to stop the bleeding and create the scab. We believe that the psyche also has that same property. The psyche wants to move towards healing, but sometimes there are barriers that get in the way of that healing process. Our philosophy in this treatment is to create a container where some of those barriers are removed, so folks can process traumas in their own way, at their own time. The therapy helps you look at the bigger picture, says Terence Ching, a doctoral student in clinical psychology at UConn and a therapist in the trial, who is Singaporean Chinese. It almost feels like your life before was just zooming in on the puzzle pieces. Now youre taking a step back a few steps back to see how things fit in. ... I can easily see how, for a person with PTSD who hasnt responded to talk therapy, cognitive behavioural therapy or even medical marijuana, that this might be the thing that they might need to push things along so it clicks. And they can begin to enjoy their lives again. Despite the researchers optimism after their own experiences with MDMA-assisted psychotherapy, they soon faced obstacles. Williams quickly realised that the Maps protocol for how to recruit participants, and then how to take them through treatment, was not going to work. We were basically trying to take a study that had already been designed for white people and make it work for people of colour, she says. The therapy has to make sense and feel like a good fit for the person getting it. And what may feel like good therapy for a white person may not necessarily resonate with somebody from a different ethnic group. Gwyneth Paltrows Netflix show The Goop Lab dedicated an episode to following Goop employees at a healing psilocybin retreat in Jamaica, where mushrooms are legal (Adam Rose/Netflix) This discrepancy showed up in recruitment. It seemed almost impossible to find participants. The other clinics had long waiting lists of people trying to get into the study, George says. Our waiting list was empty. The team realised theyd need to make some small but highly significant changes, like making sure they used the words participant and study in their materials, instead of subject and experiment. Were pretty aware of the history of medical atrocities committed against communities of colour in the United States, Ching told me. We really wanted the language, at least, to reflect that were aware of that. We want to be more inviting, because theres already that layer of stigma and mistrust of the medical system that communities of colour have. Education during the recruitment period was different, too. People of colour needed more support in the screening process, Reed says, to combat the cultural stigma associated with seeking mental health help, as well as fears that using psychedelics, even in a clinical setting, might lead to a harmful outcome. What are psychedelics? What is MDMA? Am I coming here to get high? Could you tell me about what the overnight session is going to be like? Am I going to be safe? So we had to spend a lot of time educating participants and providing the language throughout the screening process, from informed consent to enrolment. I would be your therapist, George recalls telling potential participants. Me, a black woman. The other person in the room will be a person of colour. Theres a whole team committed to make you feel safe. Then you have to make them feel safe enough to want to hear more, then provide education about what the drug actually is. You have to get them to want to do the study. Speakers Corner in Hyde Park became a smokers paradise in the late Sixties, with Londons flower children gathering to support a campaign to legalise hashish and marijuana (PA) Once participants did enrol, the team had to tweak Maps protocol further. Maps was on board, George says: Like, Hey, we hadnt thought about any of these things, and thank you. During MDMA-assisted psychotherapy sessions, participants listen to music through headphones often relaxing, instrumental pieces that you might hear in a spa or a yoga centre. The UConn team wanted to curate these playlists to allow for music that would match each participants cultural background and intersecting identities. The physical space also allowed for more cultural representation. The paintings on the wall, the magazine on the table, the coffee mug we had we were just really intentional that anything that our participants would come in contact with would only further their feeling of safety and that they belong, says George. We wanted folks to come in and say, This is familiar. I recognise this artwork. I see people who look like me. We were explicit about cultural representation in our individual presentation as well. Maybe Id wear a kente cloth head wrap. Making sure that we ourselves represented our own culture as a means to model that behaviour for our participants so they can be fully themselves and let all their pain come forth which is really difficult to do in a new space with new people, especially if youve never talked about that pain before. What may feel like good therapy for a white person may not necessarily resonate with somebody from a different ethnic group, says Monnica Williams, who led the trial. Are we going to make it accessible to some of the most vulnerable populations that need it: people of colour, black folks, trans folks, trans women of colour particularly? Sara Reed, therapist and study coordinator Each enrolled participant was a small victory, a product of hours of psychoeducation. Reed says Maps wondered why things were different with their team. They would ask questions like, You are spending a lot of time with your participants. Whats this about? It wasn't like, You need to stop, but it was just more of a curiosity. Whats the difference in need at the site as opposed to other sites? The difference was that people of colour needed more support during the onset of the screening process and this treatment, so we could actually retain them. There were some participants who, if there werent active engagements with them during this introductory process, the participants got overwhelmed and would leave or withdraw from the study prematurely. Time was another issue. The current protocol for MDMA-assisted psychotherapy includes 42 hours of therapy over 12 weeks. This includes multiple sessions with therapists before the actual dose of MDMA. Then, there are three dosing sessions spaced a month or so apart, and each dosing session lasts a full day (MDMAs most intense effects last around four to six hours) with an overnight stay. In between, participants are supposed to see therapists regularly to explore what came up in the dosing sessions, with a series of sessions after the final dose. Some of the potential participants in the UConn trial, however, found this time commitment to be insurmountable. The team wondered: could they combine appointments? We were trying to accommodate, but it was really impossible for a lot of people to commit to it, says George. The obstacles continued: potential participants had trouble convincing their families and partners that the treatment was worthwhile and safe. [MDMA] is not a form of treatment that wed typically experience, says George. Its too foreign and scary for people. After two years of work, one participant made it all the way through: a client working with Sara Reed. The participant had endured many experiences of trauma from his childhood, race-related trauma, trauma where his body was violated, says Reed. He carried so much in his body. In his first dosing session, [my co-therapist and I] saw his body relax in profound ways. He was laughing in such a way that I absolutely believe it was part of the release. He kept saying, I feel so relaxed, and [my co-therapist and I] were looking at each other, witnessing his process of being able to relax for the first time in a long time or ever, as an adult in this body, with all of its histories and complexities and memories. For him to be human: he wasnt a person of colour, he wasnt a person who had traumatic experiences; he was someone who got to be human. It reminded me of my own experience of MT-1, where I felt freedom for the first time in my body. Of course we need more research to back this up, but Ive found that people are able to experience some sense of freedom in their body with this medicine. To me, thats something that has been part of my mission in this work to help more people of colour to be human, to relax. When presented in the right container, that is the power and the potential of this medicine. An initiate of the Bwiti rite dances during a ceremony after having used the iboga plant in Libreville. Iboga, extract from a plant known for its hallucinogenic powers, used in the Gabonese traditional rite, is also used to cure addictions to drugs, alcool or tobacco (AFP/Getty) But after losing the prescribing psychiatrist on her team the only member legally able to prescribe MDMA Williams was forced to shut down the clinical trial altogether. It was a crushing disappointment, but also not surprising considering the obstacles they faced. I think its more symbolic in a lot of ways, Williams says of their research. Even if theyd successfully completed treatment for the 10 participants theyd originally planned for, it still wouldnt have been enough data to say for certain how MDMA-assisted psychotherapy works with people of colour versus their white counterparts. I think the bigger value is the amount of attention that this effort has gotten within the psychedelic research community, Williams says. And how that's been able to bring more changes, much more than we could have gotten out of the study itself. The training conference in Kentucky was a direct result of their partially completed study: The obstacles and the systemic issues pointed out by Williams and her team got the attention of Maps and, crucially, its donors. (Donors to Maps, a tax-exempt, charitable organisation, span the political spectrum and include Dr Bronners soap company, author Tim Ferriss and the Mercer Family Foundation; the Kentucky workshop was funded by the Open Society Foundations, Libra Foundation and the RiverStyx Foundation, among others.) If you want this [treatment] to be accessible to people of colour, you cant use the same strategies that marginalised them in the first place, says George. Marcela Otalora, a Colorado-based psychotherapist who has been involved in Maps MDMA work since the organisations inception, helped lead the therapy training in Kentucky. There are so many places where marginalised communities have to put up with going to a practitioner that is white and is not going to treat them the same way, or is not going to understand, and is going to maybe do things that are harmful in some way without knowing it, she says. Even with a new focus on inclusivity within psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy research, questions remain around issues of access. If and when the FDA approves MDMA used for PTSD, it will not be widely available; it will be an option only for people with a formal clinical diagnosis of PTSD. It will also be incredibly expensive: estimates range from 10,000 to 12,000 per treatment round, and its not clear what might be covered by health insurance. The cost is not about the substance; its the therapeutic hours that will be required the 42 hours of therapy, including three overnights and the fact that therapists work in teams of two, a measure taken for patient safety. Clinicians are trying to figure out how to bring that immense cost down. Fewer appointments? Can the work be done in a group, so multiple clients can work together at the same time? (This is often how entheogens are used in traditional and indigenous settings.) A sliding scale? Pro bono? As lengthy as the process to FDA approval has been, theres still a lot on the line for clinicians and activists. They want to see these treatments available, but they want to get them right. To this end, Maps is launching a health equity initiative this autumn to benefit marginalised clients, including therapist and supervisor scholarships and patient access funds. Its important to really slow down and really think about what if we move towards mainstreaming psychedelics using psychotherapy what implications does this have, says Reed. Is this going to be an elusive form of medicine, where there's going to be a select few who have the luxury to take the time off to get the treatment, or who have the funds to purchase the treatment? Or are we going to make it accessible to some of the most vulnerable populations that need it: people of colour, black folks, trans folks, trans women of colour particularly? ... Who are we really targeting in psychedelic medicine? Thats a huge question. The Washington Post A North Korean flag flutters on top of a tower at North Korea's propaganda village of Gijungdong, as seen from Paju By Josh Smith SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea said on Sunday it is searching for the body a South Korean official killed by its troops, but warned that South Korean naval operations in the area threatened to raise tensions by intruding across a disputed sea border. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un issued a rare apology on Friday for the fatal shooting of the South Korean fisheries official in North Korean waters, according to Seoul. South Korea's military has accused the North's soldiers of killing the man, dousing his body in fuel and setting it on fire near the sea border. After South Korean President Moon Jae-in convened a ministers' meeting to discuss North Korea on Sunday, the presidential Blue House reiterated calls for Pyongyang to allow a joint investigation into the killing. It urged the restoration of military communication hotlines that the North severed earlier this year as relations soured. North Korean state news agency KCNA called the killing an "awful case which should not have happened" but accused South Korean naval operations near in the area of crossing into North Korean waters. "We urge the south side to immediately halt the intrusion across the military demarcation line in the west sea that may lead to escalation of tensions," KCNA said. A spokesman for South Korea's Ministry of National Defense had no immediate comment on the North's accusations. The South has been searching only in waters south of the Northern Limit Line, a contested sea demarcation between the two Koreas that dates to the end of the 1950-53 Korean War, South Korea's Yonhap news agency said, quoting an unnamed coast guard official. South Korea has mobilised 39 vessels, including 16 naval ships, and six aircraft for the search, which continued on Sunday despite the North Korean complaints, Yonhap said. North Korea was beginning its own search operation to recover the body, KCNA said. "We also took more necessary security measures in order to make sure that no more incident spoiling the relations of trust and respect between the north and the south would happen in any case," the report added, without elaborating. (Reporting by Josh Smith; Editing by Sandra Maler and William Mallard) Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-28 21:09:55|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Chinese Ambassador to Sudan Ma Xinmin (C) attends a virtual reception to celebrate the 71st anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China at the Chinese embassy in Khartoum, Sudan, Sept. 28, 2020. China will offer emergency humanitarian aid worth 300,000 U.S. dollars to Sudan, Chinese Ambassador to Sudan Ma Xinmin said on Monday. (Photo by Mohamed Khidir/Xinhua) KHARTOUM, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- China will offer emergency humanitarian aid worth 300,000 U.S. dollars to Sudan, Chinese Ambassador to Sudan Ma Xinmin said on Monday. "We believe that the Sudanese government and people will definitely be able to overcome the floods and rebuild their homes as soon as possible," Ma said at a virtual reception held at the Chinese embassy in Khartoum to celebrate the 71st anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China. He further expressed condolences to the victims of the flood disaster, noting that "we are willing to provide support and assistance to the Sudanese side within our capacity." Meanwhile, Sheikh Khidir, senior adviser to the Sudanese prime minister, said that "Sudan always appreciates the Chinese support at international forums, the valuable Chinese assistance to combat the coronavirus pandemic and the cash support for Sudan to face the floods and torrential rains which have recently hit Sudan." For his part, Ali Yousif, executive director of the Arab-Chinese Friendship Societies' League, an affiliate of the Arab League based in Sudan, commended China's supportive stances to Arab states. "China's support to the Arab countries in combating coronavirus has proved that we live in the world of common destiny, which is one of the most important concepts of the Belt and Road Initiative," said Yousif. The floods and torrential rains which recently hit Sudan have killed tens of peoples and destroyed thousands of houses. As nationwide calls continue urging police reform and shedding light on racial inequities, Charleston hopes to foster healing as it highlights the story of an African American officer killed in the line of duty. Several Charleston-area organizations announced Monday at the City Gallery the "Heal our City, Heal our Nation" event series that will, for the next several months, explore policing, racial healing and transformation. The series will aim to lift up the story up Pvt. Thomas J. Martin, an African American police officer who was killed by white soldiers on King Street in July 1870. City leaders said Martin has historically not been given proper honor as a policeman who paid the ultimate sacrifice in a city still being impacted from the history of racism. The project involves the city of Charleston, the Charleston Police Department, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the Rev. Kylon Middleton, the Coastal Crisis Chaplaincy, the Gullah Society and some of Martin's descendants. "He's a hero who will never be forgotten," said Police Chief Luther Reynolds. Events will begin Wednesday when Martin will be honored during the S.C. Law Enforcement Hall of Fame induction ceremony. On Oct. 17, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will host its annual Genealogy Conference, during which it will highlight researching African American ancestors and discuss the ancestry of Martin. The Police Department will host the "Roadmap to a Better Future" series of community workshops, during which it will discuss the department's strategic leadership plan. Police also will discuss the new Partnership Project, a collaborative effort with the Coastal Crisis Chaplaincy that will seek to build community trust. Martin responded to a disturbance shortly before midnight on July 21, 1870. Martin ordered a group of U.S. soldiers to desist, but the men refused. One of the soldiers drew a pistol and fired a round at Martin. Martin was taken home, where he died. Two men were charged with the slaying. A trial was held and a jury, after deliberating for five hours, returned a not guilty verdict. Efforts by the city to share Martin's story began in March 2019, when a Wyoming resident sent a letter to Charleston police about Martin's death. Since then, Middleton, the Gullah Society and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints worked to locate one of Martin's descendants, Johanna Martin-Carrington. Carrington, along with two of her children, attended Monday's announcement. Carrington has ties with law enforcement within her immediate family. Her husband, James L. Carrington, served as the first Black chief for the Compton Police Department in California. For many years, Charleston has not been the place where African Americans wanted to raise their children, she said. She's glad to see the city's efforts over the years taking steps to address its past. "I'm glad to be back home," she said. The event series aligns with Charleston efforts in recent years to promote racial healing, said Mayor John Tecklenburg. He pointed out the 2016 Illumination Project, the city's 2018 apology for its role in slavery, and the Police Department's 2019 Racial Bias Audit. In May, the city held its annual memorial service for officers killed in the line of duty over the years, adding Martin's name to the list. Those at Monday's event spoke to the need of acknowledging history, good and bad. "We need not be afraid of history, but willing to embrace it," said Charleston Councilman Peter Shahid. He said Martin's story has not been properly told and the policeman was not honored as a slain law enforcement officer, likely because of several factors, including because he was Black and his assailants were White. ANN ARBOR, MI On a cooler-than-normal mid-September morning, University of Michigan graduate students took up picket signs and marched for better safety precautions on campus during the COVID-19 pandemic. The day before, the university had filed an injunction against the Graduate Employees' Organization union saying its ongoing strike had violated Michigan law and a collective bargaining agreement. Later in the day, UM faculty senate members cast a vote of no confidence in university President Mark Schlissel. Victoria's hospitality industry has delivered a detailed blueprint to the Andrews government for safe, post-lockdown dining in the hope that COVID-stricken cafes and restaurants will be allowed to open sooner than planned. Under a regulatory framework being assessed by Victoria's health authorities, restaurants would keep for 28 days the names and contact details of everyone they have served, table condiments and shared plates would be off the menu and menus themselves would be laminated to meet the industry's COVID-normal standards. Where possible, patrons would be greeted at one door and shown to a separate exit at the end of their meals. If they are showing any COVID symptoms or refuse to wear a mask before seated, they would not be served at all. Melbourne chef and restaurateur Guy Grossi says his industry needs to step up. Credit:Chris Hopkins The provisions are detailed in a 30-page COVID-safe industry plan that the industry association Restaurant & Catering has developed based on an operating model used in Queensland for the past four months. Sherpa 6 Inc., Littleton, Colorado, was awarded a $24,565,468 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract to develop a variety of technologies to support research and development concept prototype components for dismounted Soldier mission command systems, the Integrated Visual Augmentation System (IVAS) and Nett Warrior. Follow Army Recognition on Google News at this link Soldiers conduct a touchpoint evaluation of the Integrated Visual Augmentation System at Fort Picket, Va., in November 2019 (Picture source: U.S. Army) Bids were solicited via the internet with one received. Work will be performed in Littleton, Colorado, with an estimated completion date of Sept. 30, 2024. Fiscal 2020 research, development, test and evaluation (Army) funds in the amount of $2,100,000 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, is the contracting activity. On September 25, 2018, the Army Acquisition Executive approved the Integrated Visual Augmentation System (IVAS) to proceed as a middle tier of acquisition rapid prototyping effort. The Army intends to deliver 2,550 IVAS prototype systems using an iterative approach of four capability sets. In March 2019, the Army executed Soldier Touch Point (STP) 1 to assess Capability Set 1 prototype capabilities in an operational environment. - Soldiers and marines equipped with IVAS Capability Set 1 navigated and maneuvered with the Heads-Up Display (HUD) and observed targets in low-light conditions. Warfighters trained in the Synthetic Training Environment, entering and clearing six rooms in a real-world building against virtual targets. - Overall, warfighters responded favorably to surveys on the usability and perceived usefulness of IVAS. The IVAS is a HUD, body-worn computer, and networked radio. The Army intends IVAS to use a variety of imaging sensors, artificial intelligence, and machine learning to provide a fully integrated day/night combat capability at the forward edge of the battlefield. The Army has structured IVAS as a middle tier of acquisition, 2-year prototyping period with four capability sets with software sprints and hardware builds. The Army and Microsoft will define each capability set in a design review based on the results from the previous capability set and overarching program goals. - The IVAS Capability Set 1 is Microsofts commercial HoloLens 2 with an integrated commercial, thermal sensor, and Tactical Assault Kit software and maps. These prototypes operate on an internal battery and require a Wi-Fi network. The Army received delivery of 50 systems in March 2019. - The IVAS Capability Set 2 will be a modified commercial prototype with integrated tactical radios and GPS capability. The Army expected to receive delivery of 300 systems in October 2019. - The IVAS Capability Sets 3 was the ruggedized military form factor with integrated low light and thermal sensors. The Army expects to receive delivery of 600 systems in June 2020. - The IVAS Capability Set 4 will be the production-ready end-user device to provide enhanced squad lethality. Mission Commanders of Army and Marine Corps close combat formations and Special Operations Forces units will employ IVAS to achieve overmatch against near-peer threats identified in the National Defense Strategy. The Army intends to evolve the concept of operations in coordination with the joint force through experimentation as the system capabilities mature. Squads will train with IVAS in the Synthetic Training Environment in a high fidelity, live and mixed reality, immersive environment enabling rapid conduct and repetition of training scenarios. Investment supports development of promising biosynthetic nerve repair technology, NeuroShieldTM ROOT, SWITZERLAND / ACCESSWIRE / September 28, 2020 / Monarch Bioimplants, a biomedical implant development firm responsible for creating a revolutionary chitosan membrane for peripheral nerve repair, today announced a three-year, 20 million (approximately USD $23 million) share subscription and drawdown agreement with GEM Global Yield LLC SCS, part of the Global Emerging Markets group. Under the agreement, GEM will purchase common shares from Monarch. As part of the share subscription and drawdown agreement, GEM has agreed to provide Monarch Bioimplants with capital over a period of 36 months, commencing with a potential future public offering of Monarch Bioimplants common stock. Monarch Bioimplants will use the funds to bring to market its revolutionary NeuroShield, an FDA-cleared biosynthetic peripheral nerve regeneration technology designed from naturally occurring chitosan. NeuroShield has already been introduced in the Middle East and Africa with signed distribution agreements in Israel and South Africa. The funds will expand distribution to the U.S., Europe, Australia, and Chinese markets. Nerve injuries can lead to long term effects including numbness, loss of movement, and impotence. The NeuroShield is surgically placed over the damaged nerve to provide protection and connection as the nerve heals, preventing further nerve damage and accelerating recovery. A polysaccharide widely used in biomedical applications, chitosan is fully absorbed by the surrounding tissue with no side effects. "We at Monarch are extremely excited with this new investment as GEM is providing the financial means that we need to bring our outstanding technology to every patient," says Dr. Rivelino Montenegro, CEO of Monarch Bioimplants. "Nerve damage causes physical and emotional pain for patients and relatives. GEM's investment provides a solid foundation for paving the way for our technology to become standard of care and improve lives." Fast Track Ventures is the primary investor in Monarch Bioimplants. The agreement with GEM supports the investment company's goal of bringing Monarch Bioimplants into successful public listing and subsequent worldwide distribution. About GEM Global Emerging Markets is a $3.4 billion, alternative investment group with operations in Paris, New York, and Los Angeles. GEM manages a diverse set of investment vehicles focused on emerging markets that provide the group and its investors with a diversified portfolio of asset classes that span the global private investing spectrum. Each investment vehicle has a different degree of operational control, risk-adjusted return, and liquidity profile. The family of funds and investment vehicles provide GEM and its partners with exposure to: Small-Mid Cap Management Buyouts, Private Investments in Public Equities and select venture investments. For more information: http://www.gemny.com. About Monarch Bioimplants Monarch Bioimplants is a biomedical implant development firm specializing in chitosan-based bioimplants. Chitosan provides several advantages over other implantable biomaterials for nerve regeneration and tissue engineering. Monarch Bioimplants has developed NeuroShield, a chitosan biodegradable membrane for the repair of peripheral nerve injuries. Forward-Looking Statements: This release may contain forward-looking statements, as that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 or by the SEC in its rules, regulations, and releases. These forward-looking statements include, among other things, statements of plans, objectives, expectations, or intentions. Forward-looking statements involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions and actual results may differ materially from those expressed in these forward-looking statements. You should not put undue reliance on any forward-looking statements in this communication. We do not have any intention or obligation to update forward-looking statements after the date of this communication, except as required by law. CONTACT: Monarch Bioimplants Dr. Rivelino Montenegro, CEO rmontenegro@monarchbioimplants.com GEM Aude Planche, Partner aplanche@gemgroup.ch SOURCE: Fast Track Ventures View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/607906/Monarch-Bioimplants-Secures-20-Million-from-GEM-Global-Yield-LLC To begin, a joke: What do you call a bear with no teeth? Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 28/9/2020 (481 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Opinion To begin, a joke: What do you call a bear with no teeth? A gummy bear. Abigail Stewart offers up the gag after mentioning that her volunteer role at the Teddy Bears Picnic one year included making bear-themed wisecracks to the crowd. Its just one of the many volunteer roles the 14-year-old Transcona resident has filled for the Childrens Hospital Foundation, which organizes the fundraising picnic. Over the past seven years, Stewarts efforts have helped raise thousands of dollars for the foundation. But the reason she first got involved is no laughing matter. At the age of four, Abigail was diagnosed with multisystem Langerhans histiocytosis, a condition that caused her white blood cells to eat away at her bones. The illness acts like cancer, so doctors treated it like cancer. Abigail underwent chemotherapy and steroid treatment at the Childrens Hospital for a year. "I remember a lot of going back and forth to the hospital, and to CancerCare, but my memories arent very precise," says Abigail, who is now in remission. The experience left her with a desire to give back. In 2013, she got involved with Relay for Life, an annual fundraiser for the Canadian Cancer Society. Over the next four years, she raised more than $13,000. By 2018, Abigail was raising money for the Childrens Hospital Foundation. That was the same year the foundation named her its Manitoba Champion Child, a year-long ambassador role. In addition to representing the foundation at a number of fundraising galas, Abigail travelled to Ottawa with her family to meet other champions from across the country. That was followed by a trip to Orlando, Fla., where she met with champion children from across the U.S. and spent a few days at Disney World. "It was a lot of fun," Abigail says. "I loved meeting all the other champions." Last year, Abigail organized her biggest fundraiser yet a day-long bake sale held at St. Bartholomews Anglican Church. The sale raised more than $22,500 for the pediatric oncology unit that saved her life. "I was so happy that I could make a difference. I like knowing that I can help other people." Abigails philanthropic efforts have come from her own initiative, says her mother, Ashley Stewart. "If anything, Ive said Im not doing any more bake sales," Ashley says with a laugh. "But then last year, I still got sucked into another bake sale, because shes very much a go-getter. My husband and I have always said we cant say no when she wants to do something good." In November, Abigail will receive a Premiers Volunteer Service Award as part of the 37th annual Volunteer Awards, presented by Volunteer Manitoba and Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries. Additionally, the provincial chapter of the Association of Manitoba Fundraising Professionals is awarding Abigail with a 2020 Manitoba Philanthropy Award in recognition of the $75,000 shes raised over the years. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. "Im proud of her," Ashley says. "Im proud that shes the go-getter she is, to bring people together and raise money for kids that are like her and that have gone through what shes gone through." Abigail wasnt expecting the recognition. "I feel really honoured that they would think of me," she says. "When I started volunteering, I didnt really think about anything like that." If all goes according to plan, Abigail will be helping people for many years to come. "My dream is to become a doctor at the childrens hospital," she says. If you know a special volunteer, please contact aaron.epp@gmail.com. bvoip, the leading provider of integrated communications for MSPs, is pleased to announce that CRN, a brand of The Channel Company, has recognized Brian Freeh, Director of Partner Success, as one of the IT channels 100 People You Dont Know But Should for 2020. This annual list pays tribute to the below-the-radar best and brightest who power the channel every day. Based on feedback from leading solution providers and industry executives, the CRN editorial team uses the 100 People You Dont Know But Should list to draw attention to those outstanding channel players who may not be household names, but still work tirelessly to keep their partners thriving and the IT channel growing. As Partner Success Director, Brian's role with bvoip cover multiple bases: Leads our pre and post sales partner on-boarding efforts Responsible to make sure partners training needs are met both white glove and self managed Leads our documentation creation, knowledge base management, and best practices blueprinting Also works with key accounts to make sure they get additional assistance as needed. It's important to find fanatical people that are willing to go the extra mile so that our partner experience is exceptional, said George Bardissi, CEO at bvoip. Brian brings energy, willingness, and will power to work everyday. I can say without question that he has created great partner experiences, built strong relationships, and is an integral part to why bvoip is successful day in and day out. Managing a successful channel partner program today calls for a small army of people, but only a few Channel Chiefs tend to enjoy widespread recognition, said Blaine Raddon, CEO of The Channel Company. With the 100 People You Dont Know But Should, we are delighted to shine a spotlight on an exceptional group of unsung team members, giving them some of the acclaim they deserve for their indispensable contributions to channel success. The 100 People You Dont Know But Should will be featured in the October issue of CRN Magazine and can be found online at http://www.crn.com/100people. About bvoip bvoip (http://www.bvoip.com) helps IT and Managed Service Providers attack voice and unified communications worldwide. Having come out of the MSP space, bvoip designed its program to not only automate how MSPs interact with their existing systems and tools but to also assist MSPs with an offering to standardize their Unified Communications offering to their customers. bvoip is currently available in North America, Europe, and the Australian / New Zealand Regions. bvoip.com Follow bvoip: Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter About The Channel Company The Channel Company enables breakthrough IT channel performance with our dominant media, engaging events, expert consulting and education and innovative marketing services and platforms. As the channel catalyst, we connect and empower technology suppliers, solution providers and end users. Backed by more than 30 years of unequalled channel experience, we draw from our deep knowledge to envision innovative new solutions for ever-evolving challenges in the technology marketplace. thechannelcompany.com Follow The Channel Company: Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook 2020 The Channel Company, LLC. The Channel Company logo and CRN logo are registered trademarks of The Channel Company, LLC. All rights reserved. The Channel Company Contact: Jennifer Hogan The Channel Company jhogan@thechannelcompany.com bvoip Contact: Sade Mendez bvoip 215-402-7200 x675 smendez@bvoip.com Ministers have sought to head off a potentially damaging parliamentary defeat on coronavirus by dangling an offer of further scrutiny of the governments actions in front of Conservative rebels. The health secretary, Matt Hancock, also announced he planned to meet the leader of the rebels, Sir Graham Brady the chair of the powerful 1922 group of Tory MPs on his own partys benches. But there was frustration among Tory MPs as bans on loud music, singing and dancing, imposed as part of new emergency coronavirus rules, came into force just hours before Mr Hancock took to his feet in the Commons. The wide-ranging laws were revealed in legal documents and led to protests from Tory MPs that they had not been debated in parliament. Mr Hancock told the Commons: "I strongly agree with the need for us in this House to have the appropriate level of scrutiny. Weve already, as the prime minister set out last week, put in place further measures. The aim is to provide the House with the opportunity to scrutinise in advance through regular statements and debates, questioning the governments scientific advisers more regularly, which has already started, gaining access to local data and having the daily calls with ministers including the Paymaster General (Penny Mordaunt). He added: We're looking at further ways to ensure the House can be properly involved in the process in advance where possible. And I hope to provide the House with further details soon and I will take up the invitation to a further meeting with (Sir Graham), with whom I have already met to discuss this matter to see what further progress can be made and I hope that that, for the time being, satisfies my right honourable friend. In an angry speech the Tory MP for New Forest West, Sir Desmond Swayne, said recent measures taken by the government had left him wondering if the prime minister had been abducted by Dr Strangelove. He added that a presentation by the chief medical officer and the chief scientist last week, warning of the spread of the disease, was Project Fear and should have been a sacking offence. In the Lords, Tory former chancellor Lord Lamont warned repeated lockdowns were untenable because the economy would not survive. Restrictions introduced by ministers for good reasons were "destroying jobs and businesses", he said. In the same debate, Tory former health secretary Lord Lansley, said the Government's rule of six law, designed to cut the spread of Covid-19, was "not rational". He said: "It is rather absurd when you have ministers debating whether it should be a rule of six or rule of eight - I wonder why they didn't decide on a rule of seven." Tory MP Steve Baker later reported that rebel MPs had met with Mr Hancock and others and that the meeting had been cordial and constructive. Fighting between Muslim Azerbaijan and majority-Christian Armenia could embroil regional players such as Russia, which has a military alliance with Armenia, and Turkey, which backs Azerbaijan. Fierce fighting raged between Azerbaijani and Armenian forces on Monday sparking bellicose rhetoric from regional power Turkey despite international pleas for a halt in fighting between the long-time enemies. Yerevan and Baku have been locked in a territorial dispute over the ethnic Armenian region of Nagorny Karabakh for decades, with deadly fighting flaring up last July and in 2016. The region declared independence from Azerbaijan after a war in the early 1990s that claimed 30,000 lives but it is not recognised by any country -- including Armenia -- and is still considered part of Azerbaijan by the international community. On Monday evening, Azerbaijani forces launched a "massive offensive at the Karabakh frontline's southern and north-eastern sectors," said Armenia's defence ministry spokesman Artsrun Hovhannisyan. Fighting between Muslim Azerbaijan and majority-Christian Armenia could embroil regional players such as Russia, which has a military alliance with Armenia, and Turkey, which backs Azerbaijan. The office of Azerbaijan's prosecutor general said two more civilians were killed on Monday evening as Karabakh rebels shelled a village in Terter district. Karabakh's defence ministry said 27 fighters were killed on Monday, bringing their total military losses to 58. The overall death toll rose to 69 including 11 civilian deaths: nine in Azerbaijan and two on the Armenian side. Azerbaijan has not reported any military casualties, but Armenian separatist officials released footage showing burnt-out armoured vehicles and the bloodied and charred remains of soldiers in camouflage it said were Azerbaijani troops. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on Monday ordered partial military mobilisation and General Mais Barkhudarov vowed to "fight to the last drop of blood in order to completely destroy the enemy and win". With each side blaming the other for the flare-up, world leaders have urged calm as fears rise of a full-scale conflict. At the request of Germany and France, the UN Security Council was expected Tuesday to hold emergency talks on Karabakh behind closed doors, diplomats told AFP. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Russia was monitoring the situation closely and that the current priority was to "stop the hostilities, not to deal with who is right and who is wrong". But Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan demanded Armenia end its "occupation" of Karabakh. "The time has come for the crisis in the region that started with the occupation of Nagorny Karabakh to be put to an end," Erdogan said. "Now Azerbaijan must take matters into its own hands." Mercenaries From Syria Armenia has accused Turkey of meddling in the conflict and sending mercenaries to back Azerbaijan. Yerevan's ambassador to Russia, Vardan Toganyan, told RIA news agency Armenia will use Russian-supplied Iskander ballistic missile systems "in case Turkey uses F-16 fighter jets" against Armenian forces. A war monitor Monday said Turkey has sent at least 300 proxies from northern Syria to join Azerbaijani forces. Turkey informed the fighters they would be tasked with "guarding border regions" in Azerbaijan in return for wages of up to $2,000, said Rami Abdul Rahman, the head of the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The report comes after the European Union warned regional powers not to interfere in the fighting and condemned a "serious escalation" that threatens regional stability. In addition to the EU and Russia, France, Germany, Italy and the United States have urged a ceasefire. Armenian defence ministry spokeswoman Shushan Stepanyan said heavy fighting had continued early Monday and Armenian separatist forces had won back positions taken Sunday by Azerbaijan. But Baku claimed further advances. Azerbaijani forces "are striking enemy positions... and have taken several strategic positions around the village of Talysh", the defence ministry said. "The enemy is retreating," it added. Armenian military officials said Azerbaijani forces were continuing to attack rebel positions using heavy artillery, while Azerbaijan's defence ministry accused separatist forces of shelling civilian targets in the town of Terter. 'We Are Not Afraid Of War' Baku claimed to have killed 550 separatist troops, a report denied by Armenia. The escalation has stirred an outpouring of patriotic fervour in both countries. "We have been waiting for this day for so long. The fighting must not stop until we force Armenia to return our lands," Vidadi Alekperov, a 39-year-old waiter in Baku, told AFP. "I'll happily go to the battlefield." In Yerevan, 67-year-old Vardan Harutyunyan said Armenia had been anticipating the attack. "The (Karabakh) question can only be resolved militarily. We are not afraid of a war," he said. Armenia and Karabakh declared martial law and military mobilisation Sunday, while Azerbaijan imposed military rule and a curfew in large cities. Talks to resolve the conflict -- one of the worst to emerge from the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union -- have largely stalled since a 1994 ceasefire agreement. Analysts told AFP that international brokers needed to step up efforts to prevent an even worse escalation. France, Russia and the United States have mediated peace efforts as the "Minsk Group" but the last big push for a peace deal collapsed in 2010. Search Keywords: Short link: A primary school in Bangor has become the first in Northern Ireland to close as a result of positive Covid-19 cases. St Comgall's Primary School has closed its doors after two positive cases of the virus were identified. The school told parents that the decision had been approved "at a higher level". The BBC has reported Principal Cathy Hunter said she had been left with "no other option", but there was "no need to panic". Pupils from two classes have been asked to self-isolate as a result of the outbreak. In a latter to parents Mrs Hunter said the closure was to "protect the health and safety of the whole school community". St Comgall's intends to reopen on October 12. Education Minister Peter Weir told the BBC that whole schools would not be expected to close "in the vast majority of cases". "It shouldn't be a whole school or for a very lengthy period," he said. "The advice that is given is that where there is someone who has tested positive, the school is to draw up a list of close contacts - those who have been within 2m for 15 minutes or more - and for those individuals, in correspondence with the Public Health Agency, to self-isolate." It comes after a further 220 cases of Covid-19 have been confirmed in the last 24 hours in Northern Ireland, the Department of Health has said. It brings to 10,949 the total number of people who have tested positive with the virus to date here. A total of 1,513 people have tested positive in the last week, including 355 in Derry City and Strabane alone, second only to Belfast with 390 cases over the past seven days. No further deaths were confirmed, with the total remaining at 578. There are 51 patients with the virus in Northern Ireland hospitals, with six in intensive care units. Meanwhile, there are currently 28 outbreaks in care homes - with 202 closed outbreaks so far. Read More A number of students in Queen's University halls of residence in Belfast have been told to self-isolate after testing positive for Covid-19. A spokesperson for the university confirmed on Monday morning that a "small number" of students had tested positive for the virus. "Robust protocols" are also in place to minimise the risk of the virus spreading, the spokesperson added. Read More Check out our blog below to see how Monday's development's unfolded: CANBERRA, Australia (AP) Cardinal George Pell, Pope Francis' former finance minister, will soon return to the Vatican during an extraordinary economic scandal for the first time since he was cleared of child abuse allegations in Australia five months ago, a church agency said Monday. Pell will fly back to Rome on Tuesday, CathNews, an information agency of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference said, citing sources close to Pell. Pells return follows Francis last week firing one of the cardinals most powerful opponents, Cardinal Angelo Becciu, over a financial scandal. Pell was regarded as the third highest-ranking Vatican official and was attempting to wrestle the Holy Sees opaque finances into order when he returned to his native Australia in 2017 to clear himself of decades-old allegations of child sex abuse. Instead, Pell became the most senior Catholic to be convicted of child sex abuse crimes. He served 13 months in prison before Australias High Court acquitted him in April of molesting two choir boys in the late 1990s when he was archbishop of Melbourne. In his first television interview after his release, Pell linked his fight against Vatican corruption with his prosecution in Australia. The interview was conducted in April by Herald-Sun newspaper columnist Andrew Bolt, a vocal champion of the cardinal who reported the news early Monday of his return to the Vatican. The Sydney Archdiocese did not respond to a request for comment on Pells travel plans, and a woman who answered the phone at the Sydney seminary where Pell lives told The Associated Press: We have no comment. In the interview, Pell said he did not have evidence of a link. But he suspected that a man who swore he had been sexually abused by Pell as a 13-year-old choirboy had been used. Pell again seemed to hint at a link in a statement last week in which he thanked and congratulated Francis for firing Becciu. I hope the cleaning of the stables continues in both the Vatican and Victoria, Pell said, referring to his home state of Victoria where he was convicted. Pell, 79, said in April he planned to return to Rome when the coronavirus pandemic allowed him to pack up his apartment. But he intended to make Sydney his home. Becciu said he was fired after Francis told him that documents from the Italian financial police alleged the 72-year-old cardinal had embezzled 100,000 euros ($116,200). Becciu, the former No. 2 in the Vaticans secretariat of state, denied any wrongdoing. Beccius name had previously been caught up in a whirlwind financial scandal involving the Holy Sees investment in a London real estate venture. But Becciu said that investment wasnt raised in his conversation on Thursday with Francis. An illustration of a large-shadowed figure wearing a cowboy hat and a University of Texas logo stands in the way of a group of people. The fourth phase of coronavirus COVID-19 lockdown relaxations is set to end on September 30 and Unlock 5.0 will begin from October 1. It is to be noted that the Centre is yet to announce any guideline for Unlock 5.0 but it is expected that many new relaxations will be given in the next phase of unlock. In the recent meeting with chief ministers of the seven worst-affected states, Prime Minister Narendra Modi told the CMs that steps must be taken to implement the idea of micro-containment zones. The prime minister also advised the chief ministers of these states, which included Delhi too, to refrain from imposing lockdowns and curfews for one or two days a week. As India is set to enter the festive season, speculations are rife that Centre would announce a series of relaxations and open up more activities for the public. Notably, while issuing the guidelines for Unlock 4, the Ministry of Home Affairs had specified that individual states cannot impose lockdowns on their own without consulting the Centre. Heres what all we can expect for Unlock 5.0: Economic activities While the MHA had allowed the resumption of activities at restaurants, malls, salons and gyms, it is expected that more economic activities would be allowed from October with physical distancing. PM Modi has also urged states to reassess containments and lockdowns in a way that curbs COVID spread. Because of this, economic activity should not face problems We have to increase our focus on effective testing, treating and surveillance, and clear messaging, he said. Live TV Cinema Halls Speculations are rife that the Centre would allow the reopening of cinema halls from October 1. In August, Information and Broadcasting Ministry Secretary Amit Khare had suggested the MHA a sitting arrangement formula for movie theatres. Khare had suggested that alternate seats in the first and next rows will be kept vacant to maintain social distancing. West Bengal recently announced that cinema halls will be allowed to resume their activities from October 1, with 50 participants or less. Tourism The tourism sector, which is one of the worst-hit sector due to COVID-19 pandemic, may witness recovery in October as tourist destinations are finally opening their doors to travellers. Few days ago, Uttarakhand government allowed tourist entry to the state without any negative report or institutional quarantine rules. Academics On September 21, several schools across the country resumed their activities for students of Class 9-12 and the same is likely to continue for the next month. It is expected that primary classes would remain closed for few more weeks. Universities and colleges have already started taking admission tests and the new academic year is all set to start via online classes. The law requires inmates to be asked how they identify, then they must be housed accordingly. Governor Gavin Newsom signed a law on Saturday that will require California prisons to house transgender inmates according to their gender identity. The law requires officers to privately ask inmates if they identify as transgender, nonbinary or intersex. They must then be housed in the appropriate facility, and officers must refer to transgender inmates by their chosen pronouns. Other legislation California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed requires better tracking of how diseases affect the LGBT community by public health officers, bans life and disability insurance companies from denying someone coverage solely because they have HIV. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images) The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation cannot deny those requests, the law says, solely because of inmates anatomy, sexual orientation or a factor present among other inmates at the facility. It does note that management at a facility can deny the requests if there is a security risk; however, the inmate must be allowed to object to that decision. Similar laws have been passed in Rhode Island, New York City and Massachusetts. Read More: Black LGBTQ community hit hard by virus economic impact Democratic state Senator Scott Wiener authored the bill and maintains that there is a false narrative about transgender people and about transgender women in particular that theyre somehow not really women and are just trying to scam their way into womens bathrooms or facilities in order to do bad things. He noted that overwhelmingly, trans people are victims of assaults in prisons. It means a lot to me and my sisters, said Michelle Calvin, a transgender woman incarcerated at Mule Creek State Prison, who recently called in to a news conference about the bill. Ive been in for 15 years. Ive been through the abuse, Ive been through the disrespect of staff not addressing me for who I am because I am a woman. Read More: Supreme Court rules LGBT workers protected from job discrimination It was one of several LGBT-related laws that Newsom signed this weekend. Other newly-signed legislation requires better tracking of how diseases affect the LGBT community by public health officers, bans life and disability insurance companies from denying someone coverage solely because they have HIV and creates a Transgender Wellness and Equity Fund to provide grants to organizations that support the trans community. Have you subscribed to theGrios Dear Culture podcast? Download our newest episodes now! The post California governor signs law requiring trans inmates to be housed by gender identity appeared first on TheGrio. By Express News Service THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Relatives of a senior citizen who was undergoing treatment at the Government Medical College Hospital (GMCH), Thiruvananthapuram, for COVID-19 were shocked to find maggots wriggling in his wounds when they brought him home after he was discharged. "My father, Anilkumar, was admitted to the GMCH on August 21 after he suffered a fall. As his condition was serious, he was shifted to the ICU. His first COVID-19 test was negative. But after some staff with the ICU tested positive, he was tested again and was confirmed to have the virus," said his son Abhilash. He further added, "After this, the hospital authorities asked us to go into quarantine. When we inquired with them about our father's condition, they assured us that he is being taken care of well. The other day, they informed us that his condition was stable and they are going to discharge him." Abhilash said they found maggots in his wounds when he returned home and also alleged that the hospital authorities didn't take any efforts to change his diaper. "We raised a complaint with health minister KK Shailaja on Sunday. We will also file a complaint with the police and the State Human Rights Commission," said Abhilash. Meanwhile, the health department said what happened was deplorable and directed the District Medical Officer to look into the complaint. The DMO who is said to have called the family also sent a nurse from the Primary Health Centre, Kulasekharam, to take care of the patient. The DMO is also learnt to have assigned a palliative care unit to attend to the patient daily. Harris County District Judge Steven Kirkland has ordered Houston Community College to fulfill the long-delayed public information requests related to a $100 million racial discrimination lawsuit. Kirkland said HCC has responded neither to Hall Law Groups requests for records on April 13, May 18 and Aug. 19, nor the requests of at least two other parties, including consulting firm Dolcefino Consulting and Texas resident Scott Laha. Hall Law Group, headed by attorney Ben Hall, has requested the records in relation to Halls client, plaintiff and former HCC employee Zelia Brown, and hundreds of other Black employees who, according to court records, allege to have been discriminated against while working for the community college system. The court finds that HCCs purported justifications for not responding in any manner to these requests are not tenable and that the failure to respond is effectively a refusal to respond, Kirkland wrote in the order, filed Thursday. Additionally, Kirkland said most of HCCs requests for clarifications regarding the Hall Law Groups records requests were unreasonable and that the college has still not provided opinions from Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who can weigh in on what requested information can and should legally be provided. Without Paxtons opinion or further information or hearings, Kirkland said he cannot rule on some of the records requests. On HoustonChronicle.com: Judge calls HCCs delay in responding to records requests untenable Kirkland also denied HCCs plea to jurisdiction, which calls for the court to dismiss information that a party deems irrelevant or lacking in subject matter. The judge urged both HCC and the Hall Group to work together on providing each other necessary information to further the case, but to return to court when complete if the parties are unable to reach agreement on the issue. HCC attorney Paul Lamp filed for an appeal to the courts order Monday. An HCC spokesman said in an emailed statement to the Houston Chronicle that the college closed its administrative offices in mid-March to safeguard its employees, students and visitors from COVID-19 and said the attorney general issued guidance to governmental entities across the state providing that they are not required to process public information requests while their administrative offices are closed due to COVID-19. While HCC has appealed the courts decision to the Houston Court of Appeals, after months of planning to partially reopen with safety as our priority, the college resumed processing public information requests on September 28, the spokesman wrote. The suit, filed on behalf of hundreds of current and former Black employees at the college, is against HCC Chancellor Cesar Maldonado, HR director Janet May and board of trustees member Adriana Tamez. Browns attorneys, including Hall, claim that Maldonado used a list of tactics to undermine and get rid of Black employees and relied on May to handle displacements. brittany.britto@chron.com California residents have gotten used to a dusting of ash covering their yards and cars this summer, but the fallout from the wildfires that exploded in the North Bay on Sunday has led to residents reporting larger, chunkier lumps of ash and debris dropping from the smoky sky. This tweet from the Wall Street Journal's Erin Ailworth shows a lump of ash as big as a human head picked up in Santa Rosa, close to the Glass Fire that is currently burning 11,000 acres and at 0% containment per Cal Fire. Alongside it, a photo shows an apocalyptic orange sky dense with large ash flakes. Santa Rosa resident SFGiantsmeag noticed that among the ash were burned leaves on Monday morning. Similarly, another person reported that hundreds of burned bay leaves were found in their yard in Sebastopol. The high winds and proximity of the fire to residential streets has likely increased sightings of fallen ash. This video shows large pieces of ash falling like snow in Santa Rosa on Sunday night. San Francisco Chronicle's Demian Bulwa shared an image sent in of a gnarly chunk of ash from the Shady Fire (now being officially referred to as part of the Glass Fire per Cal Fire). This image shared on Twitter on Monday shows large flakes of ash in Larkfield-Wikiup in Sonoma County. Another user shared a photo of their sleeping dog dusted in ash from the Glass Fire. Twitter user Rapieress in Santa Rosa wrote that "the size and amount of ash at sunrise is daunting," alongside a photo of a large, charred piece of fallen debris. Bay Area meteorologist Rob Mayeda confirmed that extensive ash falling from fires is approaching Santa Rosa from the east, as hot, dry, breezy conditions continue. Twitter user Agentdero shared images of ash fallen on their car, and said in another tweet that "the street is covered in more ash than I have ever seen." Another Twitter user shared an image of a car covered in dark ash. Potassium and calcium in soot and ash, when left to dampen overnight, can damage paint work and corrode a car's finish. For advice on how to stop this from happening see our explainer here. Cal Fire was not certain what caused the unusually large ash today, but we will update the story when more information becomes available. Find wildfire updates on the Cal Fire incident map. MORE WILDFIRE COVERAGE: North Bay wildfires explode into 11,000-acre monster devouring homes Wildfire smoke returns to Bay Area as North Bay fires rage Map: See where wildfires are burning in the North Bay Nearly 200,000 Californians in the dark amid more wildfires Cannabis crop is going up in smoke amid Calif. wildfires Andrew Chamings is an editor at SFGATE. Email: Andrew.Chamings@sfgate.com | Twitter: @AndrewChamings Who is Firhad Hakim? Know Kolkata's New Mayor Age, Education, Family and Other Details Centre accountable to people, shocking it said no data was available in Parliament: Mamata Banerjee India oi-Ajay Joseph Raj P Kolkata, Sep 28: Asserting that every citizen has the right to information, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday hit out at the central government for not providing answers to "most questions" during the recent Parliament session. Taking to Twitter, Banerjee, on the occasion of International Day for Universal Access to Information, said that the government is "answerable and accountable to people". "Today is International Day for Universal Access to Information. It is shocking how GOI got exposed during the recent Parliament session. "Most answers said 'no data available'. Every citizen has a right to information. The government is answerable and accountable to the people," the chief minister tweeted. Loan moratorium: SC gives Centre one week on new plan The Union government, during the monsoon session of Parliament earlier in the month, said many states and Union Territories have not provided details of farmer suicides and hence the national data on the causes of suicide in the farming sector is "untenable". Amrinder Singh joins farmers' protest, says 'Pakistan's ISI may take advantage' | Oneindia News The Centre also said that it had no data regarding the number of migrants who died or were injured during migration to their native places due to the lockdown. The 74th UN General Assembly, on October 15 last year, proclaimed September 28 as the International Day for Universal Access to Information. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, September 28, 2020, 15:36 [IST] KYODO NEWS - Sep 29, 2020 - 01:43 | Coronavirus, All, Japan TOKYO - The Japanese government is considering holding ceremonies to celebrate Crown Prince Fumihito's ascent to first in line to the Chrysanthemum Throne possibly in mid-November, an official said Monday. The "Rikkoshi no rei" ceremonies, originally scheduled for April, have been postponed due to the outbreak of the novel coronavirus. The ceremonies are intended to proclaim the 54-year-old crown prince's new status, which he acquired after his brother, Emperor Naruhito, ascended the throne in May last year. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the government will make a final decision on a possible autumn staging of the ceremonies after assessing the spread of infections following the recent four-day holiday weekend this month. If the government concludes it is possible to adopt the new schedule, it will convene a panel to determine the specific date, the official said. It is expected that preparations for the proclamation ceremonies will take at least a month after the scheduling is confirmed. Two events -- the "Rikkoshi Senmei no gi" ceremony to proclaim Crown Prince Fumihito's new status and the "Choken no gi" ceremony in which he will meet with the emperor and empress following the proclamation -- had been planned for April 19. After the coronavirus began to spread in Japan, the government initially planned to reduce the number of guests at the ceremonies to about 50 from 350. But it eventually decided to reschedule them. Since mid-August, the number of new cases of the coronavirus has been on a downward trend in Japan and the government has gradually relaxed a range of restrictions. Following the proclamation ceremonies, the government is likely to start full-fledged discussions on how to ensure stable imperial succession. The size of Japan's imperial family has been decreasing under the 1947 Imperial House Law that states only males in the paternal line can ascend the Chrysanthemum Throne. Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako have one daughter, Princess Aiko, 18. The emperor's enthronement in May left three heirs to the throne -- the crown prince, the crown prince's son Prince Hisahito, 13, and Prince Hitachi, 84, the uncle of the emperor. The current law stipulates female members of the imperial family have to abandon their imperial status after they marry commoners. Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, while still serving in his previous role as chief Cabinet secretary, told a parliamentary panel in February that the government plans to launch a full debate on the matter after the proclamation ceremonies. A Minnesota elementary school teacher has been accused of physically assaulting three black students in her second-grade class and segregating them from their white peers. The alleged abuse by Geraldine Cook, a now-former teacher at Harambee Elementary School in Roseville, was outlined in a federal civil rights lawsuit filed by parent Kristen Lindsey in the US District Court in St Paul last week. Lindsey claims that Cook, who is white, choked her seven-year-old son, who is black and has learning disabilities, and left him so traumatized that he had to transfer out of the school district. The mother further alleged that the principal of Harambee tried to hide the assault from her for weeks until the boy told her himself. Her lawsuit asserts that Cook also assaulted two other black students in the 2019-20 school year - and that at one point the teacher forced her son to put his hands behind his back as if he was under arrest. Geraldine Cook, a teacher at Harambee Elementary School (pictured) in Roseville, Minnesota, has been accused of physically assaulting three black students in her second-grade class and segregating them from their white peers State records reviewed by the Star Tribune showed that Cook's teaching license, which she first obtained in 1988, is no longer valid. A spokesman for Roseville public schools, Joshua Collins, told the outlet that Cook joined the district - which is also named as a defendant in Lindsey's suit - in August 2013 and resigned in December 2019. Collins declined to comment on the lawsuit allegations against Cook but said: 'The safety and well-being of our students is our most important obligation, and we take any complaint of harm against a student seriously.' The lawsuit alleges that Harambee Principal Delon Smith (pictured) was aware of Cook's alleged abuse but did nothing to stop it Lindsey's lawsuit outlines how she came to know Cook while working as a volunteer at Harambee, describing the teacher as 'overwhelmed and erratic', particularly in interactions with black students in her class. The mother alleged that Cook once told her she was struggling with 'that particular group of students' as she gestured toward six or so black children who had been forced to sit away from their white classmates. Lindsey voiced concerns about Cook to Principal Delon Smith after that encounter, but he never did anything in response, the suit claims. About a month into the 2019 fall semester, Cook allegedly left Lindsey a voicemail in which she complained that her son was speaking to adults in an inappropriate manner, and asked if the boy was allowed to misbehave at home. When Lindsey met with Cook to address her concerns about the boy, Cook repeated her gripes about black students misbehaving, the suit claims. Soon after that, Lindsey claimed her son came home from school with a tear in his shirt. The boy told her that his teacher had ripped it while pulling on his arm. Days later another black child accused Cook of assaulting him, the suit claims. It quotes that child as saying that his teacher 'doesn't like black kids' and that Cook had pushed, shoved and 'smooshed the faces' of black students in her class. Lindsey's lawsuit alleges that at least six of her son's classmates told the Principal Smith that they saw Cook choke him. When the boy brought the claim himself, Smith allegedly told him not to tell his mother. Cook allegedly retaliated against the boy and his classmates for going to the principal, at one point marching him to the principal office 'while forcing him to hold his hands behind his back like a criminal defendant', the suit states. Lindsey said she started noticing changes in her son's behavior around the time of the alleged assault and had him undergo a psychological evaluation which revealed signs of recent trauma. The mother said her son finally told her about the choking incident after informing her that Cook was no longer his teacher. The boy's uncle, Ronald Lindsey, brought up the alleged abuse at a Roseville school board meeting about a month before the teacher's resignation (pictured) The boy's uncle, Ronald Lindsey, brought up the alleged abuse at a Roseville school board meeting about a month before the teacher's resignation. Video showed the uncle demanding an investigation into the 'assault and/or assaults being inflicted by staff upon minor children and the attempted coverup of these documented facts, not allegations'. Rachel Lindsey's lawsuit seeks monetary compensation for the violation of her and her son's civil rights. It alleges that the school district prevented her from providing her son with the care he needed by failing to tell her about the alleged choking incident and other alleged abuses in Cook's classroom. One of Lindsey's attorneys, Joshua Newville, told the Star Tribune that 'there has been some pre-litigation discussions with the School District, but not anything I'm prepared to talk about'. The outlet said Cook did not return its requests for comment on Monday. Prime Minister Boris Johnson as a 'Spitting Image' puppet. (Avalon/BritBox) Spitting Image creator Roger Law has insisted the show's revival will ridicule political figures from both the right and left. It comes as Conservative politicians have featured heavily in previews of the satirical puppets, including in the recently launched trailer. However, Law insists people on both sides of the political spectrum will be lampooned and that it would be "no fun" in just sticking it to the right. Read more: Prince Charles and Camilla among new Spitting Image puppets "Theres lots of ammunition to throw at the other side as well. You go for them all," he explained on The Andrew Marr Show. A satirical Margaret Thatcher Spitting Image puppet by Fluck and Law wears a blue Conservative rosette and For Hire sticker. (Photo by In Pictures Ltd./Corbis via Getty Images) The show began in 1984 while Margaret Thatcher was Prime Minister, with her and her Cabinet being routinely mocked via their puppet alter egos. However, Law thinks there was a predictability to her actions compared with the current Conservative government. When we started Spitting Image, everything was in turmoil. There were riots in the streets and of course you had Thatcher. You start looking on Thatcher with nostalgia because at least you knew what she was about and what she was going to do, if you thought about it. Boris and the boys, youve got no idea, and the ideology is absolutely nuts, Law said. Dominic Cummings is portrayed as a scheming villain by 'Spitting Image' puppet creators. (Avalon/BritBox) The original series took aim at Thatcher's Opposition, including Labour politicians Neil Kinnock, Tony Benn and Michael Foot. Read more: More Spitting Image puppets unveiled Overseas political figures Donald Trump, Bernie Sanders and Vladimir Putin will be parodied in the reboot alongside stars such as RuPaul, Kim Kardashian, Elon Musk and Adele. New episodes of the series are set to land on streaming service BritBox on Saturday 3 October. Watch: Boris Johnson and Donald Trump star in the Spitting Image trailer MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., Sept. 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- El Camino Health has partnered with four North Santa Clara County school districts to provide teachers and staff with no-cost COVID-19 testing to help prepare for the safe reopening of schools and in-person learning. Testing is offered through a partnership with El Camino Health and El Camino Healthcare District and is being made available to Los Altos, Mountain View Whisman, Sunnyvale and Mountain View Los Altos Union High school districts. "El Camino Health and El Camino Healthcare District are deeply committed to the health and safety of our community," said Dan Woods, chief executive officer of El Camino Health. "These testing services build upon our longstanding partnerships with these school districts supporting other health initiatives, including school nurse programs and mental wellness counseling. By meeting educators where they are, we can do our part to make COVID-19 testing as easy and accessible as possible." Nearly 400 COVID-19 tests have been performed since testing began in late August. Testing is taking place at predetermined pop-up sites for each school district on a rotating basis and is reserved for school teachers and school district staff members. "We have to keep our teachers healthy," said Jeffrey Baier, superintendent of the Los Altos School District. "This partnership has allowed us to deliver a critical service onsite so our staff can get tested quickly and conveniently." School districts require all staff members to get tested regularly as a means to help them protect their health, as well as the health of their colleagues. These proactive screenings are also key to safely reopening schools. "Our teachers and staff have been working tirelessly to adapt to our new normal and prepare for this school year," said Tara Vikjord, interim chief human relations officer of Mountain View Whisman School District. "We are grateful we can give them additional support in taking care of their health." "This free testing program is a vital resource to help give our teachers and staff more peace of mind as they stay focused on supporting the needs of our students," said Sunnyvale School District Superintendent Michael Gallagher. Funding for these COVID-19 test sites has been made possible by the El Camino Healthcare District, which aims to test as many people within the district as possible to support the Santa Clara County Public Health Department's initiative to slow the spread of the virus. About El Camino Health El Camino Health provides a personalized healthcare experience at two non-profit acute care hospitals in Los Gatos and Mountain View and at primary care, multi-specialty care, and urgent care locations across Santa Clara County. For nearly sixty years, the organization has grown to meet the needs of individuals and communities it serves. Bringing together the best in new technology and advanced medicine, the network of nationally recognized physicians and care teams deliver high-quality, compassionate care. Key medical specialties include heart and vascular, cancer and lifestyle medicine. The hospitals have earned numerous awards for clinical excellence, such as a 5-Star Overall Hospital Quality Rating from Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), and nursing care, including three consecutive American Nurses Credentialing Center Magnet Recognitions for Nursing Care. Visit elcaminohealth.org to learn more. Media Contact Christopher Brown, director of communications, El Camino Health [email protected] 650-694-3891 SOURCE El Camino Health Related Links https://www.elcaminohealth.org Babil Khan, son of late actor Irrfan Khan wrote an emotional note on Instagram, remembering his father. He said that he would always keep searching for him and try to feel his presence. He also talked about the current events happening in the country and said he missed India. Taking to Instagram, he wrote, Im working Baba. You pushed through demons, up in your feelings, no one gets it, no? Id give every cell in my presence to remember your skin, My spinal cord will rotate and my soul can implode, in a search to feel you close, I wish I would have known how it feels to end, so I can begin. Why are you surprised? Its the job of the Politician to choose to lie, and when Im bleeding, I know, sleep is just death being shy. I pray for you, our farmers, in our self-illusiveness we thought we were better, I hope we can surrender. I hope we find a way. I miss you India. (No political comments please, this is not a political expression), he added. He had recently posted a precious picture with his father from his childhood. He wrote, I slept for 14 hours and I didnt want to wake up cause I was dreaming about you. Waking up is the worst, I hate realising everyday that youre gone. You didnt say anything, we just laughed. (Hes playing the OG bounce)." Babil is currently in London where he is attending a film school. Irrfan Khan passed away on April 29, 2020 after a two year-long battle with cancer. A pilot walks by United Airlines planes as they sit parked at gates at San Francisco International Airport on April 12, 2020 in San Francisco, California. United Airlines' pilots approved a plan to avoid furloughs until at least June 2021, the company said Monday, marking the latest cost-cutting deal between an airline and one of its biggest labor groups during the coronavirus pandemic. The Chicago-based carrier earlier this month said it planned to furlough 2,850 pilots, starting Oct. 1, when $25 billion in federal aid that protects airline sector jobs expires. Another 1,000 furloughs were planned for next year. It later reached a preliminary agreement with the pilots' union to reduce minimum hours, essentially spreading schedules out among pilots, and maintain pay rates, which was later approved by union members. The airline is still planning to cut roughly 13,000 jobs beginning next month. American Airlines is planning to slash about 19,000 jobs. Tens of thousands of other employees across all U.S. airlines have accepted carriers' offers of buyouts or leaves of absence aimed at reducing head count. Airlines are hesitant to furlough pilots because their training is costly and time-consuming. The deal will keep pilots on the aircraft they're trained on. While United CEO Scott Kirby has said he doesn't expect demand to return to more than half of 2019 levels without a vaccine, he has emphasized that the carrier should be ready to take advantage of a recovery. "While we still face a difficult path to recovery, your support of this creative and unique agreement puts us in an unparalleled position of strength when demand recovers," United's senior vice president of flight operations, Bryan Quigley, wrote in a staff note Monday. "In addition to avoiding furloughs, this agreement greatly enhances our ability to bounce back so we can welcome more passengers and return to the 2019 levels of seat and fleet advancement more quickly." The deal won 58% approval from United's roughly 12,000 pilots, will make deeper cuts to minimum hours of pilots who are more junior. Advertisement The grieving ex-husband of Naya Rivera has found solace in a friendship with the tragic Glee star's lookalike younger sister. Actor Ryan Dorsey, 37, and 25-year old model Nickayla Rivera have been inseparable since 33-year-old Naya drowned while boating with her five-year-old son Josey on California's Lake Piru in July. Ryan and Nickayla have now moved into a three-bedroom rented house together where they are caring for Josey, who turned five last week, with the help of Dorsey's parents. The pair are spending every spare minute of their time together, as seen in exclusive DailyMail.com photos. Both Ryan and Nickayla, a stunning 5ft 11in fashion model and social influencer who bears a striking resemblance to her actress sister, posted emotional tributes to Naya on social media after her shocking death. Since the tragedy, they have been leaning heavily on each other for support and comfort. Naya Rivera's ex-husband Ryan Dorsey has been spending a lot of time with the late actress' 25-year-old model sister Nickayla Rivera since the the Glee star's death in July, as seen in exclusive DailyMail.com photos The pair were seen holding hands as they shopped in a local Target store and went down the escalator on September 19 They have been inseparable since 33-year-old Naya drowned while boating with her five-year-old son Josey on California's Lake Piru and were spotted together multiple times this month Nickayla is pictured in a previous Instagram post with Naya, who is eight years her senior. Naya and Ryan welcomed their son Josey in 2015 and divorced in 2018 The pair have moved in together to this rented home about 30 minutes away from Ryan's previous home in Los Angeles' San Fernando Valley On September 6, Nickayla was seen helping Ryan begin moving his belongings from his previous home in North Hills, in L.A.'s San Fernando Valley, to a new rented home where the pair are both living 30 minutes away. At one point, Ryan stripped off his black t-shirt in the sweltering heat to reveal his ripped torso, while Nickayla showed off her stunning physique in black sweat pants and a black New York motif crop top. She wore her long dark hair in a tight bun. Two days later, the pair spent two hours loading his furniture from his old home into a rented yellow moving truck, which Ryan drove to the new house, which has a pool and costs nearly $5,000-a-month to rent. Nickayla, wearing black sweat pants and a tiny white crop top, followed in Ryan's black Chevrolet Tahoe. September 6 On September 6, Nickayla was seen helping Ryan begin moving his belongings from his previous home in North Hills, in LA's San Fernando Valley, to a new rented home at which the pair are both living 30 minutes away The pair were seen in Ryan's black Chevrolet Tahoe as they headed to Ryan's home to help him move out and into the rental home they share 30 minutes away At one point, Ryan stripped off his black t-shirt in the sweltering heat to reveal his ripped torso as he wore a bandana around his neck, a black cap and Nike sneakers Nickayla showed off her stunning physique in black sweatpants and a black New York motif crop top. She wore her long dark hair in a tight bun Ryan was seen lifting a rolled up rug as he began moving his belongings out of his home on September 6 and into the new home where he'll raise his son Josey with the help of Nickayla and his parents Ryan flashed a quick smile as he got into his black SUV. Since the tragedy, he and Nickayla have been leaning heavily on each other for support and comfort Nickayla, who stands at 5ft 11in, was seen walking with her purse into Ryan's home to help move him out The following day on September 9, the pair were seen helping each other with yard work and chatting happily. Nickayla wore jeans and a white top tied to expose her taut midriff while Ryan wore green shorts and t-shirts. Josey was playing in the yard while the pair kept a protective eye on him. It seems whenever the pair has been spotted of late, they are always together. It appears they barely leave home without each other for company. On September 19, the pair playfully held hands as they shopped in a local Target store. Ryan pushed the shopping cart and Nickayla jokingly pushed him away with her shoulder as they perused the aisles while animatedly laughing and chatting. 'They seem really comfortable together and are obviously helping each other through a very difficult period in both their lives,' said an eye witness who spotted the pair in Target. 'They were fooling around and chatting the whole time. They're obviously helping lift each other's spirits.' September 8 On September 8, the pair spent two hours loading Ryan's furniture from his old home into a rented yellow moving truck. They were spotted by DailyMail.com chatting Ryan drove the large rental truck to the new house, which has a pool and costs nearly $5,000-a-month to rent. It seems whenever the pair have been spotted as of late, they are always together Stunning Nickayla, wearing black sweatpants and a tiny white crop top, followed in Ryan's black Chevrolet Tahoe after he packed up the truck. Ryan wore a graphic t-shirt with a message to vote Ryan hopped into the oversize moving truck to drive it 30 minutes to the new home the pair are sharing with his son Josey 'I can't believe this is life now. I don't know if I'll ever believe it. You were just here,' Ryan said in a heartbreaking Instagram post after the death of Naya Naya was reported missing on July 8 after Josey was found drifting and asleep in a rented pontoon boat. Her lifeless body was found floating in the lake, known for rip currents and having cold, deep water, five days after she disappeared. The sheriff reported that she was most likely trapped in vegetation underwater. Her death was officially ruled an accidental drowning. Josey told police that he and his mother went swimming, and that while she was able to push him back up on the deck of the boat, she never resurfaced. September 9 On September 9, the pair were seen helping each other with yard work and chatting happily. It appears they barely leave home without each other for company Nickayla wore jeans and a white cropped hoodie to expose her taut midriff while Ryan wore green shorts and t-shirt with sneakers Dorsey posted a heartbreaking tribute to his ex-wife on Instagram after her body was recovered. 'This is so unfair...there's not enough words to express the hole left in everyone's hearts,' he wrote Nickayla changed out of her jeans and kept it casual in shorts and a cropped sweatshirt as she carried a small dog from the property In the sweltering Southern California heat, Nickayla took off her sweatshirt to reveal her toned physique in a black tank top as she carried her purse alongside Ryan Nickayla posted a tribute to her older saying after her death, saying: 'Side by side or miles apart, our connection is infinite. Our bond is unbreakable. We were complete opposites, yet simultaneously the same. The yin to my yang. I never knew that by losing you, I would find so much of you in myself' Nickayla was seen juggling multiple reusable shopping bags from Marshalls and TJ Maxx with her hair up in a messy bun Ryan waived from his property as his son Josey (not pictured) played in the front yard under a protective eye Dorsey later posted a heartbreaking tribute to the actress on Instagram. 'This is so unfair...there's not enough words to express the hole left in everyone's hearts,' he wrote. 'I can't believe this is life now. I don't know if I'll ever believe it. You were just here.' He added: 'Life is all about good times and bad times but with Josey it makes the bad a little less so because a part of you will always be with us. He'll never forget where he came from. We miss you. We will always love you.' Nickayla also posted a tribute to her older saying, saying: 'Side by side or miles apart, our connection is infinite. Our bond is unbreakable. We were complete opposites, yet simultaneously the same. The yin to my yang. I never knew that by losing you, I would find so much of you in myself.' She added: I've never known a life without you in it & still can't imagine it. My world is turned upside down. But through it all, everything we were, we are still. I'll always look at you with the same eyes as I did when I was young. My shmaya, I'll love you for eternity & miss you every second of my life.' September 13 On September 13, Nickayla wore burgundy sweat pants and a white t-shirt, with her long hair in a ponytail, as she and Ryan went shopping Ryan wore his signature pirate motif neck scarf over his face while Nickayla wore a black face mask and was seen putting it on before entering the store Ryan was all in gray as he and Nickayla went shopping. The pair had been spotted together several times over the month of September and appear to be inseparable since Naya's passing Naya shot to fame and critical acclaim playing openly gay cheerleader Santana Lopez on the hit Fox series from 2009 until 2015. Her love interest, fellow cheerleader Brittany, played by Heather Morris, eventually became her wife. Naya and then-husband Ryan Dorsey welcomed son Josey Hollis in 2015. She called her young son 'my greatest success, and I will never do any better than him' in her 2016 memoir 'Sorry Not Sorry.' The couple divorced in 2018, after Rivera had earlier applied to end the marriage in 2016 but the couple had initially reconciled. Dorsey, also an actor, has appeared on shows including Ray Donavan and Justified. September 19 On September 19, the pair were seen spotted shopping around in Target, possibly for home items for their new digs together 'They seem really comfortable together and are obviously helping each other through a very difficult period in both their lives,' said an eye witness who spotted the pair in Target 'They were fooling around and chatting the whole time. They're obviously helping lift each other's spirits,' an eyewitness said about the pair's trip to Target Both Ryan and Nickayla kept it casual in black shorts and Nike sneakers. Nickayla wore a sweatshirt with Ryan wore a black t-shirt They were seen loading up Ryan's SUV with the items they purchased from a local Target. Mickayla was seen wearing a sweatshirt that says 'The industry is watching' Nickayla and Ryan were seen outdoor at Target and a hardware store in Los Angeles on September 19. They each flashed their tattoos, with Nickayla's on the back of her neck and Ryan's on the back of his calf Nickayla has 78,000 Instagram followers and is currently signed to top modeling agencies Photogenics in Los Angeles and Wilhelmina in New York, following in the footsteps of her mother who moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career as a model. Nickayla is friends with some of the most famous faces in the business. She previously shared a photo to social media with fellow models Chrissy Teigen and Chanel Iman, which can be seen via her Instagram account. Naya Rivera's father, George Rivera, left, and mother Yolanda, third from right, are pictured with members of Ventura County Sheriff's Office in a boat after Naya's body was found in Lake Piru, Monday, July 13 This diagram shows where actress Naya , 33, and her four-year-old son Josey rented a boat on Lake Piru before the young boy was found alone. The map in the top left shows the location of the lake in relation to Los Angeles where Rivera lives Naya Rivera sent a photo of her four-year-old son Josey to a family member 90 minutes before he was found on their pontoon boat that shows the cove they'd sailed to 'My world is turned upside down': Naya Rivera's devastated younger sister Nickayla Rivera posted a moving tribute to the late Glee star on Instagram Ryan Dorsey broke his silence regarding the tragic passing of his ex wife Naya Rivera in a heartbreaking Instagram post Naya's autopsy confirmed that the actress died by drowning and there were no signs drugs or alcohol played a role in her death. The manner of her death was listed as an accident. The Glee star's body was recovered from the northeast portion of Lake Piru, located 50 miles north of Los Angeles, days after she went missing on July 8 while boating with her son. The actress grew up 20 miles from the lake and was familiar with it, police sources said. She thought of it as her 'sanctuary', despite it being known for rip currents and icy waters that can overpower swimmers. The lake itself is 1,200 acres and can reach depths of up to 130 feet. With almost zero visibility, human divers were resorting to searching by feel to recover the actress. Her Glee cast mates, Ryan and her parents were all seen at the shores of the lake to pay tribute to the late star. The Morrison governments attempted peace gambit with the union movement appears to be in tatters following an escalating war of words over industrial action across the nation's major ports. Major stevedore Patrick's urgent application to the Fair Work Commission to end work bans and stoppages at four ports around the country by the Maritime Union of Australia has won the support of the Commonwealth, which is warning the action during the COVID-19 recession is "simply unforgivable". Wharfies during a stop work meeting in Port Botany. Credit:Janie Barrett Several cabinet ministers hit out at the union on Monday, accusing it of holding the national economy to "ransom" to leverage its push for a six per cent annual pay rise. They claim the action has led to major delays to value farm exports to Asia, including beef, sheepmeat and pork, as well potentially triggering shortfalls of urgent medicines in the coming weeks. Houthi and government delegates, supported by the Saudis, signed the exchange of 1081 prisoners. At the end of the meeting an embrace between the parties. UN special envoy: rare event, such a large number happens "at the end of the war". The hope of a national truce. Geneva (AsiaNews / Agencies) - A first tentative step towards a nationwide ceasefire and a political solution that could lead to the end of the war. This is what the UN special envoy for Yemen underlines, commenting on the announcement yesterday about the agreement for a massive exchange of prisoners between Houthi rebels, close to Iran, and the government army, supported by the Saudi-led Arab coalition . I was told that its very rare to have prisoner releases of this scale during the conflict, that they mostly happen after a conflict, U.N. envoy Martin Griffiths announced. Yesterday the warring parties signed a pact that provides for the exchange of 1081 prisoners, including 15 Saudis. An agreement that is part of the negotiations renewed this year in a climate of mutual trust and aimed at resuming a peace process that has been stalled for some time. The local operators of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) will be responsible for the exchange, the details of which have yet to be finalized. Torn by a war since 2015 pitting the Saudi-backed government against Iran-supported Houthi rebels, the Yemeni conflict has provoked the "worst humanitarian crisis in the world". The coronavirus pandemic has had even more devastating impact with a healthcare system that has collapsed. Millions of people are on the verge of starvation and experts say children will suffer the consequences for the next 20 years. The goal of future talks, explains the UN special envoy, is to arrive at a "national ceasefire" that can then lead to "the end of the war in Yemen". To this should be added the gradual opening of ports, airports, roads and infrastructure. At the end of the meeting (in the photo) the leaders of the two delegations - Houthi and government - embraced under the gaze of Martin Griffiths, who commented on several occasions: "Well done, well done". Riyadh welcomed the agreement positively as a step towards a far-reaching political solution. Colonel Turki al-Malki, commander of the Saudi-led Arab coalition, stresses that "the spirit of the agreement is humanitarian" and lays "solid foundations for dialogue and the achievement of an all-out political agreement". Abdulkader al-Murtada, head of the Houthi committee that dealt with the exchange of prisoners, confirms the climate of "mutual trust" between the parties, which could "positively influence" the other dossiers still open. In the wake of Hurricane Sally, people are going to social media and asking what fair prices are for debris removal and rooftop fixes. Some of the prices being cited on Facebook are alarming: $25,000 to $50,00 for tree removal. It is a situation that Baldwin and Mobile County state and local officials want to stop before it gets worse. During a news conference Monday in Fairhope, officials urged residents to be patient and not rush into contracts in which they feel uncertain about or in which a contractor cannot provide adequate proofs of insurance and licensing. We are dealing with things we are not used to, said Baldwin County District Attorney Robert Wilters who, himself, suffered flood damage to his house near Wolf Bay. One thing we have to be patient with is cleanup and recovery. The scammers are coming in here and are looking for people who are desperate. State Rep. Matt Simpson, R-Daphne, was joined by a bipartisan group of lawmakers to push for increase penalties against contractors that bilk coastal homeowners during the cleanup. Simpson was the main sponsor of HB194, which was approved by a 97-2 vote in the Alabama House on March 5. The legislation, which increased penalties against homeowner fraud, never received a vote in the Alabama Senate because the session was abbreviated due to the coronavirus pandemic. Under the proposal, which would establish the Alabama State of Emergency Consumer Protection Act, a felony offense would be assessed against people who commit aggravated home repair fraud against homeowners following an event that was declared a state of emergency by the governor. Currently, under Alabama state law, the first conviction for home repair fraud is a misdemeanor. What we need to do is make sure that law enforcement has the teeth and ability to go after and prosecute people who take advantage of people down here, said Simpson. Alabama Speaker of the House Mac McCutcheon, R-Monrovia, speaks during a news conference on Monday, September 28, 2020, at the Fairhope satellite courthouse in Fairhope, Ala. (John Sharp/jsharp@al.com). The legislation has the backing of Alabama Speaker of the House Mac McCutcheon, R-Monrovia, who was in coastal Alabama on Monday to tour storm-damaged areas. Its sad to say that in a time when we should be coming together and helping each other out at our greatest point of need, you have people who are wanting to take advantage of others, said McCutcheon. We want to stand firm and say, we dont accept that. Only two Alabama House members voted against Simpsons legislation. One of them was state Rep. Andrew Sorrell, R-Muscle Shoals, who said in general he believes anti-price gouging bills can have an opposite desire effect than their original intent. I think we should let the free market handle this stuff, said Sorrell, who believes Alabama should have more reciprocity agreements with other states when it comes to licensing builders. Sorrell, who was not at the news conference in Fairhope, added, Im not for anyone defrauding someone else, but if they are licensed to build in Georgia and Mississippi, why are they not licensed here? If they can build a house, they can build a house. We want people coming from other states to rebuild (after) a natural disaster. That should be our attitude. The Alabama Attorney Generals Office has received 40 complaints of alleged price gouging since Hurricane Sally made landfall on September 16. Sheriffs in Baldwin and Mobile counties, however, said there have been no arrests made for illegal activities. Weve seen complaints on the over pricing of gasoline, generators, bottled water and ice and hotel and condo rentals, said Tina Hammonds, assistant Alabama Attorney General. She recommended people keep a detailed record of the offense when they occur. She also said that the public should submit photographs whenever they filed a complaint with the Attorney Generals Office. She also encouraged the public to contact the offices consumer interest division at 1-800-392-5658. Hammonds said that price gouging exists whenever a contractor assesses a bill that is over 25% above the average charge assessed within the same area in the past month, and if the price increase was not due to a legitimate increase in supplies. She also suggested the public stop and take a breath before entering into contracts for repairs. She said the public should seek out online reviews of contractors and use common sense before entering into an agreement. Over the next month and the next six weeks, people will be victimized, said Hammonds, urging people to seek support from family members before moving forward on a project. Weve got weeks ahead of us, Hangout owner says of storm recovery Document everything: Assessing the damage after Hurricane Sally The scariest adventure: Riding out Hurricane Sally Cosmopolitan kitchens pop up to replace lack of government aid in areas hit hardest by Hurricane Sally Hafor Julius Bjornsson is officially a father of two! The actor, 31, and his wife Kelsey Henson, 30, welcomed a baby boy over the weekend. The new mom announced the happy news in an Instagram post on Sunday, Sept. 27. "Our beautiful baby boy made his grand entrance into the world at 11:19 AM on September 26th 2020 after a short and intense six hours," she wrote on the social network. "3530 grams and 52 cm. The birth was the most powerful, life changing, empowering thing I've ever done in my entire life. We are all doing well and settling in at home as three!" Bjornsson, who played "The Mountain" on Game of Thrones, detailed the birth in a post. "26.09.2020. 6am Kelsey woke me up telling me she had been losing her water," he began. "I immediately jumped out of bed and said alright let's go, she stayed calm and replied with a laugh and said, no we are not going yet. I then asked to call our midwives to which she replied again no let's just wait for awhile." By 7:15 a.m., the couple had called their friend to photograph the labor. They also contacted their midwife and doula. "Once the midwife arrived she checked out the progress and we were surprised to learn Kelsey was already 5cm dilated," Bjornsson continued. "The midwife asked if she was ready to go to the birthing centre or wanted to try out that bath at home and Kelsey, still remaining calm, decided to try the bath at home. While I was filling up the bath things started escalating quickly, the contractions were much stronger lasting over a minute and were anywhere from 2-3 min apart. The midwife then said she thought we should head to the clinic and finally Kelsey agreed it was time." 2020 Celebrity Babies At 8:40 a.m., Bjornsson and Henson, who live in Iceland, arrived at the Bjorkin Birth Clinic. "Right away Kelsey knew exactly what she wanted and asked how long until the birthing pool would be filled," he added. "The next fifteen minutes Kelsey paced around between contractions waiting for the tub to be filled." Story continues Just 20 minutes later, Henson "was in the tub and immediately started to push." "Things escalated super quickly," Bjornsson wrote. "Throughout it all she did amazing. She was in complete control of her mind and body. She had strong opinions on exactly what she wanted and where she wanted to be. I am completely in awe of how strong she is, and so proud of her for everything she did to prepare herself throughout her pregnancy. It cannot be put into words how proud I am and how I feel about this experience." Then, at 11:19 a.m., their baby boy made his debut. Bjornsson called his daughter Theresa Lif, who he shares with his ex-girlfriend Thelma Steimann, to "introduce her to her new little brother." He noted both Henson and the baby are "doing super well. " And while the proud parents didn't reveal the name, Bjornsson wrote they "cannot wait" to share it with their followers soon. The little one's arrival came two years after Bjornsson and Henson tied the knot. However, he's not the only one from the HBO hit to start a family. Sophie Turner, who played Sansa Stark, welcomed her first child with Joe Jonas in July. Rose Leslie and Kit Haringtonwho played Ygritte and Jon Snow, respectivelyare also expecting their first child. BAKU, Azerbaijan, Sept. 28 Trend: The leadership of Armenia, grossly violating the basic norms and principles of international law, is continuing to intensively shell civilians, a large number of houses and civilian objects, the press service of Prosecutor General's Office of Azerbaijan told Trend. During the artillery shelling of the densely populated civilian territories of Azerbaijan at about 11:00 (GMT+7) on September 28, as a result of an artillery shell hit the administrative building of the Tartar District Court," said the statement. The Prosecutor General's Office said that as a result of the shelling, Mehman Abiyev was killed, while Fakhraddin Huseynov (military police), Tural Firdovsi (local resident), received injuries. Armenian armed forces launched a large-scale military attack on positions of Azerbaijani army on the frontline, using large-caliber weapons, mortars and artillery on Sept. 27. Azerbaijan responded with a counter-offensive along the entire front. As a result of the retaliation, Azerbaijani troops managed to liberate the territories previously occupied by Armenia: Garakhanbeyli, Garvend, Kend Horadiz, Yukhari Abdulrahmanli villages (Fuzuli district), Boyuk Marjanli, and Nuzgar villages (Jabrayil district). Moreover, the positions of the Armenian armed forces were destroyed in the direction of Azerbaijan's Agdere district and Murovdag, important heights were taken under control. The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on the withdrawal of its armed forces from Nagorno Karabakh and the surrounding districts. PHOENIX - September 28, 2020 (Investorideas.com Newswire) SinglePoint, Inc. (OTCQB: SING) is pleased to announce Direct Solar America estimates revenue numbers increasing nearly 20% prior to the end of Q3 and achieving nearly 60% gross margins throughout the quarter, a phenomenal feat in the current business climate. SinglePoint Inc. (OTC: SING) is a fully reporting company with core holdings in Solar Energy Services and Industrial Hemp based Consumer Products. "Direct Solar America did a great job meeting the demands placed on business during this ongoing pandemic. The team has made the necessary adjustments and kept the business growing to new highs. While some projects have been delayed many are coming back online such as the previously announced commercial projects. We expect the remaining documentation to complete the process very soon. As an additional benefit any business or nonprofit that decides to move forward with a PPA and put solar on their building will have no solar payment for 1 year," states Wil Ralston, President, SinglePoint. See the latest video interview here - https://youtu.be/Wbr2P7Q4Dk0 About SinglePoint, Inc. SinglePoint Inc. (OTC: SING) is a fully reporting company with core holdings in Solar Energy Services and Industrial Hemp based Consumer Products. Learn more at www.singlepoint.com Connect on social media at: https://twitter.com/_Singlepoint_ https://www.linkedin.com/company/singlepoint https://www.youtube.com/user/SinglePointMobile For more information visit: www.SinglePoint.com Forward-Looking Statements Certain statements in this news release may contain forward-looking information within the meaning of Rule 175 under the Securities Act of 1933 and Rule 3b-6 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and are subject to the safe harbor created by those rules. All statements, other than statements of fact, included in this release, including, without limitation, statements regarding potential future plans and objectives of the Company, 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. Technical complications, which may arise, could prevent the prompt implementation of any strategically significant plan(s) outlined above. The Company undertakes no duty to revise or update any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this release. Corporate Communication SinglePoint 888-682-7464 investors@singlepoint.com www.SinglePoint.com SOURCE SinglePoint Inc. 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Republican Dan Maymin is challenging Democrat Matt Blumenthal this year for the 147th District seat. On his campaign website, he says that Connecticut in its worst shape in years and lags many other states in economic growth. Maymin also says that current elected bureaucrats running the legislature in Hartford are dishonorable (pro-spending, pro-illegals, pro-unions, pro-Deep-State) and are turning CT into a Socialist Democrat Paradise. His priorities include lower taxes, school vouchers and being responsive to constituents concerns, according to his website. A resident of North Stamford who lives with his wife and nearly 2-year-old son, Maymin has 11 years of experience as a trader, fund accountant and analyst. Maymin earned a bachelors degree in economics from the University of Connecticut and is now enrolled in a masters program in business analytics at Fairfield University. In an unusual experiment, two European banks (one in Hungary, the other in Spain) are trying to boost security and nonintuitively convenience by layering one biometric authentication method on top of another. The two biometrics are facial recognition and palm recognition both performed via a mobile device and the banks are Hungarys OTP Bank and Spains Liberbank; the vendor behind the effort promises imminent deployments in Slovenia and the UK. It's clear that such an approach would theoretically be more secure, but is such a combo going to mean too much friction for the typical customer? Or will users accept a minute amount of additional effort to better safeguard their money? [ Sign up now at no cost for full access to our deep-dive Insider articles. And go to the next level with our Insider Pro website. ] Hungarian vendor PeasyPay is running the deployments and experienced a variety of initial problems, including some language conversion issues ("minor misunderstands, problems with email validation") and "sometimes slow payment process start because of push notification service provider lags," according to PeasyPays product leader Csaba Kormoczi. The intriguing aspect here, though, is whether this approach truly delivers the best of both worlds. Does it negate the downsides of both biometric approaches or does the combo inherit the problems from both? Facial recognition can sometimes be tricked by a three-dimensional representation of the user, and can encounter light and facial changes issues. Palm recognition has fewer drawbacks, as long as the palm hasn't been damaged (likely burned) since the initial image was captured. Kormoczi didn't offer any specific figures, but did stress that the app allows the business (banks, in these cases) to choose in settings how strict they want to go, which is true for many biometric authentication systems. "So one system can be fine-tuned for more security lower false acceptance rate, but higher false rejection rate [FRR], so less convenient or for easier usage, with lower false rejection rate, but higher false acceptance rate, so less secure. With multimodal biometric authentication methods, if we have two independent factors, the combined FAR will be very low, about the product of the two original FARs," Kormoczi said. "So we can decrease the thresholds in order to achieve low FRRs, and still we will have a high security system (low FARs)." This is tricky business. As a practical matter, businesses are supposed to consider the value/risk of the service being performed and then figure out the friction/convenience level. When Apple initially deployed biometrics to open an iPhone, it permitted an unusually high false acceptance rate so that the user experience would be pleasant. And given that it was replacing in most instances a very weak bit of security (a 4-digit password), it was still meaningfully more secure. But when the app is from a bank and is allowing access to much of that person's money, it would seem that a false acceptance rate needs to be remarkably low. Most consumers would rather go through additional authentication hurdles rather than make it easy for a thief to wipe them out. That should mean that all financial institutions will opt for high-security at the cost of lower convenience. In short, it's better to reject an occasional legitimate customer than grant access to a thief. This brings us back to the original question: Will users sit still for double biometrics if it means thieves will have a much harder time getting at their money? PeasyPay could have opted for two alternative biometrics, allowing users to choose which one they want to use today, theoretically bypassing whichever method is more problematic. In these days of COVID-19, leaving a face mask on in a bank and instead displaying a palm might be preferable, whereas sitting at a restaurant with a facemask off might make facial recognition the preferred option. This vendor didn't do that, however, instead opting to force all to use both. And what if the two results conflict? What if facial recognition decides the user is legitimate and the palm scan says it's an imposter? Do both have to give a greenlight for access to be approved? This would seem to make it more likely to deliver a false rejection because both are essential. Itll be interesting to see whether two biometric measures mean double trouble or twice the security. John Odigie Oyegun, a former national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), on Monday, gave reasons why his party lost in the September 19 governorship election in Edo State. Godwin Obaseki, candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), was declared the winner by the Independent National Electoral Commission having polled 307,955 to defeat his main rival, Osagie Ize-Iyamu of the APC, who had 223,619. The former national chairman of the APC attributed the loss in the contest to democracy at play, saying the people voted in line with their conscience as against impunity and imposition of a candidate at the primaries. Though still a member of the APC, Mr Odigie-Oyegun is believed to have supported Mr Obaseki in the election. Mr Odigie-Oyegun, who gave his views while addressing journalists in Benin City, commended President Muhammadu Buhari for not interfering in the electoral process. He also lauded the Oba of Benin, Ewuare II, for his timely intervention in brokering peace between the major actors and stakeholders of the APC and the PDP. He also commended the efforts of the National Peace Committee, headed by Abdulsalami Abubakar, a former head of state. According to Mr Odigie-Oyegun, They threatened visa ban, threatened seizing and seizures and the rest of them. The elite among those who were fanning problems had to sit back and reconsider so we have a beautiful, peaceful (election). It is democracy within the parties and impunity within the parties, attempts at imposition within the parties; these are the issues, just let things flow. I was a former national chairman, and in most cases, we didnt have court cases after any election because things were done to the letter. If ten people come and say they want to contest for an office, why not. Normally, people come to me, so, they are too many, they will cause divisions within the party, they will cause this within the party, so let us talk to them, so that some will withdraw and I said why? If ten people feel each of them is capable of discharging the duties of that office, let them contest. It is when you start talking to them that problem comes because the ego becomes massive and you start owing them because you persuaded them, you have to find some carrots to drop on the table. Allowing to contest is the greatest peacemaker but if you start persuading them, problems start, you then start creating permanent issues within the party system and that was my stand. Mr Odigie-Oyegun said the Edo governorship election could be compared with the June 12, 1993, presidential election, which produced Moshood Abiola as the winner, in terms of peaceful conduct . I think this is the most peaceful election in this nation since the June 12 Abiola election and one will have to say that this is a precursor of the future, that in future, all concerned be allowed to have their say. The greatest problem we have in this country has been lack of due process, impunity, lack of respect for our constitution, whether the various parties or outside that, he said. The former governor of Edo State said it was imperative to continue to build on the successes recorded, so as not to derail from the path of development. To my mind, we have regressed as far as party politics is concerned because we have departed from due process, allowing free and fair selection processes within parties. And if parties dont practice democracy, I dont see how they can preach democracy to the people of this nation. Fortunately Edo State is the Heart Beat of the Nigerian nation, so this election has proved one more time that we are truly the Heart Beat of the Nigerian nation and we hope it is something that is copied for future elections in this nation. You will find that when that happens, court cases will be much less because there will be much fewer grounds for such. However aggrieved a candidate, inside him he will know these elections have been done well, whether within the party or national or state levels. He will know that these elections have been relatively free and relatively fair, to the extent that he is ready to go trying his luck in the legal system will be much less. We hope that all of us, the practitioners, politicians in government, utside government, party officials have learnt a very serious lesson; impunity does not pay, let us let the people speak at all times, Mr Odigie-Oyegun added. On issues of election petitions tribunal and allegation of compromises due to violence, activities of security agencies, and INEC officials, Mr Odigie-Oyegun said, It is the constitutional right of anybody, candidate or no candidate to approach the judicial system for redress if they feel aggrieved. So, anybody who wants to go to court is only exercising his constitutional right and he is to provide evidence to show that things happened which could have altered the ultimate results. Speaking on Nigeria at 60, Mr Odigie-Oyegun said, Things have been tough, things have been rough, what I can say confidently is that the basic foundation of future growth has been laid but the administration hasnt been lucky at all. The administration has had a period of dwindling resources right from the beginning and I think but for careful management, we probably wouldnt have gotten as far as we have gone today, but there is no question at all that we are moving. Yes there is hunger in the land, the economy is not growing as it should, employment is very high, terrorism has raised its ugly head again after initial success at controlling it, the cost of crude oil is almost equating the cost of production, so the resources are not just there. I just say that I am sad that things have gotten to this kind of situation totally outside the control of the government. The only missing link I will think is that we are not sufficiently giving the people hope or explaining things to the people and giving the people hope that tomorrow will be better so there is despondency in the land. That critical ingredient to tell the people that okay, things are bad today but it will be better tomorrow, that is missing, so in addition to economic difficulties, economic deprivations, we have not successfully conveyed to them the picture of a better tomorrow. There is COVID-19 that has created a lot of economic problems, massive diversion of resources to protecting the lives of the people. It has been tough (for) Nigeria being 60 years but if we contain the difficulties that are confronting us, particularly insecurity, this country still has a bright future. Researchers from Clover Biopharmaceuticals, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Chinas National Institutes for Food and Drug Control (NIFDC) report a trimeric subunit vaccine candidate similar to the spike protein of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The vaccine candidate produced a high level of neutralizing antibodies in animal models. Rhesus macaques immunized with the vaccine candidate showed reduced viral loads in the lungs. The research is published on the preprint server bioRxiv*. One of the most important strategies for preventing the COVID-19 pandemic from spreading is the development of vaccines. Any future SARS-CoV-2 vaccine needs to be effective, safe, and easy to develop and manufacture. Some of the types of vaccines being developed for COVID-19 include mRNA and DNA vaccines, inactivated SARS-CoV-2 virus, and adenosine-based viral vectors. Many candidates are in different stages of clinical trials. A major challenge in developing an effective vaccine for an RNA virus is the difficulty in inducing broadly neutralizing antibodies, such as seen with HIV vaccines. Also, with viruses that affect the respiratory system, like SARS-CoV-2, there is a risk of vaccine-associated enhanced respiratory disease. High-level expression and Characterization of S-Trimer. (A) Schematic representations of full-length SARS-CoV-2 Spike (S) protein and the ectodomain of wild-type SARS-CoV-2 S protein-Trimer-Tag fusion protein (S-Trimer). (B) Schematic 2-D illustration of S-Trimer with homotrimeric Spike protein in the prefusion conformation. (C) Reducing SDS-PAGE analysis with Coomassie Blue staining of high-level expression of S-Trimer as a secreted protein from CHO cells in a 15L bioreactor Fed-batch serum-free culture over 11 days (10 L of cleared media were loaded for each sample) along with a purified standard (Std). (D) S-Trimer is a disulfide bond-linked homo-trimer as analyzed by SDS-PAGE with Coomassie Blue staining under non-reducing (-ME) and reducing (+ME) conditions. S-Trimer was shown to be partially cleaved at S1/S2 junction as indicated. (E) S-Trimer is heavily N-glycosylated. Analysis of S-Trimer before and after deglycosylation with PNGase F (-N) and PNGase F & Endo-O (-O) by SDS-PAGE with Coomassie Blue staining under reducing (+ME) condition. (F) SEC-HPLC analysis of the purity of S-Trimer with an MW of approximately 700 Kda, and a small fraction of cleaved S1 was shown detached from S-Trimer as indicated. (G) Determination of the binding affinity between S-Trimer and human ACE2-Fc by ForteBio BioLayer interferometry. Trimeric protein like SARS-CoV-2 spike protein The SARS-CoV-2 virus binds to host cells using the trimeric spike protein. This trimeric antigen binds to angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) produced by the host cells, helping the virus gain entry into the host cell. In a new report, researchers report a technology to produce a trimeric protein, S-Trimer, like the spike protein in the virus, which can produce antibodies upon infection in host cells. To produce the S-Trimer, the researchers used Trimer-Tag technology, which was reported previously. Using this technology, they produced clones of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein using cDNA after transfection into CHO cells, which self-trimerized via disulfide bonds. They purified the S-Trimer protein using the high affinity of Trimer-Tag to Endo180, a collagen receptor. The S-Trimer vaccine candidate has the complete sequence of the wild-type SARS-CoV-2 spike protein and has a high affinity to the ACE2 receptor. The authors write that their purification scheme for the S-Trimer, producing 500 mg/L, can allow several billion doses to be produced annually in 2000 L bioreactors. Next, the scientists used the S-Trimer to detect if antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 spike proteins were present in the sera of 41 patients who recovered after COVID-19. They found a high level of antibodies that bound to S-Trimer. They also found a higher level of antibodies in patients with severe disease and lower levels in patients with mild disease. However, many of the patients, especially with mild disease, did not have any antibodies binding to ACE2, suggesting antibodies may target not only the receptor-binding domains (RBDs) but also other domains of the virus. This suggests that patients who develop a rapid T-cell response may not need high levels of antibodies to neutralize the virus. It has been reported before that patients with mild disease develop strong T-cell immunity, while patients with severe disease have very low T-cells. Immunity in monkeys The authors first tested the immune response to S-Trimer in mice. When used with an adjuvant, like AS03 and CpG 1018 with alum, the levels of both pseudovirus neutralizing and ACE2-competitive antibodies were similar to or more than those in human sera. Next, they administered the S-Trimer with adjuvants to rhesus macaques to study the immune response. After two doses of the vaccine candidate, 21 days apart, the animals were exposed to SARS-CoV-2 35 days after the first dose. The macaques showed high levels of both neutralizing and binding antibodies, with the number increasing after the second dose. Although CpG 1018 plus alum adjuvant showed lower antibody levels than human sera compared to that of AS03, the animals with the former adjuvant mounted a faster and more durable lymphocyte response, which remained high 7 days after infection. The animals that did not receive the S-Trimer and adjuvants showed a rapid loss in body weight of about 8% in 7 days after infection, whereas the other animals did not lose weight, nor did they have a fever. The macaques that received doses of the vaccine candidate also showed low viral loads in lung tissues, throat, and nasal swabs. Both AS03 and CpG 1018 plus alum adjuvants induced sufficient levels of protection against SARS-CoV-2 in monkeys, and there was no disease enhancement. Collectively, these results support the advancement of adjuvanted S-Trimer through human clinical studies to further demonstrate safety, immunogenicity, and vaccine efficacy, write the authors. The recombinant production of S-Trimer using Trimer Tag can also be rapidly scaled up, write the authors, and the vaccine can be stored at 28 C, and does not need to be stored in freezers. Phase I clinical trials of the vaccine candidate commenced in June 2020, with further phases planned. *Important Notice bioRxiv publishes preliminary scientific reports that are not peer-reviewed and, therefore, should not be regarded as conclusive, guide clinical practice/health-related behavior, or treated as established information. Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has asked President Muhammadu Buhari to "instruct Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Mr. Abubakar Malami (SAN) to take steps to expeditiously, diligently, effectively and fairly prosecute over 103 high-profile corruption cases. The organisation said Malami should also be made to publish details of the whereabouts of allegedly missing case files, as well as the status of prosecution of all the cases being handled by his office. It said if does not hear from government about the steps being taken in this direction within the next 14 days "the Registered Trustees of SERAP shall take all appropriate legal actions to compel your government to pursue prosecution of these longstanding high-profile corruption cases to their logical conclusion, and to regularly report to Nigerians on the progress of prosecution." The request was contained in an open letter dated September 26, 2020, signed by SERAP's Deputy Director, Mr. Kolawole Oluwadare and sent to President Buhari. The organisation said: "The high-profile corruption cases include 103 cases reportedly sent by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in 2017, and the 15 allegedly missing case files sent by the now defunct Special Presidential Investigation Panel on the Recovery of Public Property, [SPIP] in 2019 to Malami." The organisation argued that: "The authorities' failure to diligently and expeditiously prosecute high profile corruption cases amounts to a fundamental breach of constitutional and international obligations. Continuing failure to prosecute these cases may create the perception of a deliberate effort to protect those considered to be very influential and powerful. "The fact that these cases have been pending for several years suggests that your government has not carried out its public, constitutional and international obligations, including the obligations to show that no one is above the law as far as the fight against corruption is concerned. "Public interest demands that high-profile corruption cases are concluded within a reasonable time so that those guilty are punished and the innocent are set free. The rule of law and the preservation of democracy also require that the authorities duly proceed in accordance with the law against every high-profile person suspected of grand corruption, irrespective of where he/she is placed in the political hierarchy." The letter which was copied to Malami, read in part: "SERAP is seriously concerned about the apparent inertia by the authorities to diligently and expeditiously prosecute high-profile corruption cases. While many of these cases have been dragging before your assumption of office in May 2015, several of the cases have not satisfactorily progressed, contrary to Nigerians' expectations. "Speedily, diligently, effectively and fairly prosecuting high-profile corruption cases would demonstrate your government's commitment to enhance probity in public life and willingness to enforce accountability in public life. The basic postulate of the concept of equality: 'Be you ever so high, the law is above you', should be your government's approach to high profile corruption cases. "Our requests are brought in the public interest, and in keeping with the requirements of the Nigerian Constitution 1999 [as amended] particularly section 15[5], and Nigeria's international obligations, including under the UN Convention against Corruption and the African Union Convention on Preventing and Combating Corruption, as well as the rule of law. "We hope that the aspects highlighted will help guide your actions in acting to ensure the diligent, expeditious and effective prosecution of longstanding high-profile corruption cases, including the 103 cases and the allegedly missing 15 case files of high-profile corruption suspects. "We would be grateful if your government begins to implement the recommended action and measures within 14 days of the receipt and/or publication of this letter. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Corruption Nigeria By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. "People get frustrated in the system if the process of justice is not allowed to take its normal course, more so, when apparently deliberate attempts are made to subvert and delay the process. "There is a nexus between corruption at high places in public life and threats to the integrity, welfare, security and economy of the country, as well as the rule of law. There is therefore a clear need for an expeditious, diligent and effective prosecution of these cases, which have already been delayed for several years. "Expeditious prosecution of those suspected of grand corruption irrespective of the position and status of that person is imperative to retain public confidence in the ability and willingness of authorities to prevent and combat corruption. "According to our information, details of about 103 high-profile corruption cases being handled by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission [EFCC] were reportedly made available in 2017 to the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice upon request. A 58-year-old Toronto man is facing several child pornography-related charges after a search warrant was executed in Scarboroughs Port Union area. On Sept. 23, the United States Department of Homeland Security and Homeland Security Investigations Toronto along with members of the Toronto Police Service Child Exploitation Section raided an address near Port Union Road and Lawrence Avenue East. Investigators in this joint investigation allege a man accessed and possessed child sexual abuse material. As a result of evidence gathered by police, Cameron Milne, 58, of Toronto, was arrested. He has been charged with two counts each of possession child pornography and access child pornography, and one count of print child pornography. Milne has a Nov. 6 court date. Anyone with information is asked to contact police at 416-808-8500, or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 416-222-TIPS (8477) or online at www.222tips.com. Joanna Lavoie is a reporter with toronto.com. Reach her via email: jlavoie@toronto.com More than 72,000 potentially eligible New Mexicans have yet to receive their federal stimulus payments and time is running out for them to claim that money in 2020. The Internal Revenue Service released a state-by-state list of nearly 9 million Americans including 72,333 New Mexicans who may be eligible for the $1,200 economic impact payments authorized by the federal CARES Act earlier this year, but have not yet received those payments. To raise awareness, IRS spokesman David Tucker said the federal agency is planning to mail letters to people in this position, encouraging them to check whether theyre eligible for the program through the IRS website before the deadline on Oct. 15. We are trying to make them aware that, if they meet the eligibility requirement, that they could be receiving up to $1,200, Tucker said. The CARES Act, signed into law in March, provided a mix of stimulus efforts following the initial economic downturn associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, including providing $1,200 direct stimulus payments to many Americans, along with related payments for dependents. Most Americans who file taxes received the checks earlier in the year, through mailing addresses, direct deposit accounts and other methods. Because the payment was based on recent tax returns, Tucker said people who didnt file taxes in 2018 or 2019 may not have received the stimulus payments. These are people who dont have a filing requirement because they made very income or no income, Tucker said. In New Mexico, the zip code with the highest number of people on the IRS list was 87121, which includes Southwest Albuquerque and surrounding rural areas. The letters from the IRS encourage recipients to check their eligibility for the program using the agencys online tool for non-filers, which can be found at www.irs.gov. The tool is available in English and Spanish. Just receiving the letter alone is not a guarantee of eligibility, Tucker said. Tucker said people without access to the internet can also file simplified paper tax returns before Oct. 15. He added that people can still receive the payments after the Oct. 15 deadline, but they would need to file a 2020 income tax return in April 2021 and claim the recovery rebate credit. Then youre going to be getting money well after that deadline, Tucker said. Thats why were trying to make people aware now. Mr. Finlays actions, as alleged, in secretly taking and then disclosing intimate images of Waterbury without her knowledge or consent, are deplorable, Judge dAuguste wrote, but he dismissed six out of seven of her claims against him, including assault and intentional infliction of emotional distress. A lawyer for Ms. Waterbury, Jordan K. Merson, said in a statement that he disagreed with the courts interpretation of the law in the decision. Ms. Waterbury will continue to fight to protect New Yorkers from going through what she has, he said in the statement. Barring a successful appeal from Ms. Waterbury, the decision means that New York City Ballet, as well as Mr. Ramasar and Mr. Catazaro, has been removed as defendants from the lawsuit. Ms. Waterbury had blamed the company in her lawsuit for condoning a fraternity-like atmosphere that permeates the Ballet and its dancers, and emboldens them to disregard the law and violate the basic rights of women. But because Ms. Waterbury was never a student or employee of City Ballet and she was not a student at the school at the time of the unconsented-to recordings or text exchanges the judge found that the company did not shirk responsibility and dismissed claims of negligence against it. The judge also said the plaintiff did not bring forward specific allegations that the company had reason to know its employees had a propensity for such behavior, rejecting Ms. Waterburys claims of negligent hiring and retention at City Ballet. We have been working together on and off for over 12 years, so we have an easy rapport when writing about debates and the rest of our beat. Well split up the B-matter earlier in the day and then communicate during the debate via either Gchat or Slack. What are we discussing? Yes, there is some breezy back-and-forth about the biggest moments and tenor of the debate, but thats mostly during the commercial breaks. Were mostly just relaying to each other who will write about what so we dont duplicate our coverage. So while one of us is writing up a newsworthy exchange, the other is watching the ongoing action so we dont miss anything. And then well switch off. Sometimes an answer or exchange is so explosive or original that its clearly news. Recall, for example, how Senator Elizabeth Warren opened the Democratic primary debate in Nevada back in February by unleashing a torrent of attacks on Michael R. Bloomberg. Or when Joseph R. Biden Jr. used what turned out to be his final debate of the primary season to announce hed name a woman as his running mate. Other newsworthy moments are less clear to the naked eye. But to borrow from the late Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart, who was describing another graphic art, you know it when you see it. Anyway, while were absorbing and conveying what is happening, were also getting feedback from our editors, who will offer thoughts and guidance via Slack. They know were in a harried state, so its usually a light touch from them. The most guidance from editors comes at the deadline for the final edition of the paper, when a number of them may weigh in about the framing of the story. After that, we may add a few more lines we werent able to get in for the print edition or make minor tweaks for the online version. How is this all different in the Covid era? If we were in the newsroom, we could have some of those conversations with editors over our shoulders and cold pizza next to our computers. U S President Donald Trump has threatened to ban TikTok from the United States, warning the app poses a threat to national security because of its ties to China. TikToks fun, goofy videos and ease of use has made it immensely popular since being launched by its parent company, Bytedance Ltd, in 2017. Bytedance operates a similar but separate version of the app in China, known as Douyin. US tech giants like Facebook and Snapchat see TikTok as a competitive threat, with the platform attracting tens of millions of US users and hundreds of millions globally. But its Chinese ownership has raised concerns about the censorship of videos, including those critical of China's ruling Communist Party, and the potential for sharing user data with Chinese officials. TikTok says it does not censor videos and it would not give the Chinese government access to US user data. It claims all US user data is stored in the US, with a backup in Singapore. US officials appear unpersuaded, however. Mr Trump's threat to ban TikTok comes amid heightened tensions between his administration and the Chinese government / AFP via Getty Images So, here's what you need to know about the controversy: Why does Trump want to ban TikTok in the US? US officials have raised concerns that data collected by ByteDance via TikTok may end up being passed to the Chinese government. In August, Mr Trump signed executive orders that declared TikTok, which has about 100 million users in the US, and another Chinese app, WeChat, threats to national security. The White House said the video service was a security risk because the personal information of its millions of US users could be handed over to Chinese authorities. The developments came amid heightened tensions between Mr Trump's White House administration and the Chinese government over a number of issues, including trade disputes and Beijing's handling of the coronavirus pandemic. During his tenure as President, Mr Trump has overseen a broad security crackdown on Chinese companies, including telecom providers Huawei and ZTE. The White House has ordered that the US stop buying equipment from those providers to be used in US networks. Mr Trump has also tried to steer US allies away from Huawei over concerns the Chinese government has access to its data, which Huawei denies. Can the President really block the Chinese app? It is not clear precisely what authority Mr Trump has to ban TikTok. On Sunday, a US judge temporarily blocked one of the executive orders signed by Mr Trump, which would have banned TikTok from smartphone app stores in the country. The order was due to take effect at 11.59pm on Sunday. A more comprehensive ban remains scheduled for November, about a week after the US presidential election. The judge, Carl Nichols of the US District Court for the District of Columbia, did not agree to postpone the later ban. The ruling followed an emergency hearing on Sunday morning in which lawyers for TikTok argued that the administrations app store ban would infringe on the companys First Amendment rights and do irreparable harm to the business. How has TikTok responded? TikTok insists users' personal data cannot be accessed by Beijing and that it has no ties to the Communist Party. It is currently scrambling to firm up a deal tentatively struck a week ago in which it would partner with Oracle, a huge database-software company, and Walmart in an effort to win the blessing of both the Chinese and American governments. An earlier bid by Microsoft bid to take over TikTok's US operations was rejected by Chinese owner ByteDance. In the meantime, TikTok is fighting to keep the app available in the US and is suing the Mr Trump's government over the president's August 6 executive order, saying it was unlawful. So were resulting Commerce Department prohibitions that aim to kick TikTok out of US app stores and, in November, essentially shut it down in the US, it has claimed. The Chinese firm said the president did not have the authority to take these actions under the national security law he cited; that the ban violated TikToks First Amendment speech rights and Fifth Amendment due process rights; and that there was no authority for the restrictions because they were not based on a national emergency. The firm welcomed Sunday's legal intervention, and has vowed to keep defending its rights from Mr Trump's efforts to ban the app. "We're pleased that the court agreed with our legal arguments and issued an injunction preventing the implementation of the TikTok app ban," it said in a statement. In arguments to Judge Nichols, TikTok lawyer John Hall had argued that TikTok is more than an app, since it functions as a modern day version of a town square. If that prohibition goes into effect at midnight, the consequences immediately are grave, Mr Hall said. It would be no different than the government locking the doors to a public forum, roping off that town square, he added, saying this was a time when a free exchange of ideas is necessary heading into a polarised election. TikTok lawyers also argued that a ban on the app would affect the ability of tens of thousands of potential viewers and content creators to express themselves every month and would also hurt its ability to hire new talent. In addition, Mr Hall argued that a ban would prevent existing users from automatically receiving security updates, eroding national security. How to use TikTok Will the deal to sell TikTok's US operations succeed? Mr Trump has said he would approve a proposed deal involving Oracle and Walmart in which the firms could initially own a combined 20 per cent of a new US entity, TikTok Global. The president also said he could retract his approval if Oracle did not have total control. The two sides of the TikTok deal have however appeared at odds over the corporate structure of TikTok Global. ByteDance said last week it would still own 80 per cent of the US entity after a financing round. Meanwhile, Oracle put out a statement saying that Americans will be the majority and ByteDance will have no ownership in TikTok Global. Chinese media have criticised the deal as bullying and extortion, suggesting that the Chinese government is not happy with the arrangement. ByteDance said on Thursday it had applied for a Chinese technology export license after Beijing tightened control over exports last month in an effort to gain leverage over Washingtons attempt to force an outright sale of TikTok to US owners. Chinas foreign ministry has said the government will take necessary measures to safeguard its companies but gave no indication what steps it could take to affect TikToks fate in the United States. Patna, Sep 28 : Taking a dig at RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav's promise of 10 lakh jobs, former Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis reacted sharply on Monday and said that Tejashwi will purchase 10 lakh tamanche (firearms) and will distribute them among his supporters and unemployed youths to promote kidnappings, looting and robberies in Bihar. Tejashwi Yadav on Sunday said that there are over 10 lakh jobs vacant in various government departments. These posts will be filled at the first cabinet meeting if his party comes to power in Bihar. "When I heard the 10 lakh job promise of Tejashwi Yadav I discussed it with my colleagues. I was informed that he will purchase 10 lakh tamanche and he will distribute them among unemployed youths and RJD members," Fadnavis said during the BJP's 'Youth Town Hall' event in Patna. "He wants to push Bihar into the era of his father and mother of 15 years ago when they developed Jungle Raj. At that time, crime cases were at their highest. This is his real strategy," Fadnavis said. "The people of Bihar know that era and they also know the current law and order situation in Bihar. Now, women can freely go out at night. The people of Bihar will not give them a chance to flourish here and form the government," Fadnavis said. "In the last 15 years under the leadership of Nitish Kumar, the state has improved immensely. They (Lalu Prasad) had opened Charwaha Vidyalaya (shepherd school) and the combination of Nitish Kumar and Narendra Modi is responsible for opening IIM and IIT. We have AIIMS in Patna and another opening in Darbhanga," Fadnavis said. Newly elected BJP youth wing (national) president Tejasvi Surya said that Tejashwi Yadav is talking about jobs but he doesn't know how to earn money through work. "He represents dynastic politics. He was born with a silver spoon in his mouth. Hence, he does not know how to do labour. On the other hand our PM Narendra Modi belongs to the ground. He was a swayamsevak in the early stages and reached the highest level. Similarly, our home minister Amit Shah was a block level worker and is now occupying the office of home minister. They know the pain of the common people. It also reflects the democratic structure of the BJP," Surya said. "Tejashwi Yadav doesn't have the moral right to talk about jobs. He is politically unemployed and wants to come to power. As far as vacant posts are concerned, they will be filled as soon as the next government under the leadership of Nitish Kumar is formed," Surya said. WHITEHOUSE STATION, N.J., Sept. 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Chubb has appointed Robert Poliseno Chief Operating Officer, North America Field Operations. Mr. Poliseno succeeds Jeffrey Updyke, who has been named head of Chubb's North America Small Business segment. With this appointment, Mr. Poliseno's responsibilities will center on overseeing delivery of Chubb's full portfolio of personal and commercial insurance products and services to agent and broker distribution partners through 48 branch offices across North America. He will assist in the day-to-day management of North America Field Operations, with specific focus on distribution and marketing, managing Chubb's largest brokerage and key independent agent relationships, data analytics and sales. In addition, he will oversee Chubb Insurance Solutions Agency, Producer Advisor Roundtables, and Agency Education services. Most recently, Mr. Poliseno served as the company's Regional Executive Officer for Chubb's Mid-Atlantic region. Effective immediately, Melissa Scheffler will assume that role and lead local delivery of Chubb's offerings through retail distribution partners throughout the states of Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Southern New Jersey, Washington D.C., Virginia and West Virginia. Both Mr. Poliseno and Ms. Scheffler will report to Chris Maleno, Senior Vice President, Chubb Group and Division President, North America Field Operations. "Robert and Melissa are outstanding executives and top performers within our company," said Mr. Maleno. "Both have long tenures at Chubb, as well as extensive experience in leading our local distribution strategies. I am confident they will continue to further the success we have had to date, as they take on these critical roles." Mr. Poliseno joined the company in 2008 as a Vice President of Professional Risk. Prior to this most recent appointment, he served as Senior Vice President, Mid-Atlantic Regional Executive Officer, a role he has held since 2013. He holds an MBA in marketing from Baruch College, and a Bachelor of Administration degree in International Management from Pace University. Ms. Scheffler began her career at Chubb in 1994 and has held a variety of leadership positions in both commercial and personal lines. She most recently served as Mid-Atlantic Region Chief Operating Officer, a role she has held since 2018. Prior to ACE's acquisition of Chubb in January 2016, she was the Pittsburgh Branch Manager. She earned an MBA in human resources management and personnel administration from DePaul University Charles H. Kellstadt Graduate School of Business, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics and Spanish from Colgate University. About Chubb Chubb is the world's largest publicly traded property and casualty insurance company. With operations in 54 countries and territories, Chubb provides commercial and personal property and casualty insurance, personal accident and supplemental health insurance, reinsurance and life insurance to a diverse group of clients. As an underwriting company, we assess, assume and manage risk with insight and discipline. We service and pay our claims fairly and promptly. The company is also defined by its extensive product and service offerings, broad distribution capabilities, exceptional financial strength and local operations globally. Parent company Chubb Limited is listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: CB) and is a component of the S&P 500 index. Chubb maintains executive offices in Zurich, New York, London, Paris and other locations, and employs approximately 33,000 people worldwide. Additional information can be found at: www.chubb.com . Chubb Insurance Company of Canada has offices in Toronto, Calgary, Montreal and Vancouver and provides its products and services through licensed insurance brokers across Canada. For additional information, visit: chubb.com/ca. SOURCE Chubb Related Links www.chubb.com City police headed to a George Street address early Sunday morning to investigate a report of a robbery in progress. Its alleged that a man asked another person for a ride, then pulled a knife and threatened the driver. When they arrived, officers saw a man with a large stick. They ordered him to drop it; he did, then pulled out a knife and threw it on the ground. Timothy Rector, 34, was charged with carrying a concealed weapon, failure to comply with a release order, uttering threats and possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose. Gunmen massacred 11 people including four dancers and then left their bullet ridden bodies in a bar in Mexico's most violent state. The assassins struck early on Sunday in a bar near to the town of Jaral del Progreso, in the central Mexican state of Guanajuato. Local media claims that the four women found dead were local dancers at the bar which is located on the side of a highway. Mexican police and army stand guard outside of the Guanajuato bar in where the drug's hit took place No motive has been put forward for the shooting but the bar is in an area is near to the bordering state of Michoacan. The town of Jaral del Progreso is an incursion point into Guanajuato for the Jalisco cartel who wants to expand to there. The attack bore the signs of a drugs killing and Guanajuato has been the most violent Mexican state in recent years. Guanajuato, a major carmaking hub, has become a recurring scene of criminal violence in Mexico, ravaged by a turf war between the local Santa Rosa de Lima gang and the powerful Jalisco New Generation Cartel. The killing took place near the town of Jaral del Progreso in central Mexico In July, gunmen killed 24 people at a drug rehabilitation center in Guanajuato, marking one of the worst mass slayings since President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador took office pledging to reduce record levels of violence. It was hoped that the arrest and detention of Jose Antonio Yepez Ortiz, the leader of the local Santa Rosa de Lima gang, on August 2 would help to stem the violence. The drug kingpin, better known by his nickname El Marro (The Sledgehammer), had fought a long and bloody turf war against the Jalisco cartel. The authorities blamed Ortiz for much of the violence which had taken place in the industrial and farming state. Jose Antonio Yepez Ortiz, of the Santa Rosa de Lima gang, was arrested on August 2 Jose Antonio Yepez Ortiz, centre, under arrest This is the latest atrocity in Mexico this year which is gearing up to be the most violent and bloodiest year in the country on record. There was an astonishing 117 murders recorded in just 24-hours on June 7 making it the most deadly day of the year so far. It was run close by April 20 which had the previous high figure of 114 homicides. Murders across the state of Guanajuato dropped slightly to 339 in August from 403 the month before. There are fears that the figure will rise steeply through September as rival gang members seek to fill the vacuum left by Ortiz's jail sentence. China must engage in a new "long march" in the technology sector now that the U.S. has imposed export restrictions on Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp, the country's largest chip manufacturer, Chinese state-backed tabloid the Global Times wrote on Sunday. The unnamed author of an op-ed in the paper here argues that the U.S' dominance of the global semiconductor industry supply chain is a "fundamental threat" to China. "It now appears that China will need to control all research and production chains of the semiconductor industry, and rid itself of being dependent on the U.S.," the author wrote. On Saturday, Reuters reported that the U.S. had sent letters to companies informing them that they must obtain a license to supply SMIC. The letter stated that SMIC and its subsidiaries "may pose an unacceptable risk of diversion to a military end use." SMIC has denied any ties to China's military. The restrictions against SMIC, and earlier ones against Huawei Technologies Co Ltd, the op-ed author argues, illustrate that the U.S is leading a protracted battle of "high-tech suppression" against China. Although companies such as Tencent Holdings Ltd and Beijing ByteDance Co Ltd have made some tech breakthroughs, they are based on U.S. chip technology, the op-ed argues. "The foundation of the entire industry is still in Americans' hands. For now at least. China must leap from zero to one to provide solid support for the country's competition with the U.S.," the author wrote. The Global Times is a tabloid published by the People's Daily, the official newspaper of China's ruling Communist Party, but does not speak on behalf of the party and government, unlike its parent publication. Advertisement Prince William fights back tears as he learns of the threat climate change poses to the planet's wildlife in a new TV documentary. The Duke of Cambridge, 38, was followed by cameras for two years as he embarked on a global mission to mobilise action for the natural world, with Prince William: A Planet For Us All set to air at 9pm on October 5. In stirring scenes filmed at a heavily guarded ivory facility in Tanzania in 2018, where 43,000 tusks with a street value of 50million have been impounded, the father-of-three becomes visibly upset over fears for the future of elephants and rhinos. The royal says: 'It's a mind-blowing number of tusks, it really is. You can't get your head around it.' Prince William, 38, fights back tears as he learns of the threat climate change poses to the planet's wildlife in a new TV documentary The Duke of Cambridge becomes visibly upset during ITV's Prince William: A Planet For Us All, showing anguish over the rhino, which is facing extinction after being hunted for their horns He also shows anguish over the rhino, which is facing extinction after being hunted for their horns which are used in some cultures for medicine. The royal is filmed feeding a carrot to a rhino called Deborah at Mkomazi National Park, explaining: 'People might see them and think it's a big tank, a big hulk of an animal. They want this horn, which is effectively nail. That is all it is, fingernail. 'This is where the horn belongs on a live rhino. That's where it should stay.' In other scenes, the Duke says he feels it is his 'duty' to leave the planet in a stronger position for future generations. William, pictured with his wife Kate Middleton in Pakistan, says he wants to follow in the footsteps of Prince Charles and the Duke of Edinburgh who he said were 'ahead of their time' so he doesn't let his children down During the programme, the father-of-three visits an Ivory Store in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania, where 43,000 tusks with a street value of 50million have been impounded William says he wants to follow in the footsteps of Prince Charles and the Duke of Edinburgh who he said were 'ahead of their time' so he didn't let his children down. The duke also says the coronavirus crisis had given everyone a greater appreciation of the natural world. He adds: 'If there's any ray of light from this, it is that it allows us to take stock and to refocus our priorities.' The duke calls on humanity to 'speed the pace up' and tackle the growing environmental threat to the planet. Speaking in the new documentary, William suggests he expects to be criticised for his views, saying: 'Someone has to put their head above the parapet and say, I care about this.' The ITV documentary will follow the father-of-three around the world as he embarks on a mission to help stop climate change In stirring scenes in the programme, the Duke says he feels it is his 'duty' to leave the planet in a stronger position for future generations And he highlights how the younger generation - who are typified by the teenage climate change activist Greta Thunberg - are pushing for change and action on the issue. William has been filmed over the past two years in the UK and countries such as Pakistan and Tanzania for the ITV documentary Prince William: A Planet For Us All, which charts his journey from passionate conservationist to wanting to play a greater global leadership role on the environment. In Pakistan's Hindu Kush mountains, the duke and his wife saw first hand the effects of climate change on glaciers which are melting at record speeds. The documentary charts his journey from passionate conservationist to wanting to play a greater global leadership role on the environment During the official tour last October, William told the documentary: 'It's a huge environmental and humanitarian disaster. 'And yet, we still don't seem to be picking up the pace and understanding it quick enough. And I think the young are really getting it. 'And the younger generation are really wanting more and more people to do stuff and want more action. 'And we've got to speed the pace up. We've got to get on top of it and we need to be more vocal and more educational about what's going on.' William has been filmed over the past two years in the UK and countries such as Pakistan and Tanzania for the ITV documentary The documentary follows the duke during a visit to Tanzania in September 2018 and he is filmed feeding a carrot to a rhino called Deborah. The future king says in the film, which will be screened next Monday: 'People might see them and think it's a big tank, a big hulk of an animal, with a big horn, but they are incredibly vulnerable.' William's interest in protecting the natural world and the environment is reflected in his role as patron of Tusk, a conservation organisation working in Africa which aims to secure a peaceful co-existence for the continent's wildlife and its people. The documentary follows the duke during a visit to Tanzania in September 2018 and he is filmed feeding a carrot to a rhino called Deborah And for more than five years the Transport Taskforce of his umbrella organisation United for Wildlife has been working to facilitate collaboration between the transport sector and law enforcement to prevent wildlife trafficking. In the film, the duke pays tribute to his grandfather the Duke of Edinburgh and father the Prince of Wales for their work supporting the natural world. He says: 'My grandfather, my father have been in environmental work for many years. 'My grandfather's well ahead of his time. My father, ahead of his time. And I really want to make sure that, in 20 years, George doesn't turn round and say, 'are you ahead of your time?' Because if he does, we're too late.' William is visibly moved as he visits a heavily guarded secure ivory store in Tanzania where 43,000 tusks with a street value of 50 million have been impounded (left) and meets with youngsters to discuss wildlife and the significance of the environment The duke and duchess are featured with Sir David Attenborough during the documentary and are filmed when Kate names a new British polar research vessel after the broadcaster and naturalist. In the documentary, William tells the veteran broadcaster: 'Every generation, you know, after yours, David, has grown up listening and seeing all the things that you've shown them. And, hopefully, each generation listens a little bit more.' Sir David, who last week met the Cambridges and watched his new documentary - A Life On Our Planet - with William, shares the duke's optimism: 'The public is becoming extraordinarily well informed it seems to me. Kids know an awful lot now about ecology and what's happening with the world. It's remarkable.' At the end of the programme, William says he believes that 2020 and the coronavirus pandemic has given people a chance to 'take stock' of what is important. He says: 'I've been really heartened by what I've been hearing from other people and how they've decided to appreciate nature and experience it and see all the things that they never thought they would. 'Someone has to put their head above the parapet and say, I care about this. To have the belief that if we all work together, we can make a difference.' Prince William: A Planet For Us All will be screened on ITV at 9pm on Monday October 5. LONDON, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) -- The leader of Britain's main opposition party, Labour's Keir Starmer, has for the first time moved ahead of Prime Minister Boris Johnson in a major opinion poll Sunday. The Opinium poll for the Observer newspaper has given Starmer a four-point lead over Johnson. In a double blow for the Johnson, the Labour party has also gained a three-point lead over the Conservatives who currently have an 80-seat majority in the House of Commons. Labour gained 42 percent support in the poll, the first time the party has been in the lead since July 2019 when the then Prime Minister Theresa May left 10 Downing Street. Johnson's Conservative Party were given 39 percent of the vote. The newspaper commented that the results mark an extraordinary change in fortunes for Britain's two main parties. Pollsters asked people who would make the best prime minister for Britain, with 55 percent backing Starmer, four points more than votes for Johnson, with the Observer suggesting the result will stir more unrest among Conservative MPs over the performance of the prime minister. The Observer commented the result represents a rapid reversal, adding that just six months ago the Conservatives recorded a 26 point lead over the second place Labour in the early stages of the COVID-19 lockdown. "Approval of government handling of coronavirus then stood at two-thirds (65 percent) of the public. The latest poll shows only 30 percent now approve," the newspaper added. "The underlying polling results suggest that government failings have contributed to Labour's lead," the commentary continued. Opinium's Adam Drummond said: "The Labour Party has finally caught up with its leader in polling. While this is the first time since Boris Johnson became prime minister that Labour has been ahead of the Conservatives on vote share, Starmer has had better approval ratings than the prime minister for some time, and the two leaders have tended to draw on the question of who would be the better prime minister. Now the Labour leader has pulled ahead on that measure as well." Drummond said while there is strong public support for the new COVID-19 restrictions announced by the British government earlier this week, they have not yet resulted in the sort of boost to the government's approval rating that the initial lockdown measures brought in March. Enditem [ Editor: ZY ] Demand has sky-rocketed since Wirex announced their crowdfunding last week. With the aim of giving fintech fans the opportunity to own part of a business revolutionising the cryptocurrency and fintech spaces, the company has ambitious plans going forward that this funding will only accelerate. Reaching their investment goal so rapidly builds on their existing achievements and demonstrates the confidence that investors have in Wirex's endeavour to propel cryptocurrency into the mainstream. With cryptocurrency being one of the most disruptive technologies of 2020, and the global blockchain market size expected to grow at a rate of nearly 70% between 2019 and 2025 , Wirex's game-changing functionality and product offerings have ensured it's well-placed to become the go-to payments platform bridging the gap between traditional and cryptocurrencies. Pavel Matveev, CEO and co-founder of Wirex, shared his excitement at the overwhelming success of the campaign: "It's a great milestone in achieving our original plan to raise 1 million so quickly, but it's unsurprising given that we have already developed a pioneering platform allowing users to seamlessly buy, hold, exchange and spend multiple traditional and cryptocurrencies. We have decided to extend the raise further to give everyone the opportunity to invest and play a part in Wirex's extraordinary journey, sharing our vision to take the company to the next-level and bring cryptocurrency to the mainstream." The company has attracted considerable attention in recent months due to their exceptional performance during COVID-19, based on a unique business model seeing them reach 315 million gross revenue in the last 12 months, the highest number of transactions recorded on their platform in a single month in August 2020, as well as celebrating over 3.1 million customers across 130 countries. Wirex plans to use crowdfunding to build on this success with a revolutionary product overhaul, as well as a launch in the US and Japan in the coming months. Luke Lang, co-founder of Crowdcube, added: "It's very exciting to see Wirex achieve their crowdfunding target in such a short space of time, showing the demand that investors have for a product such as Wirex. I look forward to seeing how much they raise, as demand can often grow once a campaign is overfunding." The public sale for the next phase of fundraising for Wirex's crowdfunding is live from 12pm (BST) today. To invest, visit the Crowdcube website . About Wirex Wirex is a worldwide digital payment platform and regulated institution that has forged new rules in the digital payments space. In 2015, the firm developed the world's first contactless payment card that gives users the ability to seamlessly spend crypto and traditional currencies in real life. Wirex was created in 2014 by CEOs and co-founders Pavel Mateev and Dmitry Lazarichev, who identified the need to open up the esoteric world of cryptocurrencies and make digital money accessible for everyone. With the core aim of making it as easy as possible to use digital assets in everyday life, Wirex provides a trusted and cost-effective service for crypto and traditional currency transactions by incorporating the next generation of payments infrastructure integrated with cryptocurrency blockchains. With over three million customers across 130 countries, the company offers secure accounts that allow customers to easily store, buy and exchange multiple currencies instantly at the best live rates on one centralised mobile app. Quick and simple money transfer options are available, as well as the freedom to spend 150+ traditional and cryptocurrencies in more than 54 million locations around the world using the Wirex card. Wirex continues to develop the product in line with market developments, whilst adhering to regional regulations and securing appropriate licencing where it exists. A proven industry pioneer, Wirex introduced the world's first bitcoin reward programme, Cryptoback, which earns cardholders up to 1.5% back in Bitcoin for every in-store transaction they make. They also launched their own native utility token, WXT, which entitles holders to rewards and incentives such as heavily-discounted fees and higher Cryptoback rewards. Wirex is based in London with offices in Singapore, Kyiv, Tokyo, Toronto, Dallas and Atlanta. With over $3bn worth of transactions processed already and rapid expansion into new territories, Wirex is uniquely placed to support and promote the mass adoption of a cashless society through creative solutions. | wirexapp.com | SOURCE Wirex Related Links wirexapp.com Turkish prosecutors have prepared a second indictment against six Saudi officials in connection with the 2018 murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Istanbul, broadcaster NTV and other media said on Monday. The reports did not specify the charges in the indictment, nor did they say whether the six suspects were among those already being tried in absentia in an Istanbul court for Khashoggis killing. A Saudi court this month jailed eight people for between seven and 20 years for the murder, four months after Khashoggis family forgave his killers and enabled earlier death sentences to be set aside. New Delhi, Sep 28 : The Supreme Court permitted an applicant, who is suspected of being Covid-19 positive, to appear in the CLAT 2020 entrance exam scheduled on Monday. A bench comprising Justices Ashok Bhushan, R. Subhash Reddy and M.R. Shah said the court is of the view that the applicant should be permitted to take his CLAT examination on September 28, in a separate isolation room to be provided by his Centre Superintendent. The bench asked the applicant to ensure that a downloaded copy of the top court order is presented before his Centre Superintendent as early as possible by any other non-symptomatic person. "On such order being produced, Centre Superintendent shall provide a separate room for applicant to appear in the examination. Applicant shall enter into centre after other candidates take entry and shall first leave the examination centre," said the bench. The bench, disposing of the application, observed that the Centre Superintendent may also request the Chief Medical officer of the District or Superintendent, government hospital to provide a medical staff to render necessary assistance. In the application, the student aspiring to clear the CLAT exam said that he is presently in isolation due to his being suspected of being Covid positive. "He is otherwise fine and is fully ready and prepared to give the Common Law Admission Test, 2020 (CLAT) examination scheduled to take place on September 28," said the application. The bench noted that according to its order on September 21, it had paved the way for CLAT 2020 taking all precautions and care for health of the students after following the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) of the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare (MoHFW) and Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD). The applicant had argued that as per the admit card issued, Covid-19 symptomatic candidates will be allocated an isolated room but instructions have been issued by the consortium that candidates, who have been tested positive and are under medical surveillance or in isolation will not be permitted to take the CLAT, 2020 examination. Guwahati/Imphal, Sep 28 : A huge quantity of drugs, valued at Rs 25 crore, was seized in central Assam's Karbi Anglong district on Sunday night and one person arrested, police said on Monday. Assam's Director General of Police Bhaskar Jyoti Mahanta said in a tweet: "The market value of the 5.05 KG of heroin recovered is said to be Rs 25 Crores ! One Ismail Ali, S/o Akabor Ali under Jogighopa PS has been taken into custody. This operation is part of an ongoing drive against drugs declared by DGP Assam on 26 Jun'20." In another tweet, the police chief said: "The war on drugs is on and the Assam Police just delivered the biggest blow yet to the drug mafias! The Karbi Anglong police last night (Sunday night) seized a whopping 5 KGs of quality Heroin at Assam-Nagaland border. Kudos to the team!" Meanwhile, the Assam police on Friday night intercepted a Guwahati-bound truck coming from Manipur at a checkpost on the Dimapur-Manja road and recovered drugs including brown sugar, heroin and Yaba (Methamphetamine) tablets valued at Rs 5 crore from the vehicle in the same Karbi Anglong district and arrested three people. The drugs, which were in 143 packets, are suspected to have been smuggled from Myanmar through Manipur, which shares around 400 km of unfenced border with the neighbouring country. On Saturday, Assam Rifles had intercepted 670 grams of heroin and 1,24,000 Yaba tablets worth Rs 6.4 crores near Moltuk in Chandel district in southern Manipur. Smuggling of drugs, arms and other contraband is taking place frequently in the northeastern region across the borders specially from Myanmar. Four northeastern states - Arunachal Pradesh (520 km), Manipur (398 km), Nagaland (215 km) and Mizoram (510 km) - share 1,643-km of unfenced border with Myanmar. . A majority of Libyans, including most of the people ruled by the UN-backed GNA (Government of National Accord) in Tripoli, want the Turks and their Syrian mercenaries out of the country. The Turks refuse, insisting that they signed a binding agreement with the GNA leader. That leader, GNA prime minister Faiez Serraj announced he will resign at the end of October, after four years in office. Originally the GNA was created to unite the entire country in an agreement for elections and a return to stable government. That has not happened, in large part because the Islamic militias that dominate Tripoli and Misrata cant agree with each other and are opposed to any national government that seeks to curb their power and privileges. Tripoli is the traditional capital and together with nearby Misrata, dominates western Libya. Tripoli is the largest city in the country of six million, containing 20 percent of all Libyans. Misrata has about six percent. Since the UN created the GNA in 2016 there have not been elections, although the HoR (Horse of Representatives) government in Tobruk was created by the last national elections in 2014 and refused to cede power to the GNA. Although the HoR was created by an election the elected representatives could not agree on much. The GNA was supposed to solve that problem but couldnt. Serraj is fed up with four years of frustration and apparently regrets signing off on the deal with the Turks. The problem is that Libya has never been a democracy but rather a collection of powerful tribes and clans presided over by a king (until the 1960s) and then a military dictator until 2011. Since then no one has been in charge. There have been some national agreements to keep the oil facilities operating and oil exported. Libya cannot feed or sustain its six million population without the oil income. Take away the oil and Libya reverts to a relatively poor North African country that can only support a few million people, at most. Until the 20th century the population of Libya never exceeded a million people and until the 19th century had never exceeded half a million. While Serraj struggled with his GNA, which was dominated by Islamic militias from Tripoli and Misrata, tribes in eastern Libya rallied around former exile Khalifa Hiftar, who had fled Libya in the 1980s after incurring the wrath of dictator Kaddafi. Now an American citizen, Hiftar, a former Libyan Army colonel, managed to revive some of the units of the Kaddafi-era military and began taking control of military bases from militias or Islamic terrorists who had occupied them. The eastern tribes, and most Libyan tribes, wanted the Islamic terror groups gone. Hiftar agreed and in 2014 began to do just that, as well as expanding the network of tribes that supported him. Hiftar acknowledged the HoR government and remained loyal to it when it was forced to move to Tobruk by the new GNA. Hiftar sees the recent Turkish intervention as yet another obstacle to national unity. Turkey supports Islamic government which most Libyans oppose. People in Tripoli and Misrata have come to loathe Islamic government because the Islamic militias have not brought peace and prosperity but perpetual violence and poverty. The Turks intervened because prime minister Serraj signed an agreement with Turkey in November 2019 giving Turkey rights over large offshore areas that overlap with Greek claims. In return Turkey agreed to provide military assistance to prevent the LNA from seizing control of Tripoli and eliminating the GNA as a government that controlled any Libyan territory. This Turkey deal was declared illegal by most other Mediterranean nations and technically GNA did not have the authority to make such a deal. GNA is not a government but a UN created entity that was supposed to unite the country and hold elections. The only entity in Libya close to doing that is the HoR government and its LNA armed forces. So far the UN refuses to abandon its failed GNA experiment, and has done nothing to discourage Turkey from its expansion into Libya and central Mediterranean waters which other nations have existing rights to. The UN is backing yet another peace conference in an effort to get the HoR and GNA to agree to form a united government. The biggest obstacle to that is Turkey, which the UN refuses to take on. While Turkey is seen as an invader, Russian forces, which have been supporting the LNA for over three years, is seen as an ally in the fight against Islamic terrorism. Russia and Turkey are allies in Syria but are actually fighting each other in Libya. Well, not exactly fighting anymore but maintaining armed forces and confronting each other in anticipation of a peaceful settlement. In addition to Russia the LNA was backed by Egypt, the UAE and Saudi Arabia. In Syria Russian airstrikes have killed Turkish troops while the Turks have killed Syrian troops. That has also stopped, for the moment. The Libya fighting resulted in NATO countries openly backing Greece in the maritime dispute with Turkey that led to the Libya invasion. In Syria Turkey, Russia and Iran continue to pretend they are all friends and allies of Syria but the reality is different and becoming more visible and violent. Syrians fear Russia and Turkey will join forces to extract what they can from Syrian. Many Libyans fear that Russia and Turkey are planning to grab the Libyan oil and keep it for themselves. Theres nothing like that to be grabbed in Syria. Russia may also be seeking use of a Libyan port as a naval base. That has already been obtained in Syria. At the moment Russian and Turkish forces in Libya are observing a ceasefire and an effort to settle the civil war there peacefully. That remains to be seen. September 26, 2020: Oil exports have risen to 250,000 BPD (barrels per day) since a month ago when the LNA ordered preparations for oil exports to resume. The key oil ports include Ras Lanuf (620 kilometers east of Tripoli) and Es Sider/Sidra (20-30 kilometers further east). In normal times Es Sider and Ras Lanuf can ship 600,000 barrels a day. Nearby is the oil port of Zueitina (220 kilometers west of Ras Lanuf and 180 kilometers southwest of Benghazi). In between Ras Lanuf and Zueitina is the oil port at Brega. Ras Lanuf , Zueitina and Brega can export 800,000 BPD. Max Libyan production is a little over a million BPD. September 25, 2020: In Tripoli two GNA backed militias went to war with each other. This was another violent territorial dispute. This one led to many deaths on both sides as well as a lot of property damage. The UN demanded that the GNA do something about this and the GNA ordered the militias to cease fire and comply with GNA orders. The militias refused, as they have long done. September 18, 2020: LNA commander Hiftar met with GNA deputy prime minister Maitiq and negotiated an agreement to reopen oil facilities and resume oil exports. This came after a month of negotiations over the terms of this deal. A key point in the agreement is that oil income will not be used to pay for foreign mercenaries. This mainly means the Turks who, unlike the Russians and Arab states that back the LNA, have not asked to be paid. The Turks are in it for the money and this has divided the GNA government with some ministers willing to pay for Turkish assistance while other want the Turks out. GNA prime minister Serraj backs the LNA deal but cannot control the pro-Turkey ministers or some of the militias that insist that the Turk mercenaries stay. Without the Turks the GNA would be vulnerable to another LNA offensive. Serraj finally decided to resign after a new prime minister was selected. That presents more problems as there is no candidate with a majority of support and the pro-Turkey faction threatens violence if an anti-Turkey prime minister is selected. September 15, 2020 : In the south (Sabha, 770 kilometers south of Tripoli) LNA troops raided a suspected ISIL (Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant) hideout and after a six-hour battle with the nine ISIL people inside, captured the building and seven dead terrorists. Subsequent efforts to identify the dead men discovered that two were Libyans while three were from Saudi Arabia, one from Egypt and one from Australia. Two women, a Libyan and an Egyptian, were taken alive. Further investigation found that one of the dead men was the senior ISIL leader in Libya and North Africa. The dead Australian was not an Australian citizen and had an Australian ID card because he lived in Australia at one time. Three LNA troops were killed during the operation. September 6, 2020: In neighboring Tunisia three Islamic terrorists armed with knives attacked some soldiers, killing one and wounding another before being killed by other soldiers. The attack began when the three attackers in a car rammed the vehicle the soldiers were riding in. Except in Libya and Egypt, where Islamic terrorists are still active, there has been little Islamic terrorist activity in North Africa this year. Libya has a lot of Islamic terrorists but they have largely been killed or suppressed by the Libyan National Army, which controls most of the country. August 31, 2020: The UN reported that it had tracked 338 Russian military transport flights to Libya in a nine-month period ending at the end of July 2020. The UN estimates that Russia still has over a thousand military contractors in Libya in addition to a growing number of Russian Air Force combat aircraft. The UN also monitored Turkey, the UAE (United Arab Emirates), Jordan and Qatar sending weapons to Libya via air and ship. All of this in in violation of an arms embargo for Libya. August 28, 2020: The LNA ordered the three main oil export ports to prepare to resume exports. The LNA had halted the exports in January in response to the Turkish military activity in western Libya. August 27, 2020: Algeria praised a ceasefire agreement in neighboring Libya. That is only a pause in the war because Turkey continues to enlarge its forces there and preparations for a major offensive. Algeria has no interest in sending troops to Libya as peacekeepers or to eject the Turkish invaders. Since independence from France in 1962, Algerian law has banned use of the army outside Algeria. Like all the other North African countries, except Egypt, Algeria wants a peaceful settlement to the fighting in Libya. With the recent (since late 2019) Turkish intervention peace in Libya may be later rather than sooner. August 25, 2020: Turkey does not seem to fear an Egyptian military response to their invasion of western Libya even though Egyptian forces are gathering at the Libyan border. The official Turkish view is that Egypt is a wholly owned subsidiary of Saudis Arabia and the UAE who have been backing the anti-Islamic terrorist/Moslem Brotherhood LNA in Libya for years. The Turks may underestimate the Arab hostility towards their aggression in North Africa. Iranian involvement is more recent and after the religious dictatorship took power in the 1980s Kaddafi was one of the few Arab rulers the Iranians could do business with. Because of that, Iranian interference is not welcome either. Russian ally g eneral Hiftar, commander of the LNA, is not supporting the four-day old ceasefire agreement. The LNA is concentrating forces in the coastal city of Sirte while Turkish forces keep arriving from western Libya and deploying for an attack on the city. To Hiftar this indicates that the Turks have no intention of maintaining the ceasefire. PETERBOROUGH, ON (September 28, 2020)- Peterborough Speedway has traditionally brought-out the best in the Trailers Plus Ontario Legend Series. Before the arrival of the Coronavirus Pandemic, the venue known as Canadas Toughest 1/3-Mile Paved Oval was to play host to the 2020 edition of the Canadian Legend Asphalt Nationals. With the entire schedule turned topsy-turvy because of COVID-19, the tour checked-in for a 30-lap main event in Central Ontario Saturday, September 26th. With Joe Adams and Miles Tyson on the front row, a strong field of 21 starters was scheduled for the green flag. Tyson took the early lead, with last weeks winner Matt Haufe who started fourth trapped in the outside line, before slipping into seventh. Nick Ledson took control of the event, with Parker Traves and Tyson second and third before the races first caution flag flew for a backstretch issue on lap nine. Another yellow flag about a handful of laps later led to a restart with Ledson, Haufe, Traves, Tyson and Kevin Foisy in the top five. Ledson felt the heat from his rivals several times during the 30-lap distance but even a pair of late race cautions including one with only five laps remaining would make a difference. A late race highlight reel finish, with Ledsons No. 15N crossing the line backwards while the rest of the pack scattered behind him gave him the win. Tyson, Haufe, Traves and Foisy followed Ledson to the checkered flag. Dawson Drimmie, Adams, Adam Cuthbertson, Nolan Gould, Paul Pierik, Shane Pollack, Mark Griffin, Andrew Massey, Thomas Dunn, Nick Portt, Chris Massey, Jeff Forsey, Wendy Adams and Jeremy Coulter rounded-out the finishing order. Brandon Feeney was unable to make the starting field. Ontario Legend Series qualifying heat winners: Parker Traves (x2), Nick Ledson (x2), Adam Cuthbertson and Dawson Drimmie. All finishing positions are unofficial and subject to scoring review and post-race technical inspection. Ontario Legend Series notebook: A B main semi feature was added to the nights program, with Nolan Gould taking the win over Paul Pierik, Mark Griffin, Jeremy Coulter and Nick Portt. Since 1986, series title sponsor Trailers Plus has carried a full line of new and used cargo, sport, utility, livestock trailers and car haulers to do the job. To learn more about their complete product line, see Trailers Plus at 2223 Drummond Line in Peterborough, call 877.703.5085 or visit www.trailersplus.net. Like the Ontario Legends Series page on www.facebook.com and look for the exciting web-site www.ontariolegendseries.com. Prepared by Jim Clarke, Clarke Motorsports Communications/First Draft Media clarkemotorsports@hotmail.com, www.facebook.com/clarkemotorsports 613.968.6410 Were it in a less toxic industry, there might be an outcry about the sale of William Hill to a foreign predator. After all, the company has been highly innovative. What a shame its advances are in the field of online gambling technology, which makes it trickier to argue it's a great British business that should never be flogged to the Americans. The UK has led the field in internet gaming, which has boomed during the pandemic. Our Gibraltar-loving gambling firms have also been pioneers in tax minimisation. Now we are exporting that expertise to the US. Up in lights: The offer of 272p a share for William Hill from US casinos operator Caesars looks a pretty good one for investors The offer of 272p a share for William Hill from US casinos operator Caesars looks a pretty good one for investors. Chairman Roger Devlin, who has tidied up at William Hill over the past couple of years as well as sorting out the mess at housebuilder Persimmon where he is also chair, deserves some credit here. True, shares leapt above the offer level yesterday. But in March when the first lockdown began, they were trading at less than 40p. There was a placing as recently as June at 128p. Hopes for a higher price centre around the US side of the business, which has the potential for explosive growth after the liberalisation of gambling in many states. But that is only 8 per cent of the business overall and there are substantial regulatory risks. The US is relaxing controls on gambling but could switch back in the opposite direction if the experience here is anything to go by. The deal, along with the other corporate activity in the sector, will focus attention on some of the vast personal fortunes being created from UK gambling enterprises and prompt calls for tougher regulation. Among the big winners at William Hill are the billionaire Done brothers, Fred and Peter, who have a 6 per cent stake. The septuagenarian siblings, who founded Betfred, have seen the value of their holding soar. Other gambling bosses have made enormous piles. Denise Coates, the founder of privately-owned firm Bet365 paid herself 323m last year. GVC, which owns Ladbrokes Coral faced a shareholder rebellion two years ago over payments of 67m to two top bosses. At the same time there is a stream of distressing cases of gambling addicts driven to suicide, including that of 25-year-old engineer Chris Bruney, who took his own life after running up huge debts. This speaks of an industry that is highly vulnerable to clampdowns and boycotts by ethical investors. Any gambler knows the value of quitting when they are ahead. Asda bid Moving in the opposite direction to William Hill is supermarket chain Asda, which may be heading back into British hands after two decades as part of the US Walmart empire. The Issa brothers, a pair of petrol station billionaires based in Blackburn, are the front runners. Grocery giants ought to have been able to cash in during the pandemic but the big three, Sainsbury's, Morrisons and Tesco, have seen their share prices fall this year. Partly that is due to increased costs for hiring staff and making their stores Covidsafe, partly down to competition from online and from discounters. Ocado, which has just embarked on its joint venture with M&S, is the stand-out success: its shares have more than doubled since the start of the year. The German cut-price operators Aldi and Lidl are the other great threat, with the latter announcing yesterday its biggest-ever investment in the UK. All three traditional operators are under pressure but the Asda deal puts the spotlight on Sainsbury's, whose own plans for a multi-billion pound merger unravelled. If it doesn't come up with a convincing new strategy, it could become a target for private equity itself, as it has been in the past. Supermarkets are getting exciting. HSBC bounce Some relief for troubled HSBC has come after its largest shareholder, Ping An Asset Management, increased its stake. The shares rose by 9 per cent, but I stick by my view the bank is in deep crisis. The increase merely compensated for a similar plunge last week and since the start of the year, the shares have halved. Some interpret the Ping An stake as a sign China, which is said to be considering branding the bank an 'unreliable entity' may be softening, but other experienced investors are less sure. The North Tongu District arm of the Formed Police Unit (FPU) has retrieved two police vehicles and an AK-47, as part of the items stolen by secessionist group, Western Togoland Restoration Front. The vehicles and gun were retrieved on Saturday night, 26 September 2020. They formed part of the items that the group made away with after they attacked the Aveyime police station. They were alleged to have freed two cell inmates and locked up some police officers who were on duty at the time. Class News Volta regional correspondent, Albert Kuzor, reported that the group deflated the tyres of two private vehicles belonging to police personnel and an official police vehicle at the station. The group also seized the mobile phones of the police personnel on duty and physically assaulted and threatened their lives. Meanwhile, the Member of Parliament for the area, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, on Sunday, 27 September 2020, visited the crime scene to assess the level of damage. Addressing the media during the visit, the North Tongu MP noted: Im deeply troubled and worried. What weve seen today, it does not portend well. Im wondering why the North Tongu constituency was targeted in this coordinated invasion. Mr Ablakwa indicated that the National Security Secretariat and the entire security establishment of the country has failed and called on the government to intervene and curb the activities of the group. What is clear to me is that National Security will have to sit up. This is a clear case of intelligence failure. It is clear that this whole secessionist agenda has now metamorphosed into something else. You are having splinter groups now; now I do not know, as the Member of Parliament, how many groups are out there and how many of my youth are exposed to this groups. I also do not know, at this point, exactly what the situation is, so far as the whole organisation of the group is concerned. National Security and the entire security architecture of our country clearly has been caught unawares and the whole security establishment of our country has been exposed. And the Ghanaian government that has the constitutional mandate to protect us must sit up, Mr Ablakwa said. The opposition MP also urged the youth of the area to desist from supporting the group. ---classfmomnline Williams had paid for the hotel room where the women stayed for the night. The victim was returning from a nearby Walgreens when an assailant followed her inside the hotel, authorities said. After exiting the elevator on her way back to her room, she was grabbed from behind and dragged into a stairwell, where she was tied to a railing with her own leggings, assaulted and robbed. By Lee Gyu-lee Production of JTBC's new romance series "Run On" has been suspended temporarily after a staff member tested positive for COVID-19 Sunday. According to the network Monday, other staff members, including main actors Im Si-wan and Shin Se-kyung, are under self-quarantine after tests. Im and Shin have tested negative for the virus. After receiving the test results for all the others, the team will decide when to return to work. This is the second time the series' production has been put on hold due to the virus. Shooting was suspended last month after a production staff member came in contact with a coronavirus patient. Production was soon put back on track after the staff member tested negative. "Run On," starring Im, Shin, Choi Soo-young and Kang Tae-oh as the leads, follows a national team sprinter who falls in love with a film translator. The series is set to premiere this year. President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev sent a congratulatory letter to Frank-Walter Steinmeier, President of the Federal Republic of Germany. "Dear Mr. President, It is on the occasion of the national holiday of your country 30th anniversary of German Unity Day that on my own behalf and on behalf of the people of Azerbaijan I cordially congratulate you and through you, your people. The Republic of Azerbaijan attaches special importance to the development of relations with the Federal Republic of Germany across different areas. Our political engagement is accompanied by active and productive cooperation in the economic and humanitarian spheres. I believe that the ties of mutually beneficial cooperation between our countries will continue to develop and expand in line with the interests of our peoples. I wish to note that the people of Azerbaijan stand in solidarity with the friendly people of Germany in the fight of the COVID-19 pandemic faced by mankind. On this auspicious day, I wish strong health and happiness to you, and everlasting peace and prosperity to the Federal Republic of Germany," the letter said. Former President John Mahama has today, Monday, 28 September resume his campaign tour of the Bono Region. Mr Mahama cut short that tour last week over concerns with the voter register exhibition exercise. I am cutting short my tour of the Bono Region to return to Accra because of the increasing reports of challenges with the voter register and the exhibition process, Mr Mahama wrote on his Facebook timeline on Tuesday, 22 September 2020. Mr Mahama returned to Accra where he addressed the press and reiterated that neither he nor the National Democratic Congress (NDC), which he is leading into the 7 December 2020 polls, will accept the results of flawed elections. He also said the Electoral Commissions extension of the voter exhibition exercise by two days was inadequate to address the magnitude of challenges discovered vis-a-vis the provisional roll. The former President, therefore, called on the election management body to extend the period beyond the two days. The Electoral Commission has, however, said it has retrieved almost all the voter names that went missing on the newly-compiled voter roll. Mr Mahamas tour of the Bono region ends on 30 September 2020. ---classfmonline A recent trip to Damascus by Sergey Lavrov has heightened speculation that Russia is looking for a political solution in Syria, which would allow them to reap rewards writes Asharq Al-Awsat. On Sept. 7, 2020, a high-level Russian delegation visited Damascus and met with officials from the Assad regime. This particular visit differs from the previous one in two ways. The first is that the Russian delegation, headed by Sergey Lavrov, whose last visit to Damascus was years ago, had an economic aspect. However, that does not cancel out the clear political aspect of the visit. The second is the nonchalance with which the Assad regime received the delegation, which paled in comparison to its predecessors, noting that the Assad regime was dissatisfied with the Russian proposals. The visit was preceded by a meeting in Doha, Qatar, which brought together Russian Special Envoy to Syria, Mikhail Bogdanov, in addition to the head of the Mother Syria Movement and former head of National Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces, Moaz al-Khatib, who is known for being close with the Russians. The visit was preceded by the signing of a political agreement between the political leadership of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), in an allegiance with the Syrian Democratic Council (SDC), headed by Ilham Ahmed, and the head of the Peoples Will Party, Qadri Jamil, who is also close with the Russians. On Friday, it was announced that Ahmed Jarba, the Syrian National Coalitions former president and current President of the Tomorrow Movement, will visit Moscow via Istanbul, Turkey. Jarba had announced on Jul. 28, 2020, the establishment of the so-called Peace and Freedom Front. The new front includes the Assyrian Democratic Organization, the Kurdish National Council, Syrias al-Ghad Movement (Tomorrow Movement) headed by Jarba and his allies in the Arab Council in Euphrates and al-Jazeera, all of which have links to the Democratic Union party and political and military partnerships, as is the case with the Tomorrow Movement and its allies. There is also talk of Russian support for an intra-Kurdish dialogue involving the PYD and the Kurdish National Council, a member of the National Coalition, amid tense relations with other components of the coalition that support the Turkish vision regarding the Syrian situation. The Russian diplomatic and political movement ahead of the US elections reinforces the view that Russia has begun laying down the foundation for a political solution, especially after Lavrov announced the end of the military operations with the Syrian opposition factions, which indicates Russias transition to plan B. The latter includes putting a political solution in motion, according to the Russian vision. Although the particulars of this solution are still not known, preserving the structure of the regime and its backbone is the most prominent characteristic of the solution. At the same time, Russia needs another opposition party to help bring this solution to life. However, due to the weakness of the oppositions structure and the fragility of its components, especially the Moscow Platform of the Syrian opposition, close to Russia, there seems to be an urgent need for the emergence of a political force that combines the Russian vision and some of the oppositions demands, which is what Russia is working towards. The forces main bloc seems too dependent on the Peoples Will Party and its allies in the Moscow Platform as well as the Mother Syria Movement, led by Khatib and the SDC, the political wing of the SDF, in addition to the Peace and Freedom Front, headed by Jarba. We might, at a later stage, witness the induction of other blocs and members that have not yet been announced. This new formation threatens the components of the Syrian opposition, especially if Moscow works to integrate the opposition into the Constitutional Committee and the High Negotiations Commission (HNC), which is what Moscow wants in order to impose its conditions, all the while taking advantage of the American preoccupation with the upcoming elections. Consequently, the coming weeks may bear witness to the announcement of a movement or a front, which is in some way a third movement that provides Russia with a political cover through which it tries to impose its vision, making it a fait accompli. Perhaps the most prominent feature of the Russian vision is partnering with the Syrian regime in a transitional, national unity government after the elections in Syria spring of next year. The biggest challenge facing the Russian plan is the Turkish refusal to include the SDF in the movement, which means that Russian diplomacy must find solutions, albeit temporary, to satisfy both sides. These blocs and movements have different political loyalties, so what is Moscows goal of synthesizing them into a single political body? Perhaps what the Russians want is to win the support of the backers of these forces, especially the Gulf states that support both Khatib and Jarba. If Moscows efforts were to succeed, we will witness new political alignments, with a possibility of internal differences within the ranks of the political opposition, especially the National Coalition, which seeks to further expand in an attempt to compensate for its recent political and moral losses. 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. Marriage is a topic that is ripe to be explored in depth in a novel, and this months Book Report features two novels that take a look at marriage in two different stages. Sue Millers latest entry into fiction is Monogamy." Graham and Annie have been married for 30 years, a second marriage for each. Graham owns a bookstore in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and Annie is a photographer, currently working on a show in a local gallery that she hopes will revitalize her career. They met years ago when Annie attended the grand opening party of Grahams store. Annie married young and divorced her husband after six years. Grahams wife Frieda left him because, although she agreed to the idea of an open marriage, the reality of living it devastated her. Graham and Frieda remained friendly, co-parenting their son Lucas, now working in publishing in New York. Frieda and Annie became friends, too, and Frieda is always a part of their family celebrations. Annie and Grahams adult daughter, Sarah, lives on the West Coast. Graham was a big man, taking up a lot of space. He was always the life of any party, gregarious, making everyone feel important. Annie was quieter; some people may have even thought her a bit cold. Her career as a photographer, seeing life through the lens of a camera, suited her personality. They have a happy marriage, enjoy each others company, share in each others successes. On the eve of Annies big show, she wakes up to find Graham dead in bed next to her. We watch as Annie has to deal with the multitude of things that need to be taken care of, as well as her own grief. At a memorial service for Graham, Annie discovers that he had been unfaithful to her. This guts her, and causes her to reassess her entire marriage to Graham. Why did this happen? Was he incapable of fidelity? Miller deftly explores the history of a marriage and loss, and the reader becomes completely absorbed in the emotional aftermath of Grahams death. We see Annie and Graham through the eyes of their daughter, who says, My mother is always okay. That is the division of labor in my family. My mother holds it all in, my father lets it out. Monogamy is a quiet book, with characters who are so well-drawn we feel as though we know them. Sue Miller is at the top of her game with this beautifully written story. If you want to read a novel for Hispanic Heritage Month, Angie Cruzs novel Dominicana is a great one. Fifteen-year-old Ana lives in the countryside in the Dominican Republic in 1964. Her family struggles financially, and when an older local man, Juan Ruiz, has his eye on her, Anas mother is thrilled. Juan travels to New York City, where he has an apartment and works many jobs. Anas mother believes that if Ana marries Juan, it will enable the entire family to emigrate to the United States, where they can make money and have a better life. Ana does not want to marry Juan, but has no choice. She must do this for her family. She travels to New York, where she is expected to cook and clean for Juan and his brother Cesar, who also lives with them. She speaks no English, and is not allowed to leave the apartment. We see 1965 New York City through the eyes of these hard-working immigrants. Juan and Cesar line up daily outside a hotel, hoping to be chosen as a day worker in the kitchen. They work two or three jobs, often in a single day, to make enough money to send home to fulfill their dream of opening a restaurant. Ana does not love Juan; he can be abusive and demanding. She is lonely, and wants to learn English and get a job to have her own money. Shes not allowed to make any friends. When there is political upheaval in the Dominican Republic, Juan returns home to protect his property. That leaves Cesar to keep watch over Ana. Cesar allows Ana more freedom, and she experiences life in New York on a different level. She and Cesar become closer as well. Its interesting to read an immigrant story set in this time period, to see New York City in 1965 through their eyes. Its not a story often told. This celebrated book is a Good Morning America Book Club pick. Diane La Rue is a member of the National Book Critics Circle and blogs about books at http://bookchickdi.blogspot.com. You can follow her on Twitter @bookchickdi, and she can be emailed at laruediane2000@yahoo.com. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Now-former Prince George's County Police Department officer Michael Owen Jr is charged with second-degree murder following the killing of William Green. (AP) The family of a black man fatally shot six times by police while his hands were cuffed behind his back in a patrol car will receive $20m, among one of the largest settlement payments involving a person killed by police. Prince George County officials announced terms of the settlement for the family of 43-year-old William Green, who was killed on 27 January. Officer Michael Owen Jr was arrested the following day and fired from the Prince Georges County Police Department. He has been charged with second-degree murder. He also was charged with voluntary and involuntary manslaughter, first-degree assault and use of a firearm in the commission of a crime of violence. County Executive Angela Alsobrooks announced the settlement on Monday morning alongside Mr Greens family members and attorney Billy Murphy, who had secured a $6.4m settlement with Baltimore officials for the family of Freddie Gray in 2015. Initial police reports following the killing of Mr Green, from Washington DC, claimed that witnesses reported a struggle inside a police cruiser. But investigators said there was no evidence that the two men had struggled before Mr Owen fired at him while he was handcuffed in the front passenger seat. Police reportedly found Mr Green asleep in his car when Mr Owen had placed him in handcuffs and sat him inside his cruiser while waiting to determine whether he was under the influence. Mr Owen then fired seven shots, six of which hit Mr Green, according to prosecutors. He is the first officer from Prince Georges County to face murder charges while on the force. He will face a trial for the charges against him, with possible jury selection to begin in March 2021, officials said. "It is our belief that when we are at fault, we take responsibility," Ms Alsobrooks said on Monday He died the same night as his daughters mother, said Brenda Green, Mr Greens daughter. I share that day mourning my father as well, she said. I must make sure you never forget his name. We must use these resources to fight police brutality. Story continues The settlement follows the city of Louisvilles $12m arrangement to the estate of Breonna Taylor, a 26-year-old black woman who was fatally shot by police during a raid at her apartment in March. Her death, and the deaths of other black Americans by police throughout 2020, have galvanised international demonstrations demanding justice for their killings and an end to systemic racism that has immunised officers from facing legal consequences. Mr Owen, who is also black, was held without bail in January after a judge agreed with prosecutors that he posed a danger to the community if released. He was involved with at least two other shootings one of them fatal over his 10 years of employment with the force. His killing of 35-year-old Rodney Deron Edwards in 2011 is under review. Armenian armed forces artillery units that have been targeting our human settlements in the Aghdara direction were struck, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry reported on September 28. Armenian armed units, which suffered heavy losses as a result of accurate artillery fire, were forced to withdraw from their firing positions. Armenian armed forces launched a large-scale military attack on positions of the Azerbaijani army on the front line, using large-caliber weapons, mortars, and artillery on Sept. 27. Azerbaijan responded with a counter-offensive along the entire front. As a result of retaliation, Azerbaijani troops managed to liberate the territories previously occupied by Armenia: Garakhanbeyli, Garvend, Kend Horadiz, Yukhari, Ashagi Abdulrahmanli villages (Fuzuli district), Boyuk Marjanli, and Nuzgar villages (Jabrayil district). Moreover, the positions of the Armenian armed forces were destroyed in the direction of Azerbaijan's Agdere district and Murovdag, important heights were taken under control. Back in July 2020, the Armenian Armed Forces violated the ceasefire in the direction of Azerbaijan's Tovuz district. As a result of Azerbaijan's retaliation, the opposing forces were silenced. The fighting continued the following days as well. Azerbaijan lost a number of military personnel members, who died fighting off the attacks of the Armenian armed forces. The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on the withdrawal of its armed forces from Nagorno Karabakh and the surrounding districts. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz C onservative politicians have accused the Government of "covert mission creep" and trying to "terrify the British people" in its response to the surge in Covid-19 cases. The Tory backlash to further restrictions emerged as the House of Commons embarked on a lengthy debate on the Covid-19 crisis on Monday. MPs will vote on Wednesday on whether to renew the powers in the Coronavirus Act. It comes as Mr Johnson is under increasing pressure to give Parliament the opportunity to debate and vote on future restrictions. Conservative backbencher Sir Christopher Chope said the Government was guilty of covert mission creep over its expansion of coronavirus regulations using secondary legislation. He said: Im not yet persuaded that I need to support the continuation of the Coronavirus Act. And why am I not persuaded of that? Because the Government is guilty of covert mission creep. When we were told six months ago that it was necessary to rush legislation through it was on the basis that we wanted to prevent our NHS being overwhelmed with people dying from Covid in hospital corridors and not being able to access the care that they needed. Fortunately, as a result of the emergency measures that were taken, that scenario never arose, people were taken to hospital and they received the very best treatment in a hospital and continue so to do. So the original objective of this legislation has been achieved but as so often happens with regulation brought in by governments, they want to keep the regulations. They say oh well we need to keep them just in case." Former minister Sir Desmond Swayne claimed it was a sacking offence for the Governments chief scientific and medical advisers to deliver a presentation to warn how 200 or more people in the UK could die each day by mid-November if the current rate of infection was not halted. Speaking in the Commons, Sir Desmond earlier said: The purpose of politicians is to impose a measure of proportion, a sense of proportion on science, and not to be enthralled to it. Now I will make myself very unpopular, but I believe that the appearance of the chiefs (chief medical officer Prof Chris Whitty and chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance) last week should have been a sacking offence. When they presented that graph, with the caveat that it wasnt a prediction, but nevertheless it was clear that they presented it as a plausible scenario, with its 50,000 cases per day by mid-October based on the doubling of infections by the week. Sir Patrick Vallance: UK could see 50,000 cases a day by mid-October unless action is taken Not once, not on one day since March have there been infections on that day that were double that of the day of the week proceeding. Not once. Where did this doubling come from? What was their purpose in presenting such a graph? It was the purpose of the Fat Boy in Pickwick Papers, I wants to make yer flesh creep. It was project fear, it was an attempt to terrify the British people, as if they havent been terrified enough. Sir Desmond said he believed the Governments policy has been disproportionate, adding: By decree, it has interfered in our private lives, and our family lives, telling us who we may meet, when we may meet them and what we must wear when we meet them. We have the cruelty, the cruelty, of elderly people in care homes, disorientated, being unable to see the faces of their loved ones and to receive a hug. Coronavirus hits the UK - In pictures 1 /81 Coronavirus hits the UK - In pictures A deserted Westminster Bridge PA A man wearing a face mask or covering due to the COVID-19 pandemic, walks past customers sat outside a restaurant AFP via Getty Images Boris Johnson addresses the nation on the Coronavirus lockdown Andrew Parsons Runners pass cardboard cutouts of Britain's Queen Elizabeth II and Prince William during the London Marathon in London AP An empty escalator at Charing Coss London Underground tube station Jeremy Selwyn Electronic bilboards displays a message warning people to stay home in Sheffield PA A sign is displayed in the window of a student accommodation building following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Mancheste Reuters People take part in a 'We Do Not Consent' rally at Trafalgar Square, organised by Stop New Normal, to protest against coronavirus restrictions, in Londo AP People sing and dance in Leicester Square on the eve on the 10PM curfew Reuters Hearts painted by a team of artists from Upfest are seen in the grass at Queen Square, following the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Bristol Reuters Graffiti reads 'good luck and stay safe', as the number of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases grow around the world, under a bridge in London Reuters A sign is pictured in Soho, amid the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in London Reuters Prime Minister Boris Johnson gestures, during a coronavirus briefing in Downing Street, London AP A person runs past posters with a message of hope, as the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues in Manchester REUTERS Riot police face protesters who took part in a 'We Do Not Consent' rally at Trafalgar Square, organised by Stop New Normal, to protest against coronavirus restrictions in London AP An image of The Queen eith quotes from her broadcast to the UK and the Commonwealth in relation to the Coronavirus epidemic are displayed on lights in London's Piccadilly Circus PA Military vehicles cross Westminster Bridge after members of the 101 Logistic Brigade delivered a consignment of medical masks to St Thomas' hospital Getty Images Durdle Door in Dorset Reuters Captain Tom Moore via Reuters Mia, aged 8, and Jack, aged 5, take part in "PE with Joe" a daily live workout with Joe Wicks on Youtube to help kids stay fit who have to stay indoors due to the Coronavirus outbreak PA An NHS worker reacts at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital during the Clap for our Carers campaign in support of the NHS Reuters Goats which have taken over the deserted streets of Llandudno @AndrewStuart via PA Tobias Weller PA Novikov restaurant in London with its shutters pulled down while the restaurant is closed London Landscapes: Hyde Park and the Serpentine, central London. Matt Writtle A newspaper vendor in Manchester city centre giving away free toilet rolls with every paper bought as shops run low on supplies due to fears over the spread of the coronavirus PA Theo Clay looks out of his window next to his hand-drawn picture of a rainbow in Liverpool, as the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continue Reuters A young man cuts another man's hair on top of a closed hairdresser in Oxford Reuters General view of the new NHS Nightingale Hospital, built to fight against the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in London via Reuters Jason Baird is seen dressed as Spiderman during his daily exercise to cheer up local children in Stockport, as the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues Reuters A woman wearing a face mask walks past Buckingham Palace Getty Images A man holds mobile phone displaying a text message alert sent by the government warning that new rules are in force across the UK and people must stay at home PA Medical staff on the Covid-19 ward at the Neath Port Talbot Hospital, in Wales, as the health services continue their response to the coronavirus outbreak. PA Prime Minister Boris Johnson taking part in a virtual Cabinet meeting with his top team of ministers PA A shopper walks past empty shelves in a Lidl store on in Wallington. After spates of "panic buying" cleared supermarket shelves of items like toilet paper and cleaning products, stores across the UK have introduced limits on purchases during the COVID-19 pandemic. Some have also created special time slots for the elderly and other shoppers vulnerable to the new coronavirus. Getty Images People on a busy tube train in London at rush hour PA Mia, aged 8 and her brother Jack, aged 5 from Essex, continue their school work at home, after being sent home due to the coronavirus PA Children are painting 'Chase the rainbows' artwork and springing up in windows across the country Reuters Social distancing in Primrose Hill Jeremy Selwyn A general view of a locked gate at Anfield, Liverpool as The Premier League has been suspended PA Homeless people in London AFP via Getty Images A piece of art by the artist, known as the Rebel Bear has appeared on a wall on Bank Street in Glasgow. The new addition to Glasgow's street art is capturing the global Coronavirus crisis. The piece features a woman and a man pulling back to give each other a kiss PA The Queen leaves Buckingham Palace, London, for Windsor Castle to socially distance herself amid the coronavirus pandemic PA A general view on Grey street, Newcastle as coronavirus cases grow around the world Reuters Matt Raw, a British national who returned from the coronavirus-hit city of Wuhan in China, leaves quaratine at Arrowe Park Hospital on Merseyside PA Britain's Chief Medical Officer Professor Chris Whitty (L) and Chief Scientific Adviser Patrick Vallance look on as British Prime Minister Boris Johnson gestures as he speaks during a coronavirus disease (COVID-19) news conference inside 10 Downing Street Reuters The ticket-validation terminals at the tram stop on Edinburgh's Princes Street are cleaned following the coronavirus outbreak. PA Locked school gates at Rockcliffe First School in Whitley Bay, Tyne and Wear PA A sign at a Sainsbury's supermarket informs customers that limits have been set on a small number of products as the number of coronavirus (COVID-19) cases grow around the world Reuters Jawad Javed delivers coronavirus protection kits that he and his wife have put together to the vulnerable people of their community of Stenhousemuir, between Glasgow and Edinburgh AFP via Getty Images A sign advertising a book titled "How Will We Survive On Earth?" Getty Images A man who appears to be homeless sleeping wearing a mask today in Victoria Jeremy Selwyn A pedestrian walks past graffiti that reads "Diseases are in the City" in Edinburgh AFP via Getty Images Staff from The Lyric Theatre, London inform patrons, as it shuts its doors PA A quiet looking George IV Bridge in Edinburgh PA A quieter than usual British Museum Getty Images A racegoer attends Cheltenham in a fashionable face mask SplashNews.com A commuter wears a face mask at London Bridge Station Jeremy Selwyn A empty restaurant in the Bull Ring Shopping Centre Getty Images A deserted Trafalgar Square in London PA Passengers determined to avoid the coronavirus before leaving the UK arrive at Gatwick Airport Getty Images Conservative former minister Simon Clarke insisted a return to national lockdown would be untenable and wrong, warning it would have a stark and serious toll on the country. Lucy Allan, Conservative MP for Telford, said data published by the Government last week had undermined public trust by pushing a worst-case scenario without explaining the probability of it occurring. Ms Allan asked: Was it designed to instil fear in order to control the public? Is that how we want to govern? Greg Clark, Conservative chairman of the Science and Technology Committee, said the restrictions imposed must be combined with the prospect of relief from them. He said: By the spring we must embark on a clearly different course. We cant forever live in circumstances in which the way that we live our lives can be upended without notice. A man wears a protective face mask as he walks past a shop window advertising a closing down sale in Nottingham city centre / PA By the spring, many of the unknowns will switch to be known. Economic concerns were expressed by Conservative former cabinet minister Sir John Redwood, who suggested public support for sectors which are banned from operating by the Government in a bid to halt the spread of the virus. Meanwhile Health Secretary Matt Hancock faced demands for a rapid review of the 10pm curfew, amid concerns over people piling out of pubs into busy streets and supermarkets. Labour insisted all the evidence linked to the pub and restaurant curfew must be assessed, with the review published to Parliament within days. But Mr Hancock mounted a defence of the policy and insisted it was introduced in England after working in other countries. Mr Hancock told MPs the Government was looking at further ways to ensure the House can be properly involved in the process in advance where possible. I strongly agree with the need for us in this House to have the appropriate level of scrutiny, he told MPs. But he said the Government had to have the ability to act quickly where necessary. Mr Hancock replied: The question is how we can have the appropriate level of scrutiny whilst also making sure that we can move fast where that is necessary. MPs also demanded greater say on Government-imposed Covid-19 restrictions, with Mr Hancock agreeing to meet with a Tory MP leading a rebellion over Parliaments ability to scrutinise Government-imposed coronavirus restrictions. Mr Hancock told the Commons he would meet Sir Graham Brady, chairman of the influential Tory backbench 1922 Committee, to discuss matters further and pledged to try to find a way forward Ministers have held crisis talks with Tory MPs in an effort to ward off a revolt over coronavirus laws Shadow health secretary Jon Ashworth said Labour would be extremely sympathetic to proposals for better scrutiny of coronavirus restrictions, but added: We wont support attempts to scupper restrictions that are clearly in the public health interest. Our priority will always be saving lives, minimising harm and keeping our children in school. Mr Ashworth warned a second national lockdown would be catastrophic for society". He asked ministers to consider imposing different restrictions in cities subjected to controls for several months, such as Bradford and Leicester, if infections have not subsided, in order to allow families to visit each other. Mr Ashworth went on: Weve seen this weekend pictures of people piling out of pubs at 10 oclock on the dot into busy streets, public transport packed, supermarkets busy as people buy more drink, how does this help contain the spread of the virus? So I can I ask the Secretary of State to undertake a rapid and transparent review of all the evidence of the 10 oclock and report back to Parliament this week. Additional reporting by PA Media. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- A 68-year-old man is being treated in a psychiatric ward following the fatal shotgun shooting of his son at the family home in Grasmere on Sunday afternoon, according to a source with knowledge of the investigation. Joseph Smith, of Beverly Road, has been charged with murder in the second degree and criminal possession of a weapon in connection with the death of his 34-year-old son who bears the same name, according to a statement from the NYPD. Democrats have condemned Donald Trump over a report suggesting the president's businesses have made "chronic losses" and that he paid just $750 in federal income taxes in 2016 and 2017. Nancy Pelosi, House speaker and the most powerful Democrat on Capitol Hill, accused Mr Trump, 74, of taking "extraordinary measures" to "game" the system to avoid paying his "fair share of taxes". "It is a sign of President Trumps disdain for Americas working families that he has spent years abusing the tax code while passing a GOP Tax Scam for the rich that gives 83 per cent of the benefits to the wealthiest 1 percent," Ms Pelosi, 80, said in statement. A New York Times report published on Sunday night claimed to have accessed tax records for the president's businesses covering the past two decades. According to the NYT, which said the records were "provided by sources with legal access to it", Mr Trump paid just $750 in income taxes in both 2016 and 2017. He paid no income taxes whatsoever in 10 of the previous 15 years, "largely because he reported losing much more money than he made", the NYT report added. The president said the report was "totally fake news". "The IRS does not treat me well. They treat me like the Tea Party," he told reporters at a White House press briefing, referring to claims made by GOP figures that the Internal Revenue service targeted Republican-leaning groups during the Obama administration. Lawyers for the Trump Ogranisation also dismissed the claims, describing them as "inaccurate". Mr Trump's tax records have been the source of much speculation ever since he refused to release them while running for office in 2016. And just a month out from November's election, Democrats were quick to seize on the NYT report. Congressman Bill Pascrell Jr, representative for New Jersey's 9th district, said "the emperor has no clothes," as he quoted a line from the NYT report that said: Ultimately, Mr Trump has been more successful playing a business mogul than being one in real life. Mr Pascrell, chair of the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Oversight, added: "Todays report underscores the importance of the Ways and Means Committees ongoing lawsuit to access Mr. Trumps tax returns and ensure the presidential audit program is functioning effectively, without improper influence." Richard Neal, representative for Massachusetts's 1st congressional district, said: "It appears that the President has gamed the tax code to his advantage and used legal fights to delay or avoid paying what he owes". "Now, Donald Trump is the boss of the agency he considers an adversary. It is essential that the IRS's presidential audit program remain free of interference." The NYT report gives Joe Biden, 77, more ammunition to attack the president with at the first presidential debate on Tuesday night, when the pair go head-to-head for the first time in the 2020 race for the Oval Office. But Mr Trump's base supporters, most of whom have a disdain for "big government" and taxes, are unlikely to be put off by the news. During the 2016 campaign, Hilary Clinton repeatedly attacked Mr Trump over his tax and business dealings, which appeared to have little impact on the outcome. The president responded to those attacks by saying he was "smart" for paying little tax. Mr Trump is fighting multiple fires with regards to his business dealings. New York state is currently investigating the Trump organisation for inflating the value of its assets "on financial statements in order to secure loans and obtain economic and tax benefits. Meanwhile, a recent report by the Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) watchdog suggested that Mr Trump has generated 3,400 conflicts of interest since entering the White House in 2017. Some 400 of those conflicts have come since February, according to CREW, an organisation that monitors the influence of money in Capitol Hill and has been keeping tabs on the Trump administration. Andrew Weissmann, who served as one of Robert Mueller's top lawyers in the special counsel's investigation into the 2016 election, in New York, Sept. 21, 2020. Andrew Weissmann, who served as one of Robert Mueller's top lawyers in the special counsel's investigation into the 2016 election, in New York, Sept. 21, 2020. Credit - Hilary SwiftThe New York Times/Redux This article is part of the The DC Brief, TIMEs politics newsletter. Sign up here to get stories like this sent to your inbox every weekday. Until now, the work of Robert Mueller and his team of investigators has been communicated in careful, parsed words in a sprawling report that carried a lot of seemingly damning facts without explicitly rendering a verdict on President Donald Trump and those around him. Now, for the first time, a member of Muellers high command is making plain what the elite prosecutors had hoped America would draw from their probe into the Trump campaign, its work with Russians determined to meddle in the 2016 elections and the White Houses efforts to muddy the waters. In an interview with TIME about his new book, Muellers loyal lieutenant Andrew Weissman talks through the messy months of investigations of Trump and his team, navigating the perilous moments of political intrigue, the decision not to compel the testimony of Trump and his family, and what, ultimately, Weissmann sees as unfinished work. Weissman handled the prosecution of Trumps former campaign chief Paul Manafort, but his book also recounts the work of teams looking at Russian meddling and Trumps potential obstruction of justice. Asked directly if a subpoena of Trump would have altered the course of the impeachment trial, Weissmann seemed to hold deep regrets. No one knows, he told me on Saturday. We dont know what it would have uncovered. We dont know if it would make a difference. But my answer is we shouldnt have to ask that question. We shouldnt have to be in a position having to speculate about that. The book, Where The Law Ends: Inside the Mueller Investigation, is out tomorrow. Story continues Below is an edited version of our chat. Philip Elliott: The book reads like a love letter to future historians. Its an accounting from inside of this really difficult moment in American history. But history is, at its core, an argument about what happened and why. In the time youve had since the investigation wrapped up, has there been a moment when youve revised your understanding of your own history about what happened and why? When I was talking to publishers, the lead editor at Random House essentially asked me a version of that question, which was: Do you have enough distance? I had sort of partially processed what I lived through and the process of writing the book gave me a lot more distance to be able to reflect. What I was trying to do is just to record it and what it was like to be investigating the President and the Russian attack on our country for 22 months and what were the challenges. And also holding up a mirror to what we did and trying to be as clear as I could be about what I thought we did well and where I personally would have done things differently. Why didnt Bob Mueller write this? He is notoriously tight-lipped. I quote him saying something he says all the time, which is: You live by the press, you die by the press. There is also a side of him, which is to be completely forthright about what happened, be honest about what problems you see and then figure out how to fix them. I dont expect that hes going to speak publicly about it. But one of the things that I tried to suggest in the book is that there is a different model for going forward as to what can be expected of a special counsel and just on a personal level. You repeatedly say in this book that your hands were really tied about what can be done with what you found. No President can be indicted while in office. You obviously disagree with this. But have we reached a point where, given what we know now, its time to revise this? Is it time for Congress to step in? That issue of whether a sitting President can be charged is one that is ultimately has to be decided by the courts. So Congress can weigh in to say what its view is, and that may have some value with the court. But I dont think ultimately it is a congressional call. I think that is a legal call. You made me revisit the Mueller report while I was reading your book. You make a really interesting point here that when the Office of Special Counsel found that when the President was not guilty, the report said so explicitly. But when you think he might have been guilty, you guys left that hanging. That requires an awful lot of a lot of work on the part of the consumer of the report. Did you think that the readers of the ultimate Mueller report were going to pick up on that nuance? So, the situation that we were in was that Bob Mueller, for very altruistic reasons, thought that the report should not say that the President had committed a crime unless he was going to be charged. And that comes from the concern that you speak through an indictment and the person that has their day in court and can defend themselves. That led to a problem there because we all agreed while there was evidence with respect to Russia attacking the 2016 election, there was insufficient evidence to be able to charge beyond a reasonable doubt in that particular area. With respect to volume two, which deals with the obstruction of information. We internally discussed this conversation with our legal team. My own personal view was that our report under the Special Counsel rules was an internal DOJ document that was supposed to go to the Attorney General, and we were tasked with making a recommendation. So we were not tasked with making the decision of making the report public and dealing with that issue. Should you be saying publicly whether the President committed a crime or not? We were under the Special Counsel rules as doing this internally. So my view was: Lets just stay within our lane and do what we were just told to do, which is give our recommendation that there was sufficient proof to find that the President had obstructed justice. As someone who puts a lot of faith in DOJ in terms of its independence and doing its best to get everything right, I have to say the case files you inherited on Manafort, as you describe them, didnt inspire a whole lot of confidence. It sounds like a mess there. Is that the norm of what DOJ is working on? I dont think it is the norm. The plus side was that they had identified a very promising lead and a very promising way to look at the evidence. The downside was that it had been going on for over three years. Mueller is always saying, Dont play with your food and move faster. You know, that sort of pace is not a Mueller pace. [The DOJ] had not interviewed a single witness and they had not issued a single subpoena. And when asked about why they had not issued a subpoena, they said they didnt have subpoena power, which is legally wrong. So that was not typical. The thing that gets me about this whole thing is what we still dont know. The contents of your debrief with Mr. Manafort, when he was playing footsie with you guys, still remain under seal. At what point do we get to know everything you know? Will we ever know what you know? Eventually you would think that everything that I know will come out, except if something is under investigation or if theres something of a sort of classified nature that would hurt our national security. One thing that was not fully disclosed, but now is in my book, is this thread that we pulled when Manafort came in or kept on giving a base of answers with respect to a tens of thousand dollars that were paid by a third party to his law firm for legal fees. And we kept on asking about it and the story kept on changing. Each time we asked and we, of course, were interested in tracing his assets. There was what could only be termed as a kickback scheme where the head of the pack was getting 6% of the total amount of money that was under management. In the book, you address the speculation about Muellers health, and you say you never saw it hurt his ability to make tough calls. But was this the man you worked for in three different jobs? So let me, let me address that in two ways. Director Mueller on the Special Counsel investigation was part of every key decision. Everything went to him and there were meetings where he would in his characteristic way make a quick decisive decision. And the other way I would put it is this way. He was just as annoying in his role at the Special Counsels Office as he was when I dealt with him in the Bureau. I mean that in a good way, which is he was a dog with a bone and just would ask relentless questions. Its clear you have a disagreement with how the final report came together. I mean, theres that scene where you talk about this is not the report that you would have submitted if you were in charge. What would have been different? I worked for Bob Mueller and these were his calls. Thats what I signed up for. As I mentioned with respect to that decision about whether to say whether the President obstructed justice, his decision came from the most noble of places, which is respecting the rights of a target. The things that I would have been differently are, I would have had our report say that the President obstructed justice, [and] I would have subpoenaed the President. You offered your resignation at several points. Absolutely. Because I didnt want to be a distraction. I still have trouble talking about it. [Weissmann was among those branded by the President as one of the Angry Democrats investigating him.] Did Congress get impeachment right, based on what you know? That is not my forte. Just to put on my legal hat, I think that theyre separate issues. Theres an issue of what happened, what are the facts? And then theres an issue of what should the consequences be? Its a judgment. You close the book with this flourish: As one small witness to history, I now know the death of our democracy is possible. Fixing it is possible, too. Given everything weve been through in 2020, do you still believe that to be the case? Yes. Why are you so optimistic? I dont view that as optimistic. Its because you have a country that is capable of making decisions to restore their rule of law. And theres an enormous group of people who like me were raised with that view. Theres going to be a lot of work because theres such huge divisions in the country. But Im not sure I view the end of my book as completely optimistic. Its just saying there is this ability to turn this around. Make sense of what matters in Washington. Sign up for the daily D.C. Brief newsletter. By Nam Hyun-woo Hanwha Group heir Kim Dong-kwan will head the group's energy, chemicals and materials unit, Hanwha Solutions, as the group expedites efforts to pass its leadership on to the 37-year-old. According to Hanwha Group, Monday, it has promoted Hanwha Solutions Vice President Kim to president, as well as appointing him CEO of the company's strategy division. Following the move, Hanwha Solutions will have four CEOs respectively in the strategy, advanced materials, chemicals and solar divisions. Kim, the eldest son of Chairman Kim Seung-yeon, was officially named as the leader of Hanwha Solutions just nine months after he became vice president of the company. Due to this, it is presumed that the group is expediting its efforts to prepare a successor for the current chairman. Hanwha Group said Kim Dong-kwan earned his promotion for "leading Hanwha Solutions to reorganize its portfolio and explore new opportunities in renewable energy and advanced materials." It also added Kim's network and expertise in the global renewable energy market will become a critical asset for the company. After Kim joined Hanwha Solutions, the company showed an improved presence among group units, as its solar energy business hit its stride. Hanwha's solar energy business first swung to profit in 2015, and Hanwha Q Cells, a brand under Hanwha Solutions, is now the top supplier of solar panels in the U.S. market. According to energy consulting firm Wood Mackenzie, Hanwha Q Cells took a 22 percent share in the U.S. home solar panel market and a 21.5 percent share in the U.S. commercial panel market in the first half of the year. Including Kim, Hanwha Group appointed 10 CEOs to its units including Hanwha Corp., Hanwha Precision Machinery, Hanwha Defense, Hanwha General Chemical, Hanwha Total, Hanwha Estate and Hanwha Station Development. Of them, five have experience working for Hanwha Q Cells. Kim Eun-hee, appointed as the new CEO of Hanwha Station Development, will be the first woman to head a Hanwha company. The 94th Detroit Thanksgiving parade will march on, but any spectators probably will be in their pajamas. People will not be allowed to line the parade route in downtown Detroit because of the coronavirus. Instead theyll have to watch the parade on television, The Parade Company announced Thursday. Our team has reviewed every aspect with the city of Detroit and the Detroit Police Department to ensure a safe environment. This is truly Detroits greatest tradition, said parade chief Tony Michaels. Another Thanksgiving tradition, the Turkey Trot, which attracts thousands of runners before the parade, wont be held downtown. People can still get medals and shirts if they register and run it on their own. Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. 28 September 2020 Serabi Gold plc (Serabi or the Company) COEMA approves issue of Preliminary Licence for Coringa Serabi Gold plc (AIM:SRB, TSX:SBI), the Brazilian-focused gold mining and development company, is pleased to advise that at a meeting held on Friday 25 September 2020, the State Environmental Council of Para (COEMA) approved the issue of the Licencia Previa (Preliminary Licence or LP) for the Coringa gold project (Coringa). The LP represents the first of a three-stage licencing process required for mining projects in Brazil. The second stage is the award of an installation licence (LI) which allows processing plant and other infrastructure to be constructed and following completion of the construction stage, the issue of the full Operating License (LO). The LP is generally considered the most critical stage as it involves input and approval from a number of interested government agencies as well as local stakeholders, communities and covers, in particular, the social, environmental and economic impacts and benefits of the project. Whilst the LP is formally issued by the state environmental agency (SEMAS) this can only be done following the submission and resolution of questions from each of the members of COEMA and their formal approval in meeting of the full council. The issue of the LI which will in due course allow Serabi to be issued with a full mining permit by the Brazilian mining agency ANM and subsequently the LO will not require the approval of COEMA. Mike Hodgson, CEO of Serabi, commented This is very significant milestone in the development of Coringa which, when in full production, will approximately double our existing level of gold production. We have already undertaken most of the preparatory work that we know will be required for the submission of the LI application, so we are in a good position to make this application promptly. COEMA will now formally confirm their decision to SEMAS, along with the minutes of the COEMA meeting, which may specify some additional work and conditions that may be required as part of the LI. Considering how the COVID-19 pandemic has adversely effected so many aspects of life, we are obviously delighted with this outcome, which has been the culmination of significant efforts from our management in Brazil and our legal team and I extend my heartfelt thanks for their work in securing this result for the Company. Enquiries: Serabi Gold plc Michael Hodgson Tel: +44 (0)20 7246 6830 Chief Executive Mobile: +44 (0)7799 473621 Clive Line Tel: +44 (0)20 7246 6830 Finance Director Mobile: +44 (0)7710 151692 Email: contact@serabigold.com Website: www.serabigold.com Beaumont Cornish Limited ("Beaumont Cornish") Nominated Adviser and Financial Adviser Roland Cornish Tel: +44 (0)20 7628 3396 Michael Cornish Tel: +44 (0)20 7628 3396 Peel Hunt LLP UK Broker Ross Allister Tel: +44 (0)20 7418 8900 The person responsible for arranging for the release of this Announcement on behalf of the Company is Clive Line, Finance Director. Harris County Precinct 2 Commissioner Adrian Garcias office will host a virtual job fair on Oct. 6 for potential candidates for employment available via Workforce Solutions. This free online hiring event will remain open for 84 hours; so participants can attend the event throughout the week and as often as they want. Candidates can navigate through the fair to click on employer booths to enter and learn about companies that have immediate hiring needs as well as access company profiles, job opportunities, message recruiters and download attachments. Location: Register at https://bit.ly/3hXgepG Date/Time: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 6 Admission: Free Grant program launched to boost local business The Pasadena Economic Development Corp., in partnership with the Pasadena Chamber of Commerce and the City of Pasadena has officially launched the Pasadena Loves Local Campaign. The program will award individual grants in the amount of $1,000 to local businesses through a lottery process that will take place in two phases and coincides with the launch of the Pasadena Cares Financial Assistance Grant Program. The program will be completed in two phases: Phase 1 will begin on Sept. 25 and the deadline to apply is Oct. 14. The grant distribution for Phase 1 is scheduled to take place in November. While the dates for Phase 2 have not yet been announced, the overall distribution of the grants is expected to be fulfilled by the end of 2020. Launch date: Sept. 25 For more information: follow the Pasadena EDC at https://bit.ly/3cusDAp or on social media at https://bit.ly/2FYZX6E Where to apply: https://bit.ly/2RVss7I County judges to speak in League City chamber event This years League City Regional Chamber of Commerce State of the Counties luncheon will be held on Oct. 6 at Hometown Heroes Park and will welcome Harris County Judge Lina Hildago, Galveston County Judge Mark Henry and Brazoria County Judge Matt Sebesta as guest speakers. The annual event is an overview of the last 12 months of trends and events that have affected the counties of Galveston, Harris and Brazoria. Date and Time:11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Oct 6 Location: Hometown Heroes Park at 2105 Dickinson Ave., League City, Texas. Fees and sponsorships: visit https://bit.ly/34f7G8X Rose Rios Cleaning Services expands to Texas City Servicing the Clear Lake area for 10 years, Rosa Rios Cleaning Services has moved into a new building in Texas City. The League City Chamber of Commerce will be hosting a ribbon cutting Oct. 1 to officially welcome the residential and commercial professional cleaning service to the area. Rosa Rios, owner and founder, started with two employees and has grown her business to include at least 22 employees and to provide cleaning services for the region including Bay Area, Pasadena, La Porte and Baytown. The business will soon open a third location in Katy. The new building in Texas City will expand its services to the Bay Area region. Website: https://bit.ly/3mSUq2g Contact: 713-548-4644 The page youre looking for cannot be found. Check the address and spelling are correct. If youre still encountering problems, please Contact Us. A Derry primary school this week welcomed a new member of staff its very own therapy dog. Joy will be used to provide comfort and reassurance to pupils at St Oliver Plunkett Primary School after studies have shown that therapy dogs have a positive impact on children's mood and behaviour. St Oliver Plunkett is now the only mainstream school in Northern Ireland with its own personal pet. The school has teamed up with the Assistance Dogs NI charity which currently provides two therapy dogs to special needs schools in Belfast and Limavady. Principal Eamonn Moore said he was sure Joy would be of great benefit to the school's pupils. He explained how he came across the work of therapy dogs. I chanced upon a short clip from a school in England showing a child engaging with the school dog, he said. The vice-principal Mrs Hislop and I were immediately struck by the positive impact the dog was having on the child's mood and behaviour. We were both intrigued as to the possibilities this might present to us in assisting our children to build resilience and develop good mental health. Mr Moore said that after researching the topic, he contacted Assistance Dogs NI and started the process of St Oliver Plunkett securing their own dog. The level of training required before these dogs are ready to meant that we have to wait 12 months to acquire our very own therapy dog and I am told that our own puppy has already started training. However, I did not want our children to have to wait a year for this opportunity so I have worked closely with ADNI to secure a temporary therapy dog who will be with us for two days every week. Once the school receives its own dog next year, the dog will live with a member of staff and will come into work each day. A special timetable will be created to ensure that as many children as possible with be able to enjoy the company of the therapy dog. In the meantime, Mr Moore said that Joy would reside in the school's designated therapy room. Joy is no ordinary dog. Like all therapy dogs, she had been intensively trained to work with children in a therapeutic way. I expect Joy to have a hugely positive impact on all the children, given the numerous emotional, physical, psychological and cognitive benefits therapy dogs offer. Geraldine McGaughey from Assistance Dogs NI said the charity provided its first therapy dog to a school in Belfast in March 2019. Since then, she said, they had received a lot of enquiries from other schools after people have seen the benefits that the dogs provide. What we find is that the dog is a motivational tool where staff can use the dog in managing challenging behaviour in the classroom. The dogs are able to do things that humans are not able to do such as relaxing the children. Geraldine said the plan with Joy was for the local school to select children who they believe would benefit most from being in her company. As the Maldives-India cargo ferry service made its maiden voyage, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said it will promote bilateral trade and boost the economies of both countries. Modi was responding to a tweet by Maldives President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih on Saturday. Solih said, "Our thanks to PM @narendramodi and Govt of India as the Maldives-India Cargo Ferry Service goes on its maiden voyage today between Kulhudhuffushi, Male and South India. The ferry would further strengthen Maldives, India friendship and bring greater prosperity to our communities." In his response, Modi tweeted, "It is indeed a happy day, President @ibusolih! Our dream of a direct ferry service between India and Maldives is now a reality. I have no doubt that it will promote bilateral trade and boost our economies. The Maldives-India friendship will continue to strengthen." The Indian government on September 21 said it has launched a direct cargo ferry service to Maldives to strengthen bilateral relations. "During its maiden voyage, a vessel with a capacity of 200 TEU (twenty-foot equivalent unit) and 3,000 MT (metric tonne) of break bulk cargo will sail from Tuticorin to Kochi today, from where it will proceed to Kulhudhuffushi port in North Maldives and then to Male port," the Ministry of Shipping had said in a statement on September 21. It was scheduled to reach Kulhudhuffushi on September 26 and Male on September 29. (Photo Credit: PTI) (Natural News) Across the globe, countries struggle to find effective ways to fight the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) and maintain their economies. For a country like Indonesia, the situation is dire enough that the country is volunteering to act as a testing ground for a Chinese coronavirus vaccine. With over 257,000 cases and around 9,900 deaths, according to data from Johns Hopkins University, Indonesias coronavirus outbreak is the second-worst in Southeast Asia after the Philippines. Its daily case count has been breaking records every week since the last week of August. In an attempt to keep this outbreak from growing any further, the country is now looking to be a guinea pig for the coronavirus vaccine candidate developed by Chinas Sinovac Biotech. Taking a risk with Sinovacs vaccine Testing in Indonesia began back in August in Bandung, the capital of West Java province. The last stage of one of the worlds fastest-moving trials for a COVID-19 vaccine involved two dozen volunteers, and it took place in a small community clinic. The participants were given an experimental shot from Sinovac. Abinubli Tariswafi Mawarid, one of the volunteers, is a 27-year-old microbiologist. Hes disappointed with how the country is dealing with the pandemic, and he wants to help others suffering because of coronavirus. I believe the vaccine is the magic bullet to solve this pandemic. This is the most appropriate solution, added Mawarid. Unlike America, which is wary of Big Pharmas plans to develop a vaccine and gain more profits, Indonesia is one of a handful of countries that are eagerly awaiting a vaccine. The Indonesian government has estimated that the coronavirus pandemic will push 4.9 million people into poverty, which can significantly affect its population of at least 270 million. Indonesias current situation reflects the outsize expectations motivating companies to quickly develop a vaccine worldwide, along with the many obstacles of the hurried search for a miracle cure. Is Sinovac the key to ending coronavirus in Indonesia? Bandung, a resort area in Indonesia with a population of over two million, is the location of clinical trials run by state-owned pharmaceutical company PT Bio Farma. The trials have been covered by local news outlets, and a more than a few of the 1,620 volunteers in the Sinovac trial who come from Bandung and nearby towns have been interviewed on local media. Bandungs police chief received a shot, but no one knows if he was given the trial vaccine or a placebo. Ridwan Kamil, West Javas governor, also volunteered for the Sinovac trials, even posting about the event on Instagram. The Padjadjaran Universitys research team for the Sinovacs COVID-19 vaccine clinical trials reported that 248 participants, including Kamil, were given the vaccine. Bio Farma has partnered with regulators to expedite the approval of CoronaVac, Sinovacs vaccine. The company announced that it will manufacture at least 10 million to 20 million doses even before it gets the g0-signal to ensure that the shot is readily available. Iin Susanti, head of planning and business strategy for Bio Farma, shared that broader distribution will only begin after Indonesian regulators give emergency approval. President Joko Widodo revealed that the Indonesian government aims for authorization for CoronaVac as early as January next year. The first batches of the vaccine will go to health workers. Balance speed with caution, experts warn The Indonesian government is pushing for the vaccine because coronavirus has already infected 29 million globally. However, it remains to be seen when exactly the vaccine will be available for public use. Health experts are also worried about safety risks, particularly if speed isnt balanced with caution. Since CoronaVac is still being tested, no one can say for sure if it will be 100 percent effective. In Britain, AstraZeneca paused testing of its experimental vaccine, earlier touted as one of the worlds most promising, after a volunteer became sick. Despite proving that rushing testing isnt without its dangers, the company has already restarted trials in the U.K. after regulators deemed it was safe to do so. Global delays have devastating consequences for countries hoping for a vaccine. Indonesias large informal workforce risks starvation during lockdowns. The countrys economy also contracted by 5.32 percent in the second quarter compared to the previous year the worst its ever been since the Asian financial crisis in the late 1990s. Infections also skyrocketed after the government briefly loosened social distancing rules. Many are worried that Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia, is running out of hospital beds. Jakarta has limited the use of public transport, and nonessential industries required employees to work from home. (Related: Indonesias government botched its coronavirus response; residents are now paying the price.) On Sept. 1, Jokowi told a group of foreign journalists at his palace that the physical distancing protocol will continue in Indonesia, but he added that a vaccine is the answer to end this pandemic. Jokowi also acknowledged the uncertainties, concluding that it remained to be seen if the protective effects of any vaccine will last. The race for a vaccine continues CoronaVac, which is manufactured using an inactivated version of coronavirus, is competing with other global biotech firms such as Moderna in America. Jokowis administration has also assigned local research institutes and universities with developing the countrys own vaccine or the red-white vaccine, named after the colors of Indonesias flag, by mid-2021. PT Kalbe Farma, Indonesias biggest pharmaceutical company, has partnered with South Korean biotech firm Genexine to begin Phase II clinical trials in November and to determine a drugs effectiveness and short-term risks. Ensuring that testing balances safety with speed is advised by health experts, but it doesnt look like companies are listening to them. Vaccine development usually takes at least 10 years, but COVID-19 has fast-forwarded the process drugmakers go through into less than one year. Scientists are worried that this isnt enough time to fully understand the potential risks linked with any vaccine. In America, President Donald Trumps Operation Warp Speed program is pushing for a vaccine as early as October. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has placed safeguards to guarantee that safety and efficacy criteria arent overlooked while companies rush to produce a vaccine. While vaccine developers have promised to follow all protocol and avoid shortcuts to ensure safety, this isnt something you should count on when Big Pharma is eyeing profits. Findings from late-stage trials like the one Bio Farma is running in Indonesia can prove how effectively a vaccine can protect people against COVID-19. Bio Farma promised that it wont cut any corners, while Sinovac has reported that the shot had no safety issues in Phase I and II trials. Lives are on the line William Haseltine, a pioneering AIDS researcher, emphasized the importance of coronavirus vaccine safety because a single adverse event during a study with tens of thousands of volunteers could result in hundreds of thousands getting sick or dying once regulators approve vaccines for public use. Haseltine, who also chairs Access Health International, a New York-based think tank, added that the timeline suggested by vaccine developers worldwide means you cannot do a yearlong safety trial, so you are not goingunder any circumstancesto know the long-term effect of these vaccines. Jeremy Lim, an adjunct professor at Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health in Singapore, believes that a COVID-19 vaccine will likely only produce partial immunity in some individuals. Shots could also be contraindicated for others because of unacceptable side effects. Timely distribution is another hurdle in the race for a coronavirus vaccine. Indonesia sits on the worlds largest archipelago, with a distance of roughly that between New York and Alaska. This means that a vaccine like CoronaVac, which needs to be stored at 2 C to 8 C (35.6 F to 46.4F) to work effectively, must be safely transported across the countrys 6,000 inhabited islands. Takeshi Kasai, regional director for the Western Pacific at the World Health Organization, doesnt think its wise to place all hopes on a vaccine, which might also have many negative side effects. Even if a vaccine is, by some miracle, safe and effective, the production capacity would not really meet the demand coming from the entire world, said Kasai. Instead of waiting for a vaccine, Kasai concluded that its more effective to continue to practice social distancing and wear facemasks in public during the pandemic. Visit Pandemic.news for more articles about how the rest of the world is handling the coronavirus outbreak. Sources include: Bloomberg.com En.AntaraNews.com Nigeria needs focus and consistent prayers to avoid breaking up from the current cracks in the nations walls, the Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, has said. This is even as he made reference to the biblical story of how Nehemiah rebuilt the broken walls of Jerusalem. The vice president, who was represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, made the call at a church service held to commemorate Nigerias 60th Independence anniversary at the National Ecumenical Centre in Abuja on Sunday, according to a report by Punch newspaper. Fortunately for us, our walls are not yet broken but there are obvious cracks that could lead to a break if not properly addressed. Nehemiah started with fervent prayers, seeking the face of God and pleaded with his king to allow him return to Jerusalem to rebuild the broken walls because wall signifies peace, security, contentment and prosperity. It signifies the essence of the state of the nation. Theres an urgent need for a Nehemiah in our country, Nigeria, today. And like Nehemiah faced opposition in his efforts to rebuild the walls, any Nigerian that desires to rebuild Nigeria must also be ready to face stiffer opposition which will come in torrents. It can only be diffused by consistent focus and prayers, he said. While he hoped that the 60th Independence anniversary could herald a rebirth in Nigeria, Mr Osinbajo noted that no group is more prepared for the task than the religious bodies. On his part, the President of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Samson Ayokunle, emphasised the need for justice, which, he said, would bring peace, tolerance and love. For us all to be on the same page, have a sense of belonging and be happy, the doctrine of equality, that is equal access to employment, governance and education, must be available to all. The principle of inclusivity must be adopted. Nobody or region must be excluded from the scheme of things in Nigeria. READ ALSO: Mr Osinbajos call comes about two weeks after former president, Olusegun Obasanjo said Nigeria is slowly becoming a failed, divided state. The ex-president who said he has never seen the country in such a bad state, blamed the current status of the country on poor management of the nations diversity. While he also warned against the call for war and secession, Mr Obasanjo had said for Nigeria to successfully tackle its challenges, the problem of disunity must first be addressed. Mr Obasanjo was attacked by the presidency and presidential aides for his statement. It took two years for the writer to paint a picture of Delhi which was far from the glamorous and cosmetic construct of the city in those minds that have never truly visited the capital Delhi had a pivotal role to play in making a writer out of M Mukundan, the novelist confesses, having spent 40 years stationed in the capital city as the Cultural Attache at the French embassy. The Malayalam novel Delhi: Gathakal germinated long ago in his mind, as a reflection on all the different events he had witnessed within the multicultural fabric of the capital. And at long last, he put pen to paper in 2009 to produce a novel in Malayalam about this north Indian city. It took two years for the writer to paint a picture of Delhi which was far from the glamorous and cosmetic construct of the city in those minds that have never truly visited the capital. Mukundan says, Delhis underbelly is laden with squalor and misery. I wanted to talk about these dark sides of the city. Recently translated into English by Fathima EV and Nandakumar K, Delhi: A Soliloquy is the story of Sahadevan, a dreamer who wishes to one day record his experiences in a novel of living and working in the city and his interactions with the colourful people he meets there. In the translators depiction of Delhi, it is evident that Mukundans sharp gaze captured the events the city suffered from after independence, transforming it into a vibrant character whose heart beats to its own rhythms. Delhi was a very small place when Mukundan set foot there in the early 1960s. Where now Kailash Colony stands, there were cauliflower and wheat fields, he says, recalling that he would take long walks in these open spaces. Delhi was also a very safe city back in the day, the Sahitya Akademi Award-winning writer notes, such that his neighbours in Lajpat Nagar men, women and children would all be found sleeping outside their homes, lying on charpoys by the roadside without locking their front doors. One day, I saw Prime Minister Nehru getting down from a car in Queensway (now Janpath) with a young Indira Gandhi, without any police escort. However, elaborating on the changing facade of the metropolis, the author rues that today Delhi has become one of the most violent places in the world. He calls to attention the Nirbhaya rape case to describe the extent to which the city is getting dehumanised and embracing sheer violence. The incidents that Mukundan recounts in his 2011 novel are then perhaps prescient in their description of the citys slow descent into degradation, whilst also throwing the spotlight on the Malayali community that was taking roots in the capital. They were mostly from lower or middle class echelons and life was nothing but a struggle for them. Over the years, more and more Malayalis made Delhi their home. Some could make it to the top, becoming rich and powerful. They were very few. And Mukundans book is indeed an acute description of their penury. His protagonist Sahadevan, hailing from a village in Kerala, is one among these hundreds of Malayalis who leave for Delhi in search of a job. He is too poor to buy and wear trousers a custom for young men going to big cities for work and instead, travels to the capital enduring the grime and sweat of the arduous train journey draped in his dhoti. From finding a bed to sleep on, to securing two full meals a day, everything poses a challenge. But as is the case today, the community sentiment was strong back then as well, and Sahadevan manages to find a home in the family of the trade union leader, Shreedharaunni. He becomes a part of this family, a guardian and friend for the children Vidya and Sathyanathan, and together they battle the clouds of war first with Pakistan, then with China, followed by the Emergency, the 1984 Sikh riots, caste hatred and communal mistrust and the assassination of Indira Gandhi all of which find their way into Sahadevans narrative. Mukundan, who bore witness to much of this social and political turmoil unfolding in the city, says that it was the poor who were hit the hardest, as is the norm. The excesses committed during the Emergency were heart breaking, the novelist says. The poor were forcefully taken for vasectomy. Shops were demolished. Journalists and intellectuals were thrown into prison. Ive described all these in the novel. To be in the capital city amidst many a national crisis would have meant bearing witness to the brutality, violence and politics perpetrated within its historic premises. Mukundan describes in particular the day when Indira Gandhi was shot and how he walked over from his office in Hauz Khas to the AIIMS hospital where she was admitted. The scene outside the hospital was chaotic, he recalls. Women were wailing, beating their chests; police vehicles were racing up and down. In the evening on my way back home, I witnessed a macabre scene I could never forget: near South Extension market, hooligans stopped a taxi car, pulled out the aged Sikh driver, and beat him to death. All these incidents, including Mukundans descriptions of the caste and religious conflicts in the city, find their way into Fathima and Nandakumars iteration, a manifestation of a four-year-long translation process. Nandakumar explains that he worked on the first draft and had it checked by Mukundan, since there were some corrections required, given that practically no fact-checking and in-depth editing happens in Malayalamm and then it was Fathimas turn to check the idiom since she hails from Malabar and is more familiar with the patois used largely in the book, and the mores of the region, and do the spit and polish. For her part, Fathima says: The language also needed to be pared down, causing some heartburn for Nandan [Nandakumar] who has a soft spot for weighty words, which I felt were out of place. However, the simple, straightforward style in which Mukundettan [Mukundan] writes did not leave much room for arguments, and we were in perfect sync most of the time. The finished version is not only a Malayalam story translated into English, but also incorporates words and phrases from Hindi and French which have been retained to preserve the feel of a north Indian city and the offices of the French embassy. There were a lot of footnotes in the original draft, Nandakumar says. Then our brilliant editor, Karthika, put her foot down. Her credo? Let the readers educate themselves if they want to know! Pages of footnotes shrunk to two or three in the whole book, he recalls. On being asked how the translators retain the essence of the colloquial Malayali idiom in the English version, Fathima notes, Localised usages, dialectical variations, and the cultural geography of Malabar seldom posed a challenge for me, because Mukundettan and I hail from the same place. Furthermore, while Fathima sees translation as a creative interpretation, Nandakumar, she says, believes that the translator does not aim to trans-create, but only renders the authors words faithfully in another language. In spite of this difference, both translators cherish the authors endorsement of carrying the book and his voice to a new set of readers. All the three of us have lived away from Kerala and could easily identify with the nostalgic reminiscences of the Malayali diaspora in Delhi, and hence we believe we have been able to recreate its feel in the translation as well. Commenting on the role of translators in bringing forth stories that highlight the voices of regional communities, Nandakumar draws attention to the majoritarianism, the mindless hero worship of a papier-mache God, ghettoisation of minds prevalent today, and states: If the open, cosmopolitan and freewheeling Malayali ethos can be brought before the more parochial and bigoted brethren of India, if that could even in a little way, change the current narrative and mindset of the people, I would always strive for it. Mukundans Delhi: A Soliloquy is a masterful rendering of the many events that shook Delhi, and the observations of one man of the sufferings it brought upon thousands of the city's residents. As Fathima remarks, This is a paean to Delhi, a city of heartlessness as well as astonishing kindness and solidarity, a city that strains to forget the violence that has sporadically punctuated the rhythms of life in its sequestered precincts... Through it all, the protagonist Sahadevan is a constant, observing, dreaming, ageing, engaging with people, and being a Malayali narrator, he is habituated to being a political animal who cannot help but be both a participant and an outsider, perpetually caught in a maelstrom of changes. M Mukundans Delhi: A Soliloquy, translated into English by Fathima EV and Nandakumar K has been published by Eka, an imprint of Westland publications. Dogs have beaten cats in a poll to find the nation's favourite animal. A study of 2,000 adults saw 51 per cent name man's best friend as their top animals, compared to just 38 per cent voting for felines. The robin, horse and hedgehog completed the top five. Commissioned by Channel 5 to mark this week's episode of 'All Creatures Great and Small' on Tuesday at 9pm, the study revealed that 73 per cent of Britons consider themselves to be animal lovers. Dogs have beaten cats in a poll to find the nation's favourite animal. Stock image BRITAIN'S 30 FAVOURITE ANIMALS 1. Dog 2. Cat 3. Robin 4. Horse 5. Hedgehog 6. Squirrel 7. Owl 8. Deer 9. Rabbit 10. Butterfly 11. Donkey 12. Golden Eagle 13. Fox 14. Puffin 15. Otter 16. Duck 17. Tortoise 18. Bee 19. Alpaca 20. Parrot 21. Blue tit 22. Pig 23. Turtle 24. Chicken 25. Cow 26. Sheep 27. Goat 28. Llama 29. Guinea Pig 30. Hamster Advertisement The study also found that more than seven in 10 adults consider their furry, scaled and feathered friends to very much be a part of the family. Among the best things about having a pet were the affection they give (55 per cent) and having their company (61 per cent). And in a year in which many have been isolated or lonely, more than seven in 10 over-55s said that having a pet for company was their top perk of having an animal at home. But despite 45 per cent of adults admitting they would like to have a pet, or have more than they do already, four in 10 don't currently have one. A lack of space was the top reason for not getting a pet, with those in London most likely to consider this a barrier. In Yorkshire 41 per cent of those who want a pet said they can't afford to give a furry friend a happy life. It also emerged that for 27 per cent of those polled, their love of animals is so great that they dreamt of becoming a vet when they were a child. A study of 2,000 adults saw 51 per cent name man's best friend as their top animals, compared to just 38 per cent voting for felines. Stock image Callum Woodhouse, who plays Tristan Farnon in Channel 5's new adaptation, said: 'I'm a huge dog lover. 'Any scene in All Creatures Great and Small where you see me with our Golden Retriever, that was me asking to have him in the scene with me as I adore him so much. 'There were five dogs I wanted to take home with me - Tricki-Woo included. 'One of my favourite scenes was a close up of my face being licked to pieces by one of our gorgeous dogs. Heaven. I'm with the public on this one.' Nicholas Ralph, who plays James Herriot, said: 'Surrounding ourselves with our furry, scaled and feathered friends, great and small, can bring us all great companionship. 'On set, there was a little Dachshund called Frank whose nickname was Frankems, he was so endearing, I would have loved to take him home. 'And then Tricki Woo too, a little fluff ball whose real name was Derek - he was very charming, but I think Frankems did it for me. 'I'd love a little dog but for me right now, the biggest hurdle is having the time.' All Creatures Great and Small continues on Channel 5 Tuesdays at 9pm. ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., Sept. 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- James M. Spencer, MD, MS, is being recognized by Continental Who's Who as a Leading Dermatologist for his remarkable contributions in the field of Medicine in acknowledgment for his dedication and commitment as Medical Director with Advanced Dermatology & Cosmetic Surgery. Situated at 900 Carillon Pky., Advanced Dermatology & Cosmetic Surgery is well-known as the largest dermatology network of expertise in medical and cosmetic dermatology, and innovative skin cancer treatments including Mohs surgery, highly specialized technique for the treatment of skin cancer that allows the highest cure rates possible. The dedicated professionals and experts at Advanced Dermatology, treat patients of all ages for common and complex conditions of the skin, hair, and nails. Services include total-body skin cancer exams, medical dermatology, cosmetic dermatology, and pediatric dermatology for the entire family. Currently, in his role, Dr. Spencer is dedicated to delivering a remarkable and professional patient-care experience in St. Petersburg - Carillon Pky. Board-certified in dermatology and licensed to practice in Florida, Tennessee, and New York, Dr. Spencer is an internationally recognized expert in skin cancer treatment and cosmetic dermatology. He has 32 years of vast knowledge and experience, practicing all aspects of dermatology, and specializing in MOHS surgery, and skin cancer procedures. Previous to his current position, he has served as the Director of Mohs and Dermatologic Surgery at the University of Miami and the Director of Mohs and Dermatologic Surgery at The Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City as well as Vice Chairman of the department. An academic scholar, Dr. Spencer earned his Bachelor of Science Degree in Sacrobiology from Pitzer College and his Master of Science Degree in Molecular Biology from Stanford University. To further his studies, he obtained his Medical Degree from Columbia University School of Medicine. He went on to complete his dermatology residency at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital (Columbia University) and completed a fellowship under Dr. Rex Amonette at the University of Tennessee in Mohs micrographic surgery. As an award-winning leader in his field, Dr. Spencer remains abreast of the latest industry developments and has maintained active memberships and affiliations with professional organizations. He is a Fellow of the American College of MOHS Surgery, a Fellow of the American Academy of Dermatology where he was honored with a Presidential Citation in 2017, and a Fellow of the American Society of Dermatologic Surgery earning First Prize in 1997 in the Young Investigators Competition. A respected voice in his field, Dr. Spencer has been invited to be a frequent speaker at medical symposiums both in St. Petersburg and abroad. He has also authored over 100 scientific publications and 14 book chapters, as well as edited a book. Dr. Spencer dedicates this recognition to Perry Robins, MD (Father of MOHS Surgery at NYU), and Rex Amonette, MD. He also dedicates this to Mark Lebwohl, MD, Chairman of Dermatology at Mt. Sinai Hospital and his mentor. For more information, please visit www.spencerdermatology.com. Contact: Katherine Green, 516-825-5634, [email protected] SOURCE Continental Who's Who Related Links http://www.continentalwhoswho.com Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-28 23:08:31|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close CAIRO, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- Egypt will host on Monday talks between delegations from the two Libyan rivals in the Red Sea city of Hurghada, the state-run Ahram newspaper reported. The talks under the auspices of the United Nations will be the first for the delegations from the Libyan National Army (LNA) led by Khalifa Haftar and the Government of National Accord (GNA) led by Libyan Prime Minister Fayez al-Serraj in five years in Egypt. The talks aim at reaching a mutual ground for 5+5 military committee meetings, the Ahram said. Five senior officers appointed by the GNA and five senior officers appointed by the LNA are participating in the talks mediated by Ghassan Salame, special representative of the UN secretary-general and head of the UN Support Mission in Libya. In June, Egypt proposed a peace initiative known as the Cairo Declaration that called for a cease-fire in Libya and electing a leadership council. The GNA and the Libyan parliament, an ally of the LNA, announced a cease-fire in July. Libya has been locked in a civil war since the ouster and killing of its former leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. The situation escalated in 2014, splitting power between two rival governments with warring forces. Enditem Minister of Foreign Affairs Bogdan Aurescu had, on Monday, a meeting with the President of the Association of Honorary Consuls Union in Romania (UCOR), Andreas Huber, on a series of issues of mutual interest regarding the development prospects of collaboration between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAE) and UCOR, shows a MAE press release sent to AGERPRES. The discussions took place in order to capitalize in the most efficient way on the role of the honorary consuls in the development of the bilateral relations between Romania and the countries they represent, especially on the line of economic diplomacy and interpersonal contacts. Minister Aurescu expressed "the full openness of the MAE to intensify the dialogue with UCOR, including on the basis of the Cooperation Protocol in force between the MAE and UCOR, with the aim of supporting and facilitating the activity carried out by honorary consuls in Romania". Bogdan Aurescu assured that, after overcoming the current context generated by the COVID-19 pandemic, the MAE envisages a more active involvement of the honorary consuls in the events organized by the institution, in order to multiply the interaction opportunities of Romania's diplomatic and consular corps with the honorary consular representatives accredited in Romania. In his turn, President Andreas Huber, who was accompanied by the other members of the Board of Directors of UCOR, assured that UCOR makes every effort to deepen and expand the friendly relations between Romania and the represented countries. The Association of Honorary Consuls Union in Romania was established in June 2015 as a non-governmental organization, in order to promote and encourage specialized partnerships and social projects of common interest for honorary consuls in Romania. Nearly 10 years ago Gary Golio wrote his first childrens book about a musician. He started with a guitarist who made a strong impression on him: Jimi Hendrix. Since then, Golio has returned to musicians, penning childrens books about John Coltrane, Carlos Santana and Woody Guthrie. His latest is about a gospel and blues legend who has been dead 75 years, yet the story feels well-suited for our difficult times. Dark Was the Night finds Golio writing about Blind Willie Johnson, a musician who enjoyed some success in his career, offset by ample struggle. He died years before his music would be admired and covered by Bob Dylan, Led Zeppelin and Jack White. Blind Willie Johnsons last days remain mysterious, and whose headstone in Beaumont may or may not be above his grave. Dark Was the Night is a story of loneliness and a search for light during dark times. In writing about the Texas music legend, Golio saw a tale with an ageless spirit. With a childrens book, you dont have a lot of space, Golio says. So you really have to get to the essence of a persons life. For Willie, despite many hardships, its about the magic and mystery of life on Earth. With that in mind, Golio and his illustrator, E.B. Lewis, open in 1977, more than three decades after Johnsons death. That year the Golden Record was launched into space on the Voyager satellite. Carl Sagan was the project manager who put together nearly 30 recordings for the record, including sounds from nature, recorded greetings in various languages and a few pieces of music. Among the pieces of music from the United States was one by Louis Armstrong and His Hot Seven and Dark Was the Night Cold Was the Ground, which Johnson recorded in Dallas in 1927. Johnsons inclusion clearly bears the stamp of folklorist Alan Lomax, who was part of Sagans team. That specific song and its message of resilience became the driving force of Golios book, much in the way collaboration was the crux of his book about Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie and protest music informed his book on Billie Holiday. Little definitive biography about Johnson exists: folklorist Samuel Charters chased Johnsons ghost in the 1950s from Dallas down to Houston and over to east Texas, where he found Johnsons widow. First-hand accounts by people who knew him did little to put Johnsons life into focus. His birth, his blindness, his career and his death were opaquely documented (see sider). Which gave Golio and Lewis room to create a reverent and impressionistic story about Johnson and his music. Their story touches on themes of lightness and darkness as well as Johnsons spirited approach to spiritual music. He often gets filed under blues because of his low growl of a voice and his novel approach to playing slide guitar. But Johnsons catalog represented by just a few sessions between 1927 and 1930 was an unwavering documentation of his faith. Just listen to Nobodys Fault But Mine, Golio says. On one hand its terrifying, this kind of fire and brimstone music. On the other, its tender and goes to the heart of being a mortal human being on this planet. More on Blind Willie Johnson Writing about Willie Johnson's life and music isn't so scarce as to require a long hunt. But he enjoys less renown than Charley Patton, who recorded at the same time, and Robert Johnson, who came along a few years later. A good starting point - both for its music and its notes - is "The Complete Blind Willie Johnson," which contains Johnson's 30 known recordings and folklorist Samuel Charters' commentary. Well worthy of reading for more than its Johnson chapter is Michael Corcoran's new "Ghost Notes: Pioneering Spirits in Texas Music." His pieces on artists including Johnson, Washington Phillips, Milton Brown and Bobby Doyle are deeply reported and lovingly written, and the art by Big Boys guitarist Tim Kerr is rich accompaniment. For those who make such pilgrimages, Johnson's marker is in Blanchette Cemetery, located at 3600 Inca. Johnson also is enshrined in the Music Hall of Fame at the Museum of the Gulf Coast in Port Arthur. See More Collapse The song that lends its title to the book is among the best-known of Johnsons recordings. Recorded in Dallas in December 1927, Dark Was the Night Cold Was the Ground remains a striking piece of music: void of lyrics, it features just Johnson moaning and humming over his guitar. Guitarist Ry Cooder called it the most transcendent piece in all American music. Dark Was the Night, the piece of music, carries the weight of the story Golio tells. Rather than dwell upon the cause of Johnsons blindness lore attributes it to lye thrown in his face as a child by his stepmother or his peripatetic life that included time in Dallas, Houston and Beaumont, or his death, possibly due to syphilis or pneumonia, the author and the artist focus on the music Johnson left behind. Theres always a process about what to keep and what to leave out, Golio says. What is meaningful. You dont want a page that reads, Hey, kids, he found out his stepmother was cheating on his father, and she threw lye in his face. So instead I found myself thinking more about darkness: the darkness of space, his inability to see Golio wrote the text in second person, an approach he says, that deepened the mystery a little. As if I was talking to his ghost. Johnson died in 1945 at age 48. His death certificate stated that he was buried in Blanchette Cemetery in Beaumont, which was an abandoned graveyard for decades. The specific site of his grave isnt known, but a marker that bears Johnsons name and dates was placed in the cemetery about a decade ago. That stone is among the few physical pieces of evidence that testify to Johnsons existence along with the 30 sides he recorded for Columbia during his short but successful recording career. So Dark Was the Night (the book) opens and closes with Lewis paintings of a starlit sky, where Johnsons music rests with pieces by Bach, Beethoven and Chuck Berry. I really resist more and more that idea that you can measure a persons value by how many things you know about them, Golio says. The fact that years after he died, Eric Clapton or Lucinda Williams would record his songs, I think thats a wonderful testament to the effect a life can have on other people. Former Home and Away star Pia Miller recently reunited with her Hollywood agent boyfriend, Patrick Whitesell, 55. And the 36-year-old actress was positively glowing as she posed in a selfie she posted to Instagram on Monday. Pia proved her model credentials as she shared a close-up of her glossy, made-up visage while laying on a bed. Glowing: Pia Miller, 36, (pictured) looked radiant in a glam selfie on Monday, weeks after reuniting with her multi-millionaire Hollywood agent boyfriend Patrick Whitesell The mother-of-two looked radiant as she lay with her eyes closed for the photograph, with her looking calm and relaxed. Pia wore her long brunette tresses in a wavy style, allowing them to frame her face. The stunning beauty wore a black button-down blouse for her impromptu shoot. Pia recently returned to work, shooting for luxury brand Paspaley in Sydney last week. Beauty: Pia recently returned to work, shooting for luxury brand Paspaley in Sydney last week The Chile-born star has also been spotted around Sydney with her powerful Hollywood talent agent boyfriend, Patrick Whitesell. Pia spent a week with her beau, before Patrick flew back to the US on a private jet, last week. She was first linked to the Hollywood power agent in August last year, following her split with her longtime fiance, Tyson Mullane, 32, in April. Together again! The photo shoot comes after Pia was reunited with her multi-millionaire agent boyfriend Patrick Whitesell (pictured) The couple made their public debut at a Halloween party in Los Angeles in October 2019, amid reports they'd started dating back in May. She made their relationship Instagram official on Christmas Eve, sharing a loved-up photo with him outside of the Louvre in Paris, and captioning it 'P'. The couple made their red carpet debut when they attended the Oscars together in February this year in Los Angeles. On Monday, Fort Lauderdale police released body camera footage, a 911 call and records detailing how the arrest of former Donald Trump campaign manager Brad Parscale unfolded. According to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, police were dispatched to Parscale's home on Sunday after receiving a 911 call from his wife Candace, saying that her husband may have possibly shot himself after cocking a handgun. Body camera footage shows how officers knocked a shirtless Parscale to the ground and detained him. Parscale, 44, was reportedly taken into custody after threatening to harm himself, the local newspaper reported. Below is the body camera footage: "He was acting crazy ... he was going irate," his wife told police, the body camera footage showed. On the phone, his wife told a 911 dispatcher that she heard a gunshot shortly after exiting her home, and was afraid her husband was going to kill himself. Police saw cuts and bruises on his wife that she said were caused by Parscale, according to South Florida Sun-Sentinel. Officers recovered 10 firearms from his home including several pistols, a shotgun and rifle. Below is the 911 call: Parscale, a former San Antonio web designer, was demoted from his spot as Trump's 2020 campaign manager in July after polls showed the president trailing Democratic rival Joe Biden by double digits. Five months separated the move of the US Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem in December 2017 and the convening of the Arab summit in the Saudi city of Dhahran in April 2018. The special relationship between US President Donald Trump and his son-in-law Jared Kushner on the one hand, and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on the other were well known. It was expected that the Saudi monarch who was hosting the summit would at best avoid the topic of the embassy move rather than support or oppose it. But instead, King Salman bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud surprised Arab attendees and suggested changing the name of the summit from the Dhahran summit to the Jerusalem summit. The king also announced a generous donation of $150 million to the Endowment Support Program in Jerusalem and $50 million to support the programs run by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). In his speech at the summit, Salman stressed that the Palestinian issue is our first issue and will remain so, expressing his condemnation of the decision of the US administration to transfer its embassy to Jerusalem. Ziad Abu Amr, deputy Palestinian prime minister in Ramallah, told Al-Monitor that the relationship with Saudi Arabia is positive and historic. They have been a guarantor and a supporter of the Palestinian cause and still are. We have never had a problem with [the] Saudi government on any day. They have always supported the Palestinian cause and defended Jerusalem," he said. Abu Amr, who is also a member of the PLOs Executive Committee, said that the Palestinians appreciate the Saudi position that states, Saudi Arabia will accept whatever the Palestinians accept and will refuse whatever the Palestinians reject. Abu Amr also expressed his hope that all Arabs hold on to their commitment of the Arab Peace Initiative, which began as a Saudi initiative. Azzam al-Ahmad, a member of the PLOs Executive Committee responsible for Arab affairs, expressed a similar reaction. Ahmad insists that the relationship is natural, telling Al-Monitor, Our relationship with our brothers in Saudi Arabia is natural. There are no problems and we are happy with their political positioning regarding the Palestinian cause. President [Mahmoud] Abbas is in regular contact with both King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed and we have no complaints about their commitment to Palestine. The real test to the relationship can best be seen in financial terms. While the Arab summit was a recent high point in financial terms, things soured for a year or so. However, in February 2019, the Saudis announced that they would resume their support and that they would transfer $60 million to the Palestinian Authority, which is the amount of support for three months, after being months late in sending previous aid payments. This occurred at the same time that Qatar, a regional rival of the Saudis, was planning to make a major contribution to the Palestinians. Sure enough, in May 2019, Qatar decided to release a hefty grant of $480 million to assist the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. Since then, however, the Saudis again faltered in their previous commitments to the Palestinians. Ahmad wouldnt comment on the financial issue. When pushed to explain the sudden cut in Saudi support to Palestine, Ahmad said, I am not following [up] on money issues. You would have to ask the minister of finance. Ahmad argued, however, that in the past they had exceeded their commitments. Over the years Saudi Arabia has far exceeded the amount that they committed to at the Beirut summit [in 2002]. According to the pro-Saudi Al-Arabiya, Between 2000 and 2018, Saudi Arabia has provided more than $6,473,586,361 in aid to the State of Palestine, of which about $250 million was allocated to [UNRWA]. Abu Amr explained the stated reason for the cut in funding. They were giving us financial support, but lately this has stopped. They said that the reason is the oil crisis. We thanked them by saying that we understand their circumstances but that we were hoping that all Arab support would continue as stipulated in commitments made by the Arab League. Arabs promised us a financial security net to help ensure Palestinian independence. In addition to the financial aspects, there were some worries that the leading Islamic country, home to the birth of Islam, would try and push the Jordanian Hashemites from their role as custodian of Jerusalems holy sites. The statement of the Saudi monarch was reflected in the summits final communique that supported Jordan as the only body in charge of the administration, maintenance and access to Al-Aqsa Mosque. The Trump administrations push for Arab countries to normalize relations with Israel as a means of helping both Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, seems to have ended without claiming the big prize of Saudi Arabia. The Saudis would not budge, but tried to deflect the pressure. The decision by Bahrain to follow the lead of the United Arab Emirates was seen as part of this deflection of US pressure. Bahrain is largely dependent on Saudi Arabia, as Saudi troops helped squash mass anti-government protests in 2011. It is safe to say that Bahrain, a majority Shiite Muslim nation, would not have agreed to establish diplomatic relations with Israel without Saudi consent. Other pro-Israeli gestures by Saudi Arabia included the opening of the Saudi airspace to Israeli commercial flights. For the time being and while Salman is still in power, Saudi Arabias traditional pro-Palestinian positions are unlikely to be compromised, even if some gestures are made to the Israelis and to the Trump administration. The Palestinians who have depended for years on Saudi support are not about to criticize Saudi Arabia. If latest round of discussions go well the process of finalising a deal may begin EU leaders are accusing London of lacking 'credible' ideas to break the deadlock Lord Frost and Michel Barnier are preparing to finalise details by the end of week Brexit trade talks could enter their final stages this week after both sides made key concessions. If the latest round of discussions which begin tomorrow goes well, it is expected that negotiators will begin the process to finalise a deal. ADVERTISEMENT However, doubts still linger in Brussels, with EU leaders and diplomats accusing London of lacking 'credible' ideas to break the deadlock. Brexit trade talks could enter their final stages this week after Lord Frost (pictured), the UK's negotiator, and the EU made key concessions Reports yesterday suggested that both the UK and Brussels are giving ground to avoid the double negative economic impact of coronavirus and No Deal at the end of the year. Lord Frost, the UK's negotiator, and his EU counterpart, Michel Barnier, are said to be preparing to finalise details by the end of this week. Should talks go well, they hope to enter 'the tunnel', in which final details of the deal will be hammered out in total secrecy over two weeks. This would mean that a final agreement would be in place just after the next EU summit in Brussels in mid-October. EU's Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier (pictured) and Lord Frost are said to be preparing to finalise details by the end of this week Boris Johnson is believed to want a Brexit deal and is coming under pressure to secure one from Cabinet members. Cabinet Minister Michael Gove, who is in charge of No Deal planning, is said to be 'terrified' of the effects of a combination of a second coronavirus wave and a failure to reach a trade deal, the Sunday Times reported. Both sides are said to have made concessions that give those involved hope a deal may be reached. Brussels is said to have watered down its demands for checks on the movement of goods between Great Britain and Northern Ireland. In return, the UK would agree to adhere to some 'baseline rules' over the use of state aid to prop up British businesses. Click here to resize this module This would mean that Mr Johnson would be able to say the UK was not fully aligned to EU rules as Brussels has been demanding. ADVERTISEMENT Both sides will then agree a dispute mechanism. While No 10 officials have warned against the idea that a deal is done, members of Lord Frost's team are reported to have privately said: 'There will be a deal.' In a statement, Lord Frost said: 'An agreement is still very much possible, but equally very far from certain. 'The last two weeks of informal talks have been relatively positive, but there remains much to be done and time is short.' Boris Johnson (pictured) is believed to want a Brexit deal and is coming under pressure to secure one from Cabinet members He added that the UK had insisted from the start that it wants a standard free trade agreement like Canada's, but said the EU's position had 'not been so straightforward'. However, the signals from the EU were less positive yesterday, with the Irish premier Micheal Martin saying he was 'not that optimistic' about the prospect of a deal. He told the i newspaper: 'The Internal Market Bill has eroded trust, it has damaged the credibility of agreements that have been entered into, namely the Withdrawal Agreement and Northern Ireland protocol.' One senior EU diplomat added: 'The UK is very much spinning that they want a tunnel to explore possible ideas and avenues to strike a deal. The problem is right now there are not any that are credible. 'There is going to be a need of intensification of negotiations at some point. But we need to trust we won't be betrayed by the other side.' Another diplomat said: 'On one hand, you could see all this positive talk coming from the British government as an indication that they are serious about getting a deal. ADVERTISEMENT 'On the other hand, they could be just preparing the ground for some kind of blame game in the event we don't find an agreement.' It came as the head of the Confederation of British Industry, Carolyn Fairburn, said there was 'real concern' about the chance of No Deal at the end of the transition period. She said a CBI poll showed half of firms have gone backwards with their preparations as cash reserves and stockpiles have been run down. The order passed by the Permanent Court of Arbitration at The Hague upholds evidence placed by Vodafone Inc against tax levied by India on the global telecom major. This will have multiple implications, both for India and the corporate. First, it is no doubt a major embarrassment for the Indian government. Second, it could trigger a slew of tax-related cases currently being heard in Indian courts, landing before the International Court of Justice (ICJ). The order is an alert, if not caution for the Indian government. It is a sine qua non that the government takes seriously that it is losing more cases than it is winning in tax-related matters in the legal battles. According to Economic Survey 2017-18, in tax-related issues it has a success rate of just 27 percent in the Supreme Court. It is an indication that there is an inherent flaw in the current laws and policy. Under such circumstances, it is challenging to realise the tax that is due to the government, as per law. Change is inevitable. Certainly not because a foreign court has rejected the Government of Indias argument, but because we are entering a new world order. Also, to become a global leader, change is a must. In that vein, it is heartening that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government set up a committee that has identified 1,824 old laws. About 1,428 archaic central Acts and about 75 laws have been repealed. The same effort in tax-related laws is highly desirable. Globally, all governments undertake a review of their policy, tax, legal, and labour laws. It is not about which political party is in power, but this is about India as a country being evaluated by the world as a future investment destination. This is especially important in the current scenario when world nations are looking for a promising investment/manufacturing destination outside China. Both Opposition and government should work together to ensure that India has a set of new rules and regulation. A more transparent tax system that complements a well-defined policy to attract investment. Good efforts don't go waste. Recently, India was ranked 63rd out of 190 countries' in terms of World Bank's Ease of Doing Business. The amendments to the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, Specific Relief Act and Commercial Courts Act, must have been taken up by the evaluators, preparing the Doing Business Report 2019-20 to give India a better rank. It will augur well for India if the legal reforms are undertaken on priority. We live in a connected and interdependent world. It is in the interest of every government that domestic and foreign investment flows in unhindered, the industry grows, and its citizens get the best employment opportunities. That is only possible when there is well-oiled legal machinery to complement the rules and regulations. For example, the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC) in 2016, was a brilliant intervention, but soon it exposed the inadequacy of the legal system to manage the massive backlog of companies going through the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) for liquidation or resolution. Several companies used the loopholes to slow down the process of reforms and defeated the purpose. Let's look at the Vodafone case a bit closer. A law that was questioned fought in courts and India's reputation put at stake. The dispute between Vodafone and the Indian tax system is a colossal waste of time, energy, money and reputation. Can this be avoided in future? The telecom sector in India is the most vibrant of all the industries that were opened up to private sector participation. Despite the legal battles, policy upheavals and challenges to the service industry, telecom technology holds the future of the economy. An economy that will be built with technology at the centre needs a robust legal system that has a strong foundation of justice and transparency. Adam Smith, the 18th-century Economist, perhaps gave a prologue to the whole Vodafone case. In one of the lectures in 1755, he said, "Little else is requisite to carry a state to the highest degree of opulence from the lowest barbarism, but peace, easy taxes, and a tolerable administration of justice; all the rest being brought about by the natural course of things." The challenges are manifold in dealing with the order of the Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Vodafone case. It may not be easy for the government to appeal in appropriate courts challenging the order. However, an attempt to initiate an introspection of existing laws that hamper business growth will go a long way in establishing India as a global leader. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-28 23:05:26|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Photo taken on Sept. 27, 2020 shows the lifting operation at the construction site of the 156 Megawatt (MW) Senj Wind Farm project in Senj, Croatia. In Senj, a small city on the Adriatic coast of western Croatia, locals are used to the sight of heavy-duty vehicles transporting supersized machines. In the Velebit Mountains a few kilometers away, Chinese and Croatian workers are constructing the country's largest wind farm. (Photo by Ding Decai/Xinhua) by Xinhua writer Gao Lei ZAGREB, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- In Senj, a small city on the Adriatic coast of western Croatia, locals are used to the sight of heavy-duty vehicles transporting supersized machines. In the Velebit Mountains a few kilometers away, Chinese and Croatian workers are constructing the country's largest wind farm. In November 2017, China's Norinco International signed an agreement with Croatia's Energija Projekt -- a company specially set up to run the 156 Megawatt (MW) Senj Wind Farm -- on the purchase of a 76-percent stake in the project and obtained the right to construct and operate it for 25 years. The project, which includes 39 wind turbines (four MW each) and supporting facilities, is expected to be completed in April 2021. The wind farm is located in a dense mountain forest near Senj. A very strong cold wind unique to the Adriatic Sea, known as "bora" by the locals, is frequent here. In winter, wind speeds can reach up to 200 kilometers per hour. It is no easy task to transport the giant equipment to the construction site at a height of 1,100 meters and complete the installation in adverse weather. Norinco uses high-capacity offshore wind power technologies and extremely tall (100-meter) towers at the Senj site to harness the high winds. The towers have a diameter of 4.62 meters at their base. Each nacelle weighs 145 tons. A single blade is 67 meters long and weighs over 20 tons. The wind farm covers an area of approximately 65 square kilometers. Preparing for the construction has been an exceptionally complex task, Norinco's installation manager Ding Decai told Xinhua. Sixty kilometres of roads had to be built on the hillsides to enable the movement of heavy vehicles. According to Ding, assembling a wind turbine requires a 500-ton truck crane and a 650-ton crawler crane, as well as four auxiliary cranes that cooperate with the bigger cranes. The crawler crane has a 120-meter boom and a 1,000-ton counterweight. The complete machinery cannot be driven to the construction site: it is disassembled and transported by 40 trucks to the designated location for reassembly. At the Senj wind farm, the blades can only be connected to the hub in mid-air using cranes. "It's just like using huge machinery to thread the needle at 100 meters above the ground," Ding explained. The COVID-19 outbreak at the beginning of this year inevitably affected the manufacturing and shipment of the equipment, Liu Zhen, general manager of Norinco's Zagreb branch, told Xinhua. The arrival of the first shipment of equipment at the port of Zadar in early April coincided with the peak of the outbreak in Croatia. The shipment was therefore stranded in the port for three months. Leo Jerkic, chief supervision engineer from Megajoule, a wind and solar consultancy and engineering company, said that despite the obstacles encountered during the development phase, now "everything is more or less settled and we are progressing very well on the construction itself." The 80-odd Chinese and over 100 Croatian workers have already completed 50 percent of the contract value. They are expected to complete civil constructions by the end of this year and get the first 13 turbines connected to the grid. "We are very satisfied to be in such a good relationship with our Chinese colleagues. We believe this is just the first step and many more projects will follow here in Croatia and even in wider Europe," said Jerkic. Shan Jun, deputy general manager of Norinco, said that his company is confident and capable of completing the project. "We want to set a good example for China-Croatia cooperation in energy and trade," he said. Enditem A drunk driver in his 20s drove into a street vendor in Busan, Sunday, causing injuries to at least 12 people, police in the port city said, noting that the driver was taken into police custody. / Yonhap By Jun Ji-hye The number of traffic accidents caused by driving under the influence (DUI) has been increasing again this year, after it had decreased last year following the enforcement of tougher regulations against drunk drivers, according to a local traffic safety research institute Monday. The number of DUI crashes has increased despite a reduction in traffic volume and the movement of people following the COVID-19 outbreak that began in January in the country. According to the report issued by the Samsung Traffic Safety Research Institute that is affiliated with Samsung Fire and Marine Insurance, the number of DUI accidents reported to the insurance company from January to August has reached 4,627, having already exceeded 3,787 reported last year. The insurance firm had received around 5,000 reports of DUI crashes annually between 2016 and 2018, but the number fell significantly to 3,787 last year, following the enforcement of the revised traffic laws in June of that year, which introduced a lower legal limit of drivers' blood alcohol level and stronger punishment of drunk driving. The so-called "Yoon Chang-ho Act" calls on driver's licenses to be suspended when drivers' blood alcohol level is 0.03 percent or higher, and be revoked when the level is 0.08 percent or higher. Previously, driver's licenses were suspended when drivers' blood alcohol level was 0.05 percent or higher, and revoked when the level was 0.1 percent or higher. The law also states that offenders can face up to life imprisonment when their drunk driving results in death. The National Assembly passed the bills to revise the traffic laws at the end of 2018 after Yoon Chang-ho, a 22-year-old military conscript, was killed by a drunk driver in Busan in November of that year. The research institute noted that among 130,654 people whose driver's licenses were revoked from January to August, 59,102, or 45.2 percent, were involved with drunk driving. The figure had stood at 58.1 percent in 2018 and fell significantly to 36.6 percent last year, but increased again this year. Some drivers appear to drive under the influence habitually. Among 158,000 people who were reissued driver's licenses again in 2015 after their licenses had been revoked due to drunk driving, 14 percent have been caught driving under the influence again up until last month, the research institute said. "The Yoon Chang-ho Act aroused awareness of DUI among the public for a while, but people have tended to become blase about the issue this year," said Lim Chae-hong, a senior analyst of the research institute. "In addition, people have tended to prefer their own cars rather than public transportation due to the COVID-19 pandemic." The report was issued at a time when high-profile cases involving alcohol-fueled infractions have caused public uproar this month, promoting authorities to renew the war against drunk driving. On Sept. 9, a man in his 50s who was delivering fried chicken by motorcycle was killed after a 33-year-old drunk driver ran into him. On Sunday, a drunk driver in his 20s crashed into a street vendor in Busan, injuring at least 12 people. Researchers called on the government to strengthen policing of drunk drivers, saying the country's countermeasures against them are relatively weak, compared to other developed countries. "One-time punishments are not sufficient to resolve DUI issues," the research institute said in its report. "The government needs to draw up more countermeasures against drunk driving such as offering psychological treatment for those caught driving under the influence repeatedly." American Congress members have condemned the aggression of Azerbaijan against Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh), and called for an immediate ceasefire. "Im troubled by the recent Azeri attacks on Artsakh. We must condemn this aggression and urge Baku to cease offensive military action and return to the peace table. We should halt military aid to Azerbaijan and urge Turkey to abstain from sending arms or fighters," Congressman Brad Sherman wrote on Twitter. Congressman T. J. Cox called on to immediately suspend US military aid to Azerbaijan. "Azerbaijans baseless attacks on the capital of Artsakh have already taken lives. This aggression proves yet again that the US must stop all military aid to Baku. We must stand in solidarity with the Armenian communities in Artsakh and condemn Azerbaijans hostility in the strongest possible terms," Cox wrote on Facebook and Twitter. "For months, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, have increased their use of combative rhetoric and provocative actions toward Artsakh and Armenia. The Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues has consistently urged assertive action from the Department of State to deescalate this dangerous situation and hold the aggressors - Azerbaijan and Turkey - accountable for their destabilizing actions. The United States has an important role to play in stopping this violence, and we must act quickly and decisively to halt this belligerent display of aggression, stated said Congressman Frank Pallone Jr. "I condemn Azerbaijans reckless military attacks in the region. Azerbaijan should be held accountable for its aggressive actions which undermine peace. As Co-Chair of the OSCE Minsk Group, the U.S. must take the lead in forging a ceasefire and preventing conflict before this dangerous situation escalates any further, Congressman Josh Gottheimer tweeted. Indore: A farmer was arrested on Monday in Indore in Madhya Pradesh for allegedly shooting dead a dog after getting enraged over its continuous barking, police said. Pankaj Shukla said the dog used to bark near his home and had also bitten several people, though he could not give names or any other details of such incidents, Banganga police station in charge Rajendra Soni said. On the basis of a complaint from Priyanshu Jain, local unit president of NGO People for Animals, Shukla was arrested under relevant sections of Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act and IPC, he said. Shukla used his licenced gun to shoot the animal on Saturday, and the firearm and two empty cartridges have been recovered. We are writing to the district administration to cancel Shuklas gun licence," Soni said. Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor Technavio has been monitoring the surgical smoke evacuation systems market and it is poised to grow by USD 32.89 million during 2020-2024, progressing at a CAGR of almost 5% during the forecast period. The report offers an up-to-date analysis regarding the current market scenario, latest trends and drivers, and the overall market environment. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200928005272/en/ Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Global Surgical Smoke Evacuation Systems Market 2020-2024 (Graphic: Business Wire) Although the COVID-19 pandemic continues to transform the growth of various industries, the immediate impact of the outbreak is varied. While a few industries will register a drop in demand, numerous others will continue to remain unscathed and show promising growth opportunities. Technavio's in-depth research has all your needs covered as our research reports include all foreseeable market scenarios, including pre- post-COVID-19 analysis. Download a Free Sample Report on COVID-19 Impacts Frequently Asked Questions- Based on segmentation by product, which is the leading segment in the market? Surgical smoke evacuators are expected to be the leading segment based on product in the global market during the forecast period. What are the major trends in the market? Increasing incidence of chronic conditions is one of the major trends in the market. At what rate is the market projected to grow? Growing at a CAGR of almost 5%, the incremental growth of the market is anticipated to be USD 32.89 million. Who are the top players in the market? CONMED Corp., Danaher Corp., DeRoyal Industries Inc., Ecolab Inc., I.C. Medical Inc., Johnson Johnson, Medtronic Plc, STERIS Plc, Stryker Corp., and Utah Medical Products Inc. are some of the major market participants. What are the key market drivers and challenges? Increasing number of surgical procedures is one of the major factors driving the market. However, the high cost of electrosurgical procedures and MIS devices will restrain market growth. How big is the North America market? The North America region will contribute 38% of market growth. The market is fragmented, and the degree of fragmentation will accelerate during the forecast period. CONMED Corp., Danaher Corp., DeRoyal Industries Inc., Ecolab Inc., I.C. Medical Inc. Johnson Johnson, Medtronic Plc, STERIS Plc, Stryker Corp., and Utah Medical Products Inc. are some of the major market participants. The increasing number of surgical procedures will offer immense growth opportunities. To make most of the opportunities, market vendors should focus more on the growth prospects in the fast-growing segments, while maintaining their position in the slow-growing segments. Buy 1 Technavio report and get the second for 50% off. Buy 2 Technavio reports and get the third for free. View market snapshot before purchasing Technavio's custom research reports offer detailed insights on the impact of COVID-19 at an industry level, a regional level, and subsequent supply chain operations. This customized report will also help clients keep up with new product launches in direct indirect COVID-19 related markets, upcoming vaccines and pipeline analysis, and significant developments in vendor operations and government regulations. Surgical Smoke Evacuation Systems Market 2020-2024: Segmentation Surgical Smoke Evacuation Systems Market is segmented as below: Product Surgical Smoke Evacuators Surgical Smoke Evacuation Accessories Geography North America Europe APAC ROW To learn more about the global trends impacting the future of market research, download a free sample: https://www.technavio.com/talk-to-us?report=IRTNTR44665 Surgical Smoke Evacuation Systems Market 2020-2024: Scope Technavio presents a detailed picture of the market by the way of study, synthesis, and summation of data from multiple sources. The surgical smoke evacuation systems market report covers the following areas: Surgical Smoke Evacuation Systems Market Size Surgical Smoke Evacuation Systems Market Trends Surgical Smoke Evacuation Systems Market Analysis This study identifies increasing incidence of chronic conditions as one of the prime reasons driving the surgical smoke evacuation systems market growth during the next few years. Technavio suggests three forecast scenarios (optimistic, probable, and pessimistic) considering the impact of COVID-19. Technavio's in-depth research has direct and indirect COVID-19 impacted market research reports. Register for a free trial today and gain instant access to 17,000+ market research reports. Technavio's SUBSCRIPTION platform Surgical Smoke Evacuation Systems Market 2020-2024: Key Highlights CAGR of the market during the forecast period 2020-2024 Detailed information on factors that will assist surgical smoke evacuation systems market growth during the next five years Estimation of the surgical smoke evacuation systems market size and its contribution to the parent market Predictions on upcoming trends and changes in consumer behavior The growth of the surgical smoke evacuation systems market Analysis of the market's competitive landscape and detailed information on vendors Comprehensive details of factors that will challenge the growth of surgical smoke evacuation systems market vendors Table of Contents: Executive Summary Market Overview Market Landscape Market ecosystem Market characteristics Market characteristics Value chain analysis Market Sizing Market definition Market segment analysis Market size 2019 Market outlook: Forecast for 2019 2024 Five Forces Analysis Five forces summary Bargaining power of buyers Bargaining power of suppliers Threat of new entrants Threat of substitutes Threat of rivalry Market condition Market Segmentation by Product Market segments Comparison by Product Surgical smoke evacuators Market size and forecast 2019-2024 Surgical smoke evacuation accessories Market size and forecast 2019-2024 Market opportunity by Product Customer landscape Overview Geographic Landscape Geographic segmentation Geographic comparison North America Market size and forecast 2019-2024 Europe Market size and forecast 2019-2024 APAC Market size and forecast 2019-2024 ROW Market size and forecast 2019-2024 Key leading countries Market opportunity by geography Market drivers Market challenges Market trends Vendor Landscape Competitive scenario Vendor landscape Landscape disruption Industry risks Vendor Analysis Vendors covered Market positioning of vendors CONMED Corp. Danaher Corp. DeRoyal Industries Inc. Ecolab Inc. I.C. Medical Inc. Johnson Johnson Medtronic Plc STERIS Plc Stryker Corp. Utah Medical Products Inc. Appendix Scope of the report Currency conversion rates for US$ Research methodology List of abbreviations About Us Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focuses on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200928005272/en/ Contacts: Technavio Research Jesse Maida Media Marketing Executive US: +1 844 364 1100 UK: +44 203 893 3200 Email: media@technavio.com Website: www.technavio.com/ Instead, the planned virtual meet-up announced Monday strips the kingdom of the pomp that would have accompanied televised arrivals on Riyadhs tarmac just two years after the killing and dismemberment of Saudi writer Jamal Khashoggi stained the crown princes reputation. Prince Mohammed has insisted he had nothing to do with the operation carried out by Saudi agents inside the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul, despite U.S. senators and intelligence officials saying he bore responsibility for the slaying. A 26-year-old Ivorian tech entrepreneur won the UK's Royal Academy of Engineerings prestigious 2020 Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation. Charlette NGuessan and her team developed a facial recognition software designed to identify black Africans. Charlette NGuessan - the CEO of her own company, BACE group, based in Ghana - is the first ever woman to win the Africa Prize. The 26-year-old NGuessan and her Pan African team developed BACE API, a software that uses facial recognition and artificial intelligence to verify identities remotely and in real time. The software has been developed specifically to identify Africans. Most of the existing facial recognition technology available struggle to recognise black faces. A United States government study revealed that the current systems misidentify black people at a rate of five to ten times higher than for white people. While facial recognition software isnt new, BACE API specifically uses live images or short videos taken on phone cameras to detect whether the image is of a real person, or matches a photo of an existing image. Users upload a picture of their ID (passport, drivers licence, national ID card) and submit it. They are then asked to take their picture with the camera of their cell phones or web cam of the computer in use. This, in order to match with the face on the document submitted. Helping people with no ID NGuessan said that she developed BACE API to solve some of the challenges affecting African markets. According to the World Bank's Identification for Development (ID4D) program, more than 40 per cent of people without ID in the world live in Africa. This lack of identity excludes this population from basic services such as access to financial services, voting rights, and education. With BACE, people will be able to apply for online services and get verified remotely in real-time at any time and from anywhere. BACE API asks users to complete multiple video tests to ensure they are actually the human being who is interacting with their platform. Story continues Businesses and organisations that provide financial, education, transport, security and various other services are struggling and spending a lot of money to tackle identity verification. NGuessan and her co-founders developed the software in 2018 after research they did during their studies revealed that Ghanas banks have a significant problem with identity fraud and cybercrime. The research estimated that approximately 400 million dollars is spent annually by Ghanaian financial institutions to identify their customers. The software can be integrated into existing apps and systems and does not need special hardware. Two financial institutions are already using the software to verify customers identities, and the software is being tested on an event platform to confirm attendee registrations. Covid and remote identification During the global pandemic, BACE API has emerged as a viable alternative to the in-person verification processes used by most businesses, such as fingerprints or personal appearances. Companies can now authenticate and onboard new or existing customers without ever meeting them. The mentorship and training offered by the Royal Academy of Engineerings Africa Prize has helped the team focus more on their business development. Since being shortlisted, the team has defined strategies to improve BACE APIs market position. Being part of the Africa Prize has given us such confidence, said NGuessan. We focus on Africa because we want to make sure BACE API is used by our people, and that it works for them. A DISGRACED former Northern Ireland police officer convicted of having thousands of indecent images of children has been charged with breaching a sexual offences prevention order (SOPO). The SOPO, designed to protect the public from further offences, was imposed on Robert Ainscough last November when he was jailed for possession of the huge haul of child pornography and misconduct in a public office. At a hearing at Belfast Magistrates' Court on Friday the 34-year-old was charged with breaching the SOPO on May 16 this year by staying at an address without the approval of his designated risk manager. Defence solicitor Turlough Madden told the court that his client was in Dublin and asked for a two-week adjournment. "Being in Dublin doesn't breach the SOPO?" asked District Judge Steven Keown. Mr Madden replied: "I don't believe so." When he was jailed last November, Craigavon Crown Court heard that Ainscough's former colleagues had uncovered more than 16,000 images of children being sexually abused when he was being investigated for exchanging sexually explicit messages and images with three different women while on duty. After being sacked by the PSNI, Ainscough was given a nine-month sentence for misconduct in a public office and a four-and-a-half-month sentence for the offences relating to indecent photos and videos of children. Judge Roseanne McCormick QC ordered the sentences to be served consecutively, with half the time in custody and half under supervised licence. She also ordered Ainscough to sign the sex offenders' register for 10 years, banned him from working with children and imposed the 10-year SOPO. Ainscough, who is originally from Dublin but whose address was given as c/o Lurgan PSNI station, faced two separate indictments. He pleaded guilty to six counts of misconduct in a public office and 13 charges of making indecent images of children. All of the offences were committed on various dates between February 19, 2014, and September 16, 2016. The court heard that in relation to the misconduct charges Ainscough had exchanged "highly sexually explicit" messages, including texts, photographs and videos with three different women while on PSNI duty. The pervert, who was a constable for eight years before being dismissed as a result of the charges, used the police computer to access information about one of the women which would have made clear that she was particularly vulnerable. Prosecuting counsel Nicola Auret told a previous court hearing that the offences came to light when one of the women Ainscough sent messages to forwarded them on to police in Craigavon. "The photos (showed) a male in full police uniform exposing his penis," said the lawyer. Ainscough was arrested and his iPhone 6 was seized for examination. Subsequent investigations discovered he had been sending, and receiving, sexually explicit messages, photographs and videos to three different women while on duty. Ms Auret told the court that the photos and videos were taken by Ainscough in the toilets of Banbridge and Lurgan PSNI stations while he was in full uniform. She said "all the texting was consensual" and that none of the women had filed formal complaints. The misconduct investigation, however, led police to seize various electronic devices from Ainscough's home. Detectives later found a total of 16,681 indecent images of children spread across 10 devices, including pen drivers, memory sticks, laptops and hard drives. In court on Friday, District Judge Keown adjourned the case to October 9. BRUSSELS/FRANKFURT/PARIS (dpa-AFX) - European stocks closed sharply higher on Monday, led largely by gains in the bank shares, and on fairly good performance by stocks from several other sectors, as investors indulged in some brisk buying right through the session. Data showing a notable increase in China's industrial profits in the month of August, and optimism about a potential new coronavirus relief package in the U.S. outweighed concerns about the surge in coronavirus cases and rising U.S.-China tensions. Optimism about a new U.S. coronavirus bill has risen after House Speaker Nancy Pelolsi said a new package is still possible. House Democrats plan to unveil a new $2.4 trillion coronavirus relief bill. The price tag for the bill is $1 trillion less than a stimulus package the House passed back in May but may still be too high for Republicans. Brexit trade talks are set to resume this week, with negotiators expected to discuss law enforcement and transport. The pan European Stoxx 600 surged up 2.22%. The U.K.'s FTSE 100 ended 1.46% up, Germany's DAX climbed 3.22% and France's CAC 40 gained 2.4%, while Switzerland's SMI added 0.9%. Among other markets in Europe, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Greece, Ireland, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Spain and Sweden ended stronger, with their benchmark indices gaining 1 to 4%. Iceland ended modestly higher and Czech Republic edged up marginally, while Turkey closed weak. In the U.K. market, HSBC shares climbed 10% after China's Ping An, the bank's biggest shareholder, raised its stake in the lender late last week. Lloyds Baning Group surged up more than 7.7% and Royal Bank gained 7.5%. Barclays, Standard Chartered and Natwest Group also moved up by more than 7%. Diageo surged up more than 6% after the company said it has made a good start to fiscal 2021, with sequential improvement in its performance across all regions. Land Securities, British Land Company, Melrose, Standard Life Aberdeen, Legal & General, Ds Smith, TUI and Whitbread were among the other major gainers. Among the losers, Rolls-Royce Holdings slid 3.6%, GVC Holdings ended nearly 2% down, while Kingfisher closed lower by 1.4%. In Germany, Siemens rallied nearly 9%. Deutsche Bank gained about 7%, while Lufthansa, Infineon Technologies, BASF, HeidelbergCement, Continental, BMW, Volkswagen, MTU Aero, SAP, Beiersdorf and Munich RE gained 3.4 to 4.7%. In the French market, ArcelorMittal spurted nearly 11% after Cleveland-Cliffs Inc. entered into a definitive agreement to buy the company's U.S. operations. Renault gained more than 7%, while Credit Agricole, Accor, Societe Generale, Technip, Publicis Groupe, Peugeot, Airbus Group, Unibail Rodamco and Essilor ended stronger by 4 to 6%. 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. President Donald Trump speaks during a rally at Dayton International Airport in Dayton, Ohio on Sept. 21, 2020. (Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images) Trump Pushes Back on Totally Fake Report He Paid $750 in Federal Income Taxes President Donald Trump on Sunday evening pushed back against a report that claimed he paid only $750 in federal income taxes in 2016 and 2017. Its fake news. Its totally fake news, Trump told reporters at a White House press briefing after he was asked about the report. Made up. Fake, he added. The New York Times reported that Trump paid the sum in the year he won the presidency and in his first year in the Oval Office. The paper said it obtained the long-sought-after tax information for the president, alleging that he paid no federal income taxes in 11 of the 18 years it examined, saying he suffered overall financial losses. The president, repeating an assertion, said hes unable to release his financial records because he is being audited by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Its under audit. Theyve been under audit for a long time, he said. The IRS does not treat me well. Trump added: When theyre not [under audit], I would be proud to show [them]. The president claimed he paid a considerable amount of taxes over the years. First of all, I paid a lot, he said. I paid a lot of state income taxes too. New York State charges a lot. That information will be released in due time, said Trump, adding that it will only be done when the audit is finished. Itll all be revealed, he said. I look forward to releasing many things. Im going to release many things and people will be really shocked. The IRS does not treat me well. They treat me like the Tea Party, he said, referring to the IRS targeting Republican-leaning groups during the Obama administration. Trump Organization lawyer Alan Garten issued a statement to the NY Times over the alleged tax records, saying that most, if not all, of the facts appear to be inaccurate. Over the past decade, President Trump has paid tens of millions of dollars in personal taxes to the federal government, including paying millions in personal taxes since announcing his candidacy in 2015, Garten told the liberal-leaning news outlet. Over the past four years, news outlets and various Democratic officials at the state and Congressional level have attempted to obtain Trumps tax returns. Among them is New York County District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr., who suggested last week that Trump and his businesses could be investigated for tax fraud. In a court filing, Vances team argued that even if the grand jury were testing the truth of public allegations alone, such reports, taken together, fully justify the scope of the grand jury subpoena at issue in this case. The Supreme Court previously opined that that Trump was not absolutely immune from state criminal processes, opening an opportunity for him to challenge Vances subpoena on other grounds. Former FBI director James Comey may or may not have influenced the 2016 US presidential elections, but the new two-part miniseries about the role he inadvertently played in Donald Trumps victory certainly believes that it could influence voters ahead of the 2020 polls. Or, at the very least, inform them, according to actor Jeff Daniels, who plays the controversial Comey in Showtimes The Comey Rule. The show can inform people, I dont know about influence, he told Hindustan Times in a media interaction. Whether its the Trump administration or their constant attempts to quash information or tell you something that is not true. The Comey Rule will give people more information about something they think they know but really dont, he said. The two-part political drama, written and directed by Billy Ray, was always supposed to come out either in summer or the fall, Daniels said. That was why the celebrated actor ended a yearlong engagement on Broadway, where he appeared in 415 straight shows as Atticus Finch in Aaron Sorkins adaptation of To Kill a Mockingbird. But when Showtime slotted the series for a late November, post-polls premiere, Ray protested. In a letter to the cast and crew, he apologised for having let them down. I know what a disappointment this is to you. It is for me too because while Ive made movies about my country before, this was the first time I ever made a movie for my country, he wrote. Not everything that get you do as an actor matters, or counts, or has an affect on the audiences that changes them, and this had all of that, Daniels said. It was relevant, not only then, but today. Its not often you get to tell a story thats still happening. Rays story, Daniels said, was about one man taking on something far more powerful than he is, and that is exactly what the writer-director did after Viacoms November release announcement. It is not clear what changed, but something did. The miniseries was rescheduled for a late September premiere, effectively allowing Ray and Daniels to honour their original vision. Bredan Gleeson as Donald Trump, in a still from The Comey Rule. The Comey Rule, based on the former FBI directors book A Higher Loyalty, dramatises events leading up to the 2016 elections, when Comey, mere days before the polls, made the independent decision to launch an investigation into Democratic presidential candidate Hilary Clintons emails. The nuances of what the investigation entailed was lost on the common American, who saw it simply as a sign of Clintons dishonesty. The miniseries suggests that Comeys decision could have impacted her chances of winning, and his vilification in the aftermath of Trumps victory was unfair, but it was a decision that he was duty-bound to make. Its lonely at the top, Daniels said. Even Jim Comeys family pressured him, so he really was alone. But he clung to what he believed in, to justice, to law, the truth, and to the institution that is the FBI, and defending the integrity of that institution. And that was his comfort. Thats not a person, thats an ideal. You find that in a lot of heroes, they hang on to something bigger than themselves, and I think thats what got Jim through this. To help him through the challenge of playing Comey on screen, Daniels told Ray, Get me great actors. And they dont get any better than Brendan Gleeson, who was cast as Donald Trump. This isnt Alec Baldwin doing an SNL sketch, Daniels said, referring to Baldwins Emmy-winning appearances as Trump on the comedy show. We want the beating heart - if such a thing even exists inside Trump - we want the darkness, we want to know what hes thinking, we want to see it in his eyes. The hair and all is important but its secondary. When Brendan Gleeson is three feet across from you asking you for loyalty, you know exactly what he means. Also read: The Comey Rule review: Brendan Gleeson is chilling as Donald Trump, in brave but biased political drama As it stands, The Comey Rule is an effective political drama, although not nearly as incendiary or influential as those involved in making it might believe. But middling reviews arent going to dampen Daniels optimism. Were smarter now than we were four years ago, and I hope the show reminds people not to believe everything you hear coming out of the White House, he said. There are still people who do, but there are many who did, but do not any longer. There are two sides to this story - one is Trump saying Comey is a liar. Comey Rule is the other side. Now go vote. The Comey Rule is available on Voot Select in India Follow @htshowbiz for more The author tweets @RohanNaahar by Adrian Zenz In Tibet, more than 500,000 "surplus" rural workers are indoctrinated in facilities similar to the Xinjiang internment centres. Buddhist farmers and shepherds are "trained" and moved to where labour is needed. The fight against poverty is used to extend social control. Maoist collectivisation is making a comeback. Beijing (AsiaNews) Security and the fight against poverty are one and the same in Tibet, where Chinas regime is "re-educating" hundreds of thousands of farm workers, then moving them to other parts of the region or to other provinces. This is the same pattern adopted in Xinjiang for the indoctrination of Uyghur Muslims. Tibetan Buddhist families are forced to report on each other. Maoism is back as the Chinese Communist Party forces nomads and farmers to give up land and pastures to state cooperatives. The Tibetan linguistic, cultural and spiritual heritage is in danger of being erased. Here is the third and last part (see first and second) of the analysis by Adrian Zenz, researcher at the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation. Courtesy of the Jamestown Foundation (edited by AsiaNews). Grid Management and the Double-Linked Household System Coercive elements play an important role during the recruitment process. Village-based work teams, an intrusive social control mechanism pioneered by Chen Quanguo, go from door to door to help transform the thinking and views of poor households. The descriptions of these processes, and the extensive government resources invested to ensure their operation, overlap to a high degree with those that are commonly practiced in Xinjiang (The China Quarterly, July 12, 2019). As is the case in Xinjiang, poverty-alleviation work in the TAR is tightly linked to social control mechanisms and key aspects of the security apparatus. To quote one government document, By combining grid management and the double-linked household management model, [we must] organize, educate, and guide the people to participate and to support the fine-grained poverty alleviation work. Grid management is a highly intrusive social control mechanism, through which neighborhoods and communities are subdivided into smaller units of surveillance and control. Besides dedicated administrative and security staff, this turns substantial numbers of locals into volunteers, enhancing the surveillance powers of the state. Grid management later became the backbone of social control and surveillance in Xinjiang. For poverty alleviation, it involves detailed databases that list every single person in poverty, along with indicators and countermeasures, and may include a combat visualization feature whereby progress in the war on poverty is visualized through maps and charts (TAR Government, November 10, 2016). Purang County in Ngari spent 1.58 million renminbi (US$ 233,588 dollars) on a Smart Poverty Alleviation Big Data Management Platform, which can display poverty alleviation progress on a large screen in real time (TAR Government, February 20, 2019). Similarly, the double-linked household system corrals regular citizens into the states extensive surveillance apparatus by making sets of 10 double-linked households report on each other. Between 2012 and 2016, the TAR established 81,140 double-linked household entities, covering over three million residents, and therefore virtually the regions entire population (South China Morning Post, December 12, 2016). An August 2020 article on poverty alleviation in Ngari notes that it was the head of a double-linked household unit who led his entire village to hand over their grassland and herds to a local husbandry cooperative (Hunan Government, August 20). Converting Property to Shares Through Government Cooperatives A particularly troubling aspect of the Training and Labor Transfer Action Plan is the directive to promote a poverty alleviation industry scheme by which local nomads and farmers are asked to hand over their land and herds to large-scale, state-run cooperatives. In that way, nomads become shareholders as they convert their usage rights into shares. This scheme, which harks back to the forced collectivization era of the 1950s, increases the disposable incomes of nomads and farmers through share dividends and by turning them into wage laborers. They are then either employed by these cooperatives or are now free to participate in the wider labor transfer scheme. In Nagqu, this is referred to as the one township one cooperative, one village one cooperative scheme, indicating its universal coverage. One account describes the land transfer as prodding Tibetans to put down the whip, walk out of the pasture, and enter the [labor] market (People.cn, July 27, 2020). Clearly, such a radical transformation of traditional livelihoods is not achieved without overcoming local resistance. A government report from Shuanghu County (Nagqu) in July 2020 notes that: In the early stages, most herders were not enthusiastic about participating. [Then], the county governmentorganizedcounty-level cadres to deeply penetrate township and village households, convening village meetings to mobilize people, insisted on transforming the [prevailing attitude of] I am wanted to get rid of poverty to I want to get rid of poverty as the starting point for the formation of a cooperative [and] comprehensively promoted the policy Presently the participation rate of registered poor herders is at 100 percent, [that] of other herders at 97 percent. Importantly, the phrase transforming [attitudes of] I am wanted to get rid of poverty to I want to get rid of poverty is found in this exact form in accounts of poverty alleviation through labor transfer in Xinjiang. Given that this scheme severs the long-standing connection between Tibetans and their traditional livelihood bases, its explicit inclusion in the militarized vocational training and labor transfer policy context is of great concern. Militarized Vocational Training: Examining a Training Base in Chamdo The Chamdo Golden Sunshine Vocational Training School operates a vocational training base within Chamdos Vocational and Technical School, located in Eluo Town, Karuo District. The facility conducts military-style training of rural surplus laborers for the purpose of achieving labor transfer; photos of the complex show a rudimentary facility with rural Tibetan trainees of various ages, mostly dressed in military fatigues. Satellite imagery (see accompanying images) shows that after a smaller initial setup in 2016, the facility was expanded in the year 2018 to its current state. The compound is fully enclosed, surrounded by a tall perimeter wall and fence, and bisected by a tall internal wire mesh fence that separates the three main northern buildings from the three main southern ones. The internal fence might be used to separate dormitories from teaching and administrative buildings. Independent experts in satellite analysis contacted by the author estimated the height of the internal fence at approximately 3 meters. The neighboring vocational school does not feature any such security measures. Conclusions In both Xinjiang and Tibet, state-mandated poverty alleviation consists of a top-down scheme that extends the governments social control deep into family units. The states preferred method to increase the disposable incomes of rural surplus laborers in these restive minority regions is through vocational training and labor transfer. Both regions have by now implemented a comprehensive scheme that relies heavily on centralized administrative mechanisms; quota fulfilment; job matching prior to training; and a militarized training process that involves thought transformation, patriotic and legal education, and Chinese language teaching. Important differences remain between Beijings approaches in Xinjiang and Tibet. Presently, there is no evidence that the TARs scheme is linked to extrajudicial internment, and aspects of its labor transfer mechanisms are potentially less coercive. However, in a system where the transition between securitization and poverty alleviation is seamless, there is no telling where coercion stops and where genuinely voluntary local agency begins. While some Tibetans may voluntarily participate in some or all aspects of the scheme, and while their incomes may indeed increase as a result, the systemic presence of clear indicators of coercion and indoctrination, coupled with profound and potentially permanent change in modes of livelihood, is highly problematic. In the context of Beijings increasingly assimilatory ethnic minority policy, it is likely that these policies will promote a long-term loss of linguistic, cultural and spiritual heritage. (End of part three) Ryan Waguespack from the National Air Transportation Association (NATA), addressed the crowd at Kalamazoo-based RAI Jets for the regional NATA General Aviation Advancing America meeting. We were glad to interact with educators, members of the business community, and local government to call attention to the importance of general aviation to the area, said RAI Jets President Becky Bakeman. RAI Jets, LLC, a part 135 operator headquartered at Kalamazoo Battle Creek International Airport (KAZO), hosted a General Aviation Advancing America meeting at their aircraft hangar for the National Air Transportation Association (NATA) on Sept. 14. The meeting was one in a series of events being held at various locations across the country to promote and advance the awareness of airports as runways for economic development, job recovery, and emergency response. We were glad to interact with educators, members of the business community, and local government to call attention to the importance of general aviation to the area, and also, how the pandemic has even brought opportunities for growth within certain market segments, said RAI Jets President Becky Bakeman. With masks, hand sanitizer and safe social distancing protocol in place, Ryan Waguespack, NATA Senior Vice President, facilitated the town hall meeting held in an informal Q&A style. The small, but impressive group of about twenty attendees included representatives from Kalamazoo Valley Community College, Western Michigan University, and K-RESA (Kalamazoo Regional Educational Service Agency), members of the Kalamazoo Airport Board, representatives from corporate aviation departments, and staffers from the office of Congressman Fred Upton of Michigans sixth district. One topic of discussion was the impending reduction of flights out of KAZO by American Airlines which is expected to begin Oct. 7. Meanwhile. RAI Jets has seen the pace slowly pick up and has found that in many cases, companies are using general aviation more frequently. Some of the company representatives at the meeting said their corporate jets, once reserved only for the highest tier employees, were now being used by employees that typically flew the commercial airlines. Management felt it was a safer option for all their employees. The pandemic has also brought people to jet charter who were not using it before, like companies without in-house aviation departments. As airlines continue to cancel and condense their flight schedules, these companies have appreciated the convenience of scheduling on-demand flights through jet charter and the peace of mind that they are flying aboard a COVID-19 safe flight. Likewise, RAI Jets is seeing more wealthy, first-time leisure travelers try jet charter. These people could always afford the service, but they were not compelled to use it until the pandemic. So when will commercial aviation rebound to its normal levels? Nobody can say. However, aircraft operators like RAI Jets have taken extraordinary measures to keep their passengers safe from the coronavirus, and jet charter remains a solid alternative to the commercial airlines. About RAI Jets RAI Jets LLC is a Kalamazoo, MI-based aviation specialist featuring aircraft management, jet charter and aircraft maintenance services. The family-owned company officially opened in 2009, preceded by more than two decades of generational experience in aviation. For individuals and businesses, the Part 135 operator offers customized, jet charter for business or leisure, as well as turnkey management and aircraft maintenance for jet owners. RAI Jets operates its own fleet of aircraft for charter and offers jet owners (personal and corporate) with the option to offset operating costs by adding their aircraft to RAI Jets FAA approved Part 135 Air Carrier Certificate. RAI Jets also offers aircraft acquisition service and hangar space. For more information visit FlyRAI.com or call (800) 247-2834. Turkish prosecutors have indicted six new Saudis suspected of involvement in the 2018 murder of dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi, local media reported on Monday. Istanbul prosecutors are seeking life imprisonment for two of the suspects and up to five years in jail for the remaining four, the official Anadolu news agency reported. The Washington Post contributor, Khashoggi, 59, was killed and dismembered at the kingdoms consulate in Istanbul on October 2, 2018, in a case that tarnished the reputation of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Khashoggi went inside the consulate to obtain paperwork for his marriage to Turkish fiancee Hatice Cengiz. The six Saudi suspects, indicted just days ahead of the second anniversary of the journalists death, are not in Turkey and should be tried in absentia, according to local reports. In a separate case launched in July, an Istanbul court began to try in absentia 20 other Saudis over the murder, including two former aides to the Saudi prince. Turkish prosecutors claim Saudi deputy intelligence chief Ahmed al-Assiri and the royal courts media czar Saud al-Qahtani led the operation and gave orders to a Saudi hit team. Khashoggi was strangled and his body cut into pieces by a 15-man Saudi squad inside the consulate, according to Turkish officials. His remains have not been found. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said the order to murder Khashoggi came from the highest levels" of the Saudi government but has never directly blamed Prince Mohammed. In September, a Saudi court overturned five death sentences issued after a closed-door trial in Saudi Arabia that ended last year, sentencing them to 20 years in prison instead. CAMAS, Wash., Sept. 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Fisher Investments was recognized as a Top Workplace for the fourth year in a row by The Oregonian, placing eighth on the newspaper's 2020 list of Top Workplaces in Oregon and Southwest Washington. "This award recognizes the significant investment we make in our employees," said Damian Ornani, Fisher Investments' Chief Executive Officer. "We're honored to be named a Top Workplace in the region for four years in a row. We're committed to continuing to support our employees so they can achieve their goals in an exciting and fulfilling workplace." "Fostering a positive work environment and a welcoming and inclusive culture where employees can build rewarding, lifelong careers is one our top priorities and we're thrilled to receive this recognition," said Lane Jarvis, Fisher Investments' Chief Global Human Capital Officer and Executive Vice President. "Fisher Investments earned this award because of our outstanding employees and the firm's support of their success." Based in Camas, Washington, Fisher Investments is a leading money management firm with offices and clients worldwide. The Top Workplaces recognition is based on anonymous feedback from the firm's Camas-based employees gathered through a survey administered by employee engagement technology partner Energage, LLC. The survey measures 15 drivers of engaged cultures that are critical to the success of organizations, including alignment, execution and connection. Fisher Investments has over 100 job openings in Camas, WA; Plano (Dallas), TX; San Mateo, CA; and at their newest office in Tampa, FL. The openings include positions in technology, client service, sales, operations, human capital and investment management. You can find out more at https://www.fishercareers.com/. A finance or business degree is not requiredthe firm encourages candidates from all professional and academic backgrounds to apply. About Fisher Investments Fisher Investments is an independent, fee-only investment adviser. As of 06/30/2020, Fisher Investments and its subsidiaries manage over $123 billion in assetsover $79 billion for North American private investors, $29 billion for institutional investors, $12 billion for European private investors and $1 billion for US small to mid-sized business retirement plans. Fisher Investments maintains four principal business units: US Private Client, Institutional, Private Client International, and 401(k) Solutions, which serve a diverse global client base. Founder and Executive Chairman Ken Fisher wrote the Forbes "Portfolio Strategy" column from 1984 through 2016, making him the longest continuously running columnist in the magazine's history. He currently writes monthly, native language columns in major media organizations spanning Western Europe and Asia. He has also been published in USA Today, the UK's Financial Times and numerous other publications globally. Ken Fisher has authored 11 books, including four New York Times bestsellers on finance and investing. For more information on Fisher Investments, please visit www.fisherinvestments.com. SOURCE Fisher Investments Related Links https://www.fisherinvestments.com President Klaus Iohannis declared on Monday that the victory in the local elections belongs to the Romanian democracy, pointing out that it was also a victory for the right-wing. "Following the local elections, the victory belongs, first of all, to the Romanian democracy. At the same time, it was a victory of the right-wing. Thus, a new political reality has taken shape, the one in which PNL (the National Liberal Party) and USR (Save Romania Union) become the forces of change for the better, and PSD (the Social Democratic Party) joins the Opposition with one of the worst results," the head of state said in a statement at the Cotroceni presidential Palace. Having regained lost ground and demonstrated consistent performance, Infosys has set its sights on the next goal to regain the industry bellwether tag. Even though it may still be some time away, the firm believes the strategy it has put in place and investments it has made in the past couple of years will help it achieve the target sooner than later. Infosys is becoming the bellwether again, Nandan Nilekani, chairman of Infosys, told Business Standard. He said the firm was already in the best position before the pandemic struck, ... A man who discovered his wife was having an affair kidnapped and killed the other man and forced his wife to decapitate him, according to police. In what one prosecutor called an especially heinous and gruesome case, authorities allege that the 30-year-old man from New Hampshire, US, kidnapped Jonathan Amerault, 25, on September 19, shot him to death in a car and hid the body at a campsite. He has been charged with capital murder and beating and threatening his wife, who has been charged with falsifying evidence. She told police her husband forced her to slice Ameraults wrists while he was still alive and to cut off and bury his head after he died. The Associated Press is not naming the couple because doing so could identify the woman, who says she suffered extreme abuse. Jonathan Amerault was allegedly kidnapped and killed by a 30-year-old man who discovered his wife was having an affair with him. Source: Facebook/New Hampshire State Police Both pleaded not guilty in separate court hearings on Friday afternoon (local time) and were ordered held without bail pending trial. Appearing by video feed from the jail, dark bruises surrounded the womans eyes, and her lawyer said everything she did was under extreme duress and fear for her life. She helped solve this crime. Rather than conceal evidence or falsify evidence, she led the police directly to evidence, Richard Guerriero said in unsuccessfully arguing for her release with electronic monitoring. She was beyond cooperative. Its hard to imagine being beaten like that, threatened with your life, being fearful and then cooperating with the police, but thats what she did. Assistant Attorney General Scott Chase agreed the woman was cooperative but said that was taken into account in deciding which charges to bring. He argued that her release would endanger the public, and that she had opportunities to get away from her husband and report the crime, including when they were in separate cars driving 200 miles north. She was cooperative after she got caught, he said. According to a police affidavit, the woman told investigators that her husband went through her cellphone on Saturday and discovered the affair. Story continues She said he repeatedly assaulted her, put a gun in her mouth and choked her until she passed out. Late that night, the husband used his wifes phone to lure Amerault to a park in Rindge, police claim, where he allegedly violently assaulted him and tried to force his wife to shoot him. When she refused, he forced Amerault into the back of the victims car and shot him three times while his wife was driving, according to the affidavit. Jonathan Amerault's body was buried at a campsite in far northern New Hampshire. Source: WHDH The wife told officers she was then forced to drive Ameraults car, containing his body, to the campsite, while her husband drove another vehicle. He communicated to her that once the sun came up the next morning he would forgive her, police wrote in the affidavit. At the campsite, the woman alleged her husband ordered her to cut off Ameraults head so his body could not be identified by dental records, bury it and wrap the rest of the body in a tarp. He later left her there to dispose of the body and returned home, according to the documents. On Tuesday, two Fish and Game conservation officers who found the campsite noticed a large brown tarp that later was revealed to be covering Ameraults car. They later noticed another object wrapped in a tarp in a shallow brook; that turned out to be Ameraults body. Im in big trouble, the woman told the officers, according to the police affidavit. Chase, the prosecutor, said the brutality of the crime combined with destruction of evidence in a capital murder was especially alarming. Had this defendant successfully destroyed that evidence, her husband, the alleged murderer, may very well have evaded detection and/or apprehension, he said. While the states capital murder law covers deaths during kidnappings and six other scenarios, lawmakers eliminated the death penalty last year. Those convicted under the statute are sentenced to life in prison without parole. There was no dispute over bail at the husbands brief hearing. Neither spoke other than to confirm they could hear the attorneys and judge. Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and download the Yahoo News app from the App Store or Google Play. Matthew Brown / Hearst Connecticut Media ENFIELD High school students will be studying from home on Monday after a second coronavirus infection was confirmed at Enfield High School over the weekend. Today, we were notified of a confirmed positive COVID-19 case with a member of the Enfield High School community, Enfield Public Schools Superintendent Chris Drezek said in a letter Sunday. Yerevan: Armenian and Azeri forces have deployed heavy artillery during the latest fighting over the breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh, they both said. The Azeri Defence Ministry said the opposing forces attempted to recover lost ground by launching counter-attacks in the directions of Fizuli, Jabrayil, Agdere and Terter. The ministry said in a statement there was fighting around Fizuli city and the Armenian army shelled the Dashkesan region on the border between the two countries, miles away from Nagorno-Karabakh on Tuesday morning. Armenia denied those reports but reported fighting throughout the night and said that Nagorno-Karabakh's army repelled attacks in several directions along the line of contact. At least 29 people were killed on Monday when the two sides pounded each other with rockets and artillery in the fiercest round of the decades-old conflict in more than a quarter of a century. New Delhi, Sep 28 (UNI) India on Monday welcomed international efforts aimed at a peaceful settlement of conflict in Libya through Intra-Libyan dialogue taking into account the legitimate aspirations of people while preserving the countrys sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity. External Affairs Ministry spokesman Anurag Srivastava said India has been closely monitoring the developments in Libya. India has noted the progress in intra-Libyan dialogue facilitated by the Kingdom of Morocco, and the talks in Montreux, Switzerland. under the auspices of the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL), following Berlin Conference and Cairo Declaration. 'We welcome these international efforts aimed at a peaceful settlement of the conflict through an intra-Libyan dialogue, taking into account the legitimate aspirations of the Libyan people, while preserving Libyas sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity, Mr Srivastava said in response to a question. Since the 2011 Arab Spring, Libya, rich with immense oil reserves, has been beset by violent conflicts between different factions and militias as well as outside players. The instability in the country has had a negative impact on regional security, affecting neighbouring countries and the entire region. A few kilometres away from the European coast, Libyas instability has been a major concern for the EU. In August the warring sides in the Libyan conflict agreed to a ceasefire. At Montreux in Switzerland earlier this month, talks, under UN auspices, brought an agreement on the creation of a unity government and subsequent elections. this has given rise to hope for peace in the country after nearly a decade. UNI RB SB 1440 The Department of Motor Vehicle's process to establish a new specialty license plate requires the Naval Aviation Museum Foundation to sell 3,000 vouchers. The voucher is redeemable for the plate once the sale requirement has been met and the plates are in production. This is accomplished by presale of a voucher that indicates drivers will purchase the plate. Purchasing a voucher ensures the plate will go into production as quickly as possible. Beginning Monday, Sept. 28, the Escambia County Tax Collector, in partnership with the Naval Aviation Museum Foundation, is offering online pre-deposits to collect all 3,000 commitments or more prior to the official release on October 1, 2020. The $30 vouchers are available to Floridians in all counties for presale exclusively through the Escambia County Tax Collector's website. The Naval Aviation Museum Foundation is offering numbered Commemorative Challenge Coins to the first 3,000 Floridians who purchase a voucher from the Escambia County Tax Collector's website. The 1.5-inch antique bronze coin showcases the Blue Angels crest on the front and the words, "I Helped Make History" on the back. This exclusive coin is a way to thank those who helped make the Blue Angels license plate a reality for the State of Florida. "There's a lot of enthusiasm throughout the state about this tag," said Duane Thiessen, President and CEO of the Naval Aviation Museum Foundation. "Revenues generated from the plate will support STEM education programs and ensure the next generation of children and adults have access to our unique collection of aircraft and exhibits," said Thiessen. To pre-order go online to https://escambiataxcollector.com/voucher or after October 16 visit any Florida tax collector's office to purchase a voucher. "Escambia County is blessed to be the home of the world-class National Naval Aviation Museum and National Flight Academy. We are proud to partner with the Naval Aviation Museum Foundation to promote this plate and honor all naval aviators on whose shoulders both institutions were built. The purchase of a Blue Angels specialty plate is an investment in our community and our children," said Escambia County Tax Collector Scott Lunsford. SOURCE National Naval Aviation Museum Related Links https://navalaviationfoundation.org Chikwawa Ministry of Education has expressed satisfaction at the way schools in Chikwawa are set for the re-opening come October. Deputy Minister of Education, Madalitso Wirima expressed the satisfaction Thursday when she visited some schools in the district to appreciate their preparation for reopening of the schools amid Covid-19 pandemic. She sampled three schools during her visit and was convinced that the schools were more ready for the re-opening. "I am quite grateful for what I have seen during my visit to the schools here as it clearly indicates that the messages that government has been advocating for have really gone down to the local masses," Wirima said. Government announced that the schools should comply with all preventive measures to ensure that the schools are conducive for teaching and learning. "Among many others, I have seen that the schools have undergone face masks trainings, others have Covid-19 suggestion boxes, gun thermometers among many others which indicate that we are together in this war against the pandemic and that we are ready for the reopening of schools," she added. Wirima told members of mother groups, chiefs and Parents Teachers Association representatives to continue telling learners that Covid-19 was real. The Deputy Minister called on everyone to protect children from early marriages and pregnancies saying it was the wish of the Tonse Alliance led government to ease pressure that has been there in the education sector. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Malawi Education By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. "Among many other challenges, infrastructure development is leading. You may also agree with me that poor schools, teachers' houses are common challenges. But as government we are geared to do our best, she said. The Tonse Alliance led government has an obligation to promote welfare of teachers as one way of promoting quality education which is key to national development. "We are set to see to it that teachers' welfare is enhanced in the country but for all this to happen, we need proper coordination and the application of a holistic approaches," she added. Vice Chairperson for Chikwawa District Council, Martin Goche said the visit by the deputy Minister was an opportunity to see for herself the challenges Chikwawa was facing in providing quality education. He thanked government for allocating funds through Ministry of Education which learning institutions received towards the fight against Coronavirus as schools will be reopening this October. In Chikwawa, the Deputy Minister visited Phimbi Primary School in Chief Makhuwira's area, Thabwa Primary School under Traditional Authority (TA) Mulilima and Chikwawa Secondary School in the area of Chief Kasisi. While previous Cannabis Cups around the world typically have featured celebrity judges such as Snoop Dogg or industry insiders, this time the process was different, in part due to the coronavirus pandemic. In Illinois, where recreational marijuana first became legal this year, the judging was opened up to the public, as a way to broaden participation. Zenon Mayorga waters a pomegranate tree at his home in Juniper Hills. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) Zenon and Martha Mayorga called their four adult children to the family home in Glassell Park the night of Sept. 18. Everyone settled in the living room, turned on the TV and prepared to see their dream house burn down. Newscasts aired live shots of the wreckage wrought by the massive Bobcat fire. Authorities had mandated evacuations the day before in Juniper Hills, an Antelope Valley community where the Mayorgas own a four-bedroom abode on 1.5 acres of juniper trees and hiking trails that they call el rancho. A neighbor had texted Zenon that their nook of Juniper Hills was no more. So the Mayorgas comforted themselves with chamomile-passionflower tea and memories of their desert paradise. They remembered how Zenon bought it in 2009 because the stark vistas and high altitude had reminded the Mexican immigrant of his native Zacatecas. How he had to convince his family and especially Marta, a city girl from Guadalajara that a beat-up structure with holes in the roof, missing windows and snakes everywhere was a sound investment. Martha Mayorga, left, Zenon Mayorga and daughter April Mayorga-Aguirre at their home in Juniper Hills. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) And how all the parties, sleepovers and bonding that kith and kin experienced almost every weekend over the past decade had proved him right. When youre younger, youre like, Ugh, were going all the way up there? said April Mayorga-Aguirre, a 30-year-old marriage and family therapist. But now, even in our full-blown careers, we try to go up there as much as possible. April and her family stayed up for the 11 oclock news and saw the homes of their Juniper Hills friends in flames. There were tears, prayers. That nights magnitude 4.5 earthquake brought even more nerves. Standing next to bushes covered in red retardant and a fire line cut by bulldozers, Juniper Hills resident Alejandro Landa, right, shows neighbors April Mayorga-Aguirre and her father, Zenon Mayorga, how his house was saved from the Bobcat fire. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) The family rushed up to their property the following morning. Helicopters and planes zoomed overhead; ashes and embers swirled all around. The Mayorgas gunned through unpaved roads and steeled themselves for the worst. El rancho was unscathed. Zenon, Marta, and April met me there last Saturday, on what was supposed to be Aprils wedding date in Palm Springs until 2020 said otherwise. Their house is desert rat lite: big screened porch in the front, massive water and propane tanks next to the outhouse in the back, random tchotchkes but not too many strewn about. Marta busied herself in the kitchen as Zenon settled in his chair, the one that offers him sight lines all the way to China Lake on a clear day. Story continues Which wasnt today. This year has taught us to live in the moment with gratitude, said April. We hope to spend the holidays here, but who knows? Because tomorrow, what you may have is gone, Zenon added. We have our family. Were safe. The rest, God will decide if we deserve it. Pardon my Southern California ignorance, but I never expected to find middle-class Mexicans in the rural high desert. The Mexicans I know, when they want to buy land to raise horses or host rodeos like in the motherland, buy in Norco or Mira Loma. Not in the heart of "Bonanza" country. But a growing number of Latinos are moving to the back country of the Antelope Valley, drawn by the rugged terrain and individualistic ethos that American society long cast as the Old West spirit and reserved mostly for Anglos. Its just like Mexico up here, 57-year-old Zenon said, gesturing outside, comfortable in his socks and Birkenstocks. If you want to have chickens and goats, you can. Its that liberty. Then, he paraphrased a line from a Roy Rogers ballad, in equal parts English and Spanish. Here, esta abierto [Its open]. Alla, esta muy amontonado [Its too crowded in L.A.]. I dont want to fence myself in. ** Zenon Mayorga, right, Martha Mayorga and their daughter, April Mayorga-Aguirre, left, in the living room of their house in Juniper Hills. Zenon bought the house in 2009 because the area reminded him of his native Mexico. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) Juniper Hills called to Zenon almost as soon as his family migrated to the United States in the 1970s, when there was almost nothing. His truck-driving brothers took their teenage brother on their routes through nearby Highway 138 or on visits to Boron, where people from his home village of El Salitre had settled to work in the borax mines. The region stayed with Zenon as he married, raised a family, and got a job with the Los Angeles Unified School District, from which he plans to retire next spring after 41 years as an operational supervisor. He had hopes of returning to Zacatecas, but you cant make a go of it in Mexico anymore because of the drug wars that now plague the once-peaceful state. Instead, the Mayorgas refinanced their home during the Great Recession and scraped together a little nest egg in the process. He persuaded his wary wife to embrace his Juniper Hills plans. They would be among the first Latinos to settle there. A loud knock on the window woke up the couple on one of their first nights alone. An elderly white couple wanted to know who they were. Once we introduced ourselves, said Zenon, they told us to come to their house in the morning for breakfast. And the following night, they threw a potluck to introduce us to everyone. Zenon Mayorga checks a fire hydrant at his home in Juniper Hills. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) Today, someone who likes to wave a Confederate and Trump 2020 flag on a pole occupies that house. Zenon not only says hello to him, the two even cleared a road together last year after a snowstorm. He can fly his flag, and I can fly my own [Mexican] flag, Zenon said. Because theyre looking out for us, and were looking out for them. More Latinos trickled up to Juniper Hills in the ensuing years, and the Mayorgas always made sure to welcome the newcomers the same way they were initially embraced. At the end of the day, their [white residents'] life is the same we [Latino residents] want, Zenon said. Our customs are a little different. Our languages are different. But were all God-fearing people up here. The Mayorgas are a reminder that in Southern California, destination still often remains destiny. The Mexicans I know who live along the beach inevitably become beach bums. Those who move to a gentrifying neighborhood turn into hipsters. Those who buy a house in Irvine or Simi Valley always transform into insufferable suburbanites. What death of the California dream? Mexicans fall into it like everyone else. After about an hour at their place, Zenon and his family drove me to meet Alejandro and Rosie Landa, another Mexican family in Juniper Hills. The 45-year-old union electrician grew up in Pacoima but bought a place up here four years ago because Im a wilderness guy. He joked that he had to make Rosie "a ranchera" a cowgirl as he took us to the back of his five-acre estate. The fire had blackened his neighbors property. The demarcation line between that wasteland and the Landas' backyard was a line of fire retardant that had tinted Joshua trees and lavender bushes crimson red. He had spent the morning restoring power to the homes of two elderly widows. Theyre from the original generation of people here, Landa said. Now, you have a whole pot of different people. The only real difference he had encountered with the old guard was, of all things, quails. Theyre cute theyre like pets, said the avid hunter. But some of the guys here will invite me to go get them, and I tell them, So you want me to kill them and pluck them and gut them, when I could buy four quails at Superior [Grocers] for seven bucks, and I dont have to do anything? Hoss Cartwright would've appreciated that. (Just Google him, kids.) CLEVELAND, Ohio -- How do Ohioans know Energy Harbors nuclear power plants need a $1.3 billion bailout? The company hasnt said, and were talking about the lack of disclosure on This Week in the CLE. Listen online here. Editor Chris Quinn hosts our daily half-hour podcast, with editors Jane Kahoun, Kris Wernowsky and me, answering all sorts of questions from the news. Youve been sending Chris lots of thoughts and suggestions on our from-the-newsroom account, in which he shares once or twice a day what were thinking about at cleveland.com. You can sign up for free by sending a text to 216-868-4802. And youve been offering all sorts of great perspective in our coronavirus alert account, which has 13,000-plus subscribers. You can sign up for free by texting 216-279-7784. Here are the questions were answering today: Has the owner of the two nuclear plants benefitting from a $1.3 billion bailout that was forged in corruption ever shown records to prove it actually needs the money? No. The owner of the Davis-Besse and Perry plants refuses to disclose whether theyre profitable. A federal judge avoided making a ruling on whether Ohio must let counties provide more than one drop box for ballots, but did he still have something to say on the matter? U.S. District Judge Dan Polster issued a seven-page decision that criticized Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose and ordered LaRose to work with the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections to alleviate the looming crisis for voters who plan to personally deliver their ballots for the November 3 election. Now that shes recovering, what is the message that Summit County Prosecutor Sherri Bevan Walsh has for people who doubt that danger of the coronavirus? Bevan Walsh was released from the hospital but said she has never felt this horrible in my life." After two polls last week showed Ohio is a dead heat for the presidential race, what did a Fox News poll over the weekend show? It found Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden has a 5% lead over incumbent Republican President Donald Trump in Ohio. What is the chief claim in a lawsuit filed by a season pass holder for a park in the Cedar Fair chain, which includes Cedar Point? The lawsuit requests a class-action status to include all residents who bought passes from all of the companys parks, because they failed to offer reimbursements for a season hindered by the pandemic. Longtime Cleveland City Councilman Matt Zone who became controversial this year for his refusal to hold hearings on the police response to the May 30 riot where his police officer son was working is stepping down. Whats he going to do? Zone announced Sunday morning that he will become executive director of the Thriving Communities Institute and senior vice president of the Western Reserve Land Conservancy. Yet another Ohio Republican has stepped up to denounce the implications from President Donald Trump that the election results will not be legitimate. First it was Mike DeWine and Rob Portman. Whos the latest? Secretary of State Frank LaRose said Friday that Ohios presidential election should be accepted by all candidates as legitimate. What do the people who serve alcohol at FirstEnergy Stadium have to say about why they broke the law and kept serving after 10 p.m. during the recent Browns night game? They didnt know the rule applied to them, since theyre not a restaurant. Why are some officials questioning the plans to widen Interstate 77 to three lanes in part of Summit County? Some officials say the money could be better spent in areas that would boost Greater Akrons economic development. Other critics warn that the project could worsen stormwater runoff by adding impermeable surfaces. Want more of This Week in the CLE? You can find all our past episodes here. We have an Apple podcasts channel exclusively for this podcast. Subscribe here. Do you get your podcasts on Spotify. Find us here. If you use Stitcher, we are here. RadioPublic is another popular podcast vehicle, and we are here. On Google Podcasts, we are here. On PodParadise, find us here. And on PlayerFM, we are here. Marichu Relativo, General Manager - Potawatomi Support Services Potawatomi Support Services (PSS) has teamed up with Beechtree Diagnostic, a CLIA-certified (Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments) high complexity lab, and can now perform rapid antibody screen testing and PCR confirmatory testing. Screen and confirmatory testing will include full CLIA oversight, training, and reporting. Potawatomi Support Services can now provide rapid testing kits to agencies to conduct their own testing for surveillance and risk management purposes as defined by the FDA. Potawatomi Support Services (PSS) has the rapid testing kit available for immediate shipment. In addition, Potawatomi Support Services offers a training video to assist in training your personnel to conduct the sampling and verify the results on-site within minutes. Potawatomi Support Services main goal is getting agencies and companies back to work by offering a comprehensive turnkey surveillance and screening (as defined by the FDA) solution for COVID-19 testing. Potawatomi Support Services approach uses the FDA Emergency Use Authorized Healgen COVID-19 "Coronavirus" lgG/lgM Rapid Test Kit. The program is designed to administer rapid antibody testing kits in the field. This solution provides FDA- and CLIA-compliant, scientifically reliable surveillance or screen testing at a cost and speed that allows the organization to more accurately make decisions to manage the current health crisis. Our Potawatomi Support Solutions FDA Emergency Use Authorized COVID-19 lgG/lgM Rapid test kits provide a cost-effective, timely, accurate, and reliable solution. Testing capabilities have evolved quickly through this crisis. There are two primary testing types: Antibody and PCR Testing. Unfortunately, there have been significant challenges with PCR testing, principally due to supply chain issues for test kits and reagents, causing significant delays and increased cost. Our rapid test kit allows organizations to conduct efficient surveillance testing or screen high numbers of patients quickly through a CLIA-certified lab, only confirming through PCR testing when patients are symptomatic or receive a positive screen result. Agencies interested in purchasing these rapid test kits for surveillance and/or screening purposes for immediate delivery, contact Potawatomi Support Services. About the teaming partners: Potawatomi Support Solutions is an SBA-Certified 8(a) subsidiary of Potawatomi Business Development Corporation (PBDC). As an American Indian Tribal (AIT) Corporation, PBDC-Federal Group provides Potawatomi Support Services with the corporate infra-structure, processes, and financial support of a much larger organization, allowing our customers to recognize the benefits while still maintaining access to small and agile Primes. As part of the PBDC family of companies, PSS shares common administrative services with each other. This support grants us access to human capital, well-proven processes, and a wealth of knowledge that spans over all twelve companies. Beechtree Diagnostics was established in 2015 to fill the gap left by other toxicology laboratories in providing quality testing, reporting and service to physicians and professionals dealing with the difficulties of Mental Health, Substance Use Disorder, Pain Management Treatment, as well as Court Ordered Substance Abuse Testing. Beechtree has created unique processes to directly benefit medical professionals and their patients. Beechtree is a CLIA certified and CAP accredited high complexity laboratory located in Utah and Alaska. Beechtree stands ready to support organizations with COVID testing requirements, using the CLIA high complexity certification to operate testing under the FDA Emergency Use Authorizations (EUA). A 32-year-old man escaped an attack when a group of at least five men armed with a knife, sticks and cooking utensils was thwarted by a policeman carrying just a lathi in central Delhis Anand Parbat on Saturday night, police said. The attack and the subsequent intervention by the policeman, head constable Damodar, was captured by a CCTV camera installed in the neighbourhood. The victim, Gaurav, sustained stab wounds to his head and other body parts, but he was out of danger, said Sanjay Bhatia, deputy commissioner of police (central). The attack took place around 9.30pm on Saturday when Gaurav and his friend Prem Sagar visited a dhaba in Anand Parbats Nayi Basti for dinner. Since the service was slow, it led to an argument between the two friends and the dhaba owners. The two men decided to leave the dhaba, but they were attacked from behind, the DCP said. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. - Enbridges plans for drilling an oil pipeline tunnel beneath a channel linking two of the Great Lakes do not meet industry standards and pose significant hazards to workers and the environment, experts who reviewed project documents on behalf of opposition groups said Monday. Two geologists said they found numerous shortcomings with the Canadian companys proposals to the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy, which is considering whether to allow construction of the tunnel under the Straits of Mackinac. What Enbridge has submitted to the state of Michigan doesnt come close to properly designing and preparing for a tunnel underwater, said Brian OMara, a geological engineer who has worked on dozens of tunnel projects. The analysis was requested by Oil & Water Dont Mix, a coalition of environmental, business and tribal organizations. They are fighting to shut down Line 5, an Enbridge pipeline that crosses the bottom of the waterway connecting Lake Michigan and Lake Huron. Enbridge spokesman Ryan Duffy said the tunnel plans were developed in consultation with experienced geologists and engineers. Jay Dee Contractors Inc. and the U.S. affiliate of Japanese tunnel construction firm Obayashi Corp. are constructing the tunnel. Arup, an engineering and consulting firm, is helping with design. Jay Dee and Obayashi have a collective track record of constructing more than 400 pressurized-face tunnels consisting of more than 2.4 million feet (732,000 metres) of tunnelway, Duffy said. A number of those projects involved high pressure and ground condition parameters similar to those that will exist in the Straits of Mackinac. The company contends the 67-year-old Line 5 that runs between Superior, Wisconsin, and Sarnia, Ontario, is in good condition but wants to replace the 4-mile-long (6.4-kilometre-long) underwater segment with another to be housed in a nearby subterranean tunnel. Enbridge says it would pay the estimated $500 million cost. During an online news conference, OMara said the tunnel plans had changed considerably since a 2017 assessment, which described the project as feasible and low-risk. That analysis by a Canadian firm was based on assumptions that have proven incorrect, he said. It presumed the tunnel would be located entirely in solid bedrock, yet Enbridges plan also includes digging through poor bedrock, soft silts and clay, OMara said. Limestone and dolomite formations beneath the waterway connecting Lake Huron and Lake Michigan are complex jumbles that can change drastically and suddenly, he said. Without adequate data on rock conditions, fault zones and groundwater pressure, a tunnel boring machine can break down, forcing expensive repairs and delays, he said. For that reason, tunnel designers usually extract samples every 50 to 200 feet (15 to 61 metres), he said. Yet, Enbridges contractor took them once every 950 feet (290 metres). They have done just a fraction of what you would expect on a project of this size and magnitude, OMara said. Enbridge is confident in its geological analysis and considers conditions favourable for the tunnel projects, Duffy said. As our geologists and engineers gather more information from studying the cores, we will continue to enhance knowledge about the rock and soil conditions. OMara said the risk analysis also presumed that the tunnel interior around the pipeline would be filled completely with cement to prevent leaks and collapse, but that feature is absent from the current plan. This single design change represents the greatest risk and would make a catastrophic disaster much more likely to occur, OMara said. The Enbridge plan also has no provisions for dealing with toxic methane that has been found in the areas groundwater and could penetrate the tunnel, he said. The risk analysis assumed none would be present, he said. OMara said the proposed tunnels V-shaped design configuration would endanger workers by putting the deepest point in the middle of the straits. Another threat is posed by a slurry that would be injected during construction to keep the tunnel stable and lubricated, said Mike Wilczynski, a retired former senior geologist with the state Department of Environmental Quality, now known as EGLE. The mud consists of water, additives and bentonite clay. Plans call for piping the mud to the surface, removing the clay and discharging up to 5 million gallons (18.9 million litres) of treated wastewater back to the straits, he said, but the permit application doesnt show how the lakes would be protected from accidental releases. A bentonite spill could be more environmentally damaging than oil, which floats on the surface and can be recovered, Wilczynki said. Bentonite can stick to everything it touches and forms an impermeable barrier that can smother fish and bottom-dwelling invertebrates that are essential for food chains, he said. Duffy said slurry and water would be piped to settling ponds for treatment and water would be cleansed to meet state standards before discharged back into the straits. The state environment department is scheduled to conduct the first of several public hearings Tuesday on wastewater treatment and wetlands permits that Enbridge needs to move forward. The department plans to issue rulings by the end of the year. Environmentalists urged state regulators to demand answers about issues raised by the outside review before green-lighting the project. Failure to do so could result in tragedy for the Great Lakes, said Beth Wallace of the National Wildlife Federation. Spokesman Nick Assendelft said department staffers would consider the findings of the Oil & Water Dont Mix reviewers along with other public comments. The state also has retained tunneling experts as consultants and will explore if others are needed to help evaluate technical information that is part of the public record, Assendelft said. Balika Vadhu director Ram Vriksha Gaur, one of the directors of the famous TV serial 'Balika Vadhu', is now selling vegetables in Azamgarh district. "I had come to Azamgarh for the recce of a film. We were here when the lockdown was announced and then it was not possible to return. The project we were working on was stopped and the producer said it would take another year or more to get back to work. I then decided to take on my father's business and started selling vegetables on a handcart. I am familiar with the business and have no regrets," he told reporters. Advertisement Ram Vriksha Gaur Talking about his journey to Mumbai, Ram Vriksha said, "I went to Mumbai in 2002 with the help of my friend and writer Shahnawaz Khan. I worked in the light department and then in the production department of TV serials. I became an assistant director in the production of many serials first, then worked as the episode director and unit director for 'Balika Vadhu'." PhotoHe was all set to start work on a Bhojpuri film and then a Hindi film when the pandemic set in. Advertisement "I have my own house in Mumbai and I am confident that I will return one day. Till then, I am here doing what I can," he ended. The Congress Monday asked states under its rule to enact legislations to bypass the three Central farm-related laws that have triggered protests by farmers in some parts of the country. IMAGE: Punjab Youth Congress activists set on fire a tractor near India Gate during a protest against the new farm laws in New Delhi. Photograph: PTI Photo The Congress is strongly opposed to the three Central legislations which were signed into laws by President Ram Nath Kovind on Sunday. "Congress President has advised the Congress-ruled states to explore the possibilities to pass laws in their respective states under Article 254(2) of the Constitution which allows the state legislatures to pass a law to negate the Anti-Agriculture Central laws encroaching upon State's jurisdiction under the Constitution," the party said in a statement. Some states, especially the Congress-ruled Punjab, are witnessing protests by farmers against the new Central laws. "This (states passing laws negating Central legislations) would enable the states to bypass the unacceptable anti-farmers' provisions in the three draconian Agricultural law including the abolition of MSP and disruption of APMCs in Congress ruled states," the party said. "This would also alleviate the farmers from the grave injustice done by the Modi Government and BJP," the statement issued by AICC general secretary KC Venugopal said. Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said the rules under Article 2454(2) allow a state legislature to enforce laws "repugnant to the parliament law" and that former finance minister Arun Jaitley had advised states to use it to bypass the Land Acquisition Law passed by the previous UPA regime. "As FM Arun Jaitley got states to resort to Article 254(2) of the Constitution to override provisions of 2013 Land Acquisition law, a law he'd fully supported as LoP in Rajya Sabha. "States should now follow the same advice to undo the damage caused by the Farm Bills that have become Acts," Ramesh said in a tweet. President Kovind on Sunday gave assent to the three contentious farm bills passed in Parliament last week. These laws have triggered farmers' protest especially in Punjab and Haryana. These three farm bills are: The Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020, The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020 and The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill 2020. Parliament cleared the bills in the Monsoon Session. The laws are aimed at liberalising the agriculture sector and allowing farmers to sell their produce anywhere in the country they want at a better price. The Opposition led by the Congress is critical of the manner in which these bills were passed in Parliament. They have alleged the bills were cleared "unconstitutionally" in a "complete disregard" to Parliamentary norms. The Congress also proposes to challenge them in court. Moscow, Sep 28 : More than 3,000 people in Moscow have been vaccinated against the novel coronavirus, the media has reported. "More than 3,000 volunteers have already been vaccinated against the coronavirus. None of them have problems. People feel good," Sergey Sobyanin, the Mayor of Moscow, told Rossiya 1 TV channel on Sunday. "I myself went through this vaccination procedure and you see -- nothing happened to me, although several months have already passed". More than 60,000 people have applied to volunteer for the coronavirus vaccine trials in Moscow. Sputnik V, an adenovirus vector-based vaccine, was developed by the Gamaleya Scientific Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology, along with the Russian Direct Investment Fund and registered on August 11. "Several thousand people have passed the required medical tests to be registered as potential candidates for carrying out the tests," Sobyanin said. The vaccine was developed on a platform that had been used for a number of other vaccines. On August 15, the Russian Health Ministry announced the launch of the vaccine production. The Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) and Dr Reddy's Laboratories Limited, a global pharmaceutical company headquartered in India, have also agreed to cooperate on clinical trials and distribution of Sputnik V Covid-19 vaccine in India. "On regulatory approval in India, RDIF shall supply to Dr Reddy's 100 million doses of the vaccine. The Sputnik V vaccine, which is based on well-studied human adenoviral vector platform with proven safety, is undergoing clinical trials for the coronavirus pandemic," said a statement from the fund. The Russian Direct Investment Fund said that the deliveries could potentially begin in late 2020 subject to completion of successful trials and registration of the vaccine by regulatory authorities in India. English French GUELPH, Ontario and LONGUEUIL, Quebec and MONCTON, New Brunswick, Sept. 28, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- TODAY Atlantic Grains Council, Grain Farmers of Ontario, and Producteurs de grains du Quebec have launched a joint campaign to raise awareness with the public of the devastating consequences for all Canadians because many Canadian grain farmers, literally, will go out of business. They can no longer compete with U.S. farmers. Grain and oilseed farmers in Eastern Canada are unable to compete with the over $32 billion in direct subsidies that Donald Trump is providing U.S. farmers. Farmers from across Canada have been asking the federal government to step in to provide more funding to the "AgriStability Business Risk Management Program" that was cut by the Conservative government in 2012. The Trudeau government promised to address the Business Risk Management Programs in the last election campaign . The campaign will be running on the radio and on digital platforms across Atlantic Canada, Ontario, and Quebec. You can view the ad here: English French Grain and oilseed farmers are united, and we want the public to better understand that while President Trump is protecting his farmers, Canada may lose many of its farms because we can't compete. Down the road, Canada loses its ability to grow its own food, and that's a dangerous situation for all Canadians, said Markus Haerle, Chair, Grain Farmers of Ontario. We are raising awareness because the federal government must help level the playing field for our farmers facing depressed prices from a U.S. government $32 billion farm aid package that allows farmers in the U.S. an advantage over farmers in Canada not just on price but money to invest in their operations, said Christian Overbeek, Chairman, Producteurs de grains du Quebec. The continued market uncertainty caused by trade disputes and COVID-19 have created depressed commodity prices that are doubly hard for farmers as costs of crop production tools and other inputs are increasing, and there is no relief in sight. We need government support, today, said Roy Culberson, Chairman, Atlantic Grains Council. The AgriStability Program only triggers a payment when it is needed and gives farmers the security they need to run their farm businesses when faced with political situations outside of their control. Farmers need to be able to cover the cost of production or many of them will not be able to survive much longer. Atlantic Grains Council, Producteurs de Grains du Quebec/Grain Growers of Quebec, and Grain Farmers of Ontario represent over 40 thousand grain and oilseed farmers in Atlantic Canada, Quebec, and Ontario. Patna, Sep 28 : In poll-bound Bihar, a retired sub-inspector of Government Railway Police (GRP) has been gunned down by unidentified men in Siwan district. This was second such incident in the north Bihar district in the past 24 hours. Earlier, a village head was gunned down by unidentified men within Daraunda police station limits. SI Gorakh Prasad was on his way to his Uttar Pradesh home in his SUV on Sunday when the attack took place. According to Siwan SDPO Jitendra Kumar, Prasad came to Augat village and met his relatives. After dinner, he was returning to his native village in Balliya district. "When he reached Bhathai village on Mairwa-Guthani main road, another SUV overtook his car and forced Prasad to stop. As soon as he stopped, the occupants of the other car told him at gun point to give up his car. When Prasad showed resistance in a bid to prevent the loot, one of the accused shot him twice," the officer said. After the incident, attackers fled from the crime scene with his car. The victim was rescued by some passersby and taken to Siwan Sadar hospital where he succumbed due excessive blood loss. The executive board of New York Citys school principals union on Sunday unanimously voted that they had no confidence in mayor Bill de Blasio and chancellor Richard Carranza, calling on the pair to relinquish control of the school system to the state just two days before the scheduled start of in-classroom learning for K-8 students. The vote came after months of uncertainty for many students and staff as the system has repeatedly changed its approach to teaching in an attempt to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus. The Council of School Supervisors and Administrators said it was calling on the state to intervene in part because there are more than 200 elementary school principals who still need a total of 1,200 teachers before K-8 site instruction begins Tuesday, while district higher-ups have encouraged principals to lie and cover up the staffing shortfalls, the New York Post reported. High school students are scheduled to return to the classroom Thursday. In-person teaching was delayed earlier this month and parents learned that their children would not be returning to school just days ahead of their planned start date. District superintendents have verbally pressured [principals] to falsely report that their staffing needs are already met after they requested additional staff due to safety concerns, the CSA said in its resolution, which its executive board unanimously passed on Sunday, as students return to the classroom this week. The CSA has declared a unanimous vote of No Confidence in Mayor de Blasio and Chancellor Carranza due to their failure to lead New York City through the safe and successful reopening of schools, the union wrote. CSA calls on Mayor de Blasio to cede mayoral control of the Department of Education for the remainder of this health crisis and for Mayor de Blasio and Chancellor Carranza to seek the immediate intervention of the New York State Education Department. The unions resolution came days after an announcement that more educators would be allowed to do their jobs from home, following a deal between the de Blasio administration and the city teachers union, which the CSA said it was not made aware of. Story continues A Department of Education source told the New York Post that it is unlikely the state will choose to intervene or that de Blasio would give up control of the system. While almost 50 percent of all parents of New York City public-school children have opted for online-learning only, a city Department of Education rep told the paper that the start of in-person learning is on track, and did not acknowledge any staffing shortages. For the past six months, weve worked with our labor partners to navigate completely uncharted waters and accomplish our shared goal of serving students this fall, spokeswoman Miranda Barbot said. Well continue this work to guarantee a safe, health and successful opening for all. This week, more kids will be safely sitting in New York City classrooms than in any other major American city a testament to city leadership and our educators commitment to their students, and the importance of in-person education. More from National Review 28.09.2020 LISTEN THE WESTERN REGIONAL MINISTER MUST APOLOGIZE TO THE DEAF PERSONS IN GHANA OVER HIS RECKLESS STATEMENT The Network of Journalist for the Promotion of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in Africa ( PROMOAFRICA) are very concerned about the welfare of people living with disability and so, condemn the reckless and unwarranted attack on deaf persons which was made by the Western Regional Minister, Hon. Kobby Okyere Darko. The said Minister who is also a Member of Parliament of Takoradi was heard on an audio when he was addressing his party supporters saying that, "Ghana is not ready to have a deaf person ("mumu") in parliament." We as an organization, abhor such derogatory statement made by the honourable member of parliament who is supposed to be knowledgeable about the United Nations conventions on persons with disabilities and the National disability law. We, therefore, entreat the Minister to withdraw the statement made about the deaf and apologize to them. As his statement contradicts article 37(1) of the National Disability Act which states that, "A person shall not call a person with disability derogatory names because of the disability of the person". A person who contradicts subsection (1) commits an offence and is liable on a summary conviction to a fine not exceed fifty penalty units or to a term of imprisonment not exceeding fifty penalty units or to a term of imprisonment not exceeding three months or both. Failure to do so in 5 working days, he will face the anger of the disability movement in Ghana. Signed: Seth Amoah Kwaku Addi President Chris Kolb He's got to balance Michigan's pandemic budget. by Eve Silberman From the September, 2020 issue Soon after Gretchen Whitmer was elected governor two years ago, Chris Kolb heard that he might be under consideration for a job in her administration. He'd been running the Michigan Environmental Council for ten years and was happy there, but decided that "if my governor asked me to help, I'd do it." Soon afterward, Kolb got a phone call inviting him to interview for state budget director. After meeting with a committee that included a past director, he found himself in Whitmer's transition office in the basement of Constitution Hall in Lansing. They'd known each other since 2001, when both arrived in Lansing as newly elected state reps. Whitmer represented East Lansing, so the two college-town legislators had what he recalls as a "friendly competition" over the merits of their respective schools. Still, going into the interview, he was very nervous. Whitmer dove right in. "Kolb, why do you want to be my state budget director?" she demanded. "And I said, 'Governor, why do you want me to be your budget director?'" he recalls. "And she burst out laughing!" From there on, he says, "the interview went really well." She offered him the job, and the onetime Ann Arbor city councilmember stepped into the most powerful position of his career. He realized it would be tough. But no one imagined a pandemic. "I wish we weren't facing the $3 billion deficit," he says during a distanced interview in the Kerrytown courtyard. "But we are." --- Tall and trim, Kolb is sixty-one but looks much younger. A lifelong Ann Arborite, he graduated from Huron High and U-M and did grad work in political science at Emory University. Dressed in jeans, a deep blue T-shirt, and tan loafers, he still has the broad, boyish smile that was his trademark on city council from 1992 to 2000. Kolb's unforced friendliness coexists with his policy wonk side, and the combination has advanced his career. In the legislature, "he worked across the aisle," remembers ...continued below... Lana Pollack, the former state senator who preceded him running the environmental council. "He was more quick to enter into negotiations than conflict."That reputation was tested during last year's unusually bitter budget battle. While the governor proposes a budget, the legislature must pass it--and Republicans control both houses.Last September when the two sides couldn't agree about spending priorities, the legislature passed its own budget--to which Whitmer responded with 147 line-item vetoes. A grudging compromise was reached in December.Then came Covid-19. In April, tax revenue fell 40 percent from a year earlier."Michigan was in a strong financial position going into this," Kolb says. "We had over a billion dollars in our rainy day fund." But the pandemic could easily swallow it whole."There's no playbook on the shelf for this," Kolb told bridgemi.com in May. "This is potentially as bad, if not worse than, the Great Recession."The state constitution requires a balanced budget. But when the administrative and legislative teams reconvened to balance the 2020 budget, Kolb admits, "there was a lot of mistrust to overcome."---Kolb's bipartisan history and calm demeanor helped keep the temperature down. Republican Jim Stamas, chair of the senate appropriations committee, calls him an "amazing gentleman," adding diplomatically that "he recognizes I have not necessarily the same goal."The state has a total budget of just over $60 billion. The negotiators were looking at a projected $6.2 billion deficit this year and next. Temporary furloughs and a wage and hiring freeze saved about $145 million, and they agreed to pull $350 million from the rainy day fund. But the lifesaver was $3.9 billion in federal coronavirus relief funds. After passing on $800 million to large local governments, the rest was allocated to Covid-related costs.Whitmer had sent her proposed 2021 budget to the legislature just before the pandemic hit. It was outdated on arrival, but revising it had to wait till the 2020 budget was resolved."Long story short, we are well behind our typical schedule and will have to work v[ery] quickly in Sept to get a budget negotiated and passed," emails treasury spokesperson Kurt Weiss.The good news is that the general fund deficit may come in a bit below the earlier $3 billion estimate. The bad news is that this time, congressional Republicans aren't eager to help. Congress adjourned in August without acting on a new relief bill, and Weiss says that no action is expected until mid- to late September. But by law, the state must adopt a budget by October 1."It's been stressful," Kolb says. Whatever his department negotiates has to pass the Republican-controlled legislature. Yet, "you know the governor's expecting you to deliver a package that she can sign that still supports her priorities."No wonder he's had lots of sleepless nights lately.---The one upside to the pandemic is that Kolb is no longer commuting an hour each way to Lansing. He's hunkered down in a home near Wurster Park with his fiance, U-M business analyst Ken Witherspoon. Except for a couple of press conferences with the governor, he's been transacting the state's business on the phone or through Zoom.Without help from Washington, Michigan will be forced to make crippling spending cuts that hit every part of the state. "Even if we eliminated twelve departments--plus the legislative budget and the judiciary budget--there would not be enough savings to cover the estimated $3 billion hole," Kolb says.Unlike the state, "the federal government can print money basically in its basement," he says. "That's why we look to them in these times to step up," as they did with the stimulus during the Great Recession."This is not a red state or a blue state issue," Kolb says. Unfortunately, not everyone agrees.In mid-August, Michigan senate majority leader Mike Shirkey told a Jackson radio station that, instead of asking for a bailout, "We just need to suffer through it.""With over 90 percent of the state general fund and school aid fund supporting schools, colleges and universities, local communities, public safety and health care," Kolb responds, "which of these groups should suffer through?" [Originally published in September, 2020.] Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-28 21:11:28|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close SRINAGAR, Indian-controlled Kashmir, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- An Indian army trooper was wounded Monday in an exchange of heavy fire with the Pakistani army on the Line of Control (LoC) dividing Kashmir, officials said. The two sides exchanged fire in Machil sector of frontier Kupwara district, about 165 km northwest of Srinagar city, the summer capital of Indian-controlled Kashmir. "Pakistan initiated an unprovoked cease-fire violation along LoC in Machil sector, Kupwara today by firing mortars and other weapons. Befitting response is being given," Col Rajesh Kalia, an Indian army spokesman said. "One soldier was injured in the firing and he was immediately evacuated to hospital, where his condition is stable now." So far there were no reports of damage to the Pakistani side. On Saturday the Pakistani military's Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) said the Indian army firing along the LoC in Kotkotera sector killed a trooper on their side. Reports said since the beginning of this year over 3000 cease-fire violations have been recorded. The troops of India and Pakistan intermittently exchange fire on the LoC and the International Border (IB) in Kashmir, despite an agreement in 2003 to observe a cease-fire. However, the cease-fire remains in effect. New Delhi and Islamabad accuse each other of resorting to unprovoked firings and violating cease-fire agreements. And both sides maintain their troops gave a befitting reply to the other. The LoC is a de facto border that divides Kashmir into India and Pakistan controlled parts. India and Pakistan are at loggerheads with each other. There has been no considerable improvement in relations of the two countries or resumption of bilateral relations ever since Narendra Modi became the Prime Minister of India in 2014 for the first time. Enditem A PLA Navy fleet including the aircraft carrier Liaoning, submarines, vessels and fighter jets take part in a review in the South China Sea on April 12, 2018. VCG/VCG | Getty Images As China grows in its economic and military strength, global investors and companies operating in the country face a dilemma, according to one analyst. "China is converting its economic growth into military power, and I think here is the true dilemma for those that seek to invest in China. It's understanding precisely what you are investing in, what is going on here," said Jonathan Ward, founder of advisory firm Atlas Organization. Speaking at the inaugural Jefferies Asia Forum last week, Ward said there are many Chinese corporations including those in the aerospace, tech and construction industries that are "backed by the military." As the line between state and business blurs, it becomes harder for investors to know how much control the Chinese government has over the company, and how independent the business might be. China wants a strong military China's defense spending has grown and is now greater than all its regional neighbors combined, Ward said. He cited the Pentagon's latest report on Chinese military developments and said China's ground troops, as well as its navy, air and missile forces, were among some of the largest in the world. "In 2019, the PRC announced its annual military budget would increase by 6.2 percent, continuing more than 20 years of annual defense spending increases and sustaining its position as the second largest military spender in the world," according to the 2020 China Military Power Report. Ward also pointed out that Chinese President Xi Jinping has made clear his country's goal of building a strong army that can fight and win wars. "We are closer than ever to realizing the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, and we need to build a strong military more than ever in history," Xi reportedly said at the founding anniversary of the People's Liberation Army. "Our military must regard combat capability as the criterion to meet in all its work and focus on how to win when it is called on," Xi said. Many global banks are looking to expand their operations in China, even as these geopolitical realities take shape Is (the political risk) really being properly assessed even in the world's leading investment banks and institutional investors? Jonathan Ward founder, Atlas Organization Beijing has also declared that the U.S. a threat to world peace, Ward said. China's Defense Ministry spokesman Col. Wu Qian had said earlier in September: "Many years of evidence shows that it is the U.S. that is the fomenter of regional unrest, the violator of the international order and the destroyer of world peace." South China Sea dispute China has also been increasing its military presence in Asia, especially in the highly disputed South China Sea. It has raised the ire of neighbors like Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam which also lay claim to parts of the waterway, and drawn harsh words from the U.S. which called Beijing's territorial claims "completely unlawful." Last week, China stepped up its military exercises near Taiwan following the visit of a U.S. official to Taipei. Beijing considers Taiwan part of its territory that must one day be reunified with the mainland, and opposes Taiwan's participation in international diplomacy. The Pentagon said the exercises were another example of China using its military as a tool of coercion, according to Reuters. "At the end of the day, China's leaders have pulled all of their industrial might, all of their technological advances into military modernization designed for conflict in the Pacific with China's neighbors and with the United States they are quite explicit about that," Ward added. Dilemma for U.S. companies China is essentially in open confrontation with the U.S. and the region, Ward said. "So the question then, of course, is what is this all for? It's to achieve what China's leaders have called the 'great rejuvenation' of the Chinese mission," Ward said. "How does China intend to achieve all this? It's not just the military, it's really China's economic engines the economic battle fleet is really the state-owned and state-backed corporations." Therein lies the geopolitical implications for American corporations, Ward suggested. "The bottom line is China's goals for ... industrial dominance, for technological power this is all essentially taking shape between the party and its companies," he said. "Many global banks are looking to expand their operations in China, even as these geopolitical realities take shape." "Is (the political risk) really being properly assessed even in the world's leading investment banks and institutional investors?" he asked. Ward added that American multinational companies are going to need to align with the U.S. government's long-term national security goals. "As the state-sponsored human rights abuses become more and more obvious we find that our companies are involved directly or peripherally," Ward said. Who will win U.S. or China? The reported export controls on Chinese chip maker SMIC are the latest salvo in the battle between Washington and Beijing over tech Shares in China's biggest chip maker tumbled Monday on reports that Washington had imposed export controls on the company, the latest salvo in the battle for technological dominance over Beijing. In a new blow for China's advanced tech ambitions, the US Commerce Department reportedly ordered companies to seek permission before selling equipment to Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp (SMIC). Equipment sold to the Chinese company posed an "unacceptable risk" of being diverted to "military end use", according to a letter sent to major US computer chip firms that was seen by The Wall Street Journal and the Financial Times. News of the letter, which was first reported Saturday, sent SMIC's Hong Kong-listed shares plunging as much as 7.9 percent to a four-month low Monday morning, extending a 25 percent loss for the month as investors fretted it would soon be targeted for sanctions by Washington. It later recovered some losses to end down 3.88 percent. Advanced tech has become one of the many battlefronts that have opened up in the past few years as relations between Beijing and Washington plummet to their lowest levels since diplomatic relations were restarted in 1979. SMIC is China's biggest contract manufacturer of chipsets and a key pillar of Beijing's plans to achieve semiconductor self-reliance. Analysts say China's dependence on foreignincluding US-madechips hinders that national goal. Backed by several state-owned entities, SMIC has made strides at improving China's chip capabilities but it remains heavily reliant on imported equipment and software. Under the new rules announced by the Commerce Department, US companies that want to sell equipment to SMIC will now have to apply for a licence. "The restriction, once implemented, will severely damage SMIC's existing and future manufacturing capabilities, and customer trust," Bernstein analysts led by Mark Li wrote in a note. "Without steady supply and service from the US, the yield and quality of SMIC's capacity will degrade, as early as in a few months for more advanced nodes." Tit for tat tech tensions On Monday SMIC said it had yet to receive any notification of the new restrictions from the Commerce Department. "The company has no relationship with the Chinese military and does not manufacture for any military end-users or end-uses," it said in a statement. The export restrictions for SMIC come after a similar US campaign to hobble Chinese telecom giant Huawei, which Washington fears could allow Beijing to tap into global telecoms networks. The US Commerce Department in May announced plans to cut off Huawei's access to global semiconductor supplies, which the company said would threaten its survival. The move against SMIC is less severe than placing Huawei on its so-called entity lista de facto blacklistingbut it will likely further inflame Beijing's anger. Donald Trump has become increasingly hawkish towards China as he battles for re-election in November. His administration has also announced plans to ban Chinese social media apps TikTok and WeChat on national security grounds. Those advocating a more hawkish stance towards Beijing have long warned of a symbiotic relationship between Chinese companies and the country's military and security apparatus. They have also complained of unfair trade practices such as intellectual property theft and state-sponsored cyber espionage. But many analysts argue that Trump's actions could backfire on the US tech sector and other American businesses by encouraging China and other countries to respond in kind. More ominously, Trump appears to be moving toward "crony capitalism" by brokering deals that benefit his friends. One recent example is a proposed deal to transfer control of TikTok from its Chinese parent to Walmart and Oraclethe latter a tech giant founded by a major fundraiser for the president. Explore further US restricts technology sales to Chinese semiconductor giant 2020 AFP Students in Scotland may have had their human rights breached by strict new coronavirus restrictions banning them from going home and to the pub, the leader of the Scottish Labour Party has said. Richard Leonard called for the measures, which were announced by Holyrood this week, to be investigated by the Scottish Human Rights Commission. In a letter to the body, he asked it to examine seven areas of concern, including ambiguity in enforcement, visits to hospitality, the suitability of student halls for self-isolation, and differences between rules for students and the rest of the public. Mr Leonard also raised the ban on students socialising outside their household, the requirement to download the Test and Protect tracing app, and a lack of acknowledgement that some students are just 17 years old. "In asking the public to make further sacrifices, the Scottish government also has a reciprocal duty to do what it can to protect against the virus, he wrote. This means ensuring that the same mistakes made at the start of the pandemic are not repeated. "Recently, concerns related specifically to the freedom of students studying in Scotland have been reported. "Given the severity of the matter, I encourage the Scottish Human Rights Commission to conduct an urgent examination into whether the announcements made by the Scottish government regarding students contravenes human rights law." He said he accepted that the pandemic has forced Scots to change how they live but said better planning by the SNP-led government would have prevented the problems that young people are now facing. The strict measures for students were introduced this week amid growing concerns about the sheer number of coronavirus outbreaks associated with educational institutions since the beginning of the new academic year. Among those have been a cluster of 120 cases identified at Edinburgh Napier University on Thursday and another one of about 170 in Glasgow earlier in the week. Mr Leonard wrote: While the situation within universities is still developing, I am concerned that it may continue for some time, especially due to the nature of the communal living arrangements in much student accommodation. Students have already spoken out about the issues they have found themselves dealing with. Speaking to The Independent, one called the actions of the government inhumane. Eve Simpson, a third-year politics undergraduate at the University of Edinburgh, said students were being physically cut off from what, for most, will be their main or only support system, their family, at one of the hardest times in their lives This is not a mental health crisis in waiting; it is one happening right now." A Scottish government spokesperson said: "There are no legal restrictions which apply solely to students. "Measures which restrict social gatherings between households treat students equally with the rest of the population, and are in place for clear public health reasons as part of our response to a global pandemic. "However we recognise that student households are not always the same as those of other adults, and so we are considering what additional guidance can be given to students. "These regulations are reviewed every three weeks and will not be in place a moment longer than they have to be. "Additional advice and guidance from Universities Scotland for this weekend only is in response to evidence of the spread of the virus within the student community. "As we have already said, in the fullness of time we expect all aspects of Covid-19 handling to be subject to an inquiry." Speaking on Friday, when it was revealed that the country had recorded 558 new positive cases the highest daily total since the beginning of the pandemic Nicola Sturgeon said she was sorry for what students were going through but refused to U-turn over the restrictions. Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain The Czech Republic and Slovakia are set to declare states of emergency this week to combat the coronavirus pandemic, the prime ministers of the EU neighbours said on Monday after a sharp rise in cases. Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis told the Nova television station that he expected the state of emergency to be approved at an extraordinary government meeting on Wednesday, but did not detail the nature of the restrictions. A country of 10.7 million people, the Czech Republic has seen record spikes in coronavirus infections in recent days, bringing its total to 65,313 confirmed cases, including 615 deaths. Babis was echoed by Slovak Prime Minister Igor Matovic who said the "extremely serious" situation called for "very bold decisions" following a meeting of his country's crisis management team. The measure is also expected to be approved by the government on Wednesday and would be the second time that Slovakia introduces a state of emergency to combat the pandemic. Under the proposed restrictions, all sporting events, cultural events and religious services would be banned from October 1. Weddings and funerals would only be allowed if all the participants can prove they have had a negative test for coronavirus. Restaurants, bars, and cafes would close at 10:00 pm (2000 GMT) and if people not living in the same household come closer than two metres (six feet) outdoors, they would have to wear masks. Masks are already compulsory in public indoor spaces in Slovakia. The EU country of 5.4 million registered 9,343 coronavirus infections since the beginning of the pandemic and 44 patients have died. On Friday, the number of daily infections reached a record high of 552. Explore further Follow the latest news on the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak 2020 AFP Economically-crippling and socially-constraining local lockdowns are failing to curb coronavirus outbreaks, analysis shows. More than 17million Britons in 48 towns, cities and boroughs are currently living with even more limited freedoms than the rest of the country. Many have been barred from meeting friends or family indoors and university students in the locked-down areas are practically confined to their halls of residence. Residents in these places have been told the rules are essential to suppress the virus, but data shows that Luton is the only area in England which has successfully managed to drive down cases far enough for the draconian rules to be lifted. However, there are fears the Bedfordshire town could be slapped with restrictions once again after cases rose by a third in the last week, from 26 per 100,000 to 35.5 per 100,000. Stockport and Wigan also managed to break free from the shackles of local lockdowns but had measures reimposed on Friday after infections rebounded. The other 46 regions in lockdown are all recording rises in infections, according to the latest Government data. Bolton is still Britain's Covid-19 hotspot after suffering more than 200 cases per 100,000 in the last week. Cases have more than tripled in the last three weeks, despite the Greater Manchester town going into a local lockdown earlier this month. The data is worrying because it implies the nationwide measures announced last week - including the 'rule of six' and 10pm curfew - do little to stop coronavirus's spread, at the expense of restricting people's freedoms and harming the economy. Bolton is still Britain's Covid-19 hotspot after suffering more than 200 cases per 100,000 in the last week. Other areas of Britain hit by local lockdowns have also seen infections continue to rise, despite having had tougher measures imposed Residents in these places have been told the rules are essential to suppress the virus, but data shows that Luton is the only area in England which has successfully managed to drive down cases far enough for the draconian rules to be lifted Cases have more than tripled in Bolton in the last three weeks despite the Greater Manchester town going into a local lockdown earlier this month Leicester - which was the first in the UK to be put in a local lockdown in July - recorded 94 cases per 100,000 in the week ending September 25, up from 37 the previous seven days Salford recorded a 70 per cent spike in infections in the last week, with cases rising from 79 per 100,000 to 127 Public Health England figures show Luton's cases are on the rise again despite having only just emerged from a local lockdown in recent weeks. The town, which relaxed measures banning people from meeting indoors and in private gardens earlier this month, saw cases rise by 35 per cent between September 18 and September 25. There are now concerns that Luton will follow in the footsteps of Stockport and Wigan and see even more restrictive measures introduced. If this becomes the case, it will mean not a single town, city or borough in England will have successfully turned around a Covid-19 outbreak with the help of a local lockdown. Experts say it raises questions about whether the juice is really worth the squeeze, as local businesses go bust and people are forced to go weeks without seeing their loved ones due to the targeted measures. Aberdeen is the only other place in the UK to have local lockdown restrictions lifted without being reimposed. The Scottish city saw bars, cafes and restaurants shut on 5 August after a spike in Covid-19 cases linked to the city's nightlife. But restrictions were fully lifted on September 3 after three weeks. The infection rate is now around 8 per 100,000 - down from 32 at the start of August. Manchester Mayor says 10pm curfew is doing 'more harm than good' Boris Johnson's 10pm coronavirus curfew is doing 'more harm than good' the mayor one of the UK's biggest cities warned this morning - as weekend scenes showed kicked-out drinkers dancing to a brass band in the street. Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham said the government's drinking deadline was pushing crowds into supermarkets to buy booze to drink on the curbs or in homes. He warned the curfew was acting as an incentive for behavior which was the opposite of what the measures were aiming to achieve. The former Labour leadership contender said: I think there needs to be an urgent review of the emerging evidence from police forces across the country. My gut feeling, is that this curfew is doing more harm than good.' It came as scores of drinkers were spotted in trendy Moseley, Birmingham, on Saturday night twirling around to a brass bands, despite restrictions urging social distancing. The city is also currently under heavier lockdown rules than much of the UK with people banned from mixing with people they do not live with. West Midlands Police were alerted to the potentially dangerous breach and spoke to people to tell them to go home. The PM's curfew - which he announced last week - has been widely panned due to these predicable consequences. One Tory MP texted Politico: 'Which clown-faced moron thought it would be a good idea to kick thousands of p***** people out from the pubs into the street and onto the tube at the same time? 'Its like some sort of sick experiment to see if you can incubate a second wave.' Advertisement Of the places still in localised shut downs, Newcastle suffered one of the largest increases in Covid-19 cases in the country this week. The city saw cases triple in the last week, rising from 53 per 100,000 to 157 per 100,000 in the week ending September 25 - despite having a local lockdown introduced on September 17. Separate data also shows fewer tests were carried out, suggesting the spike isn't down to more swabs being conducted. South Tyneside, which was hit with the same measures in the North East a week ago, saw more than doubled from 74 per 100,000 to 178 per 100,000. Wigan, which only just broke free of local lockdown restrictions this month - suffered a tripling in cases over the last seven days - with number rising from 40 per 100,000 to 102 per 100,000. Halton - where residents have been locked down since September 18 - also saw infections rise three-fold, from 61.5 per 100,000 to 160 per 100,000. Bury, in Greater Manchester, saw infections more than double from 75 per 100,000 to 157,000 in the same recording period. Salford recorded a 70 per cent spike in infections in the last week, with cases rising from 79 per 100,000 to 127. The Wirral and Rochdale saw an almost identical increase of 59 per cent week-on-week - suffering 121 and 124 cases per 100,000 on September 25, respectively. Meanwhile, the likes of Bolton and Blackburn continue to have the worst case rates in Britain, despite living with draconian curbs for weeks. Bolton tops the Covid-19 hotspot charts, with 201 infections per 100,000 recorded in the last full week of data, which was published on September 25. Blackburn, which has consistently ranked among the worst three Covid-19 infection rate in the country, suffered 167 cases per 100,000 last week. Professor Hugh Pennington, emeritus professor of bacteriology at the University of Aberdeen, told The Telegraph: 'I have to agree that local measures are often having disappointing results. The same in Glasgow and surrounding areas. 'National lockdown using the same control measures would very likely have the same poor result. In my view all this shows that much more community testing is needed to identify cases and that contact tracing isn't yet good enough.' Professor Robert Dingwall, a sociologist at Nottingham Trent University, told the newspaper the figures do not give him confidence the national measures will be successful in driving down the virus's transmission. He added: 'Since March, we should have been giving the evaluation of social interventions as much attention as we have been giving to evaluating therapies or vaccines. The rumoured ban on households meeting has no better basis of evidence beyond the desire to be seen to do something.' Official data shows that local lockdowns appear to have short term benefits which slowly fade over time. Leicester, for example, had a local lockdown announced by the Government on June 30 when there were 140 cases per 100,000 people in a week - the highest in the country at the time. Shops, restaurants and bars were banned from reopening just as the rest of the country started to emerge from the national shutdown. Cases were squashed to below 50 per 100,000 by the end of July, which allowed restrictions to slowly be lifted in August. Infections continued to fall until early September when the city recorded its lowest ever weekly case rate, of 24.5 per 100,000. But by last week they had jumped back to 94 per 100,000, prompting ministers to introduce even stricter measures preventing people from mixing with people outwith their own homes. Similarly many areas in Greater Manchester, Lancashire and West Yorkshire - which were hit with lockdown rules on July 31 - saw restrictions loosened at the start of September, only to have them reimposed 16 days later. Salford, Tameside, Rochdale and the city of Manchester have seen no relaxation of restrictions since they were imposed at the end of July after numbers never dropped off. Texas officials, facing another round of data woes, will not immediately publish new figures detailing coronavirus cases in public school districts after the state last week was forced to retract its new spreadsheet, which contained incorrect information. The Department of State Health Services and the Texas Education Agency jointly published the spreadsheet Thursday to provide information on coronavirus cases by school district. Rife with errors, it came a week after the agencies launched a new dashboard to report positive tests for the virus in public schools. While the dashboard reported about 6,300 coronavirus cases in total, the district-level spreadsheet counted more than 6,700 cases. School districts also questioned the accuracy of the numbers, reporting it had incorrect numbers for their enrollment and coronavirus cases. RELATED: Unreliable Texas COVID data spotlights decades worth of underfunding A day later, the agencies quietly removed the district-level spreadsheet from the dashboard and added a paragraph promising new information Monday. Instead, the two agencies altered that paragraph to say new data will be posted as soon as possible. Initially, the state attributed the errors to issues resulting from the integration of the school COVID case report data set with the school enrollment data set (which) were identified in the school district data file. On Monday, officials clarified that they encountered difficulties while collecting data from individual schools, which report positive test results directly to the state. The TEA and DSHS said they had identified issues with data entry by some schools and the process for importing the number of COVID-19 cases submitted by schools into the first district-level report and will continue to work to bring together enrollment and case data to present the most complete picture of COVID-19 cases in Texas schools. The information is crucial as schools have begun welcoming students for in-person learning in recent weeks, most of them for the first time since March. The district-level spreadsheet was designed to provide a more specific picture of where coronavirus outbreaks were happening in public schools across Texas. Many school districts also separately report their infection data directly to local health departments, publish it on their websites or both. The states dashboard was updated Friday to reflect nearly 6,800 total coronavirus cases 3,720 among students and 3,053 among staff in public schools since July. On the website, the state said it had inadvertently omitted 275 student cases and 203 staff cases that were submitted by schools between Aug. 28 and Sept. 2. The adjusted numbers still reflect just a small fraction of the 1.9 million students and staff estimated to have been on campuses so far this fall. Using the new numbers, slightly more than one-third of 1 percent of students and staff have tested positive since schools started opening in late July. The problems with the states public school data are just the latest issues that officials have faced while trying to track the spread of the coronavirus across Texas. DSHS recently adjusted the way it calculated the states positivity rate the percentage of those tested found to have the virus after the agency identified roughly 800,000 backlogged test results that wildly skewed the metric throughout August. Officials have also acknowledged other problems with its data related to that backlog dating back to March. Those errors in calculating the states positivity rate have now been fixed, state officials say. Cayla Harris is based in Austin covering Texas state government and politics. To read more from Cayla, become a subscriber. cayla.harris@hearst.com | Twitter: @caylajharris Pool / Getty Images A report from the New York Times detailing how President Donald Trump allegedly did not pay federal income taxes in 10 of the past 15 years, as well as only paying $750 in income tax during 2016 and 2017, has prompted a swift reaction from politicians and public figures alike. The report states how Trump has used business tax credits to reduce his tax obligations and that $9.7 million worth of business investment credits, which were submitted after the president requested an extension to file taxes, allowed him to reduce his income. Mumbai, Sep 28 : Actress Alia Bhatt wished rumoured boyfriend Ranbir Kapoor with a red heart emoji as the actor turned 38 on Monday. Sharing a photo of a smiling Ranbir posing with his birthday cake, Alia wrote on her verified Instagram account: "Happy Birthday 8." She completed her message with a red heart emoji. Rumoured lovebirds Ranbir and Alia were reportedly living in during the recent nationwide lockdown. Alia was also spotted at the funeral of Ranbir's father, Bollywood icon Rishi Kapoor, who passed away on April 30 this year. Speculative reports did the rounds a while back suggesting that the two stars were planning to tie the knot later this year. Commenting on Alia's post, fans of the two actors expressed good wishes. A section of netizens, however, were in the mood to spread toxicity on Ranbir's special day. They commented on the Alia's post alleging that Ranbir was a drug addict because he is present in the video of Karan Johar's house party last year. The video, originally shared on social media by Johar, recently went viral and made headlines with netizens speculating that drugs were being consumed at the party. Appointment 28 September 2020 Leading a team of 102, Laura Eggleton has been made general manager of the property. After a stint in Slough, UK as general manager of the Holiday Inn Express, she became IHG's first female general manager in the Middle East in 2015 in Oman. She graduated from the University of Brighton with an honours degree in International Tourism Management, working various roles in a neighbourhood hotel throughout her studies. The OnePlus 8T wont be the only product from the company to launch on October 14, a bunch of additional devices are coming. This information comes from Ishan Agarwal, a well-known tipster. He said that the company plans to launch five additional devices alongside the OnePlus 8T, at least in India. The vast majority, or all of these products, will become official in other regions as well, though. We knew that the company is planning some additional hardware launches for October 14, but we didnt know that five of them is coming. The tipster also promised that you wont be able to guess at least one of these. Advertisement He said that at least one hasnt leaked, or been mentioned anywhere. Mr. Agarwal did not talk in detail about whats coming, though. Well have to make assumptions ourselves, it seems. A bunch of other devices are coming alongside the OnePlus 8T, it seems So, what can you expect, other than the OnePlus 8T? Well, the OnePlus Watch did leak a couple of times. We do know that it will ship with Wear OS, and that it will sport a round form factor, and a round display. Thats pretty much it. OnePlus will probably include its very own spin of Wear OS on top of the watch, similar to what OPPO did with its Wear OS smartwatch. Itll be interesting to see what will OnePlus have to offer in this regard. This will be OnePlus very first smartwatch, by the way. Advertisement Now, other than the watch, the OnePlus Buds Z are also expected to arrive. This will be the second pair of TWS earbuds from the company, following the OnePlus Buds. The OnePlus Buds arrived earlier this year, and this new model will be more affordable. Chances are that these earbuds will look quite similar, or perhaps identical to the OnePlus Buds, well see. The third product that was rumored is the companys very own power bank. That power bank is expected to offer fast charging, and maybe even fast wireless charging, though thats not as likely. Advertisement The companys very first power bank may launch as well We still do not have any specific detail when it comes to this power bank, but well assume it will be a 10,000mAh power bank. That is the most popular battery capacity, and it would make sense for OnePlus to release something like that. What about the other products? Well, three new OnePlus smartphones got rumored as well, aside from the OnePlus 8T, though its unlikely these will get announced at the same time as the OnePlus 8T. The company is expected to announce two (or at least one) Snapdragon 600 series smartphones by the end of 2020. A phone fueled by the Snapdragon 460 SoC was also rumored. A new OnePlus TV is also a possibility, or something TV-related, at least. Well just have to wait and see. If youd like to know more about the OnePlus 8T, check out our preview. PHILADELPHIA, Sept. 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) is a member of the Healthcare Anchor Network , a national collaboration of leading healthcare systems, which published the "Racism is a Public Health Crisis" statement. Our health institutions employ over half-million employees across 45 states and Washington, DC and are committed to taking concrete action to address the impact of structural racism in our communities. Moved by the unconscionable, unjust deaths of George Floyd, Rayshard Brooks, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and too many others, our health systems stand together with all those who have lifted their voices with a call to action. "We, along with these prestigious hospitals, are committed to combating racism, inequality and discrimination," said Gilbert Davis, Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. "No one individual or institution can do this alone, and we are committed to listening to our neighbors of color and implementing initiatives that will help to eradicate all forms of discrimination. CHOP is committed to being intentional and we will partner with others in the community to address the social injustice and systemic racism that contribute to disparity of care across our region." "Racism is a public health crisis. In Black and Indigenous communities and communities of color, we see higher rates of illness and death as a result of systemic racism. We need to harness our collective strength to invest in our communities and to more intentionally hire and buy from local BIPOC communities so that all people can be healthy and thrive," said Healthcare Anchor Network Director David Zuckerman. "We all must better understand and act to change the impacts of systemic racism on social and economic conditions and health outcomes," added Zuckerman. Investment in Black and Indigenous communities and communities of color is critical to overcoming health disparities. At CHOP, we are committed to implementing policy changes that promote equity and opportunity; improving primary and specialty care; helping our communities overcome chronic diseases; advocating for investments in improvements to health access, quality, and outcomes; promoting and retaining leaders of color; providing anti-racism and implicit bias training for all staff and administrators; and advocating for funding for programming for social needs, social services, and social justice. From the statement: "Our society only truly thrives when everyone has an opportunity to succeed and live a healthy life. We are committed to moving forward together. By harnessing the collective strengths of our organizations, we will help serve our communities as agents of change." About CHOP Children's Hospital of Philadelphia was founded in 1855 as the nation's first pediatric hospital. Through its long-standing commitment to providing exceptional patient care, training new generations of pediatric healthcare professionals and pioneering major research initiatives, Children's Hospital has fostered many discoveries that have benefited children worldwide. Its pediatric research program is among the largest in the country. In addition, its unique family-centered care and public service programs have brought the 564-bed hospital recognition as a leading advocate for children and adolescents. For more information, visit http://www.chop.edu Contact: Joey McCool Ryan (267) 426-6070 [email protected] SOURCE Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Related Links http://www.chop.edu California firefighters battled destructive new wildfires in wine country north of San Francisco Monday as strong winds fanned flames in the already badly scorched state. The new fires erupted Sunday in the famed Napa-Sonoma wine region and in far Northern Californias Shasta County, forcing hasty evacuations of neighbourhoods. In wine country, flames engulfed the distinctive Chateau Boswell Winery north of St. Helena, The Black Rock Inn in the small community of St. Helena and multiple homes in the city of Santa Rosa, the San Francisco Chronicle reported. Residents of a senior home were among those evacuated. The Adventist Health St. Helena hospital suspended care and transferred all patients elsewhere, according to a statement on its website. The wine country blaze had burned 17 square miles (44 square kilometers) as of early Monday, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or Cal Fire. Numerous studies in recent years have linked bigger wildfires in America to global warming from the burning of coal, oil and gas, especially because climate change has made California much drier. A drier California means plants are more flammable. Evacuations were also ordered in Shasta County as that fire spread. The causes of both new fires were under investigation. During the weekend, the Pacific Gas & Electric utility turned off electricity to targeted areas where the winds raised the potential for arcing or other power equipment damage that could spark new fires. So far this year, more than 8,100 California wildfires have scorched 5,780 square miles (14,970 square kilometers), destroyed more than 7,000 buildings and killed 26 people. Most of the losses occurred after a frenzy of dry lightning strikes in mid-August ignited a massive outbreak of fires. Power will be shut off for 65,000 Northern California electric customers in 16 counties to prevent the spread of wildfires that have engulfed areas of the state, officials said Sunday. Pacific Gas & Electric, the nations largest electric utility, shut off power to 11,000 customers beginning at 4 a.m. Sunday and planned to cut service to another 54,000 customers by 8 p.m. The company expected to have power restored by Monday evening to all customers. PG&E Incident Commander Mark Quinlan said the initial plan was to temporarily cut service to 89,000 customers but continuous monitoring enabled the company to reduce the number by 27%. The initial power outage for 11,000 customers occurred in Butte and Plumas counties. The second shutdown phase beginning Sunday evening was planned for Alpine, Amador, Butte, Calaveras, El Dorado, Lake, Napa, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Shasta, Sierra, Tehama and Yuba counties. Two customers were also scheduled for shutdowns in Sonoma County. Shutoffs were also scheduled to begin Monday at 7 a.m. in Kern County for a small number of customers. The company plans to begin restoring power after receiving confirmation that the weather and wildfire risks enable patrols, inspections and repairs by 50 helicopters and about 1,700 ground personnel in vehicles and on foot. The shutoff was enacted as result of a red flag warning because of high winds, officials said. PG&E Senior Meteorologist Scott Strenfel said beginning Saturday evening there was a reported wind speed of 15-30 mph (24-48 kph), 40-55 mph (64-89 kph) wind gusts and humidity levels of 15% to 20%. The company continues to monitor weather conditions in concert with federal agencies including the National Weather Service and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Customer Experience Manager Vanessa Bryan said PG&E sent 913,000 customer notifications and is operating 28 community resource centers from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. while power is out. As of Sunday evening, the centers had received about 1,200 visitors, Bryan said. The shutoffs came as a new, swift-moving wildfire broke out in Napa County, which prompted evacuations of homes and a hospital. The fire was burning near several wineries and churned through 1.9 square miles (4.9 square kilometers) Sunday, the San Francisco Chronicle reported. Fire-weary California is facing a new siege of hot, dry weather with potentially strong winds that could cause power lines to arc and spark new blazes in parched vegetation thats ready to burn. Red Flag warnings for extreme fire weather conditions were issued for the northern and central areas of the state from late Saturday to Monday, the National Weather Service said. Similar warnings were in place for parts of Southern Californias San Bernardino and Riverside counties on Monday. So far this year, more than 8,100 California wildfires have scorched 5,780 square miles (14,970 square kilometers), destroyed more than 7,000 buildings and killed 26 people. Most of the loss has occurred since a frenzy of dry lightning strikes in mid-August ignited a massive outbreak of fires. The causes of other fires remain under investigation and authorities said one was caused by a pyrotechnic device at a gender reveal event. On Sunday, wind drove smoke from the new Napa County fire toward Sonoma and Marin counties, worsening the air quality, said Gerry Diaz, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service. We just have smoke on all fronts, unfortunately, Diaz said. The court is set to hear a challenge on the Affordable Care Act shortly after the election, a key talking point for Harris and Biden as they seek to motivate voters concerned about losing their health care. Harris zeroed in on what it means for women in particular. Without the health care law, she said, birth control coverage could be eliminated and pregnancy could be considered a preexisting condition by insurance companies. Suburban women were key to Democrats taking back the U.S. House in 2018. A self-proclaimed white nationalist who rose to prominence during a deadly 2017 rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, was found guilty Monday by a federal jury of threatening to rape the wife of a man who was part of a racist group he felt was harassing and bullying him. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 28/9/2020 (481 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. FILE - This undated booking file photo provided by the Albemarle-Charlottesville Regional Jail shows Christopher Cantwell, of New Hampshire. Cantwell went on trial Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2020, on federal charges of threatening to rape the wife of a person with whom he was having a dispute. (Albemarle-Charlottesville Regional Jail via AP, File) A self-proclaimed white nationalist who rose to prominence during a deadly 2017 rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, was found guilty Monday by a federal jury of threatening to rape the wife of a man who was part of a racist group he felt was harassing and bullying him. Christopher Cantwell, a 39-year-old New Hampshire resident and radio host, was found guilty of extortion and threatening to injure property or reputation but not guilty of cyberstalking related to a series of threats he made toward a Missouri man over the Telegram messaging app. The jury deliberated for a few hours following the four-day trial. Cantwell faces up to 22 years in prison and will be sentenced Jan. 4. He will remain in Strafford County jail. We're pleased that justice has been done and we're glad to have been vindicated, Assistant U.S. Attorney John Davis said after the verdict. Davis said he hoped there would be a deterrent value in the conviction that might resonate among everyone on the internet and the white nationalist world and other worlds where really abhorrent things are said. This undated booking file photo provided by the Albemarle-Charlottesville Regional Jail shows Christopher Cantwell, of New Hampshire. On Monday, Sept. 28, 2020, a federal jury in Concord, N.H., found a Cantwell guilty of threatening to rape the wife of a man who was part of a racist group he felt was harassing and bullying him. (Albemarle-Charlottesville Regional Jail via AP, File) You do have a right to free speech and there is a First Amendment," he said. But when you violate the regulate norms that apply you can't threaten someone as part of an extortion attempt it isn't going to matter even if it is in the white nationalist internet world." Cantwell, dressed in a shirt and tie and wearing a mask, did not appear to show any visible reaction to the verdict. His defence team declined to comment. Authorities say Cantwell used the Telegram messaging app to convey a threat last year that he would rape the mans wife if he didnt give up information about the leader of a white supremacist group of which the man was a member, authorities said. The Associated Press is not naming the man to protect the identify of his wife. He was arrested in January on federal charges and had pleaded not guilty. Cantwell is also accused of threatening to expose the mans identity and warning you will lose everything you have if he didnt provide the personal details about the leader of the Bowl Patrol. The groups name was inspired by the haircut of Dylann Roof, who was sentenced to death for fatally shooting nine Black church members during a Bible study session in Charleston, South Carolina. Cantwell followed through on another threat to report the Missouri man, who has several children, to the states child division for drug use and racist views. But an agency official testified at the trial that it did not feel the complaint justified further investigation. Cantwells attorney, Eric Wolpin, on Friday acknowledged in his closing remarks that his client's language was obscene and over the top. But he said it never rose to the level of an actual threat, nor was it tied to anything of value. He portrayed Cantwell as angry over harassment and bullying from the Bowl Patrol. Members disrupted his radio show for months with pranks and defaced his website with pornography and violent content, Wolpin said. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Cantwell previously pleaded guilty to assault in 2018 after he was accused of using pepper spray during a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville in 2017. He didnt serve additional jail time but was barred from Virginia for five years. This was the second federal jury trial to be held in the District of New Hampshire, since proceedings were delayed by the coronavirus pandemic. All participants wore masks and practiced social distancing and microphones were disinfected between witnesses. Cantwell, who has hosted self-produced radio shows, also has history of posting threatening messages over social media. Last year, attorneys who filed a federal civil rights lawsuit in connection with the Charlottesville rally asked a judge to order Cantwell to stop making unlawful threats against the plaintiffs and their lead attorney. Cantwell is one two dozen groups and individual defendants in that case that is expected to go to trial in April. Today marks an important step toward accountability for Cantwells long history of violence and bigotry, said Amy Spitalnick, the executive director of the civil rights group Integrity First for America which is funding the lawsuit. An Azerbaijani service member drives an armored carrier and greets people, who gather on the roadside in Baku, Azerbaijan, on Sept. 27, 2020. (Aziz Karimov/Reuters) Armenian, Azeri Forces Clash Again, at Least 21 Reported Killed YEREVAN/BAKUArmenian and Azeri forces exchanged fierce fire for a second day on Monday over the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh, with the sides accusing each other of using heavy artillery amid reports of at least 21 deaths and hundreds of people being wounded. The clashes between Armenia and Azerbaijan, the heaviest since 2016, have rekindled concern over stability in the South Caucasus region, a corridor for pipelines carrying oil and gas to world markets. The two former Soviet republics have clashed periodically in a decades-long conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh, a breakaway region that is inside Azerbaijan but is run by ethnic Armenians. People are seen in a bomb shelter in Stepanakert, the capital of the breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh region, on Sept. 28, 2020. (Foreign Ministry of Armenia/Handout via Reuters) Azerbaijans president declared a partial military mobilization, and his foreign minister said six Azeri civilians had been killed and 19 injured since the fighting began. Interfax news agency quoted an Armenian defense ministry representative as saying 200 Armenians had been wounded. Nagorno-Karabakh reported that 15 more of its soldiers had been killed. It had said on Sunday 16 of its servicemen had been killed and more than 100 wounded after Azerbaijan launched an air and artillery attack. Nagorno-Karabakh also said it had recovered some territory that it had lost control of on Sunday, and said Azerbaijan had been using heavy artillery to shell the areas. People watch TV in a bomb shelter in Stepanakert, the capital of the breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh region, on Sept. 28, 2020. (Foreign Ministry of Armenia/Handout via Reuters) Azerbaijans defense ministry said Armenian forces were shelling the town of Terter. The clashes have spurred a flurry of diplomacy to defuse the reignited tensions between majority Christian Armenia and mainly Muslim Azerbaijan. Russia called for an immediate ceasefire and another regional power, Turkey, said it would support Azerbaijan, its traditional ally. Armenias ambassador to Russia said on Monday Turkey had sent around 4,000 fighters from northern Syria to Azerbaijan, Interfax news agency reported, an accusation denied by Baku. Under international law, Nagorno-Karabakh is recognized as part of Azerbaijan. But the ethnic Armenians who make up the vast majority of the population reject Azeri rule. People attend a meeting to recruit military volunteers after Armenian authorities declared martial law and mobilized its male population following clashes with Azerbaijan over the breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh region in Yerevan, Armenia, on Sept. 27, 2020. (Melik Baghdasaryan/Photolure via Reuters) They have run their own affairs, with support from Armenia, since Nagorno-Karabakh broke away from Azerbaijan in a conflict that erupted as the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991. Although a ceasefire was agreed in 1994, after thousands of people were killed and many more displaced, Azerbaijan and Armenia frequently accuse each other of attacks around Nagorno-Karabakh and along the separate Azeri-Armenian frontier. Pipelines shipping Caspian oil and natural gas from Azerbaijan to the world pass close to Nagorno-Karabakh. At least 200 people were killed in a flare-up of the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan in April 2016. At least 16 people were killed in clashes in July. By Nvard Hovhannisyan, Nailia Bagirova, and Tom Balmforth Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-28 16:53:36|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close KAMPALA, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- At least five people were killed on Sunday night in a road accident in the eastern Ugandan district of Ngora, a government official said Monday. The fatal accident occurred after the driver of a Mitsubishi Pajero rammed into a stationed truck at Mukura village, along the Soroti-Mbale Highway at around 8:30 p.m. local time (1730 GMT), Ngora Resident District Commissioner Ambrose Onoria said in a statement. "The occupants of the Pajero were returning from a burial in Amuria," he said. Uganda registers about 20,000 accidents each year, resulting in some 2,000 deaths, making it one of the countries with the highest traffic death rates, according to police statistics. The country's police attribute the high rate of road accidents to reckless driving, speeding, human error, drunk driving and overloading. Enditem Armenian News - NEWS.am has presented a daily digest of Armenia-related top news as of 28.09.2020: CONFLICT ESCALATION https://news.am/eng/news/604686.html The spokesperson of the Ministry of Defense of Armenia Shushan Stepanyan said that a large-scale armored attack of the adversary in the southern direction is stopped. Hostilities continue with varying intensity along the entire length of the border between Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) and Azerbaijan. Artsrun Hovhannisyan, a representative of the Ministry of Defense of Armenia, stated this during a briefing Monday. According to the latest information, the Armenian side has lost a total of 59 soldiers. GOVERNMENT'S APPROACH https://news.am/eng/news/604688.html The Armenian government has set up a mechanism to coordinate urgent issues. The citizens now can address heads of villages and then regional governors to work as volunteers, make an investment, provide assistance, or with any other issue. ARMENIA SUBMITS NEW EVIDENCE https://news.am/eng/news/604648.html The Representative of Armenia before the European Court of Human Rights said in a statement that in addition to the request to apply interim measure in respect of Azerbaijan submitted to the ECHR yesterday, Armenia has submitted new evidence on Azerbaijani forces targeting settlements, civilian objects, and civilians. Along with the developments new evidence will be submitted to the ECHR. WORLD ON SITUATION https://news.am/eng/news/604668.html https://news.am/eng/news/604624.html https://news.am/eng/news/604590.html https://news.am/eng/news/604678.html The international community has reflected on the situation over the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Japan expresses serious concern about the armed confrontation that resulted in the loss of livesincluding civilians. Japan urges all parties concerned to cease any hostilities immediately, exercise maximum self-restraint, and resume dialogue, the ministry added. The EU calls on all players in the region to promote de-escalation in the Karabakh conflict zone and to avoid foreign interference in the conflict. Peter Stano, the official representative of the EU Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, calls on the parties to the conflict to cease hostilities, and all players in the region to refrain from any interference in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. The Iranian Foreign Ministry, in turn, announced that Tehran's policy is an immediate ceasefire declaration between Azerbaijan and Armenia, and it certainly cannot tolerate the continuation of conflicts at its borders. The Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs of France has also issued a statement stating that it considers the end of hostilities between Armenia and Azerbaijan a priority issue. The statement says that France, as one of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs, along with its partners is in constant contact with the sides and is doing everything possible to restore the dialogue between the sides and the political process. By Trend Azerbaijan will appeal to international organizations to hold a tribunal over Armenia, General Prosecutor's Office of Azerbaijan said, Trend reports. It was noted that for the purpose to expose aggressive nature of Armenia in the international arena, the introduction of sanctions against the aggressor country stipulated by international law, an appeal will be made to a number of international organizations, including the UN Security Council, to organize a special international tribunal. On September 27, at about 06:00, the armed forces of Armenia, committing large-scale provocations, have subjected to intensive shelling from large-caliber weapons, mortars, and artillery mounts of various calibers of the positions of the Azerbaijan Army along the entire length of the front and Azerbaijani human settlements located in the frontline zone. The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on the withdrawal of its armed forces from Nagorno Karabakh and the surrounding districts. -- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz New York State Attorney General Letitia James speaks at a news conference in New York, on Sept. 25, 2020. (Kathy Willens/AP Photo, File) New York Attorney General Says Police Should Stop Doing Traffic Stops New Yorks attorney general said the New York Police Department (NYPD) should stop making routine traffic stops to cut down on deadly encounters between law enforcement and motorists. Attorney General Letitia James, who acts as a special prosecutor appointed to investigate certain police killings, made the remarks in a statement released Friday, which accompanied the release of a report (pdf) into the Oct. 17 death of a Bronx man who was fatally shot during a traffic stop. While the report found that police were justified in using deadly force against Allan Feliz, who initially complied with officer requests but then jumped back in his car and tried to flee, it also included a recommendation to remove NYPD from engaging in routine traffic enforcement. Police fired a stun gun at Feliz as he climbed back into his car, struggled with him as he began to drive away and warned him he would be shot if he did not stop. Feliz died from a single gunshot wound to the chest. James office made other recommendations, including changing NYPD must-arrest policy for warrants issued for failure to appear on a summons and bench warrantstypically issued for contempt of court violationsthat are discovered during a stop. In the incident in which Feliz was killed, police tried to arrest him on outstanding warrants for low-level offenses such as spitting, littering, and disorderly conduct. It is highly unlikely that the incident involving Mr. Feliz would have escalated in the manner it did in the absence of this automatic arrest policy, James office wrote. The report also recommends officers engaging in traffic stops make sure the vehicle is rendered inoperable and that officers should not enter a vehicle over which a motorist has control. In the incident, after Feliz got back in his car, he put it into gear and started to drive away. James office concluded in its report that the officer was justified in shooting Feliz in part because he feared the vehicles movement was endangering another officer standing nearby. We believe that, going forward, the adoption of these recommendations would significantly limit the likelihood of the kind of escalation that resulted in Mr. Felizs death, the report said. The NYPD declined to comment on the report. The family of Feliz is suing the NYPD over his death. The officers alleged justification is a fairy tale, said Robert Vilensky, a lawyer for the family. The car which they say was moving was at best moving 2 mph. That wouldnt knock over a fly. Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee former Vice President Joe Biden delivers a speech in Wilmington, Del., on July 28, 2020. (Mark Makela/Getty Images) Delaware State University Pushes Back on Stories Alleging Biden Lied About Attendance Delaware State University officials are challenging stories that claimed Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden lied about attending the school. Biden told a crowd last year that he got started out of an HBCU, Delaware State. HBCUs are historically black colleges and universities. The Washington Times on Friday reported that Bidens claim was refused by Delaware State University, which said he did not attend the school. Several other outlets then reported that Biden lied about what he said. Carlos Holmes, a spokesman for the school, confirmed to The Epoch Times that Biden didnt attend the college. But he said the Washington Times didnt give him a chance to respond to Bidens actual comments. No he did not attend, but its unfortunate that the Washington Times never asked me to respond to Joe Bidens comments, because thats what everybodys focusing on, Holmes said. The Republican National Committee originally promoted a video of Biden speaking about Delaware State, alleging Biden misled people by claiming he got started there. Holmes said he watched the video of the remarks from last year. It is clear that Biden was talking about his long association with historically black colleges and universities, not talking about attending Delaware State, Holmes said. The explicit reference to the university was a reference to announcing his first run for Congress, Holmes added. Thats what he was walking about. This was in 1972, he said. The president of the school was by Bidens side when he made his announcement. Biden spent decades in the U.S. Senate representing Delaware before serving as vice president from 2009 to 2017. Biden later made commencement speeches at the school in 2003 and 2016 and was awarded an honorary doctoral degree in 2016. Delaware State Universitys current president, Tony Allen, who used to work as a speechwriter for Biden during his Senate tenure, was named to the Biden campaigns transition team advisory council. Biden has been an advocate and partner of Delaware State, Holmes said, adding, He is definitely a friend to Delaware State University. Biden graduated from the University of Delaware in 1965. Check follow-up coverage after ever Kansas City newsie was busy waiting for the po-po to release this photo and share this moment of "shame" with the public. Again, amid coronavirus the Western world has increasingly hit the sauce and, of course, this lady is innocent until proven guilty. Restorative justice: She looks pretty good considering the circumstances. More importantly . . . Let's not forget that she's in the midst of a political battle with some of the more cranky denizens of her community who make living in Parkville just as much of a drag as anywhere else. Check the links: KMBC: Parkville Mayor Nan Johnston arrested for DWI, sheriffs office says KCT5: Parkville mayor arrested in drunk driving incident Developing . . . My 600-lb Life star Coliesa McMillian's family were reportedly allowed to visit her at a Louisiana hospital before her death last Tuesday, at age 41, from 'complications' of weight loss surgery months ago. The TLC reality star's mother Sadie Courville told TMZ on Monday that they were unable to visit her 'for quite a while' due to COVID-19 restrictions at the Baton Rouge facility. But once it was clear that Coliesa was on her deathbed, her two teenage daughters were able to hold her hands and say their final goodbyes. Bid her farewell: My 600-lb Life star Coliesa McMillian's (M) family were reportedly allowed to visit her at a Louisiana hospital before her death last Tuesday, at age 41, from 'complications' of weight loss surgery months ago And while Courville is unclear of the exact cause of death, an East Baton Rouge Coroner's Office rep told the site McMillian 'died of natural causes.' Audiences got to know the obese mother-of-four six months earlier when she appeared in the eighth season of the show. At the time of filming, Coliesa weighed 643lbs and had already suffered a heart attack that was made much more severe as a result of her obesity and doctors were unable to correct the damage done to her heart because her weight made it impossible to operate. Coliesa's family revealed that she had passed away on in a heartbreaking Facebook post that read: 'I cannot begin to express into words what our family is beginning to feel. RIP: The TLC reality star's mother Sadie Courville told TMZ on Monday that they were unable to visit her 'for quite a while' due to COVID-19 restrictions at the Baton Rouge facility Sad: But once it was clear that Coliesa was on her deathbed, her two teenage daughters were able to hold her hands and say their final goodbyes 'Tonight at 10:23 she sadly passed away from this life. We are asking that you please respect us. Thank you.' In another comment, the unnamed family member added: 'She had health problems from her surgery and it just ended her life.' Coliesa's family revealed in June that she had been put on life support and had 'almost died' after suffering severe complications from her weight loss surgery. At the time, her family noted that it would be 'a very long and difficult road ahead,' however they shared their excitement at her return home after so long. Cause of death: And while Courville is unclear of the exact cause of death, an East Baton Rouge Coroner's Office rep told the site McMillian 'died of natural causes' 'I know I won't survive another heart attack unless I lose weight': Audiences got to know the obese mother-of-four six months earlier when she appeared in the eighth season of the show 'She stayed in Houston for a few weeks,' the post read. 'Even though she has been on a long journey she has an even longer journey to go. She is a fighter. She is now confined to a bed 24/7. And is in a lot of pain. She can not do anything like she used to. But she is there.' However in August, the family hinted that Coliesa's health had taken a turn for the worst, revealing that she was back in hospital. Shortly after the news of her mother's death was revealed, Coliesa's daughter Hannah shared a touching tribute to her on Facebook - while also writing sweet words about Coliesa's late fiance, who died in a car crash shortly before she filmed the TLC show. Update: In June, Coliesa's family revealed that she had returned home after facing a tough health battle after her weight loss surgery Somber: One of her daughters, Hannah, shared a tribute to her mother on Facebook 'Now y'all together,' she wrote while sharing a picture of Coliesa and her fiance together. 'These two my guardian angels. Imma miss you mom I already do!' She had a heart attack at the age of 39 and was 'too big to do surgery on' when she was taken to the hospital. 'I know I won't survive another heart attack unless I lose weight,' Coliesa said during a clip from her show. Participants on the reality show receive life-changing surgeries from Dr. Younan Nowzaradan, also known as Dr. Now. In the show's eight year history with more than 100 participants featured, eight patients have died since appearing on the show, according to the program's Wikipedia. "Living like this is not living." Tune in to a new #My600lbLife tonight at 8/7c. pic.twitter.com/JTN73ULoqQ TLC Network (@TLC) March 18, 2020 Spiral: At the time of filming, Coliesa weighed 643lbs and had already suffered a heart attack that was made much more severe as a result of her obesity and doctors were unable to correct the damage done to her heart because her weight made it impossible to operate Park Eun-tae, center, as Lola in the musical "Kinky Boots" / Courtesy of CJ ENM By Kwon Mee-yoo The musical "Kinky Boots" has returned to Korea, this time with a new Lola in Park Eun-tae, who breathes new life into the show which conveys the message of "Be yourself, everyone else is already taken." The musical tells the story of an unexpected friendship between Charlie, the inheritor of a four generation shoe manufacturing family business, and Lola, a drag queen whose father was a boxer who disowned him for cross dressing. CJ ENM took part in the production of Kinky Boots on Broadway and subsequently earned the rights to stage the show in Asia. It premiered in Korea in 2014, soon after its Broadway debut in 2013, and was staged again in 2016 and 2018. This year, three actors play the role of the flamboyant yet serious drag queen, Lola Choi Jae-rim and Kang Hong-seok returned to reprise their previous roles, while Park takes his first step into the transvestite role. Park was an unlikely choice to play Lola when the cast was announced. A business major from Hanyang University, Park has slowly yet earnestly built his career in musical theater since 2006. He has a wide range of characters under his belt, from Jesus in "Jesus Christ Superstar" to the split personalities of Jekyll and Hyde in "Jekyll and Hyde," the anarchist and assassin Lucheni in "Elisabeth," and romantic photographer Robert in "The Bridges of Madison County." Before wearing Lola's high heels, Park was brandishing his murderous blade as the lead in the Stephen Sondheim musical "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street" earlier this year. Park Eun-tae as Lola in the musical "Kinky Boots" / Courtesy of CJ ENM Monique Samuels 'blacked out' during her ferocious attack on Candiace Dillard on Sunday night's Real Housewives of Potomac. The episode opened with the fight which exploded during a wine tasting event for Gizelle Bryant's recent literary award. Candiace, 33, asked Monique 'You gon' drag me? to which Monique responded. 'Do you want me to?' before launching herself at her costar and grabbing her wig before pulling her across the table. Monique Samuels said she blacked out during her attack on Candiace Dillard on Sunday night's episode of Real Housewives of Potomac Shocked: Candiace was left stunned by the vicious assault during wine tasting Their castmates gathered round to try and stop the fight but Monique refused to let go of Candiace's hair. 'Let her go! Monique, let her go!' Karen Huger shouted as Monique appeared to punch Candiace. 'Monique, stop!' she screamed. The tussle continued until several people, including producers came to prise them apart. 'Get the hood-rat-ass b***h out of here!' Candiace shouted as Dr. Wendy Osefo and a producer helped Candiace to fix her wig and disheveled clothes. Monique was taken to another room where she told a producer that Candiace 'asked for it'. Fighting talk: Candiace, 33, asked Monique 'You gon' drag me? to which Monique responded. 'Do you want me to?' Violent: Monique launched herself at her costar and grabbed her wig before pulling her across the table Attack: Their castmates gathered round to try and stop the fight but Monique refused to let go of Candiace's hair Nasty: The tussle continued until several people, including producers came to prise them apart 'You keep talking. You literally want someone to hit you, so that's what happened,' she said while accusing Candiace of 'baiting her'. Monique then tried to break free from the room to go back and confront Candiace who was being helped into a car by another producer. 'Please don't do this,' the producer pleaded with Monique but she kept storming towards where the rest of the cast were. 'I'm going to beat her a**. She's been asking for it since last year,' Monique said as she ran outside to where Candiace was waiting for her ride. When she spotted Candiace leaving Monique sprinted over but was intercepted by another member of the crew. 'She's gone! She's gone,' the producer told Monique of Candiace. Monique was still in fight mode however, as she went back inside and told the rest of the cast, including Gizelle, Karen, Wendy, Robyn Dixon and Ashley Darby, to not 'bring Candiace around me.' 'Let her go! Monique, let her go!' Karen Huger shouted as Monique appeared to punch Candiace. 'Monique, stop!' she screamed Monique was taken to another room where she told a producer that Candiace 'asked for it' Assault: Candiace's wig was pulled and she was punched in the face during the fight Aftermath: The altercation made quite a mess during the wine tasting event 'I'll kill her,' Monique added. After the incident Monique called her husband Chris and explained what happened. 'Hey baby, I just got into a fight with Candiace. The last thing I remember is me flipping her hair and next thing I know, a glass flew and I grabbed her weave and was just bashing her head with my fist. I honestly blacked out after that, 'That's embarrassing' he replied, sounding disappointed. 'I really don't care. She eggs people on,' Monique replied. On Sunday night Monique tweeted 'The blessing of experiencing lows means theres no where to go but UP! Keep watching to see the entire journey. Im grateful for my ups and my downs because they help me grow. Ill continue to look for the positives wrapped within the negatives and move forward #RHOP' Injured: Monique had a bloodied lip after the fight 'I'm going to beat her a**. She's been asking for it since last year,' Monique said as she ran outside to where Candiace was waiting for her ride 'I'll kill her': Monique was desperate to get back to Candiace to continue the fight Escape: Candiace was helped into a car by another producer Hey: Candiace got in the car and phoned her husband to tell him what happened The duo's falling out began when Monique said she felt disrespected by Candiace at her lake house. During last week's episode. Candiace had pulled Gizelle and Ashley away from the group for a chat about Ashley's husband and the cheating rumors about him. Candiace defended her decision to have the conversation in private but Monique wasn't having it, telling her 'It's about being considerate.' Monique also believes that former Housewife Charisse Jordan Jackson, who Candiace is friends with and also invited her to a party, started a rumor that she had an inappropriate relationship with her fitness trainer. Monique denied the affair and Jordan Jackson has denied spreading the rumor. Santa Rosa firefighters monitor the Shady fire Sunday as it makes its way toward homes along Mountain Hawk Drive in the Northern California city. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) Firefighters from the Sacramento Fire Department take part in an operation near a property along Crystal Springs Road. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) California's wine county is once again facing threats from wildfires. The Glass fire broke out early Sunday west of Highway 29 near Deer Park. Despite a strong firefighting response, the fire expanded steadily through the day, growing to at least 2,500 acres. Authorities are calling the fire in the Spring Mountain region the Boysen fire. Slightly to the west in Sonoma County is the Shady fire, which was prompting evacuation warnings above Kenwood, along Los Alamos Road. The fires were driven by strong, gusty winds, which were expected to last through late Monday. The National Weather Service said strong winds, warm temperatures and low humidity would continue through 9 p.m. Monday. Shady fire in Sonoma County An emergency responder evacuates a resident of the Oakmont Gardens senior home as the Shady fire approaches in Santa Rosa. (Noah Berger / Associated Press) Brody Carrington, 12, and Emmilia Carrington, 15, look for smoldering patches from the Shady fire near their home in the Skyhawk community in Santa Rosa. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) The Shady fire burns structures early Monday in Santa Rosa, Calif. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) Wildlife runs in the engulfed Skyhawk Park on Monday as firefighters battle the Shady fire. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) The Shady fire burns homes Monday in the Skyhawk community of Santa Rosa. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) An American flag flaps in the wind as the Shady fire burns. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) Glass fire in Napa County Flames from the Glass fire consume the Black Rock Inn in St. Helena, Calif. (Noah Berger / Associated Press) Charred wine bottles sit amid rubble at Castello di Amorosa in Calistoga. (Noah Berger / Associated Press) Resident Osvaldo Ramirez walks away from his burned vehicle in St. Helena. (Josh Edelson / AFP / Getty Images) The Glass fire burns along the Silverado Trail in Napa County near the Chateau Boswell Winery on Sunday. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) Firefighters work to contain the Glass fire along Sanitarium Road in Napa County on Sunday. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) Firefighters from the Sacramento Fire Department take part in an operation near a property along Crystal Springs Road. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) A firefighting aircraft makes drops over hot spots Sunday at the Viader Vineyards & Winery in Deer Park, Calif. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) Actor Rrahul Sudhir, who is playing the role of Vansh in Ishq Mein Marjawan 2, had tested positive for Covid-19 last week on September 23, now actress Chandni Sharma and director Noel Smith have also tested positive for the infection. A source from the production house informed Times Of India, Since we have a sufficient bank of episodes, we could easily take a six-day break. The entire set has been fumigated and sanitised. We will resume shooting this week. Besides Rrahul, Chandni, and Noel, actor Jay Zaveri, who hasnt been shooting for the show since 10 days, including some unit members have tested positive for the infection. Ishq Mein Marjawan 2 also stars Helly Shah and Vishal Vashishtha in the lead roles. Meanwhile, actor Akshit Sukhija, who plays the lead role in Shubharambh, also tested positive for Covid-19 yesterday. The cast and crew that was present on the set with him got tested immediately. The creative team is working out the story to accommodate the actors absence. Shubharambh stars Mahima Makwana as the female lead opposite Akshit in the show. The Chief Executive Officer of Quick Angels Ltd, Richard Nii Armah Quaye emerged the overall winner at this years 40 under 40 awards. He also won the investment award category. Speaking on his award; the vibrant entrepreneur said Words will fail me if I want to express how I feel for this honor bestowed on me as the 40 under 40 investment category winner and first amongst equal category winner of the 40 under 40 awards 2020 edition. Do you know what that means? A lot of expectations. The journey just started and we have a lot to offer Ghana and the globe. To my fellow entrepreneurs and investors, there is no perfect time than now so lets begin. A big thank you to my family and staff who made his possible in a special way. Richard is a young successful entrepreneur, seen by many as one of the promising global icons. He is a Ghanaian Multinational Businessman with diversified business interests. Richard has demonstrated continuous leadership, excellence in business, technical skills in financial management, and project executions. Barely a year after the launch of Quick Angels limited the first Angel Investor Company in Ghana he has funded over 30 businesses and counting that are doing amazing and have employed over 600 young Ghanaians. Since its inception on May 8th 2019, Quick Angels has invested millions of Ghana cedis in about 30 companies with their equity funding initiative. Companies that have received funding from Quick Angels include; Ridge medical centre, Dough man foods, Prospectus Ghana, Zaconut, Pinkberry,Coli network,Alicia(into tilapia), Addicent foods(rice production-Benjie rice),Dominion paints-agatex as first brand,Sunsolar(into salt production),Sankofa natural spices, BEEfA foods(first product- BEEfA CHIPS), Jenam cosmetics,CEQA foods(Pizzaman and Chickenman),Burger king(quick angels franchise in Ghana),Morning glory publication, Mona Brand-Cosmetics and Clothing. Richard started the business some 10 years ago with Quick Credit and officially handed over to begin Quick Angels. Though stepping aside as the CEO of Quick Credit and investment micro-credit limited, he remains the board chairman and has gone ahead to open Quick Credit operations in Eastern and Western Africa as OYA Micro credit to help young businesses with loans to support their livelihood. 90% of his loans are given to women. Quick Angels is an angel investor company set to support young businesses, entrepreneurs, and innovators with equity financing. The 40 under 40 awards scheme is aimed at celebrating and honoring the nations accomplished young business leaders under the age of 40. Entrepreneurs, CEOs, CO-founders, and COOs are the prime focus of this award scheme The 40 under 40 awards 2020 was held at the Kempinski Hotel, Accra, and 43 awards were given to 40 individuals for their contributions towards business development. Source: Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Royal London and rival financial services firm LV= are in talks about a 500m tie-up. The potential deal could see the pair combine their life insurance, pensions and asset management divisions. Tie-up talks: The potential deal could see the pair combine their life insurance, pensions and asset management divisions It would mean that LV=, better known as Liverpool Victoria, would end its 177-year run as an independent business. The two companies could form a 'mutuals champion' boasting some 10m UK customers, sources told Sky News. Royal London is Britain's largest mutual insurer. Private equity firm Bain Capital is seen as a potential rival bidder for LV=, which is thought to be worth between 500m and 1billion. (Photo : Gerald Schombs/Unsplash) Experts Warn About COVID-19 Vaccines May Require Killing of Around 500,000 Sharks (Photo : Change.org) Stop Using Sharks petition Wildlife experts warn about some COVID-19 vaccine candidates that use the natural oil called squalene, which may lead to the killing of around 500,000 sharks. California-based group Shark Allies explained that as squalene is harvested from the shark liver, this would mean thousands of these marine predators need to be killed to extract the natural oil. The liver shark oil is usually used as an adjuvant for medicines. It is also used in production of flu vaccine as it triggers stronger immune response, which boosts the effectiveness of the drug or the shot. Sharks are often obtained from small private fishing companies in the Philippines, Indonesia and other countries along the Pacific Ocean while squalene is processed in China. To get 1 ton of squalene, around 3,000 sharks are killed and these conservationists estimate that around 3 million of sharks are slaughtered every year as squalene is also used in machine oil and even in cosmetics. With the race to producing COVID-19 vaccines, some pharmaceutical companies use squalene in developing their candidate jabs. If any of these are approved, it would further increase the demand and pressure on the currently vulnerable shark populations, particularly the squalene-rich gulper shark. Out of the 162 vaccine candidates, according to the World Health Organisation, 40 are in clinical evaluation while 142 are in preclinical evaluation. Meanwhile, conservationist group Shark Allies said that 17 of these vaccines use adjuvants, and five of which are shark-squalene based adjuvants. The group also said that fishing operators would need to kill around 250,000 sharks to produce enough squalene to provide one vaccine dose for each person worldwide. But since some scientists believe it would require two doses to achieve herd immunization, so around 500,000 sharks would be slaughtered. Shark Allies founder and executive director Stefanie Brendl said that "harvesting something from a wild animal is never going to be sustainable," particularly as sharks do not reproduce in huge numbers. In a Facebook post, Brendl clarified that they are not trying to hinder or slow down the vaccine production. Instead, they are urging pharmaceutical companies to try using squalene that are not from animal to see if the liver shark oil can be replaced soon. Stop Using Sharks petition The California-based group has set up an online petition that seeks for alternative in vaccine production. Entitled "Stop Using Sharks in COVID-19 Vaccine - Use EXISTING Sustainable Options, the Change.or petition has already reached its goal of 10,000 signatures and has set a new target of 15,000. In the petition, Shark Allies says that while shark liver oil commonly used because it is cheap to create, there are 'better alternatives' to produce squalene. Thus, they urge regulatory agencies and pharmaceutical companies to find shark squalene replacements that are not extracted from animals. The group also urges them to develop and support the large-scale production of non-animal squalene as well as to include this new oil in testing for current and future products. A Silicon Valley-based company Amyris is among the producers of squalene derived from sugarcane. The company said in a statement that it can produce enough oil for one billion vaccines in one month or less, although its synthetic squalene has not yet received approval for vaccine use. Amyris Chief Executive John Melo said he is currently meeting with U.S. regulators to allow their squalene to be used as an adjuvant in vaccines to replace the shark-based squalene. Read also: Medical Experts vs. Russia's Sputnik V COVID-19 Vaccine-Human Trial Results Failure? This is owned by Tech Times Written by CJ Robles 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Tony Evans urges Christian voters on life issue: Don't ignore 'abortion' outside the womb Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Over a month ahead of election day, Pastor Tony Evans urged U.S. citizens to consider the value of life both inside and outside the womb before voting, warning that ignoring what God says about human dignity will result in chaos. "When you don't start with the image of God, then you make life what you call it to be, not what God has created it and stamped it to be," Evans, the longtime pastor of Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship in Texas, said on Sunday. "Till we see it through God's eyes, then we will not start in the right place. God views it as a personal insult when life is not given the value He gives ... to it because what you said is what God did is not worth protecting. So any discussion of life has to start there. Any discussion of life has to start with the divine mark. And the job of government, the Bible says, is to protect that life. When God is left out of government, life and its value gets downgraded, reduced, dishonored and attacked, he warned. So when you think about Kingdom voting, you must think about the question of life. Life, Evans explained, includes pre-born life and post-born life; abortion before birth, and abortion after birth. See the problem we get in with voting is that we choose a term insurance policy, not a whole life insurance policy, he said. We choose a pre-born insurance policy, and not a post-born insurance policy because we do not view all of life in terms of the image of God. And as a result, Christians take sides. Unless the sanctity of life at all stages is fully recognized, you will not have a biblical view on the role of government, Evans said. You'll just have a partisan view or a personal view. But you won't be dealing with life as God deals with it. The pastor, who also founded The Urban Alternative, went on to highlight the horrors of abortion, asking: Can you imagine if Mary had the option of abortion and decided to take it? We know that couldn't happen in the providence of God, but [under] some of the laws today, it would be OK to kill the Savior. He cited Galatians 1:15-16, which speaks to the reality of life in the womb, adding: So when the government talks about it, its OK to abort, its saying its OK to attack God. Ignoring what God says about life in the womb will result in chaos, Evans warned. When you attack life in the womb, you have come against Him. He doesn't like it. That's why He said in Genesis 9, You attack my life, I will attack you. You want the government to keep you safe? It better keep you safe by keeping God happy. It keeps you safe by keeping God happy by not ... legalizing death in the womb. In the U.S., 40% of voters see abortion as "very important" to their vote, according to a summer poll from Pew. Additionally, a spring poll from Gallup found that 30% of people who consider themselves "pro-life" say they would only vote for a candidate who shares that view compared to 19% of people who consider themselves "pro-choice." In his sermon Sunday, Evans emphasized that there also must be laws to protect the dignity of life outside the womb. Slavery, Jim Crow laws, racism, police brutality, mistreating the poor and homeless, and red-lining districts are all examples of reducing or removing dignity, he said. "When we allow the poor to have worse education than others because they don't have the same dollar bill, when we don't care about the health, well-being of people who do not have access to adequate healthcare, when we reduce their dignity we have attacked God. And when we reduce it by law or by practice then thats called post-life abortion because you are ... aborting either the length of their existence or the well-being of their existence so it just depends on which abortion you talking about. He contended that when Christians fail to reject and rebel against such policies, then we have become co-conspirators to oppressive regimes. Citing Psalm 89:14, Evans stressed that both "righteousness" and "justice" are the foundation of God's throne and that they can't be separated. "Don't just talk to me about moral laws, talk to me about it but don't put a period there. Talk to me also about the just application of the law without discrimination. Talk to me not only about what you're going to do with the poor but how you're going to handle the rich who are breaking my standard. But because they have money they can bypass it or eat their way out of it," he said. "No, there's two kind of abortions. There's abortion in the womb but there's abortion on your way to the tomb so that people don't get to live out their divinely ordained destiny. Yes, we should protest abortion in the womb. But that same number of people or more are to righteously and peacefully protest abortion outside of the womb. Life starts at conception and ends with death, but between the two should be dignity and protection." Because everyone has the stamp of God on them, they have divine value. It is time for Christians to adopt their whole life agenda and vote for government to protect a whole life agenda, he declared. And if your government party only is going to protect one side of it, then you hold them accountable and responsible to not ignore the other side of it. You do it in a righteous way because if you try to do it in an unrighteous way, God's not going to be with you there either. It is time for Kingdom voters, voters who take their stand as best they can, based on their conscience, to take a stand for life. Evans sermon was part of a series titled Kingdom Voting. Kingdom voting is the opportunity and responsibility of committed Christians to partner with God by expanding His rule in society through civil government, Evans previously explained. Its only to the degree that you include Gods person and Gods policies in society through civil government as He defines it, not as you prefer it that we can begin to see healing in the Church so that it can be modeled in the culture. In recent months, numerous pastors have weighed in on how Christians should operate amid a particularly contentious election season. Scott Sauls, bestselling author and senior pastor of Christ Presbyterian Church in Nashville, Tennessee, previously told The Christian Post that Christians must become more nuanced in our political engagement, become willing to critique the party that we align with, and also affirm the party that we don't align with. In some respects, we ought to feel politically homeless, he said. And that doesn't mean we all need to become moderates. But we all need to transcend the American political system just as Jesus transcended the political system that He was part of. When we give our whole selves to Jesus, it will become utterly impossible for us to give ourselves wholesale to a political party. Political heirs of prominent leaders are again in race for tickets in the forthcoming assembly elections in Bihar. While RJD chief Lalu Prasads son Tejashwi Prasad Yadav and Union minister Ram Vilas Paswans son Chirag Paswan have been given the baton to lead their respective parties, there are many others cutting across party lines eager to try their luck in the rough and tumble of politics. The growing ambition of senior leaders to pass on the baton to the next generation in the family is likely to make seat-sharing formula tougher given that the major alliances are still grappling with it even three days before the start of the nominations for the first stage of the election. In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections also, many political heirs had tried their luck, though all could not end up on the winning side. In the assembly election, the list is likely to get longer. The wards of some state chiefs of mainstream political parties are also in the race. Click here for full coverage of Bihar assembly election, There is speculation about Congress chief Madan Mohan Jha wanting his son Madhav Jha to contest this time from Benipur seat in Darbhanga to pass on the baton to the third generation. Madan Mohan Jha is the son of veteran Congress leader late Nagendra Jha. The Congress is already locked in a tough bargain for seats with the RJD this time. RJDs Bihar unit chief Jagdanand Singhs son Sudhakar Singh, too, is set to try his luck possibly from Ramgarh constituency. Sudhakar had contested on the BJP ticket in 2010 and lost. Jagdanand was then not happy with his sons decision. This time, he is set to contest on the RJD ticket. He also reportedly met RJD chief Lalu Prasad. JD-U state president Vashishta Narayan Singh is said to be also interested in his son Sonu Singh contesting, though it is not certain from where. Former Bihar CM late Daroga Prasad Rais son Chandrika Rai lost in the Lok Sabha election from Saran on the RJD ticket, but has now switched over to the JD-U. Though ticket distribution has not yet commenced, he is tipped to retain his Parsa assembly seat. He has won the Parsa seat four times. Union minister Aswhini Kumar Choubeys son Arjit Shashwat had lost from Bhagalpur in the 2015 Assembly election when the Grand Alliance (GA) had stopped the BJP, but he is again in contention. Former union minister and BJP leader Ram Kripal Yadav is said to be also keen on his son Abhimanyu getting a ticket this time. BJP MP from Sasaram Chhedi Paswan is also said to be interested in his son Ravishankar Paswan getting the opportunity from either Chenari or Mohania constituency. Chhedi Paswan had represented both seats in the past. He had tried for a ticket for his son in 2015, but when BJP denied it, Ravishankar fought on a Samajwadi Party ticket and lost. Chhedi Paswan hopes to be lucky this time and his son has been quite active in the party activities. There are quite a few other sitting and former MPs and MLAs, who want tickets for their wards, but it boils down to capabilities and commitment in the BJP. Being a ward is no guarantee of ticket in the BJP, but at the same time it is also not a handicap for those who have proved themselves, said a senior BJP leader, who did not want to be named. Congress Rajya Sabha MP Akhilesh Singhs son Akash Kumar Singh had made his electoral debut on a Rashtriya Lok Samata Party (RLSP) ticket from East Champaran Lok Sabha seat but lost. He is again interested in fielding him in the assembly election. Former Cong MLA Vijay Shankar Dubey wants his son Satyam, an engineer to contest from Raaghunathpur seat in Siwan. Vijay Shankar Dubey represented Raghunathpur twice in the past. Six-time Congress leader Late Ram Deo Rais son Shiv Prakash Garib Das is also trying for Bachhwara seat. Ram Deo Rai had won the seat in 2015. Congress leader Sadanand Singhs Subhanand is also tipped from Kahalgaon seat. Sadanand Singh has won the seat nine times and he wants to pass on the baton to his son. Former Bihar Congress chief Ashok Kumars son Atirek Kumar is also a contender from Rosera assembly seat. Ashok Kumar represented the seat six times. If Atirket gets the ticket, it will be third generation in politics and also in the Congress. Ashok Kumars father Baleshwar Ram was a former MP from Rosera. Former director of AN Sinha Institute of Social Studies DM Diwakar said that the trend was quite stark, as politics was now being more as a career than social service. Everyone wants to see their wards settled. Even one term is enough to ensure a life-long pension, while those who work hard to cash in on the opportunity have the prospect of going up the ladder. But this will only create heartburns for the committed workers, he added. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON ABOUT THE AUTHOR Arun Kumar Arun Kumar is Senior Assistant Editor with Hindustan Times. He has spent two-and-half decades covering Bihar, including politics, educational and social issues. ...view detail Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Dian Septiari (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Tue, September 29 2020 Indonesia has again sent a junior diplomat to defend its national interest to protect its easternmost provinces at the United Nations General Assembly, where the small island nation of Vanuatu renewed its call to investigate alleged human rights violations in Papua. In a pre-recorded statement at the General Assembly over the weekend, Vanuatus Prime Minister Bob Loughman said there was a selective approach in addressing human rights violations in the region, claiming that the people of West Papua continued to suffer from human rights abuses. Loughman said the leaders of the Pacific Islands Forum had made a call last year for the Indonesian government to allow the UN Office of the Human Rights Commissioner to visit Papua and West Papua provinces. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,000/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login Around 1,400 non-teaching staff members and employees of the University of Mumbai launched an indefinite strike on Monday demanding the implementation of the seventh pay commission. A pen-down protest, where employees refused to do any official work, was launched as part of a state-wide protest called by employees of all 14 non-agricultural universities of Maharashtra. The employees have demanded revision of their pay based on the recommendations of the seventh pay commission, five-day week, assured career progression plan as well as pension for all employees. The strike has been called by the Maharashtra State College Universities Employees Action Committeea collective of eight employees associations in the state. We have launched the pen-down strike that will continue till September 30. If our demands are not met by then, we will call for a complete strike, said an employee participating in the strike. The strike comes at a time when the university is conducting online examinations for its students amid the Covid-19 pandemic. A senior official of the university said that the strike has so far not affected the examination process. However, if the strike were to continue, some exam-related works may be impacted, said the official. While the recommendations by the seventh pay commission came into force in 2016, the state education department has not yet revised the pay scales of university staff so far. State education minister Uday Samant held a meeting with representatives of the committee. The state government will soon implement the recommendations of the seventh pay commission in non-agricultural colleges and universities. As soon as the Covid-19 situation improves, we will start the process of filling the vacant positions. The government is positive towards fulfilling the demands of the employees, said Samant. Despite the ministers assurances, the Maharashtra State College Universities Employees Action Committee has refused to call off the strike. The ministers assurances alone will not suffice. We will continue to protest until the government expedites the process, said a representative of the committee. The Boston Division of the FBI on Monday warned residents of foreign influence and disinformation campaigns that may include deep fakes in advance of the 2020 election. As the agency said it it monitoring threats from foreign countries, including Russia and China, leading up to the Nov. 3 election and offered tips for the public to avoid deception. Foreign adversaries are counting on you to blindly share their propaganda and lies, and we need you to help us protect your voices and ultimately your votes by making informed decisions about what you view, read, and share on social media, Special Agent Joseph R. Bonavolonta said in a statement. Thats why were issuing this guidance. We all have a role to play in protecting the sanctity of our elections from interference by criminals and other nefarious actors. The FBI advised citizens to seek out information from trustworthy sources and verify who produced the content. The origin of the content including the ideology and motivation of the source providing the information should be confirmed through multiple outlets, the FBI said. Be aware of your own assumptions and biases, and how a foreign adversary may choose to manipulate them, the FBI said. Foreign adversaries seek to deepen divisions in the United States, and they may be counting on you to forward information you dont know to be accurate. Specifically, the FBI pointed to social media as a forum for misinformation spread by foreign adversaries. Even video that appears real may be edited, the FBI warned. The FBI said groups purposely spread misinformation to confuse and divide the country. The agency said the campaigns spread beyond written stories or photos and highlighted deep fakes," which use artificial intelligence to generate audio and video of a subject saying or doing something. The deep fakes" appear real but are computer generated images. 'Deep fakes' may be able to elicit a range of responses which can compromise election security, the FBI said. The FBI has been working with the private sector to get ahead of this issue. The agency emphasized that the public rely information from state and local government election officials. Any election day information, including ballot, polling location, or other general information, the FBI said, should be sourced specifically through official government websites. Any suspicious activity on social media can be reported to the FBI at 857-386-2000 or by email at tips.fbi.gov, the agency said. Foreign adversaries, including Russia and China, and foreign-aligned groups try to illegally influence American political processes, the FBI said. Malign foreign influence operations are designed to undermine confidence in our democratic institutions. Related Content: The Director-General of Voice of Nigeria (VON), Mr Osita Okechukwu, says that the All Progressives Congress (APC) will most likely zone the presidential position of the party to the South-East zone in 2023. Okechukwu disclosed this at the APC expanded caucus meeting at the party's secretariat in Enugu, ahead of the Isi-Uzo State Constituency bye-election fixed for Oct. 31. He noted that the zoning of the presidential position was to enshrine equity, justice and good conscience which the party was known for. The VON D-G noted that an Igbo President would bring his entrepreneurial spirit to transform the country's economy. Okechukwu, however, commended the state's party chairman for his efforts in uniting the party and bringing back aggrieved members like the pioneer chairman, Chief Adolphus Ude and pioneer women leader, Mrs Queen Nwankwo, amongst others. He said that APC had only one executive committee in the state led by Dr Ben Nwoye and enjoined members to work to consolidate the new found peace and unity. "At home I want you to embrace the agricultural project of the Federal Government as part of President Muhammadu Buhari's agro-revolution. "The Federal Government will provide the necessary incentives like seedlings, fertiliser, tractors as well as agro-processing centres," he said. Addressing the meeting, the State Chairman of the party, Nwoye said that for the first time the party was poised to produce the state constituency member from Isi-Uzo Local Government Area. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Nigeria Governance By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. He called on all party Faithful and stakeholders to use the upcoming bye-election to demonstrate their support for the party. "People hoping to grab political position in 2023 are dreamers. We have to first take over Isi-Uzo LGA as a demonstration of our readiness to take over Enugu state in 2023. So every hand must be on deck to achieve this. "There is a difference between political associations and political party. Political associations are noise makers, but political party are those who participate and support candidates in elections," he said. The Immediate former National Vice Chairman of APC South East, Chief Emma Eneukwu, expressed happiness for the peace initiatives of Nwoye, which he said saw to the reconciliation of aggrieved party members. Eneukwu also urged for unity of purpose to make the party win the upcoming state constituency bye-election and other elections in 2023. Highlights of the meeting was a vote of confidence passed on the state chairman, Nwoye, and members of the state working committee, as well as resolves to participate effectively in the bye-election for Isi-Uzo. The meeting was attended by party leaders in all the 260 wards of the state. [APC] Vanguard News Nigeria. Just a third of parents believe that having their child get the flu vaccine is more important this year than previous years. Credit: C.S. Mott Children's Hospital National Poll on Children's Health at Michigan Medicine. The pandemic doesn't seem to be changing parents' minds about the importance of the flu vaccine. It could be a double whammy flu season this year as the nation already faces a viral deadly disease with nearly twin symptoms. And while public health experts have emphasized the importance of people of all ages receiving seasonal flu vaccines during the COVID-19 pandemic, many parents may not be getting that message. Just a third of parents believe that having their child get the flu vaccine is more important this year, a national poll suggests. And as schools reopen for the first time since the novel coronavirus outbreak, one in three parents don't plan to vaccinate children against the flu, according to the C.S. Mott Children's Hospital National Poll on Children's Health at Michigan Medicine. "We may see peaks of flu and COVID-19 at the same time, which could overwhelm the health care system, strain testing capacity and potentially reduce our ability to catch and treat both respiratory illnesses effectively," says Mott Poll co-director Sarah Clark. "Our report finds that even during the pandemic, some parents don't see the flu vaccine as more urgent or necessary. This heightens concerns about how the onset of flu season may compound challenges in managing COVID-19." Influenza has led to between 9 to 45 million illnesses, 140,000 to 810,000 hospitalizations and 12,000 to 61,000 deaths a year since 2010, according to estimates by the Centers for Disease Control. Children younger than five, and especially those younger than two, are at high risk of developing serious flu-related complications. The CDC reported 188 pediatric flu deaths during the 2019-2020 flu season. The nationally representative Mott Poll report includes 1,992 responses from parents of children age 2-18 years who were surveyed in August. Families who were least likely to get children vaccinated against the flu were those who didn't do so last yearless than a third of those parents say their child will probably get a flu vaccine this year. In contrast, among parents who said their child got flu vaccine last year, nearly all (96%) intend to have their child get flu vaccine this year. "A key challenge for public health officials is how to reach parents who do not routinely seek seasonal flu vaccination for their child," Clark says. "When getting a yearly flu vaccine is not a pattern, parents need to be prompted to think about why it's essential for their child to get vaccinated." And according to the Mott Poll report, families whose provider strongly recommends vaccination are more likely to get children vaccinated against the flu. Still, less than half of parents say their child's regular health care provider strongly recommends that their child get the flu vaccine this year. Clark notes that this may be due to the impact of COVID on the health care delivery system, as many child health providers have limited the number of patients seen for in-person visits, with increased use of telehealth visits. This may reduce opportunities for providers to give a strong recommendation about flu vaccination for children and to answer parents' questions about flu vaccine safety and effectiveness. Given the decrease in in-person visits, child health providers should look for other strategies, such as reminder postcards or website banners to emphasize the importance of children getting the flu vaccine during this pandemic year, Clark says. Among the 32% of parents who say their child is unlikely to get a flu vaccine this year, the most common reasons include concerns about side effects or beliefs that it isn't necessary or effective. But experts say these notions are often based in misconceptions about the flu vaccine, which still offers the best protection against both contracting the virus and also developing severe influenza-related illness. "There is a lot of misinformation about the flu vaccine, but it is the best defense for children against serious health consequences of influenza and the risk of spreading it to others," Clark says. Fourteen percent of parents said they will not seek the flu vaccine because they are keeping children away from health care sites due to the risk of COVID exposure, according to the Mott Poll. "Most child health providers have made changes to their office environment to keep children safe during office visits and vaccinations," says Clark. "Parents who are concerned about COVID exposure should contact their child's provider to learn about what types of precautions have been put in place." Nine percent of parents also say their child is afraid of needles or does not want to the get flu vaccine, which prevents them from scheduling an immunization. Mott teams recommend several strategies, including using books and comfort positions to help alleviate fears and anxiety among young children. Parental intention regarding flu vaccine this year is also slightly lower for parents of teens compared to younger children (73% for children ages 2-4, 70% for ages 5-12 and 65% for ages 13-18.) Teens sometimes receive the flu vaccine outside of their usual health care provider office. Some of those options may be limited by COVID, Clark notes, including schools, health fairs, and walk-in clinics at a local health department. However, many retail pharmacies are also expanding their flu vaccine services to children during the pandemic. Reports from the state health department and CDC indicate that during the pandemic, the overall rates of childhood vaccinations dropped significantly in states like Michigan. Children appeared to be falling behind on vaccinations for diseases like measles and pertussis (whooping cough), magnifying public health concerns about kids potentially catching vaccine-preventable diseases. Experts say the flu vaccine will help limit the stress on health care systems during the pandemic by reducing the number of influenza-related hospitalizations and doctor visits, and decreasing the need for diagnostic tests to distinguish flu from COVID, which has similar symptoms. "Children should get the flu vaccine not only to protect themselves but to prevent the spread of influenza to family members and those who are at higher risk of serious complications," Clark says. Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Monday advised party-ruled states to explore the possibilities to pass legislations under Article 254(2) to negate the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led central governments anti-agricultural laws and prevent the grave injustice being done to farmers. The opposition party is citing the BJP governments move in 2015 when it asked party-ruled states to bring their own laws to override the land acquisition act of 2013 passed during the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) tenure for boosting infrastructure development. Congress president has advised Congress ruled states to explore the possibilities to pass laws in their respective states under Article 254(2) of the Constitution which allows the state legislatures to pass a law to negate the anti-agriculture central laws encroaching upon states jurisdiction under the Constitution, Congress general secretary in-charge of organisation KC Venugopal said in a statement. This would enable the states to bypass the unacceptable anti-farmers provisions in the three draconian Agricultural laws including the abolition of MSP and disruption of APMCs in Congress-ruled states, he added. The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government pushed three bills to deregulate agricultural trade, which were passed controversially by Parliament, overriding demands by the Opposition for greater scrutiny and voting. Big farmers groups, particularly in Punjab and Haryana, are protesting the bills, fearing deregulation will leave them vulnerable to powerful corporate agribusinesses and in an even weaker negotiating position than before. The reforms have cost the BJP one of its oldest allies, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), which has quit the ruling alliance. The Farmers Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020, The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance, Farm Services Bill, 2020 and The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill 2020 seek to liberalise farm trade, enable modern supply chains, allow agribusinesses and farmers to enter into contracts, break interlocked markets and create a seamless commodities trade, currently fragmented. The Farming Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020 allows barrier-free inter-state and intra-state trade of primary agricultural commodities, bypassing notified markets under the agricultural produce market committees. The bill will enable food traders to buy farmers produce from any market, rather than bind them to the specific markets where they are licensed to operate. Just a matter of time for 9 day encounter in Rajouri-Poonch jungles to end Guided by ex-Pak army officials, operating in buddy pairs: Why the Poonch encounter has dragged so much Tire, track eliminate: Why has the Poonch encounter dragged on for so long Civilian injured at encounter site passes away India oi-Vicky Nanjappa Srinagar, Sep 28: A civilian, who was injured in an explosion at an encounter site in Anantnag district of Jammu and Kashmir last week, succumbed to injuries on Monday, police said. Yaseen Rather and three others sustained injuries when a shell exploded in the debris of a house at Sirhama on Thursday where two militants were killed in an encounter with security forces, a police official said. 3 terrorists gunned down in encounter with security forces Amrinder Singh joins farmers' protest, says 'Pakistan's ISI may take advantage' | Oneindia News Rather succumbed to injuries at SMHS hospital here, the official said. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, September 28, 2020, 12:03 [IST] Myanmar & COVID-19 Myanmar Govt Vows to Build Back Better With Latest COVID-19 Recovery Plans A road in downtown Yangon is empty of traffic following the governments imposition of more comprehensive stay-at-home orders to curb the spread of COVID-19. / Htet Wai / The Irrawaddy YANGONThe Myanmar government is drawing up a medium- to long-term economic recovery and reform program that aims to maintain economic reforms introduced by the National League for Democracy (NLD), amid a significant slowing of economic growth due to the COVID-19 outbreak. On Sunday, U Thaung Tun, Union minister for investment and foreign economic relations (MIFER), wrote an article published in state media titled COVID-19 CRISIS: We will recover and build back better. In the article, he explains to the public the governments latest measures and response plans to cushion the economic impact of the global pandemic. U Thaung Tun, who is also chairman of a working committee to address the impact of COVID-19 on the economy, said the Myanmar government is well underway drafting a new, comprehensive and inclusive medium- to longer-term Myanmar Economic Recovery and Reform Program (MERRP) with which to sustain an economic reform journey begun just four years ago. The Union minister said the MERRP would be implemented with environmental sustainability as part of a truly sustainable economic recovery. As such, we seek to capitalize upon Myanmars potential for green investment in sectors such as energy and infrastructure, taking full advantage of this opportunity to build back better, he wrote in the article. In April, the government launched its COVID-19 Economic Relief Plan (CERP), which seeks to ease the economic impact of COVID-19 in the short term. The plan focuses on improving the microeconomic environment through monetary stimulus; easing the impact on the private sector through improvements to the investment, trade and banking sectors; assisting laborers, workers and households; promoting innovative products and platforms; strengthening the health-care system; and increasing access to COVID-19 response financing, including contingency funds. With six months having passed since its launch, we are now conducting a stocktaking exercise to account for what we have achieved, what is left to be done, and what must come next, U Thaung Tun said. Working with the Development Assistance Coordination Unit, we have mobilized hundreds of millions of dollars more in grants and concessional loans to finance our immediate relief and longer-term recovery efforts, he said. According to the MIFER, the government spent almost 2 trillion kyats (US$1.52 billion) to address the social, health and economic impacts of COVID-19 including disbursement of 200 billion kyats for the manufacturing, hospitality, tourism, and services sectors, 600 billion kyats for farmers, 100 billion kyats for the microfinance sector, 200 billion kyats for micro, small and medium-scale enterprises (MSMEs) and 100 billion kyats for small tea shops and street stalls to ensure their survival. It is clear that we have challenges to meet, but in light of our COVID-19 Economic Relief and Recovery Plan, we can expect to weather the storm and build back better, U Thaung Tun said. Since taking office in 2016, the NLD government has implemented several economic reforms, including amending new investment laws and introducing a Myanmar Companies Law to boost confidence among foreign investors; creating the MIFER; and drawing up the Myanmar Sustainable Development Plan (MSDP), a road map to promote equal development across social and economic sectors. It also set up an online registration system for local and foreign companies, to remove red tape. Moreover, it introduced the Myanmar Investment Promotion Plan (MIPP), which aims to attract more than $200 billion in investment from responsible businesses over the next 20 years. Additionally, the Project Bank has been set up as a centralized and publicly accessible database to enable the government to coordinate with ministries and departments and prioritize proposals that are in line with the MSDP. However, the reforms were derailed by the Rohingya crisis, following which foreign direct investment (FDI) in Myanmar declined significantly. Since March, Myanmars tourism and hospitality industry, garment manufacturing sector and the millions who depend on MSMEs have been hit the hardest by COVID-19, though the government has yet to announce the official number of affected business. Myanmars GDP growth has fallen to 1.8 percent in the current fiscal year due to the effect of the coronavirus. According to the Asian Development Bank, Myanmar GDP grew by 6.7 percent last year. However, it said growth would bounce back to 6 percent next yeara recovery equally as dramatic as the initial shock. Recently, the government investment agency, the Directorate of Investment and Company Administration (DICA), announced that Myanmar had received over $5 billion in FDI during the first 11 months of the current fiscal year. Last fiscal year (FY2018-19), Myanmar received $4.1 billion worth of FDI. U Thaung Tun said several new proposals for major projects in the power, manufacturing and real estate sectors were now under active consideration by the Myanmar Investment Commission, stressing that, the prospects look bright. This has been no easy feat. He said that ensuring the continued flow of appropriate and responsible investment into Myanmar would play an essential role in supporting a more resilient and sustainable economic recovery. In July, the government granted Japans Marubeni, Sumitomo Corp. and Mitsui & Co. a notice to proceed with the construction of a 1,250-MW gas-fired thermal power plant in Thilawa as a low-emission alternative to coal. Moreover, it also launched a fast-track international competitive bidding process for 30 solar power projects. According to the MIFER, the government received a total of 155 bids with an average winning price of $0.0422 per unit. In the article, U Thaung Tun also explained the governments decision to hire the consulting firm Roland Berger to oversee the tender process of the China-backed New Yangon City project. I am convinced that this course of action will result in a fairer, more competitive and better-quality project overall, providing a model for future such projects, U Thaung Tun said. He assured people that environmental sustainability would be a key feature of the project, with construction involving flood-resilient design, and the use of natural and manmade parks, canals, and other waterways, while at the same time conserving important wetland and biodiversity areas. You may also like these stories: Myanmar Reports Its Seventh COVID-19 Death; First in Over Four Months Myanmars COVID-19 Cases Exceed 1,000 Myanmars Suu Kyi Warns of Jail Terms for COVID-19 Rule Breakers THRIVE360 Academy is an ideal step toward investing in HR development and is a practical and impactful program designed to help HR professionals excel in todays changing world. McLean & Company, a leading human resources (HR) research and advisory services firm and a division of Info-Tech Research Group, has launched its THRIVE360 Academy, which is available to all HR professionals globally wanting to achieve strategic depth and gain a competitive edge. This all-encompassing world-class learning program is built on McLean & Companys extensive HR and leadership research and grounded in SHRMs (Society for Human Resource Management) organizational capability model. 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I dont mean the political and social tensions that woke activism creates. The problem is, rather, the contradiction between the woke mandate of diversity and the universitys dedication to excellence. The two dont mix, and as the one goes up, the other must go down. Is there any institution in American society as caught up in competition, prestige, and status as is the selective college? Is any ranking more noticed than the U.S. News & World Report list of schools? People lump Yale, Harvard, Amherst, Berkeley, Duke, and the rest of the elite institutions together as if they were a united bloc, but the truth is that the rivalries are intense, and mutual scrutiny is nonstop. Princetons admissions office watches what Columbias does; Emory watches Vanderbilt. Each looks for a competitive advantage, and if one schools applicant pool goes up or down significantly, others take notice. Excellence is each ones claim. Its everywhere in the marketing materials. This is an academic ladder, and intellectual quality is the first criterion. Yale accepts only 6 percent of applicants because it believes only the very best belong there. Johns Hopkinss school of public health gets so many research dollars because its faculty is No. 1. When the University of Chicago issued its faculty statement in support of Black Lives Matter recently, it appeared below a department description that included an assertion that the department is ranked first among English departments in the U.S. The woke mandate doesnt reinforce the goal of excellence, though. Oh, we hear all the time that diversity is our strength, but nobody really believes that, especially not the astute high-level insiders who intone it so solemnly. What woke demands do, instead, is undermine the policies and practices that sustain excellence. Undermining Excellence One of the longtime pillars of the U.S. News assessment of schools is the average test scores of entering students. A higher SAT score means a more skilled and talented student body, the reasoning goes, producing a stronger academic climate in the dorms and libraries and dining halls, thus encouraging better outcomes for all. But the SAT doesnt help with diversity. Asians score well, but theyre already overrepresented on campus. African American and Hispanic/Latino students dont score so well, which makes it harder for selective schools to admit them and fix their underrepresentation at those schools. Hence, the test must be dropped, as the Regents of the University of California system unanimously ruled in May: no SAT or ACT required for admission. Heres another case of diversity trumping excellence. For many years, the University of Oklahoma has included in its general education requirements an advanced class, the Senior Capstone Experience, which has students complete a substantive project for their major. Its a nice summary achievement that makes the students put their knowledge and skills to work. But no longer. In early September, a vice provost sent an email to professors stating that the capstone course was no longer a general education requirement. The action follows another change in the requirements that the OU Regents approved in July. That change wasnt a removal; it was an addition: a diversity/inclusion course that all students have to take. In other words, the most rigorous undergraduate activity in the curriculum is no longer necessary, but a full class in what is sure to be an ideological exercise in social dogma is. Several heads of departments protested the loss of capstone (while signaling, of course, their approval of the diversity plan), but the administration is pressing ahead. Its more important that they appear woke than academic. Its happening everywhere. The University of Chicagos English Department has dropped the GRE from the materials it asks applicants to add to the packet (for the same reasons that the SAT and ACT are disappearing). In The Wall Street Journal, Heather Mac Donald has listed the millions of dollars given to science labs that hire women and under-represented minorities. She notes that such awards typically dont mention relevant scientific qualifications. And then there are the cases in which a scholar has written an article that runs against politically correct dogmas and is published in a respected quarterly after going through standard peer review, only to have an outcry follow, leading the journal to retract the article. The journal didnt let the article stand, welcome rebuttal, and invite the author of the original piece to defend himself, as has traditionally happened. No, the journal simply scrubbed the articlean insult to academic excellence, but obedience to woke ideology. Impossible Contradiction Where is this going? As far as progressives can take it. Woke Revolutionaries know that higher education is the main gatekeeper to the elite. If the hurdles and evaluations and exclusions of the selective university arent displaced by diversity commands, professional spheres in American society will remain an area of under-representation. If a few standards have to be lowered, well, thats a small price to pay for social justice. It does, however, cloud the primary claim of the top schools in the United States. They cant keep highlighting excellence, because excellence means exclusion, testing and grading, and discrimination. Different groups will be differently impacted, but the more excellent a school strives to be, the more selective it must be. Inclusion doesnt jibe. Diversity doesnt either. Men and women on average score roughly the same on math assessments, but the male bell curve is wider and flatter. You have more males than females at the low end and at the high end. A math department at a Tier 1 institution hires only the very best mathematicians, which, you can see, will come mostly from the male ranks. A department that aims for proportionate representation, 50 percent female professors to match the overall population, must lower the bar of qualification. Of course, a math department shouldnt approach a job search in the complacent expectation that it will yield a male. It may be best for a department actively to hope to hire more women and more underrepresented minorities. But once the process begins, everyone has to be taken as an individual, not a group representative. If a male and a female candidate come up more or less even in the screening of job applicants, then hire the woman. But when we step back from the process, we know that most of the top candidates every year are men. Theres no way around this except to eliminate the evidence of unequal talents. But that means eliminating the very evidence of excellence, too. Its a bind, and college leaders havent found a way out of it. They will continue to trumpet the ideals of both, diversity and excellence, as if the two are thriving on their respective campuses like nowhere else, but the contradiction is getting impossible to conceal. They cant stop doing so, though; the woke influence on campus compels it. The result is that college presidents, provosts, and deans will sound more and more like salesmen and less like academics. Colleges already have a credibility problem, coupled with widespread anger over the sticker price. This is only going to make it worse. Mark Bauerlein is an emeritus professor of English at Emory University. His work has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, The Weekly Standard, The Washington Post, the TLS, and the Chronicle of Higher Education. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 28) The Philippines COVID-19 cases rose by 3,073 on Monday, following six straight days of logging under 3,000 new infections. This raised the national case tally to 307,288, the Department of Health said in its latest report. Of this number, 49,242 are active cases or currently ill patients. Recording the highest increase in cases nationwide is Metro Manila, which reported 1,158 more infected residents. Cavite came next with 225, followed by Laguna with 203, Rizal with 173, and Batangas with 169. The DOH also confirmed another 163 COVID-19 survivors, pushing the recovery count to 252,665. Just a day before, the department announced nearly 20,000 new recoveries, of which 96 percent are time-based, where patients were cleared of the infection after spending a certain amount of time in quarantine and upon the loss of symptoms. This also means a confirmatory RT-PCR testing was no longer required to tag the patients as recovered. COVID-19 deaths in the country, meanwhile, reached 5,381, with 37 new fatalities. Twenty-six of these newly reported deaths occurred in September, while the other 11 happened in April to August. The DOH noted that 11 duplicates were removed from the total case count as part of its constant data cleaning process. Moreover, two cases previously reported as recoveries were retagged as deaths after final validation. President Rodrigo Duterte will address the nation on Monday night and will likely announce the latest community quarantine classifications nationwide, according to his spokesman Harry Roque. Mayors in Metro Manila, the countrys COVID-19 outbreak epicenter, unanimously recommend retaining the general community quarantine status in the region until Oct. 31, citing the need to sustain the recorded downward trend in infections. The region has been under GCQ since June 1, excluding the two-week return to a stricter modified enhanced community quarantine in the first half of August. Among Filipinos abroad, the Department of Foreign Affairs reported a spike in new confirmed cases with 29 more infected. It also listed 22 new recoveries and another death. So far, the department has tallied a total of 10,467 overseas Filipinos who have caught COVID-19, including 6,676 who have already recovered and 792 who have succumbed to the illness. Worldwide, the COVID-19 death toll is approaching one million, while the global case tally has climbed past 33 million, based on data from the US-based Johns Hopkins University. Advertisement Louisville was virtually deserted Sunday evening amid curfews to control protests after a grand jury declined to charge officers in the fatal shooting of Breonna Taylor. Mayor Greg Fischer had urged people to begin heading home about an hour before the curfew was set to begin at 9pm as the protesters continued to gather. Taylor, 26, was shot multiple times March 13 after her boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, fired at officers who had entered her home during a narcotics raid, authorities said. Sgt Jonathan Mattingly, Detective Myles Cosgrove and Officer Brett Hankison burst down the door to Taylor's home during a 'no knock' search warrant. Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron said Wednesday there was no evidence to support that Mattingly, who was shot, was hit by friendly fire from other officers. But the ballistics report seems to contradicts that finding, Vice reports. It states the 9mm bullet that hit Mattingly was neither 'identified nor eliminated as having been fired' from Walker's gun 'due to limited markings of comparative value'. Walker's attorney Steve Romines said records show Hankison, the only officer facing charges for wanton endangerment, had also been issued with a weapon matching fellow officer's gunshot wound, The Courier Journal reports. Louisville was virtually deserted Sunday evening amid curfews to control protests after a grand jury declined to charge officers in the fatal shooting of Breonna Taylor Streets in downtown were empty aside from a few cyclists after cops put restrictions in place A CVS pharmacy opposite a hotel was boarded up after four nights of unrest over the death of Breonna Taylor Protesters gather outside a local bar in defiance of a city-wide curfew on Sunday in Louisville, Kentucky. The mandatory 9:00pm to 6:30am curfew followed Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron's announcement of charges against an officer involved in the death of Breonna Taylor Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer urged people to begin heading home about an hour before the curfew was set to begin at 9 pm A crowd had earlier marched in Louisville's streets chanting 'Breonna Taylor, say her name' on Sunday. The Kentucky city that has seen more than 120 days of demonstrations over the death of the 26-year-old black woman in a police raid gone wrong. Earlier in the day, people were gathered at Jefferson Square Park, which has come to be called 'Breonna's park' by demonstrators, as speakers condemned the grand jury's decision, The Courier Journal reported. As a crowd gathered outside the First Unitarian Church late Saturday, fires were set in a street nearby after 11 p.m. Police said fireworks burned a car, and windows had been broken at Spalding University and Presentation Academy buildings close by. Some demonstrators were seen with makeshift shields made of plywood. Others took shelter inside the church, which closed its doors around midnight. As of the 2:20 a.m. tweet, 28 people had been arrested, the police department said. Later, police corrected the number of people arrested to 25. A previous protest on Friday night was peaceful though police arrested 22 people for curfew violations. A police spokesman said some also were charged with failure to disperse. There was also little traffic on the Louisville streets amid a heavy police presence Breonna Taylor, 26, left, was shot multiple times March 13 after her boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, fired at officers who had entered her home during a narcotics raid, authorities said. Sgt Jonathan Mattingly, Detective Myles Cosgrove and Officer Brett Hankison, right, burst down the door to Taylor's home during a 'no knock' search warrant The Kentucky city that has seen more than 120 days of demonstrations over the death of the 26-year-old black woman in a police raid gone wrong It comes amid reports the police officer facing wanton endangerment charges over Taylor's death was 'visibly shaking after the shooting'. Former police chief Steve Conrad, who was also fired over the botched raid, said Det. Brett Hankison immediately feared losing his job in the wake of the incident. Conrad said he met Hankison at the hospital shortly after the shooting. In an interview five days after the raid he said: 'You know, not kinda not scared not scared but that that kind of nervous sort of energy that you have after after something traumatic, you know, happens.' He said he reassured Hankison, who was worried about losing his job, 'we'll work through this'. Conrad said seeing Hankison at the hospital was 'so contrary from what I've seen in previous officer-involved shootings', adding: 'My experience is they are brought to the Public Integrity by, you know, members of of this unit.' Taylor's boyfriend Walker said he didn't know who was coming in and fired in self-defense He said he was initially told that 'the woman was in fact the shooter', Fox News reports. Taylor's boyfriend Walker said he didn't know who was coming in and fired in self-defense. On Wednesday, Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron announced a grand jury indicted Hankison on wanton endangerment charges, saying he fired gunshots into a neighboring home during the raid that didn't strike anyone. Hankison has been fired. Sgt Mattingly and Detective Myles Cosgrove were not charged. Cameron said the other officers were not charged with Taylor's killing because they acted to protect themselves. Taylor's mother, Tamika Palmer, visited a downtown park on Friday with family and her lawyers, and called on Kentucky officials to release all body camera footage, police files and the transcripts of the grand jury proceedings. Palmer said in a statement read by a family member that she felt the criminal justice system had failed her. Palmer marched at the head of Friday's protest march. Footage - obtained by Vice magazine on Saturday - shows inside Taylor's Louisville apartment after she was fatally shot. According to Vice, the Louisville Metropolitan Police Department has 'insisted' that no bodycam footage exists of the actual raid itself. However, they were able to obtain vision recorded by other officers and SWAT team members who responded to the shooting. Louisville Metro Police issue a warning to protesters gathering at a local bar in defiance of a city-wide curfew on Sunday Earlier in the day, people were gathered at Jefferson Square Park, which has come to be called 'Breonna's park' by demonstrators, as speakers condemned the grand jury's decision, The Courier Journal reported Heavily-armed officers were out in force earlier on Sunday as the city braced for another night of protests Police cordons surrounded boarded-up restaurants and bars as authorities imposed the strict curfew A downtown Louisville hotel has its doors closed as the curfew is enforced The publication shared two short clips, with the first showing an officer threatening to release a barking narcotics dog on Walker as he stands outside the apartment complex. The footage then shows Officer Hankison and another policeman placing Walker in handcuffs. Walker was charged for attempted murder after striking Mattingly in the leg. The charge was later dropped. Meanwhile, a second video - recorded on the same night - shows Hankison inside Taylor's apartment after the shooting took place. Vice claims that is a violation of police investigation procedure. In the clip, Hankison can be heard asking a SWAT team member about shell casings seen on the ground. The SWAT officer sounds uncomfortable and orders Hankison to leave the scene. 'I'd back out until they get PIU in here,' he states, referring to the Public Integrity Unit, which is responsible for investigating officer-involved shootings. Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Monday said his government would approach the Supreme Court over the issue of new farm laws. He also slammed the BJP-led central government, accusing it of snatching the rights of states. "Will it (Centre) leave anything with them to run their states," Singh asked. Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, along with AICC general secretary and Punjab Affairs in-charge Harish Rawat, Punjab Congress chief Sunil Jakhar along with other leaders on Monday paid tributes to Shaheed Bhagat Singh at Khatkar Kalan village. Amarinder Singh, Rawat and others held a sit-in protest here against the new farms laws. Addressing the gathering, the CM slammed the Centre for bringing the farm laws, saying they would "destroy" the farming community. "I have said we will take this matter forward. The president has passed these bills and now we will take this matter to the Supreme Court," Singh said. Stating that his government would take every possible step to protect the interest of the farming community, he said, Two advocates from Delhi are coming here tomorrow and we will discuss this matter with them. President Ram Nath Kovind on Sunday gave assent to three contentious farm bills that have triggered protests by farmers, especially in Punjab. According to a gazette notification, the president gave assent to three bills -- the Farmers'' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020, the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020, and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill, 2020. Defending farmers for holding protests over the farm laws, the CM said they had the right to do so as you are taking away their livelihood. He accused the central government of snatching the rights of states. "Now you have taken away (right over) the farm sector. Which thing will you leave with states? Will you leave it or not? You have taken away everything (from states). How will we run our states?" he added. Here are todays top news, analysis and opinion. Know all about the latest news and other news updates from Hindustan Times. First Covid-19 vaccine to be available in India by early 2021, says health ministry As the world races to develop a potential vaccine against coronavirus (Covid-19), the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Monday said that the first vaccine in India will most likely be available by early 2021. The health ministry said the research to develop a Covid-19 vaccine is being done expeditiously. Read more In Karnataka, bandh against farm bills evokes mixed response; protesting farmers detained The Karnataka Bandh on Monday called by a clutch of farmers, labour, Left, pro-Kannada and Dalit organizations spearheaded by the Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha and supported by the main opposition party Congress as well as others like SDPI evoked mixed response in the state. Read more Navjot Singh Sidhu is an asset for Congress, says partys Punjab affairs in-charge Harish Rawat Punjab Congress legislator and former minister Navjot Singh Sidhu was conspicuous by his absence at the dharna led by chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh at Khatkar Kalan against the Centres farm laws on Monday but the party still considers him an asset. Read more Mike Pompeo pledges US support to ease Greece-Turkey dispute US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Monday the United States will use its diplomatic and military influence in the region to try to ease a volatile dispute between NATO allies Greece and Turkey over energy rights in the eastern Mediterranean. Read more IPL 2020, RCB vs MI: Rohit Sharma 10 runs away from joining Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina in 5000 club Mumbai Indians captain Rohit Sharma is on the cusp of joining Royal Challengers Bangalore captain Virat Kohli and veteran Chennai Super Kings batsman Suresh Raina in the list of players with 5000 or more runs in the Indian Premier League. Read more Mercedes EQC to launch in India on October 8 as EV enters luxury space Mercedes-Benz on Monday announced EQC, its first-ever all-electric vehicle, will be officially launched in the Indian market on October 8. This will mark the entry of EVs into the luxury car segment with Mercedes looking at seizing the first movers advantage with the EQC. Read more Kerala bride misses her wedding, patients at Covid care home make it memorable with special celebration A Covid-19 care home in Kochi witnessed an unusual wedding celebration on Thursday and a video of the ceremony has gone viral on social media. A day before her wedding, 19-year-old P Faziya tested positive and was shifted to a Covid care centre in Mattancherry. Upset, she was confined to a room at the centre. Read more Milind Soman balancing his body weight in a complex but simple enough manner is flexibility goals At 54, Indian model and actor Milind Soman is giving all the fitness professionals a run for their money and his social media has enough pictures and videos of his intense workout sessions to back our claim. Making fans jaws drop in awe with his latest video, Milind raised the bar of flexibility goals as he moved his body weight in a complex position but effortlessly. Read more Watch| NCB forced me to implicate Karan Johar: Arrested producer Kshitij Prasad Press Release 28 September 2020 For the opening this fall of its new campus, Ecole Ducasse, the network of schools of the eponymous chef dedicated to the field of Culinary Arts and Pastry, chooses Jacques Maximin as Culinary Advisor and Chef in Residence, and appoints Thomas Guichard and Guillaume Katola respectively Head of Training and Production and Head of Restaurants. These recognized professionals have complementary backgrounds and experiences that will strengthen the Ecole Ducasse - Paris Campus team. The arrival of Jacques Maximin and these new talents marks the desire to carry high the ambitions of the new Campus Ecole Ducasse: to become the reference destination for training in the culinary and pastry arts. Advertisements Michelin star on numerous occasions, Meilleur Ouvrier de France Cuisinier 1979, Chevalier de l'Ordre National du Merite and Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres, and author of many successful books, Jacques Maximin joined Ecole Ducasse as Culinary Advisor and Chef in residence. In his capacity as culinary advisor, the renowned chef, sharing the values of Alain Ducasse, will both breathe his culinary vision into the institution and inspire restaurant menus. Jacques Maximin will also be involved in all training programs (post-baccalaureate programs, programs for people wishing to reorient themselves professionally, programs intended for gastronomic professionals). Masterclass and thematic dinners will allow this emeritus expert recognized worldwide to share his knowledge, his experience, his knowledge and his sense of excellence with students on a daily basis while pushing the limits of this demanding discipline which he masters to perfection. A multifaceted mission of Chef-in-Residence tailored for this creative genius who will thus be able to surprise and inspire the different audiences of Paris Campus every day. Jacques Maximin began his cooking career in 1962 as an apprentice at Le Touquet at the "Chalut" then moved to Monaco in 1965 as part of the "La Chaumiere" teams. Thanks to a unique know-how, creativity and vision, he quickly conquered the most renowned restaurants in France such as Prunier, Le Pre Catelan, the Hermitage in La Baule alongside Christian Willer. In 1972, he joined the Moulin de Mougins alongside Roger Verge, and then joined Jo Rostang's Bonne Auberge d'Antibes, 2 macaroons. In 1978, he became Chef des Cuisines of Chantecler, the gastronomic restaurant of the Hotel Negresco in Nice, where he was the first Michelin-starred Chef in a Palace, with two stars obtained in just 2 years. In 1979, he obtained the title of Meilleur Ouvrier de France Cuisinier and in 1982 was elected best young chef in France by Gault Millau. Entrepreneur at heart, he created his restaurant in the center of Nice, in a 3600m theater, that of Sacha Guitry, where he created an innovative concept: a room instead of the spectators, the glass kitchen instead of the stage for which it will obtain 2 Michelin stars in just 18 months of opening. In 1996, he opened his restaurant Jacques Maximin in Vence, in his own house, where he again received 2 Michelin stars. Having become vice-president of the MOF in 2007 alongside the president, Alain Ducasse, he went back to the kitchen in 2008 with the mission of developing the menu and taking the head of the kitchens of Rech in Paris, the starred fish restaurant by Alain Ducasse. From 2010 to 2016, the chef will run his own establishment, the Bistrot de la Marine, and will obtain 1 Michelin star after only four months of opening. Jacques Maximin will bring to the students and the teaching team of Paris Campus his vast experience and his philosophy, which embodies values such as a sense of excellence, rigor, inventiveness and generosity. "The arrival of Jacques Maximin and these new talented chefs with rich and complementary profiles is excellent news for our institution. These profiles have in common this sense of excellence, hospitality and sharing so dear to Alain Ducasse. From the management of an establishment, to the mastery of the gesture through the permanent search for new culinary trends, they will bring a lot to the students of our new Ecole Ducasse campus. " SAYS ELISE MASUREL, GENERAL DIRECTOR OF DUCASSE SCHOOL. "We are very happy to welcome Jacques Maximin, Guillaume Katola and Thomas Guichard. They will be joined this fall by around twenty passionate professionals whom we met in the presence of chef Alain Ducasse during our recruitment day on September 4 in Meudon. We had selected 40 candidates among 800 candidates for 21 positions in 15 trades, apprentices, as well as permanent positions. ", ADDS JOHAN-BASTIEN POLLE, HUMAN RESOURCES BUSINESS PARTNER AT ECOLE DUCASSE. Ecole Ducasse appoints chef Thomas Guichard as Head of Training and Production at Ecole Ducasse - Paris Campus. With a solid experience acquired in several prestigious establishments (Ritz, Shangri-La, Four Seasons Georges V, Relais & Chateaux ...) as Sous-Chef and more recently Banquet Chef and Event Chef, Thomas Guichard will be in charge of all the training programs and the team of chef trainers, while being responsible for production for the various places where the campus lives: cafeteria, food court and boutique. He will also bring his expertise to develop the events dimension of the new campus. After starting his career in the hotel and catering industry in 1997, Thomas Guichard rose through the ranks and over the years developed his expertise in high-end catering and events. Relying on his skills and determination, the chef subsequently obtained the title of French Catering Champion and World Catering Champion respectively in 2014 and 2015. In his new position, Thomas Guichard, who benefits from expertise extended both in the kitchen and in events will be a considerable asset for Ecole Ducasse - Paris Campus. After nearly 15 years of experience in high-end catering, spent mainly alongside Alain Ducasse, Guillaume Katola has been appointed to the position of Head of Restaurants for the new Ecole Ducasse campus. The chef will be the head of the site's two app restaurants. It was in Argenteuil, in Alain Ducasse's Cooking School, that Guillaume Katola began his career as Assistant Chef Trainer. He then climbed the culinary ranks until he obtained the title of Executive Chef at the famous Michelin-starred Rech by Alain Ducasse in Hong Kong. The chef has previously visited other renowned starred restaurants, in France and internationally, such as Le Jules Verne in Paris, the La Premiere Air France lounge nestled in the first class lounge at Roissy airport or even The Grill at The Dorchester Hotel based in London. Determined and talented, Guillaume Katola returns to the field of culinary training in which he started his career 14 years earlier within the Ecole Ducasse itself. Benefiting from the rich experience acquired in Paris and abroad, the chef will help apply the standards and the high level of requirement he has known since his beginnings in gastronomy in all circumstances. If returning to in-person learning, state health rules call for requiring students and teachers to wear masks and social distance at least six feet apart. Crowds are capped at 50 at a time, daily testing for students, teachers and staff is required, and classrooms need to be sanitized repeatedly. Masked-up workers in restaurants and those in the hospitality industry have been doing that for months. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-28 20:21:39|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BAGHDAD, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein paid an official visit to neighboring Iran during the past two days for discussions over the situation in the Middle East region and bilateral relations. A statement by the Iraqi Foreign Ministry issued on Monday said Hussein conveyed a verbal message from Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi to Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, which "focused on the developments in the region and reviewed the most important expected possibilities." The two sides also discussed bilateral relations, including the pending issues between the two countries, the statement said. Hussein, who made his first visit to Iran since he took office in May, also met with his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif and discussed various issues between the two countries as well as regional and international issues, it said. Hussein explained to Zarif the Iraqi government's attitude towards dealing with current challenges in the region and called for resolving the crises in peaceful means, the statement said. Enditem The Oakland School of the Arts alumna is officially the youngest woman to win an Emmy for lead actress in a drama . Plus, you can now stroll from the Panhandle to the ocean via a car-free route, and more local headlines that, we promise, won't bum you out. Regarding Sourdough Sam, the Last Fan Standing At Levi's, SFist Although Levi's Stadium is still fan-free, on game days you'll still find beloved mascot Sourdough Sam cheering on the Niners alongside paper cut-out spectators. Read more. Berkeley first in U.S. to ban junk food in checkout lane, Mercury News Beginning on March 1, 2021, you'll only find healthy snacks without five or more grams of sugar or 200 milligrams of sodium and drinks sans sugar or artificial sweetener within two feet of the register. Read more. Panhandle to the Pacific: A car-free route opens in Golden Gate Park, SF Chronicle You can officially adventure on closed to car streets on foot, bike, or even roller-skate from Stanyan Street and JFK Drive East all the way to Ocean Beach, and then to the San Francisco Zoo. Read more. The East Bay Poet Bringing Cheesecake to Your Door, KQED Meet former race car driver and poet Victor Harris Jr. at the Castro Valley or Temescal Farmers' Markets or get his delectable cheesecake flavorsthink blueberry, ube, and key limehand-delivered straight to your door. Read more. Oakland actress Zendaya fights back tears, makes history as youngest Emmy winner in her category, SF Gate The 24 year-old, Oakland born and raised actress's role as Rue on HBO's "Euphoria" earned her an award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a drama. Read more. Mission District LGBTQ Bar El Rio Wins Grant to Stay Afloat From HRC and Showtime, SFist While the beloved bar is still closed for now, thanks to "Queer to Stay: An LGBTQ+ Business Preservation Initiative," El Rio will hopefully one day reopen its doors for more patio ping pong. Read more. MADRID The Supreme Court of Spain on Monday upheld a ruling barring the separatist leader of Catalonia from public office, a decision that could renew tensions in the restive northeastern region. The Catalan police force had put officers on high alert for possible protests ahead of the decision, which confirmed a December ruling against the separatist leader, Quim Torra, the president of the regional government of Catalonia.. The verdict on Monday threw Catalan politics once more into turmoil. Mr. Torra is expected to be replaced in office by his deputy, Pere Aragones, who represents a different separatist party. Mr. Torra had intended to hold an early election to shore up support for the separatist movement this year, but that plan was delayed by the coronavirus pandemic that has hit Spain particularly hard. Mr. Torras case is part of a long series of clashes pitting Spains central government and its judiciary against Catalan leaders who favor independence. Politicians have failed for years to resolve the secessionist deadlock, and it has increasingly been left to judges to handle, while continuing to split Catalan society down the middle. The Kashi Vishwanath Corridor, an expansion and beautification project for the Kashi Vishwanath temple which will ensure visibility of the temple directly from the ghat, will be embellished with Baleshwar stones, Makrana marble, Kota granite and Mandana stones, officials said Monday. The construction of the corridor is underway across an area of 5 lakh sq ft area. A number of facilities for the devotees are coming up. The Public Works Department (PWD) is the executing agency of the 800-crore project. Construction work of the KV Corridor is in progress. Its structure is being built. Red sandstone of Chunar is being used in making the pillars, said Sanjay Gore, executive engineer of the PWD. Baleshwar stone will also be used in the Kashi Vishwanath corridor after four or five months, when the wall of the corridor takes shape. Likewise, Makrana marble will be required for the flooring of the corridor while the designing of the corridor would be done with Kota granite. Mandana stone, which looks like the red sandstone of Chunar, would be used on the stairs to be built at the ghat, said officials. Stones of various sorts will add to the grandeur to the corridor that has started taking shape gradually with work on at full pace. At present, 900 workers are engaged in the central governments flagship project for Varanasi. The workforce will be increased to 2,500 in October, said Deepak Agarwal, divisional commissioner. He said officials of Shri Kashi Vishwanath Special Area Development Board and PWD would ensure completion of the project by the deadline of October 2021. As many as 290 buildings were acquired and demolished to create space for the project. The Adityanath government had formed the Shri Kashi Vishwanath Special Area Development Board to ensure completion of the project. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Human remains have been discovered on two nearby beaches in New South Wales. A crime scene has been set up after remains were discovered at Little Bay and Miners Beach, located a 1km apart, in Port Macquarie on the mid north coast on Monday. The beaches have been closed to the public while investigations continue. NSW Police said the remains have been seized and will be sent away for further examination. Human remains have been found on two popular beaches in Port Macquarie, on NSW's mid north coast. Pictured: Miners Beach No further information is available at this stage. It comes days after police abandoned a search for missing man Mark James whose car was found parked at Tacking Point lighthouse, 1k south of Miners Beach. The 56-year-old Port Macquarie man was last seen at his home on September 18. State Emergency Services, Surf Life Saving NSW and the NSW Water Police searched along the coastline and through bushland but were unable to locate him. In June last year, human remains were found on nearby Flynns beach by two fishermen. The two bones were sent away for forensic testing and were later determined to belong to missing French backpacker Erwan Ferrieux, who disappeared with British friend Hugo Palmer, both 20, in February 2019. CLEVELAND, Ohio October arrives this week, along with fall-like weather in Northeast Ohio. The first chance of showers arrives Monday night in the Cleveland and Akron areas after a warm (highs in the upper 70s) and mostly sunny day. By 8 p.m. showers are a near certainty and they could continue through the night. Temps will drop to the low 50s. By Tuesday highs will drop to the mid-60s with cloudy skies. There are slight chances of showers during the day. It will be mostly cloudy overnight and lows will be in the upper 40s. Akron will still see slight chances of showers. Wednesday is looking like a classic, pleasant fall day. Skies will be mostly sunny and highs will be in the mid-60s. There is about a 20 percent chance of showers during the late afternoon. Overnight temps again will be in the upper 40s with partly cloudy skies. Thursday is looking good for the most part. Forecasts call for mostly sunny skies and highs around 60 degrees. However, there is a 50 percent of showers popping up in Cleveland and 40 percent in Akron. The cooling trend continues Friday. It will be partly sunny but highs will stay in the upper 50s. Showers again remain possible, with a 50 percent chance in Cleveland and 40 percent in Akron. The weekend is looking crisp at the moment. Highs will be in the low to mid-50s with partly sunny skies in Cleveland, while Akron will be mostly sunny Saturday and partly sunny Sunday. There are chances of showers on Saturday in Cleveland. Mondays sunrise: 7:21 a.m. Sunset: 7:13 p.m. Pollen count: 0.4 (low) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Rizki Fachriansyah (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Mon, September 28, 2020 20:28 481 e22cd4161040e111d73a5626c47c3cec 1 National COVID-19-protocol,COVID-19-mitigation,BNPB,BPS,Statistics-Indonesia,survey,study,COVID-19,pandemic Free More Indonesians now comply with the policy of wearing face masks in public, Statistics Indonesia (BPS) has revealed, although more efforts to raise public awareness about the need to thoroughly implement health protocols and the risks of contracting COVID-19 are necessary. An online survey conducted by the BPS from Sept. 7 to 14, involving 90,967 respondents across the archipelago, revealed that the rate of people's adherence to mask-wearing policy is higher than other health protocols, such as hand-washing and physical-distancing policies. According to the survey results, around 92 percent of respondents wear face masks in public, while 75.38 percent and 73.54 percent regularly wash their hands and maintain a safe physical distance, respectively. The rate of public compliance with the mask-wearing policy has increased by 8 percent since April, BPS head Suhariyanto said, while noting that compliance with the hand-washing and physical-distancing policies had somewhat declined. Ideally, these three parameters mask-wearing, hand-washing and physical distancing should be parallel, he said during a press conference livestreamed on the National Disaster Mitigation Agencys (BNPB) official YouTube channel on Monday. After all, what good does wearing a mask do without regularly washing our hands and keeping a safe physical distance? Despite the generally optimistic outlook, a more robust campaign encouraging people to look after their own personal hygiene and avoid crowds would be crucial to ensure public health and safety, he said. Read also: Asymptomatic transmission poses ever-present threat: COVID-19 task force Suhariyanto went on to explain that a sizable proportion of respondents 17 percent still believed that it was impossible for them to contract the coronavirus disease. Respondents aged between 17 and 30 tend to be more skeptical of their susceptibility to the virus than those aged over 60, he added. Threat perception is also generally higher among respondents with higher education, he said, adding that a special touch is required to reach out to the less-privileged demographic to raise awareness of the various health risks amid the current crisis. BNPB head Doni Monardo, who also helms the national COVID-19 task force, said during the same event that he expected the latest BPS survey to inform future decision-making processes in order to ensure maximum impact. Members of the public are at the forefront [of COVID-19 mitigation], Doni said. Public compliance with health protocols is incomparable to the major sacrifices made by our health workers. Indonesia has seen a continuously rising number of cases since March. The country logged record daily highs, all above 4,400 new cases, for three consecutive days last week. As of Monday, Indonesia had recorded 278,722 coronavirus infections with 10,473 deaths linked to the disease, making it the country with the second-highest number of recorded COVID-19 cases in Southeast Asia -- just below the Philippines -- and the highest in fatalities among its ASEAN peers. In a recent tweet, Elon Musk explained that in about six years, the total electronic vehicles per year being bought will go all the way to over 30 million! This was then quickly picked up by the TeslaVibes Twitter page saying that Elon Musk confirmed 30 million vehicles per year even before 2030. Elon Musk then clarified the statement but gave another shocking estimate saying that it was the total market and not Tesla. The Tesla and SpaceX CEO then stated that they still do see Tesla reaching about 20 million vehicles every single year before reaching 2030 but that it does require consistently excellent execution. That's total market, not all Tesla. We do see Tesla reaching 20M vehicles/year probably before 2030, but that requires consistently excellent execution. Elon Musk (@elonmusk) September 28, 2020 Tesla's previous performance year 2019 This is a huge step from their the previously recorded 2019 record where Tesla was able to sell 367,500 cars in total. Although this number is impressive, it is still a long way to go in order to compare to being able to sell 20 million vehicles every single year before reaching the year 2030. Despite the whole COVID-19 pandemic, Tesla has actually reported pretty decent sales and the stock price has skyrocketed all the way up due to its increasing popularity. Currently, Tesla is very much focused on expansion which is why they are building a giant Gigafactory over in Germany in order to be their manufacturing arm in the European market. The UK has already expressed their plans to transition into electric vehicles from gasoline and diesel by the year 2035. Read Also: Tesla is Buying More Land in Texas: Could This be a Potential Battery Factory? Tesla's battle to win over the UK market This could potentially be Tesla's key to reach the ideal numbers of 20 million cars being sold per year. Right now, Tesla is supplying the European markets but there is a huge problem that it still faces, the cars are not manufactured in Europe. The whole logistical problems that Tesla experiences with the shipping their cars into the UK can be avoided once they have a manufacturing arm. This is why they picked out Germany. The Gigafactory in Berlin has even reportedly been looking for an additional 8,000 workers in order to speed up the construction process. This is a huge number of additional employment that Tesla has to offer to the citizens around that area. Despite the whole pandemic, Tesla is very much determined to expand into the European market getting ready for the battle of the electric vehicles. Come 2050, the UK actually aims to be able to get rid of gasoline and diesel cars altogether which is a great thing for both mother earth and the EV companies. If Elon Musk is able to set up Tesla's presence in the UK EV market, the 20 million per year vehicles being sold could be possible. Read Also: LOOK! Porsche's Taycan Destroys Panamera Sales in Europe as Tesla Struggles NOT Because of Fierce Competition This article is owned by Tech Times Written by Urian Buenconsejo 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. By Trend Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan appealed to the Armenians living in the occupied Nagorno-Karabakh region to flee from Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia, Trend reports referring to the Armenian media. "I recommend immediately leaving the cities and villages in which you live and move to the territory of Armenia," he said. Pashinyan stressed that the Azerbaijani army is still continuing its offensive. The Armenian armed forces committed a large-scale provocation, subjecting the positions of the Azerbaijani army to intensive shelling from large-caliber weapons, mortars, and artillery installations of various calibers in the front-line zone on Sept. 27 at 06:00 (GMT+4). The command of the Azerbaijani Army decided to launch a counter-offensive operation of Azerbaijani troops along the entire front to suppress the combat activity of the Armenian armed forces and ensure the safety of the civilian population. According to the urgent information, Garakhanbeyli, Garvend, Kend Horadiz, Yukhari Abdulrahmanli villages of Fizuli district, Boyuk Marjanli, and Nuzgar villages of Jabrayil district were liberated. Moreover, the positions of the Armenian armed forces were destroyed in the direction of the Agdere district and Murovdag, important heights were taken under control. The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on the withdrawal of its armed forces from Nagorno Karabakh and the surrounding districts. Vanadium flow batteries (VFBs) are promising for stationary large-scale energy storage due to their high safety, long cycle life, and high efficiency. The cost of a VFB system mainly depends on the VFB stack, electrolyte, and control system. Developing a VFB stack from lab to industrial scale can take years of experiments due to complex factors, from key materials to battery architecture. Novel methods to accurately predict the performance and cost of a VFB stack and further system are needed in order to accelerate the commercialization of VFBs. Recently, a research team led by Prof. LI Xianfeng from the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics (DICP) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences proposed a machine learning-based strategy to predict and optimize the performance and cost of VFBs. "We use AI technology to improve efficiency, reduce research time, and provide important guidance for the research and development of VFBs" said Prof. LI. "It may accelerate the commercialization of VFBs." This work was published in Energy & Environmental Science on Sept. 22. The proposed strategy takes operating current density as the main feature, and the material and structure of the stack as auxiliary features. This machine learning model can predict the voltage efficiency, energy efficiency, and electrolyte utilization ratio of the VFB stack, as well as the power and energy cost of the VFB system with high accuracy. In addition, a future R&D direction for the VFB stack was proposed based on model coefficients of machine learning, i.e., developing high-power density VFB stacks under conditions of higher voltage efficiency and higher electrolyte utilization ratio. This work not only has great significance for the R&D of VFB stacks, but also highlights the prospects for combining machine learning and experiments for optimizing and predicting the dynamic behavior of complex systems. ### This study was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China, the Strategic Priority Research Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the CAS Engineering Laboratory for Electrochemical Energy Storage, and the Liaoning Revitalization Talents Program. On Demand We have a new story every day on the front page of thephuketnews.com. Also like us on our Facebook page (facebook.com/thephuketnews) and be the first to watch all the new stories. Finally you can watch any segment, any time by going to thephuketnews.com/tv where all the stories are listed for you to enjoy. All our programs can be enjoyed in High Definition when watching on the internet. In-Room VDO Posted on by Class Warfare Waste Watch Sri Lanka returns containers of illegal waste to Britain: Customs Al Jazeera Syraqistan Leaked docs expose massive Syria propaganda operation waged by Western govt contractors and media Grayzone China? India RIP Ruth Bader Ginsburg The clear strategy for Democrats should be to hammer ACBs record on substantive issues like workers rights, but shes already being caricatured as a religious nut. Trump wont believe his luck if the main line of attack is the personal life of a religious Midwestern woman. https://t.co/O9VwFxXTKw Matt Taibbi (@mtaibbi) September 25, 2020 2020 Something happened tonight that just stunned me. I was discussing current events with my 25 year old and he said, well, you know, people my age have never seen a functioning government. I stopped. But you saw Obama yah, but when I became aware was 2010, and that was. Kurt Mask Up, Vote Early Eichenwald (@kurteichenwald) September 27, 2020 Trump Transition No penalty for Victoria despite wanton destruction of trees vital to red-tailed black cockatoo Guardian FIRES TURN BRAZILS TROPICAL WETLANDS INTO WILDLIFE DEATH TRAPS Intercept Antidote du Jour (via): See yesterdays Links and Antidote du Jour here. Mayor Sylvester Turner on Monday signed an executive order authorizing a new cite-and-release program for the Houston Police Department, aiming to let people accused of certain misdemeanors off with a ticket instead of a trip to jail. Turner and Chief Art Acevedo also promised to release monthly public updates on its implementation, ensuring the public can review how the policy is applied. The order takes effect 6 a.m. Tuesday. The program gives them an opportunity to make changes in their lives and face responsibility for their actions without having the stain of an arrest, or serving jail time, on their record, Turner said of accused offenders. The policy, which HPD unveiled at a council committee meeting earlier this month, allows officers to give a ticket instead of arresting people accused of seven misdemeanors: possession of less than four ounces of a controlled substance; criminal mischief of between $100 and $750 in damage; graffiti resulting in $100 to $2,500 damage; theft of between $100 and $750; theft of service worth between $100 and $750; bringing contraband into a correctional facility; and driving with an invalid license. Those offenses accounted for roughly 3,000 arrests in Houston last year, according to HPD. Turner said the departments policy toward Class C misdemeanors, some of which do carry the possibility of arrest, would be upgraded to match the cite-and-release program. It was unclear why those offenses were not included in the order. Police executives said violent crimes in that category, such as assault, would remain arrests. The accused would receive a citation telling them when and where to appear in court under a cite-and-release program created by Harris Countys court-at-law judges, who have said the city could have joined months ago. The policy has buy-in from HPD executives, the Houston Police Officers Union, and some advocates, who have called it an imperfect step in the right direction. However, the citys policy allows for exceptions that some argue are too expansive. The exceptions include if an alleged offender cannot provide a government ID, if there is reason to believe they will not appear in court, and if an officer believes that offering Cite And Release to an otherwise qualified suspect is not the best course of action. In those cases, the officer must get supervisor approval and document the name of that supervisor in his or her offense report. Those exceptions have given pause to criminal justice advocates who have pushed for a cite-and-release policy for years. The Right2Justice Coalition, a group that includes many prominent local justice organizations and drafted a model cite-and-release ordinance this summer, wrote an open letter to the mayor last week asking him to strengthen the new policy. It said the policy, as laid out by HPD, leaves officers with too much discretion and carves out too many exceptions. It is not legally binding and does not include all citation-eligible offenses under state law, the letter said. Houstons policy has 16 exceptions, whereas San Marcos has six and Austin has seven, according to the letter. We project that their program, as presented, will fail to significantly improve community safety, wellbeing and equity in the city, the letter said. Alan M. de Leon, Houston advocacy organizer for MOVE Texas, part of the coalition, said those concerns remain after the mayor signed the order. The group would have preferred the policy was adopted by ordinance, explicitly included Class C misdemeanors, and left less room for officers to make case-by-case decisions. There are going to be a lot of people going to jail for otherwise citation-eligible offenses, de Leon said. Ashton Woods, founder of Black Lives Matter Houston, which also is a member of the coalition, was more critical. This looks like progress without the actual substantive action, he said. Acevedo said his officers understand the spirit of the order and emphasized they need supervisor approval to deem an arrest necessary. Turner also said the monthly reporting of citation and arrest data would help ensure the policy is implemented as intended. If the reporting indicates, for example, that were not meeting our targets, or that people are using far too much discretion, then this is a living document and we will address is accordingly, Turner said. But the detailed reporting will give a much more transparent look at the execution of the cite and release, and whether or not it is reaching its intended result. De Leon said he was pleased to hear that. Were not optimistic the program will be successful as intended, so were looking forward to, once the report comes out, doing an analysis and reacting accordingly, he said. Executive orders do carry over into new mayoral administrations, but they can be superseded or canceled by another executive order. Cite-and-release is the citys latest effort at police reform since the national reckoning on race and policing ignited by the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. In June, Turner signed an executive order limiting certain uses of force and no-knock raids, although officials and advocates argued that order mostly enshrined existing policy. He also convened a task force of more than 40 people to study further reforms. That group is expected to release its report this week. dylan.mcguinness@chron.com The private lender on Saturday (26 September 2020) announced that its shareholders have voted against the appointment of seven directors including its chief executive officer to the board. The shareholders rejected the appointments of S. Sundar as the managing director and chief executive officer; N. Saiprasad, K.R. Pradeep and Raghuraj Gujjar as non-executive and non-independent directors; and B.K. Manjunath, Gorinka Jaganmohan Rao and Y.N. Lakshminarayana Murthy as non-executive and independent directors. The shareholders also disapproved the appointment of P. Chandrasekar LLP, Chartered Accountants, Bangalore, as the statutory auditors of the Lakshmi Vilas Bank (LVB). These appointments were taken up for voting at the bank's annual general meeting (AGM) on 25 September 2020. On 27 September 2020, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) approved that day-to-day affairs of the bank will be run by a Committee of Directors (CoD) composed of three independent directors. Meeta Makhan would be the chairperson of the committee of directors and Shakti Sinha and Satish Kumar Kalra would be the member of the committee. "With Liquidity Coverage Ratio (LCR) of about 262% as on 27th September 2020, against minimum 100% required by RBI, the deposit-holders, bond-holders, account-holders and creditors are well safe guarded, the bank said in a statement. It further said that the bank continues to enforce cost reduction measures both of direct and indirect costs. The bank's provision coverage ratio remains healthy at 72.6%, against the minimum of 70% prescribed under PCA. Further, besides existing business, the bank will continue its focus on capital-light loans. All the existing employees of bank will continue to be in full service as usual, and remain ever committed as usual to serve customers. The shareholders have approved for increase of the authorized share capital of the bank to Rs 1,000 crore, subject to RBI approval. The bank said it will continue the process of considering and evaluating the proposed amalgamation of the "Clix Group" with the bank, and as was previously informed on 15 September 2020, the mutual due diligence is substantially complete. Additionally, to strengthen the bank's capital, the shareholders have approved resolution authorizing the bank to undertake capital raising as follow-on public offering (FPO), rights issue, qualified institutional placement (QIP) or other available routes to raise capital. Till a new managing director is appointed, the existing senior management team alongwith the board of directors will discharge the day-to-day affairs of the bank as usual. LVB is a private sector commercial bank. The bank provides a variety of services, including corporate banking, commercial & personal banking, retail banking, NRI services, insurance and development banking. As on 30 June 2020, the bank had a network of 566 branches, 5 extension counters, 918 ATMs in 19 states and 1 union territory. Tamil Nadu is the dominant contributor of business for the bank. The bank reported a loss of Rs 112.28 crore in Q1 FY21 as compared to a loss of Rs 237.25 crore recorded in Q1 FY20. Total income during the quarter declined 20.4% YoY to Rs 538.84 crore. The LVB scrip was down 0.26% at Rs 19.15. It fell as much as 5.7% to hit the day's low at Rs 18.10 in morning trade today. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) John Stamos gave his followers a treat over the weekend. To celebrate how many of his fans registered to vote, the actor shared unreleased, behind-the-scenes footage from August 1989 when the Full House cast filmed in Hawaii. The 57-year-old star was seen hugging Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen - who are now 34-years-old - and there was a clip of Lori Loughlin as well. Rare look: John Stamos gave fans a rare look at the Full House cast on set in Hawaii, in 1989, as he shared a behind the scenes video to Instagram on Saturday Stamos, who played Uncle Jesse Katsopolis on the original program and its sequel series Fuller House, posted the video to Instagram on Saturday. 'Full House Hawaii 89,' Stamos wrote in the caption dating the video. 'Thank you guys for showing up to vote through #goodtovote!' He added: 'We more than doubled our voter mark! So as promised, here is some unreleased OG footage from Full House when we shot the Hawaii episode.' Gushing over the bond his co-stars created, he wrote: 'You can see how much we loved each other off camera - that still exists today. It's not too late to register.' The video captures sweet moments between the cast, including Stamos cuddling up to his on-screen nieces played by Mary-Kate and Ashley. Family: Gushing over the bond his co-stars created, he wrote: 'You can see how much we loved each other off camera - that still exists today. It's not too late to register.' The video captures sweet moments between the cast, including Stamos cuddling up to his on-screen nieces played by Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen Wild ride: Stamos swims with and rides a dolphin, in bright blue water Quick dip: He also took one of the Olsen twins swimming in the ocean Have Mercy: He also takes the twins for a short run along the beach as the shout in excitement, and gets in his famous catch-phrase 'Have mercy' He also takes the twins for a short run along the beach as they shout in excitement, and gets in his famous catch-phrase 'Have mercy!' Stamos swims with and rides a dolphin, in bright blue water and takes one of the Olsen twins swimming in the ocean. A young Candace Cameron Bure offers viewers 'a tour' of Hawaii while the cast and crew enjoy down-time between filming. Funny man Dave Coulier and Bob Saget take each other on in Bob Hope impressions for some comedic moments, with Lori Loughlin, Bure and even one of the Olsen twins giving their hand at the impression. Tour guide: A young Candace Cameron Bure offers viewers 'a tour' of Hawaii while the cast and crew enjoy down-time between filming Who did it best: Dave Coulier offered up an impression of Bob Hope set in the tropical scenery Fighting it out: Bob Saget also tried a Bob Hope impression, rocking dark shades and a polo shirt Two for a try: Lori Loughlin and Candace Cameron Bure teamed up for an impression themselves 'OMG! I forgot that we had everyone doing bad Bob Hope impressions,' Coulier commented on the video. 'Love these old family videos!' At a large group dinner, everyone joins in to sing Stamos Happy Birthday, on what was his 26th birthday. The post came nearly two weeks after Stamos and his two-year-old son Billy recorded a video promising the behind the scenes video if at least 100 fans registered to vote. Family love: 'OMG! I forgot that we had everyone doing bad Bob Hope impressions,' Coulier commented on the video. 'Love these old family videos' Birthday magic: At a large group dinner, everyone joins in to sing Stamos Happy Birthday, on what was his 26th birthday Stage day: The group hit a stage and tried out their moves in hula 'I don't normally pimp my kid out for anything,' he joked. 'Everybody's gotta register to vote.' Loughlin, who was seen in short bits of the video, was written out of the final season of Fuller House due to her involvement in the college admissions scandal. She was also missing from a Zoom reunion of the cast earlier this month, as she prepares to serve a two-month prison sentence after pleading guilty to paying $500,000 to get her daughters into USC as rowing recruits. Water side: Jodie Sweetin seemed ready for the water in a red bathing suit as she talked with crew Getting close: Loughlin and Coulier leaned over a lagoon as a stingray swam up Tongues out: One of the Olsen's twins stuck their tongue out in the dressing room A prominent Arctic research mission is coming under fire for a dress code policy that has highlighted concerns about systemic sexism in the polar sciences. The MOSAiC expedition, an international research mission led by Germany's Alfred-Wegener-Institut, had polar researchers navigating Arctic sea ice for a full year collecting data about the Arctic climate and climate change. But shortly after the journey began, women on board a support vessel for the mission, the Akademik Fedorov, were told they could not dress in tight-fitting clothing due to safety concerns. Journalist Chelsea Harvey was on board the ship for six weeks in October 2019 when the policy was first disclosed. She recently wrote about the rules for energy and environmental research trade publication E&E News. Halfway through her voyage, she said, passengers were told that "thermal underwear" was prohibited as outerwear in common areas. The next day, Harvey said the mission's leaders elaborated to say that "no leggings, no very tight-fitting clothing nothing too revealing no crop tops, no hot pants [and] no very short shorts" would be allowed. "We were told there are a lot of men on board this ship and some of them are going to be on board this ship for months at a time," Harvey told CBC News. "In my meeting what we were told was this was a 'safety issue.' "It definitely sparked a lot of alarm and confusion at the beginning. Everyone was sort of wondering, was there some sort of incident that triggered all of this?" Alfred-Wegener-Institut/Esther Horvath CC-BY 4.0 Discussion of clothing policy followed sexual harassment In fact, as Harvey later confirmed with the Alfred-Wegener-Institut and the mission's chief scientist, Thomas Krumpen, there had been allegations of sexual harassment aboard the Akademik Fedorov days before the policy was discussed. Several female participants reported they'd been harassed by a group of men on the ship, including technical contractors, Harvey reported. They told Krumpen, which resulted in some members of the crew being prohibited from contact with several women on board. Story continues Krumpen told Harvey that the clothing policy had "no temporal and substantive connection, any connection, with a specific incident." Reached by CBC, the Alfred-Wegener-Institut said in a statement that a clothing policy was always in effect and was communicated to passengers "independently from the incident." "The policy is intended to ensure both adherence to standards of hygiene and occupational safety as well as mutually respectful conduct," the institute said in a statement. "Throughout the MOSAiC expedition, the clothing policy's importance and its applicability to everyone on board were repeatedly emphasized," the statement continues. "Following violations of the policy on the part of individual persons on board the Akademik Fedorov, the cruise lead explained the policies once again." The day after those meetings there was this dramatic transformation on board. - Chelsea Harvey, journalist on board Akademik Fedorov The institute could not provide CBC with a copy of the clothing policy, and the code of conduct distributed to all on board makes no mention of clothing. But the institute did say "clothing policies may reflect specific regulations issued by a given ship's owner and commanding officers." It's not clear which policy prohibited fitted clothing. Harvey said that when discussed halfway into the support ship's six-week journey in October, the policy came as a surprise to those on board the Akademik Fedorov. "We're already here," she said. "We can't go out and buy new clothing." The next day, there was a "dramatic transformation" on board, she said. "Everyone came out wearing the one pair of jeans that they brought," Harvey said. "It just triggered a lot of widespread resentment, this idea that women should have to be responsible for managing the behaviour of men." Submitted by Chelsea Harvey Sexism widespread in polar science: expert "It's totally unsurprising that women were horrified," said Meredith Nash, a sociologist specializing in sexism in science at the University of Tasmania in Australia. "The assumption that if a woman wears something fitted, then she's inviting harassment that's just so, so gross." Sexism, of both an overt and systemic kind, is widespread in the science and technology fields. Multiple studies show that women face discrimination and harassment in the polar sciences specifically, especially during field studies like the MOSAiC mission. Nash said in one study she performed, 60 per cent of female polar scientists she interviewed said they had experienced harassment at some point in their careers, usually while in junior positions. It just seems like there were so many missteps in the process of what happened there. - Meredith Nash, University of Tasmania sociologist Women were barred from many polar research missions until "well into the '80s because they were told we don't have facilities for you, or you're going to be a distraction to the men," she said. Even today, the division of labour on board polar research vessels usually breaks down in highly gendered ways, with women "tasked with domestic duties" and excluded from field work, she said. Harvey documented instances of this at the MOSAiC School, the expedition's training program for polar scientists, in her reporting for E&E. Nash said the decision to discuss the clothing policy after an incident of sexual harassment was a "knee-jerk, reactive [response] to blame it on the women [instead of] a problematic workplace culture." "It just seems like there were so many missteps in the process of what happened there," she said. Alfred-Wegener-Institut/Esther Horvath CC-BY 4.0 Clothing policy still in place, but communicated earlier The Alfred-Wegener-Institut (AWI) told CBC in its statement that it took complaints about the clothing policy "very seriously." "In order to avoid future misunderstandings pre-expedition communications with participants were expanded" to include clothing policies. "The preparations for AWI expedition leaders were also intensified to help them sensitively handle and resolve the conflicts and misunderstandings and, if necessary, to take appropriate action in response," the statement reads. Harvey said the incident shows why more women must be in leadership in the polar sciences. Nash said it should spur a broader reckoning with the workplace culture aboard research vessels. The MOSAiC mission is set to wrap in October. At the end of her six weeks aboard the support ship, Harvey said she left the experience feeling disappointed. "Women go on these expeditions because they're there to work and do their jobs and it's a shame these kinds of issues still come up." A Newmarket man found guilty of drinking and driving in the death of a 68-year-old man on New Years Eve has been sentenced to seven years in prison. Stanley Choy, 40, pleaded guilty to impaired driving causing death and criminal negligence causing death following the crash on Dec. 31, 2019, at Ninth Line and Elgin Mills Road in Markham. Choy was driving south in his white Hyundai Veloster on Ninth Line when it collided with a white Toyota after 7 p.m. The Toyotas driver, a 68-year-old man from Whitchurch-Stoufville who wasnt identified by police, was pronounced dead at the scene. Choy was sentenced on Friday to seven years in prison, followed by a driving prohibition for 10 years afterwards. Kevin Jiang is a breaking news reporter, working out of the Star's radio room in Toronto. Reach him via email: kjiang@thestar.ca The official Newsfeed of the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea (North Korea) took to Twitter to announce that the nation's Supreme Leader Kim Jong-Un follows his 'patriotic duty'. The DPRK News Service said that Marshal Kim Jong-Un pays his taxes and fines among other things. Subsequently, netizens are wondering why the Supreme leader fined himself. Marshal Kim Jong-Un follows his patriotic duty to pay all taxes, fees, assessments, levies, and fines. DPRK News Service (@DPRK_News) September 27, 2020 Netizens React to North Korea's Kim 'fining himself' While several users ask what Kim Jong-Un was fined for, others lauded him (albeit sarcastically) for his 'honesty and upright' leadership. There were also those who pointed out that North Korea is reportedly a tax-free country with no upfront taxes. Netizens also pointed out that Kim Jong-Un actually pays the taxes and fines to himself. What has Marshal Kim been fined for though? Flip Lucas (@FlipOLucas) September 27, 2020 You are a lucky country to have such honest, upright and meticulous leadership. Many in my nation think many of our lawmakers loyalties have been captured by our election system requiring almost constant campaign fundraising. This makes me sad morgan terry (@morganterry3) September 27, 2020 ...to himself! Andrew Shea (@OttawaShea) September 28, 2020 You know, fun fact: North Korea does not have an income tax Nathaniel Downes (@downix) September 28, 2020 Read | North Koreas Kim Jong Un Issues Rare Apology For Killing Of South Korean Official Read | North Korea Shot And Burned Body Of Missing South Korean Official: Seoul Kim Jong-Un issues rare apology North Korea's Supreme Leader Kim Jong-Un reportedly issued a rare apology following the killing of a South Korean official. Marshall Kim sent a letter to South Korea's President as reported by the South Korean presidential office. In his letter, Kim Jong-Un is said to have acknowledged that the incident shouldn't have happened and called it a 'disgraceful affair' and said that he is 'deeply sorry'. He further added that the soldiers fired a few shots at the intruder as instructed by the ship's captain. Read | North Korea Accuses South Of Intrusion To Find Dead Official I am deeply sorry that an unexpected and unfortunate thing has happened in our territorial waters that delivered a big disappointment to President Moon Jae-in and the people of the South. Our soldiers fired about 10 shots at the illegal intruder, based on a decision made by our ships captain and according to operational guidelines of maritime security, Kim was quoted as saying by the Blue House. Read | Kim Jong-un's Sister Wants North Korea's Kids To Spend 90 Mins Daily Learning About Him South Korean official shot in North Korea On September 24, Seoul reported that a missing South Korean official was shot dead by the Korean troops following which the body was burned. They also added that the 47-year old man was found on a floating object near the waters of the South boundary. The official had earlier disappeared off a government ship near the disputed sea boundary. This incident triggered outrage in South Korea and the military criticised Pyongyang calling it an 'atrocious act'. While North Korea confirmed the shooting, they denied burning the South Korean official's body as alleged by Seoul. Read | North Korea's Satellite Images Suggest Vehicle Likely Carrying Ballistic Missile: Report Read | North Korea Planning To Perform Underwater Ballistic Missile Test: Seoul Official OTTAWA, ON, Sept. 28, 2020 /CNW/ - Conserving nature in Canada and across the globe is critical to halt biodiversity loss, tackle climate change, and help all of us live sustainably. Over a million species are threatened with extinction, with 75 percent of our land and 66 percent of the marine environment significantly altered by human actions. In Canada alone, populations of species assessed as at risk have declined on average 59 percent since 1970. That is why Canada pledged to join other countries today at the Leaders Event for Nature and People in a "high ambition coalition" to advocate for a target of conserving 30 percent of the world's lands and oceans by 2030. Today, the Prime Minister, the Right Honourable Justin Trudeau, along with the Minister of Environment and Climate Change, the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, indicated that Canada has joined Costa Rica and France, as well as other countries, to continue to champion this important work for global biodiversity. The target would be adopted as a part of the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework at the 15th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity in 2021. The framework will include targets to guide the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity around the world over the next 10 years. Expanding conserved and protected natural areas around the world is one of the most important actions that countries can take to curb the ongoing loss of nature and biodiversity. This is needed to ensure that Canadians and all people around the world have access to food, and clean and abundant water. Protecting natural ecosystems also helps us in our efforts to address climate change by safeguarding natural carbon stores and helping us to adapt to the impacts of climate change, as well as helping to prevent future pandemics. In fact, wildlife species under direct exploitation or habitat loss are more likely to come into contact with people, which increases the likelihood of disease transmission. Research has shown that outbreaks of animal-borne illness will likely become more frequent due to the accelerating destruction of nature. The Government of Canada had already committed to protecting 25 percent of its lands and oceans by 2025 and 30 percent by 2030. Canada is uniquely positioned to contribute to this important goal at home and abroad. The country has the second-largest land mass, a fifth of the world's fresh water, and the longest coastline in the world, which, together, are critical for biodiversity and for securing carbon in nature in the fight against climate change. Our forests, grasslands, and peatlands absorb enormous amounts of carbon pollution and are our best ally in protecting our climate. In 2018, a historic $1.35 billion investment had been made to support work with other governments, Indigenous groups, and non-profit organizations toward doubling the amount of nature protected to create healthier habitats for species at risk and improve Canada's natural environment. Moving forward, Canada will continue to work with both the High Ambition Coalition and the Global Ocean Alliance to advocate internationally for conserving 30 percent of the world's lands and oceans by 2030 and the conservation of biodiversity for now and for future generations. Quotes "Expanding the world's conserved and protected areas is critical not just for stopping the loss of nature and biodiversity but also to fighting climate change and helping prevent future pandemics. Canada is proud to join the High Ambition Coalition and work with other countries to advocate for a common vision on land and ocean conservation." The Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Environment and Climate Change "Canadians rely on healthy ecosystems to sustain our economy, our food supply, and our communities. Our oceans and lands are shared resources that require a global effort, backed by science, to ensure marine and biodiversity conservation. Canada looks forward to working with like-minded countries within the High Ambition Coalition for Nature and People to support and advocate for the adoption of a global target of 30 percent marine conservation by 2030, during the 15th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity." The Honourable Bernadette Jordan, Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard Quick facts The five direct drivers of change in nature with the largest relative global impacts so far include the following, in descending order: changes in land and sea use, direct exploitation of organisms, climate change, pollution, and invasive alien species. (IPBES, 2019) In Canada , between 1970 and 2016, the population size of monitored mammal species decreased by 42 percent on average; and fish species, by 21. (Canadian Species Index) , between 1970 and 2016, the population size of monitored mammal species decreased by 42 percent on average; and fish species, by 21. (Canadian Species Index) In late 2019, Costa Rica and France announced their intention to assemble countries to form the High Ambition Coalition. and announced their intention to assemble countries to form the High Ambition Coalition. Thus far, more than 30 countries have joined the High Ambition Coalition. In July 2020 , Canada joined the United Kingdom as lead and other countries as a member of the Global Ocean Alliance, which is advocating to conserve at least 30 percent of the world's oceans through the establishment of marine protected areas and other effective area-based marine-conservation measures by 2030. Associated links 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: Ricky Landry, Director of Communications, Office of the Minister of Environment and Climate Change, 343-549-5583, [email protected]; Media Relations, Environment and Climate Change Canada, 819-938-3338 or 1-844-836-7799 (toll-free), [email protected] Related Links http://www.ec.gc.ca Officer Brett Hankison, who was fired in the aftermath of the shooting, was charged with three counts of wanton endangerment The lone Kentucky detective facing charges related to the fatal shooting of Breonna Taylor pleaded not guilty Monday. Brett Hankison was indicted on Wednesday and charged with endangering Taylor's neighbors with bullets he fired into an adjacent Louisville apartment during a March 13 drug raid. The other two officers involved in Taylor's shooting were not charged at all. Taylor, 26, a black emergency medical technician and aspiring nurse, was struck by six bullets moments after she and her boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, were roused from bed in the commotion of the raid. Hankison was fired from the Louisville Metro Police Department in June for his actions during the raid on Taylor's apartment. If convicted, he could face up to five years in prison on each count. He made his plea during an audio conference call before Jefferson County Circuit Court Judge Ann Bailey Smith, the Louisville Courier Journal reported. Hankison's lawyer asked the judge to let Hankison keep his gun because he has seen death threats online; the judge did not grant the request. 'No, I will not,' said Jefferson County Circuit Court Judge Ann Bailey Smith. He is the only officer to be fired and charged in relation to the Taylor case. Hankison's two colleagues, Sergeant Jonathan Mattingly and Detective Myles Cosgrove, were not charged because the investigation found their actions were justified, the attorney general said. Those two other officers were reassigned to administrative duties in the aftermath of the shooting. The decision not to charge the officers set off protests in Louisville and across the country. A coroners report obtained Monday says Taylor was shot six times and died of multiple gunshot wounds. It says she was hit in the torso, her upper left extremity and both lower extremities. She tested negative for drugs and alcohol. A Kentucky grand jury on Wednesday brought charges against one of three officers involved in the raid on Breonna Taylor's apartment that saw her shot dead by police in front of her boyfriend on March 13 Hankison's two colleagues, Sergeant Jonathan Mattingly and Detective Myles Cosgrove, were not charged because the investigation found their actions were justified. Those two other officers were reassigned to administrative duties in the aftermath of the shooting WHAT IS WANTON ENDANGERMENT? What is the charge? Charges of wanton endangerment are brought when a person is found to have recklessly engaged in conduct, without concern for human life, that puts a person at risk of death or serious injury. 'A person is guilty of wanton endangerment in the first degree when, under circumstances manifesting extreme indifference to the value of human life, he wantonly engages in conduct which creates a substantial danger of death or serious physical injury to another person,' state law says. What is the penalty? Wanton endangerment in Kentucky is a class D felony. It can bring a sentence of up to five years in prison. How are the charges related to the Breonna Taylor case? The three counts of wanton endangerment were brought against Officer Brett Hankison after the bullets he fired inside Taylor's apartment traveled into a neighboring apartment. Crime scene photos show the walls of Taylor's apartment riddled with bullet holes. Advertisement Charges of wanton endangerment are brought when a person is found to have recklessly engaged in conduct, without concern for human life, that puts a person at risk of death or serious injury. 'A person is guilty of wanton endangerment in the first degree when, under circumstances manifesting extreme indifference to the value of human life, he wantonly engages in conduct which creates a substantial danger of death or serious physical injury to another person,' state law says. Wanton endangerment in Kentucky is a class D felony; Hankison, who was indicted on three counts, could potentially face up to 15 years. Before charges were brought, Hankison was fired from the city's police department on June 23. A termination letter sent to him by interim Louisville Police Chief Robert Schroeder said the white officer had violated procedures by showing 'extreme indifference to the value of human life' when he 'wantonly and blindly' shot 10 rounds of gunfire into Taylor's apartment. On Monday, Louisville's mayor lifted the curfew put in place after people refused to end their nighttime protests. 'The curfew served its purpose of helping ensure that most people were home safe by 9 p.m., because our past experience had shown that most violence and destruction occurs after dark,' the mayor's statement said. 'We sadly saw some violence, including the shooting of two police officers, one of whom remains hospitalized, dealing with complications of his injuries. But we believe the curfew helped, by ensuring fewer people were out late in the day.' Kentucky state Rep. Lisa Willner, a Louisville Democrat, said Monday that she's starting to craft legislation that would narrow the scope of the state's rioting statute. Her proposal, which she intends to offer in next year's legislative session, would protect people from being charged with first-degree rioting if they're present but don't engage in destructive or violent actions. Her response comes after Democratic state Rep. Attica Scott was charged with the felony last week while participating in Louisville protests for racial justice. Bodycam footage captured in the aftermath of Taylor's death and obtained by Vice magazine on Saturday shows inside her apartment after she was fatally shot by officers on March 13. Sgt Mattingly, Detective Cosgrove and Officer Hankison burst down the door to Taylor's home shortly after 12.40am to conduct a 'no knock' search warrant in relation to a drug investigation. At the time, Taylor and her boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, were purportedly sleeping and the the loud intrusion of the officers startled them from their slumber. Walker grabbed his legally-owned gun and began firing at officers, reportedly striking Mattingly in the leg. The three officers promptly fired back in self-defense, with Taylor becoming caught in the crossfire. She was struck six times, and died at the scene. According to Vice, the Louisville Metropolitan Police Department has 'insisted' that no bodycam footage exists of the actual raid itself. However, they were able to obtain footage recorded by other officers and SWAT team members who responded to the shooting. The publication shared two short clips, with the first showing an officer threatening to release a barking narcotics dog on Walker as he stands outside the apartment complex. 'Walk straight back or I will send this dog on you!' the cop repeatedly yells as Walker can be seen with his hands in the air. Bodycam footage captured in the aftermath of Breonna Taylor's death has been released to the public for the first time, helping to paint a clearer picture of the botched police raid that led the 26-year-old's death. Taylor was shot dead in her own home in the early hours of March 13 Breonna Taylor is pictured above with her boyfriend Kenneth Walker. He opened fire on the officers who stormed into Taylor's apartment and the officers returned fire The footage then shows Officer Hankison and another policeman placing Walker in handcuffs. Walker was charged for attempted murder after striking Mattingly in the leg. The charge was later dropped. Meanwhile, a second video - recorded on the same night - shows Hankison inside Taylor's apartment after the shooting took place. Vice claims that is a violation of police investigation procedure. In the clip, Hankison can be heard asking a SWAT team member about shell casings seen on the ground. The SWAT officer sounds uncomfortable and orders Hankison to leave the scene. 'I'd back out until they get PIU in here,' he states, referring to the Public Integrity Unit, which is responsible for investigating officer-involved shootings. It's not the first bodycam video that has been released from the fateful night. Earlier this week, the lawyer of Sgt. Jonathan Mattingly posted bodycam footage that showed him after he had been shot in the leg by Walker during the botched raid. Walker claimed he only fired because the cops didn't identify themselves. Mattingly's lawyer shared the video to Twitter, hitting out that Mattingly had been branded 'a 'murderer,' when all he did was defend himself'. Sgt. Jonathan Mattingly is allegedly seen on the ground outside Breonna Taylor's apartment after being shot in the leg by her boyfriend Kenneth Walker in the raid that killed her During the raid, Mattingly entered first, and at the end of a corridor saw Taylor and her boyfriend, with Walker pointing a gun. Walker fired, injuring Mattingly in the thigh. Mattingly returned fire, and his colleagues began shooting soon after. Hankison fired 10 bullets. Six bullets hit Taylor but there is no 'conclusive' evidence that any came from Hankinson's gun, Cameron said. Bullets fired by Hankison traveled into a neighboring apartment which led to the charges against him. In the bodycam footage, Mattingly can be seen lying on the ground while his colleagues purportedly escort him away from the scene of the shooting for medical attention. Other cops can be saying to 'grab under his arms' and 'cover him, let's go' as they attempt to move the injured Mattingly. 'Go a little faster', another officer says, although no ambulance is seen. The cops attempt to bring the bleeding Mattingly to the top of a vehicle's trunk to get him away from the scene. The car then drives away toward the exit of the apartment complex. Matting was taken to hospital for surgery for the gunshot wound. John Oliver has urgent advice for the American public: Now is not the time to take anything lightly. After President Donald Trump nominated the "female Antonin Scalia" to replace Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg on the Supreme Court, the "Last Week Tonight" host advocated to overhaul Senate and abolish the electoral college. "If things seem hopeless right now, it's because, to be completely honest, they basically are," Oliver said on Sunday's episode of the Emmy-winning series. "This is a pivotal moment. And while we got here by a little bit of bad luck and bad timing, we also got here through diligent effort by Republican leadership and, crucially, some very big systemic problems which just have to be addressed. So tonight let's talk about that." If the Senate confirms Trump's 48-year-old nominee, Amy Coney Barrett, the Supreme Court would lurch right for the foreseeable future - a harrowing possibility for those who oppose her views, Oliver said, given that key cases upholding the Affordable Care Act and the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program have been decided by a single vote. After Ginsburg's death, Democrats were quick to recall Republican leadership's insistence in March 2016, when President Barack Obama nominated Merrick Garland to replace Scalia, that a Supreme Court vacancy shouldn't be filled within months of a presidential election. Now, Republicans including Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, "seem to rationalize their party's blatant hypocrisy by saying that should they confirm Trump's nominee, they'll simply be bringing the court closer to the will of the country," Oliver continued. He pointed out the inaccuracy of Romney saying the nation leans "center-right" by referencing a Gallup poll from January stating that more Americans lean Democrat than Republican, and a Kaiser Family Foundation poll from May that found a majority of the public supports Medicare-for-all. Finally, according to a recent CNN-SSRS poll, 59% of the American public also believes the winner of the upcoming presidential election should be the one to nominate Ginsburg's successor. "So our country isn't so much center-right," Oliver concluded, "as Mitt Romney is center-wrong." Oliver lay some blame for this "apocalyptic hellscape" at the feet of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., who opposed Garland but also led a "deliberate effort to block and delay Obama's nominees" to lower courts, The Washington Post's Ashley Parker reported earlier this month. This led Trump to brag to journalist Bob Woodward that he and McConnell had "broken every record" on appointing judges. But "it is a mistake to focus just on the people involved here because there's a whole system underneath them that has enabled them to do what they have done," Oliver said. "And that brings us to the second major factor that got us to where we are now: the deeply undemocratic nature of America's institutions." Not only are Black and Hispanic Americans drastically underrepresented in Congress, Oliver argued, but the nearly 4 million Americans who live in Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico lack any representation at all. In a similar vein, the electoral college's "winner-take-all approach" in most states can distort the very will of the nation that Romney professed to serve, given that the system "grants disproportionate power to less populous states, which tend to be rural and more conservative," the host said. "So the fact is, when Barrett is confirmed, a president who lost the popular vote will have picked a quarter of the federal judiciary and a third of the Supreme Court, and his choices will have been rubber-stamped by a Senate Republican majority representing 15 million fewer people than the Democratic minority," Oliver explained. "And if that sounds absurd to you, it's 'cause it clearly is." While he admitted that Democrats would be fighting an uphill battle even if Trump loses the election, Oliver noted that they could still work to implement structural changes. Some liberals have floated abolishing the filibuster and adding seats to the Supreme Court, he said, "though there are real concerns about what the eventual blowback would be." He advocated for granting the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico statehood and getting rid of the electoral college, "which might sound radical, but it really isn't." A late 1960s bipartisan effort to get rid of the electoral college - even backed by President Richard Nixon - failed when the amendment was filibustered and killed in Senate. To this day, according to a Gallup poll from last week, 61% of Americans still believe we should abolish it. "The unavoidable truth here is that the system is already rigged," Oliver said. "And it's rigged in a way that has allowed a party without popular support to drastically reshape an entire branch of government for the foreseeable future by appealing almost exclusively to White voters in some of the least populous regions of the country . . . We're at the end of a generational battle and the heartbreaking thing is, we lost." ISLAMABAD (AP) Afghanistan's top official in negotiations with the Taliban arrived in Pakistan's capital Monday on a three-day trip during which he will meet with the country's prime minister and other government officials. Abdullah Abdullah, who leads the Afghan High Council for National Reconciliation, was received by top government officials on arriving in Islamabad. Later he took to Twitter to say he had a constructive meeting with Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi. We discussed the #PeaceProcess, the intra-Afghan talks in Doha, & strengthening bilateral relations," he tweeted. Apart from meeting with Prime Minister Imran Khan, the Afghan reconciliation leader was also expected to meet with President Arif Alvi, army chief Gen. Qamar Javed Bajwa, the speaker of the National Assembly and the chairman of the Senate. The council represents the Afghan government in historic peace negotiations with the Taliban which began in Qatar on Sept. 12. Those talks represent the most-serious effort yet at ending decades of war in Afghanistan that followed the 2001 U.S.-led invasion that toppled its Taliban government, which then hosting al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden who planned the Sept. 11 attacks. The Afghan-Taliban talks come after a deal signed in February between the U.S. and the Taliban. That aims to allow the U.S. to withdraw from Afghanistan and end the longest military engagement in American history. Many Taliban leaders have lived in Pakistan since the 1980s. In those years they were part of the Afghan mujahedeen, allies of the U.S. in ending the 10-year occupation of the country by the Soviet Union. Pakistan has denied giving sanctuary to Taliban members following their ouster in 2001. However, both Washington and Kabul routinely accuse Islamabad of giving them a safe haven, citing the Taliban long ties with Pakistan's powerful Inter-Services Intelligence agency. Khan publicly has said his government facilitated the talks. He said now it was now up to the Afghans to seize this opportunity. Story continues Abdullah's visit will provide an opportunity for wide-ranging exchange of views on the Afghan peace process and strengthening of Pakistan-Afghanistan bilateral relations and people-to-people interaction," Pakistan's Foreign Ministry said in a statement. Pakistan fully supports all efforts for the peace, stability and prosperity of the Afghan people." Also on Monday, Pakistan's military said militants in an overnight attack opened fire on troops patrolling the former northwestern tribal town of Shakai, near the border with Afghanistan, killing an army captain Abdullah Zafar. Pakistans border areas in the northwest served as a base for the Pakistani Taliban and other militants until a few years ago, when the army said it cleared the region of insurgents. But occasional attacks have continued. The owner of a popular hair salon is appealing his $5,000 fine after admitting to pinching a teenager's nipples and massaging her bottom. Mario De Frenza, 42, who owns MAXD & Co in Caringbah in Sydney's Shire pleaded guilty to indecent assault, sexual touching and common assault of a 17-year-old girl. He received the fine and a two-year community corrections order in July over the three incidents, which occurred in a home in the Sutherland Shire between 2018-2019. On the last occasion, De Frenza told the teenager 'the boys like your a*** you have a really good a*** you're very cheeky', agreed facts heard in court stated, the St George Shire Standard reported. Mario De Frenza, the owner of MAXD & Co salon in Sydney's shire is appealing his $5,000 fine after indecently assaulting a teenage girl The 42-year-old also massaged the girl's bottom after she came back from a run. She was only wearing shorts without any underwear. On another occasion he slapped her on her buttocks. '(In the first incident) the accused made a pinching gesture then walked towards the complainant,' the agreed facts stated. 'As the accused approached the complainant, she turned her back to protect herself, and the accused has pinched the complainant on the nipples.' De Frenza was due to face Downing Centre District Court to appeal his fine on Monday. He was unable to contact the 17-year-old for 18 months as part of his AVO. The hairdresser had also worked for L'Oreal for 20 years. United States International University-Africa (USIU) is a dream institution for many learners worldwide. The USIU online university courses, quality of education, and flexible modes of study are some of the reasons why it receives an overwhelming number of applications each year. Image: instagram.com, @usiuafrica Source: UGC Online courses in Kenya have been fully embraced, thanks to ever-advancing technology. Numerous universities in the country if not all, have adopted the online mode of study to train many students. One of the institutions that have efficiently embraced online learning is USIU-Africa. USIU online university courses Kenya USIU-Africa is well-equipped with a robust I.C.T. infrastructure that is efficiently utilized by faculty, students, and staff. The Directorate of e-learning provided a trajectory for rapid adoption of technology for teaching and learning, both remotely and locally. With many people embracing technology, USIU has taken advantage of this new development to strategize. Its strategic plan emphasizes the need for the institution to expand, maintain and optimally use physical facilities and technology. READ ALSO: List of all KMTC certificate courses offered in 2020 Blackboard Learn is one way the university has adopted the use of technology. All active classes in a semester at USIU- Africa have a corresponding Blackboard course shell. Through the use of this platform, students can access dynamic academic products and services. USIU university courses 2020/2021 The United States International University offers a range of courses to its learners. During these Coronavirus pandemic times, all USIU university courses are being offered via the online mode, which is convenient for most students. The institution offers both undergraduate and graduate programs. Undergraduate courses at USIU Are you looking for USIU IST course list? The institution offers several undergraduate programs. The courses are categorized depending on the school and department they fall under. Below is the list of all the undergraduate programs at the United States International University: Bachelor of Arts in Animation Bachelor of Arts in Film Production and Directing Bachelor of Science in Biostatistics and Epidemiology Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice Bachelor of Arts in International Relations Bachelor of Arts in Psychology Bachelor of Arts in Journalism Bachelor of Science in Accounting Bachelor of Science in Finance Bachelor of Science in Hotel and Restaurant management Bachelor of Science in International Business Administration Bachelor of Science in Information systems and Technology Bachelor of Science in Tourism Management Bachelor of Science in applied computer technology Bachelor in Pharmacy USIU requirements for the undergraduate degree All applicants are subjected to a thorough screening process to ensure that they meet the requirements before admission. The screening is based on the overall and subject performance at the secondary level. The minimum grade an applicant should have is a C+ at KCSE or G.P.A. of 2.50 in 12th grade (U.S. High School Diploma). Postgraduate courses at USIU You can also pursue your postgraduate degree at USIU. There are various options both at the doctoral and masters levels. Image: instagram.com, @usiuafrica Source: UGC Masters courses offered at USIU include: M.A. in Clinical Psychology M.A. in Communication Studies M.A. in Counseling Psychology M.A. in International Relations M.A. in Marriage & Family Therapy M.Sc. in Management and Organization Development Master of Business Administration M.Sc. in Information Systems and Technology USIU requirements for a masters degree Baccalaureate degree or its equivalence from an accredited institution with a G.P.A. of 2.5 or better. READ ALSO: SUA online application registration, process, fees for 2020/2021 Doctoral courses offered by United States International University include: Doctor of Psychology (Psy D), Clinical Psychology Doctor of Philosophy in International Relations Doctor of Business Administration Requirements for pursuing doctoral programs at USIU Applicants must possess a graduate degree in the same discipline in which they want to pursue a doctoral degree. How much is the tuition fee at USIU? The United States International University is undoubtedly one of the most expensive institutions. However, because of the quality education offered there, many people are willing to go deeper into their pockets to enrol. Tuition fee varies depending on the course one is studying and whether you are a local or international student. Non-East African students pay 30% above local rates for tuition and all mandatory charges. Has USIU reduced tuition fees during the pandemic? The United States International University has not reduced tuition fee for it students. However, considering that learning is being done online, some of the mandatory fees - medical centre fee (Ksh 2000) and student activities fee (Ksh 1000) have been eliminated. I.T. and laboratory fees, which are there for specific programs, will be charged depending on the need of the course. USIU course application Applying to study at the USIU is simple. You can download the application form from the institution's website, fill it manually, and then drop it at the institution's offices. You can also apply online. Image: instagram.com, @usiuafrica Source: UGC USIU online application is fast and straightforward. With access to the internet, follow these steps. Visit the USIU online application website. Fill in the details required (Level, program, and personal details). Pay a non-refundable fee of 3000 Kenyan Shillings or 50 US dollars and upload all the required documents. Check the Agree with the terms and conditions box. Click on Finish. Alternatively, you can download the application form from the universities website. Scan all the required documents as per the course you are applying for, then send the application form and documents to admit@usiu.ac.ke. USIU's admission office will partially process your application and communicate through the email address or phone number you provided. READ ALSO: Gretsa University - Courses, fee structure, admission requirements USIU features Studying at the United States International University has metamorphosed over time. Today, the institution boast of fantastic features that have taken learning experience to a whole new level. These features include the USIU home portal and the Blackboard Learn. USIU home portal The United States International University has a well-established student portal. The platform provides you with links that you can use to access academic information, school and departments, and other vital information. Both formal and prospective students can access the portal. You need to create an account and log in to perform certain academic functions. Blackboard Learn USIU Blackboard Learn is part of the USIU home portal. It is a robust platform providing access to dynamic academic products and services. The site is an interestingly reliable digital program built on sustainability and accessibility. It seeks to offer an inclusive experience for all learners, thus enabling them to attain set goals. Learners must register for an account to access Blackboard Learn content. The registration procedure is simple, and it involves the following steps. Visit USIU home portal. Locate Blackboard Learn link on the left side of the page and click on it. Click on Register here and a Google form will appear. Fill in your registration details. Check the Agree with the terms and conditions box. Click on Submit. Students with active Blackboard Learn accounts can log in and have unlimited access to learning resources. It is a fantastic revision platform that will help you excel in your Continuous Assessment Tests (C.A.T.s) and end of semester examinations. USIU online university courses have been made accessible thanks to their elaborated and advanced e-learning portal. USIU Blackboard, for example, remains the leading e-learning tool that is driving this great learning institution across the borders. You can always visit the institution's website or call to get more informed about the online programs. Tuko.co.ke published an article on MUHAS online application. The Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences is one of the best medical schools in Tanzania. It began in 1963 and has significantly grown into one of the best centres of higher learning in Tanzania. MUHAS main speciality areas range from Dentistry, Nursing, Pharmacy, Public Health, Laboratory Science, Traditional Medicine and some other Allied Sciences at both undergraduate and postgraduate. READ ALSO: USIU portal - How to login, admissions, application, courses schedule Kenya Methodist University fee structure for 2020 Source: TUKO.co.ke Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, whose death has opened a crucial Supreme Court seat that Republican President Donald Trump has promised to quickly and controversially fill against the wishes of Democrats, will lie in repose beginning Wednesday at the US high court. Trump will announce his pick to replace Ginsburg Saturday, with Senate Republicans promising a swift vote on the nominee. Democratic opponents, led by presidential candidate Joe Biden, however, are demanding that the process wait until after the November 3 election, when it will be known whether Trump is getting a second term. Republicans are ignoring this, giving Trump, who has already replaced two other justices, a chance to tilt the nation's highest court to the right for decades to come, whether he beats Biden or not. Speaking Tuesday at a campaign rally in Moon Township, Pennsylvania, Trump said he would reveal his nominee at 5:00 pm (2100 GMT) on Saturday at the White House. "We're going to pick a great woman," he said to chants of "Fill that seat!" from the crowd. "We have great support from the Republican Party." Trump indicated he would hold off on announcing his choice until the end of the week out of respect for the memorial services for Ginsburg. The progressive justice will lie in repose at the Supreme Court on Wednesday and Thursday then on Friday will become the first woman to lie in state at the US Capitol. Trump has pledged to choose a woman to replace Ginsburg -- who died last week -- for the lifetime post. Leaders of the Republican majority in the Senate, which is tasked with confirming court nominees, said they had enough support to hold a vote on the nomination either before the election or at worst during the "lame-duck" session between the election and the inauguration of the next president in January. "We will certainly do that this year," Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell said. Story continues Although two Republican senators said they believed the upper chamber of Congress should not vote at all before the election, the party's 53-47 majority is still just big enough to go ahead. One of the other key potential Republican holdouts, frequent Trump critic Mitt Romney, said Tuesday he would move ahead with the process. "If the nominee reaches the Senate floor, I intend to vote based upon their qualifications," Romney said. Trump welcomed what he called a "very positive statement" by Romney, who was the only Republican senator to vote for impeaching the president. "Thank you Mitt," he said. - 'Abuse of power' - Democrats argue that any Senate vote should be delayed until after the election has made clear who will lead the country from 2021. They cite the example of 2016 when Democratic president Barack Obama's nominee to replace justice Antonin Scalia months before the election did not even get a hearing in the Republican-controlled Senate. "Why should the American people trust the Republican senators to do anything they say when they are proving right now that their speeches mean nothing the moment the shoe is on the other foot," the Democratic leader in the Senate, Chuck Schumer, said. Republicans say that with their control of the White House and the Senate right now, they have the right to fill court seats at any time they wish. Adding to tensions, there is fear that leaving Ginsburg's seat unfilled -- reducing the court to eight justices -- raises the possibility of a 4-4 tie in the event of rulings related to election disputes. Trump's Saturday announcement will set the clock ticking on what is likely to be a contentious fight in Congress as Republicans push to get the nominee confirmed at an unusually quick pace. White House spokeswoman Kayleigh McEnany told reporters "we certainly believe we can" get the entire approval process done ahead of the election. Although Democrats have no way of stopping the procedure, they will seek to inflict political pain on the Republicans over what Biden called an "abuse of power." As the battle lines were drawn over the court, Cindy McCain, the widow of the late senator John McCain, a Republican but frequent Trump opponent, threw her support behind Biden. "My husband John lived by a code: country first," she said in a statement. "We are Republicans, yes, but Americans foremost. sms-cl-bfm/leg Mayor Yolanda Ford and Missouri City Council members approved next years city budget by a 4-3 vote at a virtual meeting held Monday, Sept. 21. Funding for a new $1.7 million economic development incentive program that aims to benefit women- and minority-owned businesses in the Texas Parkway and Cartwright Corridor area was approved as part of the budget measure. Rosa Rios Valdez, president and CEO of BCL of Texas, a non-profit organization that specializes in business, consumer and mortgage lending with offices in Austin and Dallas, outlined pans for the new program during a special meeting prior to the vote. You know $1.5 million is not very much money to invest in your minority entrepreneurs and not many cities are doing that so its a commitment to your local businesses, especially minority entrepreneurs, that are growing and youre helping them to secure assets and strengthen their business, Valdez said during a question-and-answer sessions following her presentation. The question of whether business owners would be offered forgivable loans or direct grants became the source of some confusion after Councilmember Jeffrey L. Boney questioned if the new program would be funded via the citys general fund account. Whether the funds were from the general fund or a tax abatement or other types of alternate funding didnt necessarily matter, since all were public funds, city manager Odis Jones said. It doesnt matter which incentive youre using, youre still using public dollars that otherwise wouldve come to your general fund coffer and theyre being redeployed to drive more private investment in a targeted way and here were doing the same thing, Jones said and told the council details were still being finalized for the program. The approved budget measures provides a one-time $1.7 million allocation from the general fund to provide start-up costs of $200,000 and $1.5 million for economic development incentives for business in the Grand Parkway and Cartwright Corridor area, which Jones said has declined in value in recent years. Council member Cheryl Sterling voiced her support. Its time for us to do something for Texas Parkway and Cartwright, she said. Ford also voiced her support for the proposal. One of the things that has been asked in the community for years and years is to try and revitalize those corridors, she said. In past years there has been very little effort beyond tax abatements that were done to really try and help this corridor and the business owners. The workshop discussion ended with comments by local business owner Hugh Tillman, who owns and operates a Jamba Juice store with his wife in the Sienna area. From my perspective, whether its a grant, whether its a forgivable loan, it doesnt matter. My concern is that something happens and happens fairly quickly, Tillman said and mentioned he knew several fellow Missouri City business owners who were on the verge of going out of business currently due to COVID-19 closures. Whatever it is, it just needs to happen and happen quickly. Council approves budget During the regular meeting public comments, several additional residents voiced support for the economic development incentive program, including Darryl Austin, owner of Sugars Cajun Cuisine. My business has been ravaged by the pandemic; Im just barely holding on and this assistance would be a lifeblood. Small businesses fuel this economy from employees to the taxes to the money that is recirculated in the economy of Missouri City, Austin said, and urged Ford and the council to approve the proposal. Director of Financial Services Allena Portis outlined the proposed budget which will draw down the citys general fund reserves next year by roughly $3.5 million. Portis said the ending balance will be within the current budget guidelines and therefore wouldnt affect the citys credit rating. Budget documents indicate sales tax revenues increased 14.5 percent over the last year due to various factors thought to be related to an increased number of residents shopping locally during the recent COVID-19 stay-at-home orders. the citys unemployment rate also increased over the last year going from 3.9 percent last February to 14.4 percent in April. Expenditures from the FY 2020 budget total $151.6 million and are expected to exceed revenues of $136.5 million by approximately $15 million. Personnel costs will total roughly $37.7 million, an increase of roughly $2.2 million over last years estimated total of $35.5 million. Expenditures for professional and contracted services total $34.9 million, an increase of approximately $16 million from the estimated FY2020 total of $18.9 million. One-time expenditures include $1.8 million for a sidewalk replacement program, $1.275 million for technology equipment replacements, $200,000 for a new public safety radio room, $100,000 for costs related to addressing operational inefficiencies and ten new city vehicles to include a new street sweeper and an aerial lift and chipper truck for the citys parks department Concerns raised during last years city survey related to lack of communication with city residents translated into increased funding for the communications department via the additiona of a new full-time writer position and a new management position to oversee that persons work among other tasks. The staffing increases plus an additional $300,00for professional services contracts and other adjustments increased the departments staffing from nine to 11 full-time employees. The departments overall department increased by more than $440,000 next year to approximately $1.3 million, up from the $841,247 estimated as last years communications department. We shouldnt be looking to increase our budget for full-time employees. Who knows what is going to come down in the next six months to a year? Councilmember Floyd Emery said, citing concerns unexpected expenses related to COVID-19 could cause the city to use up its reserve funds. Ford countered that the problems with the communications department shouldnt be ignored. We have surveys that have said citizens are asking for better communication. I think this is something we should address and not just turn a blind eye to it, Ford said. Council member Jeffrey L. Boney voiced support for programs that would help businesses on Texas Parkway but shared his concerns the small business economic development incentive program as currently presented wasnt a well-thought out plan. Attempting to capitalize on the disappointments in the hopes of a community-based (organization) with no concrete vision, no concrete plans and asking us to just throw money at it and hoping for the best, is not a plan and is not a vision, Boney said. The proposed budget was approved 4-3 with Ford, Councilmembers Sterling, Vashaundra Edwards and Chris Preston voting in favor. Voting in opposition were Councilmembers Boney, Emery and Anthony Maroulis. knix@hcnonline.com There is a long history behind the decision by the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) to sever ties with the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). According to Hindustan Times sister publication Hindustan, SAD was upset over being ignored by the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government at the Centre. There are close to half a dozen instances where SAD didn't get the expected sport from its long-time ally. The most recent one was the move by the Centre to make Kashmiri, Dogri and Hindi the official languages of Jammu and Kashmir. SAD wanted Punjabi to be included in the list, since there is a substantial chunk of Punjabi speaking people in the region. The partys chief Sukhbir Singh Badal even wrote a letter to Prime Minister Minister Narendra Modi, but the the request was not taken into account, said Hindustan. SAD leader and Rajya Sabha MP Naresh Gujral told Hindustan that it was not a big issue, and logical too, but the partys request was ignored. Similarly, the Lok Sabha passed the interstate river water dispute (Amendment) bill despite SAD being opposed to it. The bill seeks to resolve river water disputes within a stipulated time period. SAD feels it that the water meant for Punjab can go to other states. However, the bill has to still receive Rajya Sabha nod. Another reason for the split, according to Hindustan, is lone SAD lawmaker in Haryana Balkaur Singh joining the BJP. The party blames the BJP for it, and feels the rules of the alliance were broken. There were differences between the two during last years Lok Sabha elections also. SAD wanted to contest on Amritsar and Hoshiarpur seats, but the BJP didnt agree to it. The SAD has also complained that the Centre never took advice from party patron Parkash Singh Badal, who it says is the tallest farmer leader. The leaders in SAD have also said that though they were the oldest constituent of the NDA, they were never consulted on important issues in the last few years. The SAD also said that NDA parties meet before a Parliament session, but those meetings are strictly about the agenda of the session, according to Hindustan. The 19-year-old Dalit woman, who was raped by four men in Uttar Pradesh's Hathras district, was shifted to All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Delhi on Monday after her condition showed no signs of improvement. The woman was gangraped a fortnight ago, following which she was admitted to the AMU's Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College and Hospital. The accused had also tried to strangulate her to death as she resisted their attempt and in the process, she had also ended up biting her tongue and suffering a severe cut on it. Her condition continues to remain critical and she is still on ventilator, Dr Harris Manzur Khan, the superintendent of JNMC, told PTI. A spokesman of the hospital said that the woman's legs have been completely paralysed and arms partially paralysed. After her family members expressed their desire to take her to Delhi, she was referred to AIIMS on Monday morning, he said. Bhim Army chief Chandrashekar Azad on Sunday night evaded police to reach JNMC to express 'solidarity' with the 19-year-old Dalit woman. Azad claimed that the brutal attack represents the deteriorating law and order situation in the state. "Policemen who have been negligent in this case should be duly punished and the woman's family members should be immediately provided security as they are feeling insecure and should be shifted to a safe spot," he said. He had also demanded financial assistance of Rs one crore for the woman's family. The Taiwanese experts, "Patient 1075" and "Patient 1076," 33 and 58 years old, had departed from Chinas Guangdong Province and arrived in Vietnam via the Huu Nghi Border Gate in Lang Son Province on September 18. They had been quarantined in the nearby Phu Tho Province. They tested negative for the novel coronavirus on September 19, but results of a second test released Monday showed they were positive. Indian "Patient 1077," 48, arrived in Hanoi September 13 and was immediately transferred to a centralized quarantine camp. His second test also was confirmed positive Monday. All three men are being treated at Hanois National Hospital for Tropical Diseases. With the latest additions, Vietnams Covid-19 tally has risen to 1,077 with 35 fatalities. Many of the 35 deaths were of elderly patients with underlying conditions like diabetes or kidney failure. Out of the currently active cases, 19 patients have tested negative for the virus at least once. Over 16,000 are in quarantine at present. The country has gone 26 days with no community transmission of the virus. The Covid-19 pandemic has claimed over a million lives globally. India is nearing the conclusion of the fourth stage of nationwide Unlock, which will come to an end on September 30. Unlock 4, which began on September 1, saw the central government give various significant relaxations like resumption of Metro services for the first time since late March, and partial reopening of schools for classes 9-12. Now, with the fifth stage of Unlock set to begin from October 1, speculations are mounting over new relaxations that the Centre may allow. Last week, in his virtual meet with chief ministers of seven worst-affected states, prime minister Narendra Modi suggested steps be undertaken for implementation of the idea of micro-containment zones. With festive season round the corner, there are expectations Centre would open up more activities for Unlock 5. Heres what to expect: Economic activities: While the Ministry of home affairs (MHA) had allowed public places like malls, salons, restaurants and gyms to open with restrictions, more economic activities are likely to be allowed from October with physical distancing. In his meeting with the chief ministers, PM Modi had stressed on reassessing containments and lockdowns in a way that curbs Covid-19 spread. However, he had further said because of this, economic activities should not face problems. Also Watch l Covid-19: India crosses 6 million mark, last million in just 11 days Cinema Halls: Despite fervent appeals by the Multiplex Association of India, the MHA had given permission only for open-air theatres to resume operations, from September 21. However, in August, Amit Khare, secretary, Information and broadcasting ministry, had given the home ministry a sitting arrangement formula for movie theatres. As per the plan, alternate seats in the first row and the next were to be kept vacant in order to maintain social distancing. Also, on Saturday, West Bengal became the first state to allow theatres and cinema halls to open from October 1. Tourism: The sector, one of the worst-hit due to the Covid-19 lockdown, recently witnessed some recovery with the reopening of tourist destinations, including Taj Mahal. It is likely to see more recovery during Unlock 5 as more tourism centres and tourist places may open their doors for travellers. Recently, the Uttarakhand government gave tourists permission to enter the state without any institutional quarantine. Schools, colleges reopening: Several schools and colleges across the country reopened from September 21 for students from class 9-12, on voluntary basis, and it is expected to continue for the next month. However, according to people aware of developments, primary classes will continue to stay closed for a few more weeks. Universities and colleges, meanwhile, have already started their admission tests and the new academic year may begin via online classes. P olice and Covid marshals are stepping up patrols on Londons transport network to crackdown on passengers not wearing face coverings. Officers will be paired with high-vis railway staff to conduct spot checks on services run by Great Northern, Southeastern, Southern and Thameslink across the capital. Those who refuse to don a mask and do not leave the railway, unless exempt, will be issued fines. It comes after official figures showed less than 0.1 per cent of maskless passengers were fined last month across the UKs rail network. Marshals will join BTP officers on the patrols / Thameslink/Rail Delivery Group As of September 24, BTP officers have stopped 54,175 people to remind them of the rules, asked 3,842 people to leave the railway and issued 81 fixed penalties. Last week, the government doubled the starting fine for mask flouters to 200 and raised the maximum penalty for repeat offenders to 6,400. A series of rows have broken out when offenders have been confronted. Last month, police in Berkshire said a train passenger was head-butted and repeatedly punched in the face for asking a fellow passenger to wear a face mask. The new pilot scheme, by the four major train companies and British Transport Police, launched patrols on Monday and will run until November 22. It could become a more permanent feature. Chief Superintendent Martin Fry, of BTP, said: We know that the majority of people want to do the right thing and comply with the law, playing their part in protecting each other by wearing face coverings, not only on trains, but also in stations. Those who do comply with the law, or are exempt, have no need to worry. However, there is a minority who deliberately flaunt the law. This not only needlessly makes passengers nervous about travelling, it puts lives at risk. Steve White, chief operating officer for Govia Thameslink Railway, said: We all need to wear face coverings in stations and on trains unless exempt, to protect those around us. Face coverings mandatory on public transport as lockdown eases 1 /22 Face coverings mandatory on public transport as lockdown eases Nigel Howard Jeremy Selwyn Daniel Hambury PA PA Nigel Howard Nigel Howard Jeremy Selwyn Daniel Hambury Jeremy Selwyn Jeremy Selwyn Nigel Howard Jeremy Selwyn Jeremy Selwyn Jeremy Selwyn Nigel Howard Nigel Howard This exercise with the British Transport Police will help reinforce that message to the small minority who perhaps dont think it matters. Robert Nisbet, of the Rail Delivery Group, the industry body for train companies, said the scheme would "ensure people can travel with confidence. A Washington D.C. committee reporting to Democratic Mayor Muriel E. Bowser earlier this month put forward a proposal for the renaming of dozens of public schools, parks and government buildings in the US capital, removing the names of historical figures, who, the committee states, do not reflect contemporary D.C. values. The task force, the District of Columbia Facilities and Commemorative Expressions Working Group (DCFACES), cited 49 D.C. sites named after a wide array of historical figures, including founding fathers Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin and the abolitionist James Birney; presidents, including Andrew Jackson and Woodrow Wilson; the composer of the American national anthem, Francis Scott Key; inventor Alexander Graham Bell; and a number of lesser known figures connected to the history of Washington D.C. The initial report also called for the adding of additional context, in the form of plaques, to eight federal locales, including the Washington Monument and the Jefferson Memorial. The suggestion was withdrawn from the report after right-wing criticism from the Trump White House, which poses as the defender of the legacy of the American Revolution. In what must be taken as a warning to Washingtons working class, these public buildings and spaces are referred to throughout the report as assets. The name choice is not incidental. Today Bowser aims to liquidate the names of places. Tomorrow she may liquidate the places themselves. Those individuals slated for erasure stand accused by DCFACES of engaging in at least one of several disqualifying histories, including participation in slavery, systemic racism, mistreatment of, or actions that suppressed equality for, persons of color, women and LGBTQ communities and violation of the DC Human Right [sic] Act. The report does not concern itself with the patently anti-historical character of these charges. Slavery existed as an institution going back to the ancient world, millennia before the American Revolution placed a question mark over it and the Civil War ultimately destroyed it. Concepts such as systemic racism and euphemisms for contemporary identity groups such as persons of color and LGBTQ have emerged only in very recent times. As a factual matter, none of these historical figures could be in violation of the DC Human Rights Act, as the report claims, as that code went on the books only in 1977. The Washington Post interviewed a Seton Hall University philosopher, Travis Timmerman, who summed up the anachronistic moralizing behind this campaign. Theyre going after historical figures that by and large have gotten a pass previously for their moral transgressions, Timmerman said. Thomas Jefferson, for instance, was a vicious slaveholder. But most people think of him as the primary author of the Declaration of Independence. If people become more aware of his moral shortcomings, and thats what they think of when they see Jeffersons statue or a school named after him, well, then it becomes harmful. Professor Timmermans own high moral standing includes recent publication of a philosophy paper titled Sometimes there is nothing wrong with letting a child drown. The moral bona fides of the DCFACES committee fare little better. It is headed by millionaire Beverly Perry, formerly a corporate lobbyist for the utilities giant Pepco, which in 2011 was named the most hated company in America owing to poor reliability, power outages and overcharging. During Perrys tenure with the corporation, Pepco was responsible for thousands of utility shutoffs. The committees work, much like the attack on historical monuments that came in the wake of the police murder of George Floyd, is based on a crude historical amalgam, equating revolutionary figures such as Jefferson and Franklin with reactionary figures such as the demagogue Andrew Jackson and the imperialist Woodrow Wilson. While the removal of Jacksons or Wilsons names from schools will do nothing to improve living conditions for those in Washington D.C., one of the nations poorest big citiesmuch less do anything to clarify the historical significance of these figuresthe ongoing attack on Jefferson, the American Revolution and the Civil War is of a far more sinister character. Jefferson was the main author of the Declaration of Independence, arguably the most famous revolutionary document in history. Written in an age dominated by kings and feudal lords, when the minds of the people were subjugated by superstition, the Declaration made the case for human equality and enshrined the right of the people to overthrow their government by force if necessary. Despite being a slave owner, Jefferson publicly opposed slavery and took steps in the years following the Revolution to undermine the institution. The 1787 Northwest Ordinance, inspired by Jefferson, banned slavery in what is now the Midwest. As president he moved to abolish the international slave trade, making it a crime to import or export slaves from abroad. However, exemplifying the contradictions of his time Jefferson was never able to separate himself from the institution despite his personal abhorrence of slavery. Even more astonishing is the inclusion of names of Franklin and Birney for liquidation. Franklin was a founder of the anti-slavery movement in the United States that emerged out of the American Revolution, first known as the Pennsylvania Society for Promoting the Abolition of Slavery in 1774, which he formed with Benjamin Rush. He referred to slavery as a source of serious evils and in the years following the Revolution, Franklin wrote a number of essays calling for the abolition of slavery and the integration of blacks into society. Like Jefferson, Franklin was a major American figure of the Enlightenment and was arguably one of the most brilliant individuals of his time. He was renowned not just for his political and philosophical work, but also for his pioneering contributions in the field of science. Yet even though Franklin became the Revolutions most famous critic of slavery, he also owned slavesperhaps seven in the course of his long life. For this his name is to be removed from a school. Birney was a southerner who courageously opposed slaveryand at great personal risk. Originally a member of the American Colonization Societywhich called for a solution to the problem of slavery by sending freed blacks to AfricaBirney repudiated their tenets and in 1834 freed his remaining slaves, declaring himself an abolitionist. In 1836 the printing press for his abolitionist newspaper, which was distributed in Kentucky, was destroyed by pro-slavery rioters. Birney ran in 1840 as the presidential candidate for the Liberty Party, a political formation that played a crucial role in bringing anti-slavery politics to a mass audience. However, because Birney allegedly did not conform to modern day standards of gender equality his name is to be removed from an elementary school. Ultimately, the disqualifying history that draws all of these figures together is that they are all, as the report notes, white men. The committee complains that its research revealed that more than 70 percent of assets named in the District of Columbia are named for white men, many of whom were not District residents. It explains that in replacing these names, Priority should be placed on ensuring future assets, especially and including those recommended for renaming by this Working Group, include more women, people of color and LGBTQ Washingtonians. Remarkably, while Mayor Bowser targets for liquidation from public remembrance Jefferson, Franklin and Birney, she has set about memorializing the disgraced late mayor Marion Barry, who was black. In 2018, Bowser unveiled a statue of Barry outside the Washington City Council building. In April 2020, Bowser signed and designated 441 4th Street NWalso known as One Judiciary Squareas the Marion S. Barry Building. Barry served as mayor from 1979 to 1991, and again from 1995 to 1999. As a proponent of black political power, Barry followed a generation of black civic leadersincluding Coleman Young in Detroit, Harold Washington in Chicago and Carl Stokes in Clevelandwho were associated with diverting explosive class tensions and redirecting them behind the race-based bourgeois politics of the Democratic Party. In doing so, these path-breaking figures made many individuals rich, even as they oversaw unprecedented poverty, industrial collapse and police brutality. In 2012, revealing his own personal backwardness, Barry publicly made racist remarks against Asian-Americans, saying Weve got to do something about these Asians coming in, opening up businesses, those dirty shops. He went on to suggest that they be replaced with black-owned businesses. But Barry, unlike Jefferson or Franklin, actually did reflect contemporary D.C. values. He was a part of and helped to cultivate the corrupt social layer to which Bowser and her ilk belong. In honoring him and whitewashing his thoroughly crooked history, Bowser is promoting the material interests of her circle, who seek to continue the same plundering, albeit in a less flamboyant manner. A family on a kayaking trip were forced to dodge dozens of potentially deadly monkeys that had dive-bombed into the river in front of them. Cheyenne Sosebee was paddling through the Silver Springs State Park in Ocala, Florida, with her family on September 20 when she spotted marauding rhesus macaques overhead. The 28-year-old had just kayaked away from the tree that the primates started to leap from only seconds later. Video footage taken by the stay-at-home mother shows the monkeys throwing themselves from a tree and into the water below. One-by-one the monkeys dive-bomb into the river during the bizarre display, fearlessly launching themselves almost to the opposite side of the river. Cheyenne Sosebee was kayaking at Silver Springs State Park in Ocala, Florida, with her family on September 20 when marauding rhesus macaques began jumping from a tree above them The rhesus monkeys, which are native to southeast Asia, carry herpes B which can be potentially fatal to humans Rangers are heard warning people to 'move away from the monkeys, you don't want them to attack you' as Ms Sosebee continues to film the primates splashing into the river. Around 30 per cent of the species carry herpes B, which is potentially fatal to humans, but it is unlikely to spread from the monkeys, according to WDBO. Ms Sosebee said: 'Before we moved our kayak away from their tree, I was worried about them landing on us. I certainly wouldn't want them in my boat. Seconds after we moved, they started jumping. 'I didn't want them jumping into my boat or pooping on me. I learned years ago they can carry a herpes b virus, which can be fatal to humans. 'I knew they could swim but I had no idea they dive-bombed the water from the top of trees and with babies on their backs.' The monkeys travel by jumping from tree-to-tree but often leap from trees into the water below to reach the other side of a river. The agile primates are able to propel themselves the majority of the way across the river, allowing them to swim the short distance to the opposite bank. Rhesus macaques also enjoy jumping from heights and diving into water just for fun, according to the 2014 BBC documentary Monkey Planet. Ms Sosebee said that she had never heard about monkeys jumping into the water before and said it was 'fun' to watch from a safe distance. Ms Sosebee videoed the agile primates propelling themselves from a tree (left) and into the river below (right) to quickly travel from one side of the bank to the other She added: 'I was the first one to notice them, they were running on the bank and I saw them in the trees above us, as soon as I got my camera they started jumping. Rangers warned people to 'move away from the monkeys, you don't want them to attack you' as Ms Sosebee, who was with her children (daughter above), filmed the animals 'I'm assuming they were jumping to get to the other side for foraging. I saw them later walking around the park eating plants. 'I have always loved this park, so seeing the monkeys crossing was a real incredible treat for me and my family. 'I have never seen them jumping into the water or that many at once. 'I have been to Silver Springs many times since I was a kid, but was lucky if I saw maybe one or two. The monkeys are so small but them hitting the water was so loud in person.' The rhesus monkeys are native to southeast Asia and only six arrived in Florida in 1938 during a failed attempt to create a Tarzan-themed attraction on a small island in the park. The animals have since spread across Silver Springs State Park, which measures around 5,000 acres. The primates live in forests close to water and can leap up to five metres. They are strong swimmers to enable them to access food and avoid predators. New York City officials are facing renewed controversy after unveiling their plan to relocate homeless men from a luxury hotel on the Upper West Side to another hotel near Wall Street. The city's Department of Homeless Services (DHS) announced on Friday that roughly 300 people living at a makeshift shelter in the Lucerne Hotel will be moved to a Radisson hotel in the Financial District after Upper West Side residents complained about drug use and lewd displays taking over their streets. Over the past month Mayor Bill de Blasio has gone back and forth about how to address backlash surrounding his decision to place some 13,000 of the city's homeless population in hotels that were left empty as the coronavirus crisis disrupted tourism. The move was meant to protect the homeless people, many of whom suffer from mental illness and addiction, safe during the pandemic. But many residents living near hotels-turned-shelters voiced outrage over the initiative, saying that the growing homeless populations diminished their security and quality of life. The Upper West Side emerged as a flashpoint of the debate as some residents demanded that the homeless be removed from the Lucerne while others insisted they be allowed to stay. At the beginning of last week, de Blasio reversed an earlier decision to transfer the homeless out of the Lucerne, but by the end of the week he apparently changed his mind again with the latest DHS plan. The mayor's office is now fielding new criticism from residents of the Financial District who say they felt blindsided by the relocation of homeless to their area. New York City's Department of Homeless Services announced on Friday that roughly 300 people living at a makeshift shelter in the Lucerne Hotel will be moved to a Radisson hotel in the Financial District (pictured) after Upper West Side residents complained about drug use and lewd displays taking over their streets A group of presumably homeless people pass around a bottle of alcohol out in the open at the corner of W 79th Street and Broadway in the Upper West Side earlier this month amid outrage from locals who said Mayor Bill de Blasio's move to house homeless in hotels had led to their streets being overrun by drug use and public lewdness Critics formed a Facebook group called 'Downtown NYCers for Safe Streets' shortly after the DHS announced its plan to convert the Radisson on William Street into the area's first-ever traditional shelter. 'We believe that our residents should have been notified in advance of this possibility and now that it has been agreed to without our knowledge, we need to make our voices heard,' the page description reads. One post on the page provides members with a template to raise their concerns with city leaders. The template highlights a number of schools and neighborhoods in the area as an argument for why it isn't a good fit for the shelter. Over the past month de Blasio (pictured) has gone back and forth about how to address backlash surrounding his decision to place some 13,000 of the city's homeless population in hotels 'I am extremely concerned for the safety and welfare of my family and for my community given the reports coming out of the Lucerne hotel this past summer,' the template states. 'Please don't permit the move on October 5. At the very least the move should be delayed to give the local community, which is already dealing with an increase in crime and unstable people in the street and in the subway, due notice. 'Many people in the neighborhood are organizing and will be taking this to the press and to court, if necessary.' Another post on the page suggests that the group should hire the same lawyer who helped another group on the Upper West Side - the West Side Community Organization - in their fight to remove people from the Lucerne. The post asks members whether they would be interested in pooling funds to retain services from the lawyer, Randy Mastro. Two Financial District residents voiced their concerns in letters to the editor of the Tribeca Tribune as well. 'We FiDi mothers have been the pioneers in raising families in what was once a primarily business/tourist destination. We will not stand quietly while the administration imposes such a blatantly dangerous situation on our families,' a woman named Vicki Raikes wrote. 'I have great compassion for the homeless but moving them in a few blocks from my son where drug use was clear is not appropriate,' another woman, who identified herself as 'A FiDi Mom', wrote. 'These human beings deserve help not a hotel room with no medical and no counseling. And residents deserve to raise their kids without fear of witnessing drug use and homeless individuals who are ill screaming day and night (oh yes 4am) yelling obscenities on every corner. 'They are ill, they need help not a hotel.' Many Upper West Side residents living near the Lucerne hotel voiced outrage over the move to turn it into a shelter, saying the growing homeless population in their neighborhood diminished their security and quality of life. Pictured: A group of homeless people gather at the corner of W 79th Street and Broadway on September 3 A homeless man sleeps on a chair at the corner of W 80th Street and Broadway in the Upper West Side earlier this month Meanwhile the West Side Community Organization (WSCO) applauded the new DHS plan, saying that housing homeless at the Lucerne was always meant to be a temporary action to slow the spread of COVID-19. For weeks the WSCO has argued that quality of life in the neighborhood has suffered ever since the Lucerne was transformed into a shelter due to the pandemic. The plan drew a very different response from another Upper West Side group, the UWS Open Hearts initiative, which called the displacement a form of 'segregation'. Supporters of UWS Open Hearts staged a protest outside the Lucerne alongside hotel residents on Sunday to decry the plan. 'Neighborhoods are resources: Neighborhoods are jobs, are community support, are networks, are engines of economic opportunity. And when you exclude a group of people from neighborhoods to keep it for yourself and people who look like you, you ensure resources stay in the hands of the powerful,' protest leader Corinne Low told the small crowd. UWS Open Hearts also published a statement from an anonymous homeless person living at the Lucerne. 'What I think bothers me so much is the relationship we built this far,' they wrote. 'We residents have never experienced such warmth and respect. This is not the norm for any of us. Many of us have fractured relationship with family and friends. This is one of the reasons why we're experiencing homelessness. 'To have a community come out with open hearts was transformative in so many ways. It touched in ways that a thousand [Alcoholics Anonymous] meetings could never touch. Our hardened hearts became soft again and began to beat at a normal and healthy pace. 'Through the actions of Open Hearts Initiative we were able to know what it's like to be human again. Moving around is normal to us but being cut off from a lifeline of love is like a death sentence. The Mayor has sentenced us to a spiritual and moral, if not physical, death.' Upper West Side residents and supporters of UWS Open Hearts Initiative gathered at a news conference outside the Lucerne Hotel on Sunday to oppose DHS' latest relocation plan The UWS Open Hearts Initiative opposes transferring homeless men from the Lucerne, saying they had suffered enough On September 13, homeless advocates led by UWS Open Hearts staged a protest outside de Blasio's residence at Gracie Mansion after it emerged that the men living at Lucerne were being moved to the Harmonia shelter in Midtown, resulting in disabled residents of the Harmonia being displaced. One of the protesters held a sign which read: 'Because you are displacing 900 homeless NYers and think that 'shelters are better environments' please be advised that you will be transferred from Gracie Mansion to a homeless shelter.' The Department of Homeless Services only paused plans to move families accommodated at Harmonia after Legal Aid filed a lawsuit on their behalf. 'A lot of us are just trying, like I said, get on out feet and move on,' Harmonia resident Mario Charles told FOX5. On September 13, homeless advocates led by UWS Open Hearts staged a protest outside de Blasio's residence at Gracie Mansion after it emerged that the men living at Lucerne were being moved to the Harmonia shelter in Midtown A sign read: 'Because you are displacing 900 homeless NYers and think that "shelters are better environments" please be advised that you will be transferred from Gracie Mansion to a homeless shelter' The DHS said that it has no immediate plans to move residents from other hotels-turned-shelters, of which there are more than 60 across the city. 'We do not anticipate being in a position where Health experts say it is safe to relocate all the individuals experiencing homelessness who we serve back to congregate shelters by October,' the department said. However, officials have indicated that plans to relocate other shelters will be coming down the pipe later this fall. Roskomnadzor, the Russian federal authority responsible for the supervision of communications, information technology, and mass media in the country, has blacklisted Binance's website. Binance announced the news in its official Russian Telegram channel on Friday, saying that the exchange received a notification from Roskomnadzor on Thursday about the inclusion of Binance's website, www.binance.com, in the regulator's register for "containing information prohibited for distribution in Russia." Gleb Kostarev, director of Binance Russia, told The Block that the register is a list of "notable websites that have been blocked or censored in Russia, including current and past blocks." Binance said it has been placed in the register due to data distribution related to cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin. The Roskomnadzor register shows that Binance's website entered the list on June 2, while the "access is not limited," meaning the website can still be accessed in the country. Kostarev told The Block that the website can still be accessed "for now." The Block could not independently check via a VPN whether Binance's website is accessible. Binance said it has engaged with legal counsels for further advice. In the meanwhile, it continues to provide services to Russian users "in full and clients' funds are safe." As for the June inclusion, the exchange said it had not received any notifications from law enforcement agencies before Thursday. Binance offers trading in six coins BTC, ETH, XRP, BNB, BUSD, and USDT via Russian ruble deposits. This story has been updated to include comments from Gleb Kostarev, director of Binance Russia. 2020 The Block Crypto, Inc. All Rights Reserved. This article is provided for informational purposes only. It is not offered or intended to be used as legal, tax, investment, financial, or other advice. BRATISLAVA, Slovak Republic, Sept. 28, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- As the crypto event industry slowly starts to recover, Slovakia leads the way with SLOBLOCO, a blockchain congress organized by the mining platform Kelta, to be held near Bratislava in November 2020. Slovakia is one of the European countries with the lowest incidences of COVID-19: around 6,000 cases and only 3 9 deaths have been registered as of September 17. So it's only fitting that Slovakia's capital, Bratislava, will welcome one of the first post-lockdown crypto congresses: SLOBLOCO , scheduled for November 16-18, 2020. The event will be brought to the public by the blockchain investment platform Kelta Cube. The live-streamed event will bring together up to 50,000 online and offline participants from across the globe. SLOBLOCO will be held at the X-BIONIC Sphere Resort, a welcoming and luxurious congress space just 30 minutes from Bratislava. A focus on practical applications The key theme of the congress is the use of blockchain in everyday life and business, especially in the food and pharmaceutical industries. The speakers and guests will discuss aspects ranging from taxation, security, and legal issues in blockchain to trading, wallets, and crypto ATMs. Here are just a few of SLOBLOCO's partners: - Covidax - a biotech firm developing the first independent COVID-19 vaccine - Lyra - a premium chocolate brand that uses blockchain to monitor its production process - Marble C ards - a platform for creating and trading unique collectible ERC20 tokens based on real URLs - Crypto Heads - a fast-paced feature film about crypto trading - Lamassu Bitcoin Ventures - the manufacturer of the most affordable Bitcoin ATM on the market Apart from presentations by speakers, including a former Slovakian minister of finance, the event's program features an opening movie night with a showing of Crypto Heads, team-building activities and competitions with valuable prizes, and workshops where guests can meet with speakers in small groups and learn more about their products and services. Keynote speakers SLOBLOCO will feature some of the leading Central European experts on blockchain, finance, and business: 1) Ivan Miklos - former Slovakian deputy prime minister and minister of finance, one of the major figures in the economic transformation of Slovakia between 1992 and 2002. In 2004, he was named Best Minister of Finance of the Year by Euromoney and Top Business Reformer by the World Bank. Miklos served as the chief economic advisor to the prime minister of Ukraine and founded two think tanks: MESA10 and the Centre for Economic Strategy. At SLOBLOCO, he will talk about the challenges and opportunities offered by the COVID-19 pandemic. 2) George Mac - founder and CEO of the cryptocurrency mining platform Kelta Cube and a well-known Slovak entrepreneur. Mac has over 20 years of experience as a founder and executive of industrial, metallurgical, and telecom companies. 3) Ina Beckova - an expert on the taxation of cryptocurrency trading and mining income. 4) George Salapa - a digital securitization advisor and founder of the Swiss consulting firm bardicredit GmbH. His writing has been featured in Forbes, CCN, VentureBeats, and other leading financial media. At SLOBLOCO, George will speak on the first independent COVID-19 vaccine, crowdfunded using blockchain. About the organizer: Kelta Kelta is the first multi-cryptocurrency mining platform on the market. It allows users to lease hash power from the company's data centers to mine up to four cryptocurrencies simultaneously, generating a stable passive income of up to 135%. This system offers all the benefits of crypto mining without the maintenance costs. Kelta currently boasts over 6,500 users, who have collectively mined over 100,000 ETH since 2017. Both offline and online passes for SLOBLOCO are available, with offline tickets featuring a two-night accommodation at X-BIONIC Sphere Resort. To purchase a pass or learn more about the event program, visit https://slobloco.com/. Media contacts Company: SLOBLOCO Contact: George Mac E-mail: support@slobloco.com Website: https://slobloco.com/ Telephone number: +421917222699 The Legal and Finance Committee will hear the first reading of an urban hen ordinance at its meeting on Wednesday. Council member Darla Drew brought back the urban hen issue in July, six years after the last attempt to create an ordinance allowing chickens to be raised within city limits. If approved by the committee, the ordinance will be considered by the City Council on Monday, Oct. 5. The ordinance states single family residences would be able to own up to six hens within city limits. Roosters would be prohibited. Jerry Steinley, executive director at the Humane Society of the Black Hills, said the humane society has had 22 chickens surrendered, six seized and three brought in as strays. Were not really equipped for poultry, he said Monday. (We are equipped for) cats and dogs, small animals, reptiles, things like that, but really were not built for (poultry). But if someone walks in with a chicken, the humane society will care for it, he said. He said the process is the same for chickens as it is for cats and dogs: get it the food and water it needs, bring it in for a medical examination and try to find a home, like a ranch or a farm. Steinley said the humane society is generally opposed to the ordinance and is concerned the hens wont have proper housing. However, he said hes confident the city will pass an appropriate ordinance that addresses those issues if it decides residents can have chickens. The City Council received multiple public comments about the hens for its Sept. 21 meeting. Many of those for hens said they like the idea of having fresh eggs in close reach. Those against hens said theyre concerned about potential risk and injury to people and pets, predators and disease. Communications coordinator Darrell Shoemaker said the city attorney authored the draft language while working with Community Development staff and will present it during the Legal and Finance meeting. The City Attorney reviewed the provisions and issues involving urban chickens in other communities, including Sioux Falls, Shoemaker said. Those who want hens will need to maintain coops at least 25 feet away from buildings or structures occupied by humans. The coops must also be at least two square feet per bird. Chickens and the coops must be kept out of the propertys front yard and away from a designated drainage easement. Neighbors should not be able to see the coop. Residents who fail to comply with the regulations could be deemed a public nuisance and abated by the city. This means the city could go in and correct a violation with costs and administrative fees assessed to the owner, Shoemaker said. Each day the owner is out of compliance with regulation would be a separate offense. The proposal does not mention licensing to avoid the additional administrative burden and costs this would impose, according to the agenda. The Legal and Finance Committee will meet at 12:30 p.m. Wednesday in City Council chambers. You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Pres. Donald Trump signed and issued an executive order that aims to help Latinos, African-Americans, other minorities in the country. Pres. Donald Trump signed and issued an executive order last week to help millions of Latinos, African-Americans, and other minorities in their workplace. Trump's executive order mandates that teaching white privilege and unconscious bias are now grounds for termination. The executive order released last week forbids and restricts agencies from participating in divisive diversity training. It also calls out government vendors who teach critical race theory, white privilege, and unconscious bias. It states that such training that "promotes race or sex-stereotyping or scapegoating similarly undermines efficiency in federal contracting." If ever that the executive order will be violated, contracts may be "canceled, terminated, or suspended in whole or in part and the contractor may be declared ineligible for further Government contracts," Pres. Trump decided to release it following the reckoning of the advertising industry over the death of George Floyd and other African-Americans under police brutality. This means that companies should improve their hiring process and show equality among the applicants regardless of sex and race. This is part of Pres. Trump's campaign to end racism in the country and make sure that minorities will be given equal opportunity in the workforce. On Friday, for example, Interpublic Group chief executive Michael Roth sent an internal memo saying the holding company is "continuing to require employees to take a mandatory online anti-harassment course in the U.S." This is a good sign in the country amid the present chaos inflicted due to systemic racism. Marla Kaplowitz, 4A's president and chief executive, said that this new announcement would likely cause significant concern among agencies with government contracts. Specifically regarding stereotype training. Kaplowitz raised some concerns, and some of these are the following: What activity warrants a training program as unlawful? Who has the final say as to whether or not any training programs comply with the order? And what the protocol is if a federal government agency mandates that employees attend diversity and inclusion training that contains stereotyping concepts as part of working on a contract or onsite? She also added, "These uncertainties could also present new conflicts in current obligations agencies have under state laws to adhere to diversity training programs. Agencies could potentially have to create or subscribe to different diversity training programs to comply with the new order at great expense and complexity to many small and mid-size agencies." Moreover, Pres. Trump posted on his Twitter account, "A few weeks ago, I banned efforts to indoctrinate government employees with divisive and harmful sex and race-based ideologies. Today, I've expanded that ban to people and companies that do business with our country, the United States military, government contractors, and grantees. Americans should be taught to take Pride in our Great Country, and if you don't, there's nothing in it for you!" Pres. Trump's executive order also stated instructors and materials teaching that men and members of certain races and our most venerable institutions are inherently sexist. And racists appear in workplace diversity training across the country, even in components of the Federal Government and among Federal contractors. Check this out! Since 2018, Tony Cannoli Sweets & Eats has been serving an array of pastries inspired by the time owner Tony Cangialosi spent in Italy as a child. In less than three years, the Woodhaven bakery, 16125 West Road, has grown into a successful business receiving critical acclaim. With the hopes of continuing that success, a second location will be opening in the coming months inside Trentwood Farms, 11055 Allen Road, Southgate. Cangialosi said the new location will feature staples from the original location, as well as new items. I put everything I had into this business, and God has blessed us to be able to see everyone happy and how they react to the food, he said. It brings a lot of joy to our family and our employees. Cangialosi said the service industry has been in his familys genes for decades. I was born in Ann Arbor, but when I was 3 years old, we moved to Sicily, he said. In Sicily, my dad opened a bar, and thats how it started with the pastries. We moved back to the United States later on and owned restaurants where we made our own cannolis, tiramisu and cakes. After living in Florida, Cangialosi returned to Michigan and took the leap to open his own business. With help from his nephew Anthony, Tony Cannoli was born. The bakery sells pastries, including varieties of cannolis, macaroons, cupcakes, tiramisu, tarts, cakes, cookies and breads, many of which are made in traditional Italian style. Making the items requires a lot of hands-on prep, meaning early mornings to get all the items in order. A lot of these recipes take time, Cangialosi said. We make our own butter and Italian cream, and those take time to make. If you dont take your time and do it right, its not going to turn out the right way. Taking our time with the preparation sets us apart. Tony Cannolis unique items sell especially well. Almond cookies, biscottis, fruit-thumbprint cookies, cannoli chips served with ricotta creme, and specialty cakes are among the bestsellers. The items have earned Tony Cannolis praise, including awards from several media companies, including The News-Heralds Best of the Best 2020 Readers Choice Awards. The awards mean a lot to me, Cangialosi said. Keeping my customers happy at all times keeps me going. It feels great after everything weve put in. Im able to take care of my employees better and give back to the community with the business weve gotten. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-28 19:41:26|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close WUHAN, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- Five people were killed and one more sustained injuries in an accident at a chemical company in central China's Hubei Province, local authorities said. The accident occurred at around 2 p.m. Monday in the city of Tianmen, according to the local publicity department. The injured person has been sent to the hospital. Further investigation is underway. Enditem Ken Branca From a stabbing on the River Walk to a fatal drunk driving incident, the San Antonio Police Department had a busy weekend. While there was only one fatal incident, several people were sent to the hospital, including one SAPD officer. (Newser) Wesley Barnes did not enjoy his stay at the Sea View Resort in Thailand, as he made very clear in online reviews. Now the American faces two years in prison on defamation charges as a result, reports AFP. It appears the review that got Barnes into potentially deep trouble was one on Tripadvisor in which he accused the resort of "modern-day slavery." The travel site removed the review for violating its guidelines, and the resort has gone after Barnes under the nation's strict anti-defamation laws, per the Telegraph. story continues below In another online review posted in July, Barnes complained of "unfriendly staff" who "act like they don't want anyone here." The resort says it took legal action because it seemed that Barnes was going to keep up his unrelenting online criticism. It also accuses Barnes of bickering with staff over a rule stipulating that he pay a corkage fee for alcohol brought to the hotel. Barnes works in Thailand, where he's now free on bail after his arrest on the charges. While international tourism is down in the nation because of the pandemic, locals have been vacationing at the resorts in recent months. (Fake reviews landed another man in prison.) It saddens me to think that, 15 months later, were still fighting this uphill battle with Aqua Illinois, Trustee Donzell Franklin said. Im willing to take it a step farther and say, if the animals at Brookfield Zoo were exposed to the levels of lead that some of our village residents have been exposed to, there would be more of an urgency. There would be more federal support, state support to make sure this is rectified. Photo: (Photo : unsplash/Green Chameleon) A 17-year-old student, Shamsia Alizada, tops the national exam after surviving a suicide bomb incident. On Thursday, television announced that out of nearly 200,000 students on Afghanistan's national university entrance exam, she achieved the highest score. Her mom's smile was the best gift Alizada's mother saw the results, and personally told her the good news. Alizada said in an interview that she thought her mom was joking, but then she saw her mom had the brightest smile. She said that her mom's smile was a gift that made her day more than gaining the highest score in the country. Two years ago, she was preparing for the competitive university entrance exam at a tutoring center. Suddenly, a suicide bomber walked into the lecture hall that was packed with over 200 students and detonated the explosive vest he was wearing. See also: Kindergarten Teacher's TikTok Video Goes Viral for Enthusiasm and Endless Patience Some wounded, others died The then-junior student's friends and other young women died from the blast, while others were wounded. Such kind of violence has been ending the dreams of women and minorities. Girls were not allowed to go to school under Taliban rule. Thankfully, the success of young Afghans like Alizada became bright spots that allowed girls to go to school. Apart from that, they were also able to translate unrealized Western goals into social mobility. During an interview with Etilaatroz, Alizada was studying at the Mawdud Academy for free because she was so bright. She said that the suicide bombing incident had left her depressed, which led her to drop out of school. After the repairs, teachers urged her to return to school. She knew she would do well in the exam Alizada knew that she would do well on the university entrance exam, but she did not expect to become the top one. See also: Texas Elementary School Online Class Got "Zoom Bombed" with Porn for One Minute The education opportunities' expansion has been a happy story. The enrollment has increased up to ninefold after twenty years of investment. Across Afghanistan's urban centers, there were private universities that have popped up. According to Khaama news, which cites the National Examination Authority head, Abdul Qadir Khamoosh, more than 200,000 students took the exam this year. Alizada has become a fierce and heartwarming hero, the rarest of things in Afghanistan. Khadim Karimi, an Afghan editor, wrote on his Twitter that the country is proud of her. Karimi, who works at Etilaatroz, covered Ms. Alizada's story and described how she stood up despite the hardship. See also: Dad Sweetly Transforms Garage to Look like Real Classroom for Daughter's Best School-at-Home Experience He wrote that the top student is an example of not giving up and rising from the ashes. The publisher of the same news outlet, Zaki Daryab, wrote that Ms. Alizada's father is under a mountain in a coal mine and added that the dad would surely be glad to hear of the good news. The Senate GOP is preparing for a quick Supreme Court confirmation process for Amy Coney Barrett, setting for a vote less than 40 days before the election. Senate GOP is eyeing to vote in late October, according to AP News. But Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell still hasn't said if a final Supreme Court Confirmation will occur before or after Election Day. Voting on the Supreme Court confirmation so close to the election could lead to an explosive fight between both sides of the aisle. It creates significant political risk and uncertainty for both parties. The Senate GOP set the confirmation process in motion after Trump formally named Barrett as his pick. He did so during a televised White House event. CNN reported that the push for a high court pick in just 38 days could lead to modern history's quickest confirmations. The report said no Supreme Court nominee has ever been confirmed after July during the presidential election year. The Supreme Court Confirmation Process According to The Hill, Barrett will need to fill out a committee questionnaire and undergo an FBI background check. It is a process that all Supreme Court nominees go through. From these, Barrett will meet with senators. This includes a meeting with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell by Tuesday. The Senate Judiciary Committee will have four-day long meetings on the week of October 12, said sources familiar with the timeline. That is made up of one day of opening statements, two days of questions, and the last day for outside witnesses. Once the committee has approved, the Senate will hold a final vote. If the process goes smoothly, the final vote can happen by November 3. Sen. Lindsey Graham said the committee's chairman would move quickly on Trump's high court pick. He is facing his own tough reelection run. Traditionally, a Supreme Court nominee meets with each senator before confirmation hearings start. This process could begin as soon as this week. McConnell vowed on Saturday that Barrett's seat in the court will be voted on in the "weeks ahead." "I hope all 100 Senators will treat this serious process with the dignity and respect it should command," McConnell said in a statement. He also said Barrett deserved a fair process based on her credentials. "I'm very committed to ensuring that the nominee gets a challenging, fair, and respectful hearing," said Graham. He added that the committee would move forward, knowing that Trump has "picked a highly qualified individual" to serve the high court. Barrett's confirmation schedule is expected to be formally announced on Saturday during a Fox News interview. The fight is picking a replacement for late justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg comes at a vital time in U.S. politics. If Barrett officially gets the seat to Supreme Court, she will be the third one under Trump's tenure. The decision could lead the court, and all of America, to lean in a more conservative direction for decades to come. Check these out! Amy Coney Barrett Emerges as Supreme Court Favorite; Trump to Pick on Weekend Trump to Name Amy Coney Barrett as Supreme Court Nominee Ginsburg Uses Same Catafalque Used for President Abraham Lincoln Powerful TVA learns little people can fight back By Michael R. Shannon From day one the Trump HR operation has been the Chernobyl of Human Resources. Instead of hiring some of the 63 million people who voted for Trump, the administration made a point of hiring people for whom the Trump administration was a bit beneath their dignity. At least a few of the appointee failures could have been solved by having all new hires attend an orientation that consisted solely of watching a 2016 Trump campaign rally in full. That would have been the first exposure to the issues that won the election for Trump for many and would have served to put them on notice regarding the administrations priorities. Now, as Trumps first term draws to a close, the administration is finally taking steps to punish wayward appointees. Although in typically Trump fashion it isnt a systematic effort. Instead Trump became aware of the betrayal when a group of little people decided they werent going to lie down and take it. The story begins in Tennessee. The Tennessee Valley Authority is a federallychartered corporation created by FDR during the depths of the Great Depression. The TVAs goal was to control flooding by harnessing the rivers for hydroelectric power and then generate economic development. Like most government behemoths, TVA longago lost sight of its mission as a US entity supposed to help US citizens. The new CEO, Jeff Lyash, evidently decided he was tired of creating jobs in Tennessee and wanted to start growing careers in Thiruvananthapuram. The Chattanooga Times Free Press found Lyash intended to import tech workers from India, using the H1B visa program, to replace 200 US citizens already doing the job. This is callous, corporate arrogance at its most corrupt. An organization created by Congress to aid Americans has no more business importing foreign serfs to replace citizens than the USPS has hiring drug mules to deliver the mail. The H1B visa scam is a popular in corporate suites because this governmentsponsored wagereduction program thats an ideal solution for tech executives who don't like to travel. Instead of shipping jobs overseas, cynical U.S. corporations violate U.S. law to bring the workers here. Problem solved. The boss doesn't have to worry about drinking the water and the US wage scale is now identical to that of Bombay. The part of the law that says visas are only to be used for jobs the company cant fill domestically is winked at by everyone, except the 200 Americans doing the work previously at TSA who get fired. Most of the time companies force citizens to train the foreigners who have come to take their job, which is like ISIS making captives sharpen swords. The company keeps the terminated employees quiet by forcing them to sign nondisclosure agreements if they want to receive severance. The employees at TVA decided to fight back. They met with the president and after the meeting Trump finally laid down the law firing two members of the board, So, let this serve as a warning to any federally appointed board. If you betray American workers, then you will hear two simple words: You're fired. If the TVA does not move swiftly to reverse their decision to rehire their workers, then more board members will be removed. TVAs response indicates Trump must keep firing. Lyash has no intention of changing his policy. In his breathtakingly arrogant and duplicitous response to the president he let fly with a burst of HR jargon, We have a rigorous decisionmaking process that includes dialogue with the impacted union and an appeals process that is still underway. No potentially impacted employee from TVA will be let go until that entire process is complete." If Lyash intends to obey the president there is no need for an appeals process because he would simply stop giving US jobs to foreigners and rehire the citizens. Whats more, the appeals process is simply a method of delaying until after the election when Lyash hopes Trump will be gone and he can tell the citizens who stood up to him not to let the door hit them in the behind. This is the bureaucrat swamp mindset that Trump has faced since he took office. Its an indictment of his lack of seriousness that he didnt drop and continue dropping the hammer on these popinjay potentates from the day he took the oath of office. Lyash personifies the Im all right Jack mentality of our corporate titans. When he took over as president of Ontario Power Generation, he booted some Canadian out of a job, so why should he care if US little people get fired? Trump should make him care. Thats why Trump was elected. It shouldnt have taken Trump four years to take action. Michael R. Shannon is a public relations and advertising consultant with corporate, government and political experience around the globe. He is a dynamic and entertaining keynote speaker. He can be reached at mandate.mmpr (at) gmail.com. He is also the author of Conservative Christian's Guidebook for Living in Secular Times (Now with added humor!). Home A former commander of separatist fighters in Kosovo's 1998-1999 war appeared at a special court in the Netherlands on Monday to face charges that he was involved in the torture of detainees and the murder of one prisoner held at a compound in Kosovo during the conflict. Salih Mustafa was arrested last Thursday and transferred to the Netherlands to stand trial. He is the first suspect to appear in court at the Kosovo Specialist Chambers. He sat in the courtroom wearing a suit and tie and a face mask, which he removed as he stood and confirmed his name and other personal details, identifying himself as an economist and advisor to the Kosovo Defense Ministry. He listened in silence as a court officer read out the four charges against him and Presiding Judge Nicolas Guillou read him his rights. Mustafa did not enter pleas to the charges during the 35-minute hearing. He has 30 days to enter pleas. The Kosovo Liberation Army was made up of ethnic Albanian rebels who fought for Kosovo's independence from Serbia. Mustafa oversaw fighters in the Llapi area, 35 kilometers (20 miles) north of the capital, Pristina. Mustafa is charged with the war crimes of arbitrary detention, cruel treatment, the torture of at least six people and the murder of one person at a detention compound in Zllash, Kosovo, in April 1999. The court and an associated Special Prosecutor's Office was set up five years ago to investigate and prosecute allegations of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Kosovo, or linked to the Kosovo conflict, from 1998-2000. The 1998-1999 war for Kosovo's independence from Serbia left more than 10,000 people dead most of them ethnic Albanians from Kosovo. Deputy of the My Step faction of the National Assembly of Armenia Varazdat Karapetyan today posted the following on his Facebook page: Dear friends, Today the government set up a mechanism to coordinate urgent issues. You can address the heads of villages and then regional governors to work as volunteers, make an investment, provide assistance or with any other issue. It is wonderful that our nation is able to self-organize, but today we need tasks that are coordinated and tasks that are directed from one center. Please, reach agreements with the heads of villages and regional governors before taking action. By Lewis Krauskopf NEW YORK (Reuters) - The Nov. 3 presidential election between President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden could have dramatic effects across markets, and investors are already trying to identify potential winners and losers. Broadly speaking, analysts say Biden's plan to raise corporate taxes could pressure company earnings. But they expect him to support infrastructure projects and renewable energy. A second Trump term, meanwhile, may bring more tax cuts and extend de-regulation that could benefit the energy and financial sectors, while ... September 28 : Mouni Roy, who is currently soaking up the sun in Maldives, has turned 35 today. While the actress celebrates her special day, her fans and colleagues from the film industry have flooded her Instagram stories with heartfelt wishes and posts. Mouni who is holidaying in Maldives and living her dreams, has been sharing gorgeous pictures and videos, leaving her fans awestruck with the breathtaking beauty of the destination. Today, the Gold actress took to her Instagram handle and shared a video, while she thanked everyone for wishing her on the special day. In the video clip, the actress gave a glimpse of her stay in Maldives. Thank you for the lovely birthday morning & the day thatll follow... so grateful @discoversoneva @media.raindrop @globalspa, she wrote. It is reported that Mandira Bedi travelled all the way to Maldives to be with Mouni Roy on her birthday. Mandira shared a video with Mouni, in which the divas are seen dancing by the beach. #happybirthday Mon!! I have SO SO so much love for you. When we met when we did, I never could imagine where you and I would be.. but here we are a little bit later.. and its A Pyaar Ka Bhandaar!!!! Thank for being in my life and Haq-se now Im in yours. You are stuck with my for life Theres someone I know who once taught me how to say it right!!! Wuvvvvvvvvvv you! Mandira wrote On the work front, Mouni was last seen with Purab Kohli in the Zee5 original film London Confidential. She will be next seen as the antagonist in Ayan Mukerjis Brahmastra, which also stars Ranbir Kapoor, Alia Bhatt and Amitabh Bachchan. MONTERREY, Mexico -- A massacre in a bar left 11 people dead on Sunday, Mexican authorities said, as the country grapples with a record homicide rate despite the governments pledge to stop gang violence. The attorney generals office of the central Mexican state of Guanajuato said the bodies of seven men and four women were found in the bar in the early hours of Sunday morning in the city of Jaral del Progreso. Another woman was found with gunshot injuries, authorities said in a news release. Guanajuato, a major carmaking hub, has become a recurring scene of criminal violence in Mexico, ravaged by a turf war between the local Santa Rosa de Lima gang and the powerful Jalisco New Generation Cartel. In July, gunmen killed 24 people at a drug rehabilitation center in Guanajuato, marking one of the worst mass slayings since President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador took office pledging to reduce record levels of violence. Police clashed with anti-racism protesters and pushed back members of the press in downtown Portland, Oregon into early Sunday morning. More than 20 arrests were made; police declared a riot after they said rocks and cans were thrown at officers. Social media postings showed police pushing protesters and photographers to the ground and jabbing them with batons as officers drove them out of an area near Portlands federal courthouse. Protesters burned a U.S. flag and clashed with police as they tried to arrest demonstrators. The violence followed a relatively peaceful rally by the self-declared Western chauvinist Proud Boys group on Saturday. Wearing black and yellow polo t-shirts and militarized body armor, with many brandishing weapons, Proud Boys members railed against Democratic leaders in Portland as protests over police violence and racism have rocked the city for months. Proud Boys chairman, Enrique Tarrio: "But it isn't protest, they're burning down cities. What does that do for George Floyd." Anti-fascists and Black Lives Matter groups held a counter-protest two miles to the south. Ahead of the rally, Oregon Governor Kate Brown declared a weekend state of emergency. The Proud Group forecast the rally would draw a crowd of at least 10,000. Police said fewer than 1,000 showed up. Trump made a reference to the Fairfax error during a campaign rally in Newport News on Friday night, his first formal campaign appearance in the state this year. People in the Democrat area got two ballots instead of one, Trump said. The only way were going to lose is if theres mischief. Itll have to be on a big scale, so be careful. And we do want a very friendly transition. But we dont want to be cheated and be stupid. Trump also made reference to the discovery of several military absentee ballots supporting him that were found in a trash can at a Pennsylvania elections office, mistakenly claiming the incident took place in Virginia. Coakley said his office immediately notified state election officials of the error, and apologizes for any confusion. We understand this is a sensitive topic. We take it with the utmost seriousness while correcting the situation, he said. For the first time, Virginians eligible to vote in a general election will be able to request and cast absentee ballots without citing a state-approved excuse, like travel or illness. Virginians can apply to vote absentee by mail through the Department of Elections website at vote.elections.virginia.gov. The last day to request an absentee ballot is Friday, Oct. 23, at 5 p.m. Absentee ballots submitted by mail must be postmarked by Election Day, Nov. 3, and received by noon on Nov. 6 to be counted. Absentee ballots can also be dropped off in person at a registrars office or satellite voting location between now and the end of the day on Election Day, excluding the Sunday and Monday before the election. The US-based hyperloop technology company Virgin Hyperloop has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL) to conduct a feasibility study for a proposed hyperloop corridor from the city's international airport to the hub. The pre-feasibility study will focus on technical, economic and route feasibility and is expected to be completed in two phases each taking about six months. Assuming that the hyperloop transport operates at a speed of up to 1,080 kmph, thousands of passengers can travel from airport to the city within 10 minutes, according to preliminary estimates. "A hyperloop-enabled airport would not only allow faster travel times, but also create a 21st century passenger experience and expand airport capacity," said Jay Walder, CEO of Virgin Hyperloop. In 2017, the same company had inked an MoU with the Government of Karnataka to conduct its preliminary study to understand hyperloop's feasibility and economic impact in the region. Virgin Hyperloop had earlier said that it saw huge potential by linking Bengaluru's city centre, IT hubs and industrial parks on the city's periphery, by improving connections between fast-growing industrial hubs within the state such as Tumakuru, Hubli and improving air travel accessibility by connecting Bengaluru's airport to the city centre in minutes. "The commissioning of a feasibility study for hyperloop connectivity from BLR Airport is another major step towards building the infrastructure required to define mobility for the future, enabling the efficient movement of people," said Mr. TM Vijay Bhaskar, Chief Secretary, Government of Karnataka and Chairman of the Board of Directors, BIAL. While the idea seems a panacea for airport commuters, that the realisation of the project could take many years is a non-brainer. A top bureaucrat at Urban Development Department also said that a lot would depend on the findings of the report, the hurdles and also its impact on the proposed ORR-Airport metro line where the financial closure is awaiting approval from the centre. If the project sees the daylight, not just commuters but also BIAL could see its revenue realisation per passenger go up. But with the much hyped Rs 70,000 crore Mumbai-Pune hyperloop project seeing hiccups every now and then, the realisation of a hyperloop project in Bengaluru perhaps at best won't be possible for at least a decade or even more, say urban transport experts. Also read: From Bengaluru airport to city centre in 10 minutes? Virgin Hyperloop plans corridor Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa, addressing a press conference in the state capital, said on Monday that the amendment to the APMC Act and Land Improvement Act would not be a problem for the farmers. His statement comes as a statewide bandh, which was called by over 108 organisations against the Centre and the states recent farm-related laws, gained momentum. There has been a good response to the bandh in at least 25 of total 30 districts in Karnataka. Farmers have hit the roads in Hubli, Dharwad, Bijapur, Haveri, Gadag, Bagalkote and other important towns and cities. The dawn-to-dusk bandh call has been supported by several pro-Kannada and other outfits besides the opposition Congress and the JD(S), who had opposed the amendment bills in the assembly. Some of the Congress and JD(S) workers were reported to have been detained in Kodagu. A state-wide bandh was observed in Karnataka by various farmers organisations, protesting the amendments to the APMC and land reforms acts made by the BS Yediyurappa government. It is also backed by several labour organisations who are protesting against amendments to certain labour laws during the brief assembly session that concluded on Saturday. Warning of stern action against any forcible enforcement of the bandh, the state government had said it would take all necessary steps to ensure that there was no disruption to the normal functioning of its offices, hospitals, shops and establishments and maintaining services of taxis and buses. It has defended the bills, saying the measures had been brought with an intention to give freedom to the farmers for selling their produce in any part of the state or country. Police said they have made elaborate security measures to see to that no untoward incident occurred. In Bengaluru, a protest march was planned from Town Hall to Mysore Bank Circle against the anti farmer" legislations. With some goods transporters, taxi and auto rickshaw drivers announcing their support to the bandh, their services were hit in some places. However, state owned public transport bus and metro services were functioning normally. Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa on Sunday asserted his government was pro-farmers and sought to brush aside the bandh, saying there was no scope for the agitation. Assuring that the people can carry on with their day-to-day activities normally without any fear, Revenue Minister R Ashoka warned against any move to forcefully enforce the bandh or indulge in incidents like stone pelting. Government offices, banks, post offices were open, along with all essential services and supplies. City Police Commissioner Kamal Pant said we have not given permission for any protests to anyone and senior officials have been deployed to supervise things. We will not allow anyone to forcefully shut down or halt activities," he said warning of strict action as per law if there was any violation. Action would also be taken under the Disaster Management Act due to Covid-19 pandemic, he said adding that civil police will be also deployed besides regular personnel. Despite the stiff opposition from the opposition parties, especially Congress, the Yediyurappa administration was successful in getting the Karnataka Agricultural Produce Marketing (Regulation and Development) (Amendment) Bill and the Karnataka Land Reforms (Second Amendment) Bill passed in the Legislative Assembly on Saturday. While the amendments to land reform act liberalises farmland ownership, the APMC amendment bill curtails the powers of local Agricultural Produce Marketing Committees(APMC) and allows private individuals to start agricultural trading, if they hold a permanent account number (PAN). The East City Condos project reaches an important milestone this week. Theres a groundbreaking ceremony for the TVM Group project Tuesday from 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. The new building will be located at the corner of Hunter Street East and Armour Road, and will rise to nine storeys, offering commanding views, chef-inspired kitchens, a gym, courtyard, and even a dog spa for when you get back from your walk. TVM will be honouring pre-construction pricing, with a savings of $10,000 to $20,000 per unit. Details are available at eastcitycondos.com. Accurate Accounts Accurate Accounts recently relocated to 1054 Monaghan Rd. in Peterborough in the former Kawartha Credit Union building. The new location gives owner Marilyn Martin a very spacious and open office setting and allows her to bring on new staff. There is an open house Wednesday from 1-6 p.m. as well as Oct. 1, 2 and 3 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The firm offers income tax, bookkeeping, payroll, T1 adjustments and other services. Visit accurateaccounts.ca for details. Travel N Style Mary LaRocque of Marlin Travel is expanding her Travel N Style Boutique to create a one-stop shopping experience with a local and Canadian flair. Featuring RAPZ Ladies wear, Walton Woods Farm products, Barefoot Venues, a wine accessories collection, giftware, purses, jewellery and more. All of this in addition to all of her regular Marlin Travel services, including a new Oh Canada travel program featuring destinations across the Country. Launching this Thursday check it all out at marlintravel.ca. Candy Couture Lisa Couture launched an online candygram service last year called Couture Candy PTBO. She has just announced that she will be opening a retail store in downtown Peterborough. Located at 386 George St., right beside SOS, Couture Candy offers customizable birthday loot bags, Christmas stocking stuffers, customized or themed candy-grams, party ideas, and more! Couture Candy can also include special items or merchandise. Full details are at couturecandyptbo.ca or on Facebook or Instagram. New York (United Nations) 25 September 2020 (SPS)- The President of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, H.E. Mr. Francisco Gutteres Lu Olo, called on the UN to speed-up the process for the decolonization of Western Sahara, in his speech yesterday before the UN 75th General Assembly in New York. This year, he recalled, is the last year of the third international decade for the eradication of colonialism.. In Western Sahara, the United Nations Mission - MINURSO has been in the territory for almost three decades, but we have not yet seen satisfactory progress. Therefore, he adds it is urgent to appoint a Special Envoy of the Secretary General for Western Sahara in order to speed up the process of negotiations between the parties in conflict and find a solution that guarantees the Saharawi People the exercise of the right to self-determination, according to the United Nations Charter and other relevant Resolutions. (SPS) 090/500/60 (SPS) - Bags of trash were scattered all over EDSA and most of them were made up of the "normal" accessories that people wear today due to the pandemic - There were disposable face masks, disposable gloves, and personal protective equipment (PPE) - Six garbage bags were opened along the highway right before 5 a.m. - Motorists who were plying the road avoided the trash and stayed at the two leftmost lanes PAY ATTENTION: Click "See First" under the "Following" tab to see KAMI news on your News Feed EDSA was littered by six trash bags early morning, which caused a horrible sight in one of the major roads in the metropolis. The content of the trash bags were mostly PPEs, face masks, and gloves. It was unclear where the trash came from though but the only thing known was that they were found at the northbound lane of EDSA-White Plains in Quezon City as per the Twitter post of James Agustin for Unang Balita. Photo: James Agustin Source: Twitter Later, street sweepers from the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) swept the trash and cleared the road for motorists. PAY ATTENTION: Shop with KAMI! The best offers and discounts on the market, product reviews and feedback As per the World Economic Forum, in the time of this pandemic, face masks, PPEs and gloves are among those that contribute to polluting the ocean. These things must be disposed of properly. PAY ATTENTION: Enjoyed reading our story? Download KAMI's news app on Google Play now and stay up-to-date with major Filipino news! The use of personal protective equipment (PPEs), face masks, and gloves has been part of the "new normal" due to the pandemic. These are the necessary accessories that would help protect people and frontliners against COVID-19. One of the ways implemented by the government was to set community quarantine protocols. the government faced problems when they imposed the initial community quarantine, which was elevated into enhanced community quarantine. It also suspended transportation causing massive problems with commuters. Doctors have died after being infected by COVID-19. They are among the frontliners who attend to the patients rushing to hospitals amid pandemic. Please like and share our amazing Facebook posts to support the KAMI team! Dont hesitate to comment and share your opinions about our stories either. We love reading about your thoughts and views on different matters! Source: KAMI.com.gh BAZARAK, Afghanistan His face juts alongside the single-lane roads carved into the remote and forbidding Panjshir Valley, and looms over twisted hulks of Soviet tanks and the patchwork of cornfields. Seemingly everywhere, billboards carry the image of Ahmad Shah Massoud, the admired and assassinated military commander from this region, and quotes that testify to Panjshirs pride and willingness to go it alone. One reads: Dependency is a disgrace. The Panjshiris, who are known for holding off the Soviets in the 1980s, protecting their remote and forbidding valley from the Taliban in the 1990s and helping lead the opening salvos of the U.S. invasion in 2001, find themselves once again drawn toward defiance. This time, the struggle is against the national leadership in Kabul, despite Panjshirs ties to the capital through both money and power. As the Afghan government conducts peace talks with the Taliban in Qatar, one of the main concerns has been over how fractured their side is, leading many to question whether government negotiators can truly speak for much of a country that is torn by political discord and lack of faith in the system. Antony Fernando By Express News Service NAGAPATTINAM: A 78-year-old retired police sub inspector in Mayiladuthurai has built a temple honouring his late mother and wife. MGR Mathan Mohan opened the temple, built near his house on Kasthuribai Street, on Sunday which marked the first death anniversary of his wife. "My mother helped me to grow as a person, and my wife helped me work and prosper in this world. I have built the temple in their memory so that my family and I can worship, adore them and pray for motivation in life. It will remind the public of the love I have for them," said Mathan Mohan. The temple houses stone busts of Mathan Mohans wife Meeenatchiammal and his mother Kamalammal. The idols were created by a sculptor named Durairaj from Chennai. The temple has been built over an area of 225 square feet and is adjacent to Mathan Mohan's house. He has hired two priests to conduct prayers and lead worship on all mornings, with special worship to be conducted on Fridays. Mathan Mohan and Meeenatchiammal were married for about over 49 years before she died of respiratory issues at the age of 69 on September 27, 2019. "We had five daughters. My wife and I saw everyone married. I retired from services in 2000 after 37 years of service in the police department. My wife dedicated herself to our children and me. I miss her dearly," said Mathan Mohan, who is now a social worker and a community rights activist. He is also getting an idol made of his father, who passed away 20 years ago. "I was one among 14 siblings. My father, MG Ramalingam Nallavanniyar, taught me good values. My mother, Kamalammal, who passed away 10 years ago, never stopped caring for all of us even though we were a big family. My wife and I taught the same to our children," he said. A New Jersey waiter is the second man to accuse Judge Andrew Napolitano of sexual assault in recent months claiming he was drugged, a victim of attempted rape and forced to perform bizarre sex acts on him. James Kruzelnick says he was working at the Mohawk restaurant in Sparta when he met the Fox News Legal Analyst and claims Napolitano, 70, groped him in the men's bathroom. He said at the time he was 'flattered by the fact that Napolitano, a famous television personality, was interested in spending time with him.' However Kruzelnick said on September 6, 2015 when he visited the TV star's home he was forced to spank the man 20 years his senior on his bare bottom while calling him 'son.' Andrew Napolitano is accused of sexual assault, abuse and battery and the plaintiff wants $15million in damages James Kruzelnick says he was working at the Mohawk restaurant in Sparta when he met the Fox News Legal Analyst Kruzelnick claims that he was referred to as 'daddy' while Napolitano masturbated on his lap. According to the lawsuit, despite telling the former judge he wasn't into the 'sex game', he yelled back: 'Just f**king do it!' The lawsuit filed on Monday claims Napolitano told his accuser 'I am really into certain things' and 'I want you to do something for me' and before he 'walked up to Plaintiff's chair, and suddenly threw himself onto Plaintiff's lap.' 'Napolitano then told Plaintiff that "I want you to start slapping me really hard." Before Plaintiff could say anything in response, defendant Andrew Napolitano then demanded that James Kruzelnick spank his exposed buttocks while Napolitano masturbated on his lap,' according to the 18-page legal document. The plaintiff claims that he offered to help the waiter and his brother with their legal problems in exchange for sex acts which Kruzelnick described as abusive. 'I have fixed cases, and I have gotten people off. I have sent people away,' Napolitano allegedly told the waiter who claimed to be facing discrimination at work due to his sexual orientation. Napolitano's lawyer denied the latest claims on Monday. 'These allegations are total fiction, and Judge Napolitano unequivocally denies them,' his lawyer told DailyMail.com Kruzelnick also mentioned in the lawsuit that his brother was battling a criminal case. Until 2017 Napolitano 'continued to exert severe psychological domination and control' over Kruzelnick, the legal documents state. On one occasion Kruzelnick went to Napolitano's home with a Fox News intern. In the lawsuit it's alleged that Kruzelnick 'was given a drink and within ten to fifteen minutes of consuming the beverage, Plaintiff felt extremely woozy as if he had been drugged. He woke up hours later in Napolitano's bed, with blurred memories of engaging in a sexual threesome with Napolitano and the Fox News intern.' The former judge is accused of sexual assault, abuse and battery. The plaintiff wants $15million in damages. Napolitano's lawyer denied the latest claims on Monday. 'These allegations are total fiction, and Judge Napolitano unequivocally denies them,' Tom Clare told DailyMail.com. 'This copycat lawsuit, filed and promoted publicly by the same lawyers representing career criminal Charles Corbishley, is nothing more than a pile-on attempt to smear Judge Napolitano for their own financial gain. 'We will defeat these false allegations in court and look forward to exposing this continuing attempt to abuse our court system to smear a highly-respected former public servant.' Fox did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The former judge is accused of sexual assault, abuse and battery. The plaintiff wants $15million in damages The former judge, is also being sued by a one-time criminal defendant for $10million. Charles Corbishley claims that he was forced to perform oral sex on him while he presided over his case in 1988. A lawsuit filed in Manhattan federal court on Friday alleges that Napolitano sexually assaulted Charles Corbishley after he lured him to his New Jersey home under false pretenses. At the time Fox News released a statement to DailyMail.com saying: Judge Napolitano has assured us in the strongest possible terms that these allegations are false and he will fight them aggressively in court. According to the court filing, Napolitano was a judge in New Jersey State Superior Court in November 1987, when Corbishley was charged with arson. Napolitano is alleged to have placed his hand on Corbishleys shoulder and forced him to his knees. The lawsuit alleges Napolitano pushed Corbishley down toward the ground and told him: Be a good boy. Napolitano appeared to be masturbating through his clothing, moving his hand back and forth over his penis, the lawsuit alleges. Napolitano is then alleged to have pulled his erect penis out. Corbishley was then forced to perform fellatio on Napolitano, the lawsuit alleges. The court filing states that Corbishley desperately wanted to stop Napolitanos sexual assault but that he was terrified about what Judge Napolitano would do to him if he resisted or fought back. Based on the power disparity between Judge Napolitano and Corbishley, it was impossible for Corbishley to have consented to any sexual activities with Napolitano, the lawsuit states. The court filing further states that as Napolitano began to ejaculate into Corbishleys mouth, Corbishley took off crying and ran away. Corbishley was 20 years old at the time of the alleged incident. Third seed Dominic Thiem surged into the second round at the French Open on Monday following a straight sets victory over the unseeded Croatian Marin Cilic. Thiem, who dispatched Cilic on his way to the US Open title earlier this month, was again too solid for the 31-year-old Croatian who showed too rarely the flashes of elan that made his one of the most feared competitors on the circuit. It finished 6-4, 6-3, 6-3 to last year's beaten finalist in just over two hours. A few weeks ago I won the biggest prize of my career, said Thiem. But Roland Garros was where I had done the best before that. Two weeks isn't much time to prepare but I'm really happy to be here and through especially after facing a great champion like Marin. Thiem has been one of the most impressive recent performers at the French Open. He has reached the semi-final on his last four trips. His two visits to the final have resulted in defeats to Rafael Nadal. They are seeded to meet in the last four. Restrictions The match against Cilic was played in front of a spattering of spectators on Court Philippe Chatrier due to restrictions imposed on the tournament as part of the French government's fight to stop the rise in the number of coronavirus cases in red zones such as Paris. The action also unfurled with the roof closed. The 55 million euro mechanism was closed for the start of play on the court for the second consecutive day. While persistent showers prevented the ties from starting for nearly two hours on all of the other courts, the seventh seed Petra Kvitova was able to claim the first match in the Chatrier shelter. The Czech beat the Frenchwoman Oceane Dodin 6-3, 7-5. Once the rain cleared, Dodin's compatriots Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Hugo Gaston fared better in their first round matches. Herbert saw off Michael Mmoh from the United States in straight sets. Gaston, who turned 20 on Saturday, beat his countryman Maxime Janvier 7-6, 6-4, 6-3, to register his first victory at his home Grand Slam. Markets rallied today, helped by positive industrial data from China, while the pound soared ahead of Brexit talks set to resume tomorrow. The FTSE 100 ended the day up 1.5 per cent to 5,927.93, while the FTSE 250 closed up 1.9 per cent to 17,370.27. China's industrial profits rose 19 per cent in August against the same month last year in a sign that Asia's biggest economy is recovering well from the Covid-19 pandemic. In company news, US casino owner Caesars has said it is in 'advanced discussions' to buy William Hill for about 2.9billion. It added that William Hill's board of directors had indicated the offer is at a level that 'they would be minded to recommend to shareholders'. Aldi has said it plans to open 100 new stores with 1.3billion of investment by the end of next year, as it revealed sales continued to rise. The discount supermarket said it plans to create 4,000 jobs next year as part of the expansion plan. Drinks giant Diageo has said strong sales in the United States has meant it is trading ahead of expectations. It also stated that sales in China and Europe were going well, but that travel retail continues to be 'severely impacted.' "One of the terrible consequences of her offending is she will never work as a flight attendant again," Alexandra Dobre's lawyer said. Richard Heathcote/Getty Images A former flight attendant in the UK was sentenced to prison for dealing drugs, the Stoke Sentinel reported. The flight attendant, who was laid off during the coronavirus pandemic, was short on cash when a romantic partner recruited her to act as a courier. Police found 81 baggies of cocaine at her home. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. A former flight attendant in the United Kingdom was sentenced to 28 months in prison after pleading guilty to charges that she dealt cocaine. Alexandra Dobre moved to the UK from Romania three years ago to work as a flight attendant, the Stoke Sentinel reported. She was based at London's Luton airport, but it was not clear which airline she worked for. Budget carrier easyJet is headquartered at Luton, but several other budget and leisure carriers fly out of the airport. Dobre was laid off from her airline due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Mirror reported. She relocated to Stoke-on-Trent, where she met a man on a dating app. Short on cash, she agreed to act as a courier for the man, dropping off packages containing cocaine. She was stopped by police on August 7, the Sentinel reported, and her home was searched. Police found 81 baggies of cocaine in a bedside table, in addition to six sealed bags. The 19.4 grams were worth as much as 2,610, or about $3,350. "She lost her job in spring this year and lost her accommodation as a result of that. She was at a loose end over what to do next," Dobre's lawyer said, according to the Sentinel. "She was plainly acting under direction. One of the terrible consequences of her offending is she will never work as a flight attendant again. It's something she loved." "She is not by nature criminally-minded. She's from a good family in Romania," Cliff added. "She knows her family will be absolutely mortified that she has found herself involved in something of this nature." Read the original article on Business Insider Hormone therapy remains the best proven method for managing menopause symptoms such as hot flashes. Research continues, however, in the area to identify novel approaches to estrogen therapy that minimize any associated risks. Dr. Hugh Taylor from Yale School of Medicine will discuss some of the latest developments, including fetal estrogens, during the 2020 Pre-Meeting Symposium of The North American Menopause Society (NAMS). According to Dr. Taylor, a number of improvements have been introduced in the past decade. These include new selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMs) and the use of estrogens together with SERMs to replace progestins. Fetal estrogens represent one of the newest promising developments. Their unique properties distinguish them from estradiol, although they have some SERM-like properties. Dr. Taylor noted that estriol and estetrol have entered clinical use with new data revealing promising characteristics. Specifically, estetrol decreases hot flashes and results in favorable cardiovascular changes while counteracting estradiol stimulation of the breast. Estriol similarly acts as a weak estrogen but can counteract some negative effects of estradiol. "In addition to the already-established benefits, there is also reason to believe that these fetal estrogens may provide added benefits that have yet to be fully explored, making them even more promising," says Dr. Taylor. "This presentation promises to offer some great insights into the future of hormone therapy," says Dr. Stephanie Faubion, NAMS medical director. "It's important for healthcare providers to understand that these SERMS and estrogens have different biological characteristics, and some may have benefits over others, increasing opportunities for personalizing care for women." Explore further How hormone therapy slows progression of atherosclerosis When is the first presidential debate of the 2020 election? How can I watch the Trump-Biden debate on TV and streaming? President Donald Trump will face off with Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden on Tuesday, Sept. 29. The first of three debates will air live on television and livestream online starting at 9 p.m. ET from Case Western Reserve University and Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, Ohio. The debate is expected to last 90 minutes with no commercial breaks. How to watch the presidential debate The debate will air live on ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, CNN, CNN, C-SPAN, Fox News, MSNBC, PBS and Vice. Most networks will also have pre-debate coverage and analysis afterwards. Presidential debate livestream The presidential debate will be live streaming online for free through the C-SPAN official YouTube Channel, CBSNews.com, and ABCNews.com. CNN, Fox News and MSNBC will also offer a livestream on their websites (cable provider login required). You can also stream the debate through Fubo TV, Sling TV or Hulu + Live TV. Fubo TV and Hulu have seven-day free trials for new users, and Sling offers a three-day free trial. Who is moderating the debate? Fox News host Chris Wallace will moderate the first debate. Debate topics, format The first debate will be broken up into six 15-minute segments, which will each start with a question from Wallace. Candidates get two minutes to answer, followed by further discussion guided by Wallace. Wallaces topics will be: The Trump and Biden Records, The Supreme Court, Covid-19, The Economy, Race and Violence in our Cities, and The Integrity of the Election. Specific questions are not shared in advance with the candidates or the Commission on Presidential Debates. What to watch for: Other topics will certainly factor in the debate, including The New York Times' recent report that Trump only paid $750 in federal income taxes in 2016 and 2017 and no federal taxes in 10 of the previous 15 years. Reuters reports viewers may also be looking for whether or not Trump accepts responsibility for the coronavirus pandemic, potential falsehoods, and questions about Bidens mental fitness. When are the next debates? Bidens running mate Kamala Harris will debate Vice President Mike Pence on Oct. 7. Trump and Biden will also have two more presidential debates in October. Steve Scully of C-SPAN will moderate a town meeting debate Oct. 15 in Miami, and NBCs Kristen Welker will moderate an Oct. 22 debate in Nashville, Tennessee. MORE: Early voting in NY starts in less than 4 weeks Absentee ballot vs. mail-in ballot: Whats the difference? How to vote in NY How to tell if your NY mail-in ballot makes it to the Board of Elections Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-29 07:05:04|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday called on Azerbaijani and Armenian leaders to take immediate steps to establish a ceasefire. "The secretary-general spoke today with H.E. Mr. Ilham Aliyev, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan and with H.E. Mr. Nikol Pashinyan, Prime Minister of Armenia," according to a press note issued by the UN chief's spokesman Stephane Dujarric. "The secretary-general expressed grave concern over the ongoing clashes along the line of contact in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone. He urged both leaders to take immediate steps to establish a ceasefire and resume negotiations in order to prevent instability in the region," it said. "The secretary-general reiterated his full support for the important role of the OSCE (the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe) Minsk Group co-chairs, stressing the need for the sides to work with them to return to negotiations without delay or pre-conditions," it added. Forces of Armenia and Azerbaijan reportedly continued fighting over the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone for a second day on Monday, despite calls from the international community for the hostilities to end. The UN chief on Sunday expressed his great concern over the latest Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, calling on both sides to immediately stop fighting. Armenia and Azerbaijan have been at loggerheads over the mountainous region of Nagorno-Karabakh since 1988. Peace talks have been held since 1994 when a ceasefire was reached, but there have been occasional minor clashes along the borders. Enditem By Express News Service RAIPUR: All urban slums in 14 municipal corporations across Chhattisgarh will now receive medical facilities at their doorstep via mobile medical units as the pandemic escalates. A committee constituted to implement the Chief Minister Urban Slum Health Scheme, headed by chief secretary, RP Mandal, has recommended the disbursement of Rs 55 crore for the programme. Chief Secretary (left) RP Mandal will be spearheading this project. The residents of urban slum areas will be able to access better health facilities through these units, said Mandal adding that along with free diagnosis, consultation, medicines, and treatment too will be provided. In the first phase, 60 such units will be launched in slum areas of the municipal corporations, wherein a doctor along with paramedic staff in each medical unit will assist the residents. The doorstep health facility program will be executed through the urban administration department. Late actor Irrfan Khan's son Babil Khan has more than seventy thousand followers on Instagram, and the latter makes sure to treat his followers like his extended family. Babil shares his thoughts on Instagram with his followers, and also tries to interact with his followers on a regular basis. In his latest Instagram post, Babil prayed for the farmers of India, who are currently protesting against the farm bills passed by the Parliament. Babil shared his father's picture and wrote, "I'm working Baba. You pushed through demons, up in your feelings, no one gets it, no? I'd give every cell in my presence to remember your skin, My spinal cord will rotate and my soul can implode, in a search to feel you close, I wish I would have known how it feels to end, so I can begin." While praying for farmers, he further wrote, "Why are you surprised? It's the job of the Politician to choose to lie, and when I'm bleeding, I know, sleep is just death being shy. I pray for you, our farmers, in our self-illusiveness we thought we were better, I hope we can surrender. I hope we find a way. I miss you India. (No political comments please, this is not a political expression.)" Irrfan Khan's Son Babil To His Mom: Nothing Is Left For Me To Live Now But You And Ayaan Babil's note to his father touched the hearts of his followers, and they showered love on him. In today's time, when star kids are being criticised immensely by the netizens, Babil is winning hearts with his kind thoughts. In his several Instagram posts and comments, Babil had earlier mentioned that he will make his well-wishers proud, and would never take fame for granted. A few days ago, he had also penned a note for his mother and brother and wrote that he's living only for them. Irrfan Khan's Son Babil On Coping With His Dad's Death: I Hate Realizing Everyday That You're Gone (ST. JOSEPH, Mo.) Missouri's Department of Health and Senior Services is conducting Covid-19 testing across the show-me state. Across Northwest Missouri, cars lined up at two covid-19 testing sites in Cameron Saturday, and Savannah Sunday. Organizers with the Missouri National Guard say theyre focusing on areas they consider hot spots across the state, those getting tested said the event is crucial for those considered high risk. Andi Schiller, who came to the testing event at the request of her doctor said shes seen an increase in Covid-19 in rural areas. Schiller said she is a strong advocate for accessibility. "I think everybody should have access to testing," She said. "Its not fake and its not going to go away." The Missouri National Guard said testing procedures have changed during this round of testing, the new testing method is less invasive and more hands on. "They give you the nasal swab, you swab both of your nostrils, they bag it and ship it to the lab." Jeremey Idleman, Missouri National Guard said. The Missouri National Guard said results are expected in 24-48 hours, those getting tested said it helps them know their status. "My biggest fear is to hurt others out of it," Schiller said. Approximately 150 people were registered to attend both events over the weekend. Here is the latest Hamilton County arrest report: BROOM, BRADLEY DUSTIN 3130 7TH AVE CHATTANOOGA, 37407 Age at Arrest: 36 years old Arresting Agency: Hamilton County THEFT OF PROPERTY THEFT OF PROPERTY OVER $2,500 --- BROWN, DARRIOUS SHANNON 3304 4TH STREET CHATTANOOGA, 37407 Age at Arrest: 38 years old Arresting Agency: Hamilton County THEFT OF PROPERTY UNDER $1,000.00 --- CAMERON, JILL ANITA 1207 B GAD ROAD HIXSON, 37343 Age at Arrest: 60 years old Arresting Agency: Chattanooga THEFT OF PROPERTY --- CATCHINGS, STACY LYNN HOMELESS OOLTEWAH, 37363 Age at Arrest: 43 years old Arresting Agency: Hamilton County PUBLIC INTOXICATION POSS.HANDGUN WHILE UNDER THE INFLUENCE POSSESSING A FIREARM WITH INTENT TO GO ARMED RESISTING ARREST OR OBSTRUCTION OF LEGAL PROCESS VANDALISM/MALICIOUS MISCHIEF CONTRABAND IN PENAL INSTITUTIONS POSSESSION OF CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE POSSESSION OF CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE ASSAULT SIMPLE --- CHANEY, CHARLES WESLEY 315 HILLSVIEW DR CHATTANOOGA, 37405 Age at Arrest: 46 years old Arresting Agency: Hamilton County THEFT OF PROPERTY DRIVING ON REVOKED, SUSPENDED OR CANCELLED LICENSE --- CHHITK, CHRISTOPHER MICHAEL 1003 MCCAIN DR EAST RIDGE, 37412 Age at Arrest: 35 years old Arresting Agency: East Ridge DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE IMPLIED CONSENT LAW - DRIVERS --- CUNNINGHAM, CASSANDRA C 8007 BIRCH DR CHATTANOOGA, 37421 Age at Arrest: 38 years old Arresting Agency: Hamilton County POSS.OF ALPRAZOLAM FOR RESALE DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE --- DANIELS, WILLIE A 4717 COLONIAL DRIVE CHATT, 37411 Age at Arrest: 68 years old Arresting Agency: East Ridge DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE --- DAVIS, MICHAEL LIDALE 1215 SHOLAR AVE CHATTANOOGA, 374063130 Age at Arrest: 35 years old Arresting Agency: Chattanooga PUBLIC INTOXICATION POSSESSION OF DRUG PARAPHERNALIA --- DEW, TORRANCE 1916 BAY POINTE DR HOMELESS HIXSON, 373433189 Age at Arrest: 24 years old Arresting Agency: Chattanooga DISORDERLY CONDUCT --- DEWS, WAYNE 217 N HICKORY ST CHATTANOOGA, 37404 Age at Arrest: 19 years old Arresting Agency: Chattanooga POSSESSION OF BURGLARY TOOLS EVADING ARREST UNL. CARRYING OR POSSESSING WEAPON (UNDERAGE)POSSESSION OF CONTROLLED SUBSTANCEPOSSESSION OF DRUG PARAPHERNALIA---ELLIOTT, BOBBY WAYNE6401 LEE HWY CHATTANOOGA, 374212448Age at Arrest: 36 years oldArresting Agency: East RidgePUBLIC INTOXICATION---ELMORE, MORGHAN JEAN8736 HIDDEN BRANCHES ROAD HARRISON, 37341Age at Arrest: 29 years oldArresting Agency: Hamilton CountyCRIMINAL IMPERSONATION---ESCOBEDO-PAZ, DULCE EVELYN460 STRICKLAN RD ALPHARETTA, 30022Age at Arrest: 27 years oldArresting Agency: ChattanoogaDOMESTIC ASSAULTCHILD NEGLECTPOSSESSING A FIREARM WITH INTENT TO GO ARMEDPUBLIC INTOXICATIONPOSSESSION OF CONTROLLED SUBSTANCEPOSSESSION OF DRUG PARAPHERNALIA---FOLEY, CARSON7310 STANIFER GAP ROAD CHATTANOOGA, 37310Age at Arrest: 29 years oldArresting Agency: ChattanoogaDRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCEHEADLIGHTS ON MOTOR VEHICLES (INCLEMENT WEATHER)---GREEN, DAVID W302A N ANDERSON ST TULLAHOMA, 37388Age at Arrest: 52 years oldArresting Agency: ChattanoogaDRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCEFAILURE TO YIELD RIGHT-OF-WAY---HARVEY, SHANDA MARIA10500 CORBETT DR SODDY DAISY, 37379Age at Arrest: 45 years oldArresting Agency: Hamilton CountyBooked for Previous Charges or Other Reason(s)---HERNANDEZ-IZARA, FRANKLIN3413 CLIO AVENUE CHATTANOOGA, 37407Age at Arrest: 21 years oldArresting Agency: Tenn Highway PatrolDRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE---HORNER, BRADLEY KENT3408 GAIL DR EAST RIDGE, 37412Age at Arrest: 25 years oldArresting Agency: East RidgePUBLIC INTOXICATION---JONES, OLAIN LEBRON3219 5TH AVE CHATTANOOGA, 37407Age at Arrest: 27 years oldArresting Agency: East RidgeCRIMINAL SIMULATION---MARBURY, MARCELL JERMAINE2810 CANNON AVE HOMELESS CHATTANOOGA, 37404Age at Arrest: 21 years oldArresting Agency: ChattanoogaVIOLATION OF PROBATION ROBBERY---MASSENGALE, ANTHONY D19925 RIVER CANYON RD CHATTANOOGA, 37405Age at Arrest: 32 years oldArresting Agency: ChattanoogaPOSSESSION OF CONTROLLED SUBSTANCEPOSSESSION OF CONTROLLED SUBSTANCEPOSSESSION OF DRUG PARAPHERNALIA---MAUPIN, JUSTIN LABRON404 THOMPSON STREET APT A CHATTANOOGA, 37405Age at Arrest: 32 years oldArresting Agency: ChattanoogaBURGLARY---MELVIN, MAGENTA SHERNAYHOMELESS CHATTANOOGA, 37409Age at Arrest: 28 years oldArresting Agency: ChattanoogaAGGRAVATED DOMESTIC ASSAULT---MOORER, TYNESE899 ARLINGTON AVE CHATTANOOGA, 37406Age at Arrest: 22 years oldArresting Agency: ChattanoogaVIOLATION OF PROBATION (THEFT OF PROPERTY CONDUCTVIOLATION OF PROBATION (CRIMINAL IMPERSONATION)---MORALES-JERONIMO, JOHNY EDDY3410 2ND AVE CHATTANOOGA, 37407Age at Arrest: 21 years oldArresting Agency: ChattanoogaLIGHT LAW VIOLATIONDRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE SECOND OFFENSEDRIVING WITHOUT DRIVERS LICENSE / EXPIRED LICENSE---PATEL, RAVINDRAKUMAR1904 HICKORY VALLEY CHATTANOOGA, 37421Age at Arrest: 38 years oldArresting Agency: ChattanoogaDRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCESPEEDINGIMPROPER TURN (MOTOR VEHICLE)---PAULINO, CHRISTINE LYNNHOMELESS CRYSTAL FALLS, 49920Age at Arrest: 40 years oldArresting Agency: East RidgePUBLIC INTOXICATION---POLEN, DERRICK COLLINS720 E 51ST ST CHATTANOOGA, 374102178Age at Arrest: 50 years oldArresting Agency: ChattanoogaDOMESTIC ASSAULT---RAWLINGS, BRANDON EUGENE846 CHAMBERLAIN AVE CHATTANOOGA, 37406Age at Arrest: 36 years oldArresting Agency: ChattanoogaPOSSESSION OF DRUG PARAPHERNALIADRIVING ON REVOKED, SUSPENDED OR CANCELLED LICENSETINTED WINDOWS VIOLATIONDOMESTIC ASSAULT---RAYMOND, MICHAEL CHASE1711 POE RD SODDY DAISY, 373797058Age at Arrest: 27 years oldArresting Agency: ChattanoogaVIOLATION OF PROBATION (POSSESSION OF DRUG PARAPHE---REDDEN, LESA MICHELLE65 OLD CREEK WAY DUNLAP, 37327Age at Arrest: 47 years oldArresting Agency: Hamilton CountyBooked for Previous Charges or Other Reason(s)---RUDWALL, MAGGIE CLANNAR9661 ETHRIDGE LANEE OOLTEWAH, 37363Age at Arrest: 22 years oldArresting Agency: ChattanoogaREGISTRATION, DRIVING UNREGISTERED VEHICLEDRIVING WRONG DIRECTION ON "ONE-WAY" ROADDRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE---SHEPHERD, JAMAL LEBRON1117 GROVE ST CHATTANOOGA, 37402Age at Arrest: 29 years oldArresting Agency: ChattanoogaPOSSESSION OF BURGLARY TOOLSEVADING ARRESTFELON UNL. CARRYING OR POSSESSING WEAPONPOSSESSION OF CONTROLLED SUBSTANCEPOSSESSION OF DRUG PARAPHERNALIADRIVING ON REVOKED, SUSPENDED OR CANCELLED LICENSE---SMITH, HOLLY JUSTINE3610 CHATEAU LN CHATTANOOGA, 37411Age at Arrest: 31 years oldArresting Agency: East RidgeBooked for Previous Charges or Other Reason(s)---STILTNER, GARY DEWAYNE1003 MCCAN DRIVE EAST RIDGE, 37412Age at Arrest: 28 years oldArresting Agency: East RidgeBooked for Previous Charges or Other Reason(s)---STRONG, KEARIA DESHUNTINE1902 CAMDEN ST CHATTANOOGA, 37405Age at Arrest: 31 years oldArresting Agency: ChattanoogaTHEFT OF PROPERTYTHEFT OF PROPERTY UNDER 1000HARASSMENT---SUBLETT, GRAVION D413 SHAWNEE TRAIL CHATTANOOGA, 37351Age at Arrest: 22 years oldArresting Agency: ChattanoogaFUGITIVE (ARREST FOR CRIME IN ANOTHER STATE)---TARVER, RANDAL SHANE9617 SMITH MORGAN ROAD SODDY DAISY, 37379Age at Arrest: 28 years oldArresting Agency: Hamilton CountyDOMESTIC ASSAULT---TUMAN, RONALD RICHARD1175 PINEVILLE RD CHATANOOGA, 37405Age at Arrest: 64 years oldArresting Agency: Red BankDRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCEDRIVING ON THE ROADWAY LANE---VANHISE, RICHARD JEROME1442 OLD YORK HWY DUNLAP, 32723Age at Arrest: 23 years oldArresting Agency: Hamilton CountyVIOLATION OF PROBATION (POSSESSION OF CONTROLLED S---VARGAS SANCHEZ, EXOR OMAR4610 SUNFLOWER LANE APT A 4 CHATTANOOGA, 37416Age at Arrest: 35 years oldArresting Agency: Hamilton CountyVIOLATION OF PROBATION (DOMESTIC ASSAULT)---VINSON, SHANNON DEMETRI3422 BIRTCHWOOD DRIVE CHATTANOOGA, 37407Age at Arrest: 21 years oldArresting Agency: ChattanoogaDOMESTIC ASSAULT---WILLIAMS, SINTONIO R2204 PIERCE WAY DACULA, 30076Age at Arrest: 28 years oldArresting Agency: ChattanoogaDOMESTIC ASSAULTCHILD NEGLECTPOSSESSING A FIREARM WITH INTENT TO GO ARMEDPOSSESSION OF CONTROLLED SUBSTANCEPOSSESSION OF DRUG PARAPHERNALIA---WRIGHT, LINDA DENICE8549 DAISY DALLAS ROAD HIXSON, 37343Age at Arrest: 60 years oldArresting Agency: Hamilton CountyDRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCEFAILURE TO MAINTAIN LANE Here are the mug shots: BROOM, BRADLEY DUSTIN Age at Arrest: 36 Date of Birth: 04/28/1984 Arresting Agency: Hamilton County Last Date of Arrest: 09/27/2020 Charge(s): THEFT OF PROPERTY THEFT OF PROPERTY OVER $2,500 BROWN, DARRIOUS SHANNON Age at Arrest: 38 Date of Birth: 09/19/1982 Arresting Agency: Hamilton County Last Date of Arrest: 09/27/2020 Charge(s): THEFT OF PROPERTY UNDER $1,000.00 CAMERON, JILL ANITA Age at Arrest: 60 Date of Birth: 04/29/1960 Arresting Agency: Chattanooga Last Date of Arrest: 09/27/2020 Charge(s): THEFT OF PROPERTY CHANEY, CHARLES WESLEY Age at Arrest: 46 Date of Birth: 12/13/1973 Arresting Agency: Hamilton County Last Date of Arrest: 09/27/2020 Charge(s): THEFT OF PROPERTY DRIVING ON REVOKED, SUSPENDED OR CANCELLED LICENSE CHHITK, CHRISTOPHER MICHAEL Age at Arrest: 35 Date of Birth: 10/07/1984 Arresting Agency: East Ridge Last Date of Arrest: 09/27/2020 Charge(s): DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE IMPLIED CONSENT LAW - DRIVERS CUNNINGHAM, CASSANDRA C Age at Arrest: 38 Date of Birth: 04/23/1982 Arresting Agency: Hamilton County Last Date of Arrest: 09/27/2020 Charge(s): POSS.OF ALPRAZOLAM FOR RESALE DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE DANIELS, WILLIE A Age at Arrest: 68 Date of Birth: 07/18/1952 Arresting Agency: East Ridge Last Date of Arrest: 09/27/2020 Charge(s): DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE DAVIS, MICHAEL LIDALE Age at Arrest: 35 Date of Birth: 07/29/1985 Arresting Agency: Chattanooga Last Date of Arrest: 09/27/2020 Charge(s): PUBLIC INTOXICATION POSSESSION OF DRUG PARAPHERNALIA DEW, TORRANCE Age at Arrest: 24 Date of Birth: 06/08/1996 Arresting Agency: Chattanooga Last Date of Arrest: 09/27/2020 Charge(s): DISORDERLY CONDUCT ELLIOTT, BOBBY WAYNE Age at Arrest: 36 Date of Birth: 01/16/1984 Arresting Agency: East Ridge Last Date of Arrest: 09/27/2020 Charge(s): PUBLIC INTOXICATION ELMORE, MORGHAN JEAN Age at Arrest: 29 Date of Birth: 06/11/1991 Arresting Agency: Hamilton County Last Date of Arrest: 09/27/2020 Charge(s): VIOLATION OF PROBATION CRIMINAL IMPERSONATION ESCOBEDO-PAZ, DULCE EVELYN Age at Arrest: 27 Date of Birth: 04/25/1993 Arresting Agency: Chattanooga Last Date of Arrest: 09/27/2020 Charge(s): DOMESTIC ASSAULT CHILD NEGLECT POSSESSING A FIREARM WITH INTENT TO GO ARMED PUBLIC INTOXICATION POSSESSION OF CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE POSSESSION OF DRUG PARAPHERNALIA FOLEY, CARSON Age at Arrest: 29 Date of Birth: 03/31/1991 Arresting Agency: Chattanooga Last Date of Arrest: 09/27/2020 Charge(s): DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE HEADLIGHTS ON MOTOR VEHICLES (INCLEMENT WEATHER) GREEN, DAVID W Age at Arrest: 52 Date of Birth: 06/03/1968 Arresting Agency: Chattanooga Last Date of Arrest: 09/27/2020 Charge(s): DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE FAILURE TO YIELD RIGHT-OF-WAY HARVEY, SHANDA MARIA Age at Arrest: 45 Date of Birth: 05/25/1975 Arresting Agency: Hamilton County Last Date of Arrest: 09/27/2020 Booked for Previous Charges or Other Reason(s) HERNANDEZ-IZARA, FRANKLIN Age at Arrest: 21 Date of Birth: 03/20/1999 Arresting Agency: Tenn Highway Patrol Last Date of Arrest: 09/27/2020 Charge(s): DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE JONES, OLAIN LEBRON Age at Arrest: 27 Date of Birth: 05/08/1984 Arresting Agency: East Ridge Last Date of Arrest: 09/27/2020 Charge(s): CRIMINAL SIMULATION MARBURY, MARCELL JERMAINE Age at Arrest: 21 Date of Birth: 10/19/1998 Arresting Agency: Chattanooga Last Date of Arrest: 09/27/2020 Charge(s): VIOLATION OF PROBATION ROBBERY MAUPIN, JUSTIN LABRON Age at Arrest: 32 Date of Birth: 02/03/1988 Arresting Agency: Chattanooga Last Date of Arrest: 09/27/2020 Charge(s): BURGLARY MOORER, TYNESE Age at Arrest: 22 Date of Birth: 08/11/1998 Arresting Agency: Chattanooga Last Date of Arrest: 09/27/2020 Charge(s): VIOLATION OF PROBATION (THEFT OF PROPERTY CONDUCT VIOLATION OF PROBATION (CRIMINAL IMPERSONATION) President Donald Trump, joined by Secretary of the Treasury Steven Mnuchin, meets with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Sudan Asma Mohamed Abdalla, left, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Egypt Sameh Shoukry, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia Gedu Andargachew, in the Oval Office of the White House Wednesday, November 6, 2019. analysis America's Department of State recently suspended $130 million worth of aid to Ethiopia because of "a lack of progress" on negotiations pertaining to the construction of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam on the River Nile. According to state department officials, the decision to cut aid came as a result of a direct "guidance" from President Donald Trump. Estimates show that almost half of Ethiopia's budget is linked to foreign aid. The country depends on economic assistance to support its infrastructure projects, health care and education expansion efforts, and security sector reforms. By suspending some aid, the United States has reopened the debate on whether developing countries should depend on foreign aid to realise their economic goals. The decision to suspend aid to Ethiopia comes after almost 10 years of regional and international efforts to mediate the dam dispute between Egypt and Ethiopia. Almost 60% of Ethiopians do not have access to electricity. The renaissance dam is critical to expand energy sources across the country. The country will also export hydroelectric power to its neighbours. Since the construction of the dam began in 2011, Egypt has exerted international pressure to manage and slow down the process. The US has sided with Egypt over Ethiopia. The US has openly pressured Ethiopia to accept some of the Egyptian demands, including extending the time frame to fill the dam. Such demands are unacceptable to Ethiopia's scientists who advise the government that the time to fill the dam is now. President Trump's foreign policy strategy towards the dam and Ethiopia has been demonstrably biased. This despite the fact that over 85% of the Blue Nile waters flow from Ethiopia into Sudan and Egypt. Thanks to Egypt's successful lobbying, Ethiopia has never received any international financing for the construction of the dam. Ethiopian taxpayers are footing the bill. But besides direct financial contributions, Ethiopians are invested emotionally. Ethiopia is a proud nation that has resisted foreign invasion throughout its history. That sense of national pride has generated countrywide support for the dam. It serves America's interests in the Middle East to side with Egypt's concerns. Unfortunately, Trump's decision to stand against Ethiopia in the renaissance dam dispute has two broad implications at the state and continental level. Impact for Ethiopia Ethiopia has a huge unemployment problem that mainly affects the youth. The country also experiences recurrent drought. A large part of its economy relies on international financial support. Additionally, Ethiopia is home to Africa's second highest population after Nigeria. The country is struggling to cope with an expanding demography. Thus, Ethiopia needs foreign aid to support its developmental aspirations. This remains the case even as Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed stewards the country towards financial independence and middle-income status. The US has traditionally been an ally. For example, the two countries have worked together to find solutions for the crisis in Somalia, Ethiopia's south-eastern neighbour. This latest decision to withhold aid could hence be viewed as a betrayal. Ethiopia's role in the international peace building framework is significant. The country contributes 6,662 troops to the United Nations' peacekeeping forces. It's behind only Bangladesh, which contributes 6,731. Ethiopia also contributes 4,300 troops to the African Union's peace missions. Historically, the country has been a beacon of anti-colonialism in Africa, having never been colonised itself. It serves as a symbol of independence and hosts the African Union's headquarters. Its capital Addis Ababa is recognised as one of Africa's diplomatic hubs. Given its contribution to African affairs, Ethiopia should have received fair and balanced treatment on the issue of the renaissance dam. America's approach should have been more supportive than interventionist. Furthermore, despite an authoritarian past, successive Ethiopian regimes have played a significant role in the region. The country has been active in conflict resolution, economic cooperation, economic integration, and the persistent promotion of African causes. This implies that America's decision to cut aid will not be appreciated by many in sub-Saharan Africa. So far, the African Union continues to insist that an African solution can be achieved for an African problem. Since it started the project, Ethiopia has repeatedly showed an open and direct approach to involving the downstream states of Sudan and Egypt. It has committed to pursuing diplomatic discussions towards solving a number of key issues. This includes mitigating drought through the long term operation of the dam. Ethiopia's leadership has also continued to insist that scientific facts and objective realities should take precedence over political considerations and nationalistic rhetoric across the three stakeholder countries, especially Egypt. African solidarity According to a report in the New York Times, America's engagement ... was an unusual example of Trump's direct intervention on an issue in Africa, a continent he hasn't visited as president and rarely mentions publicly Indeed, Africa has not been a priority in Trump's foreign policy agenda. His disparaging comments on Africa and people of African descent have in the past angered Africans and black people around the world. The dispute over the renaissance dam could have been an opportunity for the Trump administration to rectify past mistakes. Indications are that they will not take advantage of the opportunity. It is not surprising that the US is favouring Egypt over Ethiopia. America needs Egypt as an ally as it [navigates the politics in the Middle East]. But the fact remains that America enjoys strategic benefits from both Egypt and Ethiopia. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Ethiopia U.S., Canada and Africa Aid and Assistance By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. By accepting US support, Egypt has shown it would rather ally with the US than depend on the dispute resolution mechanisms within the continent. Moreover, its use of the Arab League to make statements that portray the dam standoff as a challenge to Arab states undermines African calls for continued discussion. Next steps Both Sudan and Ethiopia are currently suffering from historic flooding. Sudan has received the brunt of it. Even Egypt is preparing for floods. Ethiopia's dam did not cause the flooding in Sudan. Nevertheless, once operational Ethiopia's dam could avert disasters like flooding in the Nile's riparian states. New reports show that if it was not for the first filling of the dam, the floods that have been ravaging Sudan would have worse. Climatic forecasts also indicate that the current water levels are optimal for filling the renaissance dam. Filling it now would not pose any threat to lower riparian states like the Sudan and Egypt. Hence, it's critical that the three countries expedite the negotiation process. The renaissance dam will undoubtedly promote regional economic cooperation, expand job opportunities within Ethiopia, and support the manufacturing industry to continue producing goods uninterrupted by power shortages. Hence, it is incumbent upon Ethiopia, Egpyt and Sudan to keep their eyes on the prize, which is lasting peace and future regional success. Yohannes Gedamu, Lecturer of Political Science, Georgia Gwinnett College New York: US President Donald Trump paid no federal income taxes in 10 of the past 15 years, according to a blockbuster report in The New York Times that provides the most detailed view yet into his tax history. Trump, who is the only president in modern times not to make his tax returns public, paid $US750 ($1000) in federal taxes the year he was elected, 2016. He paid the same amount again in his first year in office, the Times reported. President Donald Trump gestures at a news conference at the White House, on Sunday. Credit:AP American workers with incomes of between $US20,000 and $US50,000 ($28,000 and $70,000) pay an average of $US1871 in federal income taxes annually twice that paid by Trump in 2016 and 2017, the Times said. Trump was able to minimise his tax bill by reporting heavy losses across his business empire. The Times reported Trump claimed $US47.4 million in losses in 2018, despite claiming income of at least $US434.9 million in a financial disclosure that year. Game Of Thrones actor Hafthor Julius Bjornsson and his wife Kelsey Henson revealed on Sunday that they had welcomed their first child together. The strongman-turned-actor and his wife announced that she had given birth to a baby boy on Saturday, though they weren't ready to share their child's name. Both Hafthor and Kelsey shared some adorable photos of the newly arrived baby to their Instagram accounts to celebrate the joyous occasion. New love: Game Of Thrones actor Hafthor Julius Bjornsson and his wife Kelsey Henson revealed on Sunday that they had welcomed their first child together Kelsey shared a sweet photo of herself and her husband cuddled up with their adorable baby between them. Hafthor, who's best known for playing The Mountain on HBO's Game Of Thrones, looked massive as he held his son's tiny hand in his own mitt. Kelsey looked relaxed and relieved and wore a beige shirt covered in dinosaurs while sporting metal-frame cat-eye glasses. 'Our beautiful baby boy made his grand entrance into the world at 11:19 AM on September 26th 2020 after a short and intense six hours,' she wrote in the caption. '3530 grams [7.78lbs] and 52 cm [20.5in]. The birth was the most powerful, life changing, empowering thing Ive ever done in my entire life. We are all doing well and settling in at home as three!' Towering: Hafthor, who's best known for playing The Mountain on HBO's Game Of Thrones, looked massive against his petite wife and tiny son Quick delivery: 'Our beautiful baby boy made his grand entrance into the world at 11:19 AM on September 26th 2020 after a short and intense six hours, Kelsey wrote on Instagram Early morning: Hafthor wrote that he was awakened at 6 a.m. to Kelsey telling him her water had broken, though they chose to wait at their home in Iceland for a midwife to arrive Kelsey kept her update fairly concise, but her husband went into greater detail about the day leading up to the birth. He wrote that he was awakened at 6 a.m. to Kelsey telling him her water had broken, though they chose to wait at their home in Iceland for a midwife and doula to arrive. Though they initially hoped to do a home birth, the pregnancy progressed too quickly, so everyone left for a birthing center about 10 minutes away. At 11:19, following '2 hours and 19 mins of pushing,' Kelsey gave birth to the little boy. Hafthhor said the new trio arrived home in the evening, with 'both mom and baby doing super well,' and they all 'spent our first night as three together.' 'We have decided on a name and cannot wait to share it with you all soon,' he added at the end. Secret for now: 'We have decided on a name and cannot wait to share it with you all soon,' he wrote Child #2: In addition to his baby son, Hafthor already has a daughter, Theresa Lif, whom he shares with his ex-girlfriend Thelma Bjork Steimann Falling in love: The fitness star met Kelsey when she worked as a bartender in Alberta, Canada, in late 2017. They married in October 2018 and announced the pregnancy in April of this year In addition to his baby son, Hafthor already has a daughter, Theresa Lif, whom he shares with his ex-girlfriend Thelma Bjork Steimann. The fitness star began dating Kelsey in late 2017, when she was working as a waitress in Alberta, Canada, her home country. The two hit it off after Hafthor visited her bar while competing in a strongman competition in the area. They married in October 2018, and announced her pregnancy in April of this year. They make quite a contrast when standing next to each other, as the athlete towers at 6ft9in, whereas Kelsey is only 5ft2in. He also has weighed in at around 450lbs at various points, and he set a new deadlifting record in May of this year after he deadlifted a stunning 1,105lbs. Iconic: On Game Of Thrones, he played the massive Gregor 'The Mountain' Clegane, brother of Sandor 'The Hound' Clegane, from seasons four through eight; shown together in April 2019 On Game Of Thrones, he played Gregor 'The Mountain' Clegane, brother of Sandor 'The Hound' Clegane. The character was played by two different actors in the first two seasons of the series, but Hafthor took over the role in season four and continued until the final season, making him the one most identified with the part. Despite originally working as a waitress, Kelsey seems to have taken up her husband's passion for fitness, and she regularly shows off her own muscles on Instagram, even after announcing her pregnancy. A week ago, Hafthor announced on his Instagram that he was quarantining after possibly being exposed to someone who contracted the novel coronavirus, but he appeared to have gotten a negative test result and was able to be with his wife in time for the birth. Published: 28 September 2020 Why did you study your Bachelor of Laws degree (LLB) at Queen Mary? What sparked your interest in this specific degree? I studied Environmental Sciences with emphasis on Neuroscience at Dalhousie University in Canada which was a broad, multi-disciplinary, and interesting degree. After that I moved to the US and worked as a legal researcher at a Washington DC law firm doing research on climate change and sustainability issues. The issues I came across while exposed to the practice of law in the US made me realise how studying law can open many doors to supplement and further enhance my science background. I believed that studying law would allow one to think more critically, broadly and across multiple disciplines and allow one the ability to act as a strategic advisor and solve complex problems. These factors ultimately influenced my decision to study a Bachelor of Laws degree. What aspects of your degree did you find most enjoyable? What modules did you like learning about in particular? The period of my study (2010-2013) was an interesting time politically to say the least for my region. Most notably the Arab spring was in full swing and potential systemic changes and political reforms were on the horizon. As such, my focus was mostly diverted towards what was happening on the ground in the region. Being in London and in Queen Mary, there were many interesting debates on what was happening including questions of what would be (or indeed should be) the legal and societal implications of these historical shifts. In terms of modules, at that time, I had a set objective to become a private practitioner. So, regrettably, I did not focus on theory heavy classes and the Senior Status degree allowed me to get exactly what I needed at that time to achieve such objective. However, in retrospect, I realise that I should have taken some of the more theory heavy classes as I have had to study them independently after the fact. Practicing law in emerging economies such as those of Kuwait and the region is truly an intellectual endeavour. One is always investigating the disparity between law and practice and engaging in a constant exercise of problem solving and comparative analysis. Being grounded in the theories of the law and legal philosophy is a great tool to supplement ones practical skills such as negotiation, drafting, rule application and the like. While I found my time at Queen Mary very fulfilling, I disliked the fact that most classes were solely exam based and 100% of the weight of the modules grades is decided by a three-hour exam. I, therefore, elected to take a dissertation module which is research heavy and allowed me to be supervised by an excellent professor (Professor Christina Perry) while having the freedom to work independently. I also enjoyed classes which were conceptually challenging such as equity and trusts. Being from Kuwait, the concept of a trust was novel and engaging in lively discussions about its history and practical applications was very exciting. Why did you choose to study at Queen Mary in particular? I wanted to study law at Queen Mary because Queen Mary law school has an excellent reputation globally. When researching schools, Queen Mary law school was ranked very highly in the UK. By then I had spent a long time in North America and thought moving to London would further broaden my international exposure. I was also attracted to Queen Marys various law programmes which targeted senior students with prior degrees and some professional experience. The level of discussion within smaller tutorial groups and the focussed thinking and discussion sessions were very generative. Can you describe your career path up to date and touch on your current role as Managing Partner of a leading Kuwaiti law firm? Prior to graduating from Queen Mary, and after an internship with Ashurst LLP, I was very fortunate (and grateful) to have been offered a training contract to become a UK qualified solicitor with the firm. However, after careful consideration, I realised that going back home and giving back to my community by applying my multidisciplinary education and international exposure, would be the more meaningful career choice. At that time in Kuwait a new slate of legislative reforms were taking place including the laws regulating competition, securities, direct investment as well as new companies law. I wanted to actively engage with these changes from professional and public policy fronts using the medium of private practice among others. I thought my legal education in the UK and the fact that I am from Kuwait, able to speak Arabic and understand cultural nuances, would allow me to both learn from and contribute to the various teams who are engaging and shaping these changes. The legal practice I joined which was set up by my father was well-known. I thought that my international and multi-disciplinary background would enable me to positively contribute to the growth and modernisation of the practice. I believe that an education from Queen Mary is a building block on which interesting careers can be built. I am a testament to this and the fact that you can have very different and fulfilling careers in choosing to come back home while still practicing in the major leagues. Through the work we have done, and the teams and the local, regional and international alliances we have built, our firm is recognised as a leading practice and I, being the managing partner of the firm, was the youngest partner in Kuwait to be recognised by Chambers and Partners. I am very proud of the work we have done and my personal achievements in the past seven years - from being a very junior, trainee lawyer to really leading the firm through team assembly, building alliances, effective matters management, perseverance, and a focus on training and quality. I understand that you came to Queen Mary as an international student, where is home for you and how did you find the experience of living and studying in London? I was born and grew up in Kuwait. I was part of a university scholarship programme to study in Canada. I then spent some time in the US before moving to London. I thought coming to London would provide me with a well-rounded experience. London is undoubtedly one of the most international cities in the world. The majority (if not all) of the reputable global law firms either originate from London or have an office there. It is a global centre of commerce with a great legal tradition. I wanted to be a part of the city, be exposed to the legal tradition and be apprised on the latest conversations and practices. Living in London was interesting; it had a lot to offer outside of studying in terms of culture and things to do. Being in a big, multicultural city like London, you can be at home and in the world at the same time because of the diverse communities that make up London. The same can be said about the Queen Mary campus which is very international. What advice would you give to prospective international students coming to study at Queen Mary? Do your research beforehand, both online and by asking people what London and Queen Mary is like. Choose wisely where you live perhaps consider living in halls for the first year in order to build a community. London is a transient city so it is can be very hard to build a community. Exploring London with your flatmates can provide you with an instant community with whom to experience the city. Also, be sure to get involved in campus activities and societies and try to volunteer within your local community. How have your time and studies at Queen Mary helped your career and development? When I was in London I volunteered at Toynbee Hall providing legal advice on housing, consumer, and debt matter. Toynbee Hall is an excellent organisation which works to tackle causes and impacts of poverty here in East London, and further afield. Without being a law student at a reputable school such as Queen Mary, I would not have been accepted to such position which was a very fulfilling and eye-opening experience. I come from a generally privileged country where homelessness is not a visible issue and working with less privileged communities allows you to: a) check your privilege; and b) discover how can you should use that privilege to assist others. Reflecting on my time, Queen Mary gave me a lot of exposure to and recognition of different legal trajectories and what a degree in law can equip you to do. In retrospect, there is a lot one can do to set themselves apart from others when studying law. I would encourage current and prospective law students to make the most of any opportunity that comes their way. The work I have done for my dissertation and the guidance I have received at Queen Mary provided me the skills to do a comparative analysis from day one as I apply the tenets of English and Kuwaiti law in my everyday practice. Overall, my time at Queen Mary was intellectually and personally fulfilling. I understand that through your work you have an internship programme. Why do you think it is important to create opportunities and help others? That is correct, we have an excellent internship programme with three intakes. Over the past few years since it has been running formally, we have had more than sixty interns who were exposed to what a career in law in Kuwait could be like. Practicing corporate law in Kuwait can be sophisticated, were not just a local law firm handling either local litigation or unsophisticated work, we can match any other law firm in terms of the ability to produce quality, commercially practical work and can procure legal services (through best friend firms internationally) to local flagship companies; or provide international clients intending to do business in, or with, Kuwait with valuable advice. I have always believed in working with and in the communities I live in, but COVID -19 especially, has given me more time for self-reflection. I have been thinking about how one can be of use and how can ones privilege be utilised in a way to assist others and open up opportunities. Is there any advice you would give to current students or recent graduates considering their career options? Dont let what you studied limit what you can do. We live in global communities. Therefore, mastering multiple disciplines is important. Constantly think about what youre doing and ask yourself, how is what Im doing going to affect others? Am I doing it correctly? Am I being true to myself? How can I improve? How can I help others to create and/or preserve value? Reflecting on our firm, we really do have a community within the firm, we try to avoid billing by the hour because we think you should bill your value and not your time. This allows us to dedicate the most appropriate resources to matters and invest more time in education, learning and building talent. The young associates we have really gravitate towards this kind of culture. It is also important to learn how to think, what questions to ask, and to develop transferable skills. This matters more than the subject matter of your studies. Were you involved in any extracurricular activities whilst you were a student? I was part of the Law Societys Street Law group where we put together reading materials and went to less privileged communities and explained criminal law in laymans terms. I was a student ambassador for the GCC region and also part of the mooting society and the football team for the Queen Mary law society in my first year - it was a very good group and a very fun community to be a part of. What was so special about your time at Queen Mary? Lifelong relationships and friendships, both professional and personal, with people from all around the world. Queen Mary promotes itself as an international, multicultural university and this is definitely true. It is really refreshing. The quality of education was also excellent. Amid India-China border tension, Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday unveiled the Defence Acquisition Procedure (DAP)--2020 in the national capital. The DAP 2020 will be applicable with effect from October 1. Taking to micro-blogging site Twitter, Singh said that the DAP 2020 has been aligned with the Prime Minister Narendra Modis vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat and empowering the Indian domestic industry through Make in India initiative with the ultimate aim of turning India into a global manufacturing hub. Live TV He also said, "With the new Foreign Direct Investment policy announced, the DAP 2020 has adequately included provisions to encourage FDI to establish manufacturing hubs both for import substitution and exports while protecting the interests of Indian domestic industry." "The categories of Buy(Indian-IDDM), Make I, Make II, Production Agency in Design & Development, OFB/DPSU and SP model will be exclusively reserved for Indian Vendors meeting the criteria of Ownership and Control by resident Indian citizens," Singh added. "Happy to unveil the new Defence Acquisition Procedure (DAP)-2020 Document today. The Formulation of DAP 2020 has been done after incorporating comments and suggestions from a wide spectrum of stakeholders," he tweeted. The Defence Minister also said, "The Offset guidelines have also been revised, wherein preference will be given to manufacture of complete defence products over components and various multipliers have been added to give incentivisation in discharge of Offsets." "A new procedure has been included as a new chapter in DAP and structured as an enabling provision for Services to procure essential items through Capital Budget under a simplified procedure in a time bound manner," he added. The first Defence Procurement Procedure (DPP) was promulgated in the year 2002 and has since been revised periodically to provide impetus to the growing domestic industry and achieve enhanced self reliance in defence manufacturing. SIngh had approved constitution of Main Review Committee under Chairmanship of DG (Acquisition) Apurva Chandra in August 2019 for preparation of DAP-2020. Specific reforms enunciated in Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan, have been incorporated as under:- (a) Notify a List of Weapons/Platforms for Ban on Import. Relevant incorporation has been done in the DAP to ensure that NO equipment as mentioned in the list is procured ex import post timelines notified. (b) Indigenisation of Imported Spares. (i) Request For Information. RFI stage will explore willingness of the prospective foreign vendors to progressively undertake manufacture and setup an indigenous eco system at the spares/sub component level. (ii) New Category of Buy (Global Manufacture in India). The new category incorporates manufacture of either the entire/part of the equipment or spares/assemblies/sub-assemblies/Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facility for the equipment, through its subsidiary in India. (iii) Co-production through IGA. This enables establishment of co-production facilities through IGA achieving Import Substitution and reduce Life Cycle Cost. (iv) Contractual Enablement. Buyers Right to optimise Life Cycle Support costs and system enhancements through indigenous eco system incorporated. (c) FDI in Defence Manufacturing. With the announcement of new FDI Policy, suitable provisions have been incorporated like new category Buy (Global Manufacture in India) done to encourage foreign OEMs to setup manufacturing/maintenance entities through its subsidiary in India while enabling requisite protections to domestic industry. (d) Time Bound Defence Procurement Process and Faster Decision Making. As part of the Defence Reforms announced in the Atmanirbhar Abhiyan, setting up of a PMU has been mandated to support contract management. The PMU will facilitate obtaining advisory and consultancy support in specified areas to streamline Acquisition process. Other issues included in these reforms are:- (i) Realistic Setting of GSQRs of Weapons/Platforms. The process of formulation of SQRs has been further refined with greater emphasis on identifying verifiable parameters based on analysis of Comparative equipment available in the World and Domestic markets. (ii) Simplification of Trial Procedures. DAP 2020 emphasises the need to conduct trials with an objective to nurture competition based on the principles of transparency, fairness and equal opportunities to all and not as a process of elimination. Bull or bear market, no investment is a sure thing. Especially in the current financial environment, which remains riddled with uncertainty, finding compelling plays can be challenging for even the most seasoned market watchers. However, this is not to say that investment opportunities with stand-out growth prospects cant be found. Roth Capital research analyst Zegbeh Jallah pointed to the healthcare sector, in particular, as an area of the market worthy of investor attention. Biotech had had a strong performance during the midst of the pandemic, and we expect it to remain so, largely driven by solid fundamental catalysts. This is supported by the resumption of preclinical and clinical efforts at many companies, albeit with some new procedures in place, Jallah noted. Bearing this in mind, our focus turned to two penny stocks from the healthcare space backed by Roth Capital. Along with the stamp of approval, the firm believes that both of these tickers trading for less than $5 per share are primed for a massive rally. Digging a bit deeper, we used TipRanks database to find out what makes both so compelling despite the risk involved. Seelos Therapeutics (SEEL) Primarily focused on neurological and psychiatric disorders, Seelos Therapeutics works to bring cutting-edge therapies to market. Currently going for $0.67 apiece, Roth Capital believes that its share price presents investors with an opportunity to get in on the action. Calling SEEL substantially undervalued, firm analyst Jonathan Aschoff points to two of the company's pivotal programs, SLS-002 (intranasal racemic ketamine), its treatment for acute suicidal ideation and behavior (ASIB) in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD), and SLS-005 (trehalose), its ALS treatment, as major upside drivers. SLS-002 is set to enter a proof-of-concept (POC) trial, with the FDA eager for a useful anti-suicide drug. Aschoff noted, We firmly believe that, although it is formally called a POC trial, achievement of two endpoints, the primary endpoint of Montgomery-Asberg depression rating scale (MADRS) and the key secondary endpoint of Sheehan-suicidality tracking scale clinically meaningful change measure (S-STS CMCM), will be enough to allow SEEL to file for approval of a ketamine importantly differentiated by its ability to reduce suicidal ideation. Story continues Aschoff believes its likely that SEEL will have already kicked off the 120-patient randomized trial portion when it publishes data from 16 patients dosed with SLS-002. The analyst added, We also believe that SEEL was given extremely helpful trial design guidance from the FDA due to the clearly evident observation that current national and global affairs are contributing to suicide more strongly now than perhaps ever. As for SLS-005, the company recently got permission from the FDA to proceed with its registrational Phase 2b/3 ALS trial. Based on data from multiple preclinical studies, treatment with the therapy resulted in the preservation of motor neurons, motor function and prolonged survival. Whats more, SLS-005 has been granted Orphan Drug Designation (ODD) in the U.S. and E.U. for other indications such as Sanfilippo syndrome, spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 (SCA3) and oculopharyngeal muscular dystrophy (OPMD), as well as Fast Track designation for OPMD. "We believe that a trial in SCA3 is more likely to come first [...] We anticipate SEEL's SCA3 trial to enroll about 150 patients and evaluate patients by SARA at six months, in which showing stability would be meaningful and showing improvement would be a home run," Aschoff wrote. To this end, Aschoff rates SEEL a Buy along with a $12 price target. This puts the upside potential at a massive 1,715%. (To watch Aschoffs track record, click here) Turning now to the rest of the Street, 2 Buys and no Holds or Sells have been published in the last three months. Therefore, SEEL has a Moderate Buy consensus rating. With the average price target clocking in at $8, the upside potential lands at 1,111%. (See SEEL stock analysis on TipRanks) Acer Therapeutics (ACER) Developing therapies for rare and life-threatening diseases, Acer Therapeutics wants to address the unmet medical needs of patients. With several catalysts slated for the near-term, Roth Capital thinks its $2.50 share price reflects an attractive entry point. Analyst Jonathan Aschoff, who also covers SEEL for the firm, points out that during a recent meeting with management, the overwhelmingly focus was on emetine, ACER-001 and Edsivo, and each of these programs are capable of providing at least one meaningful near-term investment catalyst. Emetine, a potential COVID-19 treatment, is being developed as part of a collaboration with the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS), one of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Speaking to the therapys potential, Aschoff notes that the candidate reactivates the cellular stress response, making it a strong antiviral with nanomolar potency about 50 times greater than remdesivir, Gileads COVID-19 treatment. The broad antiviral activity could also allow the drug to be used against future novel viruses, in the analysts opinion. ACER is pursuing BARDA and Gates Foundation funding for the program. While Aschoff acknowledges that the company could fund part of the clinical development itself, he argues the program is more likely to progress with external funding. The capital would allow ACER to submit an IND in 1H21 and initiate a Phase 2/3 trial later that year. As a response from BARDA is set to come in Q3 2020, the analyst sees a major possible catalyst. As for ACER-001, its fully taste-masked, immediate-release formulation of sodium phenylbutyrate (NaPB) developed using a microencapsulation process, Aschoff believes ACER is speaking to several larger pharmaceutical companies about partnership opportunities, with plenty of upside in store should an agreement be reached. We highly favor ACER-001's edge over the competition, given Buphenyl's awful taste and smell and Ravicti's egregious pricing of about $900,000 per year. With ACER-001's taste masking and parity pricing to Buphenyl (about $350,000 per year), ACER-001 is a no brainer, in our view...We believe that FDA buy in on the food effect without requiring addition clinical work would be a meaningful stock catalyst, the analyst commented. Additionally, Edsivo, ACERs new chemical entity (NCE) designed for the treatment of vEDS, reflects a key point of strength, in Aschoffs opinion. Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS) is a group of hereditary disorders of connective tissue. We essentially view Edsivo as a call option, with significant share price upside if the FDA allows ACER to amend and refile its NDA after only having to include existing natural history data... Edsivo could generate meaningful U.S. revenue for ACER, about $350 million annually, if approved for vascular Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, he explained. It should come as no surprise, then, that Aschoff stayed with the bulls. To this end, he left a Buy rating and $10 price target on the stock. Investors could be pocketing a gain of 300%, should this target be met in the twelve months ahead. Looking at the consensus breakdown, opinions are more varied. As 2 Buys and 3 Holds have been issued in the last three months, the word on the Street is that ACER is a Moderate Buy. At $10, the average price target matches Aschoffs. (See ACER stock analysis on TipRanks) To find good ideas for penny stocks trading at attractive valuations, visit TipRanks Best Stocks to Buy, a newly launched tool that unites all of TipRanks equity insights. Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the featured analysts. The content is intended to be used for informational purposes only. It is very important to do your own analysis before making any investment. Saturdays resignation of health minister Jenny Mikakos, described by Premier Daniel Andrews as "appropriate", is a demonstration of the idea that in the event of failure in matters belonging to their portfolio, ministers show their responsibility to the electorate by resigning from office. Health Minister Jenny Mikakos resigned on Saturday. Credit:Joe Armao Mikakoss resignation might have quietened some of the political noise, at least temporarily. But if closing submissions before the inquiry into Victorias failed hotel quarantine program that has now concluded are any indication, we have not heard the last of the accountability puzzles attaching to the "who made the decision to contract private security" question that has been a central preoccupation throughout. True, a clear answer to that question would make discussions to come in November when Justice Jennifer Coate publishes her report much easier to frame and to understand. But if as a matter of fact the evidence indicates that there wasnt really a "who" and there wasnt really a "decision" but rather, as counsel assisting the inquiry Rachel Ellyard put it, a "creeping assumption that became a reality" the task now is to ensure that this bewildering scene does not confuse or conceal other key issues. It is extraordinary what was achieved during the single weekend in which the hotel quarantine operation was planned. Nonetheless, as indeed Ellyards description made clear, circumstances of urgency tell us a lot about starting assumptions. Newly Formed Firm Led by Seasoned Industry Veterans Joseph T. Rallo, David W. Boral and Edward Tsuker to Help Transform Global Investment Banking Company Will Rebrand as Kingswood US New York, NY, Sept. 28, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via NewMediaWire -- Manhattan Harbor Capital today announced the formation of Kingswood Capital Markets to provide an international suite of proprietary and highly customized products within the public and private investment banking middle and emerging growth markets. The launch of Kingswood Capital Markets continues the impressive Kingswood US growth plan. Recent acquisitions have advanced our business offerings and services, while we expand the team of U.S. financial experts. The expansion is designed to further focus attention on registered investment advisors and broker-dealer acquisition targets, a sub-market in which Kingswood excels. Kingswood Holdings Limited, a publicly traded company and a 7% minority owner of Manhattan Harbor Capital, recently signed a Letter of Intent to acquire up to 50.5% of Manhattan Harbor Capital with the intention to change the name to Kingswood US, following regulatory approval and closing. Kingswood Capital Markets will provide a transnational variety of investment banking, capital markets, and advisory services including equity financing, debt financing and private equity banking. Kingswood Capital Markets will be dedicated to providing objective strategic advice and financing solutions to companies across a full range of industries in the US middle and emerging growth markets, including but not limited to Healthcare, Real Estate, Technology, Energy, and Consumer. Kingswood is well positioned to drive its US growth strategy. Kingswood will have approximately 180 authorized representatives managing Assets Under Management of approximately $2 billion in the United States. Kingswood US will embark on a rebranding campaign in the near future. The Kingswood Capital Markets team will be led by division CEO, Joseph T. Rallo and division President, David W. Boral, who will leverage their almost 30 years of combined expertise and deep industry experience to further expand Kingswood's global growth. Additionally, Kingswood Capital Markets will develop and launch its equity research platform in the near future. Mike Nessim, President and Managing Partner at Kingswood US commented, "We are delighted to welcome Joseph T. Rallo and David W. Boral along with their professional teams to the Kingswood. The expansion under Kingswood Holdings Limited, a publicly traded entity, and the commitment of $8 Million for recruiting experienced investment professionals is a testament to our US growth strategy. Without question, we have created a strong management team that will guide us through our next levels of growth. Joseph T. Rallo, Kingswood Capital Markets CEO said, We are excited to partner with an established and dynamic industry leader, Kingswood. We look forward to continuing to offer unparalleled banking services and providing intuitive solutions through our proprietary products. Our years of experience, expansive network and solid client base combined with Kingswood, the UKs leader in wealth management, and now a leader in the US, will ensure we will continue to be a valuable resource and advisor to our clients. Kingswood Capital Markets President, David W. Boral stated, We are humbled and thrilled to become part of the Kingswood global family, which encompasses ten offices throughout Europe as well as offices in New York, Atlanta and San Diego, employing over 400 talented professionals, with combined assets under management that exceed $6B. Edward Tsuker, Head of Capital Markets at Kingswood Capital Markets added, With a terrific leadership in place, we have developed an impressive strategic plan to become a leading force in New York City, the largest financial hub in North America. Our expansion plans are aggressive, but we look forward to bringing first rate solutions to an ever-expanding roster of clients. Joseph T. Rallo has over fourteen years of investment banking and securities industry experience. He has completed a vast array of transactions across different product types, which include IPOs, Secondaries/Follow-on Offerings, Registered Directs, SPACs, PIPEs, Privates, Fixed Income and Fairness Opinions. His public and private offering transactional experience spans a broad range of industries, having completed over 300 equity and debt transactions representing over $50 billion in aggregate value. Mr. Rallo has also completed diverse Merger & Acquisitions assignments, including serving as strategic advisor to the Special Committees and Board of Directors of many public companies. Prior to joining Kingswood Capital Markets, Mr. Rallo was a Co-Head of Investment Banking/Managing Director at Aegis Capital, a Director in the Investment Banking Group at Maxim Group and previously, served as Vice President in the Financial Institutions & Real Estate Investment Banking Group at JMP Securities. David W. Boral has over fifteen years of investment banking and capital markets experience. As a direct result of his transactional experience, Mr. Boral has an extensive network of relationships with public company management teams, board of director members and private equity investors. Mr. Boral has led and participated in numerous and varied transactions including IPOs, Secondaries/Follow-on Offerings, SPACs, Confidentially Marketed Public Offerings (CMPOs), Registered Directs (RDs), PIPEs, Reverse Mergers, M&A, Bankruptcy/Restructuring's, Cross Listings and other private and public offerings in the US and abroad. Prior to joining Kingswood Capital Markets, Mr. Boral served as Co-Head of Investment Banking/Managing Director at Aegis Capital, was with Maxim Group as a Director in the Investment Banking Division, served as a Director for Aeon Funds Group, and previously served as a board member of Viatar CTC Solutions. Edward Tsuker has spent more than 20 years in investment banking and corporate finance, servicing emerging growth, small cap and middle market companies, specializing in life sciences, healthcare, technology, energy, metals and mining. Previously, Mr. Tsuker was Managing Director, Head of Global Syndicate at Aegis Capital Corp. Prior to joining Aegis Capital, Mr. Tsuker held senior management positions with Knight Capital Group and Maxim Group LLC., where he was responsible for structuring, closing and participating in over 500 equity offerings. Throughout his employment at the above-mentioned institutions he was responsible for raising more than $10 billion for emerging growth companies. About Kingswood Holdings Limited Kingswood Holdings Limited (trading as Kingswood) is an AIM-listed (AIM: KWG) integrated wealth management group, with around 12,000 active clients and c. 3.2 billion of Assets under Management and Advice. It has a growing network of offices in the UK including Abingdon, Beverley, Derby, Lincoln, London, Maidstone, Sheffield and Worcester, and offices in Johannesburg, South Africa and New York, USA. Kingswood offers a range of trusted investment solutions to its clients, which range from private individuals to some of the UK's largest universities and institutions, including investment advice and management, personal and company pensions and wealth planning. Kingswood is focused on becoming a leading player in the wealth management market through targeted acquisitions in the UK, with the ultimate goal of creating a global business through strategic partnerships. Contacts: Joseph T. Rallo jrallo@kingswoodcm.com David W. Boral dboral@kingswoodcm.com Edward Tsuker etsuker@kingswoodcm.com Professor Malcolm Press said a significant amount of money would be given, on top of a care package that includes basic food, to ensure students felt protected and cared for. Speaking to Sky News, he said: It will be a package that I think students will appreciate, that allows them to rest assured, while theyre in this situation, they dont have any particular financial worries as a consequence. Prof Press said details were being discussed with students, but added that a financial package means hard cash, with it representing more than an actual weeks rent. Students will be receiving financial compensation to ensure that they feel protected and cared for during this period of self-isolation, he said. His comments came after Glasgow University said it will refund all students in halls of residence one months rent, along with a 50 payment for food, amid an outbreak of coronavirus cases there. Advertisement Over the weekend fears were raised among a number of students at Manchester Metropolitan University that they were being falsely imprisoned in their accommodation, with human rights lawyers questioning the legality of security staff enforcing a 14-day isolation period. Students described being scared and confused as their accommodation was locked down on Friday, after 127 people tested positive for coronavirus. They were later told the decision, made in conjunction with Public Health England and Manchester City Council, was deemed necessary to prevent the spread of the virus to other students, staff or the community. But Prof Press told Sky News on Monday: We were asked to ensure (students) would self-isolate because there had been an outbreak of Covid into halls of residence. Were advising students on the rules, what they should do, were supporting them, but the idea that theyre not able to leave is just not true Im afraid. Students are free to go should they wish to and a small number of students have gone home in a Covid-secure way. Speaking to the PA news agency, students self-isolating at Manchester Metropolitan Universitys Birley Hall said they were trying to see the funny side of being stuck in their flats for two weeks. Advertisement Were just trying to make the best out of a bad situation really, said 19-year-old Mia Winrow, adding: Well get to know each other really well after this. She said: We understand why it has happened at the end of the day, youve got to do what youve got to do to stop it Its already pretty bad in these halls, so fair enough that theyve got to do this. Niamh Morrow, 19, said students were alerted by email they would have to self-isolate, but an hour after there was just a security guard on the gate telling us we couldnt leave. Natasha Kutscheruk, 18, said students were initially stressed and panicking, explaining that the lockdown came a week after another one that was abandoned after the university changed their mind. STUDENT UPDATE: If you are self-isolating in Birley & Cambridge Halls, please check your inbox for an important email. It contains clarification around some issues that we know matter to you, as well as an update on the development of a care package. https://t.co/BppWxL28wH Manchester Metropolitan Uni (@ManMetUni) September 27, 2020 Prof Press also said there had been some miscommunication within the university over students being asked to remove posters. Weve retracted that information, students are very free to put posters up and we obviously value freedom of speech, and its just regretful that there was a message sent out in error, he said. Meanwhile supermarket chain Morrisons has announced a Serve our Students food box delivery service to support those self-isolating in halls of residence. Launching at Manchester Metropolitan University before expanding to other institutions, the service will allow students to order from a selection of boxes on Monday for delivery by early evening on Tuesday. School of Journalism virtual event to honor PBS NewsHours Judy Woodruff by Pete Rosenbery CARBONDALE, Ill. Acclaimed broadcast journalist Judy Woodruff will receive a Lifetime Achievement Award next month as the Gateway Journalism Review/St. Louis Journalism Review celebrates its 50th anniversary with a virtual event hosted by Southern Illinois University Carbondales School of Journalism. Woodruff, the anchor and managing editor of the PBS NewsHour, will receive the award during An Evening Conversation with Judy Woodruff. The program begins at 7 p.m. on Oct. 13. Tickets for the event, which serves as a fundraiser for the Gateway Journalism Review, or GJR, are now available. The SIU School of Journalism publishes the quarterly print magazine along with a weekly newsletter that focuses on journalism and media-related issues. Unassailable integrity and credibility Woodruff has five decades broadcast experience covering politics and other news for NBC, CNN and PBS, where she is anchor and managing editor of the PBS NewsHour.. Judy Woodruff is today's Walter Cronkite or, in the public media realm Jim Lehrer, said William Freivogel, the SIU Carbondale School of Journalism professor responsible for publishing GJR. She is one of those unique people who has unassailable integrity and credibility. In an era of fake news and political divisions, this is no small feat. She is unflappable, modest, conversational and trustworthy. First Amendment, elections to be discussed Jon Sawyer, director of the Pulitzer Center, will present Woodruff, who will be at home, with the award virtually. The annual event, called a First Amendment Celebration, will likely start there and then center on the election, Freivogel said. He noted one of Woodruffs quotes: A free press is at the heart of a democracy; its what ties the American people to their government, to each other, and to the rest of the world. Freivogel believes the event will be memorable at an important historical moment. We journalists too often talk about an election being the most important in recent history. But this one really may live up to the hype, he said. The election conversation will occur between the first and second presidential debates. And it comes in the wake of the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and the president's statements about the peaceful transfer of power. Previous lifetime achievement recipients were Bill McClellan, St. Louis Post-Dispatch columnist in 2018 and Tony Messenger, Pulitzer Prize winning St. Louis Post-Dispatch columnist in 2019. Event delayed by pandemic Woodruff was planning travel to St. Louis, Missouri for GJRs 50th anniversary at the Edward Jones Building in Des Peres because St. Louis is the home of the publications long-time supporters. But the pandemic prompted cancellation of the celebration, Freivogel said. Sawyer and Freivogel are former colleagues at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and worked together in the newspapers Washington, D.C. bureau for 12 years. Sawyer began the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting in 2006 and is one of the most successful of the new era of non-profit online news organizations, Freivogel said. Pulitzer Center and SIU have deep ties The Pulitzer Center provides grants for veteran reporters and student journalists, including those from SIU Carbondale to tell untold stories from around the world, he added. The universitys partnership with the Pulitzer Center gives students the opportunity to report on global issues through reporting fellowships. The School of Journalism has been part of the Campus Consortium since its launch in January 2009. SIU has had 15 students involved with reporting fellowships. The Centers grants have also allowed projects on civil asset forfeitures, GJRs recent 1857 Project and a project on police accountability that Freivogel and about 10 college journalists are working on. Five decades of journalistic review GJR is one of only two journalism review publications in the nation. Funds from the event go toward paying for GJRs four print editions and for freelance fees paid to journalists who write for it. Originally the St. Louis Journalism Review founded in 1970, GJR assumed the publication a decade ago at the request of its founder, Charles Klotzer, Freivogel said. The name change was a made to reflect our aspiration to be a provider of Midwest media news, not just St. Louis news, Freivogel said. Racked by concerns for her newborn daughter's safety, Gini Wilde was assured by her friends that her feelings were standard for a first-time parent. But Gini, 42, now a mother of two, was convinced her fears were anything but normal. For a year after her daughter Scarlet's birth, Gini was convinced her precious first-born would come to harm. That dread was so intense that she would not leave Scarlet even lying safely in a pram in a room where there were knives; she also could not rest until she'd checked, sometimes as many as ten times, that she'd shut the front door. For months, doctors and friends told her she was 'just an anxious first-time mum' or a 'helicopter parent' before the true diagnosis was made: she had a form of obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), perinatal OCD, that comes on after a baby is born. For a year Gini Wilde (pictured with daughters Scarlet and Nancy), 42, was racked by concerns for her first-born daughter Scarlet and was convinced she would come to harm Experts believe many parents are, like Gini, labelled helicopter parents someone who hovers over their children being overprotective when they actually have OCD. And it can start soon after birth. Perinatal OCD is different from postnatal depression, which often manifests in a sense of hopelessness and lethargy; instead, it involves extreme anxiety about the baby that goes beyond normal parental concerns and leads to persistent negative thoughts such as 'what if I drop my baby'? Symptoms include constant checking handles, locks, taps, switches and rituals such as closing doors in a certain order, or folding clothes in a particular pattern, or fearing 'something bad will happen'. Worrying that someone else, or even you, might harm your baby, is also an issue. 'Those with maternal OCD have a sense that only they can keep their babies safe and that by being in control all the time, and only by doing things such as compulsions or rituals, they will keep their child safe,' says Dr Angharad Rudkin, a child clinical psychologist at the University of Southampton. 'The term 'helicopter parent' is unhelpful, as it can mask people who actually have OCD.' Few may have heard of perinatal OCD, yet while 'standard' OCD affects one to two per cent of the population, 'perinatal OCD affects around four per cent of new parents,' says Dr Fiona Challacombe, a clinical psychologist at King's College London. Identifying and treating the condition is crucial. 'It doesn't tend to go away without help,' adds Dr Rudkin. 'It can last for years. As your child grows, there will be enforced separation when they go to school. There is also a higher chance your child will have OCD if you suffer from it, so getting treatment is important for them and you. The mother was eventually told she had a form of obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), perinatal OCD, that comes on after a baby is born 'By being overprotecting and obsessively protecting the child, your child is unable to develop their own coping strategies and their resilience.' Why some mothers develop it is not fully understood. 'There's a chance it is made more likely after a traumatic birth, but we also know there's a genetic element and that women are slightly more likely to develop OCD,' says Dr Rudkin. 'The overwhelming sense of responsibility and tiredness that comes from having a new baby can heighten levels of anxiety in general, which could then tip into OCD-type behaviour.' As is typical, Gini's issues began within weeks of giving birth to Scarlet, now eight, by forceps delivery. Five weeks after the birth, Gini's husband Richard, 40, a joiner, was involved in an accident at work and needed emergency surgery to his face. A week later, when Scarlet was six weeks old, Gini realised she had a retained placenta where the placenta stays in the womb and had to return to hospital for surgery. 'Richard's accident, plus having to return to hospital, made me feel very anxious, worried and full of dread,' she says. Gini began constantly worrying about Scarlet. 'I'd check the front door lock ten times,' she says. 'I had to do this or it meant someone could get in and harm Scarlet. 'I began having a fear of knives. I used to be able to cook and use knives without thinking but, now, they were a weapon that could hurt Scarlet,' she says. 'I couldn't leave Scarlet in a room for me to nip to the loo in case something happened to her.' To get round this, Gini took Scarlet to the bathroom with her and never had her in the room when she was cooking. Citizen Science: The medical breakthroughs helped by ordinary people This week: Tuberculosis Testing thousands of samples of tuberculosis (TB, a bacterial infection that affects the lungs) with different antibiotics may provide doctors with key information about how to effectively treat the disease. Almost 5,000 people a year in the UK develop TB. And although the number of cases is falling, strains have emerged that are resistant to the standard six-month antibiotic treatment. The BashtheBug citizen science project, set up by the University of Oxford in 2017, is analysing samples of the bacterium that causes TB, collected from up to 15,000 people globally who have been tested with 13 different antibiotics to see which work best. Scientists and a computer program analyse the results and, if the results differ, citizen scientists are asked to analyse a photograph of the TB samples (after undergoing online training). 'We find the volunteers are very accurate and consistent,' says scientist Dr Philip Fowler, who runs the project. 'We hope the project will identify the mutations in the TB bacteria that lead to antibiotic resistance. This will help doctors decide how best to treat people with TB.' Visit bashthebug.net Advertisement As months passed, she stopped cooking and eating regularly and lost weight. Richard was sympathetic, as were most of her friends. 'But other non-close mates suggested I was just an anxious new mum,' says Gini. 'No one believed my thoughts and anxiety were as bad as I tried to explain.' When Scarlet was three months old, Gini asked her GP for help only to be told she had 'a spot of the baby blues' and was prescribed antidepressants. Gini says: 'I wasn't depressed. I loved my baby. But I felt terrified something bad would happen to her.' Gini took Scarlet to be weighed and to mother-and-baby groups. 'But, at home, I'd stay in for hours, too terrified to leave,' she says. 'Richard once came home and found I'd put every kitchen knife in the bin because I was terrified of Scarlet being hurt.' Gini deteriorated so much that she couldn't watch the news for fear of hearing a story about children coming to harm. She put on a show of being a happy mother to everyone else. But, inwardly, she was terrified. Eventually, Gini went back to her GP, who referred her to a mental health centre. Here she was diagnosed with OCD and referred for group talking therapy sessions. 'It was a mix of people with depression, post-traumatic stress, and anxiety, but not specifically for parents,' she says. 'It made me worse.' Finally, after several more visits to the doctor a year after Scarlet's birth, she was referred to a specialist OCD therapist for one-on-one talking therapy. Gina says: 'I learnt that my OCD was my way of using checking rituals to ensure Scarlet was OK. In other words, if I checked a plug three times nothing bad would happen.' Treatment normally involves talking therapies, such as CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy), plus medication such as an anti-depressant, says Dr Rudkin. 'But it's the talking therapy that gives you a different perspective.' Gini began a form of CBT involving ERP therapy (exposure response prevention) where a patient is gradually exposed to the thing they fear. Gini says: 'I had to get the biggest kitchen knife out of the drawer and have it on the sofa next to me one evening. The first night I cried and could leave it there only seconds. The next night I could for minutes. Then half an hour.' Slowly, she also stopped checking plugs and the front door. As Gini recovered, she realised she could not remember the first few months with Scarlet. She says: 'It was a haze of fear and terror.' It took three years of therapy for Gini to recover enough for her and Richard to contemplate having another baby. Her second daughter, Nancy, is now 19 months old and Gini has had a completely different parenting experience. 'I now can tell myself a thought is just a thought; that it's OK to be fearful and worried for your child but not to let it take over,' she says. 'I've been able to enjoy being a mum to Nancy instead of cowering in my room, or checking she is breathing every five minutes, or checking switches. 'I'm telling my story because I think there must be lots of mums like me who are not helicopter parents at all, but might have OCD.' maternalocd.org Louise ISD Superintendent Garth Oliver had high hopes for virtual learning when the school year began in his tiny school district just southwest of El Campo. About 30 percent of his roughly 530 students had opted to learn online, and teachers spent most of summer reconfiguring instructional models and lesson plans to accommodate those who did not want to return to campuses on Aug. 19. However, once the school year began, it became clear many of the remote learners were logging on but not participating. I dont think (Texas Education) Commissioner Mike Morath expected kids would sign in and do nothing. We didnt expect it either, but thats what was happening, Oliver said. Our kids were doing so poorly we said, We cant continue to allow our kids to not get their education. Oliver ultimately decided to cancel the districts virtual learning program all together, telling Louise ISD students and families on Sept. 22 that virtual learners had to make another choice: they could return to campuses for in-person instruction; withdraw to pursue home or private school; or transfer to another district that provides online learning. Louise ISD is among only a handful of smaller, rural Texas school districts to eliminate their remote learning options during the COVID-19 pandemic, but others soon could join their ranks. In a phone call with superintendents last Thursday, Morath responded to a question about districts eliminating their online options by reiterating that districts did not have to provide remote instruction. Although that has been the Texas Education Agencys position since first outlining back-to-school guidance in June, some superintendents had been under the impression they were required to provide families with a remote-learning option. No Houston-area districts have indicated that they are considering abandoning their virtual-learning options. Decisions to abandon some online learning programs come as the state has reported the lowest average of new cases since June, when COVID-19 infection rates began spiking across the state. The Texas Education Agency and the Department of State Health Services updated their data on Monday and reported there had been 6,773 cases of COVID-19 across the states roughly 1,200 school districts since July. That represents a fraction of the more than 1.9 million students and staff who have returned to campuses, but many of the larger districts, including Houston, Dallas and Fort Bend ISD, have not yet brought large numbers of students back into classrooms. While education leaders agree in-person instruction is more effective than distance learning, some teachers groups and health officials have argued the risk of spreading COVID-19 outweighs those benefits. Clay Robison, public affairs specialist with the Texas State Teachers Association, said the state still is averaging more than 3,000 new COVID-19 cases daily and that more than 800 of TSTAs members have reported lax social distancing or sanitation practices at their schools. The reason districts are doing virtual learning and had the virtual option to begin with was to protect students and teachers and parents from exposure to the coronavirus, Robison said. We hope not many districts take this option and hope many continue with virtual learning. State funding also is at stake. Texas school systems receive state funding based on their average daily attendance, so if any of their virtual students withdraw or transfer to other districts because remote programs are nixed, the state funding they generated would go elsewhere, as well. Still, Dallas Grimes, Superintendent of Roosevelt ISD about 8 miles east of Lubbock, said he has fielded phone calls from nearly 25 superintendents across the state after his 1,060-student district announced last week that it, too, would eliminate its online learning program. He said teachers in his district experienced the same problems with their virtual learning students that were seen in Louise ISD: students logging in but not turning in work, some parents refusing to talk to teachers sometimes even blocking their numbers and overworked teachers struggling to juggle the needs of kids in their classrooms and those learning online. Grimes said virtual students struggled so much that 70 percent of them were failing at least one class. After the first six weeks wound down, we looked at the numbers and said Look, kids off-campus arent holding up their end of the bargain, Grimes said, adding that phone calls to families did not help, either. The parents werent holding up their end of the bargain of what they agreed to, so we decided were going to do whats best for our kids, even if it costs us money. Ultimately, most of Roosevelt ISDs remote students came back to campuses when the distance-learning program ended on Monday. Thirty of 44 elementary remote-learners came back, 30 of 34 junior high schoolers returned and 36 of 39 high school students reported back to campuses on Monday. Grimes said he stared in disbelief as some families took first-day pictures outside of the districts elementary school, even though their students were entering their seventh week of instruction. Mindy Dewbre, who teaches fifth grade English and reading at Roosevelt Elementary, said it was practically the first day of school for her only virtual learning student. Her parents did not want to send her back at the beginning of the school year fearing she would contract COVID-19 and suffer serious complications, but she hardly completed any work during the six weeks she was working from home. She would email Dewbre excuses for why she wasnt participating that she was busy or had a headache. Her parents stopped answering Dewbres calls. Meanwhile, Dewbre sometimes stayed up until 1 a.m. recording lessons and creating online assignments specifically for that one student. She said when the fifth grader walked into her class on Monday, it was clear she was far behind her peers. She hopes to help her catch up now that she has more time to focus on her classroom. You dont have time to put into your instruction when youre reproducing everything youre doing at night, Dewbre said. I thought I was going to hug the superintendent when he said theyd be coming back. I saw him three times that day and said Has anyone told you lately how wonderful you are? Has anyone told you have a whole lot of fans today? Robison worries that elation may be short lived, especially if a rise in COVID-19 cases force students in Roosevelt ISD and other districts back online. Although the district has only had one confirmed case of COVID-19 since students returned in mid-August, Robison said that number could grow if more districts require all of their students to return to classrooms. The fact that they dont have many cases in their town may be due to the fact so many restrictions over the past 6 months helped keep virus from spreading more than it may have, Robison said. If everyone is back to school, and theres more crowding in classrooms, you may find that you do have a problem. I think we should err on the side of health. shelby.webb@chron.com WASHINGTON - For six months, the rules for how Americans can vote during the coronavirus pandemic have been locked in court battles while states across the country rushed to embrace mail ballots. Now, with weeks to go before the Nov. 3 election, voting rights advocates and Democrats have advanced on key fronts in the legal war, scoring victories that make mail voting easier, that ensure that votes cast by mail are counted and that protect the wide distribution of mail ballots in some states. A review by The Washington Post of nearly 90 state and federal voting lawsuits found that judges have been broadly skeptical as Republicans use claims of voter fraud to argue against such changes, declining to endorse the GOP's arguments or dismissing them as they examined limits on mail voting. In no case did a judge back President Donald Trump's view - refuted by experts - that fraud is a problem significant enough to sway a presidential election. Some of the Democrats' wins have been preliminary. In many cases, judges issued split decisions, granting some of the changes sought by liberal plaintiffs and otherwise maintaining the status quo as favored by Republicans. But The Post found that judges appointed by Republicans and Democrats alike have been dubious of GOP arguments that lowering barriers to mail voting could lead to widespread fraud. "Do you have any evidence of any voter fraud actually existent in Montana in the last 10 to 20 years?" District Judge Dana Christensen, an appointee of President Barack Obama, pressed a GOP lawyer in a Missoula courtroom last week. "No," said the lawyer, James Bopp, who is representing Republicans in a suit challenging the state's decision to allow counties to run all-mail elections this fall. "No. But it is, with all due respect, I understand your question, but no, it's irrelevant." Bopp went on to assert, without offering evidence, that counties proactively mailing ballots to voters could introduce voter fraud in the state. Christensen has not yet issued a ruling. Many important rules for voting remain in flux after hundreds of cases were filed in more than 44 states. The decisions will shape the contours of an election already made singular by the public health crisis and Trump's preemptive declarations that the outcome will be rigged. GOP lawyers have scored several defensive wins related to mail ballots, such as maintaining North Carolina's witness requirement and keeping in place limitations on third parties collecting and returning ballots or applications, which Republicans deride as "harvesting," in Florida, Minnesota and Michigan. "The RNC continues to fight back against Democrat efforts to overhaul our elections system - and we are winning," Mandi Merritt, a spokeswoman for the Republican National Committee (RNC), said in a statement. Two other high-profile voting cases have gone for Republicans, at least for now: In Florida, a federal appeals court sided with GOP state leaders who passed a law requiring people convicted of felonies to pay off fines before they can vote; in Texas, Republican officials have fended off efforts to make absentee voting available to those who fear exposure to the novel coronavirus, which causes the illness covid-19. The landscape could change after Nov. 3: Trump has already indicated that he plans to aggressively challenge the election results if they do not go his way, which could lead to a wave of new lawsuits after Election Day over which ballots should count. But when it comes to setting the rules for the election, the results of litigation so far show that Republicans have struggled to offer proof for their claims about the risk of widespread voter fraud, according to court filings and oral arguments reviewed by The Post. In several cases, GOP lawyers cited minor episodes of alleged fraud that occurred in other states in past years, prompting rebukes from judges. And the RNC, which initially trumpeted several lawsuits against individual states, dropped its legal fight in California after the state legislature approved the Democratic governor's plan to proactively mail ballots to voters A similar RNC case in Nevada was dismissed last week by a federal judge. In his order, Judge James Mahan of the District of Nevada, who was appointed by President George W. Bush, wrote that "the alleged injuries are speculative." "Not only have plaintiffs failed to allege a substantial risk of voter fraud, the State of Nevada has its own mechanisms for deterring and prosecuting voter fraud," he added. Justin Levitt, a professor at Loyola Law School who tracks voting rights litigation, said the GOP fraud argument "has not found much purchase in the courts." "When actual judges are reviewing cases, they demand - whether you're progressive or conservative - actual facts," he said. "And the courts have not been kind to the unsupported claims of, 'There's going to be fraud,' all-caps, exclamation points everywhere." - - - As Election Day approaches, unresolved voting lawsuits are producing headlines - and whiplash - almost daily. In South Carolina, a witness requirement for mail ballots that had been blocked by a federal judge was put back in effect Thursday by an appeals panel - an order that was reversed Friday by the full court, which plans to review the case. Absentee voting has already begun in the state. Meanwhile, a Montana judge on Friday imposed a postmark-by-Election Day deadline, gave voters more time to fix ballot errors and struck down restrictions on third-party ballot collection. The judge, Donald Harris, wrote that Montana Secretary of State Corey Stapleton, a Republican, "presented no evidence that organized ballot collection services have ever interfered with or defrauded voters." "Nor has there been a single instance of ballot collection fraud in Montana," wrote Harris, who was appointed in 2017 by Democratic Gov. Steve Bullock. Key aspects of voting remain contested in battleground states: Republicans have appealed extended ballot receipt deadlines in Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, as well as the use of drop boxes for returning ballots in Pennsylvania. "If there are going to be changes that happen to the status quo, we're getting really, really close to the time when a lot of them are going to be done by the courts - at least the big ones," said Myrna Perez, director of the Voting Rights and Elections Program at the Brennan Center for Justice. Hundreds of thousands of Americans have cast their ballots by mail or through early voting, meaning last-minute court decisions could inject more confusion and uncertainty into an already tumultuous election year. An unprecedented 198 million Americans - at least 84% of voters - are eligible to cast mail ballots during the general election, thanks to state policy changes. Eleven states have chosen to send voters applications for mail ballots because of the pandemic, while four states and the District of Columbia plan to send actual ballots despite criticism from Republicans. Before this year, five states ran universal mail elections. "The positive thing that we can say is that the majority of election officials in this country have moved to provide more access to the ballot," said Sylvia Albert, director of Common Cause's voting and elections program, on a call with reporters last week. The exceptions: Indiana, Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas and Tennessee, which are still barring most people from voting by mail during the pandemic, under the direction of Republican officials. While governors and state legislatures of both major political parties have been responsible for broad expansions of mail voting, many battles over this year's election policies have played out in the courts, which have fielded a rush of litigation. By the beginning of July, voting rules were already the subject of more than 60 lawsuits. As of this month, the pandemic has led to more than 300 election-law cases, according to a list maintained by the Stanford-MIT Healthy Elections Project. Albert said voters have benefited from a general shift toward mail voting this year, but added that a clear winner in the legal battles has not emerged. "I would actually say it's a mixed bag, and that's the reflection of the decentralization of our election system," she said. "So while state judges have actually found generally more in favor of expanding voting rights, federal courts have generally deferred to the wants of the local election officials." Voting rights advocates and Democrats have focused on priorities such as allowing all voters to use mail ballots and letting community groups collect and return them. Concerns about rejected ballots have also raised the stakes in battles over postmark rules and guaranteeing voters the chance to fix, or "cure," their mistakes. More than 534,000 mail ballots were tossed during primaries in 23 states this year, including more than 60,480 in Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin - states where Trump clinched his 2016 victory with a margin of roughly 80,000 votes. Studies have found that the risk of ballot rejection is heightened for younger voters and voters of color, who tend to lean politically toward Democrats. The Post examined 89 suits across 35 states and Puerto Rico that are directly relevant to mail voting for the general election, and found that Democrats and voting rights groups have won pivotal early victories when it comes to the technical details of which ballots count, even as Republicans seek to undo the decisions on appeal. In about six states, lawsuits from Democrats and voting rights advocates have produced rulings or agreements ordering election officials to count ballots if they are postmarked by Election Day but arrive within a specified period. In a similar number of states, legal pressure has also led to new or longer "cure" periods for voters to fix problems with their ballots. Levitt noted these decisions as an example of courts being "willing to modify the status quo in minor ways to accommodate the massive change of circumstances that is the pandemic," but added that judges "have not accepted every claim by a long short." "The courts have modified existing practices somewhat, usually temporarily. They've not validated the more far-flung claims," he said. Many of the cases on the left have been shepherded by Marc Elias, the leading Democratic elections lawyer, who has estimated that his lawsuits have produced more than 20 victories. Elias declined to comment. Trump campaign spokesman Ken Farnaso said the reelection committee is "fighting every day to protect American voters from the Democrats' endless attacks on election integrity. We'll continue that fight - regardless of the fact that, in some cases, liberal judges are legislating from the bench to stack the deck for Joe Biden." As evidence of the risk of election tampering, Merritt of the RNC pointed to scattered episodes, such as a Paterson, N.J., City Council election in May that was invalidated amid charges of voter fraud, a case Trump has repeatedly touted. (Local leaders have said Trump's remarks have oversimplified the episode, adding that many ballots were thrown out because of minor voter errors.) The president himself has encouraged voters to cast ballots twice as a way of testing the system, which is illegal. - - - Republican arguments about alleged fraud in mail voting - especially Trump's claim that despite safeguards, mail ballots can be used to manipulate elections on a grand scale - have been largely unsuccessful in persuading judges to keep existing restrictions on mail voting or allow their lawsuits to move forward. The Post tallied 14 rulings in which federal or state judges declined to embrace the GOP's arguments or dismissed them outright as speculative, overly general and lacking proof. Judge Shelly Dick of the Middle District of Louisiana called the evidence for fraud offered by Republicans "woefully inadequate" this month while ordering the state to allow people directly affected by the coronavirus to cast mail ballots, as it did in recent primaries. "They offer not a scintilla of evidence of fraud associated with voting by mail in Louisiana," Dick, an Obama appointee, wrote of Republican state officials. "Strikingly absent is even a hint of fraud in the July and August primaries, where expanded mail voting was available to voters with COVID-19 comorbidities, caretakers, and others." Michigan Court of Claims Judge Cynthia Diane Stephens ruled the same week that state officials must count mail ballots postmarked no later than Nov. 2 that are received up to 14 days after the election. "The documentary evidence in this case reveals that the incidences of voter fraud and absentee ballot fraud are minimal and that the fears of the same are largely exaggerated," wrote Stephens, who was originally appointed to a state appeals court by a Democratic governor. Judge Robert Dow of the Northern District of Illinois recently rejected a GOP effort to block election officials from sending mail ballot applications to state voters who participated in elections in the past two years. The program, enacted this summer under a new state law, applies only to 2020. Dow, a George W. Bush appointee, wrote that the GOP's allegations about the risk of voter fraud "rest primarily on unsupported speculation and secondarily on isolated instances of voter fraud in other states and historical examples from Illinois during the prior century." "The isolated incidents cited lend support to the proposition that over time voter fraud rates have 'remained infinitesimally small,' " Dow added. The Cook County Republican Party withdrew its suit last week. In several cases, judges have said a state's interest in preventing fraud outweighed the burden for voters imposed by certain restrictions on mail ballots. On Sunday, Judge Michael Watson of the Southern District of Ohio declined a request from the League of Women Voters to block Ohio election officials from enforcing signature-matching rules without uniform standards and a robust "cure" period. "The State has a substantial interest in preventing election fraud (however uncommon that may be), promoting confidence in elections, and administering an orderly election," wrote Watson, a George W. Bush appointee. He noted that plaintiffs and Republicans across the nation had cited "drastically different research regarding the threat election fraud actually poses." In North Carolina, a federal judge wrote last month that the state's mail-ballot witness rule "plays a key role" warding off potential fraud in a state still grappling with the aftermath of an election fraud case involving a Republican operative in 2018. Some early Democratic gains could be overturned in the dwindling weeks before Nov. 3. Republicans are appealing key cases they have lost, including and Pennsylvania, where the state Supreme Court this month ruled in Democrats' favor on a number of mail-voting rules, including allowing ballots to be returned up to three days after Election Day. GOP state leaders filed an appeal Monday to the U.S. Supreme Court - teeing up the first potential partisan voting case to go before the justices since the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Separately, pending further review, a federal appeals court on Sunday stayed a lower court's injunction that would allow mail ballots in Wisconsin to count if postmarked by Election Day and received up to six days later. "The RNC routinely prevails on the most important claims, even before unfriendly courts," said Merritt in a statement, adding: "We have won already won at the Supreme Court and many Federal Appellate courts, and we expect more victories to come." - - - The Washington Post's Robert Barnes and Ann Marimow contributed to this report. Myanmar & COVID-19 Myanmar Health Official Warns of Political Campaign as COVID-19 Cases Exceed 10,000 Medical staff at Yangon's Thuwunna temporary hospital, which is treating COVID-19 patients. / Aung Kyaw Htwet / The Irrawaddy Yangon An official at Myanmars Ministry of Health and Sports, has warned that tackling COVID-19 is more important than the election campaign as the countrys coronavirus cases exceeded 10,000 over the weekend. Dr. Khin Khin Gyi, the director of the Emerging Infectious Diseases Epidemiology Unit, said health is more important than political campaigning. Dont be careless as the Grim Reaper is within an arms length she said. Around 800 COVID-19 cases are being reported per day in the country. On Monday morning, Myanmar reported 10,734 COVID-19 cases, including 226 deaths and 2,862 recoveries. Currently, the transmission rate is 100 times higher than during the first wave in the country. About 1,603 people are currently testing positive for COVID-19 per week compared to about 16 per week before Aug. 16, said Dr. Khin Khin Gyi. Of 198 COVID-19 deaths, 137 or 69 percent of the victims have been above 60, with many infected by their relatives while staying at home, she said. Dr. Khin Khin Gyi also said many deaths did not involve the elderly or people with underlying conditions. All gatherings, including those ahead of the Nov. 8 general election, should be avoided to avoid spreading the virus, she added. The National League for Democracy (NLD) has faced criticism after hundreds of supporters gathered in Mandalay in apparent breach of the COVID-19 guidelines. Monywa Aung Shin, secretary of the NLDs central information committee, told The Irrawaddy that it is impossible to take action against the partys supporters, who were told to observe physical distancing and wear masks. Since Aug. 16, Myanmar reported 10,360 coronavirus cases, compared to the 374 cases in the preceding five months after March 23. And 220 COVID-19 deaths have been reported since Sept. 4, compared to six deaths before September, after the first case was reported on March 23. Hardest hit is Yangon Region, which has reported more than 7,700 cases since Aug. 16, followed by Rakhine State with more than 1,300 cases. On Sunday, Yangons regional authorities launched operations on roads with inspections on people moving between townships. Temporary checkpoints are checking drivers permission to travel. Only essential workers are allowed to pass between townships. The health ministry has ordered all garment factories to cease operations until Oct. 7 and other businesses and organizations have been ordered to work from home. All residents of Yangon Region, except for the islands of Cocokyun Township, have been ordered to stay at home. Professor Zaw Wai Soe, vice-chairman of the Yangon coordinating COVID-19 prevention, control and treatment committee, said on Sunday that more medics are needed in the city. Medical volunteers are being requested to cooperate in Yangons fight against COVID-19, he said. The health ministry said COVID-19 cases have been reported in 205 townships across 14 states and regions with only Kayah State reporting no coronavirus cases. The number of cases in Myanmar is close to overtaking Malaysia, which has reported 10,919 cases, behind the Philippines with more than 304,000 cases, Indonesia with more than 275,000 cases and Singapore with more than 57,700 cases. You may also like these stories: Myanmars Election Commission Rules Out Postponing Election Due to COVID-19 Over Half of Myanmars COVID-19 Cases Are Asymptomatic, Health Officials Concerned Despite threats due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, at least 22,000 Nepalis have left for India in the last four weeks via the Nepalgunj border point for work in the neigbouring country, according to a media report. SI Bishnu Giri at Jamunaha Area Police Office, Nepalgunj, said the workers left for India as the prolonged lockdown and Covid-19 fears had made it difficult for them to sustain their livelihood, The Himalayan Times reported on Sunday. According to SI Giri, a total of 76,048 migrant workers had returned to Nepal via the Nepalgunj border point till September 15. Around 40,000 Indian nationals returned home during the same time via the border point. Giri said that Nepalis holding ration cards had started going back to India. He said they had been allowed to enter and exit the country via the border for treatment, medicine procurement and for meeting patients. "We have allowed people's movement on the Nepal-India border on the basis of recommendation letter and identity card," The Himalayan Times quoted Giri as saying. After Indian security personnel tightened the entry of Nepalis at the Nepalgunj border point, many people without Indian identity cards started going to India via Kailali's Trinagar border point. People from Dang, Banke, Bardiya, Jajarkot, Surkhet, Dailekh, Jumla, Salyan, Rukum and Kalikot go to India for work. Coronavirus-ravaged Victoria has marked a major victory in its pandemic battle, having fewer new cases than another Australian state for the first time in months. Victoria reported five new cases on Monday for the lowest number since June 12, the Department of Health and Human Services said. This brought the state's total to 20,149 of which 349 are active infections. Pictured: bulk carrier Patricia Oldendorff which came to Western Australia's iron-ore exporting Pilbara region from the Philippines and sparked an outbreak that has infected 17. WA surpassed Victoria in new daily cases for the first time in months Victoria's new daily cases are plummeting. Pictured is the Covid19data.com.au graph of the 14-day rolling average used to determine when restrictions can ease. Step Three easings come in when it dips below five. Western Australia had eight new cases on Monday from the bulk carrier Patricia Oldendor anchored off Port Hedland, which has so far been responsible for 17 cases. This brought Western Australia's total to 676 of which 14 are active infections. The cargo ship arrived from Manila in the Philippines last week and is anchored nine nautical miles off the iron-ore mining town on the WA north coast. Pictured: a workout in Melbourne on Monday. Restrictions lifted on Monday, the same day Victoria was no longer the Australian state with the highest number of new cases Ten of the infected crew are in hotel quarantine while seven remain on board the vessel. Four crew members have so far tested negative: two on the ship and two in hotel quarantine. Premier Daniel Andrews said Victorians should be proud of their single-digit daily new infection tally. Once the 14-day rolling average of new daily infections reaches five cases per day, Victoria can move to Step Three easings of restrictions. It was originally expected that would happen on October 26 but it is now thought the state will meet this target early, on October 19 instead. Hopes are also rising that travel restrictions can be eased with people eager for the freedom of holidaying away expected to boost suffering tourism operators. Frustrated Australians will most likely be able to travel to New Zealand in a travel bubble to open long before Christmas, NZ's Deputy Prime Minister said Monday. Pictured: Wharariki Beach at Cape Farewell on the South Island New Zealand's Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters has raised hopes across the Tasman saying a travel bubble with Australia could happen 'much sooner' than Christmas. Previous discussions about opening a NZ-Australia travel corridor were ditched when Melbourne's second deadly wave hit in June. Mr Peters said an early easing of travel restrictions would come long before December 25 as long as both nations had excellent contact tracing. 'If we have the safe travel and tracing operations running as they should then I think it [travel bubble] can be much, much sooner,' he told Channel 9's Today Show. CORONAVIRUS CASES IN AUSTRALIA: 27,244 Victoria: 20,269 New South Wales: 4,273 Queensland: 1,161 Western Australia: 692 South Australia: 473 Tasmania: 230 Australian Capital Territory: 113 Northern Territory: 33 TOTAL CASES: 27,244 ESTIMATED ACTIVE CASES: 269 DEATHS: 897 Updated: 5.31 PM, 11 October, 2020 Source: Australian Government Department of Health Advertisement 'It is over to the authorities to ensure that it happens both ways. Personally if we can ensure that both Australia and New Zealand are safe in what we seek to do, it is very important that we get our tourism back on track as fast as we possibly can.' Domestic travel within Australia also has the potential to revitalise the tourism sector as Australians frustrated by restrictions get itchy feet. Interstate borders have been tumbling with the following travel now allowed: NSW: Anyone can enter unless they visited Victoria in the last 14 days. Anyone who has been in Victoria needs an exemption to enter and has to quarantine for 14 days. NSW residents cannot cross the border to Queensland. South Australia: Everyone can enter unless they've been in Victoria in the last 14 days. South Australia has also just relaxed its rules to allow up to 600 overseas Australian travellers to return to the state each week - more than double the previous intake. Queensland: Anyone can enter unless they have been in a hotspot during the last 14 days, such as Victoria or NSW. Queenslanders going to Tasmania have to isolate for 14 days and they cannot go to WA without an exemption. ACT: Anyone can enter unless they've been in Victoria recently. Northern Territory: Everyone can enter unless they've been in a coroanvirus hotspot (Victoria and Sydney) in the last 28 days. Those who have been in a hotspot must do 14 days of hotel quarantine costing $2500. Tasmania: Nobody can enter without an exemption if they have been in a hotspot (including all of Victoria) during the last 14 days. All those entering the state must quarantine for 14 days. Western Australia: Nobody can enter without applying for an exemption. The UK police have shut down 10% of phone lines used by county lines drug gangs in a crackdown, which resulted in the arrest of more than 1,000 adults and children and confiscation of 1.2million worth of narcotics. County lines All 43 police forces in England and Wales, along with the National Crime Agency and British Transport Police, took part in operations last week. Around 18 guns seized along with more than 500,000 in cash. The operation of the authorities targeted county lines, a gang model which sees young and vulnerable people used as couriers to move drugs and cash between smaller towns and cities. The police were able to rescue 30 people as part of the operation, they have been brought back to London, and they are now receiving specialist support. In London alone, 60 weapons were seized, 85 adults and children were rescued, and 255 people were arrested, according to Manchester Evening News. Also Read: Prime Minister Boris Johnson Warned That Shutting Down the UK Again Will Cripple the Country Around 120,000 worth of drugs were seized in Capital, including 60,000 of prescription medicine, 21,000 of cocaine, and 40,000 of heroin. Around 102 deal lines that were connected to unique phone numbers dialed by users to buy drugs were shut down. It amounts to a tenth of the estimated 800 to 1,100 active county lines that are currently operating in the UK. Each line can make 25,000 a week, and the police are still not sure where the money ends up. Investigators said restrictions imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic and a better understanding of mobile phone data had helped them target the drug dealers operating the lines. Nikki Holland, the director of investigations at the NCA, told Radio 4 that the county lines model needs people to be able to move commodity around, either by road or by rail, as reported by BBC. Holland also explained the county lines model, she said that it relies on running drugs up and down the country, through primarily children and vulnerable adults, to make the model work. They use violence and fear to make their deal. Metropolitan Police Deputy Assistant Commissioner Graham McNulty, the National Police Chiefs' Council or NPCC lead for county lines, said that they know now what a county lines phone looks like. He also said that they now know what the activity looks like on the phone. Cutting off communication Police officers have suggested to Home Office and to the telecoms industry that they must find a way to stop phones from being used for county lines. A third of the lines are thought to operate out of London, with 12% and 15% run from both Liverpool and Birmingham. The Met's Detective Superintendent Mike West said that 30 teenagers found across the country had been taken back to the capital since November, with some drug runners found to be as young as 14 years old. Superintendent West also saw the most line holders arrested in a week, with 23 held during the latest crackdown, according to Sky News. The officer said that many of the criminals running drug lines are linked to serious violence, including firearms possession and murder. The crackdown was part of the UK's new efforts to tackle county lines drug dealing from November 2019, which has seen 25 million commitment from the Home Office. Related Article: Mexican Drug Cartel Use Weaponized Drones to Assault Rivals in Brutal Drug Wars @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Nearly 500 readers took part in an online seminar with Dr. Vu Thanh Tu Anh, Director of the Fulbright School of Public Policy and Management, on the topic: Covid-19 pandemic: Impacts and the Governments response. This is the first of a series of seminars on the impacts of Covid-19 pandemic held by the Fulbright School of Public Policy and Management. Industrial production, retail plummet due to Covid-19 At the beginning of the presentation, Dr. Vu Thanh Tu Anh gave a panoramic picture of the pandemic's impact from a global perspective. By analyzing and showing data collected thus far, it can be confirmed that this is an unprecedented crisis in the history of the modern world. According to him, although the Covid-19 pandemic is a global crisis, its impact will depend on the specific context and response of each country. In each country, the impact of the pandemic and each sectors ability to adjust and adapt is also different. Both industrial production and retail plummeted with the industrial production index only equal to 50% of 2018. Vietnam has small economic scale and one of the most open economies in the world today, so it is not surprising that any external changes can immediately and seriously affect Vietnam. Vietnam's growing reliance on foreign investment (the FDI sector accounts for more than 70% of total exports, nearly 50% of total industrial output) makes the economy more vulnerable to outside shocks. The processing and manufacturing industries of Vietnam are also heavily dependent on the supply of external raw materials due to the weakness of local supporting industries. In Vietnam, to produce export products, businesses have to import a lot of materials. Therefore, when global supply chains are stalled because of epidemics, businesses struggle to produce in moderation when input materials become gradually exhausted. The current economic structure of Vietnam also makes the impact of Covid-19 more serious. The proportion of the services industry in the economic structure is relatively high, while this is the industry that suffers the most from epidemics and economic recession. The serious impact of Covid-19 is clearly reflected in the statistics of the first quarter. Vietnam's economic growth reached 3.82%, a decline of nearly half compared to the same period last year. Both industrial production and retail plummeted with the industrial production index only equal to 50% of 2018. The export growth rate was only 0.5%, a record low increase, while imports were negative at nearly 2%, indicating that businesses were running out of raw materials for production. Regarding foreign investment, this is also the only year that both registered capital and disbursed capital decreased significantly (negative 20.9% and 6.6% respectively). In particular, businesses - the mainstays of the economy - suffered strong shocks. The number of newly established enterprises increased by 4.4%, but both capital and labor scales decreased, of which labor decreased by nearly a quarter compared to the first quarter of 2019. Meanwhile, the number of enterprises that temporarily suspended operations skyrocketed to 26%. A quick survey by the Private Economic Development Research Committee in early March of 1,200 enterprises showed that if the pandemic lasted six months, 60% of the businesses would lose over 50% of their revenue, and nearly 30% of businesses would see their revenue decreasing from 20% to 50%. In other words, about 90% of businesses surveyed suffered a serious decrease in revenue and 74% of businesses were facing possible bankruptcy or dissolution. Dr. Vu Thanh Tu Anh warned, without effective and timely intervention of the Government, some economic sectors and many businesses may collapse, leading to serious consequences for growth and employment, as well as many other negative social consequences. Pandemic response policy Dr. Vu Thanh Tu Anh, Director of the Fulbright School of Public Policy and Management. In the current context, there is an urgent need for each country as well as the whole world to respond quickly and effectively, using all possible resources to prevent a health crisis from turning into an economic crisis and even financial crisis and public debt, Dr. Vu Thanh Tu Anh said. However, when countries adopt strategies to prevent diseases, on the one hand it helps to reduce infections, but at the same time causes the economy to become worse as production, business and supply chains, and distribution, halt due to blockade measures. Economic recession is the inevitable price for the fight against the epidemic. Emphasizing this is a trade-off problem that all countries have to accept. Dr. Vu Thanh Tu Anh recommended that countries should not run after GDP and neglect the anti-epidemic target. Recent predictions of international organizations such as the Asian Development Bank (ADB) that Vietnam can achieve 4.8% growth this year is too optimistic, according to his assessment. Keeping growth is not the main goal right now. The ultimate goal is how to conserve forces so that we can prepare the foundation for recovery when we get out of crisis. The forces here are the lives of the people, the health of businesses, of the banking - financial system, and the people's trust in the State. "If we try not to lose a few percentage points of GDP growth and disregard or terminate anti-epidemic measures too soon, we may have to pay a high price, warned Dr. Vu Thanh Tu Anh. The system of government intervention policies to deal with the harms of the Covid-19 pandemic must therefore meet five objectives: lowering the epidemic infection curve; protecting corporate health; strengthening social trust; building a foundation for recovery; and limiting future harm. Dr. Tu Anh especially noted the importance of the goal of "building the foundation for recovery" and "limiting future damage". "Every crisis will pass. The point is what kind of state will we get out of the crisis," he added. The agricultural sector, farmers and rural areas have always been the foundation of the Vietnamese economy when it has fallen into crisis. The agricultural sector, farmers and rural areas have always been the foundation of the Vietnamese economy when it has fallen into crisis. Therefore, if the proposed policies only address immediate problems but lack vision for the future, we will be unable to build the foundations for recovery, but may even create consequences that will be difficult to solve later. For example, without careful consideration, policies made in times of crisis can be too much or create "ethical risks" or "reverse choices" when one group has multiple approaches to accessing information and policy than the remaining groups. Consequently, it will create interest groups or institutions that, after the crisis, will hinder the economy's ability to recover and develop healthily, Dr. Tu Anh warned. The recent proposal to suspend rice exports of the Ministry of Industry and Trade is discussed as an example of a phenomenon of policy overreaction that can cause long-term damage. While Vietnam's rice production was still stable, only slightly lower than the same period last year, and enough to ensure both food security and rice exports, we missed the opportunity to export rice at high prices. That is not to mention that we are very unfair to the agricultural sector, farmers and rural areas, which have always been the foundation of the Vietnamese economy when it falls into crisis. In fact, many people who lost their jobs in urban areas returned to rural areas to take refuge. If rice cannot be exported, the countryside will be overloaded, and the burden will be added to the farmers' shoulders, who have suffered many difficulties due to extreme weather and recent drought. If we cannot help farmers, we should not take their benefits away, Dr. Tu Anh said, referring to the lesson of missing an opportunity to export rice at high prices that happened during the crisis in 2008-2009. Thanh Lam To be continued Vietnams economy in first seven months on a tightrope Giving forecasts about economic performance has never been so difficult as there are now too many influencing factors. The right-wing opposition on Monday claimed victory in elections for France's upper house, underlining the political struggles of the centrist ruling party of President Emmanuel Macron. The Senate's members are not directly elected by voters, but instead by tens of thousands of local councilors who are themselves elected by the people. After Macron's Republic on the Move (LREM) party performed woefully in local elections earlier this year, it was never expected to make any significant impact in the Senate vote. While the chamber has some authority, especially over constitutional issues, it lacks the power of the National Assembly lower house, which has been controlled by LREM since 2017. Nevertheless, the leader of the right-wing Republicans Christian Jacob told France Inter radio: "We have renewed ourselves with this victory." The party claimed to have upped its Senate seats by 10 to 154 in the 348-seat chamber. The election showed that the opposition is not complacent, said Bruno Retailleau, head of the Republicans in the Senate. However, because of the volatile nature of political affiliation in the Senate, the full breakdown will probably only become clear on Thursday when it meets to elect its speaker. The poll -- held every three years for half the chamber's seats -- was not a disaster for the LREM, which was expected to hold on to its current 23 members. Meanwhile, the Greens said they expected to return at least 10 senators and the Socialist Party was expected to lose some seats but maintain its status as the second biggest faction. But the health of LREM, and in particular its failure to put down roots at the local level, is a growing headache for Macron as he prepares to seek re-election in 2022. Roughly two dozen MPs defected from LREM to other groups earlier this year, robbing the party of its overall majority, although the make-up of the National Assembly means it can still pass legislation. Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden was quizzed by Andrew Marr this weekend about the state of the arts during the ongoing pandemic. Dowden batted away Marr's points about the fact that a large part of the arts workforce has yet to receive any form of specific aid, having found themselves ineligible for the SEISS initiative to support self-employed workers. He also went on the defensive about the fact that the regularly trumpeted 1.57bn package has yet to be distributed to either smaller or larger arts organisations, with many of the biggest arts employers unlikely to see any form of financial assistance before December. Marr raises the point given by the director Sam Mendes, who helped set up the Theatre Artists Fund earlier this year to aid those in need "How is [sitting in a theatre without distancing] different to sitting next to someone in a metal tube for eight hours on a plane". Dowden said he had spoken to Mendes about this "much as I would love further easement, we cannot do it at this stage." Currently outdoor and indoor shows with social distancing (stage four of the government's reopening strategy), is permitted, with a range of venues able to host performances within these parameters though many more simply aren't. The Culture Secretary admitted that, given a rise in Covid case numbers, the government has "had to stall" on reopening plans. Less than three weeks ago Dowden was very positive about plans for venues to have more freedom to open, but the situation has changed rapidly in that time, Dowden states. Last week new financial schemes were unveiled by the Chancellor, but were widely criticised by the arts community for their lack of sector-specific support. Producer Sonia Friedman labelled them "an insult". Watch Marr talk to Dowden below: Its an interesting place to sit as parents, said Marlin, 63 and recently retired after a long career at a machine manufacturing company. We consider ourselves as moderate. Conservative on fiscal issues and liberal on gay marriage. There are no candidates that fit. If I had a spreadsheet, Id be trying to fill it out to say: Who do I think can pull the country back together? I have never been this undecided this close to an election. A group of campaigners have walked from Belfast to Derry to raise money for a suicide awareness organisation. The group set off from Belfast on Saturday and arrived in Derry yesterday. To date, their efforts have raised more than 3,000 for a suicide awareness organisation in Belfast. The walk was organised by Deaghlan MacMaolain, young man from West Belfast, in memory of friends and family he has lost to suicide. Sinn Fein Foyle MLA Martina Anderson, who was among those who welcomed the group in Derry, paid tribute to their achievement. Deaghlan MacMaolain was the driving force behind this initiative to help a group doing good work, so well done to Deaghlan and his friends for doing this. "Behind all the statistics are real people, and families who are hurting and lives left shattered by suicide. "We need to listen to our young to know whats going on and at the same time providing them with as much help as we can. "There is always help available and I could encourage anyone who is in difficulty to reach out." You can still donate to the fundraising project at https://www.gofundme.com/f/ derry-to-belfast-walk-for- suicide-awareness The afterlife of plant matter plays a significant role in ecosystems, as a key processor and provider of key nutrients. The rate of decomposition for leaf litter, among other plant matter, heavily influences the health of animals and plants, and this rate is expected to significantly increase as Earth continues to warm. There is another factor that could hold impact these ecosystems even more than climate change: biodiversity. An international team of researchers published a meta-analysis of 176 studies investigating the effect of diverse leaf litter decay on ecosystems around the world on Sept. 11 in Nature Communications. "Biodiversity loss can alter ecosystem functioning; however, it remains unclear how it alters decomposition--a critical component of biogeochemical cycles in the biosphere," said paper author Akira S. Mori, associate professor in the Graduate School of Environment and Information Sciences at Yokohama National University. "We provide a global-scale meta-analysis to quantify how changes in the diversity of organic matter derived from plants, called litter, affect rates of decomposition." They found that diversifying plant litter from single to mixed species increases the decomposition rate by 34.7%. It is projected that, in response to climate warming over the next 50 years, decomposition rates will increase by 13.6 to 26.4%. "We found that the after-life effects of diversity to foster decomposition were significant, and of substantial magnitude, in different biomes including forests, grasslands and wetlands," Mori said. "Biodiversity changes cannot be solely viewed as a response to human influences, such as climate change, but it could also be, although less recognized, a non-negligible driver of future changes in biogeochemical cycles and climate feedbacks on Earth." The roles of biodiversity have been largely ignored in the context of climate change mitigation and adaptation, according to Mori. In an effort to understand how biodiversity loss can alter ecosystem functioning, the researchers synthesized a comprehensive data set from 7,958 leaf litter comparisons across 2,453 different treatments reported in 176 studies. "Our dataset and analysis are comprehensive by covering the broad range of climatic regions and extensive in considering many possible comparisons for decomposition rate between mixed and mono-species litter in different biomes," Mori said, noting the importance of understanding how the magnitude of these diversity effects compare to other decomposition regulators, such as climate. " After accounting for many confounding factors, we found that, across all studies, increasing plant diversity significantly increased the rate of decomposition." It was previously assumed that the effects of plant diversity on decomposition were not as strong as the effects on biomass production, but the researchers found that to be false. "We emphasize that incorporating the underexplored roles of biodiversity into the assessment of future changes in the biogeochemical cycles and climate feedbacks is critical in this era of global environmental changes," Mori said. "We aim to put biodiversity at the heart of nature-based approaches to solve many socio-environmental issues, including climate change." According to Mori, further studies are needed to fully understand the roles of diverse plant communities for supporting naturally functioning ecosystems, but that this meta-analysis begins to bridge the gap in knowledge. "The present study can inform the models needed to incorporate the unexplored roles of biotic interactions in determining carbon and nutrient flow through decomposer subsystems, which could be critical for improving future projections on climate feedbacks," Mori said. ### This work was supported by the Ministry of the Environment, Japan, and the Ichimura Foundation for New Technology. Other contributors include J. Hans C. Cornelissen, Department of Ecological Science, Faculty of Science Vrije Universiteit; Saori Fujii, Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute; Kei-ichi Okada, Graduate School of Environment and Information Sciences, Yokohama National University; and Forest Isbell, Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, University of Minnesota. Yokohama National University (YNU or Yokokoku) is a Japanese national university founded in 1949. YNU provides students with a practical education utilizing the wide expertise of its faculty and facilitates engagement with the global community. YNU's strength in the academic research of practical application sciences leads to high-impact publications and contributes to international scientific research and the global society. For more information, please see: https://www.ynu.ac.jp/english/ As clashes between neighbouring states of Armenia and Azerbaijan continue, United Nation Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said that he was concerned about the fresh resumption of hostilities between the two. The fight which emerged earlier on September 28 has now escalated in a war killing 23 and injuring over 100 people in the region. Condemning the bloodbath, Guterres asked both the states to immediately "deescalate tensions" and get into meaningful negotiation. The Secretary-General strongly calls on the sides to immediately stop fighting, de-escalate tensions and return to meaningful negotiations without delay," Guterres's spokesman said in a statement. Meanwhile, US State Department Spokesperson Morgan Ortagus also condemned the clashes and said that America was alarmed by the reports of military action along the line of contact between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Extending condolences to the families of those killed or injured, he said, We remain committed to helping the sides achieve a peaceful settlement." Amid heightened tensions, Turkey has announced its support for Azerbaijan as Aliyev expressed confidence in taking back control of the breakaway region. On the other hand, France, which has a significant Armenian population, has called for an immediate ceasefire and a dialogue. Read: Armenia Shot Down 2 Azerbaijan Copters & Destroyed 3 Tanks In Clash Over Disputed Region Read: Armenia Says It Shot Down 2 Azerbaijani Copters In Dispute Azerbaijan villagers seek international assistance In the wake of the clashes, hours after which Pashinyan said that countrys arch-foe Azerbaijan has declared war on his people, the villagers in western Azerbaijan have reportedly sought international assistance to put an end to their suffering. State agencies have quoted a resident of the village of Kapanli in the city of Tartar saying that all people including women, the elderly are evacuating their homes. Another local pleaded let the whole world hear us and questioned why the world leaders have still not taken any action. Read: UN Chief Antonio Guterres Urges Armenia-Azerbaijan To Return To 'meaningful Negotiations' Read: Trump Hints At US Mediation In Azeri-Armenian Conflict, Says 'will See If We Can Stop It' The Government has been called on to urgently intervene to safeguard 100,000 Irish tourism sector jobs at imminent risk due to Covid-19. The Irish Hotels Federation said the sector was facing an exceptionally grim outlook and needed additional government supports in the upcoming Budget. It comes after new figures from the Central Statistics Office showed the number of overseas visitors to Ireland plummeted by more than 80% year on year. Some 363,600 people arrived in Ireland from overseas in August, this represented a 60% increase compared to the 227,300 people who travelled into the country in the previous month. But the statistics showed that overseas travel remained dramatically lower than the same period last year when more than 2.25 million people arrived in the country. Year on year it was a drop of 84%. There was also a similar decrease in the number of people departing the country. Some 328,200 people departed in August, compared to more than 2.19 million departures in August last year. CSO statistician Gregg Patrick said overseas travel continued to recover in August, compared to July, but it was only a fraction of the overseas travel in August of last year. This illustrates the continuing and dramatic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on international travel to and from Ireland, he said. The Irish Hotels Federation said while the true impact on tourism was even more stark than the figures suggested as the number of people who arrived in the country included essential and non-tourism travel. The group said Irelands tourism sector had been completely wiped out since March and that the situation had been compounded by a dramatic drop in domestic hotel booking as the sector entered a quasi-lockdown because of county restrictions in Dublin and Donegal. IHF chief executive Tim Fenn said that existing supports were totally inadequate for the tourism industry given the current restrictions. Prior to Covid-19, he said tourism supported 270,000 livelihoods, one in 10 of all Irish jobs but that an estimated 100,000 jobs of these have been lost so far this year and a further 100,000 are at immediate risk without substantial sector specific supports being put in place. A severely devastated Irish tourism sector would be a major loss to Irelands economy and society for many years to come. This can and must be avoided, he said. Our industry is facing a very difficult number of months ahead with many tourism businesses in severe difficulty. Urgent sector specific measures are now required from the Government to support tourism businesses and safeguard thousands of jobs. This must include enhanced employment subsidies, a reduction in tourism VAT, extended waiver of local authority rates and greater access to banking finance. They have been happily loved-up for more than a year. And Dua Lipa and Anwar Hadid looked smitten as they stepped out for a stroll in New York City on Monday. The One Kiss hitmaker, 25, and her model love, 21, held hands as they walked down the street. PDA: Dua Lipa and Anwar Hadid looked smitten as they stepped out for a stroll in New York City on Monday Dua revealed her taut abs in a quirky black cropped jacket paired with Coach leather pants as she strolled. The star boosted her height with patent leather shoes and accessorised with a leather handbag. Her raven tresses were pulled back from her face with the couple taking precautions against COVID-19 with face masks. Anwar wore an Iron Maiden tee and baggy trousers as he enjoyed the day. Close: The One Kiss hitmaker, 25, and her model love, 21, linked arms as they walked down the street Toned: Dua revealed her taut abs in a quirky black cropped jacket paired with Coach leather pants Love: Her raven tresses were pulled back from her face with the couple taking precautions against COVID-19 with face masks The outing comes days after Anwar became an uncle, following news his sister Gigi had given birth to a baby girl with boyfriend Zayn Malik. It was reported last month that Dua has upped sticks and travelled across the pond to Los Angeles to be closer to California native Anwar. The Sun reported The One Kiss hitmaker has relocated stateside to live with her partner due to fears that she won't be able to travel to and fro because of the novel coronavirus pandemic. Close: The pair looked as loved-up as ever as they strolled in the Big Apple Touch: Dua lovingly stroked Anwar's face as they chatted in the street Rock on: Anwar wore an Iron Maiden tee and baggy trousers as he enjoyed the day It was claimed the London-born artist has moved into a lavish property in Beverly Hills near to Anwar's family, despite the fact that her inner circle are all based in the UK. A source told the publication: 'It was difficult to get to the US in the first place and she knows it's not going to be easy going back and forth because she would have to quarantine for weeks on end. 'But she knows plenty of people in Los Angeles, as does Anwar, who has lived there in the past, so she's feeling optimistic. 'Being in the US right now is great for pushing her career there too, especially with new music coming out. Dua's making their new place nice and homely and she has just got a puppy called Dexter with Anwar because they see their future in LA.' MailOnline contacted representatives for Dua and Anwar for comment at the time. Trump 2020 re-election campaign manager, stands for the national anthem as U.S. President Donald Trump rallies with supporters during a Make America Great Again rally in Southaven, Mississippi, U.S., October 2, 2018. Jonathan Ernst | Reuters A dramatic police bodycam video released Monday shows Florida cops aggressively tackling former Trump presidential campaign chief Brad Parscale after a standoff outside his home, where his wife told officers that Parscale has hit her in the past, and was suicidal and armed. "Get on the ground, get on the ground man," an officer barked at Parscale as they took him down in front of his Fort Lauderdale home on Sunday afternoon, the video shows. "I didn't do anything," an upset Brad Parscale repeatedly said on the video, which was posted on the Fort Lauderale Police Department's YouTube page. (Warning: the video shows disturbing content.) Parscale had emerged from the house, clad just in shorts and appearing to carry a can of beer, after initially refusing to come out. After putting the can on the side of a truck, he told one officer, referring to his wife, "She started saying all this s---," after being asked what had happened. That is when other officers rushed Parscale, tackled him and handcuffed him behind his back as he lay facedown on the ground. "Brad Parscale was very agitated with the situation and I could smell a strong odor from his breathe and body that I recognized to possibly be from alcoholic beverages," one cop wrote in a report describing the aftermath of the take down. Police later seized 10 firearms from Parscale's residence after taking him to a hospital under the Baker Act, a mental health law that allows for involuntary admittance to a health-care facility. The report reveals that Candice Parscale called police that afternoon after Brad Parscale, following "a verbal altercation," loaded a round of ammunition in a gun that he was holding "in front of her." Candice, who had several "larged sized contusions on both of her arms, her cheek and forehead," later told cops that Parscale had hit her previously, and that he "did forcibly smack her phone out of her hand when she was attempting to call Brad Parscale`s father" on Sunday, according to the police report. "He came out of his office, cocked a gun," Candice says on the police video. "He's acting crazy ... going irate." After Brad Parscale loaded the round, Candice Parscale "immediately fled residence and stated she heard a loud bang shortly after," the report said. Candice Parscale said she and a real estate agent who was with her "realized that Bradley did not shoot himself when they heard Bradley ranting and pacing around the residence and the dog barking" frantically, the report said. "However, they were concerned that Bradley might still try to shoot himself." Candice Parscale told police that her 44-year-old husband, who in July was deposed from his role of overseeing President Donald Trump's campaign and replaced by Bill Stepien, has been "depressed and suicidal recently." Fort Lauderdale police body cam footage at the home of President Donald Trump's former campaign manager Brad Parscale. Source: Fort Lauderdale Police Department Libyan rivals on Monday restarted military and security talks, aiming to reach a settlement that could help end the countys years-long conflict, the United Nations said. The U.N. support mission in Libya said in a brief statement that military and police teams from eastern and western Libya met in Egypts Red Sea resort of Hurghada. The face-to-face military talks came amid international pressure on both sides of the war and their foreign backers to avert an attack on the strategic city of Sirte after a year-long assault on the capital, Tripoli by forces of military commander Khalifa Hifter collapsed this summer. The U.N. mission said both sides have demonstrated a positive and proactive attitude aimed at de-escalation of the situation in central Libya. The outcome of the Egypt-based negotiations will be mainstreamed into U.N.-brokered military talks, the U.N. mission said. Oil-rich Libya was plunged into chaos when a NATO-backed uprising in 2011 toppled longtime dictator Moammar Gadhafi, who was later killed. The country has since split between rival east- and west-based administrations, each backed by armed groups and foreign governments. Hifters forces launched an offensive in April 2019 to try and capture Tripoli. But his campaign collapsed in June when the Tripoli-allied militias, with heavy Turkish support, gained the upper hand, driving his forces from the outskirts of the city and other western towns. Hifter is supported by Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Russia. Tripoli-allied militias have backing from Turkey, a bitter rival of Egypt and the UAE in a broader regional struggle, as well as from the wealthy Gulf state of Qatar. Fighting has died down in recent months, but both sides were preparing for a possible battle over Sirte, the gateway to Libyas major oil fields and export terminals, controlled by Hifter. Egypt-based military and security talks came after both sides, under heavy international pressure, agreed earlier this month on a preliminary deal that aims to guide the country toward elections within 18 months and demilitarize Sirte, which is held by Hifter. Prime Minister Hun Sen criticized the partial withdrawal of trade privileges by the European Union at the United Nations General Assembly session on Saturday, characterizing the economic blocs move as biased and unfair. In a recorded video message to the U.N., Hun Sen said the E.U.s decision to withdraw trade privileges under the Everything But Arms scheme revealed the blocs hypocritical double standards and attributed the move to the political ambitions and opportunistic agenda of some countries. I believe history repeats itself in the case of the E.U.s withdrawal of the E.B.A. at a time when Cambodia struggles to survive amid the COVID-19 pandemic, read a copy of the speech. In August, the E.U. implemented the withdrawal decision after an 18-month monitoring and investigation period, after which the European Union Commission determined that the Cambodian government had partaken in systematic human rights violations, triggering rights protection clauses in the E.B.A. This involved the dismantling of the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party, harassment and intimidation of the civil society groups, and the shuttering of independent press organizations. The withdrawal will affect around 20 percent of Cambodian exports to the E.U., affecting the garment, textile, and footwear sectors. Responding to Hun Sens comments, an E.U. spokesperson said that if Cambodia showed improvements in civil and political rights the E.U. Commission could review and reinstate the trade privileges. Nonetheless, our continued engagement and the E.U. support to Cambodia to fight the coronavirus crisis does not diminish the urgent need for Cambodia to respect human rights and labor rights, they added. The spokesperson said the bloc was still concerned over the recent spate of arrests during the coronavirus and detentions for expressing dissenting political views. Phil Robertson, deputy director for Asia at Human Rights Watch, said the Cambodian government was ultimately responsible for the trade preferences withdrawal because it had broken an agreement with the E.U. PM Hun Sen is the person most responsible for the EUs partial withdrawal of the EBA trade benefits because he has presided over the systematic dismantling of Cambodias compliance with human rights and labor rights treaties that must be followed as a condition of receiving the EBA benefits, he said in an email. Am Sam Ath, the monitoring manager at local rights group Licadho, said Cambodia still had a chance to get back all the E.B.A. preferences, but only if the government made the democratic corrections required by the E.U. A total of 28 military, police and civilian personnel from seven Eastern Africa Standby Force (EASF) member states on Friday, September 25, completed a training course designed for Integration Mission Planning. The training was taking place at the Rwanda Peace Academy in Musanze District and it drew participants from Comoros, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia, Sudan and Uganda. Col (Rtd) Jill Rutaremara, the Director of the Rwanda Peace Academy, who officiated at the closing ceremony of the training said that integrated mission planning is a logical necessity of the nature of contemporary peace support operations. "The complex nature of contemporary operating environment, the diverse and complex PSO (peace support operations) mandates, the multi-dimensional nature of peace missions, as well as the multiplicity and complexity of actors and stakeholders demand that mission planning be integrated," he noted. Rutaremera highlighted that failures in proper planning or implementation of poor mission plans can produce disastrous and costly consequences including loss of life and suffering of innocent people including peacekeepers themselves. "Correct evaluation of the operating environment including the threat environment is therefore important," he insisted. Participants were trained to understand the role of the EASF, mission planning and integration in a multinational and multi-disciplinary environment in order to enable them to participate fully as Staff Officers in future EASF deployments. The two-week course was organized in joint partnership between the governments of Rwanda, the United Kingdom (UK) and Denmark. The Eastern Africa Standby Force representative, Lt Col Jean-Bosco Bahizi said the preparation of staff through training is one of the key tenets of preparing Officers to be able to undertake any mandated PSO Mission. "During the past two weeks, no doubt you have worked hard to achieve the objectives of the course," he said. A wild albino camel has been captured by an infrared camera at a nature reserve in northwest China as the rare animal is believed to be the first of its kind to be spotted in the world. Footage shows the animal with its all-white skin drinking from a puddle with a dozen brown camels at the Annanba Wild Camel National Nature Reserve in Gansu Province. The camel is said to be a Bactrian camel, a critically endangered species, and aged about three to four years old, according to the staff at the Chinese nature reserve. A wild albino camel has been captured by an infrared camera at a nature reserve in northwest China as the rare animal is believed to be the first of its kind to be spotted in the world The camel is said to be a Bactrian camel, a critically endangered species, and aged about three to four years old, according to the staff at the Chinese nature reserve in Gansu province China has previously found a wild camel with white lips in Xinjiangs Lop Nur. But the one captured on camera on September 11 is perhaps the first of white-skinned camel spotted in the world, a staff member from the Gansu reserve told Chinese media. The rare albino camel is seen in the footage walking around the area with a dozen brown-skinned camels as they stopped to drink from a puddle. The reserve said that the animals white skin was visible because the camels were shedding their fur during this time of the year. It remains unknown if the albino camels fur would also be white once its grown out. Footage shows the animal with its all-white skin drinking water from a puddle with a dozen brown camels at the Annanba Wild Camel National Nature Reserve in Gansu Province China has previously found a wild camel with white lips in Xinjiangs Lop Nur. But the one captured on camera on September 11 is perhaps the first of white-skinned camel spotted in the world, a staff member from the Gansu nature reserve told Chinese media The Bactrian camel, also known as the Mongolian camel, is a large even-toed ungulate native to the steppes of Central Asia. It has two humps on its back, in contrast to the single-humped dromedary camel. The file photo shows a Bactrian camel being measured at London Zoo Researchers are also determining whether the camels condition is caused by gene mutations or external influences, a staff member told Pear Video. Located between the Kumtag Desert and the Altun Mountains, the Annaba reserve is a habitat for about one-third of the total population of wild camels in China. The Bactrian camel, also known as the Mongolian camel, is a large even-toed ungulate native to the steppes of Central Asia. It has two humps on its back, in contrast to the single-humped dromedary camel. It is listed as critically endangered on the Red List of Threatened Species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. The spotless, red-eyed animal was photographed while trekking through the forest in April 2019 at the Wolong National Nature Reserve in Sichuan province. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- By the end of July, less than a tenth of adults in the U.S. had been exposed to the coronavirus (COVID-19), which is far from what scientists describe as herd immunity, according to a nationwide study of dialysis patients. Herd immunity is when so many people have become infected with the virus, it prevents further spread. The study showed the infection rate in New York was 33.6%, which represented the highest in the nation, with most of those cases in the New York City area. However, nationwide the infection rate was only 9%. In a recent interview with USA Today, Dr. George Rutherford, an epidemiologist and biostatistician at the University of California, San Francisco, said herd immunity is not a likely solution in the U.S. The only way were going to get to herd immunity, unless youre in a very closed community like a prison, is for everybody to get vaccinated, Rutherford said. This proposed site of an LNG export terminal in Gibbstown, N.J., is across the Delaware River from the Philadelphia International Airport. Read more With the Trump administration helping to fast-track a proposed liquefied natural gas (LNG) export terminal in Gibbstown, N.J., the Delaware River Basin Commissions recent vote to delay approval is unlikely to derail the project. The facility most likely would be fed by 100-car trains critics call them bomb trains originating northwest of Scranton, laden with supercooled LNG, and snaking through densely populated Philadelphia and South Jersey communities. An alternative would mean 360 daily truckloads of LNG on I-476 and the Commodore Barry Bridge to reach Gibbstown. The terminal would pump the product into cargo ships; the project would repurpose a Superfund site once occupied by a dynamite factory directly across the river from the Philadelphia International Airport. As if all that wasnt alarming enough, the proposal also would serve to encourage more Marcellus Shale fracking and fossil-fuel dependency at a time when the catastrophic consequences of climate change are increasingly evident. It would rely on transporting potentially toxic and explosive fuel through working-class or poor neighborhoods in Philadelphia and Camden. Many of these areas are home to large Black populations and have historically borne the greatest health burdens, while enjoying the fewest economic benefits, of living in close proximity to heavy industrial activity. READ MORE: N.J. Gov. Murphy signs environmental justice law designed to protect minority communities A development firm called Delaware River Partners LLC has proposed the terminal. An affiliated company, New Fortress Energy, would build a natural gas liquefaction plant in Wyalusing, Pa., and transport the LNG produced there to the terminal, which it also would operate. Donald Trump, who reportedly has had longstanding business relationships with Fortress-affiliated companies, signed an executive order in April 2019 to encourage the development of energy infrastructure, including LNG production. Late last year, an agency within the U.S. Department of Transportation issued a New Fortress affiliate a special permit to transport LNG by rail; a rule allowing more widespread use of the practice with specially built rail cars followed. Environmental advocates warn that the Delaware River Basin Commission delay is only temporary. The DRBC already has authorized the $100 million LNG-handling pier to be constructed on the river, over which the federally chartered agency has jurisdiction. The advocates also note that Gov. Tom Wolf, who sits on the commission with the governors of the other basin states of New Jersey, Delaware, and New York, abstained from the delay vote. And while Gov. Phil Murphy voted yes on the delay, New Jerseys Department of Environmental Protection already has authorized permits for the project. So has the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. READ MORE: Plan to send LNG trains through Philly to S. Jersey port sparks outrage from residents, environmentalists Wolf has been pushing for Pennsylvania to join the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative. Murphy recently signed into law a measure to deny permits for projects that would negatively impact the environment in minority communities. But both these ostensibly green governors seem disinclined to oppose this project. As The Inquirers Andrew Maykuth reported, the National Transportation Safety Board has warned that the specialized tank cars New Fortress plans to run to Gibbstown havent been in service in sufficient numbers or long enough elsewhere to create a compelling safety record. Those purportedly eco-friendly governors Wolf and Murphy ought to use their DRBC votes to keep this project on hold. Perhaps for good. As the tensions between China and Japan increased in the East China Sea, Liu Qingbin, an associate professor said that Beijing offered an olive branch to Tokyo by reducing its naval presence in the area but was snubbed when Japan hired fishing boats to go into the disputed waters, resulting in skirmishes between the two sides, South China Morning Post reported. China has been increasing its maritime activities in both the South China Sea and the East China Sea over the past few months, partly in response to Beijing's concerns over the increasing US military presence in the region because of escalating Sino-US tensions. But Liu pointed out that China will not escalate tensions with Japan at a time of increasing US-China tensions as doing so would only prompt Japan to tighten its alliance with the US and to join Washington in containing Beijing. Liu Qingbin, an associate professor at Yokohama National University in Japan, said that a few months before Chinese President Xi Jinping was due to visit Japan in April, in what would have been the first visit by a Chinese president since 2008, Beijing had almost completely reduced its maritime activities in the Diaoyu Islands, or what the Japanese call the Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea. However, Liu said the two sides went right back to skirmishing after the Japanese fishing boats entered the disputed waters, and Beijing once again began increasing its maritime activities there. East Asian security expert Alessio Patalano of King's College London's Department of War Studies wrote in a Royal United Services Institute commentary last month that China's recent longer forays into the disputed waters were aimed at normalising its law-enforcement presence and "actively challenge the Japanese government's position of effective administrative control". Pointing out that the length of these incursions, Patalano said the "routinisation" of deployments - in other words, the salami-slicing approach - marks the first step in China's challenge to the status quo. "It appears China no longer seeks to just showcase its presence in the waters around the islands. It is now starting to actively challenge Japanese control," Patalano wrote separately in War on the Rocks, a foreign policy and national security website, adding that China was adopting a three-pronged strategy: normalising China's presence, exercising law-enforcement rights and taking over exclusive control, South China Morning Post reported. Patalano said, however, that the final phase was not inevitable, as it would bring the two countries dangerously close to armed conflict - an outcome neither side wanted, South China Morning Post reported. On Wednesday, lawmakers from Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party urged the government to hold joint defence drills with the US in the East China Sea to bolster Japan's effective control over the disputed islands. The lawmakers also called for quicker research and development of surveillance drones, amphibious combat vehicles and other weapons systems to better defend the islands. Describing the proposed US-Japan drills as unnecessary for now, Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University professor Sato Yoichiro, who specialises in foreign and security policy, said Japan can maintain deterrence in the region simply by increasing coastguard patrols and getting the US to meet its defence obligations in the region. Describing it as puzzling that China would escalate tensions with Japan at a time of increasing US-China tensions, Mike Mochizuki, an international affairs professor at George Washington University and an expert on Japan-US relations, said doing so would only prompt Japan to tighten its alliance with the US and to join Washington in containing Beijing. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Never miss a story! Stay connected and informed with Mint. Download our App Now!! Topics Early in the morning of Monday, the Minister of Defense of the Republic of Armenia, Davit Tonoyan, held an operative consultation with the management staff of the Ministry of Defense, the Armed Forces General Staff, and the Armed Forces. Defense Ministry spokesperson Shushan Stepanyan wrote about this on her Facebook page. She, in particular, added: "The Minister was reported on the operative situation on the Artsakh-Azerbaijani line of contact, and on the state border zone of Armenia. At the heart of the consultation was the situation created by the military actions unleashed by the Azerbaijani side. Davit Tonoyan gave relevant instructions on restraining the adversary, destructive response to offensive actions, and providing the necessary assistance to the [Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh)] defense army." The party saw squabbles over contesting the elections as part of a coalition Wafd Party chairman Bahaa Abu Shoka said he is stepping down as a result of intensified divisions within the ranks of the party a few weeks prior to the House of Representatives elections, slated for 21 October. Abu Shoka added his resignation is meant to maintain the unity of the Wafd that saw squabbles over contesting the elections as part of a coalition, among other reasons. Abu Shoka requested the Wafd's Secretary-General Fouad Badrawy to follow the by-laws to elect a new party chairman, and called on the party's general assembly to convene on Wednesday, reported the Arabic Al-Ahram website. Last week, Abu Shoka announced that the party will join the National Unified Coalition in the parliamentary elections which will contest 284 seats reserved for party lists as part of the Mostaqbal Watan Party-led National Unified List Coalition. Meanwhile, deputy chairman of the party Mohamed Abdou said the majority of the Wafd's Higher Council members reject the chairman's decision to run as part of the coalition. Abdou explained the majority of Wafd members want to contest the elections with at least 40 candidates on the National Unified List. The list, however, will allow a small number of Wafd members to join. On Friday, Egypt's Mostaqbal Watan (Future of the Homeland) Party submitted its list of parliamentary candidates to the National Election Authority. The Mostaqbal Watan-led list, which will compete in the poll under the slogan For the sake of Egypt, includes candidates from 12 political parties: Mostaqbal Watan, Wafd, Guardians of the Nation, Modern Egypt, the Egyptian Social Democratic Party, the Peoples Republican Party, Reform and Development, the Tagammu Party, Generations Will, the Egyptian Freedom Party, and the Justice and Congress parties, as well as candidates from the Political Parties' Young People Coordination Committee. Search Keywords: Short link: A new poll found that as many as a third of American parents are unlikely to get their children vaccinated for influenza this year, despite ongoing concerns echoed by health officials about a looming twindemic of the annual flu and the coronavirus in the winter. The survey was conducted by Ipsos Public Affairs for C.S. Mott Childrens Hospital in Michigan in August and polled nearly 2,000 adults across the United States whose children are up to 18 years in age and live in their households. The pollsters found that just two-thirds of the responding parents intend to have their children get flu shots this year, with 49% very likely to do so and 19% just likely. Among the 32% of respondents who said their child is unlikely to get the influenza vaccine, the most common reasons included concerns about side effects from the flu immunization and the belief the vaccine is not necessary nor effective. Public health experts have emphasized the particular importance of flu vaccination during the COVID pandemic as a tool to limit the stress on health care systems, the poll pointed out. "Results from this Mott Poll indicate that not all parents are hearing this message. The findings from the study come at a time when many politicians, medical professionals, public health officials and educators are urging parents to get their children vaccinated ahead of a potential coronavirus surge in the winter. In Massachusetts, the state Department of Public Health has been preparing for the double threat of the flu season and a COVID-19 resurgence by boosting its orders of the influenza vaccine doses by 28%, ordering more than 1.1 million flu shot doses. The order marks a 900,000-dose from previous years. Gov. Charlie Baker issued a mandate last month that requires all grade-school children and college students to get their flu vaccines before returning to in-person schooling. The move has sparked controversy, drawing protests and even legal action. Students are permitted to opt out of the vaccine if they provide a medical or religious exemption. We strongly recommend that the people over 6 months [old] gets an annual flu vaccine, Health and Human Secretary Marylou Sudders said earlier this month. The vaccine saves lives, and this is more important than ever as we head into a flu season that overlaps with a potential COVID-19 resurgence. Officials have not only been pushing students to get vaccinated en masse before late fall, but teachers as well. Several medical professionals in the Northeast have recommended that both students and teachers get vaccinated before heading back to school, and the Massachusetts Public Health Association (MPHA) earlier this month urged every child and adult to get their flu shots this year, calling the vaccine a way not only to protect your own health, but also the health of your loved ones, your neighbors, your colleagues and our communities. As we face the threat of two simultaneous outbreaks this winter - coronavirus and the flu - it is more important than ever that we take all possible precautions to prevent the spread of these viruses that can cause serious illness, hospitalization and death, the MPHA told MassLive. According to Mondays poll, though, only one-third of parents believe having children get the flu vaccine is more important this year compared to other years. Eight percent answered that it is less important, and 58% said it is about the same. Most parents who said they believe getting the influenza vaccination is more important this year also reported their child received their flu shot last year, indicating that such respondents were already aware that children are recommended to get flu vaccine every year and have established a pattern of doing so, according to the survey. Fourteen percent of those who said they were not likely to get their child vaccinated for the annual flu told pollsters they want to keep their kids away from health care sites due to COVID-19. Another 9% said their child is afraid of needles or does not want to get flu vaccine. A key challenge for public health officials now is how to reach parents who do not seek the annual flu vaccination for their child, according to C.S. Mott Childrens Hospital. When annual flu vaccination is not a pattern, parents need to be prompted to think about why their child needs flu vaccine, and when and where to get it, the hospital said. Child health care providers typically give guidance to parents about what vaccines children should receive. However, less than half of the parents polled by Ipsos said their childs doctor strongly recommended the influenza vaccine this year. The finding suggests that providers may need to be more proactive in giving advice about flu shots during visits in the spring and summer, the hospital noted. Another barrier to parents getting their children vaccinated is the coronaviruss impact on the health care system, as many hospitals have limited in-person visits and ramped up the use of telehealth. These changes in care may reduce the amount of time that parents spend talking with the provider and staff, impeding their ability to ask questions about flu vaccine safety and effectiveness, which are significant concerns for many parents, C.S. Mott Childrens Hospital said. Given the poll results, the hospital recommended that child health providers pursue multiple strategies to emphasize the importance of getting vaccinated for the annual flu during this COVID-19 pandemic. During every in-person and telehealth visit, providers should clearly recommend that all children older than 6 months old get their flu shot, according to the hospital. Providers could send reminder postcards or add a message on their practices website as well that highlights the importance of children getting vaccine for influenza during amid the coronavirus public health crisis. Related Content: Three Queensland women at the centre of a COVID-19 outbreak scare have fronted court over their alleged false declarations after returning from coronavirus-hotspot Melbourne. Olivia Winnie Muranga, 20, Diana Lasu, 21, and Haja Umu Timbo, 21, appeared in Brisbane Magistrates Court on Monday after being charged by police in late July with two offences. Haja Umu Timbo (centre) and her lawyer (right) outside court. Credit:Matt Dennien The charges - one count each of fraud and providing false and misleading documents under the public health act - carry maximum penalties of $13,345 and five years in jail. The three alleged committed fraud because they "dishonestly gained a benefit of avoiding mandatory 14-day self-quarantine period" by providing false information to border officers when returning from Victoria through Brisbane Airport's domestic terminal on July 21. Oyeleye Fasua is an entrepreneur who is running for governor of Ondo State on the platform of the Social Democratic Party (SDP). Mr Oyeleye is challenged by the protracted crisis that led to the split of his party following his nomination at a controversial primary. He told PREMIUM TIMES how he is managing the crisis as he woos the electorate. Excerpt: How are you preparing for the election in the face of the influences of political giants and heavyweights as your opponents? You call them giants but we dont see them as giants. We are all on the same level, depending on how you see it. They said Jimoh Ibrahim is a paperweight, even though he appears big, because if you put a ballot box in front of his mothers house, he can hardly win that election because a good number of people will vote against him even within his house. So, how prepared are you for this election? Everything now will have to wait till the end. Because that we did not do those mega rallies does not mean we are not reaching out. What we are doing is slow and steady, door-to-door, house to house. We ride in public buses and taxis, and move in different directions to touch the people. We are doing our things differently. We are reaching out to the very people, to the communities and groups. That is how we are doing it in all the 18 local government areas. It has been said that you are not doing rallies because you are broke, how do you react to that? The money used for mega rallies is wasted. The same people that showed up at Jegedes rally were the same people that attended Aketis rally. They were the same people that appeared at Ore for N2000 each for the ZLP rally. Is that wise? Not at all. You have to design your own style and approach. The way we approach things might be different from the way others may choose. They will share caps, they will share items for that day, and it will be the end of it. If we are doing our own, the same people will come there. All that they need is just the N2000 dibo ko sebe for that night. This is because people are in a circle of poverty. That thing is pushing people. When you get to the houses of some of these rally men and women, they have the shirts and caps for all the political parties. When there is any rally, they just put on the uniform for that political party. That is what is going on. Given the crisis in the SDP right now, how are you coping and hoping to make any meaningful impact in the election? There are crises everywhere. As we speak, the PDP and APC have crises. Everybody is trying to manage their crises. Even with the crises, you move ahead. Yesterday, the commissioner for OSOPADEC left the APC for the ZLP, at the dying minute. People are just moving here and there. You cannot even predict the one that is with you now. When Obaseki left the APC, he left some people to strategise for him. They refused to let go of Oshiomhole, they refused to lift the ban against him even when Obaseki left. Look at how the election there went. So, things out there are uncertain. One has to design his own style and approach. Dont join the majority in what they are doing. We refuse to be copycats. We stand on our own, we maintain our integrity. I will be facing the governor at the debate. Jegede, Agboola Ajayi and Akeredolu, we are all on the same platform as we approach the debate scheduled for October 4. In your own case, how are you handling the crisis along with the campaign? Nobody can solve a crisis 100 per cent. It is a marriage of inconvenience. We will manage ourselves. Election will come and go. It is a matter of give and take. Even the person who doesnt love you, you assume he loves you and you just move on. Are you making efforts towards reconciliation so as not to have the SDP divided as you approach the election? We are making it. It might not be total. You just do whatever you have to do and move on. Because if you press it too much they will take it as a weakness on your part. The other faction opposing you says the SDP has no candidate for the governorship election. What is your reaction to that? How can they have a candidate? They dont have a candidate because what they did in Ondo is a get together. INEC was not there. No official was there. Our own primaries were well conducted. By now we should not be talking about that. You saw the INEC official list of candidates, it is my name that is there. So, they dont have a candidate. They are not officially recognised. There cannot be two candidates for one party for an election. It is only one candidate. That is me, as recognised by INEC. But they are in court to challenge your nomination Let the court take a decision. Can the court stop INEC from conducting the election? Certainly, not on this election. There are fears of violence, given that pockets of violence had been noticed during the campaigns so far. Have you been harassed by any of the leading parties supporters? I manage crises. I have experience in security matters. There was a day I was going on a campaign tour, I met Jegede people on the way. I am from Akure, he is from Akure. We stopped by and I gave his guys some money, they were hailing me and helped me get into my car. There is a way we can make peace in a mature way. We should be mature. It is the touts that are fighting to impress their leaders and that is in the negative, when they die they become a waste to their families. I am a security expert. I am the first Nigerian to be licensed as a private security company used by MTN to manage their crisis in Lagos. So my profession should work for me. What are your chances? Do you really have a chance of winning, or you are just trying to test your popularity? Not until the final count, you will not know who is who, surprises can happen as it happened in Edo. Let us wait until the final end. Do you have confidence in INEC to deliver a free and fair election? Advertisements Well, you have to. It is a marriage of inconvenience. You have to force yourself to have that confidence and see how you can get the security to control any form of manipulation. Are you not concerned about the trend of violence in elections in the country? Edo witnessed a little bit of sanity, what are your concerns in the coming Ondo election? I still want to believe that something good will happen. Let us see how things will go. We have witnessed some violence in the build up to the election. Do you see any positive signs ahead? It depends on what happens, you cannot predict anything now. you might probably be experiencing peace now, and in a second there is an outbreak of violence; one action can trigger another action. So, let us wait and see. What is driving your ambition to become governor of Ondo State? What is that thing you want to do differently from what the current administration is doing? To lift Ondo State from the ground where they are now, to a higher level. I want to use my experience I have gathered in America and Europe and see how I can apply it in the development of the state. But it depends on the mind of the people. Let us see what their minds push them to do. But it depends on what you want to do for them, if they know what you want to do for them, they might change their minds and vote for you I have my goals. I am coming up with a plan on how we can convert wind energy to power. I have the plans. There is also the waste to power plan, they are systems I have designed for our people. We will also emplace a durable irrigation system that would ensure our people produce all kinds of food all year round. We should not be crying for lack of rain. We will send our people to Israel to learn their system of irrigation and return to put them in place for our people. We will set up cement factories in Akoko area. We will provide soft loans for tertiary institutions and students as well. What message do you have for the Ondo voters? Let them vote right. They should not be considering their present condition to vote, they should think about tomorrow. Not for them to get N5000 today and finish it before the night. They should look at the candidates and not the parties. Dont say this party is big or this party is small. The bigger they are, the bigger their problem. The bigger the party, the more likelihood that their godfathers would syphon all the money. Vote for the candidate that has the foresight. Without any government support I set up my college of education, I have produced over 40,000 graduates and I am moving on. I have touched lives. I introduced the work and study, pay little by little. I have also made my marks in the USA, I have over 600 workers. They should look at my achievements in the private sector abroad and at home. If I am given the opportunity to govern the state, I will transform it. God help me. Leonardo DiCaprio reveals in a new documentary series that he believes none of us will be 'equal' until we all vote. The 45-year-old actor narrates the upcoming Whose Vote Counts, a joint production between Netflix and Vox Media, along with Selena Gomez and John Legend. DiCaprio reveals in a sneak peek from the show (via People), where he explains why all Americans should vote, and how important it is this year. Equal: Leonardo DiCaprio reveals in a new documentary series that he believes none of us will be 'equal' until we all vote 'In 1776, voting was a privilege, almost exclusively for white men with property,' Dicaprio says in the clip. 'In the founding constitution, you will not find the right to vote. This right to vote has been a battlefield in American democracy,' adds a black female voter. 'If your vote didn't matter, why the hell are so many systems and people trying so hard to prevent you from voting?" a Black male voter says, before it comes back to DiCaprio. Privelege: 'In 1776, voting was a privilege, almost exclusively for white men with property,' Dicaprio says in the clip 'All of us may have been created equal. But we'll never actually be equal until we all vote. So don't wait,' DiCaprio says, as the sneak peek comes to an end. DiCaprio also produces the docu-series in a partnership between his Appian Way Productions company, with Netflix and Vox Media. The series will include a number of voting resources from several organizations including Michelle Obama's nonpartisan group When We All Vote. Don't wait: 'All of us may have been created equal. But we'll never actually be equal until we all vote. So don't wait,' DiCaprio says, as the sneak peek comes to an end DiCaprio narrates one of the docu-series' three short-form episodes, with the others narrated by Selena Gomez and John Legend. Netflix released the trailer for Whose Vote Counts, Explained last week, which also featured Stacey Abrams, Congresswoman Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez, former Ohio Gov. John Kasich and former California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. Whose Vote Counts, Explained will be available to Netflix subscribers worldwide on Monday, September 28. Narrators: DiCaprio narrates one of the docu-series' three short-form episodes, with the others narrated by Selena Gomez and John Legend DiCaprio has signed on to star in a number of projects, including Killers of the Flower Moon, which reunites him with both Robert De Niro and director Martin Scorsese. He is also set to play New York police officer Joe Petrosino in an adaptation of The Black Hand based on Stephan Talty's book of the same name. The actor is also attached to play U.S. President Teddy Roosevelt in a biopic simply titled Roosevelt, and he's set to play early American serial killer H.H. Holmes in the mini-series The Devil In the White City. PHILADELPHIA, Sept. 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The Risk Management Association's (RMA) Financial Technology & Automation Committee has announced the publication of its thought leadership paper, "The New Normal | Digital Asset Corporate Actions." Through the paper, RMA aims to prompt discussion of emerging technologies that help transform securities lending's end-to-end workflow. The Committee's approach to tackling this subject included conducting a case study of events around Overstock.com's recent digital dividend and the actions taken by market participants. "Digital assets are poised to transform not only securities lending, but finance more broadly," said Nick Delikaris, Global Head of Trading and Algorithmic Strategies at State Street Global Markets and Co-Chair of RMA's Financial Technology & Automation Committee. "This paper outlines a step down this path, but also highlights the hurdles that will make adoption slower than anticipated. With more events like this, participants will get comfortable handling and integrating these new workflows." The Committee polled leading market participants to better understand how the digital dividend impacted the securities lending industry. The results of the survey are summarized in the white paper. "RMA's Financial Technology & Automation Committee found that 54% of agent lenders who owned Overstock.com shares decided to recall outstanding loans and restrict lending," said Fran Garritt, RMA's Director of Credit Risk, Global Markets Risk, and Securities Lending. "Clearly, Overstock.com's recent digital dividend alerted the securities lending industry of the need for an infrastructure that is properly prepared for innovations and emerging technologies." "Beginning with this Digital Asset Corporate Action whitepaper as well as other thought leadership pieces, RMA and its Financial Technology & Automation Committee are taking bold steps to transform and digitize the future of the securities lending industry," said Charles Post, Head of US Consulting Services Delivery & Sales at JDX Consulting and Co-Chair of the committee. Garritt said the new RMA paper "will help ensure a strategic and consistent solution for individuals, institutions, and the industry." To read the paper, click here. For more information on the RMA Financial Technology & Automation Committee, click here . About RMA Founded in 1914, The Risk Management Association is a not-for-profit, member-driven professional association whose sole purpose is to advance the use of sound risk management principles in the financial services industry. RMA promotes an enterprise approach to risk management that focuses on credit risk, market risk, and operational risk. Headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, RMA has 1,900 institutional members that include banks of all sizes as well as nonbank financial institutions. They are represented in the Association by 18,500 individuals located throughout North America, Europe, Australia, and Asia/Pacific. SOURCE The Risk Management Association Joe Biden (Left) and Donald Trump Republican incumbent President Donald Trump and his Democratic challenger Joe Biden are all set to share the stage for the first time on Tuesday night when they will be going head-to-head in the first of the three presidential debates. Dubbed as the "Super Bowl of American Democracy", Trump, 74, and Biden, 77, would respond to questions on their track record, the Supreme Court, economy, race and violence in cities and integrity of the elections at the Case Western Reserve University and Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, Ohio -- a key battleground state. Popular Fox news anchor Chris Wallace would moderate the first debate, which would start at 9 pm EST (6:30 am IST). Steve Scully from C-SPAN Networks and Kristen Welker from NBC News would moderate the other two presidential debates on October 15 in Miami (Florida) and October 22 in Nashville (Tennessee), respectively. Vice President Mike Pence, 61, and Democratic vice-presidential candidate Kamala Harris, 55, will participate in the only vice-presidential debate, to be hosted by USA Today journalist Susan Page, in Salt Lake City in Utah on October 7. All the four debates are being organised by the Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD). The debates would be of 90 minutes duration. In August, the CPD had turned down a request of the Trump campaign for a presidential debate in early September. Trump told reporters on Sunday that former New Jersey governor Chris Christie and former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani were helping him prepare for the debates. The two were seated in the press briefing room along with the White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany during the news conference by the president. Earlier in the day, Trump in a tweet demanded that Biden undergo a drug test before the debate. I will be strongly demanding a Drug Test of Sleepy Joe Biden prior to, or after, the Debate on Tuesday night. Naturally, I will agree to take one also. His Debate performances have been record setting UNEVEN, to put it mildly. Only drugs could have caused this discrepancy???" he tweeted. Responding to a question at the news conference, Trump reiterated his demand that Biden should go for a drug test before the debate. He said he will also do the same. "I'm willing to take a drug test. I think he should too because he's had a very uneven...You know, what I'm saying. If you look at some of those debates, I said there's no way he could continue. He can't continue," Trump said. Biden is yet to respond to the president's tweet. Meanwhile, ahead of the debates, over 70 members of the US Congress wrote to the CPD to include climate change as one of the topics. The first ever general elections presidential debates were held on September 26, 1960 at the CBS studios in Chicago between the then-senator John F Kennedy and then-vice president Richard Nixon. The debate that was televised changed the nature of American politics and presidential elections for all times to come. Kennedy and Nixon debated four times that year. Kennedy went on to win the 1960 elections. In 1987, the non-partisan and non-profit CPD was established to "ensure for the benefit of the American electorate the general election debates between or among the leading candidates for the officers of president and vice president of the United States or a permanent part of the electoral process" The CPD does not receive any funding from the government or any political party or political action party committee or candidate. It has sponsored and produced all general election presidential debates since 1988. Frank Fahrenkopf, Co-Chair of the CPD, told reporters at the National Press Club on Sunday that all precautions have been taken in view of the coronavirus pandemic. "There's no clapping, there's no whistling and so forth, he said. Between 50 and 150 million people are expected to watch the televised debates. According to Kenneth Wollack, co-chair of CPD, as important as the presidential debate has been in the US, debates have even a greater impact overseas -- in new and emerging democracies, in particularly, in countries in post-conflict political environments. Debates have played a very important role in the transition process in these countries for three reasons, Wollack said. Number one, it has levelled the playing field in countries where there has been a dominant political party. Secondly, it helps focus the candidates on a policy, public policy issues rather than personalities. And three, it has lowered the campaign rhetoric often at political rallies because citizens see the two or more major candidates vying for office shaking hands, Wollack said. The Commission, in cooperation with the National Democratic Institute, have helped organise more than 400 debates in 45 countries around the world. As a result of that effort, there is now a coalition of debate organisers from 38 countries called "Debates International" that help one other to organise debates, he said. Advertisement A schoolteacher, whose body is covered in tattoos and who has had the whites of his eyes surgically turned black, said he was prevented from teaching at a French kindergarten after a parent complained he scared their child. Sylvain Helaine was teaching at the Docteur Morere Elementary School in Palaiseau, a suburb of Paris, last year when the parents of a three-year-old complained to educational authorities. They said their son, who was not taught by Helaine, had nightmares after seeing him. It was ruled that the 35-year-old, who is considered to be France's most tattooed man, could continue teaching but only for children over the age of six. Sylvain Helaine was teaching at the Docteur Morere Elementary School in Palaiseau, a suburb of Paris, last year when the parents of a three-year-old complained to educational authorities The parents argued that their young son, who was not taught by Helaine, had nightmares after seeing him It was eventually ruled that the 35-year-old, who is considered to be France 's most tattooed man, could continue teaching but only for children over the age of six Helaine, who was born in Paris, got his first ink when he was 27 and has since spent over 35,000 and around 460 hours under the tattooists' needle. He said that in the months following the complaint the school authorities informed him he would no longer teach kindergarten children. 'I think the decision they took was quite sad,' said Helaine, before claiming that pupils can see past his appearance after the initial shock. 'All of my students and their parents were always cool with me because basically they knew me,' he added. Helaine, who was born in Paris, got his first ink when he was 27 and has since spent over 35,000 and around 460 hours under the tattooists' needle He said he started getting tattoos when, while teaching at a private school in London, he had an 'existential crisis' Helaine, who has had his tongue tattooed and the whites of his eyes surgically turned black, said he would stick with his chosen career despite the setbacks 'It's only when people see me from far away that they can assume the worst.' A spokesman for the local education authority said an agreement was reached with Helaine to move him away from teaching kindergarten. Pupils under six 'could be frightened by his appearance', the spokesman said. Helaine said he would stick with his chosen career despite the setbacks. 'I'm a primary school teacher... I love my job.' A spokesman for the local education authority said an agreement was reached with Helaine (pictured) to move him away from teaching kindergarten Helanie has spent more than 35,000 covering his body in tattoos and getting the whites of his eyes surgically turned black He said he hoped to show his pupils that they should accept people who are different from the norm He said he started getting tattoos when, while teaching at a private school in London, he had an 'existential crisis'. Since then, he said that getting tattoos had become a passion. Helaine, whose alias is Freaky Hoody, said he hoped to show his pupils that they should accept people who are different from the norm. 'Maybe when they are adults they will be less racist and less homophobic and more open-minded,' he added. DUBAI: Iran will allow holders of government sukuk, or Islamic bonds, to be repaid in crude oil exports, state-run Press TV reported, citing a finance ministry announcement. Holders of sukuk due before May 2021 can apply to receive the equivalent of their bonds and their interest in crude cargoes, it said. Its unclear how the transactions would work presumably, the bondholders could be given options on futures contracts, but the mechanics are not spelled out in the report. Iran has considered a number of options to boost state revenue battered by the coronavirus crisis and U.S. sanctions. Earlier this year, it was planning to offer oil-backed securities to its citizens and to sell stakes in state companies on the local stock market. Irans economy has been suffering since 2018, when the United States exited Tehrans nuclear deal with six world powers and re-imposed sanctions, strangling Irans oil trade. This would be the first time Iran has used oil to repay bonds issued in the local market, said Press TV. Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor As part of the commemoration of Los Alamos National Laboratorys 75th anniversary in 2018, the current lab director and five of his predecessors were asked what they believe were the nations biggest security threats. There was some talk about whether the nations nuclear arsenal can ever be considered totally reliable without actual, real-world weapons test explosions, now banned by international treaty. But the lab directors talked more about the info wars of the 21st century. Participation in democracy and the values that we have require that youre well-grounded in education, said then-LANL director Terry Wallace. So when you look at a website that tells us that theres a conspiracy in a pizza parlor, that everyone goes there for pedophile activities, you should be able to apply scientific principles to that to understand that its not (true). So am I fearful? Yes, because nobodys got a plan for that. Former lab director John Browne said, Just think of how many times you look at social media today and someone thinks something is true because someone has put something out there. I think that threatens our way of life. In the two years since the lab directors made those comments, things seem to have only gotten worse. Here are some recent examples: The QAnon conspiracy, which promotes the insane idea that President Trump is fighting off a deep-state, Satan-worshiping pedophile ring, has taken off to the point that a soon-to-be elected Republican congressional candidate in Georgia is a self-avowed QAnon adherent. People who should know better, including mainstreamers, such as a member of the Taos County Republican Partys executive committee, are promoting the idea the COVID-19 pandemic has been overblown because the number of COVID-19-only deaths is much lower than the reported total fatalities. That total is now over 200,000 Americans, most who had underlying conditions before they contracted and died from the virus. What is true is 6% of the death certificates list only coronavirus as the cause. But regardless of other health conditions among the deceased, 92% of the death certificates show COVID-19 as the underlying cause. If your friend or relative whos lived a normal life for decades with diabetes contracted COVID-19 and died, would you really stand up and say that person died of diabetes? Vaccines, like the ones we all hope will emerge soon to fight the coronavirus, face doubters from a bipartisan crowd. The concerns range from a debunked study published decades ago and doubts about Big Pharma ethics to more government intrusion into freedom of choice. Regardless of any philosophical, political or metaphysical arguments, the truth is that vaccines work. Many of us of a certain age had childhood friends who suffered from crippling polio before a vaccine almost totally eradicated it. Smallpox and measles also have been whacked by vaccines, at least until the anti-vaxxers starting letting down our defenses. And now the U.S. census count is also under suspicion as another bad thing promoted by a government out to control our lives. The Journals Joline Gutierrez Krueger reported recently on the troubles faced by census workers whose job is to get an accurate count of New Mexicans, something that serves to ensure our state gets its share of federal programs and dollars. I come home wondering, how on earth did Americans become so ignorant or stupid about our country? one census worker said, echoing, albeit in more forceful language, the concerns among LANL directors. I was very disheartened that something that has been done since the 1700s has been politicized and that some have no idea what it is for, the worker said. Lots of things have happened in 2020 that are cause for alarm and depression. The hastening dissolution of standards for whats considered true and accurate is, unfortunately, among the disasters of this unusual year. Theres no need to repeat here that the country is divided. It would just be so much better if we could agree on some basic facts behind the issues we fight over. This editorial first appeared in the Albuquerque Journal. It was written by members of the editorial board and is unsigned as it represents the opinion of the newspaper rather than the writers. TUSCOLA COUNTY A horse in Tuscola County has tested positive for eastern equine encephalitis according to a press release from the Tuscola County Health Department. According to the release, as of Sept. 27, EEE has been confirmed in 34 animals in 14 counties, 32 in equine an two in deer. Barry County has one confirmed human case. There is a vaccine available for horses, but the one in Tuscola County was unvaccinated, according to the Department of Agriculture and Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. There is not a vaccine for humans. EEE is one of the most dangerous mosquito-borne diseases in the United States, the release states, and has a 33% fatality rate in people who become ill. "People can be infected with EEE from one bite of a mosquito carrying the virus," the release reads. "Persons younger than age 15 and over the age of 50 are at the greatest risk for severe disease following infection. More than 25% of the nation's EEE cases last year were diagnosed in Michigan." The MDHHS says mosquitoes carrying EEE most commonly are found flying from dusk to dawn. They don't like cold temperatures, so with temperatures expected to drop in the area over the next week, the risk of infection will likely fall. People can protect themselves by doing the following: Use repellant when outdoors. Use insect repellant that contains DEET, picaridin, IR3535 or oil of lemon eucalyptus on exposed skin/clothing. Permethrin can also be used on clothing to protect through several washes. Always follow instructions. Wear protective clothing such as long sleeves and pants. Install and repair window screens to keep the mosquitoes out. Keep mosquitoes from laying eggs near you. Get rid of mosquito breeding sites by emptying standing water from flower pots, buckets, barrels and tires. Change your pet water frequently. Appointment 28 September 2020 RBH, the UK's leading independent hotel management company, has promoted from within to fill the role of Managing Director. Susan Bland, previously the company's Chief Operations Support Officer which forms part of the Group's Executive management team, steps into the role with immediate effect, overseeing operations across the business, as well as continuing to look after its commercial side. A seasoned professional in the hospitality industry, Susan brings more than 20 years of experience to the role - nine of which have been spent with RBH. Her strong background in hotel operations and F&B, coupled with unrivalled experience in HR and talent development, have seen her successfully steer a significant part of the company's overall operations for the past four years. During her time as Chief Operations Support Officer, Susan was responsible for multiple operating functions including commercial, leisure, spa, procurement, F&B, IT and HR - successfully navigating the business during the COVID-19 pandemic, one of the most challenging periods ever for the hospitality industry. She has also flourished in the role of Chair of the Hospitality Employers Group (HEG), which is made up of some of the industry's biggest global players - a role which she has held for three years. Susan takes up her new position following the post-lockdown re-opening of RBH's portfolio of more than 45 hotels. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Mon, September 28, 2020 19:05 481 e22cd4161040e111d73a5626c47c0152 1 National aceh,Pulau-Bali,Pulau-Dewata,bali-island,doni-monardo,COVID-19,#COVID-19--response,COVID-19-in-Indonesia,Jokowi,Joko-Widodo,Luhut-Binsar-Pandjaitan,COVID-19-bali Free The national COVID-19 task force has added Aceh and Bali to its list of prioritized provinces with the regions seeing rising daily case tallies. The two provinces were added to the eight provinces previously named top priorities in the governments COVID-19 response, task force chief Doni Monardo said. The initial eight provinces named were Jakarta, West Java, Central Java, East Java, North Sumatra, South Kalimantan, South Sulawesi and Papua. Now there are 10 provinces in total, he announced during a virtual press conference after meeting with President Joko Jokowi Widodo on Monday, as reported by kompas.com. As of Monday, Aceh had recorded 4,325 confirmed cases and 167 fatalities, while Bali logged 107 new cases on Monday to increase its overall tally to 8,639 cases and 263 fatalities, according to Health Ministry data. Read also: Over 20 people test positive for COVID-19 at Bali governor's residence Jokowi appointed Doni and Coordinating Maritime Affairs and Investment Minister Luhut Binsar Panjaitan to supervise the implementation of COVID-19 measures in prioritized provinces. Task force spokesman Wiku Adisasmito previously said the President had set several goals for the aforementioned prioritized provinces, including a decline in the number of new cases recorded daily, an increase in recoveries as well as a decline in fatality rates. Read also: Indonesian Military deployed for coronavirus fight The President demanded these goals be met within the next two weeks, he said last week. Among the governments many measures, it has kicked off Operasi Yustisi to monitor and discipline the public in regards to health protocol compliance in prioritized regions that are continuing to record spikes in COVID-19 cases. Separately, epidemiologist from the University of Indonesias School of Public Health Pandu Riono urged the government to enforce stricter social restrictions in prioritized provinces. Stricter measures like those implemented in Jakarta are necessary to contain COVID-19 infections. At least, stricter measures need to be implemented in the prioritized provinces, which are mostly located in Java, Pandu said on Monday, as quoted by Kompas. Excluding Aceh, the prioritized provinces account for 75 percent of Indonesias confirmed COVID-19 cases, which has caught the attention of Jokowi. Stricter PSBB [large-scale social restrictions], which were previously condemned, have proven to be effective in containing the spread of COVID-19. The situation in Jakarta is now seen as stagnant, he added, citing that the city's COVID-19 daily reproduction number (Rt) had decreased from 1.14 to 1.10 after stricter PSBB measures were implemented. He also advised the government not to ease restrictions too hastily in the hopes of spurring an economic recovery. If the pandemic is not handled well, the economy will not recover either, (trn) New Delhi, Sep 28 : Doctors' associations are blaming the administration of Delhi government's Maharishi Valmiki Hospital for watering down an alleged case of assault of one of its doctors. A doctor claimed that the accused is a friend of one of the hospital officials. Besides, the doctors' associations are furious that the FIR in the case was lodged in the name of an individual rather than the institution, which goes against the directions of the Delhi and central governments. "There are clear orders that in case of any assault on doctor or health care workers (HCWs), the FIR has to be institutional. But the hospital administration had the FIR lodged in the name of the concerned doctor. I firmly believe that someone from the administration is trying to save the culprit as it was found that one of the officials is close friends with the culprit," said Pankaj Solanki, former president of the Federation of Resident Doctors Association (FORDA), a pan-India body of resident doctors' associations. "The administration should explain why they didn't go for the institutional FIR despite the orders from the state and the Centre," he said. An order dated April 16, 2019, notified by the health department of the Delhi government states that in cases of violence by patients and their attendants against the HCWs, the FIRs should be lodged by the hospital or the institution immediately. "In no case, the individual doctor/paramedical/nursing/administrative staff, etc should be asked to lodge the FIR with the police in such cases," the order underlined. On Saturday, Dr Rahul Jain was physically assaulted by a patient named Priyanka and her attendant Naresh while performing minor OT procedures. The assault allegedly took place when Dr Jain asked the patient and her aide to come by turn in OT, and as they did not wear masks, they were requested to wear the same. He has also claimed that both the accused beat him and even hurled a stool at his head, which Dr Jain luckily escaped. Later, Dr Jain lodged an FIR against Priyanka and Naresh at Bawana police station under his name. The FIR is lodged under sections 186/188/353/332/506/34 of IPC and DMSP and MSI Act. An official of the hospital said that it could be a possibility that the patient is an acquaintance with the senior administrative staff. However, he did not reveal the name of that official. IANS tried to contact the hospital's medical superintendent but he did not respond to calls and messages. However, Dr Ajay Sharma, casualty in-charge of the hospital did speak to this correspondent, but cut the call abruptly when a counter question was posed. "Come to the office tomorrow, I don't have time to explain things on the phone," he said before ending the call. The FORDA and Resident Doctors' Association of the hospital have demanded that the institutional FIR must be lodged against the accused. "The scope of action by police in institutional FIR is more effective than in individual FIR. Despite the FIR, the accused are roaming scot-free," a member of FORDA said. Chateau Boswell, a mainstay on the Napa Valley wine circuit for over 40 years, was destroyed Sunday in the Glass Fire. The Glass Fire began around 4 a.m. on the 200 block of North Fork Crystal Springs Road in Deer Park and by sunrise had already consumed hundreds of acres. Late Sunday night and into Monday morning, two more fires broke out nearby, pushing into heavily populated areas in Santa Rosa. EDWARDSVILLE A new tuition initiative by Southern Illinois University could have a huge impact on low-income students who want to attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. New undergraduate students from Illinois with family incomes below $63,575 can attend either SIUE or Southern Illinois University Carbondale tuition-free beginning fall 2021. SIU President Dan Mahony announced the SIU System Commitment initiative during the Sept. 17 meeting of the SIU Board of Trustees. Under the new program, incoming four-year undergraduate students who meet the program requirements at both the Carbondale and Edwardsville campuses will have their tuition and any mandatory fees fully covered. Its a totally new program for us and its something weve been talking about even before I started, Mahony said. Over the summer, people on both campuses put together a program that would work for everybody. What it means is that on top of whatever federal aid the students get, we will fill in the gap, so they dont have to pay anything out of pocket. Its a huge step for both institutions and for the system and its a game-changer for a lot of people in lower-income families to provide them with an educational opportunity in a way that is easily affordable. Students will still be responsible for housing, meals, course fees, books and supplies. But for many local students, being able to attend college tuition-free opens a whole new window of opportunity. What this means for our students in East St. Louis is that its life-changing, said Gina Jeffries, director of the SIUE East St. Louis Charter High School. We will have students who never considered higher education becoming first-generation college graduates. Its my belief that once they get there with free tuition, theyre going to stay. SIUE Chancellor Randy Pembrook knows firsthand about what a life-changing experience a college education can be. The two things I think about are access and affordability, Pembrook said. We talk about how higher education changes lives, and it did for me. I grew up in a rural environment in Greene County and having access to a college education and a degree and becoming a teacher made a huge difference for me. The SIUE East St. Louis Charter High School has 115 students, who are all residents of East St. Louis. The student body is 100 percent black and 100 percent of the students are eligible for the national free school lunch program. When you have students that are considering what to do after high school and what higher education institutions they want to look at, and when they see that its SIUE, they know were already a part of the system, Jeffries said. It makes sense and it makes it an easy transition for them to want to go there. The initiative will cover eight semesters of continuous enrollment. Participants must maintain satisfactory academic progress in order for the program to be renewed. In addition to the income restriction, students must have assets less than $50,000 based on a submitted Free Application for Student Aid, or FAFSA; be an Illinois resident who attended an Illinois high school; apply for admission by the priority deadline of March 1; and enroll in a baccalaureate degree program. Eligible students must first apply for all eligible state and federal financial aid for which they qualify, including federal Pell grants, state Monetary Award Program (MAP) grants and other institutional aid. Mahony said the university will cover the outstanding balance. Mahony believes that as the word spreads about the SIU System Commitment Initiative, the number of students taking advantage of it will continue to grow. When we looked at the incoming class, it would affect 200 to 300 students on each campus, Mahony said. We assume that number will be at least the minimum next year, so we think it will be north of 300 students. Pembrook expects the enrollment at SIUE to increase due to the initiative. Were thinking about 100 [tuition-free] students coming in as freshmen plus another 100 transfers per year, Pembrook said. For some students, there is still a gap [after financial aid] and were looking to close that gap. It may be $1,000 or $1,500, but this will enable them to come to college and not have to pay tuition or fees. For high school students in East St. Louis and other communities, Jeffries believes the initiative will serve as a motivating factor. It will keep them in-state because the opportunity is just too good not to take advantage of, Jeffries said. Theyre very close to home, which is another advantage. Jeffries feels the initiative will have long-term effects well beyond four years of free tuition. For black and brown students who have traditionally been underserved, having this opportunity will now diversify both SIU campuses, which will in turn better diversify the workforce, Jeffries said. We will finally see some equity across the line for those black and brown students. Im elated and proud to be a part of a system that would do this. Pembrook, likewise, believes the opportunity for a tuition-free education will have far-reaching consequences for students and their families. Im on a committee at the state level and we were talking the other day about the Aim High and MAP [grant] programs and many of the people that receive those kinds of funds are first-generation college students, Pembrook said. A lot of these students [under the new initiative] will be the first in their family to go to college, and thats incredibly exciting. The SIU System Commitment Initiative comes on top of a recent announcement that SAT/ACT test scores are not required for admission at SIU through fall 2021. That was also part of our effort to increase access and equity, so the two measures combined provide a lot more opportunities for people, Mahony said. Albany, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 09/28/2020 -- Based on product type, flakes 77% segment held In terms of volume and value, the flakes 77% segment held the leading share of the market in 2018 due to its wide range of applications such as de-icing, dust control, and industrial water treatment. Calcium chloride liquid has high density, which makes it suitable for usage in drilling fluid applications. It is used as a clear brine fluid during drilling and oilfield completion operations in the oil & gas industry Read report Overview- https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/calcium-chloride-market.html In terms of application, drilling fluids was the dominant application accounted for more than 20% of the total calcium chloride market in 2018. It is likely remain dominant application between 2019 and 2027 Based on region, North America held major share in 2018 and is expected to grow at significant rate of more than 4.0% compared to other region during forecast period 2019 to 2027. Calcium Chloride used as clear brine fluid in drilling & mining operations and de-icer during heavy snowfall. This is projected to be boost the demand for calcium chloride in North America Rise in demand for de-icing and dust control application are the major factor which are anticipated to drive the global calcium chloride demand in near future. Request PDF Brochure https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=3239 Oversupply Situation and Corrosive Nature of Calcium Chloride May Hamper Overall Demand Calcium chloride can be produced using three methods: from brines, as a by-product of magnesium hydroxide, or by employing the Solvay process These techniques are inexpensive and produce large volumes of low-grade calcium chloride Major calcium chloride-producing countries, such the U.S. and China, use the evaporation of underground brines as a primary method. The downturn in the oil & gas industry in recent years has resulted in a decline in demand for calcium chloride in oil drilling applications. All these factors are estimated to contribute to the oversupply situation in the calcium chloride market and hamper its expansion REQUEST FOR COVID19 IMPACT ANALYSIS https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=covid19&rep_id=3239 Also, Calcium chloride is a salt used as a dust suppressant, concrete accelerator, and tire filler. Tests conducted by a few manufacturers indicate that it is more corrosive than water but less than sodium chloride. Since calcium chloride is hygroscopic, it absorbs water from the air, which could possibly result in corrosion at lower levels and long durations of relative humidity Moreover, salts influence the ability of water to carry a current and speed up the corrosion process. Therefore, the usage of calcium chloride in applications such as tire ballasts is likely to be disadvantage. More Trending Reports by Transparency Market Research https://www.nsenergybusiness.com/pressreleases/companies/transparency-market-research/stakeholders-in-plastic-recycling-market-actively-looking-for-improve-recycling-rates-of-discarded-plastics-packaging-across-economies-tmr/ North America Expected to be Highly Lucrative Region of Global Calcium Chloride Market In terms of region, the global calcium chloride market has been divided into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa. North America accounted for more than 40.0% of the calcium chloride market in 2018 North America is anticipated to hold prominent share of the global market during the forecast period from 2019 to 2027, owing to the growth in oil & gas and construction industries and rise in demand for calcium chloride in de-icing and dust control applications. This is boosting the demand for calcium chloride in the manufacture of different concentrations of calcium chloride flakes, prills, pellets, and liquid grade for usage as de-icing agents, concrete accelerators, etc. Europe is estimated to be a rapidly expanding region of the global calcium chloride market during the forecast period, followed by North America. This can be ascribed to the rise in snowfall, especially in winter season, owing to climatic changes. Calcium chloride is primarily used to melt snow and ice. Demand for calcium chloride is higher in the U.S. and Europe during winters. Asia Pacific is another region with high demand for calcium chloride, due to the presence of a large number companies operating in construction, oil & gas, and dust control applications in the region Global Calcium Chloride Market -Key Developments In March 2020, Junction Capital Partners ("JCP") today announced the completion of acquisition of Wilkinson Chemical, LLC. Wilkinson has been engaged in production and sale of calcium chloride solution. Company is also expected to begin shipments of ASTM specification liquid calcium chloride in third quarter of 2020.This acquisition will help to serve the calcium chloride customers with new supply In July 2018, Nuberg EPC , single point EPC and LSTK company for specialty chemicals, has been awarded turn-key project contract by Middle East Chemicals Company Ltd. (Midchem), Saudi Arabia. This exclusive agreement, covered EPC services and solutions for chlor-alkali plant and calcium chloride plant in Riyadh and executed for Saudi Factory for Chlorine and Alkalies (SACHLO), Midchem's group company. SACHLO is one of the largest manufacturers of chlor alkali and chlorine derivatives in Saudi Arabia Global Calcium Chloride Market: Competition Landscape The global calcium chloride market features a highly fragmented competitive landscape with the presence of a large number of global and regional players. Some of the key players in the global Key players operating in the market are Occidental Chemical Corporation, Qingdao Huadong Calcium Producing Co. Ltd. TangShan SanYou Chemical Industries Co., Ltd., Solvay S.A., TETRA Technologies Inc., Tiger Calcium Services Inc., Ward Chemical, Inc., Weifang Haibin Chemical Co. Ltd., Weifang Taize Chemical Industry Co. Ltd., Sulaksh Chemicals, Nedmag Industries, Zirax Limited, Sitara Chemical Industries Ltd., Auro Chemical Industries Pvt. Ltd., and Sameer Chemicals Vote-by-mail ballots are shown in U.S. Postal Service sorting trays at the King County Elections headquarters in Renton, Wash., on Aug. 5, 2020. (Ted S. Warren/AP Photo) Appellate Court Pauses Wisconsin Absentee Ballot-Counting Extension A federal appeals court on Sept. 27 temporarily paused a nearly week-long extension for counting absentee ballots in Wisconsin state in the upcoming election. Absentee ballots in the key presidential battleground state will now, as it stands, be due by 8 p.m. on Nov. 3, the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Sunday. It comes after U.S. District Judge William Conley previously sided with the Democratic National Committee, and asked Wisconsin officials to count the ballots six days after the presidential election to make counting ballots easier amid the COVID-19 pandemic. While more than 1 million absentee ballots have been requested to date, the Wisconsin Elections Commission anticipates that as many as 2 million will eventually be cast. Conley argued last week that the figure would be three times more than any previous election, and could overwhelm election officials. The U.S. Postal Service will also undoubtedly be overwhelmed again with ballots in November, as they were in April, Conley wrote on Sept. 21, ruling that ballots that arrive up to six days after Election Day will count as long as theyre postmarked by Election Day. Wisconsin Republicans have echoed President Donald Trumps concerns over mail-in voting and potential voter fraud this November. The appeals court will now further review Conleys order. The federal judges order will be halted until the 7th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals or U.S. Supreme Court issues any further action. No further details were immediately posted by the appeals court. Wisconsin is seen as a crucial battleground state. In 2016, Trump took the state by just 0.77 percentfewer than 23,000 votesover then-presidential rival Hillary Clinton. Both sides expect a tight race this year. People check in to vote at a polling location in Sun Prairie, Wis., on April 7, 2020. (Andy Manis/Getty Images) The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank, has long raised the alarm about the dangers of mail-in ballot fraud. Absentee ballots are the tools of choice of election fraudsters because they are voted outside the supervision of election officials, making it easier to steal, forge, or alter them, as well as to intimidate voters, wrote Heritage Foundation Senior Legal Fellow Hans A. von Spakovsky, in an op-ed. The Heritage Foundations own database of all reported instances of election fraud, dating back to 1979, lists only 1,298 proven instances of voter fraud, though the organizations Communications Manager told The Epoch Times in an emailed statement that the database is only intended to represent a small sampling of the types of voter fraud that can occurit is by no means a comprehensive report of all the voter fraud that happens around the country. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-28 17:40:42|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close SEOUL, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- South Korean President Moon Jae-in expressed hope Monday to restore dialogue with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) by resolving the shooting incident near the inter-Korean maritime border, according to the presidential Blue House. "I hope that the tragedy would not end up as just an incident but create an opportunity for (inter-Korean) dialogue and cooperation, and for the progress in the South-North relations," Moon said in a weekly meeting with his senior Blue House aides. Resolving issues can be possible through dialogue, and substantive measures to prevent the recurrence can be taken through cooperation, Moon noted. A South Korean fisheries official was shot dead by DPRK soldiers last week near the western inter-Korean sea border, according to the South Korean military. The DPRK sent a notice to the Blue House Friday to explain the deadly shooting, according to the presidential office. Enditem Sienna Miller has revealed that Chadwick Boseman donated money from his own salary to boost her pay on 21 Bridges and said it was what she 'deserved to be paid'. The Black Panther actor, who tragically died from colon cancer aged 43 in August, supplemented the star's pay cheque after her figure was turned down by the studio. Sienna, 38, who shares daughter Marlowe, eight, with former partner Tom Sturridge, told how she was 'hesitant' to return to filming but was keen to work with Chadwick. Star: Sienna Miller, 38, has revealed that Chadwick Boseman donated money from his own salary to boost her pay on 21 Bridges and said it was what she 'deserved to be paid' (pictured November 2019) Speaking to Empire, she said: 'This was a pretty big budget film, and I know that everybody understands about the pay disparity in Hollywood, but I asked for a number that the studio wouldn't get to. 'And because I was hesitant to go back to work and my daughter was starting school and it was an inconvenient time, I said: "I'll do it if I'm compensated in the right way."' She added: 'And Chadwick ended up donating some of his salary to get me to the number that I had asked for. He said that that was what I deserved to be paid.' Grateful: Sienna, who shares daughter Marlowe, eight, with former partner Tom Sturridge, told how she was 'hesitant' to return to filming but was keen to work with Chadwick (pictured November 2019) The American Sniper actress described how the gesture was a 'testament' to Chadwick's character and explained how there was 'no showiness' to the offer. Chadwick, who was a producer on 21 Bridges, approached Sienna to star in the film and told her he was a 'fan' of her work which she said was 'reciprocated, tenfold'. However Sienna revealed how she had been 'working non-stop' and was 'exhausted'. after starring in films such as American Woman and The Catcher Was a Spy. 'Astounding': The Edge of Love actress described the gesture as 'the most astounding thing' and told how she could not 'imagine' another man 'in that town' 'behaving that graciously or respectfully (pictured November 2019) On-screen: Sienna and Chadwick starred alongside each other in 21 Bridges (pictured) which was released in 2019 The British-American actress later requested a 'number' which was turned down by the film bosses prompting Chadwick to step in to get Sienna on-board. The Edge of Love star described the gesture as 'the most astounding thing' and told how she could not 'imagine' another man 'in that town' 'behaving that graciously or respectfully'. In the action movie Chadwick stars as the embattled NYPD detective, Andre Davis, who joins a citywide manhunt for two cop killers. As the night unfolds, he uncovers a massive conspiracy that links his fellow police officers to a criminal empire and he becomes unsure of who to pursue and who's after him. Plot: Sienna plays Frankie Burns (pictured) - a detective working with Andre (Chadwick Boseman, pictured) The line-up: From left to right, Stephan James, Taylor Kitsch, Chadwick, Sienna and director Brian (pictured November 2019) When the search intensifies, authorities take the extreme measure of closing all of Manhattan's 21 bridges to prevent the suspects from escaping. Sienna plays Frankie Burns - a detective working with Andre while Taylor Kitsch, who plays Ray Jackson, and Stephan James, who stars as Michael Trujillo, are the two suspects on the run. After Chadwick's death last month, his family said in a heartbreaking statement: 'It is with immeasurable grief that we confirm the passing of Chadwick Boseman. Duo: In the action movie Chadwick stars as the embattled NYPD detective, Andre Davis (pictured with Sienna as Frankie), who joins a citywide manhunt for two cop killers Icon: The family revealed several of Chadwick's recent films, including Marshall, Da 5 Bloods, and August Wilson's Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, were filmed 'during and between countless surgeries and chemotherapy (pictured 2018 in Black Panther) 'Chadwick was diagnosed with stage III colon cancer in 2016, and battled with it these last 4 years as it progressed to stage IV. 'A true fighter, Chadwick persevered through it all, and brought you many of the films you have come to love so much.' The family revealed several of Boseman's recent films, including Marshall, Da 5 Bloods, and August Wilson's Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, were filmed 'during and between countless surgeries and chemotherapy. 'It was the honor of his career to bring King T'Challa to life in Black Panther. The family thanks you for your love and prayers, and asks that you continue to respect their privacy during this difficult time.' The actor is survived by his wife Taylor Simone Ledward and a parent, and had no children. Deputy Communications Director of NPP, Mame Yaa Aboagye has expressed shock at the conduct of the NDCs Flagbearer, John Dramani Mahama over his latest comment on the December 7 elections. According to her, Mahamas ranting over the new voters register is a sign that he has foreseen losing the elections. Mame Yaas comments come after the flagbearer of the NDC, John Dramani Mahama, during the week announced that the party would not accept any flawed results in the elections. Mahama, speaking at a press conference on the integrity of the provisional voters register, insisted on looking forward to free, fair, and flawless elections, hence the party would not look on neither would it ignore its civil responsibilities. We wont allow the EC whether by ill intents or a sheer incompetence till you serve the peoples mandate in the 7th December election, he said. But reacting to the former President and NDC flagbearers comments, Mame Yaa said the tremendous development projects being undertaken by the governing NPP, coupled with a large number of supporters is a clear indication to the NDC and John Mahama that they have already lost the 2020 elections, hence his constant negative messages on election 2020. She added that the NPP is a party that develops and raises the living standards of the people as compared to the NDCThe NDC never believed President Akufo-Addo was going to fulfill his promises. She further said government's development interventions including the Free Senior High School, One District; One Factory, One Village; One Dam, Planting for Food and Jobs, Nation's Builders Corps (NABCO) among others has dazed John Mahama and the NDC hence their negative comments. Mahamas desperation defies logic. They are only making unnecessary noises," she stressed. She, therefore, urged Ghanaians to rally behind the President for more development projects. Source: peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Currently, there are six types of fresh fruits of Vietnam exported to the US, including dragon fruit, rambutan, mango, longan, star apple, and lychee. Although the Covid-19 pandemic affected many import and export activities, more than 5,000 tons of fresh fruits exported to the US from the beginning of this year to the end of August, an insignificant decrease compared to that of more than 6,000 tons of fresh fruits in the same period last year. With the plant quarantine expert of the US Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service(APHIS) returning to Vietnam from September 2, after completing medical quarantine procedures, he is now present at the Son Son Irradiation Center in Ho Chi Minh City and will help the quarantine of fresh fruit before exporting to be more easily and faster. Traditionally, from now to the end of the year, the US demand for imported fresh fruits increases sharply. Quarantine expert Timothy Westbrook (APHIS) at Son Son Irradiation Center. (Photo: SGGP) Explaining to the press, Mr. Hoang Trung said that at present, Son Son Irradiation Center is the only facility in Vietnam recognized by the US to have qualified for the handling of fruits. An irradiation center has been built in Hanoi, and it is in the process of being tested to receive recognization by the US. The Son Son Irradiation Center handles 100 tons of fruits a day. Meanwhile, it is currently only using about 30 percent of its capacity every day, so it does not affect the fruit export progress. Furthermore, the quarantine of fresh fruits for export depends on the requirements of each country. The US requires fruits to be irradiated, while Japan, South Korea, and New Zealand require the application of hot water treatment. Therefore, the investment in the construction of a fruit treatment plant depends on the market demand and investors' calculations. By Cong Phien Translated by Bao Nghi Get ready. The 2020 general election is about to get underway in Pennsylvania. Local election officials, who expect a record number of people to vote by mail in the hotly contested presidential election, will be sending out the first batch of ballots to county voters by the end of the week. Pennsylvanians have several options when it comes to voting: They can cast their ballot by mail; they can vote early by filling out a ballot at their county election office; and they can go to the polls on Election Day. Montgomery County officials accounted for 172,000 approved applications for mail-in ballots for the general election as of Sept. 10, according to Chief Operating Officer Lee Soltysiak. It was a fraction of that just four years ago as 10,000 voters mailed in their ballots in 2016. A popular choice Allowing Pennsylvania voters to submit their ballots by mail without an excuse is new this year. It was one of several changes included in a historic election reform bill signed into law last fall designed by state lawmakers to increase access to the ballot box. The introduction of widespread voting by mail in the Keystone State proved to be popular among voters in the June primary due to safety concerns amid the pandemic. In Pennsylvania, 51 percent of votes came by mail and 47 percent of votes cast in person for the June 2 primary election. In Montgomery County, there were 161,460 mail-in ballot applications, but 126,000 voters mailed in their ballots, according to Soltysiak. Its unclear how many voters cast their ballots in person. Is voting by mail safe and secure? Attacks on voting by mail, which have been made by President Donald Trump and echoed by some fellow Republicans, have stirred concern among state and local election officials who say the accusations are unfounded and damaging to the institution. In the states third most populous county, Soltysiak sought to assure voters. They should have confidence in Montgomery Countys ability to safely and accurately conduct this general election, he said in a recent interview. How can I request a mailed ballot? Voters can apply online by visiting VotesPA.com, apply in person at the county elections office or contact the county elections office directly to request a paper application. You will need to apply with a valid Pennsylvania identification card or supply the last four digits of your Social Security number. What is the deadline to apply for a mailed ballot? The current deadline is seven days before the Nov. 3 election. But election officials are asking that voters request a ballot as soon as possible, in part because of the unpredictability of the Postal Services delivery service. How do I vote with a mailed ballot? 1. Carefully open the ballot package when you receive it in the mail. 2. Make sure there is a secrecy envelope included because a mailed ballot not in a secrecy envelope, also known as a naked ballot, will not be counted. 3. Fill out the ballot immediately. 4. Place your ballot in the secrecy envelope, then put the secrecy envelope into the official envelope. Be sure to sign the declaration or your ballot may not count. 5. Mail your ballot so it arrives at the county elections office by Election Day. Will there be drop boxes for ballots? Ten drop boxes will open on Oct. 3, according to John Marlatt, solicitor for the countys election board. He added that the locations are widespread and accessible via public transportation. The drop boxes will be available for use from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays and from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays at the following locations: Cheltenham: The Cheltenham Wall Park, located at 1 Wall Park Drive in Elkins Park Lansdale: The Lansdale Church Road Parking Lot, located at 226 Station Square Blvd. in Lansdale Lower Merion: The Lower Merion Ludington Library, located at 5 S. Bryn Mawr Ave. in Bryn Mawr Norristown: Airy Street Parking Lot, located at the intersection of DeKalb and Airy streets in Norristown. Pottstown: The Pottstown Montgomery County Community College West Campus at the Hanover Street Building, located at 95 S. Hanover St. in Pottstown, Royersford: The Royersford Municipal Building, located at 300 Main St., in Royersford Skippack: The Skippack Municipal Building, located at 4089 Heckler Road in Skippack Upper Dublin: The Upper Dublin Municipal Building, located at 801 Loch Alsh Ave. in Fort Washington Upper Frederick: Green Lane Park, located at 2144 Snyder Road in Green Lane Upper Moreland: The Willow Grove YMCA, located at 3300 Davisville Road in Hatboro Officials are working to secure a drop box for the Conshohocken and Whitemarsh areas, but details on a location were not yet available. Drop boxes will also be open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Oct. 31 and Nov. 1, and from 9 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Nov. 2 and on Election Day, Nov. 3. The drop boxes will be closed promptly at 8 p.m. on Election Day, and no one will be permitted to deposit a ballot into a drop box after 8 p.m., said John Marlatt, solicitor for the countys election board. Voters who choose to drop off their ballots are not allowed to drop off ballots belonging to anyone else a practice Democrats call community collection and Republicans deem ballot harvesting. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled this month that the practice is illegal. What if I dont get my mailed ballot? No problem. You can go to your assigned polling place and vote in-person by filling out a provisional ballot if you have not received your mailed ballot. What if I signed up for a mailed ballot but want to vote at the polls? If you misplaced your mailed ballot or have decided to cast your ballot at the polls, you still have an opportunity to vote. Go to your assigned polling place. If you have the mailed ballot, you will need to surrender the ballot to the judge of elections to be voided in order to vote on the voting machines. If you misplaced the mailed ballot, you will need to tell the judge of elections and they will give you a provisional ballot to fill out. How will mailed ballots be counted in Montgomery County? Marlatt relayed several safety protocols in place with respect to the drop boxes including having county personnel monitor [the] drop boxes during operation hours, using video surveillance at the drop box locations when theyre in use and having the Montgomery County Sheriffs Office handle the secure transport to the voter services department. We are making sure that all ballots are tracked for their transport from the ballot drop box locations to the canvas facility, and we can ensure that they are accounted for in every step of that process, Marlatt said. County Commissioner Ken Lawrence Jr., chairman of the countys board of elections, agreed. We are doing everything we can to help voters meet the Nov. 3 General Election Day deadline by providing secure ballot drop-off boxes, he said in a statement. The countys election board will soon open another office within the Health and Human Services building, located at 1430 Dekalb St. in Norristown. The space will be solely dedicated to general elections mail-in ballots. Marlatt cited increased volume with mail-in ballots during the June 2 primary election due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Following the canvass of ballots, and the certification of the primary, it was apparent the mail-in voting was going to continue to be a large part of how voting gets done in Montgomery County, he said. The Office of Voter Services needed to adapt to this new reality. Marlatt added the department has hired staff and acquired several pieces of equipment to meet the anticipated demand including a sorting machine, 15 extraction tables and 20 computer terminals. Soltysiak added that county officials also acquired other pieces of equipment needed to keep up with demand. We purchased two high-speed letter openers that can open 36,000 envelopes [per] hour each, Soltysiak said in a statement. We also purchased five high-speed scanners that can scan 130 pages [per] minute each. However, Soltysiak emphasized the importance of taking voting by mail seriously if voters choose to go that route. Apply early and return it as soon as possible, Soltysiak said in a recent interview. MediaNews Group staff writer Rachel Ravina contributed to this report. KEY HIGHLIGHTS MSMEs, in a meeting with RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das, reiterated the demand for extension in loan moratorium to March 2021 besides allowing banks to lend on cash flow basis SME Chamber of India also urged RBI to ensure that banks do not harass borrowers and restructure loans without classifying them as stressed accounts All MSMEs are not on the same page when it comes to demand for cash flow-based lending being considered by the central bank Some of the leading players termed it practically difficult for banks to go for it Reeling under severe cash crunch and tepid demand, micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) led by SME Chamber of India have urged the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to allow banks to undertake cash flow-based lending for the struggling sector. Under cash flow-based lending, banks extend credit to companies considering their future sales projection. In a virtual meeting with RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das last week, the Mumbai-based MSME industry body reiterated their demand for extension in loan moratorium to March 31, 2021. ALSO READ: MSMEs bat for opening payment dispute councils to medium enterprises "There should be cash flow basis lending for the MSME sector. It is on asset basis currently which include stock, debtors, property etc. Big companies get loan on cash basis. We further demanded that moratorium should be extended till March 31, 2021, and borrowers should not be harassed," SME Chamber of India Founder and President Chandrakant Salunkhe said. He said that recovery in the sector was far away and firms were struggling to survive due to poor demand conditions. MSMEs have been one of the worst impacted due to coronavirus pandemic with a large number of them finding it hard to stay afloat. In order to help the industry, the government in May announced Rs 3 lakh crore loan for existing and eligible MSME borrowers as part of the Atmanirbhar Bharat package. But MSMEs have termed it insufficient and have demanded for more relief measures. Cash flow-based lending is one of them along with other concessions they have sought. But all MSMEs are not on the same page when it comes to demand for cash-flow based lending being considered by the central bank. ALSO READ: Centre says no data available on number of startups, MSMEs closed during COVID-19 lockdown "Conceptually, it is very good idea but execution is a huge challenge. So, I don't see it becoming a reality," said Ashutosh Jatia, Managing Director, Emerys Holding. Jatia identifies MSMEs for making private equity investment into them and is also a key member of leading industry body Federation of Indian Micro and Small & Medium Enterprises (FISME). Chakradhar Chemicals Chairman Neeraj Kedia, however, said that both asset based and cash flow based lending were equally important depending on the sector. "Businesses need both the models - cash and asset based lending. There are companies which have long-term projects they should be getting credit on cash flow basis. There are companies which are into manufacturing and supplies goods should be inventory-based. At times, there is excessive financing when there is cash-based lending and it becomes dangerous for the industry," he noted. ALSO READ: Fund infusion in troubled firms, easing NPA norms top MSME demands Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Danish counterpart Mette Frederiksen held a virtual summit on Monday to strengthen the bilateral relations between the two countries. Earlier, the external affairs ministry issued a statement which said that an MoU in the field of intellectual property cooperation between the two countries will be signed on the occasion. As the virtual summit began, Prime Minister Modi firstly thanked Frederiksen for taking out time for this interaction and also congratulated her on her wedding. I congratulate you on your wedding. I hope that soon after Covid-19 situation improves, we will get a chance to welcome you and your family to India. I am sure your daughter must be eager to visit India again, Modi said. I congratulate you on your wedding. I hope that soon after COVID19 situation improves, we will get a chance to welcome you and your family to India. I am sure your daughter must be eager to visit India again: PM Modi to Denmark PM Mette Frederiksen pic.twitter.com/5KVFkxaLGy ANI (@ANI) September 28, 2020 He also highlighted that the events of the past several months have made it clear how important it is for like-minded countries like India and Denmark, which share a rules-based, transparent, humanitarian and democratic value-system, to work together. Modi mentioned that the Covid-19 pandemic showed that excessive dependence of global supply chains on a single source can be risky. He said that India is working with Japan and Australia towards diversification and resilience of supply chains adding that several like-minded nations can also be a part of this effort. Meanwhile, Danish Prime Minister Frederiksen began her address by thanking PM Modi for his greetings and added that she and her family would love to visit India once again. Frederiksen further said, Todays summit marks for Denmark a milestone on our bilateral relations, and our forward-looking agreement on green strategic partnership. We are proud that India looks at Denmark when it comes to the climate changes. (With ANI inputs) COLUMBUS, Ohio -- General Motors has been ordered to repay $28 million of the $60.3 million in tax credits the company received in 2008, after the company failed to keep its end of the deal by continuing to employ thousands of workers at its now-shuttered Lordstown assembly plant. As part of the deal, announced Monday by the Ohio Tax Credit Authority, GM also agreed to make $12 million worth of grants in the Mahoning Valley area by the end of 2022, in the form of community infrastructure, jobs-training or other community programs. The company will not make up for the other $20.3 million in tax credits it received. The TCA took into account market conditions and GMs other operations in Ohio," when setting the refund amount, according to Todd Walker, an agency spokesman. Also on Monday, the TCA approved granting tax credits worth up to $13.8 million to Ultium Cells, a GM-backed joint venture thats building a new electric-vehicle battery plant in Lordstown. The project is part of a development that officials have touted as a rebirth for the region, which was economically rocked when GM closed their assembly plant there in November 2018. In exchange, the company agreed to hire 1,000 workers generating $45 million in new annual payroll. GM has been a major employer in the state of Ohio for decades, investing in both the economy and our workforce. While the decision to close the Lordstown plant was terrible news for workers and their families in the Mahoning Valley, todays announcement will bring relief as well as investment by GM who has committed to investing $12 million in the local community for workforce, education, and infrastructure needs, Gov. Mike DeWine, a Republican, said in a statement on Monday. GM has also committed to returning $28 million to the state for the job creation and retention credits they were awarded. GM remains involved in auto production in Lordstown to produce batteries for electric vehicles which is also good news for the future of the automotive industry. GM originally had received the $60.3 million in tax credits under the terms of a 2008 deal with state officials. In exchange, GM said it would retain 3,700 jobs there through 2028. The company in a separate deal agreed in 2010 to hire 200 additional workers at the Lordstown plant before 2010, keeping them there through 2037. But after cutting back its workforce over two years, the company announced in November 2018 it would close the Lordstown plant completely, laying off 1,600 remaining workers. Lordstown workers used to build the Chevy Cruze, but the company has shifted its focus to building larger vehicles. The following November, GM announced it had sold the Lordstown plant to an electric-vehicle start-up that is beginning to manufacture all-electric pickup trucks there. The company plans to eventually hire 400 workers for an initial run of the truck. In December 2019, GM announced it and a South Korean company through a joint venture would build a new $2.3 billion plant nearby that will manufacture electric vehicle batteries. The new plant is under construction, and the companies say they plan to eventually hire 1,100 workers. That joint venture, called Ultium Cells, is what received the new state tax credit on Monday. The Lordstown GM plant got widespread attention after President Donald Trump at a July 2017 rally in nearby Youngstown told workers not to sell their houses, promising manufacturing jobs would be coming back. Lordstown and the surrounding Mahoning Valley were a much-studied example of the type of blue-collar swing voters that helped elect Trump to the White House. But then the company announced plants to close the plant the following year, sending economic shockwaves throughout the area. Trump and Vice President Mike Pence since have touted the redevelopment plans in Lordstown, saying its an example of Trump keeping his promises, although the new plants as planned will employ fewer workers than the old one once theyre complete. Company spokesman Dan Flores said GM appreciates that the state recognized the companys substantial manufacturing presence across the State of Ohio, including our significant investments in the Mahoning Valley." The company has invested $3.3 billion in Ohio since 2009, according to Flores. We look forward to continuing to build our business relationship with the State of Ohio on issues that are important to the state of Ohio, GM and our operations, Flores said. GM has received other state incentives for its plants in Toledo and Defiance. The company is compliant with those agreements, according to state officials. Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost, a Republican who has pushed for the state to claw back incentives from GM, said in a statement: "Its good news to hear that GM will repay the financial incentives it was offered. Thanks to Governor DeWine and his team for staying on top of this business relationship and holding them accountable. I look forward to seeing the details and watching further business relations flourish in the state. Scientists have found a cluster of three salty liquid water lakes on Mars, each about six miles across, below the planet's south polar ice cap. An international team examined radar data from MARSIS, a scientific instrument on board the European Space Agencys Mars Express spacecraft. The technique uses bursts of radio waves to image buried geological structures in a similar fashion to 'seismic prospecting', which helps predict earthquakes. They found the briny lakes which have potential to sustain microbial life in extreme conditions at Ultimi Scopuli, a region near the Red Planet's south pole. Microbial life in the lakes could include extremophiles, which can stand intense heat, highly acidic environments, extreme pressure and extreme cold. The new discovery is the first alien water found on the Red Planet since 2018, when the first ever lake was discovered beneath the Martian south polar ice cap. The 2018 discovery was the first proof of liquid water on Mars that still exists today an environment scientists say is ideal for the growth of microbial life. Scientists say the new lakes in the same region are an indicator of 'the presence of other wet areas nearby'. Map generated using radar data with 'reflective permittivity values' larger than 15 suggesting the presence of liquid water. The central blue-filled isoline indicates the location of the lake found in 2018 'The existence of a single sub-glacial lake could be attributed to exceptional conditions such as the presence of a volcano under the ice sheet,' said Roberto Orosei, principal investigator of the MARSIS experiment. '[But] the discovery of an entire system of lakes implies that their formation process is relatively simple and common, and that these lakes have probably existed for much of Mars' history. 'For this reason, they could still retain traces of any life forms that could have evolved when Mars had a dense atmosphere, a milder climate and the presence of liquid water on the surface, similar to the early Earth.' The three newly detected water bodies appear to be 'discrete and not physically linked', according to co author Dr Angelo Pio Rossi at Jacobs University in Bremen, Germany. 'We could detect three bodies of water which are located around the main one already detected in 2018 paper, and are separated by strips of dry terrain,' he told MailOnline. The analysis presented in this work was performed on the data acquired in 134 radar profiles from Ultimi Scopuli. This image shows topographic map and location of MARSIS profiles collected in the region, with the new lakes indicated by diagonal red lines (top). The black star in the middle of the red cross indicates the centre of the area detected by Orosei et al in 2018 The new water bodies were found using data from the European Space Agency's Mars Express probe, which has orbited the Red Planet since 2003 and began to collect data in the summer of 2005. Researchers used the probe's Mars Advanced Radar for Subsurface and Ionosphere Sounding (MARSIS) instrument to explore the planet's polar ice caps. The device sends radar signals that penetrate the ice at the planet's surface, and measures how the radio waves spread and reflect back to the probe. The methodology is commonly used in radar sounder investigations of sub-glacial lakes in Antarctica, Canada and Greenland. Each of the three lakes are about 6.2 miles (10km) across and around 12 miles from the 2018 lake. The 2018 discovery was the first proof of a liquid water on Mars that still exists today an environment scientists say is ideal for the growth of microbial life. The lake is believed to sit below this patch of ice at the south pole The new lakes are also about 0.9 miles (1.5km) in depth from the surface, which is not too different vertically compared to the depth of the 2018 lake. 'But the actual depth, or thickness, of the water bodies cannot be measured with MARSIS sounding radar data (or any other radar) since the radar could not penetrate further,' Dr Rossi told MailOnline. 'What is measured is just the depth of the top of these liquid water bodies.' Detection of sub-glacial liquid water in Ultimi Scopuli in 2018 reignited hopes of extra-terrestrial life in liquid water at the Martian polar regions. MARSIS had detected an area of strong reflectivity beneath the South Polar Layered Deposits a thick polar cap formed by layers of ice and dust. This originally discovered lake is discovered to be about the size of lake Windermere, spanning 12 miles (20km) and buried nearly a mile (1.5km) underground. Scientists at the Italian National Institute for Astrophysics in Rome uncovered the subsurface lake using data from the European Space Agency's Mars Express probe (artist's impression) The announcement was followed by efforts to confirm the initial finding and to further understand the conditions that would allow liquid water to persist under the Martian south polar ice cap. Now, old and new MARSIS data reveals the existence of this 'patchwork' of three lakes, although it's not known if they are connected with the lake found in 2018. 'Not only did we confirm the position, extent and strength of the reflector from our 2018 study but we found three new bright areas,' said co-lead author Elena Pettinelli at Roma Tre University. 'The main lake is surrounded by smaller bodies of liquid water, but because of the technical characteristics of the radar, and of its distance from the Martian surface, we cannot conclusively determine whether they are interconnected.' As it stands, technologies do not allow for drills to penetrate deep enough to reach the liquid water in the lake, however. Briny solutions such as the water on the Martian south pole remain in a liquid state on Earth at temperatures much lower than the freezing point of water. Because of this, brines have been proposed as the most plausible form of liquid water on Mars, which has an average global temperature of around -108F (-60C). This artist's impression shows the Mars Express probe investigating the southern hemisphere of Mars over a radar cross section of the craft's readings. The blue spots are areas of high reflectivity - thought to be liquid water 'These experiments have demonstrated that brines can persist for geologically significant periods of time even at the temperatures typical of the Martian polar regions considerably below the freezing temperature of pure water,' said study author Graziella Caprarelli at University of Southern Queensland. 'Therefore we think that any process of formation and persistence of sub-ice water beneath the ice polar caps requires the liquid to have high salinity.' Water bodies therefore represent areas of 'potential astrobiological interest and planetary protection concern', the experts say in Nature Astronomy. 'Future missions to Mars should target this region to acquire experimental data in relation to the basal hydrologic system, its chemistry and traces of astrobiological activity.' Finding more reservoirs of sub-glacial water and determining their composition and astrobiological potential is now the next stage of the research. While no reshuffle of this magnitude can possibly be uncontroversial, some decisions taken with regard to West Bengal certainly look a bit on the quixotic side. If the Bharatiya Janata Partys (BJPs) nationwide organisational reshuffle was meant to smooth out some wrinkles, it appears to have rumpled the fabric in a number of places as well. While no reshuffle of this magnitude can possibly be uncontroversial, some decisions taken with regard to West Bengal certainly look a bit on the quixotic side. It is true that in trying to balance the forces and meet competing demands, the national leadership has been confronted by a number of particular problems, which put the exercise somewhat in context. We could start with the fact that the Assembly elections in Bengal are only about eight months away. On the back of the partys unexpected performance in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, it obviously hopes to either win the state or emerge in the Assembly as a strong Opposition next year. Currently, on the basis of the 2019 election results, suitably disaggregated, the BJP holds 122 Assembly segments out of 294, against the Trinamool Congresss 163. The second problem is the one thats really difficult to figure out because it directly impinges on both the reshuffle dynamics and the electoral calculus. This is the one that has been caused in roughly the last five years by a massive influx of leaders into the party at many levels from other organisations, mainly the Trinamool Congress and CPM. This influx has led to an exponential rise in conflicts of interest, rival claims and infighting. On Saturday, some key changes were made in the national setup which affected Bengal. Leaving aside the many significant changes that do not affect Bengal, the three main changes were the award of a party position to Mukul Roy, who became one of the all-India national vice-presidents; the award of the post of national secretary to Anupam Hazra; and, almost seismically, the removal of long-time stalwart Rahul Sinha, a national secretary, from any party position whatsoever. He holds no office in the state unit either. Alongside, was the uncontroversial appointment of Darjeeling MP Raju Bisht as a party spokesperson; and, significantly, the unspoken decision to maintain the status quo in respect of Bishnupur MP Saumitra Khans incumbency as president of the Bengal unit of the state Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM), the partys youth wing. First, Roy. After having been sidelined in the Trinamool Congress, of which he had been as working president and virtual number two, in 2015, Roy had tried to float his own party but made no headway. In 2017, matters came to a head when he was suspended from the party. In November that year, he joined the BJP. But Roys career in the party failed to set off any fireworks, most probably because he failed to engineer mass defections, which had been the implicit expectation. One possible reason for Roy having so far been kept out of the partys inner councils despite his reputation in the context of Bengal as being a master political and electoral strategist, has been his running animosity with West Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh, also the Lok Sabha member from Medinipur. In the past weeks, Roy has met national leaders and has had some kind of dialogue with party president JP Nadda. Some deal must have been struck, but in the public domain, his role in the BJPs affairs in Bengal has not been defined. Given that Ghosh isnt known for doing outsiders any favours, nothing can really be assumed. Sinhas case is somewhat surreal. Hes not exactly a new kid on the block. Hes been around with the best of them. He was not only a national secretary for five years before being unceremoniously dumped, but he had also served two terms as president of the Bengal unit of the party, from 2009 to 2015. His own statement after being removed best expresses the position. "I have been serving the party for the last 40 years. In reward, I had to make way for a leader coming from Trinamool. I will wait for 12 to 15 days and announce my future course," he said on Saturday. Sinhas description of Hazra is significant (and spot on), as is the declaration of intent. Hazra, unlike Roy or Sinha, is a lightweight. He became the Trinamool MP of Bolpur constituency (in Birbhum district) in 2014, but had no substantial organisational or political heft, though he was close to Anubrata Mondal, the Trinamool leader who controls the partys Birbhum unit. Hazra was expelled from the party early in 2019, was given the ticket for the Jadavpur constituency for the Lok Sabha elections, but was trounced by the Trinamool winner Mimi Chakrabarty, losing by a margin of nearly 300,000 votes. It is not known exactly how close Hazra is to Ghosh, though it is well known, as mentioned, that the Bengal unit president is not particularly well disposed to outsiders. At any rate, Hazras elevation at Sinhas expense is bound to set off a few turf wars in the party. It is possible that Sinha will not do anything drastic and public, but he has a major following amongst old BJP hands, despite his loss to Trinamools Sudip Chattopadhyay in the contest for the Kolkata North Lok Sabha constituency in 2019, which did more than anything to lower his stature with the national leadership. On Sunday, however, BJP supporters agitated against Hazra and blocked his car in Baruipur, a few kilometres south of Kolkata, where he had gone for a party meeting. The case of Soumitra Khan is also curious. He was the Trinamool MP from Bishnupur, having won the constituency in 2014 for the first time. He joined the BJP in early 2019 and won the constituency again on the ticket given by his new party. In June this year, he was made the state BJYM president, apparently, after the national leadership told Ghosh to ease more former Trinamool leaders in as office-bearers in preference to hardcore Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) individuals. How well this purported instruction has gone down with Ghosh, who was headhunted from the RSS himself, is not known, but within months Khan and Ghosh had a fairly nasty bust-up. In September, Khan published a list of members of the BJYMs state committee, apparently without Ghoshs clearance. The state president didnt like the way things had been done, as well the list itself, and Khan was forced to publish a new list. That there is serious infighting within the Bengal BJP has been known for some time. It is also known that one of the most salient of the fault-lines is constituted by the old-timer/new entrant dichotomy. As in other parties, so too in the Bengal BJP people whove rendered years of service in the lean years resent being pushed aside by opportunist newcomers in the fat years. The Bengal BJPs problem is that it has grown so fast in the past five years or so that it has been inundated by defectors. The national reshuffle of the party has just exposed the problem. It will obviously have to do something about it. If that were the only problem it would have looked manageable, but the further problem is that the man who has been chosen to run the state unit Dilip Ghosh seems also to be more part of the problem than the solution. From the neutral observers vantage, it cannot be gainsaid that he has presided over a massive expansion of the party and a big upswing in its fortunes. But from this same vantage, somewhat paradoxically, it is also clear that he is not greatly enamoured of the defector brigade as well as being a prickly kind of customer. It appears that Khan was thrust down his throat and it is unclear whether he will easily cede ground to Roy. He has, for instance, successfully blocked former Trinamool leader, Sovan Chattopadhyay, who was Kolkata mayor for over a term, from having any role in party affairs. Media reports keep suggesting that Chattopadhyay is ready to call it quits, but he has held on. He has been with the BJP for over a year. The BJP is preparing for assembly elections that are something in the region of eight months away. The fissures within it, especially the unhappiness of the old faithful, combined with what appears to be a tactical/strategic cleavage between Delhi and Kolkata could plague it in the months ahead. (Photo : TechTimes) (Photo : NASA JPL-Caltech) (Photo : (Photo by Craig Barritt/Getty Images for Onward18)) NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 23: American Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson speaks onstage during the Onward18 Conference - Day 1 on October 23, 2018 in New York City. One of America's most famous astrophysicist, Neil deGrasse Tyson, joins StarTalk podcast with co-host Paul Mecurio and astrobiologist, David Grinspoon, known as Dr. FunkySpoon, in investigating the neighboring planet, Venus and its recent evidence of lifeforms. The group of scientists with deGrasse Tyson and Grinspoon speculates on lifeforms from mysterious biogenetic gas. StarTalk Radio's podcast tackles different astrological and cosmic-related theories, speculations, and possibilities discovered by man. The show focuses on providing information and giving educated opinion behind the universe's greatest mysteries from experts, led by the man himself, Neil deGrasse Tyson. While the Earth and humans consider the terrestrial planet to be the only one with known lifeforms, speculations from science-fiction and several theories pique human interests and curiosity. This reason did not stop humankind from exploring what is out there, on the great beyond, with the succession of NASA's Apollo Missions and the recent Mars 2020 Perseverance Mission. Currently, NASA's Mars Mission 2020 is 143 days away from its landing on the Red Planet, and this will be the first interplanetary exploration done by anyone in the world. NASA's Perseverance rover would give a first-look on the neighbor, Mars, and its viability to be the next host-slash-home plant for humans. While the intention is to investigate the terrain, life signs will also come as a bonus if found on the Red Planet. The second brightest natural object in the Solar System, Venus, is now looked into by famous scientists in the field, with astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson, leading the probe. Venus, the second planet from the Sun, is larger than the Earth and Mars in terms of size. ALSO READ: New Mission: NASA Awards SpaceX to Carry Out Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe Mission Neil deGrasse Tyson and StarTalk Podcast: Is there life on Venus? arTalk StRadio's Channel recently uploaded the anticipated talk that tackled Venus lifeform possibilities in the podcast show. The video invited famous astrobiologist, David Grinspoon, also known as Dr. FunnySpoon, to discuss the possibilities that recently stormed the scientific community on Venus' revelations. The podcast group with deGrasse Tyson and Grinspoon tackled researchers' recent discovery saying that radio telescopes saw Venus emitting 'phosphine' gasses. Phosphine gasses are only made by lifeform activities, primarily in mixing chemicals containing the phosphorus element. Additionally, the human body is made up of one percent phosphorus. Venus, being part of the four terrestrial planets in the Solar System, highly suggests that forms of life are possible on its surfaces. The podcast group even brought up 'volcanoes' to be emitting 'phosphine' gasses; however, according to them and researchers, volcanoes won't produce the said element. Will Venus be a substitute for Earth as a home? With the recent fiasco brought by Venus' phosphine emissions, several speculations surround the brightest planet in the Solar System, in terms of lifeforms. As Earth's scientists search for new home planets, Signs of life in Venus' surface may indicate that it is a viable substitute for the planet Earth. However, NASA says that Venus has a toxic atmosphere and environment making it hotter than Mercury, the planet closest to the Sun. Venus is also made up of thick carbon dioxide gasses that give the yellowish, bright glow that separates it from other planets. ALSO READ: NASA Offers $5M to Anyone Who Could Help Design 'Dark Energy' for Lunar Nights in Moon Missions This article is owned by Tech Times Written by Isaiah Alonzo 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. BAKU, Azerbaijan, Sept. 28 By Nargiz Sadikhova Trend: Ukraine fully supports sovereignty and inviolability of the Republic of Azerbaijan within the internationally recognized borders, Ukrainian MP Volodymyr Kreydenko told Trend on Sept. 28. The MP made the remarks following Armenia's recent military attack on Azerbaijan. Kreydenko stressed that almost 30 years have passed since the adoption of four UN Security Councils resolutions, which, however, are not being fulfilled. While commenting on the possibility of imposing international sanctions against Armenia, Kreydenko expressed support for this idea. "Imposing of sanctions can force Armenia to comply with international law and return the occupied lands to Azerbaijan," the MP said. "There mustn't be any territorial claims in the modern world. We do not live in the Middle Ages." "Today, there are completely different values and principles in the world, however, unfortunately, some leaders of certain countries, who imagine themselves as "great emperors" have not yet understood this." Armenian armed forces launched a large-scale military attack on positions of Azerbaijani army on the front line, using large-caliber weapons, mortars and artillery on Sept. 27. Azerbaijan responded with a counter-offensive along the entire front. As a result of retaliation, Azerbaijani troops managed to liberate the territories previously occupied by Armenia: Garakhanbeyli, Garvend, Kend Horadiz, Yukhari Abdulrahmanli villages (Fuzuli district), Boyuk Marjanli, and Nuzgar villages (Jabrayil district). Moreover, the positions of the Armenian armed forces were destroyed in the direction of Azerbaijan's Agdere district and Murovdag, important heights were taken under control. Back in July 2020, Armenian Armed Forces violated the ceasefire in the direction of Azerbaijan's Tovuz district. As a result of Azerbaijan's retaliation, the opposing forces were silenced. The fighting continued the following days as well. Azerbaijan lost a number of military personnel members, who died fighting off the attacks of the Armenian armed forces. The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on the withdrawal of its armed forces from Nagorno Karabakh and the surrounding districts. For information only - not an official document UNIS/OS/534 23 September 2020 PRESS RELEASE UN Office for Outer Space Affairs and Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation of Brazil sign MoU to advance cooperation on the exploration and peaceful uses of outer space VIENNA, 23 September 2020 (United Nations Information Service) - The United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) and the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation of Brazil have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to advance their cooperation in areas of space law, space policy, space science and technology, space for sustainable development, disaster management, navigation, telecommunication, and capacity-building. The MoU was signed at the Vienna International Centre by Minister and former astronaut Marcos Pontes and UNOOSA Director Simonetta Di Pippo. It builds on the longstanding cooperation between UNOOSA and Brazil and further expands on what has already been achieved. In 2018, UNOOSA and Brazil organized a Symposium on Basic Space Technology in Natal, Brazil to build capacity in this area, particularly in Latin America and the Caribbean. A two-day workshop on nanosatellite mission design was provided by the National Institute for Space Research (INPE) in the facilities of the Brazilian Space Agency (AEB) giving participants hands-on experience prior to the event. One of the workshop participants was later part of the team that created Guatemala's first satellite, deployed into orbit in April 2020 thanks to KiboCUBE, a joint programme of UNOOSA and the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency, under the Access to Space for All Initiative of UNOOSA. The Federal University of Santa Maria in Brazil hosts one of the Regional Support Offices (RSO) of the United Nations Platform for Space-Based Information for Disaster Management and Emergency Response (UN-SPIDER), a programme of UNOOSA. Experts from the RSO contributed to UN-SPIDER capacity-building missions in a variety of countries, training local experts and transferring know-how. Together with UNOOSA, Brazil is promoting inclusiveness in the space sector. The government is supporting the organization of an Expert Meeting on UNOOSA's Space4Women programme, that aims to advance gender equality in space. The event, which will take place in Brazil in October 2021, will promote the exchange of best practices to foster gender equality in the sector. UNOOSA Director Simonetta Di Pippo said: "Brazil has made significant strides in science and technology, notably on space, building successful collaborations with UNOOSA on areas such as advancing satellite technology and the use of space applications for disaster management. This MoU is another testimony of UNOOSA's ability to diversify stakeholders and initiatives, for the benefit of all. I would like to thank Brazil and Minister Pontes for their trust and for the work done together to expand our collaboration so broadly. I'm particularly proud of our strong common actions in promoting gender equality, helping to shape the world we want." The Minister, Marcos Pontes, said: "This MoU creates a robust framework for collaboration in the space sector between the Brazilian Government, through the Ministry, and UNOOSA, both within a broad portfolio of already ongoing initiatives, and new potential ones. With this instrument, we will continue to promote Brazilian science in the international community and provide greater visibility and credibility to Brazil in the areas comprised by the agreement. Among the potential avenues for future collaboration are capacity-building initiatives in the use of space science and technology and their applications, as well as the promotion of strategic partnerships in areas such as open science, natural disasters risks management and space for sustainable development." * *** * For more information, please contact: Ottavia Pesce United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) Telephone: (+43 699) 1459 8718 Email: pesce[at]un.org Chiefs of the various traditional areas in the Volta region have lashed out at the separatist groups agitating for the secession of that part of the country to form The State of Western Togoland. The Chiefs and people of Gbi in Hohoe in dissociating themselves from the treacherous action of the separatists condemned the activities of the group calling itself the Homeland Study Group Foundation, seeking independence for Volta Region. Divisional Chief of Gbi-Abansi in the Hohoe Municipality Togbe Adzimah V, addressing the media in Hohoe said the chiefs, elders and the entire citizenry of Gbi-Hohoe detested the act of the illegality and vandalism being perpetuated by the Group. We wish to state unequivocally that we, the chiefs and people of Gbi-Hohoe dissociate ourselves from this Group and condemn in no uncertain terms their activities. We do not condone this act of illegality and vandalism perpetuated by the Group, he added. He said the activities of the secessionist group, 'Homeland Study Group Foundation' was becoming an albatross on the peace loving people of the region. The chiefs and people of Anlo called on the State to bring to book persons involved in the recent skirmishes to deter others from such acts in future. In a statement issued and signed by Torgbui Sri III, the Awoamefia of Anlo State said the Anlos condemn in no uncertain terms, the recent disturbances on the Accra-Aflao roads and reaffirmed their support for the unity and sanctity of the sovereign state of Ghana. I wish to state categorically that the Anlo State, its chiefs and people does not associate nor approve of the actions of such people and firmly dissociate itself from their subversive actions. We hoped the Authorities will deal with those involved in such heinous crimes according to the laws of Ghana without fear or favour, the Awoamefia said. Paramount Chief of Alavanyo, Togbega Tsedze Atakora VII, condemned attack on an indigene by the secessionist group. I want to express our disappointment in the unwarranted attack on our son, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Denise Fiakpoe, an Alavanyo citizen and Divisional Commander of the Ghana Police Service. He sustained various degrees of wounds in the Western Togoland attack. We are with him in prayers and wish him a speedy recovery, the chief said Residents and elders of Tefle Tademe, a farming community in the South Tongu District expressed utmost disgust about the move initiated by members of the separatist group. Tsamiga Tordia Dapaah, the chief linguist of Togbui Gbormorde Siame, regent of Tefle Tademe, said they were in shock, when they heard about the activities of the Western Togoland group at the Tademe- Bakpa junction on Friday. We never anticipated any move from this so-called Western Togoland group in our area and we are not part of them, Togbui Dapaah said. ----Daily Guide Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain Every Thursday at 8:30am EST, the Labor Department releases the number of Americans who have filed for unemployment in the last week. By mid-June, the total number of Americans impacted by the "corona-recession" had hit nearly 46 millionin other words, one in four American workers was unemployed. While there have been some bright spots in recent weeks, with the economy adding almost 1.8 million jobs in July, there are signs that a recent spike in coronavirus cases nationwide could reverse that trend. The federal government has passed over $3 trillion in stimulus measures, but with the economy still bleeding, everyone from Treasury Secretary Mnuchin to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi agrees that more stimulus is needed to dig us out of our COVID-19-induced economic ravine. While the stimulus bills implemented so far at the federal level have tackled a number of different challenges, from shortages of small business capital to shrinking unemployment benefits, one challenge left unaddressed is the impending disaster of climate change. Indeed, in the minds of some environmentalists, the stimulus measures so far have been a "climate disaster" for the support they give to heavily polluting industries, such as airlines, without any corresponding requirements to reduce pollution. There is precedent for using economic recovery as an opportunity to tackle climate change. The 2009 Recovery Act, for example, provided $90 billion in clean energy-related spending; while entities ranging from the International Monetary Fund, to the EU, to Iceland intend to use coronavirus-related stimulus measures to simultaneously address climate change. In contrast, attempts by House Democrats to insert modest climate-related language to the airline portion of the CARES Act were dropped in the face of firm opposition from the White House. So, what would a green stimulus look like? Steven Cohen, senior vice dean of Columbia's School of Professional Studies and a professor in the practice of public affairs at the School of International and Public Affairs, has pointed to energy efficiency as a politically and environmentally viable path forward. In a piece written for State of the Planet last year, Dean Cohen cited the possibility of the government funding part of a public-private partnership to invest in increasing energy efficiency across the economy, creating more jobs in a sector that already employs 2.25 million Americans. Such investments in green infrastructure are highly economically efficient and have a multiplier effect, making the economy as a whole more efficient and more competitive. Potential green stimulus measures need not be limited to the energy sector. One ripe target might be the food system, which accounts for roughly 18 percent of American greenhouse gas emissions. One potential stimulus idea is paying farmers to adopt different farming practices such as no-till farming and increased compost use, which increase the amount of carbon sequestered by the land they manage. Given that farmers, many of whom are already suffering from increased tariffs, have been hit hard by the pandemic, such subsidies could play a vital role in stabilizing an essential industry. Any future subsidy program should be carefully managed, however, to ensure that subsidies are fairly distributed across all businesses and not just the largest and wealthiest farms. Implementing the above measures could create millions of jobs, but jobs are only useful as long as there are people qualified to fill them. That is where expanded training programs come in. Thanks to research by the Ella Baker Center in California, we know what training practices work and which don't. Examples of programs that do work include ones to train diesel mechanics to work on electric cars and training oil workers to repair solar panels. The Department of Labor already operates multiple green job retraining programs across the country. Expanding them would help avoid a potential labor force bottleneck and also help lift retrained workers into the middle class. Workers entering the clean energy industry receive an 8-19% increase in wages on average compared to their old jobs. There are political signs that the moment might be right for green stimulus as well. A recent Pew poll found that a majority of Americans supported a slate of climate mitigation policies, including more than half of Republicans. At least one group seems to agree that the moment is right for more green stimulus: last month House Democrats rolled out a $1.5 trillion infrastructure bill that contained significant investment in green infrastructure. Presumptive Democratic nominee for President Joe Biden also expressed support for green investment in an interview in April. Whether either proposal can gain traction in the current political landscape remains to be seen. While there are many options for green stimulus measures, one thing is certain: the United States needs more stimulus measures and more investment in climate change mitigation. The current crisis has given us a once-in-a-generation opportunity to tackle two monumental challenges at the same time. We should take it. This story is republished courtesy of Earth Institute, Columbia University http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu. The Congress and a clutch of other opposition parties are misleading the people about the three farm laws just as they created misgivings about the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, or CAA, by obfuscating the facts, Union minister of water resources Gajendra Shekhawat said in response to the criticism of the new legislation. The minister also questioned why the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) chose to remain silent about the provisions of the laws when the ordinances were brought six months ago. The government says the legislation is designed to boost the interests of the farming community by widening their market access; the opposition alleges that they will instead leave farmers at the mercy of corporate entities. Edited excerpts: Why this reluctance to include minimum support price (MSP) in the laws. If this is good legislation, then why not allow the opposition to scrutinise it more? To create a controversy about issues that are not part of the bill has become the modus operandi of the Congress and a few other opposition parties. Their criticism is without basis. They are trying to create a deterrent in the progress of the country. And there are many examples that I can give you about this, the latest being the criticism and the commotion that they created about the CAA. What was the basic idea of the CAA; it called for fast-tracking citizenship to persecuted minorities from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh. It did not talk about taking away the citizenship of anyone based on religion, or having to prove ones citizenship based on hundred-year old documents. But the Congress created a controversy. Also read: Farmers, agri sector exempted from seeking permit for groundwater use Similarly, in the case of the farm bills, they are creating a conspiracy about issues that or not even part of the bill, for example MSP. For 50 years in this country, the agricultural scenario remained unchanged; we moved from being a food-deficit country to a food -sufficient and now a surplus country, but the policy decisions that should have been in place to plan ahead were missing. India is among the top 10 agri-export nations, but no decisions were taken during the 10 years of the UPA {United Progressive Alliance} rule, which led to farmers distress. To address that, Atal Bihari Vajpayee as PM set up the National Farmers Commission under the chairmanship of MS Swaminathan, which gave detailed reports based on extensive consultations conducted between 2004 and 2006. He talked about the problems as well as the way forward. But what did the Congress do between 2006 and 2014? There are many things that the Swaminathan commission spoke about including land and irrigation reforms, increasing farm incomes and creating alternative sources of income. Also read: Cong states look to bypass new farm laws The Modi government tried to holistically address all these issues. As for the issue of MSP, the government ensured that between 50- 100% of the crop production cost is given as MSP for as many as 22 notified crops. But what if we had only announced it, not make the procurement? So, there has been 42% growth in MSP that has added over a lakh a year to the income of the farmers and procurement has increased by 25 times over what was being procured during the UPA regime. Besides, MSP is an administrative order. Did you fail to convince your former ally, the Shiromani Akali Dal. Even the Bharatiya KIsan Sangh (BKS) has apprehensions about MSPs not being part of the laws. If the SAD was not convinced and had problems with the ordinances, which were brought six months ago they should have left the government then. They have been part of discussions and talks with agriculture minister during outreach to farmers representatives and groups where they have supported the contents of the ordinances. Now for the own political interest, they have done a U-turn. This is not following a coalition dharma. They are now opposing a decision of which they were part six months ago. To protect their political interests, the opposition is conspiring to give the farmers a bad name. As for the BKS; they are an independent organisation that works with the farmers. But they have also raised the issue of MSP over which the Congress and the other opposition parties are creating misgivings. The new water policy which is in the pipeline talks of allowing water-surplus states to trade their excess supply, how will it work? We have formed a committee under {economist} Mihir Shah. After wide consultations, it has given a basic draft of the policy. We are discussing it, but we have requested them to clarify some more issues and once that comes, we will study it internally and then take it to the stakeholders. I think it (policy) should be ready in the first quarter of the next year. It is an important document that is going to be a guiding book for the next couple of years. What is the status of the Inter-State Water Disputes (Amendment) Bill? We already have tribunals in place. It has been observed that as per the act (Interstate Water Disputes Act) while under section 5(2), the tribunal have to give their judgment within three years, under section 5(3) any state or stakeholder can file an appeal. There is a time limit of one year for disposal of appeals, but it can be further extended with no time limit. A tribunal like the Ravi Beas Tribunal which was established as a special case and the act was amended since it was a part of the Rajiv {Gandhi} {Harchand Singh} Longowal accord {of 1985}. The act was amended to mandate the tribunal to conclude the hearing within a period of one year. And the basic requirement as per the act was that a negotiation committee will be formed that will resolve issues between states within six months. To bypass that clause, an amendment was made. That particular tribunal that was mandated to give a recommendation within a year has been working for 32 years. So we brought a bill to fix a time limit and establish a single permanent tribunal. It was unanimously passed in the Lok Sabha, but again Punjab has opposed it and the SAD has done a U-turn. They have now said that the issue of water sharing should be taken up from scratch and whatever has been done all these years needs to be revisited. Hopefully it will be discussed in the next session. Will the Jal Jeevan Mission that promises piped water to every household in India by 2024 meet its target? The Prime Minister had announced this flagship programme from the ramparts of the Red Fort. There are 18.5 crore rural households. When the Prime Minister made the announcement, only 3.53 crore had water; so far we have been able to take water to 2.60 crore households and from the date of the announcement till date, 6.60 crore households have drinking water. Even during the Corona pandemic, with the aid of the state governments, we have been able to provide between 1 to 1.25 lakh connections. Our aim is not only to provide piped water, but quality drinking water. We want to ensure that 55 litre per capita is offered and that there is an NABL {the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories} accredited lab in every district to test the quality of water. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON GREENWICH As a three-month extension nears an end, Greenwich residents are once again facing a deadline to get in their town property tax payments. Yearly tax payments on properties and/or vehicles must be submitted by the end of business on Thursday, Oct. 1, or interest penalties will be added to the bill. Residents can pay online or by mail, but the envelope must be postmarked no later than Oct. 1 to avoid the penalty. Residents have really stepped up to the plate, and theyve been paying, town Tax Collector Heather Smeriglio said Monday. This is the money that runs the town. The penalty for a late payment is significant 6 percent interest will be added to any bill not paid by Oct. 2, Smeriglio said. That is the collective interest from July, August, September and October, she said. Each month, another 1.5 percent interest will be added, she said. The payment date for property taxes is usually July 1, with a payment deadline of Aug. 1. But because of the economic fallout of the coronavirus pandemic, the state allowed municipalities to provide payment relief to residents when it came to property taxes. At Smeriglios recommendation, the Representative Town Meeting overwhelmingly approved the addition of a grace period for payments, extending the Aug. 3 deadline to Oct. 1. However, it is not an amnesty program, and each resident must pay their entire property tax bill. On Monday, Smeriglio said the program has been a success. Many people have thanked our office because it made such a difference to have that extra time to get money together and pay the bill, she said. Thats really been a godsend. Most residents made their payments during the traditional period over the summer. A preliminary report shows that nearly 73 percent of taxpayers got their payments in before Aug. 3, she said. It seems like people have been paying steadily over the weeks, Smeriglio said. Its been like an even flow. This week, obviously its building up because of the last day on Thursday. ... The phone has been ringing off the hook, and between Friday and (Monday), we had about a $1.5 million that came in through online payment. Thats ramping up, too. Online payments can be made at the Tax Collectors section of the town website at www.greenwichct.gov. The town accepts personal checks, cashiers checks and money orders. Smeriglio recommends that residents take their tax payment envelopes directly to the Post Office to be postmarked to be certain it is marked by Oct. 1. Town Hall remains closed to the public due to the coronavirus. But residents who want to pay in person should call 203-622-7891 to make an appointment to hand over their payment. Or residents can go to Town Hall during business hours, call the department from outside the front door and an employee will come outside to meet them. Some people are panicking and Im telling them they dont have to panic, Smeriglio said. If you dont have a computer or are unsure about doing online payments you can just come down and well get your payment from you. Anyone with questions should call 203-622-7891, she said. Some people call and they can be really frazzled so were here to help them, said Smeriglio, who said many residents have questions about paying in person. When we give them the option of coming here to Town Hall, they are so relieved, she said. People are worried their payments arent going to get in on time. And when someone can meet them at the door and take their payment, it gives them peace of mind. We are mailing receipts to people who want them. kborsuk@greenwichtime.com Fairfax Financial-promoted online non-life company Digit Insurance expects to break even this fiscal on the back of robust growth across its key verticals despite the pandemic, a senior company official said. Canadian NRI billionaire Prem Watsa''s Fairfax Financial Holdings has pumped USD 140 million into the nearly-three-year-old non-life insurer. Other investors of the Bengaluru-based firm, which began operations in December 2017, are A91 Partners, Faering Capital, and TVS Capital which together pumped in USD 84 million. Kamesh Goyal, chairman of Digit Insurance, said the company had closed the second year of operations (FY20) with a revenue of Rs 2,252 crore, up from Rs 1,205 crore in FY19, clipping at 87 per cent and expects to cross the Rs 3,000-crore revenue mark this fiscal. The promoters have so far infused Rs 1,650 crore into the company. It does not need any additional growth capital this fiscal, Goyal said. Further, premium sales have been growing at over 35 per cent so far this fiscal driven by an 87 per cent spike in motor insurance sales in August alone against the industry average of 1 per cent, he added. Month-on-month we are doing well. Since August, we have seen robust demand for our flagship motor and health policies. If this sales trend continues, I am hopeful of breaking even this financial year with a small profit. In the first full year of operations, we had a net loss of Rs 425 crore, Goyal told PTI. His optimism comes from the continuous improvement in the key profitability metric - the combined ratio which has been steadily improving to 117 in FY20 from 124 in FY19. His optimism also comes from faster growth as he expects 33-35 per cent growth in revenue this fiscal over FY20 to Rs 3,000 crore. Last fiscal, 85 per cent of its revenue came from motor, which may come down to 70 per cent this fiscal as it is shifting focus to health from which Goyal expects to be 8-10 per cent of premium income this fiscal, up from 2 per cent last fiscal. From a market share perspective, in motor insurance, it has 2.6 per cent as of Q1 this fiscal, up from 1.3 per cent in FY19, taking its overall market share to 1.54 per cent for the quarter to June 2020. Asked about the concentration risks from heavy dependence on motor segment, he said balancing portfolio is not a priority now as the focus is topline growth. Fire constitutes 10 per cent of revenue growth. Describing the pandemic as a watershed event for the insurance industry, Goyal said even before the virus hit the country, Digit was the first to launch policy for the pandemic on February 27 through the sandbox platform. He said the company has sold over 1.8 million pandemic policies with an assured sum of varying from Rs 25,000 to Rs 5 lakh and has so far received only 2,100 claims, half of which came in the past six weeks alone. But he fears a sharp increase in the pandemic claims going forward as the daily caseload and daily death rates spike. On the companys motor policies, he said, having grown 87 per cent last month against the industry growth of 1 per cent, as much as 88 per cent of the pre-inspection cases for motor are processed within two hours, and the time taken for inspection is cut to seven minutes now from 24 hours and he credited this faster service to being 100 per cent on the cloud. Digit Insurance claims to be the first insurer fully on the cloud. He also said that since the government wants all insurers to offer crop cover, they too will look at next year. Higher Secondary Centralised Admission Process (HSCAP) Second Allotment 2020 list has been released on September 26 by the Department of Higher Secondary Education (DHSE), Kerala. The list for the Higher Secondary Centralised Admission Process (HSCAP) Second Allotment 2020 was released on September 26 by the Department of Higher Secondary Education (DHSE), Kerala. This list for the Kerala Plus One admission has been uploaded on Kerala HSCAPs online portal, hscap.kerala.gov.in. Admissions as per the list for the second allotment are set to be held between September 28 and October 6, 2020. Candidates will be able to view the list by logging in as a candidate on the above-given website. Check the list for the Higher Secondary Centralised Admission Process Second Allotment 2020: 1. Visit the HSCAPs official website, hscap.kerala.gov.in 2. Select the hyperlink for the candidate login found on the landing page. 3 Fill in the required details (user name, password and select the district) on the new page you are redirected to and log in. 4. The HSCAP Second Allotment List will appear on the screen. It can be downloaded and/or printed for future reference. The HSCAP First Allotment List had been already out on September 13. The entrance exams as per the first list were conducted between September 14 and 19. The Kerala Plus One Admission this year is being held in online mode, so as to keep students safe from the spread of coronavirus. The government also decided to abolish the submitting of physical documents alongside the fee in order to minimise the risk of coronavirus. Also read: Jamia Millia Islamia 2020 admissions: Know entrance exam dates and all other details Also read: Civil services exams cannot be deferred further: UPSC tells SC The Kerala Plus Two Result 2020 and Kerala SSLC Results have already been announced on July 15 and 27 respectively. The results for these can be viewed at DHSEs website, dhsekerala.gov.in or Kerala governments, keralaresults.nic.in. Also read: CLAT 2020: SC allows Covid-19 positive aspirant to take exam in isolation People most at risk of catching coronavirus should be tested regularly and random testing is a waste of time, experts say. Researchers from the University of Oxford suggest targeted, regular swab testing would do a better job of cutting Covid-19 infection rates than random tests. They said health and care workers, public transport staff, delivery drivers and members of religious congregations or other large groups could be prioritised. And people living in inner city areas could be further up the priority list. Currently only care workers and care home residents are routinely tested for Covid-19. Random testing is done in surveys to see how many people are carrying the virus. Britain is in the process of scaling up its swab testing programme, with the Government pledging to hit a capacity of 500,000 per day by the end of October. Around 230,000 swabs are being carried out each day currently. The system is currently struggling to cope with the numbers of people who are ordering tests because they think they might have Covid-19, but regular testing could become a feature in the future on the way to the Government's 'Operation Moonshot' ambition to test everyone every week some 10million tests per day. 'Focusing testing on groups who are at particular risk of spreading Covid-19 at regular intervals is a far better use of scarce testing resources than testing the entire population at random,' said Oxford's Dr Daniel Susskind. A current list of testing priorities sees NHS patients at the top of the list, with care homes second followed by NHS staff and teachers, above members of the public. Similar lists of rationing have been suggested for a vaccine, which could be given to the most at-risk people first to slow or stop the virus spreading to lower risk groups. Delivery drivers and other people who have to travel to meet multiple people every day for work should be considered at high risk of Covid-19 and tested regularly, scientists say (Pictured: A Tesco delivery driver in Stoke-on-Trent) When mass testing is available it should be prioritised for people who are most at risk of having the disease, according to experts. This would make it more likely that the system would detect infections (Pictured: A man receives a swab test in Stone, Staffordshire) The Oxford team explained that random testing would always involve people who have an extremely low chance of testing positive for the virus. Those generally considered to have a low risk are people who live in remote, rural areas, who don't have many social interactions and who work from home or in jobs away from people. Swab testing low-risk people for no reason, the researchers said, would be a 'waste of resources' and lead to a programme missing people at higher risk. Not everyone carries an equal risk of catching or spreading the coronavirus and the likelihood changes depending on someone's location, job and social behaviour. For example, if random testing picked out 100 people from Birmingham and 100 from Devon it could end up sending too many tests to Devon but not enough to Birmingham. People living in cities are more likely to catch and spread Covid-19 because they live closer together, come into contact with more strangers and use public transport. HOW DOES THE UK PRIORITISE COVID-19 TESTS? Coronavirus tests are generally only available in the UK if people have symptoms of the illness a cough, a fever or a lost sense of taste or smell or if they are taking part in a study. This is how coronavirus tests are rationed, ranked in order of priority: NHS hospital patients, including all new inpatient admissions regardless of whether they have symptoms Care home staff (weekly or with symptoms) and residents (monthly, on admission or with symptoms) NHS staff with symptoms Surveillance studies to collect data, and targeted testing at high-risk environments Teachers who have symptoms Members of the public with symptoms in areas with high infection rates Members of the public with symptoms in other areas Advertisement The current weekly infection rate in the Midlands city is 20 times higher than it is in the rural county (102 cases per 100,000 people compared to 5.8 per 100,000), so it could be a more proportionate use of resources to send 10 tests to Devon and 190 to Birmingham. Randomisation also means that some people or groups of people might get tested more often than others, regardless of whether their risk is any higher. 'Governments around the world are looking for a testing strategy for Covid-19,' said Dr Susskind, an economist. 'This strategy will inevitably be constrained by our testing capacity: in short, every person in the world cannot be tested every day. 'Given these constraints, which still bind us many months into this crisis, we need to focus again on a testing strategy that is workable, efficient and affordable for the government.' He added: 'We have seen over the course of the pandemic that certain groups, such as healthcare and social care workers that are in frequent close contact with others, are more likely to pass on Covid-19 than other groups, for example those working from home. 'Focusing testing on groups who are at particular risk of spreading Covid-19 at regular intervals is a far better use of scarce testing resources than testing the entire population at random, as has recently been discussed globally.' In the groups who could be first in line for regular testing, Dr Susskind and colleagues suggested people who take part in large religious gatherings such as church services. Public transport workers and delivery drivers could also be prioritised because they travel a lot and come into contact with large numbers of people. 'Random testing wastes a lot of resources, Dr Susskind said. 'This is because every day, some of those tested will have been tested the day before, while others who could be infectious will, nevertheless, not be tested and could continue infecting people. 'A more useful testing programme is to test members of an identified group at regular intervals for example, testing a different fifth of the group on a rotating schedule.' A report published by the Office for National Statistics in June shone a light on the industries which had higher-than-average Covid-19 death rates during the peak of the crisis. Groups with higher death rates are also likely to have higher infections, meaning this data could be used to work out who is most at risk. The ONS report found hairdressers and barbers, care workers, shop workers, security guards, factory workers, waiters and taxi drivers had more deaths than usual. Office for National Statistics data in June shone a light on the occupations in which people were more at risk than average of dying of coronavirus, which suggests those industries also experience higher-than-normal chance of catching the virus One major benefit of regular testing would be that it could catch people who are infected with Covid-19 and could pass it on but don't have symptoms so are unaware. These people are not currently picked up the Government's testing programme because only people who are showing signs of illness are eligible to get tested. Dr Susskind added: 'Regular testing within key groups would limit spread, especially for those spreaders who are asymptomatic.' His paper 'A workable strategy for COVID-19 testing: stratified periodic testing rather than universal random testing' was published in the journal Oxford Review of Economic Policy. China has completed the development of a third-generation nuclear technology that could help cut greenhouse gas emissions by millions of tonnes a year, the State Power Investment Corporation announced on Monday. The announcement that work on the CAP 1400 reactors had finished came days after Chinese President Xi Jinping promised to make the country carbon neutral by 2060. Analysts said it meant it could now sell the technology, based on a US design, to other countries without getting approval from the American makers of the original. It also marks a shift towards domestically produced technology that has been accelerated by the ongoing tensions with the United States. Get the latest insights and analysis from our Global Impact newsletter on the big stories originating in China. CAP 1400 is the second third-generation nuclear technology China has developed, joining the Hualong One reactors based on a French design. The first two reactors using the CAP 1400 technology are being built at the Shidao Bay Nuclear Power Plant in the eastern province of Shandong, a project that was approved last year. The CAP 1400 design, or Guohe One, has been under development since 2008, and state broadcaster CCTV said on Monday that scientists on the project had made a series of breakthroughs during this time. As of August this year, 1,052 patents and 6,513 intellectual property applications had been registered in connection with the technology. The report said the reactors were designed to last 60 years and the risk of serious accidents was 100 times lower than with second-generation technology. The report said one CAP 1400 reactor could meet the average annual energy demands of more than 22 million residents and cut greenhouse gas emissions by more than 9 million tonnes. Work on the project was delayed after China put its nuclear power programme on hold following the 2011 Fukushima accident in Japan, but it has stepped up its reactor-building programme in recent years. Story continues The CAP 1400 design successfully passed the International Atomic Energy Agencys Generic Reactor Safety Review in 2016. At present the country has 47 reactors in operation, capable of generating 45.5 gigawatts, with 15 units that will increase that capacity by 13.8GW under development, according to this years World Nuclear Industry Status Report. But nuclear power still makes up only 4.9 per cent of all electricity generated in China, where coal is still the main source of power. China acquired a large amount of the AP 1000 technology which uses pressurised water reactors and provides the basis for CAP 1400 from Westinghouse. But the contract banned it from selling its version overseas until it was capable of generating more than 1,350 megawatts, said Wang Yingsu, secretary general of the nuclear power branch of the China Electric Power Promotion Council. According to Wang, CAP 1400 reactors can now generate around 1,500MW of electricity. Under the current geopolitical atmosphere, it is necessary for China to tout its domestically designed technology, he continued. Lin Boqiang, dean of the China Institute of Energy Policy at Xiamen University, said Mondays announcement would help Chinese producers to market their technologies. It also follows Xis pledge to start reducing carbon emissions by 2030 and for the country to become carbon neutral by 2060. Observers sai the announcement would lead to a boom for the nuclear power industry, with Wang describing it as a good opportunity for the industry. But he said China was still cautious about developing the sector and safety was a primary concern. Lin said developing the nuclear sector would be key to meeting the 2060 carbon neutral pledge, adding: Nuclear power wont completely replace coal but it can be used as the source of baseload electricity to gradually phase out coal. This article China says it has completed development of CAP 1400 third-generation nuclear technology first appeared on South China Morning Post For the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2020. Yves here. This post is a departure from typical (earnest!) fundraiser fare. As many of you regularly point out, one of the strengths of Naked Capitalism is its well-informed, engaged commentariat. Most readers highlight the information and sharp analysis found in the comment section. But oddly, they dont often mention another strong feature: the humor, which can come in the form of a witty retort or satirical lyrics set to a popular ballad or rock song. The caliber of the repartee and banter is yet another reason regulars come back every day. Our regular commentor Rev Kev has provided some lighter fare, both generally and again now. Hopefully no one here will be offended by his choice of objects of amusement. By The Rev Kev, who lives Down Under A mysterious CD arrived in the morning mail with American stamps on the cover. Perplexed, I put it into my computer bay and suddenly the speakers said: Good morning Rev Kev. We need funds around here at Naked Capitalism. After the toxicity of the past few months, Lamberts yellow waders have finally given out and he needs better protection now. And have you seen the prices for Level A hazmat suits these days? Your mission, Rev, should you choose to accept it, is to write for the annual fundraiser to keep us in the black. As always, should you be caught, Naked Capitalism will disavow any knowledge of your actions. This disc will self-destruct in ten seconds. Good luck, Rev. Well, judging by the smoke billowing out of my computer bay, it was more like five seconds than ten. After I cleaned up all the soot, I started to write this post. It is now that time of the year again with the push to keep the lights on at Naked Capitalism. Its regularly called influential and well give some examples soon. But first. lets thank those who some money into the Tip Jar last year as it really helped out. A special thanks to all of you with the 3-letter agencies who donated so generously last year. Well, maybe not those in the Counterfeiting Division. So I hope that you can see your way to send in even more in this years fundraiser. One analyst confessed to me that in trying to get a handle on present events, that she used the Posts & Comments on Naked Capitalism as a type of CliffsNotes which she expanded into full 100-page reports for her superiors. She hasnt put a foot wrong yet. But I dont expect you to take my word for it about all the good work down here at Naked Capitalism so I called in a few markers to people that I know to personally put their own plea in. And blackmail is such an ugly word anyway. So ladies and gentlemen, I turn this space over to the 45th and current President of the United States, Donald J. Trump: Hello everybody. Hi. Many people are saying that Naked Capitalism is a great American institution. Love the name. Not like the rest of the lying media. Smart people here. Very smart. Almost as smart as me. And they have good genes, very good genes. I wear Levis myself. And theyre doing a fantastic job for the country and the world. Not like Sleepy Joe or crazy Bernie. I want all you folks to dig in deep, very deep and help with the fundraiser here at Naked Capitalism. That is why I was asked to talk. Nobody knows more about fundraising than me. People get amazed when I tell them how much money I say I have raised. So put some money in that Tip Jar. I want everybody to know that I sent in a check to the Tip Jar today. A huge check. The biggest in the history of the Trump Foundation. Believe me, the check is in the mail. Not my fault if you dont get it. Blame the low energy post office. Everybodys talking about it. You know that, right? If we are going to rebuild the greatest economy in the history of the world, we need great sources of information. Places like Naked Capitalism. But the fake news doesnt like me saying that. They dont me like telling you that. So put some money in the Tip Jar and mess with them. Thank you. And now may I present to you the United States Senator for Delaware and contender for the 46th Presidency of the United States, Joe Biden: Im Joe Biden and I will be the nextpresidentoftheunitedstates. Im here to say to put money in the Tip Jar. I know my son would have done so. No, no, not the one with the strippers and the cocaine. The other one Beau. And you all know that I have always valued truth over facts and anybody says different is a damn liar. Come on, man, its not true! What? Oh, yes the Tip Pot. What? OK, put some money in the Tip Jar. Normally I have lived my life by the idea that Since we cant make everyone happy, we wont let anyone be happy. End of quote. What? I wasnt suppose to write that bit? Dont confuse me. Where was I? Oh yeah. I was just talking about it to my good friend Barack whateverhisnameis. But here we can seek and be fake forward so that, that, that.. by, go, you know the thing. But I want to be clear. Im not going nuts. Its that damn Putin that is doing all this. Him and all his nunchucks poisoning people. But I love Naked Capitalism. Every evening I put on my record player, sit down, put on my slippers and unroll and read my Naked Capitalism newsletter. And I do it because it has fearless commentary on finance, economics, politics and power. So I want everybody to put money in the Tip Jar. What? Oh, my times up. Thank you. Did I tell you about my dead son? And in an exclusive for Naked Capitalism, I present to you Mr. Henry Jones, President of the CalPERS Board and world traveler using pension funds: I need to start out by setting the record straight. Last year at this very time, I asked the CalPERS staff members that are reading Naked Capitalism despite our efforts to gin up hit pieces in the Sacramento Bee to give give give lots of tips. I take total responsibility for my grievous error. When I asked for tips, I meant money, dinero, greenbacks, bullion, checks, cash, stocks, bonds, gift cards, international travel or wire transfers, not inside tips, as in information, we were all trying to keep hidden, like that our former CIO was awfully friendly with Blackstone, or that staff thought it was OK to forge board member signatures. You instead gave tips exposing CalPERS wrongdoing, like our addiction to private equity, lying, funny numbers, corruption, and conflicts of interest. It would be so much cheaper for CalPERS for you just to hand some dough to Naked Capitalism and keep our dirty laundry in house. For starters, wed probably be able to fire most of our PR consultants. Think of how much more we could spend on motivational speakers, ice cream socials, and burgundy ribbons! Im not saying there is anything more to find cause 2020 is now about transparency. I want to be known as Henry Jones, King of Transparency, and the only way that can happen is if you give give give to the Tip Jar. Let me be 4.7% clear. I want all of you to give to Naked Capitalisms Tip Jar whether youve tipped them before or not. Actual money. I want you to give so much money Naked Capitalism will spend all their time counting it, and running it to the bank instead of exposing more CalPERS mischief. When you visit the office, as a reminder, and for those who prefer cash, youll find a paper bag on your desk labeled Fred Buenrostro Club Fed Challenge to make sure theres no misunderstanding this time. Now a plea from the heart. You know the deal guys. It is going to get nuts in the coming weeks. People are going to lose it..go crazybarmynutty as a fruitcakenot in ones right mindbe three planes short of an air forcewacko! Worse case scenario, you guys wont find out who is President until the new House sits next January. The media will be reduced to a shouting match between Fox and Kos. With friends and family it will be like 1860 all over again. One of the few spaces that will be an island of sanity will be right here on Naked Capitalism. You owe it to yourselves to keep this space going. A place where you can learn new things and chill out. A place to keep your perspective and debate without reaching for your caps lock. So that is why I am putting in my own plea to keep Naked Capitalism going as doing our part in not letting our lizard brains do our thinking for us. And before I forget. Protip. When you gather around the table for Thanksgiving this year, dont be the first to ask, So, who did everybody vote for this year? At least wait until after dinner when all the knives have been put away. Thanks. And dont forget that Tip Jar. A federal judge halted the U.S. Postal Service's move to dismantle mail-sorting machines, remove mailboxes and slice employee overtime across the United States. Last month, New Jersey joined New York City and state and three other jurisdictions' lawsuit claiming the Trump administration was trying to undermine the fall election. "A federal judge just issued an order in our case halting the Trump Administration's efforts to interfere with mail delivery in advance of the election," New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal said in a tweet Sunday. "We will have a free and fair election." New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal. The suit was filed in U.S. District Court a day after Postmaster General Louis DeJoy promised Congress that delivering election mail on time this fall would be his "No. 1 priority." Trump income taxes: Top seven revelations from New York Times report The Trump administration previously said its simply trying to reform a deeply indebted agency with longstanding financial problems. But Democrats say the actions taken by DeJoy, an ally of President Donald Trump and a major Republican donor, are a blatant attempt to interfere with a mid-pandemic election whose results may be decided through the mailbox rather than the ballot box. The complaint was also joined by Hawaii and the city and county of San Francisco. It claims that the service's changes are illegal, harmful and violate the U.S. Constitution by interfering with states' authority to set their own election rules. DeJoy backtracked and said he would suspend some of the changes he originally ordered following national outcry that focused on the threat of the election and a delivery slowdown for essentials like prescription drugs. "We will do everything we can to handle and deliver election mail in a manner consistent with the proven processes and procedures that we have relied upon for years," DeJoy said last month. Since then, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a $25 billion measure to fund the Postal Service, but it is considered unlikely to pass the Republican-controlled Senate. Story continues The lawsuit claims the Postal Service was required to hold a public hearing on the overhaul before the Postal Regulatory Commission. The agency's recent decisions abdicate its duties and could hurt vulnerable citizens who get mail-delivered medicine, Grewal said in his statement. Americans will vote by mail in record numbers this November and the Postal Services dramatic changes threaten to disenfranchise voters by disrupting mail service," Grewal previously said. "We will continue working with other state attorneys general to protect the election and voter rights." Follow reporter Kristie Cattafi on Twitter: @KristieCattafi More: Trump says he still can't share returns after report he paid only $750 in income taxes in 2016 and 2017 America's missing kids: Amid COVID and online school, thousands of students haven't shown up This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: USPS changes halted by judge ahead of 2020 presidential election His writings were nationally known An admiring interviewer in the 1980s portrayed him as far from the stereotypical scholar. Large and bearded, inclined toward jeans, cowboy boots and western shirts, Martin looks as if he would feel more at home in the cockpit of a Peterbilt than at a professors desk, even if his writings are nationally known, author Marc Reisner wrote in the book Cadillac Desert, his 1986 classic, investigative assault on the CAP and many other Western water projects. Reisner focused on the 1967 study, The Economics of Arizonas Water Problem, that got Martin and his co-author, UA professor Robert Young, so much heat. They noted agriculture used about 90% of Arizonas water but produced only 3% of its total income. They found well over half of Arizona farm water was used to irrigate lower-value crops such as feed and forage, thus reducing the waters value. While farmers would get their CAP water at $10 per acre foot, compared to $50 per acre foot for Tucson and Phoenix, even that subsidized charge plus a lesser charge for paying for canals to take water from the main CAP canal to farms would exceed their expected earnings, the two wrote. By PTI GUWAHATI: Congress Deputy Leader in Lok Sabha Gaurav Gogoi wrote to Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday seeking CBI probe into the Assam Police exam paper leak. Alleging that the Assam government is "encouraging corruption by shielding culprits", Gogoi urged Shah for "immediate response". "I request you to kindly intervene into the matter and order a CBI inquiry, so that our administrative services are devoid of corrupt practices and sincere candidates don't suffer the brunt of malpractices such as these in future," the Congress MP wrote. The Lok Sabha MP from Assam alleged that cancellation of the examination highlighted "the ineffciency of the state government to run the state corruption free and encouraging corruption by shielding culprits, weakening the administration and institutions". It is not enough to cancel an examination to solve a problem of this nature. An investigation to identify the source of this leak and consequent action against the offender is imperative, he added. "All people being alleged, including politically linked Diban Deka, who is reported to have left the CID custody, and former DIG P K Dutta, who is reported to be absconding, should be found and thoroughly investigated. The situation at hand demands immediate response," Gogoi said. Meanwhile, seven more persons have been arrested in connection with the police recruitment question paper leak scam, taking the total number of those in custody in the scandal to 20, Assam Director General of Police Bhaskar Jyoti Mahanta said on Monday. He announced bounty of Rs one lakh cash each to find any clue leading to arrest of the ex-DIG and Deka, a senior BJP leader for their alleged role in the scam. The question paper of the written examination for 597 posts of unarmed sub-inspectors in Assam Police was leaked on September 20. The examination was cancelled minutes after it had commenced across the state on that day. Around 66,000 candidates had appeared for the written tests across 154 centres in all the 33 districts of the state. Hyundai Motors' hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles and buses are loaded onto a ship for export to Saudi Arabia at the company's port in Ulsan, Sunday. / Courtesy of Hyundai Motor By Baek Byung-yeul Hyundai Motor is expanding its hydrogen business into the Middle East by exporting its Nexo fuel cell electric vehicles and Elec City fuel cell electric buses to Saudi Arabia, the automaker said Monday. The company said it shipped two Nexo vehicles and two Elec City buses to Saudi Aramco from its port in Ulsan, Sunday. The Saudi oil giant will use the four vehicles in a local pilot project on using hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, the automaker added. Hyundai said the exports came after the two companies agreed to cooperate on expanding the number of hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles in Saudi Arabia in 2019. It added that this was the first time to export the hydrogen fuel cell electric buses. "In June 2019, Hyundai Motor signed a memorandum of understanding with Saudi Aramco to cooperate on expanding its supply of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. The four vehicles will be used in a pilot project toward that goal," Hyundai said. For Hyundai, which is taking the lead in hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, exporting the four comes as a milestone as they will be used in a Middle Eastern country where oil production makes up a large proportion of the state's economy. There have been concerns raised on the validity of the hydrogen fuel cell business since the U.S. hydrogen electric truck company Nikola became embroiled in fraud allegations and a potential investigation by the U.S. Securities Exchange Commission after a short seller released a report alleging the company had misrepresented its technology. However, industry analysts said those concerns doesn't apply to Hyundai Motor as the company has produced visible results showing its hydrogen fuel cell vehicles have competence in future car developments. Since its release in 2018, the company has sold 10,698 Nexos 8,908 on the domestic market and 1,790 overseas as of August this year. "Regarding the clean mobility sector, Hyundai Motor is expected to have a higher capability in the field starting 2021 when the company will introduce a new automobile platform dedicated to electric vehicles," Cho Soo-hong, an analyst at NH Investment and Securities, said. "In the fuel cell electric vehicle sector, the company is expanding its business area from hydrogen powered passenger cars to trucks, which makes investors think the company will be successful in the mid to long term." The images from the wildfire in Northern California have been nothing less than heart breaking. However, even in such times of despair, hope seems to have made its way through. Recently, a little kitten had been rescued from the wildfire and the feline resembles Baby Yoda. For the unversed, Baby Yoda is a character from the Star Wars Disney+ original television series The Mandalorian. His name in the series is The Child. According to a report published in CNN (https://edition.cnn.com/2020/09/26/us/baby-yoda-kitten-california-wildfires-trnd/index.html), the fire fighters found the Baby Yoda look alike kitten in the middle of the road as the little one was fighting with the North Complex Fire in Northern California on September 20. As per them, the little feline is around two to three weeks old and was entirely covered in smoke and ash. After being rescued from the spot,the baby was taken to Cal Oak Animal Shelter. The North Valley Animal Disaster Group in a Facebook post informed that she is currently with a medical foster, so that she can be given the best care. It has also been informed in the post that they have named her Baby Yoda. This name comes as no surprise as it most certainly has been kept because of her resemblance with The Mandalorian character. Norm Rosene, the Vice President of North Valley, told CNN, As of last night, her foster has said she is doing great. Baby Yoda will have no problem finding a home." The Vice President also revealed that she has been getting tons of requests and queries for her adoption. But, as of now, she is going to stay with her medical foster for a while so that she is absolutely fit before she goes to her forever home. The CEO of Neiman Marcus has been criticized for showing off his luxurious Texas mansion amid a bankruptcy saga that saw staff furloughs and pay cuts, report said. Geoffroy van Raemdonck and his husband, Alvise Orsini, donned matching blue dress shirts and white slacks as they posed in Paper City Magazine, a high-end publication that touches on subjects 'at the heart of the Texas luxury lifestyle.' The 11-page spread, featured in the coveted September issue, walked readers through the couple's opulent 'Italianate-style house' in the Lakewood neighborhood in Dallas. The white-collar community has an average household income of $138,500 and the median household income in $85,200. Paper City Magazine released the story before van Raemdonck helped Neiman Marcus emerge from Chapter 11 bankruptcy on Friday, but the massive financial blow didn't seem to hinder the mansion's luxurious adornments. Neiman Marcus CEO Geoffroy van Raemdonck (center) and his husband, Alvise Orsini (right), angered some company staffers when they flaunted their Texas mansion in a magazine spread The couple featured their home in Dallas, Texas, (pictured) in an 11-page spread in the September issue of Paper City Magazine Pictured: a photo showed a gorgeous dinning area outfitted with wooden adornment and paper lights hanging above As originally reported by New York Post, the couple's mansion housed magnificent decorations, including 'silk-covered walls,' 18th century European furniture and artwork by Andy Warhol. 'In the entry, a grand staircase leading to the bedroom floor is flanked by two large leaded-glass windows, infusing the hall with fold-tinted light like that of a sunset radiating from Venice's Grand Canal.' Paper City Magazine wrote. A guest bathroom was dubbed 'the most glamorous guest loo ever.' 'Silver and mirrored cabinets from the 1930s, along with hand-painted walls depicting oneiric landscape, create a fantastic portal into an old Hollywood movie set,' Paper City Magazine wrote. And a chicken coop nestled near the pool was described as 'more Versailles than farmhouse!' Employees at Neiman Marcus told the New York Post they were baffled. Geoffroy van Raemdonck and his husband, Alvise Orsini, have decorated part of the exterior of their Dallas home with beautiful columns, greenery and a pool Paper City Magazine: 'In the entry, a grand staircase leading to the bedroom floor is flanked by two large leaded-glass windows, infusing the hall with fold-tinted light like that of a sunset radiating from Venice's Grand Canal' 'He either doesnt care or hes tone-deaf,' one staff member told New York Post. 'Everyone is wondering why [he] agreed to show off the house while health care, bankruptcy and layoffs are the main topics for Neiman Marcus.' In May, Neiman Marcus became the the first major US department store to crumble amidst the economic setbacks from the COVID-19 outbreak. Reuters reported the company had few options after the coronavirus spurred lockdowns that shuttered non-essential businesses, including all 43 of their stores. The company has struggled to stay afloat with brick-and-mortar stores as consumer shopping increasingly shifts online. Two months before that, Neiman Marcus revealed that it would furlough most of its 14,000 employees or serve them temporary pay cuts. At the time, van Raemdonck promised to waive his entire salary. CEO Geoffroy van Raemdonck (pictured): 'We emerge from Chapter 11 as a stronger, more innovative retailer, brand partner, and employer' But it was later discovered that van Raemdonck and other executives could receive up to $9.9million on the Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. Van Raemdonck stood to get the largest cut at $6million after he was paid $4million in bonuses in February. On Friday, Neiman Marcus emerged from the bankruptcy filing with a 'strengthened capital structure.' 'The Company emerges with the full support of its creditors and new equity shareholders, now operating with a strengthened capital structure that eliminated more than $4 billion of existing debt and more than $200 million of cash interest expense annually, with no near-term maturities,' a statement read. 'We emerge from Chapter 11 as a stronger, more innovative retailer, brand partner, and employer,' van Raemdonck said. New York Post reports that Neiman Marcus previously said it would pay van Raemdonck and top executives well if the company survived the bankruptcy protection and had no more significant debts by September 15. They'd receive a smaller pay day if the tasks were completed by November 15. The new strategy would result in an undisclosed amount of 'selling and non-selling associates' employee layoffs, and one person told New York Post that firings began last week. Even more, employees claimed that van Raemdonck billed them thousands of dollars in health insurance premiums that the company covered amid furloughs. Neiman Marcus group is prepared to file for bankruptcy after financially struggling for years, Reuters reports Van Raemdonck has allegedly given his staffers two months to repay the costs, which would typically be taken from paychecks. A source told New York Post that those employees who cannot afford to do so have been instructed to 'take out loans to cover the costs.' 'Theres no way people can do this,' an employee told the publication. 'Rent is a stretch.' Experts agreed that companies don't typically ask to be repaid for covering furloughed staffers' shares of their heath care premiums. Dana Fried, managing director of national tax services for CohnReznick, said: 'I havent heard of anyone asking for the money back.' Other companies, like Macy's and Saks Fifth Avenue, paid for furloughed employees shares of health care premiums during the pandemic. Neither of them have asked those employees for repayment, according to New York Post. S ure, you cannot get a coronavirus test south of the Watford Gap, and the bog roll preppers have been on the pillage again. Still, while everything else (chiefly, coherent leadership) remains in short supply, at least youll be able to knock up a lemon drizzle as the apocalypse rolls through town. Waitrose and M&S assured customers that they have towers of stockpiled flour and yeast waiting in warehouses, ready to be parachuted into stores. Good thing too, as crackdowns on real fun have coincided with the return of The Great British Bake Off. Last week, nine million people watched the first episode of its new series on Channel 4, filmed in a Covid-secure bubble over six weeks this summer (presenter Prue Leith said it was a bit like being at Butlins). There are nine more episodes of the series to come, which, assuming we continue to edge closer to a state of near lockdown means that the show will, no doubt, inspire a baking boom 2.0. Plus, the coincidence of our collective pandemic mania and the sheer ambition always in evidence in the show (Escher drawings made of marzipan; Schrodingers cat, but made of sponge, etc) suggests that this boom will be bigger than the last, which reached a pitch of near hysteria in lockdown the first. Yes, Cath Kidston-printed aprons, pastel pink mixing bowls and innuendos about soggy bottoms: this will be the sum total of our collective culture this autumn. A tyranny of twee, with nine million recruits, and a misanthropic minority bemoaning everyone elses harmless fun (hello!). All that creativity and energy diverted into sourdough starters (not again!) rather than the business of living Still, its not the Enlightenment, is it? What a year 2020 isnt turning out to be: all that creativity and energy diverted into sourdough starters (not again!) rather than the business of living. Make cake and carry on is all very well, but in the context, I start to find myself envious of those groups of Italians who formed quarantine bands during their countrys lockdown, playing in concert from their balconies. Which is saying something, because it was probably pretty annoying. Or what about the Netherlands, whose authorities issued a call to single people ahead of their national lockdown this summer, advising that they source a seksbuddy (yes, its exactly what you think) to bed down with? Just occasionally it would be nice, as a nation, to all be able to export something a little bit more rocknroll than sponge cakes, scones, sincerity and a half-baked government, you know? Kolkata, Sep 28 : West Bengal Home Secretary Alapan Bandopadhyay has been appointed as the new Chief Secretary to the state government, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced on Monday. "I am pleased to announce that Alapan Bandyopadhyay, now additional Chief Secy (Home and Information) is appointed as the new Chief Secretary of West Bengal," the CM tweeted. Wishing luck to the new team of functionaries, she informed that H.K. Dwivedi, who was serving as Finance Secretary in the government of West Bengal, will be the new Home Secretary from October 1. Senior bureaucrat Manoj Pant will take charge of Finance. Banerjee also said that outgoing Chief Secretary Rajiva Sinha would now function as the Chairman of West Bengal Industrial Development Corporation (WBIDC). "I would also like to announce that outgoing Chief Secretary of West Bengal Shri Rajiva Sinha, has now been appointed the Chairman of West Bengal Industrial Development Corporation for a period of 3 years with effect from October 1," she said, thanking Sinha for his tireless service to the state government. The main super PAC supporting the election of Democrats to the Senate is preparing to invest millions in South Carolina - a fresh signal that Democrats see the race against Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., as winnable. Senate Majority PAC will launch a new, $6.5 million ad campaign in South Carolina on Monday, marking the first time that the super PAC has gone on the air this cycle in the traditional GOP stronghold. The effort to bolster Democrat Jaime Harrison's prospects includes $5 million in television ads and a $1.5 million digital campaign. The television ad, which launches Tuesday, focuses on prescription drug prices, criticizing Graham for having "gone Washington" and "gone bad" on the issue. "There's a reason Lindsey Graham is hitting the panic button and begging for donations on cable news: He's vulnerable and he knows it," said the super PAC's president, J.B. Poersch. "Jaime Harrison has put this seat in play by running a strong campaign and earning the trust of South Carolinians who are ready for change." Harrison has rapidly become one of the most impressive fundraisers among Democratic Senate candidates, raking in $1 million in just one day earlier this month after a Quinnipiac Poll showed him tied with Graham. Republicans say the poll's methodology is flawed but privately acknowledge that the race is closer than they would like. Yet Graham, as chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, is poised to play a starring role in the confirmation fight over Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court - an issue likely to galvanize voters in the conservative state. Graham has also repeatedly tied Harrison to Democratic leaders in Washington such as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., in an effort to nationalize the race. Senate Majority PAC's initial investments included North Carolina, Iowa, Colorado, Maine and Arizona, but it has since added Alabama, Michigan and Georgia to bolster Democratic challengers and shore up the party's own incumbents. Its Republican counterpart, the Senate Leadership Fund, does not currently have advertising reservations in South Carolina. In the absence of justice, the Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar (IIMM or Myanmar Mechanism) was set up to gather and preserve evidence for possible international or national trials in the future. In the meantime, The Gambia, a small West African state itself emerging from dictatorship and human rights abuses, has taken a historic step in bringing a case before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) against Myanmar for violation of the 1948 Genocide Convention. That court ordered Myanmar to take all measures within its power to stop the grave violence against the Rohingya community, which Human Rights Watch says it has not done. The case involving the two States (but not individuals) is ongoing. Waiting for Naypyidaws responses Recently in Geneva Kaoru Okuizumi, deputy head of the Myanmar Mechanism, told Justice Info that it has shared information with the two parties to this case at their request. This could be a first step, she says, to more collaboration with Naypyidaw, Myanmars capital: In terms of our request to visit Myanmar and our requests for information, were still waiting for responses from the government. We have not been successful so far. But we do have that line of communication with Myanmar with respect to the ICJ proceedings. It is, we hope, a first step towards a broader engagement, a cooperative relationship. The International Criminal Court (ICC), whose mandate is to prosecute individuals on grounds of their alleged responsibility for international crimes, has also opened a case on crimes perpetrated against the Rohingya population. Okuizumi says the Mechanism has also been engaging with the ICC. She did not give details. Recommended reading Whats behind the rise of evidence-gathering bodies Focus on sexual violence In 2017, militants from Myanmars Muslim Rohingya ethnic group attacked police posts, prompting a huge army crackdown that pushed nearly a million Rohingya into exile in neighbouring Bangladesh. UN reports say the army, sometimes helped by local Buddhist militias, torched villages, committed mass killings, rape and sexual violence. A UN report said the countrys army chief and five other top military officials should be prosecuted for genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes. The Mechanisms latest annual report to the ongoing UN Human Rights Council session in Geneva has been generally welcomed by NGOs. But they urged it to pay particular attention to sexual violence. We know from all the reports and information we have that sexual violence was very much part of the conflict and continues to be part of the situation on the ground in Myanmar, responds Okuizumi, a Japanese lawyer and sexual violence expert. So, its an area that were focussing very much on. Our intention is to make sure that sexual and gender-based violence is infused into all aspects of our work and that its not just the work of specialists but really a core part of our investigative strategy. First year of operations In its report, the Mechanism says that in its first year of operations, the Mechanism has been focused on ramping up its operations and activities on various fronts, including its operational and administrative processes, its engagement with relevant entities and stakeholders, and the implementation of its substantive mandate. The Covid-19 pandemic has, however, put a significant spanner in the works. The Mechanisms team have not been able to travel to the region since last December and new staff have had to start working online. Given also the slowness of the UN recruitment process, says Okuizumi, the new evidence-gathering body has just over half of its staff in place. Full capacity would be about 60 people, she says. The Mechanism is based in Geneva, Switzerland, far from the scene of the alleged crimes it is investigating, notably against Myanmars Rohingya Muslim ethnic minority. We would love to have a small team based in the region, Okuizumi told Justice Info. Thats one of the reasons we went to Asia in December to meet with governments to see if it might be possible to have a presence in the region. Unfortunately, there hasnt been as much interest as we had hoped at this time. Discussions are still under way, she indicates. And yes, its far more expensive to travel. We lose time, she continues. At the same time, we dont underestimate what we can do from a distance because there are tremendous amounts of material, information, resources through the Internet, through open sources. We can also communicate with various partners and interlocutors through virtual means. It has not necessarily impeded us in terms of our ability to collect information, especially as we are still at the very early stages in our lifespan. Recommended reading Myanmar: the UN body is building up, and watching Too slow? Yet, justice is far from there. I understand that victims think the Mechanism is working too slowly, admits Okuizumi. But international criminal justice is not a quick process. Were investigating very complex cases, involving very complex situations, complex hierarchies, and complex organisational structures. I dont think that anyone should have the expectation that well have full-blown cases anytime soon. The Mechanism wants to take time to do things properly, she said. It takes time to identify the appropriate persons to interview and also ensure that they have the appropriate support in terms of their psycho-social and medical needs as well as their immediate and long-term security needs, she continues. That includes protecting their identities and protecting the information that they provide. Indiscriminate shelling and airstrikes Okuizumi stresses that the Mechanism is not only looking at crimes against the Rohingya: We are looking at all serious crimes and violations committed in Myanmar since 2011, and through our very existence we hope that we can also serve as a deterrent to those violations taking place, she told Justice Info. In a separate submission to the Human Rights Council last week, UN Special Rapporteur on Myanmar Thomas Andrews of the US expressed concern about ongoing violence against civilians in Myanmar, including children, as well as new military installations on former Rohingya villages in Rakhine State. Where is justice for those stranded in refugee camps in Bangladesh while facilities are constructed on their homeland for the same military that stands accused at the International Court of Justice for committing genocide against them? he asked. Following his statement, Amnesty International adds: In Rakhine and Chin States, where fighting between the Myanmar military and [insurgent] Arakan Army has been escalating since early 2019, we have been alarmed by ongoing reports of civilians including children injured and killed through indiscriminate shelling and airstrikes by the Myanmar military. Tens of thousands have been displaced. Forum Asia, which has member NGOs across Asia including Myanmar, warns that atrocities of the Myanmar military will continue unless the international community takes urgent steps to hold perpetrators of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity against Rohingya and other ethnic minorities to account. We reiterate our calls to the UN Security Council to refer Myanmar to the ICC or establish an ad hoc tribunal, it continued. A shrinking budget The Mechanism continues to enjoy the support of NGOs. Forum Asia, for example, commended its efforts to strengthen public outreach and engagement with all relevant stakeholders and said the the international community should ensure long term sustainability of the Mechanism by ensuring adequate resources for it to continue its mandate. The Mechanism has an annual budget of some $14 million which comes from the UN regular budget, but faces a funding gap as many member States have not contributed. It has had to slim down its 2021 budget and is appealing for bilateral donations. In that respect and for its evidence-gathering work, obtaining effective collaboration with the government of Myanmar could be key. New Delhi: Actor Annet Mahendru says while period spy thriller The Americans" was her breakout" role, she is looking forward to stepping into the alternate reality" universe of zombie horror series The Walking Dead: World Beyond". The Afghani-born Russian-Indian actor rose to prominence after essaying the role of deadly KGB triple agent Nina Krilova in the Emmy-winning series The Americans" and was also nominated for the Critics Choice Television Award for best supporting actress in a drama series in 2014 for the same. She is now set to lead the third spin-off in The Walking Dead" franchise, based on the popular comic series of the same name by Robert Kirkman. It (The Americans) was my breakout role. People know that I speak English now. Thats exciting," Mahendru told . The Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) has launched a crack down on waste burning and industrial units using fuels that emit toxic fumes at 13 pollution hot spots across the city. In Delhi, 13 areas Okhla phase-II, Dwarka, Ashok Vihar, Bawana, Narela, Mundka, Punjabi Bagh, Wazirpur, Rohini, Vivek Vihar, Anand Vihar, R K Puram and Jahangirpuri were identified as hot spots by the DPCC and the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) last year based on particulate matter (PM) concentrations. Pollution levels in these areas were found to be higher than the citys average. According to DPCC officials, during inspection drives, more than 20 such units using unapproved fuels in areas such as Mandoli in east Delhi have been issued notices. Also read: Farm fires set to continue as subsidy may not encourage shift to tech The drive has been going on for the past 10 days and notices have been issued to errant industrial units. The units have been given time to convert to piped natural gas (PNG), failing which the units will be shut down, said a senior official, who did not wish to be named. Earlier this month, the Supreme Court-mandated Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority (Epca) had asked the DPCC to direct all agencies concerned to formulate an action plan to curb pollution levels at the 13 hot spots sites ahead of winter. It had also asked the DPCC and other agencies to start night patrolling at the hot spots from October 15. Every year, Delhis pollution levels soar in winter due to a combination of factors, including changes in meteorology such as cold weather, calm winds, local emissions, coupled with stubble-burning in neighbouring states. The pollution watchdog has also roped in industrial associations to keep a vigil and not allow dumping of waste, which is eventually put to fire. Also read: Air quality on the decline in Delhi, expect worse in coming week A number of spots such as Anand Vihar and Punjabi Bagh, among others where traffic congestion and dust pollution is a major issue, road owning agencies have been asked to pave the stretches and work out an arrangement with the traffic police to reduce congestion, the official said. DPCC has imposed fines amounting to Rs4 crore on 31 ready mix concrete (RMC) plants and eight large construction sites for violating air pollution control norms. The pollution control body also issued directions to stop construction and demolition work at four large sites for not installing anti-smog guns and causing air pollution. Steps taken to minimize dust emission were deficient at 31 RMC plants. Accordingly, action has been initiated. Penalties ranging between Rs 5 lakh and Rs 20 lakh have been imposed, DPCC had said in a statement. Directions have been issued to close 11 plants where violations were more serious, it said. The Central Public Works Department has been asked to stop work at CGO Complex and deposit an environmental compensation of Rs5 lakh for not taking dust control measures, including an anti-smog gun, the DPCC said. In an action taken report prepared by the Epca based on inspection of 15 locations, including the hot spots and surrounding areas, the anti-pollution watchdog found that dumping of garbage/construction and demolition waste/industrial waste, road dust as well as traffic congestion are major contributors to high pollution levels in these areas. Epca inspected several locations, mostly having confirmed and non-confirmed industrial pockets, during August-September. In most industrial areas, plastic, rubber and cloth waste was found dumped and burning in some places. More material was found stacked for burning. We have asked concerned agencies to file an action taken report in the matter before the next review meeting, said Bhure Lal, Epca chairperson. Meanwhile, the number of crop stubble burning cases in Punjab has been increasing over the past five days, especially in Amritsar district, satellite images released by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Nasa) have shown. Nasa also warned that with plumes of smoke being seen over Delhi, the citys air quality may also deteriorate in the coming weeks. Delhi government data shows that last year stubble burning accounted for 44% of the citys air pollution. Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director, research and advocacy, Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) said that now with the opening up of the economy, the PM concentrations are again building up. To curb overall pollution levels, there is a need for a spot-specific local solutions as well as city level systemic solution. For instance, paving an unpaved road could be a local solution, but in case of waste burning, a larger systemic solution is required so that it doesnt get burnt at any time of the year. An interface between the two strategies is the need of the hour, she said. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 28) President Rodrigo Duterte has no plans of extending his stay in Malacanang, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said on Monday. Roque made the assurance during a virtual briefing, where he was asked whether the chief executive will not support any move to delay the polls. "The President is not interested in extending his term," Roque said, adding that he "leaves it to the Filipino people" to decide on the issue. The spokesperson likewise explained that polls may only be postponed if the Constitution is amended, adding it specifies dates when these shall be held. The 1987 Constitution states that regular elections for president, vice president, senators and members of the House of Representatives shall be conducted on the second Monday of May. "Ang pupwede lang ma-postpone ng Kongreso yung mga eleksyon na hindi nakasaad sa saligang-batas," Roque added. "Kasama na diyan yung mga barangay elections." [Translation: Congress may only postpone elections not specifically stated in the Constitution. That includes the barangay elections.] Malacanang earlier rejected the idea of postponing the 2022 polls due to the COVID-19 pandemic, noting the country still has "sufficient" time to prepare for it. "Under the new normal, under the situation po, mukhang ang magbabago eh yung paraan kung paano mangampanya, pero patuloy po ang eleksyon," said Roque. [Translation: Under the new normal, under the situation, it seems what would change is the way campaigning will be done, but elections shall continue.] During the same briefing, Roque also mentioned that the Commission on Elections might consider "for the first time" remote or mail-in voting. Pampanga Rep. Mikey Arroyo earlier floated the idea of postponing the 2022 elections, noting that a coronavirus vaccine might still be unavailable then. Sen. Kamala Harris, the Democratic vice presidential nominee, urged voters Monday to rally against President Donald Trump's nominee to the Supreme Court nominee as a threat to health care and reproductive rights, and vote against Republicans in the coming election. Harris, D-Calif., implored voters to pay attention to the voting on Trump's nominee, federal appeals Judge Amy Coney Barrett, because she could help overturn the life's work of the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg for equal rights. Harris argued that Barrett would work to overturn the Affordable Care Act and an earlier high court decision that established a right to abortion. Both parties are using Barrett's nomination to rally support. The Republican-controlled Senate is expected to be able to confirm Barrett. Harris, a member of the Judiciary Committee, didn't talk about ways to prevent Barrett's confirmation during the 19-minute speech at Shaw University, a historically Black college in Raleigh, N.C. But Harris said voters should understand what Barrett's ascension to the court would mean to current law and legal precedent, and use it as a rallying cry against Trump and Republican members of the Senate on Nov. 3. We will not let the infection that President Trump has injected into the presidency and into Congress, that has paralyzed our politics and pitted Americans against each other, spread to the United States Supreme Court," Harris said. This election is about our democracy." Democratic vice presidential candidate Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., speaks at Shaw University during a campaign visit in Raleigh, N.C., on Sept. 28, 2020. Ginsburg, 87, died Sept. 18. Trump nominated Barrett, 48, who serves on the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals and teaches at the University of Notre Dame, on Saturday. The Judiciary Committee scheduled Barrett's confirmation hearing to begin Oct. 12 and it is expected to last several days with opening statements from senators, questions and testimony from experts. Trump has urged the Senate to confirm Barrett before the Nov. 3 election. They just want to jam this nomination through as fast as they can," Harris said. "Its called raw power. But President Trump and his party are about to learn something. They may think that it is they who have the power in this country, but they dont. The American people are the ones who have the power. You have the power." Story continues Former Vice President Joe Biden, the Democratic nominee for president, and other critics have warned that Barrett could vote on the high court to overturn the Affordable Care Act, which is nicknamed Obamacare, and the decision called Roe v. Wade that established a right to abortion. Barrett has said she would follow the Constitution and not legislate from the bench. She has criticized Chief Justice John Roberts' decision upholding the Affordable Care Act and the court's earlier decision in Roe v. Wade. Trump told a Pennsylvania rally Saturday that Barrett would uphold "God-given rights." Harris said no other decision would dishonor and disrespect Ginsburg's legacy than overturning Roe v. Wade. Harris said striking down the Affordable Care Act could jeopardize health insurance for 20 million people who participate in the program and for 100 million with pre-existing conditions who were assured of coverage under the law. The Democratic vice presidential nominee, Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., exits a private plane at Raleigh Durham International Airport on Sept. 28, 2020 in Raleigh, North Carolina. Harris's campaign swing to the state comes a day before the first presidential debate between running mate Joe Biden and President Donald Trump. Harris also argued that voting rights could be at stake with Barrett on the high court, after she said the court in 2013 "gutted the heart of the Voting Rights Act." She said Texas, North Carolina, Alabama, Mississippi each adopted discriminatory laws to suppress the vote after that decision. Vote as if your life, your choice depends on it because it does," Harris said. He knows he cant win if the people vote. Donald Trump is weak so he is throwing up every roadblock he can to try to suppress the vote. We the people cannot let him get away with it. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Kamala Harris urges voters to oppose Trump over Supreme Court nominee Want to manufacture BrahMos so that no country has audacity to cast evil eye on us: Rajnath Singh IAF chopper crash: Rajnath Singh likely to be apprised of probe team's findings in next couple of days Offsets for govt-to-govt defence deals done away in new weapons buying policy India pti-Madhuri Adnal New Delhi, Sep 28: In a major move, India has done away with offset requirements for government-to-government defence deals and single-vendor contracts under a new policy unveiled on Monday for the procurement of arms and military platforms for the armed forces, officials said. The Defence Acquisition Procedure (DAP) released by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh provides for allowing the three forces to take on lease military equipment, hardware and platforms like helicopters, simulators and transport planes as per operational requirements as it could be a cheaper option than their procurement, the officials said. DAP-2020 document released, offset guidelines revised The decision to do away with the offset requirements for government-to-government deals, single-vendor contracts and acquisitions under the framework of intergovernmental pacts came days after the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) came down hard on the government over poor implementation of the offset policy. Under the offset policy, the foreign defence entities, for all contracts worth more than Rs 300, were mandated to spend at least 30 per cent of the total contract value in India through procurement of components, transfer of technologies or setting up of research and development facilities. The CAG had specifically mentioned about the Rs 59,000-crore Rafale deal, and said the manufacturer of the plane Dassault Aviation and weapons supplier MBDA were yet to fulfil their offset obligations of offering high technology to India. The offset component in the deal was 50 per cent. Offsets will not be applicable in single vendor, government-to-government and IGA (inter-government agreement) deals as per DAP 2020," said Apurva Chandra, Director General of Acquisition in the defence ministry, adding the offset policy will remain in force contracts involving competitive bidding. "No offset contract has led to transfer of technology," he said indicating that it could be the reason behind the government decision. China using aggression to stop India from building defence infra in border areas: US Congressman Another official said removing offset obligations for contracts under the three categories is likely to result in a reduction of cost of acquisitions as the defence firms used to factor in funds required to fulfil offset conditions. The DAP, released after over a year-long consultation with concerned stakeholders, features a number of steps aimed at turning India into a global manufacturing hub of military platforms, reducing timelines for the procurement of defence equipment and allowing the purchase of essential items by the three services through capital budget under a simplified mechanism. The first defence procurement procedure was promulgated in 2002 and since then, it has been revised periodically to provide impetus to the growing domestic industry. The DAP will come into effect from October 1. The DAP also incorporates new chapters on information and communication technologies, post-contract management, acquisition of systems developed by the state-run defence entities like the DRDO and Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs), they said. In what is seen as a significant move, the DAP featured measures to reduce delay in the procurement of essential items by the three services as it proposed a new enabling provision to acquire them through capital budget under a simplified procedure in a time-bound manner. The defence minister said the DAP has also included provisions to encourage foreign direct investment (FDI) to establish manufacturing hubs both for import substitution and exports while protecting the interests of the Indian domestic industry. "The offset guidelines have also been revised, wherein preference will be given to manufacture of complete defence products over components and various multipliers have been added to give incentivisation in discharge of offsets," the defence minister tweeted. He said the DAP has been aligned with the vision of the government's 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat' (self-reliant India) initiative and to empower the Indian domestic industry through 'Make in India' projects with the ultimate aim of turning the country into a global manufacturing hub. The policy also provides for single-stage accord of AoN (Acceptance of Necessity) in all cases up to Rs 500 crore to cut delays in approval of acquisition proposals. The DAP also mentioned measures to reform pre-induction testing of defence equipment. "Scope of trials will be restricted to physical evaluation of core operational parameters. Other parameters may be evaluated based on vendor certification, certification by accredited laboratories, computer simulations of parameters etc," it said. A relative of a disabled woman is accused of stealing credit cards from her purse, then attempting to go on a spending spree. Allen Park police got involved in the incident at approximately 8:30 p.m. Sept. 6 when an officer was sent to the Allen Park Motor Lodge, 14887 Southfield Road, on a report that a stolen credit card was used to purchase a room. An officer spoke with a woman who identified herself as the victims daughter. She said her mothers purse and its contents were stolen from inside her Detroit home. Sears informed her that someone was attempting to use her mothers credit card at the Allen Park Motor Lodge, which is when she called Allen Park police. She added that she is in the process of filing a report on the larceny with Detroit police, adding that the suspect is a distant relative. The woman who filed the report told police that her mother is disabled and that she is her caregiver. A motel clerk told police that a man and a woman booked a room for the week. The man attempted to use a Sears credit card, but it was denied. He then used a gold American Express card to purchase the room, at cost of $451.50. After the clerk learned about the credit card theft, he refunded the amount to the card. Police went to the room where the man was staying, but no one was there. The officer asked the clerk to notify police when the man returns. After the man came back, police returned to the motel. Two men were in the room. After they provided identification, police asked the suspect to step outside, where he was detained while officers verified his identity. Police said they discovered that the man provided a false name. In checking the room for possible stolen items, police found a Discover Mastercard that did not belong to the man. He said he didnt know anything about that card, and it was not in his possession. The American Express card used to pay for the room was not recovered, nor was the Sears card. Police arrested the man identified by a motel employee as the person who used the card to book the room. The 24-year-old Detroit man was charged with credit card fraud and obstructing police. The person he was with said he had just met the man and had no involvement in the alleged theft. That person, who was described by police as cooperative, was released at the scene. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-28 22:03:12|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- A total of 39 cases of gang-related corruption and "protective umbrellas" that shelter gangs have been concluded in China, according to the national office against organized crime. The cases involved 128 billion yuan (about 18.75 billion U.S. dollars), with 3,869 suspects arrested, the office said. The 39 cases are among the 111 major organized crime cases listed by the office, with the rest still under investigation, litigation, or trial, the office said. Enditem Reading is the gateway for learning, but one-third of elementary school students in the United States do not read at grade level. Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University are exploring how the design of reading materials affects literacy development. They find that an overly busy page with extraneous images can draw the reader's attention away from the text, resulting in lower understanding of content. The results of the study are available in the September issue of the journal npj Science of Learning. "Learning to read is hard work for many kids," said Anna Fisher, associate professor of psychology and senior author on the paper. The typical design of books for beginning readers often include engaging and colorful illustrations to help define the characters and setting of the story, offer context for the text and motivate young readers. Fisher and Cassondra Eng, a doctoral candidate in CMU's Department of Psychology and first author on the paper, hypothesized that the extraneous images may draw the reader's eyes away from the text and disrupt the focus necessary to understand the story. The researchers sought to understand how to support young readers and optimize their experience as they become more fluent readers. In the study, 60 first- and second-grade students from the greater Pittsburgh area were asked to read from a commercially available book designed for reading practice in this age group. Half of the book consisted of the published design and the other half was streamlined, having removed the extraneous images. Each child read from the same book. The team used a portable eye-tracker to monitor the number of times the child's gaze shifted away from the text to images on the page. To develop the streamlined version of the book, the researchers had a group of adults identify relevant images to the text. To differentiate, extraneous images were defined as entertaining, but nonessential pictures to understand the story. For the streamlined version, the researchers kept the images that 90% of the adult participants agreed were relevant illustrations. All other illustrations were removed. While the time each child spent on a page was similar, the researchers found that nearly all children reading the streamlined version had lower gaze shifts away from text and higher reading comprehension scores compared to the text in the commercially designed version of the book. In particular, children who are more prone to look away from text benefited the most from the streamlined version of the book. "During these primary school years, children are in a transition period in which they are increasingly expected to read independently, but even more so in the wake of stay-at-home orders as children are using technology with less in-person guidance from teachers," said Eng. "This is exciting because we can design materials grounded in learning theories that can be most helpful to children and enrich their experiences with technology." Fisher notes one limitation to this study was that her team only evaluated reading using a single book. According to Fisher, these findings highlight ways to improve the design of educational materials, especially for beginning readers. By simply limiting extraneous illustrations, children can have an easier time focusing and better reading comprehension as a result. "This is not a silver bullet and will not solve all challenges in learning to read," said Fisher. "But if we can take steps to make practicing reading a little bit easier and reduce some of the barriers, we [can help children] engage with the printed material and derive enjoyment from this activity." ### Fisher and Eng were joined by Karrie Godwin at the University of Maryland Baltimore Country in the project titled, "Keep It Simple: Streamlining Book Illustrations Improves Attention and Comprehension in Beginning Readers." The project received funding from the National Science Foundation and the U.S. Department of Education. The master-planned $164 million campus includes nearly 200 acres and 2.3 million-square feet of light manufacturing, assembly and logistics space that currently supports 500 annual construction jobs and up to 1,400 permanent jobs at full buildout. The project will complement NorthPoint's adjacent 155-acre supplier park that serves Ford Motor Company's nearby Torrence Avenue assembly plant, comprising a total of nearly four million square feet and creating the largest industrial park in the City. The historic site was first occupied by Republic Steel in 1901, but has remained vacant for nearly 20 years. "Commerce Park Chicago is an economic engine and jobs generator that is a beacon of hope on the Southeast Side during a time when Chicagoans need good-paying jobs and opportunities as we battle the human and economic impacts of the global pandemic," said Chicago Alderwoman Susan Sadlowski Garza (10th Ward). "The transformation of an abandoned relic to a state-of-the-art industrial hub signifies the beginning of a new era of employment on the Southeast Side that will continue to deliver benefits." "It's fitting that a Commerce Park Chicago representing the vision of 21st Century industry will replace the once mighty Republic Steel that helped make the Chicagoland a worldwide industrial giant," Congresswoman Robin Kelly (2nd District) said. "I'm hopeful this innovative industrial development is another step toward an economic renaissance in the Southland. I'm also encouraged by NorthPoint's adherence to economic justice, demonstrated by their commitment to ensuring job opportunities for local residents." "This land, which has languished for decades, is no longer a symbol of decay, but an economic revival that expands far beyond these 200 acres," said state Rep. Marcus Evans (33rd District). "NorthPoint has partnered with organized labor to employ a highly skilled workforce with good-paying jobs and has exceeded workforce requirements that reflect the diversity of the community." NorthPoint worked closely with Alderwoman Garza and community organizations to ensure opportunities for local employers, sub-contractors and residents. A comprehensive Project Labor Agreement was negotiated with local unions and a community Apprenticeship Expo was held to provide residents a path toward a career in the trades. NorthPoint also worked with the City of Chicago to implement WBE/MBE participation programs that surpassed the City's goals of 6 percent and 26 percent, respectively, bringing more opportunities for Chicago-based women- and minority-owned businesses. "NorthPoint believes in Chicago, the State of Illinois, its people and communities," said NorthPoint Founder and CEO Nathaniel Hagedorn. "When we started this project, we saw the potential of the City and the Southeast Side. Commerce Park Chicago represents the best in public-private projects and shows the value of what we can accomplish by working together." "Our mission is to partner, build and manage employment hubs in ways that are both responsive to community needs and attractive to quality tenants," Hagedorn added. "This win-win formula creates quality jobs, contributes to the stability of the local economy, and benefits the entire community." NorthPoint recently completed its first of five new industrial buildings on the campus a 360,000 square feet, 32-acre development at 12144 S. Avenue O. The building is one of five structures of up to 1.1 million square feet, which are expected to be completed by 2022. Ford is leasing the first building, which will be used to support its nearby factory. "As America's top producer of automobiles, Ford is proud of its nearly 100-year history of vehicle production in the City of Chicago," said Tony Reinhart, Regional Director of Community & Government Affairs at Ford. "Ford's continued commitment to the City of Chicago is evident by our recent billion-dollar investment in our Chicagoland plants and the fact that we build some of our most iconic American vehicles, including the Ford Explorer and Lincoln Aviator, here on the South Side." About NorthPoint : NorthPoint constructs, owns, and manages dozens of business parks and logistics and manufacturing developments throughout the U.S. with tenants that include Adidas, Caterpillar, Chewy.com, Ford, GM, Home Depot, Patagonia, Staples and Ulta. NorthPoint has invested more than $250 million in Illinois since 2017, and over $7 billion nationwide since 2012. In addition to Commerce Park Chicago, NorthPoint is currently partnering with the City of Joliet on Compass Global Logistics Hub, a $2.1 billion warehouse, distribution, and light manufacturing campus. It is also developing a 600-acre, $312 million warehouse and logistics center in Pontoon Beach, IL. NorthPoint also owns and operates four Beyond Self Storage projects in Illinois (Willowbrook, Des Plaines, Naperville, and Arlington Heights) and maintains a central office in Downers Grove. SOURCE NorthPoint Development If you're thinking of changing career or want to learn a new skill that will see your earnings potential soar, then taking a course in Python is a pretty good start. Learning a new computer language will set you apart from hundreds of thousands of others in the job market - and it doesn't have to put a dent in your finances. In fact, you can get started for free. The Python For Everybody Specialization developed by the University of Michigan costs nothing to enroll, can be completed online from the comfort of your home and is designed for people with no prior programming experience. Learning a new computer language will set you apart from hundreds of thousands of others in the job market - and it doesn't have to put a dent in your finances The Python specialization contains four courses and when you've completed them all you get a certificate to put on your resume or show off on your LinkedIn profile. The first course, Programming For Everybody, is designed to teach the language to someone with no prior experience except a very basic level of mathematics. All you need to be able to do is follow instructions as the course takes you through step by step how to construct a program from a sequence of commands in Python. Python is a useful asset in the programming world for two reasons. Not only can it handle a big range of tasks but a very beginner-friendly language. The syntax uses English keywords, which makes it easy to recognize and less scary to get started. Since it's a general-purpose coding language, unlike HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, it can be used for other types of programming and software development besides web development including AI, app development and back end server development. More purposes mean more potential jobs. With today's job market looking increasingly competitive, it could really pay off to invest in a course that will provide you with the skills to stand out and see your potential earnings soar Once you're familiar with the basics, there are courses on how to use Python for data structures, how to use it to access web data and how to create a database to store data. The Python For Everybody Specialization is just one of hundreds of courses offered by Coursera that offers practical skills that are highly valued by employers in today's job market. One of the most popular among learners looking to enhance their skills is the Excel for Business Specialization taught by Macquarie University. Learning how to use the spreadsheet platform better can assist in a range of different careers, helping with budgeting, scheduling resources and tracking inventory, as well as data analysis and trend recognition. With Coursera courses, you could upskill with a IT Support Professional certification or an IT Automation certification, both of which were developed by the experts at Google All specializations on Coursera are free to enroll, and you then can enjoy a seven-day trial before you decide whether you'd like to commit to a monthly subscription. This can be cancelled at any time (or ends when the user finishes the specialization). If you're interested in enhancing a range of skills by taking multiple courses, you can invest in a Coursera Plus subscription, which is an annual fee of $399. For this price you get access to over 3,000 courses, specializations, professional certificates, and guided projects - and there's no limit to how many you can take at once. You could upskill with a IT Support Professional certification or an IT Automation certification, both of which were developed by the experts at Google. Or you could learn about Business Foundations by the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School of Business, which is the perfect starting point if you're looking to change careers or further your education. DailyMail.com may earn commission on sales from the links on this page. By Suleiman Al-Khalidi AMMAN (Reuters) - Jordan's King Abdullah dissolved parliament on Sunday, officials said, paving the way for an election in November at a time of rising popular discontent over worsening economic conditions and curbs on public freedoms under emergency laws. Under constitutional rules, the government must resign within a week. In July, Jordan's electoral commission set Nov. 10 as the date for a parliamentary election after the monarch called for countrywide polls to be held at the end of the parliament's four-year term. The king issued a royal edict ordering the dissolution of parliament, effective Sunday. The assembly comprises 130 lawmakers, mainly pro-government tribal officials, businessmen and ex-security officials. The move is likely to be followed by a wider government shake-up to ward off popular disenchantment over economic hardship worsened by the economic blow dealt by COVID-19 and over allegations of official corruption. Jordan's economy is expected to shrink by 6% this year as it grapples with its worst economic crisis in many years, with unemployment and poverty aggravated by the pandemic."Citizens have lost confidence in this government," said Munzir al Huwarat, a political analyst. Liberal and independent politicians say the government has used emergency laws enacted last March at the start of the coronavirus lockdown to limit civil and political rights. The authorities have arrested hundreds of teacher activists after dissolving their opposition-led elected union last July and detained scores of dissidents for criticism on social media. King Abdullah appointed Prime Minister Omar al Razzaz in the summer of 2018 to defuse the biggest protests in years over tax increases pushed by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to reduce Jordan's large public debt. The elections will be held under an existing system that limits the representation of those of Palestinian origin in favour of native Jordanians who are the backbone of the country's political establishment. Story continues Jordan's main political opposition comes from the Muslim Brotherhood movement but it faces legal curbs on its activities, leaving mostly pro-monarchy parties and some independent Islamists and politicians to compete in these elections, political analysts say. Constitutionally, most powers rest with the king, who appoints governments and approves legislation. (Reporting by Suleiman Al-Khalidi; Editing by Timothy Heritage and David Evans) Anunt de selectare a participantilor si participantelor la cel de-al doilea curs de instruire din cadrul Programului educational pentru dezvoltarea competentelor lucratorilor de tineret New Delhi: The All India Institute Of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) forensic team met Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) officers and Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL) experts on Monday to discuss the findings of the probe done in actor Sushant Singh Rajput's death case. A team of four doctors of AIIMS reached CBI headquarters in Delhi at 11 am today. The meeting happened for over two hours, after which the doctors submitted the forensic report to the CBI. As per sources, the CBI will now analyse the report. After taking over the Sushant's death case in August, the CBI team had roped in the AIIMS forensic team for its assistance in studying the autopsy report prepared by the Cooper Hospital, the crime scene recreation and to guide the federal agency if there was any foul play in his death. The AIIMS forensic team formed a medical board and also visited Sushant's flat, where he died on June 14. Meanwhile, apart from the CBI, the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) are also probing Sushant Singh Rajput's death case. NCB Chief Rakesh Asthana is also in Mumbai to review the developments in the probe. He flew from Delhi to Mumbai on Sunday to meet NCB officers and was briefed on the drugs cases the agency had registered last month after the ED wrote to it following the alleged chats of several Bollywood celebrities purportedly discussing drugs. Oleksiy Ostapenko, 28, was second in command of the ill-fated An-28 aircraft His daughter Liza sent him a message saying: 'I'm just worrying about you' Just ten minutes later the plane crashed killing all but one of the 27 on board The seven-year-old daughter of the navigator killed on the Ukrainian military plane horror messaged her father minutes before the fireball crash which killed all but one of the 27 on board. Liza Ostapenko appeared to have a premonition of the terrible tragedy in which only one military cadet survived. ADVERTISEMENT 'I'm just worrying about you,' the girl told captain Oleksiy Ostapenko, 28, second in command of the ill-fated An-28, who was killed in the inferno. He had received his daughter's message and replied from the cockpit at 8.25pm on Friday: 'Don't worry, all will be good!' At 8.35pm he added smiling emojis. Around ten minutes later the plane crashed with reports suggesting the left engine had failed and the wing was ablaze before it came down. The crash was soon after take off as the aircraft attempted an emergency landing. Oleksiy Ostapenko, 28, who was second in command of the ill-fated An-28 aircraft, received a message from his daughter Liza (pictured together) just 10 minutes before the crash The Ukrainian military plane crashed killing all but one of the 27 on board (wreckage pictured in the aftermath) When her mother Olena heard about Oleksiy's death, Liza tried to comfort her, revealing her father's recent words. Olena told TSN channel: 'My daughter told me: "Mum, wait a bit, maybe he will reply?" 'She pulled out her phone, and I saw this exchange. 'It's not that I wasn't touched by this... it is more about I had a feeling that she seemed to be anticipating something at that moment.' The girl then texted her father again at 9.15pm: 'Dad are you alive?' There was no reply. Liza's first earlier message to her father was not disclosed but it led to him replying: 'Lizusha (Liza), so what happened?' It was then she told him she was worrying about him. Oleksiy (pictured alongside Liza) had replied to the message from the cockpit at 8.25pm on Friday to say 'don't worry, all will be good!' Liza tried to comfort her mother Olena after learning of Oleksiy's death by revealing her father's recent words (exchange pictured) Olena said of her husband: 'This was his profession, his vocation. And he did it well, he knew this well. He didn't know anything except flying.' The explosion was so intense that it is expected to take between two and three weeks for most of the charred military cadets and their trainers to be identified by DNA. Click here to resize this module The sole survivor of the air horror Vyacheslav Zolochevskyi, a trainee pilot, has spoken to crash investigators regarding the final minutes before the crash but his testimony has not been made public. ADVERTISEMENT Now in hospital, his life not in danger, he told Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky who visited him: 'It was like a computer game. 'When I regained consciousness next to the plane, I saw the aircraft on fire. 'There were bodies everywhere. I started to extinguish my burning colleague.' Olena said of her husband (pictured together with Liza): 'This was his profession, his vocation. And he did it well, he knew this well. He didn't know anything except flying' There have been reports suggesting the left engine of the aircraft had failed and the wing was ablaze before it came down (pictured) The sole survivor's father Vitaly Zolochevskyi, 50, is a pilot who says he had survived three plane crashed, said: 'I came down three times. 'The fact my son survived suggests that he really is the son of his father. 'I visited him today. He really has no fractures, only bruises. 'Everyone says that he jumped out of the plane, but this is not entirely true. 'He was thrown out, pushed out of there. I also know that he tried to save his friend.' The sole survivor of the air horror was trainee pilot Vyacheslav Zolochevskyi (pictured) His mother Irina Zolochevskaya, referring to the date of the crash, posted: 'I'm proud of you son! Get better! 'Your second birthday is now September 25!' One person who commented on the post wrote: 'Get better soon. God gave you a chance for a reason, I believe that you will achieve great success. 'You are needed here, your mission is not completed. Hold on, brother!' Kharkiv regional governor Oleksiy Kucher said: 'Investigators have already asked him questions. 'He told about certain circumstances before the crash. They are set out in the interrogation report. They will become. Known later.' He warned that matching DNA to the charred remains will take time. 'Tests for all 25 individuals will take place in Kharkiv. This will take from two to three weeks.' ADVERTISEMENT One Plus One TV channel questioned whether the crash could have been caused by foul play. 'It is unclear why the investigators are not considering the theory of sabotage,' said a report. Zolochevskyi remains in hospital (pictured) but was able to speak to crash investigators regarding the final minutes of the flight The 40-year-old plane was inherited from the Soviet Union. President Zelensky said Ukraine had 'lost 26 worthy sons' in the crash. The dead were students or teachers at the National Air Force University. 'It is difficult to find words to express the pain of this loss,' he said. The plane was around one mile from Chuhuiv military air base when it crashed, and some 60 miles from the front line where government forces are fighting pro-Russian rebels. Sen. Pat Toomey (R., Pa.) speaks at the podium during a press conference at the U.S. Customs House on Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2019, in Philadelphia. Read more Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg wasnt even buried before Sen. Pat Toomey broke his word and spat on her dying wish. We were not surprised. Since November 2016, weve joined Tuesdays with Toomey, a statewide movement of Sen. Toomeys Pennsylvania constituents, to gather every week outside his offices and online to share concerns with our senator. We hoped he would listen and consider the views of all his constituents. READ MORE: Toomey joins Trump and McConnell in backing push to fill Supreme Court seat, reversing 2016 stance Instead, Sen. Toomey has at times refused to meet with us, and Philadelphia police arrested us outside the senators office.* On Feb. 5, 2016, nine months before the 2016 presidential election, Sen. Toomey said: Given that we are already well into the presidential election process, and that the Supreme Court appointment is for a lifetime, it makes sense to give the American people a more direct say in this critical decision. The next court appointment should be made by the newly elected president. If that new president is not a member of my party, I will take the same objective nonpartisan approach to that nominee as I have always done. Then on Sept. 22, Sen. Toomey said this time he supports filling the courts vacant seat before the election. He broke his promise. Again. Sen. Toomey has a habit of breaking promises. He promised not to be a rubber stamp for the Trump administration, yet he reverses his positions at the presidents whim. He claimed to be a moderate, working across the aisle to pass legislation to benefit Pennsylvanians, including commonsense gun reform, often citing his failed Manchin-Toomey proposal, but he opposes even an assault weapons ban. He promised no one would lose coverage under the GOP health-care plan he helped write, but he supported significant Medicaid cuts.* He promised a tax bill that would reduce taxes for the middle class, then delivered tax reform that slashed taxes for corporations and millionaires while undermining the safety net, raising taxes for many Americans, and adding a projected trillion dollars to the deficit. He promised to hold an in-person, open town hall with his constituents in the Greater Philadelphia and Pittsburgh areas, 40% of the Pennsylvanians he supposedly serves. READ MORE: Pat Toomey: Im voting to acquit President Trump. Heres why. | Opinion Were 3,000-plus days and counting as we wait on that one. Sen. Toomey betrays us with his words, and he betrays us with his actions. The difference now is Pennsylvanians are holding him accountable. We remember every betrayal. We remember his insinuation that, though we stand outside his offices in rain, snow, ice, and sweltering heat because we disagree with his extreme stances, we are not real Pennsylvanians. He even said we were paid to be there when, in fact, the only one collecting a paycheck to represent us is Sen. Toomey, and he is nowhere to be found. Sen. Toomey is no moderate. His self-declared objective nonpartisan approach to governance is a farce. He proves it every time he moves the goal posts on what he claims are his principles, whether it be about tariffs or commonsense gun reform. He proves it by breaking his word and committing to vote to seat a Supreme Court justice, not just in an election year, but during an election. Pennsylvanians do not take kindly to betrayal. In 2022, Sen. Toomey will try again to pull the wool over Pennsylvanias eyes, whether he runs for senator, governor, or another office. But we remember. We have the receipts. We will hold Sen. Toomey accountable online, at his offices, and at the ballot box. Vashti Bandy and Rosalind Holtzman are on the Tuesdays With Toomey Philly leadership board with Carolyn Stillwell, who contributed research to this piece. *This post has been updated to more accurately reflect the sequence of events around protesters arrests, and Sen. Toomeys involvement in the 2017 GOP health-care plan. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 28) The COVID-19 task force is using two new ways to assess the health situation in Metro Manila and the provinces in deciding on quarantine rules for October, the Department of Health said on Monday. Health Spokesperson and Undersecretary Ma. Rosario Vergeire said the two metrics are called the "two-week growth rate" and "daily attack rate," which both track how fast coronavirus infections spread in a certain area. These have been factored in the agency's recommended community quarantine assignments for the coming month, which will be discussed by the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases on Monday afternoon. RELATED: COVID-19 Task Force chief implementer cites improving contact tracing efforts Vergeire said the old methods of tracking the case doubling time and mortality doubling time are no longer as sensitive in deciding the right quarantine level to monitor and contain infections in a specific area. The two-week growth rate computes how many cases were tallied for the last two weeks and is compared to the average daily cases two weeks prior per location. Meanwhile, the daily attack rate tracks the day-to-day increase or decrease of confirmed cases in a certain area or population. "This is more sensitive kasi nakikita natin 'yung (because we can see the) true picture of the community," Vergeire said during a Malacanang briefing. The case doubling and mortality doubling rates will be used to monitor the general trend, while the new metrics will apply in monitoring specific areas, she added. President Rodrigo Duterte will address the nation tonight and will likely announce the latest community quarantine rules per area, his spokesman Harry Roque said. Metro Manila, the epicenter of the local COVID-19 outbreak, has been under general community quarantine for four months now. "Ito pong mga bagong indicators na ito ay ito na po ang kanilang pinag-aralan for this specific decision (on quarantine rules) that will be made [These new indicators have been used and studied for this specific decision (on quarantine rules) that will be made]," Vergerie said. RELATED: PH 'healing' but MGCQ in Metro Manila not advised UP experts Roque added that the latest request of Mayor Jerry Trenas to scale down Iloilo City to GCQ after requesting a reversal to lockdowns just last week is set to be discussed. Roque also said the nationwide daily tally of new cases averaged 2,988 from Sept. 16 to 23, a steady decline for the last five weeks. For Metro Manila, there was a drop in new cases the past week, averaging 1,209 per day versus the prior week's 1,821. Some 57 percent of COVID-19 beds are occupied, below the 70 percent critical threshold. Vergeire pointed out that while there are lower occupancy rates recorded for critical care units in health facilities, several infection clusters in Metro Manila remain a concern among authorities. "As far as critical care capacity is concerned, we are on moderate risk. As far as case doubling rate is concerned, malayo pa ang tatahakin," Roque added, referring to Metro Manila. Meanwhile, Vergeire added that safeguards are in place as Boracay and Baguio City are set to reopen to tourists by Thursday, October 1. The IATF has approved a "test before travel" scheme for Boracay island, where visitors must have a negative swab test before flying to the popular tourist spot. Bohol is the next destination slated to reopen in October. Spotify's new polls feature is available on select podcasts, and for 90% of its users globally. Spotify has started testing a new Polls feature for podcasts. Both the podcast hosts and listeners will be able to see the poll results in real time. The new feature is currently being tested out globally with select podcasts on Spotify. Polls will be available on the app for Spotifys original and exclusive podcasts including The Rewatchables, Incredible Feats with Dan Cummins, Crime Countdown, and more. The feature will be available to 90% of users on Android and iOS. Spotify is expected to make polls available to all users eventually, and on more podcasts. Spotify podcast polls will appear at the bottom of the Now Playing screen similar to how it shows lyrics. Once you scroll down youll see the poll question with four options to select from. Polls will also appear at the bottom of the episode page wherever the feature is activated. These polls are pre-set and all you have to do is select the option from the list. Once you select your answer, youll be able to see which option has received how many votes so far. The interface is similar to Twitter polls. The testing seems quite limited as polls dont appear in all the episodes of the podcast. In some podcasts, you may only have one poll available. The latest feature comes amid Spotifys growing push for podcasts on its platform. The streaming service has introduced quite a few features for podcasts this year. It launched video podcasts globally, and rolled out podcast charts as well. Spotify has also signed some major podcast deals with companies such as Warner Bros., Archie Comics and more. Ukrainian MFA calls on Armenia and Azerbaijan to return to dialogue for peaceful settlement of conflict The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine declares concern over the aggravation of the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan in Nagorno-Karabakh and calls for a peaceful settlement of the conflict through dialogue. "MFA of Ukraine is deeply concerned about the escalation of the conflict btw Armenia & Azerbaijan. We examine circumstances that led to escalation, call on the parties to return to the dialogue & settle the conflict by peaceful means. Our thoughts are with the relatives of victims," Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said on Twitter on Sunday. The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry also expressed condolences to the relatives and friends of the victims. The Delhi Police on Monday arrested least five people after a tractor was set on fire near the India Gate in the national capital during the ongoing protests against three farm bills, passed recently by Parliament. A case was registered under sections 3 Epidemic Act, 51 (B) Disaster Management Act, 4 Damage to Public Property Act, 188, 435, 283, 285, 269. The police also seized an Innova car and the truck in which the tractor was brought. Sandeep Singh Bhullar, a resident of Punjab's Bathinda, had bought this tractor. He is a secretary in Punjab Youth Congress and claims to be a farmer too. Live TV Sandeep bought the tractor from a farmer in Teona on September 19. The tractor was purchased for Rs 58, 000 and belongs to Harmandeep Singh, son of Darshan Singh of Teona village in Bathinda district. Sandeep was scheduled to come to Delhi with 1,500 tractors. On September 20, an attempt was made to set this tractor on fire at the Shambhu border area of Punjab and Haryana but was stopped by the fire brigade. It was decided on September 26 that the tractor would be lit on fire at Rajpath and brought the tractor from Punjab in a truck. The tractor reached Delhi at 3.30 am. According to Delhi Police, the fire officials were informed about the incident at 7.42 am and two fire tenders were rushed to the spot to control the fire. The protesters were carrying posters of Bhagat Singh and also raised anti-government slogans. DCP New Delhi told news agency ANI, Around 15- 20 persons gathered here [India Gate] and tried to set a tractor on fire. The fire has been doused off and a tractor was also removed. Those involved are being identified. Probe underway. The BJP on Monday blasted the Congress over the burning of a tractor near India Gate here, allegedly by opposition party workers, saying it has "shamed" the country with its "drama" aimed at publicity and "misleading" farmers. Senior party leaders, including Union ministers, hit out at the Congress with Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar condemning the incident and accusing the opposition of misleading farmers. "Congress shamed the country today. Bringing tractor in a truck and then burning it at India Gate is a drama enacted by the Congress and we condemn it. The party has been trying to do politics in the name of farmers, and it has been unmasked. It has enacted a drama for publicity," he told reporters. BJP general secretary Bhupender Yadav dubbed the Congress as "anti-farmers", saying farmers venerate their farm equipment and will not set tractors on fire. This burning of tractors by the Congress and other opposition parties in the name of farmers is shameful, he said, adding that they should not use India's food producers for politics. Another Union minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat took a swipe at the opposition party, saying it is protesting against farmers' freedom in the name of Bhagat Singh, whose birth anniversary fell on Monday, by burning a tractor. "Its conspiracy has been unmasked," he said. Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) president Tejasvi Surya alleged that youth Congress workers were involved in burning the tractor. "Our farmers worship tools they use for farming. No real farmer ever burns his tractor. If at all the Youth Congress wanted to show their support to farmers, they could have donated the tractor to a poor farmer instead of burning it. But how can they? Destroying is all they know," he said in a statement. "In the guise of a protest against the government's reforms for farmers, it is said that the youth Congress is destroying property," Surya, Member of Parliament from Bengaluru South, said. Accusing the opposition party of misleading farmers, Javadekar said its manifesto had promised to do what the Modi government has done with its farm sector reform bills and added that former prime minister Manmohan Singh had also spoken similarly on the issue. "Now, Congress is trying to mislead farmers by speaking in a different voice. But it will not succeed," he said, noting that the minimum support price and APMC mechanism is continuing. This is why the Congress is getting increasingly "disconnected" with people, he said. Meanwhile, the farmers of Karnataka have called a state-wide bandh on Monday to protest against the farm bills. The police force has been deployed at several places in the state to maintain law and order. The farmers are protesting against Farm Bills, land reform ordinances, amendments to Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) and labour laws. On September 27, Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa had urged the farmers to withdraw the shutdown call, as it would disrupt normal life and cause inconvenience to thousands of people in COVID times. The chief minister, however, said measures are being taken to ensure normal life is not affected and people are able to go to work by operating public services like buses and metro rail in the city. Wintrust and Fig Factor Media present six virtual events under the Conectando (Connecting) With Our Community theme. People are looking for programs to network with others and give them financial tools to help them in their daily lives. As a way to share positive messages to Hispanic suburban communities, Wintrust and Fig Factor Media Publishing will present six virtual events under the Conectando (Connecting) With Our Community theme. Jacqueline S. Ruiz, CEO of Fig Factor Media, is excited to be working again with Wintrust, an Illinois suburban financial institution since 1991, especially during part of Hispanic Heritage Month. We are continuing the magic of a wonderful six-year partnership with Wintrust Banks and some of its local branches, Ruiz said. During past events, we elevated and launched hundreds of Hispanic authors who shared their inspirational stories through Fig Factor Medias popular 'Todays Inspired Latina' series. These women are beautiful examples to those who want to follow their own personal dreams. The virtual events, which will be presented on Facebook Live at 6:30 p.m. CST and can be found on this link: https://www.facebook.com/FigFactorMediaPublishing/, will offer main presentations on inspirational themes on cultivating the power of kindness, being productive, capturing knowledge, and taking off on your dreams. Several Wintrust suburban branch locations will hold the events on these dates: Oct. 8Schaumburg and Addison Bank and Trust Banks Taking Off On Your Dreams Item pick up is from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. from Oct. 9 to Oct. 16 **Gifts while quantities last Oct. 15 Hanover Park Community Bank Kindness Award Item pick up is from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. from Oct. 14 to Oct. 23 **Gifts while quantities last Nov. 5Bolingbrook Bank & Trust Landing On Your Dreams Item pick up from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. from Nov. 6 to Nov. 13 **Gifts while quantities last Nov. 12Elgin State Bank & Aurora Bank and Trust Acts of Kindness Awards Item pick up from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. from Nov. 13 to Nov. 20 **Gifts while quantities last Dec. 3Joliet Bank & Trust Kindness Is Magic Item pick up from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. from Dec. 4 to Dec. 17 **Gifts while quantities last Dec. 10 Village Bank and Trust Knowledge Is A Gift Item pick up from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. from Dec. 9 to Dec. 18 **Gifts while quantities last Senior Vice President & Head of Retail Banking for St. Charles Bank & Trust Yaneth Medina is proud of this beneficial partnership with Fig Factor Media. We have seen so much support and interest whenever we presented these events at our various locations, Medina said. People are looking for programs to network with others and give them financial tools to help them in their daily lives. For this fall series, Wintrust is happy to put the spotlight on local bank managers and what they are doing to better their communities as well as sharing information about our Money Smart Program which has content on how people can better their FICO Scores. Ruiz hopes to reach many people who need to have ready resources that can positively affect in their lives. In this COVID-19 atmosphere, we need to come together and uplift people, Ruiz said. These events have always done this and its no different now. To learn more about these virtual events, visit: http://figfactormedia.com/events/ About Wintrust: We're your friends. We're your neighbors. We're your local Wintrust Community Bank. As part of the larger Wintrust Community Bank family, we were built in this area, for this area. We work hard to be an asset to the people and communities we serve: to get to know you and your needs in order to offer the best banking products and even better service. As a Wintrust Community Bank, were proud to invest in and give back to our local area. Visit https://www.wintrust.com/. About Fig Factor Media: Fig Factor Media Publishing is an international publishing company with a "beeping" heart. Fig Factor Media has helped many authors achieve and support their dream of impacting their communities in the United States, Mexico, and Europe. Fig Factor Media is the official publisher of Today's Inspired Latina. For information, visit http://www.figfactormedia.com.### A human rights activist and Chairman of the Alliance on Surviving COVID-19 and Beyond (ASCAB), Mr. Femi Falana, has charged the Inspector General of Police (IG), Mr. Mohammed Adamu, to provide security for protesters in line with the Nigerian Constitution. In a statement issued yesterday, the senior lawyer disclosed that in exercise of their fundamental rights of freedom of expression and assembly guaranteed by sections 39 and 40 of the Nigerian Constitution, the members of the ASCAB and other concerned citizens have resolved to participate in the public protests scheduled to take place throughout Nigeria with effect from September 28, 2020. Falana disclosed that the peaceful protests would be conducted within the ambit of the COVID-19 regulations. According to Falana, "However, we are compelled to call on the IG, Commissioners of Police in all the states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to provide adequate security for the protesters. "This call is anchored on the case of All Nigeria People Party and Ors (2006) CHR 181 wherein the Federal High Court struck down the provisions of the Public Order Act which requires permit for public meetings and rallies. "Consequently, the court proceeded to grant an order of perpetual injunction restraining the Defendant (the Inspector-General of Police) whether by himself, his agents, privies and servants from further preventing the plaintiffs and other aggrieved citizens of Nigeria from organising or convening peaceful assemblies, meetings and rallies against unpopular government measures and policies. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Nigeria Legal Affairs NGO By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. "Completely dissatisfied with the epochal judgment of the Federal High Court, the police authorities appealed to the Court of Appeal. In dismissing the appeal in the case of IG vs All Nigeria People Party & Ors (2008) 12 WRN 65, the Court of Appeal upheld the fundamental rights of Nigerian citizens to assemble freely and protest without any inhibition whatsoever. In the leading judgment of the court, Adekeye JCA (as she then was) held that the Public Order Act should be promulgated to compliment sections 39 and 40 of the constitution in context and not to stifle or cripple it." He said a rally or placard carrying demonstration has become a form of expression of views on current issues affecting government and the governed in a sovereign state. "It is a tread recognised and deeply entrenched in the system of governance in civilized countries. It will not only be primitive but also retrogressive if Nigeria continues to require a pass to hold a rally. We must borrow a leaf from those who have trekked the rugged path of democracy and are now reaping the dividend of their experience," he added. Falana, therefore, said: "In view of the clear and unambiguous provision of section 94 (4) of the Electoral Amendment Act 2015, we urge the Inspector General of Police and other police authorities in the country to maintain neutrality and ensure that the role of police personnel is limited to the provision of adequate security during the peaceful rallies, processions and marches. In particular, police personnel should be instructed not to attack citizens who may wish to protest against economic programmes considered inimical to their interests." GRANITE CITY Supplies Industrial Solutions in Granite City has been awarded a $14 million contract from the Department of the Army. SIS is a construction management and construction services company begun in 2013 by Steve Brock, a Marine veteran. The firm handles construction management, construction services, concrete work, carpentry work, millwright work and mechanical work. Barcelona have decided not to pursue their interest in signing Inter Milan striker Lautaro Martinez. The Argentinian striker has been strongly linked with a move to the Nou Camp all year and is valued at around 90million by the San Siro club. However, given the financial uncertainty at Barcelona, the Catalans have been unable to meet Inters asking price and have subsequently withdrawn from the transfer race. Barcelona have decided to give up on signing 90million Inter Milan striker Lautaro Martinez The La Liga giants will, however, continue to look to fill the void left by Luis Suarez - who completed a controversial 5.5m move to Diego Simeone's side after being told by Ronald Koeman he was no longer required. Martinez would have been an ideal replacement for Suarez as he scored 14 goals in Serie A last season and found the net once again on Saturday to help his side triumph 4-3 over Fiorentina. Although Barca will still look to replace Luis Suarez, who was sold to Atletico Madrid for 5.5m If Barca boss Ronald Koeman signed Martinez he would not have the funds to purchase others Martinez did originally have a 100m release clause in his contract but that option expired in July. Despite initially vying for the 23-year-old's signature, Barcelona knew that if they met Inter's asking price, they wouldn't be able to strengthen in other areas prior to the transfer deadline of October 5. Inter have refused to accept players as part of any deal, according to Calciomercato. Ideally, Koeman would like to add depth at centre-back and right-back before the summer window closes. Given Martinez's move to Barca is now off the table, he is likely to agree news terms at Inter As a move to Spain is now off the table, Martinez looks set to stay at the San Siro for another season. Martinez's contract is due to expire in 2023, but it seems likely that the striker will agree new terms with the club. Barca have been linked with Lyon forward Memphis Depay, who Koeman managed at international level with Holland, as an alternative option for their forward line. The Andong Maskdance Festival is one of the major Chuseok events canceled this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Korea Times file Various folk events and festivals annually hosted by local governments on the eve of Chuseok, the Korean equivalent of Thanksgiving, can hardly be seen this year, as they are now campaigning against small and large gatherings due to fears of coronavirus transmission. Authorities in provincial cities and counties nationwide have been discouraging hometown visits and travel during the extended Chuseok holiday, which runs from Wednesday to Friday. Taking more strident measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19, many local governments have canceled their perennial Chuseok celebration events and festivals to block gatherings of any size. Yeongju, a North Gyeongsang Province city 230 kilometers southeast of Seoul, has canceled Chuseok performances, as well as "songpyeon" (traditional rice cake enjoyed during Chuseok) and folk game experience events, all scheduled to take place this week at Seonbi Village, a Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910) folk village. A federal judge on Sunday postponed a Trump administration order that would have banned the popular video sharing app TikTok from U.S. smartphone app stores around midnight. A more comprehensive ban remains scheduled for November, about a week after the presidential election. The judge, Carl Nichols of the U.S District Court for the District of Columbia, did not agree to postpone the later ban. The ruling followed an emergency hearing Sunday morning in which lawyers for TikTok argued that the administrations app-store ban would infringe on the companys First Amendment rights and do irreparable harm to the business. This file photo taken on December 14, 2018 in Paris, France shows the logo of the application TikTok. Earlier this year, President Donald Trump declared that TikTok was a threat to national security and that it must either sell its U.S. operations to U.S. companies or be barred from the country. He also banned China's WeChat app from App Stores, but over the weekend, that ban was paused by a California judge as well. In that case, according to NPR, the judge said the Trump administration offered "scant evidence" to support its belief that the Chinese apps were a threat to national security. TikTok told NPR that it was pleased with the court's decision. "We will continue defending our rights for the benefit of our community and employees. At the same time, we will also maintain our ongoing dialogue with the government to turn our proposal, which the President gave his preliminary approval to last weekend, into an agreement." Software giant Oracle, in conjunction with Walmart, has agreed to be TikTok's technology partner in the United States. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Judge postpones Trump's TikTok app store ban Since 2007 he has been a missionary in Mongolia. After working in a technical school in the capital, he is now working at a youth centre in Darkhan where the parish has 250 members, all local. Poverty is widespread, including among youth. Ulaanbaatar (AsiaNews/Bosco Link) Brother Krzysztof Gniazdowski, the only Polish Salesian in Mongolia, recently celebrated 25 years of consecrated life as a lay missionary. He took his vows on 22 August 1995 and was sent to Mongolia in 2007. Here, with his Salesian confreres, he became involved in the education of young people. At first, Br Krzysztof worked at the technical school that the Salesians opened in the capital; now he works in Darkhan, in the far north of the country, in a youth centre linked to the parish of Mary Help of Christians. This is the only Catholic parish in Mongolia, where all 250 Catholics are Mongolian, he told a Polish newspaper. By contrast, In the capital we can meet also Koreans, Filipinos and a few other nationalities. The Church in Mongolia celebrated the 25th anniversary of its rebirth in 2017 with about a thousand members out of a population of more than three million. Fr Krzysztof described his work as, above all, making friends and keep company with seniors, young people and children. On the weekend, he teaches catechism for catechumens and performs liturgical celebrations. The embryonic character of evangelisation can be seen from the lack of wholly Christian families. Converts can be found here and there, one per family, as can be ascertained in meetings. Dubbed the land of blue sky, Mongolia fascinates because of its landscapes, and its cultural and religious traditions. Most Mongolians follow shamanic practices and Buddhist (Tibetan) beliefs; less than 0.03 per cent are Catholic. Br Krzysztof is struck by the profound poverty of the local population. Some families in Mongolia live in extreme poverty, he noted, languishing on the city outskirts dump sites, their livelihood dependent entirely on recycled waste. One day I was about to throw away my well-worn Adidas shoes, when I was approached by a boy who asked me to give him those worn-out Adidas shoes. On that same day, I saw him happily playing in the Oratory wearing my old shoes. My thought was simple: I have made a profession of poverty, but these young people are living it. Yes, the simplicity and humility of the Mongolians struck my heart. Im learning a lot from Mongolian youth and their families. A Congress Rajya Sabha members Shamsher Singh Dullo and Partap Singh Bajwa on Monday demanded that the Centre must make the minimum support price (MSP) a legal right to prevent private corporations from buying agricultural goods below this price. Speaking to reporters after paying obeisance at Golden Temple, Dullo and Bajwa, both former state Congress chiefs, said that Punjab must unite and ensure the Centre repeals the Acts that seek to liberalise agriculture. By notifying the anti-farmer laws on September 27, the Government of India has committed a mistake. The people of Punjab have been the sword arm of the country and have always been at the forefront to protect the nation. In the 1950s, when food security of India was under threat, and the Centre pushed through the Green Revolution, farmers of Punjab and Haryana led the battle to ensure India became the food surplus nation it is today. These sacrifices by farmers of Punjab and Haryana have come to nought now that the bills have been become law, they said in a joint statement distributed on the occasion. The two Congress MPs said the Centre must make MSP a legal right to prevent private corporations from buying agricultural goods below this price. Any purchase below the MSP should be made a punishable offence. The Centre must use the Swaminathan Commission recommendation to fix the MSP of crops. The Food Corporation of India must also be made to buy all prices at the MSP and never below, their statement said. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON LONDON - Uber won a long-running legal battle on Monday that will allow it to continue operating in London, a major victory for the ride-hailing app that has repeatedly clashed with the city's transport authorities and its traditional black cab drivers. A judge on Monday said that Uber had overcome "historical failings" and was now a "fit and proper" operator in what is one of its biggest markets outside the United States. He granted Uber an 18-month license with conditions. Uber responded to the ruling, saying that they were "pleased" and "as always, safety is our priority as we work together to keep London moving." Last November, London's transport authorities said that they would not renew Uber's license to operate in the British capital after thousands of trips were made with someone other than the booked driver. One of the biggest concerns was that unauthorized drivers could upload their photographs to an authorized driver's account, allowing them to pick up passengers. London authorities had estimated that at least 14,000 journeys were made this way. It was the second time in two years that that London transport authorities rejected Uber's license to operate in the British capital. Uber appealed both decisions, and was allowed to continue to operate until a final decision was made. The latest case was heard at the Westminster Magistrates' Court earlier this month. In his written verdict, Judge Tanweer Ikram wrote: "Despite their historical failings, I find them, now, to be a fit and proper person to hold a London PHV [private hire vehicle] operator's licence." Uber, he said, "does not have a perfect record but it has been an improving picture." He said that he was "satisfied that they are doing what a reasonable business in their sector could be expected to do, perhaps even more." London Mayor Sadiq Khan, who chairs Transport for London (TfL), warned that Uber will continue to face close scrutiny."I can assure Londoners that TfL will continue to closely monitor Uber and will not hesitate to take swift action should they fail to meet the strict standards required to protect passengers," he said. The Licensed Taxi Drivers Association, a trade body for London's black-cab industry, called Monday's ruling "appalling." "Uber has demonstrated time and again that it simply can't be trusted to put the safety of Londoners, its drivers and other road users above profit," the group's statement said. "Sadly, it seems that Uber is too big to regulate effectively, but too big to fail." London is one of Uber's largest European markets. The company has around 45,000 drivers cruising its streets. In a separate legal battle, Uber is appealing an employment tribunal ruling that found its drivers can be classified as workers and are entitled to workers' rights, including minimum wage and vacation pay. Uber says its drivers are self-employed independent contractors. Britain's Supreme Court heard the case in July and is set to make a decision later this year. The Trump administration has spent months cajoling Muslim countries to establish diplomatic relations with Israel ahead of the U.S. election. The latest target is Sudan, reports the New York Times. The effort has already garnered recognition from the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, as well as established diplomatic ties between Israel and Kosovo. Even before this move, a number of governments, most notably Australia but also some countries in the Pacific and Central America, have followed the Trump administrations lead by recognizing Jerusalem as capital of Israel. It also signals a shift in momentum after years in which an increasing number of countries and international organizations were recognizing Palestines statehood, over U.S. opposition. Advertisement Recognition fights like these are often less about the actual countries being recognized than they are about superpowers flexing their muscles on the world stage and signaling to adversaries. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Subscribe to the Slatest newsletter A daily email update of the stories you need to read right now. We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try again. Please enable javascript to use form. Email address: Send me updates about Slate special offers. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms Sign Up Thanks for signing up! You can manage your newsletter subscriptions at any time. The Trump administrations push to win diplomatic recognition of Israel mirrors, in a strange way, U.S. rival Chinas ongoing campaign to get countries to unrecognize Taiwan, which Beijing considers part of its territory. Only 15 countries currently have formal diplomatic relations with Taiwanmost of them in Central America and the Pacificand China has been dangling economic incentives to get them to switch. Since Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen took power in 2016, seven countries have cut ties with her government. (When I visited the tiny pacific nation of Kiribati in 2016, signs touting Kiribati-Taiwan cooperation and economic aid from Taipei were everywhere, but the island nation switched to Beijing at the end of last year.) Advertisement Advertisement Vatican City still recognizes Taiwan, though leaders in Taipei were made nervous last month with the renewal of a controversial deal between the Holy See and Beijing over the appointment of bishops. Taiwan did get a rare diplomatic win this week when the EU intervened to convince a global alliance of mayors to stop referring to Taiwanese cities as part of China. Technically speaking, despite its strong military support for Taiwan, the U.S. is on the Chinese side of this divide; it does not have formal diplomatic relations with Taipei. But that hasnt stopped the U.S. from urging other smaller nations to keep their ties with the island nation. Advertisement Recognition fights are one of the weirder realms of geopolitical competition. Taiwan and Israel plainly do exist as independent countries, but the most common definition of a state under international law requires it to have the capacity to enter into relations with the other states. So denying recognition is a way of denying a countrys political legitimacy. Advertisement Countries like Kiribati and Honduras probably arent actually all that interested in the status of Israel or Taiwan, but recognition is a low-cost way to curry favor with the superpowersthe U.S. and Chinathat are extremely invested. Clearly, the UAE and Bahrain have made the calculation that strong ties with Washington and building a coalition to counter regional rival Iran are more pressing concerns than these nations long-standing support for Palestinian statehood. (Some valuable weapons sales also sweetened the deal.) Sudans big ask is likely to be removal from the U.S. state sponsors of terrorism list, on which it has been included since Osama bin Ladens residence there in the early 1990s. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For the superpowers, these recognition fights are a form of coalition building, of getting allies lined up behind their respective geopolitical priorities and worldviews. In the U.S. case, recognition of Israel represents backing a regional coalition against Iran. In Chinas, disavowing Taiwans independence means accepting Chinas status as the preeminent regional power. Vladimir Putins Russia has attempted to wage a proxy fight, somewhat less successfully, with its ongoing campaign to win recognition of its annexation of Crimea, and the Russian-backed separatist enclaves of Abkhazia and South Ossetia in the Caucasus. The ongoing international divide over whether to recognize the Russian- and Chinese-backed de facto President Nicolas Maduro or U.S.-backed opposition leader Juan Guaido as the legitimate leader of Venezuela serves a similar function. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Recognition battles were a prominent tactic during the Cold War. From the Chinese Revolution until 1979, the U.S. refused to grant international recognition to the Communist government in Beijing. The government of Taiwan occupied the Chinese seat at the United Nations despite the communist regimes de facto control of all of mainland China. The U.S. also formally recognized the three Baltic countriesEstonia, Latvia, and Lithuaniaas independent throughout the Cold War, even though they had been under Soviet control since World War II. In this new era of rising superpower conflict, the tactic seems as popular as ever. Police are given by this community an awesome and tremendously difficult responsibility of protecting life, she said. They are also likewise given an authority that is not shared by anyone else in this community and that is the authority to take life. . . . When that trust is abused, it is necessary to take swift and decisive action. BUCHAREST, Romania - After handing Ion Aliman victory in the election for their local mayor, residents of a small village in southern Romania went to his grave to light candles for him. Aliman was reelected in a landslide for an unprecedented third term as mayor of the village of Deveselu despite having died from COVID-19 complications 10 days prior to the countrys municipal elections. His death came too late to remove his name from Sundays ballot, but the news of his passing spread fast through the village, home to just over 3,000 people. The popular incumbent would have celebrated his 57th birthday on election day. To honour the man they admired, hundreds of Deveselu villagers went to the polling stations Sunday and voted for Aliman anyway. After preliminary election results showed late Sunday that Aliman had won 1,057 out of the 1,600 votes cast in Deveselu, a large group of villagers visited his grave to light candles and pay their respects. A video shared widely on social media showed people with flashlights and candles gathered around Alimans grave, some of them saying This is your victory and We will make you proud, we know that from somewhere up there you are watching. Aliman was a member of the left-leaning Social Democrat Party, known as PSD, and so is his deputy, Nicolae Dobre, who told a local TV station, Digi24, that none of the other contenders got the same trust from the voters. Asked if he voted for Aliman, Dobre said: I sure did. The election victory in Deveselu was a bit of sweet news, but only a little comfort for the PSD as partial preliminary results showed Monday that they had lost the most closely watched contest the one for the mayor of the capital, Bucharest. The PSD all but conceded the election loss by its incumbent major to the candidate backed by the centre-right National Liberal party, or NLP, which has controlled Romanias minority government since last fall. The PSD had been in power until its government lost a confidence vote in the parliament amid massive popular protests at home and heavy criticism from Brussels over its attacks on the judiciary and widespread graft. About 19 million registered voters in Romania on Sunday chose local officials, council presidents and mayors to fill more than 43,000 positions across the nation. The elections were seen as a preview of how the next general election will unfold. According to partial preliminary results the PSD is unlikely to regain power in the Dec. 6 parliamentary vote. But they did secure a resounding victory in Deveselu. WASHINGTON Seven days after the November presidential election, the Supreme Court will hear arguments in a case that could decide the fate of the Affordable Care Act, the 2010 law that has provided health coverage to millions of previously uninsured Americans. Democrats are using that looming reality to frame the opposition against Amy Coney Barrett, President Trumps nominee to the high court. They say that with her on the court, the ACA will face an all but certain demise. Judge Amy Coney Barrett with President Trump after he announced her as his nominee to the Supreme Court on Saturday. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) Democrats see the prospect of some 23 million Americans losing their health coverage as their most potent argument against Barretts nomination. It is an argument made all the more powerful, they insist, by the continuing ravages of the coronavirus pandemic. This is real, says Jesse Lee, a senior executive at the liberal Center for American Progress and a former adviser to President Barack Obama. He dismissed the notion that a save-the-ACA message was merely the best talking point in the pitched battle of words between left and right. Preserving the increasingly popular Obama-era law, he says, has been the American peoples No. 1 opposition to Trump. That opposition has succeeded before. Even if the Republicans appear to have the requisite Senate votes to confirm Barrett, Democrats believe that opposition can be successfully marshaled one more time. The health law, after all, is an all-too-familiar battleground on which the Democrats know how to fight. Before he had even taken the oath of office, Trump set his sights on the Affordable Care Act, the signature legislative accomplishment of Obama, his predecessor. We have to get to business, the president-elect said shortly before his inauguration in 2017. With both chambers of Congress controlled by Republicans, and Democrats still shell-shocked by Novembers defeat, there seemed to be little that could keep the business of repealing and replacing the health law from being accomplished. Sen. John McCain leaves the Senate chamber after voting against the GOP skinny repeal health care bill on July 28, 2017. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images) One hundred and ninety-nine days later, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., walked up to the Senate clerk and presented a downturned thumb. With that vote against repealing the Affordable Care Act, McCain put a definitive end to the efforts of Trump and congressional Republicans. Though hobbled in other ways, the health law survives to this day. Story continues Saving the Affordable Care Act was Democrats first victory against Trump. It could also be a template for what they hope to be their final victory against a man who may be in the final months of his presidency. The battle over the Supreme Court seat vacated by the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is informed by the earlier fight over the ACA in ways both obvious and not. Although they recognize that their odds are long, Democrats believe that if they can articulate the same arguments and deploy the same tactics, they can prevail once again. This is the ACA fight, People for the American Way president Ben Jealous told Yahoo News last week. Trump announced on Saturday his nomination of Barrett, a judge on the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals, to the high court. Republicans hope to hold confirmation hearings in record time so that she is confirmed by the full Senate before the presidential election on Nov. 3. That means Barrett would be seated on the court to hear the combined argument for two cases known as California v. Texas. The cases challenge the individual mandate provision of the ACA, which requires people to have some form of insurance. Anti-abortion demonstrators pray in front of the Supreme Court on July 8, when the court ruled that employers with religious objections may decline to provide contraception coverage under the Affordable Care Act. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) Without that mandate, the law cannot survive. Democrats message is clear: Barrett will kill the ACA. The Center for American Progress calls her a targeted missile aimed squarely at the health law, and other groups have echoed that message. They argue that while Barrett may be a brilliant jurist with a compelling personal story, any senator who votes to confirm her is voting to repeal the Affordable Care Act. Our number one job is to communicate exactly what is at stake for the American people if Republicans jam through this nominee, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer wrote to his colleagues on Sunday. The elimination of the Affordable Care Act is at the top of the list. He outlined his strategy for fighting back in the weeks ahead: health care, health care, health care. That was also the strategy his counterpart in the House of Representatives, Speaker Nancy Pelosi, used to win back the House during the 2018 elections. Resisting progressive calls to expand the case against Trump to other causes, Pelosi urged Democratic candidates to relentlessly argue that keeping the entire Congress in Republican control would almost certainly allow them to scrap the ACA once and for all. Polls at the time showed that Americans cared about health insurance more than they did about any other issue. Polls today show much the same thing. Though support for the law is far from universal, the majority of Americans like the Affordable Care Act, and they prefer expansion of the sort that Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden has promised, as opposed to a Republican repeal. Barretts long-standing adherence to constitutional originalism could lead her to rule in ways her Republican supporters do not predict, yet she has little room for ambiguity when it comes to the ACA. A federal appellate judge since 2017, Barrett has not been involved in any ACA-related rulings, but she has criticized the man who could soon be her boss Chief Justice John Roberts for his pro-ACA vote in a case known as NFIB v. Sebelius. Chief Justice Roberts pushed the Affordable Care Act beyond its plausible meaning to save the statute, she wrote in a 2017 book review. Chief Justice John Roberts departs the chamber along with Republican Sens. Lindsey Graham, right, and Roy Blunt after the Senate impeachment trial of President Trump concluded on Feb. 5. (Mario Tama/Getty Images) She has also sided with conservatives who charge that the ACA does not offer sufficient exemptions to religious institutions. Progressives have also argued that Barrett would work to curtail abortion rights, expand corporate power and achieve other conservative goals. Health care, however, could be their most potent weapon, especially in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, which has left 204,000 people in the U.S. dead and 7 million sick. In the middle of a pandemic, Donald Trump is trying to force through the confirmation of a Justice who will help him destroy Obamacare, Biden tweeted on Saturday. We cant let them win, he added. COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, can leave people with long-term health problems that remain little understood, given the novelty of the pathogen. If the ACA is repealed, insurance companies will once again be able to reject coverage for people with preexisting conditions. That could leave thousands of coronavirus long-haulers, as people with lingering symptoms are known, without health insurance. Telling people they are going to lose their health coverage is not exactly a winning message, and both parties know it. A senior Democratic staffer on the Senate Judiciary Committee noted that Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, had recently sent a mailer in which he promised to protect Texans health care. Republican Sen. John Cornyn of Texas during a Judiciary Committee meeting on Thursday. (Stefani Reynolds/Bloomberg via Getty Images) He had, in fact, voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act in 2017. Then, in the midst of the pandemic in the spring, he told people to enroll in the ACA if they had lost their jobs and the insurance that employers provided. Cornyns new mailer was evidence, the Democratic staffer told Yahoo News, of how defensive Republicans have become about health coverage. That will be by far the most salient issue in the fight over Barretts nomination, the staffer predicted. Just what the fight over Barretts seat will look like is impossible to say. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell appears to have the requisite votes, while Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., is intent on running the confirmation process at the speed of light. Trump spoke about the looming Supreme Court case at a White House press conference on Sunday. If we can terminate, we are going to have a much better plan, and you will have your doctor, you will have your plan. Youll have a lot of things that you dont get with Obamacare, he said. The details of that plan are not clear. Democrats arent waiting. They hope to make every part of the process painful for their Republican counterparts. As Ive been telling folks, the goal is: What can we accomplish each step of the way? says Zack Ford, press secretary for the progressive group Alliance for Justice. How difficult can we make it for them just to hold the vote? How can we respond to the hearing? How can we respond to the floor vote? On the Democrats side are the majority of Americans; polls say that most people want the winner of the presidential election to appoint the justice. Were not naive, says Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich. We know this is tough. The best hope for Democrats appears to be some combination of public outcry and legislative delay. That alone, though, wont be enough. They then need for fissures to develop between Trump and McConnell, or for Barrett to commit a grave error during her confirmation hearings. Democratic Sen. Debbie Stabenow of Michigan. (Stefani Reynolds/Bloomberg via Getty Images) Against all odds, we were able to stop the legislative repeal of the Affordable Care Act, says Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., about the 2017 fight that culminated with McCains late-night thumbs-down. That same passion needs to apply here. Others are less sanguine about Democrats prospects. Speaking on ABCs This Week on Sunday, Sen. Dick Durbin, who sits on the Judiciary Committee and is a member of Democratic leadership in the upper chamber, conceded that Democrats cant stop the outcome. He didnt even think they could slow it down much. _____ Read more from Yahoo News: The G20 Leaders Summit, to be held virtually during November 21-22 and chaired by Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, will focus on protecting lives and restoring growth by tackling vulnerabilities uncovered by the Covid-19 pandemic. This will be the second virtual G20 Leaders Summit since March, when Saudi Arabia, the current chair of the grouping, had convened a meeting following a suggestion from Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discuss ways to counter the pandemic and its economic impact. India is set to take over as the G20 chair in 2022. The upcoming summit will also build on the outcomes of more than 100 virtual working group and ministerial meetings, said a statement from the G20 secretariat. Also Read: Quad senior officials discuss efforts to ensure open, inclusive Indo-Pacific The G20 has contributed more than $21 billion to support the production, distribution and access to diagnostics, therapeutics, and vaccines, and injected $11 trillion to safeguard the global economy as part of the fight against the pandemic. It has also launched a debt suspension initiative for least developed countries that will allow beneficiary nations to defer $14 billion in debt payments due in 2020 and to use these amounts for financing their healthcare systems and social programmes. The upcoming G20 Leaders Summit will focus on protecting lives and restoring growth, by addressing vulnerabilities uncovered during the pandemic and by laying down the foundations for a better future, the statement said. The summit will also focus on fostering international action to realise opportunities of the 21st century for all, by empowering people and protecting our planet, whilst harnessing the potential of innovation to shape new frontiers, it added. By Trend Ukraine fully supports sovereignty and inviolability of the Republic of Azerbaijan within the internationally recognized borders, Ukrainian MP Volodymyr Kreydenko told Trend on Sept. 28. The MP made the remarks following Armenia's recent military attack on Azerbaijan. Kreydenko stressed that almost 30 years have passed since the adoption of four UN Security Councils resolutions, which, however, are not being fulfilled. While commenting on the possibility of imposing international sanctions against Armenia, Kreydenko expressed support for this idea. "Imposing of sanctions can force Armenia to comply with international law and return the occupied lands to Azerbaijan," the MP said. "There mustn't be any territorial claims in the modern world. We do not live in the Middle Ages." "Today, there are completely different values and principles in the world, however, unfortunately, some leaders of certain countries, who imagine themselves as "great emperors" have not yet understood this." Armenian armed forces launched a large-scale military attack on positions of Azerbaijani army on the front line, using large-caliber weapons, mortars and artillery on Sept. 27. Azerbaijan responded with a counter-offensive along the entire front. As a result of retaliation, Azerbajiani troops managed to liberate the territories previously occupied by Armenia: Garakhanbeyli, Garvend, Kend Horadiz, Yukhari Abdulrahmanli villages (Fuzuli district), Boyuk Marjanli, and Nuzgar villages (Jabrayil district). Moreover, the positions of the Armenian armed forces were destroyed in the direction of Azerbaijan's Agdere district and Murovdag, important heights were taken under control. Back in July 2020, Armenian Armed Forces violated the ceasefire in the direction of Azerbaijan's Tovuz district. As a result of Azerbaijan's retaliation, the opposing forces were silenced. The fighting continued the following days as well. Azerbaijan lost a number of military personnel members, who died fighting off the attacks of the Armenian armed forces. The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on the withdrawal of its armed forces from Nagorno Karabakh and the surrounding districts. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz THE HIGH court has allowed the Irish arm of fashion retailer New Look to pay a tax bill of nearly 6.7m, as the company puts together a survival plan amid financial losses due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Mr Justice Denis McDonald made the ruling after New Look said its tax affairs needed to be up to date before it can avail of the Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme (EWSS) for workers. Todays hearing was in advance of an application the company is due to bring tomorrow to have an examiner appointed. Landlords who are owed rent arrears on New Look premises opposed the company's request to pay Revenue, saying its insolvency is contrived, and that the payment would reduce assets available to pay other creditors' claims. New Look Retailers (Ireland) Limited, which operates 27 stores and employs 475 people, has already had an interim examiner appointed after it sought the protection of the courts due to its financial difficulties. Today, Kelley Smith BL said to be eligible for the EWSS, the company must have a tax clearance certificate which would only be available when its taxes were fully paid. Revenues position is absolutely clear, that the tax affairs in the context of the insolvency process must be up to date before the subsidy can be claimed, she said. The court heard the 2.687m bill included PAYE, PRSI and a VAT return of just over 1m. There would be a real cost to the company of 200,000 if the EWSS application was not made by the end of September, because it could not be backdated, Ms Smith said. Arthur Cunningham BL, for the Revenue Commissioners, said it was the factual position that the company could not avail of the EWSS without a tax clearance certificate. Warehousing, or deferral of tax debt was unavailable during the insolvency process. Rossa Fanning SC, for a number of landlords, said New Look had cash reserves of 15.6 million and had been profitable for two years. He said there was something counterintuitive in a company that was saying it is insolvent, asking to pay 2.7m today so it can save 200,000 a month. You cant contrive your own bankruptcy while sitting on a big pile of 15.6m in cash, having the capacity to pay your outstanding rent and declining to do so, Mr Fanning said. He said it was a decision on the part of the company not to pay its debts as they fell due. Its absolutely open to this company on the basis of cash flow to pay all of its landlords in full, he said. Either the company was not insolvent or the insolvency was technical, contrived or strategic, he said. There was an unseemly haste in the application being made a day before the petition for examinership, Mr Fanning said. He asked the judge not to make the order and to at the very least defer a decision. Mr Justice McDonald said it was the courts view that the entire amount had to be paid to qualify for the EWSS, and a case for urgency had been made out because after tomorrow, any benefit from the scheme for September would be lost. He said while he acknowledged the strongly held views of the landlords, the safer course was to make the order authorising the payment. Ken Fennell, of Deloitte was appointed as interim examiner earlier this month. Mr Fanning, with Brian McGuckian BL, was appearing on behalf of companies which are the landlords of New Looks stores in Liffey Valley shopping centre, Dublin; Navan Town Centre, Co Meath; Fairgreen Shopping Centre, Mullingar, Co Westmeath and the Castlewest Shopping Centre, Ballincollig, Co Cork. The court has heard the landlords believed New Look was seeking to ride on the coat-tails of a Company Voluntary Arrangement undertaken by the UK parent company. New York (United Nations) 22 September 2020 (SPS)- The President of South Africa, Cyril Ramaphosa, called in his video speech before the 4th Plenary meeting of the UN general Assembly Today, for an end to the illegal occupation of Western Sahara. As we celebrate the founding of an organisation dedicated to freedom and equality, the people of Palestine and Western Sahara continue to live under occupation, President Ramaphosa regretted. In this context, he added we repeat our call for an end to the illegal occupation of Western Sahara and for the Palestinian peoples right to self-determination. On another hand, the President of Cuba, Miguel Diaz Canel Bermudez, stressed in his speech before the same session Today, his countrys principled and steadfast support to the right of the Saharawi people to self-determination and independence. (SPS) 090/500/60 (SPS) LUDLOW A Connecticut man faces multiple charges after he allegedly hit a pedestrian, caused a three-car collision while trying to flee the scene and then swam across the Chicopee River to escape the second crash. Andrew J. Milne, 39, of Stafford Springs, was identified after an investigation and later turned himself into Ludlow Police. He was arraigned in Palmer District Court on Tuesday on three counts of leaving the scene of a property damage accident, two counts of leaving the scene of a personal injury accident, resisting arrest, reckless operation and multiple motor vehicle violations, Police Chief Daniel J. Valadas said. Milne is accused of striking a female pedestrian with his truck on Sept. 20 at the intersection of Cady and West streets. The victim was taken to Baystate Medical Center by Ludlow firefighter paramedics and was treated for injuries that were not life-threatening, he said. He sped away after the crash in a gray Chevrolet Silverado. About a quarter-mile away, the truck collided with two other vehicles at the intersection of West Street and West Avenue. One occupant was injured but none of the passengers or drivers in that crash were taken to the hospital, Valadas said. Witnesses to the second crash reported the driver of the truck jumped out and ran toward Springfield. Shortly after officers spotted a man swimming in the Chicopee River, he said. A search involving the Ludlow Police K-9 ensued but the suspect swam to Indian Orchard and he narrowly evaded capture and arrest, Valadas said. Milne left the truck running at the scene of the second crash. Investigators later identified him through the truck, information left in the vehicle and witnesses at the scene of the crash, Valadas said. Springfield Police, the Massachusetts State Police and the Ludlow Fire Department assisted Ludlow officers at the crash and in the search, he said. Zimbabwe's elephants are believed to be suffering from a bacterial infection, which has killed at least 34 so far Twelve more elephants have died in Zimbabwe, taking the total death toll from a suspected bacterial infection outbreak to 34, wildlife authorities said Monday. "A total of 34 carcasses have been found... but some others have not been located," Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority director Fulton Upenyu Mangwanya told parliament. The animals died between August 24 and September 23 this year in and around the wildlife-rich forests between the famous northwestern Hwange National Park and the town of Victoria Falls. "They were found lying on their bellies" suggesting they had an "extremely sudden death," Mangwanya said. Tests conducted in Zimbabwe so far point to a disease called haemorrhagic septicaemia, which is caused by bacterial infection, he said. Rangers have ruled out cyanide poisoning or poaching because the animals were found with their tusks intact. Mangwanya said wild animals are more susceptible to disease during the country's dry and hot season, which is roughly from August to November. In recent years Zimbabwe has suffered through successive droughts made more severe by global warming, leaving animals with less water and vegetation. Samples have been sent to a laboratory in Britain and others will be dispatched to South Africa and the United States for further tests and analysis. Zimbabwe counts more than 84,000 elephantsalmost double the southern African country's ecological carrying capacity of between 45,000 and 50,000. Neighboring Botswana, home to the world's largest elephant population of around 130,000, lost around 330 elephants early this year from cyanobacteria poisoning. Explore further Zimbabwe finds 10 more dead elephants, suspects bacteria 2020 AFP Two lesbian lovers are accused of killing and dismembering a hotel worker and keeping his torso, head, forearms, hands and feet for several days. Maria Malveiro, 19, and her nurse lover Mariana Fonseca, 23, allegedly chopped off Diogo Goncalves's fingers to access his bank account from his mobile using his prints and steal a 60,000 inheritance, local media reports. They then kept his dismembered body parts in two cars - including Mr Fonseca's own Mercedes - before allegedly dumping his head, forearms, hands and feet by Pego do Inferno waterfall close to the Algarve town of Tavira in Portugal. His torso was thrown into the sea from cliffs in the Algarve town of Sagres one day earlier. Gruesome details about the 21-year-old's murder and the disposal of his body parts - which was inspired by US police series Dexter starring Michael C. Hall - emerged today as prosecutors prepared to put the women on trial. Maria Malveiro, 19, (left) and her nurse lover Mariana Fonseca, 23, (right) allegedly chopped off Diogo Goncalves's fingers to access his bank account from his mobile using his prints and steal a 60,000 inheritance, local media reports Mr Fonseca was strangled to death on March 18 but the women allegedly threw his torso into the sea four days later. They used a print from a finger they had cut on his right hand to access his mobile and transfer the cash, and waited another 24 hours to dump the rest of his body. They then kept Mr Fonseca's (pictured) dismembered body parts in two cars - including his own Mercedes - before allegedly dumping his head, forearms, hands and feet by Pego do Inferno waterfall close to the Algarve town of Tavira in Portugal The indictment says they spent the three days between March 20 and 23 sending messages from his Facebook account to fool colleagues and friends into believing he was still alive. They will be tried for a string of crimes including murder, desecrating a body, computer fraud and using a stolen vehicle. Portuguese daily Jornal de Noticias reported Malveiro took advantage of the fact she knew Mr Fonseca 'fancied' her to give him an orange juice laced with sedative Diazepam after promising him a lap dance at his home and tying him to a chair before strangling him and dismembering him with her nurse lover. Reports at the time claimed the women allegedly tried to make it look as if he had killed himself by leaving the car overlooking the sea in Cape St Vincent in Sagres. They said investigators suspected the pair slipped up after throwing the torso from a clifftop fort near stunning Beliche Beach. It didn't 'land' in the water and left vital clues after it ended up on dry land. Gruesome details about the 21-year-old's murder and the disposal of his body parts - which was inspired by US police series Dexter starring Michael C. Hall (file image, pictured) - emerged today as prosecutors prepared to put the women on trial Portuguese daily Jornal de Noticias reported Malveiro (pictured) took advantage of the fact she knew Mr Fonseca 'fancied' her to give him an orange juice laced with sedative Diazepam after promising him a lap dance at his home and tying him to a chair before strangling him and dismembering him with her nurse lover Mr Fonseca (pictured) was strangled to death on March 18 but the woman allegedly threw his torso into the sea four days later A Policia Judiciaria spokesman said in a statement after their arrests: 'The PJ has identified and arrested two women on suspicion of a crime of murder and profanation of a body. 'The crimes occurred in the Algarve region between March 20 and 25. 'The victim, a Portuguese citizen aged 21 who lived on the Algarve, was dismembered and parts of his body have been found in the areas of Sagres and Tavira. 'The police investigation sparked by the appearance of the body parts in the Tavira area led to the obtention of important evidence and the identification and arrest of the suspects. 'The detainees are aged 19 and 23 and have a clean criminal record.' The murder victim had received his inheritance after his mum was run over in July 2016 in Guia near Albufeira. 28.09.2020 LISTEN The Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) has warned the media against promoting the illegal and violent activists of the secessionist group, the Homeland Study Group Foundation (HSGF). HSGF is pushing for the secession of the Volta Region from Ghana. The group is hoping to form a country it calls Western Togoland. On Friday, September 25, 2020, members of the group blocked roads linking the Volta Region to Accra and the Eastern Region. So far, some 31 members of the group have been arrested and airlifted to Accra for trial. One member of the group reportedly died in the process and others injured. But GJA in a statement signed by its President, Affail Monney, urged journalists to keep the peace and not to promote violence. According to GJA, media coverage should not promote secessionism and irredentism. GJA also urge the political leadership of the country and all stakeholders to cooperate, assist and facilitate a resolution of the agitation. Below is the full statement Hollywood actor Matt Damon is to film in Cahir, Co Tipperary. Photo: Don Arnold/WireImage A historic town hailed as "the crossroads of Munster" will turn the clock back to the medieval ages as it hosts Matt Damon, Ben Affleck and a galaxy of Hollywood stars for a film epic. Filming will start today in Cahir, Co Tipperary, on the Ridley Scott blockbuster The Last Duel. It is scheduled for release in October 2021 and is based on the last royal-ordered chivalrous duel. The film tells the story of a knight ordered by France's King Charles VI to settle a dispute with his best friend by means of a duel. Starring Damon and Affleck, as well as Jodie Comer, Adam Driver, Michael McElhatton and Caoimhe O'Malley, it is expected to prove one of the hit films of 2021. The film already made headlines when Damon - in Ireland for initial film sequences - found himself stranded in Dalkey, Co Dublin, in the early stages of Ireland's Covid-19 lockdown in March. Read More Now the film crew are all in "bio bubbles" in the exclusive K Club in Co Kildare to ensure filming goes without a hitch during the pandemic. The medieval epic will have extensive scenes shot at Cahir Castle over the coming weeks and along the town's beautifully situated Inch Field, overlooking the River Suir. Cahir Castle car park has been partly cordoned off to host the stars, extras and film crew with cranes, portable cabins and film tents already installed. The public has been warned that access to the car park will be restricted for the next fortnight, with private security personnel in place during filming. Video of the Day Adding a further touch of 14th-century magic, the castle is now flying medieval-style banners from its ramparts for the filming sequences. Councillor Andy Moloney said the film is a great boost for the Co Tipperary town after the body blow dealt to the local tourism industry by the pandemic. "Everyone is excited locally about maybe getting to spot some of the famous actors and even get a photo or an autograph," he said. Drug shown to precisely target non-small cell lung cancer driven by mutations to gene RET; majority of patients on trial experience shrinking tumors and live for more than a year without disease progression Singapore, 28 September 2020 - An international team of researchers has found that selpercatinib, a drug that precisely targets cancers driven by mutations or alterations in the gene RET, was effective at shrinking tumours in patients with nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC), with a majority of patients living for more than a year without disease progression. Activity was also observed in thyroid cancer, and the findings were recently published in two back to back papers in the high-impact factor journal, New England Journal of Medicine. Non-small-cell lung cancer accounts for more than 80 percent of all lung cancers. Cases of lung cancer in people who have never smoked are usually non-small-cell lung cancer. The disease affects more women than men. Standard treatment for nonsmall-cell lung cancer is a combination of surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy, with no targeted therapy option. Patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer have poor prognosis with median overall survival rate of 12 months (Toh et al. Annals academy Singapore 2017) Selpercatinib was effective both in patients with no prior treatment with anti-cancer drugs and in those who had disease progression after treatment with other drug therapy. Results of the Phase 1-2 trial formed the basis of approval of selpercatinib in May 2020 by the US FDA for a) adults with metastatic RET-driven non-small cell lung cancer, b) adults and children 12 and older, with advanced or metastatic RET-mutated medullary thyroid cancer who require systemic therapy, and c) patients 12 and older with advanced or metastatic RET-fusion positive thyroid cancer resistant to radioactive iodine who require systemic therapy. Selpercatinib is the first approved drug of its kind that specifically targets cancers driven by mutations or alterations in the gene RET. Patients with RET-associated cancers are typically treated with drugs that target RET and multiple other enzymes commonly found in many different types of cancer. However, the multi-kinase inhibitors currently approved for treatment have side effects that limit their use in patients with RET-driven cancers. The most common side effects with selpercatinib were high blood pressure, increased liver enzyme levels, decrease in sodium levels and low white blood cell count, all of which were manageable. Only 12 out of 531 patients on the trial had to stop because of side effects. Clinical Associate Professor Daniel Tan, Senior Consultant, Medical Oncology, Deputy Head of the Division of Clinical Trials and Epidemiological Sciences, National Cancer Centre Singapore and co-first author of the study said, "The trial showed the targeted therapy to have good efficacy, strong, sustained response rates and fewer side effects. It has also demonstrated the importance of molecular profiling, and National Cancer Centre Singapore has implemented routine testing of the gene RET for all lung cancer patients, to enable this group of patients to benefit from the targeted treatment." In the trial, 64 percent of previously treated patients achieved objective response and 63 percent continued to respond after 1 year. 85 percent of patients who had not previously received treatment, achieved objective response, with the median duration of response being 17.5 months. Professor William Hwang, Medical Director, National Cancer Centre Singapore said, "This targeted therapy will provide patients with non-small-cell lung cancer with significantly improved health outcomes. The National Cancer Centre of Singapore is pleased to have participated in this trial to find precise oncology treatment options for patients. This underscores the important role the Experimental Cancer Therapeutic Unit plays in running impactful early phase clinical trials that can define new standards of care." The trial involved the participation from 65 leading cancer centers around the world from 12 countries including USA, Canada, France, Switzerland, Germany, Spain, Australia and Singapore. The trial was supported by Loxo Oncology, a wholly owned subsidiary of Eli Lilly and Company. In Singapore, the trial was led by the Experimental Cancer Therapeutics Unit (ECRU), at the National Cancer Centre Singapore, which supports early phase clinical trials from Phase 0 to 2 trials. This inter-disciplinary team is engaged with preclinical and clinical development of new anti-cancer drugs for all solid tumours and lymphomas to offer patients new therapeutic options, and has spearheaded the Precision Oncology programme IMPACT (Individualised Molecular Profiling for Allocation to Clinical Trials) at NCCS, where more than 1500 patients have been recruited to date. ### For media enquiries, please contact: National Cancer Centre Singapore Rachel Tan Manager, Corporate Communications HP: 97540842 Email: rachel.tan.c.h@nccs.com.sg Lien Wanting Executive, Corporate Communications HP: 9230 0991 Email: lien.wanting@nccs.com.sg About National Cancer Centre Singapore National Cancer Centre Singapore (NCCS) provides a holistic and multi-disciplinary approach to cancer treatment and patient care. We see close to 65 per cent of the public sector oncology cases, and they are benefiting from the sub-specialisation of our clinical oncologists. To deliver among the best in cancer treatment and care, our clinicians work closely with our scientists who conduct robust cutting-edge clinical and translational research programmes which are internationally recognised. NCCS will also launch its Proton Beam Therapy programme at its new centre. NCCS strives to be a global leading cancer centre, and shares its expertise and knowledge by offering training to local and overseas medical professionals. http://www.nccs.com.sg There is "shock and disappointment" in Laois at the news that Bus Eireann will end its Expressway services from Dublin to Galway, Limerick and Cork from next year. The services will end when the emergency supports for the routes expire which is expected to happen early next year. It is a further blow to bus services for Laois residents. In 2019 JJ Kavanaghs withdrew its Portlaoise to Roscrea service, affecting residents of Mountrath, Borris-in-Ossory and Castletown. Cllr Conor Bergin says he is shocked and disappointed with the latest news announced this Monday September 28. "I am extremely shocked and disappointed with todays reports in the media that Bus Eireann will end their X12 bus service from Dublin-Limerick, which serves people in County Laois. "Borris-In-Ossory, Castletown & Mountrath were already bypassed by Bus Eireann who withdrew the X12 service in 2014, to take the M7 motorway directly from Portlaoise to Roscrea. "This decision will leave County Laois with no Bus Eireann intercity services. "This is a very serious issue which I intend to raise with both Minister for Transport, Eamon Ryan TD and the National Transport Authority, who authorise any such changes to the routes. "As a semi-state company, Bus Eireann have a public service obligation to serve communities who depend on vital bus services for transport to college, work and hospital appointments. Notwithstanding the current difficulties with the COVID-19 pandemic, if these services are withdrawn, they will be withdrawn permanently from County Laois. "Rural communities and regional towns like Portlaoise need proper & frequent bus services and this is an issue which I will continue to fight for with the relevant authorities," Cllr Bergin said. According to a report, published by the Irish Times this Monday, Bus Eireann is not planning any job losses as a result of the route closures. Instead, it is planning an expansion of its city operations in Limerick, Cork, Galway and Waterford. The Limerick to Galway X51 service, which was suspended over the summer, will not be reinstated as part of the cost-cutting measures although non-expressway services will continue. Severe financial pressures - which have been exacerbated by the ongoing public health crisis - have led the state-owned transport authority to consider ending high-cost, low-return services. Since March, capacity has been limited to 50% on public transport. Confirming the closure of a number of Expressway serving Dublin, the board of Bus Eireann says it took the decision to end these commercial services, which it says are losing money, in order to protect the core Public Service Obligation routes. It says this decision will not result in the loss of any jobs as drivers are needed for other services. Bhopal, Sep 28 : Through a terse order on Monday, the Madhya Pradesh government "transferred and removed from duty" the Special Director General of Police (public prosecution), Purushottam Sharma, after a video of him assaulting his wife went viral on social media. The government didn't announce Sharma's new posting. The incident took place on Sunday when Sharma's wife reportedly found him with a female friend, which led to a heated argument between the two. Sharma's son, Partha, a senior officer in the Indian Revenue Service (IRS), is said to have made the video and uploaded it on social media. Partha is said to have lodged a complaint with Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Narottam Mishra. The minister confirmed receiving the complaint and said the matter was under consideration. In the video, Sharma, a 1986-batch IPS officer, could be seen beating his wife after pinning her down on the floor. Two other men in the house could do little to stop the assault. The Special DG was heard yelling at his wife while she cried for help. The Chairperson of the State Commission for Women, Shobha Oza, took suo motu cognisance of the incident and appealed to the government to register a case against Sharma and take strict action. "If those tasked with ensuring the maintenance of law and order violate it themselves and a video of the incident goes viral on social media, the government need not require a complaint to act," she said. On his part, Sharma said it was his personal matter and he would deal with it. "There is no place for a fight in a family. If my wife has problems with me, why is she putting up with me? My married life of 32 years is troubled. My own people are shaming me," he said. "My son -- a deputy commissioner -- should take action. He should tell why his mother was living with me, taking money since 12-15 years and going on foreign trips. "She has an obligation to her family -- to save its reputation. They are going around ruining the family's image while I am being forced to be apologetic. This has to stop somewhere. Why can't he keep his mother," he said. This is not the first time that Sharma has been in legal trouble. Earlier, his name had come up in a honeytrap scandal while he was the Special DG of the Cyber Cell and STF. Sharma had accused the then DG V.K. Singh of maligning the image of the police department. Scott said she and her daughter were driving from a protest to a church that offered refuge to people who would otherwise be caught violating the curfew when police blocked their route, so they parked and walked to the church instead. Officers then converged on them to make arrests before the curfew took effect, Scott said. Carole Baskin said she would have killed her first husband to escape her marriage in a shocking letter unearthed from 30 years ago. The Big Cat Rescue founder, 59, has been the subject of speculation linking her with the disappearance of her second husband, Don Lewis. But the Tiger King star penned a letter 30 years ago saying she 'would have eventually killed' her first husband, Michael Murdock. She has now clarified she made the remarks because he was abusive and she would only act in self-defense. Carole Baskin said she would have killed her first husband in a shocking letter unearthed from 30 years ago Carole penned the letter to Don's first wife Gladys after conducting an affair with him for nine years. The letter, seen by TMZ, has been unearthed ahead of a new documentary about Joe Exotic to be aired on Investigation Discovery this weekend. The letter details Carole's affair with Don but also includes a line about her first husband Michael. She wrote: 'I had to get out of my marriage and would have eventually killed my husband to do it.' The Tiger King star penned a letter 30 years ago saying she 'would have eventually killed' her first husband, Michael Murdock (pictured together) Carole penned the letter to Don's first wife Gladys after conducting an affair with him for nine years (pictured during their marriage) But Baskin says she would have only ever acted in self-defense. Confirming the letter as her own, she said: 'I only meant it in the context of self-defense as Mike Murdock was physically abusive to me to the point of causing me to fear for my life.' The reality star, who is competing on Dancing With The Stars, has previously claimed a number of times that Murdock, whom she married in 1979 and shares daughter Jamie with, was abusive. Carole and Don both divorced their respective spouses in 1991 and married each other the same year after their long affair together. The reality star, who is competing on Dancing With The Stars, has previously claimed a number of times that Murdock, whom she married in 1979 and shares daughter Jamie with, was abusive Don, a self-made millionaire through his real estate and used car businesses, continued to have affairs throughout his second marriage, according to Carole. She said he frequently flew to Costa Rica to meet women and planned to move there, buying a one-way plane ticket in the days leading up to his disappearance. Carole claims his mental health was deteriorating and he was showing signs of Alzheimer's, claims his attorneys and associates have rejected. In July 1997, Don, then 59, filed a request for a restraining order against his wife, saying she had threatened to kill him and had hidden his gun to stop him protecting himself. Baskin is the rival of Tiger King star Joe Exotic who shot to global fame this year on Netflix The request was rejected and the couple continued to live together, despite Don telling Carole multiple times he wanted a divorce. On August 18, 1997, Don disappeared after leaving home around 6am and he has not been seen since. He left holdings worth around $5million, leading to a dispute between Carole and Don's children, who accuse her of being involved in his disappearance. The case is still open and gained international prominence following the success of Netflix's Tiger King, in which warring big cat owner Joe Exotic frequently claimed Carole killed her husband and fed him to her tigers. In a new Investigation Discovery special titled Tigers, Lies And Cover Ups - set to air this coming Sunday - private detectives take another look at the case, and bring it cadaver dogs to help try and locate Lewis' remains She has consistently stated she had nothing to do with Don's disappearance. It comes after cadaver dogs appear to have picked up the scent of human remains near a Florida lake house belonging to Don. In the new documentary titled Tigers, Lies And Cover Ups - set to air this coming Sunday - private detectives take another look at the case, and bring it cadaver dogs to help try and locate Lewis' remains. In one scene from the upcoming special - shared with DailyMail.com - Captain Mike Hadsell from Peace River K-9 Search & Rescue brings along a trained dog as he scours the waters right by Lewis' lake house. Carole has been married to Howard Baskin since 2004 and he works alongside her at Big Cat Rescue The female dog is disturbed by the scents she picks up, whimpering and barking as the boat circles one portion of the lake. 'There's something in that lake, there's something that's causing the dog to continuously alert on the west side of the lake near Don Lewis' house,' an investigator states. Last month, Lewis's family held a press conference in Tampa and announced an independent investigation into his disappearance. It means Carole is set to be questioned under oath as part of the family's investigation. By Akbar Mammadov Azerbaijans Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov has held phone conversations with his counterparts from several countries on September 27, following Armenias large-scale military attack on positions of the Azerbaijani army on the front line on the same day. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov phoned Bayramov to express his concern over the situation in the region and stressed the importance of the restoration of the ceasefire. In turn, Bayramov noted that on 27 September, violating the ceasefire regime, the armed forces of Armenia shelled the positions of Azerbaijan along the line of contact with the large-calibre weapons, mortars launchers, as well as various artillery and thus. Bayramov described the attack as the continuation of the purposeful provocative activities conducted by Armenia over the recent months. It was also noted that the Armenian armed forces have been met with appropriate countermeasures within the right of self-defence in order to ensure the security of the civilian population. Bayramov also had a phone conversation with the EU Special Representative for the South Caucasus Toivo Klaar who expressed his concern over the situation in the region. During the meeting, Bayramov highlighted that the new act of aggression against Azerbaijan on September 27 was the continuation of series of provocations by Armenia in recent months, including the attack on Tovuz district on July 12-16, sabotage-reconnaissance provocation in the direction of Goranboy district on August 23, the illegal settlement in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan, as well as provocative statements and activities of the leadership of Armenia. The Azerbaijani minister also underlined that Armenian aggression against Azerbaijan constitutes a gross violation of the fundamental norms and principles of international law, the UN Security Council resolutions calling for the full and unconditional withdrawal of the armed forces of Armenia from the occupied territories of Azerbaijan, international humanitarian law, as well as the 1949 Geneva Conventions and their Additional Protocols. He noted that the political-military leadership of Armenia bears full responsibility for the current situation. Klaar stressed the importance of taking relevant measures to reduce tension in the region. On the same day, another telephone conversation took place between Jeyhun Bayramov and the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Joseph Borrell. Bayramov told Borrell that Azerbaijan carried out counter-offensive measures on September 27 within the right to self-defence and in full compliance with international humanitarian law in order to prevent another military aggression by Armenia and to ensure the safety of densely populated civilian residential areas along the line of contact. It was stressed that the responsibility for the situation lies entirely with the political and military leadership of Armenia. EU official also stressed the importance of reducing tensions, as well as taking appropriate steps to achieve a ceasefire. Bayramov also had a phone conversation with US State Deputy Secretary Stephen Biegun in which he underlined that the root cause of the tensions in the region is the aggressive policy of Armenia, which has been lasting for almost 30 years. Bayramov stressed that Armenia bears full responsibility for the current tense situation. Azerbaijans southern neighbour Iran also expressed its concern over the escalation of the tension on the line of contact between Azerbaijan and Armenia During a phone conversation with Bayramov, Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif stressed the importance of ensuring peace in the region and emphasized the importance of taking the necessary steps to reduce tensions. He also noted that Iran is always ready to assist in this matter. During the conversation, Bayramov noted that the Azerbaijani Army has taken appropriate retaliatory measures within the international borders of Azerbaijan in accordance with the right of self-defence, as well as to ensure the security of civilians. --- Akbar Mammadov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @AkbarMammadov97 Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz President Donald Trump's former campaign manager Brad Parscale was detained Sunday by police in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., after barricading himself in his home and threatening to harm himself, according to a police statement. Police said they went to Parscale's home about 4 p.m. EDT after receiving a 911 call about an armed man who was threatening suicide. Parscale's wife told the officers who responded that her husband had access to multiple firearms. Police established contact with Parscale and negotiated for him to leave the home. He was taken into custody under the Baker Act, a Florida law that allows police to detain people who are potentially a threat to themselves or others. Parscale, 44, was transported to Broward Health Medical Center, the police said. Trump replaced Parscale as his campaign manager in July, after a campaign rally in Tulsa, Okla., drew sparse crowds despite Parscale's public assurance that hundreds of thousands of people had requested tickets. Parscale was replaced at the top of the campaign with his deputy, Bill Stepien, but remained as a senior official. The campaign has been beset by surprising financial distress. Former Vice President Joe Biden's election effort entered September with $466 million to spend in the final stretch of the campaign, according to financial disclosures, about $141 million more than Trump's team. Trump's campaign has pulled back on television ads in battleground states around the country, allowing Biden to dominate the airwaves. The Washington Post and ABC News published a poll on Sunday showing Biden with a 10-point lead among likely voters, nationally, while a New York Times and Sienna College poll showed Biden with an eight-point lead. A spokesman for Trump's campaign, Tim Murtaugh, promptly blamed the president's political opponents for the incident on Sunday. "The disgusting, personal attacks from Democrats and disgruntled RINOs have gone too far, and they should be ashamed of themselves for what they've done to this man and his family," Murtaugh said in a statement. "RINO" is an acronym for "Republicans in Name Only," a term Trump and his supporters use to deride Republicans who have turned publicly against the president. In May, the Lincoln Project -- a group created by dissident Republicans to defeat Trump's re-election -- created an online ad highlighting Parscale's personal wealth and accusing him of "getting rich" off Trump's campaigns. Parscale Strategy, the digital services firm he founded, has taken in $16.9 million from Trump's campaign, the RNC and two joint fundraising committees that support both entities so far in the 2020 cycle, according to Federal Election Commission records. The biggest payments, totaling more than $3.3 million, came in February 2019, but in 2020 the payments have averaged $93,210 a month. Shortly after Murtaugh's statement, Stephanie Alexander, the Trump campaign's chief of staff, sent aides a message asking them to avoid all public comment on Parscale and calling an all-staff meeting for 9 a.m. Monday. "Brad is a valued and beloved member of our team," she wrote in the message, obtained by Bloomberg News. "We are thinking of him and supporting him during these times. At this juncture we must respect his privacy and that of his family. Please avoid publicly commenting on an evolving situation." Senior White House aides were informed Sunday evening about the incident, according to three people familiar with the matter. Sabarimala temple in Kerala to open for monthly rituals from July 16; Conditions apply for devotees How to Book Sabarimala Virtual Q Tickets Online 2021? Know Date, Price and Other Details What is Sabarimala Thantri's view over use of halal jaggery to prepare prasadam: plea in Kerala HC Virtual queues, tests mandatory: Sabarimala to open for devotees with COVID-19 protocol India oi-Madhuri Adnal Thiruvananthapuram, Sep 28: Announcing steps to conduct the annual pilgrimage to Sabarimala Lord Ayyappa temple, the Kerala government on Monday said the two-month long season from November 16 will be held strictly adhering to COVID-19 protocol. The government said steps will be taken to ensure that those infected with the novel coronavirus would not participate in the pilgrimage. According to officials, those below 10 years and above 60 will not be allowed to take part in the pilgrimage. Sabarimala temple reopens for five-day monthly prayer, devotees not allowed due to Covid-19 The government also said as part of ensuring a safe pilgrimage season amid the COVID-19 pandemic, only a limited number of pilgrims who register through the virtual queue system will be allowed entry at the temple. After chairing a meeting of various departments to discuss the preparations for organising this year''s pilgrimage commencing November 16, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said the pilgrims will not be allowed to stay back at the temple compound after darshan. The Health Department will study if wearing masks while climbing the hills will create any health problems for the pilgrims, he said. Devotees will not be allowed to take dip in river Pamba.Instead, shower systems will be arranged at Erumely and Pamba for them to take bath, the Chief Minister said. Vijayan said special arrangements will be made for performing offerings including Neyyabhishekam (ghee abhisheka, an important offering to Lord Ayyappa) and Annadanam (the sacred tradition of offering food) adhering to COVID-19 protocol. To prevent spread of the novel coronavirus during pilgrimage, drinking water to pilgrims climbing the hills for darshan will be provided in steel water pots. Vijayan said outlets of the state''s Supplyco and Consumerfed departments will be opened at Pamba to ensure availability of the essential items. Maggots found in bedsores of COVID cured bedridden man; Kerala Health minister orders probe Meanwhile, a committee headed by the Chief secretary has been appointed to prepare a report on how many pilgrims from other states can be allowed. Devaswom Minister Kadakampally Surendran would organise a virtual meet with his counterparts of neighbouring states-- Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Puducherry-- to discuss the pilgrimage. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, September 28, 2020, 23:52 [IST] According to fire officials, they received information regarding the incident at 7.42 am and two fire tenders were rushed to the spot New Delhi: Around 15-20 people set a tractor on fire at India Gate on Monday morning, police said. The incident comes amid protests by farmers and Opposition parties across the country over the contentious farm legislations that were passed by the Parliament last week. According to fire officials, they received information regarding the incident at 7.42 am and two fire tenders were rushed to the spot. "About 15-20 people had gathered around 7.15-7.30 am and tried to set a tractor on fire. The fire has been doused off and tractor was removed." "Legal action is being taken in the matter. Identity of the persons involved is being ascertained," Deputy Commissioner of Police (New Delhi) Eish Singhal said. The United States is closing in on the somber milestone of 200,000 deaths from Covid-19 as more than half of states are reporting a rise in cases. The climb comes after many states had seen case numbers decline following a summer resurgence of infections. Among the states reporting more new cases in the last seven days are Wisconsin, Idaho, South Dakota, Iowa and Kansas, all of which are also reporting test positivity rates above 15%. The test positivity rate is the percentage of all tests given that come back positive for coronavirus. The World Health Organization (WHO) advised governments in May that positivity rates should hold steady at 5% or lower for at least two weeks before businesses reopen. A total of 27 states and Puerto Rico have rates above that level, according to JHU. But some states are still seeing improvements. Maine, Vermont, Massachusetts and New York all have positivity rates below 1%, and Delaware, Hawaii, Louisiana, Michigan, South Carolina and Vermont are all reporting fewer cases than last week. The formula to reduce deaths and cases Maryland reported a record low positivity rate on Sunday of 1.89%, and state officials encouraged the public to continue to be tested to keep cases under control. Many health experts say widespread testing is key to finding asymptomatic or pre-symptomatic carriers, so those people can isolate and prevent the virus' spread. Smart testing as well as measures like distancing, avoiding crowds, wearing masks and washing hands are key to flattening the virus' curve, Adm. Brett Giroir, a member of the White House's coronavirus task force, told CNN's Jake Tapper Sunday. "We are working every day. We do have a formula to reduce the deaths, reduce the cases, but we all have to be disciplined and diligent to make sure we obey that every single day," he said. In response to the impending harrowing milestone of 200,000 coronavirus deaths, Giroir said "every death is a tragedy" and the task force is working every day to bring them down. CDC acknowledges coronavirus spreads through the air Updated guidance from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says the coronavirus can be commonly spread through viral particles in the air. The guidance previously said Covid-19 was mainly thought to spread between people within 6 feet of one another and through respiratory droplets "produced when an infected person coughs, sneezes or talks." The guidance, updated on Friday, still says Covid-19 is commonly spread between people in close contact with one another. But it also says the virus is known to spread through respiratory droplets "produced when an infected person coughs, sneezes, sings, talks or breathes." Infection can occur if the particles are inhaled "into the nose, mouth, airways, and lungs," the guidance says. "There is growing evidence that droplets and airborne particles can remain suspended in the air and be breathed in by others, and travel distances beyond 6 feet (for example, during choir practice, in restaurants, or in fitness classes)," the page now says. "In general, indoor environments without good ventilation increase this risk." Donald Milton, a professor of environmental health at the University of Maryland who studies how viruses are transmitted, told CNN the CDC's new language was a "major improvement." Milton was one of the lead authors of a July letter signed by 239 scientists. They urged the World Health Organization to be more forthcoming about the likelihood people could catch the virus from droplets in the air. Afterward, WHO released a report detailing how the coronavirus can pass between people, including through the air during certain medical procedures and possibly in crowded indoor spaces. "I'm very encouraged to see that the CDC is paying attention and moving with the science. The evidence is accumulating," Milton wrote in an email to CNN. Dr. Abdul El-Sayed, an epidemiologist and public health expert, told CNN's Wolf Blitzer Sunday the guidance formalizes the CDC's previous recommendations. "What it means for folks is those masks are critically important," he said. "They are the most important way to stop those aerosols from coming out of our mouths and noses and then getting in to other people's mouths or noses." Study finds more links between pandemic and mental health As Covid-19 intensified in the US, so did levels of stress and depression, according to a study published in the journal Science Advances. The study of more than 6,500 people found that several factors may have worsened people's stress. The biggest risk for symptoms of depression was a pre-existing mental health diagnosis prior the pandemic, researchers found. But symptoms of stress and depression were also associated more with personal exposure, rather than public spread -- suggesting "concerns about contracting the disease outweighed concerns about pandemic-related disruptions in daily life," the researchers said. "Approximately a quarter of the sample (23.5%) reported that they or a close other had been exposed to COVID-19 (e.g., experienced symptoms, were diagnosed)," researchers wrote in the report published Friday. Employment also had a big impact, with those who lost their jobs suffering most, the study found. The "data suggest that individuals who continued working during this early phase of the pandemic were less depressed than individuals who were not working, even though they were at greater risk for contracting the virus," the researchers said. Those "remaining employed as an 'essential' worker may have given new meaning to respondents' work that reduced their risk for depression." Researchers said another factor in pandemic-related stress is how often participants were exposed to conflicting information from the news and social media. People were immersed in news an average of seven hours a day, they found, and acute stress increased as time went on. But consistent, accurate and reliable news reports may be one of the best ways to control stress, the researchers suggested. CNN's Holly Yan and Maggie Fox contributed to this report. The motions' authors claim Parliament passed the bill in violation of the constitutional procedure, while its provisions allegedly contradict Constitutional norms. The Constitutional Court of Ukraine (CCU) on September 29 will consider constitutionality of the farmland market law, upon the appeal of a group of 48 people's deputies disputing new legislation. "At 10:00 on September 29, the Grand Chamber of the Constitutional Court of Ukraine at the open part of the plenary session in the form of oral proceedings will hear the case on the constitutional submission of 48 lawmakers of Ukraine regarding the constitutionality of the Law of Ukraine 'On amendments to certain legislative acts of Ukraine concerning farmland turnover' of March 31, 2020, No. 552-IX, certain provisions of the Land Code of Ukraine as amended by this law, and 53 MPs of Ukraine regarding the constitutionality of the Law of Ukraine 'On amendments to certain legislative acts of Ukraine concerning farmland turnover' of March 31, 2020, No. 552-IX," the CCU's Department of Communications of and Legal Monitoring reported on the court's website. The authors of the motions argue that farmland, as an object of property rights of the Ukrainian people, is the main national wealth under the special protection of the state, which primarily concerns agricultural land. Authors claim the Parliament has passed the bill in violation of the constitutional procedure, while its provisions allegedly contradict Constitutional norms. Read alsoWorld Bank calls on Ukraine to speed up adoption of laws for farmland marketThe MPs emphasize that the issue of free farmland turnover must be decided solely at a referendum. Background On April 28, 2020, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a bill into law to amend certain legislative acts of Ukraine on the conditions of circulation of farmland No. 552-IX, which was approved by the Verkhovna Rada on March 31, 2020. On May 4, 48 lawmakers submitted a motion to the Constitutional Court on the constitutionality of certain provisions of this law and the Land Code. On May 21, the Constitutional Court received another submission from 53 lawmakers to declare the law on the farmland market unconstitutional. Watch: Uber wins London licence appeal Shares in Uber (UBER) rallied in the pre-market on Monday after the ride hailing company won a key legal battle in London. Uber won an appeal to regain its licence to operate in London, overturning an earlier decision by Transport for London (TfL). TfL decided not to renew Ubers licence last November, arguing that it was not fit and proper. A judge ruled in favour of Ubers appeal in Westminster Magistrates Court on Monday. Despite their historical failings, I find them, now, to be a fit and proper person to hold a London PHV [Private Hire Vehicle] operators licence, Judge Tanweer Ikram said in a written ruling. Shares in Uber rose over 6% in the pre-market in New York. London is one of Ubers biggest international markets, with over 45,000 drivers in the British capital and more than 3 million users. TfL first refused Uber a licence in 2017. The regulator cited a litany of concerns around fraud and passenger safety. Uber has been battling to regain full authorisation since then, although has continued to operate in London under temporary licences. TfL again refused Uber a full licence last November, citing a software glitch that allowed unlicensed drivers to fraudulently operate on Ubers platform. READ MORE: What to watch: 2.9bn bid for William Hill, LV= mulls deals, and Diageo sales rise Judge Ikram said changes made at the company to address concerns had been sufficient, particularly progress made since last November. The logo of Uber on a car door. Photo: Getty Uber does not have a perfect record but it has been an improving picture, Judge Ikram wrote in his ruling. I am satisfied that they are doing what a reasonable business in their sector could be expected to do, perhaps even more. Jamie Heywood, Ubers regional general manager for Northern & Eastern Europe, said: This decision is a recognition of Ubers commitment to safety and we will continue to work constructively with TfL. There is nothing more important than the safety of the people who use the Uber app as we work together to keep London moving. Story continues Ubers new licence will carry 21 conditions, jointly suggested by Uber and TfL. Judge Ikram asked for input from both parties on these conditions and the length of the licence. Sadiq Khan, the mayor of London, said TfL was absolutely right to reject Ubers licence application last November due to very real concerns about passenger safety. I can assure Londoners that TfL will continue to closely monitor Uber and will not hesitate to take swift action should they fail to meet the strict standards required to protect passengers, the mayor said in a statement posted to Twitter. Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Sunday called on Union Home Minister Amit Shah at his official residence here and discussed various matters, while also apprising him of feedback from the state's farmers on the three recently-passed contentious farms bills that have received the President's assent. In the meeting which lasted around 40 minutes, the two are also understood to have discussed the attitude of Dushyant Chautala's Jannayak Janata Party, which supports the BJP in the state, party sources said. The expansion of the Khattar cabinet is also overdue, as well as appointments to the state BJP unit, and both these issues too figured in the meeting, the sources said. Khattar had also discussed these matters with party President J.P. Nadda on Saturday, and then with General Secretary (Organisation) B.L. Santosh on Sunday morning. On the issue of the farm bills, Shah is also learnt to have emphasised that an awareness campaign be conducted among the state's farmers "to dispel the misinformation being spread by opposition parties", the sources said. Theo Hayez's family have shared a touching post to mark the Belgium backpacker's 20th birthday after he vanished in Byron Bay more than a year ago. Theo was 18 years old when he was last seen leaving the Cheeky Monkey's nightclub in the New South Wales tourist town at 11pm on May 31, 2019. Despite launching a desperate search for the backpacker, Theo's family have been left without answers over his disappearance. Theo's parents Vinciane Delforge and Laurent Hayez said the pain of reaching another milestone without their son was 'indescribable' but vowed to continue their search. Theo Hayez's family have shared a touching post to mark the Belgium backpacker's 20th birthday (pictured, left, with his girlfriend) Theo (pictured) was 18 years old when he was last seen leaving the Cheeky Monkey's nightclub in the New South Wales tourist town at 11pm on May 31, 2019 'We will never stop looking for our boy and searching for answers,' they said in a statement reported by the ABC. Theo's godfather Jean-Philippe Pector also paid tribute to the missing traveller on his birthday. Mr Pector hosted the then-teenager at his 22-acre property in Victoria's Otways for about a month after he landed in Melbourne in November 2018. 'Today Theo you should be 20. I wish I could say Happy Birthday',' Mr Pector wrote on Facebook. 'It should be a day full of joy, as it has always been since you were born. But now, since you're not here and we don't know what happened to you, it's very difficult to celebrate this day.' Mr Pector said it was a special day but 'not so happy'. Pictured: Theo Hayez's family pay tribute to the backpacker on his 20th birthday 'We miss you so much,' he continued. 'Today, Theo, we won't be able to share good times with you, talk to you, hug you and make your wonderful smile shine. 'But we will nevertheless continue to celebrate you, remembering all the good, unique moments we shared together. 'You will never leave our hearts, you will always live in us.' Mr Pector included a series of images with his birthday message, including a picture of him wearing a 'missing persons' t-shirt and 'Theo' built out of Lego. Theo's godfather Jean-Philippe Pector (left) also paid tribute to the missing traveller on his birthday. Mr Pector hosted the then-teenager at his home in the Otways in November 2018 Mr Pector included a series of images with his birthday message, including a picture of him wearing a 'missing persons' t-shirt and 'Theo' built out of Lego (pictured) Theo never returned to the hostel where he was staying and it was not until June 6 - a week after he was last seen - that his family in Europe raised the alarm. His father Laurent flew out to Australia to join other family members, police and local volunteers in the search for his son. 'When I left Belgium I promised Hayez's little brother, Lucas, I would bring his brother home, please help me keep my promise to him', Laurent said on his arrival. A grey Puma hat similar to the one Theo was wearing when he vanished was found in bushland last July. Extensive land, air and sea searches failed to find a trace of the teenager and the NSW Police referred Theo's case to the Coroner a year ago. A group of artists collaborated to provide accessible art to share information about public officials such as Trump before the debate When President Donald Trump heads to Cleveland, Ohio to debate presidential candidate and former vice president Joe Biden on Tuesday, hell be greeted by more than just conservative supporters. Hell also be greeted with billboards that broadcast some of the outrageous things hes said since becoming president. Read More: Biden campaign mocks Trumps performance-enhancing drug accusations Artists United for Change, in conjunction with artists/strategists Robin Bell and Scott Goodstein have created the RememberWhatTheyDid project that commissioned artists to provide artistic renderings of Trumps most head-scratching public statements. Those renderings are placed on billboards in predominantly Black and Latino neighborhoods to encourage civic activism in those communities. According to a press release, there will be nine billboards placed for maximum visibility on the route to the Cleveland Clinic, where Trump and Biden will debate on Tuesday, Sept. 29. The RememberWhatTheyDid and #Votethemout campaigns hope the billboards wont just raise awareness but will increase participation in the upcoming presidential election in November. Ohio is a particularly important state and so far, Biden and Trump are tied there. What Trump said..(Rememberwhatheydid.com) New polling shows Ohio is dead even and no Republican has won the White House without Ohio. Its clear Trump and Pence are worried and with good reason. But to vote them out, we all need to stand up and be counted, said Goodstein, who is a Cleveland, Ohio native. Forty percent of voters arent reached by the usual voter-file matched political advertising and many of these voters are in communities that are underrepresented at the polls. So we are bringing our message to the streets because in an election year this important, we cannot allow any of our communities to be overlooked. Story continues The billboards include statements that Trump has made about migrant children, protestors, and the coronavirus, three things that have at this point become hot-button issues not just for Trumps re-election campaign but for what some believe is the future of America. The participating artists, including Brooklyn street artist Swoon, Obama HOPE artist Shepherd Fairey and Washington, D.C. public artist Nekisha Durrett, were happy to provide their work for the benefit of civic engagement and voter awareness, especially in the wake of the deaths of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and George Floyd that led to global protests in June. Those protests continue now that a Louisville, Kentucky grand jury has only charged one officer in Taylors shooting death in a botched no-knock raid. Brett Hankison, now a former police officer, is only facing a felony wanton endangerment charge not connected to Taylors death. An-anti Trump billboard (Rememberwhattheydid.com) The COVID pandemic coupled with continued police brutality brought to the surface inequities across race and gender in every facet of American life, artist Durrett said. The reckoning with Americas racist legacy has been led by young activists who have taken the movement for Black Lives to the streets. The artwork embodies the energy of these young activists in an effort to connect to communities on a visceral level and to move everyone to the voting booth in November, Read More: CDC director Redfield raises alarm over Trumps new virus adviser Billboards will be mounted in five battleground cities: Detroit, Michigan; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Cleveland, Ohio, and Phoenix, Arizona. Have you subscribed to theGrios podcast Dear Culture? Download our newest episodes now! The post Anti-Trump billboards to greet Trump at Cleveland debate appeared first on TheGrio. As the world races to develop a potential vaccine against coronavirus (Covid-19), the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Monday said that the first vaccine in India will most likely be available by early 2021. The health ministry said the research to develop a Covid-19 vaccine is being done expeditiously. During a media briefing, Union health minister Dr Harsh Vardhan said, Research to develop a vaccine is being done expeditiously. There ar at least 3 viable such vaccine candidates that are in the phase of clinical trials right now in the country. Were hopeful that within 1st quarter of 2021 it will be available, as quoted by ANI. Also read | Online portal about Covid-19 vaccine launched, all R&D, clinical trial data on it, says Harsh Vardhan With a spike of 82,170 new coronavirus cases in last 24 hours, Indias Covid-19 tally crossed the 60-lakh mark on Monday, according to the data provided by health ministry. The health ministry on Monday also released the 100-year timeline history of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) . Todays a historic day for ICMR. Its an honour for me to release the 100-year timeline of the history of ICMR within its premises today. The contribution of scientists associated with it is commemorated and serves as an inspiration to upcoming scientists, Dr Vardhan told media. France's government presented its 2021 budget on Monday, a plan that aims to rescue the country's beleaguered from the impact of the pandemic by injecting a 42 billion-euro (USD 49 billion) stimulus next year. Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said we are convinced that can recover, and quickly recover, following a Cabinet meeting. France's is expected to shrunk 10 per cent this year, in its worst recession since World War II. Earlier this month, French President Emmanuel Macron's centrist government unveiled a 100 billion-euro (USD 117 billion) recovery plan aimed at creating jobs and saving struggling businesses. "By the end of 2021, we want to release 42 billion euros of these funds, so nearly half of it, in order to have quick economic results, Le Maire said. The government hopes the will grow 8 per cent next year, boosted by the recovery plan. The massive plan includes money to bring back the manufacturing of medical supplies to French factories, develop hydrogen energy, help museums and the cinema industry, train young people for 21st century jobs and hire more staff at unemployment offices. Spending money to save jobs and businesses is a good investment, Le Maire argued. France's public debt is expected to surge from less than 100 per cent of gross domestic product last year to 117.5 per cent this year, according to the government's forecasts. Le Maire vowed that the debt will be repaid" through recovered growth, cuts in public spending and major reforms including changes to the country's pension system. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Colombo: A Sri Lankan court on Monday barred the captain of the Greek-owned oil tanker that caught fire off Sri Lanka's eastern coast from leaving the country. The magistrate's court here, however, declined to issue a remand order on Steiros Illias, the captain of the Panama-registered tanker MT New Diamond that went up in flames on September 3 while carrying 2 million barrels of crude oil from Kuwait to India. The deputy solicitor general had requested for a remand order as the captain was needed to file an indictment in the high court. The court barred him from leaving the country as he was needed for further proceedings. The captain appeared in the court after the attorney general directed police to record his statement. He was to be charged for committing offences under the Marine Pollution Environmental Protection Act. The next hearing in the case is on October 12. On Saturday, the owner of ship, Greece-based Porto Emporios Shipping Inc., agreed to pay USD 2.3 million to Sri Lanka for the costs incurred on dousing the fire on board the tanker. The deputy solicitor general told the magistrate that oil had leaked from the tanker polluting the sea. At least two nautical miles had been affected by the oil seepage. New Diamond, a vessel under charter by the Indian Oil Corporation, was carrying 270,000 metric tonnes of crude oil from Mina Al Ahmadi port in Kuwait to the Indian port of Paradip when a boiler explosion in its engine room caused a fire off the coast of Sangamankanda in Ampara district. The fire killed one Filipino crew member and injured another, while 21 other crew members escaped uninjured. The Sri Lanka Navy with the help of Indian counterparts and coast guard doused the fire after a much effort. The ship is currently in the seas 70 nautical miles east of Batticaloa in the east and 129 kilometers away from the Batticaloa coast. . - A funeral poster with the image of Kumawood actor, Sekyere Amankwah, has popped up - The poster has stirred loads of reactions from Ghanaians who have sighted it online - Many people have described the poster as a gimmick to promote an upcoming movie Our Manifesto: This is what YEN.com.gh believes in Install our latest app for Android and read the best news about Ghana A funeral poster for Kumawood actor Sekyere Amankwa has popped up on social media leaving many Ghanaians shocked. In the poster sighted by YEN.com.gh, Amankwah is seen in his trademark bald head and a puffy beard. He is dressed in a pair of jeans and a t-shirt with a blazer on top while locking his sets of fingers together. Photo source: Instagram/Sweet Maame Adwoa Source: Instagram While he is widely known as Sekyere Amankwah, the poster which has been headlined as 'What A Shock', captures his name as Akwasi Mensah. The funeral poster also puts the supposedly deceased man's age at 37 years old. Details on the poster are that the deceased will be buried laid in state at Mantemankabi on October 31, 2020. While YEN.com.gh cannot confirm or deny the news of Sekyere Amankwah's death as being suggested in the poster, there are few things to note. The actor has always been known as Sekyere Amankwah and not Akwasi Mensah. Even if Sekyere Amankwah was a name for showbiz, it would have been put on the poster as an alias if it were true. Moreover, no report has been made of his sickness or sudden death as it is usually the case when such popular people pass away. It is, therefore, hard for us to believe that this a real funeral poster and not one of the avenues to garner attention for an upcoming movie. Just like YEN.com.gh has spotted some inconsistencies with the funeral poster, many Ghanaians who have spotted the photo have shared similar opinions. For many of the people, the poster is just an attempt to promote one of the movies coming up. vivienne_appiah was initially fooled: "Eish, so this just for a movie.. Was abt to say' Oohuu' but then I saw Zion's caption." lindabiragobonsu described the promotional gimmick as madness: "This is pure madness. How can a human being compromise his life for a movie promotion? Hmmm." _kojocyrus almost believed the poster: "My jaw was dropped till I saw the caption. Zion you face ok." ikonz4eva_ did not see the poster as funny: "This sh*t isn't funny. y'all should wise up." ibrah_2k laughed about the age on the poster: "This mans beard alone can clock 35 years come again Zion." A moderately popular actor, Amankwah has been acting mostly as a fetish priest (juju man) or occultist in many Kumawood movies. In other news, Barbara Tommey, the US-based Ghanaian who was killed by her husband, Pastor Sylvester Ofori, has been laid to rest. Tommey was laid to rest after a burial service at the Kingdom Church in Orlando, Florida, on Saturday, September 26, 2020 A video from the funeral has shown Ghana's Ambassador to the US, Baffour Adjei Barwuah, among the mourners. Have national and human interest issues to discuss? Know someone who is extremely talented and needs recognition? Your stories and photos are always welcome. Get interactive via our Facebook page Source: YEN.com.gh Chelsey Gaos grandmother is 84, has myriad health issues, speaks no English and has not left home at all since the pandemic revved up. Mother and daughter, then, are the designated emissaries to the outside world. Gao, 23, headed to Ohio in January for a new job as a data analyst, and had big plans to travel internationally with friends on her new adult income. But after the coronavirus tightened its grip on the U.S., she moved back home to live with her mother and octogenarian grandmother in the Atlanta suburbs. "I just figured it would be a lot easier to be able to be back home with a support system, Gao said. Being isolated was not an ideal situation." Her 53-year-old mother, who was born and raised in China, received unemployment after being furloughed in March. That cushioned the blow, but she still worried: If the unemployment lasted for longer, or perhaps she was laid off from her job, she [felt] comfortable knowing that I could provide [financial] support for our family," Gao said. Image; Chelsey Gao. (Courtesy of Chelsey Gao) They are among the ranks of Asian Americans who live in multigenerational homes a tradition in some cultures and one increasingly complicated by the threat of a pandemic thats taken a unique and multifaceted toll on the Asian American and Pacific Islander community. A Pew Research study found 29 percent of Asian Americans lived in a home with two or more adult generations or grandparents and grandkids under 25 in 2016 more than other ethnic groups. By comparison, 27 percent of Hispanics, 26 percent of Blacks and just 16 percent of whites had that kind of setup. Living in crowded quarters can be difficult enough in normal times. Throw in a deadly virus, and the situation gets even more demanding. "When you live in a mixed-generation household, or even a household with folks who are considered higher risk, [it's] very different than if you are just social distancing, being careful, but you don't have a grandma who could die if she caught the virus. So there's a lot more at stake," says Sung Yeon Choimorrow, executive director of the National Asian Pacific American Women's Forum, a nonprofit focused on policies to help women and girls. Story continues The numbers tell a painful story: Data analyzed by The Marshall Project shows Covid-19 has had a disproportionate effect on the mortality rate among Asian Americans: From January to July, deaths increased 35 percent over the 2015-19 average, compared to a 9 percent rise for whites. (Other ethnic groups have also seen dramatic jumps, including a 44 percent increase among Hispanics, 31 percent among Blacks, and 22 percent spike for Native Americans.) A high mortality rate Why is the mortality rate from the coronavirus so high for Asian Americans? Lots of reasons, says Grace Ma, a professor and founding director of the Center for Asian Health at Temple University. AAPI undertesting for Covid-19 is a real problem, Ma says. She points to a roster of issues: Inability to social distance in crowded multigenerational homes. High-exposure jobs in sectors such as health care. Underlying chronic illness, language barriers and a debunked "model minority" myth that continues to mean a lack of attention to the communitys disadvantaged status. Theres also anti-Asian discrimination that fosters distrust of reporting and contact tracing. "I think there are a lot of barriers in access to care, and people just don't talk about it. When the system [does] not have the languages, they can't even get across the point of making appointments let alone to get testing and treatment unless they're so sick and they end up in the emergency room, Ma says. Asian Americans arent even mentioned in some recent discussions of equitable distribution of a future coronavirus vaccine, Ma said that the bottom line is that "Asians oftentimes are neglected, and we have to fight for it." Barriers exacerbated by Covid-19 extend to getting by in the battered U.S. economy, Choimorrow said and again, the challenges can be tougher for AAPI, including immigrants living in multigenerational households. In May, according to a Pew study, the adjusted unemployment rate for Asians was 20.3 percent higher than for whites and Blacks and on par with that of Hispanics. The problem may be even worse: "When you think about the fact that 29 percent of Asian Americans live in [an] at least two-adult-generation households, not everybody is bringing in income, Choimorrow says, and so there are more people whose livelihoods depend on your income than a standard nuclear family." Immigration issues Some AAPI families have members with different immigration statuses. That brings some people real pause when they consider asking for government help, because benefits may not always be available to mixed-status households. Heated and confusing rhetoric surrounding immigration adds a fear factor: "At a time where people really need [to] lean on public benefits, Choimorrow says, they're not because they're afraid of either losing their chances of becoming a citizen, or that their family member might get deported because of them." When Asian Americans do choose to reach out for help, language barriers can complicate everything from signing up for business loans and unemployment benefits to getting basic news and educational support, Choimorrow says: If government forms confound the native English speaker, how much do nonspeakers struggle? If parents must work and kids are cared for by a grandparent with limited English, how do they help with homeschooling assignments or even talk to customer service if the internet goes down when help in Asian languages is limited? "In Asian American households, not [to] generalize, but I think many of us come from cultures where putting family and community before yourself is highly valued, South Korea-born Choimorrow said. We come [from] very communal cultures. And so those things are expected of young people right now." Family, social and economic fears When the coronavirus pandemic heated up in the spring, Christy Wang of Brooklyn took action to protect her family: She limited grocery runs to once a week, enforced constant hand washing and sanitizing, and switched to working from home. She started buying portable alarms as security against Covid-19-related racist attacks on Asian Americans Stocking up on these items meant buying for her husband, teenage daughter and her mother. "There is so much to worry about... Every time you go out, you worry," Wang told NBC Asian America -- and that concern extends to the older and younger generations of her family, even as she continues her own work as an accountant: Is her daughter keeping her mask on when she's at the park with friends? Is her mom taking precautions against exposure to the virus when she rides the subway to Chinatown to see her doctor? Wang's daughter, Catrina, will study online this fall while her parents work from home and her Cantonese-speaking grandmother helps with the cooking and chores. Having everyone together 24/7 during the pandemic, she says, means tight quarters and less privacy. With a childs innocence, Catrina's take on pandemic life sums up what many families like hers are facing in a broader sense. "Sometimes its a little chaotic," she said. "A lot of things all just happen at once." For Gao, her role as translator even before the onset of the pandemic took on heightened importance. Although her mother can communicate in English, Gao says she's still acted as family interpreter in dealing with utilities or doctors: "I think the biggest help I have [been] is just helping with language barriers." Her family, including her grandmother are aware of the incidents of anti-Asian bias. "She's also very scared, Gao said. We basically go to the Chinese grocery stores every weekend and we pick her up the newspaper, so she is also very aware of how serious the situation is." Gao and her mother stick together on shopping trips and walks, and remain concerned by reports of rising anti-Asian harassment and violence amid the pandemic. "We live in a relatively white area, [and] so I think we do feel a little anxious Thankfully, everyone has been friendly, but we're just never sure what could ever happen, because [my] mom and I both read the news," Gao said. "I [have] other AAPI friends who are in Tennessee, and I have another friend who has a mother living in a more rural area of Georgia, and I know we all shared concerns about our parents going out ... We do a lot of our shopping at Asian grocery stores, so I think that's also kind of made us feel more safe." Women disproportionately affected Choimorrow pointed out women carry more of the mental and physical caretaking load. "There are various reasons why women bear a larger burden, and people were talking about it pre-pandemic." And within multigenerational homes, women are often sandwiched in between guarding both kids and parents against the coronavirus. "If you think about [it] in the context of multigenerational families ... the parents are having to carry this burden of deciding that they have to go back to work and put their elderly parents at risk, Choimorrow said. Women are also sacrificing more with regard to child care specifically. "I've heard from eight different people that they're quitting their jobs to help the kids learn online. Yeah. In the last two weeks," Choimorrow said. Mothers have reduced their work hours four to five times more than fathers amid the pandemic, according to a recent study in the journal Gender, Work and Organization. And about 17 percent of working moms have quit their job during the pandemic, compared to 10 percent of working dads, according to a recent survey by the career website FlexJobs. The country is asking people to make decisions that no one should really have to be making, Choimorrow said. But that's that's a reality for so many Americans and over 30 percent of Asian American families living in the U.S." Follow NBC Asian America on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. The digitization of peoples addresses will pave the way for e-government and administrative procedure reform. Vpostcode aims to combine the national postal address coding platform with online public service portals to improve services to citizens. With Vpostcode, people will only need to declare their addresses once on Vietnam Posts Vpostcode/Post ID (electronic authentication system) in order to be able to use personal codes with their addresses for many different public services. People will type their postal address codes in the online public service porta, and will receive authentication. They do not need to go through declaration procedures with complicated figures and data. Once the online public service portals are connected with Vpostcode and PostID, the address codes will be sent to Vietnam Post and a delivery person will go to the registered addresses to receive or give documents. To date, Vpostcode has more than 23 million addresses. However, according to deputy general director of Vietnam Post Le Quoc Anh, the data is collected by Vietnam Post, so it needs to be checked, which can only be done with the cooperation of local authorities. Hoang Bao Ngoc from MIC emphasized the important role of local information and communication departments in verifying addresses and then making them available to administrative public service applications. An Giang, Hanoi, Da Nang have a plan to apply Vpostcode on a trial basis. With the clear benefits of Vpostcode when connecting online public service systems, Vietnam Post has proposed turning postal address codes into standard data to connect systems; encouraging public service systems to set standards for people to use; and guiding businesses and people in how to use postal address codes for public services. Agreeing that it is necessary to connect Vpostcode with online public services soon, a representative of Tay Ninh Information and Communication Department proposed taking another step forward by connecting Vpostcode with Post ID to link electronic systems. Anh said with the aim of developing digital map, postal address code and postal address databases into a common platform, Vpostcode is built in a way to create ecosystem connections. If people want to open a bank account online, they could log in with their identification codes and get PostID authentication at the national public service portal, and banks would grant accounts immediately after authentication and verification. Binh Minh Vietnam embraces digital transformation, online teaching in education sector Thai Van Thanh, director of the Nghe An Education and Training Department, said if there are favorable conditions, online teaching will bring big benefits, especially in remote areas. DUBAI, UAE / ACCESSWIRE / September 28, 2020 / Future Market Insights (FMI) in its latest study on the sun care products market has anticipated that the market will witness a steady CAGR of 4% during 2020-2030. According to the study, the market players will witness huge market prospects due to increasing product awareness concerning skin cancer and aging-related with exposure to UV rays. Growing online sales of sun care products are poised to foresee sturdy growth, moderately offsetting losses experienced by in-store sales. The sun care products market will be affected by the COVID-19 outbreak, registering slow sales amid the crisis. The market is nevertheless likely to gain momentum due to sales through online channels. "Players have transitioned to organic and natural ingredients to pull in new consumer demographics. Additionally, the extraction of natural ingredients offers better margins via cheaper raw materials," said a lead analyst at FMI. Download a Sample Report with Table of Contents and Figures: https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-12532 Sun Care Products Market- Key Takeaways By product type, the demand for the creams segment will remain lucrative during the projected period. By nature, conventional products will witness huge demand, yet organic products also will be gaining traction over the assessment period. In terms of end-users, sun care products sales will be higher in the women category in contrast to men. Online sales channels are likely to gain traction over other channels, with ease of purchase, cost benefits, and improvements to product choice for consumers Sun Care Products Market - Key Trends Growing outdoor recreational activities has prompted increasing incidences of skin cancer all over the world thus catalyzing the market growth. South Korean sun care products will offer lucrative prospects to the global market growth due to their lax regulations on product formulations than western markets. Extensive usage of nanotechnology in the sunscreen formulations will foster market growth as it diminishes side effects for users Regional Analysis North America holds a significant market share, majorly contributed by the US. The region will remain a lucrative market traditionally. The East Asian market for sun care products is poised to expand steadily in the long-run. The MEA region will reflect lucrative development prospects with growing instances of skin diseases due to higher UV radiation and adverse weather conditions in several nations in the region. Sun Care Products Market - Competitive Landscape Cosmetic and personal care companies around the globe are focusing on research & development (r&d) efforts for enhancements in their product offerings along with strategies to increase sales for sun care products that are highly dependent on seasonal sales. With the COVID-19 pandemic upsetting travel and outdoor recreational activities, the requirement for sun care products have come down, players have to consider the probable long - and short-term consequences of the pandemic on the sector. Divestments, acquisitions, and alterations in product promotion will stay key strategies for leading players. Key players identified in the sun care products market include Shiseido Company Limited, Johnson & Johnson, Beiersdorf AG, The Procter & Gamble Company, Loreal SA, Unilever, Lotus Herbal Pvt. Ltd., The Estee Lauder Companies Inc., Bayer AG., and Avon Products Inc. For any Queries Linked with the Report, Ask an Analyst@ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/ask-question/rep-gb-12532 Sun Care Products Market - Segmentation Product Type Creams Lotions, Gels, & Oils Others Nature Organic Conventional End User Male Female Kids Sales Channel Wholesalers and Distributors Online Retailers Hypermarkets and Supermarkets Pharmacy Stores Specialty Stores Convenience Stores Others Region: North America Latin America Europe South Asia East Asia Middle East & Africa Oceania Get full Report Now@ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/checkout/12532 Get Valuable Insights into the Sun Care Products Market Future Market Insights, in its new offering, provides an unbiased analysis of the global sun care products market, presenting historical demand data and forecast statistics for the period from 2020-2030. The study divulges compelling insights on the sun care products market, allowing readers to glean qualitative and quantitative information which will enable them to make informed market decisions in the upcoming forecast period. Explore Extensive Coverage on FMI's Consumer Product Landscape Stretch Mark Removal Products Market: The stretch mark removal products market is anticipated to surpass an impressive revenue threshold by the end of the forecast period ranging from 2020 to 2030, concludes FMI's recently published research report on the market. Curling Irons Market: FMI's compelling study on the curling irons market sheds light on the prominent dynamics influencing the growth trajectory for the upcoming forecast period 2020-2030 through detailed segmental and regional analyses. Skin Lightening Products Market: The skin lightening products market report offers a 360-degree analysis, bringing to the fore insights that can help stakeholders identify key challenges and opportunities across the upcoming decade's growth trajectory. About Future Market Insights (FMI) Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading provider of market intelligence and consulting services, serving clients in over 150 countries. FMI is headquartered in Dubai, and has delivery centers in the UK, U.S. and India. FMI's latest market research reports and industry analysis help businesses navigate challenges and make critical decisions with confidence and clarity amidst breakneck competition. Our customized and syndicated market research reports deliver actionable insights that drive sustainable growth. A team of expert-led analysts at FMI continuously tracks emerging trends and events in a broad range of industries to ensure that our clients prepare for the evolving needs of their consumers. Contact: Mr. Abhishek Budholiya Unit No: AU-01-H Gold Tower (AU), Plot No: JLT-PH1-I3A, Jumeirah Lakes Towers, Dubai, United Arab Emirates MARKET ACCESS DMCC Initiative For Sales Enquiries: sales@futuremarketinsights.com For Media Enquiries: press@futuremarketinsights.com Report: https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sun-care-products-market Press Release Source: https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/press-release/sun-care-products-market SOURCE: Future Market Insights View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/608037/Sun-Care-Products-Market-to-Record-a-CAGR-of-4-During-2020-2030-Says-Future-Market-Insights-in-New-Study US researchers modified half of a kids' book to remove all its needless pictures 68-year-olds were given it to read while their eye movements were tracked The kids were less distracted and learnt more when excess images were deleted Illustrating children's books with too many detailed, non-essential pictures makes it 'harder for kids to focus and absorb knowledge', a study has demonstrated. Colourful pictures intended to motivate young readers may achieve the exact opposite by drawing attention away from the story text, US researchers warned. ADVERTISEMENT Although reading is considered a 'gateway for learning', around 20 per cent of children in the UK do not meet the minimum level of literacy proficiency. Childrens books typically include eye-catching illustrations to help readers visualise the characters and setting of the story. However, eye-tracking studies found that too many pictures can prove distracting. Illustrating children's books with too many detailed, non-essential pictures makes it 'harder for kids to focus and absorb knowledge', a study has demonstrated. Pictured, a picture book Colourful pictures intended to motivate young readers may achieved the exact opposite by drawing attention away from the story text, US researchers warned. Pictured, an example of a children's reading book, with text highlighted in blue, essential images in green and distracting, non-essential illustrations highlighted in red 'Learning to read is hard work for many kids,' said paper author and psychologist Anna Fisher of the Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. 'Extraneous images may draw the reader's eyes away from the text and disrupt the focus necessary to understand the story.' In their study, Dr Fisher and colleagues gave a group of adults a book designed for children's reading practice and asked them to identify which pictures within were entertaining but not essential to understand the story. These extraneous pictures were then removed from the second half of the book before the work was given to 60 US first- and second-grade students that is, those aged between 6 and 8 to read. A portable eye-tracker was used to monitor the number of times each student shifted their gaze away from the text to images across the page. Click here to resize this module The team found that children shifted their gaze less when reading the streamlined half of the book and achieved higher comprehension scores. 'During these primary school years, children are in a transition period in which they are increasingly expected to read independently,' said paper author and psychologist Cassondra Eng, also of the Carnegie Mellon University. This has become even more so amid COVID-19, she added, which has forced children to learn with less in-person guidance from teachers. ADVERTISEMENT The findings of the study, she said, will allow us to 'design materials grounded in learning theories that can be most helpful to children and enrich their experiences with technology.' Those children who were the most likely to look away from the text while reading were also the most likely to benefit from the streamlined version, the team found. Dr Fisher and colleagues have suggested that authors, illustrators and publishers consider removing distracting and unnecessary pictures from educational materials for first-time-readers. In their study, Dr Fisher and colleagues gave a group of adults a book designed for children's reading practice (pictured, top) and asked them to identify which pictures within were entertaining but not essential to understand the story. These extraneous pictures were then removed from the second half of the book (bottom) before the work was given to 60 US first- and second-grade students that is, those aged between 6 and 8 to read 'This is not a silver bullet and will not solve all challenges in learning to read,' Dr Fisher cautioned. 'But if we can take steps to make practicing reading a little bit easier and reduce some of the barriers, we can help children engage with the printed material and derive enjoyment from this activity.' The researchers cautioned, however, that the study was limited by its evaluation of children's reading patterns based on only a single book. ADVERTISEMENT The full findings of the study were published in the journal npj Science of Learning. CALGARY - The recent softening of record high prices for lumber could translate into relief for homebuyers and do-it-yourselfers while continuing to spur high profits for producing companies, analysts say. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 28/9/2020 (481 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Lumber is stacked at a mill along the Stave River in Maple Ridge, B.C., Thursday, April 25, 2019. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward CALGARY - The recent softening of record high prices for lumber could translate into relief for homebuyers and do-it-yourselfers while continuing to spur high profits for producing companies, analysts say. The higher cost of lumber has translated into about $10,000 or more in extra costs for each typical single family home and has been an irritant for an otherwise healthy new home market in Canada, said CEO Kevin Lee of the Canadian Home Builders Association. He added that shortages of certain products have made it difficult for builders to complete projects on time this summer, noting higher lumber prices are leading to higher home prices. "We definitely have seen developers and builders putting some projects on hold when they come to a certain point because it's just so hard to price new construction with prices going up and up and up," he said on Monday. The industry's hope is that prices will fall and supply firm up as the summer construction season comes to a close, allowing builders to take advantage of what's expected to be a continuing high level of demand from people working from home because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Many lumber producers temporarily shut down mills due to the novel coronavirus early this year, reducing inventory levels as demand rose for renovations and new homes. A US$14 drop to US$941 per thousand board feet in the North American framing lumber composite price on Friday represents the first weekly decline noted by industry watcher Random Lengths since April 10, said RBC analyst Paul Quinn in a report. In the same week last year, the price was just US$367. "Buyers largely stepped to the sidelines as prices began to fall," Quinn said. "We would not be surprised to see continued declines in the coming weeks, but would note that the November lumber futures contract increased US$28 week-over-week to US$607 per thousand board feet." Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Random Lengths reported that oriented strand board, a panel product commonly used to sheath new houses, was unchanged on the week at US$690 per thousand square feet, up from US$218 a year ago. Lumber prices are still high by historic measures but a little more weakness is starting to creep into the market and there is "some downward pressure," said Kevin Mason, managing director of ERA Forest Products Research. "With these very high prices, you are seeing an impact on demand. So there are some projects that are getting postponed," he said, adding some multi-family developments could be looking at millions of dollars in additional costs from higher building product prices. "You have a seasonal slowing in demand and the retail (renovation) demand is slowing as well. However, he said the change in prices will simply drop lumber producers from astonishingly profitable to remarkably profitable levels, adding he expects robust financial results for the remainder of this year and likely through 2021. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 28, 2020. Kong Mas is shown in a Facebook photo posted on the day of his arrest, Jan. 16, 2019. A recently released political prisoner in Cambodia has submitted a complaint to the United Nations, saying that even though he has completed his 18-month sentence, government agents are closely watching him, he told RFA. Kong Mas, a member of the banned opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP), was sentenced in Oct. 2019 for for insulting the government and incitement to commit a crime based on Facebook comments critical of Prime Minister Hun Sens government. He had predictedcorrectlythat Cambodia would be the target of European Union trade sanctions for rollbacks on democracy and human rights. Kong Mas, who completed his sentence last month, told RFAs Khmer Service that authorities in southeastern Svay Rieng province are continuing to monitor his activities and even told his parents not to allow him to stay in their house. The reason I submitted my complaint to the UN High Commissioner is because I do not trust the governmental authorities because we have seen relentless persecution against activists, he said after sending the letter to the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in Phnom Penh Monday. Kong Mas stressed that he is not alone in facing intense government scrutiny. Activists have been physically ambushed or attacked and the authorities have never been able to identify the perpetrators, so we are concerned for our safety, he added. Kong Mas also asked the UN in his letter to talk with the Cambodian government to end persecution against opposition activists at the grassroot. Particularly they should stop the local police and security forces from constantly putting pressure on activists, such as watching and intimidating us all the time, he said. Kong Mas said in addition to accepting his letter of complaint, the UN Office has asked many questions and told him that they would remain in contact with him. Responding to questioning about the complaint, National Police Commissioner Spokesperson Chhay Kim Kheourn told RFA that the local authorities are not specifically watching Kong Mas, they merely sent officers on patrol to protect the security and safety of the public. He suggested the activists are overly concerned and should feel more secure with patrols keeping them safe. Cambodias Supreme Court dissolved the CNRP in November 2017, two months after leader Kem Sokhas arrest, for its role in opposition leaders alleged scheme. The ban, along with a wider crackdown on NGOs and the independent media, paved the way for Hun Sens CPP to win all 125 seats in parliament in the countrys July 2018 general election. Reported by RFAs Khmer Service. Translated by Sok Ry Sum. Written in English by Eugene Whong. Boris Johnson's former close friend Jennifer Arcuri spectacularly turned on the PM today branding him 'nothing short of a dictator' and 'the worst kind of leader'. The technology entrepreneur, 35, likened him to a 'puppet on a string' but stopped short of total condemnation, admitting 'I dont believe he is evil'. But she added 'Nobody trusts a word coming out of his mouth' and said that his time in top office had been shame after shame. And in what could be the most hurtful comment for Mr Johnson, she lined up Chancellor Rishi Sunak as his replacement. Ms Arcuri's intervention comes as something of a surprise given her friendship with the PM was once probed by the police watchdog. The review established there was a 'close association' between the pair and there 'may have been an intimate relationship', but they had done nothing wrong. Ms Arcuri said today he had crippled the UK, adding: 'There is absolutely no reason to lockdown this country again. This is nothing short of a dictator, and he is the worst kind of leader because nobody trusts a word coming out of his mouth. Boris Johnson and Jennifer Arcuri at the Innotech Hacking and data conference in 2014 And even if he did have the best intentions for the country, nobody believes it. Everything he has done since he has taken office has been one sham after another, despite the fact that I know that man means good. I dont know what the hell is going on but he is not calling the shots, he is not the person in charge. So we cant blame him necessarily because there is an army around him feeding him fake experts, this is completely political. Ms Arcuri has said she believes Rishi Sunak could be a good replacement for Mr Johnson When Boris met Jennifer: PM's 'intimate' relationship with tech adviser Arcuri October 2011: Johnson first meets Arcuri at a gathering of venture capitalists in central London, while he is Mayor of the capital city. April 2012: He is a keynote speaker at the first networking event in 2012 for Arcuri's firm. He visited her flat several times, where she has a dancing pole, during his tenure as Mayor between 2008 and 2016. September 2013: At a Conservative Party conference in Manchester she photographed Johnson speaking, posting it online with the caption: 'The laughter in the room makes this whole week worth it.' November 2014: Arcuri is delegate on Johnson's trade mission to Singapore and Malaysia. February 2015: Arcuri is seen at events during Johnson's trade trip to New York. November 2015: Arcuri joins the London Mayor on a trade trip to Tel Aviv in Israel at his request. May 2016: Johnson steps down as Mayor. June 2018: Arcuri moves to California. September 2019: Allegations about Johnson's friendship with Arcuri break in a piece from The Sunday Times. Mr Johnson denies any wrongdoing. September 24, 2019: London Assembly members give the PM a two-week deadline to provide 'details and a timeline of all contact with Jennifer Arcuri' during his time as Mayor of London. October 19, 2019: The London Assembly pauses its probe into the pair's relationship after a request from the IOPC. December 2019: Arcuri said she did not want to 'be pressured into admitting' to anything about her links to the PM during a GMB interview. May 21, 2020: The IOPC announced there was no evidence for it to launch a criminal investigation into allegations Mr Johnson may have committed an offence of misconduct in public office, with the London Assembly to resume its own investigation. Advertisement It is a completely contrived narrative, the agenda is so blatant anybody with half a brain can see that this is not about health. You dont stick people in their house and deprive them of sunshine and human interaction and their families and tell them you know whats best for them. its disgusting. And especially when the Cummings thing came, I think when that episode happened the whole thing fell apart, any integrity or anything respectable about that government completely disintegrated. I dont believe he (Mr Johnson) is evil, I know his heart. So I just believe he is a puppet on a string. Ms Arcuri said she has a network of mutual friends with the PM, many of whom allegedly disagree with his handling of the pandemic. The author and former model, currently residing in LA, stresses the fact more people are dying from cancer, suicide and heart disease than coronavirus. She said someone close to her was in remission from cancer at the start of the pandemic, but during lockdown - while she couldnt see a doctor - the disease has spread through their body. Ms Arcuri said: She added: Your people have suffered all year and you are going to deny them Christmas, especially when their loved ones are dying? I cannot return to a country that is run by a dictator, what is he doing? I know the man personally, this goes against everything he stands for, freedoms, libertarian freedom, he said the country was free. I am seeing now this desperate coward. I hate calling the man that I cared so deeply for a coward but he is. I dont know who this man is, but its not Boris Johnson And I have discussed at length with many people who know him, like we have mutual friends and they all agree with me. We are all sitting here going what the hell? These masks are a joke. On whether the popular Chancellor Sunak could succeed Johnson as MP, she added: Sure, I think Rishi could do a great job if it came down to it. I dont know him personally but just watching from afar, if there was somebody who could come into power and lead the nation and bring back the spirits of the people so we are not creating a nanny state of non-working people, and not shaming them for going to the pub one minute and telling them to eat out. Jennifer Arcuri poses for a photograph in her hotel suite on November 19 last year The nation needs to feel inspired again because they have been fed nothing but a sh**show of chaos all year. A Government spokesman said: Our strategy is clear - to suppress the virus while protecting the economy and education. Throughout the pandemic, the Government has taken advice from a wide range of scientific and medical experts to inform necessary policy and measures to protect lives. The NHS has been working very hard through these challenging times and urgent treatment has remained an absolute priority. It is vital all those who need medical care come forwards and seek help. We have always been clear that we keep all measures under constant review and will take swift action where necessary.' SAN DIEGO, Sept. 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Proudly serving San Diego, California since 1980, Steven H. Wilhelm, A.P.C. prides itself on its tenacity and awareness to their clients' needs. The law firm specializes in Business Litigation Matters, Real Estate and Trust Matters, and Employment Law, as well as offer services in contract review, preparation and negotiation, litigation in state or federal court, patent, copyright and trademark disputes, lease review, and creation, limited partnership contracts, turnarounds, financial and tax issues, damage control, reputation management and more. With a team of lawyers dedicated to quality customer service, the firm ensures that its clients' needs are met diligently and promptly. Having led an impressive legal career for 45 years, Attorney Steven H. Wilhelm is a renowned expert in the field of Business Law. As a Consumer Attorney of San Diego, also known as San Diego's most trusted business advisor, Mr. Wilhelm specializes in several facets of law. Throughout his career, Wilhelm has held many prestigious roles. Having had extensive courtroom experience in his previous roles, Wilhelm has served as a legal advisor and litigator on matters ranging from the formation of corporations to employment law issues and resolution. Additionally, he utilizes his experience in lease review and creation, stock option plans, and other employee incentive programs. Prior to establishing the firm of Steven H. Wilhelm, A.P.C, Mr. Wilhelm excelled in various legal positions. He was a law clerk to the Honorable Howard B. Turrentine, Judge of the U.S. District Court, Southern California District in San Diego from 1974 through 1975. Thereafter Mr. Wilhelm was the eleventh lawyer in what was then a rapidly expanding Wall Street type law firm known as Sullivan, Jones & Archer (subsequently the firm has splintered into approximately 10 different law firms in San Diego) with a primary focus in complex securities fraud litigation and antitrust litigation. In late 1976, Mr. Wilhelm took a sabbatical to Kansas to obtain his license to practice law in Kansas. Upon his return from sabbatical, Mr. Wilhelm handled the complex civil litigation for St. John, Debusschere, Wilhelm & Daley as well as establishing the infrastructure for the business and business litigation section of the firm. In 1980, Mr. Wilhelm joined Herbert R. Schultze (now senior patent counsel with Agilent Technologies, an affiliate of Hewlett Packard) in the practice of law under the name of Wilhelm & Schultze, in Rancho Santa Fe and San Diego from January of 1980 through December of 1983. From January 1984 to present, Steven H. Wilhelm, A.P.C. has maintained in the downtown San Diego area. The size has varied from 1 to 5 attorneys and the firm now consists of Mr. Wilhelm and his legal assistant. On complex matters, Mr. Wilhelm utilizes joint venture partnerships with other local firms depending upon the magnitude of the project. Remaining abreast of the latest developments in business law, Mr. Wilhelm maintains active memberships with several organizations including the California Bar Association and Kansas State Bar. For more information, please visit http://stevenhwilhelm.com Contact: Katherine Green, 516-825-5634, [email protected] SOURCE Continental Who's Who Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-28 23:12:17|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close DOHA, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- The Qatari health ministry on Monday announced 227 new COVID-19 cases, raising the total number in the Gulf state to 125,311, official Qatar News Agency (QNA) reported. Meanwhile, 214 more recovered from the virus, bringing the overall recoveries to 122,209, while the death toll remained at 214 for the third consecutive day, according to a ministry statement quoted by QNA. The ministry reiterated the need to take preventive measures, including staying at home and observing social distancing. A total of 764,925 persons in Qatar have taken lab tests for COVID-19 so far. Enditem Hyderabad: Veteran Telugu film maker and former Union Minister Dasari Narayana Rao has been hospitalised after he suffered from respiratory and kidney problems, an official said on Tuesday. Rao was admitted to a private hospital in the city last evening and put on dialysis and ventilator support. "He is suffering from kidney ailment, besides sepsis and respiratory problems. He has been put on dialysis and ventilator support and is positively responding to the treatment," a hospital official told PTI. He will also undergo a thoracic surgery, the official said. He was Union Minister of State for Coal in the earlier UPA government. Rao had recently announced that he would make a biopic on former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister late J Jayalalithaa, who passed away on December 5 last year. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Mumbai: Actor Vijay Deverakonda on Monday said he is set to team up with Telugu director Sukumar for a project, which he promised would be a memorable" film. The movie would mark maiden collaboration between the Arjun Reddy" star and Sukumar, known for helming blockbusters like Arya" and 100 % Love". It will be backed by producer Kedar Selagamsetty. Deverakonda took to Twitter to announce the project, slated to be released in 2022. Sukumar - Vijay Deverakonda. The actor in me is super excited. The audience in me is celebrating! We guarantee you memorable cinema. I cant wait to be on set with Sukku sir," the 31-year-old actor tweeted. The announcement was made on the occasion of Selagamsettys birthday, with Deverakonda writing that the producer has been a good friend who works extremely hard". Earlier this year, Deverakonda started shooting for his next with director Puri Jagannadh, with Karan Johar and Apoorva Mehta of Dharma Productions joining the as-yet untitled project as production partners. The film, also featuring Ananya Panday, will be a pan-India project to be made in Hindi and all south Indian languages. The shooting, however, was stalled due to the coronavirus-induced nationwide lockdown in March. Laila al-Abdullah, a prominent official with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, survived yet another assassination attempt in Syrias eastern Deir ez-Zor province last week. Abdallah is best known for having served as spokesperson for the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) campaign to capture Deir ez-Zor province from the Islamic State in 2017. Though she survived the attack, at least one other person in the vehicle was wounded. Local reports said that masked men on a motorcycle opened fire on her van, which was traveling on al-Kharafi Road between Deir ez-Zor and Hasakah provinces. The attack is believed to be either the fourth or the fifth attempt on her life. Last month a vehicle in which she was travelling struck a motorcycle, leading to preliminary reports of another attempt that were later denied by the SDFs Deir ez-Zor Military Council. More than a year after the final corner of the Islamic States so-called caliphate was overrun by the Kurdish-led alliance, Deir ez-Zor remains restive, with suspected IS sleeper cells continuing to assassinate local tribal figures. Last week Abdallah denied rumors the SDF had any involvement in the killings. The US-led military coalition against IS said earlier this year that the regime of President Bashar al-Assad and its main foreign backer, Russia, exploit discontent in Arab-majority areas controlled by the SDF. Renewed protests broke out in Deir ez-Zors eastern countryside last month amid complaints over a lack of resources and security. The area east of the Euphrates River remains under the control of the Deir ez-Zor Military Council, the local arm of the SDF. The SDF launched another sweeping operation to track down IS sleeper cells in the Iraq-Syria border area last week. On Friday, representatives of the US State Department reportedly met with tribal leaders from Tabqa and Raqqa in northeast Syria. US officials have engaged closely with Arab tribal representatives in SDF-controlled territory in an effort to hold the autonomous northeast together amid pressure from the Assad regime and Turkey, which sees the SDF as a terrorist organization. Abdallah, who is of Arab descent from Deir ez-Zor city, joined the Kurdish-led womens forces in 2016. Last year she became the first female co-chair of the Deir ez-Zor Military Council, according to the Wilson Center. More than 40 chiefs from six sub-counties in Nakuru have been trained on legal aid in a programme in a bid to ensure residents have easy access to justice. The administrators from Nakuru West, Subukia, Naivasha, Molo, Bahati and Rongai were trained by Egerton University in a project by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the European Union and a civil society organisation known as Amkeni Wakenya. Brenda Achungo, Amkeni Wakenya's Coordination Officer in-charge of the Western region, said the training is aimed at equipping grassroots administrators with skills that will see them help residents access justice easily. "The training seeks to ensure community awareness and seamless flow of basic legal aid information. Chiefs play a crucial role in ensuring this information reaches citizens," she said in Nakuru town on Friday, during a one-day training organised by the university's Faculty of Law Legal Aid Project. "When chiefs understand basic laws relating to human rights, land issues, gender-based violence, succession, women's rights, governance and implementation of the Legal Aid Act, 2016, they will solve issues affecting their communities better," she added. Ms Achungo further said that with an understanding of the Legal Aid Act, chiefs will better apply the alternative justice system for the benefit of the communities they serve. "Unique problems" Dr Ruth Aura, Egerton's Dean of the Faculty of Law, described the training as a game changer as Nakuru has "unique problems". Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Kenya Legal Affairs Education By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. "The administrators often face a myriad of problems in their work," she said. During the training, the chiefs cited land disputes, gender-based violence, drug trafficking and problems surrounding the sale of illicit brew as some of the key challenges they face. Dr Aura further said the university is committed to taking the law to the people. "We want to empower chiefs to have effective problem solving mechanisms to ensure peace in their areas of jurisdiction," she said, adding the training will also help citizens enjoy their rights and become responsible. "When the residents you serve understand their rights, roles and responsibilities, they will obey the law." Charles Marube Getanda, Egerton's Head of Public Law, said that with legal aid skills, chiefs will be able to solve problems without going to court. "Chiefs will use their barazas to disseminate information relating to legal matters such as land disputes and gender-based violence," he said. The UNDP said it will continue to empower more administrators through legal aid training in a bid to ease access to justice. "Among the more surprising findings is widespread agreement among Democrats and Republicans that having the White House and Congress in the hands of a single party -- albeit their own party -- would be best for the country and for the financial services industry." A new survey conducted by Arizent, the parent company of American Banker, The Bond Buyer, National Mortgage News, PaymentsSource, and other leading information sources for the financial services industry, finds financial professionals starkly divided by party line over the future of their industries and their country in the weeks leading up to the November presidential election. Among the 1,201 survey respondents, 82% of registered Democrats predict victory by Joe Biden, with 45% expecting a Democratic sweep of both the White House and Congress. In contrast, 81% of registered Republicans predict the re-election of Donald Trump, and 49% expect the current divided control of the House and Senate to continue. Twenty-eight percent of Republicans expect a Republican sweep. Among independents, 54% predict a Biden win, while 46% predict a Trump re-election. The majority of respondents also believe that control of both the executive and legislative branches of government by a single political party would be the best outcome -- for both their industry and the country. In fact, 81% of Democrats feel a Democratic sweep would most benefit the industry compared to 84% of Republicans who feel similarly about the benefit of a Republican sweep. The sentiment is the same when asked which election outcome would be best for the country, with 85% of Democrats and 78% of Republicans preferring a sweep by their own party. Among the more surprising findings is widespread agreement among Democrats and Republicans that having the White House and Congress in the hands of a single party -- albeit their own party -- would be best for the country and for the financial services industry, noted Janet King, Arizents Vice President of Research. Respondents were also sharply split along party lines on the most important policy priorities for the next administration: The national debt is cited as an urgent policy area by 71% of Republicans, but just 26% of Democrats. Climate change is a top priority for 79% of Democrats, but just 10% of Republicans. Racial equality ranks highly among 57% of Democrats as a key policy area but is mentioned by just 14% of Republicans. Concerns about the conduct of the election itself also expose deep divisions. Seventy-nine percent of Democrats are extremely or very confident of the integrity of an election in which a high percentage of ballots cast may be cast by mail. Just 18% of Republicans say the same thing. More than two-thirds of Democrats (68%) are extremely or very worried about the possibility of foreign government interference impacting the outcome of the election, a concern shared by just 19% of Republicans. The survey did uncover three areas of consensus: A majority of voters, regardless of party affiliation, think it is likely that a backlog in processing mail-in ballots will delay the results of the 2020 United States presidential election for days or even weeks -- 69% among Republicans, 59% among Independents, and 54% among Democrats. Many respondents worry about a negative impact on their businesses if the results of the 2020 United States presidential election are disputed. Sixty-two percent of Republicans, 58% of independents, and 51% of Democrats expect a negative short-term impact on their business if the outcome is disputed. The vast majority of voters regardless of party affiliation also agree that social media firms and media companies are not doing enough to stop the spread of misinformation and to help protect the integrity of the election. This is a sentiment shared by 88% of Democrats, 80% of Republicans, and 78% of Independents. The results and implications of this survey are covered in stories today in several Arizent publications, including: Bankers give Election 2020 edge to Trump, American Banker: https://www.americanbanker.com/news/bankers-give-election-2020-edge-to-trump Historically conservative, newly polarized: Financial pros starkly divided over 2020 election, PaymentsSource: https://www.paymentssource.com/list/historically-conservative-newly-polarized-financial-pros-starkly-divided-over-2020-election Finance professionals on mail-in voting, Supreme Court vacancy, National Mortgage News: https://www.nationalmortgagenews.com/list/finance-professionals-on-mail-in-voting-supreme-court-vacancy Advisors back Trump as better for wealth management, America, Financial Planning: https://www.financial-planning.com/news/most-advisors-back-trump-as-better-for-wealth-management-and-america Accountants favor Trump in election by large margin, Accounting Today: http://www.accountingtoday.com/list/accountants-favor-trump-in-election-by-large-margin Research Background/Methodology This survey was conducted online between September 17, 2020, and September 22, 2020, among business leaders and professionals employed by banks, payments firms, mortgage lenders, insurance agents and carriers, municipal finance agencies and advisors, accounting firms, tax preparers, wealth management and financial advisory firms and others. A total of 1,201 U.S. business leaders and professionals completed the survey. The margin of error on a sample size of 1,201 at the 95% confidence level is +/-2.7 percentage points. For more information on this survey or other Arizent research, contact: Janet King Vice President, Research Arizent janet.king@arizent.com M 207-807-4806 About Arizent Research Arizent Research delivers actionable insights through full-service research solutions that leverage their first-party data, subject matter expertise, and highly engaged communities across the banking, payments, mortgage, insurance, municipal finance, accounting, HR/employee benefits and wealth management communities. They conduct research to support original insights and analysis for their various editorial and content brands, as well as custom research programs for clients in the industries they serve. About Arizent Arizent is a business information company that advances professional communities by providing insights and analysis and convening industry leaders. The company uses deep industry expertise and a data-driven platform to deliver its services, which include subscriptions, marketing services, live events, and access to Leaders, an executive forum. Arizent also connects business communities through leading financial services brands like American Banker, The Bond Buyer, PaymentsSource, Financial Planning, and National Mortgage News, as well as professional services brands like Accounting Today, Employee Benefit News and Digital Insurance. Corrections & Clarifications: This story was updated to reflect that the highest individual income tax rates and capital gains tax rates do not take effect until taxpayers meet a certain monetary threshold. The story has also been updated to include this additional information associated with capital gains and income tax rates: "Of course, there are numerous other exceptions and variations based on the individual circumstances of each taxpayer, including the nature of their wages and deductions, and their investments and other assets. These circumstances can alter the effective tax rate." Like President Donald Trump, rich Americans often deploy sophisticated tax avoidance strategies to maximize their wealth. Not to be confused with tax evasion, which is illegal, tax avoidance is entirely legal, even if many view it as unfair. A sweeping New York Times report published Sunday revealed numerous tax reduction strategies used by Trump. He's not alone. Affluent taxpayers often have more avenues than ordinary Americans to avoid paying Uncle Sam. Wealthy Americans are the largest source of underreported income, according to IRS data analyzed by researchers. The top 1% of American taxpayers account for about 34% of misreported income, according to a study published in the National Tax Journal. Many wealthy Americans deploy complex, arcane but wholly legal strategies to minimize their tax obligations. Some use fairly straightforward strategies that allow them to minimize their taxes under the tax code. COVID-19 shakes up real estate: Where are rents rising and falling the most in big cities? Is Santa Claus coming to town? Mall Santas may lose gigs in first holiday season since the COVID-19 pandemic Here are some of the most common tax avoidance strategies deployed by the wealthy: Growing wealth through investments It's much harder to avoid taxes on your paycheck than on your investments. In general, the federal government taxes regular wages at higher rates than investment income. The long-term capital gains tax rate maxes out at 20%, and the highest income tax rate is 37%. Story continues In other words, the government keeps $370,000 of every $1 million in salary once you hit the highest tax bracket. For every $1 million in gains on stocks or similar investments above a threshold of about $441,000 for individual taxpayers and $497,000 for married couples filing jointly the government keeps $200,000. Of course, there are numerous other exceptions and variations based on the individual circumstances of each taxpayer, including the nature of their wages and deductions, and their investments and other assets. These circumstances can alter the effective tax rate. Listen to the news with our daily podcast Selling assets at strategic times Taxes on assets such as stocks and real estate investments aren't owed until they are sold. That helps people such as Jeff Bezos, the Amazon CEO, founder and richest person in the world, grow their wealth rapidly while avoiding a huge tax bill. Then they can be strategic about when they sell. By stockpiling assets without selling, rich investors can minimize their tax burden. "Wealthy individuals can wait to sell until it makes the most sense for them, such as a year in which they will have large capital losses to offset the gain," according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. Unrealized capital gains accounted for more than one-third of the assets held by the richest 1% of Americans in 2013, according to a Federal Reserve analysis. By comparison, the bottom 90% of Americans have only 6% of their assets in unrealized capital gains. Using business income loopholes to reduce personal tax liability The 2017 tax bill passed signed into law by Trump allowed for a 20% deduction on certain business income that passes through partnerships, sole proprietorships and S-corporations. This is income that individuals report on their personal IRS returns, but the tax break allows them to reduce the tax rate on that money by up to 7.4 points, according to the CBPP. This setup is most likely to help the wealthy: 61% of the benefits go to the wealthiest 1% of Americans, according to the Joint Committee on Taxation. Lisa De Simone, associate professor of accounting at the McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas-Austin, said many tax breaks available for business owners were put in place to stimulate risk-taking and innovation. Theres a notion that there are lots of tips and tricks that only the wealthy can take advantage of, De Simone said. The provisions werent written to try to help the wealthy get away with things. Instead, she said, new businesses can benefit when theyre able to deduct early losses from income. You dont have to be super-rich in order to claim a business loss," she said. Taking advantage of death tax policies to enrich their heirs The tax code allows Americans to build wealth through deferred capital gains, then pass those assets tax-free along to their heirs upon death. Called the "stepped-up basis" tax break, this loophole "encourages wealthy people to turn as much of their income into capital gains as possible and hold on to assets until death, when a lifetime of gain becomes permanently exempt from tax," according to the CBPP. The inheritor could be subject to paying the estate tax if the total value of the estate exceeds a certain threshold, but that threshold has been substantially increased. The 2017 tax law doubled the amount of a deceased person's wealth that's shielded from the estate tax from about $5.5 million to more than $11 million. The limit is poised to reset to its original amount in 2025 unless Congress takes action. Contributing: Susan Tompor of the Detroit Free Press Follow USA TODAY reporter Nathan Bomey on Twitter @NathanBomey. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump tax returns: How rich Americans avoid taxes Zurich, Switzerland -- (SBWIRE) -- 09/28/2020 -- Individuals who are able to think and make decisions with clarity despite an environment of chaos are in high demand within the logistics and supply chain sector of Switzerland. With a continually changing landscape due to advances in artificial intelligence, digitalisations and transparency Switzerland is working hard to maintain the excellent track record the country has with supply chain operations. Newsroom have reported that the country is currently ranked third in the world for countries with the best supply chain resilience , a huge feat considering the turbulent nature of the economy due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the aftermath. Despite the disruptions caused by the pandemic, Switzerland is storming ahead with new and interesting innovative concepts which is leading an increasing amount of multinational companies to set up their supply chain operations in the country. Established in 2008, DSJ Global are the leading specialist recruiters in logistics and supply chain careers. The firm have one main goal, to secure logistics corporations biggest issue today: talent acquisition. DSJ Global have an expert team of 750 consultants based in 11+ office locations worldwide. Their consultants are committed to ensuring the most efficient and effective hiring solutions are provided to give their clients peace of mind when it comes to securing talented individuals for these roles. The firm have connected with one million mid-to-senior level consultants in over 60 countries globally to ensure their recruitment methods are directly beneficial for candidate and client. Logistics and supply chain companies are working with the latest technology to maximise the potential for operational efficiency and gain a competitive edge on their worldwide competitors. Individuals looking to take their next career move into the supply chain industry must be resilient as they will often experience the unexpected. By being aware of potential set backs, they will also be prepared for off-shoring, outsourcing and inter-dependencies where product versatility can be put in place to avoid these issues. A successful reduction in risks provides a fruitful supply chain network, individuals who can effectively promote these processes will do well in the industry and are in high demand. DSJ Global work with a network of logistics and supply chain corporations from agile start ups to global powerhouses and have a plethora of exciting job opportunities. Roles available currently include: customer service representative, director of supply chain, IT sourcing manager, inventory control manager, supplier quality manager and clinical trial supply manager. These vacancies are available across Switzerland, from Zurich to Lucerne, Geneva and Chur, as well as worldwide opportunities as DSJ Global connect talented individuals globally. The firm are also expert recruiters in procurement and technical operations. By reimagining the recruitment process during the COVID-19 pandemic, the firm have adapted well to the increasingly remote working environment. Their consultants work around the clock to ensure safe onboarding procedures are being followed, including virtual interviews and introductory meetings and calls to allow a smooth transition for all new starters and managers. "During uncertain times, DSJ Global offers reassurance. Crises come in many different forms financial crashes, oil gluts, and now a global pandemic", commented Luis Rolm, Global Marketing Director at DSJ Global. He went on to say, "Yet, whatever the challenge, we remain steadfast in our service. We continue to offer guidance to clients in the logistics and supply chain sectors and help them secure top talent." To find out more information about the leading logistics and supply chain recruiters in Switzerland, visit https://www.dsjglobal.ch. For any media enquiries please contact Gary Elliott at Iconic Digital 020 7100 0726. For all other enquiries please contact DSJ Global CH: +41 44 542 12 50. - For more information about DSJ Global services, please go to https://www.dsjglobal.ch. - DSJ Global CH specialises in expert recruitment for procurement and supply chain professionals. Solving the key challenge of talent for this crucial industry has enabled the firm to support both individuals and organisations onto the next stage of development and growth. The average middle class American household paid approximately three times as much in federal income taxes in 2016 and 2017 as President Donald Trump, a billionaire real estate mogul with properties and developments all over the world, according to a new report. The New York Times on Sunday revealed that the president, who has for years refused to release his tax returns, paid $750 in income taxes in 2016 and $750 again in income taxes in 2017. In 2016, households in the middle 20% of the U.S. income distribution paid an average of $2,200 in federal income taxes, according to the Congressional Budget Office, a nonpartisan government agency. That group earned about $60,000 on average in 2016. "His income tax burden is certainly much lower than the average taxpayer," said Brian Galle, a law professor and tax expert at Georgetown Law. "He's likely paying less than the shoeshine guy who works in the foyer of the Trump Tower." The Times' disclosure of Trump's shockingly low federal income payments prompted an outpouring of criticism of what appeared to be his unusually aggressive attempts to evade obligations to the IRS. The Times' report reveals that Trump also appears to have stretched the boundaries of deductions that allow firms to lower their federal tax burdens on losses and expenses, for instance by paying consulting fees to his daughter Ivanka Trump that the firm later claimed as a tax write-off. Alan Garten, a lawyer for the Trump Organization, said the story was filled with inaccuracies and told The Washington Post in a statement, "Over the past decade the President has paid tens of millions of dollars in personal taxes to the federal government." Trump has also characterized the Times' story as "fake news" at a news conference Sunday evening. On Monday, he said he had paid "many millions" in taxes and that he used the tax credits allowed under the law. "The Fake News Media, just like Election time 2016, is bringing up my Taxes & all sorts of other nonsense with illegally obtained information & only bad intent. I paid many millions of dollars in taxes but was entitled, like everyone else, to depreciation & tax credits," the president said on twitter. Trump's companies also do pay payroll and unemployment taxes to the federal government, and he likely pays significant taxes on his real estate properties. Congressional Democrats and multiple tax experts criticized as grossly unfair the idea that Trump would pay far lower in income taxes than middle class Americans. About half of all American families paid more in federal income taxes than Trump, according to Ernie Tedeschi, who served as an economist in President Barack Obama's Treasury Department. Trump's federal income tax obligation amounts to less than the typical amount paid by families earning between $40,000 and $50,000, including after their tax credits are factored in, Tedeschi said. Lily Batchelder, a tax expert at New York University, said on Twitter that over 18 years from 2000 to 2017 Trump paid the taxes of someone who earned roughly an average of $150,000 annually. "The outrage is that what he paid in federal income tax is right in the middle of American families and is clearly living a lifestyle that is not in the middle of American families. It's at the very upper echelon," Tedeschi said. "And that strikes people as unfair." The audit rate for low-income taxpayers fell too, but by not nearly as much. Today, a low-income person claiming the earned income tax credit is more likely to be audited by the IRS than someone making $400,000 a year, according to ProPublica. Trump's low tax burden stems in large part from the way his businesses are legally incorporated. Most Americans' tax payments to the IRS are derived from the income they receive from their wages and salaries from the employer. In this traditional formula, Americans' employers -- often formed as a "C-Corp," or corporation -- also pay a separate additional tax payment to the IRS on the corporate tax rate. By contrast, Trump runs his firms as "pass-through" entities. This legal structure -- such as an "S-Corporation" or "Limited Liability Corporation" -- requires business owners to report both the income and losses from their business operations on their personal tax returns. There are close to 30 million pass-through entities in America. "Trump is not an ordinary taxpayer: He is a business taxpayer with loads of losses, which can do funny things to your taxes and zero them out for some years or many years," said Kyle Pomerleau, a tax expert at the American Enterprise Institute, a conservative-leaning think tank. "It can happen across different industries, for different reasons." The revelation is also likely to reanimate a long-standing debate over taxing the rich in the U.S. Wealthy families' tax burdens have declined dramatically since the 1960s, according to economists Emmanuel Saez and Gabriel Zucman. Data compiled by the team show that in 1960, the richest 400 families in the U.S. had an average effective tax rate of well over 50%. By 2018 that burden had been slashed by more than half, with the top 400 paying an effective total rate of less than 25% -- lower than the effective tax rate paid by the bottom half of American households. Saez and Zucman's tallies include not just federal income tax but also corporate, state and local taxes. That decline is due in part due to deliberate congressional policy choices, with steep drops observed following the Reagan tax cuts in the 1980s and, more recently, the Trump tax cuts in 2017. That law lowered the top rate on federal income taxes and slashed the corporate tax rate, both of which were unlikely to have benefited Trump personally. It also limited taxpayers' ability to deduct their state and local taxes which may have squeezed Trump. But the GOP tax law also significantly expanded a deduction for pass-through, which may have benefited the president. Congress has also restricted funding for the Internal Revenue Service in recent years, giving the agency fewer resources to go after suspected cases of tax fraud. An investigation by ProPublica found that the wealthy have been the primary beneficiaries of that policy change, which effectively slashed the audit rate for the richest 1% of taxpayers. Canastota, N.Y. George McDonald Jr. ordered Lizzie Garrow to get his name tattooed on her after they got married, threatening to leave her if she wouldnt give in, her family says. Garrow got George tattooed on her arm, they say, literally putting his stamp on her. When Lizzie Garrow, a pregnant 19-year-old mother, was found dead Sunday, authorities told her family they knew it was her in part because of her tattoos. It was a violent end to a brief marriage that was steeped in violence, her family says. Garrow met McDonald online this spring and by July 1 they married in a local court. She was 19. He was 24. It quickly emerged that McDonald was possessive and manipulative, Garrows sisters said. The relationship turned to physical abuse, they said. McDonald was charged with choking her and Garrow secured an order of protection. I literally begged her to leave him, her sister Melissa Bush said. Garrow left, only to go back to him when he said he would stop, her sisters said. She felt she needed his money and support, they said. Garrow, a mother of a 1-year-old girl who recently learned she was pregnant, disappeared Wednesday. She was last seen at the Dunkin' in Canastota with McDonald. Sunday morning, her family got the news they feared most: Garrow was dead. (Police announced Monday Garrow had been stabbed multiple times.) No one has been charged in Garrows death. McDonald is being held in the Madison County jail without bail for violating probation from a previous domestic abuse arrest involving a different person. Garrows sisters, Bush and Emily Lloyd, talked this weekend with Syracuse.com | The Post-Standard about their sister, her relationship with McDonald and how they feared foul play from the start. Garrow and McDonalds relationship started on Facebook, then led to them meeting for the first time in April or May, Bush said. McDonald brought over Twisted Tea, an alcoholic beverage, and drank with Lizzie at her familys home in Canastota, Bush said. The next thing you know they were dating. He rushed everything," Bush said. The first day, he was like, I want to get married,' Lloyd and Bush said they were concerned for their younger sister and told her not to get married so fast. I told her, This so crazy, Bush said. But both sisters agreed that Garrow was going to do what she wanted, so they tried to be supportive. Bush said she was one of two witnesses at the courthouse wedding. I hugged him because I didnt know him; I welcomed him into the family. I thought he was going to treat her right," Bush said. "He was buying her everything she needed and then all of a sudden once they got married, he was beating on her every day. Garrow told Bush about her husbands abuse, she said. Sometimes it was because he snapped; other times, he was possessive and manipulated her, Bush and Lloyd said. He called Garrow vulgar, mean names and insulted her daughter, they said. He broke the babys crib and cut up her mattress; and he smashed two of Garrows phones, they said. He refused to let her go out. And when he got mad, he choked and beat her, they said. On Sept. 8, Lizzie sent Bush a text message that said: George choked me so badly yesterday. In another text message, she showed her sister photos of marks on her neck. He f----d me up, Garrow wrote. Garrow sometimes discussed the relationship on Facebook. She wrote about wanting a divorce, and shared posts about domestic violence awareness and being drawn to a toxic relationship. In mid-September, her public posts alluding to problems with her husband became more frequent. In one, she said her partner had bought her an expensive cell phone and then broke it. On Sept. 14, she seemed resolute about getting out of the marriage. I deserve to be with someone who is the reason I smile everyday, she wrote. Someone who genuinely makes me happy. Someone who loves my kid(s) and myself and couldnt picture hurting us. Ive put up with a shit ton of things in relationships but this time around, Im not settling for less than what I deserve. McDonald was charged Sept. 7 with criminal obstruction of breathing, a misdemeanor. Police confirmed Garrow was the victim. About a week later, Bush said she took Garrow to a hospital after McDonald punched her in the face. Thats when Garrow learned she was pregnant, Bush said. Garrow went home and told McDonald they were expecting a baby. He didnt believe his wife at first, but after she took multiple home pregnancy tests he said he was happy, Bush said. He said he wanted to make the relationship work, but he continued to beat Garrow up, Bush said. Garrow was trying to leave and had told McDonald that, according to Bush and Lloyd. She recently got an order of protection that made it a crime for McDonald to come near her. On Wednesday, Garrow didnt show up to pick up her daughter. Her sisters immediately thought something wasnt right. Garrow was always on her phone, but suddenly no one could reach her. Bush, who had just had a baby girl, said she had just talked to her sister Wednesday. Garrow was excited to meet her niece, and told her sister to hurry up and get home so she could hold the baby. The two saw each other pretty much every day. So when the father of Garrows daughter called Bush wondering where Garrow was, it didnt make sense. Bush told him she had just talked to Garrow 39 minutes earlier. Now, no one could reach her. She never showed up. Its not like her, Bush said. I knew something was wrong. Im thinking: Where is she? This is unusual. Shes always online: Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook. But she hasnt posted anything. For the next four days, Garrows family prayed for her safe return as a team of more than 100 police officers and public safety officials searched about 100 square miles of Madison County for any signs of Garrow. Dive teams, drones and police search dogs searched. Family and friends made missing signs and asked for help on social media. Garrows sisters said they even sent McDonald messages online, but they never heard back from him. Then, Sunday morning, Garrows family got the news they dreaded: Lizzie was dead. Police have not made any arrests in Garrows disappearance or her death, but they say she likely died the same day she went missing. Police are still waiting for autopsy results before officially identifying Garrow, even though tattoos found on the body recovered Sunday morning are consistent with her tattoos. McDonald was charged Friday with second-degree criminal contempt. Hes accused of violating the order of protection, prohibiting him from having any contact with Garrow, officials said. He also was charged with a violation of probation. The probation violation stems from a February 2019 domestic dispute, which resulted in McDonalds arrest for assault and endangering the welfare of a child. Garrow was not the victim in that case, authorities said. Sunday night, more than 300 people gathered near Garrows home on North Main Street in the village of Canastota for a candlelight vigil. Bush said she moved Garrow in and out of McDonalds home on Fyler Road in Kirkville several times over the last few months when she could take no more. Garrow attended school in Oneida and Canastota, but dropped out after eighth grade. She lived with Bush when she was 14 and helped her with her kids, then eventually moved back with her mother. Garrow got into some trouble and was put into a juvenile placement for two years, her sisters said. Garrow then returned to Canastota, and had a baby but the relationship with the father didnt last. Her family says he is just as devastated as they are about her death. Garrow is survived by her 1-year-old daughter, Annovia Weismore; her father, Dan Garrow; mother, Samantha Garrow; sisters, Emily Lloyd and Melissa Bush; brothers, Dan Lloyd, Nicholas Lloyd and Christopher Garrow; and grandmothers Nancy Garrow and Gertrude Rainwater. More than 7,500 people have joined the #JusticeforLizzie Facebook page, where information about how to help the family is posted. In two days, the community has raised more than $10,000 for Lizzies daughter. Garrows family says they hope by speaking out, it helps others in similar situations. A lot of people go through this and are afraid to talk about it, Lloyd said. When I told her to leave him the last time, I was kind of mean and was like, Im kind of sick of this because youre going to end up dead, Bush said. She was like, Im not going back there; I just dont want to take care of this baby by myself. I want him to be involved in the babys life.' 17 Candlelight vigil for 19-year-old Elizabeth Lizzie Garrow *** Where to get help Vera House: The Central New York group offers help to victims of domestic violence. Vera House can be reached at 3154683260. You can also chat through the organizations website. If an immediate emergency, Vera House urges people to call 911. National Domestic Violence Hotline: 18007997233 or you can text Loveis 8667997233 . You can also chat via the organizations website. *** Elizabeth Lizzie Garrow coverage Hundreds gather to mourn Elizabeth Garrow hours after shes found dead: Remember my name Candlelight vigil planned tonight for missing Madison County mom found dead Elizabeth Garrows husband charged with violating order of protection Body believed to be Elizabeth Garrow found in Canastota; sheriff believes shes been dead for days Missing Madison County mom Elizabeth Garrow found dead, family says Search resumes for missing Madison County woman Elizabeth Garrow The search for Elizabeth Garrow to continue Sunday, sheriff says Over 75 responders search for missing CNY woman in Madison County Missing CNY womans sisters worry foul play: Whoever knows something needs to say something Missing Canastota woman, 19, last seen with person; search continues, police say Sheriffs office looking for missing Canastota woman Syracuse.com staff writer Julie McMahon contributed to this report. Have a tip or a story idea? Contact Catie OToole: cotoole@syracuse.com | text/call 315-470-2134 | Twitter | Facebook Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-28 21:00:10|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- This year's Dajiang Forum, a platform to discuss the peaceful development of cross-Strait ties, kicked off on Monday. The forum, sponsored by the Central Committee of the Taiwan Democratic Self-Government League (TDSL), was held in the form of a video conference and attended by about 200 guests from both the Chinese mainland and Taiwan. The participants discussed advancing the peaceful reunification of China and opposing "Taiwan independence" separatism. Su Hui, the chairperson of the TDSL Central Committee, attended the opening ceremony and met with the Taiwan representatives. Long Mingbiao, deputy head of the Taiwan Work Office of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, hailed the cross-Strait exchanges this year, despite obstacles deliberately-created by some people. "It shows that a closer cross-Strait tie is an inevitable trend and the people's aspiration," Long said. The forum, the seventh of its kind, was first initiated by the TDSL Central Committee in 2014. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-28 22:58:23|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close LONDON, Spet. 28 (Xinhua) -- More than 30 universities around Britain have reported coronavirus cases since the new school term started earlier this month, with thousands of students in self-isolation, local media reported on Monday. There are no official figures from the British government or regulator, but a tracking of local reports suggested that about 40 out of 130 universities in Britain have had COVID-19 cases so far, said the BBC. At least 33 universities in Britain now have confirmed cases of COVID-19, with another two having suspected cases, the Sky News reported on Monday. More than 717 coronavirus cases have been identified among students and staff since universities reopened, said the Sky News. Manchester Metropolitan University has asked around 1,700 students to self-isolate after 127 cases were confirmed. The University of Glasgow has 172 confirmed cases, with 600 students self-isolating, said the Sky News. Many universities had promised students a mix of in-person and online teaching, raising questions about whether they should get a refund if teaching is only online or if they should be paying for university accommodation if all their lessons are delivered remotely. The Labour shadow education secretary, Kate Green, told the BBC that the option of student fee rebates should be kept "absolutely on the table". The University of Glasgow has agreed to refund students one month of rent and provide a 50-pound (about 63.8-U.S.-dollar) payment for food. Local media reported Monday that just under a quarter of people in Britain now are living under different lockdown restrictions, as coronavirus cases continue to rise across the country. This finding came as countries, such as Britain, China, Russia and the United States, are racing against time to develop coronavirus vaccines. The British government's Chief Scientific Adviser Patrick Vallance said earlier that it is possible that some vaccine could be available in small amounts later this year, but it is more likely that a vaccine will be available early next year, although that is not guaranteed. Enditem